WEBVTT

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This is the baseline discussing the hot
button topics of the nb A. Welcome

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everybody, your tune to the baseline, Callie Warrens y'all discussing the hot button

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topics of the n b A.
And we keep things moving along a little

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bit closer to the NBA regular season
coming to an end. But as always,

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man, we gotta always got to
keep that conversation rolling. So it's

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that time, man got throwing them
white coats and we continue our efforts in

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our Autopsy Reports series. Who none
better to do it with than my brother

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from another mother, my man,
mister Warren Sharp ripping out of Fort Lauderdale,

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Florida, obviously on relocation mode right
about now for the short time being.

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What's good man, I think we're
neighbors. Would you like, would

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you like? Would you like to
borrow some sugar? This guy here chilling,

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you know, you know, visiting
your neck of the woods and trying

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to make things, make it work, make it do what I do,

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as I said. Well, excited
to be here, man, and can't

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believe it. We're literally like a
week away from the season being concluded.

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So final six seven games here for
most teams. Um it's been it's been

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a journey, right, and we'll
see how the playoffs ultimately land and shake

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out. The Western Conference continues to
be extremely exciting, Eastern conferences deciding as

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well, but literally like teams are
following four slots by losing one game in

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the West. It's insane. So, uh, these next again, this

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next week and a half here,
it's going to be a lot, a

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lot, a lot of great fun
for the NBA fans. Yeah, the

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swing in the standings I think stand
out the most shot. Like so to

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really give people proper perspective about this, one game can literally drop you almost

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almost out of the play in that's
how tight everything is. And you know,

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look, we'll we'll talk about this
as we you know, start expounding

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on you know, playoff situations and
when we have to do our previews,

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you know for the play in tournament
and you know, for the teams that

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will eventually round out what's going to
be the playoff picture for this season.

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But this is probably the first time
where we actually have to speak to the

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fact that every game now really matters
to the very end. When you're talking

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about figuring out or configuring what the
playoff picture is really going to look like

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and for those teams who had opportunities
to separate themselves from the rest of the

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pack, they have not been able
to do it. And I think you

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could also make an argument that,
you know, maybe before we used to

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put it more on the players,
but I just really think that this is

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the competitive play at work here with
the NBA. And you know, look,

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kudos to the NBA as well too, because even with the way that

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the schedules have lined themselves up,
it really doesn't depict, you know,

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a whole lot into the idea that, oh, you know, one team

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has a weaker schedule than the other. You know, literally every single team

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is still vested really up until the
very end, even the teams who have

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already secured their playoff spot. It's
just it really speaks volumes to the competitive

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nature that every game now really matters, and teams aren't you know, taking

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nights off. Yeah, at the
end of the day, we can just

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continue to have the same conversation every
year. The playan has made the season

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more valuable towards the end, you
know, ever more than ever before than

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before, because yeah, seating was
always something that teams were jockeying four yea,

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and really kind of maybe you know, one through five, seven or

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whatever the case. Maybe like it's
but because there are literally ten spots that

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can get you a chance um into
this, you know, we're really kind

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of two extra spots really, you
know, kind of thinking of the tail

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end. A lot of those teams
that maybe haven't had the best seasons might

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be just around five hundred or a
little bit below. It keeps them,

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keeps them live, and keeps them, keeps them trucking to the end of

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the season. So the play in
situation has created a lot more intrigue and

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competitiveness throughout the course of the other
regular season, more than ever than before.

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And one other thing before we get
right into our autopsy reports for this

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week's shop, I think the other
thing as well too that you take into

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consideration with this is nobody wants to
be a one and done situation when it

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comes to getting into the playoffs,
right Like, if you are one of

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the teams that really worked hard to
be among one of the top six,

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you don't want to have to justify
your season and coming down to one game

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essentially before you get booted out.
And I know, you know, they

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set it up so that you know, if you're the seventh seed you lose,

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you know you'll wind up having to
play whoever the you know, the

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winner is. But what I'm just
saying is is that it just gives that

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feel for like you work hard to
give yourself an opportunity, you know,

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to play in a best of five
and a best of seven, and to

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only have one game be the difference
between whether or not you're only going to

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play one game in order to compete
or actually give yourself an extended shelf life

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to compete in the tournament. I
think also, you know, plays plays

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well, I mean plays great for
our entertainment value, but I mean any

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team would not want to be giving
that that type of shot or opportunity for

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what they've had to put them put
themselves through to get to this point.

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Yeah, well said. And it's
almost like NCAA tournament style, you know,

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I mean, almost almost a one
and done situation, grown man nc

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double A style that's grown folk business. Listen, we got a great show

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on tap for you guys, and
we really appreciate you hopping on board with

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us this week as we continue our
Autopsy Report series. We got two teams

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that we're gonna get dig into.
Obviously, their seasons came to an end

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very very early on, so we
got to talk about their future. And

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we're gonna be talking about the Charlotte
Hornets in the Houston Rocket in this week's

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edition of the Autopsy Report. As
always, be sure to get him my

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man Shaw Astro Sports NBA get at
me a gameface. Lead the shows to

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a handle at NBA based on available
in all the major platforms. You know

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where to find us. If you
want to see our show or hear our

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show, go to www dot to
Baseline NBA dot com so you can catch

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this episode and all of the episodes
that we have dropped for your listening pleasure.

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For those of y'all watching hello,
you can always catch us on YouTube,

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but also check us out. When
you see that nineteen Media logo,

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you know that we rocks with the
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these content streets. So to catch
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are out there, great personalities,
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content, go to www dot nineteen
Media Group dot com. So without further

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ado, you know how we do, You know how we roll. Let's

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do a little autopsy here on the
baseline. Time to break it. They're

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dead, My team, My team
is dead. They knew we were coming,

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man, they knew we were coming. Time now for the breakdown Callie

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Warrenshaw based on NBA podcasts, and
this is our coveted autopsy report with Sean

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and I throw on the white coats
and we get to basically go through the

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cadaver that is the teams who have
exited stage left. Right now, we're

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working on those teams that died a
quick death in this NBA season. And

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the first team that we're going to
kind of log in on are going to

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be the Charlotte Hornets. Now the
Charlotte Hornets Shaw. I find them to

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be a very curial team to examine
because there's so much that goes on with

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this team off the court. They
are one of the few teams that quite

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simply cannot do anything off the court
that can elevate this franchise or this team

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to a sustainable level on the court. With all of the growing commotion about

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you know, Michael George selling his
stake so he'll probably wind up being a

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minority owner, it just lends itself
so much to this mentality of they just

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can't catch a break. And when
you look at the roster and you look

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at the plethora of players who have
kind of danced in and out of that

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organization, all of them, and
the whole situation, it just doesn't feel

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like they can catch a break.
And it's it kind of sucks because for

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the for the Charlotte Hornets every year, you want to believe that they're gonna

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be a team that can really compete, but it just seems like short sustained

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you know, Uh, They're the
type of team that just seems like you'll

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only get, like in short spurts, this level of competitiveness from them,

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but it's not through and through,
and they just don't have the empowerment within

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themselves to really step up and established
themselves. And I'm just wondering what is

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it going to take for that team
to finally come into their own, the

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organization, to come into their own, the fan base, to come into

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their own and really be legitimize themselves
as being a part of the conversation of

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a sustained, well ran competitive organization. So there's a lot to unpack.

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I think they're um, you know, trying to start with your last question,

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what's it going to take U.
It's going to take leadership U.

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Leadership that wants and needs to be
there. So it's interesting that, you

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know, MJ would be selling his
majority share and then bringing in new potentially

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you know, a new majority share
owner. They just brought on Clifford in

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for the second time. Obviously we've
had many conversations all about that and what

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that ultimately looked like for them.
But they need to nail a draft pick

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for once, really and truly so
as luck would have it, let's take

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take you one of quick journey Bridges
does whatever he does, you know,

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and truly truly truly important situation that
he's involved in it more obviously more so

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for the victim you know, in
the you know, domestic violence situation,

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and he had. But that's somebody
who they thought was going to be a

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major part of their part of their
team. They bring in Clifford, as

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I alluded to, LaMelo starts the
season basically on the shelf, plays well

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when healthy, but doesn't have just
just doesn't healthy the majority part of the

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year. Kelly Ubre battles injuries the
majority part of the year. Hayward takes

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his annual siesta, you know,
as to be expected. Terry Rogier started

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the year, you know, battling
injuries as well. Uh, Cody Martin

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injured, so Dennis Smith even injured. Book Night not not just not a

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good prospect for them, you know
as as currently projected their best. They're

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the best thing they have going for
them outside of Lamello is PJ. Wasthington

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has played well, but he's a
free agent um. And then maybe Mark

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Williams and Nick Richards, some of
the bigs have played okay for them as

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well, But this team just hasn't
had the continuity that it thought it was

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going to and that it absolutely needed
to to be even remotely successful. But

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fast forward now to the latter part
of the season, where multiple guys are

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now out, they have somehow found
a way to string some wins together,

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which is probably the worst thing they
could do at this point in the season

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because now you know, they're furthering
their chances away from getting a higher lottery

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pick, and that's what they need. They need to really try to be

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within that top three. And now
it's a little less likely that they'd get

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a top three pick, probably still
you know, five to six or something

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like that. But it's just been
a nightmare season for the Charlotte Hornets,

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and I think it's unfortunate. But
they need continuity and they need to nail

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a draft pick immediately. I like
where you're going with it. I would

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want to agree with you in that
regard that they have to land on the

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draft pick. But look, they
drafted LaMelo Ball, and by all accounts,

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minus his injuries, LaMelo Ball was
among one of the most exciting basketball

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players you know that they probably have
had in their franchise history. Most of

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the other players that they've taken on
have been quote unquote experiments. The Kemball

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Walkers, the PJ. Washington's,
the Gerald Wallace's, like a lot of

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the essence have been them kind of
rolling the dice on some players and these

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players because you know, the Hornets
found of you know, back then,

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even Babcats, Bobcats, Hornets.
The organization to feel and the entity about

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them has always been like this pseudo
admiration. You know, Hey, you

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know the losers come over here and
you know, make a name for themselves

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so that they can you know,
go out secure a bag, get paid

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bookoo bucks, you know, get
that one. Great signing for themselves and

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then again disappear off into the sunset. It just never feels sustainable with them,

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and so I I often wonder Shaw, you know, to the point,

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is it just really just the draft
pick that you hit on with this,

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because I think at the end of
the day, what then becomes is

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the vicious cycle that yeah, let's
say he becomes, you know, an

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all star player for them, if
they don't win basketball games, if they

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don't show a level of competitiveness even
within their own division, which among the

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other team of the conference, in
the Eastern Conference, among the other divisions,

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is really the weakest of all of
them. If they can't sustain a

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level of competitiveness in that division,
let alone the conference, everyone is just

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going to buy into the idea that
again, you know, the Charlotte Hornets

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are essence kind of like the Charlotte
Hornets in which then a superstar player or

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an all star player becomes disgruntled and
then he's gonna want out and they become

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like the Pelicans version of the Eastern
Conference, which I don't think anybody wants

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at this moment in time. Well, let me say this, LaMelo's obviously

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a home run right, they they
they landed that one thousand percent and they

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need to be I think within that
range, right, they need to have

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a somewhere top five draft pick,
you know, things that they're doing within

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the latter stages of lottery and mid
rounds, like they just haven't had good

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talent evaluation. LaMelo in some ways
fell into their lab because maybe some of

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the teams just didn't believe the hype, if you will. But now you

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got to build on that, right, you know, And I think it's

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it's it's not about investing on people
who who don't fit your timeline or your

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roster, call it whatever, whatever
you want. Gordon Hayward's contract will be

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up after at the end of next
season. If he doesn't get moved,

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you know, before the season starts. You know, they would potentially,

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I'm sure he's gonna be named that
a lot of not a lot of teams

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are going to mention, but they're
gonna shop him heavily if they're not able

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to move them in the off season, but definitely maybe trade deadline or they

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may try to buy them out,
you know. And I don't think you'll

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take it, but they can.
They can give it a shot. Um,

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what do they do with Kelly Ubre? You know, he was solid

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for them in the minutes he played
this year, but again as alluded to,

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was was most mostly injured for you
know, like forty fifty games or

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the other season. So the biggest
question is PJ. Washington. So I

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think when you take all of this
back, you know you have Lamello,

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yes, building block, but what
are you surrounding him or what are you

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surrounding him with? It's clear for
the right fit for where they where they

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want to go. Do they need
to bottom out another year because I don't

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think they're a free agent destination right
And they'll have some money. They'll have

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some money, especially if they don't
resign Ubre, If they don't resign Washington

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you know as well, then they'll
have a lot of money. They can

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figure out what they want to do
with book Night and Kai Jones and guys

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like that too. You know,
those are you know, going into their

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third and fourth years respectively. But
at the end of the day, Um,

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it's it's about what they surround Milamelo
with. And I don't know if

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he's going to be somebody who's going
to go on the recruiting tour one way

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or the other. Um and what
new ownership if that doesn't take place here

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before the next season starts, well
they'll be looking to try to do.

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But to me, this roster is
just not as talented as it wants to

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be. And while I love Scary
Terry, you know that's, you know,

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one of my young sons. I
don't know if he's long for this

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process as well, and if he's
a building walk around around alongside LaMelo and

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those are things Charlotte and Mitch Cupcheck
and everybody like that and need to figure

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out in media. Well, okay, so I'm gonna ask you to put

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your GM hat on real quick,
Shaw, because you highlighted a very important

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point to me that I'm going to
make in a moment. But I wanted

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to ask you this then. So
you think that the Charlotte Hornets should be

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all in on building with or building
around LaMelo Ball. Yeah, I think

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he's he's in the few years that
we've seen him, I think he's proven

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to be a guy who can make
his teammates better. Not just because he's

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statistically and almost averaging triple doubles and
all that, you know when he plays,

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but he puts butts and seats and
and he makes the teammates better.

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So to me, you know,
that's the starting block. You have a

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point guard who can really can control
and I won't say master the game book

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control the game to a certain certain
degree. And he's only getting better.

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So I think he's he's the right
fit for what they ultimately need to do.

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And in a city that struggles to
bring that level of excitement you know

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about about their franchise, he's somebody
who can definitely do that, and hopefully

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by virtue of that also be even
if even if he doesn't openly outwardly to

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say, hey, cal Lee,
I want you to play on my team,

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is his skill set something attractive enough
where almost like Devin Booker and Phoenix,

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where Katie was looking looking from Afar
and says, hey, I'd love

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to play with the book one day, you know, And hopefully Lamello has

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that type of gravitas that maybe some
the next upcoming free agent is looking like,

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hey, you know what, I
can go there and be a great

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teammate alongside Lamello. Yeah. So
I'm not going to disagree with you that

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if you are miss cup check to
validate the fact that you went with getting

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LaMelo Ball, you have to assume
that LaMelo Ball is a key piece.

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He is what's going to drive the
engine for how you're going to construct this

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team moving forward. I do think
though, that part of that process and

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getting to that point, Shaw is
recognizing what the future of this team needs

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to be like. And I'm just
talking about it from an unconventional sense of

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the word that it's not even so
much Steve Clifford. I think Steve Clifford

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and LaMelo Ball could actually work.
Remember Steve Clifford was very much involved in

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elevating and preserving the career of Kemba
Walker, who you know, sometimes you

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need a wily, veteran coach that
knows how to take care of superstar players

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who have a history of not being
able to stay healthy for a duration.

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Part of that, though, is
going to come down to Mitch cup Checks

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moves, so to speak, to
supplement what you could get out of the

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combination of Clifford and LaMelo Ball.
With that being said, I would I

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would think that if you're a cup
Check, you go completely opposite of the

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idea that you gotta go out and
use free agency and you know, bring

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guys in the Charlotte Hornet is.
Weirdly enough, Shaw have had a good

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track record of drafting quality players,
good quality role players who could find their

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way playing for a struggling organization and
a struggling fan base like for the Charlotte

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Hornets. We've seen this kind of
in and out mode with the Charlotte Hornets.

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Every couple of years or so,
they put together a quality team who

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competes. They find themselves hanging around
either the play in or maybe actually make

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the playoffs, and even if they
are a first round exit, whatever the

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case may be, the problem is
is they do something post that season that

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wrecks the whole thing. I think
they've never fully committed to the idea that

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they should have a young, gutty, gritty team to work with. They're

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always hedging their bets. We do
the same thing when we complain about the

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Orlando Magic because we can't figure out
what kind of roster they're gonna put together.

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But I think that this has been
the m with the Charlotte Hornets over

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the last few years as well too. They somehow don't fully commit to whether

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they want to be young, they
want it to be you know this this

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blend, this hybrid of I think
that if you want to have an effective

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team for Clifford to coach, you
really need to start focusing in on the

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guys that they're drafting, taking advantage
of guys that may even pull from the

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G League whatever. But I think
you need to bring a little bit more

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to the table and not do it
via through the draft. If you're Mitch

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cup Chack, I'm sorry, free
agency. If you're Mitch cup Check,

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yeah, well, I mean,
and that does mean you've got to move

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these dudes like they've they've served their
purpose, you know. I mean,

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PJ. Washington has been more than
solid, right, and I think they

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got to figure out do they want
to keep him and retain him long term.

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I think it goes back to some
of their previous All their decisions are

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always, to me somewhat rooted in
some question. The decision to bring Hayward

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in at that number specifically was questionable, you know, and once again,

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he played fifty He'll play games max, you know, roughly the end of

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this year. Um, they obviously
didn't expect LaMelo to only play thirty six

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games, right like that was that
that really was the worst part of their

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season by far and away, and
Cody Martin played seven games and was just

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never to be heard from again due
to his injuries. Um, I don't

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know. Charlotte Is is not devoid
of talent, but I don't know if

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they have a true direction in their
offense. Is really really bad. It's

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really really really bad. And yeah, LaMelo fixes a good portion of that,

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but he doesn't get them from twenty
nine thirtieth, you know, even

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into the teams right he might,
he might get them up a couple three

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four spots, but not fifteen spots, you know, even to like middle

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of the pack. So they got
to figure out a way to get better

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on that side of the basketball um
specifically and just shooting. And you know,

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he can help set some guys up, you know, once he's back.

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But to me, they need to
figure out a way to again get

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stronger offensively, get some three point
shooting specifically, and then figure out who

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are the who are the main studs
that they're trying to bring around them,

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and hopefully they end up with the
top pod draft pick that allows them to

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get somebody to pair LaMelo alongside.
You know, a lot in our last

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conversation and all of our conversations with
these teams are already eliminated. Yeah,

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00:22:45.000 --> 00:22:48.640
everyone's in the one Banyama sweek STAPs, but only one team can get them

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00:22:48.799 --> 00:22:52.759
right. And you know I said
last week, I'd love for LaMelo to

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pair alongside that type of big and
Charlie's been looking for a big man that

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they can just say, hey,
this is our guy for years. Ironically,

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00:23:00.839 --> 00:23:03.519
Public was having the best year of
his career. Then they probably shipped

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them out to the Clippers because while
they weren't going anywhere. Um. So

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Charlotte to me is just they're they're
a little bit lost, um, but

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they're not too far off from the
ability to, as you alluded, to

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get back into some level of viability
where they can at least be competing like

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everybody else seems to be in these
a conference from the playing tournament. Absolutely

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my final thought, Sean. And
then I'll let you lead into your your

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eulogy. Um, you know,
for the Charlotte Hornets is really more centered

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on what does this team look like
with LaMelo ball and I and I wonder

328
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about this because you have they have
the notion of the premonition that like the

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way that they play to your point
offensively remind you a lot like I don't

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know, um, those uh,
those those city league teams where you got

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like the coach who really doesn't have
coaching experience. You know, you got

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a really exciting player and you just
give him open you know, cartemaches,

333
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do whatever you guys got to do. Just make it look like you guys

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know how to play basketball. Right, We'll work on some you know,

335
00:24:15.359 --> 00:24:18.720
simple drills, will act like,
will play like we're organized. And I'm

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not speaking of this in the sense
and I'm like, oh, Steve Clifford

337
00:24:22.359 --> 00:24:26.200
doesn't know what he's doing. Steve
Clifford is one of the most recognized and

338
00:24:26.400 --> 00:24:32.240
respected coaches in the game of basketball, but I even think his biggest struggle

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is being able to figure out an
offensive system that's gonna work for a guy

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like LaMelo Ball. And I think
the only way that you're going to really

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be able to truly see that is
you're gonna have to put pieces around LaMelo

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00:24:48.079 --> 00:24:55.079
that doesn't reflect LaMelo, that challenges
LaMelo, that forces him to become a

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more well rounded basketball player. And
I think that's where the danger lies in

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the process of acquiring the kind of
talent that you're saying Shaw that they're gonna

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00:25:03.160 --> 00:25:07.359
probably need for a moment just even
forget about competitiveness. I'm just saying that

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when you see how LaMelo Ball plays
his brand of basketball, that might seem

347
00:25:11.920 --> 00:25:17.000
good in the short term, it
might, you know, turn some heads

348
00:25:17.119 --> 00:25:21.400
while some heads, but for some
of those players, even whether they're young

349
00:25:21.839 --> 00:25:25.480
or you know, somewhere trying to
find there or spark their career, they're

350
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gonna want to figure out how they
can fit in with a dynamic player like

351
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LaMelo and it's gonna be It's gonna
behoove LaMelo Ball for his evolution, and

352
00:25:34.119 --> 00:25:38.079
part of it is staying on the
court being healthy, but his evolution is

353
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really gonna come down to his ability
to figure out how to make his team

354
00:25:44.440 --> 00:25:48.000
better. And that's gonna be a
great, a great challenge that you will

355
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see with the Charlotte Hornets because a
lot of the years of the successful Little

356
00:25:52.440 --> 00:25:56.799
Hornets has always been predicated on one
player trying to save them when it really

357
00:25:56.799 --> 00:25:59.799
should come down to a whole team. Like the teams that are winning right

358
00:25:59.799 --> 00:26:03.920
now is when yeah, they have
a dynamic player, but that dynamic player's

359
00:26:03.960 --> 00:26:08.559
evolution is figuring out ways to accentuate
the you know, what makes their team

360
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unique, their players unique, or
the team elevating to a level when it

361
00:26:15.160 --> 00:26:19.319
calls for it or demands for There's
some people out there who may say lamellos

362
00:26:19.359 --> 00:26:23.519
more flash than substance right now,
not exactly empty calories, but you know,

363
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more flash, and yeah, can
you make more simple plays at times?

364
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And sure, I believe all that, but I think he's going to

365
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get there. And I think he's
shown the ability to understand and each year

366
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or even this year when he played, he was better than he was a

367
00:26:37.319 --> 00:26:40.519
year before. So he's got to
stay in the court at first and foremost.

368
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But I think again, it just
kind of continues to go back to

369
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all right, well, who's who's
out there alongside them? And then something

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you said it kind of struck me. When it comes to your teams in

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your organization, it's not always doesn't
always have to be about the star guy

372
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or the upper echelon coach. Sometimes
can be even a top notch assistant or

373
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somebody who's owned the rise on the
come up, who makes subtle tweaks,

374
00:27:04.359 --> 00:27:07.519
or the offense or the defense that
just gets the team kind of moving in

375
00:27:07.519 --> 00:27:11.680
the right direction to bring some some
level of cohesions. So I think they

376
00:27:11.680 --> 00:27:12.640
just need to take you know,
and I'll just kind of go into the

377
00:27:12.640 --> 00:27:15.920
soliloquy of the autopsy you like fully
here, take full stock of what your

378
00:27:17.000 --> 00:27:19.039
roster is, take full stock of
who's on the sideline alongside Clifford. And

379
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I'm not kocking Clifford or anybody that's
currently there, but twenty nine and thirty,

380
00:27:23.559 --> 00:27:26.119
if you know, in terms of
your offense, you know, offensive

381
00:27:26.160 --> 00:27:30.640
top offense SI six is not that's
not great, LaMelo or otherwise, So

382
00:27:30.759 --> 00:27:34.559
figure out a way to you know, revamp that and might be bringing a

383
00:27:34.599 --> 00:27:37.440
different voice who can maybe resonate with
some of those guys. And then you

384
00:27:37.480 --> 00:27:41.680
don't get rid of Clifford in essence
to do that or even undermine him.

385
00:27:41.720 --> 00:27:45.160
Just get somebody who maybe it's just
better offensively minding gifted Clifford has always been

386
00:27:45.200 --> 00:27:48.640
a defensive minding coach, and then
maybe that can shift things in the direction

387
00:27:48.720 --> 00:27:52.160
that it ultimately needs to go.
Alongside with whatever draft pick they get,

388
00:27:52.359 --> 00:27:55.640
maybe they move off a Hayward and
maybe they don't, maybe they flip Bubre,

389
00:27:55.799 --> 00:27:59.359
maybe they don't. But I think
again, as we've talked, talked

390
00:27:59.400 --> 00:28:03.200
this through some This team is again
is close to being at least competitive,

391
00:28:03.319 --> 00:28:07.680
even if they bring everybody back,
just with some subtle changes. Yeah,

392
00:28:07.720 --> 00:28:11.200
maybe that's what it Maybe that's what
it takes, you know, like when

393
00:28:11.240 --> 00:28:15.200
we uh have to fix up you
know what I'm saying the body right,

394
00:28:15.640 --> 00:28:19.319
can tweak it a little bit here, We don't you know, we just

395
00:28:19.400 --> 00:28:22.720
we a soon want to bury them
ugly, right, We want to make

396
00:28:22.759 --> 00:28:26.240
them look nice. So yeah,
that that's the overall goal. All right,

397
00:28:26.319 --> 00:28:29.839
let's try to give a little give
them a little bow tak Yeah,

398
00:28:29.880 --> 00:28:33.839
yeah, a little Charlotte Charlotte getting
a little bow tax right. Your tune

399
00:28:33.880 --> 00:28:40.079
to the baseline Callie wards Yaw discussing
the hot button topics of the NBA as

400
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we continue our efforts here on the
autopsy report. Coming up, Sean and

401
00:28:44.319 --> 00:28:47.680
I will break down the second team
that we got, uh you know,

402
00:28:47.799 --> 00:28:51.440
on docket for the autopsy report,
we'll be talking about the Houston Rockets now.

