Rockets coach Ime Udoka on Alperen Sengun’s early season struggles: ‘Point blank misses’

After averaging 32.5 minutes per game while making a strong NBA All-Star push last season, fourth-year Houston Rockets center Alperen Sengun is tallying just 28.2 through his first six outings of 2024-25.

In Saturday's nearly historic comeback versus Golden State, Sengun didn't play at all in the fourth quarter or overtime, with head coach Ime Udoka primarily utilizing a smaller frontcourt lineup with Jabari Smith Jr. at center and the emerging Tari Eason at forward. That agile lineup allows for more switching defensively and more floor spacing on offense.

So, relative to Sengun's much higher usage in 2023-24, what changed? One different dynamic is the availability of Eason, who missed most of last season due to injury.

But another potential reason is that Sengun, to this point, hasn't produced offensively at the type of elite efficiency that would offset those defensive limitations.

Last season, Sengun shot 53.7% overall with a 58.5% true-shooting percentage. This year, through a limited six-game sample, those numbers have tumbled to 38.6% and 46.6%, respectively. He's also averaging just 3.7 assists per game this season, as opposed to 5.0 last year.

After Saturday's loss, when asked about Sengun turning his season around, Udoka pointed to the lack of offense (rather than the defense). Via Brian Barefield of Rockets Wire and Adam Spolane of Houston's SportsRadio 610:

He’s got to find a rhythm, for sure. ... Whether it’s getting himself into shape to play, early season, might be part of it… but sometimes he’s had point-blank misses that he didn’t have as much of last year. So, we’ll continue to work with him and get him the right looks. Obviously, he’ll snap out of that, because the quality looks are too good. You’re not going to continue to miss those.

Of course, a counter argument could be make that perhaps Sengun needs a longer leash and additional shot attempts to get back into his usual offensive rhythm — particularly when it comes to his shooting touch on attempts near the rim.

Whatever the case, the team's perspective seems to be that the 2024-25 version of Sengun isn't yet producing offensively at the level he did in 2023-24 — and in that environment (particularly with Eason also available as an option), it isn't always worth the defensive limitations in high-leverage moments.

The next opportunity for Sengun and the Rockets (3-3) to change that early season narrative comes Monday night versus New York. Tipoff versus the Knicks (3-2) is at 7:45 p.m. Central from Toyota Center, where the Rockets will be at the midpoint of a three-game homestand.

More:‘Crazy energy’: Rockets lifted by Tari Eason, who makes a compelling case for more minutes