NBA scout: Rockets rookie Amen Thompson could already be NBA’s best athlete

“You put him on an NBA floor today, and he might be the best athlete,“ an NBA scout says of Amen Thompson. “Great passing and playing in transition. He rebounds, he defends.“ #Rockets

At just 20 years old and coming from a relatively unproven Overtime Elite league, Amen Thompson’s outlook is unclear when it comes to his rookie production for the 2023-24 Houston Rockets.

But for the No. 4 pick from the 2023 draft’s first round, one aspect not in question is his athleticism. That should serve Thompson well as Houston’s young point guard looks to attack the paint on offense and potentially kick the ball to open perimeter shooters, and it could also prove beneficial on defense.

In a newly published NBA survey, ESPN polled 15 scouts, coaches and executives from across the NBA regarding hot-button topics.

Thompson, who initially slides in as Houston’s backup behind Fred VanVleet, picked up three of 15 votes on the question of which rookie — excluding Victor Wembanyama — will be the best player in five years. (Portland’s Scoot Henderson led the way with 11 votes.)

“You put (Amen Thompson) on an NBA floor today, and he might be the best athlete,” an Eastern Conference scout told ESPN. “Great passing and playing in transition. He rebounds, he defends.”

ESPN’s full survey can be read here. As for Thompson and the Rockets, the endorsement certainly can’t hurt as Houston looks to fill a presumed backcourt absence after Kevin Porter Jr.’s recent arrest.

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