Rockets Alperen Sengun Ranks Sixth Among League's Top Centers

The 2021 NBA Draft was one of the most pivotal drafts for the Houston Rockets. At the time, the franchise was rebuilding and bereft of young talent.

The Rockets' general direction was also unclear and they had a first-time general manager in Rafael Stone. In came Jalen Green and Alperen Sengun, establishing Stone's ability to draft among the league’s elite.

In fact, just this summer Stone was rated as the league's best as it pertains to drafting players. 

Green was viewed as the most likely superstar, based on his scoring potential and draft position. Sengun, however, wasn't nearly as revered.

Especially at the time.

In fact, Sengun was selected outside of the lottery, going 16th -- a pick that was originally owned by the Oklahoma City Thunder. Furthermore, Sengun wasn't viewed as a day one starter by the Rockets. 

Sengun came off the bench as a rookie and averaged 9.6 points, 5.5 rebounds, and 2.6 assists in just 20.7 minutes of action, establishing himself as one of the league’s best passing big men. Since then, Sengun has raised the bar and improved each year.

We've seen him take over games down the stretch and even outperform San Antonio Spurs center Victor Wembanyama in a monstrous performance that saw the Turkish big man drop a statline of 45 points, 15 rebounds, and five steals.

By his fourth season, he was an All-Star, averaging 19.1 points, 10.3 rebounds, and 4.9 assists, drawing daily comparisons to Nikola Jokic and Domantas Sabonis -- two All-NBA players. 

Which is likely next on Sengun's list, especially with Kevin Durant in the fold to draw double teams on a nightly basis. Heading into the season, Fadeaway World's Eddie Bitar ranked the Rockets center sixth-best at his position. 

"Alperen Sengun was one of the most creative young bigs last season, but he is coming into his own as a legitimate star during a dominant showing with the Turkish national team at the EuroBasket. Averaging 19.1 points, 10.3 rebounds, and 4.9 assists last season, he became Houston’s offensive centerpiece last piece, while getting comparisons to Nikola Jokic. 

Defensively, Sengun has improved steadily, using his positioning and instincts to hold his own against more athletic bigs. While not an elite shot-blocker, he’s smart in rotations and strong on the glass, and the Rockets are hoping for continued improvement from their second-best player behind Kevin Durant."

Bitar's ranking is just a tad bit lower than Kendrick Perkins' rank. The ESPN talking head referenced Sengun as a top-five center but stopped short of stating exactly where he falls in that five.

Universally, Sengun is viewed as one of the league's best centers. Exactly where you place him will probably be determined by how he fares in his fifth season, which will be kicking off in due time.