In farewell letter to Houston, Jalen Green predicts great things for Amen Thompson
As part of his Players Tribune farewell letter to Houston, recently traded guard Jalen Green made it clear that he's a big believer in one of his former Rockets teammates.
'I can tell you because I had a front row seat for it — Amen (Thompson) isn't just gonna be great,' Green wrote. 'Amen is gonna be crazy,' with the final word italicized for emphasis.
It's worth noting that as good as Thompson was last season — including NBA All-Defensive First Team honors — it was only his second professional season. He remains just 22 years old.
Showcasing elite defense, athleticism, and positional versatility, Thompson averaged 14.1 points (55.7% FG), 8.2 rebounds, 3.8 assists, 1.4 steals, and 1.3 blocks in 32.2 minutes per game last season. The 22-year-old became a full-time starter in January and never relinquished the job.
At 6-foot-7, Thompson is tall and athletic enough to play in the frontcourt, and he obtained that starting position once power forward Jabari Smith Jr. went down to a multi-week injury in January. Yet, Thompson also has point-guard skills, making him capable of playing and defending anywhere.
With Green headed to Phoenix as part of the trade that brought All-Star forward Kevin Durant to Houston, that could put a bit more pressure on Thompson to do more ball-handling and creation in the 2025-26 season.
Per Green's own observations, Thompson should be up for the task.
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