Full Transcript for Ryan Hollins Breaks Down The Rockets' Early 2026 Season And More Around The League

I go to every game when when you're here in Houston, and um I show up early, and all I do is I stand around on the courtside and I just chat with people, right? 00:02:18.159 --> 00:02:21.280 And Ryan and I talk about stuff, so we figured let's put that on tape, man. 00:02:21.439 --> 00:02:22.800 So it's a real pleasure. 00:02:22.879 --> 00:02:24.800 I'm I'm thrilled that we're gonna be doing this together. 00:02:24.960 --> 00:02:26.319 Um looking forward to it. 00:02:26.479 --> 00:02:29.120 Um so we're about eight or ten games into season. 00:02:29.199 --> 00:02:31.840 We can talk about the season a little bit, but let's just back up a little bit, right? 00:02:31.919 --> 00:02:33.520 Just sort of to catch us up a little. 00:02:33.759 --> 00:02:39.280 Um interesting off season, a lot of stuff happened in the in the league, a lot of movement. 00:02:39.360 --> 00:02:40.719 Let's talk about a little bit of that, right? 00:02:40.800 --> 00:02:42.560 You had LeBron going to Philly. 00:02:42.639 --> 00:02:53.439 Uh, you had, you know, Paul George and Jalen Brown swapping uniforms, Giannis going to Miami, Lamello, who we saw play last night, uh going to going to Minnesota. 00:02:53.680 --> 00:02:56.719 Talk to me about some of those guys and how do you how do you think it's gonna work out? 00:02:56.879 --> 00:02:57.919 I mean, start anywhere you want. 00:02:58.000 --> 00:02:59.520 Start with LeBron, I guess, right? 00:02:59.759 --> 00:03:05.360 I think first off, um, it's a great spot for the NBA to be in. 00:03:05.680 --> 00:03:12.479 Because now you've got genuine excitement in almost half the league or more. 00:03:12.639 --> 00:03:12.960 Wow. 00:03:13.120 --> 00:03:17.520 You know, we liked Philly last year, but LeBron in Philly is something different. 00:03:17.680 --> 00:03:20.800 What's Luca do doing now in LA without LeBron? 00:03:21.199 --> 00:03:23.439 Uh Jalen Brown in Philly. 00:03:23.599 --> 00:03:30.639 Uh the most exciting duo, you know, unfortunately, Anthony Edwards has his injury, but you know what Minnesota looks like. 00:03:30.800 --> 00:03:35.520 So uh San Antonio gets a year to flourish, Wimby uh gets a year older. 00:03:35.680 --> 00:03:42.719 So the movement has been so great for the league, and some of these moves, you know, we didn't see. 00:03:42.800 --> 00:03:44.639 Uh Giannis onto the coupon in Miami. 00:03:44.719 --> 00:03:44.879 Right. 00:03:45.039 --> 00:03:46.800 Like he leaves Milwaukee. 00:03:46.960 --> 00:03:49.759 So uh again, we've got some pairings, some connections. 00:03:50.000 --> 00:03:52.719 We got a lot of the old in with the new still. 00:03:52.800 --> 00:03:54.800 So uh it's a great time in the league. 00:03:54.879 --> 00:03:57.199 And then this rookie class, their lights out. 00:03:57.759 --> 00:04:01.199 So you you got you got franchise guys through about the top ten picks. 00:04:01.360 --> 00:04:01.599 Right. 00:04:01.840 --> 00:04:05.120 I mean I mean, talk about you know excitement where there had not been any. 00:04:05.360 --> 00:04:06.159 Washington, right? 00:04:06.319 --> 00:04:06.800 The Wizards. 00:04:06.879 --> 00:04:10.400 Yes you got train A D, play with all the talk about these guys, right? 00:04:10.479 --> 00:04:12.080 And talk about the kids that they have over there. 00:04:12.479 --> 00:04:22.480 A lot of people are looking at the Eastern Conference and seeing that the Washington Wizards are a team that are gonna compete in the East. 00:04:22.720 --> 00:04:26.560 Some people are as as strong on as them coming out of the East. 00:04:26.639 --> 00:04:26.800 Wow. 00:04:27.040 --> 00:04:31.040 You know, if the Knicks came out, no, you know, I know you're a New York guy. 00:04:31.120 --> 00:04:31.600 You know what I'm saying? 00:04:31.759 --> 00:04:32.560 Anybody can come out. 00:04:32.800 --> 00:04:37.759 But Trey Young is, with all due respect, he's extremely successful against the Knicks. 00:04:38.319 --> 00:04:40.639 Like, like he tears the Knicks up. 00:04:40.879 --> 00:04:44.480 And then you give him Anthony Davis, who's certified, he's an NBA champion. 00:04:44.639 --> 00:04:46.959 AJ DeBonsa is a generational talent. 00:04:47.199 --> 00:04:52.000 He's got footwork that is off the charts with his uh the way he moves, he's like that. 00:04:52.160 --> 00:04:53.519 He's such a unique player. 00:04:53.680 --> 00:05:03.839 So uh when you look at Washington with their depth and in the Eastern Conference, it it it's hard not to give them a certain level of respect. 00:05:03.920 --> 00:05:10.319 But like you're looking at half the league and saying, like, these are box office matchups that we want to watch. 00:05:10.480 --> 00:05:22.879 If you are the common fan, like these aren't just ah, you know, you got you know Washington playing against uh Minnesota, you're like, now that's Anthony Edwards and LaMelo versus AJ AD and you know Trey. 00:05:23.040 --> 00:05:25.920 So uh again, the league is taking the next step. 00:05:26.000 --> 00:05:32.480 And um, one of the big parts of the movement that some may not know is Mark, Giannis was the big piece. 00:05:32.639 --> 00:05:36.399 So when that Giannis piece moved, he was on the chessboard, he was the king. 00:05:36.480 --> 00:05:41.360 Okay, when king moved and he went down there, the king of free agency, whatever you want to call Giannis, right? 00:05:41.519 --> 00:05:49.839 Now you saw all the other major moves go to take place, and it shows how valuable Giannis is, how big uh of a name that he is that brings to the table. 00:05:49.920 --> 00:05:51.439 And now you get all this movement. 00:05:51.519 --> 00:05:54.800 So uh again, it's an extremely unique and great time in the NBA. 00:05:55.040 --> 00:05:55.519 That's amazing. 00:05:55.680 --> 00:06:05.839 I want to back just back up a second because this one guy that you mentioned that, you know, maybe I'm just talking like a fan, doesn't seem to get the love he deserves, and and that's A. 00:06:06.000 --> 00:06:06.079 D. 00:06:06.319 -->

00:06:09.360 And the reason I say that, right, is he's been the injured a lot lately, right? 00:06:09.439 --> 00:06:11.279 He's he's he's he's moved around a little bit. 00:06:11.439 --> 00:06:14.879 But I mean, AD when he plays is an unstoppable force, right? 00:06:15.040 --> 00:06:19.759 He is, and he's he's a unique big because he can guard all five positions. 00:06:19.839 --> 00:06:23.199 Wow, he covers ground extremely well, and he's got incredible touch. 00:06:23.279 --> 00:06:24.800 And again, he's a world champion. 00:06:24.879 --> 00:06:32.800 You know, he was that that Scottie Pippen for LeBron James, you know, when he went and won won a championship uh down there in LA. 00:06:32.879 --> 00:06:36.639 So again, it it's never been a question of Anthony Davis' talent. 00:06:36.800 --> 00:06:37.920 It's just him being healthy. 00:06:38.000 --> 00:06:39.920 And he's got time to sit back, be healthy. 00:06:40.079 --> 00:06:42.959 You would assume he's a little motivated since being moved from LA. 00:06:43.040 --> 00:06:43.199 Right. 00:06:43.360 --> 00:06:56.800 And, you know, he gets to step into uh that veteran leadership mentor role, and he's got a group of young emerging talents uh like AJ and the rest of the young guys that they had in Washington that they were building, they kind of hit the goal switch pretty early. 00:06:56.959 --> 00:06:59.439 And you got a guy that you can do that with. 00:06:59.600 --> 00:07:03.199 Like AJ DeBonza is as legit as it gets. 00:07:03.360 --> 00:07:11.279 Like, you're getting uh T-Mac vibes, you're getting Kobe vibes, like you're getting like he's got the footwork and then he's got the steps to take. 00:07:11.439 --> 00:07:12.639 Like, just watch it. 00:07:12.720 --> 00:07:17.279 He's gonna hit you with a move that you probably hadn't seen before, but he's so smooth the way he plays. 00:07:17.519 --> 00:07:20.560 Well, talk about talk about smooth and moves and young. 00:07:20.639 --> 00:07:24.319 What about this kid Darius Acuff in in uh in in Sacramento? 00:07:24.399 --> 00:07:25.680 Have you seen him play at all? 00:07:25.920 --> 00:07:26.720 He's unique, man. 00:07:27.040 --> 00:07:29.120 Uh he he he gets to it, as you like to say. 00:07:29.279 --> 00:07:31.360 He hasn't seen a shot that he hadn't liked. 00:07:31.600 --> 00:07:34.319 And, you know, if you're scoring the NBA, he's there to score. 00:07:34.399 --> 00:07:42.720 Now I think the the next challenge uh is you know, uh sometimes you have guys, you you got to take the training wheels off and then no, it's your team now. 00:07:42.879 --> 00:07:44.399 He's like, hey, like this is my team. 00:07:44.639 --> 00:07:51.600 So, you know, you like the confidence in him, and now the challenge is tweaking his game and saying, How do I get the most out of my teammates? 00:07:51.680 --> 00:07:53.759 You know, how am I gonna be successful off the ball? 00:07:53.920 --> 00:07:55.839 How do these shots, you know, play into winning? 00:07:56.000 --> 00:08:04.800 But the good part is you see this guy can score the basketball at an extremely high clip, and he's in a place like Sacramento where they need young energy. 00:08:04.959 --> 00:08:06.319 Uh, they need someone who can score. 00:08:06.399 --> 00:08:12.879 They're looking uh to move forward, and and they have, you know, there's no Levine, there's no DeRose in there anymore, there's no Westbrook. 00:08:13.040 --> 00:08:19.759 So again, it it is his show, and he's gonna find a way uh or should find a way to get synergy with Sabonis. 00:08:19.839 --> 00:08:19.920 Right. 00:08:20.160 --> 00:08:22.079 Sabonis is one of great passing bigs in the league. 00:08:22.240 --> 00:08:28.879 Like like when we talk about Al P and we and we talk about Jokic, like Sabonis is in the thick of that conversation. 00:08:29.040 --> 00:08:33.600 He's either two or three, depending on how you'd like to rate him, but uh he he's a great talent. 00:08:33.759 --> 00:08:36.159 So those two can figure things out. 00:08:36.240 --> 00:08:39.360 Uh you're gonna have something special in Sacramento as we talk to League. 00:08:39.519 --> 00:08:43.360 I love Sabonis, has that little behind-the-back, like little bounce pass where he leaves it. 00:08:43.440 --> 00:08:46.000 It looks like that he could do that all day long with Acuff, huh? 00:08:46.159 --> 00:08:46.879 He he can play. 00:08:47.039 --> 00:08:53.440 And you know, the though the NBA is so unique where before we would say a traditional point guard had to look like this. 00:08:53.519 --> 00:08:53.600 Right. 00:08:53.759 --> 00:09:02.879 You know, it had to be uh, you know, Isaiah Thomas, uh Chris Paul, you know, uh even Steph Curry's a bit of a hybrid, but he's still a point guard. 00:09:02.960 --> 00:09:08.639 But these guys, these floor generals, you know, Avery Johnson, like you don't have that anymore. 00:09:08.720 --> 00:09:11.840 Your floor general can be Giannis, can be Sabonis, as you said. 00:09:11.919 --> 00:09:16.639 So now if I have a gunner uh at my guard position, it works. 00:09:16.879 --> 00:09:19.679 You know, so uh Jamal Murray is a gunner. 00:09:19.759 --> 00:09:21.039 He worried about shooting the basket. 00:09:21.200 --> 00:09:23.200 He gets the most because he gets to play with Jokic. 00:09:23.279 --> 00:09:28.320 So again, if those two can figure that out, you now get the most bang for your buck there in Sacramento. 00:09:28.559 --> 00:09:29.360 That's that's unbelievable. 00:09:29.440 --> 00:09:32.559 What about another another great, great young player, Carlos Boozer? 00:09:32.720 --> 00:09:33.279 Totally different. 00:09:33.360 --> 00:09:35.840 And but talk to me about Boozer a little bit, man. 00:09:37.919 --> 00:09:42.480 Some people I listen, man, I've been saying this um for a while. 00:09:42.879 --> 00:09:47.679 I think that he's I think that he's the second best right behind AJ. 00:09:48.000 --> 00:09:48.639 Really? 00:09:49.519 --> 00:09:56.159 I think that Boozer, and we see it from

