Houston Rockets SHOCKING 2nd Seed? Kevin Durant’s Impact on Western Conference

Even with Kevin Durant, should the Rockets actually be considered a lock for the number two seed in the Western Conference? And could anyone potentially actually beat the Oklahoma City Thunder in the second round of the playoffs? It’s locked on NBA Game Night. Let’s go. When that final buzzer rings, you know it’s time for locked on NBA Game Night. All the postgame reactions to every game across the league, every single night with insights only the hosts at Locked On can provide. It’s the true NBA fans. One stop for all the action, every game, every night. It’s Locked On NBA Game Night, tipping off now. Welcome to another edition of Locked on NBA Game Night. No games right now, so we’re just covering the biggest topics around the association. Here we are part of the Lockdown Podcast Network, your team every day. On Fridays, I’m your co-host, JakeMadison, Nola Jake on Twitter, and the host of the Lockdown Pelicans podcast. And I’m John Carales, John_ceralis on Twitter, host of the Locked On Celtics podcast. Uh, we appreciate you making Lockdown NBA and Lockdown NBA game night your first listen today and every day. We are here seven days a week cuz there’s no offseason in the NBA covering the biggest stories around the league. So, please subscribe wherever you get your podcast. Join us on YouTube as well and comment along on YouTube. And let’s get into the topics that we want to cover. They they looked at the Eastern Conference yesterday on the show, John. So, we’re we’re going to focus on the Western Conference here. And I want to start off with the Houston Rockets. Look, they made arguably the biggest move of the offseason, bringing in Kevin Durant. So, the question then becomes, they’re not better than OKC, but are they the second best team in the West? Not so sure. But let’s first go to Jackson Gatlin of Locked on Rockets for his opinion. The Houston Rockets are absolutely the second best team in the Western Conference this upcoming season. What’s up? This is Jackson Gatlin, host of Locked On Rockets. And look, man, you’re talking about a Rockets team that just won 52 games this past season. They were the number two seed already in a bloodbath of a Western Conference. And you’re adding Kevin Durant to that roster. They didn’t gut their roster to get KD. They’re just they traded Jaylen Green and Dylan Brooks and they signed Dorian Finey Smith to replace Dylan Brooks. So effectively, you’re swapping Jaylen Green for Kevin Durant. And look, yes, KD will be 37 this upcoming season. Yes, there is a bit of an injury history there. But pending health, KD shows no signs of slowing down. He’s still very much a top 10 player and one of the most gifted, efficient scorers to ever touch a basketball, which addresses the Rocket’s biggest weakness this past season. They didn’t have an alpha. They didn’t have a true go-to number one guy, an option to get them tough, clutch buckets at the end of close games when they just needed to put points on the board. The defense will still be elite. They will still be a nightmare on that side of the basketball. And you sprinkle in a little bit of internal growth and development for the other young guys like Alpin Shingun, like Amin Thompson, Jabari Smith Jr., Trey Een. I don’t know how you can’t look at this Rockets team as being the de facto number two team in the Western Conference. All right, John, what do you think? Is Jackson correct or are there concerns about the Rockets here? So, I I don’t know like I think I think there’s a middle a middle ground here. Like I I understand every reason why the the Rockets are in there as the like I the de facto number two. Everybody talks about OKC in Houston. OKC in Houston. It’s always like they’re the same. It’s like one team and it’s like the LA it’s okay see in Houston. But the Yeah, I I get it. I get it. And and everything Jackson said is correct. My my question here is we know progress isn’t linear in in the NBA. So that’s something a lot of people forget. Yes. And so I understand 41 wins, 52 wins last year. Um, and you you say, “Okay, well, we’re going to take another another step forward. How can you not take a step forward?” You you improve the roster. No doubt. So, yes, on paper, I understand why people are going into the season saying Rockets are number two, hands down. I still question whether that youth is going to slip somewhere, whether they are going to kind of start going off on their own individual things. This is one of the the problems with young teams. Guys start to say, “Okay, I’m going to I’m going to start going for mine, right?” Like like may maybe Shingun starts taking a few too many shots. Maybe he’s he’s like, “Okay, I’m going to make my my push.” There’s always that risk. So on paper, yes, the Rockets, I get it. But I still kind of need to see it because I still believe in like the Denver Nuggets, for example. I believe in some of these other teams as potential, and we’re going to get to it in the second segment about threats, but I believe in other teams as real threats and teams that could potentially come out of the