Houston Rockets: Evan Mobley worth a look at No. 2 in NBA Draft

It’s quite possible that the Houston Rockets will get the 2nd or 3rd pick in the upcoming NBA Draft, which means Cade Cunningham will be gone by the time the Rockets make their selection. If this is the case, the Rockets’ best move would be to select Evan Mobley out of USC.

Fans might be upset with this pick because a guard like Cunningham is a more exciting player, but the Rockets are set at the guard position already with John Wall and Kevin Porter Jr. And although there has been a lot of negativity aimed towards Wall, fans need to be patient with him.

Wall hadn’t played in two years, so he had to get back into the flow of things. Granted, Wall hasn’t played every game, but he is looking like his old self.

Why the Houston Rockets would be wise to select Evan Mobley with the second pick in the NBA Draft

Drafting Evan Mobley would give the Rockets the necessary height and size to compete with the elite big men in the Western Conference. These big men range from Anthony Davis to Nikola Jokic, DeAndre Ayton, Rudy Gobert and so on.

Evan Mobley is a 7-foot big man with a wingspan of 7’4 that can switch out to any position to defend. In addition, he displayed his ability to handle the ball, shoot, rebound, and block shots in his one year with USC.

Mobley averaged 16.4 points and 8.7 rebounds per game, coming nearly short of averaging a double-double. Mobley also shot 30% from 3-point range and 57.8% from the field, while averaging 2.9 blocks per game.

The 19-year-old is excellent at protecting the rim and is also a good shot-maker. I think he would fit well with Christian Wood, who is certainly a major part of the Houston Rockets’ future.

Outside of his frame and size, Evan Mobley doesn’t have many weaknesses, and his weight and strength will bulk up over time. We’ve seen many examples of this, such as two-time MVP Giannis Antetokounmpo and Los Angeles Lakers star Anthony Davis, which bodes confidence in Mobley’s ability to add to his frame.

Another potential drawback is Mobley’s inability to score in the post. But that’s also not a complicated fix with the Rockets’ extensive track record of success with big men.

Evan Mobley could very well become a Chris Bosh or Gobert type of player if he can become better in the post, which makes him worth selecting with the second or third pick in this year’s draft.