Rockets Hope to Even Up Series, Texans Draft Talk Heating Up, Astros Improving

Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
Speaker 1 (00:02):
Two lifelong Houston sports guys named Adam Talking Your Teams.
Adam Clinton and Adam Wexler are the A Team.

Speaker 2 (00:15):
A What's Up Houston?

Speaker 3 (00:19):
It is a Tuesday edition of the A Teams Sports
Talk seven ninety wex and AC along with Cole Thompson
with you taking you up until six o'clock tonight.

Speaker 2 (00:34):
I wish I just wanted to. I wanted to freak
everybody out. Such a liar.

Speaker 3 (00:38):
I know, right, it's just an energy drink, relax. I
did not wish for that.

Speaker 2 (00:44):
Well, what you don't like energy drinks? I mean there's
better things. Do they make you pop the top on? Yeah?

Speaker 3 (00:49):
No, well for sure, especially if they're sponsored. Right, you
know it's wild. Did not have a single carbonated beverage
the entire time I was gone, So.

Speaker 2 (00:58):
He doesn't drink, didn't have any carbonated averages.

Speaker 4 (01:00):
And I heard him say earlier to someone in the
hallway who's he was very dry, did you drink anything water?
Like the most lame Vegas can get anything. I'll take
a water, That's what I said. Do you know where
you are?

Speaker 3 (01:13):
That's why I said the whole time, But yeah, it
was you know it's dry up there.

Speaker 2 (01:18):
Yeah, I'm aware.

Speaker 3 (01:19):
So it's it was uber dry this time, like really really, like, hey,
let me coat my entire body in lotion. In like
five seconds later, your skins all dried out. So yeah,
that I didn't think that that'd be a good idea.

Speaker 2 (01:33):
Great to have you back here.

Speaker 4 (01:35):
We're into the NBA postseason now several days Saturday, Sunday
and last night's Monday games another day where the Rockets
and a few other series will have the night off
before Wednesday's Game two. We'll see if the Timberwolves can
do what the Warriors will try to do on Wednesday,
and that's take both games on the road to open

(01:55):
up their series. They're playing the La Lakers. Last night's
activities saw the Western Conference series that has now completed
two games, all tied up at a game apiece. That's
what the Rockets will be trying to do on Wednesday
night over at to at a Center for Game two.
A three out of four dubs for your Houston Astros
to start this first four of six games on this

(02:18):
home stand. As they told the Blue Jays, come to America,
you will not score shut out baseball from just two hurlers,
both of them throwing the ball tremendously well. That's twenty
four straight scoreless innings for Hunter Brown and it's one
hundred percent scoreless innings for Forrest Whitley. He threw his

(02:39):
first two innings for the Astros after suffering an injury
during spring training, getting in his rehab work with the
Space Cowboys, and then getting into last night's game. He
retired seven batters, but one of them reached on a
wild pitch, so he had to retire seven batters, didn't
give up any hits.

Speaker 2 (02:57):
He was thrown straight.

Speaker 4 (02:57):
Gas I mentioned this before they hit the beginning of
the season, when they get healthier with him coming back,
and they're probably not far away, maybe even today with
Caleb ort I think their bullpen can be even better
than they've already been. King's been great, o Kurt's been Gate,
Hater's been great, a bra who's had really one outing
you'd like to forget.

Speaker 2 (03:17):
And that's pretty much it.

Speaker 4 (03:19):
And their starters last two days, the ace and the
ace pitched like it. Believe it or not, the Astros
or the win tonight over the Toronto Blue Jays will
have more wins than losses this season. They've been there,
but It's been a long time since they've been there,
back to the opening series when they were a two
to one baseball team after the Mets came to town,

(03:40):
but would be at twelve and eleven with a victory tonight,
another day for the Texans to roll through this early
phase of their offseason program. The super enlightening and super
talkative Cam Robinson was at the mic today. Jalen Peatrie
also some discussions about their new look secondary and his
new look riches after signing his extension. And it's not

(04:02):
knockoff Cam Newton because CJ. Gardner Johnson actually thinks Cam
Newton is basically his own knockoff.

Speaker 2 (04:09):
As CJ. Gardner Johnson met with the media here in Houston.

Speaker 4 (04:12):
We will definitely hear from them over the course of
the afternoon, but obviously want to get started with the
postseason basketball element of the Rockets hitting the practice court today,
the Warriors doing the same. Both of them took yesterday
off even though they've had plenty of time to get
their bodies right, and honestly, it's nice at least that
so far, that's probably a non story in this series.

(04:33):
It's not much of a story around the rest of
the NBA. Either it's early and the Rockets series becomes
very late. If things don't go well Wednesday night.

Speaker 2 (04:42):
They will go well.

Speaker 3 (04:44):
In fact, I'm going to guarantee a victory later on
the show, and I'll tell you why. But I want
you to imagine, if you will, me being on the
street outside the stadium in Vegas watching that fourth quarter
unwind on my phone and not doing so by my
self at all. First and foremost, my wife is with me. Secondly,

(05:04):
there are people everywhere trying to get rides out of this,
you know, sixty one thousand plus people that have just
left this giant facility, and I'm not taking it well,
as you can imagine because of how that unfolded.

Speaker 2 (05:19):
Hated the fact that the ball was clearly.

Speaker 3 (05:21):
Off of Draymond Green, but vicials, you can't expect the
officials to see that, and you certainly can't challenge it
because you just blew that challenge like seconds earlier, And
just the way it all went down, it was such
deja vous all over again.

Speaker 2 (05:36):
Even though I.

Speaker 3 (05:37):
Hate that it's so cliched, it's so lame, it's so
low hanging fruit. For just the fact that these two
teams with these two uniforms are playing each other.

Speaker 2 (05:46):
That's all. That's the only similarity.

Speaker 4 (05:48):
The deja vu of it is that's what happens when
great players played great He's a Hall of Famer, he's
one of the fifteen best players in NBA history. He
plays in the playoffs, he's a great player. This is
what he does. Ridiculous shots while being tremendously guarded. That's
like the nine hundredths one he's hit in the postseason possession.

Speaker 2 (06:07):
That's the problem.

Speaker 4 (06:08):
Like if the amount of traffic in front of James
Kper is not much of an excuse. I don't think
it was an easy call to make, especially with the
manner in which Jabari Smith Junior was coming towards the play.
But again, it's very easy to note when you're on
site because everybody else watching on TV was still two
minutes left of their commercial break. The reviews that they had,

(06:28):
there were two of them. Each team asked for one.
They took like five seconds. These are some of the
shortest reviews we've had all year because it was clear
as day, and unfortunately this one was also Clear's Day.
Would have taken one look, they would have put on
the headsets they would have taken right off and they
was set a successful challenge. It's unfortunate, but there were
other plays that were also missed, unchallengeable ones. I said

(06:49):
already this week. I do think they got a poor crew,
and that two of those three are working tonight elsewhere.
I just don't think those two officials, Ben Taylor and
James Kper's are good. I think they're among the probably
I don't know how to grade them because nobody does.

Speaker 2 (07:06):
But I didn't think they were awesome.

Speaker 4 (07:07):
I don't think they had an impact on the outcome
of the game. It certainly would have changed some situations.
The Pajemski travel led directly to a Moody basket.

Speaker 2 (07:16):
How did you not see that?

Speaker 3 (07:17):
Everyone in the arena, but these three people sees that
fifth step right, and there's plenty of calls that weren't made.

Speaker 4 (07:23):
Again, I think both sides just there's things that the
Rockets have in their control and could easily have overcome
any issues they might have had with that officiating crew.
We'll find out tomorrow morning who exactly it is, but
I know those plays were important. They were both in
the fourth quarter. They both led directly to Baskets just

(07:43):
not the one reason.

Speaker 2 (07:44):
They were on their round.

Speaker 4 (07:45):
I mean, some days I'll say it more than others,
but that wasn't that wasn't their downfall.

Speaker 3 (07:49):
So those two plays with bad calls that went against
the Rockets and then led to ensuing possessions where the
Warriors scored in a three point game. That sucks SODA's
having thirteen points you put up on the board in
the third quarter, Like, how many times have you and
I talked about this exact scenario as the Rockets were
getting to this point. This happened all the time last

(08:09):
year where they lost a game because they had one
bad quarter and they were either competitive or outright won
the other three, which they won two of the three
quarters against the Warriors on Sunday night. But you scored
thirteen in the second quarter and you gave up twenty nine.
I just and if your back course, you.

Speaker 4 (08:27):
Say it all the time, because it's totally normal. It
happens across the NBA for all the good teams. It
just happens a lot.

Speaker 3 (08:32):
I guess I feel like I'm just so laser focused
on the Rockets and the fact that you know they
don't have a superstar they they did that night.

Speaker 4 (08:39):
They let a thirteen point halftime deficit. This bad second
quarter led to a thirteen point deficit. They got outscored
by sixteen in the second. Well, four minutes into this
third quarter, they were down by ten more points.

Speaker 2 (08:51):
Correct, So let's say it really wasn't just the second quarter.

Speaker 4 (08:53):
It's where they lost their focus because the way that
they lost their lead they were leading going into the
second quarter.

Speaker 2 (09:00):
Was having it came out great.

