00:00Something you've been clamoring for for a long time happened this weekend.
00:03Reed Shepard started for the Houston Rockets,
00:06and it wasn't because somebody was injured.
00:08It wasn't because we just needed to put together a team.
00:12This was a conscious decision by Ema Odoke.
00:15In fact, Vanessa Richardson on Friday before the Rockets play the Hawks
00:19gives us this report right at the top of the broadcast on Space City Home Network.
00:23There has been a change to the starting lineup.
00:25Reed Shepard will start tonight.
00:27Tari Eason will come off the bench.
00:29Ema Odoke told me this is about getting a different look
00:31and seeing what really works heading into the playoffs.
00:35He said, look, Reed has taken a huge step recently, and throughout the year he's grown.
00:38We want to get a different look overall and see what's best.
00:41We have a good indication of lineups and rotations that work,
00:44but we want to see guys in different places.
00:46Tari still does a lot for our team.
00:48Ema said, we have a chance to put some of our best shooters,
00:51scorers, and spacers out there and see what it looks like.
00:55Ema also did not commit to a number of games
00:57that this starting lineup will be in effect,
00:59but he told me, quote, we are going to give this a real look
01:02and see how it's working.
01:03A real look?
01:04Oh, boy.
01:05A real look?
01:05There's a lot there.
01:07I think there's like, how many games do we have remaining in this?
01:09Is it like 10 to 12 games, something like that?
01:12A real look to me constitutes like maybe like six or seven.
01:15So maybe he just rides out the rest of the season with this
01:17and we go into the postseason with an understanding of what Reed Shepard
01:21at starter looks like, but how long do they stick with this?
01:23And does it matter?
01:24Yeah, well, okay, so you just covered a lot there
01:26because there was a lot in her report there.
01:28Shout out to Vanessa.
01:30She does a fantastic job.
01:32I think Reed Shepard has a chance to rescue the season.
01:35Rescue?
01:36Okay.
01:36All right.
01:37Yeah.
01:37All right.
01:37Yeah.
01:38That's big news.
01:39Now, that doesn't necessarily mean rescue as in they're going to win a championship.
01:42What it does mean is their best chance.
01:45Okay.
01:46This is their best chance.
01:47We know it.
01:48We've known it.
01:50We've talked about, yeah, but his defense.
01:52Nothing irks me more, Reggie, than when people talk about it.
01:56We don't have time to do this right now, but understand, I want to do this.
02:00I know you do.
02:01Because you keep doing this.
02:03Okay.
02:03Yes, I keep doing it, but his defense, but his defense.
02:06Dude, he has a chance to give them their best chance to go as far as they possibly can in
02:14the postseason.
02:15Would you agree with that?
02:16Yeah.
02:17Well, then screw the defense.
02:18But you can't say screw the defense.
02:19Yes, you can.
02:20You can't say screw the defense.
02:21No, look.
02:21On the one hand, you're saying this is the best chance the Rockets have.
02:25Agreed.
02:25To go as far as they possibly can.
02:27That's right.
02:27You can't say that and then say, yeah, but the defense.
02:30Well, the reason why I say that, to add nuance to the conversation so that we're not just
02:34yelling at each other.
02:35Although, I wonder how many people would actually enjoy it.
02:38Should we just yell at each other?
02:39Yeah.
02:40Just go first take.
02:41This is preposterous.
02:44No, I hear you.
02:45Because one of the things that you saw immediately in the Hawks game, and even more so in the
02:49Miami Heat game on Saturday, was just how much spacing is added by Reed Shepard on the
02:54ball.
02:55Honestly, I probably skipped the most important thing.
02:57It just looks like a basketball offense.
02:59It flows in a way that it didn't before.
03:01It was so stagnant.
03:03Everything was hitchy.
03:03It's quicker.
03:04It's quicker.
03:04Yes.
03:05It's quicker.
03:05That's probably the easiest.
