ESPN Tabs Rockets' Amen Thompson as Breakout Player

Although Amen Thompson is far from a finished product, his defense is already among the best in th league. The Houston Rockets wing is a matchup nightmare for most players at his position. 

His 6-foot-7 frame and long wingspan make it even more difficult. 

He doesn't take possessions or nights off and enjoys the challenge of guarding the league's marquee players, which endeared him to Rockets coach Ime Udoka very early on in his career, to the point that Udoka found a way to give him playing time, even if it meant playing him out of position or simply giving him a new position. 

Thompson has been forced to take on more of a point guard, playmaking role thus far in the season, to replace Fred VanVleet. Which seems like it would work, but it's taken him away from what he's best at, which is using his elite athleticism to get downhill, whether to attack or to create open looks for his teammates.

However, Thompson’s early season showing has ledt an impression on ESPN's Jeremy Woo, who cited him as one of the league's breakout players this season.

"If these early games are any indication, the Rockets will likely deploy a lot of supersize lineups with no de facto point guard, using Durant and Alperen Sengun to help shoulder the load.

But few players apply pressure on the paint the way Thompson can with his speed and explosion, and he'll be asked to open things up for Houston's offense off of penetration.

Thompson won't be the sole playmaker, but the spike in minutes and usage could propel him into All-Star consideration at age 22 (albeit it's pretty tough to crack that group in the West).

Houston will need to find the right lineup combinations to maximize on-court spacing for Thompson to operate. Without Van Vleet, expect some experimentation. Still, the sheer uptick in offensive opportunity, coupled with top-flight defensive impact, ought to lift Thompson toward proper stardom sooner rather than later."

Thompson's shot hasn't yet materialized this season, although he prioritized it in the offseason and has been working on his confidence to shoot from outside. He's taken a career-best three attempts from deep per contest, but hasn't made a single outside shot through three games.

Granted, that's a bit misleading, because seven of his nine attempts came in the Rockets' opener against the Oklahoma City Thunder, but still.

If he can even develop an average outside shot, it'll open up even more things for the Rockets.