i stand by on record that i thought he was mis-used last year even though he was putting up great scoring numbers and i still think that today. he's regressing because of it and i hate it. we don't see any of the highlight-reel passes anymore, it's just back-down turnovers now that teams have tape on him. hopefully the coaching staff can adjust...
I just don't think Ime wants to use him as a passer. I don't think that's the kind of offense Ime wants to run. That's why I think he eventually needs to be traded. I think we could pretty easily find a player who is worse than Sengun overall - worse at post ups, worse as a scorer, much worse at passing, but sets better screens, is bigger and more athletic, protects the rim, and is a much better defender, and can run the court. That player would definitely cost a lot less and I think he would fit much better with the way Ime wants us to play.
Its not the coaching that his him missing point blank layups or thinking that the best way to beat the double team is by taking a one legged flamingo shot from 20 feet. His post up frequency is down a tick and he's getting 1 less post up possession per game compared to last year, but his PPP off that action has plummeted from .96 PPP to .30 PNR action has not been perfect, but he's been a bowling ball most of the time off the pocket pass. MORE 3's !!! If he can continue to show that he's serviceable there it will help not just him, but the entire team. He's a 50% 3pt shooter! He's going to get right his game is too polished not to.
I think Ime’s vision for Sengun’s growth is as an all around C, not purely a scorer or offensive #1. Close to but not exactly Al Horford-esque. Less switchability and defense (but still competent), more offensive skill (but Horford was no slouch). Not a player the entire team is built around, but a player who can be one of the top guys on a really good team because he doesn’t take anything off the table. I think Udoka and the org believe in Sengun’s skill level and brain, and after last year they believe he is physically capable of being a competent enough, acceptably scheme versatile defender. Personally, I’m down with this vision. I do wonder how much Sengun is though. The ball has been sticking with him. It’s a tough road - it certainly seems more fun to just do post ups and Iso scoring on a team reliant on your offense. Doing all the screening, DHO, spot up, defensive switching etc is dirty work.
That seems to be the case with Ime. But I don't think that is the best path to follow though. Mainly not because of Sengun but Ime. Ime is too traditional in every way, too disciplinarian for this era (which was good for developmental years, actually he would be perfect for Silas years), too static offense for this era. He has too much Pop influence and I am guessing he will be Sabonis of the coaches, raising your floor but not raising your ceiling enough to go deep in the playoffs.
I've been really hard on Sengun which is tough since he's my favorite player on the team and has been for four years. So let's turn that frown upside down and do some positive posting. Interesting stat here - even with his horrific play so far this year, which is way below our expectation, we are actually still better both offensively AND defensively with him on the court
He should probably get somewhat used to the idea of being a "does everything" kind of player though tbh. It's his easiest route to stardom, he's just not an electric enough scorer for that to be his main role on a team. I still think Ime's missing a trick because he's never once treated him like the Senhub we all envisioned he could be in the Silas days. His vision and passing are a huge part of what got him his early support on this board, it didn't exist much last year outside of the occasional great pass. It's actually the only thing positive I can say about Silas, he actually let Sengun leverage his playmaking a lot more than Udoka does. Imagine what we could be achieving with Sengun setting up plays rather than only being treated as a finisher? He's got more creativity in that role than FVV has to my eyes, but they just don't remotely run him that way. I don't even envision it Jokic style, I'd be more than happy with a more Sabonis like role which I think he's actually closer to in all honesty.
Ya if anyone has deserved the benefit of the doubt over a bad four game stretch on this roster it's Sengun especially given the fact he's coming off a major injury that delayed his off-season training cycle. Outside the rookie and Adams, Sengun experienced the longest gap between the last played NBA game before the season started and the beginning of this season.
