Amen Thompson is the Rockets' REAL franchise player

if Adelman coached Amen, he averages 25 a night.

 

Early in his coaching career, like 1990? Absolutely.

Amen's game is perfect for an NBA that hadn't learned to shoot a basketball yet.

 

You are right - he has offball gravity despite being a poor shooter because of his speed and excellent timing. You kind of have to have a body on him at all times because he can be at the rim in a flash. I feel like his spot needs to be corner 3 to the dunkers spot. Dwaye Wade was similar. Everyone knew he couldn't shoot but he was such a phenomenal off ball cutter it didnt matter.

 

Well, that's my main point. If we don't trade him this summer we probably have 2 options:

1) let him go for free
2) pay him the max

And I hate both scenarios

 

I am still certain Dwyane should be the much better player when things are said and done, different archetypes but overall.

Amen strikes me as an athlete closely created in a lab while Dwyane was a basketball savant tier 2.

If he could shoot, he would have been on par with the likes of Curry.....or should be.. ..bummer.

They had him around Spot 28 all time higher than Bulls version Pippen.

 

Or Mike D'antoni puts Amen Thompson in a Shawn Marion role as a SF or small ball PF.

 

Amen Thompson is not a Super Max player. Mid 20% 3 point shooter doesn't deserve the super max, more like Jabari Smith contract.

Tari Eason really improved his 3 point shooting. He will be tough to let go.

 

Amen is the 4th best player on this team after KD, Sengun, and Bari. He'll be 5th best this time next year when he falls behind Reed.

 

His ft lately has dropped off..

 

Amen's leg is still bothering him. There was a few plays he could've chased down and didnt. Tari as well. Jabari injury hurts because Amen needs a few games off.

 

Reed should start but we can't bench Tari. Need his energy, athleticism, transition game, elite defense.

The bench needs Jabari to get some points, something I'm more confident he can do than Tari.

 

Not good. Wish him a speedy recovery, big part of our team.

 

Way to (massively) overvalue being a mediocre jump shooter

 

I don't buy that .... mainly because he has no offensive tools on ball besides straight to the basket and off ball he's relying upon others to feed him at the rim.

What in his offensive arsenal says star? He shoot's .36 from beyond 3 feet (at the rim).

I'm beginning to wonder if what he does defensively and in the open court is worth the damage he does to the offense in poor spacing and his defender being able to roam freely to create double teams elsewhere.

Sengun is doubled on 77% of his possessions. 3rd most in the league.

Durant is double teamed an awful lot too - often before he catches the ball.

Defenders close out hard on Jabari and Tari while giving up open looks to Amen.

 

Right now he's avg 17/gm....I don't think it's out of the realm of possibility that a better offensive minded coach could get him to 21ish...So not far from 25....

BUT...would a coach like Adleman or Dantoni play him as much? Or would they allow him to be as big a part of the offense? They definitely wouldn't have him playing pg at all. He'd pretty much have to become a decent corner three point shooter to see much playing time So under a coach like that Amen's scoring might actually go down because he'd probably have less opportunities....

In fact, if we had an offensive minded head coach like Adleman or Dantoni Amen might not have even been drafted here and if he was HE might be the guy we'd be asking to see more of instead of Reed.

 

Amen is 130 mill for 5 year type of value. Tari gets under 80m/5yr.

I'm saying this now because I know Stone is ready to max them out.

 

I think there's a real possibility he agrees to a contract similar to Sengun's. But if we did pay him the max, I think he'd probably live up to the deal. He will get better than what he is right now, maybe a lot better if he does develop a jump shot, and IMO his current value is already "fringe all-star" level.

 

Amen is the player I'm least concerned about of the 4 reaching stardom. Though Reed is getting up there.