Amen Thompson is the Rockets' REAL franchise player

this was the winner. AMEN IS IT. that sengun franchise player thread is funny as ****. idiots!! alpy is a joke.

 

Build around him. Everyone is on the table!

 

I know some have considered Tari as a player similar to Kwahi due to them having similar physical characteristics. In terms of trajectory though, I think Amen has the mentality, work ethic, and the skillset that might parallel Kawhi more. I’m really curious to see what year 3 looks like for him and if he’ll be able to develop a dependable jumpshot.

 

People call Amen Thompson smaller Giannis when he is probably closer to point forward Kawhi. His improvement on offense from year 1 to year 2 went under the radar. Last year he was a dunker spot player. This year he developed a corner 3, a floater, middie, and Brunson-esque bump off (to beat the Celtics at home). The thing that separates a player like Amen from someone like Jalen Green is that he's process oriented. He doesn't take shots he hasn't practiced a million times before. Reed is actually similar. If the shot he likes is not there....he doesn't take it. I could see him definitely developing a Kawhi-like offensive game in a few years. They even have that same robotic fluidity.

 

Kawhi is a very good comp.

 

I don't like the Kawhi comp because Amen can't shoot. Kawhi was always an elite shooter, 38% from 3 in his rookie year and 77% on free throws, the next year he was 38% from 3 and 88% on free throws. That's elite shooting. He was a percentage point off from being 50/40/90 for a his entire prime. Amen would have to make an unprecedented shooting leap to get to Kawhi's level. If he does though, which is possible, I think Amen will be in the MVP conversation for the next decade. The player that we've seen already plus a jumpshot is immediately an MVP tier player.

 

Based on his college stats he didn’t enter the league as an elite shooter though. From what Danny Green says in the video above Kawhi had to rebuild his shot once he joined the league which eventually lead to where he is now. I think Amen has a similar dedication to his craft that their trajectories could be close. Especially if he’s able to also develop his shooting. That said, it’s more hope than anything. Hopefully no one Zaza Pachulias him to make it TOO similar.

 

That's crazy. Kawhi must have worked really hard in the summer preceding his rookie season cause I remember the "experts" noting that Kawhi was essentially just a good defensive player.

 

Amen flows. And, already has great will...the ability to elevate his game on both sides...assume control. (2112) He was bringing us back against GS when he got hurt.

Were witnessing the birth
of a generational player.

Perennial top 3 or 4 player in MVP voting.

 

for this offseason I don't wana see Amen and Alpi doing anything aside from shooting, Floaters, midranges, FTs, and threes.

 

But the college to pro transfer was what was startling about Kawhi. Kawhi really wasn't a consistent or really even good shooter in college. He wasn't a good 3 pt shooter from even the college 3 pt. line. In the off-season between college and his first season as a Spurs player, he somehow became an above-average 3 pt. shooter. Some attribute it to Chip Engelland who worked with him that summer. Others attribute it to the fact Kawhi was always working on his shot and had a crazy high work ethic even in college and it finally clicked after he got drafted. Still others say it's a combination of both.

I honestly think it was Kawhi working on his shot as much as possible that got him to where he was, and for whatever reason, it all clicked during his first season as a Spur. You can even go back to his high school days where his coach was talking about him working on his shot at a local gym after they had practiced. His work ethic was pretty awesome even in high school.

 

Kawhi is really like a robot. I remember him talking about how he likes to work on one of those courts with the sensors underneath so he can get precise feedback to make sure he is completely balanced between right and left when he shoots and isn't favoring one side or another. The willingness to go that deep into the mechanics of his form and work it into his practice routine is definitely one of the things that made him a star.

 

Brooks/Cam/FVV/#10 for Durant and Grayson Allen.