Draymond vs. Sengün is matchup to watch in Warriors-Rockets game originally appeared on NBC Sports Bay Area
Two days after managing a virtual standoff against the NBA’s most skilled big man, Draymond Green’s Defensive Player of the Year tour/campaign returns Sunday against an opponent that poses similar, if less refined, problems.
Green is going from Denver’s Nikola Jokić, a three-time MVP, to Houston’s Alperen Sengün, who only is 22 years old but already is productive and skillful enough that he is drawing early comparisons to Jokić.
Green and Sengün will be central figures when the Warriors (46-31) and Rockets (51-27) convene at Chase Center for the fifth and final time this season. Coverage on NBC Sports Bay Area begins at 4:30 p.m., with tipoff scheduled for 5:30.
The game features two of the league’s hottest teams, as the Warriors have won 14 of their last 17 games and the Rockets have won 14 of their last 16.
Jokić played a strong individual game against Green on Friday at Chase, scoring 33 points on 13-of-17 shooting, including 4-of-7 from distance, while recording nine assists. But he was minus-4 over 37 minutes. Green was plus-14 over 30 minutes in a 114-108 victory.
Sengün is not yet an MVP candidate, but the comparisons to Jokić are natural, stemming from his gift for scoring and crafty passing. They’re both 6-foot-11, but Sengün is eight years younger and 45 pounds lighter.
Sengün is building quite the resumé, as this season he became the 16th-fastest player to post 4,000 points, 2,000 rebounds and 1,000 assists, reaching those totals in 256 games. He also made his first NBA All-Star game.
Averaging 19.2 points per game, Sengün is second on the Rockets in scoring (behind Jalen Green’s 21.6) and third among NBA centers, behind only Jokić and New York Karl-Anthony Towns. Sengün is 10th in the league in rebounding, and only nine players shoot more free throws.
Though Golden State rookie Quinten Post will have opportunities against Sengün, the primary assignment falls to Green, whose priority will be trying to frustrate Sengün’s attempts to score. The Rockets are barely above .500 (10-9) when he’s held under 15 points.
In seven career games against Green and the Warriors, Sengün is averaging 13.9 points, on 52.2-percent shooting from the field.
This is the Warriors’ fourth consecutive game against a team they trail in the Western Conference standings. They won the first three, beating the Grizzlies, Lakers and Nuggets, in the process moving from sixth place to fifth.
The Rockets need two wins over their final four to clinch a second-place finish in the West.
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Draymond vs. Sengün is matchup to watch in Warriors-Rockets game
Two days after managing a virtual standoff against the NBA’s most skilled big man, Draymond Green’s Defensive Player of the Year tour/campaign returns Sunday against an opponent that poses similar, if less refined, problems.
Green is going from Denver’s Nikola Jokić, a three-time MVP, to Houston’s Alperen Sengün, who only is 22 years old but already is productive and skillful enough that he is drawing early comparisons to Jokić.
Green and Sengün will be central figures when the Warriors (46-31) and Rockets (51-27) convene at Chase Center for the fifth and final time this season. Coverage on NBC Sports Bay Area begins at 4:30 p.m., with tipoff scheduled for 5:30.
The game features two of the league’s hottest teams, as the Warriors have won 14 of their last 17 games and the Rockets have won 14 of their last 16.
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Jokić played a strong individual game against Green on Friday at Chase, scoring 33 points on 13-of-17 shooting, including 4-of-7 from distance, while recording nine assists. But he was minus-4 over 37 minutes. Green was plus-14 over 30 minutes in a 114-108 victory.
Sengün is not yet an MVP candidate, but the comparisons to Jokić are natural, stemming from his gift for scoring and crafty passing. They’re both 6-foot-11, but Sengün is eight years younger and 45 pounds lighter.
Sengün is building quite the resumé, as this season he became the 16th-fastest player to post 4,000 points, 2,000 rebounds and 1,000 assists, reaching those totals in 256 games. He also made his first NBA All-Star game.
Averaging 19.2 points per game, Sengün is second on the Rockets in scoring (behind Jalen Green’s 21.6) and third among NBA centers, behind only Jokić and New York Karl-Anthony Towns. Sengün is 10th in the league in rebounding, and only nine players shoot more free throws.
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Though Golden State rookie Quinten Post will have opportunities against Sengün, the primary assignment falls to Green, whose priority will be trying to frustrate Sengün’s attempts to score. The Rockets are barely above .500 (10-9) when he’s held under 15 points.
In seven career games against Green and the Warriors, Sengün is averaging 13.9 points, on 52.2-percent shooting from the field.
This is the Warriors’ fourth consecutive game against a team they trail in the Western Conference standings. They won the first three, beating the Grizzlies, Lakers and Nuggets, in the process moving from sixth place to fifth.
The Rockets need two wins over their final four to clinch a second-place finish in the West.
Download and follow the Dubs Talk Podcast
