Or is it just a EuroBasket mirage?

Alperen Sengun is currently in the running for best player in the EuroBasket competition. Considering that the competition features two former NBA MVPs, various top draft picks, and Skinny Luka, that’s saying something.

Sengun (the announcers seem to have gotten a memo about how his name is pronounced, and perhaps about effort, and preparation) has followed up his efforts in Turkey’s unexpected beatdown of Kristaps Porzingis’ Latvia with further beatings of Poland and the Czech Republic. While Czechia doesn’t have much in the way of top drawer talent, they were willing to give Turks a good fight, it seems. Portugal? Well, they do have the 2023-24 NBA Champion Boston Celtics’ starting center playing for them.

In a hard fought game against Czechia, Alpie had 14pts/12rbs/9ast/1blk/2stl in 28 minutes. He shot 8/9 from the field, and 7/10 from the free throw line, and had three turnovers. Turkey managed a 92-78 win over the Czechs in a game that was fairly close until the end, when Turkey broke it open.

Against Portugal, Alpie simply romped in the first half of a 41 point blowout. He didn’t play in the second half, because he crushed Portugal almost single handed in the first half. His line from this game? 20pts/7rb/5ast in 20 minutes. He shot 9/13 from the field, but this is somewhat misleading as he missed two three point attempts (sadly). So his non three-point attempts were 9/11. He went 2/2 from the free throw line. What he also did was something we hadn’t seen a lot of in the first two games: dunked. Sengun simply drove and threw it down from everywhere, including outside the three point line.

When Portugal rotated nearly the whole team over to attempt to stop that, he dimed teammates cutting to the basket. He made hit ahead passes, almost full court, for layups, and behind the back passes for dunks. The whole Sengun highlight reel was on display, with the added element of, well, throwing it down. Dunking is something I’d like to see him do more of in the NBA. Dunk attempts by bigs typically either go in, or send that player to the free throw line. I love those clever layups, and the gorgeous footwork, but I like dunks a lot, too.

Turkey continues its group stage play on Labor Day against the Estonians in Riga, Latvia. I think we can expect a largely pro Estonian crowd. Turkey has already made the knockout stage of EuroBasket in Group A (which includes Nikola Jokic’s Serbia). Will the Turks rest players in anticipation of their game against Serbia on Wednesday? They might.

Alperen Sengun has looked dominant in every phase of the game, so far. The first real test may come on Wednesday against Serbia. If he keeps up the same level of incredible, and incredibly efficient play, we need to start paying even closer attention. Serbia is a team that, with Jokic, pushed Team USA to the brink in the Olympics, with the USA saved mostly by Steph Curry heroics (for once breaking someone’s heart besides mine). A great game, if not win, from Sengun will tell us something.

So far Sengun has looked markedly stronger, quicker and more decisive playing with his national team. I hope the Rockets are taking notes, seeing how Turkey sets Sengun up to succeed. The system Turkey plays isn’t especially different from the Rockets, but it does feature a lot more decisive cuts to the rim, not when Sengun is stuck, but when he’s working his defender at the basket. Alpie turned 23 a little over a month ago. A breakout season at this age, in his 5th NBA season (again, at only 23) wouldn’t be surprising at all. Let’s see if EuroBasket presages what might be coming in the NBA. The knockout stages await.