Well, well, well we've got the.
Season tournament around even naked to his second Well.
No, goodn't even coffin. I told you.
Yeah.
Look, I'm that wind took the light out of me. So we'll get to that.
We'll talk.
Look, you know the Lakers, we know.
When to show up.
One of the time banner number eighteen.
It doesn't know eighteen point one, seventeen point one.
But yes, we're just going to talk about that.
The state of the Houston Rocket and plenty more to discuss with former player and current ROCKETSTV analyst Ryan Holland on today's episode, Ti'm Miles Great.
And I'm Jack O'Brien and this is who Miles.
Checkup man, Bluesteve.
Take us there, mby driving spinning k Curry a three pointer, bad stuff.
Curry from down tell.
The game to be honest with the Telly.
Welcome to the show, Ryan Hollins, Houston Rockets color analysts, former player, former Bruin. You know he also in alumni shout out to the UCLA Bruins h and also owner of New Music Clothing.
Welcome to the show, man, how are.
You doing, good man? Thanks for having me tell us.
Oh yeah, of course of course, good to have you, always good to have you.
So you know, you're working with the Rockets looking at solid at home ten and one at home, one in eight on.
The road, spectacular, spectacular, it's a fortress.
It's a fortress.
Less spectacular on the road. Yeah, but they did get there, they did get that win on the road. But I feel like this is the team that is the most surprising to the most people, including myself.
Yeah, and I'm saying from from my casual uh you know, interactions with looking at the Houston Rockets and just like in the off season, I was like, Okay, what's gonnappen? What's gona happen? Is this gonna work? Is it gonna work? It looks like it's it's it'slating, it's popping, it's moving. How are you looking at it? From the off season to somebody who obviously has much closer proximity to the team, I.
Was aesthetic going in because maybe this wasn't the you know, Lebron James Durant pick up a big you know, hy ree irving box office. But we got the pieces that we needed. And if you watch the Rockets, even though the winning wasn't there the talent was there, from Alp to Jabbari to Jalen to a number of young pieces, but they were literally this was a roster guys with no veterans. So between Coachi, Doka, Fred and Dylan, they have changed it. And Jeff brings shout out Jeff Brank,
He's been spectacular. Yeah, they have changed the entire landscape in Houston. So you got in love with what you're seeing. I knew it would be better. I didn't know it would be just much better in this fast and you know, the mindset isn't like, man, let's just God compete. The mindset here in Houston now it's like, yo, we're going pound for pound with any and everybody. We're not looking at, you know, moral victories. There are no moral victories this year.
And I think from that aspect, that's the thing that mostly shocked me and surprised me and has me excited because it's all right, World Champs, we're going three and one with you. Let's go head to head like Lebron James. Let's go, let's let's let's we're gonna give you a thirty piece at the crib. Okay you need ay, you're not beating us this year without a D in the lineup. Okay,
so you got to come with it. And the pieces that we had, they were complimented rather than shoved out the way because a lot of times you see guys make a trade. How is this gonna fit? You know? You know Phoenix, how they all going to work? Hey? Number of moves? You know, Hey, when the Nets had their big three hours, that are gonna work Philadelphia? You know, hardening being how's that gonna like? When these moves made
there there were no questions with our moves. And I you know, for me, I like a I like a players that want to prove something. I like a lot of Dylan Brooks slander so he could come out and do to the great things that he's doing with the team. I like Fred, he's not worth the money. I like that. So now Fred is frustrated. I want to team upset. And that's where we had a lot of guys that want to come out and improve themselves and shoot a coach with a chip on his shoulder.
Yeah, absolutely, Udoga.
Would you say it's more coach Udoka or the additions or I mean I'm sure it's a combination of both. But it feels like coach Udoka is the thing that without without which none of none of this is possible. He really seems like immediately gave them a whole new sort of animating spirit.
