For those teams that are rebuilding, the development of young people is more important than the results of the moment, and the Houston Rockets are no different. While there are no interior behemoths like Victor Wembanyama, the Rockets' two rookies, Amen Thompson and Cam Whitmore, have also grown steadily and have a chance to be important pieces of the team's future puzzle.
Amen Thompson, in particular, is not only physically impressive, but also has excellent ball intelligence and game reading ability, and it seems that the Rockets should consider starting the guard. The American media listed three reasons for Amen Thompson to sit in the starting position when next season begins.
Then for fans, there must be a lot of concern about who the Rockets will replace if Amen Thompson starts on top. The American media gave their own answer, and Dillon Brooks, a flank engineer, may be sacrificed, and returning to the bench may even be peddled. The media's thinking is very simple, Alperen Shenjing and Jabari Smith are both interior players and are not so easy to replace; Jalen Green has recovered in the second half of the game and is still regarded as the core of the Rockets' outside line, so it is impossible to be used as a substitute; as for Fred VanVleet, his outside projection and court control ability are indispensable, and once Dillon Brooks has a fluctuating projection, his other functions on the court, Amen Thompson can completely replace him. Not to mention that he's quite young, Amen Thompson has better ball handling and adds tactical variety, which Dillon Brooks doesn't have.
Secondly, in terms of defense, if Dillon Brooks relies on size and hard work, then Amen Thompson is more of a defensive elite. He's made a staggering 2.7 steals per 100 possessions this season, ranking seventh in the league and leading directly among rookies. In addition, Amen Thompson is also at the forefront of blocking and other defensive statistics, and he can theoretically go from opponent point guard to power forward, which is very rare in the whole league, and the Rockets coaching staff must see it.
Finally, in terms of fit and future development, Amen Thompson is only 21 years old and is certainly more worthy of development than those veterans who are ready to fight. Even if the Rockets have to make a choice among the six, I think Amen Thompson's position is relatively safe, after all, he is very versatile, averaging 9.5 points, 6.6 rebounds, 2.6 assists and 1.2 steals per game this season.