Alperen Sengun has perfect opportunity for another breakout

Alperen Sengun already has two All-Star appearances under his belt at age 24, but he still has a lot to prove. Fortunately, he’s got all the right elements around him to play at his best now, including a coach with something to prove and better point guards to set him up. Sengun was great in the season opener and is fully capable of playing like that for the entire season.

Sengun looked better than last season

The entire Rockets team had a great showing against the Mavericks, but Sengun was one of the standouts. He finished with 23 points, 10 rebounds and 5 assists while controlling the paint on both ends. He clearly benefited from the abundance of playmaking on the court for the Rockets with both Fred VanVleet and Marcus Smart playing big minutes.

Sengun was also more than happy to support a pair of dominant scoring performances put on by Kevin Durant and Jabari Smith Jr, who had 30 points apiece. Many of that pair’s easiest baskets were set up by Sengun’s playmaking. The scoring was no surprise for Durant, but could be the start of a breakout season for Smith.

When he was the offensive focal point, Sengun looked much more comfortable than last season because he got the ball in the right spots. Last season, he often had to force his way into the paint through long post-ups or self-created drives. Against the Mavericks, he was already catching the ball in the low post or with a full head of steam. 

Sengun even showed a potential new addition with his 3-point shooting. We know better than to get carried away with one game, but he did hit both of his three-point attempts. If he grows that shot until defenses have to react every time, the Rockets offense will open up for everyone.

Sengun still has some more obvious improvements 

The ugliest blemish on Sengun’s performance was his ball security. He finished with 4 turnovers, largely from being careless with the ball in traffic. Those mistakes should be fixable with the right focus, but they’re not guaranteed.

In the playoffs, the turnovers will only get worse as the possessions get more valuable and the defense gets more intense. Sengun needs to clean it up significantly during the regular season long before the playoffs start.

Playing alongside more veterans should help as the team gels. VanVleet, Smart and Durant should have a good sense of where they need to fill in each play when Sengun has the ball. Hopefully Sengun uses that to his advantage and maintains his scoring efficiency while also cutting down on the turnovers.

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