I see Amen as a SF...I think. And Cam as a SG. Our future: PG: Reed, FVV (mentor and eventual backup) SG: Cam SF: Amen, Tari PF: Bari, Tari C: Sengun, Adams (re-signed long-term)
I think I would go more: PG: Amen SG: Reed (sharing primary ballhandling duties with Amen) SF: Tari, Cam PF: Jabari C: Sengun
I still hope Amen will be our future starting PG. If he plays the 3, it will mean that he lacks shooting and/or handles. It will still be good but he won't be the all around superstar we hope for.
I like this future cast. Can't wait to see Cam and Amen playing with Reed Sheppard at the point. That's an explosive group. Ime has the unenviable task of determining who sits to close out games. I guess if we're winning, no one will get too upset. Some of our veterans will have to adjust to new roles or get in the gym and increase efficiency.
I mean, I'm not saying that Westbrook wasn't ultimately a flawed player but especially after Durant left he carried some not so great rosters to winning seasons. People complain because people complain. If Amen has a Westbrook type arc coming #1 he's absolutely about to unseat Fred and #2 I'll be here to enjoy the ride. Draymond is an awful comp. Amen has elements of Drexler's athleticism, I'm going to say Andrei Kirilenko's defensive prowess, and the high-end offensive processing without a jumper of Jason Kidd. He's an extremely unique player. I don't see a reason you draft such a player and shackle him to the bench for the sake of plain-jane, good-is-the-enemy-of-great, low-risk/low-reward Fred VanVleet. Yeah I don't understand the obsession with miscasting Amen, Reed and Cam. I do wonder about Tari playing 3 though, since it seems he almost never does.
I know everyone on this board hates Draymond Green but he's an allstar-HOF player (also, an elite passer fwiw) so it's not exactly the level of insult that people making it out to be. Amen as the nominal point guard was a underwhelming to put it mildly last year. Amen as a small ball 4-5 was pretty good - I don't see why the comparison is so unfair (though obviously he doesn't have the Draymond emotional baggage).
Agree mostly except I think the speed advantage on offense with small ball helped a lot more than the size disadvantage hurt on defense (i.e., was better than pretty good). Also, defense was dominant when he played wing with a center though offense was cramp.
Conversely it could mean Sheppard has become our best PG, which is ok especially if Amen becomes a playmaking SF with shutdown defensive skills.
If Amen ever gets a jumper, I would be shocked since it'd be like a Christmas miracle. I didn't think his jumpshot would be that bad until I watched him play last year, although he's still young and got tons of time, there are many players in the league who just never develop a jumper. The good thing is, he can still carve himself a role at the SF position because of all his other elite skills. If Reed doesn't show a lot of promise at the PG position this year, it's possible we take the team option on FVV or Stone will try to make a big trade for an all-star level guard next off-season. The issue is, OKC might compete with us on that trade since they are also in need of a PG, hence their draft pick. They got exposed last year in the playoff because Giddey was just completely shut down and they had no one who could facilitate. Now, I'm still high on Reed but his size really does concern me because to be a starting PG in the league on a playoff team at that size, you really need to be elite in a lot of other areas. Meaning, his shooting has to be otherworldly, his defense intensity immaculate and his facilitation significantly improved over the next couple seasons. From all the interviews, it seems like he's up for the challenge and I'm rooting for him to succeed.
Hakeem was capable of stopping bigs with offensive skills from scoring on him at will. Those of us who actually did watch Spurs games last year, as opposed to just reading boxscores, observed that light in the pants Wemby couldn’t do that. You didn’t have to look further than the games against us to observe that. If he can’t do that please don’t compare him to defensive bigs like Dream, Robinson, etc.
Looks like a good lineup. Also, there's 0 reason Amen couldnt initiate or be a primary ball handler from the SF spot. The labels really dont matter as much as how they fit together on the court.
I do loathe Draymond Green but that's not why it's an awful comp. Athletically they are quite different. Draymond is a brick shithouse and not exactly an above the rim type. Draymond is an interior defender, amazing at guarding PnR and disrupting shots near the rim. Amen is a hound on the perimeter. Draymond's offensive game is more rudimentary, passing off his picks (to two HOF shooters no less). I think Amen is more creative and capable passing the ball. Able to drive/kick, create shots and distribute anywhere...as well as getting to the rim and finishing which Amen does quite well. And yes, Draymond is an all-time headcase while Amen, save whatever Kleber said to him, seems like a cool head. I didn't take it as in insult to Amen's game. It's just a genuinely bad comparison. Amen did not start well, no question. It was quite clear that he was suffering nerves, the guy was bumbling around and not even remotely like how confident he was playing later in the season. Personally, I'd rather base future expectations on the 50+ games he finished with than the 3, 4 games he had to start out where he was simply overwhelmed by the stage. To that, people railed on his handle for the rest of the season although it was quite good.
It's not, Overtime Elite coached him. There was the video posted in an Amen draft thread with him working out with Mike Miller, and Amen was not able to figure out what Miller was trying to teach him. Found the video.
So a far more athletic draymond... He's closer to that archetype(short roll playmaker) than a ja Morant archetype. At the moment I would say amen has average wing handles( Trey Murphy, MPJ etc). He has to advance to average shooting guard handles, and then above average shooting guard handles and then progress to average pg handles to eventually be that guy some envision Amen to be(6'8" ja Morant). That's a lot of progression.
