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<v Speaker 1>Rockets fans, Welcome to The Rockets Launch Pod, an exclusive

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<v Speaker 1>podcast from the home of the Rockets, Sports Talk seven

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<v Speaker 1>ninety Red Nation. Get Ready, Ready, Get Ready. The Rockets

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<v Speaker 1>Launch Pod starts now.

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<v Speaker 2>Welcome aboard, Welcome back to another new episode of The

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<v Speaker 2>Rockets Launch Pod, presented by Clutch Fans. I'm Benjubo's He's

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<v Speaker 2>Pollo Olves, We're your host, and let's get right to it.

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<v Speaker 2>Off the top. This is going to be a little

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<v Speaker 2>bit of a downer because your Houston Rockets are now

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<v Speaker 2>down two games to none to the shorthanded Los Angeles Lakers,

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<v Speaker 2>missing their two leading scorers in Luka Doncic and Austin Reeves.

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<v Speaker 2>With the series shifting back to Houston this weekend, this

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<v Speaker 2>has gone as poorly as it reasonably could. This was

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<v Speaker 2>a matchup where, if you listen to our previous pod,

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<v Speaker 2>we were excited about it. The Rockets were excited about it,

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<v Speaker 2>drawing the Lakers instead of the Nuggets, particularly given the

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<v Speaker 2>Lakers' injuries, but even without them, the Rockets and most

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<v Speaker 2>people around the NBA viewed the Lakers as their most

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<v Speaker 2>friendly potential matchup among the realistic options. The Nuggets and

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<v Speaker 2>Minnesota Timberwolves were also in there, and so even if

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<v Speaker 2>all teams were at full strength, I think the Rockets

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<v Speaker 2>would have preferred this matchup. And now you take out Luca,

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<v Speaker 2>you take out Reeves. Certainly, there was a lot of

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<v Speaker 2>excitement inside the building the final day of the regular

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<v Speaker 2>season when the Nuggets inexplicably beat the Spurs and kept

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<v Speaker 2>the Lakers at four. There was a lot of excitement

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<v Speaker 2>from us on the pod. And then to go out

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<v Speaker 2>to La and lose not one, but two bulks. The

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<v Speaker 2>Rockets are the clear underdogs in this series, even if

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<v Speaker 2>they have a talent advantage. Historically, teams that go up

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<v Speaker 2>two OHO in a best of seven series win more

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<v Speaker 2>than ninety percent of the time. So even if you

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<v Speaker 2>don't think the Lakers are truly above ninety percent in

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<v Speaker 2>terms of their series win probability, at this point, it's

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<v Speaker 2>far better than fifty to fifty, that's just being real.

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<v Speaker 3>Yeah, and Lron is thirty two and to zero and

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<v Speaker 3>he's up to oh in a series.

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<v Speaker 2>Yeah, and he's been excellent. You do have to tip

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<v Speaker 2>your hat to him. But I just think the way

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<v Speaker 2>it's happened, if it was just Game one with Kevin

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<v Speaker 2>Durant not playing because of the bruce knee he suffered

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<v Speaker 2>at practice last week. It would be a little disconcerting

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<v Speaker 2>in that long term. How does it make you feel

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<v Speaker 2>that you're this dependent on a thirty seven year old

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<v Speaker 2>Kevin Durant. I could see if the Rockets bounced back

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<v Speaker 2>in Game two, just chalking up Game one to hatchtag

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<v Speaker 2>Houston Sports, some really bad luck happened with Katie in

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<v Speaker 2>practice after he was healthy all season, and you move

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<v Speaker 2>on and you get back to the form you were

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<v Speaker 2>in to close the regular season, when the Rockets finished

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<v Speaker 2>nine and won their last ten games to get back

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<v Speaker 2>to fifty two and thirty, same record as a year ago.

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<v Speaker 2>The pallot Kat came back in Game two, and they

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<v Speaker 2>were just as bad, if not worse. The shooting didn't

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<v Speaker 2>get any better other than KD, who did make his shots.

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<v Speaker 2>The turnovers were worse because kat was not prepared to

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<v Speaker 2>attack the double teams that the Lakers sent to him

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<v Speaker 2>and in both of these games. Follow The story is offense.

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<v Speaker 2>The Rockets have not broken one hundred points in a

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<v Speaker 2>game this series. To put that in perspective, the lowest

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<v Speaker 2>two scoring offenses in the entire NBA. This season, the

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<v Speaker 2>Brooklyn Nets and Milwaukee Bucks averaged about one hundred and

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<v Speaker 2>six and one hundred and ten points per game. The

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<v Speaker 2>Rockets have yet to reach a hundred in this series.

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<v Speaker 2>So we can talk all day about the Lakers missing

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<v Speaker 2>Luca and Reeves and not being as high powered as

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<v Speaker 2>they usually are. If you're not scoring one hundred points,

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<v Speaker 2>you're probably not beating anybody. And the Rockets aren't scoring

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<v Speaker 2>one hundred points. I think they're averaging ninety six or

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<v Speaker 2>something close to that. So you can, and I'm sure

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<v Speaker 2>we will today quibble over exactly where the blame should go.

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<v Speaker 2>How much of it falls on em Ujoka in terms

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<v Speaker 2>of the rotation choices and the tactical strategies the Rockets

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<v Speaker 2>are employing. How much of it goes to the players

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<v Speaker 2>simply not executing Katie with the turnovers all per inch,

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<v Speaker 2>Shingoon reach Shepherd, not making shots at a nearly high

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<v Speaker 2>enough level for what they're capable of. You can point

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<v Speaker 2>the finger at rafel Stone from a roster construction perspective.

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<v Speaker 2>Do they have enough ball handling? Do they have enough shooting?

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<v Speaker 2>There are different areas of blame, and reasonable people can

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<v Speaker 2>disagree over what percentage goes to what entity? But I

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<v Speaker 2>think the bottom line what we should acknowledge off the top,

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<v Speaker 2>this is the type of series if it continues down

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<v Speaker 2>this path to where not only the Rockets lose at

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<v Speaker 2>this point, it's just as likely if they could lose

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<v Speaker 2>in four or five games somehow, then they actually win

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<v Speaker 2>the series. If it continues down this path, this is

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<v Speaker 2>the kind of result that can change careers. And I

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<v Speaker 2>don't know, you know, is it players on the team,

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<v Speaker 2>is it coaches, is it executives? I personally think executives

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<v Speaker 2>are the least likely, but you know, reasonable people can

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<v Speaker 2>disagree same principle as a signing blame. But when you

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<v Speaker 2>get this matchup, this can change a lot of things

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<v Speaker 2>in the big picture. Because I think for most of

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<v Speaker 2>the second half of this season, and especially when the

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<v Speaker 2>Rockets closed the regular season strong got back to fifty

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<v Speaker 2>two and thirty, we had sort of coalesced powlow around

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<v Speaker 2>the idea that hey, the Rockets have shown enough and

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<v Speaker 2>they did show some mental fortitude. Maybe they'll do that

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<v Speaker 2>again the next few days. We can't rule it out,

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<v Speaker 2>but I think we had seen enough to where we

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<v Speaker 2>would have largely been okay even if it was underwhelming,

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<v Speaker 2>largely running it back and hoping that Fred van Fleet,

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<v Speaker 2>Steven Adams, maybe a return to hell for Dorian Finny Smith,

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<v Speaker 2>some moves around the margins and basically have next year

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<v Speaker 2>being a more complete version of this year's team. Well,

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<v Speaker 2>things change when you drew the Lakers last pod. They

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<v Speaker 2>changed in a good way because we were talking about,

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<v Speaker 2>you know, the higher expectations that hopefully the Rockets could

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<v Speaker 2>at least win around in the postseason for the first

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<v Speaker 2>time since twenty twenty. But with those expectations comes a

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<v Speaker 2>downside risk and if you fall short, especially if you

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<v Speaker 2>fall short in an embarrassing way, which losing in a

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<v Speaker 2>sweep or gentleman's sweep would be. I mean, that's the

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<v Speaker 2>kind of, you know, perfect storm scenario where all of

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<v Speaker 2>a sudden, some bigger pick sure changes, be it the players,

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<v Speaker 2>the coach, whoever, are suddenly back in play. So I

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<v Speaker 2>just want to acknowledge that off the top, I feel

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<v Speaker 2>like the last couple of months hollow me and you,

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<v Speaker 2>we've sort of downplayed the idea that the Rockets have

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<v Speaker 2>to do anything drastic this offseason. This is the perfect

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<v Speaker 2>storm where they might, like if they had drawn the

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<v Speaker 2>Denver Nuggets and gone out in four or five games.

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<v Speaker 2>It would have been very frustrating, but I think it

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<v Speaker 2>would have been easier to sort of just tip your

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<v Speaker 2>hat and say they're just better. That's a really good team.

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<v Speaker 2>No disrespect to the Lakers, but they should not be winning.

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<v Speaker 2>And it's not just that they're winning, they're winning with ease.

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<v Speaker 2>The Rockets have led for I feel like a couple

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<v Speaker 2>of minutes at most in the second halves of both

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<v Speaker 2>Game one and Game two, the Lakers have clearly been

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<v Speaker 2>in the advantage position. So it's not like the Rockets

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<v Speaker 2>are doing something catastrophically wrong. No, the Lakers are just

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<v Speaker 2>clearly the better team to this point in the series.

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<v Speaker 2>JJ Riddick has his team more prepared than email Udoka,

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<v Speaker 2>at least it looks like that to me. So this

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<v Speaker 2>is the kind of result when comparing the rosters, when

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<v Speaker 2>comparing you know, when looking back at the optimism that

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<v Speaker 2>we all had, including the two of us a week ago,

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<v Speaker 2>this is the kind of result where, if it continues,

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<v Speaker 2>it can change a lot, not just now but into

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<v Speaker 2>the coming months.

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<v Speaker 3>Yeah, I'm one hundred percent there with you. I think

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<v Speaker 3>people are typically used to us being a little bit

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<v Speaker 3>more moderate in our commentary. I think this this podcast

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<v Speaker 3>might surprise a few people as we move forward. This

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<v Speaker 3>series has just been a disaster from every angle you

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<v Speaker 3>could possibly analyze it from, and it's not looking up

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<v Speaker 3>for it to get better, because I think after two

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<v Speaker 3>games it's established that at the very least these teams

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<v Speaker 3>as currently constructed are on even footing even with the

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<v Speaker 3>injuries it's seeing, and the Lakers do still have home

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<v Speaker 3>court advantage. Even if you do win the next two games,

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<v Speaker 3>you're then facing a sceneverywhere you have to win one

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<v Speaker 3>away and you weren't able to win one away when

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<v Speaker 3>Wuka and Reds aren't there. Lucas doesn't seem to be

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<v Speaker 3>coming back, But how are you gonna win with Beeves

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<v Speaker 3>there in a game, in a game seven, or in

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<v Speaker 3>a game five, because you do have to steal a

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<v Speaker 3>win and the Rockets are a lot better at home,

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<v Speaker 3>and they might be able to level the series, but

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<v Speaker 3>even then, what would possibly needed to be confident that

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<v Speaker 3>they would be able to pull an up set when

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<v Speaker 3>they weren't, when the Lakers would a lot weaker, And

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<v Speaker 3>then when you think about it, just just looking at

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<v Speaker 3>the teams right, let's forget the huge talent discrepancy, and

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<v Speaker 3>we'll care about why the talent discrepancy doesn't show as much.

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<v Speaker 3>But let's just look at the reasons the Rockets offense

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<v Speaker 3>doesn't work, and we'll get into overarching moving into the

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<v Speaker 3>future talk, you know, in a little bit, but just

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<v Speaker 3>for now, for strengthly, for this series itself, seems like

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<v Speaker 3>a big part of the problem is that the Rockets

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<v Speaker 3>can't shoot, and a lot part and the big part

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<v Speaker 3>of the problem why the spacing isn't there is because

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<v Speaker 3>an open Chinglund both can't shoot. And then the other

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<v Speaker 3>big part of the problem, at least talking point wise,

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<v Speaker 3>is oh, read can shoot, but he can't defend at all,

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<v Speaker 3>so you can't play a meter. And let's look at

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<v Speaker 3>the mirror side of this with the Lakers. The Lakers

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<v Speaker 3>are playing Carrot Vanderfield who can't shoot. De andrei Aiden

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<v Speaker 3>can't shoot. That doesn't seem to all of Usdden will

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<v Speaker 3>make their offense completely dysfunctional. And let's not pretend like

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<v Speaker 3>le Bruns who mismatch and he's scoring forty a nineties

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<v Speaker 3>not And then the mirror side for Redcap but the

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<v Speaker 3>hook and Art's getting plenty of minutes. How are the

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<v Speaker 3>rocket not able to exploit that on the offensive? Vent

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<v Speaker 3>how is the luc And art playable? So even if

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<v Speaker 3>you even if you want to, you know, get a

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<v Speaker 3>little bit to the nitty grittyo things, and most people

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<v Speaker 3>will point out that the biggest issues with the Rockets

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<v Speaker 3>are that well their shooters mainly read can't defend, and

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<v Speaker 3>that two of their star pieces or at least two

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<v Speaker 3>pieces of the rotation can't shoot, and therefore you can't

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<v Speaker 3>build an offense that works because those two guys can't shoot.

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<v Speaker 3>And then I'm not going to argue at that point

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<v Speaker 3>that's once again talked for later on in the poll,

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<v Speaker 3>and I'm going to make some overarching takes on on

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<v Speaker 3>on tim building and how this roster moves forward. But

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<v Speaker 3>you can't say that the things that are ailing the

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<v Speaker 3>Rockets don't quite just as well as much for the Lakers.

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<v Speaker 3>It just, at the end of the day, comes down

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<v Speaker 3>to first problem. You don't have a guy that can

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<v Speaker 3>just create offense out of nothing besides Kevin the Red.

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<v Speaker 3>But the Lakers also have just one guy that can

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<v Speaker 3>do that in Lebron And it doesn't seem like applying

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<v Speaker 3>the Rockets strategy, the Lakers strategy with kad to Laurno

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<v Speaker 3>the Lakers that that doesn't seem to work. And yes,

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<v Speaker 3>Lebron is a much better passer than kat Is, but

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<v Speaker 3>once you're double teams, you know, getting out of it

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<v Speaker 3>is not you know, doesn't require some insane playmaking jobs.

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<v Speaker 3>It's mostly a team based thing. Right for your team

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<v Speaker 3>to be able to punish when that's happened, then then

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<v Speaker 3>you will even defensively at the rest of the Laker

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<v Speaker 3>Steve Vendor builds a good defender, I'm not gonna take

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<v Speaker 3>it away from him. Well, Bronn at this age is

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<v Speaker 3>not a great defender. Reaction Moore is not a great defender.

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<v Speaker 3>DeAndre Aiden himself is not a good defender, like that

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<v Speaker 3>was legitimately the reason why he was considered the toxic

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<v Speaker 3>ascid as a Max guy because he's not a good defender,

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<v Speaker 3>and then obviously Luca Nard's not a good defender. It

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<v Speaker 3>just it doesn't make sense for anybody looking at this

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<v Speaker 3>series for it to be playing out the way that

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<v Speaker 3>it is. And as you said, and if you want,

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<v Speaker 3>if we want to use this to kind of segue

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<v Speaker 3>into some broader discussion topics, this is the type of

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<v Speaker 3>embarrassment that changes and that forces major changes in a franchise,

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<v Speaker 3>whether that be strategy from the front office perspective or

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<v Speaker 3>new people there, or coaching or and and and there's

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<v Speaker 3>levels to it, right, there's no office level. There's pressure

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<v Speaker 3>in the front office to be more I guess decisive, yeah,

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<v Speaker 3>or bold. I was gonna go with bold. And there's

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<v Speaker 3>changing people with DIF from office. You know, there's scales

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<v Speaker 3>to it. Right at the lower level, you pressure them

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<v Speaker 3>into being bolder. At the higher level you you you

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<v Speaker 3>change people. And then at coaching there's two sides of it.

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<v Speaker 3>There's firing Meyudoka, or there's bringing a guy in to

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<v Speaker 3>be an offensive coordinate and have full control over what

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<v Speaker 3>the offense looks like. And from the players respectively, there's

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<v Speaker 3>levels to it. There's just there's you know, hoping Thread

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<v Speaker 3>and Stig can change it and I nothing that's gonna

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<v Speaker 3>cut it anymore. Beyond that, there's spending pigs on a

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<v Speaker 3>superstar trade, or there's straining guys that you thought were

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<v Speaker 3>untradeable of to this point, like alpurn Chingun for example.