Speaker 4 (09:01):
Yeah, they had a bunch of possessions where they weren't
even taking shots because they kept turning the ball over.
And they were the same mistakes I think they've made
and each of the first five games against them, and
Emy was very accurate in describing them afterwards. It's just
how do you get the message to them during they
just I mean, there's a saying that has nothing to
do with basketball, but it's what they were doing all night.

Speaker 2 (09:20):
Man.

Speaker 4 (09:20):
Those kids liked to play in traffic. It's all they
were doing over and over and over again. The defense
was saying, hey, come over here, Hey try to throw
a bounce pass through all four of these defenders arms.

Speaker 2 (09:30):
I'm sure it'll get there.

Speaker 4 (09:32):
It's just things that they needed to learn the first
five times they played this particular defense, which by the way,
is very good. They have a lot of very good
individual defenders. They have a lot of switchable athletes that
make it very difficult, just like the Rockets do. And
I said it the other day, they moved their feet.
I think as a team better than anybody in the NBA.

(09:52):
They beat the Rockets to the spot defensively all night long.

Speaker 3 (09:57):
Yeah, that sucked, and I have plenty more thoughts on that,
just because I haven't gotten my punches in, but I
definitely want to get into that and share a few
interesting things from over the weekend.

Speaker 2 (10:10):
I'm talking sports related.

Speaker 3 (10:12):
There is and Wex knows this already or probably at
least has an idea. There's something about Vegas that I
want to bring to the table. It's impressive. It's absolutely
not Vegas itself. We all know that's impressive. I'm talking
about as it pertains to the sports world. Plus the Texans.
They're one day closer.

Speaker 4 (10:30):
One day closer to saying if trade number twelve gets
made on Draft Day by Nick Cassario during his run
as Texans serious, He's made eleven of them so far
in the four previous drund on Draft Day. It's in
the notes. I knew where to go to find the
actual answer. But that doesn't include the trade last year
before draft Day when they sent their first round pick

(10:52):
to Minnesota and ended up having the forty second pick
as their first pick in last year's draft. So the
number of draft related trades he's made in the days
or months leading up to the draft much much higher
than eleven. But now we're only two days out, so
we'll count the ones that are made there. I'm sure
there will be some on the horizon. For the remainder
of the program, we're about twenty minutes out from catching

(11:12):
up with Astros center fielder Jake Myers.

Speaker 2 (11:14):
He will join the show an hour after that.

Speaker 4 (11:16):
We will dig in hot and heavy on the draft
with Luke Easterling of Athlon Sports, and of course our
feature running up to the draft, Installment number seven at
four o'clock, with the twenty fifth pick in the draft,
the Houston Texans select, we'll have the seventh of the
potential nine that we think Nick Cassario and the Texans

(11:36):
and CJ and Dimico and Cal and Hannah will get
their hands on come Thursday night, lots to get into
among those other things.

Speaker 2 (11:45):
Here on the eighteen.

Speaker 5 (11:47):
The a team on Sports Talk seven ninety AX.

Speaker 3 (12:02):
So, so over the weekend, I was I was debating
whether or not I wanted to kind of like because
I'm at a huge event, so I don't know if
I want to like try and pay attention to two
things at the same time, because I'm not you know,
Adam Wexler, where I have an ear piece in my
ear watching a press conference while watching one game on

(12:25):
my screen and another game on my phone.

Speaker 4 (12:27):
You should have seen the setup. My daughter sent me
from Sunday night and her they have a she lives
in the sorority house on campus, and they have a
TV room, study room, all the usual things.

Speaker 2 (12:40):
But so they were having a WrestleMania viewing party.

Speaker 4 (12:42):
Clearly she was in the TV room with the Astros
game Astros padres on her laptop, straight in front of
the Rockets game on the TV. And I was like,
please tell me, you've got other people in there that
are at least somewhat interested in both of these things.
Please please tell me that. She goes, oh, there's a

(13:03):
couple of people here. They're a little more interested in
hanging out than the games. But they're here. That's just
she's your daughter. Yeah, that's awesome. You raise your right.
So yeah, I was.

Speaker 3 (13:16):
It was one of those deals where good or bad
do I want to even be paying attention to the
Rockets game as it's happening while I'm sitting in this stadium,
cause it's it's.

Speaker 2 (13:27):
Just and I allowed.

Speaker 3 (13:28):
And plus the like you said, Astros and Padres are
also playing at the same time because it was a
Sunday night baseball game.

Speaker 4 (13:34):
And it took a little bit longer than usual because
of the long first inning injury delay.

Speaker 3 (13:39):
Yeah, because Mauricio Dubon decided to kill a guy. According
to Padres fans.

Speaker 2 (13:43):
I didn't. I didn't realize. I was described. I showed
it to uh someone yesterday and they hadn't seen it.
Was he out by the way? Oh he was out.
I mean he looked like it when he fell.

Speaker 6 (13:51):
Yeah.

Speaker 4 (13:51):
You could see it in the slumping of his whole body,
and you could also see it in his face that
his eyes were he was out. Yeah, And I was
explaining it to some and I said, I don't know
how you got one guy running full speed in her
eyes and the other guy's running little bit more than
half speed, but he's getting run over. All he did

(14:12):
was brace himself, right, and he turned into a brick wall.
Mauricio Dubon was an absolute brick wall.

Speaker 3 (14:18):
Look at the two guys and then consider who's the
one barreling at the other at full speed.

Speaker 2 (14:24):
Yeah, Dubon loses that every time, right, except for he
didn't y, He didn't lose it.

Speaker 4 (14:29):
He's he's a lot stronger stout than you would think, right,
and he puts some effort into that last offseason. I
think he did a little bit differently this year, but Arise,
I think very similarly. Not a tall player, but he is.
He's a bigger player than he appears to be. They're
not Machado and they're not Fernando, but that's what happens.
So yeah, they were both going on and so yes,

(14:49):
one may be slightly more important than the other with
the Astros still having quite a little bit of season
left in the Rockets very.

Speaker 2 (14:56):
Different, yes, now.

Speaker 3 (14:57):
So I'm watching the Astros first because they started first,
And then I knew this because I had kind of
been keeping an eye on some playoff games the night before,
because this is a two night event and I'm like
because of the time change, and I'm thinking, you know,
we're two hours behind, which really screwed me up because
all like leading up to this trip, I'm like, yeah,
it's only one hour back. Nope, Nope, not during this

(15:18):
time of year. I don't know why I lost track
of that. And so everything is just like you understand
why people like on the West Coast in LA just
look at the rest of the country with utter disdain.
One they're in Los Angeles and that's what people there do.
And two they're like peasants later in the in the day,
like everything starts so insanely early, and so that just

(15:42):
was messing with me the whole time. And I thought
to myself, for I'm doing the rough math, the main
event of WrestleMania is going to be starting right around
the time the Rockets and Warriors are tipping off, give
or take, and I'm like, this is gonna suck, man,
And it did it just it was just tough to
like try and and but then the Rockets come out of.

Speaker 2 (16:02):
The gate like Gangbusters, and I'm like, that's what drew
me in.

Speaker 3 (16:06):
So I'm like, I have the phone and I went
from just watching the game cast, so I could sort
of pay attention to, like full fledged video and I'm like,
ah man, and then of course the second quarter happens.
Point of all this is to say I'm not I'm
not nearly as uh worried as it sounds like people
are here in town, Like I understand what it means

(16:28):
if you go down two tomorrow night, but I also
I look at it like this, And this is something
we didn't bring up in the first segment, that backcourt
for the Rockets could not have played worse if they tried,
could not have played worse if they tried. I mean
it was you're talking, what was it three for thirteen,
three for fifteen for Jalen, and Fred was like, oh

(16:49):
for a million. And I can't remember who it was
that because again I'm kind of all doing all of
this secondhand at a distance when I'm very very distracted.
Somebody said something along the lines of I think it
was Fred. They've clearly tried to take Jalen out of
his game. That's their defensive game plan. We've got to
get him better shots, on and on and on. And
I will admit I didn't watch the game from start

(17:11):
to finish as it was happening, like you know, all
of you, but it just looked like Jalen was just
missing some shots that he usually makes.

Speaker 4 (17:17):
I don't think there's any doubt that was their game plan.
It was Fred that said that.

Speaker 6 (17:21):
He's gonna bounce back. Man, I don't go to worry
about him at all. They got the whole kitchen sync
thrown at him there. Their whole game plan is to
take him out the game. He's been great with figuring
out how to be more effective. We got to do
a better job of gettinghim in spots, get him more
more driving lanes and and more space. And if they're
gonna load up, you know, kick out the shooters and
knock some of those down, that that'll help.

Speaker 2 (17:42):
Him give him some more room out there.

Speaker 6 (17:44):
Jayden's played at an extremely high level all year. That's
not going to change now. It's one game, and uh,
you know, we're moving on to the next one. It
wasn't all on him. We're not gonna make this about him.
There's a lot of guys didn't play well. I didn't
shoot the ball, I didn't play well tonight.

Speaker 2 (17:59):
You know, we can move on to the next one.

Speaker 4 (18:01):
The one issue I can't help but say, and I
brought it up yesterday and even during the game broadcast
on Sunday night, it's fine in the playoffs, on any
game to say it's just one game.

