Any good places to watch the draft this Thursday? Haven't seen any official Rockets watch parties or anything.
3. Houston Rockets Paolo Banchero | 6-10 forward | 19 years old | Duke The Rockets get someone that figures to be very high on their board as well with Banchero. Following the Christian Wood trade, it seems clear the Rockets are emptying out their frontcourt for whichever of the top-three frontcourt players falls. His ability to play in a two-man game with last year’s No. 2 overall pick Jalen Green figures to be one of the most exciting combinations in the league in a few years, as Banchero is a monster at punishing smaller players in mismatches and Green is terrific at punishing slower players, meaning you can’t switch actions between the two of them. You also probably can’t effectively drop given how good those two figure to be as shooters. This would be a home run for Houston. 17. Houston Rockets (via BKN) Tari Eason | 6-8 forward | 21 years old | LSU It’s tough to get a handle on where Eason will slot in on draft night. Teams are all over the map on him. Some really have some worries about his decision-making and his right-hand dominance while also being concerned about his shooting mechanics. Others look at how much of a playmaker he is on defense and believe he is tailor-made as a playmaker on that end who is switchable two through five and can create transition opportunities with his disruptiveness. I have a lottery grade on Eason, so I’m more in the boat of the latter. This would be a tremendous pickup for Houston. 26. Houston Rockets (via DAL) MarJon Beauchamp | 6-6 wing | 21 years old | G League Ignite Beauchamp has an awesome story of perseverance, essentially carving out his own path after choosing not to go to college. He worked his way into getting an Ignite contract this year and impressed scouts with his willingness to do all of the little things. He defends well on the ball with real switchability because of his 6-foot-11 wingspan. He is aggressive in crashing the glass. He cuts and makes things happen. There is a thought that the Rockets want to add some wing depth at some point in the class, and Beauchamp is a good way to do that. --Sam Vecenie
Final mock, we get Chet, TyTy, and Jaylin Williams https://www.nbadraft.net/2022-nba-extended-mock-draft-8-0/
Along the lines of early reporting of two man race for Kings: Murray and Ivey, where SAC is leaning Keegan. Keegan reportedly had a pre draft meal with Fox and Sabonis. https://www.msn.com/en-us/sports/nb...e2-80-99aaron-fox-domantas-sabonis/ar-AAYG5Oh
I think Murray to the Kings makes of a lot of sense. If they don't trade that pick for a win-now player, Banchero and Murray are the two players who will contribute the most immediately IMO. Murray would also be a nice complement to Fox and Sabonis.
Ivey-Cade would be very interesting I watched a ton of Detroit last year, and I’ll be doing the same again
NBA on ESPN on Twitter: ".@JayBilas thinks Jabari Smith should be the No. 1 draft pick "With Jabari Smith you have somebody who compares a little bit to Kevin Durant." https://t.co/IqdsRfFY9O" / Twitter
John Hollinger 3. Houston Rockets — Paolo Banchero | 6-10 freshman | PF | Duke Houston has it easy here at No. 3: Take whoever is left of the consensus top three. I’ve heard whispers that Houston might be trying to get into the top two, using some combination of picks 17, 26 and future firsts from Brooklyn or Milwaukee as bait, but I find this endgame improbable. Houston packaging some of those other picks to move up from 17, on the other hand, seems much more in play. We’ll get to that later. 17. Houston Rockets — Tari Eason | 6-7 sophomore | SF | LSU Houston won’t deal this pick for players, but it might as part of a package with the recently acquired 26th pick to move up. If the Rockets keep it, Eason’s wild end-to-end game fits more easily here than at a lot of other places. Houston needs another wing defender, and Eason provides it. His ability to play the three will help keep him on the court with presumed third pick Banchero. It’s an interesting spot, though, because Eason could slide a bit if he isn’t the pick here. Some teams aren’t as enamored with his ability to fit into a system. Could the Rockets gamble that he’s still there for them at 26 and go a different direction at 17? 26. Houston Rockets Bryce McGowens | 6-5 freshman | SG | Nebraska While I personally don’t have McGowens rated this highly, his toolset is getting enough attention in the 20s that it seems probable that at least one team in this range will take a chance. Houston probably would rather push this pick into a future season, but moving picks in the late 20s for a future first is complicated, and the Rockets may be stuck making the choice. An international stash also is a possibility, but the options feel like reaches until the draft get into the 30s. Spoiler: Other 1. Orlando Magic — Chet Holmgren 2. Oklahoma City Thunder — Jabari Smith — If Orlando doesn’t take Holmgren, he would be the pick here at No. 2. 6. Indiana Pacers — Myles Turner is in play, too, and this time, it seems more serious than the other 36 times. A Turner-for-Deandre Ayton sign-and-trade at the start of free agency, for instance, would be a gobsmacker, but my read on the tea leaves is don’t get your hopes up. A more realistic endgame might be Turner going to Charlotte on draft night, bringing either the 13th or 15th pick and some combination of contracts from the Hornets. 7. Portland Trail Blazers — There seems to be an emerging consensus that Dyson Daniels is Portland’s pick if the Blazers keep it, although there is some significant Sharpe buzz here, too. … If the Blazers are going that route, this brings us to my favorite fake three-way trade — Oklahoma City trading Lu Dort and the 12th pick to Portland for Nos. 7 and 36, Eric Bledsoe, Didi Louzada and Justise Winslow, followed by Portland trading 12 to Detroit for Grant. … While we’re making trades on behalf of Joe Cronin, the trio of Josh Hart, Winslow and Louzada also could be aggregated to bring back John Collins, in a trade down to Atlanta’s pick at 16. The Hawks seemingly would have more preference for Daniels here, giving them a wing who actually plays defense and can slide in at backup point guard when Trae Young rests. … In the midst of all that, I’ve also heard whispers about Portland moving up to take Murray. Stay tuned. 12. Oklahoma City Thunder — Oklahoma City will try to move up from here and is armed with multiple assets to help do so; the question, as ever, is the motivation of the parties above them to move down. 15. Charlotte Hornets — Also, while we’re here, what about an internet-breaking three-way trade of Russell Westbrook to Charlotte; Hayward, Mason Plumlee and two unprotected Laker firsts (2027 and 2029) to Brooklyn; and Kyrie Irving to the Lakers? I’ll just leave that here, expecting full well that the comments will now burn to ashes. 23. Philadelphia 76ers — The Sixers have been active, but don’t necessarily read anything into it beyond that. Daryl Morey’s front office in Houston operated like this, too, calling everyone and getting the wheels turned with lots of offers … but their actual trade history (beyond the obligatory flipping of second-rounders in every single draft) was less active than their rep. That said, the Sixers surely are looking at what some combination of this pick and, say, Danny Green and Furkan Korkmaz can land them in a trade. They’ll even throw in the rights to Filip Petrušev if you ask nicely.
