RocketsWire.com's Rahul Lal on Houston's Title Hopes, the HardenCP3 Backcourt, How Rockets Can Beat

What this episode is about

The discussion centers on the Houston Rockets' potential for success this season, highlighted by the newly formed backcourt of Chris Paul and James Harden, and the surrounding supporting cast. Rahul Lal, editor of RocketsWire.com, emphasizes the site's focus on comprehensive coverage of the team, including news, analysis, and community engagement, particularly in response to recent events impacting the franchise and its fanbase.

Key takeaways

• With Chris Paul and Harden, the Rockets could redefine 'ball-dominance' into a beautiful duet.
• Chemistry is key; even the Golden State Warriors weren’t great until they clicked—Houston’s potential is tantalizing.
• D’Antoni's history as a 'point guard whisperer' gives hope for harmony in Houston's high-octane backcourt.
• While the Warriors are formidable, the Rockets might just pen a new chapter in NBA rivalry lore.
• Houston’s supporting cast could shine, transforming from role players to playoff heroes alongside superstars.

Who speaks in this episode?

• Alex Kennedy (Host) · 15 min speaking
• Rahul Lal (Guest) · 10 min speaking

What is discussed, and when

1. 0:00 – 5:00: Rockets Wire, Chris Paul, James Harden, Golden State
2. 5:00 – 10:00: Chris Paul, James Harden, Mike D'Antoni, Ryan Anderson
3. 10:00 – 15:00: Chris Paul, James Harden, Hurricane Harvey, Clint Capela
4. 15:00 – 20:00: Chris Paul, PJ Tucker, Toronto, Mike D'Antoni
5. 20:00 – 24:39: Chris Paul, James Harden, Golden State, PJ Tucker

Notable quotes from "RocketsWire.com's Rahul Lal on Houston's Title Hopes, the HardenCP3 Backcourt, How Rockets Can Beat"

• Intriguing to me the Chris Paul trade obviously was huge I'm really excited to see how this backcourt of Chris Paul and James Harden works together and I think they have a…

  about Chris Paul · at 0:18

• Hurricane Harvey and earlier today an article about the new owner Tillman Fertitta who has you know already opened up his casino in Vegas to the victims of Las Vegas shooting…

  about Tillman Fertitta · at 1:23

• That are on the shortlist of legitimate contenders this season you know certainly everyone wants to see what the Warriors are going to do as they try to defend the championship…

  about Golden State · at 2:37

• And in Luke embalmer tey so I mean when you add those when you add those guys in you add in development from Clint capela Capello has actually gone a bit bigger I mean we…

  about Clint Capela · at 4:10

• Career last year he put James Harden at point guard for the first time and we also Harden was able to do and obviously hard is extremely talented but my point is Mike…

  about James Harden · at 5:25

• Pieces around them to make them more successful whether that's through trades because we know every year at the deadline daryl morey is active making clothes at the vet you…

  about Daryl Morey · at 11:39

• Look at this well first of all backtracking going back to Harvey Houston got hit with this so hard and it's something that has obviously affected people but one of the things that they wanted to stress at the Rockets that Chris Paul.

  about Hurricane Harvey · at 12:47

• Toronto teams want his perimeter defense they want his swagger want his toughness you know he's been talked about as one of the best perimeter defenders in the NBA if you…

  about PJ Tucker · at 17:05

Who and what is mentioned in this episode?

