Inside The Rockets

Rockets Must 'Stay Patient' with Amen Thompson

Amen Thompson is entering his second season with the Houston Rockets.

Jeremy Brener

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 are armed with seven first-round talents from the past four drafts, including 2023 No. 4 overall pick Amen Thompson.

Thompson had a strong rookie season, averaging 9.5 points and 6.6 rebounds per game in 62 appearances with the Rockets.

The Rockets have been looking for a star to trade for, and they would need to give some high-end young talent like Thompson in return, but Bleacher Report writer Greg Swartz believes that the team should hold onto him.

"Thompson is an elite defensive talent already with his size and athleticism. With three years left on his rookie contract, the Rockets should stay patient and see if he can develop a reliable outside shot as well," Swartz wrote.

Thompson is likely to come off the bench again in his second season with Fred VanVleet as the team's starting point guard, but the veteran's future in Houston is uncertain after the upcoming season. The Rockets have a team option on VanVleet for the 2025-26 campaign, and they could look to move on from him if they feel Thompson is ready to step up and take on the starting point guard role.

Thompson can defend most players on the floor but his offensive game needs to improve. If it does, he could become the team's point guard of the future.

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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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