What is your current Rockets Top 5 Draft Big board?

I’m warming up to Amen. Would like to see him on this team. Aside from the obvious selection.

 

IMO, if they don't get Wemby, they might as well package players and picks for a player. Adding another young, inexperienced backcourt player makes little to no sense. They tanked for a reason

 

They were also tanking because no player was good enough to have their staring role cemented long term. If a guard is potentially better than KPJ and Jalen, or good enough to move someone to the 3 then they must be good enough to consider drafting in the lottery.

This team has room for talent for sure. Just as long as the coach isn’t going to pull a Silas and play someone like Nix over your lotto pick.

 

Disagree completely. There are players available with superstar upside, even potentially at #5. We need to take another swing, not trade for some roleplayer or B-tier star who isn't good enough to be The Guy.

 

Dang.

Amen or Jarace now.

 

Almost certainly going to be Amen unless they trade the pick. Fills our need at point guard, and has the upside to become a superstar if everything clicks.

We can talk to Charlotte and Portland about potentially moving up but it may be tough to make a deal.

 

Not true. They already have a young and immature team with guys stacked on top of each other.

 

So what. We have $60M in cap space. Go add some veterans in free agency.

We need guys who have a chance at turning into superstars.

At #4 that's likely Amen Thompson. Pick him and hope Udoka can mold him into a great player.

 

Green not Smith look more than quality nba players and they went top 3. Top it off, they tanked for the 4th pick and the team in your divivsion gets the generational player again.

 

Even if you buy into Green, Jabari, Sengun having superstar potential (I'm not sold personally, I see more all-star level ceilings personally), there is no guarantee any of them get there. Have to keep improving your odds at finding a guy who can be the best player on a championship team. Swing for the fences, don't settle.

 

I agree with you. I was answering a question. Charlotte is the only team that might be dumb
enough to take Miller over him, however the likelihood of that is low imo. Portland will not let Scoot or Miller fall to 4. They like to select highly talented players. Will Stone select Amen? I think he will look to trade the pick. I feel he should try to explore that. A poster mentioned the possibility of Myles Turner and the 7th for the 4th. I don't know what Turner's contract is like. We do have cap room , so that's a plus. I would appreciate your comments.

PS: I don't know the extent of Turner's back injury. He played 62 games. Perhaps Indiana went into tanking mode.

 

CHICAGO — Through the first two years of the Rockets’ rebuild, they have scooped up teenagers, willing to give them time to grow into the job.

Jalen Green, Alperen Sengun, Usman Garuba, Josh Christopher and Jabari Smith Jr. were all 19 when they were drafted. But the Rockets were not close to a champagne celebration, so they did not need to worry about collecting players who weren't old enough to legally drink it.

The time might have come, however, to move off the 19-year-old players with this season’s first pick, the fourth selection of the 2023 NBA draft.

Cam Whitmore is 18. That would represent a bit of a change, if not quite the sort the Rockets might have planned. He said it is also irrelevant.

“I don’t really pay attention to that,” Whitmore said of being one of the youngest players in the draft after his one season at Villanova. “I’ve always been the youngest coming up. Just having a mature type of body and mentality, that’s what you need: a confidence in the NBA. That’s what you need to stay in the NBA. I think that’s what I have. I’m ready for it.”

Whitmore looks the part and not like a teenager who will need years in an NBA weight room to compete. He measured 6-5¾ without shoes at the draft combine, has a 6-8½ wingspan, and weighs a solid 235 pounds. He cannot be considered a ready-made player, but there is a sense of maturity in his game, even beyond the physical attributes.

He brings an explosive first step with an unusually well-developed feel for how to use it. His abilities in the lane are not just about his athleticism. They come with a knack for finishing with either hand. Whitmore also moves with and without the ball like a considerably more experienced player.

He is especially well-regarded as a fiery competitor, a quality he said came up in this week's initial meetings with teams at the combine.

“I’m just a competitor, someone who wants to win,” Whitmore said. “I have the alpha dog mentality and (am) someone who puts their head down, wants to work, wants to impact the team in any way possible. Off the floor, just brings that joy to the team, the chemistry where we can have that bond with my teammates and coaching staff.”

His range shooting has shown potential but will need work, though Whitmore said he has already made strides to make himself more of an NBA shooter.

