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PG Bruce Thornton (All-B1G, All-American, 4X Captain, tOSU all time scoring leader, Houston Rockets)

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Grading the draft:

Houston Rockets: C+​

Round 2: Bruce Thornton (31)

The Rockets didn't have a first-round pick, but they started Wednesday's second round by selecting Thornton, a broad-shouldered guard who spent four seasons at Ohio State.

Houston will soon welcome back Fred VanVleet from a major knee injury, but its lack of backcourt depth and initiators proved fatal last season.

While Thornton is an undersized score-first, pass-second player, the Rockets need more players capable of initiating offense.

Kevin Durant's load was too heavy during his first season in Houston, and former lottery picks Amen Thompson and Reed Sheppard must improve as distributors.
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DZ83CK said:
First pick in the second round of the draft, #31 overall. I believe he will be on Houston's roster.
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Re: The Knicks swapped this pick and No. 55 to Houston for No. 39, No. 53 and a future second-rounder. The Rockets were targeting Thornton, whose efficient offensive profile appealed to them as a potential backup option (and whom they were presumably worried about going before their original spot at No. 39).

Just sayin': Yeah, The Rockets actually "traded up" to get him.
 
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Winner: Bruce Thornton, The Ohio State University​

Now that the league has separated the draft into two nights, and the second round gets its own shine, the No. 31 pick has become quite an auction item. Teams want The Best Guy Who Wasn't Drafted in the First Round, and the defending champions held his rights.

Those New York Knicks traded the No. 31 pick, along with No. 55, to the Houston Rockets for Nos. 39 and 53, plus a second-rounder in 2029, according to reports. And the Rockets selected The Ohio State's Bruce Thornton, whose own bio describes him as "an all-time great dude." He is also a playmaking guard who fits well into a Houston system in need.

 
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www.elevenwarriors.com

“He’s Like a Little Bowling Ball Out There”: Bruce Thornton is Already Turning Heads with the Houston Rockets

Bruce Thornton made a strong first impression in his first practice with the Houston Rockets, and the former Ohio State guard knows how blessed he is to be in the position he's in.
www.elevenwarriors.com www.elevenwarriors.com

“He’s Like a Little Bowling Ball Out There”: Bruce Thornton is Already Turning Heads with the Houston Rockets​

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“He’s a tank,” said Rockets assistant coach Will Dunn, who will serve as head coach of the summer league squad. “You can see it right away. He’s like a little bowling ball out there.

“He’s physical, he’s strong, he’s got a really tight handle. So when you guard him, you’ll feel it, for sure,” he continued. "And that’ll also allow him defensively to do some switching and stuff like that. A guy his size might not normally be able to, but he’s got that physicality, where it will allow him to."

While Thornton has work to do to transition his game to the NBA level, he’s confident he can make an impact as a rookie no matter how much playing time he sees.

"Me just filling in my role at a high level, doing the things they need me to do," Thornton said on draft night of how he wants to contribute for the Rockets. "Impact winning as much as I possibly can and be a great teammate in the locker room."

The Rockets will take part in the Las Vegas Summer League from July 9-19 with four games scheduled: July 10 vs. Denver Nuggets (6:30, ESPN2), July 11 vs. Toronto Raptors (9:30, Prime Video), July 14 vs. Philadelphia 76ers (4:00, Prime Video) and July 16 vs. Brooklyn Nets (4:30, ESPNU).

Thornton hopes to make a name for himself beginning in Summer League, then carry that momentum into the rest of the offseason ahead of his rookie campaign. But no matter where his NBA career goes from here, Thornton knows how blessed he is to be in the position that he's in, something he will never take for granted.
 
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Was wondering if anyone else saw the Summer League game. Vignettes of Bruce putting up some points. I didn't identify him right away, and then poof was gone. Looked like he was draining 3's, and driving the rack for a couple 'and-ones'. Love to see it. Also noted he wasn't the PG, more like the shooting guard. Proved he has the range, and wasn't afraid to drive the paint and go against the big boys. From the snippets, he looked very very good.
 
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Mike80 said:
Bruce Buckets starting strong in the summer league....

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Former Ohio State basketball player Bruce Thornton has historic Summer League performance for the Rockets​

In his Summer League debut, Thornton scored 27 points on 7/18 shooting. He was a perfect 7/7 from the free-throw line and was a game-high +20. Thornton also had three rebounds and three assists to go along with three steals. He had the most points in the history of the Rockets for a rookie in his Summer League debut.

Not only did Thornton score the ball well, but he also helped the Rockets win the game over Denver. That is one of the big reasons why Houston wanted to draft him. With a performance like this, this could really help Thornton not just make the roster but also get some playing time.

Another good thing was that Thornton only had one turnover in this game. When he was with the Ohio State Buckeyes, he always did a good job of taking care of the ball. Now, he is ready to bring that same steadiness at the point guard position to the Rockets.
 
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