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[2021 NBA Draft; 24th overall] Rockets select Josh Christopher

Discussion in 'Houston Rockets: Game Action & Roster Moves' started by J.R., Jul 29, 2021.

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Do you like the selection of Josh Christopher?

  1. YES

    183 vote(s)
    55.5%

  2. NO

    147 vote(s)
    44.5%
Page 9 of 20
  1. vator

    vator Contributing Member

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    #161 vator, Jul 30, 2021
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  2. napalm06

    napalm06 Huge Flopping Fan

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    Probably buying too much into the Harden parallels
     
    #162 napalm06, Jul 30, 2021
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  3. J.R.

    J.R. Member

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    https://theathletic.com/2729469/202...he-houston-rockets-heres-what-theyre-getting/

    With many college underclassmen, there’s some drama in regard to the NBA Draft. Will he or won’t he declare? That was never an issue for Arizona State’s Josh Christopher, who was drafted 24th by the Houston Rockets on Thursday night. He was one-and-done from the moment he signed as the program’s highest-rated recruit in the recruiting-service era. (Yes, even more so than James Harden.) This was both good and bad for Christopher, a 6-foot-4 guard from Carson, Calif. Good in that he knew his path and how he wanted to get there. Bad in that he played his first and only college season with one foot in, one foot out.

    Christopher’s athletic ability and talent were obvious. So was his mentality. Billed as one of the top scorers in the 2020 high school class, Christopher was wired to attack, especially in transition. In his second game, against No. 3 Villanova, Christopher scored 28 points on 11-of-17 shooting. Five weeks later, he had 22 points and 11 rebounds against UCLA. “His ability to score, how he plays in transition, especially how he finishes in the open court, you’ve just got to account for him offensively,” Arizona State coach Bobby Hurley said.

    On a team with multiple scorers and little chemistry, Christopher averaged 14.3 points and 4.7 rebounds, shooting 49.6 percent from 2-point range and 30.5 from 3. He played in just 15 games, sitting out the season’s final 10 contests after suffering an injury Feb. 11 against Oregon. The severity of the injury never was publicly disclosed, but with the season lost, some thought Christopher was sitting out to save himself for the draft. When healthy, his work ethic never was questioned.

    Hurley said Christopher routinely stayed after practice to get in extra work. On Jan. 9, after missing 8 of 11 shots in a home loss to USC, Christopher returned to the court still in uniform and worked on his perimeter jumper for nearly an hour. At that point, through nine games, he was just 8 of 36 from 3-point range (22.2 percent). Over the next six contests, he shot 10 of 23 (43.5), which might have shown more than his work ethic. “I saw him in high school get on some pretty good runs where he was able to click off a bunch of long-distance shots, so I didn’t view (his perimeter shooting) as a problem,” Hurley said. “It’s just with our season, it’s hard to judge it fairly because it was so disruptive. But I do think he’s a better shooter than he showed last season, certainly from 3.”

    Christopher, 19, has two areas that need improvement, neither uncommon for a player of his age and experience. He has the tools to be a solid on-ball defender but didn’t always have the desire to make that a trademark part of his game. “In spurts,” said a person familiar with Christopher’s game. “If it was a big-time matchup that could move him up a couple of notches (on draft boards), I think he was locked into it. If it was a standard game, not as much.”

    Christopher also needs to become more of a team player. He was hardly the only Arizona State player who last season appeared to put individual interests over the team’s goals. A lack of chemistry was the main reason the Sun Devils, picked to finish second in the Pac-12, instead went 11-14 and missed the NCAA Tournament. Christopher took coaching well and asked good questions in film sessions, but he also contributed to the team’s dysfunction, particularly in his inability to mesh with senior point guard Remy Martin, a failure that goes both ways.

    Despite this, Christopher’s talent and potential trump his shortcomings, which those close to him insist can be corrected. Hurley said scouts were impressed with Christopher’s performance at the NBA Draft Combine in Chicago. In one game, Christopher had 16 points and 10 rebounds, making all six of his shots from inside the arc. In another, he had 12 points, six assists and three steals. The Rockets are betting on the upside.

    “He’s going to have to fight and claw,” said a person familiar with Christopher’s game. “He’s going to have to be humbled. But, then, he’s the type of kid who does not want to be embarrassed. He’s going to work at it, and he’s going to try and figure it out. If he can put it all together, he’ll have a home in the NBA. But, again, he has to humble himself. And this is a thing I see with a lot of young players. He has to have some sort of awareness about who he is and what his game is.”
     
    #163 J.R., Jul 30, 2021
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  4. hakeem94

    hakeem94 Member

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    if Lucas is his trainer then we have no alternative save to trust this pick, otherwise how can we trust the job Lucas will do with other selected players?
     
    #164 hakeem94, Jul 30, 2021
  5. Nook

    Nook Member

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    Christopher was a consensus top 10 player in his high school class and generally was viewed as someone that had the upside to move up further with refinement of his game. He didn't really have a good freshman year as ASU but he isn't the only player in his class that was a top player that struggled as a freshman in college.

