YTread Logo
YTread Logo

Houston Rockets Season Review: Alperen Sengun | What's The Ceiling? Future Star?

Mar 12, 2024
on today's show we take a look at alperin shingoon's

season

in summary

what

were the expectations for alperin shingoon as the 16th pick in this year's or last year's nba draft? I must say how he rose and lived up to those expectations. He did

what

he showed us as the

season

went on. Is there

future

star

potential there with alp? The best moments of him worst areas he needs to improve on all of that and more to come here on Locked on Rockets. This is Houston Mission Control. ignition sequence with the second pick in the 2021 nba draft

houston

rockets

select jalen green t-minus 15 seconds the guide is internal i will keep working i will continue to improve every day i will continue to perfect my craft and every time i step on that floor i'm going six five four three two one what's up and welcome to another edition of lock on

rockets

your daily podcast home for everything

houston

rockets basketball as always I'm your host jackson gatlin native of estonian also host of locked on host of the state of the rockets podcast del nba monday as well as the founder of clutchcitycontrolroom.com be sure to follow him on twitter at jt gatlin the show of course at lockon rockets.
houston rockets season review alperen sengun what s the ceiling future star
Now, today's episode is brought to you through award selections. Prizepix.com and use the promo code mba or go to the app store and download the app today. Prize Pix Daily Fantasy is as easy as ever. I appreciate you making Locked on Rockets, your first listen every day. Joining us now is none other than our surgeon friend. kumas serge if you want who you can follow on twitter at kumas surgeon reporter writer hershey nba reporter covering all things nba basketball but with a good focus here you know some of the players turkish basketball players here in the league, serge, how are you?
houston rockets season review alperen sengun what s the ceiling future star

More Interesting Facts About,

houston rockets season review alperen sengun what s the ceiling future star...

My boy, good Jackson, how are you? Thank you for inviting me. I'm so excited to have you here on the show as we navigate our rocket

review

series and today we're focusing on none other than our boy, alperin shin goon, but before we dive into the p focusing on, you know where, you know how he's grown up, you know throughout his rookie campaign, you know the promising areas of the game, areas that he still needs to work on in the best moments, in the worst moments, all of that we're going to get into all of that here in a second, maybe Maybe you want to leave a message like, you know, our, you know, Turkish, Turkish listeners, Turkish rocket fans, Turkish NBA fans, just something you want to tell them, yeah, you know, I'll give it. a twist, I'll say it in Turkish, so we'll try it, yeah, so I'll set it up new jersey new jersey new jersey philadelphia uh, okay, well, I'm not going to ask for like, like a word-for-word translation, but I hope our Turkish listeners appreciate that.
houston rockets season review alperen sengun what s the ceiling future star
I want to thank our Turkish listeners who have been a pleasure to see who are so passionate and committed to this team. This fandom, you know, since lp joined the team, it's been one of the coolest parts of last season and it's not something that we're talking about, you know, the expectations for lp, I didn't have the expectations of having an entire country as backup. the program and this player that you know on this Rockets team, but I think going into the season, you know when we're going to

