NBA Draft 2011: Top 5 Big Men the Houston Rockets Should Look at Drafting

The Houston Rockets have two picks in the first 25, and barring any Daryl Morey magic to trade up for Enes Kanter or Kawhi Leonard, the Rockets will be drafting a big man.

So the question is, what big men might be available at the 14th or 23rd pick for Houston to snag?

Well, here is a list of the top five big men that the Rockets could have fall into their laps.

5. Jonas Valanciunas

This is 13 minutes long but you get to see alot of Valanciunas, both good and bad.

I am not as high on this individual as most people are. He does display the ability to run the court well for a big man and has good hands to catch the ball in traffic and score.

But the thing I noticed about him was that when he was at all challenged down low by another big man, he lacked the counter moves and/or strength to finish the play.

I do like his effort on defense even though it gets him into foul trouble a lot. He does not have the shot-blocking ability that Bismack Biyombo, Donatas Motiejunas and Markieff Morris have and any NBA center with strength will be able to back him down at will.

He has a long way to go if he is going to develop into an effective player in the NBA. If he is able to fight through a few tough years in the NBA and beef up like many say he can, then I would not mind seeing him in a Rockets uniform.

But I would not hold my breath.

4. Kenneth Faried

This is a guy I am thinking would good with the 23rd pick, not so much with the 14th pick (assuming Houston does not take someone at 14).

Faried is a short power forward coming out of Morehead State that has a high motor and is very strong for his size. He averaged at least 13 rebounds per game the last three years. He is able to use is big hands and athleticism to secure the boards and that skill set should translate very well to the NBA.

The same goes for his defense. He led his conference in steals as a power forward. That is really impressive. That shows me he is very active and hardworking on that side of the ball.

Now the downside to picking him is that you pretty much will have him on the floor at the same time as Chuck Hayes and the Rockets will be giving up so many inches down low. However, there really is not another taller player that will be available when the Rockets pick that will be worthy of a No. 23 pick.

He also has been playing in the Ohio Valley Conference for his college career. This means we really do not know how well his skill sets will work in the NBA.

I would expect solid rebounding numbers, but do not expect anywhere near the 17 points per game he scored last year.

3. Markieff Morris

Of the players on this list, Morris is probably the most NBA ready. He would immediately come into the Rockets rotation and would produce.

He was extremely efficient at Kansas last year, shooting almost 60 percent from the field including 42 percent from three.

He shows good footwork down low and can feature a good jump hook shot. His aggressive and physical play down low will be much appreciated and noticed by Rockets fans.

Defensively he is very solid. He can man up against a lot of bigs and make his presence known. He averaged a block per game in 24 minutes of work at Kansas. He is 6’10” and very strong. He will be a force down low.

There really is not much to say about Morris. He does not have the ceiling of other lottery options, but he is a safer pick than a lot of lottery players.

2. Donatas Motiejunas

I considered putting this 7'0'' power forward No. 1. I really like his offensive skill set. He shows the ability to run the floor and handle the ball extremely well. He would create offensive mismatches for any NBA team.

He can score from the post with an assortment of quick moves and the ability to hit the fade-away jumper. He also has excellent range.

But what jumps out about Motiejunas is his ability to pass. He makes passes on the run and from the post. He has shown good court vision and can set up his teammates.

If you match his offensive skill set with Kevin Martin and Kyle Lowry, you have one of the most exciting offensive teams in the league. But that is the problem. Offense is not the problem for Houston, which is why I do not have him No. 1.

While he is not close to my No. 1 on the defensive end, he has still shown the ability to block shots and at least force the shooter to change his shot. So while he has work to do to improve his defense, I think he can add the strength needed and learn from Kevin McHale.

The biggest issue with Motiejunas’ physical abilities is his strength. He will get pushed off the block a lot early in his career and will be just over powered.

But he is already on his way to adding bulk to his upper body and it shouldn’t be that big of a problem in a year or two.

1. Bismack Biyombo

This is a guy that is getting a lot of hype on the web for his exciting plays he has made on the court playing in Europe and at the Nike Hoop Summit. 

What he brings to the table is a high motor, a guy that is constantly trying to make a play on the ball and has a knack for blocking shots.

When someone tries to penetrate to the basket, he will be a much-needed presence for the Rockets. He is only 6’9”, but he has a 7’7” wingspan and already has an NBA body at the age of 18 (some say he might be a couple of years older).

His energy down low allows him to be a force on the boards and his offensive game has a good ceiling, too. His offensive skill set is very raw and needs to be developed but he shows a good jump shot. If he can develop some offensive skills facing the basket and use his length to his advantage, he can become a force in the NBA.

One thing I noticed while watching the videos I could find of him is that he is way too aggressive at times. He struggled defensively in pick-and-roll situations and was able to use his athleticism to get himself back into the play, but against top NBA competition, he will get burned.

Every other aspect of his game outside of defending the paint is a bit of a question mark.

On the boards, he relies heavily on his terrific athleticism and physical presence to get rebounds. Scouts say he has average hands at best and he lacks experience against any other big man in the paint.

Offensively, he needs to get the basics and fundamentals down if he wants to be effective. He has the physical attributes and athleticism to be a very solid offensive player, but he is way too raw to see it translate to the NBA until he gets a couple of years under his belt.

Ultimately, Biyombo can be a very good NBA player. With any international player there is a risk involved. But given the depth of this draft, I think it is worth taking a chance on a player with his potential.

Oh, and with Kevin McHale teaching him those basics and fundamentals (which he got a great reputation for while coaching Minnesota), Biyombo would benefit greatly if he came to Houston.