    What makes Christopher more appealing than most is that he is a strong 6'5" with a legitimate 6'10" wingspan, so he will be able to defend more positions and can play the 3 in a lot of line ups. His feet move well. So he is somewhat of a project but has the measurables.
     
    #165 Nook, Jul 30, 2021
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  6. BHannes2BHonest

    BHannes2BHonest 2 SOLID FOR WEIRD AZZES

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    Here’s to hoping we have now solidified our future PG, SG, and 6th man… Josh C.
     
    #166 BHannes2BHonest, Jul 30, 2021
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  7. RudyTBag

    RudyTBag Contributing Member
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    Thanks for posting @J.R.
     
    #167 RudyTBag, Jul 30, 2021
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  8. RudyTBag

    RudyTBag Contributing Member
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    They specifically asked Stone If any outside noise impacted this pick. "No..." was his response.
     
    #168 RudyTBag, Jul 30, 2021
    Last edited: Jul 30, 2021
  9. ROXTXIA

    ROXTXIA Contributing Member

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    Given how well the rest of the draft went, IRDGAF about this one.

    Funny, though. "We got to keep our new star happy. He'll want to leave as soon as it floods. Who's he close to in the draft? Can we get him? Who cares, we got our other guys, burn a pick, get him!"
     
    #169 ROXTXIA, Jul 30, 2021
  10. RudyTBag

    RudyTBag Contributing Member
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    To me, this is absolutely nonsensical.

    I'd love to see Rafael's face given the suggestion that they chose Josh Christopher with Jalen Green's happiness in mind. :rolleyes: Absurd.

    The Rockets had Josh Christopher the highest on their board at 24, period.
     
    #170 RudyTBag, Jul 30, 2021
  11. vator

    vator Contributing Member

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    I see some Donovan Mitchell potential here. Mitchell didn’t exactly light it up his freshman year and had to come back to school for a sophomore campaign that was still just ok if we’re being honest and he didn’t shoot very efficiently. When put into perspective you have to keep in mind 19 year olds are not finished products.

    Not only does he have that Mitchell type of stocky physique, but he is very physical attacking the basket with some nice explosiveness off the dribble. No lack of confidence either. Very aggressive. If he refines that jumper he’s going to be a problem. He wasn’t ranked top 12 or higher on every scouting service coming out of HS for no reason. Now it’s on the Rockets player development and coaching staff in tandem his work ethic to help him become the best version of himself.

    I see the intrigue here though and it goes further than him being familiar with Green, KPJ, and KJ. Most of the guys people on this board wanted us to draft instead of him slid all the way into the 2nd round so I’ve grown increasingly ok with this selection as an “upside” pick. Most of us didn’t know what to think of Tate and KJ last year either and I think they both exceeded expectations.
     
    #171 vator, Jul 30, 2021
    Last edited: Jul 30, 2021
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  12. RudyTBag

    RudyTBag Contributing Member
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    How in the world would anyone know that?

    It is clear that NBA draft boards are VASTLY unique in comparison to the mocks you see online.

    Newsflash, Primo would also not have lasted to the 2nd round... The Spurs aren't idiots.
     
    #172 RudyTBag, Jul 30, 2021
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  13. Sweet Lou 4 2

    Sweet Lou 4 2 Contributing Member
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    But why not take Grimes - who is a great defender and already a great 3 point shooter? Grimes is a lot like Devin Booker. Just seems to me a much better pick especially given how much playmaking the Rockets already had.
     
    #173 Sweet Lou 4 2, Jul 30, 2021
  14. Verbal Christ

    Verbal Christ Member

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    am I too drunk on the Kool Aid when I say Christopher has a little Donovan Mitchell in his game?
     
    #174 Verbal Christ, Jul 30, 2021
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  15. RudyTBag

    RudyTBag Contributing Member
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    Because Grimes is nearly 2 years older than Christopher, for one. Imagine Josh playing his Soph and Junior years in college, how good he would be.

    If we had Harden, maybe we'd go for Grimes. As of now, I think we are home-run swinging, and Josh has more upside.
     
    #175 RudyTBag, Jul 30, 2021
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  16. Texanasiafan

    Texanasiafan Member

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    My expectation from him : as long as he wont drag Green to the strip clubs with the same frequency like our former franchise player did, I am totally fine with this pick.
     
    #176 Texanasiafan, Jul 30, 2021
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  17. Fulgore

    Fulgore Member

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    Stone drafted Kobe and Donovan Mitchell last night? Love it
     
    #177 Fulgore, Jul 30, 2021
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  18. kjayp

    kjayp Contributing Member

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    Different leadership - same dysfunction…
     
    #178 kjayp, Jul 30, 2021
  19. Verbal Christ

    Verbal Christ Member

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    Thats my story and Im sticking to it!

    Oh AND we got Nikola Jokic too! And the Spanish Draymond!
     
    #179 Verbal Christ, Jul 30, 2021
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  20. kevtse

    kevtse Member

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    I wonder had we not draft him, which team would have drafted him? at which pick?
     
    #180 kevtse, Jul 30, 2021
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