Rockets Continue To 'Infuse' Talent Without No. 1 Pick
HOUSTON — The Houston Rockets entered the draft lottery in May with a 14 percent chance to land the No. 1 pick and the rights to Victor Wembanyama. The 7-foot-4 big man from France was the crown jewel for the 2023 NBA Draft, who analysts touted as the best prospect since LeBron James in 2003.
But similar to the previous two years, the Rockets failed to land the top selection. The draft lottery revealed that Houston had obtained the No. 4 pick for the first time in franchise history. And Thursday night, the Rockets drafted Overtime Elite's Amen Thompson.
According to the Houston Chronicle, the Rockets came one number short during the drawing.
Missing out on the No. 1 pick for three consecutive years would keep several franchises in basketball purgatory. But general manager Rafael Stone left the Toyota Center ecstatic.
As the final draft before Houston moves into phase II of their rebuilding project, Stone believes the Rockets added another prominent young player with the addition of Thompson at four.
"What we are trying to do is build a really good group that can win a championship as a team," Stone said. "You need talent, and you need tons of it. The most important thing about phase I was to infuse the organization with talented young players, and I think we have been able to do a good job of that."
Houston finished with the league's worst record in back-to-back seasons since the start of its rebuild in 2021. The franchise failed to land the No. 1 pick in the previous two drafts but still managed to obtain the core pieces of its foundation.
In 2021 the Rockets drafted Jalen Green with the No. 2 pick while adding Jabari Smith Jr. at three the following year.
Even outside the lottery, the Rockets assembled a prominent young corps. They drafted Alperen Sengun with the No. 16 pick in the 2021 NBA Draft. A year later, Houston landed Tari Eason at 17.
Eason and Sengun were considered steals in their respective drafts, and the Rockets may have struck gold for the third time with the acquisition of Cam Whitmore from Villanova.
Whitmore was a projected top-10 pick but fell to the Rockets at 20. Stone said despite the prospect, each draft has never been about one individual.
"I think we have done a great job of identifying talented guys and putting them in a position where they can succeed. That's my job, to find people who can be really good with time.
"We are really happy. We feel like we have got really two talented guys. And we have improved the potential of our team on the going forward basis. It was a really good day."
By not obtaining the No. 1 pick in two consecutive years, Houston missed an opportunity to draft Cade Cunningham (2021) and Paolo Banchero (2022). And each missed opportunity created an anticipated rivalry between the franchises and their rookie prospects.
Wembanyama's arrival in San Antonio will restore the I-10 feud between the Rockets and Spurs. And Thompson will be at the forefront of the southwest division rival as Wembanyama's draftmate from 2023.
"I haven't even gotten to thinking about that yet," Thompson said. "I'm just excited to play with the Rockets — my new team. San Antonio, we've gotta get through them."
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