From the eye test, Sengun is the best player on the team right now. He and Wemby would be fine together, players that talented will make it work. The ongoing concerns are at pg and getting Green to play some D.
Imagine being such a weenie about a player's fans. Hey sensitive Sally, enjoy a great Houston Rocket. His name is Alperen Sengun. He is 20, and he has been freaking awesome lately. One day, Jalen Green and Jabari Smith are going to be awesome too. Right now, they are DOODOO baby! And that's OKAY!
The way they project Wemby's defense yes it looks like he will anchor an elite defense as long as he has an average team around him. I don't know if Sengun is built to chase 4's around and I don't think that's what Wemby should be doing. However if they are offensively elite together, you could probably hide Sengun's defense at the 4 with some solid effort and a good scheme. Someone has to be a team's defensive anchor, there's no titles without it. It would definitely be Wemby. Also if neither of them shoots well, it will be difficult to pair them up on the floor.
Jaren Jackson Jr leads the league with 3 blocks a game and anchors the #1 defense in the league…while playing pf next to Steven Adams. Wemby as he’s currently built would get broken in half playing center. He is rail thin and gets bullied down low in the lower level French league that he plays in. Playing him at pf as the weak side helper and having Sengun bang with the big bodies down low, especially next year as he gets even stronger, would benefit both parties. They are the ideal fit next to each other, people are over thinking it.
The high/low game between Wemby and Sengun will generate a ton of easy looks, and as Sengun adds more confidence to his perimeter shooting, they'll be fine. Also, remember that standing 18 feet from the basket, Wemby is one dribble from a finger roll layup. The wise team will let Wemby chase forwards on offense for his first two seasons (as he gains strength). A center like Sengun is the perfect guy to do all the banging with centers. Wemby's timing as a weak-side defense is already elite. Then again, if Jalen Green continues his traffic cone antics, there's little hope of becoming a better team.
As I said, there are no titles without a very good defensive anchor no matter how much effort the team gives. Wenby definitely needs to put on weight but he can not spend his career outside the paint defensively, that would be such a waste. You get him in there early and see if he has the instincts for it. He might just be so long and fluid that it makes up for his skinniness.
I repeat, Jaren Jackson Jr is the defensive anchor for the #1 defense in the NBA. He starts at pf next to Steven Adams, as traditional a center as it gets.
I haven't had the chance to listen to the podcast. But, it's really not a question we have to answer. If you get the #1 pick you draft Wemby and you see how it works. If it doesn't work at all you move one of them. The only thing I would say is that there would be no need to start the blame game if they don't fit, just move one. But, I'm sure everyone would start blaming one of the players, depending on the one they prefer. Or blaming the coaches.
1. I have my defensive concerns about how a Wemby and Sengun frontcourt works, but you take Wemby if you get the top pick in the draft 100 times out of 100 unless you can see into the future and know that he's going to get hurt. 2. I made a comment, which I knew would be somewhat controversial, because I know KPJ is polarizing, but l felt up to the midpoint in the season, KPJ had been our best player. Strictly from a production and consistency standpoint. I want to clarify that I also stated that I felt it would be Alperen Sengun by the end of the season as long as Silas continues to play through him when KPJ returns. I think we've already reached that point. I don't know how Silas can go back to Scoot ball honestly. It would be a coaching travesty. There needs to be a balance. Halfway through the season, I would have ranked them as follows... a. KPJ b. Sengun c. Green d. KJ Martin 3. Sengun has been AMAZING. My hope by the end of the season is that I will be able to rank the players in this order... a. Sengun (I think we're here now. 28 is looking special) b. Jalen Green (He needs a big 2nd half like last season) c. Kevin Porter Jr. d. Jabari Smith Jr. (He needs to do a lot to surpass KJ)
So, you telling us not to send our Turkish players where coaches/fanbase are not white/mainly white. What I understand from your writing is: Memo Okur type of players (put Markkanen, Kessler in your case)were welcomed very warmly in Utah because they were white and Sengun got difficulty to be accepted because he is white and Houston is not Utah or Boston. You have to be black if you want to be head honcho. So, you want to rid Sengun off because of his skin colour although he is from Turkey where black people had never racial issues. You angry with some Portugese sailors, Jefferson type of farmer/presidents/slave owners, Madison type constitution makers/lawyers and Alperen becomes your hate object. Turkey has the second highest embassies in Africa, most African people can visit Turkey as visa-free, there is no institutional racism against blacks in Turkish history and you can't stand with one of her citizen instead of championing/promoting him. I can't find a word to describe you/your type of people.
Gentleman, I guess you are one of Rockets media/influencer type of person and trying to inform fans about Rockets. If you put KPJ over Sengun no sane mind will take your opinions seriously. You might find 6 or 7 persons to applaud you, a certain D list members or KPJ stans. If your opinions are the reflection of wishful thinking or you have some other connectons, I can understand that. Otherwise I suggest you to focus on something else. I am not a basketball professional, an ordinary technical staff but I watch basketball/Rockets since late '70s. I don't think it is so difficult to grasp some basics in this game if you are not biased. If you re-draft '21 players Sengun woud be drafted as a lottery pick, quite likely top 5. KPJ would never be drafted as a lottery pick, neither in the past nor now. Please inform us, not impose.
You can your Turkisk players wherever you wish to send them. But color doesn't tell who is good or great....whether they be White, Black, Brown, Yellow, Purple or Grey Just because Jokic or Sengun are white makes them better than Embiid or KAT.....who are basically the same game but black. If I'm pushing Sengun I'm also pushing the games of Embiid, KAT with Jokic....but when they are excluded it leads to race exclusion. Which is your right, but I will call out many of those as the driving force. And when you say, "our Turkish players" it makes it about national pride over talent or winning philosophy
Who told you that Alperen better than Embiid/Jokic? KAT is a different thing. He wasted his talent to become a basketball player. He would be all time great oil wrestler. he would be Karelin's oil wrestling equivalent. A new Filiz Nurullah, a re-born Kel Alico. Alpi's career will be brighter than KAT, not because of being Turk/white but being much better player. Embiid and Joker are role models for him, hope he becomes as goos as them one day. I am a kind of Tari Only Fan and I don't care his skin colour. My all-time great basketball players are Hakeem and Oscar Schmidt and never thought about their race/skin/nationalities. Whatever this Yankees&Yahoos did your ancestor (I can't figure out) you should realize that the proportion of good humans, bad humans. villains and superheroes are same in every nation/race. Good luck to you with your racial struggles.
They’re a match made in heaven. Don’t know if the folks in charge though have the brain to realize this though.
If it happens, it'll be hilarious to see how his player only fans interact with Sengun's player only or player first fans. Should be comedy gold.