West. So, I’m not I’m not a 100 I’m not as sold on the Rockets as everybody else. So, I I think there’s a couple things to look at it with this, right? Like one, yeah, the the you know, Jackson says the Houston Rockets were the two seed last year, and there, you know, that’s a fact here. But like you could argue they were one of the worst two seeds we’ve seen in recent memory in the NBA, right? Like that they didn’t look like a two seed in the postseason here. So, I think, you know, as we’re talking about this and it’s like, are they for sure the two seed? like yeah maybe in terms of win losses but are they actually like the second best team in the west is a slightly different discussion when it comes down to it but also to the first point of that right in terms of just wins and losses and being the actual number two seed you know if Kevin Durant plays 60 games right or 65 games and not 82 games are they going to lose those games that he doesn’t play because they are missing that alpha scoring guy that they need and there has been that injury concern with Kevin Durant you know say they get into the postseason technically is the third seed. They might be the second best team if you get a healthy Durant there, but you know, I’m nitpicking the semantics of like the the frame point of the discussion here, but I think that’s kind of a factor into it as well, right? Like look, they’re going to be good. I don’t think there’s any denying that Kevin Durant is probably the most plugandplay kind of guy that you could put on that team in my opinion. I’m not worried about team chemistry or anything like that when it comes to that roster and what they’re going to be able to achieve. It’s just more is he actually going to stay healthy or not. They’re going to be very good defensively. I think you get the score that you need. There’s a lot to like there, but one injury as we’ve seen, you know, with the Phoenix or any other team can completely derail that. And look, that’s more likely to happen to a player that’s older than not. That I mean, that is the huge risk, right? I mean, it’s huge risk for any team. And like I know whenever we we do our like, hey, put put a prognosis together for your team, they always say just don’t say injuries because that’s always going to be the case. Every that’s all I’m allowed to say in New Orleans. So that’s right. You know, like I cover the Boston Celtics. Jason Tatum, you know, tearing his Achilles tendon is that’s why the Celtics are going to be a middling team probably at best. So yeah, the Rockets. Yeah, you you’re you’re dealing with a 36-y old who is like you’re you’re putting everything in the Kevin Durant basket, right? He is your primary scorer. He is your guy and you probably can count on him, but yeah, the older you get, there is always the risk. You don’t know from year to year to year exactly what you’re going to get and also exactly how many games he’s going to have to miss to be his best in the playoffs and how how the grind of the playoffs when you get to the every other day grind. How how is that going to be? So, I’m not I’m not trying to downplay the Rockets. They will probably finish either at or near the second seed. They are one of the best teams in the West, hands down. I’m just like tapping on the brakes. Not even pumping the brakes, tapping on the brakes when it comes to the Rockets because if something happens to KD, then what? Or if KD has to miss little bits of time here and there, then what? And and and I do I I want to see if that prog progress is linear from some of the other guys, the younger guys that you’re counting on. Yeah. You know, I I think that’s that’s kind of one of the big things. And look, like Kevin Durant’s not averaging 60. I don’t have the exact numbers, but looking at it, right, like since he came back from that injury since basically 2021, he’s he’s not averaging 60 games per season right now. And that’s not necessarily an encouraging sign for a team that desperately needs him to be healthy and playing, right? Look, everyone needs their their best player to be healthy and playing. That’s not breaking news here. But then how does you know if he leaves and misses time are those young guys going to get some of the developmental minutes they need earlier on to be ready to kind of replace him kind of to your point on this and that might stunt some of the growth or lead it to it not being linear with some of these younger players I think so I think it’s and then you look at teams as you mentioned earlier like the Denver Nuggets have looked very good this off seasonason’s still going to be there competing I think it’s not a lock at all that the Houston Rockets are going to end up as the two seed Look, he got guys like, look, Ahmed Thompson, you know, Reed Shepard, these are guys that 22, 21. Uh, Reed Shepard doesn’t play though, right? Well, he’s going to have to play. You know what I mean? And when he does play, he’s going to have to start putting up some some numbers because he’s got team options coming up. You know what I’m saying? Like these are like Aman Thompson is I have the salary sheet right here. He’s 22 years old. He’s going