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00:00Vintage Steph Curry. Incredible. Just an incredible shot maker. Now to Curry. Got to pick him up. Shakes loose. Oh my goodness. Beats the shot clock. Steph Curry with 28. His fourth three. This is unreal, Craig.
00:18I'm just telling you, man. I got PTSD from seeing this dude too many times in the playoffs. I'm just going to admit it. Comes into Curry on the bounce. Launches deep one. Oh my goodness. And he hits it from the Y at Toyota Center.
00:32Now, back to Willard and Dibbs on 95.7 The Game. That would be post-traumatic Steph disorder. That's a four.
00:42That Craig Ackerman, the TV voice of the Rockets, was expressing the other night. And he's going to join us here on the River Islands guest line right now. Before he does, though, two quick pieces of NBA injury news to pass along. And one of them is not good for Warriors fans. First one has to do with the game that's about to tip here shortly. Jason Tatum is officially out. So there will not be any Jason Tatum in game two for the Boston Celtics with their 1-0 lead on the Orlando Magic.
01:11But for the Warriors, a late downgrade to questionable Brandon Pajemski with an illness. So have no idea any further information than that. But the late downgrade for Brandon Pajemski, look, I think most people would argue Warriors' most important role player right there.
01:36And a lot of minutes to fill in if he can't play. So that's a big deal. Let's get Craig Ackerman into the conversation. Good afternoon, Craig, especially on a game day. Thank you for coming on.
01:49Good afternoon, and no problem. Thanks for having me.
01:51Yeah, hey, just real quick, since that happened, the downgrade of Brandon Pajemski to questionable, if he were to miss this game, how do you see that affecting things?
02:00I mean, I think that affects a lot. He played well the other night. He's someone else who is a perimeter threat that the Rockets need to deal with, depending upon how they ultimately decide to defend Steph Curry tonight.
02:19Maybe they'll send some more double teams and blitz them and get the ball out of his hands. I guess it's one less perimeter threat that they would have to worry about in that situation.
02:28But obviously, for any team at this time of the year, you want to be at full strength and to not have one of those guys that have been part of a starting lineup that's been really, really, really good for Golden State.
02:40To not have him obviously does not help the Warriors.
02:42So, how do the Rockets go about defending Steph Curry? Because two games back, the Rockets held him on one of ten for three points, and then game one in the series, it felt like they defended him pretty well, but Steph was able to get 31.
02:56Is it a case of different approach in game two, or do they just stick Ahmed Thompson on him again and hope that Steph doesn't throw in three miracle threes again?
03:05Well, I mean, look, he's done that his entire career, and it does seem like he's hit like three of those per game against the Rockets for the last decade.
03:15But yeah, so Ahmed Thompson will be the primary guy on him, but they might end up sending more doubles at him.
03:20I think you saw a little bit of that toward the end of the game. Maybe you'll see them, and they've done it this year, where they'll blitz the other team's best score and try to get the ball out of their hands,
03:29and then they just kind of dare other guys on their roster to beat you. Whether or not that happens here tonight, we'll see, but I think that's possibly a strategy.
03:38But sometimes, even when, look, I think the three points that Curry had a couple of weeks ago was an aberration.
03:45You know, that was the kind of game that you never see from him, and he's obviously much better than that.
03:53And so, I think even when you do defend him as well as you possibly can, he still finds ways to beat you, and if he does, again, you just got to tip your cap and move on.
04:03But maybe we'll see some more double teams and try to get the ball out of his hands and dare some of these other guys to beat them.
04:08Craig Ackerman, TV voice of the Rockets, with us here on Willard and Dibbs.
04:12I'd love to dive a little further into your PTSD, Craig, and I wonder how it affects the entire series.
04:20I get that the Rockets players didn't experience this, but I also know what things are like when it kind of hangs over an organization and the fan base.
04:29Like, how is the history of this matchup still in the building tonight?
