[LOR] Rockets draft prospects, Mobley-Green, BPA vs. fit and more with D. Hardisty (Clutch)

Thanks for sharing. Haven't been listening to podcasts much this year and this would have slipped right by me.

 

Watched this episode earlier...great discussion and good insight. Man I go back and forth on Green and Mobley. I will be happy with either one. Really interested to see who the Rockets draft with #23 and #24. Tre Mann and JT Thor would great be additions.

 

Sharif Cooper is Ish Smith 2.0

I love Ish Smith, but not as a 1st rd pick.

 

I don't know who Stone will choose, but I think he will look at talent and perhaps toughness slightly more than analytics. Stats/ Non- Stats are important to Stone, but I don't think he crunches the numbers like Morey. Convincing TF won't be easy.

 

Clutch:

Intrigued by:
-Tre Mann(legit chance to draft at 23; great shooter)
-Keon Johnson(don’t anticipate being available at 23; looks extremely gifted; potential to grow)
-Jalen Johnson(one of his home run picks; love to see him fall but don’t anticipate it; would consider moving up)

-Identified a few home run picks, a dozen or more. If they slip, would love to see the Rockets move up to get them or hopefully fall in their lap at 23.

-Handful of guys I would trade up for:
Davion Mitchell
Jalen Johnson
Moses Moody
Ziaire Williams(chance to be there at 23; home run swing)

Not high on/hopes goes ahead of Rockets picks:
Josh Giddey
Sharife Cooper
Jaden Springer
Cam Thomas
Alperen Sengun
Day’Ron Sharpe

Where is your mindset regarding best player available vs. fit?

It’s best player available. If the best player available is a center, you’ve got three guys you’re grooming, at some point there is a fit element. It should be BPA for the Rockets. It’s all about assets. Whether they fit into a team right now is kinda irrelevant. It’s more about developing these players and finding the right fit down the line. I lean towards BPA. …

Evan Mobley vs. Jalen Green, where are you currently at?

If anyone tells me they want Mobley or Green, I understand both viewpoints. I don’t feel like it’s a mistake. There’s two different ways to go. They’re both great prospects. I lean towards Evan Mobley. He’s an extremely unique big. I shouldn’t even call him a big. He’s really a 3/4 who will play center. That’s what the league has become. The Rockets played small ball because they needed skill players out there. Evan Mobley has all the skills of a small ball center and all the height/length of a true center. That’s what you want. A guy who can switch on other players. Not just a shot blocker, rebounder, rim runner, alley-oop target. This is a guy who will in my opinion develop range. His form and everything looks good. I think he’ll show a 3pt shot in the pros over the next couple years. He’s the prototypical center for today’s game and the way it’s going.

It’s extremely tough to pass on Jalen Green. You watch Jalen Green, you think offensively he looks like the next Kobe. He looks like he has that fire. Violently athletic. Has that Westbrook drive and dunk ability. I lean towards Mobley but I guarantee the first year there will be buyer’s remorse because we’re gonna go right into Summer League and Green will throw down some dunks that everyone will be talking about and Rockets fans will be like “What did we do?” It’s a tough choice. I’d love to see the Rockets try to acquire the 3rd pick and take both but that’d be extremely difficult to do. To answer your question, I lean towards Mobley.

There’s more instant gratification with Green than there would be with Mobley.

[…]

This is Rafael Stone’s first draft. Looking at what he’s done in the past, I have a hard time looking at his previous moves and trying to figure out what the Rockets are doing. I can’t pinpoint any sense of strategy or direction. Any inkling of what might happen on draft night?

I wish I did. It’s definitely different than with Daryl Morey. They tried to keep as much as they could under wraps but were very willing to talk to media. You saw so many Rockets rumors leak. You could actually pinpoint the stuff. “OK, the Rockets put that out there, I know why they put it out there, it’s for this reason.” Since Stone has taken control, there hasn’t been much. I think they did it one time when they put out they had a first for Oladipo. That was a bluff or something fell through. They for the most part have kept quiet. I’m surprised by it. There haven’t been those rumors. The draft appears to start with the Rockets. We just don’t quite know yet.