to make 9.6 6 9.7 million team option this upcoming season. Uh 12.3 the next season. Then he’s a restricted free agent. This is where he’s going to start saying, “Hey, I need to start making my money as well as every like and and we know that winning a championship takes sacrifice. You’ve got a few guys on this team that are like uh their personal goals have the risk of taking away from the sacrifice necessary. That that’s where I start to question like I need I just need to see them get through that part. Well, let’s look at some of the teams that maybe could kind of take the place of the two seed here for the Houston Rockets because we want to look at OKC. The defending champions don’t have a lot of luck the year after they win a title. Let’s talk about the second round. Yes, specifically the second round of the postseason. That’s coming up here next in today’s episode of Locked on NBA Game Night. Today’s episode of Locked on NBA Game Night is brought to you by Game Time. Look, we’ve all been there. logging on early and waiting forever for concert tickets to go on sale only to lose your spot for a show you’ve been dying to see. Live music should be about making memories, not dealing with the stress of ticket shopping. It’s where Game Time comes in. Game time makes getting concert tickets faster and easier than ever, and prices actually drop as it gets closer to Showtime. So, you can save up to 60% off with their killer lastminute deals. If you’re tired of like searching around looking for the best deal, Game Time’s Zone Deals pick the best seats in the section you want for you. It takes the work out of it. And if you’re going to go see a concert or show at a venue you’ve never been to before, the app has a panoramic Zeke View, so there’s no surprises. 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So, John, let’s stay in the Western Conference. And you brought this I had kind of forgotten about this, but you brought this to my attention. I just saw it happen that Yeah, I know. You got you got a lot of firsthand experience. F now. Now, five of the last seven NBA champions have lost the following year in the second round of the playoffs. So, a team hasn’t repeated since Golden State, was it eight years of 2018? So, we this is this is like the ultimate NBA parody. And last, not this past season, the season prior when the Celtics won the championship, coming into this season, everybody was like, “Oh, well, yeah, the Celtics are going to get back to the finals.” It was not even a question. We thought it was going to be like it it was going to break the trend and everything. Never a question about this. And even like Joe, but Joe Misoula, I remember having conversations with Joe Misoula and he’d be like on your show on my show at practices and whatnot about him like he’s like look this whole conversation about second round. We we got to get out of the second round too and like the Celtics did not. So the question is here, no matter what we think, and I think pretty universally everybody’s looking at the OKC Thunder as not only like potential to repeat, but built to withstand a second apron in a weird like way that that is not every team’s going to have a chance to do. But but what if what if something happens like for some reason five of the last seven and there have been a lot of teams that are like we expect them to get back to the finals. What if OKC follows the trend? Who who could be the team to knock OKC out in the second round? So, if we’re having this discussion, right, you’ve got to kind of factor in the standings, I think, a little bit too when it comes down to it, right? Like, you know, assuming OKC is going to be the one seed. They dispatch the the eighth seed, let’s say, in the first round, then you’re looking at them play the winner of the four five series at that point in time. So, like, what team is a threat if they end up at like four or five? And look, you know, if we’re putting the Houston Rockets at two, let’s kind of rule them out of this discussion potentially, right? You’re looking at a team like Minnesota or Denver most likely being the team that the Oklahoma City Thunder would play in the second round. And look, I like what Denver did this off season. I still think Nicola Joic is the best player in the league. That’s a threat, right? Like even if you like OKC better, if Joic does special Jokic things, that dude is very very tough to stop. So, you know, I don’t worry about a team like Minnesota as much against OKC, but a team like Denver that definitely feels like they took a step forward and still has some flexibility to maybe do something else. That’s the type of team that would scare me if I were an OKC fan. That’s my number one choice. They’re the team that that nearly beat OKC in this p in this past playoffs. Like they’re much closer than it than it should have been, right? Or right there. And they got nothing from Michael Porter Jr. And now they have now fixed that problem, right? They they’ve brought in um uh who they uh uh Cam Cam Cam Johnson. Not Cam John. It’s Cam Johnson. It’s always the Cams that I get screwed. They brought Cam Johnson in, right? Christian