NBA comparisons for 5 prospects the Houston Rockets are likely to draft

If you're a Houston Rockets fan, you may be suffering from acute draft fatigue.

Fair enough. For three summers, the Rockets' fate has hinged on lottery balls. They prayed for Victor, and the lottery Gods said "Amen". Now, the team is done tanking.

That doesn't mean they're done with the draft. Still, things have changed. The Rockets are now playing with house money. They have a lottery pick coming this summer via the Brooklyn Nets.

As of May 12, they'll know exactly where that pick lands. Who knows? It could jump to number one. Still, it would be wise of Rockets fans to be looking at prospects who land closer to the 7th to 10th range.

That's what we'll be doing here. Alexander Sarr is not in this article. Instead, we're making NBA comparisons for five prospects in the range that Houston is expected to be picking in.

Stephen Castle, G/F, UConn

If nothing else, Castle feels like a Udoka guy. At 6'6", he's somewhere between a big guard and a small wing. He's got the frame of a versatile defender, and he's developed a reputation for maximizing his effort on that end of the floor.

Unfortunately, his offensive role at the NBA level is less clear. Castle shot just 26.7% from long range this season. If he's a non-shooter moving forward, he's likely to top out as a key reserve at the NBA level.

Sure, we've seen non-shooters round into form before. We've also seen them fail to improve on that skill. Ultimately, it's a toss-up.

Castle will be a good NBA player. His floor is exceedingly high. He also has the tools to be a lead guard in the NBA if the shot develops. He's a hard sell next to Amen Thompson long-term, but that's a concern for a different article.

Floor: Dante Exum

Median: Bruce Brown

Ceiling: Jrue Holiday