Houston Rockets: Trade or Keep Pick? Untouchables on Team?

Houston Rockets: Trade or Keep Pick? Untouchables on Team?

ing. Got to get it in. Dust Smith. Jabari for three and the win. He’s got it. We are here to feel rocks news. This rocks Field podcast presented by the Believe Network. Of course, I am your host Lar Binkley. You can always find me on Twitter at Binkley Hoops and you can find my written work over at Rockers on SI which is part of Sports Illustrated. And of course, today we are joined by friend of the podcast. we bring him on this time of year every single year because it seems like the Rockers have a top 10 pick for the last several years is Tobias Bass. Of course, it’s always good to have you on the show. But before we get too far into let everybody know where they can find all your great content, especially this time of year. What’s up, man? Yeah, thanks for having me on. This is definitely one of my favorite podcast to come on. So, I definitely appreciate you for having me on. And um yeah, you can follow me on Twitter, Tobias_bass. That’s TL OBS_bass. And then you can find my Instagram at tbazz43. And like I was saying, this is, you know, it’s that time of year, draft time. Of course, the Rock is, you know, fell to the Warriors in seven games, so they’re starting to look forward to next season. And I kind of wanted to start the podcast off with one of the players that the Rockets brought in in the last draft. Um, before we go too far into this year’s draft, I wanted to talk to you a little bit about Reed Shepard because, of course, I’m I’m sure you scouted him last season before he got into the draft. Of course, the the Rockets drafted him um last year when they jumped from the potential nin spot where they were going to be at and they jumped into the top five of the draft last season. They brought in Ree Shepard, of course, hoping that he could be the shooting help that they needed because they were one of the worst three-point shooting teams last season. Um but so before we go into what he did this season, can you just tell us a little bit about what you saw from him when it’s one season at Kentucky and what was kind of your scouting report of him before he uh got into the draft? Yeah, I mean he had one of the greatest, you know, shooting performances I think we saw from a college kid in a long time. I mean, he shot the ball very, very well. That was why he was drafted so high. I think too there was kind of like a mystique about him, too, cuz you know, he made the All-American game. People like, “Oh, we shouldn’t have made it.” And, you know, there was a lot of, but he came in immediately. You know, he was really good, especially playing with DJ Wagner and Justin Edwards. You know, him and Dillingham, their best two guards came off the bench and Reed and Dillingham. So, I mean, last year he shot I mean, as a freshman, he shot 53% from the field and he shot um 52% from three. We just haven’t we haven’t heard of a player, especially at 6’2, 61 doing that before. So, he deserved to go as high as he did. It’s just the transition was just harder. I mean, one, you know, one, you’re no longer the best player. Pressure is different. Um, the physicality, I think the lack of athleticism kind of hurt him a little bit. I mean, he played him what, like 55 games, I think this year, like four and a half points, something like that. So, I mean, he’s a rookie. I mean, that that’s just what it is. The only issue is he shoots the ball very well, but it’s kind of hard when you’re 6’2, you can’t really be like a catch and shoot player. Like, it’s kind of hard at that size because you’re you’re just not tall enough. So, I would like to see them develop a little bit more. Fred Vanford, I think, will be a good mentor for him as he continues to develop. And yeah, kind of going into, you know, what he did this season. Do you see him going forward? Because you talked a little bit about, you know, what he had to deal with going from college into the NBA, but do you see him more of a combo guard? because I know the Rockers wanted him to play that backup point guard role and maybe eventually take over for Fred or at the very least not have Fred play so many minutes this season which didn’t really translate unfortunately. Do you see him as far as going forward you see him more of a combo guard even honestly more like a Aaron Holiday another player that they have have on the roster right now hopefully better than Aaron Holiday but more like a Aaron Holiday combo guard type role. Yeah, I think that that’s that’s what he what he’ll be. I he knows how to play. He can make the right reb. I think he’s I think he’s more of a combo than just a pure pure point. And I think, you know, even at Kentucky, like he he was obviously good, but they their offense is very um just a dribble drive. So, you know, it’s it’s kind of free flowing dribble handoffs coming off of being able to attack. So, he kind of really he he would make decisions late in those games, but it’s just a little bit different when you get to this level. So, I think he’ll probably be