People

• Chris Paul — Person · Referenced star player (Houston Rockets) · 19 mentions · first at 0:18
  Central to the episode’s Rockets preview: discussed as the major offseason addition, fit with James Harden, leadership, and community relief efforts.
• James Harden — Person · Referenced star player (Houston Rockets) · 12 mentions · first at 0:23
  Discussed as the offensive engine and primary ball-handler in Mike D’Antoni’s system, and as the key partner for Chris Paul in a contender-level backcourt.
• Rahul Lal Rao — Person · Main guest · 1 mention · first at 0:07
  Guest analyst and editor of RocketsWire.com providing season preview, chemistry/fit analysis, and community-impact discussion around the Rockets.
  Welcome to another episode of the hoop sight podcast my name is Alex Kennedy and joining me today is the editor of Rockets wired.com Rahul Lal Rao how you doing I'm good how…
• Mike D'Antoni — Person · Referenced head coach / system architect · 4 mentions · first at 5:16
  Framed as the coach most capable of making the Paul–Harden pairing work, with emphasis on his guard-friendly, high-tempo offensive system.
  Also Harden was able to do and obviously hard is extremely talented but my point is Mike D'Antoni's kind of a point guard whisperer so if anyone can make this work I think it's…
• PJ Tucker — Person · Referenced role player (defense/leadership) · 5 mentions · first at 4:07
  Highlighted as a key 3-and-D wing/big defender whose toughness, rebounding, and leadership could be contagious on a contender.
• Trevor Ariza — Person · Referenced veteran wing (3-and-D; leadership/community) · 3 mentions · first at 4:05
  Cited as part of the Rockets’ wing defense and veteran core; also mentioned for community support actions after Hurricane Harvey.
  Harden but I think Paul is more of a facilitator he's someone that is going biggest teammates better if I'm Ryan Anderson and Trevor Ariza and Clint capela PJ Tucker I love the…
• Clint Capela — Person · Referenced starter (center; pick-and-roll finisher) · 3 mentions · first at 4:16
  Discussed as a developing big whose growth and pick-and-roll effectiveness amplify the Paul/Harden offense.
• Ryan Anderson — Person · Referenced rotation player (floor-spacing big) · 4 mentions · first at 4:32
  Positioned as an X-factor due to shooting and fit in pick-and-pop actions with Paul/Harden in D’Antoni’s offense.
  Mean I think that the possibilities are really great and you bring in you know or you still have a recording you still have Ryan Anderson I think that you know I think that…
• Daryl Morey — Person · Referenced executive (Rockets decision-maker) · 2 mentions · first at 1:48
  Mentioned as the active, savvy GM expected to keep improving the roster via trades, buyouts, and potentially adding a third star.
• Tillman Fertitta — Person · Referenced owner / community figure · 1 mention · first at 1:25
  Mentioned as the new Rockets owner and for charitable/community actions (supporting victims via his Las Vegas casino).

Companies & orgs

• Golden State — Company · Competitor · 3 mentions · first at 3:07
  Mentioned as the team to beat in the NBA, with the Rockets positioning themselves as challengers.
• Rockets Wire — Company · Business focus · 3 mentions · first at 0:36
  The main subject of discussion as the editor of Rockets Wire is interviewed about the site's content and mission.
  Wire warriors wire there's a LeBron wire and Alonzo wire that kind of focused on those players individually but you're running Rockets wire what's it been like so far and what…
• Oklahoma City — Company · Competitor · 3 mentions · first at 2:50
  Mentioned as one of the teams in the West that could challenge the Warriors, alongside the Rockets.
  Warriors are going to do as they try to defend the championship and we look at Boston and Cleveland out east in the West you'll have Oklahoma City as well now Houston there's a…
• USA Today Sports Media Group — Company · Parent company · 2 mentions · first at 0:39
  Mentioned as the parent company that launched the NBA wire network, including Rockets Wire.
  Recently just took on this editor job with Rockets wire comm and I want to talk about that a little bit USA Today sports media group launched their NBA wire network and they…
• Boston — Company · Competitor · 2 mentions · first at 2:46
  Mentioned as one of the teams in the East that could challenge the Warriors, alongside the Rockets.
  Certainly everyone wants to see what the Warriors are going to do as they try to defend the championship and we look at Boston and Cleveland out east in the West you'll have…
• Cleveland — Company · Competitor · 2 mentions · first at 2:46
  Mentioned as one of the teams in the East that could challenge the Warriors, alongside the Rockets.
  With so many teams in the past we've seen it with the Boston's of the world you know back in 2008 we saw it with Miami when they got it together you know I mean we've seen it…
• Toronto — Company · Competitor · 2 mentions · first at 17:01
  Mentioned in the context of PJ Tucker's previous team and his contributions there.
  Seeing this year he was really coveted at the trade deadline last year goes to Toronto teams want his perimeter defense they want his swagger want his toughness you know he's…

