Amen Thompson was widely viewed around the NBA as a breakout star in 2024-25, his second season with the Houston Rockets. In May, he earned All-Defensive First Team honors.

But entering year three, there is remains ample room for improvement.

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Primarily, it involves the 22-year-old’s shooting. While much has been written about Thompson needing to improve his 3-point shot (27.5% last season, up from 13.8% as a rookie), lower-hanging fruit may actually be found in closer, mid-range areas.

With veteran point guard Fred VanVleet sidelined for most or all of the 2025-26 season due to an ACL tear in his right knee, the Rockets know they will need to entrust Thompson with more on-ball responsibilities.

So, rather than cutting or attempting to space the floor away from the ball, Thompson will likely be initiating more sets, himself.

As an elite 6-foot-7 athlete, the ideal scenario involves Thompson getting downhill and attacking the rim — where he can either finish himself or kick to an open teammate, if doubled. But given his previous shooting issues, some defenders will undoubtedly sag back and dare Thompson to beat them from further out.

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Some good news for the Rockets is that early in training camp, it appears that’s what is happening. At Tuesday’s opening practice, Jabari Smith Jr. was asked whether Thompson appears more confident as a shooter.

His answer directly pointed to the mid-range game:

He has a lot more confidence in it, especially his mid-range coming off pick-and-rolls. It looks a lot better, more fluid. He’s just a lot more comfortable with it.

If he’s making shots, it makes us a totally different team, and it makes him a totally different player.

Last season, per NBA.com data, Thompson shot just 38.2% on mid-range shots while attempting an average of only 1.0 per game. That low volume would seemingly reflect a lack of confidence, which may have changed in recent months.

“I’m very confident in my shot right now,” Thompson said at Monday’s media day. “And I know what my game is. My game is getting downhill, creating for myself and others. So I’m never going to get addicted to the 3, but I feel like I’m confident in what I’ve been working on.”

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Granted, making those types of shots in training camp at the team’s practice complex is different than making them in NBA games and arenas.

The first opportunity for Thompson to show whether that improvement will translate to real games comes in next Monday’s home preseason opener versus the Atlanta Hawks.

Tipoff from Toyota Center is at 7:00 p.m. Central, and the game will be televised regionally on Space City Home Network.

More: ESPN’s Bobby Marks: Amen Thompson on verge of being top-20 NBA player

This article originally appeared on Rockets Wire: Rockets see Amen Thompson improving as mid-range shooter