Rockets’ Amen Thompson will put $208 million contract to test after winning NBA GM poll question over Alex Caruso, brother appeared first on ClutchPoints. Add ClutchPoints as a Preferred Source by clicking here.
The Houston Rockets are just days away from getting their upcoming 2026-27 NBA regular season underway. Many an eyebrow was raised when the team brought back Amen Thompson on a contract worth over $200 million this offseason, although he is expected to be a part of the team’s core over the long haul.
Recently, the NBA conducted a poll of its general managers, and one of the questions asked was who is the best perimeter defender in the NBA. Thompson ended up coming in first place with 30 percent of the vote, beating out his brother Ausar Thompson of the Detroit Pistons and Alex Caruso of the Oklahoma City Thunder.
Both of the Thompson twins have long been known as some of the most disruptive defenders in the NBA landscape almost immediately since they entered the league, using their combination of size, athleticism, and mobility to constantly get in passing lanes and disrupt ball-handlers.
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Amen Thompson was also named as the most athletic player in the NBA in the poll.
However, questions persist about the Rockets wing’s ability to shoot the basketball, which has severely compromised the lineups that head coach Ime Udoka is able to trot out around him. While Thompson has apparently changed his shooting form a bit this summer, it’s unclear at this point whether or not that will make a meaningful impact on his percentages this year and force defenses to come out and contest his shots, which would free up space for everyone else on the court.
To his credit, Thompson has found plenty of other ways to make an impact on the offensive end of the floor, and clearly, he has no shortcomings when it comes to defense.
In any case, the Rockets will kick off their season on October 21 vs the Dallas Mavericks.