Sixers Direction + What's wrong with the Rockets? | Slam N Jam

Summary

Podcast Summary: The Athletic NBA Daily – Episode: Sixers Direction + What's Wrong with the Rockets? | Slam N Jam Release Date: February 15, 2025

In this episode of The Athletic NBA Daily’s Saturday Slam n’ Jam, hosts Andrew Schlecht and Alex Spears delve into a comprehensive analysis of current NBA happenings, focusing primarily on the Philadelphia 76ers and the Houston Rockets. Joined by guest Kelly Eco from The Athletic, the discussion spans trade fallout, team performances, standout player statistics, and interactive segments that engage listeners through trivia.

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1. Top Stories of the Week

a. Fallout from the Luka Doncic Trade Kelly Eco opens the discussion by addressing the ongoing ramifications of the controversial Luka Doncic trade between the Dallas Mavericks and the Houston Rockets. The trade has been met with confusion and backlash from fans and analysts alike.

• Anthony Davis’ Performance: In his first game with the Mavericks, Davis posted impressive stats with 14 points, 8 rebounds, and 3 assists in the first quarter, contributing to a 116-105 victory over the Rockets. However, Davis suffered an adductor strain during the game, sidelining him "week to week" (04:14).

• Fan Reactions and Ownership Remarks: The Mavericks' owner, Patrick Dumont, criticized the team’s future direction, stating, “if you don’t have that, it doesn’t work. You shouldn’t be a part of the Dallas Mavericks” (04:14). LeBron James commented on the trade’s impact, saying, “when a clown moves into a palace, he doesn’t become a king, the palace becomes a circus” (04:14).

b. Philadelphia 76ers’ Struggles The Sixers find themselves in a precarious position, enduring a five-game losing streak that includes defeats against teams like the Raptors, Nets, and Jazz. Joel Embiid’s questionable decisions, such as turning the ball over in critical moments, have ignited frustration among fans (04:14).

• Joel Embiid’s Performance: Embiid’s decision to forgo an open three-pointer, opting instead for a risky drive that resulted in a turnover, has been a sore point, leading to boos from the Sixers' supporters (04:14).

c. Kevin Durant’s Milestone and Nuggets’ Winning Streak Kevin Durant joined the NBA’s elite 30,000-point club, marking him as the eighth member to achieve this milestone (04:14). Concurrently, the Denver Nuggets are on an impressive eight-game winning streak, highlighted by Jamal Murray’s career-high 55-point game against the Blazers. However, the Nuggets face upcoming challenges with a tough road trip ahead (04:14).

d. Hubie Brown’s Final Broadcast The legendary commentator Hubie Brown announced his retirement after 35 seasons, including 18 NBA Finals broadcasts. This marks the end of an era in NBA commentary (04:14).

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2. All-Star Weekend and MVP Predictions

Andrew Schlecht initiates a segment on All-Star Weekend, discussing potential MVP contenders and the dynamics influencing their chances.

a. MVP Contenders:

• Stephen Curry 10:00: Favored at +500 odds due to his consistent performance and leadership.
• Sga (Stephen A. Smith?) 10:00: Hometown favorite with +750 odds.
• Victor Wembanyama 10:00: A rising star at +900 odds, praised for his all-around game.
• LeBron James 10:00: A perennial contender at +1100 odds.

Kelly Eco advocates for Wembanyama, highlighting his enthusiasm and significant role on his team, stating, “Wemby will try very, very hard” (11:03).

b. Rising Stars MVP Bet: Kelly suggests considering players from the Rising Stars team, like Amen Thompson, despite his current low odds (+10,000), arguing that their experience in the tournament could position them well (11:55).

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3. Player Performances of the Week

a. Malik Beasley and the Detroit Pistons Malik Beasley has been instrumental for the Pistons, becoming the franchise leader in three-pointers made for a single season with 212 threes. His performance has been pivotal in the Pistons winning four consecutive games and climbing to the sixth seed (15:04).

• Beasley’s Impact: “Malik Beasley became the franchise leader for most threes made in a season with 212” (15:04).

b. Christian Brown’s Stellar Week Christian Brown of the Denver Nuggets is highlighted for having the best week of his career, averaging 21.8 points, 4 rebounds, and shooting 61% from the field. His prowess in transition and ability to drive to the rim have set him apart this week (27:12).

• Improvement and Skills: “He can do a lot more than I thought... taking guys off the dribble, spinning into a mid-range shot” (28:43).

c. DeMar DeRozan’s Mid-Range Mastery DeMar DeRozan of the Sacramento Kings is commended for his prolific use of mid-range jumpers, having taken 417 shots from this area this season—matching the Golden State Warriors’ total as a team (30:34).

• Mid-Range Dominance: “He has taken more mid-range jumpers than 10 NBA teams this season” (30:34).

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4. Off-Court News

a. Nate Robinson’s Successful Kidney Transplant A heartwarming update on Nate Robinson, who underwent a successful kidney transplant after battling kidney failure for seven years. This surgery marks a significant improvement in his quality of life (31:29).

• Robinson’s Journey: “Always been a huge Nate Rob fan... his life significantly changed in so many ways” (32:16).

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5. Interactive Segment: Wheel of Fandom

In the "Wheel of Fandom" segment, the hosts engage in a trivia game focused on the Houston Rockets’ performance and history. Kelly Eco quizzes Andrew Schlecht on Rockets-related trivia, covering topics like career highs, franchise records, and player statistics.

• Trivia Highlights:
  • Stephen Adams' Career High: Andrew correctly guessed Adams’ career-high points as 27 (44:53).
  • 2000+ Rebounds by Rockets Players: Kelly successfully identified K.J. Martin as the last Rocket to surpass 2,100 rebounds in four seasons (54:11).
  • Houston Rockets Trivia: Andrew and Kelly navigated questions about Rockets’ three-point leaders and player foul statistics, leading to a competitive and engaging exchange (56:34).

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6. Conclusion and Closing Remarks

As the episode wraps up, hosts encourage listeners to leave five-star reviews and engage with the show via various platforms. They tease upcoming content, including potential mock drafts and discussions surrounding All-Star Weekend.

Notable Closing Quotes:

• Andrew Schlecht on Hubie Brown: “Hubie Brown has probably educated more people on the game of basketball than anybody to ever live” (09:25).
• Kelly Eco on Pistons’ Future: “If Malik Beasley signs an extension with Detroit this summer... he could break the franchise record in only four seasons played” (15:27).

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Notable Quotes with Timestamps:

• “when a clown moves into a palace, he doesn't become a king, the palace becomes a circus.” – LeBron James, referencing the Luka Doncic trade fallout (04:14).
• “Malik Beasley became the franchise leader for most threes made in a season with 212” – Kelly Eco on Beasley’s performance (15:04).
• “He has taken more mid-range jumpers than 10 NBA teams this season” – Andrew Schlecht on DeMar DeRozan’s mid-range shots (30:34).
• “Always been a huge Nate Rob fan... his life significantly changed in so many ways” – Andrew Schlecht on Nate Robinson’s kidney transplant (32:16).

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This episode offers an in-depth look at pivotal NBA narratives, player developments, and fan interactions, providing listeners with a thorough understanding of the current basketball landscape.

Transcript

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[Andrew Schlecht]

This message is brought to you by Apple Card. Apply for Apple Card today and start earning up to 3% daily cash back on everyday purchases. And that daily cash can even grow automatically when you open a High Yield Savings account through Apple Card. What are you waiting for? Visit Apple Co Card Calculator today to see how much daily cash you can earn. Subject to credit approval Savings available to Apple Card owners subject to eligibility savings and Apple Card by Goldman Sachs Bank USA Member FDIC terms and [e-mail] welcome to the Saturday Slammin Jam. I'm your host Andrew Schlecht. With me today I've got my friend Alex Spears. On today's show we're talking allstar mvp, some wild stats, and Kelly Eco is going to join us to talk about the Houston Rockets. But before we get to all of that, Al, tell me about the top stories this week.

