[2023 NBA Draft/1-4] Amen Thompson, G, Overtime Elite

No you’re not crazy. He needs a fluid, higher release point and to remove the leg kick. But the good news is that the kid is a serious worker and his touch isn’t bad. No reason he can’t be a 35% 3-pt fg guy in the league. That would make him super dangerous.

 

Amen at 35% from the arc would potentially be a Top 5 player in the league and definite "could be best player on a title contender" talent. Luka's best year from 3 was 35%. Harden's best during the unguardable years was 37%.

 

I've been purposely avoiding videos of watching him shoot, but I accidentally saw one this morning. Damn, it's horrific. Where he shoots the ball from, his follow through (his right arm goes to the side), and that bizarre leg kick. What the hell even is that? When I coached 8 year olds I wouldn't even let them shoot like that.

 

That is what I am wondering - supposedly he is as serious about basketball as anybody. But you can go to a local hoop and most of the players will have a better form than him. Why didn't he work hard to correct this? In highschool or in the two years at OTE. Ausar improved a bit at least, his form looks way better, but Amens still look really funky. The longer he waits to fix it, the harder it becomes.

I'd be fine if he turns into a 33% shooter from 3. But I am not even confident he can do that.

 

I don’t understand why in a practice video you can’t do all of those things. No one guarding and going at half speed. I am not saying take it into a game but you should able to take a shot without kicking and extending your arm the whole with follow through etc. then take a couple of years and replicate that shot at higher speeds over time and being guarded more and more. Shrug I don’t get it.

 

I'm just not that worried about his shot. He's allegedly addicted to basketball and going to work on it constantly with real NBA level shooting coaches. It'll never be "good" but I am hopeful it will be passable in time.

Having said that...people are just ignoring everything else he brings to the table. It's odd.

 

Obviously not the same but they share a lot

 

Yeah it's a problem when a guy who has been treating basketball as a full time job for 8 years or so has such poor mechanics. It would actually be better if he had either only recently taken up basketball, or had always previously played as a guy without the ball and not looking to score (as is the case with Coulibaly). Those types of people's shot could at least theoretically be changed pretty easily. But Amen's could be solidly affixed to his current ghastly form.

But... maybe not. Lonzo Ball had a similar projection from childhood with a butt ugly shot and after a few years he made it look infinitely better. So maybe Amen can do it too. Who knows.

 

Didn't watch, but :

 

Stone acts like a powder head.

Hes on the bugger sugar for sure.

 

Can’t wait to see how he plays and responds to a potential role change. Probably thought he was going to get the Jalen/Jabari treatment, starting playing 30m+ before we signed FVV.

 

his form is still hideous while shooting against air, but at least he’s working on it

in-game is where it becomes NSFW

 

They worked him out and met with him before drafting him, it may have been a topic of discussion.

There are ways for him to earn minutes, anyway--mainly through his defense. He can get some run backing up 1-3, and FVV plays well off the ball. The guy he's really going to be competing with for playing time is KPJ. Excited to see how that goes.

 

I still can't believe this guy went number 4 overall in the NBA draft. Man I hope I'm wrong about him. I'll just leave it at that...

 

I questioned Whitmore's intellect when he said he was going to spend his summer working on his midrange game, but I'd say Chris Paul vision 100 times of 100.

 

Cannot wait until Friday, Amen is going to surprise people

 

Even Doncic isn't .35 from behind the arc. What makes ppl think that a guy with a completely broken form can get to that percentage? This is nothing but a wishful thinking. Since he's our player we are playing that but he's young, he's hardworking, his touch is nice game. If he wasn't with us we wouldn't be this optimistic. I think if he ever becomes an average high volume 3pt shooter (doubt it) it'll take at least 4 years. 1) He wil have to abandon his current shooting form which will take at least a year or two since he's been shooting like that forever. It's his dna. 2) He'll perfectly adopt his new shooting form and be ok at it. 2 years.

To put into perspective, Morant was a much much better 3pt shooter than him in college. He was .34. He's been shooting worse in NBA. Lowry was again better than him in college and Lowry in his 3rd season in NBA was still not a .3 at 3pt line. These 2 players' shooting form isn't broken and one isn't there yet (Morant) and other one needed 4 seasons to shoot .35. Amen's shot is broken he might not even get there.