Five Rockets' Players Selected in The Athletic's '21-and-under' NBA Draft

Houston's young core seems to have a solid nucleus of talent, as three staff writers at The Athletic picked five Rockets' players in their 21-and-under draft.

Jul 14, 2024; Las Vegas, NV, USA; Houston Rockets forward Cam Whitmore (7) dunks against the Washington Wizards / Stephen R. Sylvanie-USA TODAY Sports

In early August, three staff writers at The Athletic participated in a "21-and-under" draft exercise that saw each participant select a team of eight players who are all under 22-years-old.

In the exercise, four Houston Rockets players were selecting, illustrating that the national media thinks highly of the team's young core.

The first Rockets' player off the board was Alperen Sengun, who was picked with the third overall selection behind Victor Wembanyama and Paolo Banchero. Sengun's positioning as a top-three pick comes after the standout big man averaged 21.1 points, 9.3 rebounds, five assists and 1.2 steals per game in 2023-24.

Sengun's performance earned the 22-year-old a third place finish in Most Improved Player voting last year.

"Sengun established himself as the best player on the Rockets last season and is flirting hard with stardom," Kelly Iko wrote for The Athletic. "I’m sure folks are tired of the Nikola Jokić comparisons, but Sengun is truly an offensive hub with an old-school, back-to-the-basket blend of footwork and post play that can initiate action from anywhere in the half court. Just surround him with cutters, floor spacers and overall high-IQ players and let the Turkish wizard cook."

The next Houston player selected was Jabari Smith Jr., who was the first pick of the third round and the No. 7 selection overall. After struggling some as a rookie, Smith made a huge improvement in year two, averaging 13.7 points, 8.1 rebounds and 1.6 assists per game while shooting 36.3% from beyond the arc on five attempts per game.

From his rookie to sophomore year, Smith's numbers increased in points, rebounds, assists, steals, field goal percentage and 3-point percentage. A reliable shooter from the perimeter at 6-foot-11, Smith possesses a unique skill set that makes the former Auburn star a valuable asset for Ime Udoka and company.

Two picks later, Iko selected Rockets' guard Amen Thompson, who averaged 9.5 points, 6.6 rebounds and 2.5 assists per game while shooting 53.6% from the field. While Thompson hasn't yet developed a consistent 3-point shot, the All-Rookie honoree is an elite athlete who has more to showcase in his game.

After selecting Thompson, Iko picked Houston forward Cam Whitmore at No. 10 overall.

A former coveted recruit who fell in the draft after dealing with injuries in college, Whitmore averaged 12.3 points and 3.8 rebounds per game during his second year in the NBA. Still just 20-years-old Whitmore, like Thompson, still has parts of his game that were prevalent in high school that he has not been able to showcase on an NBA court yet.

The final Rockets' player selected was rookie guard Reed Sheppard, who was the No. 22 overall pick, also by Iko.

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