[Crystal Ball: 2016 Draft] A Return to The Familiar 9th Seed 14th Pick. Our picks from the past & fu

09-10 9th Rockets
10-11 9th Rockets
11-12 9th Rockets
15-16 9th Rockets (our current trajectory)

It's been a 3 year hiatus, but we are very most likely back to our old familiar 9th seed! Since we will have been here more times than not over the last 7 years, with this year probably being our 4th time coming in 9th, let's review our teams draft selections the last 3 times we were in this situation. Who did we pick? Who did we miss?

09-10

• 14th Pick Patrick Patterson

(notable guys still available: Eric Bledsoe)​

10-11

• 14th Pick Marcus Morris

(notable guys still available: Kawhi Leonard, Nikola Vučević)​

• 23rd Pick Nikola Mirotic rights, traded for Donatas Motiejunas

(notable guys still available: Kenneth Faried, Reggie Jackson, Jimmy Butler)​

• 2nd round 38th pick Chander Parsons

(notable guys still available: Isaiah Thomas, Andrew Goudelock)​

11-12

• 12th Pick Jeremy Lamb
• 16th Pick Royce White
• 18th Pick Terrence Jones

(notable guys still available: Draymond Green, Evan Fournier)​

• 2nd round 44th Pick Furkan Aldemir

And what will we do this time?

15-16

My guesses:

• 14th pick Domantas Sabonis 6'10" Lithuanian PF, son of Arvydas Sabonis
• 2nd round 38th pick Zhou Qi 7'2" Center from China

We know we like drafting PFs. We have a Legacy of Bigs. We love China. I see these 2 guesses as pretty decent stabs in the dark.

If we don't get Zhou, I think we would get Tyler Ulis, because (A) we like Kentucky guys, and (B) we like drafting sub-6' PGs.

How do you see Morey doing his thing this draft if we have that 14th pick again?

 

Guys, I really hate to burst your bubble, but we are not...NOT making the playoffs

See here: W-Ls for 5-8 for remaining games

People are talking about 6th seed, 7th seed. It would take a miracle to just make 8th seed. We're on track for 9th seed. 3-34 shooting? That's the worst 3 point shooting in the history of the NBA! If those were 2s, 13.2% FG% instead of 8.8 3PT%, that would also be the worst FG% in a game in the entire history of the NBA. Our roster is a mess. Our coach is a mess. Our chemistry is a mess. We've dug too deep of a hole and we have proven that we can't beat the majority of the teams we have remaining. Hell we can barely pull past a terrible, tanking Suns team.

And here's the thing....if I'm wrong, I will be elated! E-LAY-TED. Because I think playoff experience, even a butt whooping series, is far more valuable to our team and overall goal in winning a championship through the development of our younger guys than a mid 1st round draft pick in a weak draft class. My heart says 8th seed, but my head says 9th seed. Meanwhile, the Rockets squad's heart says "whatevs" and their head says "Derp." It's just not happening. So we might as well start discussing what can be gleaned from this subpar draft class.

What I'd like to happen:
-Build around Harden as the nucleus.
-Get a damn coach. Not JBB. Get a real coach. Get JVG. Get Thibs. I would be very happy with both of those guys because both know how to light into an ass like a fat kid going to town on his birthday cake.
-Lock up Howard for a 2yr 36 million. (Or something like that. Not too long and as much under max and you can)
-Then go get a max contract dude. Swing for the fences for Durant.
-Trade those assets like there is no tomorrow. We need a complete re-do on building a team of role players to compliment hopefully our new Big 3.
-Use the draft to address holes you anticipate you need to fill if your Plan A,B,C,D go accordingly with trades. Stop using analytics so heavily to draft. Stop using "we are just going to draft the most talented player available at that pick". Don't draft players as if they are assets for future moves. Draft players that will help our team next year. Like if we have to trade our 2 3rd string/ insurance clause PGs (Prigs & Johnson) to get a high risk PG (Lawson) that might not work out, then you should have drafted Jerian Grant, not Sam Dekker. That's how I hope the Rockets approach the draft this offseason.