Amen Thompson, the fourth overall pick in the 2023 NBA Draft, has shown great potential in becoming a defensive-minded monster. In just his second season, Amen Thompson earned a spot on the 2024-25 NBA All-Defensive First Team, becoming one of the youngest guards in history to earn that achievement. Amen’s ability to switch across positions from one to four, serving the position as the Point of Attack on the Rockets (the first line of defense against the ball-handler), and cleaning up possessions with his elite rebounding. Although Amen’s defensive ability has been phenomenal, which has aided the Rockets' success in the 2024-2025 season, the bigger question has revolved around his shooting ability. Can a player who doesn’t shoot be a star in today’s NBA? A “star” is not defined solely by scoring volume or shooting the lights out, but by a player’s ability to consistently impact winning on both ends of the floor—through defensive value, playmaking, and the capacity to shape an offense even without elite shooting abilities.
Former all-stars such as Ben Simmons, who once had all the potential and could be the franchise's future, of the 76ers, eventually hit a ceiling when their lack of shooting allowed defenses to ignore them. Even an elite superstar like Giannis Antetokounmpo became easier to game-plan against when teams loaded the paint and dared him to shoot. So what makes Amen Thompson different?
The answer is—rim pressure, which Amen does at an elite level. According to NBA tracking data, Amen consistently ranks near the top tier of the league in drives per 36 minutes and generates excellent efficiency on them. According to Basketball-Reference’s 2025-26 per-36 data, Amen averages 17.9 points on 51.2% shooting, with a very impressive 56.5% on 2-pointers. His high interior efficiency tells the story: most of his value comes from getting directly to the basket. In addition, his per-100 possession numbers highlight the same pattern. Amen attempts 16.6 two-pointers per 100 possessions, maintaining the same 52.4% 2P%, and adds 8.7 rebounds, 6.8 assists, and 2.1 steals per 100. These numbers show how Amen impacts possessions even without a jumper. While others rely on volume shooting, Amen creates value by constantly attacking the rim and forcing rotations.
Another key part of Amen’s impact is his vertical spacing. Most commonly, players space up the floor by pulling defenders outward with their shooting ability. In Amen’s case, he spaces the floor by pulling it upward. Amen’s phenomenal athleticism makes him a constant lob threat, and teams must pay close attention to him even if he’s playing off-ball. Vertical spacing forces defenders to defend the air above the rim. Once Amen occupies the dunker spot, the weakside defenders must stay on him because one late rotation can instantly result in a lob. This bends the defense vertically, stretching it from baseline to ceiling the same way as shooters space the floor. This effect doesn’t show up in traditional per-minute stats, but the impact is still huge in terms of defensive behaviors from the opponents. When Amen sits in the dunker spot, rim protectors hesitate to help; this also benefits teammates Alperen Şengün’s post playmaking angle and widens the driving lane for Houston’s guards.
Amen’s playmaking builds on his profile. As the primary point guard on the Rockets after Fred VanVleet’s ACL injury, Amen was able to facilitate the entire floor. With 6.8 assists per 100 possessions, Amen can locate open teammates after collapsing the defense. His rim pressure forces early rotations, creating simple reads and efficient passes. Even without a jumper, Amen generates an efficient offense and is making the right plays once defense coverages. His drives bend the defense inward; his vertical gravity pulls it upward. Those two pressures combined to manufacture clean reads and open passing windows.
So, can a non-shooter be a star in today’s NBA? In Amen Thompson’s case, the answer increasingly looks like yes. Amen Thompson doesn’t fit the usual mold of a modern NBA star; however, that’s exactly what makes him special. He bends defenses without a jumper—whether it’s by living at the rim, hanging in the dunker spot as a lob threat, or creating easy shots for teammates. Few young guards can impact the game in so many ways early in their careers. If Amen successfully adds a consistent jumper on top of everything else he already has, the Rockets might have something even bigger than a defensive cornerstone—they might have found the final piece toward true championship contention.