Speaker 1: Matt and Ross with you here at eleven o four.
Let's spend ten minutes right now with the head coach
of your Houston Rockets. Rockets that I hear in Toronto,
the takeow the Raptors. I may a dooko with this
year on the program. Coach, thanks with Tommy's always congratulations
on the win. Was it just a simple case of
the ball went through the hoop a little bit more
to your satisfaction than perhaps the previous two games.
Speaker 2: Well, we obviously shot it well much better, you know,
from three and eighty eight from the free throw line,
But I think it was more than that.
Speaker 3: It was a unselfishness.
Speaker 2: Thirty three assist that we were moving the ball a
little stronger in their traps than the previous few games,
and that results in open looks. So the guys is
going to be free if out he can make those plays.
Attention Kevin Draws. They're making the right reads and guys
were knocking them down.
Speaker 3: You know.
Speaker 1: It was funny when Katie was asked about the game
and tari I obviously had that great game with five
three pointers in the game, which is occur high for him.
It's like, man, if we get that kind of production
from Tari Easton, and it doesn't to me from him
every single night, but it almost tell you that you've
got to get that one or two guys off the bench.
It's got to be that quote unquote instant offense. Do
you kind of feel that Tari can fill that mode
if not him, somebody else on a given night.
Speaker 3: Yeah.
Speaker 2: I mean, obviously it's been one of our strong suits
is the depth that we have, and I think it
can be different guys different nights. And so with us
kind of mixing up the starting lineup, guys are putting
different positions at times. And you know it was Tarry
that night, but it's been others throughout the seasons. Throughout
the first few seasons I've been here, and you know,
you got a wild card guy that you know teams
have to prepare for, you know what they're going to
bring every night.
Speaker 3: That's just to added benefit.
Speaker 1: You started Josha Kogie in the game against the Nets there.
You know, you used Reed Shepherd during the preseason and
the starting lineup thought or two about what you thought
like from Josh in the starting lineup, and is that
something that's going to be in the rotation now for you.
Speaker 2: Yeah, I think we've I've been pretty open about, you know,
the lineup being uh, the switch ability with the lineup,
and you know, we like the big lineup. We tinker
with that a little been preseason, but Reid will get
opportunities of times if they have two really good scores
like Cam Thomas and Michael Porter, we may go with
the defensive lineup with Josh in there to guard one,
I'm in to guard another, and so we can go
all all sorts of ways, honestly, and then very comfortable
with that, and I think the guys are prepared for that.
Speaker 3: So that was a look we gave there.
Speaker 2: And at some point when when we're fully whole, we'll
kind of zone in on one thing and it could
be Dorian at the time, it could be going big
like we did, or read and read for instance, and so,
like I said, our versatility gives us options to do that,
and I think all of our guys are comfortable in
every role.
Speaker 4: How would you assess Reid's play so far both ends
of the floor, but also the shots selection specifically, it's
been eleven shots every single game for him. How do
you feel about this selection there?
Speaker 2: Yeah, we want to be aggressive and confident, you know,
not passing up. And he looks that he gets he's
one of our best shooters, and we understand how teams
are defending him and the attention that he commands himself
and so, but when you're playing with the guy like
Opera and Katie Men, who's gonna get downhill and attract
that crowd as well, those looks are going to be there.
We want him to be competent and not second guess anything,
and he's done that so far, you know, getting the
getting the training on ball off ball. You know with
some teams that really are up pressuring. Started with Okac
and then Detroit does more of the same and even
even Toronto Brooklyn are heavy load up teams.
Speaker 3: And so just giving him different looks, he's gonna learn
on the fly.
Speaker 2: And I think, like I said, with Fred being out him,
a man got to learn to be the PG, play
some off ball, and I think he's doing.
Speaker 3: A good job.
Speaker 4: Rocket Tech coach Iman Adoka was here on a Sports
Talk seven ninety and yeah, you mentioned a men being
the PG. I imagine you're pretty satisfied with eight assists
and no turnovers in the last game.
Speaker 3: What what is.
Speaker 4: That like, Because it's obviously it's basketball, one on one,
don't turn the ball over, get assists. But I mean,
how do you kind of communicate that or drill that
into players and see improvement as the season goes along.
Speaker 2: In in that facet, Yeah, this overall recognition of what
teams are doing out there. Like I said, we're playing
against teams that have really packed the pain and want
to protect the rim with their with their full team defense,
and so the kickouts will be there.
Speaker 3: Get to our spacing properly and know where your outlets
are at.
Speaker 2: And so for our men, it's gonna be different every
night depending on who's on him and how they are
guarding him. You know, he can be aggressive getting downhill,
but teams know what he's all about and know the
threat that he is, so they're going to load up
and it's up to him to make those reads. And
so I think he did obviously a great job with
those numbers you just pointed out, But throughout the season
it's going to be a game by game thing where
he has to have a full understanding of how teams
are guarding him and where to get his shot another
guy's shots, And I think that's where he's improved so
far throughout this season already.
Speaker 1: Emy. I know you don't like turnovers, nobody does, but
there are gonna be some that are gonna be I say,
I saw what you tried to do there. I appreciate that.
Others are like, what the hell are you thinking? You
guys dissect those turnovers like I think you do.
