ESPN lists Rockets’ Amen Thompson as Most Improved Player frontrunner

Amen Thompson was a dynamic player in the 2024-25 Houston Rockets season, as evidenced by his spot on the NBA’s All-Defensive First Team.

But he only became a full-time starter in January, and his on-ball opportunities were fairly limited on a team with Fred VanVleet and Jalen Green starting in its backcourt.

In 2025-26, Thompson’s third season in the league, the 22-year-old is expected to be a starter from the outset. Furthermore, with Green traded as part of the blockbuster deal for All-Star forward Kevin Durant, Thompson is now expected to get more time at shooting guard.

With that in mind, it shouldn’t come as a surprise if Thompson takes another statistical leap. To that end, ESPN’s “summer forecast” panel — voted on by its NBA reporters, editors, and analysts — is projecting Thompson as the early frontrunner for the league’s Most Improved Player award.

ESPN’s Jamal Collier explains:

Amen Thompson was a runaway winner in this category, as he is slated to play a significant role for a Rockets team with high expectations in 2025-26. Thompson will be entering his third season in the NBA, having already taken a jump in year two, and he hasn’t even been a full-time starter yet. He has already established himself as an elite defensive player, making the All-Defensive team and is currently one of the best on-ball defenders in the league.

His offensive game showed signs of improvement in the playoffs, with better handles and a jumper as he upped his scoring averages as the series went on, giving the league a glimpse of what he can do on the other side of the ball. That should be elevated, considering Thompson will be playing next to Kevin Durant this season, a much better offensive centerpiece for Houston than it had last season.

In 69 regular-season games for the Rockets, Thompson averaged 14.1 points (55.7% FG, 27.5% on 3-pointers), 8.2 rebounds, 3.8 assists, and 2.0 turnovers per game.

He also averaged 1.4 steals and 1.3 blocks over 32.2 minutes, and those defensive contributions were critical on a Houston squad that finished with a top-five defense and a 52-30 record — which ranked second in the Western Conference.

From No. 2 through No. 5, other players who received multiple Most Improved Player votes included Andrew Nembhard of the Indiana Pacers; Ausar Thompson, Amen’s twin brother, with the Detroit Pistons; Deni Avdija of the Portland Trail Blazers; and Jalen Johnson of the Atlanta Hawks.

In other “summer forecast” categories, Durant and Ime Udoka received votes for Most Valuable Player (MVP) and Coach of the Year categories, respectively. However, neither was a frontrunner.

ESPN’s complete list can be viewed here.

More: HoopsHype rankings: Rockets star Amen Thompson at No. 7 among NBA shooting guards

This article originally appeared on Rockets Wire: ESPN lists Rockets’ Amen Thompson as Most Improved Player frontrunner

ESPN lists Rockets’ Amen Thompson as Most Improved Player frontrunner

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