LeBron James already gave Alperen Sengun the perfect blueprint for another leap

All the young Rockets have major improvements to make this offseason, but Alperen Sengun is perhaps the most puzzling case of all since he already has a fairly complete game. However, none other than LeBron James revealed the ultimate kernel of truth in Sengun's next development when he essentially called Sengun soft during a viral playoff moment. At the time, it seemed like a funny bit of trash talk but Sengun can legitimately evolve into a better player by flopping less and embracing physicality more.

Sengun needs to heed LeBron's famous words

That moment from the playoffs went viral because LeBron specifically called out Sengun as the only soft player on the Rockets roster. And that fact isn't necessarily lost on Sengun either, who has publicly acknowledged his own flaws as a player this offseason already.

Sengun's tendency to flop and rely on referees is arguably a good problem to have, since it can be solved with a simple change in mentality. That approach has proven particularly ineffective in the playoffs, where referees often allow more physicality to go uncalled. It's part of the reason why the Rockets had such a disappointing loss to the Lakers last postseason.

As a post player, Sengun often initiates contact and uses his physicality to carve out space in the paint. When he pauses in between post bumps and strong drives to flop, Sengun not only confuses refs and fans alike but can also disrupt his own flow and take himself out of the game. When you rely on a foul call, you can find yourself disappointed if it doesn't come and out of position to defend while you're complaining about it. Too many times, that's exactly what happens to Sengun.

The Rockets should be able to help Sengun fix this issue

Fortunately for Sengun, he's in the perfect environment to fix his weakness. The Rockets are one of the most physical teams in the NBA and can push Sengun to embrace his own physicality without complaining to refs. As even LeBron acknowledged, the whole team doesn't have any other players who are considered soft for their positions besides Sengun.

We also know that Ime Udoka loves to encourage physicality from his players on both ends. He's done a great job of putting Rockets in position to use their physical strengths, even thinner frames like Reed Sheppard. Throughout his entire coaching career, Udoka has thrived by leading tough teams capable of wearing down their opponents.

If Sengun does flip the switch to embrace physicality more whole-heartedly, he will see improvements on both ends. Offensively, he will become a more resilient scorer with better carryover to the playoffs. And on defense, Sengun won't find himself behind the play as often and will be better equipped to guard the league's best big men.

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