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Early Amen Thompson Concerns? | Are Udoka Strategies Failing? (w/ Red Rowdy Maya)



Early Amen Thompson Concerns? | Are Udoka Strategies Failing? (w/ Red Rowdy Maya)

Welcome to Houston sports talk with your host Robert land thanks for checking into the best Houston sports podcast and joining me is rocket Super Fan an original rockets red Rowdy and a longtime friend Maya or as you know are on X or Twitter Rowdy Maya and it’s

Always good to catch up with you may how’s it going oh it’s going well how are you Robert good morning I’m doing good I I I wish the Rockets were playing a little bit better right now um yeah that that’s not been as good as I would

I would like but you know it’s been a great season so far considering what the expectations were and before we get into what’s going on on the court you had this incredible perspective of going to so many games over the years and I just wonder from your perspective what’s the

Atmosphere at the games been like this year especially compared to the previous three seasons and has the wins on the court Translate to the crowd and the feel at the Toyota Center I think the winning atmosphere is um it has improved attendance and the energy when I’m at

The games people seem uh truly invested in the team’s performance I think it was a marketing genius idea to come up with the dumpster knut theme that has taken off like no one really probably expected I mean I think that is really energize the base we I see a lot more young

People there A lot of the Rock Steady fans see the ticket holder fans have been there for 15 20 years are still there but the base is growing and I know that’s just going to help us even more I love to see the young people there that

Is a strong base and it’s energizing yeah yeah for sure and I I’m just kind of curious is there any particular guy from The Young rockets that you found yourself gravitating towards as a fan or does it change depending on how they’re doing in their development you know is

It jayen or shenon or Jabari or is there anybody in particular I wanted Jabari draft so I I paid a lot of attention to him I’m really impressed with his growth his development the way he’s approach this season the way he just finds a way to to contribute

Rebound I love the the fact that he takes the shots that he takes um his mid-range is is perfect in my opinion it’s something I would like to see him do more I love when he cuts and um I’d like to see some more duns from him but

He’s doing well he’s making the leap from year one to year two and I think it carried over from summer league uh play I love appon and goon I really uh enjoy watching Cam and I’m in I those are people that I just feel like I want to

See more but I understand why they’re not playing the minutes I’m in and uh cam but I feel like the minutes that they’re getting now will help us in the end and they’ll be more of a contributor and uh probably get at least 15 18

Minutes a game at least yeah and cam it could really ramp up here as the way he’s playing and what he’s doing right now and it just feels like the more we see him the better and the quicker he develops the the more your ceiling is

The better that you can do by the end of the year with Cam doing well I want to get to the nitty-gritty of what’s going on though and and when you and I have talked I get the feeling you’re seeing stuff recently with oka’s game plans

That concerned you a little bit yes I’m concerned about us giving up the perimeter threes I know simple math three is G than two so if you’re packing the paint and switching and helping on the scores in the in the paint you’re going to have the three open and it

Seems to me we’ve been helping off the wrong Shooters I mean I the Detroit game we saw Steward shooting Corner thre we saw Burke hidden threes from the same spot each time consecutively in multiple possessions to me you don’t help off of those people if somebody hit me one time

With a three I’m not going to let them hit him Zack LaVine was doing this like that Kobe uh White uh I think that’s his last name Kobe from the the Bulls doing the same thing like you can’t keep letting the same people hit you in the

Head multiple times and don’t make the adjustment instantaneously not like in the third or the fourth quarter you have to stop that in the beginning halberton lit us up Trey lit us up these are players that are lighting us up and you’re not making the necessary adjustments we didn’t have t and we

Didn’t have Dylan we still had Defenders or you still have to stop them you have to stop them there like no excuse to not have a stopper in play and you have to play them one on-one you can’t help off of you got to just play Stronger manto man defense that’s bottom

Line you have to contain who you’re guarding and not when they’re hitting us from the three when that three-point shot is clearly going in for them just don’t give up and help off those Corner threes don’t give that up that makes no sense yeah that they they were doing

Such a good job of that early in the year and it just seemed like all the details that you needed from the rockets that we didn’t see those three years under Silas it’s all that stuff had gotten so much better and and now it’s regressed and I I don’t think it’s just

The fact that Dylan Brooks is not in the lineup obviously that plays a big part but you know this is not one guy or two guys this is a multiple guys and you saw it in the Boston game where you know you and I I think were both confused on the

