ESPN Analyst says exactly what Rockets fans already knew about Alperen Sengun

As Alperen Sengun of the Houston Rockets has dominated the EuroBasket tournament, leading his native Turkiye to the finals against Germany, the international stage has now gotten to see the dominance with which he plays.

Accordingly, NBA analyst Kendrick Perkins has now claimed that Sengun is a top-five center in the NBA, and, as the NBA world begins to see just how dominant Sengun is, they are finding out what all Rockets fans already knew: he is one of the premier players at his position in the world.

At just 22 years old, Sengun has ascended into a star role for the rising Rockets, and, now, he must continue to prove himself as the new season begins.

Alperen Sengun is one of the best centers in the league, and the national media is beginning to find out

Last season, as Sengun earned his first All-Star nod, he took his game up another notch, averaging 19.1 points, 10.3 rebounds and 4.9 assists through 76 games and helping to lead Houston to the second seed in the Western Conference.

Yet, in EuroBasket, Sengun has somehow looked even more dominant. Through eight games in the tournament, he's averaged 20.8 points (in games that are only 40 minutes long), 11 rebounds and seven assists, taking on the vast majority of the offensive load for his team and allowing players such as Cedi Osman to capitalize off of his gravity.

Moreover, it is not just his offensive dominance, with a creative package in the paint and a size and footwork advantage over most opposing centers, that makes him such a lethal threat; it is the steps he has taken on the defensive end that have propelled him to stardom.

Perkins, on NBA Today, wholeheartedly agreed with this sentiment, saying, "[Alperen Sengun] is a top 5 big in the NBA. You know why? Not just because of the points, not just because of the rebounds and the assists, but he actually plays defense at a high level."

Last season, as Sengun's offensive numbers were raised almost across the board, he also posted the best defensive box plus-minus of his career: a sizable 1.8 across the course of the season.

Moreover, he posted a stellar 107.4 defensive rating, placing him fourth among bona-fide starting centers (only behind the Oklahoma City Thunder's Isaiah Hartenstein and Chet Holmgren and the Los Angeles Clippers' Ivica Zubac).

Therefore, fans of the Rockets already knew well the kind of impact Sengun can have on a team, as he took on the role of Houston's bona-fide star last season over the inefficient Jalen Green. Now, however, the national audience is waking up to the caliber of play Sengun presents, and it could mean a whole new level of stardom for the young center.