The Rockets Halliburton magic is here! The first round of the 10th draw is likely to choose this white defender!

Rockets 10th pick locks on "Halliburton Jr"? The road to reconstruction adds another key puzzle

The 2025 NBA Draft is approaching, and the Houston Rockets, who hold the 10th pick in the first round, has become the focus of fans and media attention. According to the multi-party simulation draft prediction, the Rockets are very likely to take down guard Casparas Jacuzzonis from the University of Illinois. This potential star, regarded as "Halliburton Jr.", is expected to inject new vitality into the Rockets' backcourt.

Rockets have made every effort to rebuild in recent years and have initially achieved results in cultivating young cores. Jaylen Green has strong scoring explosiveness, and Shen Jing has excellent support and offense in the interior. However, the Rockets' back line still has obvious shortcomings. Van Vreet has sufficient experience, but his age has led to a decline in physical fitness and speed; Amen Thompson is full of talent, but he still has a long way to go in offensive skills, especially shooting stability. Reed Shepard and Cam Whitmore have unstable playing time and are difficult to become reliable reliances on the team's back line. It is urgent to introduce a defender who can organize, pass the ball and has an offensive threat.

Jacuchonis is 1.96 meters tall and has an excellent body shape advantage in the point guard position. In his freshman season, he averaged 15 points, 5.7 rebounds and 4.7 assists per game, with comprehensive and impressive data. He has an open field vision, can accurately judge the situation in pick-and-roll offense and send out just the right pass, which is very similar to Halliburton. Whenever the team's offense is deadlocked, he can always break through the defense through flexible dribbling, attract double-teams to create open shots for his teammates, or use mid-range jump shots to score stable points.

Once Yakujonis joins the Rockets, the adaptability to the existing lineup is worth looking forward to. In the backcourt with Jaylen Green, Green's super scoring ability and Jakujonis' organizational pass talent can perfectly complement each other. Green can focus on running without the ball to find scoring opportunities, while Yakujonis controls the offensive rhythm and creates more room for Green to take action. Facing the opponent's double-team defense, Yakujonis can also transfer the ball to the open teammates in time to activate the Rockets' overall offense. When Shin Kyung is the core of support in the interior, the pick-and-roll cooperation between Yakujonis and Shin Kyung will become an important tactic for the Rockets' offense.

Of course, Yakujonis is not without shortcomings. His three-point shooting percentage is not stable enough, and his speed is slightly insufficient on the defensive end. But considering his age and potential, these shortcomings have a full chance of improving under the careful guidance of the Rockets coaching team.

If the Rockets really take Yakujonis with the No. 10 draw, it will undoubtedly be a key step on the road to reconstruction. With young players such as Yakujonis, Green, Shinkyung, Amen Thompson as the core, and with experienced veterans, the Rockets are expected to gradually grow into a force that cannot be ignored in the West in the next few seasons.