Point Guard Prospects for Rockets in 2015 Draft: Jerian Grant vs. Kris Dunn vs. Delon Wright

malakas · May 22, 2015

Why is Delon Wright ranked so low on so many draft boards? What do you think is leading people to believe that he's only an end-of-the-first-round talent?
Kevin Pelton (12:31 PM)

He's a tough fit because he needs the ball in his hands to be a good offensive player. That limits his options. For a team like Houston that ordinarily would probably be interested in a player with such strong advanced stats, the notion of playing Wright with James Harden is pretty much a non-starter. And I suspect there's some skepticism of how quiet he was offensively against elite competition, like in the NCAA tournament this year.
Click to expand...

That was on Pelton's chat.

i3artow i3aller · May 31, 2015

D'Angelo Russell tops draft's available point guards, but who else is close?

With less than a month to go before the draft, it's a good time to rank and debate the best players in the draft by position. This week we begin with point guards.

Q: Who is the best point guard in the draft?

Ford: D'Angelo Russell, Ohio State

I think this will be an easier pick for Kevin than it is for me. Russell and Emmanuel Mudiay are neck-and-neck. They have contrasting styles. I think Russell is the most skilled player in the draft. He's an amazing shooter, has a great feel for the game, is an incredible passer and even has some James Harden in him. Given the success of players like Harden and Stephen Curry, I think people believe he's a no-brainer. But I worry about his lack of elite athleticism. He's neither explosive nor quick. Both Harden and Curry, while not elite athletes, are better than Russell.

Mudiay is a powerful athlete. He's not Russell Westbrook explosive, but he's quick and strong for a point guard his size. He's not as skilled as Russell and he lacks a proven jumper, but he's going to excel at getting to the basket at the next level. If he were a better shooter, Mudiay would get the nod. But I also worry about guards in the league who struggle with their jump shot. I think they'll both be very good in the NBA. If Mudiay ever gets a jumper, he'll be the best guard in the draft. But until he does, Russell is my choice.

Pelton: D'Angelo Russell, Ohio State

Yeah, it is pretty easy for me -- which is not a knock on Mudiay but an indication of my confidence in Russell. He's the 10th one-and-done player in my database with a WARP projection better than 3.0 (Karl-Anthony Towns also qualifies this year). Of the previous nine, six developed into All-Stars. Nerlens Noel is too young to evaluate. Greg Oden was unable to live up to his potential because of injuries. The only non-injury disappointment in this group was Michael Beasley. So I think Russell is the best point guard and the second-best player in the draft.

Q: Who is the second-best point guard in the draft?

Ford: Emmanuel Mudiay, Guangdong

That's a great point on Russell. A number of NBA teams I've spoken with also say he sits atop their analytics board. Given they all use different formulas, that's impressive. I feel like I don't have to make much more of a case for Mudiay than I already did in the first answer. I think there's a perception his stock is slipping a bit. But when he gets into workouts, I think that's going to change. He's so big, so quick and I think his jump shot has improved. He'll be a beast in workouts. Remember when people used to debate Chris Paul versus Deron Williams after the 2005 draft? I think we'll have that with Mudiay and Russell for a while.

Pelton: Emmanuel Mudiay, Guangdong

Mudiay is my choice as well. Because he played so little in China, it's hard to read too much into his stat line. At the very least, however, his performance in the Chinese league revealed nothing to suggest that scouts are off in their assessment of him. I might have Kristaps Porzingis ahead of him on my personal board, but I don't think Mudiay can be any lower than fifth overall.

Now is when things start to get interesting, and I suspect we'll diverge.

Q: Who is the third-best point guard in the draft?

Ford: Cameron Payne, Murray State

Yeah. I've grown into a huge Payne fan during the past few months. So have NBA guys. He's quick with the ball, great in the pick-and-roll, excels at getting to the rim, shoots it well enough to keep defenses honest and has great length for his position. I actually think he's a better pure point guard than Mudiay or Russell -- just not quite as skilled as Russell and not as big and athletic as Mudiay. But might be the most well-rounded of the prospects. If he went as high as No. 7 to Denver, I wouldn't blink. I think he can be that good.

Pelton: Delon Wright, Utah

Wow, that would be a startling rise up draft boards for a guy who was considered a mid to late first-rounder a few weeks ago. I like Payne, and depending on team need I think he easily could be the best of this second tier. But independent of need/situation, I like Wright as the third-best point guard in the draft. It seems like most years there's a player who, with the benefit of hindsight, looks like an obvious steal. This year I think Wright is that guy. He was incredibly productive at the college level, he's got the kind of length teams love at the point and he's ready to contribute now. If he lands with a team in need of help at the point that would put the ball in his hands -- Dallas at No. 21 looks ideal -- I think Wright could make a push for rookie of the year. In that case, a year from now we'll all be asking how teams missed on him.

Q: Who is the fourth-best point guard in the draft?

Ford: Jerian Grant, Notre Dame

So I didn't see Wright coming -- though maybe I just didn't pay close enough attention to your Big Board. I thought Tyus Jones would get the nod from you. Wright this high is interesting for a number of reasons. One, he's old (23). Two, I wouldn't call him a shooter (yes, he shot 35 percent from 3-point range, but on a pretty limited sample size). Those two knocks against him seem to have scared most teams off from taking him anywhere but in the late first round. With that said, I'm taking a guard who is also old (22) and also comes with questions about his shooting ability. However, Grant's superior athleticism, ability to execute the pick-and-roll and his ability to play both the 1 and the 2 make him a better choice. I just see him as a solid backup guard who could be a Jamal Crawford-type player in the league.