more of a combo. They may try to pigeon hole him at that point guard spot, but I think he’s probably more combo. Yeah. Yeah, it makes sense for what we saw. And like you said, you mentioned with Fred Van Vleet, you know, being a mentor and you know, he’s actually up for they have a team option on him. That’s kind of been the thing around here. What will they do with that team option? And with the with the Rockets not really having another point guard, you kind of foresee bringing back Fred Vanley. That kind of leads me into this year’s draft because the Rockets do have the number 10 pick. Of course, they were hoping to jump up a little higher, but they got that number 10 pick from a trade with the Phoenix Suns that nobody really thought would pan out to be a top 10 pick. So, you know, it’s better than what they thought it was going to be. So, uh let’s go ahead and just start at the top of the draft before we get to the Rockets part. Is it pretty much Cooper flagging and everybody else or do you see it closer with players like Dylan Harper or Ace Bailey? Is it a little bit closer than maybe people are thinking it is? I mean, Cooper Cooper is gonna go one. He should go one. I mean, I I like Dylan Harper, too, but I I just think you you just have to pick Cooper just based on what he did. I don’t know. I I think he’s very good. I don’t know if he’s going to be the superstar that many are projecting, but he’ll be a very good NBA player, though. Okay. And I read one of your tweets uh you were saying something I agree with where people just say generational every single time a player is coming out. You don’t do you really see Cooper flag as that type of generational player just a really good player? No. Cuz I mean cuz the thing I was like I was talking to someone about that. I said okay in the last 10 to 15 years how many generational players have we seen? Yeah. I can think of maybe three. Durant Wimby and probably Anthony Davis. Yeah. Yeah. Cuz even like Giannis, he’s unique and weird and whatever you want to say, but he wasn’t coming out. He was just a real skinny kid from Greece. Like we we didn’t foresee. So he can’t be generational. You know what I mean? Like you have like you have several Hall of Famers in the Hall of Fame now or several that will go into the Hall of Fame. They’re not generation time. They were just very very good. And that’s that’s typical. You know what I mean? So Cooper, like if I had to project, like this is just me, and I may be wrong. If I had to project his career, I’m probably looking at three to five allars, okay? Make a few defensive teams. I could see an allNBA or two. Very good career, max contract guy. He’s gonna make a lot of money. He gonna play a long time. I just don’t think he can be your best player. I don’t I don’t think I think that he can maybe be a good two or a great three. I I can’t see him being your best player. So that there’s value in that, right? Like a like I kind of he kind of he kind of reminds me of like a Karolinko Aaron Gordonish type of player. Like he kind of fits that mold. Like Aaron Gordon mean you see how important he is. That that’s not an insult. He went eighth I think eighth in his draft. Yeah. Become the superstar player that they thought but he’s really really good. They don’t win a finals without him a couple years ago. They wouldn’t be in this series now without him. So there’s value in that. It’s not the inro. Yeah. Yeah. I mean, absolutely. And I think people just kind of get carried away because they compare him to other players in the in the draft that not, you know, sometime necessarily not maybe it’s not other great players in the draft. So, he just looks a lot better than what he may end up being. Like you said, three or five allstars and being a second or third, you know, best player on a championship level team. I think that I think that’s still, you said, that’s still pretty good, you know, compared to some of the other buffs we’ve seen in the NBA. um and and kind of, you know, going, you know, throughout the draft in those first 10 picks. Of course, like I said, the Rockets have that 10th pick. It’s not a guarantee they even keep that pick because they already have several young guys that need playing time. You have a Cam Whitmore. You have a a um like I said, a Reese Shepard that we talked about, even Jabari Smith wasn’t getting playing time a lot of times last season. And before actually, now that I bring up Cam Whitmore, before I actually get into that number 10 pick, what was some of the things you were hearing about Cam Whitmore? And we may have actually talked about this before last year, but I want to kind of revisit this because it definitely came to the forefront this season with Cam Whitmore not getting pretty much any playing time at all during the season. What was some of the things you were hearing about Cam Whitmore as he was coming out of college on what may have dropped him in the first place and what that may be why he’s having such a hard time getting on the court now? Well, some of it, you know, when he came out of when he came out of