The Houston Rockets have something special in their roster with sophomore guard/forward Amen Thompson, who’s been deployed across three positions in his stint with the Rockets so far. He’s already become an indispensable part of the roster, with his multi-positional defensive ability making him a weapon Ime Udoka uses quite often.
When Udoka does play Amen, he expects perfect defense every time, as revealed by Rockets GM Rafael Stone in an interview with ESPN.
“He’s not particularly happy when someone scores on Amen. In Ime’s world, that should be an impossibility. And if it occurs, it’s because Amen did something wrong.”
This is exemplified by Udoka getting mad at Amen for allowing Norman Powell to score a floater during their 117-106 win over the Los Angeles Clippers on Sunday. Thompson’s opponents were 2-10 while he guarded them that game, but that Powell floater was enough for Udoka to get mad at Amen, as the player himself revealed.
“Imagine the most mad face ever, just staring daggers at you.”
Udoka has revamped the culture of the Rockets within just two seasons, helping the team evolve from being lottery fodder for three seasons before finishing with a .500 record in his first season in charge in 2023-24. This season, the Rockets currently sit tied for the No. 2 seed in the West with a 17-8 record.
A return to the Playoffs after five seasons is on the cards for Houston if they can sustain this form until the end of the season. They’re the best defense in the NBA this season but need some more polishing offensively.
Thompson is averaging 11.8 points, 7.0 rebounds, 2.0 assists, 1.1 steals, and 1.0 blocks per game, with more offensive development required to emerge as a star on the franchise.
The Rockets picked up their first win against the Golden State Warriors in four years last night with a 91-90 win to eliminate the Warriors from the NBA Cup. This was Houston’s first win against Golden State after 15 consecutive losses and booked them a date with the No. 1 seed OKC Thunder in the NBA Cup semifinals.
The Rockets aren’t perfect, but they’ve fully bought into Ime Udoka’s method of playing basketball. They’re committed defensively and it keeps them in most games, even if the offense is misfiring as they were last night. But the aggressive defensive setup put in place by Udoka with standout defenders like Tari Eason, Jabari Smith Jr. Dillon Brooks, and Amen shining every week.
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