# Rockets Draft History



## RocketsInFlight (Jul 14, 2002)

<i>Here's a look at all of our draft picks and draft trades over the last 11 years, along with a little commentary:</i>

<b><u>2002:</b></u>
--Drafted <b>C Yao Ming</b> with the 1st Overall Pick.
--Drafted <b>SF Bostjan Nachbar</b> with the 15th Overall Pick.
--Drafted <b>PG Tito Maddox</b> with the 38th Overall Pick.

Analysis: Perfect draft. Everything went as planned. Yao and Nachbar should be starters soon... Maddox is supposedly a steal.

<b><u>2001:</b></u>
--Traded the 13th Overall Pick (<b>SF Richard Jefferson</b>), the 18th Overall Pick (<b>C Jason Collins</b>), and the 23rd Overall Pick (<b>PG Brandon Armstrong</b>) to the New Jersey Nets for the 7th Overall Pick (<b>PF Eddie Griffin</b>).
--Traded a future 1st round pick to the Atlanta Hawks for the 34th Overall Pick (<b>SF Terence Morris</b>).

Analysis: Acquiring Griffin was great. He will be a very good player. We acquired a better center than Collins and possibly a better SF than Jefferson and a better PG than Armstrong in our 2002 draft, so this was an excellent trade... The pick we traded for Morris is very low and very complicated so it’s no big deal. Morris is fine and it made Francis happy. 

<b><u>2000:</b></u>
--Traded the 9th Overall Pick (<b>C Joel Przybilla</b>) to the Milwaukee Bucks for the 15th Overall Pick (<b>C Jason Collier</b>) and a future 1st round pick.
--Traded the 38th Overall Pick (<b>SF Eduarda Najera</b>) and a future 2nd round pick to the Dallas Mavericks for the 31st Overall Pick (<b>SF Dan Langhi</b>).

Analysis: The only bright spot here is the 1st round pick we acquired helped land us Griffin in 2001. We got the better of Milwaukee since neither center is good but we should of taken 1 of the many remaining SFs (unfortunately we didn’t need a SF at the time)... Najera has been able to contribute, something you can't say about Langhi. Interestingly enough we got that pick back though (in the form of PG Kyle Hill) thanks to the Shandon Anderson/ Glen Rice trade.

<b><u>1999:</b></u>
--Traded <b>SG Michael Dickerson</b>, <b>PF Othella Harrington</b>, <b>PG Brent Price</b>, <b>PF Antoine Carr</b>, and a future 1st round pick to the Vancouver Grizzlies for the 2nd Overall Pick (<b>PG Steve Francis</b>) and <b>PF Tony Massenburg</b> in a 3-team trade involving the Orlando Magic. The Magic traded <b>SF Don MacLean</b> and a future 1st round pick to the Rockets and the Grizzlies traded <b>SG Michael Smith</b>, <b>SG Rodrick Rodes</b>, <b>PG Lee Mayberry</b>, and <b>PF Makhtar Ndiaye</b> to the Grizzlies. 
--Drafted <b>PF Kenny Thomas</b> with the 22nd Overall Pick.
--Drafted <b>Tyrone Washington</b> with the 44th Overall Pick.
--Drafted <b>Venson Hamilton</b> with the 50th Overall Pick.

Analysis: Another great trade. We ripped the Grizzlies off so bad. All they have to show for it is Dickerson, they haven't even gotten that pick yet... Thomas was an absolute steal. He's been a very solid backup for 2 seasons then proved he could succeed as a starter last season as well... The other 2 guys never played a game for us.

<b><u>1998:</b></u>
--Drafted <b>SG Michael Dickerson</b> with the 14th Overall Pick.
--Drafted <b>PG Bryce Drew</b> with the 16th Overall Pick.
--Drafted <b>SF Mirsad Turckan</b> with the 18th Overall Pick.
--Drafted <b>SG Cuttino Mobley</b> with the 41st Overall Pick.

Analysis: Good draft, gets a lot of criticism because we passed on Rashard Lewis, but it was still good. Dickerson and Mobley started as rookies, Dickerson helped fetch us Francis and Mobley is a star. We traded Turckan to the New York Knicks for a future 1st round pick and that pick helped us get Griffin. We also traded Bryce Drew to the Chicago Bulls for 2 future 2nd round picks or a future 1st round pick... Lewis would of make this an unbelievable draft but we still did well. 

<b><u>1997:</b></u>
--Drafted <b>SG Rodrick Rhodes</b> with the 24th Overall Pick.
--Drafted <b>C Serge Zwikker</b> with the 30th Overall Pick.