college, it was the injuries, you know, there there was some weird medical stuff about, you know, is he healthy here, is he not there? You know, there was some of that. Then I think too was just some of his like um his mentality. I mean, the kid’s talented. You see, when he does get minutes, he actually can play. Like he’s very talented. But you know at this level it’s more political than mo than you know at the at the high school college stuff. You can get away with certain things at that level. At this level this where the money is right. So it’s more political. So I think it’s just some of how his dayto-day you know mentality attitude you know is those is those type of things. So because when he plays I mean he’s good. He he has I think I think he’s a good pro. He just has to continue to do but he’s a young player. He’s very young. He’s what 20 21 something like that. So, yeah, he’ll he’ll continue to get better and continue to continue to mature, but I think that’s probably what it was. Yeah. And it kind of lines up to what I’ve just been hearing just throughout the season is it’s more necessarily off court. Not necessarily that he’s getting in trouble, but it’s just the work ethic off the court compared to, but once he’s on the court, he’s he’s probably a top five or six talent on the entire roster. But like you said, it’s a lot more than just, you know, what you do on the court when it comes to the NBA, especially when you have, you know, coaches that know that their livelihood is on the line that, yeah, they’re not going to put somebody out there that they can’t necessarily trust. So, you know, we’ll see. We’ll see how they go forward. What happens with him and then, you know, just the culture of it, right? Like, you know, prior to EA going there, the culture was very bad. So you have to be you have to double if not triple down on those young guys when they when you do see that because if the culture is bad everything will fail. You see look at the Spurs when they’re horrible you don’t hear bad things they just can’t play on they’re just not good on the basketball side but off the floor you don’t hear a word. So that culture is the most important thing that’s something you can you can um build off on going forward. Yeah absolutely. So yeah. So now moving on tight to the rocks at number 10. Uh, first off, who do you think will be around at that number 10 spot? And of all those players, who would you actually stay at number 10 to draft? Like I said, the Rockets could easily trade that pick because they already have several young guys. We’ll see what happens if they make any major trades with all those young guys still there. But for the time being, they have several young guys are not even getting play time. So, bringing in another guy that you would have to develop, they would have to be a certain type of player. So, who do you think would be around at the number 10 spot? And is any of those players you’ be like, “Okay, yeah, if I’m the Rockets, I’m not trading that pick.” Yeah. I mean, if they decide to keep him and you’re looking at guys like a Colin Murray BS, uh Thomas Sorber, you got Kiss Paris from uh Illinois is there. I’m probably looking at those three. Um I mean, of of those three, I mean, the Rockers are loaded. I mean, they just they have a lot of stuff. They just they do they have a lot of like a lot of talent across the board. They don’t really need anything. think if anything would you probably get a superstar but for the sake of this I’m probably looking at like a Colin Murray BS like I really like Colin I was really big on him even in high school going into his freshman year I wrote him as one of my top freshman and I was probably one of the only few writers even have him on my list at the time because he just he’s a really unique player like he he does like most things well he’s very good defensively very high in steals he can switch and guard multiple positions he passes the ball well he’s a player that like the Rockets in the past they’ve liked kind of players like him. So, I could see them that being an interesting pick, especially I mean, if I’m I know we’re going to transition, but if I’m them, I’m looking at trying to move that pick and others to see if I can like really go after a big name. Yeah. Yeah. And and that ultimately, man, what they may end up doing because like you said, the Rockets are kind of they they don’t have a lot of spots to fill. They do need a point guard. They need a backup point guard for sure. Steven Adams, they still don’t know what’s going to happen with him. you don’t really want to go with Jollandelle as your backup only backup center. Um so like somebody like Malawak, do you think he’ll be around at 10 or he’ll probably be gone before the Rockets even have a chance to draft? Uh well actually uh yeah out of out of Duke. Oh, I it’ll be close. Like you looking at like that seven, eight, nine. I there’s a possibility, right? Like he could, you know, very well fall to fall to 10. But yeah, you know, you look at like Toronto, for example, like if Jacle hits the free agency, he would