Report: Houston Rockets view Amen Thompson as ‘star in the homegrown making’

The Houston Rockets’ 2024-25 season may be in the books, but it was an incredibly productive one for the franchise.

After winning 52 games in the regular season, Houston returned to the playoffs for the first time in several years and gave the Golden State Warriors a major scare in the first round before bowing out.

Now, the Rockets can focus on their very bright future, which includes 22-year-old wing Amen Thompson, someone they see as a “star in the homegrown making.”

“They nearly came all the way back on this revamped version of the four-time champions and believe that they would have won a pivotal Game 4 in San Francisco if they had just taken advantage of their opportunities at the free throw line,” wrote NBA insider Jake Fischer. “Yet there were also clear weaknesses exposed by Golden State that the Rockets have been tracking throughout the season. There are natural areas for growth, most notably on the offensive end, that will have to be addressed either by way of internal development or upgrades to the roster.

“The good news: Houston might be as well positioned to go either of those routes as any team in the league outside of Oklahoma City. The Rockets are flush with draft capital and young talent. And there is particular enthusiasm coursing through Toyota Center that Amen Thompson, in particular, is a star in the homegrown making.

“For the record: The Rockets, sources say, believed that even before the Golden State series.”

If the Rockets already held that belief before the Warriors series, then the way Thompson performed against Golden State must’ve only bolstered the viewpoint.

After showing major signs of growth in the regular season as a sophomore, Thompson averaged 15.7 points, 6.9 rebounds and 3.3 assists per game against the Warriors while shooting 49.4 percent from the field. Per usual, he also made his impact felt defensively.

Thompson’s defensive impact was apparent all season long and may be his best attribute. As he develops a more complete offensive game, there’s no telling how valuable he could become.

In the 2024-25 regular season, Thompson averaged 14.1 points, 8.2 rebounds, 3.8 assists, 1.4 steals and 1.3 blocks per game. He shot an efficient 55.7 percent from the field. One area where he has room for growth is as a shooter. He shot 27.5 percent from 3 this season, an improvement over his rookie campaign, but he doesn’t take 3s very often and needs to hit them at a higher rate.

The Rockets have a lot to look forward to now that they’ve established themselves as a playoff team following their rebuild. Depending on how they approach the 2025 offseason, they could be a team to look out for in the championship race next season and beyond.

Whatever shape the future takes for Houston, it seems like a safe bet that Thompson is going to be a part of it. At 22 years old, he is still incredibly young and nowhere near his ceiling as an NBA player after he came into the league in the first round in 2023.