Former Rockets Fan Favorite Lauds Amen Thompson's 'Freak Athleticism'

Amen Thompson entered the 2023 NBA Draft with major questions. How long would it take him to be NBA ready?

Would he be able to thrive as a floor general without a jumpshot? Would he be able to tweak his shooting motion?

Then there were questions about the Overtime Elite, who hadn't put anyone in the NBA before Amen and his twin brother Ausar.

Thompson's draft class was headlined by Victor Wembanyama, followed by Scoot Henderson and Brandon Miller.

In other words, he was sort of the odd man out.

Two years later, Thompson would likely be going second in a re-draft, behind only Wembanyama. 

Thompson has proven capable of essentially playing anywhere on the court and has already immersed as one of the league's best defenders, making First-Team All-Defense in his sophomore campaign with the Rockets. 

Alot can change in two years.

Austin Rivers, who knows a thing or two about playing for the Rockets, couldn't contain himself when speaking about Thompson, as his excitement was on clear display. 

Rivers was on his Off Guard with Austin Rivers podcast and said the following. 

"He's definitely a freak athlete. He has one of those rare quick-jump qualities. Obviously when a guy has a running start, guys can take off and jump. That's not the type of stuff that impresses me.

What impresses me is when I see him go grab a rebound -jump as high as he can to go grab one- land.

Usually guys have to take two seconds to gather. He'll just pop back up and dunk, as if his feet didn't touch hardwood. 

He's a freak athlete, man."

It's great to see Rivers give Thompson his flowers, but this is a major under sell. Thompson is one of the better two-way players in the league.

In fact, ESPN's Kendrick Perkins stated that Thompson has the ability to be the best two-way player in the league within the next two years.

Thompson certainly still has things to work on. His handle needs some work and his shot is ways away from being a threat. He's not afraid to take long-range shots, unlike Ben Simmons -- the player he's been compared to in the past. 

However, his playmaking ability and defensive prowess are fairly equal to Simmons in his prime. Which is saying alot because Simmons was a Defensive Player of the Year finalist. 

The athleticism that Rivers alluded to, along with the other traits, could make Thompson an All-NBA player, sooner rather than later.