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

3 future MVPs on one team lol.......all drafted.....even if Houston developed one further.

SGA more than filled the hole Harden left.

 

"Remember when a team drafted Ace Bailey over Derek Queen" is a totally plausible thing in a few years. Queen is weird like Sengun was weird. But he has a unique skillset in this draft that no one else seems to.

Definitely on my list of stock to buy along with Cedric Coward and Colin Murray Boyles.

 

I think both Bailey and Queen are very high-risk players. I'd go Queen over Bailey. Queen would definitely be in the mix for the No. 10 pick, but I am hoping he gets selected before to push someone better to 10.

 

https://www.nytimes.com/athletic/63...steven-adams-giannis-antetokounmpo-nba-draft/

• For the draft later this month, the Rockets, who hold the No. 10 pick, have received interest in the selection, team sources said — ironically fielding more calls than when Houston had top-six picks over the last four years. (It’s typically difficult to pull off a trade for a top-six pick, which tends to lessen the interest.) Houston is open to moving the selection, team sources said, either by trading down or out of the draft entirely. The Rockets are also open to pairing the pick with a player in a trade if such a situation should present itself, sources said. In the case of staying in the draft and trading down or out, moving out of the 10th slot would make their current cap sheet more palatable, especially ahead of a summer that stands to see significant movement across the league.

• Houston’s brass is in the process of its draft evaluation. During this month’s combine in Chicago, the Rockets interviewed several prospects and had eyes on workouts and pro days in both Chicago and Los Angeles.

For the Rockets, the question becomes whether or not a player selected in next month’s draft has a path to playing time. The likes of Sheppard and Whitmore struggled to become mainstays and any future arrival would likely face the same fate.

One consistent theme from this year’s incoming draft class was the quality of individual team interviews. Meetings with Arizona’s Carter Bryant, Duke’s Khaman Maluach, and South Carolina’s Collin Murray-Boyles — all players who could be available at 10 — were described as “excellent,” team sources said, citing stellar on-court knowledge and overall basketball IQ.

 

Basically the Movement in the league is driving Rockets' Interest in any movement.

It would be interesting to watch what the Pacers are doing as they have been low key getting better each season......

 

I feel at 10, they're picking whoever's left on the bunch rather than choosing the way they did with Sheppard last draft. Where they did have their choice of the shooter, the defensive big man, and the athletic guard/wing. Stone has generally picked similar to consensus so I don't expect him to throw a curveball here. One of the guys who's generally been mocked higher who drops to 10 has a good chance to be the pick.

 

If we stay at 10 I'm hoping for either the Illinois PG or Egor. If we could somehow trade up to 3 (depending on what we would have to give up), I'm taking Bailey. I think his upside is that of being your star and go to guy. Not that he will be Durant, but I see similarities in his game. If Kon or Tre are there in the 5-8 range, I am definitely making calls to see if a trade up is possible.

 

People and pundits are still looking at this league through the super team lens. Moving forward will be about drafting well and continuously developing talent through a farm system not dissimilar to baseball or the soccer academy's in Europe. The only trades teams should do are shrewd ones. The big splash days are over (unless the player has some serious red flags).

Rockets probably just need to keep replenishing the cupboard. Upside swing on Demin even to stash away as a potential trade chip. These rookie contracts also can get pricey if you're picking in the top of the lottery so Im not sure trading up is plausible.

 

I think this is a logical approach and observation. I think the flaw in this thinking may be that you have to have that solid core of star players to simply move forward by replenishment at the lower levels. The analogy with MLB is a bit weak, since MLB has a 25 man roster and upwards of 250 minor league players. Hit and miss on draft picks is much more lenient in the MLB. Also successful MLB teams are those that have a mix of home grown talent and acquired players using home grown (drafted) players.

The same with teams like OKC who have a good balance of home grown and acquired talent. The Rockets need to be opportunistic in acquiring players the can make them able to compete for championships. I think very few teams, if any, have been championship contenders merely from organic growth.
I don’t see how we can stand pat for several years and think that the addition of mid-tier rookies and organic growth of our home grown talent will magically propel us to contender status. With the right moves we can be contenders as early as next year without gutting our team of young talent.

 

My feeling is still listen to the offers and trade the pick.

If keeping 10th, get more shooters. In no particular order: (some of these guys, can trade down to get).

1. Koby Brea (6'7" SG, Kentucky) 43.4% 3pt career - a possible 2nd rounder (senior)
2. Maxime Raynaud (7'1 C, strech big prospect, Stanford) senior 34.7% 3pt career - late 1st rounder projected (senior)
3. Jase Richadson (6'1? G, Michigan state) freshman 41.2% 3pt career -mid 1st rounder (short king freshman )
4. Walter Clayton Jr. (6'3", Flordia) senior 38.6% 3pt career - late 1st rounder projected (senior)
5. Chaz Lanier (6'4" - 6'5" SG, Tenessee) senior 40.2% 3pt career - a possible 2nd rounder (senior)

Others: (low chance of trading up)
6. Tre Johnson (6'6" SG, Texas) - not available at 10th
7. Ace Bailey (6'8" SF, Rutgers) - not available at 10th
8. Kon Knueppel (6'6", Duke) - not available at 10th
9. Cooper Flagg (6'9" F, Duke) - not available at 10th (under-rated shooter)

 

OKC have not traded away a first round pick to acquire a player since the second Obama administration.

