- 2 days ago
ITL takes a hard look at the Rockets and asks the big-picture question: what is the actual goal of this season at this point?
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00:00Sometimes I could be sick of the Rockets. I don't know if you're in that place. I do still love watching them.
00:04That's actually a pretty good one.
00:05Sometimes it can get me fed up, especially because, you know, I'm...
00:10Viewing them on the stance of what they stated at the start of the season.
00:12They want to be a championship team, and...
00:15A number of things have happened that make it so that I go,
00:17is that still currently the goal, or...
00:20A reasonable one, and I think that that's also what's necessary,
00:22because I'm sure a lot of people go, yeah, win a championship.
00:25Right, Kevin Durant, go win a championship.
00:27But is it a reasonable one?
00:28Because you've lost two major...
00:30Two major contributors since you signed Kevin Durant.
00:32One of those, obviously, Fred VanVleet, before you even...
00:35Get to the season, but now, Stephen Adams, major contributor,
00:38and the reason why I bring this...
00:40Because it's like, oh, back up big.
00:41No, no, no.
00:41He mattered greatly, and if you follow his team,
00:43which I know that you do, if you listen...
00:45To the show, we talked about it a number of times.
00:47The way that you rebounded...
00:49What...
00:50It wasn't about you being a good rebounding team.
00:51It was about you being the best rebounding team in the league,
00:54and that...
00:55That creating a decisive advantage against your opponents.
00:57That's the only one that I think this team brings to the table.
01:00Every night is a decisive advantage in rebounding,
01:03and now he's done for the season.
01:05And so, I think the way that you go about how you possibly replace...
01:10Steven Adams and his minutes and his impact.
01:13What you do at the trade deadline or...
01:15Whether you do anything about the trade deadline on how you work your offense,
01:18and more importantly, how you work with point...
01:20Guard, and those types of situations...
01:22I think that all of that comes down to where it can be informed by...
01:25One question, which is...
01:26What, for you, is the goal of this Rocket season at this point?
01:29Well, that's a mouth...
01:30That's wonderful.
01:30I was really thinking about that.
01:32I thought about that the entirety of the last break.
01:35Like, because it should be an easy answer.
01:40Well, take the next step.
01:41Win a championship, get in championship contention.
01:43Is that the next step?
01:43Or contention, okay.
01:45From what you were.
01:46That was the goal why you brought in Kevin Durant?
01:48Yes.
01:49It's the goal...
01:50Why even Fred VanVleet getting injured before the season,
01:53you know, you felt pretty good about...
01:55about some of the options.
01:56It's not the goal, is it?
01:58It's not the goal right now, anyway.
01:59You said...
02:00In this moment.
02:00I think taking a step probably is the goal,
02:02but I don't know that it's...
02:05If I'm being entirely honest,
02:06and it hurts me to say this,
02:07I hope that you can hear it in my voice.
02:09I don't...
02:10I don't know that the reasonable goal is
02:12go and win the NBA Finals.
02:14Like, it felt like it should be.
02:15Not right now.
02:16Not today.
02:17Shout out to our guy, Adam Spillane.
02:18He got me thinking about this,
02:19because he was...
02:20He was talking about it as if
02:21the goals for the Rockets right now
02:23are continue to...
02:25Regress, Amen Thompson, and Reed Shepard,
02:27your two youngest, you know,
02:28important impact pieces that...
02:30that you anticipate moving forward.
02:31And then go and go further than you had,
02:34which is at the very least...
02:35in a playoff series.
02:36That's it that he has
02:37in his thought process.
02:39And so I'm like...
02:40If that's the perspective,
02:41I think that shapes the way
02:42that you move forward.
02:43But is that the right perspective?
02:45Well, I think it is the right perspective.
02:47You know, where we are today...
02:50Now, the second part of that,
02:51does it shape where you move forward?
02:53How long are you going to keep Kevin Durant?
02:54I know he's...
02:55signed a contract.
02:55I think he's a two, three-year guy.
02:57Two-year-more-year guy.
02:58Can it flip that quickly?
03:00I think there are instances
03:01and examples of where it can,
03:03but there are some...
03:05pretty big, you know,
03:06big questions to answer.
03:08Now, maybe Van Vliet fixes a lot.
03:10You know, maybe getting him back
03:11fixes a lot of them.
03:12And I think there's a real possibility...
03:14This year or next year?
03:15Well, I don't think this year,
03:16even though there's been some talk
03:17about coming back at the end or whatever.
03:20But I think realistically, it's next year.
03:22The bigger question to me is...
03:25You know, what are you?
