I was surprised to see that Jalen isn't up there in dunks at all. It's really all KMJ this season. Only other player to have at least 1 dunk per game is Alperen Sengun. Almost one out of every three shots KMJ attempts is a dunk. KMJ no. 7 in the NBA in total dunks, Alpi no. 38 - no other Rockets player in top 50. Alpi the only player other than Jalen Duren in the top 40 under the age of 21. Any idea why Jalen is dunking less than last season? (Alpi is dunking more.) (Also, don't look now but the player with the best 3-point percentage as of now is...Usman Destiny Garuba . Sengun with better 3-point % than Jabari... (small sample size))
Jalen doesn't really get past the man and go for it tbh, he seems to try more of a finesse game and often beats the man and then backtracks and lets them recover rather than driving. I'm not sure he realises he has the athleticism that once he's got that first step past the defender he can go hard to the hole and either flush it or go to the line.
DMo had 34 dunks in total in his entire 6 years in the NBA. Sengun has 47 so far this season. Can't quote them all, there are just too many of those gems. Also, DMo had 82 blocks in his 6 years in the league, in 4,566 minutes. Alpi has 114 in 1 1/2 years, in 2,750 minutes. Alpi will also pass DMo in rebounds after his second season, has more assists already in 1 1/2 seasons than DMo in 6 seasons. DMo is still slightly ahead in 3-point %, even though Alpi's 3-point % this season is already better than DMo's career 3-point %. Alpi literally destroys DMo in pretty much every other statistical category imaginable. And I liked DMo.
Also two years ago, team was playing with a really fast pace. Yes to our determent resulting high turnovers. But the result of those successful fast breaks, both KJ and Jalen had highlight dunks. The pace is slower this year (which I'm not necessarily complaining). KJ still does his cuts, so KJ is getting dunks from underneath the basket. Lastly, when a player dunks, there's hand-to-rim contact. So there is health risk there. Could be Jalen choosing when to risk one.
Because that's not the role he's been assigned in Silas' garbage offense, he has him firmly planted at the perimeter at all times. Similar to how you rarely see him getting off-ball screens for open looks. Silas doesn't play fundamental basketball and seems to only know how to use the guard spots in a heliocentric Harden-esque position. Green would be infinitely better if he was allowed to play like a classic shooting guard and getting off ball screens and cut actions all game long.
100 % agree. I think we have very talented players, but we are not using them properly right now. I would suggest to have the Senhub and everyone around him running around and cutting constantly - Sengun would find them. Plus, if we had a good point guard to bring up the ball without throwing it away and to find shooters and cutters when Sengun is not the one doing it (actually Garuba could fill that role to some extent as well while Sengun is sitting), everyone's FG %% would go up, including Jalen's and Jabari's, I'm quite sure.
This is the biggest problem and team will be bad until they have a competent true point guard. Just don’t turn over the damn ball and get us into our sets.
It’s because DD only believes in stats when it benefits KPJ. Otherwise advanced metrics are just lies and fake.
