The 2012 NBA Draft is over, and now all the experts are handing out their post-draft grades. The Houston Rockets were attempting to earn an A-plus grade from everyone, however after all of their trades they made they were unable to land who they really wanted: Orlando Magic center Dwight Howard. That meant the Rockets were left with a trio of mid-first round picks.
ESPN's Chad Ford loved that the Rockets made some moves to try to make a deal, but since they did not he gave the Rockets a C:
If I were giving grades for creativity and vision, then Rockets GM Daryl Morey gets an A.
For a week leading up to the draft, he led the Rockets on a breathless, all-out pursuit of Dwight Howard. It was both bold and unprecedented. However, the execution fell far short of the vision. Ultimately the Rockets couldn't package together their assets to get up into the Top 10 or Top 5 in the draft and the players they were left with look a lot like the young players they already have on their rosters -- middling young prospects.
Don't get me wrong, I think Lamb, White and Jones all have futures in the NBA. Lamb's stock slipped a bit because of an ankle injury. White's stock slipped because of an anxiety disorder. Jones' stock slipped because of poor body language on the court. They may all be good players in the NBA. They all have that potential. But for the Rockets, they don't move the needle at all. For a team mired in the middle of the pack, that's not what the Rockets wanted or needed.
