5. San Antonio Spurs – Amen Thompson, G, Overtime Elite
The Houston Rockets “loss” – by taking Anthony Black over Amen Thompson – is the San Antonio Spurs’ “gain.” Even though the Spurs fall out of the top 3, you can still make the argument that they are still coming away with a top 3 or 4 talent in Amen Thompson. But there’s a little extra risk that comes with this move considering no one has seen Thompson play against elite talent on any consistent level.
Instead of playing in college or even the G League, Amen decided to play at Overtime Elite. It’s a fine decision but it doesn’t bring any clarity to his overall draft status. Maybe he does end up living up to the hype but there’s going to be some natural skepticism that comes with it because of the decision to not play college basketball.
Nevertheless, Amen is a unique talent. Standing at 6-foot-7 with great athleticism, he’s going to offer whichever team drafts him great versatility. If he can develop a consistent jump shot and learn to play either guard position, this is a prospect that could emerge as a superstar at the next level.
And in San Antonio, are you going to bet against him?