NBA Draft rumors: Warriors work out high-riser, Wemby capes for Coulibaly, Rockets divided
By Ian Levy
NBA Draft rumors: 2. Rockets divided on the Thompson twins
We’re weeks away from the actual 2023 NBA Draft but the top picks have already begun to take shape. Victor Wembanyama is all but locked into the top spot for the San Antonio Spurs. The Hornets are reportedly deciding between Brandon Miller and Scoot Henderson. Whoever the Hornets don’t take, will likely go No. 3 either to the Trail Blazers or whoever trades up with them into that slot.
That leaves the Rockets at No. 4 deciding between a handful of prospects with the twins, Ausar and Amen Thompson, near the top of the board. There are a lot of similarities between the two — both are explosive athletes with great size on the wing and fantastic two-way potential. Amen is further along as a ball-handler and creator. Ausar is perhaps more ready as a defender and appears to have made more progress as a shooter. According to Jonathan Wasserman, that has left the Rockets somewhat divided between which player they prefer:
"“A source told B/R the Rockets are content with their choices at No. 4, specifically Amen and Ausar Thompson. It’s likely that one of the twins will be selected at that spot since Wembanyama, Miller, and Henderson are the presumed top 3 picks. Although we slightly favor Amen over Ausar, teams don’t perceive a significant difference between them. Though neither participated in drills or pro days at the combine, new video of Ausar’s shooting and tweaked mechanics have made it to scouts, and they sound encouraged by the tape. If the Rockets anticipate signing Harden after the draft, Ausar’s shooting would make him a better fit. Amen, on the other hand, is a more natural playmaker but less suited for an off-ball role.”"