make an easy transition, easy, you know, to replace him. So yeah, he I could see him being at 10, but more than likely I’m probably looking at like I think like Toronto will probably grab him if if he’s sitting there. Is he more of a project type player? I mean I know he’s 7’2. I know he has an incredible wingspan, good defender. Um can at times switch out on guards briefly. Um, but do you see him more of a project type play or do you see someone that because I know the Rockets of course are looking for players because they’re trying to take that next step next season. Um, or do you see him someone that be spending time at the G-League before he can really kind of get up to speed with the, you know, how fast the NBA is? Yeah, I I see that. I think that he’ll be a project. He has some tools, right? I mean, you can’t T72, right? Long arm. Yeah, he has good defensive instincts, but I think he’ll be a project big. I I think that he he still has a ways to go. Um, but he he he’d be a name to watch through. I could see time in the G- League for sure, though. Yeah. And you also you also mentioned the guard out of Illinois. I’ve been kind of reading up on him. Um, they say that, you know, he has really good fundamentals. He not necessarily athletic, but do you see as someone that doesn’t really have the athleticism that he can succeed in the NBA? Because I mean we have there’s plenty of guards that are 6’2, 63 and he actually has the size at probably around 65 66 but we see smaller guards that don’t necessarily have athleticism that still able to you know like a Jaylen Brunson type still able to get their get their points. Do you see him as somebody that can kind of fill in that maybe that backup point guard role even though I know he’s only like 19 18 19 years old? So, I mean, we’ve seen, especially in the last couple, I’m not comparing them to these players, but you know, the Cereba player has made a big comeback. I mean, look at look at who’s left in the playoff. Tyres Hallebert can’t jump. Jaylen Brunson can’t jump. These are these are guys Luca can’t jump. He’s gone. He got kicked out of the playoff, but he’s another one. Yeah. Not comparing him to those play. We’ve seen it before. Like, we’re seeing these these type players are able to stick in the league because they know how to play. So, maybe um he could be that he does turn the ball over a little bit too much for me, but he’s young. That’s that’s just part of it. He sees the read. It just sometimes he wants to go for that home run play as opposed to just making the simple one. But that happens with young guards all the time. Yeah. And you know, like you said, it just kind of depends on what the Rockets are looking for at that number 10 spot. But another just can you just talk a little about maybe a player that maybe we’re not talking about that may surprise some people may jump up in the draft in that first round? Um, one for me probably be like a like a Carter Bryant. Um, you know, he I think he really helped himself at the combine, you know, with his measurables and things like that. Um, three-point shooter was solid this year. So, I mean, he he’s a prototypical three and, you know, prototypical 3 and D player. That’s what they visualize him to be. And you can never have many of those, too many of those at the at the next level. So, he’s definitely one that um I could look at. For me, one of the players I really, really like is uh Rashir Fleming. He’s probably one of my favorite players in the draft. I just really like what he does. He’s 69, can shoot the three ball, plays hard, versatile, a good athlete. I I just like what he does. If I was if I was a team, I would draft him immediately. I really just like what he brings to the table. So, he’s another one I’m taking a look at. And before actually, I want to ask you a little about the second round because the Rockets do have a second round pick. Even though it’s later in the second round, they can always of course move up. But, uh, I want to talk a little bit about again more the front end of the draft. We already talked about Cooper Flag. Um, is Dylan Harper, is he pretty much locked at number two for San Antonio? Should should be. I mean, he makes sense. I I think um, you know, he makes sense. They’re trying to, you know, get all this young talent and, um, you know, build it around Wimby. You got Fox, you got Castle. Why not put Hopper in the fold? I think that he fits perfectly. He’s a Spurs type of player. You know, his dad played the NBA for a long time, won rings. I think he’ll be a smooth transition. He’ll be good there. Another player that’s really interesting to me, I know it’s probably going to go top five, but VJ Edgecom out of out of Baylor. What do you What is kind of your thoughts on him? I know he’s been really impressing people at the at the um the training camp that they’re having right now, the combines that they just recently had. What’s kind of your thoughts overall on him? Because to me, out of a lot of the players that maybe they’re not talking about as much, he he seems to have like that type of superstar