Brandon Scott joins The Drive with Stoerner & Hughley for a final Rockets Report with a look ahead to what's next for the franchise.
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00:00Brandon Scott is in, and it is our Rockets Report,
00:02sponsored by Clint Sterners Passing Academy.
00:06It was a great thing while it lasted.
00:08Pat Hamilton, too.
00:10It was great. It was great.
00:14Start doing that all the time.
00:16Coming up with things, man.
00:18Things that are legit.
00:20All right, B. Scott is in the building.
00:23713-572-416, YouTube and Twitch.
00:26Any questions for Brandon Scott?
00:28How about that?
00:28Any questions on the text line, YouTube, or Twitch for Brandon Scott,
00:32who has been there every step of the way?
00:36There's a lot that happened in this season.
00:38You were at almost every home game, obviously covering the postseason,
00:44doing everything you did.
00:46They go to Game 7.
00:47They lose that game to the Warriors.
00:51This season was what for the Rockets?
00:57Successful and promising.
00:58I thought it was a good season for the Rockets overall.
01:00That's how you describe it.
01:01Yeah, I mean, I think if you're talking about the season in its totality from beginning to end,
01:06I think there's no really other reasonable way to look at the season.
01:11Now, you can say that and acknowledge that the way it ended was disappointing,
01:15and a lot of the performances that were bad in that seven-game series were just not good enough.
01:21Like, you don't have to accept the inferiority of those performances within the context of the season.
01:27You could call those out for what they were, and they were bad.
01:30And there were moments in this series where it was there for the taking.
01:33You think about the double-digit amount of free throws missed in some of the losses in Golden State.
01:39You think about how poorly they performed offensively at home in Game 7.
01:43You think about Jalen Green as one of their better players, not being one of their better players in this series,
01:48routinely being outperformed by role players for the Golden State Warriors,
01:54or Gary from the 2nd, or Brandon Przempski, or something to that effect.
01:58How many guys, as you said, how many guys on the Rockets team did you feel like the entirety of the series
02:05had more of an impact on the game than Jalen Green?
02:09I would say the bigs, Albert Shingun and Steven Adams, for sure.
02:14Obviously, Fred's was up and down or down and up, but the up was so far up, and it was consistent after that.
02:21And I would say Amen Thompson, the same thing.
02:23So, all four of those, I think Tari Eason, for what he was and for what his role is, was pretty good.
02:30Jabari, for the amount of time that he played, he didn't play enough, was pretty good.
02:34So, I would say he's pretty far down the list.
02:36He's somewhere around 6'7", and it's not good enough.
02:40So, I would say you would accept all of those things to be true with the fact that the season itself overall was a successful one.
02:47B. Scott, what did you make of, because we heard from Emei Udoka and Rafael Stone, you know,
02:54in, I'm assuming, some level of a postseason exit type press conference.
02:58Exactly what it was.
02:59What did you make of Rafael Stone's comments overall in the sense of the next step for the Rockets, the next move for the Rockets?
03:08So, the interesting part about that is how Rafael Stone and Emei Udoka both talked out of both sides, right?
03:16They talked about loving the young core and being happy with the development and the progression and the stuff that we're talking about right now.
03:23They talked about all of that.
03:25But then at the same time, on the back end of that, they talked about not necessarily believing in continuity just for the sake of continuity.
03:32Continuity, right?
03:34Like an exact quote is, continuity for continuity's sake isn't what we're trying to achieve.
03:40If we think that there's a move or a series of moves that ultimately help us build a championship or make us more likely to be that,
03:48then we'll ignore continuity and we'll make those moves.
03:51So, they said all of that in the same press conference, which I think is obviously talking out of both sides,
03:57but does speak to the ideal situation that the Rockets are in in having multiple options in terms of course of action,
04:06which do include, I would say does include staying put or staying pat, like running it back, so to speak.
04:13Like they could make a trade.
04:15There are free agents out there that could help them.
04:17They could absolutely do nothing.
04:18All of these are options and viable options for the Rockets.
04:21How do you feel about that, Beast?
04:23I'll tell you, because I love it.