403
00:28:51.519 --> 00:28:55.400
They are gonna probably need an extreme
makeover or maybe not. I don't

404
00:28:55.440 --> 00:28:56.599
know. I just felt like I
had to say that. But you'll find

405
00:28:56.640 --> 00:29:03.119
out where we're coming from here on
the baseline. We are back Callie Warren

406
00:29:03.200 --> 00:29:10.119
Shaw Baseline NBA Podcast, as we
continue our autopsy report, and the next

407
00:29:10.160 --> 00:29:17.000
team that we're going to basically exoom
and examine will be the uh, the

408
00:29:17.160 --> 00:29:21.960
Houston Rockets. Now, typically when
we do our autopsy reports, you know,

409
00:29:22.079 --> 00:29:26.359
I rattle off all of these you
know, numbers and you know,

410
00:29:26.480 --> 00:29:29.880
try to validate, uh, you
know, part of what we see,

411
00:29:30.000 --> 00:29:33.720
like this team is not good and
struggling, and or what it's going to

412
00:29:33.799 --> 00:29:36.519
take for them to elevate. Not
gonna We're not gonna bore you with all

413
00:29:36.559 --> 00:29:38.400
of that, right. I think
once we start moving up, you know

414
00:29:38.440 --> 00:29:44.720
what I'm saying, our autopsies on
some other teams we could really dissect and

415
00:29:44.920 --> 00:29:48.440
really look at, you know,
what was the sex, what was successful

416
00:29:48.519 --> 00:29:55.839
with the failures for certain teams.
I think it's really easy. Teams like

417
00:29:56.119 --> 00:30:00.240
the Houston Rockets and the Charlotte Hornets
and the teams that we'll be talking about

418
00:30:00.279 --> 00:30:03.279
over the next coming weeks, they
were not good on either side of the

419
00:30:03.359 --> 00:30:07.400
basketball. But Shaw, I think
something really sticks out at me when I

420
00:30:07.519 --> 00:30:15.279
think about this Houston Rockets team.
And you know me, I have you

421
00:30:15.359 --> 00:30:18.599
know, I speak my piece when
especially I you know, focus a lot

422
00:30:18.680 --> 00:30:22.000
more on the coaching aspect of things, because obviously I think coaching matters,

423
00:30:22.240 --> 00:30:26.599
especially in the NBA, but I
think you also have to take a look

424
00:30:26.680 --> 00:30:33.160
at how the rosters are being constructed
and what's the vision, what is the

425
00:30:33.359 --> 00:30:36.759
what is the end goal. Over
the last few years, we've seen,

426
00:30:37.039 --> 00:30:41.920
you know, um, Steven Silas, he's he's had to work with quite

427
00:30:41.960 --> 00:30:45.759
an eclectic bunch of guys, right, very young, right, um,

428
00:30:47.359 --> 00:30:51.119
very wet behind the ears. But
the one thing that I will say that

429
00:30:51.279 --> 00:30:56.359
that that that really concerns me is
I don't know if I'm finding an identity

430
00:30:56.400 --> 00:30:59.599
with this Houston Rockets team, even
with the star players that they have.

431
00:31:00.799 --> 00:31:06.720
I don't know if whether or not
I'm seeing Stephen Silas's imprint on the core

432
00:31:06.839 --> 00:31:11.440
players that have been drafted and are
on this roster. And then I will

433
00:31:11.480 --> 00:31:19.599
equally say as well too for Raphael
Stone as the GM, what exactly are

434
00:31:19.720 --> 00:31:30.599
you what exactly are you focusing on
for this team that is giving Stephen Silas

435
00:31:30.759 --> 00:31:37.000
an opportunity to have an imprint on
how he coaches that team? Right,

436
00:31:37.119 --> 00:31:40.839
Like, certain moves you can tell
the GMS are making are clearly in the

437
00:31:40.920 --> 00:31:45.559
best interests of building up the team
and giving his head coach really being behind

438
00:31:45.599 --> 00:31:48.200
his head coach. I don't know
if I see that with this Houston Rockets

439
00:31:48.240 --> 00:31:51.880
team Shaw and the fact that we're
now doing this for a second year in

440
00:31:51.960 --> 00:31:53.920
a row. I'm gonna I'm gonna
let the first year that Stephen came in

441
00:31:53.960 --> 00:31:56.599
as the head coach go to pass
because he was dealing with a lot of

442
00:31:56.680 --> 00:32:02.079
turmoil with John wall in that whole
situation and stuff. But now we're in

443
00:32:02.160 --> 00:32:08.039
the third year of this supposed to
be rebuilding process and I don't even know

444
00:32:08.119 --> 00:32:14.519
if I've seen the materials make it
to the construction site yet. Yeah,

445
00:32:14.680 --> 00:32:19.400
it's they are a team that is
a lot of young guys. They have

446
00:32:19.559 --> 00:32:22.839
some picks coming their way, obviously
as a result of the James Harden trade.

447
00:32:22.519 --> 00:32:25.079
But you're right, I think Silas
is probably like, I waited all

448
00:32:25.160 --> 00:32:29.519
this time to get a head coaching
job, and look at this pile of

449
00:32:29.599 --> 00:32:32.319
crap just kind of walked into.
In terms of the situation, not the

450
00:32:32.440 --> 00:32:37.319
people, not the players, but
just the situation and how it all meshes

451
00:32:37.359 --> 00:32:40.599
together. He's got to be frustrated, you know. And while Jaellen Green

452
00:32:42.240 --> 00:32:45.599
is somebody who's going to be a
high level scorer in this league for a

453
00:32:45.759 --> 00:32:50.839
very long time. I don't know
that he's somebody you build your team around,

454
00:32:51.160 --> 00:32:52.319
right, I don't know that yet. I think he's going to be

455
00:32:52.319 --> 00:32:57.480
a guy who can get buckets and
that can get you to a certain level

456
00:32:57.559 --> 00:33:00.720
of success, but you know,
he's got to do it in a different

457
00:33:00.759 --> 00:33:02.799
way. Um that I don't know
that he's developed yet. Um. Kevin

458
00:33:02.839 --> 00:33:07.839
Porter is probably one of the most
dislike people on Twitter outside of Houston,

459
00:33:08.240 --> 00:33:10.319
you know, in terms of,
you know, the way they think his

460
00:33:10.400 --> 00:33:14.400
basketball IQ is and some of the
mistakes he makes or whatever. But I

461
00:33:14.480 --> 00:33:17.119
think he's grown. Um. But
is he the solution at point guard long

462
00:33:17.240 --> 00:33:21.759
term? Probably not right and he's
not a natural point guard, but he's

463
00:33:22.000 --> 00:33:27.160
he's taken some he's grown into being
at least serviceable for what the Rockets are

464
00:33:27.319 --> 00:33:30.960
right now, but not who the
Rockets ultimately probably need to be long term.

