Shaquille O’Neal claimed on TNT that Alperen Sengun makes him think of Pau Gasol.
Some of the most admired players in the NBA today are fluid big men who can walk outside of the paint and put the ball on the floor. The groundwork for Nikola Jokic, Joel Embiid, and now Alperen Sengun of the Houston Rockets was built by Dirk Nowitzki and Kevin Garnett.
Shaquille O’Neal, a conventional big man who controlled nearly entirely within the paint while putting his back to the hoop, has long been a favorite of traditional, dominating centers.
Shaq heaps praise on Sengun
But Shaq seems intrigued by Sengun, and the NBA great was praising one of the league’s most promising young centers. Shaq said,
“You know I like a big man with feetwork. A guy that does it all. You know, he would be considered a high-value ‘other,'” “He does all the little things.”
“He reminds me of a young Pau Gasol when he first came in, really fundamentally sound…I really like this guy, I would like to see him on a better team,” “If he was on like an LA or like a team that has a lot of talent around him, they would definitely do well.”
https://twitter.com/NBAonTNT/status/1762701649317917074
Despite playing beside two top-three picks in Jalen Green and Jabari Smith Jr., Sengun has been Houston’s finest player this year. It’s easy to argue that Houston’s youthful core is loaded with potential, even with rookies Cam Whitmore and Amen Thompson included. Sengun is a fringe All-Star, while neither of them is.
Shaq, though, believes Sengun should win right away.
