The Houston Rockets will miss Amen Thompson dearly

The Houston Rockets hung 146 points on the Pelicans on Saturday:

But that's not what we're here to talk about.

Amen Thompson had an incredible performance, but that's not quite the topic either. Let's touch on it briefly. Thompson had 15 points, 11 assists, and 9 rebounds. Rockets fans who envision Thompson running point on a long-term basis got some vindication. With his gaudy assist total, Thompson was one rebound short of a triple-double.

Unfortunately, that's a key aspect of what we're here to talk about.

Rockets' Thompson injures ankle in pursuit of triple double

This isn't about playing the blame game, either.

Thompson wanted his third career triple double. Who could blame him? Despite a tremendous lead, Ime Udoka indulged him by keeping him in the game.

Fans will look to point the finger in that direction. Udoka's decision was questionable, but his desire to build morale was admirable. If he'd known Thompson would get injured, he'd have taken him out. Hindsight is 20/20, and Udoka was facing a 50/50 decision.

In any event, Thompson limped out of this game with an ankle injury. As of this writing, he's scheduled for an MRI. The extent of the damage is not known.

Can the Rockets survive without him?

Rockets will miss Thompson dearly

It won't be easy.

Thompson's 3.3 Box Plus/Minus (BPM) is third on the team. Without taking anything away from Tari Eason (4.2), he feasts on second units to some extent. It would be fair to say that Thompson has been the Rockets' second-most impactful player after Alperen Sengun in 2024-25.

His presence will be particularly missed on the defensive end. Thompsion has been transcendent on that end of the floor this year. The Rockets will have their work cut out to replace him.

Making up the entirety of his absence will be impossible. Still, the Rockets can make up some ground by leaning on Jabari Smith Jr. (who's nearly certain to be re-inserted into the starting lineup) and Tari Eason. This team does have the defensive depth to make up for the loss of Thompson.

More broadly, Thompson missing the playoffs would be devastating. Getting data on his postseason performance was integral this year, as the organization views him as a building block. If he misses the postseason, they won't know how easily they can compensate for his poor shooting in a high leverage environment.

Most importantly: all Rockets fans should keep Thompson in their thoughts. This kid has a blindingly bright future. Here's hoping nothing knocks him off course:

That's what this article is about.