Amen Thompson Is Seeing Ghosts [Video Essay]
Amen Thompson is one of the most impactful young players in the NBA: elite defense, elite transition, elite connective passing.
And yet… the smartest defenses have decided the best way to guard the Houston Rockets is to ignore him.
This video introduces a defensive tactic called “Ghost Coverage”: when opponents treat a non-shooting guard/wing like he isn’t there, so his defender can roam, load up on the paint, and erase the advantages Houston is trying to create in the half court.
It doesn’t show up in the box score. But it shows up everywhere on film… and it may decide how far the Rockets can go this season.
What You’ll Learn:
🔹 What “Ghost Coverage” is (and why it’s becoming a modern NBA cheat code)
🔹 Why it hurts Houston more now, especially after losing Steven Adams and the offensive rebounding edge
🔹 How elite defenses (Spurs, Celtics, Thunder) use ghost coverage to turn Rockets possessions into 4v5 basketball
🔹 Why Amen Thompson is too valuable to bench but why playing him may result in “lesser” versions of Alperen Şengün and Kevin Durant
🔹 The four best counters right now (without waiting for Amen to become a shooter)
If you’re a Rockets fan, this is the scheme you need to recognize, because playoff defenses are going to keep asking the same question:
How do you score when they refuse to guard your non-shooter?
#amenthompson #houstonrockets #rockets #imeudoka #alperensengun #nba #nbavideoessay #nbastrategy #basketballanalysis #defense #thinkingbasketball #rocketsnation #RocketsBasketball #jabarismithjr #reedsheppard
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CHAPTERS:
0:00 – Amen Thompson is being ignored
0:32 – What is Ghost Coverage?
2:28 – The Houston Rockets’ Biggest Loss
3:23 – Amen Thompson is ESSENTIAL
4:32 – How NBA opponents are targeting Amen
6:45 – Ime Udoka can become a Ghostbuster
8:57 – Houston’s Fork in the road
10:03 – Thanks for watching, please LIKE & SUBSCRIBE!
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SOURCES:
NBA.com Stats: https://www.nba.com/stats
Dunks and Threes (EPM): https://dunksandthrees.com
Cleaning the Glass: https://cleaningtheglass.com
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23 Comments
What say you Rockets fans? Will Ime Udoka use Amen Thompson as a screener more? What do you think the best solution to ghost coverage is?
Let us know 👇
You can still play a non shooter in the NBA, but no more than one at a time, and usually they don't get starters' minutes.
The ways to force the defense to guard them is by making them the ballhandler, always involving them as a screener or cutter, and by offensive rebounding.
It's only worth it if the non shooter is great defensively, and can still make themselves useful on offense.
Usually it's athletic 7 footers, but Amen is good enough to still be worth playing despite his flaws as a shooter.
Great video as always!
Do you think this is something the Knicks could take advantage of in a Pistons matchup and would you take the tradeoff of leaving Bridges on Cade so you could let OG roam around off Ausar and cause havoc that way. Or would you rather to just living with playing it straight up with OG on Cade?
Maybe they only do it with Mitch if they do it, but I was just thinking maybe shrinking the floor for Cade could make life harder for the entire Pistons offense even if it means a little bit of a relatively lighter matchup on Cade. Leaving Towns on Duren and having Hart in there might help the rebounding issue it might cause.
It also may just not be the right move against the Pistons play style but I would at least like to see how it would look for a little bit maybe tonight.
This video reminds how uncreative Ime and this coaching staff is
Using Josh Hart isn't as an example really isn't valid. He's shooting 41% from 3 this year and is 35% in his career. It's true the previous 2 seasons were down seasons shooting wise but he's always been a much better shooter on higher volume than the twins and Steph Castle.
It's just funny how Ime hasn't figured this out.
Sochan, giannis this video is for yall
I disagree with the point of having amen handle the ball cuz unless it’s a fast break he can’t dribble like seeing defenders play full court defense on him is painful like his handle in the half court is bad
I think Rockets as whole need to trust him as the point guard more. Alperen wants to be the PG so bad, he takes the ball out of Amen’s hands far too much and doesn’t set hard screens for him
Should’ve traded him
The same things that Ime Udoka routinely exploits using his defense, he seems to openly neglect with his offense. I always wonder the reasoning behind having such a stagnant offense, because it can’t be that he doesn’t know how to implement the suggestions you highlighted. I mean, he probably forgets more basketball in a day than I have ever seen in my life, but even I can see the cracks in offense lol
Also great video btw, i subscribed
We've seen other players be defended like this. My question why arent they taking advantage of it. Curry as gravity but these players have negative gravity. On any given play they are open and if they set a screen, at best the secondary defender is going to be a step behind.
Like with ben simmons, when he had the ball and his defender was sagging off him. Idk why he wouldn't do a dribble hand off. Thats guaranteed space off the pick roll. His primary defender has to pick between two bad options.
1. They step up to limit space on the pick and roll. But by doing so theyve created space in the paint for ben to drive to for his twammates to cut.
2. They continue to sag off and hope the dude getting screened can get around it fast enough. If not its an open 3 every single time.
I think the real issue with these players is that none of them know how to play off the ball. They dont know when to cut not to get the ball, but to get teammates open.
Good video bro. I like him as a screener/@the dunker spot. Not a fan of him initiating the offense
To limit this problem, the non-shooter needs to be a good driver and receive the ball; that's what Spurs do with Castle (although quite often Castle is a problem because defenses ignore him and focus on Wemby).
I know the concept for defending both was the same. But you’re a Knicks fan, so you should know better, putting Hart & either Thompson brother in the same shooting sentence is absurd.
Bruh the Rockets deflating by the week, they’re run is over now
I'm glad offensive rebiunding was mentioned – it was the biggest reason I was so high on the rockets at the start of the season. Sengun is good enough for offensive rebounds, but they need another guy in there to replace Adams
Who thinks reed sheepard should get more minutes I mean he is a good shooter and there are times when the rackets do need to space the floor and Shepherd is sitting on the bench
How about setting flare screens on the weak side? 😉
Steph castle is immovable for a guard
great video
Solution: Get rid of Ime Udoka
great analysis. I think this is essential to understanding playoff basketball (how to understand defensive strats to exploit non-shooters), which isn't coming soon enough but ahha. Ime Udoka is honestly terrible at offensive strategy though, so I won't be surprised the same issues arise in the playoffs without adequate counters.