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The 2021 NBA draft will take place Thursday, July 29 with the Detroit Pistons holding the No. 1 pick. The Houston Rockets, Cleveland Cavaliers, Toronto Raptors and Orlando Magic round out the top five selections.
We take a look at some of the prospects available in this draft, gauge their strengths, weaknesses, NBA comparisons and best landing spot within the player’s projected draft range. Here’s a breakdown for Besiktas big man Alperen Sengun.
Strengths
Sengun runs the floor well for a big man and is very athletic when he gets to top speed. His ability to attack the basket is great and he can score or distribute off the drive. Sengun has great footwork in the post and can develop into a strong paint scorer over time. The development curve is exciting at 18. He won the Turkish League MVP award, which is no joke.
Weaknesses
The lack of an outside shot is concerning given how the NBA operates today, but Sengun did shoot well enough from the free throw line to justify talk of him eventually becoming passable from deep. On the defensive end, Sengun is not going to be able to handle bigs unless he bulks up, but that could take away from his explosiveness.
Player Comparison
Sengun compares well to Domantas Sabonis. The latter was a bouncy big man who had a strong interior game and eventually developed an outside shot. Sengun has the fundamentals to be a useful role player right away and could potentially develop into a big-time offensive option.
Best Landing Spot
A player of Sengun’s caliber usually goes in the lottery, but there’s always a concern about drafting foreign players high. The San Antonio Spurs are an exception to that rule and could scoop up Sengun if they think he’s the foundation for the next franchise dynasty. The Indiana Pacers are another option. The Charlotte Hornets and New Orleans Pelicans are also intriguing landing spots, but San Antonio would be the best place for Sengun.