Houston Rockets: Complete 2018 offseason grades
Drafting De’Anthony Melton
In spite of surrendering their 2018 first-round pick to the Los Angeles Clippers in exchange for Chris Paul last summer, the Houston Rockets still managed to come out quite well on draft night, as they used their second-round pick to acquire a player who many considered to be a first-round talent.
With the 46th overall pick in the 2018 NBA Draft, Houston selected De’Anthony Melton out of USC, a 6’3″, 190-pound guard who possesses a high IQ, and can do just about anything on the floor.
The former Trojans star — who averaged 8.3 points, 4.7 rebounds and 3.5 assists in his lone year of college — showcased his ability to pass, shoot, score and defend at a high level for the Rockets at NBA Summer League in July, despite being forced to miss an entire season of basketball action.
Melton — who was one of several players allegedly connected to the NCAA bribery scandal — averaged 16.4 points, 7.2 rebounds, 4.0 assists and 3.0 steals per game through five contests for Houston, en route to leading the Rockets to a 4-1 record.
Although it is highly unlikely that Melton will immediately crack the heart of Clutch City’s rotation this season, Rockets fans must be intrigued by the small sample size they have seen thus far, as the man who was not considered as a knockdown shooter in college showed off a polished stroke from downtown.
In addition to thriving either on or off the ball, as the 20-year-old rookie put together several marquee performances against the likes of Shai Gilgeous-Alexander and Collin Sexton at the Sin City showcase.
General manager Daryl Morey was more than willing to scoop up a potential top-20 prospect in the second round, and should Melton continue to build upon his play at Summer League, then there is a strong possibility that he could arguably become one of the most versatile two-way players in his draft class.
That would show exactly why Melton is considered the steal of the draft by most scouts and analysts.
Grade: A-