Apr 26, 2025; San Francisco, California, USA; Houston Rockets center Alperen Sengun (28) warms up before game three of first round for the 2024 NBA Playoffs against the Golden State Warriors at Chase Center. Mandatory Credit: Darren Yamashita-Imagn Images Darren Yamashita-Imagn Images

Houston Rockets Center Looking to Elevate His Game

Originally posted on Houston Rockets on SI
By Alec Elijah | Last updated Jun 11, 2025 7:00 AM ET

Most NBA All-Stars would be on vacation by now during the offseason, but that is not the case for Rockets center Alperen Sengun.

Sengun is coming off his first All-Star season in the NBA, averaging 19.1 points and 10.3 assists, and came a couple of votes short of an All-NBA team. He helped lead the Rockets to a No. 2 seed in the Western Conference, and now this summer, Sengun is trying to elevate his game to potentially take the Rockets to the next level in competing for a championship.

Troy Taormina-Imagn Images

The Rockets' biggest Achilles heel during their playoff run was the three-point shooting, and while it has been proposed that Houston add shooters in the offseason, their big man has taken it upon himself to improve that area.

Sengun has been working on his shooting with Serbian coach Djordje Sijan, the same coach he worked with in the 2023 offseason.

Alperen Şengün working on his shooting with Serbian coach Djordje Sijan.

Alperen previously worked with Sijan in the 2023 offseason, prior to his year 3 leap.

( ertanbedir1 via Instagram) pic.twitter.com/1Dw7Dg2h1J
— Franchise Sengun (@FranchiseSengun) June 10, 2025

He currently sits with a career 27.2% behind the arc, and with this offseason work, Sengun is looking to improve his average and hopefully help improve the Rockets' shooting as well.

As a team, Houston sat 22nd in three-pointers made, with their team three-point percentage ranked 21st at 35.3%. If Houston wants to find any type of championship success in the next couple of seasons, both of those numbers will have to improve drastically.

Sengun is already the Rockets leading scorer and focal point for their offense, so if the center can develop a consistent three-point shot he could turn into the ultimate weapon on offense for Houston.

The Rockets front office will continue to look for players to improve their roster for next season, and shooters will definitely be top of the list. However if the Rockets are to be unsuccessful in their search, atleast their leading scorer is looking to extend his shooting prowess come next season.

This article first appeared on Houston Rockets on SI and was syndicated with permission.

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