Amen & Ausar Thompson - Potential 2022 NBA Draft Guys

[Hal14]

If you watch game film of OTE the level of defense the league plays is pathetic. It's a glorified AAU league. The Thompson twins were regularly bricking wide open 3 pointers against that level of defense. They'll look even worse in the NBA.

[The Moose]

It's still hard for me to think both twins aren't overrated when I think about how a freshly turned 15 year old Cameron Boozer led his high school basketball team, the Christopher Columbus Explorers, to a blow out win against the YNZ Dreamerz, a game in which the Explorers led by 25+ at certain points.

In this game Cameron finished with 28 points, 20 rebounds and 5 assists.

YNG Dreamerz is the team that made the OTE finals and had 3 close games with the City Reapers.

The Dreamerz are also the team that beat the Thompsons Twins City Reapers squad during the regular season.
In that game, both twins played over 32 minutes and Amen (10/4/6) and Ausar (3/6/6) combined for 13 points, 10 rebounds and 12 assists on 5/16 shooting, just 2 weeks shy of their 20th birthdays.

It's rare enough for an NCAA team to have two top 5 picks playing simultaneously, and the City Reapers supposedly had two top 5 pick, basically sophomore aged players on 1 team, playing in a mickey mouse league

One of the twins main strengths is that they both have the physical tools to be absolute lock down defenders. That doesn’t show up on a stat sheet. Boozers dad also put up a ton of empty calorie stat lines in the league, but he was trash on D. Guys defense is starting to matter more and more nowadays. Look at the finals who is more important to the Nuggets right now? MPJ, or Christian Braun? Let me help you, it’s the guy who plays defense.

They do have the physical tools to be good defenders, but there is a lot more to be a lock down defender than physical tools and racking up steals and blocks in a AAU style transition heavy comp. I can't imagine playing in this comp helped them develop good habits defensively. There is likely going to be a big adjustment to playing defense in the NBA, any plays like in the footage below, you would be instantly yanked

[SeattleJazzFan]

So these guys are playing in a glorified rec league while being 2 years older than the competition, and can't even dominate.

How is that not a huge red flag?

Good grief. How are comments like these still popping up? These things have already been addressed like 5+ times in this thread already.

addressed. not proven wrong. bottom line, it pops up because it has a lot of merit.

[Hal14]

So these guys are playing in a glorified rec league while being 2 years older than the competition, and can't even dominate.

How is that not a huge red flag?

Good grief. How are comments like these still popping up? These things have already been addressed like 5+ times in this thread already.

addressed. not proven wrong. bottom line, it pops up because it has a lot of merit.

No it doesn't. Did you watch the g league elite camp? There was 2 OTE kids there. One of them is 19 and the other is 20. So there goes this nonsense about the twins being 2 years older then the competition. Gortman turned 20 right after the twins did.

Glorified rep league is ridiculous. You've got 2 top 5 draft picks, you've got 6 total guys who are eligible for the 2023 draft, you've got another guy who turns 19 later this year (and improved a TON over the course of the season), you've got 4 guys who are legit draft prospects for the 2024 draft (3 of them could definitely go 1st round), 2 other guys with a good shot at being lottery picks in 2025, etc.

I could go on, but really not worth it to address points that are so off the mark that it's laughable.

[Hal14]

It's still hard for me to think both twins aren't overrated when I think about how a freshly turned 15 year old Cameron Boozer led his high school basketball team, the Christopher Columbus Explorers, to a blow out win against the YNZ Dreamerz, a game in which the Explorers led by 25+ at certain points.

In this game Cameron finished with 28 points, 20 rebounds and 5 assists.

YNG Dreamerz is the team that made the OTE finals and had 3 close games with the City Reapers.

The Dreamerz are also the team that beat the Thompsons Twins City Reapers squad during the regular season.
In that game, both twins played over 32 minutes and Amen (10/4/6) and Ausar (3/6/6) combined for 13 points, 10 rebounds and 12 assists on 5/16 shooting, just 2 weeks shy of their 20th birthdays.

