1 00:00:14,960 --> 00:00:20,399 What is Krakoac Bellow thermonuclear afors. I am at Hampton Valley coming at you 2 00:00:20,480 --> 00:00:24,120 with another very quick intro. I'm going to be posting an episode that I 3 00:00:24,120 --> 00:00:29,640 did with Salomon Ali of Red Nation Hoops where we went into a deeper dive 4 00:00:29,800 --> 00:00:33,039 on the Rockets. We actually recorded it. It was for Red Nation Hoops, 5 00:00:33,039 --> 00:00:35,880 so go check them out. I'll include our shame out. I'll include 6 00:00:35,880 --> 00:00:39,560 a link to his uh, you know, sub stack and is what the 7 00:00:39,600 --> 00:00:43,439 YouTube channel in the podcast and YouTube description. We did talk about it before 8 00:00:43,439 --> 00:00:47,479 they went on their three game losing streak. Watched their game against the Warriors 9 00:00:47,479 --> 00:00:49,880 on Monday. I thought they put up a hell of a fight, really 10 00:00:50,200 --> 00:00:52,679 considering they were on the second end of a back to back. We did 11 00:00:52,719 --> 00:00:55,000 talk about some of the micro stuff with them, but it was mostly big 12 00:00:55,039 --> 00:00:58,439 picture stuff. So I decided that I'm going to post it anyway. And 13 00:00:58,439 --> 00:01:00,880 they are, you know, the Rocks, the TIMBERWOLVESLS are probably like the 14 00:01:00,920 --> 00:01:04,879 two most surprising teams in the league thus far when you're looking at maybe pleasant 15 00:01:04,879 --> 00:01:07,840 surprises. So I think it moves us to, you know, listen to 16 00:01:08,319 --> 00:01:12,599 someone like Solomon who covers them on a daily basis really gives a lot of 17 00:01:12,599 --> 00:01:15,599 thought to them, and so I think you'll enjoy this episode. These are 18 00:01:15,640 --> 00:01:21,640 reminders before we get started. Please remember to subscribe wherever you're consuming us YouTube, 19 00:01:21,640 --> 00:01:25,000 Spotify, Apple ratings and reviews on Apple. Help us a ton. 20 00:01:25,120 --> 00:01:27,519 If you've done all those things, please tell people about us, help spread 21 00:01:27,519 --> 00:01:30,760 the word about about the podcast. We continue to make the community grow. 22 00:01:30,799 --> 00:01:34,879 You can follow us on all the socials as well. Links for the podcast 23 00:01:34,879 --> 00:01:37,959 and YouTube description and finally, join our discord and the link to that's in 24 00:01:38,000 --> 00:01:41,200 the podcast and YouTube description too. There's a lot of great conversations happening in 25 00:01:41,239 --> 00:01:44,439 there right now. We have a great community there too, And you know, 26 00:01:45,000 --> 00:01:48,480 Grant and I really do appreciate all of your support that you continue to 27 00:01:48,480 --> 00:01:51,439 show us on YouTube, across the audio version of the podcast, on the 28 00:01:51,480 --> 00:01:55,599 shorts that we've been posting in the tiktoks. So once again, and as 29 00:01:55,640 --> 00:01:59,400 always, thank you all, and I hope you enjoy this episode with Salmon 30 00:01:59,439 --> 00:02:01,920 Ali of a Nation Hoops about a deep dive into the short term, but 31 00:02:01,959 --> 00:02:06,680 more importantly, the long term outlook of the Houston Rockets. What's up, 32 00:02:06,680 --> 00:02:09,120 guys gonna this podcast? My name is solmn Elite at so on the NBA 33 00:02:09,199 --> 00:02:13,360 on Twitter, he drum by Dan Favalley Bleacher Report Dan, How you doing? 34 00:02:14,039 --> 00:02:16,120 I am doing well, so i'mon how are how are you doing now 35 00:02:16,120 --> 00:02:23,439 that you're covering a team that's apparently the best franchise in NBA history. Yeah, 36 00:02:23,479 --> 00:02:25,080 I was just talking to you about this before before we started recording, 37 00:02:25,400 --> 00:02:30,560 Like people just only want to talk when the Rockets are like good or interesting, 38 00:02:30,599 --> 00:02:31,599 Like no, no one ever wants to just say what's up? Or 39 00:02:31,639 --> 00:02:37,120 hello or happy birthday? Right like or no, no, no, no, 40 00:02:37,199 --> 00:02:38,439 I mean, but like you can send me something if you know it's 41 00:02:38,479 --> 00:02:42,840 my birthday, like you know what, send me something else? Like hey, 42 00:02:42,919 --> 00:02:46,639 can you come on in two hours? Hey can you like to or 43 00:02:46,639 --> 00:02:50,599 tomorrow? Are you free at X time? It's like like why why when 44 00:02:50,599 --> 00:02:52,919 the Rockets are good? Like how about when they're not a story? How 45 00:02:52,919 --> 00:02:54,560 about like I can talk about basketball, we can talk about other stuff. 46 00:02:55,800 --> 00:03:01,159 And now you know how I feel after Christmas where it's like radio producers will 47 00:03:01,199 --> 00:03:06,639 remember that you exist, Marina, just like after a busy period where it's 48 00:03:06,680 --> 00:03:10,639 like oh, the trade deadline or the draft, just the busy the finals, 49 00:03:10,639 --> 00:03:14,560 like there's always your innundated, And I try to be understanding because it's 50 00:03:14,560 --> 00:03:17,159 hard to convey tone and emails and text messages, and I understand that like 51 00:03:17,199 --> 00:03:21,719 producing sport, I mean, it's we both do it. But like I 52 00:03:21,759 --> 00:03:23,719 try to be super courteous to my guests and like ask how they're doing. 53 00:03:23,759 --> 00:03:29,479 It's just there's not there's no there's no preamble there. It's just And so 54 00:03:29,599 --> 00:03:32,120 I do get I try to. I don't let it affect whose shows I 55 00:03:32,159 --> 00:03:36,639 go on. But yeah, I hear I hear you on that. Yeah, 56 00:03:36,680 --> 00:03:39,080 And I remember this summer. We're super off topic, but I don't 57 00:03:39,080 --> 00:03:44,919 care. So I remember this summer. Like there was a period like after 58 00:03:44,960 --> 00:03:47,639 it came back from vacation where people suddenly realized that the rockets had a ton 59 00:03:47,719 --> 00:03:52,759 of cap space, Like they didn't realize it before the summer started. It's 60 00:03:52,759 --> 00:03:55,520 like, oh, Houston has how much money to spend? Oh they're going 61 00:03:55,560 --> 00:04:00,560 after who? So so the endless right, It's just like like people, 62 00:04:01,400 --> 00:04:03,719 I guess it's like you know, you don't know until until it's time. 63 00:04:04,280 --> 00:04:08,800 Uh. But whatever the case, I'm happy to do it. Uh. 64 00:04:08,919 --> 00:04:12,240 But I'm glad I get to do my own today. I'm glad I got 65 00:04:12,319 --> 00:04:15,240 to do my own show today. Uh Dan, let me ask you this, 66 00:04:15,840 --> 00:04:18,279 on a scale of one to ten, how surprised are you by the 67 00:04:18,360 --> 00:04:21,560 Rocket so far? Wow, that's not the first question I thought you were. 68 00:04:21,920 --> 00:04:25,720 I saw you going off or listen to you not go off. But 69 00:04:25,759 --> 00:04:28,839 you did a the pockast you did. I can't remember who was with, 70 00:04:29,040 --> 00:04:33,439 but five observations you each did on the Rocket season and you called out Alfrinshangun 71 00:04:33,519 --> 00:04:36,000 Downers and thought, I thought you were just bringing me on to dump. 72 00:04:36,040 --> 00:04:41,879 We're gonna get there, We're gonna get I did to be fair much lower 73 00:04:41,879 --> 00:04:45,279 on him than you were, but I was, at least like I saw 74 00:04:45,360 --> 00:04:47,319 the vision, just didn't think they would ever get there with him. But 75 00:04:48,040 --> 00:04:54,560 there's no defense. There's just this team has shocked and awed me in so 76 00:04:54,680 --> 00:04:58,560 many different ways. And it's not it's not even the ways that are unsustainable. 77 00:04:58,680 --> 00:05:00,160 But you know, Dylan Brooks is not going to continue to hit threes 78 00:05:00,399 --> 00:05:03,399 like this. If he does, I'll be absolutely you know, my mind 79 00:05:03,439 --> 00:05:09,879 will melt. But the stuff that they've done defensively, some of the stuff 80 00:05:09,920 --> 00:05:13,680 like that they're doing with Alprin Shang Gun, how they're they're really able, 81 00:05:13,800 --> 00:05:16,319 like the attention that Fred van Fleet is able to utilize even when he's not 82 00:05:16,399 --> 00:05:20,120 being able to finish that well inside the arc. This team, you watch 83 00:05:20,240 --> 00:05:24,959 them and there is a rhyme and reason to everything they're doing, and they 84 00:05:25,000 --> 00:05:27,920 look the part. There are numbers that you look at and you know some 85 00:05:27,959 --> 00:05:30,639 of those are gonna curtail. They've gotten a little bit lucky on opponent three 86 00:05:30,639 --> 00:05:33,240 point shooting as like you know, with just one of those popular in season 87 00:05:33,240 --> 00:05:36,879 ones. But they look like they're actually really good. And this mind you 88 00:05:36,959 --> 00:05:43,040 was with Jalen Green only just started turning a corner after a pretty bad start 89 00:05:43,240 --> 00:05:47,000 from him, and so to be in this position is just sort of it's 90 00:05:47,120 --> 00:05:50,759 it's sort of wild. No, yeah, and for sure, And like 91 00:05:50,800 --> 00:05:54,920 that was actually gonna be by the way, I stole that question for a 92 00:05:54,959 --> 00:05:57,360 podcast, so I was on earlier today. I was like, that's a 93 00:05:57,360 --> 00:06:00,399 great question. I'm gonna use that with Dan today House Surprise. Are you 94 00:06:00,399 --> 00:06:04,680 okay? I'm gonna do that. But like this does lead to my next 95 00:06:04,759 --> 00:06:08,800 question, which is like how real their record is? And I kind of 96 00:06:08,800 --> 00:06:13,800 wrote about this today, which is like I don't want to, you know, 97 00:06:14,360 --> 00:06:17,000 throw a lot a bunch of cold water on the Rockets fans to be 98 00:06:17,120 --> 00:06:19,800 as happy as you guys want to be, right like, like, the 99 00:06:19,879 --> 00:06:25,079 Rockets are much more competitive this year. They are a better basketball team than 100 00:06:25,079 --> 00:06:28,439 they were last year. There's no doubt about it, right that that that's 101 00:06:28,480 --> 00:06:30,800 like, no, you're not gonna find anybody that's gonna dispute that. But 102 00:06:31,199 --> 00:06:35,920 they have played seven of their first nine games at home. They have They 103 00:06:36,000 --> 00:06:41,759 have played a Charlotte team without Miles Bridges, a Kings team without Deern Fox 104 00:06:42,600 --> 00:06:47,480 twice. They played the Lakers without Anthony Davis. They played Okay, I'm 105 00:06:48,079 --> 00:06:53,319 the Nuggets without Jamal Murray right like, like that's a win. That's still 106 00:06:53,319 --> 00:06:56,399 a caps off being the Nuggets. It is a big win. It is 107 00:06:56,439 --> 00:06:59,720 a big win. And and they the Kings win. It's not like they 108 00:06:59,800 --> 00:07:03,279 just won that game. They demolished the Sacramento Kings like they there is a 109 00:07:03,920 --> 00:07:10,279 rocket sized crater in Sacramento right now, because the like what the Rockets did 110 00:07:10,319 --> 00:07:15,199 to them was embarrassing. The game was over by halftime twice like like that, 111 00:07:15,199 --> 00:07:18,439 that's how decisive those victories were. So I'm not here, I'm not 112 00:07:18,439 --> 00:07:21,360 here to pour a bunch of cold water on it. I'm just saying that 113 00:07:21,759 --> 00:07:25,720 there is some real stuff that we need to acknowledge. Is gonna go back 114 00:07:25,759 --> 00:07:28,959 to normal. Like their opponents are shooting like thirty three percent from three on 115 00:07:29,000 --> 00:07:32,160 them, that's like second in the NBA. They're shooting like thirty seven percent 116 00:07:32,199 --> 00:07:35,480 from three. That's ninth in the NBA. Right, Like yn't run, 117 00:07:36,360 --> 00:07:41,040 It's not crazy, Yeah, it's not crazy. But like more specifically, 118 00:07:41,079 --> 00:07:44,000 like Dylan Brooks is shooting like fifty percent from three, right, Jay Sean 119 00:07:44,079 --> 00:07:47,959 Tate is shooting like fifty percent from three. Uh, I think Tarr Easton's 120 00:07:47,959 --> 00:07:51,920 shooting like forty two percent, like jay Jalen Green shooting forty percent. Like 121 00:07:53,240 --> 00:07:57,399 a lot of these percentages are insane, right, Like some of these are 122 00:07:57,399 --> 00:08:00,040 gonna come back home a little bit. Jalen maybe not as much, like 123 00:08:00,120 --> 00:08:03,800 maybe that goes from forty to maybe thirty seven. But like Dylan is not 124 00:08:03,800 --> 00:08:05,279 gonna shoot fifty percent from three. That's not gonna happen, all right, 125 00:08:05,279 --> 00:08:09,120 I'm just just not gonna happen. We're due for a cold stretch there, 126 00:08:09,639 --> 00:08:13,800 We're due for a cold stretch with Jayshaunte. But more specifically, like they're 127 00:08:13,800 --> 00:08:16,480 gonna they're gonna get on the road here pretty soon. Uh, and they're 128 00:08:16,480 --> 00:08:20,639 and they're gonna test their metal against some other teams. And I am excited 129 00:08:20,639 --> 00:08:24,959 to see what happens. But listen after that Denver Nuggets game, Like, 130 00:08:24,480 --> 00:08:28,720 you're not gonna get an argument for me about whether whether or not they're better. 