- 1 day ago
Category
🥇
SportsTranscript
00:00I want to get to this real quick because I do want to get to the Rockets.
00:03And we'll open up the phone line, 713-572-4610.
00:07Dealing with the thought process, this, with Udoka finally giving in
00:11and moving Reed Shepard into the starting lineup,
00:13do you feel different about the Rockets' playoff chances now?
00:16We've seen a small, small sample size of two games,
00:19but do you feel any different?
00:20713-572-4610.
00:23Call up if you want to get involved in the conversation.
00:25We'll do that.
00:26But I do want to address this on the text line, or on YouTube, excuse me,
00:33as someone came in as we were talking about.
00:35Nico and SpaceAge713, stop it.
00:38Nico isn't nearly the route runner JSN is, and no durability.
00:42Y'all tripping.
00:43Listen, I will give you that, the edge of route running.
00:48He's a really good route runner, and that's how he is able to get separation.
00:51But, I mean, I don't think he's anywhere near Nico in terms of running after the catch.
00:56His size just allows him the ability to do more things with because of his size.
01:02There are times where Nico may not be open in regards to how close somebody is to him,
01:09but he is still able to go and make catches in close quarters because of his size.
01:13So, I, and I would also say within this, and I'm not saying you're just dead off wrong,
01:21but I think there's also a difference of being in an offense that is trying to,
01:28breakneck trying to get the ball to you in so many different ways.
01:34Like, you're the priority at every game.
01:40Every game plan, and I don't think Nico has dealt with that.
01:42But, you know, he definitely had, I would say that these two are closer.
01:49JSN, I don't believe, like, I would have a hard time paying him top of the market money.
01:53Like, if we're just, like, my opinion of him as a player is he is not a top five receiver
02:00in this league.
02:02Now, I don't think Nico's a $20 million a year guy either.
02:04I think they would probably meet in the middle somewhere,
02:06and I think they're very comparable players.
02:09But, to your point, I want to read something real quick, to your point.
02:15These are catches, by the way.
02:17These are catches.
02:19Keep that in mind.
02:21Jackson Smith and Jigba versus the 49ers.
02:24Nine catches, 124.
02:26Steelers, eight catches, 103.
02:28Buccaneers, eight catches, 132.
02:30Jaguars, eight catches, 162.
02:32Texans, eight catches, 123.
02:34Commanders, eight catches, 129.
02:36Rams, nine catches.
02:38Titans, eight catches.
02:39Falcons, seven.
02:40Colts, seven.
02:40Rams, again, 10 catches.
02:42He had 19 catches for 250-some-odd yards against the Rams alone.
02:47By the way, NFC Championship caliber Rams.
02:52Like, Nico ain't got 19 catches.
02:55That's the catches, not even the targets.
02:57That ain't targets.
02:57That's the targets.
02:58I mean, I looked at it last week.
03:00I mean, Nico, in the last five games of the season, Ron, had less than four catches a game.
03:06I mean, I think he had five, four, three, three, something like that.
03:10I mean, it was, it's crazy.
03:12So, yeah, I think it's hard to compare the two because you've got one guy that, in Jackson
03:18Smith and Jigba, I'll argue that as much as any system we've seen in the last 20 years,
03:24one receiver was featured in a heavier way than I think I've ever seen, personally, than
03:30I think I've ever seen.
03:31And rightfully so, by the way.
03:34I mean, they had a great thing going.
03:35I mean, but he was, Nico ain't been targeted like that in one game, much less in an entire
03:40season.
03:41I mean, you know, there's games where Nico had seven or eight catches.
03:45I think there's a game where he had nine catches, maybe.
03:47But it was just because the defense allowed it to happen.
03:49And it wasn't, it wasn't because the system made it happen.
03:52But there's no, yeah, there's not a defense that can dictate if Jackson Smith and Jigba
03:57is going to get targets.
03:58No, it ain't happening.
03:59I mean, they're going to get, he's going to get his targets.
04:02He's going to get his touches.
04:03Yeah.
04:04Yeah.
04:04So, all right.
04:05I just want to address that good conversation here about things.
04:08But all right.
04:09As I said, phone lines are open.
04:107-1-3-5-7-2-4-6-10 because Clint, it, it, it, it must've killed him.
04:15Well, it must've killed him, but he finally gave in.
04:18So, E-M-A-U-D-O-K-A finally gave in and said, all right, we heard the announcement.
04:23Vanessa Richardson, who covers the rockets for, for space, space, what the, city, home,
04:31space, city, home, space, city, home, network, space, city, home, network.
04:34I was about to say space age after I just said that.
04:37I like that.
04:37Space age pimping.
04:38Well, that was, it was on my mind.
04:40That was the, the, the texter's name.
04:42Space age pimping.
04:44Space age 713.
04:44I was looking at it, but yeah, space, space, city, home network, the report about, Hey,
04:50he made the decision, wanted to look at something different and didn't say this was a one-time
04:54thing.
04:55This was going to get a long look at it.
04:57And so far it's been two games.