It's rare enough for an NCAA team to have two top 5 picks playing simultaneously, and the City Reapers supposedly had two top 5 pick, basically sophomore aged players on 1 team, playing in a mickey mouse league

One of the twins main strengths is that they both have the physical tools to be absolute lock down defenders. That doesn’t show up on a stat sheet. Boozers dad also put up a ton of empty calorie stat lines in the league, but he was trash on D. Guys defense is starting to matter more and more nowadays. Look at the finals who is more important to the Nuggets right now? MPJ, or Christian Braun? Let me help you, it’s the guy who plays defense.

They do have the physical tools to be good defenders, but there is a lot more to be a lock down defender than physical tools and racking up steals and blocks in a AAU style transition heavy comp. I can't imagine playing in this comp helped them develop good habits defensively. There is likely going to be a big adjustment to playing defense in the NBA, any plays like in the footage below, you would be instantly yanked

Whitmore, Scoot, Anthony Black, etc. All these guys made defensive mistakes this past season.

Watch the twins games from the overseas trip last fall (vs pro teams like Adelaide 36ers who beat the Phoenix Suns in a preseason game, Mega Mozzart, and in the pro league they played in last summer), they played more disciplined defensively there.

[deepeeenn]

I’ve watched a handful of their OTE games and there is no offensive structure in OTE. I’m not sure who OTE is fooling but when the Twins are in, the City Reapers generally run a spread 5 out offense and the ball handler may get a screen to create for himself. It is not unfair to call this is a glorified Rec league.

Their defense potential is good but like that video above they get lazy or don’t know where to be at time. I’ve seen both lose their men or didn’t know who to pick up, only to have a teammate tell them.

I think both have a steep learning curve to understand high level Xs and Os and NBA plays plus timing. I think they are both a bit project players. So any team drafting them should be ready for that. I think though they seem to work hard and they have some level of professional approach to improving themselves so theirs hope.

That said, I think Ausur is the better prospect. He’s far more plug in play and I think he plays a smarter brand of basketball than Amen while also able to be an additional playmaker or make plays in the flow of an offense. I think Amen’s shooting hurts him and it needs a lot of work. His passing is too flashy, his dribble is also a bit of flash and doesn’t really manipulate defenses. Ausur seems more down to earth and genuine in interviews and Amen seems like he’s looking too hard to say the right things and make himself sound good.

[K_chile22]

People are vastly overstating how bad the comp level is. Yeah, no one is guarding the twins on all these 3s... because they cant shoot lol

Let's look at Jean Montero for example.
In the OTE last year his per 36 numbers: 22.5points, 6.2 assists, 9.9 rebounds 4.6 steals on 52% TS
In a "real league" the ACB this season: 23.8 pts, 5.8 assists, 4.6 rebounds, 2.2 steals on 55% TS

Rebounds are bloated (probably due to the crazy pace and wanting him to grab and go) as well as steals, but everything else carried over to a pro league.

Same for Barlowe in the g league.

21.2 Pts, 2.16 assists, 8.28 rebounds, 1.44 steals, 1.71 blocks on 63% TS in OTE
19.5 Pts, 5 assists, 10.2rebounds, 0.8 steals, 2.1 blocks on 65% TS in the g league

Again, steals inflated, but he scored a similar number on better efficiency, more than doubled his assists, more boards and more blocks.

And the OTE program was weaker then than it was this last season

[basketballRob]

People are vastly overstating how bad the comp level is. Yeah, no one is guarding the twins on all these 3s... because they cant shoot lol

Let's look at Jean Montero for example.
In the OTE last year his per 36 numbers: 22.5points, 6.2 assists, 9.9 rebounds 4.6 steals on 52% TS
In a "real league" the ACB this season: 23.8 pts, 5.8 assists, 4.6 rebounds, 2.2 steals on 55% TS

Rebounds are bloated (probably due to the crazy pace and wanting him to grab and go) as well as steals, but everything else carried over to a pro league.

Same for Barlowe in the g league.

21.2 Pts, 2.16 assists, 8.28 rebounds, 1.44 steals, 1.71 blocks on 63% TS in OTE
19.5 Pts, 5 assists, 10.2rebounds, 0.8 steals, 2.1 blocks on 65% TS in the g league

Again, steals inflated, but he scored a similar number on better efficiency, more than doubled his assists, more boards and more blocks.