star

t, you know, look like rewinding the tape, looking back at last year with lp surges, you know which ones you think were there some? of the expectations that you had or just some of the broad expectations that you envisioned for alpha and shin goon as we look back and see how he started his mba career yeah man so you know Jackson from the beginning I mean 2020. 2021 Turkish league mvp so for those who don't really follow the Turkish league you know I've been following you intensely for the last five six years but you know in high school I wasn't watching it I was just like a type of mba for the most part an nba person, but when you look at the turkish league, it's the third best national advantage outside of the nba, so you know the nba of course, the spanish league, the turkish league and the euro .
houston rockets season review alperen sengun what s the ceiling future star
The league is a tournament in itself, so it's like a fusion of all the best European leagues, so you know it's like, the Spanish one sleeps, the Serbian league, the Turkish league, etc., so when you have a guy 18 years old, you know, because all the friends were born at the end of July 02. You know? So you have a player like Alfred becoming MVP of the Turkish league, which is a league that has players like Shane Larkin playing for fs uh missage and also a potential NBA guy playing for fs as well when you have like an 18 or 19 years. like an operation, become the MVP, uh, getting into the NBA, the best league in the world, you're thinking, man, this guy, you should know, he really hit the ground running and I think he did it the right way, so obviously He has things to work on. but I think you know that coming into the NBA my expectations were pretty high.
I thought we were looking at the first perennial All-Star when it comes to a Turkish player, so obviously when Turkey retired and Mondo Core retired, you know, seven eight ten. Years ago, a lot of people were wondering: well, now you have this void that is not good for the Turks, like no Turkish player who can take the lead by storm, so you know, obviously, we have guys like fur with corkmas jetty osmond, who They are doing great things. In the NBA they are great guys everywhere, but you know, with the arrival of Opera, a lot of Turkish basketball fans and analysts were saying you know this guy could be the first perennial All-Star.
I hope he grows and grows, and you know. As soon as the draft came around, a lot of people, whether it was movies like big networks like Athletic or NBA TV or whatever, started taking a closer look at the opera's potential and saying, "You know what this guy could become in the draft steal." so I think you know expectations are pretty high and I think he's met them for the most part so far this season, yeah, you know, some of my stuff is rockets, like season ratings on various podcasts and already you know other apparitions in other places.
Alfred Shingen was the guy I walked away from giving him my highest rating in the second season. I gave him an A-plus based on how his actual on-court production ended up being as well as compared to expectations because I think he came in and took Rockets and NBA fans by storm and that really brought them back to summer league and the way he immediately made his impact he felt like the presence was there and what was so surprising is You know, we got to go through the mixtape highlight reel and you know all these different things that we saw of what he could do offensively, but what really stood out was how you know how much of a competitor he was and how capable he was on the field.
Defensive side of the floor like this guy came out and blocked shots left and right in summer league. You know, I remember he was blocking all the way from the three-point line, he'd get beat on the drive and then he'd recover. and he was still going back in time to contest shots at the rim and he was sitting there thinking who is this guy like you know. I remember doing the same thing after the initial draft. I remember going back and doing my homework on him because I admit it. He wasn't one of the guys that he was like, you know, really high on my big board.
I was fine if the Rockets had a chance to get him, but I didn't expect him to drop into the 20s. because if you remember the Rockets at the number two overall pick, then they were 23 and 24, so they traded that mid-round pick for 16 to be able to draft him, so he really wasn't on my radar and I feel like he wasn't on a lot of Rockets fans' radars and from that standpoint, he was really a very pleasant surprise with just his skills and his maturity and the level of talent he was coming into the league with, yeah, you know. like jackson, it's funny when you mention the draft because you know a source had told me at the time that the father would probably go, you know, between 10 and 15, right, and you know he went 16, so it was pretty close, but They were They were saying that the Spurs were going to be a good fit for him, the source I had at the time and I still have to this day, fortunately, and you know, when you think the Spurs are right, thinking about Greg Popovich, You're thinking about international guys.
So here I am at my house here my family's house here in New Jersey and now I'm watching the draft and they're going to go for you know Joshua Primo you know the quality player you know he played at um he played for Alabama. in a tough conference, you know, the second one and I'm like, wait, wow, sperm, we didn't go for lp and then, you know, thunder picks him like you said, the trade goes through, he goes to the rockets and I'm thinking. Well, I was so focused on him going to the Spurs and I really wanted him to go to the Spurs, so I'm thinking, well, now the Rockets have him, what are the Rockets going through?
And obviously, Jaylen Green was cast and then you know, yeah. Josh Christopher too, so I personally kept imagining him imagining him in San Antonio, so when he came back to the Rockets he had no idea what he was going to do there. I knew the Rockets last year were really in a tough spot. with John Wall and you also had Harden who wanted out, so I'm thinking, does he really want to go to Houston? It's going to be an ideal situation for me to grow because I felt like I was watching from the outside. You know, the rocket locker room is toxic now because of everything that's happened.
