Amen Thompson’s Development Will be Pivotal to Rockets’ Rebuild

Amen Thompson has some of the highest potential in the 2023 NBA Draft class.

Outside of 7-foot-4 phenom Victor Wembanyama, an unprecedented prospect in the basketball hemisphere, Thompson may just have the highest ceiling in the entire class, should he reach his maximum output.

At 6-foot-7 with a 7-foot wingspan, Thompson has the size necessary to become an NBA superstar. But it’s his high-flying, unobtainable athleticism that gives him an edge over his peers. Couple that with his elite body control and best-in-class passing chops, and you’ve got yourself a great basketball prospect.

And yet, there’s plenty of outcomes where Thompson doesn’t reach his full potential. His shooting, which is a work in progress to say the least, may never come around, making his offensive package less appealing. There’s already been some half-court concerns, many of which are amplified by his lack of a jumper.

For Houston, Thompson reaching one of his higher-end outcomes is pivotal to their rebuild.

To this point, the Rockets have yet to draft a superstar-level talent, despite hanging around the upper ranks of the draft year in and year out.

Jalen Green has essentially achieved star status at a young age, but is likely to be held back from that tier for a myriad of reasons. Alperen Sengun has yet to receive consistent playing time as a No. 1 option, despite looking like he may have the wherewithal to do so. And players like Jabari Smith Jr., Tari Eason and Cam Whitmore have their own share of issues that would hold them back from the league’s most elite tier.

So it seems, for now, Thompson has the best shot getting there. Which, if history tells us anything, will be pivotal not only to Houston rebuilding their squad successfully, but winning a championship, too.

Thompson’s development will be tricky with a guard-laden team set to win more games than they did last year. But with savvy vets, hyper-scorers and stalwart defenders, he should have the necessary tools to improve on his game for the foreseeable future.

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