Usman Garuba, elected 23rd in the 2021 Draft and released from Real Madrid to go to the Houston Rockets, is preparing to fulfill his dream of playing in the NBA. The situation lends itself to a player like himAs they can gain the necessary experience in this and the next few years in a franchise that has no pressure to achieve results after the explosion of last season, in which the departure of James Harden marked the end of a stage for them. But nevertheless, the plan could vary if the Madrid player shows a lower level of adaptation than expected.
This topic is being discussed in Houston before the players arrive for the preseason. It is publicly opened by Jonathan Feigen, editor of Houston Chronicle, in the program Texas Sports Nation.
The topic centers on Josh Christopher, the player drafted this year who currently has the least cache, but Garuba and Sengun also enter the conversation. The only one not mentioned is Jalen Green, number two from the total list of last July. The key is the long minutes, necessary for all of them if they want to progress and become good players for the NBA. It will not be possible in all cases and Houston, according to the chronicler, is one of the teams that uses the development league the most to train young people in these areas.
“I imagine it would be very difficult for Josh Christopher to get minutes, unless there are trades and they move some of the veteran outsiders. I imagine he will be a ‘viper’ for many games. You want him to play and that is what they value. It’s part of Rockets history. They say it like this: “It’s not a demotion. Kevin Porter was there last year. Clint Capela spent his rookie year there. This is what we do with the players we value, they go to the G-League. ‘Garuba also needs time: defensively he’s very talented but offensively he’s green and he needs to play. Guys like that don’t need a four-minute stretch in each half with the Rockets, they need 34 minutes with the Vipers to stay fit. “
The team this journalist refers to is Rio Grande Valley Vipers, the Rockets’ G-League affiliate. A team that, by the way, was champion two years ago and therefore played the Intercontinental. Which is to say that it is a strategy that works, at least partially. Kevin Porter, disowned in Cleveland, had a chance to play there and, after that, reached a 50-point game.
Alperen Sengun is another of the future, although he made a good impression in the summer league, better than Garuba, and he comes with a good resume from Turkey and he bet on him with a transfer of rounds in the draft.
Garuba could follow in the footsteps of other Spaniards who have played in the NBA development league as Víctor Claver or Juancho Hernangómez, with a different course in their careers after that. The Rockets’ commitment to young people is very clear to rebuild with patience, but it is true that the space in the squad and on the court is not infinite and Usman, despite the good work done in Valdebebas in the last two years, needs to work its offensive capabilities to become a dangerous weapon on both sides of the court. It would be a good school.
