What more can we say about the Houston Rockets starting center? Alperen Sengun at just 21 years old is putting together a terrific All-Star campaign in his third season. To top this all off, the NBA awarded the Turkish center the Western Conference Player of the Week. He is the youngest player in franchise history to have won this award.
Sengun's impact on the floor are one of the many reasons why the Rockets have a winning record of 18-17. More so, as a team they've reached eighteen wins twice as fast or more in the last two seasons. In two of the three seasons under Stephen Silas, Houston won their 18th game of the season in the middle of March, nearly one month left until the NBA playoffs.
In 35 games, the Rockets center averages 21.4 points with nine rebounds and 5.1 assists on 53.7% shooting. His newly won award consisted of averaging twenty-four points, seven rebounds, and 4.5 assists, leading the Rockets to a 3-1 record.
Impactful games during the week
Notable games in this week were against the Detroit Pistons, Milwaukee Bucks, and the Brooklyn Nets. Against the Pistons, Sengun notched 26 points, including a perfect 6-of-6 field goal percentage and 8-of-9 from the line, totaling 20 points in the third quarter.
The third quarter has been absolute dominance for the 21-year old as of late. During the game against the Nets, Sengun put up a thirty piece, with twelve points in the third shooting 4-of-5 from the field and 4-of-5 from the line.
Even against the two-seeded Bucks, Sengun came to play. While the Rockets as a team beat the Bucks in a decisive 112-108 victory, Sengun led the way with 21 points and eleven rebounds, his first 20-10 double double this season.
“[Sengun] Superstar in the making,” point guard Fred Van Vleet said after the win over the Nets. “We’re watching it unfold right before our eyes. He’s getting better every day. It’s been a joy to play with him and watch him, and we’ve just got to stay on him and keep riding it out, as far as we can go. He’s been a workhorse for us this year, and we’re going to continue to do that.”
Following Houston's matchup against the Miami Heat, coach Erik Spoelstra had nothing but praise for Sengun.
“He's [Sengun] a throwback. He's extremely skilled…You can do a full scale analysis on just his footwork,” Spoelstra said. “He's found a way to defend in their system, so they're able to take advantage of this offensive skill set.”
How this has impacted Sengun's All-Star voting
The last time a Rockets player won Player of the Week was none other than MVP James Harden in November of 2019. Sengun hopes to become the Rockets next franchise star and could be in line for January's Player of the month. Right now, he is behind Luka Doncic, Nikola Jokic, and Giannis Antetokounmpo for the award.
To even be behind these MVP-type suitors at 21 years old is a staggering accomplishment. Being award the Player of the Week certainly boosts your All-Star votes among fans. As of January 4th, 2024, Sengun is seventh in fan All-Star votes, ahead of rookies Victor Wembanyama and Chet Holmgren, as well as All-Star Karl Anthony-Towns.
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