There’s a lot to be excited about if you’re a Houston Rockets fan. With a top-four spot in the Western Conference all but secured, this is arguably one of the best Rockets’ campaigns in recent years. The emergence of Jalen Green and Alperen Sengun are the developments that bring smiles to fans’ faces, but the most intriguing marvel could very well be Amen Thompson.
Few NBA players have utilized their athleticism on both ends the way Thompson has. He’s a menace on the defensive end and can also blow by slower defenders and overpower weaker opponents.
Thompson’s two-way abilities were on display against the Los Angeles Lakers. The 22-year old wasn’t afraid to mix it up against the likes of Luka Doncic and LeBron James while also doing damage against the Lakers’ smaller frontcourt. It didn’t matter if Los Angeles had some capable wing defenders; Thompson was relentless and kept the Lakers on their toes.
As a rookie, Thompson was somewhat overshadowed by Victory Wembanyama for much of the Rockets’ 2023-2024 campaign (although every other rookie pretty much was), but he showed flashes of his potential during the latter portion of his first year in the NBA. Houston seemed to be playing with house money that season so that allowed Thompson to learn without having the pressure placed on his shoulders.
Year Two has seen Thompson grow in more ways than one. The fourth overall pick in the 2023 NBA Draft has primarily operated off the bench, but just before Christmas last year, Rockets head coach Ime Udoka decided to give Thomspon a spot in the starting lineup. Since then, Houston has won 21 of the 36 games thus far.
Udoka’s decision to start Thompson allowed him to become a point forward that would provide more balance to the Rockets’ playmaking and allow the likes of Green and Fred VanVleet to become offensive scoring threats. Houston can deploy bigger lineups with Thompson and replace VanVleet with either Jabari Smith Jr. or Tari Eason, increasing mismatches that the younger Rockets can pounce on.
While Thompson can do pretty much everything he’s asked to do, shooting, which is a premium in today’s NBA, is an area that remains a work in progress. He’s a career 21.5 percent shooter from behind the 3-point line and only converted on 68.3 percent of his 3.1 free throw attempts per game over two seasons. Addressing his shooting will be the 2023 Overtime Elite champion’s top priority this offseason even if it didn’t really become a major concern for him in the regular season. The lack of shooting could haunt Thompson in the playoffs and that should motivate him as he aims to make frequent trips to the postseason.
Amen Thompson has blossomed and become integral to how the Houston Rockets beat their own timeline. With the various ways Thompson can influence the game, it’s hard to imagine the Rockets moving him because even as he continues to exceed expectations, sky is still the limit.