131 00:08:28,759 --> 00:08:33,960 They're better. There's something serious going on here as far as like how 132 00:08:35,039 --> 00:08:37,919 real their record is. We can get into that at a later time. 133 00:08:37,000 --> 00:08:41,799 I think it's fine to just enjoy this if you're a fan. Yeah, 134 00:08:41,840 --> 00:08:46,399 I mean even you someone who has been incredibly high oper in Schenguin, would 135 00:08:46,440 --> 00:08:50,360 you have come in to this season and said there's gonna be games early on 136 00:08:50,399 --> 00:08:54,919 in the year where he just thoroughly outplays Domasa Bonis. That's is that just 137 00:08:56,120 --> 00:09:00,279 like, that's not something that I think you could have reasonably predicted, even 138 00:09:00,320 --> 00:09:03,600 if you thought he had that ceiling, because when you have the type of 139 00:09:03,639 --> 00:09:07,600 agency that he's actually gotten this year, that's what it is. Yeah, 140 00:09:09,080 --> 00:09:11,440 I think that is one what it is. Right, It's like I had 141 00:09:11,480 --> 00:09:15,039 no It's not that I didn't trust in shanng Goon. It's like I didn't 142 00:09:15,039 --> 00:09:18,360 trust in the rockets, right, like the ability for them to gauge shan 143 00:09:18,480 --> 00:09:24,840 Gun as a talent, right, Like I think they've so mishandled him up 144 00:09:24,919 --> 00:09:30,559 until this point. And May comes in and he says off the bat in 145 00:09:30,559 --> 00:09:33,480 his press conference, like listen, all rolls are out for grabs, all 146 00:09:33,519 --> 00:09:37,639 these starting spots are up for grabs, all usage all tell everything's up for 147 00:09:37,679 --> 00:09:39,679 grabs. Like you guys have to come and earn it, and you're gonna 148 00:09:39,720 --> 00:09:43,879 get it by how you play on the floor. And it's like that rang 149 00:09:43,960 --> 00:09:46,879 a little hollow for me, right because they did go after brook Lopez. 150 00:09:46,879 --> 00:09:48,480 I'm like, you really, you're really gonna give this guy a fair shake? 151 00:09:48,639 --> 00:09:52,679 Right? And then they they start the season those after those first three 152 00:09:52,720 --> 00:09:56,679 games where they were they lost all first three, those first three games, 153 00:09:56,679 --> 00:10:00,320 I'm like, we're not debating this anymore, Like the best player on the 154 00:10:00,320 --> 00:10:03,159 team is Alprin Shangun. I did a podcast after they went on and three. 155 00:10:03,200 --> 00:10:07,279 I'm like, I don't care what happens from here on out until the 156 00:10:07,360 --> 00:10:11,639 Rockets acknowledged that fact they're gonna keep losing games. They're gonna keep losing games. 157 00:10:11,679 --> 00:10:15,559 It's so obvious at this point, like those first three games it like 158 00:10:16,320 --> 00:10:20,000 those the only moments that they were good were when Shan Gun had the ball, 159 00:10:20,080 --> 00:10:24,440 right, It's like until they lean into that, you're gonna keep getting 160 00:10:24,440 --> 00:10:28,360 similar results to this. And they leaned into it, Like that's good coaching. 161 00:10:28,759 --> 00:10:33,960 That's adjusting to your roster on the fly. Like I think you know, 162 00:10:33,759 --> 00:10:37,759 this organization's made some mistakes, right, like in terms of how they've 163 00:10:37,799 --> 00:10:45,200 handled him right, but like this is also how they're handling them him right, 164 00:10:45,240 --> 00:10:50,240 Like this is this is also they're doing the hiring e May and Fred 165 00:10:50,320 --> 00:10:56,080 van Vliet. By the way, probably the biggest reason Shangun's having the season 166 00:10:56,080 --> 00:11:00,399 that he's having because he comes in with like he's a point guard's point guard, 167 00:11:00,440 --> 00:11:03,519 and he he plays very much like Chris Paul, like he when he 168 00:11:03,600 --> 00:11:09,519 sees something is working, he's gonna keep going and going and going to it. 169 00:11:09,679 --> 00:11:13,000 He doesn't care who it is, where it's coming from, He's gonna 170 00:11:13,080 --> 00:11:16,840 keep doing it. And when he saw that Shangun was producing at the rate 171 00:11:16,919 --> 00:11:20,120 that he was producing, he kept running picket roll and dribble, hand off 172 00:11:20,600 --> 00:11:26,240 and cuts everything he could with Shangun, and the rest of the Rockets just 173 00:11:26,320 --> 00:11:30,519 kind of followed along, like followed his lead, like, Okay, this 174 00:11:30,559 --> 00:11:31,720 is our guy. We're just gonna have to rally around him and run the 175 00:11:31,840 --> 00:11:37,519 entire offense through him. And that's the that's the Rockets. Skick deserves some 176 00:11:37,559 --> 00:11:39,320 credit for that, man, Like I think they do. They really do 177 00:11:39,759 --> 00:11:46,120 deserve some credit for bringing in guys that would identify Shangun. Yeah, I 178 00:11:46,159 --> 00:11:48,639 mean, and also I think it was easy. He's gotten a little bit 179 00:11:48,639 --> 00:11:52,440 better, but like Fred van Fleet shooting like thirty three or thirty five percent 180 00:11:52,480 --> 00:11:56,480 on drive. Still, the attention though, that he commands and the organization 181 00:11:56,559 --> 00:12:03,000 that you're able to just kind of foment off of that is so huge for 182 00:12:03,039 --> 00:12:05,360 what the Rockets are doing too. Like it's I would argue his three and 183 00:12:05,399 --> 00:12:09,519 look, the relative to the difficulty on his threes is three point percentages fine, 184 00:12:09,519 --> 00:12:13,320 howling right around league gaarverage. But I would argue that just the attention 185 00:12:13,399 --> 00:12:16,639 that he's drawing is probably gonna hurt some of his efficiency stats. But it's 186 00:12:16,639 --> 00:12:20,080 not just Shang Gooon. It's like everyone who's on the floor with him kind 187 00:12:20,080 --> 00:12:24,679 of just benefits from that. And then even having the look, the three 188 00:12:24,720 --> 00:12:28,039 point percentage isn't gonna stick, but to have two guys on the court at 189 00:12:28,080 --> 00:12:31,080 the same time, and Dylan Brooks and Fred van Fleet like being able to 190 00:12:31,120 --> 00:12:33,080 defend. That's been a huge part of this team too. I also think 191 00:12:33,120 --> 00:12:35,480 it's been a big reason why, like Alprin, Shangun has looked probably the 192 00:12:35,519 --> 00:12:41,320 best he's ever looked defensively for this team, and so I am very curious 193 00:12:41,320 --> 00:12:43,960 to see how it sort of holds up. You've pointed out the schedule concerns. 194 00:12:43,960 --> 00:12:46,039 We've talked about some of the numbers that are going there, but when 195 00:12:46,080 --> 00:12:50,360 you look at how many difference makers are just in a vacuum on this roster 196 00:12:50,440 --> 00:12:54,200 now, and that the Rockets are kind of discovering, like, oh, 197 00:12:54,240 --> 00:12:56,480 how we can use Shanguon and it's not I've always wondered if part of the 198 00:12:56,519 --> 00:13:01,559 problem was an or one, if this could be a limitation of his but 199 00:13:01,639 --> 00:13:05,200 two, was it a limitation of the Rockets thought process behind him? Are 200 00:13:05,240 --> 00:13:09,320 you trying to use him in too specific of a way to where I think 201 00:13:09,360 --> 00:13:11,799 when you look at I don't want to keep bringing it back to sabonus, 202 00:13:11,840 --> 00:13:15,120 but you look at some of these other bigs that you can run offense through 203 00:13:15,120 --> 00:13:16,799 who are not your kitch. They have to be. It's like, oh, 204 00:13:16,879 --> 00:13:20,480 like we need to create separation for them where there needs to be like 205 00:13:20,480 --> 00:13:24,519 some sort of dribble handoff action and or need the ball needs to get to 206 00:13:24,600 --> 00:13:26,639 the post, or they need to be used in the pick and pop, 207 00:13:26,720 --> 00:13:30,720 or they need to roll. Shane Gutin can do basically everything, and it's 208 00:13:30,799 --> 00:13:35,519 just like he can jump start the offense on the run from a standstill half 209 00:13:35,559 --> 00:13:39,399 court transition. And I do think this is anecdotally because I haven't looked up 210 00:13:39,440 --> 00:13:43,840 numbers on this. His heightened aggression is kind of like a score when he 211 00:13:43,879 --> 00:13:46,840 does have his like when he gets near the basket. I do know he 212 00:13:46,879 --> 00:13:50,120 shooting like sixty percent on like cook shots or whatever. It is like having 213 00:13:50,159 --> 00:13:54,480 that where it doesn't feel like he's actively looking to make these risky passes every 214 00:13:54,480 --> 00:13:56,960 time he gets the ball that's still ingrained into him, but he feels like 215 00:13:56,000 --> 00:14:00,960 more of a threat as a scorer, not just off the where he's finishing. 216 00:14:00,960 --> 00:14:03,799 It's like the frum scratch scoring feels like it's at an all time eye 217 00:14:03,879 --> 00:14:07,799 for him. That has opened up a ton of other things. And my 218 00:14:07,840 --> 00:14:13,360 biggest concern with the Rockets start actually was well is Jalen Green going to kind 219 00:14:13,360 --> 00:14:16,639 of figure out how to adapt and adjust to this, and I think in 220 00:14:16,759 --> 00:14:20,679 recent games you can speak to this more than I can. It feels like 221 00:14:20,759 --> 00:14:26,600 he has found more of that happy medium. Yeah, I see my thing 222 00:14:26,639 --> 00:14:28,799 with Jalen. I guess we can talk about this for a second before we 223 00:14:28,840 --> 00:14:33,240 get back to Shanhun. People went into this year with kind of ridiculous expectations 224 00:14:33,279 --> 00:14:35,600 for him, right, third year leap, third year leap, third year 225 00:14:35,679 --> 00:14:41,159 leap. I am tired of that phrase. That phrase holds very little with 226 00:14:41,200 --> 00:14:45,960 me. When you look at like one and done prospects, specifically of Jalen's 227 00:14:46,000 --> 00:14:50,279 mold, Zach Lavine, Bradley Beal, Devin Booker, like whoever you want 228 00:14:50,320 --> 00:14:56,960 to like, those types of shooting guard prospects don't typically have third year leaps 229 00:14:56,639 --> 00:15:01,720 like they have fourth, fifth, six year leaps. Right. It takes 230 00:15:01,759 --> 00:15:05,159 them a little bit longer. If you're not a high level processor coming into 231 00:15:05,159 --> 00:15:07,000 the NBA, it just takes some time for you to get used to the 232 00:15:07,080 --> 00:15:11,440 NBA game, right, Like Jalen is a great example of this. It's 233 00:15:11,440 --> 00:15:15,120 gonna take some time, Jabbari, It is gonna take some time. But 234 00:15:15,279 --> 00:15:18,759 if you look at the high level processor. It doesn't usually take that Chris 235 00:15:18,799 --> 00:15:22,480 Paul Luka, Doncic, Madgic Johnson, Lebron James like it does. If 236 00:15:22,480 --> 00:15:26,279 you're like a high thinker of basketball, the game is not as fast for 237 00:15:26,360 --> 00:15:28,840 you. Right with Jalen, the game the game is still in the process 238 00:15:30,039 --> 00:15:33,480 of slowing down. And I think when once you get to the next season, 239 00:15:33,840 --> 00:15:35,639 that's when you're gonna That's when I'm expecting the leap. I think he's 240 00:15:35,639 --> 00:15:37,879 gonna get better this year. I think some of his numbers are gonna go 241 00:15:37,960 --> 00:15:43,840 up, But in terms of that capitol l leap into like stardom, I'm 242 00:15:43,879 --> 00:15:46,919 expecting that more next year, right, I think that's kind of the year 243 00:15:46,960 --> 00:15:50,960 to look for it. And this idea that you can't play these two like 244 00:15:50,960 --> 00:15:54,240 like like together and they can't be awesome together. Like first of all, 245 00:15:54,240 --> 00:15:58,279 their games don't conflict with each other. They compliment each other, like I've 246 00:15:58,279 --> 00:16:03,759 always people on Rockets Twitter have been trying to pit these two against each other, 247 00:16:03,799 --> 00:16:07,320 and it's like, why can't you just have both like they they're like 248 00:16:07,440 --> 00:16:11,320 Shang Gun is a great is great at finding guys off the ball, and 249 00:16:11,399 --> 00:16:14,759 Green guess what great off the ball. Right. You saw him in the 250 00:16:14,799 --> 00:16:18,720 g Leigue was constantly moving off the ball, right, That's one of his 251 00:16:18,799 --> 00:16:22,120 strengths, so why not use it? And Jalen's getting better as a pick 252 00:16:22,120 --> 00:16:26,720 and roll operator, right, shang Gun is getting better as a roller and 253 00:16:26,759 --> 00:16:30,919 a short roll passer, and all that stuff is complimentary to shang Gun learning 254 00:16:30,960 --> 00:16:33,559 how to be a pick and roll ball handler. So, like, these 255 00:16:33,600 --> 00:16:37,440 guys are gonna play a ton of minutes together as the years go on. 256 00:16:37,919 --> 00:16:41,240 Right now, the Rockets are doing this thing where Jaen's kind of going out 257 00:16:41,240 --> 00:16:45,559 there by himself for long stretches. Uh, And I kind of want to 258 00:16:45,559 --> 00:16:48,120 see more of them together. But like, eventually they're gonna get to a 259 00:16:48,159 --> 00:16:52,919 point where they're playing a ton of minutes together. And I don't know why 260 00:16:52,919 --> 00:16:55,480 you can't have like why does it have to be a one or the other 261 00:16:55,559 --> 00:16:57,440 thing? I guess. I guess a lot of people had this idea that 262 00:16:57,759 --> 00:17:02,600 Jalen's gonna be the guy, So they were threatened by this idea of Shangoon 263 00:17:02,720 --> 00:17:06,079 being the guy, right, And it's like, you you can still be 264 00:17:06,359 --> 00:17:08,599 an awesome you can still be a guy, right, you can still be 265 00:17:08,680 --> 00:17:12,720 a guy. There's nothing wrong with that. Yeah, And I actually was 266 00:17:12,759 --> 00:17:18,359 gonna ask you, is there does that factor into why they're staggering them the 267 00:17:18,359 --> 00:17:21,119 way they do, Because the thing I've noticed that they feel like they kind 268 00:17:21,119 --> 00:17:25,640 of tether Fred van Vleet and Alperin Shanggun at the hip where it's like you 269 00:17:25,680 --> 00:17:29,519 haven't seen a lot of Fred van Vleet without Alpern Shangun, but you've seen 270 00:17:29,559 --> 00:17:33,200 more of Is that. Are they viewing that as they think that's the best 271 00:17:33,200 --> 00:17:34,200 way to build the roster? Is it? Oh? We want to make 272 00:17:34,200 --> 00:17:40,519 sure that Jalen Green is gonna have as much license over the offense as more 273 00:17:40,519 --> 00:17:44,720 of a sort of featured option rather than as you mentioned, like trying to 274 00:17:44,720 --> 00:17:47,000 get him to play off shang Gun Moor. Which, by the way, 275 00:17:47,000 --> 00:17:49,079 if you go back and look at like game one or two of this team, 276 00:17:49,119 --> 00:17:52,480 I bet to now game whatever they're in, you know, the last 277 00:17:52,519 --> 00:17:55,559 you know, the games against the game, the game against the Nuggets, 278 00:17:55,960 --> 00:18:00,680 how much more in tune the players around Shangun are just moving off of him 279 00:18:00,119 --> 00:18:03,880 too. That's a that's a that's a huge difference. I wouldn't expect to 280 00:18:03,920 --> 00:18:06,720 go anywhere, but I am curious is to why does it feel like unless 281 00:18:06,720 --> 00:18:11,359 you disagree, but it feels like they've kind of tethered FEV to Shangoon more 282 00:18:11,400 --> 00:18:15,559 than Jalen Green. No that I have noticed that, And and and it's 283 00:18:15,559 --> 00:18:18,519 not you know, it was something that I was I was kind of raising 284 00:18:18,519 --> 00:18:21,759 my eyebrow and it's like, why aren't these guys staggering? Right? More 285 00:18:21,839 --> 00:18:25,240 like what why why are you taking one both of them at the floor off 286 00:18:25,240 --> 00:18:27,759 the floor at the same time when they're like your two best facilitators. And 287 00:18:29,200 --> 00:18:33,480 I kind of went back to em Udoka's uh comments at media day in training 288 00:18:33,519 --> 00:18:37,440 camp. It's like they want Jalen to be a more complete player, right. 