Amen Thompson’s path to Defensive Player of the Year is not the usual one.
That matters, because the usual route in the NBA is pretty clear: be a center, or at least a big power forward, rack up blocks, swallow shots at the rim, and let the numbers do a lot of the talking. Victor Wembanyama and Chet Holmgren fit that mold, and voters tend to notice.
Thompson doesn’t have that kind of built-in spotlight. His defensive value is less about a stack of blocks and more about everything he takes away.
And what he takes away is a lot.
At 6-foot-7, with length, strength and elite athleticism, Thompson can be thrown at just about anybody. A quick guard, a bigger wing, even a small-ball center - Houston can ask him to handle all of it. That kind of range is rare, and it’s the foundation of a real DPOY case.
The other part of that case is Houston’s roster situation, especially Fred VanVleet’s return. Last season, Thompson wasn’t just defending at a high level.
He was also shouldering more ball-handling and playmaking work after VanVleet tore his ACL. That’s a heavy load for any player, and even more so for someone entering his third season.
Now VanVleet is back, and that should let Thompson narrow his focus. Reed Sheppard can handle more of the ball.
VanVleet can organize the offense. Thompson can attack when the chances come on that end without being asked to carry the whole operation as a point forward.
That shift could be huge on defense. Instead of spending so much energy helping run Houston’s offense, Thompson can pour more into becoming the guy who ruins nights for opposing scorers. There’s something intimidating about the idea of him being freed up to chase the opponent’s best player every night.
The catch is obvious: Thompson’s defensive value won’t always show up in the clean, easy numbers. He’s not going to pile up the block totals that make Wembanyama or other elite rim protectors such easy cases. His impact is more layered than that, and if you’re not watching him closely, you can miss how much damage he’s doing.
So the case becomes simple: watch him. Watch how many different positions he can handle.
Watch how ball-handlers get uncomfortable against him. Watch Houston switch him around without worrying about who he’s checking.
That is the kind of defense that should matter.
Thompson has already made himself one of the NBA’s best young defenders, and he’s been on the NBA All-Defensive First Team. The next step is a bigger one. If VanVleet’s return allows Thompson to spend an entire season doing what he does best, then he shouldn’t just be in the All-Defensive conversation again.
He should have a real shot at Defensive Player of the Year.
In Other News...
Rockets Just Made A Huge Statement About Amen Thompsons Future
Amen Thompsons rise in Houston has moved from promise to priority, with the Rockets locking in the former No. 4 pick as a central part of their long-term plan. Over his first three seasons, Thompson has already put himself on a very short list of young players whose impact stretches well beyond scoring, earning All-Defensive First Team honors and logging more minutes than anyone else in the league last season.
For a Rockets team built around a fast-growing young core, the agreement sends a clear message about where the franchise believes Thompson fits. The extension will begin after his current rookie contract, giving Houston stability around one of its most important pieces while also signaling confidence that his two-way value is only going to keep climbing. [Read more 🡒]
Rockets Just Made Amen Thompson Their Future Centerpiece
Amen Thompsons rise from high-upside prospect to one of the Rockets defining players has moved quickly enough to reshape the franchises long-term picture. Over three seasons, he has taken on a bigger role in Houston, earned All-Defensive first-team honors and even led the NBA in total minutes played in the 2025-26 season, a sign of how central he has become on both ends of the floor.
The Rockets have now locked in that trajectory with a new rookie-scale extension, making a clear bet that Thompson is more than just part of the core - he is one of the players around whom the next era will be built. It is the kind of move that settles one question while pushing the real ones further down the road: just how high his ceiling goes, and how quickly Houston can turn that into wins. [Read more 🡒]
Rockets Just Made Their Biggest Bet Yet On Amen Thompson
Amen Thompsons rise has gone from promising to unavoidable, and the Rockets have now put a major stamp on that belief. After showing enough in his early days to convince the front office he can be part of the franchises core, Thompson has settled in as one of the most important young pieces on a roster still being shaped around upside, athleticism and long-term growth.
Houston is betting that Thompsons current skill set is only the beginning, because the real appeal is what he could become as the team pushes toward contention. The commitment also puts him near the top of the payroll picture, a sign of how much the Rockets value his trajectory and how central they expect him to be when the next version of this team is ready to matter. [Read more 🡒]