I mean he is good, just there is something about him, I have dreams and visions of him being a bust, I won’t listen to the visions…yet.
USA
HT/WT/WS | 6' 7", 199lbs |
Jonathan Givony
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I mean he is good, just there is something about him, I have dreams and visions of him being a bust, I won’t listen to the visions…yet.
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Tier: Franchise Changer
Player Comparisons: Ja Morant, Shai Gilgeous-Alexander
Amen is the better of the talented Thompson twins, although Ausar is still elite. Amen is an elite athlete. He took an interesting route to the NBA, playing at Overtime Elite instead of going to college. However, it's still easy to see that he's an elite prospect with franchise-changing capabilities. He's a 6'7" combo guard and one of the most explosive players in the draft. He's a great playmaker and can put a team on his back if need be. He's got a quick first step and is a great finisher, often soaring through the air for flashy dunks thanks to his fantastic bounce and long wingspan. His biggest weakness is his jump shot and he has much room to improve. He also often struggles from the FT Line. He also sometimes gets overconfident and tries to do too much, leading to careless turnovers.
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Looking at my board it's crystal clear: I have Amen and Ausar lower than the consensus. First, I'll defend my point of having Amen a lot higher than Ausar. I think their projected role in the NBA clearly makes Amen a player a lot more likely to have a high celling in the NBA. What's the ceilling of a uber athletic ball handlers in the league? Regular season MVP-level players: like Westbrook, Ja, Zion, Giannis and Rose. What's the ceilling of uber athletic wings that have shooting issues? Borderline or perennial All-Star: Rudy Gay, Demar DeRozan and Jimmy Butler.
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i've been notoriously low on amen, but at this point, i'm hard pressed not to put him top 6. there are still some very major concerns that i have for him, but the overall verdict is pretty much that he's a monster athlete who combines flash with smartness pretty well. my former concerns about his ego and willingness to improve are still there, but a little lessened. it's too easy to imagine amen in a young system where he can do cool stuff and torch defenses on a nightly basis. i'm pretty sure that a lot of his cool stuff won't work in the nba, but it'll still be fun. the jump from the ote to the nba is huge, so amen is going to have to work his tail off and prove he can be a star at any level. amen will find an nba role, but the guys comparing his potential version to prime mj are a little out to lunch.
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Amen Thompson is one of the most interesting basketball players I have ever encountered. His athleticism and finishing ability is on the Scoot Henderson level, and Amen is 5 inches taller. I also really love his passing, definitely can see him running a good NBA teams offense one day. The defense is legitimately really good as well. The 3-point shooting has a long ways to go, but Amen is so good at so many other things that he still is one of the best prospects in this draft class.
Best team fits: Houston Rockets, San Antonio Spurs, Utah Jazz
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When people say the Thompson twins have great athleticism, they aren’t joking. He’s an insane athlete with an unreal vertical. He has a quick load up and he’s an above the rim finisher. He can change directions quickly and can slash through the defense to finish at the rim. His insane athleticism and slashing gives Amen a high ceiling, and his bankable slashing and playmaking gives him a reasonable floor. At the least, he’s an elite slasher who’s great on defense. His defense is one of the best in the class, he’s got super long arms and his aforementioned athleticism allows him to be a lockdown defender. His big concerns are his jumper, which doesn’t have a good pathway to improve (horrible FT% and isn’t a good midrange shooter). Amen’s a talented player with lots of outlier skills which could make him a great NBA player.
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20.4 year-old 6'7 PG/SG/SF. Playmaking Slasher. Amen will enter the NBA as a top 10 athlete in the league. His unreal leaping ability and playmaking flashes are beyond intriguing. He plays with his head up and moves fast, eager to set up his teammates for an open look, but not shy to attack the rim when he has an open lane. He has somewhat of a midrange jumper, but anything beyond 15-feet has been a struggle for Amen. The shot form continually changes and it is clear he is making adjustments to try and improve it. Maybe with a good shooting coach Amen could become somewhat of a threat from range, but it is nothing to bank on. Amen projects very well defensively with his size, length, and athleticism. He has a knack for steals, good defensive instincts, and is great in transition defense. However, he has many bad habits, especially off-ball, that would be a liability if he were on an NBA floor tomorrow. He is often too aggressive in going for steals, turns his back to the ball, and gets beat by the backdoor cut. I do see Amen being a good NBA defender, but it will require some work from the coaching staff of the organization that drafts him.
