Alperen Sengun is slowly developing into one of the best big men in the league. He has improved every year since entering the league. This year his points per game dropped a bit, but that was because the Rockets used a more balanced offense. With his first taste of the playoffs, Sengun has shown he can play when it matters most. He impressed some NBA legends with his play in Game 2.
Alperen Sengun Playoff Performance Impresses NBA Legends
Speaking after the Rockets win over the Warriors in Game 2 of the Western Conference first round, Charles Barkley and Shaquille O’Neal had huge praise for Sengun. The Rockets center has been the best player for Houston in the first two games. Shaq even gave him a nickname, saying,
“The Turkish Terminator. Reminds me of my guy Dino Radja, right here. Spin move right here, laying up with the left hand. Dominating in the paint. It is all about strategy. The closer you are to the basket, the bigger your chance are to winning the game. “
Shaq is known for encouraging big men to play closer to the basket. And Sengun is one of the few modern centers that dominates the paint. Yes, he can take a three-pointer now and then, but his game is mostly in the paint. Being compared to Dino Radja is certainly nice, but Sengun can do much more. Radja joined the league at 26 years old and spent only four years in Boston.
Chuck, on the other hand, was impressed by Alperen’s athletic ability. He said,
“I have to admit, man… I didn’t know he was THAT athletic. He’s had a couple of dunks. Those spin moves have been incredible.”
Back in the day, Chuck was also underrated as an athletic power forward. He looked slightly overweight, but he could move, run, and do things that skinnier and more athletic bigs than him couldn’t.
Alperen Sengun Gets a Taste of the Playoffs
In Game 1, Sengun played like he had been in the playoffs before. He was not phased or anything by the atmosphere. We can say he was the only Rockets player that showed up. Even more experienced players like Fred VanVleet had a rough Game 1.
In Game 2, while he didn’t score the most points, Sengun had the best plus-minus of the Rockets. He followed his Game 1 performance with 17 points, 16 rebounds, seven assists, and two steals in 37 minutes of action. Sengun was +28 when the game ended.
We will have to wait and see how he performs on the road. The Rockets now travel to The Bay against Golden State for Game 3. In the regular season, the Turkish center performed quite well playing in San Francisco. The Rockets went 1-1 on the road against the Warriors during the regular season, with Sengun scoring 16 and 19 points.
Sengun Still Has Room For Improvement
Teams have used elite guards to banish bigs from the floor in the playoffs. They often target them in the pick-and-roll.
Sengun has improved vastly on the defensive side of the ball. Metrics might not show it, but the eye test does. He is more active than ever. While his feet remain slow, his hands and instincts are quicker. Sengun has a long way to go to become an elite rim protector, but he can survive in space and allow Amen Thompson and Jabari Smith Jr to protect the rim when needed.
The most important factor is his defensive-rebounding ability. Sengun secures the ball for Houston, allowing the team to get out in transition.
More must-reads: