Rockets fans will be terrified by Amen Thompson comparison (but they shouldn't be)

Some Houston Rockets fans may be getting tired of player comparisons.

Some fans hate them in general. They feel that player comparisons are lazy. Fair point. It's better to let players develop on their terms rather than assuming they'll fit a particular mold.

Yet, player comparisons can be irresistible. They're instructive. Comparison gives us a framework. We shouldn't treat it as the gospel, but it's ok to draw a comparison. Still, some comparisons will be greeted more warmly than others.

ESPN's Tim MacMahon just made an Amen Thompson comparison that some Rockets fans will hate.

Rockets' Amen Thompson compared to controversial star

"If he doesn't (develop his shot) he'll be the player Ben Simmons was supposed to be"

-Tim MacMahon, ESPN

Oh boy. MacMahon has opened a can of worms.

Simmons is the forbidden fruit of NBA player comparisons. Nobody wants anyone's career trajectory go as his has. How dare MacMahon level such an egregious insult at Thompson!

Right?

Rockets fans should embrace comparison

Pay close attention to MacMahon's words:

The player that Simmons was supposed to be.

Who was Simmons supposed to be?

Well, in the 2019-20 season, Simmons averaged 16.4 points, 8.0 assists, 7.8 rebounds and 2.0 steals per game. He had a Box Plus/Minus (BPM) of 3.6.

Simmons was supposed to be a perennial MVP candidate.

Sure, it didn't go that way. Injuries have plagued Simmons' career. His mental fortitude, fairly or not, has also been scrutinized. MacMahon isn't saying Thompson will have Simmons' career. He's saying he can comfortably surpass him in the all-time hierarchy.

Everyone should agree with that.

Rockets' Thompson compares favorably to Simmons

The comparison is instructive enough. MacMahon is responding directly to a colleague who's postulating that Thompson can be a top-10 player if he develops a jumper. MacMahon is responding that he can reach those heights even without one.

This is where the Simmons comparison is useful. He nearly achieved those heights without any semblance of a jump shot just a few years ago. Still, the comparison isn't perfect.

To begin with, Simmons is about 3 inches taller than Thompson. Thompson can close that gap with vastly superior athleticism. That said, it's Thompson's mental toughness that ought to give him a real edge.

Simmons played too passively. Fans will never forget him passing up an opportunity to dunk on Trae Young in the playoffs. Thompson hits that dunk ten times out of ten.

That's why his assist totals are pailing in comparison to prime Simmons'. If anything, Thompson could learn from the former star in that regard. Still, his willingness to aggressively go to the rack should ease the concerns of any Rockets fans taking offense to this comparison:

Unless they just hate comparisons in general.