Amen Thompson Is Opening The Rockets' Opportunities

The Houston Rockets have finally got their full cast of players together which has opened the game for Amen Thompson to become more effective. His improved play has, in turn, increased the entire team's level of play.

Jan 1, 2026; Brooklyn, New York, USA; Houston Rockets guard Amen Thompson (1) goes to the basket against Brooklyn Nets forward Danny Wolf (2) during the second half at Barclays Center. Mandatory Credit: Vincent Carchietta-Imagn Images | Vincent Carchietta-Imagn Images

The Houston Rockets have increased their level of play recently as they've gotten some of their injured players back. Tari Eason and Dorian Finney-Smith have provided some quality wing depth after the team started the season with limited depth on that end.

Now, with their return, they have opened the game for Amen Thompson to take advantage of his athleticism. He now has open spaces to attack the rim and playmake for his teammates.

A major reason why Thompson has been able to contribute so well is because of the excellent shooting around him.

Eason, Finney-Smith, Jabari Smith Jr., and Reed Sheppard have been shooting extremely well this season, knocking down three-pointers at a high rate.

Thompson's ability to get into the paint and kick out for open shooters is an integral part of Houston's offense. Kevin Durant and Alperen Sengun have benefitted from the improved play of Thompson as well.

Thompson has also benefitted from the elite gravity of his top duo on the team.

Sengun has perfected his capability of passing to Thompson near the basket. Thompson is one of the team's best cutters, applying pressure on the rim even without the ball.

Thompson is a great decision maker when he receives the ball on the roll to the rim, passing out to open shooters on quick decisions. He hasn't gotten consistent with his ability to break down the first-level of defense with his ball handling. However, he is fully capable of taking advantage whenever he can get into the secondary levels of the defense.

The Rockets will need Thompson to continue his upward progression to help with their contention chances.

Houston had been relying entirely on the production of Durant and Sengun offensively to survive against top teams in the NBA. Getting a big boost from Thompson's performance could be key to leveling up the entire team.

Smith Jr. and Eason have elevated their play in conjunction with Thompson's improvement. With all of the team's pieces functioning well together, the Rockets have looked as good as they have all season after a stretch of some disappointing play and difficult losses.

The Rockets now need to prove they can beat the league's top teams consistently, and they won't be able to do that as effectively without Thompson playing at a high level and contributing significantly to the Rockets' success.

If Thompson can continue improving his abilities, he could be an integral part of Houston's contention chances.