Amen Thompson’s Year Two Outlook

Thompson took over some of the playmaking duties during that stretch, opening up the floor for Houston’s sharpshooters on the outside in VanVleet and Smith Jr. With the addition of rookie Reed Sheppard in the offseason, Thompson has an opportunity to expand on his playmaking skills with the second unit as the Rockets continue to load up on three-point specialists. 

Houston, however, already knew what they were getting with Thompson in terms of his elite passing ability. What really stood out from his rookie campaign was how impactful he was on the defensive end. 

Thompson averaged two steals, 3.6 deflections and a block per 36 minutes. He flashed All-Defense potential in his rookie year, and will need to continue that heading into next season for the Rockets to enter the playoff-caliber team discussion. 

The All-Rookie guard showed us a small sample size of what he can do as a starter, averaging 13.5 points, 9.9 rebounds and 3.7 assists per game last season. Although he won’t start many games in 2024, he still has plenty of time to grow as an NBA player behind one of the better point guard minds in the league in VanVleet. Expect Thompson to continue to make an impact defensively and as a playmaker, whether or not his minutes increase or continue to be capped.