The 2023-2024 playoffs are in full swing, but none of this has anything to do with the Rockets, Houston's players have taken an early vacation, and now Stone is waiting for the draft draw.
The 2024 NBA Lotto draw will be held on May 13, Beijing time, and the first round of the draft will be held on June 27, Beijing time, and the second round will be held on June 28, Beijing time.
2024 is considered a small year for the draft, and there is no cornerstone in this batch of rookies.
An NBA executive said unceremoniously in an interview before: The 2024 draft is the worst I've ever seen.
HoopsHype recently interviewed a number of NBA executives and scouts about their thoughts on the 2024 draft. Most scouts agree that this year's draft lacks young players with cornerstone potential, but there are some new stars with immediate potential.
An NBA executive said in an interview that rookies who don't have top talent this year may be disappointed if they want to pick a talent that can greatly improve the team. If a team with a 2024 first-round pick wants to bolster the roster, they can consider trading the pick for immediate power.
The Rockets have a 2024 first-round pick from the Nets, which was acquired in the Harden trade. Judging from the lottery rules, the Rockets have a 20% probability of drawing the top four lots. If you can draw the top four, it will undoubtedly increase the transaction value of this lot.
The Rockets' own 2024 first-round pick was sent to the Thunder in a trade for Willis, and if they finish in the top four, they can protect it, but the probability is only 7%.
Houston reporter Adam Spolane also talked about the fact that the first-round pick is not in his possession, so the Rockets cannot continue to play bad this season, and they have to work hard to win every game.
Jalen Green struggled for most of the season, Ethan only played 22 games, opponents began to target Sengun, Smith Jr. lacked physical confrontation and had no ability to carry the ball, Amen did not shoot, and Whitmore was inexperienced. Van Jordan, who was not as strong as Harden, and Dillon, who was slowly beaten back to his original shape, couldn't support this young Rockets, and in the end, Udoka's dream of making the playoffs came to naught.
Despite this, Udoka still received a lot of recognition from the Houston media, after all, the Rockets' 41-41 record is already significantly more than expected.
The Timberwolves and Thunder have regular season records of 42-40 and 40-42 respectively in the 2022-2023 season, and now these two teams are on fire and are considered the favorites to win the championship.
The young players will grow, they will work together more well, Udoka will learn from the lessons, and theoretically, the Rockets will be stronger next season than this one. So there are Houston media who are optimistic about the future of the Rockets.
Some fans expressed a pessimistic attitude, believing that the Thunder have Alexander, the Timberwolves have Edwards, and the Rockets do not have a cornerstone player right now, neither Alperen Sengun nor Jalen Green have the strength and temperament to be bosses. Some fans suggested that the Rockets send Sengun and Green plus a 2024 first-round pick to the Nets in exchange for All-Stars.
Stone considered trading the No. 2 pick in 2021, the No. 3 pick in 2022 and the No. 4 pick in 2023, but he decided to draft the draft anyway. This year, Stone will also evaluate the possibility of a deal. He previously revealed in an interview that he may not agree to an early contract extension with Sengun and Green this summer.
Sengun has said through social media that he will try to get stronger, Ethan, Whitmore and Amen are also training hard, Jalen Green is at parties and business events, and Smith Jr. is on vacation with his girlfriend. Judging from the results of some small surveys, many Rockets fans are optimistic that Amen, Eason and Whitmore can play, and expressed their disappointment with Green and Smith Jr.