I'd rather see his points go down and his assists go up. I think he's best utilized as an 18/12/8 guy, rather than a 26/12/2 guy. I don't really want him to be a bigtime scorer. I think you maximize Sengun by putting him in a position to get assists. And I don't mean Sabonis assists where he gets 6apg from DHOs, those are fake assists. I mean set up a motion offense where there are multiple actions, and he gets to read the situation and make the right choice. Make him like an NFL quarterback, he knows the plays, he knows where everyone is going, and he gets to make multiple reads. I really believe he could be a 7-9 apg kind of guy who is getting triple doubles regularly. But it all starts with movement, and it all starts with coaching. Right now, every time he gets the ball, the rest of the team stands still. That kind of offense is fine, it's been proven to work, but it just doesn't maximize Sengun. I'd rather see Sengun leading the team in assists, touches, and time of possession, while Jalen leads the team in scoring by a healthy margin. I also think this style would benefit guys like Jabari, who could really thrive on an increased volume of assisted open 3s, and also help guys like Amen or Cam, who excel at cutting to the basket. And I've thrown out this comparison before, my vision for him is not Jokic. It's closer to "Draymond with more offensive skills." (on the offensive side of the ball only, obviously, I know he is not a DPOY or all nba defender)
At 7'5", he's routinely taking logo 3s and making them or they are barely rimming out. It's just a matter of time that you have to guard him starting at half court similar to Steph. At 7'5" he is taking step back 3s, creating several feet of space - and making them. You can't guard that. That's why he will be a superstar because his size will allow him to get a reasonable look at a shot as long as you can get him the ball....and his ball handling is very reasonable for a guy of his size, and his passing is very good for a guy who is going to see a lot of help defenses, and his ability to catch a ball well outside of where most defenders can easily defend makes it hard to deny him if he has reasonably good passers around him. Honestly injuries are the only way he won't be a top 3 player in the league because right now he is already dominant defensively and the skills he needs for his offensive game are already well ahead of any other 20 year olds. He really is worth ALL the hype.
Yeah I could actually see that too. I think either that or Sabonis lite are more feasible than the Jokic comps which mostly seem predicated around him being 1.White. 2.European. 3. A center and 4.Having flashy passes. He doesn't play anything like the man.
Or, you know. He won’t start making them. Which is entirely the point. If this is how he chooses to play, there is a chance that it doesn’t pan out, or he ends up a major disappointment. Conversely, he would be virtually impossible to stop if he focused on being more of a traditional bigman.
Let's just hope he stays a big skinny guy chucking 3's. It really is game over on stopping him if he decides to just bang inside as his primary gameplan. How do you block that? The guy talking about Edey would get a rude awakening watching him try and stop that consistently lmao.
I like what you say, but I am not sure if Udoka buys it. We'll see. He definitely needs some assistant to be in charge of the offense.
The problem with Sengun IS the "numero uno" concept. He's valuable when he is playing for the team and playing within a team concept. Once we start talking about "the ball running through him" or "he's the best offensive player on this team" - you start getting into the problems where he is taking that and making decisions with him as the hero and the results are far worse - and thats when you get Sengun trying to do too much and turning the ball over trying to hold onto the ball too long driving through traffic in the wing in a crucial moment in the Hornets game, or in that last game he tracked down a Wemby block of a Jalen 3 and had Barnes on the post but he missed Jabari was wide open under the hoop instead focused on his own post move and shook Barnes but by then Champagne and Wemby closed in on him at the hoop and Champagne got the block that started a fast break the other way that could have made it a one possession game. This is not the way to play and I don't believe Sengun is necessarily THAT elite of an offensive talent to play that way because the thing that actually makes him elite is his passing vision. He needs to learn to use the gravity of his passing threat to create advantages for his low post scoring game - NOT the other way around.
I don't mean it as an insult but Ime is not wired that way. It will be a major challenge. I also don't like his choices of free agents, too pedestrian. He is for sure a guy that can overachieve and get you to 48 wins but I am not confident he can take the 55 W hurdle. Worlds better than Silas but not quite there to be constant contender.
You may be onto something a little bit there. He may be forcing it too much by trying to be the heliocentric "franchise player" or alpha dog on offense and he's just not that kind of elite scoring threat. He'd be better served trying to set up the team and elevate their production than force his own to his own detriment.
I have re-read your post like 3 times and...I think you're agreeing with me? But it's hard to tell. Anyway, I think he is that elite as a passer and a playmaker. But I don't think he's that elite as a scorer. I really do agree with this last bit you posted though, his ability to playmake should help him create advantages for his scoring - not the other way around. It should help him get easy buckets, because his defenders are overplaying passing lanes and aren't ready for his quick baseline spin, or his numerous other post moves. I think that's a key component of what I initially described.
