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Alperen Sengün Topped The Athletic’s Overrated Player Poll

5/7/2026

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Summary

Story summary

Alperen Sengün was voted the most overrated player in The Athletic poll, earning 12.3% of the vote.
Rudy Gobert and Trae Young received 8.6% of the vote, second in the overrated category.
Jalen Johnson and Derrick White earned six votes as the poll’s most underrated players.
Sengün averaged 20.4 points, 8.9 rebounds and 6.2 assists, then posted 20.3 points, 10.2 rebounds and 4.7 assists in the loss to the Lakers.

History

Historical Context

In 1996 the Lakers traded Vlade Divac for the 13th-overall pick that became Kobe Bryant, a high-school draftee who later led the team to three straight titles (2000-02). His 81-point game in 2006 cemented a reputation for turning modest draft status into global stardom. Today's poll of overrated and underrated players mirrors that hype-cycle, urging clubs to probe deeper before committing resources.

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Story summary

Alperen Sengün was voted the most overrated player in The Athletic poll, earning 12.3% of the vote.
Rudy Gobert and Trae Young received 8.6% of the vote, second in the overrated category.
Jalen Johnson and Derrick White earned six votes as the poll’s most underrated players.
Sengün averaged 20.4 points, 8.9 rebounds and 6.2 assists, then posted 20.3 points, 10.2 rebounds and 4.7 assists in the loss to the Lakers.

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