Fred VanVleet is ready to play a leadership role on the Houston Rockets, and he expects his best young teammate to take a massive leap and build off last season’s success.
Even before the Houston Rockets added Kevin Durant to the roster this summer, they were expected to take a massive leap. After securing the second-best record in the Western Conference, their lack of experience caught up to them as they lost in the first round of the playoffs to the Golden State Warriors.
However, with veterans like Durant and Fred VanVleet in town, youngsters like Alperen Sengun, Amen Thompson, Reed Sheppard, and Jabari Smith Jr. are all expected to take the next step and establish themselves as a legitimate threat to the Oklahoma City Thunder.
VanVleet spent a large chunk of his offseason in Istanbul training with Alperen Sengun, and he was impressed by what he saw.
Photo by Eakin Howard/Getty ImagesFred VanVleet is confident in Alperen Sengun
While Durant arrives as the most talented player on the roster, Sengun is by far the most important. At only 23 years old, he is coming off his first All-Star appearance and is expected to remain one of the better young players in the NBA alongside Texas rivals Cooper Flagg and Victor Wembanyama.
Sengun has been compared to Nikola Jokic for his versatile offensive game and eye-popping passing abilities, although he is more athletic than Jokic is, and his ceiling, at least according to VanVleet, is still untouched.
“I think Alpi can take another big jump,” said the veteran. “He took another jump last year, obviously became an All-Star. I think this year, you want to be a year stronger, better, more experienced. You know, he had a good playoff series, but I know it’s just a lot of stuff you want to get better at.”
With Jalen Green, who was picked second overall in the 2021 draft, gone, Sengun, who was picked 16th overall that same season, is officially the face of the franchise.
Alperen Sengun stood out in last season’s playoffs
The mostly-inexperienced Rockets lost in seven games to the Warriors in the opening round of the playoffs. It was their first postseason appearance in five years, and while they ultimately fell short of advancing, it’s hard to call the season a disappointment.
Heading into next season, the Rockets and Nuggets are the main threats to the Thunder out West, and Sengun’s ability to go toe to toe with the best bigs in the league on both ends of the court plays a massive factor, and he has already established himself as a “playoff riser.”
Alperen Sengun’s 2024-25 Stats
VanVleet might be onto something. After a “good playoff series,” the fifth-year center should be expected to take a leap, and with his team expected to be a very real favorite in the first two rounds of the 2026 playoffs, having a star who can kick things up a notch can’t be overlooked.