Alperen Şengün

[ofeek]

i wonder if it is a strategy or he is lack of a visa for travelling to USA but it is very strange that on the eve of NBA draft, he spends time in Turkey after the Olympic qualification games rather than being in USA, meeting teams and/or having workouts.

maybe he just avoids to risk of screwing up in the last minute to decrease his draft stock or perhaps such a gamble will cost him a lot.

otherwise not having a visa for USA in advance would definitely be the dumbest thing ever as USA grants 10 years valid visa for Turkish citizens.

[Bensational]

I reckon he has a sneaky promise from a team he’s happy with. 6 or 8.

OKC might be up for a potent scoring big now that they’ve cleared out the middle.

Or, Hedo might have been laying the groundwork in Orlando for a while.

[Nuntius]

Anyone else see Sengun as a midpoint between Julius Randle and Jokic, size and speed wise? Closer to Jokic in skill set, but he’s still very young with time to show his range out to the 3pt line. Won’t be running grab and go’s with the speed of Randle, but will get up a lot faster than Jokic.

Or maybe I’m way off and he’s closer to Jahlil Okafor?

Randle isn't a bad name to throw in this case. Probably closer to that than Okafor, imo.

[Charm]

Sengun averaged about twice as many blocks as Randle and Sabonis pre-draft. Is the theory that this difference isn't significant because it's much easier to block shots in Turkey than in the NCAA? I actually think the other way around is more likely, but I'm genuinely curious what the thinking is here.

[EMG518]

Anyone else see Sengun as a midpoint between Julius Randle and Jokic, size and speed wise? Closer to Jokic in skill set, but he’s still very young with time to show his range out to the 3pt line. Won’t be running grab and go’s with the speed of Randle, but will get up a lot faster than Jokic.

Or maybe I’m way off and he’s closer to Jahlil Okafor?

Randle isn't a bad name to throw in this case. Probably closer to that than Okafor, imo.

Closer to Okafor. People don't seem to understand how slow his feet are.

[EMG518]

Sengun averaged about twice as many blocks as Randle and Sabonis pre-draft. Is the theory that this difference isn't significant because it's much easier to block shots in Turkey than in the NCAA? I actually think the other way around is more likely, but I'm genuinely curious what the thinking is here.

The theory is if it was as easy as looking at a box score every pick would be the right pick. The problem is his feet do not move anything like Sabonis or Randle. You want a good player to compare, look at Okafor. He averaged more blocks in college than both of them as well.

[Charm]

Sengun averaged about twice as many blocks as Randle and Sabonis pre-draft. Is the theory that this difference isn't significant because it's much easier to block shots in Turkey than in the NCAA? I actually think the other way around is more likely, but I'm genuinely curious what the thinking is here.

The theory is if it was as easy as looking at a box score every pick would be the right pick. The problem is his feet do not move anything like Sabonis or Randle. You want a good player to compare, look at Okafor. He averaged more blocks in college than both of them as well.

If Sengun's superior quickness made him a superior shotblocker pre-draft, doesn't it seem likely that he'll continue to benefit from that in the NBA?

[Nuntius]

Anyone else see Sengun as a midpoint between Julius Randle and Jokic, size and speed wise? Closer to Jokic in skill set, but he’s still very young with time to show his range out to the 3pt line. Won’t be running grab and go’s with the speed of Randle, but will get up a lot faster than Jokic.

Or maybe I’m way off and he’s closer to Jahlil Okafor?

Randle isn't a bad name to throw in this case. Probably closer to that than Okafor, imo.

Closer to Okafor. People don't seem to understand how slow his feet are.

His feet aren't that slow, though. Not on offense, at least. He is fairly mobile for his size.

[EMG518]

Sengun averaged about twice as many blocks as Randle and Sabonis pre-draft. Is the theory that this difference isn't significant because it's much easier to block shots in Turkey than in the NCAA? I actually think the other way around is more likely, but I'm genuinely curious what the thinking is here.

The theory is if it was as easy as looking at a box score every pick would be the right pick. The problem is his feet do not move anything like Sabonis or Randle. You want a good player to compare, look at Okafor. He averaged more blocks in college than both of them as well.

If Sengun's superior quickness made him a superior shotblocker pre-draft, doesn't it seem likely that he'll continue to benefit from that in the NBA?

So we are just seeing different things. If you see superior quickness and I see someone whom is literally on the opposite side of the spectrum and is not quick at all then I doubt either of us comes to a consensus. Time will tell.

[EMG518]

Randle isn't a bad name to throw in this case. Probably closer to that than Okafor, imo.

Closer to Okafor. People don't seem to understand how slow his feet are.

His feet aren't that slow, though. Not on offense, at least. He is fairly mobile for his size.

I disagree, they are slow in my eyes. He is heavy footed.

[nolang1]

Huh? Where did I say anything about defensive instincts? Nice strawman.

Ok so you're selectively ignoring that the obvious point that instincts play a big role on the defensive end (a point also made by the person who brought up Marc Gasol as someone who has been and still is a very good defender despite not having much in the way of lateral quickness) and instead saying that the biggest issue with those players you cited is uniformly their lack of lateral quickness.

I'm saying Sengun's biggest issue is lateral quickness. His second biggest issue is probably length/reach. Do you agree or disagree?

