A season ago, the Houston Rockets’ rebuild took substantial steps forward in large part because of Fred VanVleet’s steadying two-way play and Alperen Şengün’s star blossoming. They finished 41-41, won 19 more games than in 2022-23 and flirted with a postseason berth until the final few days of the regular season.
This year, Houston is 8-4, fifth in the West and sports the league’s sixth-best net rating, per Cleaning the Glass. Yet VanVleet’s been a dismal shooter and scorer (28.2 percent beyond the arc, 47.6 percent true shooting), while Şengün’s seen his scoring and playmaking volume decrease, in addition to a dip in efficiency.
Neither has consistently performed like the bedrocks of a competitive playoff contender Houston expects of them (Şengün does seem to be rounding into form, though).
Instead, it’s been a pair of reserve wings helping shepherd the Rockets’ encouraging start. Second-year swingman Amen Thompson and third-year forward Tari Eason have been a dynamite duo this season — a continuation of the small sample we saw in 2023-24.
Dubbed the Terror Twins, they’re the backbone of Houston’s elite, frenetic defense and are unearthing enough avenues offensively to buoy that side of the ball, despite neither being high-volume creators or floor-spacers. Because of various injuries and absences, the two rarely played together last season. But during their 157 possessions together, the Rockets held a plus-18.5 net rating. They defended the hell out of the ball, forced a ton of turnovers and rebounded like madmen.
This season, they’ve already played 420 possessions together. The Rockets’ net rating is plus-17.1 across those minutes. They’re defending like hell, forcing tons of turnovers and generating second chances offensively. The blueprint was there a year ago. Health has paved the way for it to now materialize more often.
Thompson and Eason ransack opponents defensively. When they’re both on the floor, teams are only generating 104.3 points per 100 possessions and turn the ball over on 16.5 percent of their offensive trips. It’s a joy to watch them flourish individually, but it’s even more electric when their powers overlap.
They rotate instinctively and stay positionally sound, always primed to get the ball back in their own clutches. They’re chaos magnets, at ease in scramble situations, aware those are the environments best tailored for their success. These sorts of sequences are my favorite aspect of Rockets games.
My favorite subplot of Rockets games is watching Amen Thompson and Tari Eason bullrush teams together defensively to give them hell pic.twitter.com/pCylmzKyph
— Jackson Frank (@jackfrank_jjf) November 14, 2024
After finishing in the 96th percentile in steal rate among wings last season, Thompson is “only” in the 64th this year. Eason, meanwhile, is enjoying his third consecutive campaign sitting in the 98th percentile or better among forwards. With his 7-foot wingspan, Thompson wields quick and sly hands to pickpocket opposing ball-handlers. One swift strike and the ball is free. Eason (7-foot-2 wingspan) is a little more brash, a bully who punches at the ball and will rip it away if necessary.
Both are light on their feet, and disciplined and opportunistic at the point-of-attack. They slide fluidly and keep the ball in front. Thompson is especially mystifying to watch. He’ll teleport back into plays if a screen or misstep leaves him trailing behind. Houston entrusts them to deliver against lofty assignments, and they’ll often just generate takeaways rather than coaxing arduous shots. Leave no doubt, I suppose.
Eason is the off-ball wizard. He’ll step into the ring facing any archetype, already seeing possessions against contrasting players like Victor Wembanyama and Norman Powell this season. He’s physical, rangy and keen. The dude pings from responsibility to responsibility in a flash, all while ensuring he doesn’t neglect his own assignment. Havoc is his home base.
Eason is in the 100th percentile in block rate this year (93rd and 94th his first two seasons). Thompson is in the 88th percentile (93rd last year). Despite missing a true paint enforcer at center, the Rockets are limiting opponents to the third-worst rim efficiency in the league, per Cleaning the Glass.
Supplementary rim protection courtesy of Eason and Thompson are major factors. They’re hyperaware in help, can cover immense ground and are empowered schematically to pursue impactful, atypical rotations as roamers. There are few contexts in which they’re discouraged or unable to help. When they commit to a risk, the result usually behooves themselves and the Rockets.
Houston’s overarching offensive success with these two on the court is what’s most promising thus far. When Eason and Thompson take the floor, the Rockets’ offensive rating is 121.4. Neither bend defenses as shooters or reliable advantage creators. But they’re transition tycoons who inhale offensive rebounds, identify soft spots in the defense and have each refined aspects of their individual scoring arsenals.
During Eason-Thompson units, the Rockets’ transition frequency is 17.1 percent (76th percentile) and they’re yielding 139.4 points per 100 fast-break possessions (87th percentile). Some of this stems from the enormous opposing turnover rate of these lineups — the product of their swarming ways. But Thompson is a devout transition igniter and Eason himself isn’t afraid to grab and go. They’ll fill the lanes, too, if somebody else assumes the firestarter role.
With its wily wings out there, Houston is managing 98.4 points per 100 possessions (61st percentile) in the half-court. Eason and Thompson are perceptive cutters, and Eason has grown tremendously as a finisher through the early portion of the year. He converted a paltry 56.1 percent of his looks around the rim during his first two seasons, yet is shooting 73 percent (68th percentile) in 2024-25. Thompson’s made 68 percent of his carer field goals within 4 feet (69th percentile). They see openings, flock toward them and produce points inside.
Short on shooting and calming perimeter creation, the Rockets’ offense can look clunky. But they’re 14th in offensive rating because they dominate the glass like nobody else around the league. They lead the NBA in offensive rebounding rate (36.1 percent).
With a 37.1 percent offensive rebounding rate, quintets featuring Eason and Thompson are increasingly prolific there. Eason nor Thompson has ever ranked below the 95th percentile in that category. They’re two savvy off-ball players leveraging their profound athletic gifts to inhale boards and elevate Houston’s offense.
That’s the crux of their excellence. A pair of high-feel, premier athletes who defend their ass off, spark a bunch of takeaways for transition reps, rebound the ball proficiently and exploit minor defensive breakdowns to stamp their mark in the points column.
Their minutes are the Rockets’ blitzkrieg — one that’s becoming less surprising and more inevitable, but nonetheless a massive pain to try and bottle up. They wield too many pathways to not thrive, and their early success this season is proof. Through 12 games, Houston is very good. These two are the most prevalent reason why.
