Inside The Rockets

Who Has Highest Upside for Rockets?

The Houston Rockets have many players with upside, but one stands out to ESPN writer Jeremy Woo.

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-USA TODAY Sports
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-USA TODAY Sports / Gary A. Vasquez-USA TODAY Sports
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Houston Rockets guard Amen Thompson is coming into his second season with oodles of potential.

Thompson, the No. 4 overall pick in the 2023 NBA Draft, averaged 9.5 points, 6.6 rebounds and 2.6 assists per game in 62 appearances for the Rockets in his rookie season.

His performance last season has prompted ESPN writer Jeremy Woo to name him as the second-most interesting sophomore in the NBA for the upcoming season.

"Thompson's upside is the highest on the Rockets' roster, and presumably Houston will want to get him the requisite on-ball reps to keep actualizing that potential," Woo writes. "In turn, defenses are going to start keying more heavily on him -- particularly if he doesn't make progress shooting from deep. He's so quick and explosive that he can attack space when defenders sag off him -- but it's still not optimal if he can be left alone late in the clock, or if defenses can comfortably load up to try and take away his drives. How Thompson handles a full season as a featured player -- one who likely has more say over the Rockets' long-term fate than anyone -- could veer into must-watch territory if things continue to click."

If Thompson can identify and make the adjustments necessary for a second-year player, he will truly elevate the Rockets' ceiling and make himself arguably the team's most important piece to the puzzle.

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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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