465
00:33:30.720 --> 00:33:35.319
Um. Then you take Shangoon,
who seems to be you know,

466
00:33:35.640 --> 00:33:37.720
uh, you know, we use
this term a lot, but you know

467
00:33:37.920 --> 00:33:42.480
Walmart brand, you know, yokich
Um. He's not quite um as prolific,

468
00:33:42.559 --> 00:33:46.559
obviously, but he's showing some signs
of being good Jabari Smith had an

469
00:33:46.640 --> 00:33:50.759
okay Brookie season started to come on
here late, closing the season off pretty

470
00:33:50.759 --> 00:33:54.519
strong. But there's some there's there's
some pieces here. Tory Easton even you

471
00:33:54.640 --> 00:33:58.640
know, he's had some nice moments
coming off the bench. And we all

472
00:33:58.680 --> 00:34:00.400
know what Kenny Martin Junior has black
at times in terms of you know,

473
00:34:00.480 --> 00:34:06.119
being a role player. It's just
but it just doesn't work, you know,

474
00:34:06.279 --> 00:34:09.760
for sustainable winning. And yes,
they're young, Yes there's more growth

475
00:34:09.800 --> 00:34:14.039
to do, even from Silence's standpoint
as as a head coach now as well,

476
00:34:14.719 --> 00:34:16.800
but he's supposed to be one of
the better offensive minds. And the

477
00:34:16.880 --> 00:34:22.639
Rockets are last in offense and shooting
threes. You know, we talked about

478
00:34:22.719 --> 00:34:24.039
Charlotte they were next to last and
now we have the last place team,

479
00:34:24.239 --> 00:34:28.639
you know, with the Houston Rockets. So they've got to figure out how

480
00:34:28.719 --> 00:34:32.039
to be more efficient, you know, first and foremost. But really listen,

481
00:34:32.079 --> 00:34:35.119
you can take what John Wall said
with the grain of salt, but

482
00:34:35.239 --> 00:34:37.400
I think we all see it as
we're watching. Yeah, they do need

483
00:34:37.440 --> 00:34:40.360
to let how to learn how to
play with more poise, especially down the

484
00:34:40.400 --> 00:34:45.440
stretch of games. And you know, it's been said that they are just

485
00:34:45.599 --> 00:34:49.960
kind of like they're devoid of real
structure. And if other NBA players are

486
00:34:50.000 --> 00:34:52.199
critiquing that John Wall, Austin Rivers, people like that who have had those

487
00:34:52.239 --> 00:34:57.199
criticisms of them, then that's something
that Silence and Stone need to address.

488
00:34:57.280 --> 00:35:00.559
They need to figure out, all
right, how do we get a veteran

489
00:35:00.599 --> 00:35:02.679
who can help us here, um
as opposed to just throlling the balls out

490
00:35:02.719 --> 00:35:07.639
and letting the chips fall where they
make. So there's a lot to unpact

491
00:35:07.559 --> 00:35:10.800
on that. I'm gonna let that
sit for a moment and let me just

492
00:35:10.880 --> 00:35:14.559
speak on on this one thing that
I just thought about from what you were

493
00:35:14.599 --> 00:35:20.079
just saying a few moments ago.
I think maturity plays such an important role

494
00:35:22.000 --> 00:35:25.719
in being able to see the forced, you know, through the trees.

495
00:35:27.159 --> 00:35:35.639
Right. Um, the problem that
I'm seeing from all of these players is

496
00:35:36.239 --> 00:35:43.400
while it seems nice and exciting and
it's cool because among your peers, right

497
00:35:44.679 --> 00:35:46.800
you're you're you know, your age
limit, your age group of guys.

498
00:35:47.039 --> 00:35:51.880
Because you can make the argument that
like they have a very young team right

499
00:35:52.039 --> 00:35:55.280
now that Eric Gordon has gone,
Wall's not playing on that squad, um,

500
00:35:55.880 --> 00:36:04.559
they have an extremely young basketball team
who has no idea how to compete

501
00:36:04.599 --> 00:36:07.159
and play in the NBA, and
maybe that's a good thing. Maybe that

502
00:36:07.519 --> 00:36:13.719
you know you're it's a fresh start, and losing the way that you do

503
00:36:14.280 --> 00:36:17.880
to some of the teams that you're
playing against may humble you in really taking

504
00:36:19.000 --> 00:36:22.840
this offseason to figure out certain things
that you have to get better at,

505
00:36:23.639 --> 00:36:29.000
be marketably improved at. The problem
is, and I think it's to the

506
00:36:29.079 --> 00:36:32.199
point that you were mentioning Shaw because
this could lead to the frustration of Steven

507
00:36:32.239 --> 00:36:37.760
Silas. If you're someone who's been
involved in the in the NBA ranks and

508
00:36:37.960 --> 00:36:42.039
you've had the ability to be in
the ear of certain players and you could

509
00:36:42.119 --> 00:36:46.760
watch their growth, you could watch
their maturation process, you know, come

510
00:36:46.800 --> 00:36:50.960
of age, so to speak,
you feel proud because you were a part

511
00:36:51.000 --> 00:36:55.599
of that. All of these guys
show such a high level of immaturity and

512
00:36:55.719 --> 00:37:05.480
their ability to figure these things out
that it moves in contrast to the window

513
00:37:05.519 --> 00:37:10.719
of opportunity that day, the organization
and even the head coach is going to

514
00:37:10.800 --> 00:37:15.320
have to figure out how to get
this right. You know, It's it's

515
00:37:15.400 --> 00:37:19.880
different if we're giving these guys a
five year window to do things, but

516
00:37:20.079 --> 00:37:22.519
the way that players operate, the
way that players move, the way that

517
00:37:22.679 --> 00:37:29.800
organizations see certain things, the way
that they're losing basketball games, the effectiveness

518
00:37:29.880 --> 00:37:34.199
that the coach has in the locker
room and out on the basketball court.

519
00:37:34.639 --> 00:37:39.599
All of that accelerates what takes what
takes place in really saying, do I

520
00:37:39.719 --> 00:37:44.400
want to sit pat, let this
thing play itself out, maybe these guys

521
00:37:44.599 --> 00:37:47.719
figure this that formed together and and
take that next step, or do I

522
00:37:49.440 --> 00:37:52.960
just am settled on the idea that
as exciting as these guys are out there

523
00:37:52.960 --> 00:37:57.000
on the basketball court, not one
of them is ever going to figure out

524
00:37:57.079 --> 00:38:00.960
how to compete and elevate and mature
and lead a team. And I think

525
00:38:01.000 --> 00:38:06.039
that's gonna be one of the big
questions. And typically what saves that question

526
00:38:06.159 --> 00:38:09.000
from even having to be answered is
if you have a head coach who can

527
00:38:09.079 --> 00:38:15.719
have a very quick imprint on that
on addressing that question. And I'll and

528
00:38:15.760 --> 00:38:19.000
I'll say this, and to say
Shaw, the Rockets had a JB.

529
00:38:19.159 --> 00:38:24.760
Bickerstaff the Cleveland Cavaliers and Altman,
you know, they they they put their

530
00:38:24.840 --> 00:38:29.039
faith in the fact that JB.
Bickerstaff is going to have an imprint on

531
00:38:29.199 --> 00:38:31.440
that young team. And look at
what those guys are doing. And that's

532
00:38:31.480 --> 00:38:35.599
what I'm saying. There's a danger
here with the Houston Rockets, because to

533
00:38:35.679 --> 00:38:37.400
your point, there's there's a lot
of great things, like if you break

534
00:38:37.440 --> 00:38:40.199
down all of their numbers and stuff, there's something good there. There's they

535
00:38:40.239 --> 00:38:44.920
can score the basketball, there can
be excitement there. They got guys that

536
00:38:45.000 --> 00:38:49.199
can play above the rim, right, But what does it mean anything too

537
00:38:49.719 --> 00:38:55.440
if it's not translating to two wins
and the maturity of of seeing that happen.

538
00:38:55.760 --> 00:39:00.159
I think it's a scary proposition for
the Houston Rockets because you don't want

539
00:39:00.199 --> 00:39:02.880
to be where they've been the last
couple of years with this kind of youthful

540
00:39:04.320 --> 00:39:07.480
exuberance that people should feel about exciting
basketball that can be played down there.

541
00:39:10.920 --> 00:39:17.079
Yeah, you'd figure mind coming from
Dallas and one of the most historic offenses

542
00:39:17.119 --> 00:39:22.880
when he was there under Luca etc. Now there I miss spoke. They're

543
00:39:22.920 --> 00:39:28.239
twenty seventh and conservating thirtieth and three
point shooting, thirty and three point three

544
00:39:28.320 --> 00:39:32.159
pointers made, and then you go
to thirtieth internovers, so they don't take

545
00:39:32.280 --> 00:39:37.599
care of the basketball. But one
of the most damning stats for me dead

546
00:39:37.679 --> 00:39:43.239
last and assist so they're out there
not really playing for each other. And

547
00:39:43.280 --> 00:39:45.360
again somebody has to be last and
assist I guess or what I mean.

548
00:39:45.400 --> 00:39:50.000
It's a ranking, somebody's gonna finish
last. But you wouldn't initially want you

549
00:39:50.039 --> 00:39:52.239
don't want it to be your team. You wouldn't necessarily expect it to be.

