Tag: 2021 nba draft

Interview: Rockets rookie Josh Christopher ‘addicted to getting better’

In his rookie season, Josh Christopher tells Rockets Wire’s Brian Barefield: “When work pays off, it makes me want to do more. I am addicted to getting better.”

PHOENIX — As I waited near the baseline at Footprint Center for Rockets rookie Josh Christopher to finish his post-practice shooting session, one thing I quickly noticed was that I would be waiting a long time.

The No. 24 overall pick from the first round of the 2021 NBA draft was going through a rigorous spot-to-spot workout with assistant coach Barbara Turner, who constantly shouted out different game-type scenarios every time he moved to a different location on the court.

Once he finished all the drills, I headed over to the sideline to speak with Christopher. I thought the 6-foot-5 guard was finished for the day, especially since he had a game to play that night. Before I could take one step, I heard Houston’s rookie scream out, “Let’s do it again!” 

That is not unusual for anyone who has met the young shooting guard out of Arizona State University, since he has had this type of work ethic dating back to his middle school days in California.

“Josh is one of those guys you have to run off the court sometimes, or he would never leave,” said Turner, who had a similar mindset during her WNBA playing days. “We constantly have conversations about him just working through the process, and being ready when his number is called.”

Christopher said he has figured out early in his young NBA career that hard work and dedication is the key to success. He told me:

As for me, being able to play and earn my spot and earn my minutes in the rotation, just to stay loyal to the grind as I have always been, and to be able to see improvement. I am all about results. You can’t get results if you are not putting the work in. When your work pays off, it makes me want to do more honestly. I am addicted to getting better. I just have to keep working.

In 50 games so far, Christopher is averaging 7.4 points (45.2% FG, 32.2% on 3-pointers), 2.1 rebounds, and 1.7 assists in 16.5 minutes, and he also brings a much-needed spark and intensity to the team on defense.

One may wonder where Christopher’s positive attitude comes from, and how he can handle adversity at such a young age. It starts at home with his father, Laron Christopher, who has always taught Josh to keep his head up and push through the tough times.

“My son has always been one of those people who thrive through adversity,” the elder Christopher said after Houston’s last-second loss at Phoenix. It was an impressive showing for the young Rockets, since the Suns own by far the NBA’s best record. “He knows that tough times don’t last, so he just works harder and harder when things seem difficult.”

Christopher, 20, has had his fair share of ups and downs this season. He was sent down to the team’s G League affiliate, the Rio Grande Valley Vipers, to work on being a better ball handler and facilitator since the Rockets planned on using him at the point guard position on the second unit. He excelled there and returned to the team, ready to handle everything his head coach Stephen Silas put on him.

As his minutes grew, his coaches and teammates could see how hard he had worked, including getting extra shots after games in which he shot poorly. In early February, he scored a career-high 23 points in a loss at San Antonio. Still, adversity struck again when Houston traded with Boston to bring in veteran point guard Dennis Schröder. Christopher’s playing time decreased over the next two games, leading to a combined 21 minutes in those contests and his first scoreless outing in 10 games.

Yet, Christopher is not letting that deter him from the ultimate goal of helping the Rockets (15-43) improve and put together some victories over the next 24 games to end their 2021-22 regular season.

“I am a natural two guard, like I have said before,” Christopher said in Phoenix. “Having a player like Schröder here will allow me to be more versatile. So. I can play the one or the two, allowing me to be all over the floor. Everything has slowed down for me. I have improved my jump shooting, and my confidence is higher. I think I have gotten better as an NBA ballplayer, in general.”

Houston has a demanding schedule following the All-Star break, as six out of the next seven opponents they face are currently in playoff contention. The lone exception is Friday night in Orlando, which is the first game for Christopher and the Rockets after the All-Star hiatus.

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Celtics reportedly had their eyes on Houston’s Alperun Sengun in 2021 draft

Boston had evidently had eyes for the Turkish big man before dealing away the pick used to draft him.

Don’t look now, but word is the Boston Celtics had their eye on Houston Rockets big man Alperun Sengun in the 2021 NBA draft according to new reporting from Heavy.com’s NBA insider Steve Bulpett.

The Celtics did not have a pick to work with in that draft after having dealt it away as part of the trade that sent veteran point guard Kemba Walker to the Oklahoma City Thunder for old friend Al Horford and Moses Brown to kick off the 2021 NBA offseason. But before that had happened, Boston evidently had had eyes for the Rockets big man as a potential draft prospect.

And in an interesting twist of fate, Houston felt the same and ended up using that pick to trade for Sengun in a draft-night deal via the Thunder.

Bucks Giannis Antetokounmpo impressed by Alperen Sengun

“He’s a good player,” said the former two-time NBA MVP. “Takes his time; nothing can speed him up. He might be slow in the post, but he’s effective.