the great play there, um, he's number two, in my opinion. 00:09:56.399 --> 00:09:56.480 Right. 00:09:56.720 --> 00:10:01.440 And I felt like he would have an immediate impact uh with the way that he plays. 00:10:01.759 --> 00:10:04.240 Uh he's I saw the size, the strength. 00:10:04.320 --> 00:10:11.759 I got to see this kid for about two or three years when he was younger at the NBA top 100 camps, and he can do everything on the floor that you can imagine. 00:10:11.919 --> 00:10:15.679 He can shoot it, he can handle the ball, he's huge, he's strong. 00:10:15.840 --> 00:10:18.159 And maybe you didn't see a lot of that uh at Duke. 00:10:18.240 --> 00:10:19.440 I know you're a Duke guy, Mark. 00:10:19.519 --> 00:10:25.120 Yes, but uh he's got it at the pro level, and I'm I am not shocked by the success that he's having. 00:10:25.279 --> 00:10:28.799 He also seems to have like a uh a poise and a maturity about him, right? 00:10:28.879 --> 00:10:33.440 I mean, I I don't know how old he is, 19 or 20 years old or something, but he plays like a vet, right? 00:10:33.519 --> 00:10:35.279 He doesn't seem to get rattled. 00:10:35.440 --> 00:10:38.320 The truth is, I'd say this whole crop of rookies, right? 00:10:38.399 --> 00:10:41.679 They they just they seem like they're they're older beyond their years. 00:10:42.080 --> 00:10:47.200 These kids now get to play against NBA talent from the time they're 15 and 16 years old. 00:10:47.279 --> 00:10:47.360 Right. 00:10:47.600 --> 00:10:56.639 You know, they're in these elite camps, uh, they're training with with pros, uh, and they're getting an opportunity that you know you possibly didn't have any before. 00:10:56.720 --> 00:11:04.720 So, you know, that learning curve for these young rookies, the scouts knew they were this good four or five, six years ago already. 00:11:04.879 --> 00:11:07.120 So there wasn't much that you were surprised with. 00:11:07.200 --> 00:11:10.240 You know, NBA Scouting is it's a billion-dollar industry. 00:11:10.399 --> 00:11:14.320 So, you know, when they're going and seeing what these guys are, it it's next level. 00:11:14.399 --> 00:11:18.000 You know, Victor Wimbayama, we've seen him since he was 12 or 13 years old. 00:11:18.240 --> 00:11:18.879 That's unbelievable. 00:11:19.200 --> 00:11:26.320 You know, so uh they're getting groomed to come in and see and play against NBA talent a lot earlier than we would have in the past. 00:11:26.399 --> 00:11:29.120 So when you speak about the learning curve, that's where it comes from. 00:11:29.360 --> 00:11:34.879 You know, one another thing that you know again, we're about as we're sitting here, we're about eight, ten games into the season. 00:11:35.039 --> 00:11:37.519 There's been a crazy rash of injuries, right? 00:11:37.600 --> 00:11:39.600 I mean, it's being talked about all over the league. 00:11:39.759 --> 00:11:43.600 Everybody everybody's got a theory as to why it's happening, how it's happening. 00:11:43.759 --> 00:11:45.679 Um

it's terrible, right? 00:11:45.840 --> 00:11:53.039 And it seems to be happening to the to the biggest stars, whether it's J Dub or or or Chet or um you know, Halliburton's out again. 00:11:53.200 --> 00:11:55.679 And, you know, what do you think's going on, man? 00:11:56.240 --> 00:11:57.679 This is my humble opinion. 00:11:57.840 --> 00:12:01.360 Um It doesn't have to be humble, it could just be your in my face opinion, man. 00:12:02.159 --> 00:12:03.519 I'm no medical doctor, you know. 00:12:03.679 --> 00:12:05.600 So I can't I'm not I'm not gonna scrub my stuff. 00:12:05.919 --> 00:12:06.399 That's right, you know. 00:12:06.559 --> 00:12:08.000 You can play one right on this TV, man. 00:12:08.080 --> 00:12:08.960 It doesn't make a difference, man. 00:12:09.039 --> 00:12:09.759 What are you Dr. 00:12:09.919 --> 00:12:10.080 H. 00:12:10.320 --> 00:12:16.639 I'll speak it from my my you know my time in playing, uh these guys do moves that they don't train for. 00:12:16.799 --> 00:12:23.840 You know, um I I think about it like when Kyrie Irving and Derek Rose, when they played, a lot of that what they did is north to salvage riding. 00:12:23.919 --> 00:12:24.799 There was a lot of torque. 00:12:24.879 --> 00:12:27.840 I'm going full speed at you, boom, and I'm snatching backwards. 00:12:28.159 --> 00:12:33.039 You have to train those moves, and those are moves that are very hard on the knees, the ankles, and the joints. 00:12:33.120 --> 00:12:33.840 That's one. 00:12:34.000 --> 00:12:37.679 Uh for two, these guys, they know their value. 00:12:37.919 --> 00:12:41.360 So they're very cognitive of being hurt in the offseason and where they play. 00:12:41.519 --> 00:12:49.039 The problem where that comes is you're not getting the bump that you would get, and you get into the season and you go to turn it on. 00:12:49.200 --> 00:13:01.279 Mark, if I'm sprinting at full speed and a 250-pound guy comes and takes me out, right, my body has to get to that use of that, used to that shock and that speed. 00:13:01.440 --> 00:13:06.879 So if I'm only doing workouts, it's extremely hard to simulate someone running and hitting me. 00:13:07.039 --> 00:13:09.840 You know, my time early in the league, I guess I sound old now. 00:13:09.919 --> 00:13:12.159 I used to, I couldn't stand with the other guys to do that. 00:13:12.240 --> 00:13:14.320 But like we had two days at training camp. 00:13:14.399 --> 00:13:19.120 So it wore your body down, but your body got used to the contact and the hitting. 00:13:19.279 --> 00:13:28.960 So I think there's a fine line that we can come to uh in sports where uh these guys can get the physical play and in the hitting and the physicality. 00:13:29.120 --> 00:13:33.360 But I don't also believe that the way things we did things were absolutely correct either. 00:13:33.440 --> 00:13:36.639 Just burning your body out because that may have not been great. 00:13:36.720 --> 00:13:40.559 So I I'd like to see a mix of both, and hopefully that may change the injuries. 00:13:40.639 --> 00:13:45.039 But I know uh it's a unique time in the league because these guys are so valuable. 00:13:45.120 --> 00:13:50.559 You know, like like if you knew it, like like I knew maybe my body may have been worth a million dollars. 00:13:50.720 --> 00:13:54.960 They're like five, ten, twenty, thirty, forty, fifty million dollars a year. 00:13:55.279 --> 00:13:56.879 Couple hundred million dollars of her career, right? 00:13:57.120 --> 00:13:58.559 I'd be mindful about playing too. 00:13:58.799 --> 00:14:03.279 But the irony is there was less injury because your body gets used to it. 00:14:03.360 --> 00:14:05.919 Your body and and the the the hit on your joints. 00:14:06.159 --> 00:14:10.960 But it but but all these guys now they also play 12 months a year now, right? 00:14:11.039 --> 00:14:15.440 I mean, guys, I mean in the offseason, doesn't everybody everybody goes to LA and they're playing. 00:14:15.600 --> 00:14:22.000 When they're playing out there in these summer leagues and sort of in these pickup games, are they playing full out or are you saying that they're holding back a little bit? 00:14:22.320 --> 00:14:23.279 Everybody don't play, Mark. 00:14:23.440 --> 00:14:23.919 Right. 00:14:24.159 --> 00:14:25.440 And the guys that play, you see it. 00:14:26.080 --> 00:14:26.879 Case in point. 00:14:27.120 --> 00:14:28.080 Kevin Durant. 00:14:28.240 --> 00:14:28.799 Right. 00:14:29.039 --> 00:14:33.840 You will see, and this is why I want you you they're not gonna appreciate KD till he's gone. 00:14:34.080 --> 00:14:38.320 Kevin goes out and he will play it every pro am, every game. 00:14:38.879 --> 00:14:41.360 He's training with everybody to you want to come train? 00:14:41.440 --> 00:14:42.480 Come on, come on down. 00:14:42.639 --> 00:14:45.679 And then these guys will get some bump, they'll play some one-on-one. 00:14:46.000 --> 00:14:52.240 Like a lot of guys are scared to go and play one-on-one and play and get, oh, I don't want to land on the ankle. 00:14:52.320 --> 00:14:54.480 I don't like KD plays. 00:14:54.720 --> 00:15:00.240 And out of all the superstars, he may be the guy that has played the most. 00:15:00.399 --> 00:15:08.399 And I even think of, you know, when I was coming up, the guys that were just extremely talented just played a lot of basketball, you know, that jumped to mind. 00:15:08.480 --> 00:15:11.840 Um, Jamal Crawford just played a lot of basketball. 00:15:12.000 --> 00:15:14.320 Uh Nick Young would show up at every run. 00:15:14.480 --> 00:15:16.879 You know who's always at every single run, also? 00:15:17.200 --> 00:15:17.919 James Harden. 00:15:18.159 --> 00:15:18.240 Wow. 00:15:18.480 --> 00:15:19.600 James didn't miss a run. 00:15:19.679 --> 00:15:22.159 DeMar DeRozan was the guy who didn't miss a run. 00:15:22.320 --> 00:15:24.639 Russ didn't never miss nothing. 00:15:24.720 --> 00:15:26.559 You know, he was there Monday through Friday. 00:15:26.639 -->

00:15:34.480 So a lot of these guys, speaking to it, like they show up and they play basketball in the offseason and they they they hoop, they love it. 00:15:34.559 --> 00:15:35.440 They they hoop. 00:15:35.519 --> 00:15:42.159 So when you talk about the durability of, you know, a LeBron James, a KD, a James Hart. 00:15:42.320 --> 00:15:43.600 Say what you want about James Hart. 00:15:43.840 --> 00:15:46.720 James, you know, he had a span where he was going through some things here. 00:15:46.799 --> 00:15:57.759 He was but for the most part, like James played nighted and that, like, like like the terror he was on was like, yo, he played every night, but in the summertime, we would see James playing basketball. 00:15:57.919 --> 00:16:04.320 So uh again, it's a difference with the guys, in my humble opinion, that go out and play. 00:16:04.559 --> 00:16:05.919 Like Russ, for example, right? 00:16:06.000 --> 00:16:08.799 You you you put you put Westbrook in the in that group. 00:16:08.960 --> 00:16:14.720 Not only does he play, but that guy plays at at a hundred miles an hour every minute of the game, right? 00:16:15.120 --> 00:16:15.600 He plays hard. 00:16:15.759 --> 00:16:21.039 So when Russ gets into the game, he's not shocked that, oh, my body's going hard. 00:16:21.120 --> 00:16:21.200 Right. 00:16:21.440 --> 00:16:22.799 I I didn't go this hard before. 00:16:22.879 --> 00:16:24.000 Now I gotta go hard. 00:16:24.159 --> 00:16:28.799 So uh it it's a huge factor, in my opinion, about the injuries. 00:16:28.879 --> 00:16:29.759 And it and it's tough too. 00:16:29.840 --> 00:16:32.320 So the fine line is the game is so much faster. 00:16:32.399 --> 00:16:32.480 Right. 00:16:32.720 --> 00:16:37.120 You know, I played at 105 point pace. 00:16:37.279 --> 00:16:37.519 Right. 00:16:37.679 --> 00:16:41.360 You know, before me, you know, 95 was the pace. 00:16:41.440 --> 00:16:41.600 Right. 00:16:41.759 --> 00:16:46.879 These guys are playing at 120 and one between 110 and 120, if not more at night, Mark. 00:16:47.039 --> 00:16:47.200 Right. 00:16:47.600 --> 00:16:55.600 So more possessions, running up, soft tissue injuries, ligaments are going down, like you know, it it's a part of the game. 00:16:55.840 --> 00:17:07.119 So I think the unique build for success from a team standpoint also in that you're seeing uh is not just health, but you attain health, and this is just a deeper I'm you know we love basketball, that's why we're here. 00:17:07.359 --> 00:17:08.240 When you keep going, man. 00:17:08.559 --> 00:17:10.319 Oklahoma City, depth. 00:17:10.559 --> 00:17:10.880 Right. 00:17:11.200 --> 00:17:15.839 New York last season, they dug it, they Mike Brown dug into that bench. 00:17:16.000 --> 00:17:22.559 Yeah, Chamett, Jordan Clarkson, Houston Rockets this season, digging into that bench. 00:17:23.039 --> 00:17:26.400 So San Antonio dug into that bench. 00:17:26.640 --> 00:17:32.400 So now those Indiana, before Halliburne's injury, they were going 10,

