Never thought I'd be excited about the rockets using the 3rd overall pick on Mr. Rogers grandson.

Stephen A seems to love the pick.

BayAg_14 said:

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Give my boy a south side fade stat.

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Buddy came here straight from the set of Hoosiers.

Jackal99 said:

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Stephen A seems to love the pick.

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Thoughts and prayers.

ESPN Sources: The Atlanta Hawks are trading F AJ Griffin to the Houston Rockets for the 44th pick in Thursday’s NBA Draft. Griffin, 20, was a 2022 first-round pick out of Duke. pic.twitter.com/IhjHKnCxCd

— Adrian Wojnarowski (@wojespn) June 27, 2024

AJ still has a lot of promise. Good pickup

Enzo The Baker said:

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ESPN Sources: The Atlanta Hawks are trading F AJ Griffin to the Houston Rockets for the 44th pick in Thursday’s NBA Draft. Griffin, 20, was a 2022 first-round pick out of Duke. pic.twitter.com/IhjHKnCxCd

— Adrian Wojnarowski (@wojespn) June 27, 2024

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I'm gonna be honest, I don't understand this for either team. The Rockets already have 7 LOTTERY players on rookie deals. Now they add AJ Griffin (basically a lotto pick from 2 years)? 8/15 roster spots are ostensibly college age kids. AJ is a combo forward who joins the biggest logjam in the NBA; the rockets wing group. With Eason, Jabari, Whitmore, Thompson AND Brooks all slated to play the 3 or 4, I'm not sure how AJ fits?

And that's without considering how the rockets are going to prioritize developing Green and Sheppard in the backcourt who will need volume touches (something AJ also needs).

Conversely wtf is atlanta doing? They basically just salary dumped the 16th overall pick from a MUCH stronger draft class for the 44th pick of this garbage fire class? The only thing that makes sense is that AJ's knee (or mental health) is cooked and it helps Atlanta's salary cap to dump him and it helps Houston offload a 2nd rd pick they can't roster anyways for a guy they can cut or move later.

Atlanta just used the number one overall pic for a player at Griffin's position.

And they have tax issues

Guitarsoup said:

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Atlanta just used the number one overall pic for a player at Griffin's position.

And they have tax issues

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The last part is what I said. It makes sense if Atlanta did the move for cap relief and think AJ's medical history is too much to overcome.

And Risacher/AJ could theoretically fit together. I think this has more to do with doubt over AJ than fit concerns.

I think this means he'll take Jeff Green's/Tate's spot on the bench and those guys are being packaged for someone else as cap filler.

Even though I wanted Shead with that pick, I think it's a really good trade. AJ shot 39% from 3 his rookie year, but had a weird season last year. He was a really good prospect coming out of college and still has plenty of potential. A second round pick was an extremely low price to pay given that the player we drafted probably would have been a d-league project. Great job by Stone to add another shooter.

Teams that are currently hard-capped:

ATL - second apron*
DAL - second apron*
GSW - second apron*
IND - second apron*

*All due to sending out cash in a trade.

HOU - first apron because they used a prior year TPE to acquire AJ Griffin
OKC - first apron because they took back…

— Keith Smith (@KeithSmithNBA) June 28, 2024

REED SHEPPARD OH MY GAWDDD 🤮 (via @NBA)

pic.twitter.com/pJVnYwDz2I

— Overtime (@overtime) July 13, 2024

Head Ninja In Charge said:

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Reporting live from Thomas & Mack. Bronny is not a good basketball player. Sat on the bench by himself for half of pre-game warmups/shootaround. Weird. Reed Sheppard is going to be good. Baby Klay Thompson.

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Amazing Queen James' son is overhyped. Just like tessus' 2nd string QB. 5* name. 3* player.

Head Ninja In Charge said:

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Reporting live from Thomas & Mack. Bronny is not a good basketball player. Sat on the bench by himself for half of pre-game warmups/shootaround. Weird. Reed Sheppard is going to be good. Baby Klay Thompson.

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Or Steve Nash 2.0.

https://www.si.com/nba/rockets/news/rockets-sign-star-international-forward-what-to-expect

Got the Australian league finals MVP.

Anyone else been watching former Rocket Chase Buddinger dominate at beach volleyball in the Olympics?

Texaggie7nine said:

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Anyone else been watching former Rocket Chase Buddinger dominate at beach volleyball in the Olympics?

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He was apparently national player of the year in VB in high school and won three straight state titles.

I wonder why more basketball players don't play volleyball. I know Wilt did and is in the Volleyball HOF.

For @FOS, remember Royce White? The former lottery pick for the Rockets? He just won the GOP Senate primary in Minnesota last night. On his third career act: https://t.co/qlXCLeMCVw

— Alex Schiffer (@Alex__Schiffer) August 14, 2024

Royce White's wild journey:

• 2009: Suspended after one game at Minnesota
• 2011: Transferred to ISU
• 2012: Big 12 ROTY, 1st Team All-Big 12
• 2013: Drafted by Rockets, refused to fly
• 2016: NBL MVP
• 2019: Went 1st overall in the Big 3 draft
• 2021: Fought in the MMA… pic.twitter.com/bJaHH5ShlO

— College Basketball Report (@CBKReport) August 14, 2024

So ya they basically dumped him because of his mental health.

