Blasting off with Amen Thompson for Rockets

The Rockets made a bold choice by selecting Amen Thompson with the No. 4 overall pick in the 2023 NBA Draft, and their faith in him has paid off tremendously. Thompson has quickly become a crucial part of the team's rapid rebuild, showing significant development in his skills and contributions on the court. Just a year after being drafted, Thompson has established himself as a key player for the Rockets, helping propel them to the second spot in the Western Conference standings as of January 15th. This marks a remarkable improvement from the team's 19-20 record and 11th place seeding on the same date just a year ago. Thompson's growth and impact on the team have been instrumental in the Rockets' unexpected success, exceeding all expectations set for him during the draft. His emergence as a standout player has been a major factor in the team's accelerated timeline for rebuilding, and his continued development bodes well for the Rockets' future success.

Thompson had an encouraging rookie season as he averaged 9.5 points on 53.6 percent shooting to go with 6.6 rebounds and 1.3 steals per game over 22.4 minutes. This year, his production has increased (12.6 PPG, 7.7 RPG, 1.2 STL), but still undersells the impact that Thompson is making, especially of late.

Thompson started just two of the Rockets’ first 24 games and was effective overall in that span with 11.9 points and 7.0 rebounds per game. However, Thompson has started seven of Houston’s last eight games and turned in some loud performances over that stretch. He has five double-doubles in that stretch, averaging 15.6 PPG, 11.0 RPG and he’s shooting 56.8 percent from the floor.

What Thompson is doing this season stands out among his fellow 2023 Draft classmates. Thompson checks in with 3.8 win shares, leading all second-year players, including even Victor Wembanyama. The Spurs’ star ranks third in that metric and is having a standout campaign of his own, so this goes to show the impact Thompson is having. Thompson ranks fourth in Player Impact Estimate among second-year players as well.

The Rockets have won four straight since Thompson’s return from a two-game absence on Jan.5, including back-to-back wins over the Grizzlies to further entrench them in the No.2 spot in the West.  He is getting it done on both ends of the floor and his explosive athleticism makes the Rockets even tougher to deal with – especially when teams already have to account for that element of Jalen Green’s game.

The Rockets are exceeding expectations this season and Thompson is following that theme by having an ascendant sophomore campaign.