Game plan there because they were doing a lot of doubling which you can’t do on Boston because they get they got Shooters everywhere and and they’re that’s true it’s basically target practice for the Celtics if you just leave Guys open and it wasn’t working and they stayed with it too that’s true

It didn’t make sense like I don’t know if they wrote that off in their minds that this was going to the way that the team started we knew that Boston rest that they started the second half when they played against my uh the Milwaukee Bucks so they W to be super fresh and

Motivated we didn’t have that energy so why were you trying to help off or double team I’m gonna let Drew go off I’m I’m gonna pick somebody else I’m not gonna let um oh boy Tatum just just Light Me Up Jabar should have stayed with him because his of his length he

Should have been defending him I was a little confused that that didn’t happen more often um but they have five or solid four starters who can score and get Buckets if they’re a matchup problem I didn’t expect us to win that game but I did expect it to be a bit more

Competitive and I absolutely didn’t like how we responded to their barrage of Threes that didn’t make sense we don’t have the legs to shoot those threes when on the back to back so we should have been attacking them more and going to the free throw line I don’t I didn’t see

Enough of that and and that’s something you had control to do you could have attacked them and drove more and got in the paint and drove more fouls that way you could have slow the pace of the game kind of maybe took disrupted their hot three-point shooting but that didn’t

Happen at all I mean like use what you do have we we don’t have the legs for those outside threes to be shooting and contending with them so attack attack attack I didn’t see that and that was that was disappointing part of the issue that I I’m concerned about with udoka is

You know the defensive stuff I think you eventually get squared away and part of it is these young guys and they’re still making mistakes and it’s kids that you know you’ve gota continue to hammer it into their heads and you know you wonder about some of these guys if this is

Correctable because you know this is not something that just happened this year you know this been something that’s been going on and at some point you can’t just keep firing coaches it’s it comes down to these guys and the guys that you have on the roster but

Offensively I I am a little bit worried about udoka may I don’t know if you’re seeing this as much as I am but but I just feel like you know I want to see more motion into the offense and and we we thought we were going to see that

With udoka and there are times when you see it but it’s there’s also a lot of the pick and roll with shenon and I I’m fine when it’s the when the pick and roll is happening but there just seems to be moments where everybody comes down the court and they’re all kind of

Standing around looking at each other even on the floor that’s true we don’t move the ball as much as we need to and the times in the game when we are moving the ball we go away from it like it didn’t work to me that is the definition

Of insanity when you keep repeating the same thing over and over again and expect to get a different a different result it didn’t work under silence it doesn’t work under any team if you don’t have excellent perimeter Shooters you can’t just sit around and wait for that

Ball to throw come to you we do need more moving and cutting when uh s is at the top of the post and the he’s looking for he’s actually holding the ball up looking for a cutter that’s the only time it seems like they’re really expecting a cut but um I noticed that

Cam was moving a bit more and that’s why he got a couple of dunkins T Al moves and and cuts and sometimes your we just need that to happen more often especially when we at a standstill and our offense is getting stagnant we need to play with a bit more Pace I think

Fred sometimes go runs down there nobody’s meeting them down there he’s the only one down there we have to play with pace and I don’t know what who it is that’s slowing us up at times I don’t know what the problem is but we need to play with more Pace because that’s when

We get those easier TR uh easier buckets and you don’t have to wait for the defense to set up yeah and you mentioned Jabari earlier and you talked about him as a cutter and I agree with you he he is a guy that I feel like is looking

More and more to cut to the basket and he’s doing that better what has impressed you most about his development this year we talked a little bit about it rebounding you know for sure rebounding has been superb superb that’s where he’s finding that he can get a

Quick uh get the rebound and put get a quick putback or a dunk or pass to an open jayen or uh Fred uh for three or even Dylan when we start hitting those more and we start you know he his assist numbers will go up he’s I think a a a

Really versatile player he definitely is rebounding more and I think before the end of the season he will average over 10 point 10 rebounds a game I know he’s like 9.6 now or 8.8 he’s getting close and he had some games of course he didn’t rebound as well but I think he

Has the potential of being a double double he can average 15 to 18 points a game maybe even 20 and definitely 10 rebounds he could be a that guy for us just like Alan andon is that guy for us yeah no really if you look over the last