Speaker 2 (18:12):
Let's you can clearly look at it that way.

Speaker 4 (18:15):
Bounce back, like he said, go about it a little
bit differently. This was game three of the Warriors versus
Rockets with Jimmy Butler. This was game six of Warriors
Rockets for the season, which is an incredible amount of
games already to have seen the same team, and other
than the rockets most recent victory over them, the one

(18:37):
that happened on April sixth, where he really did well
late in the game at the in the fourth quarter
when he hit those four shots in a row and
kind of carried them to victory. What we saw Sunday
night was not any different than what we saw in February,
or twice in December, or once in November. Two for thirteen, sixteen,

(19:01):
five for fifteen, three for ten, like you said last night,
or two nights ago, three for fifteen.

Speaker 2 (19:06):
He's had one twenty one point game and everything else
has been terrible.

Speaker 4 (19:08):
It's just that you already know either whatever however you
want to say it happens he hasn't played well or
they're focused on making him play poorly, and it's working.

Speaker 2 (19:19):
That's the point.

Speaker 4 (19:20):
It is working, and it's worked almost every single time,
for every single minute of every single game you've played
against them. Are you is this the first time you're
going to game plan against it? And you have to
also admit the game planning that happens during the season
is way different than game planning game planning that happens
during the postseason, especially when you have two days off.

(19:41):
So I would expect email Udoka and Royal Ivey and
coach Salvan and everybody else on there to do some
things differently to assist with a player who they've clearly
won the matchup.

Speaker 2 (19:53):
Game against this one, this series, yeah, or this season,
I should say.

Speaker 3 (19:56):
And it did not surprise me at all, because you
know this, I have been foll more of a staunch
supporter of Fred van Vliet than basically the entire city
this year. I mean, he's been from start to finish.
He has had a bad shooting season, he's done some
other things well. It did not surprise me that as
that SoundBite turned into a thirty to forty second SoundBite

(20:17):
or whatever it was that at the very tail end,
he was absolutely more talking about his own accountability because.

Speaker 4 (20:24):
His games against Golden State are even worse. In a
Jalen's game, including Sunday, he was awful shooting the ball.
I mean, it's Fred van Vliet on this particular team.
You can't let the Warriors force you to say, sure,
we want Fred shooting at nineteen times. Absolutely, we want

(20:45):
him taking thirteen threes. That's definitely what we want to do.
You can't let Golden State dictate that he's had five
bad shooting games against them in the five times he's
played them this year.

Speaker 2 (20:53):
This is I'm dead serious when I say this. I'm
not kidding.

Speaker 3 (20:56):
This isn't for an effect with this particular team in
this particular matchup.

Speaker 2 (21:00):
Would you not play Aaron holidaymore?

Speaker 4 (21:02):
But something we want to get into after we talk
with Jake Myers. Jake Myers is going to join us next.
But what you're bringing up about some potential lineup tweaks
and I had a theory yesterday I'll share with you
again today about why I don't think it's just a Hey,
Golden State's awesome at game planning for Fred and Jalen
and they've won. I think there's actually one more, very
very very very large element to that. But we're going

(21:25):
to talk to Jake Myers, Astros centerfielder when we come
back here on the Eighteam.

Speaker 5 (21:31):
The eight on Sports Talk seven ninety.

Speaker 4 (21:37):
Halfway through our number one here on the A team,
Adam Wexler and Adam Clinton here with you Tuesday afternoons.
Over the course of the Astros season, we're happy to
be joined by a player, and today that player is
Jake Myers, Astros center fielder. Jake, you got Adam and
Adam here with you. Before I get into the conversation, Jake,
I know that you're with us.

Speaker 2 (21:56):
I know you can hear us.

Speaker 4 (21:58):
So I want to introduce you with this odd you
and give me your reaction to how this went down.

Speaker 2 (22:03):
You gotta be careful, griffs this one to center back
on it. Jake Myers long run, Andy.

Speaker 7 (22:09):
Mack sick cat slamming into the wall at the three
ninety nine sign on an impossible catch by Jake Myers,
no regard for his body full speed into the wall
in deep left center field.

Speaker 4 (22:26):
That, of course, Jake is Steve Sparks, and I think
he pretty much hit on everything, no regard for his body.
That's an impossible catch, and there's Jake making another spectacular one.

Speaker 8 (22:36):
Yeah, first off, thanks for having me on. I appreciate it,
And yeah, I mean it kind of just is something
I enjoyed doing. I've always enjoyed Brennan down balls and outfield,
and yeah, I really enjoyed, you know, making those catches
for the pitchers.

Speaker 2 (22:52):
It did it matter at all that it was Martin Maldonado.

Speaker 8 (22:58):
It did when I stepped in the box for my
last ab what do you say he he had He
let me know that he wasn't too happy about me
catching that. We'll put it that way.

Speaker 4 (23:08):
Pretty good relationship, quite clearly. He has with so many
guys in this clubhouse here, one of them is it
is it still kind of cool as you go through
any season, this year is no different where you keep
running into guys that were a part of what you've
been a part of here.

Speaker 2 (23:19):
That's so special in Houston.

Speaker 8 (23:22):
Absolutely, I mean, especially Maldonado.

Speaker 9 (23:26):
He's a guy I.

Speaker 8 (23:27):
Learned so much from on and off the field. You know,
one of my favorite teammates I've been around. But I
mean there's a lot of guys throughout the league, Like
you said that we run into that, you know, it's
fun to catch up with and see.

Speaker 4 (23:41):
Yeah, the Padres and Blue Jays specifically on this homestand
have brought quite a few into town for this. But
the Astros, your team, your group is do you feel
like maybe even this homestand taking two of three, starting
off with a win in the manner that you did
last night, that maybe some things are coming together a
little bit.

Speaker 8 (24:01):
I think the results are starting to show maybe. But
I think through this start, I think we've played good baseball.
I know we've lost some games late in games that
you know, maybe we could have won in different ways,
but that's baseball and it's a long year, and I
think this home stands we've done a good job of

(24:23):
playing team baseball and kind of finishing out in games
and doing that and getting wins, and that's going to
be the key for the rest of the year. But
I think that's really the key is it's starting to
show up in the results.

Speaker 3 (24:35):
Talking to Jake Myers here on Sports Talk seven ninety,
I like to talk about the fact that baseball and
golf are just so mentally taxing as far as sports go.
One's individual. One's very much a team sport. But is
that maybe the biggest challenge when you get off to
a start like you guys have, not only this year,
but last year as well, where it's just inconsistent and
you guys are so used to winning at such a

(24:56):
high level for so long, plus you factor in all
of the change, uh on the roster. Is it hard
sometimes to just remind yourself of that when you're going
through these early season you know, uneven patches of of
the schedule.

Speaker 8 (25:10):
Yeah, I mean you want to you want to win
every game, and so you know, one loss in a season,
everyone can feel it, and and no one wants to
feel that, and and everyone understands the goal. I just think, Uh,
this organization and and the coaches and the players that
the veterans that we have around here are so good
at taking it day by day and and reminding everyone

(25:34):
the goal at the end of the year is to
be in the playoffs and win the World Series. And
so it's you you got to be able to be
in the day and you know, feel the emotions of
the day, but also take a step back of this
is a long, long season. It's a marathon. So yes,
we need to show up and do our work tomorrow
and get to win tomorrow. But you can move on

(25:55):
from today.

Speaker 4 (25:56):
The dynamic of the team certainly changes year to year.
Five key players from last year's team not here anymore,
including Alex and Kyle. Is is Jake Myers a leader
of the twenty twenty five Houston Astros.

Speaker 8 (26:11):
I mean, if if that's kind of how it pans out, sure,
But I just you know, I show up and try
to put in the work and help the team in
any way I can. And I don't know, I believe
I believe this team, and we've had talks about this.

Speaker 2 (26:25):
I believe this team.

Speaker 8 (26:26):
You know, you don't really need to have a leader,
per se. I mean everyone goes about their their stuff
in incredible ways, like like Jose Altuve, you know, is
an incredible leader. You know, he shows up every day
and plays the game, you know, hard, and and he's
a great player. So I think it's just about everyone

(26:47):
showing up and knowing we all want to win and executing.

Speaker 4 (26:50):
How about if I ask it this way, is Jake
Myers a leader for the thirty four year old outfielder
to his right and the twenty two year old outfielder
to his left.

Speaker 8 (27:02):
Sure, I could, I could take on that role. I mean,
I don't think they need much. They've they've done a
fantastic job and will continue to do that. They've put
in great work, and you know, they're playing great though.
I mean, really, I'm I'm just trying to support them.

Speaker 4 (27:19):
I imagine it's been fun to watch them do what
they've done both sides of you, both sides of the
field for you, and that they've made some tremendous plays
even though they're clearly learning.

Speaker 8 (27:31):
Yeah, I mean, that's that just shows you one of
the work that they've put in, especially in spring training.
I gotta see it firsthand. They both have taken a
bunch of reps and put themselves in situations to make
those plays and really just feel comfortable out there. Yeah,
it's been a lot of fun for me to watch.

Speaker 3 (27:48):
We're talking to Jake Myers here on Sports Talk seven
ninety so which one of them were you, maybe, in
the back of your mind a little bit more concerned about,
seeing as how they were both kind of playing new
positions at very different stages in their careers.

