Big year for Sengun. Can this team be a play in quality team with a top 15 defense with him manning the 5 the majority of the minutes? Sengun is the most fun Rocket to watch play for sure but is he actually a winner as a cornerstone of a team? Excited to see him go and rooting for him and Jabari the most this year. If we have our front court of the future then just so many other things can much more easily fall into place. Would be kinda depressing though to to see Stone fail into success. He drafted Sengun, then right away acted like him and the coaches didn’t really want him. I don’t want to hear Stone or any Stone Only Fans here try and give him credit if Sengun has a breakout year.
People in the know say that it was Eli Witus who wanted Sengun. I don't think Stone was very impressed by Sengun, at least not as much as he was KPJ. I remember whenever Silas was asked about Sengun's usage, he looked very uncomfortable and tried to skirt around the question or gave a quick answer and wanted to change the subject. I thought somehow he didn't like Sengun but couldn't deny how good he was. Looking back, there probably was a mandate that they would prioritize developing KPJ at all cost. And Silas knew that KPJ and Sengun were not compatible on the court. So he made every excuse he could for limiting Sengun's PT while facing increasing pressure in the public how dumb that was.
Yep, I did not see Stone cuddle to Sengün as he cuddled up KPJ, Green, Bari, his other prized horses.
Makes a lot of sense now in hindsight. Also surprising that Witus has stuck around if him and Stone are not on the same page.
Can’t wait to see Al P absolutely dominate this year. Sengun about to show the world he’s on another level
Not a dig at Sengun, but Smith and Sengun don't seem to naturally mesh on the court. Their chemistry did improve later in the season, but it still wasn't a great fit. At this point, both of them seem more comfortable as power forwards (possibly playing alongside a more physical big), though they both can definitely man the center position, too, in certain matchups. That's not to say this frontcourt can't work in the long term. Maybe the pieces will fit better as they both get a few years older (and bigger).
I think as Bari matures and gets stronger (remember he was only 19 last yr), and as Sengun develops a reliable long-range shot and ability to space the floor, those two will work well together. Bari is never gonna be a rim protector, but he has the talent to provide great weakside defensive help and will eventually consistently rotate at the 5. Having Tari rotate in at the 4 will also be helpful defensively. I like a 3-man rotation of Sengun, Bari and Tari taking the minutes at the 5 & 4 spots.
Already showed in my opinion. The plan should be to draft out how they are going to make Van Vleet more of an off the ball presence to let Alpe play make more. I think Dillon wanted to be more of a playmaker but I would advice him to cut back on that 2. Cut back on the behind the back passes, those are too much, esp. when in-bound passing.
If it's true - Jabari better get comfortable with him. Considering how much easier he will make Jabari's job.
Sengun played alongside a more physical big this summer in his national team and he was not comfortable at all. Sengun is a Center and Jabari is a Power Forward. They always have been that and they always will be that.
I tend to agree. And I think and and Jabari could be close to perfect together. Jabari can cut, shoot, and on defense he can complement Sengun’s slower feet on more agile centers. Sengun would improve significantly if he just quit reaching. He’s not as quick but he’s not slow. He can make that up with better positioning, smarter play. Comes with age and experience. I’m excited to see these two this year. And even more excited about them hitting their primes together.
When Sengun had his 33 pts, 15 rebs, 6 asts, 4 blks game vs. Lebron, the reaction of someone on RocketsWatch wasn't joy - it was..."uh, now we cannot hide him as well anymore". I wonder if the same people will keep saying "but his defense" when he will ball out, will produce near triple doubles and wins this season. My bet is that they will still say "but his defense" and will still say they want a bigger role for Jock Landale, and will still see him on the trading block.