27 games I believe he is averaging 9.6 rebounds his numbers on the year aren’t quite as good because the first few games but he he took it up a whole other level the other thing about is you know that when I look at him as him offensively and really I guess the

Frustrating thing is I I I so bad when I what what I want from him is when I see him shoot I want to feel like it’s G to go in every time because I have that much confidence in him and there was that stretch where he had like three

Games where he averaged 27 points over a three- game stretch and I thought okay now we’re starting to see see him turn the corner a little bit maybe the Rockets would get him the ball a little bit more and it feels like there’s it’s it’s hard for him because he’s a rhythm

Guy I don’t know if you feel about that this way about it Maya but he’s a rhythm guy and the thing about it is in this offense there’s never like a consistency to when they’re gonna get J you know I feel like okay we need to start picking

Times where okay for a few possessions let’s try to get Jabari the ball let’s try to get him if he misses the first two shots you can’t go away from just like you can’t go away from Jaylen or shenon just because they missed two in a

Row I see more of him being a focus in the very beginning of the game I’ve I’ve seen that happen multiple times I don’t have the stats on that but of course we I I’m on the eye test I’ve seen him get multiple possessions he started the

Detroit game pretty strong where he had like eight nine 10 almost 10 points in the first quarter he was rebounding he hit a three he dunked the ball I mean he he was really aggressive and it looks like we were focusing in on him it feels like because we have the offensive skill

Set of of shenon and jayen and him it’s like you got to pick and choose who you’re gonna focus on that particular game and depending on the matchups that should be the focus I’m not expecting him to be the focus every game jayen may have a better match up Shon might have a

Better matchup Shon tends to have a better match up all the time to be honest but it’s just like how do you divide the the the shot selections up enough so that he can stay in Rhythm and I think the best way he can stay in rhythm is about cleaning the glass and

Getting on the boards and getting those easy pullbacks that’s that to me is the simplest way to guarantee that you stay in Rhythm if you stay engaged on the boards yeah that the Pistons game it wasn’t that they were necessarily throwing in the ball he had one on a

Fast break if I remember correctly he had a couple of them were rebounds or put backs or you know whatever yeah you’re absolutely right about that I I I do want to run something past you that it’s concerning me a little bit and it’s Aman Thompson’s game long term that

Worries me and I guess I didn’t know as much about one of his big weaknesses going into the uh summer league and I didn’t see it in summer league so I thought well you know I never thought much about it but the hope with amen was

That you know if he’s a lengthy point guard who’s an elite passer and playmaker Within incredible athleticism to get to the rim then you really got something and everybody was aware that his shooting was poor but what I didn’t quite understand Maya until I saw it

Play out is how poor his handle is and it’s big enough uh it’s big enough for him to overcome the lack of shooting as a point guard but the handle is a whole other issue the reason I’m doubly worried is we heard so much about the Thompson Twins and their work ethic

They’re they’re a bit older than the typical rookies and if amen’s working hard on everything but he shooting and handle is this poor that scary I don’t feel like his his handle is I know he’s had some turnovers and I think that’s a spacing issue finding you know he’s a

Rookie point guard and so the the opposing team is going to Target him I think his handles are not as bad I mean he yeah he’s had some turnovers but that’s like he’ll get the Rhythm I think he’ll get he’ll get in game Rhythm and

And and and we’ll see that a lot later yeah I just want him to attack more and he’s an excellent Defender um and rebound so the things that any I mean yeah we’ve seen his passing I just feel like you can’t really grade him right now he’s he hasn’t had enough games and

He’s he’s trying to figure it out right now and I know because he is a taller point guard it’s easier for the smaller guards to come in and steal the ball or to get a deflection if you’re targeting him because you know he’s young cuz he’s

Looking up and he’s trying to pass it’s quite easy to get a steal from him and deflect the ball but I haven’t seen him just throw the ball so many different crazy ways and it and it resulted in turnovers it’s more like someone is figuring out okay I I like when like

When B Fleet gets steals or when any any other player get a steal they know the rhythm of your dribble they’re going to anticipate that and they’re going to steal the ball I don’t think that’s an issue I’m not worried about him turning the ball over with the passing because

