Alperen Sengun's Growth is Integral to Rockets' Success

The Houston Rockets have been watching their star big man perform well in the biggest European basketball tournament of the summer. Alperen Sengun has been one of the top players of the 2025 EuroBasket. He has shown his full arsenal of offensive moves and passing during the early part of the tournament, making his teammates better and playing efficiently with his own offense.

The implications of his success could lead to further success when the NBA season begins. Sengun may have the chance to raise the total production of his Rockets teammates and increase their chances of contending against the league's top teams.

The Rockets need Sengun to take the next step for their team to reach their goals for next season. His skill set is perfect to give Houston an offensive engine to push the rest of the team's offense.

Catch-and-shoot players like Dorian Finney-Smith and Jabari Smith Jr. could gain the biggest benefit from Sengun becoming a more consistent playmaker and offense creator. He has already shown an ability to make the right decision when double-teamed, but his performance in EuroBasket has shown how impressive he is surrounded by movement and shooting.

The Rockets must employ more of these strategies, especially with the addition of Kevin Durant.

Durant should be one of the best partners to Sengun on paper. Durant can shoot off the catch, while also creating for himself. He should be able to use Sengun as a hub to create advantages for his own offense and find more open spaces on the perimeter.

Durant won't be the only player who will benefit from improvement from Sengun. Fred VanVleet, Amen Thompson, and Houston's depth at center will also gain some major benefits from his improved performance.

VanVleet is one of the best pick-and-roll handlers on the team, and employing that set with Sengun has consistently been one of the most efficient plays for Houston since VanVleet's arrival.

Sengun should be able to create more catch-and-shoot threes for VanVleet as well as the other shooters on the roster.

The Rockets have seen Sengun play well with fellow big men on his EuroBasket roster, and they expect that to translate to his Houston teammates as well. Clint Capela and Steven Adams can create a big lineup that helps dominate opposing teams on the glass. Sengun has been able to create for others despite playing mostly in the post. It requires movement around him, but it is a viable option for offensive sets.

The Rockets are watching Sengun flourish as a focal piece for a high-functioning team. They are expecting him to bring that level of production with him to Houston.