[Kelly Eco]

Well Andrew, our top story this week was the continued fallout from the Luka Doncic trade. Since last week, NBA fans have waited for any new piece of information that would provide a believable explanation for why this happened. Instead, every new detail that comes out just adds to its absurdity. This week the two involved stars played for their new teams for the first time in Dallas. Anthony Davis put up a 14, 8 and 3 in the first quarter of his first game in a Mavs uniform, leading Dallas to a 116 to 105 win over the Rockets. Unfortunately, this trade needs to repeatedly slap us in the face to remind us how bad it was. And so of course Davis got hurt during the game on a non contact play. And of course Davis is now week to week with an adductor strain. During the Mav's next game, multiple fans were ejected from the game for communicating fire Nico in various ways. And it's probably also worth mentioning that new Mavs owner Patrick Dumont spoke for the first time after the trade saying quote, if you look at the greats in the league, the people you and I grew up with, Jordan Bird, Kobe, Shaq, they worked really hard every day with a singular focus to win and if you don't have that, it doesn't work. You shouldn't be a part of of the Dallas Mavericks. So in summary, instead of a fun conspiracy theory involving backroom deals with the league. The best explanation for the Luca trade a week later appears to be I think these guys might just be stupid. As LeBron commented on Instagram, quote, when a clown moves into a palace, he doesn't become a king, the palace becomes a circus. Meanwhile, in la, master negotiator and bad friend Rob Palinka introduced Luca to Lakers fans at a press conference a game after LeBron had become the youngest and oldest player to score 40 points in a game. Luca saw his first on court action since Christmas in a 132 to 113 win over the Utah Jazz. The vibes were high. They were great. But how long would they last? Well, first it was announced that the Mark Williams trade was being rescinded by the Lakers due to a failed physical, leaving the Lakers with a significant hole at center. And later in the week, in Luka's second game against those same 12 win Jazz, the Lakers gave up 131 points in a 131 to 119 loss to Utah. Now, despite the loss, the Lakers remain comfortably in fifth in the Western Conference. From two teams trying to establish good vibes after a big trade to a team trying to test the limits of bad vibes, let's check in on the Philadelphia 76ers on Sunday. While eager Eagles fans were getting ready to watch their team win the Super Bowl, ESPN sideline reporter Lisa Salters let us know that Embiid thinks he may need another surgery on his troublesome knee. It's time once again to play everyone's favorite game. Have the Sixers finally passed the Chicago Bulls in the standings? No. Somehow, still no, the Bulls scored How? The Bulls scored 29 points in a half this week and are still a game and a half up on this pathetic Sixers team who enter the All Star break in the midst of a five game losing streak. And that streak has included losses to the Raptors without RJ Barrett or Jakob Poeltle, a Brooklyn Nets team led by D'Angelo Russell and Trenden Watford. The Raptors loss left an especially sour taste after Joel Embiid turned down a wide open go ahead three with 11 seconds left so that he could clumsily drive and turn the ball over, effectively ending the game and leading to a chorus of boos from Sixers fans. We had history this week in Phoenix as Kevin Durant joined the NBA's 30,000 point club, becoming its eighth member. That is the first and last item on the list of good things to happen to the Suns this week, Phoenix has lost six of its last seven, with the only win being an overtime victory over the Utah Jazz. The Suns now set a full game behind the warriors for the final playing spot. And as a bonus, Brian Windhorst reported this week that KD is, quote, probably going to get traded this summer. He knows it. The Suns know it. So let's finish off with a team playing well. The Denver Nuggets have won eight in a row, a winning streak that included a career year high 55 points from Jamal Murray in a game against the Blazers. While Denver's opponents haven't been a murderer's row during this streak, that will change after the All Star break when the Nuggets play the Lakers, followed by a four game road trip to Indiana, Milwaukee, Detroit and Boston. Now, for the moment, Denver is only a half game back of the Grizzlies for second in the West. The Grizzlies, who are 7 and 3 in their last 10, did lose a measuring stick game at home to OKC this week, a game in which Memphis did not get closer than 12 in the second half. OKC was on a seven game winning streak of their own, but that ended on Thursday when the Timberwolves locked OKC down, handing the Thunder their worst loss of the season, a dominant 116 to 101 win. Finally this week was Hubie Brown's final call at the age of 91. Inducted in the hall of Fame in 2005, Hubie has called NBA games for 35 seasons, including 18 NBA Finals. And those were the top stories this week. Andrew wow.

[Andrew Schlecht]

Someone said that Hubie Brown has probably educated more people on the game of basketball than anybody to ever live, which is probably true. Like you just watch his broadcast. Like he's consistently been good through the years and then with the way he coached and I mean it's, it's, it's pretty remarkable the career that he's had.

[Kelly Eco]

More than Naismith, I'll say that.

[Andrew Schlecht]

That joker Naismith. Al, you're pretty pumped for All Star Weekend. Getting yourself pumped up. Parts of it, parts of it, parts of it. What about the, the All Star mvp? What we're going to talk about right now, our bet, MGM line of the week is the All Star Game mvp. And let's, let's say that, let's go name like the top five guys. Steph Curry plus 500. I mean, makes sense. Hometown boy SGA at a plus 750. Victor Wembanyama plus 900 and then LeBron James plus 1100. Now this is different because a lot of times you just think about, okay, who's going to score the most points across this 48 minute game. Well, that's not what's going to happen here. It's probably going to go to the team that wins it and it's only a 40 point game and so there's not going to be a lot of points to go around. I think this will be interesting to see. I think it's going to be probably more of like certainly the stats are going to play into it some, but it's going to play into it less and it's going to be more about the moments these guys have, which I think will make it a little bit more interesting. At least we're hoping and praying that it makes it a little more interesting, I guess is the way to say it.

[Kelly Eco]

Yeah, my pick would be Wemby because we saw last year that he was like very into All Star weekend, wanted to play hard. He's on a good team. He's got Shay on his team. So it's not out of the realm of possibility that they could win the whole thing. He's plus 903rd. However, if you want to get crazy, Andrew, let me make you a pitch because. Okay, at the bottom of this list is all the guys who are going to be in the, on the Rising Stars team because the fourth team in this little mini tournament is going to be a Rising Stars team. Those guys currently their odds are plus 10,000. So take someone like Amen Thompson for instance. What do we know, Andrew? By the time they get to that tournament, they will already be champions. Okay? They'll already have won the Rising Stars tournament. They will have two games having played together already.

[Andrew Schlecht]

Huh?

[Kelly Eco]

Think about that and some experience. Yeah, that means you're self selecting the, the Rising Stars team that is going to have tried the hardest in that first tournament. So if you feel strongly at all about any of those teams, why not just take one of these plus 10,000 guys? And I chose Amen just because if you look at his team, they're just like insanely talented with defensive talent and if they play hard defensively they could beat anyone because they have like both Thompson twins to money. Kamara, like they're, they're good.

[Andrew Schlecht]

That, that, that is like that's the only way they went. I just like how does that team score? Like who's the, who's the, who are the guys that score on that team? Well, like that's, that would be, that would be my, my concern.

[Kelly Eco]

What if the game just Times out.

[Andrew Schlecht]

It just goes, no, you got to get to 40. You got to get to 40.

[Kelly Eco]

Yeah, but what if they never.

[Andrew Schlecht]

They just never do because to Monica Mara just goes crazy.

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[Kelly Eco]

They just lock them down.

[Andrew Schlecht]

I. I mean, I, I would. I mean, Chuck's team is. Is clearly the favorite in my mind. Right? I mean, they have Jokic, Shay Wimby. Like that. Like, isn't that enough?

[Kelly Eco]

Yeah. The problem is never tries. And, like, is a classic not try guy in the All Star Game.

[Andrew Schlecht]

Yeah, it's true. Who. Okay, who's going to be the biggest try hard?

[Kelly Eco]

It's Wemby. That's why it's going to be you.

[Andrew Schlecht]

Do you think it's going to.

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[Andrew Schlecht]

Do you think it's going to be Wimby?

[Kelly Eco]

Yeah. I mean, Steph makes sense because it is hometown. Like, I'm sure he'll. He'll want to show out, but.

[Andrew Schlecht]

Yeah.

[Kelly Eco]

Yeah, it'll be Wemby. Wemby will try very, very hard.

[Andrew Schlecht]

Yeah. Shane Wemby will be interesting also. Trey Young and Wimby could be interesting, too. Like, they've. They've got guys that can find him. Like, and Donovan Mitchell's just kind of like, hiding on this team, too. I just think, like, Chuck's team is just destined. Destined to win this one. What about this scenario? What if. What if the G League team somehow.

[Kelly Eco]

No.

[Andrew Schlecht]

Makes it, like, Reed shepherd just gets hot and somehow this G League team with Mac McClung plays Dink Pate makes it to Sunday. Like, that's a disaster scenario. This is where I think it's fun to give them a chance, but this is where I would not do it just because, like, the upside does. Does. Does not anywhere eclipse what the downside could be. Honestly, for this.

[Kelly Eco]

Well, the upside is, like, literally, reed Shippard hits 12 threes in the game. Like, that would be very exciting to see, but he has to do it in every game for me to stay engaged.

[Andrew Schlecht]

Yes. Yeah. He. Yeah, but still, like, it's not. There's. The upside's not there. It doesn't exist.

[Kelly Eco]

I don't even know if there are odds on those, guys.

[Andrew Schlecht]

Are there. Are there odds? I think.

[Kelly Eco]

I think Wendy can do Reed shepherd plus 10,000.

[Andrew Schlecht]

There you go for MVP.

[Kelly Eco]

Yeah. For all star game MVP.

[Andrew Schlecht]

Yes. Go. Go. Get your odds at BetMGM. Alex, let's move on to our favorites this week. Do you have a favorite quote from this week?

[Kelly Eco]

Yes, My favorite quote this week is don't trade me. I want to be here now. That is apparently what Malik Beasley told Trajan Langdon, heading in this trade deadline, it's not really that exciting to a quote, but I just wanted to use it as an excuse to talk about Beasley and the Pistons first. After the last few years, honestly having any competent NBA player saying he doesn't want to be traded from Detroit, I say that's a win.

[Andrew Schlecht]

No kidding.

[Kelly Eco]

And a sign that this team has finally turned things around. But also this week before the All Star break, Malik Beasley became the franchise leader for most threes made in a season with 212 crazy. Beating Sadiq Bay after hitting seven threes in only 16 minutes of game time. Now he also became just the fourth player in NBA history to hit 200 plus threes in four consecutive seasons. I don't know if I've ever seen a random role player speed run a franchise record this fast if you're a three point shooter trying to become a franchise leader. Detroit is like in the best situation because their franchise leader in threes made, Joe Dumars has under a thousand career threes. So let's assume Malik Beasley signs an extension with Detroit this summer. If he replicates what he's doing this season or even comes close to it, he will finish next season with the fifth most threes in Pistons franchise history. He will already be top five at this pace, Andrew, he could conceivably break the franchise record in only four seasons played. And for the Pistons in general, they've won four in a row. They're two and a half games up on the magic for the sixth seed, which is something I never guess I'd say this season. So things are just, things are going well in Detroit and we're about to see Kate in the All Star game.

[Andrew Schlecht]

Yeah. Yeah. I mean he very deserving. They're, they're legitimately a fun team to watch. Like I enjoyed flipping on Pistons games. They're, they're a fun team. My quote came from Dalton Connect, who if you didn't see if you missed this somehow he was introduced as a Charlotte Hornet and like very legitimately thought he was a Charlotte Hornet for, for a little bit. I mean this was his quote after he came back to la, it was like a movie. It was hard. I got drafted here so LA means a lot to me. So hearing that and then I go to Charlotte in the morning with one of my guys and get introduced and start meeting all those people and then fly out to Detroit to what was called my debut game. And then now I'm flying back to la, to la. Rob Called me and said, you're coming back.

[Kelly Eco]

What a movie that was.

[Andrew Schlecht]

I mean, I don't know. I don't know about how good the movie would be.

[Kelly Eco]

Guy goes to city and then has to go back to the city he came from. He makes a round trip flight. Maybe that's what they would call the movie. Round trip.

[Andrew Schlecht]

That's what the movie's called. Round trip. Making a round trip Connect.

[Kelly Eco]

Is there something with connecting flight?

[Andrew Schlecht]

Connecting flight. Yeah, that might be connecting flight. There it is.

[Kelly Eco]

Don't connect in the movie. Who's a.

[Andrew Schlecht]

Let us know. Actually, you can comment in Spotify. If you're listening on Spotify, or if you're listening in the athletic app, you can comment there, too, or you can send it to us on Blue sky or on Twitter. But let us know who should play Dalton. Connect in the connecting flights. Let us know. Let us know. Just. Just a wild week for him. You know, I think that a lot of times we just, like, think about these guys and, like, these teams and we think about it in 2K, but, like, these are, like, real people that are having to, like, happen to, like, literally uproot their lives because of trades and then for it to be rescinded. Must just be such a strange, strange week for all these guys as a rookie.

[Kelly Eco]

Like, you just came into a new place. You're just starting to feel comfortable, and then everything changes. Yeah.

[Andrew Schlecht]

Yeah, that would be rough. And then I had one more from. From Mac McClung, who said, this will be my. The last year for me. I really loved it. You know, you've run out of dunks, so this is probably where I'm at after this. You run out of dunks. This is. None of this is Mac McClung's fault. None of this is. I think we've talked about it on here, but it's time to, like, move on. Like, the dunk contest ever has a chance of being good again. You can't have basically a professional dunker in the dunk contest. Like, you can't do it.

[Kelly Eco]

Yeah.

[Andrew Schlecht]

Like, you cannot bring. I mean, Mac McClung is in the league because of his dunking, and God bless him, he's done everything he can. And, like, I've stood next to him before. Like, he is small, and that's part of, like, the allure of it is because it just looks crazy anything that he does. But, like, you have to get him out. Like, you have to get him out of the dunk contest. You have to stop bringing in gimmicky people like this if this dunk contest is ever going to come back to be anything that people want to watch, like, he. He does cool dunks. Yes. But it needs to be NBA guys, like, they need to find a way to get NBA guys in there. And I think, honestly, if I were an NBA star, I wouldn't want to dunk against him just because I know he's going to beat you. Like, I think Mac McLuhan is going to win again. Like, I wouldn't. I would not want to lose to somebody who is essentially a professional dunker. Like, let me beat the NBA guys. I think that it's. It's been cool to see him, but it's almost like in my mind a deterrent from guys even wanting to be in the dunk contest or to, like.

[Kelly Eco]

Try something really goofy. Because it's like, if, you know Matt McClung's gonna throw down something really cool, you can't be like John Collins out there dressing up like an old timey pilot. You know, it's just.

[Andrew Schlecht]

You're not blowing out a candle on a cupcake. Yeah. You're not going into the Superman booth.

[Kelly Eco]

Too embarrassing. When Mag McClun's gonna do something crazy and he's actually. I want to get back to our roots where we had.

