It all comes down to the Rockets evaluation. Scoot has the court vision, agression and athleticism of an elite point guard. His outside needs work and he is 6'2". Amen has many of the same traits, but even more so- he's considered one of the best athletes in basketball right now, period. His court vision and driving ability take your breath away. Also, he's 6'7ish. The problem with Amen is that his outside shot is bad. If the Rockets think that Amen can become a passable outside shooter, isn't he a better prospect than anybody besides Victor for them? If Scoot really has that alpha, lead dog on a championship team potential, wouldn't you do anything to obtain that guy if you are Stone?
That's because in those cases the higher picking team wanted the player available from the lower pick. Hawks thought Trae would be better than Luka and Boston knew Tatum would be better than Fultz. There isn't a rational person on earth that wants Amen or whomever over Scoot. After the lottery, you can take the numbers off the top picks and start thinking of them as players. Moving from 4 too 2 doesn't seem to much but moving from Amen to Scoot is a maaaaassive jump that'll cost way more than a future first.
I'm still trying to figure out the people saying "don't draft Amen because he can't shoot - trade up and draft Scoot!" What's the big difference you guys see, because Scoot apparently can't shoot, either (43% FG, 28% 3PFG). If you want him because he's more of a leader, I get it, but otherwise, help me out.
Assuming Charlotte takes Miller and Portland is listening to offers for #3, that means they've decided they don't need Scott. But you'd have to think they wouldn't want to move down TOO much. Giving them KJ and swapping picks lets them pick up a quality young rotation guy and STILL pick the player they want, without worrying about someone else grabbing him (whether that's Amen or someone else).
I'm trying to figure this out too. Not that I wouldn't be happy with either one but skill wise I really don't see a big difference.
What about Amen's trip with OTE over to Europe where he played mixed competition levels against pro Euro players and put up good stats? I'm willing to bet a lot of those players were every bit as good as the players Scoot played against in the G-League. It's not like Scoot was setting the world on fire there. But even if you ignore that, are you trying to tell me the defenses in the G-League are all-world that stopped Scoot from hitting 3's and making FG's? We're talking about a league where the Rockets' backup PG's and some starters dominate (Nix, KPJ, TyTy, etc.). Help me understand ... Note : I don't care which one we draft if we get to draft either, tbh. Most of this is a crapshoot, anyway. I'd be content with either. I'm sort of more intrigued by Amen, though.
Skill-wise, I'm not sure. Scoot is probably the better ballhandler. Amen can match up or exceed Scoot's athleticism. He's about 5-6" taller and just as explosive. Apparently he's got good basketball IQ. He's 6'7" and putting on weight. That last fact makes me think he's possibly more versatile and can play 1-3. He can probably defend 1-3. My main question, though, is, if neither can really shoot, what is it about Scoot that makes you so confident we should not just take him over Amen, but be willing to give up multiple draft picks and/or players to move up 1 or 2 spots and obtain him? I'm not saying you're wrong - just trying to understand.
I'm trying to figure this out too. Not that I wouldn't be happy with either one but skill wise I really don't see a big difference.
Scoot can shoot, he's just not a great 3 point shooter. Amen's jumpshot looks like someone who doesn't even play basketball. It's like Westbrook vs Michael Kidd Gilchrist. Scoot can make his free throws, Amen looks like Clint Capela at the free thrown line. Zero talent shooting the basketball whatsoever. And free throw percentage is usually a very good indicator for people who add three point shooting to their games. So in terms of who is more likely to become an nba-level shooter, it's Scoot by a mile. Not that it's guaranteed, maybe Amen learns and Scoot doesn't, but Scoot has at least shown that he knows how to shoot a basketball. His shot doesn't look like it needs to be reworked from the ground up, whereas Amen's shot definitely will be. I think there's a good chance Amen ends up in Ben Simmons territory.
Most of these rankings will change up till the moment the players are announced. I wouldn't be surprised if a team tried to pull a bait and switch like Orlando tried last year
Come on man! The draft is a crap shoot, nobody is promised to be the next great thing. Wemby looks great but at 7'3 - 7'5, I still haven't seen a player that tall last long. We have to wait and see.
Yeah, but I'm just not sure it's worth trading multiple picks and players for that. Or maybe it is. I think Scoot shot something like 76% in the regular season from the line and Amen shot something like 66%. I was looking at Amen's stats and there were 2 games where his FT% got slaughtered - one where he went 5-10 shooting and the other where he was 2-8. The rest of his games were solid, so I don't know. Then you have the plus of him being 6'7", a ball-handler, and potential playmaker with positional versatility. With Scoot, his shot better come around because I don't know what you do with him otherwise. Man, I mentioned this very thing in another thread. Damn what "everybody is saying" - can't wait to see if the draft is turned on its head within the first 4 or 5 picks.
Neither. Rockets desperately need shooters - they literally don’t have any! I don’t see how you can be considered an elite prospect if you’re shot is broken! Try to package this pick with whatever else it takes to get Jaylen Brown - Gives Udoka a proven franchise player to build around!
Not when the drop off from 3 to 4 is as big as it is. Additionally a lot of people say Scoot (other than Wemby) is the best prospect in years. I don't think you pass the opportunity to strike there even if you overpay a little. The rockets have lots of picks and young talent. At some point you need to start taking shots. You don't win without taking risks.
