Houston Rockets' Rebuild: Analyzing Rafael Stone's Impact and Future Prospects

[00:00:12] It's Wednesday, you know what time it is. Front Runner Podcast Collective is back on the air. I am your humble host, Vince, and we have a really exciting podcast for you today. We will be talking about

[00:00:27] some of the latest rumors that are going on and then also we are going to put the Houston Rockets in the front runner front office focus. We're going to talk about the team and break it all down

[00:00:39] in what they've done and give you a little history lesson on our guy, Rafael Stone. But before we get there let's break down the socials. First, a foremost Twitter surprisingly people have found

[00:00:54] us which is great. I'm always shocked honestly because I sit here and do this in here and you know I see the numbers and I talk to you guys about it all the time. But then you

[00:01:10] get so busy with tracking down stories or trying to get like quotes for coming pieces or whatever the case may be and then you go back and you look at your numbers

[00:01:21] and go, wow this is crazy. So first of all thank you for supporting us. You can again I think what you've talked about this in the past, in our act with us on Twitter. At front

[00:01:36] runner PC and then the producers are at Raya underscore punch FRPC. They're hilarious they have a banter back and forth that I don't quite understand because I'm 20 plus years old in them.

[00:01:53] Um, they think it's funny that I don't understand it and it's great. So get them, lock in with them, lock in with me, this gives you the latest because the thing that we always tell you about

[00:02:09] and the first thing that we are going to talk about today is you never know when something's going to happen. So we'll get into that a little bit later but before we get there let's talk

[00:02:20] about the YouTube page. We have a couple new videos on there and a couple new clips we broke down Chicago and what they done this off season so far and we also got into the Evan Mobley

[00:02:35] extension for the Cleveland Cavaliers. I think both pieces are pretty well done. I think they're fair for the team, the players and you know as far as being critical we do that as well. I think

[00:02:51] there's a balance that we try to strike that's our main focus normally and some people like it some people don't some people want to say hey just call them trash and be done with it but

[00:03:04] there's just so many variables to this situation that sometimes we're not aware of until you know it comes out later but go take a peek at those new clips the Cleveland Cavalier one

[00:03:21] a lot of good work in that the Chicago one was more observation but I really believe in those observations that we put together for you was pretty much the the truth of the matter.

[00:03:37] I know for the Chicago fans out there because I feel you you know I'll talk about it on this podcast a lot one of my best friends that I lost due to my drinking. Then I no longer do it right you know

[00:03:55] recovering alcoholic and all that he was a Chicago Bulls fan grew up there what have you and you know he came out here to go to high school and we commiserated on his team which being the

[00:04:06] Bulls and I was a leger fan so you can imagine what that was like and this is like the height of Jordan. So I can imagine what the Chicago fans are going through because he went through it too.

[00:04:19] He went through it too and this is like before they want like I got to him before Mike won the championship against magic in the early 90s finals so you know I got to see the people calling Mike just a score or just a gunner just a chucker

[00:04:41] to oh no this is the greatest player that we've ever seen so I got to see that whole arc which was cool with that being said go watch the videos at front runner podcast collective on YouTube check those out

[00:04:58] and then the other thing that we got to talk about the momentum is building we don't have a lot of days left today's the 24th we have seven days until the end of the month now I said that we were on pace to great

[00:05:17] the record but now's getting close and now's getting spicy and I don't know if we're going to do it but I have faith that our FRPC listeners are audience our loyal listeners will send us home

[00:05:36] with the dub and we will break our personal record so and be a friend telebrand about the podcast and remember wait till basically about the end of the show and we will give you tips on who else

[00:05:52] you can possibly talk to about front runner podcast collective so the you it if exofted your friend group then says some other ways to help you out all right with that being said let's get on

[00:06:09] with the show the first thing I want to do is that we always as a team we look up and say hey just says a quick little thing check to see if anything else is out there and I want to get

[00:06:25] credit what credit is due get it park Ryan Lewis of the New York Post cam Johnson of the Brooklyn Nets long reported to be on the block it now has been is been is been livea

