Jan 27, 2025; Boston, Massachusetts, USA; Houston Rockets forward Amen Thompson (1) makes the basket to win the game against the Boston Celtics at TD Garden. Mandatory Credit: David Butler II-Imagn Images / David Butler II-Imagn Images
With just seconds remaining in a bout with Boston, second-year guard Amen Thompson grabbed the inbound, sliced up the middle of the floor and stepped-back over Jaylen Brown for a jumper. The shot fell true with just 0.7 seconds remaining, granting Houston its third-straight win over one of the NBA’s best teams.
All in all, Thompson finished with 33 points on 68% shooting, with nine rebounds, four assists and one steal and block apiece to boot. The game was truly a microcosm of his season so far, which has featured filled box scores all year long.
“That felt great,” Thompson said on the postgame broadcast before teammate Dillon Brooks interjected about knowing the shot would fall. “I knew it would fall, that was my first game-winner, I feel like Kobe.”
The shot was certainly Bryant-esque, and said plenty about Thompson’s continued growth.
Drafted at No. 4 in the 2023 NBA Draft only behind Victor Wembanyama, Brandon Miller and Scoot Henderson, Thompson’s always blended in somewhat. The draft’s top pick commanded headlines, and the twin even blended into his own team’s massive young core, too, with the talented Alperen Sengun, Jalen Green, Jabari Smith Jr. and more alongside him.
Now, Thompson is commanding attention.
In his last 10 games, Thompson has averaged 18.8 points on 57% shooting, with 11 rebounds, 4.6 assist, 2.3 steals and 1.3 blocks per game, looking more like the Rockets’ future franchise player than an ancillary piece of its core. He’s garnered legitimate Defensive Player of the Year steam on the wing, racking up stocks and defending the best of the best on the perimeter. And his athleticism-fueled offense has yet to slow down.
Defenders are fully aware of Thompson’s offensive limitations, and yet there’s nothing to be done in stopping him from getting out in transition, and downhill to the paint to finish with authority. Some basketball prospects see sophomore slumps, where the scouting report is sent out league-wide, and the player needs to adjust. For Thompson, that simply hasn’t been possible due to his innate talent.
The Rockets are now 12-3 since Thompson joined the starting lineup, most recently boasting back-to-back wins over the Cavs, in addition to the Celtics game. As it stands now, it appears he could very well lock up that starting spot for the foreseeable future.
But even as good as Thompson is now, his future is all the more scary for the NBA. He’s still just 21 (though he’ll turn 22 on Thursday) and stands to get better in a variety of areas. His offense in general and play-making only stand to sharped as he gains even more experience, and the only knock on his game coming into the league — his 3-point shooting — has already seen a massive boon on even more volume in Year 2.
If Thompson continues his current trajectory in Houston, you’ll soon need to add “super” to his star tag.
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