550
00:39:52.599 --> 00:39:54.119
You know, this team that has
so many offensive talent, like they

551
00:39:54.159 --> 00:39:58.239
could just fall into some assist they
share the basketball more, you know,

552
00:39:58.400 --> 00:40:01.599
and again that goes again. This
is in an indictment on Porter Junior specifically

553
00:40:02.000 --> 00:40:06.159
U Shangoon is a is again shoot
him to have to be a capable passer

554
00:40:06.360 --> 00:40:10.639
like that too. But there's no
real natural playmakers on the roster, and

555
00:40:10.840 --> 00:40:14.480
that means everybody's kind of going out
there. Your turn, my turn,

556
00:40:14.639 --> 00:40:16.719
you know what, my turn again? And I think those are what's coming

557
00:40:16.800 --> 00:40:20.679
down to, you know, some
of those discipplinting losses and some of those

558
00:40:20.760 --> 00:40:23.960
high turnovers that they also see.
So this is a team that has some

559
00:40:24.159 --> 00:40:28.960
capability there. Again, they're not
devoid of talent. You know, you

560
00:40:29.039 --> 00:40:32.679
could put their actual raw skill and
talent up against a lot of other teams.

561
00:40:34.039 --> 00:40:37.159
But where I think they are probably
lacking the most is what you just

562
00:40:37.239 --> 00:40:43.159
said, the actual discipline, and
I don't want to utilize because I don't

563
00:40:43.159 --> 00:40:45.960
think they're not stupid, but the
basketball IQ, the in game situations that

564
00:40:46.119 --> 00:40:50.400
they have been in, they haven't
performed willing yet and they need they just

565
00:40:50.480 --> 00:40:53.119
need more repetition in that and ways
to figure out now, Okay, well

566
00:40:53.360 --> 00:40:55.920
how do we not blow this game
this time? You know, because you

567
00:40:57.000 --> 00:40:59.920
might fight hard for three and a
half quarters and then you lose a game

568
00:41:00.119 --> 00:41:04.800
at the end. To me,
this Rockets team can be a lot better.

569
00:41:05.159 --> 00:41:08.039
I don't think that they're going to
jump into the conversation of the play

570
00:41:08.079 --> 00:41:13.159
in you know, next year,
even with a high draft pick. I

571
00:41:13.280 --> 00:41:15.639
just I just don't see that because
I think there's a lot of growth that

572
00:41:15.679 --> 00:41:19.199
needs to happen here. But they
are talented in terms of the raw talent.

573
00:41:19.280 --> 00:41:22.199
They just all got to work hard
and work together. And I'd love

574
00:41:22.280 --> 00:41:25.159
to see, you know, the
workout videos with the Rockets this summer.

575
00:41:25.400 --> 00:41:29.360
You know, hey, Kevin Porter
Junior and Jelen Green and gathered everybody over

576
00:41:29.840 --> 00:41:32.800
in Wyoming, you know, to
to work out and just try to come

577
00:41:32.880 --> 00:41:37.480
together and with whatever draft pick they
end up getting and seeing how they can

578
00:41:37.559 --> 00:41:39.280
work on some of the repetition and
the reps that they need, and that's

579
00:41:39.519 --> 00:41:43.000
to be better when it comes to
regular season. But um, again,

580
00:41:43.119 --> 00:41:45.480
I think they have some talent here, but it's it's just going to look

581
00:41:45.480 --> 00:41:47.599
like it's going to be a little
bit further, a longer drive than I

582
00:41:47.599 --> 00:41:50.559
think some of the teams we've talked
about earlier. Well, let me ask

583
00:41:50.559 --> 00:41:53.559
you this question, Shaw, If
you are the Houston Rockets, right,

584
00:41:54.760 --> 00:42:01.679
do you focus your attention on on
drafting more right? Like looking forward to

585
00:42:02.639 --> 00:42:08.960
have a potential lottery pick right with
this team come this upcoming draft class?

586
00:42:09.079 --> 00:42:15.800
Right, do you consider the idea
maybe you move that in order to maybe

587
00:42:15.840 --> 00:42:20.039
acquire a veteran player, because that
always seems to be, you know,

588
00:42:20.159 --> 00:42:23.960
the go to move whenever we talk
about a team's lack of maturity so to

589
00:42:24.000 --> 00:42:29.039
speak, they need a veteran presence. And I'm not mocking anything that we've

590
00:42:29.079 --> 00:42:31.400
been talking about, y'all, because
that typically is what happens. Right,

591
00:42:31.519 --> 00:42:35.639
Like, I go get any a
veteran guy, and we think that he's

592
00:42:35.679 --> 00:42:38.880
going to help improve the locker room. But I see a dichotomy here that's

593
00:42:38.880 --> 00:42:43.440
taking place when we talk about this
type of talent that you're referring. I

594
00:42:43.559 --> 00:42:47.880
think the thing that concerns me when
I look at this team is can this

595
00:42:49.199 --> 00:42:54.719
team together get better? And if
so, can they figure out the roles

596
00:42:54.760 --> 00:43:01.760
and responsibilities that each person will take
it upon them off to help this team

597
00:43:02.480 --> 00:43:07.119
improve on a lot of the metrics
that you had alluded to just a few

598
00:43:07.199 --> 00:43:10.159
moments ago, right, Because part
of that conversation Shaw, when I think

599
00:43:10.159 --> 00:43:15.199
about the Kevin Porter juniors and the
Jailing Greens, and you know, the

600
00:43:15.320 --> 00:43:20.119
Jabari Smiths and the Singoons and the
Martin juniors are this is a free form

601
00:43:20.280 --> 00:43:23.800
team, but ultimately somebody has got
a captain this ship, you know.

602
00:43:24.320 --> 00:43:28.760
So does that mean if you're Jailing
Green, that you take a step back

603
00:43:28.840 --> 00:43:32.239
and worrying about being the point god
so to speak, of scoring the basketball

604
00:43:32.280 --> 00:43:37.320
all the time and worry more about
getting guys where they need to be showing

605
00:43:37.559 --> 00:43:42.599
more leadership. Or should that fall
on a Jabari Smith junior? Or should

606
00:43:42.679 --> 00:43:45.239
that fall on a Kevin Porter?
You know, who's going to be the

607
00:43:45.320 --> 00:43:49.280
defensive anchor for that team? Could
it be a Kenyan Martin junior? Like

608
00:43:49.400 --> 00:43:53.079
there's so many undefined roles, but
the talent is so much there, and

609
00:43:53.239 --> 00:43:57.440
even I myself when I see them
play Shaw, I don't know who.

610
00:43:57.880 --> 00:44:00.920
I don't know where I would put
the onus on those guys if you gave

611
00:44:01.000 --> 00:44:05.880
me an off season for them to
say you take on this role, you

612
00:44:06.079 --> 00:44:08.159
take on that role. And it's
not even saying oh, they do each

613
00:44:08.199 --> 00:44:10.960
of these things really well. What
I'm saying is they're just doing their own

614
00:44:12.119 --> 00:44:15.119
thing, right, Like you just
alluded to that, they're doing their own

615
00:44:15.280 --> 00:44:20.079
thing. But I don't know whatever
of that thing is is what's going to

616
00:44:20.760 --> 00:44:23.199
equate to us figuring out what they're
gonna look like even when they come back

617
00:44:25.119 --> 00:44:30.199
for next season, like we'd have
to see, we'd have to see something

618
00:44:30.800 --> 00:44:36.039
change up that narrative where were they
can speak more to what it is that

619
00:44:36.119 --> 00:44:38.599
they want to see themselves approve upon
as a team. Well well, I

620
00:44:38.639 --> 00:44:42.199
mean again, the fact that they
have such a at least a potential for

621
00:44:42.280 --> 00:44:47.719
such a high draft pack draft pick
makes them extremely malleable. And I think

622
00:44:47.760 --> 00:44:53.760
it's you know, if it's if
it's Wemby, he projects as you're building

623
00:44:53.800 --> 00:44:58.760
block. If it's Scoot, maybe
projects as you're building block, and then

624
00:44:58.800 --> 00:45:01.119
you move jen the ground green up
to the three or something like that.

625
00:45:02.599 --> 00:45:06.559
I think again, we continue to
maintain that there's talent on this roster,

626
00:45:07.320 --> 00:45:12.000
but are any of them the true
building blocks of what you want a team

627
00:45:12.079 --> 00:45:15.440
to become? And those are questions
that do come with some semblance of role

628
00:45:15.559 --> 00:45:21.400
definement. So where does this draft
pick lan? However, let's not get

629
00:45:21.440 --> 00:45:24.519
down this rabbit hole too far.
But there are rumors and some that think

630
00:45:24.599 --> 00:45:29.119
James Harden may want to return.
I don't know about all that you like.

