Houston Rockets select Sam Dekker with 18th pick

The Houston Rockets didn't choose a point guard like literally everyone expected with the 18th pick in the NBA Draft, instead getting a wing with terrific size in Wisconsin's Sam Dekker.

Dekker is 6-foot-9 and 21 years old with good bulk and a good frame. He can shoot from deep, penetrate and has elite athleticism. Plus, he was one of the two key cogs on a Wisconsin team that got all the way to the Final Four two years in a row, including the national championship game in his junior season in 2015.

Everyone and their mother thought the Rockets would select Tyus Jones, the analytical darling who filled a gaping hole at point guard. It seemed Daryl Morey was just trying to keep everyone guessing and will address point guard through free agency or the trade market. Dekker could fill a role as an off-the-bounce creator from the bench, and serve as insurance in case one or both of Corey Brewer and Josh Smith doesn't return next year.

Here's DraftExpress on Dekker:

Dekker has great physical tools for a NBA small forward, starting with excellent size 6-9, a very good frame (weighed at 229 pounds) and strong athletic ability. He is fluid and mobile with good quickness and the ability to play above the rim with relative ease. The only area where he doesn't stand out in as in terms of his wingspan, which measured only 6-10 at the Nike Skills Academy this past summer.

One of the most versatile and efficient offensive players in the college game, Dekker does a little bit of everything, even if he doesn't truly excel in any one area. He is good in transition, can attack his man off the dribble, moves off the ball intelligently, crashes the offensive glass, and can make an open jumper, giving him many different ways he can contribute to a NBA team early on in his career.

Honestly, the more I think about it, the more I like this pick. The Rockets sorely lacked an offensive player off the bench in the playoffs, and Dekker has game. The idea that a point guard chosen at 18 could reasonably start on a championship team was always a pipedream. Tyus Jones may yet fall to the Rockets at 32, which would be fantastic, but I'd much rather chase a George Hill or Ty Lawson in the trade market than bank on a rookie next year.