NBA Notes: Rockets, Alperen Sengun, Nuggets, Nikola Jokic, Magic

Rockets

Alperen Sengun wanted Rockets general manager Rafael Stone to communicate more. Stone responded by spending nearly two weeks with him in Türkiye.

As Matt Young of the Houston Chronicle relayed, Sengun challenged Stone during their postseason conversations.

“You’re always around, but I want to hear from you more: Good, bad or ugly,” Stone recalled Sengun telling him.

Stone said he had been heavily involved with Sengun during the center’s first few seasons, then intentionally backed away as Sengun matured. Apparently, he backed away a little too far.

So the GM listened, traveled and spent meaningful time with one of Houston’s most important players.

Not every organizational improvement requires a trade exception. Sometimes the All-Star center simply wants the boss to talk to him.

Nuggets

Nikola Jokic is increasingly tired of being Nikola Jokic everywhere he goes.

“I’m getting more and more bothered by popularity,” Jokic told BasketNews, via Jared Koch of Nuggets On SI. “Honestly, it’s tiring.”

Jokic acknowledged that he sometimes comes across as rude when approached, but said he no longer takes pictures during his personal time.

That may disappoint fans, but it’s also understandable. Playing basketball in public doesn’t necessarily mean agreeing to live every waking moment in public.

Of course, privacy becomes difficult when you’re a seven-footer and one of the most recognizable athletes on earth. Jokic will probably never blend into the cereal aisle.

Still, setting a boundary isn’t the same as disliking the people who watch him play. Sometimes a man just wants to buy groceries and go home to his horses.

Magic

The primary challenge for Orlando’s best players may be fairly straightforward: remain available.

Ashley Mezewich of Magic On SI identified Jalen Suggs, Paolo Banchero and Franz Wagner as three players facing significant pressure this season.

Suggs played 57 games last year after appearing in only 35 the season before. Meanwhile, Anthony Black started 40 games and averaged 15 points, creating legitimate competition in Orlando’s backcourt.

Banchero played 72 games last season, but Wagner appeared in only 34. The Magic finished eighth in the East and can’t reasonably determine their ceiling without their core sharing the court.

Orlando doesn’t need Banchero and Wagner to reinvent themselves. It needs them healthy enough to function as the All-Star-level partnership the organization has been building around.

Availability isn’t exciting analysis. For the Magic, it may be the most important statistic on the page.