Yes, we had a wall last year again. You had hardened yourself with the desire to go out. Problems with losing-on-losing training. A year later, I think it couldn't have been a better situation for lp when you look at guys like Green or Christopher The. The system that everything is in print right now, I think is ideal for the most part and I think it's really It's one last major nail in the coffin here as we're kind of nailing down the expectations to start with, you know his career in the NBA and then we'll dig into some of the details, you know, standout moments and games throughout the season.
As areas where we want to see him continue to grow, you know, it's very important to remember that from the jump the Rockets didn't necessarily expect him to be a big part of the rotation, right, he was going to be the third center behind uh. behind daniel teice and christian wood and you know the kind of big backup off the bench if you probably get a spot you know 15 20 minutes a night if that and then it turns out you know christian wood daniel tyce can They didn't coexist on the court with each other, the big double lineup of the two non-shooters with Tyson Jayshawn Tate just didn't quite work out, so because lp showed some serious flashes of his well-known ability early on, rockets made that move and then got rid of daniel's holdup to open up a spot in the rotation for alperin shingoon and that's the trajectory of how you know he came in with a certain level of expectation that okay this is going to be our second big hit. on the bench he's going to back up the veteran and daniel teice and he was so good from the start that the rockets said okay well we have to take christian with the five now because daniel tyce just can't work there, no It doesn't work with the rest of our lineup, but we have to give this guy minutes and I think that's something that the Houston Rockets organization handled very, very well, understanding what they had with LP and still finding a way even though he was like tied behind christian wood during his minutes, finding a way to keep emphasizing, hey, we appreciate what you have and what you're bringing to the table, we want to highlight that and we want to be able to make sure that you're getting the right amount of reps a night that you need, but Next we want to talk about those reps, how the season progressed, what we actually saw him do on the basketball court, you know, throughout his rookie campaign, let's get there, after a quick message from our friends In prize selection, are you looking for a daily fantasy option for the NBA?
Then you should check out the award-winning app. Prize selection. Pricefix is ​​daily fantasy made easy. It is very easy to use. Choose two. five players and then lower on your projections and you can win up to ten times on any entry and it's just you versus the projected numbers entries can be made in 60 seconds or less, it's that easy, pricing is secure and is offered quickly. Withdrawals use the Rewards Execution app on both the App Store and Google Play. The fixed price even allows for mixed sports tickets and for a limited time, the price selection has an exclusive and obvious offer for all our listeners.
Listeners get 50 free if they are players. On your first price choose entry get just one point all you have to do is use promo code mba that's right this is an exclusive offer available for lockdown fans just sign up today and use code mba for fifty dollars free if a player in your The first price chooses injury scores, just one point, the price is aSimplified daily fantasy and another message from our friends at Athletic Greens, so what is Athletic Greens? What is Ag-1? Well, basically, with a delicious spoonful of Ag-1 that you are absorbing. 75 high-quality vitamins and minerals, whole foods, superfoods, probiotics and adaptogens to help you start your day right, just take a tablespoon, pour it into a glass of water, start your morning, shake it well and that's it, and you're done. to start the day to make the most of the day this special blend of ingredients supports intestinal health your nervous system your immune system your energy recovery focus and aging all the things that should matter to you and here we present some of the important facts about it, it is suitable for your lifestyle, whether you eat, you know, keto paleo vegan, dairy-free, gluten-free, it doesn't matter, it supports all those different lifestyle choices, it supports better sleep quality and it supports recovery. mental clarity and alertness is the best thing Athletic Greens uses the best of the best products based on the latest science with constant product iterations and third-party testing to help you be the best version of yourself.
It's cheaper than you think. all these different supplements from different suppliers and again the best part is you are investing in all in one nutritional insurance, investing in your body and to make it easier Athletic Greens will give you a free one year supply of immunity. endorsing vitamin D and five free travel packs with your first purchase, all you have to do is visit the mba atléticagreens.com network again i.e. the mba atléticagreens.com network to take ownership of your health and get the best daily nutritional insurance and continue. here at lockon rockets your daily podcast home for all things houston rockets basketball as always I appreciate you making lock on rockets your first listen every day for your second listen be sure to check out the podcast host by lockon nba big board nba's rafael barlow Draft junkies and author of the NBA Big Board newsletter are joined by Richard Stamens, Sam Fares and Leif Thulin, who give fans an in-depth look at player rankings mock NBA Draft and, of course, the Big Boards.
It's free and available wherever you get your podcast. You listen to this podcast now, Serge, as we navigate our

