This week’s question asked which Rocket is the most important for the upcoming season.
When the Houston Rockets entered the 2021 draft, they were entering a new era for the franchise. The Rockets had just traded away their longtime franchise star, James Harden, the season prior and were looking to start a new phase of Rockets basketball after finishing with one of the worst records in the NBA.
Most attention focused on the Rockets’ second overall pick and who they would select. The Rockets ultimately selected Jalen Green to lead the franchise for the next decade as Harden’s heir apparent. The Rockets did manage to trade for another pick later in the first round a pick that would ultimately become the Rockets defining move of that draft.
The Rockets made a trade with the Oklahoma City Thunder that landed them the 16th pick of that draft, Alperen Sengun. Even though scouts and some fans knew of the Turkish star and what he had already accomplished, many were just hearing his name for the first time. We soon learned that Sengun should have gone much higher in the draft, as he would eventually become one of, if not the, best players on the team in a short time.
Now, going into his sixth season and a two-time All-Star, Sengun has established himself as one of the best centers in the league. For Sengun, it’s no longer about individual accomplishments; it’s about leading the Rockets past the first round for the first time since 2020. Now, with Fred VanVleet coming back after missing last season and Kevin Durant entering year two as a Rocket, we asked the SB Nation community for their opinion on who is the most important.
This is what you said:
Sengun topped the list with 35 percent, while Durant and Amen Thompson tied for second at 21 percent. VanVleet came in a distant third with 12 percent.
On one hand, this is a bit of a surprise considering Durant’s star power and what we saw from the Rockets in the playoffs without the future Hall of Famer. Also, with most of last season’s talk centering on VanVleet’s absence, some would have expected his number to be higher.
On the other hand, Sengun has been the Rockets’ hub for almost his entire career and even more so as his game has developed. Sengun averaged a career high in assists last season while still averaging over 20 points a game as he became the Rockets’ point center with VanVleet missing the entire season.
Even with VanVleet’s return, the offense will flow mainly between Sengun and Durant, as they are the Rockets’ two best offensive players. Sengun is entering a critical part of his career, on the borderline between becoming a top-15 player and reaching superstar heights or staying a notch below that plateau.
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Thank you to the SB Nation community for voting!
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