11, 12 deep. 00:17:32.559 --> 00:17:39.599 So those 12 men, 10th men, when you're building for a championship, you're like, this guy's gonna get in the game. 00:17:39.839 --> 00:17:44.480 He has a role on my team, even if it's minimal minutes, and now I'm pulling away. 00:17:44.640 --> 00:17:48.160 When the Celtics won, they were so deep it wasn't even funny. 00:17:48.319 --> 00:17:48.480 Wow. 00:17:49.039 --> 00:17:54.240 They could close their eyes and put a guy on the floor and and and you saw things happen. 00:17:54.400 --> 00:17:58.880 And so, you know, you can rest Jason Tatum, you can rest Jalen Brown when they won it. 00:17:59.039 --> 00:18:06.799 So in my opinion, you want to win, you want to minimize those injuries, it's the teams going 10, 11, 12 deep. 00:18:07.039 --> 00:18:07.599 That's amazing. 00:18:07.759 --> 00:18:21.039 And and and also you not only are they playing, not only is the pace, like you said, when when you played, it was like say 105, you know, before that 90s, you know, go back to you know, go back way back in time, you know, you can have an 87, 84 game. 00:18:21.200 --> 00:18:28.559 Um, but it's not just the pace, but but everybody is an athlete, meaning every single guy on both sides of the ball. 00:18:28.720 --> 00:18:33.839 And I'm, you know, I'm lucky enough to have seats where I'm right down there in the mix, right? 00:18:34.079 --> 00:18:36.799 Every one of these guys, look, there are elite defenders. 00:18:36.960 --> 00:18:41.599 We know that there are elite defenders, and we know that there's guys in the NBA who don't play as much D as the other guys. 00:18:41.759 --> 00:18:46.799 But I can tell you from sitting there, everybody's playing hard, and everybody's an athlete. 00:18:46.880 --> 00:18:48.240 I mean, there's real talent there. 00:18:48.319 --> 00:18:53.440 So when you've got that level of athleticism on both sides of the ball, things are gonna happen, no, right? 00:18:53.519 --> 00:18:54.960 Injuries are gonna happen. 00:18:55.680 --> 00:19:00.880 Man, I th I think it's speed, uh, you know, you can attribute that to the game being faster. 00:19:01.119 --> 00:19:03.680 Um and and again, the guys just gotta play. 00:19:03.759 --> 00:19:10.720 And and and you know, I think to your point, when you're ramping up the possessions and these guys are blazing up and down the floor, that's a lot of it. 00:19:10.799 --> 00:19:15.359 Like, you know, we play games, we we you play certain teams, man, they'll walk the ball up to half court. 00:19:15.519 --> 00:19:16.960 You know, they're like they would take your time. 00:19:17.279 --> 00:19:22.559 Like you had veteran ball clubs, and the league has also gotten immensely younger. 00:19:22.640 --> 00:19:24.000 You know, that's a large part of it. 00:19:24.160 --> 00:19:36.240 So again, that's where we're seeing the speed of the game and the teams that have shown you success, Oklahoma City, San Antonio, and and the Knicks, like it's it they they play hard and they play full court, you know. 00:19:36.480 --> 00:19:38.480 You know, talk I talk about depth, right? 00:19:38.640 --> 00:19:41.599 So um, so you know, the Rockets, right? 00:19:41.680 --> 00:19:45.759 The Rockets easily could go now 10, 11, 12 deep, right? 00:19:45.839 --> 00:19:45.920 Yeah. 00:19:46.079 --> 00:19:51.599 Isaiah Crawford seeing minutes in the first quarter, Shiwe is seeing minutes in the in the first quarter, right? 00:19:51.759 --> 00:19:53.920 Clint Capella, all these guys. 00:19:54.079 --> 00:19:56.960 Um, you know, the depth is really key, right? 00:19:57.200 --> 00:20:11.599 Rafael Stone has done an immaculate job of of building from the ground up, and it's not that he just values the Kevin Durant, he values the Kwordir Copelands, the Reed Shepherds, the uh Oscar Sheways, as you spoke about. 00:20:11.759 --> 00:20:16.640 He's like, like, I need a guy that can spell me eight minutes here. 00:20:16.880 --> 00:20:19.279 I need a guy who might start. 00:20:19.680 --> 00:20:25.759 Okay, I got Steven Adams, but I'm really gonna put value on a Clint Capella also. 00:20:26.319 --> 00:20:37.680 So uh those positions, Isaiah Crawford's, there's a lot of value and development and building there, where in the past, teams may not do that. 00:20:37.839 --> 00:20:41.039 You may say, hey, like I'm paying this guy, you know, 200 million. 00:20:41.119 --> 00:20:44.880 I I'm I he's gonna play 40 minutes a night, like you know. 00:20:45.200 --> 00:20:52.319 And you're seeing a group that's coming in with the Houston Rockets saying, let's minimize his minutes, minimize his minutes. 00:20:52.400 --> 00:20:56.079 We're taking the time, and teams always see how do you win in the league? 00:20:56.240 --> 00:20:57.279 You're winning with depth. 00:20:57.359 --> 00:21:00.240 And when it's go time, you got guys who can hit the button. 00:21:00.559 --> 00:21:04.319 KD is the KD is famous for never wanting to come out of a game, right? 00:21:04.400 --> 00:21:07.839 So, so you know, Adoka's got to really work to limit his minutes, right? 00:21:07.920 --> 00:21:10.400 He has to sort of fight with him a little to get him out of the game. 00:21:10.559 --> 00:21:14.079 But but but in the long run, you're saying that depth and resting guys helps? 00:21:14.319 --> 00:21:14.960 It's everything. 00:21:15.119 --> 00:21:15.359 Right. 00:21:15.519 --> 00:21:16.400 It it's everything. 00:21:16.640 --> 00:21:22.640 And and and as you look around the league and we speak injuries, like it's just like who's gonna be the most healthy at the end of the year. 00:21:22.720 --> 00:21:22.880 Right. 00:21:23.039 --> 00:21:26.160 You know, look at what what what our guys, you know, losing Fred last year. 00:21:26.240 --> 00:21:26.319 Right. 00:21:26.480 --> 00:21:27.680 You know, we we sounded crazy. 00:21:27.759 --> 00:21:28.880 We're like, Fred's so valuable. 00:21:29.359 --> 00:21:30.720 Like, be quiet, Mark. 00:21:31.200 --> 00:21:32.079 What are you talking about? 00:21:32.160

--> 00:21:34.960 Now they're like, oh, Fred, they all these bonus is right. 00:21:35.200 --> 00:21:39.119 I know this is funny because and and I and I could say you could say this about any sport, right? 00:21:39.200 --> 00:21:45.440 If you're a fan of the sport and you open up the newspaper these days, you go on the internet and you say, Oh, well, let me look at the box score from last night. 00:21:45.599 --> 00:21:48.960 You know, you look at some guys' box scores and you're like, well, that guy's not not a big deal. 00:21:49.119 --> 00:21:56.079 But when you walk when you're a fan of a team and you watch the guy day in and day out, you see that they're you see their value. 00:21:56.319 --> 00:21:59.119 It's in baseball, it's in football, and we're talking hoops, right? 00:21:59.279 --> 00:22:01.759 You and I talked about this and you just said it. 00:22:01.920 --> 00:22:06.240 Fred brings a value to that team just by walking on the court. 00:22:06.400 --> 00:22:09.200 Has n without taking a shot, without doing anything, right? 00:22:09.279 --> 00:22:11.599 He he really changes everything on the on the floor. 00:22:11.839 --> 00:22:13.279 It's it's it's the subtleties. 00:22:13.519 --> 00:22:17.519 You know, when there's a three-on-one fast break and he gets his steal, they don't speak about that. 00:22:17.599 --> 00:22:19.839 When he boxes out a seven-footer, they don't speak about that. 00:22:20.000 --> 00:22:24.960 When he kicks the ball up the floor, draws a guy and you know goes good to great on a pass. 00:22:25.119 --> 00:22:26.880 Uh there's so many little things. 00:22:26.960 --> 00:22:30.000 And now, you know, the rest of the group is getting comfortable. 00:22:30.160 --> 00:22:33.279 And you have a guy just it's not just coach, Udoka. 00:22:33.759 --> 00:22:36.240 Is Fred going, all right, what's the flow of the game? 00:22:36.400 --> 00:22:37.039 Do we need to push? 00:22:37.119 --> 00:22:38.160 Do we need to slow it up? 00:22:38.319 --> 00:22:39.759 Do I need to get Kevin looks? 00:22:39.839 --> 00:22:42.240 Do I need like like how are we going to figure things out? 00:22:42.400 --> 00:22:48.400 So there's so much that he's able to do, and it's subtle because Fred can score. 00:22:48.480 --> 00:22:52.240 You know, in in Toronto, he played the two along with Lowry. 00:22:52.319 --> 00:22:54.480 So a lot of people didn't know he could run a team, but he's a winner. 00:22:54.640 --> 00:22:56.160 So they go, he's just a scoring guard. 00:22:56.319 --> 00:22:58.880 It's like, no, he just hadn't been in that position. 00:22:59.200 --> 00:23:00.160 He can play it. 00:23:00.319 --> 00:23:11.519 So there's a number of guys that can actually play point or play two, and it and it's rare because you don't see point guards off the ball a lot, but uh he is one of the unique players that can play both sides. 00:23:11.759 --> 00:23:22.319 So, you know, again, as we're sitting here with off last night to Minnesota, uh tough game, so we're seven and

two, but we're still Rockets are the best team in the league or one of the three or four best teams in the league now. 00:23:22.640 --> 00:23:27.519 Um what what do you, you know, what do you point to? 00:23:27.599 --> 00:23:30.960 Is what what's the most important thing that changed from last year to this year? 00:23:31.119 --> 00:23:31.839 Is it Fred? 00:23:32.000 --> 00:23:33.519 Is it the development of the young guys? 00:23:33.680 --> 00:23:34.880 Is it adding smart? 00:23:35.039 --> 00:23:39.599 Is it uh I'm I know you're gonna say it's all the above, but let's let's walk through it a little bit, man. 00:23:39.920 --> 00:23:41.440 Number one is clearly Fred. 00:23:43.519 --> 00:23:46.240 Number two is also the growth of the young guys. 00:23:46.319 --> 00:23:48.480 They they they make things a lot easier. 00:23:48.559 --> 00:23:50.400 Uh, and they were tested last year. 00:23:50.559 --> 00:23:57.519 Uh three, I would say the additions, you know, uh Bogdan and Marcus are what the group needed. 00:23:57.680 --> 00:23:59.599 Okay, like they needed shooting. 00:23:59.680 --> 00:24:02.160 Bogdanovich is certified in that spot. 00:24:02.240 --> 00:24:02.880 He can step in. 00:24:02.960 --> 00:24:05.680 If it's the fourth quarter, I would trust him to go in. 00:24:05.839 --> 00:24:11.839 He he's the all-time leading scorer in uh is it Slovenian history? 00:24:11.920 --> 00:24:12.400 Like it's ridiculous. 00:24:12.720 --> 00:24:13.680 Serbian or Serbian. 00:24:13.759 --> 00:24:14.160 See, there you go. 00:24:14.240 --> 00:24:15.119 I messed it up on the broadcast. 00:24:15.279 --> 00:24:16.880 That's what I need, that's what I need to hear, right? 00:24:17.200 --> 00:24:20.480 Well, but by the way, I'm only correcting you because Craig corrected you on the broadcast. 00:24:20.559 --> 00:24:21.279 So Craig taught me. 00:24:21.359 --> 00:24:21.599 That's all. 00:24:21.920 --> 00:24:22.160 I'm horrible. 00:24:22.640 --> 00:24:23.119 That's right, man. 00:24:23.599 --> 00:24:29.359 But um you got somebody certified in that spot, and that changes everything. 00:24:29.599 --> 00:24:36.000 So again, I would say one, Fred, two, the young guys getting better, and then three, fill in in those correct spots. 00:24:36.079 --> 00:24:37.839 And they were like they were like needs. 00:24:37.920 --> 00:24:40.640 Like our group will be good, but you got needs. 00:24:40.720 --> 00:24:42.559 You needed Marcus Smart's nastiest. 00:24:42.640 --> 00:24:46.880 You need bog down shooting, and then, you know, the the guys taking the next step is the gold. 00:24:46.960 --> 00:24:53.680 And now, how do we rest and get the most bang for your buck if you're the Houston Rockets and around the league, hey, it's health. 00:24:54.079 --> 00:24:56.400 You want to minimize these minutes as best you can. 00:24:56.559 --> 00:24:59.519 And then you can always hit go, but you got to be able to get there. 00:24:59.599 --> 00:25:04.160 And we're seeing a lot of unfortunate situations because you want to play against the best on the other side. 00:25:04.240 --> 00:25:04.400 Right. 00:25:04.480 --> 00:25:06.559 Nobody wants to see Minnesota without Anthony Edwards. 00:25:06.640 --> 00:25:06.799 Right. 00:25:06.960 --> 00:25:09.119 You know, but right now that's that's what it is. 00:25:09.279 --> 00:25:13.200 So Houston's saying we got to focus on us, and you think about this mentality too. 00:25:13.279 --> 00:25:15.759 Like when Fred went down, no one cared. 00:25:15.839 --> 00:25:18.559 They just said our guys weren't that good or our team wasn't that good. 00:25:18.640 --> 00:25:18.799 Right. 00:25:19.119 --> 00:25:21.599 And it was it was spilled milk with the injury. 00:25:21.680 --> 00:25:24.079 You know, that's how, oh, is Houston this and Houston that? 00:25:24.160 --> 00:25:25.039 It was spilled milk. 00:25:25.200 --> 00:25:31.119 So um I will say ultimately at the end of the day, you our group's got to focus on being the best that they can be. 00:25:31.279 --> 00:25:38.640 We got something special going on here, and you know, you just uh pray that uh injuries are not a part of it, you know, and it is tough to see that around the league. 00:25:38.960 --> 00:25:40.720 You know, it's funny you mentioned Raphael. 00:25:40.799 --> 00:25:42.319 So just think about what he did, right? 00:25:42.400 --> 00:25:49.519 So when when they tore this team down after, you know, you know, James Harden era and you know, Eric Gordon and all those guys, and he went with all the young guys. 00:25:49.599 --> 00:25:55.920 So now he's got Amen, Reed, Jabari, Alpi, Tari, right? 00:25:56.000 --> 00:26:04.400 That that's a that's a pretty hardcore, talented core of young guys who I don't know who's the oldest in that group, maybe Tari, 24, something like that, right? 00:26:04.799 --> 00:26:08.160 Then you mix in a couple of veterans, you know, KD, I mean veterans. 00:26:08.240 --> 00:26:11.279 I mean, KD, one of the greatest players to ever step in the court. 00:26:11.519 --> 00:26:15.200 Fred, Marcus Smart, Bogey, Capella, right? 00:26:15.279 --> 00:26:21.359 That's that's a pretty nice mix that that you have there of the vets and and the and the young guys that they brought up all. 00:26:21.599 --> 00:26:26.880 It's it's like he probably drew it up, you know, four or five years ago when they were planning it, and it's really worked beautifully. 00:26:27.039 --> 00:26:27.119 Yeah. 00:26:27.359 --> 00:26:38.960 Yeah, he he did an unbelievable job of taking his time and saying, you know, as a general manager and a and an owner or president, it's easy to hit the go button to go spend money. 00:26:39.039 --> 00:26:45.519 You can spend it, but building in the right places and taking your time and committing to the right player. 00:26:45.759 --> 00:26:49.839 Because now, like, I gotta look at you and I have to project. 00:26:49.920 --> 00:26:52.240 And I and I gotta project you, not right now. 00:26:52.400 --> 00:26:55.920 I gotta say, Mark is gonna

