Thompson’s been really good and is moving up the list of NBA Sixth Man of the Year candidates.
With the 2024 – 2025 NBA season almost at the halfway mark, what better time than to look at potential award winners for the Houston Rockets. While a case can be made for Ime Udoka to win Coach of the Year, Houston has another member of its team contending for an award, as Amen Thompson is currently at +750 odds on DraftKings to win Sixth Man of the Year.
As a little review for a player to be eligible for an NBA award, they must play a minimum of 65 games in the regular season. Additionally for the Sixth Man of the Year Award, players eligible must come off the bench for more games than they have started, and despite many fans thinking Amen should be a member of the starting lineup, his absence in Rockets starting lineup is what makes him eligible, as Thompson has started just 11 games out of the 38 he has played.
Amen Thompson had a promising rookie season, averaging 6.6 rebounds, 2.6 assists, 0.6, blocks, 1.3steals, and 9.5 points per game while shooting 68.4 percenr from the free-throw line, 53.6 percent on field goals, and just 13.8 percent from three. Thompson’s counting stats have improved across the board so far in his second season, as he is now averaging 12.8 points, 7.8 rebounds, 2.4 assists, 1.2 blocks, and 1.3 steals per game, while shooting just over 69 percent from the free-throw line, 25 percent from three, and 56 percent on field goals.
Essentially Thompson, while still not a great shooter, has nearly doubled his three-point percentage between his rookie and sophomore seasons. Moreover, Thompson’s field goal percentage ties him with Chicago Bulls Center Jonas Valančiūnas for the 15th-best in the NBA, while ranking higher than Nikola Jokic, Karl Anthony Towns, and Shai Gilegous Alexander.
Whats makes Amen so special to this Rockets team is not only his improved offensive production, but also the ability to put opposing players in the amenitentiary, locking up the opponent’s best player on a nightly basis. Additionally, Amen Thompson is part of some of the best lineups for Houston in terms of offensive and defensive rating.
It is unclear to say who will the NBA Sixth Man of the Year Award since we are only halfway in, but if Thompson continues his production while also moving back to a bench role when Jabari Smith Jr. returns, and Houston stays as a top team in the Western Conference he has a case.
Thompson is currently the third-favorite for the award, according to our friends at DraftKings, behind favorite Payton Pritchard at -200 and second-favorite De’Andre Hunter, who’s at +425.