The model is 100% continuous asset farming, exploiting win now teams transactionally, drafting, player development, and good coaching / organizational strength.

Eventually you have an overwhelming and enduring advantage over teams who trade off the future for the present. I.e., OKC right now.

It’s what Stone and Witus have been pursuing for years, like OKC, which is clear based on what we do vs. what’s speculated.

We haven’t traded a FRP for a player for 5+ years either.

 

I don't think there's much chance they keep this pick, but if they do I could see them going for a big to replace the likely departures of Tate, Jeff Green, and Stephen Adams. My guess is they trade it though, especially if any of those guys are coming back.

Rasheer Fleming makes sense if they keep it.

 

I hope so.

 

Agreed and it's a rough comparison so not exactly tit for tat....but as far as the NBA is concerned this is about as "development centric" as it's ever been. It's always been a talent acquisition league by any means necessary which made certain cities have advantages over others. Let's look at the teams in the Finals and how they got "their dude" plus the dudes around the dude (and whether or not those dudes are stars, superstars or have star upside.

OKC: SGA (traded aging star for high upside player), Jaylen Williams (12th pick), Chet Holmgren (2nd pick), Lu Dort (2 way undrafted), Alex Caruso (traded 6th pick for him), Isaiah Hartenstein (free agent), Isaiah Joe (49th overall, signed off of waivers), Cason Wallace (10th overall).

Indiana: Tyrese (traded Sabonis for high upside player), Myles Turner (11th overall), Andrew Nembhardt (2nd rounder, 31st), Pascal Siakam (traded 3 first round picks), Jarace Walker (8th overall pick), Bennedict Mathurin (7th overall pick), Obi Toppin (traded 2 2nd rounders for him)

Rockets need to basically make a bet on someone like the Thunder bet on SGA and the Pacers bet on Haliburton. They also need to get rid of players that don't accent whoever that happens to be. That guy is probably already here. We all know who that is. The more pertinent question is...do the players we have fit around him? Some I think do. Some don't. We are in agreeance that FVV should be gone. Anyone that takes touches away from Amen should be gone who isn't named Sengun. Alpy isn't untouchable but I don't know who I'd trade him for right now. The Thunder are going to be good for a long time. Pacers have more questions because Siakam is 31. I don't want to bring anyone over the age of 26 frankly. Would prefer an upside swing ala Brunson or Haliburton. Who out there right now is being underused and young? Coby White? Trey Murphy?

 

[Matt Moore] Free Agency And Draft Rumors: Panic At The Workouts

 

Sounds like we are in violent agreement on process, but maybe not all the players to get or get rid of. I don’t see how folks can look at the final 4 teams in the playoffs and not realize what a difference a viable offense will make for this team and how detrimental our backcourt is to our offense, especially 40 min a game FVV.

 

Amen: the guy.
Sengun: the next guy but very rigid skillset so not exactly Chet Holmgren/Jalen Williams. Team needs to fit around him ala Giannis/Jokic. Could package for someone like Siakam (Booker? Brown?)
Jabari: fits. Needs to work on dribble.
Jalen: trade for role player ala Giddey for Caruso. His presence is going to deteriorate the locker room sooner or later.
FVV: don't re-sign, let him tutor elsewhere
Dillon: ehhhhh....
Tari: defensive sparkplug. Fine with him but wouldn't mind trading.
Adams: not a good thing how invaluable he is. Too old. Can't hit FTs. Good locker room presence.
Reed: the wildcard. Keep of course but man does he change our ceiling.
Cam: give him another season to see if he can function on a basketball team.
10th Overall: these Finals teams are littered with these players. Draft a good one. It's a reach but man does Coward fit on this team.

Lot's of questions for sure. Absolutely cannot run it back next year despite what Felicia Stone's husband seems to think.

 

Great post.

 

I think most fans agree that the liabilities FVV brings vastly outweigh his strengths. But I don't think Stone is listening. I won't be surprised if Fred plays at least 35 minutes a game and Amen continues to piece together minutes across three positions: SG/PG and SF. That is, unless one of our power forwards goes down with an injury. In that case, Amen will slip over to that spot. This logjam will only be worse if we add another young forward with length and promise. If, by a shocking development, Bailey fell into our laps at #10 (which I suppose is possible), would Stone consolidate players and create playing time for him? Would they even send him over to work out and grow with the Vipers?

I don't know what would have to happen to make Stone bring himself to break up the Green/VanVleet backcourt.

 

This is where @Hemingway seems to be (very) concerned about Udoka. I'm not quite there yet....but my concern-o-meter has risen this year. Getting the 2 seed was cute. Getting bounced handily by the Warriors was not cute (it was 7 games but they had our number throughout the series). He seems rigid to a fault. Reminds me of JVG. Sticks to "his guys" no matter the situation. Kubiak with the Texans was another example. I'm giving him next season before I truly start to doubt. I don't like how much it feels like his players have to figure his offense out for him and that's what I feel like Fred is doing.