Exclusive All things Amen Thompson

Despite overall efficiency from the field, Amen shot just 23% from three this past season and 64% from the free throw line. Depending on how that improves over time will likely determine if Amen will become a star in the league or not.

 

What were Ausar's shooting numbers? I think they were a little better.

 

7 foot wingspans

 

Like Simmons he doesn't take to many mid range/fga’s

 

The way I see the league trending, I think pairing Amen and Shae is one of the best foundational pairings in the league. I was never a huge Lonzo guy coming out of UCLA, but the way people felt about what he could become, I imagine it’s only slightly higher than that feeling I have with Thompson. The only difference is Thompson is bigger and more athletic.

A 6’7 PG that can also legitimately guard SGs/SFs. I don’t know how many of those there will be in the league. Combining him with a 6’6 SG who will be a big time scorer who also will be great defender. That’s the foundation of a potential championship team.

Shae could literally be the smallest guy on the court for us if we wanted to go that route and find two 6’7-6’9 guys. We could also just draft the BPA every year and fill out the team that way. Imagine in any given year, we luck into a situation like the Pelicans when they grabbed Murphy and Jones in the same night.

Whatever happens, this roster should be built on defense and moving the ball. I was a kid in the Roy era and was in high school and college during the Dame era, the heroics are cool but eventually I get jaded from it.

 

But he can’t shoot.

 

Neither can DDR or Butler.

 

Amen fans: is trading down to #6 worth the risk of missing out on Amen?

Based on going through other team’s forums, there’s a chance Amen could slip all the way to #6. At #4, there’s a chance they draft Whitmore to play with Harden and Green. A lot of HOU fans seem to like him. At #5, DET fans believe Amen is a bad fit and believe Hendricks or Whitmore or Walker are better fits.

The goal on draft day for me would be to get Amen and also add other pieces to our future. If DET was willing to give up Duren, I would take it. I think ORL is the natural trade partner. Not sure, if we could get Wagner, but #6, #11, and WCJ would be a bare minimum return. I like Ausar enough that I would take the risk and settle with Ausar and develop him exactly how I would develop Amen. Curious what others would have to say to that.

 

Curious what these are as well. Yes seems like Ausar's a much better shooter, and nearly as good athletically etc as Amen. He might ultimately be the better NBA player.

 

His 3pt% was around 30% if I recall correctly, which is still really bad, but better than 22% or whatever Amen shot.

 

Same thing from the charity stripe, sub 70%

 

I wouldn't trade down below #4 if I wanted to make sure to get him.

 

if the Blazers decide Amen is their #1 target, they won't trade down, they'll just take him 3rd

 

Not necessarily. If Scoot drops and we know Houston wants him, we could leverage a little value out of them. You don’t tell them you actually think Amen is better or whatever.

 

I suppose, as long as Houston initiated the call

 

You can call them up and say you’ve got Scoot and you’re sending him to the highest bidder. See what they offer.

 

that only works if Portland knows, for sure, Houston wants Scoot; and at the same time Houston doesn't know who Portland really wants. Blazers would need better intel

 

DeMar DeRozan was 50% from the field last year. For a guy that lives on the mid range shot, that's pretty damn good. He shot only 32% from 3, but he doesn't take many. He is a mid range assassin who gets to the free throw line a ton.

 

Dame's heroics never get old, but hoping one & doners turn out to be special is extremely tiresome.

 

Listen, one and doners make up the vast, vast majority of NBA All Stars these days, going back to when the NBA changed up the draft to force kids into college for a year or to the G-League or other professional league for a year. No true rhyme or reason for it. Kobe, KG and many others would have been one and doners had they not be allowed to be drafted straight out of high school. That avenue is now closed. I guarandamntee your boy Dame would have been a one and doner too, had he had the ability. But he was an underwhelming recruit that only had one D1 scholarship offer I believe. And he made the most of it. He needed the extra years to develop. I don't know if it was athletically, his frame, his shot, his handles or even if he had to mature mentally. But Dame was not ready to be drafted after one season of college ball. No big deal. Get off of it. It is asinine to continue playing that being a one and doner is a bad thing. It's not. It lets the player that has been working on his game since exiting the womb to get paid quicker and earn more service time towards a future NBA pension. God bless them. Only needing one year o college suggests they have done everything they need to to impress tome very smart and very rich people to invest in them. Dame needed four years and it gave him the chip on his shoulder to be where he is now, a true star of the league. The only thing tiresome is that they players are being denied the ability to fully utilize a free market system and go pro when they are ready, and not be subjected to an arbitrary salary cap. Can you imagine the coin Jordan would've gotten if not for a salary cap. Blank check. One and doning is not tiresome, it is actually oppressive. Hah!