review

of Alpra and Shingoon Rockets here. You know, I think as the season went on, I wrote down that first stretch of about 17 games where the Rockets win in those 15. -The losing streak was tough on everyone, because they had a bad spacing, they knew the players weren't They complemented each other on the court, they knew everyone's numbers were down across the board, so basically I almost like it mentally. I chalked it up to you crumpling up that bunch of games and just throwing them out the window, so for me the rocket season almost really started in late November with that first seven-game winning streak against the Chicago Bulls at home.
And that's also where we started to see the Rockets really adjust their lineup and bring in, you know, some kind of ice. Daniel Teice took him out of the rotation permanently and then Alperin Shingoon was effectively the new second big group. behind christian wood and we saw those two guys start to get closer as the season went on, but you know, i think albert shingling all season long basically became a walking highlight reel with all the assists on the crazy plays. that, but for you it was the best game he played last season, the one you think he's good at, this was his best overall performance or the one he really stood out for xyz, you know Jackson, I'll be honest and I did .
Think about this question leading into our podcast episode here so you know, obviously the Lakers game, I think that really stood out. You know, the second half of the season was just tremendous because you know you had a guy like Alpia, who you know, going against the majority. and the most hyped team in the NBA, the biggest market, I think other than New York, which is the Los Angeles Lakers, not Lebron Russell Westbrook, Carmel Anthony, so going up against those guys I think was really cool because you'll see the good what is it. It's alpe vs lbj right I'll give you one of the greatest players of all time so this was the game where you know I think all the impressions went up by over 20 points and there was a play in the second half , I think where I literally print Lebron James again in the post like it's a baby hook and there's slow motion, which I'm really grateful that Houston Rocket social media got that, where you know the game of bronze retreated and as soon as lp. score lebron just you know passively just push the ball and you have like a russell break book in the back just looking over here you know what they're going to do so obviously that performance was crazy he was dunking all over the place , you know, you know he just shot the ball decently that night, so that performance really put him on the map, especially in Turkey, where, as you know, people really support this guy, we really do a great job supporting our athletes there, so people were really glued to their televisions that night they watched lp go against the Lakers, you know, and um, yeah, the other game would have to be the 27 points to go against the Blazers, which I think about Weeks later they were really efficient, you know, they did well throwing the ball. the perimeter also did well inside the paint, so I'd say those two games in the second half of the season really stood out for Al Prince in terms of his best performances this year.
Yeah, I love that Lakers game. I'm glad you brought. I'm glad you mentioned these two games, the Lakers game was incredible and from that moment you mentioned, I remember it so vividly because he stepped back, Lebron James scored on him low and then I remember the next possession or two LeBron immediately stopped guarding him like i remember because i remember noticing that alpy had abused lebron in the post and i don't think that was the first time it happened in that game, it was like it had been a couple of times in a row and it was that one was like the cherry on top of the cake and Lebron was like: you know what I've done with this kid, I can't control him anymore and Carmelo Anthony was dealing with him for the rest of the game and then Lebron said: you know what I've done with this, like I can't control him anymore to this kid i'm sick of it and i thought that was honestly it was probably a big sign of respect where lebron is like you know i can't deal with him anymore mello come here you gotta protect him now cause i'm sick of it for this guy to posterize me, it was a really impressive game and obviously from the Rockets perspective, you know.
Getting that win against the Lakers was huge, it was a very exciting game, uh, both for lp for jalen green and for Rockets fans in general, and so you're right, the Portland game, I like it because you see him get the 27. points 10 of 16 shooting on a really efficient night is harder because that Portland team wasn't really a basketball team that they were trotting out because they were missing like nine of their guys. I'd dare throw in one more here and it would be the one on the road against the Phoenix Suns right before the All-Star break, yes, because Christian Wood missed that game.
It was right after the Rockets brought Dennis Schroeder into the lineup trying to see what they could potentially have with him. After the Daniel Tyse trade, I remember Alpe got the starting nod that night and the Rockets played a really good game against the Phoenix Suns, at the time the number one, really competitive basketball game and lp was at the forefront of that anchoring them. I know both defensively and offensively from that point five and I really play well together with the other rocket launchers and it was one of those things where everyone who had been beating the drum for Alpine needs more minutes to give it more time, it was like look, look in what's happening and he's producing, so I think it's also kind of an extension of these games, it's throughout the season, we saw Alp letting you know 15 to 20 minutes a night, sometimes a little less, to sometimes a little. more, but the bigger question was I think this will translate into production when he starts getting more minutes right if he's in if he gets 25 30 35 minutes.
