Amen's defense seems to be less spectacular than last year. I think part of the reason is his mind is occupied by adjusting to the new offensive role. Another part of the reason is the zone defense which is less conducive to his one on one lock down talent.
Agree completely. i think that turns around in the latter half of the year. People are underestimating his defensive contribution and Okogie’s even though Amen is not as dominant as last year. He’s still should be 1st team defensive.
Amen being an offensive liability isn't discussed enough here. Whether you're a guard or a wing, being unable to shoot is a big deal, yet he somehow gets a pass every game
Ime had him in for 40 last night after playing 30 minutes the previous PM. Most age 37 Elder Statesmen types would have had the night off, or played the second game only. And he's on the books for 2 more years.
https://andscape.com/features/houst...excelling-at-opportunity-to-play-point-guard/ Whether it’s his two favorites — Rondo and Russell Westbrook — or LeBron James, John Wall or Chris Paul, the unexpected Rockets starting point guard has made it a routine to watch highlights from a variety of esteemed floor generals. “I love watching those type of guys to see how they attack when given the opportunity,” Thompson told Andscape. “I also like how they can command the floor. I’ve been a LeBron, Westbrook and John Wall fan. And then I started watching Rondo and was like, ‘Yo, this man is nice.’ … Stone told Andscape: “We’ve been happy with Amen. I’ve been happy with our team. We like the young guys and their progression. I’d rather have Fred healthy. But we all would. Amen would. Everyone would. No one wants to see their teammate not healthy. “But Ime is right about this one, ‘No one gives an [expletive].’ So, we got to play through.” …But in the back of Stone’s mind, he believed Thompson could play point guard in a pinch if needed. “He’s been playing point guard his whole life. When I looked back at his AAU footage, he was on the ball,” Stone said. “We always had him as a 1 [point guard]. That was the super thing about Amen: he’s a really good basketball player.” … “I always have goals to set,” Thompson said. “I want to be an All-Star. I want to be an All-Defensive Team player. I have big goals, but at the same time my biggest goal is to win a championship. “We have two of the top 15 players [Durant and Sengun]. We have great defenders. We have dudes who want to go to war for one another.”
I have a lot of confidence that Amen will develop a serviceable jumpshot. His free throw percentage has sky rocketed this season and his form looks good. He has already shown flashes of a mid-range jumper and if he can hit corner threes its going to be a lot easier for him to attack when defenders don't just sag off of him.
The great thing about Amen is he can play all over the floor. He doesn’t have to be pigeon-holed into any position, but it is obvious to the Rockets’ staff and everyone in the league that ultimately he is going to excel at the PG position. He will get a shot, because of his stellar work ethic. Most of his detractors are just closet Reed only fans. Which makes no sense, since they compliment each other so well. No reason that both can’t at times run the offense. They both have areas they need to improve and if they can get there before the playoffs, we are OKC’s main challenge. Durant is a difficult fit, especially with Reed. It’s kind of hard to convince a 37 year old superstar that he needs to change his game to accommodate what is basically a very good rookie and a first year PG, but he needs to become a late shot clock bailout option and closer for us to be the best team we can be. His isolation game ruins our flexibility and turns us into the Durant/Sengun show.
It's funny how the best players that could command teams were never very athletic. Luka, Harden, Stockton, Nash, Price, CP3 etc. They never had to fight the urge to out athlete their opponents because they didn't need to. The Westbrooks/Edwards/Jalens/Amens of the world have both a gift and a curse. Their brain is almost always wired to put the pedal to the metal. Feel like Amen is struggling with this a lot right now. But this is ultimately going to benefit him a lot down the road. Your athleticism wanes and if you rely on it 100% of the time (D Rose/Morant) then your body will break down faster. If you don't develop other skills then you end up like Westbrook. Bouncing from team to team and trying to do that thing you used to be able to do but now cant. Amen has always been on ball but he's never been a table setter. This is completely new to him. Can tell his brain is overloaded at times by the missed bunnies at the rim lately. Still haven't waivered on him being the most important member of this team moving forward.
I don't know how you define athleticism but no one could accelerate or decelerate like Harden in his prime. Stockton was one of the two fastest guys dribbling the ball from point A to point B, according to Kenny Smith. Nash's endurance allowed him to sprint with the ball for 40 minutes a game. Price also was one of the fastest guys dribbling the ball and could accelerate/decelerate on a dime.
