How Amen Thompson’s ‘one-of-a-kind’ athleticism is fueling the Rockets and turning heads

The Houston Rockets have been one of the NBA’s most pleasant surprises this season. They currently sit in second place in the Western Conference with a record of 23-12. Just two years ago this team won 22 games and finished second to last in the West. Now, Houston looks like a playoff contender, an impressive feat considering most of the team’s rotation is an average of 23.6 years old.

Jalen Green is averaging 20 points per game, Alperen Sengun has been a consistent second scorer, Fred VanVleet provides needed veteran leadership and Dillon Brooks gives Houston toughness on defense. A little further down the depth chart is Amen Thompson, the fourth overall pick in 2023. NBA Draftwho is having a greater impact beyond what his counting statistics would suggest.

Thompson’s athleticism is the first thing that jumps off the screen when you watch him play, and it shines when he breaks the offensive glass. He averages 2.6 offensive rebounds per game, which ranks 11th among forwards, ahead of guys like Giannis Antetokounmpo and Bam Adebayo. And in the last five games that number has almost doubled to 4.4.

“One of a kind, brother,” Rockets big man Steven Adams said of Thompson. via the Houston Chronicle. “I’ve never played with anyone like that. His speed is incredible. And then his second jump, his first, is so fast off the ground, it’s crazy. I haven’t really seen that kind of athleticism, to be honest.”

That’s coming from a guy who played with Russell Westbrook and Ja Morant, two players acclaimed for their otherworldly athleticism.

In Sunday night’s win against the Lakers, six of Thompson’s 10 rebounds came on the offensive end, often resulting in second-chance points for the Rockets.

The highlight of those offensive boards was a dunk by Thompson after a three-pointer by Green. It looked more like an alley-oop, but Thompsons tracks the ball perfectly and throws it.

Thompson made a similar dunk early in the game, this time thanks to his own miss.

After that win against the Lakers, LeBron James had a lot of praise for Thompson (and his twin brother, Ausar, who plays for the Pistons).

“I thought the Thompson twin was incredible, just because of his energy and effort.” James said. “…You see, their brother, I think yesterday was that game. I think Cade Cunningham said it best, ‘they’re different.’ They’re not like the rest of us. I’ve been able to do some things in my career, and those two guys “They’re pure athleticism. They love the game, and you love seeing that.”

James certainly knows athleticism, so he stands out when you have a 6-foot-7 guy routinely breaking the offensive glass and rising above the crowd to make returns.

“It’s definitely instincts,” Adams said. “His accident rate is probably pretty high; I don’t know the numbers, but he always goes. You can see he tracks the ball really well and his springboard is really quick to get there. Crazy.”

Thompson often finds his opponent sleeping at the wheel. Before you know it, he’s following the shot and it usually results in something like this:

That’s just effort and you can’t really teach it. You either do it or you don’t, and fortunately for the Rockets, Thompson’s willingness to break the offensive glass has them at the top of the league in offensive rebounds.

Lakers coach JJ Redick also had nothing but positive things to say about Thompson after he scored a season-high 23 points, 16 rebounds, three assists and a steal against the Lakers.

“Thompson just killed us all night, whether it was in transition, with his cut or on the offensive glass,” Redick said. “…There’s definitely a difference between 1% of 1% of athletes, and he’s one of them. I think everyone NBA “Guys are in the 1% of the general population, he’s in the 1% of the NBA population.”

Thompson has given the Rockets an extra boost in the starting lineup over the last six games. His speed is on full display when the Rockets come out in transition, which usually happens when Houston ranks eighth in transition frequency. Thompson specifically ranks in the 76th percentile in transition scoring, generating 1,243 points per possession. Against the Lakers he gave Los Angeles front row seats to show how dangerous he can be in transition.

He had the first six points of the game for the Rockets, four of which came on second-chance opportunities after grabbing the rebound.

With Jabari Smith Jr. sidelined with a broken left hand for at least a month, Thompson will only see his role increase. He’s already impacted the game off the bench, and now that he’s in the starting lineup, he’ll make the Rockets much harder to defend.