1 00:00:15,560 --> 00:00:20,359 What is krack Lack and fellow thermonuclear a efforts. I am Damp Valley coming 2 00:00:20,440 --> 00:00:25,399 at you with another offseason outlook. We are on to the Houston Rockets, 3 00:00:25,440 --> 00:00:29,320 who are quite topical after they made the decision to hire email your Doka on 4 00:00:29,359 --> 00:00:33,000 a four year deal worth seven plus million annually. I think it starts under 5 00:00:33,000 --> 00:00:36,079 seven million, but it's worth over twenty eight million. I believe I brought 6 00:00:36,159 --> 00:00:41,840 on my good friend and peer. He covered anyway. He covers the Houston 7 00:00:41,920 --> 00:00:45,399 Rockets for Red Nation Hoops. Subscribe to a sub stack, great podcast, 8 00:00:45,439 --> 00:00:49,359 great writer, Salmon Ali. Follow him on Twitter at Salmon Ali MBA. 9 00:00:49,520 --> 00:00:54,479 That's at s A L M A n A l I NBA as the National 10 00:00:54,560 --> 00:00:59,240 Basketball Association. The most important question of this podcast, because we are allot 11 00:00:59,320 --> 00:01:00,399 to get to it, is the it was an important one, Salomon, 12 00:01:00,560 --> 00:01:04,799 How are you doing okay? Man, I've been okay. It's been a 13 00:01:04,840 --> 00:01:11,959 long week, but I think it's I think I think I think it's been 14 00:01:11,000 --> 00:01:17,120 worthwhile. I think it's been worthwhile. A big week for Rockets content too 15 00:01:17,159 --> 00:01:21,120 with and look, so I went on and I did retweet and quote tweeted 16 00:01:21,120 --> 00:01:23,120 it. Go check out his podcast. If we have nobody to describe. 17 00:01:23,799 --> 00:01:26,920 What's that? Did you quote? Oh you didn't bump my quote tweet? 18 00:01:26,920 --> 00:01:32,159 You're terrible, But I didn't see it. I didn't see that. We 19 00:01:32,280 --> 00:01:34,319 talked about the Email Udoka hire at length, and so we won't try and 20 00:01:34,359 --> 00:01:38,159 cause we spent like thirty five minutes on just the higher So I'm not going 21 00:01:38,200 --> 00:01:41,840 to rehash all of that here. But I have basically need to hit three 22 00:01:41,959 --> 00:01:45,719 levels of it. And the first one is before we get to the off 23 00:01:45,719 --> 00:01:49,519 court stuff, is were you surprised by not even just the decision, but 24 00:01:49,519 --> 00:01:56,319 how quickly it came together? Yes, yes, I thought. I mean, 25 00:01:56,920 --> 00:02:00,200 for for a minute it seemed like Nick Nurse was the leader in the 26 00:02:00,239 --> 00:02:02,680 clubhouse. Right now, I'm I can't I can't imagine that I was the 27 00:02:02,680 --> 00:02:07,319 only person who felt that way, or that Rockets fans were the only people 28 00:02:07,319 --> 00:02:09,400 that felt that way, right Like, I feel like our national level, 29 00:02:09,439 --> 00:02:14,199 it really felt like there was a there's some momentum towards Houston being the landing 30 00:02:14,240 --> 00:02:19,840 spot for Nurse, and then they just randomly, like I don't want to 31 00:02:19,840 --> 00:02:23,439 say randomly. It turns out that Emailudoka was the favorite the entire time, 32 00:02:23,479 --> 00:02:29,840 and nobody knew. Uh hey, that's that's just how it how it goes 33 00:02:29,879 --> 00:02:34,639 down. But I mean it seems like early on the process the Rockets Udoko 34 00:02:34,759 --> 00:02:38,400 interviewed really well. That that's that's seems to be all the reporting seems to 35 00:02:38,439 --> 00:02:44,240 indicate that he impressed or Felstone, he impressed him with Rota, impressed Patrick 36 00:02:44,280 --> 00:02:52,319 Fritita, really got along with the the top guys, and it seemed like 37 00:02:52,360 --> 00:02:55,479 what the Rockets were looking for in this search was someone that would establish a 38 00:02:55,520 --> 00:03:01,840 culture of accountability that they really wanted with Steven Salas. And you know, 39 00:03:02,039 --> 00:03:07,280 it always becomes clear what what what the organization is looking for in their coach 40 00:03:07,319 --> 00:03:09,319 when the coach gets hired, So it always becomes obvious after the fact. 41 00:03:09,639 --> 00:03:15,479 But I couldn't think of a of a more clear scenario of that than this. 42 00:03:16,800 --> 00:03:23,120 The introductory press conference was not the least bit illuminating on his suspension with 43 00:03:23,240 --> 00:03:27,680 the Boston Celtics, where he was suspended and then eventually dismissed after going to 44 00:03:27,719 --> 00:03:30,080 the NBA Finals, mind you, And so you think it's serious enough for 45 00:03:30,159 --> 00:03:36,439 having an improper relationship with a subordinate staffer, also would I think it's reporting 46 00:03:36,520 --> 00:03:38,319 multiple times but would did come out and report it once the made a dooka 47 00:03:38,400 --> 00:03:44,479 hire came through that there were text messages and language used that was deemed too 48 00:03:44,479 --> 00:03:49,479 inappropriate, and I guess just decided the organization thought that it was too far 49 00:03:49,599 --> 00:03:53,439 gone to bring him back or have a reasonable reconciliation. I will start on 50 00:03:53,479 --> 00:03:57,199 this because I hate putting the onus on the guest when it's the sensitive topics 51 00:03:57,240 --> 00:03:59,919 like this. I found the quotes that came out of the intro presser to 52 00:03:59,960 --> 00:04:02,479 be mostly bullshit. I didn't like the way that he framed it as his 53 00:04:02,520 --> 00:04:06,719 overcoming adversity. I do believe in redemption. I do believe in atonement. 54 00:04:06,879 --> 00:04:12,080 He did say that he feels even more remorse. Now. I'm still just 55 00:04:12,840 --> 00:04:17,639 trying to grapple with these feelings of what was said specific not that we needed 56 00:04:17,639 --> 00:04:21,600 the actual language, but what happened that the Celtics felt that they needed to 57 00:04:21,639 --> 00:04:27,040 get rid of someone who just coached them to the NBA Finals versus a team 58 00:04:27,079 --> 00:04:30,519 that came out and said, oh, the word woe used was there's nothing 59 00:04:30,560 --> 00:04:34,560 that was disqualifying when it came to his candidacy, and there's just such a 60 00:04:34,680 --> 00:04:39,360 gap in the way this matter then was viewed. Is it simply because so 61 00:04:39,439 --> 00:04:43,399 much time passed, And the other two elements that are hard to grapple with 62 00:04:43,639 --> 00:04:47,519 is it wasn't just him or even his family that was impacted by this, 63 00:04:47,680 --> 00:04:51,040 or even just the female staffer that was impacted by this. It was the 64 00:04:51,120 --> 00:04:58,800 Celtics organizations stable of female staffers because of all the fuck shits who fancied themselves 65 00:04:58,839 --> 00:05:01,240 social media salutes, who went on and tried to identify who the female staffer 66 00:05:01,399 --> 00:05:05,759 was, resulted in all this sort of online harassment with even just photos being 67 00:05:05,759 --> 00:05:09,920 shared if not if people weren't being tagged, it was absolutely grotesque. And 68 00:05:09,959 --> 00:05:13,000 then you have like if I'm a fan, or if I'm a female staffer 69 00:05:13,000 --> 00:05:15,439 in the NBA, if I'm just a female who likes basketball like this, 70 00:05:15,600 --> 00:05:17,959 just all this shit rings hollow to me, And I don't actually know what 71 00:05:18,000 --> 00:05:23,560 the perfect response would have been. It wasn't timn for Tita basically scolding anyone 72 00:05:23,839 --> 00:05:26,319 for saying, if you don't believe in second chances, shame on them. 73 00:05:26,360 --> 00:05:30,519 It's not that people don't believe in second chances. I just still feel that 74 00:05:30,920 --> 00:05:33,759 these big organizations don't get to come out and say trust us, we did 75 00:05:33,800 --> 00:05:38,800 the due diligence, it's fine, we're moving forward. That's just not enough 76 00:05:38,879 --> 00:05:41,560 for me, And I don't know, I guess what would have been enough, 77 00:05:41,639 --> 00:05:46,439 which then makes me a hypocrite. But framing this as the weights for 78 00:05:46,519 --> 00:05:48,639 Tita did to me felt a little dismissive. And then I'm just not a 79 00:05:48,639 --> 00:05:55,279 big fan of, you know, spinning this as adversity for Udoka, which 80 00:05:55,560 --> 00:05:59,120 okay, it is, but it was a bigger form of adversity for you 81 00:05:59,160 --> 00:06:01,600 know, the subort he has a relationship with, or even more so, 82 00:06:01,759 --> 00:06:08,160 the parties that weren't directly involved, because these female staffers faced whatever, harassment 83 00:06:08,319 --> 00:06:12,120 or just having their pictures and names out there on social media in the aftermath. 84 00:06:12,199 --> 00:06:14,759 And so that's where I landed on all this. And I'm just wondering 85 00:06:14,800 --> 00:06:18,399 how you're feeling now that the introductory presser is in the rear view. Yeah, 86 00:06:19,000 --> 00:06:21,560 I guess the best way to talk about this is to discuss like how 87 00:06:21,600 --> 00:06:27,319 I was consuming everything, Right, So when before you make out the job, 88 00:06:27,639 --> 00:06:30,399 when Emay was talked about as a canidate for this job, I said, 89 00:06:31,480 --> 00:06:36,720 listen, if he's going to be the guy, you better a damn 90 00:06:36,720 --> 00:06:43,000 will investigate what the hell happened? Figure ensure that it's not going to happen 91 00:06:43,040 --> 00:06:46,360 again. Talk to Emay, talk to the Celtics, talk to the League 92 00:06:46,360 --> 00:06:48,720 office, do whatever you do whatever you can to get as much information as 93 00:06:48,720 --> 00:06:56,000 you can, and then be ready to explain yourself right at the introductor your 94 00:06:56,000 --> 00:06:59,519 press conference, because the question was going to get asked. So when he 95 00:06:59,639 --> 00:07:01,000 May gets the job, I'm like, all right, listen, if you 96 00:07:01,040 --> 00:07:05,519 think he's the best guy and you did your due diligence, now you're gonna 97 00:07:05,519 --> 00:07:11,199 have to explain, right, And so we get we get also report reporting 98 00:07:11,279 --> 00:07:15,800 before the press conference about how the Rockets went to the League Office and they 99 00:07:15,360 --> 00:07:20,079 they were able to acquire the Boston Celtics report that they conducted through that Lard 100 00:07:20,120 --> 00:07:27,000 party law firm, and Adam Silver basically gave every team that was interested in 101 00:07:27,000 --> 00:07:30,279 Emay the green light to pursue him, Like, we're not going to step 102 00:07:30,319 --> 00:07:34,319 in the way because we think from the information that we've gathered that one year 103 00:07:34,360 --> 00:07:39,639 suspension was sufficient. So that you know that comes out whatever, right, 104 00:07:39,680 --> 00:07:42,040 I'm okay, you still got to explain it, man, Like you still 105 00:07:42,040 --> 00:07:46,079 have to explain, like why him brist everybody else why why, why this 106 00:07:46,120 --> 00:07:50,839 isn't gonna happen again. Sure, he is Emay remorseful. He hasn't spoken 107 00:07:50,879 --> 00:07:55,399 to the media since this all went down last year. This is the first 108 00:07:55,399 --> 00:08:01,040 time he had an appearance. So the press conference arts as anyone could have 109 00:08:01,079 --> 00:08:07,000 predicted. It's the first question, and Emay answers it, I would say, 110 00:08:07,120 --> 00:08:09,560 as well as you could in his circumstances, right, because I I 111 00:08:09,800 --> 00:08:13,560 we had we podcasted yesterday or the day before yesterday, and we talked about 112 00:08:13,600 --> 00:08:20,160 how listen, you can't disclose everything that happened because this has this involves other 113 00:08:20,199 --> 00:08:24,839 people, right, So with that being said, with that in mind, 114 00:08:26,160 --> 00:08:31,439 I mean, he did a pretty decent job of like not getting defensive himself, 115 00:08:31,560 --> 00:08:35,879 not not saying like hey, trust trust me, like that you don't 116 00:08:35,879 --> 00:08:39,440 know the situation, Like he didn't do any of that. He basically took 117 00:08:39,759 --> 00:08:45,200 accountability upon himself. He took ownership of it. He talked about what he's 118 00:08:45,279 --> 00:08:50,039 done since then, Like he took sensitivity training, got counseling. I didn't 119 00:08:50,039 --> 00:08:52,159 know that, you know, that's new information. Yeah, that was good 120 00:08:52,159 --> 00:08:56,399 to hear and to just interroject really clearly, my criticism is more directed than 121 00:08:56,440 --> 00:09:01,399 the organization. We'll get their Yeah, we'll get there well. And like 122 00:09:03,360 --> 00:09:09,240 so Tilman, he has these prepared remarks, and I thought those prepared remarks 123 00:09:09,240 --> 00:09:13,919 were decent and right. Ruffel talks about the reason the due dildence that they 124 00:09:13,960 --> 00:09:20,320 did with the League office and like they were largely in the clear for the 125 00:09:20,399 --> 00:09:24,440 first thirty minutes. It's like the first thirty minutes of that press conference went 126 00:09:24,480 --> 00:09:28,600 about as smoothly as you can. That question that Tilman gets asked is the 127 00:09:28,720 --> 00:09:33,559 last question, and it felt like a blown layup because it's like, dude, 128 00:09:33,960 --> 00:09:39,840 you couldn't just land this plane. Like all you had to do was 129 00:09:39,039 --> 00:09:43,559 just continue on with the tone that you guys were taking before. Instead you 130 00:09:43,600 --> 00:09:48,080 take on this preachy tone about shame on you if you're not giving people second 131 00:09:48,159 --> 00:09:50,440 chances. It's like, dude, no, it's not about that. It's 132 00:09:50,480 --> 00:09:54,559 not about that. The question that was asked to you was what what do 133 00:09:54,600 --> 00:10:00,240 you have to say to people that feel like Emay doesn't deserve this job or 134 00:10:00,799 --> 00:10:05,519 are looking at the rockets and criticizing them because they made this higher instead of 135 00:10:05,559 --> 00:10:09,799 some other higher And all you had to do, you and it's not about 136 00:10:09,799 --> 00:10:11,399 the Christian thing it's not about bringing up a religion, because I'm getting blown 137 00:10:11,480 --> 00:10:15,480 up on Twitter about about how like, oh, are you just upset about 138 00:10:15,440 --> 00:10:18,519 the Christian thing? No, No, you could. You could. There's 139 00:10:18,559 --> 00:10:22,039 actually a way to make a more coherent faith based argument than than you did. 140 00:10:22,519 --> 00:10:24,840 Right, if you were to say the Christian who Christian? Anything? 141 00:10:24,960 --> 00:10:28,559 You could? You could? You could have attacked it from a million different 142 00:10:28,559 --> 00:10:33,080 angles. Hey, Like I believe in forgiveness, like I'm, I'm that's 143 00:10:33,159 --> 00:10:39,000 that's what my faith teaches me. Uh, I understand if how people feel. 144 00:10:39,759 --> 00:10:43,240 I just know that we would not have compromised or the women that work 145 00:10:43,240 --> 00:10:46,600 in this organization if we felt this wasn't the right higher like there was, 146 00:10:46,799 --> 00:10:50,480 you could have made a faith based argument. Right, So, even the 147 00:10:50,559 --> 00:10:54,000 tack that he took could have been taken better. It just felt like a 148 00:10:54,000 --> 00:10:58,600 blown layup. And it's unfortunate because I do believe for that. For the 149 00:11:00,039 --> 00:11:03,000 ninety percent of the presser, I thought it was smooth. And then that's 150 00:11:03,240 --> 00:11:07,720 here's the thing with something like this. If you fuck up that badly, 151 00:11:09,279 --> 00:11:13,000 that quote is going to make all the headlines from the presser. Nobody cares 152 00:11:13,039 --> 00:11:16,600 about that. Like, I guarantee you there are people listening to this podcast 153 00:11:16,840 --> 00:11:20,799 that didn't know that those first thirty minutes went smoothly. They just know about 154 00:11:20,799 --> 00:11:26,279 that quote because it was so god awful. I mean, it was beyond 155 00:11:26,720 --> 00:11:31,200 strange and like like I don't know like why it made no sense to say 156 00:11:31,240 --> 00:11:35,759 in that moment other than just frustration. He got frustrated and he said that, 157 00:11:35,879 --> 00:11:39,320 and it's like, no, dude, like you probably should not never 158 00:11:39,399 --> 00:11:45,200 talk to the media again unless you're you're required too, because it's like like 159 00:11:45,399 --> 00:11:48,240 you have to be You're like he's like a loose dog, like like he 160 00:11:48,879 --> 00:11:52,799 can't control himself, like he even like so the Rockets. The Rockets were 161 00:11:52,799 --> 00:11:58,840 building this this brand new stay of the art, seventy million dollars practice facility 162 00:11:58,960 --> 00:12:01,120 in the Galleria of Houston. It's like the really really nice area, right, 163 00:12:01,120 --> 00:12:05,200 It's where all the players staying when they coming down. I'm excited. 