Rockets address shooting and defense in latest ESPN mock draft

The 2023-24 NBA season is coming to a close, as the NBA Finals are scheduled to begin on Sunday, June 2. The real fun will begin when the offseason arrives, as many big-name players are expected to change teams.

Not to mention the 2024 NBA Draft, which presents a difficult situation for the Houston Rockets, who received a bit of favor from Lady Luck and landed the third overall pick in last month’s lottery reveal. Rockets general manager Rafael Stone has made it known that the Rockets are open for business and are willing to trade the pick if they find a deal they like.

The Rockets also hold the 44th pick in this year’s draft, which could be a valuable pick, considering the depth of later-round prospects in the class. Many prognosticators have had a hard time predicting what the Rockets would do with the third pick, as we’ve seen mock drafts everywhere with predictions that the Rockets would take several different players (although the most common pick is Donovan Clingan of Connecticut at number three). .

In ESPN’s latest mock draft, the Rockets select Kentucky guard Reed Sheppard, who has not been a popular choice in mock drafts. The author, copywriting expert Jonathan Givony, outlined his reasoning.

“Most teams expect the Rockets to actively pursue trade opportunities, either to move down the standings (with teams like the Portland Trail Blazers, Memphis Grizzlies or Chicago Bulls) or to exit altogether if a major staple — like Mikal Bridges — becomes available unexpectedly.

If Houston stays in third place, continuing to add shots will likely be a priority after finishing at the bottom of the league last season. With that in mind, adding a sharpshooter like Sheppard, who has converted more than half of his 3-point attempts and shown himself capable of making plays with or without the ball, could be interesting. Sheppard’s unselfishness, feel for the game and keen defensive instincts could make him an ideal fit alongside the Rockets’ core. »

The good news is that we won’t have to wait very long to find out what the Rockets will do, since the draft is just over three weeks away!

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