He’s a really good passer I’m just saying like his hand like cam Whitmore I never worry about him losing the ball when he goes to the basket in traffic it’s it’s it’s not happening because he’s got a great handle and they’re not that much different in height look Luca

Is 69 610 you you never worry about Luca losing the basketball he’s got a great handle it’s like this is what I see with Jaylen you know Jaylen one of the big criticisms of his early on was the guy needs to improve his handle it’s improved jaari last year too Jabari last

Year too you may we had a lot of was getting the ball taken all the time yeah I mean his hand were pretty suspect too so I think it’s yeah yeah but I frankly I still don’t think jaylen’s handle is good enough when he goes into traffic he

Loses it sometimes it’s because really his hands aren’t that strong it’s weak you know he’s got to get stronger both hands and and just physically and stuff like that’s part of it but another part of it with both Jaylen and amen is just you know sometimes they’ll just be

Dribbling a regular you know just what you would think is normal stuff and they lose the ball and I feel like I almost feel like he’s having to concentrate not that it’s like second nature for him and it’s like some a kid that’s like supposedly in the gym all the time it’s

Got this work ethic I’m like is this stuff gonna come is it something that just isn’t there naturally and it just it’s not coming that just be that ability to be able to do that because what if if he’s confident like that Maya it’s you know don’t worry about his shot

Because look at Russell Westbrook early in his career you couldn’t stop him getting to the basket because of the explosion and am man’s got the same type of physical explosion that that Russ does but you know Russ had a much better handle I think early in his career a lot

Of it is the speed his speed he’s so fast and then he has to learn how to handle the ball in traffic and handle the ball as he’s coming up it’s just like the timing of it I feel like it’s more of a timing issue because he is so

Fast like Daren fox in the beginning he was so fast he was you know making impulsive decision or just kind of being a little too ragged with the dribble and coming it in and and and it resulted in turnovers it’s like you have he has to

Learn how to adjust to the his speed and make that speed gain speed that’s a lot for a a young car to to to to process and he’s only had maybe what 12 15 games he’s played but I feel like it’ll work itself out yeah and and and it’s really

For me it’s not just turning the ball over it’s you know sometimes he just loses the ball when he’s on a fast break he’ll lose the dribble nobody’s really near because he’s so fast that’s that’s what I’m saying it’s his speed and he’s been that I mean I just feel like yeah

It’ll work itself out yeah well Russ was fast too and I didn’t I just didn’t see it I but they had different they had different development they had they came from different programs he didn’t even go to college at least Russ had a year in college overtime is not college so

Let’s not even compare that I mean this is that’s it’s collegate the collegate level experience yeah I I think it’s um even de force went to you know played a year in Kentucky and and look at I mean so they had a different level of experience

And he did and so I feel like we can’t compare him yeah know I mean over time in G league and all that stuff I’m not I’m not real happy with how they’re developing guys and you know cam Whitmore it wasn’t like cam Whitmore had

Four years of college he had a year and he was injured for part of that year he didn’t play a lot he’s young he’s almost two years he’s probably close to at least a year and a half to two years younger than than amen is and it just

Looks like you know his handle and some of the stuff about what what he’s developed in his game is not uh the same as am it looks a little bit ahead of it and frankly I thought oh Cam’s gonna take longer he’s younger you know he

He’s got more to develop in whatever and then as I’ve seen him throughout the season it’s very obvious that no cam Whitmore is is well ahead of Amen in a lot of things amen defensively maybe is is better at times and and some of his you know a little

Bit of his instincts but other than that on the offensive end would say for sure cam looks well ahead of Amen right now oh absolutely absolutely and I love the way cam is focusing on defense he had a steal I saw when he made that one

Mistake with Demar D Roan and and and falling for the pum plake he didn’t do that again these are things that they can only learn in game and I mean in the NBA game they they’re learning of course they did learn what they needed to learn

And um in the G league with the real grand vipers cam especially but he also was playing a lot more minut we shouldn’t even consider the fact that they were picked 14 and 11 19 or 20 whatever it’s about their physical build and their skill set they have different

Skill sets and strengths I mean they’re just two different players they’re not the same players so yeah and they’re not the same build and they didn’t have the same responsibilities on their teams when they played uh before they came here so I yeah no yeah I know I I am

Very aware that it’s going to take some time and I’m not expecting everything to be perect but what I I’m just saying like from looking at you know what’s going on I’m like oh no I’m men’s gonna this is a long long project and the time where he

