Amen and Ausar Thompson Have Proven Their Skill in NBA Summer League
Prior to Summer League, there were plenty of questions surrounding the Thompson twins, Amen and Ausar, who were drafted fourth and fifth, respectively, in the 2023 NBA Draft.
Would they be able to hang with NBA competition? Will their athleticism translate? Will their shooting woes be amplified? Did they only stand out due to inferior Overtime Elite competition?
After a handful of games, at least a portion of those have been put to rest.
To answer the first two questions: yes and yes.
Amen saw just one game of action before going down with a Grade 2 ankle sprain, but he clearly stood out clearly among his NBA peers. His athleticism, primarily his contortionist-style body control and high-flying verticality, led to 16 points, five assists, four rebounds, four blocks and three steals.
His passing, likely the best in the entire 2023 class, translated easily, aiding to the one-point win over Portland.
Ausar, despite getting off to a little slower start, has since shown his premier skill, too.
In his most recent game versus the Spurs, Ausar poured on 18 points on 50 percent shooting, bringing down 14 rebounds, dishing two assists and nabbing one steal in the six-point win. Perhaps most importantly, he hit two of his five 3-point attempts and four of his six free throws, quelling some of the concerns about his shooting.
Ausar put up similar number in a close win over the Raptors on Wednesday: 17 points, nine rebounds, four steals, three assists and two blocks.
There’s of course still several improvement points for the Thompson twins, who still have plenty of work to do in order to become the stars many think they can be. But any immediate concerns about their former competition level have been nullified by their Summer League performances.
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