You feel Detroit is going to take Cade?

I do. I’m hopeful they think about this a little bit because then the decision for the Rockets is an easy one. If the Rockets have that truly elite all dominant player, you gotta go for it. I think Cade Cunningham is that guy. If they went Mobley or Green one, Cade is a no brainer. That’s your star, the guy who will run the whole show. Jalen Green kinda has that potential but doesn’t handle the ball extremely well. Explosive two guard, has some playmaking ability but not just like you hand Green the ball and offense runs seamlessly. By the same token, is KPJ your guy? He’s a two guard who can do those things but that’s up in the air as well. I’d love it if they decide Killian Hayes is our PG, we want Green or Mobley.

KPJ’s fit? If you truly think he can be your backcourt star (ball dominant guard, 25/10, orchestrating the offense), if that’s your guy, it makes the decision easier to go Evan Mobley. That goes back to BPA vs. fit but think that’s an argument worth considering.

I kinda say “Hey, let the chips fall where they may.” and you’re gonna run with KPJ as that guy but time will tell. I kinda look at the Rockets, unlike OKC who I don’t know what their full plan is, I think the Rockets can look at their salaries on their cap and look at their situation with owing OKC draft picks in 2024 and say “We are rebuilding for 2 years and plan on being in contention for the playoffs or better than that in 2023-24.” I think they can say to themselves KPJ is our guy. Granted, if Cade is available, you pounce. Unless Cade falls, you can take Mobley and say he is our guy and we’ll run him with KPJ and if KPJ is not the guy, you let it play out as the next couple years unfold.

(Pistons pick Rockets own) If there’s a possible (Detroit) trade down opportunity, that is an important chip you can put on the table if you’re the Rockets. “Here’s control of your pick, let’s do a clean swap.” Is that enough or would the Rockets need to ante up more to get Cade Cunningham?

I think it would take more. You’re right, it’s a great chip. You’d hope if they stray away from Cade or want to go a different route, it’s absolutely about Mobley or Green. If they’re not in love with those top three or willing to listen to the best offer, if OKC steps up to the table for a guy out of Oklahoma State and they have a bag of firsts to offer up, then the Rockets are out. You need those two chips to be what Detroit needs. … There’s a lot of options the Rockets have that they didn’t have in previous years.

 

I hope he has a good method to evaluate toughness and grit. Give me that over natural talent any day.

this is why I fear Zaire Williams and jalen Johnson if they fall to 23/24. All the talent to be great but also shown indications that they may not be driven. Then again, they’re like 19. But real Terrence Williams vibes from them.

 

Love hearing the @Clutch perspective. Agree with most of it other than Springer. I feel like he would be a flexible piece to the backcourt as a combo guard that can facilitate a little bit, shoot a little bit and defend the opponent's best guard. A very good compliment to KPJ. He may not be my first choice at 23/24 but he certainly isn't someone I am hoping is taken off the board so that the Rockets don't select him.

I also think that the conversation about KPJ is one that needs to happen. Honestly we all probably need a full season to have an opinion but hopefully the Rockets have seen enough to determine how big a part of their future they want Porter to be. IF he is that James Harden type that an offense can be built around then I think Green could stifle that. I am not opposed to KPJ being the leader of the Rocket's bench brigade if he isnt that franchise guy.

 

I believe that the Rockets should be very careful on who they pick.
We need talent, good minds, and HEIGHT.
My picks would be #2 MOBLEY, 7ft #23 MANN, 6ft & 6 ins #24 MAKER. 6ft & 11ins

 

I am just happy we got a top 4 pick. I will not complain about anyone we draft for the first year. But I do like the fact that Mobley can play D and has a hook shot. That is a money shot when the offense goes cold.

 

#2 GREEN and #23 JT THOR, #24 Tre Mann

 

Mobley will be the pick!!!!!

 

feeling, opinion, or sauces?

 

Gut

 

Stone gonna zig when they all think he will zag.

 

or if TheGoodGuys draft at both 23 or 24. I expect a trade out of one of those slots.

 

Sounds like CF.

LOL