I'm gonna give it to you right now when you sum it up, we're going we're gonna get smarter right now when we talk about this. Coach u Donka is the culture. Yeah, energy, attitude, effort, no excuses, accountability. You don't play well, you won't be playing okay. Fred is the offense. We're top five at least in the league all season and assist the turnover ratio right for a team that turned the ball over and couldn't hit free throws and the numerous losses last season. Okay. And then
Dylan's the defense. He's played so hard, he's been so effective. He's a guy you can stick on another team's guy. Okay, that the rest of the guys is like first, Dylan stood out like a store of thumb, like, man, he's playing really hard and everybody's not playing normal, but he's he's playing hard hard. Now everybody's playing hard hard. So it's the defense. Fred is the offense. He mails the culture.
Yeah, yeah, I mean the yeah that I mean with third overall and defensive efficiency, that's that's a huge improvement.
So yeah, number one fast break defense. And in the NBA, this NBA like like fast break defense is everything, bro, Like that's that's twenty depending on the team, that's twenty to forty points at night in transition.
Right, what do you think the difference is between at home and on the road, because they they have looked kind of like different teams.
Is that just a you know, youth thing.
We still have young players, of course, Yeah, we got young players and we have the team that to be successful for the most part, like everybody kind of has to play well or do something like we don't have that. We still don't have that guy that just carries you to a win, you know, you don't. We don't have the like, hey, put the ball in Luca's hands and just get out there, Like we don't have that with all due respect, So and these team wins. Everybody's playing hard.
It's the defense, it's accountability, it's those things. So as far as the road, like you said, you get it. We need our young players. So if they're as they're still navigating and figuring out what the pace looks like on the road, what the temple looks like, the type of shots you can take versus what you can't take.
That's where the road losses come from. And then take accountability. Also, it seems if you think about Email and Boston, it was a history major at UCLA, right, the one thing they did they started out so slow, okay, and they couldn't score the basketball. Tatum was a little, all Brown was little, and then all of a sudden, like that got fired. Everybody looked up like, dang, Boston is really good.
So you got you gotta like learn email system, like it kind of takes a while, Like and em is gonna find a guy and push him to be better. So that's what we're There's still those like bumps and bruises that the team can improve from because when the offense catches up to what you're saying from the defense, oh my god, we still can't score the basketball. This is a team that's doing this on defense, dude, So when the offense comes about, Oh man, I'm telling you.
As a player, what what is the difference like when you're young? I guess I'm curious about, like what what that differentiating thing is you always hear like, well, young guys have a harder time making the adjustment on.
The road, Like he speak to that at all?
Like what what that difference is when you're a younger players when or older? Like is it just you know you're you're not used to traveling like that. You're not you haven't like learned all the tricks of like when to eat and all that stuff.
We can keep it real on this podcast, right, we can keep it real, right, right, you may so, okay, okay, So from my experiences in the league, when you're a young guy, sometimes you got to learn are you a party guy? Or you will get your rest of the night before the game? Do you do you point out when you party? All right? Do I need to get in early and get shots? Because I don't have to say at home, I can go to the gym whenever. Now, we got a certain window in which we can get
into the gym. Man, referees might be a little tighter. Man the role players, like forget the stars, bro like the role players play different on the road. The whistle's gonna be different. Are the referees calling it tight or they letting us play be more physical? You got adjust at what's going on. There's some certain time you're not gonna get a whistle or a call, So that comes within experience. But you've got to understand who you are,
what you're gonna bring to the table. And then I think the biggest thing is mentally you figure out I'm a ten rebound guy every single night. I'm a defensive stopper every night, no matter what's going on. I am a three point shooter every night, road home, playoffs, wherever it is. Okay, like Burger King, you can have it, show way, I got you all right, you know what I'm saying. So that's the the development where Fred noaks who he is, Dylan knows who he is, Jeff knows
who he is. Our young guys are still figuring that out. For a couple of our wins, it was just like hey, Fred was like no, no, no, we ain't losing. You know what I'm saying. Dylan, you know, went off and they say he can't score the basketball. He went off and scored. So those guys are doing what they can. But once those are younger guys are just and these are like
close wins, Dude, like we're right there. I almost want to say, leading the Lakers and Clippers at their place on the road, just kind of figuring out how to finish games, you know, And dude, the West is the West is deep. Like Houston ain't the only one struggling on the road. The West is deep. Okay, Name the worst teams in the West. How many of them are cakeball?
