Houston Rockets Forward Amen Thompson will be sidelined for 10 to 14 days, sources told ESPN. Thompson, 22, left in the fourth quarter of the Rockets vs. New Orleans Pelicans game at Toyota Center on Saturday with a left ankle sprain, but the MRI showed no structural damage on Sunday. However, Thompson will receive treatment for swelling and rehab. Read on for further details surrounding Thompson’s injury.
Amen Thompson’s Injury
On Sunday, ESPN’s Shams Charania posted on X, formerly Twitter, “Houston Rockets emerging two-way force Amen Thompson will be sidelined for 10 to 14 days due to a left ankle sprain, sources tell ESPN. MRI on the ankle showed no structural damage, but Thompson will rehab and receive treatment for swelling.” Charania’s first post attracted attention, as one user wrote, “NOOOO MY DEMON” and another wrote, “Get well soon goat.”
Charania, 30, followed up with a post that read, “Two key Amen Thompson stats this season, per ESPN Research: He has held opponents to 39% shooting as the contesting defender, the best in the NBA among players to contest at least 600 shots. He is the only NBA player with at least 75 blocks and 75 steals.” Charania’s second post also attracted attention, as one user wrote, “Stud stats” and another wrote, “This guy is a future superstar!”
The Houston Rockets reportedly breathed a sigh of relief regarding Amen Thompson’s injury. Thompson will miss five to seven games for the Rockets, but no teams in that stretch are in the top six of their respective conferences. Thompson will return fairly soon, but there were questions about why he was still in the Rockets vs. New Orleans Pelicans game. Houston was up 30 points in the fourth quarter and cruised to a 146-117 win.
Thompson’s Stats
Amen Thompson is the identical twin brother of Ausar Thompson. The latter plays for the Detroit Pistons as a shooting guard and small forward. Both brothers were selected in the 2023 NBA Draft with the fourth and fifth overall picks. The former played for Team OTE and City Reapers, while the latter played for Team Elite and City Reapers before officially playing for the NBA.
Amen Thompson has been averaging 14.0 points, 8.3 rebounds, and 3.6 assists per game while shooting 55.3% from the field and 25.6% from downtown this season. Thompson averaged 11.7 points, 7.5 rebounds, and 3.1 assists per game while shooting 54.5% from the field and 20.6% from downtown in his NBA career.
Final Thoughts
Amen Thompson became a full-time starter earlier this season. According to ESPN Research, Thompson is already a strong defender who held opponents to 39% shooting as the contesting defender this season — the best in the NBA among players to contest at least 600 shots. However, Thompson’s injury will likely be more difficult to rehab as it’s late in the season, and there’s less time to heal.
