As the Houston Rockets received the devastating news of Fred VanVleet's ACL injury, which could possibly keep him out for the entire season, fans were understandably in shambles given the team's lack of a secondary playmaker to keep their offense afloat this season.
Yet, the answer could still come from an unlikely source: Alperen Sengun.
Sengun, in many ways, has already developed into a reliable playmaker from his spot on the floor, and, in order for Houston to compensate for the loss of VanVleet, he must fully lean into that aspect of his game, taking on a role similar to the one Nikola Jokic plays for the Denver Nuggets
Alperen Sengun must become more like Nikola Jokic for the Rockets to succeed this season
Although VanVleet's offensive performance took a dip last season, he was still undeniably the most important playmaker and shot creator on the team.