Places & events

• Hurricane Harvey — Event · Community involvement · 3 mentions · first at 1:20
  Discussed in the context of the Rockets' community relief efforts and the team's response to the disaster.
• Las Vegas shooting — Event · Community involvement · 2 mentions · first at 1:33
  Discussed in the context of the Rockets' owner's response to the tragedy by offering support to victims.
  Stemming from how the team is working on Hurricane Harvey and earlier today an article about the new owner Tillman Fertitta who has you know already opened up his casino in…

Full transcript with timestamps

0:01 welcome to another episode of the hoop sight podcast my name is Alex Kennedy and joining me today is the editor of Rockets wired.com Rahul Lal Rao how you doing I'm good how about you Alex I'm doing well I'm really excited for the season to start and I'm excited to have you on because this Rockets team is so intriguing to me the Chris Paul trade obviously was huge I'm really excited to see how this backcourt of Chris Paul and James Harden works together and I think they have a really interesting supporting cast around them too but before we get into previewing this upcoming season for the Rockets you recently just took on this this editor job with Rockets wire comm and I want to talk about that a little bit USA Today sports media group launched their NBA wire network and they have a number of different sites now Rockets wire Celtics wire warriors wire there's a LeBron wire and Alonzo wire that kind of focused on

0:53 those players individually but you're running Rockets wire what's it been like so far and what kind of content can readers find on Rockets wire calm I mean right off the bat it's just an amazing site it's an amazing new site that's brought on by USA Today sports Media Group and what's really cool about it is that all rockets content all the time and so you hear everything so far we've done you know community news that stemming from how the team is working on Hurricane Harvey and earlier today an article about the new owner Tillman Fertitta who has you know already opened up his casino in Vegas to the victims of Las Vegas shooting for meals and you know lodging and then aside from that you know where we're getting analysis we're getting you know predictions we're getting things to look forward to it's a lot of everything it's you know instant updates anytime daryl morey post something interesting on his Instagram

1:53 or Twitter we got that anytime that you know that somebody you know is that there's an injury update we got that so you know I think that it's a big deal for rockets fans and you know it'll be it'll be a great site for them to follow along yeah it's a cool mix of the instant analysis stuff like transactions and injury news and that kind of stuff with also the deep dive long read more in-depth live coverage you know when you launch the site you did five biggest questions surrounding this team you looked at some of the biggest storylines and those were some long pieces that you know you could really dive into if your rockets fans spend an hour reading them so I think it's a nice mix of coverage now let's talk about this team a little bit because they're one of the teams I think that are on the shortlist of legitimate contenders this season you know certainly everyone wants to see what the

2:44 Warriors are going to do as they try to defend the championship and we look at Boston and Cleveland out east in the West you'll have Oklahoma City as well now Houston there's a number of teams that people are kind of looking at this year to challenge the Warriors you know do you think this team has a legitimate chance to win a championship or they still you know a tear below the Warriors because that's really I think the big question you know can they match up with Golden State in the seven-game series right I mean personally I think that nobody is on the tier of the Warriors yeah that being said I do think that this team has the potential to play their way into that role because it's a beautiful thing when you watch chemistry come together in the NBA we've seen it with so many teams in the past we've seen it with the Boston's of the world you know back in 2008 we saw it with Miami when they got it together you know

3:37 I mean we've seen it with so many different teams and to see that actually come together you see teams you know play essentially kind of better than they are and that's not a shot at any team but rather it's just something something incredible happening with the team and so I think the you know the the chemistry between guys like Chris Paul and James Harden if that can click I think you know they have a little bit of a three-headed defense and monster on the wing in Trevor Ariza and PJ Tucker and in Luke embalmer tey so I mean when you add those when you add those guys in you add in development from Clint capela Capello has actually gone a bit bigger I mean we already saw his development last year skill wise so I mean I think that the possibilities are really really great and you bring in you know or you still have a recording you still have Ryan Anderson I think that you know I think that this team really

