Latest 2013 NBA Draft Expert Predictions on Who Houston Rockets Will Select
With the NBA draft just a day away, Houston Rockets fans with their sights locked on the Dwight Howard Sweepstakes, aka NBA free agency, might concede a wee peek over at the festivities taking place come Thursday evening at the Barclays Center.
In a draft seriously lacking a headlining, guaranteed impact player in the vein of a LeBron James or Derrick Rose, it's hard to imagine the Rockets will land a superstar with the 34th pick in the second round.
Sure, we've seen some second-round surprises before—Carlos Boozer, Monta Ellis, Marc Gasol and even Houston's very own Chandler Parsons just to name a few—but in reality, the Rockets don't necessarily require superstar (but hey, they'll take it) capable talent from a draftee; they just need a productive addition to an already solid squad.
Houston really needs someone at the four spot to give them dependable minutes over the long haul, but with the 34th pick in Round 2, Houston is in no place to make demands.
With all of this in mind, it still doesn't answer the question on everyone's (especially the one H-Town faithful are dying to know) mind regarding the Rockets and this draft: who are they going to pick?
Well, considering Rockets GM Daryl Morey is as shrewd and calculating as front-office guys get, anything is possible, but assuming nothing funny happens, the Rockets might look to simply add another scoring guard to the mix.
According to a recent preview by SB Nation's Scott Schroeder, the Rockets will probably go this route by taking a guy who already has a verified NBA pedigree, Glen Rice, Jr., and if not Rice, they have other picks in mind, too.
Rice along with two other prospective draftees, C.J. Leslie and Kenny Kadji, consist of players that fit the guard/swingman mold, and all can be further refined into role players down the road.
Houston's front office isn't delusional. They know none of these aforementioned picks scream, "Superstar!" based upon their respective games right out of the gate. Rice has some nice offensive tools, but they need to be polished, and the other two players are similarly skilled, but neither excel at anything at this point in their careers.
All of these players are going to be projects, but considering Houston as a team is still a work in progress, they will have the patience to work through the growing pains of adapting to the professional level out of semi-pro leagues or college.
Mock drafts are another great place to predict draft outcomes, and according to DraftExpress.com's mock-up, it appears they are in agreement with SB Nation's guess as it relates Houston's plans as far as acquiring Glen Rice, Jr.
While mocks are merely educated guesses rather than set in stone soothsayings, it does appear based on the fact Glen Rice is technically within the Rockets' farm system considering he plays for their D-League contingent, the Rio Grande Vipers, that Houston knows exactly what they would be getting from Rice, Jr.
The transition from D-League to NBA might be a lot easier than right out of college into the NBA for Rice, anyway, so it's a safe bet the Rockets will make him their top priority considering they have absolutely nothing to lose at this stage in the game.
Whatever happens on draft night for the Houston Rockets, there's no question they'll be in for yet another intriguing season come tip-off this Fall.
