In Praise of Amida Brimah

[Onions]

Amida's stats are a little hard to evaluate because his playing time has gone down from 26.3 minutes last year to 21.2 minutes this year. But as a counter to those who have seen "no growth" over the 2.2 years he's been at Uconn - On a per/40 minute basis his personal fouls have gone down from 7.1 to 4.6, his rebounds have gone up from 7.4 to 9.6, his points have gone up from 10 to 14.7, his blocks have stayed the same at 5.7, his field goal percentage has gone up from .640 to .725. He's currently shooting 80% from the line.

He may not be, and may never be, the player you envisioned but he's probably the 3rd or 4th most important player on the team. It would be nice to acknowledge what he can do instead of wallowing in what he can't do. There is much to criticize in his game, he has not grown as quickly as I would have liked or predicted, but there is still hope for him to get to the next level. Even if he never get's there he is an absolute net positive force for this team. This whole idea that he hasn't improved or that the team would be better off with him on the bench says a lot more about his critics then it does about the truth of where he is as a player.

 

[3rdbass]

True even being one of AB's biggest critics I see his value for this team. He just never will be an NBA player or at least a first rounder.

 

[tcf15]

True even being one of AB's biggest critics I see his value for this team. He just never will be an NBA player or at least a first rounder.

But why does that even matter? Especially since nowhere in OP's post did it mention the NBA.

 

[mauconnfan]

Depending on the opponent and they're style of play, more often than not we are better off with him on the court rather than off.

 

[pnow15]

True even being one of AB's biggest critics I see his value for this team. He just never will be an NBA player or at least a first rounder.

Ain't necessarily so. Brimah has an NBA skill: blocking shots. So, why not keep him on a team as the 12th man to defend the rim in the last seconds of a close game?

 

[chukwa]

All I can add is, while his improvement has not been as rapid as I would hope, his effort is about 10 times that of Thabeet (who I liked). For that reason alone, I think he has a respectable chance to play at the next level

 

[imno1]

I'm a big AB guy so I think he will play at the next level....



Just not in the NBA

 

[Palatine]

True even being one of AB's biggest critics I see his value for this team. He just never will be an NBA player or at least a first rounder.

Neither will 99.5% of all college players be a first round draft choice. And I'll put up $100 bucks right now he dresses for at least one NBA game. But after your statement, I want odds.

BTW, you, sir, will never be an astronaut.

 

[bobbygt]

This is my 3rd favorite thread on the front page, just behind 'Best Beer' and 'Cuse loses to St. Johns.'

AB has my support and so does this thread.

 

[3rdbass]

Neither will 99.5% of all college players be a first round draft choice. And I'll put up $100 bucks right now he dresses for at least one NBA game. But after your statement, I want odds.

BTW, you, sir, will never be an astronaut.

The reason for this was everybody hyping him as NBA prospect because he can block shots against inferior opponents. Now that people know he is just an adequate college center they are mad at AB when he really never had NBA talent. Remember he is already at an advanced age so no NBA team will waste a pick on him developing .

Just because he probably won't be an NBA player he can still become a good all around college player with better basketball instincts. Let's hope he develops them this year as he is a great kid from all accounts and has gotten stronger this year.

 

[WeAreUCONN]

Amida's stats are a little hard to evaluate because his playing time has gone down from 26.3 minutes last year to 21.2 minutes this year. But as a counter to those who have seen "no growth" over the 2.2 years he's been at Uconn - On a per/40 minute basis his personal fouls have gone down from 7.1 to 4.6, his rebounds have gone up from 7.4 to 9.6, his points have gone up from 10 to 14.7, his blocks have stayed the same at 5.7, his field goal percentage has gone up from .640 to .725. He's currently shooting 80% from the line.

