Houston Rockets head coach Stephen Silas on Friday expressed his excitement with how forward Alperen Sengun has improved this season as a rookie.
Sengun entered the NBA highly touted as a versatile player given his prior professional experience in Turkey. His ability on the offensive end of the floor as a dynamic scorer quickly translated over to the NBA as teams were quickly forced to adjust to his skill set.
The 16th pick is averaging 8.7 points, 4.8 rebounds and 2.5 assists in 51 games this season. He was recently selected to compete in the NBA Rising Stars game at All-Star Weekend and was among the 12 first-year players on hand.
Silas can tell Sengun is now on teams’ scouting reports.
He has had to make adjustments as far as slowing down a little bit, reading where double teams are coming from. He wasn’t seeing double teams early in the season. Now, he is seeing a good amount of them. As far as his play-making ability, he still has that. It’s very advantageous for us to have him at the top of the floor or the elbow. I would say the reading of the defense is something that has progressed for him because the defenses are more attentive to him than they were earlier.
Sengun has dazzled at times with his passing and ability to make plays on both ends of the floor. He was also touted for his basketball IQ on the court as he rarely makes the same mistake twice. The product on the floor has impressed his teammates.
Said Jalen Green:
He is super fundamental. He knows how to pass the ball. He is a great finisher around the rim, spaces the floor out and is going to help whoever the point guard is on his team.
Sengun also earned praise from Silas for his maturity on and off of the court. Silas previously said the maturity Sengun has as a 19-year-old is one of his best attributes as it is a bit rare to see that from such a young player in the league.
As one of the most experienced players in the draft last year, it is clear that Sengun has made a tremendous impact in just his first season in the NBA and that should only continue the more he plays.
This post originally appeared on Rookie Wire! Follow us on Facebook!
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