Amir Johnson - Sioux Falls Skyforce Tracker - Page 5 - Detroit Pistons Fan Community

Lee356 · #41 (**permalink**) 01-15-2007, 10:51 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by mercury

For those that missed the game there was an added bonus.... Rick Kamla (sp) interviewed Ryan Hoover (director of player development)... he gave more insight into the Pistons brass thinking than any of our reporters have all season.
On Amir... "he's extremely active... we're high on Amir... he doesn't shoot many 3's, that's not his game but he give s you shot blocking, runs the court very well ... he just wants to play... he wanted to stay with Fayetteville last year because he enjoys playing so much...etc"

On Maxiell, he's shown us that he's ready to contribute and be a force using is body. Forgot the rest :^(

On Samb "When anyone in our organization talks about Samb we get a big smile on our face... we were lucky to be able to draft him... he's a big time shot blocker and rebounder.. he's still a couple years away but we're very excited about him".

On Acker..." He has a huge future with our team... he can score in a variety of ways handle the ball and distribute... he has a high basketball IQ"... Kamla "One of the leading scoreres in the Euroleagues"

Blalock... "tough kid from Boston big body long arms can press and get up on you... hasn't shot much but we don't need that on our team"

On Chauncey coming back... we're hoping by Wednesday but it's day to day".

Well folks, our secret is out of the bag... Amir was all over the place today... even showing handles getting to the rack... the price of signing him is going up as we speak.
I think he already has at least 5 block shots with 6 minutes left in the 4thr and 21 pts so far.
I think he's done for the game (sits with 5= min left).

Amir's got his shades on (bright future).

Nothing new to me. I saw it all when he played in the summer league the two summers ago. He was ready to play in this league already.

roscoe36 · #42 (**permalink**) 01-15-2007, 10:59 PM

His game really took off last year in Fayetteville. At 18 he was one of the best players in the development league.

I'm sure league scouts are aware of him and have been for some time. The question is, with so many teams near the tax level and those below needing to fill a lot of holes, the number of suitors for him could shrink.

The only issue I see is that his representation (agent) is part of one of the toughest groups in pro sports. They might seriously hunt around for dollars and playing time.

Ryan Hoover was an intern a few seasons back. Joe brought him on full-time when he graduated from college to be a mentor to the young players on the team. Things like how to save their money, manage their per diems, pay bills (like speeding tickets

) and buy their first real possessions.

Ryan Hoover Internship story

From the Media Guide

Quote:

RYAN HOOVER
DIRECTOR, PLAYER DEVELOPMENT
Ryan Hoover enters his first season as director of player development with the Pistons after
serving as a basketball operations assistant/scout in 2004-05. In his position, he will oversee
the Pistons player development program and assist the basketball operations staff in a vari-
ety of areas.
A 2003 graduate of Oakland University, Hoover played four years on the Oakland basketball
team prior to suffering a foot injury during his fifth year of eligibility. Hoover joined the
Pistons as a basketball operations intern during in 2004.

**lurker** · #43 (**permalink**) 01-15-2007, 11:05 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Warthog

amir's statline from today:

26 minutes, 23 points scored
9/16 shooting (1/1 from 3-point range)
4/5 free throws
8 rebounds
2 assists
3 steals
4 blocks
3 turnovers

Very nice game from Amir today. It's the first time he's led his team in scoring.

recap

boxscore

mercury · #44 (**permalink**) 01-16-2007, 01:50 AM

A mini recap of his game:
On three occasions he led the fast break... no I don't mean he was the fastest down the court... he handled the ball all the way to the rack... He was dribbling in high gear... once deeking two gaurds and finishing.
Now I'm not quite ready to say he has the typical SF handles but his handles have definitly improved.
He made a nice quick dribble drive from the arc for a slam... it looked like the other team wasn't ready for that kinda quicknes from a 6' 11" cat.
The stats say four blocks?... um not a chance... at least 5.... two on one possesion.
Nice running hook shot.. that's gonna be tough to block.
Of course this is not NBA competition... and he did have a little difficulty holding defensive position against a 6' 10 250LB PF (kinda pushed him out of the way).
The one announcer said he played for Minny when KG came up as a rookie... he said Amir looks just like him at that time for skills and athletisism...
he said several times that this must be easy for Amir after going up against Sheed and Maxiell everyday.
On defense he was quick to recognize and react... that's the kind of cover man we need inside... reminded me of Sheed in 04.

