When the Houston Rockets landed Alperen Sengun within the 2021 NBA Draft, many across the league thought they stumbled into luck.
However in response to Rockets common supervisor Rafael Stone, there was no luck concerned.
“We positively noticed it,” Stone mentioned about Sengun’s potential. “We traded two first-round picks to get him, so we wouldn’t have finished that if we didn’t see any individual who could possibly be this kind of impactful participant. Alperen, he was the MVP of that league at 18. The one two individuals who had comparable success in top-tier leagues are Jokic and Luka. So I believed that was a great indicator and simply watched the movie, like he simply does particular stuff.”
Sengun’s journey to the NBA had already proven indicators of greatness. By age 16, he was taking part in professionally for Bandirma Kirmizi within the Turkish second division.
Inside two years, he was dominating the Turkish Tremendous League. In 2021, at solely 18 years previous, Sengun averaged 19.2 factors, 9.4 rebounds, 2.5 assists, 1.3 steals, and 1.7 blocks throughout 29 video games for Besiktas, incomes league MVP honors.
“It was powerful, it was COVID. I by no means met him in particular person as a result of he couldn’t. However yeah, he was simply an enormous goal,” Stone defined “We picked Jalen, after which beginning at decide 6, I used to be throwing. We had been attempting to come back out of the draft with these two guys. I began throwing stuff to different groups, attempting to commerce up all the best way. Instantly after we made our first decide, we had been attempting to get him, and we had been fortunate we received him.”
That dedication has paid off. Sengun turned an All-Star in his third season and averaged a double-double final 12 months for the primary time in his NBA profession. Wanting again, Houston’s gamble stands out as among the best strikes of the 2021 draft.
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