Rockets' Amen Thompson: Defensive Player of the Year?

The Houston Rockets have grown into one of the best teams in the league, and it's all thanks to the team's defensive mindset.

Everyone has bought into the team's defense, especially second-year pro Amen Thompson, who could warrant consideration for the All-NBA Defensive Team.

Bleacher Report writer Grant Hughes took it a step further, believing Thompson could be in consideration for the league's Defensive Player of the Year award.

"Predatory. That's the best way to describe Thompson's brand of defense. He's the human embodiment of a quick-twitch muscle, always primed to strike. The kind of player who flips the offense-defense dynamic to put the man with the ball on his heels. Thompson's block rate is in the 100th percentile among wings, and he's an elite defensive rebounder who can guard five positions in a pinch," Hughes writes.

Thompson will have to compete against several of the league's top defenders for the award, but if he continues to play on this level for the next few years, he likely will have a trophy in his house at some point, and possibly more than one.

More importantly, Thompson's defense makes the Rockets a true full-fledged championship contender, and that is why he is so valuable to the team.

Thompson and the Rockets are back in action tomorrow as they take on the Los Angeles Lakers for their penultimate game of the season. Tipoff is scheduled for 9:30 p.m. CT from inside Crypto.com Arena. Fans can watch the game on Space City Home Network or stream it on NBA League Pass.