Speaker 1: Eleven one on Sports Talk seven ninety. Let's say how
to our good friend Ryan Hollinds. You catch him on
Space City Home Network and he will be on the
call for game one Sunday night. Remember any game that's
not on the EBC, that means all the TNTs, at
least in his first round, Ryan's happy, smiley face will
be on there. Rhino, what's a good word?
Speaker 2: What's going on? Brother?
Speaker 1: Man?
Speaker 3: I missed you.
Speaker 1: The Rockets didn't win while I was gone. It's time
for me to get back. It's time for the Rockets
to be dub Nation for the third time this year.
Speaker 2: You know what, I think?
Speaker 4: It means so much more to the city, to this teams,
and it's all of us and the excitement, the frustration.
Speaker 2: Matt.
Speaker 4: The first time I will say since I've been in
Houston that I'm struggling right now, dude. And the reason
I'm struggling is I've been a player in these situations.
Like my juices are going, I'm ready to get on.
Speaker 2: The part and go make it an impact. But you
will be.
Speaker 4: There chearing our guys on. But again, man, you can
cut the tension with a knife, and it's felt nationwide
right now with the Rockets and Warriors about the square
off and it's.
Speaker 2: In matt I don't know.
Speaker 4: It's just crazy right now that the lawyers are favored.
But you know what, I think that's the way you'd
like it.
Speaker 2: You're the Houston Rocket, you know what.
Speaker 1: I don't know why it is. I think a lot
of it is because Golden State has the playoff pedigree. Also,
they're twenty one and seven. Since Jimmy has joined that
team and him and Currby been together. I also think
there's a lot of unknown about the Houston Rockets team.
So with that being put in perspective, what did you
take away from the win the Rockets had in Golden
State a week ago when kurr He went one for ten.
What did you take away from watching that play in
game where Memphis was able to come back from down
twenty to make it a ballgame? Are there any chinks
in the armor right now for Golden Steak? It feels
like to me it's a lot about Jimmy, It's a
lot about Steph Brandon, pa Jimski has had its moments,
but there's not a whole lot beyond what those two
maybe two plus a half bring to the table right
now for Golden State.
Speaker 4: When it gets down to it, with all due respect
to the greatness to Jimmy Butler when he's.
Speaker 2: Brought to the table.
Speaker 4: From what we've seen, and obviously Jimmy can pull a
rabbit out of a hat some playoff time, We've seen
it with his time with the Miami Heat. They're still
very Steph Perry centric, and they have to have Steph
to have a major game essentially to win. So for
Emay and the Rocket standpoint, and you've seen this from
Emay even more so fine tuning down the stretch, he's
gonna say somebody else to beat you.
Speaker 5: And one big takeaway that I.
Speaker 4: Saw and I know if from playing against the Warriors
is when they have non shooters on the floor, you
can zone up, but those non shooters become dangerous because
they play it throwing gold games. So even though Draymond's open,
I'm sacking ten feet off Draymond, right But as soon
as Draymond gets it, he pitches to Curry and he
runs off of DH show or he kind of runs
off his hip. So now you go from guardian the
non shooter. So I got to be at the level
if not extended. So that's the challenge. And Steph Curry,
the problems he presents, they're so unorthodox because you break
the rules of basketball. I got to pick the guy
up at half part when the ball's on the weak side,
what do we do that we jump to the ball.
Oh no, no, no, no, you don't jump to the
ball against Curry. So you're pretty much playing one on four.
I'm also looking to see if he may throws some
wrinkles in his zone, if there's some extended topridge or
a different type of maybe a box and one. But
as extreme as the Warriors now, as step Curry centric
as they are, I think you're gonna see some unique
defenses thrown at him. And again Houston did an unbelievable job,
not just starting with the men Thompson, but as from
a team perspective, jumping out on those screens, hedging being
high and you got to overly communicate against Curry and
the Warriors.
Speaker 1: Ryan Hollins spa city home network with us here on
the radio program. How much do you want to see
the double bigs out there for the rockets of all
the teams that you wouldn't put a lot into it.
