Loading summary
Transcript50 lines
- [00:01]
eBay Announcer
With 132 million users and an unrivaled selection of sports trading cards and memorabilia, ebay is the home of collectibles. Premium trading card singles Unreal Live card breaks. Truly unique game used memorabilia. All the epic finds you need are right here on ebay. Collect with confidence by downloading the ebay app on the app store or by going straight to eBay.com TheAthletic that's eBay.com TheAthletiC start building your collection today.
- [00:32]
Host (The Athletic NBA Daily)
Ready to order?
- [00:33]
Will Guillory (The Athletic NBA Writer)
Yes.
- [00:33]
Capital One Saver Card Advertiser
We're earning unlimited 3% cash back on dining and entertainment with a Capital One Saver Card. So let's just get one of everything.
- [00:40]
Will Guillory (The Athletic NBA Writer)
Everything.
- [00:41]
Host (The Athletic NBA Daily)
Fire everything. The Capital One Saver card is at table 27, and they're earning unlimited 3% cash back.
- [00:47]
eBay Announcer
Yes, chef.
- [00:48]
Capital One Saver Card Advertiser
This is so nice.
- [00:49]
Host (The Athletic NBA Daily)
Had a feeling you'd want 3% cash back on dessert.
- [00:52]
Capital One Saver Card Advertiser
Ooh, tiramisu.
- [00:53]
Host (The Athletic NBA Daily)
Earn unlimited 3% cash back on dining and entertainment with the capital one saver card. Capital One, what's in your wallet? Terms apply. See capitalone.com for details.
- [01:02]
Robert Mays (Peloton Advertiser)
Hi, this is Robert Mays from the Athletic. The new Peloton Cross Training Tread plus is built to take your training to the next level. I've had a peloton for the past five years. It has completely changed the way that I work out, and it's completely retrained my relationship to exercise. It's in our basement. I use it virtually every single day. I'm a huge fan of the platform. I'm a huge fan of the library of classes that are offered. I cannot recommend the program I enough. If you're looking for a way to change your workout routine and really lock in to improving yourself physically. Powered by peloton iq, it plans your workouts, tracks your progress, corrects your form, and gives you real time coaching so you can push harder and see real results. And with a swivel screen, you can go from running to strength training with one smooth spin, keeping your routine balanced and your body ready for anything. Let yourself run, lift, flex, push, and go. Explore the new Peloton Cross Training Tread plus@1peloton.com.
- [02:09]
Host (The Athletic NBA Daily)
Good morning and welcome to the Athletic NBA Daily, presented by ebay. Today we've got Will Guillory of the Athletic to talk about the Houston Rockets. Good morning, Will. How's it going?
- [02:22]
Will Guillory (The Athletic NBA Writer)
I'm doing well, man. How about yourself?
- [02:24]
Maya and Sim (Girls That Invest Podcast Hosts)
How are you?
- [02:25]
Host (The Athletic NBA Daily)
I'm good, I'm good, thank you. Look, the Rockets had a very eventful summer and off season. I mean, the main thing, I think everybody can Kind of knows what the main move was for the Houston Rockets, which was the fact that they traded for Kevin Durant.
- [02:43]
Will Guillory (The Athletic NBA Writer)
He was going to Clint Capella or what?
- [02:47]
Host (The Athletic NBA Daily)
Cam Whitmore, you know, traded Cam Whitmore for a second. Yeah, look, it was such a massive move that I think it changes the trajectory of this team, not only in the next couple of years, but how it sort of shapes out in. In the Western Conference. So over the last couple of months, what have you seen from this Rockets team and from Kevin Durant in terms of what they might look like this season?
