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2023 NBA mock draft roundup: Potential Houston Rockets picks entering March Madness

Ben DuBose
·4 min read

This week marks the beginning of the NCAA’s annual men’s basketball tournament, known best as March Madness (bracket).

For the young and rebuilding Houston Rockets, who will own two first-round picks in the 2023 NBA draft, it brings hope for the future.

While the non-college prospects are headlined by French phenom Victor Wembanyama and NBA G League Ignite guard Scoot Henderson, there are also intriguing prospects in the March Madness field, such as Alabama’s Brandon Miller and Houston’s Jarace Walker.

Those two prospects may be in play for the Rockets’ own pick, which is likely to land in the draft’s top six or seven overall selections, pending results from the draft lottery. Many other players are in the mix from Houston’s second selection, which will likely be headed their way from the Clippers in the middle-to-late first round.

Here’s a roundup of who the various draft experts project to Houston in this month’s mock drafts, along with the latest lottery odds.

2022-23 NBA standings on March 15

Teams within five games of Houston in the standings:

  • 1. Detroit, 16-54

  • 2. Houston, 16-52, 1.0 games back (GB)

  • 3. San Antonio, 18-50, 3.0 GB

  • 4. Charlotte, 22-49, 5.5 GB

These teams lose much more than they win. Thus, the win column is what matters the most, since those update much less frequently. Each of these teams will finish with the 2022-23 regular season with the same number of games (82), even if they’re uneven now.

The bottom-three teams have identical odds of landing a top-four pick in the May 16 draft lottery. However, there is a difference in the “floor” scenarios for those franchises. The team with the worst record cannot fall below No. 5 in the first-round order, whereas the second-worst team can drop to as low as No. 6, and so on.

Draft lottery odds, if Rockets finish with second-worst record

  • No. 1: 14%

  • No. 2: 13.4%

  • No. 3: 12.7%

  • No. 4: 12%

  • No. 5: 27.8%

  • No. 6: 20.0%

(pick odds via Tankathon)

Projections for Houston’s 2023 first-round pick

Photo by Ethan Miller/Getty Images

Check out Tankathon’s latest 2023 NBA draft big board for statistics and additional information on these prospects and beyond.

Keep in mind that some of these slot projections (i.e. No. 1 overall) are based simply on current records, while others are compiled based on a draft lottery simulation. Click on the direct link to each of these mock drafts for specific details regarding their methodology.

Projections for Houston’s 2023 first-round pick via Clippers

Photo by Rick Osentoski-USA TODAY Sports

Check out Tankathon’s latest 2023 NBA draft big board for statistics and additional information on these prospects and beyond.

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Story originally appeared on Rockets Wire