Can the Rockets Win It All After A HUGE Off-Season? | ALL NBA Podcast Clip

Can the Rockets Win It All After A HUGE Off-Season? | ALL NBA Podcast Clip

[Music] I think if there was one team that won the offseason, it might be the Houston Rockets. Obviously, we’ve talked about them adding Kevin Durant and what that means, but they followed it up by adding Clint Capella on a three-year deal worth 21 a.5 million. Dorian Finny Smith, very versatile forward, who I think is a championship caliber rotation piece for you. four-year deal, 53 million, and they were able to retain Stephen Adams, Aaron Holidayiday, Jeff Green, Jabari Smith, Jon Tate, Fred Van Fleet. So, they basically run it back while adding Kevin Durant, Capella, and Dorian Finny Smith. What do you make of these moves? Yeah, I mean, I love it. Absolutely love it for Houston. Right now, sitting here, man, I’m looking at them as as I think the second best team in the Western Conference. And like I know they were a two seed this year, but at no point at no point did anybody think that was a legitimate contender, right? A lot of things fell into place for them to end up a two seed and they only had a what twoame lead over like three other teams. So it it it really wasn’t a clear-cut two. I think now they are not only potentially could be a two seed. They might be the second best team, they might be the biggest challenge to Oklahoma City. You know, Durant answers the biggest question of all for them. How do you how do you close games? What is your identity and go-to offensive player? Who’s the guy that can go score against any layer defense? That’s Kevin Durant. But it wasn’t enough. Dorian Finny Smith is a massive acquisition. I mean, he’s a role player, but he’s one of those guys that we both know. What he does defensively and his ability to space the floor and knock down corner threes. This is a major acquisition. The Clink Capella thing surprised me a little bit because I’m sitting there going, “Okay, you’ve got Shenon, you resigned Stephen Adams for three years. They played two bigs quite a bit in the in the Warriors series, but that’s because they had a clear advantage in that series and Golden State had a hard time with that two two big man lineup and Stephen Adams really hurt them on the offensive glass.” Yeah, you have a third center. So, like they have three guys really none of whom play any other position. and they all play center only. So that’s going to be interesting. I guess their mentality is, you know, they want to be big, they want to be deep. They’ve addressed both of those things. And now look, you know, you kind of figure Stephen Adams at this point of his career is probably going to miss a large chunk of time at some point in the season. Capella missed time last year. So I guess the third center is just an insurance policy because they plan on playing two bigs. It was successful for them last year to finish the year and now you’ve got a third one in case somebody goes down you still have the ability to play too big. So I guess that’s what that was about. I didn’t see that coming. And then a key also they retained all those guys. You know Jabari Smith they retained uh was a big one. They retained Steve Adams. They redid Fred Van Vleet’s deal to keep him in the fold. So they lose Dylan Brooks. Yeah. Okay. The toughness factor I get it. But but Dorian Finny Smith can guard too. And he’s he’s just a much more consistent like shot guy in terms of staying in his lane. Like Dylan Brooks would get out of control a little bit with some of his shot selection. More more of a wild card. And then you you lose Jaylen Green. Okay. He’s a very talented player. I don’t think anybody thought that that was going to be the solution. Like Jaylen Green at the end of games. Did you trust him? you’ve gone in a different direction now with with Durant as the identity of your offense around a great defense and a rising star in Aman Thompson alongside Durant. So I just love everything that Houston has done including locking up Eay Udoka. So like they’ve had an incredible offseason. It’s it’s probably to me the best of any team in this league.
I think one of the keys to their roster because I like their roster on paper. Their top end of their roster. I think it’s really good. When you talk about they win a championship, you get to the playoffs, what do they have? They have some really good guys, but what I think is going to get them there is their depth. They now have, is that 11? Bring that up again, James. Was that 11 or 12 guys that you could all see playing on any given night? That’s 12 guys, 12 deep. And then just look at the size. All right. Fred Van Vleet is small. Amen Thompson’s enormous for a shooting guard. Kevin Durant, we know how tall he is. Jabari Smith, Shenun, and then off the bench, Dar Dorian Finny Smith has length. Uh, Tari E has size. Stephen Adams and Clint Capella, they are enormous, athletic, long, and I like the way the pieces fit. So, to me, they should be a team that wins a lot of regular season games because of their depth and their defense, and I think they should win a lot of playoff games because they have talented players with Kevin Durant anchoring them in the half court. To me, I I I agree with you. I think they did everything right this off season. Uh, and and they should be considered in tier one of the contenders. Well, I think the other fascinating thing about them for me is the way that Amen Thompson finished the season. If you recall, go back to that series with Golden State. Go back to the particularly the game seven against Golden State that they lost when Steph Curry and Jimmy Butler were great in that game. The player that looked the most comfortable on the floor for Houston was Aman Thompson. He had a mid-range jumper in that game. He hit a three in that game. Did all the other things on the glass and playmaking and guarding people that he always does. He just looked like he belonged so much on that stage. So, who knows how quickly he turns into a star cuz right now it’s like all about potential with him and he’s clearly a disruptive force defensively. First half of the season, I mean, he might turn into a legitimate bonafide star by like mid January at the rate he’s improving. So, if that happens with everything else that they’ve that they’ve done, man, Houston Rockets have significantly potentially closed the gap with the Oklahoma City Thunder. It’s going to make the Western Conference really, really interesting. You’re right. I love all the size. Now, there’s one key, one key component we didn’t talk about and I and I think, look, they drafted him last year for a reason.
Is Reed Shepard is Reed Shepard ready to be the backup to Fred Van Bleet? Because you think about it, this year it was Van Vleet and Jaylen Green out there together. But then when like Van Vleet was off the floor, it was Jaylen Green running point. Or if Van Vetle was hurt, it was Jaylen Green running point. Now it’s like Fred Van Vleet and then you’re going to go to Jaylen Green. Unless you know they they they it doesn’t or I’m sorry to Reed Shepard. Unless they don’t like the way Reed Shepard looks early in the year. He’s clearly going to get an audition at the beginning of the year. If for some reason he doesn’t look quite ready, do they go to I mean Thompson more
as like the backup point guard. He he might be on that.
So I’m really interested to see that as well. The guy was the what the third pick in the draft, I believe. I mean that’s a really high pick. I know that they didn’t want to give him up this summer in any trade. They made that clear to Phoenix. They weren’t going to give up Reed Shepard. So they must really believe he can be that guy. That’s that’s one more question I think for them. But for the most part, they’re loaded, man. They’re loaded with size and talent and experience with some youth mixed in. They’ve got a little bit of everything. I think Reed Shepard now becomes their X-factor. And I am curious, by the way, if they do anything else, you know, this off season because they do have, as much as they have this great depth, there’s also some guys that might not come along. If you think Reed Shepard going all in for, what does Cam Whitmore do this year? Is he a guy that is now in a tight spot? because you have so many good players, you can’t even play them and now you’re wasting a young pick. You got to get them off him early. So, I’m curious to see what they do now, but their roster has the flexibility built in and I think they won the offseason to date so far. [Music] [Applause] [Music]