[Andrew Schlecht]

Come on, give me more props. Come on, let's. You want to move on to our favorite stat of the week, Al?

[Kelly Eco]

Yes. My favorite stat this week was posted by Reddit user the Underscore Blind Underscore Bomber. Since joining the Sixers, Paul George has uploaded more podcast clips to YouTube than field goals made. And folks, it's not close. Okay, this, this stat was posted a few days ago. I didn't need to look up what Paul George did in subsequent games because it wasn't close. Now, this is a funny stat that if Paul George was playing well, wouldn't seem significant at all. But Paul George is having a really bad season. He's averaging under 17 points per game, something he has not done over a full season since he was 21. He's only getting to the line two and a half times per game and in general, just doesn't look anything close to the player we remember. Even as recently as last season with the Clippers in a loss to the Nets. This week, a game without Embiid and maxi. So a game where, you know, PG is going to have to step up to give the Sixers a chance. Paul George scored two points.

[Andrew Schlecht]

Two.

[Kelly Eco]

And that sounds crazy, but what's crazier is that this, that's the second game this season that Paul George has scored two points. Prior to this season, the last time he scored two or fewer points was 2017. Andrew, is this already the worst contract in the league? He is a 34 year old averaging under 17 a game who will be making 56 million three seasons from now. Now, the good news for Sixers fans, depending on your mood, is that the Sixers have moved into a tie for sixth with the Nets in the reverse standings, which, as of right now, would give them a 34.8 chance of keeping their pick. If they. If they won the tie, it would go up a little bit more. Now, there was a report that just came out, we're recording on Thursday night, that Paul George is dealing. Has been dealing with these, like, really bothersome injuries, like, just like small little injuries throughout the season. So, you know, you hope, if you're a Sixers fan, you hope that, like, this is just kind of the season from hell for everyone. Everyone.

[Andrew Schlecht]

Yeah.

[Kelly Eco]

And that with a summer, because they're not going to be playing in the playoffs with a full summer to, like, rest and recover, Paul George can come back next season and start to look like the player you were expecting to get. Maybe this is just like an injury, weird fluke season, but, man, it's rough right now.

[Andrew Schlecht]

Yeah, I mean, that's literally their only option because you look at the guys that they have, I mean, they're only, like, true tradable players. Tyrese Maxey right now as, like, a guy that can. You can go get, like, good value for, like, you can't. They're actually, like, in this weird spot where you can't reset. Like, you. You just can't do it. Like, you can't even do it. I mean, they have $100 million between dwelling bead and Paul George that you cannot trade.

[Kelly Eco]

No, you got to write it out and you got to pray that you get this pick. Because one thing Daryl Morey has been good at, he has been good at drafting. Got Jared McCain last year. If they get a top six pick, that could potentially change everything. Like, even if these next couple seasons are, you know, below what you expected, you can start building a core of young guys with Maxi McCain and whoever they drafted where you at least would have some hope long term. If they lose that pick. Yeah, you just start praying.

[Andrew Schlecht]

Yeah. Yeah. They're in a. In a very tough spot. Speaking of a tough spot, on Wednesday night, this is my stat of the week. The Heat led the Thunder 9383 after three quarters, and the Thunder went on to beat the heat by 14 points. Points. They outscored the heat by 32 to 8, which feels like something that should and would only happen once in a season, but it's not. It's happened three times to the Miami Heat in fourth quarters. On December 21st, the Heat led the Magic 106 to 84 after three quarters. And then the Magic outscored the Heat 37 to 8 in the fourth quarter. How does this happen twice? And it happened another time on February 7, not that long ago. Just a week ago, the Heat led the Nets 77 to 71 after three. And then the Nets outscored the Heat 31 to nine in the fourth quarter to go on to win the game. That is. That just made me say what? And it's not surprising. You watch the Heat like they can definitely get in the mud with their offense, but to do that three times in a season is wild. And what's funny is that the only other team that has scored less than 10 points in a quarter was the Thunder against the Bucks. And no, it wasn't that game that you're thinking of at the NBA Cup. This actually happened when the Thunder blew out the Bucks so badly. The Thunder only scored nine points in the fourth quarter and still beat the Bucks in that game. But I just thought that was wild that this had happened three times to the Miami Heat. And they've blown a lot of leads. I think they've blown like 14 different like double digit leads this season. But to have three fourth quarters where you score nine, eight and eight points in a, in a quarter is just wild to me. And for it to be in the fourth quarter when it's. Everything is supposed to matter more is just, I mean, that's just embarrassing. Just a, just a wild, weird season for the Miami Heat.

[Kelly Eco]

Yeah, it must be a frustrating watch for fans because they're obviously so competitive night to night. Yeah, but then they lose these types of games. I mean, now they're on a game losing streak. They've dropped below the Hawks. They're in the ninth spot.

[Andrew Schlecht]

They just now they just lost in the Mavericks who have like, I mean, they've got Kyrie still, but they're like really just like putting this thing together and somehow are still beating teams. Shout out to the, to the Mavericks, who despite all the bad press around them, the team actually is still delivering, which is pretty wild.

[Kelly Eco]

Listen to the starting lineup that the Heat lost to. Max Christie, Dante Exum, Spencer Dinwiddie, Kessler Edwards and Olivier Maxense Prosper. That was the Maverick Starting five. Kyrie didn't even play tonight because he has right shoulder soreness. P.J. washington didn't play. Clay Thompson didn't play. Still got the win.

[Andrew Schlecht]

Still got the win. The Zombie Mavs. Unbelievable. You want to move on to our player of the week, Al?

[Kelly Eco]

Yes. My favorite player this week is Christian Brown.

[Andrew Schlecht]

Wow.

[Kelly Eco]

Yeah, Christian Brown, listen.

[Andrew Schlecht]

Yeah, Brown, listen.

[Kelly Eco]

Brown is having best week of his career outside of winning a ring a few years ago. Over his past five games, he is averaging 21, 8 and 4. Christian Brown is doing that. He's shooting 61 from the field. He's getting to the line over four times a game. That's for the season. He continues to improve on his strengths. He's a beast getting to the rim. He takes 58% of his shots at the rim, which is in the 99th percentile among wings. And he's shooting 71% on those rim attempts. He's so strong driving to the rim. And we've all seen his dunks. In fact, the Nuggets actually released a video this week on YouTube of all his dunks this season commemorating the fact that he has more dunks than any other shooting guard in the league. I don't know why they chose right now, but they go watch it. It's all his dunks. He's a great cutter. He's great at finding space. He's elite in transition. He averages 1.34 points per transition play, which is number one in the league among players who have at least four transition plays per game. Now, there were some questions about Brown in the preseason. You know, we, we knew he was stepping into this starting role for the first time replacing kcp. He hasn't just met expectations. He's gotten significantly better with the increased workload. His true shooting has jumped from 55% last season to 66% this season.

[Andrew Schlecht]

Wow.

[Kelly Eco]

And. Well, I don't, I don't want to get too crazy with this next point, but something that did stick out in this recent run of games were some like real flashes of self creation. He had some plays in the Blazer this Blazers game. I was watching, I just wasn't aware were in Christian Brown's bag. Like taking guys off the dribble, spinning into a mid range shot in the paint, hitting a fade away baseline jumper. Now it's just a handful of plays. I'm not overreacting, but watching him this week, I just realized he can do a lot more than I thought. And that is why he's my favorite player this week.

[Andrew Schlecht]

Yeah, that was an incredibly important draft pick to hit on.

[Kelly Eco]

Oh my gosh.

[Andrew Schlecht]

For the Nuggets, getting him at 21 in the draft and then him developing into this is absolutely crucial.