Name them right? San Antonio, Memphis for a little while to they get that, and I maybe forgetting some everybody else is competitive, right.
The one thing I've really like to see is just how like Alison Goon is just just I feel like coming into like a new just coming to life in a way that is very fun to watch. Right now, he's leading the team and scoring. I hear things like about em talking about how he's like a calming presence, and I've heard him say really good like al saying really good things about Emy and things like that.
What is that?
Like?
What is that is that? Like a is that kind of the special sauce right now? Is he is coach u Doka really bringing something out of him? Does this feel like it was just about a matter of time for al to just kind of get into this moment because it feels there, there's something something happening there.
Systems man you remember, may come in just singing out PE's praises. He was like, if he can't defend, he might not be playing right. If he can't get on the boards, he might not be playing. Like like he may push him and never let out he get comfortable, and then and then I'll give you two factors. Okay, he's not your kids yet. Hopefully he gets to that point. He's got Fred van Fleet running the pick and roll.
He's putting on a master's class and a pick and roll, and then his dive feed him, feed him for them, and out he's one of the better finishers in the league. He just has to feel. He's got that stuff you can't teach. Okay, he's got that stuff you can't see. So he got that feel for the game. And then on defense, Outpi is a better athlete than you think. He still has his moments, but he knows we're playing
in the system. On defense, he knows when he goes to help, somebody got his back, and if you don't have his back, he may be laying into you on the bench.
Right.
So now he's like, all right, Like there's certain guys like you put a prime Dwight Howard in the middle of the lane and nobody scored. Like no matter what, matter what you did, nobody scored the LP. Just like, nah, I need a system. I'm not a uh, you know, a Javel McGee. I'm not a you know, one of those guys. But in the system, I can be more formidable. And I'm a decent athlete. So I'm gonna go beat some stuff up. I'm gonna go make some plays when
they come about, and I feel more. I feel comfortable competing because I know what my teammates are gonna be. So that's a big part of his improvements.
Yeah, I mean yeah.
Watching him and Fred like just their two man game against the Spurs, I was like, oh, okay, this is like they've they've they've got a connection.
That I was, well, you got somebody who ride with you, right, you got somebody who write with you. You know where your partner's gonna be. And it's crazy that chemistry is still not even there. And then another thing, you know, this is like the cardinal sin in the NBA ALP with short roll, so short role means I'm not diving on the rim dot popping, popping for three, I short roll, I'm playing like in between, and some people don't like
that because sometimes it can ruin spaces. Coach emys like ALP, do what you want to do, Bro, you want to pop pop, if you want to roll roll, you want to short roll, short roll like he's he's he's he's letting him do that. Where there were moments where he got caught in between and friends like are you short rolling? I'm gonna hit you in that spot, And a lot
of times that's extremely frowned upon. So that's another element of him just being embraced, like, yo, just be you be what you are, right, And I think that's a lot of you know what we're seeing And now he's comfortable to just play ball, you.
Know right, Yeah, I mean you can.
So much of it's just that man management to be able to put somebody in the right mental space to just be like, just just play, just do that, and yeah we're seeing who.
Yeah, yeah, just looking at the west. Just wanted to reiterate what you were saying. So you got the Spurs and the Blazers at the bottom grizz, but Job's coming back next week. The Jazz and then the next team maybe Jazz, Yeah, the Jazz, but then you got the war here like that's the next and the Pelicans, then the Suns, then the Clippers, then the Rockets, than the Lakers and the Kings, Nuggets, Mavericks, Thunder and then the Timberwolve Like it's just.
Like Rockets got okay San Antonio twice and Memphis once, but everybody else has just been a dog.
Yeah, a lot of them out out west. All right, let's take a quick break. Well, we'll be right back, and we're back and shout out to the listeners. We got a couple questions for the Rockets section from Warren Shaw asked what's been more important Udoka, the players, the Mojo King, Yes, the Mojo King. Why does Houston look completely different at home versus on the road, and then Desmond Palell talking to out Shane Gooon. So just shout out to uh, shout out to the listeners for doing
our jobs. Yeah, we appreciate y'all.
