The Houston Rockets Have a Luxury at the Center Position

The trio of Alperen Şengün, Steven Adams, and Clint Capela provides plenty of depth at the center position for the upcoming 2025-26 NBA season.

The young and talented Şengün will be playing heavy minutes as Houston’s starting center. The 24-year-old Turkish star averaged 20.4 points, 8.9 rebounds, and 6.2 assists per game last season. Şengün’s high assist numbers highlight his elite passing and vision; he is almost like a mini-Jokic.

Although the young Turk consistently dominates the interior by using his elite footwork and post scoring, defenses have learned to exploit his unreliable jump shots. According to Synergy, Şengün historically ranks in the bottom 12th percentile of the NBA in points per jump shot. When he has the ball at the top of the key, the defenses will willingly give him space to settle for jump shots.

Şengün also needs to improve both his free-throw and three-point shooting. Last season, he averaged 69.1% from the free-throw line and 30.5% from deep. To address his shooting flaws, the Rockets hired legendary shooting coach Chip Engelland this summer with the hopes that he can reconstruct Şengün’s shooting mechanics to force defenders to respect him

His backup will be Steven Adams, who is trending towards full health after recovering from ankle surgery. Before his injury last season, he suited up for 32 games and helped Houston to a stellar 21-11 record in that stretch. While his averages of 5.8 points and 8.6 rebounds in about 23 minutes a night look solid on paper, they don't do him enough justice.

Out of the 8.6 boards he averaged, a massive 4.5 came on the offensive end, cementing him as one of the most elite glass-cleaners in the entire NBA. He was putting up historic numbers, routinely flirting with a jaw-dropping 25% offensive rebounding percentage and giving the team extra life night after night.

As long as Adams can stay healthy, he will be one of the strongest backup centers in the NBA. However, if he does get hurt, the Rockets will be able to comfortably rely on their third-string center: Clint Capela.

I do not expect Capela to play a lot of minutes unless there is a blowout or if one of Houston’s big men gets injured. Capela is an optimal insurance option at the center position, which allows Udoka to maximize the usage of both Şengün and Adams.

I wouldn’t be surprised if this Rockets team is ranked top 5 at the center position, and ends up being the best offensive rebounding team in the NBA.