Tag: Amen Thompson

Rockets’ Amen Thompson reveals goals for rookie season

Thompson enters his rookie campaign with plenty of expectations, and the fourth pick has plenty of goals for himself.

Amen Thompson enters his rookie campaign with the Houston Rockets with plenty of expectations, and the fourth pick has a number of goals for himself.

Thompson had a strong debut with the Rockets in the NBA Summer League prior to suffering a Grade 2 ankle sprain on July 7. He finished with 16 points, five assists, four rebounds, four blocks and three steals in his lone appearance.

The performance certainly created buzz for Thompson going into the summer. He is now healthy and ready to go as the Rockets started training camp this week at McNeese State University in Lake Charles, Louisiana.

Now healthy, Thompson has lofty goals for himself.

(The) goals I set for myself: Rookie of the Year, making the All-Defensive team. I want to make the playoffs, that’s more of a team goal, though. I have big goals, especially for this season.

Thompson reportedly looked very explosive during some recent scrimmages, which further helped build the excitement surrounding his pending debut. He and fellow rookie Cam Whitmore were around often throughout the summer and worked each day.

“They have been great throughout the summer since we got them,” Rockets head coach Ime Udoka said. “They’ve been in the gym every day. They have the talent. They’ll take jumps here and there incrementally. You expect that from these young guys … (but) with more coaching and being around veteran guys, they learn pretty quickly.”

Udoka joined the Rockets looking to change things from previous years under Stephen Silas. He is instituting a new system with terms Thompson or the other young players may not have heard before, which is another facet of the game they will have to learn.

The Rockets added veterans Fred VanVleet, Dillon Brooks and Jeff Green during the offseason. They have embraced their roles and have been more than willing to help the rookies in the early going as they adjust to a new system and competition level.

“I get to learn from them every day,” Thompson said. “They have been in the league for years. I feel like I’m smart and can pick up fast. They’re willing to teach you. That is the best part about them: They’re not some stingy veterans, they’re willing to teach you whatever you want to learn.”

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Amen Thompson, Cam Whitmore relish first training camp with Rockets

#Rockets rookie Amen Thompson on his 2023-24 season goals: “To win Rookie of the Year, be on the All-Defensive Team, and make the playoffs.”

During Monday’s media day to launch 2023-24 Houston Rockets training camp, rookies Amen Thompson and Cam Whitmore kicked off what they each hope is a long and distinguished NBA career.

Both rookies played well at the NBA’s 2023 summer league, but they know the competition will be much steeper against veteran players. That competition begins at training camp, where both Thompson and Whitmore will look to make their case for minutes.

“I’ll be ready for this NBA season,” Whitmore said after earning summer-league MVP honors. “Guys are much bigger, much faster.”

With Kevin Porter Jr. no longer with the team after his recent arrest for an alleged assault, Whitmore could be in line for more minutes off the bench, head coach Ime Udoka confirmed Monday.

Whitmore, a Villanova product, was drafted at No. 20 overall in June. Thompson, who played for the Overtime Elite professional league, was Houston’s top pick at No. 4 in the first round.

Here’s a roundup of what we heard from Houston’s rookie duo at Monday’s media day from Toyota Center. Training camp starts Tuesday at McNeese State University in Lake Charles, Louisiana.

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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Rockets’ Amen Thompson provides injury update ahead of training camp

Thompson is healthy and ready for the start of training camp after suffering a sprained left ankle in the NBA Summer League.

Houston Rockets rookie Amen Thompson said he is fully healthy and ready for the start of training camp after suffering a sprained left ankle in the NBA Summer League.

Thompson was diagnosed with a grade-two ankle sprain after taking an awkward fall in his debut on July 7 and was ruled out of playing again. He produced 16 points, five assists, four rebounds, four blocks and three steals in 28 minutes in his lone appearance.

The fourth pick, along with Cam Whitmore, threw out the first pitch at the Houston Astros game on Friday and told reporters beforehand that his ankle is great entering training camp, according to Adam Spolane of SportsRadio 610 in Houston.

Along with Thompson offering an update on his health, The Athletic also reported this week that the 20-year-old was said to look explosive in a recent scrimmage at the team facility. The news suggests that Thompson should have no restrictions entering the season.