164 00:12:05,399 --> 00:12:09,039 I'm excited about it, by the way, But they're building this used to 165 00:12:09,279 --> 00:12:13,600 and we had heard whispers of it, but it was mostly just rumors and 166 00:12:13,639 --> 00:12:18,759 speculation, and nobody really had concrete evidence that this was happening. And one 167 00:12:18,759 --> 00:12:24,159 could suspect that the reason that we weren't getting that is because that the Rockets 168 00:12:24,200 --> 00:12:28,559 wanted to report this themselves and make a real like a nice easy again, 169 00:12:28,639 --> 00:12:33,279 a layup of a positive news cycle for themselves. Tilman, for Tita, 170 00:12:33,360 --> 00:12:39,919 gets asked about his spending habits with the team, and he gets so defensive 171 00:12:39,360 --> 00:12:43,320 that he's like, we're building a seventy million dollars a practice facility. It's 172 00:12:43,320 --> 00:12:46,759 like in his speel of things, right, it's like, oh, we 173 00:12:46,559 --> 00:12:52,240 we fly on seven thirty seven's. It's like like, dude, like you 174 00:12:52,360 --> 00:12:54,320 don't. I don't know, man, there's just no discipline in him. 175 00:12:54,519 --> 00:13:00,559 And I say that and and this is gonna be hard to believe. He's 176 00:13:00,600 --> 00:13:03,960 actually gotten better from where he was a few years ago, which is which 177 00:13:03,000 --> 00:13:07,919 tells you how bad he was before. Right, Like I'm telling you as 178 00:13:07,960 --> 00:13:11,840 someone who observed him before. Every other answer was terrible, right. Every 179 00:13:11,879 --> 00:13:15,480 other answers like what is he saying? Has he ever spoken to people before, 180 00:13:15,600 --> 00:13:18,600 much less the media the people? Has he ever had human interactions? 181 00:13:18,600 --> 00:13:20,879 Does he know how some of this stuff's gonna come off? And it's like, 182 00:13:22,960 --> 00:13:26,960 I guess he just needs more seasoning, or I don't I don't know 183 00:13:28,039 --> 00:13:31,879 what I honestly, some of this is just ingrained and I don't I don't 184 00:13:31,960 --> 00:13:37,279 know. I think he handled that question about as poorly as you can. 185 00:13:37,600 --> 00:13:43,279 And again he answered. Tilman himself was asked like six different variations of this 186 00:13:43,399 --> 00:13:48,120 question and he and five of those variations he asked, he answered responsibly, 187 00:13:48,360 --> 00:13:54,159 right, and then the sixth one, It's like, dude, like like 188 00:13:54,200 --> 00:13:58,600 I can't even check Twitter right now because I'm I'm, I mean, I'm 189 00:14:00,320 --> 00:14:01,879 we can't talk about it if you want, but like I've become a Rockets 190 00:14:01,879 --> 00:14:05,360 fan this year again, right, I've become a full on fan. And 191 00:14:05,399 --> 00:14:09,440 when that quote when I was when I heard that quote, it's like the 192 00:14:09,519 --> 00:14:11,320 media part of my brain picked up. It's like, fuck, I know 193 00:14:11,399 --> 00:14:15,159 this is gonna go. I know this is the quote that's gonna stick out 194 00:14:15,200 --> 00:14:18,799 from this presser. And I'm so shameful to check Twitter right now for how 195 00:14:18,840 --> 00:14:22,000 that quote's coming off. Like I don't know, I don't know how people 196 00:14:22,000 --> 00:14:26,360 are reacting. I can just I just know how how the media is, 197 00:14:26,879 --> 00:14:30,600 right, I just know, I mean, I just know that this is 198 00:14:30,639 --> 00:14:33,360 something if I were covering the r if I were watching this press conference, 199 00:14:33,559 --> 00:14:37,679 this is something that I would pick up on and I would tweet and I 200 00:14:37,679 --> 00:14:41,960 would criticize the rockets for because it's terrible. Why would you say that? 201 00:14:41,519 --> 00:14:48,360 Why would it makes no sense. I didn't look and I saw your the 202 00:14:48,440 --> 00:14:50,840 reply, some of the replies to your final tweet of the day, I 203 00:14:50,879 --> 00:14:56,120 believe, and I don't understand the people that are making this about anti Christianity 204 00:14:56,320 --> 00:15:00,480 at this point. I think they didn't see that. They didn't hear the 205 00:15:00,559 --> 00:15:03,759 quote. That's my guess. I look, I didn't even hear the quote. 206 00:15:03,759 --> 00:15:05,360 Like it was one of those things where it's like I saw everything that 207 00:15:05,399 --> 00:15:09,360 was that. I wasn't around for the presser. I saw everything after the 208 00:15:09,360 --> 00:15:13,080 fact. But like to your point, because that quote came out and I 209 00:15:13,120 --> 00:15:15,879 don't think it was presented based off how many different outlets like framed it, 210 00:15:15,879 --> 00:15:18,159 I don't think it was. I didn't see the press. I don't think 211 00:15:18,159 --> 00:15:22,720 it was presented unfairly out of content, but so many people it was terrible 212 00:15:22,759 --> 00:15:26,879 when it came out. It was everybody in that room groaned because it's like 213 00:15:26,960 --> 00:15:31,000 they all knew, like these are all journalists, they know how the news 214 00:15:31,039 --> 00:15:35,039 works, like they knew that's gonna that's a terrible thing to say, and 215 00:15:35,159 --> 00:15:37,799 the story Look the story led with that too, where it's the stuff about 216 00:15:37,919 --> 00:15:43,519 Udoka talking about how he went through sensitivity training counseling with his son to better 217 00:15:43,559 --> 00:15:46,200 their relationship. I think some people would say, well was he using it 218 00:15:46,240 --> 00:15:48,840 as deflection? But like that stuff was so far near the bottom of a 219 00:15:48,879 --> 00:15:54,360 lot of the stories. It's you know, that quote hijacked the entire press 220 00:15:54,360 --> 00:15:56,320 conference, which look, when you compare it to the last one of these 221 00:15:56,399 --> 00:16:02,960 that we had with Chauncey Billups in Portland, this was going so well just 222 00:16:03,039 --> 00:16:04,440 relative to that, And I don't want to make it a competition because of 223 00:16:04,679 --> 00:16:08,960 the sense debi of the topic. However, from a basketball perspective, and 224 00:16:10,039 --> 00:16:12,879 we did get into this a little bit, have you gained any insight either 225 00:16:12,919 --> 00:16:17,000 from that press or as to what to expect that Judoka brings to this team 226 00:16:17,039 --> 00:16:19,559 or just thinking about it since the higher what do you expect or going to 227 00:16:19,639 --> 00:16:25,120 watch for with how he handles this team? With a caveat that, there 228 00:16:25,200 --> 00:16:26,840 is a pretty good chance it looks a lot different before next season. Well, 229 00:16:26,879 --> 00:16:30,159 this is what sucks, right, It's because like I talked about how 230 00:16:30,200 --> 00:16:33,440 I've become a fan again and I was listening to press conference, like enthralled. 231 00:16:33,960 --> 00:16:37,879 There's so much basketball stuff going on. Emay was talking about how he 232 00:16:37,919 --> 00:16:41,360 wants to he wants to tell the players, like listen, young, isn't 233 00:16:41,399 --> 00:16:45,159 an excuse, right, like to for any of the mistakes that you're gonna 234 00:16:45,159 --> 00:16:48,480 make. Accountability is going to be my biggest priority here. So okay, 235 00:16:48,519 --> 00:16:52,519 that's a solid tangible thing that we learned at the press conference. We learned 236 00:16:52,559 --> 00:16:59,399 that he watched a lot of Rockets before the interview process, and he you 237 00:16:59,440 --> 00:17:03,159 know, Mari spit Junior was a prospect that he really really liked. Specifically, 238 00:17:03,200 --> 00:17:06,279 he pointed out specific teams. Kevin Porter Junior was a guy he got 239 00:17:06,279 --> 00:17:10,920 to watch at USC, right He Kevin Boord Junior came in during the press 240 00:17:10,920 --> 00:17:14,319 conference and there was like a little light, lighthearted moment there and no one's 241 00:17:14,319 --> 00:17:18,240 gonna see it, right like, and like he talked about like, oh, 242 00:17:18,359 --> 00:17:21,279 the Rockets had sixty million dollars in cap space, and that was one 243 00:17:21,279 --> 00:17:23,000 of the reasons that he wanted the job, right, that was the reason 244 00:17:23,079 --> 00:17:26,839 he chose the Rockets over some of the other openings that were available, Like 245 00:17:27,200 --> 00:17:30,000 the cap space was a big part of it, and that he wanted to 246 00:17:30,039 --> 00:17:33,400 go get shooters for this team. It's like, oh, like that's something 247 00:17:33,480 --> 00:17:37,880 I didn't know, right, Like there was so much we learned here, 248 00:17:37,079 --> 00:17:41,599 and I would love to talk about those other things, but I can't because 249 00:17:41,799 --> 00:17:49,000 Tilman said that, you know, he said that reflections on this right, 250 00:17:49,039 --> 00:17:52,160 I mean, like, I want to get into so bad. I want 251 00:17:52,160 --> 00:17:53,759 to talk to you about players more than just the off season. But like 252 00:17:53,799 --> 00:17:57,279 that is just that season look ahead stuff and I hope that you will come 253 00:17:57,279 --> 00:18:00,319 back on for the Rockets season ahead. But I wanted to talk to you 254 00:18:00,319 --> 00:18:03,920 about some of the players who who would identify as core players right now and 255 00:18:04,240 --> 00:18:08,400 what you learned about them or just thinking about coming out of the season. 256 00:18:08,759 --> 00:18:14,880 And I think we should start with Jalen Smith. Uh comes off probably not 257 00:18:14,920 --> 00:18:18,720 the best up Jalen Smith. Oh, Jalen Green, I apologize, I'm 258 00:18:18,720 --> 00:18:21,359 getting Jabari and jalons well. First of all, Jaln Smith's a real person 259 00:18:21,400 --> 00:18:25,559 too, but yeah, jearim probinding names here. Jalen Green doesn't have the 260 00:18:25,599 --> 00:18:30,480 cleanest follow up campaign to his rookie season. It feels like the dial is 261 00:18:30,519 --> 00:18:33,480 always turned to eleven out of ten with him. What are you? What 262 00:18:33,559 --> 00:18:37,359 are just your thoughts coming out of his sophomore campaign. What are you thinking 263 00:18:37,359 --> 00:18:42,240 about with regards to him moving forward? I'm not worried. It's not I 264 00:18:42,279 --> 00:18:45,680 mean, you see this all the time in the NBA, right, Like, 265 00:18:45,960 --> 00:18:49,880 it's not uncommon for a player to flatline their second season, right because 266 00:18:51,559 --> 00:18:55,160 how many times have we heard development is not linear? You know, Like 267 00:18:55,359 --> 00:18:59,640 I think it's not. It's not you know, unheard of that he would 268 00:18:59,640 --> 00:19:02,119 have a season where it was kind of a little bit down from the season 269 00:19:02,160 --> 00:19:08,160 before, right. I think it did kind of you know, I watching 270 00:19:08,200 --> 00:19:11,519 the preseason, watching the other green the preseason, I was like, oh, 271 00:19:11,680 --> 00:19:14,960 this guy might be like much better than I projected him out to be. 272 00:19:15,000 --> 00:19:18,000 Like, this guy might be like he was playing like a superstar in 273 00:19:18,039 --> 00:19:21,200 the preseason, right. So, so it quickly squashed that for me, 274 00:19:21,880 --> 00:19:25,559 right Like, like so I'm not thinking I'm no longer thinking of Jalen like 275 00:19:25,599 --> 00:19:30,279 that anymore for the time being. But I think he did make some strides 276 00:19:30,319 --> 00:19:33,720 getting to the free throw line. That was a tangible stride, Like he 277 00:19:33,079 --> 00:19:37,440 even the nights where he wasn't the threes weren't going in, he was getting 278 00:19:37,480 --> 00:19:40,039 to the line, which he wasn't last year. And I thought that was 279 00:19:40,200 --> 00:19:45,960 a big development for him. Strength increasing I think was huge. Yeah, 280 00:19:45,000 --> 00:19:52,480 absolutely absolutely, And like just the passing was was slightly better, right, 281 00:19:52,519 --> 00:19:56,119 It was like it was a big surprise in the first place that he had 282 00:19:56,160 --> 00:19:59,000 like an instinct to pass when he got into the lane, right, Like 283 00:19:59,079 --> 00:20:00,279 for me, it was because I watched him in the G League. He 284 00:20:00,279 --> 00:20:03,720 wasn't doing that, and so it got a little bit better in that he 285 00:20:03,799 --> 00:20:07,519 was he wasn't just like passing when he got into langa. He was like 286 00:20:07,599 --> 00:20:11,359 looking to make the extra pass this year, which I thought was encouraging. 287 00:20:12,160 --> 00:20:15,759 I thought, you know, his floaters, which was it was like a 288 00:20:15,839 --> 00:20:19,279 nice little like it's nice to see, you know, some variation in the 289 00:20:19,319 --> 00:20:26,839 offensive set, right, And I thought, more specifically like him just reading 290 00:20:26,920 --> 00:20:33,759 his teammates, like Alprince Shanguon, the chemistry he developed with him was very 291 00:20:33,839 --> 00:20:37,279 optimistic for me, Like I came away with that very enthused, and I'm 292 00:20:37,519 --> 00:20:41,680 I want to see how that pairing works together next year with a real NBA 293 00:20:41,759 --> 00:20:45,839 head coach, right, Like, I think it's gonna be really exciting to 294 00:20:45,839 --> 00:20:52,079 see how this roster gets unlocked under Emay. And you know, I think 295 00:20:52,119 --> 00:21:00,160 some things some disappointments, the defense still worrisome, the shooting still not like 296 00:21:00,160 --> 00:21:04,119 he's not like a guaranteed going to this season. He's gonna be thirty six 297 00:21:04,160 --> 00:21:08,759 percent. He's not there yet, right. I think once once he gets 298 00:21:08,799 --> 00:21:15,880 there, we're talking about unlocking some real, really exciting stuff. The mid 299 00:21:15,039 --> 00:21:21,359 Ran shooting, obviously that was already there. I think I think it was 300 00:21:21,640 --> 00:21:22,519 more of a kind of more of the same for Jail. And to be 301 00:21:22,599 --> 00:21:27,599 honest, I thought this was a down year because of his shooting splits, 302 00:21:27,640 --> 00:21:32,880 but he improved in some areas and I just want to see how he does 303 00:21:33,039 --> 00:21:37,200 next year with some more structure, and I think it's there's a real possibility 304 00:21:37,279 --> 00:21:40,680 that, you know, we look at what he does next season. It's 305 00:21:40,720 --> 00:21:44,599 like we look and we come back to this scene. It's like, this 306 00:21:44,680 --> 00:21:48,119 was such a wasted opportunity. That's how if you're gonna ask me about the 307 00:21:48,160 --> 00:21:51,240 rest of the roster, by the way, it's gonna be a consistent theme 308 00:21:51,599 --> 00:21:56,000 like wasted opportunity. Like that's how I feel about the development of most of 309 00:21:56,000 --> 00:21:59,519 these young guys this year. It really was. If you're reading and because 310 00:21:59,759 --> 00:22:03,519 Green, you look at, Okay, the level of difficulty on some of 311 00:22:03,559 --> 00:22:06,519 his shots. I think that can explain a little bit of the efficiency dips. 312 00:22:06,559 --> 00:22:08,240 But then it's also you know, his catch and shoot numbers were down. 313 00:22:08,440 --> 00:22:11,680 He would just like to see him in a better and then his furnishing 314 00:22:11,680 --> 00:22:14,720 around the rim just by getting into the line that was dramatically down. But 315 00:22:14,880 --> 00:22:18,200 I'd like to see him with better spacing around him, more of an offensive 316 00:22:18,240 --> 00:22:21,640 steward next to him than a KPJ or any of the other guards that Houston 317 00:22:21,720 --> 00:22:25,039 ran out this year, really and I think that could benefit him. I 318 00:22:25,119 --> 00:22:26,960 also think, you know, giving more agency, and we did see it 319 00:22:27,160 --> 00:22:30,039 as the season went on. I think to Alperren, Jane Gun, who's 320 00:22:30,079 --> 00:22:33,599 your boy and the next player I'm going to ask you about that can go 321 00:22:33,680 --> 00:22:38,359 a long way too and any over like and he look, I was lower 322 00:22:38,400 --> 00:22:41,440 on him than you, and I look I still am. But coming into 323 00:22:41,480 --> 00:22:47,359 this season, he definitely exceeded my expectations. And there's just a very fluid, 324 00:22:48,039 --> 00:22:51,480 high IQ nature to his game. It's not just the passing he can 325 00:22:51,759 --> 00:22:55,039 you know, he can work and score from the post. He has the 326 00:22:55,079 --> 00:22:59,480 turnaround shot going. He has like he can throw up some floaters or pushes. 