4:38 can't be there I do think that they're still ahead of Oklahoma City just because I do have some worries about how that chemistry is gonna fit how the egos may collide you know and so I think that they are the biggest threat to the Warriors right now I would agree with that you know we've recently previewed the the Thunder season and you know for a podcast and I kind of had the same thought as you is you know you look at the Thunder and all those guys in the ball and their hands to be successful and it's hard to imagine kind of odd to imagine them coexisting now the I look at this team in Houston and Mike D'Antoni has been able to win and make make you know point guards that were just average look amazing throughout his career last year he put James Harden at point guard for the first time and we also Harden was able to do and obviously hard is extremely talented but my point is Mike D'Antoni's kind of a point guard

5:35 whisperer so if anyone can make this work I think it's him with Paul and harden in the backcourt how do you see those guys coexisting because they do need the ball in their hands to some extent especially Harden but I think Paul is more of a facilitator he's someone that is going biggest teammates better if I'm Ryan Anderson and Trevor Ariza and Clint capela PJ Tucker I love the fact that I'm playing alongside this backcourt because I don't think there are guys that are going to be selfish at all I think they're gonna be guys that just make their teammates better absolutely and that's what we've seen from you know from interviews from from training camp we've just seen Chris Paul and James Harden they want to get their guys involved I don't think that there's an issue here because first and foremost we have to consider the fact that hey these guys wanted to play together Chris Paul chose Houston it's not a

6:25 trade where Paul George is you know shipped off to team or you know Carmelo opens up his list it's not any of that Chris Paul wanted to be a Houston rocky he wanted to go and play with James Harden so that's the first thing that I think of I think a lot of people overlook is that they wanted to be together the second thing is that these two guys are outstanding at just about everything that you have to do into Mike D'Antoni system they're Brett they're great at playing at his temple they're great at shooting from anywhere and scoring from anywhere they are obviously exceptional passers I mean James Harden was what what didn't he lead the league in this so you know and and obviously we know Chris Paul's you know playmaking ability and so to have those two guys able to set up the offense and and I believe that actually a Chris Paul from my understanding is going to be doing a little more off ball work and so then

7:24 James Harden and so and that's actually very exciting because the things that the way that you'd have to guard Chris Paul off the ball is almost as confusing as trying to guard him on ball and so right that's one thing that hasn't been talked about a lot because I think always throughout Chris Paul's career we've talked about man I want to see him score more I want to see a more be more aggressive that's kind of been the thing that you've heard people say and even some of his teammates say so it's gonna be interesting now playing with a ball handler like James Harden if that unlocks that side of Chris Paul I think you know I I was editing one of your posts the other day and you know Chris Paul had a number of quotes and they're talking about playing off ball and he almost sounded giddy he was like excited that he was able to run to the corner and you know play off the ball and and be a part of the offense that way

8:09 because that's completely new to him I mean his exact words were it's a luxury you know I mean yeah unbelievable - yeah to have a guy who has that passion you know it's it's he's been the league for so long and he just fell in love with basketball all over again playing for Mike D'Antoni I mean that that right there is something to get excited about and also not to mention the bigs that they have Nene you know you look at capela who is an exceptional pick-and-roll player and then you add in obviously you know how dangerous Ryan Anderson can be who I think is is quite an x-factor this year having two guys in Chris Paul and James Harden and distribute the ball and run pick-and-roll and you know picking pops with those guys in a D'Antoni system I mean I think that's absolutely dangerous at every level and I think that they're just gonna keep on hitting them even guys like Tariq black who was brought over