- [03:10]
Will Guillory (The Athletic NBA Writer)
No, I think the big shift for sure is just the expectations within the building. Right. I think last year we saw this team as a fun, upand coming squad. We didn't expect them to win 50 games to push the Warriors. They did in the first round. We saw, you know, huge jumps from Jalen Green, Alper and Shangun, many of these young guys on that squad. And now it's no longer about seeing the young guys and Ime Udoka, the scrappy Rockets, they want to win a championship. They want to compete at the highest level right now. And that's what happens when you bring Kevin Durant in your building. And I think that's what they're really excited about, is it's no longer just being competitive, it's about winning championships again in Houston. And I think that's not only, you know, great for them because they want to be back in that conversation, but I think it's a great situation for Kevin Durant as well. Just being around some of this youthful energy, being around some of these young guys who Jabari Smith and Tyres and these are guys who grew up idolizing Kevin Durant, wanting to play like Kevin Durant their entire life, and now they get to see him on a daily basis, see how he works. So I think it's going to be a marriage that's great for both sides, and I think this team is going to be a lot of fun to watch as they kind of figure things out.
- [04:14]
Host (The Athletic NBA Daily)
Yeah, I'm glad you brought up the. The mentorship aspect, because I think what Kevin Durant can do for Jabari Smith Jr. Is massive. Right? No wasted movements, figuring out how to utilize your dribble as much as possible. And like, this is a big season for jab moving forward. It's a big season for a lot of these young guys as they play next to this enigmatic star, which is kd, who can fill that half court offensive void that was really the. The gap between them and becoming real contenders. Last season, two weeks ago, if we were having this conversation, we would have been talking about how Fred Van Vliet is going to be a big part of this team and his leadership and obviously being the helm of things with him being the main point guard. Right. But that is no longer the case. Torres, acl we don't know when he's going to be coming back for. It's unlikely. I would assume that he comes back this season. Knowing that and knowing the void at point guard for them. Who do you think has to take the biggest step forward for this Rockets team this season?
- [05:14]
Will Guillory (The Athletic NBA Writer)
I think it's two guys. I think it's Amen Thompson and Reed shepherd for sure. Two guys that they use top five picks on. And we saw Amen Thompson really make a jump last year. You know, was considered one of the best defensive players in the league and they got really high hopes for Amen. Not just what he's doing defensively, but how he's growing offensively, as I would assume. Well, I'm not going to say that. I would say potentially the starting point guard for this team as a guy who we, regardless of where he's starting, he's going to have the ball in his hands a lot this season. He's going to have a lot of responsibility to create, to make plays and transition. I think they really want to see him make a jump, show some improvement this year. And Reed Shepherd, a guy who really didn't play at all last year, was a number three overall pick. People were really high on, you know, some of the things he could do, some of the, you know, skill set he can bring to this Rocket squad. And I think he's going to have to step in and play a major role as a guy without a lot of NBA experience, as a guy who basically got no playoff experience last year with this Rockets team. So I think it's going to be on those two guys. They're going to have the ball in their hands a lot this season and they got to grow up quick because like we said, you know, this is a championship contending team. They're going to have a lot of pressure on them. They're going to have a lot of eyes on them on a night to night basis. And I think in particular those two guys, Amen and Reed shepherd are going to have a lot of eyes on them because if they aren't developing, if they aren't making that jump that people are expecting, I think a lot of the talk is going to be okay, when's Houston going to make A trade. When are they going to make a move to bring in somebody? Because when you got a 37 year old guy leading your team, you don't really have time to worry about what next year is going to look like. You got to get it done right now. And I think there's a lot of pressure on those two guys to figure it out immediately so this team could compete, you know, in that Western Conference. There's so many great teams.
- [06:55]
Host (The Athletic NBA Daily)
We just talked about expectations a little bit earlier. But does that VanVle situation and the injury change expectations for this team? Knowing you got to rely on two guys who are still developing?
- [07:05]
Will Guillory (The Athletic NBA Writer)
Yeah, I think, you know, I think they probably wouldn't say that publicly, but I think of course it would be crazy to not think losing a guy like that wouldn't change some of your thoughts on this team. But again, I think it changes the thought as far as how aggressive you're going to be going into the trade deadline, how aggressive you are looking around the league at a potential other point guard. I think it also factors into your Tyree East Tyree Easton's decision. He's got a, he's extension eligible right now. He's a guy who has, you know, a lot of eyes are on the league looking at his situation. He's a guy who can fetch you a really good point guard if you were to put him out there in the trade market. I, I think that that kind of changes a lot of the equation for them. But I think, yeah, that they really love Fred Van Vleet, not just as a player but as a leader in the locker room. They thought he was going to be a really valuable piece on this team with Kevin Durant. So losing him is a major loss. And I think anybody who tells you different is probably not being all the way truthful.
