The Houston Rockets chose Amen over Osar because the former is theoretically capable of playing as a point guard. Stone prefers tall point guards and missed out on Cunningham, so he wants to make up for it.
Udoka initially wanted to groom Amen into the next Ben Simmons. Udoka once said in an interview: "Amen Thompson is a 2.01-meter guard, a true point guard. You can see his physique and quality; he can pass with that body type and has such defensive intensity. He possesses all the traits we can imagine."
However, Udoka found that Amen's ball-handling skills were lacking, and his shooting was poor, so he decided to play him as a forward. In the last game, with Dillon absent, Amen started and played 38 minutes, scoring 19 points, grabbing 11 rebounds, dishing out 3 assists, making 1 steal, and blocking 3 shots, shooting 8 for 16. Amen played full defense, passed to his teammates, and even tried to showcase his shooting. In this game, Amen attempted six three-pointers and made two, which is a season-high in attempts.
Some Rockets fans suggest that Amen should start in place of Jalen Green or Dillon, but he actually hopes to replace Van Jordan.
In an interview with Houston journalist Feigen, Amen revealed: "I like starting and doing my best. I've learned to always be ready to play. I like the position of point guard. Of course, Amen also emphasized that he would follow the coach's arrangements, having adapted to the role of a substitute and being able to play any position."
Journalist Feigen revealed before the trade deadline last season that the Rockets wanted to add more ball-handling options. Udoka hoped to bring in a backup point guard, but Stone wanted to develop Amen. Before the start of this season, Udoka stated that he would reduce Van Jordan's playing time and was willing to give young players some opportunities.
Van Jordan averages 6 assists and 1.4 turnovers this season, while Amen has 2.1 assists and 1.8 turnovers, and Shepherd has 1.2 assists and 0.6 turnovers.
Although Van Jordan's shooting is even worse than Jalen Green's, he handles the ball steadily. Amen has made some progress in ball-handling but still falls short of Udoka's requirements, while Shepherd makes fewer mistakes but drags the team down on the court.
The Wizards have received multiple inquiries about trading away Bogdanovic, but they are not currently in a hurry to deal him.
Some American media believe that the Rockets need a backup point guard and suggest considering Lonzo Ball. The Bulls are trying to sell Ball and have offered a price.
JCowleyHoops revealed that the Bulls are seeking to trade Ball for expiring contracts and second-round draft picks.
Lonzo Ball is 1.98 meters tall with a wingspan of 2.06 meters. When healthy, he can organize, shoot, and defend. Ball was once a starter for the Bulls but missed a lot of time due to injuries. This season, Ball returned and played 12 games, averaging 17.5 minutes per game with 5.2 points, 3.1 rebounds, 3.6 assists, 1.1 steals, 0.6 blocks, and 1 turnover, shooting 31.3% from the field, 28.3% from three-point range, and 100% from the free-throw line. Ball's current shooting touch isn't great, but his passing is still good. His assist ratio ranks 8th in the league, higher than Van Jordan (33rd in the league), and his assist-to-turnover ratio ranks 15th in the league. Van Jordan ranks 7th in this statistic, above Paul (9th in the league).
Ball has one year left on his contract worth $21.4 million, which can be balanced with Jeff Green's and Landale's contracts. Rockets General Manager Stone wants to keep the first-round pick for a big trade but is willing to use the second-round pick for minor trades.
The Rockets' goal this season is to make the playoffs while also developing young players. Let's see what moves Stone will make before the deadline.