For all the talk about Luka Doncic at EuroBasket, Houston Rockets center Alperen Sengun was not to be forgotten. His efforts helped lead Turkey past Poland and onto the semifinals.
He finished with a triple-double with 19 points, 12 rebounds, and 10 assists. Additionally, Sengun became the youngest player to achieve a triple-double at EuroBasket at the age of 23.
All of which is exciting news for the Rockets and their fans. Rockets writer Sam Amick of The Athletic helped contextualize Sengun's exploits. Essentially, he made the case that he poses a “problem” for the likes of players such as Giannis.
Also, Amick said that Kevin Durant would take pride in Sengun's performance. All the while, he was tweeting out the score of Turkey's semifinal game against Greece.
“Sengun is a PROBLEM, for Giannis and everyone else in the basketball world,” Amick posted on X. “The Rockets, and that Kevin Durant guy, have to be loving the way he has looked in EuroBasket. Even with a rare scoring off-game (2 of 11 at the half), he has nine boards, six assists, two steals, and a (Giannis) block. Turkey up 49-31 over Greece in the semifinal.”
Additionally, Sengun received praise from Rockets head coach Ime Udoka.
The Rockets are fortunate to have Alperen Sengun.
Last year, Sengun averaged 19.1 points and 10.3 rebounds per game. He is an offensive powerhouse and is recognized for his practical scoring abilities.
With the addition of Kevin Durant, the Rockets have an indomitable force to be reckoned with. Also, Sengun has a way of attracting the defense in the paint and, in turn, can create opportunities for Durant and others on the perimeter.
Additionally, Sengun is starting to grow more and more as a defensive weapon. In 2021, the Rockets selected Sengun as the 16th overall pick in the NBA Draft.
This was after they had traded two first-round picks to the Oklahoma City Thunder.
