Speaking to The Athletic’s Kelly Iko, Rockets assistant Ben Sullivan says: “I think of Amen like the queen on the chess board, where you can move him around, and he can move unlike other pieces.”
Shortly after he was drafted at No. 4 overall in the 2023 first round, Amen Thompson began his Houston Rockets career with a stint at the NBA’s 2023 summer league in Las Vegas.
Ben Sullivan, a top assistant to head coach Ime Udoka, was functioning at the time as Houston’s summer-league head coach.
Over two years later, Thompson appears on the fast track to stardom, and Sullivan has had a front-row seat to enjoy the ride. In a newly released podcast interview (The IkoSystem with Kelly Iko) with The Athletic’s Kelly Iko, Sullivan shared some perspective on Thompson’s growth.
Among Sullivan’s comments:
You mentioned his utility. I think of Amen like the queen on the chess board, where you can move him around, and he can move unlike other pieces. He can do a lot of different things. So, if you put him as a two guard or as a point guard, you have certain advantages. As a four, certain advantages.
With the roster additions we made, maybe we go with five guys that are 6-7 to 7-feet, and we can switch one through five and create turnovers, and get out in transition. Or maybe we go double big, and he’s a point guard.
We did similar things last year, and I think we have even more options this year in terms of the lineups and rotations that we can do. The great thing about him is that he can impact the game no matter which position he’s at.
Houston’s 2025 offseason additions included Kevin Durant, Dorian Finney-Smith, and Clint Capela, which gives the Rockets even more length and versatility.
Relative to those 2023 summer-league days, Sullivan has seen clear progress from Thompson, who has blossomed into what many analysts view as a future franchise player.
“It was really great to watch his confidence grow from year zero to year one, and year one to year two,” Sullivan told Iko. “His understanding of the league and the personnel — and of defensive and offensive systems and what we’re trying to do and execute — really grew.”
“You could see it. Instead of learning while he was doing it… as he understood it, he didn’t have to think about it any more. He was able to free up, play more within the structure, and impact the game even more. So, I’m looking forward to year three where he needs to think even less, because he knows even more.”
“His ability to impact the game on both sides of the ball — defensively, rebounding, scoring, transition, blocking shots — I think it’s only going to increase over time, as his understanding and knowledge of the league continues to grow.”
With elite defense, athleticism, and positional versatility, Thompson averaged 14.1 points (55.7% FG), 8.2 rebounds, 3.8 assists, 1.4 steals, and 1.3 blocks in 32.2 minutes per game last season. The 22-year-old became a full-time starter in January and never relinquished the job.
Thompson’s contributions were of paramount importance to a Houston team that finished at 52-30 and with the No. 2 seed in the Western Conference, and observers around the NBA rewarded him after the season with a spot on the league’s 2024-25 All-Defensive First Team.