Will the production really translate? Because you can see some people's likes for 36 numbers in the NBA and they don't always like it, for 36 it is sometimes a bit of a misleading statistic, as if we are guided by 36 all the time, Bobon Marianovich is the best player of all the times, yeah, yeah, sure, his numbers per 36 are crazy, but it's because he can't really produce those numbers in a 36-minute game, you know, because that's not who he is as a player. Alperin Shingoon likes that his numbers translate when he gets more reps, when he has more time, the points are there. the rebounds are there, the facilitator is there, it's all there, he really is kind of the complete package, yeah, I mean, like you said, Jackson that's a famous basketball saying where if a player stays on the court too long he could getting exposed in a way that It was also my fear that the debate was good, if LP doesn't have enough time and when he plays 25 or 30 minutes and if he's not playing well, then what is the debate here, does he necessarily deserve those minutes?
So I think once LP went out there and he was playing 20 minutes 25 minutes and he was producing in most of those games. I think trust has returned within the media, within the viewers, within the fans within this guy's franchise, give him time and be patient with him, he's going to produce. on the court and one thing I will say and I hope you see this, but all season I really appreciated Ryan Holland's comment, man this guy was going crazy for Alfred, I loved it like my friends were like, dude, who is that guy? going crazy there and I was like, dude, I didn't know who he was at the time, so um, yeah, I just want to say it.
Ryan Hollands was really killing the man in terms of his um the comment of him when It was about Alfred, big shout out to a great friend of the friend of the show. Great, you know, I'm honored to be able to call him a great friend to me, uh, Ryan Hollins, uh, absolutely one of the most genuine human beings you'll ever have. the pleasure of knowing how to listen to him or interact with him, he's a very humble and humble guy, um, I need to get him back on the show here sometime soon, shout out to Ryan, if you're listening to this, we need to get you back on. the man of the program, but you know, I'll say Serge as we look at this, you know, I just know that you mentioned in that first segment when we were going over expectations, maybe some question marks about the coaching staff available and I think that was one of the big hot topics this season, you know, Rockets fans are upset with the way the coaching staff handled some of the young guys this season, but if you look at the season as an Overall, how do you think the staff technical did the implementation of alpha and shingun and it allowed him the opportunity to really shine and flourish and you know, play his game, but also be, you know, still connected to the concept of the team and not? just go out there and play like a hero when he's on the court, you know, the only thing I'll say about Jackson's coach is that I want Opprent to be as successful as he is actually a turkey and interestingly enough, he's actually the same town in Turkey where my family is from, so it really hits me, yeah man, it's a really great story, so you know, obviously, when Silas was a coach, Silencino obviously comes from a big basketball family, you know, with his father and everyone involved, so I had the greatest respect for him, but at first I think that if he is not giving Alphy and lp time he deserves it, I think Silas has to train these young men, but at the same time Training is his job, so you have to do a good job at your job in your career to keep your job good, I mean, keep going and keep performing, so when Silas wasn't giving him time, I thought, well, this guy he just wants to keep his job, I mean, after all, a coach has to do a good job to keep his job properly, but I think as the season went on and I think once he gave, I'll print more minutes and I had more confidence with him, I just think he started to blossom more and The whole coaching staff was like that too, they really supported him regarding the piranhas and I think Houston does a good job when it comes to international big men and they come to their city and They are just opening them up with open arms.
Whether it's Hakeem Elijah over the great Hakimolajo over the great Yao Mings of his time, so I think so far this season, throughout the season they did a good job of welcoming al Paren,They were patient with him because there were times when Alfred would do it. Whether it was on the perimeter or outside near the three-point line, he would make a behind-the-back pass and you're like, well, that was really necessary, so I think the coaching staff was great when it came to another approach with he. We were patient, he's a big European guy and there's a shaky history of European players in the league in general when it comes to adapting to the speed and power of the NBA, so I think they were great overall.
Let's share a kind of ending. thoughts and you know about our areas that we would like to see albert shingon continue to focus and grow as well as any final thoughts we have here you know regarding his season in general we will get there after a quick message from our friends From Bet Online Our Bet Online partners continue to be the number one source for all your betting and sports information needs Find the latest news on sports odds and developments, including this year's basketball playoffs, major league baseball results fights leagues and even next season's online nfl