04:24I mean, because I think it's something that they've built, right?
04:26Like the fact that our squad is talking about the continuity, the chemistry, the culture,
04:33because that's what that means when they talk about continuity.
04:35I mean, they've built the chemistry, they've built the culture, they've established a standard.
04:40The fact that they're talking about that is, I think, indicative of, hey, man, they built it.
04:45It's real.
04:46It's here.
04:46Not every organization has that.
04:48I mean, there's so much movement, so much in and out that every organization doesn't have that.
04:52I love the fact that they're talking about that continuity in the same breath as, hey, man,
05:00if there's a deal out there that can get us NBA title worthy, then we're going to make it.
05:04I mean, I look at that as a huge plus, right?
05:06Not a reason to not make a move or some kind of hesitation.
05:11Well, I think you've got to remember, as sour of a taste, as it can leave in your mouth to lose a game seven at home,
05:17especially to the Warriors.
05:19Again, I think you do have to keep in context the entire year and the journey that they've been on over these last couple of years.
05:26I talk about this as much as I get a chance to, that it's not just this year, but it was last year when they had the greatest turnaround.
05:3219-20 game turnaround last year and the first year at M.A. Udoka, and then you put this year to backdoor it on top of that.
05:40I could see how they're trying to just imagine or envision, hey, what does another year of this look like?
05:45When, keep in mind, there wasn't any major change from year one to year two.
05:49We're looking back a year from now or a year ago, there were talks about trading for Kevin Durant or the interest in possibly in Devin Booker.
05:56Or, I was even on these very airwaves saying that I thought that they could trade out from Shingun.
06:00I thought that that was a possibility at one point.
06:02They didn't do that.
06:03They didn't make any major moves, save for getting a healthy Steven Adams, who was already on the team from the last trade deadline, right?
06:09So, they didn't make any major moves last year and made this drastic change in record and in status.
06:18If they were to run it back, could they do that again?
06:21I think that they could.
06:22I also think that it's pretty cool, to your point, that they got all of these options, all of this capital, these draft picks, these young players,
06:29that they can dangle in front of any team that has a superstar that's either disgruntled or their lot in life and course there has just run its course.
06:39Time there has run its course.
06:40Questions coming in for B. Scott.
06:42Sean G. from YouTube and Twitch.
06:44Can you, Brandon, see a scenario where Jalen Green is back next year with no major changes?
06:49Yeah, no, I definitely could.
06:50No major changes to the game.
06:53The roster, if you bring it back, the major change to me should be a reimagining of Jalen Green's role.
07:01And that's not to necessarily denigrate, but I think what you're trying to do is elevate a men Thompson and acknowledge what Alperen Shingun showed you in the playoffs.
07:11And that is, with continued development and continued work, that he could be a frontline guy.
07:16And I think all of us saw something in a men Thompson that says, hey, man, if that thing keeps working, if that thing keeps developing, he's going to be that guy.
07:24Like, there is a quality to him that is, if we're just being frank about it, is missing in Jalen Green.
07:31And so for me, if you're going to run it back, I would feel more comfortable doing that if the thought in mind is we're going to do more with a men Thompson.
07:40We're going to actually run an offense where players move around, where the ball moves around.
07:45And Jalen Green isn't relied upon to have the ball and make as many decisions as he has been in the past.
07:52Well, with that being, and I'm just poking holes in your theory there, like, well, I mean, just.
07:58And I'm not saying that's what they're going to do.
08:00That's what I would do.
08:02Right.
08:02Well, I mean, but what is Jalen's value in that?
08:05I mean, he was an inconsistent shooter when he was given the longest leash on the team.
08:10And, I mean, if he's a guy that's relegated to, hey, man, you're going to take seven, eight shots a game, unless you're hot like Buddy Heald and you can play.
08:17I mean, the value there is just so minimal.
08:20Right?
08:20I mean, it's just like.
08:21No, I do think that's the next logical question in terms of what is his future here.
08:25And you did do a shorter deal with him.
08:27He would be an expensive role player.
08:29I think you mentioned that, Ron, a couple of days ago.
