Me and My friend were having an arguement about who the rockets are going to draft. He was convinced that the pick will be packaged with Bjax + Head for Miller, but i thought there is no way that pick is worth enough for the grizllies to trade miller for it. I said we are going to draft Bill Walker or Nicholas Batum. I took the liberty of looking at many Mock Drafts and compiled a list of players that are most likely on our radar at #25. If you choose trade pick then please post a decent trade with the pick.
If I were the GM I would love to draft Rush (I just love that guy). Bill Walker? I'd rather sign Gerald Green.
Bill Walker is better than Gerald Green at almost everything. (Almost meaning Green is just a lightly better jumper)
I'm going to trade this pick and players in a major deal. For the record,I see Hibbert going much higher than many think. ..would love to have him out of the deal...hint,hint
I havent been following mock drafts this year... but I cant see CDR still being on any board at 25 Wont happen
I see CDR falling fast. The SG/SF position is becoming more athletic and he lacks it in the biggest fashion
my first option is more like a dream option: Batum which would be a makeup for not drafting rudy gay, since batum plays like him. but heres the order i would go if these players are avialable 1:Nicolas Batum part of the reason is what i just wrote, but hes the perfect backup AND future star player for the rockets that more realistic around the area of the draft and of course we may have to give alittle to trade up. 2: chris douglas roberts- reason being, he can flat out score and have a nice touch around the basket when he drives, and is still improving his shot. best case scenario a josh howard worst case: marquies daniel, but i think the rockets are going to get him. over batum 3:chase budinger- the guy can shoot and is pretty athletic, reminds me of a dan marjie or whatever his name was that played for the phoenix suns. but dont really expect him to available for the rockets. but think hes a great fit. best case scenario a mike miller thats more athletics with less dribble. 4: courtney lee- hes probaly the next Michael redd in my opinion and could be a steal in the draft, no idea when hes going to be drafted in my opinion but will probaly be available for the rockets 5:Kosta Koufos- im not really big on shooting centers nither have i heard much about him but he slipped down in the mock draft by alot, but i think hes worth a look. 6: Brandon Rush- hes a good player but, i just see him more as a role player. and obviously rockets dont really need anymore role players. 7:Robin Lopez- a stiff hustle player, and thats about it not much else to say, id be embarrased if i was him cause his brother is waaayyyy better than him, but he might be a player we need if we trade one of our other hustle players away like battier or hayes. 8:Roy Hibbert- maybe a next dikie but younger and more athletic, hasnt proven much in college, but thats how most bigmen are. 9: bill walker-not much to talk about, im not really into him, but he his a really competitor and has heart, probably like a smaller landry. 10:Trade Pick[Post Trade]- theres a thousand scenario for them.
I want the rockets to draft Rush if he is still available at are pick. Hibbert and Lopez are good players to develop for after deke retires as a good Center off the bench.
On video...Batum is the best and most liked, but all his videos have him dominating europian basketball. Of the College Level...It is a toss up between Rush and CDR, but Budinger has the most potential out of all of them.
Here's who I think we should pick , in order. Batum may/may not be picked higher, as well as Chase and Rush, but those two are more likely to fall more than Batum: 1. Chase Budinger: Tremendous athlete. Can straight out fly and jump. Good jumpshot, both set and off screens. Good IQ, great vision and passer (almost Tmac like). Shaky ball-handling (but has the ability to improve, which is very optimistic); good lateral quickness (unlike public perception, Draftexpress and some genuine scouts agree with me here though) but lacks any real stance and has a very high center of gravity, which combines to make his defense lacking. Also needs to gain some more weight (although he has said he has gained 10 lbs since he left UofA). Overview: The perfect the 3rd scorer for us. 2. Brandon Rush: I would've picked him higher than Chase, but his ACL injury may leave me a little concerned for his future. Still very athletic, although he may be slightly less athletic pre-injury. Good defender; long, good bulk for size; good passer and teammate. Lacks ball-handling ability and has a rather high center of gravity, althouhg he has good lateral quickness. Overview: same boat with Chase. He has a better value for us right now because of his defensive capabilties. 3. Nicolas Batum: To be honest, I haven't seen a lot of videos of him, but from what I have seen, he's basically Rudy Gay's little brother. That means he's freakishly long, freakishly athletic, and and freakish everything-except his skills and experience (like any foreign player). Being a Euro player, he does a little bit of eveything, but lacks real strengths in any one area. Needs to bulk up. Overview: Can replace Shane with time, and would be a great pick for us if he falls. 4. Robin Lopez: A mobile and fluid athlete for his size. A better athlete than his brother, unknown to most observers. A hustler is the best way to describe him. Plays defense (better than his bro at this too), good rebounder, great motor. But unlike his bro Brook, he has no discernible skills at this point. Can be like Cleveland's Verejao. Overview: A good replacement for Mutumbo. 5. Roy Hibbert: Basically a poor man's Yao. Less agile and less athletic than Yao too for his size. High level of skill in the post for his age and can even hit some mid-range shots if need to also. Overview: Can be a good backup for Yao too. 6. CDR: I'm kinda meh-ish about this guy. He was the MVP of Memphis for the season (but not the best prospect). Long; can defend; can score in a variety of ways (most of them in an unorthodox manner); decent shooter and mechanics. NOT a GREAT athlete and not explosive by any means (contrary to some people following in his bandwagon). Lacks great lateral quickness, which coupled with his lack of bulk, may leave him susceptible in certain situations.
Why did so many of you guys voted for CDR? The guy is vastly overrated in my opinion, and he is not the type of explosive athlete that everyone is thinking he is. Get off the bandwagon please.
J.J. Hickson is another guy i'd like to target. I know Morey has been quoted as saying he's targetting guys that are more NBA ready with less upside as opposed to the opposite, but you have to keep an eye on this guy. He's a freakish athlete with boatloads of upside at only 19-years-old. He's a legit 6'9", 240+ lb NBA four. Not a bad option to leave on the backburner considering the Landry situation.