With training camp set to begin on Oct. 3, it appears the Rockets will have their top pick ready to go during the preseason. There are plenty of expectations for him this year and the team will soon get its first look at him on the court.

The Rockets will open the preseason on Oct. 10 versus Indiana.

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As training camp nears, Rockets rookies Amen Thompson, Cam Whitmore embrace competition

“I am very excited for the season,” #Rockets rookie Cam Whitmore said before throwing out Friday’s first pitch for the Astros. “I’m ready for this new program to get started.”

HOUSTON — Rockets rookie Amen Thompson is highly competitive and wants to win at everything he does. That’s especially the case if it means he gets to beat his twin brother, Ausar.

“They have competed at everything since they were younger, which is no surprise considering how much time they spent trying to make each other better,” said Amen and Ausar’s mother, Maya Thompson.

So, it was no surprise that before Amen and fellow rookie teammate Cam Whitmore threw out Friday’s ceremonial first pitch at Minute Maid Park. Minutes before a matchup between Major League Baseball’s Houston Astros and Kansas City Royals, Amen made sure to let the media know that his pitch would be better than one thrown by his twin brother, Ausar — even though he said he had never thrown a baseball a day in his life.

“His was average; mine is going to be better than that,” Thompson jokingly said of Ausar’s first pitch in June before a Tigers game in Detroit, where Ausar was drafted by the Pistons.

Thompson and Whitmore followed the example of their new head coach, Ime Udoka, and threw good pitches to home plate. Throwing out the ceremonial pitch and attending the game are among their final social events as the rookies prepare for training camp on Oct. 3.

Coaches and fans already got a small glimpse of what Houston’s 2023 first-round draft picks (Thompson at No. 4 overall, Whitmore at No. 20) would look like on the court at the same time when they played in the first game of the NBA’s 2023 summer league versus the Portland Trail Blazers. Unfortunately, Thompson sprained his ankle in the second half and did not play again in Las Vegas.

From there, Whitmore filled the void and helped lead Houston to the championship game while earning summer-league MVP honors.

“I am very excited for the season,” Whitmore said Friday. “I am very excited for this new program to get started.”

Whitmore is on a mission to prove to teams that passed on the projected lottery pick that they missed out on a great basketball player. During a charity event this summer, he admitted that he was playing with a chip on his shoulder during the summer-league run.

“Yeah, definitely,” Whitmore said of playing to prove the naysayers wrong. “There was definitely some backlash and some madness because of that. I was just having fun out there.”

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Rockets rookies Amen Thompson, Cam Whitmore throw out ‘first pitch’ for Astros

#Rockets rookies Amen Thompson and Cam Whitmore threw out ceremonial first pitches before Friday’s Astros-Royals game at Minute Maid Park.

In June, new Rockets head coach Ime Udoka introduced himself to Houston fans by throwing out a ceremonial first pitch for Major League Baseball’s Astros, the defending World Series champions.

On Friday, with training camp for the 2023-24 NBA season a little over a week away, newly drafted Rockets rookies Amen Thompson and Cam Whitmore took advantage of the same perk.

Thompson, drafted at No. 4 overall in the 2023 first round, is fully healthy and ready to go after suffering a grade-two ankle sprain at the NBA’s 2023 summer league. Whitmore, the No. 20 pick, hopes to build on his momentum from winning summer-league MVP.

While neither Thompson nor Whitmore is originally from Houston, they’re getting acclimated to the city in the days leading up to training camp. Thus, an opportunity to take the big stage at Minute Maid Park — where the city’s most prestigious sports franchise of this generation plays — was one they couldn’t responsibly pass up.

Through photos, videos, and interview quotes, here’s a look back at all of Friday’s activities involving the two Rockets rookies.

Report: Rockets rookie Amen Thompson fully cleared after summer ankle injury

After suffering a grade-two ankle sprain at summer league, #Rockets rookie Amen Thompson is now healthy and ready to go for training camp, @KellyIko reports.

