Amen Thompson is the Rockets' REAL franchise player - all other threads are just I.D.I.O.T.s

While Amen does show "greatness" here and there against other teams, I, at least somewhat have to agree. The Blazers lineup has been destroyed by injuries. Shaedon Sharpe, Ayton, Brogdon, Jerami Grant, Scoot Henderson, Robert Williams, Jabari Walker, etc. are all out for them, and, while they may not make them championship level or anything, that's a massive chunk of talent that isn't playing for them. Hell, Dalano Banton went off on us. I was surprised we were actually down in the first half, tbh.

That being said, I still say Amen is legit and is a jumpshot away from being a star.

 

Amen has flashed greatness in his limited minutes this year. Other than Sengun I see Amen as our next best chance at developing a true star. The way he’s progressed just in one year shows his aptitude for the game and coachability. We already knew about the athleticism and work ethic. I don’t expect him to develop a shot over the course of one offseason, but I expect we’ll start seeing improvement in that area next season. I’m super high on Amen. He should not be included in any trade discussions this offseason.

 

I don't remember the last time I saw a rookie guarding guys like Durant and Booker and wasn't worried for the rookie. Last night was against lesser talent but Amen shut the entire Portland roster down for minutes at a time in a way that I haven't seen since vintage Kawhi. His speed, hands, and athleticism allow him to poke and gamble and get players out of their comfort zone, but not necessarily put him out of the play.

Now - the Blazers aren't a good "team" and playing one on one really plays to Amen's strong suits BUT, the talent is clearly there and once he gets a little more experience processing "good" offensive team's sets (where they have better timing, crisper cuts, better screens, etc) he's going to be all NBA level defense - no doubt...it feels like on raw talent he is already a top 10 one on one defender in the league and a very respectable team defender. He's obviously still got a lot of work to do on the offensive end, but it's pretty amazing that he has proven he is dangerous enough as a rebounder and off ball cutter from the "dunker's spot" that he is somehow providing gravity without having much offensive skill outside of 10ft - think about that!

There is something a little Andrei Kirlenko about his game - he just kind of impacts the game without gaudy stats in any one category but you feel his presence in the games - tipping away the ball that otherwise would have went into the other team's hands for an offensive rebound, showing perfect timing on doubles to make them more effective even if he doesn't actually get the steal(def saw a few Amen 'steal assists' last night), freezing a defender just long enough to get his teammate an easy bucket with an assist, perfect positioning on some weakside rotations where he somehow does manage to deter a pass to two guys at once, etc.

 

Plus, provided you see him as a point guard, we have literally nobody else in the stable there. I would even trade Jabari or Tari before I traded Amen, and believe you me, I do not want to trade those guys (unless we are getting a mindblowing deal in return). Not just because I think Amen's ceiling is higher, but because we have depth at those positions, and we have literally nothing at the 1 since Fred is the definition of "stopgap contract".

 

I'm so pumped to see a line-up of:

Sengun
Thompson
Eason
Bari
Fred

Offensive boards, cutting, playmaking... gives me goosebumps.

 

Replace Sengun with Dillon and you would have a 5 man that could stop just about any offense in the NBA in do or die situations.

 

Less self creation but more defensive dominance. Would work great in final possessions of close games.

 

It would be a on/off circumstantial scenario(s). Immediately after this 5 gets a stop Im calling timeout and inserting Alpy, Jalen and Reed Sheppard for the game winning basket.

 

Dude, get a freaking jump shot!!!!

ASAP.

 

Went to the Academy of Biceps founded by Jalen Dub Williams.

 

I love this kid. Him and Tari are going to be dangerous duo coming off the bench.

 

The experience he’s going to get and the training he’s going to get at the team USA training camp is going to be huge for his development

 

What people don’t get about Amen is the stakes are so high. If he develops a passable jumper by year 4 he’s going to be like a rich man’s Jimmy Butler. Some Dwayne Wade vibes too. I think the handle will improve gradually.

I hope he does not become the “yeah he can’t shoot but he’s an amazing defender” guy. I think he’s far more talented than that. Just needs some time. He has some very special qualities.

 

The Rockets absolutely love this kid. I’ve never seen a rookie be elite on defense like he was. If he can just shoot 34% from 3, he’ll be a superstar. Won’t be easy bc he’s shot is awful right now

 

I hope he doesn't too, but that does look like the most likely outcome for him. He has almost nothing to offer on the offensive end of the court, it's not just jump shooting, he does very little outside of rebounding. It's why I find it insane people think he's our most likely shot at a superstar, I'd put money on Jalen, Sengun, Bari or Cam getting to superstar level before Amen tbh.

 

Amen does everything extremely well other than shooting. He is a great transition offense player, great passer, can get to the rim with ease, and a great offensive rebounder. Even without a shot, he brings a lot to the offensive end. Amen is a shot away from excelling at every aspect of basketball. That’s why people think he is the most likely to become a superstar.

I love the other guys potential, but they all have many more parts of their game that need to improve. Jalen shoots terribly from everywhere on the court and is average at best at defense, Sengun will never be more than an average defensive player and also has to develop a shot, Cam was worse than league average at 3 pointers, hasn’t learned to pass and plays crap team defense. In reality the two players on this team with the simplest route to superstardom are Amen and Bari.

 

I can see where you’re coming from but I’m not sure I agree with you. I think Amen is an outlier. At SF outside of shooting he does everything else at an elite level for his age and position - passing, rebounding, defense, effort, stocks. A simple passable catch and shoot 3pter would suffice for the early part of his career (33-34% overall). Drives would get easier for him too. Right now he’s beating defenders who know they can sag off him. That can get a lot easier. His handle will gradually improve.

I know developing a jumper is never guaranteed and takes time but to be honest based on what I’ve seen from his personality I’m betting on him. That was - to me - one of the main benefits of drafting him, he seems to have a really high motor and work ethic. Good bball iq. It all comes down to what you believe he’s capable of achieving off the court. I think we have a coaching staff with strong development background. There’s reason for hope.