potential. Yeah, he’s he’s really really athletic, just physically just um gifted. So, you know, he started off slow this year. He didn’t just jump off the screen immediately, but I think he kind of figured it out. Um he has a lot of things, you know, people like, you know, the arms, long arms, he plays hard, he defends. He’s kind of a combo. I know they’re kind of trying to do the point guard thing. I don’t know if he’s just a point. He can make decisions. I saw it at McDonald’s. I saw it this year at Baylor as well. Um, he kind of has like some Ola Adipo. I know his measurables are very similar to Drew Holiday. Could he be maybe that type of player with, you know, extreme athleticism? Maybe. But, um, I I I do like him. He He has some developing to go as far as, you know, with the ball handling and the shooting. But, he is an interesting player, though. And as far as, like I said, the Rockets do have a second round pick. Um, I know it’s always kind of hard to uh kind of, you know, predict second round picks because you never really know how it’s going to play out as far as maybe they don’t necessarily want to go in the second round. So, they just could they decide to go the route of being a free agent. But, is there anybody in the second round that may fall around that second round that you think people should keep an eye on? Like I said, the Rockets do have a late second round pick, but we all Rafale Stone is known for, you know, trading up if he sees a player that he may want to go after. So, is there anybody in the second round that you’d be like, “Okay, maybe you can keep an eye on that, you know, may fall in that, you know, early to midsec round.” Um, so I really like Drake Pal at North Carolina. Long arms, can shot the ball well. He’s a really good athlete. I think he had the highest vert in the combine. I think are definitely one of I think he jumped 43 inches. But, um, he’s one that I like, you know, a typical 3ND player, you know. I think he’s another one. Uh Maxim Maxim from Stanford. I think he really helped himself as well at the combine as well. I do like him. The sevenfooter out of Stanford is one. And then two, you know, Dink Pay. I mean, he’s all upside. You know what what what could he be? He could be, you know, one of those mid second round guys that really really pop. He’s super talented. So, he’s one. And then my last one probably be like Micah Peavey. I think he also really helped himself at the combine. He’s a stat sheet stuffer. Shot the three ball better this year. and he really really defends. I think he’s another one that there’s no risk in taking like some of these guys, you know, because they they might be able to fill a roster spot. He’s mature, you know, he’s playing. He had a really good season this this past year at Georgetown. So, I think he’s another one I would look at. And I also want to kind of get your thoughts on if there was any because we of course we know the Cougars got really close to Yeah. winning their first a ever championship. Is there any of the guys that are coming out from University of Houston that you think has a chance to get drafted? If so, where do you think they’ll probably land in this year’s draft? Milos would be the one. I think Milos he um I mean the last three games he didn’t play super well, but I mean you can but his body of work throughout the year was he was very good. I mean he was he was arguably their best player all year pretty much for the most part. was saving him, you know, and he was another guy. He didn’t start off um start off super hot, you know, he was fouling out of games early, you know, he was really trying to figure it out. But I think once he learned figured out how it was to be physical, to be tough, that was a knock on him going forward. He’s a he’s a West Coast kid. They all are soft, right? So, I think tough, he made shots, he just got better. I mean, he was like again, he was probably their best player all year. So, I could see him going in that mid-second round for sure. Good size, could shoot the ball. Okay. Yeah, because of course we know the last couple years there’s been a couple players like, you know, Quinton Grimes and Jamal Shade that went pretty high in the draft that had some success in the NBA. So that’d be interesting to see who’s going to kind of take that next step. And one more thing is kind of on the college basketball side of it. We talked a little bit about this last year with the transfer portal and it seemed like it’s getting even more out of hand this season. I mean, how much of effect has that transfer portal just kind of had on how coaches recruit and just how just the overall landscape of the NCAA? Um, I mean, I think, you know, some of the high school kids, unfortunately, they’re getting, you know, pushed to the back of the line, right? If you’re not a pro, especially at the high major level, you’re not a pro, you probably gonna have to wait, man. So, that’s why I think, you know, sometimes it’s imperative, you know, some of these guys, if you’re a fringe high major, you might as well go mid- major. I would. I