Calvin Murphy on 610

http://kilt.cbslocal.com/2010/10/28/calvin-murphy-2/

Spoiler

H: Calvin Murphy joining us. Rich and Rob, how are you?

CM: Good, how is everything going?

H: Very well. 2 games in and we're getting a lot of calls about people panicing about the defense. Obviously opened with the 2 time defending champs and one of the highest scoring teams in the league. What are your thoughts?

CM: First of all, when you have a team that is new, and the Rockets are new with Yao Ming back in the swing, and of course, Martin who is a good shooter, who comes in at the start of a full season, and some bench players getting their first time in the NBA, so it's relatively a new team. It's so important you come up big in the first game. They lost to the Lakers and it's a shame because they beat them for 45 minutes, well 44, the last 4 minutes killed them so that tells you what kind of young team they are. They are still too top heavy, which causes a problem. When I say top heavy, they are getting too much production from guard position and the guards relatively think offensively. So now here comes a high power team like GS, you don't think offense, your offense will come. You got to go out there defensively, especially if you're a small guard tandem, and pick them up full court and change their game plan. That didnt happen and that cost them another embarrasing loss.

H: How do you get them to change that? We know what Kevin Martin and Aaron Brooks are about and that's scoring the ball.

CM: Well let me tell you something, if you can get Calvin Murphy to play defense in the pros, you can get anyone to play defense. Rick Adelman is one hell of a coach. Rick has had various players over his career and has changed their style of play so he can do this. What you gotta do is either/or: This is what I need from you, if you can't do it, I need to find somebody who will. You cant leave it in the minds or hands of the players, they will take the easy way out. Everybody wants to be offensively minded. But you got to make them understand, you win and lose the big ones on the defensive end.

H: How much the problem last night was not having Yao Ming in the middle?

CM: Don't get me started on that problem. I'm not a big fan on how they decided to dictate his minutes and if he'll play back to backs and that kind of stuff. I'm from the old school of thought and if you're on the team and you're called upon to play 4 or 44 minutes, you gotta be ready. If not, someone else gotta get that time. I'm a big big fan of Yao Ming. But not having him in there causes 2 problems. 1. There is no consistency for the players that have to play with him. 2. Being 7'6, even if you're not a shot blocker, it deters a lot of traffic coming to the basket.

H: No doubt. So Murph, if you were in charge, obviously he is coming off surgery and they are treating him with kid gloves, and they wanna avoid a 6th year in a row where he would incur a serious injury. How would you handle Yao Ming?

CM: Here's the problem: Right now for the Rockets, it is imperative that games that they have a chance to win early, if they are talking about postseason play, they got to come out early and win some games before these other teams get rythym, so Yao Ming is important right now. You dont wanna wait until after the All-Star break to make a run. So you got to figure out, am I going to use him the way the team needs him or not. If you cant use him that way, you got to find someone else you're gonna bank the inside game on. If I'm coaching Yao Ming, and the doctors gave him the ok to play, he got to play. If the doctors say he's not ready, well find me someone who can. Simple as that. I know this sounds cold, but so is losing and people are getting tired of it.

H: So you treat him as he's fully healthy and play his full minutes and not worry about back to backs.

CM: If the doctors say it's ok, then yes. If it's a health situation, that's another thing. But didnt they say he was ready to go?

H: No doubt.

CM: Then lets test it.

H: He has been cleared to do so. So Murph, if the Rockets get the best case scenario and Yao goes through the season and remains healthy, what do you think the upside is?

CM: First of all, now you have the inside-outside game. Right now, they're going outside-in and they're 0-2. So, if Yao is healthy and gives them the whole season, and plays significant minutes, and you let him set the tone, everyone else becomes important and a team to reckon with. The Rockets have a lot of talent. They gotta find some consistency. You wont find a better tandem with the ball than Martin and Brooks. And then Scola, who I love to go watch because he does the dirty work. You have all the ingredients but Yao is the key.

H: How much does it affect the team....well it's one team with Yao and a different team without him. Is that a problem for NBA players?

CM: Yes it is. I just used that word consistency. You gotta find and get rythym with your teammates. Every player you play with has a different style. If you watched LeBron last night, it looked liked just what it is, him, Wade and Bosh looked like they never played together. The turnovers were almost funny because there is no rythym and thats what happens to players when they dont get to play with the key ingredients for that team. Yao has got to get his teammates comfortable and believing in him by being out there at the right time and getting the teammates the style of play he'll give them all year.

H: Calvin Murphy joining us. Quick question about Chase Budinger. I know how important Shane Battier is to this team but wow, Chase Budinger looks ready to start. How do you decide who starts?

CM: Budinger is an excellent player right where he is. He is a game changer. When they let Carl Lowry go, I thought that was a ridiculous move and that's Calvin Murphy speaking, he has replaced Carl in that position where he is a game changer. When he goes out there, he can score, shoot, has the ability to put the D on their heels. I'd keep him where he is. Shane Battier - if you dont get him as a starter, you're gonna lose him because he dont have the explosiveness and is not in the offensive mindset to come in and change the game from the bench.

H: Last night, watching Golden State, and was wondering how good can they be? Got Ellis and Curry who are talented in the backcourt. Lee is a very underrated superstar in the NBA. I think he is big time.

CM: No question. I cant believe New York let him out of there. When it rains it poors I guess. When you got a team like GS, who is young and athletic, you gotta teach them how to play the game as they go along. That young team can shoot themselves in and out of games. I would love to be a piece of that coaching action because you got the nucleus for tomorrow.

H: Quick thoughts on Miami's start to the season?

CM: Just what I thought - the LeBron James show. I think it will hurt Dwyane Wade eventually because Wade is 2nd fiddle, talking about equal time, they dont know how to play equal time basketball with LeBron James. LeBron a very talented athlete, no question about that, but going down the stretch, he will do what he is comfortable with and he is comfortable with taking over the show. I think that will create some havoc, especially if they go through a period of losses. That's when ugly shows up.

H: Appreciate it as always.

CM: My pleasure my people.

 

Few spelling errors I just noticed in there but no I did not mistakingly type Carl Lowry. Calvin did say that.

 

See post 6. No problem otherwise!