4 Increasingly bold predictions for the Houston Rockets in 2024-25

3. Houston Rockets' Amen Thompson earns a starting spot

Building an NBA roster is like putting a puzzle together. It's easy to fit a square into your puzzle. Other pieces are confusing - where exactly does this piece fit? Yet, when you find a place for that piece, it's likely to bring the whole picture together.

Amen Thompson is one of those pieces. As a non-shooter, working him into lineups can be confusing. Thompson's long-term role with the Rockets is unclear. In 2023-24, he thrived as an off-ball player in the dunker's spot, but before the draft, Thompson was supposed to be a point guard.

We're not sure where he'll land in 2024-25. Here's what we do know - Thompson had a BPM of 1.8 as a rookie. He had a Defensive Box Plus/Minus (DBPM) of 1.9. If we assume even average progress for him, we can assume that Thompson will be a distinctly starter-level player in 2024-25.

So, expect the Rockets to find a place for him in the starting lineup by the season's end. He may be the heir to Fred VanVleet's throne, or, he may usurp Dillon Brooks.

Either way, look for him in the starting lineup.