mean, not saying you’ll be like this, but look at Santa CL. They got two guys in the first round and with four years, one of them, one of them still playing now, you know, Jaylen Williams, you know, you got Pamiski with the Warriors. So, I think now with this portal thing, you’re seeing kids, they’re being drafted from everywhere. It doesn’t matter. You know, you don’t have to go to these six schools to be a pro. You can go, there’s a wide spectrum of it, too. And I also think um you’re seeing it affect the draft. Like, some of these dudes are old. You know what I mean? older and that was such a knock in the previous years, but like Dton Connect, I mean, he’s old. He had you have to he was the production was undeniable that he was good this year with the Lakers. So, and I think that it’s um it’s affecting that. But I think the the biggest thing is just affecting the high school kids. Um I think they have to rush it. They have to make decisions earlier. I don’t think you can wait around to November, December, January anymore. I think you have to try to get it be done by by Thanksgiving, you know? So unless you’re a McDonald’s all-American five-star kid, you don’t have the same leverage that you did anymore, but it’s not a it’s not a bad thing. You just may not be able to go to a high major program anymore at first. Just go mid- major, get your stats, then move up. And what’s been like the biggest effect as far as the NIO money? Of course, that’s been a big thing the last couple years. How much has that really changed, you know, what teams can do or has it really changed that much of what we seen? because we all know forever teams have been finding ways to pay players under the table and it just wasn’t out there. But now that it’s, you know, legal, has it really changed anything as far as how everything operates? I do. I mean, I think I think I think I love the NIL. I I really do. You’re changing some of these kids’ lives. You know, I think you’re really like helping them one, but I think two leverage is now more with the player, I think, or they definitely have more leverage than before. You know, before you could kind of give them some money at the table, you know, don’t say anything. But now it’s it’s legal. The leverage is where where I think it should be or I think it’s it’s shifted a little bit. So now the kid is like, well, I can be a pro or I can be very good at XYZ school. So what can you do to help me make this decision? Obviously, you know, they should be picking their decision based on fit, you know, not just the money because the money is whatever, but you got to should be a basketball decision, right? But I do think that they they have more leverage and I and I like it because, you know, you are you’re worth what you can negotiate. The NCAA is trying to, you know, come up with some things to um limit that with the revenue sharing, but as of today, you are what you can negotiate. So, I’m for I’m for the kids getting their money, you know what I mean? So, I I love it. Um revenue sharing will have good and bad benefits, but I do like that the kids are getting paid in the in the general scheme of it. Yeah. I mean, absolutely. For years, these college were making million dollar millions of dollars off these players. And the players, a lot of them, I mean, I know a lot of top guys were still getting something, but a lot of these other players weren’t getting anything. And then, yeah, they’re out of college and they don’t make the NBA and they haven’t pretty much gotten nothing from their experience in college. So, I absolutely agree. Whatever you can get paid, I absolutely think you should get paid. Yeah. You know, at this point, for sure. Yeah. No, I mean, I’ll go ahead. No, no, go ahead. Yeah, go ahead. Finish. Yeah. No, I think it’s a good thing. Like I said, this just changes some of these people’s lives. You know, they’re able you’re able to start life at a gigantic head start. Yeah. You know what I mean? Like you’re you’re able to have X, Y, and Z in your account. You’re able to start life that way. So, I think it’s just I think it’s super important. I’m I’m glad they’re getting paid. Yeah. And I I just wanted to finish on uh actually talk a little bit more about the Rocks. We mentioned a little bit about them possibly making that big trade this offseason. Of course, they’ve been me uh me mentioned with Giannis. They’ve been mentioned with Kevin Durant. Uh even players like Zion Williamson, which I don’t think they’ll really go down that route. But if you’re the Rockets, you of course you watch basketball. Um you watch a lot of these younger Rockets, you know, as you scouted them like like a Jaylen Green, like I got Alper and Shangon. If you’re the Rockets and you have a chance to get a player like Giannis, do you say, “Okay, yeah, I want to see these young guys develop, but if I have a chance to get a top two or three player, are you willing to give up multiple young players plus draft picks to get a player like a Giannis? I know Kevin Durant would probably take a lot less to get than uh you know Giannis, but if you’re