In confirmation of expected news, Houston Rockets rookie Amen Thompson is fully cleared for all basketball activities after suffering a grade-two sprain to his left ankle at July’s NBA summer league.

“The No. 4 pick is healthy and ready to go as we inch closer to training camp,” beat writer Kelly Iko writes in his latest mailbag for The Athletic. “A few weeks ago, Thompson scrimmaged at the facility. His pure speed and explosiveness were immediate standouts.”

Thompson, who is initially expected to slide in as Houston’s backup point guard behind Fred VanVleet, continues to work on improving his shooting with assistant coach Ben Sullivan — who was, of course, head coach for the 2023 summer-league Rockets.

But according to Iko, Houston’s coaching staff is also trying to improve his ballhandling and dribbling as it pertains to breaking down defenses. To say the least, having healthy ankles is a key initial step as Thompson seeks to best utilize those vast athletic gifts.

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NBA 2K24: Ratings revealed for the first round of the 2023 NBA draft

The official player ratings and other features for NBA 2K24 have been unveiled as the popular video game hit stores on Friday.

The official player ratings and other features for NBA 2K24 have been unveiled as the popular video game hit stores on Friday across all platforms around the world.

The latest installment of NBA 2K features three distinct editions, each honoring Kobe Bryant. The game, for the first time, also allows for crossplay, meaning users on different gaming consoles can still play with their friends online.

In addition to many of the new features and updates unveiled in the game, fans are equally as excited to see the initial player ratings. Of course, with a new group of players set to enter the league, many are curious to see how the rookie class would be graded.

The franchise, led by marketing director Ronnie 2K, previously revealed the ratings for several first-rounders this year. With the game officially available for purchase around the world, the grades for each rookie have been unveiled.

Here are the ratings for the first round of the 2023 NBA draft.

Complete Houston Rockets player ratings list for NBA 2K24 video game

Among #Rockets players, Fred VanVleet, Jalen Green, and Alperen Sengun are leading the way in NBA 2K24’s initial player rankings for the 2023-24 season.

The looming release of the NBA 2K24 video game (Friday, Sept. 8) also involves learning NBA 2K’s ratings for all players across the league. To determine virtual skills, players are rated 1-to-100 across many categories, including a frequently disputed overall rating.

Courtesy of HoopsHype, we also have an idea how each player stacks up compared to his NBA peers. For example, the highest-rated players on the 2023-24 Rockets roster — veteran guard Fred VanVleet, third-year guard Jalen Green and third-year center Alperen Sengun — all have an overall rating of 83, per 2Kratings.com.

Based on HoopsHype’s data from last season, that would be tied for 57th overall while matching players such as Draymond Green, Klay Thompson, Jordan Poole, Mikal Bridges, Jonas Valanciunas, Jalen Brunson, John Collins, Desmond Bane and Nikola Vucevic.

Houston’s fourth-highest-rated player is Kevin Porter Jr., who has an 81 rating. That would be tied for 85th based on HoopsHype’s player data from the 2022-23 game cycle.

From best to worst, scroll on for the initial list of overall ratings involving  players on the 2023-24 Rockets. Additional ratings in other categories, such as 3-point shooting and dunking, are available at 2Kratings.com. Depending on results this season, these roster ratings could be adjusted in future NBA 2K digital updates.

Top Rockets plays from 2022-23 season, 2023 summer league

Courtesy of the team, take a look back at top individual #Rockets performances from the 2022-23 season and the recently completed 2023 summer league.

The 2023-24 NBA season (schedule) will start slightly later than usual. The opening game for the Houston Rockets is Wednesday, Oct. 25 in Orlando. One reason for the delay could be the ongoing FIBA Basketball World Cup, in which newly signed forward Dillon Brooks is playing a key role for Canada.

The late start means a longer-than-usual slow period in the NBA calendar: 2023-24 training camps don’t open until early October. As a result, many players and coaches around the league are on vacation as they soak up their last moments of free time for months.

Many remain diligent with offseason training regimens, as well.

With that in mind, it’s a good time to reflect on what we saw from the Rockets in the recently completed season. Courtesy of the team, here’s a look at top individual performances from the 2022-23 league year and the NBA’s 2023 summer league, which finished in July.