Alperen Sengun Is Still The Rockets' Most Important Player

The Houston Rockets are watching EuroBasket with a sense of longing for the NBA season as star big man Alperen Sengun shows off his wide array of talents. He's leading the Turkish national team in nearly every statistical category, and he's just a decimal point from sharing the team's lead in blocks per game.

The Rockets know Sengun's capability, and they are expecting him to become one of the team's most impactful players, even after the addition of Kevin Durant. His skill set is so versatile he may become the most important player on the team.

While he may not be as impactful defensively as Amen Thompson, Tari Eason, or Jabari Smith Jr., he is still counted on to hold down the middle of the floor for one of the league's top defenses.

Sengun has proven that he can shuffle his feet well to contest shots at the rim, and he creates havoc for ball handlers when he blitzes after screens. He also has good recovery speed to get back to an open man after encroaching on a ball handler.

The Rockets don't need him to be elite on defense, but the level he reached last season was more than satisfactory for their purposes.

Sengun's biggest value is on the offensive side of the ball. He creates advantages for his teammates with the sheer threat of his scoring in isolation on the block. His post game is one of the best in the league, despite being somewhat unorthodox.

His scoring in the paint can range from graceful finishes at the rim and feathery floaters from further out, to awkward push shots and difficult finishes. He's been effective regardless of how he gets close to the rim, and he's not afraid to finish above the rim with posterizing dunks.

The way Sengun becomes the team's most valuable player is if he can consistently create for his teammates the way he creates for his national team. He currently leads the team with around seven assists per game, an incredible number for NBA big men. Sengun is one of the few in the league who is capable of creating that much offense for his teammates.

With the added gravity of Durant, Sengun should be able to create shots on the perimeter for players like Fred VanVleet, Dorian Finney-Smith, and Smith Jr., while also creating looks in the paint for Eason and Thompson.

The combined impact of Sengun's scoring, passing, and defense is what makes him such a dangerous player and why he's so important to Houston's plans for next season.