327 00:23:00,079 --> 00:23:03,759 So this is a guy who has a bunch of utility on the offensive 328 00:23:03,839 --> 00:23:07,960 end. What are your just your thoughts coming out of his sophomore campaign. 329 00:23:07,400 --> 00:23:12,519 Yeah, I mean I was impressed that he was still producing despite the constraints 330 00:23:12,559 --> 00:23:15,960 that were put are put on him, honestly, Like and I realized that's 331 00:23:17,039 --> 00:23:18,599 like the biggest ship I could possibly say about him. But I mean he 332 00:23:18,680 --> 00:23:22,759 really was. Like he starts the season on the bench because Bruno Fernando, 333 00:23:23,240 --> 00:23:26,599 I mean, you can't, you can't hold back. Never as long as 334 00:23:26,559 --> 00:23:30,960 Alfernchen, who's in the NBA, like that anecdote is never going to die. 335 00:23:30,240 --> 00:23:33,799 I mean, it's as long as Steven Salace is a head coach, 336 00:23:33,839 --> 00:23:37,039 it's never gonna die. I mean it's it was, Yeah, I mean, 337 00:23:37,079 --> 00:23:40,839 he starts the season on the bench, coming off the bench. H 338 00:23:41,000 --> 00:23:45,400 he is playing consistently like five to ten minutes UH per game, less than 339 00:23:45,440 --> 00:23:48,440 the rest of his start the starters, and it's like it shows a real, 340 00:23:48,920 --> 00:23:52,680 you know, lack of confidence in his abilities. Players get hurt. 341 00:23:52,880 --> 00:23:57,599 His his usage rate stays exactly the same, like exactly the same. The 342 00:23:57,640 --> 00:24:02,079 only thing that changes are like his it goes up. But like that's kind 343 00:24:02,079 --> 00:24:04,319 of shocking, Like the fact that Kevin Porter Junior went down for a stretch 344 00:24:04,319 --> 00:24:08,160 and like, you're still giving Jalen Green. I mean, you're you're still 345 00:24:08,200 --> 00:24:11,440 just you're still giving Alper and Changun Like, oh, here's your like fifteen 346 00:24:11,480 --> 00:24:18,839 percent, right, Like you're you're you're exactly where you were offensively before and 347 00:24:18,839 --> 00:24:22,519 and he produced, he still produced. I think, uh, what I 348 00:24:22,559 --> 00:24:30,039 liked from him, especially this season was his his reading of his of his 349 00:24:30,079 --> 00:24:34,240 teammates. Like, I think the chemistry developed with Jalen We talked about that 350 00:24:34,279 --> 00:24:38,319 earlier, but it's not just Jalen, Like, I think he developed chemistry 351 00:24:38,480 --> 00:24:41,200 with a lot of the guys in the roster, even when Data and developed 352 00:24:41,240 --> 00:24:45,079 chemistry with him. And I'll explain what I'm talking about. Like, so, 353 00:24:45,160 --> 00:24:48,240 like, I don't think Kevin Porter Junior was always looking for Alper and 354 00:24:48,319 --> 00:24:51,680 Changun. I still don't think, you know, towards the end of the 355 00:24:51,720 --> 00:24:56,680 season he was looking for him, But Kate Shangun was always looking for Kevin 356 00:24:56,680 --> 00:25:00,440 Porter Jr. Right, And like, I think that kind of stuff is 357 00:25:00,480 --> 00:25:06,079 so encouraging, right, Like the fact that you don't get discouraged by someone 358 00:25:06,160 --> 00:25:07,279 not passing the ball to you. But you're still going to give it back, 359 00:25:07,279 --> 00:25:11,400 You're still looking for the best opportunities for for your teammates. I think 360 00:25:11,400 --> 00:25:15,400 that was that was good, but again, like I still can't go I 361 00:25:15,400 --> 00:25:18,920 can't. I can't help but feel like this was a wasted opportunity for the 362 00:25:18,160 --> 00:25:23,839 for him. If anybody resonates with this theme more than anybody on the roster, 363 00:25:25,000 --> 00:25:27,039 it's him. I thought this was a guy that was going to average 364 00:25:27,079 --> 00:25:30,400 like eighteen and nine this year, right, Like I really did. I 365 00:25:30,880 --> 00:25:34,359 I thought this was this was a guy that was going to clearly show himself 366 00:25:34,359 --> 00:25:38,400 to be the best offensive talent on this team. And you know, he 367 00:25:38,519 --> 00:25:41,599 might be the best offensive talent on this team. But because he was playing 368 00:25:41,599 --> 00:25:45,039 like ten minutes per like five minutes per game less than the rest of the 369 00:25:45,119 --> 00:25:48,960 roster, he can't prove it. He can't never had the opportunity to prove 370 00:25:49,000 --> 00:25:53,000 it. He never had the opportunity to prove his own head coach wrong. 371 00:25:53,640 --> 00:26:00,680 Right, And I don't know, like he got better, which is surprising 372 00:26:00,839 --> 00:26:06,599 because he was so good that rookie year. But I don't think this was 373 00:26:07,519 --> 00:26:10,640 this was as good as he could have been, Like, I really don't. 374 00:26:10,640 --> 00:26:15,839 I thought this was This was a real opportunity for him to show that 375 00:26:15,680 --> 00:26:21,799 the organization should have played him more last year, and because the organization continued 376 00:26:21,839 --> 00:26:26,160 to play him less, he couldn't prove that same theory wrong, which was 377 00:26:26,079 --> 00:26:30,680 made me really want to pull my hair out. I'm interested to see if 378 00:26:30,680 --> 00:26:33,240 they can get just better space he and cutters for him too, And I 379 00:26:33,319 --> 00:26:36,839 think that's why KPJ was someone that he linked up with or looked for, 380 00:26:37,039 --> 00:26:40,240 because that was someone who was like, can score in motion and would move 381 00:26:40,240 --> 00:26:45,519 without Jon was another one of those guys. Yeah. Uh, Jabarr Smith 382 00:26:45,599 --> 00:26:48,440 Jr. Is the player on this roster right now that I remain highest on 383 00:26:49,079 --> 00:26:52,559 long term. I might be reading too much into a strong close to the 384 00:26:52,559 --> 00:26:57,880 season where we saw that he is more offensively than just this play finisher had 385 00:26:57,880 --> 00:27:03,359 some turnarounds going. He shot an incredible clip on pull up jumpers over its 386 00:27:03,400 --> 00:27:07,799 final twenty games during that span. Actually, I was double checking his before 387 00:27:07,839 --> 00:27:11,240 he went on. Over his final twenty games, out of everyone who attempted 388 00:27:11,240 --> 00:27:15,400 as many pull up jumpers as Jabari Smith Jr. Only Steph and Tyres Maxie 389 00:27:15,640 --> 00:27:19,000 had higher effective field goal percentages. And so I think that that is a 390 00:27:19,000 --> 00:27:22,720 good harboring jury for the next iteration of the Rockets. But what are your 391 00:27:22,839 --> 00:27:27,960 thoughts and impressions coming out of his his rookie campaign, Like, okay, 392 00:27:29,000 --> 00:27:33,000 so I was lower on on Jabari than I think a lot of people. 393 00:27:33,119 --> 00:27:37,240 Right, I didn't have a number one I had him. I don't think. 394 00:27:37,799 --> 00:27:41,799 I don't even think clearly the Magic didn't even have No. I don't 395 00:27:41,839 --> 00:27:42,839 know who had him. I guess a lot of people out of number one, 396 00:27:42,839 --> 00:27:45,759 the people had him number one before. There was still one of wildest 397 00:27:45,880 --> 00:27:49,000 just sort of fake outs leading into the draft where it was oh, Jabari 398 00:27:49,039 --> 00:27:52,519 Orlando, Jabario Orlando. In the last thirty six hours, it's oh no, 399 00:27:52,559 --> 00:27:56,759 it's palap Yeah. But but even among the consensus media guys like he 400 00:27:56,880 --> 00:27:59,440 was number one and yeah, you're right, you're right. I'm just it's 401 00:27:59,440 --> 00:28:02,200 there so much distance between it and Palo was so good that I can't even 402 00:28:02,200 --> 00:28:03,799 fathom having him number one movie. You're right, you're right. Yeah, 403 00:28:03,880 --> 00:28:07,759 And like I remember like reading all that stuff, and I was like, 404 00:28:07,000 --> 00:28:11,240 am I seeing am I not seeing something that everybody else is? Like I 405 00:28:11,400 --> 00:28:17,400 just Polo is so much better than him as as someone who projects to be 406 00:28:17,640 --> 00:28:22,079 a star, right, Jabbar could eventually become like a star, but it's 407 00:28:22,079 --> 00:28:26,559 going to require a lot more from where he's starting than where Polo was starting, 408 00:28:26,599 --> 00:28:33,599 and from more chets starting right, And I thought, this is somebody 409 00:28:33,720 --> 00:28:38,319 who is going to require a lot of player development from the ball haidling standpoint. 410 00:28:38,480 --> 00:28:41,240 And in that respect, he actually did impress me. I thought this 411 00:28:41,319 --> 00:28:48,400 year he was a better ball handler then then I remember watching at Auburn, 412 00:28:48,000 --> 00:28:52,039 right, And perhaps that's because he got more ball like some more ball handling 413 00:28:52,039 --> 00:28:56,519 opportunity than he did at Auburn. But like, it really was, it 414 00:28:56,599 --> 00:29:00,960 really was something that I was worried about this year. And you know that's 415 00:29:00,000 --> 00:29:03,599 not to say that he's something exactly magic Johnson right now, Right, he's 416 00:29:03,640 --> 00:29:08,200 not right, He's he's someone that's going it's still very raw on that end 417 00:29:08,200 --> 00:29:12,119 of the floor. He's still he still has a lot of work to do 418 00:29:12,359 --> 00:29:15,839 as a shot creator. But as a defensive player. I see it, 419 00:29:15,880 --> 00:29:21,359 man, like the tools are there, the motor is there, the rebounding 420 00:29:21,440 --> 00:29:23,839 is there, the blocks are there, the steels are there, the will 421 00:29:25,000 --> 00:29:30,359 to do it is there. It's just gonna take some some structure. It's 422 00:29:30,359 --> 00:29:34,640 gonna take someone that you know is in his ear telling him where he needs 423 00:29:34,640 --> 00:29:38,400 to be when he needs to be there, because sometimes he thinks he's exactly 424 00:29:38,440 --> 00:29:41,400 where he needs to be when he's not right, Like he's, uh, 425 00:29:41,519 --> 00:29:45,160 he's a little over confident in his defense right now, I'm noticing. And 426 00:29:45,200 --> 00:29:48,960 that's probably because he was such a highly touted defender as a prospect, right 427 00:29:49,880 --> 00:29:53,119 and I'm kind of looking forward to Emay coming in and knocking him down a 428 00:29:53,160 --> 00:29:56,720 peg a little bit, and health probably gonna be You mentioned structure before, 429 00:29:56,799 --> 00:30:02,039 there's gonna be way more structure too. What Houston felt like, this is 430 00:30:02,079 --> 00:30:03,279 the way I framed it. And you watch more of them than I did. 431 00:30:03,599 --> 00:30:10,160 They felt like they had an ultra conservative approach without any aims, like 432 00:30:10,279 --> 00:30:14,279 not any angles in that yeah, when watching them on defense, But for 433 00:30:14,319 --> 00:30:18,279 some reason, Jabari didn't have that same conservatism, right, like he had 434 00:30:18,319 --> 00:30:22,400 a little bit more rain to do what to do kind of what he wanted 435 00:30:22,759 --> 00:30:26,279 offensively, like he he got he got the ball a lot, like he 436 00:30:26,359 --> 00:30:30,000 was given the opportunity to really score for the Rockets, and specifically about defense, 437 00:30:30,039 --> 00:30:33,440 they were completely ungoverned on the offensive end, like they were completely just 438 00:30:34,440 --> 00:30:38,599 yeah, well most of them were right, Like most of them were were 439 00:30:38,640 --> 00:30:42,319 pretty I wish some I wish all of them were uncomforted, but most of 440 00:30:42,359 --> 00:30:48,200 them were. But getting back to Jabari, like, it's hard not to 441 00:30:48,240 --> 00:30:52,200 look at the three point shooting and be like, huh, you know, 442 00:30:52,279 --> 00:30:56,240 like I'm not saying it's it's a red flag yet, but it's definitely huh. 443 00:30:56,480 --> 00:30:59,839 This was this is like you were like the highest, like one of 444 00:30:59,880 --> 00:31:03,240 the greatest three point shooting big prospects. That's some of these some of these 445 00:31:03,599 --> 00:31:10,880 you know, these value ators that ever seen. Right, So it's it's 446 00:31:10,920 --> 00:31:15,039 not great when you come into the league and you're shooting less than thirty one 447 00:31:15,079 --> 00:31:21,599 percent from three. I think I think it's something that works that merits more 448 00:31:21,640 --> 00:31:26,039 monitoring next season. You know, I think he needs to really shoot, 449 00:31:26,160 --> 00:31:29,279 Like he really needs to aim to shoot like thirty four thirty five percent next 450 00:31:29,319 --> 00:31:33,880 year at the minimum, at the minimum. Right, Like, he was 451 00:31:33,000 --> 00:31:37,839 not a good shooter this year, and I think part of it was because 452 00:31:37,920 --> 00:31:40,400 I think, you know, you mentioned the pull up threes. I actually 453 00:31:40,480 --> 00:31:45,680 feel like he took too many long threes. Like in Auburn, he loved 454 00:31:45,720 --> 00:31:49,200 shooting those above the RC threes, Right, And if you looked up the 455 00:31:49,240 --> 00:31:55,839 distance on an NBA above the above the break three versus a college above the 456 00:31:55,839 --> 00:31:59,279 Barry three. The difference is like five feet and I feel like the three 457 00:31:59,279 --> 00:32:02,079 point line was two far from him for him. And you notice his percentages 458 00:32:02,079 --> 00:32:06,960 went up pretty drastically when he stuck to the corners. And it's like that 459 00:32:07,039 --> 00:32:10,279 might be something that is worth being pointed out to him, right, Like 460 00:32:10,319 --> 00:32:15,119 if maybe you start your NBA career shooting more corner threes versus what you were 461 00:32:15,160 --> 00:32:19,440 comfort comfortable shooting at Auburn. I know that's what you wanted to shoot when 462 00:32:19,480 --> 00:32:21,599 you got to the NBA, but this is clearly too far for you. 463 00:32:21,960 --> 00:32:23,920 And you see his percentages dipped down as he takes a step, as he 464 00:32:23,960 --> 00:32:28,640 takes a further step away from the basket, Like it's progressive in that way, 465 00:32:28,920 --> 00:32:31,880 right, And I feel like that's I think that's kind of an obvious 466 00:32:31,920 --> 00:32:35,960 like he's not used to the three point line, the NBA three point line, 467 00:32:36,759 --> 00:32:39,119 And to some extent, we probably should have saw some of this going 468 00:32:39,200 --> 00:32:44,759 coming because before his for his rookie year at Auburn, he was a mid 469 00:32:44,839 --> 00:32:47,400 range shooter as a high school prospect, like he was a knockdown, like 470 00:32:47,519 --> 00:32:52,319 drag out mid range shooter, right, and he shot threes, but his 471 00:32:52,359 --> 00:32:58,000 specialty was as a mid range shooter, like he he was like LaMarcus Aldridge. 