How should the Rockets strengthen? No Antetokounmpo is needed! The 10th pick will be perfectly matched with the team

Today, the NBA officially announced the first defense lineup this season. Houston Rockets sophomore rookie Amen Thompson was successfully selected. While becoming the fifth player in the team history to be selected for the first defense, he also became the youngest finalist in the team history. The future is promising. The Rockets have accumulated a lot of talent in three years of playoffs. They have successfully risen this season and ranked second in the Western Conference in the regular season. However, they still have many things to improve if they lose their old opponent Warriors in the first round of the playoffs. Thanks to the Suns' Waterloo this season, the Rockets' successful 10-pick draft pick may become the key to breaking the deadlock. Let's take a look at the options at this ranking:

1. Egor Deming (Egor Demin)

Deming is a Russian defender. He was born in 2006 and is 2.06 meters tall. He plays as a point guard/point guard. He has excellent athletic ability, passing vision and ball business. In his early years, Deming signed a 6-year contract with European giant Real Madrid. He is Doncic's junior brother. While playing for Real Madrid Academy A, he helped the team win the 2022 Spanish Junior Championships. He was subsequently promoted to a player of Real Madrid B and helped the team win the 2023 European Basketball League New Generation Championship. In 2024, Deming chose to go to the United States to play the NCAA and signed with Brigham Young University. In his debut at Brigham Young University, he started for 31 minutes, scoring luxurious statistics of 18 points, 4 rebounds, 11 assists and 4 steals. Throughout the season, he averaged 10.6 points, 3.9 rebounds and 5.5 assists per game, helping Brigham Young to reach the top 16 of the NCAA Championship.

Deming is considered to be a large-sized and shooting ability Josh Giddy. Although his three-point shooting percentage is only 27.3% in his freshman season, his shooting movements are standardized and his development potential is great. Compared with a tall point guard, he will always make people full of imagination. On the simulated draft list of many US media, Deming is ranked in the lottery zone and even has the chance to hit a higher ranking. With Amen gradually becoming a forward and Jaylen Green's pass limit not high, Deming will become the new answer on the team's point guard line, forming a backcourt combination with both height and athletic ability. Of course, this also means that the team's Tanhua Shepard will become a victim last year, which is a pity.

2. Jakucionis, born in 2006, is 1.98 meters tall and is known for his high ball quotient and accurate passes. In the 2023 FIBA ​​U18 European Cup, Yakucionis averaged 13 points, 4.4 rebounds and 3.9 assists per game, with an efficiency value of 14.4, and began to make his mark. In the 2024 ANGT Finals, he represented Barcelona B team, averaged 17.9 points, 9 assists and 6.3 rebounds per game, setting a brilliant record of 17 assists per game, and was selected into the first team of the tournament, with another 43% three-point shooting percentage. Another tall point guard, Josh Kiddy, who is considered a great shooting success, and defense is not his strength.

Yakuchonis is an organizational point guard whose outside projection and rhythm control abilities can enrich the tactical system, but defensive shortcomings may affect their performance under the intensity of the playoffs, and may not be the priority for Uduka. Of course, compared to Shepard, the advantage is still obvious. Yakujonis's draft prospects are widely optimistic. In the draft simulation, he was once ranked 6th and was considered likely to be selected at the higher pick.

3.Kon Kneuppel

Kon Kneuppel

is a nearly 2-meter-high forward and guard swinger. He has comprehensive skills and focuses on his immediate combat power, which is more suitable for the current Rockets' needs. Kon Kneuppel studied at Wisconsin Luther High School and performed well in high school, especially in his senior year, where he averaged 26.4 points, 8.8 rebounds and 5.1 assists per game, with a shooting percentage of 59.4%, a three-point shooting percentage of 39.5%, and a free throw shooting percentage of 84.9%. Under his leadership, the Wisconsin Luthers achieved an unbeaten record of 30 wins and 0 losses and won the 2024 Men's Basketball Division II State Championship.

Knuper joined Duke in 2024 and participated in the team's summer training camp. In the 2024-2025 season, he averaged 14.4 points, 4.0 rebounds and 2.7 assists per game, shooting as high as 47.9%, three-point shooting percentage as high as 40.6%, and free throw shooting percentage as high as 91.4%. In the ACC League, his shooting efficiency is even more amazing, averaging nearly 6 long-distance shots per game, with a shooting percentage of up to 42.4%. In the NCAA Championship, he averaged 15.0 points, 4.0 rebounds and 3.0 assists per game, with a total shooting percentage of 53.7%, a three-point shooting percentage of 55.6%, and a free throw shooting percentage of 91.3%. In the Nike EYBL event, it averaged 22.5 points and a three-point shooting percentage of 47.6%, and was called the "big Shepard". Its off-ball shooting ability can alleviate the problem of insufficient firepower on the outside, especially suitable for Uduka's team basketball system. It is relatively versatile. Knuppel is widely regarded as one of the popular rookies at the 2025 NBA Draft and is expected to be selected in the middle of the lottery zone. His draft templates include outstanding rotation players such as Cam Johnson and Bogdan Bogdanovic.

4. Asa Newell

Newell was born in 2005, 2.06 meters tall, flexible inside, with both ending under the basket and threats from the outside, with excellent defense, and is known as the "Prince of the Antelope". He showed outstanding basketball talent in high school, was selected for the US national team many times, and represented the United States in the 2022 FIBA ​​Under-17 Youth Basketball World Cup, assisting the team in winning the U17 Men's Basketball World Cup Championship. In the 2023 FIBA ​​Under-19 World Cup (FIBA U-19), he averaged 7.7 points, 5.6 rebounds and 2.3 blocks per game, winning the award of Best Defensive Player in the Tournament. Asa Newell joined the University of Georgia basketball team in 2024, becoming the highest-ranking player recruited since the school's independent coach Mike White took over. If the Rockets' inside line is vacant due to Adams and Langdale leaving the team, Newell can add to the rotation depth of Shin Kyung and Smith to match the small ball lineup. Newell is widely regarded as one of the popular rookies in the 2025 NBA Draft, and his pick is predicted between 8-16.

5. Trading

Of course, the Rockets can also choose to trade. Packaging transactions with Antetokounmpo or Durant will cause a qualitative change in the team, or trade with the 76ers to continue to hoard talents. Now the Rockets have a promising future and take the initiative. After experiencing the baptism of the playoffs, they will completely become the league's mighty power, allowing the power of youth to be freely exerted.