Like Hyland a lot as an off the bench scorer. I think he could end up a (very) poor man's Lillard. Currently my hope is to acquire another late first or two seconds using Bradley. Something like this would work out nicely I think: Bradley to NOP for their second and the second they have from Washington (they have 4 second round picks in this draft). The Rockets then draft the players below: #2 - Evan Mobley: KG/AD type #22 - Marvin Bagley: 3&D 3/4 who can develop into an Ariza type #26 - Charles Bassey: Traditional big man to use when Wood and Mobley get bullied #36 - Bones Hyland: Microwave 1/2 off the bench. Would spend next season on RGV #41 - Isaiah Livers: Stretch 4 who represents good value in the second round. Another RGV player next season.
Sorry but for Mobley to develop the offensive precision of KG/AD, the stars would have align. I'll admit he has potential, but does not have any real handle or feel for the game to be in their league.
https://www.si.com/nba/2021/04/08/nba-mock-draft-2021-post-march-madness Draft sequence based on the NBA standings entering April 5. 1. Timberwolves: Cade Cunningham, G, Oklahoma State Height: 6' 8" | Weight: 220 | Age: 19 | Freshman Conversations around the NBA surrounding the No. 1 pick picked up over the course of the NCAA tournament, with Evan Mobley and Jalen Suggs leading their teams on deep March runs. Cunningham and Oklahoma State bowed out in the second round, but the way the team outpaced expectations all season stands as testament to his positive impact. The top of this draft is rife with quality, and the margins feel narrow enough that there may be teams that prefer Mobley or Suggs. But Cunningham’s body of work holds up well, and his versatile skill set and positionless mentality as a 6' 8" playmaker can be transposed onto most any roster and alongside whatever a team already has in place. His intangibles are rare, his skills continue to sharpen, and he has the goods to be plenty effective, despite some long-standing trouble finishing in traffic. Through no fault of his own, Cunningham is less of a no-brainer top prospect than he was six months ago. But he remains the favorite, and projects as an immediate impact piece wherever he lands. Odds are Minnesota would happily walk away with any of the top three prospects, but adding Cunningham to a roster that could badly use a bigger wing makes a lot of sense. His unselfishness and shooting ability would go a long way for the Timberwolves, and would allow him to fit neatly with Anthony Edwards and D’Angelo Russell on the perimeter. 2. Rockets: Evan Mobley, F/C, USC Height: 7' 0" | Weight: 215 | Age: 19 | Freshman In the eyes of some scouts, Mobley has inched closer to being a viable 1B to Cunningham’s 1A, on the heels of a strong freshman season that made USC nationally relevant. He’s one of the best rim-protecting prospects to come around in some time, with exceptional length and instincts and good mobility, and combines that with legitimate offensive upside due to his soft touch, passing skills, and unselfish mentality. Mobley spurred a run to the Elite 8 with vast defensive impact, making the most of a useful platform with performances that spoke to his competitive mettle. It should be harder for anyone still nitpicking his motor and toughness to make that argument. And while he’s something short of an alpha dog, Mobley has the goods to supply a franchise with winning backbone and schematic flexibility in a way that most centers don’t. There’s an outside chance Mobley goes No. 1, depending on which team holds the pick. At a similar stage, he compares favorably to recent early-choice bigs like Deandre Ayton, Jaren Jackson, and James Wiseman. The high defensive floor and intriguing offensive ceiling combine to make him a unique, rare prospect. Legitimately versatile bigs are making something of a comeback, which bolsters Mobley’s case. And as the Rockets rebuild their roster, locking him in as their starting center from day one would be a tremendous step in the right direction. 3. Pistons: Jalen Suggs, G, Gonzaga Height: 6' 4" | Weight: 205 | Age: 19 | Freshman Suggs’ March heroics have certainly raised his profile, but any lingering questions about what he brings to the table should have been answered some time ago. The fact Gonzaga didn’t close the deal against Baylor shouldn’t hurt him much, and his composure and competitive mettle was admirable in defeat. He’s a top-tier athlete by NBA standards who can play either guard spot capably, he’s dedicated on both ends of the floor, and his relentless, physical brand of basketball is tough to find anywhere in this era—particularly in players who are also high-end talents. Suggs has proven entirely focused on team success and capable of contributing in a range of ways, whether scoring, playmaking or defending, and sometimes all at at once. He can be fiery, competitive and almost thorny on the court, but he does it without dragging down his teammates. His shooting is a key area of improvement, but it shouldn’t prohibit him from being a top-level NBA starter. Conversely, an uptick in his efficiency could make him a star. As far as the No. 1 pick is concerned, Suggs still sits more on the periphery of that conversation. He is, at this point, firmly a top three or four selection. For what it’s worth, I’ve heard arguments for Suggs over Mobley, but not so much for Suggs over Cunningham. There’s plenty still to be determined, and it’s not worth obsessing over, but it would be hard to come away unhappy with Suggs on draft night. For a young, rebuilding team like the Pistons, he could be a culture-setter. 