Houston Rockets All-time draft bust starting 5

C: Lee Johnson

The Rockets were fresh off their fourth playoff appearance in franchise history in 1979 when they selected Johnson with the 17th overall selection. He played for three colleges, including Texas A&M before declaring for the draft, and Houston hoped the 6’11 big man would blossom into a force in the NBA.

Johnson played just one season before flaming out. He played in Italy after being drafted before just ten games with the Rockets where he scored the only 17 points of his NBA career. Houston waived him in December of 1980.

He signed free-agent deals with the Pistons and Cavaliers but played just two more games before going to the CBA. Johnson spent a dozen years overseas playing professionally before hanging up his sneakers in 1993.

There was a much lower success rate in the draft in the 1970s and 1980s, but selecting someone that played just 12 NBA games is always a bust.

Who will the Houston Rockets select in the 2023 NBA Draft? Can they win the lottery and grab the top pick? Do the Rockets draft a game-changer or a bust near the top of the draft? They have plenty of questions to answer this summer, and the Rockets desperately need to nail their selection this year.