Because he is the Rockets' best scorer and rebounder, but also the second-best passer, Alperen Sengun will have a say in the race for Most Improved Player. But also perhaps before the All-Star Game! On an individual level, the Turk knows that he is already one of the best in his position in his conference. But he also knows that the collective assessment is essential to hope to convince the coaches, called upon to design the replacements.
“It was my goal, and I talked about it at the start of the season” he confirms about the All-Star Game. “But that’s everyone’s goal, and I repeat, I want to be on a winning team. A winning team is more important. Ditto playing in the playoffs. If it comes with the All-Star Game, that’s my goal.”
Increasingly used in attack
For the moment, the Rockets have a negative record (8v-9l), and there is an essential reason for this: they still have not won a single away match! “We have to see… What I can say is that if we win, if we are a good team, then I can say that I deserve everything.”
While awaiting a possible selection for the All-Star Game, Alperen Sengun can already be satisfied with having become the Rockets' number 1 option. After two seasons of watching Jalen Green and Kevin Porter Jr take all the shots, the Turk is more at the conclusion of actions (a “ Usage Rate » of 27.5%, equivalent to that ofa Kyrie Irving or a Damian Lillard), and he has the confidence of his coach and his teammates to shoot from afar.
“I’m getting better at mid-range shots and 3-point shots,” he notes. “That’s the goal I was talking about. I knew I had to shoot. Now I do it without much hesitation. I shoot with confidence. When I feel good, I shoot. I just want to add more and more movements to be more efficient. »
The second creator of the team
For Ime Udoka, it is a privilege to be able to rely on a player like Alperen Sengun, capable of playing control tricks at the head of the racket.
“We use balls at the high post at times to stabilize ourselves,” the Rockets coach justifies himself. “We feel like it's productive, and we want him to be able to initiate actions from the post. If we haven't found anything there, he can go and score, and I think that calms us down sometimes. It's always good to not rely entirely on long shots, dribbling, pick-and-rolls, and penetrations. In the post, we have the advantage most of the time, and we can always use it. We can do the same thing in the paint or in the high post, with Sengun as a second creator. »
And Ime Udoka takes an example from the best in the NBA, Joel Embiid and Nikola Jokic. “In today's NBA, this may seem outdated, but when you have one of the best scorers in the low post, you have to take advantage of it! » insists the coach. “Look at Embiid, look at Jokic… Look at the attention they’re generating… We know something good will come out of it. »
Usage rate (USG%): equation allowing to measure the influence of a player on the attack of his team and, therefore, to calculate the number of attacks concluded by a player. The calculation formula is as follows: USG% = ([tirs tentés du joueur + 0.44 * lancers-francs tentés du joueur + ballons perdus du joueur] * [minutes de l’équipe / 5]) / (player minutes * [tirs tentés par l’équipe + 0.44 * lancers-francs tentés par l’équipe + ballons perdus par l’équipe]) * 100.
