After missing the past 15 games due to an ankle injury, rookie Amen Thompson returned to the court on Monday and showed what he could give the Houston Rockets nightly.
Thompson produced two points, five rebounds and one assist in 10 minutes in the 93-82 win over the San Antonio Spurs. He played in two five-minute stretches in the second and fourth quarters and bolstered the team’s second unit with his energy and effort.
“He was getting his feet wet again getting back in the NBA game after missing all of that time,” Rockets coach Ime Udoka said. “It is going to take some time there, let alone being a rookie. To miss time and do what he did in the G League and our 5-on-5 workouts, he looked good out there. He brought a spark and really pushed the pace.”
Thompson suffered a Grade 2 sprained ankle on Nov. 1 in a win over the Charlotte Hornets. Over the last two weeks, he joined the Rio Grande Valley Vipers for two rehab games in the G League.
The fourth pick registered a triple-double in his debut with the Vipers, recording 29 points, 16 rebounds, 10 assists, three steals and two blocks on Dec. 6. He followed that up with 14 points, five rebounds and five assists two nights later.
That time in the G League helped prepare him for his return.
“I felt really good,” Thompson said after the win. “In the minutes I got, I felt like the conditioning I did and the time in the G League was really good for me. I was playing like 40 minutes down there.”
LOOK AT AMEN THOMPSON pic.twitter.com/FTQDVnWTs4
— Bradeaux (@BradeauxNBA) December 12, 2023
Thompson was averaging about 17 minutes per game before the injury. The team will likely ease him back into action and determine where to slot him in the rotation. They believe his conditioning is at a level that he can step in and contribute.
The return of Thompson will give the Rockets another high-level guard who can defend multiple positions and push the pace. He showed glimpses of that ability on Monday, which will be welcomed.
“We encourage all of our guys to do that, let alone him being one of the biggest and most athletic guards and the pace that he plays with,” Udoka said. “He is on another level as far as speed getting up the court and trying to find guys.”
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