04:59And in the two games, the rockets are two and Oh, and, uh, and a men Thompson with a big,
05:05uh, put back dunk at or put back tip in at the, uh, at the buzzer to win, uh, over
05:12the heat
05:12the other night.
05:13And then they, uh, they won the first game as well.
05:16He became the starter, but in that timeframe, Reed Shepard's averaging 19, a game, nine assists
05:20on three turnovers, including 24 and 14 against Miami.
05:25And to me, it's also the other guys around it, right?
05:28A men Thompson has averaged 19, 12 and a half and four assists in the two games.
05:34So it's, it's opened up some things for him.
05:38Listen, I, it, this does make me feel better about their playoff chances.
05:44I don't know that they're that I'm, I'm putting them into contender like I had before the year,
05:49but if this is going to be the lineup that they're going to start with, and they're going
05:52to really push it and put the ball in his hands more and not just having out there as
05:58a spacer, I, I feel better about their chances in the playoffs and maybe they can, they could
06:04win a first round matchup right now.
06:06They're slated to play Denver.
06:07Maybe they could win that against them or Minnesota, however it shakes out.
06:12Um, but I didn't feel that way before.
06:14So I do feel a bit different.
06:15Right.
06:15I definitely feel different.
06:17I said this Friday with Luke, it's time, it's time to commit to Reed Shepard.
06:20And if it ain't it, it ain't it.
06:22But what we know is what you're currently doing is not it.
06:25So, so commit to Reed Shepard.
06:26I made the comment, I said, I would commit to Reed Shepard and even down the bench.
06:32Like you gotta, it's gotta be a point guard.
06:33You gotta find somebody that's used to handling the ball.
06:35You gotta find somebody that can run the offense.
06:37And so there's two things in the last two games that stick out other than the fact that
06:40you won both of them.
06:42There's two things that stick out.
06:43One Shepard and holiday both played.
06:47Yep.
06:47Right.
06:48And, and extended minutes holiday got 16 minutes on the back of a Shepard 25 minutes
06:52against Atlanta and holiday got 13 minutes on the back of, of Shepard's 37 minutes.
06:56Uh, uh, in, in the Miami game and in two games, those two guys combined six total turnovers,
07:05the turnovers were a major, major problem.
07:08Uh, yeah, we talk about Reed Shepard and we talk about, you know, KD not, you know, not
07:12being a ball handler kind of deal and, uh, and, and need more of that point guard that
07:16Fran van Fred Van Vliet replacement, yada, yada.
07:18We talk a lot about that.
07:19But the reality was they also had a turnover problem that was absolutely crippling them.
07:25And, and so for, for them to go that route and we all know Reed can shoot it.
07:30We all know Brad, uh, holiday can shoot it.
07:32They, they shot, they shot lights out from three point, by the way.
07:35Um, I mean, lights out nine of 15 was, was Shepard over those two games and five of seven
07:41was holiday over those two games.
07:43But the, the, the, the, the, you get the point guard, you get the shooting.
07:47And most importantly, you get somebody handling the ball.
07:50It's not turning it over at a rate that's unacceptable.
07:53And so I, I think those two things, holiday plan on the back of Shepard, that tells you
07:57that they're definitely going to more of a point guard role where those guys are, are
08:00facilitating guys that can handle the rock guys that are used to dealing with pressure
08:03at midcourt and then the lack of turnovers with those guys in the game so much, Ron, those
08:08two things right there, change the change, change what's going on with the rockets in
08:12a big way.
08:12And the NBA season is so long that this, this could be a spark and, and we could see them
08:17as a different group with this.
08:20But again, it's not just having them in the starting lineup.
08:23It's also saying, all right, we're, we're not just going to have it to where Kevin is
08:28bringing the ball up and we're just using you out there to space people, but we're going,
08:31we're going to, to use you.
08:33And I think it's the, it's the people that are affected outside of him.
08:37Shingun, I don't know.
08:38He didn't score over 20 in either one of the games.
08:41Uh, that, that, that's fine.
08:42Uh, but, but it was, it was 19 and 12, you take it that he had against the heat.
08:46Why are you lying?
08:47You know, that's not fine.
08:49It's fine.
08:50I mean, you just, we've just had to discuss you.
08:51We've just had to lower the expectations, uh, with, with him.
08:55He's given us, he's given us two months worth to understand it.
08:58But this was the amend Thompson that you drink, like the 24, 18 rebounds slashing.
09:05He's free to go do what he does.
09:07Well, four assists.
09:08And obviously he's going to bring it defensively.
09:10He not only affects himself, like that's it.
09:13Your backcourt's giving you a 24 and 23.
09:16And Kevin doesn't have to, because right now, before this rolling.
09:20And again, as I see the text line coming in, all right, guys, it was a heat in the Hawks.
09:23Well, first off the Hawks were an 11 game winning streak rolling into it.
09:27I know the Hawks on a great team, but they have been playing really well.
09:30And I get it.
09:31We'll, we'd love to see it against the Thunder, against the Spurs, against the Lakers.
09:34Right.
09:34Cause that was, that was a low point.
09:36Those two games against the Lakers.
09:37That was, that was a rough watch what happened there.
