Houston Rockets: 5 options for pick No. 45 in 2017 NBA Draft
Houston Rockets
Mar 11, 2017; Brooklyn, NY, USA; Notre Dame Fighting Irish forward V.J. Beachem (3) dunks during the second half against the Duke Blue Devils during the ACC Conference Tournament Final at Barclays Center. Duke Blue Devils won 75-69. Mandatory Credit: Anthony Gruppuso-USA TODAY Sports
The second pick the Houston Rockets hold in the 2017 NBA Draft is pick at No. 45. Here are five options they could pursue with the selection.
The Houston Rockets hold two picks in the 2017 NBA Draft, neither of which is in the first round. Both, however, are within two picks of one another.
The second pick the Rockets have will be the 45th overall selection. Their other pick is 43rd overall.
The Rockets acquired the 45th pick in a trade with the Portland Trail Blazers back in 2013. The Rockets sent Thomas Robinson, Kostas Papnikolaou and Marko Todorovic to Rip City in exchange for two second round picks.
This trade was part of the cap-clearing escapade general manager Daryl Morey went on so Houston could sign Dwight Howard to a max deal that year.
No. 45 is still an okay spot in the draft as the Rockets may be able to take a gamble with both of their second rounds picks in the hopes of finding a gem. Houston can also draft-and-stash a player in order to create more cap space going into the free agent signing period on July 1.
Some of the prospects in the second round have pronounced weaknesses but have serviceable skills to build off of. A couple of summers in the gym and any one of these players could fit well into the Rockets' scheme.
Remember, some really great players have been drafted in the second round, including Draymond Green (No. 35), Manu Ginobli (No. 57), Isaiah Thomas (No. 60), Marc Gasol (No. 48) and Houston's own Trevor Ariza (No. 33).
As you can tell, the majority of those players were drafted after the 45th spot in the draft, meaning the Houston Rockets have a realistic chance of acquiring a true NBA-caliber player in what's being touted as a deep draft.
Mar 19, 2017; Tulsa, OK, USA; Baylor Bears forward Johnathan Motley (5) dunks ahead of USC Trojans forward Bennie Boatwright (25) during the first half in the second round of the 2017 NCAA Tournament at BOK Center. Mandatory Credit: Brett Rojo-USA TODAY Sports
5. Johnathan Motley, PF/C, Baylor
Johnathan Motley is coming off an impressive season for the Baylor Bears in which he improved his scoring and rebounding tremendously.
In fact, in each of Motley's three seasons at Baylor, his scoring and rebounding saw a significant increase.
| Season | School | G | MP | FG% | 2P% | FT% | TRB | PTS |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2014-15 | Baylor | 34 | 21.5 | .417 | .431 | .625 | 4.2 | 7.7 |
| 2015-16 | Baylor | 34 | 20.9 | .614 | .619 | .607 | 5.1 | 11.1 |
| 2016-17 | Baylor | 34 | 30.5 | .522 | .541 | .699 | 9.9 | 17.3 |
| Career | Baylor | 102 | 24.3 | .520 | .535 | .654 | 6.4 | 12.0 |
Provided by CBB at Sports Reference: View Original Table
The jumps that he's made have been incredible and remind me of a first round pick from a few years ago, Frank Kaminksy. Motley's overall game is nothing like Kaminksy's though, as Motley is more in the mold of a Tristan Thompson.
He goes all out on every play and has great physical measurements, standing 6'9″ with an amazing 7'4″ wingspan and 9'0″ standing reach.
In this league, he projects to be more of a hustle player than anything else. He should be able to crash the glass with a ferociousness matched by few and wreak havoc on opposing players who try to box him out.
On defense, he brings positional flexibility as he can fill in at the 5 for short stretches due to his long wingspan.
Johnathan Motley of @BaylorMBB shooting the ball really well in the mid-range at his Pro Day in LA. pic.twitter.com/UtYZAbg7t3
— Jonathan Givony (@DraftExpress) June 3, 2017
He's also a hard worker and runs the floor extremely hard. His effort also shows up on the offensive glass as he is always looking for that put-back dunk.
The biggest question mark surrounding Motley will be his health. He tore his MCL in his final game against South Carolina. That could bump him from the first round where he was originally projected to go. If he does fall into the Rockets' lap, he will fit well with their group as a hustle player and relentless offensive rebounder.
He isn't able to shoot from beyond the arc, but he can excel in the big man position that is needed on this team.
4. Arnoldas Kulboka, SF, Lithuania
Arnoldas Kulboka is a 19-year-old small forward from Lithuania who is known for his shooting ability.
At 6'9″, Kulboka would be an attractive player to Houston for a number of reasons. The first is that he likely won't come to the NBA right away, meaning that the Rockets can maximize the cap space they have this summer or next, in order to acquire a player to push them over the top.
The second reason is that Kulboka is already known as a good shooter. He can hit shots coming off screens, off one dribble, off two dribbles, and he can even knock down the spot-up jumper. He can do it all.
At his size, he can also run the pick-and-roll as the ball-handler, thus forcing taller players into the unenviable position of fighting through screens.
He will certainly struggle on defense as he doesn't yet have enough muscle to bang with players down low. He will most definitely get pushed around down there a la Ryan Anderson.
He also doesn't possess enough lateral quickness to stay with guards on the perimeter. That makes it difficult for him to fit in anywhere on the defensive end of the court.
