3 prospects the Rockets should consider in the NBA Draft

With the way the lottery odds are set up, the top 3 teams will have the same odds at the number one overall pick as well as having a Top 4 pick.

The Houston Rockets flat out suck, and there’s no other way around it. Since the start of their losing streak, which began on February 6th, the Houston Rockets rank last in offensive rating at 99.7.

There is a huge gap between them and the next worst team, the Orlando Magic, who possess a 105.2 offensive rating. On the other side of the ball, the Rockets are the fifth-worst team in the league for defensive rating during that timeframe.

The Houston Rockets had won 7 of 8 games prior to the start of their losing streak and during this period by contrast, the team was 19th in offensive rating and first in defensive rating! Talk about two tales of one city.

Houston is far from the best version of themselves and while offense has always been an issue with this team during the season, it has become evident that the absence of Christian Wood is a large reason why this team is struggling heavily. With Wood planning on returning to action after the All Star break, it allows the team to rest for an extended period of time to allow players such as Wood, Victor Oladipo, and Eric Gordon, who have been dealing with minor but nagging injuries to get healthy again.

While we know this streak won’t last forever, Rockets ownership and management need to ponder whether it is in the franchise’s best interest to try and improve their record.

3 players the Houston Rockets should consider in the 2021 NBA Draft

During their win streak earlier this season where the team won six in a row, they were one of the best defensive teams in the league. With the way the lottery odds are set up, the top-three teams will have the same odds at the number one overall pick as well as having a top-four pick.

With a 14 percent chance at selecting first, the Houston Rockets will have an opportunity to launch a rebuild after the James Harden era came to an abrupt end earlier this season. More importantly than the number one pick, the Rockets are more likely than not to have a top-four pick, which is critical for their future, given the swap protections made with OKC when they traded Chris Paul for Westbrook.

They have a 52.1 percent chance at a top-four pick, and it is critical they aim for a selection in this range, considering the franchise can end up falling significantly lower with the success the Miami Heat has been having recently. OKC will guarantee themselves two of the most favorable picks with Houston, Miami and their own pick, unless Houston’s pick falls in the top four.

Miami is currently the hottest team in the league and with the return of Jimmy Butler, it is safe to assume Houston’s best option is to tank in order to avoid draft catastrophe. The 2021 NBA Draft has the potential to allow Houston to address one of the many holes on their roster.

Assuming the team has a top-four pick after this season, here is an ordered list on who they should prioritize drafting, based on talent availability and team needs.

Next: 3rd Overall Pick

Why the Houston Rockets should select Jalen Suggs third overall

At the moment, if the season ended today Houston possesses the third-worst record in the league. However, the odds of drafting 1st-3rd are the same.

So, if they end up drafting third it is likely that the Detroit Pistons and Minnesota Timberwolves are ahead of them, given their odds are identical to Houston’s. The Rockets would likely end up drafting a guard or a small forward, given who will likely be available at their disposal.

With Kevin Porter Jr’s potential and Christian Wood showing flashes of being an All-Star, this leaves three roster spots to fill. At number three, Houston should draft Jalen Suggs, a combo guard from Gonzaga.

At 6’4”, Suggs will declare for the draft after finishing his freshman year with the Bulldogs. In per 36 metrics, Suggs is averaging 18.1 points, 7.1 rebounds and 6 assists with an impressive 2.6 steals per game.

With Cade Cunningham projected to go first overall, Suggs is close behind him to be considered the top 2021-point guard in the upcoming draft class.

Pros

Suggs has been extremely efficient in his freshman year. With about 10 shot attempts per game, Suggs is shooting 51 percent from the field and more importantly 59 percent true shooting field goal percentage.

In addition to being a solid offensive player, Suggs provides a well-rounded profile with his defensive presence on the floor. As mentioned earlier, Suggs is averaging 2.6 steals per game and has an 88.6 defensive rating.

The Houston Rockets will need a successor to John Wall, given his age and injury history. Despite Wall having a good season in a Rockets uniform, he does not fit the Houston Rockets timeline nor their plans for a rebuild.

With the league saturated with guards, Houston will possibly have a tough time moving on from Wall in the offseason if they draft Suggs. However, they can always take the approach that the Hornets have done this season with Lamelo Ball by bringing him off the bench initially and learning from Wall as a mentor.

Cons

While Suggs has plenty of attributes to boast about, he does have a couple of weaknesses that he needs to improve on. The first area of weakness is his assist-to-turnover ratio.

Suggs has a 1.6 ratio which he needs to improve on when he enters the league. Suggs will be tasked as the primary ball handler for the Rockets, and in this role he needs to decrease the amount of times he is turning the ball over.

