The Amen Thompson hype train is gaining steam among NBA coaches with DPOTY talk

The Houston Rockets have something special in Amen Thompson.

What will he look like in his prime? That's to be determined. Thompson's questionable jumper makes his potential range of outcomes on offense especially wide. He'll find a role, but what it will look like remains unclear.

On the defensive end, the Rockets know exactly what they have.

When it comes to point prevention, Thompson is special. He's already one of the best defenders in the NBA. It seems the league's coaches are taking notice:

Thompson received some votes in the Defensive Player of the Year picture when coaches around the league were polled.

Rockets' Thompson is gaining notoriety

Specifically, Thompson received three third-place votes.

So, he's not a Defensive Player of the Year candidate yet. That's fine. Thompson is a sophomore. Most of the players ahead of him have far more experience. One notable exception is Dyson Daniels. If this poll can be trusted as a projection, he's expected to win the award.

It's nice that Thompson is even in the running. That's a worthy distinction for a player in their second season.

Is it possible that he's slightly underrated?

Rockets' Thompson could have ranked higher

One could make that case.

Thompson closed out the 2024-25 regular season tied for fifth in Defensive Box Plus/Minus (DBPM) at 2.8. Of the players ahead of him, only one - Draymond Green of all people - ranked in the coaches' poll.

Otherwise, we're looking at Victor Wembanyama, Kris Dunn, and Nikola Jokic. Wembanyama was the runaway favorite for the award until he got injured, Jokic's defensive stats are notoriously inflated by his sheer offensive dominance, and Dunn - well, Dunn just isn't the Defensive Player of the Year (as great as he is). Daniels is one of the players that Thompson is tied with

Candidates like Evan Mobley, Jaren Jackson Jr. and Lu Dort are far behind Thompson in DBPM. No one metric is the gospel - DBPM isn't enough to make a case - but it does feel that Thompson's efforts aren't being properly recognized.

Who cares?

Rockets' Thompson has a long career ahead

Thompson will be in the mix for Defensive Player of the Year awards for a decade or more.

His athletic profile is virtually unmatched around the league. Thompson's combination of height, foot speed and vertical leap is unfathomable. He's also hypercompetitive. The fact that he's being coached for Ime Udoka bodes will for his future in this area as well.

For now, more recognized players are going to finish ahead of him. Next year, Thompson will build on his body of work, and likely find himself getting more votes for this award.

The Rockets will be loving every minute of it.