1 00:00:01,159 --> 00:00:09,599 Speaker 1: Is The Matt Thomas Show with Ross NBA Basketball. The 2 00:00:09,759 --> 00:00:12,880 Rockets make their debut with Kevin Durant this evening here 3 00:00:12,880 --> 00:00:15,720 in Oklahoma City. The Matt Thomas Show with Ross continues 4 00:00:15,839 --> 00:00:20,480 here on seven ninety A man I miss who you 5 00:00:20,519 --> 00:00:22,960 will be seeing a lot on Space City Home Network, 6 00:00:22,960 --> 00:00:24,920 but tonight's game as an NBC is a man who's 7 00:00:24,960 --> 00:00:28,399 company resting in his Houston area home, Ryan Holland, you 8 00:00:28,440 --> 00:00:30,559 missed a great Habachi grill last night here. 9 00:00:30,600 --> 00:00:35,079 Speaker 2: In no case, there's no way you did Habashi in 10 00:00:35,240 --> 00:00:38,479 there's the way, Matt Thomas. 11 00:00:38,200 --> 00:00:44,359 Speaker 1: Here's no way. You're right. I was just teasing you. Hey, 12 00:00:45,079 --> 00:00:48,600 you are missed up here. The energy of an opening night. 13 00:00:48,640 --> 00:00:50,280 You have been through ten of eleven of them in 14 00:00:50,320 --> 00:00:52,359 your career as a player. Tell me what that's like 15 00:00:52,479 --> 00:00:55,159 for guys, even the salty veterans like yourself. 16 00:00:57,479 --> 00:00:59,840 Speaker 2: It's always different, you know, first day of training of camp, 17 00:01:00,399 --> 00:01:03,359 first aid, a preseason, but the first regular season game 18 00:01:03,439 --> 00:01:05,760 is always special. You got the energy in the building, 19 00:01:06,359 --> 00:01:09,040 You're excited to be playing against somebody in the game 20 00:01:09,120 --> 00:01:11,799 that counts, and you know you get to see what 21 00:01:11,879 --> 00:01:13,959 your stars are made up. So the guys are gonna 22 00:01:14,000 --> 00:01:16,200 leave it out there on the floor. And here's the 23 00:01:16,239 --> 00:01:20,000 thing that's scary about playing Oklahoma City and the teams 24 00:01:20,000 --> 00:01:21,879 that I've been on that have made late runs and 25 00:01:22,000 --> 00:01:25,040 they're a championship, they're the champions, is you still have 26 00:01:25,079 --> 00:01:28,200 a little bit of those juices left over. So Oklahoma 27 00:01:28,280 --> 00:01:31,159 City is going to be a fine run machine tonight, 28 00:01:31,239 --> 00:01:33,280 and it's gonna be a great test for Houston to 29 00:01:33,359 --> 00:01:34,879 go out and see what our group is made up, 30 00:01:34,920 --> 00:01:37,959 see what the big lineup looks like, see defensively how 31 00:01:38,000 --> 00:01:40,200 you go at it. And Matt, I think the biggest 32 00:01:40,280 --> 00:01:43,040 question tonight is how the rotation's gonna look. You know, 33 00:01:43,799 --> 00:01:47,519 with Fred and the lineup, you knew what you were 34 00:01:47,519 --> 00:01:50,480 gonna get. You knew, you know, fifteen pick and roll 35 00:01:50,560 --> 00:01:54,439 up top with Alp, some Durant ISOs, some probably one 36 00:01:54,560 --> 00:01:58,079 thirty five action with Durant popping and Shing Goon rolling 37 00:01:58,120 --> 00:02:00,560 or on the weak side. But I think the big 38 00:02:00,680 --> 00:02:02,519 challenge is tonight and Ema is going to have and 39 00:02:02,640 --> 00:02:04,599 there's going to be broke through the season, is you 40 00:02:04,640 --> 00:02:07,079 know who rolls out there, who plays well together? And 41 00:02:07,120 --> 00:02:09,919 how do you get efficient offensively because it may come 42 00:02:09,919 --> 00:02:12,879 down to execution and It's a real question of who 43 00:02:12,879 --> 00:02:15,199 do you go through down the stretch. Clearly Kevin Durant, 44 00:02:15,360 --> 00:02:17,319 But how do you think make things easy for him 45 00:02:17,319 --> 00:02:18,919 and play off him and get the most out of 46 00:02:19,280 --> 00:02:20,520 what our group brings to the table. 47 00:02:21,520 --> 00:02:24,680 Speaker 1: Ryan, Tonight, we're going to see the jumbo lineup with 48 00:02:24,719 --> 00:02:28,039 all the bigs. If you're emy Atdoka, when do you 49 00:02:28,159 --> 00:02:30,240 want to use that? And when do you want to 50 00:02:30,280 --> 00:02:34,240 go with the slightly small one that maybe inserting Shepherd 51 00:02:34,479 --> 00:02:37,240 in the starting lineup and moving Adams out. When should 52 00:02:37,319 --> 00:02:39,360 Rocket fans see that and not see it? 53 00:02:39,400 --> 00:02:42,360 Speaker 2: Do you think well to go to the create health 54 00:02:42,360 --> 00:02:44,879 for opposing teams? And the one thing that you know 55 00:02:45,120 --> 00:02:48,479 is Oklahoma City goes essentially it will call chet Hongren 56 00:02:48,560 --> 00:02:50,840 a guard. They'll go five out when hard and signs 57 00:02:50,840 --> 00:02:53,520 off the floor, play dribble, drive offense, and they really 58 00:02:53,560 --> 00:02:56,599 swarm you. They truly swarm you defensively, which is hard, 59 00:02:56,639 --> 00:02:58,840 and you can do that when you're young. So I 60 00:02:58,840 --> 00:03:01,960 think what May's saying is go small, We're gonna press you, 61 00:03:02,000 --> 00:03:04,599 and we're gonna press you to stay big. And I'll 62 00:03:04,639 --> 00:03:07,479 be honest, I don't think that's Oklahoma City's best offense. 63 00:03:07,520 --> 00:03:10,680 Because Hartenstein's great down low, but you put in them 64 00:03:10,680 --> 00:03:13,280 in situations where you get the ball out of shaves 65 00:03:13,360 --> 00:03:16,240 hands and you got Hertenstein shooting floaters, which he's really 66 00:03:16,280 --> 00:03:18,840 good at. But it's picked your poison. And now their 67 00:03:18,919 --> 00:03:21,680 spacing goes away a little bit. And if they're gonna 68 00:03:21,719 --> 00:03:24,240 throw Caruso at the five something they were great at. Uh. 69 00:03:24,400 --> 00:03:26,520 You know when he played against Yo, Kitchen pressured him 70 00:03:26,520 --> 00:03:28,479 and did a lot of those things. You know, you 71 00:03:28,560 --> 00:03:30,879 got to punish him inside. So I'm pretty sure that's 72 00:03:30,879 --> 00:03:33,199 the message is going to be sent home and the 73 00:03:33,280 --> 00:03:35,680 pressure gets put on the opposing team, Matt to answer 74 00:03:35,719 --> 00:03:38,199 your question of do we match up big with him? 75 00:03:38,240 --> 00:03:40,280 Do we go small? And I've been on another side, 76 00:03:40,360 --> 00:03:42,960 you get extremely uncomfortable. I remember playing the Golden State Warriors. 77 00:03:42,960 --> 00:03:44,719 They roll up the small lineup, and all of a 78 00:03:44,719 --> 00:03:46,960 sudden we'd be playing lineups that we've never played the 79 00:03:47,080 --> 00:03:49,680 entire season, didn't know how to work with. So I 80 00:03:49,719 --> 00:03:51,560 love what i May does and I think he's gonna 81 00:03:51,560 --> 00:03:53,680 mix in back and forth shoot the last three season game, 82 00:03:54,000 --> 00:03:56,360 I thought Reed Shepherd looked the best with the five 83 00:03:56,400 --> 00:03:59,120 out offense and all smalls on the floor. He was excellent. 