be this good in five years. 00:26:56.000 --> 00:26:56.319 Right. 00:26:56.559 --> 00:27:00.319 I gotta make a choice because this other guy to the to the left or the right may be better. 00:27:00.559 --> 00:27:01.519 Today he's better, right. 00:27:01.680 --> 00:27:03.519 I have to say in five years, you're gonna be better. 00:27:03.599 --> 00:27:04.720 I'm gonna vested you. 00:27:04.880 --> 00:27:06.559 And you gotta roll the dice on somebody. 00:27:06.960 --> 00:27:11.440 They all don't pan out, but I mean, heck, Rafael did a great unbelievable job. 00:27:11.519 --> 00:27:17.839 And then the hardest part before we even get to that, which he ended up having good problems, is um you had to draft well. 00:27:17.920 --> 00:27:18.079 Right. 00:27:18.319 --> 00:27:20.960 You draft well, they they they become talented. 00:27:21.039 --> 00:27:27.119 You know, Al Franchoon is a uh a top three, if I mean at worst, four center in the NBA. 00:27:27.279 --> 00:27:27.440 Right. 00:27:27.599 --> 00:27:29.680 And you you draft him in the middle of the first round. 00:27:29.839 --> 00:27:40.640 So you draft hard middle for like these are key things that he's been able to do, and that's where you make your money as a general manager because the top picks are pretty slated. 00:27:40.799 --> 00:27:40.880 Right. 00:27:41.039 --> 00:27:42.079 Like the top ones are pretty slated. 00:27:42.160 --> 00:27:44.240 You might wow somebody with something, but they're pretty slated. 00:27:44.480 --> 00:27:50.880 But in the middle of the first round, that's where um that's where Houston's become special. 00:27:51.920 --> 00:28:03.359 Talk to me about a kid we picked up at the end of the first round, because I just yeah, he he he doesn't play all that much, but when he plays, you can just see he's got a nose for the ball, he knows how to put the ball in the basket, and he just seems like a gamer. 00:28:03.440 --> 00:28:04.880 Bruce Thornton talked me about him a little bit. 00:28:05.039 --> 00:28:06.240 Bruce Thornton is stuff as nails. 00:28:06.319 --> 00:28:09.920 The thing with Bruce is um he's just gonna have to learn the tricks of the trade. 00:28:10.160 --> 00:28:19.440 You know, you know, if someone comes around, wrap that arm in and draw a foul, you know, defensively, when to poke the ball out, when you can get away with a little extra nudge or foul. 00:28:19.519 --> 00:28:21.119 So he he's gonna be fine. 00:28:21.200 --> 00:28:22.000 He's a gamer. 00:28:22.160 --> 00:28:30.720 And I was speaking with uh with another scout, and he was like, I'm so mad you guys got Bruce Dorton because he was at top on our list. 00:28:30.799 --> 00:28:33.680 And if he went another pick, we were grabbing him. 00:28:33.759 --> 00:28:38.160 And he was he was that highly respected leading scorer in Ohio State history. 00:28:38.400 --> 00:28:48.640 Uh physical, he's built like a tank, and he he's got a lot to his game, but he's still gonna transfer over to the NBA game, and that's something that you're gonna see with him. 00:28:48.960 --> 00:28:49.359 Let's talk. 00:28:49.519 --> 00:28:54.640 I want to talk about another guy who I know you're a uh a big fan of, and I'm a big fan of his. 00:28:54.880 --> 00:28:57.759 And I don't think he gets the love he deserves the league-wise. 00:28:57.839 --> 00:29:02.960 I think he gets I think he gets the love he deserves here in town, um, but that's Jabari, right? 00:29:03.119 --> 00:29:17.680 Um and and again, I'm gonna I'm gonna say again, because I I'm down, I'm watching this guy from the moment he steps on the court and and to the moment he gets off, he plays his ass off on both ends of the ball. 00:29:18.400 --> 00:29:19.039 Talk to you. 00:29:19.119 --> 00:29:22.960 You you keep telling me, you you've told me for the last year or two he's gonna be an all-star. 00:29:23.119 --> 00:29:24.319 Talk to me about Jabari, man. 00:29:24.559 --> 00:29:33.759 He um the biggest thing about Jabari is um what pro Proverbs 3, 5 or 5, 3, I forget. 00:29:33.839 --> 00:29:38.000 Don't quote me on it, but like faith is the insured expectation of that which we can cannot see. 00:29:38.079 --> 00:29:40.960 Like, Jabari believes that he's great. 00:29:41.279 --> 00:29:46.720 And he's knows that he's gonna go and work to be whatever he needs to be. 00:29:47.359 --> 00:29:53.680 And he sees something in his head about his goals and his dreams before y'all don't need to see it because I see it. 00:29:53.839 --> 00:29:54.160 Wow. 00:29:54.400 --> 00:29:56.240 And he walks around with that confidence that's gonna be a good thing. 00:29:56.400 --> 00:29:58.640 But how do you know that because you could see it and feel it? 00:29:58.720 --> 00:30:02.640 You know that from talking to him, a little bit of both speaking to him, right? 00:30:02.880 --> 00:30:08.160 Watching him, watching him when nobody else is watching, seeing that he's always like, let's go, let's go, let's go. 00:30:08.240 --> 00:30:10.400 And and like, man, the NBA is a business. 00:30:10.480 --> 00:30:13.519 It it wears on people sometimes, but like Jabari believes that. 00:30:13.599 --> 00:30:17.839 He's really, I'm coming in prepared and ready, and then he's selfless. 00:30:18.319 --> 00:30:24.240 And uh a lot of guys that are top three picks in the NBA, they're like, give me the ball. 00:30:24.799 --> 00:30:28.799 What do you mean go go weak side rebound or guard this guy? 00:30:28.880 --> 00:30:30.640 Like, they don't want to do that. 00:30:30.880 --> 00:30:33.599 So he said, I'm gonna be great in my role. 00:30:33.759 --> 00:30:35.519 How can I go out and affect the game? 00:30:35.839 --> 00:30:37.279 What are the things that I can do? 00:30:37.440 --> 00:30:43.200 And he stepped into a spot that he can flourish, and then with his size, you win championships with him. 00:30:43.279 --> 00:30:44.960 I compare him, he's our Rob Hory. 00:30:45.200 --> 00:30:45.359 Right. 00:30:45.440 --> 00:30:47.119 You know, big shot, big shot bow. 00:30:47.279

--> 00:30:52.880 Like, like if if there's a just I'm gonna tell you right now, if the Houston Rockets have to take a last shot. 00:30:53.200 --> 00:30:54.720 But dude, I was about to say it. 00:30:54.799 --> 00:30:55.279 Go ahead. 00:30:55.519 --> 00:30:56.799 We know KD, right? 00:30:57.039 --> 00:30:59.119 I know, but he's the history of the game, right? 00:30:59.759 --> 00:31:02.079 If we had to pick one, I'm probably picking Kevin Durant. 00:31:02.319 --> 00:31:02.799 He's that big. 00:31:02.880 --> 00:31:03.039 Yeah. 00:31:03.200 --> 00:31:10.960 But of this group, Jabari probably I would I would probably take my season on the line with Jabari. 00:31:11.119 --> 00:31:12.640 He's that like, like, yeah, you've seen it. 00:31:12.960 --> 00:31:13.039 Right? 00:31:13.279 --> 00:31:14.240 You know, you know my daughter, right? 00:31:14.319 --> 00:31:17.680 So my daughter's sister in the game, and I at the end of tense games, I'm I just keep hitting her. 00:31:17.759 --> 00:31:19.680 I'm like, get it to Jabari, get it Jabari. 00:31:19.839 --> 00:31:20.799 And that's no disrespect to K. 00:31:21.200 --> 00:31:23.279 How can you how can you disrespect KD, right? 00:31:23.359 --> 00:31:26.799 One of the five or six or seven greatest players in the history of the game. 00:31:27.119 --> 00:31:38.000 Jabari, particularly this year, um has a confidence about him when he when he when he spots up for that three, top of the key, or in the corner. 00:31:38.079 --> 00:31:39.279 I love him at the top of the key. 00:31:39.359 --> 00:31:42.079 That top of the key shot, I I'm like, that's it. 00:31:42.400 --> 00:31:44.079 It's it's it's gold every single time. 00:31:44.160 --> 00:31:44.400 All right. 00:31:44.640 --> 00:31:46.240 That's how I feel when he puts it up, right? 00:31:46.480 --> 00:31:50.319 You know that there are some guys that they put up a shot and you're like, oh boy, you know, this ain't going anywhere. 00:31:50.480 --> 00:31:55.680 When when Jabari puts up a shot and at the end of the game, I love knowing that he's got the ball in his hands. 00:31:55.839 --> 00:31:57.119 Make or miss, I feel really good at that. 00:31:57.200 --> 00:31:58.160 He's got another gear. 00:31:58.319 --> 00:31:59.680 It's it's it's unique. 00:31:59.839 --> 00:32:02.720 I I you can win a championship with it with a Jabari. 00:32:02.880 --> 00:32:05.839 He fits that Richard Lewis, Robert Hori mode. 00:32:05.920 --> 00:32:07.279 Like, get on the ball. 00:32:07.440 --> 00:32:08.880 Like, I trust him in those spots. 00:32:08.960 --> 00:32:10.240 I'm still going with KD, Bart. 00:32:10.640 --> 00:32:11.839 We're not gonna get that excited. 00:32:12.400 --> 00:32:13.359 We're not quite yet. 00:32:13.440 --> 00:32:14.720 We're not gonna do that exciting. 00:32:15.440 --> 00:32:16.640 We have to have a little bit of a cut. 00:32:16.799 --> 00:32:18.880 We have to have a little some stuff that we can disagree on, man. 00:32:18.960 --> 00:32:20.640 We gotta bat a little bit, dude. 00:32:21.200 --> 00:32:22.480 I'm gonna keep talking to Jabari. 00:32:22.720 --> 00:32:28.319 He also has seems like he's developed his handle, and and you talk about this on the broadcast. 00:32:28.400 --> 00:32:31.599 So I'm talking like I'm talking like I know what I'm talking about, but I'm just repeating. 00:32:31.839 --> 00:32:32.799 I'm just repeating Ron. 00:32:33.200 --> 00:32:38.400 I'm just repeating what some I'm just repeating what some dude Holland says on on the uh on the broadcast. 00:32:38.480 --> 00:32:41.119 But and you yell, you you say it on the broadcast. 00:32:41.200 --> 00:32:42.319 Take him down, big fella. 00:32:42.640 --> 00:32:49.119 He he goes into, he he takes them all down under the free throw line, backs guys down, that little turnaround, you can't stop it. 00:32:49.279 --> 00:32:51.759 I mean it's a it that's a KD shot too, right? 00:32:51.839 --> 00:32:53.599 You know, just he's gonna work his way in. 00:32:53.759 --> 00:33:00.240 KD does it differently, but he's gonna work his way in, and that turnaround jumper, I I don't know how you defend it. 00:33:01.200 --> 00:33:04.640 You can I can tell you do something, right? 00:33:04.799 --> 00:33:04.960 Right. 00:33:05.200 --> 00:33:13.279 But until like you get to see somebody do it, it it's tough to emulate. 00:33:13.519 --> 00:33:13.680 Right. 00:33:14.079 --> 00:33:21.759 So his greatest teacher, his greatest coach is Kevin Durant because Kevin can do something, he like, all right, I'm I'm like he gets to watch him. 00:33:22.160 --> 00:33:25.680 It's such a value that you can't recreate. 00:33:26.160 --> 00:33:39.680 And I'm sure Rafael Stone, the the the the mad scientist, was in the lab and going, I got a jabari, and if I get KD and he can just watch, these two shoot together, they work out all summer. 00:33:39.839 --> 00:33:40.160 Really? 00:33:40.319 --> 00:33:46.720 Summertime Jabari, before he became a rocket, would go with KD and study him and train with him. 00:33:47.680 --> 00:33:52.480 So he's that when we talk about this guy wanting the like wanting it, right? 00:33:52.720 --> 00:33:53.759 Go learn. 00:33:54.079 --> 00:33:55.039 Go watch. 00:33:55.599 --> 00:33:59.279 You know, you he he's the protege, like you want to learn from the best. 00:33:59.519 --> 00:34:03.519 Now, sometimes you just got unique people that just got it, you know, they find it out, right? 00:34:03.680 --> 00:34:10.320 But it's a value that speeds up the learning curve where you see, oh, this is how it's done. 00:34:10.559 --> 00:34:16.559 Okay, he gets to watch it, and and and it and it's humble enough to say, like, I want every piece of it. 00:34:16.880 --> 00:34:22.480 You know, and it's interesting because and I don't you know, I know him, I know him to say hello to him, you know him personally. 00:34:22.639 --> 00:34:26.400 You could see you could see his confidence growing. 00:34:26.559 --> 00:34:27.280 You could see it. 00:34:27.440 --> 00:34:34.480 You could see that

