Inside The Rockets

Houston Rockets LISTEN: Amen Thompson Adds More Excitement Ahead of Rookie Year

On the latest episode of the "Kiss of Death Podcast," I break down the Houston Rockets' win against the San Antonio Spurs and discuss how much of an impact Thompson can have in his rookie year.

Jeremy Brener

In this story:

The Houston Rockets are inching closer to the regular season, and as the calendar nears, the excitement amps up for rookie guard Amen Thompson.

Thompson, 20, scored 15 points off the bench in the Rockets' 99-89 preseason win on Monday night against the San Antonio Spurs.

Arguably the biggest knock on Thompson coming into the draft was his shooting prowess, but by the way it looked against the Spurs, that issue doesn't seem to be fervent.

Amen Thompson Pacers
Houston Rockets guard Amen Thompson / Mandatory Credit: Troy Taormina-USA TODAY Sports

On the latest episode of the "Kiss of Death Podcast," I break down the Rockets' win against the Spurs and discuss how much of an impact Thompson can have in his rookie year.

Thompson is expected to make an impact with his passing abilities as a point guard and as a defender standing 6-7. His shooting was always going to be the trait that needed the most work, but after spending time with Rockets assistant coach Ben Sullivan, it appears that there's already improvement in that area.

"I put a lot of hours in with Ben Sullivan just on my jump shot and I feel way more confident than I did even going into summer league," Thompson said via The Athletic. "Over time, I know I’ll be a great shooter. Over time, over the years, it’s not like it’s a one-day thing. It’s an over the course of time sort of thing so I know I’ll be great at that. And when I’m great at that, it opens up everything else."

Thompson and the Rockets are back in action against the Spurs tomorrow night. Tipoff is set for 7 p.m.

Published
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.

Home/News