84 00:03:59,159 --> 00:04:01,680 So you're getting to sample size of what our guys 85 00:04:01,719 --> 00:04:03,599 can look like. And I think it differs from game 86 00:04:03,639 --> 00:04:04,159 to game. 87 00:04:05,120 --> 00:04:07,919 Speaker 1: Visiting with our friend Ryan Hollins of Space City Home Network, 88 00:04:07,960 --> 00:04:09,960 and you will be catching him Friday when the Rockets 89 00:04:09,960 --> 00:04:13,639 take on the Pistons inside Tota Center. So we we 90 00:04:13,680 --> 00:04:18,319 all talked about before Fred's injury, right about Reed Shepherd's 91 00:04:18,319 --> 00:04:21,560 increased role. Now, obviously Fred has done for the year. 92 00:04:21,959 --> 00:04:25,800 How much did Reed's life change when he found out 93 00:04:25,839 --> 00:04:27,879 that the ACL was gonna cost Fred the season? 94 00:04:30,240 --> 00:04:33,399 Speaker 2: I think for Reed obviously a lot more pressure. We're 95 00:04:33,399 --> 00:04:35,600 not going to hide it. And there's a reason he 96 00:04:35,639 --> 00:04:37,959 was drafted third and I think you're gonna he's gonna 97 00:04:37,959 --> 00:04:41,040 get his number Paul because of it. And I think 98 00:04:41,240 --> 00:04:44,319 the best thing that we saw in that last preason game, 99 00:04:44,360 --> 00:04:46,360 preseason game he could argue to have been the most 100 00:04:46,800 --> 00:04:50,120 impactful of the season, is because Red just got confidence. 101 00:04:50,120 --> 00:04:52,480 A guy knows how to play Matt. When we've talked, 102 00:04:52,519 --> 00:04:54,279 none of us are off you two. None of us 103 00:04:54,319 --> 00:04:58,560 have questioned if if he can play. But it's more 104 00:04:58,600 --> 00:05:02,680 a question of Hey, him being confident, him taking those shots, 105 00:05:02,759 --> 00:05:05,439 him defending, and and and Honestly, man, he brought a 106 00:05:05,480 --> 00:05:07,399 lot of toughness to the table in that Atlanta game. 107 00:05:07,439 --> 00:05:09,839 You know, Trey Young is not mentioning that's one of 108 00:05:09,319 --> 00:05:11,720 the best guards we have to offer in the league, 109 00:05:12,000 --> 00:05:14,839 and he out played him. Granted it's preseason, but he 110 00:05:14,879 --> 00:05:17,560 brought it to the table. So hopefully that confidence can 111 00:05:17,560 --> 00:05:20,279 shine through and he's gonna be thrown in the fire man, 112 00:05:20,319 --> 00:05:22,040 He's gonna be tested. That's that's what he came to 113 00:05:22,040 --> 00:05:24,360 the NBA for, all right. 114 00:05:24,399 --> 00:05:28,000 Speaker 1: So a couple of things. Big picture, it feels like 115 00:05:28,040 --> 00:05:30,560 the national folks have obviously dropped the Rockets down a 116 00:05:30,560 --> 00:05:35,000 few slots because of Fred's injury. If everything goes right 117 00:05:35,120 --> 00:05:37,879 this year, and let's say the Rockets are even better 118 00:05:37,920 --> 00:05:39,879 than their fifty two win team of a year ago, 119 00:05:40,160 --> 00:05:43,720 in your mind, what has gone right? And I'm gonna say, 120 00:05:43,720 --> 00:05:46,240 if things haven't gone right for the Rockets, my guess 121 00:05:46,279 --> 00:05:48,920 is larger because of the more than of the injury 122 00:05:48,920 --> 00:05:50,279 bug than anything else. Correct. 