I liked Amen a lot as well but I think calling Scoot a "small point guard that can score" is disingenuous. He IS a small guard that can score, but it's more than he's the guy that can serve as the engine of an offense. As in, he can be your number one option, run everything through him, kind of player. Think Amen can maybe get there too but I have a harder time seeing it with him than with Scoot.
No, I don't mean to say Scoot is "Just a small point guard that can score". Obviously, Scoot is a talented point guard with superstar potential. Rather, I mean to say that his role can be fulfilled quickly and adequately enough by a Jalen Brunson tier player while an Amen Thompson is incredibly rare to find.
Regarding that last sentence, I don't see Amen as the number one option, either. But with Dame and Sharpe, he doesn't need to be. He is Scottie Pippen to them. And you need a Scottie Pippen, who isn't a pure outlet on offense, to compliment the player who will be an outlet on offense (which is what Dame currently is and what I believe Sharpe can be). The fact that he's getting steals (I watched him pick the pocket of a good point guard in Sexton and tonight, he had some good steals) only makes him stand out more as someone who would've complimented Portland's defensively weak backcourt.
It's why, say, Chris Paul and Harden worked better than Westbrook and Harden, despite the latter looking better on paper.
Also, your username brings up a point I really like about Amen Thompson. People here praise Brandon Roy's game but would they recognize a player who has his skills?
When it comes to driving and passing, he is quite similar in the way he utilizes a strong first step, tucks the ball close to his body, has elite body control while in motion, raises the ball above his head and angles it at the rim or around an opposing defender for a pass. That's Roy-esque. He's just faster and more explosive, with a longer wingspan.
Furthermore, with Amen, I never thought about just this draft. I think ahead, as well. I think Portland is in a difficult spot with the next two drafts being weak ones. 2024 is looking a lot like 2000 and 2013. 2025 might be better in the way 2014 was but not top heavy. If Portland wants to secure its versatility on offense and defensive capabilities to compliment their back court, they will need to find the next Jokic/Giannis in these drafts or they need to get a Top 2 pick in 2026 so they can get Boozer or Flagg.
Otherwise, you risk a Dame-CJ scenario where they start to become too good to tank. Maybe more talented but limited in their impact due to the roster/starting five not being fully complimentary to their talents.
