Alperen Şengün

[Mirotic12]

I remember Turkoglu giving an interview during his first couple of year where he was saying he got taller even after he went to NBA.
As far as I remember, he reached to 2.08 from 2.06 and he was exactly 21 years old when he was drafted. So, Alperen may also get an inch taller with proper nutrition and so on.

regarding the never ending discussion of needing to play for a Euroleague team, as i mentioned earlier, i totally disagree. Such young players are almost never counted on Euroleague. Had he joined to an Euroleague team, he wouldn't have received even the quarter of the playing time he receives now. So, none of you would have heard about him.

his fellow countryman, 76'ers' rainmaker korkmaz warmed Anadolu Efes' bench - a Euroleague team - for almost 2 years wasting his years. okey his body was far from ready back then but his talent would have definitely received a playing time elsewhere. Kanter did not have proper playing time either before moving to USA for NCAA and he also wasted, if i am not mistaken, 2 years of his time being ineligible to play due to NCAA regulations.

Believe it or not, he is exactly where he is supposed to be. Euroleague hype is not that important.

Comparison of his eventual fate to Darko Milicic is also absurd because he ended up being drafted ahead of wade and melo, in one of the richest draft classes in the history of the game. So, the mental pressure Milicic received back then as far as the expectations was concerned ( also remember he was drafted by a defending champions ) was probably unbearable for an 18 years old player.

finally i agree with the draft range mentioned above. i would rather hope him being drafted by Spurs in 23rd place than going for lotto. Assuming, they are likely to say "thank you" to guys like Aldridge and Gay, it would probably be a dream come true for him to work with legendary Greg Popovich and possibly workout with #21.

There is no caste system in EuroLeague teams. This myth is so pervasive now, but it's just a completely fabricated myth that US sports media started.

If you are 14 and good enough to play in EuroLeague, you will play in EuroLeague. If Sengun was in a EuroLeague team, and he was good enough to play, then he would play. If he wasn't good enough to play, then he wouldn't. It's just that simple. EuroLeague teams don't have any agenda against playing young players.

So the issue isn't anything to do with a EuroLeague team not playing a young player, it's simply about would he be good enough to get minutes. That's all. Based on the level of competitions he is playing at - Turkish league in a bad team and the 4th tier European league (FIBA Europe Cup), which is a complete joke........I agree that he should stay in Besiktas and not try EuroLeague for awhile. Because it's a big jump up in level of competition from where he is currently at.

From an inconsequential Turkish team and FIBA Europe Cup, to let's say a Turkish EuroLeague team like Efes or Fener, that is about 2 entire levels of competition higher. It's basically equivalent to going from DI to the NBA.

NCAA D1 to G-League to NBA = 2 levels

FIBA Europe Cup to EuroCup / FIBA Champions League to EuroLeague = 2 levels

Turkish Super League to EuroCup / FIBA Champions League to EuroLeague = 2 levels

People are also talking about the EuroBasket qualifiers with the Turkish NT, where he also just played, but the level of EuroBasket qualifiers is below the level of the EuroCup / FIBA Basketball Champions League - it's not even at that competition level of the 2nd tier of European club leagues.

Going from Besiktas, to Efes or Fener, would be the same kind of jump a college player makes to the NBA. So I agree with you that if he wants to keep up the same role and development through chances, touches, and playing time, he can't go to a EuroLeague team.

On the other hand, the fact that he's not playing in EuroLeague makes some of the comparisons, like to Luka for example, just completely ridiculous and absurd. It's unlikely that Sengun would have even gotten playing time on Luka's Real Madrid team. So I agree that it's good for him where he is at right now in Besiktas, but at the same time, some people in the US are going way overboard with his stats and play. Because they are clearly not understanding how much of a huge difference there is from playing on Besiktas, as compared to playing at the level of a huge EuroLeague club like Real Madrid.

[Mirotic12]

Its good he blew up on average Turkish team, but at this point he can easily get minutes in Euroleague.

He can get minutes on a bad EuroLeague team, and also have much worse stats than he has now, or he can go to a bigger club, like say most likely one of the Turkish clubs (Efes or Fener) and have just a typical role on the team. Either situation would clearly lower his draft stock.

Don't forget that NBA talent evaluators have zero clue about the differences in various European leagues. These are the same people that for years and years kept claiming the Spanish league was a much higher level of competition than the EuroLeague was. These are the same people that obviously believe that getting minutes in the French League or Adriatic League is more impressive than getting minutes in the EuroLeague.....

