NBA Comparison: Bobby Portis/Tom Gugliotta

Strengths: Physical center, with a lot of determination and a high basketball I.Q … Naturally strong… Already bulky, but has wide shoulders than can fill out nicely… Runs the floor well for a big … Likes to play physical, he loves to play with contact …  Excellent body control and coordination for a player of his size and age… Tries to dunk everything … Fearless, has been playing against grown men for a while and is still in his teenage years… Productive big, can score in bunches… A double-double machine… One of the best rebounders of his class … Gifted low post scorer, with great footwork … Can use Spin moves, Up and Under moves and even drop steps… Knows how to establish position in the Post … Can turn from either shoulder when posting Up and can finish with either hand, although he prefers to finish with his right (dominant) hand …  Can either bully smaller opponents, or use finesse moves to score against bigger opponents …  Good screener in Pick and Roll situations, knows how to roll hard to the basket, but also likes so slip screens and dive quickly to the basket …  Has shown promise in Pick and Roll situations when he decides to do a Short roll and pass the ball… Excellent finisher around the rim, he is creative with a soft touch… Already a good passer in Post Ups or in Short roll situations, with nice court vision… Relentless offensive rebounder, puts a lot of pressure on his opponents… Draws fouls like a magnet, which translates to points, since he is Free throw shooting has gone all the way up to almost 80%… His free throw shooting has given hope that he could become a 3-point threat in the future… Smart defender, has shown some potential as a help defender… Acceptable defender in Pick and Rolls when playing “Drop”… Solid shot blocker, knows the law of verticality … Not afraid to bang bodies when he has to defend in the Post … Has a pretty looking shot, but at the moment takes too long to get his shot off and efficiency is low … Turns 19 a few days before the draft …

Weaknesses: Average athlete by NBA standards … Small for a center and slow for a power forward … A little undersized (he is closer to 6-9 than to 6-10) and lacks great length with a 7-foot wingspan …  Lack of athleticism and length could make some people skeptical of his NBA fit … Gets off the ground well but a little slow to explode … Has improved his conditioning and weight considerably, but still has room for improvement … Has been playing for a team that really wanted to showcase him, so his numbers can me a little misleading… Also played against a low level of competition and in a lot of games that were not competitive with a lot of garbage minutes … He might has shown promise as a shooter because of his Free throw percentage, but his shooting range is really limited for now, with almost all of his shots coming in the paint … Has a shaky Jump Shot, and his feet aren’t always set … Long and athletic defenders can cause him problems … He has some trouble finishing at the rim against athletic bigs … Needs to improve his ability to finish at the rim with his left hand… He mainly turns on his left shoulder and he can be a little predictable and rely too much on his dominant hand … Drawing fouls is a big part of his game due to his physical playing style, but at the beginning of his career in the NBA this skill will probably not translate immediately until he earns some respect, which could hurt his production … Average lateral quickness hurts him on defense … Has mostly been used in Drop overages in Pick and Rolls, which can make him a target … Lack of elite athleticism and length will probably limit his ability to protect the rim against elite athletes … He is not quick enough to guard power forwards and not be big enough to guard centers …

Overall: Alperen Sengun is a beast and one of the most productive teenagers in the last 20 years in Europe… His Post Up game is exquisite, combining a rare combination of finesse and physicality for a player of his age, while he is also very good in Pick and Roll situations and a great passer … Has received a lot of hype to the point that he may be a little overrated heading into the draft …

Stefanos Makris 7/18/21