2022 Houston Rockets Offseason Thread - Lottery, Lottery, Lottery

[Fud 9560]

2 minutes ago, Murfdogg21 said:

I doubt Lebron/Klutch cares about a 2027 first round pick when he plans to be out of there in a year. 

Supposedly they pushed for that to be traded at the deadline, and the Lakers front office finally said enough is enough

[HtownHorn 14916]

Westbrook would 100% take a buyout, the dude loves playing basketball. He's not very good at it anymore, but it is still his passion. Wall was 100% happy to make $40M+ to sit and do nothing.

[Fud 9560]

I don't think Houston will need to trade up from #17 because I think there are enough guys on the board to where they should be able to land a good piece worthy of that draft slot. I'm hoping for Eason or Jalen Williams and I think there's a good chance one of the two will be there at #17, or maybe Dieng at a lesser chance, since I don't think Sochan or Daniels will fall that far. Ideally guys outside of the first 16 listed here get drafted before 17 and push some other names down the board

1) Jabari

2) Chet

3) Paolo

4) Ivey

5) Sharpe

6) Murray

7) Mathurin

8') Sochan

9) Daniels

10) M Williams

11) Duren

12) Griffin 

13) Davis

14) Dieng

15) J Williams

16) Eason 

17) Your favorite of Smith, Agbaji, Brown, Beauchamp, Jovic, Branham, McGowans, Hardy, Christie, etc

 

[BigOrange1 6538]

53 minutes ago, Fud said:

I don't think Houston will need to trade up from #17 because I think there are enough guys on the board to where they should be able to land a good piece worthy of that draft slot. I'm hoping for Eason or Jalen Williams and I think there's a good chance one of the two will be there at #17, or maybe Dieng at a lesser chance, since I don't think Sochan or Daniels will fall that far. Ideally guys outside of the first 16 listed here get drafted before 17 and push some other names down the board

1) Jabari

2) Chet

3) Paolo

4) Ivey

5) Sharpe

6) Murray

7) Mathurin

8') Sochan

9) Daniels

10) M Williams

11) Duren

12) Griffin 

13) Davis

14) Dieng

15) J Williams

16) Eason 

17) Your favorite of Smith, Agbaji, Brown, Beauchamp, Jovic, Branham, McGowans, Hardy, Christie, etc

 

the three highlighted guys are the guys i'm most interested in with the second pick.  would prefer to move up a few spots to ensure at least one of them is still on the board.

[Mitch Cumsteen 18655]

14 hours ago, Fud said:

They’ll get a first for each of Gordon and Wood. It’s just a matter of how protected the picks are, and which year they are  

You should draft best player available, within reason. The biggest tissue is all of these guys have warts. Banchero might legitimately suck on defense, and Ivey has zero midrange game, is a questionable playmaker, and he’s a two-guard with combo guard potential if he develops when you already have Green; you’re potentially going to run into the issue that Portland had (and Utah had this year) with the team being build around two guards (nobody is winning championships that way)

If you’re sold on Banchero, take him and trade Sengun either this year or next. I don’t think the two can really play together, and having both just hampers their development

Not sure what to do with KJP at this point. I guess just kick the can down the road with him for another year 

Hopefully LAL pulls the trigger on throwing a first in for the Westbrook for Wall trade, and then we could tell Westbrook to fuck off unless he’s interested in a buy-out 

Can somebody explain to me why you guys are so anxious to unload Christian Wood? He's only 26. He averaged 18 and 10 and is a ~40% three point shooter. He's not exactly Draymond Green on defense, but he isn't a total spare on that side of the court either. Is it that you don't want to re-sign him after this season? Once they clear Wall and Gordon, that cap is completely open.  What am I missing?

[Fud 9560]

1 minute ago, Mitch Cumsteen said:

Can somebody explain to me why you guys are so anxious to unload Christian Wood? He's only 26. He averaged 18 and 10 and is a ~40% three point shooter. He's not exactly Draymond Green on defense, but he isn't a total spare on that side of the court either. Is it that you don't want to re-sign him after this season? Once they clear Wall and Gordon, that cap is completely open.  What am I missing?

Sell high on an empty calorie volume scorer who doesn't play defense for some pieces that better fit the timeline of building around Green, this year's first, and next year's first

[BigOrange1 6538]

wood isn't a player you're ever going to win anything with so we'd rather just move on from him rather than sign him to a big contract following next season.

