Cole Anthony on Houston Rockets' Amen Thompson: 'That Kid is Special'

The former OverTime Elite prospect will back up veteran point guard Fred VanVleet for his first season in the league. But despite coming off the bench, Thompson is at the top of Cole Anthony's scouting report.

Rookie Amen Thompson will make his NBA debut Wednesday night when the Houston Rockets face off against the Orlando Magic inside the Amway Center.

Thompson is coming off an impressive preseason outing, where he came off the bench and averaged 11.6 points on 44.2 percent shooting from the field, 4.4 rebounds and 3.2 assists. He helped the Rockets finish their five-game preseason outing with a 4-1 record.

During the Rockets' 110-104 exhibition victory against the Miami Heat Friday night, Thompson posted 17 points, seven rebounds and four assists inside the Toyota Center.

The former OverTime Elite prospect will back up veteran point guard Fred VanVleet amid his first season. But despite coming off the bench, Thompson is one of the players at the top of Cole Anthony's scouting report in Orlando.

"That kid is special," Anthony said. "You know, him and his brother [Ausar Thompson] are both. Those two kids will have a long career as long as they know how to play [the game the right way]. They're both pretty athletic. I'm really high on those two."

Rockets' Amen Thompson dunks against the Miami Heat in Friday's preseason victory inside the Toyota Center / Shea-USA TODAY Sports

Thompson is entering the league as a 6-foot-7 guard who can play on and off the ball. On the defensive end, his size allows him to defend players one through five. And given his ball-handling and on-court vision, Thompson could take the lead as the Rockets' floor general of the second unit.

During his one-game outing during the Las Vegas Summer League Tournament in July, coach Ime Udoka described Thompson as a "true point guard," who will get better with time. Three months later, Thompson has validated Udoka's statement.

The challenge Thompson can bring to the Magic is a small sample of how the new-look Rockets could capture their first win of the season, while the 20-year-old guard can make it a long night for Anthony as an opponent.

"I'm excited to get out there to really play some meaningful basketball," Anthony said. "We got a tough, tough challenge. In the new and improved Houston Rockets. They got some dawgs, it's gonna be a great challenge for us."