Rockets' Ime Udoka: Amen Thompson Has Been 'Everything We Thought He Would Be'

It hasn't taken No. 4 pick Amen Thompson long to impress Houston Rockets head coach Ime Udoka.

Thompson has been leading the second unit at Rockets training camp this week, and Udoka said the 20-year-old point guard "stood out to a lot of people" during Thursday's practice, according to the Houston Chronicle's Jonathan Feigen.

"His pace is real, his size and athleticism, and he has that burst," Udoka said. "He really ignites the fast break on his own. He's been great."

Thompson had already impressed Udoka this summer in the 2023 Las Vegas Summer League, when the Rockets coach called the former Overtime Elite star "everything we thought he would be."

Thompson's progress is good news for the Rockets, who may need to rely on their 2023 first-round pick more with Kevin Porter Jr. no longer part of the team.

"He's just scratching the surface," Udoka continued. "He's getting up to speed. He's learning on the fly. He already has some natural ability and instincts that you can't teach, and the IQ and the passing ability that stands out immediately. But he'll learn as he goes. He's done a great job."

Thompson played in the Summer League for just 28 minutes before suffering an ankle sprain that kept him from the rest of summer play, but that was still enough time for Udoka to gain a good impression of the rookie.

Udoka is well aware of this small sample size. According to Feigen, the Rockets coach "emphasized" that Thompson had less playing experience in Overtime Elite than players get coming out of college, and that he had made just a single Summer League appearance.

Nonetheless, Thompson's positive first impression on Udoka has apparently only improved throughout training camp.

Thompson was practicing Thursday on the team's second unit alongside Cam Whitmore, Tari Eason, Jae'Sean Tate and Jeff Green, according to Feigen. That mix between youth in 2023 first-round pick Whitmore and 2022 first-rounder Eason, combined with experience from 15-season veteran Green, will present an interesting dynamic on the court as Thompson prepares to make his October 25 Rockets debut.