Strengths:
++++Athleticism
++Feel For The Game
++Pass Vision
++Handles
++Steals
++Scoring Production
+Basketball IQ
Weaknesses:
----Shooting
---Defensive Consistency
--Turnovers
-Decision Making
Shades Of:
Ja Morant, Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, Cade Cunningham, Ben Simmons (shorter and more athletic)
Ceiling: Hall of Fame, 2 Way Playmaker
Floor: Starter, Slashing Gadget
Team Fit:
Amen's potential is largely dependent on the willingness and ability to develop him by the organization that drafts him. He can be your franchise player, but there is work to be done to get him to that point. Amen would be best suited on a team that lets him have the ball in his hands to make plays for himself and others. Being surrounded by shooting and a good team defensive system would be ideal for Amen.
Best fits within range: San Antonio, Washington, Utah, (New Orleans, Houston)
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Amen is the better of the talented Thompson twins, although Ausar is still elite. Amen is an elite athlete. He took an interesting route to the NBA, playing at Overtime Elite instead of going to college. However, it's still easy to see that he's an elite prospect with franchise-changing capabilities. He's a 6'7" combo guard and one of the most explosive players in the draft. He's a great playmaker and can put a team on his back if need be. He's got a quick first step and is a great finisher, often soaring through the air for flashy dunks thanks to his fantastic bounce and long wingspan. His biggest weakness is his jump shot and he has much room to improve. He also often struggles from the FT Line. He also sometimes gets overconfident and tries to do too much, leading to careless turnovers.
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OFFENSE 6.6 6.11 wingspan 190 pounds 2003 He is not a particolary young prospect will be 21 quasi all esprdio Handle good enough effficient and quick(not loose but not great) to go to the rim (good crossover) Electric first step amazing athlete At his most powerful when jumping off 2 feet (glides in the air) Great second jump Gets downhill hard and fast and has good touch at the rim with both lends Very crafty e slithery at the rim Uses it because not strong enough yet He is playing with weaker competition right now Passing is really impressive Can see the fooor and recognise help when he drives and hit weak side Not just a pass away passer Not incredible passer like luka trae cp3 but still really good for his size Still more reactionary than prescrive and he recognises it well IF HE IS NOT A PRIMARY BALL HANDLER HE IS A SECONDARY PLAYMAKER AND HIS CEILING GO DOWN A LOT IF HE IS OFF THE BALL HE NEED TO CONTRIBUTE (When he is off ball not optimal he goes toward the ball and cuts are telegraphed) SHOOTING IS BAD he is a ONE level scorer at the moment Shot 22%from 3 mechanics still under construction 56.2% from FT LINE He wasn’t willing to shoot that much in 3 and midrange we should see it more(HE IS CHANGING HIS MOTION SO WE WILL SEE) Right now defense can go under or drop easily since no threat of jumper or floater Should also improve Ft% SHOOTING FORM CHANGED BUT ERLY IN THE SEASON RESULTS STILL NOT THERE , % STILL BAD AND NOT MANY MORE ATTEMPTS XG
DEFENSE More than capable defender Has size quickness athleticism and instincts also solid Good lateral mover Not the strongest guy Flashes of being great at POA Impactful in passing lanes also had some good blocks and plays as a helper Some good chase down Off ball sometimes leaves man open in strong side corner to contest drive NO NO weak side not always active Can improve in term of consistency (not real stakes there most of the time)
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Amen has emerged as the largely consensus #3 guy in the draft, and he totally deserves it. His elite athleticism, great defense, playmaking ability, and self creation is what makes him an elite prospect. You do have to worry about the 3-point shooting, but he has made improvements in his shot mechanics recently. Now he’s just gotta get those 3s to go in the basket a little more consistently