Rockets assistant Ben Sullivan guides Amen Thompson’s rookie growth

“Amen [Thompson] is such a great person,” Ben Sullivan says. “He has a tremendous amount of maturity for a young person coming into this league.”

It has been an up-and-down year for Rockets rookie Amen Thompson. Over the first two months of the regular season, the 6-foot-7 guard had to learn from the sidelines while dealing with injuries and illness. He missed 19 of Houston’s first 24 games.

As a competitor, it can be challenging not to be out there competing with your teammates, especially when you were selected with the No. 4 pick in the 2023 NBA draft.

Thompson’s family has frequently come to Houston this season. After all, they’ve also needed to visit his twin brother and best friend, Ausar — selected one pick after Amen — during Ausar’s rookie season with the Detroit Pistons. Even for a 21-year-old basketball phenom, that upheaval can make life complicated.

That is why it was vital for Thompson to get back on the court while providing that spark needed for Houston’s second unit, which he often shares with fellow rookie Cam Whitmore.

One individual who has been there for Thompson every step of the way — first, by pushing him to the limit during rehabilitation with conditioning drills, and now by finding different ways to make him more effective on the court — is assistant coach Ben Sullivan.

“I know you are tired, but if you want to get back on the court, you have to push through it,” Sullivan’s voice recently bellowed out to Thompson, who was fighting the last symptoms of an upper respiratory infection at the time. “You can get the rest you need when we are done, but if you rest now, you are quitting on yourself.”

Thompson took the instructions without any pushback, knowing Sullivan has his best interests at heart. They’ve developed trust in each other since starting a working relationship at the NBA’s 2023 summer league in Las Vegas, where Sullivan led Houston to the title game despite losing Thompson to an ankle sprain in the opener.

The two converse about everything and are working tirelessly, on and off the court, as Thompson develops into an explosive playmaker and reliable backup for starter Fred VanVleet.

“I learn a lot from Ben,” Thompson said recently following a rigorous post-practice session with Sullivan. “Ben is my twin. He is teaching me a lot with my shot, but other aspects, too. Getting to the rim, using my body, and using my strength more than I am doing.”

On Jan. 21, Thompson received his first start versus Boston when head coach Ime Udoka decided to rest VanVleet in the second game of a back-to-back. Sullivan ensured Thompson was prepared to run the starting unit. Although Houston lost the game, Thompson finished with a career-high in points (15) and rebounds (14).

Thompson eclipsed that point total last Friday by scoring a career-high 19 in a blowout win against the Toronto Raptors.

“Amen is such a great person,” Sullivan told Rockets Wire. “He has a tremendous amount of maturity for a young person coming into this league. He has a great work ethic, a high care factor, and is very competitive. When you combine all of those things together, it is like a great recipe for success when you are starting out. I am lucky and blessed to be working with him, and that is the starting point.”

Player development is a skill Sullivan learned early on in his days with the San Antonio Spurs, where he worked under an all-time great coach, Gregg Popovich. Sullivan gives much of the credit for his ability to teach players to current Oklahoma City assistant coach Chip Engelland, who spent 16 seasons on that staff with the Spurs.

“I was fortunate enough to shadow and learn from some amazing coaches,” Sullivan told Rockets Wire in an exclusive conversation. “I learned from Chip and Chad Forcier (Utah assistant) on a day-to-day basis on how you handle things. A lot of times with these players, especially young guys, they come in, and they are 19 and 20 years old, and they have so much room to grow.”

Udoka was a part of that staff and noticed the work ethic and commitment to his job. It was a friendship that paid off; he has been a part of Udoka’s staff in Boston and now Houston.

“Ben has worked with some guys over the years like Giannis (Antetokounmpo, in Milwaukee) and different guys who have wanted to improve their shooting,” Udoka said regarding the importance of having Sullivan work to improve Thompson’s shot.

“You can see that bond growing between them, and that is what we want our assistants to do,” Udoka added. “I hired certain guys for the relationship aspect. You have some specific bonds with guys, and they have hit it off really well. It will be good for him (Thompson), going forward in the future. The shooting piece was the initial, but they have found their own side relationship, which has been good.”

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