He may not be, and may never be, the player you envisioned but he's probably the 3rd or 4th most important player on the team. It would be nice to acknowledge what he can do instead of wallowing in what he can't do. There is much to criticize in his game, he has not grown as quickly as I would have liked or predicted, but there is still hope for him to get to the next level. Even if he never get's there he is an absolute net positive force for this team. This whole idea that he hasn't improved or that the team would be better off with him on the bench says a lot more about his critics then it does about the truth of where he is as a player.

Very well said. I agree 1 million percent.

 

[Huskybass]

My only gripe is his failure to catch lower passes near the hoop. I am thrilled that he is somewhat less foul prone as he is a top notch rim protector.

 

[James]

The reason for this was everybody hyping him as NBA prospect because he can block shots against inferior opponents. Now that people know he is just an adequate college center they are mad at AB when he really never had NBA talent. Remember he is already at an advanced age so no NBA team will waste a pick on him developing .

Just because he probably won't be an NBA player he can still become a good all around college player with better basketball instincts. Let's hope he develops them this year as he is a great kid from all accounts and has gotten stronger this year.

Who is hyping him as an nba player ? Are you , and many other posters, irate that he is mocked as second round pick ??

The yard has generated this false narrative that theres a majority of posters thinking AB is a lotto pick . Nobody thinks that ; so posters getting hyped to say "I told you do" about AB can just stop.


The crazy thing is he isn't even playing bad , CLEARLY one of our 3 best players.

 

[intlzncster]

Depending on the opponent and they're style of play, more often than not we are better off with him on the court rather than off.

Holy sh1te...can't believe you just said this. And that nobody responded either.

 

[intlzncster]

My only gripe is his failure to catch lower passes near the hoop. I am thrilled that he is somewhat less foul prone as he is a top notch rim protector.

Not sure why it should be a gripe though. Most centers in college will struggle with a low ball. And the kid has hockey sticks for hands, that's just the reality. I don't expect him to catch anything low, and am pleasantly shocked when he does.

 

[MexicoHusky]

As far as fouls are concerned, Amida is right about where a UCONN big should be. He's not fouling out, but he's using them. This part of his game has improved for sure.

Amida also took a very nice 8' shot against OSU. He was guarded, but wasnt close enough to the rim to get bodied up. He stepped back slightly and took a very fluid looking shot. Made me wonder if he should be given the ball a few more times in the same spot. He struggles trying to back someone down, but looked very good a few steps out.

 

[3rdbass]

Who is hyping him as an nba player ? Are you , and many other posters, irate that he is mocked as second round pick ??

The yard has generated this false narrative that theres a majority of posters thinking AB is a lotto pick . Nobody thinks that ; so posters getting hyped to say "I told you do" about AB can just stop.


The crazy thing is he isn't even playing bad , CLEARLY one of our 3 best players.

Let's agree to disagree on this. After AB's Freshman year and after his 40 pt game his sophomore year people on the board were definitely praising him as a first round pick. I know since I was telling them no way is he a first round pick then especially since he has never done well against top centers. Kentucky big men, Okafor, Markus Kennedy, Stefan Nastic,Austin Nichols, Monrezl Harrell and Patric Young.

I actually think he has improved and is a better player than last year but definitely the NBA first round gossip made some people expectations a little too high. Let him just be who he is. A great shot blocker who is learning how to control his space on both offense and defense with better strength and positioning. I want him to succeed and don't understand why people still have to hold AB to these unrealistic expectations when he has been one of our more consistent players this year.

 

[Kitaman]

Sometimes we forget these are college kids/players not far removed from high school. Brimah is having fun, playing hard, encouraging his teammates, maintains a positive attitude at all times and is the number one cheerleader.

There has never been a player here that I can recall who has been more happier than Amida playing basketball. He may not be an AA but he epitomizes the true student athlete and does not hurt the team while on the court. He has one more year left after this and we need to treat him like we did Chuck, a serviceable Center who is trying hard to treat our team. The one difference is that we are not a donut with him on the court.

We don't necessarily have to praise him, but try to respect and enjoy him.

