Obviously, John Collins is at the forefront of this offseason’s to-do list, but outside of solidifying the backup point guard position, Travis Schlenk has very few other things he must do this offseason. The roster is well-positioned for Schlenk to be flexible in the NBA draft. The Hawks even have enough assets to trade up for a prospect, but Alperen Sengun could fall to 20 and add an impressive skill set to an already loaded roster.
Even though Sengun will be 19-years-old when the next NBA season starts and is the fourth-youngest prospect in his class, the former Turkish League’s MVP plays much older than his age, given his diverse offensive pedigree. His post-game might be the most developed of anyone in his class, and a lofty comp for him would be Nikola Jokic. Much like The Joker, Sengun is a crafty and efficient facilitator — 1.11 assist-to-turnover ratio last season. He can pass better than any of Atlanta’s bigs, which would alleviate some pressure when Young is off the court.
Sengun is an efficient shooter, knocking down 64.6% of his attempts from the field, but he uses refined footwork more so than athletic ability. That isn’t to say he can’t run the floor with this fast-paced Atlanta team. He’s an excellent catch-and-finish player, and even though he can’t jump out of the gym like John Collins, Sengun is capable of throwing down the hammer.
One of Sengun’s most intriguing assets as a player is his ability to grab offensive rebounds — 4.1 per game and 5.2 per 36 minutes. He provides similar energy as Collins, scoring many of his second chance points off put-back dunks and tip-ins. His three-point shooting wasn’t great, but a good shooting stroke projects him to improve in that area.
The Hawks can probably fix his shot from outside, but his liability on defense must be noted. Sengun’s a smart player, so his help defense is more refined than his on-ball defense, but he’ll have to improve significantly overall. Still, I think his offensive output and rebounding will make up for his lackluster defense. Travis Schenk may have to trade up to acquire him, but Sengun could prove to be one of the best players in this draft given his ability to score and facilitate.
More must-reads: