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What is krack Alakin fellow Thermo move
near a evert I M damn Valley coming

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at with a reef intro. This
is going to be the Houston Rockets look

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ahead. I brought on Red Nation
to moves is Salmon Ali. Follow him

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on Twitter at Salomon Ali mba at
s A L M A n A l

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I NBA. We went over an
hour on the Rockets. It was a

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great combo. I think you'll really
enjoy it. We recorded this before I

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went on vacation, so if anything's
a little outdated, I'm not gonna update

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this with a different intro. But
if something major happens, I of course

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will. So hopefully you're still hearing
this. Just my very quick reminder.

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Please subscribe if you're new around here, hit that sub button on YouTube.

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Subscribe to us on Apple and Spotify. Ratings and reviews on Apple help us

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out. A ton did over Spotify
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even if you're not using them.
Tell people about us. Word of

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mouth recommendations go a long way.
Share our content, our videos on YouTube,

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our shorts, our tiktoks. That
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the socials. You will see those
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us if you would like to please
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in the podcast and YouTube description.
Our store on see Public. A lot

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of fun sayings from the podcast,
like my opening line and some stuff Grant

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says, and join our discord.
Let's help build that up. Twitter's going

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to ship. It's clear. We
don't know if we're gonna be on Threads

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or Blue Sky. I'm on Blue
Sky at Damp Valley. If you want

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to check me out there, going
to discord to continue the discussion. The

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link to that is in the podcast
and YouTube description. But let's get to

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some great rockets. Talk all things
Houston Rockets with Salmon Ali of Red Nation

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Hoops and you should be sure to
subscribe to his substack his podcast. The

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link to that the website will be
in the podcast and YouTube description. Let's

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hop to it. Dolman, the
question that everyone wants. No, the

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answer to how the heck are you
doing good? Okay doing okay? Just

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got back from vacation. Was overseas
for about ten days there, but I'm

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back recharging my batteries today. Uh, I feel feel pretty good, feel

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pretty good and I'm I got four
four podcast scheduled this week. Uh,

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one of them is actually my own, which is great. H So,

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I mean that's what happens. But
when you're on vacation, you just put

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stuff off. You know, people
ask you for stuff and you're just like,

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okay, I'll do that when I
get back. Including me. You

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told me you were going to record
with me on vacation, and I prefer

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not to do that. I'm glad
you ultimately, because I don't like interrupting

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people's vacations, but I have.
And also when you have the prep to

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go on vacation, like right now, I'm trying to like these look AADs

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that we're doing, I'm trying to
backlock them so our listeners still have,

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you know, like three or four
episodes to listen to. So I have

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this will be podcast three of six
that I'm recording in roughly twenty four hours,

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like in its twenty four hours.
Man. Yeah, it's it's it's

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like that, and it's it's unfortunate
because it's it's August, and I feel

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like we should be able to relax
now. I sho we would just stop

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like stop doing stuff, but no, I guess I guess not. I

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guess. I guess we have to
continue doing stuff until we stopped doing this,

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until we stopped doing this. Are
you ready to talk some Houston Rockets?

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Yeah, we might as well,
so right start with this on the

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Houston Rockets. Any just we've talked
about it at length, but in case

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people didn't listen to that podcast we
did for your pod, what were your

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just general thoughts, takeaways, impressions
from the Rockets off season. You know,

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we'll get to the email Rudoka stuff, but just like the what they

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did with the not even just the
person that they put in place, but

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the steps they took to get them, so on and so forth. I

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thought it was good. I thought
they had a good offseason. Like I

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thought the you know, letting Steven
Silas go was a very good move.

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I thought replacing it with Rudoka was
I think a solid higher you know,

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like I think even even if,
like you know, I may have favored

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Frank Vogel and Nick Nurse, like
I think like Udoka is right there after

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those two names. I think they
killed it on Draft night. I think

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Cam with Moore was having can with
Moore fall to you at twenty I still

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can't believe that happened. I love
Amen Thompson. Obviously, both those players

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have flaws that they're gonna have to
really work out and that makes their floors

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lower. But I love the upside
play that they had on draft night,

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you know, free agency. Like
before, I was a bit lower on

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them, like I thought, like
the door not taken with James Harden,

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like was was weighing down their ways
significantly, their grades significantly for me.

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Like I gave their initially gave their
office their free agency a C plus B

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minus. I probably upgrade that to
a flat B. I thought they had

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a decent free agency, like I
like, I still don't love the Fred

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Van for the deal, but I
think it was you know, reasonable,

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like one can reasonably say that was
the best use of getting a point guard,

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like like I think there was.
You know, I might have explored

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being the third team in the Porzingist
trade to grat try and get Malcolm Brogden

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instead for his two year deal.
Maybe a I had to go get Chris

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Paul or you know, be the
t B the Jordan Pool dump team,

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you know, like I explored those
other avenues. I think they were there

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for Houston. But I'm not upset
at Van vleet Any, definitely not as

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upset as I was, uh seventy
two hours ago. I would say the

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Dylan brooksteal was you know, decent, like I think was. You know,

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he's definitely overpaid, but not as
overpaid as I think most people assume

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to be. I think he was
probably like an eighteen million dollars a year

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player fair market value. He's getting
paid twenty two for this contract, so

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about four million dollars a year over
and it's a declining clining scale deal as

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a contract as the CBA is going
up. So I think it's gonna work

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out to be fine. Actually,
I think the actually those last two years

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I actually had to be pretty good. So so I think that the Dylan

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Brooks steal is fine. The Jeff
Green deal, the Jeff Green and the

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Jock Lando contracts are kind of insane. They're just trade exceptions. They just

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signed two eight million dollars a year
trade exceptions, which is I that's some

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pretty creative stuff there By the Rockets
for front office, I really liked it.

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Thought it was kind of underrated that
they were able to do that.

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Yeah, just just a solid uh
free agency good offseason. I'm happy with

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what they did. I think you
know, the stuff I have I may

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have, the disagreements I may have
with them are just nitpicks, right,

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Like the coaching higher, Like picking
uh Udoka, I mean picking Udoka over

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Vogel or Nurse. That's a nitpick. It's it's not it's not me saying

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that's a bad higher, you know, going brogged instead of it, instead

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of going with this Van Vliete deal. It's a nitpick. It's not saying

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it's a bad signing. You know. The nitpicks I may have are just

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that nitpicks. I think they had
a pretty good off season. I'd be

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with you. I guess my quibbles
are a little bit different than yours.

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I'm just I think the Fred van
Fleet Neil is it a market value?

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Sure, but it's two years like
that third years and if you're picking up

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that third year option, something good
has probably happened or you have another deal

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sort of set up. And just
because you want to start I'm assuming Shane

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Goon, I like the idea of
okay, like you're really gonna need to

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backstop him or front stop him if
you want to say, with like good

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perimeter defenders. Having Van Fleet and
Dylan Brooks in the starting lineup, we'll

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help you do that, especially with
Jalen Green as part of that five as

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well. I took more issue with
the Dylan Brooks deal. The money.

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You're right, it's declining. I
still think it's an overpay. Also,

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the machinations to get there when it's
like, all right, you gave up

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ty Tay Washington and us Man Gruba
and kJ Martin and Josh Christopher to make

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sure you got there. I think
some of that had to do with there

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was clearly a faction within Houston's front
office that believe that they were getting brook

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Lopez and that didn't pan out.
It's nothing they did is damaging, and

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I don't It doesn't give them an
identity. I think it gives them some

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more. It gives them more coherence
with the way they's built and some of

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the lineups they could run. I
am curious though, to ask you,

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do you think that they're gonna be
able to rain in Dylan Brooks's offensive usage

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with this team, because I do
think that's key to his working out he

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is. I want to make clear
he's a damaging offensive player, like by

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the numbers. Even when you watch
him. He can have some nights where

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he looks really good, but he
is overall if he gives in indulges his

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strongest inclinations, he's a pretty damaging
offensive player. Well, it's a kind

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of backtrack there, like I should
have mentioned that, like the brook Lopez

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pursuit was also weighing down that free
agency great like like that's why I didn't

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give them a B plus or any
minus. Like I didn't. I didn't

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like the fact that they were pursuing
bru Lopez at all, much less the

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extents, like how badly they wanted
him, Like they were willing to do

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all these trades, give up all
these players and you know, assets for

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pretty much nothing. They ended up
being nothing. But even if they got

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Burk Lopez and they did all that, I don't think it would have been

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worth it. So yeah, I
mean, just just as a quick aside,

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I didn't like that part or free
agency. But as far as raining

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in Dylan Brooks, you know,
if there's a coach that's gonna do it,

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this is this is the guy,
right, like because he wanted him

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too, right yeah, yeah,
yeah, And and if you look at

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if you look at what he was
able to do with Marcus Smart. Marcus

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Smart was taking I can't remember the
exact number, but I remember the year

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before Udoka was was the head coach
of the Celtics. Let's just say he

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took a hundred, right, uh, pull up three pointers when Udoka came

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in, that got halfed like his
his his three pointers per game got halfed.

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Like that's pretty drastic. If he's
able to do that with Dylan Brooks,

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or even if he's able to pull
it down by right, because he

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like he was taking like four pull
up three pointers per game last year Dylan

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Brooks, I think it was a
lot. It was a lot of pull

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up three pointers. If he's able
to get him down to two or three

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like that, that's a win.
That's a win. I think. I

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think if you look at his catch
and shoot numbers, he's actually a better

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three point shore than one might imagine
it was that by the way, he

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was at a little over two off
the dribble threes per game last year.

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He had five off the dribble jumpers
in general, though, and was statistically

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one of the three worst players in
that But please carry carry on. Yeah,

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his catch and shoot numbers are actually
pretty good, right, because he's

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actually a better three point shoot than
one might imagine. Like, what's weighing

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it down is he takes too many
dogs shit attempts, right, like if

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he don't defend him the way they
do, because his catch and shoot three

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point percentage over the last three years, I believe is higher than Marcus Smarts.

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The issue is is that defenses are
more inclined to guard Marcus Smart than

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they are Dylan Brooks, especially come
the postseason. I interrupted you twice.

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I apologize, No, You're totally
fine. That's how we do these podcasts,

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man, So what, yes,
that's true, right, Like he

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is defended differently than Marcus Smart.
I also, you know, want to

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point out that Dylan Brooks does not
have nearly the same amount of playoff experience

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as Marcus part Right, So like, as bad as he was in that

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Laker series, I would just you
know, say, like, this guy's

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like twenty six years old and he's
probably only had like two playoff appearances.

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So I think I think it's probably
fair to say that he won't be as

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bad as he was in that Laker
series. I'm not saying he's gonna be

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what Marcus spart is in the playoffs, which is like a really incredibly useful

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00:11:33,679 --> 00:11:37,960
player. But I think he's not
gonna be as damaging as he was in

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that series. And really, if
the Rockets are if Brooks is at the

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point where he can help Houston get
to the playoffs, it's a win,

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right, Like, Like we're not
even at the point where we can talk

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about the playoffs with Houston, right, Like that's like a conversation like next

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00:11:52,480 --> 00:11:56,120
year, right, like, like
we can talk about that stuff. Yeah,

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00:11:56,399 --> 00:11:58,639
next year, maybe year the year
after that. Like they're just trying

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to make a play in game.
They're just trying to be competitive next year,

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right, They're trying to win thirty
games next year, right like that

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that's like where they're at as a
franchise. If they if they can get

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there, that's great. Like I
think, uh, Dylan Brooks his faults,

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Yeah, they're they're real. But
for the Rockets, like their whole

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roster was flawed last year, and
he probably has less flaws than a lot

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of the players that went out,
right, because he is a very very

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strong perimeter defender. He is a
good catch and shoot three pointer, three

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00:12:37,120 --> 00:12:41,399
point shooter. He is a good
communicator. I think those things will help

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not just help them in the short
term just getting better as a defense,

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but long term, I think,
you know, those habits that he passes

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along to the Tari Yeason's the I'm
sorry forgetting his name. We just talked

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00:12:56,440 --> 00:13:01,519
about him sixteenth in the draft.
Oh Cammore care twenty draft. Yeah,

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00:13:01,519 --> 00:13:05,440
the camp with the Cam Whitmore is
right, like the Jabari Smith juniors.

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These habits that he's able to pass
down to these wing types I think are

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00:13:09,559 --> 00:13:16,360
going to be helpful in the development
process and probably why Udoka wanted to was

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00:13:16,440 --> 00:13:22,200
so intent on signing was so intent
on signing Dylan Brooks. So yeah,

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I like, I I think it's
possible that he that he can curb some

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of those offensive foibles. But uh, I again, like if you look

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at where Houston is, I don't
know if they really had their pick of

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the litter and free agency. I
think they really had like a targeted approach

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in terms of like the guys they
could go get right. I think they

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they very carefully chose Fred Vanvley because
Fred van Fleet was gettable, right,

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Like they very carefully chose Dylan Brooks
as Dylan Brooks was gettable. Brook Lopez

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at one point in time, was
gettable, right, So like that's why

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they chose those guys. They all, they're all, they're gonna be helpful.

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But like, you know, this
is a team that won twenty one

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games last year, right like they're
they they did, they weren't and this

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wasn't a very very strong for agent
class, so this this was you got.

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You gotta weigh those things in the
context too as well. Who do

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you think benefits the most? The
single player that will benefit the most from

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having Fred Van Fleet on this team? I think probably Jalen Green. Yeah,

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you know, the Jalen Green's biggest
weaknesses as a prospect and you know

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as a player right now obviously are
you know, playmaking and in defense,

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right, like those those are the
two things that he is not, you

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know, gifted at you know,
like he's never been like that was never

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his thing as a calling card as
a prospect, This prospects calling card as

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a prospect is like phenomenal athlete,
gifted score, right and never really had

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to be the lead playmaker because in
high school he would just score thirty points

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and that was enough to win the
game, right, Like he was just

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that good of a score. He
never needed to operate in the pick and

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roll because he never needed a pick
right like he was like his first step

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is just that is that great?
Right like I think And if you look

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at for Evan Fleet, like these
are things that he is good at.

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He helps make up for those weaknesses
and he helps teach Jalen some of those

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strengths, right Like he will help
Jalen become a better defender. He will

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help Jalen become a better playmaker.
He will help Jalen watch film. He

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will help Jalen like in all these
off the core elements as a leader.

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Uh you know which you know,
I'm never the guy who puts so much

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talk into that stuff, but I
think VanVleet is very good at that kind

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of stuff and Green won't need to
become good at that kind of stuff.

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So I think he's the guy that
off the bat. Also, you know,

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good three point shooter, so will
help space the floor. Jan Green,

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he's the guy right off the bat. I think we will benefit the

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most. I'm with you are the
Ema Adoka hire. We've talked about a

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lot the Higher itself already. Do
you have any insight or feel for what

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might change the most about how this
team operates on the court or behind the

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scenes with him in charge. Yeah, it seems like they're going to have

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a tight leash, like that's what
they're saying at least right, Like they're

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going to have a tight leash when
players make mistakes. So if that's the

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case, the guys who are pretty
mistake prone, I would say probably the

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defensive end of the floor are gonna
get pulled a lot, right, So

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Al Princhagun, you know he was
already getting pulled out. I think he

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might get pulled even more. J
not kJ Martin, excuse me, Kevin

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Border Junior. You know, I
think we'll get pulled a lot more for

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the turnovers that he was he made, right, Like I think Jalen Green

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for how bad he was as a
defender, he's not gonna get away with

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that next year, right, I
think he's And you know there are options

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you know that that Udoka has that
Stevens didn't have, Like he has Amen

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Thompson, he has Dylan Brooks,
he has other guys to play on the

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perimeter. Uh, when these guys
go sit So I think that's part of

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the reason they went out and got
those guys like, yeah, I'm gonna

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hold you accountable, and I'm gonna
play this guy in front of you that's

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00:17:14,440 --> 00:17:17,519
better than you anyways, right Like, I think I think that's kind of

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why he the Rockets when when got
those guys, like they can credibly say

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that you're this guy's just playing better
than you, So we're gonna play this

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guy ahead of you, right.
Uh. That's why I was worried about

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00:17:27,839 --> 00:17:33,359
the Brook Lopez acquisition, because it's
like, yeah, I wasn't a fan

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of like Alpert and Shandon playing like
ten minutes per game like next year.

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No, I wasn't. No,
No, that idea did didn't uh exactly

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make me excited. So uh,
I'm glad that there's no one that can

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credibly take Shan Goon's minutes away,
at least on both ends of the floor.

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I think I think Jeff Green will
pull some minutes away when Dooka gets

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00:17:56,599 --> 00:18:02,400
frustrated, like they're they're gonna throw
in the the old vet that knows how

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to play you know, switch Wood
defense, right like, Like Jeff Green

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00:18:06,039 --> 00:18:08,319
is probably gonna be playing a lot
of minutes. Jock Landale might take some

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minutes. I don't suspect he'll take
a lot, but it's gonna be a

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better He is a better not just
then Shangoon. He's actually a better switch

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defender than I think a lot of
people realize. And so if that's how

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the Rockets want to play, it
wouldn't shock me. Like you said,

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if Shane Gouon is getting this quick
hook that we see lots of landales,

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they don't want to give up just
because if you put green it at the

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five, I don't know what you're
rebounding. Look like, looks like maybe

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you trust like Tar Easton and Amen
Thompson if they're in the game at the

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same time to really crash the boards
for you. Then I actually think the

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backup center next year is going to
be more Jabari Smith. Uh, that's

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like skipping step the head in the
podcast. I'm interested in that. Yeah,

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I actually think like and it's it's
a look that I think we're gonna

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see a lot of because he actually
did pretty good and like some of his

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00:18:52,960 --> 00:18:56,559
best minutes last year, we're actually
at the center position. I don't remember,

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00:18:56,640 --> 00:19:00,000
like like you know, his net
rating at the center position, but

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just from from watching it, I
do remember it looked pretty good and playing

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next to Tari really benefited him.
And I think that's probably gonna be the

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front corp pairing if it's not Shangoon
and Jabari, you know, the front

286
00:19:14,960 --> 00:19:18,000
corp pairing of the future, right
like Tari and Jabari. So I think

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00:19:18,440 --> 00:19:22,160
Uduck is going to give that a
look in backup units and I and they

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00:19:22,240 --> 00:19:25,960
have Tate there, so like he's
gonna be I think, you know,

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00:19:26,160 --> 00:19:29,160
in terms of difference next year,
I think Tate's gonna play a lot like

290
00:19:29,240 --> 00:19:33,880
I think he's gonna play really yeah, he was gonna fall by the wayside

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just given like kind of everyone that's
if like the Rockets, there's for as

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better talent wise as they are,
there's still just like a well now you

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00:19:41,799 --> 00:19:45,640
kind of have to coordinate and organize
this, and people are certain people are

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00:19:45,680 --> 00:19:48,079
just not gonna get minutes. I
thought he was gonna be the one just

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00:19:48,200 --> 00:19:51,799
with Brooks Amen Tom Centauris, and
I thought he would be the guy that

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00:19:51,880 --> 00:19:55,960
maybe was falls by the wayside.
He's gonna be the guy. I'm like,

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00:19:56,799 --> 00:20:02,519
he's coaches Catinet Man, I'm telling
you, like, like during preseason,

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00:20:03,920 --> 00:20:08,319
I think Steven Salass first year,
Tate gets the starting position on Game

299
00:20:08,359 --> 00:20:12,160
one, right, and it was
such a shock to everyone, right,

300
00:20:12,240 --> 00:20:17,240
like this rookie coach is making this
ballsy decision on game one to play this

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00:20:17,400 --> 00:20:22,440
rookie And it was because he impressed
that much in training camp and he was

302
00:20:22,519 --> 00:20:27,039
that good defensively right away. And
I'm telling he's gonna make a strong impression

303
00:20:27,160 --> 00:20:30,839
Underdoka in training camp and he's gonna
earn those minutes. And I think he's

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already Udoka is already pretty familiar with
Tay. They've been in communication. I

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00:20:36,039 --> 00:20:40,720
think he's probably going to be an
integral force in that locker room and someone

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00:20:40,839 --> 00:20:42,559
that he leans on. So I
think he's probably gonna be like one of

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the four most more important for Front
Corps players for Houston next year. So

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that's gonna be interesting to watch.
And I think as far as difference,

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00:20:53,319 --> 00:20:56,880
I would say they're definitely gonna switch
more on defense, and I think hedge

310
00:20:56,960 --> 00:21:02,240
and recover is a scheme I think
I would like to see them implement with

311
00:21:02,880 --> 00:21:07,319
Su because I think I don't think
he's a drop defender. I don't think

312
00:21:07,359 --> 00:21:11,319
he's a switch defender. I think
he is someone you throw in for heads

313
00:21:11,359 --> 00:21:15,119
and recover schemes. I've seen him
do well and switches on certain circumstances,

314
00:21:15,240 --> 00:21:22,559
but like you see, you look
at what the the Kings did with I'm

315
00:21:22,599 --> 00:21:29,839
sorry forgetting the name. I'm so
bad with names des Demonus Sabonis, and

316
00:21:29,920 --> 00:21:34,359
with the with the Nuggets did with
Yokich like that works for some reason,

317
00:21:34,640 --> 00:21:37,960
it seems to work, And I
think I think you're gonna see some of

318
00:21:38,039 --> 00:21:44,039
that implemented next year with Shangoon,
And I think you're gonna see a lot

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00:21:44,160 --> 00:21:48,319
more communication. Like the Rockets didn't
talk to each other last year. They

320
00:21:48,440 --> 00:21:52,519
yelled at each other last year,
So I think that's probably gonna be something

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00:21:52,599 --> 00:21:56,920
I'm very curious to see if it
gets cleaned up a lot. I suspect

322
00:21:56,960 --> 00:22:00,079
that it will. He has a
great reputation of turning teams around on the

323
00:22:00,119 --> 00:22:04,039
defensive end, and I think that's
probably the immediate impact you're going to see

324
00:22:04,039 --> 00:22:10,519
from them. What are your early
impressions of Amen Thompson. What are you

325
00:22:10,559 --> 00:22:12,319
gonna be watching for most closely in
his rookie year. What type of role

326
00:22:12,400 --> 00:22:17,119
do you expect him to have as
the Rockets are clearly dramatically trying to improve

327
00:22:17,200 --> 00:22:22,559
upon their record, just just that
whole that whole bag of stuff, so

328
00:22:22,680 --> 00:22:26,039
a lot of a lot of amen. I wasn't very I wasn't really surprised

329
00:22:26,079 --> 00:22:29,720
though, because I saw a lot
of him in Ote. What I was

330
00:22:29,839 --> 00:22:33,200
surprised of with him was like a
lot more poisoned half court settings than I

331
00:22:33,240 --> 00:22:37,000
thought he would be, right because
he didn't play a lot of half court

332
00:22:37,119 --> 00:22:42,079
last year. The OT is like
a strange league, like they they are

333
00:22:42,079 --> 00:22:48,680
allergic to half right, And he
didn't get a lot of possessions in the

334
00:22:48,720 --> 00:22:52,240
half court to run offenses. And
like in those twenty six or whatever minutes

335
00:22:52,279 --> 00:22:56,880
he played in the summer league,
Uh, he seemed okay, Like he

336
00:22:56,039 --> 00:23:00,319
wasn't like panicking, and he wasn't
like shying away from shooting mid range jumpers

337
00:23:00,400 --> 00:23:03,759
or getting to the free throw line. Like there wasn't like a Ben Simmons

338
00:23:03,880 --> 00:23:07,200
like allergic reaction to like trying to
get to the free throw line or like

339
00:23:07,880 --> 00:23:12,920
you know, having a counter once
Pete once players walled off the pain right,

340
00:23:14,000 --> 00:23:18,200
Like I think that's gonna be interesting
to see how he develops those counters,

341
00:23:18,319 --> 00:23:21,119
Like does he get a floater,
does he get a mid range jumper?

342
00:23:21,319 --> 00:23:26,519
Like whatever he does when teams eventually
treat him like the non shooter that

343
00:23:26,559 --> 00:23:29,880
he has been, Like, how
does he react. I think he's probably

344
00:23:29,920 --> 00:23:33,960
gonna play around twenty to twenty five
minutes per game next year. I think

345
00:23:33,039 --> 00:23:37,759
he's like, this is probably like
the best possible thing for him. Honestly,

346
00:23:37,839 --> 00:23:41,799
I don't know if he was someone
I would have wanted to start next

347
00:23:41,880 --> 00:23:45,079
year, even if they never got
Fred Van Fleet. I think having him

348
00:23:45,200 --> 00:23:49,960
play off the ball a little bit
is helpful. I think him developing a

349
00:23:51,039 --> 00:23:53,759
three point jumper is going to be
integral for the Rockets long term. So

350
00:23:53,839 --> 00:23:57,640
I think, you know, the
fact that he's gonna have to be someone

351
00:23:57,680 --> 00:24:03,319
who's consistently playing off the ball is
helpful for his development. I think I

352
00:24:03,559 --> 00:24:07,240
think it's actually a good thing that
he's coming off the bench because he's not

353
00:24:07,359 --> 00:24:11,440
ready yet. I don't think and
I think he these other elements of his

354
00:24:11,559 --> 00:24:18,759
game that didn't get enough time or
refinement at the ote will get a spotlight.

355
00:24:18,799 --> 00:24:22,160
The defense I think he could has
as a ways to go defensively.

356
00:24:22,200 --> 00:24:23,839
I think his brother's actually a little
bit better right now. Uh. And

357
00:24:23,960 --> 00:24:29,279
I think if if he spends more
time on those elements of his game,

358
00:24:29,319 --> 00:24:32,920
he's gonna get playing time. He's
gonna get minute and he's gonna, more

359
00:24:33,000 --> 00:24:37,440
importantly long term, be looked at
as the franchise point guard. So I

360
00:24:37,559 --> 00:24:41,480
think that's probably what I would expect
from next year, you know, back

361
00:24:41,519 --> 00:24:45,839
seat role, but not a not
a not an an impactful back seat role.

362
00:24:45,839 --> 00:24:48,839
I think he's gonna be pretty pretty
fun to watch next year. That

363
00:24:48,880 --> 00:24:52,640
would be ah. I was very
impressed because I don't watch these guys really

364
00:24:52,720 --> 00:24:56,079
before I try to cram before the
draft, and then he watched. We

365
00:24:56,160 --> 00:24:59,720
saw barely nothing of him in Summer
League, but I was I'm very impressed

366
00:24:59,759 --> 00:25:02,759
with his zero step speed, where
it's like that's not someone who needs like

367
00:25:02,799 --> 00:25:07,160
a ball screen and momentum to get
going downhill. And I also just sort

368
00:25:07,200 --> 00:25:10,240
of like his around the world burst
on defense to where like, yeah,

369
00:25:10,240 --> 00:25:12,480
there might need to be more discipline
there, but like that's every which way

370
00:25:12,559 --> 00:25:15,720
that you point like he's gonna be
able to get there and get around people

371
00:25:15,960 --> 00:25:21,519
or close out on guys or stick
with guys, no matter how like directional

372
00:25:21,640 --> 00:25:26,599
the their ball handling is. I'm
I am curious though, to take advantage

373
00:25:26,599 --> 00:25:27,960
of you mentioned him playing off the
ball. I think what you're gonna need

374
00:25:29,039 --> 00:25:33,200
to do off the ball around the
ball is to have the spacing ecosystem necessary

375
00:25:33,279 --> 00:25:36,799
to give him sort of a bunch
of runway. I'm curious if they'll get

376
00:25:36,920 --> 00:25:38,319
two lineups, and I think they
can get to them with the personnel they

377
00:25:38,359 --> 00:25:41,200
have. That's sort of the I
know he didn't shoot too well. He

378
00:25:41,279 --> 00:25:45,559
had some stretches where he shot well
from the corners, Like if you're Jabari

379
00:25:45,599 --> 00:25:48,440
Smith junior at the five like that, those might be the lineups where you

380
00:25:48,519 --> 00:25:52,200
have the spacing kind of necessary to
get at men moving off the ball or

381
00:25:52,279 --> 00:25:55,079
just give him the ball, get
him going downhill. And so I hope

382
00:25:55,079 --> 00:25:57,400
we see a lot of those types
of arrangements with him. Yeah, and

383
00:25:57,599 --> 00:26:02,440
that's partially why, Like I think
that Jabari will play a lot of backup

384
00:26:02,480 --> 00:26:07,599
five. It's the space the floor
from man, I think, like you're

385
00:26:07,799 --> 00:26:11,680
you're right, it's it's not it's
not hard for Houston to put together four

386
00:26:11,759 --> 00:26:14,720
out lineups for amend to play with. Right, Like I think you're gonna

387
00:26:14,920 --> 00:26:17,400
you're gonna have Jalen Green there,
you're gonna have for Evamvleet there, You're

388
00:26:17,440 --> 00:26:21,640
gonna have Jabari there, You're gonna
have Tarri there, you're gonna have Yeah,

389
00:26:21,799 --> 00:26:26,200
yeah, you're you're there. I
mean, and and I think Amend's

390
00:26:26,759 --> 00:26:30,880
size gives him a lot of versatility
to defend a bunch of positions for Houston.

391
00:26:32,400 --> 00:26:34,519
Uh and and just kind of experiment
these first few years, you know.

392
00:26:34,640 --> 00:26:38,519
I think that's that that kind of
stuff is like not non content,

393
00:26:38,680 --> 00:26:45,200
It's pretty consequential. Like like you
see players like learn these traits as background

394
00:26:45,319 --> 00:26:48,519
players, and once they're in the
forefront, they still have it right.

395
00:26:48,880 --> 00:26:55,799
And I think that's gonna be something
that he is going to really benefit from

396
00:26:55,880 --> 00:27:00,440
just just being a guy who has
to earn it a little bit, but

397
00:27:00,920 --> 00:27:03,680
earn it in the areas where he
is not adept, right, Like,

398
00:27:03,799 --> 00:27:08,000
he is not adept at cutting off
the ball, he is not adept at

399
00:27:08,960 --> 00:27:14,960
at three point shooting, he is
not adept at off ball defense, right

400
00:27:15,079 --> 00:27:18,200
Like. I think these are areas
where it's helpful that he is playing in

401
00:27:18,240 --> 00:27:22,839
the background. It may it may
make for some rough moments and he may

402
00:27:22,920 --> 00:27:26,200
get yelled at a lot next year, but that's perfectly fine. I think

403
00:27:26,920 --> 00:27:30,039
he's still gonna be very fun if
you're a Rockets fan to watch next year.

404
00:27:32,079 --> 00:27:34,000
Would have kind of the same question
for Cam Whitmore, and I think

405
00:27:34,079 --> 00:27:38,079
his situation is more complicated just because
you kind of look at their sir.

406
00:27:38,240 --> 00:27:41,799
Plus I would call it of perimeter
players right now, Like is there a

407
00:27:41,839 --> 00:27:45,039
pathway to him kind of having a
regular role on this team as a rookie?

408
00:27:45,759 --> 00:27:48,920
Injuries injuries? I think. I
think at this point he's going to

409
00:27:48,960 --> 00:27:52,799
be playing the book of his playing
the book of his minutes in the G

410
00:27:52,960 --> 00:27:59,559
League with the Vipers, and that's
fine. Like, I don't think the

411
00:27:59,680 --> 00:28:03,119
Rocky wanted to draft the twentieth pick. I think they were they were looking

412
00:28:03,200 --> 00:28:07,680
to trade that pick. Uh,
they did not want more young players this

413
00:28:07,839 --> 00:28:11,279
year. But when Cam Whitmore falls
into your lap, you're not going to

414
00:28:11,359 --> 00:28:18,240
pass up on that opportunity. And
I think they're totally fine with him just

415
00:28:18,759 --> 00:28:25,680
developing in the background, finding opportunities
when there are opportunities, and he is

416
00:28:25,799 --> 00:28:29,440
kind of someone that is part of
like there, he is the picture.

417
00:28:29,519 --> 00:28:33,720
He is the picture of their embarrassment
of riches, right Like like if if

418
00:28:33,799 --> 00:28:38,039
if you were to describe like how
stacked the Rockets are with young talent,

419
00:28:38,519 --> 00:28:41,720
Cam Whitmore's are the first guy that
comes to mind. It's like Okay,

420
00:28:41,720 --> 00:28:44,720
they don't really need this guy.
They just have this guy, right,

421
00:28:45,000 --> 00:28:51,359
and he's probably gonna have to really
scratch and claw and probably not get real

422
00:28:51,640 --> 00:28:55,119
he's not really gonna get any playing
time until that front court rotation honestly gets

423
00:28:55,160 --> 00:28:59,880
traded a little bit. I think
jay Sean Tate is a name i'd watch

424
00:29:00,400 --> 00:29:04,960
come to trade deadline. He's also
a name I'd i'd watch come next offseason

425
00:29:07,079 --> 00:29:11,240
just because his contract is dirt cheap, it's really flexible and attractive. The

426
00:29:11,359 --> 00:29:18,200
Rockets can combine it with other contracts
to form an even crazier trade, especially

427
00:29:18,279 --> 00:29:22,400
with the with the Lawndale and the
Green contracts that they have and the KPJ

428
00:29:22,599 --> 00:29:26,559
deo like they can, they can
find their way to getting like a really

429
00:29:26,640 --> 00:29:30,680
significant player if they really wanted to, uh mid season or next offseason.

430
00:29:30,880 --> 00:29:37,920
But even if they just want to
trade Tate h flat out just you know,

431
00:29:37,039 --> 00:29:40,680
hey, let's go get another first
or let's go get two seconds or

432
00:29:40,720 --> 00:29:44,519
whatever. I think that's a name
to watch mid season. I think he

433
00:29:44,880 --> 00:29:48,799
will be pretty gettable, and I
think Houston he's also someone you might trade

434
00:29:48,799 --> 00:29:52,240
if you're the front office, just
so Udoka doesn't play him too much.

435
00:29:52,279 --> 00:29:56,880
Over the younger guys. Maybe yeah, maybe, I honestly have no problem

436
00:29:56,960 --> 00:30:00,119
with Tate playing playing on line next
year. It's like I missed Tate,

437
00:30:00,279 --> 00:30:04,039
like the Tate Tate was like a
guy that, like the Rockets could have

438
00:30:04,160 --> 00:30:08,519
used a lot last year. That
the injuries are key too to his trade

439
00:30:08,599 --> 00:30:11,880
value is like is he gonna be
healthy? Like he wasn't that healthy this

440
00:30:11,960 --> 00:30:14,480
past year, so how healthy will
he be this year? Yeah? I

441
00:30:14,519 --> 00:30:18,200
mean he's just really really good defensively. I mean, like that first year

442
00:30:18,799 --> 00:30:23,319
he was bordering on like all defense
potential, like like he was that good

443
00:30:23,400 --> 00:30:29,759
defensively. Uh. And I think
I think he was someone that surprised a

444
00:30:29,799 --> 00:30:34,200
lot of people in terms of like
how good he was not only defensively but

445
00:30:34,279 --> 00:30:38,119
as a pastor with the ball in
his hands. So I think he I

446
00:30:38,279 --> 00:30:41,920
just I just I just I want
to see him back. Man. He's

447
00:30:41,960 --> 00:30:45,880
a fun player. Uh. He
has real works in his game and we

448
00:30:45,960 --> 00:30:48,880
all know what they are. But
like he's not a starter, and that's

449
00:30:48,920 --> 00:30:53,519
fine. Like if he's if he's
your seventh man and he's you know,

450
00:30:53,720 --> 00:30:57,640
providing what he's providing, I think
you're very happy. And I think teams

451
00:30:57,680 --> 00:31:02,440
that are looking for depth pieces at
the trade deadline. We'll make We'll make

452
00:31:02,519 --> 00:31:07,720
costs. What are you watching for
the most? From jail and Greening year

453
00:31:07,880 --> 00:31:11,440
three? Who I think at this
point, I would say it's been unfairly

454
00:31:11,519 --> 00:31:17,039
pigeonholed as like this substar volume scorer
when I there flaws to his game,

455
00:31:17,119 --> 00:31:22,599
but there's more every level juice to
what he does than I think people realize.

456
00:31:23,759 --> 00:31:27,000
I'm looking to see how much he's
built out of his body A number

457
00:31:27,039 --> 00:31:32,480
one, right, Like I want
to see how much weight he's gained over

458
00:31:32,519 --> 00:31:34,720
the summer. Like I know it'll
be a running it's a running joke at

459
00:31:34,720 --> 00:31:37,720
every media day, you know,
how much weight did you gain or lose

460
00:31:38,000 --> 00:31:41,240
during the off season? But I
think I want to hear his answer,

461
00:31:41,279 --> 00:31:45,799
honestly because since his rookie year,
I thought he was too skinny. I

462
00:31:45,960 --> 00:31:49,559
just thought, like he need this
gets the guy that his body is holding

463
00:31:49,640 --> 00:31:55,119
him back from doing a lot,
not only not only defensively, but offensively,

464
00:31:55,240 --> 00:32:00,880
Like I think ball handling, Like
he there things he can't do as

465
00:32:00,880 --> 00:32:02,960
a ball handler right now because he's
too skinny. It's hard to explain until

466
00:32:04,000 --> 00:32:08,279
you watch the film, right Like, like he gets bullied on offense,

467
00:32:08,440 --> 00:32:13,319
like teams are able to just take
that ball from him because he is just

468
00:32:13,519 --> 00:32:17,079
not strong, and I think him
adding some strength is gonna do a lot.

469
00:32:17,440 --> 00:32:21,599
I think defensively, I'm gonna be
watching to see how much he improves

470
00:32:21,680 --> 00:32:24,400
under Udoka, Like those are the
two biggest areas. Obviously, I'm gonna

471
00:32:24,440 --> 00:32:29,400
be watching the playmaking. But I
think that's kind of like the playmaking is

472
00:32:29,480 --> 00:32:34,119
something that like that's a luxury conversation, like like, let's get to him

473
00:32:34,240 --> 00:32:37,599
being an efficient score first, right, because then then the playmaking opportunities are

474
00:32:37,599 --> 00:32:42,160
open up. So I think the
three things you're watching for is obviously the

475
00:32:42,240 --> 00:32:46,559
body, the defense, and can
you become more efficient scoring the basketball than

476
00:32:46,599 --> 00:32:50,599
you have been? Can you get
to fifty seven percent you shooting? Can

477
00:32:50,640 --> 00:32:53,559
you get to fifty six percenter shooting? And if you're if you're at that

478
00:32:53,680 --> 00:32:58,240
point, you're you're, you're you're
you're getting closer to what Jabari will be

479
00:32:58,359 --> 00:33:01,799
as a finished product. And after
that you can start working on the playmaker.

480
00:33:01,839 --> 00:33:06,720
After that, those playmaking windows will
open up for you. So those

481
00:33:07,079 --> 00:33:09,720
three areas of what are really what
I'm looking for. Yeah, I think

482
00:33:09,759 --> 00:33:14,039
even you mentioned the playmaking specifically,
it's just like he doesn't turn the ball

483
00:33:14,119 --> 00:33:16,279
over a ton for someone who's this
high usage him and so like he was

484
00:33:16,319 --> 00:33:20,880
at almost seven potential assists per game. If those take up a little bit

485
00:33:20,920 --> 00:33:22,680
and you get guys who are going
to hit shots off his passes more like,

486
00:33:23,119 --> 00:33:25,079
I don't know that he needs to
be much better as a passer,

487
00:33:25,559 --> 00:33:29,599
is my point. And so I'm
with you in the sense that it's a

488
00:33:29,680 --> 00:33:32,559
luxury because unless you want him to
be the driving playmaking engine of your offense.

489
00:33:32,799 --> 00:33:36,680
And I kind of think it's clear
he's best suited as like that secondary

490
00:33:37,200 --> 00:33:39,880
tertiary type passer or maybe he's doing
that with second units but not against opposing

491
00:33:39,920 --> 00:33:45,839
starting lineups. You're just he's fine
there. And so I'm just I'm so

492
00:33:45,079 --> 00:33:49,640
in on him, and I'm with
everything you said. Someone else who I'm

493
00:33:49,680 --> 00:33:51,599
so in on, and I think
I'm a little bit higher on him than

494
00:33:51,640 --> 00:33:54,559
you. What are you kind of
looking for for from Jabari Smith Junior in

495
00:33:54,680 --> 00:33:58,960
year three? And do you think
and I've heard a lot I've heard and

496
00:33:59,039 --> 00:34:01,880
read just some people think at like
the star upside isn't there for him.

497
00:34:02,319 --> 00:34:07,160
I thought he improved a great deal
offensively after the All Star break. How

498
00:34:07,240 --> 00:34:09,079
much you want to read into that
him shooting forty five plus percent from mid

499
00:34:09,199 --> 00:34:12,800
range seventy percent at the rim,
that's up to you. But like he

500
00:34:12,920 --> 00:34:15,679
took some shots that like getting to
shoot over people that were going in that

501
00:34:15,719 --> 00:34:20,280
especially if you're gonna put him at
the five more, that he's gonna be

502
00:34:20,400 --> 00:34:23,280
just such a mismatch nightmare. So
I'm a really big believer even just he

503
00:34:23,400 --> 00:34:27,079
was a better rim protector than I
thought he was gonna be overall, And

504
00:34:27,119 --> 00:34:29,440
it was almost just like, oh, he was a little bit less mobile

505
00:34:29,480 --> 00:34:31,400
or switchable however you want to frame
it on defense than I thought he was

506
00:34:31,440 --> 00:34:35,719
gonna be. And I still think
that's just gonna come along. And how

507
00:34:35,800 --> 00:34:38,239
much of that was maybe him playing
with another big or not enough defensive talent

508
00:34:38,639 --> 00:34:42,440
in front of him. Just where
are you sort of at with him?

509
00:34:42,480 --> 00:34:45,800
Though, I'll get into that.
Let me backstock a little bit to Jillen

510
00:34:45,840 --> 00:34:49,559
Green. So, like on the
playmaking, I'm with you, like,

511
00:34:49,719 --> 00:34:53,119
like, I think he's more better
suited as a secondary guy. But like,

512
00:34:53,599 --> 00:34:57,679
in order to if you're not gonna
be that primary creator, man,

513
00:34:57,719 --> 00:35:00,119
you gotta get good at defense.
You gotta get like that. That's that's

514
00:35:00,159 --> 00:35:04,559
the that's the gift and the curse
of Like, if you're not a guy

515
00:35:04,639 --> 00:35:07,480
with the ball in your hands all
the time, you have to be like

516
00:35:07,519 --> 00:35:10,960
close to a plus defender at the
minimum, right, Like, so he

517
00:35:12,119 --> 00:35:15,760
he he can't be bad, Like
there's no there's no room for him being

518
00:35:15,800 --> 00:35:17,280
bad. Right, Like, if
he has the ball in his hand,

519
00:35:17,360 --> 00:35:22,079
he's averaging eight assists per game.
Yeah, there's room for you being bad

520
00:35:22,719 --> 00:35:27,039
when you're off the ball and you're
you're you're getting your Klay Thompson on or

521
00:35:27,079 --> 00:35:30,519
whatever. Right, Like, I'm
not saying you have to be what he

522
00:35:30,840 --> 00:35:36,440
was on the defensive end, but
you have to be you can't be negative,

523
00:35:36,800 --> 00:35:39,360
right Like, you can't be someone
that the team consistently looks to hide

524
00:35:39,400 --> 00:35:43,159
every night. Right, you have
to get at some point, at some

525
00:35:43,239 --> 00:35:45,280
point, get to a point where
you're you're you're just not someone you're that

526
00:35:45,519 --> 00:35:49,840
the team is worried about, you
know, when they're planning out again a

527
00:35:49,960 --> 00:35:52,880
series, right eventually when they're in
the playoffs, Like you're not, the

528
00:35:52,960 --> 00:35:54,760
team's not thinking about, Okay,
where the hell do we hide this guy?

529
00:35:55,199 --> 00:35:58,920
Right? Like, I think I
think that that's something I want him

530
00:35:58,920 --> 00:36:02,599
to get to a point, you
know, defensively back to Jabari. So,

531
00:36:04,679 --> 00:36:08,119
I think oftentimes when I talk to
people where a big Jabari Smith believers,

532
00:36:08,159 --> 00:36:10,559
I come off as a skeptic,
and it's not. It's not that

533
00:36:10,639 --> 00:36:15,159
I'm skeptical, and I actually like
Jabari Smith. I had him third on

534
00:36:15,239 --> 00:36:19,440
my board. Haven't changed it,
right, I think what it is is

535
00:36:19,559 --> 00:36:24,039
I just think he is so so
much of Jabari Smith is theoretical, right,

536
00:36:24,159 --> 00:36:29,719
Like, so much of him,
like the best version of Jabari hasn't

537
00:36:30,239 --> 00:36:36,559
shown itself at and at either the
college level or the high school level or

538
00:36:36,679 --> 00:36:40,639
the NBA level. Like it's so
much like kind of what we saw at

539
00:36:40,679 --> 00:36:45,159
Summer League, right, Like,
he can become this guy, he can

540
00:36:45,400 --> 00:36:51,119
be x Wires or Z if he
does this, this and this, right,

541
00:36:51,440 --> 00:36:53,880
Like, that's that's my biggest that's
always my biggest hang up with Jabari.

542
00:36:53,920 --> 00:36:58,800
It's like, yeah, can he
become a shot creator in the NBA

543
00:36:58,880 --> 00:37:02,159
one day? Maybe, but he
hasn't been that at the end at the

544
00:37:02,280 --> 00:37:07,199
high school level, at the college
level, Like we're just really banking on

545
00:37:07,800 --> 00:37:12,000
a lot of outlier development, right, That's kind of what we're with Jabari,

546
00:37:12,159 --> 00:37:15,360
Like you know, that's I think
what I'm looking for with him is

547
00:37:15,920 --> 00:37:21,000
can you get to the point where
you're making threes? Honestly, can you

548
00:37:21,119 --> 00:37:23,800
get to the point where you're shooting
thirty six percent from three? Because,

549
00:37:23,880 --> 00:37:28,360
like you, you were touted as
a guy, I mean not tauted as

550
00:37:28,400 --> 00:37:30,639
a guy, like he was a
guy. He was an awesome three point

551
00:37:30,719 --> 00:37:37,519
shooter. One of the best kids
I've ever seen shoot of basketball, right,

552
00:37:37,639 --> 00:37:40,800
like like he's I thought he was
gonna be like a forty percent three

553
00:37:40,840 --> 00:37:45,199
point shooter for his career, right, that's how good he shot at the

554
00:37:45,320 --> 00:37:50,639
at the high school and college level. So the fact that he had the

555
00:37:50,760 --> 00:37:53,079
year that he had was alarming to
me a little bit. And part of

556
00:37:53,119 --> 00:37:57,559
it, I think was the three
point linees farther back than it was in

557
00:37:57,639 --> 00:38:00,199
college. Like he twenty five feet
in the NBA, a twenty two feet

558
00:38:00,320 --> 00:38:04,880
in college or twenty one feet actually, so it's like four feetback that he's

559
00:38:04,880 --> 00:38:07,159
shootings. And he likes not only
that, he likes to shoot top of

560
00:38:07,239 --> 00:38:10,880
the key threes like those are like, so like that's that's even farther back.

561
00:38:12,239 --> 00:38:14,800
So I think that had a little
bit to do with it. I

562
00:38:14,920 --> 00:38:19,320
also think like he was kind of
trying to do too much and not letting

563
00:38:19,360 --> 00:38:22,000
the game come to him. So
I think, uh, you know,

564
00:38:22,119 --> 00:38:24,119
you mentioned that stretch off the All
Star break, the game, the game

565
00:38:24,280 --> 00:38:30,679
was coming to him. He I
think he is better suited to play in

566
00:38:30,719 --> 00:38:34,000
the middle, like get hot from
mid range and then start shooting those three

567
00:38:34,039 --> 00:38:37,719
pointers. He's he's a weird player. He's a very strange player. Like

568
00:38:37,880 --> 00:38:40,119
I think, like if you watch
him at the high school level, it

569
00:38:40,280 --> 00:38:44,800
was what you thought was like,
Oh, this guy is like an awesome

570
00:38:45,119 --> 00:38:46,920
mid range jump shooter. I wonder
if he ever develops a three pointer.

571
00:38:47,599 --> 00:38:52,559
He develops a three pointer in college
and like it's like, okay, so

572
00:38:52,719 --> 00:38:58,000
he's just a three point shooter now, But then you realize more he has

573
00:38:58,039 --> 00:39:01,000
to step back even more at the
NBA level. So I think he is

574
00:39:01,039 --> 00:39:07,119
someone who gets comfortable shooting close range
and then shoots mid shoots well from three

575
00:39:07,199 --> 00:39:09,920
point range. And if that's the
case, I think i'd I'd like to

576
00:39:09,920 --> 00:39:14,280
see him dial back as attempts per
game, Like he shot like what five

577
00:39:14,400 --> 00:39:16,800
or six at three pointers per game
last year. That's a lot, Like

578
00:39:16,880 --> 00:39:21,960
it's a lot for any player in
the NBA much less a rookie, maybe

579
00:39:22,039 --> 00:39:24,599
dial that back back to like three
or four. I think I think that'd

580
00:39:24,639 --> 00:39:30,079
be ideal, and maybe make more
of those catch and shoot threes from the

581
00:39:30,159 --> 00:39:35,840
corners as opposed to pull up threes. As a trailer trailing big, he

582
00:39:35,920 --> 00:39:38,159
went through weird stretches too, where
he was like money from the right corner

583
00:39:38,199 --> 00:39:42,400
and couldn't hit a left corner three
and then would flip flop like completely.

584
00:39:42,440 --> 00:39:45,199
It was. It was the most
bizarre thing. Yeah, it was.

585
00:39:45,320 --> 00:39:50,280
It was strange, like like he
really loves shooting those trailer bigs, those

586
00:39:50,360 --> 00:39:53,239
trailer threes. Man like that that
was something he thrived off of a callege.

587
00:39:53,280 --> 00:39:58,960
So I get what he likes to
go there, but man like in

588
00:39:59,039 --> 00:40:01,800
the NBA, like I really do
think he's gonna be in those corners more

589
00:40:01,880 --> 00:40:06,480
than he thinks. And I think
I think that's that that's gonna benefit him,

590
00:40:06,519 --> 00:40:09,679
honestly, Like it's it's closer,
it's it's also an easier shot,

591
00:40:09,719 --> 00:40:13,800
You're more often, you're more likely
to be open from there, And I

592
00:40:13,920 --> 00:40:17,000
think I think it would benefit him
to kind of ease it back, uh,

593
00:40:17,360 --> 00:40:22,800
play a lot simpler, like simplify
that offensive game defensively, I'd like

594
00:40:22,880 --> 00:40:25,639
to see more of him at the
five, as we kind of touched upon,

595
00:40:25,760 --> 00:40:29,400
like I think we get there,
by the way, Like do you

596
00:40:29,480 --> 00:40:31,079
think that because you kind of we
kind of already talked about it a little

597
00:40:31,079 --> 00:40:36,239
bit, but like you think they
are gonna look at applying him more at

598
00:40:36,280 --> 00:40:38,639
the five this year, even though
they have Shang Goon Green is a small

599
00:40:38,719 --> 00:40:44,280
ball five Jacque Landale, I really
do, I really do. I do

600
00:40:44,400 --> 00:40:47,880
think he's going to be their backup
center because I think it. Listen,

601
00:40:50,119 --> 00:40:53,840
if the Rockets don't believe in I'll
pring shangun and look like I'm just saying

602
00:40:54,079 --> 00:40:57,239
this is just a side. Right. If they don't believe in him,

603
00:40:57,679 --> 00:41:00,239
they have to get a look at
this guy at center, right, because

604
00:41:00,239 --> 00:41:02,320
I don't I honestly don't know what
an other center option they have long term

605
00:41:04,320 --> 00:41:06,639
roster. Yeah, that's it,
and I yeah like it to be fair,

606
00:41:06,719 --> 00:41:08,199
like having you think good and Jabari
Smith juniors like those are good big

607
00:41:08,280 --> 00:41:12,320
man options to have, but if
you don't view one of them as your

608
00:41:12,360 --> 00:41:14,880
center of the future, like okay, well then you're out of options after

609
00:41:14,960 --> 00:41:16,840
that, right, Like, so, so get a look at Jabari right,

610
00:41:16,920 --> 00:41:20,840
Like, get a look at this
guy at center and get a look

611
00:41:20,880 --> 00:41:23,559
at Tari playing next alongside him,
Like, I think, I think that's

612
00:41:23,559 --> 00:41:29,159
a that's a nice that's a really
it's a really nice front court defensive option

613
00:41:29,320 --> 00:41:32,119
for you. And i'd like to
I think he's a better rim protector than

614
00:41:32,119 --> 00:41:35,440
people give him credit for. I
think he's a better help side defender that

615
00:41:35,480 --> 00:41:38,800
people give him credit for. Uh. I just think he has not had

616
00:41:38,880 --> 00:41:43,320
to do that because he played next
to Walker Castler at Auburn. Uh.

617
00:41:43,519 --> 00:41:46,559
And I think that's probably why Houston
wanted to go get Brook Lopez, because

618
00:41:46,559 --> 00:41:50,599
they wanted to see if like he
can go be like the Walker Castler for

619
00:41:50,679 --> 00:41:54,079
them. Yeah, yeah, next
to Jabari. And now now he kind

620
00:41:54,079 --> 00:41:57,599
of asked to fend for himself.
And I'm happy actually that he that he

621
00:41:57,639 --> 00:42:00,280
asked to fend for himself with like
it. I think can actually is better

622
00:42:00,360 --> 00:42:04,239
for his development if he has to, if the team has to lean on

623
00:42:04,320 --> 00:42:08,760
him more defensively. Like I see
more of Jaren Jackson Junior from him than

624
00:42:09,800 --> 00:42:14,039
like Draymond Green, right, Like
I think like, like I don't see

625
00:42:14,480 --> 00:42:17,760
that, yeah, Like I think
he is more of a four five than

626
00:42:17,840 --> 00:42:21,199
a three, four defensive. Like, I don't think he's gonna be this

627
00:42:21,599 --> 00:42:24,280
jack of all trades, like he's
gonna defend two through five. I don't.

628
00:42:24,519 --> 00:42:28,440
I don't see that from him.
I think he's gonna probably be more

629
00:42:28,519 --> 00:42:31,480
of a you know, he's gonna
defend fours and fives and he can switch

630
00:42:31,480 --> 00:42:35,239
on the threes pretty well. Like, I think that's probably gonna be what

631
00:42:35,280 --> 00:42:37,719
he is, and that's I think
he's gonna be pretty damn good, Like

632
00:42:37,960 --> 00:42:40,800
as a help side defender. I
think he's gonna be pretty damn good as

633
00:42:40,800 --> 00:42:44,440
a shop locker and a guy who
gets his hands on a lot of balls

634
00:42:44,719 --> 00:42:46,880
in transition. So I think he's
gonna be a pretty good defender. It's

635
00:42:46,880 --> 00:42:50,400
not a bad thing, but it's
not. I just it's just not Draymond

636
00:42:50,440 --> 00:42:52,880
Green. That's what that is.
You know. I think if you're ever

637
00:42:52,960 --> 00:42:57,000
projecting him to be that kind of
a defender, I think that was probably

638
00:42:57,280 --> 00:43:01,679
this placed. So Shane goun,
I know you're super high on him,

639
00:43:02,280 --> 00:43:05,880
and you can get into why.
I'm sure anyone who listens to you knows.

640
00:43:06,400 --> 00:43:10,079
Why do you sense that there's still
a lack of a plan or lack

641
00:43:10,159 --> 00:43:15,199
of faith in him? Based off
how this roster was still constructed over the

642
00:43:15,280 --> 00:43:20,199
offseason and who, given who they
also chased in brook Lopez, I am

643
00:43:20,280 --> 00:43:23,119
skeptical. Like I am skeptical because, like as you said, they went,

644
00:43:23,199 --> 00:43:27,519
they still went after brook Lopez,
right, Like, if they if

645
00:43:27,559 --> 00:43:30,840
they believed in this dude, they
wouldn't have done that. They wouldn't have

646
00:43:30,920 --> 00:43:34,960
gone to the length they did to
try and get brook Lopez right. They

647
00:43:35,000 --> 00:43:39,440
wouldn't have trade away three young players
in five second rounders just to make the

648
00:43:39,519 --> 00:43:45,480
money work, right, Like,
I think this was something that they very

649
00:43:45,559 --> 00:43:52,000
intentionally wanted to go and get right. I don't think that faith is there.

650
00:43:52,480 --> 00:43:55,719
I think it's it's I thought it
was it was a Silas thing.

651
00:43:55,800 --> 00:44:02,280
It seems to be an organizational thing. And so I think he's talented enough

652
00:44:02,360 --> 00:44:07,760
to still, you know, be
an All Star in the NBA one day.

653
00:44:07,199 --> 00:44:10,159
I just I'm skeptical if that's going
to happen on the Rockets, I

654
00:44:10,280 --> 00:44:14,960
really am. I think that's probably
more likely to happen on some other team

655
00:44:14,960 --> 00:44:17,599
because the Rockets are gonna fumble the
ball here. What do you think it

656
00:44:17,719 --> 00:44:23,159
is about him specifically that has contributed
to this lack of conviction in him being

657
00:44:23,199 --> 00:44:27,519
a almost a core piece, Like
I just don't know if they consider him

658
00:44:27,519 --> 00:44:29,880
a core piece of this team?
Is what is it? Is it?

659
00:44:30,039 --> 00:44:34,039
The defense is that they just don't
see an offense when you have Jalen Green

660
00:44:34,519 --> 00:44:37,079
and you have Jabari Smith and now
you have Ama and Thompson, like you

661
00:44:37,199 --> 00:44:39,599
just don't see a vision where the
offense should run through this this big man

662
00:44:39,960 --> 00:44:45,159
that you have. I think there
was an image that everyone had of Jabbari

663
00:44:45,639 --> 00:44:51,000
Jabari of Shangoon and Jalen Green and
all these guys, and again they came

664
00:44:51,000 --> 00:44:52,920
in the league, and oftentimes it's
hard to break that vision, right,

665
00:44:52,960 --> 00:44:55,760
Like when you draft a guy,
it is hard to break the vision of

666
00:44:55,840 --> 00:45:02,119
what you see them as. And
I think Goon very clearly broke the vision

667
00:45:02,679 --> 00:45:07,400
his rookie year. He was much
better than they anticipated. I can say

668
00:45:07,440 --> 00:45:10,840
that with great confidence. Like I
thought he was a guy who was destined

669
00:45:10,880 --> 00:45:15,840
for the G League that rookie year. He made his way to the starting

670
00:45:15,119 --> 00:45:20,199
lineup by his second year, by
a second season, and that's because he

671
00:45:20,400 --> 00:45:24,840
was that good. So I think
he just he just kept surprising them and

672
00:45:24,960 --> 00:45:29,440
they never lifted the bar for him. Right, They're like, Okay,

673
00:45:29,480 --> 00:45:31,480
this is your new bar. Okay, this is your new bar. They

674
00:45:31,679 --> 00:45:35,159
were never like okay, can this
be your new bar? They're just like

675
00:45:35,280 --> 00:45:37,920
okay. I guess it's like there's
like a reluctance there to give him the

676
00:45:38,039 --> 00:45:43,039
next thing, right. It's like, I don't. I think it stems

677
00:45:43,079 --> 00:45:45,519
from the defense, right. I
think it stems from like a lack of

678
00:45:45,559 --> 00:45:47,719
faith in the defense. I don't. I think he's actually not as bad

679
00:45:47,800 --> 00:45:52,360
as they seem to believe he is. He's not great, but he's not

680
00:45:52,320 --> 00:45:58,360
as He's not bad enough to not
explore this right, to not give this

681
00:45:58,480 --> 00:46:01,039
a chance with second unit, let
him run freaking second units. Man.

682
00:46:01,559 --> 00:46:07,400
Like, It's like I can't believe
they they last year they would take Jalen

683
00:46:07,519 --> 00:46:13,679
Green and upper In Shingoon off the
floor at the same time and have like

684
00:46:13,840 --> 00:46:16,599
nobody there running the offense. It's
like the guys is a golden opportunity to

685
00:46:16,639 --> 00:46:21,719
get a look at him running a
unit by himself, right, and so

686
00:46:22,119 --> 00:46:28,679
like they did stuff like that,
and I don't know, maybe Udoka sees

687
00:46:28,760 --> 00:46:35,400
it differently. I'm skeptical because of
what he seems to prioritize and what he

688
00:46:36,480 --> 00:46:39,800
was chasing in the offseason, and
I know that he was a he was

689
00:46:39,920 --> 00:46:45,000
the driving force behind their brook Loves. I can say that with pretty good

690
00:46:45,039 --> 00:46:52,760
confidence, right Like, So I
think I think it's just the It stems

691
00:46:52,880 --> 00:46:57,119
from, like what they've viewed from
him and how that hasn't changed. What

692
00:46:57,199 --> 00:46:59,440
they've viewed him, what they've viewed
him as as a draft pick, and

693
00:46:59,519 --> 00:47:04,440
how that has changed. And I
was hoping, you know, he'd be

694
00:47:04,519 --> 00:47:07,519
able to out talent his way there. It hasn't happened yet, So I'm

695
00:47:07,519 --> 00:47:12,840
skeptical what's gonna happen. We'll see, Like you know, he just posted

696
00:47:12,880 --> 00:47:19,960
a thirty piece today, right like, he he's ridiculous today. And I

697
00:47:20,360 --> 00:47:24,800
wonder if like Udoka's watching this at
all, or if anyone in that coaching

698
00:47:24,880 --> 00:47:30,079
staff is like sending him clips or
anything. Like. I just I just

699
00:47:30,199 --> 00:47:35,079
want them to, like at least
like be aware that he has this in

700
00:47:35,239 --> 00:47:37,960
him, that he has this ridiculous
ceiling in him if you just give him

701
00:47:38,000 --> 00:47:42,840
the keys. I just don't think
they're they want to give him the keys

702
00:47:42,880 --> 00:47:45,639
for one reason or another. Maybe
they just view Jalen as more of that

703
00:47:45,760 --> 00:47:49,800
guy, or maybe they view Jabari
as more that guy and they never have

704
00:47:50,000 --> 00:47:52,239
ever viewed alpern chengu It as one
of that as one of those guys,

705
00:47:52,679 --> 00:48:00,079
and they never adjusted, they never
course corrected, and so I, I

706
00:48:00,119 --> 00:48:04,760
don't know, we'll see. This
is a very frustrating conversation for me.

707
00:48:05,079 --> 00:48:07,360
I just try to get off of
it every time. I just like,

708
00:48:07,519 --> 00:48:12,840
let's just move on, because it's
until it happens. We're wasting our time,

709
00:48:13,280 --> 00:48:16,880
you know, I'm wasting my time
talking about it. And I feel

710
00:48:16,960 --> 00:48:22,440
like the listeners are tired and be
talking about it. Maybe ours aren't.

711
00:48:22,480 --> 00:48:24,199
They don't have you on too often, so there's a chance that they're like,

712
00:48:24,239 --> 00:48:27,000
all right, we need to hear
more of this. But I am

713
00:48:27,079 --> 00:48:30,199
fascinated just to see kind of what
happens here. And it almost feels like

714
00:48:30,239 --> 00:48:36,679
he needs to give them reasons not
to take him off the floor ever,

715
00:48:37,400 --> 00:48:39,519
basically, like if he's just not
perfect, like if they're gonna get mad

716
00:48:39,559 --> 00:48:45,320
because he tries one of his trademark
super risky passes and you know they're gonna

717
00:48:45,320 --> 00:48:49,480
pull him because of turnovers, or
if he just misses on defense and they're

718
00:48:49,480 --> 00:48:52,800
trying to use him and drop or
he's just not really switching as well,

719
00:48:52,800 --> 00:48:54,079
and they're just gonna have that quick
hook with him. He almost needs to

720
00:48:54,119 --> 00:48:59,239
be not perfect, but it feels
like he's gonna start need to like be

721
00:48:59,440 --> 00:49:04,119
close to idealistic just so they can
view him as you view him. And

722
00:49:04,119 --> 00:49:07,400
I think a lot of NBA people
watch them understand like this guy's really really

723
00:49:07,639 --> 00:49:13,199
really really really really good on offense, Like really like Borderline has the potential,

724
00:49:13,199 --> 00:49:15,880
I would say, to be transcendent
on offense. Yeah, yeah,

725
00:49:16,039 --> 00:49:22,519
I mean I'm tired of talking about
I really do think for me, if

726
00:49:22,559 --> 00:49:25,800
it's not obvious to you, it's
never gonna be obvious, right, Like

727
00:49:27,360 --> 00:49:30,880
it's never gonna change. Right,
Like if you don't watch him in NBA

728
00:49:31,039 --> 00:49:36,400
games and see what I see,
we're watching something else, or like we're

729
00:49:36,440 --> 00:49:38,559
watching the game through a different filter, right, And I can't change that

730
00:49:38,679 --> 00:49:42,320
for you, Right, It's not
it's not it's not a it's not a

731
00:49:42,440 --> 00:49:44,920
bad It may not be necessarily be
a bad thing, right It just maybe

732
00:49:45,280 --> 00:49:50,039
we're watching the game from two different
angles, and I can't change that angle

733
00:49:50,159 --> 00:49:52,360
for you. You just have to
see it yourself, you know. And

734
00:49:52,960 --> 00:49:59,440
I think again, like for me, it was obvious after that first year.

735
00:50:00,039 --> 00:50:04,760
Oh shit, they might have something
like I mean, like I thought

736
00:50:04,800 --> 00:50:07,599
he was in the BSL. It
seemed like, oh, this is very

737
00:50:07,760 --> 00:50:10,960
very intriguing. I thought this is
a starting center. And after that first

738
00:50:12,039 --> 00:50:15,239
year, it's like, oh,
he's probably more than a starting center,

739
00:50:15,760 --> 00:50:20,239
somebody someone you should keep an eye
on. And it never got there for

740
00:50:20,320 --> 00:50:23,960
that. So we'll see what happens
next year. But until something happens,

741
00:50:24,039 --> 00:50:28,960
I just think he's kind of a
placeholder starting center for them next year.

742
00:50:29,280 --> 00:50:34,960
And you know, you know,
see like I don't know that I shouldn't

743
00:50:34,960 --> 00:50:37,800
say you know because you don't know, and neither do I. Well,

744
00:50:37,199 --> 00:50:42,360
we're just gonna have to see next
year. Another player whose future seems fuzzy

745
00:50:42,440 --> 00:50:44,679
with this team just based off the
person that they already have. Kevin Porter

746
00:50:44,800 --> 00:50:47,000
Junior is really good, one of
the most efficient spot up shooters in the

747
00:50:47,039 --> 00:50:51,400
league. He's turned himself into what
is the future with him for this team

748
00:50:51,480 --> 00:50:54,000
or even his immediate role on this
team. Do you think that he could

749
00:50:54,039 --> 00:50:59,840
potentially get lost within the shuffle here? No, I think he's gonna have

750
00:51:00,039 --> 00:51:04,880
of like another kind of step up
year. I think he's gonna get even

751
00:51:04,960 --> 00:51:08,159
better next year because if you look
at so I went back and I analyzed

752
00:51:08,679 --> 00:51:14,239
because I have to way too much
time on this flight, and like I

753
00:51:14,440 --> 00:51:16,760
just was boared out of my mind. Like when do players make that jump

754
00:51:17,000 --> 00:51:22,800
right to like all Star caliber?
Right. I'm not saying kp is gonna

755
00:51:22,800 --> 00:51:24,000
make that all that like an all
start leap or whatever, but like when

756
00:51:24,039 --> 00:51:27,920
do players make that jump into like
what they're gonna be and for the rest

757
00:51:27,920 --> 00:51:30,199
of their care years, right,
And it seems to be like the production

758
00:51:30,800 --> 00:51:35,639
seems to happen, that production leap
seems to happen that fourth year. So

759
00:51:35,880 --> 00:51:37,559
it's not it's not the third year, right, which is like what we

760
00:51:37,960 --> 00:51:39,880
traditionally assume. It's like, oh, it's the third year. No,

761
00:51:40,000 --> 00:51:44,840
it's actually like the fourth year and
the fifth year they get recognized for it.

762
00:51:45,039 --> 00:51:47,360
So like the fifth year they make
like like if you if you,

763
00:51:47,440 --> 00:51:51,840
if you look at all the like
the past like ten years of draft classes.

764
00:51:52,360 --> 00:51:54,760
By that fifth year most of the
time is like when these guys make

765
00:51:54,840 --> 00:52:00,239
their first All Star game, right, But that production jump, like where

766
00:52:00,239 --> 00:52:02,760
they're playing at an all Star caliber
level, happens in the fourth year.

767
00:52:04,119 --> 00:52:08,960
So KPJ is entering his fourth year, So that production jump and that efficiency

768
00:52:09,079 --> 00:52:15,559
jump is theoretically gonna happen now,
and it's it's unfortunate for him that he's

769
00:52:15,559 --> 00:52:16,960
gonna be coming off the bench as
it happens. But I actually think this

770
00:52:17,079 --> 00:52:21,480
is his ideal NBA role. So
I think I think this is a good

771
00:52:21,599 --> 00:52:24,079
year. I think he's due for
a good year. Like I think again,

772
00:52:24,159 --> 00:52:29,440
like this is what I've always viewed
him as, and I think like

773
00:52:29,639 --> 00:52:31,039
people view that as an and so
I don't. I think. I think

774
00:52:31,159 --> 00:52:35,800
I think that's like if you're a
sixth man. Yeah, it's it's if

775
00:52:35,800 --> 00:52:37,800
you're a sixth man. If if
you're the third guard in the NBA,

776
00:52:38,360 --> 00:52:44,599
dude, you're beating like four hundred
players, like like it's such as such

777
00:52:44,639 --> 00:52:47,719
a hard thing to do. And
so I think I think he's due for

778
00:52:47,840 --> 00:52:52,079
a big year. I think I'm
really really excited to see him in this

779
00:52:52,199 --> 00:52:57,360
role. I think he's probably like
like I think Rockets fans of cooling on

780
00:52:57,480 --> 00:53:01,079
him. Uh, Like originally they
were way too hot on him, like

781
00:53:01,119 --> 00:53:05,079
they were comparing him to like James
Harden and stuff, and it's like,

782
00:53:05,159 --> 00:53:10,559
guys, that's way way too ambitious. And now it's like they're almost too

783
00:53:10,639 --> 00:53:15,920
low on him, right, It's
like like they completely turned on him.

784
00:53:15,960 --> 00:53:19,159
It's like this guy's a scrub.
He's not a starting point guard, so

785
00:53:19,239 --> 00:53:22,559
he's just not good. It's like, no, he's very much a good

786
00:53:22,639 --> 00:53:25,400
player. And I think right now
he's gonna have the opportunity to show like,

787
00:53:25,679 --> 00:53:29,000
this is my best role, this
is what I'm gonna be best at

788
00:53:29,039 --> 00:53:31,039
in the NBA, And I think
I think he's gonna thrive and he's gonna

789
00:53:31,079 --> 00:53:35,159
be a really big good year next
year. I would yeah, I think

790
00:53:35,199 --> 00:53:37,039
I'm with you. His contract though, is just like eminently tradeable, and

791
00:53:37,079 --> 00:53:39,920
so that's why he would just also
be someone that I monitor if they're looking

792
00:53:39,960 --> 00:53:45,519
to do something on the wings or
in the front court. The other player,

793
00:53:45,360 --> 00:53:51,039
Tar Eason, resident chaos creator,
wild when it comes to deflection,

794
00:53:51,119 --> 00:53:53,559
is just a great defender, showed
some flashes on offense. Just feels to

795
00:53:53,599 --> 00:53:55,519
kind of be all over the place
there. What are you kind of looking

796
00:53:55,599 --> 00:54:00,239
for him? And you're looking from
him in year two? And I would

797
00:54:00,280 --> 00:54:04,400
argue, like he I think with
the makeup of this team, just like

798
00:54:04,480 --> 00:54:07,400
looking at how young their primary bigs
are in Jabari and Shangun, and maybe

799
00:54:07,440 --> 00:54:10,039
some of the stuff they want to
do, I know you have Ahma Thompson,

800
00:54:10,039 --> 00:54:13,599
now you have Dylan Brooks. I
think he's actually become even more important

801
00:54:13,760 --> 00:54:17,760
to them. Yeah, he might
get squeezed like like like it's because you

802
00:54:17,840 --> 00:54:22,159
look at the front court. You
have Jabari, you have Schangon, you

803
00:54:22,320 --> 00:54:29,039
have Dylan Brooks, you have Jayson
Tate. That's five guys already, right,

804
00:54:29,679 --> 00:54:32,360
So he's gonna be like your six
front court rotation player, right,

805
00:54:34,360 --> 00:54:38,239
it's gonna be I think I think
Take gets squeezed before Tar Eason does.

806
00:54:38,920 --> 00:54:44,800
He might that might be like justifiable. I don't know if it always works

807
00:54:44,880 --> 00:54:49,519
out that way, right, because
because he's like Jayshon Tate's like four years

808
00:54:49,559 --> 00:54:53,159
older than him, right, and
he's better defensively right now, I haven't

809
00:54:53,199 --> 00:54:57,880
seen both of them play at the
same time in a while, so like

810
00:54:58,039 --> 00:55:00,280
we'll see if that's still the case. But like, I just have a

811
00:55:00,360 --> 00:55:06,400
feeling that Udoka is gonna favor the
veteran and play the veteran a lot more.

812
00:55:07,199 --> 00:55:09,199
Uh So I'm not saying he's gonna
get squeezed out of the lineup.

813
00:55:09,239 --> 00:55:12,559
I just don't think he's gonna play
like twenty five minutes per game. I

814
00:55:12,639 --> 00:55:17,079
think he's gonna play more like fifteen
to twenty just because of how packed that

815
00:55:17,320 --> 00:55:22,079
rotation is. It's gonna be tough
to find a lot of guys minutes.

816
00:55:22,119 --> 00:55:23,840
Again, like I just said,
I think Cam More gonna be the D

817
00:55:23,920 --> 00:55:29,360
League. I think if it wasn't
Cam, it'd be Tari right, Like,

818
00:55:29,800 --> 00:55:32,960
it's it's it's that, it's that
tight. It's that tight, and

819
00:55:34,079 --> 00:55:38,719
someone has to play, has to
not play like for everybody to get equitable

820
00:55:38,719 --> 00:55:44,559
playing time. Yeah, I'm this
rotation and I think where is this?

821
00:55:44,679 --> 00:55:45,440
Yeah, this is the next thing
I have. It's the look, it's

822
00:55:45,440 --> 00:55:49,800
the cookie cutter portion of the podcast, but it's also I think for this

823
00:55:49,880 --> 00:55:52,719
team specifically, a fascinating question.
And so, how do you see this

824
00:55:52,920 --> 00:55:57,400
ten man rotation shaking out? I
think it's probably best to maybe unpack it

825
00:55:57,480 --> 00:56:00,679
from the starting five and so I
have penciled in Fred van Vleet, Jalen

826
00:56:00,760 --> 00:56:06,760
Green, Dylan Brooks and Jabar Smith
Junior and Alfred and Shane Goon. Is

827
00:56:06,800 --> 00:56:09,119
that who you would expect to be
the starters here as well? Yeah?

828
00:56:09,239 --> 00:56:15,039
And if and I have it that
way right now, Udokas has said that

829
00:56:15,199 --> 00:56:19,960
he's gonna have an open mind with
every starting spot. Again, I'm always

830
00:56:19,960 --> 00:56:22,519
skeptical with when coaches make those kinds
of statements, but he said it,

831
00:56:23,039 --> 00:56:28,320
So if that's really gonna be the
case, is there is there a possibility

832
00:56:28,360 --> 00:56:32,480
that Tar Easton has a better training
camp than Jabari Smith? Because if if

833
00:56:32,559 --> 00:56:37,320
that's the case, then he may
not get squeezed right like he may have

834
00:56:37,599 --> 00:56:40,880
like the opposite of getting squeezed.
But you know, yeah, I would

835
00:56:40,920 --> 00:56:45,079
say I would say more likely you
are correct, that's the starting five.

836
00:56:45,840 --> 00:56:49,760
I think there are at least three
locks in the reserves department then, which

837
00:56:49,800 --> 00:56:52,880
would be Amen Thompson, Tari Eason, and Kevin Porter Jr. Would you

838
00:56:52,920 --> 00:56:55,679
also agree with that, it's like
we're at eight with all those players.

839
00:56:57,400 --> 00:57:00,480
Yeah, I would add Tate as
a fourth lock, so that's nine,

840
00:57:00,559 --> 00:57:05,239
and then it's like it's the ten
spot. Jeff Green, Jack Landale,

841
00:57:05,800 --> 00:57:07,599
like where where we cam whitmore?
We already says gonna spend a lot of

842
00:57:07,639 --> 00:57:10,079
time in the G League, So
maybe it's easy to sort of write off

843
00:57:10,199 --> 00:57:14,599
him. Uh, I'm sure will
change, But like if you had to

844
00:57:14,639 --> 00:57:16,239
pick, like who's gonna wind up
having the it does feel like at this

845
00:57:16,360 --> 00:57:21,440
point, based off everyone we've named, unless you're really hot on Aaron Holiday.

846
00:57:21,679 --> 00:57:22,320
For some reason, it's kind of
like, well, who plays the

847
00:57:22,360 --> 00:57:27,519
bigger role, Jack Landale or Jeff
Green on this team. I would probably

848
00:57:27,559 --> 00:57:30,280
say Jeff, uh, just because
he's you know, I think I think

849
00:57:30,280 --> 00:57:35,280
he's gonna fit. He's familiar with
him. And I think, you know,

850
00:57:35,519 --> 00:57:37,800
Jeff was the backup center on the
title team last year, right,

851
00:57:37,880 --> 00:57:42,199
like, I think I think he
has some real sway there. Uh.

852
00:57:42,360 --> 00:57:47,840
And I think Londale is gonna be
a guy who I'm not gonna say we'll

853
00:57:47,880 --> 00:57:52,199
get squeezed, because he's he's always
been squeezed, right, He's always he

854
00:57:52,320 --> 00:57:57,519
was already squeezed Greig. That's why
he's in Houston. But I think I

855
00:57:57,599 --> 00:58:01,039
think that's that's someone uh, that
it's gonna have to scratch and glaw first

856
00:58:01,039 --> 00:58:04,920
playing time. Because again, I
really do think Jabbar he's gonna be playing

857
00:58:04,920 --> 00:58:07,239
back up five. And I thinks
smart by the way, I want to

858
00:58:07,280 --> 00:58:10,400
see Shane Goun. You're higher on
Shangoon than I am, but that's not

859
00:58:10,519 --> 00:58:14,320
I'm not. I don't think Shangoon
sucks. I want to see them use

860
00:58:14,400 --> 00:58:17,000
both of them properly. I don't
view and by that like I don't.

861
00:58:17,039 --> 00:58:20,800
You don't need to get Jeff Green
and Landale minutes. It's just working.

862
00:58:21,119 --> 00:58:22,920
Like those guys are there and if
you need them, okay, shore,

863
00:58:22,920 --> 00:58:27,719
but like you don't have to give
them minutes, no exactly, they can

864
00:58:27,840 --> 00:58:30,960
just be inured injured reserves, right
like ands with emergency guys. Yeah,

865
00:58:31,239 --> 00:58:36,960
right, And same thing with Cam
Unfortunately. I want I would like to

866
00:58:37,000 --> 00:58:38,599
see Cam get minutes because I think
he's that talented, But I just don't

867
00:58:38,599 --> 00:58:43,559
think there's gonna be any pathway as
long as everybody's healthy. But yeah,

868
00:58:43,639 --> 00:58:46,880
I think I think, like have
the rotation be short and just have the

869
00:58:46,960 --> 00:58:52,400
minutes be more meaningful. I think
it's actually more conducive to actually like better

870
00:58:52,320 --> 00:58:57,159
seasons. Like like, I don't
think the teams with like ten to twelve

871
00:58:57,239 --> 00:59:00,320
guys playing every night are actually like
the teams that win, uh like that

872
00:59:00,480 --> 00:59:05,599
that seldom works. I think it's
more likely the teams that are like playing

873
00:59:05,639 --> 00:59:08,960
eight man rotations, you know,
maybe nine man rotations that are like the

874
00:59:09,039 --> 00:59:13,320
good teams, right, like,
those are the teams that actually like know

875
00:59:13,480 --> 00:59:16,519
what they know who they are and
know how to get by every night.

876
00:59:16,960 --> 00:59:21,920
And if you're playing twelve guys that
they just sounds to me like you're a

877
00:59:21,960 --> 00:59:24,079
confused team. You don't know who's
good on your team, and so I

878
00:59:24,199 --> 00:59:29,079
think I think it's better to just
like narrow down, have people be angry

879
00:59:29,119 --> 00:59:30,599
with you. It's fine, Like
it's okay to have be angry with you

880
00:59:30,920 --> 00:59:35,159
if you if you're actually running like
a good locker room, there's always going

881
00:59:35,239 --> 00:59:37,920
to be a small portion of the
locker room that's like angry with you.

882
00:59:37,360 --> 00:59:42,280
But that's fine as long as it's
not the majority. I will say in

883
00:59:42,360 --> 00:59:45,519
Houston's case, I think when you're
still trying to find out so much information

884
00:59:45,559 --> 00:59:49,320
about not just your overarching direction,
but so many players on your team,

885
00:59:49,360 --> 00:59:52,880
I do think it's probably okay in
their case to expand the rotation if they

886
00:59:52,960 --> 00:59:55,880
if it's a matter of like we
really want Kem whitmore to get minutes,

887
00:59:55,960 --> 01:00:00,679
then like at the NBA level,
then by all means just like and the

888
01:00:00,840 --> 01:00:04,920
guard rotation. It's just like if
you're playing yeah, you know Jack Landale,

889
01:00:04,960 --> 01:00:06,880
Jeff Green Goads, you don't figure
in long term, I guess I

890
01:00:06,960 --> 01:00:08,519
see your point. They're like,
let's shrink it. It does feel like

891
01:00:08,719 --> 01:00:12,719
we don't need more data on those
guys right like there, and I feel

892
01:00:12,760 --> 01:00:15,400
like, I think Jock land is
a little bit more interesting that you're giving

893
01:00:15,440 --> 01:00:17,840
them credit for, but not at
the expense of time at the five,

894
01:00:17,960 --> 01:00:21,719
I'm actually of the mind just like
I only view them as eight lots.

895
01:00:21,760 --> 01:00:23,039
You know better than I do,
so I'm just gonna default. I just

896
01:00:23,119 --> 01:00:25,960
feel like Jay Shawn Tate is like
kind of a guy that could just be

897
01:00:27,079 --> 01:00:29,960
shafted out a little bit. And
maybe I'm just wrong. It feels like

898
01:00:30,000 --> 01:00:32,320
there's eight lots, But I think
I'm with your or you you said Landale

899
01:00:32,320 --> 01:00:35,719
probably winds up playing more than Jeff
Green, right is what you went with?

900
01:00:36,320 --> 01:00:37,960
No, I think Jeff Green plays
you think does okay? Yeah?

901
01:00:38,679 --> 01:00:43,400
What do you think this team has
undergone so much change? What do you

902
01:00:43,440 --> 01:00:45,920
think their biggest weakness is? Right? Like, what's your biggest concern about

903
01:00:45,000 --> 01:00:49,719
them? My biggest concern about them
has always been the same. Right,

904
01:00:49,719 --> 01:00:54,119
It's just three point shooting, right
like, like until Jabari becomes like,

905
01:00:55,039 --> 01:00:59,840
you know, like a legitimate like
threat from from three point range, which

906
01:01:00,000 --> 01:01:04,400
he wasn't last year, right Like, they don't have like a a plus

907
01:01:04,480 --> 01:01:07,440
three point shooter on the team yet, right Like, I think van vleets

908
01:01:07,480 --> 01:01:10,679
that the only one, right,
Like I think he's like thirty six,

909
01:01:12,599 --> 01:01:15,559
is that what he is? I
think Jalen Green is just there, Like

910
01:01:15,079 --> 01:01:19,599
I just I'm with you, Like
I kind of mentally think he'll get there,

911
01:01:19,760 --> 01:01:23,119
Like I think he's a fine three
point shooter, but he's too he's

912
01:01:23,159 --> 01:01:29,000
already abj sure fair enough, but
he's not starting right like this is yeah,

913
01:01:29,440 --> 01:01:31,519
yeah, yeah, And like I
think I think that's probably gonna be

914
01:01:31,519 --> 01:01:37,079
their biggest week. Like you have
a starting lineup that that includes three non

915
01:01:37,159 --> 01:01:44,039
shooters like you know, Shangoon Uh, Dylan Brooks and four right now,

916
01:01:45,079 --> 01:01:50,360
Jabari Smith. It's not an ideal, right, Like at least one of

917
01:01:50,400 --> 01:01:54,039
those guys has to become a threat. Obviously the obvious guy there is is

918
01:01:54,480 --> 01:02:00,159
Jabari Smith. So I that's that's
the biggest that's probably the biggest week is

919
01:02:00,639 --> 01:02:04,559
the other big weaknesses is the what
we've kind of talked about on my podcasts,

920
01:02:04,599 --> 01:02:07,039
like I don't know who the guy
is, right until until I know

921
01:02:07,159 --> 01:02:12,400
who the guy is. This is
because team is just a giant question mark

922
01:02:12,519 --> 01:02:15,559
until we all know who's going to
be the driving force of their offense,

923
01:02:15,800 --> 01:02:21,239
of their franchise. Long term.
You can't just have, Oh, this

924
01:02:21,360 --> 01:02:22,559
guy is going to be your best
player tonight, and this guy will be

925
01:02:22,599 --> 01:02:25,119
your best player tomorrow night. You
know, like, you gotta have the

926
01:02:25,199 --> 01:02:30,480
guy be the guy and and and
the team will form around him and the

927
01:02:30,599 --> 01:02:35,000
offense will be much more structured that
way. Who do you think shoot the

928
01:02:35,079 --> 01:02:38,320
higher percentage from three next season?
Dylan Brooks or Jabari Smith Jr. I

929
01:02:38,360 --> 01:02:43,599
would hope it's Jabari, but I
suspect for sure, Yeah, I would

930
01:02:43,639 --> 01:02:46,639
suspect they're closer than you'd be comfortable
with, right, Like, like the

931
01:02:46,719 --> 01:02:51,760
percentage wise, I think they're probably
gonna be closer to each other. And

932
01:02:52,039 --> 01:02:55,639
ironically, that would be an upgrade
for Jabari If if if Jabari shoots as

933
01:02:55,679 --> 01:02:59,920
well as Jalan Brooks shot from three
last year, that would be an upgrade

934
01:03:00,000 --> 01:03:02,719
for Jabari Smith, which is saying
a lot, right, that's how bad

935
01:03:02,840 --> 01:03:07,960
Jabari Smith shot from three last year, Right Like, if he shoots as

936
01:03:07,000 --> 01:03:12,079
well as dealing brick shot, we're
doing We're in a good spot, We're

937
01:03:12,599 --> 01:03:16,880
on the upwards. What do you
think this team's in close games? It'll

938
01:03:16,880 --> 01:03:20,039
be matchup dependent. I get all
that, but right now, what would

939
01:03:20,079 --> 01:03:24,280
be your most preferred closing lineup for
for this team, my preferred closing lineup,

940
01:03:24,320 --> 01:03:30,960
I would say Shangun at the five. I'd say Green at the two.

941
01:03:30,960 --> 01:03:35,599
I would say Van Vliet at the
one. At the three. It

942
01:03:35,719 --> 01:03:38,239
might just be the starting lineup.
I maybe i'd spot Yeah, maybe I'd

943
01:03:38,280 --> 01:03:44,079
swap out Jabari with Tari right because
I think I just think I think he's

944
01:03:44,119 --> 01:03:47,400
slightly better right now. But I
think that's probably where where i'd go.

945
01:03:49,400 --> 01:03:52,239
I feel like they would be more
inclined to swap out Shangun with Tari than

946
01:03:52,360 --> 01:03:57,159
Jabari. Right. I was about
to say the same thing. I think

947
01:03:57,239 --> 01:04:00,480
that's probably there, but that that
wasn't your question. No, I'm just

948
01:04:00,519 --> 01:04:03,639
saying, yeah, yeah, this
is my favorite question to ask you,

949
01:04:03,719 --> 01:04:08,840
though. What is a weird old
lineup you want them to try this season?

950
01:04:09,199 --> 01:04:12,079
A weird old lineup? I want
them to try this. I haven't

951
01:04:12,159 --> 01:04:18,320
thought about this. What about Tar
at the five? I am a small

952
01:04:18,400 --> 01:04:25,400
ball enthusiasts, so I'm all for
it. Tari at the five and you

953
01:04:25,559 --> 01:04:29,519
play Jay Shawn at the four,
you play you can have Dylan Brooks be

954
01:04:29,599 --> 01:04:33,960
your three, have Amend slide down
to your two, and you can you

955
01:04:34,000 --> 01:04:36,840
can play van Vleet at the one. You can play Green at the one.

956
01:04:38,559 --> 01:04:41,719
Actually I think play Green at the
one. Have Van Vleet come off

957
01:04:41,760 --> 01:04:47,760
the bench. Right, So you
have basically a lineup of Green, A

958
01:04:47,880 --> 01:04:57,880
Men, Brooks, Tate, and
TRII just everybody is six six, right,

959
01:04:58,480 --> 01:05:03,320
every and you can switch everything you
can you have you have you still

960
01:05:03,320 --> 01:05:08,360
have shooting other than try other than
excuse me, other than Jay Shawn Tate.

961
01:05:08,639 --> 01:05:14,000
Everybody there can shoot, uh and
that I don't other than a men

962
01:05:14,760 --> 01:05:17,239
and and and and Tate. Yeah, yeah, you have decent shooting on

963
01:05:17,280 --> 01:05:21,320
the floor. So it's a lineup
I would like to see. Uh.

964
01:05:21,880 --> 01:05:25,920
I think they should get weird.
I think they should again get as much

965
01:05:26,039 --> 01:05:28,920
data as you can. These are
the only two like, these are the

966
01:05:29,000 --> 01:05:32,280
only years you can experiment because you're
not trying to Like you are trying to

967
01:05:32,360 --> 01:05:36,000
win, but you're not. There's
not an overwhelming pressure to win, like

968
01:05:36,159 --> 01:05:42,280
forty five to fifty wins right now, right like you can try and have

969
01:05:42,719 --> 01:05:47,599
fifteen minutes a game allotted to experimenting
or ten minutes a game whatever, right,

970
01:05:48,199 --> 01:05:51,679
and the other thirty minutes actually dedicate
to winning the basketball game or whatever.

971
01:05:51,840 --> 01:05:57,079
Like just like because if you don't
know, if you don't experiment,

972
01:05:57,079 --> 01:06:00,519
you will never know, right You
You'll never know how how Versatotar Eason is.

973
01:06:00,960 --> 01:06:09,679
If you're not having him ever play
center, you won't know how mobile

974
01:06:10,079 --> 01:06:14,800
Alpern Sengun is if you're never switching
with him, right, You're you're not

975
01:06:14,880 --> 01:06:20,159
gonna know like how good of a
playmaker Jalen Green is if you're never playing

976
01:06:20,239 --> 01:06:25,159
him at the point. Right,
So just like have moments where you're just

977
01:06:25,280 --> 01:06:29,360
doing funky stuff so you can kind
of get as much data as you can

978
01:06:29,639 --> 01:06:32,679
and then you can make more informed
decisions off that data. I'll take you

979
01:06:32,760 --> 01:06:39,159
once set further and go the Amen
Thompson plus four shooters. But everyone's just

980
01:06:39,239 --> 01:06:44,599
super tiny lineup where it's Tari Eason, Fred Van Fleet, Jalen Green,

981
01:06:45,039 --> 01:06:48,519
and then Kevin Porter Jr. And
like, let's just see. You don't

982
01:06:48,559 --> 01:06:50,800
need to put the ball on Amen
Thompson's hands, but like, let's put

983
01:06:50,840 --> 01:06:55,239
the ball on Amen Thompson's hands and
kind of just see what happens. I

984
01:06:55,320 --> 01:06:58,119
think that your lineup, I feel
like has a puncher's chance in hell of

985
01:06:58,199 --> 01:07:00,159
happening. My lineup has just no
bunch of chance and health happening, but

986
01:07:00,159 --> 01:07:05,239
I would pay probably too much money
to see it, honestly, Like KPJ

987
01:07:05,440 --> 01:07:11,760
makes KPJ and a'men Thompson make their
lineup constructions really fun because they're so so

988
01:07:11,960 --> 01:07:16,320
big, like the KPJ six five, i'men Thompson six eight or sixty six,

989
01:07:16,400 --> 01:07:20,519
excuse me, Like like these guys
are giant, and they're playing guard

990
01:07:20,599 --> 01:07:24,800
positions and you can just kind of
get fun with it, like play them

991
01:07:25,440 --> 01:07:29,320
at two, at three, at
four and and and really get weird.

992
01:07:29,599 --> 01:07:31,960
And you have all these wings,
like the Rockets have a ton of wings,

993
01:07:32,280 --> 01:07:35,239
and like like they were never like
this. They weren't like this.

994
01:07:35,360 --> 01:07:39,960
During the Hard Narrow they had like
two wings, which is like Eric Gordon

995
01:07:40,079 --> 01:07:44,360
and like Trevor Aresa, Like they
didn't have that many wings, right,

996
01:07:44,440 --> 01:07:46,239
like PJ. Tucker. At one
point in time, they had like a

997
01:07:46,360 --> 01:07:51,360
decent they had that Luca Bammute,
PJ. Tucker, Trevor Areza and like

998
01:07:51,800 --> 01:07:58,119
Eric Gordon. Other than that one
season, they only had like two maybe

999
01:07:58,239 --> 01:08:01,000
three wings, right, and then
the microball season, which was just weird.

1000
01:08:01,079 --> 01:08:04,840
I like to forget that season didn't
happen, right, But like other

1001
01:08:04,960 --> 01:08:10,480
than that, like they never really
had this much wing depth, and so

1002
01:08:10,679 --> 01:08:14,880
it's kind of exciting to see kind
of the different possibilities. Right, you

1003
01:08:15,000 --> 01:08:19,479
could get kind of real high end
and think about Boston Celtics like outcomes,

1004
01:08:19,600 --> 01:08:23,319
or you can just kind of think
like, hey, can they be like

1005
01:08:24,279 --> 01:08:28,920
I don't know, like the Grizzlies
and just have guys be really competent across

1006
01:08:28,960 --> 01:08:35,479
the board. So as of now, they're over under a set at thirty

1007
01:08:35,600 --> 01:08:40,760
one point five? Are you taking
the over the under on that? And

1008
01:08:41,680 --> 01:08:44,199
where do you see them kind of
stacking up in the larger context of the

1009
01:08:44,279 --> 01:08:47,079
Western Conference? So I had them
winning thirty games last year, right,

1010
01:08:47,159 --> 01:08:53,960
like that was that that was my
prediction, and I they obviously never got

1011
01:08:54,039 --> 01:08:58,640
there. I think I probably overdid
it by three, Like I think I

1012
01:08:58,720 --> 01:09:00,000
think I probably if I were to
do that over again, I'd say I

1013
01:09:00,039 --> 01:09:04,359
probably should have set that at twenty
seven wins. Right. I think that

1014
01:09:05,319 --> 01:09:13,279
means I still think that Steven Silas
underachieved, like actively pushed their win total

1015
01:09:13,399 --> 01:09:16,479
down by like five wins. Right, So I still think the underachieved.

1016
01:09:16,720 --> 01:09:20,199
I think as of now, if
I'm if I'm saying that they they should

1017
01:09:20,239 --> 01:09:25,039
have been a twenty seven win team
last year, and they added for eventavely,

1018
01:09:25,119 --> 01:09:28,199
they added Doing Brooks. I kind
of think they should be a thirty

1019
01:09:28,279 --> 01:09:30,920
five win team this year. Yeah, I kind of think they should.

1020
01:09:31,720 --> 01:09:34,279
That should be at least, at
the very least their their aim, their

1021
01:09:34,359 --> 01:09:40,920
goal, and if you're not gonna
get there, things can get really scary

1022
01:09:41,279 --> 01:09:46,720
in terms of like ownership. Again, on the podcast I had with you,

1023
01:09:48,520 --> 01:09:51,640
I said, I think rafel Stone
has done enough in my opinion,

1024
01:09:53,479 --> 01:10:00,800
or an extension, but if they
don't win like thirty five games, I

1025
01:10:00,479 --> 01:10:04,720
it could get really scary. Like
not only does he not get an extension?

1026
01:10:04,760 --> 01:10:09,640
Are we talking about like are they
starting a general manager search this time

1027
01:10:09,720 --> 01:10:15,800
next year? Like I hope not. I hope not. What's interesting though,

1028
01:10:15,840 --> 01:10:18,079
is I think the only teams though
that you can actually guarantee they'll be

1029
01:10:18,239 --> 01:10:24,079
better than are probably Portland and San
Antonio right now in the West, and

1030
01:10:24,199 --> 01:10:27,039
maybe depending on how you feel,
like well, Utah trade themselves out of

1031
01:10:27,079 --> 01:10:30,760
that position again, but like that's
a team where it's a coin toss,

1032
01:10:30,279 --> 01:10:32,399
and then after that it's like I
don't even know, are they going to

1033
01:10:32,439 --> 01:10:35,720
be better than New Orleans? Okay, see Minnesota? I don't. I

1034
01:10:35,800 --> 01:10:41,600
don't think so, and so probably
the statement like LORI marketing is probably better

1035
01:10:41,680 --> 01:10:45,119
than everybody on the rockets right now, right like like that right now.

1036
01:10:45,359 --> 01:10:48,159
Yes, when you're talking about the
ceilings, I think they probably still have

1037
01:10:48,319 --> 01:10:53,279
three players with a higher ceiling.
You'd probably say four because of Shangoon.

1038
01:10:53,600 --> 01:10:56,880
Maybe you'd say three because you might
think Jabari never gets to lowry I go

1039
01:10:57,159 --> 01:11:03,680
under. But I do also wonder
is this a team that could be aggressive

1040
01:11:03,960 --> 01:11:10,439
in acquiring more win now talent with
the incumbent assets they have because they want

1041
01:11:10,479 --> 01:11:13,680
to get better or was this offseason
just more about, hey, we don't

1042
01:11:13,720 --> 01:11:15,039
want to send it. Okay,
see the number five pick, and so

1043
01:11:15,159 --> 01:11:19,600
we're not gonna accelerate the process to
that degree. That's not what this is

1044
01:11:19,640 --> 01:11:24,479
signaling. Or is there a chance
like I just mentioned that, hey man,

1045
01:11:24,520 --> 01:11:27,159
and you kind of mentioned it earlier
in this podcast about they want to

1046
01:11:27,239 --> 01:11:29,960
they can go in and they can't
get anybody. Theyn't get any conversation they

1047
01:11:30,000 --> 01:11:33,000
want depending on who becomes available.
They are a sleeping giant right now.

1048
01:11:33,640 --> 01:11:39,119
Like I, with every major name
that becomes available, I would keep an

1049
01:11:39,119 --> 01:11:44,720
eye on Houston, every major name
that from from from here until they actually

1050
01:11:44,840 --> 01:11:50,079
make that move, right, Like, whether that's Joel Embiid, whether that's

1051
01:11:51,920 --> 01:11:56,439
Jalen Brown in six or se seven
months, whenever he's Eligi would be traded,

1052
01:11:56,680 --> 01:11:59,359
right, I think he can be
traded at all for a year at

1053
01:11:59,399 --> 01:12:03,000
this point of the Supermax stuff right
day, I think people would be shocked

1054
01:12:03,199 --> 01:12:06,600
based off how they viewed Shangun.
I think that Houston would look at Karl

1055
01:12:06,640 --> 01:12:11,479
Anthony Towns if he becomes available.
The other name I would watch like Pie

1056
01:12:11,520 --> 01:12:14,840
in the Sky name just two of
them. I wouldn't be shocked if they

1057
01:12:14,880 --> 01:12:17,720
took a look at Siakham and I
also would not be shocked if they took

1058
01:12:17,760 --> 01:12:21,199
a look at Zion Williamson, depending
on if whatever goes on in New Orleans

1059
01:12:21,319 --> 01:12:26,239
there, I think I think the
three names there that, like, you

1060
01:12:26,319 --> 01:12:30,760
know, I would seriously consider.
I think they're talented enough to like Warrant,

1061
01:12:30,520 --> 01:12:34,279
you know, putting schangu in there, or obviously Embiid, Like embiads

1062
01:12:34,840 --> 01:12:39,720
you he just came off a MVP
season, like he's he worth putting Shangun

1063
01:12:39,800 --> 01:12:43,560
in right, Like as high as
I am on Schangun, I think if

1064
01:12:43,720 --> 01:12:45,520
if you have a chance to go
get in bed. I think you should

1065
01:12:45,600 --> 01:12:51,760
try and go get embiid O.
Sure, yeah, I think Towns I

1066
01:12:51,840 --> 01:12:56,880
would think about it. I'm less
like God, I wouldn't. I wouldn't

1067
01:12:56,880 --> 01:12:58,840
do it for this team. I
just don't think he's what they need.

1068
01:12:58,880 --> 01:13:01,199
I want to make that clear.
But I do think that they would look

1069
01:13:01,279 --> 01:13:03,800
at it. I would think about
it. I would, because he's that

1070
01:13:03,920 --> 01:13:09,800
good offensively right like he's but I
still think he's more of a finishing piece

1071
01:13:10,319 --> 01:13:14,640
than he is like someone i'd go
get right like. I think I think

1072
01:13:14,760 --> 01:13:17,279
right now as that's as that's someone
I would go get right now. They

1073
01:13:17,439 --> 01:13:23,479
do feel like more of a team
that like maybe they become sellers, like

1074
01:13:23,520 --> 01:13:27,159
maybe tape becomes available or someone on
those lines. They feel like a team

1075
01:13:27,239 --> 01:13:30,319
that is I don't want to say
exclusively, but maybe exclusively we're only gonna

1076
01:13:30,399 --> 01:13:32,359
chase the home run swing. Like
they're not at a point where it's like,

1077
01:13:32,520 --> 01:13:35,039
hey, let's just hit this double
on the market and we're gonna be

1078
01:13:35,079 --> 01:13:40,800
a team that's involved on Bob Bodanovitch
or Bowie on Bogdanovitch or just any of

1079
01:13:40,880 --> 01:13:44,760
these like sort of Pascal as you
said, right Like, I don't think

1080
01:13:44,840 --> 01:13:47,199
I don't think they go after Pascal, all right, that's fair. I

1081
01:13:47,279 --> 01:13:50,439
wouldn't. He's like higher end enough
for me to look at. And maybe

1082
01:13:50,520 --> 01:13:54,399
if there's a guy who's not a
star, like, are they a team

1083
01:13:54,439 --> 01:13:57,079
they'll have, like are they a
team that looks at Og if he becomes

1084
01:13:57,079 --> 01:13:59,119
available, Like I could see something
like that. They would look at Michael

1085
01:13:59,119 --> 01:14:02,399
Bridges for sure if he becomes available
in Brooklyn. But like those are all

1086
01:14:03,079 --> 01:14:05,880
I'm I don't know where I land
on Og. But like all the names

1087
01:14:05,920 --> 01:14:09,960
we mentioned, they're pretty much like
home run swings, which is what I

1088
01:14:10,079 --> 01:14:12,840
think we gravitate towards because they have
the assets, but just based off where

1089
01:14:12,840 --> 01:14:15,800
they are in their development. It's
not about hitting these singles and doubles.

