Sorry dude but that’s a misconception. It’s not about being taught. Have you played organized basketball before at any level? Some guys focus on their one on one game at an early age and become really good at it. Some guys focus on ball handling or passing and made it a big part of their game and kept improving their craft. Other guys played post up or mid range. Some craft themselves into 3-D player or shooter etc. If you’re not a shooter then you become great at other areas and your priorities depend on your comfort level and your natural abilities in those areas. There’s no complete player at any level and players shape their identities and style of play with what they’re good at. But players also try to improve on their weaknesses constantly adjusting their mechanics (Lebron wanting a better post game reaching out to Hakeem) Aaron Gordon couldn’t shoot at all coming into the league shooting .200 in 3s his first year and .400 FT% in college. He has improved those numbers. Rondo too was a .200 3 pt shooter his first couple years and shot .330 or better in latter half of his career. Again it’s about what players are good at and how they constantly grow to be more complete players.
That's true but one needs to be realistic about expectations. Almost every 3pt shot that these guys who went from bad to ok (Rondo, Gordon, Jason Kidd, Lonzo Ball, etc) have ever had in their careers is a set shot from a kickout. Amen may eventually learn to be passable at that one kind of play, but I wouldn't count on much more, even if things go well.
This is what Mike Miller said after his training experiences with the twins: "The word is elite," says Miller, who got to know the twins during a workout in Memphis with Penny Hardaway a month earlier. "They're elite kids, they're elite workers, elite competitors, obviously elite athletes. They can have everything they want. They're hard workers, they're grinders, and you know me, I love the grinders.“ https://www.espn.com/mens-college-b...on-twins-elite-unproven-path-nba?platform=amp
I see a lot of people trying to force themselves to like Amen Thompson fantasizing about him magically turning into a great shooter, as if that's an easy thing. He's closer to Michael Kidd Gilchrist than Lonzo in terms of shooting. Heck, Lonzo was a great shooter in college, Amen has never been a hood shooter, ever. He hasn't been a good shooter against 15 yo kids, he hasn't been elite finishing against those same kids, but yeah, if you all wanna fall fown the same rabbit hole year after year where "x player" is good (when no one else actually believes that) and that they will magically get better somehow, be my guest. I do hope that if they draft him, he makes me look very bad with my takes but for now, i'm feeling safe with my bet.
Magic Johnson (6'9"), Anfernee Hardaway, Josh Giddey, Shaun Livingston (who looked fantastic before that injury but was a top notch roleplayer off the bench after), and Luka is basically playing point guard for the Mavs. *forgot that LaMelo Ball is playing point for the Hornets and his brother, Lonzo, was doing an excellent job of playing point guard at 6'6.
I haven’t read that people are “forcing” themselves to like him or that they are saying he will become a “great” shooter. Instead the sentiment among those who support him has been more positive emphasizing growth, development, and patience considering that he is a young elite athlete that can get into the paint off the dribble while having great Court vision/passing game. Many people cite other players in the league’s history who have become serviceable shooters after entering the league as a below average shooter as evidence of player evolution. They also point out the perception biases and misinformation of some of the ones that consistently oppose Amen on these threads such as those saying non factual things like generalizing that the OTE league is made up of “15 year old kids” or that the defenses aren’t guarding him, or that Amen can never develop into a good or even average shooter while disregarding his other great attributes.
If Charlotte drafts scoot, he has Portland drafting Amen Thompson at 3 and the rockets drafting Miller with the 4th pick.
You have a point when it comes to generalization, but at the same time, the context behind that generalization is that even tho not every player is 15, it is still a trash league. Saying it's against 15 yo is just a humorous way of saying it. The reason i'm personally dosregarding his other attributes is because... he shows those attributes against trash competition. I'm by no means a pro scout and i can be wrong with my opinions, but that's what they are, just opinions. As i've said in all my posts, i hope i'm wrong if he's the one they take.
Seriously, neither do I. Light gray, dark gray? I'm guessing dark gray, just a hunch and probably wrong. Mike Miller is great at this. Sign him up.
Oversized point guard crowd also includes Shai at 6'6" and Tyrese Haliburton at 6'5"--not quite as tall as the Thompsons but almost
Kris Murray TEAM Iowa YEAR Junior POSITION Power Forward HEIGHT 6'8.75" (6'11.75" wingspan) WEIGHT 213 lbs AGE 22.80 yrs DRAFT AGE 22.84 yrs BIRTHDATE Aug 19, 2000 NATION USA HOMETOWN Cedar Rapids, IA HIGH SCHOOL DME Academy MOCK DRAFT 20th|HOU https://www.tankathon.com/players/kris-murray
Oh, and if we are going to get into guys in the 6'5/6'6 range, then we need to talk about the greatest of all of them.
"The word is overtime," says Miller "These Overtime Elite kids, they put in overtime, they work hard all the time, and when work is supposed to end, they work for additional time, they're hard workers, they're grinders, and me I love grinders"
Goodness if this was our draft what is not to like? It couldn’t be better. Draft: Miller & Hood-Schifino. (Dream come true would be maybe our best draft yet, IMO) PLUS Free agency: J. Harden & B. Lopez (Harden breaks more Rocket all time records) Entertaining, we will make the playoffs next year & for years to come.
I really hope the Rockets don't end up with a smallish combo guard with a poor outside shot like Henderson. Another ball dominant player is not a good fit. Sure, he has some skills and athleticism but I just think he's a little small for a combo guard, especially one shot 23% from beyond the arc. With Amen you get a super athletic 6'7" player with tremendous court vision, which is what the Rockets need. No, he doesn't have a shot, yet, but at least he can distribute and take it to the rack... great in transition, too.
Most of OTE are 18-20 years old and Amen's TS% is over 60 so like, please, stop pushing exaggerated narratives that are provably incorrect.
He has a wingspan of 6'9". He's long. His height is basically irrelevant. It also doesn't hurt that he's built like a tank. I'm not afraid of Scoot's size at all.
I can talk myself into 5, or 6 players where the Rockets are drafting. I think Udoka bringing in several shooting coaches makes me think that Amen Thompson is the most likely player they draft.
