- 15 hours ago
ITL debates whether Kevin Durant’s Rockets chapter may already be over.
Category
🥇
SportsTranscript
00:00Has Kevin Durant played his last game as Rocket?
00:02Why are you asking?
00:03There's been a lot of consternation, a lot of conversation about this potential circumstance.
00:08Obviously, Kevin Durant is such that if he wants to be somewhere, he can be where he
00:12want to be.
00:13But the way that this season went, I think, has made people question a lot of things.
00:19And this has come up, surprisingly, a few times in general media space.
00:24So I wanted to bring it to you, John.
00:26Do you think Kevin Durant has played his last game as Rocket?
00:28I do not.
00:28And let me explain this way and see what you guys think.
00:34I think his choice is no.
00:36And I think his choice, ultimately, is the decision.
00:40Because Kevin Durant, I think, loves Houston, loves what he's doing, obviously likes Ime Adoka.
00:46I think he's in the place where he can sort of just dictate when and where he's playing
00:53and he wants to play here.
00:54Now, if it's not his choice, I know there are certain things, hoops, you've got to jump
00:58through, especially, you know, no trade and all that stuff.
01:01Maybe he rethinks things.
01:02So I would say absolutely not.
01:06Would you say absolutely not?
01:08Yeah.
01:09Yeah.
01:09I think I would.
01:10I think you mentioned he enjoys being here.
01:13I think that this year was a weird one, though, because as much as we talk about Fred Van Vliet
01:20and Stephen Adams not being there from the court side stuff, I don't know that we've talked
01:26enough about, like, the off-court stuff that those guys are.
01:30And when you talk about leader guys on the court, people have asked, well, why wasn't Kevin
01:36Durant a better leader?
01:37I would quibble with that a little bit.
01:39But also, Kevin Durant has never been leader guy on his teams.
01:43And I don't think that he was brought in here to be leader guy.
01:46You know what I mean?
01:47He's a basketball guy.
01:48He has been put into place this past offseason where Stephen Adams is the life of the party.
01:53Right?
01:54Stephen Adams, funny enough, he was on a really interesting New Zealand podcast recently where there's
01:58been a lot of clips coming up.
02:00And one of the things he was talking about is just how his central humor as a New Zealander,
02:04as a Kiwi, is kind of, it's really appreciated over here.
02:08So, like, his presence means something in the locker room.
02:11You don't have him all the time.
02:13Fred Van Vliet and his leadership, you did not have.
02:16And so I think the organization of a clubhouse, it really is an organism.
02:23And you're missing two very important parts of it.
02:25And Kevin Durant, I think, had to step up in a larger role there than I think was anticipated
02:30of him being some level of leader guy.
02:32And maybe that took some tolls.
02:34I think that that would be fair to point to.
02:36But if this team is orchestrated the way that it's supposed to, he does not have those responsibilities
02:40and he can focus more on basketball, which he did really, really well last year.
02:44I think Kevin Durant is a guy that you ask questions of and he'll give you some great answers.
02:47I don't think he's necessarily, you know, sort of rallying the troops or being, you know,
02:51presenting that leadership, you know, thing just on a day-to-day basis because he knows
02:56basketball so well and he knows, you know, the players in the game so well.
03:00I just don't see it happening.
03:02Let me ask you this, though.
03:04It doesn't mean that, you know, that Shangoon hadn't played his last game.
03:08You know, I think there are going to be changes.
03:10I think the whole thing about, you know, we're going to run it back and young guys in development.
03:13I mean, I saw another clip this weekend of, you know, Stone talking about, you know,
03:20some of the things, priority is development.
03:22I don't buy that.
03:24I think there are going to be some changes.
03:26I just don't think Kevin Durant is going to be one of them.
03:28Okay, so Kevin Durant, you're throwing up Alper and Shangoon.
03:31One of the interesting ones is when the exit interview or exit press conference that Emei
03:37and Rafael Stone did conjointly last week, they seemed to talk about Ari Eason as if he would
03:43be back.
03:44Do you think he should, right?
