The season hasn't even started and the Rockets already have an Amen Thompson problem

As the Houston Rockets enter the 2025-26 season, their success will hinge upon the ability of young guards Amen Thompson and Reed Sheppard to take on the duties left behind by the injured Fred VanVleet.

Yet, even though Thompson is slated to bring a unique skill-set to the starting point guard position, his level of comfort with the ball in his hands in the three preseason games he played present a serious cause for concern.

While he was able to make a number of flashy passes, he posted just twelve assists through his three games, accompanied by nine turnovers, and this ratio will need to change rapidly if he is going to become to ball-handler that Houston needs this season.

Amen Thompson needs to become a surer passer quickly for the Rockets to be serious contenders

While VanVleet's injury serves as a major blow to the depth of the team's rotation, it is not necessarily as dire as many analysts made it out to be when the news first broke.

Thompson, who will likely be taking over the starting point guard role for large swathes of the regular season, averaged 4.3 assists per 36 minutes on the court last season, flashing an ability to make the right passes when called upon.

Moreover, Alperen Sengun will also be called upon to become a primary facilitator this year, and, through his preseason performances, he showed an ability to read the court both from the paint and the top of the key. It is likely that Sengun, rather than Thompson, will come to serve as the offensive hub for this team as the season goes on.

Yet, a team cannot realistically contend for a championship without a reliable ball-handler at point guard, and Thompson cannot continue to turn the ball over at this rate if he is going to become that for the Rockets.

Last season, Thompson posted a 1.95 assist-to-turnover ratio: a number that, if it holds steady this season, should be enough to keep Houston on the positive side of the turnover battle.

However, the 1.33 ratio he held in the preseason could have disastrous effects upon the viability of the Rockets' offense. If the team ultimately ends up being turnover-prone, like they were for stretches of last season even with VanVleet in the lineup, they will sacrifice any chance they have at defeating some of the top teams in the Western Conference, who will feast upon any mistakes that the team's young core might make.

Therefore, although it is just preseason, Thompson's turnovers are already emerging as a narrative to watch as the 2025-26 season kicks off, and Houston's success will depend upon his ability to mitigate them.