03:27We talked about this with the Texans
03:29and the offense.
03:29What...
03:30What's your identity?
03:30And I said, just don't screw it up.
03:32Well, that's not...
03:33That doesn't fit with the Rockets.
03:34I...
03:35I still think they're trying to figure it out.
03:36Yes.
03:37I mean, they're trying to figure out
03:38who they are offensively.
03:39And...
03:40And that, to me...
03:41And now, now defensively.
03:42And a little bit defensively.
03:43Because I also think that...
03:44Not having...
03:45I'm glad you brought that up.
03:45I'm going to shift some stuff.
03:46Because Shungun aggravated that ankle again
03:48last night.
03:49Here we are.
03:50We're saying, hey, it finally looks healthy.
03:51You said that.
03:52I knew that was a jinx.
03:54Put it on me, yeah.
03:54Put it on me.
03:55Put it on me.
03:56Always.
03:56I'm always going to blame you.
03:57Have you not noticed?
03:58What?
03:59And so...
04:00Now, you know, with the...
04:01I don't know if he came back in the game
04:02and all that and finished...
04:04I know...
04:05I don't care.
04:05Imei said that it was just a tweaked ankle
04:07and Shungun said that, you know,
04:08he just iced it.
04:09It seems...
04:10It seems like he has a positive outlook on it.
04:11This isn't the Astros.
04:13I know, but I'm...
04:14No.
04:15I'm trying to, you know, hint at that.
04:18All I'm saying is it's an ankle and it's...
04:20That's basketball.
04:21Yeah.
04:21That's always going to be a bit of a question.
04:23So, find out...
04:25Put who you are.
04:25Get healthy.
04:26You're not going to have Steven Adams, but...
04:30Offensively, there are some very tough questions and...
04:35Opportunities that you got to start trying to mix in.
04:37Yeah.
04:37To change it.
04:38What's interesting, though, is...
04:40For me, as it pertains to how you look towards the trade deadline,
04:43which is rapidly approaching...
04:45I know that a name like Kobe White has been popular out there.
04:48So, I actually reached out to a...
04:50Friend of mine in the industry who, you know, has a good insight on this.
04:53So, that I'm not just leaning on...
04:55The few times that I've watched Kobe White.
04:57Because I'd be lying if I'm telling you...
04:58I'm watching all these Bulls games.
05:00I know what Kobe White is, in and out.
05:01So, I was like, let me lean in.
05:02Yeah.
05:03And what I got from him...
05:05Is that...
05:05And let me make sure that I'm reading this verbatim so that I don't end up mischaracterizing...
05:10His offense, you know, like his offense, especially if his shot is on, especially if he...
05:15He doesn't need to worry about being the primary playmaker.
05:17Is that not what you would be trying to get him...
05:20For us to be some level of primary playmaker?
05:22Yeah.
05:22He's not there to defend anyone, but you can...
05:25And do worse when it comes to score-first guards.
05:27He's bigger than people think.
05:29He's also listed small.
05:30Or he's also smaller than he's listed.
05:33And so, all of...
05:35All of those things come together, and I go, with him as one of those people that...
05:39One of those, you know, players...
05:40Is this an answer for you at the trade deadline to add, you know, ads...
05:45Some guard depth at a playmaker to help fix the Fred VanVleet void?
05:49I think the answer is...
05:50No, because if he's not bringing a defensive intensity, if he's not necessarily looked at
05:54as...
05:55He shouldn't be a primary playmaker, is he not another Reed Shepard in that way?
05:59And wouldn't you want to invest in...
06:00Somebody that's actually going to be here beyond the end of the season?
06:04Yeah.
06:05And what are you giving up?
06:06You know, is this...
06:07Tari Eason or Dorian Finney-Smith...
06:09Yeah.
06:09Maybe...
06:10Maybe even a first-round pick.
06:11Yeah, that's too much.
06:12And, I mean, is this just...
06:14Is this just...
06:15I do want to make it clear.
06:16It's not Tari Eason and Dorian Finney-Smith, because I did say that.
06:18It's one of those two, maybe a first-round pick.
06:20But it kind of feels like the Spider-Man meme, right?
06:23You know, like, you know, you're...
06:25He's trading one for the same.
06:26Yeah.
06:26So, I agree.
06:27But I think, again, back to the first question.
06:30Is, you know, what the goals are.
06:31Like, if you had to say right now...
06:34Go ahead, Ficky.
06:34I'm sorry.
06:34Is this...
06:35championship or bus season still?
06:36No.
06:36I think you're out of championship or bus.
06:38I do think that...
