OKC Thunder: Giddey stays in top 5 of TI’s week 3 rookie ladder
Rockets – Alperen Sengun
Alperen Sengun leads rookies with 1.7 steals per game. While Jalen Green is the Rockets rookie drawing all the attention I stick by my pre-draft opinion that Sengun is going to be a serviceable player in this league.
I’ve been more impressed by his efforts on the court despite his limited19.3 minutes per game than the more widely featured Jalen Green. If we compare these two from a per 36-minute stats once again, it’s telling…
| Rk | Player | FG | FGA | FG% | 3PA | 3P% | 2P% | FTA | FT% | ORB | DRB | TRB | AST | STL | BLK | PTS |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Jalen Green | 5.3 | 14.9 | .353 | 7.8 | .286 | .429 | 3.4 | .733 | 0.3 | 3.1 | 3.5 | 3.4 | 0.9 | 0.4 | 15.2 |
| 2 | Alperen Şengün | 5.4 | 11.6 | .468 | 2.2 | .417 | .480 | 7.8 | .667 | 2.2 | 6.0 | 8.2 | 4.5 | 3.2 | 0.9 | 17.0 |
Provided by Stathead.com: View Stathead Tool Used
Generated 11/9/2021.
Since Green is already playing 32.2 minutes per game his stats aren’t much different from what he’s delivering already. But look how different Sengun’s production shifts in this scenario. Note how his efficiency equates to higher scoring than Green on fewer shots.
Playing on a team like the Rockets who have gunners like Green, Porter Jr., and a currently disenchanted Christian Wood (due to his limited touches) it speaks volumes that Sengun isn’t trying to force his shots or play the ‘my turn’ game with the rest of them. Instead, he’s impacting the game on both sides of the floor.
In the above scenario, he outperforms Green in virtually every category. What jumps off the page is when viewed on an even scale it’s Sengun who impacts all areas of the game — perhaps highlighting he’s more invested in team play than individual success. Green may develop into a player with these attributes but for now, it’s the big man who offers the greater intrigue.
Sengun will forever be a player I wish the OKC Thunder had kept instead of trading but Jeremiah Robinson-Earl may surprise and develop into a quality talent. Or the draft picks the OKC Thunder VP, Sam Presti got in exchange could pan out. We’ll have to wait years to see if it was the right decision.