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Who are you taking with the 4th pick?

Discussion in 'Houston Rockets: Game Action & Roster Moves' started by Houston77, May 16, 2023.

?

Who are you taking?

  1. Amen Thompson

    148 vote(s)
    43.5%
  2. Jarace Walker

    34 vote(s)
    10.0%
  3. Ausar Thompson

    6 vote(s)
    1.8%
  4. Cam Whitmore

    37 vote(s)
    10.9%
  5. Trade the pick

    101 vote(s)
    29.7%
  6. Other (Specify)

    14 vote(s)
    4.1%
  1. carl_herrera

    carl_herrera Member

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    You realize that if we had been trying to be competitive and make the play-in, Jalen, the 2nd pick, would have been somebody's backup his rookie year? That Jabari would have been someone's backup his rookie year?

    a. Be a team good enough to make the play-in
    b. Draft a 19-20 year old
    c. Start that rookie

    You can only choose two.
     
    #201 carl_herrera, May 19, 2023
    Last edited: May 19, 2023
  2. roslolian

    roslolian Member

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    You realize Jalen or Jabari would sure to start their second year right?

    You think Amen would beat Harden in the starting lineup after just 1 year? Dude spent 2 yrs learning to shoot and his shot is still broken how long you think thats gonna take?
     
  3. OremLK

    OremLK Member

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    We've seen guys improve drastically in that kind of time frame

    Josh Giddey improved from 26% to 32% from three between years 1 and 2

    Not saying it will happen, but it's possible
     
  4. Marshall Bryant

    Supporting Member

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    You seem to have an unnatural affection for Richard.
     
    tmacfor35 likes this.
  5. Francis3422

    Francis3422 Member

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    So Im spending about 45 minutes a day watching games/highlights reels/scouting reports.

    One negative on Thompson is that the level of defense he is facing is pretty trash. Only counterpoint here is that the spacing is pretty terrible, and he generally has the attention of multiple defenders when he is within 15-18 feet of the rim.

    One positive I would say is his form looked cleaner toward the end of the year. Specifically on catch and shoot it looked pretty consistent as long as he could set.
     
    Shark44 and peleincubus like this.
  6. xtruroyaltyx

    xtruroyaltyx Member

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    I’ve been on the Gradey train for a while now.
    I’d take him over Amen easily.
     
    BaselineFade likes this.
  7. kubli9

    kubli9 Contributing Member
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    It's either roll the dice on Amen's potential or trade back for Anthony Black.
     
    jch1911 likes this.
  8. BMoney

    BMoney Contributing Member

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    I wonder if a Portland, or whomever they trade with would more inclined to roll the dice on Amen's superstar upside than a redundant, small PG like Henderson who also is not a great outside shooter, either.
    I get why the Rockets may not be in a great hurry to move heaven and earth to trade up if they don't see much difference in the players.
     
  9. kubli9

    kubli9 Contributing Member
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    Intrigued by this guy but seems it would be a big reach to take him at #4.
     
  10. xtruroyaltyx

    xtruroyaltyx Member

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    I like him better than a few of the guys expected to go before him. I’ve seen him projected as a top ten pick, going as high as 9 so 5 or so spots higher isn’t like taking a guy expected to go in the back of the first or second round.

    People thought okc reached when they took Giddey but if you identify talent and it works out it doesn’t matter about where pundits projected they would go. NBA drafts are littered with players who went later and were better than guys selected before them. I bet those teams that took the worse guy earlier wish they’d have “reached” for the guy that went later.

    I like Gradey because Hes got good size, willing defender, decent athlete, has some creation and passing ability and has the potential to be one of the best shooters in the NBA and for a team that has had awful shooting for a while now that would be extremely welcome.
     
    #210 xtruroyaltyx, May 25, 2023
    Last edited: May 25, 2023
  11. OremLK

    OremLK Member

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    I would just caution you that a lot of the shot creation you're seeing in tape of Gradey Dick, he was just barely getting those shots off in tight windows against college defenders. Those windows will very often go from tight to completely shut in the NBA against longer, quicker defenders. The lack of athleticism is a real issue with Gradey. It makes him a lot harder to translate as a high-level player. He will probably be a good spot-up shooter and will carve out a successful career as a roleplayer just because you can never have too much shooting in the league, but I just don't buy into him being able to create his own offense. I think he's going to get smothered most times he has somebody actively guarding him.
     
    Ancient Moabite likes this.
  12. Dr of Dunk

    Dr of Dunk Clutch Crew

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    Tell me something about him that stands out to you other than his shooting ability. I ask because I don't watch much college basketball and don't know much about him other than some high school stories. I also ask because, let's assume he ends up being a middling shooter (34-36% from 3, for example) - what else does he provide that will make us think "well, it wasn't a total loss of a pick". I guess I'm asking is he "a shooter", and that's about it?
     
