On Sunday, the Houston Rockets had a face-to-face meeting with their second-round pick of the 2016 draft for the first time in the United States. Chinese star Zhou Qi was chosen 43rd overall this year mostly due to the fact that he has the potential to be a stretch-five given his rare combination of size and shooting ability that extends to the three-point line.
The 7-foot-3 center has played professionally in the Chinese Basketball Association for the Xinjiang Flying Tigers where he averaged 15.1 points and 8.6 rebounds while leading the league in blocks in each of the past two years. But even with his impressive numbers, the Houston faithful would need to wait at least another year before they see him in a Rockets uniform.
Per ESPN's Calvin Watkins, the 20-year-old does not have an NBA out clause in his current contract, which would have allowed him to leave the Flying Tigers once drafted by an NBA team.
The development may serve Zhou Qi well as he can continue to polish his game in his home country and maybe add a few pounds of muscle to his very thin frame; despite his height, he only weighs 209 pounds. which is very light compared to the average weight of the players that play the same position as him in the NBA.
If he continues to show the game that has intrigued a lot of scouts before the draft last June, he is expected to see action in the U.S. sooner rather than later.
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