How did the Houston Rockets fare in the 2023 NBA Draft?

The Rockets began building the framework of a fun, young starting five with the selection of guard Jalen Green with the No. 2 pick in 2021 and Auburn forward Jabari Smith Jr. with the No. 3 pick in 2022. Green, a member of the 2021-22 All-Rookie First Team, averaged 22.1 points per game during his second season in the NBA, enough to lead the Rockets in points per game last season.

Smith ended the season with 12.1 points and 7.2 rebounds per game. He earned a spot on the 2022-23 All-Rookie Second Team with Rockets forward Tari Eason, Detroit Pistons guard Jaden Ivey, San Antonio Spurs forward Jeremy Sochan and Detroit center Jalen Duren.

Did the Rockets continue building their core of the future in Thursday's draft? Who did they take with their two selections?

Amen Thompson

Thompson, a 6-foot-7-inch guard who played for Overtime Elite last season, was selected by Houston with the No. 4 overall pick.

Thompson and his brother, Amen, joined the Overtime Elite program in 2021. Thompson joined the program, a league for 16-to-20 year old players made up of six teams, over offers from Alabama, Arizona, Auburn, Arizona State and Kansas, among others according to 247Sports.

“It's the dynamic playmaking, they have the ability to put the the ball in their hands, each of them have combo guard skills and it's going to be our jobs for them to slide across three- to four-positions in a position-less game,” Williams said of what excites him about the addition of the Thompsons, via 247Sports. “They can catch, run, dribble, shoot and they guard in a tenacious way. In today's NBA where you have to be versatile and everybody wants a two-way player, we have two elite versions of that.”

Rockets General Manager Rafael Stone highlighted Thompson's maturity and dedication during the Rockets' post-draft press conference.

“He seems very driven, he’s very serious,” Stone said of Thompson, via Chron. “He seems to be a very mature young man for his age and very serious about his craft, very dedicated. He’s been very well prepared by his family for the journey he’s about to take.”

Cam Whitmore

The Rockets selected Whitmore, a 6-foot-7-inch forward from Villanova, with the No. 20 pick in the 2023 NBA Draft. He was taken by the Washington Wizards with the No. 8 pick in the most recent 2023 NBA mock draft from ClutchPoints. The NBA's consensus mock draft sawn him taken at No. 5 by the Detroit Pistons.

Whitmore averaged 12.5 points, 5.3 rebounds and 0.7 assists per game during his lone season with the Wildcats. The native of Odenton, Md., took pride in his shooting when he sat down with the Indiana Pacers for a one-on-one interview.

“I could shoot the ball consistently,” he said when asked what he was trying to show teams in the pre-draft process. “That's really it. I'm not a streaky shooter. I can shoot off the dribble. I can shoot off catch-and-shoot. That was something that I improved on and I've been working on.”

Whitmore could be a solid fit with Houston's young core, a point he went over after being taken with the No. 20 pick.

“Everybody's versatile,” Whitmore said when asked how he can envision fitting in with the rest of the young talent the Houston Rockets have. “Literally just drafted Amen. He's a great player. Great athlete. Somebody who I can definitely fit alongside. I'm just definitely looking forward to it. That versatility type of area I can just add to the table.”