Report: Houston Rockets High On Drafting Duke G Tyus Jones At #18

ByBrian K. Patterson|Jun 10, 2015, 2:04 PM EDT

It feels good to be wanted and needed.

I’m sure that we can all relate to that feeling.

But there’s even more relevance as we tie it to the strategy of how the Houston Rockets will draft in just a couple of weeks from now.

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I previously talked about Duke guard Tyus Jones coming into H-Town for a visitto workout for the team and how his presence could be a boon for the Rockets.

Apparently, Jones’ workout for the Rockets went quite well last Thursday but was cut short with a back injury.

ESPN 1500 AM Twin Cities and KSTP-TV’s Darren Wolfson reports:

Hear Tyus Jones will shut it down for a stretch. His back acted up during his#Rocketsworkout yesterday. Still say his floor is Mavs at 21.
— Darren Wolfson (@DWolfsonKSTP)June 4, 2015

Despite his workout being slightly shorter than expected, the Rockets still like him and it’s quite possible that the Rockets take him with the 18th pick in the 2015 NBA Draft.

Wolfson, who is keeping an eye on his workouts because the prospect is from Apple Valley, Minn. said this in a reply to a Twin Cities follower that has his hopes pinned on the Minnesota Timberwolves landing the star:

@robbar34Same as before: I think it'll be tough. Houston and Dallas really like him. They pick 18 and 21. Hard to get above 18.
— Darren Wolfson (@DWolfsonKSTP)June 9, 2015

His next scheduled workout was to be with the T-Wolves but has been tabled.

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Wolfson has reported that the guard is back in actionbut the T-Wolves have yet to schedule a workout.

But here’s the kicker…

ESPN.com’s Chad Ford has speculated that Jones’ back injurywas a cover for a possible promise to the guard from the Rockets that they’ll take him at No. 18.

It’s quite understandable although there was indication that the guard was legitimately in pain.

But there is some logic to Ford’s speculation…

After working out with the Rockets and Mavericks — two teams that have high interest — why would he move further with any other workouts?

Let me tell you, this is good for us Rockets’ fans.

We’d be getting a prospect with a lot of promise with little development that may be needed to groom him into a star.

But even if they don’t keep him — to which I think they will — they can package him in a deal to land a veteran point guard that’s just waiting to be plucked from obscurity.

Ty Lawsonanybody?

Jones, a instrumental member of the Duke Blue Devils’ — the 2015 NCAA Tourney champs — scored 19 of his 23 points in the second half of the championship game to warrant his earning of the Final Four’s Most Outstanding Player Award.

Jones is striking it while it’s hot for the NBA Draft now while his stock is at its highest rather than returning to Duke for a sophomore season.

He’d be a solid fit for the Rockets — he’s regarded as one of the nation’s best point guards available at his level and would be an excellent project to develop.

He’s a superior floor-general, leader, can dole out the dimes with precision and can shoot the rock quite well.

But he can be liability on defense as he may not quite athletic enough to stop the quicker guards of the NBA.

That’s were the Rockets’ player development team comes in — they can fix that.

The Rockets own the 18th and 32nd pick of the draft this year with 18th pick via the New Orleans Pelicans from theOmer Asiktrade and the 32nd pick from the New York Knicks from thePablo Prigioniacquisition.