Amen Thompson growth the Rockets must see to expand his role

The Houston Rockets have a lot of young talent.

Some would call it a remarkable collection. Alperen Sengun is already an All-Star. Otherwise, this roster boasts six young players who at least some fans think have All-Star potential.

Out of that group, none have Amen Thompson's potential. That's as close to an objective fact as a subjective statement could be. Thompson is a one of one athlete. Coupled with a brilliant mind for the game, that makes him a lethal player.

Thompson's appeal isn't just in his ceiling - he's got an exceedingly high floor as well. He's already one of the best defensive wings in the NBA. If Thompson doesn't grow one iota, he's already a valuable NBA player.

Still, if the Rockets are going to expand his role, they'll need to see growth in one key area.

Rockets' Thompson must expand offensive repertoire

It must be said that Thompson was not drafted to be a defensive wing. He was drafted to be a point guard. So far, that's been a challenge for him. It should also be noted that one of the Rockets' best lineups had Thompson at point. When he manned the 1 alongside Jalen Green, Dillon Brooks, Tari Eason, and Alperen Sengun, Houston was +22.3 in 308 possessions (per CleaningTheGlass).

That's evidence of Thompson's ability to handle the position. It's not proof. It's a decent sample size, but it's not enough for Thompson to hang his hat on.

Ime Udoka's hesitancy to hand Thompson the keys to the offense is understandable. His inability to shoot can lead to challenges scoring in half-court sets. When handed primary ball-handling responsibilities, Thompson can be a turnover machine. That's not a product of bad decision-making - defenses converge in the paint and make it nearly impossible for Thompson to create offense.

That's not to say that Thompson must develop a solid three-ball to become a point guard. It would certainly be optimal, but even a reliable floater would help him beat the paint-packing strategy teams deploy against him. Thompson can't solely rely on rim pressure to create offense - he has to be able to score from at least two levels.

Is there any hope?

Rockets' Thompson has room to grow

Flash back to the 2024-25 NBA playoffs.

Early, Thompson struggled against the Warriors. He had something of a breakthrough in Game 4, but it was Game 5 where he really found his footing. Thompson had 25 points on 8/12 shooting from the field. He took one three, and he made it.

Above all else, he was aggressive. Thompson seemingly decided that he was going to drive to the basket and live with the results. If the Warriors kept him from the rim, he'd go to the aforementioned floater. It worked.

Yes, that's a one-game sample size. Need two? Thompson had 24 in Game 7. The broader point is that he has flashed some capacity to be a primary offensive option. If he can do it consistently in 2025-26, the NBA should be on notice:

Few players have as high a ceiling.