Fourth in our 9 players, 9 days series and sixth on my draft board is Wake Forest''s combo forward, Al-Farouq Aminu. Thoughts after the jump.
Age: 20 (in late September) Height: 6'8" Weight: 205 lbs (DraftExpress), 210 lbs (ESPN)
First things first. I'm trademarking the nickname "Acid" for Aminu. If you read through the post I just linked to (and the comments) you'll see that I've changed my mind on Aminu. At first, I wanted no part of him. I thought he represented a huge project and relative to the other guys I had my eye on at the time, I wasn't willing to wait.
Upon further reflection, however, I've warmed considerably to what I think Aminu represents. Yes, he's raw. Definitely the most raw of my top six, he's not going to burst onto the scene in Philly and score 20 ppg immediately. I'm not sure he ever projects to be a 20 ppg player. He's not the shooter the Sixers need, and I doubt he'll ever develop into that guy either. Once I got over what he probably would never be, I started thinking about what he possibly could be.
Aminu is an unbelievable athlete with a freakish build. ESPN lists him at 6'8" with a 7'4" wing span, for comparison's sake, Thad measured at 6'7.5" with a 6'11.5" wing span. He can run, he's a high energy guy, he can rebound and I believe he can legitimately play the four. By legitimately play the four, I mean he can legitimately defend most fours in the league, and he also has the foot speed to stick with threes or twos in a pinch. Think about the possibilities for a second. A four who can realistically switch, show and recover or trap on any pick and roll.
Offensively, I see a lot of Thad in Aminu with one distinction. This kid seeks out contact. Thad averaged 3.1 free throw attempts/40 minutes in college. Aminu averaged 6.8 as a freshman, 8.2 as a sophomore per 40. His post game may not look as polished as Thad's, but I do believe it will be much more productive. While Thad uses spins to avoid contact and get his shot off, Aminu earns trips to the line for free points.
To put it simply, if this team truly wants to play a defend-to-run style, a fully-realized Aminu would be an absolutely perfect fit. He's a bit undersized to play the four, but he doesn't have the typical drawbacks of a small four. He defends, he rebounds, he'll have an athletic advantage over just about any four in the league from day one. He would give you all the positives the team has enjoyed from playing Thad at the four, without the debilitating drawbacks.
From a team perspective, Aminu isn't the answer in and of himself. Adding him doesn't simply round out the starting lineup even for this upcoming season. He's a piece, hopefully a long-term piece, but a lineup of Dalembert, Aminu, Thad, Iguodala and Jrue simply cannot shoot enough to compete. The same goes for Dalembert, Brand, Aminu, Iguodala and Jrue. The Sixers will still need to find a wing who can shoot to be able to slot Aminu in as the starting four playing 30+ minutes/game alongside Iguodala, or hope he somehow turns into a better than league-average shooter from distance, which I don't see. I also don't see Aminu ever turning into what most people would call a superstar. That doesn't mean he can't be another piece equal to Iguodala and Jrue in the grand scheme of things, but I hardly think he'll be a savior.
Short-term, I could see the Sixers trying to shoehorn Aminu into the starting lineup, and the results would probably be mixed. On nights when the defense was really clicking, they'd run teams right out of the gym. When teams were able to force them into a half-court offense, they'd look terrible. On the defensive end, I'd say a good coach could really do something with a starting five of Dalembert, Aminu, Thad, Iguodala and Jrue. Depth would be the problem. Ultimately, though, if Aminu was rushed into the starting lineup and a big role, and no other improvements were made to the roster, this team would probably be headed to the lottery again.
Long-term, Aminu definitely fits the mold as a building block moving forward. The length, athleticism and positional versatility would fit perfectly with Jrue and Iguodala. Three positions down, two to go.
Thoughts in the comments, as usual. Here's my top nine, so far:
9. Ed Davis 8. Cole Aldrich 7. Ekpe Udoh 6. Al-Farouq Aminu 5. Coming tomorrow
I'm picturing him more as an uber-athletic four...who can't shoot, but can defend the position and rebound. Team still needs a wing shooter, but I see Aminu as a piece if my top five are off the board.
This would seem to spell the end for Thad if they indeed drafted Aminu. They are different players, but Aminu pretty much plays the same spot as Thad. Aminu's defense seems to be very good. From DX-
"Defensively, Aminu continues to impress, as he not only has outstanding physical tools to help get the job done, but he also seems extremely committed to the task"
I could live with that at the sixth pick if we fall there.
