What is your current Rockets Top 5 Draft Big board?

When it comes to highly athletic wings who can't shoot, you are talking about the exceptions, the top 0.1% might be Rose, Westbrook, or Wall.....guys who look good though inefficient when they are super young who are completely unplayable when their athleticism dips even slightly. The vast majority wash out much sooner.....and that's the best they can hope for.

Being a wing that flat out can't shoot is a death sentence to an NBA player's career.

Amen will have to learn how to shoot or he won't be in the NBA long, it's as simple as that.

 

1. Wemby
2. Scoot Hendy
3. BMiller
4. Cason Wallace
5. Gradey Dick

 

1 Wemby
2 Scoot II
3-5 trade for the right vet, he who needs the payday and/or the right fit

 

He definitely is elite-elite as an athlete, but keep in mind a lot of those guys were ranked higher than him coming out of HS too. How good are his actual basketball skills (i.e. playmaking) in a legit league?

The main thing for me is if he's completely a non-factor off the ball, and his playmaking/creating is inhibited a lot by defenders sagging off of him like Simmons/Westbrook, how valuable is he? Because his jumper isn't even close to being functional at this point.

All that said, he's definitely an unusual prospect, and the most polarizing guy in this class. I'm not writing him off, I just think there are major question marks, and I hope the Rockets don't draft him for those reasons.

 

That's fair. I have serious doubts about him too, I guess I'm just more comfortable with the Rockets taking that kind of gamble (as long as it's outside the top 2).

It's worth keeping in mind that scouts do think he has very good ballhandling and passing skills. He's not just an athlete. He just needs that jump shot, at least enough to keep opponents honest.

 

If he is drafted as a wing, then I agree. If he is drafted at PG, time will tell.......

 

That wouldn't make it better, you can't have a PG that flat out can't shoot either. Even if you draft a 6'7 forward to be your PG, you need them to be able to shoot.

 

Wouldn't be surprised if Miller falls right back down to the 5/6 range after the combine (lower if anything else bad comes out about this homicide in relation to his possible involvement). His high stock right now is really riding on his performances in college.

When the focus shifts back to being more on physical tools, as it always does after the combine, I see guys like Jarace Walker, Cam Whitmore, and the Thompson twins really rising up draft boards and guys like Miller, Keyonte George, and Gradey Dick falling off a bit.

 

That stuff you are saying about Miller is the stuff people were saying about Banchero last year, Franz Wagner 2 yrs ago. Look at them now.

There's more to potential than just being an athlete, there is also skills related potential as in reaching the levels of Cp3, Harden and Curry skill wise. Miller is already 6'9 his height and length makes up for lacking generational athleticism in the same way Curry being 6'5 pg helped him a lot too.

With Amen I dont see this upside play cuz as a 20 yr old and playing with the only other 20 yr old he cant dominate the teenagers in the OTE. If he really had generational athleticism like evrybody is claiming than in a scenario where is 2+yrs older than everybody he should be putting up triple doubles or simething.

 

He is averaging 16 6 vs 17 yr olds in OTE but he will be 20 and 8 in ncaa? You are right if he is shooting 35% from 3 in the NCAA he would be no 1, but he isnt shooting 35% in ncaa he is shooting 28% in OTE which is prob 20% in ncaa or something.

I also dont know why everyone keeps saying Amen is the generational athlete, he hasnt tested in the combine we dont know how athletic he really is. Just from watching Whitmore is a lot more athletic than he is.

 

i go with whoever @J.R. breh think is necessary. breh is the most influential ai i has ever seen

 

Giddey, Rubio and Rondo all shoot 32% in the NBA. Amen shooting 28% in the OTE.

Simons is a big outlier and tbh I dont know how effective he would have been if he didnt play with EmBiid or KD/Kyrie.

 

Rajon Rondo shot 27% from three when he was 19 in college. Josh Giddey shot 29% at age 19 in Australia. Kawhi Leonard shot 29%. Jimmy Butler basically couldn't shoot the three at all until he was 21 during his last year in college, and even then only took 1.6 attempts per game at 34%.

Actually, Butler is probably an interesting comp for Ausar in particular (who is a bit more of a shooter but a bit less of a playmaker than his brother).

 

Amen's playoff stats showed some improvement over his regular season stats, by the way. Small sample size, but he averaged 17.2 points, 9.2 assists, 7.2 rebounds, shot 30% from three, and 77% from the free throw line. I find the free throw percentage particularly encouraging. That's a big jump up from his regular season numbers, and he did shoot a fair number of free throws in the playoffs. Free throw percentage is typically a sign of being able to develop a jump shot.

But yeah, the competition is not good, so a grain of salt is definitely needed. Still nice that he did finish the season strong and did, alongside his brother, lead his team to a championship.

 

If we miss out on Wemby we should trade the pick for vet player(s). Sign Harden and Barnes, trade 23 pick, KPJ, KJM and the Brooklyn picks for Bridges. Instant playoff contender.

Harden/Barnes/Tyty
Green/Barnes/JC
Bridges/Tari/Barnes/Tate
Jabari/Tari/Garuba
Sengun/Jabari/Garuba

Against some lineups Tari becomes starting Pf and Jabari starting C. If Jabari beefs up enough you could consider trading Sengun for a haul.

 

That is essentially losing for an entire season (2023 pick) and James Harden and KPJ for Bridges. Sure seems like a LOT for that player.

 

Is bridges worth that much? I haven't been following him that closely.

What does your line up look with wemby?

 

1. Wemby
2. Scott
3. Miller
4 - 5. Trade. But if I have to pick…
4. Amen Thompson
5. Jarace Walker

 

Bridges has been awesome with the Nets. Averaging over 26 points. I’d give up a ton for him, but he may be near untouchable at this point.