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Why Rockets’ Alperen Sengun wants to move past ‘Baby Jokic’ nickname
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- Why Rockets’ Alperen Sengun wants to move past ‘Baby Jokic’ nickname
The post Why Rockets' Alperen Sengun wants to move past 'Baby Jokic' nickname appeared first on ClutchPoints .
Houston Rockets All-Star Alperen Sengun carved out a name for himself last season, earning his first All-Star nod as one of the NBA's bright, young stars, and has graduated from 'Baby Jokic ,' a nickname inspired by the 3x MVP — Denver Nuggets ' Nikola Jokic . The nickame emerged during his rookie year. Now, Sengun is one half of a dynamic duo alongside All-Star Kevin Durant , playing with championship aspirations.
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Sengun explained why he's ready to shed the nickname and welcome a new one, he encourages, per Chron's Michael Shapiro.
"I don't care what people call me. I can't stop them from calling me anything. But I have my own game," Sengun said. "Yeah, we have similar stuff with [Nikola] Jokic, he was [the player I looked up to] when I came to the league. Now I have my own thing, I have my own team. We're one of the best team in the league. So, you know? Whatever they want to call me, I'm fine with it, but I'm writing my own story."
Sengun is having his best season yet, averaging 23.4 points on 48.9% shooting, 10.4 rebounds, 7.4 assists, and 1.0 blocks per game, as he and Durant are leading the Rockets to one of their best starts in franchise history. Houston is 10-3, which is the third-best record in the Western Conference.
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Alperen Sengun on his relationship with Rockets' Kevin Durant
Dustin Safranek-Imagn Images
After Rockets All-Star Alperen Sengun watched Kevin Durant lead his team with a 30-point performance in a 140-116 win against Trail Blazers , it was a reminder of what it's like to play alongside one of the NBA's elite scorers. As Sengun and Durant adapt to one another, figuring who takes the last shot in clutch situations isn't something Alperen is worried about.
After a 140-116 overtime win against the Magic, Sengun discussed the Rockets' play to Durant at the end of regulatation that sent the game into OT.
"I'm really happy to give someone the ball at the end of the game I know he's gonna score. That's really a great feeling," Sengun said. "I'm just ready to give him the ball and go crash the boards. And trust him. That's really amazing. Ime's been trusting me at the end of the games a lot. So, I can still take those shots, but I trust KD a lot, right now. And I still know I'm effective under the rim whether his shot misses or makes."
The Rockets will host Jokic and the Nuggets on Friday.
Related: James Harden off to best scoring start since Rockets days 6 years ago