Also, you caught Wenby up close recently.
Yeah, we do want to ask about that.
You saw that, I mean we saw from many feet away in Vegas in Summer League, which again I'll always say it was not even close to me even capturing what his essence is. But what was you know, you you were? What's that like? What was it like see him up close and personal?
You got a chance to be one of the greatest players that we've ever seen played the game. How mentally tough he is, how much weight he puts on one hundred percent determined on that. And even if he doesn't right now and he plays a center position, he can be like a twenty twenty guy right now. If we don't, if we didn't improve one thing about him right now, he could be like a twenty twenty guy. He's that unique. And if San Antonio had like pieces around him, he's
easily twenty twenty guys. But if he goes and works, he gets bigger, he gets mentally tough, he gets upset. It's it's almost impossible to guard him with his touch, length, ability to move, and he moves. He moves with guys a foot taller than him can keep him in front. He's he's one of the most unique, if not the most unique prospect we've ever seen. So how much stronger he gets, how much more focus he gets. But like every time I've seen him, He's done something I've never
seen before. Bro. He punched on chegoon where he just turned and it was it was a nerveful punch on like he punch on your boy right right, Ye used to play on the nerve fold get it in. It was a nerveful punch on it. He was like, oh God, like what.
Like get your road in the.
Overcheck God.
Found Oh damn, somebody needs a body bag.
That was terrible and we love it. We want some more of that one.
Unfortunately, whether he likes it or not, his best position is probably going to be playing the five. I like what Pop is did, what they're doing with him, and I'm intrigued to see. I think what Pop is doing when you really watch them and break down, he just let him go. What are his natural instincts? Does he Is he a short corner guy? Is he trail three?
Is he getting off the bounce? And I think next year, in the year after, they're going to tighten up and say, all right, wenby uh, we want you posting up more. All right, if you shoot a three, we'll want more
threes in the middle of the key, you know. But right now, like he's doing whatever the heck he wants, you know, but I think assessing what's work, what's natural for him, and getting to know him, I think is kind of scary that I think the league's not looking or guys aren't kind of like looking at that, but like there's a method to the man that's over there in San Antonio.
Yeah, I mean, you know, as somebody who's played, Like when we watch were like just his length were like he's disrupting players, like even the way they're thinking about
shooting or passing. And it's wild just to think like how sort of out of your own head a player can get merely because they're like I'm actually not even sure like what this guy's like length is what like what is even within range of him like swatting me or being able to pick off a patch or something like that, Like what do you think that experience like when you're trying to contend, like you're saying with something you've never seen, what like.
What is that adjustment process?
Even?
Like like how do you even you just you have to just come up against it and be like Okay, now I know and now I have to deal with that or is there anything you even do before too?
He's not like that unique if you had been watching me playing nerve hoops for.
Years ixtape I remember ye, especially the MP section of your mixtape. Yeah that was wild.
I mean you saw you saw the Mavericks were practicing, and I think that, uh you know, the Rockets did it a little bit too, with the big long hand. If it's he's got like as man, if I'm not mistaken, like that's the only way to contend. But like right now, what teams are doing they just bang him, They get
into his chest and they draw fouls. But like that moment where he's strong enough for you to bump in and like like even if he falls back a little bit, but like he's stealing, Like it's crazy, bro, he's still in place, like the point where he gets mad and just runs to the middle of the rim, turns and just just nerve whoops. Your disgusting. It's gonna be disgusting, Like he's nerve whooping you, like like like Jack right in the middle of the rim. It's over. That's the
only way. Like, like you gotta hold him up, you gotta bang with him, and then you know you put a big boy in there, he's gonna be taking you off the bounce. You know, he can legit, he can he can mix a little bit. He's not he's not quite KD you know like we thought, but I think
the potential is there. Like it's crazy. You'll see him go through digitally drills like he's got a real like a real handle, and it's like, oh yeah, whatever, whatever he's been doing, it's he don't got to pretend handle it. It's really got on the string, Like it's wild.