[Ignatius 4080]

5 hours ago, Fud said:

I don't think Houston will need to trade up from #17 because I think there are enough guys on the board to where they should be able to land a good piece worthy of that draft slot. I'm hoping for Eason or Jalen Williams and I think there's a good chance one of the two will be there at #17, or maybe Dieng at a lesser chance, since I don't think Sochan or Daniels will fall that far. Ideally guys outside of the first 16 listed here get drafted before 17 and push some other names down the board

1) Jabari

2) Chet

3) Paolo

4) Ivey

5) Sharpe

6) Murray

7) Mathurin

8') Sochan

9) Daniels

10) M Williams

11) Duren

12) Griffin 

13) Davis

14) Dieng

15) J Williams

16) Eason 

17) Your favorite of Smith, Agbaji, Brown, Beauchamp, Jovic, Branham, McGowans, Hardy, Christie, etc

 

I would add Walker Kessler to the group at #17. He’s got top-shelf rim protection skills Day 1, and if you were to go with Ivey/Sharpe at #3 he’d give some nice nice options to mix/match with Sengun….

[HtownHorn 14916]

3 hours ago, Mitch Cumsteen said:

Can somebody explain to me why you guys are so anxious to unload Christian Wood? He's only 26. He averaged 18 and 10 and is a ~40% three point shooter. He's not exactly Draymond Green on defense, but he isn't a total spare on that side of the court either. Is it that you don't want to re-sign him after this season? Once they clear Wall and Gordon, that cap is completely open.  What am I missing?

Because he's going to want big money after this season, and he's not a max contract guy at all. He's a 40% BTA, but can't fucking make FTs, his effort on defense is abysmal to embarrassing, he free lances on offense, and walked out on the team at half time of a game because he wasn't getting HIS touches taking Porter with him.

 

He's been in the league 5 years and played for 6 teams.

Edited May 23, 2022 by HtownHorn

[Fud 9560]

1 minute ago, Ignatius said:

I would add Walker Kessler to the group at #17. He’s got top-shelf rim protection skills Day 1, and if you were to go with Ivey/Sharpe at #3 he’d give some nice nice options to mix/match with Sengun….

I don’t like Kessler there 

[TonyTexas 10568]

All those Brooklyn picks and swaps keep looking better and better

 

Edited May 25, 2022 by TonyTexas

[BigOrange1 6538]

2 minutes ago, TonyTexas said:

All those Brooklyn picks and swaps keep looking better and better

 

[HtownHorn 14916]

3 hours ago, TonyTexas said:

All those Brooklyn picks and swaps keep looking better and better

 

I wouldn't give Kyrie a long term deal either. He's proven he can't be trusted. Brooklyn made the same mistake again, trading their immediate future for an aged veteran (Harden) that had started to show signs of decline. What's sad is Brooklyn had a nice core of young players and likely would have been better with that core and Durant they are now with a mentally challenged Simmons, and flake in Kyrie, and a disgruntled star looking to leave.

[Fud 9560]

It's just part of the deal with some of the elite players who want to play GM while bringing in their buddies. You either do it their way, or you don't get the elite-elite player. Landing an elite-elite player and adding two more stars while mortgaging the young talent and future is an easier avenue towards winning a championship than building it organically (which everyone except for a couple destination teams has to do), but it could also set your franchise way back when it goes wrong, and you better hope you get at least one championship out of it

[Fud 9560]

With the exception of a deep team like Golden State, I can't help but to think how a lot of these playoff teams really could have used Eric Gordon 

[Wulaw Horn 19236]

12 hours ago, Fud said:

With the exception of a deep team like Golden State, I can't help but to think how a lot of these playoff teams really could have used Eric Gordon 

Was really dumb that nobody wanted him for essentially a late first round pick. 

[HtownHorn 14916]

6 minutes ago, Wulaw Horn said:

Was really dumb that nobody wanted him for essentially a late first round pick. 

Or maybe the Rockets were holding out for a better pick, instead of just accepting the best offer they got for both Gordon and Wood. Probably will not get anything close to what they might have been offered at the trade deadline. Of course, most of the teams that were bidding would have to send back salary, so maybe there were some bad contracts attached to those deals as well. We will never really know.