[Kelly Eco]

The only downside is like he's probably going to make a lot of money on his next contract. So another big contract that Denver's going to have to add, going to have to pay up.

[Andrew Schlecht]

Yeah, I mean he's, he's literally been better in transition than Giannis this year, which just seems impossible. Like that's, that's insane. My player this week is DeMar DeRozan who he had a really nice game on Monday against The Maverick, scored 42, won the game for them. He's averaging 21, 3 and 3 this season, keeping the Kings kind of in the play. In playoff hunt been pretty good. But I found this stat that just blew my mind about DeMar DeRozan. So he obviously is like a maestro in the mid range. He's a guy that's like keeping the mid range alive. So much so he has taken 417 mid range jumpers this season. That's 190 more than SGA who's second in mid range. In fact, the 417 mid range jumpers is the exact same number as of Thursday that the Golden State warriors have taken as a team all season.

[Kelly Eco]

Wow.

[Andrew Schlecht]

He has actually taken and if you count like that he's tied with the Warriors. Maybe the warriors have taken more now that the warriors have played a game tonight, but he has taken more mid range jumpers than 10 NBA teams this season. 10. He's taken more than 100 mid range jumpers than the Grizzlies, Hawks and Nets.

[Kelly Eco]

Wow.

[Andrew Schlecht]

Like that. That just absolutely blew my mind. Like the mid range is dying to a degree and obviously there are players that keep this thing Al but the fact like demar has like doubled and tripled down on the mid range this season and has taken already. I mean he's on pace to take close to 800 plus three mid range jumpers this season. And the fact that he has taken more mid range jumpers than 10 NBA teams just absolutely is mind boggling. So shout out DeMar DeRozan. That just, that just absolutely blew my mind.

[Kelly Eco]

Finally favorite moment of this week. Now this one is just a happy off court thing. Finding out that Nate Robb Nate Robinson had successful kidney transplant. If you haven't been following his story, Nate Rob's been dealing with kidney failure for seven years. Having to go to dialysis multiple days a week, sit there for hours and hours while he waited For a donor, didn't know if he was going to get one. He posted a picture to Instagram this week with his donor after a successful surgery. Always been a huge Nate Rob fan. Hey, speaking of dunk contest, now there was a showman crew, there was a.

[Andrew Schlecht]

Real dumb contest contestant. Right.

[Kelly Eco]

He knew how to get the crowd going. He was just one of those players that was impossible to root against. And so it was, it was just great to see him get this opportunity after so many years.

[Andrew Schlecht]

Yeah. And I, I know firsthand like how significant this can be. I, I donated a kidney to my father in law. It'll be 10 years in May of this year. And his life significantly changed in so many ways. Like, like almost everything about his health got better. And so like I'm, I read the story and I, you know, I'm very grateful, you know, to see that happen for Nate Robb because it really will just upgrade the quality of his life in so, so many ways. So shout out to Nate Robb. Hey Al, after the break we're going to talk to Kelly Eco about the Houston Rockets and what's going on with the Houston Rockets right after this.

[Kelly Eco]

All right, Andrew, it is time for the Wheel of Fandom, the weekly segment where we spin a wheel, it lands on a team and we become fans of that team for the next week. Two weeks ago the wheel landed on the Houston Rockets and it started off pretty rough with the Rockets losing their first five games, part of a six game losing streak. They did get two wins over Toronto and Phoenix, but ended the week with a loss to Golden State. The Rockets are 34 and 21, fourth in the west, only a half game up on the lakers with the 12th ranked offense and 4th ranked defense per Clean the glass. Andrew, if the Rockets are our favorite team, who is our guest?

[Andrew Schlecht]

It's our favorite Rocket speed rider Kelly Eco from the Athletic. Kelly, thanks for joining.

[Shopify Advertiser]

How you doing man? Sorry for the late notice. A lot of stuff going on here so had to have to get to it.

[Andrew Schlecht]

It's all good. No, we're glad you could join. So Kelly, prior to the last two weeks, the Rockets hadn't lost more than two games in a row all season. What's been the biggest issues during this recent stretch for Houston?

[Shopify Advertiser]

I think the biggest issue for them right now is that their half court issues are starting to become exploited on a bigger stage. Obviously playing without Fred Van Vliet, he's been their organizer, their table setter for two years now. I feel like they became so attached to him as their plan a that they never sufficiently created a plan B in the case of an injury or absence or whatever. So what you're seeing now on a nightly basis is the Rockets are struggling to generate consistent half court shots. Like against the Warriors, I think they faced the game scoring 68 points per 100 players in the half court. That's atrocious. It's not going to get it done at any level. And it just comes back to a lack of spacing, lack of movement, you know, guys not understanding where to be at certain times. Other teams that are going to throw different coverages at them, like the warriors that showed zones, they blitzed, you know, you have Alpi in the middle of the free throw line trying to direct trafficking. Guys don't know where to be. It's just a mess. And I think that's been the biggest issue because they don't know how to score at an efficient rate. And when you know the fourth quarter comes around, you know, their luck that they rode all year starting to come back to bite them. I think they have an. Even though they have, they're 18 and 12 in, in the clutch, they have like a minus 7 net rating which is just. That's the basketball gods to a tee. And now you're seeing them, you know, come back to earth in terms of how these teams are starting to affect them on a nightly basis.

[Kelly Eco]

So one bright spot for the Rockets, regardless of the outcome, has been the play of Amen Thompson, who's gone to another level in the new year. He's such a unique player. Everyone knows he's kind of an already an elite defensive player, but I'm interested in what you think about his offensive development this season. Where do you think he's made his biggest leaps on that end?

[Shopify Advertiser]

If I was to pinpoint an area where I think a menace meant the biggest leap, it has to be in his, in his mid comfortability. I think as a rookie it was clear that he either was going to go to the ring and try and get fouled or, you know, look for someone else to come get the ball. Now that the Rockets have put more trust in him in the half court, you're seeing him kind of get to his spots a little bit more, you know, with a little more fluidity. He's still a bit of a rigid ball handler and you see at times he turns the ball over a bit too much when you saw like late game in Brooklyn and New York. But as a mid range pull up guy, he does have some potential there. Obviously the shot is still kind of Funky in terms of the mechanics, but it looks a lot better than it was as a rookie. And I think that that part of his game, obviously with the athleticism he possesses, he can get to the rim at will, but if he creates that in between game that, you know, 12 to 15 footer jumper Florida, that will open up a lot more doors for him and will make him a more well rounded offensive player.

[Andrew Schlecht]

The Rockets stayed pretty quiet on trade deadline day, only making a couple small moves. Was there any point where you thought that the Rockets might get involved in something bigger and like, be more aggressive than, than you thought they would be?

[Shopify Advertiser]

I did, I did. And that. And that goes back to your earlier question about their struggles in the half court. I always thought that they still could use, you know, a legitimate floor spacer. Right. Like, if you're at a point where Dylan Brooks is your most consistent shooter, that kind of tells you where you are as a team, as an overall shooting unit. So I thought they would get in the mix for Cam Johnson. They didn't want to do that. I thought they would get in the mix. You know, there were a number of guys on the market that I thought could come in and even if they're playing 15, 18 minutes a night, give Houston some legitimate spacing, I think their biggest issue is that a lot of their guys want to do the same thing. They want to get to the basket, they want to. They want to attack the rim, they want to hunt for fouls. When you have that and you have a guy in Al Prin Shanguna who's so crafty around the basket, he has great footwork, he wants to get guys open looks. These guys aren't great shooters. They're inconsistent shooters. So I do. I was surprised that the Rockets didn't, that they weren't more aggressive around the trade deadline. It seems like everything that was coming out of their, of their books was they're confident in this group, they want to ride the momentum out to the playoffs. But as you're seeing over the last two weeks, that can only get you so far. So prior to the trade, De La I thought that this is a group that, that could make a run to the Western Conference finals. Now, if you ask me today, if they lost in the first round, I wouldn't be surprised.

