The meeting between the Rockets and the Blazers has left its mark since the two stars of the meeting, Scoot Henderson and Amen Thompson, are out injured. The 3rd and 4th picks of the 2023 Draft both need MRIs, and it’s unlikely they’ll be found on the court in Las Vegas.
If Scoot Henderson is shot in the shoulder, for Amen Thompson, it’s the ankle that’s spun. On a counter, at the very end of the match, he fell on the foot of Ibou Badji. It was his 4th counter of the evening, and Badji peaked at 2m16. But his left ankle has turned, and the Rockets could leave him in the fridge for the rest.
“It’s really up to the staff to decide if they want to save me for the season. It’s painful “ confirmed the Houston rookie, author of 16 points, 5 assists, 4 rebounds, 4 blocks and 3 steals! What undoubtedly disappoints him is that he will a priori miss the next game scheduled for Sunday against the Pistons of his twin brother, Ausar.
The Houston coach appreciated his defense and his vision of the game
“I don’t think he’s that good,” he quips about his brother. “I will focus on the regular season. If I can’t participate, there will be a lot of opportunities to play against him”. Not that much since the Pistons and Rockets will only meet twice each year.
Either way, like Scoot Henderson, AMen Thompson won over observers with his athleticism and vision of the game.
“I found that he played really well, as a playmaker, to set up the systems, to defend…” lists Ben Sullivanthe Rockets’ Summer League coach. “I really liked his defense, and he had some amazing defensive moves. There is his vision of the game too and he made some nice passes, and he put in a few shots. Really, he had a good game. »