One of his weaknesses is "left hand," which reminds me of Thad's right.
Yep, unless Thad takes a major step forward and proves he can play the three, he's either a bench player, trade fodder, or an expiring contract. I don't think Aminu is going to be a 30 min/game player this season, so it's really Thad's last chance to show some development, in my eyes. Assuming AFA is drafted, of course.
Agreed with Brian. I've been warming on Aminu, mainly because the more I've gone back and watched him, the more I think he can legitimately defend and rebound well enough to play the 4.
My issue is can he play the 3 with Iggy on the court with him. He seemed to blossom this year when moved to the 4 spot and really seems not nearly as finished offensively as Thad on the perimeter. I was a guy that feared Josh Smith coming here would make for breathtaking basketball some nights but ugly clanking off the rim basketball most nights and feel the same about Aminu.
I want a team that can play basic basketball, halfcourt and running, and not get locked in to all our guys being athletes that may get stymied come playoff, halfcourt style of play. Aminu wouldn!t be in my top 8 for this team. My 5 to 10 group [ Johnson,Aldrich,Monroe,Montiejunis,Udoh,Henry]
Derek, I really regret Vesely leaving this draft, he and Aminu are both fitting of our proposed "style"; who do you think will be the better player?
Aminu at the three, Iguodala at the two isn't going to work, IMO. If they do draft him, I see him as a four and spelling Iguodala at the three from time to time.
How about Thad at the 3 and AI at the 2? Tried that already? I guess I'm not convinced that Thad can't play small forward. I know most knowledgable Sixers fans think he can't, and I certainly understand why, but I see his jumper improving. Right now, he's a streak shooter and a good scorer. And he's only 22. Jordan's coaching did not help Thad's game, though a lot of that may be Thad's fault for not putting out the effort on defense. Thad needs to be drilled on defensive technique. Whether or not he has the attitude..... who knows?
Just another athletic, raw, unskilled, low IQ player that can barely hit the side of a barn when shooting. He was abused when playing defense in his own conference which wasn't abundant with talented big men. This guy would do good to be Tyrus Thomas-lite. Heaven forbid they pick him.
He, like Thomas, would be a nice change of pace guy but between he and Montiejunis, give me a 7 ft. stretch 4 that can block shots and possibly be a 20 ppg. scorer. And who ends up being the better rebounder when all is said and done?
I haven't seen Motiejunas play, so all I have to go on here are numbers and scouting reports. The numbers kind of tell me he isn't much of a shooter nor much of a rebounder. The scouting reports tell me he doesn't care about defense, he's weak and he doesn't rebound at all. It all sounds like Bargnani to me, without the range on his jumper.
I think that his offense and the fact he's not a good shooter are a problem. I think that identity is a valid question in that he might be a little bit of a tweener.
Defense though? The guy's rebounding numbers were insane and how did he get abused?
Aminu is raw offensively, LRMAM was non-existent on the offensive end in college. There's a difference. If Aminu turns out to be the type of defender LRMAM is in the pros, with some offensive skills, that's a good get IMO.
I haven't seen Aminu much, but everything I've seen and read indicates that he and Thad are two totally different players. They're about the same size and they're both athletic, but that's where the similarities end. Thad is a finesse player, both offensively and defensively, while Aminu is more physical on both ends. On the other hand, Thad has good touch in the lane and in the post if he gets his shot off cleanly, while Aminu seems to have very poor touch, even from in close (and I could be imagining this, but Aminu seems to have small hands too, so he's not as good a finisher inside as one would expect given his athleticism).
Given Derek's point on libertyballers about players playing alongside Iguodala (good article, by the way, Derek), I'd think Aminu is even a worse fit alongside Iguodala in the halfcourt than Thad is. On the other hand, better defense and more rebounding at the 4 might provide more running opportunities -- though saying Aminu would be a plus defender at the 4 is strictly theoretical at this point, since he hasn't had to defend the Boshes and Garnetts of the world who can shoot jumpers off the pick-and-roll.
