Alperen Sengun Rumors | Hoops Rumors

Antetokounmpo Headlines All-Tournament Team For NBA Cup

December 19th, 2024 at 12:24pm CST by Rory Maher

The NBA announced the All-Tournament Team for the NBA Cup on Thursday, with Giannis Antetokounmpo headlining the five-player group (Twitter link). The Bucks superstar was named tournament MVP after Milwaukee defeated Oklahoma City in Tuesday’s final.

Here’s the full team, along with the amount of votes each player received (in parentheses) from a group of 20 media members:

Antetokounmpo, Bucks (20)
Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, Thunder (20)
Damian Lillard, Bucks (19)
Trae Young, Hawks (12)
Alperen Sengun, Rockets (6)

All five players advanced to at least the semifinals of the league’s second in-season tournament. Antetokounmpo and Gilgeous-Alexander were unanimous selections, while Lillard fell one vote shy.

According to the full voting results, Thunder big man Isaiah Hartenstein (5), Magic forward Franz Wagner (5), Hawks forward Jalen Johnson (4) and Thunder forward Jalen Williams (3) narrowly missed out on making the team. Six other players received one vote apiece.

The voting for the team is based on each player’s performance over the entire NBA Cup, including group play and the knockout round games. The Bucks went undefeated (7-0) to claim the trophy.

Rockets Notes: NBA Cup, Udoka, Harden, Green

December 15th, 2024 at 10:06am CST by Arthur Hill

The Rockets were back on the national stage for the first time in several seasons with Saturday’s matchup against Oklahoma City in the NBA Cup semifinals, writes Jonathan Feigen of The Houston Chronicle. Houston has become competitive again after four years of rebuilding, sitting in third place in the West at 17-9. Players were looking forward to the chance to compete in a high-stakes atmosphere, but the 111-96 loss indicates there’s still more work to be done.

“There’s always room to grow and get better,” said Fred VanVleet, one of the few members of the roster with a history of playing in big games. “You would like to learn by winning all the time and everything to be great, but that’s not reality. I think it’s a valuable experience being here with the stage and the way the NBA has kind of set up this game and this weekend. It has that playoff-style atmosphere, intensity.”

The Rockets and Thunder boast two of the NBA’s top defenses, which were both on display during an intense first half that ended with Houston holding a 42-41 lead. The Rockets couldn’t find enough shooting to keep up in the second half as several of their stars failed to produce. VanVleet and Jalen Green combined to shoot 8-of-29 from the field and 2-of-19 from beyond the arc. Alperen Sengun finished with 13 points after making just two of his first 10 shots as OKC packed the paint and dared Houston to shoot from the outside.

“It’s a playoff atmosphere, and everybody is playing to move on obviously,” coach Ime Udoka said. “So, you’ve got to bring your ‘A’ game. Obviously when you look at the stats, look down the stat sheet, I would say Amen (Thompson) and Tari (Eason) really brought their ‘A’ game off the bench. Other than that, we really struggled, from the starters. You have to play better in certain situations like this.”

There’s more on the Rockets:

Sam Amick of The Athletic looks at the culture change Udoka has brought to Houston, including a “no friends on the floor” philosophy that has made the Rockets one of the NBA’s most combative teams. Udoka’s direct approach with his players has been very effective in creating an identity. “For a young team, it’s amazing because it just sets a good … foundation for guys to grow and get better,” VanVleet said. “But I would say he earns that right too. … He’s not just motherf—ing guys for no reason. He earns that relationship and that trust as a leader every day leading the group, leading the coaches, leading the franchise.”
One of the first major decisions the Rockets faced after hiring Udoka was whether to pursue free agent James Harden, who had expressed an interest in returning to Houston, Amick adds. Harden and his representatives met with Udoka in the summer of 2023, but it was determined that his best move was to sign elsewhere. “My main thing for us was, ‘What fits best with our young guys to continue to grow?’” Udoka said. “But also, out of respect for James, (I told him), ‘You’re at the stage where you want to win, and we’re not there yet.’ And it wasn’t just James. I had five, six veteran guys who went to championship-level teams who wanted to come (that summer), and I said the same thing to all of them.”
Green spoke to Marc J. Spears of Andscape about the evolution of his game and how Udoka has challenged him to become more than just a scorer.

