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Alperen Sengun · Something of an anomaly, given their team-oriented playstyle, frenetic pace, and elite ranking out West — and yet, a noticeably-low number of assists per game — Alperen Şengün’s quickly-rising Houston Rockets have merely mastered how to make every pass meaningful. First leaving his presence felt defensively, Houston’s extraordinary fourth-year big uses a heads-up rotation, capturing a steal that jolts the NBA’s eighth-fastest-paced team out in transition. Clocked in for clean-up duty after Houston’s ambitious alley-oop attempt gets swatted away, Şengün, keeping his head swiveled, whirls a low-trajectory bounce pass behind the L.A. Clippers’ crowded paint resistance, securing a highlight dime. The high-IQ sequence helped Houston open a 21-point third quarter edge, momentum that eventually guided both victory in their NBA Cup’s opener, and the Rockets’ best 13-game start in a half-decade. Just as superb individually, Şengün captured his career’s fifth triple-double, accumulating 16 points, 10 rebounds, 10 assists, two steals, two blocks, one 3-pointer, and an eye-opening +38 plus-minus on November 15, 2024. · State of Mint · State of Mint