In DEFENSE of Alperen Sengun - Analysis on why Sengun may already be an above average defender

We are lucky to have this kids. I try to figure out a name for people being fan of this duptions:
-Guntarians
-Guntarists
-Shentarians
-Sengunatics plus
-(T&S)OFs
-????

Anyway, sooner or later we will all be fans of this duo. Hope JGreen and Jabari catch them, '23 pick fits and we keep KJM and TyTy. This core will bring us 3 rings in a decade starting from 2026 campaign.

 

Yo if you want to gain followers for your twitter do it the old fashion way and just link it to OFs or something instead of just reposting here.

 

This is why you can't just isolate defensive effectiveness on a single player. It depends a lot on the type of teammates he plays with. The most ideal defensive player is one who is versatile in most situations. Sengun is clearly not a versatile defender. But that doesn't mean he can't be effective on defense in the right situations.

And IQ is often overlooked. Defensive IQ is real. Physically limited guys like Chuck Hayes can be a good defender because his defensive IQ is through the roof.

 

Sengun is limited in some but also well-above than the other NBA players in some areas.
His legs much more muscled than the other NBA players which give him upper-hand in footwork. Just check next time how skinny others' leg if you compare to Alp's.When Alp fixes his foot no one can move him. He is much superior. His big torso also help him for balancing.

His weight (110 kgs) is similar to Markkanen, much more than Mobley type of players and he can accomodate more muscles.

Markkanen was a kind of outcast till he started to play next to 2 bigs, JAllen and EMobley in Cavs and Kelly and Jarred in Jazz. We should see Alpi together with 2 bigs also or wait Jabari to be better defender.

As Rockets was bombarded/bulldozed by the opposing guards and opposing centers (except Jokic and Embiid) were limited, the main issue is to discuss guards' defence, not Alp's.

 

hahahaha!!! Guntarians is hilarious!!!!

 

Give little bit Teutonic vibe because of Gunther/Gunter. Anyway Gunter Grass was a very good writer and I will go for Guntarian.

Welcome to the club, "Club of Guntarians".

 

HAHAHAHAHAHHAAAAAAAAA!!!!!!!!!

 

Because net rating is what matters.

If someone is a great defender, but with him on the court we never score any points, so the net rating is -20, then what's the point?

If someone gives up more points, but consistently the team scores more points with him on the floor than it gives up, then we win.

 

It wasn't so much that Sengun got "cooked" as it is that his defensive deficiency was exposed. We have the game plan to have him *not* switch a PnR because he's too slow-fotted to do so. So instead he drops back when his man is setting a PnR.

This resulted in Huerter and Murray (not Fox) getting wide open 3s when their defenders were forced to try to fight through the excellent picks set by Sabonis.

The best adjustment Silas could make is to try to hide Sengun on some other player who wouldn't be involved in any offensive action, but I don't know who that would have been last night. So he stuck with Sengun going against Sabonis and we all saw what happened.

 

Rockets play drop, that’s the coach’s defensive scheme. Sengun is too slow to switch on to Fox, but it was Murray who was burning us with those 3s. Sengun switched onto Murray plenty of times throughout the game but for some reason on dribble hand offs Silas refused to change his scheme.

 

BS. Sengun can switch onto Murray just fine. Also Sabonis never switched onto any of our guards, plenty of teams in the NBA play drop, even elite defensive teams like Milwaukee.

 

He does well when he is in the paint by standing tall, and blocking a shot now and again and rebounding, where he struggles is in PnR situations they have him dropping in coverage and it leaves WIDE OPEN shots on the perimeter - that is not Alpi's fault it is how Silas has designed it, in part to protect Alpi....but it isn't working.

The team only half ass helps.....and it just leaves open shot after open shot.

DD

 

Jabari was the one who couldn’t fight over a screen to save his life. That was the issue in the drop coverage, not Sengun. Forcing Murray into a driver and playmaker would have been fine.

 

None of what I wrote was BS. Maybe Sengun *could* have switched onto Huerter but he didn't. Whether that's because he chose not to or because Silas told him not to, I have no idea. Did they talk about it in the post game conference? I didn't watch.

Sabonis never had to switch on our guards because we're the worst shooting team in the league.

 

Sabonis was setting excellent screens. But many people do in the NBA - which is why bigs who can switch on defense are so important.

For sure though, it would be better if Jabari could get around the screens better.

 

Jokic is light on his feet like Tyson Fury -- Sengun is a plodder -- it is what it is... can't compare the two.

Sengun is quick with the ball in his hands on offense, but he's going to need help on defense.

 

Did you read the OP?

Specifically this:

and this:

Now re-read your post. The OP didn't say Sengun was "so great" nor do the stats. He also mentions that reputation doesn't seem to align with statistics. So who are you replying to?

 

I'd rather an opposing center score 2's than give up the amount of threes we do each game. We weren't getting blown out of every game until we started this drop coverage BS. It needs to change ASAP.