the Rockets, would you make that deal or would it kind of depend on if you’re having to give up basically half your team to get them? I think it depends on which player I’m getting and then who am I having to get up? For me, if I was a rocket G, I’m not giving up Thompson. I’m not giving up Son. Can’t do it. Them them two I and the others we can talk about it. those two under no circumstances I just I just won’t I wouldn’t I wouldn’t do it for those two but the others I would I mean I think Sigon’s their best player and I think Thompson potentially is through the roof. So if you can get because at the end of the day we’re playing to win something. Yeah. At the end of the day. So if I feel that I can get closer to winning something with Giannis KD or whoever it may be, we got to take a look at it. Yeah. I mean this was the point. I mean eventually this young thing was going to take a a pause anyway. You can’t pay all of them. Some of these guys are going to leave in free for agency or whatever is going to be in the near future in the next two to three seasons. So, since I know that I have foresight with that, we got to try to win something now. The window, I mean, the Warriors are coming to an end. They’re getting older. LeBron’s getting know they have Luca, but he’s getting older, but you have teams like the Thunder, they’re not going anywhere, right? The Grizzlies will be be better. We got to try to win something now. And I feel like now was a great opportunity with some of these teams getting older. And just real quick, you talked a little bit about Thompson. What do you see as ultimate ceiling because of course again you scouted him coming out of Overtime Elite. Um what did you see from him back then? What have you seen from him now? And has he kind of surpassed what you thought he could be already in season two? I mean, he’s just he he’s just an animal, man. like he’s he’s just he’s really I mean you saw like in the in the playoffs like you know some of the other players they weren’t playing super well but no matter what he’s going to compete every single night he’s going to compet he’s going to play hard you know the three ball for what it’s worth it got better still not good but it got better I know for sure he going he’s going to defend and you need guys like that that want to take on that challenge he’s tough physical and then he’s productive I mean eight rebounds four assists 14 points uh still on the block a game you need guys like that on the team so I think that um if he can if he can just shoot the three ball average 33 34% he’s he could be an elite two-way player very close to one that and I and that again if I’m Houston I can’t trade him and I can’t trade sidon y’all can have everybody else have those two so basically you see him as Chris for me eventually you like you said if he continue on the same trajectory he’s already at to me he’s already going to be a top I mean and I think this is the Amaz top 20 player. He could be a top 15 10 player if he ever develops a jump shot. Yeah, it could be. And so I mean do you ultimately I mean if you see that you ultimately think he’s going to be the Rockets best player if if you only have to keep one player. Who’s the one player you would keep on the Rockets roster? That’s that that’s a good question. Today it would be hard for me to turn take turn down Sigon. It would be it would be hard. Like and I get it with the Thompson thing. He could very well be the best player, but he’s just he he’s just so productive. Like I I’m big into, you know, productivity and he’s just super productive. He’s the you know, you got the Jokus, you got the Giannis, and you got the Sagon right after. Could he develop into that? I’m not sure. But he he looks the part. So yeah, I would um yeah, I would try to keep keep those two because even like with Jaylen, like he’s super talented. We talked about this last podcast like a year ago like He He’s missing something like like and and it’s and and I get it was his first time playing the playoffs so there was some of that but he just if this is as good as he’s going to be is he is he ever going to be as good as Bradley Bill I don’t know is he going to be you know like you and I think it’s because it’s the playmaking like we talked about I said this last year Fox Jamal Murray one they’re very good but it’s the facilitation they can play with the ball make others better. He’s scored scores scores. So when he not making shots is this, you know, you know, we’re already a team that in recent memory didn’t shoot the three ball well. So if you not making shots, we kind of in a weird position. Yeah. And I think that’s what the Rockets going to have to ultimately decide. And I think the one thing that I’ve been hearing a lot when it comes to bringing in a Giannis is will how will he pair with uh Alper and Shangon? So, I mean, if if How do you think those two are pair? I know we had the double big that worked really well, but Stephen Adams is a totally different player than what Giannis is and what they’re going to expect Giannis to do out on the court. So, if