No. 2. Houston Rockets: C Evan Mobley – USC
The Houston Rockets will keep their first-round pick in the 2021 NBA Draft should the pick land 1-4. If the pick is the 5th overall or 6th overall selection this year though, this pick will convey over to the Oklahoma City Thunder stemming from the Russell Westbrook to the Rockets deal made back in 2019.
Should the Rockets keep their pick, which it is looking more and more likely that they will, then selecting Evan Mobley should be a no-brainer move for them. Mobley is the best big man in the 2021 NBA Draft class and for good reason.
The 7-foot center dominated every team he played while at USC and helped lead the Trojans to their first Elite-8 appearance since 2001. Not only is his length and frame exactly what teams look for in a big man prospect, but Mobley has an insanely high basketball IQ and is extremely elusive for a center.
You could easily make a case that Evan Mobley is the best player in the 2021 NBA Draft class and for good reason. He is fast, he is agile and he is extremely crafty with the ball in his hands, making him virtually impossible to stop offensively, especially in the low-post. He has excellent footwork and touch around the rim and he is an elite-level rebounder.
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Evan Mobley is not a “big bruiser” center like Andre Drummond or Dwight Howard, but there are some similarities between Mobley’s game and that of both Julius Randle and a young LaMarcus Aldridge. It is tough to find a true, spot-on comparison for Mobley because his size, mobility and skill for a big man is something we have not really seen before in the NBA.
His 7’4” wingspan allows him to contest virtually any shot and while he is not a bulky center, he plays physical defensive and is always aggressive going up for rebounds on either end of the court. There really are no weaknesses to Evan Mobley’s game, which is why he is one of the most intriguing prospects entering the NBA.
With Christian Wood in the frontcourt for the Rockets, playing Mobley alongside him could quickly make Houston an extremely tough interior-focused team to stop. Wood has the ability to play the power-forward position and with Evan Mobley as the center, the Rockets rebuild could quickly come to an end, especially with John Wall healthy and playing at a high-level at the point guard position.
After trading away James Harden, many believed the Rockets would be facing a long, up-hill journey to gain relevance in the Western Conference back, but with a projected Top-3 pick in the 2021 NBA Draft, as well as one or two other first-round picks later on, the Rockets could easily become a young, hungry team that could contend for a playoff spot sooner than later.
With John Wall, Christian Wood, Kevin Porter Jr, Jae’Sean Tate and the potential addition of Evan Mobley, the Houston Rockets would have something going for them and be able to quickly turn themselves back into a threat in the Western Conference.