He's got the best handle for somebody that I've seen who's also leading the league in blocks or he's now tied for the lead in blocks.
Uh as a, he could be.
He could be defensive player the year this year. It probably should be because even though san Antonio is not competitive right now, you have to account for him every.
Game, right yeah, like you got to count like where.
Like when you go to me, like as a former player, we're like, bro, all right, like like what impact does he have? I think people are going at him, but like, dang, I gotta worry about this guy, Like dang, he's coming into town. Like dang, we got to change our game plan up. Like we used to play Dwight Howard. We work on shot fakes. You know, before the game we work on like floaters, like like you when you're changing
your game plan for somebody that's an impact. I don't think he's necessarily like they're there yet, but if he gets hot, nothing would surprise me. I still think he's gonna like another year this season.
Yeah he uh.
He's also so he's tied with brook Lopez for the leading blocks and is also has the most feels of anybody in the top seventeen per game, so pretty pretty crazy, Like yeah, yeah, I picked him like as an upset pick for Defensive Player of the Year, but their team defensive stats are so bad that I don't think it's happening, right, Yeah, but.
It part of me, it's like the impressive thing is like just for him being on the court, what it's doing to people, And I think, like I wish that was enough to say, like, well, defensively, like we have to kind of acknowledge like what he's done. I mean, even when like Jokicic looked a little bit out of sorts against him, I was like, wow, it's it's like that.
I guess, yeah, all right, should we do it? Should we do the D season Tournament?
My jack I mean, look.
You know, I like to be humbled. You know, obviously I'm an unwell Lakers fan.
And how does it team that's whatever about five hundred in the league, just getting to the top of the top, the height of all heights in the N season tournament. I for a second, I was like watching the Pacers get there. I was like, Okay, this is gonna this is gonna be a game.
Uh.
And it wasn't. It wasn't quite that way. It wasn't quite that way. It was actually quite comfortable in a fun watch. But ad my goodness, forty one and twenty I.
Was, I was.
I had tears in my eyes because I was hoping for that consistency. Yeah, I'm hoping that this can maybe be something.
But we'll question, do.
You guys on the title in the bubble?
Like he had a game like that and then the next game it was kind of he kind of came back to earth. But yeah, yeah, yeah, if he can, if he can turn that on in the biggest moments.
Uh. I like the Lakers.
I like the Lakers.
I mean, but that's the thing we're always saying, is like, you know, like Lebron, I mean, like, who was I was on a textir with somebody like the man is. He was like he's gotten the DeLorean for that game, and I thought he opped out in like twenty ten or something like that.
But it was wild to watch.
I mean, Ryan, you were watching, like what were your like overall? How did you How did you enjoy the Ncason Tournament? Cause I think like for me were us, we were like, Okay, let's see how it goes.
We'll see how invested they are. And then we're like, oh, that's right.
When five hundred thousand dollars is on the line, you will see people show up.
Here's the thing that you got to understand about NBA players. These dudes would darn their fight over a five dollars back in a shooting game, literally like scrap Like, you guys are millionaires, multi millionaires, but y'all going to scrap over a five like and talk trash. Right. So at the end of the day, I knew just the fact of New Court, New Jersey's guys were going to play hard. National media comes in, you know, you want to be a part of it, and all those guys, man, I
ain't chipping off like they were trying to win. You kind of want to nonchalantly win, like you know that light. But yeah, pats off to Lebron, And I don't think people are gonna understand its value till he's gone that he wants to give you all eighty two games and then like he's laying it on the line, like the guy loves basketball. And I think what we've seen him with two three times this year already, he's gotten better
this year. It's almost like this is like his third stage of life in his basketball life right right, And like I will say, like he's adapted to his old man body all right, Like this is it like his old man body. And now he's like, okay, pull up jumper, post game pick and roll a d lob like he's knows he's in a nice little pocket of basketball right now.