631
00:45:29.199 --> 00:45:30.559
I don't know that that's I don't
know if that's good for this team

632
00:45:31.079 --> 00:45:35.880
and this especially the way it's currently
constructed, but it is something that is

633
00:45:36.000 --> 00:45:39.000
potentially on the horizon. Then take
into account. In addition to their own

634
00:45:39.039 --> 00:45:43.159
pick, they also have two other
first round picks this year. They have

635
00:45:44.400 --> 00:45:46.960
first round picks next year and multiple
seconds next year, and then two first

636
00:45:47.000 --> 00:45:52.719
rounds picks and twenty five again,
so they could very easily cobble some stuff

637
00:45:52.719 --> 00:45:57.880
together if they wanted to try to
fast track it. But what does that

638
00:45:58.039 --> 00:46:04.400
look like? And does it whoever
you bring in, who do you ship

639
00:46:04.480 --> 00:46:07.960
out? I don't know, you
know, I think the Rockets just but

640
00:46:07.079 --> 00:46:10.639
they do they need some serious,
serious, serious clear role definement as eluded.

641
00:46:10.679 --> 00:46:14.559
I think that was an amazing point. Yeah. So, I mean

642
00:46:15.079 --> 00:46:16.599
one of the things that you know, you talk about with the with the

643
00:46:16.719 --> 00:46:25.239
Houston Rockets team is the fan base
themselves I think are going to be patient,

644
00:46:27.000 --> 00:46:30.400
but I think they're only going to
be patient for so long. We've

645
00:46:30.440 --> 00:46:36.639
seen somewhat of a slippage sort of
speak in what the Southwest Division UM has

646
00:46:36.800 --> 00:46:42.960
afforded them. So while the Dallas
Mavericks may still you know, be relevant

647
00:46:43.039 --> 00:46:45.360
because you know they're they're they're hanging
around in the play in and you know

648
00:46:45.440 --> 00:46:49.079
now they're in six as we're recording
this, I'm sure this is going to

649
00:46:49.280 --> 00:46:52.480
change and flip flop. UM.
The New Orleans Pelicans have taken a step

650
00:46:52.559 --> 00:46:57.639
back, but a lot of it
is due to you know, Dion Williess

651
00:46:57.679 --> 00:47:01.280
and not being available. UM,
and the San Antonio Spurs have just been

652
00:47:01.280 --> 00:47:07.800
a bad basketball team. So where
we thought that this division itself was going

653
00:47:07.840 --> 00:47:10.800
to basically leave the Houston Rockets,
you know what I'm saying, in their

654
00:47:10.920 --> 00:47:15.199
in their in their spurs, in
their boots and spurs, right, UM,

655
00:47:15.599 --> 00:47:21.519
there's a window where the excitement of
some of the players that come out

656
00:47:21.639 --> 00:47:25.000
and they compete, they show some
signs of playing exciting basketball. You know,

657
00:47:25.119 --> 00:47:30.199
there's there's there's a there's something there, you know. But I do

658
00:47:30.320 --> 00:47:32.480
also caution the idea as well too, that they gotta make the right moves

659
00:47:32.559 --> 00:47:37.119
now, you know, moving forward. Um and in haste, we've seen

660
00:47:37.199 --> 00:47:40.960
when the Houston Rockets don't do that, So it'll be interesting to see,

661
00:47:42.639 --> 00:47:47.280
you know, how they look at
this particular season. Um. And I

662
00:47:47.920 --> 00:47:53.239
I'm more so curious Shaw, who
is definitively going to speak to those roles

663
00:47:53.280 --> 00:47:57.840
that you were talking about before.
If there was somebody that you wanted to

664
00:47:57.960 --> 00:48:01.400
really be quote unquote the head of
the snake for this team, not necessarily

665
00:48:01.480 --> 00:48:05.480
by the numbers, but just from
what you've been able to see so far

666
00:48:05.599 --> 00:48:08.079
this year, Who do you really
think should be the top dog for this

667
00:48:08.239 --> 00:48:15.400
basketball team? Yeah, I think
that's it's tough for me. Most people

668
00:48:15.440 --> 00:48:19.920
are gonna say Jailing Green. I
think Shangoon is showing some some shops,

669
00:48:20.800 --> 00:48:23.719
but I don't know enough about him, you know, his personality and understanding.

670
00:48:24.719 --> 00:48:29.519
Can he be a locker room type
guy and leader and somebody who galvinizes

671
00:48:29.519 --> 00:48:31.760
a roster and team. It doesn't
always have to be a guy who scores

672
00:48:31.800 --> 00:48:34.960
the most points. You know,
I think that's going to be Jailing Green,

673
00:48:35.079 --> 00:48:37.599
but it can be you know,
and if he's willing to take that

674
00:48:37.000 --> 00:48:42.880
that that maturity step, then then
awesome. I don't think will be any

675
00:48:42.920 --> 00:48:45.679
of the rookies they bring in,
even if it's when be Brendan Miller,

676
00:48:45.719 --> 00:48:47.800
Scoot Henderson, you know, whoever
they bring in. I think whoever that

677
00:48:47.960 --> 00:48:52.280
is is going to be looking for
somebody to lean on and just kind of

678
00:48:52.320 --> 00:48:54.880
go out there and hoop, but
not necessarily you know, lead by you

679
00:48:54.960 --> 00:48:59.559
know, not necessarily lead in the
locker room, but maybe lead more from

680
00:48:59.599 --> 00:49:02.840
example. So that vocal voice maybe
is a shooon type, maybe can be

681
00:49:02.960 --> 00:49:07.159
jail and Green. I think Kevin
Porter thinks he can do it. I

682
00:49:07.280 --> 00:49:09.760
don't know that he's up to the
task, but I think it's hard.

683
00:49:10.079 --> 00:49:14.960
But the one thing that you touched
on that's really also truth. If they

684
00:49:15.079 --> 00:49:19.519
decide to make a move by virtue
of all the picks they have, or

685
00:49:19.639 --> 00:49:22.000
by version of just having a crap
ton of money, they only have sixty

686
00:49:22.000 --> 00:49:27.159
eight million dollars committed in salary.
That's a crap ton of money, you

687
00:49:27.239 --> 00:49:29.320
know, and they don't need to
go out here and blow it, you

688
00:49:29.440 --> 00:49:30.559
know, they don't. That's not
what they need to do at all.

689
00:49:30.960 --> 00:49:36.239
But they're well below the cap,
especially after getting John Wall and Aaron Gordon

690
00:49:36.320 --> 00:49:39.440
off their books, so they have
a lot of options and it's just going

691
00:49:39.519 --> 00:49:44.480
to be a matter of how,
you know, Fatita, you know,

692
00:49:44.519 --> 00:49:47.079
the owner guy, he wants to
how he wants to empower the rest of

693
00:49:47.119 --> 00:49:51.079
the team in the roster and the
leadership to explore those options. But they

694
00:49:51.159 --> 00:49:54.480
definitely have them and Texas isn't a
bad place to live. But those guys

695
00:49:54.599 --> 00:50:00.960
haven't necessarily proven to be I don't
think they're the ones where are driving the

696
00:50:00.000 --> 00:50:02.840
conversation, you know, in terms
of recruitment for the NBA guys as well

697
00:50:02.880 --> 00:50:07.039
too, because of the way they
played so far. And I just that

698
00:50:07.199 --> 00:50:09.599
those are things again, that role
definement, you know, that maturity that

699
00:50:09.760 --> 00:50:13.760
will get guys who want to come
there. Or again, maybe you do

700
00:50:13.840 --> 00:50:15.280
it by some virtue of a trade
and then kind of force the force the

701
00:50:15.360 --> 00:50:20.119
situation, force the hand and maybe
there's a direction that way. But it's

702
00:50:20.119 --> 00:50:22.360
it's going to be an interesting situation
I think for the Rockets, you know,

703
00:50:22.440 --> 00:50:24.760
for years to come. So I'll
let you get into your eulogy for

704
00:50:24.840 --> 00:50:29.639
the Houston Rockets, But for me, what I will probably say is,

705
00:50:29.880 --> 00:50:32.199
this is going to be an interesting
offseason for the Houston Rockets. I want

706
00:50:32.239 --> 00:50:38.800
to see which of the young core
guys are so far core guys, which

707
00:50:38.880 --> 00:50:45.400
one of them goes through their transformation. Right, there's always one player,

708
00:50:45.239 --> 00:50:54.280
whether he uses social media, he
uses a contract extension, whatever, I'm

709
00:50:54.960 --> 00:51:00.239
there's gonna always be one player who
I think is gonna head shoulders, you

710
00:51:00.320 --> 00:51:07.480
know, switch things up on people
and have like a much different mentality,

711
00:51:07.599 --> 00:51:13.440
mindset approach, which I think may
lend themselves. Now. I don't know

712
00:51:13.519 --> 00:51:15.880
if I want to go out on
a limb and you know, start talking

713
00:51:15.960 --> 00:51:19.199
about, you know, one of
these guys like Jaylen Brown or Kenyan Martin

714
00:51:19.280 --> 00:51:22.440
Junior, one of those guys can
elevate themselves to say like most improved or