Brown has gotten better. Um, you you you’ve brought in Bruce Brown, the the guy that you know knows how to help in this situation and like wants to be there and is like the right guy for Denver truthfully. Absolutely. So, um, you brought in Tim Harderway Jr. and most importantly, I think Jonas Valenunis to give, uh, give Joic a real break. Like, is he is he a star player? But no, but he’s a legit guy. If you have if you have Valenunis as your backup, he is that now that’s that’s a big step up there. So I think they addressed a lot of the things that hurt them and they were still the team that took OKC to the limit. So I think if any team is going to do it, Denver is the obvious choice. Yeah. Like that’s the one that immediately becomes top of mind when you’re having this discussion of like threat to OKC in the playoffs. Right. Again, we’ve got to factor in seeding, too. So, I’m removing Houston from this since we just talked about him as the two seed, so you wouldn’t get matched up with them in the second round. Could there be like a surprise team in there like the Los Angeles Lakers? Look, it’s LeBron and in a in a skinny like fit Luca. How about the Clippers? Like, I think Clippers more so than than the Lakers. I’d say the Clippers more so than the Lakers be because again, that’s a team that could fall into that that mix. I mean, the Clippers could be a first round matchup for all we know. I I kind of like I kind of like what the Clippers have done. It’s a weird mix. It’s It’s a lot of super veterans. I am Am I Am I wrong for being a little higher on the Bradley Beal thing? I know he’s always hurt, but in, you know, considering who they they have a bunch of guys who always hurt, so you’re you’re kind of like, can you just maneuver when one guy is hurt, one guy is healthy? But I I do think the Clippers are actually kind of like a sneaky team to watch in there. They I don’t think they have the speed that that will bother the the Thunder, but looking at teams that you’re like, well, second round, I don’t know. The Clippers the Clippers have a chance if things go right. You know, I I’d say them more so than the Lakers. I don’t think the Lakers have the depth for it. They have the top end talent, but I don’t think they have the depth overall in that roster. At times looks a little wonky to me. Clippers have that more depth. Then look, you also have Kawhi Leonard that like if he is the Kawhi Leonard we’ve seen in the past, right? He’s going to shut down Shay Gilis Alexander to not shut him down but make his life more difficult and that changes that series all of a sudden, right? If you have an SGA stopper and we’ve we all know who Kawhi Leonard is. So that does make them a little bit more intriguing here. What about I think one of the things that’s going to bother OKC is just knockdown shooting. Could the war could the Warriors could the Warriors surprise the Thunder? I mean, they’re old and they’re they they still lack depth and the Jonathan Kaminga thing is still way out there and we don’t know who the the Warriors are going to be, but we know they have Steph. We know they’ve got shooting. We know that they have a a a kind of like a a style that will lead to a high volume three-point shot, high variance type of thing. Could we could we see a series of Steph gets ungodly hot, maybe Jonathan Kaminga or whoever you’re in the Kaminga trade, maybe you add Al Horford and he like has a game that he wins because he hits five three-pointers. That type. Could the Warriors be that shocking second round team to knock out the Thunder? I’m gonna actually be pretty emphatic on this one. No. No. No. They cannot be that team. That actually gives me an idea. I got a real or fake for you that’s coming up here next in today’s episode of Locked On NBA Game Night. And thank you for making Locked on NBA Game Night your first listen today and every day. We are here seven days a week covering the biggest stories. The offseason doesn’t stop in the association. We’re covering it all here on Locked on NBA Game Night. For your second listen, go make it Locked on Thunder. Are they worried about anything over there right now? They might just be writing high off the title. Not not a concern. Go listen to Ryland Styles on the Locked On Thunder podcast. Make them your second listed today. Part of the Locked on Podcast Network, your team every day. All right, John, you give me an idea for a real or fake here, which is what we do on Fridays. Let’s hit the music. Is this real or fake? Just ask. So, I just love the music. That’s so much fun to me. Real or fake? Yeah. This is the last gasp, the last dance for the Golden State Warriors this season. Yeah. Yeah. So real. So real. Yeah. So real. the realest reel I’ve ever seen. Look, I I appreciate what Steph Curry has done, right? He’s revolutionized this game. And I think when you come back into NBA history, like when you 20 years from now, we’ll we’ll look back and really understand how gamechanging Curry was. His impact is going to be just undeniable. If you don’t see it now, and you can still see it now, it’s going to be even greater in the future. Yeah. Yeah. He’s he’s in like