I'm not as negative as many other posters on the board, but you're looking at least three years ahead before you see Amen Thompson as a serviceable defensive option. He's deplorable right now. Just watch the tape rather than ogle over measurables. It will make you cringe (and give you flashbacks to last season). No stance, no connectivity with teammates, typical lacking of energy and intensity... he gambles to use athleticism in the open court. He'd fit right in with our current group. It would be a huge win if he's taking half the minutes at PG with FVV. Then after two years, you can give Amen the reigns and watch out. But if next year's regular rotation features KPJ, Jalen, and Amen--without a significant upgrade at PG--we'll be in the bottom 10 in the league for sure. Capella isn't coming to the rescue. Myles Turner? Brook Lopez? Really?
Yeah and this isn’t hyperbole either. Thompson is an incredibly talented athlete. He also has the size, length, basketball IQ and work ethic.
Yeah and this isn’t hyperbole either. Thompson is an incredibly talented athlete. He also has the size, length, basketball IQ and work ethic. it wouldn’t take three years for Amen Thompson to be a good defender. He already is a good defender at times. It also doesn’t take someone with the skill set Amen has to learn to defend better. As long as he gives effort and listens - he will be a good defender sooner than later.
If he has that work ethic, why is he such a terrible shooter? What has he been working on the last 2 years if not learning how to shoot? If he could shoot even at the NBA average for centers, then he'd be the first or second pick in the draft....and his ceiling would be much higher. He had to know that, so either he put in the work and he's just not capable of learning how to shoot, or he didn't put in the work which would call into question either his work ethic or IQ.
He is 6’7” with a 7’0” wingspan - that is exceptional for a point guard. That is pretty close to ideal for a shooting guard. Are there forwards bigger than him? Sure, but he will primarily be switched onto 2’s and 3’s…. Also his vertical will help as well. He will need to improve as a shooter if he wants to be more than a role player. I expect him to improve as a shooter - the question is whether or not he will improve enough to be a star.
It’s a fair question to ask. What I will tell you is that I haven’t heard a single credible person question the work ethic and he has noticeably improved his body, and his shot (believe it or not) improved from his first to his second year. His shot is so bad in part because of mechanics and likely in part because he lacks some degree of feel. The coaching at OTE wasn’t as good as it should be. He worked with Mike Miller for a week and improved his form and shot a lot better. From what I have been told, Amen has shot okay in private workouts. He isn’t hitting shots like Lively has in workouts, but it hasn’t been alarming. If we knew Amen would be an average shooter, he would be the #2 pick in this draft and last years draft too. We just don’t know what will happen. What I can say is most players improve as shooters once in the NBA - but some don’t.
Not the biggest fan of Amen but at the very least we'll get highlight plays, with Amen and Jalen, we would be fun to watch. Makes losing by 20 more bearable tbh.
Thompson has a very high ceiling , but I am scared of the floor . #1 I’m worried about combine measurements. I do not think he has a 7 foot wingspan given he measured the same height as Anthony black , blacks wingspan was 6’8 but standing reach is only 1 inch shorter . I think amen has 6’10-11 arms . Normally this would be a minor note , but to me it’s like … is this just another aspect that just hype ? how much of his profile is hype ? how real the athleticism is / plays is hard to tell given the competition . #2 shooting skills/ touch. By my read of it , he shot 60% on 2’s the first year of OTE and he shot 63% on 2’s his second year . good numbers , but for someone as athletically hyped as he is .. that’s not much improvement… and he got a year older relative to the league . So I am worried about that . and when you think about how many dunks he has , his fg% should be high . #3 current team usage and value . His brother was the pg and mvp during the regular season right ? Was amens bump in production in the playoffs a function of the other team game planning for his brother more ? plus his brother who was for sure the pg 2 years ago right ? He got better at shooting and moved more off ball right ? Wouldn’t the shooting skill have made him even better as point ? Or was it that amen was much better on ball (vs off ball ) and it was the best for the team to do that ? it’s a smart coaching decision . But if the ****ing OTE teams needed to play him that way then nba teams have no choice put to put him on ball … and turning your team over to a 20-21 year old who’s highest level of competition is …. This . Is ****ed This draft year I’m hearing the word “processor” a lot . It’s the new IT word I guess . I have seen his reads . I’ve seen him play defense . I have seen him make tough finishes . I have seen him cut off in the lane with nowhere to go . I think he’s about average . His transition game will no doubt be good . Idk how much he will be able to get out on it . His team will have to have a good defense . Right now he’s pretty raw . I think he’s gonna take a lot of work to maximize and build around . I think he could go from 3-10 but I think Wemby and scoot have 1/2 locked up . I think miller is gonna drop like a rock , bad time to get mono . but maybe you just can’t teach his size
I’m not worried about Amen at all, in 2011 it was a guy names Kawhi Leonard who was athletic, great passer and defender but could not shoot at all. Draft experts kept saying he can do everything except shoot…cannot shoot at all. Amen is going to be a great point guard, and his shot will work. He needs to start on the bench, play 25+ minutes, will play elite defense and work on his shot
I don't doubt the work ethic, it's evident when you see his physique, I think what I really question is either his priorities or if he is truly capable of improving to an acceptable level. It's true that his shot got better from one season to the next, but it's still REALLY bad. I'm not joking when I say that I don't know that Amen Thompson beats 10 random CF posters in a game of HORSE. I don't think I'd say that about any top 10 pick in the last 10 drafts, after all, we're talking about professionals and the gap between pros and Joes is massive. The guy that instantly comes to mind is John Wall, he's a guy that claimed to have spent the past 5+ years working almost exclusively on his 3 point shot....a guy that reportedly always had an amazing work ethic....but what did we see? 30% from 3, 31% from 3, 30% from 3. I don't doubt for a second that he put in the work, he just wasn't capable of developing his shooting. Russell Westbrook is the same way. I GUARANTEE you that he's put in the work to try and develop his shot....he's not someone who likes being laughed at and he knows that people laugh at him for his shooting.....because an arena full of people do it right to his face nearly every time he attempts a shot. Yet despite that, he's only shot over 32% from 3 a grand total of 3 times in his entire career and he's never hit even 35% for a season. When it comes to certain things, life is just unfair. NBA caliber shooting talent is one of those things. Either you have it or you don't and in most cases no amount of effort will change that. I think the best we can hope for is that he has the talent, he's just never truly put forth any real effort in trying to improve, just kind of going through the motions. The alternative is a scenario where he has a VERY low floor.
Idk how y’all can get excited watching him against that pitiful competition. If we draft him, ima need to see something in SL before I start jumping for joy.
Everytime someone writes how great Amen Thompson is, they never mention they are playing against HS kids while they are 20yo, ofcourse the defense is going to be non-existent on the court.
If we end up with him, I'll hope for the best, but fear the worst. I do view the Thompson Twins as the worst players the Rockets could take that are talked about as top 10 prospects.....which might mean the Rockets are in love with them.
Hell if I see Amen roll into SL and he's hitting 35% of his 3's I don't care that it's SL, he'll have addressed my concerns. If it turns out that it was a fluke, that sucks, but a strong SL showing would go a LONG way towards making me more comfortable with the pick. The worst case scenario would be where he can't hit anything but displays some flashy athleticism that would confirm his shortcomings while keeping the hype train rolling because certain fans prefer flash over substance.