[00:06:45] now it has been termed that there are actual bidders and suitors for cam Johnson services and no surprise that the Los Angeles Lakers is one of the teams that are on that list

[00:07:02] and I'll say it like that for one second just bear with me the other couple teams that we see and I'm sure this list is longer I want to see what they have they talked about on lando

[00:07:13] they talked about Sacramento okay so those are the two teams that they're talking about I'm trying to think was that no it was for somebody else never mind but those two teams are other than Lakers are the two teams that are looking to get cam Johnson's services

[00:07:44] so Sacramento and the Orlando magic a law with the Lakers now it is no secret that the Lakers are looking for some sort of help I find it interesting JJ Reddick has come out and said

[00:07:59] we want to get Burley Center I've seen you know the list that LeBron put together and those Burley Center on that list as well with two guys who were definitely not going to take

[00:08:14] the mid-level exception so kind of fun yeah Jonas vinyl tunis yet tomorrow the rose in yeah James Harden which one of these doesn't make sense right which one these to you doesn't make sense in this scenario James Harden the beard

[00:08:37] multiple time all star legendary strip club enthusiast then you had our guide Dormard de Rosen Kendrick Lamar concert gore walking 25 points with efficiency he's an analytics darling even though he doesn't shoot the three ball as the analytic people would like him too

[00:09:08] and then you have Jonas volent tunis right so can Johnson definitely would fit the Lakers they do need length on their on their wingset now if you're reimagining your wingset if you're saying

[00:09:22] the wings that we have right now are not the type of wings we need I understand what you're talking about now yeah do they need just more talent overall yes we'll see here's the problem

[00:09:37] to get cam Johnson you have to give up talent so I'm gonna guess here that if cam Johnson is a a real live person of interest for the Lakers you can pretty much expect that Dandial O'Ressel isn't that ill because the salaries need to kind of match

[00:10:05] now the Lakers will have to close some on that because cam Johnson if I'm not mistaken he makes like 23 million so if he's making 23 and Dandial is making just a tad of night under 19

[00:10:20] he's like an 18 point whatever you're gonna have to throw another salary on it now the great thing about that is if you're putting you thinking cap one if you do a Dandial O'Ressel Jare Vanderbilt now give me out I know people are getting real

[00:10:42] upset about Handle not plan last year and they got hurt and they had this incredible record when he was playing and the net rating looked great in all this but let's call it spadesk Jare Vanderbilt has been unfortunately a poor three-point shooter the way reddit wants to play

[00:11:02] I'm sure there is importance put on spacing the importance of a shooter the importance of a slip screen or ghost screen these are all things that you're gonna hear as the days come up

[00:11:19] to training camp what you know what the what the mantra is what what the key the three main things are for the Lakers this year to be what they want to be which unless they make a trade they're not close

[00:11:36] right so I do find it interesting that the Lakers come up in this room or not because that cam Johnson wouldn't be a nice addition to the Lakers he would I'm not even saying that

[00:11:49] I'm skeptical of the rumor that this is true or not true I'm sure it is what I find it funny that first T that's on this list is the Lakers because you know that it's the franchise that

[00:12:10] we throw in there when you try and drive up the price on something other Lakers in the ball they have interest not saying that the Lakers don't I'm not even telling you they have very very mild interest

[00:12:22] and this is a erroneous rumor I'm not telling you this this could be we could be doing an emergency pod within 24 hours to announce that the Lakers have created for cam reddish our cam Johnson

[00:12:36] God forbid we already have cam reddish we do not need another one he can also go out in this deal too now the Lakers have this capability again they also say Orlando now let me ask this question

[00:12:56] let me get you guys to start telling us think about that think about what they just said there this team has Anthony Black from last year right they have jet Howard from last year they also have Franz Wagner they have Apollo 1 Carol they have Jonathan Isaac

[00:13:19] they have window carded junior where is cam Johnson gonna play on that team got a you know match it up a little bit and then the team that actually makes sense is I can definitely see a world where

[00:13:38] if you wanted to put cam Johnson at the three in Sacramento and then tomorrow the rose and at the two what they cross pollinate when it comes to the the responsibilities on the other