[Kelly Eco]

How. How aggressive do you think they might be this summer? Are you expecting like a big splash trade?

[Shopify Advertiser]

Yeah, I think so. I think if everything building up to this moment has been about accumulating data, I do think that once you have a playoff series under Your belt now you're almost along that cycle of. I remember a couple years ago, they had the whole thing about phase one, phase two, whatever, and I call this phase 2.5, because up until you acquire, up until you make a blockbuster move, then you're fully in phase three. Like if they had gone out and gotten a Jim Butler, if they had gone out and gotten the Kevin Durant, now you're putting yourself in phase three. But I think after this playoff series, this playoff period coming up in a few months, they'll have enough data to see, okay, this is what we have, this is what should stay, this is what that could possibly go. If we look to go bring in a bona fide, A one alpha, and I think this summer, potentially you could do that. Because as far as flexibility goes, you're under the tax right now. Next season, the extensions kick, kick in, John's kicking, Alperence kicks in, you're going to be open attacks. You start to have to look at flexibility down the run. And then you look at Jabari's potential extension Taurus and you look at a Ben Thompson. Like you have to deal with all that. It's not, it's in the near future. So I think if you can get ahead of it and go bring in a guy that can come in now, you're putting yourself farther along that timeline of trying to chase, you know, a Western Conference total, trying to get to past the second round series, because as currently constructed, this is a fun team, this is an exciting team, but I don't think anybody's actually looking at them as a potential threat.

[Kelly Eco]

So knowing this might be on the horizon, some of these young guys might be included in a big star trade. But also the issue with all these extensions coming up, when you think about your young guys, how many of them would you say you're confident will be part of this team long term?

[Shopify Advertiser]

It's a good question. They got a lot of young guys. I think as long as you can hold on to at least three of them, you know, then you have the makings of, you know, a title contender. Right? Like if you have their core six that they call it, you know, the, the last six first round picks. Amen, Cam Tar, Jabari, Jaylen Alin. If you keep half of those guys, you know, obviously I don't think a men will go anywhere, but if you can keep half of those guys, now you really start to think of a team that can go far in the west corner. Because obviously if you're gonna, if you're gonna give Up a star player, an A1 player. You're gonna ask for one or two of these guys or even three and then multiple to the first round picks. Everybody is not going to be Nico Harrison and give you, you know, one first round pick and send you on your way. So it's going to cost you a premium to acquire one of these guys. So I was going to take some.

[Andrew Schlecht]

Yeah. Do you think that Sengun is part of that group? Like, do you think that he's somebody that they would want to keep? Like he's made his first all star team, he's had a really great career and like a really great start to his career. But is he somebody that you think would would be like enticing for their teams and a guy that they'd be willing to part with, or do they see him as like one of their like top tier building blocks?

[Shopify Advertiser]

It's a good question. The way I see it, the Rockets don't see anybody as like a quote unquote building. They have a lot of talented young guys on their roster that they're developing at the same time. Until one of them clearly outperforms the rest of the pack, then you still have to keep them all in that same tier of good guys to keep an eye on. But no one has broken that shoe yet. Obviously Alpert is now being named the All Star. You could say he's further along that path. But until you get to the playoffs, until you get to a real competition, you don't know what you really have in these guys going forward the next three to five years. So I don't think that definitively they could say, you know, this is a guy that want to keep long time versus this guy. But I do know that Alperin is a hell of a talent. I understand why other teams would want him because of the skill set he possesses at that age and their trajectory. But again, you know, until you get to the playoffs, you really don't know what you have with these guys. So I think you have to wait and see. Going back to the thing about trying to accumulate as much data as possible and the good thing about the playoffs is that it puts your players in the best to win a game. So you'll know really what you have in these core six guys come April and May.

[Kelly Eco]

All right, Kelly, thank you for answering all of our Rockets questions. Is now time to play Andrew versus the Beat, our weekly trivia show where Andrew goes head to head against a beat writer.

[Shopify Advertiser]

Wait, wait, wait, wait, wait. What's my record? Because I Think. I think. I think I'm. I don't think I've lost. I don't think I've lost. I'm. I'm not being mistaken when I play this.

[Andrew Schlecht]

I don't.

[Kelly Eco]

I don't remember. Have you been on more than once? I can't remember if you've been on multiple times or not.

[Shopify Advertiser]

I've been on three times.

[Andrew Schlecht]

I was gonna say three times. Three times.

[Kelly Eco]

So this could be a rubber match. We don't know.

[Shopify Advertiser]

I might be two on one, but I might be doing.

[Kelly Eco]

Oh, I just.

[Shopify Advertiser]

I just gotta throw it out there. I gotta throw it out.

[Kelly Eco]

Let's. Let's say it's two in one so that Andrew can try to tie it up. That'll make it more exciting.

[Andrew Schlecht]

Yeah.

[Kelly Eco]

Okay, so how this works. Kelly will give me a number between 1 and 8, and it'll correspond to a question. Some are easy, some are hard. If you get it right, you'll get at least two points. If you get it wrong, Andrew will have a chance to steal for one. So to start us off, I just need a number between one and eight.

[Shopify Advertiser]

Six.

[Kelly Eco]

Question number six. Ooh, a fun one. What is Stephen Adams career high in points? And you get to choose who answers first. So you can make Andrew answer, and then you could say higher or lower, or you could answer and then make Andrew say higher or lower. So Stephen Adams career high in points.

[Shopify Advertiser]

I'll let. I'll let Andrew. I'll let Andrew answer that.

[Andrew Schlecht]

Okay.

[Kelly Eco]

All right, Andrew.

[Andrew Schlecht]

I feel like this is probably one that he did early on in his career, because I just feel like he's another guy that just doesn't. He doesn't care about scoring. I'll say 27. I don't know.

[Kelly Eco]

All right, so Andrew set the bar at 27. Kelly, would you like to go higher or lower?

[Shopify Advertiser]

20. That sounds. I want to go. It can't be lower because then you can get a league too damn long. 27 sounds right. Like 27. 28. That sounds about right. I'm gonna go slightly higher.

[Kelly Eco]

The correct answer was career high. Stephen Adams, 27. Which means Andrew gets a bonus point for getting exactly correct.

[Andrew Schlecht]

The first time that we've gotten a bonus point on that.

[Kelly Eco]

Wow.

[Andrew Schlecht]

On that kind of question. Is that the first time?

[Kelly Eco]

It may be. It's one of the risks, and it's never come through until today.

[Shopify Advertiser]

Oh, my God.

[Andrew Schlecht]

Yes. Around it. Like the past. Like, I've gotten within two so many times. Okay, question number one. Yeah.

[Kelly Eco]

You have question number one. Good luck. The Rockets are averaging 14.7 offensive rebounds per game, the most in the league. The last time a Rockets team averaged that many rebounds per game was the 1990-91 season. And on that Rockets team, there were three players who averaged more than three offensive rebounds per game.

[Andrew Schlecht]

Oh, my.

[Kelly Eco]

How many can you name, Andrew? So we're talking 1990, 91 rockets, three guys who each averaged three plus offensive rebounds per game. You do get one point per correct answer.

[Andrew Schlecht]

Hakima Lajuan.

[Kelly Eco]

That is correct for one point.

[Andrew Schlecht]

Oh, boy.

[Kelly Eco]

Any other names? Andrew, you big 1990s rocket fan.

[Andrew Schlecht]

No, I don't. I mean, that's early. That's like.

[Shopify Advertiser]

That's before that.

[Andrew Schlecht]

They were that good.