472 00:32:58,440 --> 00:33:02,400 And to see him kind of try, I mean, to see him 473 00:33:02,440 --> 00:33:07,799 expanding into three point shooting in college was encouraging. But perhaps we shouldn't have 474 00:33:08,000 --> 00:33:12,960 We shouldn't have had him shooting like seven threes a game his workie year. 475 00:33:13,000 --> 00:33:16,519 Perhaps it would have been better if he shot like four threes a game, 476 00:33:16,559 --> 00:33:22,519 and perhaps three of those should have came from the corners. I would be 477 00:33:22,519 --> 00:33:24,359 with you to simplify his outside attempts and a lot of the damage he did 478 00:33:24,359 --> 00:33:27,720 in the pull up stuff that I'm citing, like that was happening inside the 479 00:33:27,839 --> 00:33:30,480 arc, and so like him getting more comfortable in that role I do think 480 00:33:30,680 --> 00:33:32,640 is somewhat important. Though I think you can quibble and you kind of alluded 481 00:33:32,680 --> 00:33:37,640 to this about his shot selection. Who is more to keep things moving important 482 00:33:37,799 --> 00:33:46,920 to this team long term, Tarry Easton or Kevin Porter Jr. I guess 483 00:33:46,960 --> 00:33:50,319 it, really this is kind of a cop out. It depends on two 484 00:33:50,359 --> 00:33:54,200 things. Depends on what happens this offseason, and it depends on what happens. 485 00:33:58,440 --> 00:34:05,119 I guess it depends on what happens as offseason, and it depends basically 486 00:34:06,000 --> 00:34:08,920 on what the Rockets are able to get lucky with, you know, like 487 00:34:08,960 --> 00:34:15,239 if if they if they if they get James Harden this offseason, then it's 488 00:34:15,280 --> 00:34:22,599 clearly tar Eason. If they get Fred Van Vliet, I don't know, 489 00:34:22,079 --> 00:34:28,320 or if they get if they get someone like kil Bridges, I think it's 490 00:34:28,360 --> 00:34:30,199 the ob obvious answer is gonna KPJ is more valuable to you, right, 491 00:34:30,880 --> 00:34:35,320 it really depends on what the Rockets, you know, if if they get 492 00:34:35,360 --> 00:34:39,400 Scoot Henderson in the draft, you know, like I think I'm tempted to 493 00:34:39,440 --> 00:34:45,440 say Tary Easton is more important than the long term, but KPJ is so 494 00:34:45,519 --> 00:34:51,159 far and away the better player right now. But that being said, Tary 495 00:34:51,159 --> 00:34:53,119 Easton was like their best rookie this year, and I don't think it was 496 00:34:53,159 --> 00:35:00,920 close, Like it was like yeah, and and I I predicted this before 497 00:35:00,920 --> 00:35:02,760 the scene, like let's pay attention to this man, like guys like three 498 00:35:02,840 --> 00:35:07,320 years older than uh than Jabari Smith Junior. So there's there's a possible there's 499 00:35:07,320 --> 00:35:09,960 an outside shot that he has a better rookie year. Let's keep an eye 500 00:35:10,000 --> 00:35:15,599 on that and it happened man like, and you know, his rookie year 501 00:35:15,679 --> 00:35:17,800 really reminded me of Shan goosberokie year, and like, the guy should have 502 00:35:17,800 --> 00:35:21,679 gotten like way more minutes. Right, the guy should have been starting, 503 00:35:21,960 --> 00:35:24,480 honestly, in all honestly, he should have been the starting power forward. 504 00:35:25,000 --> 00:35:30,639 Right, but Jabari Smith Junior be the number one. I'm number three overall, 505 00:35:30,679 --> 00:35:37,840 pick got had seniority there. And I listen, he was really really 506 00:35:37,880 --> 00:35:42,159 good offensively, and that's what that's what was impressive. It's not it's not 507 00:35:42,639 --> 00:35:45,000 we knew what he was bringing defensively, right, we knew what he could 508 00:35:45,000 --> 00:35:50,360 potentially bring defensively. But it's the offense. It's the fact that he's finishing 509 00:35:50,400 --> 00:35:52,280 at the rim at the rate that he's finishing. It's the fact that he 510 00:35:52,719 --> 00:35:58,119 actually can drive into the rim over some of these trees. Right. He 511 00:35:58,159 --> 00:36:02,679 can't go right yet, right, but he still has an avenue to get 512 00:36:02,719 --> 00:36:06,960 to the basket and finish there, which is impressive for a twenty one year 513 00:36:06,960 --> 00:36:09,960 old. I will say, and you know, I'm not a KPJ guy. 514 00:36:10,039 --> 00:36:15,480 He looked a lot more scalable offensively this year, sort of just plugging 515 00:36:15,480 --> 00:36:16,920 player, like if you did get a hardened or if you get another league 516 00:36:16,920 --> 00:36:20,960 guard or you know, scoot where someone's gonna have the ball in their hands 517 00:36:20,960 --> 00:36:24,440 a ton and if you're gonna just up Shane Goon's license over the offense in 518 00:36:24,480 --> 00:36:29,880 addition while leaning on Green and then whoever you draft, I think KPJ is 519 00:36:29,880 --> 00:36:32,440 a much cleaner fit now than I would have said if you told me this, 520 00:36:34,239 --> 00:36:37,440 you know or whatever. Objectively, the best rocket this year was Kevin 521 00:36:37,440 --> 00:36:42,320 Bodj. Objectively he was They need more guy I mean, like when you 522 00:36:42,360 --> 00:36:45,840 talk about they had in Theory Garrison Matthews on the roster for most of the 523 00:36:45,840 --> 00:36:47,880 season, Like KPJ is like the guy that could score off motion away from 524 00:36:47,880 --> 00:36:52,199 the ball and keep defenses on tilt with his his movement. They need more 525 00:36:52,239 --> 00:36:55,360 guys like that no matter what they do. Are there any other players on 526 00:36:55,360 --> 00:37:00,280 this roster that you would like to like? Do you have like an to 527 00:37:00,400 --> 00:37:05,920 us monte Ruba that you would like to mar Man kJ Martin like that guy 528 00:37:05,960 --> 00:37:09,639 became a starter this year after demanding a trade this summer and getting laughed at 529 00:37:09,639 --> 00:37:14,480 the laughed out the building, Like he demanded a trade this summer and like 530 00:37:14,760 --> 00:37:17,039 fuck is this guy? Well, he's demanding a trade like the second round 531 00:37:17,039 --> 00:37:22,840 pick, like it makes no sense to anybody, and he as soon as 532 00:37:23,039 --> 00:37:28,920 Air Gordon's traded, Bam. The decision's easy. It's easy. Everybody knows 533 00:37:28,960 --> 00:37:32,320 it's kJ Martin because he had played that well up until that moment. And 534 00:37:32,800 --> 00:37:38,880 I mean, he is so far and away outperforming where he was drafted relative 535 00:37:39,280 --> 00:37:44,760 to the rest of the Rockets, Like he was the fifty second pick in 536 00:37:44,800 --> 00:37:52,239 the twenty nineteen draft and he is playing like the twentieth pick right now. 537 00:37:52,360 --> 00:37:57,480 I mean, at bare minimum, he is playing really, really above where 538 00:37:57,519 --> 00:38:01,599 most people expected. He wasn't even mocked in those people's top sixty in twenty 539 00:38:01,639 --> 00:38:06,719 nineteen or twenty twenty. Excuse me, he wasn't mocked there. I looked, 540 00:38:07,119 --> 00:38:08,920 and that's why I was surprised. Like I had to do some last 541 00:38:08,920 --> 00:38:14,199 minute research for the draft. kJ Martin wasn't even on my radar because it's 542 00:38:14,239 --> 00:38:19,920 like the guy was like eighty one hundred on some lists, right, and 543 00:38:20,119 --> 00:38:25,960 he is freak athlete, potential potentially could become a good defender one day. 544 00:38:27,760 --> 00:38:30,400 His three point shooting where do you shoot? This year? He was at 545 00:38:30,400 --> 00:38:35,199 thirty one plus percent around okay, but for his career he's like thirty four, 546 00:38:35,280 --> 00:38:39,440 right, Yeah, he's around there. Yeah, So I mean that 547 00:38:39,639 --> 00:38:45,119 that that's a really like tantalizing prospect there that you get that they pulled out 548 00:38:45,159 --> 00:38:47,880 up in air. They paid money for that draft pick, so you know 549 00:38:49,039 --> 00:38:52,280 that, you know, that's the kind of stuff that helps you win trades 550 00:38:52,320 --> 00:38:55,199 down the line. It helps you put together packages. Like kJ Martin will 551 00:38:55,199 --> 00:39:00,199 never highlight a trade package, but he's the kind of guy that if you 552 00:39:00,239 --> 00:39:05,320 throw them in, could put you over the finish line. That's a great 553 00:39:05,360 --> 00:39:08,000 point. And you talk about off ball movement specifically, and that's someone who 554 00:39:08,239 --> 00:39:13,480 that's another that's like him and KPJ were like basically it who could at least 555 00:39:13,480 --> 00:39:15,599 do it effectively? And I think kJ Martin was at like almost one point 556 00:39:15,679 --> 00:39:19,960 five points per possession off cuts in the half court, which is just huge 557 00:39:20,000 --> 00:39:22,280 when you look at kind of the space. Saying he needed to navigate at 558 00:39:22,280 --> 00:39:27,519 points for the Rockets this offseason is just we talked about they have like an 559 00:39:27,519 --> 00:39:30,800 easy pathway to fifty eight plus million dollars in cap space. There are so 560 00:39:30,840 --> 00:39:37,400 many things that could inform their direction and so I want to start with this, 561 00:39:37,679 --> 00:39:39,639 is that, whether you're looking at the draft or free agency, before 562 00:39:39,679 --> 00:39:43,639 we get into actual moves players, how aggressive they'll be. What is that 563 00:39:43,679 --> 00:39:47,639 you can pick one? What is the single biggest need that this organization, 564 00:39:47,719 --> 00:39:52,639 this roster has to has to has to make a focus to fill over the 565 00:39:52,679 --> 00:39:59,800 summer playmaking. It's kind of easy, but yeah, you need you need 566 00:40:00,000 --> 00:40:04,639 some one that's gonna get everybody involved, even Jalen Like, I'm not sure 567 00:40:04,639 --> 00:40:09,320 if you got to read that reporting from Shams and Kelly Echo about how the 568 00:40:09,480 --> 00:40:15,719 Rockets Jalen Green went went to Rockets coaching staff and said, like, listen, 569 00:40:15,760 --> 00:40:19,000 I can't be having the ball in my hand as much as I as 570 00:40:19,079 --> 00:40:22,760 much as I do. Like that's that to me was like, you know, 571 00:40:22,880 --> 00:40:25,000 that was meant to be like a throw into the reporting, like hey, 572 00:40:25,559 --> 00:40:29,199 Steven Sauce has like no control of his coaching staff. They're coming to 573 00:40:29,280 --> 00:40:30,719 him and telling him what they want. And to me, I read that, 574 00:40:30,719 --> 00:40:35,159 I'm like, man, that's really mature, man like for someone in 575 00:40:35,159 --> 00:40:38,400 his second year who would in theory want Yeah, like that, Yeah, 576 00:40:38,440 --> 00:40:43,599 that's that's incredible. Yeah, And I'm like, yeah, you're you're right, 577 00:40:43,840 --> 00:40:47,559 and like it's So it's gonna make read, it's gonna make building the 578 00:40:47,599 --> 00:40:52,239 team so much easier on the Rockets that they have that information in mind, 579 00:40:52,320 --> 00:40:54,000 that he's willing to be, that he wants to be off the ball, 580 00:40:54,119 --> 00:40:59,679 that he recognizes that's his best role. And I love Jalen Green. I 581 00:40:59,679 --> 00:41:00,880 think he can become an All Star one day. I think he's likely to 582 00:41:00,920 --> 00:41:05,880 become an All Star one day. Excuse me. And I think if building 583 00:41:05,880 --> 00:41:08,760 around him, you're gonna you're still gonna need someone to do that can stir 584 00:41:08,880 --> 00:41:13,800 the drink here, right, that's gonna that's gonna facilitate and get get everybody 585 00:41:13,800 --> 00:41:19,239 involved. There's a possibility that you know, there was a guy on the 586 00:41:19,320 --> 00:41:22,360 roster and they never gave that guy the opportunity. But the reality is the 587 00:41:22,480 --> 00:41:24,880 Rockets have to go into the off season as if that guy is not on 588 00:41:24,880 --> 00:41:30,760 the roster. They have to they have they have to at every opportunity, 589 00:41:30,840 --> 00:41:36,239 they have to look for guys who can really dynamically shift their offense. Right. 590 00:41:36,360 --> 00:41:38,719 So that's why James Arn's being mentioned. That's why Scoot Henderson would be 591 00:41:38,760 --> 00:41:44,679 awesome for the Rockets. That's why there are some Rockets fans that don't even 592 00:41:44,679 --> 00:41:46,960 want the number one overall pick. I think those Rockets fans are out of 593 00:41:46,960 --> 00:41:52,519 their mind. But it's happening, you know, and I can see why 594 00:41:52,559 --> 00:41:57,920 they feel that way after watching this team. I did not know there was 595 00:41:57,960 --> 00:42:00,199 a subset of Rockets fans that did not want that. They're Weben Yama, 596 00:42:00,320 --> 00:42:02,880 I, we have to get in the hard and stuff. We talked about 597 00:42:02,920 --> 00:42:07,559 it at length. It's serious, but not What's interesting is if they wind 598 00:42:07,639 --> 00:42:12,840 up with Scoot, do you think it makes it less likely that they would 599 00:42:12,840 --> 00:42:17,800 make a play for James Harden or even maybe another advantage creator or do you 600 00:42:17,840 --> 00:42:23,960 think that there may be so invested in making this big leap it's justin James 601 00:42:23,960 --> 00:42:28,119 Harden is healthy and wants to come to Houston. Like we're gonna make that 602 00:42:28,199 --> 00:42:30,599 a focus. So I'm not sure like what your draft philosophy is, right, 603 00:42:30,599 --> 00:42:34,320 like when you when you're when you're you know, making these mock drafts, 604 00:42:34,360 --> 00:42:37,400 these these big boards, right, I've just started doing this stuff like 605 00:42:37,440 --> 00:42:40,480 two years ago, right, But like the way I see it is you 606 00:42:40,519 --> 00:42:44,679 do tears, right, you tear out, you tear off your big board, 607 00:42:45,119 --> 00:42:47,639 and then within that, with within your tears, you pick the guys 608 00:42:47,679 --> 00:42:52,360 that best fit your team, right. So like, if two guys are 609 00:42:52,360 --> 00:42:53,760 in the same tier, you pick the guy that's a better fit for your 610 00:42:53,760 --> 00:42:59,440 team, right. So I think Brandon Miller and Scoot Henderson are in the 611 00:42:59,440 --> 00:43:04,719 same tier. I have Scoot Henderson a hedge a hair better. Right. 612 00:43:05,400 --> 00:43:10,079 Now, what's different about the Rockets is they can't do that because they have 613 00:43:10,159 --> 00:43:15,000 sixty million dollars in cap space and their team might look drastically different. So 614 00:43:15,079 --> 00:43:17,719 they kind of have to draft with how their team looks and how it could 615 00:43:17,800 --> 00:43:22,440 look. They have to draft off intel. So I think when the Rockets 616 00:43:22,440 --> 00:43:25,239 get to the point where they're actually selecting, they have to kind of go 617 00:43:25,280 --> 00:43:30,079 off their intel and kind of make an educated guest, which is scary. 