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<v Speaker 3>We're gonna get into that later. But this level of

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<v Speaker 3>embarrassment I hope, and my fandom will be in question

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<v Speaker 3>if it doesn't. Because I've said plenty of times before

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<v Speaker 3>in this podcast, the only thing that could possibly make

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<v Speaker 3>that could possib will lose me as a fan is

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<v Speaker 3>not having faith in in Afron office. Because if you

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<v Speaker 3>don't have faith in the people making the decisions and

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<v Speaker 3>you don't have a path, then to me, there's no

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<v Speaker 3>point in watching sports. That's why I could never be

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<v Speaker 3>a fan of a team Michael Kings for example, not

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<v Speaker 3>necessarily because of the success, but because of the having

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<v Speaker 3>a qual path forward like the Sabona Saliburton trail, which

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<v Speaker 3>I'm sure will get into later. Like that, as a

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<v Speaker 3>fan will drive minuts. It drove minutes in the moment,

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<v Speaker 3>just that there's no path. So if Rockets don't make

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<v Speaker 3>a practic move, if this series ends as it seems

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<v Speaker 3>like it's going to end, then I will start bringing

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<v Speaker 3>that into question as well. It's just if something like

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<v Speaker 3>that happens, like this is the type of thing that

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<v Speaker 3>will make your organize Like that will make your organization

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<v Speaker 3>lose respect around the week. This is the type of

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<v Speaker 3>thing that players will be talking about years down the line.

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<v Speaker 3>You know how the John Wall, This HiT's ass quotes

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<v Speaker 3>is all over everywhere. And then there's him appearing on

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<v Speaker 3>podcasts talking about how this functional the team was back then.

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<v Speaker 3>And obviously he has some personal motives to say stuff

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<v Speaker 3>like that. Obviously he wasn't for the same thing, and

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<v Speaker 3>maybe that's how he copes with it. But I can

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<v Speaker 3>very easily see KD, for example, in three four years,

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<v Speaker 3>going on a podcast after retiring and saying, hey, remember

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<v Speaker 3>that Houston team, Remember that burner stuff. Now that I

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<v Speaker 3>can talk about it, Yeah, it was real, and you

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<v Speaker 3>can see that the stuff I was saying I was

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<v Speaker 3>actually right about in bad just bad mounting the organization

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<v Speaker 3>or decisions made or on court decisions made, or players

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<v Speaker 3>back on this team like this would be the type

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<v Speaker 3>of the backle that hurts the perception of the team

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<v Speaker 3>around the league, which is terrible. The Rockets are predu

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<v Speaker 3>respect the franchise all in all, and it's the type

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<v Speaker 3>of thing that will become kind of NBA folklore or

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<v Speaker 3>if you want to call it like that. Remember the

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<v Speaker 3>time the Rockets lost to the Lakers while missing seventy

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<v Speaker 3>percent not seventy like sixty percent of their gap. The

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<v Speaker 3>one time Lebron forty like you'll be've known as the

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<v Speaker 3>team forty one year old Lebron carried a bunch of

289
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<v Speaker 3>scrubs over in this forty one year like all time

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<v Speaker 3>go to the Baits. We'll mention the Rockets in this

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<v Speaker 3>light like this is a massive, massive, scandalous embarrassment of

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<v Speaker 3>a performance if it does happen, if it doesn't happen,

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<v Speaker 3>which is it's looking very likely that it will. And

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<v Speaker 3>so you know, I'll use this to set up bens

295
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<v Speaker 3>Rent a little bit, which is.

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<v Speaker 2>Well, wait, wait a minute on that. So I want

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<v Speaker 2>to address very quickly the next two games and stick

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<v Speaker 2>with the micro because I really don't think a major

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<v Speaker 2>adjustment is coming. I think it's pretty clear what we

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<v Speaker 2>should remind people. The Rockets and the Lakers haven't just

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<v Speaker 2>played twice. They have played four times in barely over

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<v Speaker 2>a month. They had the two games on March sixteenth

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<v Speaker 2>and eighteenth in Houston. Now they had Luca the Lakers

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<v Speaker 2>that is, and they had Reeves as well, but those

305
00:17:10.000 --> 00:17:14.000
<v Speaker 2>are not defensive difference makers. And in those games, especially

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<v Speaker 2>the first one, it felt very similar to these two

307
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<v Speaker 2>playoff games, and that the Rockets looked hopeless down the stretch,

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<v Speaker 2>they couldn't figure out what they wanted to do out

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<v Speaker 2>of the Kevin Durant double teams. KD also had some

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<v Speaker 2>baffling turnover so he deserves some blame as well, even

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<v Speaker 2>if he's scoring at an efficient level. And so with

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<v Speaker 2>that in mind, like the Lakers are a different team

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<v Speaker 2>on offense without Luca and Reeves, but defensively they might

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<v Speaker 2>even be a little bit better. So in terms of

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<v Speaker 2>how the Rockets are finally going to get the offense

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<v Speaker 2>on track, I don't think there's going to be any

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<v Speaker 2>radical changes in terms of, you know, team strategy. I

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00:17:52.799 --> 00:17:55.480
<v Speaker 2>think it's pretty clear that they have a certain way

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<v Speaker 2>that they think this offense and these players can run,

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<v Speaker 2>and if they have done it in a sample of

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<v Speaker 2>four games within the last month, I don't know that

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<v Speaker 2>one practice on Thursday before Friday night's Game three is

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<v Speaker 2>going to lead to some radical changes in terms of

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<v Speaker 2>how they play. Now, maybe they make some rotation tweaks,

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<v Speaker 2>maybe Read Shepherd plays more, and the Rockets choose to

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<v Speaker 2>just live with the defense. I don't know. It should

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<v Speaker 2>be noted by the way that Reid has not shot

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00:18:22.279 --> 00:18:24.400
<v Speaker 2>the ball well offensively at all. So for all of

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00:18:24.400 --> 00:18:27.039
<v Speaker 2>those discussions. He needs to make the open shots that

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<v Speaker 2>he's getting, although they have been limited to this point,

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<v Speaker 2>Like there are things you can do around the margins

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<v Speaker 2>like that. But I don't think you're going to see

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<v Speaker 2>the Rockets from a tactical x's and o's perspective do

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<v Speaker 2>something radically different. I think at this point they're attacking

335
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<v Speaker 2>the JJ Reddick defenses the way they're going to attack

336
00:18:46.559 --> 00:18:49.119
<v Speaker 2>them moving forward. And if there's any source for hope,

337
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<v Speaker 2>I guess you can point to, you know, the old

338
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<v Speaker 2>NBA adage that role players shoot better at home. The

339
00:18:54.799 --> 00:18:57.400
<v Speaker 2>Rockets have shot terribly, the Lakers have shot pretty well.

340
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<v Speaker 2>Maybe that changes in Houston. The Rockets are thirty and

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<v Speaker 2>eleven at home this season. But I mean, even if

342
00:19:03.200 --> 00:19:06.480
<v Speaker 2>it does change, number one, it's ridiculous that it takes

343
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<v Speaker 2>that against an under man Lakers team. Secondly, even if

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<v Speaker 2>you win both of these games this weekend, you still

345
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<v Speaker 2>have to win either a Game five or a Game

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<v Speaker 2>seven in LA at least one of them to win

347
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<v Speaker 2>the series. So even if the shot luck does turn

348
00:19:19.920 --> 00:19:22.640
<v Speaker 2>around at home, and you know, maybe you know the

349
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<v Speaker 2>one bit of good offense the Rockets have had in

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<v Speaker 2>fourth quarters against the Lakers. I would say that second

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<v Speaker 2>game in March, Shinoon came back from injury and played

352
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<v Speaker 2>pretty well. And in these two games, I think Shinoon's

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<v Speaker 2>been a little timid because he hasn't had the touch

354
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<v Speaker 2>near the rim. Maybe if Shangoon has more shots go

355
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<v Speaker 2>in early in the game, he becomes more aggressive, decisive

356
00:19:43.839 --> 00:19:47.000
<v Speaker 2>and clinical in fourth quarter situations as the lead guy

357
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<v Speaker 2>out of the four on threes that Durant generates. I mean,

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<v Speaker 2>that's the hope, but I don't think there's going to

359
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<v Speaker 2>be any sort of radical change. I know there's some

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<v Speaker 2>frustrations with the Rockets sort of allowing the double to

361
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<v Speaker 2>come at KD as opposed to you in him off ball.

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<v Speaker 2>I mean, at this point, we've seen it for a

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<v Speaker 2>lot of this season, and we've seen it four times

364
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<v Speaker 2>against the Lakers. All of those games have been competitive

365
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<v Speaker 2>in the fourth quarter. We've sent it four times and

366
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<v Speaker 2>barely over a month. So be it for you know,

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<v Speaker 2>limitations of the roster choices from the coaching staff, roster construction,

368
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<v Speaker 2>whatever you want to attribute it to. I don't think

369
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<v Speaker 2>there's going to be anything that radically changes this weekend.

370
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<v Speaker 2>I think in terms of you know, the Rockets somehow

371
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<v Speaker 2>winning a couple of games, so you got to win

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<v Speaker 2>one just to send the series back to LA and

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<v Speaker 2>hopefully both to tie the series and make it a

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<v Speaker 2>best of three. I think you just got to hope

375
00:20:35.079 --> 00:20:37.799
<v Speaker 2>that that the shots go in, certainly from three point range,

376
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<v Speaker 2>but also Shingoon making more shots near the rim, getting

377
00:20:40.599 --> 00:20:43.240
<v Speaker 2>more confident, Maybe a men gets a friendlier whistle on

378
00:20:43.319 --> 00:20:45.400
<v Speaker 2>his drives. I don't know, Like that's all I can

379
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<v Speaker 2>point to Paolo in the micro, Like I know you

380
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<v Speaker 2>want to talk macro and I do as well in

381
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<v Speaker 2>terms of team building what it means moving forward, But

382
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<v Speaker 2>I just think in terms of the micro, I would

383
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<v Speaker 2>not expect any radical changes. I think you've just got

384
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<v Speaker 2>to hope that some of the shots that didn't go

385
00:20:59.279 --> 00:21:02.119
<v Speaker 2>in in LA do go in for you in Houston, right.

386
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<v Speaker 3>Yeah, one hundred percent that you know, some of it

387
00:21:11.079 --> 00:21:12.720
<v Speaker 3>comes down to the dog that's not being able to

388
00:21:12.720 --> 00:21:15.920
<v Speaker 3>shoot the end, some magnet wall, especially in Game one

389
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<v Speaker 3>from the Lakers typically, and there's a bunch of starts

390
00:21:19.359 --> 00:21:21.599
<v Speaker 3>out there if you want to look them up. A

391
00:21:21.680 --> 00:21:25.480
<v Speaker 3>team winning the possession, you know, the possession battle by

392
00:21:25.640 --> 00:21:29.640
<v Speaker 3>forty something possessions over two games, typically is not gonna

393
00:21:29.680 --> 00:21:31.960
<v Speaker 3>lose the game if they can make shots. But at

394
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<v Speaker 3>the same time, it doesn't feel like the Rockets are

395
00:21:34.240 --> 00:21:38.359
<v Speaker 3>generating great looks and just missing. I just don't see

396
00:21:38.839 --> 00:21:41.960
<v Speaker 3>like I was the guy that was that predicted for

397
00:21:42.119 --> 00:21:44.319
<v Speaker 3>and oh and that's not an l on me. I

398
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<v Speaker 3>don't see this team, if they didn't do it up

399
00:21:48.640 --> 00:21:51.559
<v Speaker 3>to this point, being able to take a game of

400
00:21:51.559 --> 00:21:55.119
<v Speaker 3>the Lakers in Game five or Game seven while holding

401
00:21:55.680 --> 00:21:57.799
<v Speaker 3>all of the home games. I think it's pretty I

402
00:21:57.839 --> 00:22:00.640
<v Speaker 3>think I'm actually confident that they'll hold the home games,

403
00:22:00.680 --> 00:22:03.039
<v Speaker 3>just because they we play much better at home. But

404
00:22:03.880 --> 00:22:05.400
<v Speaker 3>I don't think they'll be able to take one on

405
00:22:05.480 --> 00:22:08.079
<v Speaker 3>the road against the Lakers, especially because it's only going

406
00:22:08.160 --> 00:22:11.160
<v Speaker 3>to get tougher with the Reefs coming back and potentially

407
00:22:11.200 --> 00:22:14.480
<v Speaker 3>we look all that it's looking unlikely and even then,

408
00:22:15.039 --> 00:22:18.519
<v Speaker 3>like this cannot be missed within the discussion. Even then,

409
00:22:19.079 --> 00:22:22.839
<v Speaker 3>even if the Rockets lose in seven and it's a

410
00:22:22.920 --> 00:22:25.839
<v Speaker 3>your respectable loss, I guess it's not a gentleman's sweep.

411
00:22:26.160 --> 00:22:31.240
<v Speaker 3>That's not a respectable loss, your massive favorites going to

412
00:22:31.279 --> 00:22:34.200
<v Speaker 3>the series. This is a heavily injured Lakers team. There's

413
00:22:34.279 --> 00:22:37.359
<v Speaker 3>no coming back from this unless you win the series.

414
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<v Speaker 3>The only way to wash this all away is winning

415
00:22:40.200 --> 00:22:43.960
<v Speaker 3>the series, and to me, that just looks like insanely unlikely.

416
00:22:44.200 --> 00:22:47.200
<v Speaker 3>You know, you you you said you talked about the percentages,

417
00:22:47.319 --> 00:22:50.359
<v Speaker 3>the ninety percent teams going up to and oh, I

418
00:22:50.480 --> 00:22:53.559
<v Speaker 3>talked about you know, it's that. Plus it's a Lebron team.

419
00:22:53.720 --> 00:22:57.359
<v Speaker 3>They're not going to relax, and so I just don't

420
00:22:57.400 --> 00:23:01.960
<v Speaker 3>see that happening. And with that not happen, even if,

421
00:23:02.039 --> 00:23:04.960
<v Speaker 3>for example, even if Katie stayed hurt, that still would

422
00:23:04.960 --> 00:23:05.880
<v Speaker 3>not be an excuse.

423
00:23:06.319 --> 00:23:06.480
<v Speaker 2>Right.

424
00:23:06.960 --> 00:23:11.920
<v Speaker 3>It's a massive indictment on the Young Care that even

425
00:23:11.960 --> 00:23:15.359
<v Speaker 3>without Katie they're not able to beat this Lakers team.

426
00:23:15.400 --> 00:23:18.720
<v Speaker 3>And it throws me back to last season where a

427
00:23:18.759 --> 00:23:22.519
<v Speaker 3>lot of the time we were heavily relying on Dylan

428
00:23:22.559 --> 00:23:26.400
<v Speaker 3>Brooks's hero ball to win games and to and to score,

429
00:23:26.920 --> 00:23:31.599
<v Speaker 3>and it turns out that Dylan Brooks offense was actually

430
00:23:31.920 --> 00:23:35.400
<v Speaker 3>somehow masking how bad our offense actually was as well.

431
00:23:36.200 --> 00:23:41.319
<v Speaker 3>So this just signals heavy problems with the Young Care

432
00:23:41.440 --> 00:23:45.400
<v Speaker 3>And we'll get into it in a way that barely

433
00:23:45.480 --> 00:23:50.000
<v Speaker 3>losing or if Katie didn't play a single more game

434
00:23:50.039 --> 00:23:53.839
<v Speaker 3>in this series and we lost that still wouldn't against

435
00:23:54.440 --> 00:23:59.720
<v Speaker 3>mellow it out. It's a catastrophic, franchise altering event to

436
00:23:59.759 --> 00:24:02.480
<v Speaker 3>lose the series, especially the way it is. We talked

437
00:24:02.480 --> 00:24:06.640
<v Speaker 3>about last week that the Rockets got a massive break

438
00:24:06.880 --> 00:24:09.319
<v Speaker 3>and that the fact that we're likely going to win

439
00:24:09.359 --> 00:24:12.960
<v Speaker 3>against the Lakers could mask some hard decisions that might

440
00:24:13.000 --> 00:24:15.680
<v Speaker 3>have been able, that might have been needed to be made.

441
00:24:16.000 --> 00:24:18.119
<v Speaker 3>Have they done the nuggets and just lost in round one?

442
00:24:18.599 --> 00:24:20.480
<v Speaker 3>Well it turns out that, you know, there's the other

443
00:24:20.599 --> 00:24:24.359
<v Speaker 3>edge of that knife, which is, well, if you do

444
00:24:24.519 --> 00:24:28.319
<v Speaker 3>lose a free series, what everybody held was a free series,

445
00:24:28.759 --> 00:24:32.480
<v Speaker 3>then that slammed them, determines that you need to make

446
00:24:32.720 --> 00:24:36.960
<v Speaker 3>major changes. And it's and you can't. You can't go

447
00:24:37.599 --> 00:24:42.759
<v Speaker 3>the let's hold out and keep flexibility an optionality route

448
00:24:42.839 --> 00:24:43.440
<v Speaker 3>any longer.

