Some players are born to fulfill destinies set out for them by their parents, those around them, or by the standards they set for themselves. 

It all starts out as potential; an out of this world highlight or a generational run in a major tournament gets a player noticed. From there, the player moves up until he reaches the highest level of his profession, which in basketball is the NBA, through putting the work in on a daily basis. 

Prior to entering the NBA, Amen Thompson was viewed as a tantalizing yet raw prospect. Playing in the large shadow of Victor Wembanyama, it wasn’t until the next two seasons that Thompson blossomed into a two-way force partly responsible for consecutive postseason appearances for the Houston Rockets.

Even with that, though, it seems Thompson is set to take another leap forward. 

In three games thus far, Thompson has shown the scoring (17.7 points on 48.7/50.0/86.7 shooting splits), rebounding (a career-high 10.3 rebounds), the playmaking (4.7 assists per game on 1.7 turnovers), and the stout defense both in the numbers (2.0 stonks) and how he fared against the league’s best. 

That versatility was also on display against the Atlanta Hawks, who fell victim to Thompson and his disruptive efforts in the perimeter. 

Thanks to his various abilities, the Rockets have been able to deploy Thompson as the primary defender on the opposing team’s best player, the lead playmaker when Fred VanVleet is not active, and even as the primary offensive option. To be a swiss knife, though, can be a blessing and a curse, as it makes one extremely useful, but it can come at the cost of efficiency and sometimes even health. Thompson has largely avoided this as he has generally overcome bouts of offensive droughts and after missing 20 games in his rookie year proceeded to only sit out 16 contests in the last two years. 

If Thompson keeps this up, he’ll find himself in the conversation for Most Improved Player and he could very well be in consideration for an All-NBA (and not just an All-Defensive team) selection. Kevin Durant and Alperen Sengun remain the lead options for Houston, but Thompson has stepped up when called upon.  

Expect more of that from Thompson this season, especially with the Rockets looking not just to make a third consecutive postseason appearance, but also finally make a breakthrough run past the first round of the Western Conference playoffs. He will likely do whatever is asked of him, and while that’s been his MO for much of his NBA career, he will likely take it to another level this season. 

After all, a 3-0 start has Amen Thompson and the Houston Rockets at the top of the standings this season. And if they play their cards right, their long-awaited aspirations could finally materialize.