Another weakness of Suggs is his 3-point shooting. His projected NBA 3-point percentage is just under 35 percent on approximately four attempts per game.

The low volume of 3’s along with that accuracy needs to be improved in order for his offense to grow.

Next: 2nd Overall Pick

Why the Houston Rockets should select Evan Mobley second overall

If the Houston Rockets end up with the second pick of the draft, they should target Evan Mobley. Despite already having a 6’10” big with Christian Wood, Houston could pair up the two with Wood playing at power forward to form the next Twin Tower pairing.

Evan Mobley is listed as 7’0” and is a freshman at USC. Mobley is playing 34 minutes per game and has game averages of 16.4 points, 8.5 rebounds and 2.9 blocks per game.

It might seem risky to draft Mobley with Wood’s presence on the court, however with his ability to stretch the floor, the pairing could work for the franchise.

Pros

Mobley is an interesting talent and unlike James Wiseman, who was drafted last year at number two, he is far more athletic and faster. Among the centers that are in the draft class, the gap between Mobley and the next best big is quite wide.

An NBA player that Mobley gets compared to is Anthony Davis, given his ability to do many things on the floor. Unlike your traditional centers, Mobley can create his own offense.

Whether it is being a threat on the perimeter or in the low post, Mobley is a problem for his opponent, as his ability to beat defenders off the dribble and read defenses, along with having the touch to make shots with a hand in his face makes him an incredible prospect. With many NBA teams electing to go smaller during crucial moments of the game, Mobley’s size, skillset and athleticism can allow him to still matchup against different defensive schemes.

Imagine if Christian Wood and Mobley are on the floor together. Spacing will not be an issue, as both players are versatile offensively and can score in a multitude of ways that the league hasn’t seen before from a pair of bigs. Can Houston recreate Olajuwon and Sampson if they elect to draft Evan Mobley?

Cons

The biggest weakness that many NBA spectators and analysts will point out regarding Mobley is his weight. He is extremely slender for a 7’0 big man.

Wood, who has struggled this season down low at times because of his size, weighs in at 214 pounds while being 6’10”. Mobley is listed at 210 pounds and this can be an issue for him when being targeted by opposing bigs in the paint.

Another issue is Mobley’s rebounding. With playing heavy minutes each game and only averaging 8.5 per contest, Mobley will need to work on this aspect of his game once he goes pro.

Next: 1st Overall Pick

#1) Cade Cunningham

Why the Houston Rockets should select Cade Cunningham first overall

To no one’s surprise, the Houston Rockets should draft Cade Cunningham at the number one pick. With the point guard position expected to be vacant after Wall’s departure, Cunningham will allow the Rockets to start off strong in their rebuild.

His 6’7” stature and 220 pound frame for a point guard is an outlier that we don’t really see in the league. Luka Doncic is a similar body type, with the Slovenian product listed at the same height but weighing in at 230 pounds. Cunningham should have a successful career in the NBA, as the Oklahoma State freshman is averaging 19.5 points, 6.3 rebounds and 3.5 assists per contest.

Pros

Cunningham is a very good playmaker and solid all-around scorer. He can produce offense from just about anywhere on the court and in a multitude of ways.

He can score off the dribble, in the low post, off-ball motion plays and is a great transition scorer. He possesses elite court vision and his maturity with his decision making is beyond his years.

Similar to the dynamic offensive players we see in this league, Cunningham is able to manipulate defenses to get the shot that he wants and can break down defenders in the pick-and-roll offense. As a 3-point shooter, Cunningham is shooting an impressive 42 percent from behind the arc at a good volume, 4.7 attempts per game.

As a defender, he can stay with his opponent well and can pick their pockets as well as block shots, given his length at his position. Cunningham averaged 1.5 steals and 1 block per game. When Cunningham goes pro, he will likely see many trips to the free throw line as he went to the charity stripe about 6 times per game and converted them at an 85 percent clip.

Cons

Cunningham’s biggest issue seems to be turnovers. He averaged a whopping 4.3 per contest. In addition to this, his assists seem to be quite low for a point guard despite passing being one of his best skills.

He had questions coming into college about shooting as he struggled with this aspect of his game, however he has improved this after adjusting his mechanics. His lack of explosiveness could present a problem once he goes pro.

He can’t always rely on his size against his opponent especially with NBA-level defenders.

With the Houston Rockets heading towards a rebuild, they can accelerate the process with one of these three prospects, if they manage to finish towards the bottom of the standings. Suggs, Mobley and Cunningham all have the potential to be exceptional young core players for NBA franchises and the Houston Rockets are heading in the direction of a top-three draft pick after this season.

This hasn’t occurred for the team since 2002 when they selected Yao Ming with the number one overall pick.