when it comes to shooting, I am strictly talking about actual jump shots…we know Amen can make layups and gets a good amount of dunks, so yeah, he “shoots” better than someone like SGA at the rim, but when it comes to an actual jump shot, he is alarmingly awful almost every bad shooter will have some spots where they shoot at least decent, and his sample size from 16 ft to the 3P is so small…he is 5-13 on the season 10-16 ft he is 4-13…overall he’s a 35% midrange shooter right now Amen doesn’t even have a spot from midrange where he’s taken more than 5 shots…that’s basically what you’re using to determine his hot spots from midrange…2 or 3 straight misses is all it would take for his percentage to plummet from those few spots he is also a 67% free throw shooter and is 14 of his last 22…64% more airballs than makes from 3 you’re saying he needs to just improve slightly from 16 ft - 3P…I don’t see how u can view him as a legitimate 39% shooter from that range right now off just 13 shot attempts…not with what the rest of his shot profile on jump shots looks like
I am talking about actual jump shots…yes, if all u do is transition layups and dunks, layups/dunk off cuts, and the occasional drives in the halfcourt for the finish, you’ll be “shooting” well from the field and from 2 point range
If he can keep getting enough of the shots that he can make.... It's like that when you are a physical freak. It's ok to be bigger/faster/stronger in this line of work,
OT: Some of you may remember back in the day that I was a KDOF when he played at OKC. I saw WB game-after-game-after-game. One thing about him people don't realize is he probably has missed more close-in shots than anyone in NBA history (I exaggerate slightly). My comment is purely based on observation, not official stats. He was lethal from 0-5 ft, to his own team. This includes dunks, which he missed both on the front and the back of the rim.
Amen takes 6 shots a game primarily in transition and off cuts…his and Westbrook’s shot profile aren’t even comparable, and Westbrook has always been a poor finisher because he’s out of control and has poor touch we saw what Westbrook’s FG% was those few months in Houston when he decided to hardly take any jump shots and just attack the rim relentlessly all game…it was over 50% and he even had 57% TS in January and 59% TS in February, but he will always revert to his dumb style of play but again, u keep telling me about Amen’s finishing at the rim, I am talking about his actual jump shooting even a garbage shooter like Russ will have a spot or 2 he shoots ok…u can do that with almost any player
From the FT line and closer, Amen's form isn't that bad. That's why there is reason to believe he'll improve. From longer range is where he's gotta completely rebuild from scratch. IF he ever becomes serviceable from beyond the arc, it will be a very long process over his career. It's unrealistic to expect miracles. While it's way too early to rule out Amen developing a decent set-shot 3, he'll never run off screens and pull up like Steph and Klay. Next season, I expect a big improvement in his handles and in his understanding of running the point in half-court offense. He has a high b-ball IQ.
To add a little more to what you are saying. He's shooting 58% on 2pt "shots" because he has 27 dunks in 31 games this year. Getting that many dunks is awesome. SGA only had 19 dunks in 82 games his rookie year. Non-dunk 2pt shots Amen is at 46.8% and rookie SGA was at 48.5%
Amen is already a better rebound than SGA; by a huge margin on the offensive glass. He'll continue to get more dunks because it's what he does. He moves well without the ball and punishes defenses when they don't account for him. For the record, I'm not saying he'll be as good as an offensive player as SGA.
If layups and dunks were easy, everybody would be doing nothing other than layups and dunks. How a player gets to where he can make the rim shot is not easy at all.
It's like how Tari gets steals or Sengun's unorthodox manner of contorting around the basket. It doesn't matter how you do it. Just that you do it. And Amen constantly finds himself around the basket for put back dunks due to his athleticism and IQ.
Amen's proficiency as a rebounder and defender is more important than his shooting. He can work on his shooting getting consistent. It doesn't have to be amazing. Just respectable. Like Fox. But his ability to rebound, put back and steal....those things you can't teach. And when you compound that to him being a *ridiculous* passer. The sky is the limit for the team. Alpy needs to spend the entire summer working on his 3 ball. This team will need a 3 point threat from the center spot and Amen/Sengun will need to learn to play off each other similar to how FVV/Sengun do.
He's neither. He's a wing that is a willing passer and a good passer but he's not a point anything. He can't run an offense in the halfcourt and his ball handling is suspect so you can't fully trust him with the ball in his hands.
