Rockets' Amen Thompson Not Given Enough Opportunity Through First Four Games

Thompson has seen a minutes decrease to start his sophomore season.

Oct 26, 2024; San Antonio, Texas, USA; San Antonio Spurs guard Chris Paul (3) dribbles against Houston Rockets forward Amen Thompson (1) in the first half at Frost Bank Center. Mandatory Credit: Daniel Dunn-Imagn Images / Daniel Dunn-Imagn Images

The Houston Rockets, after last night's 106-101 win against the San Antonio Spurs, sit at 2-2 on the regular season. The team has had some impressive victories, but a lot of areas still need improvement.

Last night, the Rockets were up by as many as 21 points on the Spurs but nearly blew the lead due to struggles on both sides of the ball. Seeing the lead fail to dissipate was relieving, as Houston blew an 18-point lead in its opener against the Charlotte Hornets.

The important thing to note is that the team doesn't have any problems in terms of personnel. That much is clear, as Houston took strides to improve by 19 wins last season, finishing 41-41. The issue is the distribution of playing time.

Ime Udoka is in his second year as head coach and is working with a group of talented young players with immense potential. He's still finding his footing when it comes to lineups, especially with new additions Steven Adams and Reed Sheppard, but Amen Thompson is an interesting story.

Thompson has played just 21.2 minutes per game through Houston's first four, which is less than last year's (22.4). Udoka hasn't given Thompson much of an opportunity, and it's evident in the Rockets' losses.

Dillon Brooks, the starting forward over Thompson, has been inefficient on offense. He's averaged 33.8 minutes per game but has shot 35.9% from the field. Thompson, on the other hand, is shooting 39.1% from the field.

To add on, Thompson is averaging more assists and blocks, while playing similar perimeter defense to Brooks. In fact, filtering through the Rockets' lineups that have played at least three minutes per game and have the highest net rating, Thompson appears in the top two, and five of the top eight.

Thompson is the do-it-all forward that Houston needs to take the load off of other players' shoulders. He was a big reason the Rockets were so good defensively last season, and as a starter, he averaged 13.5 points, 9.9 rebounds, 3.7 assists, and 1.5 steals with a total plus-minus of 41. It's time for Udoka to give Thompson more minutes and an opportunity to start.

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