449
00:24:44.720 --> 00:24:48.680
<v Speaker 2>Yeah, and let's turn our attention to the macro because

450
00:24:49.200 --> 00:24:52.599
<v Speaker 2>if this series ends, as I think we're both increasingly

451
00:24:52.920 --> 00:24:55.799
<v Speaker 2>resigned to think that it will, there's going to be

452
00:24:55.880 --> 00:24:59.400
<v Speaker 2>at least one major change, and maybe major changes plural.

453
00:24:59.480 --> 00:25:02.400
<v Speaker 2>I just can't can't see the Rockets running it back

454
00:25:02.599 --> 00:25:05.319
<v Speaker 2>if they go out in four or five games, held

455
00:25:05.359 --> 00:25:08.759
<v Speaker 2>maybe even six or seven to this version of the Lakers,

456
00:25:09.160 --> 00:25:11.880
<v Speaker 2>when you consider the excitement they had at drawing this

457
00:25:11.960 --> 00:25:15.160
<v Speaker 2>team in the playoffs, I'm sure they won't commit to it.

458
00:25:15.240 --> 00:25:18.279
<v Speaker 2>In the press conference after the series. They'll say they

459
00:25:18.279 --> 00:25:21.039
<v Speaker 2>want to keep their options open and they'll evaluate well.

460
00:25:21.240 --> 00:25:23.200
<v Speaker 2>Just as last offseason, there was a lot of lip

461
00:25:23.240 --> 00:25:26.200
<v Speaker 2>service about Jalen Green after that Warrior series, and we

462
00:25:26.200 --> 00:25:29.319
<v Speaker 2>saw what happened a month later when the market opportunity

463
00:25:29.359 --> 00:25:32.920
<v Speaker 2>magically came about. I think the same could be true

464
00:25:33.240 --> 00:25:37.000
<v Speaker 2>this year. Now. My personal opinion, if I had to

465
00:25:37.200 --> 00:25:40.599
<v Speaker 2>rank in order of you know, what's most likely to

466
00:25:40.599 --> 00:25:43.519
<v Speaker 2>happen and what's least, I would say a major change

467
00:25:43.559 --> 00:25:46.720
<v Speaker 2>to the roster is most likely. In between would be

468
00:25:47.400 --> 00:25:50.640
<v Speaker 2>the coaching staff, at least to the head coach. Now

469
00:25:50.680 --> 00:25:53.880
<v Speaker 2>maybe you know the staff beneath the may Udoka, maybe

470
00:25:53.920 --> 00:25:56.000
<v Speaker 2>that would go you know, one A, one B along

471
00:25:56.039 --> 00:25:59.160
<v Speaker 2>with the roster. And then least likely would be the

472
00:25:59.200 --> 00:26:02.880
<v Speaker 2>front office. At least in terms of Rafelstone and Eli Whitis.

473
00:26:03.400 --> 00:26:06.680
<v Speaker 2>I think you're least likely to see major movement on

474
00:26:06.720 --> 00:26:09.119
<v Speaker 2>that front. And one thing I want to address off

475
00:26:09.119 --> 00:26:11.519
<v Speaker 2>the top on emai Udoka, because I do think some

476
00:26:11.559 --> 00:26:14.759
<v Speaker 2>of the arguments have been mischaracterized and We've addressed this

477
00:26:14.880 --> 00:26:18.599
<v Speaker 2>point in previous pods. So there's some talk out there

478
00:26:18.640 --> 00:26:23.319
<v Speaker 2>that Udoka is safe because of the contract extension. That

479
00:26:23.400 --> 00:26:26.839
<v Speaker 2>might be true, but I think it's less about the money,

480
00:26:26.880 --> 00:26:29.880
<v Speaker 2>and Paolo, you made this point a few weeks ago.

481
00:26:30.039 --> 00:26:33.440
<v Speaker 2>It's less about the money in the contract and more

482
00:26:33.480 --> 00:26:37.079
<v Speaker 2>about what the contract represents, and I think that's important

483
00:26:37.079 --> 00:26:40.160
<v Speaker 2>to understand because I think we can both agree. Emay

484
00:26:40.240 --> 00:26:43.920
<v Speaker 2>Udoka has been underwhelming this season, and I think at

485
00:26:43.960 --> 00:26:46.759
<v Speaker 2>the end of this playoff run, whether it ends in

486
00:26:46.799 --> 00:26:49.039
<v Speaker 2>a few days or somehow goes on to at least

487
00:26:49.079 --> 00:26:52.480
<v Speaker 2>the second round, barring something crazy, we're going to look

488
00:26:52.519 --> 00:26:55.319
<v Speaker 2>back at this season and say, even with the injuries,

489
00:26:55.960 --> 00:26:59.279
<v Speaker 2>emay Udoka left us wanting more. And that's the most

490
00:26:59.400 --> 00:27:02.640
<v Speaker 2>generous and reportation I can give. Relative to the first

491
00:27:02.640 --> 00:27:06.079
<v Speaker 2>two seasons, where Eme clearly did more right than wrong,

492
00:27:06.599 --> 00:27:09.920
<v Speaker 2>this year doesn't feel that way. There are understandable reasons

493
00:27:10.200 --> 00:27:14.319
<v Speaker 2>for the frustration, and so a lot of the pushback nationally.

494
00:27:14.359 --> 00:27:15.759
<v Speaker 2>As we know, the Rockets aren't going to make a

495
00:27:15.759 --> 00:27:19.400
<v Speaker 2>coach and change because they gave Emy this big contract

496
00:27:19.440 --> 00:27:23.960
<v Speaker 2>last offseason. It's not that Tilman Fertita is going to

497
00:27:24.000 --> 00:27:27.640
<v Speaker 2>stick with a coach he doesn't believe in, simply because

498
00:27:28.160 --> 00:27:30.759
<v Speaker 2>he doesn't want to eat the contract and be paying

499
00:27:31.000 --> 00:27:34.240
<v Speaker 2>two coaches for the next few seasons. I don't think

500
00:27:34.240 --> 00:27:37.720
<v Speaker 2>it's that. If the Fertitas clearly see a coach out

501
00:27:37.720 --> 00:27:40.599
<v Speaker 2>there that they believe in more and that they think

502
00:27:40.680 --> 00:27:44.200
<v Speaker 2>could unlock more from this roster, it's possible, especially if

503
00:27:44.200 --> 00:27:47.240
<v Speaker 2>the Rockets go out sad to the Lakers. Like I've

504
00:27:47.279 --> 00:27:49.519
<v Speaker 2>dismissed all that talk in the past, I still think

505
00:27:49.519 --> 00:27:53.200
<v Speaker 2>it's very unlikely, but anything is on the table if

506
00:27:53.240 --> 00:27:56.359
<v Speaker 2>you go out the way things have looked the last

507
00:27:56.440 --> 00:27:59.559
<v Speaker 2>few games, this is sort of the perfect storm scenario.

508
00:27:59.759 --> 00:28:01.920
<v Speaker 2>With that said, the reason go ahead.

509
00:28:02.480 --> 00:28:04.640
<v Speaker 3>Yeah, I just wanted to point out before you move

510
00:28:04.680 --> 00:28:08.319
<v Speaker 3>on from Utoka that there's something to be said for

511
00:28:08.799 --> 00:28:12.519
<v Speaker 3>the fact that email Udoka's success, both early on with

512
00:28:12.559 --> 00:28:17.279
<v Speaker 3>the Rockets and with the Celtics came from having top

513
00:28:17.359 --> 00:28:21.720
<v Speaker 3>tier coaching staffs. With that produced you know, head coaching

514
00:28:21.759 --> 00:28:27.200
<v Speaker 3>candidates later on. Back with the Celtics, obviously, Will Hardy,

515
00:28:27.480 --> 00:28:32.920
<v Speaker 3>obviously Missoula just start coaching staff back then now with

516
00:28:34.279 --> 00:28:36.720
<v Speaker 3>now with the Rockets for the past few seasons, obviously,

517
00:28:36.720 --> 00:28:40.440
<v Speaker 3>Ben Sullivan was highly regarded Royal Ivy as you know,

518
00:28:40.640 --> 00:28:44.319
<v Speaker 3>highly sought after. And you know Thiago Splitter, who is

519
00:28:44.400 --> 00:28:46.839
<v Speaker 3>right now the head coach, interim but head coach of

520
00:28:47.440 --> 00:28:49.920
<v Speaker 3>the Port pontoreyal Blazers, who took a team that was

521
00:28:50.039 --> 00:28:54.319
<v Speaker 3>shaken by a huge gambling scandal and you know, turned

522
00:28:54.319 --> 00:28:58.079
<v Speaker 3>that young team into now a playing team that's one

523
00:28:58.160 --> 00:29:01.599
<v Speaker 3>to one in Thai one one in a series with

524
00:29:01.640 --> 00:29:05.079
<v Speaker 3>the Spurs, regardless of whether Wenby had to go out

525
00:29:05.119 --> 00:29:09.359
<v Speaker 3>intern or not. So maybe he may Doka is a

526
00:29:09.440 --> 00:29:11.759
<v Speaker 3>good tip of the spear type of guy, good leader,

527
00:29:12.079 --> 00:29:16.359
<v Speaker 3>but needs you know, the coaching staff to enable him

528
00:29:16.440 --> 00:29:21.599
<v Speaker 3>to be that guy and not be lackluster in other

529
00:29:21.680 --> 00:29:24.880
<v Speaker 3>parts of whether it be player development, whether it be

530
00:29:25.319 --> 00:29:29.799
<v Speaker 3>offensive coaching, and even defensively this season it's it seemed

531
00:29:29.920 --> 00:29:32.960
<v Speaker 3>like a Rockets don't have the same power they had

532
00:29:33.079 --> 00:29:36.240
<v Speaker 3>last season defensively. Offer some of that personnel. But just

533
00:29:36.319 --> 00:29:39.920
<v Speaker 3>to say, you know, argument to be made that as

534
00:29:39.960 --> 00:29:43.000
<v Speaker 3>you were saying, it's not just about the contract, it's

535
00:29:43.039 --> 00:29:45.279
<v Speaker 3>also about well, you're not going to make a move

536
00:29:45.319 --> 00:29:46.720
<v Speaker 3>for the sake of making a move. You've got to

537
00:29:46.759 --> 00:29:48.400
<v Speaker 3>have a guy out there that you believe would be

538
00:29:48.400 --> 00:29:53.400
<v Speaker 3>better than Udoka right, and and then and you could think, hey,

539
00:29:54.039 --> 00:29:56.000
<v Speaker 3>it might make more sense if it's not a better

540
00:29:56.039 --> 00:29:59.000
<v Speaker 3>candidate out there that's yer than Udoka, it might make

541
00:29:59.160 --> 00:30:01.279
<v Speaker 3>might make more sense still an invest in getting an

542
00:30:01.279 --> 00:30:05.400
<v Speaker 3>offensive coordinator type, because Imidoka has been very successful when

543
00:30:05.400 --> 00:30:07.160
<v Speaker 3>he's had stacked cooking styles.

544
00:30:12.440 --> 00:30:16.440
<v Speaker 2>And where I was going with the contractual angle, it's

545
00:30:16.559 --> 00:30:21.440
<v Speaker 2>not the money in a vacuum, it's what the decision represents.

546
00:30:21.720 --> 00:30:24.920
<v Speaker 2>They did not have to give him that contract extension

547
00:30:25.200 --> 00:30:28.000
<v Speaker 2>last offseason. He was two years into the original four

548
00:30:28.079 --> 00:30:31.960
<v Speaker 2>year deal. They easily could have waited until this off season.

549
00:30:32.480 --> 00:30:35.160
<v Speaker 2>They did it early because that's how much they believe

550
00:30:35.200 --> 00:30:39.039
<v Speaker 2>in him. There was confirmed interest from the New York Knicks,

551
00:30:39.240 --> 00:30:42.920
<v Speaker 2>one of the glamour franchises in the NBA, in hiring

552
00:30:43.000 --> 00:30:46.160
<v Speaker 2>e May for their open position. The Rockets could have

553
00:30:46.160 --> 00:30:48.440
<v Speaker 2>not only gotten out of the contract, they could have

554
00:30:48.480 --> 00:30:53.559
<v Speaker 2>gotten additional compensation, be it financially draft picks. The Knicks

555
00:30:53.559 --> 00:30:56.480
<v Speaker 2>were after Imo Udoka. It was widely reported at the

556
00:30:56.559 --> 00:31:00.359
<v Speaker 2>time the Rockets rebuffed them. So I just have a

557
00:31:00.440 --> 00:31:05.440
<v Speaker 2>tough time seeing in under a year the Rockets going

558
00:31:05.559 --> 00:31:09.559
<v Speaker 2>from not only believing in ema Udoka, but committing to

559
00:31:09.640 --> 00:31:13.559
<v Speaker 2>him long term when they didn't have to rejecting assets

560
00:31:13.599 --> 00:31:16.359
<v Speaker 2>from another team, and the opportunity to, you know, start

561
00:31:16.400 --> 00:31:20.039
<v Speaker 2>fresh if that's what they wanted to then being ready

562
00:31:20.039 --> 00:31:23.160
<v Speaker 2>to part ways. This season has been bad, don't get

563
00:31:23.160 --> 00:31:26.279
<v Speaker 2>me wrong, at least relative to expectations. I don't think

564
00:31:26.440 --> 00:31:29.119
<v Speaker 2>even with the loss to the Lakers, it gets quite

565
00:31:29.200 --> 00:31:33.640
<v Speaker 2>to that level, especially when and now let's look at

566
00:31:33.640 --> 00:31:38.000
<v Speaker 2>the bigger picture, there are some intenuating circumstances like I'm

567
00:31:38.039 --> 00:31:40.880
<v Speaker 2>not going to tell you how much blame should go

568
00:31:41.000 --> 00:31:45.119
<v Speaker 2>to each entity in terms of players versus coaches versus

569
00:31:45.160 --> 00:31:49.000
<v Speaker 2>front office. I think reasonable people can disagree, but I

570
00:31:49.039 --> 00:31:52.480
<v Speaker 2>think where there should be some agreement is the idea

571
00:31:52.559 --> 00:31:56.039
<v Speaker 2>that there is blame to go around at every level.

572
00:31:56.319 --> 00:31:59.319
<v Speaker 2>It's not one hundred percent on the coaching staff, or

573
00:31:59.359 --> 00:32:02.599
<v Speaker 2>the players or the front office. And so when you

574
00:32:02.640 --> 00:32:05.359
<v Speaker 2>look at how we got to where we are, and

575
00:32:05.400 --> 00:32:07.839
<v Speaker 2>I put up a thread on Blue Sky where my

576
00:32:07.839 --> 00:32:12.559
<v Speaker 2>handle is at Benjubo's on Wednesday morning, my initial thoughts

577
00:32:12.720 --> 00:32:17.119
<v Speaker 2>sleep deprive thoughts. After Tuesday's Game two, I talked about

578
00:32:17.119 --> 00:32:19.920
<v Speaker 2>how just at a high level we talk about the

579
00:32:19.960 --> 00:32:23.839
<v Speaker 2>struggles offensively, it's really tough when two of your three

580
00:32:23.880 --> 00:32:26.839
<v Speaker 2>best players in the modern NBA both can't shoot, and

581
00:32:26.839 --> 00:32:29.240
<v Speaker 2>that's the case with Aman Thompson and all par Esion

582
00:32:29.240 --> 00:32:31.400
<v Speaker 2>Goon and in Game one where there's no Kevin Durant,

583
00:32:31.440 --> 00:32:35.279
<v Speaker 2>literally your two best players defensively, We've talked about this

584
00:32:35.359 --> 00:32:38.559
<v Speaker 2>at nauseum, all par Eension Goon and Reed Shepherd. That's

585
00:32:38.559 --> 00:32:41.519
<v Speaker 2>a tough fit for any coach to make that pairing

586
00:32:41.559 --> 00:32:43.799
<v Speaker 2>work on the defensive end, especially with Reid and you're

587
00:32:43.839 --> 00:32:47.720
<v Speaker 2>two at twenty one years old. Stylistically, for ima Udoka,

588
00:32:48.200 --> 00:32:50.319
<v Speaker 2>I think there's a case to be made, at least

589
00:32:50.319 --> 00:32:52.960
<v Speaker 2>based on what we saw from him his first couple

590
00:32:53.000 --> 00:32:55.920
<v Speaker 2>of years in Houston and certainly in Boston, Shingoon and

591
00:32:56.039 --> 00:32:59.160
<v Speaker 2>especially Read. It's a little bit of an odd mix

592
00:32:59.519 --> 00:33:03.599
<v Speaker 2>for how he usually wants to play like. This is

593
00:33:03.759 --> 00:33:08.200
<v Speaker 2>not a loaded roster and it's not necessarily an emy

594
00:33:08.319 --> 00:33:10.920
<v Speaker 2>Udoka roster. You know, e May was a guy who

