{"id":908195,"date":"2026-09-28T05:20:09","date_gmt":"2026-09-28T05:20:09","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/908195\/"},"modified":"2026-09-28T05:20:09","modified_gmt":"2026-09-28T05:20:09","slug":"rockets-amen-thompson-shuts-down-shooting-critics-with-a-confident-statement","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/908195\/","title":{"rendered":"Rockets’ Amen Thompson Shuts Down Shooting Critics With A Confident Statement"},"content":{"rendered":"

The Houston Rockets\u2019<\/a> guard Amen Thompson<\/a> recently spoke to the media scrum as the team have begun their training camp ahead of the preseason games.<\/p>\n

One of the biggest drawbacks that is stopping players like Joe Johnson from being fully confident about Thompson\u2019s ability<\/a> to propel his game to the next level and become an All-Star this season is his inability to consistently make jumpshots so far in the NBA. When asked if that criticism is leading to his game being underappreciated, Thompson had a fairly confident response.<\/p>\n

\u201cI mean, yeah, they got to talk about something. So, I feel like I\u2019m really good at a lot of things. I\u2019m really passionate, you know, on the court, and it\u2019s fun to do that. I guess you pick on that one thing, but I mean, I work on it every day. I know I\u2019m going to be a good shooter, so it doesn\u2019t matter,\u201d Thompson said<\/a>.<\/p>\n

Amen Thompson signed a five-year, $208 million contract extension<\/a> this summer despite missing out on All-NBA or All-Defensive Team honors in 2025-26<\/a>. He ended last season averaging 18.3 points, 7.8 rebounds and 5.3 assists while shooting 53.4% from the field and 21.6% from behind the three-point line.<\/p>\n

A consistent jumpshot, as Thompson rightly said, was the only thing critics could point at when it comes to telling him how to improve his game.<\/p>\n

But that does not take away from everything he already does for the team, which includes his dominant, uber-athletic floor presence near the rim on both ends of the floor to block shots, catch lobs, and collect rebounds, using his elite playmaking vision, and being a defensive menace to most of his opponents\u2019 superstar.<\/p>\n

Considering that the Rockets have hired a new shooting coach<\/a>, almost all the footage from training camp on social media shows Thompson working on his jumpshot with Chip Engelland all summer so far.<\/p>\n

\u00a0<\/p>\n

Alperen \u015eeng\u00fcn and Amen Thompson working with Chip Engelland after Rockets practice. pic.twitter.com\/ST0AXCG715<\/a><\/p>\n

\u2014 Jackson Gatlin (@JTGatlin) September 27, 2026<\/a><\/p>\n

Even after today\u2019s practice, Reed Sheppard<\/a> spoke highly of Amen Thompson\u2019s attitude this offseason towards working on his weaknesses.<\/p>\n

\u201cI mean, everything. The shot looks really good. It\u2019s a lot smoother, and his body looks different. He also had a big summer gaining some weight. You can tell he\u2019s been in the gym and improving,\u201d Sheppard said<\/a> on what looks different about Thompson as compared to last season.<\/p>\n

\u201cI feel good. I was eating really healthy, so I put on weight, but I feel I feel like the exact same, which is good,\u201d Thompson said on his weight gain before talking about his All-Star ambitions.<\/p>\n

\u201cYeah, for sure. I mean that\u2019s always one of my goals. You know, I want to be one of the best players in the league. So just All-NBA, All-Star, All Defense, you know, those are some of my goals,\u201d Amen Thompson further added.<\/p>\n

The Rockets\u2019 young star seems committed to silencing his harshest critics, as demonstrated by his unwavering confidence and obvious focus on improving his jumper.<\/p>\n

His already strong all-around game could improve significantly if his offseason work results in consistent shooting, which could bolster his case for All-Star and All-NBA honors this season. It will be very fascinating to see if Amen Thompson\u2019s offseason work translates on the court in the regular season.<\/p>\n