Almost forgot the play that impressed me most... nobody scored but he faught hard for inside position... got the inlet pass... got double teamed... kicked it back to the PG... kept fighting... got the ball back... double teamed again... kicked it back out again...
that my friends is court awareness and unselfishness.... can't wait to see him and Cwebb work on post play recognition together.

Just one game in the D-league... but encouraging non the less.

FreshPrince22 · #45 (**permalink**) 01-16-2007, 01:55 AM

My guess is he signs elsewhere in the offseason... Someone is going to offer him a a good contract and PT, and he'll take it. Another blown youngster by the Pistons. If they've got the talent and they work hard, you've got to throw them a bone. Simple as that. Not just garbage time. Reward them by giving them 3-5 minutes here and there with the main group.

And judging by Maxiell's DNP-CD today, he might be heading down that path as well.

ahb · #46 (**permalink**) 01-16-2007, 03:28 AM

If Hakim Warrick can play power forward in the NBA this year, there's no reason Amir Johnson can't - especially with the Pistons' parabolic zone to protect him from being posted by bulkier players.

mercury · #47 (**permalink**) 01-16-2007, 03:45 AM

If Cwebb is here for just this year then there's a chance of Maxiell and Amir still having a future here.
Unfortunately I think the ultimate decision will come down to picking one or the other before they force the issue.
Joe will have to move a PF this summer.

hack · #48 (**permalink**) 01-16-2007, 06:16 AM

If there's snow on the ground, that's a lovely drive. A little too brown if not.

roscoe36 · #49 (**permalink**) 01-16-2007, 08:33 AM

Thanks for the insight Merc. Really valuable.

LanierFan · #50 (**permalink**) 01-16-2007, 04:23 PM

Here's a quote from the Skyforce coach in the Sioux Falls paper:

Quote:

"What a great future that young kid has," McHone said. "It's hard to find such a young guy that has all the tools already. You'd think he'd be forcing things and he does not."

In his third game since being assigned to Sioux Falls by the Detroit Pistons, the 19-year-old Johnson put up 23 points, eight rebounds, four blocks and three steals in 26 minutes, unveiling - in spurts - some of the talent that will make him a Skyforce short-timer. The sequence that most likely had the folks from NBA TV speaking in catch phrases: Johnson slid around the player he was guarding to secure a steal, streaked down the left side of the court, absorbed a foul, scored a scoop shot and then hit the ensuing free throw.

Also, a note from Jonathan Givony at DraftExpress:

Quote:

You're going to have a hard time finding a player with more upside than Amir Johnson. Nowhere near a finished product at age 19, just two years out of high school, Johnson shows some tremendous tools for a modern day NBA power forward. A freak athlete with an excellent frame, a nice wingspan, terrific quickness and explosiveness, good hands, and all kinds of emerging skills, Johnson hit an NBA 3-pointer, put the ball on the floor and finished with a beautiful floater, ran the court like a man possessed, hit the offensive glass, and even went to work with his back to the basket on occasion. Nothing he does looks particularly refined, but he mixes in a little bit of everything with some real energy ....

The Pistons made the right move in sending him down to the D-League to add some polish and gain some confidence, and it looks like they could very well have something on their hands down the road.

Detroit isn't going to lose this kid. One, they hold his rights and can match. Two, any team in a situation to throw real money at an unproven 19-year-old can do it in the draft without anyone bidding against them. Joe is playing this exactly right, and Johnson is level-headed enough to make the best of things in the meantime.

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