It would be Golden State. Can you force the agenda
or do you have to kind of pick your spots
on that.
Speaker 2: No, I think you roll with it.
Speaker 4: And the challenge when you go double big, I think
you go zone and you match up and you draw
the attention to Curry. So I very much think it
will work. And what happens when it's effective, Matt is
versus the opposing team. To do what they gotta go big.
They gotta throw size out there. They have to play
a way that they're not used to playing. So if
you end up with Draymond and Looney on the floor,
that's a lot of defense, a lot of size that
can help rebounding.
Speaker 2: But at the end of the day, it hurts you.
Speaker 4: And if you watch Memphis, Memphis went double big. They
played Edie a whole lot in that game. Edie ends
up with fourteen and seventeen. And I think that Houston's
biggs are, you know, arguably the most effective double big
that you can find in the league. You see what
Dallas has over there, obviously, you know it's more about
Jaron Jackson junior playing the flour when Edie's out there.
Speaker 2: But with Steven Adams.
Speaker 4: On the boards and shingoon lighting up offensively, I think
you can do it in spurts, and that's what we've
seen from.
Speaker 3: Emay Ross with you here as well, Ryan, and Yeah,
that's what I wanted to kind of go to is
the Rockets. We talk about them defending the Warriors. What
about them offensively? What are the things that you're going
to be keeping an eye on that you really want
to see for them to be most effective against the
Golden State Warriors defense.
Speaker 4: Well, you got to be strong with the basketball, you know,
whenever you drive against the Warriors. They're great individual one
on one defenders because they don't have a lot of
help on the weak side. Also, desentially they're the best
team in the NBA at being at the level and
the pick and roll.
Speaker 2: What I mean at the level. They don't sit back
at a drop.
Speaker 4: They don't give you space Draymond Green and Looney if
they're not switching, they have the athleticism to get up
and then retreat with the shingoon or retreat with an atom.
So for our guards, they got to be super technical.
They got to tack downhill and again brought that fluff
test the foot speed at Draymond Green, get him in foul,
trouble test the foot speed of Looney make those guys
have to defend. But they've been there before in these
big moments, and again you're gonna have to force switches,
they're gonna have to force double teams, and you got
to play through their physicality because it's not just.
Speaker 2: An outright foul. It's just we're bumping.
Speaker 4: You, shouldering you on everything you're doing. And they're very,
very technically sound.
Speaker 3: And one of the things we talked about a lot,
Ryan is the the the amount of playoffs experience, and
obviously the Warriors have the edge there, how much does
that actually matter? Like where does it matter most? I
should say, is it preparation, is it on the floor
or is it something that we kind of just talk
in the media and it gets overblown.
Speaker 4: No, it ain't overblown at all. When it's when the
game gets extremely tight, guess what happens. Like they know
what they're going to they know who their guy is,
they know the sex they're gonna run.
Speaker 2: It's a very cerebral group.
Speaker 4: If per throws out an adjustment, they're ready to adjust
on the floor. And in those playoff games, every fill
is different. Sometimes the energy is really high. Sometimes the
referees are calling it tighter. And for a young player,
that can throw you off. You can emotionally get caught
in the shuffle of what's going on. Draymond's used to
pushing the line. Okay, He's going to be pushing the line,
and the challenge is, hey.
Speaker 2: Do I push that line back with him? Or do
I tune them out?
Speaker 4: You know what puts me in a situation where I can,
at the end of the day play best. So you're
gonna be looking for those things.
Speaker 2: It is a factor.
Speaker 4: And for Houston, the beauty is that email Udoka has depth.
Speaker 2: He had guys.
Speaker 4: He has Jeff Greens, he has Dylan's, he has Van Bleez,
he has Landell's. If you needed, he has Steven Adams
who have experienced in those moments. And you ain't have
to be patient, you know.
Speaker 2: So let's say let's just throw it out right, Let's spitball.
