After finishing at No. 4 in the 2023 NBA draft lottery, the Houston Rockets didn’t land the ultimate prize of No. 1 overall pick Victor Wembanyama, who went to the San Antonio Spurs.
But with two first-round selections, general manager Rafael Stone did add to Houston’s talented young prospect core, headlined by a potential point guard of the future in No. 4 pick Amen Thompson.
Later in the round, the Rockets shocked the NBA world by landing Villanova’s Cam Whitmore at No. 20 overall. Days earlier, Whitmore was believed to be in competition with Thompson!
While the 2023 draft night won’t be quite as memorable in Houston as it was in nearby San Antonio, Stone adapted quite well to the lottery hand he was dealt, and the Rockets emerged with key pieces that may help the franchise take the next step in its ongoing rebuild.
With that in mind, early draft grades from expert analysts across the NBA were favorable. Here’s a look at some of their assessments.