Houston Rockets guard Amen Thompson, the No. 4 overall pick in the 2023 NBA Draft last month, will miss the remainder of Summer League due to a sprained ankle, according to Marc Spears. The injury will require Thompson to wear a boot, keeping him off the court for three to four weeks.
Thompson sustained the injury in his Rockets debut in Las Vegas on Friday. With less than a minute to play in the team's dramatic win over the Portland Trail Blazers, Thompson went up for a block and took an awkward fall under the basket. He remained on the floor for a brief period while under the attention of the Rockets' medical staff, before heading to the locker room under his own power -- albeit with a severe limp.
Prior to the injury, Thompson had been impressive, making an impact on both sides of the ball. He finished with 16 points on 6 of 13 from the field, four rebounds, five assists, three steals and four blocks. His athleticism, particularly when attacking the basket, and vision were on full display.
While the ankle sprain is certainly unfortunate, the good news is that it's not a severe injury and should not impact his availability for the start of the regular season. Furthermore, the flashes he showed in his first 28 minutes will give both himself and the team confidence that he can perform at this level.
Come October, Thompson will be one of the key figures on a new-look Rockets squad that is looking to take the next step. In addition to drafting him and Cam Whitmore in the first round of the draft, the Rockets hired Ime Udoka as their new head coach and signed a number of veterans in free agency, including Fred VanVleet, Dillon Brooks and Jeff Green.
The extent to which they can compete in a deep Western Conference remains to be seen, but the days of losing 55-plus games are officially over.