 

[J187Money]

But why does that even matter? Especially since nowhere in OP's post did it mention the NBA.

People seem to get hung up on UCONN players and their pro careers. Same thing on the football board. I want them all to do well but most of the time they end up playing on a team I don't like or at least don't care about.

It's a nice source of pride on draft day and as it matters to recruiting more UCONN guys in the NBA are better than less. But it seems to get disproportionate attention.

Does the fact that Rashad Anderson didn't make it in the NBA make him any less important to UCONN's legacy? Still one of my favorite all time players in any sport.

 

[huskyharry]

I have definitely seen improvement in AB this year, particularly in his toughness. He still seems lost from time to time but he is definitely putting up more of a fight, boxing out at least some of the time, showing the awareness to tap rebounds to teammates etc.

A big next step will be when he realizes when the lob is and is not available and when not automatically moves to a better position (short corner or elbow) where he can hit the short jumper when open. Maintaining balance is a weakness for him, so he needs to deliberately choose where to offensive moves so that the defender is not bumping him with the body.

I, for one, hope he does come back next year...with a few improvements he could be a key asset.

 

[Marat]

From ESPN's Daily Word, both Gasaway and O'Neil have praise for Brimah's potential in UConn's success.

3. Which three-loss team in the Top 25 -- UCLA or UConn -- is more dangerous?

Katz: UCLA. The Bruins are a much better shooting team. UConn probably has more room for growth, but the Huskies lack consistent offensive production from the perimeter or even inside. UCLA's Tony Parker is a much better scorer than what the Huskies have to offer.

Gasaway: Connecticut. The ceiling for Amida Brimah on interior defense is higher than any corresponding individually or collectively determined potential horizon for the Bruins.

O'Neil: UConn. I will admit to being pleasantly stunned by UCLA. I didn't honestly expect much of anything out of the Bruins this year, least of all against the schedule they've played, but with an inside-outside game predicated on Brimah's growth, the Huskies have more room to grow.

 

[Mano]

Quite frankly, I'm tremendously glad that we've got a guy like Amida. Through to his senior season we'll be witness to a huge amount of growth he's shown as a player and the team's he's been on will have been better for him. I can't imagine he takes the NBA leap and so he should be that much better next year. That UConn formula of having tough, aggressive man-to-man defense with a backline protector has been pretty good to us.

I think he's shown a lot of improvement in getting his foundational base ready for the rebounding action, and while he still get's pushed around some, he's improved his strength in that respect. Next I'd like to see him work on keeping the ball up high on his post ups. He seems to get his shooting motion started from his hip, so when he turns to make his move and there is some kind of body contact between him and the defender, he inevitably fumbles the ball. Keep it high, spin on your anchor foot, and flip it to the hoop with your wrist one handed hook shot style, and all in one motion, is what I want to see.

 

[Gringo]

As far as fouls are concerned, Amida is right about where a UCONN big should be. He's not fouling out, but he's using them. This part of his game has improved for sure.

Amida also took a very nice 8' shot against OSU. He was guarded, but wasnt close enough to the rim to get bodied up. He stepped back slightly and took a very fluid looking shot. Made me wonder if he should be given the ball a few more times in the same spot. He struggles trying to back someone down, but looked very good a few steps out.

I was thinking something similar. His back to the basket game is pretty awful. He more often than not either travels or sends up a wild hook shot. However I think Amida can face up and take 8-10 foot jump shots over people. He's a solid / good free throw shooter and think he can hit these jumpers at a decent percentage.

 

[Candyman]

Okay so the next logical question, will Amida Brimah be in a UConn uniform next year? I think everyone should come back minus the seniors and grad students. Brimah and Dham need another year.

 

[Marat]

Okay so the next logical question, will Amida Brimah be in a UConn uniform next year? I think everyone should come back minus the seniors and grad students. Brimah and Dham need another year.

My guess (at this time) is Brimah will return, but DHam will probably leave.