Picking #2, #23 and #24 who do you...

Please don't be that pessimistic. There is no need to throw away the 23rd and 24th picks. The Rockets will have to take back a huge contract in return for Wall, although with a shorter duration. The Rockets want to move Eric Gordon with the picks in order to acquire the 13th I believe.

Green is not well rounded like Evan. Green isn't a ball hog. He and KPJ can relieve pressure on Wood to score. Bassey, Sharpe or I. Jackson can be good front court additions. I think Stone is keeping his cards close to his chest. Mobley, Green and even Suggs could be the number 2 selection.

 

He's bringing the Texans mentality to the Rockets lol. Huge difference in organizations.

 

I'm not wanting to be pessimistic, I just don't think garbage like Wall and Gordon will be easy to dump without paying teams to take them. I think the Gordon to the Pacers for 13 would require more picks from the Rockets to get them to bite. I think Amy team willing to eat Wall's contract will require at least a few picks.

I just don't think it's realistic to think we could dump those players without a significant price tag.

Now maybe we keep the picks and keep the players and Green comes off the bench for a few years, but it would be a hard pill to swallow spending the #2 overall pick on a bench player given the state of the team.... but I guess the bright side would be the team would be poised to get another top 5 pick next year.

Also, I think there's a lot of BS floating around, but with how KPJ and Green are publicly fawning over each other, I can't see the Rockets going any other direction with the pick.

 

Wall is the key, I admit. He cuts into Porter's minutes, this will affect Green too. Eric is injured often. If he has a good Olympics outing, he might be easier to move by the February trade deadline, provided if he's fit, along with another player eg KJM or Tate. There isn't any real superstar eg Bron, GA or KD in this draft. The Rockets do need a high lottery pick in the 2022 draft.

 

He wouldn't cut into Porter's minutes, he'd cause Green to be a bench player. You don't cut into the minutes of the best player on the team when you can just bench a raw one dimensional rookie.

 

If Silas has any balls, Wall doesn’t cut into anybody’s minutes. He and Gordon are options off the bench.

 

I would love that, but I just think it would make the locker room way too toxic.

Wall still believes he's a top tier player...that delusional nonsense is how he helped the Rockets as the tank commander last season.

I just feel like the temper tantrum that would come from him being benched could have a very bad effect on the young players.

 

Just watched some clips of this guy and saw his measurable.

This guy needs to be a Rocket some way some how. We need him. We don't have a guy that can do what he does.

 

I'm giving up Tate.

Taking a chance on finding a star at 13.

 

Do you like Sims or Sharpe more at 24?

I like Sharpe but Sims is exactly what this team needs. Interior defense. Just scratching the surface of his talent. I see Sims as Capela except more athletic and a better free throw shooter.

 

I still like Sharpe as well at 23/24. I also still want Petrusev there as well. Petrusev does it all and is still going unnoticed. He is truly a hidden gem. If one or both of them are gone at 23/24 (which I doubt) then they should consider players like Sims and Thor.

 

ESPN’s Fran Fraschilla

Q: Tre Mann?

A: He’s not my flavor of the month. To me, he’s one-dimensional, but that dimension is pretty good. He’s not a playmaker, he’s not overly athletic, but he does have good size, and he is, I would say, among the top three shooters in this draft.

Q: Ziaire Williams?

A: Ziaire Williams is the perfect example of a kid who you’re projecting 3-4 years out. He’s so skinny, he could slip through a wet straw and come out dry. He’s a 6-9, 180-pound string bean. If the Knicks are looking for somebody to develop for the long term, Ziaire Williams is in their wheelhouse.

Q: Jaden Springer?

A: His dad, Gary Springer, is a New York City high school legend. Jaden is a big, strong combo guard. … He reminds me a little bit of Jalen Brunson, he’s a little bit more offensive-minded as far as less playmaking and more scoring, but coming out as a freshman, he will be one of the youngest players in the draft and essentially will play his entire rookie year as a 19-year-old.

Q: Seton Hall’s Sandro Mamukelashvili?

A: Likely second round but more likely to make a team. He’s too physically gifted, too smart a player, too tough not to make somebody’s roster next year. He’s a versatile 6-foot-10, can play small-ball center, can play power forward. He’s been too inconsistent with his shooting but four years of high-level, intense coaching, good league, big games, pressure games, I’d be shocked if he’s not on a roster and then someday playing in a rotation.

Q: Villanova’s Jeremiah Robinson-Earl?

A: Villanova guys always get undervalued. This kid is going be in the league 12 years. He may not go in the first round, he’s not overly athletic, but he’s already a very smart, versatile big man.

Q: Pitt’s Justin Champagnie?

A: He’s really an athletic in-betweener. He’s a high-jumping, high-energy, rebounding undersized 4 man. He has some potential down the road to be a P.J. Tucker-type of player. His shooting has to continue to improve. I think he’s going get drafted, but more importantly, he’s going make a team, there’s no doubt in my mind.

Q: Who is one sleeper nobody is talking about who you’re high on?

