Amen Thompson's 3-Point Shooting Has Taken a Step Back This Season

If Amen Thompson wants to go from good young player to star player, he has to improve his 3-point shooting.

Dec 6, 2025; Dallas, Texas, USA; Houston Rockets guard Amen Thompson (1) points as he brings the ball up the court against the Dallas Mavericks during the second quarter at American Airlines Center. Mandatory Credit: Andrew Dieb-Imagn Images | Andrew Dieb-Imagn Images

Coming into the 2023 NBA draft, Amen Thompson was seen as many things: an elite athlete, a potential elite defender, and one of the fastest players in the draft. One area where Thompson was still expected to need work was his outside shooting. Thompson had struggled especially from the 3-point line leading up to that 2023 draft.

Those struggles continued into his rookie season as Thompson only shot .138 from outside the arc. In fact, Thompson took only 58 3-pointers the entire season, making just 8. Teams began to realize the only way to keep Thompson out of the paint was to back off from him and make him a jump shooter.

Thompson wanted to improve his outside shooting, and in his second season, he did show improvement from 3-point range. Thompson increased his output and went from .138 from deep to .275, which is still well below league average but a much-needed improvement.

The thought was that Thompson was on his way to be a much-improved 3-point shooter in his third season. That especially seemed likely after his improved shooting during preseason. Even though it was a low output, Thompson still performed very well from the outside, making four out of his six three pointers. That would be the high point for Thompson as the regular season has not been as kind for Thompson.

Amen Thompson's 3-Point Percentage Has Plummeted This Season

The start of the 2025-26 season for Amen Thompson has seen his 3-point percentage plummet from last season. So far, Thompson is only shooting .188 from beyond the arc and has become hesitant to even attempt shots outside the midrange. Recently, it has been even worse for Thompson, who has gone 1-16 over his last nine games as teams continue to invite him to take the open 3-pointer instead of letting him get to the rim.

Even with the Rockets' offense in the top five all season, it has still caused issues, especially when going to the double big lineup, as the Rockets' lack of shooting makes it more difficult for them to get to the basket, forcing them to rely on offensive rebounds to score inside.

In Thursday's loss to the Pelicans, Thompson had one of his best games of the season from the field, finishing 11-14. However, he only attempted one 3-pointer, which was the smart move considering his struggles this season, but not every team is as weak on defense as the Pelicans. It won't be as easy to get to the basket.

Thompson is still one of the best young players in the league and already one of the best defenders in the NBA. He has lived up to his pre-draft hype and given the Rockets a young star to go alongside Alperen Sengun and Kevin Durant. However, if Thompson wants to take the next step from good young player to star player, he has to continue to improve from 3-point range to open up his entire offensive game.