Rockets Notes: Green, Thompson, Sengun, NBA Cup, VanVleet, Eason

December 9th, 2024 at 7:37pm CST by Dana Gauruder

The Rockets didn’t commit a turnover in the final 20 minutes of their win over the Clippers on Sunday despite the absence of Fred VanVleet, who is recovering from a right knee injury.

It was a very encouraging sign for coach Ime Udoka, who leaned on Jalen Green, Amen Thompson and Alperen Sengun to organize the offense, Jonathan Feigen of the Houston Chronicle writes.

“He’s such a calming influence for the team, that kind of gets us into what we need to a lot,” Udoka said of VanVleet. “We still want guys to grow and learn that. So when he’s not out there, it’s good for us to do it a little bit more. We went to a few different guys to initiate offense.”

We have more on the Rockets:

Houston will face the Warriors in the NBA Cup quarterfinals on Wednesday. It’s possible that VanVleet could return to action for the tournament game. Forward Tari Eason, who has missed the last two games while in concussion protocol, could also return Wednesday, according to Feigen.
Thompson already sees himself as a top-notch defender in his second NBA season, he told Mark Medina of Sportskeeda. “I view myself as one of the best defenders. Obviously, I think it’s very hard to score on me. I think my presence is known on defense,” he said.
Udoka made several stops in Europe during his playing career. He has some “overseas” advice for Turkish native Sengun, Johnny Askounis of Eurohoops.net relays. “My biggest thing with him is, I say to him, ‘Don’t get the European out of your game. Play through stuff. Stop crying,’” Udoka said.

NBA Fines Rockets’ Udoka, Eason, Sengun

December 5th, 2024 at 1:47pm CST by Rory Maher

Three members of the Rockets were fined on Thursday, the NBA announced in a press release (Twitter link). Head coach Ime Udoka was docked $50K, forward Tari Eason was penalized $35K, and center Alperen Sengun received a $15K fine.

All three members of the organization were fined for incidents that occurred on Tuesday, when Houston lost by nine points in Sacramento. Udoka and Sengun each received a pair of technical fouls and were ejected with just under two minutes remaining in the fourth quarter.

According to the league, Udoka was fined for “confronting and directing profane language toward a game official, failing to leave the court in a timely manner after being ejected, and public criticism of the officiating during his postgame press conference.”

Speaking to reporters after the loss, Udoka complained about “blatant missed calls” and implored the referees to “get some f—ing glasses or open your eyes.”

Sengun was hit with a less severe fine for “directing inappropriate language toward a game official.”

The NBA says Eason was fined for a post-game incident in which he threw a towel and directed inappropriate language toward a fan in the spectator stands. Sam Amick of The Athletic (Twitter link) expressed surprise that the league failed to mention the fact that Eason tried to enter the stands to confront the heckling fan and had to be held back by security officials.

Rockets Notes: Eason, Thompson, Green, Sengun, VanVleet

December 4th, 2024 at 2:27pm CST by Luke Adams

Discussing the Rockets on the latest episode of the Hoop Collective podcast (YouTube link), ESPN’s Brian Windhorst reiterated a point he made last month, stating that rival teams believe Houston is poised to make a big trade, while the Rockets themselves are letting it be known that they’re in no hurry to pull the trigger on that sort of deal.

“You look at (their young players), you look at their draft assets, you look at where they are in the standings,” Windhorst said. “… It seems like they’re primed for a trade. And believe me, teams in the league believe the same thing. But the message that I have been told, and I think I was told it to spread the word, is that Amen Thompson and Tari Eason are untouchable.”

Kelly Iko of The Athletic reported a couple weeks ago that the Rockets aren’t looking to break up their core this season even if a player like Giannis Antetokounmpo is available. Tim MacMahon of ESPN said people in Houston have conveyed a similar sentiment to him.

