Gut-wrenching Amen Thompson reality the Rockets must navigate

As the Houston Rockets attempt to navigate what their line-up will ultimately look like with the absence of Fred VanVleet this season, it appears increasingly likely that young guard Amen Thompson will take over starting point guard duties barring a surprise emergence of second-year player Reed Sheppard.

Yet, according to Sam Vecenie on the latest episode of the Game Theory Podcast, this enhanced offensive workload could cause Thompson's defensive game to take a temporary step backwards, ultimately leaving the team's entire defensive front in serious question compared to last season's dominance.

While Thompson has proven to be a capable ball-handler, it remains to be seen whether or he not he can handle the facilitation of the entire offense, and, if this proves to be a struggle, it will be difficult for him to keep up his prowess at the point of attack this season.

Amen Thompson's move to point guard could cause a temporary step back in his defensive game

Last season, in his second year in the NBA, the world quickly realized that Thompson was among the best defenders in the league, and his combination of dependability and highlight-worthy plays on that end of the floor earned him both serious consideration for Defensive Player of the Year and a nod to the Defensive All-NBA First Team.

Now, however, Vecenie claims that these new responsibilities could make it difficult for Thompson to repeat this performance: "If Amen is now running the show... what are the impacts on your defense? I don't think Amen can be the best defender in the NBA while also being the guy who's running point for you and kind of learning the point guard position on the fly..."

While Thompson played a healthy portion of minutes at guard last season, and is thus not entirely new to the point guard position, the absence of VanVleet will be a trial by fire for the emerging young player. Although he averaged 4.3 assists per 36 minutes last season and has proven to be a capable ball-handler, faciliation of the offense alongside Alperen Sengun will necessitate a major step forward in that aspect of his game.

It's been seen time and time again in the NBA. When a player takes on a larger offensive workload, it is often difficult for them to play as significant a role on defense. While the best and most energetic players in the NBA can be elite on both ends of the floor, these specimens are few and far between.

While Thompson will still be one of the most electrifying young players in the NBA, it is difficult to imagine that, with an increased offensive workload, he will be as poised as he once was to make a run at Defensive Player of the Year this season: a difficult pill to swallow for Rockets fans who were excited to see that play out.