2025 NBA Mock Draft: Rockets make critical mistake in new mock

The Houston Rockets need to start drafting for fit.

For some fans, those are blasphemous words. You never draft for fit. You always take the prospect with the most potential. Any other decision is sacrilegious.

Sure. How many non-shooting prospects can the Rockets roster? This team has reached an inflection point. Any prospect they draft who doesn't fit with their roster won't play for the win-now Rockets. Any prospect that doesn't play has a worse chance of developing well.

By now, the Rockets need to be looking at prospects who fit their roster. That means shooting ability is imperative.

Although, The Athletic doesn't subscribe to that logic.

Rockets select non-shooter in latest mock

They've got the Rockets picking up South Carolina's Collin Murray-Boyles.

There's obvious appeal in Boyles. He's a versatile wing who can handle the ball, defend multiple positions, score on the interior, and pass. He's got tremendous potential. In this mock, the Rockets have the 10th overall pick, and one could argue that Murray-Boyles is the best prospect on the board.

"I think they will just take the best player available in the lottery, and at this spot, that’s Murray-Boyles for me."

-Sam Vecenie, The Athletic

Let's get this out of the way - Vecenie is a great analyst. He covers the draft with considerable depth.

He's got the Rockets making a critical error here.

Rockets must draft for fit

Murray-Boyles hit 26.5% of his 1.1 three-pointers per game for South Carolina this year.

That's going to make NBA stardom difficult for him anyway. Take Amen Thompson. His inability to shoot has hindered his offensive production in half-court sets. Some believe that he'll never be a true superstar as a result.

Thompson is one of the most impressive athletes in NBA history. He's also a prodigious passer. Murray-Boyles is neither of those things. He's an inch taller than Thompson at 6'8", and he's both a plus athlete and passer. Still, he's not comparable to Thompson in either of those areas.

Granted, he's a more fluid shooter. How much will that matter at 26.2%?

The point here isn't to compare Thompson to Murray-Boyles. It's not to suggest that Murray-Boyles can't improve his shot and become an NBA star, either. It's simply to point out that limited three-point shooting can hinder even a generational athlete with elite floor vision. Murray-Boyles is not a safe bet for NBA stardom.

That's why the Rockets can't justify selecting him. If Kon Knueppel and Carter Bryant are off the board, the Rockets should look at other options. They could trade down for someone like Liam McNeeley. Even taking a swing at Khaman Maluach would be better - if the Rockets are open to a non-shooter, take the one with a 9'8" standing reach.

Murray-Boyles should go to a team that will utilize him. He's not a candidate to usurp Thompson, and he's not likely to be as complimentary to stars as Tari Eason. The Rockets don't have a place for Murray-Boyles:

He just doesn't fit.