I would say three guys on this team have a debate for having the highest ceiling. Sengun, Jalen and Amen. All of them you can make a case to me having the highest ceiling all for various different reasons.
For me the ceiling is a more athletic and physically gifted Jimmy Butler. Better teammate. Which is essentially a perennial MVP candidate.
To me his ceiling is Magic Johnson with better D. I’m more confident in Amen becoming a star than anyone on this team.
I’m not predicting it, I’m saying that is his ceiling. Magic Johnson is my favorite non-Rocket basketball player of all time. Amen has the BBIQ, height, and greater athleticism. Magic didn’t have an outside shot for many years. Magic was a basketball savant and seemed to always make the right play. I doubt Amen will get to be the absolute Savant as Magic, but I think he is the best comp.
Like I say, I like Amen, but I just haven't seen anything resembling the level of handles, passing and vision that Magic had. I actually think this is even more of a ridiculous take than comparing Jalen to Kobe if I'm honest. Amen just doesn't remotely seem like the same kind of archetype - do you think people would be saying Magic might be better as a SF or parked in the dunker's spot on offense? If he does become Magic 2.0 that'd be incredible for the team, I just think it's probably less likely than Sengun becoming Jokic 2.0 or Green becoming Kobe 2.0, and I don't think either of them are going to happen either.
It’s a reasonable take. I do think Amen has great vision and his handle is better than people are giving him credit for. Magic was finals MVP his rookie season, so no I don’t think he reaches that ceiling, but I think it is a good comp. He is terrific in transition like Magic. He can play multiple positions like Magic and is already a top 5 defensive player in the league (unlike Magic). His shot is holding him back from fans and the media going all in on him. It is a different era, but Magic really didn’t have a jump shot for most of his career. He developed a pretty good set shot from 3 and had a floater and mini-hook in the post. Amen by all accounts lives for basketball which bodes well for him being able to improve on his handling and shooting.
Optimistically he is a two way secondary creator that will be much better defensively. It’s not impossible he becomes a good shooter just not likely
I don’t think he has the passing chops to be honest. I believe he’ll be a better iso scorer and defender than Magic though. I feel like a person should realistically be able to achieve 90% of their ceiling. If someone achieved 90% of Magic’s passing ceiling they would be leading the NBA in assists most seasons. You’re talking about someone who achieved 12+ assists per game in a slower era. That’s like 14 assists today. While anything is possible - you know I’m an optimist - but but there’s not even a hot month yet where he peaked to the level of best passer in the NBA. I do think he’s better than people think and will become capable of running a team at an elite level. What have you seen that has you projecting him better than a very good floor general? We probably just define “ceiling” differently.
Ceiling? I would say he's shown the highest IQ on the team comparatively when they were all rookies, is a freak athlete even by NBA standards, and can switch 1-5. I would say a 20+ ppg 10 assist 10+ rebound per game player and DPOY potential as the best player on the team, with impact stats to match. Keep in mind, he wasn't playing PG all season, but forward in limited minutes for his assists this year. Again this is ceiling, but Amen's is arguably the highest on the team when you include defense and all-around play/impact.
There have been several videos showing his passing acumen. He is just an extremely smart basketball player. His transition play is elite like Magic’s including his passing in transition. On the current team, he will not be the initiator enough to get the opportunity to showcase his passing ability in the half court. Most of the initiating touches will go to FVV, Green, and Sengun. In time, I believe he will be in our starting backcourt alone with either Jalen, Booker, or Sheppard. He will predominantly play PG on offense. Having multiple guys, as you have stated, with the ability to initiate the half-court is a strength for this team going forward.
He's shown the same level of IQ as guys with decent IQ like Landale when doing passes out of positions like being the short roll playmaker in a pnr possession. Landale is really good at those passes if you noticed his play on March specifically. He has yet to show the ability to playmake against POA half court set defenses off the dribble where multiple defenders are trying to swipe at the ball. "Bball IQ" is a misnomer. People assume itst "knowledge" when it's more about "processing speed". Your processing speed is entirely different when you are dribbling the ball worrying about defenders trying to strip the ball from you vs your processing speed rolling to the rim. As of now, Amen is more likely to stop his dribble because a second held defender swiped at the ball while he's trying to attack POA defenses off the dribble than he is to make the "correct reads". He makes correct reads when his mind isn't burned with ball security. So ya he can make good fast reads in transition when defenders are back peddling or when he's rolling to the rim.
Ya in his peak Marion was a fringe top 20 player. Marion with better playmaking and handles at his peak would be a fringe top 10 player. So that is a very reasonable peak that Amen can obtain realistically.
Amen as a rookie 20 mins a night 2.6 assists transition score freq 55% Alpi andd JG rookie seasons 30 mins a night 2.6 assists assists transition score freq JG 51% AS 42%
I think that’s a good assessment of his half a season last year. It’s pretty much human nature that fans who favor a player over another tend to think their player will improve on their weaknesses and the other guy’s will remain the same. Watching the videos and listening to the coaches, Amen’s off-season has been spent on getting stronger, shooting, and handles. It’s pretty disingenuous to believe he can’t improve on his weaknesses while assuming that Jalen will improve on his. It is my belief that the Rockets are grooming Amen to be our PG of the future. I could be wrong and the coaches may adjust their thinking if Sheppard shines in that role, but I doubt it. Amen will get a bigger share of initiating the offense this year and we will see if he takes a small step or giant leap. I’m predicting a giant leap, but how many minutes he is on the floor is going to have a say on how fast he progresses. Getting rid of Dillon is a must.
I genuinely don't think it's a remotely reasonable take. Magic's arguably a top 5 player of all time, definitely top 10. There might not be anybody currently in the league not named LeBron who's actually the same tier of player as Magic Johnson. Amen has a lot of potential, but in terms of what's been realised so far it's mostly defense. His offensive production has mostly been as a pick and roll roll man or in the dunker spot. Magic is THE most dynamic pass-first PG of all time. Better than any other person you can name in that position. Amen's not even in the same calibre as a prospect, never mind a player. OTE against children vs NCAA champion, Final Four most outstanding player, All American and 2 x Big 10 1st team. Finals MVP as a rookie vs a guy who didn't even start. I'm all for a bit of homerism, but this is more over the top than anything any of us Jalen homers have ever said at any point in his career - and Jalen's actually HAD superstar performances at every season of his career so far, even though he's been inconsistent. It's a wild as **** take in all honesty saying Amen's ceiling is "Magic Johnson with better D." That's insanity.
Comp is more what I meant. I agree making Magic his ceiling is hyperbolic. I admit I’m an Amen super fan, but can do it in a less obnoxious way than most Jalen cultists. I do believe that Amen has HOF potential, but Magic is a top 5 player all-time.