[00:13:51] end on the defensive side so if you wanted to kind of not worry about the foot speed of tomorrow to rose in as much try to put them on the less effective perimeter player and then you can have

[00:14:08] cam Johnson who is a long-wing athletic who can provide some perimeter energy that you're sorely lacking depending on what the health situation is what Kevin heard her now he had a really

[00:14:25] down season he hasn't been the same since he left Atlanta for some reason so I can see all of this really definitely in a vacuum for Sacramento it makes a lot of sense for them as well so that is

[00:14:42] the latest of see if there's anything else before we get to our main topic here I'm not gonna talk about hypotheticals oh let's talk about tails getting his extension so the New York Nicks go ahead and extend Tom Tivito the incumbent

[00:15:02] head coach of the New York Nicks he is now saw through the 20s 27, 20, 28 season so it's a three-year extension per Adrian Wojanovsky of ESPN no brainer right this guy has kind of before they got

[00:15:21] Jaylon Grunson he was working with less and making more out of it and as Leon Rose in that stab continued to compile doubles and singles in the reason why I'm mixing more metaphors

[00:15:39] because I think the best the baseball of metaphor in this particular scenario means a lot more it's really fun to hit a home run I'm sure all the Philadelphia fans are so excited about

[00:15:54] Paul George being a Philadelphia 76 and they should be you should be excited when you bring on a do that's making forty some odd million dollars a year that means he's bringing along a type of

[00:16:08] production that is going to meet that salary basically nine times out of ten the margin situations are a little bit different and celebrating the margin victories I think it's easier when you talk about it in a baseball analogy you know what walks in baseball are just an important

[00:16:34] as singles and doubles and whatever because the one thing that baseball cares about is on being on base can you get enough cracks at the apple can you just continue to to

[00:16:47] wear it down and maybe the damn will break kind of what the next have done right you get you know you get top-tivital in there he installs a tough-minded defensive mentality you get Julius Randall

[00:17:02] in there you draw a neutral roverson you know you have some fruit moves with Isaiah Hardenstein who is no longer there now you also get the deal that brings you Jalen Bronson

[00:17:16] which everybody thought it was an overpay you look like a absolute genius and then you get his his cohorts from college which are Dante Diven Chinsle and Josh Hart you also did this year

[00:17:30] bring along McElbruges in the big move right the big big move but to get till a point where you can get McElbruges and create this type of friends in New York City it's all those little moves

[00:17:47] that allow you to get to this point it's all those little moves it's like oh we'll try this second round pick you know when we'll this and we'll change the data which you know we'll we'll

[00:17:59] give up the pick now to get future picks later and everything like that it's these moves in those the moves that we kind of just gloss over and you know maybe do not spend a lot of time on

[00:18:13] we'll spend some time on it but we we're trying to get in and out of those to get you to the bigger story I don't think any of these things are an accident I don't think any of these things

[00:18:29] are what you consider hack and stance which when we get to the next story there's some happy stance in that one okay but good for tips he got his extension this team is locked in they got a

[00:18:45] lot of their dudes they're still looking for a backup center and it seems from what I'm hearing they are comfortable rolling into the season just as is I don't know if that's from whatever

[00:19:03] not saying that he could be wrong but this is whatever it's so far all right let's get to the thing that I really want to talk about today and this is what we're doing we're putting the

[00:19:15] Houston rockets in the front office focus here and it's really funny how kind of what this we've been working on this for about three or four days and thank you Sirea and thank you to

[00:19:39] Flunch Flunch can't be here right now he is he's doing his other job right now but you know when we were doing all this I reached out to Nico and I say hey we're doing we're doing Houston you know

[00:20:02] and you know whatever and he just couldn't so you know I can't wait you know he just has still going on maybe and one point in time but we got so much for you guys

[00:20:20] about Houston I can't wait to get into it so here is what we're gonna do first of four most you got the owner for Tita you have your executive which is Rafael Stone and we're

[00:20:33] gonna talk about him right now so the rockets in like 2020 or trying to bottom out they grabbed this very percosious GM to take over for Deremory who leaves now Rafael Stone had been

