Rockets have given Amen Thompson the perfect resource to unlock his star potential

At this point in Amen Thompson's career, everyone knows his glaring weakness: shooting. Most people also understand that, beyond shooting, Thompson does almost everything else on the basketball court at a high level. The good news for Rockets fans is that Houston hiring Chip Engelland as an assistant coach should give them hope that Thompson can unlock another level as a shooter.

Amen Thompson can improve his shooting

Hiring Chip Engelland as an assistant coach should give Rockets fans plenty of optimism. Engelland spent the past four seasons with the Oklahoma City Thunder after serving as an assistant coach with the San Antonio Spurs for 17 seasons.

Over his time with those two organizations, he earned the nickname "The Shot Doctor." He gained that reputation by helping improve the jump shots of numerous NBA players, including Kawhi Leonard, Lu Dort, Tony Parker, Richard Jefferson, Danny Green, and many more. Engelland will surely be looking to add Amen Thompson's name to his list of success stories.

Thompson is far from a lost cause. He is only 23 years old and is coming off a season in which he already made meaningful progress with his free-throw shooting. After shooting 68.4 percent from the charity stripe across his first two NBA seasons, Thompson improved to 77.9 percent last year. That is a strong mark and could indicate that his shooting is already trending in the right direction.

Thompson's three-point shooting remains a work in progress. He is a career 21.9 percent shooter from deep, and that did not improve last season as he shot 21.6 percent from beyond the arc.

The 2023 fourth overall pick was drafted largely because of his elite athleticism. Every team knew about his shooting concerns, but his top-tier physical tools were still worth betting on for the Rockets. Through three seasons, that bet has paid off.

Although he has yet to make an All-Star team, Thompson earned First Team All-Defense honors in his sophomore season and has finished in the top 10 of Defensive Player of the Year voting in each of the past two seasons. In his third season, Thompson also took a major offensive leap despite his struggles from three-point range, averaging a career-high 18.3 points per game.

How Thompson can improve as a shooter

Expecting Thompson to suddenly shoot 40 percent from three while attempting 10 shots per game next season is unrealistic. However, he can become a more reliable catch-and-shoot threat.

Engelland is famous for working with what players already do well. Rather than completely overhauling a player's mechanics, he prefers to build on existing strengths while improving confidence.

With Thompson, Engelland will likely look to build off his 77.9 percent free-throw shooting and translate that success to catch-and-shoot three-pointers. Once Thompson becomes more comfortable knocking down open looks, Engelland can begin helping him expand into more difficult three-point attempts.

The presence of healthy playmakers like Fred VanVleet and veteran Marcus Smart should also create more clean catch-and-shoot opportunities for Thompson next season. Hopefully, those easier looks, combined with Engelland's guidance, will help Thompson continue to develop his jumpshot.

Regardless of whether Thompson's three-point shooting takes a significant step forward next season, hiring Engelland is an encouraging sign that Houston's front office is committed to giving its young players every opportunity to maximize their potential. Let's hope that investment pays off.

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