NBA
Tim Legler believes Rockets’ Amen Thompson will be a ‘superstar’
Zach Wolpin is an NBA and NFL expert who's been betting on the league for over three years now. Wolpin has been a fan of the NBA and has been watching for a decade and a half. He covers the latest news and stories surrounding the league daily. His passion in life is watching sports and being able to share that through his sports writing. He has written about the NBA and other sports leagues through various media outlets over the years like Sir Charles In Charge, G-Men HQ, and TAP into South Plainfield. Before he became an NBA News Writer, Wolpin attended Montclair State University where he graduated in 2021. He studied Sports Media and Writing while in school.
All posts by Zach WolpinUpdated1 hour ago on July 31, 2025
After a 52-30 record in 2024-25, the Rockets finished second in the Western Conference. The team had a difficult first-round matchup vs. Steph Curry and the Warriors. Houston took Golden State to seven games but lost the series.
With that, the Rockets made major changes to the roster. One piece they did move this offseason is small forward Amen Thompson. The former first-round pick is oozing with raw talent. His explosiveness and athleticism are off the charts. If Thompson can increase his consistency offensively, the league better watch out. ESPN’s Tim Legler believes Thompson will be a “superstar” sooner rather than later.
What’s next for Amen Thompson in his career development?
“He’s[Amen Thompson] is going to be a superstar in this league, I believe it, and he’s going to get there sooner than later…”
– Tim Legler[@LegsESPN] via The All-NBA Podcast[@ALLCITY_NBA]🎯🎯🎯
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Agree?#Rockets #LiftOff pic.twitter.com/ktL9loNRpU— Chris Gorman (@GormanChristoph) July 30, 2025
In the 2023 NBA draft, the Rockets used the fourth overall pick to select Amen Thompson. Through two seasons, Thompson has played in 131 games for Houston and has made 65 starts. During the 2024-25 season, Thompson played in 69 of the Rockets’ 82 games and made 42 starts. By the beginning of Janurary, Thompson became a full-time starter for the Rockets.
Last season, he averaged a career-high 14.1 points, 8.2 rebounds, 3.4 assists, 1.4 steals, and 1.3 blocks per game. He finished fifth in Defensive Player of the Year voting and was named All-Defensive first team. Thompson excels on the defensive end with his size and athleticism. If he can take a step forward in his offensive development, the young SF could be a legitimate two-way threat.
Amen Thompson is literally Giannis as a guard pic.twitter.com/GakQgYI19k
— 𝟏𝟑 (@WizardHoops) July 30, 2025
ESPN’s Tim Legler believes that Thompson will be a “superstar.” Luckily, he’ll have an incredible mentor to learn from in the 2025-26 season. Kevin Durant is known for his prolific offensive production over his career. At times, Amen Thompson has shown flashes of offensive consistency. However, they are few and far between. The Rockets need Thompson to become a threat shooting the ball.
Heading into 2025-26, Kevin Durant is the only player on Houston’s roster who we know will average 20+ points per game. That leaves the door wide open for Amen Thompson to take that next step. Fred VanVleet is an aging point guard whose production has slipped in each of his last three seasons. Thompson’s only competition for another 20+ point per game scorer is big man Aleperen Sengun. Regardless, Amen Thompson will have an opportunity to reach “superstar” status in years to come.