[00:20:54] in the organization since 2005 he was part of their council so he was on their legal team and he just worked his way up just continue to work his way up and you know he got

[00:21:09] Lily interesting player development and it was really you know so these people that you see like the channel Parsons of the world and the J. Chantates of the world and some of these other

[00:21:21] cats who come along like Daniel House juniors of the world where you know Dormory was a was a minor basically he mined the non-dracked it free agency wanted the second you know basically

[00:21:39] the the second chance draft kicks when you get a guy who is a distressed asset on another team and he comes over to your team and you have a him to fulfill a certain role maybe two stuff

[00:21:52] less than what he was doing with the other team but definitely something that fits him and makes him comfortable so now he can flourish and he can just not think out there and just react

[00:22:04] so Deremory was really good at that and also part of that was Rafael Stone so Rafael Stone takes over in 2020 and at that point you know you know the James Harding thing is happening he's upset he sees the direction that the franchise is going in now mind you

[00:22:25] with all of this going on so you got Deremory I asked it not asked him what he retired you got Fertida who is like okay I don't like losing not a big fan of

[00:22:40] tanking or whatever the case with me but okay if you're telling me this is what we have to do to win let's do it let's try to do this let's try to see if we can move this along

[00:22:52] you know as quickly as possible he can't now there are a couple trades that I want to specifically talk about the one trade was James Harding trade and the reason why I want to talk about James Harding trade and everyone's like which one which one you talking about

[00:23:16] James Well I'm talking about the one where James Harding leaves Houston remember what kind of bombshell that was right my man's out here in strip clubs he's showing up for games late not showing up at all for games you know there's a question while whether he's in shape

[00:23:41] there's a question while he's out of two did this point on there's a lot of questions let's just put that way so then one faithful e-neigh James Harding gets traded now ticklers particular's

[00:23:54] what happens is is that we find out the in this trade Jared Allen goes to Cleveland interesting right interesting because it is telling you right there they even though Jared Allen who's a tremendous offensive rebounder tremendous defense of rebounder

[00:24:22] able to block shots and things that nature the room protector will put not like this all like this great center in the sense of he's not in the level right he's a he's a good defender at

[00:24:37] the ramp and he could dunk to basketball and you can provide some physicality that your team sorely likes if you don't have it so Houston just kind of punt on that situation

[00:24:50] so we thought me and said you know Waviel Stone starts to make his moves so I want to read you some things that I think are really important about this situation we're going to go through a

[00:25:08] lot so hang on with me also I don't have the bandage on right now what my finger is still working I'm not going to show it on this screen because it looks so it looks so yucky so back in

[00:25:29] so they start making rules they get jailing green right to get Alcran shanko and they identify these talents in the draft and you know they draft right now they made some other moves

[00:25:43] they got Tariysin you know they've always had like a move behind the big move that has always seen the workout so case from point jaylin green was the highlight in his draft but then Alcran shanko

[00:25:59] then you had almond Thompson but then you had can't whip more right you know it's been like this in these drafts where they've had a high pick but then the lower pick is also done really well

[00:26:16] we don't buck that trend this year because what what we're doing what we are doing here is we are going to sing the praises of one re-shepard all right first of all y'all know my

[00:26:33] affinity for re I do think he is the best player in this draft usually really hard to see a dominion to guard be that but I think what he's feeling is something to just his

[00:26:49] his offensive awareness is at such advanced level for what his ages and I don't know if that was his parents being tremendous basketball players themselves, both going to the university

[00:27:05] of Kentucky I know you heard that at Nazim but it's true so re wasn't really afraid of anything he wasn't like going the so oh my god what's going on here because he lived it but his offense

[00:27:24] awareness is just off the charge grade he's a scrappy defender they they said that he has really strong hands this little couple scouts have said what we also got to see it in summary he was

[00:27:37] struck and people deflecting the wall even people who had pretty good handles he was getting able to get his hand in there and and disrupt things it's just things like that is he ever going to be

[00:27:49] like a lost defender I do not ever believe that's gonna happen ever but if you can just be marginally negative instead of like negative or extremely negative as a defensive player and then you can have some team defense awareness upside then you have a chance you have a