06:40Come on over this line saying,
06:41if the goal was to make the next round,
06:42then adding KD is a bust.
06:43And I get that thought process.
06:45Now, you couldn't have planned for two season-ending injuries
06:47that would change the dynamic, right?
06:49Yeah.
06:50I think, though, that I...
06:51You can make the Western Conference Finals
06:53and that should be the expectation.
06:54Or that...
06:55That should be what you're looking to do.
06:56It's not just win one series, but...
06:57If you make the Western Conference Finals,
06:59that's a huge win.
07:00And that's my thought.
07:01Yeah.
07:01That's my thought.
07:02Yeah.
07:03But, yeah, I think that...
07:05Finding more development for Reed and a man
07:06also is very important
07:08because if it's not,
07:09we're just...
07:09We're just...
07:10Winning this championship this year,
07:11which I think is off the table
07:12as a reasonable expectation.
07:14Now, if they...
07:15We'll find a way to go and do it.
07:16Let's do it, man.
07:17I'm with it.
07:17Yeah.
07:18But if that's not a reasonable expectation,
07:19then I'm...
07:20I don't necessarily like the idea
07:21of kind of cutting into
07:23what you have as a team.
07:25and what you have in your reserves
07:26to add a temporary player like Kobe White
07:28who doesn't actually even fully...
07:30answer the question.
07:30Like, that feels like the desperation
07:32that you have when you're like,
07:33we...
07:33This is the difference between...
07:35us winning a championship or not.
07:36And I don't think that's the case here.
07:37I totally agree.
07:38I think that...
07:40would be sort of just switching one
07:41for the same thing.
07:44But...
07:45On the other hand,
07:45are you...
07:46When do you get to the point of...
07:49We are not...
07:50We're not going to win
07:50the championship this year.
07:52We probably are not going to get
07:53to the Western Conference Finals.
07:54Let's...
07:55find out more on these guys.
07:56Let's find out on whether...
07:59Would rather Reed Shepard...
08:00You can live and die with him
08:01and thrive, etc.
08:03You know, playing more minutes...
08:04Starting as...
08:05we've talked about, etc.
08:06Because then that's white flag.
08:07Yeah, and I'm not fully there yet.
08:09I think that...
08:10the finding out...
08:11Because every team is finding out
08:12to some degree at this point.
08:14Unless you're just...
08:15fighting to make the playoffs.
08:16Which they are not.
08:17I think the Rockets
08:18are trying to find out...
08:20what are the tools that you have
08:21once you get to the playoffs
08:22that you can use...
08:23to fight and get victories.
08:25That is a finding out
08:26that is...
08:27we don't have aspirations
08:28as a team,
08:28so we're doing
08:29development aspirations.
08:30which I'm not quite there for.
08:31Although,
08:32I think that they do
08:33come together a little bit
08:34in finding...
08:35finding out how far
08:35and how much Reed Shepard
08:36you can have
08:37is insightful as a tool
08:38for the playoffs.
08:39And...
08:40Ben Thompson,
08:40I'm coming around.
08:42It's been this weird loop for me
08:43where at first it was like...
08:45are Ben Thompson
08:45as point guard
08:46is what we're doing?
08:46And then I was like,
08:47yeah, I don't know
08:47that that's actually
08:48going to be a thing.
08:49And we're...
08:50with the style of play
08:50that they've picked up
08:51a little bit,
08:52I think this is more
08:53of an answer
08:54or at least something...
08:55that you have to lean more into
08:56as you try and find answers
08:57towards the postseason.
08:58And then there...
08:58to me,
08:59there's also the...
09:00cheetah factor here.
09:01They didn't sign up for this.
09:03You know,
09:04this is not what they...
09:05wanted by bringing in
09:05Kevin Durant.
09:06So do they take
09:07another big swing?
09:08I don't know.
09:08I think you take
09:09a small swing.
09:10I think the swing...
09:10No, no, no.
09:10You take another big swing.
09:12Oh, you're talking about
09:13like Giannis
09:13out of Tokenville.
09:14See, at that point...
09:15that's championship or bust.
09:16Then it changes...
09:17It goes back, right?
09:18Yeah.
09:19But then you're...
09:20sacrificing some of the future,
09:21obviously.
09:22But I think...
09:23I think to the point
09:24y'all were saying,
09:24I think...
09:25I think if it's championship
09:26or bust,
09:27then you make that big swing.
09:28But if you don't feel like it's...
09:30championship or bust this year,
09:31then you don't make that big swing.
09:33Or you don't trade for a coach.
09:35Kobe White or anything like that.