It's an issue in the sense that I'd prefer to take him around #6 rather than #1, so you're grossly overstating how much they'll prevent him from being a passable defender or how effective bigs are at being defensive stoppers in the modern NBA (hint: offensive rating is at an all-time high).

Again, you're just throwing crap at the wall in an effort to distract from the obvious point you missed, which is that knowing what you're doing makes a much bigger deal on defense than degrees of lateral quickness. Any big is going to be at some deficit when guarding a perimeter player, yet the NBA manages to not be a 100% 5-out league. Despite how much you stunk up this thread with the stupid height argument, he's not any more deficient in length than someone like Isaiah Jackson (who's being drafted as a defensive specialist) is in strength.

[Nuntius]

Closer to Okafor. People don't seem to understand how slow his feet are.

His feet aren't that slow, though. Not on offense, at least. He is fairly mobile for his size.

I disagree, they are slow in my eyes. He is heavy footed.

As someone who watches Sabonis night in and night out, I don't see him being any more slow-footed than him. And I do not consider Domas to be particularly heavy footed.

[Charm]

Sengun's feet also aren't slow on defense...he's just clumsy in perimeter situations at this stage.

For context, in the last decade, only two players have managed 2+ blocks per game in Turkey. Both, Sean Williams and Chris Obekpa, are outlier athletes and absolutely insane shot blockers.

In addition to Sengun, eight players have landed in the 1.5-2 blocks per game range: Darion Atkins, Johnny Hamilton, Moustapha Fall, Bryant Dunston, Ekpe Udoh, Stephane Lasme, Eric Buckner, and Artsiom Parakhouski. This second tier of shot blockers isn't a bunch of crazy outliers, but they're all very competent shot blockers at the very least. Nothing like Sabonis or Randle in there.

[Nuntius]

Sengun's feet also aren't slow on defense...he's just clumsy in perimeter situations at this stage.

For context, in the last decade, only two players have managed 2+ blocks per game in Turkey. Both, Sean Williams and Chris Obekpa, are outlier athletes and absolutely insane shot blockers.

In addition to Sengun, eight players have landed in the 1.5-2 blocks per game range: Darion Atkins, Johnny Hamilton, Moustapha Fall, Bryant Dunston, Ekpe Udoh, Stephane Lasme, Eric Buckner, and Artsiom Parakhouski. This second tier of shot blockers isn't a bunch of crazy outliers, but they're all very competent shot blockers at the very least. Nothing like Sabonis or Randle in there.

I remember Bryant Dunston and Stephane Lasme. Dunston played for Olympiacos (he was the replacement of the amazing Kyle Hines) and Lasme played for Panathinaikos. They both won EuroLeague Best Defender while playing in Greece. I don't believe that Sengun is in that tier defensively at all but I don't believe him to be Okafor-level either on that end.

[EvanZ]

Despite how much you stunk up this thread with the stupid height argument, he's not any more deficient in length than someone like Isaiah Jackson (who's being drafted as a defensive specialist) is in strength.

I have Sengun like 10 spots higher than Isaiah Jackson.

Another great strawman.

[nolang1]

Despite how much you stunk up this thread with the stupid height argument, he's not any more deficient in length than someone like Isaiah Jackson (who's being drafted as a defensive specialist) is in strength.

I have Sengun like 10 spots higher than Isaiah Jackson.

Another great strawman.

No, that would be you for somehow making that the takeaway from my longer post. I guess you have nothing else to respond to and are just trying to get your post count up by being an idiot/troll in this thread.

[Charm]

Sengun's feet also aren't slow on defense...he's just clumsy in perimeter situations at this stage.

For context, in the last decade, only two players have managed 2+ blocks per game in Turkey. Both, Sean Williams and Chris Obekpa, are outlier athletes and absolutely insane shot blockers.

In addition to Sengun, eight players have landed in the 1.5-2 blocks per game range: Darion Atkins, Johnny Hamilton, Moustapha Fall, Bryant Dunston, Ekpe Udoh, Stephane Lasme, Eric Buckner, and Artsiom Parakhouski. This second tier of shot blockers isn't a bunch of crazy outliers, but they're all very competent shot blockers at the very least. Nothing like Sabonis or Randle in there.

I remember Bryant Dunston and Stephane Lasme. Dunston played for Olympiacos (he was the replacement of the amazing Kyle Hines) and Lasme played for Panathinaikos. They both won EuroLeague Best Defender while playing in Greece. I don't believe that Sengun is in that tier defensively at all but I don't believe him to be Okafor-level either on that end.

Not saying that Sengun's on that level, just drawing the distinction between NCAA and international play with regard to shot blocking. In the NCAA there've probably been a thousand players in the last decade who've been at Sengun's level or better as shot blockers. In Turkey there've been 10, and those guys are without exception very talented defensive players. The higher level of competition really separates the wheat from the chaff.

[BlazersBroncos]

Are people really saying he is as slow footed as Okafor? Has Okafor ever been able to hit a step-back-3?

[EMG518]

Are people really saying he is as slow footed as Okafor? Has Okafor ever been able to hit a step-back-3?

It never occurred to him to even try.

[EvanZ]

Are people really saying he is as slow footed as Okafor? Has Okafor ever been able to hit a step-back-3?

I mean the hope is he's at least somewhat in a higher tier than Okafor or Kanter on d.