[00:28:16] chance in the league because all the other stuff seems very special he hit logo threes he hit 27 foot threes on the regular so the range is there the step back midi game the step back okay hold on

[00:28:33] the step back three game is nice the spot up shooting is nice but the midi game is a little more special than I thought so ReShepard is six foot two he went out to some

[00:28:52] really he uh scouts noted that he showed a very high basketball kid this is all things they talked while in the draft they talked about his court vision which the one thing that we didn't see a lot

[00:29:05] in Kentucky we did get to see glimpses of it because he's such a good initiator on the second side is that he didn't handle a ball a lot because Calaparie had gave you a promise to

[00:29:18] what's the kid's name DJ Wagner and even though they're dealing him in ReShepard were better guards than DJ Wagner they gave the reps and the opportunity to DJ now that's how you

[00:29:33] got him in the door right Calaparie does what he does to get him in the door now what you do from there that's what the staff handles so in summary he averaged 14.2 points again four point three

[00:29:50] assists and three point one rewounds again he did post 22 points against the legaries in seven assists and he had that light he had that he had that he had that he's a dribble snatched back three

[00:30:04] against Dr. Connect that was stupid I loved it and he was just like height for it the reason why we talk about these draft picks and the reason because we're going to also

[00:30:16] get to come with more in a second instead this is Rafael Stone. Rafael Stone has a certain type of player he's looking for he's looking for do you have multiple skills that translate to the

[00:30:31] NBA okay check you don't care about your size wait whatever do you have skills that translate to the NBA that's what he wants to know that's what he wants to know re-shaparazzo things

[00:30:52] and the guy he picked at 20 last year also has those things and he goes by the name of can whipmore now cam we talked about his story before he was flying up draft boards last year

[00:31:07] or 2023 draft and there were a point where it looked like he might go anywhere between five and eight and then other sudden I want to say maybe like 10 days before the draft you start

[00:31:24] to hear hey man whipmore's falling we don't know why we don't know what was some if it's the medical or whatever do you think was that lingering each entering you know college or whatever

[00:31:37] and okay we'll start it fair it out there was no reason for it because there's no reason for it you can get any answers it's like oh well we need to get this medical so we didn't get this and

[00:31:46] wait okay all right y'all see how town he is right well he falls to 20 just kind of foot toward his route right and if you think about the whole thing with like jaylin green like

[00:32:00] jaylin green right you get k at off the board jaylin green boom you like okay can't get k get jaylin green whatever but then the turn around and get alporous shingong and to see what he's turned himself into

[00:32:18] is amazing because either way if he's there for the long time you gotta guy who's definitely gonna get you a bunch of boards and he's not gonna not show up in place that's just not him

[00:32:33] so i'm interested to see how this all goes this next year because Houston has some expectations on it let me give you two quotes one from scout about re-chepard and then another about can't wait more so once we all told me this is the eastern conference scout

[00:32:57] shepard's ability to read the game and make quick decisions is beyond his years he could be the key rotational player for the Houston rockets very soon reads work ethic and dedication are evident and we're excited about his future with the team so our guy re-chepard is like basketball

[00:33:25] sublime we talked about what he is aware of sqang's play and he'd hardly all played out but it's another Kentucky guard dammit and we told you it doesn't matter Kentucky guard score in this

[00:33:41] league bro that is what they do you know saying the sun comes up you know the IRS wants his taxes and you know Kentucky guards come into the league and just kill it in NBA analyst said

[00:34:03] this is well can't wait more can't wait more is just versatility and his energy are exactly what the rockets need he has a potential to be a game changer rocket's executive state it

[00:34:18] comes in fact on both ends of the floor have been impressive and we believe that he has a bright future ahead now I said on this podcast before and I'll say it again I believe that can't

[00:34:33] whip more should start and I'm growing increasingly encouraged that I believe that a future rockets team looks a lot like this re-shacard can whip more um I'm in Thompson jubbery smith

[00:34:52] and aqua and shren go now aqua and shren go my gate kicked out for a big that's more of a rim runner all declience on on whether on men tops and ever fruits the basketball but if he