[SilasCoade 2622]

On 5/22/2022 at 9:11 PM, Fud said:

They’ll get a first for each of Gordon and Wood. It’s just a matter of how protected the picks are, and which year they are 

If your team is a John Wall or Eric Gordon away from title contention you can probably get there without trading a first round pick for either guy and just finding replacement level players in free agency. If your team is not built such that those guys get you over the hump, you need the pick more than you need either guy. I just can't imagine thinking "yes, I'll take 34 year old Eric Gordon over the guys you can expect to pick up in the mid to late first round most years." And the hubris you've got to have to be the guy thinking you have the key to unlocking the John Wall reclamation project. The best thing you can say about John Wall is he's not Russell Westbrook.

[billfromlaketravis 11601]

On 5/26/2022 at 8:22 AM, Fud said:

With the exception of a deep team like Golden State, I can't help but to think how a lot of these playoff teams really could have used Eric Gordon 

This. The Eric Gordon market isn’t there. Good player, but he’s not winning any of the contenders a game in May. 

[ChickenSandwich 9856]

Always figured we get a two for Gordon. 
 

Wood should be worth more but no one seems to want him. 

[Fud 9560]

7 hours ago, Llogg said:

If your team is a John Wall or Eric Gordon away from title contention you can probably get there without trading a first round pick for either guy and just finding replacement level players in free agency. If your team is not built such that those guys get you over the hump, you need the pick more than you need either guy. I just can't imagine thinking "yes, I'll take 34 year old Eric Gordon over the guys you can expect to pick up in the mid to late first round most years." And the hubris you've got to have to be the guy thinking you have the key to unlocking the John Wall reclamation project. The best thing you can say about John Wall is he's not Russell Westbrook.

Several teams could have really used an Eric Gordon in the playoffs this year

He’ll fetch a first, even if it disagrees with your worldview 

[SilasCoade 2622]

Lol sure okay

[Mitch Cumsteen 18655]

7 hours ago, Fud said:

Several teams could have really used an Eric Gordon in the playoffs this year

He’ll fetch a first, even if it disagrees with your worldview 

In a vacuum, sure, he could be a valuable player off the bench for a contender, but that contract is a big pill to swallow. He's got $20 million coming to him each of the next two seasons while being 34 and 35 respectively in those years. The teams that would want him for a playoff run are at or over the cap. In all likelihood Houston would have to take back worse contracts to move him for a first. Can you even play him on defense at crunch time any more? Will you be able to in two more years when he's taking that big of a chunk of your cap?

[Fud 9560]

31 minutes ago, Mitch Cumsteen said:

In a vacuum, sure, he could be a valuable player off the bench for a contender, but that contract is a big pill to swallow. He's got $20 million coming to him each of the next two seasons while being 34 and 35 respectively in those years. The teams that would want him for a playoff run are at or over the cap. In all likelihood Houston would have to take back worse contracts to move him for a first. Can you even play him on defense at crunch time any more? Will you be able to in two more years when he's taking that big of a chunk of your cap?

There’s one year left unless he makes an all star game or wins a championship, I believe. And yes, he can finish games defensively 

[ChickenSandwich 9856]

4 minutes ago, Fud said:

There’s one year left unless he makes an all star game or wins a championship, I believe. And yes, he can finish games defensively 

Heat could have used him more than Victor Dipo

[Fud 9560]

30 minutes ago, ChickenSandwich said:

Heat could have used him more than Victor Dipo

The Sixers, Bucks, and Suns were the other obvious ones to me, out of the teams that were arguably contenders. There were others who weren't really contenders out there who could have used him too, but trading a first for him doesn't make sense if he's not being used deep in the playoffs, imo 

[Mitch Cumsteen 18655]

2 hours ago, Fud said:

There’s one year left unless he makes an all star game or wins a championship, I believe. And yes, he can finish games defensively 

Ok... that changes the calculus a bit. I could see somebody moving a heavily protected late first for him at the deadline next year when his deal is expiring, especially if someone is injured and needs a fill in. 

1 hour ago, Fud said:

The Sixers, Bucks, and Suns were the other obvious ones to me, out of the teams that were arguably contenders. There were others who weren't really contenders out there who could have used him too, but trading a first for him doesn't make sense if he's not being used deep in the playoffs, imo 

I think it was obvious after the playoffs, but at the deadline the Suns were cruising to 64 wins and also opted to trade for Torry Craig (younger/cheaper), which in essence only cost them a second round pick. The Sixers were doing the Simmons/Harden deal. They have (at least on paper) a fairly solid backcourt with Harden, Maxey and Green. Thybulle is one of the leagues better defenders, and Milton and Korkmaz are decent rotational players as well. That's a pretty crowded backcourt. Maybe if the Bucks knew Middleton was going to get hurt, they make that move but they prioritized size at the deadline by getting Ibaka. Boston opted for Derrick White who is also younger and on a team friendly deal. 

