Rockets' Amen Thompson Due For Breakout

Amen Thompson can build on his rookie year campaign with the Houston Rockets.

Oct 23, 2024; Houston, Texas, USA; Houston Rockets forward Amen Thompson (1) in action during the game against the Charlotte Hornets at Toyota Center. Mandatory Credit: Troy Taormina-Imagn Images | Troy Taormina-Imagn Images

Houston Rockets young phenom Amen Thompson is hoping to build off of his strong finish to his rookie year.

CBS Sports writer Colin Ward-Henninger believes Thompson is the Rockets player with the most potential to have a breakout season.

"The Rockets are deep, so it's going to be hard for any one player to produce enough to merit a "breakout" tag. But if anyone's capable it's Thompson, who somehow looks even more athletically superior in his 6-foot-7 frame than he did as a rookie. When this guy get out in transition -- either with the ball or without it -- he's an absolute steamroller with his sights set directly on embarrassing the closest defender and his family with a poster dunk," Ward-Henninger writes.

Thompson still has some changes he has to make to his game in order to live up to the hype of being a top pick in the same draft class as Victor Wembanyama, but if he can make those corrections, he is due for a big season for the Rockets.

"Thompson's also an excellent cutter in the halfcourt, and perhaps this season we'll see a bit more of the playmaking that made him such an intriguing prospect. If he can somehow find any level of consistency on his jumper (hey, 2 for 5 from 2-point range this preseason!), that's just icing on the cake," Ward-Henninger writes.

Thompson and the Rockets are set to face off against the San Antonio Spurs tonight at 7:30 p.m. CT.

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