Speaker 8 (28:03):
I wouldn't say I was concerned at all. I mean,
both of them are fantastic out athletes, and they just
have a natural knack of running down fly balls. Uh,
and so kind of when I was working out with
him in spring training, I could see that this was
going to be, you know, a fairly easy transition for
both of them, and they've done a great job.

Speaker 3 (28:25):
We kind of know that Jose Al Tuove is more
of the quiet type. You know, it's just how he
carries himself, the veteran that he is. What's Cam Smith like?
What's he like you know, away from the cameras, and
what's he like as he's you know, he's been thrust
into kind of a tough role very very early on
in his career, not a lot of minor league experience,
and yet he seems to be thriving.

Speaker 8 (28:47):
Yeah, you know what, Uh, Cam, Cam's ahead of his time.
I keep I keep saying that his baseball a ques high.
He kind of has those great instincts within the game,
and he's and he just learns. He's been incredible at
I kind of you know, asking questions to you know,
the veterans and uh, talking about hitting with different guys

(29:09):
or approach and all this all this different stuff that
when I was twenty two, I had no clue what
he you know, the things that that he's talking about
and asking. So it's really impressive to me how he
goes about his business, his routine, uh, and all those
things off the field is really dialed in, and so
it shows up on the field. But not only that,

(29:29):
it's it's gonna continually make him better.

Speaker 4 (29:32):
For you, what did what did you want to work
on in the off season that maybe you've seen pay
off offensively when you're at the plate.

Speaker 8 (29:39):
Yeah, I just think it's the For me, it's always
been the consistency thing, and now I know that's kind
of a general thing, but just dialing in my routine
of being able to repeat things even you know if
the results maybe aren't there.

Speaker 10 (29:54):
Uh.

Speaker 8 (29:55):
And also just you know, having better at bats, you know,
when when maybe I'm feeling great with the swing, being
able to to kind of do the situational stuff and
help the team win. I think that's big for me
and the team, you know, having those quality at bats. Well.

Speaker 4 (30:12):
One thing that's certainly changed for you over the years.
Major debut in twenty twenty one, we're here in twenty
twenty five, your fifth year with the Astros at the
big league level. Is the number of feet running around
in your household? Two little ones? Now, what's that life
change been like over these last couple of years.

Speaker 8 (30:28):
Oh, man, it's great, It is absolutely incredible.

Speaker 2 (30:33):
Yeah.

Speaker 8 (30:34):
I've really really enjoyed, you know, having you know, my
daughter and son around, especially this year. It's fun for
me to get to see, you know, especially my daughter
cheer me on. And yeah, it's just it's a lot
of fun for me and put things in perspective and
honestly has helped me enjoy the game even more.

Speaker 4 (30:54):
At her age now, she pretty locked in and aware
of what you're doing and who you are and why
she's the fact that you're a ballplayer.

Speaker 8 (31:02):
Yes, yeah, yeah, yesterday all she was all fired up
and clapping for me and when she saw me on
the big screen and all that, all that great stuff.
So it's it's been a lot of fun.

Speaker 3 (31:13):
I got to ask you this just because I've asked
every player we've spoken to. Those City connect jerseys those
are pretty sweet, right, Yeah, yeah, I think they did.

Speaker 8 (31:22):
A great job with them.

Speaker 2 (31:24):
They're fantastic, all right.

Speaker 3 (31:26):
Jake Myers here on Sports Talk seven ninety, Well, Jake,
we appreciate the time, good luck the rest of the way.
Congrats on the success so far, and we'll talk to
you again soon.

Speaker 8 (31:35):
Thank you, guys, appreciate it all.

Speaker 3 (31:37):
Right, Jake Myers here on Sports Talk seven ninety. By
the way, every single Astros guest we've had, whether it's
on this show or the Matt Thomas Show, insanely polite
this season.

Speaker 2 (31:45):
Have you noticed that you go.

Speaker 4 (31:47):
And hop inside their clubhouse. We'll probably manage that all
season long.

Speaker 2 (31:51):
Yeah.

Speaker 3 (31:51):
No, they're always They've always been good guys, no matter
who it's been over the years, and we appreciate the
Astros making them available. Obviously here each and every week
on Sports Talk seven ninety.

Speaker 2 (32:02):
We will take a quick time out.

Speaker 3 (32:03):
We'll get back to some of that Rockets conversation we
were talking about when we return. It's a Tuesday edition
of The eight Team, the A Team on Sports Talk
seven ninety.

Speaker 9 (32:19):
It is the A Team.

Speaker 3 (32:20):
It's Sports Talk seven ninety. We'll be simulcast on Space
City Home Network. At the top of the hour, wex
and AC with you on a Tuesday edition of the program.
Thanks again to Jake Myers, Astro centerfielder, joining us.

Speaker 2 (32:32):
Last segment.

Speaker 3 (32:33):
If you missed any or all of that, we'll get
it up to you on the podcast shortly. But back
at it with the Rockets conversation simply because I mentioned
to Wex couple segments ago that I wouldn't be opposed
to see I know a lot of people have said,
reed Shepherd, if you want to throw a rookie out

(32:53):
there who hasn't played a ton this year in the
midst of a playoff series against the Warriors where you're
already trailing.

Speaker 2 (33:00):
That's up to em Udoka.

Speaker 3 (33:01):
But if I saw more Aaron Holliday than we saw
in the first game, which is to say at all,
I wouldn't be opposed to it, not only because I
think he'd be a better three point shooter than Fred
Van Vliet has been so far in this series of
one game, but also more importantly the entire season, but
just because I think it'd give him a different look

(33:23):
on both ends from a speed standpoint. And it's not
like Aaron Holliday doesn't have some experience of his own.
I'm not saying he's, you know, Championship Calumber, like the
twenty nineteen Toronto version of Fred Van Vliet, but he's
hardly anything to sneeze at at all when it comes
to any of the factors we're talking about.

Speaker 4 (33:40):
Yeah, it definitely brings me into what I wanted to
discuss again today about the Rockets outside shooting specific to
a small group of players. But the topic you bring
up first about Aaron Holliday was brought up to EMY
earlier today after the Rockets wrapped up their practice. Hopefully
here from e May in a little bit, but he
was he acknowledged during Game one, obviously before Game one two,

(34:03):
but during the game they did consider it considered if
this was something they might want to go to. Aaron
Holliday was part of the group that had some success
against Golden State in those two meetings later in the
season after Jimmy Butler had arrived, and he also shot
the ball tremendously well the second part of the season
last thirty games or so. He is a much more

(34:24):
physical player than maybe his height would suggest. But that
is certainly the consideration is who's going to be out
there on the other end. You know, we can talk
negatively about the offensive contributions shooting wise from Fred and
Jalen and Tari if we so choose, but we can't

(34:44):
do it unless we acknowledge the other side of it.
I think there is a direct correlation now that I've
seen it for six games or four games because Steph
missed two of them, but chasing Steph and defending the
Warriors period, because of how much incredible movement they have
on off it takes something out of you, your legs,
you're shooting legs. I think it has a direct impact

(35:06):
on the Rockets. I think other teams are able to
kind of get away with it because they don't play
as hard, because they don't try as hard defensively, because
they're not locked in with so many different players trying
to slow down Steph and that offense the way that
the Rockets are, and the Rockets, I feel, are totally
fine with how much effort they're putting into, how much
stress on their stamina, their legs, their ability to shoot

(35:29):
well on the other end, and trying to stay in
front of Steph and trying to stay in front of
their players, and trying to do the things they need
to do to win a game defensively, which they've now
done in each of these last two games, if not
each of the last three games against the Jimmy Butler,
Steph Curry Warriors, because the Warriors aren't playing well offensively,
they aren't shooting the ball well in some of the games.

(35:50):
You know, the April sixth game, it was Steph that
didn't shoot well when the other players they were fine
with taking every shot, did shoot well and did score
all of their points. In the Rocks one and this
game was kind of the opposite. Pajemski had a fine game,
but he didn't shoot well, and nobody else besides Curry
from a three point standpoint, did either. He just happened
to even with the stress they were putting on him defensively.

(36:13):
It's he's not going to go twelve of sixteen. I
say twelve of sixteen because he missed his first threes,
but twelve of nineteen overall in the game and five
of nine from deep in every single game of this series.
He hasn't done that in his career, and he's not
going to do that in this series, even though he's
awesome and he's a great player. But I definitely think
the way the Rockets emphasize their chase it impacts them

(36:35):
on the other end. I don't think Golden State's the
most unbelievable three point defensive team ever, But the results
suggest against Houston that they are because the Rockets shooters
have shot so poorly against them, and it's mainly the
group that is defending Steph. Now, clearly those are your
three point shooters, and Fred spent I'd say a big,

(36:57):
pretty sizable portion of Sunday Night's game defending him because
the Rockets are switching. Amn Thompson is not defending him
for one hundred percent of his minutes out there by
any means, it's left to whom ever is in the
position to do it after their offense is got running.
A man will try to pick up Steph Curry every
possible opportunity, but how the previous possession ended may dictate otherwise,

(37:19):
how screens have been set may dictate otherwise. The three
player or the two players that defended him the most
were Fred and Jalen among the Rockets three point shooters,
and they shot the ball quite poorly. Aaron Holliday, if
I were to guess based on what he may said today,
that there there's a really good chance if the opportunity

(37:40):
is there with poor shooting and reasonable defense and within
closeness of the score, I think we probably will see
a shot for Aaron Holliday, an opportunity where these minutes
could be good to try him here.

