Rockets Rookie Amen Thompson Excited to Play with 'Great Playmaker' Alperen Sengun

Alperen Sengun and Amen Thompson could form a dynamic duo for the Houston Rockets.

Jeremy Brener | Jun 27, 2023

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The Houston Rockets have spent years building their core of young players, drafting nine times in the first round for the past three seasons.

Now, it's possible that their core has been solidified with the selections of Amen Thompson and Cam Whitmore in last week's NBA Draft. They join 2021 draft picks Jalen Green, Alperen Sengun, Josh Christopher and Usman Garuba, along with 2022 first-rounders Jabari Smith Jr., Tari Eason and TyTy Washington.

Out of all of the players listed above, Sengun has been the most intriguing in terms of his skillset. As a playmaking big man, few in the NBA mirror Sengun's archetype, but the best player with that skillset, Nikola Jokic, just helped lead the Denver Nuggets to an NBA championship.

Thompson recognizes that and believes Sengun and him can form a strong pair.

"He’s a great playmaker," Thompson said via The Athletic's Kelly Iko. "The easiest way to make plays is out of the high post. A lot of backdoor cuts, and we have the athletic guys to throw lobs, run and having as many playmakers on the court as possible. We probably got like four or five now. That’s how the new game’s gone."

Thompson has been brought into Houston to also facilitate the offense for coach Ime Udoka. As a pass-first player, Thompson is expected to help set up the likes of strong scorers like Green and Smith with better, more open looks. But with Sengun, there's the ability to be more creative.

If Thompson and Sengun can form a playmaking partnership that can set the Rockets up for success, Houston will be in position to take that next step in no time.

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Published Jun 27, 2023

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.