Houston Cougars standout Emanuel Sharp offers the relentless range and defensive grit Ime Udoka craves, providing a homegrown solution to fix the Rockets' struggling perimeter offense.
It’s no secret that the Houston Rockets are in need of some shooting, as it seemed to be one of their biggest flaws this past season. With that in mind, it’ll be hard to find elite sharpshooters in the second round. They’re a hot commodity around the league.
There are still some potentially great fits for Rafael Stone to bring into the organization this week, with one of them not even having to leave the city.
Emanuel Sharp played all four years with the Houston Cougars, so he should have no problem adjusting to a new place. With NIL money, he might not even have to find a new home, as he’s already established here.
Aside from those off-court conveniences, his play in between the lines is intriguing as well. Despite being 6’3” he definitely plays bigger than his size, using his 208 pound frame to his advantage on both ends. I think it’s safe to say Ime Udoka would love his defensive abilities.
On the other end of the court, he’s never afraid to shoot it from anywhere in the building. And I mean anywhere. That’s incredibly important for a Rockets team who shot the third least long balls per game last season.
Just simply having the threat of having someone willing to shoot the ball will open the offense up, and he moves great without the ball. Not to mention a lightning quick release.
It makes sense why he’s been compared to guys like KCP, Tim Hardaway Jr. and Devin Vassell. All of them are very solid role players and above average, but not elite shooters. They’re ready and willing shooters though.
Sharp has always personally reminded me of Gary Trent Jr. and I don’t think it’s just because of their hairstyle and tattoos.
He shot 37.6-percent from beyond the arc through four seasons in college, compared to Trent’s 38.7-percent in the NBA. Trent is also the only player mentioned to be a second round pick, which is where Emanuel Sharp should land.
One thing I kept noticing when comparing him to NBA veterans is that he’s two inches shorter than all of them. The guys mentioned are each 6’5” and the same 200-210 pounds, which might make a difference in the big leagues.
We’ve seen plenty of 6’3” shooters get their shot off without any issues though, as he’s already comfortable extending his range and utilizing a super quick release. We see Reed Sheppard getting his looks with less height and weight on his side.
I don’t personally see the size of Emanuel Sharp being the deciding factor here, so he’s definitely a very solid option for the Rockets on Wednesday.
