Red Nation Hoops: A Houston Rockets Pod

Salman Ali (@SalmanAliNBA) and Dan Favale (@DanFavale) discuss:

-Cam Whitmore traded to the Wizards.

-Reacting to the details for Dorian-Finney Smith’s contract

-Why the DFS signing and the Cam Whitmore trade should be viewed as one big transaction

-Will Houston regret trading Whitmore?

-Where does Houston stack up in the Western Conference?

-Is OKC in a tier of it’s own? Are they a “Warriors’ level threat”?

-Can Houston or Denver credibl...

Salman Ali (@SalmanAliNBA) and Forrest Walker (@DUNOTS) recap the Rockets known free agency moves. Topics include:

-Could anyone have seen this summer coming for the Rockets?

-Thoughts on the Jabari Smith extension

-Does Smith still possess All-Star potential?

-Reacting to the Dorian Finney-Smith contract

-Does Cam Whitmore have a future in Houston?

-Why did Houston bring Clint Capela back?

-Are the Rockets ready to compete with th...

Salman Ali (@SalmanAliNBA) and Forrest Walker (@DUNOTS) react to the Houston Rockets’ stunning acquisition of 15-time All-Star Kevin Durant.

Topics include:

-Initial reactions to the trade

-Grading the deal for both teams

-Short and long-term ramifications for the team

-How does Kevin Durant fit in Houston?

-Will KD and Fred VanVleet get extended soon?

-What other moves can Houston make?

-Who starts for the Rockets next season? Amen Thomp...

Salman Ali (@SalmanAliNBA) and Forrest Walker (@DUNOTS) broadly catch up on all things Rockets from the first quarter games of the Rockets season.

**Episode was recorded in late November, but remains essentially up-to-date**

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Salman Ali (@SalmanAliNBA) and Forrest Walker (@DUNOTS) discuss:

* Why Summer League left Salman speechless

* Reed Sheppard and Cam Whitmore appear too good for Summer League

* In-depth observations of Reed Sheppard’s first two games

* Why Sheppard is more than just a shooter

* What could hold him back in the future?

* Cam Whitmore builds upon his Summer League MVP from last year

* What has Whitmore worked on this summer?

* Why this seaso...

Salman Ali (@SalmanAliNBA) and The Athletic's Tony Jones (@Tjonesonthenba):

* Analyzing the pre-draft Nets/Rockets trade

* Was it smart for Houston to send Brooklyn their picks back?

* The upside of the future Suns picks the Rockets acquired

* Will they trade for Kevin Durant? Devin Booker?

* What is Reed Sheppard's upside as a prospect?

* How does he fit with the other "Core 7" Rockets?

* Thoughts on Houston trading for AJ Griffin

...

Salman Ali (@SalmanAliNBA) and Ben DuBose (@BenDuBose) discuss:

-Will the Rockets keep or trade the 3rd overall pick?

-What sort of return would Houston want for #3?

-Is trading out or trading down more feasible?

-Who do we think the Rockets ultimately take? Who's going to be available?

-Who do we want the Rockets to take? Best fit?

-Are Donovan Clingan and Reed Sheppard underrated prospects?

-Salman bashes "Wing Culture" on NBA Dr...

Salman Ali (@SalmanAliNBA) and Forrest Walker (@DUNOTS) discuss:

* Debating one last time if Houston should keep or trade the 3rd overall pick

* What player checks the most boxes that could be available at 3?

* Which 3-4 prospects do we believe the Rockets should try and keep out of theoretical trade packages this summer?

* Can Amen Thompson and Alperen Şengün play together long-term? What makes it difficult?

* What can Thompson an...

Salman Ali (@SalmanAliNBA) and NBA draft analyst @ChuckingDarts discuss:

* How strong is the of the 2024 NBA Draft?

* Which prospects are most likely to become All-Stars?

* Why is there so much skepticism about Donovan Clingan and Reed Sheppard?

* The cases for drafting Zaccharie Risacher and Matas Buzelis in the Top 5

* Is Zach Edey being undervalued in this draft?

* Who should the Rockets select at #3?

