Rockets Draft: Is Alabama's Brandon Miller A Can't-Miss Prospect?

If the Houston Rockets' lottery pick falls outside of the top selection, is Alabama's Brandon Miller a can't-miss prospect for the Houston Rockets?

HOUSTON — The Houston Rockets, with 13 other teams, will find out their draft positioning on May 16 in Chicago during the NBA Draft Lottery.

The Rockets finished the 2022-23 season tied with the San Antonio Spurs for the second-worst record at 22-60. But following the results of a random drawing held at the NBA’s league office on April 18, the Rockets came away victorious in determining the draft tiebreaker.

Houston will enter the lottery with a 14.0 percent chance to land the No. 1 overall pick. But should Houston come short of the selection, the Rockets cannot fall any further than sixth in the first round.

The top prize in this year's draft is French phenom Victor Wembanyama. But outside of the generational talent, Alabama's Brandon Miller could make for another can't-miss prospect should the Rockets fail to land the No. 1 pick for the third consecutive year.

Outside of an off-court issue, Brandon Miller became the top prospect in college basketball during the 2022-23 campaign. 

As an SEC Player of the Year and Rookie of the Year honoree, Miller led the Alabama Crimson Tide to a 31-6 record and a spot in the big dance in March. He averaged 18.8 points on .430/.384/.859 shooting splits and 8.2 rebounds in 37 career games. 

Miller did not have an impressive outing during the NCAA tournament. But one cannot deny how a lingering groin injury hampered his performance during the tournament.  

But despite a bitter end to his college career, Miller has arguably established himself as the second-best prospect entering the draft. He has excellent size at 6-foot-9 and brings reliable shot-making, defensive versatility and some playmaking capabilities.

Miller showcased his entire skill set as a versatile forward during the Crimson Tide's 78-76 overtime victory against South Carolina. He finished the game with a career-best 41 points on 8-for-12 shooting, 6-for-13 from behind the arc, eight rebounds, three steals and a pair of blocks.

When compared to the rest of the projected top-five prospects, Miller is the only player who will not drastically change the Rockets' lineup due to his ability to play the three. His style of play would be a perfect fit with Houston's young corps — headlined by Jalen Green, Kevin Porter Jr., Alperen Sengun and Jabari Smith Jr.

If the lottery selection falls outside of one, general manager Rafael Stone said the Rockets will "consider" trading the pick due to their desire to add more veteran players. 

But if there is a chance to land Miller during the 2023 NBA Draft, it maybe in the Rockets best interest to reconsider the plan.

---

You can follow Coty M. Davis on Twitter at @CotyDavis_24

Want the latest in news and insider information on the Houston Rockets? Click here

Follow Inside the Rockets on Facebook here

Follow Inside the Rockets on Twitter @InsideRocketsFN

Want even more Houston Rockets news? Check out the SI.com team page here