NBA Draft: Examining The Shooting Mechanics of Amen and Ausar Thompson

Taking a look at the shooting mechanics of the Thompson twins.

Twins Amen and Ausar Thompson have gone a bit under the radar in mainstream NBA Draft circles this year, for a few reasons. 

For one, they’ve been overshadowed by Victor Wembenyama. The 7-foot-4 Frenchman is an alien of a prospect, earning the most hype a prospect has in decades. It’s easy to lose attention to this kind of player. Another reason is Scoot Henderson. The second best player in this draft is a rare prospect in his own right, sucking up any attention Wembenyama doesn’t receive. Finally, the Thompson twins play in Overtime Elite, the relatively new league is still in its early stages, with lower competition levels and less exposure than alternatives.

All that being said, the twins are still both projected as top-five picks. Both of them mix freakish athleticism, a sly handle, shrewd passing, and impressive defense into their 6-foot-7 frames. However, both of them share a fatal flaw: shooting.

As prospects who have tools to become game-breaking perimeter creators, the twins’ jumpshots are two of the biggest swing skills in the entire draft class. Recently, workout videos of the two have surfaced, allowing us to take a closer look at their shooting mechanics and diagnosed the point they’ve progressed to since we last saw them in action. Let’s start with Amen:

A look at Amen Thompson’s shaky shooting form, which is one of the reasons why I recently moved his twin Ausar ahead of him on my rankings. Ausar’s form is much more fluid. pic.twitter.com/YjGKuIPjmi

— Kevin O'Connor (@KevinOConnorNBA) June 1, 2023

There isn’t anything glaringly incorrect with Amen’s form. However, it’s important to note the lack of comfort and choppiness of his jumper. It seems as if his entire body is bracing towards the right in order to ensure that his elbow stays directly beneath the ball. The lack of fluidity and comfort in his jump shot makes it tough to replicate in game scenarios where decisions must be made on the fly.

Ausar Thompson’s shooting mechanics slowed down 👀#NBADraft | 🎥: @kyletheboone pic.twitter.com/47buaGcXAq

— No Ceilings (@NoCeilingsNBA) June 5, 2023

Ausar possesses a similar form - his elbow placement still feels uncomfortable. However, the entirety of his release is more fluid and compact. He’s always been the better shooter of the twins, and his mechanical advantage reflects this.

Overall, neither of the twins’ shooting form indicates much improvement in recent months. However, it’s safe to say that Ausar’s mechanics are more favorable than Amen’s in terms of projecting future shooting development.

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