Defenses clog the paint, forcing difficult shots. Discover how Amen Thompson can leverage his athleticism to thrive on the fast break and counter new defensive strategies.
Obviously Amen scores a lot in close, ranking 10th in the league in that category with 12.1 out of his 17.6 total points per game coming in the paint. But his percentages might surprise you.
He shoots 70.5-percent from the restricted area, but when the shot is just a few feet further (still in the paint) his average drops down to 41-percent. Move past the restricted area, past the paint altogether, and his mid-range percentage plummets to 27.3, per NBA Stats.
It’s apparent why teams have been guarding him with a center, being able to essentially keep that center in the paint. When any shot other than a dunk or layup is assumed to be a miss, you become easier to defend.
His three point attempts have continued to go down each month, from 2.5 in October to 2.0, 1.8, 1.4, and now 1.0 through the first half of February. His scoring this month is currently the lowest it's been since December of 2024, per StatMuse. So how can he help score?
Thompson averages 2.9 fast break points per game, according to NBA Stats. This ranks him at 40th in the league, just over half as many as the leader, LeBron James, who averages 5.7 points on the break. A little disappointing when you consider how athletic he is.
Making a concerted effort to get out in transition is Amen Thompson’s best chance to help his team improve its scoring. More and more opponents are giving him the Russell Westbrook treatment, and I don’t see major improvements coming in the half-court this season.
This is actually something the Rockets as a whole should focus on, as I previously suggested on Roundtable.