With 60M cap space, this team will be built by chasing players in the market, and this pick will be involved. We would have only hold on to it if we got #1 or 2
Amen is the pick because if he improves his jumper he's probably one of the best players in the league. No reason to take a projected role player at 4 like Whitmore or Jarace Walker after you've already lost the lottery and have nothing left to lose. We're already the worst team in the league, go for upside.
What does Amen do well? Can't shoot and can't finish. Sounds like a lot of thought creation in regards to his potential. My stance is the same for him as it was for someone like Will Levis in the NFL Draft. If you aren't doing it well in lower levels... we shouldn't have an expectation it will get better against better competition. Draft boards via the public aren't necessarily how teams think. Based on the reports out of Houston. The only guys that I think Houston would draft are: Jarace Walker or Grady Dick. Jarace to play the Mark Williams role out of Boston. Grady Dick to give Green and KPJ space to operate.
Here is the core of your error. Wemby is not "doing it well" in a mediocre European league. Sengun was doing far better in the 3rd or 4th best league in the world. That doesn't help you determine who has the higher NBA potential. You have to discern with more nuance what is and isn't translateable rather than using a blanket approach of "if you didn't do well for an amateur coach then you can't be great". Amen has major red flags but there's a reason we're talking about him. It's because he's a long-wingspan, strong and fast 6'7 guy with a killer handle and an eye for passing. Those are his strengths. Can you link to the reports of Jarace and Dick please?
You joke but before Ben Simmons clearly had a steep mental decline, he was one of the best players in the league despite having zero jump shot. If you told me we were getting 2017-2020 Ben Simmons at 4th overall, that is a home run.
he was never that. vastly overhyped by casuals hes been a loser dating back to his lsu days and still is
I just took a look at some Amen Thompson video and watched his form in slo-mo. No please No. His shot is awful. His sticks his right leg out on his jump which throws everything off from the start and causes his body to twist and his right leg to kick out. Then he centers the ball too far left which causes his right elbow to stick out. His left hand is too high and interferes with his release. Finally the ball comes off the right side of his hand often. He needs to start over from square one. If you can't shoot in the modern NBA, you can't play.
Agreed. You take a solid project with HIGH UPSIDE or you use the pick to get a solid player from another team. Taking another KMJ or Tate at pick 4 is pointless when you already have those guys on your roster.
That's why if we aren't gonna draft up we should pick Miller over Amen. That being said he might not be available at 4. I feel like it'll go like Wemby-Scoot-Miller-Amen. What a disaster man. I'd be perfectly fine with 3 but 4 is just terrible.
Elite athleticism doesn't mean much towards winning if you can't shoot. Russel Westbrook in his mid to late career is a great example. Can't win a ring with a guy like that getting a ton of usage. Not worthy of a 4th pick. Court vision against 16 year olds? Not sure how translatable that "trait" is.
I would maybe feel differently if Jalen or Jabari were real superstar talents but they are not. Gotta continue to go upside til you land an elite guy.
Did you read my previous post? I wouldn't touch the guy, his shot is terrible. The Ben Simmons comparison was not an endorsement.
If he really has Giddeys level of consistent playmaking and understanding of the game, you could live with a worse jumper
The postseason continues to show that if you can't shoot you are not on the floor in the playoffs. The Nuggets, Boston, Lakers are not putting these types of non shooters on the floor. I'm fine with the Giddey archetype but I just think you're doing Jalen a big disservice by bringing in another guard with a long developmental arc that can't shoot and whose mechanics look jacked up. Even Giddey is a 2nd ballhandler on the OKC squad and not a lead guard. Look at the Cavs after they drafted Mobley. They kept Jarrett Allen around to help him in the frontcourt. They had a shooting PG to get Mobley the ball. They went out and got another PG in Rubio to get him the ball. The Rockets have made zero effort to get that type of complimentary help to help in Jalen's development. I'd avoid either one but Stone could get Lonzo or Simmons for free this offseason. I'll even bet he could snag some picks from those teams in the process too. Rox can likely also trade back in this draft and find much needed shooting, playmaking, or frontcourt help while picking up some other assets in the process. It's not a knock on the Thompsons but this isn't 2021 anymore and the Rox need to start developing the kids already on their roster.