Speaker 4: Let's say Jalen Green's not having a night. You might
need it might be Ian Holliday stepping in and saving
the day, with all due respects, but you're gonna need
Jalen Green to bounce right back. And show up and
be prepared in the next game. And for email, he
hasn't been afraid to, you know, pull that switch. It's
nothing personal, but he's gonna go with whatever he feels
best out there, all.
Speaker 1: Right, for let you run. Look, if you stop Curry,
you got a great shot. If the Rockets don't get
much from Jalen Green Warriors, you a great job of
stopping him and Shanun the Rockets don't have a shot.
Can you give me one intangible factor that helps and
or hurts the Rockets? Not name the things I just said,
like in the back of your mind. Give me a
sneaky headline that I think you think will be a
huge part of this series. If the Rockets are able
to pull off what will be considered an upset, I'm gonna.
Speaker 4: Give you two guys on each side.
Speaker 2: Let's just spot like that, and I'll just answer to
your question. Sure, what the.
Speaker 4: Heck is going on with the John and Jonathan kaminga deal?
He is corning the Rockets up. In the past. He
actually didn't play when they played because he was injured
and they had a one and done game. And I
don't know if this was because of the lineup. Trust
whatever it is, Kamingia gets zero minutes, bro No, Kaminga
is a guy when the Rockets are going big stuffund
really help out Golden State or hurt.
Speaker 5: Them or is Kurrent not gonna roll with him? And
for the for Houston, I'm going big now. Another guy
that I want to point to for the Houston Rockets
is the unsung hero right now who kind of makes
things work that he's the oil to the will right
right now, JABARTI Smith Jr. In the flow of the game.
This guy has rebounded.
Speaker 4: The ball out of his mind. He makes Houston very big.
He's a small ball center. He's the three guard okay
when you go in the double big lineup. And Jabbari
is really a guy that has just quietly helped the
Rockets roll along with their success. So for him, I
think less has been more. He's done a lot of
the little things. I know, men Thompson is mister little things. Okay,
we're running out of things to say for him. But
Jabbari having a good series in the role that he's in.
He's the sneaky guy that I don't think you really
prepare for. And as we've seen through his young career.
He loves these big moments. Man, he's mentally in a
great space where some people would have lost their starting
spot and get in their feelings and take this guy's excelled.
Speaker 2: All right.
Speaker 1: Lastly, tell Ross the ultimate Halbachi pregame meal for a
Sunday night tilt with the Warriors. Go ahead, let's go.
Speaker 4: Listen, we we we've been doing.
Speaker 2: We've been doing. Benny Hannah, Benny Hann is a go
to bro. Now we didn't match up with.
Speaker 4: Denver, but listen and Matt, Me and Matt Thomas Ross,
Me and Mett Thomas at the time of our lives
in Denver, and it was just like me and Matt.
And what I'm finding out is like Matt's really possessive
over me. So when it comes like he's really possessive,
Like you know, I did put a Botchi with Gerald,
our great social photographer, and I mean, like you know, Matt,
Matt couldn't even look me in the eyes the next day.
It was just it was a it was a thing. Okay,
So yeah, he's.
Speaker 2: Got he's got right.
Speaker 3: Only child syndrome is what it is.
Speaker 1: That's not fair at all.
Speaker 4: Absolutely, oh absolutely he is Maddy Thomas says, it's play.
Speaker 2: He does.
Speaker 4: You're not a share, Okay, he had a shareff you
know he had a share.
Speaker 1: All right, Hey, I look forward to seeing you on Sunday.
You get your game face on you what suit you're
gonna wear on Sunday night?
Speaker 2: Oh my god, I don't know, dude. I'm so man,
I'm so excited. I don't know what to do with myself.
Speaker 4: My hands, my hands just keep floating in the air,
and I'm just I don't know if I'm playing in
the game or calling the game.
Speaker 1: I'm just excited, right, all right, Well, hey, get you
some rest. Thank you friend. We'll see you on Sunda night.
Thanks for the time today. We really appreciate it. All right, guys,
all right, as our breddy Ryan Hollins