Amen was drafted as a hyperathletic wing who had shown a high basketball IQ and the ability to make smart passes. Amen has yet to function as the point guard in our offense. He has shown flashes as a secondary ballhandler but that's not the same thing. The Rockets were much better last season with FVV playing than with him not playing. That wasn't because FVV was still an elite player. It's because we needed someone to organize the offense and not turn the ball over. I think Amen will compete for an All-NBA spot this season. I don't think he's ready to be the full-time PG though. I don't think his handle is good enough yet and I don't want him expending a lot of energy bringing the ball up against pressure. Also, after trading for Durant, we're not really in a place where we should be experimenting. Trading for KD means we have to win now. Finally, playing Amen at the point means we're likely playing a non-ball handler at the SG position- DFS, Okogie? We don't want either of those guys dribbling much. Sengun can definitely run the offense a lot but someone needs to get him the ball. I think Ime will almost certainly start Reed or Holiday and have Amen play at SG. Amen can then have another season or 2 to learn to run the point full-time. I think having Amen running the point occasionally against 2nd teams will allow some further development.
Backcourt needs to be Amen and Reed. Perfectly compliment each other. Reed and Bari are ideal role players around our big 3.
His shooting was inconsistent and more concerning was his crying to the refs. He wasn’t focused enough
So every place I check had him as the primary ball handler and a PG coming into the draft. First 3 google results: Analysis Thompson has been operating as a ballhandler and playmaker with wing size and elite athleticism. Projection Thompson will likely need the ball in his hands at the NBA level to unlock his full potential, which could be All-Star level, but how quickly he gets there may depend on if he lands on a team with or without an established point guard. Unquestionably, he’ll get easy points and make a defensive impact through his top-shelf athleticism, but playing off ball isn’t his strong suit. Thompson holds similarities to a wing-sized Ja Morant or a more athletic Ben Simmons. Strengths: Thompson is a 6’7 210 perimeter player who is physically gifted enough to play 1-3 at the pro level, with especially good size for the PG spot that he’s mostly viewed at as a prospect … [COLOR=rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.87)]Overtime Elite guard Amen Thompson, one of the best playmakers in the 2023 NBA draft, is heading to the Houston Rockets after being selected with the No. 4 overall pick.[/COLOR] [COLOR=rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.87)][/COLOR] [COLOR=rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.87)]Position: PG/SGHeight: 6'7"Pro Comparison: Ja Morant [/COLOR]
I'm just gonna hope that you're right. I will be thrilled if Amen can become a competent point guard in addition to his brilliance on defense and the boards. That would give the Rockets the 2nd-best roster in the West even without FVV. I remain concerned about our guards but will hope for the best. If it doesn't work out, I'll be posting a lot of trade suggestions on December 15th.
The numbers will tell you what you need to know - particularly the efficiency numbers of both Amen & the team when Amen was the primary ball handler - those numbers were terrible. As mediocre as FVV is / was, he will be missed because there's no one else on the roster who can do point guard things. Maybe Amen and Shepard figure it out and everything is fine .... but they both have a lot of improving to do to get to mediocre as a point guard.
With FVV out, I see our offense like this: A guard brings the ball up the court, then passes it to either KD or Sengun and let them initiate the offense. I don´t think we will have a floor general kind of PG and not even one, that will initiate the offense on most posessions. Maybe if Amen can develop that way. He looked promising at time, but more as a hustle player. His game winning shot against Boston is hopefully a sign of whats to come, but I wouldn´t count on it yet. As for Reed, if he is the PG he will camp at the 3pt line and give the ball up early in the shot clock. And thats fine. Overall I am much more concerned about defense, if he is on the field, than about offense.
According to cleaning the glass, the offensive numbers with Amen and without another PG weren't bad. They were actually kind of good. They weren't close to as good as Amen and FVV without another guard. The problems in games without FVV were the minutes without Amen (i.e., Amen replaced FVV, but no one replaced Amen), the minutes with Amen were more good than great offensively, and FVV's defense was missed. Despite the narrative that FVV was blocking young playmaker growth by some people as they think he dominated the ball, I think his defense may be felt more than his offense this season as I expect Durant will offset his loss by a lot. Granted, I expect a big jump in Reed's offense such that the offense doesn't die without all of Amen, Sengun, and Durant on the court. Though, if Okogie plays a lot of SG, it might be the offense.
Bringing the ball up is not what defines what a pg is. It doesn’t matter whether you call Amen a pg, but he and Sengun will be the main initiators in the half-court. If it makes BTG and others like you feel better, Reed can bring the ball up and be called the PG. FVV was most likely being moved off-ball in the half-court before the injury. Reed or Holiday, if starting, will be even more likely to be off-ball, since neither has demonstrated the ability to beat their man off the dribble or demand double teams to make them an initiator. Reed was drafted, because he was the best option in a terrible draft and because he was a historic shooter in college. It is up to Ime to put him into position to take advantage of his one elite skillset, shooting.
If you watched the playoffs, especially how OKC played, ball pressure was a huge part of why they won the title. While "bringing the ball up" is probably not a big deal in the regular season, it will be a major factor if the Rockets play the Thunder or any other team that decides to ramp up their defense in the playoffs.
Not saying it’s not important, just that it does not define who the PG is. Reed certainly can do it and I expect Amen will get better at it. If Ime is worth a crap he will have the guys prepared for it. Full court presses in the NBA should not be successful and usually aren’t.
We just need Amen and Reed to be competent in pick n roll action to make the right reads...having KD and Sengun on the court will create more gravity to get our perimeter players better looks since the Harden years. I argue Jabari's contribution will be more important than who is our starting point guard because he'll be the player (if he starts) will get the most open looks on the wing. Defenses will not sag off KD, Sengun will be a focal point on defense in pick n rolls, Amen/Reed will initiate the offense leaving Jabari on the wing - I want to see Jabari more in cutting/slashing to the basket this year. However, I will say Aaron Holiday is not great in pick and roll action.
He passes eye test for me. He can break his defender off the dribble and make the defense adjust leaving an open guy. He seems to be able to recognize the read of either the post or outside shooter. Not unlike Harden would often do when driving the paint... Pick and roll could be very effective for him, I would run a high pick and roll constantly with Sengun or Capela. Not sure Adams is right guy for that.
Reed could be the Rockets version of the early days Celtics Rondo in a smaller way. And since all the load will be on Sengun/Durant/Amen, this will open up everything for Reed to succeed and be a sniper and facilitator and ALLOW himself to grow game by game. We have to let him play heavy minutes every game for him to be able to get comfortable.
