AmenThompson

Preseason question: Thompson is a natural—he’s become a lockdown defender, elite rebounder and finisher for his position, and one of the league’s great spectacles mostly through plying his world-class athleticism. But the time has come to round out the rest of his game. Through three seasons, the majority of Amen’s offense has been at the basket; in fact, he managed to drop 41 points on the Timberwolves last April without making a single 3-pointer (and attempting just one). And while Thompson made noticeable efforts to branch out last season, progress has been slow—his shot, including from midrange, isn’t much of a factor, making it easy for defenses to sit on his drives. The Rockets brought on renowned shooting coach Chip Engelland to help, and even a modest improvement would open up new avenues for Amen to better utilize his explosiveness. But taking the kind of career leap that most have been waiting for since his rookie season will require more than his special leaping ability.