595
00:33:11.000 --> 00:33:13.200
<v Speaker 2>his first season in Houston, I think he would love

596
00:33:13.559 --> 00:33:17.559
<v Speaker 2>to spam three pointers. It's just this roster doesn't lend

597
00:33:17.599 --> 00:33:20.240
<v Speaker 2>itself to that. Defensively, I think he would love to

598
00:33:20.279 --> 00:33:24.720
<v Speaker 2>be more physical and to switch more. This roster doesn't

599
00:33:24.759 --> 00:33:28.960
<v Speaker 2>lend itself to that, and then with Shingoon specifically, You've

600
00:33:29.000 --> 00:33:31.240
<v Speaker 2>talked about it a lot Pawlow. There's been a huge

601
00:33:31.279 --> 00:33:34.920
<v Speaker 2>shop off defensively between last season and this season. The

602
00:33:35.000 --> 00:33:37.079
<v Speaker 2>data shows it. It's not exclusive to the playoffs. It

603
00:33:37.079 --> 00:33:40.319
<v Speaker 2>didn't randomly happen. It's been going on for months. So

604
00:33:40.759 --> 00:33:43.559
<v Speaker 2>the roster isn't perfect in terms of what Rafelstone gave

605
00:33:43.599 --> 00:33:46.839
<v Speaker 2>emy Udoka to work with, and then the players themselves

606
00:33:46.880 --> 00:33:49.759
<v Speaker 2>just in terms of executing and winning their matchups all perin,

607
00:33:49.880 --> 00:33:53.240
<v Speaker 2>Shinoon as an All Star is not delivering on both

608
00:33:53.319 --> 00:33:55.839
<v Speaker 2>ends of the court at the level that he did

609
00:33:56.079 --> 00:34:00.319
<v Speaker 2>a year ago, and so that's not to absolve may

610
00:34:00.839 --> 00:34:05.160
<v Speaker 2>a blame, Like you can maybe argue that, for example, offensively,

611
00:34:05.319 --> 00:34:08.199
<v Speaker 2>Shoin Goon and Reed are just so talented that you

612
00:34:08.199 --> 00:34:11.360
<v Speaker 2>know the trade offs defensively are worth it, and maybe

613
00:34:11.400 --> 00:34:14.719
<v Speaker 2>if you commit to playing read what he gives you

614
00:34:14.960 --> 00:34:18.440
<v Speaker 2>a from a spacing and a ball handling perspective can

615
00:34:18.599 --> 00:34:21.840
<v Speaker 2>offset some of the issues that you have with the

616
00:34:21.960 --> 00:34:25.880
<v Speaker 2>men and Shoin Gooon together. I don't know that, but

617
00:34:26.800 --> 00:34:29.920
<v Speaker 2>maybe he may should be more open to experimenting along

618
00:34:29.960 --> 00:34:33.719
<v Speaker 2>those lines. But it's a maybe, Like there are no

619
00:34:34.519 --> 00:34:36.760
<v Speaker 2>answers that you can point to and say this is

620
00:34:36.840 --> 00:34:42.400
<v Speaker 2>a silver bullet solution. And so one of my frustrations

621
00:34:42.440 --> 00:34:45.199
<v Speaker 2>with the front office, and I'm you know, I could

622
00:34:45.239 --> 00:34:46.679
<v Speaker 2>go on for hours and I won't do that here.

623
00:34:46.719 --> 00:34:50.840
<v Speaker 2>I'll try and be concise. It doesn't feel like there's

624
00:34:50.840 --> 00:34:54.039
<v Speaker 2>been a ton of conviction the last couple of seasons.

625
00:34:54.039 --> 00:34:56.639
<v Speaker 2>Like you had a tweet I saw after Game one

626
00:34:56.719 --> 00:34:59.119
<v Speaker 2>Polo when it looked like a men was probably the

627
00:34:59.199 --> 00:35:02.280
<v Speaker 2>Rocket's best player. Why don't the Rockets just do five

628
00:35:02.320 --> 00:35:05.719
<v Speaker 2>out spacing and give Amn Thompson the room he needs

629
00:35:05.760 --> 00:35:09.119
<v Speaker 2>to get downhill and attack the basket. The Rockets love

630
00:35:09.199 --> 00:35:13.039
<v Speaker 2>himn Thompson. Every conversation I've had with the front office.

631
00:35:13.440 --> 00:35:16.400
<v Speaker 2>They want to get him more involved offensively. They want

632
00:35:16.400 --> 00:35:19.679
<v Speaker 2>to see him more aggressive, especially laid in games. Well,

633
00:35:19.719 --> 00:35:22.800
<v Speaker 2>it's difficult to do that when the court is cramped.

634
00:35:23.280 --> 00:35:25.920
<v Speaker 2>If you really believe in Amend to that level, should

635
00:35:25.960 --> 00:35:29.599
<v Speaker 2>you not be building your roster around him? Or if

636
00:35:29.599 --> 00:35:32.440
<v Speaker 2>you think that Shinoon and Reed are just that special

637
00:35:32.559 --> 00:35:35.639
<v Speaker 2>as offensive players, maybe you just play them no matter

638
00:35:35.679 --> 00:35:38.760
<v Speaker 2>what and live with the defensive trade off. You just

639
00:35:39.119 --> 00:35:42.440
<v Speaker 2>give them every opportunity to get you know, more seasoning,

640
00:35:42.840 --> 00:35:45.119
<v Speaker 2>and maybe you're in a better position to live with

641
00:35:45.159 --> 00:35:48.719
<v Speaker 2>their defensive works by the playoffs because clearly they didn't

642
00:35:48.719 --> 00:35:52.039
<v Speaker 2>get a ton of exposure in the regular season. It

643
00:35:52.079 --> 00:35:55.159
<v Speaker 2>feels like the Rockets have sort of split the difference

644
00:35:55.480 --> 00:35:58.239
<v Speaker 2>in a lot of their decision making with the current roster,

645
00:35:58.320 --> 00:36:00.280
<v Speaker 2>and it hasn't always been that way. Like I want

646
00:36:00.280 --> 00:36:02.639
<v Speaker 2>to say, it's a huge indictment of Patrick Furtida and

647
00:36:02.719 --> 00:36:05.840
<v Speaker 2>raphel Stone because, you know, to start off this rebuild,

648
00:36:06.119 --> 00:36:09.960
<v Speaker 2>they talked about pain tolerance. During the tanking years, they

649
00:36:09.960 --> 00:36:13.320
<v Speaker 2>had more pain tolerance than a lot of organizations. They

650
00:36:13.360 --> 00:36:17.280
<v Speaker 2>did some unconventional things, and lately, with James Harden playing

651
00:36:17.280 --> 00:36:18.960
<v Speaker 2>well in the playoffs with the Cavaliers, there's been a

652
00:36:18.960 --> 00:36:23.039
<v Speaker 2>lot of revisiting the Fredenfleet over James Harden decision in

653
00:36:22.639 --> 00:36:26.039
<v Speaker 2>the summer of twenty twenty three, that initial free agency

654
00:36:26.079 --> 00:36:29.559
<v Speaker 2>with ima Udoka. I mean that that was a bold

655
00:36:29.679 --> 00:36:33.920
<v Speaker 2>move to go with Fred, who's clearly a lesser player

656
00:36:33.920 --> 00:36:36.159
<v Speaker 2>than James if you just look at them one on one,

657
00:36:36.480 --> 00:36:40.599
<v Speaker 2>because you believed in the bigger picture blueprint with Fred,

658
00:36:40.960 --> 00:36:44.760
<v Speaker 2>the overall puzzle that you're trying to put together, like

659
00:36:44.840 --> 00:36:47.239
<v Speaker 2>that took a lot of conviction, and I'm not saying

660
00:36:47.320 --> 00:36:52.000
<v Speaker 2>that they're right, but I can respect what they were

661
00:36:52.039 --> 00:36:54.760
<v Speaker 2>trying to do. It feels like the last couple of

662
00:36:54.840 --> 00:36:58.960
<v Speaker 2>years there's been a lot of half measures to sort of,

663
00:37:00.199 --> 00:37:02.119
<v Speaker 2>you know, do the best they can to keep this

664
00:37:02.199 --> 00:37:06.559
<v Speaker 2>group together and just hope that the talent wins out.

665
00:37:07.239 --> 00:37:10.079
<v Speaker 2>The problem with that is that the talent just isn't

666
00:37:10.119 --> 00:37:13.159
<v Speaker 2>that overwhelming. You know. The Rockets unfortunately didn't come out

667
00:37:13.159 --> 00:37:15.719
<v Speaker 2>of the rebuild with a Victor Winmbanyama or a Kid

668
00:37:15.760 --> 00:37:19.840
<v Speaker 2>Cunningham or even a Cooper Flag level prospect. Like, there

669
00:37:19.880 --> 00:37:24.079
<v Speaker 2>are limits to just how high this group's ceiling is.

670
00:37:24.239 --> 00:37:26.000
<v Speaker 2>And if you're trying to be the last team standing

671
00:37:26.000 --> 00:37:29.079
<v Speaker 2>out of thirty, like, if you can't do it by

672
00:37:29.119 --> 00:37:32.039
<v Speaker 2>having if you weren't lucky enough to draft a player

673
00:37:32.119 --> 00:37:35.960
<v Speaker 2>that's just that transcendent and can potentially lift you almost

674
00:37:36.000 --> 00:37:40.079
<v Speaker 2>by himself, then you've got to be more cutthroat, more

675
00:37:40.119 --> 00:37:43.320
<v Speaker 2>clinical with how the rest of the roster fits together.

676
00:37:43.440 --> 00:37:45.639
<v Speaker 2>We've talked about that in recent pods. You've got to,

677
00:37:46.079 --> 00:37:48.800
<v Speaker 2>you know, put more of a priority on chemistry and

678
00:37:48.920 --> 00:37:52.000
<v Speaker 2>fit and how all the pieces work together. And you

679
00:37:52.039 --> 00:37:54.360
<v Speaker 2>look at this roster. It just doesn't feel like that

680
00:37:54.440 --> 00:37:59.000
<v Speaker 2>from an organizational perspective, that that's what happened. In fact,

681
00:37:59.199 --> 00:38:02.480
<v Speaker 2>I know I've had conversations with people inside the building.

682
00:38:02.559 --> 00:38:06.719
<v Speaker 2>They they see the limitations with especially Shingoon and read

683
00:38:06.880 --> 00:38:10.199
<v Speaker 2>defensively and what that means for, you know, the offensive

684
00:38:10.199 --> 00:38:13.039
<v Speaker 2>into the court when you can't optimize your system on

685
00:38:13.039 --> 00:38:15.400
<v Speaker 2>that end because you're afraid of the trade op defensively.

686
00:38:16.199 --> 00:38:20.159
<v Speaker 2>I mean they see that stuff as well. So that's

687
00:38:20.159 --> 00:38:22.920
<v Speaker 2>why I struggle to put all of it on emai

688
00:38:23.039 --> 00:38:26.719
<v Speaker 2>Udoka is because clearly I don't think it's a perfect roster.

689
00:38:27.079 --> 00:38:30.239
<v Speaker 2>I don't think it fits. I don't think Shangoon is

690
00:38:30.280 --> 00:38:32.760
<v Speaker 2>playing nearly as well as he did a year ago.

691
00:38:33.320 --> 00:38:36.599
<v Speaker 2>And so you combine all of that with the knowledge

692
00:38:36.639 --> 00:38:39.880
<v Speaker 2>that less than a year ago the rockets were extremely

693
00:38:39.960 --> 00:38:43.719
<v Speaker 2>high on ema Udoka. I just struggle to see them

694
00:38:43.800 --> 00:38:47.280
<v Speaker 2>saying that this year alone is enough to move them

695
00:38:47.360 --> 00:38:51.320
<v Speaker 2>for being all in on email to all out. I

696
00:38:51.360 --> 00:38:55.000
<v Speaker 2>could see this year, you know, moving them, you know,

697
00:38:55.079 --> 00:38:57.880
<v Speaker 2>a little in the opposite direction to where maybe a

698
00:38:57.960 --> 00:39:00.360
<v Speaker 2>year or two from now they're more ready to make

699
00:39:00.400 --> 00:39:04.440
<v Speaker 2>that move. I could certainly see this year being alarming

700
00:39:04.519 --> 00:39:06.880
<v Speaker 2>enough to where they say, hey, we need to change

701
00:39:06.880 --> 00:39:09.639
<v Speaker 2>the roster that we give to Emay. We need to

702
00:39:09.760 --> 00:39:12.559
<v Speaker 2>work on fit to give him a better chance to succeed,

703
00:39:13.000 --> 00:39:14.719
<v Speaker 2>and or maybe we need to give him a top

704
00:39:14.760 --> 00:39:17.960
<v Speaker 2>shelf offensive coordinator, the same way with Mike D'Antoni you

705
00:39:18.000 --> 00:39:19.960
<v Speaker 2>need to give him a top shelf defensive coordinator a

706
00:39:20.000 --> 00:39:23.599
<v Speaker 2>few years ago, and Jeff Bestella, I could see something

707
00:39:23.679 --> 00:39:27.400
<v Speaker 2>like that, but I just don't think that this situation

708
00:39:28.519 --> 00:39:33.199
<v Speaker 2>is so clearly top shelf. And I don't think you're

709
00:39:33.239 --> 00:39:36.559
<v Speaker 2>going to see them move from one extreme to the

710
00:39:36.599 --> 00:39:42.440
<v Speaker 2>other on email Udoka this quickly, especially when objectively there

711
00:39:42.639 --> 00:39:45.159
<v Speaker 2>is a lot of blame to go around. I can't

712
00:39:45.199 --> 00:39:47.800
<v Speaker 2>give you an exact number in terms of the percentage,

713
00:39:48.320 --> 00:39:52.679
<v Speaker 2>but no, I don't think this roster is optimized from

714
00:39:52.840 --> 00:39:56.039
<v Speaker 2>both a talent and a fit perspective. I don't think

715
00:39:56.159 --> 00:39:58.880
<v Speaker 2>the piece is no matter who the coach is, would

716
00:39:58.920 --> 00:40:01.639
<v Speaker 2>be easy to work the way, at least at a

717
00:40:01.719 --> 00:40:05.440
<v Speaker 2>championship level the Rockets are trying to with Kevin Durant,

718
00:40:05.880 --> 00:40:09.280
<v Speaker 2>like I do sympathize a little bit with you know,

719
00:40:09.360 --> 00:40:12.360
<v Speaker 2>Rafelstone and the not our year comments, like I'm understanding

720
00:40:12.440 --> 00:40:14.480
<v Speaker 2>of why they didn't go after a Kobe White type

721
00:40:14.480 --> 00:40:16.880
<v Speaker 2>of player at the trade deadline because I don't think

722
00:40:16.920 --> 00:40:19.599
<v Speaker 2>that you know the types of moves that are needed

723
00:40:19.599 --> 00:40:22.599
<v Speaker 2>to transform this situation. I don't think the guys who

724
00:40:22.679 --> 00:40:24.760
<v Speaker 2>were available would do a whole heck of a lot.

725
00:40:25.400 --> 00:40:27.440
<v Speaker 2>Maybe they help you steal a game from the Lakers,

726
00:40:27.440 --> 00:40:30.000
<v Speaker 2>but are they really needle movers in the grand scheme. No.

727
00:40:30.719 --> 00:40:33.360
<v Speaker 2>I think the bigger problem, and the front office does

728
00:40:33.400 --> 00:40:37.039
<v Speaker 2>have blame, is that, you know, the talent isn't overwhelming

729
00:40:37.440 --> 00:40:40.519
<v Speaker 2>and the fit isn't ideal, and so they have blame.

730
00:40:41.039 --> 00:40:44.599
<v Speaker 2>The players underachieving has blame. You know, I talked about

731
00:40:44.599 --> 00:40:48.639
<v Speaker 2>Shangoon regressing defensively. Look, Reed Shepherd, I know he's here too,

732
00:40:48.679 --> 00:40:50.960
<v Speaker 2>but Stepan Castle is here too, picked right after him,

733
00:40:50.960 --> 00:40:53.480
<v Speaker 2>and he's going out and having a fantastic season for

734
00:40:53.519 --> 00:40:56.360
<v Speaker 2>a sixty plus one Spurs juggernaut. I know they have Wemby,

735
00:40:56.440 --> 00:40:58.639
<v Speaker 2>but Castle's been damn good. He's been better than Reid.

