I think people forget that development takes time. Once he tightens up his handle and becomes a more consistent shooter, the floor is going to open up for him even more. He also needs better floor spacing around him to maximize what he does best. I think we get too caught up in what a point guard is supposed to be in today's NBA. Traditional, pass-first point guards are becoming a rarity. I still like to see him as our secondary PG next year.
I don’t care what position we call it as long as he is authorized to push pace himself after securing a rebound. We don’t need him looking for Fred off of missed shots. If he gets it he should run and get some easy translation buckets. If there’s nothing there then get it to Sengun/Fred to set things up. Everyone says the game slows down in the playoffs; this is mostly true since teams can scout and blow up plays but I saw OKC, San Antonio and the Knicks do a lot of damage is transition offense BEFORE the defense could get set. I really need us to improve our competence in transition offense. It should be a crime to have a guy like Amen play in this plodding walk-it-up style.
good things happen when he’s aggressive. He gets to the paint and often fouled. No one can guard him one on one. He seemed hesitant most of the year deferring to the big 2. Towards the end of the year and playoffs they designed more plays for him and we saw him come into his own a bit. Had 7 or more assists in 25 games including playoffs and 2 double digit assists game. Definitely has playmaking ability
I’ve mentioned this before but I see his optimal role on offense as a maxed out combination of Andre Iguodala and Shawn Marion. That is a really unique complimentary player. We really need a guard that can play in transition with him to unlock his full potential, though. As far as shooting, people have been overstating his regression this year in my opinion. Yes his percentage was down but a higher volume of his attempts were from the wing and above the break as opposed to his strict diet of corner attempts the previous year. If we can get our hands on another penetrating guard he’ll get much more quality looks from the corners. It will take some time but I think he’ll get into the low 30s soon enough.
this isn’t even true tho 58.6% of his 3 point attempts this season were from the corner which was even higher than last season, and he shot 23.5% on them
He's a secondary playmaker imo. The lineup is starving for more perimeter speed and creation. If Amen is all you've got, it's going to be rough going. If he's your 3rd or 4th on-ball option, you're really cooking.
yes, I’m sure the amount of players that were not PG’s and developed into adequate ones in the NBA is slim to none you don’t need to be a traditional, pass 1st PG, but you still need to be able to run an offense and get the team into sets/generate good offense…Amen is not capable of doing that whatsoever in a half court setting Amen’s handle is decent for a guy his size, but his handle is garbage for a PG also, the miracle it would take for Amen to become a consistent shooter is equivalent to turning water into wine and healing the blind…Amen is left wide open and still airballs Do you know how bad you have to be as a shooter to be doing that as often as he does? Amen’s shooting is so bad, if you’re not paying attention one of his customary airballs or patented bricks will hit you in the head and have you in concussion protocol
Regarding Amen's three point shooting, there have been many players like that who eventually got good. It's not hard to find them, the list is very long. If he were a guy who couldn't even shoot free throws I think you just give up, but he's not. He will become a passable three point shooter, it's just a question of whether it's soon or too late to matter. As for him playing point guard, yeah, I doubt that's going to work out at this point.
Many players who were shooting as bad as 21.9% from deep after 3 seasons became good? Name over 5 of them And what are we calling passable?
To me, Amen is a point-forward. That’s how he plays - pushes the pace, drives and kicks, cuts to gaps, put backs, etc. Now, that doesn’t mean he can’t be the person with the ball in his hands most of the time. I also think the concept of a pure “point guard” is a bit out dated. What we need are more guards, period - players who can handle the rock and create off ball movement.
Yes, I'm sure Amen isn't a "PG". He needs to play with a PG as primary ball handler. He sacrificed the rest of his game due to playing out of position last year. Amen should be our secondary ball handler...which isn't to say he won't dominate the ball and take over games eventually. He has a unique combination of cerebral and physical gifts. The kid has that hunger and drive too. Amen should eventually be one of the top 3 - 4 players in the League. This might sound strange or hyperbolic, but I see him as MJ without the J.(albeit bigger and stronger)
Can’t dribble very well and can’t shoot at all. The best comp I’ve heard for Amen when he was drafted was Andre Iguodala and it still is. Not a point guard but can play with the ball in his hand if he’s pressuring the rim. Let’s move past the notion that guards who can’t shoot or dribble are playable. Not a point guard. He’s a 3/4
There's different levels of point guard.... and I wouldn't say Amen looks to be a natural PG out there.
Call him what you want. He should get the Lion's share of initiation duties in the half court and bring the ball to half court most of the time, certainly off of defensive rebounds. If he gets a shot, he is SGA with more athleticism and defense. If not you surround him with shooters and he still cooks in the lane.
Yeah, we're sure. He isn't a traditional pass first point guard. He damn sure isn't a scoring point guard cause he can't shoot. He's a 3 or 4 and might have his biggest advantage as a 4.
