The Rockets know exactly where Alperen Sengun needs to grow the most

The Houston Rockets have done a great job developing Alperen Sengun. They understand where he needs to develop the most. The Athletic's Kelly Iko is indicating that the organization wants to see "an uptick" in his three-point shooting.

That's an appropriate priority. Last summer, Sengun had a bigger fish to fry. The team needed to see defensive improvement from the young big man. Sengun accomplished that goal. He evolved from being a liability to a positive on that end of the floor.

Now, he should turn his attention to his shooting. Luckily, that seems to be just what the organization is looking for from him.

Rockets need a shooting leap from Alperen Sengun

Imagine Sengun as a shooter.

It would be a cautionary tale about developmental assumptions. For the first few years of Sengun's career, there was much skepticism. Sure, the kid can play. Can you win with a big man who can't defend or space the floor?

Now, Sengun can defend. If he can space the floor, he'll answer every critic.

More importantly, he'll elevate the Rockets' offense.

The effects of Sengun adding a three-pointer would be twofold. It would make him a more dynamic offensive player in a vacuum. Sengun could effectively run point for some possessions. We know he has the decision-making chops, but it's difficult for him to initiate offense from the perimeter when defenses don't respect his jumper.

It would also help other players run offense. If Amen Thompson were in more four-out lineups, the Rockets could build sets around his pick-and-pop with Sengun. His ability to get to the rim would be emphasized if he were surrounded by players he could credibly kick the ball to when the defense collapses. Anyone can agree that the Rockets would benefit from Sengun adding a shot:

Just how effective does he need to be beyond the arc?

Rockets' Alperen Sengun must stick to his strengths

Sengun's best season as a three-point shooter was his sophomore year. He connected on 33.3% of his 0.8 attempts per game. If he could replicate that accuracy on something like 2.5 attempts per game, the Rockets would be in business.

It's a tall order. Last year, Sengun hit 23.3% of his 1.2 attempts per contest. Asking him to boost his accuracy by 10% while doubling his volume is bordering on delusional.

Dare to dream. Three-point shooting is volatile. Players make big leaps and suffer hard falls. This is the next major area for Sengun to make a drastic improvement in. With hard work, who knows what he could accomplish?

So far, his development is going extremely well.