Houston Rockets center Alperen Sengun is steadily establishing himself as a rising star in the league, playing a pivotal role in the team's unexpected success this season.
With a current record of 8-6, the Rockets occupy the eighth spot in the competitive Western Conference, achieving notable victories, including two against the defending NBA champions Denver Nuggets.
This marks a notable improvement for the Rockets after enduring years of disappointing seasons, including a 22-60 record last season, ranked as the third worst in the NBA. In the 2021-22 and 2022-23 seasons, the Rockets held the 29th position in net rating, and they currently reside in the sixth position this campaign.
The 21-year-old center has emerged as a cornerstone for Houston, boasting impressive averages of 20.2 points, 9.1 rebounds, and 5.6 assists per game, all while maintaining a 56.7 percent shooting accuracy from the field in 32.8 minutes of play.
Born and raised in Turkey, Sengun is one of the early frontrunners for this season's Most Improved Player award. He was drafted by the Rockets with the 16th overall pick in the 2021 NBA Draft.
Elite playmaking skills
Sengun has garnered widespread praise for his exceptional playmaking abilities, leading to comparisons with reigning NBA Finals MVP Nikola Jokic.
With both men standing at 6-foot-11 and playing the center position, the Turkish player has openly acknowledged the similarities with their styles of play.
"[Jokic] is great guy and European. I can say all European bigs and other players so close to each other... I'm like not trying to play like him, but like you know, our games are similar," Sengun said on a recent episode of Los Angeles Clippers star Paul George's Podcast P.
Similar trajectory
Both players have followed similar trajectories at stat lines, experiencing promising rookie seasons, showing steady improvement in their sophomore years, and breaking out during their third campaigns.
Here are the side-by-side comparisons of their season averages in their first three seasons in the association.
Rookie seasons:
Jokic (2015-16): 10.0 points, 7.0 rebounds, 2.4 assists (named in the All-Rookie First Team)
Sengun (2021-22): 9.6 points, 5.5 rebounds, 2.6 assists
Sophomore seasons:
Jokic (2016-17): 16.7 points, 9.8 rebounds, 4.8 assists
Sengun (2022-23): 14.8 points, 9.0 rebounds, 3.9 assists
Third seasons:
Jokic (2017-18): 18.5 points, 10.7 rebounds, 6.1 assists
Sengun (2023-24): 20.2 points, 9.1 rebounds, and 5.6 assists (so far)
Proven track record of success in Europe
Both Jokic and Sengun have found individual success on the other side of the Atlantic, with the Nuggets star securing the 2015 ABA League MVP in Serbia's top professional basketball league before making his move to Denver. He also claimed the ABA Top Prospect award in the same campaign.
On the other hand, Sengun has had his share of accomplishments, being the 2021 Turkish League MVP and a champion in the 2019 Turkish Junior League.
Winning MVP in Europe is not a foolproof method for predicting a player's success, but it does serve as a meaningful indicator.
Dallas Mavericks star Luka Doncic, for example, was both a EuroLeague MVP and champion, as well as a Liga ACB MVP and winner in 2018.
Related Article: Nikola Jokic Wife: Who Is the Longtime Partner of the Nuggets Star?
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