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Posted: February 4, 2025 -- 2:01 p.m. CT
Today, the NBA announced that Houston Rockets guard/forward Amen Thompson was named Western Conference Defensive Player of the Month for January. The award was established this season, making Thompson the first recipient in franchise history. The Rockets went 11-4 in January, with Thompson starting all 12 of his games played while averaging 18.7 points, 10.6 rebounds, 4.3 assists, 2.17 steals and 1.47 blocks. He was the only player in the league to have averaged at least 2.00 spg and 1.00 bpg last month.
According to NBA.com, Thompson was one of three players who averaged at least 20.0 minutes played in January to have accounted for at least 40.0% of his team's blocks while on the court, along with at least 25.0% of steals and 30.0% of defensive rebounds. For the month, the Rockets averaged a league-best 10.7 steals and forced the third-most turnovers (16.1 per) while scoring the third-most points off turnovers (20.5 per).
Houston is allowing the sixth-fewest points this season (108.8 per) and ranks sixth in field goal defense (.455). Thompson has the seventh-lowest defensive field goal percentage (.412) of any player with 20-plus games played who are defending at least 10.0 shots per game.
Overall this season, Thompson is averaging 13.9 ppg, 8.2 rpg, 3.0 apg, 1.39 spg and 1.17 bpg. He joins Atlanta's Jalen Johnson as the only players averaging at least 8.0 rpg, 1.30 spg and 1.00 bpg.
In 19 games as a starter this season, Thompson is averaging 17.9 ppg, 10.3 rpg, 4.3 apg, 1.9 spg and 1.7 bpg. He is one of six players with more than five starts this season who are averaging at least 17.0 ppg, 10.0 rpg and 4.0 apg as starters (Alperen Sengun, Giannis Antetokounmpo, Jalen Johnson, Nikola Jokic and Domantas Sabonis).
Thompson recorded his third career triple-double last night at New York with 25 points, 11 rebounds and a career-high 11 assists. He has scored 20-plus points in nine of his past 23 games played after doing so four times the first 85 games of his career. Thompson already has 14 double-doubles this season after recording 13 as a rookie in 2023-24.
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