289 00:18:37,640 --> 00:18:41,880 And when they said that, they were alluding to two things, his 290 00:18:41,000 --> 00:18:45,319 defense and his passing, his playmaking, Like they knew he was They knew 291 00:18:45,319 --> 00:18:48,880 he could score, right, they they kneed like no one never doubted Jalen's 292 00:18:48,880 --> 00:18:52,720 ability to score, even coming out of the draft. I never doubted that. 293 00:18:52,799 --> 00:18:55,799 But my doubts with him like the reason I had Mobia room. It's 294 00:18:55,839 --> 00:18:56,960 like, I'm not sure about this guy as a pick and roll operator. 295 00:18:57,240 --> 00:19:02,079 I'm not sure about this guy as a defenser defensive player, right, And 296 00:19:03,279 --> 00:19:07,440 my guess is that they're giving him these long reps by himself so he can 297 00:19:07,480 --> 00:19:10,759 develop as a pick and operator, so he can develop as a ball handler 298 00:19:10,799 --> 00:19:15,079 and a threat like on that kind of level. That's what that's my that's 299 00:19:15,119 --> 00:19:18,759 theory number one. Theory number two is just VanVleet and Changun are just so 300 00:19:18,839 --> 00:19:21,519 good with each other. It's just hard to separate the two, right, 301 00:19:21,559 --> 00:19:25,400 they play really good off of each other. Yeah, it's sort of like 302 00:19:25,440 --> 00:19:29,680 the Jamal Murray Nikola Jokic conundrum where you just want to have those two on 303 00:19:29,680 --> 00:19:32,240 the court together as much as possible. So and I think, look, 304 00:19:32,279 --> 00:19:36,440 it could be beneficial to just Green development to you know, have those stagger 305 00:19:36,480 --> 00:19:38,359 it like that. But I think when you look at the long term viability 306 00:19:38,359 --> 00:19:41,759 of this team as good as and much of a breath of fresh air as 307 00:19:41,799 --> 00:19:45,759 Fred van Fleet has been, Jalen Green and Shangon are one and two, 308 00:19:47,079 --> 00:19:48,960 like or yeah, Shanggun is one, Jalen Green is two. Now it's 309 00:19:49,000 --> 00:19:52,960 like they're the most important players, so you would like them develop to develop 310 00:19:52,000 --> 00:19:56,480 sort of a chemistry together. It's also probably though when you separate them, 311 00:19:56,519 --> 00:20:00,400 it's easier to insulate both defensively, and so there has to be an element 312 00:20:00,519 --> 00:20:03,920 of that to it. But man, I you know what it reminds me 313 00:20:03,960 --> 00:20:07,200 of? Go ahead, I don't. Yeah, So you know what it 314 00:20:07,240 --> 00:20:11,559 reminds me of, Like, do you remember those first few years where Devin 315 00:20:11,559 --> 00:20:14,759 Booker was like by himself without the Chris Paul there, and he kind of 316 00:20:14,799 --> 00:20:18,720 had to get those reps a playmaker by himself, like out of necessity, 317 00:20:18,240 --> 00:20:22,359 right, Like it's almost like the Rockets are trying to do that with like 318 00:20:22,039 --> 00:20:25,279 the playmaker already on the roster. It's like, oh, we just got 319 00:20:25,279 --> 00:20:27,519 to separate the playmaker from him, right, get all the playmakers off the 320 00:20:27,519 --> 00:20:30,039 floor, get it by himself, right, so he can like so he 321 00:20:30,440 --> 00:20:33,960 has no crutch, right, So yeah, so he has to learn the 322 00:20:33,000 --> 00:20:36,839 stuff by himself. That that's kind of like what goes through my head when 323 00:20:36,839 --> 00:20:38,319 I watched, Like is that kind of what they're doing? I don't. 324 00:20:38,440 --> 00:20:41,920 These are theories they're winning those minutes, by the way, too, which 325 00:20:41,960 --> 00:20:45,039 is just sort of wild the green with no shang gun. I didn't know 326 00:20:45,119 --> 00:20:49,400 that. Yeah, Okay, so there are plus like five or plus four 327 00:20:49,400 --> 00:20:53,400 points per one hundred posessions with an above average offensive rating, and so again 328 00:20:53,839 --> 00:20:56,400 it's early, but I would have. When I was looking at that, 329 00:20:56,480 --> 00:21:00,720 I was expecting it to be not necessarily a but like and even just the 330 00:21:00,759 --> 00:21:03,000 way that the offense is played. And I know a lot of those minutes 331 00:21:03,039 --> 00:21:07,519 you've had, you know, I think this speaks to like sometimes, yeah, 332 00:21:07,640 --> 00:21:11,480 very rarely, Fred Vanvleiet has been on a court in those stints, 333 00:21:11,519 --> 00:21:14,880 and so that's obviously gonna help. But like Aaron Holliday has given them some 334 00:21:14,920 --> 00:21:18,319 steadiness in certain stretches. But I was surprised to see, like, what 335 00:21:18,519 --> 00:21:22,480 the like, they're not turning the ball over like a crap ton like during 336 00:21:22,519 --> 00:21:26,720 those stretches either, And so maybe that's proof of growth from from Green. 337 00:21:26,759 --> 00:21:30,279 Maybe it's more about, Okay, if you're gonna play him with Jabbari and 338 00:21:30,400 --> 00:21:33,519 Tate and Landale, Okay, like you have guys that are just gonna be 339 00:21:33,559 --> 00:21:37,599 sound and rock solid defensively, and so you're you're allowing your defense to get 340 00:21:37,640 --> 00:21:40,559 set with those guys, and if you're just scoring enough because Jalen Green's on 341 00:21:40,559 --> 00:21:45,519 the floor, I was just surprised that those minutes were as productive as they 342 00:21:45,519 --> 00:21:48,279 were. I don't know that I've seen Jalen Green to me to make any 343 00:21:48,319 --> 00:21:52,759 of these like mega strides as a playmaker. But it has to be nothing 344 00:21:52,759 --> 00:21:56,759 if not encouraging that when you're going to separate him from shanng gooon, that 345 00:21:57,119 --> 00:22:00,960 you've now won these minutes through the first You know, why do I keep 346 00:22:00,960 --> 00:22:04,240 forgetting how many games? We're nine games into their season? Yeah, and 347 00:22:04,279 --> 00:22:07,640 we'll see how those minutes go. And like I I think it's it's obviously 348 00:22:07,640 --> 00:22:10,680 gonna look better at the towards the end of the season then it will, 349 00:22:10,880 --> 00:22:14,400 you know, at the beginning right now. Uh, But I do hope 350 00:22:14,440 --> 00:22:17,359 that they get to a point where you know, there's a healthy medium there 351 00:22:17,400 --> 00:22:19,440 right that they're not he's not just playing all by himself. Like I want 352 00:22:19,440 --> 00:22:23,000 to see him with more Shangun uh and and Vampley kind of off the four 353 00:22:23,039 --> 00:22:26,000 actually, frankly, I want to see them play off of each other a 354 00:22:26,000 --> 00:22:30,880 little bit more, and Shanghu not have that crutch of vamble I want to 355 00:22:30,880 --> 00:22:33,039 have. I want to see him out there with with with Jalen by himself, 356 00:22:33,079 --> 00:22:37,519 and like those guys actually like each other a lot, and they like 357 00:22:37,559 --> 00:22:41,799 playing with each other a lot. You see that, So there's no reason 358 00:22:41,839 --> 00:22:44,599 why I can't work right, Like that. That's why I like when I 359 00:22:44,599 --> 00:22:48,640 would see people just being like in one camp or the other, It's like, 360 00:22:48,680 --> 00:22:52,519 it doesn't have to be that way. I honestly know that was a 361 00:22:52,559 --> 00:22:56,920 thing. Oh yeah, I mean, I just I never viewed, I 362 00:22:56,920 --> 00:23:02,200 guess one, as someone who didn't think that Albert was this franchise cornerstone. 363 00:23:03,000 --> 00:23:06,400 And look by the way the Rockets are at least partially to blame for that 364 00:23:06,400 --> 00:23:10,400 that I was not more exposed to like Alprin, Shangun is the featured the 365 00:23:10,440 --> 00:23:14,079 featured hub. So I'm gonna blame Houston for that and just reflect criticism for 366 00:23:14,160 --> 00:23:17,559 doubting Shanggun during the first couple of seasons of his career. I just ever 367 00:23:17,640 --> 00:23:22,720 viewed Jalen Green specifically as there was a player that you couldn't there, because 368 00:23:22,720 --> 00:23:23,599 there was even some rumblings where it's like, yeah, I didn't want to 369 00:23:23,599 --> 00:23:26,759 see him play with James Harden. We disagreed on on that a little bit, 370 00:23:26,799 --> 00:23:30,200 but like the Fred van Fleet stuff with him coming in like it just 371 00:23:30,279 --> 00:23:36,079 never I never viewed Jalen Green as someone who couldn't operate as some sort of 372 00:23:36,119 --> 00:23:38,839 like a running mate to another ball dominant or not even ball dominant, but 373 00:23:38,920 --> 00:23:44,160 just like featured weapon or two. And I'm surprised that people framed the Shang 374 00:23:44,200 --> 00:23:47,680 Gun Green discussion and I would have been looked Frankly, I feel like I 375 00:23:47,680 --> 00:23:51,640 would have been a little bit more worried about the Green Amen Thompson, like 376 00:23:51,640 --> 00:23:55,000 long term, because what does Amen Thompson do, Like how does he sort 377 00:23:55,039 --> 00:23:57,160 of develop away from the ball. Does that mean that he needs to have 378 00:23:57,240 --> 00:24:02,319 it too much in his hands to where then that's infringing upon what Jalen Green 379 00:24:02,359 --> 00:24:04,920 does. Whereas Alprin Shang Gun and Fred van Vleet are both you know, 380 00:24:04,920 --> 00:24:07,240 if you don't want to say excellent for Shang Jun, just like they're good 381 00:24:07,240 --> 00:24:11,160 and serviceable off off ball players. Yeah, And it's not so much that 382 00:24:11,160 --> 00:24:14,720 people didn't think they could play with with each other. It's more so like 383 00:24:14,759 --> 00:24:18,319 there was a nastiness there from like the Jalen Green folks, who are they're 384 00:24:18,400 --> 00:24:22,240 like like towards Shang Gun. Like there was like a dismissive attitude there. 385 00:24:22,279 --> 00:24:25,039 It's like, oh, it's like the Green's the guy. Green's the guy, 386 00:24:25,079 --> 00:24:26,880 Like what do you guys even talking about with this this fucking clown right? 