Hot Takes on Thunder vs. Rockets with Amen Thompson Injured, Chet Holmgren Out

The NBA's Summer League in Las Vegas continued Tuesday with some of the best young players in action in a matchup between the Oklahoma City Thunder and the Houston Rockets.

The Rockets defeated the Thunder 105-92 in a game that did not feature either Amen Thompson or Chet Holmgren. Thompson, the No. 4 overall pick in the 2023 draft, has been ruled out for the remainder of Summer League with an ankle sprain while Holmgren was held out for non-injury reasons.

With two of the top players out for Tuesday's matchup, it was a chance for some of each franchise's other young players to make a lasting impression, and the Thunder's Keyontae Johnson and the Rockets' Cam Whitmore did just that.

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Thunder Got "Steal" With Keyontae Johnson

Oklahoma City selected Johnson in the second round of the 2023 draft out of Kansas State.

The 23-year-old began his college career with the Florida Gators and his draft stock took a dip when he collapsed on the court in a December 2020 matchup against Florida State, putting his basketball future into question.

Johnson played just five games for the Gators between the 2020-21 and 2021-22 seasons before transferring to Kansas State ahead of the 2022-23 campaign.

He went on to have a bounce back season with the Wildcats and is now putting together an impressive Summer League.

Although the Thunder lost Tuesday's game, Johnson put up 19 points, five rebounds and one assist in just over 21 minutes, drawing rave reviews on social media:

Johnson still has plenty to prove at the next level, but this is a great start for a player who could potentially become a solid bench contributor for the Thunder in the future.

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Rockets Rookie Cam Whitmore "NBA Ready"

The Rockets selected Whitmore 20th overall in the 2023 draft out of Villanova, and he's already making a great impression for the Rockets in Las Vegas.

The 19-year-old finished Tuesday's game with 16 points, eight rebounds, three assists and three steals in just over 33 minutes. While he doesn't have many games under his belt, fans already believe he's NBA ready:

One thing Whitmore needs to improve upon is his shot selection, though that should only come with time, and he's already looking like a player that can make an impact off the bench for Houston regardless.