Amida has so much potential

[scrappy2.0]

I'd base his level of body and skill as Patrick Ewing as a senior in high school. If he stays with it--if he puts on 20 pounds and really goes to work on his footwork/post game over the next 14 months--I see him as a guy who can go number #1 in the draft next year. He needs a year of body maturing--there's no doubt about that--but if he improves his offense at the rate that's its going now--you will have a two way athletic 7 footer and the last time I checked there are only a few of those on the earth. I really hope he learns a lesson from Deandre Daniels to not try to take the quick buck--I think his draft stock right now is low 1 high 2. But this year there is an inordinate amount of big men coming into this draft. So many GREAT Uconn players gave it the extra year Hamilton Butler Ray Allen Ben Gordon etc..to name a few and that extra year of preparation at school was helpful to all of them. They all went high in the draft--they were ready body mentally and skill wise. He needs both base and upper body strength and it will take some time--at his age a quality 6 months post season--he can put on the weight the proper way.

There's a player on Notre Dame--his name is Zach Auguste. He went from 220 last year to 245 this year and is starting to look like a high lottery pick in the making. Its his third year as well. He's a 4 not a 5 but whatever he did--it translated incredibly to his game. Amida could be a player who absolutely dominates--he's got the natural size and athleticism with long arms--he runs the floor--he just has a world of potential and I hope he realizes it here

 

[Offhegoes]

I love Amida, and also think he has a world of potential and a possible productive NBA career, but he's nowhere near a lottery pick at this point. The names Patrick Ewing and Amida Brimah should not be used in the same sentence. Also, Thabeet dominated (defensively at least) a loaded big east in 2009 and never got consistent minutes in the league. Again, I love Amida, and think he will improve, but he's got a long way to go.

 

[pnow15]

Brimah and Facey have similiar games in that their rebounding against legit centers and power forwards is dependent on movement,
quite frankly as is their scoring, Neither seems naturally adept at using his body to push players around the paint. I don't know how much hoop many of you have played but there are players out there like Sullinger where all you see the entire game is his backside. Brimah is light years away from posting up a legit center on a regular basis. So, his quickness and jumping ability is what needs to be exploited.
Pick and rolls and pick and pops. But he needs to hold his pick position a little longer. He is also a better weak side shot blocker. Once an opponent makes contact, he is somewhat neutralized and usually fouls. Simply put: starting Nolan at center and letting him do the requisite
banging and having Brimah at PF free to help out and using his speed and jumping ability to erase shots should be explored. If Brimah is roaming and hitting that baby jumper and slam dunking while Nolan and Lubin do the dirty work, this would cause problems, especially if Boat, Purvis and Hamilton are on their games. Think in terms of OKC's PF forward whose name is eluding me. UConn will always have to team rebound.

 

[mauconnfan]

AB will only be as good as how he ends up understanding the nuances of the game. He is a smart kid but that for now does not join him on the basketball court. Not at all putting the young man down, it's just obvious he has a ways to go in understanding so many things. If and when he does, watch out. But along with adding weight to bale to take hit s and well as give them out he needs to get a better understanding of how to prepare for everything on the court mentally - rebounding position, hands ready to catch the ball, rolling or moving when being boxed out rather than standing, passing the ball, shooting it only when square on his jump hooks. So much he needs to get smarter at and he will be then close to the lottery pick people saw him as before he stepped foot on the court this year. I still think the summer off hurt because he just needs to play more games I hope, although some things you never learn!?!?

 

[Scot-e]

I love the kid's attitude. Kemba might be the only freshman/sophomore I can remember is recent years that came in day 1 with a smile on his face and worked harder then anyone.

Hard not to really like him- should be a fan favorite by the time he is done here.

