With the second pick in the NBA draft the Houston Rockets select….

This season has been.. well, an experience, to say the least for the Houston Rockets. From star players wanting out and the longtime general manager walking out, it’s been a grueling year for the franchise and the fanbase.

With only a few weeks left in the season, the Rockets find themselves with the worst record in the league. There is light at the end of the tunnel, and for once this season, it isn’t a semi-truck.

For the first time in almost a decade, the NBA draft holds significance important for the Rockets. During the James Harden era, the Rockets were always among the best teams in the league and nowhere near the draft lottery.

With the second pick in the 2021 NBA Draft, the Houston Rockets select….

Daryl Morey and the front office usually went all in every year, which meant first-round picks were expendable. That all changed as the season went on, and it was evident that the Rockets were not going to be anywhere near the playoffs.

The Rockets have a chance to have their first lottery pick since they drafted Yao Ming first overall in the 2002 NBA Draft. There is a consensus player at the top of everyone’s draft board, and that’s Cade Cunningham out of Oklahoma State, but after the first pick, there are various opinions on who should be selected second.

So I’ll ask, if the Houston Rockets fall to the second pick, who should they pick?

Next: The best fit for the Rockets at #2

The best fit for the Houston Rockets at number two

As stated earlier, Cunningham is practically the top player on almost everyone’s draft board. Even with John Wall and Kevin Porter Jr. in the backcourt, you always take the most talented player at number one regardless of roster fit.

But with the second pick, do you go with Evan Mobley, Jalen Suggs, or Jalen Green? In my opinion, you go with the player who has the most upside and more overall skills, and that is Mobley.

Suggs and Green will be good players in the league but are very similar to Porter Jr. and won’t bring any additional skills beyond what the Rockets already have in the backcourt. Mobley gives you an elite rim protector who can not only contest the first shot, but who also has the ability to get off the floor and contest multiple shots in one possession.

Watch how Mobley not only can block shots in the lane, but also get out and contest smaller players out at the 3-point line.

The ability to go from the 3-point line back to the post in a blink of an eye is huge in today’s NBA, with everyone switching the majority of the game. Mobley is also an above-average passer for a big man.

He can make the cross-court pass from the post and can also make touch passes in the lane. He also has a soft touch in the lane, which should translate to the NBA.

Next: Mobley's weaknesses

Mobley’s areas to work on

There are, of course, a few weaknesses to his game, just like any other draft prospect. He needs to work on his secondary move, because he won’t shoot over every defender in the NBA.

He will have to have a counter move. Also, pick-and-roll is a huge part of every offense. He tends to set weak picks and tries to slip every pick-and-roll, instead of establishing his base and rolling hard to the basket.

The most obvious, of course, is adding bulk to his frame. Mobley doesn’t have to bulk up to the point where he is Joel Embid, but over time, that slight frame can cause issues banging in the post-night in and night out in the NBA.

He has been compared to Chris Bosh because of his game and frame, and as we saw over the years, Bosh was able to add muscle to his lean frame.

Even with the above weaknesses, Mobley is the second-best player in the draft, with the second-most upside. Even with Christian Wood already in the frontcourt, Mobley would give the Houston Rockets a big man who is the best shot-blocker in the draft and will only get better over time.

With any draft prospects, you want to look beyond their college play and see if there are parts of their game that can translate to the next level.

Mobley has these skills and would be the best choice for the Houston Rockets with the second pick.