he he wants the ball, he wants it in the big moments, he's gonna back that guy down. 00:34:34.559 --> 00:34:36.639 Um he wants to take the big shot. 00:34:36.719 --> 00:34:43.280 You know, with no disrespect to to Paolo and and to Chet, two fantastic ball players. 00:34:43.519 --> 00:34:50.159 I I think as as far as a a total package of a ball player, Jabari's got unbelievable growth potential. 00:34:50.239 --> 00:34:54.079 And he's really, you know, I mean, those guys have both been all-stars and they're both superstars. 00:34:54.400 --> 00:35:02.079 Unfortunately, Chet's had some, you know, unfortunate injuries, but I think the Rockets did very, very, very well in that number three slot pick in Jabari. 00:35:02.400 --> 00:35:09.119 You could argue I'd rather take a guy that is gonna know his role and he's gonna fit in with anybody, anywhere in any game. 00:35:09.280 --> 00:35:15.360 And the way he plays, I can plug him in anywhere on any team with anybody on side of them. 00:35:15.519 --> 00:35:17.840 And sometimes it's hard playing with other guys. 00:35:17.920 --> 00:35:18.000 Right. 00:35:18.159 --> 00:35:20.000 Or is there certain guys, oh, are they gonna fit? 00:35:20.079 --> 00:35:21.920 They're gonna make Jabari's gonna mesh with anybody. 00:35:22.000 --> 00:35:23.840 And he's gonna be productive the way that he plays. 00:35:24.159 --> 00:35:26.239 He can defend the one one through five, right? 00:35:26.480 --> 00:35:31.679 He'll bring the ball up, he'll play the five when, you know, when when Alpi or Steven Adams are out. 00:35:31.840 --> 00:35:32.000 Yeah. 00:35:32.159 --> 00:35:34.239 You can tell I'm a big I'm a big Jabari fan. 00:35:35.119 --> 00:35:37.199 But no, well, let's talk about Alpi a little bit, man. 00:35:37.280 --> 00:35:43.840 So he he also um He does things that I've that I've not seen. 00:35:43.920 --> 00:35:48.800 You know, the way he backs guys down and shoots over his head and and and all sorts of crazy stuff. 00:35:48.880 --> 00:35:50.880 Talk to me a little bit about Alpi and his development. 00:35:50.960 --> 00:35:53.199 I mean, you've been you've been here the entire time, right? 00:35:53.280 --> 00:35:55.599 This is Alpi's, I think his fifth year, I think. 00:35:55.760 --> 00:35:55.840 Yeah. 00:35:56.000 --> 00:35:57.199 I think his five year five in. 00:35:57.280 --> 00:35:59.280 This is your six, going to the sixth year. 00:35:59.519 --> 00:35:59.840 Yeah, yeah. 00:36:00.000 --> 00:36:05.519 So talk to me about what you've seen in his development and and what he does that's so unique. 00:36:06.400 --> 00:36:14.239 He's got a unique ability to uh control his body and play off of your body. 00:36:14.480 --> 00:36:14.639 Okay. 00:36:14.960 --> 00:36:18.559 So he's got the footwork to go, I'm gonna take you right, come back left. 00:36:19.039 --> 00:36:20.639 I'm gonna go left, come back right. 00:36:21.360 --> 00:36:22.320 That's unique. 00:36:22.480 --> 00:36:24.320 Uh it's time to spin off you. 00:36:24.480 --> 00:36:26.400 You know, I'm gonna nudge you and get away from you. 00:36:26.559 --> 00:36:30.559 So he plays and rolls off your body so well that it's tough. 00:36:30.719 --> 00:36:33.039 And then he can legitimately handle the basketball. 00:36:33.119 --> 00:36:34.480 You can put the ball in his hands. 00:36:34.559 --> 00:36:38.159 He's a they don't make him like that. 00:36:38.239 --> 00:36:45.199 And and his skill set is so unique that it's hard to give him comps, but uh he he's a different type of player. 00:36:45.280 --> 00:36:50.400 He's an excellent finisher, and I think the challenge for Al P moving forward is just making less more. 00:36:50.559 --> 00:36:52.880 Simplifying his game, get him easy looks. 00:36:52.960 --> 00:36:57.519 Sometimes when you got to get a guy with a million moves, boom, you just want to hit him in the pocket and get him a good look. 00:36:57.599 --> 00:37:00.559 And that's why Al P also said, I'm so happy Fred is back. 00:37:01.760 --> 00:37:03.440 It's gonna make my life easier. 00:37:03.519 --> 00:37:03.599 Yes. 00:37:03.920 --> 00:37:19.440 You know, so uh that value and having that, and he's still young, so you're still seeing him improve and and get better, I think it's just challenging him, and sometimes less is more with a guy that that's that's that great because he's got he's got everything, as we've noted. 00:37:19.679 --> 00:37:20.719 I mean, what's super cool? 00:37:20.800 --> 00:37:25.440 I mean, there was that, I think it was the second game of the year or the first game of the year against the against the Spurs. 00:37:25.840 --> 00:37:26.800 Exciting game. 00:37:26.960 --> 00:37:32.320 And those last couple minutes, they just ran the same play over and over and over again, right? 00:37:32.480 --> 00:37:42.159 Fred came down, uh Alpi just picked up the ball and and just backed Wemby down, and I think he scored like eight, ten points in a row, and he did each one a little bit differently, right? 00:37:42.239 --> 00:37:42.400 Yeah. 00:37:42.559 --> 00:37:53.280 He uses his body to some, I mean, he goes right at like a Rudy Gobert and a Wemby who have, I don't know, four, five, six inches on him, but he somehow uses his body to get control of the space. 00:37:53.519 --> 00:37:57.840 He knows where he wants to get to, and we're almost starting to see it like once he gets to that spot, that's money. 00:37:57.920 --> 00:38:05.360 Like right to the corner of the board because he knows you can't block it, or he'll go underneath, and but he really puts you in jail, and it's tough because they can't help. 00:38:05.440 --> 00:38:09.119 And when I say put you in jail, it's saying like I can't defend this guy, right? 00:38:09.280 --> 00:38:12.960 I gotta foul him or I gotta give up a bucket because he'll take his time. 00:38:13.039 --> 00:38:18.559 I mean, you don't see a lot of American moral post players like taking their time, get to that spot, and shoot. 00:38:18.800 --> 00:38:22.079 You know, he knows I

want to get to this corner. 00:38:22.159 --> 00:38:24.559 When I'm driving right, I want to get to the top of the key. 00:38:24.639 --> 00:38:25.119 You know, is it? 00:38:25.280 --> 00:38:28.079 But he's got he's got so many moves. 00:38:28.159 --> 00:38:29.760 Like you forget some of the moves. 00:38:29.840 --> 00:38:30.960 So we almost watch him. 00:38:31.119 --> 00:38:35.519 If I'm not wrong, like you're figuring what he's gonna do every single game. 00:38:35.599 --> 00:38:36.400 Like, what's he doing? 00:38:36.559 --> 00:38:37.519 Okay, he went to that movie. 00:38:37.599 --> 00:38:41.840 There's a couple we've seen before, but uh he's got so many that he can get to. 00:38:42.079 --> 00:38:44.960 And I'll tell you another thing that that he that he does. 00:38:45.119 --> 00:38:46.480 Talk about old school, right? 00:38:46.559 --> 00:38:48.400 Talk about, you know, back to the 90s. 00:38:48.559 --> 00:38:50.559 He plays some serious bully ball, man. 00:38:50.719 --> 00:38:54.719 He lays his you know, I'm surprised they don't call him a more offensive sometimes. 00:38:54.880 --> 00:38:59.599 He'll come down and just lay his his shoulder, his chest, sometimes his elbow. 00:38:59.760 --> 00:39:01.679 He just he just pushes people out of the way. 00:39:01.920 --> 00:39:04.960 Yeah, and that's and that's the value of him getting older. 00:39:05.119 --> 00:39:12.559 So now his physicality is showing more and more, you know, and his game is much of his footwork, you know, he will hit you. 00:39:12.639 --> 00:39:17.199 And so the the added strength, uh, shoot, he got here, even grew an inch. 00:39:17.280 --> 00:39:27.280 You know, his body's changed and developed, and you know, you probably look at a before and and and after like picture, early, early and now, you're gonna be like, man, he's putting work, but you can see it. 00:39:27.360 --> 00:39:39.440 But his physicality in the league where, you know, there's not many, if at all, low post scores or even low post defenders with the speed and the the size, he is the key for the Houston Rockets. 00:39:39.840 --> 00:39:42.800 So you're saying a lot of teams aren't geared up to guard him. 00:39:42.960 --> 00:39:43.119 Right. 00:39:43.280 --> 00:39:46.880 You know, they're gearing up to guard wings, they're gearing up to guard Kevin Durance. 00:39:47.119 --> 00:39:47.280 Right. 00:39:47.440 --> 00:39:51.679 There's not a lot of guys in the league that they're saying are gonna guard the Alpren Shingoons. 00:39:51.840 --> 00:39:52.719 It's unbelievable, man. 00:39:52.800 --> 00:39:55.760 And we haven't even we haven't even talked about the Uber athlete, right? 00:39:55.840 --> 00:39:59.920 The the the guy who's just just you know just blows everybody's mind. 00:40:00.000 --> 00:40:04.480 People have been around the league as long as you, people have been around the league 20 years longer than you. 00:40:04.719 --> 00:40:05.519 Amen, man. 00:40:05.679 --> 00:40:12.559 Talk to me about Amen, talk to me about what's different about him, and again, the growth that you see in every year. 00:40:12.800 --> 00:40:13.119 Yeah. 00:40:13.599 --> 00:40:14.960 Selfless worker, man. 00:40:15.599 --> 00:40:17.039 He he's he's humble. 00:40:17.280 --> 00:40:18.639 Like he's like, what do you need? 00:40:18.719 --> 00:40:22.079 And you talk about like playing hard, like he doesn't turn it off. 00:40:22.559 --> 00:40:23.360 He doesn't turn it off. 00:40:23.440 --> 00:40:25.599 And he goes, like, like you gotta reel the men back. 00:40:25.760 --> 00:40:27.119 That's how hard he plays. 00:40:27.360 --> 00:40:30.320 And he's he's got a unique level of like competition. 00:40:30.480 --> 00:40:34.239 Like he's so competitive each and every night. 00:40:34.559 --> 00:40:37.599 It it's like like he's obsessed about it. 00:40:37.760 --> 00:40:39.599 Um he's humble. 00:40:40.079 --> 00:40:43.920 And guy just got 200 million dollars and he comes a game with a sweatsuit on. 00:40:44.000 --> 00:40:47.119 Like he has comes from an unbelievable family. 00:40:47.440 --> 00:40:56.079 But his competitive nature and like drive to want to be great, I'm gonna take it to Minn Thompson all day and uh twice on a Tuesday, three times on a Wednesday, right? 00:40:56.159 --> 00:40:59.679 Like, because those type of guys are going to get better. 00:40:59.760 --> 00:41:04.239 They're going to work, they're going to figure out whatever they need to figure out because it means that much to him. 00:41:04.480 --> 00:41:10.079 And when he what he I love that, you know, last year we all, we know, without Fred, he had to play the point a lot, right? 00:41:10.159 --> 00:41:14.400 He's forced into doing stuff that was a little bit out of his comfort zone, I guess, right? 00:41:14.559 --> 00:41:21.519 But now you see him when he drives, when he gets in the paint and he drives to the hoop, you could see when he decides that he's gonna go to the basket. 00:41:21.599 --> 00:41:27.920 I'm not even sure that he knows what he's gonna do when he leaves his feet, but somehow he knows he's gonna put that ball in the hoop. 00:41:28.239 --> 00:41:34.320 He's uh he's getting placed back into a role where he can just go finish, go be athletic. 00:41:34.400 --> 00:41:37.199 And the guys look, they get a chance, they just throw it up to him. 00:41:37.280 --> 00:41:44.480 You know, they hit him on a bounce pass, they want to catch him in stride, and uh he's made some plays and we're shaking our head like, man, how did you do that? 00:41:44.639 --> 00:41:48.800 That block on Wimby is the one that that's probably gonna be a staple in a men's career. 00:41:48.880 --> 00:41:49.119 Right. 00:41:49.280 --> 00:42:02.719 You know, but there's so many plays that he makes that we just shake our head, and a guy with a relentless motor, he's a pogo stick off the floor, like it'll be three, two, seven footers in there, and men Thompson will come down with the ball over him. 00:42:02.800 --> 00:42:08.320 Like, and I think