- [08:01]
Host (The Athletic NBA Daily)
No, it absolutely is. And like they're the pick and roll with him and Alper and Sengun was so massive for the last couple of years. I mean it was the bread and butter for this team. And so you lose that factor, this team's gonna have to operate a little bit differently. They were going to do that regardless with Kevin Durant. Like things were going to look differently on offense, but now it, it changes the, the focal point of what their offensive direction is pretty, pretty quickly. Alpere and Shangun is another guy who's looking forward to taking a step forward because he had a great summer with Turkey. Ob real opportunity to like win the in Europe. What do you expect from Sengun as he heads into a New season.
- [08:40]
Will Guillory (The Athletic NBA Writer)
No, I'll tell you this, I am all in on the Alper and Shangun jump this year. I think that guy has stardom in his future. I think he's going to be a multiple all star, potentially all NBA type of guy. I mean, I think and he has a skill set that really fits well as far as what they need to kind of make up for some of the playmaking that was lost with Fred Van Vle. You saw in his last preseason game, KD's debut, he had 13 assists in a preseason game. You're going to see a whole lot of him kind of operate. I know we always do the, the baby joker thing with, with Shangon, but I really think we're going to see him operating a lot like Y does in Denver as the point guard, as the guy at the top of the key running the offense. I think you're going to see him operating in pick and roll as the ball handler. We saw a few times the Rockets used KD as a screener with Shengoon as the ball handler. I think we're going to see more stuff like that. And I think he man, he many aspects to his game that he's going to be able to bring out with more usage, more responsibility as the shot creator for this offense. And I think him and KD are going to be an amazing fit. I think seeing those guys together for the first time in that Utah preseason game, I think they fit each other so well. I think KD's never really played with a big man who can pass like Shangun, who can demand the attention that Sengun demands when he's on the block, when he's in pick and roll situations, I think he's going to benefit a lot from that. And I think Shangon having a guy like KD out there who can. I think it was I man, Thompson kind of joked, he was like, hey, if I had I needed assist, I just passed the KD and you're probably gonna end up getting the assist at the end of it. So I think that's kind of the relationship they're going to have. And I think going back to your point about Fred Fanfleet, I think where the, where they might miss him the most is those times when it's two man game with KD and Shangon and you're just going to see teams shading three, four guys to that side of the court and having that threat on the opposite side of the court who can make those threes, who can make that second side play. I think it's going to be a, a real test for this team kind of finding those guys who they can trust in those situations. But I think there's no doubt the two man game with KD and Shengun is going to be incredible this year and I think Sengun is going to do some, some magical stuff for them, you know, kind of taking on a bigger role.
- [10:50]
Host (The Athletic NBA Daily)
Yeah, you mentioned the, the inverted pick and roll that they could run with those two. But like I, I'm also just thinking of dribble handoff scenarios because they love to have Sengun kind of operate above the break and you know, they'll run like a delay action which is basically just like the big man camped out above the break running a bunch of dribble handoffs. And I think like that works so well next to what Kevin Durant can do which is, you know, turn the corner, pull up mid range area. That's just, it's. He's so proficient in that already that it's going to be an offensive source onto itself. But you're right about the shot making and I think this is where we can basically go down the line with some of these Rockets young players. We talked about Shangoon, we just talked about Amend Thompson and Reed Shepherd. Jabari Smith Jr. Is a big part of this equation too. Like who do you look at as the, the other guys that need to step up outside of some of the young guys that everybody knows for this Rockets team?