736
00:40:58.679 --> 00:41:00.679
<v Speaker 2>Let's give him his fowers. At some point, you need

737
00:41:00.760 --> 00:41:02.679
<v Speaker 2>to go out and execute. And you know, people can

738
00:41:02.719 --> 00:41:05.519
<v Speaker 2>make the case in this series for playing Reach Shepherd more,

739
00:41:05.559 --> 00:41:09.400
<v Speaker 2>and maybe they should, but Reached Shepherd's shooting terribly well

740
00:41:09.599 --> 00:41:13.280
<v Speaker 2>thirty percent overall, and from three he's gotten good looks,

741
00:41:13.280 --> 00:41:15.039
<v Speaker 2>he's just not making them. So at some point the

742
00:41:15.039 --> 00:41:18.320
<v Speaker 2>players have to go execute. And that's why I just

743
00:41:19.039 --> 00:41:21.159
<v Speaker 2>I'm not saying you mean Udoka is blameless. It's been

744
00:41:21.199 --> 00:41:25.000
<v Speaker 2>an underwhelming year, but I think there's a there are

745
00:41:25.840 --> 00:41:29.719
<v Speaker 2>enough sources of blame to where I just struggle to

746
00:41:29.800 --> 00:41:34.199
<v Speaker 2>see rafel Stone and Patrick Fertitta going from as all

747
00:41:34.239 --> 00:41:38.679
<v Speaker 2>in as they were as recently as last summer to saying, yeah,

748
00:41:38.760 --> 00:41:41.599
<v Speaker 2>we want to do a total reboot and restart with

749
00:41:41.639 --> 00:41:44.920
<v Speaker 2>a new coach, new system, start from scratch. That's why

750
00:41:45.000 --> 00:41:48.800
<v Speaker 2>I tend to think that the players and the staff,

751
00:41:49.239 --> 00:41:51.519
<v Speaker 2>those are the areas you're more likely to see changed,

752
00:41:51.559 --> 00:41:54.559
<v Speaker 2>at least this offseason, and maybe with Udoka, maybe it

753
00:41:54.639 --> 00:41:57.440
<v Speaker 2>lays the groundwork for something a year from now. Like

754
00:41:57.840 --> 00:41:59.639
<v Speaker 2>you know, going into this season, there was no way

755
00:41:59.679 --> 00:42:01.960
<v Speaker 2>in hell that em was going to get fired based

756
00:42:01.960 --> 00:42:03.719
<v Speaker 2>on his track record going into the year, and I

757
00:42:03.760 --> 00:42:06.159
<v Speaker 2>still feel that way. But coming off this year, if

758
00:42:06.199 --> 00:42:08.960
<v Speaker 2>next year is underwhelming, yeah, maybe at least the groundwork

759
00:42:09.039 --> 00:42:12.159
<v Speaker 2>for that. But with this particular year, I just think

760
00:42:12.239 --> 00:42:15.199
<v Speaker 2>both in terms of players and for an office. There

761
00:42:15.199 --> 00:42:19.280
<v Speaker 2>are enough other reasons for the substandard play that I

762
00:42:19.360 --> 00:42:22.280
<v Speaker 2>don't think ahead coaching changes in the cards.

763
00:42:27.119 --> 00:42:30.280
<v Speaker 3>I do think Ioka deserves a fair bit of the

764
00:42:30.280 --> 00:42:36.679
<v Speaker 3>point given very limited tools. JJ Reddick has coach circles around.

765
00:42:37.280 --> 00:42:37.440
<v Speaker 2>Right.

766
00:42:37.679 --> 00:42:42.159
<v Speaker 3>As I said before, let's not like the others are underperforming, right,

767
00:42:42.199 --> 00:42:45.159
<v Speaker 3>and you can blame that I'm on the players. However,

768
00:42:45.840 --> 00:42:48.960
<v Speaker 3>you can blame on the coat that he's not getting

769
00:42:49.679 --> 00:42:52.800
<v Speaker 3>the performance out of underperforming players that are out of

770
00:42:52.800 --> 00:42:54.840
<v Speaker 3>the quality of flair that he has that JJ Reddick

771
00:42:54.960 --> 00:42:57.199
<v Speaker 3>is doing with a lot less. And I do think

772
00:42:57.199 --> 00:42:59.840
<v Speaker 3>that it's been clear as day that you know they

773
00:42:59.880 --> 00:43:04.239
<v Speaker 3>are the Lakers are generating points against what we think

774
00:43:04.280 --> 00:43:08.000
<v Speaker 3>it was an underperforming for the whole year defense, but

775
00:43:08.039 --> 00:43:10.440
<v Speaker 3>the stats say was the sixth best defense in the

776
00:43:10.519 --> 00:43:13.639
<v Speaker 3>league or whatever it may be. Without like with Lebron

777
00:43:13.719 --> 00:43:16.559
<v Speaker 3>and a bunch of you know, lol euro players, he's

778
00:43:16.639 --> 00:43:19.719
<v Speaker 3>manufacturing offense. And it's not just Lebron going Euro Mode

779
00:43:19.719 --> 00:43:24.039
<v Speaker 3>every possession and then on and on defense. He's managed

780
00:43:24.079 --> 00:43:26.519
<v Speaker 3>to create a system or to make it up enough

781
00:43:26.639 --> 00:43:29.800
<v Speaker 3>that Rockets just can't produce offense against even though he

782
00:43:29.920 --> 00:43:33.199
<v Speaker 3>doesn't have good defensive players to work with. So he's

783
00:43:33.199 --> 00:43:35.679
<v Speaker 3>been thoroughly out coached this year. I don't think that's

784
00:43:35.800 --> 00:43:40.639
<v Speaker 3>arguable in any stretch. I think what's arguable is that

785
00:43:40.679 --> 00:43:45.320
<v Speaker 3>he's he was given the pieces to build a better

786
00:43:45.559 --> 00:43:50.039
<v Speaker 3>team throughout the entire season. I think it's possible that

787
00:43:50.079 --> 00:43:52.760
<v Speaker 3>he did the best with what he had or not

788
00:43:52.840 --> 00:43:55.440
<v Speaker 3>the best, but he did good what he had and

789
00:43:55.559 --> 00:43:58.039
<v Speaker 3>at the same time, once the playoffs reached, he was

790
00:43:58.079 --> 00:44:02.199
<v Speaker 3>thoroughly outgot by a better coach, which is what he

791
00:44:02.320 --> 00:44:05.159
<v Speaker 3>Reddick has win this these playoffs or at least you know.

792
00:44:05.360 --> 00:44:08.079
<v Speaker 3>And there's a lot of facets to coaching, right there's

793
00:44:08.119 --> 00:44:11.719
<v Speaker 3>the management of the group leadership, where's x'es and o's.

794
00:44:11.920 --> 00:44:14.440
<v Speaker 3>J Redick is very clearly an x's and o's guy,

795
00:44:15.480 --> 00:44:18.079
<v Speaker 3>and so I think that's that as far as far

796
00:44:18.159 --> 00:44:23.320
<v Speaker 3>as coaching goes. Ideally, even when Udoka game in remember

797
00:44:23.400 --> 00:44:27.159
<v Speaker 3>way back when I think we already have this spot going,

798
00:44:27.239 --> 00:44:30.719
<v Speaker 3>we talked about the ideal thing would be Udoka and

799
00:44:31.639 --> 00:44:33.199
<v Speaker 3>Jim's Barrego at the time.

800
00:44:34.800 --> 00:44:39.119
<v Speaker 2>So yeah, and to close the loop on the email angle,

801
00:44:39.199 --> 00:44:42.039
<v Speaker 2>I just think a lot of those those xes and

802
00:44:42.079 --> 00:44:46.719
<v Speaker 2>knows concerns on offense, So for starters, the playoffs are

803
00:44:46.800 --> 00:44:49.400
<v Speaker 2>usually a situation where you're only as strong as your

804
00:44:49.440 --> 00:44:52.760
<v Speaker 2>weakest link. And during the regular season, the Rockets had

805
00:44:52.760 --> 00:44:56.480
<v Speaker 2>all those baffling losses, the late game collapses where things

806
00:44:56.559 --> 00:45:00.239
<v Speaker 2>just went horribly wrong at the worst possible time, And

807
00:45:00.280 --> 00:45:03.199
<v Speaker 2>I think what happened there During the regular season, it's

808
00:45:03.239 --> 00:45:05.960
<v Speaker 2>just not realistic for teams to go all out and

809
00:45:06.000 --> 00:45:09.400
<v Speaker 2>be super dialed in for forty eight minutes every single game,

810
00:45:09.719 --> 00:45:12.840
<v Speaker 2>eighty two times in a period of six or so months.

811
00:45:13.119 --> 00:45:16.039
<v Speaker 2>So they have to pick and choose their spots. But

812
00:45:16.079 --> 00:45:18.480
<v Speaker 2>then when it matters most, which in the regular season

813
00:45:18.960 --> 00:45:23.440
<v Speaker 2>is the fourth quarter, especially in spotlight type games, everybody

814
00:45:23.480 --> 00:45:26.679
<v Speaker 2>hones in. And then the fact that the Rockets deficiencies

815
00:45:26.719 --> 00:45:30.480
<v Speaker 2>are just so glaring and so weak compared to other teams.

816
00:45:30.559 --> 00:45:33.239
<v Speaker 2>And a lot of this is from a roster construction perspective,

817
00:45:33.400 --> 00:45:36.039
<v Speaker 2>when you look at the men in shoinggoons facing issues

818
00:45:36.039 --> 00:45:39.199
<v Speaker 2>and offense, the Shaoon and red pairing defensively, and then

819
00:45:39.679 --> 00:45:41.559
<v Speaker 2>if you try and help out the spacing issues by

820
00:45:41.559 --> 00:45:45.679
<v Speaker 2>playing red, then that leads to the defensive issues. There's

821
00:45:45.719 --> 00:45:49.360
<v Speaker 2>just always something for opposing teams to exploit. And then,

822
00:45:49.400 --> 00:45:52.360
<v Speaker 2>in contrast to the regular season where teams are picking

823
00:45:52.400 --> 00:45:55.000
<v Speaker 2>and choosing their spots, and it feels like suddenly the

824
00:45:55.079 --> 00:45:58.960
<v Speaker 2>Rockets offense grounds gets grounded to a halt when the

825
00:45:59.000 --> 00:46:02.039
<v Speaker 2>opposing team lots in and the playoffs, teams are more

826
00:46:02.039 --> 00:46:04.440
<v Speaker 2>willing and able to lock in for the full forty

827
00:46:04.440 --> 00:46:07.119
<v Speaker 2>eight minutes because the games are way more important, and

828
00:46:07.159 --> 00:46:09.920
<v Speaker 2>also in the first round there's more time between games,

829
00:46:09.960 --> 00:46:12.639
<v Speaker 2>and so I think that's why we're seeing the Rockets

830
00:46:12.679 --> 00:46:16.000
<v Speaker 2>offense consistently look bad against the Lakers, whereas during the

831
00:46:16.039 --> 00:46:20.480
<v Speaker 2>regular season it was just at sporadic moments when teams

832
00:46:20.480 --> 00:46:24.039
<v Speaker 2>would really dial it up defensively. And then we should

833
00:46:24.039 --> 00:46:27.119
<v Speaker 2>also point out the ATO data or after timeouts, which

834
00:46:27.119 --> 00:46:30.360
<v Speaker 2>we've referenced before on this spot. So the Rockets continue

835
00:46:30.400 --> 00:46:33.920
<v Speaker 2>to be really good at generating offense when they're organized,

836
00:46:34.000 --> 00:46:35.960
<v Speaker 2>I coming out of a timeout where they've got a

837
00:46:36.000 --> 00:46:38.360
<v Speaker 2>clear plan and structure for what they want to do.

838
00:46:38.840 --> 00:46:41.360
<v Speaker 2>I think we've seen elements of that this series, with

839
00:46:41.800 --> 00:46:44.800
<v Speaker 2>the Rockets starting off the first and third quarters relatively well.

840
00:46:45.440 --> 00:46:47.679
<v Speaker 2>By far, their best offense overall has come in the

841
00:46:47.719 --> 00:46:50.960
<v Speaker 2>first quarter, and then they've at least briefly taken leads

842
00:46:51.000 --> 00:46:53.760
<v Speaker 2>early in the third quarter. Of both Game one and

843
00:46:53.920 --> 00:46:56.119
<v Speaker 2>Game two when they're able to map out a plan

844
00:46:56.239 --> 00:46:58.559
<v Speaker 2>coming out of halftime, But then what seems to happen

845
00:46:58.559 --> 00:47:01.440
<v Speaker 2>after that the defense makes them adjustments. And then with

846
00:47:01.519 --> 00:47:03.639
<v Speaker 2>the Rockets not having a true point guard or a

847
00:47:03.679 --> 00:47:08.079
<v Speaker 2>floor general without fred Than Fleet, that's another super obvious weeklink.

848
00:47:08.639 --> 00:47:10.760
<v Speaker 2>It just doesn't seem like the Rockets are able to

849
00:47:11.239 --> 00:47:14.400
<v Speaker 2>adjust to the adjustments or adjust on the fly, whatever

850
00:47:14.440 --> 00:47:17.679
<v Speaker 2>you want to call it. But then, just looking more

851
00:47:17.719 --> 00:47:20.840
<v Speaker 2>broadly in terms of e May and the concerns over

852
00:47:21.199 --> 00:47:26.119
<v Speaker 2>how his teams execute on offense, we knew this going in,

853
00:47:26.760 --> 00:47:31.960
<v Speaker 2>Like every coach has strengths and weaknesses, and so we

854
00:47:32.039 --> 00:47:34.199
<v Speaker 2>knew when i May took the job based on his

855
00:47:34.280 --> 00:47:37.719
<v Speaker 2>track record in Boston, based on his conversations with the team,

856
00:47:37.760 --> 00:47:40.519
<v Speaker 2>There's areas that he's more proven in. There's areas where

857
00:47:40.880 --> 00:47:45.880
<v Speaker 2>he needs improvement. Even the last couple of years, offense

858
00:47:45.880 --> 00:47:47.840
<v Speaker 2>has been an issue that at least at times in

859
00:47:47.920 --> 00:47:50.599
<v Speaker 2>half court has been an issue for this team, even

860
00:47:50.599 --> 00:47:52.760
<v Speaker 2>when they had fred En Fleet, a so called point guard.

861
00:47:53.639 --> 00:47:56.920
<v Speaker 2>So I just think a lot of that was baked in.

862
00:47:57.000 --> 00:48:00.599
<v Speaker 2>That's not to absolve ima Udoka. That's just me sort

863
00:48:00.599 --> 00:48:04.079
<v Speaker 2>of explaining why. I think a lot of those those

864
00:48:04.199 --> 00:48:07.719
<v Speaker 2>warts were known when they redoubled their commitment to have

865
00:48:08.440 --> 00:48:12.760
<v Speaker 2>as recently as June of twenty five, and so I

866
00:48:12.760 --> 00:48:16.280
<v Speaker 2>think there are areas of concern, but I don't think

867
00:48:16.320 --> 00:48:19.920
<v Speaker 2>anything has changed so traumatically from this time a year

868
00:48:19.960 --> 00:48:22.599
<v Speaker 2>ago that you would fire the guy, at least not

869
00:48:22.679 --> 00:48:23.679
<v Speaker 2>right now. That's my point.

870
00:48:25.239 --> 00:48:27.719
<v Speaker 3>Yeah, I was mostly talking about from the dilusion of

871
00:48:27.760 --> 00:48:32.679
<v Speaker 3>the blame standpoint me to my next Yeah, sure, which

872
00:48:32.760 --> 00:48:37.480
<v Speaker 3>leads me to my next point to me, and then

873
00:48:37.559 --> 00:48:41.679
<v Speaker 3>I can you know, I can say this with all

874
00:48:41.719 --> 00:48:45.960
<v Speaker 3>of the letters, I don't think going forward and this

875
00:48:45.960 --> 00:48:48.480
<v Speaker 3>this is you know, this is not based on two games.

876
00:48:49.079 --> 00:48:51.639
<v Speaker 3>This is based on what we've seen offensively throughout the

877
00:48:51.719 --> 00:48:56.199
<v Speaker 3>last two seasons. I do not think it is possible

878
00:48:56.800 --> 00:49:01.679
<v Speaker 3>to build a contender in which you have a man

879
00:49:01.760 --> 00:49:04.519
<v Speaker 3>thoumbing an opera and chang Un with the with their

880
00:49:04.559 --> 00:49:08.079
<v Speaker 3>current with their current skill sets, to build an elites.

881
00:49:08.679 --> 00:49:12.079
<v Speaker 3>I don't think it's possible. It's regression from Opera and

882
00:49:12.159 --> 00:49:14.920
<v Speaker 3>chang Un. It's lack of progression from a man shooting wise.

