Defense obsessed basketball fans were treated to a good time in the first round of the playoffs between contenders Houston Rockets and Golden State Warriors. The series featured one who already mastered the art of defense and one that can be said as a prodigy. It was a showdown between Draymond Green versus Amen Thompson.
Warriors bested the Rockets in that series in seven games. Although the higher seeded Houston lost, fans still feel great about their future because of the rise Thompson is having.
It was only his second year but already, he made it to the Second All Defensive Team. He is about to improve and good thing for him, his playoffs experience was against Green regarded as among the best defenders NBA has seen.
Thompson himself knows it, too. He made astute observations during their team’s match up and thought Green’s playing style is commendable.
“I feel like what makes the best defenders good is their IQ. I’ll give Draymond some credit,” he said during an appearance at the “The Young Man and The Three”
“We played Draymond, and he’s not super athletic. Obviously, he’s got long arms, but he’s not gonna wow you athletically. But he’s talking the whole time. And he’ll put himself in a position, knowing they’re gonna do something, then he’ll bounce back to that position and get a steal.”
Amen Thompson predicted to win individual award
Rockets might just have a Draymond Green in them with Thompson. They may play differently but they are both workhorse who play for benefit of the team.
The 22-year-old has been receiving glowing reviews from his peers and superstars he played against and by 2025-26 season, he is predicted to win the Most Improved Player of the Year Award.
The biggest help he already has to win this is playing alongside Kevin Durant whom they acquired last July by letting go their top scorer Jalen Green.
“With Kevin Durant now in Houston, Thompson has the perfect mentor to refine his scoring and decision-making, learning how to pick his spots while playing off an established superstar,” Fadeaway World’s Eddie Bitar Fadeaway World’s Eddie Bitar,
“If his jumper and shot creation improve even modestly, he could emerge as a legitimate Most Improved Player candidate and solidify himself as the Rockets’ cornerstone of the future.”
Rockets- Warriors rivalry is among the most anticipated in the next season not only due to the exchanges happening between their players this summer but also for the arrival of Warriors former star Durant to the Texas-based team.
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