Rockets learning brutal Alperen Sengun lesson they should've known all along

As the Houston Rockets defeated the Phoenix Suns, 114-92, the team's ability to rally and take on a new offensive attack in the absence of their superstar, Kevin Durant, was highly impressive.

Yet, the Suns' defense was still able to slow down Alperen Sengun, and, while the team's ability to still score at a high clip around him was encouraging, the Rockets are still learning that Sengun alone cannot necessarily carry this team to victory.

Last season, the Rockets came up short precisely because opposing defenses were able to swarm Sengun, stagnating the team's offense as a result. When Durant inevitably misses time, it appears the result, at least from Sengun's perspective, will still be the same.

Alperen Sengun is still not ready to lead the team on his own

So far this season, Sengun's improvement, especially in playing off of the gravity that Durant commands, has been impressive. Through the team's first 15 games, he has averaged 22.4 points, 9.7 rebounds and 7.1 assists while shooting 49% from the field.

This is not a knock on the leap that Sengun has clearly taken this season, nor is it a blanket statement about the Rockets' ability to contend with him as their second-best scorer.

Yet, when it counts, they will need Sengun to step up despite the defensive pressure he faces and utilize his aggression to put games out of reach for the opposition, and the fact that he failed to do that against Phoenix was mildly concerning.

By pure box score stats, Sengun's past two performances have been his most lackluster of the season. Yet, against the Suns, who do not truly have the bodies to match up against Sengun, one would have expected more out of him.

Throughout the night, he was more willing to defer to his teammates, and players such as Amen Thompson capitalized off of the attention that Sengun got from the opposing defense. The Rockets ultimately came away with the win, and, thus, this should not be an immediate red flag.

Sengun's improvement as a playmaker this season has been remarkable, and, in most scenarios, his ability to create opportunities for his teammates will be his most valuable skill-set this season.

Yet, as the season wears on, Houston will need Sengun to take games over, especially when Durant misses time or is neutralized in the mid-range. Last night's matchup would have been an excellent opportunity for him to prove his ability to do so.

In order for the Rockets to become a true championship contender, Sengun needs to be among the elite centers in the league, and, although just one game does not preclude him from being one, the team quickly needs to determine to what extent they can depend on him to create his own offense. Frankly, their championship hopes are reliant upon it.