What is your current Rockets Top 5 Draft Big board?

peleincubus · Nov 9, 2023

J.R. said: ↑

https://theathletic.com/4554035/2023/05/29/rockets-2023-nba-draft/

Anyway, without further ado, here’s our first installment of our Rockets big board. To assist me, I reached out to a high-ranking scout for their perspective of talent and a potential fit in Houston.

1. Amen Thompson | 6-7 lead guard | 20 years old | Overtime Elite

Scout’s take: Gives you a lot of credibility on the defensive end based on the competitiveness, size and tools. Offensively, the fit is going to be unique because while he can playmake and is an athletic finisher, he’s limited by his shooting ability. But I do think he would be a great help as far as defensively, athletically. The offensive fit might be a bit challenging.

From The Athletic: Outside of the aforementioned names, it’s easy to see why Amen’s upside has folks at full attention.

It’s sometimes challenging juxtaposing fit and the best player available, especially for a team like Houston that is trying to move between phases, but there’s a reason why so many within the Rockets organization are so enamored with him. Everything about him oozes potential. The defensive intensity and attention to detail. The explosiveness and athleticism. The ballhandling and playmaking. It’s hard to not see those qualities in a young player and not envision what he could look like next to Jalen Green, a gifted young scorer and elite athlete. There are those who will deem the fit clunky but there are always ways to maximize talent. Introduce more cutting, off-ball actions, etc.

Yes, I understand the shooting concerns. He’s shown some midrange flashes but I know some of the mechanics might be a bit off. But who comes into the league as a complete player? And let’s be honest, it’s not like he’d be walking into a team full of ready-made shooters. Houston has some roster reworking to do but more importantly, it needs talent. Amen is a talented player who can flat-out jump out of the gym. We’ll see how his defense translates to the next level, but he has all the tools of an impactful ball-stopper. Active hands. Lateral quickness. Shiftiness. It’s there.

At the NBA Combine, Amen spoke like a man who knows his worth and talent. He’s confident in himself and what he brings to the table. Of all of the names you’ll see here, I wouldn’t be that surprised if his name was called in the top three on draft night. But that would of course mean that one of Miller or Henderson would be on the board in which case, that player would be in a Houston uniform.

2. Cam Whitmore | 6-7 wing | 18 years old | Villanova

Scout’s take: Another high-level athlete and finisher. Has to be more engaged on the defensive end. Has to improve his shooting and tweak his mechanics a bit. Needs to improve his IQ and make better decisions with the ball. He’s more of a transitional player than a half-court offensive player. Average shooting numbers but doesn’t always take good shots. He’s one that would benefit from playing with Ime Udoka but there would be some challenges and limitations there.

From The Athletic: Whitmore might be my favorite player in the draft, I’m high on this player. He graded well at the combine, giving real legitimacy to his athleticism and explosiveness. He’s a wrecking ball in the open floor, with good footwork and intangibles. Offensively, he’s probably farther ahead than a lot of peers, able to create his own shot and has three-level potential scoring in his arsenal at the next level. When you watch him shoot, his form comes off as awkward and will probably need to be sped up and smoothed out to be sustainable against smart defenders but Whitmore is a force of nature.

From a defensive standpoint, he’s probably more advanced than Amen Thompson. His active hands combined with his power come in handy on a routine basis, and he has the necessary handle and ability to kickstart transition opportunities.

Whitmore still needs time to learn to slow things down and process actions at an advanced rate. At times, he’s like a bull in a china shop. That’s fine at Villanova. That won’t cut it in the NBA. He had a long leash in college that resulted in him taking many of low-percentage shots. He’ll need smart players around him to iron out his kinks, but there’s talent there. Houston would have an exciting in-game trio of Green, Jabari Smith Jr. and Whitmore. Alternatively, he could be inserted off the bench to give the second unit an offensive spark, something that was lacking last season.

3. Ausar Thompson | 6-7 wing | 20 years old | Overtime Elite

Scout’s take: They’re (Ausar and Amen) similar players. Ausar is a slightly better shooter but at the end of the day as twins, they have similar games. I know people can agree to disagree on that but they’re both really competitive defenders. They’re both capable playmakers but I wouldn’t quite call them point guards. They both have shooting challenges and they’re both super athletes. They help from Day 1 defensively because they’re going to compete their rear off. It’s just a matter of putting them in the right position offensively. There’s gotta be some creativity for the time being until their shot gets right.

From The Athletic: Ausar and Amen are going to be talked about in similar tones and for good reason. Like Amen, Ausar is an incredible athlete who has shown real potential in his defense translating to the NBA. Ausar has comparable footwork, quick-twitch instincts and timing to his brother, although he’s probably more adept at handling bigger matchups.

There seem to be differing opinions on who’s a better playmaker between the two, but Ausar’s individuality speaks volumes. He’s an intentional playmaker, understanding the reads presented to him and he wants to keep the ball moving. I like to think of him as more of a smooth operator with the ball in his hands, more point-forwardish than lead ballhandler type but still a must-have within an offensive setup.

Ausar is a better shooter but not by much. He’s going to need to seriously work at that aspect of his game but there’s a reality in which he obliterates individual team workouts and rises up the boards slowly but surely. Big fan of Ausar’s finishing ability already.
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Don't forget about these 2 guys. The future is bright!

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What is your current Rockets Top 5 Draft Big board?

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