Rockets' Alperen Sengun deserves a spot in the NBA All-Star Game

In the NBA, talent counts for more than anything else. The Houston Rockets know this. That's why they tanked for three consecutive seasons. The Rockets' objective was to land top-end talent by any means necessary.

Yet, acquiring talent doesn't necessitate a tank job. Clever front offices can find NBA stars later in the draft. Luckily, the Rockets did both. They tanked, but they also carefully considered their other draft selections. As a result, the Rockets have a roster full of recent lottery picks and draft steals.

None of those steals have been as substantial as Alperen Sengun. He was the 16th pick in the 2021 NBA Draft. The Rockets traded with the Thunder for the rights to land him.

Now, he's on track to be the first Rocket of this new era to represent the club in the All-Star game.

Rockets' Alperen Sengun is on the road to All-Star Weekend

How close is Sengun to the big exhibition match?

Discerning readers will note a significant dropoff between Sengun and Anthony Davis. Sengun needs more votes if he's going to clinch his place in the game.

For Rockets fans, just having a player in the mix is nice. The Rockets suffered as one of the worst teams in the NBA for years. Sengun is just 22 - if he doesn't make the All-Star game this year, he'll make it eventually.

Does he deserve to make it this season?

Rockets' Sengun belongs in the All-Star game

Yes.

Sengun is 11th in the NBA in Box Plus/Minus at 5.8. He's averaging 19.3 points, 10.5 rebounds, 5.0 assists and 1.2 steals per game.

Sure, he's sporting a career-worst 54.5 True Shooting % (TS%). That partly owes to Sengun's newfound defensive impact. After years of looking like one of the worst defensive big men in the NBA, Sengun is suddenly competent on that end of the floor.

That's not the most compelling reason for Sengun to participate in the big dance. He's got a simpler case. As of this writing, he's the best player on the second seed in the Western Conference.

How often does such a successful team go without an All-Star? Sure, the Rockets have been winning games with their depth and defensive identity. Someone still has to buoy the offense. More often than not, that's Sengun. This team's offense looks best when it runs through the Turkish big man:

Even on a team full of lottery picks, his talent sticks out.