The Matt Thomas Show with Ross - Coach D'Antoni On Westbrook: Up 2-0 It Gives Us A Chance To Be Conservative

Episode Date: August 21, 2020

Coach D'Antoni On Westbrook: Up 2-0 It Gives Us A Chance To Be Conservative

Hey, it's Coach Dan Tony. Step back three, and the corner is good. Matt Thomas, my favorite voice in Houston. Now, that's a little exaggerating. Back to the Matt Thomas show on Sports Talk 790. Well, obviously, Mike Dan Tony was forced to read that soundbite promoting the show because I know Mike's routine. He gets up in the morning, has coffee, works in a game plan,

and listens to my show daily between New Jersey. in three, even in the bubble in Orlando after a two-nothing series league. Coach, good afternoon. Congratulations on the great start. What's up, Matt? How are you guys doing? Man, I will say this. I've just mentioned the audience a minute ago.

You're starting back court, couldn't find the three-point line to save their life, and you still got away with a nice, comfortable win because it was a collective team effort, and James and Eric helped out different ways besides hitting that three ball for you. Yeah, I mean, there was obviously a lot of good things, and we didn't play out. best game. We're actually easily saw just wanted on the defensive end and getting out and getting some

easier baskets. So there's a lot of good things to build on. We've got to keep getting better. So only two games, you know, no home court, so it's kind of weird. But it's what it is. And we're going to try to get game three. I felt and saw,

and the television did a really good job of this, Russ and James, as you guys were putting together that fourth quarter run, we're showing some real true emotion. And I'm never saying that that's lacking in a non-home court situation because it is basketball, it is competition. But that made me feel so good to see that you guys were really, even in a situation where it's not at the TOTA center or on the road, that guys were rising the occasion and rooting each other on, and it had more of a playoff field than maybe even game one did. Yeah, I think we're in a good place, obviously. And, you know, they're taking it in the heart out.

Well, they always have. I hate to say this is great. I think it highlights it even more because the energy has to be, and what's talked about has to be generated by the bench and the players themselves. You don't have the other fans or that kind of energy. The music's piped in. And so at the bench is passive, then it's going to translate to the players. So they've gotten into it and it's led by Tyson Channel.

It just does a great job the whole game, being up and yelling and calling out their plays. And he's really on point for us. back to the game in a minute but I do want to give folks an update if you have one how's Russ feeling obviously was a great vocal leader yesterday but you obviously want him on the court where is he right now and what are you expecting perhaps for the next couple of games if you can get him on the floor well we'll wait and see again you know there's he's uh I think he's getting on the court today to shoot and move around a little bit so it's getting closer but again it's hard to say what that means and um those just keep working and

strengthening his leg and obviously, you know, winning to gives us a little chance to be a little bit more conservative than if it's turned around. So we want to make sure he comes back as 100, make sure we keep pushing forward and getting him in the best shape he can, not shape, best possibility health-wise. Not that you're a doctor, but do you notice when you walk and when you see him do things, is he less than 100% right now? Well, right now I'm watching him in the buffet line. It looks like 100% there. You know, I haven't, he has a run.

He has a run. So, no, he's 100% walking across campus or walking, you know, when he's walking, he's fine. I have not seen him chase anybody or anything, so I have no idea. How, is the food getting better as you guys win, or is it like if you lose a game, you have to get to, like, the scraps?

No, it's getting better. It's getting better. They're trying. I mean, everything's great. It really is. And you can nitpick little things here and there, but how the NBA has treated us and treated the virus and the safety protocols. I don't know if you can get any better. I think it's been great. All right.

Let's get to yesterday. Lou Geord obviously made a difference for them guarding James and whatnot. What did you notice about Oklahoma City in their attack on him in particular, that you guys now see that on a game film. You've seen it firsthand that you may make adjustments for in game three. Well, you know, Dort does a good job. But I'd be very careful about, you know, saying, you know, James, could have been off also.

You know, he wasn't hitting his shot, so it makes him easier to guard him a little bit. So be a little careful about saying it was Dort. James didn't have a great game, and so be able, because I don't think Dort was going to Eric Gordon, he was over 10.

So that does happen. You know, it does happen to the players. And we're going to do what we do. And, you know, we try to play faster. And for the most part, we did. I think we have a few opportunities we passed up. But it's just going to become more critical to play.

faster as we get deep in the series. And coach, another element, speaking of the offense and James Harden, it seems like you're having Jeff Green as a ball handler and James Harden as a screener on some sets. Just can you talk about what that speaks to your trust in Jeff Green and the added element? Is that also helping to free James Harden up some? Yeah, I think it takes some of the pressure off. It's also when Eric is running the team, Eric and Eric and Austin's running the team without James. it's another ball hammer on the court.

And we can run a lot of offense through Jeff. He's just a real smart player, the playmaker, and for us, a five's body or four, whatever you want to say. So, yeah, he can take some pressure up, James. And he also has been hitting three. So they have a hard matchup there with him, you know, whether to put a small on him, but at the same time, you know, how they're going to do that.

So it's, he's been, you know, obviously he's been playing great. Mike Dan Tony with us here on the Matt Thomas show on Sports Talk 790. Coach, I think you and I have talked about PJ Tucker gutting things out, probably since the first time you wore a rocket uniform. The folks on television, we saw it yesterday here in town. He was getting worked on, and then he steps on the floor, hits a bunch of threes for you. Just how painful has his life been and how has he been able to steal?