08:31Like, he would be an expensive role player.
08:34I don't think that that is ideal necessarily for Jalen Green or for, like, how you envision Jalen Green.
08:41But I'm talking about, like, what's actually best for the team.
08:44Yeah.
08:44And if you're trying to move forward and actually take that next step, what's going to be different from now to then?
08:50To me, that's the thing that needs to be different.
08:52And you can have that conversation about, hey, do you trade Jalen Green later on?
08:56Or does this fit?
08:57Is he better in shorter spurts?
09:00Maybe he is.
09:01Maybe if you require him to do less and ask him to do less thinking and decision making and just be an athlete and react, maybe he's a better player.
09:08You can go down all of those roles.
09:10I think the players are young enough and you've shown enough progress that you've got enough leeway to do that.
09:15Brandon, we just got the news earlier today that they've both mutually agreed to push the May 9th date to come up with a decision on the team option of $44.9 million for Fred Van Fleet.
09:32Obviously, they're going to make a decision with that and they've pushed it back to late June.
09:38But being around them and understanding what they're about, how much do you think it's a priority for them to bring him back?
09:49Yeah, no, it's 100% a priority.
09:50I mean, so Fred Van Fleet and Steven Adams are the in-house names to circle.
09:55And I would say the primary names to circle for the Rockets.
09:58Now, Steven Adams, I think, is far less likely to be back because he might have outpriced himself for the Rockets.
10:04But as far as this thing with Fred Van Fleet goes, it seems pretty clear to me that they are setting it up to just not restructure.
10:11I said that yesterday.
10:12It's not restructure to the $50 million that he would be making on the option.
10:19He's making somewhere closer to $35 and it gives them more flexibility to do whatever it is.
10:24Because whatever they end up doing, whether it's trade for somebody, they need to upgrade this roster and bring in shooting.
10:30It could be free agency, whatever the case may be.
10:33But they need Fred Van Fleet to be making a lower clip.
10:36But they definitely want him around.
10:38All right, man, $35 million.
10:41It's a lot.
10:42It's a lot.
10:45Carried you in the playoffs.
10:47Yeah.
10:47Carried you in the playoffs for no less than two games, maybe three.
10:51No, he did.
10:52$35 million.
10:52That's still strong.
10:53That is almost $10 million more than Jalen Brunson makes.
10:57But, I mean, yeah, you can't look at these things.
10:59All right.
11:00B. Scott, appreciate you all year.
11:02The coverage you had.
11:03There are still people posing questions.
11:05What about Ken Whitmore?
11:06What does that mean?
11:07All these – listen, there's a –
11:09They said he's going to play more.
11:10But could he be traded?
11:12Hey, well, I mean, B. Scott, I tell you where you can get all those answers in long-form fashion.
11:18B. Scott, you got a podcast out there, don't you?
11:21Oh, yeah, you got the B-Block.
11:22Yeah, man, the B-Block podcast is where you can also get –
11:25Great podcast.
11:25Yeah, man, you can get all your updates, I would say, twice a week.
11:29So, check that out.
11:30Wherever you get podcasts.
11:30Talk about Cam Whitmore this week, man.
11:31What the hell's wrong with you, B. Scott?
11:33I'll give you some Cam Whitmore love.
11:34I mean, he got six whole minutes in the playoffs.
11:37Cam Whitmore insight.
11:38Yeah, come on, man.
11:38The future of Cam.
11:40I don't know.
11:40He got six.
11:41Do some numbers.
11:42Yeah, he played some late, didn't he, in that one game where he was getting blowed out?
11:46They didn't bring him in initially.
11:48Then they brought him in maybe the last minute when they had to bring the starters back.
11:54But the Suns should absolutely be on a Dylan Brooks, Reed Shepard, Cam Whitmore center type of deal for Kevin Durant.
12:04And them picks.
12:05And them picks.
12:06Yeah, right.
12:06And them picks.
12:07Like, I don't understand how that's not just the easiest deal to do.
12:11But that's just me, though.
12:12I'd slip Jaylin in there.
12:13All right.
12:13All right.