Rockets Star Labeled NBA’s Most Overrated in Player Poll

With another NBA regular season in the books, lists, polls, and rankings begin to resurface, sparking conversations and debates about some of the league’s best players.

On Wednesday, The Athletic put out one of its more fascinating pieces—player poll results—which included votes on the most overrated and underrated players in the game right now.

Jalen Johnson, Derrick White, and Jaylen Brown were among those recognized as underrated. On the flip side, one player stood out above the rest, receiving 12.3% of the vote as the most overrated: Houston Rockets star center Alperen Sengun.

The Athletic wrote:

“Why all the skepticism from his peers? That’s a question that we cannot fully answer, but perhaps this comment from one of the players who voted for him sheds some light on things: “He’s crying every play. He’s talented, but, dude, just play hard.”

While it is true that Şengün does not have a reputation as a particularly strong defender, with Amen Thompson and Tari Eason strongly defending on the perimeter, the Rockets finished the season sixth in defensive rating,”

The 23-year-old Sengun earned a second consecutive All-Star nod thanks to another strong season in 2025-26, averaging 20.4 points, 8.9 rebounds, and 6.2 assists across 72 games.