Amen Thompson draws comparison to best version of washed-up star

Houston Rockets fans don't like to hear it, but it's hard to avoid comparing Amen Thompson to Ben Simmons.

For some, it's blasphemy. Simmons has become synonymous with failure. His career is a cautionary tale:

How could we suggest that Thompson is comparable?

Fair. Still, you should keep an open mind. Nobody is saying Thompson's career will take the same course as Simmons. It is fair to say that he's comparable to early-career Simmons:

And that's not necessarily a bad thing.

Rockets' Amen Thompson draws a controversial comparison

The Hoops Collective's Tim MacMahon just compared Thompson to Simmons. He should be flagging hate mail for the time being, but he's right.

"The best comparison for him is early-career Ben Simmons...without the...issues"

- Tim MacMahon, The Hoops Collective

First, let's talk about early-career Simmons. After that, we'll talk about the issues.

Simmons' first three NBA seasons were all comparable. Look at his rookie year. Simmons averaged 15.8 points, 8.2 assists, and 8.1 rebounds per game with a Box Plus/Minus (BPM) of 4.5.

That's a star player. During his first three years, that was Simmons' indisputable status. There were questions about how far he could get if he developed a jumper, but it was widely understood that he'd gotten far enough without one.

Then, the issues reared their ugly heads.

Most significantly, Simmons is injury-prone. He missed his fifth season, and he's averaged 31.8 games per season in the five years since. That'll hold any NBA player from reaching their potential.

That's not the only problem with Simmons. Without going into detail, there seems to be a mental block. The image of him declining a dunk on Trae Young to pass to a cutting Matisse Thybulle will endure in the minds of Sixers fans for years. Let's circle back to Thompson:

He'd have crammed that thing without any hesitation.

Rockets' Amen Thompson won't suffer Simmons' pitfalls

A comparison isn't meant to be perfect. Nobody should think that Thompson is going to become Simmons just because he draws comparisons.

They're both large point guards with poor jumpers. Simmons is a few inches taller, but Thompson is a higher jumper. In terms of pure verticality, they're close to each other. They're both excellent passers and elite defenders.

How many players fit that general description?

Exactly. The comparison invites itself. It also shouldn't be seen as an insult to Thompson. Simmons was on track for a Hall of Fame career before everything went regrettably south.

There's no reason to think the same will happen for Simmons. He's demonstrated a surplus of mental toughness. Injuries can happen to anyone, but nobody is likely to suffer as many as Simmons. Thompson will be fine:

Just be sure to only compare him to early-career Simmons.