Who can we realistically get for Sengun?

I think Clingan is exactly the kind of guy to trade Sengun for. The Advija/Tari component of it - I'm less thrilled about.

 

Issue is that we have the starting lineup already and it looks like moving forward it will function better with a Steven Adams-like that can shoot 3s which is what Clingan is. Portland doesn't really have anyone else that we want though so there would need to be a 3rd team involved that they might want to offload Shaedon Sharpe to. I could see something like

Rockets In: Donovan Clingan/Michael Porter Jr

Nets In: Shaedon Sharpe + Portland FRP Top 10 Protected

Portland In: Alperen Sengun

 

Not that high on Clingan. I think we can get several frp’s for Sengun and a player. Think 3 years out instead of in the current. Ime will be here at least this year and next.

 

I would be totally on board with that, I just don't think Ime would. He would want a win now piece, not another project. He's probably fed up with projects.

 

I don't think either us or Portland do a Sengun/Clingan swap right now. Both teams would be too afraid to get burned. I also don't think Clingan fits much better than Sengun, if at all. He does appear to maybe-possibly have a better jump shot, but he's a big traditional center, not a run-and-gun type.

 

Lol Portland is saying no to that trade. Deni Avdija is a significantly better player than Eason.

 

It's crazy that is the part of the deal he isn't excited about when Deni is near untouchable for Portland. Deni is an all-star, locked up for two more years on a small salary of $12.5M/yr, and has played 90%+ of his games in the past five seasons. Tari has been inconsistent in a starting role, is a restricted free agent this summer, and has played less than 65% of his games for his career, including 60% of the games so far this season. It's not like Tari is much younger than Deni either, they were both born in 2001 and are only four months apart.

I actually like Tari a lot, but not enough to turn my nose at a healthy all-star on a bargain contract of the same age.

 

You’re forgetting something. This team doesn’t have a point guard, and FVV’s injury ruined everything. First, find a point guard for the team, then you can talk about those trade nonsense. In FVV’s absence, none of our players are playing in their real positions.

 

Do you sense conflict on the evaluation of Sengun within our FO?

 

Yes. You've alluded to the FO being relatively low on him for a long time. Starting with concerns of work ethic after his rookie year I believe, you've mentioned that we would have certainly traded him for KD at one point, that we considered drafting Clingan and moving Sengun around that draft.

I just have to wonder why he's stuck around this long if what you have relayed is an accurate picture on the FO's evaluation of him (I think Ime is clearly low on him as well), I imagine there's disagreement, and someone with a decent amount of influence has to be pretty high on him.

 

I don't question the statement, I believe you are correct.


I do question why the front office would feel that way - One of these players is a good 2nd option on a very good team, the other is as good as they come in transition, but teams don't bother to defend him in the half court because he can't shoot and I don't think he ever figures out how to shoot.

Sengun may not have the high ceiling but his floor is higher than Amen .... and Amen is miles away from being SGA or Ant.

 

Time to start shopping for winter cloths Alpi. It’s hella cold in Milwaukee.

 

I'd say they both can't shoot, and only one of them can be in an action at the same time. Sengun is better than Amen offensively such that he's in the action more often, now. If Amen was in the actions more, his man would have to play defense. Get someone like Naz Reid, and Amen gets into actions.

Amen is a better defender than Sengun. Not sure what is going on with Sengun, but Amen is a better overall player right now, and as such likely has the higher floor. Rockets are really hurting for a small ball center.

 

Especially since he had no clue on how to develop young players. Fire Ime, make FVV head coach. Solve 2 problems at once.

 

I feel the opposite of you. I think Sengun has a higher ceiling but a lower floor than Amen.

In Sengun's first 25 games he averaged 23/9/7 on 51/32/73 splits and was a +5.6. In his last 25 games he's 17.6/9/6 on 49/24/65 splits and a +0.6.

In Amen's first 25 games he averaged 17.5/7/5 on 49/17/80 splits and a +8.2. In his last 25 games he's averaged 17/8/5 on 50/21/77 splits and a +2.6.

Sengun's highs are higher and his lows are lower. It's not like his floor spacing is much better than Amen's, so he really needs to be a star to shine. Amen's elite defense and at least league average scoring efficiency gave him a fairly strong baseline of production. If Sengun is going to continue being around 55 TS%, very close to last season's level, then teams will simply live with his offense. You can look at the Magic and the uphill battle they're facing with Banchero's inefficiency and Sengun's is actually lower. Sengun's efficiency was at 59% in his second and third seasons, and was around 59% in the first half of this season so I know he can do it, but he hasn't done it lately and has barely been a positive on the floor in the past 15 or so games IMO.

 

The Rockets lost Sunday’s game because they do not have a good, healthy point guard on this year’s roster. Nine turnovers in the fourth quarter is what killed them more than anything.

That’s the team’s biggest problem this year, and I put that mostly on Rafael Stone. He should have figured out a way to get a point guard for this season after December 15. They had enough future draft capital to find a creative way with their cap restraints to do so.

Without a competent point guard, the Rockets are losing the possession battle far too often, and they can’t overcome it against good teams.

As for the Sengun and Amen Thompson debate, if I was planning their offseason practice regimens, both of them would be taking 1,000 jump shots every day, starting in the mid range and expanding to the three-point line.

If I don’t see clear shooting improvement from one or both players, I’m trading one of them with picks while they are young and hold good value for an upgrade. Giannis would be my number one target.

 

Sengun's efficiency this season is a huge disappointment. If Sengun could be more accurate at making shots inside, then it would be easier to build around him than build around a perimeter guy who can't shoot.

Amen is more valuable on defense. But if he can't be at least a 2nd option on offense, then he's pretty much just a defensive specialist. And defensive specialists are easier to find than an offensive hub.

Bottomline, if we have to make a choice between Sengun and Amen, whichever one can improve on their scoring skill should be the one to keep. For now, neither guy has an advantage over the other IMO.