With the 10th pick in the NBA Draft the Houston Rockets Select...

Well I'm not the one discounting the possibility. You are the one who say no one outside the top-2 pick can be that guy. So really you have to explain why no one from pick 3 forward has no chance to be a primary ball handler for a good team, when history is littered with them.

 

Come on man, no need to be pedantic. How about this:

There is no player in this draft outside of Cooper Flagg or Dylan Harper that the Rockets (or any other team in the Rockets situation) see as the solution to their near-term need for an elite perimeter ball handler and shot creator in the regular season and playoffs.

Is that more clear? Don't even think it's a controversial statement. Pretty much consensus. Not even the point of the post.

Obviously everyone here knows that surprises happen, no need to point that out thanks.

 

I agree that there are things about him that give me pause as well. I also feel like someone is going to get a total steal in that 15-25 range if he falls there. Those measurables and mechanics are tantalizing. Outside of Fred, Jalen and Amen we dont have anyone that can stay in front of jitterbug guards. Dillon, Tari and Jabari cant. Coward's length and size would be such a great fit on this team for matchups like Ja Morant/Bane and Curry/Butler.

As far as a genuine "connector" I don't think CMB can be beat. He looks like a genuine Tari Eason/Dillon Brooks replacement. I just struggle with his 70% FT shooting.

 

No, I got what you mean. Which is that while what you say is technically true, it's also incredibly pointless because the draft is for long term future and you only care about what happens in the next year. It's like complaining a 16yr old being useless because he's still in school and lack the capacity to get a high paying job today if he's not a genius who got into college at age 12 or something. You really should just ignore all draft talk if this is how you judge draftees.

 

Personally, if we could trade up to #3, I think Ace might have the highest upside potential in the draft even higher than Flagg or Harper. He also has a much higher chance of being and Emoni Bates type bust. If we can trade for Kon, I think he would be the perfect fit for the current team. Sticking at 10, I'd be happy with either the BYU or Illini guy and hope there shot improves. Love either ones playmaking potential.

 

Gotta consider the player’s face, too. Franchise players have marketable looks. For example, I can tell by looking at Dylan Harper’s face that he isn’t gonna be that good. But I can tell from Carter Bryant’s face that he’s got potential. Anybody else mocked in our range fit that criteria?

 

Of the last 250 players picked in the top 10 (the last 25 years), 65 have made an All-NBA team. That's 26%, or very roughly a 1 in 4 chance. Odds fall off significantly after the 5th pick. The average age for these 250 players' first-time All-NBA selections is surprisingly young: 23.2 years old. In 4 years, Tari, our oldest of the 'core', will only be 28.

I think it makes a ton of sense to pick here, despite a perceived minutes crunch. Great players will find their way to playing time.

 

If we didn't have Amen, Tari & Jabari (Cam?) Fleming would be much higher on my list .... CMB, not really on my radar.

I like Coward, just don't know if I could pull the trigger on him at 10, especially if Jackucionis is still on the board. I have him higher than both Coward & Demin.

Coward would definitely be a huge contrast to our current kinda sometimes shooting guard.


Maybe you could talk me into it .... I wonder if Atlanta would give up 13 & 22 for 10?

 

He doesnt need handles for this team as we have Sengun, Amen, Jalen and FVV who handles the ball.

Where he gets value is in his ft shooting, 3 pt shooting, rebounding, transition and defensive potential.

What Rox. need is someone who is a zone buster. If we get him I see him becoming sg version of Jabari for us. Be a spacer on offense and bother shots on defense.

 

The gamble picks for Houston can be Carter Bryant and Noa Essengue.
Essengue can be a Eurostash.

 

I dont see Tari as part of the long term future so I wouldn't mind drafting a replacement. Though Im starting to think that drafting competent offensive players that can "figure it out" is sorta what Ime wants so I'd be fine with Kasparas and have Ime turn him into a defender instead of drafting another defender for Ime to do nothing with on the offensive side of the ball.

 

Do people still Eurostash?

 

not sure if serious

 

If that's the archetype you're looking for, then IMO Carter Bryant is the better prospect due to age and not having suffered a major injury. Also I think Bryant tested just as well on athletic stuff if not better than Coward.

 

I think this is right. Jokic, the best player in this world, is a freaking dreamboat.

 

Someone to sit on the bench and play in the Gleague for 2 years before demanding a trade.

DD

 

If the Rockets brass has Coward high on their big board, I'd rather they just pull the trigger at 10 than play around and risk missing out. If they don't have him that high, then yea trade back. Or just pick whoever they have highest on their board for pick 10.

After the top 2-3 picks, going with the general consensus of media draft boards and random scouts is what gets you in trouble. For example, I think Derik Queen is mid 2nd rd pick material, but some mocks have him in the lotto. And some idiot team will likely get pressured into picking Queen. General consensus mocks had Jalen Williams going in the late teens early 20s, Kawhi in the late teens, Giannis in the early 20s.

What I'm trying to say is, if you think a player is good and said player is on the top of your board, just trust your scouting and evaluation and pick the guy. No need to get too cute and try to extract max value from a pick but risk losing the player you really wanted all along. If the Rockets don't value anyone that highly for the 10th pick... then yea just trade for future picks and get out of this draft.

 

I also like Carter Bryant but where Coward shines is he is a guard and can play either guard spot while CB would prob be stuck in 3/4. Actually at 6'6 with 7'2 wingspan he can prob play 1-4 in a pinch lol. He is very similar to Tari in measurables and would prob be another Tari for us in terms of impact.

Coward's shoulder injury I dont see it as anything big players dont really suffer long term from shoulder injuries from what I've seen. He was already able to shoot in the combine I think his shoulder injury healed already otherwise he wouldnt be able to shoot.

As far as shooting goes While CB does have potential there he is far from a sharpshooter shooting only 37% from 3 on low volume and more importantly only 69.5% from ft. Compare that to Coward's 39% from 3 and 81% from ft line average it aint close.

I dont mind CB cuz of his potential I see him as a do over fron Cam Whitmore tbh, like what if Cam paid attention to defense and wasnt a ball hog he would prob be CB. But at the same time CB is a lot rawer than Coward if we get him he wont see the court for a while esp if Stone doesnt do any consolidation trades.

 

Throughout the Coward discussion I never mentioned his college stats. Because if you looked at who he's faced it's clear why he didn't rise up until the combine. I'm all for making a case based on his physical tools and workouts at the combine, and I admit it's impressive and why he's shooting up the board. But his college stats don't really mean anything based on who he was playing against.

 

Actually, I think it might mean more because he was able to be that efficient and consistent across all 3 seasons even while jumping around different systems. Mid majors are nothing to scoff at and some of the best players in the NBA right now are from mid majors. Or even just look at Amen - he played in a league no one gave a crap about but look at how that's translated.

For some of the players from blue chip programs, you also have to consider whether or not their deficiencies were masked by the fact that everyone on their team is an elite prospect, and so their weaknesses might show a bit less as their responsibility is less. May or may not be the case.. so basically just really need to trust your scouting and evaluation and get away from groupthink and other biases.