Speaker 3 (37:53):
You just I like that you said if the opportunity
presents itself due to poor shooting, Because again, I go
back to what I said earlier. First of all, Rockets
came out of gates strong, and part of that was
Fred van Vliet hitting a three. So but it was
very early. And I but this this goes back to
the Warriors. It just feels like every single time the

(38:16):
Rockets lose to them, more particularly this era of Rockets,
it's a close game and something went the Warriors way
that was not necessarily their doing. Whether it be and
I'm not not giving them credit defensively, but the Rockets
shooting poor has happened all season long. And I just

(38:38):
feel like some of the turnovers that helped the Warriors
cause things like that, Like.

Speaker 2 (38:43):
I don't think they were unforced turnovers.

Speaker 4 (38:46):
I think the Warriors active had encouraged the Rockets into
situations that were poor. And I still I have a
hard time in this particular game, just this instance. You know,
it's three of the five triples that Steph hit were
kill shots. You play like twenty four seconds of great defense.
The ball went in as the buzzer goes off, and
then Thompson was in his face. I mean, Jalen could

(39:06):
not have defended him without fouling any more successfully when
he made that ridiculous shot as he was falling out
of bounds that was picture perfect in his face, forced
him into a ridiculous shot defense. And then the thirty
footer he hit off the inbounds playoffter Draymond knocked the
ball out of bounds, but they still had it. Those
three shots, those just they didn't not go the rockets way.

(39:28):
That was, unfortunately, a great player doing what he does
a lot.

Speaker 3 (39:32):
Yeah, and that's the other thing we haven't talked well,
we haven't talked about. And then Thompson in just a
dismal performance really on both ends in this game you
expect sometimes.

Speaker 2 (39:43):
Okay, he didn't have the.

Speaker 3 (39:43):
Greatest shooting night, and that's okay, but I and again
it is Steph Curry. I just I guess expected more
of him defensively maybe than we got. And it's it's
his own fault because what he did last time he
played Steph.

Speaker 4 (39:57):
And I said it yesterday and I don't mind saying
it again today and every day until I feel otherwise.
I don't think the Rockets defended Steph Courley poorly, Steph
Curry poorly at all great players.

Speaker 2 (40:08):
They did what they wanted to do.

Speaker 4 (40:10):
He just missed a bunch of shots on April six
and then he did not miss all those shots on
April twentieth, And it was timely in this instance that
this was a playoff game.

Speaker 2 (40:18):
They could have done better.

Speaker 4 (40:19):
There are other things they could have executed a little
bit more, and a couple of those shots I just mentioned.
I do think there was, as Ema says, slippage in
the focus. But overall, I thought that the who they
threw at him, how they went after him, when they
ran him off the three point line, which they did
a lot. They did a really good job on all
the Warriors running them off the three point line and
creating you know, it's harder to blow up somebody out

(40:40):
when it's nothing but twosan. I think the Rockets made
did their best to try to make that happen more
often than not. Obviously, we got a lot of elements
of this game to discuss, and happy to do it
with you. Guys here on the A Team Game two
coming up Wednesday night at Toyota Center. Would you like
to go or we're gonna tell you how we can

(41:01):
help get you there when we come back.

Speaker 1 (41:04):
The eighteen on Sports Talk seven ninety. What's up, Houston, Texas.

Speaker 3 (41:32):
It is the A Team, Sports Talk seven ninety and
Space City Home Network.

Speaker 2 (41:37):
Three o'clock hour.

Speaker 3 (41:38):
Underway, It's WEX, It's ac It's cold Thompson's we take
you up until six o'clock tonight. Already a conversation with
Jake Myers in the books. We will have Luke Easterling
of Athlon Sports on the phone coming up in about
a half hour, and we have done a ton of
Rockets and Astros conversation. We'll also get into a little

(41:59):
bit of Hexan's conversation, but just to reset some of
the things we've touched on obviously, the Rockets down one
in their series with the Golden State Warriors. Game two
tomorrow night, both here on Sports Talk seven to ninety
and on Space City Home Network. By the way, I
meant to ask you, since you called game one and
we're in the building and I was not even in
the state, how was the how's the crowd out there.

(42:20):
How is the how is the tip off capacity for
Toyota Center, especially with the late start I'm assuming better
than normal for a Rockets game.

Speaker 4 (42:29):
It wasn't as late a start as I expected because
there was no slide.

Speaker 8 (42:33):
Uh.

Speaker 4 (42:33):
The Miami Heat were awful and the cash took care
of them pretty easily, so there was no need for
them to slide back from what is a little bit
earlier start. Actually the normal for the reported game time.
We tell you Rockets basketball tonight at seven means they're
tipping off at seven ten. And when we tell you
Rockets postseason basketball last night or two nights ago, and

(42:54):
same thing on Wednesday, when we tell you eight thirty
until they tell us it's sliding, it's eight thirty five.
So it's actually a little five minutes closer to the
reported game time when they actually have tip off. So
at eight thirty five that we tipped it off and
the building was very full, it wasn't. I'd say it
was more full than were people wearing their red lift

(43:16):
Off It's always US T shirts, which they were encouraged
to put on considering they were the freebies right there
on your seat. All you have to do is put
your arms through the armholes and then their head through
the neck hole and.

Speaker 2 (43:28):
You're good to go.

Speaker 4 (43:29):
But the atmosphere was very, very good, especially since bucket
triple dunk on Draymond all happened in the first few
seconds of that game. Fred van Vlief commented on that.

Speaker 6 (43:42):
That was incredible. It's great to have playoff basketball here
in Houston. They definitely answered the test. So we've been
looking for him. We've been looking for him since I
got here. But they showed up tonight and unfortunately we
couldn't get to win. But what an incredible atmosphere. Got
to duplicate that do it again on Wednesday.

Speaker 4 (43:58):
The part of the atmosphere that's on the team is
to give them the reasons to kind of stay with it,
and throughout the first half they certainly did, or first quarter.
I should say, it was a little tough to create
tremendous excitement when it was the Festival of turnovers and
they just had their low scoring first half of the
entire season. They scored thirty four points and only thirteen

(44:19):
of them came in that second quarter. There were some
highlight plays, but I do think the fans were ready.
It was a long time coming. This is a team
that they've absolutely been behind from the beginning of last
season when this group really was put together, the veterans added,
and obviously the coaching staff changed. So yeah, I think
it was job well done on their end, and I

(44:40):
don't expect anything different on Wednesday night, especially with the
and I would call the stakes ramped up just a
touch considering you're the trail team now.

Speaker 3 (44:48):
Yeah, well I would expect a different outcome, but yeah,
everything else. Look, it's a playoff series and it's been
a minute since the Rockets have been a part of one,
but not and it hasn't been nearly as long for him,
and playoff adjustments and everything that comes with a playoff series,

(45:10):
you know, working itself through the first four.

Speaker 2 (45:13):
Games and beyond is so much about that.

Speaker 3 (45:16):
And you know, something obviously didn't work for the Rockets
on Sunday, but it's it is part of It is
as simple as them just shooting the ball better, particularly
that collective backcourt. Like we talked about, I fully expect
Jalen Green to have a better game. I don't know
about Fred van Vliet, at least not shooting the basketball,
because this is who he has been most of the season,

(45:38):
and so I can't just sit here and say, well,
you know, this guy's done it before. He's guy's done
it before. In the postseason. It's definitely going to turn around.
I don't know that it will. That's why we had
that conversation about maybe Aaron Holliday seeing some playing time
and emy Udoka alluding to that, and wex talking about
the fact that, yeah, the shooting is still not happening.
For Fred van Vliet, that is certainly a possibility as

(46:00):
it pertains to Thursday, you know, a little bit more
than forty eight hours away from the NFL Draft getting
underway and everything that comes with that. As it stands
right now, we're talking about this before the show a
little bit nine thirty nine forty ish, when the Texans
make their first pick if they stay at twenty five,

(46:20):
and I was stunned because I just hadn't sat there
and counted the fact that this would be trade number twelve.
Is this overall or is this this isn't first rounds?
Obviously twelve to twelve transactions it would be if Nick
Cassario made a trade.

Speaker 4 (46:37):
Draft day Draft Day trade, yes, exactly Draft Day. So
Thursday Friday or Saturday over the four drafts that he
has been in charge of for the Houston Texans. And yes,
despite how often he'll say it's a team effort, it's collaborative.

Speaker 2 (46:49):
He's in charge of the draft.

Speaker 4 (46:50):
That's one of the job descriptions of his VP position
and his general managership. He's made eleven Draft day trade.
There are a lot more trades that he's made revolving
around draft picks in advance of the draft. Like I
mentioned earlier before last year's draft, already moving on from
their pick at twenty three, turning it into forty two,
which turned into Kamari Lassiter. He's been extremely active. He's

(47:13):
dealt with the Eagles on numerous occasions on Draft Day,
and it wouldn't surprise me again if he and Howie
Roseman were on the opposite ends of the telephone pulling
off another deal round one Thursday, rounds two and three
where they have three additional selections on Friday, and then
remaining three selections come Sunday or Saturday, rounds four, five, six,

(47:35):
and seven. They've got one, five and two sevens currently.

Speaker 3 (47:39):
Yeah, and look, I actually the betting would probably go
towards that maybe it's not that first round pick, but
maybe it is. That's the most exciting because anytime you're
talking about first round talent, and honestly, anytime you're talking
about this team going into this particular draft, with what
we saw last year, the Texans are trading up, it

(48:02):
has to be for an offensive lineman, right.

Speaker 2 (48:03):
I know it doesn't, but it was ya does okay?
Thank you? Thank you?

Speaker 4 (48:07):
How would you trade up for some other position? Like,
I know, I don't mean it's so flippant, lamb. I mean, now,
look at this particular draft. Every draft is different.

Speaker 2 (48:15):
You can do that. There's there might be a reason
to uh.

Speaker 4 (48:18):
There's probably not a player at a position you think
is going to make a huge difference on your team
over the next four seasons while they're under that contract
five technically as a first round pick that you can't
live without. This is the significantly better player at this
position group that we have to go up and get
at the you know, the loss of additional assets, you know,

(48:39):
moving up ten spots can be costly. Moving up a
couple spots probably is something that is more feasible. I
do think there's so many offensive linemen in this draft
and they have to me. They have a need at
every spot. So for the future. I don't mean to
discredit any of the players currently in uniform, but you'd
like to have somebody on a rookie deal for the
next five years.

Speaker 2 (48:58):
They don't have anybody like that.

Speaker 4 (48:59):
They have nothing like that at all with who they
know they can count on the players who have put
a pedigree together. They're all veterans they added this offseason,
or Titus Howard. So they need to build it. They
need to build the offensive line. They don't need to
just have one currently they have one. They actually need
to build one. We talked about it at length yesterday.

(49:19):
Kelvin Banks if he is going to be a Houston
text and it's probably not with pick number twenty five.
It's probably more like pick twelve through seventeen. Gray's abel
looks like he's probably a player that's a little bit
higher than twenty five. And the interior alignment they may
not have quite as much interest in both for the
fact that that's where he plays and that he didn't
play for Alabama or Oregon or Ohio State or Michigan

(49:42):
or any other reputable major major college team. Because that's
it's all that Nick drafts so far. This is Draft five,
so so far he doesn't go the small school route.
We'll see if that changes. But there are a host
of other tackles either of the Joshes and there's several
others that might make sense. But you absolutely have to

(50:04):
have somebody in the room just saying this is what
we can't pass on this player. It's less about we
have to have this position. When you're trading up, you're saying,
we have to have this player. We can't not come
out of this draft with what we have for this
year's draft, next year's draft, and the year after that,
some of the additional assets that they've added. We can't

(50:24):
let this player not be a Texan. Once the first
ten to twelve picks of I mean Kevin Banks gets
drafted eleven or twelve or thirteen, I don't think the
Texans will be hot and heavy with those teams and
discussions about moving up to get them. But once it
gets to fourteen, sixteen, eighteen, somewhere in there, I do
think if they're interested in I do believe that they are,
that's something they might do. I think the flip could

(50:44):
also be true if they don't make a move up,
and then a bunch of these players we've talked about
all week at four o'clock are drafted. Then they might say, okay, well,
then there's the second tier of offensive linemen. Maybe that
begins with Jonovan Jackson. Maybe they know they can get
Donovan Jackson or feel confident they can get him. After
twenty five and there's a move to be made. Somebody

(51:05):
wants to move up. The further you get away from
number one, the easier it is for teams to pull
off deals because they're not giving up as much. And
you know, the team in that position isn't separating the
best or second or third best player in the draft
from fifth or six. They're separating the twentieth best player
in the draft from the fortieth best player.

Speaker 2 (51:24):
And there's just not as much difference.

Speaker 4 (51:25):
So the group of players drafted between twenty five and forty,
the talent level, the skill set, it's not as dramatically
different as one of those franchise changers like Will Anderson,
when you trade up specifically for a player of that magnitude.

Speaker 3 (51:41):
Did you enjoy the video of Will Anderson walking into
the facility in the middle of a tsunami.

Speaker 2 (51:46):
Yes, because he was smiling. Of course, I like he
always is.

Speaker 3 (51:50):
You know what, he and the men Thompson are the
same guy. They're just jim rats for their respective clubs.
Just that's all they care about. It's like, I'm not
saying he's guys don't have social lives, but I just
feel like that's all they do. You want to lift weights,
you want to put it, get up some shots, you
want to do some drill like, that's all they do.

(52:11):
And it shows when they're on their respective playing surfaces.
That is a guy I absolutely believe is going to
have a bounce back tomorrow night. In fact, I cannot
wait to see Amn Thompson in person. But I say
that pretty much every single time out when the Rockets
suit up Game two tomorrow night at Toyota Center. Rockets
evening up this series. And by the way, I'm going

(52:32):
to guarantee why when we come back today as we
continue here on a Tuesday edition of the program.

Speaker 1 (52:38):
The A Team on Sports Talk seven ninety.

Speaker 3 (52:47):
It is the eight team Sports Talk seven ninety Space
City Home Network. Shout out to Monica who is watching
us on Space City Home Network and brought up my
attire today. So Wex a picture of this shirt yesterday
on social media and he said, and I quote nice shirt.

Speaker 2 (53:06):
I think that's the message.

Speaker 4 (53:07):
By the way, I tried to keep it simple and
didn't force myself to really study it. I knew it
was a shirt likely acquired this weekend or packed specifically
for this weekend.

Speaker 2 (53:17):
Well, I have there's a there's a backstory.

Speaker 4 (53:19):
I'll give you the letters that are very visible on
the shirt. There's an RNA in a W, and there's
an N, A W, N and O, and it's all
over the shirt. I can almost make out the A U,
S T I N on one of the people on
the shirt. There's a few other letters. Take scripture if
you will. Uh No, this is up and down, I said, shirt.
It's a vest a leather vest right, Well, I thought,

(53:39):
there isn't there three? I can't look at my self
right there? My advantage point. I can't see any three
sixteen's okay. I'd see the guy that cut up a
bunch of people in a couple of different movies in
Texas with a chainsaw.

Speaker 2 (53:53):
No, I see leather FAA face. That's I believe it's
it's gotta be. That's gotta be. Can it there.

Speaker 4 (54:02):
We'll still see him. Yes, Scott Hall is in WS.
See Terry Belea, Yes, the Hulkster, the Hulkster. I see
Danny Garcia's husband.

Speaker 2 (54:12):
No, they're no longer together, they're just business partner husband.

Speaker 4 (54:15):
Yes, yeah, I see the one of the co owners
of the UFL.

Speaker 3 (54:18):
Yep, yep, he's in there. So I was, uh, we
were just kind of trying to map up what we
wanted to do, map out what we wanted to do,
and the wife says, hey, I want to go to
the Gronk party. I go, what are you talking about?
She's like, there's this party. Because the hotel we stayed
at was the official hotel of WWE while we were there,

(54:40):
so all of the wrestlers were staying there. We encountered
several of them in and out of the lobby, which
there's a story about that.

Speaker 4 (54:46):
But Big nice Ornate Lobby stayed there before we got there.

Speaker 2 (54:52):
He was there last summer.

Speaker 4 (54:53):
I imagine it was a little different for y'all. We're
just there random weekend, nothing special going on, but it's.

Speaker 2 (54:58):
Pretty less crowded when you were. I'm sure. I'm sure. Well, yeah,
because there was no event.

Speaker 3 (55:03):
It's amazing. I'd give them a plug, but come on, now,
they're not paying us. We can't do that. Plus it's illegal,
so I just you know, we're just trying to figure
out what we're gonna do with the few spare minutes
we had.

Speaker 2 (55:15):
She's not gonna want to go to this party.

Speaker 3 (55:16):
It's a Gronk Pool party where Tiffany Tiffany Stratton was
going to show up and flow ride it was. But
she buys the tickets to this thing, and then we
find out the day of the details, well, Gronk Rob
Gronkowski's going to be appearing at one thirty am. He
will be departing at one forty five am. And we

(55:38):
were like, bleep that we're not doing that, not for
this money, all that kind of stuff. So she promptly
sold the tickets in the car on our way back
from WrestleMania, so that was fantastic. We get to the lobby,
right this is Sunday night after the main event has
concluded on night two. There are tons of fans in
the lobby just waiting to see wrestler. She was trying

(56:01):
to finish the sale of said tickets. She didn't want
to wait any longer. Because the person on the other
end is waiting for them, obviously, and the parties that night.
I say all that to explain we're not standing in
the lobby waiting for wrestlers. We're standing there because she
literally did not want to get on the elevator and
take any longer to try and sell these tickets. That's
important because who walks into the lobby at that point

(56:23):
and nearly runs over Teresa John Cena in character meaning
George's no, I mean like his demeanor.

Speaker 4 (56:33):
Oh, She's like, why does he look so upset? I got, babe,
Like he runs into her? I mean, am I supposed
to make some sort of you can't see him joke
like that? He?

