Alperen Sengun proved biggest flaw is already a thing of the past

As the Houston Rockets prepared to enter the season without starting point guard Fred VanVleet, everyone knew that Alperen Sengun, in some shape or form, was going to need to make whatever the next leap in his game was.

In a monstrous, 39-point performance, Sengun flashed his ability to do exactly that, and, in the course of doing so, his five made 3-pointers on the night also showed that he might have overcome his biggest weakness.

Through his first four seasons in the league, Sengun shot just 27.2% from beyond the arc. However, if he can become even a respectable shooter from deep this season, he would add an entirely new wrinkle to the Rockets' offense, cementing his case as one of the NBA's elite centers.

If Alperen Sengun can shoot from deep, the league is in trouble

Sengun, undeniably, had one of the most impressive offseasons in basketball, leading his native Turkiye to the EuroBasket Final and averaging 21.6 points, 10.1 rebounds and 6.6 assists in the course of doing so.

Moreover, last season, Sengun took the leap toward becoming a star center in the NBA, earning his first nod to the All-Star Game and honing in his footwork and facilitation abilities.

Yet, through all this, one clear weakness remained. Sengun was not a viable 3-point shooter.

While we saw some flashes of a renewed confidence from beyond the arc in EuroBasket, with Sengun shooting 31.8% from 3-point range across the course of the tournament, nothing could have prepared the league for what happened on Houston's opening night.

Sengun was not just pulling up recklessly, but he was shooting with a profound confidence that has not been seen in his career to this point. He went 5-for-8 from beyond the arc on the night.

While the Rockets now have a superstar-caliber scorer on their roster in Kevin Durant, Sengun will need to take the next step, becoming the team's star player, in order for their championship dreams to have any hope of coming true.

He's already flashed his ability to be an elite facilitator, amassing 26 assists across the three preseason games he played in, and, if he can become a reliable shooter from various areas on the court as well, he has already taken massive strides toward making this happen.

While it would be unreasonable to expect a monster performance from Sengun like we got against Oklahoma City on a night-to-night basis, his dominance continuing into the regular season is an excellent sign for an ascendant Houston team.