After a slow start, Amen Thompson is well on his way to becoming indispensable for the Houston Rockets. The Texans’ winning streak is also linked to a new role for the No. 4 pick – where can he go?
By Ole Frerks
Even Nostradamus would probably have tried to change his crystal ball a few weeks ago if it had spit out the following fact: The Houston Rockets have been the hottest team in the league since their best player got injured. Without Alperen Sengün, the Rockets have won eight games in a row and even won twelve of their last 13 games.
The race for the final play-in spots in the West has suddenly become really hot again, with Houston unexpectedly putting pressure on the Golden State Warriors in particular, especially since both teams will compete against each other again on April 4th. Maybe the run comes too late for the door to be open again, but it can already be seen as a success.
Jalen Green is rightly getting the majority of the headlines at the moment – the former No. 2 pick turned a previously disappointing third season around at the right time and has now been playing the entire month of March as if he had been bitten by a tarantula (28.5 PPG, 50/43/81 odds, 6.1 RPG and 3.7 APG). Only four players are averaging more than him this month.
But the 22-year-old is by no means alone. A key to success is also a rookie who has started constantly since Sengün’s injury and doesn’t seem as if he should give up this role any time soon. His potential seems almost limitless – and it’s not even clear what position Amen Thompson actually plays.
the essentials in brief
The reigning No. 4 pick had a pretty slow start to his career, missing 15 games in a row with ankle problems and then needed a while to establish himself consistently in the rotation.
This was due to the enormous depth of talent in Houston, especially on the wing, but also due to his very specific skillset; Thompson, like his twin brother Ausar (the No. 5 pick in Detroit), cannot shoot (14.5% threes) and is therefore a rather tricky fit, especially next to Sengün, who himself is particularly effective near the basket.
At best, that should change at some point. For the moment, however, in Sengün’s absence (and a bit before that), Rockets coach Ime Udoka has apparently found the right role for Thompson to utilize his other skills – there are a few of them! – to be brought to bear perfectly.
An athlete like the young Westbrook
Officially, Thompson now starts as a small forward alongside (mostly) “power forward” Dillon Brooks and “center” Jabari Smith Jr., but in fact he is used defensively at almost every position, can defend wings, some bigs and small ball handlers, but also outside of that Balls cause chaos.
Thompson is already one of the best athletes in the league and has outstanding potential as a shot blocker (the block percentage of 1.6 is elite for a wing) both from the weakside and directly at the man. He recently blocked Bol Bol “on the fly” and made it look relatively easy – it wasn’t the only highlight block over the past few weeks:
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He is similarly outstanding as a ball thief (2.4 steal percentage) and probably benefits to a certain extent from the fact that significantly more contact has been allowed in the NBA since the All-Star break. His foul rate is still pretty high, but that’s bearable – the 2.01 man has what it takes to be one of the best defenders with his long arms, motor and athleticism that is sometimes reminiscent of a young Russell Westbrook to become the league. Soon.
Something like a center
It’s a little more complicated offensively due to the lack of a throw. However, Thompson is currently benefiting from the fact that he is usually the only non-shooter on the court without Sengün. Houston often uses him as a de facto center who sets a number of screens on the ball, rolls hard and can then either finish himself or create for others on the move.
His offensive skills are (so far) being used in the best possible way: Thompson is a force on the way to the basket, dunks with great regularity, but has also already mastered finesse finishes. He is currently hitting 68% of his throws at the ring, a very good value. Especially since he doesn’t play with tunnel vision, but shows an excellent feel for the game and an eye for his teammates.
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Thompson will not be the lead ball handler for the Rockets for the time being, as his ball handling is still too shaky and his throw is too weak. Involving him as a roll man still allows the Rockets to use his vision and playmaking profitably now.
A hero of the Dunker Spot
These tools also come to the fore regularly in transition plays, where Thompson is especially unstoppable (the fact that he, Green and Cam Whitmore play on the same team makes Houston the most entertaining transition team in the league). In March, Houston is playing at the third-fastest pace in the league, also a function of Sengün’s loss.
If Thompson isn’t directly involved, he usually still finds a way to contribute. He can be played in the dunker spot or during baseline cuts, always somehow close to the basket without getting in the way of Green’s drive, for example. His explosiveness near the basket brings back memories of Aaron Gordon.
