Amen Thompson has a chance to flip the conversation Tuesday night, and it starts on the defensive end against Stephen Curry.
The criticism has been building around Thompson lately, mostly because of his offensive dip and the way his impact numbers have trended. But one huge performance against the Warriors could quiet plenty of that chatter. If Thompson can make life difficult for Curry in a primetime matchup, the questions about his value to the Rockets get a lot harder to keep pushing.
That’s where Thompson’s game has to show up first: on defense. The last few outings haven’t matched the standard he’s usually set, and Houston has enough perimeter options now that he may not even be viewed as the club’s top stopper on the outside anymore.
The numbers have been jarring, too. The Rockets are slightly negative with Thompson on the floor and overwhelmingly better without him.
For a player whose reputation was built on defense, that’s the part that stands out most. Thompson hasn’t been shutting down guards the way he did before, even if some of that is tied to Houston’s coverage choices.
Still, the recent results are hard to ignore. LaMelo Ball, Devin Booker and Jamal Murray all put together big games against the Rockets over the last three contests, and Thompson was usually the first defender assigned to them.
Now comes a tougher assignment. Curry is scoring more than 30 points per game this season, and he’s doing it with elite efficiency.
He leads the league in true shooting percentage among players averaging at least 20 points per game, which is exactly why he’s such a brutal matchup. He doesn’t have to force bad looks very often because his shooting turns so many possessions into good ones.
That’s the challenge Thompson has in front of him, but it’s also the quickest path back to the defensive form that made him stand out. If he can handle Curry one-on-one and still provide the help defense Houston expects from him, the rest of his game should start to settle back into place.
The offensive side has slipped too. Last season, Thompson was asked to do a lot more as Houston’s de facto point guard, and he handled that workload with solid efficiency and respectable production. This year, with Fred VanVleet and Marcus Smart back in the rotation to run the offense, his role has shifted.
The lower counting stats were predictable. The drop in efficiency has been more surprising. Thompson is shooting about 5% worse from 2-point range this season, going from 57% last season to 52% this year, even though he’s getting fewer self-created chances.
So the path forward is pretty clear. Thompson has work to do on both ends, and the criticism isn’t going away until the play improves. But a strong defensive night against Curry would go a long way toward changing the tone around him.
In Other News...
Marcus Smart Let Another Rockets Discipline Problem Boil Over
Marcus Smarts latest flashpoint came in a tense stretch of the game against Golden State, when the veteran guard was tossed after things got physical with Charles Bassey. The confrontation erupted late in the third quarter and ended with Smart throwing a punch that missed, but the officials had already seen enough to send him straight to the locker room.
For Houston, it was another reminder of how quickly discipline issues can tilt a night off course. Bassey did not hide his frustration afterward, calling Smart dirty and questioning his toughness, and the league now has a decision to make on a play that went beyond ordinary playoff-style edge and into something that could carry a real cost. [Read more 🡒]
Warriors Injury Situation Just Made This Rockets Test Feel Different
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Injuries are part of the backdrop, too, with several names on both sides popping up on the report and changing the feel of the night before tipoff. For Houston, the frontcourt picture is especially worth watching, and Golden States own uncertainty adds another layer to a game that could look a lot different depending on who is actually available when the ball goes up. [Read more 🡒]
Rockets May Finally Have To Address Their Steven Adams Problem
Steven Adams was supposed to give Houston a rugged, stabilizing presence in the middle, but injuries have made that hard to count on. Over two seasons with the Rockets, he has played only 90 games and has appeared just once this season, leaving the team to lean on other options at center while trying to keep the rotation intact.
The bigger issue now is whether Houston can keep patching that spot without making a move. A more dependable backup center has become a real need, and the front office may have the kind of trade flexibility to go get one if it decides the current setup is too fragile to carry forward. [Read more 🡒]