Looking toward his sixth year in the NBA, Alperen Sengun is developing into an elite playmaking center for the Houston Rockets. Last season, Sengun averaged 20.4 points, 8.9 rebounds, and 6.2 assists over 72 games.

One area for improvement for Sengun is his career 69.9% free throw percentage. While the figure is not horrendous from a positional perspective, adding free throws as an expertise could help unlock his All-NBA potential. The likes of Nikola Jokic and Joel Embiid have both hovered above 80% throughout their careers.

One upside from Houston’s offseason has been the addition of Chip Engelland. The veteran coach has a strong reputation for helping players adjust their shooting forms for better production.

As reported by the Houston Chronicle's Varun Shankar, Sengun discussed what tweaks the new Rockets assistant coach suggested for his shooting mechanics.

“He doesn’t want me to lean back when I shoot the ball. I like to fade and in free throws, [Engelland] doesn’t want me to do that. He wants to… keep my balance in the front so I can push the ball up.”

Three-Point Shooting

Stretching past the free throw line, Sengun’s three-point shooting has also been a subject of criticism. The 25-year-old center has a career three-point percentage of 28.1% on 1.4 attempts per game.

As NBA centers continue to add guard-like qualities to their skillset, there is a growing expectation for more big men to develop all-around shooting capabilities. The traditional mold of the position was once limited to interior force and rebounding.

For reference, Victor Wembanyama shot 34.9% from deep range last season, averaging 1.9 made threes on 5.5 attempts per game. This figure was sufficient enough to aid a third-place finish in the MVP voting.

From a broader perspective, Sengun’s scoring and court vision demonstrate that his style needs polishing rather than overhaul. He finished in the top 30 for both points per game and assists per game last season.

With Durant turning 38 years old this week, the Rockets will need to ensure that there is a player ready to carry the franchise torch once the 16-time All-Star departs from Houston. While Amen Thompson has shown promise, Sengun has made a stronger case as a player with two All-Star selections.

Overall, the Rockets have a lot of upside heading into the 2026-27 season. If Engelland can help Sengun improve his shooting from outside the paint, this could have a positive impact on both the immediate and long-term future of the franchise.