By targeting an unexpected player, Houston could secure a seasoned big man with elite free-throw accuracy to anchor their rotation and rewrite the NBA draft books.
With the Houston Rockets having the 39th and 53rd pick in the draft next week, I’d genuinely consider making history by picking Isaac Johnson from Hawaii. The 7-foot, 240 pound big man is an older player who can come in with some experience, plus size that you can’t teach.
The Rockets arguably saw their best and most consistent play with Şengün playing power forward, so adding another big man could be a plus. He fits right into the role of veteran centers Steven Adams and Clint Capela. He does have one distinct advantage over them though.
He’d automatically be the best shooting center on the team, giving the Rockets a much needed stretch big. While still below league average, his 32.9-percent from deep shows some potential.
He also shot 85-percent from the free throw line in college, despite only averaging 1.8 attempts per game. He did average 4.2 shots in this most recent season and I’m trusting that 88.5-percent.
Houston was tied with the Lakers and Pistons for the fourth lowest averages in the league, at 76.3-percent, per NBA Stats. If the front office is looking for big men, I don’t think that’s a stat they should overlook.
The one big issue with this pick is that he wasn’t born this century. At 28 years old, he’d officially be the oldest pick in NBA history.
It wouldn't be a huge risk for the 53rd pick though, as any one there might be on a Two-Way contract to start their career anyways. Definitely worth taking a look at, rather than letting him go undrafted.
