Houston Rockets: Amen Thompson Has Superstar Potential

Drafted at No. 4 overall in the 2023 NBA Draft, it’s long been known that Amen Thompson is one of the more physically gifted players in all of the NBA.
He’s 6-foot-7 with a 7-foot wingspan, is sternly built, and has some of the more graceful verticality and elasticity we’ve ever seen in sports history. Those things alone give him a leg up on his competition, but when mixed with his basketball IQ, feel for the game and affinity for stingy defense, the potential is sky-high.
Now, that very potential is starting to show up in the stat sheet.
In his last four games — all of which have been starts due to the team’s lack of forward depth with Jabari Smith Jr. and Tari Eason out due to injury — Thompson has shown his sky-high potential. He’s seen averages of 18.0 points, 12.8 rebounds, 4.0 assists, 1.8 steals and 1.5 blocks per game, all while shooting 56% overall and a measly 17% from beyond the arc.
Offensively, Thompson can cut, clash and shine in transition, and defensively is earning some legitimate Defensive Player of the Year buzz due to his tenacity at the point-of-attack and pure stock numbers.
Even more, he’s been able to take two-way pressure off fellow Rocket Jalen Green, which has led to a surge in his stats and percentages, as well as a four-game win-streak.
All these things have shown Thompson’s potential as a star in the NBA, able to thrive on both ends of the court. But his innate and nearly unprecedented athleticism, mixed with the fact he’s still been unable to make up ground on his three-ball, show the potential for superstardom.
The superstar tier is certainly an elite one, filled with players who have exceptionally unique traits and skills. But Thompson's athleticism certainly fits into that snugly.
Across his season and a half of play, Thompson’s shot just 19% on 1.1 threes attempted per game. While that seems like a slight at first glance, Thompson’s success without it can be looked at as a positive. On a nightly basis, defenders sag well off, and he’s still been able to generate paint touches and general offense due to his first step, burst and more.
Should the 21-year-old ever find a consistent 3-point shot, superstardom could certainly be in his future. Even the ability to keep defenders honest from beyond the arc could lead to leagues of space on the interior, where he’ll make his money.
Thompson has certainly gotten better at shooting in Year 2. He’s up 12% to 35% on even more attempts, and is certain to make more headway in the future, though he still has a long way to go.
For now, Houston will continue to churn through the 2024-25 NBA season as one of the biggest surprises at No. 2 in the West.
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