03:45This isn't a whether they will.
03:47Do you think he should return?
03:48Because Tari Eason is a very interesting player in that he was somewhat of, at least he was
03:54supposed to serve as somewhat of the catalyst.
03:56They really threw him as, you know, a defender at one of their, one of the best players you
04:01were playing against in this series, right?
04:03He was, he had the LeBron James assignment a lot of times.
04:05Um, but on offense, you saw some up and down with him.
04:10Uh, sometimes you can see some decisions that make you kind of scratch your head, right?
04:14With him going and attacking the paint and going through defenders at times, uh, sometimes,
04:19you know, forcing shots up.
04:20He went through that really tough period of missing shots to the point where they had to
04:23have a meeting behind it to imbue that confidence.
04:26And it's, I mean, he, after February 1st, he shot 38% from the field and 26% from three.
04:34Like that's, that's just not getting the job done.
04:36However, he's a restrictive free agent.
04:37He's again, part of that young core.
04:38Do you think he should return?
04:41Oh man, that's a, that's a tough one.
04:44I think it all hinges on what, which superstar is going to be able to, to stay.
04:49And if they both stay, you think it's superstar conversation.
04:51Yeah.
04:52I think it's a superstar conversation.
04:53I think none of these are conversation, however you want to put it.
04:57I think some of these other moves are just going to be peripheral and part of those discussions,
05:01part, part of those changes that you make fundamentally.
05:04Cause you, you, you, you change Durant or Shingun.
05:08You are fundamentally changing your, your team.
05:10Let me just, you are, uh, you know, because you're going to have to play the game differently.
05:15And so I think Tar Eason might be part of that, but he isn't, he isn't going to be like
05:19a big piece
05:20that changes how you move into the 2027 season.
05:24Well, that's interesting.
05:25I'm very intrigued as to what teams would want him.
05:27Cause the team that have cap space, which would be necessary, right?
05:30He's a restricted free agent.
05:31So you end up in this interesting place where you have to probably sign into a deal,
05:35especially if you want to definitely get him that the Rockets would not be willing to match
05:38or whatever.
05:39However, the Brooklyn Nets have, have cap space, the Chicago Bulls have cap space.
05:43The Los Angeles Lakers have cap space.
05:45Do any of those teams make sense as possible teams?
05:48Cause again, we could go to the entirety of the league, but those are the teams that have
05:51the most space where you feel like, okay, if they wanted a player like Tar Eason, they
05:55could probably make it happen.
05:56Would any of those teams make sense if Tar Eason was looking for another place to be?
06:00Probably Lakers, wouldn't it?
06:01It does feel like that would be the case, doesn't it?
06:03Probably Lakers is what I would say.
06:05And so does that end up being something where if it gets, it gets a little, if the Lakers
06:11aren't really all in on him and they really play hardball with them, would you be willing
06:16to, you know, match somewhat?
06:20No.
06:21So this is like, yeah, I don't think so.
06:23Would you?
06:25I don't, I don't think so.
06:26Like, honestly, watching this series, uh, Spurs Timberwolves that we were talking about
06:31earlier.
06:32And honestly, before that, if I could have Ayo DeSumo instead of Tar Eason, I would
06:35take that.
06:36Like, obviously it's not a trade, but if, if, if you could guarantee me that that's
06:39the way this goes.
06:40Now I assume he has really raised his, raised his Q rating, especially now on the playoff
06:45stage.
06:45He is a great three point shooter.
06:47He's got a, he's got more on ball presence to him, almost being like a pseudo, uh, creator.
06:53I think that would fit in, especially with what this team needs with more consistent
06:57shooting.
06:58Cause I think that DeSumo shot like 43% from regular, they talked about shooting, like
07:02shooting, um, some secondary playmaking.
07:05And I, I don't think he's as nearly as good, like defensively as Tar Eason is, but I think
07:09that that might be the give and take.
07:11Like if, if I could have that instead, otherwise I, I kind of have a hard time seeing this team
07:16parting with Tar Eason.
