Rockets VSL Game 4 Preview + Thread

Goon Squad!

Yeah, that’s an old song. But it is called “Goon Squad” and thus appropriate.

Just a reminder that music can change, and quicker than you might think. This current period of overproduced novelty songs and grinding corporatism could be replaced by something else. Something better. Yes, that something else might go on to be a business, too. The above’s a clip from 1979. If you didn’t experience 70s music, well, Guardians of The Galaxy joke songs are fun, for a few minutes. Imagine that being what music WAS. What was everywhere.

Music like the above came to save us from that. Now you can hear this song with fake cellos and glockenspiels while shopping for groceries. But for a while, there was real grit in the gears of the music machine.

The Rockets will play Orlando today. Give the NBA some real credit for this summer league. They set up the top draft picks to play one another in the guaranteed games for the summer session. Unfortunately, neither Jalen will be available for this one. Both teams would presumably LIKE to play their young Jalens, but Green has a slight hamstring issue, and Suggs hurt his thumb in some way.

Unlike the 2019, where nobody much played (looking at you, Lonzo, you Foxphobe) this summer, everyone has. Even guys who bought out their contracts, and flew in from Japan to Spain to Nevada - new Rocket Usman Garuba.

The Rockets will likely feature a less jet-lagged Garuba more in this game, and hopefully with days off to practice, the Rockets will have set up Alperen Sengun to run the offense from the high post. It would seem that just explaining the concept would be enough, such does his basketball nous appear to be.

Also, the Rockets apparently found a point guard wandering the casinos, in the form of Tremont Waters. Waters is a plausible PG, out of LSU and the GLeague Rookie of The Year in 2020. He also got some minutes for the PG starved Celtics. He’d be a Daryl Morey crush, in that he’s 5’10”. Anyway, he’ll have a handle under pressure, and can likely pass and shoot open 3s, so he’s, you know, a point guard. With Jalen Green, Armoni Brooks, and Khyri Thomas all out, welcome aboard Tremont! You have an old school NBA name, and I hope you stick.

The Rockets will not be in the Consolation of Desolation Bracket as was usual in previous seasons, but will play for VSL honors of some sort. Maybe their big men combined with an actual PG can do some damage? The absence of “walks on the floor with 20pts” Jalen Green will greatly diminish those chances.