Alperen Sengun was voted the NBA's most overrated player in The Athletic's anonymous player poll (subscription required) recently. The Milwaukee Bucks should take note of that, given that the Rocket is a player many have said could be a centerpiece of a potential Giannis Antetokounmpo trade. That should not be in the cards, especially after this.
Players make their Sengun stance clear
Is Sengun a good player? Yes. Is he somewhat overrated? Yes, and his peers agree. The big man ran away with the most overrated poll, earning 12.9 percent of the vote. The next closest players on the poll were Rudy Gobert and Trae Young at 8.9 percent. The rest of the NBA has made its stance very clear on Houston's rising big man.
So, what is the issue? Senguin is a nice player due to his passing and scoring capabilities, but one of his biggest drawbacks is his defense. He's often a liability on that end, putting the Rockets in difficult positions time and time again. He's also wildly inconsistent at times, clouding his true impact. He's a nice player, but some hailing him as one of the best centers in the NBA is a stretch.
Some would say that the big man having two All-Star nods is mind-boggling. Not all of the best have a strong defensive acumen—Nikola Jokic, someone Sengun has been compared to, stands out like a sore thumb in this regard. Jokic isn't a standout defender, but he makes up for that by being one of the best offensive engines the NBA has ever seen. Sengun is nowhere near that.
Bucks should steer clear of Sengun in trade
If the Milwaukee Bucks start dangling Giannis Antetokounmpo in trade talks, which could very well happen soon, Sengun should not be high on their wish list. While the 23-year-old still has plenty of untapped potential, this poll speaks for itself. He's not the type of player that his peers think should be built around, clearly.
Ironically, the Rockets have another piece on their roster who would be far more captivating in Amen Thompson. He's the type of two-way wing that teams are starved for in today's NBA and looks like a star in the making. If Milwaukee is talking to Houston about the Greek Freak, trying to get Thompson in return would make far more sense than Sengun to most.
The Bucks need their next franchise cornerstone if they trade Giannis, and there are plenty of question marks regarding whether Sengun can be that.
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