Alperen Sengun Continues to Work on 3-Point Shooting this Offseason

The Houston Rockets have had one of their best offseason in quite a while, and it has thrust the Rockets into the championship picture, especially with the addition of Kevin Durant. Even though the Rockets had to part with one of their first post-James Harden draft picks in Jalen Green, the other 2021 draft pick, Alperen Sengun, is still on the team and coming off his first-ever All-Star appearance.

Sengun and Green were both drafted in 2021 and had been the faces of the Rockets' rebuild. With Green heading to Phoenix, Sengun is the second-longest-tenured Rocket on the team, only behind Jae 'Sean Tate, who recently signed to return to the Rockets for his sixth season with the franchise.

Sengun has been a revelation in Houston since the Rockets traded with the Oklahoma City Thunder on draft night for the rights to the Turkish MVP. Even in his early years, when he came off the bench, it was apparent that Sengun was an exceptional talent. During his first two seasons, Stephen Silas limited Sengun's minutes and, for the most part, relegated him to the bench as he dealt with foul trouble, with the team seemingly not knowing what to do with him at times.

That all changed with the arrival of Ime Udoka after the 2023 season. Sengun was inserted into the starting lineup the following season, where he has remained for the last two years. Sengun has steadily improved over the previous two seasons, particularly in his conditioning, staying out of foul trouble, and on the defensive end. Offensively, Sengun has been great since day one as he has become one of the best post players and passing big men in the NBA.

One area that has been a struggle on the offensive end of the court has been Sengun's 3-point shooting. Coming into the NBA, scouts thought, even though it hadn't materlized yet, he could become a decent 3-point shooter because of his above-average free throw shooting. In Sengun's first four seasons, that has not been the case.

Sengun is shooting 27.2% from downtown for his career and saw his average drop last season compared to the 2023-24 season. Last season, Sengun shot 23.3% from beyond the arc and shot less from 3-point range. However, Sengun continues to work on his outside shooting this offseason. We have heard reports from Kelly Iko of The Athletic that Sengun is building more confidence in his shot this offseason. Recently, we saw Sengun working out with Fred VanVleet on his outside shooting.