Can help us and you know I was hoping they signed van v for that contract that it’s a two-year with a year option and I thought okay they’re not going to use the option because I’m in will be ready within two now I don’t think he’s going

To be ready to take over as a point guard in two years I think he will because of being ple having van Fleet there as a veteran that’s that was why you need a veteran in him van Fleet look how how many years he sat behind Lowry

Before he was ready to take the leap he didn’t take that leap instantly and he had the veteran point guard and and Kyle L who’s still playing to this day it takes a minute to be that good of a point guard but I feel like next year

We’re Ed the fact that he’s going to have help hopefully a healthy off season and he’ll get all that in and some some some summer league leap that jabori made from year one and year two I feel like um our man will make that same leap I

Actually do that’s why I’m not worried about him I’m not worried yeah I again I just I guess the worry is for me is Jabari was much younger when he came into the NBA and that year leap that he had that amen’s older than Jabari I think when he started this

Season uh so I don’t that’s I guess that’s my one thing I do want to see what what I would love to see with Cam that they they just haven’t been willing to try yet but boy I think this would be real fun to watch I want to see Cam run

A pick and roll with Shen goon because we’ve SE oh Lord we we have to get the Fred we need to get the Fred and and and and Jaylen pick and roll down with him uh before we can start that in the third I mean that’s well here but here’s my

Here’s my feeling though I mean I mean here’s my feeling I’ve seen Jaylen do try to do pick and roll for years and with Jaylen in the pick and roll I mean I just don’t feel like anything changes with Jaylen I don’t feel like much gets

Better I mean he’s he’s he’s good at passing the ball to shenon when he drives to the basket but there’s issues with Jaylen and shenon in the pick and roll one of the big issues is frankly he’s not a good shooter so imagine okay now that with when it’s Cam and shanon

Running the pick and roll Cam’s a way better three-point shooter way more confident three-point shooter a lot of times you’ll see Jaylen take the pick and they’re they play off of him they play they play low on him because they’re like well go ahead and take the

Shot and he won’t he won’t he’ll dribble dribble dribble dribble dribble it’s one of the things that bothers me about Jaylen cam if you if you just say okay we’re gonna go under it and we’re gonna let you just have a white open three he’s goingon to bury those yes and it’s

An interesting you know observation and I don’t disag age with you that if he they’re not going to go under him once they really feel like I think he’s already getting a little bit of Buzz and attention now so they’re not going to go underneath him if if that happens so but

I mean hey it’s some things in our offense I would like to see us do more and that’s more movement more ball movement like we said before I love the way Fred is running our offense I would like to see him off the ball a bit more and with Jaylen driving and attacking

Those are the things I feel like Jaylen does well he is getting more free throw attempts and he um he’s just got to settle in on tighten up his grip when he does go into traffic because he he tends to Fumble the ball quite a bit and

That’s something that I want to see him work on I try not to be too critical of Jaylen because I think he’s still trying to figure out figure out how he can Thrive with s boon in the back court with uh Fred Van flee um he had a completely

Different scene the last two years so he also is making that transition we see Sparks of it coming together and then we see days when it’s not coming together and and I mean that’s just he’s inconsistent well I guess the last thing we we we’ll talk about just real quickly

Is tar een God we need him we need to get him back I mean to have him back on the court it’s so frustrating because he’s so fun to watch Maya he is the Mario Ellie of our team he is that guy who makes such an impact that everyone

Wants to see him play including the team and including him and I feel like what we don’t know the extent of his leg injury but at the beginning of the season when he was sitting I feel like um maybe the medical staff didn’t fully know what kind of pain and discomfort it

Was causing them I think you know recently they disclosed that he said he was minimizing the pain if that is the case then it’s something that structurally that they can’t really see as it and worse or better and he could have easily aggravated it during one of

Those games and that’s why he’s sitting down for a longer stretch now I feel like they’re managing his injury as best they can because when the patient sorry is not honest or or minimizing maybe he’s in denial about the extent of his injury and because he wants to play and

He wants to be on the court so badly if that’s the case then I I feel like the team did what they could do and now they’re sitting him for a longer stretch hopefully we’ll see him in the next couple weeks but if he doesn’t come back