One last issue about drafting Aminu is what do they do with Brand and the distribution of playing time at PF? It's one thing to say, from a quality-of-play and player development standpoint, that Aminu should get the bulk of the minutes at PF, but what would it look like for the team to have a $16 million/year role player? This "saving face" issue shouldn't decide whether or not to draft Aminu (or some other highly-ranked PF), but I would bet it's not entirely inconsequential in the Sixers' thinking ...
Actually, I think minute distribution is less of an issue if they draft Aminu than if they draft Favors or Cousins. I'd be fine with Aminu playing minutes similar to what Thad and Jrue played in their rookie seasons (1554 for Thad, 1776 for Jrue). He could get those minutes split between the three and the four, and they could come from Jason Smith and Willie's share, rather than Brand and Speights'.
In the bigger picture, though, I agree Brand's cap number has to be an issue for Stefanski, but I can't let that stop me from taking the best player available. They're stuck with Brand for two more seasons, but that doesn't mean you can stick your head in the sand until the and not look for opportunities to upgrade the position. If the organization needs to put a short-term spin on it, Aminu can be the change-of-pace four this coming season, allowing them to put an intense, pressure defense lineup on the floor for stretches.
His hands don't look small in the picture on this post, do they?
Maybe it's not "small" hands but "bad" hands. I just remember him fumbling several passes inside, Sammy-style, but my sample size is admittedly small ...
Peoples concerns are grounded, but I still agree with Brian. If Aminu is the BPA then you pick him. If he does not fit with the current line-up or it means he fights with Thad for thje same minutes than so be it. this team needs to stock up on talent instead of acting like they are a piece away.
The fact that Aminu "reminds you" of Thad or Mbah a Moute is true but not a reason to pass on him. For the same reason that Clarence Weatherspoon, Lou Williams and Harold Minor are not reasons to pass on Allen Iverson, Charles Barley or Michael Jordan. Players can resemble each other in style and one could be a superstar and the other a role player. It depends on talent.
Yeah, obviously I want to get into the top five, top three ideally, but odds are we're at #6 or #7 and I like him better than the other guys who will probably be available. I could live with it, but it's not a franchise-altering pick, most likely. It's just another piece to the puzzle.
I've been a fan of Aminu all year and think he will have a Josh Smith like impact in the NBA but he has no character concerns that we know of. I see him like you Brian as the new prototype of power forward. He can definitly play the four full time and will have an unbelievable quickness advantage against almost every four in the league. Plus his rebounding numbers once he moved to the four full time skyrocketed. I watched him all year and as the year progressed his confidence in his jumper really improved. He would be the ideal pick for us at 6 if we stay there.
Aminu would fit the run and gun offence that Dan Majerle envsions that the Sixers could be...
Suns assistant coach Dan Majerle interviewed for the Philadelphia 76ers' vacant head-coaching job Monday with 76ers President Ed Stefanski, Senior Vice President Tony DiLeo and consultant Gene Shue, and said the 76ers are built to "play fast" like the Suns.
"They're talented," Majerle said. "They've got a lot of similarities to the way we're set up. I think they're looking to play fast, which is probably one of the reasons they talked to me. With that personnel, they probably should play fast."
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Fourth in our 9 players, 9 days series and sixth on my draft board is Wake Forest''s combo forward, Al-Farouq Aminu. Thoughts after the jump.
He just seems to be a player that we already have:
The uber-athletic small forward who can't shoot.
I'm picturing him more as an uber-athletic four...who can't shoot, but can defend the position and rebound. Team still needs a wing shooter, but I see Aminu as a piece if my top five are off the board.
This would seem to spell the end for Thad if they indeed drafted Aminu. They are different players, but Aminu pretty much plays the same spot as Thad. Aminu's defense seems to be very good. From DX-
"Defensively, Aminu continues to impress, as he not only has outstanding physical tools to help get the job done, but he also seems extremely committed to the task"
I could live with that at the sixth pick if we fall there.
One of his weaknesses is "left hand," which reminds me of Thad's right.
Yep, unless Thad takes a major step forward and proves he can play the three, he's either a bench player, trade fodder, or an expiring contract. I don't think Aminu is going to be a 30 min/game player this season, so it's really Thad's last chance to show some development, in my eyes. Assuming AFA is drafted, of course.
Agreed with Brian. I've been warming on Aminu, mainly because the more I've gone back and watched him, the more I think he can legitimately defend and rebound well enough to play the 4.