you do plan on keeping Shangon and Tradeway Jaylen, if you bring in a Giannis, do you think that pairing will work with them both being on the court at the same time? I think it could work. Have to be a conversation they would have to have with each other. the chemistry obviously play, you know, a big a big role in it, but I think Giannis isn’t a isn’t a a selfish player. He really really wants to win. So, I think that he’ll make the necessary adjustments to do it. And remember the year they won the chip in Milwaukee. That was the most screens he had ever set ever in his career. So, he’s used to like playing off the ball, you know? I think they had bully ball down. I think that stuff’s kind of done and I think he kind of understands that as well. So, I think he could do it. I mean, they’re skilling though. Could we see a big big pick and roll? Could we see, you know, some unique stuff with that? May maybe I I think it’s worth the um and if you can get a Jans, I mean, we got to kind of make that work. Yeah. Like, you know, talk to strategy, but like if we can get him done, we gonna find a way to make it work. I think they’re both smart and just good enough to where they can they can do it. Yeah. I think that’s the main thing. They both have really high basketball IQs. like you said, you get Giannis in there and then you figure it out afterwards. You don’t not make a trade because of that. So, yeah, I definitely agree with that. Um, before we wrap it up again, can you let everybody know, like I said, this is your busy time of the year and you’re definitely one of the best resources out there when it comes to, you know, college basketball and the draft. Could you let everybody know again where they can find all your content? Oh, yeah. I want to say one one last thing, too, but the others like, you know, we’re talking about maybe potentially being a trade. This isn’t a trades don’t always have to be bad for one guy or the other, right? Like, yeah, Mari, he was a top, you know, top three, four pick. Yeah. He goes somewhere else, he may flourish and the Rockets have to be okay with that. Jaylen, he may go somewhere. He’s played well. He’s he’s been a very good player for for Houston. No doubt about it. He may go somewhere and take that jump. Houston has to be okay with that. That that happens all the time. Tyresese Holler, he was with the Kings. He goes to the Pacers. He’s all he’s all NBA player. That’s just what it is, you know. That’s just they was it a mistake? Probably, but you have to be okay with that. That for for a time they had Fox, they had Sabonis, it was looking not to be a big deal. So, I think that um everyone that may be involved in the trade, whether it may be Jaylen, whoever it is, I think everyone will probably benefit from I think Jabar needs maybe need a better role in a different team. That may be what he needs. So, if he’s involved in that trade, I think that helps him. Yeah, I mean it’s true. Sometimes players just work better in different systems and like you were talking about Aaron Gordon. Aaron Gordon never really became a superstar but he’s been a much better player in a better system with Denver. So sometimes yeah it just it just works out better in that way and sometimes you just need a change of scenery and seem like one way or another some players are going to have a change change of scenery this year with the Rockies. That’s for sure. Uh well I say yeah before we wrap it up definitely let everybody know where they can find all your your great content. Oh yeah. You can follow me on Twitter at Tobias_bass. That’s T O B I A S_Bass. I’m the draft’s coming up. AU basketball is in the biggest swing ofest things. The portal is still going on a little bit. So just follow me over there for all your content. And I work at the athletics, so we’re putting out a bunch of content daily. So follow us and subscribe over there as well. Absolutely. Like I said, we we always have you on this time of year. We’ll probably maybe even have you on again depending on what the Rockets do in the draft. Uh definitely is always great having you on. I appreciate you uh jumping on the show today. No problem. Thank you. As usual, we appreciate all support. Of course, it’s a little bit of a slow time here uh at Rocket Fuel as we kind of gear up for the draft and then of course we have free agency and if they of course if the Rockets make any major trades, we’ll always be there for that. But we appreciate the support. If you’re not subscribed to the channel, make sure you subscribe. If you are subscribed, make sure you like the video because that always helps out with the algorithm. And as usual, we appreciate all support. And make sure you check out the next episode of Rock and Field Podcast. [Music]

Analyst and scouting expert Tobias Bass of The Athletic joins the show
Should the Rockets keep or trade the number 10 pick?
Who could be available at number 10?
Reed Sheppard’s potential going forward.
Are Alperen Sengun and Amen Thompson untouchable in trade talks?
Cam Whitmore future

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