 

[UConnSwag11]

he is already taking 15 foot jumpers and they look really smooth... he needs to work on his lateral quickness because the guys he has been defending have been either spinning around him or facing him and going around him causing him to foul because he cant move that quickly... he needs to get better with his hands when he goes up for a shot and rebounds... all this stuff is very fixable and im very excited for him, he may not have the size of thabeet but he's more developed offensively than thabeet

 

[dante]

I like Brimah he's a good guy but he's no lottery pick much less a # 1 draft pick? c'mon seriously LOL

He looks good against bad competition but against good competition he is always exposed. He can't rebound, can't box out, can't defend an average center without fouling out? all his blocks come from help defense pretty much blocking little guys shots how many times has he got burned for leaving his man to help and his man score.

I'm all for congratulating our guys after a good game but to gas their head with NBA potential is ludicrous let's keep them focus on the next game not day dreaming of what could be or not be.

 

[Kitaman]

I see him as a guy who can go number #1 in the draft next year.

Well if Stone comes and decides to play Center, how can he be NBA #1 if he's not #1 at UConn?

Can't we just enjoy the kid and not put projections on him. He's a joy to watch as long as you take him for what he is; a raw, agile, 7 foot 'college' center learning the game of basketball. We are lucky to have him, but come on #1 NBA pick next year? That's unfair to put on him.

 

[mauconnfan]

I like Brimah he's a good guy but he's no lottery pick much less a # 1 draft pick? c'mon seriously LOL

He looks good against bad competition but against good competition he is always exposed. He can't rebound, can't box out, can't defend an average center without fouling out? all his blocks come from help defense pretty much blocking little guys shots how many times has he got burned for leaving his man to help and his man score.

I'm all for congratulating our guys after a good game but to gas their head with NBA potential is ludicrous let's keep them focus on the next game not day dreaming of what could be or not be.

There's a way to say he's not ready yet and needs time and there's a way to just be a negative duckk........you won the latter of the awards!

 

[pj]

Patrick Ewing is a great comp for Amida. They are strikingly similar players in body size and shape, athleticism, and style of play. Ewing was quite a bit more skilled but Amida will get there with his work ethic, he has already made great progress.

 

[CTBasketball]

Bottom line is the kid needs a lot of work and next year he'll be back.

 

[Rico444]

I really hope he learns a lesson from Deandre Daniels to not try to take the quick buck--

Just couldn't help yourself, could you?

 

[Inyatkin]

I really hope he learns a lesson from Deandre Daniels to not try to take the quick buck

What is the matter with you?

 

[HooperScooper]

There's a player on Notre Dame--his name is Zach Auguste. He went from 220 last year to 245 this year and is starting to look like a high lottery pick in the making. Its his third year as well. He's a 4 not a 5 but whatever he did--it translated incredibly to his game. Amida could be a player who absolutely dominates--he's got the natural size and athleticism with long arms--he runs the floor--he just has a world of potential and I hope he realizes it here

Zach Auguste is from the town next to where I live and I know his story because he worked at camps for his AAU coach that my son went to. I talked to him and his coach a few times and he was a smaller kid when he was young and his coaches did a good job teaching him the fundamentals then. His AAU coach from his grade school days is a stickler for teaching all young kids, no matter their size, good fundamentals. Then he hit a huge growth spurt but still retained the dribbling, passing and shooting fundamentals that he was taught when he was young. I remember his coach telling me that because of his height and fundamentals he was going to be a high D1 player. I looked at the rankings when he was starting his junior year and he was no where to be found and I questioned his coach about his belief. He told me he was sure of it.

So while I'm sure the weight and strength gain definitely helped Auguste, he had a base of fundamentals to build off. Unfortunately Amida's background did not afford him that luxury so he's trying to learn the game and gain weight and strength at the same time. It may take him longer.

