Houston Rockets: The Incredible Clambering Of Sam Dekker
The Houston Rockets were enabled to be the newest chapter of Sam Dekker‘s career when he was drafted as the franchise’s top pick — 18th overall — back in 2015.
The Houston Rockets were enabled to be the newest chapter of Sam Dekker‘s career when he was drafted as the franchise’s top pick — 18th overall — back in 2015.
The lanky, towering of a giant out of the crevices of Sheboygan, Wis. emerging into a dominant force at the University of Wisconsin had finally had his dream fulfilled.
Yep, he got the call to be a part of the cream of the crop, the best professional basketball league in the world.
All of the sweat, the strain, the tears, the highs and the lows, Dekker stayed off the beaten path to muscle his way into the NBA.
The one thing that you may ask me is, “how do I know this?”
It’s not easy being able to be part of several hundred members of an exclusive club, you have to put the time in, you have put your heart into it — there’s no doubt from what I’ve seen out of Dekker in college, this is what he did.
Last season was mostly forgettable for Dekker — he bounced back and forth between the Houston Rockets and the Rio Grande Valley Vipers, the franchise’s D-League affiliate until an unfortunate back injury shelved him for the season.
Considering the issues that fellow former teammate Donatas Motiejunas had with his back in that same season, it was — and still slightly is — of concern to me of someone who’s so young in age.
He appeared in only three NBA games and had seven appearances on the Vipers roster, averaging 11.9 points and 5.3 rebounds while shooting 41.8 percent from the field and 23.7 percent from three.
But as we transition to the current day, Dekker is coming on strong and we’re all witnesses to an emergence of just how talented this guy is.
He has appeared in every game this season with the Houston Rockets with him being able to earn his first start this past Saturday against the Memphis Grizzlies.
He made the most of it — scoring a career-high 30 points and four rebounds while completing 6-of-11 threes (54.5 percent).
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It certainly goes to show that this man is for real and will answer the call when his bell is rung.
It has been a pleasure to watch his ascent into the something likely more prophetic — being one of the best small forwards in the league.
I firmly believe that his name will regularly mentioned when you thing about wing players that make a serious impact in today’s Association.
So until then, sit back, relax and enjoy his high-flying dunks, his affinity to defend, knocking down three-after-three, making the most of his minutes.
If you think that Dekker is cooking now, you ain’t seen nothing yet.
Dekker, 22, is averaging 7.5 points, 4.1 rebounds while shooting 47.3 percent from the field and 32.6 percent from behind-the-arc through 49 games in 2016-17.
Go Rockets.