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Rockets' Lottery Luck: A Draft Day Game-Changer
30 Apr
Summary
- New NBA draft lottery rules prevent teams from picking in the top-five thrice.
- Houston secured Jalen Green and Jabari Smith in consecutive drafts.
- Amen Thompson's impact is crucial for the Rockets' current success.

The Houston Rockets are fortunate that current NBA draft lottery regulations were not in effect a few years prior. These new rules prohibit teams from securing consecutive top-five picks, a situation that could have significantly altered the Rockets' roster.
In recent drafts, Houston successfully acquired key players Jalen Green and Jabari Smith. Had the current restrictions been active, they would have prevented the Rockets from obtaining the No. 4 pick in the 2023 NBA Draft, which was used to select Amen Thompson.
This fortunate turn of events allowed the Rockets to draft Amen Thompson, whose current impact on the team's performance is considered crucial. The players selected after Thompson in that draft have not yet demonstrated the same star potential, underscoring the value of the Rockets' draft position.