883
00:49:15.440 --> 00:49:18.960
<v Speaker 3>I'm gonna focus this primarily on shang Un because Kadi

884
00:49:19.239 --> 00:49:24.360
<v Speaker 3>said this, and it seems like very bare bones and analysis,

885
00:49:25.079 --> 00:49:27.559
<v Speaker 3>but it got me thinking, and it is true. That

886
00:49:27.719 --> 00:49:30.480
<v Speaker 3>is not a single and I asked plenty. I asked

887
00:49:30.599 --> 00:49:33.400
<v Speaker 3>a few people if they could name me one that

888
00:49:33.519 --> 00:49:38.920
<v Speaker 3>is not a good, positive impact role player, let a

889
00:49:39.000 --> 00:49:42.960
<v Speaker 3>room star that is both a bad defender and a

890
00:49:43.039 --> 00:49:47.119
<v Speaker 3>battery puncture. There is none in the league. The last

891
00:49:47.119 --> 00:49:49.559
<v Speaker 3>one people could bring to me was actually a star

892
00:49:49.760 --> 00:49:53.119
<v Speaker 3>was Russell Westbrook and his impact was arguable the entire

893
00:49:53.199 --> 00:49:57.800
<v Speaker 3>zime because of how inefficient he was and how he

894
00:49:57.880 --> 00:50:01.719
<v Speaker 3>restricted the way you build built a team around him, right,

895
00:50:02.199 --> 00:50:07.559
<v Speaker 3>And so to me, this is just a massive indictment

896
00:50:07.599 --> 00:50:11.679
<v Speaker 3>on Hinghung and last season it seemed like Shingun had

897
00:50:11.719 --> 00:50:15.159
<v Speaker 3>taken a massive step forward defensively. Turns out that's not

898
00:50:15.159 --> 00:50:18.400
<v Speaker 3>all happened. Turns out part of it was efforts, yes,

899
00:50:19.119 --> 00:50:21.760
<v Speaker 3>but a big part of it was also that he

900
00:50:21.920 --> 00:50:25.440
<v Speaker 3>just had the perfect tools fit around him to build

901
00:50:25.679 --> 00:50:29.440
<v Speaker 3>the defense that they build. And along with that that

902
00:50:29.639 --> 00:50:33.559
<v Speaker 3>was a change in refereeing, the least calling morephiles not

903
00:50:33.599 --> 00:50:36.000
<v Speaker 3>they allowed more physicality last season, which I think helped

904
00:50:36.119 --> 00:50:41.239
<v Speaker 3>defense in general as well. And so knowing that and

905
00:50:41.320 --> 00:50:43.079
<v Speaker 3>knowing that you have to make a decision. To me,

906
00:50:43.159 --> 00:50:45.639
<v Speaker 3>you have to make a decision this offseason between the

907
00:50:45.760 --> 00:50:48.960
<v Speaker 3>man Thompson and apron Chingu and man Thompson has a

908
00:50:49.000 --> 00:50:52.880
<v Speaker 3>lot of problems, but he's also got more upside, is

909
00:50:52.880 --> 00:50:57.360
<v Speaker 3>more athletic, and is already elites at one thing. Defense

910
00:50:58.280 --> 00:51:00.719
<v Speaker 3>in this moment, at this moment in time, Shingun is

911
00:51:00.760 --> 00:51:03.599
<v Speaker 3>not a good defender at this moment in time. Chengun

912
00:51:03.719 --> 00:51:07.400
<v Speaker 3>is not a good spacing thread or spacing thread from

913
00:51:07.480 --> 00:51:10.360
<v Speaker 3>three point line at all at this moment in time,

914
00:51:10.559 --> 00:51:14.760
<v Speaker 3>Opernshingun is not an efficient scorer at anything on a

915
00:51:14.800 --> 00:51:18.559
<v Speaker 3>basketball court, especially in the playoffs, over the past two seasons.

916
00:51:18.880 --> 00:51:21.320
<v Speaker 3>And you can separate those two seasons individually, so you

917
00:51:21.360 --> 00:51:26.840
<v Speaker 3>don't say that the sample is polluted by the last season.

918
00:51:27.360 --> 00:51:31.840
<v Speaker 3>Chengun has been below average at his position as a scorer,

919
00:51:32.880 --> 00:51:35.639
<v Speaker 3>not just from three point shooting as a whole. He

920
00:51:35.679 --> 00:51:38.840
<v Speaker 3>has not been efficient inside the arc either. A lot

921
00:51:38.880 --> 00:51:40.800
<v Speaker 3>of the craft that we saw him have in his

922
00:51:40.880 --> 00:51:43.360
<v Speaker 3>early years, a lot of that magic he seems to

923
00:51:43.400 --> 00:51:46.760
<v Speaker 3>have cut down, streamlined his process to scoring and still

924
00:51:46.880 --> 00:51:50.000
<v Speaker 3>is not a number of average efficiency player. Because teams

925
00:51:50.000 --> 00:51:52.360
<v Speaker 3>are studied him because he's under the scarting orport whatever

926
00:51:52.360 --> 00:51:55.039
<v Speaker 3>it may be, because of the spacing as well, I'm sure,

927
00:51:55.679 --> 00:51:58.599
<v Speaker 3>but at this moment in time, opernaching Gun is not

928
00:51:58.599 --> 00:52:02.199
<v Speaker 3>a positive defender. He's not a positive outside shunting thread.

929
00:52:02.239 --> 00:52:05.440
<v Speaker 3>He's not a positive inside shooting thread either. He's very

930
00:52:05.480 --> 00:52:08.920
<v Speaker 3>average for his position. And I'll make the argument, and

931
00:52:08.960 --> 00:52:11.880
<v Speaker 3>I think the argument can be very easily made that

932
00:52:12.039 --> 00:52:16.000
<v Speaker 3>he is not an efficient playmaker. When you look at

933
00:52:16.000 --> 00:52:19.400
<v Speaker 3>the NBA as a whole, he has barely got I

934
00:52:19.400 --> 00:52:22.119
<v Speaker 3>don't even know if he still has a two to

935
00:52:22.199 --> 00:52:25.199
<v Speaker 3>one assists two turnover ration. In the playoffs, it's been

936
00:52:25.239 --> 00:52:27.920
<v Speaker 3>even worse. And this season we talked about it throughout

937
00:52:27.920 --> 00:52:31.880
<v Speaker 3>the entire season. Playmaking like turnovers have been a very

938
00:52:31.960 --> 00:52:35.039
<v Speaker 3>real issue with him as well. And so, right now,

939
00:52:35.599 --> 00:52:38.559
<v Speaker 3>you tell me what am I getting from albrin shan Gun.

940
00:52:40.079 --> 00:52:45.199
<v Speaker 3>Right now, the negatives vastly, vastly, vastly outplayed positives. And

941
00:52:45.320 --> 00:52:47.440
<v Speaker 3>he's twenty three, and he can grow, and he's from

942
00:52:47.519 --> 00:52:49.719
<v Speaker 3>fashions in the past, but it's now been two season

943
00:52:49.760 --> 00:52:52.159
<v Speaker 3>where two seasons where he's not been a good offensive

944
00:52:52.239 --> 00:52:54.719
<v Speaker 3>player and one season where he's not being a good

945
00:52:54.719 --> 00:52:59.280
<v Speaker 3>defensive player either, And so and beyond that, he's not

946
00:52:59.360 --> 00:53:03.920
<v Speaker 3>compatible with your next best or best depending on who

947
00:53:03.960 --> 00:53:07.519
<v Speaker 3>you ask young player, which is a mental and highest

948
00:53:07.599 --> 00:53:10.960
<v Speaker 3>up side by far. And so it's what you said,

949
00:53:11.719 --> 00:53:15.199
<v Speaker 3>it's what you talked about. There are no half measures anymore.

950
00:53:15.719 --> 00:53:19.440
<v Speaker 3>You don't have the luxury anymore. The Rockets have been conservative.

951
00:53:19.920 --> 00:53:25.000
<v Speaker 3>They have largely picked the expected picks in there when

952
00:53:25.000 --> 00:53:26.760
<v Speaker 3>they had to make picks in the draft. There was

953
00:53:26.840 --> 00:53:32.480
<v Speaker 3>never any huge surprise moments except for perhaps you know,

954
00:53:32.519 --> 00:53:35.960
<v Speaker 3>training it for opranching good, no bold moves, always the

955
00:53:36.000 --> 00:53:39.440
<v Speaker 3>expected guy. You can argue that they that they got

956
00:53:39.519 --> 00:53:42.440
<v Speaker 3>unlucky and they didn't really have that much of a

957
00:53:42.519 --> 00:53:46.679
<v Speaker 3>realistic chance to draft a corner a true cornerstone, tip

958
00:53:46.719 --> 00:53:51.920
<v Speaker 3>of the spear, you know, shot creator efficient tipe because

959
00:53:52.039 --> 00:53:55.960
<v Speaker 3>you know, for most people, taking Jalen Williams earlier would

960
00:53:56.000 --> 00:54:00.679
<v Speaker 3>have been a reach. Reaching for well ever more we

961
00:54:00.679 --> 00:54:02.320
<v Speaker 3>wouldn't have been. But it's also not that much of

962
00:54:02.320 --> 00:54:05.719
<v Speaker 3>a structrade. But Scottie Barnes for example, those would have

963
00:54:05.760 --> 00:54:09.519
<v Speaker 3>been reaches at the spots that Rockets had the draft picks.

964
00:54:09.679 --> 00:54:12.199
<v Speaker 3>It's a combination of what it's a combination of also

965
00:54:13.400 --> 00:54:16.480
<v Speaker 3>lack of that boldness that you talk about lack of

966
00:54:17.119 --> 00:54:20.800
<v Speaker 3>you know, their boldest move was likely the move where

967
00:54:20.599 --> 00:54:22.760
<v Speaker 3>they traded they said earlier in the Pot the move

968
00:54:22.800 --> 00:54:25.880
<v Speaker 3>where they're trade the Brooklyn picks for the Sun's picks,

969
00:54:26.159 --> 00:54:30.519
<v Speaker 3>and the way that in flux of draft capital by

970
00:54:30.559 --> 00:54:34.239
<v Speaker 3>a year or to perhaps reach more reached more upside

971
00:54:34.280 --> 00:54:38.760
<v Speaker 3>with it as well. But beyond that, they've been for

972
00:54:38.800 --> 00:54:40.840
<v Speaker 3>the most part, and we've heard this and we've talked

973
00:54:40.840 --> 00:54:42.960
<v Speaker 3>about this for a really long time, and we thought

974
00:54:42.960 --> 00:54:46.519
<v Speaker 3>it was the correct approach. They've been flexibility first, because

975
00:54:46.559 --> 00:54:48.960
<v Speaker 3>they have been waiting for someone to break out as

976
00:54:48.960 --> 00:54:52.559
<v Speaker 3>their true star before committing to a true Hey, this

977
00:54:52.599 --> 00:54:55.639
<v Speaker 3>is who we're building around. Let's get the perfect role

978
00:54:55.639 --> 00:54:58.760
<v Speaker 3>players to fit around these guys, or get the start

979
00:54:58.800 --> 00:55:02.039
<v Speaker 3>that fits with the KB is a one size fits

980
00:55:02.079 --> 00:55:05.519
<v Speaker 3>all start. He fits with anybody. Three and d row

981
00:55:05.559 --> 00:55:08.719
<v Speaker 3>players like Dylan Brooks, like Dornin Finney Smith, they fit

982
00:55:08.800 --> 00:55:13.400
<v Speaker 3>with everybody, even Frevanvliz, someone who will fit with any team.

983
00:55:13.719 --> 00:55:16.000
<v Speaker 3>They were they have been targeting brook Oop as with

984
00:55:16.079 --> 00:55:18.480
<v Speaker 3>someone who would largely fit with any tea in construct.

985
00:55:19.519 --> 00:55:22.400
<v Speaker 3>What doesn't fit together is their own players, the guys

986
00:55:22.440 --> 00:55:25.360
<v Speaker 3>that they're hoping hit that upside, and so to me

987
00:55:26.159 --> 00:55:29.679
<v Speaker 3>going into the off season, my belief right now is

988
00:55:29.719 --> 00:55:31.559
<v Speaker 3>that they should move on from Opera and Chang Gun.

989
00:55:32.159 --> 00:55:35.039
<v Speaker 3>It might not be selling high on him, but I

990
00:55:35.480 --> 00:55:38.880
<v Speaker 3>just I don't see. I don't see a path forward

991
00:55:39.079 --> 00:55:42.079
<v Speaker 3>with both Shang Gun and the men, and I think

992
00:55:42.119 --> 00:55:45.639
<v Speaker 3>the more time you spend trying to make that happen,

993
00:55:45.760 --> 00:55:54.199
<v Speaker 3>the more you're wasting both of their potentials. Because you

994
00:55:54.280 --> 00:55:56.519
<v Speaker 3>could if you truly believe a man's the guy, you

995
00:55:56.599 --> 00:55:59.079
<v Speaker 3>go ahead, you get you get five out spacing, or

996
00:55:59.079 --> 00:56:02.239
<v Speaker 3>you get pickn roll bit and through spacing around that,

997
00:56:03.000 --> 00:56:06.079
<v Speaker 3>and you try to make that work. If you want

998
00:56:06.119 --> 00:56:09.800
<v Speaker 3>to somehow believe opening Hoom's the ends, then perhaps and

999
00:56:10.079 --> 00:56:11.559
<v Speaker 3>he doesn't need that. I like a man fumps from

1000
00:56:11.599 --> 00:56:16.400
<v Speaker 3>to be viable defensively or possible defensively, then perhaps if

1001
00:56:16.400 --> 00:56:18.679
<v Speaker 3>you want to make that move, I wouldn't support it,

1002
00:56:18.960 --> 00:56:21.519
<v Speaker 3>but you go ahead and make that move, But yeah,

1003
00:56:21.679 --> 00:56:23.039
<v Speaker 3>I'll pas it off to you, because I don't want

1004
00:56:23.039 --> 00:56:25.159
<v Speaker 3>to go on for too long. To me right now,

1005
00:56:25.280 --> 00:56:28.480
<v Speaker 3>the move is to move on from all Open Singgoon,

1006
00:56:28.519 --> 00:56:31.760
<v Speaker 3>and I can elaborate on the ways you could do

1007
00:56:31.800 --> 00:56:33.360
<v Speaker 3>that and what you could look for and for it back,

1008
00:56:33.599 --> 00:56:35.639
<v Speaker 3>but before I want to give you attempt to talk

1009
00:56:35.679 --> 00:56:36.960
<v Speaker 3>about the players in zero.

1010
00:56:37.480 --> 00:56:40.440
<v Speaker 2>I tend to agree, and I want to wind down

1011
00:56:40.480 --> 00:56:42.960
<v Speaker 2>the pod because we're already over an hour and we

1012
00:56:43.039 --> 00:56:45.559
<v Speaker 2>can revisit this more when the season ends, and at

1013
00:56:45.559 --> 00:56:48.400
<v Speaker 2>the moment it looks like that'll bit sooner rather than later,

1014
00:56:48.519 --> 00:56:50.920
<v Speaker 2>so we can table some of this for a week

1015
00:56:51.000 --> 00:56:54.280
<v Speaker 2>or two from now. But in addition to the points

1016
00:56:54.400 --> 00:56:57.920
<v Speaker 2>you raised about the awkward ft and at a high level,

1017
00:56:57.960 --> 00:57:00.320
<v Speaker 2>I do think that a men in Shinoon, you know,

1018
00:57:00.360 --> 00:57:04.119
<v Speaker 2>it's something that especially since that the Spurs games in

1019
00:57:04.280 --> 00:57:07.760
<v Speaker 2>January and March, when we saw how one of your

1020
00:57:07.760 --> 00:57:11.880
<v Speaker 2>biggest rivals was able to exploit the limitations there, it's

1021
00:57:11.920 --> 00:57:14.519
<v Speaker 2>been something that I think is a nagging fear in

1022
00:57:14.519 --> 00:57:17.639
<v Speaker 2>the back of all of our minds. And combine that

1023
00:57:17.840 --> 00:57:20.199
<v Speaker 2>with what we're now seeing in the playoffs, and I

1024
00:57:20.199 --> 00:57:22.800
<v Speaker 2>think it's going to only become a greater talking point

1025
00:57:22.960 --> 00:57:25.760
<v Speaker 2>if the Rockets do in fact go out sad. So

1026
00:57:25.840 --> 00:57:28.599
<v Speaker 2>I don't really have too much else to say about

1027
00:57:28.719 --> 00:57:32.639
<v Speaker 2>the players. I would just also point out that if

1028
00:57:32.679 --> 00:57:35.519
<v Speaker 2>in fact this is the summer that the Rockets look

1029
00:57:35.599 --> 00:57:37.719
<v Speaker 2>to move on from all perin Shangoon and get a

1030
00:57:37.760 --> 00:57:41.440
<v Speaker 2>better fit next to Amn Thompson. You could also criticize

1031
00:57:41.480 --> 00:57:44.440
<v Speaker 2>the part office for being arguably a year or too late,

1032
00:57:44.920 --> 00:57:47.599
<v Speaker 2>because I do think that Shingoon would have had greater

1033
00:57:47.719 --> 00:57:50.559
<v Speaker 2>value in twenty twenty five than he will in twenty

1034
00:57:50.599 --> 00:57:53.360
<v Speaker 2>twenty six. He won't have bad value, like he's still

1035
00:57:53.400 --> 00:57:55.559
<v Speaker 2>a two time All Star, He's still a good player.

