Hypothetical: Would you trade Amen to Indy for their 2026 1st Rd Pick?

Absolutely not.

I'm building around Amen. Once he's off ball with a capable PG, all his superpowers come back.
Why is it so hard to understand that he's been playing out of position?

 

I think that there is a better chance than not, that Amen can develop a mid range O game ... but ... I may be wrong. (I also think if Amen develops a midrange game, that it is a 50/50 proposition that he can develop a league average 3 pt game.)

There is a non-zero chance that the current Amen is who he is. The things he does well, he does exceptionally well. But he will never be shooter and he will never be a NBA point guard.

If the Rockets offered Amen a contract extension based solely on his current skill set, would Amen accept that? Other NBA teams may offer more, hoping the Promise of Amen arrives in the future.

So while I do not want to trade Amen, I am not sure what his future is and that he may be overpaid in FA or by the Rockets before then. The smart move might be to trade Amen for what will be 2 high FRPs (or 1 high FRP and one solid NBA player that is a good fit for the team).

 

You don’t trade a certain superstar for the chance of one. Amen is untouchable. I’m expecting a Hemingway apology thread when Amen makes a fool out of all his detractors.

 

The odds of Amen developing a jumper that we all want him to have at this point is pretty slim.

 

No, but the thing is.... if stone never traded those nets pick back..
We would have the nets pick for this draft.

 

Nope. Like kinda funny actually because youre basically betting your mortgage on Amen never ever learning to shoot. Because if he does the he's much better than all of those prospects and closer to unicorn status.

Also not taking into account that the pick could end up 5-7 or something.

 

To him, he's certain MVP. So take it as a win if he's stopping at certain superstar lol.

 

With his current rate of shooting "progression" I'll look forward to writing that for you in around 2050 something when his jumpshot finally comes along.

 

Something to keep in mind is that the sample size is really small on three point attempts throughout his career. I wouldn't read too much into his 3P% bouncing around for that reason. For perspective, he is 23 for 105 on three pointers this season, and was 25 for 91 last season.

I think there's a Bull Durham quote on this topic that is relevant (there usually is).

More encouraging is the increase in his FT%, which while no longer 80+ percent, is still up a huge amount in a very reasonable sample size. But I think the thing that makes me most optimistic about him, not necessarily his shooting but his ability to become a star player on offense, is that he's getting pretty damn good at getting to the free throw line. That, not the jump shooting, is actually what separates the stars from the wannabes in this league. Why is Devin Booker still a top 15 player when he's shooting 31.8% from three point range this season? Because he gets to the f***ing line.

 

Yeah I'm not buying it, sorry. We've just seen a MASSIVELY more talented offensive player (I can get numbers if anybody wants to argue that - it really doesn't work in Amen's favour at all) not develop over 5 seasons, bust out and our get out of jail card wasn't free, it was KD who tanked the chemistry and killed all the fire. I have no reason or evidence to believe Amen will do better. Phenomenal defender. He's a 6'7 Centre on offense, and not a good one. *edit: I forgot the 6'7 was a narrative and he's actually 6'5. Outside of being a way better defender they really do have a lot in common. Though Jalen's skills are significantly more developed whilst still being pretty ass overall.

 

Yes but mostly because of Amen’s contract status.

 

But what if he doesn't learn to shoot?

I mean we are in year 3 and seeing regression in 3pt shooting, 2pt shooting and even defensively.

At some point you gotta accept reality.

If he's shooting this poorly next year do some / most of the "build around Amen" crowd finally concede it's a bad idea?

 

That's the question right? None of Dybantsa, Boozer or Peterson are a sure thing. Is there a surefire star in this draft? Probably. Which one? I dont know. Amen has already made a 1st Team All Defense. Hes averaging 18/8/5 with a 2:1 A to TO ratio. You glossed over his FT shooting which is usually an indicator of good shooting to come. He just casually increased it to 80%. Since hes just Ben Simmons 2.0 what were Simmons FT% averages?

Trading Amen for a Top 5 pick in this draft is a *wild* bet. I would do Sengun in a heartbeat. Probably anyone else. Amen? **** no. Do you bet that the player you draft is going to have a better career than Amen?

Ill do you one better. Which player specifically in this draft do you trade Amen for?

 

Dybantsa

 

Who in the association can out reach Amen when he jumps off 2 feet after closing into the high paint?

Maybe...... maybe Wemby.
That's about it.

 

We won't know what position Indy will be picking until the playoffs. I probably don't trade away Amen in this draft unless we're getting back a top-2 pick. The problem is whether or not any team would trade a top-2 pick in this draft for "just Amen".