Ranking every Houston Rockets first-round pick of the Rafael Stone era

6. Jalen Green

Controversial? Possibly. Remember - we're ranking these guys according to their draft position and the strength of their class. If an objective publication publishes a 2021 re-draft tomorrow, don't expect to see Green ranked second.

After all, draft classmates like Jalen Johnson (1.5), Franz Wagner (1.9), Evan Mobley (1.9), Trey Murphy III (1.9), Scottie Barnes (3.0) and teammate Alperen Sengun (3.5) all lapped in his 1.0 Value Over Replacement Player (VORP) this year. We still believe in Green's upside, but pick a stat that measures impact, and it's not going to tell you that Green was the second-best player in his class.

5. Jabari Smith Jr.

Nobody can criticize Stone for selecting Smith Jr. This was a three-man draft, and the Rockets had the third pick. With Paolo Banchero and Chet Holmgren off the board, every GM in the NBA was taking Smith Jr.

Was he the right choice in hindsight? The jury is still out. Smith Jr. made massive strides in his sophomore year, But Jalen Williams of the Oklahoma City Thunder seems to be far ahead of him. You could make the case for Keegan Murray or teammate Tari Eason to be picked ahead of Smith Jr. as well.

Luckily for the Rockets...