9:07 just to be kind of a depth guy I mean he is athletic he he it's it's almost like a miniature version of a DeAndre and Chris Paul you know pick and roll when you when you're gonna watch them play yeah I'm excited to see this team you mentioned Chris Paul kind of following the basketball again how he's kind of fit with D'Antoni that the fact that he chose Houston do you think this is going to be his long-term future could you see him you know residing here and potentially finishing his career in Houston yeah I can I mean obviously everybody wants to speculate on you know the Banana Boat buddies and you know what's gonna happen but honestly I do think so because it really seems like he's already taken to the community he's already bought into the franchise you know these these guys he wants to win with these guys and Chris Paul if you look at kind of his track record he's not the guy who gives up he's had you

10:05 know plenty of chances to you know to go from one place to the other or to chase a ring or this and that this is his chasing a ring I don't think that he has anything in mind other than I want to win a ring here and this is the the key theme that I've been hearing from Chris from Trevor from everybody around this rockets organization is that this is a veteran team who expects to win a championship not that they think they can do what they expect to win a championship they expect to win it this year they expect to come back next year they expect it you know and so yeah this they're all bought in these are all vets I do think that Chris Paul is here for the long haul but to be fair one of the things is that the NBA is the most unpredictable sport when it comes to free agency and trades as we you know saw this past offseason but I'm fairly confident yeah I mean a few months ago if you had said Chris Paul being Houston

11:03 people I would have thought you're crazy so you never really know but certainly I think it's a good fit and I think how this team performs will you know kind of determine that as well and play a factor in that if he doesn't work out with James Harden if this core doesn't play very well then you know that's gonna impact things too but he's like you said this is his chance to chase a ring and compete for a championship so they have to contend they had to live up to the hype in order for him to want to stay I think but certainly I think the potentials there you know I think daryl morey is a very good GM so I think he'll continue to try to either land a third star or put other pieces around them to make them more successful whether that's through trades because we know every year at the deadline daryl morey is active making clothes at the vet you know whenever veterans start getting bought out

11:49 Houston's gonna be one of those teams that they look at I think because everyone's gonna want to play with Paul and hard and I think you're gonna be able to really get the ball in your hands and be able to contribute so I think Yuson is gonna be interesting all season long there's no question about it I do want to get your thoughts on how this team has kind of worked in the community because I think it's really cool you did a great article on their reaction to hurricane Harvey as you mentioned the owner has done a really good job of supporting you know victims families and some victims in Las Vegas by opening up his casino and offering meals offering lodging really coordinating blood drives it seems like this team is very active in the community Chris Paul was kind of known for that in Los Angeles before and and before that New Orleans you know James Harden has done a really good job in the

12:37 community as well what do you make of that you know the drought that these guys are doing with these relief efforts well I mean it's spectacular when you look at this well first of all backtracking going back to Harvey Houston got hit with this so hard and it's something that has obviously affected people but one of the things that they wanted to stress at the Rockets that Chris Paul specifically wanted to stress is that there are so many times that when you see one of these you know a natural disaster or a tragedy in some form happen it's relevant while it's on TV it's relevant while people are actively in the process of suffering but then the cameras and you know people start looking at different things on the news and that's what Chris Paul really wanted stress is that and and other players as well is that these are their fans but more so these are their family these are the people who make it possible for them to

13:38 do exactly what they love and provide for their family that way so and so that was the biggest sense is that they want to make Houston feel like family they want this season to be something bigger than sports they want that same feeling that you know the Superdome was to the Saints and to the people of New Orleans after Hurricane Katrina and speaking of Chris Paul was actually there in New Orleans as a member you know of you know New Orleans Hornets at the time when that happened and then you know and then now he's here when a lot of people who moved from New Orleans moved to Houston and are suffering and so that's you know that's such an amazing thing is that you know Chris Paul put on his own you know relief efforts and you know they were there were countless days of it you know Clint capela was retweeting people's you know a you know addresses and making sure that the you know they were they

14:39 were getting proper attention and and somebody could come help them and trevor ariza was coming into you know into different food banks delivering pizzas even i mean it's really amazing to see these people because athletes have such a voice you know they they have such a big voice and such you know so much influence and it's just so amazing that you have a guy who's you know the the head of the NBA Players Association and Chris Paul who loves using his voice for positive reasons and it shows you that basketball is bigger than just a game is bigger than the court it's bigger than Records and championships and you know the MVP trophy I mean at the end of the day Chris Paul it feels like could almost care less when it as it pertains to these disasters going on and so this team really is brought to you by the city of Houston this team is really playing for the city of Houston and there it's not the city of

