Jabari benefits from Alpi, but drags the team down Edit: Bari's fine now. Alpi helped!

From what I have seen, Alpi really tries to get Jabari involved and get him good looks. There isn't really anything coming the other way around.

When you look at the assist numbers, it's 9 from Alpi to Jabari (would be a lot more if Bari could actually hit his shots) and only 3 the other way around.





When you look at the lineup combinations:

Alpi with Bari: Team is +3.5
Alpi without Bari: Team is +19.0

Bari with Alpi: Team is +3.5 (see above)
Bari without Alpi: Team is -9.5

If you think it's just small sample size this season - no. Last season, the team was -0.8 with both of them, -2.0 with Bari (57 assists from Alpi to Bari, 27 from Bari to Alpi) but no Alpi (even though that included Jalen's hot stretch in March) and +5.6 with Alpi but no Bari.

If you go back to 22-23 (tanking season), the team was -10.6 with both of them, -11.3 with Bari but no Alpi and +7.5 with Alpi but no Bari.

(Source: Cleaningtheglass - not posting all the screenshots)

To me, the data seems pretty clear.

Alpi - and the team - perform better when Bari is not playing.

Please change the starting lineup.

All this talk about "Jabari at 5 - that is the way" and dreams of a small ball lineup with supposedly better defense without Alpi - all of that is wrong, and has always been wrong.

Tari and Amen should take almost all of Bari's minutes.

Sorry.

 

Little reminder:



That was the tail wagging the dog.

Alpi has always been the much better player overall, but he is also the better defender now.

 

I hope you are right, but I agree with @AlperenSengun that at the very least, his minutes need to go down. Amen and Tari are just obviously so much better. And the data I posted seems to indicate that even before this rough slump for Bari in the beginning of the season, Alpi and the Rockets did better when Alpi was in there without him.

At some point, you have to build around your best players (find people who complement them well). Bari is not one of them.

 

I don't think Alpi held a grudge, but it was very inappropriate, especially from a rookie. Bari has been humbled somewhat since (to a degree where his confidence seems to have taken a serious hit), but it was stupid, cocky behaviour.

 

Would.

We could have terror triplets.

 

OK then quintuplets

 

I'd extend him (when possible) at a value that makes him tradable, like 8-10m/year.