Jeff Teague Admits Amen Thompson Can be like Rajon Rondo

The Rockets have an interesting situation with the current roster. They lack a point guard to guide them during plays, which stems from the VanVleet ACL injury that has kept him out for a season.

Since he won't be present for the entirety of the 2025-26 season, the rest of the team will need to step up. Reed Sheppard is being tasked to carry that burden, but he is still a young player with a lot to prove. That is why some people are giving it to Thompson.

Thompson Has Point Guard Potential in the Long-Term Future

During his high-school years, Thompson was a promising ball-handler. Of course, Amen and his brother, Ausar, were athletically superior to most players. However, Amen did show promise as a lead guard.

Aside from his ball-handling skills, Thompson also has superb basketball IQ. That is important to thrive in the NBA because he can make a difference for Houston. However, fans should not expect it to happen immediately, as Thompson has been accustomed to playing as a wing in the past two seasons.

Former All-Star guard Jeff Teague is known for making comparisons. He feels Thompson could be a player who's an athletic version of former All-Star guard and two-time champion Rajon Rondo.

"The Thompson twin. He's Rajon Rondo. He's way more athletic, but if he's going to play point guard, he's a Rajon Rondo point guard. He doesn't have the IQ of Rondo at all; he doesn't know the game like Rondo at all. Rondo could pick you apart," Teague said on his Club 520 podcast.

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"His ability, he can get to the basket, he can make plays, he's good defensively. He's not really a shooter; he needs to learn how to play in the dunker. It's the only way he's going to be effective until he learns how to shoot."

Finding the Optimal Role for Thompson is Tough

Udoka has a tough task ahead of him because the Rockets need a point guard pronto. Sheppard should be the favorite to do this, but Thompson looks like the de facto option after the first game.

Kevin Durant is the star player, but he needs a point guard to feed him the ball. During that first game, Durant did well with his isolation plays, but Sheppard and Thompson struggled to get the ball to him.

Alperen Sengun dominated by being the initiator of his plays. It will be challenging for the rest of the Rockets to have a good flow in the offense without a point guard. It will be up to Udoka to create a system that maximizes everyone.

Teague has noted that Thompson can also be Russell Westbrook-lite, but it will be tough to live up to that kind of expectation. Udoka must find the right role, considering they have title aspirations in the 2025-26 season.