Thompson takes center stage
With Şengün out, rookie facing bigger defenders to go with new role on offense
The Bulls had gone with their jumbo lineup, playing centers Nikola Vucevic and Andre Drummond together, assigning Drummond to defend Rockets rookie Amen Thompson.
This has become a common strategy since Alperen Şengün’s injury and the move to put Thompson, a point guard who had been playing on the wing, in the starting lineup to replace a center.
As the Bulls trapped Jalen Green with the ball on top, Jock Landale moved to the middle behind Vucevic with Thompson almost hiding in the corner where Drummond dutifully ignored him.
Drummond slid up to defend Landale. Thompson moved to his new home in the dunker’s spot, just outside the lane and tight along the baseline.
With one more pass, Thompson was alone at the rim, bouncing from one side to the other to finish his two-handed chinup of a dunk.
This was not a one-time flash of athleticism or an adjustment to the Bulls’ oversized lineup. The Bulls started the game with Vucevic assigned to defend Thompson, and teams have increasingly defended him with their centers.
With the Rockets in a stretch of games against teams with 7-footers inside, from the Bulls to Saturday’s matchup with Walker Kessler and the Jazz before the Rockets play Deandre Ayton and the Trail Blazers, Chet Holmgren and the Thunder and the Jazz again, Thompson can get used to looking at opponents square in the chest.
He and the Rockets have already made the change needed to make that work.
“Him in the roll, him in the pocket with his passing ability is an asset to have,” coach Ime Udoka said. “We’ve mentioned guys like Ben Simmons, guys like Giannis (Antetokounmpo) who have done similar things at times in their career. He can learn to implement those things.”
Drafted to play point guard, still the position of his future, Thompson has become the Rockets’ Clint Capela.
That is only on the offensive end (he matches up with high-scoring guards defensively) and only in the halfcourt. But Thompson spends games as the screen-setter in pick-and-roll or in the dunker’s spot. He is a 6-7 version of Capela in the early Mike D’Antoni, James Harden years before Harden moved fully into the dribble, dribble, dribble step-back 3 version of the offense.
The change has worked, negating the issues that came early in the season from Thompson’s lack of shooting range. A 15.4 % 3-point shooter this season, he has attempted just one 3 in the five games since Şengün’s injury moved Thompson into the starting lineup.
He attempted just two shots in San Antonio in the first game after the lineup change. But in the four games prior to the Rockets’ game against the Jazz on Saturday, Thompson averaged 19.5 points and 9.3 rebounds, while making 72.7 % of his shots.
In 11 starts this season, he is averaging 14.5 points on 64.8% shooting, along with 10.5 rebounds. He is on pace to be the first player in NBA history (among those that played more than one game) to average at least eight points, five rebounds, two assists and a steal in fewer than 21 minutes per game.
The Rockets might have hoped for that kind of production from the fourth pick of the draft. But they likely would not have guessed they would get it this way, with Thompson playing off the ball for the first time in his life and beating centers to the rim and boards.
“He’s a sponge,” Udoka said. “You’ve seen him improve just with the playing time alone, let alone the role we’re asking him to do. A guy that’s had the ball in his hands his whole career, you put him out there with Fred (VanVleet) and Jalen in the starting lineup now, you kind of have to divide those opportunities, the ball-handling duties. He does impact it in other ways.
“He’s great on the offensive glass, great in transition. But when he has a big on him, he can be used as a screener, used as a facilitator, as well, instead of just attacking the basket all the time. Getting the shots he wants, the shots for our offense.”
The Rockets are not the first team to see opponents assign centers to defend guards or wings. The Rockets assigned Şengün to defend Oklahoma City guard Josh Giddey.
When Jae’Sean Tate started with the Rockets in the first two seasons of his career, the Jazz had center Rudy Gobert defend him, keeping Gobert near the lane.
With Jabari Smith Jr., a threat to pick-and-pop at the 3-point line, teams have been hesitant to have their centers that far from the rim since Smith has started as a center with Ş engün out.
The Rockets have made it work by more often having Thompson catch in the pocket where he can use his passing ability or quickness to the rim.
“Even before (the lineup change) they were doing it with the second unit when Alpi was still playing,” Udoka said. “Quite a few teams did it, so you get live, in-game reps to do it. Teams know they’re going to have disadvantages with him or Jabari, so a lot of them are putting (centers) on him to take away Jabari’s shot.
“I think he’s getting more comfortable in the pocket. He’s never really had to screen before or play off the ball as much. He’s going to pick it up quick. You can see he’s really dynamic when he catches it in the pocket. Now, it’s second nature to him so he’s really attacking. When he has the ball there, he’s finishing at a high rate.”
Thompson still thinks of himself as a point guard and said he is trying to learn from VanVleet how to lead at the position. But he also expected to play off the ball on occasion when playing with VanVleet or Green. It might bode well for his potential to learn how to play the point that he so quickly picked up how to play a very different position.
“I thought about it. I never thought it was going to be like this, though,” Thompson said. “It’s cool. I feel I’m really athletic. I jump faster, higher than a lot of people. When I get there, it’s hard to contest.”
Thompson will still handle the ball in transition, with his rebounding allowing him to start a fast break without an outlet pass. Even when that does not lead to a fast-break bucket, in the crossmatch with Thompson defending guards, opponents often cannot shift their center back into him after missed shots.
That could be more like the offense he would play with Şengün when he returns if they are on the floor together. Thompson would not be the screensetter in pick-and-roll as often, but the ability to move without the ball could fit with Şengün’s passing. Until then, the Rockets will count on him as a guard/forward/center.
“It’s gotten better every game,” Udoka said. “He’s more used to it and we’re using him different ways now. So, early on when we had the full complement of everybody, they would do it with the second unit a lot of times. It was a little awkward for him. He didn’t know how to attack. They were leaving him open for certain shots. The message was always, ‘Don’t settle for what they’re trying to get you to take and attack and get the shots you like or get something else for somebody.’
“I think that was what he did attacking the transition. But now we’re using him as a screener (and) putting him in the dunker (spot) and making him a playmaker from the top. It has been good for him.”