Amen Thompson NBA Draft Profile
Amen Thompson is a 20-year-old guard that currently plays for the City Reapers in the Overtime Elite league. He has been a starter since his freshman year of high school at Pine Crest School in Fort Lauderdale, Florida. While there, Thompson ended up winning a state championship and became a 5-star recruit.
Career
Deciding to forgo his senior year of high school, Thompson elected to play in the newly formed professional league called Overtime Elite. In his first season, while averaging 14 PPG, 6.5 RPG, 3.8 APG, and 2.1 SPG, Thompson was able to help lead Team OTE to a runner-up finish in the Overtime Elite finals that season. In the 2022/23 season, his numbers increased steadily. He’s now averaging 16.4 PPG, 5.9 RPG, 5.9 APG, 2.4 SPG, and 0.9 BPG. It can also be mentioned that Thompson lead his team to the championship in the Overtime Elite finals this past season. His accolades also include being named to the All-OTE First-Team in 2022-23.
Strengths
Thompson is by far one of the most athletic guards in this year’s draft class. Standing at 6-foot-7 and weighing 209 pounds, he also possesses fantastic size at either guard spot. He is also great at playmaking and is capable in a wide variety of sets, especially in the pick and roll and dishing out high-IQ passes at the last second.
Another strength is his defense. A very solid on-ball defender, Thompson is able to pick-pocket his opponents with ease, as evidenced in the 2.4 SPG. Another strength is his ability to drive to the basket and finish around the rim. Due to his superior athletic ability and outstanding 44” vertical, Thompson takes advantage of his quick first step and is able to finish at the rim on a consistent basis. Shooting at a 56.8 FG% clip in the 2022/23 OTE season is nothing short of impressive. As a result of his pure athleticism, playmaking, and efficiency, Thompson is built to be a deadly player in transition.
Weaknesses
The most noticeable weakness of Thompson’s game is his shooting. He is inconsistent from mid-range and three-pointers. Shooting a dismal 23% from behind the arc this season on only 2.6 attempts per game, Thompson will need to make drastic improvements on his shot. Thompson’s jump shot itself also looks slow, clunky, and awkward. However, with the right trainer, this can be improved once he arrives in the league.
Hitting only 64.6% from the charity stripe is also something that Thompson needs to improve upon. This could also be something teams will be looking to exploit in his rookie year. It is vital that he is able to improve upon that number. Overall, if Thompson is able to fix his outside shooting and free throws, it could be the difference in him being a solid NBA player and a great NBA player.
NBA Player Comparison
Finding a comparison for Thompson is difficult, but the two that come to mind are Russell Westbrook and Markelle Fultz. One can picture Thompson as a taller Westbrook with the ability to drive to the basket and rely on his athleticism to finish at the rim. At the same time, they both are able to make passes at various levels of difficulty. As for Fultz, this could be Thompson’s floor if he is not able to improve on the 3-point shot. Fultz has developed into a solid playmaker for the Orlando Magic, but for Thompson, this would reflect his floor as an NBA player.
