Houston Rockets: 3 perfect combinations for their pair of 1st-round picks

2. Ausar Thompson and Brandin Podziemski

The Harden-Thompson fit, in theory, could present a few issues since Ausar Thompson is mostly a non-shooter. He’s slightly more advanced than his twin (more on that later), but NBA defenses will comfortably sag off Thompson and ignore him on the perimeter. That being said, talent-wise there’s too much to like about Ausar to completely rule him out.

Listed at 6-foot-7, Thompson can guard all over the perimeter. He’s a dynamic and explosive athlete, possessing a deadly first step and the ability to collapse the defense even when he’s not being guarded out to the 3-point line. Driving the lane, there aren’t many more reactive passers in the draft. Thompson sees the floor extremely well and would be a tantalizing secondary creator working off of Harden, especially if he can become even a league-average spot-up shooter.

The Rockets also grab Brandin Podziemski in this scenario: another deeply intelligent, crafty guard who could add significant dynamism to the second unit. The theoretical Rockets are getting a little guard heavy here with Jalen Green and Kevin Porter Jr. also in the mix, but Podziemski (like Thompson) has some size at 6-foot-5. He’s also a deep-range shooter who could counterbalance Thompson’s downhill, rim-oriented game.

Getting two players who think the game and play winning basketball like Thompson and Podziemski would be a wondrous outcome for the Rockets. The sheer athleticism between Thompson and Green on the perimeter would overwhelm defenses, especially if they’re both filling the lane in transition off passes from Harden (we can talk about the defense another day). Podziemski can space, attack off the catch, and provide useful connective playmaking.