Keep an eye on Ant

Wouldn’t 100% agree with this. Kat has consistent choked during the playoffs except for a few games here and there. He was a complete no show in the western conference finals when Ant was getting doubled every other play. Also a lot of people believe that Kat is way too foul happy and is considered soft. I think Randle’s personality matches better with Ant but Randle is just a worse basketball player.

If we trade for Ant it’s going to involve Jalen Green or Alperen Sengun 100%. Might also have to give the phoenix picks but I think a trade for a generational superstar is always worth it.

 

I 100% agree with your comments on KAT as a player. I remember when he couldn't score on Austin Reeves several times late in the 7v8 play-in game with the Lakers two years ago. It was sad.

My point was to give Ant's viewpoint on the KAT trade and how it might influence him demanding a trade. They were buds and it didn't have everything to do with basketball.

 

I wouldn't gut my team for him. He was on a #1 Seed team in the West and they didn't make it past the WCF and Minny had a talented team

Is he good? HELL YEAH! Is he better than Jalen? HELL YEAH! Is he worth, Jalen, Cam and 3 #1s? Hell No!

You guys keep looking for THAT PLAYER!! Think about it, as good as Boston is, they didn't win anything until they built around Brown and Tatem.

OKC, as good as they are, didn't become as good as they are until they built around Shai....AND before you go there....Shai was not as good as he is at first! It took time!!

He started to develop at guess what age....23yrs old, the same age as Jalen is now. Personally, I think Cam can be the perfect fit with Jalen and Amen. But if not him, they definitely need another scorer opposite Jalen.

 

maybe - but he's also hyper competitive. And there are only three young teams on the upswing that have the assets to go get him.

1. OKC - does he want to play second fiddle to Shai? Shai is literally one of like 3 or 4 players in the league that Ant would need to take a secondary role to.
2. San Antonio: And the Spurs have one of the other guys. Does he want to be Wenbanyama's robin?
3. Houston: The only team that is both highly competitive and has the assets to go get him while remaining competitive.

Miami doesn't even have much in way of assets. I can't even figure out how they could get him - but it would definitely have to involve Herro. I don't see Ant having much success there. And I really think that matters to him.

 

I see what you’re saying, but I believe Ant is more committed to his brand over winning at the moment. No free agent will go play with him in Minneapolis. He wants to be front center stage.

Rockets def can put up the best package. I would do a deal for him in a second. I feel Miami will pull something off…..

also in todays nba world, players can demand what team they want and current team can’t do anything about it.

 

Good point on the playoff bounce. If he was all that he would have carried an excellent Minny team further. That said, I don't think Shai became "it's SGA to you b****es!" until about his 5th year in the league. I don't think Jalen has that potential whereas I think Ant does easily and more.

It seems to me there's not a team that, if offered either Ant, Booker or Jalen, wouldn't choose them in that exact order. Add 2 first rounds to Jalen's package and I think the real rebuilding teams would listen, but only those wanting to rebuild. Add 3 first rounds and I still don't think half the teams would opt for Jalen. Even with the 3 first rounders.

I'm grateful for Jalen's improvement this season, it's gotten us to where we are, but I feel like the coaches have needed to spend a lot of extra effort trying to unlock his potential. Maybe to the detriment of other players.

 

I think winning would elevate his brand.

 

DD, Booker is 6yrs older than Jalen, basically he's doubled Jalen's tenure in the NBA. Name me one thing Booker has won?

I agreed that Ant is a better shooter and has more twitch than Jalen but outside of that, that's it.

Ant is 27/5/4, Jalen is 21/4/3.

Ant is the focal point of Minnesota's offense, Alpi is the focal point of Houston's. I don't have the stas on the number of attempts each has taken thus far BUT I can 100% guarantee you that Ant has taken way more shots than Jalen.

I'm happy where the Rockets are at this point, I can see the future. I'm disappointed in last yr's draft pick but if they continue to build through the draft, I believe they will win a Championship

 

Not yet! But you recall the stigma they had of being playoff failures? Of never getting to the championship? And FANS, like yourself, and media saying they needed to be traded!

