Amen Thompson

Thompson went fourth in 2023 and was named All-Defensive First Team in his second season — the ninth player in league history to manage it that early. In 2025-26 he started all 79 games he appeared in, led the entire league in minutes played, and set career highs across the board: 18.3 points, 7.8 rebounds, 5.3 assists and 1.5 steals in 37.4 minutes a night. Houston signed him to a five-year extension. The defensive versatility arrived before the jump shot did, which is the reverse of the usual order for a young wing, and a considerably better problem to have — defence and playmaking are harder to teach than shooting, and he already has both.