 

 

Edited May 30, 2022 by Mitch Cumsteen

[SilasCoade 2622]

Let's just look at recent trades involving first round draft picks. (We'll ignore the Sixers-Nets deal b/c that was so heavily influenced by circumstances beyond need/fit/value.)

The Blazers sent CJ McCollum, who is an All Star caliber player, a sixth man, and filler to the Pelicans for a sixth man, filler, a protected first and a couple second round picks. Basically CJ for the picks and the rest was to make the contract numbers work.

Celtics sent a first, a pick swap, a possible sixth or seventh man, and a Romeo Langford for a sixth man on a favorable deal.

Raptors sent Dragic and a first to the Spurs for a couple borderline contributors and a second in a clear salary dump. Basically the Spurs bought a first round pick.

Cavs sent a protected first and two seconds with the corpse of Rubio to the Pacers for Levert (possible starter/sixth man) and a second.

Hawks got a first for Cam Reddish but had to take Kevin Knox to get it.

Guys with production value comparable to Gordon involved as principal players in these deals are all considerably younger. CJ got the Blazers a first but he's a far superior player to Gordon. Maybe a team like OKC that is awash in draft capital would offer a first for Gordon if they think their young guys are ready to really compete, but they aren't.

[Fud 9560]

Only a couple of these names make sense at #17, and are probably being looked at as potential trades into the 20s, 2nd round, or as UDFA signings

PBJ is Patrick Baldwin Jr

 

[Fud 9560]

 

[HtownHorn 14916]

I am slowly coming around to Banchero. Hopefully he wants to be a 2-way player, and not a stat chaser like Wood. I do wonder if Boston takes out Golden State would they trade for Wood. 

[Fud 9560]

I don't think Paolo is a me-first stats stuffer guy like Woods, I think he legitimately wants to win every game even if it's at the expense of is stats. I just question his foot-speed for perimeter defensive switches, and if he has offers any off the ball rim protection. He actually reads the game well from a defensive positioning standpoint

[billfromlaketravis 11601]

On 6/2/2022 at 10:24 AM, Fud said:

 

Do you have a summary?

Edited June 5, 2022 by billfromlaketravis

[billfromlaketravis 11601]

I’m in the draft Ivey, move KPJ camp. If the Rockets are tanking for Victor in 2023, this is the correct move. 

[billfromlaketravis 11601]

Is there any talk of the wannabe playoff contenders like Indiana or Portland moving down? I'd do a 2022 pick swap and an unprotected 2023 first round pick in a heartbeat. (No Sam Presti) 

Dream Shake is pushing the Banchero - Tatum comparison. I'm not sure I see it. 

[IDIOTsavant 8522]

3 hours ago, billfromlaketravis said:

Do you have a summary?

It’s not summary, but…

Spoiler

The Rockets, while in the beginning stages of a promising rebuild, still could benefit from a productive summer. From the upcoming draft to free agency and planning ahead, it’s all about getting back to winning ways — someday.

The Athletic’s senior NBA analyst John Hollinger and Rockets beat writer Kelly Iko discussed Houston’s summer from all angles.

(Editor’s note: The following has been edited for clarity and brevity.)

---

Iko: John, with the recent discourse about the No. 3 pick and which player will be available to Houston out of the “Tier 1” of Paolo Banchero, Chet Holmgren and Jabari Smith, we’re assuming the Rockets should simply go with the best player available, right? Do we know who that is right now? Did the combine do anything to help or hurt those decisions, and is there an alternative where it’s not one of those three?

Hollinger: The only imaginable alternative aside from those three is Purdue guard Jaden Ivey, who I think wouldn’t be the first choice in Houston given his positional overlap with Jalen Green. So, Paolo, Chet or Jabari it is.

Where Ivey could make things interesting is if Oklahoma City takes him second; it would leave the Rockets potentially choosing between two of the three named players above. Otherwise, in a lot of ways, it’s an easy draft night for the Rockets. Orlando and Oklahoma City will take two of those three players off the board, and Houston will draft the one who’s left. No matter what, it’s a frontcourt player, so Houston’s other plans don’t hinge that much on how the pick turns out.

