Turkish big man Alperen Sengun has submitted paperwork entering his name into the 2021 NBA draft pool, he tells Jonathan Givony of ESPN.
Sengun, 18, is considered one of the best international prospects in this year’s draft class, currently ranking 14th overall on ESPN’s big board. Givony describes the young center as a “dominant interior scorer” who has the ability to protect the rim, crash the boards, and create scoring opportunities for teammates. NBA scouts have compared him to players such as Kevin Love and Domantas Sabonis, Givony notes.
Sengun’s performance for Besiktas in Turkey this season has helped increase his stock, solidifying him as a projected first-round pick. In 29 Turkish League games (28.3 MPG), he has averaged 19.2 points, 9.4 rebounds, 2.5 assists, and 1.7 blocks per contest, with a .646 FG%.
“At the beginning of the season, I didn’t think my performance would be this high, but with every passing game I felt I could do more and more,” Sengun told ESPN in an email. “I believe that there are no limits for me to get better as a basketball player.”
As Givony details, Sengun intends to play for Turkey in the Olympic qualifying tournament in late June. The Tokyo games overlap with the July 29 draft, but if Turkey doesn’t earn a spot in the Olympics, Sengun would focus on preparing for the draft, including perhaps working out for NBA teams if in-person auditions are permitted.
I see the tradition of comparing young white prospects exclusively to white NBA players continues. Peoples’ imaginations are amazingly race-driven.
Although your second point is spot on, your first point is off considering Turkish is not white
You are correct. No ethnicity is a specific shade of skin color. But have you seen Alperen? That’s a pretty light pigmented dude…..
Haven’t seen him at all, but… if he gets compared to Domas & K-Love he is gotta be pretty good, should do better than #14, a good center is more important than a great guard, if you ask me!