NBA Draft 2011: Reviewing the Houston Rockets' Night and Previewing the Future

The Houston Rockets have gone through a lot as an organization since trading for Tracy McGrady and drafting Yao Ming.

The turnover on the roster has been tremendous. Remember the days of Rafer Alston and Juwan Howard? What about Luther Head and Bonzi Wells?

I’ll let you ponder that for a little bit.

Almost forgot they once dawned Rockets uniforms? That just shows how much change this team has gone through.

The front office could never get all of this team healthy at the same time.

Now we have a roster filled with excellent role players and no superstar power.

With all due respect to Kevin Martin, he is not a superstar—he is a very good number two option in the NBA.

After draft night, the Rockets got better, but they are nowhere close to being a finished product.

Marcus Morris

This was a player that most had going in the top 10—many did not think he would fall to Houston.

So, Daryl Morey and company just could not resist taking him when he fell into their laps.

Morris is a guy that has a lot of toughness to go with a great work ethic and a pretty solid offensive game.

Defensively, he is good enough to man up against some top competition. He will not be an elite defender, but he can still give Courtney Lee a lot of help, and the toughness he adds is a big plus.

Offensively, he can hit the three and is tough enough to do some work down low, create some shots, and draw some contact.

A player some are criticizing Morey for not taking is Kawhi Leonard, a forward out of San Diego State. I really am a fan of Leonard—I think he will be an excellent defender in the NBA, something the Rockets coveted.

But he is not nearly as good offensively as Morris, and Morris’s defense is still really good.

I can see where Morey is coming from with the pick.

But I still would have liked to have seen Leonard in Houston.

Johnny Flynn

This is a player I do not think you will see in a Rockets uniform—Marc Stein of ESPN tweeted after the trade that Morey was already shopping him.

If you do see him in a Rockets uniform, do not expect him to crack the Kyle Lowry-Goran Gragic point-guard combo Houston has now. Flynn will be someone Morey will look to deal.

If Houston is unable to deal him, they will have a log jam at the point and a possibly unhappy Johnny Flynn, who would become a distraction.

Chandler Parsons

Morey also got a very good value pick in the second round with Chandler Parsons.

Parsons was the SEC Player of the Year last season as he led Florida to a two seed in the NCAA tournament.

He has shown that he is a good competitor and has an excellent work ethic.

At 6’10” he is a bigger small forward, but he has the ball-handling and shot to justify his playing the position. He has impressed many with his ability to create his own shot and make the long-range jumper with consistency.

He also has good enough quickness to stop penetration and play defense on the wing.

He does lack the strength to play well in the post, but that is something I’m sure Kevin McHale will be able to help him with.

He is projected to be a very good role player at some point in his career. He will provide a spark off the bench for years to come.

Donatas Motiejunas

Donatas Motiejunas was the prize of draft night for Daryl Morey and the Houston Rockets. He was also someone I thought Houston should try and get.

He is a 7'0" power forward out of Lithuania and has an offensive game comparable to Dirk Nowitzki's. (I do not think he is as good as Nowitzki, but their styles are comparable.)

He can shoot the long-range jumper, run very well for a big man, shoot off the dribble, and pass the ball very well.

Defensively, he is better than people think. His size will allow him to cause some trouble down low, and he has show the ability to block shots.

He will have to get stronger to compete on a nightly basis, but he is on his way. He is only 20-years old, after all.

The biggest knock on him is that he does not give his full effort on every play. He can get a bit lazy at times and it’ll show.

But that is something that can get coached away by Kevin McHale and the locker-room environment.

Overall, this guy has a very high ceiling and could turn into a very good offensive threat and develop into a very solid defender.

Whats Next?

Draft night was a very active one for Daryl Morey and the Rockets organization, but this was just the beginning.

Once the upcoming NBA labor dispute ends, Morey will be looking to add a legitimate center to the rotation. Names that keep coming up are Marc Gasol, Samuel Dalembert, Nene, and DeAndre Jordan—Maybe Tyson Chandler if he decides to test the free agent market.

If Chandler is not available I would like to see Marc Gasol or Nene in a Rockets uniform. They are both very good rebounders and defenders of the paint—the type of player Houston desperately needs.

Getting one of them will mean not having to rely on 6’6” Chuck Hayes to play center anymore.

Also, Houston has a lot of guys that they need to figure out what to do with.

Terrence Williams, Hasheem Thabeet, Jordan Hill, and Johnny Flynn really have no futures on this team after draft night—some of them had no futures on this team before draft night—and are expendable assets

All those guys are former top prospects that have not played up to their potentials. What Morey will be able to get for them is beyond me. I’m sure if a center does not come in free agency, those will be names mentioned in potential trades.