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Since he can (perhaps) jump over a minibus from a standing position, he is also an outstanding rebounder – his offensive rebound rate of 9.4% is the league high among Wings and on a par with Nikola Jokic or Anthony Davis, for example . Since starting, Thompson has grabbed the most rebounds of any rookie (10.5 – 4.3 of them offensive!).
Where is the journey leading?
One of his best qualities is that Thompson isn’t above doing the dirty work. This fact makes us optimistic that he will also find a way to help the team in the next version of the Rockets. How and to what extent remains to be seen.
Thompson can already be a winning player – over the past few weeks he has been, the Rockets “win” his minutes in March with a net rating of +15.7. Whether he will be a permanent secondary player or a fixed point will be decided by the throw: Not only is the three-pointer bad, Thompson has also been pretty bad from the free throw line so far (67%).
However, he brings everything else with him – and it is now easier to understand why some draft experts believed that he had the greatest potential of all players in 2023 after Wembanyama. Thompson is a special talent in more ways than one.
March rookie ranking:
- 1. Victor Wembanyama – 20.7 points, 10.3 rebounds, 3.6 assists, 3.5 blocks, 1.2 steals per game – 46.6% from the field, 32% three-pointers (64 games) – to the column about Victor Wembanyama
The most impressive NBA rookie in many, many years. Wembenyama is getting smarter offensively and already has a case to be the player with the greatest impact in the league. Single-handedly makes Spurs worth watching.
- 2. Chet Holmgren – 16.7 points, 7.9 rebounds, 2.6 assists, 2.4 blocks per game – 53.5% from the field, 37.7% three-pointers (72 games)
The threesome has cooled down a bit recently, but remains an essential building block for one of the best teams in the league. Strong ring protector and floor spacer who still needs to get a little stronger, but fits almost perfectly into today’s league.
Strong shooter who also works a lot defensively for the team and should lead the Hornets away from their laughingstock status. Must become more effective on the way to the basket in order to be a real star.
- 4. Amen Thompson – 9.1 points, 6.2 rebounds, 2.4 assists, 1.2 steals per game – 53.1% from the field, 14.5% three-pointers (53 games)
Smart all-rounder who rebounds extremely well for his size and has established himself as a difference player for the Warriors. Has the best on/off average over the season (+7.8) on a roster full of future Hall-of-Famers.
- 6. Dereck Lively II – 8.8 points, 6.9 rebounds, 1.1 assists, 1.4 blocks per game – 74.7% from the field (53 games)
Is no longer as indispensable for the Mavs as he was at the start of the season and was replaced as starter by Daniel Gafford. But that doesn’t matter: Lively is a strong rim runner with playmaking skills who will take a lot of Doncic lobs to the basket over the years.
- 7. Jaime Jaquez Jr. – 12.3 points, 3.9 rebounds, 2.6 assists – 48.4% from the field, 31.3% three-pointers (65 games)
Unfortunately, Jaquez couldn’t confirm his good start to shooting: After shooting 39% from outside in December, he hasn’t hit more than 32.4% of his three-pointers in any month since. He will need this degree – but in (almost) everything else it helps his team.
- 8. Cason Wallace – 6.8 points, 2.3 rebounds, 1.4 assists – 49.6% from the field, 41.1% three-pointers (72 games)
19 rookies score more points per game than Wallace, but not many of them could fill his role on a team with title aspirations. Strong defender on the ball who can keep an offense going and acts very efficiently.
- 9. Keyonte George – 12.8 points, 4.5 assists, 2.9 rebounds per game – 39.3% from the field, 33.9% three-pointers (66 games)
Talented scorer and playmaker who sometimes shows outstanding flashes, but ultimately still needs to become much more efficient and safer.
- 10. Ausar Thompson – 8.8 points, 6.4 rebounds, 1.9 assists, 1.1 steals per game – 48.3% from the field, 18.6% three-pointers (63 games)
Elite defensive prospect with similar abilities and slightly more offensive problems than his twin brother. The path to lineups in which he is the only non-shooter is much further in Detroit than in Houston. He needs a throw.
2024-03-28 11:57:00
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