That is smaller than the court in the basement of our high school's 1920s-era building we had to practice on as freshmen. At least it doesn't have a stage at one end.
My fiancee and I have been living together 12 years. When I think of how we could have skipped the wedding and spent that money on a handful of really nice vintage Stratocasters and Les Pauls instead, my head explodes.
Doesn't Texas have common law marriage? I think you're legally Husband and Wife after 7 years of living together. EDIT: Upon further review, that's not true, all you had to do was publicly state your marriage status and act like a married couple.
Yup. Recently one of my wife's friend and her husband got a divorce, and turns out they never got their license. But they have a kid together, house together, and tell everyone around them that they're husband and wife. So apparently that's legally married so they apparently went and got a legal divorce papers. Not sure how it works if you go around telling people s/he is your fiancée though. I'm guessing that doesn't count no matter how long you're together.
Yeah there are lots of sub genres of that. Re marriage after a marriage to freshen things up. Getting your licence or the certificate 20 years later after your kids are all grown. Also enough people calling their long time BF hubby......
You'd think media day would be advertised more. Its almost not even talked about at all. What is the official day?
almost like they don't want people there to damper it with kpj talk. huge mistake to not get out in front of it imo. or maybe they have privately told media not too discuss or risk media ban. i guess we'll find out.
Can we expect a breakout season? Will we see that start in the preseason? Maybe. And probably not in the preseason. There are reasons to believe the players drafted during the rebuild will be ready to take significant steps up. But the preseason will need to be about learning different schemes defensively, building chemistry with new teammates and developing shot creators with Porter no longer running the point. That could eventually open opportunities for Sengun and Green, both with ability to create shots for themselves and teammates. The Rockets will need that. The key, especially for Sengun, will be defending well enough to get the playing time to keep his offensive abilities on the floor long enough for a breakout season. Smith and Eason will be young players to watch. Though neither is not a playmaker, both showed growth and potential in outstanding summer league play. So, with Porter out, who gets the extra playing time? Porter’s playing time at the point already seemed to be over with the offseason moves, assuming Thompson proves to be ready for the minutes as VanVleet’s backup. But Porter would have remained a key part of the rotation. His absence opens playing time. Udoka said minutes will not be awarded based on draft status or in the name of development, but if Thompson is ready for a substantial role, the Rockets could go with a three-player guard rotation of VanVleet, Green and Thompson. VanVleet’s ability to play off the ball with Thompson initiating the offense was part of the reason the Rockets considered him to be such a good fit. Even without Porter in the mix, VanVleet’s playing time could be reduced to something more manageable than last season’s 36.7 minutes per game, sixth-most in the NBA. Brooks can be penciled in at small forward for at least the 30.3 minutes he averaged last season with Eason grabbing playing time behind him and Smith, pretty much taking care of the remaining minutes Porter would have filled. There could be an opening for Jae’Sean Tate or even Whitmore. Porter was the Rockets’ best catch-and-shoot 3-point threat last season, but VanVleet can bring that. Brooks’ World Cup play in Asia was promising. Smith’s expected improvement as a range shooter can help. But the Rockets were last in the NBA in 3-point shooting percentage last season. Training camp and preseason games will bring a first look if the Rockets have the shooting not just to replace Porter but to elevate the 27th-ranked offense of last season. Where will Jae’Sean Tate fit? Overlooked in many conversations, Tate is not only the most tenured Rocket and the captain at the end of last season, but also he would seem to be Udoka’s kind of player. He defends well, creates shots for others, sets screens, and hits the floor. It would be said that he makes winning plays except that the Rockets have done so little winning in his first three seasons. Still, it is unclear where he will fit given last season's rookies, Smith and Eason, play at one forward spot, with this season’s addition, Brooks, at the other. If Smith gets some of his playing time at center, that could open increased minutes for Eason or Tate, and something to watch in the preseason. How will center minutes shake out? That will be worth watching in the preseason, though Jeff Green might not need a lot of playing time in five preseason games to be ready to step in whenever needed. When the Rockets signed him during the 2019-20 season, he went through one practice and one shootaround and was ready to play against the Warriors. Preseason playing time could help sort out a rotation with Sengun, Jock Landale and possible Smith, with each bringing very different strengths to the position. What will happen with Kevin Porter Jr.? Why don’t the Rockets just cut him now? If the Rockets waive Porter, it could be argued the move is in violation of the collective bargaining agreement which prohibits a team from disciplining a player solely because of an arrest. If they waive him a month from now, it can be considered a basketball move, especially because he had already been replaced at point guard and they will need to make cuts to get to the roster limit of 15 standard contracts. His contract extension was written to give the Rockets that option. If they trade him to a team that waives him, that team’s move to waive Porter would be for basketball and roster construction reasons since players are often released after trades. Porter’s contract could make some trades mathematically possible. But since he would not be considered an asset, teams might not want any part of needing to explain why they would make such a move, even if the explanation includes that he will be immediately released. The Rockets could waive Porter, as well. They already had replaced him at point guard with the additions of VanVleet and Thompson. There is no need to wait for a league suspension. He would still cost the Rockets the $15.8 million on his contract for 2023-24 with the money he’d lose while suspended going to NBA charities, rather than Rockets savings. But they could hold him until the Feb. 8 trade deadline when larger contracts are moved far more often than in the preseason. Keeping Porter on the roster, even if away from the team, means accepting the cloud and even distraction that comes with uncertainty and court cases (he is due to appear Oct. 16.) If he still holds a roster spot when the season begins Oct. 25 in Orlando, his guarantee for next season increases from $1 million to $3 million, and the Rockets would have to cut a player and carry 14 with standard NBA contracts. That is not uncommon, especially with up to three players with two-way contracts, but would be a tough result for the player cut in favor of a player that will not play. The NBA still has not put Porter on administrative leave, the seeming no-brainer first step. Media day on Monday will be three weeks since his arrest for assault and strangulation of his girlfriend, Kysre Gondrezick. Porter will not participate in anything with the team next week — or probably ever again. Why are the Rockets heading to Lake Charles? McNeese State has a terrific facility, Tilman Fertitta has a Golden Nugget there and it is a lot closer than Las Vegas, Lake Tahoe or Cripple Creek, Colo. Many teams favor getting out of town for camp, with NBA teams training in Hawaii, Colorado Spring, Santa Barbara and Nashville, among other sites. Besides, considering the emphasis on upgrading the defense and playing with increased veteran savvy, passing the pictures of Joe Dumars every day on the way to the court seems like a good idea.