And then he's got guys that are defending and hustling around him, so he's like, cool, just just be in my spot, play my assignment, and I'm gonna be good. And you're seeing that from Lebron. Also, I think what people don't understand Lebron, you can now I will say it. Lebron is the greatest athlete we've ever seen in any sport. You may ravel him with like a bo Jackson, like from just the talent, how high do you jump? How tall? A fashion like, he's the greatest athlete we've ever seen.
He probably could have He could have gone pro in just about anything, baseball, football, But that's you know, like whatever, right, soccer, like he gets done. He's blazing past right, right, Hockey easily easy, right, we can all agree to that. So when you go when you're like at the one percent of athletes ever and now like Lebron, let's say he's like it's seventy or sixty percent, he's still a really
good NBA athlete. So when you guys, when we look at longevity, obviously skill is a huge component, but those elite off the chain athletes have the longevity because now they're just good NBA athletes. You get what I'm saying.
That's how those guys.
Can last and play forever. Obviously, injuries are every every bitten part of it, but like just being good like Vince Carter. When I played with Vince, I forget what year he played, like three or four more years even after that, which was disgusting, right, but Vince had a thirty seven and a half its vertical. We measured out of Petere and Santa Barbara, right, and it was like, dang, he's still killing because also Vince has a Jimmy he
could shoot. So when you when you're evaluating those guys that can go through, it's those athletes that are going to be able to be able to last. And you're seeing that from LB right now, he's like a good he's like a good NBA athlete, Like he's good NBA. But you got to realize the dude was a one percenter, you know, in his prime, right.
I mean, it's what it's also while to hear.
I'm like, I think I'm two months older than Lebron and I'm like, oh, that's an old man body.
Yeah, okay, yeah, and I'm going to my old Guden body by going to bed early and recognizing that I'm going to wake up at five every morning.
Right, And I'm like, if I if I sit like all weird on my foot on the couch for too long, I will be limping for two minutes.
When I got out the couch.
But yeah, he's.
He's got it.
He's got the goods man, And yeah, I mean and also ar shout out shout out Austin Reeves too, twenty eight off the bench, I think, and I think he was sick or something too.
So it was a very the Austin Reeves flu game.
I do just want to say the ad stat line for that game forty one five assists, four blocks. His defense is like it he speaking of Defensive Player of the Year. This is the most I've been invested in
Defensive Player of the Year. But like, there's some fun candidates and I feel like a d he's never won it, and it feels like he's been doing some things that are pretty impressive that like, Yeah, especially in the playoff run last year, I found a new appreciation for what a just lockdown shot stopper he is.
Yeah.
Yeah, he was doing it both ends in that year.
So yeah, all right, it's time.
We're gonna take a quick break and come back with a rapid fire segment of questioning to close it out the fast this segment and podcasting.
We'll be right.
Back and we're back.
Guess what, Ryan Hollands UCLA history major, You've come up against another u c l A History major, and this time we're gonna make history by maintaining our record as the fastest question and answer segment in all sports podcasting history.
Okay, this is the.
Rapid fire rounder questioning Ryan Hollins. We're gonna ask you a question. Don't think quick, just chest pass it right back. Okay, No, don't no, nothing fancy. And if we start talking and dragging things on you. You got a bit of professionalism about you. We're gonna need you to keep the segment moving too, because sometimes we get sloppy, so we will. We are gonna lean on you as well, because you're a professional in so many ways.
Is that cool?
I guess I'll be Jabbari right now. Just call it.
Well, guess what Jabbari We're get about to get locked in?
Bright start the Clock.
Says it was such a mean look on its face.
Because it's intense.
Line.
Yeah, you want to kick?
I mean yeah, yeah, I guess we could.
Uh who went first?
Last time?
Did I go first? Last time?
I forget?
I think it was okay, Yeah, yeah, I think you went first last time? You want me to go first?
Whatever's up to you? I mean, all right, just whichever Ryan, who do you think should go first?
Jack?
All right?
Cool?
Ryan?
Contenders The pretenders aka teams that need to be active ahead of the trade deadline.
And why we got.
