Harden was a "one man system." No one is calling for a iso-heavy offense initiated by Sengun. If anything, the concept of "SenHub" is diametrically opposed to that.
Anyone has any comments on the analysis by "Klaus NBA", suggesting that Alpi is still under-utilized? 108th in minutes, 58th in touches, 35th in usage percentage, 73rd in total possessions, 58th in passes received, but 4th in net rating, 5th in player impact estimate would suggest that we could benefit from running even more through him? Or is Ime just building him up slowly, making him focus in his defense first and foremost, and keeping him fresh for later in the season and the playoffs? Seems to me that the team did best in the last couple of games, when we did play "Senhub"?
That’s what I tried to mean. Having a player that make all the wheels turn is way different than harden offense, where he is the offense himself.
I think the first goal should be have him on the field for more than 30 minutes a game and see where it leads us. He plays 10 minutes less per game than Jokic for example.
Basic principles of a SenHub offense: Sengun sets a high screen. If the lane is open, the ballhandler takes it. If not, dish back to Sengun at the high elbow, who is likely now on a switch, forcing the defense to either let Sengun operate on a mismatch in space, or crash in, leaving open shooters and cutters. Basic principles of a Harden offense: Give the ball to Harden. Everyone else stand on the perimeter.
As great as harden is, it was really hard for the other players to perform without catching any rhythm or be part of the game flow. That was a major deficiency.
I will have to admit that even I am surprised at the defensive leap Alpi has taken this season. Not very surprised, because I never believed those who said he was a terrible defender, but thanks to Ime, and thanks to having much better defenders around him, and thanks to him focusing on it, he has become not only one of the better defenders in the league, but actually one of the better rim protectors among centers. It's really fun to watch the Rockets as a whole right now. Ime frustrated me a little bit earlier this season, but whatever he has been doing seems to have resonated with the whole team. I hope we don't blow it up by going star chasing. Alpi, Amen, Tari, Reed should be untouchable. And we should keep Dillon, and also Fred, for now. Alpi and Jalen and actually the whole team seem to have pretty good chemistry, so I would be hesitant to do any trades at the moment, except maybe trading marginal players and possibly Jabari. I would listen on Jalen, but I wouldn't give anyone away.
How much Sengun improved across the board can go unnoticed because some of his counting stats did not change much due to reduced minutes and his initial scoring struggle. per 36 from last season to this season Blocks: .9 to 1.8 (double) Defensive rebounds: 7.1 to 9.7 (up 36%) Offensive rebounds: 3.2 to 4.5 (up 40%) Assists: 5.5 to 6.1 ft%: 69.3% to 76.2% TOV: 2.9 to 2.4 TOV%: 12.5% to 10.6% fouls: 3.7 to 3.4 deflections: 2.6 to 3.3 (up 27%) charges drawn: .1 to .2 (double) Defensive field goal percentage: 49.2% to 44.8% box outs: 2.9 to 3.2 (2nd highest in the league) And this doesn't include the intangibles in defense, which is one of the biggest improvements. We shouldn't put any cap on his growth. The guy is simply working his ass on everything, motivated and talented. Just 22 years old and very mature. I start to think he has jokic type of potential.
The answer isn't "Senhub" - it's play as a team. When the ball gets sticky in Sengun's hands its just as bad as a sticky Jalen night. The delight of the last handful of games is really more about EVERYONE getting the ball out of their hands quickly and moving it around more. Sengun started the year being just as sticky as the notoriously sticky Jalen and wasn't passing out when he was triple teamed at the rim. The last few games he has been moving the ball much quicker and it's paying off for both him and his teammates. The team needs to continue to take what the defense gives them - make your move and if they send a double find the open man. We have so many guys with different skill sets that the ball with eventually find someone who can turn the possession into a good shot if we just keep moving it around. The 3 man weave they have been doing with Sengun at the elbow extended and having two strong side options running to a 3pt shot off a screen(and occasionally going backdoor) is a great pivot from Udoka that takes best advantage of Sengun's skills - lets him see the floor, gives him a couple of quick hitting reads, lets him take advantage of doing his spin move into a open paint if he has a poor defender and an open paint. ...and hey man - a little advice. I get the Sengun fandom, but it really does feel like you have Sengun colored glasses that you watch every game with and it's causing you to attribute all the good things to Sengun and all the bad things to other players and at that point you are just living in a fantasy world of your own creation even if you think you have been validated because Sengun is still the best player on this team.
Sengun has been amazing lately. He is showing the full package this year, offensively and defensively. You don’t give him up for a soon-to-be-past-his-prime star who may not be around for too much longer.
Senhub = "play as a team" - that's the whole point. Senhub is all about ball movement. Very different from the Harden "let me cook and everyone else stands around and watches, unless I need to get bailed out" system.