387 00:24:26,960 --> 00:24:30,200 Like like that was kind of like the attitude there right, like and 388 00:24:30,200 --> 00:24:34,039 and people are listing this and they're gonna dispute it like shut up, like 389 00:24:34,119 --> 00:24:38,119 you know that was there, Like people on Rockets Twitter were definitely like this 390 00:24:38,680 --> 00:24:42,759 right uh and so yeah that was kind of it was more so like a 391 00:24:42,799 --> 00:24:47,720 dismissiveness there. And like even the the shn gun folks sometimes they felt like 392 00:24:47,720 --> 00:24:51,799 they had to like become like anti green. It's like I I never got 393 00:24:51,799 --> 00:24:53,599 to that point, right, Like I like I was like more of like 394 00:24:53,640 --> 00:24:56,599 a I think Shangun's better. But I think these guys play well, play 395 00:24:56,680 --> 00:25:00,440 well off of each other. I think there are games in theory at their 396 00:25:00,480 --> 00:25:03,240 highest levels fit next to each other really well. So I think they should 397 00:25:03,279 --> 00:25:07,799 be together. But yeah, I don't know. It's just it's just fun 398 00:25:08,000 --> 00:25:12,559 to me to watch Shangun just like freeze defenses like like like it's not even 399 00:25:12,720 --> 00:25:18,519 like just like that he's a great scorer. It's that his passing is like 400 00:25:18,160 --> 00:25:22,640 the defenses don't know what to do because like he starts off the game just 401 00:25:22,640 --> 00:25:27,359 like facilitating like crazy, right, And it's like okay, so so defense 402 00:25:27,440 --> 00:25:32,799 is when he gets the ball, everyone runs home to the shooters and almost 403 00:25:33,000 --> 00:25:36,200 there's like almost an overreaction sometimes. Like there was a play when they were 404 00:25:36,200 --> 00:25:38,559 playing I think it was the Warriors. No, it wasn't the Worris, 405 00:25:38,559 --> 00:25:41,720 it was the Kinks. It was the Kinks. They're playing the Kings and 406 00:25:42,000 --> 00:25:48,279 Harrison Barnes was guarding Shan Gun and Shangun got the ball in that mid post 407 00:25:48,319 --> 00:25:53,400 area and there was an open three point shooter, but Harrison Barnes still had 408 00:25:53,440 --> 00:25:57,119 the green not the green assignment, the Shangun assignment, So he just ran 409 00:25:57,759 --> 00:26:02,359 to the open shooter, and Shanngun had an open dunk. Like they like 410 00:26:02,400 --> 00:26:04,920 that. He's just freezing these guys. He like people don't know, like 411 00:26:06,119 --> 00:26:08,880 by that time that third quarter comes, he's like paralyzed you into like okay, 412 00:26:08,920 --> 00:26:11,799 so we have to close out hard, we can't, like we're then 413 00:26:11,839 --> 00:26:15,559 you forget like, oh he can score too, right, he can score 414 00:26:15,599 --> 00:26:18,200 too, so he's gonna beat you both ways. I don't know. Like 415 00:26:18,240 --> 00:26:21,519 that that was always my vision with him, right as an offensive player, 416 00:26:21,720 --> 00:26:25,000 he always felt very complete to me. Other than three point shooting. That's 417 00:26:25,039 --> 00:26:29,400 still a developing thing, but like that, most areas of his game he 418 00:26:29,559 --> 00:26:33,359 just excelled at and like that's kind of why I always thought this is like 419 00:26:33,400 --> 00:26:37,599 the most complete offensive player on the team. Now, I remember when we 420 00:26:37,599 --> 00:26:40,960 were doing our prospect rankings, right, and you know, you see you 421 00:26:41,000 --> 00:26:44,480 start off put him. I don't even remember. I remember. I went 422 00:26:44,519 --> 00:26:47,559 back and looked at it because because because of this podcast today, Uh, 423 00:26:48,519 --> 00:26:49,960 you said that I wasn't gonna do what I told you so, and you're 424 00:26:51,039 --> 00:26:52,480 kind of right, like, I'm not gonna do that for the most part, 425 00:26:52,559 --> 00:26:56,319 but like I do want to say this. I went back and I 426 00:26:56,319 --> 00:26:59,559 looked at like when I was going through my rankings, and I said, 427 00:27:00,039 --> 00:27:03,960 Jalen Green is my second best prospect on the Rockets. You're you started laughing 428 00:27:04,519 --> 00:27:07,480 like hysterically, like because you knew what that meant because I had run through 429 00:27:07,480 --> 00:27:11,279 everybody but Shangun right, and you're like, oh, so so he's gonna 430 00:27:11,279 --> 00:27:15,000 go Shangu number one, right, And I went to I went back, 431 00:27:15,039 --> 00:27:21,119 I looked at your list and you had I can't remember who you had won 432 00:27:21,160 --> 00:27:22,640 through three, but it was it was the top their topics, right, 433 00:27:22,680 --> 00:27:29,000 So it was Jalen a men In Jabbari in some order in the top three. 434 00:27:29,400 --> 00:27:33,279 And then you had you had uh shanghun At number four. So I 435 00:27:33,319 --> 00:27:37,160 guess my question to you is, if you were to revise that ranking, 436 00:27:37,839 --> 00:27:44,000 is shang Gun still four? No, I'm that's a that's a miss having 437 00:27:44,079 --> 00:27:45,920 him, so I will say, And I don't want I try to own 438 00:27:45,960 --> 00:27:48,119 my missus. The listeners of hardware and noves will know this. I don't 439 00:27:48,119 --> 00:27:52,880 want to defend myself too much. I do feel like the Jabbari Smith one 440 00:27:53,160 --> 00:27:59,440 is the only ranking that feels inexplicable based off the time right now, because 441 00:27:59,440 --> 00:28:02,680 we haven't seen an enough of amen. It's just why would I even go 442 00:28:02,759 --> 00:28:06,799 with someone who doesn't have that NBA sample size. It's Alprin Shangun like this 443 00:28:06,960 --> 00:28:10,279 is And I'm not gonna pretend to have been ahead on this or earlier on 444 00:28:10,400 --> 00:28:12,920 time. I'm late on this, but he is like, this is someone 445 00:28:12,960 --> 00:28:18,799 you can build an entire direction around, and it's it's just he's doing so 446 00:28:18,880 --> 00:28:21,519 many different things offensively. So no, he would still he would not be 447 00:28:22,039 --> 00:28:25,720 number four on my list. I wouldn't be curious, like where would Rockets 448 00:28:25,720 --> 00:28:29,839 fans have had him? I'm like Jalen Green would have been I'm assuming one 449 00:28:29,880 --> 00:28:33,039 for the Vasty he would have been. Yeah, yeah, I like you 450 00:28:33,119 --> 00:28:36,279 that's where he would have been. He would have been number two. He 451 00:28:36,319 --> 00:28:38,440 would he would have been number two or three. I think maybe there was 452 00:28:38,720 --> 00:28:42,359 maybe some folks would have had Jabbari or men, but like once you did 453 00:28:42,359 --> 00:28:45,720 the polls or whatever, he would have probably been number two, right, 454 00:28:45,759 --> 00:28:48,599 Like more people would have a number two, uh than anybody else. Right. 455 00:28:49,119 --> 00:28:53,960 And I think listen, like like I'm not gonna I'm not gonna come 456 00:28:55,039 --> 00:28:56,400 here. I'm not I'm not here to just just say I told you so 457 00:28:56,440 --> 00:29:00,279 to people. No, let me do it. It's it's it's over right, 458 00:29:00,279 --> 00:29:03,759 Like there's nothing left to say, right, Like it's like, what 459 00:29:04,240 --> 00:29:07,400 is their left to talk about? Right now? I want to I want 460 00:29:07,400 --> 00:29:11,200 to talk big picture now. I want to talk big picture now. So 461 00:29:11,880 --> 00:29:15,559 when Morey was here, the Rockets were kind of, like the more one 462 00:29:15,559 --> 00:29:19,119 of the more respected franchises in all of basketball, right because they were forward 463 00:29:19,119 --> 00:29:22,799 thinking and they were sharp as a front office. And I know it's only 464 00:29:22,880 --> 00:29:26,160 been nine games, but this front office has been here for almost three years, 465 00:29:26,240 --> 00:29:32,440 right, And I'm my question to you is have they regained some of 466 00:29:32,480 --> 00:29:38,400 that respect in your eyes? Yeah? I mean I think they gained a 467 00:29:38,400 --> 00:29:41,920 lot of it back. I think for me, with the off season that 468 00:29:41,960 --> 00:29:45,039 they had, where I wasn't a fan, I wasn't where I wasn't advocating 469 00:29:45,039 --> 00:29:48,559 for Dylan Brooks, but I loved the Fred Vanfleet acquisition and it felt like, 470 00:29:48,599 --> 00:29:52,720 look, we're trying to get better without infringing upon development or necessarily accelerating 471 00:29:52,720 --> 00:29:56,599 our timeline too much. And I think the big thing here is I don't 472 00:29:56,640 --> 00:30:00,599 know what they entered this season th the pecking order was going to look like. 473 00:30:00,640 --> 00:30:03,000 But as you mentioned at the top, to kind of watch the first 474 00:30:03,039 --> 00:30:07,880 game, maybe the first couple of games and decide there's gonna be a wholesale 475 00:30:07,920 --> 00:30:11,640 shift in how this offense is run and who's the most important that like making 476 00:30:11,720 --> 00:30:15,559 those adjustments we make fun of, you know, I think people made fun 477 00:30:15,559 --> 00:30:18,480 of Adrian Griffin for saying that he had moved brook Lopez out of Drop and 478 00:30:18,480 --> 00:30:19,759 then the players came in and so they wanted him back in more so he 479 00:30:19,799 --> 00:30:23,240 did it. When you look at information, when you're getting information where you're 480 00:30:23,240 --> 00:30:26,480 getting feedback on the quarter from your players and you react to it, that's 481 00:30:26,480 --> 00:30:30,880 something that deserves to be commended. And look, the other thing I'll say 482 00:30:30,559 --> 00:30:33,799 is, no, I was pretty vocal on my podcast that I thought the 483 00:30:33,799 --> 00:30:37,480 Grizzlies scapegoaded Dylan Brooks. That was just like, I'm not a dial I 484 00:30:37,519 --> 00:30:40,319 was not a Dylan Brooks guy. I want to make that clear. I 485 00:30:40,319 --> 00:30:45,240 thought he was maybe the single most damaging offensive player in the league. But 486 00:30:45,519 --> 00:30:48,079 the way that they kind of were just like, oh, we're getting rid 487 00:30:48,119 --> 00:30:49,759 of him, that I was vocal about, but I did not love the 488 00:30:49,799 --> 00:30:55,680 signing in Houston. Then he comes in and he is playing so differently. 489 00:30:56,000 --> 00:31:00,759 That's another way that you're going to regain respect, because he's like he's cut 490 00:31:00,160 --> 00:31:03,440 his pull up jumpers by like two thirds. He took like six last year 491 00:31:03,440 --> 00:31:07,160 per game. He's down to under two this year or whatever it is. 492 00:31:07,519 --> 00:31:11,400 And maybe it's because he's gotten paid, maybe it's because there's that relationship with 493 00:31:11,440 --> 00:31:15,400 Imey Udoka, but like they have changed the way that Dylan Brooks is functioning 494 00:31:15,400 --> 00:31:19,279 on offense overnight. And it's probably because the Grizzlies I think needed him to 495 00:31:19,279 --> 00:31:22,200 do more than the Rockets have ever done. But now they've proven that Dylan 496 00:31:22,200 --> 00:31:26,359 Brooks can exist. No, he won't shoot fifty five plus percent or three 497 00:31:26,400 --> 00:31:30,440 forever, but he can exist in kind of this smaller compact, complimentary offensive 498 00:31:30,480 --> 00:31:34,000 role. So that's another kind of feather in the Rockets cap. And you 499 00:31:34,079 --> 00:31:37,119 did fine. You recognize the value in alper in Shangoon when you went out 500 00:31:37,160 --> 00:31:41,799 and got him on draft night. That counts. I think Jalen Green is 501 00:31:41,839 --> 00:31:44,839 still I'm very excited about the long term of Jalen Green. When you kind 502 00:31:44,839 --> 00:31:47,799 of look at how when him and Shangun are playing together and he can get 503 00:31:47,799 --> 00:31:51,720 out and fan out on the wing around him in transition it's you said they 504 00:31:51,799 --> 00:31:53,759 like playing together. I look at it and I'm just like, Okay, 505 00:31:53,799 --> 00:31:57,000 he knows how to play around Shangun and like that's someone that he's okay playing 506 00:31:57,079 --> 00:32:00,160 off of. And so the fact that if he actively likes it, not 507 00:32:00,240 --> 00:32:04,000 just understands it, that's going to be huge. I will admit I still 508 00:32:04,039 --> 00:32:07,160 can't get a great feel for Jabari Smith Junior, who have been up and 509 00:32:07,240 --> 00:32:12,519 down on all over the place, but like they that was when you look 510 00:32:12,559 --> 00:32:15,039 at where they picked, like that was just the pick. That was the 511 00:32:15,039 --> 00:32:17,200 only Like they weren't gonna make a different pick. And there's there's a lot 512 00:32:17,240 --> 00:32:22,079 of I still think defensive malleability there that you have to be sort of tapped. 513 00:32:22,119 --> 00:32:24,359 I'm very interesting what his offensive role look like looks like on this team 514 00:32:24,400 --> 00:32:29,720 long term. But yeah, I specifically with the additions that they've made, 515 00:32:29,799 --> 00:32:31,720 some of the developments and the way that it's panning out on the floor, 516 00:32:31,799 --> 00:32:36,119 right, I mean, tar Easan's just development. He comes back and it's 517 00:32:36,200 --> 00:32:37,039 just like, oh, like this guy just yeah, he's only shooting like 518 00:32:37,039 --> 00:32:42,440 thirty three percent on twos, but he's knocking down all his threes basically even 519 00:32:42,559 --> 00:32:45,279 just like you know, this is I'm not trying to go too far in 520 00:32:45,319 --> 00:32:46,720 the weeds, but I can't remember which game it was in Garberg's time, 521 00:32:47,000 --> 00:32:50,680 like having Jens and Williams come in and like that guy's like, oh, 522 00:32:50,759 --> 00:32:53,039 that's like kind of interesting when you're looking at just like his zero to sixty 523 00:32:53,400 --> 00:32:58,839 speed in the half court. I think they have regained some of that trust, 524 00:32:59,079 --> 00:33:02,640 and I think what would I don't know if there's like another level that 525 00:33:02,680 --> 00:33:06,920 they still need to prove it. I am curious to see how they react 526 00:33:07,640 --> 00:33:10,160 to this success if it's if it sustains, though, Like, is this 527 00:33:10,200 --> 00:33:14,599 gonna be a team that's gonna rush to consolidate or will they take kind of 528 00:33:14,599 --> 00:33:19,200 the more gradual Oklahoma City approach, even though they're not built around just homegrown 529 00:33:19,240 --> 00:33:22,799 players. Now that Dylan Brooks and Fred VanVleet are there, do they kind 530 00:33:22,799 --> 00:33:27,119 of just let this play out and see where the they sort of lay throughout 531 00:33:27,160 --> 00:33:29,680 the course of the season. It's a ridiculous thing to think about, probably 532 00:33:29,759 --> 00:33:32,640 nine games into the season, but this success is you know, you mentioned 533 00:33:32,680 --> 00:33:36,680 all the caveats at the top, like they beat the Nuggets, like they 534 00:33:37,000 --> 00:33:38,720 beat the Nugget Like that's like with Yolkic on the court. I don't care, 535 00:33:38,759 --> 00:33:44,039 Like that's a real thing. Yeah, I mean it's it's a it's 536 00:33:44,079 --> 00:33:49,559 a really really compelling start to the season. And you know, real quick 537 00:33:49,559 --> 00:33:52,079 on Dylan Brooks, like I wrote before the season, like I was like 538 00:33:52,119 --> 00:33:55,960 the one guy in Houston media defending that contract, like everybody was fervently against 539 00:33:57,000 --> 00:34:00,960 it, right like. And the reason I was, I was like okay 540 00:34:00,000 --> 00:34:02,759 with it. I wasn't like saying it was great. I thought it was 541 00:34:02,799 --> 00:34:06,359 fine. And the reason I thought it was fine because I went back and 542 00:34:06,400 --> 00:34:10,480 I looked with what did with Marcus Marcus people don't remember Marcus Smart Predo. 