2022 ROCKETS DRAFT

Rockets GM - Rafael Stone

It's been awhile since the NBA draft mattered a whole lot around H-Town. The Rockets previous GM, Daryl Morey, apparently hated draft picks. From 2013 to 2020 the Rockets had just two 1st round draft picks. Since Morey's departure, and with new GM Rafael Stone in charge, the Rockets have now made SIX 1st rounds selections in the last 2 NBA drafts.

With Morey and the Rockets parting ways after the 2019-20 season, and James Harden being traded early in the 2020-21 season, the Rockets have plummeted to the bottom of the NBA standings. For 2 years in a row now, the Rockets have had THE worst record in the NBA. The NBA, however, has a lottery system in place so the team with the worst record doesn't automatically get the #1 pick like in the NFL.

Jalen Green

For having the worst record last year the Rockets ended up with the #2 pick in the lottery, where they selected G League star Jalen Green. The Rockets also had 2 other 1st round picks, Alperen Sengun at #16, in a trade they made with Oklahoma City, and Josh Christopher at #26, in a trade with Milwaukee for P.J. Tucker. Those 3 1st rounders were already more than they had in the previous 8 drafts.

This past season again saw the Rockets end up with the worst record in the NBA. This time though, the lottery slotted them at pick #3. It's too bad because the consensus #1 pick since the end of March Madness was Auburn All-American Jabari Smith Jr. The consensus top 3 were Smith, Gonzaga big man Chet Holmgren, and and Duke forward Paolo Banchero. With the Rockets having the 3rd pick, Smith was considered out of the conversation because it seemed a lock that he'd go #1 to Orlando. So all of the talk leading up to the draft was between Holmgren and Banchero.

Holmgren, former McDonalds All-American, was a 2nd team All-American at Gonzaga, 1st team All-conference (WCC), and WCC Defensive Player of the Year. In 2021 he was the National High School Player of the Year. Holmgren was 7th in the nation in defensive rebounds and 4th in the nation in blocked shots. He was also #1 in the country in 2 point FG percentage, and shot 39% form 3, which for a 7 foot big man was pretty darn good. His biggest concern was his size. Though he was 7 foot tall with mad skills, he only weighed 195 lbs. Big questions on whether that rail like frame could hold up in the NBA.

Because of Holmgren's size, Banchero seemed to be the favorite among Rockets fans. Also a former McDonalds All-American, Banchero was a 2nd team All-American at Duke, 1st team All-ACC, and ACC Rookie of the Year. He averaged 17.2 points per game and his 671 points scored were 18th most in the nation. Banchero was named to the NCAA All-Tournament team after helping lead Duke to the Final Four.

So those were the 2 players most everyone was looking at with the best chances to become a Rocket with the #3 pick.

In this day and age you can bet on just about anything, including what players will go in what order, in say, an NBA draft. For most of the pre-draft season, Smith was the heavy favorite to go #1 to Orlando. Oklahoma City had the #2 pick and they seemed to be focusing on Holmgrem. That meant Banchero was favored to go to the Rockets at 3. A day before the draft the oddsmakers all of a sudden shot Banchero up the board where he was eventually favored to go #1. The "experts" tried to downplay it with one prominent source, Adrian Wojnarowski, almost assuring us the draft order would be Smith - 1 to Orlando, Holmgren - 2 to OKC, Banchero - 3 to Houston.

Draft night is finally upon us (last Thursday) and the Orlando Magic are on the clock. And with the 1st pick of the 2022 NBA Draft, the Magic select Jabari, no, make that Paolo Banchero!!! WHOA!!! That immediately got Rocket fans excited but also worried at the same time. The concern about the thin framed Holmgren was growing, and with Smith NOT going #1, everyone was immediately zeroed in on that guy, but fearing OKC would not pass on him and leave the Rockets with Holmgrem. So now the Thunder are on the clock, and lo and behold, they stick with Holmgren.

Jabari Smith Jr - Auburn

So the Houston Rockets, with the worst record in the NBA last year, and getting punked by the draft lottery into the #3 pick, end up getting the guy who was the consensus #1 all along, as they pick up Jabari Smith with that 3rd overall pick.

Former McDonalds All-American (as most of these guys are), Smith was a 2nd team All-American at Auburn, 1st team All-SEC, and SEC Freshman of the Year. Smith averaged 16.9 points per game, and also averaged 42% from 3. 42% would not only be better than what any Rockets regular did last season, it would be better than any Rocket regular since Shane Battier (42%) and Luther Head (44%) in the 2006-07 season. Keep in mind though that the college 3 point line is closer than the NBA's. Smith can play some defense too, which is something that the Rockets, worst defensive team this past season, could desperately use.

Eason - LSU

The Rockets weren't through though. They also had the 17th pick that they got from Brooklyn in the James Harden trade. With that pick the Rockets stay in the SEC and select LSU forward Tari Eason. Eason is a 2 year college player who started at the University of Cincinnati before transferring to LSU last season. He was an All-ACC freshman in 2021 and made 1st team all-SEC this past season. Eason averaged 16.9 points per game for the Tigers last season, and is a plus defender as well.

The Rockets had 1 more 1st round pick. This one they got from the Mavericks in the Christian Wood trade, and was originally #26 before the Rockets traded back with Memphis to #29, where they end up with Kentucky point guard TyTy Washington, making it an all SEC draft for the Rockets. Washington averaged 12.5 points per game and made the SEC All-Freshman team.

Smith, Eason, Washington

So that will give this rebuilding Rockets team SIX 1st round draft picks in the last 2 drafts when the 2022-23 starts. A very young team that likely has some growing pains to go through, but if some of these young guys can form a solid core for this franchise, they could become a pretty formidable team in the near future. Jalen Green and Alperen Sengun now with Jabari Smith and Tari Eason added to the mix? Not to mention 22 year old Kevin Porter Jr as well?

At the very least, it should be interesting watching this team grow and evolve the next couple of years. And they've still got picks coming from Brooklyn the next few years thanks to the James Harden trade, which should be pretty nice picks considering the Nets are likely to fall off with Harden already gone, Kyrie Irving likely to move, and Kevin Durant possibly not sticking around. 

And for what it's worth, my grade for the Rockets draft is: