Behind the new career record of his teammate Jalen Green, in full swing at 42 points last night, and more than 26 points on average over the month of March, that of the rookie Amen Thompson has gone a bit to the ace…
But, with 25 points and 10 rebounds, his eighth double-double of the season, Ausar's brother ultimately only confirmed his current good form.
“I found that they lacked respect for me a little [en allant faire de nombreuses prises à deux sur Green, et en lui donc des espaces]. But it’s their choice and I took advantage of it” he explains.
Indeed, because since he started following Alperen Sengun's injury, namely four games, Amen Thompson averages 17 points and 8 rebounds, 29/37 shooting! And the Rockets are at four victories in four games in their current fight to reach the “play-in” (eight victories in nine games).
Constantly progressing
Last night, Amen Thompson pulled out all the stops. By getting his points at the circle as soon as possible and making an impression from the start, with a crossover, a lunge, and a big two-handed dunk over two Wizards (Jordan Poole and Corey Kispert)!
“When they zone, he’s really good when you put him in the middle. He can bring out the ball or dribble and already be at the circle,” appreciates Ime Udoka at Yahoo! Sports. “He does a good job in this role, with a lot of activity. He was great on the offensive rebound, cleaning up bad situations. And then, he did a good job on the pick & roll. He's so athletic. He can catch almost anything in the air! »
A spectacular finisher and promising defender, Amen Thompson was cut short at the start of the season by an injury to his right ankle which kept him away from the courts for more than a month.
But since then, he has progressed with almost linear consistency: from 4 points, 3 rebounds in December to 7 points, 5 rebounds in January then 11 points, 8 rebounds in February. And so 13 points, 7 rebounds in March!
| Amen Thompson | Percentage | Rebounds | |||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Season | Team | MJ | Min | Shots | 3pts | L.F. | Off | Def | Early | Pd | Party | Int | Bp | Ct | Pts |
| 2023-24 | HOU | 48 | 20 | 52.8 | 15.7 | 66.0 | 1.9 | 3.9 | 5.8 | 2.3 | 2.3 | 1.2 | 1.4 | 0.7 | 8.3 |
| Total | 48 | 20 | 52.8 | 15.7 | 66.0 | 1.9 | 3.9 | 5.8 | 2.3 | 2.3 | 1.2 | 1.4 | 0.7 | 8.3 | |
How to read the stats? MJ = matches played; Min = Minutes; Shots = Successful shots / Attempted shots; 3pts = 3-points / 3-points attempted; LF = free throws made / free throws attempted; Off = offensive rebound; Def=defensive rebound; Tot = Total rebounds; Pd = assists; Fte: Personal fouls; Int = Intercepts; Bp = Lost balls; Ct: Against; Pts = Points.
