The Matt Thomas Show with Ross - Voice of Golden State Warriors Tim Roye Joins The Show Before Game 1 of NBA Playoffs

Episode Date: April 18, 2025

 Voice of Golden State Warriors Tim Roye Joins The Show Before Game 1 of NBA Playoffs

102 on Sports Talk 790 is the fourth and final hour of an anything goes Friday here on the program. Sunday night inside Toyota Center. We'll have it for you right here. Ashton's going to be on our sister station. We're going to the blowtorch. We're going 50,000 watts for game one of the Western Conference first round series between the Golden State Warriors and the Houston Rockets. It's joining us now, the longtime voice and a good friend of the show. Tim Roy with 957 and the Warriors Radio Network.

On your way to the airport right now, how is the country? current Bay Area Freeway situation? So live way out by Napa, so I've got a little bit of a hike to get to SFO, but so far it's pretty good. Usually middle of the day is probably your best bet to drive around the Bay Area, because that's when the traffic is minimal, and you can get here to there. We've got coastal clouds coming at me, and it's just kind of a nice day. Last stupid question about weather. Have you ever driven during a earthquake, and what does that like if you do?

I have driven during a small earthquake, and the car just kind of bounces a little bit. I've not driven in a big one. But actually, this is the anniversary of the 1906 close, which is a big way and then a huge fire after. And they always

pause to remember that. A lot of people lost their lives on this day in 1906. Wow, wow. Great reference of history there. Tim Roy, the voice of the Warriors with us here. All right, Tim, so you are not a typical seven seed. Vegas doesn't believe that. I don't think Golden

St. Warriors believe that. I certainly don't think Memphis believes it. It was a 21 and 7 since Jimmy and staff have been in there. Beyond the record itself, and look, I've seen you guys play, obviously a handful of times, including once in person. What has been the change in your mind since Jimmy joined

Golden State? Jimmy brings a, he kind of put all the puzzle pieces together. And he brings a belief. He brings a confidence and he also brings playmaking abilities. So when Jimmy has the ball, he's a little bit like Andre Godala, where he really wants to set up other people. He doesn't really want to score. He can score. And so he's done like three things. Our defense became a lot better with Jimmy on the

floor, shooting, which was abysmal before he got there, is now pretty good. And they get to the line a lot more because Jimmy draws fouls. So he's kind of blended everything together and has allowed, you know, the role players for the warriors to flourish. And there's a little bit of came on play, and Jimmy brings a little more order to the party. Do you think there has been too much reliance on if it's not Jimmy and Steph, the team is in trouble? I know Brandon Projemsky has really broken out this year, especially from three-point range. So I don't want to exclude him. but it felt like in that game against Memphis

and certainly in the Rockets game we saw you guys a couple weeks back it was those two guys and you were kind of searching for that third score has there been a lot of third searching during this last two months stretch of Warrior basketball not that much but there has been incredible

consistently consistent run for himself he was getting 10 to 15 points every night he was solid as a rock he's lost a little confidence of late but I think he'll be the shot to fall a little bit in that Memphis game. But Jemski has incredible confidence. But you're right. I think at times they do look too much for Jimmy and Steph.

And I think that's what, you know, you need to have those other scores to really balance the floor out and to keep the attention off step. And the way teams are guarding step, a lot of top locking, a lot of, you know, guys not even looking to help off of other people. so that you've got to have guys that make the other team pay. I think that's going to be a big key for Golden State in this series if they can get consistent scoring of some of the other guys. We had our friend Ryan Hollins on the show earlier today,

and is one of the things that I was going to bring up to you almost immediately that he brought up without me even asking. John the Cominga has had some really great games against the Rockets, especially earlier in the season, but there have been a lot of DMP CDs. I don't know if you're perplexed by it, because you see it every night, and you know, obviously, know what the coaches are thinking. But we as outsiders, John the Cominga, I'm stunned that there are as many DMPCDs.

What's going on with his rotation time? I think Steve wanted to shorten the rotation for those last two games. And I think he really wanted to make sure the ball was going to move all the time. I think that's why he didn't play Jonathan. I think it'll be different in this series because I think the matchups are a lot different for the Warriors as opposed to the clippers. I would expect him to play. Yeah, he brings it athleticism that the Warriors don't have.

And so I just think for Jonathan, it's a matter of him kind of seeing the floor and being patient and doing other things. You know, he hasn't rebounded the ball as well as maybe he could. He's such a great athlete. You would assume he could rebound if they likened to do well. You know, defensive rebounding for Golden States. because it's huge. Your thoughts about what you liked and didn't like

about what Golden State did when Adams and Shangoon were on the floor at the same time together? I like the fact that they didn't go crazy with adjustments per se. I like the fact they stayed the course. I don't like the fact that they, I don't think they did a good enough job rebounding playing against the Twin Towers there.

I think that's, again, I think it's going to be a huge key for Golden State. They gave up way too many rebounds in the second half against the Clippers. They had to play really against a similar front court when Edie and Jared Jackson Jr. are out there. Those are two large humans. So I expect them to be ready for it. I think you may see more of Kvon Looney when that group is out there, and you also may see more of Quentin Post.

