Getting Sengun more touches is needed
The Rockets did not need a reminder. Even a glance at the previous meeting with the Celtics, and the defense Boston used to excise Alperen Sengun from the Rockets’ offense, would have brought back memories of that game.
But as the Rockets faded down the stretch on Saturday against the Bulls, with Sengun getting one shot and few touches, they saw again that there remains a challenge in getting him the ball enough against some defenses to do damage.
Sengun missed his only attempt in the final six minutes on Saturday, when the Rockets went from a four-point lead to an eight-point loss.
In Boston, however, he went from one of his more unstoppable offensive games one night to attempting just three shots the next, his only scoreless game of the season.
The Celtics had used perimeter players, most often Marcus Smart, to battle him for low-post position and challenge entry passes. Sengun did not get the ball often, but when he did, the Celtics rushed a second defender, most often center Al Horford, to keep him surrounded.
“They did a good job in the first game,” Sengun said. “Their gameplan was good. They guarded me with Jayson Tatum, Marcus Smart, and also double teams. We’ll see tomorrow what they’re going to do.”
The Rockets have become more adept at getting Sengun touches away from the low blocks in the 34 games since. He has become a more versatile scorer, if not up to his standards in January when he averaged 18.3 points per game on 62.4 percent shooting. In the past six games, he has averaged 13.7 points on 60.7 percent shooting after averaging 10.2 points on 38.5 percent shooting in the previous six games. But that will be tested Monday in the rematch with the Celtics and one of the league’s stingiest defenses.
“Having him catch the ball at the top of the floor is a little bit easier than catching it in the post last night,” Rockets coach Stephen Silas said on Sunday. “They did a good job against him in the post. They forced him outward. He was catching it toward the 3-point line. They fronted him some.
“There has to be coordination amongst the group to get him the ball, not just the guy who has the ball.”
That can be a challenge, too. Though the Rockets tend to move the ball — they average the 11th most passes per game — only two teams average fewer assists. Those numbers are brought down by their poor shooting, but that also makes it more difficult to find room in the lane with the spacing sacrificed to missed 3s.
“I didn’t touch the ball that much (Saturday) but sometimes, it can be like this,” Sengun said. “Not every game is like this. I’m good with that.”
Sengun averages the 12th most post-ups per game and the eighth most elbow touches. But there can be a challenge to keep him involved while featuring their top scorers, Jalen Green and Kevin Porter Jr., if not as much as in the first meeting with the Celtics.
“Sometimes, we can get to some screening actions,” Silas said. “We have some screening actions we haven’t had to use but we’re probably going to have to use tomorrow. If they front, we have to flash and get high-lows and that sort of thing, and not just the guy with the ball trying to stare him down. There’s different places on the floor we can try to get him the ball, but it has to be a concerted effort amongst the group.”
That too is a work in progress. There had been a moment in Saturday’s game in which Porter showed his frustration of being excluded from a play as Sengun drove to score.
Forward Jabari Smith Jr. had chosen to throw a skip pass over Porter to Sengun. After Sengun gave the ball to Green and got it back at the top of the circle, Sengun posted up and scored with a reverse. Porter watched most of the possession with his hands on his hips, far removed from the play.
Silas said he was not concerned about one possession and that his point guard and center have no problems playing together.
“If it becomes an issue, I’ll address it,” Silas said. “I talk to both guys all the time.”
They did chat briefly at the end of practice, with Silas sharing a hug with two of the core players in the Rockets’ rebuild. Silas said, “We spoke and they’re fine.”
Individual possessions like that are not uncommon around the league, but the Rockets challenge remains to use all of their offensive weapons, an option the Celtics did not allow in the first meeting.
There will be a time that Sengun will be too physical for guards in the low post. In his second year, he brings a mix of a physical style without overpowering strength to get his position inside.
Sengun tends to do at least as well against bigger players where his footwork can be an advantage, and teams do not send as many double teams. But he has often cited the offseason workouts he that he plans to build greater strength for the low blocks.
“I would say he’s pretty strong, a strong kid, but he’s not as strong as he’s going to be,” Silas said. “The good thing is the physicality part. A lot of times, you can get stronger. But the physicality part is the mental part or the innate part. Getting better at the physicality part usually is hard. He’s already got the physicality, which is great. Once the strength comes, not that it’s weak right now, but once it gets stronger, it’ll be even better.
“He’s 20. Five years down the line, when we look at Alpi, he’s going to be like a completely different person as far as his body is concerned. He already has an amazing feel for the NBA game. It’s only going to get better.”