1036
00:57:55.639 --> 00:57:59.880
<v Speaker 2>Let's not get crazy, but the defensive limitations are real,

1037
00:58:00.360 --> 00:58:03.119
<v Speaker 2>and I think people around the league, in addition to

1038
00:58:03.199 --> 00:58:06.239
<v Speaker 2>seeing the regression from last year to this year, also

1039
00:58:06.360 --> 00:58:08.960
<v Speaker 2>know that the Rockets are a little more desperate, and

1040
00:58:09.000 --> 00:58:12.119
<v Speaker 2>so desperate teams don't always get the best value deals.

1041
00:58:12.320 --> 00:58:15.239
<v Speaker 2>Something needs to change here, and so you can argue

1042
00:58:15.280 --> 00:58:19.199
<v Speaker 2>that the Rockets, maybe if they were truly being clinical,

1043
00:58:19.599 --> 00:58:21.800
<v Speaker 2>should have so high on Shingoon a year ago when

1044
00:58:21.840 --> 00:58:25.760
<v Speaker 2>he looked much more passable defensively with Jalen Green, you

1045
00:58:25.840 --> 00:58:28.760
<v Speaker 2>could argue that he might have had more value coming

1046
00:58:28.800 --> 00:58:32.119
<v Speaker 2>off that incredible run at the end of the twenty

1047
00:58:32.119 --> 00:58:34.280
<v Speaker 2>three to twenty four season if you moved on from

1048
00:58:34.320 --> 00:58:37.000
<v Speaker 2>him in the twenty twenty four off season, as opposed

1049
00:58:37.000 --> 00:58:39.039
<v Speaker 2>to waiting until twenty twenty five. I know he was

1050
00:58:39.039 --> 00:58:41.519
<v Speaker 2>a part of the Kevin Durant trade, but number one

1051
00:58:41.639 --> 00:58:45.280
<v Speaker 2>KD was thirty seven. And secondly, Jalen was in there

1052
00:58:45.559 --> 00:58:48.320
<v Speaker 2>largely as a salary match piece. I don't think he

1053
00:58:48.400 --> 00:58:50.559
<v Speaker 2>was a key part of the trade, at least not

1054
00:58:50.719 --> 00:58:54.119
<v Speaker 2>super high level from an asset perspective. So you can

1055
00:58:54.280 --> 00:58:58.320
<v Speaker 2>argue that the Rockets, in addition to the fit questions

1056
00:58:58.360 --> 00:59:01.679
<v Speaker 2>being there for a while, have also been a little

1057
00:59:01.800 --> 00:59:04.840
<v Speaker 2>slow to act. You know, fans have noted a lot

1058
00:59:04.880 --> 00:59:07.679
<v Speaker 2>of these concerns. I've heard a lot of them behind

1059
00:59:07.679 --> 00:59:11.360
<v Speaker 2>the scenes as well, Like they're not blind. They see

1060
00:59:11.400 --> 00:59:13.960
<v Speaker 2>many of the same issues that we're talking about on

1061
00:59:14.000 --> 00:59:16.920
<v Speaker 2>this show and other friends of ours are talking about

1062
00:59:17.119 --> 00:59:20.679
<v Speaker 2>on their Rockets podcast. It's just when is the time

1063
00:59:20.800 --> 00:59:23.880
<v Speaker 2>to actually make the move and to take action. You

1064
00:59:23.920 --> 00:59:26.559
<v Speaker 2>can argue that in some cases, and perhaps all for

1065
00:59:26.639 --> 00:59:29.519
<v Speaker 2>in Shangoon, they've been a little bit late, and that

1066
00:59:29.559 --> 00:59:34.760
<v Speaker 2>affects the value you bring in and thus the product

1067
00:59:34.800 --> 00:59:38.119
<v Speaker 2>available for Emaudoka to work with and to try and mold.

1068
00:59:38.760 --> 00:59:42.440
<v Speaker 2>That's not to absolve the Emyudoka he as you pointed out,

1069
00:59:42.480 --> 00:59:46.880
<v Speaker 2>Paolo has has plenty of blame. It's just I think

1070
00:59:46.880 --> 00:59:50.039
<v Speaker 2>it's important context to remind folks that this is far

1071
00:59:50.079 --> 00:59:52.679
<v Speaker 2>from a perfect situation. It would be a lot easier

1072
00:59:52.719 --> 00:59:54.920
<v Speaker 2>if it was, you know, a one size fits all

1073
00:59:55.039 --> 00:59:57.440
<v Speaker 2>and the Rockets could just change the head coach and

1074
00:59:57.480 --> 00:59:59.559
<v Speaker 2>all of a sudden, everything is fixed and they're right

1075
00:59:59.599 --> 01:00:01.119
<v Speaker 2>back at the level they were a year ago with

1076
01:00:01.159 --> 01:00:03.599
<v Speaker 2>they were number two seed in the West, and we

1077
01:00:03.679 --> 01:00:06.519
<v Speaker 2>thought they were at least comparable to the San Antonio

1078
01:00:06.559 --> 01:00:09.119
<v Speaker 2>Spurs at least in the short term, and now they're

1079
01:00:09.480 --> 01:00:13.400
<v Speaker 2>a tier behind at least. So that's why I bring

1080
01:00:13.480 --> 01:00:17.119
<v Speaker 2>up the backstory. It's not to Pylon and it's not

1081
01:00:17.280 --> 01:00:20.360
<v Speaker 2>to you know, scapegoat or Felsoe in the front office,

1082
01:00:20.440 --> 01:00:22.760
<v Speaker 2>because I think by and large he's still done a

1083
01:00:22.880 --> 01:00:25.840
<v Speaker 2>very good job. I think they're wonderful with contracts. I'm

1084
01:00:25.840 --> 01:00:28.480
<v Speaker 2>not expecting anything on that front, and I don't think

1085
01:00:28.480 --> 01:00:31.159
<v Speaker 2>they should do anything on that front. I just bring

1086
01:00:31.239 --> 01:00:34.519
<v Speaker 2>up all of that to, you know, explain how we

1087
01:00:34.559 --> 01:00:38.159
<v Speaker 2>got here and also why the problems run a lot

1088
01:00:38.320 --> 01:00:41.800
<v Speaker 2>deeper than just ima Udoka, and some of it is

1089
01:00:42.039 --> 01:00:44.159
<v Speaker 2>simply the players need to go out and win their

1090
01:00:44.199 --> 01:00:47.480
<v Speaker 2>matchups and execute better. It's a complicated problem. It would

1091
01:00:47.480 --> 01:00:50.440
<v Speaker 2>be easy if there was a one size fits all

1092
01:00:50.519 --> 01:00:54.360
<v Speaker 2>solution that could you know, overnight gets you back to

1093
01:00:54.400 --> 01:00:57.599
<v Speaker 2>the level that that you thought you were entering this season.

1094
01:00:57.960 --> 01:01:00.559
<v Speaker 2>I just don't think that's going to be there, at

1095
01:01:00.639 --> 01:01:03.239
<v Speaker 2>least from a coaching perspective. I don't think that's realistic.

1096
01:01:03.280 --> 01:01:05.599
<v Speaker 2>And so that's not meant to give em a pass.

1097
01:01:05.719 --> 01:01:08.239
<v Speaker 2>It's not meant to pile on with Rafel in the

1098
01:01:08.239 --> 01:01:11.119
<v Speaker 2>front office. It's just a reminder of the context and

1099
01:01:11.159 --> 01:01:15.079
<v Speaker 2>why my bet is between the you know, the coaching

1100
01:01:15.079 --> 01:01:18.320
<v Speaker 2>staff beneath emay maybe investing a little bit more, switching

1101
01:01:18.360 --> 01:01:21.599
<v Speaker 2>some things out, and certainly the roster, Like you know

1102
01:01:21.679 --> 01:01:24.360
<v Speaker 2>I mentioned in the span of a year, it's unlikely

1103
01:01:24.440 --> 01:01:26.599
<v Speaker 2>for them to go from one extreme to the other

1104
01:01:27.000 --> 01:01:29.679
<v Speaker 2>on ima Udoka in terms of their belief in him

1105
01:01:29.719 --> 01:01:32.400
<v Speaker 2>long term, because with a coach, you're ideally picking a

1106
01:01:32.400 --> 01:01:34.400
<v Speaker 2>guy that you want to run your team for five, ten,

1107
01:01:34.519 --> 01:01:38.000
<v Speaker 2>fifteen years, like you want that guy to be in

1108
01:01:38.039 --> 01:01:41.679
<v Speaker 2>alignment with your front office ownership. He is the steward.

1109
01:01:41.840 --> 01:01:43.599
<v Speaker 2>He is the guy that you trust on a daily

1110
01:01:43.639 --> 01:01:46.760
<v Speaker 2>basis to run your program. And so in a perfect world,

1111
01:01:46.840 --> 01:01:49.119
<v Speaker 2>you're not gonna or anything close to a perfect world,

1112
01:01:49.119 --> 01:01:51.559
<v Speaker 2>you're not gonna do a one point eighty in a

1113
01:01:51.599 --> 01:01:53.800
<v Speaker 2>span of a few months. Any change in terms of

1114
01:01:53.960 --> 01:01:55.960
<v Speaker 2>is he the guy or not there is likely to

1115
01:01:56.079 --> 01:02:00.599
<v Speaker 2>be more gradual with the players. That's where, yeah, you

1116
01:02:00.679 --> 01:02:03.960
<v Speaker 2>can have one season sort of change, especially because some

1117
01:02:04.000 --> 01:02:06.079
<v Speaker 2>of these guys, you know, Shingoon's a home run of

1118
01:02:06.119 --> 01:02:09.679
<v Speaker 2>a pick at sixteen. Overall, no matter what happens, that's

1119
01:02:09.679 --> 01:02:12.679
<v Speaker 2>still a win for fell Stone. But the fit was

1120
01:02:12.719 --> 01:02:16.239
<v Speaker 2>always a little flawed. Like he's still the right pick

1121
01:02:16.239 --> 01:02:19.800
<v Speaker 2>because he's BPA, But sometimes like you just take BPA

1122
01:02:20.000 --> 01:02:23.239
<v Speaker 2>and you worry about the rest later. Like views of

1123
01:02:23.360 --> 01:02:26.599
<v Speaker 2>individual players can can be shaped by what happens in

1124
01:02:26.639 --> 01:02:29.920
<v Speaker 2>a given season, they can be shaped by the surrounding roster.

1125
01:02:30.440 --> 01:02:33.880
<v Speaker 2>And so yeah, like it's reasonable in a year to

1126
01:02:34.000 --> 01:02:36.880
<v Speaker 2>go from you know, maybe being in on Shinggoon to

1127
01:02:36.960 --> 01:02:40.000
<v Speaker 2>being out, or a year ago being in on Jalen

1128
01:02:40.079 --> 01:02:43.039
<v Speaker 2>to being out. That stuff can evolve With a head coach,

1129
01:02:43.280 --> 01:02:47.199
<v Speaker 2>it's typically more gradual. Now there can be you know,

1130
01:02:47.280 --> 01:02:50.039
<v Speaker 2>a tipping point where you go from being on the

1131
01:02:50.039 --> 01:02:52.239
<v Speaker 2>fence and saying, Okay, it's not going to work out

1132
01:02:52.280 --> 01:02:54.320
<v Speaker 2>with this guy, but I just don't think the rockets

1133
01:02:54.320 --> 01:02:56.880
<v Speaker 2>with e may because of all this context will have

1134
01:02:56.960 --> 01:03:02.039
<v Speaker 2>gone from all in believing that he's the guy wanting

1135
01:03:02.159 --> 01:03:05.199
<v Speaker 2>to and not just wanting to doubling down on their

1136
01:03:05.239 --> 01:03:08.039
<v Speaker 2>investment last offseason, to all of a sudden going to

1137
01:03:08.079 --> 01:03:10.840
<v Speaker 2>the complete opposite extreme when all these other things are

1138
01:03:10.880 --> 01:03:13.000
<v Speaker 2>wrong as well. I just think there's a lot more

1139
01:03:13.519 --> 01:03:15.199
<v Speaker 2>It's a lot more complex of a problem, which is

1140
01:03:15.280 --> 01:03:17.280
<v Speaker 2>unfortunate because more complex problem, it's a little bit more

1141
01:03:17.280 --> 01:03:19.960
<v Speaker 2>difficult to fix. But I just think that's where we're at,

1142
01:03:20.079 --> 01:03:22.599
<v Speaker 2>and that's all I really have to say. There's there's

1143
01:03:22.599 --> 01:03:24.599
<v Speaker 2>more we can talk about from a roster perspective, but

1144
01:03:24.760 --> 01:03:29.039
<v Speaker 2>I'll table that until the series and the season is over. Pallo,

1145
01:03:29.119 --> 01:03:31.360
<v Speaker 2>before we shut off. Is there anything else you wanted

1146
01:03:31.400 --> 01:03:32.079
<v Speaker 2>to say for today?

1147
01:03:32.639 --> 01:03:36.320
<v Speaker 3>Yeah, as you said, I'll table you know, specific moves

1148
01:03:36.320 --> 01:03:40.039
<v Speaker 3>of specific avenues to move forward, and I'll just same

1149
01:03:40.199 --> 01:03:43.760
<v Speaker 3>something more high level, at least in perhaps a little

1150
01:03:43.760 --> 01:03:47.760
<v Speaker 3>bit more emotional, like I think me, you, and a

1151
01:03:47.760 --> 01:03:51.840
<v Speaker 3>lot of Rockets fans are trying or are tired of

1152
01:03:52.000 --> 01:03:57.119
<v Speaker 3>pretending like what's obvious fundamental to any basketball fan effort

1153
01:03:57.920 --> 01:04:01.199
<v Speaker 3>is actually going to change in cope with it, right,

1154
01:04:01.599 --> 01:04:05.480
<v Speaker 3>We've been hoping and praying that Alperning is going to

1155
01:04:05.519 --> 01:04:08.079
<v Speaker 3>be a good defender. For a really long time, we've

1156
01:04:08.079 --> 01:04:11.639
<v Speaker 3>been hoping and praying that someone on this team would

1157
01:04:11.679 --> 01:04:15.960
<v Speaker 3>be a one A superstar level talent. Right. We have

1158
01:04:16.119 --> 01:04:19.840
<v Speaker 3>been hoping that Kaylan Green would turn out start being consistent.

1159
01:04:21.119 --> 01:04:23.760
<v Speaker 3>We have been hoping for a man specific, that he'd

1160
01:04:23.760 --> 01:04:25.639
<v Speaker 3>be a better shooter. He's I mean, I don't. I

1161
01:04:25.639 --> 01:04:27.679
<v Speaker 3>don't even feel it's fair to include them and in

1162
01:04:27.719 --> 01:04:30.800
<v Speaker 3>this because he's been he's made great progress from season

1163
01:04:30.840 --> 01:04:34.719
<v Speaker 3>to season, so I'll exclude him. But we have been

1164
01:04:34.800 --> 01:04:39.800
<v Speaker 3>hoping that things would work out in the best way.

1165
01:04:40.039 --> 01:04:42.360
<v Speaker 3>And then we have been hoping that two non shooters

1166
01:04:42.360 --> 01:04:44.800
<v Speaker 3>at the center and the point guard position would work together.

1167
01:04:45.280 --> 01:04:47.679
<v Speaker 3>We have been hoping all we have been hoping that

1168
01:04:47.719 --> 01:04:50.480
<v Speaker 3>the offense would get better. We have been hoping even

1169
01:04:50.760 --> 01:04:53.039
<v Speaker 3>this year, even defensively, that the defense would get better.

1170
01:04:53.280 --> 01:04:56.239
<v Speaker 3>When our eyes have been in our basketball principles have

1171
01:04:56.320 --> 01:05:00.000
<v Speaker 3>been telling us all along that these things typically don't.

1172
01:05:00.480 --> 01:05:03.199
<v Speaker 3>We try to make all of the mental gymnastics around

1173
01:05:03.280 --> 01:05:06.360
<v Speaker 3>him that perhaps Open can be a defender like all

1174
01:05:06.400 --> 01:05:09.679
<v Speaker 3>Horford and not have to have that athleticism and just

1175
01:05:09.760 --> 01:05:12.159
<v Speaker 3>be really smart about where he is and have quick

1176
01:05:12.159 --> 01:05:15.719
<v Speaker 3>hands and you know, impact the game in that defensively

1177
01:05:15.760 --> 01:05:19.239
<v Speaker 3>in that way. That's not real. We have been hoping

1178
01:05:19.320 --> 01:05:23.480
<v Speaker 3>that Alpernchingen and man Thompson could space the floor in

1179
01:05:23.719 --> 01:05:27.760
<v Speaker 3>with vertical spacing and then and then passing gravity and

1180
01:05:27.920 --> 01:05:32.920
<v Speaker 3>you know, opening cutting wings because then is a good passer. Listen,

1181
01:05:33.320 --> 01:05:38.280
<v Speaker 3>let's stop coping the way you space in the NBA. Fundamentally,

1182
01:05:38.519 --> 01:05:42.199
<v Speaker 3>the hardest thing to exploit is with three point shooting.