- [11:42]
Will Guillory (The Athletic NBA Writer)
No, I think you mentioned it earlier. I think Jabari Smith is, you know, in line for a really big season. I think, I think you mentioned it perfectly earlier that I think he's going to be. Have a really good opportunity to learn from Kevin Durant. And maybe above all, what we love about Kevin Durant's game so much is his efficiency, his ability to get his without taking up a of space within the room. And I think Jabari Smith is going to learn have to. How to. He's going to have to learn how to do that within this offense because KD and Shangon is going to have the ball so much. They're going to want Amen and Reed shepherd to have their opportunities, but they're going to need Jabari to provide some offense and, and to take advantage of certain situations and I think he's got to learn how to be efficient. He's got to learn how to attack in certain situations. When he has a mismatch, he's got to go down in the low block. What I wrote, you know, after the Utah game is what Jabari can't do this year is just run down and sit in the corner for the whole game. Right. I think he's got to learn how to get involved, get active and pick his spots and be efficient about it. And I think that's when this team is going to really start humming, when they can have those other guys going to have them getting good shots and efficient shots. And I think that kind of starts with Jabari Smith because he could be such a night, a matchup nightmare. When you have kd, Amen and Shangon in the start lineup, they're just so big and they're so capable of going down on the low block and getting pain points. You're going to see teams throwing point guards six, two, six three guys. On Jabari Smith and Jabari Smith, we've seen him add muscle this season, this offseason. He's still a 610 dude who played power forward, you know, for most of his career. So he's got to be able to take advantage of those situations, get some points in the paint, get to the free throw line, and I think that's going to open up everything for everybody else. So I think Jabari is a guy I think a lot of people have eyes on, and I think what we don't talk about enough with these young guys is once you get that first contract, once you get that contract extension like Jabari Shoulders, there's just so much pressure that comes off you. It's like, okay, I don't have to prove anything anymore. My team has shown they believe in me. They've shown knowing that they're invested in me, so I could just go out and play. And I think that's what Jabari Smith needed. And I think that's going to be big for him is just to go out and play and learn from kd and I think he's going to be a really good, you know, contributor for this team.
- [13:50]
Host (The Athletic NBA Daily)
Yeah, I, I saw some conversation when Jabari signed that extension. You know, five years, $122 million. Kind of like conversation, like, oh, is that an overpay? Is that an underpay? Like, what is that? I think that is perfectly fair for what he can provide because at the very least, like, he's a very proficient role player who works really well in providing versatility for this team. You talked about the size, like a front court of Jabari, KD Shangoon, or you can go bigger than that. Like, the versatility that he provides for this Rockets team, both offensively and defensively, makes a ton of sense. Even if he just ends up being a high end role player. But at the upside version of a guy who was a top five pick is the shot creation, the wildly versatile, you know, kind of off the dribble scoring that we saw with him in college. That hasn't necessarily panned out here in the NBA as much like that's the other version of this. To make this contract more valuable than what it is. I just think I saw that conversation. I thought it was weird. They also added a lot of depth, right? Dorian, Finney, Smith, they resigned Stephen Adams, they added Clint Capella. This team is now stacked with depth and size, like we mentioned. How do you think they play? Because I saw them in the preseason a little bit run a ton of zone with their double big lineups. That probably factors in to what they want to do this season. What do you think stylistically, this team looks like on the. On both sides of the ball, really?