543 00:34:12,360 --> 00:34:15,400 The guy was a chucker for the especially with the pull up threes. Specifically, 544 00:34:16,440 --> 00:34:22,679 Udoka comes in this season, by the way, and he's injured. 545 00:34:22,679 --> 00:34:23,920 Now, so I don't mean to I don't mean to speak ill of the 546 00:34:23,960 --> 00:34:28,800 injured, but right ill of the injured. Okay, all right, uh 547 00:34:28,920 --> 00:34:34,039 no, So like he Udoka comes in and he has Marcus Smart's pull up 548 00:34:34,039 --> 00:34:37,679 threes, Like he takes half as much pull up threes per game, uh 549 00:34:37,800 --> 00:34:42,800 under Udoka. And it's like that's a drastic, you know, shift man 550 00:34:42,920 --> 00:34:45,079 like like the fact that he had that kind of an impact on on that 551 00:34:45,199 --> 00:34:50,039 kind of a player, It's like I was optimistic that he could have a 552 00:34:50,159 --> 00:34:52,960 similar impact on Dylan Brooks. And I was optimistic when you looked at you 553 00:34:52,960 --> 00:34:57,039 know, his shot Diet that they're like, I didn't think he was that 554 00:34:57,159 --> 00:35:00,199 bad of a shooter. I just think he took the wrong shots, right, 555 00:35:00,199 --> 00:35:01,559 I just thought he took the wrong shots. I thought he was a 556 00:35:01,679 --> 00:35:07,000 fine catch and shoot player. I just thought he didn't take that many catch 557 00:35:07,000 --> 00:35:09,519 and shoots. And I thought a coach that could get through to him would 558 00:35:09,519 --> 00:35:13,960 make him fine, would make him not a damaging offensive player. And defensively, 559 00:35:14,000 --> 00:35:16,920 we all know what he is. So I and and you looked at 560 00:35:17,159 --> 00:35:21,320 where the salary cap was headed like I kind of thought that, you know, 561 00:35:21,519 --> 00:35:23,880 this is gonna be fine by year two or three of this contract, 562 00:35:23,920 --> 00:35:27,760 Like this is going to be a decent deal, I don't think. And 563 00:35:27,840 --> 00:35:30,800 it's a declining deal too, right, So it's like you got both of 564 00:35:30,840 --> 00:35:35,679 those things going in your favor. So you know, I I don Brooks, 565 00:35:35,719 --> 00:35:38,000 like I'm not I'm not gonna pretend like I saw this right, Like 566 00:35:38,199 --> 00:35:43,440 he's taking like seven attempts shot attempts per game or something or nine or something 567 00:35:43,480 --> 00:35:46,400 low, right, something really low, not not double digits at one point 568 00:35:46,480 --> 00:35:50,840 nine pull up jumpers per game, which is he was at five point eight 569 00:35:50,920 --> 00:35:52,679 last year. I think, no, Yeah, that's crazy. Yeah, 570 00:35:52,719 --> 00:35:55,880 that that that is crazy, And that's probably where his regression is gonna comes. 571 00:35:55,920 --> 00:36:00,000 He's gonna start taking more pull up jumpers and that's gonna, uh you 572 00:36:00,000 --> 00:36:02,039 know, because he's confident now, right, he's making his threes, He's 573 00:36:02,039 --> 00:36:06,599 gonna start taking pull up jumpers and then that's where that's where the regression comes. 574 00:36:06,679 --> 00:36:12,840 Right. But yeah, I think, yeah, I thought I thought 575 00:36:12,840 --> 00:36:15,480 that was I was a solid signing signing. And you also Jayshawn Tate, 576 00:36:15,559 --> 00:36:20,000 by the way, another guy they found off the scrap heat right, Like, 577 00:36:20,079 --> 00:36:27,360 this is a guy they found in Australia, right, and was by 578 00:36:27,360 --> 00:36:31,440 all accounts like a really heady offensive talent actually, right, like that's what 579 00:36:31,480 --> 00:36:35,840 he was doing in Australia. He was like he was leading uh I think 580 00:36:35,920 --> 00:36:37,800 the Sydney Kings, I can't remember which which team it was, he was 581 00:36:37,880 --> 00:36:43,239 leading their offense, right, and he and he comes in the Rockets recognize 582 00:36:43,280 --> 00:36:46,519 the kind of defensive potential he has and he starts in preseason game number one 583 00:36:46,960 --> 00:36:52,320 under Steven Saalas, which is like it's a new coach is always gonna favor 584 00:36:52,440 --> 00:36:57,719 Vets and for someone to come in like that and just grab a starting spot 585 00:36:57,920 --> 00:37:01,719 was super impressive. And I thought he was awesome. Uh so they've regained 586 00:37:01,719 --> 00:37:05,719 some of that with me too. I'm not sure if I'm where where I 587 00:37:05,840 --> 00:37:07,760 was with Maury right because I thought Maury I still think Maury's one of the 588 00:37:07,760 --> 00:37:12,199 best general managers in basketball, maybe in sports, right, Like I I 589 00:37:12,199 --> 00:37:15,000 think I think he's really really good as Chop or maybe we disagree there. 590 00:37:15,079 --> 00:37:19,400 I think he's awesome, right, But Rafel's I think I think he's he's 591 00:37:19,440 --> 00:37:21,519 pretty good, right, Like, so I want to get this off my 592 00:37:21,639 --> 00:37:25,519 chest because I'm I'm seeing a lot of this sentiment on Twitter. And as 593 00:37:25,599 --> 00:37:31,440 frustrating as some of his decisions have been, you just can't take away credit 594 00:37:31,440 --> 00:37:36,480 from Rafel's Stone for putting this team together. You just can't. Nobody in 595 00:37:36,559 --> 00:37:39,400 this Rockets media space was a bigger proponent of Shango than I was. Right, 596 00:37:39,480 --> 00:37:43,559 like, you're not gonna find it. Like before he played his first 597 00:37:43,639 --> 00:37:45,440 NBA game, I had multiple articles up about him, like I did. 598 00:37:45,559 --> 00:37:51,239 I did a profile about him from day one. That's a I was a 599 00:37:51,239 --> 00:37:55,719 big guy. I was a big sham. So like I say that to 600 00:37:55,719 --> 00:38:00,719 say, I understand more than anyone the frustration that that folks have with the 601 00:38:00,840 --> 00:38:06,199 organization for kind of undercutting him at seemingly every turn. Right, But st 602 00:38:06,440 --> 00:38:07,800 Stone did trade for the guy, as you said, he traded for the 603 00:38:07,800 --> 00:38:13,159 guy. He gave up two first rounders. I don't care if it was 604 00:38:13,400 --> 00:38:15,440 his idea or not. And frankly, I don't know, and I'm not 605 00:38:15,440 --> 00:38:19,800 gonna pretend like I do. Like some people out there, not no one 606 00:38:19,840 --> 00:38:24,079 knows whose idea was to take Shanhun. Most of the stuff that's out there 607 00:38:24,199 --> 00:38:29,119 is pure speculation, and even if it wasn't his idea, Let's just say 608 00:38:29,159 --> 00:38:31,599 for a second it wasn't his idea. Well, he had the presence of 609 00:38:31,599 --> 00:38:35,559 mind to act on that idea, right, he had the presence of mine 610 00:38:35,599 --> 00:38:38,599 to execute on it, right, Like the same thing with the Fred van 611 00:38:38,679 --> 00:38:43,400 Vliet over James Harden thing. Right, Like he may have preferred James Harden, 612 00:38:43,639 --> 00:38:46,480 but he took im Udoka's idea of going after Van Vliet. Right. 613 00:38:46,519 --> 00:38:51,719 When you listen to smart people, that says a lot about you. Yeah, 614 00:38:51,960 --> 00:38:54,480 right, it just does. You don't get to take this stuff away 615 00:38:54,480 --> 00:38:59,000 from him. He certainly hasn't been perfect, but for the most part, 616 00:38:59,519 --> 00:39:01,599 I my opinion, I think he's done a pretty good job of putting this 617 00:39:01,679 --> 00:39:06,719 core together. And I don't want to hear this bullshit about how Stone was 618 00:39:06,719 --> 00:39:10,880 this naive bystander through all the bad, through all the good decisions, while 619 00:39:10,880 --> 00:39:15,239 also being the driving force, uh through behind all their ill advised decisions, 620 00:39:15,239 --> 00:39:19,679 Like you can't have it both ways, you can't, Like he's the GM. 621 00:39:19,800 --> 00:39:23,599 Everything the organization does from a basketball ops perspective goes on his resume, 622 00:39:24,199 --> 00:39:29,480 Like say, the same thing with the with the Maury Westbrook trade, Like 623 00:39:29,800 --> 00:39:32,000 Moury has to own that. That goes on his resume. He even went 624 00:39:32,039 --> 00:39:35,559 on the record with that on his resume. I don't care where it came 625 00:39:35,599 --> 00:39:38,760 from. That was that goes on that It's on him, right, You 626 00:39:38,760 --> 00:39:44,840 You are ultimately responsible for the decisions you make. And I I that that 627 00:39:44,920 --> 00:39:46,360 narrative just kind of bothered me. I'm sorry, I that wasn't more so 628 00:39:46,440 --> 00:39:49,519 a question. I just need to get that off my chest. Well, 629 00:39:49,559 --> 00:39:52,840 there's like you can't be perfect, and I feel like people, you know, 630 00:39:52,440 --> 00:39:55,719 let's look at Denver with Michael Malone as their head coach, where he 631 00:39:55,800 --> 00:40:01,039 has he got unprecedented time and they were there excuses to explain away their struggles 632 00:40:01,039 --> 00:40:06,880 injuries, mostly things that happen to them. And but you're ridiculed if you 633 00:40:06,920 --> 00:40:10,360 stick with one thing for too long rather than being celebrated if you see something's 634 00:40:10,400 --> 00:40:14,559 not working, and even if it takes you too long to get away from 635 00:40:14,559 --> 00:40:17,679 it Steven Silas for example, or even if it takes you too long to 636 00:40:17,679 --> 00:40:22,360 get to Alpha and Shangun, the fact that you still ended up here. 637 00:40:22,800 --> 00:40:25,280 It's not something everyone could have done. And I think what really does help 638 00:40:25,320 --> 00:40:30,519 Stone is not all of this stuff is just sort of revelatory where that the 639 00:40:30,559 --> 00:40:32,679 Shane Gun thing. Yes, it was maddening from your perspective to not see 640 00:40:32,719 --> 00:40:37,599 them focus on him more until now, But it's not really a coincidence that 641 00:40:37,880 --> 00:40:42,480 you finally make the coaching change and then this gets on earthed. To my 642 00:40:42,519 --> 00:40:45,679 point, though, that was a weird like detour there, tar Resan Jayshan 643 00:40:45,719 --> 00:40:50,760 Tee, like all these guys were just like they were already fines and even 644 00:40:50,800 --> 00:40:52,119 just Jalen Green, as you know, you quibble over like, well, 645 00:40:52,119 --> 00:40:55,360 what is this ceiling going to be? Like that's going to be a legitimate 646 00:40:55,480 --> 00:40:59,960 NBA player. And so even though you if you haven't liked the process, 647 00:41:00,119 --> 00:41:02,000 what was unfolding on the court, a lot of the stuff that was happening 648 00:41:02,039 --> 00:41:07,440 when you're looking at how their roster was built, setting themselves up for the 649 00:41:07,480 --> 00:41:10,440 cap space that they had this past summer, when it's a unique weapon in 650 00:41:10,480 --> 00:41:15,000 the sense that free agency is not what it used to be. But if 651 00:41:15,039 --> 00:41:17,719 you have money to throw around and are willing to spend it, look at 652 00:41:17,760 --> 00:41:22,280 what you can do. You almost he was probably just using them as leverage, 653 00:41:22,719 --> 00:41:24,199 but like, okay, you didn't want to see him coming and take 654 00:41:24,199 --> 00:41:28,559 minutes away from out printing goople like Brook Lopez was talking to you like that 655 00:41:28,599 --> 00:41:30,800 got you into a conversation that you otherwise wouldn't have been where you use as 656 00:41:30,800 --> 00:41:34,480 a stocking horse. I don't know, do you want to troll Raphael Stone 657 00:41:34,480 --> 00:41:37,480 and co. Because they had shang Gun and they were still looking at Lopez. 658 00:41:37,719 --> 00:41:39,679 Lopez is one of the best room protectors of like the decade, and 659 00:41:39,719 --> 00:41:44,360 so like I understand from a theory perspective what they were were trying to do. 660 00:41:44,840 --> 00:41:47,920 So yeah, it's just interesting how I mean, it comes back to 661 00:41:49,480 --> 00:41:52,400 people remember your misses more than your hits, and so it's just easier to 662 00:41:52,480 --> 00:41:58,360 focus on and I think that is probably a big reason why. And a 663 00:41:58,360 --> 00:42:01,679 lot of times it's sort of like Superstar syndrome, where it's if player X 664 00:42:01,760 --> 00:42:05,119 loses, it's, oh did they not have enough help? And if they 665 00:42:05,159 --> 00:42:07,239 win, it's like, oh, they were the driving force. It's it's 666 00:42:07,239 --> 00:42:12,039 that type of analysis. Not everyone follows it, but like you're in the 667 00:42:12,119 --> 00:42:16,159 question that simplify things down or make everything binary, and then just I think 668 00:42:16,199 --> 00:42:17,920 we live in a world, as I already mentioned, where it's it's so 669 00:42:19,039 --> 00:42:23,119 much easier to one maybe not forgive the misses, but you're going to accentuate 670 00:42:23,239 --> 00:42:27,840 and spotlight the failures and just kind of forget about what you were right about. 