Thoughts on trading down to get the twins on the same team? Or are the general thoughts that we are set on forwards? I'd like to see them playing on the same team, but separating them as they develop might be the best move. Still very interested in Jett Howard as a compliment to Green. I don't think it would take that much to move up with Utah. Utah needs veterans more than rookies right now. I think KMJ fits their rebuild timeline better than ours.
Oddly enough, I actually don't think the Thompson twins fit that well together on a basketball court. It's pretty hard to fit two perimeter players who aren't good-to-great shooters into the same lineup in today's league. Amen Thompson in particular is a guy where you're going to want the ball in his hands as much as possible while he's on the floor, but his lack of a jump shot means you need to surround him with shooters on the perimeter. He's going to collapse defenses constantly with his athleticism and you have to be able to take advantage of that and his passing ability to kick it out and knock down open 3s. Ausar showed improvement in his shooting and I believe he'll eventually be decent, but I don't know if shooting will ever be his strong suit per se. If we land at #3, I would try my hardest to trade up and get Scoot Henderson, even if it takes an overpay. Scoot is just such a perfect fit on this team. Otherwise I'd just take Amen Thompson straight up and plan to add some shooters in free agency/trade to surround him with.
If the Rockets get the #3 pick? It depends, who has the #2 pick? Do they want Scoot Henderson? If they don't want Scoot, would the Rockets give up the #3 and a couple Nets picks for #2? Do the Rockets want Miller or Thompson at #3? Would the Rockets trade down to #4, still get who they want and pick up a future #1? I think the #1 and #2 prospects in this draft are pretty locked in and at least a level about the #3-4 prospects. The top 4 are probably fairly solid - but someone like Whitmore or Taylor Hendricks could spoil and move into the top 4.... especially Hendricks, which some teams REALLY like. My guess is that if the Rockets pick #3, they will taken Amen Thompson unless Udoka feels strongly about him in a negative way. Thompson is known as a very smart player and hard worker. His shot will struggle, but he will still immediately help in transition, defensively and a point guard. He also brings the upside of being a top 10 player in the NBA if he learns to shoot.
Ben Simmons would have been a phenomenal player if he had a strong work ethic, no personality issues, and no major injuries. People keep making this comp as if it somehow reflects poorly on Amen Thompson, but it doesn't at all. Simmons damn near averaged a triple double with 16 points off of great efficiency his first three years in the league, and this is from a dude who doesn't seem to give a crap about basketball. With Amen, there are no signs whatsoever of the issues that derailed Simmons' career. He is an incredibly coachable, hard-working young man with no signs of chronic injury concerns.
Don't nobody want nothin to do with no dam twins!!! The last time we picked a twin we passed on an allstar to do it.
It is still really early in the process, but yes. The Rockets need a point guard more than a forward - and Thompson has more overall upside. Thompson is a jumper away from being a Ja Morant type player.... Thompson will be the quickest player in the league in transition in the NBA, he can get around players in tight spots better than all but maybe 2-3 players... he has good size, can guard multiple spots - naturally good court vision and sees the game a step ahead so he is a good point guard. What he lacks is really any form of jump shot and he could sharpen his handle some....... with him it comes down to whether you think he will develop a passable outside shot. I think he will, he works hard, is smart and have never had the level of coaching he will have in the NBA and he is considered coachable.
Yeah, Russell Westbrook seems like a better comparison IMO. Well a taller Westbrook. That would be more of a best case mind you. Simmons is odd in that he was still decent without the shot, but at some point, his whole game collapsed. Like he wouldn't even take a layup. edit: Ja maybe a good comp too. Slightly better than Westbrook with career 3pt numbers (and maybe Ja improves more), though both are below league average IIRC.
I said it before and I’ll say it again shooting is king in the NBA. The rockets are a year or 2 from really competing maybe but you don’t want to be the team with a liability on the offensive end. In the playoffs teams will not guard them (westbrick) Also how is he from the FT line??
Only 66% in the regular season, but he improved that to 76% during the playoffs at the end of the year--small sample size, so might have just been luck, but might have been a sign of improvement. It's less important that your primary ballhandler is a great 3P shooter. Giannis won a chip a couple years ago. LeBron has never had any problems racking up the championships. D-Wade picked one up as the best player on his team. As long as you have good passing ability and special physical gifts like those guys (which Amen does, he's going to be one of the best athletes in the league at 6-foot-6) I think you can get away with being below average as a perimeter shooting threat. I do think for Amen to actually be a superstar, he'll have to become at least functional as a shooter, but it's okay if he's only like 31, 32% or so. And lots of guys have been able to get to that level after coming into the league.
Rondo never had the level of athleticism or burst than Thompson has. Thompson will score more because he gets to the rim, even if he cannot shoot.
