Where Does Alperen Sengun Stand Among Top NBA Centers?

Domantas Sabonis: Since being traded to Sacramento, Sabonis has blossomed into a versatile regular season force, even helping the Kings reach the playoffs following a drought lasting over a decade. However, once getting there, his stats and performance drop, signifying a lack of translation to the playoff setting.

Sengun has also passed Sabonis as a defender, and in terms of ability to play secondary roles to stars.

Bam Adebayo: Adebayo is a three time All-Star, and five time All-Defense team honoree, but has dropped his play in recent seasons. He's coming off of arguably his worst career year both scoring, and defensively, shooting below 50 percent from the field for the first time, and finishing lowest in DPOY voting since his 2018-2019 season.

In terms of operating as the hub of an offense and leading their own team to winning, Sengun has passed Adebayo.

Argument to be made

Joel Embiid: In terms of pure talent, Embiid is still notably ahead of Sengun on both sides of the ball. He's one of the league's all-time great isolation scorers, and still a capable defender. However, Embiid continues to struggle to stay on the court, dealing with different injuries every season. When it comes down to it, Sengun's availability far exceeds the 2023 MVP.

Karl-Anthony Towns: Towns has carved his path in the NBA as one of the best shooting bigs in league history, but has major flaws on the defensive end. In his first season with the New York Knicks, Towns seemed unplayable in the playoffs sometimes –– something that can't be said about Sengun. Towns may be the better scorer and rebounder, but his flaws glare much stronger than Sengun's.

Victor Wembanyama: The No. 1 overall pick of the 2023 NBA Draft presents one of the most unique builds in NBA history, standing at 7-foot-3 and operating frequently on the perimeter, showcasing guard-like skills. Wembanyama's already earned an All-Star nod, has led the league in blocks twice, and averages 22.5 points per game. However, Wembanyama hasn't yet appeared in the playoffs. Once he reaches the postseason, it might become easier to decide if he's passed Sengun yet.

Still a ways to go

Nikola Jokic: It's hard to make the claim that Sengun is close to the three-time MVP, but he's certainly making his best effort. However, when Sengun and Jokic squared off in Eurobasket 2025, Sengun outplayed his rival, dropping 28 points, 13 rebounds and 8 assists en route to a victory over Jokic's team, while Jokic dropped 22 points, 9 rebounds and 4 assists.

Sengun has work to do in terms of catching Jokic, but for now, he's doing everything he can.