Rockets' Alperen Sengun: Struggles in loss to San Antonio
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Sengun produced six points (2-8 FG, 1-2 3Pt, 1-2 FT), five rebounds, two assists and two steals over 22 minutes during Saturday's 109-106 loss to the Spurs.
Sengun couldn't get anything going down low and had a rough time trying to get past Victor Wembanyama, who found a way to limit Sengun's impact considerably on both ends of the court. Sengun had recorded double-doubles in his previous two outings this season, however, and one subpar outing isn't going to worry fantasy managers who trusted him in standard drafts. He should remain a capable producer for the Rockets due to his elite ability to fill the stat sheet.
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Rockets' Alperen Sengun: Another double-double Friday
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Sengun amassed 16 points (5-13 FG, 0-2 3Pt, 6-8 FT), 15 rebounds, two assists and one steal over 32 minutes during Friday's 128-108 win over the Grizzlies.
Sengun has logged a double-double in each of the first two games of the regular season, and he combined with Jabari Smith for 31 of Houston's 41 rebounds Friday. Sengun's ability to impact the game in various ways earned him a five-year, $185 million extension Monday, and early on, it appears that contract for the 2021 first-round pick could be a bargain for the Rockets. Sengun will be in for a tough challenge against Victor Wembanyama and the Spurs on Saturday.
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Rockets' Alperen Sengun: Agrees to five-year extension
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Sengun agreed to a five-year, $185 million rookie extension with the Rockets on Monday, Bobby Marks of ESPN.com reports.
Sengun's five-year extension includes a player option in the last year. The 2021 first-round pick is coming off a strong 2023-24 season during which he averaged 21.1 points on 53.7 percent shooting, 9.3 rebounds, 5.0 assists and 1.2 steals across 32.5 minutes per game over 63 regular-season contests. He did miss the last 18 games of the regular season due to a Grade 3 right ankle sprain, but he was able to return for the start of training camp in late September and will be good to go for the start of the 2024-25 regular season. Sengun will remain an integral part of the Rockets' youth movement alongside Jalen Green and Jabari Smith.
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Rockets' Alperen Sengun: Posts double-double
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Sengun recorded 21 points (9-12 FG, 0-1 3Pt, 3-7 FT), 10 rebounds and two assists across 26 minutes in Thursday's 129-107 preseason win over the Spurs.
Sengun should be among the leaders of this Rockets team, and his fantasy upside is sky-high if he stays healthy, as he can stuff the stat sheet. He should be one of the most reliable big men in fantasy regardless of the format and could be in line to surpass the career-best season he had in 2023-24, when he averaged 21.1 points, 9.3 rebounds and 5.0 assists per game across 63 regular-season contests.
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Rockets' Alperen Sengun: Sniffs double-double
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Sengun recorded 17 points (3-7 FG, 0-2 3Pt, 11-12 FT), nine rebounds, two assists and two steals across 22 minutes in Wednesday's 122-113 preseason win over the Thunder.
Sengun led the Rockets in scoring, and he found a way to make an impact on the boards and defensively as well while ending just one rebound shy of a double-double. Even though it's only the preseason, Sengun is showing he's ready to start the campaign and pick things up where he left them in 2023-24. The big man is expected to play a massive role for the Rockets on both ends of the court, and his ability to fill the stat sheet across several categories should make him one of the most sought-after big men across all fantasy formats.
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Rockets' Alperen Sengun: Fills stat sheet Monday
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Sengun recorded 17 points (6-8 FG, 1-2 3Pt, 4-4 FT), four rebounds, four assists, three steals and a block across 22 minutes in Monday's 122-113 preseason loss to the Jazz.
Sengun missed the final 18 games of the 2023-24 season with a Grade 3 right ankle sprain but was deemed healthy for training camp in late September. If fantasy managers needed confirmation of his status, this performance cleared every possible question mark regarding the promising big man. It's unclear who will operate as Houston's go-to player on offense this season, but there's no question Sengun has the most upside from a fantasy perspective. He's expected to take another leap in his game after posting averages of 21.1 points, 9.3 rebounds, 5.0 assists, 1.2 steals, 0.7 blocks and 0.5 three-pointers in 32.5 minutes per game over 63 regular-season appearances in 2023-24.
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Rockets' Alperen Sengun: All set for camp
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Sengun, who missed the final 18 games of the 2023-24 season with a Grade 3 right ankle sprain, will be ready for training camp this week, Jonathan Feigen of the Houston Chronicle reports.
Sengun also battled a bone bruise in his right knee at the end of last season, but he will be 100 percent heading into training camp. Feigen reports that Houston's entire roster will be ready for camp after doing full-contact scrimmages last week. Sengun is primed for a massive 2024-25 season after posting averages of 21.1 points, 9.3 rebounds, 5.0 assists, 1.2 steals, 0.7 blocks and 0.5 three-pointers in 32.5 minutes per game over 63 regular-season appearances during last season's breakout campaign.
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Rockets' Alperen Sengun: Unlikely to play this week
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Rockets head coach Ime Udoka said Tuesday that Sengun (ankle) is "unlikely" to play in the final week of the regular season, Jonathan Feigen of the Houston Chronicle reports.
Sengun hasn't played since suffering a significant right ankle sprain March 10, and though the Rockets initially held out hope that the big man could be back for the tail end of the regular season if a spot in the Western Conference Play-In Tournament was realistic, he'll remain shut down with Houston out of contention. Jabari Smith should continue to start at center the rest of the way, while Dillon Brooks and Amen Thompson retain starting roles at the forward spot. Sengun will wrap up his third NBA season with averages of 21.1 points, 9.3 rebounds, 5.0 assists, 1.2 steals, 0.7 blocks and 0.5 three-pointers in 32.5 minutes per game over 63 appearances.
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Rockets' Alperen Sengun: Likely out for regular season
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Shams Charania of The Athletic reported Tuesday that Sengun (ankle) has been diagnosed with a Grade 3 right ankle sprain, as well as a bone bruise in his right knee, and will likely miss the remainder of the regular season.
Adrian Wojnarowski reported Monday that Sengun would need to show significant healing to have a realistic shot at playing again this season, so Charania's update isn't surprising. With Houston falling behind in the race for the 10th seed, the promising young center probably won't push to return over the final weeks, especially considering he's up for a max extension this offseason. Sengun was playing the best basketball of his career before suffering the injury, averaging 27.0 points, 13.5 rebounds, 6.3 assists, 2.5 steals and 0.8 blocks in 36.0 minutes over his previous four appearances. In his absence, Jock Landale would seem to be the top candidate to join the starting five if the Rockets want a traditional center, though it's possible Jabari Smith and Jeff Green could see plenty of playing time as small-ball options at the five.
Sengun supplied 23 points (10-19 FG, 3-8 FT), 19 rebounds, 14 assists and two steals across 42 minutes during Wednesday's 122-116 loss to the Clippers.
Sengun led all players in Wednesday's contest in rebounds and assists while tallying a team-best point total in one of his best outings of the season. Sengun handed out a season-high assist total while hauling in a season-best rebound mark in his second triple-double of the year.
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Rockets' Alperen Sengun: Erupts for career-best 45 points
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Sengun finished Tuesday's 114-101 win over the Spurs with 45 points (19-32 FG, 2-3 3Pt, 5-7 FT), 16 rebounds, three assists, one block and five steals in 37 minutes.
The 21-year-old center became the youngest player in NBA history -- or at least since steals became an official stat in 1973-74 -- to record at least 45 points, 15 boards and five steals in the same game, joining an exclusive club that includes James Harden, Joel Embiid and Anthony Davis. The points and steals were also career highs for Sengun, while the 16 rebounds were a season high. The double-double was his 28th of the campaign, leaving him one short of tying the career-high 29 he set last season.
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Rockets' Alperen Sengun: Posts monster line
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Sengun amassed 23 points (8-13 FG, 0-1 3Pt, 7-12 FT), 11 rebounds, six assists, two blocks and two steals across 36 minutes during Tuesday's 112-95 loss to the Thunder.
Lines like this have become the norm for Sengun this season. He's been a sixth-round fantasy value in nine-category leagues so far, posting averages of 21.1 points, 9.2 rebounds, 4.9 assists, 1.1 steals and 0.8 blocks.
