Houston Rockets: Why Cade Cunningham isn’t a lock at no. 1 in NBA Draft

Houston Rockets: Evan Mobley or Jalen Green could be the no. 1 pick in the NBA Draft

Mobley put together one of the most impressive statistical freshman seasons in history. By win shares and Box plus/minus he was the best player in the country, a feat only one other freshman has ever pulled off, Anthony Davis.

Mobley’s upside as an elite defensive center and a go-to option that can score and facilitate out of the high post is nearly unmatched. There’s a chance that he could be a souped-up version of Bam Adebayo, which would make him one of the ten best players in the league.

If Mobley’s upside is Bam Adebayo 2.0 then Jalen Green’s upside is a more athletic Bradley Beal, which sounds an awful lot like Michael Jordan. Now, comparing anyone to Michael Jordan is foolish, but Green’s combination of athleticism, body control, and shooting stroke give him as good a chance as anyone to win multiple scoring titles.

Green’s long-term potential has three things going in its favor. The first, is his age, he won’t turn 20 until next February, the second, is his production, he averaged 17.9 points on 52.9-percent 2-point shooting, 36.5-percent 3-point shooting, and 82.9-percent free-throw shooting, and the third is he already has one season of professional basketball under his belt.

The fact remains, both Evan Mobley and Jalen Green are tremendous prospects, and, depending on your taste, they have a claim to go number one. Cunningham is the safest bet to be an All-Star but Mobley and Green’s ultimate upsides remain just as high if not higher.

The Rockets might have missed out on the number one overall pick but that doesn’t mean they’ll miss out on a transformative player. If Cade Cunningham is no lock to go number one, then sitting in second, is a hell of a place to be.