LUCK OF THE DRAW
What the future holds for Wall & Olynyk could come down to this for Rockets
Apr 15, 2021, 4:35 pm
LUCK OF THE DRAW
The Houston Rockets have a ton of decisions to make and this offseason is huge because of the NBA Draft and potential signees. Rafael Stone must make critical decisions in the summer regarding Kelly Olynyk and John Wall. Should they re-sign Olynyk, and should they look to trade John Wall?
Honestly, in my opinion, the draft positioning is key for the Rockets' front office. If the Rockets perhaps land the first pick, Cade Cunningham of Oklahoma State is the selection, and the second pick would be Evan Mobley of USC. Cunningham would be a perfect match with Kevin Porter Jr. and Mobley would be a great fit working in combination with Christian Wood.
The Rockets have been watching how Porter and Wall play together, and the same can be said for Olynyk and Wood. Both combinations have played well together and enjoy each other's company on the court. These pairings for the Rockets could be experiments for Cunningham or Mobley.
Wall and Porter average 19.5 minutes, 46.6 points, 10.7 assist and shooting 47% from the field, while playing on the same court. These two have played well together by pushing the tempo and sharing the point guard responsibilities. It's easy to tell that Wall is pushing Porter to learn the point guard position more because of their dialogue on the bench. Porter has become a combo guard instead of a wing player.
Cunningham would be the perfect fit for Porter. He brings defense, scoring, playmaking, and leadership. His biggest strengths on defense are fighting over picks, so he can stay with his matchup. Cunningham shot the three-ball at 40 percent in college, and the Rockets need shooting desperately. He would easily improve the Rockets' shooing in the backcourt.
40 percent at shooting the three-ball ✍🏾 #Rockets My film session. https://t.co/SnTiLa3U3n— Zach Allen (@Zach Allen) 1618459484.0
A quick reminder, Cunningham is 6'7 with a 7'0 ft wingspan as a guard. Having a tall athletic point guard that can see the floor well with good ball handling could pay huge dividends. He averaged 20 points per game with Oklahoma State. His best skill set is elevating the players around him.
IMAGINE KPJ X CADE 👀 https://t.co/jtLBRxJoAi— Zach Allen (@Zach Allen) 1618459751.0
If the Rockets selected Cunningham, what do they do with Wall? The Rockets owe him $91 million, so trade partners could be hard to find. Three-team trade perhaps? The teams that could afford to have Wall on their roster are the New York Knicks and Oklahoma City Thunder. The Knicks are more likely, but the Detroit Pistons would be a perfect situation. It's a hypothetical thought though because the Pistons' cap couldn't afford Wall, thanks to Jerami Grant's contract.
Stone will likely have to swallow the financial bullet and keep Wall until the next All-Star break. He still provides a veteran presence for Porter and possibly Cunningham.
Olynyk and Wood average 23 minutes, 54 points, 21.9 rebounds, shooting 35.4% at the three-point-line, and making 45.6% from the field. These two guys can fill up a rebound chart and have been efficient on the court together.
The biggest clue of the offseason is the asking price of Olynyk. The 30-year-old Olynyk has played well for the Rockets this season. He was traded from the Miami Heat in the blockbuster trade that involved Victor Oladipo. His numbers have shown reasons for a higher tax bracket. Olynyk is averaging 16.9 points, 7.9 rebounds, and 2.8 assist per game, while his shooting splits are 58.5% from the field, 83.9% at the free throw line, and 37.3% behind the three-point line. He has averaged this in 10 games with the Rockets.
Olynyk has proven his value to the Rockets after serious doubt from spectators. Many fans were scratching their heads when the Rockets acquired Olynyk. So the question becomes: are the Rockets willing to let Olynyk walk if they have the 2nd pick in the draft? Olynyk has shown his great passing skills, IQ inside the paint, and his ability to run the floor. Mobley is more athletic and younger and should be better support defensively.
Mobley's defensive rating is 90.9 and he averages five blocks a game per 100 possessions. His 7'0 ft frame could play the center position, while Wood plays the power forward spot. This allows Wood to keep his game by spacing the floor. Mobley plays better drop coverage on the pick-and-roll and pick-and-pop than Wood. Mobley has a knack for being a wall inside the paint defensively. His IQ, agility, and versatility allow him to guard wherever and on whomever when it comes to defense.
Mobley can guard all angles of a court for a 7’0 ft big man. RENZO’s film room tomorrow inside my next article.… https://t.co/xDfz6YqcEE— Zach Allen (@Zach Allen) 1618459361.0
Mobley averages 16.4 points per game and shoots 57% from the field. Like Olynyk, he plays the high-screen-and-roll and passes the ball exceptionally well. He is impressive in the open court because of his speed, decision-making with the ball, and ball handling. Mobley looks like a gazelle in transition with a wide-open court. Wood wouldn't be the only big man for the Rockets to push the ball in transition. The Rockets could consistently run a three-man game in fast break situations.