671 00:42:27,840 --> 00:42:30,360 Whereas, look, if you came, no one's gonna remember that you 672 00:42:30,400 --> 00:42:32,320 were early on Shangon, But if he had kind of flamed out of the 673 00:42:32,400 --> 00:42:37,239 league, everyone would remember that you were like going to the hill for this 674 00:42:37,280 --> 00:42:40,039 guy. So last year, I picked the Nuggets to win the title in 675 00:42:40,079 --> 00:42:43,960 the preseason and no one else was doing that. I was told I was 676 00:42:44,000 --> 00:42:46,239 crazy. It wasn't like no one remembers that I picked the Nuggets, But 677 00:42:46,239 --> 00:42:50,280 if they like flamed out in the first round, everyone would have remembered that 678 00:42:50,320 --> 00:42:52,880 I picked the Nuggets to win the title. Yeah, and I'm that asshole 679 00:42:52,920 --> 00:42:57,280 that's gonna remind you all the time, right, Like, but I couldn't 680 00:42:57,280 --> 00:43:00,639 do it. I can't. I took one victory lap and it just like 681 00:43:00,760 --> 00:43:02,360 wasn't it was a tweet. It just wasn't really that satisfying for me. 682 00:43:02,440 --> 00:43:07,679 But you absolutely should, especially on this where it's like it wasn't just that 683 00:43:07,800 --> 00:43:12,719 people weren't watching the Rockets enough, it was that the Rockets didn't even seem 684 00:43:12,719 --> 00:43:16,800 like they were in tune with who they had yeah, I remember I wrote 685 00:43:17,239 --> 00:43:22,119 this was like midway through his first season, right, I wrote this article 686 00:43:22,159 --> 00:43:27,559 about how like they should trade Christian Wood at some point and just kind of 687 00:43:27,800 --> 00:43:30,960 go with this guy, right like like this this suld this should be like 688 00:43:31,000 --> 00:43:35,840 they're like they're building block this this kind of looks like a building block piece 689 00:43:35,880 --> 00:43:37,639 here, Like I feel like more people should pay attention to this, And 690 00:43:37,679 --> 00:43:43,039 like I got destroyed in the comments of that tweet, like where I tweeted 691 00:43:43,039 --> 00:43:45,199 the article where I was like like people were just like not ready to just 692 00:43:45,239 --> 00:43:49,639 trade Christian Wood, which is like I didn't understand it. I was like, 693 00:43:50,119 --> 00:43:52,360 to me, at that point, it was obvious that Christian Would had 694 00:43:52,400 --> 00:43:55,719 to go. Do you remember that I got we don't have to go too 695 00:43:55,719 --> 00:43:59,840 far. I do remember that one time I proposed trading Christian Would with three 696 00:43:59,880 --> 00:44:04,960 for round picks, and it was like a ninety nine percent no, Like 697 00:44:05,280 --> 00:44:08,239 from man, I don't I know. This is a localized podcast, and 698 00:44:08,280 --> 00:44:12,800 you know, I have all the respect in the world for team specific pods, 699 00:44:12,840 --> 00:44:15,559 but the way that we're able to curate our content to only hear what 700 00:44:15,559 --> 00:44:20,079 we want to hear is broken fandom in so many ways to where it's like 701 00:44:20,119 --> 00:44:23,440 you think Christian Wood as a fan of like three first round picks isn't enough? 702 00:44:24,159 --> 00:44:29,360 Like that is just like that's a weird silo to live in because like 703 00:44:29,440 --> 00:44:30,719 Zach Levine's gonna get trade I don't even know if he's going to get for 704 00:44:30,800 --> 00:44:35,079 three first round picks. And in fairness, it was like Christian Wood and 705 00:44:35,119 --> 00:44:37,519 PJ Tucker right, like I threw PJ. Tucker in the trade, right, 706 00:44:37,599 --> 00:44:40,679 but like still like that's not enough, like three first rounders like that, 707 00:44:40,719 --> 00:44:46,000 I don't know whatever, whatever the case. I say that to say, 708 00:44:46,079 --> 00:44:51,519 like we're here now, and you said earlier in the podcast that you 709 00:44:51,559 --> 00:44:55,760 think that Shengon can kind of be your driver moving forward. Now when you 710 00:44:55,800 --> 00:45:01,079 say driver, what do you mean, Like that is your poll star where 711 00:45:01,119 --> 00:45:05,159 it's okay? So he can be the best player on a championship team, 712 00:45:05,199 --> 00:45:08,159 Like do you see that potential? I would say, yes, there's still 713 00:45:08,159 --> 00:45:13,599 some defensive concerns I have, and like they have not necessarily when they've opponents 714 00:45:13,599 --> 00:45:15,400 have gotten to the rim, they have not held up too well. But 715 00:45:15,440 --> 00:45:21,800 I also see that he he is better. I personally think that he's been 716 00:45:21,880 --> 00:45:24,480 better defensively, and I think part of that is his role has been or 717 00:45:24,559 --> 00:45:28,000 not simplified, but he's not as exposed enough when you look at what they 718 00:45:28,039 --> 00:45:30,320 have going on up top, where it's Jay Shaun Tate is healthy, you 719 00:45:30,320 --> 00:45:35,320 have Fred Vanfleet, you have Dylan Brooks aman Thompson. Before he gets he 720 00:45:35,360 --> 00:45:38,159 gets injured. And so if you can surround him with the right personnel, 721 00:45:38,760 --> 00:45:43,360 can you look like, could it be more of an equitable split where it's 722 00:45:43,400 --> 00:45:45,960 like that he has a one B or something, but he can absolutely be 723 00:45:46,000 --> 00:45:50,800 the best offensive player on a championship team. I think that is what we're 724 00:45:50,800 --> 00:45:53,400 discovering when you look at it's not just the numbers he's putting up right now. 725 00:45:53,440 --> 00:45:57,400 I keep coming back to the methods by which they're coming, which is 726 00:45:57,440 --> 00:46:02,400 in this comprehensive package where it's just so many different ways that he's able to 727 00:46:02,400 --> 00:46:07,199 punish you. And I believe, and I would probably include myself in this. 728 00:46:07,239 --> 00:46:10,360 We might just be more open to now recognizing that and saying, yeah, 729 00:46:10,360 --> 00:46:14,079 this can be someone who is you know, it's still too early in 730 00:46:14,119 --> 00:46:15,440 the sense that this is year three for him, and so I was like, 731 00:46:15,519 --> 00:46:19,159 let's kind of pump the brakes and see. But when you look at 732 00:46:19,159 --> 00:46:21,639 the outlines of what he can do, because now Jokic is won a title 733 00:46:21,639 --> 00:46:23,480 where a lot of people kind of framed it this way as he can't be 734 00:46:23,519 --> 00:46:27,679 the best player on championship team. I do think Shang Gun's a different player. 735 00:46:27,840 --> 00:46:30,360 He's not anywhere near the shooter that Nikol Jokich is when you look at 736 00:46:30,400 --> 00:46:34,199 kind of the floater and the fadeaways and just even the you know, the 737 00:46:34,239 --> 00:46:37,760 three pointer that Nikole Jokic has, but the passing, the vision, the 738 00:46:37,760 --> 00:46:40,039 different ways he's able to score inside the arc once he gets moving downhill. 739 00:46:40,920 --> 00:46:45,840 I look at him and if I don't want to the best player our championship 740 00:46:45,840 --> 00:46:49,400 team is so tough because that's like, yeah, players in the league. 741 00:46:49,480 --> 00:46:53,840 I'll frame it this way. He is good enough to me to direct everything 742 00:46:53,880 --> 00:46:59,079 you do from here on until proven otherwise to where it's when you're looking, 743 00:46:59,360 --> 00:47:02,159 if we're moving past the point where they're gonna be drafting super high, you're 744 00:47:02,199 --> 00:47:07,679 looking for guys that can come in fit with him, cover up for his 745 00:47:07,719 --> 00:47:12,679 weaknesses, optimize his strengths. I think he is the lens through which you 746 00:47:12,760 --> 00:47:17,840 look like through your future and it's you know again, because Jalen Green is 747 00:47:17,880 --> 00:47:21,320 there it feels like it could be more of an acurate like if if you 748 00:47:21,440 --> 00:47:23,400 view those guys as the two. But when it comes down to it in 749 00:47:23,440 --> 00:47:29,119 Denver, there's that clear separation between Jokic and Murray. I wouldn't say I 750 00:47:29,119 --> 00:47:31,039 don't think the gap will ultimately be as big between Shang Gun and Green. 751 00:47:31,079 --> 00:47:35,239 I'm that high on Green and Yokic is one of the best players of all 752 00:47:35,239 --> 00:47:37,239 time and sort of predict that for Shangun. It's just is wild. But 753 00:47:37,960 --> 00:47:42,119 I think that's the best way to put it. Is like you have found 754 00:47:42,760 --> 00:47:47,320 until proven otherwise, like this is the this is your north star. Yeah, 755 00:47:47,480 --> 00:47:52,880 it's like I think he can be like like we've passed the point where 756 00:47:53,400 --> 00:47:57,360 so this thing was always a spectrum, right with Shenggun, Like it was 757 00:47:57,400 --> 00:48:01,960 like starting center Star are like the Sabonis tier of All Star, and then 758 00:48:02,239 --> 00:48:06,159 the was this is gonna anger a lot of people. This ceiling is way 759 00:48:06,239 --> 00:48:08,440 higher than Domas bonuses. Yeah, I'm saying that was like that was like 760 00:48:08,440 --> 00:48:12,800 the middle right, Like at the end of that spectrum was like Jokic, 761 00:48:12,960 --> 00:48:15,519 right, which is like you know, people were shy to say it, 762 00:48:15,559 --> 00:48:17,519 but we got acknowledged like that that's the ceiling, right, that's like it 763 00:48:17,559 --> 00:48:22,159 has to be there. So I think he's somewhere between Sobonis and Yolkic now 764 00:48:22,239 --> 00:48:24,480 right, we're just like, you know, there's like Pallgasov's there. I 765 00:48:24,480 --> 00:48:30,960 would say Palagasa is kind of in that middle Yoki of Yokicchen Sabonis, Right. 766 00:48:30,960 --> 00:48:34,320 I think I think I'm comfortable talking about him as a Gasaw type player 767 00:48:34,320 --> 00:48:38,000 now right, and like Palagasaw at his peak, I mean I think he 768 00:48:38,559 --> 00:48:42,599 was he was good enough to drive a franchise. I don't think people remember 769 00:48:42,599 --> 00:48:47,199 how good Palagasau was those a couple of Lakers Lakers title teams there was he 770 00:48:47,280 --> 00:48:50,840 was clearly the second best player in there probably moments where he was we don't 771 00:48:50,840 --> 00:48:52,760 want to have that discussion where he might have been like Panels m v P. 772 00:48:52,920 --> 00:48:55,400 Yeah, I might have to revisit that two thousand and nine one. 773 00:48:55,719 --> 00:49:00,920 Uh no, no, you're you're right listen, I I I yeah, 774 00:49:00,119 --> 00:49:05,159 that that's what he was. That that that's exactly what he was. And 775 00:49:06,440 --> 00:49:09,800 the Rockets were at one point considering trading for him before you know, uh, 776 00:49:09,880 --> 00:49:14,360 the NBA came in and canceled that trade whatever, right, like because 777 00:49:14,400 --> 00:49:17,760 they thought that he could be the building block piece, and it's ironic like 778 00:49:17,800 --> 00:49:22,719 now that they have someone who could be conceivably the second coming of that kind 779 00:49:22,719 --> 00:49:29,360 of guy, and I I'm wondering, like, would we would would this 780 00:49:29,480 --> 00:49:32,320 be more obvious if he was like two inches taller or if he was the 781 00:49:32,360 --> 00:49:36,800 sixth overall pick in the draft versus the sixteenth overall pick in the draft? 782 00:49:36,880 --> 00:49:39,199 Right, like, because we are kind of adjusting to this data on the 783 00:49:39,239 --> 00:49:43,559 fly, right, this is this is all basically new data for us. 784 00:49:43,639 --> 00:49:45,079 How long did it take for us to get there with Shang with not Shan 785 00:49:45,119 --> 00:49:50,000 Gun with k right, like probably his first MVP season, it's like, 786 00:49:50,000 --> 00:49:52,159 oh, he could be the best player on the championship team. That's probably 787 00:49:52,440 --> 00:49:54,280 that probably people thought it still didn't even believe it then, and so it's 788 00:49:54,400 --> 00:49:59,559 yeah, but I would say, like that's probably when we first, Like 789 00:49:59,679 --> 00:50:01,719 I think with Shanng gouon, we probably have to get to a point where 790 00:50:02,880 --> 00:50:07,480 it's where it's like a reasonable thing to say this maybe it's first All Star 791 00:50:07,559 --> 00:50:10,880 game, right because like now that we have the outline of Jokic, you 792 00:50:10,880 --> 00:50:14,400 don't have to go for the MVP, you don't have to wait till that 793 00:50:14,440 --> 00:50:17,559 point. Maybe when Shang Gun makes his first All Star game, we can 794 00:50:17,639 --> 00:50:22,320 start talking about it more like openly. But I'm with you, man, 795 00:50:22,519 --> 00:50:25,639 Like I'm totally with you. I think I think he should be their north 796 00:50:25,679 --> 00:50:30,079 star as of right now, right like, until someone takes it from him. 797 00:50:30,119 --> 00:50:36,159 He's he's the he's the guy, and you don't have any viable path 798 00:50:36,239 --> 00:50:40,000 to getting another top pick unless Brooklyn craters, right, which it doesn't seem 799 00:50:40,000 --> 00:50:44,079 like they're going to be. It seems like they're gonna fight that at every 800 00:50:44,119 --> 00:50:47,719 cause, right so, like I think as of right now, I would 801 00:50:47,760 --> 00:50:53,519 be considering like they're right right now they have Oladipa owned house right and they 802 00:50:53,599 --> 00:50:57,400 have that contract ready to trade. It seems like they're they want to make 803 00:50:57,440 --> 00:51:00,239 a move. And I think the reason and they're doing that is because they 804 00:51:00,320 --> 00:51:06,679 want another contract that they can acquire that's that's signed to multiple years, not 805 00:51:06,840 --> 00:51:09,119 just this year, next year, so that if when when the trade becomes 806 00:51:09,159 --> 00:51:13,119 available, when the star trade becomes available, they want to be ready, 807 00:51:13,480 --> 00:51:15,800 right like, because like kind of where they were with KPg when they had 808 00:51:15,840 --> 00:51:19,880 that contract in house, right, they want to be able to flip a 809 00:51:20,039 --> 00:51:24,559 depot for like a Malcolm Brogden or something like that. And then when you 810 00:51:24,639 --> 00:51:30,679 know, let's say this summer or next trade deadline, if a star that 811 00:51:30,760 --> 00:51:35,280 you feel can fit into your core becomes available, you're you're ready, You're 812 00:51:35,280 --> 00:51:38,000 ready to pounce on it. I think that's kind of where the Rockets go 813 00:51:38,079 --> 00:51:40,440 at this trade deadline. I think they're going to move all the depot and 814 00:51:40,559 --> 00:51:44,679 like two second rounders or maybe even a first I don't know if they're willing 815 00:51:44,719 --> 00:51:46,880 to touch those brook and if those Brooklyn first, but maybe the two second 816 00:51:46,960 --> 00:51:50,639 rounders. I think they're going to go after like a Malcolm Brogden type. 817 00:51:51,000 --> 00:51:54,320 And that may not sound that exciting to you, but it is exciting in 818 00:51:54,440 --> 00:51:59,760 that once you get that Brogden type in house, you'll have Brogden, you'll 819 00:51:59,800 --> 00:52:05,599 have Londale, you'll have Jeff Green, you'll have Tait. And that's enough. 