The installation of the Rockets misses their best player

There are not many teams in the league that could survive a violation of their best player for a longer route. The Houston Rockets are no exception, even with their new players and high -quality depths. You still need Alperen Sengun, the offensive hub for the team and an efficient isolation scorer in the post office. Without his contributions, the Rockets had their first three-game defeat of the season.

Sengun is invaluable for the offensive of the Rockets.

Houston was missing a proven initiator in a defeat against the New York Knicks in Madison Square Garden. Amen Thompson entered this role with one of his best games as a professional. He ended with a triple double and scored 25 points, 11 points and 11 templates. It was an impressive representation of Thompson’s growth this season. His handle looked clean and effective, and he created shots on the edge with creativity and strength.

However, the Rockets went to Thompson in the clutch to create the insult to the team late in the game. Thompson’s handle left him when he needed the most urgent, and gave up a casual turnover that led to New York points. Houston’s chances of winning drastically after this game fell drastically, and Jalen Green missed a subsequent three -point attempt to try to save the game in the last minute.

The borders of Houston were obvious even though he had a player with double -digit templates. Since Sengun and Fred Vanvleet were missing in the game, the Rockets had no reliable option to turn in the coupling. The Knicks’ Jalen Brunson is an example of a team that has its main initiator. Brunson’s appearance made a jump towards the end of the game and he was constantly making the right decisions and arrested some great shots for New York.

Sengun plays this role when he is healthy. The head coach of Rockets, Ime Udoka, trusts his great man to avoid mistakes in the coupling and cause efficient crimes, even if it is for himself. Thompson and Green are transformed into quality cars and general players, but Thompson is not used to being an offensive focus, and Green is not always an efficient option for offensive.

It is not just the crime that suffers when Sengun is missing in the line -up.

Sengun is one of the best defenses in the league to the defensive anchor. It uses its speed and strength to cope with flashing, falling and switching to the circumference. He adds elite anticipation when he falls back to patroll the color. Although it is not the brisk -footed defensive center, there is a significant decline in its speed to secure Steven Adams. Adams is a dominant force on the glass, but sacrifices its speed for strength. He is not always the most effective defender, and he is not so versatile.

The later return of Jabari Smith Jr. can reduce some defensive concerns. It is unlikely that Thompson will give up his role in the starting line -up when Smith returns. Smith will probably come from the bank, play minutes as a stretch five and replace Sengun when he misses the time.

Smith is a comparable defender and his help defense took a step forward this season before his injury. It also offers a layer that no other center in the team can offer with its shooting from depth.

At Smith, too, the rockets urgently need Sengun to return to the line -up. Houston tries to limit the damage in the Western Conference rating until his return, but the team’s restrictions without him can make this task difficult.

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