Want to see what Amen can do setting a pick as though he’s a big man for FVV/Green. Maybe on the run he has the athleticism to be a serious lob threat. We did this with Westbrook a little bit, can work here too.
I mean he better roll to the rim hard if that's the case because defenses are going to just ignore him as the screener if he pops out.
Last night he looked somewhat uncomfortable, fumbling passes and losing the ball. But he's going to adjust and bounce back. He's still insane on D, and can be a real lob threat and rim running C for stretches. Maybe I'm crazy, but he can actually work well in that setup. As @Mathloom said, there is a way to use him like Russ. He can outrun and out jump almost anyone, and has enough power in his game to already be a great rebounder and make a difference under the rim. He needs to tighten the handle for it to work, though. I'm super high on him. I thought the #4 spot in the draft was our worst case scenario, and his clips from OTE were underwhelming. But boy am I happy now! A truly unique player that can be a difference maker on a (hopefully ours) champion team. Insane potential.
Having seen Amen play I was right, he shouldn't be the PF or SF he should remain a guard. Amen played more mins tonight but was less effective, and that's because at PF he is undersized. Yes he is athletic and quick, but that just makes up for his lack of size and overall he just becomes mediocre as an athletic lob guy with zero range. Just compare his nos and production at guard vs tonight, you see the difference in effectivity. Amen should be the backup PG or sg alongside a scorer like JG, FVV or Holiday. That's his best role cuz then he can dominate the opponent SG or PG, lock them up and tear down the opponent offense at the point of attack.
Amen has a high range of possibilities he can be. Definitely a rare blend of length, strength and agility.
I think it all comes down to shooting for the most part. If he learns to shoot, he will be an all-star at the minimum. He can already rebound, pass, defend - plays at a high effort and has a 7'0" wingspan and can get in the lane. Jalen Green is similar - if Green goes from 31% on 3's to 37%, and he goes from 48% on 2's, to 52% - he will be an all star as well. So basically, at this point - the Rockets backcourt development is 80% dependent on them becoming competent (Amen) and solid (Green) shooters. They also are a good mix defensively, because Thompson can guard shooting guards and Green can focus on point guards, which he guards better.
I've actually said a lot of positive things about Jalen - he just pisses me off. I wouldn't trade him, and actually expect him to bounce back next year. I don't think he will ever be in the class of MJ, Kobe, Wade, West or Harden - but I do think that he can be an all star and score over 25 points a night fairly soon if he spends the off season working out the proper way and with the right people.
He needs more sand in his pants. Im hoping the dad diet helps him bulk up. He needs to strengthen his lower body to help with his shot mechanics over a long season. He's a pariah right now and its up to him to change that.
Yup - and at 22 years old, it is hard to deal with being a pariah ... but I suspect he will ultimately suck it up, and work in a structured and difficult/challenging environment instead of what he has done in the past.
For sure especially a kid who is a social media darling and lives his life digitally. I hope he cuts the chord and drowns out all the noise. He's got "it" just needs to find a way to harness the ability on a whim and stay consistent. Easier said than done I understand the pessimism.
I mean as a big Jalen stan I've given up that hope he'd reach that level a long time ago also. But I still think there is room for him to be a more athletic Devin Booker but that is the ultimate best case scenario that has a like a 10% possibility. Right now his trajectory looks like a player of the Zach Lavine level of Derozen level... Fringe all-star in his prime years. But that still is a great piece to have along with Sengun, Amen, Cam, Jabari etc.
I think those expectations are reasonable. I will say that if he learns to shoot better and shows some focus, I think that he can be better than LaVine or Derozen. Trading him this summer would be a big mistake, he has too much upside and the Rockets would not get much for him. Everyone loves Cam Whitmore, and he is only 19 - but he has some serious flaws he needs to fix before he can be the type of player good teams start. Green has improved as a passer, and as a defender - this summer he needs to really work with Sullivan every day on his shooting, he does that and I think a lot of his problems go away.
This is really obvious if anyone wants to see it. On offense, he looked so uncomfortable last night it was painful. I suppose the argument can be made playing SF would make him more versatile.
Sometimes I be thinking Eason is out there with a rocket pack on his back watching Amen cause terror on D out there
It's an interesting case study in player development. Should the organization continue asking Amen to strictly lean into the stuff he's already good at, and minimize the stuff he's currently bad at? That's how he's been playing this season, and he's been a positive NBA player as a rookie that way. That's rare. It's true of maybe 5 guys this year, and fewer most years. Amen has been a good soldier and all in on this approach. But maybe that's not doing right by Amen. Maybe that's painting him into a corner as a player. It could basically turn him into Ausar's projection after a while -- an elite defending, poor shooting off ball forward who's a good connector but not comfortable taking any significant responsibility offensively. A Herb Jones. At best a Draymond, if Draymond couldn't play the 5. That's a good player, but not a star. Or should the organization commit to Amen on-ball skill development reps? 4-5 middies, floaters or threes per game. High PnR with Landale and 3 shooters strictly spaced out. 6 minutes stretches where Amen brings the ball up every time, doesn't sit in the dunker's spot, and is asked to run the show. We'd be worse offensively in those minutes than we are right now, but without Sengun... the difference is now smaller. Amen's numbers will look like Scoot's for a while (sub 50% TS), but otherwise I think it's magical thinking to imagine he'd get more comfortable on-ball without those kind of reps.
He has gotten more time this year than they expected and he has overall been better than they expected. He is very raw - but he has gotten plenty of time playing guard at times. He has already improved his handle some and has caught on very quick to their defensive philosophy and style of play. They want him to be a guard in the future to utilize his passing and penetration. Unless something drastically changes they will work EXTENSIVELY with him this Summer on his shooting and his gather hand. If he doesn’t improve at all after a few years then perhaps their approach changes - but for now they will expect him to be a point guard and want him to work on that. During the season there are limited practices and time to work on particular skills. According to everything I have heard he doesn’t ever miss practice and is a true gym rat that only stops when a coach says it’s enough. Also - consider the weird journey he has taken to the NBA. He wasn’t used to the high level and strength of the NBA. His handle, his reaction time and process time all had to change more than most rookies. So the Rockets wanted him to compete against NBA players. He clearly lacks confidence in his shooting from outside of 10 feet - and he should, he is shooting like 15% from 3. However he will take the shot if open and necessary. He isn’t Ben Simmons as he has already taken more 3’s than Simmons did in his entire career - and he works hard and hasn’t shown he is really scared. You let him build confidence by doing what he does well - in transition, cutting and driving… and then you get him to work on his weaknesses. As for his brother - Amen isn’t being handled the same way. Amen does get time at guard, he plays in a disciplined system on defense and he isn’t told to just get rebounds. He simply has more responsibilities already. I read some saying they shouldn’t get him to worry about a mid range jumper, but only on a 3. I strongly disagree… he is FAR more comfortable shooting mid range shots and his form is better with less effort. While a 3 would be nice- if he develops a solid 15 footer next year, he will be playing 30+ minutes a night and scoring 15-18 points a night.
I'm not saying he shouldn't work on his mid range shot, but mid range shots don't keep Wemby and Chet out of the paint. Not saying Chet and Wemby lead teams can't be defeated in the postseason if they are allowed to sag in the paint in the future, it is just going to take a significantly better team than the Spur and OKC to do it.
