Houston Rockets Exclusive: Amen Thompson's Discomfort Leads to Development of No. 4 Overall Draft Pick

Houston Rockets' Amen Thompson spent his first season developing off-ball, which started as an awkward situation for the rookie guard.

Mar 10, 2024; Sacramento, California, USA; Houston Rockets forward Amen Thompson (1) before the game / Darren Yamashita-USA TODAY Sports

HOUSTON — Houston Rockets forward Amen Thompson admits he had several instances throughout his rookie season where he felt "uncomfortable" or "awkward."

His first moment came on media day. He was recording an in-game hype video and had to pump up a crowd that did not exist inside the Toyota Center on an early afternoon in October. Thompson's next uncomfortable moment came a day after his 21st birthday on Jan. 31. Before his teammates departed the floor after shootaround, they serenaded him by singing Happy Birthday.

But unlike encouraging an invisible crowd to get loud or having teammates sing to him, Thompson was more accepting of embracing his awkward moments on the court.

When the Rockets drafted Thompson with the No. 4 pick of the 2023 NBA Draft, his original role was to backup Fred VanVleet as the primary ball-handler for the second unit. However, injuries and adjustments to coach Ime Udoka's rotation forced Thompson to alter his game.

Thompson became an off-ball player who had to modify his play and learn how to impact the game without being a team's primary playmaker and facilitator.

"I never played off-ball in my life," Thompson exclusively told Inside the Rockets. "But we have so many great players on this team, sometimes I had to play off-ball. It has been a learning experience for sure."

Mar 10, 2024; Sacramento, California, USA; Houston Rockets forward Amen Thompson (1) before the game / Darren Yamashita-USA TODAY Sports

Playing off-ball led to a few on-court moments that made Thompson feel odd. For the first time in his playing career, he was a screen-setter when utilizing the pick-and-roll or spent time orchestrating from the dunker's spot.

It's an on-court responsibility Thompson never thought he would bear as someone who has played on-ball since his adolescent days at Pine Crest School in Fort Lauderdale.

He became a pass-first point guard influenced by watching LeBron James climb to No. 4 on the NBA's All-Time assists list. However, Thompson's goal was never to replicate the play of James. His objective was to build a career of sustainable success that would lead to him becoming an all-time great.

Growing up, Thompson watched Chris Paul establish himself as one of the greatest floor generals of his generation. Inside the Rockets asked Paul about Thompson's development earlier this year and he noted that adapting to unfavorable situations was an unspoken rule for any player hoping to build an illustrious career.

"It may sound simple, but fall in love with the work and adapt," Paul said. "The league has drastically changed since I came into it in 2005. If you cannot adapt and change your game, your career will be short-lived."

Receiving advice and meeting a daunting task

Before joining the Rockets, Thompson had never gone more than two days without seeing his twin brother Ausar Thompson, who was drafted one spot after him by the Detroit Pistons with the No. 5 pick.

Not seeing Ausar daily was strange. But having a brother on an opposing side of the NBA led to many phone conversations and virtual PlayStation gatherings.

Midway through their inaugural season, though, the Thompson twins' conversations slowly transitioned from sharing their respective rookie experiences to Amen receiving advice about playing off-ball. Ausar was able to help his brother get accustomed to the new role, given his background under coach Monty Williams in Detroit.

"He was on-ball a lot when we were together [at OverTime Elite]," Thompson said. "So, it's been a learning thing for him too, and he has been really good at it. I started to ask him for tips because he started to do it more and a lot sooner."

Thompson credits the advice from his brother as part of his off-ball development. However, his rapid success also illustrates Udoka's teaching attributes.

Jan 12, 2024; Detroit, Michigan, USA; Detroit Pistons forward Ausar Thompson (9) battles for for the / David Reginek-USA TODAY Sports

Udoka spent his first year in Houston challenging his young players to impact the game outside their comfort zones. He began experimenting with Thompson's off-ball qualities with certain lineups early in the season when he shared the court with Jalen Green and Fred VanVleet.

His evaluation gave him the confidence to insert Thompson into the starting lineup as an off-ball occupant after the Rockets lost Alperen Şengün for the final 18 games.

The conversations Udoka had with Thompson were easy ones. He did not have to sell Thompson on the idea of playing a diminished ball-handling role. He became receptive to the plan due to Udoka's background working with former All-Star Ben Simmons, who possesses similar attributes as Thompson.

"The skill set is there, and it’s unique with his speed, athleticism, size, passing ability and all those things," Udoka said. "I coached somebody, Ben Simmons, who had similar traits — as far as size and ability to push the pace and find guys and finish.

"He’s finding ways to slash, get on the glass, and make plays on the second side. It’s all experience, for him. A guy that’s had the ball his whole career — to be able to play off the ball — it will impact our team more positively."

As an assistant under coach Brett Brown during the 2019-20 season, Udoka played an essential role in helping Simmons have his most impactful season. Nearly five years later, Udoka's experience with Simmons became the blueprint for helping Thompson find his footing in the NBA.

A foundation to build upon

Thompson believes he has done a "good job" altering his game and meeting Udoka's demands for the betterment of the team. He helped the Rockets go 12-6 in the final 18 games as a starter — averaging 13.9 points, 9.2 rebounds and 1.4 steals. An average of 6.8 of his 9.5 field goal attempts came within the restricted area, where he shot 69.6 percent.

His best game came during the Rockets' 132-126 overtime victory over the Oklahoma City Thunder on March 27. He recorded one of his 12 double-double performances with 25 points and a career-best 15 rebounds inside the Paycom Center.

Mar 27, 2024; Oklahoma City, Oklahoma, USA; Houston Rockets forward Amen Thompson (1) dunks in front / Alonzo Adams-USA TODAY Sports

"It was good growth and a learning process for him — especially later on when he was inserted into the starting lineup," Udoka said. "There were some things he wasn't accustomed to.

"He caught on very quickly. He was really good in the pocket. He never set a screen but caught on quickly as far as that. He was extremely effective in the dunker's spot. I think all of those things will work well for us going forward. I loved the growth he showed."

In the absence of VanVleet, Thompson reverted to his original position and displayed the talents that made him an intriguing point guard.

He helped the Rockets close the season on a two-game winning streak. He recorded his first career triple-double in Houston's 116-105 season finale victory against the Los Angeles Clippers with 18 points, 11 rebounds, 10 assists, three steals and three blocks.

Thompson enjoyed playing his "favorite position" during the final two games but felt his off-ball experience made him a better all-around player.

He isn't sure whether he will play in the Las Vegas Summer League Tournament in July. But wherever Thompson spends the offseason, he plans to build upon the off-ball attributes that have him on the trajectory of an illustrious career.

"Playing off-ball, I've been able to play multiple positions," Thompson said. " I have seen my game develop — but not just the whole on-ball, off-ball aspect. Whatever the team wants me to do is what I will probably do."