 

How bout Jalen Williams and 10 1sts? The Jazz could give them like 8 1sts including their own unprotected ones back.

Also Ant straight up asked his GM not to trade him in a press conference after the Luka trade so this is all wishful thinking.

 

Explain the last part? "Coaches have needed to spend a lot of extra effort trying to unlock his potential. Maybe to the detriment of other players."

I didn't understand that part because players workout on their own during the Summer with personal trainers. The only player I heard of who workout with "Rocket's coaches" was Sengun.
They flew to Turkey to workout with him.

 

Trade Sengun and Green. Sounds interesting

Sheppard
Edwards
Thompson
Eason
Smith

 

We've got the picks and the young guys that could potentially get it done. Sure after the Luka trade I don't think anything is too far-fetched.

I'd like to reiterate my thoughts on Booker...he's really not a huge upgrade over Green.

 

Good question. What was I referring to when I said that? To begin, I have no insider information. My sources are pretty much the same as everyone elses. I watch and listen to the games. I listen to Locked On Rockets with Jackson Gatlin. I read and watch the reporting and interviews.

It seems to me, from all of the sources listed above, that over the course of the season there has been a concerted effort to figure out how to help Jalen become both a persistent offensive threat and a serviceable defender. The up and down nature of his performances seem to be a mystery even to Jalen. If you listen to interviews with Ant or Booker after a bad loss (I have), they will break apart their performance (at least a little) and reflect on what they did wrong, or what the other team was doing right, that they couldn't seem to make the adjustment to. I've never seen anything like this from Jalen. Again, I like Jalen, seems like a swell guy and he makes me want Wingstop everytime I see the ad, but I have never heard him reflect on his performance in this way. Instead I hear about the coaches trying to figure it out. And it's been all season long.

Don't get me wrong. I hear the same stuff about the other players as well, but only occasionally when they have a string of bad games. Maybe that's because Jalen is so important to the offense that if he's not playing to his potential, and defending, our odds of winning go way down. I don't know for sure.

In the past I have made comments about my gut telling me not feeling like Jalen has the BBIQ to take the next step into All-Star. I think what I really mean is that I don't believe he has the emotional intelligence to take the next step. Emotional intelligence is about more than knowing how to express your feelings. It's really about the ability to step back and reflect on your experience. Those with high emotional IQ are not only able to do this, they are also able to play out multiple scenarios from the past and re-interpret them, and run future scenarios of experience that hasn't happened yet with the hindsight of lessons learned to guide them. In short, to analyze and adapt. To learn from your mistakes. This is what I perceive in players like Booker and Ant and have yet to see in Jalen.

I appreciate you asking for clarity. Even if you don't agree or see it different it means a lot that you did.

 

You mean a Post-game interview like this one? BTW, this was 2yrs ago



Personally, I just think some fans just love to NITPICK, they are bias or just have different points of views. But in reality, all players get the same coaching, for those who wants it.

I think Jalen wanted it and now it's showing through his improved play.

 

It doesn't surprise me that you would agree. However, I can't because it's just not true. Jalen has on many occasions expressed what he and the team needs to do better to improve.

As I stated earlier, I think many on here are just simply bias for some reason or another.

If you look back 2yrs ago, I was a huge KPJ supporter. I thought he was the BEST PLAYER on our team, certainly better than Jalen at the time. I look at what players bring to the court.....its more than stats.

I still like KPJ, despite what some on the thread might think about him. But Jalen has improved by leaps and bounds. And I think as of now, Jalen is better. He is the Best Player on the Rockets

Before he was just a shooter! Now he rebounds, he play defense, he playmakes, all while being the teams leading scorer! You got to give him credit.

 

I'm worried we'd have to bid against OKC who can easily beat our offer if they're willing to include Chet or J-Dub. Maybe they're not willing to do that though, or maybe Ant doesn't want to go somewhere he's not the clear #1 option.

If it's not OKC getting him, I think we can outbid anybody else. Jalen + all the draft picks they want + maybe one other young guy (not Sengun or Thompson).

I hope it happens but I'm not counting on it--lot of years left on that deal, it would be pretty wild to see such a young guy ask for a trade after landing such a huge contract from the team that drafted him