618 00:43:30,480 --> 00:43:34,480 Which is scary. At the number two, you're sort of saying you're number 619 00:43:34,519 --> 00:43:37,320 two, and you see them go Brandon Miller, You're like, fuck, 620 00:43:37,400 --> 00:43:40,079 the James Hard noise is real. Yeah, I would say so, I 621 00:43:40,079 --> 00:43:45,000 would say so, yeah, Or I mean, who knows, maybe maybe 622 00:43:45,079 --> 00:43:47,519 maybe the Rockets don't view it the way we do. Maybe they have Brandon 623 00:43:47,519 --> 00:43:51,840 Miller above Scooty Henderson. But I don't, right, you know, like 624 00:43:52,760 --> 00:43:54,960 I don't I have I have Henderson above. I still think most people are 625 00:43:54,960 --> 00:43:59,239 at there at the point where Henderson is above, right. I think there 626 00:43:59,239 --> 00:44:04,559 are some, but those people are are outliers right right. And not to 627 00:44:04,599 --> 00:44:09,199 say that's that's like a incredulous thing to say. I think if I didn't 628 00:44:09,239 --> 00:44:12,559 think it was possible, I wouldn't have him in the same tier. But 629 00:44:12,840 --> 00:44:15,239 again, that's what's different about the Rockets. They have to go off of 630 00:44:15,239 --> 00:44:20,159 what they're hearing, what they feel, what they what they feel is likely. 631 00:44:20,760 --> 00:44:23,000 And at the end of the day, if if if they're not getting 632 00:44:23,039 --> 00:44:27,719 good intel, I would I would pick Scoot Henderson, you know, I 633 00:44:27,840 --> 00:44:30,079 just I would just go with with Scoot Henderson and figure it out later. 634 00:44:32,280 --> 00:44:37,119 James Harden is in his because I'm overarching offseason questions about them still, But 635 00:44:37,199 --> 00:44:39,719 James Hardnes is sort of in his own tier of that. What do you 636 00:44:39,760 --> 00:44:43,880 make of I think we both agree that it's serious. The James Harney Houston 637 00:44:43,920 --> 00:44:46,760 nois is serious. You're from a Rockets perspective, if you were controlling this 638 00:44:46,800 --> 00:44:52,119 front office, is that someone that you would be this legitimately interested in, 639 00:44:52,199 --> 00:44:55,599 not just as like his fit on the court or what he does to either 640 00:44:55,679 --> 00:45:00,920 elevate the players around, the youngsters around him, or you know, increase 641 00:45:00,960 --> 00:45:06,000 the emergency behind your timeline, but also just as an investment because he's older 642 00:45:06,079 --> 00:45:07,480 and what it's gonna cost, I mean, his max salary can start at 643 00:45:07,480 --> 00:45:10,400 forty six nine. I don't think he gets it. But if they like, 644 00:45:12,079 --> 00:45:14,719 just where do you land on this this issue? Because you both agree 645 00:45:14,719 --> 00:45:17,840 it's serious. I'm just curious whether you're pro doing it or you think it's 646 00:45:17,840 --> 00:45:22,280 a little bit the words not I don't want to say stupid, but just 647 00:45:22,320 --> 00:45:27,199 a little haphazard. My dad is one of those people that think it's a 648 00:45:27,199 --> 00:45:30,320 little it's a little haphazard. Right. He is scared to death about giving 649 00:45:30,400 --> 00:45:36,159 James Harden that contract. And what I what I tell him whenever he brings 650 00:45:36,199 --> 00:45:39,159 us up with me is who would you rather give the money to? Who 651 00:45:39,159 --> 00:45:42,559 would you rather give the money to? If you can, if you can 652 00:45:42,760 --> 00:45:46,039 incredibly stame somebody that is a better use of all that money that you're giving 653 00:45:46,079 --> 00:45:50,119 to James Harden, or name a few guys that are a better use of 654 00:45:50,159 --> 00:45:52,519 money, Like if it's not just one guy, let's just say this, 655 00:45:52,599 --> 00:45:54,760 one or two guys you're using their scars spending that money on. Is that 656 00:45:54,840 --> 00:46:00,760 collection of players better than a James Harden investment. I think the answer at 657 00:46:00,760 --> 00:46:07,760 this point is likely no. So yeah, I'm I'm pro hardened, and 658 00:46:07,880 --> 00:46:13,199 I recognize it's an easy thing to say because I am I did watch the 659 00:46:13,239 --> 00:46:15,559 guy for like ten years, and I am a fan of his, and 660 00:46:15,599 --> 00:46:20,039 like I think, I think it's hard not to feel some sentimentality about it. 661 00:46:20,199 --> 00:46:22,519 But from an objective standpoint, you and I just agree that the best 662 00:46:22,599 --> 00:46:27,039 the thing that they're most lacking is playmaking. James Harden is one of the 663 00:46:27,039 --> 00:46:31,360 best players on the best playmakers on the planet. And I think you look 664 00:46:31,360 --> 00:46:37,360 at what the Rockets need long term at the point guard position. I can't 665 00:46:37,360 --> 00:46:39,559 think of anybody I'd rather have other than maybe someone who's a better a little 666 00:46:39,559 --> 00:46:44,039 bit better defender and maybe a little bit younger. But you can't. This 667 00:46:44,079 --> 00:46:46,320 isn't a candy shop, right, Like Darryl Moore used to say this, 668 00:46:46,440 --> 00:46:51,239 right, It's like like people think that superstars could just be had like at 669 00:46:51,239 --> 00:46:52,840 a store. You just go and like, I want that one, but 670 00:46:52,880 --> 00:46:55,079 I want I want like one. Let's like a little bit like I want 671 00:46:55,239 --> 00:46:59,280 that, I want that but in yellow it's like, no, like, 672 00:47:00,719 --> 00:47:04,280 you don't get that optionality. Man. You have to kind of take them 673 00:47:04,360 --> 00:47:07,960 how they come and then figure out the rest of the roster around them to 674 00:47:07,079 --> 00:47:10,280 plug in holes. And that's kind of how I would do it. The 675 00:47:10,360 --> 00:47:14,760 two things that concern me, and there's just no out. I could feel 676 00:47:14,800 --> 00:47:16,960 completely differently about the situation depending on what the contract looks like. If it's 677 00:47:17,000 --> 00:47:20,840 a four year max he turns thirty four in August, I'm gonna have some 678 00:47:20,880 --> 00:47:23,280 issues with that decision, even if you think there's no one that can spend 679 00:47:23,280 --> 00:47:27,119 the money on this year and that they're not gonna have as much caspased moving 680 00:47:27,119 --> 00:47:30,920 forward as these players that they already have get more expensive. The other thing, 681 00:47:30,960 --> 00:47:35,000 though, James Harden's not coming to Houston alone, correct, Do you 682 00:47:35,079 --> 00:47:38,320 see a scenario on which he comes to Houston, they basically keep the roster 683 00:47:38,519 --> 00:47:44,280 intact, bring in this year's draft picks plural, and go from there where 684 00:47:44,320 --> 00:47:45,880 I know you would sort of like introduce the notion of, well, maybe 685 00:47:45,880 --> 00:47:51,519 they'll give it six months or something. But I view it as if James 686 00:47:51,559 --> 00:47:53,880 Harden's coming into the Rockets, it'll be more of Lebron going back to Cleveland 687 00:47:53,920 --> 00:47:59,679 situation where that move is made instant, almost instantly before the season starts. 688 00:48:00,119 --> 00:48:04,239 It's either gonna be Lebron Cleveland or Lebron La Right, That's the way I 689 00:48:04,360 --> 00:48:07,480 view it. It's either gonna be Lebron going back to Cleveland where everything happens 690 00:48:07,559 --> 00:48:10,800 right away, or Lebron. That's important to say because either way, it 691 00:48:10,840 --> 00:48:15,079 means this roster is going to look a lot different by next year's trade deadline. 692 00:48:15,119 --> 00:48:19,599 If Jacks an inevitability, if you're getting harded, it's an inevitability, 693 00:48:19,960 --> 00:48:23,719 right, I think you should approach it that way. If the Rockets are 694 00:48:23,760 --> 00:48:28,599 realistically trying to pursue Harden, they should be looking at this roster and thinking 695 00:48:28,639 --> 00:48:32,360 about who's expendable, right, or thinking about who's the most expendable, because 696 00:48:32,599 --> 00:48:36,760 their chances are they're gonna trade someone that's gonna end up looking a lot better 697 00:48:36,760 --> 00:48:37,960 than they thought they were gonna be, right, That's just how these things 698 00:48:37,960 --> 00:48:45,920 work. I'm sure you look at when Dan win Dan Gilbert traded Andrew Wiggins. 699 00:48:46,960 --> 00:48:50,679 I'm sure he didn't think that he'd become like a serious part of a 700 00:48:50,760 --> 00:48:53,119 championship team one day, right, Or at least he hoped he wouldn't, 701 00:48:53,199 --> 00:48:55,880 right, he was the number one over I can't say he never saw the 702 00:48:55,880 --> 00:49:01,159 possibility of that happening, but like, I'm sure you're you're rooting against that 703 00:49:01,199 --> 00:49:06,719 possibility, but you have to accept it because guess what, you don't trade 704 00:49:06,800 --> 00:49:09,719 him, you don't win a championship in twenty sixteen. That's just how this 705 00:49:09,760 --> 00:49:15,920 works, right. You have to sacrifice long term to gain short term. 706 00:49:15,960 --> 00:49:21,360 And I think it's better for your franchise overall, because if you're not trying 707 00:49:21,400 --> 00:49:23,519 to win the title, what the fuck are you doing this for? What 708 00:49:24,079 --> 00:49:27,519 is this all about? Why are you owning? Why are you why do 709 00:49:27,559 --> 00:49:30,639 you own a sports team? Right? I think about this all the time 710 00:49:30,679 --> 00:49:34,000 with the Phoenix Suns right before they shade it for Kevin Durant, right, 711 00:49:34,239 --> 00:49:37,480 like when they were like cost cutting on the on the on the fringes, 712 00:49:37,960 --> 00:49:40,039 right, it's like what are we doing? Like are you guys, are 713 00:49:40,079 --> 00:49:45,199 you guys trying to win this thing or not? Like you're you're you're scared 714 00:49:45,239 --> 00:49:50,599 off by going to the luxury tax for Eric Gordon really like is this is 715 00:49:50,599 --> 00:49:53,599 this not your goal or not? So? I think if you're an NBA 716 00:49:53,639 --> 00:49:59,920 owner and you're trying to plan out this offseason for the Rockets. I think 717 00:50:00,039 --> 00:50:06,079 it's irresponsible to not view everything in this We're trying to win a championship someday, 718 00:50:06,119 --> 00:50:09,880 whether that's today or later, that's the goal. So yeah, it 719 00:50:09,960 --> 00:50:15,599 might it's it's less fun to press fast forward, maybe, but it's still 720 00:50:16,239 --> 00:50:23,119 the right, the most responsible move. Let's say James Harden doesn't go to 721 00:50:23,239 --> 00:50:27,800 the Rockets, they still owe it's top four protected, but they owe their 722 00:50:27,840 --> 00:50:31,440 twenty twenty four pick to the Okasee Thunder. They also owe their twenty twenty 723 00:50:31,440 --> 00:50:37,159 six pick that's also top four protected to the ok Thunder, and then I 724 00:50:37,159 --> 00:50:39,400 think okay See has the right to swap with them in twenty twenty five. 725 00:50:39,480 --> 00:50:45,000 Correct, So it's their next three draft picks are essentially controlled by the Thunder. 726 00:50:45,920 --> 00:50:50,280 Knowing that, do you still expect them again, no, James Harden. 727 00:50:50,320 --> 00:50:53,280 Do you still expect them to be ultra aggressive in getting better now? 728 00:50:53,440 --> 00:50:58,960 Both on the free agency and trade markets. They were talking about they've been 729 00:50:59,000 --> 00:51:02,159 talking about it pretty openly for the last month or two, like they even 730 00:51:02,159 --> 00:51:05,760 talk about it, like I know they've been talking about it openly, but 731 00:51:05,800 --> 00:51:08,280 I mean more like they're not looking at the free agents who might fit their 732 00:51:08,320 --> 00:51:14,159 timeline where it's yeah, right, like those are the guys that they will 733 00:51:14,159 --> 00:51:16,880 circle. Well, here's the thing, Like I was surprised that they were 734 00:51:16,920 --> 00:51:20,559 talking that Rafel would come out and be as open like, hey, we 735 00:51:20,599 --> 00:51:22,159 don't own our own pic next year, we have every incentive to be good. 736 00:51:22,360 --> 00:51:28,719 Normally gms don't say that. You know, they say that that that 737 00:51:28,719 --> 00:51:30,599 that pick is going to be a Sun cost right, and we all know 738 00:51:30,719 --> 00:51:35,880 that's bullshit, But they say that, right, and they're if they're talking 739 00:51:35,920 --> 00:51:38,760 about it, you got a figure. Internally, there's some real pressure not 740 00:51:38,800 --> 00:51:44,639 only on Emay to turn this thing around, but Raffel, Right, So 741 00:51:44,920 --> 00:51:47,920 I think I think there's there's some pressure there to build out the roster. 742 00:51:49,079 --> 00:51:52,039 And I think it's healthy pressure because I think they do need to really go 743 00:51:52,079 --> 00:51:55,480 out, go out. I think again, last year they went backwards like 744 00:51:55,519 --> 00:52:00,000 they should have by not taking a step forward, they took a step backwards. 745 00:52:00,199 --> 00:52:05,239 They should have been a team that won like thirty games right this year, 746 00:52:05,320 --> 00:52:07,960 they should be a team that's expected to make a jump into the playoffs 747 00:52:08,000 --> 00:52:13,519 this and instead they're they're a team that wants to get to thirty wins, 748 00:52:13,840 --> 00:52:17,360 which is strange, Right, you should want to now get to that point 749 00:52:17,400 --> 00:52:22,400 where you're you're realistically a playing team and trying to get to the next set, 750 00:52:22,519 --> 00:52:27,320 the next stage. And Tilman talked about today at the press conference. 751 00:52:28,000 --> 00:52:30,039 He's like, hey, we're no longer at phase one, right, We're 752 00:52:30,039 --> 00:52:34,480 no longer trying to lose anymore and get top draft picks. Again, saying 753 00:52:34,480 --> 00:52:37,320 this all openly. I don't know if he's gonna get fined, but he 754 00:52:37,400 --> 00:52:39,800 said it. He said, like, we're no longer at that stage, 755 00:52:39,880 --> 00:52:43,639 but we're at stage two. We're AT's trying to make the playoffs stage. 756 00:52:43,719 --> 00:52:45,800 That's what he said. He said, we're trying to make the playoffs. 757 00:52:45,079 --> 00:52:50,320 So it's like, I, you don't try to make the playoffs by going 758 00:52:50,360 --> 00:52:54,760 out on the free agent market and trying not to get the best possible players. 759 00:52:54,960 --> 00:52:59,920 You know you you don't. You don't make trades like what they were 760 00:53:00,000 --> 00:53:02,119 Pockets did formally for Kem Borry Jr. Right, You're not. You're done 761 00:53:02,119 --> 00:53:07,599 making those trades. Right at this point, you're trying to make trades for 762 00:53:07,679 --> 00:53:13,400 guys like mckail Bridges. You're trying to make signings for guys like Cam Johnson, 763 00:53:14,039 --> 00:53:20,559 you're trying to get top to your free agent meetings with guys like it 764 00:53:20,679 --> 00:53:23,000 sucks to say this guy, Kyrie Irving. I just know that's it's gonna 765 00:53:23,000 --> 00:53:27,079 eventually gonna happen. There's gonna be some report out there that the Rockets are 766 00:53:27,079 --> 00:53:29,800 interested in Kyrie Irving. Even though I disagree with it that I don't think 767 00:53:29,800 --> 00:53:32,199 they should do it. I just know that this is they're very cold and 768 00:53:32,280 --> 00:53:36,960 calculating, and they're like star star stars. I feel like they're gonna try 769 00:53:37,000 --> 00:53:42,800 and go after all the top guys, and I think it's gonna be very, 770 00:53:42,920 --> 00:53:45,360 very very fun. To be honest, it's gonna be very fun for 771 00:53:45,400 --> 00:53:49,400 me to see to read that stuff. Even if I don't agree with some 772 00:53:49,440 --> 00:53:53,599 of the players that they're going after, it's still very exciting. Are there 773 00:53:53,639 --> 00:53:59,360 any free agents other than James Harden that you like particularly well for this team? 774 00:53:59,400 --> 00:54:00,679 And there's the I'll tell you a scenario that I had thought about, 775 00:54:01,079 --> 00:54:06,280 and I don't hate it if they end up just splitting most of their cap 776 00:54:06,320 --> 00:54:09,679 space between or all of it between, like Fred van Fleet and Draymond Green, 777 00:54:09,800 --> 00:54:14,559 just as either they're willing to play for the Rockets because maybe they're not 778 00:54:14,599 --> 00:54:17,320 getting thirty eight million dollars a year from any other teams, including the Raptors. 