1090
01:14:16,199 --> 01:14:19,520
It's about these triples and home runs
if those becomes available. And so I

1091
01:14:19,600 --> 01:14:25,359
would if you told me, what's
the percentage chance that Houston acquires like a

1092
01:14:25,520 --> 01:14:30,560
top one hundred to thirty or top
one hundred to top forty player versus top

1093
01:14:30,720 --> 01:14:34,479
thirty nine to top ten, I'm
gonna say it's more likely they go that

1094
01:14:34,720 --> 01:14:39,239
higher end route than justice, Oh
this guy's good or whatever, because that's

1095
01:14:39,279 --> 01:14:44,079
just not really what they need when
they have so many players and possibilities on

1096
01:14:44,159 --> 01:14:46,600
their own roster to evaluate. Yeah, if you're if you're gonna go for

1097
01:14:46,760 --> 01:14:51,760
concert, if you're gonna consolidate,
go consolidate, right Like that like a

1098
01:14:51,800 --> 01:14:56,560
better way of putting it, right, Like I think I would go for

1099
01:14:57,319 --> 01:15:00,039
you know, the zion, I
would go for the MB like I I

1100
01:15:00,039 --> 01:15:01,840
would. I would go go go
for the guy who might actually be the

1101
01:15:01,920 --> 01:15:05,119
best player on your team one day, right, Like, I think I

1102
01:15:05,239 --> 01:15:08,920
think that's that's the home run swing. That's the one where I'm like,

1103
01:15:09,319 --> 01:15:11,960
yeah, I don't care what they
just gave up because that they got that

1104
01:15:12,079 --> 01:15:15,000
guy. They got that guy,
and I think I think it's I think

1105
01:15:15,079 --> 01:15:19,000
that's that's the conversation worth exploring.
And man, they're right. They have

1106
01:15:19,159 --> 01:15:25,199
all the contracts and they have all
the young players, and there are teams

1107
01:15:25,239 --> 01:15:28,199
that can go toe like okay,
see, you can top them if they

1108
01:15:28,239 --> 01:15:30,840
wanted to, right, Okay,
see is like like they're the real sleeping

1109
01:15:30,920 --> 01:15:34,720
giant, But Houston's just ripe below
them, right like like they can just

1110
01:15:34,840 --> 01:15:39,880
they can be inactive in conversations.
Houston in New Orleans are just like the

1111
01:15:39,960 --> 01:15:42,079
teams below. Okay, see where
it's I think if they want to do

1112
01:15:42,199 --> 01:15:45,800
something, they have like not just
the picks, but also just like the

1113
01:15:45,840 --> 01:15:50,399
players seems to be interested in and
I am curious what you think on my

1114
01:15:50,560 --> 01:15:54,920
guests would be and maybe they just
become available, but like they're gonna look

1115
01:15:54,960 --> 01:15:57,760
at something where it's like a wing
type player or front corp player, where

1116
01:15:57,760 --> 01:16:00,039
it's like if one of these guards
becomes availably, if they're like Trey Young,

1117
01:16:00,439 --> 01:16:03,520
if he hits the market, that's
not someone that I would expect them

1118
01:16:03,600 --> 01:16:08,840
to be in on. It feels
like they would gravitate more towards like Paul

1119
01:16:09,079 --> 01:16:12,399
if everything blows up in LA and
but Paul George becomes available or so I'm

1120
01:16:12,399 --> 01:16:15,079
like they're gonna go that route and
Chaale Bridges even though some people might consider

1121
01:16:15,159 --> 01:16:18,119
him a two or it's not.
I just feel like with Amen Thompson,

1122
01:16:18,439 --> 01:16:23,159
Fred Van Fleet, even kpj Here
and Jalen Green, I don't think they'll

1123
01:16:23,239 --> 01:16:27,920
look at a smaller guard like if
Shay Gil just Alexander or Devin Booker became

1124
01:16:27,920 --> 01:16:30,880
available, Okay, sure, or
look like but they're not gonna become available

1125
01:16:30,920 --> 01:16:33,000
like if I think Trey Young is
like the good Romer where it's okay,

1126
01:16:33,039 --> 01:16:36,159
like he's really good, But I
just don't think they're a team that would

1127
01:16:36,159 --> 01:16:41,600
sniff around that him. Sorry,
I might have done it if Jalen Green

1128
01:16:41,720 --> 01:16:44,279
wasn't on the roster, right,
Like he's the only guy. Like I

1129
01:16:44,439 --> 01:16:46,199
just think if you if you're gonna
go get a guard, go get a

1130
01:16:46,279 --> 01:16:49,479
guy, guy who's a plus defender, right, like I you have to

1131
01:16:49,520 --> 01:16:53,880
get someone. I think you have
to put a plus defender next to Jalen

1132
01:16:53,960 --> 01:16:57,399
Green. And I think that's kind
of why a men makes so much more

1133
01:16:57,479 --> 01:17:00,600
sense like long term and and van
Vleet makes a lot of sense short term,

1134
01:17:00,720 --> 01:17:03,319
right, Like I kind of think
they're there. I don't want to

1135
01:17:03,359 --> 01:17:08,319
see they're set at the point guard
position because a man's downside is real,

1136
01:17:08,479 --> 01:17:12,760
is real, right, Like if
he if he doesn't become a decent shooter,

1137
01:17:13,479 --> 01:17:17,560
like he's just a project, right, He's just a failed project.

1138
01:17:17,600 --> 01:17:20,680
That's that's what he is. Like
it's just guys like him don't work out

1139
01:17:20,720 --> 01:17:26,600
if they can't shoot. So but
like I kind of like where they're at

1140
01:17:26,720 --> 01:17:30,079
though, Like I kind of like
these bets. I kind of like Van

1141
01:17:30,199 --> 01:17:32,159
Vleet as a short term bet and
like, I kind of like a man

1142
01:17:32,239 --> 01:17:36,279
as a long term bet there.
I think we're we're kind of on the

1143
01:17:36,359 --> 01:17:40,640
right track. They're gonna more likely
trade for a front court guy. And

1144
01:17:41,560 --> 01:17:45,800
I think if we're talking about front
court guys, I think the guys that

1145
01:17:45,960 --> 01:17:49,720
you want a monitor are the high
end guys and the guy And that's when

1146
01:17:49,760 --> 01:17:54,399
you got to look at the situations. They're kind of influx. Philly is

1147
01:17:54,520 --> 01:17:58,399
kind of influx. New Orleans,
New Orleans a little bit. Yeah,

1148
01:17:58,520 --> 01:18:02,159
New Orleans is kind of influx,
right, Like like these are would you

1149
01:18:02,199 --> 01:18:05,479
look at brandon Ingram speaking in the
ones if he became of where it's not

1150
01:18:05,600 --> 01:18:09,439
Zion's decide, Hey, brand Ingram's
extension knowledgeable, We don't know. We

1151
01:18:09,520 --> 01:18:12,359
want to keep them long term,
YadA YadA. Yeah, we have Herb

1152
01:18:12,479 --> 01:18:15,399
Jones, we have Trey Murphy.
Not those guys aren't better than him,

1153
01:18:15,399 --> 01:18:17,760
But you get what I'm saying.
I think about it. Yeah, I

1154
01:18:18,439 --> 01:18:21,279
certainly don't think there's anyone on the
roster where it's like, oh, I

1155
01:18:21,479 --> 01:18:26,920
definitely think this guy is gonna become
a better small forward option than than brandon

1156
01:18:27,079 --> 01:18:32,680
Ingram. Like maybe you could say
the high end outcome of Cam whitmore you

1157
01:18:32,760 --> 01:18:38,760
know is there, but like there's
also like low end scenarios that are possible

1158
01:18:38,800 --> 01:18:42,119
if you don't go and get brandon
Ingram right. You solidify yourself a little

1159
01:18:42,119 --> 01:18:45,439
bit when you go get like,
you clearly outline your floor when you go

1160
01:18:45,560 --> 01:18:49,279
get brandon Ingram right, And that's
fine. Like that's a really solid floor,

1161
01:18:49,800 --> 01:18:55,239
and you're consolidating assets, so that's
also a positive. Right, So

1162
01:18:55,520 --> 01:19:00,640
I think I think that's a that's
not a bad target for Houston. Is

1163
01:19:00,680 --> 01:19:04,279
there anyone or anything else about this
team I didn't ask you about you think

1164
01:19:04,319 --> 01:19:11,039
we need to discuss No. I
just think they're gonna be really really fascinating

1165
01:19:11,119 --> 01:19:14,920
next year in terms of just like
not only like how much better are they

1166
01:19:14,960 --> 01:19:19,239
gonna be? Right? But the
fundamental question that I keep coming back to

1167
01:19:19,399 --> 01:19:24,479
is who's gonna be him? Right? Who's going to be the guy?

1168
01:19:25,239 --> 01:19:28,720
Uh? That's the question I want
most answered about the Rockets. I don't

1169
01:19:28,760 --> 01:19:30,119
get I don't care how many wins
do they have next year? Right?

1170
01:19:30,199 --> 01:19:35,039
Like that that's an interesting conversation,
is it's not as interesting as as as

1171
01:19:35,600 --> 01:19:40,079
why they win as many games as
they win, right, Like who is

1172
01:19:40,159 --> 01:19:44,279
driving they're winning? Like that like, cool, they win forty games,

1173
01:19:44,479 --> 01:19:49,159
I don't care, right is if
if there's still a giant pile of blah,

1174
01:19:49,800 --> 01:19:53,600
that doesn't matter to me. Right, if it's a sort of forty

1175
01:19:53,640 --> 01:19:58,680
wins by committee rather than having this
singular force that yeah, maybe elevated everyone

1176
01:19:58,760 --> 01:20:00,960
around them, but there was a
you're looking for that pull star. And

1177
01:20:01,039 --> 01:20:03,159
I think it's fair to say they
have options, which is good. They

1178
01:20:03,199 --> 01:20:06,079
have a few options, but they
don't. It's not we talked about this,

1179
01:20:06,600 --> 01:20:11,079
Okay, see looks at Shay Gil
just Alexander and knows and they don't

1180
01:20:11,159 --> 01:20:15,319
have that right now, right,
And you know, I'm not saying it's

1181
01:20:15,359 --> 01:20:18,079
a bad thing to not know yet
of options. Again, it's not like

1182
01:20:18,119 --> 01:20:21,760
you have you have nobody, right, but like, if you don't find

1183
01:20:21,800 --> 01:20:27,560
out within the next two years,
it gets scary. And and again I

1184
01:20:27,640 --> 01:20:30,680
mean it gets scary, not not
necessarily for a fans, but like for

1185
01:20:30,800 --> 01:20:35,560
the for an office and for I
would say, uh, some of these

1186
01:20:35,640 --> 01:20:39,319
players, because they may be on
their way out to go get the guy,

1187
01:20:39,680 --> 01:20:43,159
right, Yeah, like I think
that that that's what I would pay

1188
01:20:43,199 --> 01:20:45,479
attention to. Salman. This was
great. As always, You're able to

1189
01:20:45,520 --> 01:20:48,279
tell one last time our listeners where
they can find you in all the great

1190
01:20:48,319 --> 01:20:53,479
work that you do. Thank you. It is at Sulmley NBA, on

1191
01:20:53,560 --> 01:20:58,279
Twitter, the websites Right Nationhoops dot
com. That's also the sub stack as

1192
01:20:58,319 --> 01:21:02,880
well the podcast Right Nation Hoops.
You can find me on YouTube, Right

1193
01:21:02,960 --> 01:21:08,079
Nation Hoops. You can find me
on threads, at Sawmill the NBA,

1194
01:21:08,239 --> 01:21:11,600
and at Right Nation Hoops. You
know on Blue Sky too, Right,

1195
01:21:11,640 --> 01:21:14,960
let's not forget about that. Yeah, but I don't know. I don't.

1196
01:21:14,960 --> 01:21:16,199
I don't know if that's going to
be the platform that really kicks off

1197
01:21:16,279 --> 01:21:19,199
Dan. I don't know. Maybe
you think it's threads. I've seen I've

1198
01:21:19,199 --> 01:21:21,640
seen people go back and forth.
I'm not. I'm not on threads,

1199
01:21:21,720 --> 01:21:27,000
full disclosure. But no, I
don't. Here's the thing. I don't

1200
01:21:27,039 --> 01:21:30,039
know. I just know that I
we gotta we gotta figure this out.

1201
01:21:30,119 --> 01:21:32,880
We gotta figure out their next spot. Like we all got to have like

1202
01:21:32,960 --> 01:21:35,960
a meeting, Like I don't know
if I'm eligible to be in the meeting.

1203
01:21:36,039 --> 01:21:40,079
Like I don't know how big you
have to be, Like we we

1204
01:21:40,199 --> 01:21:43,359
have to get together and figure this
out, like iron this out, Like

1205
01:21:43,399 --> 01:21:46,279
where are we going? Like like
this confusion like we just need to,

1206
01:21:46,520 --> 01:21:53,359
like the powers that be need to
come together and and pick something. I

1207
01:21:53,399 --> 01:21:56,079
don't want to be part of the
decision making process. I just want to

1208
01:21:56,119 --> 01:21:58,880
know that's where I'm Just tell me
where we're going and I will follow.

1209
01:21:59,279 --> 01:22:01,520
Send me a text, yeah,
this is send me. I don't have

1210
01:22:01,600 --> 01:22:04,000
to be at the meeting. Send
me a text, right. Hey,

1211
01:22:04,319 --> 01:22:08,279
look, everybody joined our discord.
We have fans from every team in there,

1212
01:22:08,399 --> 01:22:11,239
like for now that link is in
our podcast when you could description as

1213
01:22:11,319 --> 01:22:14,039
well. But yeah, let I
want to know where we're going. Solomon,

1214
01:22:14,079 --> 01:22:15,760
This is great as always. Thank
you so much for your time,

1215
01:22:15,800 --> 01:22:17,199
and I think, as you know, it won't be a year before I

1216
01:22:17,319 --> 01:22:20,079
best you again. Comeback dot how
if you have to comeback