How is Amen "average" on offense? The dude had a .6 TS% last season without a 3 ball, and looks like he's made major improvements in his shot. Do I think Amen will average 30+ ppg? No. But do I think he could average 23 - 25 ppg while filling the stat sheet and consistently being in the DPOY race? Absolutely. That's clearly a top 10 player, if not a top 5 player. There are a ton of all timers like that - Scottie Pippen, Kevin Garnett, Chris Bosh, Chris Webber, Jimmy Butler, etc. For Sengun, I just don't quite see it, at least within the context of the "top 5" discussion. I see him as a fantastic player whose best role is as an offensive hub and secondary scorer. I don't think should strive to be Joker - that's just not fair. If Sengun were to take the "next step," I actually think it may look closer to Dirk than Joker. Either way, while both are fantastic players, I think Amen has the higher ceiling at the moment.
Here's a question to consider in this Sengun v. Amen conversation. Take the four drafts in which we had high picks (2021 - 2024). If you redrafted that entire period as one, large draft, where would Amen and Sengun be drafted, respectively? Personally, I think there's a strong shot Amen goes top 3, whereas Sengun probably is in the 5 - 10 range.
From the media members I listen to, I think these would be considered the top non-Rockets: Wemby Cade JW Mobley Chet Paolo Franz I'd guess most media members I listen to would have Amen and Sengun below Paolo, but above Franz. I could not see anyone off this list (unless I'm brain dead missing someone) going above Amen and/or Sengun. I'm biased, but think Amen and Sengun are both better going forward than Mobley and Paolo. Top 3 guys and Chet all have incredible upside, and I'd worry about my biases comparing Sengun and Amen to those guys.
we’re gonna find out if you can win starting 3 non-shooters. Beyond my own personal fandom I’m actually very interested academically to see how this plays out. The results from this game are going to foster a lot of good basketball discussion.
We're talking right now, not what Amen could be. His latest season he averaged 14pts and 4 assists. That's average on offense. Alpi is much closer to superstar numbers than Amen is RIGHT NOW.
You are the one who is saying Sengun is more likely to reach top 5 status than Amen. That, inherently, requires projection. You can’t say “I believe Sengun’s ceiling is higher than Amen’s, but I’ll only consider what each player is right now.” That’s silly.
IN THE NEXT SEASON. Read what you're actually responding to, we're talking about for this coming season, not their careers. If you want to argue things I never actually argued, you don't need to quote me, it's irrelevant. You're literally responding to me responding to a completely different person who said Amen as he is right now with a better 3 ball is top 5. Seriously, reading, try it.
Alright, I'll give you my hot take... I think Amen will average more points per game this season than Sengun. As a starter last season, Amen averaged 16/9/5 on a .6 TS%, which doesn't seem "worse" than Sengun's 19/10/5 on a .545 TS%. Hell, I'd argue Amen's line is far more impactful given his efficiency. This, of course, is purely considering offense. I think we all know Amen is a different defensive level. This preseason, Amen averaged 17 ppg on only 25 mpg. Sengun, conversely, averaged 13.3 ppg on similar minutes with an absurd 8.3 assists per game. I think this may be indicative of the regular season - Durant and Amen will lead the team in PPG, and Sengun will run away as the team's assists leader. Yes, saying Amen is a 3 ball away from top 5 is a little premature. I'll go with he's currently a 3 ball away from top 10.
I'm biased too. But I think JWill is too high. He might be the third best player right now (which in itself is debatable), but he does not have any exceptional tools to propel him to a high ceiling. Wemby has exceptional size. Cade, Chet and Paolo also have exceptional sizes for their roles. Amen has exceptional speed and athleticism. Sengun has exceptional playmaking/court vision. These are natural talents that give these guys very high ceiling and potentially franchise level players. JWill is just a very good wing player who is not elite enough to be a guy you build around. If this is a draft, you look more at ceilings than floors for the top spots. BTW, I wonder how Flagg will fare among the top guys on this list.
Not too hot a take, since I’ve been saying it all preseason. Amen should average between 22-25 ppg this year and Sengun around 8-10 assists.
Once Sheppard gets integrated and plays 20-25 minutes with the starters, and his shots start falling… oh man.
Game 1 was amazing. We’re so much fun. Amen and Sengun are super stars. Give Reed 25-30 games of heavy minutes and he’s going to be a star for us. Udoka needs to be a ****ing coach and make plays for KD to have the ball in his hand. Only Reed was successfully able to get the ball to KD. Tari was playing too fast but I think he will be fine. Jabari needs to play closer and make more easy buckets near the hoop. Would have loved to see more Capela to let Adams rest more.
Back to the subject at hand (instead of the Alpi vs. Amen debate): We should all come to grips with this team starting slow before finding their groove. This is how it’s been with all three of Ime’s teams. Let’s be patient and not make sweeping conclusions yet. This squad is just starting their evolution.
You know it’s kind of insane we are projected to be so great, since we have maybe 2-3 guys max who can actually competently dribble inside the paint and get their own shot. I do not count KD and am on the fence about him, since he really cannot take it from the top of the key all the way inside. I’m jealous of even freaking Kuminga right now.
