Inside The Rockets

Amen Thompson Crashing Glass For Rockets

Houston Rockets guard Amen Thompson is one of the best rebounders at his position.
Jeremy Brener|
Jan 22, 2025; Houston, Texas, USA; Houston Rockets guard Amen Thompson (1) handles the ball after a steal against the Cleveland Cavaliers during the fourth quarter at Toyota Center. Mandatory Credit: Erik Williams-Imagn Images
Jan 22, 2025; Houston, Texas, USA; Houston Rockets guard Amen Thompson (1) handles the ball after a steal against the Cleveland Cavaliers during the fourth quarter at Toyota Center. Mandatory Credit: Erik Williams-Imagn Images | Erik Williams-Imagn Images

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Houston Rockets

The Houston Rockets have one of the best rebounding guards in the league in Amen Thompson.

Thompson, 21, is averaging eight rebounds per game for the Rockets this season, putting him in a group of just 27 players around the league who achieve that goal.

Almost everyone with eight or more rebounds per game is a big man, but Thompson is an anomaly. He explained why he values rebounding to Rockets Wire reporter Brian "Big Sarge" Barefield.

“I really didn’t start to do that until I got to the league, to be honest,” Thompson told Rockets Wire. “I always had the ball, so I didn’t go crash all the time. (Assistant coach) Ben (Sullivan) used to teach me and Jabari (Smith Jr.) these drills to work on crashing. Its paying off.”

Thompson's ability to crash the glass has worn off on his teammates, making the Rockets one of the best rebounding teams in the NBA.

His efforts have impressed head coach Ime Udoka.

“He has been great,” Udoka said of Thompson via Barefield. “Especially guarding a lot of perimeter guys now. I think the first few games where we moved him to more on-ball defense and put Dillon (Brooks) on the bigs (centers), it has to be a conscious effort for him to go back and rebound.”

The Rockets are back in action tomorrow as they take on the Cleveland Cavaliers. Tipoff is scheduled for 6:30 p.m. CT.

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Jeremy Brener
JEREMY BRENER

Jeremy Brener is an editor, writer and social media manager for several On SI sites. His work has also been featured in 247 Sports and SB Nation as a writer and podcaster. Brener grew up in Houston, going to Astros, Rockets and Texans games as a kid and resides in Central Florida. He graduated from the University of Central Florida with a Bachelor's degree in Broadcast Journalism minoring in Sport Business Management. Brener can be followed on Twitter @JeremyBrener.

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