2021 NBA Mock Draft 4.0: Pistons make right choice, movement in top-10
169. . G. Houston Rockets. Sharife Cooper. 23. player
2021 NBA Mock Draft — 23. Sharife Cooper, Houston Rockets
A steal for the Rockets, who get a potential backcourt of the future in Sharife Cooper and Jalen Green in one fell swoop. Cooper averaged over 20 points and eight assists as a freshman, and is arguably the best pure passer in the draft. He can sling every pass in the book, with great comfort working out of the pick-and-roll.
The Rockets still have John Wall under contract, but he’s a casualty of the rebuild, not a building block. Houston will have plenty of reps to offer Cooper from day one. At 6-foot-4, he’s a crafty ball-handler, with the speed and manipulation skills to penetrate the defense and pick them apart. If he can become a more consistent 3-point shooter — his most glaring weakness — then he could outclass a lot of the names picked before him.
Green is Houston’s go-to scorer and the ringleader of a new generation. Cooper, however, can run the offense and fit all the pieces together. The Rockets could use this pick (with other assets) to trade up for Cade Cunningham, but so long as they stay here, Cooper is a clear fit.
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