Houston Rockets coach Ime Udoka is a defensive-minded specialist. His rotations and lineups are centered around players who have the ability to get stops.
Even at the expense of the offense, at times. The Rockets’ offense has a tendency to get stagnant, at times.
We’ve seen Kevin Durant bail them out of possessions late in the shot clock, due to a lack of scoring threats. Udoka has built the roster around wings, who are also defensive-leaning (much like he was over the course of his seven year playing career).
The Rockets may lose Tari Eason to restricted free agency, as the two sides were unable to come to terms on an agreement prior to the season. Granted, Houston has the final right to match any offer sheet that Eason receives, but depending on the number, they may choose not to.
In which case, the Rockets would need another two-way wing to replace Eason with. If they find themselves in that predicament and choose to identify the NBA Draft as a means of replacing Eason, the Rockets could choose to turn to the NBA Draft, as they own two second-round draft picks.
In the latest mock draft, concocted by Kevin O’Connor of Yahoo Sports, Houston selects Kentucky wing Otega Oweh. O’Connor delves into Oweh’s player profile.
“As a 6-4 wing with a strong frame, Oweh became one of the best slashing wings in college basketball and had one of the great games of the season with 35/8/7 against Santa Clara in the opening round of March Madness with a buzzer-beater to force overtime. At the next level, though, he doesn’t project to be a primary creator because of his shaky handle and jumper, so the odds are he’ll need to adapt as a role player. Fortunately, he has a ton of those skills as a cutter, connective passer, and versatile defender.”
Oweh is a tough defender. He is fearless on that end and directs traffic, communicating to his teammates. He is also underrated offensively, having led the Kentucky Wildcats in scoring this past season, with averages of 18.6 points on 46.5 percent from the field.
His outside shot is a bit of a work in progress, as he averaged 37.7 percent from deep as a sophomore, 35.5 percent from deep as a junior and 33.3 percent this past season. However, the volume on his outside shots isn’t exactly high, as he attempted just 3.8 three-pointers this past season, which was actually his career high.
He does possess a high motor and can finish at the rim at a high clip, which isn’t surprising, based on his freakish athleticism.
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