Inside The Rockets

Amen Thompson’s Year Two Outlook

Amen Thompson had a promising rookie year for the Houston Rockets last season, and he looks to build on it as the team hopes to take a leap this year into the playoffs.

Amsal Madhani

Apr 14, 2024; Los Angeles, California, USA; Houston Rockets forward Amen Thompson (1) controls the ball against the Los Angeles Clippers during the first half at Crypto.com Arena. Mandatory Credit: Gary A. Vasquez-Imagn Images
Apr 14, 2024; Los Angeles, California, USA; Houston Rockets forward Amen Thompson (1) controls the ball against the Los Angeles Clippers during the first half at Crypto.com Arena. Mandatory Credit: Gary A. Vasquez-Imagn Images / Gary A. Vasquez-Imagn Images
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The Houston Rockets selected guard Amen Thompson with the fourth overall pick in the 2023 NBA draft, and despite sharing minutes with veteran guard Fred VanVleet in his first season, Thompson showed many flashes of what the future of Houston’s point guard position could look like for years to come. 

Fresh off of a Kia All-Rookie Second Team selection, averaging 9.5 points, 6.6 rebounds and 2.6 assists per game, Thompson enters year two of his career once again behind VanVleet in the rotation. However, even with limited minutes, he has plenty of opportunities to take his game to the next level. 

The promising prospect was drafted to the Rockets as a guard, but played at forward for much of the season with the team having a surplus of talent at the position. Thompson’s unique size and speed allow him to comfortably adjust his role, and give him the ability to defend multiple positions on the court. 

During Houston’s 11-game win streak, Thompson shined while star center and lead playmaker Alperen Şengün was out due to injury. The Rockets played at an extremely high pace with an exciting, uber-athletic lineup on the floor which included VanVleet, Jalen Green, Jabari Smith Jr. and Dillon Brooks. 

Thompson took over some of the playmaking duties during that stretch, opening up the floor for Houston’s sharpshooters on the outside in VanVleet and Smith Jr. With the addition of rookie Reed Sheppard in the offseason, Thompson has an opportunity to expand on his playmaking skills with the second unit as the Rockets continue to load up on three-point specialists. 

Houston, however, already knew what they were getting with Thompson in terms of his elite passing ability. What really stood out from his rookie campaign was how impactful he was on the defensive end. 

Thompson averaged two steals, 3.6 deflections and a block per 36 minutes. He flashed All-Defense potential in his rookie year, and will need to continue that heading into next season for the Rockets to enter the playoff-caliber team discussion. 

The All-Rookie guard showed us a small sample size of what he can do as a starter, averaging 13.5 points, 9.9 rebounds and 3.7 assists per game last season. Although he won’t start many games in 2024, he still has plenty of time to grow as an NBA player behind one of the better point guard minds in the league in VanVleet. Expect Thompson to continue to make an impact defensively and as a playmaker, whether or not his minutes increase or continue to be capped. 

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Amsal Madhani
AMSAL MADHANI

Amsal is a graduate of The University of Texas at Austin with a Bachelor's in Journalism and a Minor in Business. He was born and raised in Houston, Texas and specializes in coverage of the Houston Rockets.

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