The Rockets are the number two defense largely because of Alperen Sengun, not despite him.
From the moment he arrived in Houston via trade with the OKC Thunder, Alperen Sengun flashed signs that he would be an elite offensive big man. In his fourth season as a pro, at only 22 years of age, IF you don’t consider Sengun an “elite” offensive player, you have to admit he’s close. The biggest knock against Sengun remaining the starting center of what would hopefully become a playoff team was that he was not good enough defending the rim and would be a liability on the defensive end in a day and age where being able to switch defensively is considered a premium.
In some NBA circles this narrative still exists. In an NBA franchise that has boasted defensive centers the likes of Hakeem Olajuwon, Moses Malone, Dikembe Mutombo, Dwight Howard, Clint Capela, and Yao Ming, the standard had been set high. Alperen Sengun may not pass the eye test as a defender like the others, but make no mistake, he is beginning to enter the conversation of one of the best defensive big men in the league.
This season, Alperen Sengun has the fourth lowest defensive rating in all of the NBA with a 107.0 DRTG. Ahead of him is Jared Allen of the Cleveland Cavaliers with a 106.9 DRTG. The top two defensive ratings in the league belong to OKC’s duo of Shai Gilgeous-Alexander (106.8) and Jalen Williams (106.7). You read that correctly. The Turkish born big man who was labeled “not athletic enough” to be a defensive anchor in the middle of the floor is within decimal points of having the best defensive rating in the NBA. Better than Rudy Gobert, Giannis Antetokounmpo, and Jaren Jackson Jr. who have all been defensive players of the year.
Sengun is also top 20 in defensive rebounding and seventh overall in rebounding. Combine all that with the fact that he is third in assists among all centers, and fourth in scoring (if you count KAT, and Jaren Jackson Jr. as centers) and he has become the complete package at the center position with the league’s 11th best PER (Player Efficiency Rating) of 21.8, ahead of players like Kevin Durant, Steph Curry, Donavan Mitchell, and Kyrie Irving.
As much as we have praised Amen Thompson for his play this season, Alpi has a slightly better defensive rating and a much better PER. He has earned his status of the Rockets best player, and it’s no surprise that he became the lone All-Star that the Rockets sent to San Francisco this season. Will it be enough come playoff time when he will be facing the best of the best?
Sengun is averaging 17.4 points, 9.8 rebounds, and 5.2 assists against the top five teams in the West. (Thunder, Nuggets, Grizzlies, Lakers, and Warriors) The Rockets are 7-7 versus those teams with six of those losses coming at the hands of the Thunder and Warriors. There is room for improvement, but the idea that the Rockets are a fluke is out the window, and it is because their best player is not just an offensive force, but a great all-around player.
Credit for this obviously goes to Ime Udoka and the rest of his staff, who have turned not just Sengun into a great two-way player but Jalen Green as well. The arrow is pointing up for this team, and they are beginning to get healthy and back in stride at the right time. After this most recent six game win streak, the Rockets are back in the number two spot in the West, and with only 14 games remaining on the schedule, their destiny is in their hands. It’s time the league put some respect on this team’s name, and it starts with their big man in the middle.