Shane Larkin praises Vasilije Micic, Alperen Sengun / News - Basketnews.com

Shane Larkin, the team captain of Anadolu Efes Istanbul, praised his former teammates Vasilije Micic and Alperen Sengun, who both compete in the NBA.

Credit: Patrick Albertini/Euroleague Basketball via Getty Images Credit Patrick Albertini/Euroleague Basketball via Getty Images

Since first coming to Turkiye in 2018 to join Anadolu Efes Istanbul, Shane Larkin became very well integrated into the country, receiving a Turkish passport to play for the national team and becoming an integral part of both Turkiye and Anadolu Efes.

Vasilije Micic

Team:Charlotte HornetsPosition:PG, SGAge:30Height:195 cmWeight:92 kgBirth place:Kraljevo, SerbiaProfileNewsStatistics

Although he is no longer playing for the national team and currently plays in a much different Efes than before, Larkin still supports his former teammates from both teams, namely Vasilije Micic and Alperen Sengun.

"Vasilije Micic has a very special gift in passing the ball. That’s what I saw very early on. Somebody that was a bigger guard that was able to defend, post-up, make plays…" Larkin praised his former teammate in an interview with Basketball Sphere.

"The thing that stood out to me at first was how he was able to pass the ball. As time developed, he grew more confident, and he got more freedom from coach [Ergin] Ataman. Then we started to see how he was able to score the ball. Every year, he took a step forward in terms of his scoring ability, and that's what turned him into one of the best players in Europe," the American guard explained how Micic developed into an elite guard.

"He never lost his ability to pass, but then when he added that ability to go out there and score 25, 26, 27, 30 points on any given night, that's what made him very difficult to guard," Larkin continued. "You had to pick your poison. Did you want him to score the ball, or did you want to commit more guys to him, and then he was going to find other guys for open shots?"

Shane Larkin then explained what made the two of them one of the best guard duos in EuroLeague history, which propelled Efes to back-to-back championships.

"That's what made Vasa so special, and that was probably part of the reason why we were such a great team," the captain said. "We all kind of grew, developed, and added different aspects to our game on a daily basis to grow and play off one another, just push each other to be the best players that we all eventually became."

Vasilije Micic

MIN:13.81PTS:4.3 (46.29%)REB:1As:3.11ST:0.3BL:0.08TO:1.11GM:37ProfileNBA2023/2024

The Anadolu Efes captain also provided a brief overview of Micic's NBA career, which started off with the Oklahoma City Thunder, where the player did not find enough opportunities.

"It's definitely not what he expected when he signed with the Oklahoma City Thunder. I'm sure they were telling him that he was going to play backup minutes every single night, 15-20 minutes, play with the ball, play more freely, play exactly how he played in Europe," Larkin guessed. "I think it took him some time to find his feet in the NBA because it’s a completely different style of basketball."

"I know Vasa as an extremely hard worker. He watches film, he's always in the gym working on different dribble moves and different shots, so it's not about his talent or his drive," the captain stated. "It's more about some of his opportunities."

It's always difficult to be traded in the middle of the season in the NBA, but I think this move for him to the Charlotte Hornets from the Oklahoma City Thunder is going to give him the opportunity that he needs to get on the floor and show what he can do. In Charlotte now, he has had multiple games with six or more assists," the guard said.

"He had a great game against the Los Angeles Clippers with 18 points and nine assists, so I think it's all about his opportunity," Larkin stated about Micic's NBA career game. The more opportunity he gets, the more aggressive he’s going to be able to become, and I hope coaches will allow him to make mistakes that he needs to make in order to learn and gain that experience," he hoped.

"If he can do that, then he has a great opportunity to create a good role for himself in the NBA because he is a 6'3 point guard who can shoot, dribble, pass, and defend. He is one of those guys who is very versatile, and that is what the NBA is all about now."

The former Turkiye player also praised Alperen Sengun, the 2002-born Turkish center who is making a name for himself playing for the Houston Rockets in the NBA.

"In his third year, he's been showing a lot of potential, and I see the comparisons. [Nikola] Jokic can get the rebound, push the ball all the way down the court, and make a play, whether it's scoring or passing the ball. He always makes the right read, and Sengun has a lot of those same abilities," said Larkin.

"He can rebound, shoot, pass, play with his back to the basket, and has a high basketball IQ, [is] very strong under the basket, and has a good touch," the American guard praised Sengun. "Alperen has great potential to be one of the better big guys in the NBA because he has that versatility."

"He is very young, 21 or 22, so he has plenty of time to continue to work on his game. If he can find those traits that he is good at soon and [turn them into] great attributes, he can be an All-NBA type of player. The guy who is in the All-Star game all the time," explained Larkin.

"He can lead the Houston Rockets or any team that he is on into the playoffs and have success there. He has to continue to be on that track of Jokic or [Domantas] Sabonis, a big guy who can do a little bit of everything. He's got to be that leader his team needs him to be," the American encouraged his former teammate.

For his part, Larkin is having a great season, averaging 17.6 points, 3 rebounds, and 5.3 assists per game. He has the second-highest PIR average of the EuroLeague with 20.8.

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