It would help Sengun become a better player, and it would prepare him more for the NBA, if he had experience in a good EuroLeague team, but it would also cause him to be drafted lower. That's just obvious. Let's be honest here. Let's take someone like Frank Ntilikina for example, he was drafted 8th overall, after coming from an average French league team, that was also playing in FIBA Champions League. If he would have been in a good EuroLeague team, there is absolutely zero, zilch, nada chance that he would have been drafted. It would have been a ZERO percent chance that he even would have gone in the 2nd round.

The NBA still doesn't know anything about how to properly scout and assess players in Europe. So the agents in Europe in turn know how to properly exploit the total incompetence that NBA talent evaluators have, when it comes to players in Europe. Sengun's agents are just doing the same exact thing that you see the agents doing with those players in France or in the Adriatic League. They are making sure their players get playing time and put up some numbers, so that they get drafted.

Just look at Musa as another example. He was playing in a POS Adriatic EuroCup team from Croatia. He probably wouldn't have gotten a minute of playing time on any team in EuroLeague, because he was in no way physically ready for that level. But by playing in a very bad EuroCup team, he was a first round draft pick. Had he been on a EuroLeague team, you better believe he wouldn't have even been a 2nd round pick.

[UcanUwill]

NBA GMs drafted Bender top 5, and he played like 5 minutes in Euroleague entire year, not on average. They still believe that Euroleague coaches are biased towards youth, and we all talked about it being a myth, but my point, GMs were never discouraged to draft Euroleague bench warmer. At this point Sengun showed what he can do, unlike Bender, he showed against grown men, not Adidas youth camps, his stock is not falling. That said I really believe he can play on most Euroleague teams already, I understand if you a big Turkish fan, and you are naturally pessimistic, but this kid looks legit.

[Mirotic12]

NBA GMs drafted Bender top 5, and he played like 5 minutes in Euroleague entire year, not on average. They still believe that Euroleague coaches are biased towards youth, and we all talked about it being a myth, but my point, GMs were never discouraged to draft Euroleague bench warmer. At this point Sengun showed what he can do, unlike Bender, he showed against grown men, not Adidas youth camps, his stock is not falling. That said I really believe he can play on most Euroleague teams already, I understand if you a big Turkish fan, and you are naturally pessimistic, but this kid looks legit.

Yes, but that's a different category with Bender. The category of "he was a 7 foot point guard at under-16 European championship", therefore, ergo, NBA must draft him with a high lotto pick. It's the complete silliness and total clown show that is NBA thinking when it comes to European players.

This is how NBA scouting and assessment of European players goes:

1. If a European player "totally dominated" at the regional under-16 / under-18 championship, then they will be be probably drafted.

2. If a European player ever made a rotation of any team in the Spanish league or French league, prior to the age of 20, they will probably be drafted.

3. If a European player gets a certain amount of hype from media and/or social media, in Europe and/or the USA, prior to age 20, then they will probably be drafted.

4. If a European player is in the rotation of a EuroCup or FIBA Champions League team, prior to age 20, then they will probably be drafted.

5. If a European player is in the rotation of an Adriatic league team, prior to age 20, and at the same time also has nationality from one of the ex Yugo states, then they will probably be drafted.

5. Exceptions to the above rules. If a player comes from certain ethnic backgrounds or regions of Europe, then none of the above rules apply.

That's it. That's the entire extent of their assessment.

The difference between Sengun and Bender, is that Bender supposedly "totally dominated" a high school tournament, with the term "total domination" being the key, as that's some magical term the NBA uses, without it actually being real or meaning anything at all, and that Bender was born in Croatia, and not in Turkey.

Therefore, ergo, if you swapped Bender and Sengun, and put Sengun on Maccabi, then he wouldn't have been drafted.

[ofeek]

Its good he blew up on average Turkish team, but at this point he can easily get minutes in Euroleague.

yes but i assume 2/3 of the season is already played in Euroleague, isn't it ?

So, my argument was rather based on the pre-season plans of the teams where he wouldn't have made such a jump, had he gone in that direction. I highly doubt there was any demand neither by fenerbahce nor by anadolu efes. They weren't even aware of the immediate availability of such a domestic talent.

frankly, they see such young players as pieces to be used in the domestic league instead because in the domestic league, there is a foreign player limitation whereas in euroleague, there is no such restrictions. so such euroleague powerhouses are forced to inactivate some of their foreign players for the weekend domestic games. Not to mention, even the active players in general are not quite motivated to compete harder domestically. that is another reason, why they chase players like Alperen to be part of their rotation.

sad but true

[Mirotic12]

The deadline to sign players in EuroLeague for this season already passed anyway.