“I’ve just spent some time around the Rockets and I was told by more than one person – very firmly, very adamantly – they will not change the core of that team this season,” MacMahon said. “Maybe they make a fringe rotation type of deal, but they are going to play this season out with the core of that team, is what they’re saying right now.”

As ESPN’s Tim Bontemps points out, the young player who seems most likely to be the centerpiece of a significant Rockets trade offer is Jalen Green, and he would be extremely difficult to move this season due to the poison pill provision, which – as a result of his recent contract extension – creates a significant disparity between his incoming and outgoing salary for matching purposes until July. With that in mind, it makes sense that Houston would prefer to wait until at least next summer to more seriously weigh its trade options.

Windhorst notes that the Rockets’ stance on certain players could change once they begin pursuing a trade in earnest.

“It’s also a negotiating position to say (Thompson and Eason are untouchable),” he said. “Because at the end of the day they are role players.”

“This is exactly what you do when you have 19 interesting trade assets, all these draft picks and all these young guys,” Bontemps added. “You say, ‘Hey, every good thing we’ve got, we’re not sure we’re going to do anything with any of those.’ And then you start to negotiate.”

Here’s more on the Rockets:

The Rockets are going to be “very selective” about cashing in their top trade chips, according to MacMahon, who said on the Hoop Collective podcast that the team will be seeking an “age-appropriate” star to add to its core. Noting that Houston would have had serious interest in Donovan Mitchell if he had emerged as a trade candidate instead of signing an extension with the Cavaliers, MacMahon said the Rockets know they need a “legitimate offensive engine” in order to become a real title contender.
Houston isn’t giving up on the idea that the offensive star they need could emerge from among the players currently on the roster, per MacMahon: “They’re not ruling out that Jalen Green could become that. I think they have some evidence that it’s possible from last season. They’re not ruling out that (Alperen) Sengun can continue developing. He’s still a young guy. … They’re not ruling that Tari Eason could become that.”
After his statement about Eason was met with skepticism by Bontemps, who questioned the third-year forward’s offensive ceiling, MacMahon further explained the Rockets’ position: “(Head coach) Ime Udoka, on the record, he was asked (last month), ‘Who does Tari Eason remind you of?’ He said, ‘A young Kawhi Leonard, who I’ve coached.’ A lot of that is just the defensive impact. Physically, he’s as close to Kawhi as you can get. The size, the hands, the athleticism, the defensive impact. … But they’re not ruling out that Eason could have a Kawhi- (or) Jimmy Butler-type of track. Now that’s pie-in-the-sky, top-end scenario. I’m just saying they’re not ruling out that possibility. … All those guys, they’re not ruling out they could emerge as the No. 1 offensive player. (But) most likely, it’s going to have to be a trade.”
While it’s probably not realistic to expect offensive stardom from Thompson, who has made just 14 career three-point shots, the Rockets remain very high on his upside due to his defense and athleticism. “We’ll see what Thompson becomes as a scorer, but they think he has to be a chance to be a hyper-athletic wing version of a Draymond Green, where you’re just wrecking things defensively,” MacMahon said.
In a story for The Athletic, Iko explores how Fred VanVleet‘s experiences during his final years in Toronto helped prepare him to take a step back this season in order to accelerate the development of the Rockets’ young players. VanVleet’s usage rate so far in 2024/25 is 19.6%, which would be his lowest mark since 2018/19.

Rockets’ Ime Udoka Blasts Refs After Loss To Kings

December 4th, 2024 at 7:44am CST by Luke Adams

Rockets head coach Ime Udoka was unhappy with the officiating in his team’s 120-111 loss in Sacramento on Tuesday night, earning an ejection – along with center Alperen Sengun – when he came onto the court and confronted referee John Goble with less than two minutes left in the fourth quarter (Twitter video links).

As Jonathan Feigen of The Houston Chronicle (subscription required) writes, even after speaking his mind to Goble on the court, Udoka had plenty to say during his post-game media session about how the game was officiated.

