Images via Getty Image
July 13th
The Rockets had one of the more interesting seasons’ last year, mainly off the court, losing their General Manager, moving on from their head coach and trading away their two star players signifying they were going into full rebuild mode. The Rockets were still able to get some pieces to work with trading Westbrook and Harden. The Rockets got John Wall and a future lottery protected pick for trading Westbrook. In a bizarre four-team trade, the Rockets got a few players, most notably Victor Oladipo who they then later traded away, and a slew of first-round picks, all unprotected. The Rockets also managed to grab the very talented Kevin Porter Jr from the Cavaliers only giving up a protected 2nd round. Going into full rebuild, there weren’t many expectations from this team this past season as they ended up finishing with the worst record in the league at 17-55 and had the top 3 chances to get the No.1 pick. Draft Lottery night came, and even though it wasn’t the first pick the Rockets may have been hoping to get, the Rockets still were able to stay in a great position getting the 2nd overall pick in what is a very talented and deep draft.
Fast forward to today and the Rockets could have a pretty interesting decision to make. The Pistons got the 1st pick and it’s almost certain that they’ll take Cade Cunningham (because why wouldn’t you), and with lots of film studying and breaking down these prospects, the gap between Mobley and Green seems to have shrunk since the G-league ignite season ended. Here today I break down whether Mobley or Green should be taken with the 2nd pick in the 2021 NBA Draft.
Evan Mobley is a 7-foot 210lbs Forward who had a terrific season at USC. Mobley shut down almost any doubts about his game coming out of High School and solidifying himself as one of the top prospects in this draft. Mobley has elite size with a 7-4 wingspan and in a league that is potentially shifting to 7-footers who can put the ball on the floor and play-make for themselves and their teammates, Mobley could excel down the line. Mobley has a great feel for the game and has great touch around the rim. Mobley can do it all on the defensive side of the ball as he was one the top shot-blockers in the nation last season ranking in the top 10 collegiality averaging nearly 3 blocks per game. What makes Mobley even more special on the defensive side of the ball is he can guard on the perimeter and switch onto guards with no problem. Mobley is great at moving his feet and hips and defensive IQ made him a beast on the defensive side of the ball. Offensively, he was very limited and didn’t show too much of an outside game, only shooting around 30% from 3 on 1.4 attempts. Even with that, Mobley averaged 16.4 points a game and showed flashes that he could be a terrific playmaker averaging almost 2 and a half assists per game. For the Rockets, Mobley could come in right away and be a starter from day 1 and play alongside Christian Wood to make a very fun and talented front court. Mobley would excel in the PnR with John Wall and Kevin Porter Jr. Lastly, Mobley would bring defensive intensity to this Rockets team that ranked in the bottom 10 in a handful of team defensive stats.
Jalen Green is probably the most well-known prospect in this class and has some of the most unreal highlight tapes you’ll find in this class. At 6-5 172Ibs with a 6-7 wingspan, the high-flying combo guard shifted basketball at the next level after High School announcing he would play for the newly made G-league development program forgoing college and basically playing pro basketball. With his trendsetting decision, multiple top recruits in his class decided to join him including potential top-5 pick Jonathan Kuminga. Green showed how impressive of a scorer he was in the G-league averaging almost 18 points per game on 61% TS and 53% on eFG. Using his athleticism and creativity, Green found ways to get his shots and was a three-level scorer. Green showed flashes of his potential being a consistent shooter and playmaker, and playing against guys who have played in the NBA, showing any kind of flashes of your game is a great sign. Defensively, Green had flashes of playing passing lanes and being a very sound and good team-defender. Green is one of those players in this draft who’s floor isn’t necessarily that low considering how much upside and potential he has. Green could come in for the Rockets and be a very solid two-way guard. Go watch some Jalen Green and Kevin Porter Jr highlights and then ask yourself “Who wouldn’t want that as their backcourt for the next decade?”
The Rockets are in a great position and I think no matter who they pick whether it’s Green or Mobley, they’ll help make this rebuild go just a bit faster with their potential as star players. If I had to make the decision though, I would take Mobley. Mobley’s upside is just way too fascinating to pass up on, he has that “Unicorn” type of potential. The only thing I see that’s holding back Mobley to being that complete “Unicorn” player is his ability to knock down outside shots, but I’m not too worried about it as I see him developing that shot once he gets into the NBA. I’m going to get a little bold here and say I see a lot of Anthony Davis when he came out of Kentucky in Mobley. No, I am not making the comparison, but two guys who were defensive juggernauts who came into the league with mostly just a post-up game and scored lots of point off putbacks, and who could hit mid-range shots here and there, while also having the feeling they could develop a outside shot at some point.
Comments