Inside The Rockets

Rockets' Amen Thompson Can Become 'Immediate Contributor'

Amen Thompson expects to make an impact right away with the Houston Rockets.

Jeremy Brener

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The Houston Rockets may not be looking to start No. 4 overall pick Amen Thompson right away, but his presence will be felt from the jump.

The 6-7 rookie can play multiple positions and different styles, both on and off the ball, making him a candidate to contribute immediately.

"Thompson is going to be an immediate contributor to this rotation with his size, passing, athleticism and rebounding," Bleacher Report writes. "It wouldn't be a surprise to see the 20-year-old push Fred VanVleet for the starting point guard job as early as next season."

The ultimate goal for Thompson and the Rockets is to be the point guard of the future, but the signing of former All-Star Fred VanVleet may get in the way with that.

Some Rockets fans may have been concerned when the Rockets signed VanVleet to a three-year deal, potentially roadblocking Thompson's path to the starting lineup. However, because of Thompson's versatility, he'll have the opportunity to not only lead his own unit, but to play alongside VanVleet among his other teammates.

VanVleet's skillset matches with Thompson, because he can also play on and off the ball.

Those two, along with Jalen Green, can form quite the backcourt in Houston, one that could take the Rockets back to the playoffs someday.

You can follow Jeremy Brener on Twitter @JeremyBrener.

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Jeremy Brener
JEREMY BRENER

Jeremy Brener is an editor, writer and social media manager for several Fan Nation websites. His work has also been featured in 247 Sports and SB Nation as a writer and podcaster. Brener has been with Fan Nation since 2021. Brener grew up in Houston, going to Astros, Rockets and Texans games as a kid. He moved to Orlando in 2016 to go to college and pursue a degree. He hosts "The Dream Take" podcast covering the Rockets, which has produced over 350 episodes since March 2020. Brener graduated in May 2020 from the University of Central Florida with a Bachelor's degree in Broadcast Journalism minoring in Sport Business Management. While at UCF, Brener worked for the school's newspaper NSM.today and "Hitting the Field," a student-run sports talk show and network. He was the executive producer for "Hitting the Field" from 2019-20. During his professional career, Brener has covered a number of major sporting events including the Pro Bowl, March Madness and several NBA and NFL games. As a fan, Brener has been to the 2005 World Series, 2010 FIFA World Cup and the 2016 NCAA National Championship between the Villanova Wildcats and North Carolina Tar Heels. Now, Brener still resides in the Central Florida area and enjoys writing, watching TV, hanging out with friends and going to the gym. Brener can be followed on Twitter @JeremyBrener. For more inquiries, please email jeremybrenerchs@gmail.com.

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