1183
01:05:42.400 --> 01:05:45.679
<v Speaker 3>You don't you have to your two main guys can't shoot.

1184
01:05:46.000 --> 01:05:48.960
<v Speaker 3>That's an issue. One of your main guys, the center

1185
01:05:49.400 --> 01:05:52.719
<v Speaker 3>that you know, call me old fashioned. The center has

1186
01:05:52.800 --> 01:05:56.280
<v Speaker 3>to be a good defender, or at least a smart defender,

1187
01:05:56.400 --> 01:05:59.320
<v Speaker 3>or at least a passable defender. If he is a

1188
01:05:59.599 --> 01:06:02.320
<v Speaker 3>top an all time guy like Jokics for example, that's

1189
01:06:02.360 --> 01:06:06.000
<v Speaker 3>an etcetera. Shangun is not Yoki. Shangun's not going to

1190
01:06:06.119 --> 01:06:09.880
<v Speaker 3>be Yokic. Let's stop coping. Let's stop pretending like Shangun

1191
01:06:09.960 --> 01:06:12.559
<v Speaker 3>can be Yokic and a man can be Aaron Gordon,

1192
01:06:12.719 --> 01:06:15.079
<v Speaker 3>and that's how those two fit. Like it was the

1193
01:06:15.119 --> 01:06:20.280
<v Speaker 3>projection back then. That's just not the case. Shan Gun

1194
01:06:20.480 --> 01:06:22.480
<v Speaker 3>is not as good as Yokic, and so he can't

1195
01:06:22.519 --> 01:06:25.280
<v Speaker 3>get away with a lot of the stuff Yokiic can

1196
01:06:25.280 --> 01:06:27.679
<v Speaker 3>get away with on the defensive end, and Yokiic can

1197
01:06:27.719 --> 01:06:31.280
<v Speaker 3>shoot a man. Thompson right now is not as good

1198
01:06:31.320 --> 01:06:35.639
<v Speaker 3>as a shooters as Aaron Gordon. So even though he

1199
01:06:35.679 --> 01:06:38.079
<v Speaker 3>has a lot of the Thame characteristics, you can't put

1200
01:06:38.079 --> 01:06:40.960
<v Speaker 3>that together and pretend that that's how it's going to work.

1201
01:06:41.880 --> 01:06:47.880
<v Speaker 3>I'm just tired of being fooled by lightning in a

1202
01:06:47.920 --> 01:06:54.599
<v Speaker 3>borrel moments. I'm tired hoping that stuff that historically seems

1203
01:06:54.639 --> 01:06:57.679
<v Speaker 3>unlikely is going to be is going to happen for

1204
01:06:57.840 --> 01:07:01.440
<v Speaker 3>us in specific. I'm tired of pretending like this is

1205
01:07:01.480 --> 01:07:04.159
<v Speaker 3>a new wage NBA where you can get away with

1206
01:07:04.320 --> 01:07:06.920
<v Speaker 3>different types of archetypes and you can get away with

1207
01:07:06.920 --> 01:07:10.519
<v Speaker 3>different types of team construction. I'm tired of all of that.

1208
01:07:10.920 --> 01:07:13.599
<v Speaker 3>I want to get back to my basketball principles. I

1209
01:07:13.800 --> 01:07:17.719
<v Speaker 3>learned basketball through their own Maurice era. What you get,

1210
01:07:17.840 --> 01:07:22.039
<v Speaker 3>you get a guy that can generate advantages consistently, and

1211
01:07:22.079 --> 01:07:24.599
<v Speaker 3>you get shooting and defense around them. If you want

1212
01:07:24.599 --> 01:07:26.480
<v Speaker 3>to be heliocentric, if you have a guy that good.

1213
01:07:26.519 --> 01:07:28.039
<v Speaker 3>If you don't have a guy that good, you get

1214
01:07:28.079 --> 01:07:30.559
<v Speaker 3>two guys that can fit together, get into actions together

1215
01:07:30.840 --> 01:07:34.199
<v Speaker 3>and play that at the same time ideally, and you

1216
01:07:34.280 --> 01:07:38.039
<v Speaker 3>surround those guys with shooting and defense. You can't have

1217
01:07:38.400 --> 01:07:41.440
<v Speaker 3>more than one non shooter on a team. That's insanely

1218
01:07:41.559 --> 01:07:44.639
<v Speaker 3>hard to pull off. All of the good teams don't

1219
01:07:44.639 --> 01:07:49.079
<v Speaker 3>have that. Let's stop trying to take these one off

1220
01:07:49.320 --> 01:07:54.480
<v Speaker 3>exceptional things that happened because these teams have exceptional players

1221
01:07:55.199 --> 01:07:58.679
<v Speaker 3>and hope that that one in a thousand Champs is

1222
01:07:58.719 --> 01:08:01.719
<v Speaker 3>going to be what happens for us, because I feel

1223
01:08:01.719 --> 01:08:03.559
<v Speaker 3>like that that's what we've been doing the entire time.

1224
01:08:03.599 --> 01:08:05.840
<v Speaker 3>We've been the entire the entire rebel that has been

1225
01:08:06.920 --> 01:08:10.599
<v Speaker 3>seeing a flash and hoping that that turns out to

1226
01:08:10.599 --> 01:08:15.679
<v Speaker 3>be the reality. And I'm tired of pretending like that's

1227
01:08:15.679 --> 01:08:17.880
<v Speaker 3>what's going to happen for us. We have to be

1228
01:08:18.199 --> 01:08:22.000
<v Speaker 3>pragmatic at some point. Cheng Gun is not Yogur, a

1229
01:08:22.039 --> 01:08:24.199
<v Speaker 3>man function for the foreseeable future. Is not going to

1230
01:08:24.199 --> 01:08:27.119
<v Speaker 3>be a passable shooter, and even when he does, he'll

1231
01:08:27.239 --> 01:08:30.119
<v Speaker 3>likely start with catch and shoot before he can be

1232
01:08:30.199 --> 01:08:33.520
<v Speaker 3>a point guard and pull up. That might be even longer.

1233
01:08:34.000 --> 01:08:37.399
<v Speaker 3>So let's not rest or put all of the hopes

1234
01:08:37.760 --> 01:08:41.399
<v Speaker 3>of this team being functional offensively on guys developing things

1235
01:08:41.640 --> 01:08:46.119
<v Speaker 3>that would be absolute outliers for them to develop. That's

1236
01:08:46.239 --> 01:08:50.479
<v Speaker 3>my main takeaway from this life. Let's stop selling ourselves

1237
01:08:50.920 --> 01:08:53.680
<v Speaker 3>on on things to happen to have a very slim

1238
01:08:53.760 --> 01:08:57.000
<v Speaker 3>chance of happening, or that only happen to all time grades,

1239
01:08:57.279 --> 01:09:00.760
<v Speaker 3>because not every prospect you draft is going to be

1240
01:09:01.239 --> 01:09:03.920
<v Speaker 3>the all time grid projection that they've got on them

1241
01:09:04.239 --> 01:09:06.560
<v Speaker 3>from very early on. So I think it's time to

1242
01:09:06.600 --> 01:09:08.880
<v Speaker 3>be pragmatic, and we'll talk about what that might mean

1243
01:09:09.359 --> 01:09:12.479
<v Speaker 3>in actual moves in the next spot. But in the meantime,

1244
01:09:12.680 --> 01:09:14.840
<v Speaker 3>I think it's just important that the fan base has

1245
01:09:14.880 --> 01:09:19.479
<v Speaker 3>this reality shock or reality shock sorry, and that bubble

1246
01:09:19.560 --> 01:09:24.000
<v Speaker 3>is burst that Shengun's not going to be Yokic. That

1247
01:09:24.039 --> 01:09:26.720
<v Speaker 3>went mostly in specific. If Jalen Green was still here,

1248
01:09:27.039 --> 01:09:30.520
<v Speaker 3>I would have said the same thing about him. He's

1249
01:09:30.520 --> 01:09:34.520
<v Speaker 3>not going to be MJ or Kobe or even Anthony

1250
01:09:34.640 --> 01:09:38.640
<v Speaker 3>Edwards most likely. So it was good to hope that

1251
01:09:38.640 --> 01:09:41.840
<v Speaker 3>that would happen and have those really high heighths when

1252
01:09:41.880 --> 01:09:44.920
<v Speaker 3>it looked like it might. It's just not. So let's

1253
01:09:44.920 --> 01:09:47.119
<v Speaker 3>be pragmatic and build a team that works and doesn't

1254
01:09:47.119 --> 01:09:50.640
<v Speaker 3>rely on one in a thousand chances to obey to

1255
01:09:50.760 --> 01:09:55.079
<v Speaker 3>the very basic principles of modern basketball, like spacing, like

1256
01:09:55.239 --> 01:09:59.960
<v Speaker 3>switching and defense. Let's stop living in this pretend world.

1257
01:10:01.359 --> 01:10:04.760
<v Speaker 2>Largely agree, and I'll just point out in closing there

1258
01:10:04.760 --> 01:10:07.560
<v Speaker 2>are multiple paths the Rockets can go down like people

1259
01:10:07.600 --> 01:10:10.319
<v Speaker 2>will link them to Yiachtis, and I understand why. I

1260
01:10:10.319 --> 01:10:13.359
<v Speaker 2>think the point of dispute would be the picks premium.

1261
01:10:13.439 --> 01:10:16.439
<v Speaker 2>In addition to all parent sho goon to go that route.

1262
01:10:16.439 --> 01:10:19.000
<v Speaker 2>But you also have the ability to, at least in

1263
01:10:19.039 --> 01:10:21.399
<v Speaker 2>the short term, to take a step back if you

1264
01:10:21.439 --> 01:10:23.439
<v Speaker 2>feel that you need to. The bar is super high

1265
01:10:23.520 --> 01:10:25.920
<v Speaker 2>right now. The Rockets clearly aren't at that top tier.

1266
01:10:26.600 --> 01:10:28.520
<v Speaker 2>Even though they have Kevin Durant. It was not an

1267
01:10:28.600 --> 01:10:31.800
<v Speaker 2>all in move. As we explain numerous times. They don't

1268
01:10:31.880 --> 01:10:35.319
<v Speaker 2>view him as that foundational in the grand scheme. They

1269
01:10:35.319 --> 01:10:37.680
<v Speaker 2>don't think he's been well, I guess the last couple

1270
01:10:37.720 --> 01:10:40.000
<v Speaker 2>of games he's been foundational. But they see him as

1271
01:10:40.039 --> 01:10:42.279
<v Speaker 2>a very good but even this season, still a flawed

1272
01:10:42.279 --> 01:10:45.399
<v Speaker 2>player when you look at especially the propensity for turnovers.

1273
01:10:45.920 --> 01:10:48.359
<v Speaker 2>They could take a step back. Then they have all

1274
01:10:48.399 --> 01:10:51.119
<v Speaker 2>these picks coming in twenty twenty seven, twenty twenty eight,

1275
01:10:51.199 --> 01:10:56.560
<v Speaker 2>twenty twenty nine, the two ones from Phoenix, the Brooklyn swap.

1276
01:10:56.600 --> 01:11:00.399
<v Speaker 2>Next year, we'll see what the revised lottery odds mean

1277
01:11:00.479 --> 01:11:02.960
<v Speaker 2>for the outlook on those. You could acquire more picks

1278
01:11:02.960 --> 01:11:07.039
<v Speaker 2>and that window and do something of a gap year

1279
01:11:07.279 --> 01:11:09.600
<v Speaker 2>if you feel you need it. You could also try

1280
01:11:09.600 --> 01:11:12.119
<v Speaker 2>to thread the needle. You could, I don't know, look

1281
01:11:12.159 --> 01:11:15.079
<v Speaker 2>for someone like an Anthony Davis who isn't a fit

1282
01:11:15.279 --> 01:11:18.079
<v Speaker 2>in Washington, and maybe it's a short term upgrade if

1283
01:11:18.079 --> 01:11:21.199
<v Speaker 2>he's healthy, but because of the age and the contract,

1284
01:11:21.239 --> 01:11:24.479
<v Speaker 2>you also get a couple of draft picks that allow

1285
01:11:24.560 --> 01:11:26.920
<v Speaker 2>you to feel better about that longer term window as well.

1286
01:11:27.600 --> 01:11:30.479
<v Speaker 2>So you're trying to both bolster the short term with

1287
01:11:30.520 --> 01:11:34.359
<v Speaker 2>whatever's left of the Kevin Durant era, while also giving

1288
01:11:34.359 --> 01:11:37.000
<v Speaker 2>you a better chance down the road. That goes back

1289
01:11:37.039 --> 01:11:40.319
<v Speaker 2>to trading, not necessarily for a short term upgrade the

1290
01:11:40.479 --> 01:11:45.039
<v Speaker 2>superstar acquisition of a Giannis, but maybe for a better

1291
01:11:45.239 --> 01:11:48.560
<v Speaker 2>roster fit or picks that you can utilize down the line,

1292
01:11:48.640 --> 01:11:51.600
<v Speaker 2>either for trades or to bring in players that are

1293
01:11:51.640 --> 01:11:55.079
<v Speaker 2>in better fit with the other surrounding pieces. So I'm

1294
01:11:55.119 --> 01:11:56.720
<v Speaker 2>in agreement with you, and we don't need to go

1295
01:11:56.800 --> 01:11:59.560
<v Speaker 2>too far down the road of hypotheticals today. That's just

1296
01:11:59.640 --> 01:12:02.479
<v Speaker 2>my own usings. But I think there are more options

1297
01:12:02.520 --> 01:12:04.960
<v Speaker 2>available to the Rockets than people around the league will think.

1298
01:12:05.039 --> 01:12:07.079
<v Speaker 2>I don't think it's going to be as simple as oh,

1299
01:12:07.079 --> 01:12:09.199
<v Speaker 2>they're all in for you, honest and that's the only path,

1300
01:12:09.279 --> 01:12:11.279
<v Speaker 2>because they're pot committed with a thirty seven year old

1301
01:12:11.279 --> 01:12:13.039
<v Speaker 2>come into rent. I don't think you can rule it out,

1302
01:12:13.079 --> 01:12:14.840
<v Speaker 2>but I also don't think it's something that they feel

1303
01:12:14.880 --> 01:12:17.960
<v Speaker 2>they have to do by any means. All Right, with that,

1304
01:12:18.000 --> 01:12:21.159
<v Speaker 2>we're done for today. For Polo, I'm Ben. If you

1305
01:12:21.199 --> 01:12:23.119
<v Speaker 2>want to hear from us before our next episode, the

1306
01:12:23.119 --> 01:12:25.239
<v Speaker 2>best place to do that is on social media. My

1307
01:12:25.319 --> 01:12:28.680
<v Speaker 2>handle is at Ben Dubo's, Polo is at Pallo ALVE's NBA.

1308
01:12:28.960 --> 01:12:31.319
<v Speaker 2>This show is the Rockets Launch Pod presented by Clutch Fans.

1309
01:12:31.319 --> 01:12:33.560
<v Speaker 2>If you go to launch POD's seven ninety on Twitter

1310
01:12:33.600 --> 01:12:35.800
<v Speaker 2>slash x, you have to link tree that's got all

1311
01:12:35.840 --> 01:12:39.560
<v Speaker 2>the links you need to friends, partners, sponsors of the program.

1312
01:12:39.680 --> 01:12:42.239
<v Speaker 2>And as far as the next episode, it'll be next week,

1313
01:12:42.479 --> 01:12:45.239
<v Speaker 2>we hope, with the series still going on against the Lakers,

1314
01:12:45.239 --> 01:12:47.520
<v Speaker 2>but if not, it could be over as early as Sunday.

1315
01:12:47.560 --> 01:12:50.119
<v Speaker 2>If the Rockets get swept, then we'll be back early

1316
01:12:50.159 --> 01:12:52.640
<v Speaker 2>next week to wrap up or the most disappointing playoff

1317
01:12:52.640 --> 01:12:54.520
<v Speaker 2>ex hits in the history of the use in rockets,

1318
01:12:54.560 --> 01:12:57.760
<v Speaker 2>and even on down days like today, we appreciate you

1319
01:12:57.800 --> 01:12:59.800
<v Speaker 2>all so much for listening and please come back soon.

1320
01:12:59.800 --> 01:13:00.640
<v Speaker 2>From Yeah