09:41But the effect that it has with multiple people around, right.
09:45Yeah.
09:46And, and, and to, to not have tech, cause Kevin Durant for this team to win has to be great.
09:51And that, and that is, that's not a good recipe at 37 every night.
09:54But, but Ron, it's like, like to the texture specifically, like, look, man, I mean, if,
09:58if you want to watch any of these teams, any of these teams, doesn't matter who it is,
10:02right.
10:03In professional sports in Houston, if you want to watch them roll out there and run through
10:10doing something in the regular season that, that maybe fits, you know, with the Rockets,
10:15the athletic ability and just running and gunning, running and gunning, you make the playoffs
10:18and all of a sudden you run up against good teams and you're like, Oh, we need more of an
10:21identity.
10:21We need more somebody that can handle the ball.
10:23We need, we need more ball move.
10:24Like the, the key here is not easy because it's Atlanta and Miami.
10:28The key here is if you're a Rockets fan, you watch something in a commitment to the point
10:33guard, the initiator that you watch that change, right.
10:37And so it's, there's no easy to it.
10:39You watch the coach.
10:41He talked about it.
10:42You watch the coach make an adjustment, which was Reed Shepard and, and even holiday to that,
10:47to that standpoint, those guys handling the ball more, but Tari Eason have him coming
10:51off the bench.
10:51That was a shift that you, that most fans wanted to see and to see it work out in a
10:57way like,
10:57Hey, there's a semblance of some kind of offense here instead of what we were doing.
11:02And that's got a better chance of working in the playoffs than whatever it was that,
11:06that, that was causing Kevin Durant to get blitzed every time he touched the ball,
11:10crossing half court.
11:11Like the, the key isn't the opponent.
11:13The key is, is the product that is the Houston Rockets seem to have changed a bit.
11:16It seemed to have tweaked, they tweaked it a bit.
11:19That product is a little bit different.
11:21Now, now is that, are those players that are getting more run and is that scheme, is that
11:27got a chance to give you to, to help you win a series in the playoffs?
11:30I personally, I believe that it's, it's the right change at the right time and we'll see
11:34if it's any better.
11:35Yeah.
11:35Listen, they've got roughly 12 games left, I believe.
11:40Yeah, that's right.
11:4012 games left.
11:42And can they, can they get themselves going in these games to understand this lineup and
11:49the best way to play it and how to go about it in these 12 games before they get to
11:54the
11:54playoffs?
11:54That's, that's a, that's the big deal.
11:56A man, Thompson is really hard to watch.
11:58His offense is so limited from Gus.
12:00Gus, well, I think a thing with this is allows him to, to really do the things that he is
12:08best at.
12:09Yeah.
12:09I like, I like the, the, the term you chose there allows him.
12:12Cause I agree.
12:13I like it.
12:14Like he is clearly a better player when he can focus on the defensive end of the floor
12:18and then the offense, he, he just, he's just a grinder.
12:21He's not bringing the ball up, trying to read the defense, trying to figure out which way
12:25to swing it and which is this and that.
12:27No, let somebody else handle all that.
12:28You play defense, you cut and slash to the basket, you go get rebounds.
12:32You know, you, you, you play at downhill at or above the rim kind of deal.
12:37Let guys feed you.
12:39Um, that that's, that's when I'm in Thompson is at his best, not handling the ball coming
12:43across half court.
12:44So I, I, I think it makes to your point, it allows him to play free.
12:49Um, and now if we can get Tari Eason and knock down a couple of damn shots, maybe it can
12:53allow him to play free as well.
12:55A little bit in that spot.
12:56Yeah.
12:56Yeah.
12:56And, and, and he'll be fine, right?
12:58And he, he's like, I mean, of all the guys, he'll, he'll understand his role.
13:02He was, uh, he was a guy that came off the bench before anyway, and he's still going to
13:08play, but they've got to, they, they needed to do something to shift some.
13:12We thought they may do it coming out of the break, uh, out of the all-star break.
13:15And they didn't, and I think the next, the next test will be to see if they're able to do
13:20it against, you know, a really good team and, and they'll play the Timberwolves coming up
13:27on Wednesday.
13:27And that, that may be the next, the next opportunity to see how they play.
13:31And that's, uh, uh, uh, uh, uh, uh, uh, uh, uh, uh, uh, uh, uh, uh, uh, uh, uh, uh,
13:31uh, uh, uh, uh, uh, uh, uh, uh, uh, uh, uh, uh, uh, uh, uh, uh, uh, uh, uh, uh,
13:31uh, uh, uh, uh, uh, uh, uh, uh, uh, uh, uh, uh, uh, uh, uh, uh, uh, uh, uh, uh,
13:31uh, uh, uh, uh, uh, uh, uh, uh, uh, uh, uh, uh, uh, uh, uh, uh, uh, uh, uh, uh,
13:31uh, uh, uh, uh, uh, uh, uh, uh, uh, uh, uh, uh, uh, uh, uh, uh, uh, uh, uh, uh,
13:31uh, uh, uh, uh, uh, uh, uh, uh, uh, uh, uh
Comments