we're starting to take those plays for granted, but uh, a men just comes with so much man. 00:42:08.800 --> 00:42:13.440 Dumble and we've going down the list, let's talk about Reed, right? 00:42:13.519 --> 00:42:19.280 He came in with the now he's got a big shaggy hair doing and a little scratch of a beard, but he also jacked himself up. 00:42:19.360 --> 00:42:21.760 He also seems to have taken, you know, another step. 00:42:21.840 --> 00:42:22.719 What do you think of Reed, man? 00:42:23.039 --> 00:42:23.920 He put on strength. 00:42:24.079 --> 00:42:37.360 Uh Fred Fred told me uh in the season he felt like Reed really took that step and the confidence that he's playing with, and I like that Reed's similar to a minute's fellow back into a more comfortable role where a men's an athlete, he knows my job is to score. 00:42:37.519 --> 00:42:37.920 Right. 00:42:38.159 --> 00:42:42.559 And now uh amongst the scoring, um, I'll pass after that. 00:42:42.800 --> 00:42:47.920 But instead of Reed coming in and thinking the game, man, I'm looking for my three. 00:42:48.480 --> 00:42:50.320 And he's encouraged to do that. 00:42:50.480 --> 00:42:54.719 So now his shooting ability has changed gains for the Houston Rockets. 00:42:54.800 --> 00:42:57.599 They're up 10 points, now it's 20 points, you know, and it's in a flurry. 00:42:57.679 --> 00:43:02.800 And defensively by adding strength, getting another year under his belt, he's becoming a much better defender. 00:43:03.039 --> 00:43:05.760 Yeah, look, early in his career, other teams would pick on him, right? 00:43:05.840 --> 00:43:07.199 They would pick on him defensively. 00:43:07.360 --> 00:43:10.639 I don't, I it seems like he holds his own much, much better now. 00:43:11.039 --> 00:43:11.360 Yes. 00:43:11.440 --> 00:43:11.599 Yeah. 00:43:11.760 --> 00:43:12.000 Yeah. 00:43:12.159 --> 00:43:17.440 And the biggest thing is just like you can't give up those straight line drives because now you break the defense down. 00:43:17.519 --> 00:43:30.800 But it looks like he's understanding I'm staying in this position, and I love something that uh we were able to see from him last game is like when I'm moving my feet and then I'm reaching for the steal, it's different than being out of position because now I'm beat. 00:43:31.199 --> 00:43:41.519 But if I'm sliding my feet and I'm stealing, or I'm getting in the passing lanes, those hands are getting extremely active, and now I'm not getting burnt by doing those plays. 00:43:41.760 --> 00:43:49.840 So he's a guy who can and has made game changing plays, not just offensively, but defensively. 00:43:49.920 --> 00:43:52.719 And he's a guy you got to be mindful, you know, about. 00:43:52.800 --> 00:43:57.360 But now with that strength saying you can't just drive the ball through me, that changes everything for him. 00:43:57.599 --> 00:43:58.079 Super cool. 00:43:58.159 --> 00:43:59.840 I'll tell you, you know, getting back to Freddy. 00:44:00.239 --> 00:44:01.840 Because we're talking about Fred a little bit earlier. 00:44:02.400 --> 00:44:05.760 I'll tell you another thing about Fred that's amazing that I watch. 00:44:06.320 --> 00:44:09.119 Fred never stops talking on the court. 00:44:09.519 --> 00:44:10.480 Never stops talking. 00:44:10.719 --> 00:44:20.239 He's talking to Ime, he's talking to his he's talking to his teammates, he's talking to the ref, he's talking to uh to the other players. 00:44:20.400 --> 00:44:33.599 He's and and listening, he he's always you get the sense that Fred is the the captain, the general, the quarterback, whatever word you want to use, on that court every moment that he steps on the court. 00:44:33.679 --> 00:44:34.400 It's amazing. 00:44:34.639 --> 00:44:40.320 Mark, in in your business, you might say uh it's a great thing to cut out cut out the middleman, right? 00:44:40.400 --> 00:44:40.480 Right. 00:44:40.800 --> 00:44:43.599 Now you learn something, you make more money, you get where you need to go. 00:44:43.760 --> 00:44:43.840 Right. 00:44:44.159 --> 00:44:47.280 You just say, I I'm going, you know, A to C, right? 00:44:47.599 --> 00:44:48.639 A B C, right? 00:44:48.800 --> 00:45:01.360 Uh in this situation, you want the middleman because Fred is saying, I'm gonna digest what Coach wants, I know how the players are thinking, and now I'm making it work, and I'm minimizing that time. 00:45:01.440 --> 00:45:04.719 I'm speeding up the process of making things happen. 00:45:04.800 --> 00:45:12.400 So, you know, he can analyze the situation much different than Coach Udoka can, and he can say, Hey, how do I make these changes? 00:45:12.559 --> 00:45:18.639 And you'll see him do it in the game, or he'll have a mindset on, like, all right, you know, who's the opponent tonight? 00:45:18.719 --> 00:45:19.840 You know, is Gobert. 00:45:20.079 --> 00:45:21.760 I want to get Al P in the pocket more. 00:45:21.840 --> 00:45:22.000 Right. 00:45:22.159 --> 00:45:23.199 Get him some confidence. 00:45:23.360 --> 00:45:25.519 All right, I need to get Kevin going. 00:45:25.599 --> 00:45:31.199 If we got a fast break opportunity, you're looking for Kevin Durant at every single time that you can. 00:45:31.360 --> 00:45:34.719 So uh this middleman is the good thing. 00:45:34.800 --> 00:45:36.960 Where others, you know, you're trying to cut the middleman. 00:45:37.280 --> 00:45:38.320 Cut that guy out, man. 00:45:38.400 --> 00:45:38.639 Yeah. 00:45:38.880 --> 00:45:40.559 You happy we got Marcus Smart? 00:45:40.639 --> 00:45:41.679 What did that do for us, fam? 00:45:41.920 --> 00:45:42.719 Eesthetic, man. 00:45:42.800 --> 00:45:44.239 You needed you needed an edge. 00:45:44.320 --> 00:45:49.599 You needed a guy who can take things personally, a guy who can change a game, uh, a defender. 00:45:49.679 --> 00:45:52.800 Um, but again, you we miss our guy, Dylan Brooks. 00:45:53.039 --> 00:45:53.119 Yeah. 00:45:53.280 --> 00:45:55.760 He's doing excellent over there in Phoenix. 00:45:55.840

--> 00:46:03.599 But in this situation, Marcus Smart is is he's not Dylan, but he's very unique because he can guard one through five. 00:46:03.679 --> 00:46:07.119 He's physical, he's smart, he's really good offensively. 00:46:07.280 --> 00:46:10.639 And the biggest thing that he does is he's a point guard. 00:46:10.719 --> 00:46:11.920 He's a high usage guy. 00:46:12.000 --> 00:46:20.400 So now back to backs or Fred doesn't play, you got Marcus who can step in, and and I think you get the most out of Marcus by putting him on the ball. 00:46:20.559 --> 00:46:24.000 And in Los Angeles, you had him playing with LeBron and Luca. 00:46:24.079 --> 00:46:25.280 He's gonna play off the ball. 00:46:25.360 --> 00:46:25.679 Right. 00:46:25.920 --> 00:46:31.920 You know, in we in uh in so with the Celtics, JB and JT. 00:46:32.000 --> 00:46:34.559 So you're not taking a ball out of their hands. 00:46:34.800 --> 00:46:42.800 So uh again, the the best thing about Marcus Smart this year is that you have a fit for Marcus, and he's in the chance where he's gonna flourish. 00:46:42.880 --> 00:46:44.639 And uh we we we love that edge. 00:46:44.719 --> 00:46:48.800 We love that chippiness like like Houston is loving every bit of it. 00:46:49.119 --> 00:46:53.679 Yeah, I love, you know, I it has it's happened a little bit this year, but it's happened a lot over the last couple years. 00:46:53.840 --> 00:46:55.840 I love when the games get a little spicy, right? 00:46:55.920 --> 00:46:57.440 I love when they get a little spicy, you know. 00:46:57.920 --> 00:47:00.480 Are you hearing what the guy sorry, Mark, are you hearing what the guy's saying? 00:47:00.800 --> 00:47:02.480 Because you're closer than we are. 00:47:02.639 --> 00:47:06.320 We we kind of like you probably actually hearing it. 00:47:06.639 --> 00:47:07.039 Yes, I do. 00:47:07.119 --> 00:47:09.119 I can hear everything that they're saying, and it's great. 00:47:09.360 --> 00:47:12.079 And and and and and Marcus, by the way, I love it. 00:47:12.159 --> 00:47:12.960 They call him smarty. 00:47:13.119 --> 00:47:13.519 I didn't know that. 00:47:13.599 --> 00:47:14.960 They call him a smarty, you know? 00:47:15.119 --> 00:47:17.840 That's what the other players call him, that's what his friends call him. 00:47:18.079 --> 00:47:20.239 He's at it, he's jarred all the time. 00:47:20.400 --> 00:47:21.920 Uh yeah, you hear what they're saying. 00:47:22.000 --> 00:47:23.360 It's getting spicy at them, man. 00:47:23.519 --> 00:47:26.800 It got spicy last night, it got spicy last night with the Timberwolves a little bit. 00:47:26.880 --> 00:47:28.880 And I think that spiciness works for us, right? 00:47:28.960 --> 00:47:32.559 And like you said, I think that um Dylan brought that, right? 00:47:32.719 --> 00:47:35.199 Dylan brought that to the team and he brought that that sort of hit. 00:47:35.440 --> 00:47:36.639 It's the worst, because you're there. 00:47:37.440 --> 00:47:40.320 Who's the I know you can't say what

they say, right? 00:47:40.400 --> 00:47:42.639 But who's probably the spiciest that you see? 00:47:43.760 --> 00:47:45.280 KD also never shuts up. 00:47:45.519 --> 00:47:47.039 KD never shuts up. 00:47:47.199 --> 00:47:50.400 He talks non-stop the entire he talks the entire game. 00:47:50.559 --> 00:47:51.760 He talks to the bench a lot. 00:47:51.920 --> 00:47:53.920 He talks, he's constantly talking to the bench. 00:47:55.119 --> 00:47:56.239 Remember, I'm on the visitor side, you know. 00:47:56.559 --> 00:47:58.559 He's talking to the other bench all the time. 00:47:58.800 --> 00:47:59.119 Really? 00:47:59.360 --> 00:48:00.719 All the time he's going at it with them. 00:48:00.880 --> 00:48:01.760 In his trash talk? 00:48:01.920 --> 00:48:06.320 Sometimes it's spicy trash talk, sometimes it's good-natured, fun trash talk, right? 00:48:06.719 --> 00:48:09.440 Really, you know, yeah, going at it all the all all the time. 00:48:09.599 --> 00:48:11.119 He he he does a lot of talking. 00:48:11.280 --> 00:48:12.960 Fred does a decent amount of talking. 00:48:13.039 --> 00:48:16.400 I mean, Dylan was Dylan was in a in a world of his own, man, you know. 00:48:16.880 --> 00:48:18.079 Dylan is the spiciest. 00:48:19.679 --> 00:48:20.880 He was the spiciest, man. 00:48:21.119 --> 00:48:28.719 But it's fun, but I think when when when the game gets a little spicy and there's a little pushing and shoving, I think it takes us to another gear. 00:48:29.039 --> 00:48:31.840 I and I and I think it it helps us a lot. 00:48:32.320 --> 00:48:43.519 The other vibe I get, and and you know, I'd like to get your feel on it, is um I get the vibe from sitting down there that these guys really like playing with each other, right? 00:48:43.679 --> 00:48:46.559 Alpi, Jabari, Fred, you know, name everybody. 00:48:46.719 --> 00:48:50.639 And and that um, you know, I'm up, I'm out in the locker room. 00:48:50.719 --> 00:48:56.559 I don't know what's really going on behind the scenes, but I think these guys are all there's there's a real sort of a together vibe there. 00:48:56.639 --> 00:48:56.880 I don't know. 00:48:56.960 --> 00:48:57.440 Do you see that? 00:48:57.519 --> 00:48:58.239 Do you get that sense? 00:48:58.400 --> 00:48:59.920 Yeah, uh absolutely. 00:49:00.079 --> 00:49:04.320 Uh Rafael Stone, it goes back to him, he done a great job of mixing young with old. 00:49:04.400 --> 00:49:06.559 So now I'm not competing with you. 00:49:06.719 --> 00:49:07.039 Right. 00:49:07.280 --> 00:49:08.239 I'm learning from you. 00:49:08.320 --> 00:49:08.400 Right. 00:49:08.639 --> 00:49:15.360 You know, we're in a different class, and uh now you got guys that are, you know, they're pulling for each other. 00:49:15.519 --> 00:49:19.119 But like there's not a conflict. 00:49:19.360 --> 00:49:24.639 Marcus and Bogdan are so different, they're not fighting for if we need a shot, we know Bogey's the guy to shoot. 00:49:24.800 --> 00:49:27.039 You need some defense, you know Marcus is the

