Mar 13, 2026; Houston, Texas, USA; Houston Rockets guard Amen Thompson (1) handles the ball against the New Orleans Pelicans during the game at Toyota Center. Mandatory Credit: Erik Williams-Imagn Images Erik Williams-Imagn Images

Rockets' Amen Thompson Deserves Credit For Consistency

Originally posted on Houston Rockets on SI
By Maanav Gupta | Last updated Mar 24, 2026 8:30 PM ET

The Houston Rockets have been plagued with inconsistency at various parts of the season, and that has been an issue for them even more since the All-Star break. With how tight the Western Conference standings are, Houston can ill afford to go into a slump.

While All-Star forward Kevin Durant has been the consistent scorer for the Rockets throughout the entire year, even he faced some difficulties in March when opponents doubled him. It looks like the Rockets have figured out how to combat that in their special win over the Miami Heat on Saturday.

There has been one constant player that has shown up in games regardless of a win or loss. That is Rockets’ guard Amen Thompson. He deserves recognition for being the team’s best player on both sides of the floor, especially during the month of March.

Thompson Delivering

Thomas Shea-Imagn Images

The expectations were obviously high for someone like Thompson, drafted fourth overall in 2023 to be an athletic force on offense and defense. He rose to stardom in 2024 and is considered to be one of the best young players in the game. Thompson has not reached his ceiling and has the ability to be a superstar in the NBA.

What he has developed this season is consistency. Night in and night out, Thompson will more than likely be lighting up the box score and making plays. The 6-foot-7, 200-pound hybrid guard has contributed at a high level in March and has shown up even in the toughest games, such as on the road against the San Antonio Spurs.

Thompson’s game-winning tip-in at the buzzer over the Miami Heat for a 123-122 win that saved Durant’s historic night of passing Michael Jordan for fifth on the all-time scoring list was fitting for the kind of role he’s played lately. If Durant isn’t getting it done, Thompson has.

His energy and effort in the paint and on defense are crucial to the Rockets’ chances every game. Thompson put up 24 points and 18 rebounds against the Heat. He has four double-doubles in the last five games. That includes 23 points, 12 rebounds, and eight assists in the win against the Pelicans.

While the Rockets lost both games to the Los Angeles Lakers, Thompson had an impressive 26/11/4 with 0 turnovers. March has by far been the best month of his season with a current average of 21.3 points, 9.5 rebounds, 5.2 assists, and 1.3 steals in 11 games. Thompson is shooting 59% from the field and is also 6/12 from three. His free throw percentage is also 80%.

This article first appeared on Houston Rockets on SI and was syndicated with permission.

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