“Getting downhill is something I always had,” Whitmore said. “I never had a problem with that. Something I improved on was my shooting, catch-and-shoot ability. It’s something I really paid attention to to improve on that. That’s something you’ll see in the NBA.

“I still have to improve on my body also, but mostly, skill-wise I have to improve. Just overall, having that all-around game, all-around body where it will help me in the NBA, and I think I will be successful.

“Defensively, just rotating off ball, on ball, and me putting pressure on the ball. One through five, guarding every position.”

Whitmore would differ from the seven players the Rockets took in the past two drafts in that small forward is his primary position, though Tari Eason played increasingly in a frontcourt with Smith last season and K.J. Martin (a second-round pick in 2021) was moved to small forward.

Whitmore's initial interviews were with the Nuggets, Wizards, Trail Blazers and Nets. He had eight more meetings scheduled, and the Rockets expected to visit with him. Although he had not spoken with Houston yet, Whitmore did envision how he would fit on the perimeter with Green and Kevin Porter Jr.

“They’re athletic type of guards who can score offensively and are the type of people who can get guys involved, guards who can rotate one through five,” Whitmore said. “I think it’s a great fit with athletic type of young guys who can get the job done.”

Whitmore said he would compare his game to two of his Villanova predecessors, Mikal Bridges of the Brooklyn Nets and Josh Hart of the New York Knicks. He said he had spoken with Hart about making the move to the NBA and preparing for the next level. He has played against former Villanova stars Jalen Brunson and Ryan Arcidiacono.

He also knew well about previous Villanova success in Houston. The Wildcats won the 2016 national championship at NRG Stadium.

“Houston is a great place where we sure can get some buckets, us Villanova guys,” Whitmore said. “I’m just happy to be in the NBA, happy to be here, grateful for it.”

 

Whitmore wouldn’t be bad if they do keep the pick. I think he will be solid for a long time, but I don’t think he will ever be a superstar.

 

I think I like Whittmore more than the Thompson Twins. 2 yrs younger and If u assume he’s going to continue to improve as a shooter, this guy is going to be a weapon. He can get to the rim at will and I really like strong guys who use their body well. When you consider that he’s a good defender, this guy is going to end up one of the best picks in this draft. I see superstar potential. He might be 4 on my board ahead of Amen.

With Tari and Whitmore we’d have the best young 2-way small forward combo in the league. Plenty of min for both because of their position versatility. We could convert KJ and Tate into another asset.

 

The problem is that he had only 19 assists all season. 0.7 per game. He is an absolute black hole on offense. And while he's a better shooter than the Thompsons, he's not by any means a great shooter, especially when you keep in mind he was shooting from the closer, college 3P line.

Personally, I think assist rate is the closest proxy we have for "feel for the game" on the offensive side of the ball, which is the trait I rate most highly for prospects. It's not the only way to measure it, but even using the eye test, Whitmore just looks hesitant out there any time he doesn't have a clear lane to the basket.

The upside is exciting with Whitmore, especially since he's one of the youngest in the class, but it's very easy for me to see him ending up very similar to a player we already have, KJ Martin. If that's his floor, it's still a solid NBA contributor, but not something we really need right now. My question is, what is his ceiling?? And I keep coming back to thoughts of Rudy Gay. And I also don't want to draft Rudy Gay 2.0.

 

I hear you, but he’s already a better defender and shooter than KJ Martin. And taller and stronger.

 

I'm warming up to Whitmore as well. He's strong like bull and has that dawg in him. #4 feels high for him, but I see him a safe pick given his frame and defensive abilities... with upside given his youth and shooting ability. Cam Whitmore and Tari Eason on the court at the same time would be a fearsome defensive lineup.

 

Yeah I do agree that he will likely be a better defensive player than KJ. However, he's actually about the same height as KJ. He measured 6'5.75" without shoes at the combine, KJ measured 6'6" even. Cam does have about an inch more on standing reach/wingspan but overall their measurements are eerily similar.

Whitmore's height is acceptable for a SF but I wouldn't really call it a strength.

 

Yeah, Whitmore's measurements *slightly* disappointed me as I assumed he was a few inches taller/longer than KJ, but they're closer than I'd like (and KJ has a great vertical too). I'm sure Whitmore is better overall player for sure, and KJ probably is still more of a floor for Cam.