future

s bets are considered your source for all your sports betting information, from live betting, playoffs, esports, the nba draft and more, and talking about the draft from the nba right now, you can go to bed.online.net and check out the odds for who will be the number one overall pick in this year's nba draft right now jabari smith jr the over 100 favorite chet holmgren fair behind him at plus 190 paulo banker bringing up the rear at plus 275.
For that and many other odds, visit their website today or use your mobile device to find out more about the trends in action available to you, bet online, it's where the game begins and the final segment here on Lockdown Rockets, your daily podcast, home for all things Houston Rockets Basketball, as always, I appreciate you making Locked on Rockets your first listen every day for your second listen, be sure to review the Locked on NBA podcast from the first jump of the play and the tournament to the final possession, the final NBA buzzer. finals is entrusted to experts who will take you deep into the playoffs with information and analysis that affects all 30 teams.
I present the Monday program. It's always very fun. Three interviews from around the league to get your week of basketball off to a good start. Be sure to check. Get it out wherever you get your podcasts, now Serge with Alperin shingoon. I think you know that throughout his season. I don't really think there was an area that he really liked to have a niche in or a series of games that he liked to have a niche in. He struggled, I think one thing is that he was relatively consistent for most of his game. I think there were some games where maybe he, you know, didn't have the efficiency that he came out with and if you knew, I would have a little more of a quiet night like a one-for-four or one-for-five shooting night, just you know a couple spots here and there, but he's largely a guy that can go out there, you still know he's going to play solid defense, he's going to rebound, he's going to do his thing.
It's better to facilitate when he can and I think as he got more and more consistent minutes as the season went on, his consistency and play kind of coincided with where he became, you know he's a force a little more reliable and that's fine. Reviewing the game, you know he's good for one or two baskets, you know he's good at setting up his teammates for some assists, you know that throughout the game and obviously the assists this season were absolutely crazy, still so, for me, the number one assist that he had had all season was against the Boston Celtics on the road in Boston and it was the one where he was under the bucket and you know, he came up like multiple defenders and then he took out the behind-the-back pass with his left hand, I think it was He went behind three Boston Celtics defenders and passed it to Josh, and Josh was able to drain all three of them like that to me it's still one of the most absurd passes I've ever seen. a live NBA environment.
Is there any path that comes to mind? for you, who want to highlight, who remember from the crazy highlight reel of him, yeah, I mean, obviously, a jackson was huge. I know Jason Williams is actually great. Jason Williams actually commented that he's like, oh yeah, that's a good pass, that's a good path. It's great to see, but I think it was definitely a pass for me. I don't remember what game it was, but I know it was for Kevin Porter Jr. where Oprah literally got the rebound from him and those two guys in front of them had the ball like that. but he made a pass like that without even looking because all the attention was on him getting the ball, getting it down and coming back up with it, but then Porter was breaking in, he grabbed me, he just hit it and I was like, wow!
That was crazy so yeah man I mean they called him Baby Jokic coming into the league and he definitely showed it in terms of his passing ability so you know very well with your hands to be a big man and It's just the beginning. I know when it doesn't improve that vision, you know, next year, the year after, hopefully, we'll see more and more of that often, yeah, I think we got stuck in the pass as well and for good reason, it's again Some of the passing has been absolutely insane, but I think the other area of ​​this game that is really incredibly promising before we get to some of the areas that we definitely want to see him improve and grow and work on is his ability to draw fouls. his free throw rate is through the roof, like his ability to just initiate contact and get to the free throw line has been absurd, the fact that he can get there and is a big part of why he was He's an MVP to such a young age, but he has a very polished level of play, both in the way he processes the game, how he quickly reads and reacts to what opposing defenders are doing and even uses that processing speed when he is on defense. end up being able to understand where to move his body and how to recover after being beaten by the gerbil, things like that, but offensively seeing him with that repertoire of skills, he ducks, he gets into the paint, he has the patience, he turns, turns and upwards. fake all that and imagine him, you know, having another summer after now, knowing his role with the Houston Rockets, understanding where he stands in the eyes of the organization, all of that and being able to really improve, you know, really hone in. and work. on the delicate side of his game and take it to even another level.
You know, his ability to make free throws again and elevate that part of his game was such a big part of what you know in some of the areas of success that he had. Last season, yeah, it's almost like Joella B's desk, I mean, make no mistake, Joel Embiid is one of the three best players in the NBA, now the prince trusted the rookie, you know, last season, but I mean the way I drew thousands to paint, you know, it almost looked easy too. he'd give a pump pick and then, you know, he'd make that contact and we'd just throw the ball up and that's it, he's getting two free throws and you know, again, similar to Joel and Beat Esque, I mean the way he was drawing it and at one point, you know he was making the free throws, but he wasn't really making them too much, but I think this season, as it went on, he was more consistent from the charity line, so again it was effortless for him and really great in the post also in terms of his bomb fakes, you know his pivot moves and everything was good and obviously we saw that in January when he worked there with hakeem Elijah on um, from that training was really capable. adapt those skills and really put them into practice during the game, so I think it's difficult, so I think a lot of guys in the offseason learn a lot of moves and different skills with different coaches around the country, but when it comes time to play really the game, are they really going to make that move?