[00:35:08] does she do that's well yes that can be turned into a rim running center easily so there is that but all this is done under the the of stewardship of one rock field stump and we get back to

[00:35:24] Raphael because all of these moves have been made under Raphael to the point where we get to last year and e-mail doka's higher and we talked about it before right planning the next

[00:35:44] how they planned how they you know before they got to the milk health we killed bridges thing there were so many little singles and bons and doubles and locks that allowed them to stock

[00:35:57] pile all this like talent whether you call it mid grade talent or whatever it was it was talent it was young controllable talent and that's the best kind of having the NBA

[00:36:11] is young control of what talent so they do that right and if you look at the rockets they did it a different way because their owner um just to free teta you know he doesn't like losing

[00:36:28] he's not a big fan so Raphael's don't have to devise plan you know how we're going to get assets how we're going to move so well got just got to shit the trade got James Harding

[00:36:40] let's trade him get a bowload of pics let's parlay those pics into more pics list you know take on salary to get more pics oh now we're getting good because got once a lot

[00:36:50] of pics last three years and while a lot let's go out and get Dylan Brooks in Fred Van Vleet last year because we needed some veteran leadership to show Jalen Green how to be a pro

[00:37:07] he also he made a doke was there and let's go through that okay how he's in guess he made a doke now it's well known that he made a doke was a successful coax with the Watson Celtics

[00:37:23] there was a rumor or a scandal in regards to his behavior with a staff member that was investigated and he was let go or he said I don't want to go to scrutiny

[00:37:41] you know in Boston they kind of neutral sorry about that I've talked with my hands so if you just listen to the podcast you don't you was what was that noise right but if you get it on you

[00:37:55] to my see it everyone's a while might put blubbers together that would be fun well anyways getting back to email doke so they hired him back in 2023 2024 they hired him from Boston and basically the only way that Houston gets to hire him because remember that team made a

[00:38:19] run with email doke people forget it's like okay they wanted to title this year and then last year they they had to issue with Miami you know doing a whole thing but the email doke when

[00:38:35] he got to the Celtics first half of the year terrible second half of the year oh world leaders they get the 2022 that's the staff championship year but a lot of people say that

[00:38:52] even though stuff and then one even though Stel Curry and Drainman Green stamp their legacy with their four championship a lot of people say that's the future of the league the Boston Celtics

[00:39:07] everywhere like well you got this one but how many you gonna get over like the next eight years because we bet that this team will ensure enough 2024 to years later they did now with that audience said we talked about the scandal and why he was let go whatever

[00:39:34] remember there was a room out there about the Brooklyn Nets I will tell you that Adam Silver put a collection that said nah no no no no well he did in Boston he can't get a job right now he got

[00:39:48] away he's like the block is too hot so Berkeley doesn't get their coach but I believe they had a real deal on the table for email doke to become the new head coach of the Brooklyn Nets and this

[00:40:03] is when they add horn and this is when they had a KD and all that so keep that in mind could have been a different story alright so then we get to all it is to say that the Houston Rockets

[00:40:19] had done an incredible job with this rebuild I didn't I've never been a jailing green fan but our guy Nikoln Miotelo is enjoyed that cat I don't think he's conducive to winning personally

[00:40:39] that's just me but we'll see how it all plays out I do like what Rockie L stone has done I do like the building blocks that he set up I like how he attacked a draft and what he

[00:40:52] would he prioritize that would be successful and translateable into the NBA because I think the board for the Houston Rockets is as a merit-operator as it can be and what I mean by that is that

[00:41:10] I don't think they go I have a size I have a preference I have this can can you shoot dribble and pass do you have skills that translate to the NBA if you have skills that translate

[00:41:32] to the NBA then guess what you can be a Houston Rocket ask six foot one and a half re-sheper right who looks like he should be making my coffees at like a obstacle

[00:41:54] you know trying to get a size made or something for some like his work day party and to do behind the corner at the office depot re-sheper re-shepers like I don't like this Vince you can't

[00:42:05] talk about me like this that's disrespectful talking about yo yo troy yo yo long-range three point assassin that you love out of the strap you can't talk about me like that read I kid because I care

