Can we edit the thread title to include *CONFIRMED* As soon as that is done, Alpy's defence will be amazing!!!
Amazingly, Rodman is smaller than all of them but he was a much better defender. Those variables do not account for the heart and technique of the great defenders.
I recognized it. No one was protected in the video. All were put on blast. Biggest problem is that the Rockets aren't use to facing a team that goes smaller and everyone can drive, kick out, pass and shoot 3's. Assignments were lost or miscommunication occurred.
And you are a good judge of stupidity? Some folks think so highly of themselves that they judge everything by their perceived superiority in whatever. In some cases they ask for data from other posters on the one hand and then bash other posters for using data to prove their points. The other poster was just that, being sarcastic and trying to make something else other than something that it was not does not make one superior intellectually to others as is often implicit in most posts of some posters here. This is just basketball and an entertainment business. I did my doctoral dissertation and commenting on this thread does not require that level of study, and I don't consider myself any more or less than the other posters on CF. I suppose we are all Rockets fans and that is that. There is also no need to have this pathological tendency to hate on players like Sengun, Jalen, Bari. This must be a fun site even if sometimes posters get heated because of their passion for the team. Nothing more nothing less. I know this post is a long one but I have been reading posts of some posters that really need to be responded to for some time now.
The question people need to ask themselves is whether having someone like Jarrett Allen over Sengun would make this team significantly better? If the answer is no then he isn't the issue. His touch isn't there but he is still averaging 15/12/3.7 and we lost 3 games we could've easily won had Ime and Fred wet their pants. This is a coaching issue.
Yes, many of the old timers claim big players nowadays are soft and post skills is now a lost art. NBA rules have changed, allowing zone defenses ( in 2001) and the league has taken much of the wrestling and physicality out of the game. One hand on the offensive player and elbow can't be extended while handling opponent. Takes away pushing with force (by extending elbow). League wanted high scoring and freed up the offensive players. Less contact bogging down the players driving. LaMarcus Aldridge was with the Blazers in a first round contest and killed the Rockets vs Dwight Howard, Terrence Jones, DMo. Spurs followed by controlling LMA by having Boris Diaw fronting LMA and the lob over them disrupted by Kawhi Leonard or Danny Green. It's was coaching that ended up beating the Blazers main weapon over strength and elbow grease. That's how going small with wings can beat the heavy weight dinosaurs. Even Jalen Green can front bigs. Try to lob it over Jalen Green as he jumps like this. Tari or Jabari coming along the baseline interrupting the lob on the other side.
I'm paranoid for thinking you were mentioning Sengun when you are posting in the "Sengun is bad at defense" thread and talking about bad defense?
With as bad as Adams and Landale have been so far at defense, I think this thread is a little odd. Though, I don't think Sengun is a good defender relative to most starting centers.
Rockets holding teams to 44% FG shooting overall. In the other thread, Posted Sengun's guarding individual match ups, 3rd best within centers. Defending threes is the issue for the team, 37%. It should be at 34%.
We’re around a top 5ish defensive team. Sorry, you’ll never convince me that such a good defense can be anchored by a bad defensive center. It’s an absurd argument.
Even going back 2 years ago, whenever Sengun and Tari shared the floor our defense was good and we had a net positive rating despite being a 20-win team. We now have an extensive data record over 3 seasons that shows we can have a good (even elite) regular season defense with Sengun on the floor; as long as perimeter defense is not a turnstile (replace KPJ and KMJ with FVV and DB) and we have lanky, athletic forwards (Tari and Amen instead of Bari and Tate). On top of the data, if you know what to look for, the eye test brings up plenty of positive qualities that Sengun contributes towards our top-10 defense: Active hands blocking passing lanes Good instincts in going for steals, among steals leaders for Cs Underrated chase-down blocker Box outs (leading the league) Deflections and hustle plays (wasn’t he second or third amongst rookies?) Taking charges Less stupid fouls due to over-reaching (Slightly) Better ref treatment Improved post defense vs strong, heavy low-post scorers Decent perimeter defense compared to most Cs Improved end-of-game stamina This is not to say that Sengun is the new Hakeem or that he can perform as well in the playoffs (we have no data). His deficiencies have been well-documented, we can write an equally long post detailing them. But, we have been focusing too much on what he cannot do on defense and neglecting what he brings. My final point is that the Sengun we see today is not the final product. At 22 he is still a baby. I have mentioned this in past threads discussing the physical evolution of European bigs. I compared Sengun to the likes of Divac, Gobert, Mark Gasol, Valenciunas, Zubac, Sabonis, Poeltl, Vucevic etc. Sengun is a better athlete than the above were at 22. His defense will improve as he ages, just by getting stronger, fitter, heavier which is the natural development curve with European Cs coming to the NBA.
Rockets don't let Sengun guard a quicker, faster, stronger player. They put Tate, C Wood and now Dillon, Amen, Tari, Jeff Green on them now. Give me Gianni's to play some Center. The guy would be a 106 DRtg with us while still scoring 27 points per game.
The Bucks are currently rating 28th in defensive rating. Our defensive rating would tank with Giannis at center IMO.
