I think you can put Amen up against anybody (except maybe Wemby) and he can more or less shut them down.
It’s interesting to kinda note that centers gain an advantage on defensive metrics but then also note “oh wemby is out”. He wasn’t DPOY either way. Hell they weren’t winning ****. Amen is literally transforming a team into a winning outfit because of his all-world defense. Almost feels like 1st team defense is a given. Mobley too likely but who else can even say that? And the difference in elite versus a trophy winner is that Mobley shuts it down near the rim. Amen is shutting down half the court.
Voter fatigue is real, Wemby will win it a bunch but he will miss out some years because they're tired of giving it to him. I think he will end up being disqualified a lot of years anyway for the same reason he was this season.
That's what I'm banking on. Wemby is a freak of nature ala-Yao. It will be difficult for him to remain healthy throughout his career. Amen will have more chances... he will improve offensively as well as defensively since this is only year 2. Once his offense begins to meet his defense, he will most likely be on that same Wemby-like plain but with more minutes/floor action to back his production. I'm really not that worried about Wemby, tbh.
The best move for the Rockets in the long term is for Mobley to win DPOY. Will cost the Cavs an extra $35M per year when you factor in luxury tax ($7.7M per year on the cap), and will continue to lock them in as a second apron team with the current nucleus. In a weird quirk, if Amen were to win DPOY this year (2025), and then lose it to a healthy/eligible Wemby in 2026, I believe he would still not be eligible for the 30% designated rookie max starting in 2027 - 2028, since you need to win DPOY in either the year immediately before signing the extension, or the year before it kicks in. This is not a small amount we are talking about, I'd estimate that it increases base salary on a max by about $9M per year. Of course, if Amen keeps on his current trajectory and makes an All-NBA team, he can moot this discussion. But weird stuff can always happen with the new eligibility criteria; one ill-timed injury can take you below the threshold even if you're clearly worthy.
With Wemby out, this year is the best opportunity. I imagine Wemby will be the perennial favorite if he's healthy.
Amen Thompson Highlight Videos of his Defense is very popular among YouTubers. Amen Thompson Defensive Player of the Year.
If Amen Thompson gets Stephen Curry again in Round 1 and continues his Great Defense. Voters League Wide will Vote for Amen Thompson.
Dyson is someone that the Rockets were really interested. Mobley was the Rockets second pick behind Green. Just imagine, the Rockets could have had Amen, Dyson and Mobley on the same line.
I appreciate Draymond in that he's a good barometer to see who needs to get their voting privileges removed.
It's annoying, but Draymond is an impactful defender. He can shut people down at the point of attack, especially when he has to body up on someone bigger than him. He rarely gets beat off the dribble. But Amen is unlocking a whole new level of D. He makes the deceleration play look silly. His ability to cover wide distances is almost unprecedented. Guys driving the basket are looking over their shoulders. Many simply stop as if Dwight Howard is under the rim. As a one-on-one defender, Amen is impactful, too. Lots of guys are hoisting up bricks under his watchful eye. The whole package makes me excited to watch each defensive possession to see how Amen will blow things up.
Screw DPOY. Give me Most Improved. That $10 bet at the start of the season before a game was played for $3,000 would be amazing.
I don't think he'll win but all the voters who actually did their research and watch the games will vote for Amen to win. The other who vote based on narratives and social media will vote for Donkey
no they won't, they have to submit the ballots before playoffs start.. and next couple years barring injuries, Wemby will the shoe-in until they get voter fatigure.