This post is a guy that, especially with Jimmy's out there, he kind of opens the floor for Jimmy because he can shoot a three. And so, you know, you've got to honor that. And if you don't, he's going to knock a couple down. So I think that's going to be maybe one of the keys for the Warriors is, can they get them out of post and can combine give them the kind of rebounding minutes that he's so good at? Visiting with Tim Roy, the Voice of the Warriors, with us here on the Matt Thomas show with Ross on Sports Talk 790. And a lot of the conversation nationally, Tim, is the experience of Golden State,

versus the inexperience of the rockets per se. Now, look, obviously, Dylan, and Fred and Steven and Landell, to a smaller extent, have been around the playoffs before. Is there a part of what you think, Steve, will tell the guys, is, hey, it's time for us to throw that first punch early in the game to get this team that doesn't have a lot of playoff experience off-kilter, or at least early on? I would hope so, but, you know, the Warriors tend to not get off to great starts, usually.

You know, they've, especially in the last couple of months, they've gotten off to these slow starts, and they're down like, you know, 10 to 2 right at the beginning of the game, and then they kind of get back into the flow. You know, I don't think he'll say anything special about that except to be ready, but, you know, I'd like to see them get off to good starts. And by the way, you know, if you look at the West, this is just insane. I mean, if they say Memphis wins tonight, that's another 48-win team. Right. And you'll have, you know, everybody's 48 wins are better. And from 8 to 3, it's all buttoned up within a couple of games of each other. I mean, there's going to be four good teams going home at the end of the first round of the West.

It's crazy. Absolutely crazy. Well, I mean, selfishly, when you are, Tim, and you've been in this spot before, when you're the number two seed in the Western Conference, you're saying to yourself, all right, we need to get rid of this first round series, not let it go, say, six or seven games, and then really start to worry about the semifinals. not only are you facing a Golden State team that's had your number four times in 10 years in the playoffs, realistically, this is not a 7-seat golden state team.

The team transferred to what they are now based off of the trade and their improved play the back two months of the season. Oh, absolutely, yeah. I mean, the Warriors don't look at themselves as a seventh seat. I don't think anybody should look at them as a 7-C because, you know, let's face it, a couple shots going to all against the clippers and they're in the entire other. bracket. So, yeah, I think, again, I think three to eight, those teams are all in one big mosh pile, though I will say this. I think the other team that is really took off in the last

month and a half of the season are the Clippers. Kawhi Leonard is back, and he's hunting. And that's a problem for everybody in the West. Well, Tammy, thank you so much for coming on. Look forward to catch up with you and your crew coming in this weekend. give me one intangible that no one's talking about that you're going to keep a keen eye on during this seven-game stretch or hopefully seven games at least.

Oh, wow. Yeah, you know, I expect a great series to be honest with you. I don't think, you know, one team has a huge advantage over the other. I would say that, you know, for the Warriors, I think it's got to be said,

you know, what can Cominga do in this series? How can he help the Warriors and will he be an ex-fax? actor if he gets the time in this series that I expect him to get. You know, I think that, that to me would be one thing to kind of keep your eye out. What does he bring to the table for the Warriors? And, you know, on the rocket side, you know, just how they, you know, get used to playoff

basketball, how quickly they get used to that is going to be a big deal for them. And I'm just thrilled that I got through this entire interview without one stripper reference. So there you go. Well, that was an hour and a half ago. Thanks for listening. Before we let you go, hey, we were just talking about Sacramento has largely rejected the A's so far. And you used to live in Sacramento. You're from that era, obviously, and you covered the A's and did games for them for many years as well.

Why hasn't Sacramento said, you know what? I know they're a short-term fix, but we like to have them here. What's up with the lack of love affair right now for them? I think it's just, it just goes back to our ship has as alienated everybody. And I think Sacramento is saying, hey, wait a minute, we think we should have a major league baseball team here. They've wanted one forever. It's really more of a baseball town than a basketball town. It's produced a lot of great basketball players in that area.

And so I think, you know, the ownership has to find any common ground with the fan base right now. And, you know, until they do, you know, they're always talking about Vegas. They're not talking about Sacramento. So I think people are saying, hey, why should I go watch them? and they're only going to be here a couple of years. I think they've got some fence mending to do in the next few months. Well, my key, obviously, you've got to stop Steph. And one for 10 a week ago Saturday was fun for us to watch and call, obviously.

How much physicality will the rockets be allowed on Steph? Will it get into his system a little bit? Will the whistles come quickly? And if those types of games happen like that again, I think the rockets have a very good chance. If there's quick whistles, Steph goes the free throw line, takes advantage of it, or Golden State makes enough moves to separate Rocket defenders, amend Thompson, Dylan Brooks, i.e., anybody else in that group, to give Steve Steph some free avenues, that's where I think the Rockets could be some serious trouble.

I think it's going to be a fun series. All right, well, safe travels, go the speed limit, don't get a ticket, and we'll see you on Sunday night. Oh, I'll bear it back off then. Okay. Yes, that sounds good.