My issue is can he play the 3 with Iggy on the court with him. He seemed to blossom this year when moved to the 4 spot and really seems not nearly as finished offensively as Thad on the perimeter. I was a guy that feared Josh Smith coming here would make for breathtaking basketball some nights but ugly clanking off the rim basketball most nights and feel the same about Aminu.
I want a team that can play basic basketball, halfcourt and running, and not get locked in to all our guys being athletes that may get stymied come playoff, halfcourt style of play. Aminu wouldn!t be in my top 8 for this team. My 5 to 10 group [ Johnson,Aldrich,Monroe,Montiejunis,Udoh,Henry]
Derek, I really regret Vesely leaving this draft, he and Aminu are both fitting of our proposed "style"; who do you think will be the better player?
Aminu at the three, Iguodala at the two isn't going to work, IMO. If they do draft him, I see him as a four and spelling Iguodala at the three from time to time.
How about Thad at the 3 and AI at the 2? Tried that already? I guess I'm not convinced that Thad can't play small forward. I know most knowledgable Sixers fans think he can't, and I certainly understand why, but I see his jumper improving. Right now, he's a streak shooter and a good scorer. And he's only 22. Jordan's coaching did not help Thad's game, though a lot of that may be Thad's fault for not putting out the effort on defense. Thad needs to be drilled on defensive technique. Whether or not he has the attitude..... who knows?
Great post Brian.
Just another athletic, raw, unskilled, low IQ player that can barely hit the side of a barn when shooting. He was abused when playing defense in his own conference which wasn't abundant with talented big men. This guy would do good to be Tyrus Thomas-lite. Heaven forbid they pick him.
He, like Thomas, would be a nice change of pace guy but between he and Montiejunis, give me a 7 ft. stretch 4 that can block shots and possibly be a 20 ppg. scorer. And who ends up being the better rebounder when all is said and done?
I haven't seen Motiejunas play, so all I have to go on here are numbers and scouting reports. The numbers kind of tell me he isn't much of a shooter nor much of a rebounder. The scouting reports tell me he doesn't care about defense, he's weak and he doesn't rebound at all. It all sounds like Bargnani to me, without the range on his jumper.
Bargnani's a much better (and slightly underrated) man-man defender.
I have the same concerns.
I think that his offense and the fact he's not a good shooter are a problem. I think that identity is a valid question in that he might be a little bit of a tweener.
Defense though? The guy's rebounding numbers were insane and how did he get abused?
Sounds like a Luc Mbah a Moute clone to me...
Aminu is raw offensively, LRMAM was non-existent on the offensive end in college. There's a difference. If Aminu turns out to be the type of defender LRMAM is in the pros, with some offensive skills, that's a good get IMO.
I haven't seen Aminu much, but everything I've seen and read indicates that he and Thad are two totally different players. They're about the same size and they're both athletic, but that's where the similarities end. Thad is a finesse player, both offensively and defensively, while Aminu is more physical on both ends. On the other hand, Thad has good touch in the lane and in the post if he gets his shot off cleanly, while Aminu seems to have very poor touch, even from in close (and I could be imagining this, but Aminu seems to have small hands too, so he's not as good a finisher inside as one would expect given his athleticism).
Given Derek's point on libertyballers about players playing alongside Iguodala (good article, by the way, Derek), I'd think Aminu is even a worse fit alongside Iguodala in the halfcourt than Thad is. On the other hand, better defense and more rebounding at the 4 might provide more running opportunities -- though saying Aminu would be a plus defender at the 4 is strictly theoretical at this point, since he hasn't had to defend the Boshes and Garnetts of the world who can shoot jumpers off the pick-and-roll.
One last issue about drafting Aminu is what do they do with Brand and the distribution of playing time at PF? It's one thing to say, from a quality-of-play and player development standpoint, that Aminu should get the bulk of the minutes at PF, but what would it look like for the team to have a $16 million/year role player? This "saving face" issue shouldn't decide whether or not to draft Aminu (or some other highly-ranked PF), but I would bet it's not entirely inconsequential in the Sixers' thinking ...
Actually, I think minute distribution is less of an issue if they draft Aminu than if they draft Favors or Cousins. I'd be fine with Aminu playing minutes similar to what Thad and Jrue played in their rookie seasons (1554 for Thad, 1776 for Jrue). He could get those minutes split between the three and the four, and they could come from Jason Smith and Willie's share, rather than Brand and Speights'.
