With some exceptions, the peaks of third-year center Alperen Sengun and guard Jalen Green — both drafted in the NBA’s 2021 first round — generally came at different times for the Houston Rockets.
Sengun flourished over the first few months of the 2023-24 season, even making an All-Star push at midseason. Then, with Sengun sidelined by an ankle injury for the final month-plus of the season, Green nearly earned March Player of the Month honors.
There were occasional games of overlap where both were in peak form at the same time, and it’s worth noting that Green had already shown several games of improved play prior to Sengun’s March 10 injury. Yet, for the season as a whole, it’s a fair observation to say that both prospects were rarely at their best, simultaneously.
So, as Houston turns its focus to 2024-25, is that a concern as the Rockets (41-41) try to go from a .500 season to a winning team that earns a spot in the 2025 Western Conference postseason?
General manager Rafael Stone and head coach Ime Udoka are aware of the concern, but it doesn’t sound like they’re particularly alarmed or troubled. At Tuesday’s end-of-season media availability session with Houston reporters, here’s how Stone responded to a question of whether Sengun and Green are a good complement to each other:
One’s a guard, one’s a center. One of the guys I’ve worked with a long time has a saying that “Someone has gotta score.” The more shots you get, the more you’ll score. In that sense, Jalen benefited from getting additional shots.
He started playing really good basketball prior to Alperen’s injury. His scoring tailed off a little bit at the end, but he really played some really good games at the end of the season where he didn’t score particularly well.
It’s about putting yourself in position for success. He made some big steps midseason that set him up that way. Fundamentally, great players can play with great players, and they’re not positionally similar.
The challenge that exist for us is not Jalen and Alperen. It’s Jalen, Alperen, Amen (Thompson), Tari (Eason), Jabari (Smith Jr.), Fred (VanVleet), Dillon (Brooks) and Cam (Whitmore). We’re a team. Ime has to find a way to mesh everyone, but a lot of that is on them and the choices they make.
Every team, every year faces that challenge. Every year someone comes back and added to their game. … and (the question is) how do you incorporate that. Or, they want to do more, and how do you incorporate that?
That’s the challenge in front of us. It’s a great one to have these talented young guys who are getting better and having more potential, but we’re cognizant it is a challenge.
Udoka then added his own perspective regarding Sengun and Green, who finished as Houston’s top-two scorers in average points per game during the 2023-24 season. Among his comments:
Jalen had more opportunity with Alperen out. They have contrasting styles. Early on, we leaned on Fred to get us into sets, initiate everything and get our turnovers down. Alpi being one of the top low post scorers, Jalen wasn’t gonna have the same opportunity as in the past.
Sometimes it comes down to making shots. With the ball in his hands, he goes on a hot streak. He was playing well before Alperen went down.
We’re looking forward to that combo meshing next year with more experience and understanding what we’re looking for from both of them.
It’s funny, they said the same thing about (Jayson) Tatum and (Jaylen) Brown. “Can they mesh together?” A lot of times, it’s the guys that every team would want. Everyone would want Jalen and Alpi on their team. I think it’s a no-brainer that it can work, and we’ll see it going forward.
Udoka, of course, coached Tatum and Brown with the 2021-22 Boston Celtics, who advanced to the 2022 NBA Finals.
Complete video of Tuesday’s press conference is available below.
