Alperen Sengun has been on the rise in Houston, but EuroBasket has pushed him right back into the center of conversation. The Turkish big man is doing it all for his team, recently becoming the youngest player ever to record a EuroBasket triple-double. If that doesn’t deserve conversation, what does?
Last season, Sengun averaged 19.1 points, 10.3 rebounds and 4.9 assists on 49.6 percent shooting, which earned him his first All-Star selection. Still, the debate continues over whether he belongs alongside the very best bigs in the game, especially with guys like Nikola Jokic, Joel Embiid, Victor Wembanyama, Rudy Gobert, Chet Holmgren, Anthony Davis and some others you’d consider centers.
For former NBA center and current analyst Kendrick Perkins, though, there is not much debate left. He is not waiting for another season of growth to provide clarity. In his view, Sengun is already a top five center in the NBA.
“He is a top 5 big in the NBA…Not just because of the points, not just because of the rebounds & the assists, but he actually plays defense at a high level.”
Perkins says Şengün’s ability to defend at a high level makes him a top-5 big
“He is a top 5 big in the NBA…Not just because of the points, not just because of the rebounds & the assists, but he actually plays defense at a high level.”
— NBACentral (@TheDunkCentral) September 11, 2025
