Houston Rockets: Evaluating the progress of their 6 recent first-round picks

Houston Rockets: Usman Garuba

Usman Garuba played professionally in Spain before being drafted into the NBA as the 23rd pick in 2021. Compared to his rookie season, when he only saw an average of 10 minutes on the court, Garuba doubled his point average early on in this season. His time on the court is also up to 16.5 minutes now as he took over the backup center position behind Sengun.

When Bruno Fernando eventually returns to Houston’s lineup, Garuba should see more minutes at the power forward position. This should suit him and the team well, as he is currently shooting an impressive 87.3 percent from three.

With a higher volume of shots, this average will probably go down some, but it is still encouraging. Garuba is one of the most versatile defenders on the Rockets’ roster, which makes him a real asset to Houston. He is a good rim protector but can also pickpocket guards and get into passing lanes.

In Houston’s most recent loss against the Golden State Warriors, Garuba was not afraid to pick up anyone on defense. He even held his own against Stephen Curry, who is a nightmare to guard, whenever he had to.

The big man could certainly score a little more than he does at this moment, but he is doing pretty much everything the Rockets could want from a backup center: shooting accurately, grabbing rebounds, and playing good defense.