Speaker 3 (56:42):
Okay, cap on T shirt and shorts, has his bag,
he's dragging behind him. It's on rollers. He's not in
a good mood, according to Teresa. She's like, why does
he look like that?

Speaker 2 (56:52):
He won? I'm like, babe, he's in character.

Speaker 3 (56:55):
And if you know anything about the storyline right now,
he is all about not giving anything to the fans
who have been booing him for all these years, even
though he's been there every single time out And I said,
he's in character, and he was that's exactly what happened.

Speaker 2 (57:08):
But he nearly took her out.

Speaker 3 (57:09):
I mean he was like blasting through there, and of
course as soon as everybody recognized him, they all flocked
to him like crazy. But yeah, it was. It was
a great weekend. We had a good time. Glad to
be back here. Hated being away from the Rockets first
playoff game in over five years. But tomorrow night, when
when they get down to business, I'm telling you, right now,

(57:31):
they're winning this game. And it's because there's no way,
shape or form the Rockets backcourt performs as poorly as
they did.

Speaker 2 (57:38):
Here's the thing.

Speaker 3 (57:39):
If they were even fifty percent better Sunday night and
everything else is the same, Rockets win that basketball game. Agree, Yeah,
it's there's so much to it. I know it sounds simplistic,
but I really believe that.

Speaker 4 (57:52):
They lost by ten, They were down by twenty three.
They got it down to three midway through the fourth quarter,
which the word will do. They will give up a
leader if you are capable, like the Rockets are capable defensively. Right,
we're so focused on the obvious. Just glance at the
rudimentary box score numbers and you can you can analyze

(58:13):
the game, But there was much more to what they
didn't do well offensively than just the misses from deep.
They were not overly quality or quantity. They only took
twenty nine threes, which is not an incredible number, but
they also missed the other shots. They missed way too

(58:33):
many shots at the rim. And it's not because Draymond
or Looney or Post was blocking them or impeding them
once the shot was ready to be taken. They put
themselves in bad positions at the goal. You know, Alprin
Shongoon again, simple box score glance. Oh, he was eleven
of eighteen. He had nine boards, hit three of his
four three throws, and scored twenty six points.

Speaker 5 (58:55):
He was great.

Speaker 4 (58:56):
I mean, that's part of his night. He could have
been fifteen of twenty five, no problem if he didn't
do some of the things that ruins the play without
the defense making that happen. I said it during the broadcast,
and I hoped it wasn't harsh. But he kept driving
baseline away from where the rim is. You can't score
from there, and I know what he's doing, but there's

(59:18):
nowhere to go against this team. And it wasn't Game
one against this team, and this wasn't the way that
they just started playing him now. He may pointed out
after the game they singled him up a lot more
than usual, and I pointed out the same thing during
the game, and they just never posted him up hardly.
And when they did, he started twenty feet from the basket,
and almost all of them started with face ups. He

(59:41):
was twenty five feet from the basket and the Rockets
hadn't even started their offense. There's ten on the shot clock.
It happened way, way, way too often. The men should
have been better at the basket. Tarry Easton knows he
should have been better at the basket. I say that
because about sixty nine thousand of you viewed the Tarry
Easton is shooting short jump after the game video that

(01:00:01):
I posted after the game, about half an hour after
the game, he was back on the court taking shots,
shooting free throws, just doing some things to kind of
get a bad taste out of his mouth. From game one,
he was three of ten from the floor. He missed
all four of his threes, and he and Amen's shots
that did not go in, and men was four of nine.
Those are shots they can't afford to miss too many

(01:00:22):
of they're all at the rim. These are shots that
have to go in a lot more often than they did,
and Golden State should not be the team that stops
them from doing that. Whether it was called a certain
way or the physical nature of it. But the Warriors
are physical and the Rockets are very physical. I'm not
sure how they expect a game to be called. So
I don't think that was the reason either. They just

(01:00:44):
did not finish at the rim like they need to.
Fifty shots in the paint twenty seven were made. That
numbers got to be a lot higher.

Speaker 3 (01:00:56):
Without having, you know, watched every single second considering what
was going on. But you know how sometimes albre and
Shingoon will miss absolute bunnies because either he's not dunking
or because he takes a shot that is unnecessarily more
difficult than it needs to be.

Speaker 2 (01:01:14):
Was that happening with him you're talking about? He could
have made way more.

Speaker 4 (01:01:16):
I just think he was taking shots away from himself
by driving into no man's land and driving underneath the
basket and looking for Steven Adams eight feet away. Like
that's not the play you want to make, That's not
the pass you want to make you shouldn't be passing
at all. And then the other part of it is
the players away from the ball other than a men,

(01:01:37):
just they weren't there for him the way that they
often are. Whether was Eason not being able to make
a cut or Jalen Green not in position to do
whatever the case may be, those things happen, and that's
why he also had a five turnover game. Those are
the things that he should have been even more offensively aggressive,
in my opinion, and I really don't think it was
the Warriors that dictated otherwise. The Rockets offensive rebounding also

(01:01:59):
should have created a lot more two point shots. They
were grabbing offensive rebounds and then going for a reset.
Don't go for a reset, just put the.

Speaker 3 (01:02:06):
Ball back up to that end more minutes and or
starting Steven Adams.

Speaker 4 (01:02:11):
No, like that's I'm I don't know what you would do.
Why you would go this route? Like even Aaron Holiday
into the rotation or you know, and he was asked
about it after game one, Why would you do that?

Speaker 2 (01:02:23):
Like this isn't.

Speaker 4 (01:02:23):
The first game of the season against them, and Golden
State wasn't a brand new team. They didn't try things
the Rockets haven't seen you're gonna. I mean to me,
I can't help it. That's a panic move. Why would
you panic your way into changing You're good? Yeah, you're
not the eight seed and you won forty four games.
I could fifty two times. Yeah, but I could see
where people would say it's a panic move. But I

(01:02:45):
could see where others would say, yeah, but it's it
creates such a mismatch on the glass, which I realized.
I'm talking about the number one rebounding team in the NBA.
Before you do something crazy, as you're saying, like start
Steven Adams, Well.

Speaker 2 (01:02:59):
What do you start?

Speaker 4 (01:03:00):
I mean, how many minutes are you really giving Steven
ass Yeah, I play him twenty five minutes instead of twenty.
I could understand maybe something like that, But are you
also he's gonna play the guys that are being successful
in the game. If that opportunity shows, Steven Adams got
twenty important minutes in the game, I don't know how
many more I might expect. I might expect us to
talk a little NFL draft next we will. Luke Easterling

(01:03:22):
of Athlon Sports joins us on the A team.

Speaker 5 (01:03:25):
Next The A Team on Sports Talk seven.

Speaker 4 (01:03:29):
Ninety back here on the eight team. Halfway through our
number two. It's Adam Wexler and Adam Planting here with
you to I'm just talking a little bit more about
the upcoming ANDFL Draft, Round one, pick twenty five, your

(01:03:50):
Houston Texans. Luke Easterling of Athlon Sports covers the NFL
Draft in football at large. Great to have you with
us here, Luke. Plenty of things to guess about from
one through twenty four. We've had quite a few people
to discuss the very very top of the draft with,
and before I get into the Texans conversation, something that
could relate to the AFC South at the top of

(01:04:11):
the draft. I think the top three are set. I
think everybody is in the same boat on who's going one, two, three.
It seems like ninety five percent of the people are
set on who goes four? With an offensive tackle Campbell
going to the Patriots, which would leave Ashton genty for
the AFC South in the Jacksonville Jaguars. Do you think
that is a possibility that he joins the Trevor Lawrence backfield.

Speaker 10 (01:04:37):
I definitely think it's a possibility, and I think for
a couple of different reasons, the first being that Ashton
Genty is one of the true elite prospects in this draft.
I think there's only three of those in this draft.
I think it's Travis Hunter and Abdul Carter, who again
you mentioned, you know, we expect them to go to
and three after cam Ward goes to the Titans. But
Ashton Genty is the only other, again, truly elite prospect

(01:04:58):
in this draft. The difference between the number four guy
and the number thirty guy really isn't that huge in
this class. And so if you're telling me they're going
to go purely the best player available, it's it's easily
going to be Genty if he's on.

Speaker 9 (01:05:08):
The board there.

Speaker 10 (01:05:08):
And I think also you've got a new regime taking over.
You know, there's you know, there's no you know, investment
or connection between the James Fladstone and Liam Cohen and
the staff and all these guys coming in with Travis
etn and with Tank Bigsby, and they've got some running
backs there, but like they're not, that's not going to
keep them from taking gent if they think he's worthy

(01:05:29):
of that pick. And so I do expect that pick
to be an offensive playmaker, whether it's Gent whether it's
tedder tenor Row McMillan from Arizona the wide receiver, whether
it's Tyler Warren the tight end for Penn State. I
think one of those three guys could end up being
a Jacksonville Jaguar at the number five pick.

Speaker 4 (01:05:44):
Certainly would impact what the future holds for one of
the teams. Indianapolis also trying to catch the Houston Texans.
You mentioned Ted McMillan. Obviously you believe he belongs there
as the second best wide receiver, presuming Travis Hunter plays
wide receiver in the NFL, which I think is a
fit assumption. Why is there some disagreement on how these

(01:06:06):
wide receivers should be slotted in, you know, one after
the other, with McMillan and Golden and Agbuka and Burden
and and how do you see this group of receivers,
how would you place them rank them?

