I like that he doesn’t care about the stats but I do not understand taking a 1% risk on injury right before the playoffs to maintain an Ironman streak. Udoka shouldn’t listen to his players on this stuff. Anyway glad it’s over. I noticed his jumper regressed for a couple of weeks and he’s back to having good form now. His jumper falling in the playoffs is make or break for his playoff production. If it’s falling, it’s a game changer for us. Jalen is rarely well rested except after ASB so I’m optimistic about the effect of having his legs under him a tiny bit more than usual.
But that's the thing. You want to complement a sub par offensively skilled elite defensive player with wing level handles who is more of a play connector than a POA playmaker and scorer rather than the dude far more gifted offensively? How does Amen being elite defensively make Jalen Green have to be a "traditional sg"? That's the part I don't get. Do traditional shooting guards have elite first steps with the ball in their hands?
This isn't close to true... Jalen has significantly better handles than Amen and Amen has the clearly higher turnover %... Amen has a worse turnover rate than all the guys who have the rock more than him... Jalen, Sengun, and FVV.
At a certain point people are gaslighting right? If you ask DD if Cam or Jalen has better handles, he'd say Cam because at the end of the day I think he's just trolling. Like Amen still has issues leaving the ball behind him when trying to cross over dudes in traffic when their feet are set and not backpedaling in transition.
Some people maybe, but I also think many really don't know ball or how to contextualize what they see when they watch the game... These are also the dudes that then look at the boxscore/stats and see Amen's FG% or his 60 TS% and think he's secretly our best scorer who just hasn't gotten enough opportunities or something... When it's really because he's mostly a play finisher and transition driver... If Amen was required to score in the ways JG does as a shot creator, then his efficiency would tank... It's also obvious his handles are mediocre for the role... This is why I've maintained that I think he's Iggy 2.0 or a Iggy/Marion hybrid.
And I also understand why people fantasize about Amen being a PG level ball handler. Because he's 6'8" and has small guard level quickness and agility which is extremely rare. I'm not sure there ever has been a more laterally shifty player at Amen's height in league history. And people really really want that to translate to on ball skills which he isn't there yet. Can Amen eventually have guard level handles? He has the work ethic. But we are still far removed from Amen being a primary ball handler. Jalen has picked up pace also with his ball handling that all other wings and guards on this roster lack outside of Fred and Reed. He now can slow his dribble and speed it up at will which is important for being able to create advantages and probe defenses.
Since we've clinched the 2nd seed, Jalen has been playing ABSOLUTELY HORRIBLY. There is no excuse for it. I am very disappointed in the lack of effort I've been seeing, but the playoffs are going to show me if my faith in him all this time has been justified, or if he's someone that will fold. I believe in him, very much so. But these last three games have been disheartening and pretty gross.
I don't think it's as black and white as that, but if he doesn't play well these playoffs he'll become infinitely more expendable. Here's hoping the Jalen that we saw last week shows up, and the Jalen we saw this week never appears again.
When people call Shai a foul merchant his defenders show a bunch of clips of him getting fouled where he didnt get a call. Draymond was just talking today about how steph is not officiated right and should get way more calls. The fact is per drive and considering his usage, he gets a good amount of foul calls. Yeah theres a bit that he doesnt get that he should, but that goes for most players.
