If there was one glaring flaw in the Houston Rockets team that made an incredible run to the Western Conference Finals, it was there lack of point guard depth. They were starting career shooting guard Jason Terry at the point after the injury to their starter Patrick Beverly. With Beverly becoming a free agent, it seemed the Rockets should clearly be leaning towards a point guard with this pick.
Instead, they chose to take Sam Dekker with the 18th pick. Dekker is a good prospect and an excellent athlete. His greatest asset is his ability to score in transition, which should help James Harden, who likes to push at every possible opportunity. You can see how Houston would justify the pick, but it is the wrong one.
Tyus Jones was still available and made sense. He’s a great complement to Harden. Jones’ greatest strengths are the fact that he is a true point guard who likes to set up his teammates and takes care of the ball. In nearly 34 MPG last season, Jones averaged less than two turnovers. One of Harden’s most overwhelming criticisms is his tendency to dominate the ball and turn it over.
Jones is someone who could have taken pressure off of Harden in the half court. Instead, it seems Houston will gamble in free agency on their next point guard. The Houston Rockets took a good prospect. They just took the wrong one.