04:36Well, I mean, look, for me personally, it hadn't been fun.
04:39I mean, I've been here forever.
04:41This is my 31st season, not doing this, but my 31st season with the organization.
04:46So I was there for every single one of the previous four playoff matchups, primarily doing radio back then.
04:54And so I've been there, done that, and would prefer to not do it again from a personal standpoint.
05:00The players on this team, most of these guys obviously were never, none of these guys were around for any of that.
05:06Although the young guys on this team, up until they beat them in that NBA Cup quarterfinal game in Houston,
05:13none of the young guys had ever beaten them earlier, but it is something that does kind of hang over the Warriors,
05:19the fan base, the Warriors have been the Rockets kryptonite for a very long time.
05:23And the irony, I guess, the sad irony from my perspective would be after all those years
05:30when the Rockets tried to compete with them, and that group that they tried to compete with a handful of years ago,
05:37I thought was the best, the most talented team ever assembled.
05:41Obviously, they had their chances, the Chris Paul hamstring injury, then the 27 missed threes in Game 7,
05:45and so on and so forth.
05:46They didn't get it done.
05:48This is a different group, but the irony would go from that,
05:50and then to finally be back in the playoffs after five years,
05:54and then you match up with the Warriors again, and Curry is still doing his thing.
05:58It can be a little bit deflating, but look, I respect Steph Curry.
06:02I respect his pantheon on the all-time great level of players.
06:07He's just an incredible talent, and again, sometimes you can do your best to try to slow him and stop him,
06:13and he just still finds a way to get it done.
06:15Yeah, 59 career 30-plus point games in the playoffs,
06:20eight against Houston, which is the most against any single opponent,
06:24so your PTSD is well-earned.
06:26Craig Ackerman here on 95-7, the game.
06:29So beyond the stopping Steph conundrum, which Houston faces,
06:33how do you go about having more offense for a team that really struggled in Game 1 to shoot it?
06:40Yeah, well, look, this team, like the last six weeks of the regular season,
06:44they actually did shoot the ball as well as they had the entire year.
06:48So there's that, but generally speaking, yes, this is a Rockets team that if you can get them in a half court,
06:55the reliability of their perimeter shooting, you can't rely on that from a game-to-game basis.
07:05There have been times when they have shot the ball very well,
07:06and again, they did shoot the ball a lot better towards the end of the season,
07:10but they win games because they're the hustle stats team.
07:13As you guys saw in Game 1, and the Warriors are a terrific rebounding and offensive rebounding team themselves.
07:20The Rockets have been the best rebounding and offensive rebounding team in the league the entire year,
07:25and in fact, they've been the best offensive rebounding team that the league has seen in years,
07:29and a lot of times, some of their best offenses push out to the rim and getting the misses,
07:34but they have to win the offensive rebound battle.
07:37They have to win the second-chance points battle.
07:39But their turnovers in the first half, there were just too many of them,
07:42and it cascaded into that big run by the Warriors in the second quarter,
07:46and that's when things really got out of control.
07:48But they've got to win points off the turnovers.
07:50They were very limited in terms of their fast-break points.
07:53Golden State's a terrific transition defense, as are the Rockets,
07:56but the Rockets did not get much transition offense at all in Game 1.
08:00They've got to play with more tempo.
08:01They've got to get in their sets quicker.
08:03And then hopefully, they're not going to be, you know, what were they, 6 of 29, 6 of 39 bad
08:09from the three-point line moving forward.
08:12Craig, what you're talking about is exactly what Aumann Thompson was talking about
08:16after shoot-around today, and I'm sure the Warriors are well aware of it.
08:20Like, the Rockets need to do more in transition.
08:23You just said the Warriors are a great transition defensive team.
08:28So is that easier said than done?
08:30Rockets want to push the pace, but can you just do that if you want to?
08:35Well, they've got to force turnovers, which Golden State at times,
08:38those live ball turnovers, is a bit, it has been, a little bit of the Achilles heel
08:45during this great run that they've had over the last decade.