Whether the three-point shots going, that's going to be one thing. But he's still on the floor, still going after loose basketball, still making steals. and then to get the three-point shot, it had to be an extra bonus for you guys yesterday. Well, yeah, I mean, anytime, PJ, you know, he's hard to soul when he has that energy on defense and what he does rebounding and all that. It's amazing how also shots finding.

And then yesterday he was knock him down. So he's been playing right for two games we've had so far. He's been great. And just, you know, he anchors their defense and made a big shot toward the end of the game. So there's a lot of ways he contributes. and is a valuable piece that we have. And then Austin's throwdown yesterday was, I mean, I don't know if you heard the city of Houston go crazy,

but we certainly did after that massive throwdown. Plus, he's hitting threes for you as well. Yeah, I mean, he had a really good first half, and had that little stretch, and he did have to dunk that stunned everybody. So it's, you know, so far, you know, somebody's really awesome in the first half, Jeff in the second half. The other game, Ben, had a really good game. So the bench is stepping up, and there might be different guys at different times,

which probably how it should be. So, yeah, we're getting great production from them. And, Coach, can you give us your perspective on the growth of Daniel House Jr.? I mean, he played the most minutes for you yesterday. He's keeping guys in front of him on the perimeter defense. He looks like he's comfortable in the offense as well. Just your thoughts on how he's grown as a player, and now he's a key part for you guys. Well, I mean, obviously, you know, when he came back, I think, in the highest, that he came back at a different level athletically, and he was ready to roll, and that just adds to his confidence.

And now he's playing at a very high level. And there's no reason why they won't stay there. He's been great. You know, but it was such a big boss last year. He really didn't have a very good playoffs. And so this year, he's really stepped it up. and yeah, he should be a standard for us for a long time. Coach, sometimes in the last few years,

the NBA's had this really bizarre schedule if you play an opening game on a Saturday and you don't play again to Wednesday, or sometimes it'll help, some guys have hurt, whatever. How have you guys adjusted to? Is it a big deal? Do you like the fact that every other day you are now playing? And it's going to feel,

I think that the schedule, at least for the rest of the NBA playoffs, will be in this way where you're not even worried about jumping on a plane, but you're playing, you know, every 48 hours or so. Yeah, I mean, guys will adjust to it, and I'm sure there'll be some days that, you know, they'll have to fight through some fatigue. But that's the playoffs, no matter what, even if you have three or four days rest,

you should be playing the game of such a high level and such a high intensity that, you know, it's like anything else you do. You're on, you know, 400 meter, right. You're going to be tired at the end if you put everything into it. So guys are going to get a little winning. And it's the guys that can play smart and execute, even when they're tired.

And that's really important for us. Coach, enjoy your lunch, your buffet. I know you're meeting with a meeting in a few minutes. Thank you for the time. Congratulations, and I'll talk to you tomorrow before game three. All right, Matt. Take care of me. That's Mike Dantonia with us here on the Matt Thomas show.

Again, what I get from him is, I don't, he sound like to me that Russ is not going to play tomorrow. It sound like to me also that if the situation was dire, they were down 02, maybe he tries to gut it out a little bit. that's how I kind of sensed it. But he is playing, I mean, are you playing with house money when you're up to nothing and one of your stars is out? Well, you say you have not necessarily house money. What would you call it? Like you have a little bit to lose. I mean, I guess you could call it house money.

It's the promo money you get when you sign up for a player's card. Okay, yeah. It's a little 50 extra, they got promo money. I don't know where that came from, but that's absolutely accurate. You can drop it on the, you can drop it on the roulette. Yeah. The Rockets can afford to lose a little bit now. They can afford to lose one or two games and still keep Russ at bay because they've looked great.

I mean, as we said, they went two of 21 from three Eric Gordon and James Hard and they won by double digits. The Rockets are better than the Thunder. They just are. I underestimated either Oklahoma City isn't playing as well as they were going to be. But we should have listened to Barry Tramm. I remember he just didn't sell his team very hard. He's like they overachieved. And maybe when it comes to playoff time when everything is round,

ramped up, that overachieving, especially Rossi in a seven-game series, kind of gets exposed. Yeah, it can evaporate quickly. And you know what? Barry Trammell so far was right. All right. All right. If you guys are pumped up and excited, you'll call us right now. Let me give the numbers. I'll do it two times Rossi very slowly because I know everybody will be running them down and running the phones because the Astros have won eight straight games. I don't know how that's happened, but it has. And the rockets are up to nothing in their series of Oklahoma City. 713-212-5-7-90 coming up in about 30 minutes we're going to hear from Deshawn Watson and how I think is going in Texanville and we'll have one single sound bite from Bill O'Brien

on which you're talking about Bill 7-13-212-790 7-1-3-212-5-790 2 o'clock Brian T-Smith 230 the fantasy five today is food and or drink items you would want in your house during a hurricane if the power is off 713-212 5-790 talk some rockets and astros because they're playing well. 713-212-5-790. Right now a message for improvemyerection.com. Maybe a silly name for a website, but it's something you've got to check out

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