Before the allstar break I’m okay with that because we need him to play with an UNCA minutes not that every other game off we need him to be at 100% even having him at 50% is not it’s not going to work we need him at 100% because he’s

So critical I think he has probably one the best top plus minus in our in our group he’s so critical to us and we won’t go far without him being healthy I just hope that he is upfront about what is going on with his leg and the discomfort he’s feeling and he’s taking

That time and just being honest with him so they can’t properly evaluate him and get him on the court um when he’s at 100% yeah you kind of wondered you know if he re-aggravated it should they have maybe kept him not playing for a longer stretch earlier because there there was

That early season schedule where it just seemed like the Rockets were barely playing and so there was a longer point between between games because once you get to this point in the season and him missing like the last two weeks is now the rocket seem like they’re just

Playing I think it’s like some something crazy like 57 games in 30 days so it’s almost like every other day that this stretch that they they have later in the season so you know that’s the thing but man I just I miss him so much I mean we

Miss him we do he is the the the definition of hustle and grit and we definitely need that we need that swag with our team and and him coming off the bench is perfect in terms of he’s going to attack he’s coming in he’s seen what’s going on on the what’s happened

In the first few minutes he’s able to come in and make an immediate impact that’s a benefit to that and we miss him the steals the pressure the occasional threes that he that he’s hitting of course those offensive rebounds and putbacks I mean this guy’s just Relentless and there’s we don’t have

Another version of him there is no other tar he is one of my favorite play I mean he’s it’s like one a and one B between him and Jabari and Aon Shon and I mean I have like a few favorites to be honest but of course Jabari was my number

Because I wanted him so badly and he and he actually was we we did pick him and I see I watch him and T those two I feel like are like one a and one b and far as my number ones um yeah and those two and

Those two need to be because we didn’t see this with Silas at all tar and Jabari seem to just feed off of each other and they need to play more together now that is something I would love to see um if that could happen if

We don’t see Tade at all I know that is a sore subject with a lot of fans the fact that Tate has been playing in in replacement of Dylan Tate is serviceable in times but right his size and um his lack of offense is not something we can

Overcome we can’t yeah overcome that and when we have inconsistent scoring from others in our starting lineup you need need um a someone coming off the bench like ham and maybe T that we know is going to get us and Jeff Uncle Jeff of course I don’t want to overlook him

Uncle Jeff those are the contributors off our strongest contributors Off the Bench in terms of offense if we really want to be a competitive team and make it in the play in and you know stay out of that uh bottom 11 12 race we’re going to have to get solid contributions from

Everyone that comes on the court and I don’t feel like we’re getting enough of to justify him getting any minutes cam absolutely should get those minutes yeah no I think when I think when everybody’s healthy trust me Jan Tate’s minutes will disappear because cam I feel like that

That is officially over with at this point so um it’s just getting those guys you know you just you got to get the guys healthy and that’s why you know you have to have more depth and you know hopefully they’re going to add some guys at the trade deadline so you’re

Not yeah I mean everybody knows the fact we need a big and we could use you know definitely maybe another Wing guy you know you everybody you know Rockets fans and NBA fans it’s like when you’re looking at your team everybody’s oh we

Got too many guys we have 11 or 12 or we can’t play all these guys get hurt and you want to have 11 or 12 or 13 guys and as long as the guys that are the back end of that group understand that they’re going to be in and out based on

Injury then you’re good but I don’t wish injury on anybody but there a lot of guys I would rather see her tar e and it’s just like that’s a fact and I and I just want him out there I mean that’s so frustrating but um thanks so much for

Doing this Maya it was good talking great to catch up with you you’re listening to Houston Sports Talk hey don’t forget to support us by subscribing and commenting on YouTube you can always listen to us on Spotify apple or your favorite podcast app tell your friends about us and share our Show

Links on social media spread the word everybody thanks for [Applause] [Applause] listening

Host Robert Land asks Rockets Super Fan Rowdy Maya how the atmosphere’s changed at the Toyota Center, what she loves about Jabari Smith’s development, how she misses Tari Eason & what’s frustrating her about Udoka’s defense.
(:44) Toyota Center Atmosphere for Rockets Games?
(3:15) Udoka Defensive Gameplan issues?
(9:39) What’s Jabari Smith doing that impresses most?
(13:30) Amen Thompson Concerns?
(22:56) Cam Whitmore & Sengun Pick ‘N Roll?
(25:40) Tari Eason injury concerns?