[00:42:20] you my man a hundred grand I think you going to awesome awesome this year I think you won't be box office I believe that you are going to be this is a future five time all star I'll put it out there now

[00:42:34] okay re-sheper is going to be a future five time all star give my man the basketball let's see what goes down so with that being said we are gonna say that the Houston Rocket's this year you know they stuck to their plan

[00:42:54] data a lot of their work last year with the Dylan Brooks in the favorite and delete signing bringing some professionalism into the organization now there's going to scout that told me like hey

[00:43:06] I liked the deal when they got it van bleep it was kind of an overpayble we understood what it was what it was all about but they were really smitten with what I'm in Thompson is and even though I said

[00:43:22] you know my re-bottle was that you know I'm in Thompson shot like 18% from three like how can we be excited about that he was like just all the other stuff he was like the passing the speed the

[00:43:34] decisiveness the the physicality but the physicality with the athleticism the body control he just he waxed poetically about almond Thompson and I'm gonna tell you as much as he waxed poetically

[00:43:50] about almond Thompson and I will tell you this without beyond a shadow of doubt I believe this with all my heart almond Thompson in his brother daylight that one percent athlete like they up there we Anthony Edwards like any Edwards a gray athlete

[00:44:09] I'm in Thompson is a level of athlete just wait to that's why he's gonna do some silly shit this year and y'all gonna be like what what what what what what what what what how can

[00:44:32] was that's what's gonna happen but I do believe that Raphael Stone has this team going in the right direction I do loves the rebuild not just in that they were 41 at 41 last year

[00:44:49] and that's a hell of a step 14 because a year prior I thought none of them can play basketball and I know that's high pervally but you know what I'm talking about these cats want to run

[00:45:01] his sets there was out here just running up and down the court chucking the basketball two years ago and then e-mail doka showed up and that shit all changed it all went by the wayside

[00:45:15] it's like we are going to run actual says we are not just gonna come up in down the court and when the mood strikes you for you to take it to the hole and you decided that no matter

[00:45:31] what the defense presents you get we're not doing that anymore not this this over sorry sorry what you but it's all changed you got you know whatever you think of dealing brooks and you know

[00:45:47] some of the antics the one thing that he does do is that he plays within a structure of offense because he has some limitations to his game now fravand lead veiled fraid van bleet on the other hand

[00:46:01] is a guy who you know has some creativity has some shaking bait but because of athletically being diminished because he's getting close to 30 and also because he is smaller and this is what

[00:46:13] happens to some of our guys he's very crafty he can get to the freethalign he can get a defender on his hip and then maneuver him in a way where he can go ahead and get that foul call now he does that at a

[00:46:28] pretty expert down on say expert level like a little bit less than an expert level he's up there and these are the guys you brought in solid defenders are going to do extra film

[00:46:43] film sessions you know on their laptop or on their on their tablet or whatever case or maybe you know they're taking notes with themselves these guys are like real professional bass wall players excluding the antics of one dill and brooks because we still don't like those

[00:47:01] but it is what it is so again he was still with re-shepherds jubarisian junior on men tops and can't with it more jaly green offering shengo tari is in and the list goes on just like other players that are not played they can't get no burn on his

[00:47:27] squat because they too deep does a consolidation trade to be made now since stone is taking over they kind of moved this audience a little bit now the James Harden thing was that their fault

[00:47:48] their hand was forced by James Harden but some other moves that they made like you know there was a real chance that brook lobe has was going to be a Houston rocket

[00:48:03] not in this last lot season with the the previous before this one and you know they put a really good practice together and then mookie was who were you know brook played for

[00:48:17] you know finally master it like the very very very last second but if you as get brook in a real honest moment he'll tell you that he was there was there was a good 7 to 15 minute period where

[00:48:33] he thought he was going to be a Houston rocket so it tells you the type of players that we're bringing in look at what they're looking at look at what stone wants what he wants I think when

[00:48:45] he did the draft first he was looking for talent as he started to continue to draft and home his skill as a drafter man look at the results look at some of the guys he pulled

