In my opinion, the Houston Rockets have one of the NBA's most talented young players in Amen Thompson, and apparently, general managers across the league agree.
The NBA released its annual GM survey, and Thompson received some pretty impressive recognition. The 23-year-old was voted the league's best perimeter defender and most athletic player, beating out some big names in both categories.
Thompson received 30 percent of the votes for best perimeter defender, finishing ahead of Alex Caruso and his twin brother, Ausar Thompson, who each received 17 percent. He was even more dominant in the athleticism category, receiving 63 percent of the votes, well ahead of Anthony Edwards, who finished second with 20 percent.
I don't think either result should surprise anyone who has watched Thompson over the past couple of seasons with the Rockets. What impresses me more is that he's receiving this level of respect from NBA executives before even entering his fourth NBA season.
Thompson Has Already Earned a Reputation as an Elite Defender
Plenty of great athletes in the NBA, but not all know how to use their physical abilities defensively the way Thompson does.
At 6-foot-7, he has the size to match up against bigger wings, but what really stands out is his ability to stay in front of smaller, quicker guards. Even when an offensive player gets a step on him, Thompson has the speed and length to recover and still make a play, which not many others can do.
I also love how aggressive he is defensively without constantly taking himself out of position. He doesn't need to gamble for steals to make an impact because he's already making opposing players uncomfortable with his length, quickness, and ability to contest shots.
That's a huge luxury for Rockets coach Ime Udoka, who can put Thompson on the opposing team's best perimeter scorer and trust him to handle that assignment.
Thompson also finished second in the survey for most versatile defender, receiving 17 percent of the votes behind Victor Wembanyama, who led with 30 percent.
Personally, I think Thompson has a legitimate chance to win Defensive Player of the Year at some point in his career. It's obviously a difficult award for perimeter defenders to win when you're competing against elite rim protectors like Wembanyama, but Thompson has already shown he can impact games defensively without needing to block four or five shots a night.
His Athleticism Is on Another Level
There are times when Thompson makes plays that most NBA players simply aren't capable of making, whether he's finishing a lob, grabbing a rebound over a bigger player or covering an incredible amount of ground defensively.
What makes his athleticism so valuable is that it translates to both ends of the floor. He's not just someone who can throw down impressive dunks in transition. He uses that explosiveness to create extra possessions, get to the basket,, and make defensive plays that can completely change a game's momentum.
Thompson also won this category in last year's GM survey with 58 percent of the votes, so it's interesting that his percentage actually increased this year.
At this point, it's becoming pretty difficult to argue against him being the most athletic player in basketball.
Thompson's Offensive Development is Critical
As good as Thompson is defensively, I think his offensive development will ultimately determine how great he can become. Can he become an All-Star this season?
Last season, he averaged 18.3 points, 7.8 rebounds, 5.3 assists and 1.5 steals while shooting 53.4 percent from the field. Those are impressive numbers for a player still developing his offensive game, especially given how much defensive responsibility he already carries.
The one area I really want to see him improve is his outside shooting. Thompson is already extremely difficult to stop when he gets downhill, but opposing defenses can still make things tougher by giving him space on the perimeter.
With Fred VanVleet back healthy, Houston has another experienced ball handler who can help organize the offense and put Thompson in positions where he doesn't have to create everything himself.
I've said before that I believe Thompson has All-Star potential, and I still do. He already does so much at a high level that if his offensive game keeps improving, I don't see why he couldn't eventually become one of the best two-way players in the league.
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