Tell me again why needed Fox on this team, because Amen is not a PG. LOL at all you fools with that terrible take.
I'm enjoying this thread immensely. I've come to the conclusion that Amen is absolutely unique with a still undeveloped bag. The footwork he is displaying recently comes from a center's bag... but with a guard handle. He's Smitty on steroids. What can be constructed around him is a fluid situation. What I do know is whatever players need to be around him absolutely must be high IQ players because he is so far of the game around him. He's a fluid Draymond. He's... insane.
So what happens when Fred returns? Someone's gotta go to the bench. Is it gonna be Jabari, Dillon, or Amen?
So, I'm becoming a "Amen at PG" believer. But, the question becomes -- what to do with FVV this offseason? I do think he's critical to our success and development this season, but if the Amen / Green / Brooks / Bari / Sengun lineup is effective, what do we do with FVV? Just opt in for one more season to buffer? Try and get a very short extension done? Opt out and use the financial flexibility to resign guys like Bari, Tari, and Adams?
What should happen is FVV should come off the bench. what will happen is jabari will come off the bench and our defense to start the game will suck. our starting lineup without FVV dominates early and builds lead. A second unit led by FVV, Tari, Adams can slow it down, play good defense and not turn the ball over. FVV can also be in the closing unit to provide leadership and ball control down the stretch.
I'm at a point where I think Amen for the rest of this season should just keep doing what he's already doing. Perhaps explore a bit more shooting here and there. Overall he still need more on-ball reps for experience. I really have high hopes for him next year as someone who can be a 20+ppg/7+apg guy and make the all-star team.
Yes, he's a PG. He's always been a PG his whole pre-NBA basketball career. He's amazing because he's played out of position his first two years at the NBA level, become an all NBA defense/DPOY talent, an all-around all-star potential player. The guard handles thing was lame, he's always been a guard. He's developing running an NBA offense and getting wins, as any young player needs to get. FVV, or any all star PG had to get reps as a young player. Enjoy watching the team grow over seasons.
Amen is averaging 14.9 points / 8.6 rebounds / 6.3 assists / 2.7 turnovers (2.33 AST:TO ratio) since February 1st, the game where Fred went down during the first half. Remarkably, he's also shooting 35.3% from three point range over that stretch (to go with his still-ridiculous 54.7% field goal percentage). Looks like a budding point guard to me. He's not quite a great playmaker/floor general yet, but he's already a decent one, and considering he's only in his second year... I think he will become a great PG if he takes one more moderate step forward on his handle, court vision, and decisionmaking. Personally I consider this issue settled now. He's our point guard of the future. Him and Fred can split those duties for the rest of the season and, if we bring Fred back next season, until Amen exceeds FVV's capabilities at running the offense, but mark my words, the time is coming when it's Amen's job.
Seeing some of the footwork Amen showed in the paint last night has me thinking they really should help him develop a post up game this summer. As a point guard, he'll undoubtedly be taller/longer than pretty much every point guard in the league. Punish them in the paint when they put a small guard on him. If they throw a bigger player on him, he'll blow right by them. Use his freaking athleticism/size the same way LeBron and Giannis are used. He'll always be a mismatch advantage
As a huge Penny Hardaway fan from my youth days, I had the Penny Hardaway ceiling comp for Amen going into the draft. I am definitely see a lot of similarities this year. I don't think he'll ever comp to LeBron/Giannis types due to lack of bulk, but he can definitely be more of a finesse post up guy to punish against smaller defenders.
One thing I didn't see coming was just how incredible of a rebounder and shotblocker he is. That's where be blows Penny out of the water. He basically does those things at the level of an average NBA center. But you're right, he doesn't have the raw strength and mass of a LeBron type of guy (although I do think he is sneakily stronger than he looks). All of these things make it very difficult to throw a 1:1 player comp on him. That's why I come down to weird cross-positional hybrid comps like "a mixture of Blake Griffin and Dwyane Wade". In the end, he's going to be one of those truly unique NBA players, as far from being a "normal archetype" as it gets.