820 00:52:06,280 --> 00:52:08,400 That's enough to go get That's enough money to go get the star right 821 00:52:08,840 --> 00:52:14,159 along with your pit capital from Brooklyn. Perhaps maybe you gotta trade you know, 822 00:52:14,239 --> 00:52:16,119 maybe a cam Whitmore in there, maybe a Jabari Smith in there or 823 00:52:16,239 --> 00:52:22,239 whatever you're willing to move, right, you gotta that that might be enough 824 00:52:22,280 --> 00:52:24,840 to get the Star Star player trade moving right, Like I think I think 825 00:52:24,880 --> 00:52:30,639 that's kind of where I'm at, Like organizationally, I'm viewing Shane Gun as 826 00:52:30,679 --> 00:52:35,719 the north star, and I'm not I'm willing to sacrifice assets if it helps 827 00:52:35,800 --> 00:52:38,280 me get to a place where I can build around him. I do wonder 828 00:52:38,400 --> 00:52:44,320 though, like just because of the infrastructure that's already in place where you know, 829 00:52:44,480 --> 00:52:46,199 I'm and Thompson when he's healthy, the pick equity they have invested in 830 00:52:46,320 --> 00:52:50,519 him. I'm not so worry about Jabari Smith Junior looking at the offense, 831 00:52:50,559 --> 00:52:52,280 but the equity they have in Jalen Green and now you have brought Red van 832 00:52:52,320 --> 00:52:58,639 Fleet into the fold, does that cap like how much you're gonna steer into 833 00:52:58,679 --> 00:53:00,960 the Shangun experience? On all, He's averaging fewer touches per game this year 834 00:53:01,000 --> 00:53:04,920 than last year, more minutes overall, Like I know, the effectiveness is 835 00:53:05,000 --> 00:53:08,599 just there, and so I'm curious if that not inhibits what they're able to 836 00:53:08,639 --> 00:53:13,440 do, but changes the way that they're gonna build out the rest of this 837 00:53:13,760 --> 00:53:16,599 roster. Because when you're when I'm just naming all those guys, if Shanggun 838 00:53:16,679 --> 00:53:21,920 is your north star, like who is what is then the ideal star that 839 00:53:21,920 --> 00:53:24,639 you're looking to go out and get. And then because of the quote unquote 840 00:53:24,679 --> 00:53:29,920 good talent or like high prospects they already have in place, it's invariably then 841 00:53:30,000 --> 00:53:34,679 going to replace one or two of those guys. If you're saying Shangun's off 842 00:53:34,719 --> 00:53:37,480 limits and you have Aman Thompson, you have Jabari Smith Jr. And you 843 00:53:37,559 --> 00:53:42,159 have Jalen Green, Like there's only one other spot technically on a five man 844 00:53:42,280 --> 00:53:45,480 lineup, and like you still have Tar Easton here in Fred van Fleet and 845 00:53:45,519 --> 00:53:47,880 Dylan Brooks. It's like, what is the type of player? And I 846 00:53:47,960 --> 00:53:52,199 know we have this discussion over the offseason, but now that we know Shang 847 00:53:52,280 --> 00:53:54,119 Gun is this good? But now that you also know what the Rockets are 848 00:53:54,159 --> 00:54:00,760 capable of so far, how does that impact the type archetype of player or 849 00:54:00,800 --> 00:54:05,760 even not not even star, but player that you're gonna go after. Yeah, 850 00:54:05,760 --> 00:54:09,079 I mean I think we ended that podcast where we're ranking guys like who's 851 00:54:09,079 --> 00:54:13,599 gonna go? I want someone to go grab the mantle this year? Right, 852 00:54:13,840 --> 00:54:15,920 it feels like Shang Gun's done that, right, Like he did that 853 00:54:15,360 --> 00:54:19,920 pretty damn quickly, but like that goal has been accomplished. For the Rockets 854 00:54:19,920 --> 00:54:22,519 this season, Right, So I think it is productive to have this conversation 855 00:54:22,920 --> 00:54:27,800 about, like, you know, how the Rockets choose to go about building 856 00:54:27,840 --> 00:54:31,440 around him, if de if he's the guy, Listen, I think the 857 00:54:31,519 --> 00:54:37,000 only two untouchables for me are are Jalen and Shenghu, Right, And I 858 00:54:37,119 --> 00:54:38,679 know what that means, right, And people I'll be like, you're really 859 00:54:38,719 --> 00:54:40,920 willing to put on men Thompson on table? Yeah, I think I am. 860 00:54:42,440 --> 00:54:45,079 You will We're really willing to put Jabbari? Yeah, I think I 861 00:54:45,159 --> 00:54:47,760 am. Look, and I mean this might be a whole separate discussions, 862 00:54:47,800 --> 00:54:52,679 like how does what's happening right now impact the way that they're gonna use Aman 863 00:54:52,800 --> 00:54:55,840 Thompson once he comes back, Like they're gonna be a little bit worried about 864 00:54:55,920 --> 00:55:00,480 giving a rookie X amount of reps is going to hurt what they're doing. 865 00:55:00,519 --> 00:55:04,079 Like there were some promising lineups they rolled him out in that were just they 866 00:55:04,119 --> 00:55:06,920 were kind of defensive monsters at one point, so they could still lean into 867 00:55:06,960 --> 00:55:08,559 that. But like, if you have a chance as a Rockets team, 868 00:55:08,599 --> 00:55:12,039 if like if we fast forward two to three weeks and they're still at this 869 00:55:12,159 --> 00:55:14,599 pace, you know, not to the point where they're just not losing any 870 00:55:14,639 --> 00:55:16,079 games, but they're still in the thick of things. And you look, 871 00:55:16,079 --> 00:55:20,320 if you had the opportunity, this might be a good because you mentioned Brooklyn, 872 00:55:20,719 --> 00:55:23,719 you're sending them back Aman Thompson, maybe some of their picks and getting 873 00:55:23,800 --> 00:55:27,880 McHale Bridges. Like if Brooklyn decided to pull the plug, they have the 874 00:55:27,880 --> 00:55:30,320 Ben Simmons injury, they're dealing with Nick Claxton's gonna be a free agent. 875 00:55:30,360 --> 00:55:34,559 He had already missed some time this year. It doesn't seem like they're headed 876 00:55:34,599 --> 00:55:37,079 down that path. Like, that's a player who makes so much sense alongside 877 00:55:37,400 --> 00:55:42,480 not just alphrinshanggud and Jalen Green, but if you're gonna end up keeping Fred 878 00:55:42,559 --> 00:55:45,559 van Fleet as part of that and even Dylan Brooks, like mcal Bridges, 879 00:55:45,639 --> 00:55:47,920 makes all the sense in the world. Yeah, I think that's kind of 880 00:55:47,960 --> 00:55:51,599 the type of player you would chase right the wing, the wingy guy, 881 00:55:52,079 --> 00:55:54,840 right like, because you you have your guard, you have your big I 882 00:55:54,920 --> 00:55:58,920 think you go for the wing. I think I think that's the kind of 883 00:55:59,199 --> 00:56:04,280 mckel bridges. Maybe you're O g Annob like I don't. I think Annoby 884 00:56:04,360 --> 00:56:07,039 might be a little bit like low low on the spectrum where I'm not gonna 885 00:56:07,079 --> 00:56:10,039 trade like a high end asset for You're quite sure like you could give up 886 00:56:10,079 --> 00:56:13,320 what it? Yeah, but like in terms of player equity, I wouldn't. 887 00:56:14,000 --> 00:56:15,800 Yeah, yeah, I mean he is interesting in Houston just because he 888 00:56:15,920 --> 00:56:20,440 might want to dribble a lot, but with the players that they have and 889 00:56:20,519 --> 00:56:22,519 the spacing that they can apparently create right now, like they don't need him 890 00:56:22,599 --> 00:56:24,559 to dribble a lot. But I'm with you in a sense that, especially 891 00:56:24,559 --> 00:56:30,159 with free agency coming up, I'm not you know, i'd be even I 892 00:56:30,280 --> 00:56:31,719 mean, this is just Galaxy bringing it, but I'd be a little bit 893 00:56:31,760 --> 00:56:36,559 reluctant to give up Tarry Eastan for him knowing what oj Anoby's gonna make his 894 00:56:36,639 --> 00:56:39,559 next contract. No, I'm with you. I'm at that point right where 895 00:56:39,559 --> 00:56:44,360 it's like I would I would be very selective on the guy I would trade 896 00:56:44,400 --> 00:56:46,320 for, right because I have the luxury now, I have the luxury to 897 00:56:46,360 --> 00:56:51,840 be selective. Good point, And I don't know, like it's tough because 898 00:56:51,880 --> 00:56:55,159 there isn't like a young, like a young ish awesome wing out there right 899 00:56:55,239 --> 00:56:58,920 like that that teams willing to trade right, Scotty Barnes is out there, 900 00:56:58,960 --> 00:57:02,960 but they're not trainings, right like right, like, just don't it's always 901 00:57:04,039 --> 00:57:07,159 the like you're entering the Damian Lillard phase of your maybe a little bit earlier 902 00:57:07,199 --> 00:57:09,960 than that. Even Anthony Davis was sort of like an anomaly where it's like 903 00:57:10,360 --> 00:57:15,920 twenty six twenty seven is like when there might become available, and even by 904 00:57:15,599 --> 00:57:20,719 standards like there's not that there doesn't appear to be that wing out there right 905 00:57:20,800 --> 00:57:24,400 now. Maybe Pascal Pascal, but like Pascal is an expiring contract, right 906 00:57:24,440 --> 00:57:30,320 so I'm not trying to interesting, Yeah, I mean that, But then 907 00:57:30,400 --> 00:57:32,519 but then you're you're pretty much talking about giving up Jabari right like that at 908 00:57:32,559 --> 00:57:36,400 that point, and then you're writing Fred van Fleet and Siakam, which is 909 00:57:36,440 --> 00:57:38,880 in the end of the world. But that might be something to explore in 910 00:57:38,880 --> 00:57:42,239 the off season when you can sign him to a multi year deal, right 911 00:57:42,280 --> 00:57:45,920 like assign and trade multi year deal type thing, right with the Raptors, 912 00:57:46,320 --> 00:57:50,599 that that might be something explore at that point. But in general, like 913 00:57:50,639 --> 00:57:54,119 I'm looking like Giddy, like I don't think Giddy is someone you want to 914 00:57:54,119 --> 00:57:57,199 go trade for, right like, he's not. He doesn't exactly make a 915 00:57:57,239 --> 00:58:00,239 lot of sense here, like it's it's tough, it's tough. I'm I'm 916 00:58:00,920 --> 00:58:04,280 like Ingram, like I don't know, I don't know. The ball has 917 00:58:04,320 --> 00:58:07,480 been sticking with him in New Orleans this year, So I wouldn't want that 918 00:58:07,880 --> 00:58:09,440 on. I mean, he'd be in theory if you look, if he 919 00:58:09,519 --> 00:58:13,039 mayod can get him to, you know, sort of change the way that 920 00:58:13,119 --> 00:58:15,840 he plays a little bit on offense, that that'd be an interesting flyer. 921 00:58:15,960 --> 00:58:20,440 But he doesn't seem like a caliber of player because it's those weird where it's 922 00:58:20,480 --> 00:58:23,480 like I could see Ojanaobe being traded in a package that doesn't cost you the 923 00:58:23,599 --> 00:58:25,840 farm, like maybe it cost you a bunch of pick equity. But brand 924 00:58:25,920 --> 00:58:30,199 Ingram feels like the type of player that along the Zack Lavine lines where it's 925 00:58:30,199 --> 00:58:34,320 gonna cost you too much real stuff to justify it for a team where Zach 926 00:58:34,400 --> 00:58:37,199 Lavine or brand Ingram wouldn't necessarily just be the finishing piece. I just thought 927 00:58:37,239 --> 00:58:44,400 of the guy. I can't believe he didn't talk Jalen Brown. Yeah, 928 00:58:44,519 --> 00:58:46,800 I mean the relationship with Amyodoga with that contract and just it is, it's 929 00:58:46,800 --> 00:58:50,119 a rough contract, but that gives some leverage maybe you don't have to give 930 00:58:50,159 --> 00:58:53,920 us much premium stuff up. I think what gets awkward there is because Boston 931 00:58:54,599 --> 00:58:59,880 is not gonna trade you. There be a third team involved because or Boston, 932 00:58:59,920 --> 00:59:02,800 I guess immediately playing on taking the Assett Houstons, giving them and rerouting 933 00:59:02,840 --> 00:59:07,360 it for someone else. Because if you were to move Jayalen Green h which 934 00:59:07,400 --> 00:59:09,159 he can't be even be moved this season, but if you ever got to 935 00:59:09,239 --> 00:59:14,880 that point, you're still gonna have Jason Tatum and probably at least one of 936 00:59:14,960 --> 00:59:19,039 Christop's or Drew Holliday, and so your timeline is still is still now. 937 00:59:20,000 --> 00:59:22,960 Yeah, it's it's a little funky. There's also door number two, which 938 00:59:22,000 --> 00:59:24,920 we can end on, like, hold on, let me let me read 939 00:59:24,960 --> 00:59:30,440 this out. Paul George want to request out from the Clippers because he's not 940 00:59:30,480 --> 00:59:36,360 gonna get the ball enough Al Prince Shengoon, Jalen Green, Jabari Smith Tarry 941 00:59:36,599 --> 00:59:39,599 and Thompson cam Wittmore. Is there a viable path? There were just keeping 942 00:59:40,079 --> 00:59:43,119 like mean, you're not gonna you're not gonna be financially, you're not gonna 943 00:59:43,119 --> 00:59:45,840 be to keep all those guys right, You're gonna have to pick and choose. 