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The Rockets traded for Kevin Durant to help chase a championship, but may have also inadvertently accelerated Amen Thompson’s development in the same fell swoop.
Thompson entered the season as one of Houston’s most intriguing young players. He finished it looking like a future star. In his third NBA season, Amen averaged 18.3 points, 7.8 rebounds, and 5.3 assists while starting all 79 games he appeared in.
After averaging 2.6 assists as a rookie and 3.8 last season, Thompson jumped to 5.3 assists per game this year. His role expanded, his confidence grew, and the game seems to have slowed down for him.
Durant’s arrival certainly didn’t hurt.
The duo shared the floor for more than 2,100 minutes during the regular season, posting a 117.0 offensive rating and a positive 5.4 net rating. For a pairing playing its first season together, those are encouraging numbers.
Gravity is the key here. Durant changes the way defenses are forced to operate. Help defenders don’t abandon Kevin Durant. Every possession spent worrying about one of the greatest scorers in NBA history creates a little more space for everyone else.
Few Rockets benefited from that more than Thompson.
What should worry the league is he’s closer to the beginning than the finished product. At 23 years old, Thompson continues to add layers to his game every season.
Durant remains the biggest name on the roster, but if Thompson takes another leap next year, the biggest long-term impact of the Durant trade may end up being what it did for Houston’s future cornerstone.
Continue reading...
Thompson entered the season as one of Houston’s most intriguing young players. He finished it looking like a future star. In his third NBA season, Amen averaged 18.3 points, 7.8 rebounds, and 5.3 assists while starting all 79 games he appeared in.
After averaging 2.6 assists as a rookie and 3.8 last season, Thompson jumped to 5.3 assists per game this year. His role expanded, his confidence grew, and the game seems to have slowed down for him.
Durant’s arrival certainly didn’t hurt.
The duo shared the floor for more than 2,100 minutes during the regular season, posting a 117.0 offensive rating and a positive 5.4 net rating. For a pairing playing its first season together, those are encouraging numbers.
Gravity is the key here. Durant changes the way defenses are forced to operate. Help defenders don’t abandon Kevin Durant. Every possession spent worrying about one of the greatest scorers in NBA history creates a little more space for everyone else.
Few Rockets benefited from that more than Thompson.
What should worry the league is he’s closer to the beginning than the finished product. At 23 years old, Thompson continues to add layers to his game every season.
Durant remains the biggest name on the roster, but if Thompson takes another leap next year, the biggest long-term impact of the Durant trade may end up being what it did for Houston’s future cornerstone.
Continue reading...