Iowaggie said:

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For @FOS, remember Royce White? The former lottery pick for the Rockets? He just won the GOP Senate primary in Minnesota last night. On his third career act: https://t.co/qlXCLeMCVw

— Alex Schiffer (@Alex__Schiffer) August 14, 2024

Royce White's wild journey:

• 2009: Suspended after one game at Minnesota
• 2011: Transferred to ISU
• 2012: Big 12 ROTY, 1st Team All-Big 12
• 2013: Drafted by Rockets, refused to fly
• 2016: NBL MVP
• 2019: Went 1st overall in the Big 3 draft
• 2021: Fought in the MMA… pic.twitter.com/bJaHH5ShlO

— College Basketball Report (@CBKReport) August 14, 2024

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I had so much hope for him he had so much talent.

Serious question though and I mean no disrespect to him. How is he going to be able to travel to and from Washington when a big part of his anxiety disorder that caused issue with his playing career was not being able to fly for road games?

EaDoAg said:

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Iowaggie said:

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For @FOS, remember Royce White? The former lottery pick for the Rockets? He just won the GOP Senate primary in Minnesota last night. On his third career act: https://t.co/qlXCLeMCVw

— Alex Schiffer (@Alex__Schiffer) August 14, 2024

Royce White's wild journey:

• 2009: Suspended after one game at Minnesota
• 2011: Transferred to ISU
• 2012: Big 12 ROTY, 1st Team All-Big 12
• 2013: Drafted by Rockets, refused to fly
• 2016: NBL MVP
• 2019: Went 1st overall in the Big 3 draft
• 2021: Fought in the MMA… pic.twitter.com/bJaHH5ShlO

— College Basketball Report (@CBKReport) August 14, 2024

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I had so much hope for him he had so much talent.

Serious question though and I mean no disrespect to him. How is he going to be able to travel to and from Washington when a big part of his anxiety disorder that caused issue with his playing career was not being able to fly for road games?

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He is running as a Republican in Minnesota so he probably knows that isn't something he will actually need to worry about.

WES2006AG said:

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EaDoAg said:

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Iowaggie said:

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For @FOS, remember Royce White? The former lottery pick for the Rockets? He just won the GOP Senate primary in Minnesota last night. On his third career act: https://t.co/qlXCLeMCVw

— Alex Schiffer (@Alex__Schiffer) August 14, 2024

Royce White's wild journey:

• 2009: Suspended after one game at Minnesota
• 2011: Transferred to ISU
• 2012: Big 12 ROTY, 1st Team All-Big 12
• 2013: Drafted by Rockets, refused to fly
• 2016: NBL MVP
• 2019: Went 1st overall in the Big 3 draft
• 2021: Fought in the MMA… pic.twitter.com/bJaHH5ShlO

— College Basketball Report (@CBKReport) August 14, 2024

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I had so much hope for him he had so much talent.

Serious question though and I mean no disrespect to him. How is he going to be able to travel to and from Washington when a big part of his anxiety disorder that caused issue with his playing career was not being able to fly for road games?

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He is running as a Republican in Minnesota so he probably knows that isn't something he will actually need to worry about.

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Very true.

The Ringer: The Rockets Are the Most Fascinating Trade Team

Quote:

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This may be the most impressive collection of young talent in the NBA. It's also, remarkably, half the entire teaman attractive stockpile of intriguing, high-upside talent that ranges from "good" to "potential All-Star?" and beyond. That's a nice problem to have; nonetheless, it qualifies as a problem. Each one is still, in some sense, trying to prove himself in the NBA. They all want minutes. They all want the ball. Nearly all have reason to believe they can and should be Houston's best player. That type of opportunity can't exist for everyone, though. Sacrifice is necessary, and it's too early to say which pieces definitively fit together or whose skill set is incompatible with the bigger picture in a winning environment.

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Quote:

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Clint Capela, Brook Lopez, and Myles Turner (three rim-protecting centers who may be necessary beside Sengun) will be unrestricted free agents. Rudy Gobert, Naz Reid, Julius Randle, Brandon Ingram, and Aaron Gordona fascinating (pie-in-the-sky) possibility given how well he complements Sengun prototype Nikola Jokicare all unsigned and extension eligible with player options for next season.

And then there's the big fish: Jimmy Butler, a 35-year-old Texas native who would dramatically raise Houston's expectations and temperature.

If I were the Rockets, I'd be less inclined to fork over my most valuable assets for a 36-year-old Kevin Durant, who would seemingly also be available in this scenario. Booker, on the other hand, can shine as the stable scoring machine with playoff chops and Finals experience who makes sense in pretty much any lineup or system.

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Distilling that Ringer piece: Who is expendable? What asset/vet can the Rockets get back?

Expendable: To me, Jalen Green is expendable in that we have a couple of guys who can slot in for what he does. He's a young, relatively unproven, recently high pick with [/Jay Bilas] massive upside. But he's a redundant asset for team scheme. Jabari is the other one. Plenty of flashes and I think his defense has been good for what he's been asked to do and where he's been asked to play, but another lotto ticket for a team in need of a two-way contributor.

Get back: I don't know. NGL, don't know who is disgruntled or up on a contract for other teams, but I think the vet help is already there with FVV, Brooks, Uncle Jeff, and now Adams. I think we need a reliable scorer if JG is goes (in my hypothetical above) and then the rest is just the young dudes growing into their roles.

Overall: I think we run everything through Al P. Then build out supporting pieces. It's a proven model in today's NBA and we basically have Jokic-lite. Great position to be in, but somebody needs to point the North Star with this org.

Was there tonight for the first preseason game and just want to confirm that the new scoreboard is excellent. A very welcome improvement.