03:06The ball moved around, and it flowed.
03:08There was flow.
03:09Right?
03:10It wasn't staccato.
03:11God, I'm such a nerd.
03:13Disjointed is what I like to say.
03:14Yes.
03:14You're using all the more common words as opposed to me using stupid highfalutin words.
03:19Yeah.
03:19No, but that's absolutely something that's there, and something you need.
03:23The problem that I have with the defense is not that those things aren't there.
03:27It's that when you get to the point in time where you get to the playoffs, and when you
03:30get to the better teams that know how to attack you, they're going to attack that constantly.
03:34Hell, even a game against the Miami Heat where you win that game, 123-122, you gave
03:39up 122 points.
03:40Yeah, you did.
03:41You won.
03:42You won.
03:44You won with the tip at the very end.
03:46You won.
03:47And that's why I'm just, and you're talking about a guy who, just like you, absolutely
03:53values the defense and the matchups as much as anyone.
03:56You know I do.
03:57But there comes a point where you're like, this dude, they're 10-2 with him as a starter.
04:01They are.
04:02You know, he's averaging 17 points.
04:04Was it four and a half assists, I think?
04:06When he starts?
04:07Yes.
04:08He is averaging.
04:09Five and a half assists.
04:10I got it right here.
04:11Yeah, 16 and a half, 5.7 assists, and he adds an extra four rebounds on top of that.
04:16And so there has to be a point where you just go, okay, I get it.
04:21You know, I value defense, but we are a better team.
04:24Oh, without question.
04:25We are a better team, and the whole idea is to be the better team.
04:29That's why it bugs me so much, and I value what you're talking about.
04:32I do.
04:32Yeah.
04:33I don't know anybody that doesn't.
04:34Yeah, and I think the part that hurt the worst is Tari not really give you anything
04:39on offense like that.
04:40That probably led to this.
04:41So it's like, man, is this defense that damn good where he can afford to not give you anything
04:46on the offensive side?
04:47No, and that was the beauty of it, right?
04:48Like, that was the decision that ultimately Emei made, and that's the reason why I go,
04:53do they stick with this?
04:54Because this felt, as much as Emei has said, you know, obviously there's some of this that
05:00is Tari.
05:00I think that this felt like Tari Eason became untenable starting because he was not helping
05:05you space.
05:07Sometimes on the ball, his decision-making can be a little specious at times, but he does
05:12have that energy, and he does have that defensive acumen.
05:14And what does that feel like?
05:15That feels like a six-man who comes on and gives you energy.
05:17Yes.
05:18And it felt like that is also a role that works really well for him.
05:20And maybe in those matchups you're talking about, it works better.
05:23Now, let me ask you the million-dollar question here.
05:25Do I get a million dollars after you ask this question?
05:27I get a million.
05:29How does that work?
05:29So, when he says, when Emei Adoka says, we're going to give him a real look, is that a
05:35change?
05:37Is that a change in the starting lineup, or is that just giving him a real look?
05:42I think that the...
05:43Because they need to change.
05:45Yeah.
05:45I think that the idea, as I'm still trying to fully understand what you're asking here,
05:49I think that the idea is, when you have him as a starter, right, how does that help
05:55your rotations?
05:55How does that set things up?
05:57And I think that you are getting a good look in...
06:00You have a road trip here.
06:02There's some adversity.
06:03There's some good teams in this road trip.
06:05I think that you have Minnesota tonight.
06:06That's one of the teams that's top six.
06:09Memphis, but you also have New Orleans as well, who is a team that is playing, even if
06:16they're not a great team.
06:17So, you have an opportunity to see...
06:18And then Chicago as well, who is a team that can maybe give you a little bit of a shot.
06:21You have an opportunity on the road to see this against some good teams with that full
06:26compliment, as we were talking about.
06:27I kind of want to hear it from Emei's words.
06:29Like, what was the thought process going into this switch?
06:32Wait, hold on.