123 00:05:52,160 --> 00:05:56,000 Speaker 2: I think that's going right is the opportunity to step 124 00:05:56,040 --> 00:06:00,839 in and play big like I've never seen anything like it, Matt. 125 00:06:01,519 --> 00:06:04,240 The size and the depth that Houston has, the way 126 00:06:04,279 --> 00:06:07,920 they can beat you in different waves. It's truly intimidating, 127 00:06:07,959 --> 00:06:10,279 and you're going to have a player opposing team in 128 00:06:10,639 --> 00:06:15,439 a mismatcher, uncomfortable with mismatches all across the floor. I 129 00:06:15,480 --> 00:06:18,279 think everything goes right. We'd be saying championship like Kevin 130 00:06:18,360 --> 00:06:20,600 Durant's too great, too late in his career and too 131 00:06:20,600 --> 00:06:23,040 good to say that he'd be on a group this 132 00:06:23,160 --> 00:06:25,800 talented that wouldn't have an opportunity. So everything clicks. That's 133 00:06:25,839 --> 00:06:29,199 where you go. And I think the challenge now more 134 00:06:29,199 --> 00:06:30,759 so than it was, and we just talked about it, 135 00:06:30,839 --> 00:06:33,480 is just putting it together. But I do think that 136 00:06:33,560 --> 00:06:36,079 this is a group that just looks special. Matt. You 137 00:06:36,120 --> 00:06:38,560 know when you see special teams. We saw that ninety 138 00:06:38,560 --> 00:06:41,759 five Rockets team, Like they look special, they have weapons. 139 00:06:41,800 --> 00:06:44,240 You're going like this, this group has enough. And you 140 00:06:44,360 --> 00:06:46,240 know as a player, when you got enough and when 141 00:06:46,279 --> 00:06:47,879 you don't, and this group has it. 142 00:06:48,959 --> 00:06:51,079 Speaker 1: Got more minutes here with Ryan Hollins a Space City 143 00:06:51,240 --> 00:06:57,199 Home Network. I have been asked who's the not necessarily breakout, 144 00:06:57,240 --> 00:07:00,360 but maybe most improved. I'm going with Jabari Smith on 145 00:07:00,439 --> 00:07:03,439 that particular category. Is that a good selection or is 146 00:07:03,439 --> 00:07:05,000 there somebody else that you think could even make even 147 00:07:05,040 --> 00:07:06,399 bigger strides from year to year. 148 00:07:07,720 --> 00:07:09,839 Speaker 2: Come on, Matt, he stopped playing with me. That's unanimous. 149 00:07:10,720 --> 00:07:12,639 He's just as tall as I am, if not taller, 150 00:07:12,720 --> 00:07:16,079 which is freakish. He's put on at least five pounds 151 00:07:16,120 --> 00:07:17,959 of muscle, five to ten pounds of muscle. Matt that 152 00:07:18,000 --> 00:07:20,879 we can see and forget all of that like his confidence, 153 00:07:20,920 --> 00:07:23,920 and he's in the most ideal situation you could be in. 154 00:07:23,959 --> 00:07:26,199 You know, he can look over at his childhood idle 155 00:07:26,279 --> 00:07:29,040 Kevin Durant and say, I want to do everything you do, 156 00:07:29,040 --> 00:07:31,079 you know, And Durant is going to be able to 157 00:07:31,120 --> 00:07:35,639 speak a confidence into Jabbari that nobody else can. And 158 00:07:35,680 --> 00:07:38,360 you've seen it already. He knows the shots he's supposed 159 00:07:38,399 --> 00:07:41,839 to take. He's holding himself to a different bar and standard, 160 00:07:41,839 --> 00:07:43,759 and he can watch KD and say, Okay, this is 161 00:07:43,759 --> 00:07:45,519 what it should look like. You know, you're watching those 162 00:07:45,560 --> 00:07:48,959 guys in pregame warm ups and workouts, mirror each other 163 00:07:49,399 --> 00:07:52,959 and work out. So I think I'm astatic for Jabari. 