Alperen Sengun has given the Houston Rockets exactly the kind of start that gets people talking about ceilings, not just production. In his sixth NBA season, the 24-year-old center has emerged as one of the league’s best young bigs, and his rise has helped turn Houston into a dangerous team in the Western Conference.
The numbers tell the story of how far he’s come. Sengun is putting up career highs with 22.4 points per game and 8.1 assists, while also averaging 9.1 rebounds.
Through nine games, he’s been especially sharp from long range, hitting 50% of his 3-pointers. His defense has taken a major step forward, too, adding to the case that he’s becoming one of the league’s most versatile players.
That all has the Rockets sitting as a top-3 seed in the West, with Sengun functioning as their most valuable offensive piece right now. His playmaking from the center spot has even drawn comparisons to three-time MVP Nikola Jokic. That comparison is more about the kind of offensive engine Sengun could become than about putting him in Jokic’s class today.
And that’s where the real question begins: can Sengun crack the Western Conference’s top two centers?
For now, the answer still points to a tough climb. Jokic and Victor Wembanyama are the standard setters, and both finished top three in MVP voting last season. Sengun is making real progress, but he still has work to do before he closes that gap.
There’s no denying the start he’s off to, though. His early-season production has him in striking distance of an All-NBA leap, and if he keeps this pace, a third All-Star selection and a first All-NBA nod are both in play.
Still, the gap to Jokic and Wembanyama remains clear. Wembanyama brings the superior defense and shooting.
Jokic is the better passer and the stronger player.
Even so, the idea that Sengun can never reach that level doesn’t really hold up. Jokic himself wasn’t always the force he is now. He came into the league as a second-round pick and once had to battle Jusuf Nurkic for minutes before Denver moved Nurkic to Portland.
Now Jokic is an 8-time All-Star and 3-time MVP, but he’s also nearly 32, and some decline is inevitable. For Sengun to pass him, he’ll need to keep rising while Jokic comes back to earth a little.
But the biggest hurdle isn’t just the regular season numbers. If Sengun is going to claim equal or greater status, he’ll have to help Houston win in the playoffs - a round or two, at minimum. Ideally, that would mean knocking off Jokic’s Nuggets along the way.
In Other News...
Bruce Thornton Just Gave Rockets Fans A Reason To Revisit The Backcourt
Bruce Thorntons first stop with the Rio Grande Valley Vipers gave Rockets fans a fresh reason to keep an eye on the back end of the roster. Assigned to Houstons G League affiliate, the rookie guard has already shown signs of growth in his first NBA season, and the move down to the Vipers was another chance to get real game reps in a setting where he could handle more of the offense.
The assignment did not last long. Thornton was back with the Rockets after the game, a reminder that Houston is still sorting through its backcourt depth while keeping tabs on one of its younger pieces. For a team that has been watching his development closely since taking him 31st overall in the 2026 NBA Draft, every brief stint like this feels like part of a larger evaluation. [Read more 🡒]
Jabari Smith Jr. Has To Stop Disappearing In Rockets Offense
Jabari Smith Jr. opened the season looking far more assertive, attacking the rim and taking on a bigger scoring load for Houston in a way that suggested real offensive growth. Through the early stretch, he was giving the Rockets a different kind of threat, one that could punish defenses when they focused too heavily on the rest of the lineup and help keep the offense from becoming too predictable.
But the recent dip was a reminder of how much more there is to unlock. When Smith stops looking for his own shot, Houston loses one of the young pieces it needs most to develop into a dependable scoring option, and the offense can feel thinner for it. The Rockets do not need him to force the issue every night, but they do need the version of Smith who stays aggressive and makes opposing defenses pay attention. [Read more 🡒]
Dillon Brooks Just Gave Rockets Fans Another Reason To Hate This Matchup
Dillon Brooks has never needed much help turning a game into a grudge match, and the former Rockets wing is doing it again ahead of Houstons meeting with Phoenix. Brooks, now with the Suns, said the matchup carries extra edge because of the recent back-and-forth involving Kevin Durant and Suns owner Mat Ishbia, a social media exchange that already had plenty of heat before the teams even tipped off.
Brooks also made it clear he wants his response to land squarely on Durant, not in the usual vague, indirect NBA internet style. For Rockets fans, it is another reminder that this matchup comes with more than the usual playoff-style tension, especially with Brooks leaning into the moment and promising to meet Durants comments head-on. [Read more 🡒]