 

[mauconnfan]

Zach Auguste is from the town next to where I live and I know his story because he worked at camps for his AAU coach that my son went to. I talked to him and his coach a few times and he was a smaller kid when he was young and his coaches did a good job teaching him the fundamentals then. His AAU coach from his grade school days is a stickler for teaching all young kids, no matter their size, good fundamentals. Then he hit a huge growth spurt but still retained the dribbling, passing and shooting fundamentals that he was taught when he was young. I remember his coach telling me that because of his height and fundamentals he was going to be a high D1 player. I looked at the rankings when he was starting his junior year and he was no where to be found and I questioned his coach about his belief. He told me he was sure of it.

So while I'm sure the weight and strength gain definitely helped Auguste, he had a base of fundamentals to build off. Unfortunately Amida's background did not afford him that luxury so he's trying to learn the game and gain weight and strength at the same time. It may take him longer.

I've always liked this kids game and thought he should have been playing more prior to this. Always thought Brey misused him and was hoping he would like to come back to NE. Oh well, he is now a nice player and thanks for the story Scoop!

 

[Chin Diesel]

Patrick Ewing is a great comp for Amida. They are strikingly similar players in body size and shape, athleticism, and style of play. Ewing was quite a bit more skilled but Amida will get there with his work ethic, he has already made great progress.

Right school wrong center. Brimah is more lime Mutombo than Ewing. Ewing was #1 center and top HS recruit. Mutombo was more of a project and less certain.

 

[champs99and04]

I can see Brimah's career going in a bunch of different directions. There are times where it's hard to imagine Brimah making it in the league if for no other reason than that he can be moved so easily on the block. I realize he can put on weight, and I'm by no means a strength and conditioning expert, but I wonder if his body type if conducive to adding the sort of muscle that he is going to need to battle on the block against guys at the next level. He isn't even able to defend the post against many college centers.

The one thing I can say about Brimah is that it's rare to see a seven footer - particularly at this age - that seems as comfortable in his own body as Amida is. There is a certain gracefulness to his movement that somebody like Thabeet never had, and even though he struggles against bigger guys as a primary defender, his mobility makes him terrifying as a last line of resort at the rim. On offense, he has the touch - both in the post and as a shooter - that's usually a positive indicator that the guy is going to become at the very least an adequate shooter. As of now, it seems like his foot work and overall comfort level on the block is the next step.

 

[pj]

Right school wrong center. Brimah is more lime Mutombo than Ewing. Ewing was #1 center and top HS recruit. Mutombo was more of a project and less certain.

Mutumbo is a reasonable comparison too, but he was bigger than Brimah, more defensively dominant, and less talented offensively. We have to project Brimah, but I think he projects closer to Ewing. Not talking quality here, but style and strengths/weaknesses.

Some numbers may help. Per 40 minutes as college sophomores:
Amida FT% .710 / TRB 6.9 / AST 0.2 / STL 0.7 / BLK 4.2 / TOV 1.5 / PF 4.0 / PTS 18.4
Dikembe FT% .598 / TRB 16.3 / AST 0.9 / STL 0.6 / BLK 6.4 / TOV 3.1 / PF 4.1 / PTS 16.6
Ewing FT% .629 / TRB 12.7 / AST 1.0 / STL 1.9 / BLK 4.1 / TOV 3.2 / PF 4.0 / PTS 22.1

Amida's FT% is the best suggesting offensive talent; Ewing was a better shooter than Mutumbo. Amida is midway between Mutumbo and Ewing in PTS per 40 min, I think he'll match Ewing with more development. Rebounding is Amida's great weakness at this point. His block skills are more like Ewing's than Mutumbo's, Mutumbo was a shot-blocking machine, a sort of stockier Thabeet. PF remarkably similar. AST and TOV lower for Amida because less offense runs through him.

Amida will never make up the extra 2 inches Mutumbo had, and will never be as good defensively; but if he can develop his rebounding and offense substantially, he might come to look a lot like Ewing.

 

[boog204]

You guys do realize that Patrick Ewing is one of the greatest centers of all time, right? To me the Dikembe comp is better although Mutombu was a better defender, much, much better rebounder, but had less O. Amida has shown a nice touch and an ability to get into excellent position to convert on lobs. His post game is rudimentary at best. Improved for sure, but certainly nothing that scares anyone.

