Can Alperen Sengun Become Rockets 'Alpha'?

The Houston Rockets are picking up the pieces after a first-round series loss to the Golden State Warriors exposed their weaknesses.

One of those flaws is the lack of a true No. 1 option as different players stepped up game after game, but nobody was consistent enough to carry through the series like Stephen Curry and Jimmy Butler were.

The Athletic insider John Hollinger believes that is the Rockets' main concern at the moment.

"Houston’s issue is that it has enviable depth and talent but has yet to settle on a leading man," Hollinger wrote.

"That issue was underscored by the Rockets’ lack of reliable shot creation against the Warriors. They were able to get Fred VanVleet on a heater for a couple of games, and Jalen Green erupted for 38 points in Game 2, but their guards aren’t consistently able to beat elite defenses. That put a lot of pressure on All-Star big man Alperen Şengün, who destroys smalls on switches and is a good passer out of double-teams but showed in his matchup with Draymond Green that he can’t consistently generate points one-on-one versus an elite big man."

Hollinger also points out that Sengun has potential to be the main guy for the Rockets at some point down the line.

"I should point out that Şengün might not be that far away," Hollinger wrote.

"He has been in the NBA for four years but doesn’t turn 23 until July. His biggest weakness is a floater shot that he scored with consistently in 2023-24 but let him down badly this season. If he can regain his touch from roughly 10 feet — a place where opponents let him have any shot he wanted for most of the second half of the season — then we’re having a different discussion."

Sengun could be that guy someday, but the Rockets could also go out and find a veteran to fill in that role while the Turkish big man still gets used to growing his own game.

The more star power, the better, but the Rockets do need a solidified No. 1 that can get them past these tough battles in the playoffs.