The young Rockets guard is primed for a breakout season
Coming off an impressive season last year that led to an NBA All-Rookie Second Team selection, Amen Thompson presumably is poised for improvement. At least that’s the hope for the Houston Rockets. A hope I and many others fully believe will end up turning into a reality this upcoming season.
After seemingly exceeding expectations in many aspects last year, Thompson’s sophomore NBA season is one of much anticipation. Between the effortless athleticism, high level defense, and great playmaking IQ, Amen made a large impact as a rookie. All of which should translate back over with improvement this upcoming year. So, without further ado, let’s get into why Amen Thompson will have a huge 2024-25 season with the Rockets.
One-of-a-kind athlete
Well, for starters, Amen Thompson is a one-of-one athlete in NBA terms. Standing at 6’7”, the way Thompson moves on the court is just unbelievable for his size. With incredible speed and agility to go with a 40-plus-inch vertical, Amen immediately has the tools to be a rim threat and transition monster. Both of which Amen has shown us all to be. Last season, taking over 50 percent of his shots at the rim, Thompson shot 59 percent when those came in transition. Once again, Amen is a very dangerous player at the rim, and considering last season he was not only a rookie, but transitioning from Overtime Elite, it should be safe to say the numbers will only get better.
In just one year, Amen proved himself to be more than capable of getting to the rim anytime he wanted whether it was off drives, cuts, or lobs in transition. To know the efficiency and athleticism is likely to improve is a scary thought…for opposing teams. So the more Thompson improves and works on his game, there’s every reason to believe his ability to play at the rim will continue to impress and grow.
Improving the offensive arsenal
While Thompson’s ability to attack and score at the rim is already a significant strength, there’s still room for growth in his offensive game. We already know and have seen how great of a playmaker Thompson is, but his issue is his ball handling isn’t exactly the greatest. By no means is his handle bad, it’s in fact above average. But when you move as fast as Amen does, the handle can get loose at times and cause turnovers. I’d say there is much more of a larger need offensively for Thompson, one that was already known of before he was drafted: Shooting. During Amen’s rookie season, there wasn’t much of any shooting going on for him. In about every aspect, Thompson’s shot was unreliable, but that was something the Rockets knew would be a factor when they drafted him. There is a positive to the shooting struggles however.
Amen Thompson can and will only get better shooting the ball. He shot 13.8 percent from beyond the arc last year, so I’d say with offseason training, that number will only increase. Now, I’m not saying Amen will suddenly turn into a 35 percent three-point shooter, but there will be improvement. I believe in Thompson’s development shooting the ball unlike many others. Again, not expecting incredible numbers, but notable improvement. Amen is committed to training, working hard to get better — he lives in the gym. The work ethic has been well documented ever since his Overtime Elite days. So if Thompson wants to get better as a shooter, which he’s said he does, then there should be no question as to if Amen will improve from downtown or not.
Adding just a simple midrange or corner three pointer could elevate Amen’s offense to new levels. Not only would the spacing immensely benefit for Houston, but their overall offense as a whole would benefit as well. Additionally, Thompson’s outstanding playmaking ability, which was already a standout of his game, is expected to refine even more. Last season, Amen showed how well of a playmaker he was, using his high level IQ to set up teammates. While 2.6 assists may not seem like much, with Thompson, it’s not a numbers game. He’s very much a — if you watch the games, you see the talent — type of player. Amen aces the eye test with flying colors on both sides of the ball, but on offense, more specifically in the passing game. With a new teammate in Reed Sheppard who’s already capable of being an elite shooter, Amen has the perfect weapons around him to thrive as a playmaker. Offensively, expect a vastly better season from Amen Thompson.
Defensive Monster
Amen Thompson’s defense will likely be his best trait again next season. To make it abundantly clear, Amen is, in my eyes, already an all-around top-ten defender in the NBA. You can argue that all you want, but there’s no denying the impact of Thompson defensively. When Eason went down for the season, Amen quickly transitioned into the Rockets’ lead defender, often guarding opponents’ top guard or wing. To say he held his own would be an understatement. Averaging over a steal a game, Thompson showed how he could take the ball from virtually anyone he guarded. Not only that, but his 7’ wingspan came into play as well, blocking many shots at the rim and the perimeter with ease.
As Thompson heads into his second season, his defensive instincts and awareness are only to be improved. He’s already shown a fantastic feel for the game, anticipating passes, stopping transition runs, and shutting down teams’ best players. This year, with more experience and a larger rotational role most likely, Amen could very well earn himself All defensive honors should he do anything similar to last season. His ability to guard the one through four and disrupt opponents’ offenses is something the Rockets and Amen need to capitalize on. All in all, Thompson will be a great defender regardless, the hope being he gets to an All Defensive team, something he absolutely has the tools to do.
Conclusion
The 2024-25 season is a very anticipated one for Amen Thompson and the Houston Rockets. After a very solid rookie season, Thompson not only has the opportunity to take his game to the next level, but has all the tools needed. Tools in which I believe Amen will be able to utilize and have an outstanding year two. This isn’t a call to say Amen will turn into a superstar, but a big leap is on the horizon for him this season. If everything goes right for Amen and the Rockets, fans have every reason to be excited for what Thompson has to offer. The sheer raw talent of Amen makes him a player to watch, but if he can just put everything together, there’s no limit to his ceiling. And this upcoming season, I believe Thompson will be able to do just that.