  13. xtruroyaltyx

    xtruroyaltyx Member

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    I don't expect him to be able to iso at the top of the key and consistently get buckets. When I talk about his ability to create shots I'm talking about within the flow of an offense.

    He's a movement player.

    I'm thinking more Klay Thompson or Austin Reeves. Neither of those guys are top athletes. Klay isn't going to get the ball and iso a whole lot, but he will come off screens and use fakes to get defenders off balance or get them to bite on a pump and then drive or reset for a shot. I think Gradey is a comparable athlete to Klay and can "create" in that way.
     
    #213 xtruroyaltyx, May 25, 2023
    Last edited: May 25, 2023
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  14. xtruroyaltyx

    xtruroyaltyx Member

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    Well, if he is not a top shooter in the NBA I don't think he will be worth a top 10 pick....But my projection is based off of his shooting translating. It's like what if Amen Thompson's playmaking skills don't translate...then what is he really worth? If you take away the best on court skill from any of these projected picks then would any of them be worth a lotto pick?

    Not trying to be snarky either so to answer your question about what other skills of his do I like...I like his that he can handle the ball in transition and make good passes, he plays well within a set offense, but I think he could fit on a team where he was asked to be more of a spot up shooter as well. He's a good passer, Active defender...

    Just a shooter is a guy like Steve Novak who went in the second round. Gradey is a projected lottery pick so that should let you know that he has other qualities that scouts, pundits or whoever is high on...
     
  15. OremLK

    OremLK Member

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    I feel like Klay is a more athletic, more versatile scorer than we're looking at with Gradey Dick right now, as well as being a generational-level jump shooter, which is always hard to project. Even if Gradey's shooting does end up being incredible, he could still end up being more of a Kyle Korver type of guy. Which, come to think of it, is probably my ceiling comp for Gradey Dick, personally. Korver was amazing at shooting off of screens. Great roleplayer.

    And as great as Klay is--I think you'd be totally fine with that outcome from the #4 pick--I think there are guys in this class who have higher ceilings than that. They're probably less safe than Gradey Dick is, to be fair, but damn it, I don't want a guy who caps out as Klay Thompson, I want a guy who can contend for MVP awards, even if there's only a 3% chance he gets to that level.
     
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  16. Dr of Dunk

    Dr of Dunk Clutch Crew

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    If Amen's shooting never gets better, you hope his defense and playmaking do.
    If his shooting and playmaking never gets better, you hope his defense does.
    If none of those translate - he's a bust.

    I was just trying to play the same game with Gradey, but I don't know him well enough. I'm trying to see if he's a one-trick pony. The same as I did with Jabari. If his shot never translated, he was a great defensive presence. To this point, I've always thought that once you got down to where Gradey Dick was, the talent level becomes a complete crapshoot, but maybe I'm wrong. I'm not completely sold on Amen, so I don't really feel completely safe with him, either. Too many huge question marks there, too, but I keep thinking I have more darts to throw in the case of a Twin, Black, Walker, maybe Whitmore, etc. If they draft any of those dudes with the #4 pick, I wouldn't be pissed, tbh. It's when you hit Gradey, I start asking questions as to "why?" Maybe it's shellshock from all the players the Rockets drafted or acquired to get some shooting for Hakeem/Ralph and failed because it just didn't translate. lol.

    [​IMG]
     
  17. raining threes

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    Walker or Dick or trade.
     
  18. jch1911

    jch1911 Member

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    Trade Back for Black... Always Bet on Black
    Either makes for a catchy refrain
     
  19. xtruroyaltyx

    xtruroyaltyx Member

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    If Amen just ends up being just an athletic good defender top 4 pick would've still been steep price to pay for that.
     
  20. xtruroyaltyx

    xtruroyaltyx Member

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    I wouldn't predict him to be the next Klay Thompson...That's a pretty high bar...I was just talking about the style of play on offense and Klay not being an elite athlete..

    MVP is an even higher bar and I don't think I'd feel confident about any of the players I've looked at, besides maybe Victor, in saying that they are going to compete for League MVP one day. I mean, I don't think anyone predicted Harden or Giannis or even Jokic at the time they were drafted to be MVP...So maybe some of these guys surprise in that regard...

    I'm just explaining my viewpoint, not here to knock anyone else. We all have opinions on these guys and we've all been right on some and wrong on some, so it's all in good fun :)
     
    OremLK and Ancient Moabite like this.

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