15:41 Houston that they want to drive they want the city of Houston to continue to help them Drive because it feels like that's their inspiration and we focus so much on basketball and on write you know whether these guys can coexist and things on the court but then when something like Harvey happens it does kind of put everything in perspective and like you said I got like Chris Paul drops everything and says okay I need to go help the community I need to go be around these people I need to support everyone and that's just such a cool thing to see and like you said you know these guys they have the ability to you know make an impact and and it is bigger than basketball they're having impact on society Chris Paul is opening up his wallet and giving money Trevor Ruiz is giving his time these guys are using their platform for a great purpose it's really cool really cool to see that and I think we'll

16:28 continue to see that you know throughout this entire year because as you mentioned the cameras went away and you know obviously now people are focused on Puerto Rico and Las Vegas and understandably so these are horrible tragedies but Houston still has a long way to go to recover and I think this you know this core is going to keep doing whatever they can to support you know their fans and their fans families and it's it's really cool to see that now I want to I want to talk a little bit more about the team PJ Tucker is someone that I'm really interested in seeing this year he was really coveted at the trade deadline last year goes to Toronto teams want his perimeter defense they want his swagger want his toughness you know he's been talked about as one of the best perimeter defenders in the NBA if you talked to scores they talked about never wanted to play against him because he makes every point difficult

17:19 he's a pest out there you know how much can you bring to this team on the floor and off the floor and do you think that that is almost contagious a little bit having that kind of that kind of grit that he brings to his team oh absolutely I mean I think that PJ is just one of those guys that nobody in the NBA wants to ever have to match up against you know and and you know you talk about his defense I mean the guy is massive you know he's a big guy he will your best player you know we saw it last year he guarded LeBron in the playoffs that right there should tell you everything that you need to know about PJ is that he actually guarded him and he made it tough on him you know the guys near 250 weight wise and you know I think a lot of times we overlook his offensive ability he shot just under 40% from from three last year so he really is a great 3d guy he's a he's an above-average rebounder actually

18:22 he's way above average he averaged you know nearly six boards I believe in limited minutes last year so you know the guy does a lot for you and I think what he does that's the most effective is just that leadership guy you know I mean and just that toughness that he brings in in practice he was actually suffering from a struggling I should say with a hamstring injury and you know Mike D'Antoni said that he was actually sneaking onto the court to get some reps in I love that right there you know I mean to have that type of leadership to have that type of grit a guy who just wants to play basketball and he said I've been in this league too long to not compete for a ring that's why I came to Houston yeah and that's what I was going to say it's nice to see him on these contending teams you know Toronto last year now Houston because it really did seem like he was wasting the best years of his career in Phoenix a team that

19:20 obviously is uh you know has potential and they have a nice young core but he wasn't gonna win anything there so it's nice to see him in Houston before I let you go let's get your your prediction for this upcoming year we already talked about you know whether this team can match up against the Warriors I think everyone agrees that the Warriors are you know the favorite but where do you see this team finished in terms of their seed and how deep do you see them going in the playoffs I mean I think that you know a best-case scenario is you know if somehow they can they can get one seed but the most likely scenario is probably them getting the two seed I think that their chemistry should click fairly quickly and you know I think that they should really be about to seed somewhere somewhere around I'd say sixtyish wins I do think that there are better Tina's San Antonio I think that they're a better team than

20:17 you know then OKC I think that they'll get it together much quicker than teams like you know Minnesota for example so and as far as the playoffs come go I do think that they're gonna they're gonna face the Warriors I think that it's going to be a 1 versus 2 Western Conference Finals and you know from there it all depends on on how you know like I mentioned earlier how their chemistry works because chemistry really can you know be a beautiful thing and basketball you know is kind of a game of momentum you know if a guy if a guy's just in that groove you know we've seen it with so many different players if a guys in that groove he's in that groove and they're unstoppable so you know I think likelihood is that it winds up being a Western Conference Finals appearance as the furthest that they go but you know who are we to say right now without having seen them you know kind of acclimate to the new offense yeah