They can do it? So I think Operante was really good for a 19-year-old to really incorporate those skills into his rookie season. Yeah, you know, learning on the fly and adding things to your bag mid-season is incredibly difficult and that's something we absolutely saw alper do and shingun is something we saw jalen greene do when he brought back the midrange game to mid-season, that's how it was was phenomenal to see and it's worth noting that alperin jingun as the season went on, his numbers allowed you to know level out and become more consistent if you look at his stats after the All-Star break, he averaged 11, 6 points a game, seven rebounds a night a little bit. less than three assists, basically a steal and a block per game, shot 46 from the floor, now the area is good at 74 from the free throw line, which is respectable, yes, the only area, although that is a small problem with lp right now and it's kind of crazy because there were some moments throughout the season where you started to think, oh, he's making it, he's hitting the triple ball, you know, Alper and Shingoon always and you know Unfortunately, the three-point percentage isn't quite there after the All-Star break. breaking just 21 from the three point line on two and a half attempts per game, that has to be probably the number one area for him, you know three point shooting and conversely also defense, you know, although he improved As a defender, as the season progresses, three-point shooting will be the next evolution of your offensive game because you are a guy who is very comfortable in and around the basket, but if you can't play like you know how, a true five out, you know, in a five out system, he's really going to limit his opportunities to create not only for himself but for his teammates because a guy who can pass the basketball the way he can almost needs to be able to to be out. the perimeter to draw a guy to him because that creates those opportunities where guys can have those backdoor cuts, they can get into the lane and you know, really you know, being able to feed off of his incredible passing ability, yeah, and Jackson, oh, he said. about his faith, his three-point shooting, there were times where he was open at the top of the key zone, whether it was on the perimeter itself or at the top of the key zone where he would want to shoot and the defender would get a little closer. little more to close, he just passed it again.
I remember Ryan Holland always saying, he shoots, you've got to shoot that, and because once he pumps he hesitates to shoot the ball, he's going to shoot it, chances are he's going to break it. What about a lot of these guys in the league where they're going to shoot? They can't make up their mind and then they shoot, the shots are already gone because the defender already closes, so I think with Alpia you know once he does it. get to that point where the shot falls more consistently, he's going to be a threat in the mid-range and beyond the three-point arc, so I think you know once those improvements come in the offseason, it's going to be really special for He, yes, I think he has solid form when it comes to the three balls, as the form looks good, there is nothing like mechanically bad about the shot, it's just about consistency to get to a point where It's where the trust is.
Is he right because I felt like there were some points in the season where it's like he was pulling on the three walls with great confidence and he would be there for a few games and then I would like you to say he would disappear to him? He would be on the perimeter, he would be wide open and there would be that brief hesitation, you know, where it's like he catches the ball, no one is within 10 feet of him and he should immediately get up to score three points. shot but hesitates, whether it's because he's looking for the next pass trying to create for a teammate or just because again maybe he didn't have the confidence in the shot that he needs, you know when he's going to be out there, you know. open on the three-point line, but the other side of the coin is that even though he's made you know a lot better as a defender, I think that's going to be the area where he needs to improve, I think he'll improve a lot in the future.
It's very curious which direction the Rockets decide they want to go with him because I think right now Albert Shingoon is supposed to be the fifth spot for the Houston Rockets, but I think there's a world in which Alfred Shingoon does. maybe I would lose weight. a little bit, you know, maybe he lost a little bit of that, you know, a little bit of weight that he has, you know, maybe the lateral movement ability, the quick feet to be able to go back to being a four at the level of the NBA, I think I would have to lose a little weight.
I think we're going to get a better idea of ​​the role the Rockets envisioned for him, you know, next season and moving forward depending on what he looks like upon returning to training camp, because if he slips away. he goes up even more and looks even bigger for next season, then he's fine, no, he's permanently a five, that's his position, but if he slims down a little bit and becomes a little more agile, maybe aa little lighter on his feet, so I think he'll be seen as a guy who can maybe be a little bit smaller, someone who can play the four or the five at the NBA level, which could be really beneficial seeing as he He's a little small for a true NBA five. unfortunately you know he's standing around six nine six ten yeah he makes up for it by doing his dirty work early and you know he really fights when he has to but at the same time he's giving up a couple of inches in that position yeah and obviously .
I'm going to say something now that will be a completely different topic. I'll close it real quick, although you obviously know the drafts that are coming up and you know which direction the Rockets are going with the prospects that are now in the NBA Draft. So if they get the guy they want, which I'm seeing a lot on Rockets Twitter right now, what happens to lp after that? You know, what happens with Garuba once he becomes the player he should become, everything is pre. You know, he played one fight, he was undersized, like you said, so maybe the four is a better position for him if he leans a little bit in terms of body fat and body weight, so, yeah, I can see him playing the four. .
Absolutely, um again, although I'm not so sure the Rockets front office wants to go with him. With the draft coming with Garuba, which is still very much an experiment, he is a project for the Rockets, so let's see what happens with these. The next few months, yes, it will definitely be a series of weeks and months for the Houston Rockets to establish what direction the organization is going to go in, obviously another big question mark is what happens with Christian Wood, how does that influence Alberin? Shingoon's future role with this Rockets team. It's true? Those two guys, you know, can they coexist on the court together?
Do they do it? Is Albert Engineers still playing behind Christian Wood next season? There are a lot of Rockets fans who will probably be up in arms and a lot of Turkish Rockets fans will be up in arms if Alfred Shingun is not a starter next season, given that You know how well he played in the Round. you know, you should go through his entire rookie campaign, but comment on any last thoughts you want to mention here before we wrap this up, yeah, man, so, uh, the funny thing and the funny thing I have to mention is that a lot of my friends always They ask well, sir, you know? you're so high up in alpe what's his you know what the

