OKC Thunder: Trading Alperen Sengun was greatest miscue of offseason

Sengun offered an immediate response to critics in Summer League

The early returns on Sengun suggest he’ll easily outperform his 16th selection. I’m not suggesting he’ll Pelton’s top selection will prove prophetic but it wouldn’t be surprising if he makes the All-Rookie first team. Yeah, he’s that impressive.

Presti spoke of the Thunder’s good fortune to obtain two first-round picks for a prospect outside the lottery. While that would typically be true if Sengun delivers to the level yours truly and others project for him, the Rockets will be the ones patting themselves on the back.

To that end, the center was among the standouts at Vegas delivering above expectations.  Summer League is by no means a harbinger of seasonal stats but it does offer insight. Some prospects have terrible SL performances that aren’t reflective of their capabilities.

For example, Trae Young’s Vegas experienced was horrific as he shot 25 percent from the field and 18 percent from deep.  In contrast, there are rookies who’ve excelled at Summer League but never witnessed the same success in their pro careers.

Sengun falls into the latter category. Most projected a Rockets rookie would be a standout (Jalen Green) but few nabbed Sengun to be among the leaders. Moreover, the center delivered in ways scouts projected were his greatest weaknesses.

Perimeter shooting and defense were cited as concerns but Sengun shot 37.5 from deep on 2.0 attempts and 43.2 percent from the field. There were some defensive miscues but he delivered a plus 5.0 and in general was more effective than expected.

While he got to the line an average of seven times per game he shot a meager 60.7 percent. That and his 2.5 turnovers were the only weaknesses on an otherwise spectacular debut.