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Rockets' Alperen Sengun: Double-double against OKC
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Sengun recorded 19 points (6-12 FG, 1-3 3Pt, 6-7 FT), 12 rebounds, two assists, one block and one steal across 29 minutes during Sunday's 123-110 loss to the Thunder.
It was the 25th double-double of the season for the third-year center, leaving him four short of tying the career high he set in 2022-23. Sengun has been flashing more defensive production of late as well -- over the last five games, he's averaging 18.6 points, 8.2 boards, 4.0 assists, 1.2 blocks and 0.8 steals.
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Rockets' Alperen Sengun: Posts another double-double
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Sengun chipped in 17 points (6-15 FG, 0-1 3Pt, 5-8 FT), 12 rebounds, four assists and one block in 35 minutes during Friday's 114-110 victory over the Suns.
Sengun recorded his 23rd double-double of the season, and he dominated down low while taking advantage of Jusuf Nurkic's absence due to an ankle problem. The versatile big man has been one of the top fantasy contributors not only for the Rockets but in the Western Conference as a whole due to his impressive two-way play and his ability to rack up double-doubles with ease while also contributing in peripheral categories. Over his last 10 games, Sengun has averaged 18.1 points, 9.1 rebounds, 4.6 assists, 0.9 steals and 0.7 blocks across 32.2 minutes per game.
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Rockets' Alperen Sengun: Sniffs double-double in defeat
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Sengun ended Thursday's 127-105 loss to the Pelicans with 20 points (6-9 FG, 1-1 3Pt, 7-10 FT), nine rebounds, two assists and one steal in 27 minutes.
Sengun finished one rebound shy of posting a double-double, and even though he didn't fill the stat sheet as he's done in other games, he still posted an impressive outing. Sengun is averaging 17.6 points, 8.1 rebounds, 4.3 assists and 0.7 blocks per game since the start of January.
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Rockets' Alperen Sengun: Brings defense in win
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Sengun (back) tallied 18 points (6-10 FG, 6-8 FT), six assists, three rebounds, three blocks and one steal across 36 minutes Monday in the Rockets' 105-103 win over the Knicks.
Though Sengun fell short of his season-long averages in points (21.2) and rebounds (9.2), he salvaged his night by providing his most blocks since Jan. 17 while also shining as a facilitator. Perhaps more important than his production was the fact that Sengun logged 36 minutes, an encouraging sign after he missed Saturday's loss to Atlanta with lower-back pain.
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Rockets' Alperen Sengun: Available to play Monday
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Sengun (back) will play Monday versus the Knicks, Ben DuBose of USA Today reports.
Sengun missed Saturday's contest due to lower back pain, but the 21-year-old will suit up Monday. He joins a Rockets frontcourt that will be without Tari Eason (leg) and Cam Whitmore (ankle).
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Rockets' Alperen Sengun: Out with back pain
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Sengun will not play in Saturday's game in Atlanta due to lower back pain, Ben DuBose of USA Today reports.
Sengun presumably picked up the injury in the Rockets' previous loss to the Raptors. The absence will mark his first of the season. As a result, Jeff Green, Jock Landale and Boban Marjanovic are all candidates to see increased workloads at center. Sengun's next chance to play will come Monday versus the Knicks.
Sengun accumulated 24 points (10-14 FG, 1-2 3Pt, 3-3 FT), 13 rebounds and eight assists across 29 minutes during Friday's 135-106 win over the Raptors.
The third-year center likely would have come away with his fourth career triple-double had the game been closer, but the Rockets emptied their bench in the fourth quarter. Sengun has delivered four straight double-doubles and eight in the last nine games, a stretch in which he's averaging 22.2 points, 10.9 boards, 6.4 assists, 0.9 steals and 0.8 blocks while shooting 56.6 percent from the floor.
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Rockets' Alperen Sengun: Present at shootaround
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Sengun (illness) was present during Houston's morning shootaround, but he remains questionable for Friday's game against the Raptors, Adam Spolane of Sports Radio 610 Houston reports.
While Sengun was present, it's unclear how active he was during the shootaround. The third-year big man has yet to miss a game this season and has posted a double-double in eight of his last 10 appearances. During that stretch, he's averaged 21.4 points, 10.4 rebounds, 5.9 assists, 1.3 steals and 0.9 blocks in 33.9 minutes per game.