In the bigger picture, though, I agree Brand's cap number has to be an issue for Stefanski, but I can't let that stop me from taking the best player available. They're stuck with Brand for two more seasons, but that doesn't mean you can stick your head in the sand until the and not look for opportunities to upgrade the position. If the organization needs to put a short-term spin on it, Aminu can be the change-of-pace four this coming season, allowing them to put an intense, pressure defense lineup on the floor for stretches.
His hands don't look small in the picture on this post, do they?
His hands don't look small in the picture on this post, do they?
Maybe it's not "small" hands but "bad" hands. I just remember him fumbling several passes inside, Sammy-style, but my sample size is admittedly small ...
Peoples concerns are grounded, but I still agree with Brian. If Aminu is the BPA then you pick him. If he does not fit with the current line-up or it means he fights with Thad for thje same minutes than so be it. this team needs to stock up on talent instead of acting like they are a piece away.
The fact that Aminu "reminds you" of Thad or Mbah a Moute is true but not a reason to pass on him. For the same reason that Clarence Weatherspoon, Lou Williams and Harold Minor are not reasons to pass on Allen Iverson, Charles Barley or Michael Jordan. Players can resemble each other in style and one could be a superstar and the other a role player. It depends on talent.
This is why Aminu could be a legit stretch PF while Thad needs to learn to be a SF or might be a career bench player:
Thad:
w/o shoes: 6'5.75" (2" taller w/ shoes, most players 1" taller)
Wingspan: 6'11.5"
College stats per 40 min:
6.6 reb / 0.4 blks /1.3 steals
Aminu:
w/o shoes: ? (6'8.25 w/ shoes at Nike Hoops Summit 2008)
Wingspan: 7'4.5" Nike Hoops Summit 2008
College stats per 40 min:
13.7 reb / 1.8 blks / 1.8 steals
Cooney is chatting on Philly.com. I'll respond to the above thoughts a little later.
Yeah, that was a waste of time. These guys shouldn't do chats if they don't have a firm grasp on the nba.
I couldn't even read the entire thing.
I don't think Aminu would be a bas pick at #5 or #7, but if that's what it comes to then I'm sure we will all be disappointed.
At least as far as the Sixers are concerned... this is a 5 man draft.
You meant #6 or #7, right?
Yeah, obviously I want to get into the top five, top three ideally, but odds are we're at #6 or #7 and I like him better than the other guys who will probably be available. I could live with it, but it's not a franchise-altering pick, most likely. It's just another piece to the puzzle.
Yep, that's what I meant.
My hope is that if they pick 6th someone above them will reach for Aldrich or Monroe. Can't say I'm that optomistic abaout that happening.
But I'm excited about a top 3 pick- even though I don't see any of them as top superstars.
If we're at #6, that means Minnesota is ahead of us. That bodes well.
I've been a fan of Aminu all year and think he will have a Josh Smith like impact in the NBA but he has no character concerns that we know of. I see him like you Brian as the new prototype of power forward. He can definitly play the four full time and will have an unbelievable quickness advantage against almost every four in the league. Plus his rebounding numbers once he moved to the four full time skyrocketed. I watched him all year and as the year progressed his confidence in his jumper really improved. He would be the ideal pick for us at 6 if we stay there.
Aminu would fit the run and gun offence that Dan Majerle envsions that the Sixers could be...
Suns assistant coach Dan Majerle interviewed for the Philadelphia 76ers' vacant head-coaching job Monday with 76ers President Ed Stefanski, Senior Vice President Tony DiLeo and consultant Gene Shue, and said the 76ers are built to "play fast" like the Suns.
"They're talented," Majerle said. "They've got a lot of similarities to the way we're set up. I think they're looking to play fast, which is probably one of the reasons they talked to me. With that personnel, they probably should play fast."
http://probasketballtalk.nbcsports.com/2010/05/dan-majerle-sees-the-sixers-as-a-run-and-gun-team.php
You mean the all run no gun offense we had in like 2008?
If we pick at Six it's basically between him, Aldrich, and Johnson.
If we are keeping Iggy, take Johnson, if we manage to swing some deal with iggy for picks, players, and cap space, then we take Aminu.
God I hope we get a top 3 pick.
He still looks at the ball when he dribbles.