Amen Thompson is Schrodinger’s point guard. He is both a point guard and isn’t.
Through three games, the Rockets have begun prying open the box. So far, it looks like we’ve got a dead cat on our hands.
Thompson has mostly not looked prepared for the responsibility of orchestrating an NBA team’s offense.
It’s a two-game sample size. No conclusions should be reached, but it would be fair to (softly) venture that Thompson might not be a point guard:
And that would be perfectly fine.
Rockets’ Amen Thompson is not looking the part of a point guard
Thompson has been fine as a pick-and-roll ball-handler in 2025-26. He’s generating exactly 1.0 points per possession (PPP), which lands him in the 70.7th percentile.
It’s hard to find supporting stats in such a young season. That points to the fact that it’s too soon to conclude. It probably leads to the conclusion that this article is pointless, and perhaps validates the position that the 365-day-a-year sports writing cycle is antiquated:
But let’s be thankful for the platform we have.
Here’s another available stat: Through the first two games, Amen was averaging the same number of assists (3.0) as he was turnovers. That’s not good.
(Confession: I was unable to watch the last game. It started at 9:30 where I live, and I’m doing an internship to be a high school teacher, and anyway, get off my case. Surely we can all love the fact that the Rockets thrashed the Nets and Thompson had 8 dimes without turning it over, and simultaneously concede that the Nets’ roster is horrendous.)
I don’t know, guys! When he was drafted, Thompson was ostensibly a point guard. The suddenly win-hungry Rockets didn’t deploy him that way. They used him as an off-ball wing whose primary responsibilities came on defense. Thompson was a revelation – it looked like he’d be the best player in the NBA to play that (loose) role.
Here’s where it gets complicated. If Thompson has the potential to be a perennial Defensive Player of the Year candidate if he focuses on Defensive Player of the Year stuff, but he’s struggling to run point in Year 3, doesn’t it make sense to continue grooming him as a defensive wing?
Perhaps – but the Rockets need a point guard. So far, they’re splitting developmental reps between Thompson and Reed Sheppard. They’re effectively punting on the most important position in basketball in a year where they’d prefer to win a championship.
Something has to give.
Rockets need to let Thompson be Thompson
So, get a point guard.
Alternatively, run more offense through Alperen Sengun. We’ve been there already. More Sengun usage and less Thompson usage should make for a better offense, but the Rockets will likely need one more reliable ball-handler as 2025-26 persists.
Thompson doesn’t need to be “a point guard”. He doesn’t need to be “not a point guard”, either. He’s a point forward. Thompson epitomizes the positionlessness of a positionless era.
In more concrete terms, that means attacking closeouts when they present themselves and either making a passing read or attacking the basket. Thompson can self-create within the flow of the offense. The Rockets shouldn’t design an excess of sets with Thompson earmarked as a primary ballhandler.
If he can do that, and otherwise spend his offensive energy cutting and setting screens, while continuing to be among the best defensive wings in the NBA, the Rockets have got a stud. Thompson will make All-NBA appearances with that job description. He’ll be an Andrei Kirilenko, or a rich man’s Gerald Wallace, or Grant Hill with 20% less offense and infinitely more defense.
(So, not Grant Hill).
It’s easy to get myopic about NBA roles. Let’s zoom out. Thompson had a 4.1 Box Plus/Minus (BPM) as a sophomore. That’s higher than plenty of NBA stars at the same stage of their careers. Whatever shape he takes, there will be a place for him.
His athleticism alone qualifies as a quantum event.