08:50Now, the Rockets did score their fair share of points off of turnovers in Game 1,
08:55and I think they will probably do so again.
08:57But they have to limit their turnovers, which, again, is easier said than done
09:01because Golden State's been playing the best defense in the league
09:03since acquiring Jimmy Butler, and they're forcing more turnovers than everybody.
09:06But they've got to limit their live ball turnovers because they can't allow
09:09Golden State to get easy baskets.
09:14And then they just, they've got to be more decisive.
09:16They've got to get into their actions quicker.
09:19And when they attack, and it's very difficult to get to the rim against Golden State,
09:22when they have to attack, they have to understand that if they're not going to get
09:26all the way to the rim and the Warriors' defense collapse on them,
09:29there are opportunities to drive and kick, and they need to make more of those opportunities,
09:34create more of those opportunities quicker and more often,
09:38and then just hope again that some of those shots start to drop
09:42because they just did not make enough shots in Game 1.
09:44Are there any personnel changes that would assist in that drive and kick?
09:49Because I look at what this team has been throughout the regular season,
09:52and some of the better shooters on the roster are guys who have not been playing of late.
09:58Well, I mean, Dylan Brooks has had a heck of a year.
10:00He's almost at 40% from the three-point line.
10:03Dylan's actually been amazing in the two years that he's been.
10:06So he's certainly capable.
10:09Now, Fred VanVleet and Jalen Green have struggled against the Warriors all year.
10:12Jalen Green has struggled historically his entire career against the Warriors.
10:17Those are the two primary guys that ultimately, I think, need to be better.
10:24They're going to maybe play a little bit more of that double-big lineup than we saw in Game 1.
10:28That double-big lineup was between Stephen Adams and Alfred Shinguen
10:32was the best two-man combination in the league.
10:34Their net rating was just insane, and they were all year long.
10:38They've been running teams off the floor.
10:39When those two guys play with one another, maybe see some more minutes for Stephen Adams,
10:44maybe see some more Aaron Holiday off the bench.
10:47He shot the ball really well from three this year.
10:50If Jalen and or Fred can't seem to get it going,
10:53but I think they're basically going to stick with the eight that you saw in Game 1,
10:59maybe a little bit more Adams, and then again, maybe some Aaron Holiday moving forward
11:03in this series if Jalen and Fred can't bust out of their sluts.
11:06Rockets TV voice Craig Ackerman joining us on Withered and Dibs.
11:10Craig, I ask this with the utmost respect because I really like what the Rockets are doing,
11:15but are they just too young to really realistically advance in the playoffs?
11:22I think history would tell you, yes, you have to go through pain ultimately to experience pleasure
11:32when it comes to the playoff basketball, and the vast majority of young teams ultimately
11:37have to go through some of that pain, learn from those experiences, and move forward.
11:42Game 1 was the first playoff game for so many of these guys,
11:45and the young players were the reason why the Rockets finished at the two seed.
11:49The veterans have been really, really important to setting the tone
11:53and showing these guys what it means to be professional,
11:58what it takes to win at the highest level,
12:00but the Rockets achieved what they did in the regular season
12:02because of the growth of all of the young players,
12:05and Game 1 was the first time these guys have experienced it.
12:08Obviously, Shin Goon was incredible.
12:11Hopefully, that will be the case moving forward,
12:14and so they're going to have to learn from this,
12:16but normally, yes, young guys, it takes a little bit of time,
12:19but the mentality in that locker room,
12:22today, yesterday, before Game 1, all year long,
12:25this is a really mentally tough group.
12:29That tone was set by the arrival of this new coaching staff
12:31and the addition of the veteran players.
12:33They have had low moments this season,
12:35and they've been able to fight their way through it.
12:37They believe that, yes, they are capable of ultimately advancing.
