This is the first of two mock drafts, I will hit you with before June 23rd when the selections are made. The Rockets were 20-62 last season, and landed the 3rd selection in the draft via the draft lottery. It's not quite a consensus that the first two players selected will be Jabari Smith & Chet Holmgren, but it's close. I'm a believer that will be the case and the Rockets will have their pick of every other player on the board at three.
In my opinion, there are only two players they'll consider - Paolo Banchero from Duke & Jaden Ivey from Purdue. I'll give you this Banchero info straight from the NBA Draft guide -
• Rare combination of size and offensive polish.
• Operates with ease from all spots on the floor.
• Outstanding range, touch and handle.
• Very good passer and playmaker for his size.
And this quote from Michigan State head coach Tom Izzo, “He can beat you from three, he can beat you off the dribble, he can beat you in the post. He's kind of a three-dimensional player.”
Here's the write-up on Jaden Ivey from the guide -
• Dynamic combo guard with elite athleticism.
• Excels at changing speeds in the open floor.
• Exceptional length and lateral quickness.
• Has shown improvement as a shooter and playmaker.
And this quote from Purdue head coach Matt Painter, a former teammate of Robinson’s at Purdue,
“I think Jaden is the most talented player to come through here since (1994 first overall draft pick) Glenn Robinson. He is in a different position; he has the ball more, so he’s a different player being a lead guard. But we haven’t – since Glenn Robinson – had a lottery pick.”
The decision that comes with much more uncertainty is their second first round selection. They could stay at 17, move up higher, maybe even into the lottery or top ten, the door is essentially open for anything, including moving on from some of the players on their current roster.
Tari Eason is a major wild-card with opinions on his future varying wildly. His production at LSU is unquestioned, but his ceiling in the NBA is up for debate. Not feeling great that the Rockets will nab a pair of frontcourt players, but as the 16 players ahead of Houston fell into place on my mock draft, I thought he was the player to select at 17.
I'll add this one final note on three players I like that would probably take some some maneuvering for the Rockets to select. I'm a big fan of Arizona's Bennedict Mathurin, Memphis' Jalen Duren and intrigued by Ousmane Dieng. If any are on the board at 17, that's a slam dunk selection for the Rockets.
Here's my mock draft. I will release one more version the Monday before the June 23rd draft. Hit me with your feedback. @adamjwexler
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