Alperen Sengun’s rise has given the Rockets a very real answer to the question of who leads the next wave in Houston. Even with buzz around Amen Thompson as a future franchise centerpiece, Sengun is the one who has already built the stronger case. He backed that up last season with a line of 20.4 points, 8.9 rebounds, and 6.2 assists across 72 games, production that speaks loudly for a 25-year-old center.
That performance helped land him at No. 4 on HoopsHype’s newly released ranking of the top 27 centers for the 2026-2027 season. He trails only Karl-Anthony Towns, Nikola Jokic, and Victor Wembanyama, which also makes him the league’s second-highest-ranked center under 30.
“Often called Baby Jokic early on in his career, Rockets big man Alperen Sengun is the second-best passing center in the league, possessing a great nose for hitting either teammates cutting to the basket or those spotting up for open looks from the outside… We’re going to bank on the team’s hiring of legendary shooting coach Chip Engelland this offseason as a potential sign that Sengun will finally improve his three-point stroke in 2026-27, hence why we ranked him as high as we did.”
That passing touch is a huge part of what makes Sengun such a tough fit for opposing defenses. The modern center is expected to do more than punish teams on the block, and Sengun already brings the kind of court vision usually reserved for a lead guard.
The one clear area holding him back is his jumper. He’s at 28.1% from three for his career on 1.4 attempts per game, a number that stands in sharp contrast to Jokic’s 36.2% on 3.2 attempts per game.
That gap matters because the league keeps asking more from bigs on the perimeter. If Sengun’s shooting takes even a modest step forward, the rest of his game gives him a strong runway toward even bigger recognition. The source material points to that kind of leap as enough to justify an All-NBA selection in 2027.
Houston, meanwhile, is coming off a 52-30 regular season, and the expectations around the group are only growing. Sengun and Thompson are both still pushing their ceilings higher, and Kevin Durant remains one of the NBA’s elite scorers.
Add in the presence of Chip Engelland, now on the Rockets’ staff, and there’s a clear sense that next season brings more than just promise. The ingredients are there for Houston to make a real impact in the Western Conference.
In Other News...
Amen Thompson Knows What Could Change Everything For The Rockets
Amen Thompson arrived at Rockets training camp with the same bigger-picture ambition he has been carrying all along, but the conversation around him kept circling back to the one skill that could reshape his ceiling. The criticism of his inconsistent jumpshot has followed him, and Thompson met it head-on, making clear he believes the shot can improve and that he is willing to put in the work to get there. For a Houston team trying to sort out its long-term core, that matters because Thompsons development is about more than one facet of his game.
Thompson said he has been focused on that part of his game all offseason, and he is aiming higher than just becoming a steadier shooter. He wants All-Star and All-NBA recognition, and the early signs from within the locker room have been encouraging, with teammates noticing progress in his shot and his physical condition. If that improvement keeps building, it could change the way opponents defend him and, in turn, open up another level for the Rockets. [Read more 🡒]
Kevin Durant Is Already Changing Jabari Smith Jr In Houston
Jabari Smith Jr. spent the offseason working on the finer points of his game, and Kevin Durant was part of the blueprint. The Rockets forward said he has been trying to play lower and clean up his footwork after taking cues from Durants pace and balance, a subtle shift that fits Houstons broader optimism heading into the new season. With Durant in the mix and young pieces like Smith, Alperen Sengun and Amen Thompson still ascending, the Rockets have plenty of reason to believe the next step can come from internal growth as much as from star power.
For Smith, the changes are less about bulk and more about staying mobile, which matters on both ends for a player expected to keep expanding his role. The challenge is finding the right version of that evolution without sacrificing the agility that lets him handle smaller defenders, and that balance will be worth watching as the Rockets try to blend Durants veteran polish with the energy of their younger core. [Read more 🡒]
Kevin Durant Trade Buzz Just Put Houston's Commitment In Focus
Kevin Durants name is already surfacing in early trade chatter again, which is hardly surprising for a player with his rsum and a player option sitting out there for the 2027-28 season. The latest buzz has him drawing interest from Detroit, but for Houston the bigger takeaway is what has not happened: the Rockets have built their roster around a young core and a win-now structure, with Amen Thompson, Alperen Sengun and Fred VanVleet giving the team a clearer direction than it has had in years.
Even with Durant still producing at an All-NBA level, Houston has shown no appetite for opening the door on his market, and a move before the season starts looks unlikely. That stance says plenty about where the Rockets see themselves right now - not as a club tempted by star-chasing noise, but as one committed to protecting the pieces that have made the roster so promising in the first place. [Read more 🡒]