ESPN”S CHAD FORD gives the Rockets an A in the draft. Houston Rockets Round 1: Yao Ming, 7-5, C, China (No. 1) Round 1: Bostjan Nachbar, 6-8, SF, Slovenia (No. 15) Round 2: Tito Maddox, 6-4, PG, Fresno State They went international and it will pay off huge. Yao is a great fit for Houston and Houston is a great fit for Yao. The Rockets will challenge for a playoff spot with Yao, a healthy Steve Francis, Glen Rice, Bostjan Nachbar and Mo Taylor. Nacbar, who is 22, will be able to step in immediately and provide sharp shooting. Tito Maddox, at No. 39, was also a steal. He was the best pure point guard in Chicago. Grade: A Personally I think it should have been an A+ and here’s why: 1st pick YAO MING: I don’t have anything new to say about him he is just a great fit for the rockets he is going to help us both offensively and defensively. I can see our guards taking more risks because with Mings presence in the middle he will be back there deter any easy baskets. This kid has never played with the kind of talent he is going to have now and it’s only going to make him better. 15th pick Bostjan Nachbar: Another perfect fit for us.I was probably more to pick him up than Ming simply because I didn’t expect him to be there. I honestly don’t see much difference between Nachbar and Dunleavy. Dunleavy is a little more polished and possibly a slightly better outside shooter, but Nachbar finishes better than him. They both have good handles. I’ll give Dunleavy the edga as a passer. But Nachbar is no slouch at passing. Nachbar gets the edge as NBA ready he has been playing with men and I think he will jump right in and be productive. So all in all I think we got a player at the 15th that is not that much of a downgrade from the #3 pick. 38th Pick Tito Maddox:A steal… Here’s what they had to say about him after chicago camp. Tito Maddox, G, Fresno State -- Maddox put on a second straight strong performance Thursday. He scored 17 points, grabbed four boards and handed out six assists. Maddox got to the line a fantastic 10 times and showed poise running the team. Still, several teams wondered whether they'd have to use a first pick on him. A year layoff, after being ruled ineligible to play for Fresno State last season, took its toll. "I'm not going to lie to you," Maddox said. "I almost gave up. Nothing was going my way and I was getting real discouraged. I'm just glad to be playing basketball again. That I'm playing well on the biggest stage of my life is a blessing." "He's the best point guard here, hands down," one NBA scout told ESPN.com. "He's a little rusty, but you can see how easy he breaks his man down and gets to the rim. If it wasn't for a year layoff, I'd say he's a lock for the first round. He still might sneak in behind [Dan] Dickau and [Frank] Williams." So we got a steal here… He is definitely a little raw. Hell the guy hasn’t even played organized basketball in a year… so he’s got all kinds of upside and after it’s all said and done he might turn out to be the third best point guard in the draft after Jwill and Wagner. So I give the Rockets an A+… I also give Rudy and Cd an A+ for doing their homework but also for running the kind of organization that makes people want to play for Houston. I f you watched some of the other players being drafted a lot looked disappointed. But the Rockets picks are happy to be with us… So A+ is my score… tell me how you grade them.