- [15:14]
Will Guillory (The Athletic NBA Writer)
No, I don't think it's hyperbolic to say I think this is going to be the biggest team in the league. They're going to consistently play big all the time. And it's not just those double big lineups like you mentioned. They want to have Sengun play more at the 4 so he can be more comfortable on the perimeter, not have to worry about doing some of that dirty work. And we know Stephen Adams, that's what he loves. He just wants to park himself under the rim, get all aboard, set the screens, bump in the people. And I think that's a perfect marriage with those two guys. But I think also on the wings, they want to play Jabari Smith, Finney Smith, they want to play Tyree Eason. They might get old man Jeff Green involved every now and then. They're just going to have 6, 8, 6, 9, 6, 10 dudes running around basically at every position you can move. Amen Thompson, who's basically six, five, six, six, run at point guard. They're going to be massive at every position. They're going to like you, play a whole lot of zone, take up a lot of space on the court. And I think it's going to be a real interesting kind of test to see if they can really push the limits to how big is too big, right? Yeah. How. How much can you really play with a whole bunch of threes and fours and maybe not guys who aren't necessarily comfortable running a whole lot of pick and rolls running, you know, ball handling at the top of the key. They just want to be massive. And I think part of that, I think, is is going to be really intriguing for what they do defensively, especially what Eme Udoka brings at the coach with he wants you to be physical. They talk a lot about hitting first, they want to come in and set the tone. But also when you do that, when you're playing a lot of minutes with Eason, with Jabari Smith, with Finney Smith, I think it's going to put a lot on Kevin Durant to be that guy with the ball in his hands and as capable as KD is of doing that. We know this guy's 37 years old and it's a long season and you don't they didn't bring KD in to be great in December and January. They want him there to be great in April, May and June. June. And I think that's the focus. That's what they really need to worry about more than anything is how can you get KD to April, May and June and make sure he's at his best. And I think when you're asking him to do more pick and roll, more shot creation for this team, I think that can put a lot of toll on him at 37 years old. So I think that's going to be a balance. They're going to have to strike where they want to be massive. They want to have all of these big wings out there, but you also want to have enough shot creation out there where you don't put that completely on KD's shoulders and kind of over tax him before you get to the playo. So I think it's going to be a lot of pressure on Emea Udoka to kind of find that balance and make sure he uses these guys in the right ways.
- [17:40]
Host (The Athletic NBA Daily)
Couldn't have said it better myself, man. Completely agree with you. Let's take a quick break and then we'll be back to talk about where the Rockets might land in the Western Conference.
- [17:54]
eBay Announcer
You saw that play when your All Star sized up the defender jab, stepped twice, then stepped back and drained one at the buzzer. That's not just hall worthy, that's wall worth and you can own a piece of it when you shop the unrivaled selection of trading cards and memorabilia on ebay. The home of collectibles since 1995 squad up with 132 million users around the world to find that rookie patch auto you can't find anywhere else. Premium trading card singles and sealed boxes. Unreal Live Card breaks. Truly unique game used memorabilia. All the epic finds you need are right here on episode plus with eBay authenticity guarantee for trading cards. You know what you buy is the real deal. Collect with confidence by downloading the Ebay app on the App Store or by going straight to eBay.com TheAthletic that's right, your collecting journey tips off right here, right now@ebay.com theathletic come through and collect with us today.
- [18:55]
Capital One Saver Card Advertiser
Trimble knows that for the work we all depend on where speed counts, there's no room for mistakes. Every turnout matters. Trimble is the technology company that connects your physical and digital worlds across industries like construction, transportation, geospatial and beyond. So you can get hard work done faster than you ever thought possible. You can check them out@trimble.com with Trimble on your team, you're in command of connected solutions to overcome unknowns and keep work flowing. See what's coming, take intelligent action, stay on time and budget time after time, with confidence at every step, every decision, every turn. Because work doesn't move in a straight line, keeping it going requires the agility to adjust. In the field, at the office, on the road, everywhere. When you're ready to turn data into decisions, turn deadlines into finish lines, and turn possibilities into profits, it's time to turn. To tremble. Tremble confidence at every turn.
- [19:55]
Maya and Sim (Girls That Invest Podcast Hosts)
Hey, it's Maya and Sim from the Girls that Invest podcast. If you are an IT or security pro, you know managing devices, identities and applications can feel overwhelming and honestly risky. That's where Trelica by1Password comes in. It helps conquer SaaS, sprawl and shadow it by discovering every app your team uses, managed or not. With pre built app profiles, you can assess, risk, manage, access and even optimize your software. Plus, IT simplifies onboarding, offboarding and compliance, all while cutting costs by eliminating unused licenses. Take the first step to better security for your team. Learn more@1Password.com special offer.
