Heading into Tuesday's NBA Draft lottery, all of the talk was about Victor Wembanyama, the 7-foot-2 French big man who has had a propensity for going viral quite frequently. Wembanyama has been hailed as the best prospect since LeBron James in 2003, causing many NBA fanbases to photo-shop Wemby in a jersey of their favorite team.
This has especially been the case for the Houston Rockets, who essentially went from having the most consecutive postseason appearances to consistently being bottom-feeders in the league after undergoing a rebuild. The Rockets entered the lottery tied with the San Antonio Spurs and Detroit Pistons for the highest odds of landing the first pick at 14 percent.
But in spite of that, the Rockets' pick fell to fourth, which was viewed as a disappointment, as it took them out of the running for Wembanyama, and removed their ability to control their own destiny as it pertained to selecting Scoot Henderson and Brandon Miller also. But it's never that simple when it comes to draft discourse, as there are no sure things, in any sport.
Why the Rockets shouldn't be disappointed with Tuesday's lottery results
Moreover, there are never just three good players in a draft class. This draft class is no different, as Amen Thompson could very well meet one of the Rockets' biggest weaknesses. The 6-foot-7 Thompson is capable of being the Rockets' much-needed facilitator, possessing sheer athleticism and elite playmaking.
And even if they don't have interest in Thompson, they could still nab Scoot Henderson, who is viewed as a top-two prospect, simply because the Charlotte Hornets and Portland Trail Blazers have two star point guards in Damian Lillard and LaMelo Ball. The fact that the Rockets are drafting fourth means they'll only be looking to move up one or two spots, which shouldn't take too many assets.
Considering that the Rockets could still walk away with the best passer in the draft or walk away with a top-two talent in the class, the Rockets' lottery results shouldn't be viewed as a disappointment, because it could surely be worse. Imagine if the franchise was drafting out of the top-five.