2 reasons why Alperen Şengün could make the All-Star team and 2 reasons why Jalen Green may not

It’s the dawn of a new era in Houston sports, and the Rockets are primed to be at the forefront of this new uprising. In his second season as head coach, Ime Udoka has this team playing like a team on a mission. His system and culture are taking shape and the Rockets look like a team that will be around all season.

Led by their one-two punch of Jalen Green and Alperen Şengün, the Rockets look to have two potential future All-Stars on the roster. However, as well as they’ve played thus far, it’ll be tough for two young players to crack through that ceiling in the Western Conference. Houston currently has the fourth-best record in the NBA and should probably get at least one of these guys on the West’s All-Star roster.

Alperen Şengün one of the best in the west

In just his fourth year in the NBA, Alperen Şengün has become one of the premiere young centers in the Association. Averaging a double-double through 37 games this season, Sengun ranks fourth in the league in points per game (19.3) and rebounds per game (10.5) among centers. On top of that, his production at both ends has Houston sitting in second place in the Western Conference at 25-12.

Şengün narrowly missed being named to the All-Star team last year but has a great chance once again. When looking at tie-breakers among centers in the west, overall team success may play into the equation when it comes to deciding who gets in and who sits out of this year’s All-Star weekend festivities.

Alperen Şengün stepping up

Seemingly overnight, Alperen Şengün has become one of the faces of this Houston Rockets franchise. In his third season last year, Şengün had a breakout campaign that put the entire league on notice of just how good he is. He was able to increase his scoring by almost seven points from year two to three.

Now Şengün has taken on even more responsibility that comes with being a franchise player. He seems to have taken to his new leadership role, which isn’t easy for a 22-year-old player who isn’t even five years into his career. He is shooting 73 percent from the free throw line this season which is two points above his career total and up nearly four points from last season.

Jalen Green in a stacked Western Conference

Green is in a tough spot with so many guards in the Western Conference and All-Star voting is nothing more than a popularity contest. With that said, Green has been good but he’s also up against some pretty stiff competition out west. Just at shooting guard, you’ve got Anthony Edwards and Devin Booker ahead of Green in certain categories and most importantly scoring. Their teams may not be as good right now but that’s where individual popularity comes into play.

Among the other guards who could cast a shadow over Green are names like Stephen Curry, Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, Luka Doncic, De’Aaron Fox and Kyrie Irving. Despite Green’s Rockets being second in the west, it’ll be tough for him to pass many of those names in All-Star balloting. Being a starter is almost certainly out of the question although there could be an outside chance at Green being named as a reserve. It really comes down to the West being so stacked in the backcourt.

Jalen Green's shooting woes

While Green is known as a scorer, one area he’s struggled in is shooting. It may sound strange that a player capable of being a prolific scorer would struggle here yet we’re witnessing it. Green is shooting under 42 percent from the field through 37 games, which is down from last season’s 42.3 percent. Before Green can truly be considered one of the elite guards in the Association, he’ll need to get that field goal percentage up to at least 45.

This is a league that revolves around shooting now and being as efficient as possible especially from behind the arc,  where Green shoots 33.6 percent. For a player that takes 8.1 3-point shots per game on average, that’s a lot of bricks. If Green is going to take that next step, he’ll need to improve his 3-point shooting considerably.