Amen Thompson: With the help of KD, I will let everyone see my progress on the offensive end

Amen Thompson excitedly shared his experience of training with Kevin Durant in a recent interview with the Houston Chronicle. He praised: "Playing with KD is really an unparalleled experience." The 22-year-old defender showed his sincere admiration for the legendary player when talking about his cooperation with Durant. He added: "The opponent must always pay attention to him, which allows me to get more breakthrough opportunities when attacking." According to official NBA data, Durant attracted an average of 2.3 double-teams on the court last season, which will inevitably provide Thompson with more one-on-one offensive opportunities to help him achieve breakthroughs in scoring.

Thompson emphasized the positive impact of Durant's professionalism on him in an interview. "I feel very benefited from the opportunity to see one of the best scorers in history every day," he said. This view is also supported by statistics: Durant averaged 26.6 points per game and shot up to 43% of the three-pointers when he played for the Suns last season. His presence will undoubtedly greatly improve the Houston Rockets' offensive space and give teammates more scoring opportunities. Thompson, who has performed well in defense, looks forward to making more significant progress on the offensive end of the new season. Last season, he averaged 14.1 points per game, but his three-point shooting percentage was only 27.5%. It is reported that the Rockets coaching staff is not in a hurry to train him into a sharpshooter, but hopes that he can first grasp the open opportunities Durant has created for him. Thompson admitted: "KD has attracted so much defensive attention, I just need to make the right choice." Rafael Stone, president of basketball operations for the Rockets, is full of expectations for this combination. He believes: "Amen has a very rare athletic talent, and now he has one of the greatest scorers in history, which will undoubtedly accelerate his growth." According to Second Spectrum, when a top shooter like Durant is on the court, his teammates' shooting percentage will increase by an average of 3 to 5 percentage points, which will have a positive boost to Thompson's performance.

Although Thompson's three-pointer still needs to be further improved, his excellent breakthrough ability cannot be underestimated. Last season, he ranked among the top five guards in 2.3 dunks per game. He said in an interview with Sports Illustrated: "With KD's restraint on the outside, I believe I can attack the basket more easily in the new season." Experts predict that with Durant's company, Thompson's average score is expected to exceed 15 points, which will be a new high in his career.

Thompson showed sufficient confidence for the upcoming new season. He said: "I no longer just focus on defense. With the help of KD, I will show everyone my significant progress on the offensive end." Rockets head coach Uduka also said that more tactics will be designed to make full use of the tacit cooperation between Thompson and Durant. As the training camp deepened, the chemical reaction that this combination of age differences could burst out has made the entire Houston Rockets full of expectations and hope.