Pelton: Tyus Jones, Duke

Like I said, it's close. If you asked me to rank the point guards in this year's draft in four years, I think Jones will be better than anyone but Russell and Mudiay. His combination of skills, basketball IQ and leadership gives him the chance to overcome his stature in my mind. At the same time, I have to acknowledge the risk that Jones' lack of size and elite athleticism keeps him from translating his skills to the NBA, and I think Wright will offer more immediate contributions. As you note, the same could be said about Grant. I feel like the gap between Grant's upside and his downside is relatively small. He's likely to be a good backup point guard but unlikely to be more than that.

http://espn.go.com/nba/draft2015/in...t-dangelo-russell-tops-available-point-guards
Click to expand...

rocketmc · May 31, 2015

Rockets shouldn't draft a point guard unless they don't want to win right now. Rockets can't develop players.

justreal · May 31, 2015

Tyus Jones, high basketball IQ

AFS · May 31, 2015

rocketmc said: ↑

Rockets shouldn't draft a point guard unless they don't want to win right now. Rockets can't develop players.
Click to expand...

Parsons, Brooks, Lowry, DMo, Scola, etc. don't count as developing players?

BackNthDay · Jun 8, 2015

I'm thinking Andrew Harrison from Kentucky in round 2. Can shoot, penetrate, finish, and plays D. Has the length, a Chandler Parson type pick.

atwood · Jun 8, 2015

Would be a good investment on 2nd round

BackNthDay said: ↑

I'm thinking Andrew Harrison from Kentucky in round 2. Can shoot, penetrate, finish, and plays D. Has the length, a Chandler Parson type pick.
Click to expand...

Garner · Jun 14, 2015

Not sure if already posted, but here is a great breakdown of Grant as a player.

Being a senior with his size, passing, and ball handling abilities..I can see McHale giving this kid some burn.

http://www.libertyballers.com/2015/...-finals-cavs-warriors-notre-dame-sixers-76ers

coachbadlee · Jun 14, 2015

DX has all of the best PG's (Grant, Jones, Wright, Rozier) in the 1st round now.

smoothie · Jun 14, 2015

jones shooting ability makes him perfect to play off the ball with harden.

he would combine terry's ability to play off the ball with prigs' ability to pass and create for others without needing to be faster than anyone. the downside is he's also a combination of both of those guys on defense.

either way i don't think we take him. the rockets never reveal the name they actually want, and since we're talking about this kid, its definitely not him.

Normalus · Jun 14, 2015

smoothie said: ↑

jones shooting ability makes him perfect to play off the ball with harden.

he would combine terry's ability to play off the ball with prigs' ability to pass and create for others without needing to be faster than anyone. the downside is he's also a combination of both of those guys on defense.

either way i don't think we take him. the rockets never reveal the name they actually want, and since we're talking about this kid, its definitely not him.
Click to expand...

He reminds me JJ Barea, he may stay in the league and somehow after 4-5 years be back-up PG in Eastern Conference. I won't draft him, we need player now.

Clown Baby · Jun 15, 2015

At this point in time, I think Jerian Grant is the guy who I'm really hoping we can come away with at the draft.

He might be older and have less of a ceiling than someone like Dunn, but I just love his ability to be a floor general. He really knows how to play the PG position and run an offense. He's a good shooter, can drive to the hoop, and makes smart decisions. He orchestrated one of the top offenses in the nation at Notre Dame. He just has a certain maturity to his offensive game that's rare to see in a college PG, regardless of age/class.

He doesn't project as a great defender especially against the lightning quick PGs in the league, but I haven't seen anything to indicate that he can't be an average-to-good defender at the NBA level.

Just a very nice prospect who seems to be a great fit for us and is projected around our area.

b2bizchina · Jun 15, 2015

Will Tyles Jones be next Nash or Stockton?

Chamillionaire · Jun 15, 2015

coachbadlee said: ↑

DX has all of the best PG's (Grant, Jones, Wright, Rozier) in the 1st round now.
Click to expand...

I'm not really excited about any of those PGs. I can see why Morey likes Jones. Poised, clutch, ranks high in analytics, etc... but he's going get torched. Too many good PGs in the league now, and we really need one. Hopeful a vet.

Chamillionaire · Jun 15, 2015

b2bizchina said: ↑

Will Tyles Jones be next Nash or Stockton?
Click to expand...

DJ Augistine?

Forums

Point Guard Prospects for Rockets in 2015 Draft: Jerian Grant vs. Kris Dunn vs. Delon Wright

If Rockets pick late lotto and go point guard, who would you like to see in Houston?

Jerian Grant (Notre Dame)

Kris Dunn (Providence)

Delon Wright (Utah)

Other (Please specify)

malakas Member

i3artow i3aller Member

rocketmc Member

justreal New Member

AFS Member

BackNthDay Member

atwood Member

Garner Member

coachbadlee Member

smoothie Jabari Jungle

Normalus Member

Clown Baby Member

b2bizchina Member

Chamillionaire Member

Chamillionaire Member

Share This Page

About ClutchFans

Rockets Content

Support ClutchFans!