Houston Rockets forward Alperen Sengun received one of the biggest on-court compliments Friday night against the 2021 NBA Finals Champion Milwaukee Bucks. The praise wasn’t verbal, but it spoke volumes to Sengun’s progression in his rookie season thus far.

While Bucks’ superstar Giannis Antetokounmpo had his way on the offensive side of the court in the 123-114 win over the Rockets to end their seven-game winning streak, it would be his defense that saved Milwaukee from losing back-to-back games. The former Defensive Player of the Year was called upon to slow down Sengun, who was wreaking havoc on the Bucks frontcourt.

Early in the fourth quarter, Milwaukee head coach Mike Budenholzer switched Antetokounmpo to the center position in a desperate move to stop Sengun. It isn’t a move the coach likes to make, but it was the only adjustment to prevent the Rockets from winning their eighth game in a row.

The switch also caused havoc on the defensive end of the court for the Rockets as the Bucks ball movement forced Sengun to be matched up against Milwaukee’s quicker frontcourt. With the defensive rotation out of synch, Rockets head coach Stephen Silas had to take Sengun out of the game.

“That’s a first-team all-defensive, defensive player of the year guy that our 19-year-old rookie had to play against,” said coach Silas when asked was the switch a sign of respect to Sengun. “They made an adjustment for him (Antetokounmpo) to guard him. That’s a sign of respect to me for sure.”

Sengun, who was selected with the 16th pick in the 2021 NBA Draft, also received high praises from Antetokounmpo for his performance on the court, finishing the game with 15 points and five rebounds:

He’s a good player. Takes his time; nothing can speed him up. He might be slow in the post, but he’s effective. He’s playing well. He’s playing a lot of minutes off the bench, gives energy to his teammates. He rebounds the ball well. He’s being aggressive, sets good screens. I think the sky’s the limit for him.

While Antetokounmpo was giving the rookie compliments during his postgame press conference, Sengun was also paying his respect to one of the best players in the NBA at the same time.

“I watched him all of the time,” Sengun said after the game. “I watched him in my childhood, long years. It’s giving me really big hope when I play against him like tonight. He is an amazing player. He is unbelievable. I was really happy because I played against him. I was really excited before the game.”

Houston will travel to Memphis on Saturday to take on the Grizzlies to start their three-game road trip.

NBA Twitter reacts to first Jalen Green, Cade Cunningham showdown

Top rookies Jalen Green and Cade Cunningham each broke 20 points in Wednesday’s Rockets-Pistons showdown, and fans loved the intensity.

In a nationally televised showdown involving the top two overall picks from the 2021 NBA draft, it was Detroit’s Jerami Grant who stole the show as the Pistons won at Houston on Wednesday night, 112-104 (recap). Grant’s season-high 35 points sent the Rockets (1-10) to a ninth straight defeat while giving the Pistons (2-8) their second win of the season.

Nonetheless, prized rookies Cade Cunningham and Jalen Green each made a very positive impression. Green led the Rockets with 23 points in 38 minutes, including a memorable dunk after blowing past Cunningham. Meanwhile, Detroit’s No. 1 pick scored 20 points and made 4-of-8 shots (50.0%) from 3-point range, which helped lift his team to the win.

While the two rookies did face each other during 2021 NBA summer league action, this was their first regular-season game versus one another — and the intensity certainly felt like something that could develop into a legit rivalry as the years progress. Here’s a look at highlights of Wednesday’s duel; a sampling of the real-time reaction by fans, media, and players; and details on a looming rematch next month.

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2021 NBA Draft: A complete tracker of every rookie shoe deal

Rookie Wire took a look at the players that have signed endorsement contracts with apparel companies ahead of the 2021-22 season.

With the start of the 2021-22 season approaching, at least a quarter of players drafted in July have inked shoe endorsement contracts with prospective apparel companies.

The endorsement deals are headlined by Detroit Pistons guard Cade Cunningham signing with Nike. The No. 1 overall pick signed what is believed to be the highest-earning shoe deal among all rookie players this year.

Prospects last season signed fewer endorsement contracts with brands due to the coronavirus pandemic. However, apparel companies worked fast this year to sign some of the top prospects with Nike and Adidas doing the majority of the work.

Rookie Wire took a look at those players that have signed endorsement contracts to this point and which companies they will be joining ahead of the 2021-22 season.

Note: The tracker will be updated as new deals are announced

2021-22 NBA rookie scale contract figures for first-round picks

Rookie Wire took a look at the rookie scale salaries for every first-round pick over the next several seasons.

The NBA on Aug. 2 announced that the salary cap for the 2021-22 season would be $112.414 million. When the salary cap was set, the salaries of the incoming rookie class were also locked in.

