HOUSTON — After Alperen Şengün casually recorded a preseason triple-double in roughly the amount of time most starters spend deciding whether they care about preseason, the Rockets reportedly asked their center to save at least a few statistics for games that count.
Şengün finished with 16 points, 10 rebounds and 10 assists in just 22 minutes, completing the basketball equivalent of finishing an exam before the teacher is done handing it out.
Houston coaches initially praised the performance before realizing there are still 82 regular-season games ahead.
“We love the activity,” one staffer said. “But ideally he doesn’t complete his entire statistical résumé before Opening Night.”
The Rockets reportedly plan to manage Şengün’s workload by limiting him to only two categories per preseason game. Against Dallas, he accidentally unlocked all three.
Teammates said Şengün spent the fourth quarter sitting calmly on the bench while statisticians repeatedly checked whether a triple-double was legally allowed before Halloween.
Houston is now considering several ways to slow him down, including shorter rotations, fewer touches and asking him to play one possession without immediately finding a cutter.
Şengün declined to comment, recording three assists during the interview instead.
