Amen Thompson is carrying the Rockets right now- not loudly, not with usage spikes, but with sheer presence.
Over the last five games, Thompson has played 38.8 minutes per night on average, the most on the team. Stretch it to ten games, and that number increases to 39.1 minutes per game. That’s not a blip. That’s a structural decision.
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With Steven Adams lost for the season and Fred VanVleet still out, Houston hasn’t just redistributed shots; they’ve redistributed responsibility. And a huge chunk of it has landed squarely on Amen’s shoulders.
What makes this stretch interesting isn’t just the minutes. It’s what Houston is asking him to do inside them.
In the last five games, Thompson is averaging 14.8 points, 7.4 rebounds, 7.8 assists, 2.4 steals, and 1.0 block while shooting 46.9-percent from the floor. That’s not a guard stat line. That’s a connective-tissue stat line. He’s everywhere, initiating offense, cleaning possessions, blowing up passing lanes, and stabilizing lineups that no longer have a traditional point guard safety net.
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Compare that workload to Kevin Durant, who’s right behind him in minutes at 38.5 per game over the same five-game stretch. Durant is doing Durant things: 31.2 points per game on 53.4-percent shooting, spacing the floor and closing games, but the engine that keeps those lineups functional for 40 minutes has been Thompson. Durant bends defenses until something gives. Amen makes sure Houston’s doesn’t.
Zoom out to the last ten games and the pattern holds. Thompson is averaging 16.0 points, 7.6 rebounds, 6.0 assists, and 1.9 steals, still logging the most minutes on the roster.
For another comparison, Alperen Şengün sits at 33.3 minutes, producing 19.5 points and 9.6 boards, while Jabari Smith Jr. is hovering around 35.9 minutes with a growing two-way footprint. But no one else is asked to bridge lineups the way Thompson is- not offensively, not defensively, not emotionally.
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And here’s where the Adams absence matters. Without him, Houston loses its physical release valve: the screens, the box-outs, the possessions that don’t require finesse. That burden shifts outward. Thompson’s rebounding numbers- 7.4 per game over the last five- aren’t accidental. They’re necessary. The same goes for his steal rate and the fact that Houston is comfortable letting him guard up, down, and sideways just to keep structure intact.
This isn’t about whether Amen can handle it. He clearly can. The question is what this stretch reveals.
Houston’s current identity depends on his durability, his discipline, and his ability to absorb chaos without needing the ball to prove his value. That’s rare. It’s also risky. But it’s real.
If you’re looking for the clearest signal of where this team actually is right now, don’t start with scoring totals.
Start with the minutes.