A: A kid that was off the radar coming into the year — because he was considered a failure at Kansas, then he transferred to Houston to play for Kelvin Sampson and help lead them to the Final Four — is Quentin Grimes. He’s going be taken somewhere in the late first round-to-early second, and he’s definitely going to play in the league because he’s 6-5, he’s a 2-guard, he can shoot, he plays with toughness, he looks the part. Some guys that were hiding in plain sight in November and December were Davion Mitchell, Kai Jones, Quentin Grimes, Jason Preston, but many of the mock-draft guys didn’t figure it out until March along with everyone else.

Q: Oklahoma State’s Cade Cunningham?

A: Cade Cunningham is not Luka Doncic, but he is a big, physical, power forward-looking point guard. Cade Cunningham was to the Big 12 what Luka Doncic was to the Euro League. He has the IQ of a smart, seven-year NBA veteran, he has great court vision, he can play in any system, he is tremendous in pick-and-roll, he will shoot it in the NBA at a high level. The question mark with him, like Doncic coming in: Is he going be athletic enough to dominate games? And Luka Doncic kind of put that to rest. Cade is the safest of the top four or five picks. It’s hard to see him failing because of his size, his skills and his unique basketball acumen.

Q: USC’s Evan Mobley?

A: He could be Chris Bosh’s little brother. Long, athletic, skilled two-way big man, shot-blocking ability, ability to face up, ability to score inside. The only thing he lacks is physical maturity. He’s 20 years old, he’s 215 pounds and he’s desperately in need of getting to 235. Then you’ll have a 7-foot, multi-skilled, two-way big man.

Q: Gonzaga’s Jalen Suggs?

A: Mark Few told me he’s the most competitive kid he’s ever coached at Gonzaga. Jalen Suggs is a big point guard who can play off the ball, he defends, he can run a team, he can make shots. When you talk about mid-to-late career Chauncey Billups, you’re talking about borderline Hall of Famer, this kid has a lot of different areas of guard play to hang his hat on.

Q: Jalen Green out of the G-League?

A: Jalen Green could end up being the best player in this draft. I think he’s going be in that Bradley Beal, Russell Westbrook, Dame Lillard, Zach LaVine area where he’s going be like a 28- to 30-point scorer once he hits his prime. He’s your classic bucket-getter. He should be an NBA All-Star wing player. There’s a chance for generational greatness here, like a once-every-15- years kind of greatness, but at worst he’s going be a high-level scorer in the league.

Q: The G-League’s Jonathan Kuminga?

A: Looks like Tarzan, but we’re not sure yet whether he’s gonna play like Tarzan or Jane. When they make the prototype of an NBA player, it’s Jonathan Kuminga. He’s athletic and agile, he has a good shooting stroke, the only thing he lacks right now to me is he is not a great ball handler. If there’s a question mark with him, [it] is, can he create his own shot? He has more of the fail factor than the other four, but he also has tremendous upside. He’s a feast-or-famine. Likely more feast than famine, but I wish he was a better ball handler and shot creator and play creator.

Q: Florida State’s Scottie Barnes?

A: One of the best kids you’ll ever meet. It worries me that he’s not a great shooter. I think he’s gonna be a good NBA player because he’s only 20 years old. He’s not as dynamic an athlete as Ben Simmons was, but a similar type of game.

Q: UConn’s James Bouknight?

A: I love James Bouknight, I think he’s got a chance to be a very good NBA scorer. Creating your own shot in the NBA is a skill, even more so than having someone set you up for a shot, because as Chuck Daly used to say: “What will the player do when the play breaks down? Because the play will break down.” And when the play breaks down, James Bouknight’s going be able to get his own shot. He’s going to get better and better. He loves the game, and he’s been coached tough by Dan Hurley, and he’s got a prototypical NBA go-get-your-own-shot type of game.

Q: Australian Josh Giddey?

A: He has literally come out of nowhere in the last 18 months from Down Under. He is a 6-foot-8 point guard, plays with lots of confidence, lots of moxie. He starred in a league that is a grown-up league. I don’t think he’s going be an All-Star, but I think he’ll be a very good play-making guard in the NBA. His outside shooting has to be more consistent, but to do what he did at 18 is very similar to what LaMelo [Ball] did in that league a year ago.

 

Q: Does Davion Mitchell remind you at all of Donovan Mitchell?

A: Yes. Donovan is a little bit more of a high-flyer. Davion is a little bit more of a speed merchant. But they’re both elite athletes. They both could masquerade as NFL All-Pro corners. Davion has incredible speed and incredible start-stop ability which makes him really effective both defensively and offensively. And he is a gym rat and an off-the-charts kid. Donovan’s a playmaking 2-guard, this kid’s a point guard who can shoot it hopefully like Donovan. He may be as good of a defensive player as we’ve seen in the draft in the last 3-5 years.

Q: Arkansas’ Moses Moody?

A: He has the potential to be a very good shooter, and right now his strength is his ability to score around the basket for a wing. Moses Moody reminds me of a less seasoned, less polished “Iso Joe” Johnson. Ironically, they both played at Arkansas.

Q: Texas’ Kai Jones?

