Mobley will be who he is, and really not that much better than what Jabari can bring to a ball club. Both are complimentary players at best anyhow, but Jabari's willingness to help the team by coming off the bench has helped the Rockets go to new heights so far. I'd rather have Jalen/Jabari than Mobley/Ivey (which may have unfolded if the lottery seeding stayed the same)
I'm not calling Smith a hit for a #3 right now. Not sure Jalen is a hit for #2 either, who's about to finish his 4th consecutive season with a sub 55%TS as a pure scorer. Amen was definitely a hit for a #4, Sengun at 15 is great, Tari at 17 is great. Reed is TBD but it's been a rocky start for sure so far. Cam isn't a high pick or a hit at the moment. In my opinion.
Well, they certainly haven’t missed. The only problem is none have yet developed into true superstars. You have a lot of players that rank between 45 and 70 in terms of best players in the league. History suggests you need a true superstar, probably 2 or 3 to legitimately contend
Don't agree with the Reed assessment. Glad you're optimistic. Hope the guy does well but he hasn't played well consistently enough to be evaluated fairly. Had more bad games than good and a couple great games mixed in. The evidence just does not support that he can be a consistent contributor on this team. Doesn't mean he can't be. Just right now he's not there much like Cam.
I look at it more compared to what else was available after our pick. For Jabari’s draft, I think Jalen Williams is probably the only one I’d take for sure over Jabari. Everyone else taken after him … I still like Jabari’s long term potential the best.
Sure, but there hasn't been a team like the Rockets in history. At least form what I've seen. Hasn't been an explosive with multiple guys that can defend and dribble drive, a defensive juggernaut duo, PR Center, Dynamic 2, and a deep bench. Can you think of any team like ours? I can't think of any.
I don't know if this is true for most cases.Usually, players have to show potential. They have to produce something. Reed Shepperd showed us nothing in several games this season when given the increased minutes and rightfully so he was sent to G league. He was hesitant to shoot, when he did he shot poorly, and had poor on ball/man defense. Same with Cam. If they can execute in practice they get playing time and need to perform when their number is called. Players sit for a reason.
I believe you think too highly of some of these players and looking at the glass half empty. Who is Banchero? I saw him play last week in DC in person and the guy is lazy. As big and athletic he is he was lazy on defense and rebounding. Soft. Terrible shooting. Mobley? Solid D but He's no offensive juggernaut. Nothing special on that end. Barnes? Pt forward skills with no jump shot. A poor man's Amen. Why do Rockets fans think so highly of other players in the league meanwhile undervaluing ours? It's baffling to me how we praise some of these guys that haven't done much in this league with major holes in their games and treat them like Hall of Famers.
I don’t mind them selecting Cam, was worth a try, but taking Josh Christopher because he’s Jalen’s friend over Grimes I will always hold against Stone.
Basically, Jalen Green should become a superstar to really justifiy his election, cause Barnes, Suggs, Mobley all of them will be all-star players. Yet if he's an all-star who fits, he would be an OK pick. (The thing is that he's starting to show real superstar potential, in my opinion). I doubt with Jabari. You can argue there are some players selected behind him who can surpass his level. You can debate about that even with the 17th pick of that draft (Tari Eason). I still see a lot of real room for improvement in him. Anyway, it is extremely unlikely to absolutely hit every pick, every decision, plus, consider that the Rockets have found Tari/Alpi in the middle... so I'd say they have done a very good job. A very underrated point I find about the players we have chosen: all of them fit perfectly together. That's a differential hit.
There is a difference between "I think he's better than these players taken after him" and "He's a hit." To compare, do you also define Sengun as a hit as "I think I would take him over all others taken after him?"
At this stage, IMO, Green is slightly underperforming his draft position, Sengun strongly overperforming, Smith slightly under, Thompson slightly over, Sheppard slightly under, etc., etc., etc. It largely averages out. And we're still so early in their careers. This year we're infatuated with Thompson and hyping his future, next year it could be somebody else. Sheppard might end up making a mockery of our complaints about his first year. Green is already doing significantly better than a year or two ago. Personally, i was an early Jabari fan but am now worried that he'll never get past being a beta. But I might end up looking back on that as my 2025 bedwetting. The guy who has risen most in my estimation, though, is Stephen Silas. Because none of this would have been possible without him leading us to three disastrous records. So long, Steve, and thanks for all the picks.
The reasons depend on the situation which was part of my point. Our young leaders right now got free reign offensively and defensively. We were not trying to win, we were trying to develop. The new young kids right now in WIN NOW MODE can't sniff the court if they don't defend. This is Silas vs Ime and Tanking vs Win Now mode. Other FO, coaches, and teams are unique situations and where you're drafted matters. Celtics build players for example. It looks like we have that same DNA now. Other teams are a graveyard for young players.