Speaker 2: Yeah, And it's really specific to the game plan. Like
I said, we've had pretty much all four teams are
going to either blitz the pick and roll or pack
the paint and make you prove it and beat you
from outside. And so it's just as simple play as
we talked about, you know, hitting singles against Oka see
in game one, and we didn't do that. Obviously, twenty
five turnovers for twenty eight points in a one possession
game is way too high, and so understanding and learning
from game to game that these teams are going to
be there, keep it simple and when you see the crowd,
get off the ball and have a two on one
or some numbers on the backside. If you blitzed and
pick and roll, get off the ball and let Outprin
and other guys make plays. And so when we try
to overdo it and you know, split or beat the crowd,
beat the double team, and sometimes we get in trouble,
but we just want to keep it simple. Trust your
teammates and make the easy pass.
Speaker 1: One of the turnovers was a Kevin Durant offensive foul
against the nets where the ball hit the player in
the face. Did you get a satisfactory clarification on what
happened there? Because it looked like to me the defenders
right in his face. Where was Katie supposed to go? Yeah,
that's a tough one.
Speaker 2: I think we all thought it would be overturned when
I challenged it due to the fact that the ball
grazed them. You know, we didn't hit him in his hand,
didn't hit him with the elbow or anything like that.
And like you said, they're crowd in your space. You
have illegally, you have a legal right to obviously make
your move and try to impede that progress. And so
we thought it'd be overturned. They gave us the reason
and we keep it moving from there. Didn't really agree
with it, but it is what it is.
Speaker 1: Katie. To you, you've seen him so many times game
playing against him, You've been with him on the bench
now for a short time here in obviously other places.
What has his game done to change and evolve, you know,
as he's gotten a little bit longer in the tooth.
I mean, are you still seeing if I went back
and looked at Katie video of ten years ago, is
it about the same kind of player or how has
he transitioned as he's played a little bit later in life.
Speaker 2: I think he's just continuing to be as efficient as
he always been. As he's always been. I think you
look at the last three years and the you know,
the forty fifty ninety, and you know that's high efficiency shooting.
Speaker 3: He doesn't force it.
Speaker 2: He understands understands defenses and what teams are trying to
do the scheme against him, and he's basically seen it.
Also now he's at at times fine being a decoy
or letting guys either crowd him and make plays for
others or get it to out and let him make
the play. And so he understands that and if it
frees everybody else up and we get the win, he's
all about that. And so he's not a guy that's
trying to force it and prove anything. He's seen it
all done at all and understands what he does to
impact our team offensively.
Speaker 4: And how have you felt about his fit Obviously culturally
he'd worked with some guys in the offseason as well,
but a lot of players talking about his work ethic
and how they are really impressed. Have you seen kind
of effect of that rubbing off on other guys or
not so much?
Speaker 3: Yeah, definitely.
Speaker 2: I think he brought in veterans like I always talk
about Dylan, Fred Jeff and those guys that came a
few years ago, and Kevin takes that to another level
with the work ethic is one on one professionalism every
day and that's.
Speaker 3: Why he is as great as he is. It's not
just by chance or talent.
Speaker 2: He puts in the work and is trying to improve
and add to his game, you know, every year and
throughout the season. So you see young guys tagging along
and it's great to see that work every day and
then how hard you have to go at game speed
and you know, not just loafing through the workout, but
actually trying to get better, and so it's it's rubbing off,
no doubt.
Speaker 3: I think everybody takes note of it.
Speaker 2: And then they start to incorporate it themselves and it's
a great thing for them, for our young guys to
implement their career at a young age.
Speaker 1: Last question, who is in charge of free throw shooting?
If you want to give yourself credit, go for it,
because Steven Adams is nine of ten Alpius twenty two
or twenty six. If you're big manter shooting free throws
like that, that's going to be a huge asset for
the squad this year.
Speaker 3: Yeah, it's been great.
Speaker 2: I think I did point out at the start of
training camp that we were twenty ninth and free throw
shooting last year. It might have been thirtieth honestly, but yeah,
that was a challenge to our guys. Obviously, we finished
every practice and every individual workout with a good amount
of free throws and try to put them in some
pressure situations throughout practice and training camp.
Speaker 3: But guys have to own up to it and take
that on, take that challenge on.
Speaker 2: And so obviously twenty three for twenty six the other
night is great for us. But I think it might
be Garrett Jackson or one of our assistants. I think
actually Cam Hodges signed contracts with I Blank will shoot
this many free toes and shoot this percentage. So they
all had to sign it, and it's a direct challenge
to meet this number and meet the number you're gonna
shoot the percentage wise, but also meet the attempts that
you need to get up every day in order to
get there.
Speaker 3: And so guys all signed.
Speaker 2: It, and I think it's just a way of holding
guys accountable and kind of pointing back on what they
agreed to.
Speaker 1: Is there like a steak dinner on the line on
this or is there a kangaroo court if they don't
hit that number?
Speaker 2: Not sure what Cam came up with, but so far
as working, you know, we'll take it.
Speaker 3: You got that right.
Speaker 1: Thank you Gmy for the tam will seat the building
leader on this evening, Good luck tonight.
Speaker 3: I appreciate it.