09:36You kind of play the chorus
09:37and try again next year.
09:39You go back to...
09:40on board next year.
09:40I think the small swing
09:41that you make
09:42is like a big...
09:43What is the small swing?
09:44Someone like a...
09:45Someone like a Kavon Looney.
09:46It stabilizes
09:47for one of the big things.
09:48Yeah, but it doesn't do anything
09:49with the goal.
09:50I think it does.
09:51It doesn't change the goal that much.
09:52I mean...
09:53I think it allows you to maybe...
09:54Would they become...
09:55Give me an example
09:55and would they become a favorite
09:57in the conference
09:57because of that?
09:59I think Kavon Looney...
10:00is a name
10:00or De'Ron Sharp
10:01especially because...
10:03And I love Steven Adams.
10:05Do we have to start thinking
10:05about the possibility
10:06of the Rockets
10:06without Steven Adams?
10:08That's why I said big swing
10:09because I think...
10:10I think you do.
10:10And so I think that...
10:11We're talking about it...
10:13As much as I love
10:14Steven Adams' impact play...
10:15He's also a backup big.
10:16Can you add another backup big
10:18that gives you similar things
10:19that...
10:20If you do not have the possibility
10:22of Steven Adams moving forward...
10:23How does that answer...
10:23You have that role continue.
10:24How does that...
10:25It doesn't answer
10:25the same question though.
10:26I think it gives you
10:27an opportunity to keep working
10:28on the one thing
10:29that you've had as...
10:30a superpower over the rest
10:30of the league
10:31which is rebounding.
10:32That's my point.
10:33I think it gives you
10:33a chance to compete.
10:35For sure.
10:35Yes.
10:35But I don't know if it gets...
10:36I don't know if those names
10:38you threw out
10:38will give you a chance.
10:40to make you
10:41a championship contender.
10:42And it would also be
10:43smaller scale.
10:44Like it would not...
10:45cost you as much
10:45which is why I think
10:46that is why you keep
10:47your head in the game
10:48as this year still contender.
10:50because again
10:50the Fertitta's
10:51didn't sign up for this.
10:52Kevin Durant
10:53signed up for an opportunity
10:54to go...
10:55win and I think you still
10:55have that opportunity
10:56in front of you
10:57so I think the small moves
10:58are the reasonable ones.
11:00but I think that they're...
11:01the question being
11:02what is the goal?
11:03Well that doesn't fire, does it?
11:03But I think it's realistic.
11:05You know who has
11:06the best odds
11:06to land Giannis right now?
11:08The Houston Rockets
11:09per...
11:10but I also think that
11:11it makes the first round
11:12picks and stuff too.
11:13I think that's an
11:14offseason move.
11:15That's a whole nother
11:16conversation that we could have.
11:17I think that Milwaukee
11:18would be stupid
11:19to trade him right now.
11:20I don't think that
11:21they'd get the most for him.
11:23I don't think that
11:23it makes the most sense.
11:25for them to try
11:25and move him right now.
11:26I think that they would
11:27be best suited
11:27to actually wait
11:28to the offseason
11:29and I think the Rockets
11:30are going to be
11:30if they were to go
11:30down that path
11:31would be best suited
11:32to make a move
11:32in the offseason.
11:33That's a big if though.
11:35Rockets did try to make
11:36that move this year.
11:37I think they're in
11:38championship or bust.
11:40Yes, they would reset
11:41just overnight.
11:42Yeah.
11:43Yeah, so...
11:43Give up a lot.
11:44But that's...
11:45That's a question
11:45that I think is going to...
11:46We're asking now
11:47but I think it's going to
11:48linger for a little bit here.
11:49What is...
11:50What is the goal
11:50of the Rockets season
11:51at this point?
11:52I don't know that the...
11:53I don't think that the next...
11:55A couple of games
11:55will give you something
11:57towards that answer
11:57because you're playing
11:58the Hawks who...
11:59I mean...
12:00They're an interesting team
12:00at best but they're not
12:01one that I'm scared of.
12:02Then you're back at home
12:03for the...
12:05Mavericks on Sunday.
12:06I don't know that they
12:07give you that answer
12:08but I think that over
12:08the next week...
12:10That's going to be something
12:10that at least I'm pondering on
12:12as this goes
12:13and this is going to...
12:15They're going to have
12:15to give us more answers.
12:16There's questions
12:17that keep popping up
12:17like whack-a-mole
12:18for this Rockets team
12:19over the last few weeks.
12:20Don't I?
12:21This is the nature
12:22of aspiration, isn't it?
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