Stone, Rockets not ‘locked in’ on who to take at No. 2

We are eight days away from the NBA Draft, but general manager Rafael Stone has yet to decide what the Houston Rockets will do at number two.

As reported today by the Houston Chronicle at the Houston Food Bank, Stone has still not decided on the number two pick for the 2021 NBA Draft.

There has been a ton of media traffic from Chad Ford the draft expert that the Houston Rockets will select Jalen Green. In another discussion, 7’0 ft center Evan Mobley has a slight chance too.

A week ago, Jalen Suggs made a slight discretion on the Rockets’ analytics team while the scouts of the team marveled over Green’s explosive scoring ability. The analytics team even loved Mobley’s playmaking ability at his height. As he can distribute from the 1-5 pick-and-roll, as the point guard in the two-man action. Mobley can defend from everywhere on the court, including run in transition during a fast break. During his tenure at USC, Mobley led the Trojans to the Elite 8 while averaging 16.4 points, 8.7 rebounds, and 2.9 blocks per game. He even shot 57.8 percent from the field.

But besides the urgent news, Stephan Silas and Stone touched basis on what the players from the Rockets are up to this summer. As the spectators saw Kevin Porter Jr. have a smooth athletic showing in a basketball tournament in Chicago, workouts from Christian Wood and KJ Martin, and Jae’Sean Tate explosive basketball runs inside different gym.

Stone and Silas had visits with KPJ, Tate, Wood, and John Wall while they endure their workouts in different locations. Silas enjoyed his time watching Wood workout in Miami while Stone had a slight discussion with Porter over lunch, which dealt with his future. Silas said:

”I’ve spent a lot of time with all the guys this summer. Jae’Sean has been in most of the summer, Kevin Porter Jr has been in most of the summer. Christian Wood is in Miami, I went to visit him in Miami.”

Stone explained the team’s upside and how they fit well together in locker room. He elaborated on Porter’s upside towards the future and his excitement watching him play point guard this season. Stone said:

“Kevin’s talented enough that he’s position less. I do believe his best skill right now is passing. His court vision, his handle allows him to make plays for others that is already at a near elite level.”

“He’s a really big, really athletic guy, and so he can make plays on and off the ball. He can do a lot, he’s a really talented basketball player who needs to become a really good basketball player and I feel good about his progress since he’s been with us.”

Silas and Stone want to recover from the injuries this past season so they can see the true rebuild. It was frustrating for Silas, as he generated a ton of starting lineups. Stone is extremely optimistic that the players will be healthy so they can see their true potential. He realized injuries impacted everybody in the NBA due to COVID-19 as well. Stone said:

“You should not get hurt. That is the lesson from this year, and I learned that from our regular season. It turns out injuries are really, really difficult.”

Hopefully, the Rockets make the right decisions inside this year’s draft and the players on the current roster stay healthy and continue to grow.