Şengün's efficiency skyrockets post-All-Star break. Discover how smarter shot selection and increased confidence are fueling his game.
Alperen Şengün has had his ups and downs this season, as have the Rockets as a whole, but there’s been some positive signs recently. Specifically since the All-Star break, he’s been more efficient on less shot attempts.
Per NBA Stats, Alpi’s scoring average has dropped from 20.7 to 20.4 points per game. A virtually meaningless difference, but he’s doing that on 1.7 less attempts per game.
That slight change in shot diet has increased his field goal percentage tremendously. From 49.7-percent to 57.9-percent after February 11th, he’s sitting at a much more respectable average now.
I’ll be honest, I never like to see big men making less than half of their shots, especially when most of their damage is done in the paint. His 52.2-percent average across the whole season is a solid number.
It’s important to note that this improvement from Şengün isn’t just based on his hot shooting from beyond the arc. While his average increased from 29.9 to 35.1-percent, he’s still taking 1.7 threes per game. Comparing that to his 1.9 attempts before the All-Star break, there’s not a huge difference.
I think his improvement can be credited to patience and better shot selection. Not just forcing the issue, but rather choosing to take smarter shots. Then the threes he’s making become easier when they’re shot with confidence.
He actually spoke on that confidence from beyond the arc in this postgame interview, previously mentioned on Roundtable.
We’d like to see that confidence grow at the free throw line too though, as that’s one area that’s been a concern. From 69.1-percent on 5.8 attempts to 67-percent on 4.5 attempts, this is an area the Rockets need much more consistency from.