Third-year center Alperen Sengun was among the nominees for the NBA’s Western Conference Player of the Month award. The honor, which was won by Denver Nuggets star Nikola Jokic, covers 2023-24 regular-season games at the end of October and for all of November.
Sengun is the first Rockets player nominated for the award since December 2020 and January 2021, which is when former franchise icon James Harden left the team. Once he left, a rebuild commenced.
Months later, Sengun was one of the future building blocks acquired in the 2021 NBA draft. Since then, he’s developed into a player who could help lead Houston’s next generation of teams.
In 16 games during the award period, the 21-year-old big man averaged a team-high 21.0 points (56.3% FG), 8.9 rebounds, and 5.6 assists in 32.6 minutes per game. Houston went 8-8 in that stretch, which was a dramatic improvement for a team that finished last or tied for last in the West during each of the previous three seasons.
Beyond Jokic and Sengun, the West’s other nominees for October/November Player of the Month were Anthony Davis of the Los Angeles Lakers; Luka Doncic of the Dallas Mavericks; Kevin Durant of the Phoenix Suns; Anthony Edwards of the Minnesota Timberwolves; De’Aaron Fox of the Sacramento Kings; and Shai Gilgeous-Alexander of the Oklahoma City Thunder.
Other nominees …
West: Anthony Davis (LAL), Luka Dončić (DAL), Kevin Durant (PHX), Anthony Edwards (MIN), De’Aaron Fox (SAC), Shai Gilgeous-Alexander (OKC) and Alperen Şengün (HOU). https://t.co/N0iA3Vb6s3
— NBA Communications (@NBAPR) December 4, 2023
