Approaching this from a different angle: What does the Sengun/Amen combo need to make it work?

So everyone seems to agree that u need 3 elite shooters around those two. Right now we have KD and Reed (if Ime ever decides to lean into him). KD is not a long-term solution. Can Reed become a lead on-ball initiator? It’s more likely than Amen, but we don’t know. Will Bari become a 40% 3pt shooter? Very possible, but we don’t know.

Really hope we can get more data on this over the last third of the season and in the playoffs.

 

Shooting and or a player who collapses the defense in a way to break down the defense.

Still will be tough if both guys can’t shoot the ball at all, but you can stagger the two if needed like we did with Harden/CP and still be a contender down the line.

But in the immediate just sign or trade for as much shooting as you can find.

I do hope they can keep these two together long term. Just imperative that this summer both guys just go into the gym all summer and shoot like a million threes a day.

 

I'm certain Ime and Stone have had this conversation. But, the problem is that if you really have 3 elite shooters around Amen/Sengun all the time you likely can't defend well enough to get anywhere either. You need one of those shooters to be a rim protector. You likely also need one of those elite shooters to be a great playmaker.

I love Amen but there's just no world where he's a star but you can't put the ball in hands on offense. The only way it works is if we traded Sengun and Amen played more of a Draymond Green role on offense.

I think the team should be open to trading either of them for a true star player that can shoot and/or protect the rim to allow for more shooters on the court.

 

impossible in my opinion. You made the warriors comparison. Looney or Pachulia or Bogut or any center they put in their lineup and Draymond didn’t demand the ball. They weren’t hubs or primary scorers or playmakers for their team. Draymond ran the break in their heyday and sometimes played point center or got the ball in the middle of the zone but he was never the primary scorer or playmaker. That offense was based on constant flares and moving screens and split action with the bigs.

The personnel is different. Besides they had 2 guards shooting lights out. Unless we make Amen and Sengun secondary or tertiary scorers and get a superior 3 pt SG, this doesn’t work. Sengun needs the ball at the FT line, mid post or elbows. Amen needs it on the wings and top of key etc.

I can’t think of any other team in the league whi has 2 starters that can’t shoot 3. Detroit is the only one that comes to mind. But again Ausar isn’t a main hub who needs the ball. Duren doesn’t play like Sengun and gets a lot of rolls or slips and drives when he’s open. Also gets lobs.

It doesn’t work.

 

Tari is shooting 43% on 4.6 attempts after his slump. We have 3 elite shooters. We don't even have to sacrifice defense to have 3 elite shooters on the floor because Tari is not a defensive downgrade from Bari. He's probably an upgrade.

Tari+KD+Reed = 40.84% on 17 attempts.
Bari+KD+Reed = 38.93% on 18.4 attempts.

That +1.91% is significant. Over the course of our season for example, a +1.91% would result in 3-4 extra wins.

We have to stop denying Tari. Our issue with him was his health and his shot, and he has been shooting well and staying healthy for us. Bari's percentages are too low. Okogie's attempts are too low.

 

Amen as a PG should be limited. Teams no longer guard him on the perimeter and spacing is now worst than rush hour traffic. The only way it works is if Amen can consistently drive to the basket to score while everyone else creates space for him. But that’s not his game as he isn’t effective in one on one ISO situations. His game is best at cutting when it’s unexpected or being a connector. We have lost that version of Amen from last year.

I believe to be an effective PG, having gravity is key which means you have to be a threat to score to then create the opportunities to find open players. Most of Amen’s passes are to get it into Sengun who’s posting up or get it to Durant who’s fighting through contact but it ends there. IMO not all assist are equal, in other words most players could fill this job but it’s not due to having a fell for the game. This is where I believe Reed is a better PG, while he has a similar job to get it to Sengun and Durant he has shown the ability to find his own shot and play off of the defense. This then allows him to create space for others and his proven vision for finding open players becomes critical.

IMO the Rockets got it wrong placing Amen over Reed at PG and conversely keeping Amen at PG over playing him at PF. However a year ago they did make the right decision starting Amen at PF over Jabari.

 

Butler and Bam can hit the midrange, so does AD. Draymond + Looney wasn't GSW's most played/effective lineup, you know that. Also, even Draymond is a way better shooter than Amen.

But we can all agree to disagree, time will tell who's right, I hope I'm wrong and Amen + Sengun can work in the playoffs and take us to glory.

I'm a Rockets fan above all and would love to eat crow on this one.

 

Spoiler: they will be exposed in the playoffs where the game slowdown and coaches actually game plan for the games.

We were the second seed in the west last year and lost to a freakin play in team

 

A healthy Fred VanFleet.

 

The answer is actually simple: find an assistant coach for the offense.

 

The first thing to do to make it work is to give up on the ridiculous Amen as PG nonsense. Start Reed at PG, bench Tari or Bari, and let Amen play in the dunker spot. If that doesn't work, then Amen will have to go to the bench until he can learn to shoot better.

 

yeah but I can’t imagine Udoka or any coach would put them in a zaza pachulia secondary role. Ssngun is a good one on one player and you need to exploit this. The Rockets would need to completely change their style, personnel, and system. This isn’t realistic of probable in my opinion. I still think the only way for this team to move forward is to trade Sengun.

 

when I watch Tari I feel like he’s playing hurt. Doesn’t look right to me. But I agree his shooting is real.

 

I used to think that. But it's not that simple. The head coach has to buy in. He's the ultimate decision maker in terms of how a team should play.

It doesn't matter if you have a genius offensive mind on your coaching staff if the head coach doesn't put the needed players in the game or if he overrides your offensive schemes because it doesn't match his philosophy.

In short, Stone can't just force feed an offensive assistant on Udoka. Udoka has to take that initiative.