Rockets Reporter Suggests Franchise Made Heartbreaking Mistake During Draft

The Houston Rockets are ready and willing to move on from the third pick in this year’s draft. General manager Rafael Stone made that clear.

But it takes two to tango. And it will be difficult to find a dance partner based on this year’s draft.

Granted, talk of this year’s draft class being worthless is blatant and vastly exaggerated, but there’s no franchise cornerstone this time around.

It always comes back to scouting.

The Rockets are looking for a more established player, however.

Which will be a daunting task this year.

Stone’s admission that the pick is available has led to many mock trades, as the assumption is that the front office will part with the pick. If they keep it, however, a wide variety of outcomes could result.

Credentialed media member Lachard Binkley made a rather surprising recommendation with the third pick (assuming the Rockets keep him).

“When you pick number three overall, you’re looking for a player that fills a specific need and a player that could one day be more than just a really good role player, and that’s where Buzelis comes in.

The Rockets, of course, have Alperen Sengun, one of the best offensive centers in the league, and with Steven Adams in the mix for next season, the center position is one of Houston’s strongest areas. Yet they are missing a versatile forward who can not only score inside, but also regularly take his man off the dribble.

Buzelis is one of the most versatile players in the draft.

The 6’10 big can score from mid-range in the paint and has good enough handles to knock his defender off the rebound consistently. He is a good transition scorer and has a high basketball IQ. Constantly moving and scoring with the ball is a valuable skill for any team. Even on the defensive end, Buzelis showed he can stay in front of a running back and not be a traffic cone on that side.”

The Rockets have been looking for a big man since they traded Clint Capela. However, it would be a major mistake to draft Buzelis at number three. Binkley will have to be wrong on this point.

Want to join the discussion? As Inside the rockets on Facebook and Follow us on twitter to stay up to date with all the latest Rockets news. You can also meet the team behind the cover.