Every year, the NBA General Managers take a survey voting on certain topics such as best defender, player most likely to have a breakout season, best assistant coach, etc. What keeps this survey honest is that general managers are not allowed to vote for any of their players or staff. If you want to read the survey for yourself, you can do so here.
This year, one particular Rocket was mentioned repeatedly in the survey, and that is Wing Amen Thompson, who scored second for most likely to break out, scored fourth for what player can move the ball fastest, and second for most adaptable defender (behind only Wembanyama), amongst other awards.
Amen Thompson scored first in two categories, those being best perimeter defender and most athletic. For best perimeter defender, Thompson garnered 30% of the vote, surpassing both his twin brother Ausar Thompson and Alex Caruso, who both received 17%. In the athletic category, he was even more dominant, winning 63% of the vote, far more than Anthony Edwards, who came in second with 20%.
Anyone who has followed Thompson during the previous two seasons with the Rockets shouldn’t be surprised by either outcome, in my opinion. The fact that NBA executives are showing him this much respect before he even starts his fourth NBA season is even more impressive.
Amen Thompson is already regarded as one of the NBA’s best defenders. Even while he has the bulk to compete with larger wings at 6’7”, what really stands out is his ability to stay ahead of smaller, speedier guards. When an attacking player steps on him, few players have the length and speed to recover and still make a move.
I also love how defensively aggressive Thompson is without constantly changing positions. He doesn’t need to risk steals to make a mark because his length, speed, and ability to contest shots already make opponents uncomfortable. It is a big honor for Rockets coach Ime Udoka to be able to pair Thompson with the top perimeter scorer on the opposing team and trust him to carry it out. In my opinion, Thompson has a good chance of winning Defensive Player of the Year at some point in his career. When you’re up against exceptional rim protectors like Victor Wembanyama, it’s clearly hard for perimeter defenders to win this honor, but I can see Thompson maybe winning the award if Wembanyama has a down year, or if there is voter fatigue.
Outside of Amen Thompson, head coach Ime Udoka tied for second place in the GM survey when asked which head coach has the strongest defensive tactics. On the question of which assistant coach is the best in the league, Royal Ivey was tied for third.
When asked which player General Managers would most like to try with the game on the line, All-Star forward Kevin Durant, who was selected to the second team of the NBA the previous season, came in fifth. In the “best small forward” poll, he also garnered votes.
What do you think about the GM survey? Do you agree with the results, or disagree? Make sure to tell us below, and as always, stay tuned for more Rockets news, discussion, and analysis at The Dream Shake,