[Kelly Eco]

Yeah, yeah. Average at least three offensive rebounds per game.

[Shopify Advertiser]

Can I still. I know one. I know one guy.

[Kelly Eco]

He doesn't. You will. You will in a second. Andrew. You can throw out a name, Andrew, if you can think of another Rocket, but it sounds like you might not be able to.

[Andrew Schlecht]

I don't. Yeah, I'm. I'm cooked. I don't know who else was on that 90, 91 team.

[Kelly Eco]

All right, Kelly, who's the name? You. You were thinking of?

[Shopify Advertiser]

Hakeem. Otis Thorpe.

[Kelly Eco]

Yes. There's one more.

[Shopify Advertiser]

Larry. It's not Larry Johnson. Larry Smith.

[Kelly Eco]

Oh, that's it. You got it.

[Shopify Advertiser]

Come on.

[Kelly Eco]

Wow. So Kelly gets two points. I did not think anyone was gonna get Larry Smith. When you said Larry, I was like, oh, my gosh, he's so close. Halfway. Wow. You needed that, Kelly, because Now it is 3 to 2. You're only down by 1, and the board is yours.

[Andrew Schlecht]

Okay.

[Shopify Advertiser]

Okay. Let's go with eight. Let's go with eight.

[Kelly Eco]

Question number eight. Amen. Thompson is on pace to crack a hundred dunks this season. Who was the last Rocket to have at least 100 dunks in a season?

[Shopify Advertiser]

Last Rocket. Jalen Green.

[Kelly Eco]

That is incorrect. Andrew, you have a chance to steal play.

[Shopify Advertiser]

Last Rocket.

[Kelly Eco]

The last Rocket to have.

[Shopify Advertiser]

Wait.

[Kelly Eco]

100 plus dunks.

[Shopify Advertiser]

100. 100 or more.

[Kelly Eco]

Yeah. In a season. I mean, Andrew, do you have any guesses?

[Andrew Schlecht]

Clint Capella.

[Shopify Advertiser]

I. I know it.

[Kelly Eco]

Clint Capella. That would be a long time ago. The correct answer was K.J. martin.

[Andrew Schlecht]

Oh, K.J.

[Kelly Eco]

K.J. Did it.

[Shopify Advertiser]

Do it.

[Andrew Schlecht]

Okay.

[Shopify Advertiser]

They did do it.

[Kelly Eco]

All right, Andrew, the board is yours.

[Andrew Schlecht]

Okay, number two.

[Kelly Eco]

Question number two. According to Cleaning the Glass, amen. Thompson takes 57% of his shots at the rim. Among NBA wings and forwards who have played at least a thousand minutes this season, there's only one player who takes a higher percentage of his Shots at the rim. Who is it?

[Andrew Schlecht]

Christian Brown.

[Kelly Eco]

This is a NBA wing or forward. That is correct, Andrew. Yeah, it's Christian Brown. Isn't that crazy? He takes. He takes 58% of his shots. Now this is only wings and forward, so he's not being compared to centers. But. But it is still crazy. He takes 58.

[Shopify Advertiser]

Just know it off the rip. That's all right.

[Kelly Eco]

He knew that because.

[Shopify Advertiser]

Did he write these questions?

[Kelly Eco]

I will say, Kelly, that was an unfortunate question for Andrew to get because earlier in the show I happened to talk about Christian Brown for an extended period and may have helped Andrew there.

[Shopify Advertiser]

May have helped educated Sunday in Philadelphia. Yeah, because this is like the episode where they had the. The game show and Charlie fill out the survey and he knew all the answers because he gave. He filled up the survey and they were wondering how you know all the answers because he did it. So. All right. All right.

[Kelly Eco]

Andrew Kelly's on to us. Andrew Kelly, what number would you like next?

[Shopify Advertiser]

Let's go. Let's go. Five.

[Kelly Eco]

Question number five, Jalen Green already has the fifth most three pointers in Rockets franchise history. He's already number five on the list. Harden is obviously number one. Who are the players at two, three, and four on the all time franchise list for most made threes? You do get one point per correct answer.

[Shopify Advertiser]

Wait, I have to name how many?

[Kelly Eco]

Well, you can. You can name all three. You would get three points if you got it right. But it's just whoever's in second, third and fourth on the all time franchise list for most three pointers made franchise.

[Shopify Advertiser]

Mostly corners that's tracking since 19. Whatever. All right. You said James is first.

[Kelly Eco]

Yeah. Harden's first. Jalen Green is fifth. Who are the three guys in the middle?

[Shopify Advertiser]

Eric.

[Kelly Eco]

What is Eric's last name?

[Shopify Advertiser]

Gordon.

[Kelly Eco]

Correct for one point.

[Andrew Schlecht]

Eric, is PJ on that list?

[Shopify Advertiser]

No, Trevor. Trevor Reese is on that list. Trevor Reese is on that list.

[Kelly Eco]

That is correct. Can you get the last one, Kelly? Can you sweep it?

[Shopify Advertiser]

It's not team 19. It's not. It's not Kevin Martin. Is it PJ? Is it PJ? This is hard. Wait, I'm gonna go with PJ Tucker. No. He's a career three Rockets. Once again.

[Kelly Eco]

Kelly really wants this point. This would tie the game with only three questions to go.

[Shopify Advertiser]

I'm gonna go with Aaron Brooks.

[Kelly Eco]

Aaron Brooks. Okay, that is incorrect. Incorrect. We'll look up where those guys are on the list. Just for fun. Andrew, do you have a guess for the final one?

[Shopify Advertiser]

It's got to be up there.

[Andrew Schlecht]

What about. What about Katino Mobley?

[Shopify Advertiser]

I forgot one.

[Kelly Eco]

Andrew. He was number six on the list. But I was looking for number four on the list.

[Shopify Advertiser]

Can we get a hand?

[Kelly Eco]

Hasn't played in decades.

[Shopify Advertiser]

Oh, this is an old school guy.

[Kelly Eco]

Yeah.

[Andrew Schlecht]

Vernon Maxwell.

[Shopify Advertiser]

It's not. It's not. It's not.

[Kelly Eco]

What's it is Vernon Maxwell. No point for you, Andrew. But you did guess it. Thank God. Okay, Andrew, you're up by one. Three questions to go.

[Andrew Schlecht]

Number three.

[Kelly Eco]

Question number three. Alperin Shengoon has over 2100 rebounds through his first four seasons in the NBA. Who was the last Houston Rocket to have more rebounds than Sengun through his first four seasons in the NBA? So this is rookie year. To year four, they have to add more than 2100 rebounds. Now Shengun might pass this person by the end of the year. Of course, it's only all star break. But who was that? Andrew? Last Rocket.

[Andrew Schlecht]

Wow. Oh, boy.

[Kelly Eco]

And they had to do it as a Rocket.

[Shopify Advertiser]

So you said first four seasons.

[Kelly Eco]

Yeah, As a Rocket.

[Andrew Schlecht]

That.

[Kelly Eco]

Yeah.

[Andrew Schlecht]

Have to play a lot. It's like kind of the thing. First Four Seasons and what. What's the number again? 2100. So you said.

[Kelly Eco]

2100 rebounds. Yeah.

[Andrew Schlecht]

Okay.

[Kelly Eco]

I don't think. I don't know why I keep 25 a year.

[Andrew Schlecht]

Yeah, I don't really. There's not. Capella just didn't play enough. He's like a guess in my head, but I just don't think he played enough to start his career with the Rockets. Oh, there's another guy in my head that I don't want to say it because I don't know if he played enough in those. In his first four years to do it. I don't know. I'll say Capella, but I don't think that's right.

[Kelly Eco]

Andrew, that is incorrect. Kelly, you have a chance to steal for one point.

