Forget Kevin Durant, Carmelo Anthony says Houston Rockets have another MVP candidate

The Rockets were backed by an incredible defense last season, but they had their issues with half-court scoring, which is something Durant will instantly fix.

Along with Durant, the Rockets have young players who are on the rise, including someone who could get some MVP nominations for this season.

Carmelo Anthony says Alperen Sengun ‘could be MVP’

Alperen Sengun had an impressive showing at EuroBasket with Turkey over the summer.

The 23-year-old did see his scoring dip down last season (19.1), but his rebounds went up (10.3).

With all of the focus on Durant, Alperen Sengun will be the beneficiary of some clean open looks.

NBA legend Carmelo Anthony is high on Sengun and said he could win MVP this season.

“He could be MVP. We talk about MVP candidates. KD never played with a big man that he could throw the ball into and the offense could be ran through the center.

“Somebody who is a similar game to Jokic.

“KD never played on a team with that kind of big man like that, with the Thompson twin, he’s like a Swiss army knife that can do so many things.

“Sengun is going to score or get fouled, I’m going to do something with it, pick your poison.”

The Houston Rockets have sky-high expectations for the 2025-26 NBA season

The Rockets suffered a big blow before the start of their season when it was announced that Fred VanVleet would likely miss the upcoming season due to an ACL tear.

The Rockets don’t have the financial flexibility to find his replacement, so they will be banking on internal growth.

Amen Thompson will be expected to step up in VanVleet’s absence along with second-year player Reed Sheppard.

Also, Sengun will have to solidify himself as a consistent scoring threat to aid Durant on a potential playoff run.