The biggest reason he would be a great fit with the Rockets is because of his height and shooting ability. Not many teenagers his height can shoot the ball the way he does. If he is able to further develop his game and add muscle, he may be able to alleviate some of the weaknesses.
Jonathan Givony of DraftExpress gives his outlook on Kulboka:
"Kulboka has significant talent and long-term upside at his disposal with his combination of size, athleticism and outside shooting prowess. When he's rolling and making shots, he shows you some flashes of passing, activity defensively, but is very reactive to the way the game is unfolding. Frame will need to fill out significantly to play a real role in the NBA, especially defensively, something that will likely take at least a few years."
Mar 16, 2017; Greenville, SC, USA; Duke Blue Devils guard Frank Jackson (15) handles the ball during practice for the first round of the 2017 NCAA Tournament at Bon Secours Wellness Arena. Mandatory Credit: Jeremy Brevard-USA TODAY Sports
3. Frank Jackson, PG/SG, Duke
I have no idea why Frank Jackson declared for the draft, but here he is. The 19-year-old freshman out of Duke kept his name in contention and is now projected to be a second round pick. Talk about bad advice.
Frank Jackson talks about his decision to remain in the NBA Draft: pic.twitter.com/m0JFzrsmyi
— Kyle Goon (@kylegoon) May 12, 2017
During Jackson's only year at Duke, he averaged 10.9 points, 2.5 rebounds and 1.7 assists per game while shooting 47.3 percent from the field and 39.2 percent from the three-point line. Also unimpressive for a first round draft prospect.
He then had foot surgery at the end of the season, which basically locks him into the second round. Jackson reminds me a lot of another unimpressive guard to come out of Duke, Austin Rivers.
Jackson is an athletic guard who is stuck in between point guard and shooting guard. He's a good enough shooter to play the 2 but at 6-foot-4, he's undersized.
If you look at moving him to point guard, he might struggle. He doesn't possess tight ball-handling skills, passing vision or the ability to hit his targets on time that most scouts look for.
Jackson does have a 6-foot-8 wingspan, which is about an inch longer than Rivers'. This slight advantage may allow Jackson to guard a stereotypical 2.
Jackson will need to enter the right situation where, offensively, he can play off the ball and focus on being a shooter. Defensively, it will be most beneficial if he teams up with a bigger point who can guard 2s on that end of the floor.
If only the Rockets had a 6-foot-5 point guard…
2. Isaiah Hartenstein, PF/C, Germany
Isaiah Hartenstein could have a bright future ahead of him.
The 7'1″ German will remind people of Dirk Nowitzki simply because of the heritage aspect. However, the similarities end with their abilities to hit the outside shot.
Hartenstein has good shooting mechanics thta will one day help him develop into a good shooter at the NBA level. He also has great ball-handling skills, especially for a seven-footer. This allows him to create his own shot off the dribble from the perimeter.
His ball-handling abilities don't stop with his dribbling skills. It also translates to his passing ability. He has great court vision that allows him to set up his teammates for buckets as well.
Even with his height, Hartenstein plays below the rim as athleticism is not his forte. He's slow-footed and can't defend well on the perimeter or the block. Hartenstein is not likely to come to the NBA right away as he would be immediately placed in the G-League if he did.
If the Rockets select him, he would be a great fit stretching the opposing team's big man on the perimeter once his day comes.
Mar 15, 2017; Buffalo, NY, USA; Notre Dame Fighting Irish forward V.J. Beachem (3) shoots the ball during the practice session for the first round of 2017 NCAA Men's Basketball Tournament. Mandatory Credit: Mark Konezny-USA TODAY Sports
1. V.J. Beachem, SF, Notre Dame
V.J. Beachem would be a tremendous pickup for the Houston Rockets. He is a 6'8″ forward who projects as a 3-and-D wing in his future.
Beachem would be a great replacement for Trevor Ariza. In fact, he could be the next Trevor Ariza. The Ringer's NBA Draft Guide has a best-case scenario for Beachem as, you guessed it, Trevor Ariza.
Beachem played four years at Notre Dame and showed improvement every season. He ended his college career somewhat disappointingly from beyond the arc, as he shot only 36.1 percent last season. He shot above 41 percent each of the previous two seasons.
Regardless, Beachem is being drafted for his shooting ability. He is best when he can catch and shoot, whether that be on spot-ups or coming off screens.
He also knows his limitations and doesn't play outside of his skill-set. He is a surefire role player in the NBA and he will know exactly what that role is.
Notre Dame's V.J. Beachem (@VjBeachem) also showed some nice things at the @BDA_Sports Pro Day. Really bouncy in space. Very smooth stroke. pic.twitter.com/834rGkcrlm
— Jonathan Givony (@DraftExpress) June 2, 2017
On the defensive side of the ball, he should be able to guard multiple positions on the wings due to his size and length. He has a 6'10" wingspan that he will be able to use to his advantage, especially when guarding smaller players.
Beachem isn't a physical player and shies away from contact. That's okay to some degree as he may be able to roam the three-point line in Houston and take advantage of all the attention James Harden attracts.
He's also not the strongest player coming out of college and scouts question his ability to add much more muscle to his wiry frame.
If the Rockets do decide to select him with their 45th pick, he may be able to come in and have an impact right away. That may be hard to accomplish though, as they are stacked on the wings.
Either way, Houston will be lucky to nab any of these five players come June 22.
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