And the OTE program was weaker then than it was this last season

Those players may not even make it to the NBA and they destroyed OTE. Am I missing something?

Dozens of players put up amazing stats in the G-league and never make it to the NBA.

Sent from my SM-G781U using RealGM mobile app

[K_chile22]

People are vastly overstating how bad the comp level is. Yeah, no one is guarding the twins on all these 3s... because they cant shoot lol

Let's look at Jean Montero for example.
In the OTE last year his per 36 numbers: 22.5points, 6.2 assists, 9.9 rebounds 4.6 steals on 52% TS
In a "real league" the ACB this season: 23.8 pts, 5.8 assists, 4.6 rebounds, 2.2 steals on 55% TS

Rebounds are bloated (probably due to the crazy pace and wanting him to grab and go) as well as steals, but everything else carried over to a pro league.

Same for Barlowe in the g league.

21.2 Pts, 2.16 assists, 8.28 rebounds, 1.44 steals, 1.71 blocks on 63% TS in OTE
19.5 Pts, 5 assists, 10.2rebounds, 0.8 steals, 2.1 blocks on 65% TS in the g league

Again, steals inflated, but he scored a similar number on better efficiency, more than doubled his assists, more boards and more blocks.

And the OTE program was weaker then than it was this last season

Those players may not even make it to the NBA and they destroyed OTE. Am I missing something?

Dozens of players put up amazing stats in the G-league and never make it to the NBA.

Sent from my SM-G781U using RealGM mobile app

The point is the numbers translated to leagues that people around here see as more valid. Barlowe is in the NBA though and the issue with Montero is he's tiny. Twins were more dominant than both (obviously, otherwise they wouldn't be projected so high when those dudes were not) if you even look a little beyond the PPG. Dozens of dudes put up numbers in every league/level of play that do not translate, otherwise every draft pick would be a good one and being a draft analyst would be easy

[clyde21]

well thats certainly a take

Read on Twitter

[Big J]

His athleticism reminds me a lot of D Rose's except with more length & less strength. Elite level athleticism can cover up a lotta warts in your game.

[K_chile22]

well thats certainly a take

Read on Twitter

His athleticism is truly special. There have been plenty of guys who measure more athletic but not many who apply it on the floor like him. The way he eats up any space the defense gives him is crazy. Don't think teams will be able to just go way under screens on him because he'll have the defender on his hip before they know what hit them

[The Moose]

Ausar's synergy profile



Ausar's half court numbers

this does not reflect well on him imo

[Jamaaliver]

All you need to know about either kid, in 60 seconds.

Read on Twitter

[babyjax13]

Ausar's synergy profile



Ausar's half court numbers

this does not reflect well on him imo

Yah that rim finishing is brutal

[clyde21]

feels like 8 dunks is too low in OTE with his physical profile, compare that to AB to who had 23 dunks (in 36 games) in the SEC as an 18 yr old

[The Moose]

To be fair, the 8 dunks is just his half court numbers, he had 38 dunks overall. Amen by comparison had 14 dunks in the half court and 53 dunks overall.

Ant had 9 dunks in the halfcourt, which still clears Ausar though.
I have AB>Ausar pretty easily



Amen's synergy profile, truly elite in transition, but not a lot else



Amen's half court numbers

[clyde21]

38 makes way more sense

[K_chile22]

To be fair, the 8 dunks is just his half court numbers, he had 38 dunks overall. Amen by comparison had 14 dunks in the half court and 53 dunks overall.

Ant had 9 dunks in the halfcourt, which still clears Ausar though.
I have AB>Ausar pretty easily



Amen's synergy profile, truly elite in transition, but not a lot else



Amen's half court numbers

tbf on the halfcourt dunk numbers, far more possessions in OTE vs NCAA are in transition, very high turnover league especially with the twins both on the same team hawking passing lanes, plus Black had more games. Think it's safe to say in NCAA both would have a healthy amount more half court dunks than Black. Doesn't make them better or anything but the first step and even better verticle athleticism makes that a pretty safe bet to me so I don't really care about that comparison

[SeattleJazzFan]

lol. they both suck pretty bad just looking at the production, but when you consider their age and playing in HS league. damn.