And, uh, what kind of a setback is it?

Given the schedule for this year's training camp?

Have somebody that important not taking part?

Yeah, as faras timetable.

There is no timetable, as far as I know, um, and it is a setback, You know, you want your best player to be here, and there's a short window, as you've alluded to.

As I said yesterday, were working as if this is the sixth to the 23rd.

So there is some time.

But, you know, it is a setback.

I mean, yeah, I have to be honest and understand that this is a setback not having one of the best players in the MBA here, But I'm working with the guys who are here on.

We're working hard.

We're doing a good job.

Thank you.

Tell Yuko Hey, Coach, Just speaking off of that, how much have you been able to do realistically with the team?

Given that so much of your team is not there in James Harden?

But how much have you been able to do with the guys.

We've been doing a lot.

We've been doing a lot like the practice plan.

Hasn't changed that one bit.

As far as how we're gonna do things on the offensive and defensive end, how we're gonna today We worked on pick and roll defense, and that is whoever is on the floor on the way that our offense is set up, Um, with less isolations, amore ball movement.

That's for everybody.

So our practice plans and and the way that we've been doing things haven't changed that one bit.

I don't swollen.

Stephen.

Is James currently in Houston?

I don't know.

At at some point, do you almost.

I mean, you guys have a game in in 16 days at some point.

Do you almost have to operate like he's not going to be there for the 23rd?

Um hmm.

I don't know the answer.

That question.

I don't know.

I'm kind of taking a day by day, you know, we operate how we operate, so I don't know, very into Smith.

Even I understand this is a very unprecedented situation.

Um, have you guys discussed Onda?

Fine.

Probably wouldn't matter.

I acknowledge that even asking that.

But finding him or some some type of internal discipline, I mean, how do you and the organization handle this when you're trying to get full commitment?

Other players and practicing on games is a superstar, but he's not showing that he wants toe play with the team right now.

Yeah, I wouldn't necessarily say its unprecedented.

I'm sure there's been guys who have done it before.

I've been in situations before where we had to hold out, you know, just kinda handle each individual situation, um, on its own merit on individually.

So as faras, any sort of punishment.

We haven't even cross that bridge yet.

We're just trying to work piece by piece.

Thank you, Cody Davis.

Hey, coach, on second day of training camp, can you just talk about what you have seen from John Wall so far?

Especially given the fact that he's coming off for two major injuries.

John was a great He's looked really, really good pushing the ball up the floor, getting everybody organized.

A ZA point guard does hitting guys on time on target on passes.

He's still a little bit rusty, obviously, since he hasn't played in so long, but he's enjoyed a coach because he is a coach on the floor.

But he also allows me to coach him, which is amazing.

So he's really doing a good job.

He actually in our scrimmages, made a buzzer beating game winner.

So because so it was good to have both those guys do that in today's scrimmages.

Sam Amick.

Hi, Stephen.

Good to see you, sir.

I wonder, you know, the other day you said you hadn't connected with James after the trade.

So now what if any, message beyond what's the communication again, if any, from him about what this means.

If it's a case of a guy not thinking through protocols and and now that means there's a delay.

If it's a more direct situation where he's making it clear that he doesn't want to be a part of the Rockets anymore.

Do you have any clarity about the message?

I have no clarity about the message.

Honestly, um, I take it basically at face value that he's not here, and what the reasoning is is on him.

You know, he's the one who can explain why or why not.

He's not here.

So, you know for me to make inferences and think about the possibilities isn't really to me what it really is.

He's not here, and he has a reason.

But that's not him from to tell whoever what his reason is, appreciate it.

Mark Berman.

Hey, Steven, how are you?

All right, Mark?

Um, John Wall.

How much merit can we put into the fact that John Walt did say yesterday to the media that he's had some contact with with James, and he feels 100% certain he's going to be here and that they wanna play together?

How much stock can you put into that?

At this point?

Given there's been no communication with you, I put stock into it.

You know, players or players, Um, coaches and players are different.

Different relationship.

So, um, the only relationship that I have with James is the fact that he was one of the people who, in the interview process, recommended that I get the job.

So that's the relationship that I have.

I assume the relationship that he has with John goes a lot further down the road.

So for for that communication that happen doesn't surprise me, and, uh, we'll see when he gets here.

Do you have an update on P.

J.

Tucker?

Yeah.

PJ was here today, and, uh, great.

See Haley Griffin.

Hey, Coach, yesterday you said that something that stood out to you with the veteran savvy of Gordon.

He has talked about how last season was a little frustrating for him dealing with the injuries.

He couldn't really get into a rhythm.

What has stood out to you about how Eric has played earlier on through practice?

Well, we've been doing 80% defense, and he is like, I didn't realize what a good defender he is playing against him.

I mean, he closes out great technique.

He's strong, he's click.

He has very good defensive instincts.

And then on the offensive end, he can shoot, obviously, and you know his.

His job has been toe shoot, an attack close outs.

But he has some game on the offensive end, which is which is really good to see.

And the way they were playing, spaced out, five out and multiple guys touching the ball.

It's good for him, uh, to either turn the corner or shoot the shot that's created by a teammate.

So I've definitely been very happy with what he's been doing on both ends of the floor and then look for it to continue.

We'll take two more.

Kim Davis.

Hey, Coach, can you talk about just, You know, I know you said a bit about it before You're working a lot on defense, but just what you're seeing from so many new pieces together and how you feel about the progress, since any day now you guys would be starting training camp games.

Yeah, it's it's a process, you know, we like you said, we have a group of guys who haven't necessarily been together for very long, and they're big pieces of what we do.

So, um, we've been spending a lot of time on the defensive end and then trying to get guys on the same page.

But the offensive part is is a work in progress because you know whether Christian would is gonna roll or pop and pick and roll or something that John Wall has toe feel and go through a bunch of times, and they have toe create that bond and create that synergy between the two of them.

So there's a lot of situations like that.

That's just one.

But there's a lot of situations like that where it's just gonna take time for the guys to learn each other and up to me.

Toe.

You know, we had a good film session before practice today, so they could really get a feel for what I'm looking for.

And then they could communicate with each other, as far as you know, how they can help each other play better.

Thank you.

And last question, Kelly ca.

Hey, Coach.

So last season, what?

The team going small?

There are times when the defense looked amazing in times where I still some work to do.

How much of that have you changed?

And how much of that changes by just adding size on DaMarcus cousins and Christian would?

Yeah, size size definitely makes a difference on DWhite.

We're gonna be doing defensively.

Um, and as I've kind of been saying since I've been here, we wanna have multiple ways of playing defense.

So, um, this going small and switching is still gonna be in our two lots, so to speak, but playing bigger and dropping with the big and playing pick and rolls to on too so you don't have to help is much and you're not.

Allowing as many three point shots is another part of what we're doing.

So we've been going over the stuff with the bigs a little bit more traditional for the last couple of days, but we'll get to the switching at some point in the small, small, small ball.

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