Given the competition in the West, Alperen Sengun will have a hard time securing a spot in the All-Star Game. He will therefore undoubtedly have to wait before evolving alongside the man to whom he was quickly compared, Nikola Jokic. Guest of JJ Redickthe Turk admitted that he was touched by this nickname of “Baby Jokic”, but he hopes to one day surpass it.
“I’m still young, but at some point, yes…” he replies. “What they mean is that my game is similar to his. It's true that we have a bit of the same game. When someone told me that the first time, it sounded better. But in the NBA we try to make our own name. Of course, when he retires or when he's older, and I'm older, I wouldn't want people to still call me “Baby Jokic.” For now, it's okay, because it's like I'm a baby… But when I grow up, I don't want to hear that anymore. »
Similar passage times
To gauge this comparison, you just need to remember the stats of Nikola Jokic, in his 3rd year with the Nuggets. Then aged 23, he averaged 18.5 points, 10.7 rebounds and 6.1 assists per game. In fact, Alperen Sengun is in his 3rd year in the NBA, and at 21 years old, he is averaging 24.3 points, 10.1 rebounds and 5.6 assists.
To confirm his progress, Alperen Sengun can count on the confidence of his coach, his leaders, but also on the advice of Tiago Splitter and teammates who encourage him to let go even more, and to be less hard on himself .
Because if he no longer wants to be considered a “baby”, he will have to learn to better control his emotions.
“When I miss an easy shot, it really drives me crazy” he admits. “But Fred (VanVleet) said to me, 'Who cares? Everyone misses shots!' I tell him that I know I can put them on… That's why it really drives me crazy, and I'm really trying to progress in this area. »