 

[pj]

You guys do realize that Patrick Ewing is one of the greatest centers of all time, right? To me the Dikembe comp is better although Mutombu was a better defender, much, much better rebounder, but had less O. Amida has shown a nice touch and an ability to get into excellent position to convert on lobs. His post game is rudimentary at best. Improved for sure, but certainly nothing that scares anyone.

As I said earlier, "Not talking quality here, but style and strengths/weaknesses." Amida will never be the defender or rebounder Dikembe was, but you could imagine him becoming the offensive threat Ewing was and matching Ewing's defense.

 

[tentoes4rings]

As I said earlier, "Not talking quality here, but style and strengths/weaknesses." Amida will never be the defender or rebounder Dikembe was, but you could imagine him becoming the offensive threat Ewing was and matching Ewing's defense.

The collegiate or NBA threat Ewing was PJ? Let's not forget Ewing went from an unpolished scorer in college who relied on dunks and close range baskets to a dynamic offensive force who scored nearly 25,000 points in the NBA. I'll be rooting for Amida as hard as anyone and hope the OP is right, but let's keep things in check a bit here and remember this is the same guy who has compared Lubin to Dajuan Blair on many occasions.

 

[pj]

The Lubin stuff was idiocy, any sane person knew Facey's primary threat for minutes at the 4 was Nolan, and then a 4-guard lineup with Hamilton. Lubin is farther behind Facey than Facey was behind Deandre last year. People forget how long big men take to develop ... and how unlikely it is to dominate inside when you are shorter than the other players.

In regard to Ewing and Brimah, I doubt Brimah will ever be as good as Ewing at matched ages. But Brimah at his peak can be better than Ewing at the tail of his career. The two will probably look very similar stylistically.

 

[intlzncster]

Right school wrong center. Brimah is more lime Mutombo than Ewing. Ewing was #1 center and top HS recruit. Mutombo was more of a project and less certain.

Yeah I was kind of mystified by that comparison. Ewing was one of the most dominant college centers of all time.

EDIT: i see the clarification that the comparison was based on style, not overall talent/output.

 

[RipCity]

I think he's more Ibaka than either. Great shot blocker, athletic, rebounding lags behind, has a bit of a midrange shot. Has a while to go to be as good as Ibaka has been in the NBA though.

 

[scrappy2.0]

Zach Auguste is from the town next to where I live and I know his story because he worked at camps for his AAU coach that my son went to. I talked to him and his coach a few times and he was a smaller kid when he was young and his coaches did a good job teaching him the fundamentals then. His AAU coach from his grade school days is a stickler for teaching all young kids, no matter their size, good fundamentals. Then he hit a huge growth spurt but still retained the dribbling, passing and shooting fundamentals that he was taught when he was young. I remember his coach telling me that because of his height and fundamentals he was going to be a high D1 player. I looked at the rankings when he was starting his junior year and he was no where to be found and I questioned his coach about his belief. He told me he was sure of it.

So while I'm sure the weight and strength gain definitely helped Auguste, he had a base of fundamentals to build off. Unfortunately Amida's background did not afford him that luxury so he's trying to learn the game and gain weight and strength at the same time. It may take him longer.

I think that at the pace Amida is moving at--18 months of skill training weight gain both up top and down below--will position him to be considered for the number 1# selection in the 2016 draft. I think we are just seeing signs of what he can do--and for those who think Diamond Stone would walk in here and start over him??? I can see playing two bigs together like Kentucky does--but Amida will be on the court every game he is healthy for 30+ minutes. Amida can be an 18-20 point scorer next year--I really believe that< think about his soft touch --add in 14 months of skill training and 25 pounds of base and upper body strength. At 245 or so--he will be almost unstoppable at this level. What he looks like against Yale/Columbia--he can look like against every team.