715
00:51:22.920 --> 00:51:28.480
you know, do something you know
from an individual perspective that's putting them on

716
00:51:28.599 --> 00:51:32.079
the map. But I do feel
like for us to for us to buy

717
00:51:32.119 --> 00:51:37.480
into what we've been talking about and
for people to buy into what they want

718
00:51:37.519 --> 00:51:39.400
to do, one of them is
going to have to do that. And

719
00:51:39.599 --> 00:51:43.880
I think some one of those guys
will if I had to put my money

720
00:51:43.960 --> 00:51:46.280
on it, I'm gonna say,
look out for Kenyan Martin Junior. I

721
00:51:46.480 --> 00:51:51.559
think that he is. I think
he's in a prime position to show his

722
00:51:51.679 --> 00:51:57.719
athleticism and also show that he's still
you know what I'm saying, a chip

723
00:51:57.800 --> 00:52:00.280
off the old man, you know, shoulder. You know what I'm saying,

724
00:52:01.000 --> 00:52:05.519
chip off the block right, watch
for that that that grit and that

725
00:52:05.679 --> 00:52:10.280
chippiness exhibited, you know what I'm
saying, come next season and see how

726
00:52:10.400 --> 00:52:15.840
he can establish his presence as a
as a front core player with a lot

727
00:52:15.880 --> 00:52:21.679
of dynamic opportunity for the Houston Rockets, So that that would be what I

728
00:52:21.719 --> 00:52:27.039
would probably speak to them that well, you know what I'll I will allow

729
00:52:27.119 --> 00:52:30.840
it as I say, I think
I think you knew with with him having

730
00:52:30.920 --> 00:52:32.719
the roots of his father, somebody
who's you know, obviously done it and

731
00:52:32.840 --> 00:52:37.440
understand what it means to be in
a functioning locker room. You know,

732
00:52:37.559 --> 00:52:40.679
maybe he can talk to Pops and
say like, hey, how do I

733
00:52:40.840 --> 00:52:45.360
become you know, better leader and
get these guys together, and then at

734
00:52:45.400 --> 00:52:47.760
the same time, you know how
they respect me because I'm out there producing

735
00:52:47.840 --> 00:52:52.440
on the court on a more regular
basis um and not and not just dunking

736
00:52:52.519 --> 00:52:54.480
on people. You know, I
think he's he's definitely showed some flashes of

737
00:52:54.599 --> 00:52:58.400
a guy who can be more than
than that. And you know, he's

738
00:52:58.559 --> 00:53:00.960
defending and trying to shoot three ball
here with a little bit more consistency,

739
00:53:01.039 --> 00:53:06.320
etc. I'm so much shooting thirty
one percent unfortunately, but he's somebody who

740
00:53:06.320 --> 00:53:07.719
I think makes a lot of sense. Again, I'm gonna go with Shangoon

741
00:53:08.480 --> 00:53:14.280
only because if, if, if
he can take those again, if if

742
00:53:14.320 --> 00:53:17.199
he's just if he's using the joker
as any type of model. Uh,

743
00:53:17.400 --> 00:53:21.360
look where Denver is. And while
he is not going to go out there

744
00:53:21.400 --> 00:53:23.159
and become in a two times MVP, you know, the next couple of

745
00:53:23.199 --> 00:53:28.000
seasons, I'm not saying that,
but I think he can take strides towards,

746
00:53:28.320 --> 00:53:30.920
you know, galvanizing the team and
understanding that, hey, i can

747
00:53:30.960 --> 00:53:34.079
get my buckets when when I need
to, but I'm going to focus on

748
00:53:34.159 --> 00:53:37.719
rebounding and maybe getting other guys involved, and I can run some offense and

749
00:53:37.800 --> 00:53:40.280
do dribble handoffs from from the you
know, from the nail and the pinch

750
00:53:40.360 --> 00:53:45.239
post, etcetera, etcetera, those
are things that I think can help other

751
00:53:45.320 --> 00:53:47.320
guys say, you know what,
let's let's rily around this guy, and

752
00:53:47.480 --> 00:53:51.119
I think he has the chops and
essence of potentially be able to do that.

753
00:53:51.280 --> 00:53:54.400
So this rocket team is again they're
they're an interesting conundrum, man Um.

754
00:53:54.760 --> 00:53:58.920
I'm rooting for them, but it's
gonna take a minute. It's gonna

755
00:53:58.920 --> 00:54:04.239
take a minute, well said shaw
Well said they they die quickly this season,

756
00:54:04.760 --> 00:54:13.920
Maybe they might die a little slower
come next season. Awesome show this

757
00:54:14.039 --> 00:54:17.840
week, shaw Um, you know, and again man Um, as always,

758
00:54:19.119 --> 00:54:21.800
you know, this is why it's
such an interesting time of the year,

759
00:54:22.280 --> 00:54:24.079
you know, to really examine some
of these teams, to give a

760
00:54:24.119 --> 00:54:28.840
little bit more attention, you know, to what took place for them.

761
00:54:28.880 --> 00:54:31.119
I think speaks volumes about how excited
we want to be, you know,

762
00:54:31.239 --> 00:54:35.599
for them, especially in this offseason, um, you know, and whether

763
00:54:35.760 --> 00:54:39.159
moves are made or guys are drafted
when they come to this team. This

764
00:54:39.360 --> 00:54:43.119
is what we look forward to when
we have summer League and you know,

765
00:54:43.360 --> 00:54:46.840
OTAs and things of that nature and
stuff like that, because we want to

766
00:54:46.880 --> 00:54:51.159
see if whether or not part of
the things that we're saying we want to

767
00:54:51.679 --> 00:54:54.000
they would like we'd like to see
improving on these teams. If they start

768
00:54:54.079 --> 00:54:57.880
to show that, like even before
we even get to the you know,

769
00:54:58.000 --> 00:55:00.519
regular season tip off, we would
love to see that they're in that direction,

770
00:55:00.920 --> 00:55:04.480
you know, And so that that's
what I'm hoping for. When we're

771
00:55:04.480 --> 00:55:07.760
talking about these guys and alluding to
these teams the way that we do in

772
00:55:07.800 --> 00:55:10.519
our autopsy reports. Yeah, I
mean it's there's no hate here, right,

773
00:55:10.679 --> 00:55:14.920
We absolutely want the best. We're
trying to give you know, unbiased

774
00:55:14.920 --> 00:55:16.840
analysis and understand and it's great.
You know, we've got some great feedback

775
00:55:16.840 --> 00:55:20.280
on our last AUTOPSICI report. Even
on the YouTube, you know, great

776
00:55:20.320 --> 00:55:22.039
Pistons fans was trying to chime in
and saying, hey, you know he

777
00:55:22.159 --> 00:55:27.079
was given you know, the butter
goods because he follows the team more closely

778
00:55:27.159 --> 00:55:29.760
than we do. Like we're not
watching every single game. We're taking a

779
00:55:29.840 --> 00:55:32.519
broad shook overview, you know,
with these autopsy but it's definitely all love

780
00:55:34.280 --> 00:55:37.280
and while we may not necessary the
best things about your favorite team, Um,

781
00:55:37.639 --> 00:55:40.480
we're hopeful. We want everybody to
be successful, but as I said

782
00:55:40.480 --> 00:55:44.480
before, somebody's got to lose,
and unfortunately, you know, these were

783
00:55:44.559 --> 00:55:46.559
some of the teams that were the
first out this year, so again hopefully

784
00:55:46.639 --> 00:55:50.800
that their die slow um is a
little bit longer next year. And you

785
00:55:50.840 --> 00:55:52.880
know we're talking about them, you
know, at a lot of part of

786
00:55:52.920 --> 00:55:55.280
the autopsic season. I'd like to
think that, you know, they loved

787
00:55:55.360 --> 00:56:00.000
us so much that they wanted to
first get on the table. It's like,

788
00:56:01.199 --> 00:56:05.440
we can look at it that way, right, We do such good

789
00:56:05.480 --> 00:56:09.159
work with for them over the last
few seasons that they have no problems.

790
00:56:09.719 --> 00:56:15.880
We're being were allowing us to exhoom
and examine them. They said, baseline,

791
00:56:15.920 --> 00:56:21.920
take me now, okay, but
come next year, do better.

792
00:56:22.519 --> 00:56:28.400
You know I'm saying, so we
have to come to you first once again.

793
00:56:28.480 --> 00:56:30.639
Man, we'd like to thank you
and yours for hopping on board with

794
00:56:30.760 --> 00:56:34.760
us this week for the baseline.
Kylie warren Shaw, we appreciate you,

795
00:56:34.880 --> 00:56:37.000
guys, you know we do that. We'll catch up with you next time.