“Missed calls, blatant missed calls right in front of you,” Udoka said when asked why he was upset. “You’re calling ticky-tack moving screens and little s–t like that and then you don’t want to call the obvious ones right in front of you. That was it. Alpi got fouled a few times on that drive, on the layup and they don’t want to call it. Get some f—ing glasses or open your eyes.”

Asked if his outburst was about making sure his players know he has their backs and that he’s willing to stand up for them, Udoka admitted that wasn’t what was going through his mind.

“It wasn’t even about that, honestly,” he said. “Alpi got one (technical foul.) But take your sensitivity and emotions out of it and call the game the right way. It’s obvious, right in front of you. John Goble or whoever it was sees it and doesn’t call it. I’m gonna let him know about it. … They were missing calls all night, calling moving screens and every little touch call. Call the obvious one.”

While Udoka will almost certainly be fined by the NBA for his in-game actions and/or post-game comments, he isn’t the only Rocket who may face discipline from the league. According to Sam Amick of The Athletic, as Houston forward Tari Eason was leaving the court at the end of the game, he was heckled by a Sacramento fan and responded by throwing his towel and yelling obscenities at the fan.

As Amick details, Eason tried to enter the stands to confront the fan, but was held back by security officials. He eventually relented and headed to the visitors’ locker room.

The Rockets, who had won three games in a row and 10 of their last 12 entering Tuesday’s game, now have a 15-7 record and hold the No. 2 seed in the West, a game-and-a-half behind the top-seeded Thunder.

Jalen Brunson, Alperen Sengun Named Players Of The Week

December 2nd, 2024 at 2:41pm CST by Luke Adams

Knicks point guard Jalen Brunson has been named the Eastern Conference’s Player of the Week, while Rockets big man Alperen Sengun has won the award for the Western Conference, the NBA announced today (via Twitter).

It’s the first Player of the Week honor for Brunson this season after he won the award four times in 2023/24. In four games from November 25 to December 1, Brunson led the Knicks to a 3-1 record, averaging 26.8 points, 9.8 assists, and 3.5 rebounds in 34.3 minutes per game against Denver, Dallas, Charlotte, and New Orleans. He posted a red-hot shooting line of .547/.524/.867.

Brunson’s Knicks teammate Karl-Anthony Towns was also nominated for the award in the East, along with Hawks forward Jalen Johnson, Nets guard Dennis Schröder, Magic forward Franz Wagner, and Celtics teammates Jayson Tatum and Payton Pritchard (Twitter link).

As for Sengun, it’s his second career Player of the Week award — he also won it in January 2024. Houston just completed a 3-0 week, with its starting center leading the way by averaging a near triple-double (21.3 PPG, 12.7 RPG, 9.0 APG) to go along with 1.7 steals and 1.7 blocks per game. The Rockets were a +29 vs. Minnesota, Philadelphia, and Oklahoma City with Sengun on the floor, compared to -13 when he sat.

Sengun beat out fellow nominees Devin Booker, Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, Isaiah Hartenstein, Quentin Grimes, Kyrie Irving, James Harden, Jaren Jackson Jr., Ja Morant, and teammate Fred VanVleet for the Western Conference honor.

Texas Notes: Mavericks, Smith, Sengun, Jones

November 17th, 2024 at 3:36pm CST by Alex Kirschenbaum

The Mavericks’ 110-93 victory over the Spurs on Saturday ended a four-game losing streak, which included an 0-3 road trip. At 6-7, Dallas is still struggling to find consistency just a few months after making a run to the 2024 Finals, writes Joe Vardon of The Athletic.

“(The players) have things that go on outside of the arena, and that’s always monitored (but) those things aren’t shared publicly,” head coach Jason Kidd said prior to the victory over San Antonio. “This has been an emotional week, starting in Denver, having an opportunity to win there and just the buildup of the game against Golden State with Klay (Thompson). We could be a little bit more concerned of not just the buildup, but what the effects are.”

As Eddie Sefko of Mavs.com notes, Dallas has been getting the best efforts from the opposition, night after night. New additions to the club are a bit perplexed by the club’s lack of a clutch gene this season.

