The 2021 NBA Draft will be an important event for teams to build for their future. Here is the Alperen Sengun 2021 NBA Draft Profile.
Position: Center
Size: 6-foot-10, 240 pounds
Country: Turkey
Class: N/A
2020-21 stats: 19.2 points, 9.4 rebounds, 2.5 assists, 1.7 blocks, 1.3 steals, 64.6% FG, 19.0% 3PT, 81.2% FT
Not many people know the Turkish international Alperen Sengun, but that could change very quickly. After playing well in Europe, Sengun has declared for the 2021 NBA Draft.
Sengun is an 18-year-old who played professionally with Beskitas in 2021. He had formerly played in the second-tier and one other team of the first-tier of the Turkish league. With Beskitas, Sengun averaged 19.2 points and 9.4 rebounds per game, which is fairly dominant for a player of his age. He was named the MVP of the Turkish league for the 2020-2021 season.
Following his MVP season, Sengun declared for the 2021 NBA Draft. He is currently projected to be a mid to late first round pick.
Alperen Sengun
Sengun proved to be a good rebounder over in Europe, as he averaged 9.2 rebounds per game. He showed that not only do his measurables help, but he knows how to read how the ball is coming off of a missed shot and then gets it. Even when taller players on the court, Sengun should be able to pull down his fair-share of rebounds.
His ability in the post is the best in the class. He has a wide array of moves and great footwork. Teams will want to feed him in the post because he can finish well. But that isn’t all, as he also is a solid passer out of the post. Sengun will thread the needle to find an open man whether they are standing at the 3-point line or cutting to the basket.
An underrated aspect of his game is his ability to be a good pick and roll player. The NBA is running more and more pick and rolls and Sengun can excel at that. He sets a good screen and then rolls well to the basket. If he is passed the ball when he is still away from the basket, he has the capability to dribble once or twice and finish. If the passer waits until he is closer to the basket, Sengun is able to finish without dribbling even better.
Guarding on the perimeter will be a struggle for Sengun. With the NBA going smaller, he simply does not have the foot-speed to keep up with high-level athletes. This may make it hard to play him at the end of the games when other teams are going smaller.
In addition to not being a great perimeter defender, he isn’t the greatest rim protector either. He isn’t the biggest center at 6-foot-10, so bigger center could take advantage of that. On top of that, he doesn’t have the greatest athleticism or timing to be a good shot blocker. Interior defense could be an area he struggles in early in his career.
His shooting isn’t really up to par. Sengun hit 19 percent of his 3-point shots last season in Turkey. He also doesn’t have much of a mid-range shot and prefers to do his damage from the paint. Sengun does hit his fair share of free throws at over 80 percent, so there is hope that he can find his touch from the mid-range and possibly from deep in the future.
Projected Draft Range: Mid to Late First Round Pick
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