21:15 exactly you know that's what it's going to be so much fun watching them come together this year and seeing how they play Golden State obviously has so much talent but if you're a team like Houston you have to put together you know a team like this and and hope that that the Warriors stumble you know they've kind of positioned themselves so that along with you know maybe OKC to be able to make a run in the Western Conference if for whatever reason the Warriors aren't healthy or you know they take a step back and then I think they positioned themselves well for the future too I think Paul could stay long-term and then obviously they signed James are under that extension so this team is not going anywhere they're going to be a container that we're talking about for for years to come and great plug we will be able to read all about them rockets fire calm so absolutely I think you have a wide

22:05 open window you know there's some of these teams where it seems like they're windows closing they're our goat you know but I think the Rockets aren't going anywhere and they also get the sense to and I want your take on this before I let you go it seems like they're a very unselfish group you know they have a lot of guys that really want to put the team first that don't necessarily care about their stats as much as they do winning a lot of guys they're gonna be willing to make sacrifices to go ahead and compete for a championship do you get the same kind of sense when you look at this team yeah absolutely I mean the the entire kind of theme of this year's training camp has been veterans who are willing to do whatever it takes to bring home that ring you know I'm Bob moot a came over from the Clippers after years of you know the same fate as Chris Paul we're close but you know not not close

22:56 enough kind of treatment and so you know PJ Tucker then I mean it's just there's so many great guys there's the Trevor breezes the world you've got you know he's been there he was there with the Lakers you know or at least he was so close and so it's just you know I think that this that this group of guys are really really putting team first minutes don't really matter you know role doesn't really matter stats doesn't really matter I think that these guys just want to win and when you have guys like Chris Paul and James Harden leading the push and you you have guys like Ryan Anderson and and capela who are down low who were just willing to take any role that they that they are asked and you have D'Antoni offense which if run right is you know is one of the most prolific offenses that we've ever seen in MBA history and so I think that the stars really could align for this team and you know I think I think that the

23:56 unselfishness is going to be the main thing yeah at the very least this team is going to be exciting as hell to watch their go ton of points they're gonna run they're gonna shoot a lot of threes so it'll be a lot of fun Raoh well thank you for joining me I really appreciate it man I'm looking forward to continuing that your articles on rockets wired I'm sure our readers are you know looking forward to checking out rockets wired throughout the season yeah absolutely I hope so thank you so much for having me on show outs yeah thanks for jumping on this has been another episode of the hoop sight podcast you can find all the episodes of the podcast on hoops hype calm as well Audio boom Google Play stitcher until next time thanks for listening

Questions about this episode

Who speaks in "RocketsWire.com's Rahul Lal on Houston's Title Hopes, the HardenCP3 Backcourt, How Rockets Can Beat"?

Alex Kennedy (Host), Rahul Lal (Guest).

What is "RocketsWire.com's Rahul Lal on Houston's Title Hopes, the HardenCP3 Backcourt, How Rockets Can Beat" about?

The discussion centers on the Houston Rockets' potential for success this season, highlighted by the newly formed backcourt of Chris Paul and James Harden, and the surrounding supporting cast. Rahul Lal, editor of RocketsWire.com, emphasizes the site's focus on comprehensive coverage of the team, including news, analysis, and community engagement, particularly in response to recent events…

What is mentioned in this The Bill Simmons Podcast NBA episode?

19 people, works and ideas are mentioned, including Chris Paul, James Harden, Rahul Lal Rao, Mike D'Antoni, Golden State, PJ Tucker. Each one on this page links to its own page with every episode that mentions it.

How long is "RocketsWire.com's Rahul Lal on Houston's Title Hopes, the HardenCP3 Backcourt, How Rockets Can Beat"?

The episode runs 25 min; the transcript is about 4,751 words in 27 timestamped sections.

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