Analysis: This draft didn't benefit us whatsoever but there was nobody available when we picked. The only OK players were Marc Jackson at #38, Alvin Williams at #48, and Chris Crawford at #51 but you can't fault the Rockets for not picking them.

<b><u>1996:</b></u>
--Drafted <b>PF Othella Harrington</b> with the 30th Overall Pick.
--Drafted <b>PG Randy Livingston</b> with the 42nd Overall Pick.
--Drafted <b>Terrell Brown</b> with the 50th Overall Pick.

Analysis: Very good draft considering we didn't have any 1st round picks. Harrington was a very good backup for us, then helped us get Francis. He started in Vancouver and put up good numbers... Livingston gave us 1 fine season as our backup PG and is still around... Brown never played a game for us.

<b><u>1995:</b></u>
--Drafted <b>Erik Meek</b> with the 41st Overall Pick.

Analysis: Same thing as 1997, didn't help us any. No 1st round picks and Meek didn't play 1 game for us. Again, the only players available were Eric Snow at #43, Fred Hoiberg at #52, and Don Reid at #58 and you can't fault the Rockets for not picking them.

<b><u>1994:</b></u>
--Drafted <b>Albert Burditt</b> with the 53rd Overall Pick.

Analysis: We only had the 2nd-to-last pick and picked a guy that never played a game for us. But we missed Mr. Irrelevant, C Zeliko Rebraca (played overseas for a while and is now Detroit's backup).

<b><u>1993:</b></u>
--Drafted <b>PG Sam Cassell</b> with the 24th Overall Pick.
--Drafted <b>C Eric Riley</b> with the 33rd Overall Pick.
--Drafted <b>C Richard Petruska</b> with the 46th Overall Pick.
--Drafted <b>Marcelo Nicola</b> with the 50th Overall Pick.

Analysis: Cassell, like Thomas and Harrington, was another absolute steal, excempt he was even better. He played a very important role on our way to 2 championships, then, along with Horry, brought in Charles Barkley... Riley and Petruska played a season of garbage minutes for us... Nicola never played a game for us.

<b><u>1992:</b></u>
--Drafted <b>PF Robert Horry</b> with the 11th Overall Pick.
--Drafted <b>Ronald Jones</b> with the 41st Overall Pick.
--Drafted <b>Curtis Blair</b> with the 53rd Overall Pick.

Analysis: Horry was a great pick. He was another big part of our championships and brought in Barkley for us... Jones and Blair never played a game for us.

<b><u>Good Picks:</b></u>
#02--Steve Francis (1999)
#07--Eddie Griffin (2001)
#11--Robert Horry (1992)
#14--Michael Dickerson (1998)
#22--Kenny Thomas (1999)
#24--Sam Cassell (1993)
#30--Othella Harrington (#1996)
#41--Cuttino Mobley (1998)

<b><u>Bad Picks:</b></u>
#14--Bryce Drew (1998)
#16--Mirsad Turckan (1998)
#15--Jason Collier (2000)

<b><u>2nd-Rounders and Rhodes:</b></u>
#24--Rodrick Rhodes (1997)
#30--Serge Swikker (1997)
#31--Dan Langhi (2000)
#33--Eric Riley (1993)
#41--Erik Meek (1995)
#41--Ronald Jones (1992)
#42--Randy Livingston (1996)
#44--Tyrone Washington (1999)
#46--Richard Petruska (1993)
#50--Venson Hamilton (1999)
#50--Terrell Brown (1996)
#50--Marcelo Nicola (1993)
#53--Albert Burditt (1994)
#53--Curtis Blair (1992)

<b><u>Incomplete:</b></u>
#01--Yao Ming (2002)
#15--Bostjan Nachbar (2002)
#34--Terence Morris (2001)
#38--Tito Maddox (2002)

*I think Yao and Boki will turn out to be good picks and Morris may if he gets an oppurtunity.

<b><u>Summary:</b></u>
With great picks like Yao, Francis, Griffin, and Horry in the lottery; Dickerson and Nachbar nabbed in the teens; and Thomas, Cassell, Harrington, and Mobley stolen in the 20s and the 2nd round: I think we are 1 of the best teams there is on draft day. Our only major blunder is passing on Lewis for Drew/ Turckan. That's not so bad compared to other teams. There wasn't anyone we could of taken when we picked Rhodes so that can't be called a bad pick exactly. Picking 1 of the SFs over Collier is our 2nd biggest mistake. 3rd is the 2nd half of Drew/Turckan. Then we have a bunch of 2nd rounders that did what they were supposed to--nothing but a couple that have stuck around the league.


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## Hollis (Jun 4, 2002)

great post


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