779 00:54:17,559 --> 00:54:21,119 That would be the ultimate. I'd have questions maybe about some of the 780 00:54:21,119 --> 00:54:22,119 spacing with Green there, but that would be the ultimate. Like, let's 781 00:54:22,119 --> 00:54:25,800 bring in guys who aren't going to torpedo develop the development of the people we 782 00:54:25,880 --> 00:54:30,199 have in told, but we're gonna get measurably better immediately. Those are just 783 00:54:30,239 --> 00:54:34,519 two names that I've used, legitimate flight risks that I would have circled for 784 00:54:34,599 --> 00:54:39,199 them. Yeah, I don't want Draymond anywhere near I can keep his fists 785 00:54:39,239 --> 00:54:43,039 away from my team, please, I don't want that. I don't. 786 00:54:43,039 --> 00:54:47,280 I don't want any of that so transformative defensively, and I'm a downhill passer, 787 00:54:47,440 --> 00:54:51,239 but a very strong player, very strong player. I don't, I'm 788 00:54:51,239 --> 00:54:53,880 not. I'm I still. I'm one of those guys who's always questioned how 789 00:54:53,960 --> 00:55:00,280 much success he could find outside that Gold State Warriors ecosystem, who disagre reason 790 00:55:00,320 --> 00:55:04,079 with that. I've always felt like this is such a tailor made team for 791 00:55:04,159 --> 00:55:07,000 him. I wonder if he doesn't have as much high level shooting around him, 792 00:55:07,039 --> 00:55:13,079 if he doesn't have as much playmaking responsibility. If he still thrives in 793 00:55:13,119 --> 00:55:15,519 that same level, I think he's still be a good player. I'm not 794 00:55:15,599 --> 00:55:19,559 sure. I question if he'd ever reached those goal and state heights ever. 795 00:55:19,679 --> 00:55:23,519 Again, Now, the Fred vanvlee thing, you and I have probably spent 796 00:55:23,599 --> 00:55:28,559 like an hour combined podcasting time talking about trying to get Fred Vanvleeed on the 797 00:55:28,639 --> 00:55:30,800 Rockets, Like it's it's such a perfect fit, it's such a no brainer, 798 00:55:31,079 --> 00:55:35,159 Like if you can't get hardened, you got you have to go after 799 00:55:35,239 --> 00:55:38,639 someone like that because he's he's good defensively, so he can make up for 800 00:55:38,679 --> 00:55:44,760 what Jalen Green isn't. Uh, he is advanced beyond what the Rockets are 801 00:55:44,840 --> 00:55:47,199 at at a point from playmaking, he's not. He's not James Harden Like, 802 00:55:47,280 --> 00:55:51,480 don't get any don't get me wrong, but he is better than Jalen 803 00:55:51,519 --> 00:55:54,000 Green as a passer. He's conceivably better than everybody in the roster right now. 804 00:55:55,079 --> 00:56:00,079 And he also like allows you to still do the Shan Goon stuff right 805 00:56:00,079 --> 00:56:04,400 Like, he's not gonna take away from like if you if you want next 806 00:56:04,480 --> 00:56:07,519 year, if you want to do let's give Jailing, Let's give al Pryn 807 00:56:07,559 --> 00:56:12,000 shangun Like fifteen touches a game in the post, right, you can still 808 00:56:12,000 --> 00:56:15,960 do that, like like like James Harden comes in, you're not gonna do 809 00:56:15,039 --> 00:56:20,840 that. Chances are James Harden comes in, you're trading al Prin jenuon right, 810 00:56:21,800 --> 00:56:25,760 because it doesn't make sense defensively or offensively anymore. But I think if 811 00:56:25,800 --> 00:56:29,880 you bring in someone like Fred VanVleet, who can just be a complimentary guard, 812 00:56:30,559 --> 00:56:31,840 you can still do that kind of stuff. And Jailing gets to reach 813 00:56:31,880 --> 00:56:36,000 it. Yeah, Jailing gets to reach those high levels, and you can 814 00:56:36,599 --> 00:56:38,000 at that point, I wouldn't go after Jail. I wouldn't go have a 815 00:56:38,039 --> 00:56:42,480 Draymond. I would try to trade someone into my remaining cap space right, 816 00:56:42,920 --> 00:56:46,320 or trade someone into the raining cap space slash, put together contracts, you 817 00:56:46,360 --> 00:56:49,880 know whatever, Like I would. I would try and make a trade for 818 00:56:49,920 --> 00:56:53,880 the next star. Right. But let's be clear, if you're not getting 819 00:56:55,280 --> 00:56:59,920 if you're not getting James Harden, you have to try and go big fish 820 00:57:00,079 --> 00:57:04,440 hunting in some way, shape or form. You just you just do because 821 00:57:04,760 --> 00:57:08,440 you're not gonna get an opportunity again to do this because Jalen's extension comes up, 822 00:57:08,719 --> 00:57:14,719 and after Jalen's extension comes up, you got the extensions of potentially Upper 823 00:57:14,840 --> 00:57:20,079 Shingon potentially you know, kJ Martin's gonna get a big deal this summer, 824 00:57:20,440 --> 00:57:22,119 So like you have to, you have to be very delicate about making these 825 00:57:22,159 --> 00:57:29,320 decisions about how they like they should have one more year of this because the 826 00:57:29,440 --> 00:57:31,599 jail and Green extension, who will be like the first wave of guys to 827 00:57:31,639 --> 00:57:37,079 get paid, that'll kick in in twenty five twenty six, and so they 828 00:57:37,159 --> 00:57:38,920 have another summer if they want to holster it. But the idea is, 829 00:57:38,960 --> 00:57:42,320 if you can do it, and we're looking at their draft pick situation, 830 00:57:42,800 --> 00:57:45,400 you do it immediately. It's just the free agency class, isn't that we 831 00:57:45,559 --> 00:57:47,639 just named all the best like the other The only other name I can throw 832 00:57:47,639 --> 00:57:52,159 out because I don't like the Kyrie signing either. You could convince me it 833 00:57:52,199 --> 00:57:54,280 could happen, just because I feel like anything's on the table for the Rockets 834 00:57:54,480 --> 00:57:58,320 this summer. I don't mean that as an insult. The name that could 835 00:57:58,360 --> 00:58:00,880 remotely be intriguing, and I just don't know if you go after him before 836 00:58:00,960 --> 00:58:06,199 you have. The guy in place would be Chris Middleton, who's also very 837 00:58:06,320 --> 00:58:07,559 scalable. Yeah, but he's about to turn thirty two, and he has 838 00:58:07,599 --> 00:58:13,840 looked he's looked rough at times during these playoffs and especially defensively when he's been 839 00:58:13,880 --> 00:58:15,960 healthy. And that does lead me to my next question though, because you 840 00:58:16,079 --> 00:58:22,639 mention mentioned trades, we talked loosely about does Jalen Brown become a main fixture 841 00:58:23,320 --> 00:58:29,199 of the Rockets discussions because of his really good relationship with Ema Yudoka. And 842 00:58:29,639 --> 00:58:30,760 he probably won't make all MBA, I don't think so. He won't be 843 00:58:30,800 --> 00:58:35,079 super Max eligible, but that might not stop the Celtics and him from trying 844 00:58:35,079 --> 00:58:38,360 to confront their future this this offseason ahead of his free agency in twenty twenty 845 00:58:38,400 --> 00:58:40,639 four. And by the way, we we should mention if you're a Rockets 846 00:58:40,679 --> 00:58:44,800 fan, you should root for him not to make all NBA, right because 847 00:58:44,840 --> 00:58:50,960 then well you're you're you're you're offering the same per year capital as the Celtics 848 00:58:51,000 --> 00:58:54,400 are offering. What's interesting there is like if you if he does make all 849 00:58:54,480 --> 00:58:58,320 MBA, they'll at least you get the clean Okay, if he accepts his 850 00:58:58,400 --> 00:59:00,480 extension, that's it's over with. But if he says no, then you 851 00:59:00,599 --> 00:59:04,440 know it's def Con one and that you need to get in there. But 852 00:59:04,480 --> 00:59:07,079 I get what you're saying, where if you want to keep the possibility open 853 00:59:07,119 --> 00:59:08,840 and not have it totally shut that you don't want him to make call him 854 00:59:08,880 --> 00:59:13,639 me I hope only don't think he will. But what is the level of 855 00:59:13,800 --> 00:59:16,400 player if you're the Because now let's like, if James Harden is coming, 856 00:59:16,519 --> 00:59:20,400 you can say, all right, yeah, go get a mccale Bridges and 857 00:59:20,440 --> 00:59:23,920 it just be like an afterthought because you're not looking at him as you're lifeline. 858 00:59:24,119 --> 00:59:28,360 But if you don't get James Harden, what is the level are you 859 00:59:28,480 --> 00:59:31,079 willing to I think Jaylen Brown? Yes, I guess I would say, 860 00:59:31,079 --> 00:59:34,159 I don't know, But like, are you still willing to give up the 861 00:59:34,239 --> 00:59:37,519 assets it will take to get a Jalen Brown or a mccale Bridges or does 862 00:59:37,599 --> 00:59:42,840 it need to be like this even higher end player than that, Because again, 863 00:59:42,880 --> 00:59:45,039 I think the decision gets more complicated if James Harden, or even if 864 00:59:45,079 --> 00:59:49,920 Fred van Fleet isn't coming in free agency, because then you're kind of looking 865 00:59:49,960 --> 00:59:54,599 at this as your crowning acquisition of the summer, and with what you already 866 00:59:54,599 --> 00:59:58,800 have in place, maybe you believe that Jalen Brown mcal Bridges can be sort 867 00:59:58,840 --> 01:00:01,320 of this you know, guiding north Star for the future. But I don't 868 01:00:01,360 --> 01:00:07,800 think any of those guys profile as I don't want to lift the sales up, 869 01:00:07,840 --> 01:00:08,559 right, Yeah, I see what you're saying. Yeah, yeah, 870 01:00:08,639 --> 01:00:13,320 yeah. My answer to this question is gonna be a little annoying to you. 871 01:00:14,480 --> 01:00:17,079 Where are they landing in the lottery in the situation right, because if 872 01:00:17,320 --> 01:00:22,239 you get Victor, yeah, James Harden doesn't need to come right right like 873 01:00:22,480 --> 01:00:27,480 like because he might be Victor, might be that guy. It's so that's 874 01:00:27,480 --> 01:00:30,519 why on some of them, it's so fucking stupid to have this conversation before 875 01:00:30,519 --> 01:00:32,440 the draft lottery. But look, I can't pump out stuff on all thirty 876 01:00:32,440 --> 01:00:37,599 teams, right, yeah, this is why I hate. I hate that 877 01:00:37,679 --> 01:00:42,039 the NBA and lottery exists. No other I think the NHL does this, 878 01:00:42,199 --> 01:00:45,800 and no no other real like professional sports league in America does this. Right, 879 01:00:45,840 --> 01:00:49,719 It's like it's it's it's them in the NHL like every other every other 880 01:00:49,840 --> 01:00:53,039 league does reverse order. And for some reason, the NBA is so sative 881 01:00:53,159 --> 01:00:57,840 to comments about tanking that they're gonna be like, oh, we have to 882 01:00:58,039 --> 01:01:01,480 like appease these talking heads by seeing, hey, look there's there's not that 883 01:01:01,639 --> 01:01:05,960 much incentive to take because we have a lottery system and these other teams, 884 01:01:06,199 --> 01:01:08,880 these other leagues have a reverse order system and it's so dumb, but they 885 01:01:09,320 --> 01:01:14,159 teams still take every year and people still get mad about it. So the 886 01:01:14,320 --> 01:01:17,920 NBA should stopped trying to appease these people, Like stop, people are gonna 887 01:01:17,960 --> 01:01:23,119 tak It's always gonna be a viable strategy. But whatever, yeah, is 888 01:01:24,159 --> 01:01:28,239 I would agree, I just I wish they would do it earlier, Like 889 01:01:28,320 --> 01:01:30,800 we know the lottery like which the lottery teams are when you're doing the coin 890 01:01:30,880 --> 01:01:34,239 flips to break the ties, Like why don't we have to do it in 891 01:01:34,239 --> 01:01:36,719 the middle of the second round of the playoffs or the conference finals or whatever 892 01:01:36,760 --> 01:01:39,159 it ends up being. Is what I'm not a fan of because you know 893 01:01:39,280 --> 01:01:43,000 why, right, because it's like you're doing it in the middle of like 894 01:01:43,079 --> 01:01:45,719 a conference finals game, and that lottery is gonna get really juiced up ratings, 895 01:01:45,840 --> 01:01:50,679 right, and also at that point there are so few teams playing that 896 01:01:50,719 --> 01:01:52,119 you're trying to appeal to it. I get I do understand why they do 897 01:01:52,159 --> 01:01:54,320 it. I just wish they didn't do it that way. Yeah, So 898 01:01:54,920 --> 01:01:59,159 if if they don't have Wemby. Are you still going the route of if 899 01:01:59,159 --> 01:02:01,280 they don't have Wemby or Hardened? Are you still going the route of, 900 01:02:01,960 --> 01:02:05,599 yeah, we would trade for Michael Bridges, or we should go after Jalen 901 01:02:05,639 --> 01:02:08,119 Brown they become available. Are you of the mind how Elses? If Damian 902 01:02:08,199 --> 01:02:12,119 Lillard becomes available, is that a name that you have circled? If you 903 01:02:12,159 --> 01:02:15,599 don't have James Harden? Because he does bring a lot of what you need, 904 01:02:15,760 --> 01:02:19,079 but he's also another guy where it's okay, like what else is we 905 01:02:19,159 --> 01:02:22,440 need to have other pieces in place with him? So like I'm just you 906 01:02:22,480 --> 01:02:24,639 don't have wem but you don't have Hardened? How do you proceed if you're 907 01:02:24,719 --> 01:02:28,719 this team. I don't know how you've always felt about Dame, but I've 908 01:02:28,760 --> 01:02:32,119 always felt like Dame is is not the guy you build everything around because he 909 01:02:32,239 --> 01:02:35,760 doesn't, you know. I think, in my opinion, you need two 910 01:02:35,800 --> 01:02:38,960 of three qualities right to be like a build everything around you type of player, 911 01:02:39,039 --> 01:02:42,199 right, you need two of these three. You need to be a 912 01:02:42,239 --> 01:02:45,800 super novous scorer, which Dame is right. You need to be like an 913 01:02:45,840 --> 01:02:50,280 elite passer, which Dame isn't. And you need to be an elite defender. 914 01:02:50,400 --> 01:02:52,039 Right, So two of those three qualities, you have a superstar that 915 01:02:52,079 --> 01:02:57,320 you can build a franchise around, right, and Dame is not does not 916 01:02:57,480 --> 01:03:00,920 possess some of the skill that you need playmaking, and he doesn't have that. 917 01:03:01,039 --> 01:03:04,920 You need defense next to Jalen Green. If you're not gonna get the 918 01:03:04,960 --> 01:03:08,320 playmaking, he doesn't have that. So I don't I think going after him 919 01:03:08,360 --> 01:03:10,960 as a little counterintuitive. But the Rocketmen still do it because God knows what 920 01:03:10,960 --> 01:03:15,199 they're gonna do this summer. But some of the other targets around the league 921 01:03:15,199 --> 01:03:17,800 I would look at, like you know, I mentioned the Clippers. I 922 01:03:17,840 --> 01:03:21,880 mean Kawai kwais towards Meniscus, so that's kind of been blown up. I 923 01:03:22,400 --> 01:03:24,760 think that's actually more likely now that they're gonna blow it up since that's happened. 924 01:03:25,760 --> 01:03:30,480 But Paul George might be a name. Pascal Siakam might be a name. 925 01:03:30,719 --> 01:03:35,079 We talked about this yesterday. Is someone not so much Paul George, 926 01:03:35,119 --> 01:03:37,760 maybe because he's too close to free agency. Siakam is someone I could see 927 01:03:37,760 --> 01:03:42,280 them. They don't get anyone else, but they still go after Siakam. 928 01:03:42,360 --> 01:03:45,800 That feels like someone who would make a large enough difference. Yeah, and 929 01:03:45,079 --> 01:03:51,400 he's he's certainly good enough to make a difference the one guy, and I 930 01:03:51,599 --> 01:03:55,039 hope he doesn't demand a trade, and I hope he doesn't leave that. 931 01:03:55,119 --> 01:04:00,039 I've kind of been circling as someone that could eventually grow to scrod disgruntled. 932 01:04:01,320 --> 01:04:05,599 And this might surprise you because it's so early and it's so he's so young. 