Announced! Selected for the All-Star! The 23-year-old Rockets' interior core

Congratulations once again.

The NBA officially declared:Sengun will replace the injured Alexander to play for the International team in the 2026 All-Star game.

Sengun is from Turkey, whereas Alexander is Canadian.

With this, Sengun has been selected for the All-Star roster two years in a row for the 24-25 and 25-26 seasons, surpassing his compatriot Mehmet Okur (the 2001 second-round ninth pick), becoming the Turkish player with the most NBA All-Star appearances.

Moreover, Sengun will not be alone at this year’s All-Star, as he will be accompanied by the great Durant. Together, they become the fifth pair of Rockets teammates to be selected for the All-Star in the same season since 1997. The previous four pairs were Yao Ming/Francis, Yao Ming/McGrady, Harden/Howard, and Harden/Westbrook.

So far this season, Sengun has played 44 games, averaging 34 minutes per game, scoring 20.8 points, grabbing 9.4 rebounds, dishing out 6.3 assists, with 1.4 steals and 1 block per game. His shooting percentage is 49.6%. His scoring average is the second highest of his career, and his assists are a career high. At only 23 years old, he is still evolving.

However, while Sengun's offensive impact has improved, his defensive contributions have declined.

Recent data shows that this season, the Rockets’ defensive efficiency drops by 7.9 points when he is on the floor, whereas last season it improved by 2.7 points...Also, when he is playing, the team's defensive efficiency is 112.9, compared to 106.1 when he is off the court.

It's not expected for Sengun to be a two-way player like Giannis or Davis, but at minimum, the gap between his offense and defense should not be so large. The league today is harsh on players who only provide offense without defense unless they have historic offensive impact like Jokic, which allows some defensive leeway.

Currently, the Rockets hold a 32-19 record, ranking fourth in the Western Conference, tied with the fifth-place Lakers, just two wins ahead of the seventh-place Suns, and one win behind the third-place Nuggets. They have the potential to push for a top-three spot but also face the risk of falling out of the playoff zone.