The Whiteboard: Amen Thompson and the Rockets are cleared for takeoff

The Houston Rockets finished last season five games shy of the Play-In Tournament despite a torrid stretch after the All-Star break. For a while, it felt as though Ime Udoka's squad might actually push the No. 10-seeded Warriors out of the postseason. The subsequent feud went the way of a more experienced Golden State squad, but the Rockets are officially knocking on the door.

It's worth noting that the Western Conference is an absolute bloodbath. Most of those fringe contenders in the Play-In Tournament got better. Golden State added De'Anthony Melton and Kyle Anderson, the Kings added DeMar DeRozan. Those at the top also improved. Isaiah Hartenstein and Alex Caruso to OKC. Klay Thompson to Dallas. There is a ton of competition for just eight postseason slots, and not many established winners appear ready to budge.

So, know that I am absolutely sincere when I say that the Rockets are going to the playoffs in 2025. It's too early to know which team will falter above them — perhaps the injury-rattled Clippers, or the cheapskate Lakers — but Houston doesn't even need a team to fall off the map. The Rockets are more than capable of actively passing a few teams on their own.

It's time for the Houston Rockets to take flight — with Amen Thompson leading the charge

A cursory glance at the Rockets' roster might lead one to say 'they need a few more years,' or 'who is the All-Star on this supposed contender?' The answer to the latter question is Alperen Sengun, who reached those heights last season but was snubbed by voters. As for the first comment from the made-up skeptics, well, no. The Rockets don't need time. They just need health and perhaps a little bit of luck.

Houston is not without a veteran leadership apparatus. Fred VanVleet is one of the steadiest hands in the NBA, providing Houston's offense with a rock-solid floor. Dillon Brooks, for all of his incessant blustering, is a good culture piece and a productive member of the Rockets starting lineup. Meanwhile, Udoka has proven himself as one of the game's sharpest minds. He runs incredible stuff offensively and he steered Houston to a top-10 defense despite a young roster and no traditional rim protector in the middle.

As far as Houston's youth, look no further than OKC for proof that inexperience does not prevent a team from contending at the highest level. The Rockets don't have their version of Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, a bonafide MVP candidate, but there isn't a deeper team in the West when it comes to youth and upside.

The Rockets are just brimming with quality up-and-comers. Sengun, again, should have been an All-Star last season. He's the perfect modern hub for an offense, pirouetting for finishes in the post or firing all sorts of funky, creative passes to kickstart the offense. Jabari Smith has come into his own as a 3-point bomber and defensive workhorse, covering tons of ground as either a four or a small-ball five. Tari Eason was hurt for much of last season, but he's a voracious defender with underrated flashes on offense. Reed Sheppard, the No. 3 pick in June's NBA Draft, was the best rookie at Summer League by a healthy margin. Oh, and of course there is Jalen Green and Cam Whitmore, two nuclear athletes whose shot-making chops are bound to pay dividends in due time.

That all leads me to Amen Thompson.

While Thompson is probably not front of mind for most folks when thinking about the Rockets' upcoming season, I am here to proclaim him as Houston's best "prospect" — and, sooner than later, probably their best player, period. The 21-year-old was somewhat buried as the No. 4 pick in a stupidly loaded draft class, and it took him a while to carve out his niche after injuries and depth impeded his early-season progress.

Once he was in the thick of the rotation, however, Thompson became essential to the Rockets' functionality. He was essentially their Swiss Army Knife in the frontcourt, setting screens, whipping connective passes on the fly, catching lobs, and defending 1-through-4 with rabid intensity. Thompson was not the most statistically explosive or "flashy" member of the Rockets core, but that is precisely what was so impressive about his rookie campaign. Because Thompson is flashy. He is positively crackling, the sort of live-wire athlete that comes along once in a generation. Thompson was drafted as a 6-foot-7 point guard, with speed, dexterity, and vertical pop we rarely see, even at the highest level of NBA athletes.

Thompson was a rim pressure machine in the Overtime Elite league and the best passer in the 2023 draft. For him to so effortlessly adjust to a dirty-work forward's role is what makes him special. It's an indicator of his advanced feel and his scalability, which is essential for any young player trying to impact winning for a contender.

It will take time to sort through the Houston backcourt hierarchy with VanVleet, Green, and Sheppard all vying for touches, but Thompson has the juice, as the kids like the say. The sauce. However you want to describe it. Thompson has it, and the more he gets to control the tempo of games and take Houston's offense into his own hands, the more fans will start to realize how special he is.

At worst, Thompson is a bonafide defensive stopper and a completely bonkers athlete who can clean up on finishes at the rim, connect dots as a passer, and tear up rotating defenses with his unmatched first step. If he progresses, and if Houston puts more on his plate, however, we are all in store for something special.

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NBA news roundup:

• The Boston Celtics are reigning NBA champs, so of course the summer's discourse cycle revolved around Jayson Tatum's lack of Team USA playing time and Jaylen Brown's own feelings of disrespect on the national stage. It's safe to say that certified psycho Joe Mazzulla is thrilled about all the bulletin-board material that's piling up.

• After the supreme parity and uncertainty of the 2024 draft, next year promises a clear No. 1 overall pick in Cooper Flagg. The Duke freshman has been earning rave reviews, including a big-ticket endorsement from, well, The Big Ticket. Kevin Garnett has set the bar extremely high.

• Former No. 1 overall pick Ben Simmons is fully cleared ahead of training camp after undergoing a second back surgery last season. His trainer claims he is moving better than ever. You know what they say — fool me once...

More NBA players on breakout watch...

The 2023 NBA Draft was just loaded. We aren't going to get such a deep and talented class for a while, even with all the understandable hype around next summer's crop of rookies. This is a topic I'm sure to cover in more depth as the season progresses, but man, so many NBA sophomores should be on breakout watch. Let's line em up.

OKC's Cason Wallace is so, so good. He thrived in a low-usage role last season, finishing efficiently at all three levels, defending the point of attack with absolute fervor, and playmaking when called upon. His path to minutes is clouded in a deep OKC backcourt, but hopefully the Josh Giddey trade opens up a wider lane, because Wallace needs it. There's a non-zero chance he's starting by season's end.

Look for Golden State's Brandin Podziemski to take a sizable step forward in Klay Thompson's absence. He is unimpeded as the Warriors' starting two-guard now and somebody needs to absorb Klay's shot attempts. The Dubs will feed Jonathan Kuminga and others, but Podz is a high-volume shooter with a bit more on-ball pizzazz than he gets credit for.

Amen Thompson, obviously is another breakout candidate. His brother Ausar, if the Pistons allow it. Bilal Coulibaly in Washington. Taylor Hendricks in Utah. The list goes on.

Get ready to appreciate just how talented this next wave of NBA stars is.