that Pantheon Hall of Fame or as I like to say the Hall of Fame’s Hall of Fame. Yeah, that’s a great way to put it. And Okay, but he’s 37. He’s 37 and and honestly, like that there’s only so much he can do. Jimmy Butler is it’s he’s done. He’s he’s just can’t be what he’s what he was that playoff Jimmy that guy. He he just can’t do that anymore. Now they they have the potential for you know a little bit of noise. I don’t know if I want to say a run again the whole Kaminga thing. I don’t even think like okay so you bring him back like is that enough? Who do you get for him if you trade him? Are you going to get enough in a trade to make that a big deal? I know they’re waiting on a couple of potential signings after the Kaminga thing. I know Al Horford there is a kind of perceived as a done deal. They’re gonna be super old and they’re gonna they I don’t see a ton of I don’t see a ton of depth on that team. You know, you’re really leaning on Brandon Pensky to do a lot off the bench. You’re leaning on Buddy Heel to do a lot off that bench. So, I I I think they’re kind of in their death rattle anyway, but I don’t know. This this could be like you pull the plug and and like maybe there’s like Oh, wait. They’re they’re still kicking. They’re still kicking. But if they if whatever they do this year is is going to be better than what happens, I think next year they’re just going to have to accept what it is and move on. I mean, they don’t have flexibility to really do much, right, to to dramatically change the roster. It’s an aging roster that is very expensive that they are It’s like that towel. You’re just trying to ring every last drop out of it, which look, they probably should be. But here’s the thing, right? If Kaminga was going to be the guy to kind of carry the torch for that team in the future, this you’d have paid him by now and he wouldn’t be a restricted free agent hanging out, right? Like I get trying to get the right cost for him and you have the leverage given he’s a restricted free agent. We talked about it last week on the show, too. But look, you don’t want to b upset him to the point where he’s just like screw y’all. I don’t want to be here anymore. If he was good enough, you would have paid him. This wouldn’t be an issue anymore. But clearly they don’t believe in him that much. He was getting DMPS in the playoffs, right? They don’t believe him. It’s really is that simple. So you you just don’t have the next guy to carry your team going forward. Meaning this group is essentially essentially done in my opinion. Look, can they get into the playoffs? Yeah, I believe that. Could they maybe get out of the first round? Probably not. Can they win, you know, make it a six game series in the first round? Yeah. You know, does that count as noise? Does it count as a as a dance, a run, whatever? Probably not, right? Like that’s kind of where I see them. That’s why, you know, in the last segment I’m like, no, I don’t think they’re going to challenge the Thunder in the second round in any capacity. I think that’s it because they would the the the thing there is they have to get out of the first round is like a great point. Like you have to get out of the first round to make the second round upset. Um, so it would just it tough like especially with Steph Curry with the style that he plays. Just all of that running. That’s a lot of running, man. And it’s amazing. It’s amazing that he he still does it. That’s a lot of running. It’s too many miles and he’s they’re they’re just I don’t know what’s Steve Kiran do. How is he going to change that offense? Is he going to change that offense? You can’t at this point. You just try it. You just keep rolling with it. It is what it is. is what it is. So, okay, I’m gonna I’m gonna ask you another real or fake here. I want to switch gears. You want to get a little silly here at the end. It’s a Friday, of course. More minutes. It’s a Friday, of course. Let’s end it on a positive note. We got five more minutes to talk. There we go. USA Today.com’s for the win blog put out a ranking of all current NBA mascots here. I I have a problem with this list. Look, it’s a fun list. I’m not going to like actually flame anybody or be that upset here. Real or fake, Kingake Baby is the worst mascot in the NBA. The Pelicans Kingake Baby is the worst, creepiest, scariest, whatever word you want to use. Well, actually, he is those things. Real or fake, he’s the worst mascot in the I listen, which is You got to appreciate King Cake Baby for what he is. Come on now. What are we doing here? Like, it’s I think Kingake Baby is awesome. It’s He’s freaky. There’s no doubt about it. There’s no doubt about it. But there’s I it I kind of I’ve grown to love the King Cake, baby. There’s no way he should Yeah, there’s no way he’s There’s so many teams out there with crap. Don’t have mascots. Those should be the ones at the bottom. The Lakers, the Knicks, the Warriors, the Nets don’t have mascots. Those should be at the back there. Look, I’m not a big fan of the Celtics mascot, but like Hey, wait now. Now, where’s the Celtics mascot here? 28th. Okay, so the Celtics mascot is actually a