3. Houston Rockets: Paolo Banchero (Duke, PF, Freshman) Though the Magic are believed to be considering Holmgren and Banchero, Smith remains the favorite. The team picking first never wants to worry about risk, and Holmgren's body and slower delivery when creating have evaluators a tad bit nervous. Smith, a year younger and widely praised for his maturity and approach, feels safe to everyone, and he's perceived to offer the same level of upside as anyone in this draft with a skill set that Orlando could use. The Rockets are believed to be feeling stress-free at No. 3, where they'll take any of the freshmen power forwards—most likely Banchero. Houston already made room for a rookie big by trading Christian Wood. Between Banchero and Jalen Green, the Rockets will have two high-level creators to run offense through and build around. 17. Houston Rockets (via Nets): Tari Eason (LSU, PF, Sophomore) 26. Houston Rockets (via Mavericks): TyTy Washington Jr. (Kentucky, PG, Freshman)
Paolo Banchero | 6-10 forward | Duke | Vecenie’s prospect rank: 3 With the size of a big man and the handle of a guard, Banchero’s offensive package has teams salivating. His defense, or lack thereof, has been talked about ad nauseam, but with his ability to score at a high level and facilitate, his pros greatly outweigh his cons. Is Houston the best fit for the 19-year-old? Eastern Conference scout: He’s the biggest grown-man body that I saw in college this year. I saw him at the ACC Tournament, and he just stood out on the floor. He’s physical. I think he can do a little bit of everything. I don’t really think there’s a glaring weakness in his game, but I also don’t really see a guaranteed strength that he’s gonna bring from Day 1. I think you put him with some of the other talented guys that the Rockets have, and he’s gonna make their jobs easier doing a lot of the little stuff. I thought his passing was really good. And obviously, he’s got the height, size and strength to be pretty versatile. He can play three; I think he could play four. He’d be an interesting piece to throw in the mix there and just kind of tinker with as a coach and say, “Hey, what can we do?” There’s a lot of interesting possibilities with him next to Jalen Green and the other guys they have. Jaden Ivey | 6-4 guard | Purdue | Vecenie’s prospect rank: 4 The explosion is there. So is the swagger and the athleticism. But is he a true point guard? Was he put in the best position at Purdue to develop? And what’s with all the Ja Morant comparisons? Ivey’s allure should make front offices ponder — including Houston’s, even with Kevin Porter Jr. already on the roster. Eastern Conference scout (on whether Houston should consider taking him at No. 3): We haven’t interviewed him, we haven’t talked to him. But, he’s just different. I think that’s a legitimate thing. I think if they’re locking into Banchero, they should think twice. I mean, I like Banchero too, but (Ivey’s) speed and athleticism just looks so different. You see him flying across the court attacking the rim as fast and physically as he does for his size. You see Ja Morant do that in NBA games, and you see (Ivey) do it in college games. And you think, can he be anything like that? He’s just a different breed of speed, quickness and pop off the floor. He’s definitely worth considering at No. 3, but I’m not sure what their thinking is. I think they lean toward Banchero, but they should consider Ivey, for sure. Chet Holmgren | 7-0 big | Gonzaga | Vecenie’s prospect rank: 1 A true unicorn. Holmgren’s uncanny combination of size, skill and potential gives him just as good of a shot as Jabari Smith to be drafted first overall. Swatting four shots a game and shooting 40 percent from 3 is the sort of upside that teams dream for. But where does his fate ultimately lie? What if the Thunder go in a different direction at No. 2? Eastern Conference scout: Definitely have concerns about his body. I don’t know if it’s something worth considering if you’re the Thunder — and I think Chet’s talent level is superior to this guy — but they took (Aleksej) Pokuševski much later than that. I’ve never seen a body like (Holmgren’s) in person. When I saw him live, I was just like wow, this guy’s years away. And I think if OKC has issues about Poku … I just wonder if Poku’s body has them leaning away from Chet. You don’t pass on Chet because of Poku, but I’m just talking about the physical attributes and how long they think it would take him. There’s been success stories, too, about guys like (Kristaps) Porziņģis, guys with slight frames, very skinny legs, and it works out fine. But I think he’s an interesting fit. I think obviously, for the Rockets, you don’t worry about fit. That’s my personal take. You don’t pass on Chet because you have (Alperen) Şengün. You take the most talented guy, and you figure it out. That should be their approach. So, I don’t know what they would think there. I think they would take Chet if he was at No. 3 over Banchero and Ivey. (Via Kelly Iko)