4. Magic: Jalen Green, SG, G League Ignite Height: 6' 5" | Weight: 185 | Age: 19 | Freshman Choosing the G League Ignite path ultimately proved beneficial for Green’s development, and his 15-game statistical sample is extremely impressive for a player his age at that level. He’s a super athlete, has polished his game offensively, and was the Ignite’s most consistent performer, tallying eight games of 20 or more points and looking like he belonged. Green is still a streaky three-point shooter, and he needs to tighten his handle and improve his decision-making and passing skills in order to warrant the volume of shots he prefers. Defensively, he’s still a work in progress. There are holes in his game, but Green has certainly made good macro-level improvements since leaving high school, and he’ll be entrenched in the top five for most teams. The Magic are already heavy on ball-dominant perimeter players, but will have to make key decisions and refocus their young core moving forward. Green’s upside should be tantalizing as an addition to that mix. 5. Cavaliers: Jonathan Kuminga, F, G League Ignite Height: 6' 8" | Weight: 220 | Age: 18 Kuminga benefitted from a hot start in the G League bubble and more than validated himself as a top-five talent, with a terrific physical toolbox that already plays up against older competition at an impressive level. The quality of his play, however, dovetailed a bit as the monthlong season went on, and he ultimately opted to shut things down early after a minor injury. He remains solidly a top-five prospect, but there’s a bit more for teams to unpack as far as his strengths, weaknesses, and intel are concerned. Kuminga has all the ability to be a starting-level forward, and his overall combination of improving skills and athletic gifts still set him apart from the vast majority of players in this draft. If he shoots it better and becomes a more disciplined defender, there’s real ceiling. From the Cavs’ perspective, Kuminga might be preferable to adding yet another guard. He’s bigger than Isaac Okoro, and could slide in as a small-ball four. It’s not a perfect fit, but it’s a good value proposition in this scenario. 6. Wizards: Keon Johnson, SG, Tennessee 7. Raptors: Kai Jones, PF, Texas 8. Thunder: James Bouknight, SG, UConn 9. Magic: Franz Wagner, F, Michigan 10. Kings: Scottie Barnes, F, Florida State 11. Pelicans: Corey Kispert, SF, Gonzaga 12. Pacers: Moses Moody, SG, Arkansas 13. Warriors: Joshua Giddey, G, Adelaide 36ers (Australia) 14. Spurs: Jalen Johnson, F, Duke 15. Celtics: Davion Mitchell, G, Baylor 16. Knicks: Cameron Thomas, SG, LSU 17. Hornets: Usman Garuba, F/C, Real Madrid (Spain) 18. Grizzlies: Tre Mann, G, Florida 19. Hawks: Jared Butler, G, Baylor 20. Thunder: Alperen Sengün, F/C, Besiktas (Turkey) 21. Knicks: Isaiah Jackson, C, Kentucky 22. Rockets: Jaden Springer, G, Tennessee Height: 6' 4" | Weight: 205 | Age: 18 | Freshman The general vibe on Springer right now is much more lukewarm than you might think, but as one of the youngest players in the draft coming off a fairly good freshman season, there’s broader long-term appeal here for teams who can afford to be patient. Springer’s bully-ball approach and average explosiveness have raised real concerns over the translatability of his game, as he lacks dynamism playing off the dribble and has trouble attacking bodies in the paint at times. Tennessee played him more away from the ball and let him attack off reversals, which is probably similar to what his NBA role will be, letting him drive and improvise rather than have to set defenders up. He’s a good defender and seems to know who he is as a player. The tougher part of the eval here is determining what he might meaningfully add to his offensive repertoire. 23. Lakers: Sharife Cooper, PG, Auburn 24. Nuggets: Joel Ayayi, SG, Gonzaga 25. Clippers: Chris Duarte, SG, Oregon 26. Rockets: Ziaire Williams, SF, Stanford Height: 6' 8" | Weight: 185 | Age: 19 | Freshman There was, frankly, not much to like about Williams’ freshman year. His pedigree as a prospect and the universal demand for big, versatile wings figures to keep him in the picture as a mid-to-late first rounder. Taking him in the lottery likely requires an enviable amount of job security, but in this range, he’s a more palatable investment, hoping that he can add strength and work himself into a floor-spacing threat on the perimeter. Williams will have an opportunity to help himself in workouts, but the idea here has always been a little bit more appealing than the reality. 27. Nets: Ayo Dosunmu, G, Illinois 28. 76ers: Marcus Bagley, F, Arizona State 29. Suns: Greg Brown, F, Texas 30. Jazz: Day’Ron Sharpe, C, North Carolina
C- draft for the Rockets. Mobley at #2 is not ideal imo. The Springer pick would be a pretty good get that late. I would personally choose D. Sharpe over Zhaire Williams. Neither can shoot well but Sharpe has a much better paint presence.
