Amen Thompson is rewriting rules for non-shooters in today's NBA at Warriors expense

By now, the Houston Rockets know what to expect from Amen Thompson.

He's got an intriguing skillset. Thompson is an otherworldly athlete. He's got outstanding floor vision. This is a player with a lot of tools in his bag:

But shooting isn't one of them.

It's proven problematic at times. Opposing defenses will pack the paint and dare Thompson to shoot. This can make the Rockets' offense a bit awkward. Fans have wondered whether Thompson would be viable in the postseason.

In Game 5, he answered those questions resoundingly in a dominant 131-116 Rockets victory.

Thompson answers critics in dominant fashion

He finished the game with 25 points, 5 rebounds, 3 assists, 5 steals, and 2 blocks in just 28 minutes.

Yes, Thompson was dynamic on offense. His 8/12 shooting from the field was hyper-efficient. That's not the story here:

The story was his defense.

The word "generational" gets thrown around too often in NBA circles. In Thompson's case, it applies. He may be a generational perimeter defender.

In this game, his defense was so strong that it didn't matter that he couldn't shoot. If we look at the game in terms of pure net utility, Thompson provided so much on defense that the Rockets would live with any offensive limitation. He was dominant on that end of the floor.

Will this hold through the series? Who knows? The Warriors may find a way to adjust and mitigate Thompson's impact in Game 6. That said, he did not look like someone who could be stopped in this one.

He had some help from his friends as well.

Rockets run efficient offense in dominant win

Fred VanVleet rode his hot streak into this one. He finished with 26 points on 8/13 shooting from the field and 4/6 shooting from three-point range.

Alperen Sengun just missed out on a triple-double. He had 15 points, 9 assists, and 9 rebounds.

As a team, the Rockets shot a blistering from the field. They were a well-oiled machine, but Thompson's defensive brilliance was the biggest individual factor in their success. His ability to contain the Warriors consistently created easy opportunities for Houston on the other end.

This one wasn't as close as the final score suggests. The Warriors' second unit cut a 30+ point lead down to 13in the fourth. It was tense for the Rockets at times, but in the end, they got the job done. Now, they'll have to do the same in the Bay in Game 6.

Expect Thompson to be a key component of their strategy - even without a jumpshot.