As far as the NBA Draft Combine goes, one of the truisms over the last several years is that high lottery picks don’t even bother with it. The respective agents for these three players will mete workouts and medical information as they see fit among the top three teams, so the Rockets will have to work with them to get all their ducks in a row before draft night. The only thing seemingly coming out of the combine is a thought that Banchero might be the guy at No. 3 if Smith and Holmgren are the top two picks.

Iko: Let’s just go with that notion that Banchero is their guy at No. 3. I know Houston is in best-player-available mode right now, but is he also the best fit? I guess I’m coming from more of a backcourt-frontcourt synergy. We’ve only seen a season of Jalen Green in this rebuild, but you should begin to faintly outline what this team wants to look like in the near future. That starts with complementary pieces, and Banchero is that — a 6-foot-10, playmaking, three-level scorer.

But now, let’s look at the other side of the coin. Do you see that working? What happens to the other frontcourt options on the roster? Jae’Sean Tate plays the same position, and Christian Wood is the same height, albeit with different skill sets. Could Banchero theoretically play alongside names like that, as well as Alperen Şengün?

Hollinger: In terms of “working,” the Rockets need to think more long-term than short-term on this. They lost 62 games last year, so whatever they do is unlikely to immediately morph this team into contenders. The best thing for a team in its situation to do is let things play out a little before committing to one path or another. See what Banchero looks like next to Wood and Şengün, see where Tate fits in the mix (although on a playoff-caliber team, he’s almost certainly not a starter), and then figure out who should stay and who should move on.

As far as what I expect to happen, I think Banchero is a natural four who would only play the five in some extreme small-ball settings. He doesn’t have great length and isn’t a natural rim protector. Because he, Wood and Şengün all have some perimeter skills, I think the frontcourt pairings would likely work on offense. Defensively is where it gets more questionable, since Şengün and Wood are both suspect on that end right now, and Banchero also profiles as more of an offensive player.

Iko: You mentioned thinking long-term, and I recently wrote about Christian Wood, his looming free agency and the uncertainty about his future in a Rockets uniform. What’s your stance on him as a part of this group? Is he still young enough to fit in their current timeline? I used the NBA age/actual age analogy, basically using his 222 career games played as comparable to a three- or four-year player.

If you think he’s better served elsewhere, what are some good landing spots? One crazy idea I had was trying to picture the framework of a Wood/Eric Gordon package for Toronto’s OG Anunoby, but there are more realistic options (Charlotte, for example).

Are you also at the point where you can write off Wood’s time just because of Şengün’s presence? Is it still too early in the rebuild to make such a call? Are you part of the #SengunSquad?

Hollinger: I am a founding member of #SengunSquad, but I don’t think that necessarily forces the Rockets to do anything with Wood. For starters, just because I’m a fan doesn’t mean Şengün has proven that he’s a long-term starter. Let’s walk before we run here.

More importantly, Wood as a third big on a contract in the mid-teens isn’t exactly a crazy proposition, especially if he’s amenable to staying in Houston and extending his deal.

The issue with Wood, instead, is that his contract is about to expire, so it behooves the Rockets to determine his market value and their own alternate pathways to filling his niche in the frontcourt. If a team like Charlotte is willing to cough up a decent first-round pick, the Rockets are probably better off giving him his wings. Houston will have copious amounts of cap room once his contract comes off the books after this season to sign a potential replacement.

The alternate strategy is to see about extending Wood’s contract, which would cut into the 2023 cap space but not enough to take any meaningful possibilities off the board; in fact, he’d be the team’s highest-paid player and the only one making more than $10 million (assuming the rockets decline to guarantee Gordon’s $20.9 million).

The overriding key is to not let Wood walk out the door this summer without getting something in return. In the absence of an extension or a bowl-you-over trade, it’s possible that Houston could play this out until the trade deadline, when injuries could create needs on other rosters and the Rockets would have a better idea of Şengün’s trajectory.

Iko: You’re right: Wood’s free agency is something the Rockets need to get right, whatever the outcome.

Outside of that, how aggressive should they be with their available midlevel exception? This team has needs across the board, but it looks like 2023 is the time to pounce. Could they take a similar approach to last summer, bringing on a veteran (Daniel Theis) and flipping him at next season’s deadline?

