Chandler Believes Rockets Alperen Sengun Has Nikola Jokic-like Ceiling! PG Amen Thompson Working?

Chandler Believes Rockets Alperen Sengun Has Nikola Jokic-like Ceiling! PG Amen Thompson Working?

It really did. Uh here we go. Rockets with the win over Dallas. It’s their fourth straight win. Don’t look now. A man Thompson with 27 and four. Shenon finishes with 26 11 and six. Cooper Flag had 12, two assists, but four turnovers unfortunately. Um during this win streak, and I know a lot’s been, you know, when you lose Van Vleet, you’re thinking what’s up. So Amen Thompson is averaging about six and a half assists a game during the little streak here. Lou, lot of questions about a full-time point guard, and I know we’re already looking ahead to possible trades, but what do you make of his play so far in the spot? I think he’s held it down. I think it’s held it down. I’m not sold on him being the full-time point guard, but then again, look at the system that they’re playing. You know, they just need a guy to they just need guys to make plays when you have the ball in your hands, who whomever that may be. And right now, man Thompson is is that guy. Now, is this going to be something sustainable for the season? When teams start to pick up their pressure or take the ball out of his hands, make somebody else bring it up and disrupt your offense, what’s it going to look like from there? But, as you can see, he’s just using his body. He’s just using his talent to get in the lane and create plays for other guys. He’s not sitting there setting the table, making sure guys are in their right spots. He’s attacking downhill early in the clock, and he’s kicking it out to open shooters, which they have a ton of guys that can make open shots. They have a ton of guys that can finish. So, that’s working for them. Now, when you start playing a half court style of basketball like the postseason shows you or the second half of the season, that’s where you’ll get your true telltale signs of whether he can hold this down or not. But so far, so good. I can’t pick it apart. You know, this is a team that’s 4-2, 5-2. So far, with him at that spot, I say why not at this moment, but if I’m the Houston Rockets, I’m still looking out there in the market to see who’s out there to give me a little bit more reassurance. Yeah, that’s what I was going to say. Is this a permanent fix on him being the starting point guard? I don’t think so. But he is he’s filling a hole that they need right now. Obviously with Fred out, this offense doesn’t really need a quarterback either to kind of set them up in the half court. He can do that. And by the way, as a 22-y old kid who a 22-y old kid to be able to just accept this new role of something that he’s probably never done before is truly impressive. But when you play the Rockets and you are the Rockets offense, you are playing through Sangun and Kevin Durant. And that’s going to be a heavy dose of that twoman game. Yes. In a half court and out of timeouts, do I need a guy to set up the offense, get guys in their spot, and Thompson’s been doing a great job of that. You see some of these highlights. He’s got a great feel for the game. He’s so athletic. Most guys, most other teams can’t put their point guard on him because he’s too strong. He’s too big. He’s too athletic. You saw him when the first night this the first game of the season. He just kind of just goes at you and just kind of jumps and just leaps and uses his athleticism. So, is he a point guard? Is he a true quarterback of this offense? No. But he’s definitely holding it down and he is definitely been a valuable piece. But to me, it’s just the fact that he’s been able to adapt and adjust to just play this role he’s never had in the NBA. And some teams have thrown some pressure at him. But I’m throwing more up on them. I’m blitzing picking rolls. I’m picking them up 94 feet. I’m making him bring it down Magic Johnson style back back to me because I am going to be pressuring him and and making him uncomfortable, but he’s handled it great. He’s not really turning the ball over much. He’s getting them in their sets, but you’re playing through the big fell KD. Anyways, feels very unfazed so far. Speaking of KD, recently took to Twitter as one does. Uh this was to respond to a post about Alprin Shenon and his skill level. I mean, the dude is uh 23 years old. Like it’s they’re so young it’s weird to think about. He says he cannot believe his skill level. So I’m wondering Chandler like the ceiling for Shenun is what exactly? Is Jokic he’s that good? He he is so skilled. He is so talented. I hate you the comparison because he’s just a big European white guy, but it’s it’s what he is. And he play you can play through him. You can play around him. He’s one of those guys that can fit in any style of play, any offense. He can pick and pop. He can take you in the post. Like do yourself a favor and and watch more of these highlights. He he he is spooky similar to Joic and almost he’s more athletic and he’s more athletic. You’re doing him a disservice. He’s way more athletic than he’s also he’s also 23 years old but Joic was never this athletic I I’ll tell you. But he’s just the ceiling is so high for him and it’s just he’s got a brilliant basketball mind. He’s he’s a point guard. Like he is a point guard center like Jokic plays where that kind of gives them that that not need of a point guard right now um for the time being. But it it’s unbelievable. He kind of came out of nowhere, dude. And and I think he got traded on draft night or something for like two future picks. Like that was a that hurts. That was a botch. But he he’s unbelievable. We’re looking at an all-star for many years to come and all NBA type level player. Love that. This makes me want to go on a rant about youth sports, but I’ll save it for another day. Oh, wait. Okay. So, this is a whole show we need to do one day. I might because look at Yeah, because look at all the European guys and their skill levels. USA, we