Alperen Şengün and Mehmet Okur: Did Alperen Walk Through the Door Memo Opened?

As Turks, when we look at this issue, there is always a comparison instinct inside us. And that comparison inevitably leads to one name: Mehmet Okur. We watched his NBA journey as it happened, and we still remember what it felt like when he became an NBA All-Star. But the real question is this: is Alperen truly the continuation of Memo’s story, or is he something entirely different?

I already looked at the “overrated” debate around Alperen Şengün from another angle, but this comparison with Mehmet Okur opens a different question: not whether Alperen is overrated, but what kind of NBA player he actually is. ( Alperen Şengün on the “Most Overrated” List: Are They Right or Wrong? >> )

When I look at the Basketball-Reference numbers, the picture is quite clear. In Memo’s brightest seasons — 2005-06 and 2006-07 — he had four games in each season where he scored 30 or more points. In 2008-09, the period around his All-Star-level recognition, he did it only once: that legendary 43-point night against the Indiana Pacers. We are talking about one peak night across an entire season.

Memo’s Real Value Was Different

Memo’s real value was somewhere else. Before the injuries, he was consistently able to stay around the 20-point range throughout a season. That is not something to dismiss. On the contrary, it deserves respect. But the NBA of that era was a different league. It was a time dominated by players like Shaq, Dwight Howard, and Amar’e Stoudemire, where interior power meant almost everything. A big man who could stretch the floor was valuable, but he was usually a complementary piece.

Memo gave a lot to his team, but he was not the main subject of the offense. The offensive system was not built around him.

Alperen’s Role Is Structurally Different

What Alperen is doing is structurally different. When the Houston Rockets take the floor, their half-court offense often flows through Alperen. The ball frequently goes through him, and his teammates move as if they are playing next to a point guard in the body of a center. He can battle with some of the best big men in the world under the rim, regardless of name, and he can also pass, read the game, and make decisions.

Being a clutch shooter matters. Memo’s “money man” identity was a real skill, and it was not fake. But the point is not simply being able to shoot. The real question is whether you are the decision-making center of the offense. Kyle Korver was also an incredible shooter, but nobody called him a franchise player, because he was never the one holding the ball, shaping the possession, and forcing the defense to react to him.

That is exactly what Alperen represents: a player who holds the ball, defines the set, and has to be accounted for on every possession. Memo opened a door for us. Alperen walked through that door and entered a completely different room.

Respecting Memo While Understanding Alperen

Saying this does not mean disrespecting Memo. He did what could be done within the possibilities of his era, and he left the first real Turkish mark in the NBA. But seeing the difference between generations requires honesty toward both Memo and Alperen.

And as a Turk, I am proud of both of them. Without the path opened by one, the story of the other would have been much harder to write.