guy. 00:49:27.199 --> 00:49:31.679 If uh Al P is in foul trouble, you know it's gonna be Clint or Steven coming up. 00:49:31.760 --> 00:49:38.239 So now that that that edginess, we don't have guys fighting over the same stuff. 00:49:38.639 --> 00:49:39.840 We know what Alpi is. 00:49:39.920 --> 00:49:43.199 We're not going, oh, is Al P is that like hey Alpi, you do this for us. 00:49:43.360 --> 00:49:44.079 Kevin, you do this. 00:49:44.159 --> 00:49:46.800 So there's not a conflict. 00:49:46.880 --> 00:49:50.159 You know, you're not fighting see guys fighting over the same position. 00:49:50.400 --> 00:49:52.800 By the way, you know who you know who also never shuts up again? 00:49:52.880 --> 00:49:55.280 Because I'm down, you know who also never shuts up? 00:49:55.679 --> 00:49:56.800 He talks nonstop? 00:49:56.960 --> 00:49:57.519 LeBron. 00:49:57.920 --> 00:50:00.239 LeBron talks non-stop. 00:50:00.480 --> 00:50:05.519 Again, he's talking to his teammates, he's talking, talks a lot to the refs. 00:50:05.679 --> 00:50:06.000 Oh wow. 00:50:07.360 --> 00:50:08.159 Yeah, you're right there too. 00:50:08.719 --> 00:50:16.960 That you know, that that's you know, the part one thing that surprised me when I started um sitting down, you know, courtside level. 00:50:17.039 --> 00:50:21.039 And and I I wonder if this is your experience when you uh when you played. 00:50:21.199 --> 00:50:31.599 Um I was surprised at how much talk and dialogue and conversation there was there is between the refs and the players. 00:50:31.760 --> 00:50:33.679 And I mean that in a positive way, right? 00:50:33.920 --> 00:50:38.079 The refs listen to what the players say, they talk to them, they explain to them what they're doing. 00:50:38.239 --> 00:50:42.880 I would have thought that the refs would just tell them to shut up, I'm doing my job, you know, don't don't tell me. 00:50:42.960 --> 00:50:44.239 But that that's not what I get. 00:50:44.320 --> 00:50:51.840 I get the sense that that the refs have some a level of respect for the players and talk to them and listen to them and and go back and forth with them. 00:50:51.920 --> 00:50:53.519 You know, they cut it off when it goes too far. 00:50:53.679 --> 00:50:57.440 But I was was that when you were playing, were you yapping at the ref all the time? 00:50:57.519 --> 00:50:58.239 I don't mean at the ref. 00:50:58.400 --> 00:50:58.880 That's not right. 00:50:59.199 --> 00:50:59.920 Talking to the ref. 00:51:00.320 --> 00:51:01.119 Yes and no. 00:51:01.280 --> 00:51:06.320 I felt like the the best referees that I knew, you could ask them where was the foul? 00:51:06.480 --> 00:51:07.039 Talk to me. 00:51:07.119 --> 00:51:07.280 Yeah. 00:51:07.519 --> 00:51:09.920 Hey, and they'll tell you, get your hands off. 00:51:10.000 --> 00:51:10.159 Right. 00:51:10.320 --> 00:51:12.320 Hey, stop playing with your hands, stop whatever. 00:51:12.480 --> 00:51:13.440 Your hands stay in there. 00:51:13.519 --> 00:51:14.159 I gotta call it.

00:51:14.320 --> 00:51:15.519 You just heard me say get your hands off. 00:51:15.599 --> 00:51:16.320 I gave you a chance. 00:51:16.559 --> 00:51:16.800 That's great. 00:51:17.039 --> 00:51:18.159 Those are the best referees. 00:51:18.400 --> 00:51:18.800 That's great. 00:51:18.880 --> 00:51:20.320 Um, and some referees wouldn't tell. 00:51:20.480 --> 00:51:21.440 I didn't like those refs. 00:51:21.519 --> 00:51:21.599 Right. 00:51:21.760 --> 00:51:24.400 Some referees just already came with an edge, you know. 00:51:24.480 --> 00:51:26.960 So uh you developed a rapport with them. 00:51:27.039 --> 00:51:39.039 You know, I laugh now that, you know, I don't play and I see the guys, they uh like you guys, I'm like, hey, I'm telling Courtney the other day, like, you guys are the nicest guys ever, man. 00:51:39.280 --> 00:51:43.519 Like, you like you guys were cool, but you're like, you know, you know what's funny? 00:51:43.679 --> 00:51:50.880 Mark, I had one game and I went, I was all chummy with the referees, and they man, they didn't I didn't call anything for me. 00:51:50.960 --> 00:51:54.719 So I said realized, I said, man, let me stop talking to these guys, man. 00:51:55.679 --> 00:51:57.679 Let me just act like I'm here for business. 00:51:57.840 --> 00:52:06.960 But um I to your point, I think the best referees are ones you can communicate with, and that has likely been a point of infamous emphasis, you know, from the NBA. 00:52:07.280 --> 00:52:12.079 If you're speaking to it, it's like speak to these guys, develop positive relationships. 00:52:12.159 --> 00:52:12.800 We need each other. 00:52:12.880 --> 00:52:12.960 Yep. 00:52:13.119 --> 00:52:14.800 The refs need us, we need them. 00:52:14.960 --> 00:52:17.199 Uh replacement refs aren't a fun thing. 00:52:17.840 --> 00:52:18.079 Okay. 00:52:18.480 --> 00:52:20.000 And you're down there, Mark. 00:52:20.079 --> 00:52:22.000 People don't realize, and I challenge anybody. 00:52:22.159 --> 00:52:26.239 One time, even if it's a college game, sit front row at the game. 00:52:26.320 --> 00:52:26.559 Right. 00:52:26.880 --> 00:52:30.320 And you see how quickly you could tell if that guy was hand in there or not. 00:52:30.400 --> 00:52:32.000 And I and I get blown away sometimes. 00:52:32.079 --> 00:52:33.760 Some of these refs need their kudos. 00:52:33.920 --> 00:52:37.679 We'll watch a replay, and it's a uh a millisecond. 00:52:38.079 --> 00:52:38.480 Incredible. 00:52:38.719 --> 00:52:41.519 And they've been able to get some of those calls right. 00:52:41.760 --> 00:52:44.719 So it's a lot harder than it looks. 00:52:44.880 --> 00:52:51.440 Um, but again, the communication, the synergy with players is, you know, absolutely great for the for the league's best interest. 00:52:51.599 --> 00:52:55.119 And I think the better that these guys can get along, the the better we'll be. 00:52:55.360 --> 00:52:55.920 I mean, think about it. 00:52:56.000 --> 00:53:02.159 We're we're we're watching, we're watching an instant replay on super, super slow-mo, trying to figure out what's happening. 00:53:02.320 --> 00:53:05.360 They're watching it in real time, you know, in in like a split second. 00:53:05.519 --> 00:53:10.320 Yeah, I do get the sense that I I have no, I I don't I have no knowledge about it. 00:53:10.480 --> 00:53:17.440 But I I would bet you that the league is emphasizing um that the refs have a continuing dialogue with the players, and they do. 00:53:17.599 --> 00:53:21.440 Uh I'm also a little bit surprised sometimes at at what they let the guys get away with. 00:53:21.519 --> 00:53:23.519 You know, let the coaches get away with, you know. 00:53:23.599 --> 00:53:26.239 They you know, last night we had Chris Finch, man. 00:53:26.320 --> 00:53:27.760 He's a spicy dude, you know. 00:53:27.920 --> 00:53:31.039 Yeah, dropping all those words and stuff like that, you know. 00:53:31.119 --> 00:53:34.480 And and the refs, I I see they'll let they'll they'll let it go a little while. 00:53:34.960 --> 00:53:39.280 Part of the coaching is working the referees with respect. 00:53:39.440 --> 00:53:42.880 You gotta earn your respect as a head coach and you know as a player. 00:53:42.960 --> 00:53:45.280 So there's a value doing that. 00:53:45.360 --> 00:53:52.320 And, you know, are you just complaining for every whistle or are you coming at the right time and say, hey, watch this, look at this. 00:53:52.480 --> 00:53:54.800 You you know, so uh there's a value there. 00:53:54.880 --> 00:53:57.840 And it it's speaking of that, you know, it's tough for Kevin. 00:53:57.920 --> 00:53:59.119 He's grabbed every possession. 00:53:59.280 --> 00:54:01.760 Like you could call this every time. 00:54:01.840 --> 00:54:06.800 And I don't know how it's not uh an instant call when he goes to move. 00:54:07.039 --> 00:54:07.840 They do it every single time. 00:54:08.000 --> 00:54:08.559 They do it every time. 00:54:08.639 --> 00:54:10.239 But they put him like a little bear hug every single time. 00:54:10.480 --> 00:54:11.039 They do it every time. 00:54:11.119 --> 00:54:11.199 Yeah. 00:54:11.440 --> 00:54:15.199 And he said, by the way, he Kevin talks to the refs a lot. 00:54:15.440 --> 00:54:18.239 And saying exactly that, you know, saying exactly that. 00:54:18.400 --> 00:54:24.159 Every time he tries to get the ball in in the poster or to or to set up, they're they're grabbing them, they're pushing them, they're shoving them every time. 00:54:24.400 --> 00:54:25.039 Yeah, that's wild. 00:54:25.199 --> 00:54:30.239 You know who's you know, you know who talks to the refs in a in a way of um how can I say it? 00:54:30.320 --> 00:54:32.480 It it almost feels like a father figure, right? 00:54:32.639 --> 00:54:33.519 Rick Carlisle. 00:54:33.679 --> 00:54:43.679 When when Rick Carlisle talks to the refs, it feels like him, it i i you you sort of get the sense like, listen, I I I created the, you know, I I I created this game, Mr. 00:54:43.760 --> 00:54:44.639

Referee, man. 00:54:45.280 --> 00:54:47.840 I don't know if you had any experience with Rick, but he just played for Rick. 00:54:48.000 --> 00:54:48.559 Did you really? 00:54:48.719 --> 00:54:54.320 Yeah, and you gotta think now, Stevens says I played, there's not a lot of referees left. 00:54:54.480 --> 00:54:54.800 Right. 00:54:54.960 --> 00:55:04.079 So there's a new younger batch of referees that are young that Rick Carlisle, you know, he's going, man, you know, you're you're half my age, man. 00:55:04.559 --> 00:55:05.280 I mean, did you like play? 00:55:05.440 --> 00:55:06.480 Was he a good guy to play for? 00:55:06.639 --> 00:55:07.920 Yeah, I like playing for Rick. 00:55:08.000 --> 00:55:09.679 Uh he's a mad scientist, man. 00:55:09.760 --> 00:55:11.440 He he could he could draw those plays up. 00:55:11.519 --> 00:55:13.360 He's one of the coldest that I've ever seen on the board. 00:55:13.440 --> 00:55:15.119 He could draw a play, you'd be wide open. 00:55:15.280 --> 00:55:16.639 He he drew me so open. 00:55:16.719 --> 00:55:18.159 I mean, I could have did it, didn't I? 00:55:18.639 --> 00:55:19.679 You could have laid the ball in. 00:55:19.760 --> 00:55:26.960 Mark, like that's that's how uh good Rick was at drawing plays and sets and uh it very hard to play against. 00:55:27.039 --> 00:55:28.320 He's he he just gets it. 00:55:28.480 --> 00:55:29.039 That's amazing. 00:55:29.199 --> 00:55:32.000 Different can play, get on, play floor and piano, genius, man. 00:55:32.159 --> 00:55:32.400 Really? 00:55:32.559 --> 00:55:32.800 Mm-hmm. 00:55:32.880 --> 00:55:33.119 That's super. 00:55:36.159 --> 00:55:44.000 And I also, by the way, what I what I like about him is you know, he, I don't know what the his official role, but he's the head of the coaches association. 00:55:44.159 --> 00:55:51.199 Um stands up for his coaches, speaks up for his coaches, meaning I don't mean the coaches are the Pacers, I mean the good the coaches in the league. 00:55:51.360 --> 00:55:59.920 He just he he really looks out for the guys and looks out for their interests and pays respect to you know to some of the older guys, and he he he just seems like a good dude. 00:56:00.239 --> 00:56:00.639 He is, yeah. 00:56:00.719 --> 00:56:02.559 He don't care about no cool points, he wants to get it right. 00:56:02.719 --> 00:56:04.159 Yeah, but he's a good guy. 00:56:04.559 --> 00:56:06.880 So let's talk before we wrap up, let's talk a little bit. 00:56:06.960 --> 00:56:09.199 Okay, so we're about eight, ten games into the season. 00:56:09.280 --> 00:56:22.239 Um we'll get back to Rockets at the end, but tell me three, four, five teams that you think are really going to stand the test of time and gonna go really deep this year and and and really be the elite in the league. 00:56:22.559 --> 00:56:25.199 I think San Antonio obviously is one of those teams. 00:56:25.280 --> 00:56:29.360 I think Oklahoma City is gonna have to make a move, and we'll be able to determine that later. 00:56:29.519 --> 00:56:31.280 I think Minnesota surprised me. 00:56:31.360 --> 00:56:35.840 I think they just put the league on notice with what how successful they were against our guys. 00:56:35.920 --> 00:56:37.760 I know our guys are gonna be much better, right? 00:56:37.920 --> 00:56:42.159 But I think it's a it's a group that uh is extremely talented. 00:56:42.480 --> 00:56:43.280 Without end. 00:56:45.039 --> 00:56:47.679 Yeah, and you know, take their time, they get him back. 00:56:47.760 --> 00:56:49.199 I think they're right in a mix. 00:56:49.440 --> 00:56:55.840 I think as far as the Eastern Conference, um I think Philadelphia surprised me with how well they've jailed. 00:56:56.159 --> 00:56:58.159 They're playing hard, uh they're playing together. 00:56:58.320 --> 00:57:00.639 I think they're playing uh the right way. 00:57:01.039 --> 00:57:03.280 Uh let me think, who else? 00:57:03.519 --> 00:57:08.239 Well, all my friends in New York are gonna really lay into me if we don't talk about the Knicks, man. 00:57:08.480 --> 00:57:12.960 For the Knicks, everybody overreacts when they start slow. 00:57:13.119 --> 00:57:13.519 Right. 00:57:13.760 --> 00:57:15.440 New York doesn't look like New York. 00:57:15.679 --> 00:57:17.199 Even in the playoffs, they started slow. 00:57:17.280 --> 00:57:20.559 Like they they were down to Atlanta, if I'm not mistaken. 00:57:20.880 --> 00:57:21.119 Two one. 00:57:21.199 --> 00:57:21.599 They were down two. 00:57:22.079 --> 00:57:26.079 They they had a stretch in January last year where they lost eight games in a row. 00:57:26.239 --> 00:57:29.039 Mike Brown, like Mike Brown couldn't come out of his apartment, right? 00:57:29.119 --> 00:57:33.599 You know, they were gonna they were gonna, you know, so I wouldn't overreact to New York. 00:57:33.840 --> 00:57:36.639 You have to go through New York in the Eastern Conference. 00:57:36.800 --> 00:57:36.960 Right. 00:57:37.199 --> 00:57:38.480 You have to go through them. 00:57:38.719 --> 00:57:41.599 Um that's absolutely what I see. 00:57:41.920 --> 00:57:46.960 But you you have some in the Western Conference, it's it's thick, man. 00:57:47.280 --> 00:57:47.840 It's thick. 00:57:48.000 --> 00:57:48.880 Portland's improved. 00:57:48.960 --> 00:57:55.119 I'm not saying I like them to come out the West, but you you match up on a wrong night and they're tough. 00:57:55.519 --> 00:57:57.360 Denny, you like you like on Memphis? 00:57:57.679 --> 00:58:00.159 Yeah, but what you can talk about Denny Obvious a little bit, you know. 00:58:00.480 --> 00:58:01.599 Denny, you like him? 00:58:01.920 --> 00:58:03.920 I was talking with Lamar Heard. 00:58:04.719 --> 00:58:06.880 Don't don't jump on me when I say this, sorry. 00:58:07.599 --> 00:58:13.760 And he said the only comp that he can give Denny Obdia, and he was so genuine he said it, is LeBron James. 00:58:14.079 --> 00:58:14.719 Wow. 00:58:15.519 --> 00:58:20.559 In the sense that he is relentlessly down hill,