- [20:55]
Host (The Athletic NBA Daily)
And we're back folks with Will Guillory here of the Athletic talking about the Houston Rockets. Look, we, we talked about expectations and internal expectations versus external expectations, the Fred Band bleed injury, a lot of these young guys who can take a step forward and maybe that changes the trajectory of this team. You also brought up the idea of trades and I think this team is primed to add during the trade deadline a guy that I've, I've thought of myself and I want to bounce this off you because I feel like you'd be interested in this. Because of the fact that they need a point guard and because they have a lot of picks, I feel like the Rockets are The perfect destination for Derrick White because defensively makes ton of sense with their lineups. I mean obviously he brings a tenacity at the point of attack. He's a guy that's been coached under Yume Odoka before. On top of the fact that like he's a wildly good shooter off of the catch, pretty good pull up shooter, I think he makes a ton of sense. If they're still trying to win a championship now and moving forward in the future, I think he makes sense for them long term too. They also have the pick capitals and, and numbers to be able to do that. What do you think? Derrick White, Houston Rockets that's my main pitch.
- [22:10]
Will Guillory (The Athletic NBA Writer)
I love it. I think it's an amazing fit. And I think as much as they love all of these defensive wings, I think they don't really have a great answer for when those all star point guards into town, what are you going to do with them? I mean obviously they have Amen Thompson who can step into that. But I think when you throw Derrick White into the mix, I think that really kind of complements what they need. And I think obviously he's a shot maker from the three point line. He can handle when you need to, but he's not necessarily taken away from Shangon and kd. So what they're doing on offense, you know, another name I've kind of heard thrown out there is Trey Young. And I think as talented as Trey Young is, that's a guy who needs the ball, who you need to run your offense through him. And I think they would rather have it filter through KD and Shangon. So I think that you're right on track with a guy like Derrick White who can come in and, and kind of park himself on a perimeter and be a shot maker. But if you need him to go make a play off the dribble, he could do that as well. So I really like that fit. And I think you're exactly right in that when they're making these trades, when they're looking for guys, I think they want to find Ime Udoka guys. I think they want to find guys with that defensive mentality who want to be tough, who understands what it's like in the playoffs. So I think we're going to see a lot of people throwing out, hey, why don't they go get this guy who can get 20, why don't they get this, this guy who can get 20 and 10? And I think think people got to remember that Ime Udoka is the guy who they really want to build this program around. They want him, they want his kind of mindset to be on this team at all times. And I think those are the guys who they're looking for and I think Derrick White would be a perfect fit.
- [23:36]
Host (The Athletic NBA Daily)
How aggressive do you think they'll be at the trade deadline then?
- [23:39]
Will Guillory (The Athletic NBA Writer)
I, I think they really like Reed shepherd and Amen Thompson. I think they wanted to work with those guys and I think when you start looking into the future, they've already paid Jabari Smith, they're going to give Kevin Durant an extension at some point. Shangun's already got his money. Next summ summer, they're going to have to pay Amen Thompson. We assume a large amount of money. So I think bringing in another point guard who you need to invest in, I think that could be difficult because of the financial restrictions. So I think in a perfect world, I think they will walk away from this season and say, hey, I'm in. Thompson as our starting point guard for the future. We've got Reed shepherd and we can move forward with this and kind of keep our money in, in, in the building, right, with Amen Thompson, with Jabari, with Shangun, with KD and go from there. But again, when you got a 37 year old guy leading the way play, it's about right now, it's not about what the future looks like. So they're going to want to win right now. And if those guys aren't showing a progression, I think they will kind of push the button and go. We've seen Rafael Stone be a really aggressive GM in the past, but I think in a perfect world, they want Amen Thompson and Reed shepherd to work and they really believe in those guys. And I think in particular Reed shepherd, they've been really high on some of the stuff he's done in training camp. The confidence that he's shown, they're really pushing him to grow. I think in that last Utah game you saw basically every time he hit a shot, KD ran, ran over and reacted like it was his kid that hit a shot. But I, I think, you know, again, when these bright lights come on, when you're playing against the Okcs of the world and you're playing against Denver, the pressure is at a different level and those shots feel a lot different than they do when you're playing against Utah in the preseason. So we, we've got to really see these guys in those situations and, and see how they react. And I think that's what the, the first few months of the season is going to be about seeing how those guys respond when they're really put into these situations.
