That's old data you're seeing from somewhere. At the draft combine both twins measured out at a 7'0" wingspan. https://www.nba.com/stats/draft/combine-anthro?SeasonYear=2023-24
Amen reminds me Amen Thompson. Alp reminds me Alperen Sengun Sam Cassell reminds me Sam Cassell. ..... When are you going to stop comparing every player to someone else as if mandatory.Moses Malone was different than the others, Kareem was different, Hakeem was different, Barkley was different,Pippen was different,Yao was different and Amen is also different. A unique guy, 7' wing span, perfect rebounder, high IQ, good stealer and one of the worst shooter all-time. He throws the ball as if David targeting Goliath. Never seen this combination before. The other contrast is he looks angry/confused/challenging guy on the court and soft speaking/shy/articulate guy off-court. He is more Chile, the land of extremes rather than having similarities to any ex-NBA player.
There's a difference though. When Akeem was practicing his Dreamshake he would either use it or not. It's different when you're rebuilding shot mechanics because when you get in the heat of the game you tend to revert to what's in your muscle memory, et the old, faulty shot mechanics. This is why it needs to be rebuilt in the summer, where he can practice the new shot mechanics over and over and NOT play in a game until it starts to become ingrained in his muscle memory. I wonder if Silas ever asked Jalen to do something like this!
Rebuilding Amen jumpshot isn't as simple as getting more reps up with a shooting coach in the off season. If it were as simple as that, both the Thompson twins wouldn't be coming into the NBA with such broken shots. Other than Lonzo in recent times, I can't think of someone who has completely overhauled their shot and come out a good shooter.
There's a tendency to focus on the exception instead of the rule. It's ok for fandom, but not something I'd put real money on. Anything is possible I suppose. Even guys who have a better looking shot (Jabari), still takes work and practice to knock them down consistently. Some of the crude shooting predictors like FT% is tough to use since his isn't good. Harden is career (86%), Yao was (83%). They had the shooting touch and made them the head honchos. Can overhaul but it's an uphill battle. Instead of banking on the late career turn around examples (kidd, Lonzo, Brook), what happens to the majority of NBA players who come through the system. On basketball reference and flip through last five years of the Rockets, how many ended up developing their 3pt shot? . Shooting is a skill, while any skills can be improved, doing it timely matters. Gary Mathews shot well that Nov-Dec season saved his NBA career. He said in interviews that he was considering quitting the league. A few years in the NBA can still set a guy up for life. If Tyty, Josh Christopher, Clemens, shot lights out from 3's, they probably would be in better positions. If KJ or Tate had a good 3 pt. shot they'd be viewed very differently now.
There a reason why people compare a young player to someone who have a full NBA career. They want to know how likely that guy is to have a successful career. Comparing gives them an idea what kind of player the young player will turn out and whether that kind of player can be good. I think that reason is legit, as legit as looking at limited sample size data to project a guy's future. If a kid can't shoot, you want to look around and see if any non-shooters have been successful. If a guy is good at offense but not good at defense, can he be a star? If a guy is athletically limited, can a team build around him?... etc.
It isn't about rebuilding it. It's about getting it consistent. That's his issue. JJJ shoots the 3 like a 6 year old girl but it's consistent.
Gentleman, You can compare some skills/physicalities of a player with some Ex players. I'll give you one example : Hedo Turkoglu went to NBA as a 6'7" player but ended up 6'10 (6'9"and half at least). He was serviceable at every position except 5 then. You can narrate something similar for other players when you try to describe Amen but you can't say Amen is a new Hedo or new Penny, Pippen Magic,etc... It is not just for Amen. Tari is not Kawhi or D.Aldridge, he is our very own Tari Eason. Alp is not a Pau. We just need to focus on their strengths and weaknesses. Amen can rebounds, steals, cuts very well, assists OK, needs better dribbling and should improve drastically in shooting. The most similar current player is Josh Giddey, physically and mentally, both high BBIQ, rebounding machines, not shooting very well but saying Amen is new Josh is a simple laziness. Anyway, people will continue to compare and I will try to figure out the similarities of Penny Hardaway and Scottie Pippen.
For a guard or wing, it feels like wingspan matters more than height. Not saying it is the most important attribute but if you look at all the stars they all had 6’11 or longer wingspans. That includes Jordan, Kobe, Carmelo, McGrady, Wade, Harden, SGA, Tatum, etc. There are players with shorter wingspans (6’4-6’8) that do great but most never end up as superstars.
Rajon Rondo Jason Kidd Al Horford Herb Jones Kyle Lowry Lugentz Dort Lamelo Ball It ain't super common but it ain't rare either.
Blake Griffin was legit one of the worst shooters I ever saw when he first entered the league. His second season he somehow managed to shoot 52% from the free throw line, 12% from the three point line (only 16 attempts) and 36% on midrange shots. He eventually worked his way into a 76% free throw shooter, and 34% three point shooter on 5 attempts per game during his age 27-30 seasons. When you look at players who are so good at other things that they manage to stick around in the league for a long time, most of them at least get significantly better at shooting, even if they're never good at it.
Exactly. 67% on FT and the touch he shows inside makes me optimistic. I do think it will be 4 years while he sculpts his upper body though.
The short answer is that both matter. Wingspan is helpful because being really tall can impact foot quickness, coordination and overall speed. Having long arms and broad shoulders not only makes up for a lack of height, but it also makes up for lost quickness. With a long wingspan you are putting the ball on the floor closer to the floor so it’s harder to steal, it also allows you to manipulate passes easier and lets you get your shot off easier. Having said that - from an offensive standpoint I would argue palm size and finger and hand softness/dexterity is more important. Amen has the ideal length and wingspan for a point guard. He is legitimately over 6’6” but still quick from side to side, backwards and forward so he can defend smaller point guards. His 7’0” wingspan lets him defend any spot on the floor in a pinch and when they is coupled with his strong base and how quick he is off the ground, it lets him get rebounds over genuine 4’s and 5’s. Ideally his upper body would be stronger, but overall he is a specimen for point guard. His hands are a little small too, but big enough- same size as Klay Thompson.
You can save yourself tons of time though with less comparisons and more watching that player grow.......
