“How Are They Gonna Guard Me?”: First Time All Star Alperen Sengun on Playing Joel Embiid and Nikola Jokic

One of the best Turkish players in the league, Alperen Sengun, has amazed the NBA world and fans with his rapid evolution. In an age where centers are seeing increased workload and attention, Sengun has already made a name for himself. His stat sheet shows numbers that put him on the list of basketball greats like Oscar Robertson, Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, Wilt Chamberlain, and more. And it must be this evolution that has done wonders for the shift in his mentality.

Alperen Sengun talks about the change in his train of thought

The youngest player to win the Basketball Super League’s MVP (18 years), Sengun was traded to the Houston Rockets by Oklahoma in 2021. One of the best decisions by Houston, no doubt. While his first year with the franchise didn’t see anything jump out, from the 2022-23 season, the 6’11 center showcased a drastic change. And it wasn’t just the numbers that changed.

Talking to JJ Reddick on The Old Man and The Three podcast, Sengun says, “I was thinking like, ‘how I’m gonna guard them,’ but now I’m thinking like, ‘how are they gonna guard me?'”

His answer to Reddick’s question of whether it’s exciting playing against dominant centers of the NBA now, like Joel Embiid, Domantas Sabonis, and Nikola Jokic, shows just how much confidence he’s gained. And this is only his third season! In his rookie season, Sengun had 9.6 points, 2.6 assists, and 5.5 rebounds per game. The next year he averaged 14.8 points, 3.9 assists, and 9.0 rebounds per game.

He has heard himself being called “Baby Jokic,” since his days in Europe. So while it was great to have a skill set that is on par with one of the NBA’s dominant big men, Alperen is more invested in carving a niche for himself. Or like the 21-year-old puts it, “getting your own space or spot in the NBA” would be even better.

Read More: Is Alperen Sengun Already Better Than a 21-Year-Old Nikola Jokic Whom He Idolizes?

The first-time All-Star’s improvement has to do with his hard work. He said as much in the show when he referred to the hard work he put in during the summer. But Houston put in their fair share of work too, to help the budding superstar reach for the sky.

The Rockets and a “really hard summer” got Sengun to give his best

Even though he’s moved to the USA to play in the NBA, Alperen Sengun remains true to his roots. He represents the Turkish national team in international basketball tournaments. And that’s where he usually spends time in the summer. But this time, Sengun decided to focus on individual workouts before joining the Olympic pre-qualifying games in August 2023.

Talking about his summer, he recounts, “I worked really hard this summer … Like [working on getting] more physical, my shooting, everything.” But that was not all. The Rockets themselves decided on a big change. The franchise decided to bring in Coach Ime Udoka to train their team. Known throughout the league for his hard-nosed coaching style, Sengun felt at home with Udoka.

He mentioned how European coaches train the players in a similar style. So, to have a tough coach push you in every way motivated him, in turn, to push himself. “There’s not many coaches like Ime, but Ime is like how I want to be coached,” he affirmed. Right now, the Turkish big man is averaging 22.1 points, 9.2 rebounds, and 5.1 assists per game and can give any top names in the league a run for their money.

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