Alternatively, what do they do with their own free agents-to-be? Dennis Schröder is likely gone, Tate and Kevin Porter Jr. are eligible for extensions, and the John Wall situation is still rather expensive.

Hollinger: I think one lesson learned from last year is that if they’re going to add a veteran on the midlevel, it can’t be a four-year deal. That very nearly blew up in their face when Theis struggled last year, and Boston’s familiarity with him and general desperation for depth was the only thing that bailed them out.

That said, I don’t see any reason why they couldn’t bring in somebody on a shorter deal to shore up some key positions, especially at backup point guard. Even a deal that goes into next year won’t functionally impact Houston’s cap space (they’ll have about $70 million in room, give or take depending on where their first-round pick and the one from Milwaukee falls).

As far as their own free agents, I don’t think this is a complicated summer for Houston. Tate’s low cap hold next summer favors Houston taking a wait-and-see approach before inking him to a new deal. Wall, of course, seems headed for a buyout of some kind, but whatever number is agreed to is unlikely to impact the rest of the offseason. Houston is over the cap but more than $20 million from the tax line; it’s tough to envision scenarios where Wall’s buyout ends up mattering beyond its impact on Tilman Fertitta’s checkbook.

As for Porter, he’ll be a restricted free agent next summer, but this is one the Rockets definitely might want to play out. As much promise as he’s shown in flashes throughout the past two years, stories about the difficulties of dealing with him off the court have made their way around the league. I think the Rockets need a bit more trust that this is somebody they want to go forward with before they commit.

Iko: I wanted to touch on one more important draft item: No. 17. This class has a lot of talent that might fall outside of the lottery, and with a second first-rounder, the Rockets should be looking once again to take the best player available.

The combine didn’t do a whole lot in terms of setting some of these names apart, but there are a number of guys who could be interesting: Malaki Branham, Tari Eason and my sleeper MarJon Beauchamp to name a few. Jalen Williams is another fast riser. Who has impressed you recently, whether it be pro days, interviews, tape, etc.?

Hollinger: Most of the players Houston will consider at 17 didn’t take the court at the combine, but Williams is the exception. He is definitely the hot name right now after a strong on-court performance at the combine, after he’d already intrigued teams with his strong analytical and size profile. He mostly played point guard in college, but he’s huge for a guard and likely plays the wing at the pro level. His feet can be a bit heavy at times on defense, but he has size, shooting and can handle the ball. He made a couple moves against Holmgren in particular where he put him on skates. That type of multipositional, multiskilled player tends to find his way onto the court, even if the upside might not be as exciting as for some of the other one-and-dones.

Another player the Rockets should take a long look at is TyTy Washington Jr., the point guard from Kentucky. He had a very strong first half of the season before injuries held him back toward the end of the year, but going back through his body of work as a freshman in the SEC, he had a really good season. It’s not a great draft for point guards, but Houston could use another one in the pipeline; plus, he has enough size to play off the ball when needed. Washington didn’t play in the combine.

Finally, the Rockets could use a true rim protector and might have to take a very long look at Duke’s Mark Williams if he falls to 17. I suspect center-needy Charlotte has eyes on him with the 13th pick, however.

 

[closetohumping 17547]

Clutchfans still around?  They used to think everyone wanted to be a Rocket.

[Fud 9560]

In a vacuum, Houston should be looking at best player available at #3 and #17, but some positions have a higher expected potential value add than others (big wings are typically the most valuable, while centers and point guards are the easiest positions to fill) and considering Houston already has two promising two-guards from last year’s draft, I don’t see that position as a terribly high priority since that player would be battling with current players for minutes and would potentially be blocked, although if you truly think that guy is a top ten or so player in the draft, maybe you can’t pass him up

There are a couple of two-guards that are being mocked in the vicinity of #17, and I’m hoping they get drafted before that pick so more wings get pushed down; Agbaji, Branham, and Hardy. I don’t quite view Jalen Williams in the same way since his wingspan and vertical could make him function as a smaller wing 

So at this point, I’m hoping the centers (Duren and Williams), the point/combo (Ty-Ty), and then Agbaji and Branham go before #17, and so we have our choice of Dieng, Eason, Liddell, Beauchamp, and maybe Jalen Williams 

[billfromlaketravis 11601]

13 hours ago, Fud said:

In a vacuum, Houston should be looking at best player available at #3 and #17, but some positions have a higher expected potential value add than others (big wings are typically the most valuable, while centers and point guards are the easiest positions to fill) and considering Houston already has two promising two-guards from last year’s draft, I don’t see that position as a terribly high priority since that player would be battling with current players for minutes and would potentially be blocked, although if you truly think that guy is a top ten or so player in the draft, maybe you can’t pass him up

There are a couple of two-guards that are being mocked in the vicinity of #17, and I’m hoping they get drafted before that pick so more wings get pushed down; Agbaji, Branham, and Hardy. I don’t quite view Jalen Williams in the same way since his wingspan and vertical could make him function as a smaller wing 

So at this point, I’m hoping the centers (Duren and Williams), the point/combo (Ty-Ty), and then Agbaji and Branham go before #17, and so we have our choice of Dieng, Eason, Liddell, Beauchamp, and maybe Jalen Williams 

What’s your ideal scenario at 3 and 17? Chet and Ty-Ty? 

[Fud 9560]

9 hours ago, billfromlaketravis said:

What’s your ideal scenario at 3 and 17? Chet and Ty-Ty? 

I don't like Ty-Ty at #17, and would prefer someone else take him earlier 

Ideal is Jabari at #3 and then someone unrealistic like Sochan falling to #17. Neither is happening though

Realistically, what I'm hoping for is Chet at #3 (I don't see Jabari falling past both Orlando and OKC) and then Eason at #17. Eason has elite defensive potential, but probably needs to re-work his shot, which is a bit broken for the NBA

A good discussion on him

https://t.co/Fp5biLDz4k

[Murfdogg21 4481]

I guess you would know since you were part of space jam. 

[Fud 9560]

In regards to concerns about Chet not having an obvious successful NBA comp, Vecenie points out that some of the best players the NBA has seen recently didn't have obvious comps coming out which scared away some front offices, and he mentions Jokic, Giannis, and Goburt, and I think he could have also included Steph and Luka

While admitting they still have concerns about Paolo's, they talked about the potential offensive synergy between Green and Paolo being very interesting, in particular due to Paolo's great passing ability (Vecenie has long said that Paolo might be the best passer in this draft, and at the very least is the best passer among the guys being considered for the lotto)

[Fud 9560]

 

[Wulaw Horn 19236]

I was reading somewhere a disturbing account of extending wood. Barf. 

[BigOrange1 6538]

5 hours ago, Fud said:

 

clutch is being a little bitch about banchero.  he's not my first choice either, but my first choice isn't gonna be available.  guy needs to fucking get over it.

[Fud 9560]

2 minutes ago, BigOrange1 said:

clutch is being a little bitch about banchero.  he's not my first choice either, but my first choice isn't gonna be available.  guy needs to fucking get over it.

Yeah, he’s not an ideal 1.1 pick, but he’s a solid pick any year at #3

[billfromlaketravis 11601]

What are the chances the Rockets move up from 17? I'd say fairly decent give what they did in the last draft. 

[Murfdogg21 4481]

Or anyone in 8-13 that would be willing to flip flop #17 if we throw in Wood or Gordon. 

[Fud 9560]

3. Houston Rockets

Paolo Banchero
Duke
PF/C
Age: 19.5

After watching him work out at his home base in Memphis and bringing him on an individual visit to Houston, the Rockets seem high on the talent, skill and fit of Banchero. He had an outstanding freshman season at Duke, showcasing all of his offensive versatility in a season that culminated in a Final Four run. Banchero is a 6-10, polished and aggressive scorer who can carry a significant load with his ability to handle, pass and shoot, and his ability to create off the dribble both for himself and teammates should pair well with the explosive transition scoring and shot-making prowess Jalen Green offers. Banchero should compete for Rookie of the Year honors and has considerable upside to grow into as the Rockets surround him and Green with the requisite defensive pieces and floor spacers to return to playoff contention.

 

17. Houston Rockets

Tari Eason
LSU
PF
Age: 21.0

The Rockets are early in their rebuilding and will likely be looking to take swings on talent and upside, as they don't appear to be particularly close to contention. Eason is one of the most explosive and productive players in the draft, putting consistent pressure on opposing defenses with his quick first step, physicality and insatiable intensity, characteristics that allow him to live at the free throw line. These same traits helped make him one of the most versatile defenders in the college game, a magnet for steals, blocks and rebounds who flew all over the floor in LSU's suffocating press while rotating from guarding point guards to big men.

 

 

[Js1 85744]