Did the Houston Rockets Just Win the Offseason? In this clip from the ALL NBA Podcast, we break down Houston’s blockbuster summer—headlined by Kevin Durant’s arrival, key signings like Clint Capela and Dorian Finney-Smith, and the retention of key contributors including Fred VanVleet, Jabari Smith, and Steven Adams. Can this reloaded roster challenge OKC and rise to the top of the conference?

🔔 Don’t forget to like, comment, and subscribe for more NBA insights and analysis!

00:00 – Houston Rockets off-season additions
01:44 – Why did the Rockets sign Clint Capella?
03:56 – How will depth help the Rockets?
05:56 – Is Reed Sheppard ready to be the back up point gaurd?

FOLLOW ALL NBA
Twitter: http://x.com/ALLCITY_NBA
Instagram: http://www.instagram.com/allcity_nba/
TikTok : http://www.tiktok.com/@ALLCITY_NBA

An ALLCITY Network Production

All music credited to Greg Kramer, check him out on Spotify!

FanDuel: ALL NBA – Presented by FanDuel! Just visit https://fanduel.com/allnba to join today. You’ll get started with 150 in BONUS BETS if you win your first $5 bet. 21+ and present in Colorado. First online real money wager only. $5 first deposit required. Bonus issued as nonwithdrawable bonus bets which expire 7 days after receipt. Restrictions apply. See terms at https://sportsbook.fanduel.com. Gambling Problem? Call or TEXT 1-800-522-4700.