The Significance of Houston's General Manager Going to Turkey

The Houston Rockets’ general manager Rafael Stone recently flew all the way to Turkey, Europe, to visit  Alperen Şengün. At first glance, it might seem like an unnecessary act, but it holds a lot of value.

Although the relationship between a general manager and a player is not as direct as the relationship between a coach and a player, it is still valuable for the general manager to establish a strong relationship with the players on his roster.

At the end of last season, Şengün actively challenged Stone to communicate better and to be more directly involved with the roster. The first part of communication is listening, and Stone has proven that he listened to Şengün by flying out to Turkey and spending ten days on Şengün's home turf.

Stone’s actions show that he is not only dedicated to the young center, but also to improving his communication with the entire roster. Stone demonstrated that the front office takes the young center's feedback seriously and treats him like an elite franchise pillar.

Alperen Şengün is primed to take on a massive workload and responsibility as the starting center. The 24-year-old Turkish big man is coming off an All-Star season where he averaged 20.4 points, 8.9 rebounds, and 6.2 assists per game. His passing and court vision are so elite that his playstyle is comparable to a Nikola Jokić.

While he loves to dominate opponents in the paint with his slick footwork and deep post moves, opposing defenses have figured out his Achilles' heel: his jump shot. Synergy ranks him in the bottom 12th percentile of the league in points per jump shot. This allows opposing defenses to routinely back off him at the top of the key and tighten the space allowed.

If he wants to take that next superstar leap, he has to fix his efficiency from the stripe and from deep. However, Houston made a huge move this summer by hiring legendary shooting coach Chip Engelland. If Engelland, “The Shot Doctor,” can improve Şengün’s shooting mechanics, the Turkish star will reach the next caliber of elite.

This might be an outlandish prediction, but if he can improve his jump shot and become a reliable free-throw and three-point shooter, he has the potential to make a push to be an MVP candidate.

Stone’s act of visiting the young center in Turkey will surely increase both Şengün’s motivation for his own future and the dedication Şengün has to the Houston franchise. How important will their relationship prove to be?