933 01:04:06,920 --> 01:04:12,079 I hope Trey Young doesn't grow to scruntled. I hope he doesn't because 934 01:04:12,559 --> 01:04:16,440 I mean the Hawks basically had to fire their coach and replace them immediately mid 935 01:04:16,559 --> 01:04:20,000 season to appease him, which is never a good sign, right because usually 936 01:04:20,039 --> 01:04:24,199 you put in the interim guy and then you do the coaching search in the 937 01:04:24,239 --> 01:04:28,960 offseason. But the fact that they felt pressure to go after the guy right 938 01:04:29,039 --> 01:04:32,039 away kind of indicates that, oh, like there's some real trays kind of 939 01:04:32,079 --> 01:04:36,039 bridget breathing now their their neck a little bit about building a winner around him. 940 01:04:36,480 --> 01:04:40,960 That's a guy I think it is worth pursuing. I'm not sure if 941 01:04:41,000 --> 01:04:45,920 Houston has has the goods to get it done, but I would I would 942 01:04:45,960 --> 01:04:49,519 take a strong look around the league as some of these young players and take 943 01:04:50,039 --> 01:04:55,039 gambles. You know, chances are you're not going to get them, but 944 01:04:55,239 --> 01:05:00,400 take gambles right, Anthony Davis. He's actually a guy that I think could 945 01:05:00,559 --> 01:05:04,239 become available if the Lakers didn't owe all their freaking draft picks right in the 946 01:05:04,320 --> 01:05:09,039 coming future. And that that that's that's the issue, right. So some 947 01:05:09,199 --> 01:05:12,079 of these teams just need to stay good so they can't tear it down, 948 01:05:12,679 --> 01:05:15,800 right, so they need these draft picks. So like, I don't know, 949 01:05:15,920 --> 01:05:17,559 I would take a hard look around the league. I would try my 950 01:05:17,760 --> 01:05:20,559 best to go after these guys that I mentioned. I would try to go 951 01:05:20,679 --> 01:05:25,079 for Pascal, try to go for a d try to go for Trey even 952 01:05:25,119 --> 01:05:28,480 though I don't think he's going to become available anytime soon, but it's possible 953 01:05:28,639 --> 01:05:31,400 that he becomes available through other people. Think I would try to go for 954 01:05:31,679 --> 01:05:34,280 like all these targets, like Carl Towns. I would even try to go 955 01:05:34,400 --> 01:05:40,079 after like. I would try to go after all these guys, and I 956 01:05:40,119 --> 01:05:42,960 would settle for like the mckel bridges. I would settle for like the Cam 957 01:05:43,079 --> 01:05:46,000 Johnson. But like you have to have bottom line, you have to spend 958 01:05:46,000 --> 01:05:49,119 the money. You have to spend the money, in my opinion, and 959 01:05:49,800 --> 01:05:53,320 if you're not going to get the start of this summer, spend the money 960 01:05:53,360 --> 01:05:58,199 prudently, don't spend too much of the money on one player, because the 961 01:05:58,280 --> 01:06:01,079 hope is that they're spending the money some where that you can trade again to 962 01:06:01,159 --> 01:06:04,679 go after the star leader. And that was gonna be my final question for 963 01:06:04,719 --> 01:06:09,639 you. What should the contingency look like with this team? Where? Because 964 01:06:09,639 --> 01:06:12,440 look, I think free agency. If it's not gonna be James Harden or 965 01:06:12,440 --> 01:06:14,440 Fred van Fleet, I just feel like it's unlikely that they make it. 966 01:06:14,559 --> 01:06:16,280 There's also not a ton of huge names out there, and so then you're 967 01:06:16,400 --> 01:06:20,360 very reliant on what's happening in the trade market and in some regard, even 968 01:06:20,400 --> 01:06:24,639 when teams are giving up really good players. Yeah, the fact that Houston 969 01:06:24,679 --> 01:06:27,760 can have all that cap space to make it easier is great. Like you're 970 01:06:27,800 --> 01:06:31,199 normally still sending contracts out anyway, you're gonna need to spend a huge chunk 971 01:06:31,239 --> 01:06:34,039 of your money and free especially now I don't want to use the word punitive, 972 01:06:34,079 --> 01:06:38,679 but how different the salary cap floor rules are in the new CBA. 973 01:06:39,199 --> 01:06:42,039 Does the contingency look at Well, we're just gonna try and maybe they're on 974 01:06:42,119 --> 01:06:45,199 inflated deals, but we want to bring in like high character guys who make 975 01:06:45,320 --> 01:06:46,559 us better immediately. Where it's like, you know, Josh Hard has his 976 01:06:46,599 --> 01:06:49,599 player options, you try to overpay him to come out of New York nas 977 01:06:49,639 --> 01:06:56,679 read get him. Don't do this like they can't do this. I recognize 978 01:06:56,679 --> 01:06:59,079 that they're not short term deals, though, is my point. A lot 979 01:06:59,079 --> 01:07:00,639 of these guys are gonna want to get back in the market, I think 980 01:07:00,719 --> 01:07:02,840 soon, and so if you're looking at two year deals, that's what I'm 981 01:07:02,840 --> 01:07:05,679 talking about with contingencies, because you're talking about you need to spend the money 982 01:07:05,800 --> 01:07:10,840 somewhere. If you can't get one of the most coveted restricted free agents, 983 01:07:10,880 --> 01:07:13,199 if you can't get one of the bigger names that are out there, do 984 01:07:13,280 --> 01:07:19,239 you look at signing these inflated shorter term deals with high character and higher quality 985 01:07:19,360 --> 01:07:24,400 veterans, or even taking a swing on someone like an Io dassun Move who's 986 01:07:24,440 --> 01:07:28,440 gonna be you know, coming out of or in Austin Reeves, Like if 987 01:07:28,440 --> 01:07:30,119 you can inflate his deal enough on the back end to make the Lakers be 988 01:07:30,159 --> 01:07:33,840 twitchy about it, or if it comes to a point where hey, we're 989 01:07:33,840 --> 01:07:38,199 not going to get any of just like the biggest names in free agency or 990 01:07:38,199 --> 01:07:42,159 even on the trade market. We're giving out all one year placeholder contracts. 991 01:07:42,320 --> 01:07:45,639 That's that, and we'll move forward. Yeah, I hear what you're saying. 992 01:07:46,119 --> 01:07:51,320 This is strictly contingency, and this is strictly like short term deals. 993 01:07:51,920 --> 01:07:57,920 But these overpays, they get you to a point where you're like the Blazers, 994 01:07:58,280 --> 01:08:00,920 right, you're just middling. You're at risk of becoming a middling team, 995 01:08:01,599 --> 01:08:04,239 and you don't want to do that, right. You want to keep 996 01:08:04,280 --> 01:08:09,079 your upside as high as you possibly can, and that's why you spend prudently, 997 01:08:09,440 --> 01:08:12,079 and that's why you keep you signed contracts that can be moved later on. 998 01:08:12,320 --> 01:08:15,239 That's why you signed contracts that you don't need to attach stuff to to 999 01:08:15,400 --> 01:08:19,319 move right, Like, I think that's kind of why I think you go 1000 01:08:19,800 --> 01:08:23,680 if you first, if you don't get the free agents, go trade, 1001 01:08:23,880 --> 01:08:26,760 go go go on the trade market. If you don't get the trade, 1002 01:08:26,960 --> 01:08:30,359 if you're not lucky on the trade market, I would I would try and 1003 01:08:30,520 --> 01:08:33,479 keep some powder dry. And what I mean by keeping powder dry, I 1004 01:08:33,520 --> 01:08:40,319 mean cat flexibility in the way of contracts. And you know, like like 1005 01:08:40,720 --> 01:08:45,079 Middleton's a great guy to go after, but I don't even view him as 1006 01:08:45,079 --> 01:08:48,079 a contingency. But I just think he's a really very like strong player that 1007 01:08:48,600 --> 01:08:53,800 I think would be a decent use of resources. No, yeah, I'm 1008 01:08:53,840 --> 01:08:59,640 talking not like Josh mart Yeah, I don't know where I land on that. 1009 01:09:00,039 --> 01:09:02,359 But if they're not willing because I assume they're not willing to in this 1010 01:09:02,439 --> 01:09:05,720 market has been pretty cold, arctic cold for a while. But like the 1011 01:09:06,119 --> 01:09:10,600 way of well, then we'll take back some unwanted money from teams if they're 1012 01:09:10,600 --> 01:09:13,520 going to attach other prospects or equities. Because if you miss, if you 1013 01:09:13,680 --> 01:09:15,520 if you swing and miss this summer. I think what's tough on both the 1014 01:09:15,560 --> 01:09:18,319 trade and free ency markets is you don't know what's going to develop leading into 1015 01:09:18,319 --> 01:09:21,680 the deadline, and so that's why you might want to have those placeholder deals 1016 01:09:21,760 --> 01:09:26,159 or even again, I think players who are still good but maybe they're on 1017 01:09:26,199 --> 01:09:29,640 those two year contracts. It was what the Knicks effectively did. I think 1018 01:09:29,680 --> 01:09:30,680 they signed a bunch of the wrong players, but it's what they did in 1019 01:09:30,720 --> 01:09:34,920 anticipation the Donovan Mitchell move. They just ultimately weren't willing to pony up the 1020 01:09:35,039 --> 01:09:39,000 price tag. I think that's the route you ultimately have to go. It's 1021 01:09:39,039 --> 01:09:41,880 not let's just pivot into the end. Look, I would be if I'm 1022 01:09:41,920 --> 01:09:45,000 not getting hardened or if I'm not trading for a star. I'm not. 1023 01:09:45,520 --> 01:09:48,479 I'm not signing Chris Middleton. Quite frankly, I'm not. I'm honestly not 1024 01:09:48,600 --> 01:09:53,680 giving up the equity for a Jalen Brown or Michael Bridges, probably unless I 1025 01:09:53,720 --> 01:09:56,439 know I have another guy that I'm acquiring, or that if I know if 1026 01:09:56,439 --> 01:09:59,399 I signed Van Fleet. It's different when you're looking at Jalen Brown or Michael 1027 01:09:59,439 --> 01:10:02,000 Bridges. And so I think that they're going to end up trying to straddle 1028 01:10:02,039 --> 01:10:04,920 a very fine line, and I'm interested to just see. I'm not saying 1029 01:10:04,920 --> 01:10:08,680 they can't do it. I'm not saying it's impossible. I'm just interested to 1030 01:10:08,720 --> 01:10:12,640 see what the end result is. Yeah, this conversation makes me very nervous, 1031 01:10:13,239 --> 01:10:15,399 like see, like, but we need to have it because there's a 1032 01:10:15,439 --> 01:10:18,720 possibility that none of these things happen for them. There's a possibility they get 1033 01:10:18,720 --> 01:10:24,319 the fifth pick in the draft. There's a possibility they get instead of James 1034 01:10:24,399 --> 01:10:28,239 Harden, they end up with with nobody, right, Like, they end 1035 01:10:28,319 --> 01:10:30,880 up with none of the big names, right And in that situation, you 1036 01:10:31,000 --> 01:10:34,520 kind of have to pivot very quickly because if you don't pivot quickly, you 1037 01:10:35,119 --> 01:10:41,640 lose optionality. And I don't know, are those trades still available? You 1038 01:10:41,760 --> 01:10:45,239 think you think, you think trades like you know, offshooting people in a 1039 01:10:45,239 --> 01:10:47,479 cap place. Are those moves still available? Because I look at these teams, 1040 01:10:47,520 --> 01:10:50,319 I'm like, who still has picks to do that anymore? These these 1041 01:10:50,399 --> 01:10:55,000 teams trade picks I candy. Now, Well, that was my point as 1042 01:10:55,000 --> 01:10:59,000 to why that market has been fairly cold. I'm just thinking if it's a 1043 01:10:59,119 --> 01:11:02,880 team that maybe in theory, wants to you're talking small time things where maybe 1044 01:11:02,880 --> 01:11:05,880 it's the Magic They don't want to pay the partial guarantee on Jonathan Isaacs deal, 1045 01:11:05,880 --> 01:11:09,239 but they're trying to get rid of him and they'll give you something to 1046 01:11:09,319 --> 01:11:12,840 take him. Or maybe they're trying to they want to maximize their cap space, 1047 01:11:13,119 --> 01:11:15,199 but they're not trying to get rid of certain guys where it's oh, 1048 01:11:15,359 --> 01:11:16,560 or are you willing to take on? This isn't even a bad deal, 1049 01:11:16,600 --> 01:11:18,880 it's just are you willing to take on a Gary Harris? Or if the 1050 01:11:18,920 --> 01:11:23,159 Knicks maybe they need a third party as part of another trade they're making are 1051 01:11:23,159 --> 01:11:26,560 you willing to take back Evan Fournier on his expiring deal for some kind of 1052 01:11:26,600 --> 01:11:30,479 compensation. I think those types of moves might still exist, but it's not. 1053 01:11:30,960 --> 01:11:32,840 We're past the point of, you know, five or six years ago 1054 01:11:32,840 --> 01:11:35,279 where it's, hey, we'll give you this first round pick. You need 1055 01:11:35,359 --> 01:11:40,680 to take back this bad contract. We're releasing out your cap space essentially, 1056 01:11:40,760 --> 01:11:43,800 one because so many of the teams that would spend in free agency are just 1057 01:11:43,920 --> 01:11:46,239 so far away over the cap anyway. And two, we just went through 1058 01:11:46,279 --> 01:11:48,520 it with the names, like the level of talent moving around it, Like 1059 01:11:48,680 --> 01:11:53,000 thinking about Jalen Brunson was the best player to just leave in free agency? 1060 01:11:53,920 --> 01:11:56,359 And how long a couple of years at least, I'm trying to think of 1061 01:11:56,399 --> 01:11:59,920 who the like the was it was it since Kauai in two thousand nine? 1062 01:12:00,239 --> 01:12:02,880 When did Lebron go to LA? Lebron went to LA in twenty twenty nineteen? 1063 01:12:03,079 --> 01:12:06,279 Yeah, twenty eighteen twenteen. Yeah, So like it was it since 1064 01:12:06,359 --> 01:12:11,279 Kauhai left Toronto for like just outright left? I guess, like because that 1065 01:12:11,359 --> 01:12:15,239 was the same Kyrie and Katie and Brooklyn that happened before that as well. 1066 01:12:15,800 --> 01:12:17,960 I mean everything's been going through trades, like draw Day got trade to the 1067 01:12:18,000 --> 01:12:21,800 Bucks via trade, Like I like, like I think I'm taking off the 1068 01:12:21,840 --> 01:12:24,720 top of my head, like maybe DeMar de Rosen, I don't know, 1069 01:12:24,880 --> 01:12:28,319 Like I guess if you want to count those Bulls guys that's that switched teams, 1070 01:12:28,399 --> 01:12:33,640 Like I don't know, It's it's very like in twenty during the pandemic, 1071 01:12:34,039 --> 01:12:39,359 these these top end players got really nervous for some reason and signed these 1072 01:12:39,840 --> 01:12:44,000 multi year extensions right like I'm talking during twenty twenty, twenty twenty one, 1073 01:12:44,399 --> 01:12:47,000 they all signed extensions, and as a Rockets fan looking at that, I 1074 01:12:47,079 --> 01:12:49,399 was like, I was getting very nervous. It's like what if, what 1075 01:12:49,439 --> 01:12:53,199 if the Rockets have to pivot to a rebuild soon, none of these guys 1076 01:12:53,239 --> 01:12:57,279 are gonna become available, Like they're all gonna be like the Rockets gonna be 1077 01:12:57,359 --> 01:13:00,760 are gonna be stuck with their pretty crappy foraging class low and behold, here 1078 01:13:00,800 --> 01:13:03,039 we are in twenty twenty three, and we're stuck with a pretty bad free 1079 01:13:03,079 --> 01:13:06,920 agent class because all these guys signed extensions. So yeah, I mean, 1080 01:13:08,560 --> 01:13:11,319 it's been a it's been a minute since we've had we've had a big start 1081 01:13:11,319 --> 01:13:15,920 and change teams. But I guess that's kind of what Harden's supposed to be, 1082 01:13:15,079 --> 01:13:19,079 right, That's kind of what the theory of Harden is. I don't 1083 01:13:19,119 --> 01:13:21,880 know. I just you know, Draymond is someone I have you as like 1084 01:13:21,920 --> 01:13:27,920 a contingency in that way, right, Like, I am not someone who 1085 01:13:27,960 --> 01:13:30,720 would be enthusiastic about it even doing that, because I think even that would 1086 01:13:30,720 --> 01:13:35,319 be a hard contract to move. So you can do stuff like that, 1087 01:13:36,319 --> 01:13:42,399 I would I would tend to avoid it and try and keep those books as 1088 01:13:42,439 --> 01:13:46,800 clean as you possibly can, So I would even let the space. I'd 1089 01:13:46,840 --> 01:13:50,600 be willing to let the space, uh, not be taken up, not 1090 01:13:50,720 --> 01:13:56,600 be absorbed if you should, because there's always two and twenty four, like 1091 01:13:56,640 --> 01:13:59,479 they'll still have jail and Green will be on the final year of his rookie 1092 01:13:59,520 --> 01:14:02,279 scale, and so you're not you know, you still have all these other 1093 01:14:02,359 --> 01:14:05,199 just you know, the most expensive player on your roster as a right now 1094 01:14:05,279 --> 01:14:11,000 in twenty four twenty five is Kevin Porter Junior. His salary is partially guaranteed. 