[ClutchFans] Why Alperen Sengun will come off the bench

You are obviously not a Rockets fan

 

I don't like it, it's an Anti-Tank move.

Sengun's lack of defense is one of the things that should help us get another early lotto pick .... long with resting Bari for a sore toe and sending Tari to the G-League for the duration because they aren't gonna cooperate with the tank commander.

(That's sarcasm you knuckleheads)


But seriously. I've always said he's a "first big off the bench" type of guy .... he should thrive in that role.
This somewhat hides his defensive inadequacies and lets him be the hub of the offense against other teams second units - win win.

 

Let's see how it unfolds. Give it at least ten games. I don't want to lose the attention of talented players but if he stays engaged and they actually run some offensive plays through him(mid-high post, pnr etc) in theory this may work. His minutes definitely have to hover around 30 and not 20 to keep him invested and benefit the team. Down the road a mature Alperun or a more talented player will be needed to push us further but we aren't there yet.

 

pls tell us how many games the Rockets won when your KPJ scored 25+, or 30+. out of how many games. please enlighten us.

 

I can see the reasoning, it's not really a Bruno vs Sengun thing. Green is the most important creator on the team and you really only need one other person on the floor eating up a lot of usage doing that especially since Jabari - while not eating up usage - will definitely demand a good number of shots. Sengun needs the ball to be effective that's unfortunately where his game is at.

It's frustrating because I'm just excited for Sengun's imminent emergence but if we are being fair, KPJ outperformed Sengun handily in preseason and every whisper we heard out of training camp. If someone is going to be that second creator right now and our goal is to win from this point onwards, then KPJ has earned it. Signing one of the most team-friendly deals in NBA history I'm sure helped KPJ's case too.

The game is half offense and half defense. This preseason, Sengun did not distinguish himself on offense from KPJ's impact and you can easily make the case KPJ was better. To add to that, on defense KPJ is a net positive while Sengun did not change my confidence in his defense one bit as I had hoped.

My personal opinion is they're letting KPJ run too much of the offense. They should move him off ball more and at this experience level for all 3 players, they should each get about 20-40% of creating duties. That should work. However I can see how this will help Sengun and I think this kick in the butt is going to motivate him a lot to work on his defense and 3pt shot. I just don't know about the strategy of telling him he's the starter all preseason until just before opening night, it's going to take a minute for him to get over that but what comes after that can only be good for everyone.

I see Sengun starting before the end of this season though. He's too big an offensive talent once his 3pt shot starts falling, it will dwarf defensive mediocrity. Green should aim to score, and I don't think KPJ is excellent (yet) at feeding everyone else. We may find that due to their mix of talent, KPJ and Green is not the right mix to run a whole competitive offense and in general when a backcourt hogs all the shots it creates a lot of boredom in the front court. Green deserves his on ball shots, KPJ still has to earn those AFAIC but he seems to be on track to do that. Let's see how it goes, still excited to see Sengun react to this.

 

Haha someone has not read my post history. Hint I care very little about KPJ. In fact, I like Sengun waaay more then KPJ.

 

This is 100% what is going on, no mental gymnastics or sugar coating needed. And that’s a huge mistake on the Rockets part. At this point you have to try to maximize a trade return.

 

Funny because they had a young all star center that does everything they are asking for now

 

Oh for sure, they've played some 2 man game. I've played some 2 man game, I played as a teenager, but I couldn't run a pick and roll against an NBA defense despite that and having the height to play PG just about lol. I genuinely think the best decision is to let Sengun tear the second stringers apart a bit whilst he develops his body and game (which always takes longer for big men not named Giannis) and then he actually gets to develop. Has to be better than him getting no touches and floundering and fouling and not really being involved...

 

This was pretty obvious.

I expect next offseason, either Wemby, Lively, Ware or even Myles Turner in free agency will be targets for a "perfect fit" for this starting lineup.

Frankly Sengun is wasted in the starting lineup. His strengths won't be used, and his weaknesses would be on display. Bringing off the bench where he can be the offensive focal point and there is less need for defense, will play to his strengths.

It just makes sense.

 

Green isn’t a creator. He’s a finisher. Alp is the best creator on this team and it’s not really close

 

The problem with this is Porter isn’t a core piece in their mind, or it would have been a fully guaranteed contract with no opt outs.

Silas needs to go, if he can’t make a talent like Alp work, he’s the problem.

 

I am so eager to read the (after) responses tonight when Jabari only has like 10 shots and most are like the last seconds on the clock. Just like whoever plays with KPJ whenever.

 

As a ball dominant finisher, he also needs space inside. Until Sengun develops some sort of range, he is effectively pinned in the post. Even if he floats out to give Green space, his defender won’t have to follow.

 

Alp works well on the elbow and high post too, makes it easy. Green can come off a screen and move without the ball. That just makes it easier on him. Even if his handle is tightened up from last year, it’s still not an elite trait

 

Also, is it confirmed that Alp isn’t starting?

I can’t actually find that anywhere. Either way, as long as he gets 30 min it should be fine

 

Starting or not he is still going to get his minutes.

 

In the near term, I think this is to simplify the game for Green and KPJ, and prioritizes their growth, at least the first couple of steps. Again, in the near term, they need to get more effective and efficient at pick and roll basketball and isolation. Those are the easiest and first levels to “master”.

I hope this does not last past the quarter mark of the season. Ideally, the guards show marked improvement in both, and their time on the court with Sengun will include off ball movement with Sengun as the hub.

If all three pieces are legit, then I think the highest ceiling offense is (1) Sengun as the hub, multiple off ball movements, (2) PNR led by Green, (3) PNR by KPJ when Green is off the floor or to exploit matchups, and (4) late shot clock isolation .. in that order of emphasis.

In the near term, the thing I want to see is Sengun hub when he shares the floor with starters. So long as there is a fairly strong diet of that, it allows growth and development and insight as to whether those combos work.

I don’t want to see one and two dimensional harden era basketball. That’s not a knock on Harden. Hell he and CP3 should have a ring, but for a hamstring and refs.

my point is that there is an opportunity to build a high level brand of basketball that looks and plays differently than our prior squads. (yes, I know I’m basically saying I want us to play like and as well as the Warriors but I hate them like you do, so I’d much rather say sengun hub/off ball movement. But we all know what we mean. Damn I hate GSW).

 

Rockets mean business

I like I like

Need to save Sengun for the playoffs..... hahahahahaha hahaha.......
Hahaha hahaha