A: The best running big man in this draft. He is boom or bust. He’s more projection than production. He’s a 6-11 string bean, a stretch-4 man who is a terrific athlete. Improving skills, especially away from the basket, and potential to be a multi-positional defender. He’s going to go anywhere between 8 and 20.

Q: Michigan’s Franz Wagner.

A: Jack of all trades, master of none. In the scheme of NBA athleticism, which is the best in the world, he’s an average athlete. He’s a smart player, he’s a reasonably skilled player but he only shot 34 percent from 3. He doesn’t really do it for me.

Q: Tennessee’s Keon Johnson?

A: He’s the second-best defender in this draft. A relentless, high-energy defender. He’s an elite wing athlete with a great motor. A chance to be a good offensive player in time. A lot of long-term potential because he just turned 19 and he also missed his senior year of high school with an injury.

Q: Gonzaga’s Corey Kispert?

A: Plug him in right away from Day 1 and he’ll be in your rotation making shots. I think he’s more advanced than Joe Harris was coming out of Virginia. I think Corey Kispert’s the best shooter in this draft. He’s more athletic than people realize, he’s got a great feel for the game, he’s high-character, great leader. That’s a kid that the Knicks would love to have him drop, but I don’t think he will. I think he could end up being a borderline NBA All-Star.

Q: Alperen Sengun from Turkey?

A: If you watch him play, you see big, slow Turkish kid. There were 30 former NBA players in the Turkish League this year. This was an 18-year-old kid who was the MVP of the league. He looks methodical, but he is a very crafty low-post scorer, has a great feel for the game, and he’s going to be a guy that can stretch the floor some day. If I had to compare him to somebody in the NBA I would say Nik Vucevic.

Q: Duke’s Jalen Johnson?

A: Not a fan, and not because he quit the team at Duke. He’s an NBA athlete, his skill level has to improve and his motor has to improve.

Q: LSU’s Cameron Thomas?

A: High-volume shooter and scorer who in a perfect world for him, he’s gonna be an off-the-bench scorer in his prime for a good team.

Q: Auburn’s Sharife Cooper?

A: An acquired taste. Maybe 6-feet tall. Elite speed, elite passer, maybe the best passer in this draft. He is a non-shooter. He’s got a little bit of De’Aaron Fox and a little Celtics vintage Isaiah Thomas in him. He’s a specialist, he’s a third-down back. A team will love him as an off-the-bench point guard who can create havoc with his speed.

Q: Virginia’s Trey Murphy III.

A: High-character kid, great standstill shooter, good athlete.

Q: Illinois’ Ayo Dosunmu?

A: He’s one of those kids that stayed in college three years and will be more ready to play for an NBA team than most of the one-and-done kids in the first round. He is a big guard, he’s an improved shooter, he’s a playmaker, he gets to the basket, he’ll be in the NBA a long time. And he’ll be devalued because he’s almost 22.

Q: How good of a defensive player is he?

A: Very solid. He’s long and lanky, he’s 6-5 about 195 [pounds].

Q: How would you describe the quality of this draft?

A: There’s no such thing as a “bad” draft. There’s always perceptions of a draft being bad. When I think back to when Giannis [Antetokounmpo] got taken 15th [in 2013], it was the “the Anthony Bennett” draft, nobody was really sure who the No. 1 pick would be. The perception of the 2021 draft is that it’s very good at the top, and that’s deserved. There’s five kids at the top of this draft that nobody would be surprised if someday were five of the best players in the league. There’s going be a bust out of that group of five, but right now it looks like it’s a strong class at the top.

 

This is the guy I think we should we looking to flip Wood and/ or our later picks for.

Speed, defense, shooting, acceleration.

GS, Orlando, Sacramento, Charlotte, Indy all seem like potential trade partners to get it done.

I've said it before but lock up your long term guards in Mitchell, Green and KPj and aim for high picks in the next two drafts, where there are a ton bigs to pick from.

 

I don’t understand why there’s someone in here going on about how drafting Jalen Green would result in him coming off the bench…because of John Wall?!

You can definitely play Wall//Green/KPJ together with the caveat that EG gets traded which is looking more likely by the day.

Flip EG for the 13th pick and draft either a big man or a long wing who can shoot and defend. I’d like to see them take a look at JT Thor and potentially a trade up for Kai Jones if he’s available in the low teens.

More so I’d like to see us squeeze golden state for C Wood since they are desperate to win now with Curry older. I think they’d get desperate enough to part with Wiseman the 7 and 14.

Rockets have a lot of options, looking forward to see how it all plays out.

 

Wow. You were doing so well with your earlier post. Then you had to go and say something like this.

 

What part do you disagree with? If the Rockets can't dump Wall, Green comes off the bench. They aren't benching KPJ for Green that's all I was saying

 

Where is he projected to be drafted? Even if he is a top 10 talent, those red flags will make his stock fall drastically.

 

I don't understand the logic in dumping John Wall? Unless the Rockets need to clear cap space to chase a ring THIS season, then giving up anything to move him is pointless. He will be a massive expiring contract when the 22 season starts, he can be traded for additional assets or we can clear significant cap room to sign a big name in 23.

What is the advantage of dumping him?