Boom or Bust: The Amen Thompson Evaluation
Amen Thompson is Immensely Talented, but Can He Develop His Swing Skills to Become a Top Player?
Ridiculous Upside.
That's what comes to mind when describing OTE's projected Top 5 pick Amen Thompson.
The 6'6", 218lbs Point Guard is precisely what every NBA team is scouring the globe for every day. Boasting a 7'0" wingspan, the more on-ball player of the Thompson twins Amen brings upside that has NBA teams drooling of a potential All-NBA athletic two-way wing.
A Bay Area native, Thompson has had a fascinating basketball career up until now. Moving from his hometown of San Leandro, Ca, the Thompson family packed their bags for Fort Lauderdale, Fl, where the twins would begin their high school playing days in the 8th grade, starring for Pine Crest High School. After 3 years in Florida, the twins decided to head North to Atlanta ending their chances of playing college ball in favor of upstart league Overtime Elite in hopes of impressing scouts to fulfill their lifelong dreams of making it to the NBA. Both inking a 2-year contract, the Thompson twins would spend their next 2 years developing and preparing for the NBA draft. Albeit poor competition, Amen excelled, demonstrating his elite athleticism, phenomenal playmaking, and fantastic finishing. In preparation for the inevitable entrance to the 2023 NBA Draft, the twins went on a European tour playing better teams and in the TBT. This tour highlighted Amen's strengths and weaknesses. Here's his overall evaluation:
Strengths
The first thing that pops off the tape regarding Amen Thompson is his ridiculous athleticism. Amen will immediately join the upper echelon of athletes the second he gets drafted into the NBA. He has Ja Morant-esque athleticism. Thompson constantly leaks out on fastbreaks looking for opportunities to tear the rim apart with highlight reel dunks. This athleticism is more than what makes him a great dunker, though. Amen's athleticism also helps him defensively, where he is constantly jumping passing lanes, blocking shots, and sliding to disrupt opposing players' drives. Amen will be able to guard 1-3 effectively at the next level due to his size and athleticism. He also does well converting that defense into offense which often features his athleticism.
Both of these clips end in dunks highlighting Thompson's gifted quick-twitch muscles, but it's how he uses his athleticism especially demonstrated in the second clip.
Another strength of Amen's is his elite playmaking. Coming off of a year where he averaged over 6 assists a game with a near 2:1 Ast/To ratio, Amen constantly displayed his ability to pass amongst the best of them, albeit against questionable OTE competition. At 6'6", Amen defines the NBA's modern Point Guard. He is the jumbo initiator that every team is searching for. He's such a fun player to evaluate because of this, as he has the size of a wing combined with suitable manipulation of defenses, effective Pick & Role passing, and excellent passing angles. Check out some of his passing here:
Lastly, here's another quick clip so you can get the overall feel of his game. The combination of playmaking, athleticism, defensive upside, and finishing cannot be stated enough. He's just so compelling, even though it's OTE competition.
That being said, Thompson's career will depend on one swing skill, shooting. Take a look below.
Weaknesses
Thompson's most apparent area for improvement is his shooting. This year at OTE, Thompson was constantly dared to shoot by teams who went under screens repeatedly. He shot 25.4% from beyond the arc this past year with poor mechanics. It doesn't help when he's consistently compared to Ausar, who is currently further along as a shooter both off the catch and dribble. A sub-70% FT percentage from the line also doesn't help his case to develop as a shooter. From the outside looking in, Thompson looks the part of a player that won't improve as a shooter, much like Ben Simmons in that way, which could make him unplayable in situations. But, Amen is known to have a great work ethic, so only time will tell whether or not he'll become a suitable shooter.
The first part of the clip is from OTE's pro day displaying some shot-making ability, but the last two clips are shots that aren't in Amen's arsenal at the moment. It's also disappointing that he hasn't really shown improvement over the last year in terms of his mechanics. Take a look here:
Another area for improvement when it comes to Amen is tightening his handle. As an uber-athletic player, Thompson occasionally finds himself moving and leaving the ball behind. Going into the league, he'll have to clean that up.
Another quick note on an area for Amen to improve is his defensive engagement which is partially due to the OTE competition level, which makes the twins such tricky evaluations. Thompson will sometimes be late on rotations and make unnecessary gambles defensively, which often backfire. All of this will get cleaned up when he enters an NBA system.
Fit
As much as Amen has been mocked to Houston, I secretly hope he slides to somewhere like Washington or Utah. Amen's fit in Houston is cloudy to me because of how many talented back-court players there are. Kevin Porter Jr's time may have to be up in Houston, and how can we forget about Jalen Green and his offensive upside? Another complication regarding Houston is the whole James Harden fiasco. That'll be something GM Rafael Stones will have to have in mind when selecting at #4.
If Amen slips in the draft, it might be beneficial for him. A team built around him in somewhere like Washington at #8 or Utah at #9 is perfect. Amen would be given the keys to the offense from Day 1, taking over lead guard duties and leading their franchise to the promised land.
Wrap-Up
Amen Thompson's combination of elite athleticism, playmaking ability, and defensive skills make him an enticing prospect for NBA teams. His highlight-reel dunks, defensive versatility, and knack for converting turnovers into points showcase his immense potential as a two-way wing player. With his size and court vision, Thompson has the makings of a modern point guard, capable of orchestrating an offense and creating scoring opportunities for his teammates.
However, Thompson's shooting still needs refinement for him to reach his full potential. His inconsistent shooting mechanics and below-average percentages from beyond the arc and the free-throw line raise concerns about his ability to contribute offensively. Additionally, while his defensive engagement may be attributed partially to the level of competition he faced in Overtime Elite, he will need to improve his decision-making and discipline on that end of the court. Nevertheless, if Thompson lands in the right situation with a team that can help him develop his shooting, he has all the tools to become a dynamic and impactful player in the NBA.