Yep. Some people are claiming he was ready last season despite his performances that proved otherwise. This discredits the hard work both him and the coaching staff put in to develop him. This also discredits the players that have helped him such as Durant, Fred, and Amen who reportedly have all helped his growth and confidence.
Sarr already looks like he's taking the leap with his jump shot, we'll see if it's for real. Interesting that Sarr, Reed, and Castle are all looking pretty good from what was widely considered a pretty poor top of a draft class. Too early to tell whether any of them will be stars, but they all look like starter material at very least.
Yep. Glad you read my typo well... *unusual Last season the game looked too fast for Reed. It's difficult to do anything well when your head is spinning. His injury was a shame because he played great that one game. So he showed growth later in the year vs early on. G league probably helped
Also shows how highly we needed shooting. We had perimeter defense and we took a calculated risk on Adams buying some time for a young inside presence to be drafted near-future. Rockets were in dire need of shooting.
That bullet alley oop pass to Amen got me on my feet. It shows the elite skills of both guys, Reed's court vision and passing touch, and Amen's otherworldly athleticism and body control. These two dudes will be our back court for the next decade.
Amen needs to become a much better 3 point shooter in order to play alongside Reed in the backcourt. He is a SF who can pass and defend. Reed's improved passing is a welcome sign. He is learning when to shoot the ball and when to pass it.
I don’t think anyone thinks he was ready. I think what people are trying to say is if we just let him play through his mistakes and lost a few more games would it have been better for us last year having a competent scoring option off the bench versus the warriors they just completely packed the paint and dared us to shoot? Who knows what it woulda looked like. Yes he was given opportunity early in the season and yes he looked bad. But should we have stuck with it? I think we should have especially knowing we lost in the first round anyways. He’d be much further along now.
I understand why people make the comp. Reed is small, has serious range, can shoot off the dribble, and doesn't need a ton of space to get his shot off. Steph's been the best shooter in the league for a long time and that's on the table for Reed. Some of the stuff that makes Steph who he is like the shiftiness, inconceivable finishing ability in the paint at times, and some of the absolutely crazy angles and windows he can use to get off a deep 3 that has a ~40% chance of going in I don't see as much with Reed. Reed can finish in the paint and will of course improve. He can also get threes off motion with his legs not squared up, which is a little Steph-y. 21 year old Steph of course wasn't MVP-level Steph with all that back then but still IMO had more of it than Reed does now. That's not a diss though. Steph has an argument for best offensive player in the history of the league. Mark Price made 4 all star and 4 all nba teams. If Reed becomes a modern more athletic and disruptive Mark Price with a dash of CP3 and Nash that's a very, very good outcome.
Yeah, Amen definitely needs to have a jump shot. Doesn't have to be a 3. A reliable middie will make him hard to guard because of how he can get to the rim. Amen will likely be listed as a guard while he's not going to be pigeonholed.
I think he will improve as a shooter, his improved FT% is promising so far this season. But for what it's worth, if Sengun continues to be a legitimate 3P threat I think Amen could still play in the backcourt. You for the most part need four shooters in today's NBA, regardless of position, especially if one of them is an elite floor spacer as Reed appears he may be.
Both Amen and Reed are great teammates. At times, they are both too unselfish. Our best offense is Amen driving and dishing for a Reed 3-pt or a hockey assist to a Reed 3-pointer. They compliment each other wonderfully. When Reed initiates the offense Amen can go to the dunker shot and exercise his elite offensive rebounding and cuts to the basket. Durant and Sengun are the two best to bail us out when the time clock is winding down. Jabari is a work horse on the boards and has a knack for hitting clutch shots. Our balanced scoring is among the best in the league. If Ime can manage the matchups correctly, we will be OKC’s nightmare.
We have all the necessary ingredients to be an elite offensive team. We just need to work out how the parts fit into a Rocket engine (pun intended).
Amen needs to learn how to call his own number when he has a mismatch. He gets up in the air and strains to avoid contact (like Jalen) leading to missed shots AND missed trips to the line. Amen is so explosive; he can do so many things. What's needed is to narrow the focus and concentrate on winning plays. With more reps, we'll see things get better and better. The game is also slowing down Sheppard. You're right about him learning when to shoot and when to pass. He's another guy that should not be timid about calling his own number.
Yes, early in the season, yes different eras and hypothetical, not apples to apples. But still a fun thought experiment. This is a comparison of their second year only. Mark was 23, Reed is 21.
Yeah but Rockets had no way of knowing they were going to lose. They expected to win as a 2 seed. I think they made the right move in hindsight. Grow, develop, and be patient. Didn’t like the Durant move but seems like he’s made so many players better including Jabari and Reed. I have concerns but hope Reed continues to grow and can be a big piece for us in the playoffs.
Let’s be real we watched the rockets all year and it was pretty obvious we were not contenders as constructed. Loved the way they played. Loved the growth but we had some glaring flaws that got exposed in playoffs.
