The Houston Rockets are thrilled to see [Alperen Sengun hitting threes.](https://spacecityscoop.com/alperen-sengun-proved-biggest-flaw-is-already-a-thing-of-the-past) By now, it's safe to say he's made a massive leap in that area.
It's hard to believe, but we're roughly 1/8th of the way through the 2025-26 NBA season. It's getting to a point where the sample size is significant. Trends that started early in the season are now somewhat meaningful if they've held.
There's Sengun, going 2/3 from long range against the Wizards. That brings him up to 41.9% on the year on 3.1 attempts per game. That's impressive accuracy:
And by now, there's no reason to assume it's going anywhere.
Rockets' Alperen Sengun is officially a shooter
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Granted, the efficiency may wane. That's fine. Nobody expected Sengun to be a 42% shooter heading into 2025-26. The bar was always much closer to 33%.
Sengun should easily clear that bar by the end of 2025-26. It's feeling increasingly safe to assume that the Rockets now have a stretch big man on their hands.
He's not an off-the-dribble threat. Sengun isn't hitting off-balance, contested jump shots. Put differently, he's not Kevin Durant. Still, Sengun is effective as a standstill three-point shooter. Given how much else he has in his game, that will suffice.
What does it mean for the Rockets?
Rockets need shooting wherever they can find it
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It means the team has options. It means their primary playmaker is a three-level scorer now. So, it means a lot.
It could mean an easier transition to the point guard position for Amen Thompson, although Reed Sheppard has certainly arrived. Still, Sengun being a shooting threat will make it easier to run pick-and-spread sets featuring Thompson as a ball-handler. If nothing else, it'll make it easier for Thompson to function as a secondary ball-handler.
More broadly, it means the Rockets have added shooting via internal development. That's integral for this squad. Much has been made of the Rockets' NBA-best 42.8% three-point accuracy, but they still launch a league-lowest 29.3 attempts per game. Getting a few reliable attempts per game at the 5 is useful. If anything, the Rockets may like for Sengun to increase his volume.
More than anything, it means Sengun is continuing to develop. He entered last season as a poor defender and non-shooter. Last year, he focused [on improving his defense.](https://spacecityscoop.com/rockets-alperen-sengun-taken-massive-defensive-leap) It's clear that heading into 2025-26, he emphasized improved shooting.
Rest assured, the Rockets are thrilled.