The Houston Rockets' incredible offseason suddenly has this team primed to take a major leap forward in 2025-26. With Kevin Durant now in the fold, Houston's not just an upstart young squad but a legitimate contender that can go toe-to-toe with any of the Western Confernece's elite.
One franchise the Rockets would surely love to knock off from the top this season is the Golden State Warriors, who sent Ime Udoka and co. packing in the first round of April's playoffs. It was a contentious seven-game series between these clubs that showcased Houston's legitimacy as a threat to the aging dynasty.
Their battle also seemed to re-spark the rivalry felt on both sides in recent years, and one Rocket appears to be embracing that fact.
Alperen Şengün on the playoffs:
— Franchise Sengun (@FranchiseSengun) August 17, 2025
"The Warriors were probably the one team that would have gave us the most trouble, and we drew them"
"They're a very experienced team, and they fouled a lot. In the playoffs, they don't call it. But they were the ones crying all series about… pic.twitter.com/QLBWsbkHof
In a recent interview with Turkish publication Socrates Dergi, Houston big man Alperen Sengun wasn't afraid to send some shots Golden State's way. While he admitted the Warriors were a team he expected to give them trouble, he also noted the Warriors "fouled a lot" during their series and loved "crying" for calls.
Sengun also added that Udoka didn't want his team to fall into the whistle game, so the Rockets were forced to bite their tongue while Golden State used the refs to their advantage.
It's bold of Sengun to go out on a limb like this and cement himself as a top enemy in the Bay. He also discredited the Warriors' performance while the series was ongoing, saying it was more about the Rockets beating themselves (like their struggles at the free throw line) than anything Golden State did to win.
Given the Warriors have one of the faces of the league (which comes with preferential treatment) in Stephen Curry, one of the NBA's most egregious pests in Draymond Green, and a head coach who loves to talk in Steve Kerr, it's tough to argue against Sengun's statements.
That being said, this likely also shows how confident Sengun is with Houston's situation after its additions. He's suddenly got the likes of Durant, Clint Capela and Dorian Finney-Smith joining the team to back him up, in addition to the remaining players on Houston's roster who were on the battlefield with him and nearly took the Warriors down originally.
GM Rafael Stone went out and got those guys for that exact purpose. It's clear the team needed an extra push to ensure it can finish the job against Golden State or anyone else in 2026. That makes it no surprise, then, that Sengun seems to be full of confidence by calling out a title threat like this despite the series loss.