2023 NBA Draft grades: Rockets select Amen Thompson with No. 4 overall pick

The Rockets are trying to make their way back into the playoff race next season

The Houston Rockets have selected Amen Thompson with the No. 4 overall pick in the 2023 NBA Draft. Thompson is a 6-6 guard that spent the past two seasons playing for Overtime Elite, a professional league for players between the ages of 16 and 20 based in Atlanta, alongside his brother and fellow 2023 draft prospect Ausar. He led the City Reapers to that league's championship alongside Ausar, making a game-winning layup in Game 2 of the OTE Finals in the process.

Thompson will enter the NBA as one of the league's best athletes. His combination of size, speed and jumping ability will make him a terror to deal with in transition from the moment he steps on an NBA court. He uses that athleticism along with his ball-handling ability and basketball IQ to great effect as a big point guard, and he should excel with the ball in his hands as a professional. His success as an NBA player will come down to the development of his jump shot. That is his major weakness, and in an NBA that frequently punishes perimeter players that can't shoot, he will have to develop that skill if he wants to function off of the ball.

Houston has spent the past three seasons at the bottom of the NBA. They had the NBA's worst record in both the 2020-21 and 2021-22 seasons, and while they improved slightly last season, they still found themselves picking at the top of the draft. However, if they have their way, they won't be there for very much longer.

The Rockets hired Ime Udoka as their new coach this offseason and seemingly hope to make a leap into the playoffs next season. As such, they have been linked to a number of top free agents with July looming, including their own former MVP, James Harden, as well as top defender Dillon Brooks. Houston has plenty of motivation to win right now as the Oklahoma City Thunder control their first-round picks for the next three seasons, so any young players in place next season will have to earn their minutes.

Thompson's place in Houston's rotation next season will depend on its offseason to some extent. If they add several veterans, he might have to work his way onto the court. If not? Minutes will likely be easier to come by. But ultimately, the Rockets have added another high-upside prospect to their overhaul. 

Draft grade:

He is a top 1% athlete in the NBA tomorrow. We are talking about 6-7 with a 6-11 wingspan, extreme pace and violent leaping ability. What he doesn't have is a jumper. So even though he's a wing in size, he likely will be a playmaker on the ball. This is the start of the second tier of the class, but he's the player with the upside to be right in this spot. Grade: A