12:41They do have the tools to win this series
12:44because they are a very, very good, versatile defensive team.
12:48It just comes down to, again, just being a little bit smarter
12:51with their playmaking, turning down the turnovers,
12:54and just making more shots moving forward.
12:57What exactly has Imei Udoka brought,
13:00other than just the confidence and the success that he had in Boston
13:04and what he's been able to do here in the turnaround in Houston?
13:06What's the one thing that you look at that's been a big difference maker
13:10for this young team?
13:12Well, you know, I guess a big storyline with the NBA
13:16is that the league has gone a bit soft.
13:20And personally, I don't necessarily disagree with that.
13:24So if you're really wanting an old-school feel to the NBA
13:31where physicality and in-your-face sort of bravado
13:37was something that you missed and would like more of,
13:40that's what Imei's brought to this team.
13:43And they've taken on his personality.
13:46This is as physical of a team as there is in the league.
13:50I don't know how much you've paid attention
13:52to the way the Rockets have played
13:53since the midway point of last season,
13:56but this is a group that doesn't back down from anyone.
13:58They've probably gotten in more scuffles and fights
14:02than any team in the league.
14:03That's a reflection of how they ultimately want to play.
14:06They want to play at that line.
14:08Obviously, you don't want to cross it over.
14:10But they play with a bit of an old-school mentality,
14:13and that is what Imei has directly brought to this group,
14:18that you've got to be tougher.
14:20You've got to take the fight to the opposition
14:22because he felt like this group, correctly so,
14:26had been getting bullied up until his arrival.
14:29And they really started to sort of take that form
14:32about midway through last season,
14:34and it obviously carried over all year long this year as well.
14:37Craig, great, great stuff.
14:39Great having you.
14:40Before you go, where does Steph Curry rank
14:43on the city of Houston's all-time PTSD list?
14:49Let me see.
14:52I'm trying to think.
14:54Well, the Astros have had such incredible success.
14:56The Astros are to the Yankees,
14:58as the Warriors have been to the Rockets.
15:03You know, back in the mid-1990s,
15:05the Seattle Supersonics had the Rockets number
15:09in a very similar way to the way that Golden State
15:12has had this version over the last decade,
15:15the Rockets number in the last 10 or so years.
15:19Guys like, you know, Gary Payton and Detlef Schrempf
15:22and Sean Kemp.
15:23The Rockets won one of their titles
15:24when the Sonics got upset by Denver in the first round,
15:28so they were able to avoid them altogether.
15:31But I think, to me, I would probably put Steph as number one
15:37because those original playoff series going back lastly in 2019
15:43were incredibly painful because the manner in which the Rockets
15:49lost those series were all different, all uniquely painful.
15:53And so, for me personally, I think Curry is,
15:56I would put him, I'd definitely put him number one.
15:58He's just, he's such a great player that, again,
16:03sometimes, as we talked about earlier,
16:05you can scheme to try to stop him,
16:07you can scheme to try to slow him down,
16:09but he just finds a way to beat you,
16:13and it just seems like he's always found a way
16:15to beat the Rockets over the years.
16:17And, again, hopefully for this young group,
16:19they can get over the hump here in this series
16:22and move on and put that era behind them.
16:24But, again, I tip my cap to Steph Curry.
16:26He's just an incredible player.
16:28And also, look, Draymond Green's been there along for the ride.
16:30He's been awesome against the Rockets.
16:32Kevon Looney has been a rock for Golden State his entire career.
16:36So, again, I have a ton of respect for Golden State,
16:39but I will admit it would be nice to finally get one over
16:42on them for the first time in forever.
16:45That's a big statement, big statement.
16:46All right, Craig, hey, thanks again,
16:48and have a great call tonight.
16:50Thank you for having me.
16:51I appreciate that.
16:52All right, Craig Ackerman,
16:54the TV voice of the Houston Rockets,
16:58and he suffers from post-traumatic Steph syndrome.