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16 Comments

  1. Nice information, thanks.
    The most important thing is to accept that Udoka is an ordinary HC, not a great one. We were in a dream for a while thinking Ime would be a great hire but honeymoon is over. Hope he gets better but indications are not very positive.

  2. Both Amen and Cam are the real deal, just give them a little bit of time. Cam is already cutting into Jalen's minutes. I think the Rockets rebuild has been a smashing success so far, the only piece that worries me is Jalen Green, this is the critical third year and we have to decide if we are going to pay him or not. Sengun is an all-star, at least in my mind, Jabari has become a really good rebounder and defender, Tari is a whirling dervish on the court. Amen, just like his brother, is going to end up being a Swiss Army Knife of a player, able to do many things well. I feel like Cam might end up being a legit all-star in a few years, his explosion is out of this world and he has a sweet stroke. I think Amen has been deferring too much, he needs to play downhill more and put pressure on the other team. When he does that, he creates openings for everyone else.

  3. Amen gone be fine, he like a 6’7 rondo he just need reps, if fred goes down he will show. Plus he makes cam better he looks for him and Jabari on the second units

  4. Thank you, Maya! I thought I was the only one who noticed all the open 3s. It's been a problem for several weeks now, or longer. Going back at least to the second warriors game. I don't know all the Xs and Os stuff. But it seems that a defensive scheme that concedes open 3s against opponents. Often a guy whose only exceptional skill is the 3 is left open over and over.

    And I agree with everything you all say about the offensive issues. Too often it's like watching dudes take turns doing whatever they want. Udoka doesn't seem to mind weird random pull 3s early in the shot clock. And I heard Udoka say Sengun didn't show up in the first half of the Chicago game. Which is fine. But it's not clear to me that the team wishes to run the offense through Sengun as much as they should. It's very weird.

    On Thompson, I have noticed that he hasn't looked like a point guard exactly, handle wise, but as a forward who can make plays and score (within 15 feet of the basket lol). And if so, he's a good complement to Sengun long term. Whitmore is closer than Thompson in terms of becoming a viable player making progress toward their potential. But that's partially due to the fact that Whitmore isn't expected to be a facilitator, if you get what I mean. Whitmore's shooting stroke is one of the most effortless and natural strokes I've seen. The ability to score off the dribble, on the break, off lobs, to catch and shoot, and in isolation are there. Holy crap!

  5. Amen height is a plus but he must cut down on his turn-overs. Same applies to Jalen Green. Mis-lay-ups for Jalen green is so bad.

  6. I saw the same thing you did with Amen's handle. I think its from him trying to process the game and being distracted. He needs to work on it regardless of the cause. Agree with you guys on the movement as well. Maybe they just can't handle that much in year one with Udoka. I'm ready for Amen and Cam to get more minutes even if we lose some games.

  7. I think the Rockets should've had Amen and Cam play 15 or so games together in the G league to begin the year. To me that was a head-scratcher!

  8. I agree with Robert, Amen is a very long project. He loses the handle UNFORCED, he airballs 3s (3 times in 3 different games), and he does really dumb things when he puts his head down, like throwing wild layups that only hit the backboard or euroing a 7-footer. Those are very typical signs of a basketball player with very little experience and composure. At this stage, it's very hard to envision what kind of player he's going to be. Westbrook with a worse shot?

  9. This guy said Luka 6'9 to 6'10 he doesn't know what he talking about.Luka is 6'5.And why is he being so hard on Amen.He a rookie and half things he talking about don't make sense.And she constantly telling him facts.Only thing you can say Amen is he can not shoot well.That will come.He pure hater.

  10. Yeah the same problem happened today after the Sixers game miscommunication game giving up the open three.

    They got to do a better job at communicating.

    On the bright side Cam is looking good and this season is better than expected but man is our bench awful we need some legit players for our bench. Great video Robert

  11. I agree Amen is WAY to sloppy with the ball. Lackadaisical and that is because of low confidence. I like to see tighter handles from a PG. It should be automatic. For Amen, his game is goofy. He has flashy plays but if he is turning the ball over it’s bye bye time.

  12. I think Amen is a bust G-League player and Cam is a future all star, if he has his head screwed on straight which is questionable.

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