Where Does Rockets' Amen Thompson Rank Among 2023 NBA Draft Class

The 2023 NBA Draft was headlined by one of the best prospects in league history in Victor Wembanyama, and for good reason. Following him was an intense two-man debate between now Portland guard Scoot Henderson and Charlotte forward Brandon Miller, who were seen as potential All-Stars.

Filling out the rest of the lottery were talents like Dereck Lively, Cason Wallace and Anthony Black, who all played immediate contributing roles to their team's playoff pushes.

But in between those sections was soon-to-be Rocket, Amen Thompson. He had unique athleticism that many claimed to have never seen something like before, and was among the most interesting prospects in recent years – just overshadowed by Wembanyama's 7-foot-3 guard skills.

Thompson was questioned as a legitamate top prospect, as he spent most of his time competing in the Overtime Elite league, which had only produced one NBA player previous to Thompson in Dominick Barlow.

Still, Thompson was taken with the No. 4 overall pick by the Houston Rockets, and has since more than proved worthy of the selection. He played a key role on propelling the Rockets to a 57 win season and the No. 2 seed in the Western Conference, averaging 14.1 points, 8.2 rebounds, 3.8 assists and 2.7 stocks per game.

Thompson earned All-Defensive First Team honors in his sophomore season, becoming just one of three players to do so since 2010, cementing himself as an elite young talent. Now as a top piece of the Rockets competitive core, where does Thompson rank among his 2023 NBA Draft class both right now and going forward?

Definitively below

Victor Wembanyama

Wembanyama is the only player from the 2023 class to make an All-Star team, as he did so in his rookie campaign. The Spurs big has led the association in blocks per game for two consecutive seasons, averaging 3.7 for his career while still being the offensive engine of his squad.

Thompson has contributed to playoff basketball and has remained relatively healthy – two things that Wembanyama hasn't yet. But even so, the Frenchman's talent is too overwhelming. As unique of a player that Thompson is, Wembanyama is truly one-of-a-kind, and is well on track to becoming one of the league's best players.

In the Mix

Brandon Miller

Miller's established himself as one of the premiere scoring talents of the 2023 class, averaging 18.3 points per game on 42.8 / 36.6 / 83.7 career splits in 101 games with the Hornets. He's looked to be a core piece of a potential turnaround in Charlotte, as the organization looks to take the leap to the playoffs next season.

He's a better scorer right now, and has the potential to be a first option on that end, giving Miller a clear offensive advantage over Thompson. However, the same goes for Thompson's defensive skills, which undeniably best Miller.

It's a close call, but Thompson takes the edge.

Scoot Henderson

In his first two seasons, Henderson was given the keys to the Trail Blazers offense as the primary point guard, and has seen highs and lows. Like many young point guards, Henderson had serious efficiency struggles early on, and has overall been inconsistent.

Yet still, he's shown flashes of greatness through small stretches, using his athleticism and improved floor general skills to captain Portland through stretches of winning. Henderson still has potential to become the focal point of an offense, but is far less a proven contributor than Thompson and will likely never become the defender that Thompson already is.

Henderson may reach stardom one day, but the Rockets likely feel happy with Thompson instead.

Asuar Thompson

Nobody shares more DNA with Amen than his twin brother Asuar, both off and on the court. The pair have similar games, unlike the rest of their NBA peers. Both are uber-athletic, excel in transition and make electric plays on defense.

Yet Amen has earned more offensive responsibilities than Asuar, while maintaining the same level of matchup difficulty and performing better on the defensive end. These two will draw comparisons for the rest of their careers, but it looks like Amen has bested Asuar so far.

Brandin Podziemski

Podziemski's had an up-and-down two seasons with a Warriors team that's gone through major roster changes. He's become one of the classes best shooters, and all-around offensive pieces. Playing in a smaller role next to the Golden State veterans has limited the raw numbers, but he's still averaged a career 10.4 points, 5.4 rebounds and 3.6 assists per game while shooting 37.8 percent from deep.

Podziemski looks to be a long-term productive offensive piece, filling the gaps as a secondary ball-handler and efficient shooter, but not much more. In the Rockets round one playoff matchup against Podziemski's Warriors, it was clear that Thompson was above him now, and for the future.

Toumani Camara, Bilal Coulibaly, Dereck Lively II and Cason Wallace

These four have cemented themselves as elite defenders similar to Thompson, along with being relatively productive offensive players. The young quartet are all promising talents, but will likely capped out as complementary role players.

However, what separates the Rockets star from this pack is the offensive responsibilities had, as Thompson most certainly plays the bigger role right now and has the most room to grow into stardom.

Definitively Above

The rest of the draft class is filled with talent who's either succeeded in smaller roles, struggled with efficiency or has now bounced around the league. Names like Julian Strawther, Keyonte George and former Rocket Cam Whitmore fit those categories, respectively.

The Final Ranking

Despite originally being selected No. 4 overall, Thompson has a strong case as the second best player of his class, both right now and going forward.