I’m from Bandırma, Turkey. Most of you probably don’t know where it is. However, I was fortunate enough to watch Alperen Şengün when he was a teenager. He was a part of the youth academy of Banvit, which was one of the most formidable academies at the time. The U16 team completely dominated the league, and Alperen emerged as the leader of that team. They lost just one game throughout the entire season and convincingly won the final match against Anadolu Efes, securing the championship title. Even at that time, Alperen showcased his skills as a prominent big man and was named MVP. It’s worth mentioning that many players from that team have now become significant figures in the local league as well.
In the following season, Alperen and several others transitioned to regular players on the main roster, with Alperen often being part of the starting five at the age of 17. However, the outbreak of the pandemic disrupted the league, preventing its completion. Unfortunately, Banvit, once a competitive club in both the local league and European tournaments, had to cease operations due to financial difficulties. During his brief tenure in the Banvit main roster, Alperen already displayed his promising abilities as a big man.
Seeing him perform as an NBA star brings me immense joy because the entire audience in Bandırma anticipated this outcome.
What were sengun’s most prominent basketball skills when you watched him play in Turkey? What has sengun improved upon or developed since joining the NBA?
He was an incredible finisher, adept at executing various plays such as the dream shake, post spin layup, and powerful dunks over opponents. While he wasn’t a poor shooter, his shooting ability was more average; nevertheless, he constantly endeavored to enhance it (but he also added those weird looking floaters in his arsenal in the NBA). Surprisingly, he never truly showcased his passing skills, despite possessing soft hands and the capability to distribute the ball. He typically functioned as the finisher, occupying the role of the final man in plays. So the biggest surprise for me is his passing skills undoubtedly, especially those flashy passes. While most discussions revolve around his defensive improvements, which are accurate, it’s important to note his perennial agility; in fact, he was a proficient defender during his time in Europe.
It’s worth noting that when he was younger (around 13-14 years old), he wasn’t considered a significant prospect. He was actually behind several other big men in the academy. For instance, he didn’t get many opportunities to play for the Turkish national youth teams. However, he made incredible progress, and it was consistently mentioned that he was a remarkably hardworking individual.