Amen Thompson is the Rockets' REAL franchise player

I love clutchfans sometimes

 

He is the best defender on the planet.

 

Looking forward to him getting dpoy and all-defensive first team then, if that's true.

 

He’s probably the best individual 1 on 1 defender in the league. Wemby is by far and away the best help defender in the league.

 

No, Wemby is by far and away the best defender in the league and it's not close. I doubt Amen is in the top 3 people for dpoy this year

 

Scottie Barnes has Down’s syndrome

 

Wemby one on one defense isn’t the best he can still easily get outmuscled by bigger guys. He struggles with Sengun and Jokic type players. That’s why when he guards Amen our entire offense is destroyed because he can just roam around.

Im not saying Amen will win DPOY. That award rarely goes to the guy who’s the best on ball defender. Usually goes to guy who’s is best help defender which is why Wemby will win. Rudy Gobert’s one on one defense is absolute garbage and he has 4 DPOYs.

 

It's intriguing how much their statistical profiles have diverged since being in OTE together, where they were very similar statistically. You might be tempted to say "oh that's just minutes" but it's really not, even though Amen is playing a lot more than Ausar. Per 100 possessions, Amen is averaging 24, 10 and 7 this season with 2.8 stocks on 59% true shooting. Ausar, by contrast, is averaging 18, 11 and 6 on 54% true shooting, but is averaging nearly twice as many stocks per 100 possessions at 5.5. He's also fouling nearly twice as often, though.

It seems like the Rockets have made Amen much more an offensive focal point, mainly because we don't have Cade Cunningham to run our offense, but also because he's just more talented in that area. By contrast, the Pistons have decided to have Ausar focus more on being a supercharged defensive specialist who plays hyper-aggressive on that end and can't stay on the court for as many minutes because he'd just foul out.

As a result, I think we're seeing real glimmers of #2 option level offense from Amen, and that feels like a distant dream for Ausar. However, Amen has taken a bit of a step back as a turnover-generating defensive whirlwind this season, although still a great defender on the ball, whereas Ausar seems to have locked in as a guy who will probably be perennial first team all-defense if he keeps going along this trajectory.

 

I have no concerns about Ausar whatsoever and his Offense will come around, you are right that he is fouling out quite a lot.

The way the Pistons are playing, Duren will continue to grow offensively.....and be prioritized....

Their new undrafted PG Daniss Jenkins controlling the ball on Offense and Usage is also interesting to watch.

 

Amen has always been touted as having more potential on offense, which is why he was drafted before Ausar

 

Yeah that's just a lot of spin/excuses, you know that right? If Amen was as great as y'all make out he'd be in the discussion - he's not, anywhere, by anybody who's not a Rockets fan.

 

Rockets would not have won that Warriors game without his superb defense against their guards and those timely buckets in the 3rd.

 

He’s becoming a better playmaker. If only hr could have a dribble pullup and post game he would be a force. I expect to see it but realistically we may not see it till year 5 or 6 and I liken him to Jerami Grant who developed both those games year 6 or so.

 

The most important thing for him I think is a dribble pullup. I hated to see that video last summer when Off Night Davion Mitchell locked him up because he couldn’t get a shot off the bounce. That move is important because it keeps a defender on their heels and makes them have to worry about a shot or dribble drive. It backs them up. Like if he dribbles then transitions off the bounce gather hesitation then blows by them or pullup in their face. Unstoppable with his speed he would dominate.

He needs a post at some point too. He can pass this way to cutters or shooters or attack. Just another option like CP3 or Westbrook who had this skill.

 

I think you’re confusing paint scoring with mid range. Mid range is defined as any shot outside the paint and below the 3 pt line. Having a mid range devastates the defense. Westbrook and CP3 mastered the FT line mid range. Ask Derozan probably best mid range shooter of all time. Teams have to come out 15-20 ft to guard you. You can come off DHO’s or pindowns and pop a pullup midrange. Or off the elbows. Very tough to defend.

The problem is neither him or Sengun can shoot outside the paint. Literally they can’t.

And if he adds a post game I think he would be unstoppable. Hakeem let’s get to work!

 

Amen's numbers are ultra depressed from playing out top.
When Reed is consistently handling it up top at a high level, Amen will go parabolic.