Brooks has been really good for us an integral to our success. That being said, I do think that Amen should start and get more minutes than Dillon. Hopefully his ego would be able to take it. Amen is a PG long-term, but if FVV and JG can keep this play into next year, I could see FVV having his 3rd year picked up and letting Amen play multiple positions. To start the season next year, I would like to see a starting lineup like this: FVV Green Amen Jabari Sengun Rotation players off the bench Cam Brooks Tari Adams One of FVV, Green, or Amen would need to be on the floor at all times to provide the ball handling duties.
I thought they were talking about his clothes at first then I realized OMG they're discussing his fit on the Rockets with the new warp speed, wide open offense.
It is an uncomfortable conversation for some - but it is necessary to discuss internally I am sure. DD
Sengun injury (3/10).....most of our players are former A.A.U. players whom prescribe to the fast pace, spread the court, switch everything defensively. Cam Whitmore, Jalen Green, Jabari, Tari, Amen are probably more comfortable with this style. Second nature over thinking who am I taking while playing drop coverage defense. PACE is faster even if the stats do or do not reflect it now. ________________ 3-pt DFG% ...............10/25/23 - 03/10/24 (64 games)...........03/11/30 - 03/30/24 (9 games) Left Corner 3: 39.2% (ranked 16th).............................29.4% (4th during stretch) Right Corner 3: 35.4% (ranked 4th-tied)......................31.6% (6th during stretch) Corner 3: 37.4% (ranked 7th).......................................30.6% (4th during stretch) ATB 3: 34.2% (ranked 4th)...........................................31.9% (3rd- tied during stretch) So often when you hear our Rockets pundits talking about both coexisting......they are talking offensively. Both there are two ends of the court......not easy to switch everything with Sengun. Many here hear me saying that the corner 3 is vulnerable during "Drop Coverage" defensively. The stretch of first 64 games with Sengun exhibits that notion. On the flip side the PiTP (Points in the Paint) and Restricted Area ....FG%: Sengun dropping towards rim. PiTP DFG% 10/25/23 - 03/10/24: 44.7% (ranked 17th) 03/11/24 - 03/30/24: 46.6% (ranked 23rd) Restricted Area DFG% 10/25/23: 64.6% (ranked 8th) 03/30/24: 68.6% (ranked 18th) So it's a matter of giving up some 2's while taking away more 3's imo. Sengun dropping to rim. Opponents attacking FVV and Jalen Green and Holiday while we switch everything. I often show our starters next year as : Amen (6'7") / JG4 (6'5") / Cam Whitmore (6'8") / Tari (6'8") / Jabari (6'11') less taking advantage of shorter and weaker near the rim. Can switch in space as our players get more familiar with switch everything defense. *all stats per basketball-reference.com and NBA.com
A look back at the streak. 2x Portland, One with Alpi. The OT loss should have been a win earlier in the season where Sengun goes for 30 2x Spurs, where Alpi dominated the first 2 match ups. 2x Wizards, Alpi would have had 30 . 1x Cleveland, where they wouldn't have lost in overtime in the first match up if the guards could shoot into the ocean. 1x OKC with 30 FTs missing from SGA 2x the Jazz where Alpi dominate game 1, and the j*zz decided to sit Clarkson and Lauri these 2 games. 1x Chicago bulls where Alpi got you the lead in overtime, no Levine this time. 1x Kings Like Demeco says, winning in the league is hard. You appreciate each victory. But dorks devaluing one of the best centers in the league and consistent Rocket because they won against teams who they had already defeated was some vile agenda. Now let's hope a couple of players go missing for other teams and start another streak.
The 3rd year leap is going to be huge. You can already see glimpses of a 7ft rebounding Jesus Shuttlesworth. Need him.
The uncomfortable truth about playing without Sengun against good teams: No, we are not better without Sengun.
Eh...it's not like we were lighting up good teams consistently with Sengun all year. I wouldn't say this game proved anything about Sengun. I would say we learned more about players not named Sengun or Green than anything tonight. Not saying we're better without Sengun, just saying that's not a great takeaway when it's entirely possible we lose the same game with Sengun.
It is entirely possible. But when we won against bad teams during the streak, certain people with agendas were making it seem like "the uncomfortable truth" was that Sengun not being there was the reason we won - when it is not only entirely possible, but very likely that we would have won all these games with Sengun. I am merely responding to that.
In season Tournament.. Rockets with a 10 pt lead going into the 4th. Sengun scores 14 of his 30, Luka 12 of his 41. Guards finish 4/17 from three and Irving goes Flat Earth on everybody in the middle of the 4th quarter. Rockets lose 115 to 121. Point is, that with the hot shooting from the outside in the win streak they win so many more games. https://www.basketball-reference.com/boxscores/202311280DAL.html
