In confirmation of expected news, Houston Rockets rookie Amen Thompson is fully cleared for all basketball activities after suffering a grade-two sprain to his left ankle at July’s NBA summer league.
“The No. 4 pick is healthy and ready to go as we inch closer to training camp,” beat writer Kelly Iko writes in his latest mailbag for The Athletic. “A few weeks ago, Thompson scrimmaged at the facility. His pure speed and explosiveness were immediate standouts.”
Buy Rockets TicketsThompson, who is initially expected to slide in as Houston’s backup point guard behind Fred VanVleet, continues to work on improving his shooting with assistant coach Ben Sullivan — who was, of course, head coach for the 2023 summer-league Rockets.
But according to Iko, Houston’s coaching staff is also trying to improve his ballhandling and dribbling as it pertains to breaking down defenses. To say the least, having healthy ankles is a key initial step as Thompson seeks to best utilize those vast athletic gifts.
Checking in on the No. 4 pick Amen Thompson, a Ziaire Williams conundrum in Memphis and balancing the Spurs’ scoring equation.
Our Southwest Divisional mailbag, New for @TheAthletic https://t.co/HXzPdaYkgD
— Kelly Iko (@KellyIko) September 21, 2023
