For the Houston Rockets, one of the revelations that has bolstered this team from a scrappy underdog into a fringe Western Conference contender has been the quick ascent of second-year wing Amen Thompson.
Sure, Thompson has been an offensive force this year, jumping to 14.0 points per game on 55.3% shooting, up from 9.5 points last year. Those numbers are even better since Thompson was put into the starting lineup, where he has averaged 16.4 points, 9.7 rebounds and 4.8 assists.
But Thompson has helped create the Rockets' culture on the defensive end, a calling card of coach Ime Udoka. The team is ranked fourth in efficiency, at 109.7 points per 100 possessions.
As Rockets GM Rafael Stone told ESPN earlier this year: "(Udoka)'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."
The Rockets, though, are now looking at a tough stretch without one of their budding young players for much of the remaining stretch run. He twisted his ankle, badly, in the team's blowout win over the Pelicans on Saturday, and on Sunday, ESPN insider Shams Charania delivered the bad news.
Thompson will miss as much as two weeks.
"Houston Rockets emerging two-way force Amen Thompson will be sidelined for 10 to 14 days due to a left ankle sprain, sources tell ESPN. MRI on the ankle showed no structural damage, but Thompson will rehab and receive treatment for swelling," Charania wrote on Twitter/X.
Houston Rockets emerging two-way force Amen Thompson will be sidelined for 10 to 14 days due to a left ankle sprain, sources tell ESPN. MRI on the ankle showed no structural damage, but Thompson will rehab and receive treatment for swelling. pic.twitter.com/ySEfIzF4ld
— Shams Charania (@ShamsCharania) March 10, 2025
It could have been worse for Thompson and the Rockets, who will also be without rookie shooter Reid Sheppard (thumb) for about a month.
The Rockets have been chasing the No. 4 seed in the West, and the homecourt edge that comes with it, as Memphis sits a half-game ahead of them. While there is no good time for a young player like Thompson to be injured, this might be the best possible time--Houston does not play a team over .500 until it faces Denver in two weeks.
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This story was originally published March 9, 2025 at 10:28 PM.