Charles Barkley gives Rockets' Alperen Sengun All-Star endorsement

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The Houston Rockets have soared into contending status, and their ascent has been quite exciting to watch, as they have assembled one of the brightest young cores in the association. The crown jewel of the Rockets team remains star big man Alperen Sengun, who has continued to flourish as one of the most versatile offensive big men in the league, capable of playing bully ball in the paint, functioning as a handoff hub to open up shots for the likes of Jalen Green and Fred VanVleet — following the sort of play style that Nikola Jokic and Domantas Sabonis have been popularizing.

And now, it’s not like Sengun is racking up “empty stats”; the Rockets, at the time of writing, have a 27-12 record — good for second best in the West, which is no mean feat considering how stacked the conference is. Thus, it’s no surprise that the Rockets are getting the recognition that they deserve, with Sengun drawing some rave All-Star reviews from one of the greatest big men of all time, Charles Barkley.

“[The Rockets] are really ballin’ right now. Ime Udoka is doing a fabulous job. The interesting question has got to be Alperen Sengun. Is he gonna be an All-Star or not? I would put him on the All-Star team because we got to reward winning. And he’s the best player on the team with the second-best record in the West. Man, this guy got some feet work, like Shaq would say. He’s a poor man’s Kevin McHale,” Barkley said on TNT’s Inside the NBA.

"[The Rockets] are really ballin' right now"

Chuck gives Houston and Şengün their flowers pic.twitter.com/r0e3wo2elR

— NBA on TNT (@NBAonTNT) January 17, 2025

Considering how harsh the legends of the game can be on the modern NBA, the fact that Sengun managed to receive such high commendation is a testament to how far he and the Rockets have come.

Alperen Sengun and the Rockets are well on their way to being a powerhouse

The Rockets have become a full-blown well-oiled machine that’s humming on both ends of the floor, and it’s not only Alperen Sengun who is lifting the team to great heights. They have hit on nearly every draft pick of theirs since embarking on a rebuild in 2021, and they, in turn, have managed to assemble a core that’s only getting better.

Jalen Green has been on tear over the past few games, while Amen Thompson has been brilliant ever since stepping into a starting role. And to think that the Rockets have been without Jabari Smith Jr. and Tari Eason for the past few weeks?

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