[ofeek]

Read on Twitter

he is already under the wings of one of the best mentors he could possibly get along the way

[peZt]

Read on Twitter

he is already under the wings of one of the best mentors he could possibly get along the way

He looks quite short on the court but has to be at least 6'10 then. Good

[Ruzious]

Read on Twitter

he is already under the wings of one of the best mentors he could possibly get along the way

He looks quite short on the court but has to be at least 6'10 then. Good

Do you mean he plays short? Is it the long neck? Not understanding how people think he looks short.

[peZt]

Read on Twitter

he is already under the wings of one of the best mentors he could possibly get along the way

He looks quite short on the court but has to be at least 6'10 then. Good

Do you mean he plays short? Is it the long neck? Not understanding how people think he looks short.

I'm not saying he looks 6'8 short or something but to me always looked more like 6'9 on the court. But seems to be a legit 6'10. 6'11

[UcanUwill]

Well, that neck adds good cm or two, need to look how high his shoulders are. But that said he doesnt look short to me, I would say he looks as tall as Saric, whos been a very good bench 5 this year.

[ofeek]

no he is not short at all. There is another version of this photo in his instagram page which is taken from a wider distance. I also suspected whether Okur leaned forward a bit but when i see both of them from that angle with their legs visible, his height is not a problem at all. Not to mention he is going to bulk up further and he may get another inch in the next 1-2 years.

i recently watched one of the domestic respected play by play analysts, commenting how various national competitions in the youth levels affect the personal development of such european prospects. Basically he cited that those kids are forced to spend most of their summer time with the national teams which they would rather be spending on personal workouts to improve their skills instead.

So, this summer in that regard is perfect because he is no longer a youth level national player and there is no upcoming national competition ahead. ( Turkey is out of olympics ) he will most likely be done in the domestic league before June, so he can spend the entire summer working out until the NBA draft.

[Mirotic12]

Read on Twitter

he is already under the wings of one of the best mentors he could possibly get along the way

He looks quite short on the court but has to be at least 6'10 then. Good

He doesn't look short on the court. We had all of the same discussions here about Poku - that he supposedly looked way shorter than he's listed at on the court.

The guards in European basketball are in general much bigger and taller than the guards in the NBA and especially the NCAA are. It's normal to see 6-5, 6-6, or even 6-7 or taller point guards in Europe. Also they don't use that special camera angle to make players look taller and bigger on European broadcasts, like they do in the USA, especially for NBA games.

Actually, in Europe they often use longer shots, that actually make the players look smaller than they are. If you compare how tall the other players on the floor are, it is clear that these guys like Poku and Sengun are not shorter than they are listed at and do not look short on the court.

[peZt]

Showing off his passing chops

Read on Twitter

Read on Twitter

[nolang1]

Couple of nice one-handed putback dunks this game from a guy with 38-year-old Luis Scola's athleticism

Watch on YouTube

[ofeek]

a couple of highlights from today

Read on Twitter

Read on Twitter

[greenandgold]

Sengun is going to be a top 10 pick in this draft. Remarkable skills/productivity for his age.

[SNPA]

Sengun is going to be a top 10 pick in this draft. Remarkable skills/productivity for his age.

A GM taking a center in the top ten in the modern NBA should require him to be either a clear cut defensive anchor with all d team potential or a first option offensive superstar. Sengun looks like an NBA player but I don’t see him fitting either category. I’m open to new evidence though.

[UcanUwill]

Sengun is going to be a top 10 pick in this draft. Remarkable skills/productivity for his age.

A GM taking a center in the top ten in the modern NBA should require him to be either a clear cut defensive anchor with all d team potential or a first option offensive superstar. Sengun looks like an NBA player but I don’t see him fitting either category. I’m open to new evidence though.

I was iffy on guy myself, but what he is doing is insane, GMs will draft couple of athletic Derrick Williamses and Marvin Bagley's before this guy as usual and will regret it very soon.

[clyde21]

Sengun is going to be a top 10 pick in this draft. Remarkable skills/productivity for his age.

A GM taking a center in the top ten in the modern NBA should require him to be either a clear cut defensive anchor with all d team potential or a first option offensive superstar. Sengun looks like an NBA player but I don’t see him fitting either category. I’m open to new evidence though.

I was iffy on guy myself, but what he is doing is insane, GMs will draft couple of athletic Derrick Williamses and Marvin Bagley's before this guy as usual and will regret it very soon.

Bagley shouldn't have never been picked that high, it wasn't even justifiable from a physical profile standpoint, wasn't really an outlier athlete or anything other than OMG SECOND JUMP stuff nonsense

SNPA has a point...if you're gonna draft a C in the top10, he either better be a defensive anchor or an outlier offensively like a Jokic or Towns, otherwise you're not gonna get a lot of value in the pick