22. Houston Rockets (via Portland) – Sharife Cooper, G, Auburn
The Rockets are in an uphill battle towards rebuilding the franchise back into a relevant one in the West and taking a shot on a prospect such as Sharife Cooper could end up paying big dividends in a few seasons.
Despite the fact that he’s a bit undersized at 6-foot-1, Cooper is a lead guard that showed the ability to fill the stat sheet on any given night. Cooper averaged 20 points, eight assists, and four rebounds per game during his freshman season.
If there’s one knock on Cooper, it’s his shooting inefficiency. If he can get that right and prove to have a better shot selection, perhaps he’s a player that should be taken higher than No. 22 overall.