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Yao Ming.

[Kelly Eco]

Also incorrect. Someone since Yao Ming. It was Luis Scola.

[Shopify Advertiser]

No, I totally forgot Scola.

[Andrew Schlecht]

Dang.

[Shopify Advertiser]

Oh, my God. That's crazy. I'm down by one.

[Kelly Eco]

You're done by one. Two questions left. You can take four or seven.

[Shopify Advertiser]

Give me seven. Give me seven.

[Kelly Eco]

All right, question number seven.

[Shopify Advertiser]

I'm begging Angela. My God.

[Kelly Eco]

As of Thursday afternoon, Dylan Brooks led the league in personal fouls. If he ended the season as number one on that list, it would actually be the third time in his eight year career that he has led the league in personal fouls. Name one other player who led the league in personal fouls over the last eight years. So Dylan Brooks did it three of those eight years. Dylan Brooks did three of those eight years. The other five years, though. Other guys. And I will give you a hint, which is that one of the players that you could choose from was a Rocket. So there's a couple names here. One of them was a Rocket. You don't have to name that player. You could name any other player that's on this list.

[Andrew Schlecht]

Wow.

[Kelly Eco]

And they just have to give me one name.

[Shopify Advertiser]

They've led the league in fouls.

[Kelly Eco]

Led the league in fouls for a season.

[Shopify Advertiser]

Charles Oakley.

[Kelly Eco]

Sorry, I. I may have not made this clear. This is just over the last eight years of Dylan Brooks's career.

[Shopify Advertiser]

Oh. Since. Oh.

[Kelly Eco]

If that makes sense. So, like, in the last eight years, Dylan Brooks has done it three times. Name one of the other guys who has done it the other five years.

[Shopify Advertiser]

P.J. tucker.

[Kelly Eco]

P.J. tucker. That is incorrect. Andrew, you have a chance to steal.

[Shopify Advertiser]

Anyone on the Rockets.

[Kelly Eco]

One of them was one of the guys.

[Andrew Schlecht]

What about Damonisa Bonus?

[Kelly Eco]

Andrew. That is correct. Demonic Sabonis is one of the names who led the league in personal fouls. The other names. Yusuf Nurkic. Carl Anthony Towns did it twice. No, not Jaren Jackson. The. The Rocket was Jayshon Tate.

[Andrew Schlecht]

Whoa.

[Shopify Advertiser]

It's got to be covered here.

[Kelly Eco]

It may have been. Okay, that brings us to our final question.

[Shopify Advertiser]

Oh.

[Kelly Eco]

Jeff Green is in his 17th NBA season and has played basketball in 12 different cities, and we're going to name them all. So, Andrew, you're going to give me a name of a city, then Kelly will give me a name of a city, and we'll go back and forth till one of you stumbles. So there's some easy ones to start off with.

[Shopify Advertiser]

Who's going first?

[Kelly Eco]

Andrew's going to go first.

[Andrew Schlecht]

Okay. Seattle.

[Kelly Eco]

Seattle. Correct. The first one. Kelly.

[Shopify Advertiser]

Houston.

[Kelly Eco]

Houston. Yes.

[Andrew Schlecht]

Oklahoma City.

[Kelly Eco]

Correct. Kelly.

[Shopify Advertiser]

Boston.

[Kelly Eco]

Correct. Andrew.

[Andrew Schlecht]

Clippers, Louisiana.

[Kelly Eco]

Correct. La. Back to Kelly.

[Shopify Advertiser]

Washington.

[Kelly Eco]

That is correct. That was one I did not remember. Jeff Green is a wizard. Just can't picture it. Andrew, back to you.

[Andrew Schlecht]

Memphis.

[Kelly Eco]

Memphis. That is correct. You have gotten the first five stops in his career. So back to Kelly.

[Shopify Advertiser]

Denver.

[Kelly Eco]

Denver is correct. Back to Andrew. Only four cities to go.

[Andrew Schlecht]

Cleveland.

[Kelly Eco]

Cleveland is correct. Andrew. Three cities to go.

[Shopify Advertiser]

Brooklyn.

[Kelly Eco]

Kelly D. Oh, that is correct. Okay, I will say you guys have left the hardest two for last. So, Andrew, how many points is this worth?

[Shopify Advertiser]

How many points is this worth?

[Kelly Eco]

Unfortunately for you, Kelly, it's only worth one. So you can't win, but you can pull within one.

[Shopify Advertiser]

If I get. If I get the Last two. How many points will I get?

[Kelly Eco]

Okay, if Andrew doesn't get this and then you name both of them, I will give you two points and we'll go to sudden death.

[Shopify Advertiser]

All right.

[Andrew Schlecht]

Orlando, I think go.

[Kelly Eco]

And Andrew got it.

[Shopify Advertiser]

I got it.

[Kelly Eco]

Okay, Kelly, you can still. There is one more name.

[Shopify Advertiser]

Double or nothing. If you don't get it. If you get it, you win. If you don't get it, we're going to sudden death.

[Andrew Schlecht]

If I get the last one.

[Shopify Advertiser]

Double thing right now. You can say it right now.

[Kelly Eco]

Andrew, this is a very bad deal for you. I'm not your welcome. Do whatever you want.

[Andrew Schlecht]

I believe he played. I believe he played for Utah.

[Shopify Advertiser]

If you don't get it, go to sign dead.

[Kelly Eco]

Oh, my God is correct. Andrew gets the points and wins the week. Kelly, you tried. You tried to make a comeback there.

[Shopify Advertiser]

I did.

[Andrew Schlecht]

He tried. He tried. Just like the Rockets. Just keep trying to win. Hey, hey, Kelly. Kelly, go read. Kelly at the Athletic. Thanks so much for coming on the show.

[Shopify Advertiser]

All right. Appreciate it, guys.

[Kelly Eco]

All right, Andrew, that was Rockets week. It is once again time to spin the wheel of fandom and find out who we're going to be following for the next week. Now, it is a weird week because it is All Star weekend. So whatever team we land on, we'll probably only get to see one game. So hopefully they're involved in All Star Weekend. Hopefully there's big picture stuff to talk about with them. Just hope we get an interesting team. So let's spin that wheel and our wheel of Phantom team for next week will be the Atlanta Hawks featuring All star replacement Trae Young.

[Andrew Schlecht]

Okay, we have an all Star. I think we have an interesting team of sorts to talk about. Of sorts. Hey, you know what you could do? You can leave us a five star review on Apple podcast and we will read it on the show. Just like this one from Olive Garden grandpa who says mock draft. You guys should do a mock draft for 2025. Great suggestion. We will. We will do that. Thank you, Olive Garden grandpa. Next one comes from King Corn who says he Giannis is the goat and then he says Giannis and has all these emojis. I'll accept that one. But if you would just, you know, mention the show, something about the show would be great on a five star review. Would appreciate that. Hope you guys enjoy All Star weekend and we will talk to you guys again next week.

[Alex Spears]

As we head into the playoffs, it's safe to assume there will be a few calls made by the refs that will be hard to accept. But you know what isn't hard to accept? Discover. Believe it or not, Discover is accepted at 99% of places that take credit cards nationwide. You heard that right, 99%. So make a good call for your wallet and get Discover. Based on the February 2024 Nielsen report. Learn more at discover.com creditcard this podcast.

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[Andrew Schlecht]

ACAST powers the world's best podcasts. Here's a show that we recommend.

[Kelly Eco]

Remember blowing into a video game cartridge.

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Did we just age ourselves? Yep, we're Mike Finoya and Charles McBee.

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Are we old?

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Podcast right here on acast.

[Andrew Schlecht]

ACAST helps creators launch, grow and monetize their podcasts everywhere.

[Kelly Eco]

Acast.com.