Alperen Sengun Needs To Be The Sacramento Kings Selection At 9
The 9th pick in the NBA Draft isn’t as glamorous as the 1st. No team strives for a mid-lottery selection. Sacramento, which have had a long history of losing, isn’t in a great position to win games. A lot of question marks remain for the roster. The team still needs to make a selection at 9. Despite what fans may think, the Kings need to shoot for the stars and take a risk.
Who of all the potential lottery selections has the biggest risk/reward potential? Alperen Sengun is that guy by a wide margin. He’s been said to have the potential of MVP, Nikola Jokic. Sengun was the Turkish League MVP, posting 19 points and 9 rebounds. This was against competition older, more experienced than him. While the NBA will prove to be much more of a challenge, doesn’t it seem fitting for a team such as Sacramento, who needs to find impact guys, take a giant risk?
Sengun has former Sacramento Kings GM, Vlade Divac, written all over him. Had Divac still been the GM, there’d be little doubt he’d be the selection. Monte McNair might not be as favorable on the European’s as Divac was. McNair also nailed his first draft as Kings GM. He’s going to do his due diligence on this. That’s why, unlike Divac, Kings fans need to trust McNair when the selection is Sengun.
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Here’s where Kings fans are going to scoff at this selection. Sengun, while promising, isn’t going to be an instant All-Star right away. Jokic, a 2nd rnd pick, had the time to develop as a draft-and-stash. Sengun will be in the NBA right away. With Sacramento’s uncertainty as to HC, Luke Walton, and his status for the future, can Sengun’s developmental path become a success for the Kings? Again, that’s the big issue facing Sacramento.
The status of the Sacramento frontcourt isn’t crystal clear. Marvin Bagley wants a trade. Richuan Holmes wants a big deal. Who’s left? Chimezie Metu? He’s an option, not a superstar. Hassan Whiteside? He never played even with injuries to the roster, and a FA this off-season. Damion Jones? I honestly have no clue what his status is. Point being, Sengun, if drafted, will need to be put into a role at the beginning of his career. That’s either good or bad. With that being said, you can’t pass on the talent.
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When you’re being compared to the NBA MVP, you need to be taken seriously. Sengun can shoot from 3, defend and block shots, and sports a very healthy FT percentage. He’s also 18 playing in and dominating, a professional league. With that will come high expectations. He could end up being the Kings next to Georgios Papagiannis or Willie Cauley-Stein. Yet, none of them were ever compared to an NBA MVP. (At least with so much certainty)
It’s very easy for Sacramento fans to throw out the idea of Sengun. If a player like Moses Moody is there, that’ll be tough for fans to swallow seeing as the team needs shooting and defense from the wing (assuming Delon Wright and Terracne Davis situation, and Buddy Hield). If you’re McNair, you can swing for the fences. In fact, it should be encouraged. You hit a grand slam with Tyrese Haliburton. Fans need to have some confidence. Alperen Sengun isn’t a player to pass over for the fear he’s not going to live up to expectations. You take the best player available regardless of team need. The last thing anyone in Sacramento wants is a Luka Doncic/Marvin Bagley repeat.
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Daniel is a guru of baseball and basketball prospects. He’s a very experienced Amusement Park traveler as well. Follow him and his hot takes on Insta @dgentleman9288