Contracts for rookies are each slotted based on where they were drafted. The amount is tied to a certain percentage of the salary cap and fluctuates each season. Players can sign for as much as 120% and as little as 80% of the rookie scale so each contract can be different.

While the amount of each contract is locked in, agents can negotiate different conditions for their clients. Some players will take salary advancement payments and others can negotiate when they will be paid throughout the season.

With training camp set to begin later this month, Rookie Wire took a look at the rookie scale salaries for every first-round pick over the next several seasons.

Salary figures courtesy of Spotrac

Pick Year 1 Year 2 Year 3 Year 4 Qualifying Offer
1 $8,375,100 $8,794,000 $9,212,700 $11,617,215 $15,102,379
2 $7,493,500 $7,868,100 $8,243,000 $10,402,666 $13,575,479
3 $6,729,300 $7,065,600 $7,402,300 $9,356,507 $12,275,737
4 $6,067,100 $6,370,600 $6,673,800 $8,442,357 $11,135,469
5 $5,494,200 $5,768,700 $6,043,500 $7,657,115 $10,153,334
6 $4,990,000 $5,239,400 $5,489,300 $6,960,432 $9,285,217
7 $4,555,300 $4,783,300 $5,010,600 $6,363,462 $8,533,403
8 $4,173,200 $4,381,900 $4,590,600 $5,839,243 $7,871,300
9 $3,836,100 $4,028,000 $4,219,800 $5,376,025 $7,284,514
10 $3,644,300 $3,826,600 $4,008,500 $5,110,838 $6,960,961
11 $3,462,000 $3,635,200 $3,808,400 $5,053,747 $6,918,579
12 $3,289,000 $3,453,600 $3,618,000 $4,985,604 $6,860,191
13 $3,124,600 $3,280,800 $3,436,900 $4,911,330 $6,792,370
14 $2,968,400 $3,116,800 $3,265,400 $4,836,057 $6,726,956
15 $2,819,700 $2,960,800 $3,101,700 $4,754,906 $6,647,359
16 $2,678,900 $2,812,900 $2,947,000 $4,520,698 $6,351,581
17 $2,544,800 $2,672,200 $2,799,400 $4,299,878 $6,071,428
18 $2,417,700 $2,538,500 $2,659,400 $4,090,157 $5,803,933
19 $2,308,800 $2,424,300 $2,539,800 $3,911,292 $5,577,502
20 $2,216,300 $2,327,100 $2,437,900 $3,759,242 $5,386,993
21 $2,127,600 $2,234,200 $2,340,600 $3,728,576 $5,372,878
22 $2,042,600 $2,144,800 $2,246,900 $3,696,151 $5,352,026
23 $1,961,100 $2,059,300 $2,157,000 $3,660,429 $5,325,924
24 $1,882,700 $1,976,800 $2,071,000 $3,622,179 $5,295,626
25 $1,807,300 $1,897,500 $1,988,100 $3,580,568 $5,259,855
26 $1,747,400 $1,834,500 $1,922,000 $3,465,366 $5,114,880
27 $1,696,900 $1,781,800 $1,866,700 $3,367,527 $4,994,042
28 $1,686,500 $1,771,000 $1,855,300 $3,348,817 $4,989,737
29 $1,674,200 $1,757,800 $1,841,800 $3,324,449 $4,986,674
30 $1,662,100 $1,745,200 $1,828,500 $3,300,443 $4,950,664

This post originally appeared on Rookie Wire! Follow us on Facebook!

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Photos: First-round picks wear official jerseys for the first time

The rookie class sports their official jerseys for the first time in a photoshoot from Las Vegas.

The Las Vegas Summer League gave the basketball world its first look at the incoming rookie draft class and the event offered a highly competitive product on the court.

From top to bottom, the first-year players put forth some great performances throughout the festivities from the University of Nevada, Las Vegas. Based on some of their performances, this season should be a very entertaining one from the newest NBA players.

The event also gave us the first look at those players in their new, official jerseys. The rookies each took part in a photoshoot from Las Vegas in their new threads, which should give fans just enough excitement to hold them over until the start of the season.

Rookie Wire went through and found some of the best photos from those players selected in the first round during that recent photoshoot from summer league.

Jalen Green says he felt much more comfortable in Houston than Detroit

Though Jalen Green wanted to be the No. 1 overall draft pick, he tells Yahoo’s Chris Haynes that he prefers living in Houston over Detroit.

Though prized rookie Jalen Green wanted the prestige of being the No. 1 overall draft pick in 2021, it seems he did not want the location.

In a new interview with Chris Haynes of Yahoo Sports, the No. 2 selection by the Rockets explained his preference for Houston as a city over Detroit — which selected Cade Cunningham at the draft’s top spot.

