Alperen Şengün landed at No. 7 on FanSided's 25-under-25 NBA Player Rankings this season, ranking the best young players in the NBA. Check out the rest of the list here.
I’m not sure Kevin Durant is going to be the story of the Rockets this season.
Alperen Şengün flashed as a rookie, the best of the two first-round picks, along with Jalen Green. But the team was so primed to build around Green that Sengun didn’t get the opportunities he should have.
He got better at defense. He got better at shooting. He got better at passing. And still, the team has been reluctant to give him the keys, from Stephen Silas to Ime Udoka.
But between Şengün stepping up in the playoffs and his incredible performance at EuroBasket, it’s very possible that the best player on this team isn’t the 15-time All-Star, two-time Finals MVP.
Şengün’s versatility is underrated. As a rookie, something stood out about him defensively. He could guard in space. He’s only gotten better at that since then. You can play him at the level of the screen, or switch him out on big forwards. He’s deceptively strong (and he’s a big dude to begin with) with quick hands.
The loss of Fred VanVleet is huge, but one upside of losing the two primary ball-handlers from last year in FVV and Green is that they can finally put Şengün in the pinch post up top and run cutters off him. Putting him in more opportunities to be Jokić-like is always moving him closer to being optimized.
In EuroBasket, Şengün was shooting the lights out from three. If he adds a consistent 3-pointer to his arsenal, that changes his ability to space the floor and opens up all the other options. He shot 67 percent in preseason on limited attempts.
The ceiling here is important. The Rockets are expected to be a top-three seed in the Western Conference. If they win 50+ games and have a top-three seed, and Şengün is the best player with Durant missing the time you’d expect from a 37-year-old, you’re not talking about an All-Star.
That’s an MVP candidate.
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Alperen Şengün can give the Rockets another gear
I’ve argued in the past that comparisons of Şengün to Nikola Jokić are unfounded. Jokić sees and knows how to control and bend the game like no one in the league outside of LeBron and almost no one in the history of the game. He’s also a physical monster with more strength.
But Şengün does have the ability to be an MVP-level guy. He’s got the touch and vision. He’s got the rebounding and maneuverability. He’s a better defender than Jokić. Jokić being all-time doesn’t mean Şengün can never touch greatness. He’s primed to do so this season.
He’s also 23. Bear in mind that Jokić wasn’t an MVP candidate until he was 24, wasn’t on a 50-win team until he was 23. Şengün’s had more time with a better team, and teams amplify great talent.
The future of the Rockets is Şengün. Amen Thompson will be incredible this season; he could win Most Improved. In time, he might wind up being the most important player on the team with his defensive impact and playmaking. But Şengün is on track to be Jokić-like in his role: the point center that everything runs through.
Durant shouldn’t take away from him, either. Using Şengün as the trigger man for Durant coming off pin downs and slipping off screens for KD will involve his skills while still making the most of Durant. And when Durant sits and Şengün’s on-court, Şengün’s leap offensively could mean a higher floor in the non-KD minutes.
Şengün isn’t promoted as one of the key guys in the league. But every indicator is that he’s a player that your team wins with when he’s on the court, and the Rockets struggle without him.
Şengün is entering his prime, now, with the right team around him. His defensive strengths are amplified and weaknesses mitigated. The offense is much better built around him, even if the lack of ballhandling could make it difficult for others. One fewer ballhandler is one more slasher.
Durant is still amazing; he’ll get the headlines and marquee.
But it’s Alperen Şengün’s time.