ceiling

is and where he likes what his floor is and I'm like man there ain't no floor this guy gotta go up you know what I mean so I don't know man .
I'm very interested in the guy, you know, obviously, it's a great story. I contacted some people in my family's hometown and, you know, it's a really good story for lp coming from a small town, so I think you know heaven. The limit, but nothing is guaranteed, so we have to continue to improve as the years go by. If there is no improvement in the future, you know this league is unforgiving, so I hope it continues to improve and develop. He's a great guy and he comes from a great family. So again, I think the limit is the

ceiling

or the sky is the limit, however you say it, so I'm very interested in lp and he's in a great organization with the Houston Rockets, so I just hope that continue, you know?
We're going to have to say that we're going to have to say that the floor is actually in the attic, that's what we're going to say for you, oh man, all the way up there it's at the top of the building. It has been an absolute pleasure to have him. you're on the show here and to talk about our guy alfred shingoon do me a favor let our listeners know where they can find you and where they can find all your content yeah so on uh serge kumas on all my social media so you already know. tik tok also on Twitter mainly on Instagram.
I do a lot of things with Turkish players that you also meet there. You know I'm based here in New Jersey, Philadelphia, so there's a lot of six years of basketball to come. I'll be at game six um uh yeah I'm game six or five or I've lost count now but I'll be at the game this Thursday in Philadelphia at the Wells Fargo Center so I'll be there on social media you can check it out on Instagram Twitter . tech talk, etc., yeah, so if you're still one of the uh, you know, avid James Harden fans and those that follow you, you know his success with the Sixers, definitely give our guys, Serge, a follow, He is phenomenal.
NBA writer reporter, you want to follow him to get all the information, everything he does, you know, Turkish players in general, the NBA in general, all that, so make sure you follow him. Serge, I appreciate you stopping by the showman. Awesome exactly thanks man I appreciate it I'll do that for today's alpha episode and shingoon's season review reflecting on what he did in his rookie campaign with the Houston Rockets how do you feel? Bryn shingoon's rookie year was, let me. know in the youtube comments if you haven't already, consider subscribing wherever you listen to your podcast apple spotify google the odyssey app free and available on all platforms I already mentioned it, but go to youtube subscribe to us there go search for youtube locked rockets likes to comment, subscribe for all that good stuff, but as always, thanks so much for watching, thanks so much for listening and we hope to have you back here on lockon rockets, your daily home podcast for everything you love about houston rockets basketball.

If you have any copyright issue, please Contact