1095 01:14:11,000 --> 01:14:13,199 I think it's like what six million dollars and that's or is it one 1096 01:14:13,239 --> 01:14:15,239 million? And I can't remember what his deal is just the way it structures 1097 01:14:15,279 --> 01:14:18,239 is so weird that you still have another summer to get a bide at the 1098 01:14:18,279 --> 01:14:21,159 Apple at this I don't know the way the new CBA set up with caps 1099 01:14:21,239 --> 01:14:24,920 moving and some of the penalties that are out there. I feel like they 1100 01:14:24,960 --> 01:14:28,199 who effectively killed free agency a little bit. But you still do have another 1101 01:14:28,279 --> 01:14:30,800 summer to try and go big game hunting, and so I would be with 1102 01:14:30,880 --> 01:14:34,560 you where you preserve the powder. But you're also again your pick is owed 1103 01:14:34,600 --> 01:14:39,439 to Oklahoma City, and so I think there will be some urgency to materially 1104 01:14:39,560 --> 01:14:43,840 improve this roster no matter what, especially after spending three straight seasons at the 1105 01:14:43,920 --> 01:14:47,039 bottom of the Western Conference. Do you think that the Rockets are like scheming, 1106 01:14:47,119 --> 01:14:49,840 be have the scenes, not not just like planning, but like legitimately 1107 01:14:49,920 --> 01:14:55,640 Like like do you think if they're in contact with Hardened through a third party 1108 01:14:55,760 --> 01:14:58,479 or whatever, do you think they're trying to get Harden to like talk to 1109 01:14:58,600 --> 01:15:01,760 some of these other players. Hey? Yeah, First of all, Harden's 1110 01:15:01,760 --> 01:15:03,920 gonna want to talk to these other players because if he just comes back to 1111 01:15:03,960 --> 01:15:06,399 Houston. I don't mean this as an insult to their young core. He's 1112 01:15:06,439 --> 01:15:10,439 just he's thirty four. He doesn't care about Jalen Greener, j Barr Smith 1113 01:15:10,520 --> 01:15:14,760 Junior or Shangon or whoever they're drafting. You're absolutely talking to Look, he 1114 01:15:14,840 --> 01:15:16,479 might be able to talk to Jalen Brown in the next series when Billy plays 1115 01:15:16,479 --> 01:15:21,920 Boston. Probably it's like, you're absolutely talking to these players. And Look, 1116 01:15:23,119 --> 01:15:25,520 I will say, if they can land somebody, like if it's a 1117 01:15:25,520 --> 01:15:30,000 hard nerve, it's van fleet. It does make the steps of their process 1118 01:15:30,039 --> 01:15:31,720 so like one of the dot Like it's even if you get once you know 1119 01:15:31,800 --> 01:15:33,840 where you are in The lottery helps out a ton as well. But if 1120 01:15:33,880 --> 01:15:36,880 you know you're gonna end up with Scoot, Brandon Miller or Wemby, that 1121 01:15:38,079 --> 01:15:42,239 informs so much of what you should be doing. And that's we're working with 1122 01:15:42,319 --> 01:15:44,880 a lack of clarity on that respect. But even after the draft lottery, 1123 01:15:44,920 --> 01:15:47,399 there's so many questions and so many different scenarios that could play out. We're 1124 01:15:47,399 --> 01:15:49,960 waiting not only for the lottery. I think it matters how the playoffs end 1125 01:15:50,199 --> 01:15:54,279 that will determine. I think not only some part of James Harden's future, 1126 01:15:54,560 --> 01:15:57,439 but what's going on with Jalen Brown, maybe what's going on with Trey Young, 1127 01:15:57,600 --> 01:16:00,119 that's somebody you mentioned. Maybe even going on in Golden State with not 1128 01:16:00,199 --> 01:16:03,119 only Draymond Green, but like Klay Thompson is talking about getting a Max deal 1129 01:16:03,479 --> 01:16:06,880 moving forward, So Rockets fans of have going his name around and I'm like, 1130 01:16:08,039 --> 01:16:10,319 I don't, I don't know, I don't. This is the one 1131 01:16:10,399 --> 01:16:12,800 team where I'm like, I think they're actually going to try and keep these 1132 01:16:12,840 --> 01:16:15,760 guys together until they retire, right, I think they're actually gonna try and 1133 01:16:15,800 --> 01:16:19,039 do that, except for maybe Draymond. Draymond he might have punched his way 1134 01:16:19,039 --> 01:16:21,800 out of that, out of that dream, but like everybody else, I 1135 01:16:21,920 --> 01:16:26,960 feel like might still be there until you know it's time to wrap it up. 1136 01:16:27,800 --> 01:16:30,000 You know, it's interesting. You really do have to monitor this stuff, 1137 01:16:30,079 --> 01:16:34,479 and some of some of the stuff's gonna develop faster than we think it's. 1138 01:16:34,560 --> 01:16:38,479 It's developing, but it's actually going on beyond the scenes. Right. 1139 01:16:38,760 --> 01:16:41,279 It's when you get the it's when the player picks the new team. It's 1140 01:16:41,319 --> 01:16:44,800 like the story comes out from his Market's like this has been going on for 1141 01:16:44,840 --> 01:16:48,239 a while, honey, how that works? Yeah, And the final thing 1142 01:16:48,279 --> 01:16:51,119 I'll say before they goes, they're not if the Rockets end up not doing 1143 01:16:51,159 --> 01:16:56,600 anything super splashy. It'll look bad if they convey this incredible pick to Okay, 1144 01:16:56,640 --> 01:16:59,640 see, they're not in this barren position. We've talked a lot about 1145 01:16:59,640 --> 01:17:02,119 free agent seeing trades. They have a baseline here. They have going to 1146 01:17:02,159 --> 01:17:04,640 be another top lottery pick in this year. If you if you fall to 1147 01:17:04,720 --> 01:17:09,600 five or whatever is yeah, that's borderline is astrous. But they're not working 1148 01:17:10,079 --> 01:17:13,920 with a blank slate of talent. They're working with a very flexible financial slate. 1149 01:17:14,279 --> 01:17:16,239 And now, while there was a lack of progress, I think on 1150 01:17:16,319 --> 01:17:19,319 a collective level this year, you've made the move a head coach, and 1151 01:17:19,319 --> 01:17:21,880 it's like you have at least you're not working with nothing, is my point, 1152 01:17:21,920 --> 01:17:26,319 And so I think a lot of active to some of these players. 1153 01:17:26,359 --> 01:17:30,119 Do you think I think, I mean, taxes make them attractive, like 1154 01:17:30,239 --> 01:17:32,439 being in that market, and I think Houston's always been a market that's been 1155 01:17:32,479 --> 01:17:36,640 involved. Coach. Is he someone that can pull in a free agent? 1156 01:17:38,920 --> 01:17:41,640 I think the and I actually think you mentioned this on your podcast. I 1157 01:17:41,720 --> 01:17:45,439 think that coaches are overrated when it comes to free agent draws. But he 1158 01:17:45,520 --> 01:17:47,840 does seem to have very good relationship with all the Celtics players. It's like 1159 01:17:47,920 --> 01:17:50,680 Janalen Brown and Jason Tatum, So not those guys specifically, but yeah, 1160 01:17:50,680 --> 01:17:54,800 I think if you look at it and maybe you see if you're on the 1161 01:17:54,880 --> 01:17:57,159 fence and you're like, why don't want to just take the money from Houston, 1162 01:17:57,239 --> 01:17:59,720 but you have confidence that they'll go out and get another guy they have 1163 01:17:59,800 --> 01:18:02,800 a coach, if plenty of other trade assets. I think it helps it 1164 01:18:02,920 --> 01:18:10,840 certainly. I think he helps more than I don't know if Nick Nurse I 1165 01:18:10,880 --> 01:18:15,039 felt the same secue like I. It feels like they picked the guy who 1166 01:18:15,079 --> 01:18:18,800 can most help in the accomplish that goal. But that doesn't mean that he's 1167 01:18:18,840 --> 01:18:21,760 going to help accomplish that goal because it's very hard for coaches to actually do 1168 01:18:21,920 --> 01:18:28,960 that. Right, It's like it's really gonna like this is part of why 1169 01:18:29,560 --> 01:18:31,479 this year was, Like you mentioned, it was a lack of progress. 1170 01:18:31,800 --> 01:18:38,760 It was also like a wasted opportunity for yourself to become more attractive to these 1171 01:18:38,840 --> 01:18:42,039 for agents. Right, if you had won more games and if some of 1172 01:18:42,079 --> 01:18:44,680 these guys looked even better than they looked this year, it's like, oh, 1173 01:18:45,439 --> 01:18:46,680 one thing I go down going down there in Houston. Right, It's 1174 01:18:46,680 --> 01:18:49,359 like like like some of these players might like want to go play with these 1175 01:18:49,439 --> 01:18:54,600 guys, but because they showed so little this year, it's like there's all 1176 01:18:54,880 --> 01:18:59,079 there's a bunch of negative stories in the press about them. Is there anything 1177 01:18:59,119 --> 01:19:01,800 else that you think we need to discuss before I let you go? Roughly 1178 01:19:02,000 --> 01:19:05,720 forty five minutes later than or thirty five minutes later than I wanted to keep 1179 01:19:05,760 --> 01:19:13,920 you. No, I guess I can plug my substack Grendas news dot com. 1180 01:19:14,520 --> 01:19:16,479 Uh is a sub stack. It's a podcast. It's gonna be free 1181 01:19:16,560 --> 01:19:19,920 all summer. If you're a Rockets fan and you listen to this podcast, 1182 01:19:20,359 --> 01:19:24,800 be sure to follow me there social media. As saw them all the NBA. 1183 01:19:25,960 --> 01:19:29,560 Yeah, I mean, I don't have much to say until the lottery. 1184 01:19:29,680 --> 01:19:32,640 The lottery is really going to be what changes everything. Yeah, that 1185 01:19:32,960 --> 01:19:36,720 or do the Sixers get eliminated before then might be the moment that changes everything. 1186 01:19:38,000 --> 01:19:42,399 Yeah, And I don't know if we talked about this yesterday, I 1187 01:19:42,439 --> 01:19:45,920 don't know which way that cuts, like, yeah, like do the Sixers 1188 01:19:46,000 --> 01:19:49,359 need to be successful for Harden to want to leave or the or the opposite, 1189 01:19:49,840 --> 01:19:54,600 right, I don't know, Like I feel like externally, there's more 1190 01:19:54,640 --> 01:20:00,600 pressure on Harden to stay if if they don't win, right Whereas internally he 1191 01:20:00,720 --> 01:20:03,840 may want to leave, but everybody's gonna look at the guy like, really, 1192 01:20:03,880 --> 01:20:08,000 man, you're gonna leave again? Like Whereas if he wins a title, 1193 01:20:08,399 --> 01:20:11,680 it's the story is easier to sell, like, Okay, he got 1194 01:20:11,760 --> 01:20:14,600 the job, job done, Philly. Now he wants to go home. 1195 01:20:14,880 --> 01:20:18,479 It's easier to figure forgive him for leaving a title contender. It would be 1196 01:20:18,600 --> 01:20:21,840 really funny he leaves for Houston, Joe Elmbid requests a trade, and then 1197 01:20:21,880 --> 01:20:25,920 Houston just sitting there with all that assets and maybe run it back with those 1198 01:20:25,960 --> 01:20:28,560 two Horns just happier in Houston. I see what you're saying, and I 1199 01:20:28,640 --> 01:20:30,840 think I agree. But also if they win, I think Philly might be 1200 01:20:30,960 --> 01:20:34,760 more inclined to give him just whatever he wants and free agency, because then 1201 01:20:34,800 --> 01:20:36,760 it's okay, we even if it doesn't pan out, we want a title 1202 01:20:36,840 --> 01:20:40,680 with this group. So that would be an obstacle the Rockets can overcome. 1203 01:20:40,920 --> 01:20:46,359 But I can't stress enough how serious and significant the ties Harden has to Houston 1204 01:20:46,479 --> 01:20:50,239 are. And I think that's just an element that even regardless of what happens 1205 01:20:50,239 --> 01:20:54,600 with the sixers that probably isn't being talked about enough. All of it's about, 1206 01:20:54,640 --> 01:20:56,880 well, let's see how the sixer season ends, or what they offer 1207 01:20:56,960 --> 01:20:59,880 him in free agency. I think there's just a real pull to the Houston 1208 01:21:00,039 --> 01:21:05,319 market and community and franchise itself that even despite all this noise is still being 1209 01:21:05,399 --> 01:21:10,960 severely underweighted. I still see hardened shirts every day. Every day. I 1210 01:21:11,039 --> 01:21:15,439 see people wearing hardened shirts. I see people there's artwork of hardened around the 1211 01:21:15,479 --> 01:21:19,000 city. The guy owned it part of the city, like he really did. 1212 01:21:19,520 --> 01:21:25,239 Like he was like a larger than life figure. And it helped actually 1213 01:21:25,600 --> 01:21:30,000 that he was so hated around the rest of the league because they came around 1214 01:21:30,119 --> 01:21:33,520 him, like in a very stimular way to like how Oklahoma City fans like 1215 01:21:34,279 --> 01:21:39,600 came around Russ Right, Like when people when he was such a polarizing player 1216 01:21:41,039 --> 01:21:45,359 that that kind of stuff, like defending a guy for eight years, eight 1217 01:21:45,479 --> 01:21:48,840 or nine years, it really does build a bond that it's hard to describe. 1218 01:21:49,039 --> 01:21:54,880 And you when you see Rockets fans the way that they are, people 1219 01:21:54,880 --> 01:21:59,319 always complain about them, and it really stems from that relationship that they have 1220 01:21:59,439 --> 01:22:02,399 had with this guy for a decade, right and it's hard to it's hard 1221 01:22:02,439 --> 01:22:06,479 to explain and unless you're here, really mean, and I think you understand 1222 01:22:06,520 --> 01:22:10,560 it because we talk about it all the time. But like I think it's 1223 01:22:10,760 --> 01:22:15,359 it's it's one. It's something that people shouldn't have been surprised when that thing 1224 01:22:15,399 --> 01:22:19,520 came out on Christmas. They shouldn't have. I we were talking about it 1225 01:22:19,880 --> 01:22:25,800 because we thought it was a possibility. Hard and even tinted there was a 1226 01:22:25,880 --> 01:22:30,479 possibility in his press release to Houston, right, Like he wrote an ad 1227 01:22:30,520 --> 01:22:33,479 out on the Chronicle and he hinted that, hey, I might want to 1228 01:22:33,560 --> 01:22:36,720 come down and come back here one day, right, And like he didn't 1229 01:22:36,760 --> 01:22:40,439 say it like that, but it was might as well have said like that, 1230 01:22:41,000 --> 01:22:45,600 Like this kind of stuff, I don't know, Like his his ties 1231 01:22:45,680 --> 01:22:49,039 the city are real. I think it's gonna be very, very interesting if 1232 01:22:49,039 --> 01:22:53,880 he does return. I personally am rooting for it, not only on a 1233 01:22:53,920 --> 01:22:56,840 story level as a fan, because I told you I'm a Rockets fan through 1234 01:22:56,880 --> 01:22:59,720 and through. Again. Feels great, It feels great to look at this 1235 01:22:59,800 --> 01:23:02,279 team like that. Again. It feels great to kind of root for an 1236 01:23:02,359 --> 01:23:06,560 exciting summer. I'm gonna I'm gonna look I'm gonna look through all these rumors 1237 01:23:06,680 --> 01:23:10,680 like a pig and slop like I'm gonna be all over it. Like I 1238 01:23:11,279 --> 01:23:16,079 really am very very excited for what's gonna happen this summer. Salomon, this 1239 01:23:16,239 --> 01:23:18,520 was great as always. Thank you so much for coming on and being so 1240 01:23:18,600 --> 01:23:21,159 generous with your time. As you know by now, I'll be pestoring you 1241 01:23:21,279 --> 01:23:26,520 again in the future, but thank you so much for now. Yeah, 1242 01:23:26,680 --> 01:23:28,720 for sure I'm gonna talk to you, Donline. Yeah,