The Sons, we got the Sixers, we got the Lakers, we got the Warriors. Who do you think needs to make some moves? Who do you think needs to stamp patten?
Who?
Who do you think is like secretly kind of strong because they've got embiiding Teres Maxy.
And easy easy easy easy, don't know?
Oh sorry, sorry, lead the witness objection your honor?
Yeah, sustance, Okay, so okay you that was a real loaded question right there from the Lakers. I stay pat unless they can package a lot for a third star. I don't. I don't see that, just realistic unless somebody becomes very disgruntled out there, someone that would actually make sense. If I'm the Sun that stay packed. I think they have enough ob least we can't, you know, fairly evaluate them without Bradley bell Uh in the lineup. What are the other teams that you said Warriors sixes could make
a move. I think MAXI is showing you that he's a guy. So maybe even if you get another score in the lineup, if you're the Warriors, I think there's a move that they can make. I'm not sure what it is exactly, but I think I think they're not contenders right now, and I think a move could put them where they need to where they need to be. You know, I think they got to be a little
more youthful. They need someone to take the load off of step and Clay and obviously Chris is doing an excellent job, but just a third, third guy in the mix, you know, I think they're they're missing Jordan Poole, his youth, his excitement, his scoring. But they've gotten better as far as you know, the lowered clearly, clearly with Chris Paul
lowered the turnovers. But I still think they need that like just hyper super score that just wants to come in, and that Nick Young, you know, that guy that just wants to go get a bucket, that j R. Smith Like, I think they need that element of Jordan Poole, but the other stuff, you know, you had to go let him be free, right right?
Okay, biggest surprise team or players so far and like and I'll give you, you know, like any like Minneapolis seventeen and five or Minnesot'm sorry, Minnesota seventeen and five, Orlando sixteen and seven, OKC fifteen and seven Golden State is ten to twelve. Who's who surprised you or his team or player so far and it was just some options.
But from your heart, I would say Chet home, Gern and Okay, see, I think that you know, there are a lot of more questions and answers with Chad. He got injured, and I think he's very unique in Oklahoma City. Like man there. I wouldn't say they're contenders right now, but like they're in the mix, and it's like funny, we just played them and they're like, yeah, we're just developing. This is a developmental year. But like they are, they're really really good and they just got a unique style.
They built the culture there. I would say they stand out, really really stand out with the success that they had, uh they've had over there, so I'll give them that. And and Chat, I think he's been he's been balling. He's kind of like showed you some flashes. And if any of us were like Chat's going to be better than Wemby like with him and like you're crazy, you know, but like right now, like he he likely should be the rookie of the Year. So I would say check
Bemby is something that. I don't. I don't think anybody was rolling with that take, you know that week, even for you Jack.
Yeah, even for me, which you know, I'm a Wemby homer in the Camphor.
All Right, who's.
The most underappreciator of the all time great? Like if it's a guy that deserves to be mentioned but often left out of the all time debates.
Kareem Kareem All people.
Forget Kareem was Wimby before Wimby broke. He didn't play that style of basketball. But if you dropped Kareem in today's NBA, he's pushing the ball ninety four feet, he's crossing you over. He's pulling up for three. If you can shoot a skyhook after fifteen foot, you can shoot. They said he could shoot his skyhook to the three point line. It was that like his touch was that crazy. So like imagine Kareem coming down off the bout some about magic. You set the picker roll this time like
he was that type of athlete. There's a poster and Polly excuse me, is it is it still Polly Pavilion or they rename it forgive me? Yeah? I played in Yeah. Yeah, We're like Kareem his whole head and everything as above the rim, like Kareem was Wimby before Wimby when they talk about that goat conversation. I need more respect on Kareem's night. All right.
People, I've had older people tell me, like watching Wemby, They're like, man, it's like it truly is. Just like the way he runs is a lot like watching Kareem, like move on the court, like get everything about him. And they have very similar bodies like set seven foot four, very thin.
Yeah, and it makes sense that he was even you know, asking for guidance or Kareem was offering him guidance on like you know, longevity and like what to do with a body like that in the league.
