The Houston Rockets went into this season without a whole lot of people believing they could reach the NBA playoffs.
They went 22-60 last season, and although they made some personnel changes over the summer which included bringing in veteran point guard Fred VanVleet and defensive menace Dillon Brooks, their roster didn’t look impressive.
But so far this season, big man Alperen Sengun has taken a big leap forward in his play, and it has led Justin Termine to say that he has become a legitimate star for Houston, per SiriusXM NBA Radio.
“Now it’s obvious, now everybody sees it”.@TermineRadio tells @JumpShot8 that the Houston Rockets have found their centerpiece for years to come. pic.twitter.com/U5xVwSssBa
— SiriusXM NBA Radio (@SiriusXMNBA) November 22, 2023
Termine particularly praised Sengun’s passing abilities and said he may become “the offensive hub” of the team for the next 10-15 years while giving head coach Ime Udoka credit for running its set offense through him.
Through 12 games, the center is averaging 20.9 points, 8.8 rebounds, and 5.7 assists a game and he is shooting a remarkable 58.8 percent from the field.
He may not be one of the top-five big men in the NBA yet, but as Termine pointed out, he’s just 21 years of age, so he could still have plenty of room for improvement.
The Rockets are 6-6 and recently went on a six-game winning streak, and while they have lost their last three games in a row to three California teams, it is starting to look like they’re a team that cannot be taken lightly anymore.
They have surprisingly become one of the league’s best defensive teams, which seems to be part of Udoka’s influence, as he had made the Boston Celtics into arguably the best defensive team in basketball during the 2021-22 season, his lone season as their head coach.
NEXT:
Stats Show How Rockets Big Man Is Playing At An Elite Level
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