OKC Thunder: Trading Alperen Sengun was greatest miscue of offseason

OKC Thunder will regret this trade

For the Rockets the best takeaway will be his consistency and the plethora of skills he brings to the court.  Sengun landed on many leader boards in various categories. Specifically, he ranked fifth in rebounding – –  the highest of any rookie on the list.

Furthermore, his 3.0 blocks per game placed him in a third-place tie with fellow rookie Isaiah Jackson and Pistons’ Sekou Doumbouya. Overall he ranked 15th in rookie scoring with only two centers scoring more and was the only rookie to average a double-double.

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It’s important to not put too much credence in a handful of games as many rookies take time to adapt to the blistering pace of the pros. Helping Sengun is he’s used to playing against men and that likely gave him an advantage playing clubs primarily comprised of other rookies coming from the NCAA.

The youngster will now take the remainder of the offseason preparing for the season and working on Stephen Silas’ system. Houston has to be thrilled by his overall performance in Vegas and how he impacted the game in various ways.

If he delivers a similar effort in season, it will be a huge victory for the Rockets who had the foresight to trade for him. On the other side of the equation, Sam Presti won’t be judged on the trade, at least entirely, until those two picks are conveyed.

Fans will become familiar with a unique free throw routine by the center. Sengun whispers to the ball prior to shooting. I wonder when the Rockets and Thunder play if those words will be something along the lines of “Mr. Presti — you made a huge mistake!”