07:17Um, and if you want to keep that, that, that core together, maybe that's the case, but it
07:23does feel like if you're talking about shooting, those are the places where you need more consistent
07:27shooting.
07:28Yeah, no, I, I agree.
07:29But I, I think ultimately this is going to be a, uh, either or with Shane Goon and Kevin
07:33Durant.
07:34And then the other pieces are just going to fall in place, you know, beyond that.
07:37And I think, uh, Tari and no, I'll do respect, but I think Tari falls in there, by the
07:41way, uh, Shams Sharanya just reporting.
07:43There will be no further discipline for Spurs, uh, center, Victor women, Yama after he was
07:49ejected for elbowing Nas Reed, uh, Sunday night, uh, no suspension, no fine, which is interesting.
07:57Yeah.
07:57I thought that that, the find would be where they get it.
07:59I do love when sports, uh, leagues do that.
08:02Like, Hey guys, you don't want to watch this game without this player.
08:05We understand that we probably need to do something.
08:07So let's just put some money on it.
08:09Right.
08:09Like he makes a lot of money, but we're going to make it seem like he's, he's really paying
08:13for his crime.
08:14So to say how the idea of no fines, there does make it seem like he was ejected early
08:19enough in this game where they felt like him missing a majority was the, was the penalty.
08:23I think that's the angle that they're going to take, right?
08:25Like, Hey, you know, time served, you know, time served on that game.
08:28Yeah.
08:29And cause I mean, there hadn't been an all-star level player that has been ejected from a
08:32game that early since 1997.
08:33Yeah.
08:34Like we're talking about literally three decades.
08:36And so, yeah, that, that, it feels like that makes sense with this.
08:40And honestly, I would, I wouldn't, I would feel some type of way if you end up with a
08:44series where you're missing.
08:45It would be so empty.
08:46It would feel so empty.
08:47And I think even you would take it, but even the Minnesota Timberwolves and fans would be
08:50like, ah, you know, people are going to be looking at us a little differently.
08:53This kind of reminds me, remember last, I think it was last year.
08:55Remember Jalen Carter, uh, the whole spit gate thing?
08:59Yes.
08:59Game one of the football season.
09:01It wasn't even a play.
09:02A play didn't even happen yet.
09:03What was going through when he got drafted?
09:04He hadn't played.
09:05Why was it like this?
09:06A snap wasn't even played, like an official, official snap wasn't even played.
09:11What did he do to make him so mad?
09:12That was wild, man.
09:13That was a wild one.
09:13But yeah, that's what it kind of reminds me of.
09:16Yeah, no, that's, that's, yeah, for sure.
09:18A spit gate.
09:19Why did he do that?
09:20That was crazy, man.
09:21Because what, I feel like in order to spit on someone, you gotta be, you gotta be real
09:25lathered up.
09:26How do you get lathered up in game one of the season before any plays are gone?
09:30Like what, what could have possibly happened if he was like, I gotta spit on you?
09:34He's fired up.
09:35He's fired, man.
09:36I'm back to this discussion.
09:37I'm looking at the Rockets roster.
09:39It really is going to be an either or, isn't it?
09:42And it ain't going to be, and it ain't going to be of Shingun and the star players and Durant
09:46if they do do something.
09:47Yeah, of course.
09:48If they make a big, you can just tuck it from the, from the money of this.
09:51Those are the, those are the guys that have the big ticket money.
09:53And I think the conversation that people are having, if you're talking about star players,
09:58the Donovan Mitchell conversation is popping up, right?
10:00Donovan Mitchell of the Cleveland Cavaliers.
10:02That's that Cavaliers thing.
10:04And they seemingly have not been able to get over the hump.
10:06And the way they went out in this series, when you look at James Harden, the move that
10:10they made for him does start to make them go, okay, is it time to kind of revamp this
10:15again?
10:15If they moved on from Donovan Mitchell, is that the type of guy that you want?
10:18Because Donovan Mitchell is a, I create, he's a, he's a creator.
