Amen Thompson should be the Rockets' sixth man in 2024-25

Amen Thompson is my favorite player on the Houston Rockets.

Have I violated the principles of journalistic integrity? Or, is this just a case of honesty? Everyone has their favorites. Before I continued writing this article, I thought it was pertinent that readers understood where I stand.

His combination of outlier athleticism and basketball intelligence is arguably unmatched - anywhere in the NBA. Thompson is a cyborg. Yet, his long-term NBA role remains unclear.

If he can't shoot, he will struggle as a lead ball-handler. Sure, Houston could surround him with four shooters and run a pick-and-pop heavy offense. That's possible, but it's also a touch idealistic.

True stretch bigs are a rare breed. It's possible that Jabari Smith Jr. can eventually man the five, but it would be unwise to bank on that assumption. Otherwise, building around a non-shooting playmaker is burdensome.

Perhaps Thompson will be Ben Simmons if he'd been able to extend his prime. Perhaps he'll be closer to Andre Iguodala. There are no valid concerns about Thompson as a highly productive NBA player - we're just not sure how it will look.

Let's narrow the lens. Never mind Thompson's long-term role. His projection is too murky.

In 2024-25, he should pilot the Rockets' second unit

Thompson isn't ready to start for Rockets

The argument here is twofold. There's a reason why Thompson isn't ready to start, and there's a reason why he'd be optimal with the second unit.

To the first point - Thompson can't shoot. That's not a reductive argument. It's a simple analysis of a simple problem. Alperen Sengun thrives in the paint. He's the Rockets' best offensive player at the moment, and optimizing him means surrounding him with spacing.

Moreover, Jalen Green needs driving lanes to succeed. There are already questions about his ability to co-exist with Sengun. Throw Thompson into the mix, and matters get uncomfortably complicated.

Dillon Brooks isn't the league's most reliable floor spacer, but he is a shooter. He can knock down open threes at a reasonable clip. He is more complimentary to Sengun and Green.

Besides, the Rockets could use Thompson in the second unit.

Thompson is an ideal reserve for the Rockets

Positional versatility makes for a strong reserve. Thompson can plug into a variety of situations, and the Rockets should take advantage of that.

He can clock in with the starters as a wing. Thompson can function as a cutter and a roll man. If the Rockets run lineups featuring Jabari Smith Jr. at the 5, he could even have the spacing he needs to run a bit of point guard in those situations.

Otherwise, let him pilot the second unit. Thompson's non-existent three-point range makes him a tough sell as a starting point guard. He should still be able to bully second-unit point guards. He'll get some valuable reps running point at the NBA level in the process.

That's key. Nobody should be ruling out Thompson as a point guard in the future. He's simply not ready yet. Meanwhile, the Rockets are looking to win games. Thompson may be a more generally impactful player than Brooks already, but he's not as sensible alongside the rest of the team's starters.

This team is looking to put their young players in positions that will help them win games. If Thompson thrives as a floor general in the second unit, he should be allowed to graduate. In the meantime, the Rockets should take advantage of his impressive skillset.

By the end of the season, he'll be more people's favorite Rocket.