Rockets' Amen Thompson must avoid mistake critics pressured Giannis into

Houston Rockets wing Amen Thompson is gradually becoming one of the most well-rounded players in the NBA. He's improved exponentially across his three seasons, establishing himself as an elite defender, high-level playmaker, and dynamic slasher who can put up points in a hurry.

As critics push Thompson to focus on his three-point shot, however, he must learn from how naysayers asked Giannis Antetokounmpo to emphasize weakness when he could've been refining his strengths.

Antetokounmpo is an all but unflappable player. He's an NBA champion, Finals MVP, two-time regular season MVP, Defensive Player of the Year, and nine-time All-NBA honoree who can bend games to his will in ways that most can only dream of.

If there's one knock against Antetokounmpo, however, it's that he's struggled to develop the jump shot that could've helped him somehow reach an even higher level of dominance.

In the modern era, spacing is king and the inability to bury jump shots is nothing short of detrimental to team success. Antetokoummpo is a career 28.6 percent shooter from beyond the arc, and Thompson is unfortunately even worse at 22.5 percent.

Rather than fixating on attempting more threes, however, Thompson must do what Antetokounmpo temporarily failed to: Focus on skills that directly support his preferred style of play.

Amen Thompson must refine game within the arc before expanding it

Thompson is on pace to increase his scoring average for a second consecutive season. He tallied 9.5 points per contest as a rookie, jumped to 14.1 during his second season, and is currently sitting at 17.9 points per game through 15 appearances in 2025-26.

The 22-year-old is attempting a career-high 2.2 three-point field goals per game, but the bigger story is how he's making improvements to his game that align with how he plays.

If Thompson starts spotting up and jacking up threes, it'd be a departure from the way he naturally operates on the court. That doesn't mean he can't find a way to incorporate long-distance shooting into his arsenal, but it's not necessarily along the path he's organically traveling.

What Thompson can do to directly impact the quality he provides with his actual style of play is refine his skill set around the basket and off the dribble in the midrange area.

Giannis Antetokounmpo briefly showed value of short midrange Js

Midrange is something of a taboo word in the era of three-point shooting, but it's an essential skill for players who hope to compete at a championship level in a featured role—a truth Rockets star Kevin Durant can confidently attest to. Durant, much like reigning Finals MVP Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, turned midrange marksmanship into legacy-defining glory.

Even Antetokounmpo can speak to the value of a midrange jumper, as the 2021 Finals MVP was in rare form en route to the title win.

Antetokounmpo shot 49.2 percent on 59 attempts from 10-to-14 feet during the 2021 NBA Playoffs. He struggled once he went any further out from the basket, but found a sweet spot in that range that allowed him to find space between traps and punish defenders without getting to the rim.

If Thompson can develop a similar shot, he could make his own attacking style even more dynamic as opponents wouldn't know when he's going to stop and fire.

In-between game would be a natural development for Amen Thompson

Clearly, 10-to-14 feet is not the typical definition of a midrange jump shot. Beginning with being able to pull up around the free throw line or beneath it, however, would change the way defenses react to Thompson when he attacks the basket.

Considering Thompson is averaging a team-leading 12.4 drives per game, it would certainly behoove him to find a way to become less predictable in his primary method of operation on offense.

Unfortunately, Thompson is shooting just 31.3 percent from 10-to-14 feet—as well as 25.0 percent from 5-to-9 feet. With this in mind, it's a far greater priority for him to become more effective from the free throw line in than it is for him to prioritize threes that don't yet come naturally to him.

With his game already built around attacking the basket, improving his efficiency on the drive and naturally adding a pull-up element to his arsenal would be the best path forward.

It's worth noting that Thompson has made five of his seven attempts from 15-to-19 feet, and is shooting a career-best 79.0 percent at the free throw line. That at least implies that he's capable of knocking down shots in some version of the midrange, as well as willing to attempt them.

If Thompson focuses on refining what's already in place rather than adding a skill that doesn't yet fit the structure of his style of play, he'll be a far more effective player moving forward.