In The Athletic’s annual anonymous poll of NBA players, Houston Rockets center Alperen Sengun finished with the most votes as the league’s most overrated player.
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“He's crying every play,” one Sengun voter said (via The Athletic). “He's talented, but, dude, just play hard.”
The 2026 survey was conducted from late February through early April and consisted of 161 players, or approximately one-third of the total player workforce. Players were not required to answer every question.
In Sengun’s case, there is some important context to consider. Even under anonymity, only 81 players voted in the “most overrated” category — the fewest of any question — and just 10 votes (12.3%) went to Sengun. So, the margin was far from convincing.
Furthermore, the leader in this same category one year ago was Indiana Pacers guard Tyrese Haliburton, who went on to lead his team to the 2025 NBA Finals. With that in mind, it certainly shouldn’t be viewed as a major indictment on Sengun as a player.
Other Rockets receiving votes:
— ClutchFans (@clutchfans) May 6, 2026
Amen Thompson got one vote for most overrated and finished 11th (2.6% of the vote) for best defensive player.
Ime Udoka received 2 votes for most impressive coach aside from your own.
Jabari Smith Jr got one vote for most underrated. https://t.co/vSLTcjmGtL
That said, even for a two-time NBA All-Star, Sengun’s game did have clear flaws in the 2025-26 season. Defensively, Sengun’s on-off differential in net rating was the worst among Houston’s rotation players.
Offensively, Sengun’s scoring efficiency has dropped over the past two years. After posting true shooting (TS) figures of 59.9% and 58.5% in his second and third NBA seasons, those TS numbers fell to 54.5% and 56.9%, respectively, in the Turkish big man’s fourth and fifth seasons.
During the 2025 and 2026 playoffs, Sengun’s true shooting came in at 49.1% and 51.9%, respectively. All of those percentages over the last two years are well below average for a center.
The Rockets have had an Alperen Sengun problem against the Lakers so far in this series, and frankly, in his playoff career. In nine games now in the playoffs over the last two years, the Rockets are 3-6, and he's shooting 43.5/27.4/65.4 splits. pic.twitter.com/kUkYtCYbaA
— Sam Vecenie (@Sam_Vecenie) April 22, 2026
Granted, Sengun does still draw significant attention from opposing defenses, and he remains a good and willing passer. As a result, the 23-year-old remains a central hub of Houston’s offense, which has finished in the top half of the league the past two seasons.
Yet, there is definitely room for improvement heading into Sengun’s sixth NBA campaign this fall, particularly when it comes to finishing and defending. That may have played a role in the “most overrated” votes from some of his player peers.
Other Rockets who received votes in the 2026 player poll included:
- Amen Thompson got one vote (1.2%) for most overrated and finished 11th (2.6%, four votes) for best defensive player;
- Ime Udoka received two votes (1.4%) for most impressive coach and three votes (3.0%) for least impressive coach (excluding each player’s own coach);
- Jabari Smith Jr. got one vote for most underrated.
The Athletic’s complete player-poll results can be viewed here.
Collectively, Houston’s 2025-26 season admittedly fell short of the team’s internal expectations, which may have played a role in some of the pessimistic views across the league. The Rockets have finished 52-30 with a first-round playoff exit in each of the past two years.
NBA players voted on the most overrated player in the league
— Fullcourtpass (@Fullcourtpass) May 6, 2026
• Alperen Sengun: 12.3%
• Rudy Gobert: 8.6%
• Trae Young: 8.6%
• Karl-Anthony Towns: 7.4%
• Paolo Banchero: 4.9%
• Ja Morant: 4.9%
• Deni Avdija: 3.7%
• Scottie Barnes: 3.7%
• Luka Doncic: 3.7%
• Pascal… pic.twitter.com/jxqYeiiY30
This article originally appeared on Rockets Wire: NBA player poll: Rockets star Alperen Sengun deemed ‘most overrated’