person, right? Like there’s the logo is actually a person and the Celtics mascot known by as Lucky the leopard. He is like the guy dressed as the mas. So, but he he goes out there and does like the the dunks off the trampolines, which are amazing. I watch them all the time. Uh he I know he’s he like busts his butt to do this stuff. He’s out there entertaining. He’s very like acrobatic, athletic. He’s doing cool stuff. What’s a mascot supposed to do? Entertain the crowd. He entertains the crowd. Is he like the the best mascot in the world? Like according No. Like I I get how some of these guys can be like because you’re doing some of this stuff in the costumes. Okay, fine. But like So go ahead. God, good. Like all mascots are good mascots in my opinion. Also, if you rank Kingake Baby that low, he’s just going to show up to your house and maybe like murder you. So, I don’t know why you would do that in the first do not anger King Cake Baby. What are you thinking there? That’s just that’s like a horror movie of someone like saying like, “What’s the worst that could happen to us?” Like, of course there’s there’s you’re going to get killed. How is How is Hugo the Hornet, who is an actual person with just a bodysuit on? How is he seventh? But no, no, they have they have two Hugos. There there’s Super Hugo and then there’s the like actual like Oh, man. This is crazy. On this one, the Sun’s gorilla is 17th. Like, no, he’s like one of the OGs. Like, that’s a dude from the 80s, right? Like, he needs like Yeah. Like Hakee down there. Like, no. This is the the gorilla is like the original the original gorilla could not be beat. Don’t even don’t even talk to me if you think the original gorilla like he was the reason why NBA mascots became awesome. 1980, right? Like you got to think about that. You some of these mascots that were like uh Benny the Bull from Chicago 1969 by the way might be the oldest one on there which I also think is pretty cool to actually think about here. Um, what I do not like is Chuck the Condor with the Clippers. I don’t I just don’t like the way he looks. I don’t know. Like, nothing against you, Chuck. I don’t I don’t get why the Clippers have a Condor. Maybe there’s something that I’m missing. I know. So, I guess they’re endangered and they’re like they’re out there. Like, that’s great. I mean, I I don’t think animal on the verge of extinction unless you protect them is the way you want your team to be kind of seen. So, no. Um, I get I get like the the the Rocky uh he’s like flying all over the place like that. Some of these some of these mascots are like or or or stuff the ma like I was in Orlando for uh the Celtics Magic series and they brought him all the way up to the rafters in a like anybody that’s going from like the floor to the rafters on a harness like you get my respect because I don’t even want to like look over the ledge of a balcony. We’re going to end on this. You remember what happened to Rocky, the Denver Nuggets mascot, when they tried lowering him down from the Raptors one time? Have you you know this when he passed out and then like collapsed on the ground as they were lowering his like limp body from No, I don’t remember that. Actually, I don’t remember. Look it up after if if any of yall haven’t seen it. This is why you almost have to rank him number one. I don’t know what happened, but he was like up there passed out and is there just lowering him down. It just looks like like he’s not real and then he just hits the ground and like is on the ground. And it’s like, oh no, this has gone horribly wrong. No one was hurt. Everyone was fine, so that’s good. But it’s it the video is absolutely hilarious to me. Uh former Okay. Yeah. Good. No, I was just going to I’m just going to just crap on Franklin the Dog in Philadelphia because he sucks. That’s all right. That’s it. We But we’ll end on We’ll end on Rocky being great. And that’s going to do it for this episode of Locked on NBA game night. Some mascot talk on a on a Friday here. Of course, we got to do that. As always on Fridays, I’m your co-host JakeMadison. Nola Jake on Twitter and the host of the Lockdown Pel. This is content for the three remaining people listening. I’m John Corales. Find me on Twitter, John_Curales, and I host the Lockdown Celtics podcast. We appreciate you all listening. We’ll be back with y’all next week. And King Cake Baby is gonna find you somehow, probably. Do not anger King Cake Baby.

Are the Houston Rockets poised to dominate the Western Conference? Kevin Durant’s arrival sparks debate on the team’s potential as a top contender.

Jake Madison (@LockedOnPelicans) and John Karalis (@LockedOnCeltics) dissect the Rockets’ chances, weighing Durant’s impact against injury concerns and team chemistry. The discussion shifts to the Oklahoma City Thunder’s playoff prospects, with Shai Gilgeous-Alexander’s performance under scrutiny. Golden State Warriors’ future and NBA mascot rankings round out this analysis-packed episode.

Tune in for expert insights on Western Conference dynamics and a lighthearted debate on the league’s most memorable mascots.

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