944 00:59:45,559 --> 00:59:51,159 But just staying the path. Is there a viable Do you think that's 945 00:59:51,199 --> 00:59:55,119 a smart way to go about it? I don't know. I just I 946 00:59:55,199 --> 00:59:58,960 don't. I feel like we don't have nearly enough. We definitely don't have 947 00:59:59,039 --> 01:00:01,280 enough information on cam More, but we don't have nearly enough information to me 948 01:00:01,440 --> 01:00:06,760 on Jabari Smith or Aman Thompson. It's only playing a couple of games this 949 01:00:06,960 --> 01:00:13,320 year, and so I think I probably wouldn't go that route. I think 950 01:00:13,360 --> 01:00:17,159 you get to a point where it becomes so hard, where you're reaching a 951 01:00:17,199 --> 01:00:21,480 stage where all these guys will eventually need new contracts. It's not just about 952 01:00:21,519 --> 01:00:24,039 affording them, it's about them wanting to We've seen the look at what happened 953 01:00:24,039 --> 01:00:28,599 with the Warriors, like with Kaminga wanting to stand out because he knew that 954 01:00:28,639 --> 01:00:30,679 he was gonna be extension aledgeable after this year. What even happened with Jordan 955 01:00:30,719 --> 01:00:34,400 Poole, even after he got paid. And so it's like when you're at 956 01:00:34,440 --> 01:00:37,800 that early stage of your career, it's just so much harder, it feels 957 01:00:37,840 --> 01:00:44,039 like to develop off of one another into like hitting your full ceiling. And 958 01:00:44,639 --> 01:00:46,760 maybe I mean that would be very Oklahoma City of them, but Oklahoma City 959 01:00:46,840 --> 01:00:50,760 is mostly the exception. Like these teams they always have one or two homegrown 960 01:00:50,800 --> 01:00:52,920 players, but even the Nuggets, like you, eventually you start to pick 961 01:00:52,960 --> 01:00:57,440 and choose, like they chose between use of Nurkic and Jokic and they started 962 01:00:57,440 --> 01:00:59,880 breaking up players where it was, you know, Will Barton used to be 963 01:01:00,039 --> 01:01:01,360 good and Gary Harris was really important to them, but they included him in 964 01:01:01,360 --> 01:01:05,840 the Aaron Gordon trade. Anyway, it feels like at some point off the 965 01:01:05,920 --> 01:01:09,960 track towards that decision, and I just again, this might be a bad 966 01:01:10,000 --> 01:01:14,880 answer, just because if we knew what aman Thompson's ceiling was gonna be in 967 01:01:15,000 --> 01:01:16,480 this league, you could probably make a call, well, then maybe it 968 01:01:16,519 --> 01:01:21,840 makes sense to stay together. But my bet would be like the fact that, 969 01:01:22,559 --> 01:01:24,559 like if you might be good now because you went out and got these 970 01:01:24,599 --> 01:01:28,840 other veterans already in Dylan Brooks and Jeff Green and Fred van Fleet, and 971 01:01:29,159 --> 01:01:31,119 because Tari Eastan's been around for a minute, you already knew he was good, 972 01:01:31,159 --> 01:01:35,119 and Alphrin shang Gun's this good already, it might put you on a 973 01:01:35,199 --> 01:01:40,920 faster timeline to where looking at Jabbari Smith and aman Thompson specifically are you moving 974 01:01:42,039 --> 01:01:45,320 too fast for them to help you in the way that you need them to 975 01:01:45,360 --> 01:01:47,639 help you, or for you to be patient enough for them to help you 976 01:01:47,719 --> 01:01:51,360 in the way they need to help you. Also, Dylan Brooks gives you 977 01:01:51,440 --> 01:01:53,239 some leverage, right because like some when some of these guys comes that come 978 01:01:53,320 --> 01:01:58,440 up, right, like specifically the wings like Jabbari Tari, when they come 979 01:01:58,519 --> 01:02:00,039 up, it's like, yeah, I'm only walk away because like I have 980 01:02:00,119 --> 01:02:04,719 Dyling Brooks locked up for four year contract, right or three more years of 981 01:02:04,760 --> 01:02:06,960 the next time, you know, at this point this summer, right, 982 01:02:07,079 --> 01:02:09,239 It's like it gives you some wiggle room. It's like this is this is 983 01:02:09,360 --> 01:02:14,960 kind of our our our cheap option, right, just staying with Doling dying 984 01:02:15,000 --> 01:02:19,159 Brooks and letting this guy walk away, right, Like there's also like just 985 01:02:19,199 --> 01:02:22,280 door number just kicking the can down the road, right just like you know, 986 01:02:22,480 --> 01:02:23,800 right now, it's just fun. Let's just let's just let it be 987 01:02:23,840 --> 01:02:27,880 fun for a little bit. Yeah, I mean there's they definitely don't need 988 01:02:27,920 --> 01:02:30,039 to do anything this season, like you could just see where this pans out. 989 01:02:30,880 --> 01:02:36,360 Yeah, they're probably gonna do something this season just to keep that option 990 01:02:36,519 --> 01:02:38,280 open. Just the O deep because they want to be a mid level exception 991 01:02:38,360 --> 01:02:40,239 team. They want to be an over the cap team, and to do 992 01:02:40,360 --> 01:02:45,400 that they need to get a contracts extended the next summer, and the only 993 01:02:45,440 --> 01:02:49,920 way to do that is basically trading old depot. So what they do there 994 01:02:50,039 --> 01:02:52,800 with the kind of player they get there, I'm guessing like Brogden just makes 995 01:02:52,840 --> 01:02:55,639 so much sense for them, right Like, just like not only as like 996 01:02:55,679 --> 01:02:59,480 a contract, it's just like as a player to fill in the holes for 997 01:02:59,559 --> 01:03:01,719 them off the bench, Like he makes a lot of sense to me as 998 01:03:01,760 --> 01:03:06,480 a player to go target. But someone like that, just like another shooter, 999 01:03:06,599 --> 01:03:09,400 another defender, like someone like that off the bench, Uh, that 1000 01:03:09,519 --> 01:03:13,519 can just plug in some holes for you and also be that contract. I 1001 01:03:13,559 --> 01:03:16,400 think that's kind of what I'm expecting Moose for them this season. I know 1002 01:03:16,480 --> 01:03:19,840 you have a hard art. I will say, you know what name you 1003 01:03:19,920 --> 01:03:22,760 could keep an eye on, sure, and it would be I think this 1004 01:03:22,800 --> 01:03:24,880 is an after this season thing and he'd be super interesting here. And I 1005 01:03:24,920 --> 01:03:28,760 guess it does mean you're punting on your Bari. But Jaron Jackson Jr. 1006 01:03:30,039 --> 01:03:34,320 Yeah, the guy that he gets compared to a lot, right, That's 1007 01:03:35,920 --> 01:03:39,320 that that is an interesting name, especially if Memphis. I hope, I 1008 01:03:39,400 --> 01:03:43,400 hope it doesn't go this way because I do know some people in Memphis, 1009 01:03:43,440 --> 01:03:45,840 and I want them to have their fun team, right, But like like 1010 01:03:46,239 --> 01:03:51,280 if they can't get their stuff together soon, like are you gonna pay? 1011 01:03:51,400 --> 01:03:54,719 Like what if Jaron Jackson Junior qualifies for the Super Max and it's like you've 1012 01:03:54,719 --> 01:03:59,400 already paid John Rant, you paid Desmond Baine. He's gonna win Defensive Player 1013 01:03:59,440 --> 01:04:00,840 of the Year, right, a third team All NBA or something. Yeah, 1014 01:04:00,880 --> 01:04:02,960 I mean it's I mean, he already won Defensive Player of the Year, 1015 01:04:02,960 --> 01:04:04,760 so it's not outs. I mean, this year's not happening because their 1016 01:04:04,800 --> 01:04:09,760 defense has been not great. Yeah, so that would just be like he 1017 01:04:09,800 --> 01:04:13,079 already qualifies then yeah, yeah, I'm not sure because you I think he 1018 01:04:13,119 --> 01:04:14,920 needs to do in like two of the three season. I'm not sure if 1019 01:04:14,960 --> 01:04:17,760 the extension goals changed, like he could absolutely make an All NBA team, 1020 01:04:18,199 --> 01:04:20,760 So like that's that's something that I mean, I guess they got rid of 1021 01:04:20,800 --> 01:04:24,880 positions, but again, it could just come to where it's the Grizzlies are 1022 01:04:24,920 --> 01:04:27,280 kind of looking at their future and if this season goes off the rails, 1023 01:04:27,320 --> 01:04:30,599 it's okay. You know, Jaron Jackson Junior has two guaranteed years left on 1024 01:04:30,679 --> 01:04:34,159 his deal. That's when you're gonna have to start thinking about these things, 1025 01:04:34,239 --> 01:04:38,480 these next contracts. And so that was just the name, like just some 1026 01:04:38,800 --> 01:04:43,840 just something someone I would I would monitor. No, it's it's definitely someone 1027 01:04:43,920 --> 01:04:48,360 to monitor. Uh. I think the Brown one is uh is something that's 1028 01:04:48,400 --> 01:04:51,800 probably like if I were to rank this in terms of likelihood, like the 1029 01:04:51,840 --> 01:04:54,960 Brown one just seems like it's, oh, of course it's gonna happen, 1030 01:04:55,199 --> 01:04:59,000 right, But I don't. I don't know like if Boston wants to go 1031 01:04:59,079 --> 01:05:01,599 there anytime soon. But like we're like how many years in digit in Tatum 1032 01:05:01,639 --> 01:05:06,079 Brown? Are we like four? Three or four? Uh? And that's 1033 01:05:06,199 --> 01:05:09,920 kind of the point where like if you're not gonna win a title or like 1034 01:05:10,360 --> 01:05:14,280 you know, make make the make the finals and like keep everyone happy, 1035 01:05:14,840 --> 01:05:18,079 like and in the next one or two years, it's it's probably gonna get 1036 01:05:18,559 --> 01:05:21,079 shaken up. Not maybe not broken up, but shaken up. Yeah, 1037 01:05:21,079 --> 01:05:28,800 I mean seven years into the Brown Tatum pairings. My god, So I've 1038 01:05:28,800 --> 01:05:31,920 been watching basketball, man, it's it's it's and also just with the new 1039 01:05:32,000 --> 01:05:35,760 rules and you know, maybe it's not an immediate thing, but like, 1040 01:05:36,360 --> 01:05:40,519 let's let's say the off season of twenty twenty five, where it's okay, 1041 01:05:40,559 --> 01:05:43,679 now we're really reconciling having all these big deals in our books as Boston. 1042 01:05:44,280 --> 01:05:46,440 That's where the Jalen Brown stuff could become more of a like even more. 1043 01:05:46,440 --> 01:05:49,400 I'm not ruling it out like in the forthcoming summer. Really a lot just 1044 01:05:49,480 --> 01:05:53,920 depends on the Celtics have look great buying marg Jalen Brown has probably struggled relative 1045 01:05:53,920 --> 01:05:58,039 to the rest of that team. But uh yeah, I mean he feels 1046 01:05:58,119 --> 01:06:00,880 like the no brainer one. I just kind of feel like, I don't 1047 01:06:00,880 --> 01:06:02,760 know, it's a lot of money. It's a lot of a lot of 1048 01:06:02,840 --> 01:06:06,079 money for a player where I feel like he's a very good player. I 1049 01:06:06,199 --> 01:06:10,400 don't know if there's the upside for him to be more than he is now. 1050 01:06:10,480 --> 01:06:13,880 And so when you're kind of looking at how limited he can be as 1051 01:06:13,920 --> 01:06:18,039 a playmaker, or the the predictability that he can sometimes give you on drives, 1052 01:06:18,119 --> 01:06:20,320 not as a score but as a passer, and then the turnovers and 1053 01:06:20,360 --> 01:06:25,840 the handle stuff, it just that's I'm not i'd still I mean, you 1054 01:06:25,880 --> 01:06:28,800 look into it if he became available, but that's also just so far down 1055 01:06:28,840 --> 01:06:32,800 the road no percent. Like uh, and and and Jalen would have to 1056 01:06:32,840 --> 01:06:35,639 be a much better Jaalleen would basically have to becoing point guard right at that 1057 01:06:35,679 --> 01:06:40,480 point, he'd have to be the lead ball handler. And that's gonna take 1058 01:06:40,480 --> 01:06:43,760 a lot long time. And maybe by twenty twenty five, two things happen, 1059 01:06:43,880 --> 01:06:46,280 like Jalen Brown becomes the cheap option because your roster's so expensive, and 1060 01:06:46,880 --> 01:06:50,239 and and Jalen Green is like, uh, it's like a point guard at 1061 01:06:50,239 --> 01:06:53,760 that point, you know, like like maybe maybe though both those things happen 1062 01:06:53,920 --> 01:06:56,960 by twenty twenty five, we'll see. Uh. In any case, it 1063 01:06:57,079 --> 01:07:00,119 was fun talking through some of this stuff with you. Uh, We're a 1064 01:07:00,199 --> 01:07:03,559 new world with the Rockets. Finally, I'm excited, Uh the Rocket. 1065 01:07:03,679 --> 01:07:06,440 Watching the Rockets no longer feels like homework. It feels like fun. It 1066 01:07:06,480 --> 01:07:12,119 feels like watching like basketball, which is great. Uh. Can tell the 1067 01:07:12,119 --> 01:07:15,119 people where we can follow you on social media and find your work. Yeah, 1068 01:07:15,159 --> 01:07:18,719 they can follow me my name basically ever at Dan Favalley FA V A 1069 01:07:18,960 --> 01:07:23,440 l E. And they can also find me at Bleacher Report and the Hardware 1070 01:07:23,559 --> 01:07:27,960 Ox podcast of exactly as it sounds. We cover the entire NBA at large, 1071 01:07:28,000 --> 01:07:31,280 including this this fun team. Yeah, thanks so much for coming on, Dre