Stephon Castle has a luxury that Amen Thompson can only dream of

The Rockets didn't make any big moves this offseason, so they will be asking Amen Thompson to carry a big load on both ends next season. It's got to be a frustrating experience for Thompson, who can see another the example of Stephon Castle as another young player with a similar playstyle, but support from his teammates to make life much easier. Castle gets the benefit of playing with Victor Wembanyama, which allows Castle to hide his weaknesses on both ends of the court.

Amen Thompson has to do a lot more than Stephon Castle

Because of his own center's defensive flaws, Thompson has to be the difference-maker on that end of the court. The Rockets have some other strong defenders, such as Jabari Smith Jr and Fred VanVleet, to round out their starting lineup too. But Thompson is ultimately the engine that drives their defensive dominance, which predictably slipped last season as Thompson was forced to take on a bigger offensive role.

In comparison, Castle gets a lot more support from his center to simply play a hounding point-of-attack role defensively without having to clean up as many mistakes. This comparison isn't to say that Victor Wembanyama is leaps and bounds ahead of Alperen Sengun; in fact, Sengun has played Wemby well and hopes to show that the gap is smaller than perceived this season. However, from a fit perspective, Wemby is far superior because of his incredible defensive impact and the spacing he provides on offense.

With Wembanyama letting him play more aggressively on defense and covering up for his lackluster shooting, Castle is in the ideal position for his playstyle. The Spurs will be ready to determine if he can live up to star potential this very season, just his third in the league. On the other hand, Thompson's third season - which just ended - left a lot more questions because the Rockets thrust too much offensive responsibility on him without ample shooting around him.

Thompson has still made the most of his situation

Even then, Thompson has given the Rockets a lot to love with his resilient performances and consistent improvement. His defense arguably took a step back last season as his offensive load grew, but the Rockets know he's still capable of being a top-5 defender in the world when needed. And his leap in offensive production makes it hard to be upset.

Thompson averaged 18 points, 8 rebounds and 5 assists per game last season while playing out of position as a point guard. He's more naturally suited for a wing role but stepped up to facilitate the Rockets offense without a proper floor general. He also retained solid efficiency, shooting 53% from the field.

Even without the same luxuries as someone like Stephon Castle, Amen Thompson is still playing like an emerging star. Hopefully the Rockets can make some adjustments to put him in better situations this season and get a better glimpse of his full ceiling.

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