[00:49:02] and the way they're determined he I have no idea what this means for the Houston rocket this year if you want a prediction for me you want the way until like to like the end of

[00:49:15] September early October like everybody else bro like I'm not I'm not playing that game right now there's too many things about to happen we just you know we started off the program talking about

[00:49:26] cam Johnson a rumor that he is on three teams list which is the Lakers the magic and the second metal kings among others that are interested in him right so at the end of the day it will be

[00:49:43] fully for me to sit here and tell you all this team is the number one team you know on the West this team is another you know two team in the West and so on and so forth and I go do it

[00:49:54] let's see what all the rocks just look like and then we'll make some bold predictions towards the start of the year but in the meantime in between times you got to month the August coming

[00:50:05] up and you know we told you 2025 NBA draft prospects we will break them down all throughout the month as well as any rumors or news and notes that are going on throughout the NBA we will hit a liquid basketball I stayed away from it because

[00:50:26] it's been exhibition and everybody is worried about who's going to start and who's going listen you plan you see it's different when you plan for your country I know it's supposed to work the same as the

[00:50:41] NBA it does not it does not so it's a privilege to work to play for your country and you know the guys are working in all and we'll see what they do in the electric sister so

[00:50:55] alright so we can go ahead cut up out of here I want to thank the producers again be fun much a fun thank you so much so Raya go follow them at Raya underscore funsch FRPC go follow

[00:51:09] my producers get up on that the other thing follow me x at front runner PC remember the YouTube channel grown up front runner PC has collected get on that that would be great we love you and then

[00:51:25] we don't leave you we told you what we were going to do for you right we told you we were going to help you out and give you suggestions or who to tell after you have exhausted your friend group

[00:51:37] because be a friend telepham mantra we might need to expand the universe because be a friend telephamia definitely continues to work continue to work but now we need to step our game look like where where else can we spread this this beautiful

[00:52:04] top history that we weave every Monday Wednesday and Friday here on front runner podcast collado and I would think that the people that you would probably want to talk to are a your bank tellers you know when you got going into your business with the bank

[00:52:23] I know we do some online banking and all that stuff but everyone's the one you got to talk to a lot of person so shit go down you're like what I mean here I don't know I was at this bar

[00:52:35] and not me I don't go to bars anymore so it might send me yourself but for the rest of you all I understand you all go to bars so you go to bar right and you leave you credit card

[00:52:46] or leave you to a card or whatever you don't know why this $300 transactions on there what is this do I do that I don't know go talk to your book go listen go talk to your bank tellers and you

[00:53:03] know your business bankers you know you're investment people and then because they'll always ask you how your day is gone and what's up too is the best opportunity is to opening the

[00:53:18] you need to say hey listen do yourself a favor open your Spotify app or your Apple music or Apple podcast app or whatever you like to use put in front runner podcast collective you like to

[00:53:34] NV a right put this in the ttttt and then you're welcome right you're welcome so you done something good for somebody and you also done something good for our group here so again from the bottom of my

[00:53:50] heart I am so appreciative of everybody who listens and it blows me away when I'm seeing so many far away places who listen to the podcast I get the whole technology and how it all works

[00:54:06] and streaming on all of that and all of that but it still boggles my mind that there's somebody in Taiwan who's getting the podcast bro this is miss so what that being said

[00:54:23] best part of you is you make sure that you have people in your life there are only a lifting you in brightening your life that will then allow you to go out and attack tomorrow and do

[00:54:38] some good in the world and then we'll see you back on this feed on Friday with more teams in the front office focus we wanted to give you Houston totally uncut on bias and what have you

[00:54:53] shots out to all of our people in Houston and then the other thing is this if you disagree with anything I had to say about Houston or what they've done or you know I did say that I don't know

[00:55:07] Jalen Green is long time and I do believe that Reece Shepherd is the future of the Houston Rockets along with a couple other dudes but if you disagree with that hit me up on X at front

[00:55:21] runner PC and you can also hit up my producers and tell them hey why do you work for this web job and they are at Ra underscore funch FRPC so again guys thank you and we will see you back

[00:55:38] on this feed on Friday and we are out of here do's