“We’re still trying to figure it out,” small forward Naji Marshall said. “Stuff happens. Obviously it didn’t go in our direction, all we can do is get better from here. It’s still early in the season… We’re just having a rough patch right now, but we’ll definitely get through it.”

There’s more out of the Lone Star State:

2022 lottery Rockets lottery pick Jabari Smith Jr. enjoyed something of a breakout performance in a 125-104 NBA Cup victory over the Clippers on Friday, writes Jonathan Feigen of The Houston Chronicle. The 6’11” big man, who had averaged 10.5 points per game on 38.1% shooting in his first 12 games (all starts), scored 28 points on 11-of-17 shooting from the field and grabbed 11 rebounds.
Fourth-year Rockets center Alperen Sengun continues to develop his game after signing a five-year, $185MM extension with the team last month, Feigen writes in another piece. Sengun notched his first triple-double of the season in Houston’s victory over the Clippers on Friday. His defensive growth has been a primary focus. “I do (a) good job,” Sengun said. “I do my best on defense, trying to help my teammates. Everybody is trying their best on defense. I’m just trying to help them more.” On Houston’s third-ranked defense, opposing players are connecting on a scant 42.9% of their looks when being guarded by Sengun. Head coach Ime Udoka singled out and praised the big man’s rim protection acumen.
After a 12-game absence, Spurs reserve guard Tre Jones came back from an ankle injury in the team’s loss to the Mavericks on Saturday, notes Jeff Macdonald of The San Antonio Express-News. The 6’1″ Duke product scored three points on 1-of-5 shooting from the field, while also contributing four dimes and three boards.

Southwest Notes: Whitmore, Green, Sengun, Morant, Zion, Paul

November 7th, 2024 at 8:48pm CST by Tristan Tucker

The Rockets are assigning last year’s No. 20 overall pick Cam Whitmore to their G League affiliate, Rio Grande Valley Vipers, Houston Chronicle’s Jonathan Feigen reports (Twitter link).

Whitmore played a significant role for the Rockets in the second half of last season. In total, he appeared in 47 games (two starts) as a rookie and averaged an impressive 12.3 points and 3.8 rebounds in 18.7 minutes per contest while shooting 35.9% from three on 4.7 attempts per game.

Whitmore began this season in the rotation, averaging 7.3 PPG in 13.6 MPG across the team’s first four games. However, with the second-year forward shooting just 38.7% from the field and not making a three-pointer until his fifth game, he fell out of the rotation and received a DNP-CD on Monday, then only received late-game minutes in a 27-point blowout on Wednesday.

Rookie Reed Sheppard‘s playing time has increased a bit as Whitmore’s has decreased, so he appears to be continuing to build a role in the rotation. It’s unclear what Houston’s exact plan with Whitmore is, but the Rockets’ hope is that he’ll find his shot in the G League, like he did last year when he made 38.9% of 10.1 three-point attempts per game with the development team.

We have more from the Southwest Division:

The Rockets awarded Jalen Green with a three-year, $106MM extension before the season, which came on the heels of a strong second half last season. Now, it looks as though the 2021 No. 2 overall pick is building on last season’s breakout, having averaged 22.6 points per game with a .382 3PT% through eight games this fall. With both he and 2021 classmate Alperen Sengun (No. 16 overall) having agreed to big extensions last month, Green has lofty expectations for the pair, Kelly Iko of The Athletic writes. “I love playing with [Sengun],” Green said. “We’ve had our ups and downs, I’ve played terrible, he’s been good the whole season — it was really me who was trying to find myself from a whole new system standpoint. The games that we won and both of us scored well, those are the games that will come when it’s playoff season. You see how [Nikola] Jokic and Jamal Murray are — I’m not saying we’re like them but they compare [Sengun] to Jokic all the time. So why can’t I be something similar to Jamal? Not saying I want to be, but someone that can get off too. It’s a two-man threat every night.“
Grizzlies star Ja Morant missed almost all of last season due to suspension and injury, but he’s back now and helping push Memphis toward being more competitive than it was last year. Mike Vorkunov of The Athletic writes that even though the Western Conference landscape has changed since Morant was last fully healthy, he still has the utmost belief in his team. “Still confident,” the point guard said. “Two years ago passed. I don’t even know who won the championship two years ago … Two years ago don’t matter. Last year don’t matter either. So all we can focus on is now, and that’s getting our wins and handling our business. Confidence never left.“
Zion Williamson returned to action for the Pelicans on Wednesday after missing two games, then suffered another brief injury scare in the second quarter, Christian Clark of NOLA.com writes. Williamson exited early in the second quarter before returning after halftime. He finished with 29 points and should be fine moving forward.
Trey Murphy is close to returning for the Pelicans after suffering a multi-week hamstring injury in October. According to Clark (Twitter link), Murphy was upgraded to doubtful for Friday’s game against the Magic. While it sounds like he’ll likely miss that game, it appears as though his return isn’t far off.
The Spurs brought in Chris Paul this offseason to serve as a veteran leader and mentor for their young players, including Victor Wembanyama. Paul spoke about his role with Sportskeeda’s Mark Medina (Twitter link). “You have to show guys that you can hoop,” Paul said. “I don’t go in there and try to be nobody’s coach and nobody’s daddy. First and foremost, I hoop.“

Southwest Notes: Zion, Sengun, Lively, Popovich

November 5th, 2024 at 8:10am CST by Luke Adams

Pelicans forward Zion Williamson didn’t show any signs of suffering an injury in Friday’s win over Indiana, in which he scored a season-high 34 points. However, he was added to the team’s injury report on Sunday due to right hamstring tightness and has now missed two consecutive games, both Pelicans losses, as Christian Clark of NOLA.com details.

“I don’t know exactly how it occurred,” head coach Willie Green said of Williamson’s injury, which was listed on Monday as right thigh soreness. “He showed up. Said he felt a little something. We wanted to make sure we got a look at it.”

Already missing Dejounte Murray, CJ McCollum, Herbert Jones, and Trey Murphy due to longer-term injuries, the Pelicans have had to elevate little-used reserves to the rotation, with Brandon Boston, Jeremiah Robinson-Earl, rookie Yves Missi, and newly signed Jaylen Nowell among those playing big minutes this week. The shorthanded team has dropped back-to-back games at home, losing to Atlanta by 15 points on Sunday and to Portland by 18 points on Monday.

While New Orleans badly needs a healthy Williamson back on the court to help end its skid, Green admitted on Monday that he’s not sure what the timeline is for his star forward’s return.

“He was not at the game,” Green told reporters. “Doctor’s orders. Because of the hamstring and quad. We kept him at home tonight.”

Here’s more from around the Southwest:

After signing a five-year, $185MM rookie scale extension the day before the regular season began, Rockets center Alperen Sengun got off to a slow start this fall, making just 38.6% of his field goal attempts through six games. Prior to Monday’s contest, he made it clear he wasn’t stressing about his low shooting percentage, writes Jonathan Feigen of The Houston Chronicle (subscription required). “I’m not worried about it. Those shots are easy shots for me,” Sengun said. “They’re shots I used to make all three years. So I think it’s just going to come back and I’m going to make those.” The big man delivered on that promise by scoring 25 points on 11-of-15 shooting in a win over New York on Monday. He also contributed 14 rebounds, five assists, and four blocks in what was his best game of the season so far.
Mavericks center Dereck Lively II, who missed Monday’s loss to Indiana due to a right shoulder sprain, will undergo an MRI on that shoulder, head coach Jason Kidd told reporters. However, sources have expressed optimism that Lively’s injury isn’t significant, according to Tim MacMahon of ESPN (Twitter link).
Ahead of his second game as the Spurs‘ acting head coach, Mitch Johnson said on Monday that he’s “not at liberty” to discuss Gregg Popovich‘s possible return timeline, but downplayed the seriousness of Popovich’s health issue. “Right now his health is the No. 1 priority,” Johnson said, per Michael C. Wright of ESPN. “We support him in that 100 percent and I talked to him last night. He’s in good spirits. He’s OK, and we can’t wait to have him back.”