* Is it worth drafting for fit thi...

Salman Ali (@SalmanAliNBA) and Forrest Walker (@DUNOTS) discuss:

* An overview of the 2023-24 Houston Rockets season

* Thoughts on Rockets GM Rafael Stone receiving an extension

* Houston climbing to 3rd in the 2024 NBA Draft

* Should Houston keep or trade the pick? What’s a good asking price?

All that and more.

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(Recorded March 31st)

Salman Ali (@SalmanAliNBA) and Forrest Walker (@DUNOTS) discuss:

* On the Rockets continued success

* Can Houston make the Play-In Tournament?

* Other than shooting, where is Jalen Green improving?

* Is Green playing better because of Alperen Sengun’s absence?

* How does Sengun fit into Houston’s long-term plans?

* Reacting to the latest buzz about the Rockets itching for a superstar trade

All that and more.

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Salman Ali (@SalmanAliNBA) and Forrest Walker (@DUNOTS) discusses the Houston Rockets winning 9 straight games and putting themselves in position to make the NBA Play-In Tournament.

Topics include:

-How are the Rockets winning without Sengun?

-Ime Udoka’s adjustments

-Is Jalen Green back on track to stardom?

-Dissecting Green’s streaky scoring efficiency

-Amen Thompson emergence

-Jabari Smith’s steadiness throughout the run and this seaso...

Salman Ali (@SalmanAliNBA) and Forrest Walker (@DUNOTS) discuss:

* Alperen Sengun likely out for the season

* Cam Whitmore out for three weeks

* What are the Rockets remaining goals for the season?

* Amen Thompson excitement

* Reacting to Jalen Green's scoring outbursts

* Where does Green rank among Houston's other prospects?

All that and more.

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...

Salman Ali (@SalmanAliNBA) and Forrest Walker (@DUNOTS) discuss:

-Possible fallout from Tari Eason’s season ending surgery

-Reacting to Jalen Green’s latest scoring outburst

-What is the proper way to react to these games?

-Has Green put concerns about his starting spot to bed?

-Grading Rafael Stone’s tenure as GM of the Rockets

-Where does Stone rank among all NBA GMs?

-How does he compare to his predecessor, Daryl Morey?

-Are some fans w...

Salman Ali (@SalmanAliNBA) and Forrest Walker (@DUNOTS) discuss:

-Rockets bench Alperen Şengün in crunch time

-Houston's reluctance to embrace Sengun as the franchise player

-The continued pushback of this reality

-Why is Houston still feverishly pursuing centers at the deadline?

-What should they aim to achieve at the trade deadline?

-Who are some realistic targets?

-Jalen Green's much improved play

-Is Green safe at the deadline now?

-Why...

Salman Ali (@SalmanAliNBA) and Forrest Walker (@DUNOTS) discuss:

-Why have the Rockets struggled so much since Christmas?

-Is Houston regressing to the mean as a team?

-If they miss the play-in tournament, is this season a failure?

-What is a reasonable goal for the remainder of the season?

-Should the Rockets make a trade for the sole purpose of making the play-in tournament? -What kinds of trades should they pursue?

-Are any of the cor...

Salman Ali (@SalmanAliNBA) and Forrest Walker (@DUNOTS) discuss:

-Jalen Green's improved play

-Has Green secured his starting spot?

-Cam Whitmore's monster production

-Is Whitmore a better prospect than Green?

-How did so many teams pass on Whitmore?

-The competition for Green's spot in Houston's core

-Alperen Sengun's ridiculous 3-week stretch

-Will Sengun make the All-Star team this year?

-Can Sengun be the best player on a title contend...

Salman Ali (@SalmanAliNBA) and Forrest Walker (@DUNOTS) analyze Jalen Green's recent struggles for the Rockets (late upload).

Topics include:

-The cause of Jalen Green's struggles

-Do we still believe in Green the player?

-How can the Rockets help Green out?

-Ime Udoka's 4th quarter benchings of Green

-Will Udoka continue to start Green?

-Will the Rockets eventually trade Green? Should they?

-What kinds of Jalen Green trades are ac...