- [25:27]
Host (The Athletic NBA Daily)
So you look at the Western Conference, you just mentioned some of the teams that they're battling against. Denver, okc, Minnesota, maybe the Lakers, you know, with luca full season, have a really good year. The Clippers good. Like the west is stacked, right? How do you think they stack up in the Western Conference? Because I think if we were to having this conversation like a week ago or two weeks ago with Fred Van Vliet, we'd probably say they're up there with the Rockets, with the, with the Thunder and the Nuggets. How do they stack up now with the rest of the Western Conference?
- [25:56]
Will Guillory (The Athletic NBA Writer)
No, I think OKC has to be pretty much at the top in a tier on their own. Before the Fred Vlan V injury, I would have put, you know, Denver and Houston probably right there in the same tier under okc. But I think now they probably got to go under Denver more like the Lakers, that. That kind of jumble down there. But I think they, that once this team gets to the playoffs, if they can figure it out, they're going to be a tough matchup just because of their size and obviously KD's shot making. And if they can get some of these younger guys to build up their conf confidence, they're going to be an extremely difficult out come playoff time. But I think the thing for them is just getting enough wins during the regular season so they don't have to be that fourth, fifth, sixth seed going into the playoffs. But if they can stay healthy and get everybody to the playoff and KD's feeling good come playoff time, I don't think anybody wants to see this team.
- [26:43]
Host (The Athletic NBA Daily)
So looking into may, do your little crystal ball right now. Are they conference finals, conference semifinals? Are they making a surprise finals run, do you think?
- [26:52]
Will Guillory (The Athletic NBA Writer)
I'm gonna predict second round? As of right now, I think I want to say conference finals for sure with Rav Elite, but I'll say second round. And I just think it would be difficult me for to pick them over Denver or OKC right now. So if they run it with one of those teams, I think it'll be tough, but I think basically anybody else in the west they can handle, you know, as long as they've got all their guys.
- [27:13]
Host (The Athletic NBA Daily)
Yeah, no, I'm excited, man. It should be a really good year for Rockets basketball. I mean, we've talked about the young guys that can take a season step. Obviously, having Kevin Durant in the fold excites the fan base to see what he can provide on a nightly basis. It's it's going to be an interesting season for the Rockets. Nonetheless, one of the other teams in the Western Conference that are going to make that conference impossible to decide on Will Guillory from the Athletic. Appreciate you hopping on with us. Thank you to everybody else for tapping into these previews. The NBA season is right around the corner, so make sure to subscribe to the Athletic NBA Daily's YouTube page. Give us a five star rating for your podcast feed and we will see you guys later. Take care.
- [28:17]
Will Guillory (The Athletic NBA Writer)
Boost Mobile is now sending experts nationwide to deliver and set up customers new phones.
- [28:21]
Host (The Athletic NBA Daily)
Wait, we're going on tour?
- [28:22]
eBay Announcer
We're delivering and setting up customers phones?
- [28:24]
Host (The Athletic NBA Daily)
It's not a tour, not with that attitude.
- [28:26]
eBay Announcer
Introducing store to door switch and get.
- [28:28]
Will Guillory (The Athletic NBA Writer)
A new device with expert setup and delivery.
- [28:30]
Robert Mays (Peloton Advertiser)
Delivery available for select devices purchased@boostmobile.com banking with capital one helps you keep more money in your wallet with no fees or minimums on checking accounts and no overdraft fees. Just ask the Capital One bank guy. It's pretty much all he talks about in a good way. He'd also tell you that this podcast is his favorite podcast too. Ah, really? Thanks Capital One Bank Guy. What's in your wallet? Terms apply. See CapitalOne.com Bank Capital One NA Member FDIC.
- [29:00]
Host (The Athletic NBA Daily)
Group Health Plans are limited to a single carrier and a few plan options, but that doesn't fit everyone's needs. Now a new form of employer coverage called an ichra allows employees to choose any plan from any carrier carrier. Learn more atambetterhealth.com ICRA.