And lo low key, Kareem was ahead in the physical fitness game because he was doing martial arts, which added a lot of breathing yoga s. Yeah, so all this stuff, we pay all this money for him, put these names like Kareem was doing that a long time ago.
Yeah, So it gets flexibility right, right, So maybe some of these guys need to get in a movie with Jet Lee or something, you know what I mean, Like how he was a Bruce Lee just you know, just to make sure you tick.
All the boxes.
All right, Riot, what is the most underrated NBA city to visit and what is your must have meal in that town?
You know, honorable mention. Dude, I just had stirfry in Denver and I was blown away. It's the best sturfry I've ever had in my life. Like Benka had nothing on this Denver stirfry. I think it was like mister Fuji or Fiji Mount Fuji, phoebe something like that. I forget what the name was. Okay, forgive me if I butchered the name. But low key city, Fellas Miles, you're a bad one for this one city. I miss Seattle. I missed Seattle obviously. If I know Chicago, you know Miami,
you know you New York? Dang, you know Dallas popping?
I did not know Dallas.
Dallas popping. Oh, Dallas is definitely popping intown. Hey, you guys are discussed. Why would you ask me this?
You've been there, you know.
That's all you got was spot.
I haven't moved out to the studio in seven years.
Is really spread out. I like Orlando, but it's spread out. I would say you know. It's funny. A lot of people moved to Orlando. They they play there and they always buy houses there. There's a lot of guys that live down there. Oh hey, Charlotte is turnt now. Oh yeah it is different now broo Charlotte. Okay, when I from when I was drafted there to now, it's a whole new city broke bopping.
What was What was it like then and what's it like now?
The downtown area there was like nothing like kind of to do. It was kind of like there and you had to like kind of drive somewhere whatever. Like Charlotte is like a like a low, low key mini Atlanta, like Charlotte Home. Charlotte is because it's it's just three hours. It's like three hours. And then you got California weather and Charlotte's the it's very comparable to California. We otherwise nice. Wow,
people don't know that. Yeah, it's like yeah, all right, you heard it here great and here all right, fun fact for you guys.
And finally, you can retroactively space jam yourself into having Robert Orry's career or Charles Barkley's career, which one you choose.
Me give me the bread give me the bread and I get to commentate after be better after than Uh yeah, give me the bread. Shout out big shot, right, yeah, good time.
Friend of the show for the Robert Ory obviously.
Oh man, well Ryan his way too, Yeah yeah for real, for real, Well Ryan, thank you so much for joining us. I was the jack got mad boosties. Where can people find you? Follow you? Check you out?
And also you know, new music clothing. Let people know what's going on with that.
Yeah, man, check me out the Ryan Honilson couitter Ryan Honolds on Instagram. I don't mind you got debating with me to but don't like call me wild names or you will be uh blocked tumbo style block with the finger. Yeah, seeing me again. Shout out. New music clothing. We got some cool stuff going for some tall people, for some regular sized people like like you two and Jabbari comfortable
pants clothing. Where's the name new music comes from? There's nothing like new music, right that new music right there? You got that? You got that? Uh, whatever your favorite song is, there's nothing like new music. So nothing like the clothing. See the synergy there goes through basketball. We
come out and play. We got music on driving your car new music, good thing, right, Yeah, like that new music, that new music, and so you want that feel with the clothing and shoot check out for these rockets.
Man.
This has been a fun, really fun season. And again I'm interactive. Y'all write me. I likely right back, and uh, you guys keep doing an amazing job, man, fun fun stuff you guys got going here, man, keep it up.
Oh, I appreciate that.
I appreciate that. And yeah, you can follow us and the show. Just follow the hashtag hashtag.
Bad Boostys b S d i EES for show links and updates. You can follow me on Twitter at Miles of Gray.
You can find me at Jack UNDERSCOREL Brian and What's Gonna do It.
It's gonna do it. We'll see you next week.
Thanks for listening, and we'll have plenty more because the season never ends.
I mean it does end, but you know what we're talking about. We're around and we'll be back, all right, see you guys.
Bye,