I feel sorry for anyone that gets the 3 spot and drafts Suggs. I hope it's not the rockets. He's a game manager type point guard and any comparison to CP3 is overblown. If he learns how to shoot, he may be Kyle Lowry at best.
1. Cade Cunningham G OKLAHOMA STATE • FR • 6'8" / 220 LBS PROJECTED TEAM Houston | PROSPECT RNK 1st | POSITION RNK 1st PPG | 20.1 | RPG 6.2 | APG 3.5 | 3P% 40.0% The size, the skill, the craft and the easily projectable nature of Cunningham's game make him the obvious pick here for Houston at No. 1. Players with his size who can create are at a premium in the NBA, and he has already shown he can star in a feature role in college. Scouts have some questions about his athleticism and burst and how that might affect his impact in the NBA, but they are more nitpicks than true concerns for the most well-rounded prospect in this draft. 23. Johnny Juzang G UCLA • SOPH • 6'6" / 210 LBS PROJECTED TEAM Houston | PROSPECT RNK 21st | POSITION RNK 15th PPG 16 | RPG 4.1 | APG 1.6 | 3P% 35.3% A month ago, Johnny Juzang was barely on the NBA Draft radar. But his shot-making in the NCAA Tournament requires us to take him seriously. What he did for UCLA -- averaging 22.8 points on 51% shooting as the Bruins went to the Final Four as an 11 seed -- cannot be ignored. Teams will want to see him do it more consistently, so the pre-draft process for him will be fascinating if he declares. But he made tough shot after tough shot in the tourney. What he sustained over the course of the last month of the season is no fluke. 24. Usman Garuba PF SPAIN • 6'8" / 229 LBS PROJECTED TEAM Houston | PROSPECT RNK 24th | POSITION RNK 1st PPG | 3.7 | RPG 4.1 | BPG .52 | FG% 46.1% Undersized big at 6-8, but a big game to back up first-round credentials. Garuba's long been considered an elite defensive prospect who is raw on the other end, and that remains true of him. Still, what he can do on defense defending almost any position is going to be of immense value in this range of the draft even knowing his flaws on offense.
uh, Suggs is 6’4’’ and had a better freshman year than Lowry did as a sophomore. And Lowry is a multiple time All-Star and champion. If Suggs becomes a .85/.40 shooter, he’s a HoFer.
How long did it take Kyle Lowry to become an all-star and how many people didn't develop like he did. I just think that is his ceiling and the chances of him getting there are pretty low.
https://therookiewire.usatoday.com/...mplete-first-round-after-the-ncaa-tournament/ 2) Rockets: Evan Mobley 22) Rockets via Blazers: Jared Butler 24) Rockets via Bucks: Tre Mann I like this one a lot for us. Committing to the two-big lineup and then picking up two guards with starter-level potential. I would probably take Cooper, who they have going in between our late-20's picks, over Butler but I could see the case for the latter after his fantastic tournament showing. Cooper and Mann are two prospects I've been really high on.
Doing some Sengun scouting and found a clip of when he dropped 24 and 12 on Sweden. Did a bit of everything, beat Jerebko in the post. The stepback 3 at 3:50 and the handles+finish at 4:34 were some nice flashes. Kid is a rebounder and surprisingly decent shot blocker. Def worried about his feet on defense
If he becomes Kyle Lowry that's worth the 3rd pick IMO. It's not like you get that type of player every year in a draft.
Would be a cool pick up to grab Cameron Thomas mid draft. His shot is unusual, but he hit nearly 90% from the FT line as a freshman. I think he looks like he could be a legit 6th man scorer.
I don't have an opinion on him but Lowry and a ton of other good guards did not have a shot coming out of college.
