Rockets select Sam Dekker with 18th overall pick
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The Houston Rockets selected Wisconsin small forward Sam Dekker with the No. 18 overall pick in the 2015 NBA Draft on Thursday night.
As pumped as Houston fans may be, nobody is more pumped than Dekker himself. That's because of the consistent energy and intensity Dekker brings, something fans watching the NCAA tournament surely noticed as he played a major role in helping lead the Badgers to the national championship game.
What he showed in that tournament, and throughout his junior year, is likely what he'll bring to the table at the next level; his foot firmly on the gas, Dekker will use his athleticism and anticipation to disrupt the game in a variety of ways, scoring in the open court or in a set offense and scampering around to adequately defend multiple positions.
The upside here isn't immense unless Dekker, who shot 33.1 percent on threes this year, extends his range. Even without doing so he should be a versatile and effective rotation player.
Dekker provides an energy option off the bench as a combo forward and should become a fan favorite in Houston. He counts among his friends Green Bay Packers quarterback Aaron Rodgers, whom Dekker said texted him as the pick was announced "relax, you're going to a playoff team."