Houston Rockets: Five early roster predictions for the 2017-18 season

The Hopefuls – We need you

These players are ones that Houston needs to hope turn out and contribute. The bench needs versatility and the ability to adapt to a game. As of now, if Eric Gordon isn’t scoring, that second unit is going to be like watching Chuck Hayes free throws. An exciting trip from start to disappointing finish.

That’s not a gamble worth taking.

Houston will be looking for contributions from Troy Williams, Zhou Qi, and Tarik Black on the year to open up their game plan. Fortunately for the Houston Rockets, Williams, Qi, and Black all have skill sets that lend themselves to the versatility that the team needs.

Williams is a super fluid and dynamic scorer that could open up the second unit’s offense. Houston would benefit from Williams claiming a spot in the rotation as a change of pace from Tucker or Mbah a Moute. If the second unit offense dies out completely, Williams could make a strong case to be the extra spark plug the unit needs.

Qi is the most intriguing prospect. The rangy 7 footer has a game that vaguely reminiscent of what Yi Jianlian‘s scouting report made him out to be. Qi’s Summer League performance showcased excellent defensive instincts and an ability to space the floor out. Qi’s biggest knock is his strength. Qi is unlikely to improve upon his strength this year but, long term, he should make a strong case for bench minutes.

Lastly, Tarik Black – in his second stint with the Houston Rockets – is an old school banging power forward with minimal face up game but strong defensive game. Black is a niche player and a perfect response to teams with traditional power forwards (Think countering Zach Randolph, Marc Gasol, etc…). Black would allow the Houston Rockets to counter post-teams and give Tucker a breather when guarding beefier bigs.