Which Picks does Houston Own?
The Rockets have just the 34th pick after dealing their two owed first round selections. Trades are not only possible, but likely, so considering the Rockets needs its best to look beyond just that high-second round pick.
May 3, 2013; Houston, TX, USA; Houston Rockets center Omer Asik (3) dunks the ball during the first quarter against the Oklahoma City Thunder in game six of the first round of the 2013 NBA Playoffs at the Toyota Center. Mandatory Credit: Troy Taormina-USA TODAY Sports
Which Needs Should the Rockets Consider?
Four of the top 10 picks in the draft are projected to be 4/5-men in the class, and the Rockets really just need a big man that can block some shots.
They blocked only 4.3 per game this season, ranking near the bottom of the league and the lack of protection around the basket is part of why the team was so poor defensively this year.
Omer Asik had falsely shown some promise as a shot blocker while backing up Joakim Noah in Chicago, but it was mainly a product of him being able to be overly aggressive while not worrying about fouling out. His per-minute block production was basically halved as he was more careful, illustrating the danger of assessing talent in garbage or fringe backup minutes.
Shooting guard is set with James Harden and Chandler Parsons. At this point Parsons is the best second fiddle Harden has.
1, 4 and 5 are the three positions which will receive most of Morey’s attention.