06:32I'm still trying to...
06:33Oh, sorry about you.
06:34I was trying to find it.
06:35Yeah, so...
06:35Well, my bigger point, and we're going to hear from Emei here in just a second.
06:38Is he still kind of fighting it?
06:40I think that...
06:41Yes, I think he is.
06:42I think we know Emei well enough to know that he is almost to a fault...
06:47Almost is kind of a fun word there.
06:49But to a fault.
06:50He is so intent on having the defense and the intensity be a certain way that that ends
06:54up guiding so many of his decisions.
06:57And I think that that's still the case here.
06:59I think he might stumble into something where it works.
07:02And hopefully...
07:03And I say that.
07:04Hopefully, it kind of ties his hands.
07:05And it works to a point where now you are forced to use this thing.
07:09I think, honestly, that's kind of what happened with the double big.
07:12I think that you was in Dallas playing against Daniel Gafford and Anthony Davis, and they
07:18was taxing your ass.
07:19And they were like, damn it, we got to do something to start.
07:21Hey, Steven Adams, get out there with Alper and Shane Goon.
07:23It worked well enough where they're like, we kind of have to keep doing this.
07:25And that carried you for a while.
07:27I thought that maybe that was the lineup where this year the Rockets ran out all their athleticism,
07:32where it was just like five guys that are kind of wings, this ultra-athletic lineup.
07:37That didn't end up being the case.
07:38Maybe it ultimately is, as we have been clamoring for, the situation where...
07:42Tari Eason is shot so poorly that they get Reed Shepard out there, works well enough in
07:46this final stretch, and they go, we have to utilize this.
07:48I think it brings up questions on the back end, which is, of course, the thing we talked
07:51about.
07:52But this was Ime Odoka talking about his...
07:54We don't have the audio, don't worry about that.
07:56But yeah, ultimately, Ime, it seems like was kind of getting at the idea that hopefully
08:02we get this Reed Shepard space, help create the best version of Kevin Durant, help create
08:06the best version of Alper and Shane Goon.
08:08I wonder how much Kevin Durant was involved in this.
08:10I don't know.
08:11He has a strong voice, man.
08:13Yeah, but a strong voice to the point where we're waiting until 60-some games.
08:16Well, maybe it's been a lot.
08:19I mean, he may have been fighting it, so to speak.
08:21Maybe he hasn't been just recently.
08:23I'm just curious.
08:24How did you feel about the Tari Eason at the end of the Miami game, inbounding the basketball?
08:29People are really mad at Ime Odoka for this, having Tari Eason inbound the ball?
08:32Because it's not the first time.
08:33It's not the first time that he's had trouble doing it.
08:35And I think that's what comes with that.
08:37One of the things that was frustrating, though, is that Tari Eason absolutely was kind of
08:40an odd inbound pass.
08:42I think that there was also a Reed situation where Reed is supposed to be coming to the
08:45basketball and he tries to peel off.
08:46When you need to just keep coming to the basketball, secure the ball, then let's focus on getting
08:50the ball up court.
08:51But again, that's the type of thing where, much less than the defense even, is we'll figure
08:57that out as you keep working through this.
08:58That's not a reason to not give Reed more minutes.
09:00And hopefully we're going to get an opportunity to continue seeing Reed get more minutes as
09:04a starter and help this offense flow.
09:06But with that being a thing that now we know over the weekend, I'm interested to see how
09:11Chicago tonight, but maybe more importantly Wednesday, on national TV, Minnesota, when
09:15they know that that's the case, what are the things that other coaches try and throw at
09:19them to combat that?
09:20That'll be the interesting secondary move off of that.
09:22But Reed Shepard's a starter.
09:23Let's see if we ultimately get what we want from it.
09:26Two wins this weekend, 10 and two of the 12 times that he started.
09:29That's what you hope for.
09:30And maybe that gives you hope for the Rockets as we move forward.
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