EVAN MOBLEY RUNS LIKE A GAZELL. WOOD-KPJ/WALL-MOBLEY three-man game on fast break.. Article dropping tomorrow.… https://t.co/GH8KGFIIJG— Zach Allen (@Zach Allen) 1618459199.0
This year's draft could have a huge impact on the decisions the Rockets have to make. Letting Olynyk walk could be wise if they get Mobley. Signing Mobley to a rookie deal is cheaper than paying Olynyk $12 million a year. Plus, Mobley has more upside because of his youth and rebounding.
This summer will be real interesting to see which way the Rockets go.
C.J. Stroud and Anthony Richardson found themselves in the same spot when they met in Week 2 last season.
Both quarterbacks were top-five draft picks, lost their season openers and seemed to be facing a steep learning curve.
Richardson won Round 1 in Houston, although he didn't finish the game.
Stroud took Round 2 in Indianapolis with the injured Richardson watching from the sideline as Texans clinched the AFC South title and Stroud locked up his runaway selection as NFL Offensive Rookie of the Year.
On Sunday, each QB begins his second pro season — with a lot still to prove.
“I’m excited. First official game back with my guys and my teammates,” said Richardson, who had season-ending shoulder surgery last October. "I want to win. So, whatever I’ve got to do to do that, I’m going to do it.”
Winning a season opener certainly would be a welcome change for a franchise that last started 1-0 in 2013. The 10-game winless streak is easily the NFL's longest active streak.
But that's just a start for Richardson.
He needs to improve his accuracy after completing a pedestrian 59.5% of his throws in 2023 and must demonstrate he can finish games. He missed 13 last season and only finished one of his four starts because of an assortment of injuries, including the concussion that knocked him out of that Week 2 matchup at Houston after he ran for two scores.
Stroud, meanwhile, is coming off one of the most successful rookie seasons in NFL history.
He became just the third player in a half-century to lead the league in yards passing per game (273.9) and touchdown-to-interception ratio (4.6 to 1), won a playoff game and made hist first Pro Bowl appearance.
How can he improve on a season like that? By showing last season was a building block — not a fluke. He has a stronger supporting cast, too, with Joe Mixon, a four-time 1,000-yard rusher, and Stefon Diggs, who has four straight 100-catch seasons, now in the mix.
The long journey begins Sunday in Indianapolis.
“I want to just start fast,” Stroud said. “It doesn't have to do with a certain game, just in general this season. Last year, we started off really slow and just kind of had to build our way back. It's not an easy thing to do, so I would say this year we want to start fast.”
Houston receiver Nico Collins had two of his biggest games last season against Indy — catching seven passes for 146 yards and one TD in the Week 2 matchup only to outperform those numbers with a 195-yard day that included a 75-yard TD catch in Week 18.
He could play an even bigger role this time with Indy's young secondary trying to match up not only with Collins but also Diggs, Mixon and tight end Dalton Schultz.
“Nico is a playmaker,” Texans coach DeMeco Ryans said. “Every time I see him, he’s a true playmaker. So, you just have to get Nico the ball in any way, shape or fashion. Just find a way to get him the ball just to see how explosive and how dynamic he is.”
Injuries and a contract dispute prevented Jonathan Taylor from replicating the form he used to win the 2021 NFL rushing title. Starting against the Texans could be just what he needs.
In six games against Houston, Taylor has rushed for seven TDs and 135.2 yards per game — his highest average against any team he's faced multiple times. And in that rematch with Houston in Week 18, he finished with 30 carries for 188 yards, the NFL's highest single-game total all season.
Houston defensive end Will Anderson, last season’s AP Defensive Rookie of the Year, will play Sunday after recovering from an ankle injury that limited his training camp snaps.
The No. 3 overall pick in 2023 had 45 tackles, 10 for loss, and 7 1/2 sacks as a rookie. He expects to be even better this season.
“I’m way more comfortable,” he said. “Just going into Year 2 knowing the scheme better, knowing what to expect a little bit more and knowing what’s going to happen gives you more confidence.”
The Colts lost their 2023 sacks leader, Samson Ebukam, with a torn Achilles tendon during training. But they may have the perfect replacement.
Laiatu Latu was the first defensive player taken in April's draft, at No. 15 overall, and he's shown coaches that the moves he used to record 23 1/2 sacks over his last two college seasons can work in the NFL.
“We know that there’s going to be a learning curve there," defensive coordinator Gus Bradley said. "We know there are going to be plays that we’re going to come in and say there were some good plays, and there were plays he wishes he had back — we understand that. But just his overall mentality and skill set, we’re very excited to see.”