The Thompson twins were revolutionary pioneers in joining Overtime Elite (OTE), setting a trend for an alternative high school route. This year with the City Reapers as part of OTE, Amen Thompson averaged, per synergy, 16.2 PPG, 4 APG, 4.4 RPG, 1.8 SPG, 0.6 BPG, and 3.3 TOPG on splits of 53.5/29/66. Below is his full scouting report:
Name: Amen Thompson
Height/Weight: 6’7/214
Wingspan/ standing reach: 7’0/8’7.5
Hand size: 8.5
Position: Guard
Pre-Draft team: Overtime Elite/City Reapers
Tools: Athleticism, finishing, P&R
Pros:
- Elite explosiveness with an elite first step
- Already smooth in the P&R
- Crafty finisher that can avoid defenders well
- Can finish well against contact at the rim
- Has a tight handle
- Excellent defensive tools
- Great in transition
- Great recovery ability defensively
- Long arms
- Outstanding drive & kick ability
Cons:
- Jumper needs lots of work
- Will need to prove a minimal learning curve being 20 years old playing high school competition
- Needs to get stronger/add weight
Summary:
Amen Thompson is a rare prototype as a 6’7 lead guard with elite explosiveness and an elite combination of athleticism + size. While he doesn’t have a reliable jump shot just yet, he still is likely to be effective early in his career due to his ability to smoothly operate a pick & roll, as well as his dominant finishing ability. Thompson will need to prove the ability to shoot a respectable percentage from three in order to hit his true upside, which is an all-star two-way jumbo guard.
Only 20 guards within an inch of Amen’s height (6’7) have averaged 5+ APG in the last 15 years, making him incredibly unique, especially when factoring in his athleticism on top of his high-end playmaking. Thompson should easily be able to hit 5+ APG in his peak, which given the elite company (Tracy McGrady, Kobe Bryant, LaMelo Ball, Luka Doncic, and others) solidifies his status as an elite prospect.
The main concern for Amen Thompson is his lack of shooting. At the minimum, he will need to hit free throws better because of how well he projects to get to the line (averaged nearly 5 free throw attempts per game), which will in turn help his shooting touch on jump shots. Per synergy, Thompson shot just 29.3% from 3 and 66% from the free throw line, both poor indicators of shooting upside. The one rationale for giving him the benefit of the doubt is that the intel suggests a strong work ethic, which given his already strong on-ball abilities in playmaking and creating rim shots gives him a realistic path to improvement that wouldn’t be entirely unprecedented given the jump he is making from high school to NBA.
Overall, Amen Thompson is worth gambling on in the top 5 because of the rare combination of elite athleticism with great size as a point guard that has a phenomenal feel for the game with a great work ethic. If he can be a positive defender, which everything outside of his wiry frame suggests he will be, Thompson could be a franchise-changing talent as he develops.
Similar to: Bigger Ja Morant/De’Aaron Fox blend, shades of Ben Simmons
Projected draft range: 3-6
Expected role: Jumbo playmaker with great athleticism and two-way floor general ability
Unplayable if: Jump shooting doesn’t come along, and his lack of competition doesn’t scale up
Exceeds expectations if: Jump shot develops near NBA average 3P% and improved frame makes him an elite defender.
Videos:
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