NBA Draft: Houston Rockets 'Worst Fit' For Projected Top Five Prospect

The Houston Rockets selections across popular mock drafts have remained consistent -- it's been one of Kentucky's Reed Sheppard or UConn's Donovan Clingan.

Sheppard seems like an immediate fit and instant contributor, should that be the selection. He's an athletic floor spacer capable of making the right play and knocking down shots at an efficient clip.

Would Clingan be a good fit in Houston, though? Bleacher Report took a look at the best and worst fits for lottery projected prospects, which included Clingan. They claim the worst lottery fit for him would be the Rockets.

"Dig deeper into the fit, and you'll see the Rockets don't have an opening at the 5, where ascending star Alperen Şengün just ranked second on the squad in minutes, shots and assists. You'll also notice Houston is already squeezed for spacing and could get even more cramped as it expands the role for non-shooting playmaker Amen Thompson," Bleacher Report wrote.

Evidently, the only way a Clingan fit would work would be some movement on the roster. As Bleacher Report alluded to, there is overlap with Sengun. Moving on from Sengun would clear the pathway to add the 7-foot-2 center to the starting lineup.

See, Sengun is vying for the top option within the Rockets' offense while contributing little to the team's defensive scheme. Clingan would embody the culture and defense-first mentality, while also clearing the way for Jalen Green and Fred VanVleet to be creators in the offense without playing through the center.

Should the team hold onto Sengun, though, and keep their pick -- expect Sheppard or another prospect to sport a Rockets jersey this fall. Of course, Sheppard's best fit happened to be the Rockets, which makes sense given the consistent mocks sending him to Houston.

Either way, the Rockets have decisions to make and a direction to take and the 2024 NBA Draft will be a catalyst in the team doing so.

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