164 00:07:53,120 --> 00:07:55,160 We've seen it already. I think there's even more to 165 00:07:55,199 --> 00:07:57,959 come because he's already a confident guy. He already believes. 166 00:07:58,360 --> 00:08:00,199 But it's different when you have some in the show. 167 00:08:00,240 --> 00:08:02,000 It Kevin Garnett did it for me, so I can 168 00:08:02,040 --> 00:08:05,519 speak to that firsthand. Uh. And and even more exciting 169 00:08:05,519 --> 00:08:07,480 for what Jabbari is gonna be able to learn. And 170 00:08:07,480 --> 00:08:09,720 and clearly he was, I mean he was heading shoulders 171 00:08:09,759 --> 00:08:12,079 the best rocket in the preseason. But whatever that means, 172 00:08:12,959 --> 00:08:13,879 I think it meant a lot. 173 00:08:14,680 --> 00:08:16,360 Speaker 1: All right, let me let you go on this. Give 174 00:08:16,439 --> 00:08:19,720 me one or two teams. The West is so ridiculously loaded. 175 00:08:20,160 --> 00:08:21,959 Who are you going to pay attention to more than 176 00:08:22,000 --> 00:08:25,079 anybody else this year? If I said, hey, keep your 177 00:08:25,120 --> 00:08:27,560 eyes on teams that may be a threat of the Rockets, 178 00:08:27,560 --> 00:08:29,120 who would you go with? Are the one or two 179 00:08:29,199 --> 00:08:32,039 teams that would be in the way of a potential 180 00:08:32,039 --> 00:08:32,919 West championship. 181 00:08:33,759 --> 00:08:36,919 Speaker 2: I think Denver got a perfect hitting Cam Johnson that 182 00:08:36,919 --> 00:08:39,799 that's that's crazy because he moves off to basketball. Uh, 183 00:08:40,000 --> 00:08:43,480 he's healthy. Uh, that's a role that in a spacer 184 00:08:43,519 --> 00:08:46,360 and cutter off the ball that's made perfect for him, 185 00:08:46,360 --> 00:08:48,000 and he can defend, and he brings a lot of 186 00:08:48,039 --> 00:08:51,879 size to the to the table. Uh. I think that's 187 00:08:51,879 --> 00:08:52,480 a huge fit. 188 00:08:52,919 --> 00:08:53,200 Speaker 1: Uh. 189 00:08:53,279 --> 00:08:56,320 Speaker 2: I'll be honest, man, I'm intriguing with Winby. He's kind 190 00:08:56,360 --> 00:08:59,000 of doing some things where you know, you like to 191 00:08:59,080 --> 00:09:02,399 rule out San Antonio. But we've seen this with Oklahoma City, 192 00:09:02,720 --> 00:09:06,960 We've seen this in Cleveland. When those young players get 193 00:09:07,120 --> 00:09:09,360 good out of nowhere, when they have one of those 194 00:09:09,360 --> 00:09:12,159 mega summers and they get better, your force has an 195 00:09:12,240 --> 00:09:14,679 organization to make a move to put pieces around them. 196 00:09:14,679 --> 00:09:17,200 They got Darren Bopps. We'll see how that plays out 197 00:09:17,200 --> 00:09:21,159 when he's fully healthy. But Wimby's doing some things that 198 00:09:21,279 --> 00:09:22,919 you know, I think we all have to keep our 199 00:09:22,960 --> 00:09:25,000 eye on. And you know, I can't wait to see 200 00:09:25,399 --> 00:09:28,360 Wimby with his hot size well against the biggest team 201 00:09:28,360 --> 00:09:31,480 in basketball in the Houston Rockets. So that's something I 202 00:09:31,480 --> 00:09:32,159 got my eye on. 203 00:09:33,759 --> 00:09:35,519 Speaker 1: Ryan. Thank you for the time. It's always my friend. 204 00:09:35,559 --> 00:09:37,600 We'll see you Friday. Hope you're Chipper in a good 205 00:09:37,600 --> 00:09:39,919 moved because hopefully we're gonna be celebrating a one to 206 00:09:40,000 --> 00:09:40,960 h start for this season.