After working out with both franchises in each of their respective locations prior to the draft, here’s what the 19-year-old told Haynes:

I wanted to be the No. 1 pick, but as for the location, I didn’t want to be in Detroit. I felt a lot more comfortable in Houston. It felt like a real homie environment. With Detroit, it felt like I was just going back to the G League bubble, and I just got out of the bubble. That’s pretty much what it was.

In the [G League] bubble, I didn’t really have anything to do but just stay in the gym. I didn’t have any time to get away for myself. The only time I had to get away for myself was in my apartment. That’s what it felt like in Detroit. I wouldn’t be stepping outside in Detroit. There are not many things you can do in Detroit like that. You’re going to stay in the gym and then go back to your apartment.

By population, Detroit ranks as America’s No. 27 city in the latest U.S. Census figures, whereas Houston is much larger at No. 4 in the country. Michigan also has much harsher winter seasons, which is when the NBA is always in full swing, relative to the Texas Gulf Coast.

In three summer league games last week, which included an impressive win over Cunningham and the Pistons, Green averaged 20.3 points and 4.3 rebounds in just 24.1 minutes and produced shooting percentages of 51.4% overall, 52.6% on 3-pointers, and 92.9% on free throws.

That Rockets-Pistons game was unusually intense for summer league, and Green’s latest comments may add further fuel to the fire when the two teams meet again in the 2021-22 regular season. Though the franchises are in different conferences, their new star guards have competed for top honors going back to their days in the same high school class, and it appears that both are ready to keep that battle going in the NBA.

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Why ESPN’s Stephen A. Smith prefers Jalen Green to Cade Cunningham

Stephen A. Smith: “When you’re evaluating talent, mindset is a huge deal. How bad do you want it? Jalen Green seems to be that kind of guy.”

Longtime NBA analyst Stephen A. Smith has seen his share of star players over decades covering the league. So when he was asked recently on ESPN’s “First Take” to predict who would become the better professional player between the top two rookies from the 2021 draft class, Smith’s comments drew plenty of attention, as they often do.

It’s not merely that Smith chose Jalen Green, the No. 2 selection in the first round by the Houston Rockets, over top pick Cade Cunningham (of the Detroit Pistons). What’s most noteworthy is his rationale in doing so: Smith says he sees something special in Green’s character.

Among his extended comments:

I look for three things. Obviously, I’m looking for your size and athleticism. I’m looking for whether or not you have a perimeter shot, because in today’s game that truly does matter.

The other thing I’m looking for is a want it, a go-get-it mentality. I look at Jalen Green, when he gets on the court and competes, I see a guy that seems to have a little something extra, that you don’t teach. Not just talent-wise, but he wants it bad. And he doesn’t want to just be good and win. He wants to be the reason you win. He wants to be a star.

We hear a lot of people say that, but we don’t see it when we’re watching them. I see that when I watch Jalen Green.

“When you’re evaluating talent, your mindset is a huge deal,” Smith says of Green, a supremely athletic 6-foot-6 guard who is only 19 years old.

“How bad do you want it? Jalen Green seems to be that kind of guy, and that’s what I’m noticing.”

In three summer league games, Green averaged 20.3 points and 4.3 rebounds in just 24.1 minutes and produced shooting percentages of 51.4% overall, 52.6% on 3-pointers and 92.9% on free throws. He’s expected to miss Houston’s final two games due to a sore hamstring, so the next time fans are likely to see Green on the court is when the Rockets begin training camp for the 2021-22 season in late September.

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Former Longhorn Greg Brown III signs with the Portland Trail Blazers

Greg Brown III agreed to deal with the Portland Trail Blazers on Thursday.

After being selected by the New Orleans Pelicans in second round of the 2021 NBA draft, former Longhorn Greg Brown III was traded to the Portland Trail Blazers in exchange for cash considerations.

It was not a certainty that he would make Portland’s NBA roster, but Brown had to take advantage of the opportunity that the Trail Blazers were giving him.

On Thursday, after a few solid days in Las Vegas for the NBA summer league, the Trail Blazers announced that they had signed the 19-year-old rookie to an NBA contract.

The athletic youngster came to Texas ranked as a five-star and showed a lot of promise, but did not have the college career he was projected to. That didn’t stop Brown from seizing his summer league opportunity, and making the most out of his bench role.

In about 18 minutes per game, Brown has averaged 10 points on 54% shooting, 4 rebounds, and 1 steal per game. He has been all over the floor making plays on both sides of the ball, and the Blazers took notice. Here is one of his best plays of the summer that saw him block former teammate Kai Jones’ three point attempt, and then take the ball in transition and throw down a monster dunk.

Brown will be a very nice depth piece on a Portland team that is looking to contend in the west, unless they trade Damian Lillard.