Can Amen Thompson Finally Address a Critical Weakness To Help the Rockets Win It All?

Amen Thompson is simply positioned to become the Houston Rockets’ most intriguing player heading to the 2025-26 campaign.

Following a major sophomore season, all eyes are definitely fixated on the new progress that Thompson will make. At age 22, he already hammered his case as one of the best defenders in the league today by clinching NBA All-Defensive First Team honors. His defensive masterclass was instrumental in Houston’s 52-win season of revelation, allowing the franchise to enter the NBA Playoffs for the first time in five years and nail the second-best record in the Western Conference.

As such, in the wake of the Rockets’ rise as one of the key favorites to win it all, year three offers a significant challenge for Thompson. From being the team’s established wingman last year, the Oakland native will soon find himself playing at the shooting guard position.

Will he be ready for this daunting role?

Is Thompson Ready To Be the Rockets’ Newest Shooting Guard?

The Rockets enjoyed one of the most productive offseasons, mainly highlighted by the blockbuster trade for Kevin Durant. But the Durant acquisition meant the departure of Jalen Green, as the former top-two pick will now welcome new beginnings in the Valley as a Phoenix Sun. Meanwhile, the team’s front office also decided to let go of Cam Whitmore, transferring the Villanova standout to the Washington Wizards in a three-team deal with the New Orleans Pelicans.

With Green and Whitmore already gone, that leaves Thompson as the only one who is about to shoulder Houston's two-guard role.

Being a shooting guard requires ample offensive capabilities. In the case of Thompson, he showed scoring development from averaging 9.5 points as a rookie to 14.1 from last year. That’s undeniably promising, but is he well-rounded enough to help the Rockets in the scoring department?

Despite a highly efficient field goal shooting of above 50 percent in the past two seasons, a critical area to monitor around Thompson has been his three-point accuracy. He only shot 27.5 percent last year, and is holding an awful career 22.1 percent since landing in the NBA two years ago.

To be fair, there’s still a sizable room for growth waiting for Thompson. But considering the team’s win-now mode in approaching the brand-new season, can he deliver an immediate, much-needed offensive step-up in order not to restrict the championship chances of Houston?

Apparently, Rockets fans have some good reasons to be optimistic about Thompson’s offensive development. Earlier this offseason, he had a compelling shooting workout with ‘The Guard Whisperer’, the well-known Player Development Specialist Olin Simplis. It can be seen that Thompson is already adjusting his shooting form and stroke for the better.