The much-watched NBA lottery has ended, and the Houston Rockets are very lucky, and the Nets' first-round draft pick in their hands has finally been determined as a pick. Although it is recognized as a small year of the draft, whether it is left for personal use or as an asset for follow-up operations, at least the Rockets have taken the initiative a lot.
Local media outlet Ringer simulated the draft list, in which the Rockets are in the pick, and are expected to pick up rising star Nikola Topic from Serbia. In addition, the Rockets are the 44th pick in the second round, and they can consider 21-year-old guard Hunter Salis from Wake Forest University to increase the depth of the roster.
The reason why the Rockets got the scout lottery was essentially to send James Harden to the Nets that year, and one of the first-round picks they got could be cashed out this year, but the Nets were really not competitive, ranking 11th in the East, and they didn't even make the play-offs, and finally made a wedding dress for the Rockets. Judging from the current draft market, Nikola Topic has a high probability of being in the top three, probably behind Alexander Sarr and Zachary Risaccher, the rising star from Serbia's backcourt, who could become the next Goran Dragic. With the Rockets now having Fred VanVleet, Nikola Topic doesn't have that much pressure on him to start off the bench and just need to be a qualified mainstay during his rookie contract.
From a technical point of view, Nikola Topić is similar to most European players in that he has a solid foundation and all-round skills, and is very good at using his golf quotient. Of course, the NBA league emphasizes physical confrontation and defensive intensity, and Nikola Topic may not be comfortable in this regard, at least at first, there will be some struggles, because Nikola Topic is relatively thin, and the defensive end will even be used as a breakthrough, which is his objective problem at this stage.
As for Hunter Salis, this choice is relatively safe, and the second-round pick was originally in the early years, which is better than nothing. Hunter Salis, who averaged only 4.5 points, 2.2 rebounds and 1.4 assists per game last season, has improved rapidly since moving to Wake Forest University, and has become the team's main point of attack, and Hunter Salis will also have a big role on the defensive end, and if he can quickly provide instant power, he should be favored by the Rockets coaching staff, especially coach Amy Udoka.