6 players the Rockets should target from the Chinese league

6. Jamaal Franklin

Jamaal Franklin has gone under the radar, as he only lasted two seasons in the NBA. But the 28-year-old is a career 46.2 percent shooter from deep, which should definitely garner attention from the Houston Rockets. One of the bigger mysteries with Franklin is the fact that he hasn’t played in the NBA since the 2014-15 season, in spite of his ability to shoot from long-range.

During that particular season, Franklin shot 50 percent from deep and averaged 2.8 blocks and 8.3 assists per 36 minutes. Franklin’s biggest challenge is in the turnover department, as he averaged the same amount of turnovers per 36 minutes as points (8.3) during his last NBA season.

It would seem like the Rockets’ style of play could minimize this problem, as long as he’s not a ball-handler or facilitator. One of the benefits of how the Houston Rockets manage their second unit is the fact that Russell Westbrook or James Harden are always on the floor, as their minutes are staggered.

Franklin has also shown himself to be a stellar defender, as he had the most defensive win shares in the Mountain West Conference during his final collegiate season. On top of that, Franklin also had the highest defensive rating in the conference during that same season.

At 6-foot-5, Franklin has the size to play either forward position in the small-ball lineup, and he brings 3-and-D ability to a Rockets team in need of that skillset. Franklin has played six seasons in the CBA and has had a career 3-point shooting percentage of 34.3 percent.

During the 2019-20 season, Franklin has played on the Shanxi Loongs, and he’s essentially averaging a triple-double. The 28-year-old is averaging 30.1 points and a league-leading 10.1 assists. On top of that, he’s averaging 9.5 rebounds, 2.3 steals and 1.4 blocks per contest as well.

But the turnovers have been a consistent issue still, as he’s averaging 3.9 turnovers per game, and is tied for the fifth-highest turnovers in the league. Franklin recently posted a rare quadruple-double on December 19th, as he had 42 points, 12 rebounds, 12 assists, and 10 steals, which shows all-around game he has.

Next: No. 5