10:23He, he, in theory is a playmaker, but he's not, he's more of a two guard than he is a
10:28point guard in so much as he's not doing as many, as much needs to assist in high usage
10:34rate, but he can to some degree.
10:36Is that a player that moves you if, if, if he is available and that's possibly up there
10:42for the Rockets to do?
10:42Put the ball in the bucket, right?
10:44He does put the ball in the bucket.
10:45You need to put the ball in the bucket.
10:47The answer is yes.
10:48Absolutely.
10:49Yes.
10:49You, I might be thinking, come on, man.
10:52Yeah, come on, man.
10:53No, I, I, I'm being honest.
10:54You know what I mean?
10:55I'm going to be, I might be thinking too hard on this.
10:57I saw, I saw some statistics, which of course is always my fatal flaw that were pointing
11:01to this playoffs and seeing dudes who, uh, dudes who led to assists of guys who had at
11:08least 150 minutes and, you know, drove a good, good amount.
11:12Donovan Mitchell was the lowest when it came to assists per touch that he had.
11:16So he's getting touched.
11:17He's not turning them a ton into assists.
11:19Now, some of that is the role that he serves.
11:21He serves as a dude who goes and gets buckets less than a dude who goes and creates assists.
11:25But I mean, that's less than Jalen Green was assisting when he touched the basketball,
11:30right?
11:30That's less than Jalen Brown was assisting when he touched the basketball.
11:33Guys that are way more geared towards scoring the basketball than passing the basketball.
11:37So I do wonder, especially when we're talking about a team where you're like, hey, creation
11:41was at a premium.
11:42Is that the right kind of foundational piece that you're at pivoting to is the question.
11:46Well, I get your point.
11:47I don't think it's an unfair point you're making there, but I might be, but I might be thinking
11:50too hard about it.
11:51I do think that the, you know, the gist of it is getting the ball in the bucket and you
11:55start looking at it.
11:56Like imagine Donovan Mitchell on the floor with Reed Shepard, Donovan Mitchell on the floor
12:00with a man Thompson.
12:00I think there are options there that you don't have right now.
12:02Yeah.
12:03And that's somebody that's, that's kind of like Kevin Durant that could take over when
12:06needed.
12:07Yeah.
12:07And somebody said, I ain't going to lie, Reggie, we don't have a two guard either.
12:09You have a seven foot two guard right now, but obviously it's not a, it's not a future
12:13play there.
12:14Yeah.
12:15The question that comes up when I get to John Donovan Mitchell is the one that I always
12:18have with NBA players, which is how long can you stomach a volume score?
12:22Because early on when a volume score comes in, when they're first drafted, you're like,
12:25oh, this is great.
12:25Look at all the points.
12:26And then as they go along, being the same dude, you're like, hey, are you going to become more
12:30efficient?
12:31Are you going to do other things?
12:32And then it's just like, well, I was always been this.
12:34This is who I am.
12:35He's obviously gotten better in various different places, but he's a volume score at heart.
12:38And I do wonder, is that what the Rockets need?
12:41Well, you do need scoring.
12:42You do need scoring.
12:42That's where I am.
12:43Do you, do you then on the backside of it, end up at a place where you go, well, why
12:47aren't
12:47you doing these other things, including playmaking, which you kind of want?
12:50I think the issue is trying to put the whole team on his back type deal.
12:54Yeah.
12:54Like have to depend on him.
12:56Yeah.
12:56You shouldn't have to depend solely on Donovan Mitchell.
12:59Which is why I take you there.
13:01As much as we kind of bucked back at this thought process, Stone and Udoka aren't wrong.
13:08You're going to need these guys to keep coming along on this court, regardless of what you
13:12do.
13:12They're going to need to be better, no matter what you do.
13:14Well, I don't have a problem with that.
13:16You are going to need it.
13:17I have a problem with relying on that.
13:19Sure.
13:19And nothing else.
13:20Right.
13:20No, that's a fair point.
13:21And ultimately, I love this from the 832.
13:23He's bringing Coco Jones to Toyota Center.
13:25That's an automatic W.
13:26I like the way that you're doing it.
Comments