Turkey remained undefeated in the EuroBasket after steamrolling past Estonia on Monday, 84-64. With Houston Rockets center Alperen Sengun leading the charge, the squad improved to 4-0 and is currently tied with Serbia for the top spot in Group A.
Sengun has been nothing but dominant for Turkey, with team-highs of 20.0 points, 8.8 rebounds, 6.5 assists, and 1.0 blocks per game. They are already assured of a spot in the knockout stage.
His strong showing in the tournament should bode well for him as he enters his fifth year in the NBA. He is coming off a breakout campaign, wherein he made his first All-Star Game and helped the Rockets to the second seed in the Western Conference.
There's no way but up for Sengun, and Turkey coach Ergin Ataman stressed that the Rockets star is not resting on his laurels.
“Alperen right now has very important qualities and advantages. He’s reached an elite level. Over the last two seasons, he has played outstandingly in the NBA. He narrowly missed the All-Star Game one season and then made it the next, becoming the most important player for the Houston Rockets. That shows his capacity,” said Ataman in a report from Eurohoops.net's Semih Tuna.
“But he’s still only 23–24, hungry, and loves the game. He doesn’t treat basketball as just a profession—he truly enjoys it. He also spent most of his career in Turkey and has always played for the national team.”
Sengun is hoping to lead Turkey to its first title in the EuroBasket. The team's highest finish is a runner-up finish in 2001. At that time, Sengun was only a year old.
Now, he is widely considered one of the best young big men today. Ataman added that his prized center exudes confidence, which can be traced to his genuine passion for the game.
“What I see is that Alperen simply enjoys playing. NBA, national team, practice—it doesn’t matter. He’d enjoy playing even on the street with kids. That’s a huge trait,” noted the three-time EuroLeague champion coach.
Sengun is eager to bounce back in the NBA after the Rockets fell to the Golden State Warriors in the first round of the playoffs. With his continued improvement and the arrival of star Kevin Durant, things are looking up in Clutch City.