yeah, playing through your chats. 00:58:20.880 --> 00:58:22.559 Denny Obdia is what like I'm a Denny. 00:58:23.039 --> 00:58:24.719 For those who don't know it, everyone, who's it? 00:58:24.880 --> 00:58:26.400 Go watch Denny Obdia. 00:58:26.559 --> 00:58:26.800 Okay. 00:58:27.199 --> 00:58:28.639 He's a headache, man. 00:58:28.719 --> 00:58:30.159 Like he can beat you. 00:58:30.480 --> 00:58:34.239 He's a he is, and it's it's almost it's so it's almost like wreck. 00:58:34.480 --> 00:58:37.280 Like he is down and he's big and he's strong. 00:58:37.679 --> 00:58:40.400 Played us and he guarded out people one-on-one, no help. 00:58:40.559 --> 00:58:40.800 Yeah. 00:58:41.360 --> 00:58:43.440 What is he, 6'8, 6'7, 6'8? 00:58:43.920 --> 00:58:44.719 About 6'9, man. 00:58:45.760 --> 00:58:49.119 He's Denny's unique and he can handle and he's tough. 00:58:49.199 --> 00:58:52.400 Like, I he he needs a lot more kudos, man. 00:58:52.719 --> 00:59:00.719 I think he got hurt before getting an all-mba selection or something like that last year, but like, yeah, he's he's like that. 00:59:00.960 --> 00:59:03.039 Yeah, he puts a ball on the floor and he goes, he's like a bull. 00:59:03.199 --> 00:59:04.400 He just goes right to the hoop. 00:59:04.480 --> 00:59:04.719 Yes. 00:59:04.880 --> 00:59:06.480 He just goes, he just goes right to the hoop. 00:59:06.639 --> 00:59:09.039 All right, so where do you put where do where are we in the mix, right? 00:59:09.119 --> 00:59:13.280 You know, you got so so you got OKC, you've well, I mean, OKC's got some trouble now, but yeah. 00:59:13.440 --> 00:59:14.880 Oh, yeah, wait, wait, let's talk about Memphis. 00:59:14.960 --> 00:59:17.119 You mentioned you Memphis Memphis, right? 00:59:17.199 --> 00:59:18.559 They're early in the season. 00:59:18.719 --> 00:59:21.039 Um, are they legit, right? 00:59:21.119 --> 00:59:26.880 I mean, I everybody thought they were gonna rebuild and win 15-20 games, and you know, they're are they legit? 00:59:26.960 --> 00:59:28.639 Is Ty Jerome the real deal? 00:59:28.800 --> 00:59:30.079 Ty Jerome's a real deal. 00:59:30.239 --> 00:59:36.559 I don't know if we we necessarily picked them to come out the West, but I think Isaiah Stewart, that's a guy that we're talking about culture. 00:59:36.639 --> 00:59:37.920 We're not the Marcus Smart. 00:59:38.079 --> 00:59:38.320 Yep. 00:59:38.480 --> 00:59:47.840 Um, he's brought a culture there, he's a protector, and you see why you know the Pistons, you know, made a leap that they did last year. 00:59:48.159 --> 00:59:50.320 And now I think you're seeing that in Memphis now. 00:59:50.960 --> 00:59:53.840 Isaiah Stewart is the meat and potatoes of that. 00:59:53.920 --> 00:59:57.599 You got culture and you got a guy that fits and a guy that brings it all together. 00:59:57.840 --> 01:00:01.280 He also a guy with the best nickname in the league, man. 01:00:01.360 --> 01:00:02.639 I mean, like Beef Stew, come on. 01:00:03.199 --> 01:00:03.760 Like, come on, dude. 01:00:03.840 --> 01:00:05.199 Wouldn't you have wanted to be Beef Stew? 01:00:05.920 --> 01:00:06.079 Come on. 01:00:06.320 --> 01:00:06.800 Beef Stew. 01:00:06.960 --> 01:00:08.800 You know, that that that's a pretty cool name, man. 01:00:08.880 --> 01:00:08.960 Yeah. 01:00:09.199 --> 01:00:10.559 So where where are we in the mix? 01:00:10.639 --> 01:00:11.360 Where are the Rockets? 01:00:11.440 --> 01:00:12.719 Are we are we the one seed? 01:00:12.960 --> 01:00:13.360 Are we two? 01:00:13.440 --> 01:00:14.000 Are we three? 01:00:14.159 --> 01:00:26.960 Are we are we are we gonna be able to to to to have the poise and and uh the mentality to get forget getting out of the first round, to get to get to the conference finals, to get to the finals. 01:00:27.679 --> 01:00:36.320 Houston has an opportunity to win the championship this year, but it's also pending on health and the group continuing to gel. 01:00:36.480 --> 01:00:40.320 There's a lot of money left on the table from the Rockets still, and that's a great sign. 01:00:40.719 --> 01:00:41.119 What do you mean? 01:00:41.199 --> 01:00:43.119 What do you mean there's a lot of money left on the table? 01:00:43.440 --> 01:00:48.400 You have a team that can probably move the ball better, can defend better. 01:00:48.639 --> 01:00:53.039 You got Coach Hudoka has so many good players, he's still finding lineups and tweaking things. 01:00:53.280 --> 01:00:53.440 Right. 01:00:53.760 --> 01:01:00.480 And you you got Kevin Durant and our prince Shingoon, you got top players in every position, and you have depth. 01:01:00.639 --> 01:01:03.039 So he's gonna find out what works. 01:01:03.280 --> 01:01:08.480 He's still mixing and matching a lot of things, so uh it's a lot more juice to squeeze, Mark. 01:01:08.559 --> 01:01:09.119 All right, right. 01:01:09.280 --> 01:01:10.639 So you think good. 01:01:10.719 --> 01:01:13.199 You you think this gonna we're gonna have a full glass of juice at the end? 01:01:13.280 --> 01:01:15.119 You think this is a team that can go all the way? 01:01:15.360 --> 01:01:16.079 I believe so, yeah. 01:01:16.159 --> 01:01:16.320 Yeah. 01:01:16.480 --> 01:01:20.000 Nice constructed, you look around the league, yeah, yeah, this is a group that can win a championship. 01:01:20.320 --> 01:01:20.719 What about this? 01:01:20.800 --> 01:01:26.480 You know, they're talking about the last couple of days, and I heard him talking about it, talking about KD never stops talking, right? 01:01:26.639 --> 01:01:28.800 He had took six shots the other night, right? 01:01:28.960 --> 01:01:31.280 And and do you is that a concern? 01:01:31.440 --> 01:01:32.960 Do we need to get Kevin the ball more? 01:01:33.199 --> 01:01:36.320 So he came down this against the Celtics and he was talking to the guys on the bench. 01:01:36.480 --> 01:01:39.039 To the guys, he's he's like, I had eight points. 01:01:39.119 --> 01:01:40.400 I've only taken five shots. 01:01:40.559 --> 01:01:44.960 He was

tongue-in-cheek, he was he was goofing around with the with the guys on the Celtics bench. 01:01:45.119 --> 01:01:47.599 But there was, you know, there was some underlying seriousness there. 01:01:47.679 --> 01:01:48.960 Is that is that a concern? 01:01:49.119 --> 01:01:51.199 Have we gone too far away from KD? 01:01:51.599 --> 01:01:52.559 The group one, right? 01:01:52.639 --> 01:01:53.119 Right, yeah. 01:01:53.199 --> 01:01:53.840 We won that game. 01:01:54.400 --> 01:01:54.960 The group won. 01:01:55.039 --> 01:01:55.280 Yeah. 01:01:55.440 --> 01:01:56.400 That's that's what matters. 01:01:56.559 --> 01:01:57.199 The group one. 01:01:57.840 --> 01:02:03.840 Um I think you know the the goal is anytime you can get him an easy look in Alpha. 01:02:04.239 --> 01:02:04.320 Right. 01:02:04.639 --> 01:02:09.760 You have your superstars, you get them easy looks, and the the basket looks as big as the ocean. 01:02:09.920 --> 01:02:10.079 Okay. 01:02:10.400 --> 01:02:13.519 So that's the goal for everybody's assignment. 01:02:13.599 --> 01:02:15.039 How do we get Kevin layups? 01:02:15.119 --> 01:02:16.639 How do we get Kevin open jumpers? 01:02:16.719 --> 01:02:20.159 How do we get out P in the pocket, you know, with a head of steam? 01:02:20.400 --> 01:02:24.000 And that's where you become really good. 01:02:24.159 --> 01:02:28.880 And that's one of the hurdles, which is like I'm saying, great, you know, with Kevin. 01:02:29.039 --> 01:02:37.599 Or saying, hey, you know, when I play with Ray Allen, we put Ray Allen in the strong side corner or the weak side, and you knew there wasn't no one gonna help her tag. 01:02:37.920 --> 01:02:38.000 Right. 01:02:38.159 --> 01:02:47.119 So Kevin's saying when Amin Thompson drove to the hole and nobody even remotely blinked the Gobert and helped, there is a reason. 01:02:47.199 --> 01:02:47.360 Wow. 01:02:47.519 --> 01:02:52.320 When our Prince Shengun was doing this for eight dribbles, you don't know why they didn't help. 01:02:52.480 --> 01:02:54.000 Because Kevin Durant was over there. 01:02:54.159 --> 01:02:54.320 Right. 01:02:54.880 --> 01:03:02.239 So that's doing his job, and then you're just saying, okay, let's find unique ways to get in the ball. 01:03:02.320 --> 01:03:03.679 And I tell you one thing. 01:03:03.920 --> 01:03:09.679 Because you don't need to worry, you don't ever need to worry about when Kevin Durant wants to turn it on. 01:03:10.320 --> 01:03:10.639 Yeah. 01:03:11.119 --> 01:03:11.760 That's amazing. 01:03:12.079 --> 01:03:13.039 Yeah, yeah, yeah. 01:03:13.119 --> 01:03:14.320 Don't, don't, don't worry about it. 01:03:14.400 --> 01:03:15.360 Don't worry about that, Mark. 01:03:15.599 --> 01:03:16.079 Don't worry about that. 01:03:16.239 --> 01:03:17.760 When he wants to turn it on, yeah. 01:03:18.000 --> 01:03:18.320 Yeah. 01:03:18.559 --> 01:03:19.119 All right, man. 01:03:19.199 --> 01:03:20.719 Well, I think it's gonna be a great season. 01:03:20.800 --> 01:03:21.360 I'm excited. 01:03:21.519 --> 01:03:22.960 I'm excited for what we got going. 01:03:23.039 --> 01:03:25.199 I'm excited for you and I doing this together, man. 01:03:25.360 --> 01:03:28.400 So, so the goal is, the plan is we'll do this every week or so. 01:03:28.480 --> 01:03:29.760 We'll talk about what's going on. 01:03:29.840 --> 01:03:31.519 We'll talk about a lot of stuff, man. 01:03:31.760 --> 01:03:32.880 I love hanging with you. 01:03:32.960 --> 01:03:34.480 I love talking with you, man. 01:03:34.559 --> 01:03:36.079 This is a lot of fun, man. 01:03:36.320 --> 01:03:36.880 Appreciate you. 01:03:37.039 --> 01:03:38.079 Let's get it, man. 01:03:38.320 --> 01:03:39.039 Thanks, bro. 01:03:39.599 --> 01:03:40.400 Thank you. 01:03:40.800 --> 01:03:42.159 We'll call that a wrap. 01:03:42.320 --> 01:03:44.079 Thanks for watching this week's episode. 01:03:44.239 --> 01:03:47.039 Like and subscribe to the channel, and we'll see you next time.