got to we got to tighten back up. All our high school coaches, AU coaches, all the trainers. Let’s tighten back up. Let’s get out of this highlight. Let’s get out of this highlight real culture that we in worried about the internet. Let’s get back to the basics. But that’s another day. Dang. Okay. By the way, last night was humane. I’m sorry. He’s the coach. I know. I like it. One day we’re going to have like a whole like a special a special run it back. Um Humane Society night last night in Houston. Do yourself a favor. Go look at the videos especially uh of Steven Adams cuddling a puppy. I’m just saying it’ll make your whole week. Okay, moving on to Dallas because yikes. That was supposed to be a little bit better. At least in Nico’s hopes this was supposed to turn out better. But they have the worst offense in the NBA at the moment and they’re averaging oh my goodness 103 points a game. Lou, I will start with you because we’re going to get to Cooper Flag specifically in a second, but this is like worst case scenario. Are we panicking or have we been panicking? They got they have to make some adjustments. Listen, we just talked about Houston and their point guard position. Dallas needs a point guard and for whatever reason they have one and he’s coming off the bench. Now, I’m looking at their roster. They got a lot of guys that can play basketball. They don’t have a lot of guys that can play point guard. Now, I understand D’Angelo Russell is going to be the guy to come off the bench and give you that six-man vibe, give you that six-man feel. He’s going to be able to score and make plays, so he gives you a balance, but at the top, you don’t have anybody that can do the job. You know, you put you put Christie in there and and you know, he had a great game as far as as far as numbers, but did he get guys in position to score? Did he make sure the table was set? You know, does he is he making sure that Cooper Flag is in the right positions at the floor? a guy like Klay Thompson who’s who’s struggling. It look like somebody got his Space Jam basketball and he needs it back. You got to get that those type of guys the basketball like he’s a rhythm guy, right? So, you got to make a concerted effort as a point guard and as a coach and as a as a team. We got to get those guys more looks and more opportunities. On paper, they look like a really good basketball team. It’s just not panning out. And I think this starts with the point guard position. You know, Kyrie Irving being out is obviously going to hurt any team when you have that caliber of player that’s out of your lineup. When a ad is out of the lineup, you’re going to have some struggles. But you have a guy in D’Angelo Russell who can do that. He can score a basketball. He can facilitate your offense and he can make plays for other guys, but you have him coming off the bench. At this point, you panic and you throw him in a starting lineup and you see if that helps. Until then, I think they’re going to be a team that’s that’s going to struggle in early offense and and transition until they clean up their point guard position. Yeah, we’re two and five, guys. Like, it’s it’s time to make it a little bit of an adjustment, right? Like like we’re playing guys at a position. There is light at the end of the tunnel that you have Cooper Flag, you have the talent, you have the size, you have Kyrie Irving coming back at some point this year, right? So, I don’t I’m not fully hitting the panic button, but like Lou just alluded to, you have D’Angelo Russell who big time aid big time big. [Music] Am I doing it again? Am I tweaking again? Yeah, you’re remixing. It’s fine. You have a guy in Ryan Nhard who last night and he’s a true point guard. He gets know a DMP coach’s decision. Like I I get Jason Kid. He was a big guard. He can kind of if I had anybody coaching Cooper flag to kind of do that to mold him into that point guard, it would be Jay Kidd. But it’s not working. You guys got you got guys playing out of position. Their offense is dead last. Their offense is worse than the Wizards. Their offense is wor like it’s it’s it’s the worst offense in the in the NBA. The Nets don’t have a win and their offense is better than the Dallas Mavericks offense. You got to change something and it’s it’s probably the point guard position. Klay Thompson, I’m not ready to move him off the bench. He’s got to continue to shoot. I think that would just shatter his confidence doing that because he can still He’s gonna figure it out. He’s one of the best shooters to ever walk face of the earth. He’s got to figure out. But they just need a setup guy. They need to play faster. They have this size and again like L said the starting lineup looked cool on paper like how big they were and like they were but it’s not it’s not cool and it’s not working and and and they need to get D’Angelo Russell pronto tanto in that starting lineup. Dear Lord, I don’t think a good time is too good to be two and five dig and we made a big fuss about Dallas being one of the teams that’s that’s going that’s supposed to be good for them. So getting behind the Aball this early in the season can’t afford it. They got to figure this out fast. Yeah, you’re letting the Texas trio down right now. Dallas, get it together. Uh take a quick break on the other side. First time on the show. Jared Weiss of The Athletic joins us to talk San Antonio Spurs when we come back. Run it all. Run it back. Run it all. Run it back.

On November 4, 2025 episode of ‘Run It Back’ on FanDuel TV, co-hosts Michelle Beadle, Chandler Parsons, and Lou Williams react to Dallas Mavericks vs Houston Rockets, is it time to panic for the Dallas Mavericks, & Kevin Durant IMPRESSED by Alperen Sengun!

FULL EPISODE HERE: https://youtube.com/live/2Vkb9w1Kdpg

CHAPTERS
0:00 MAVERICKS VS ROCKETS REACTIONS
0:27 SOLD ON AMEN THOMPSON AS PG?
3:35 ALPEREN SENGUN’S CEILING CAN BE JOKIC
5:44 TIME TO PANIC FOR FOR DALLAS MAVS?

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