Under Daryl Morey, the Houston Rockets have never been afraid to look for basketball players from any corner of the earth.
And in the latest mock draft from SB Nation, Tom Ziller has Houston taking a flyer on some high-risk high-reward prospects from overseas:
14. HOUSTON ROCKETS: EVAN FOURNIER
If it's not clear by now that most of these are total guesses, bear witness. The Rockets scout Europe as well (or at least as prolifically) as any team, and Fournier was reportedly excellent in Treviso. With Kevin Martin's future uncertain, loading up a wing of the future would be prudent.
16. HOUSTON ROCKETS: FAB MELO
He's tall, right? Cool.
Contrary to the prevailing stereotypes, both Fournier (France) and Melo (Brazil by way of Syracuse) are excellent athletes for their positions with serious questions about their offensive skill level.
Fournier has good size and athleticism for a wing at 6'7 205, but he was neither a great shooter nor a great playmaker in his time in Europe. Melo, meanwhile, blocked almost 3 shots a game for the Orange but had great difficulty doing anything offensively besides making uncontested dunks.
Neither player is expected to be an NBA-ready contributor as a rookie, which might not make them great fits for a Houston team desperate to get out of the lottery.
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