Speaker 10 (01:06:19):
It's it's interesting because you see, compared to last year's class,
which is the best wide receiver class I've ever seen,
it's it's not really fair to compare it to that group.
But I think this this receiver class has gotten kind
of a bad rep But I think that second tier
after again Travis Hunter's kind of a unicorn. He's in
his own, you know category. But that next group of receivers,
you can stack him in a bunch of different ways,

(01:06:39):
and teams will definitely do that because they need different
types of receivers. All four of those guys you mentioned
very very different traits they bring to the table, and
so for me, it's it's a little bit of a
different exercise to rank them kind of in a vacuum.
But McMillan, to me, is a guy that he makes
everything look easy to the point where it looks like
he's not trying very hard. And I see whether he's

(01:07:01):
trying hard or not the physical tools that he brings
to the table. You know, if I'm an NFL coaching staff,
just get me that guy in the building and I'll
I'll make sure that he maximizes those traits. I'll put
him in a position to be successful, because I can't
teach a guy to be six five two fifteen with
those long arms and create the matchup problems that he
does with that athleticism. You know, I can teach him
the finer points of route running, I can improve certain

(01:07:22):
technical things about his game, but the physical traits that
he brings to the table. There's just no other receiver
in this class that brings those and I think that's
why it gives him the most upside. That's why he's
the number two receiver for me. But if you know, again,
if your team needs the speed, take the top off
the guy, you know type of guy than Matthew Golden
is probably your guy, the deep threat. He's a great
route runner, but he's so explosive and can again create

(01:07:45):
those explosive plays deep. If you want the after the
catch guy who's kind of built like a running back,
more in the Deebo Samuel type of you know, mold
and that's probably Lucid Berden the third for you know,
all of those guys bring different things to the table,
and Mecca Buka is literally the most well rounded guy.
He's I think the guy that's ready to make the
most immediate impact, which I think is really going to

(01:08:05):
appeal to those teams that are picking in the back
end of the first round if they need a receiver
and they need somebody who's going to make, you know,
help them improve their ability to contend for a championship
right away. Abuka is probably that guy, but that that
is going to be a huge factor in how those
guys come off the board.

Speaker 9 (01:08:20):
And at what order.

Speaker 3 (01:08:21):
We're talking to Luke Easterling of Athlon Sports here on
Sports Talk seven to ninety. Before we get to which
offensive lineman you are going to have the Texans take
in the first round, could you could you describe Shador
Sanders using only one word and then tell me where
you think he might go in this draft.

Speaker 10 (01:08:41):
One where I'll cheat and hyphenate it and I'll say
it's high floor. I think you know the I don't
understand everybody like the popular phrases he's a polarizing prospect.
I don't.

Speaker 9 (01:08:52):
I don't know why.

Speaker 10 (01:08:53):
Like as a football player, I don't understand why he's
a polarizing prospect. I think he is an accurate, polished,
mechanically sound quarterback who makes good decisions with the football.
He had zero running game and zero offensive line for
two years of Colorado and still made a lot of
chicken salad out of that. And I think what he
doesn't get enough credit for. I've seen people reference like, oh,

(01:09:15):
do you know, do a team like the Giants want
him come into the big market and do they want
to deal with Dion and all this stuff. I see
it the other way around. I think shud Or Sanders
brings a mental toughness to that position that is so
vital because he has always been Diyon's son. He has
always had that target on his back. He has always
had every a large group of doubters and haters wanting

(01:09:36):
and wishing for him to fail. And I think that
mental toughness that has been developed is going to allow
him to deal with the big market pressure or the
media in New York or in a place like Pittsburgh
where the fan base is is very devoted and rabid,
and so I think all of those traits are are
positives for him, not negatives. And again, maybe he doesn't
have the high end arm strength of a guy like Camboard,
he doesn't have the athleticism the explosiveness of a runner

(01:10:00):
a guy like Jaylen Milroe has. But I just if
you look at the way Geno Smith played the last
couple of years in Seattle, he played so well despite
a terrible offensive line and really was one of the
most underrated quarterbacks in the league, that is what Shador
Sanders looks like to me. And I think that type
of quarterback is gonna win a lot of football games
at the next level, and I think he should absolutely
be a first round pick.

Speaker 4 (01:10:20):
A little bit short on time here, Luke, I apologize
for that, But if the Texans were to walk away
from Thursday Nights draft with Kelvin Banks in their fold,
would they be able to do it at twenty five
or at what point in the draft do they have
to trade up for him?

Speaker 10 (01:10:35):
Yeah, it's not gonna happen at twenty five. I can
tell you that right now. I've had earlier box that
had that happening, and the closer we get, I just
don't think that's gonna happen. I think he could go
in the top ten at this point. They probably have
to get ahead of a team like Miami at thirteen,
and I just don't know if that's too rich for them.
I think on the back end there, you're probably looking
more like Josh Connerley junior from Oregon. Maybe it's a

(01:10:55):
great Isabel from North Dakota State if you liked the
versatility and the fact that he can play all five positions.
Don't know. If Josh Simmons drops that low, I know
he's coming off the kne injury, but his tape was
really really good before he got hurt, so I think
they'll have some quality options there. I just don't think
Banks is going to be one of them unless they're
willing to make a big jump off the board.

Speaker 4 (01:11:11):
Certainly feels like that's how we see it, and I
believe some of the intel suggests the very same. Look
forward to more of your coverage over the next couple
of days and after all these great stuff.

Speaker 2 (01:11:20):
Really appreciate your time this afternoon.

Speaker 10 (01:11:22):
Luke, Hey, no problem, guys, enjoyed the draft.

Speaker 4 (01:11:25):
You got it, Luke Easterling of Athlon Sports. By the way,
he mocked Josh Simmons earlier this week, offensive tackle Ohio
State to the Houston Texans. Calvin Banks was drafted at
pick number twenty four.

Speaker 2 (01:11:41):
See I've seen him at ten.

Speaker 4 (01:11:42):
The Kansas City Chiefs traded up to get him. I
don't like that at all. The Texans don't like that all.
That's why mock drafts are so, so, so much fun.
We'll obviously get into our thoughts at twenty five when
we get to four o'clock with the twenty fifth pick,
as we do each and every day here on the eighteen.

Speaker 1 (01:12:01):
The eight on Sports Talk seven ninety.

Speaker 3 (01:12:12):
To Luke Easterling of Athlon Sports joining us to talk
a little draft last segment. If you missed any or
all of that or Jake Myers earlier from the Astros,
of course, you can catch all that on the podcast
sports Talk at seven ninety dot com.

Speaker 9 (01:12:28):
Uh.

Speaker 3 (01:12:28):
Speaking of the Astros. So, last night, we were driving
home from the airport and we went to an intercontinental
to fly out, So we were driving right by dik
And Park, where in the top of the fifth it
was still a nothing, nothing score And in the time
it took for us to get from that point in
the drive to our place, the Astros poured it on.

(01:12:52):
The Blue Jays obviously did not because Hunter Brown's an
absolute filthy animal. And I think I could be wrong,
but I think that for the most part most seasons,
you don't necessarily have to be on the best team
to get the Cy Young Award as a pitcher.

Speaker 2 (01:13:13):
You could be.

Speaker 3 (01:13:15):
You could be on a team with a middling record,
even sometimes it's very early.

Speaker 2 (01:13:21):
The man he looks good this year.

Speaker 4 (01:13:22):
Yeah, super duper early to be looking at postseason awards.

Speaker 2 (01:13:25):
You don't think in April twenty.

Speaker 4 (01:13:27):
Two games in one hundred and forty games from now,
we still won't know necessarily who's gonna pocket some of
that hardware. But he's absolutely in the minds of voters
because of how he pitched last year. Just being in
the mix is all that's usually necessary. I mean, there's
there's fifteen teams. Are you in the top eight? Are
you playing the final ten games of the season with
a chance to make the wild card, chance to win

(01:13:49):
the division locked something up? If you're one of those
ten teams, and they'll probably be roughly that number of
teams that are still in it, you probably have a
chance to win it that your team's performance wouldn't prevent it.
And as we've moved further into hey man, these numbers
really tell a pretty good story. People have pushed away
from Yeah, but look at his one loss record. Dumbs

(01:14:10):
have pushed away from that, Thank you very much as evidence.
I mean, Hunter Brown's been essentially unhittable this entire season.
He's the hardest pitcher to hit or he has the
lowest whip in the majors. He's one of the hardest
pitchers to hit. He's only three and one, his team's

(01:14:32):
only three and two in the five starts that he's made,
He's pitched five and oh baseball, give up two earned
runs in the opener Astros scored one, give up two
earned runs in the second game they won that game.
He gave up no runs in the third game they
lost when the bullpen gave up seven runs, and he

(01:14:53):
hasn't given up any runs in any of these games
that have followed. Obviously, the Astros won those games. When
his teammates followed ode with shutout baseball. The Astros have
thrown two shutouts this year. You'll never guess who the
starting pitcher was in those two shutouts. Each of his
last three starts, he has not been scored upon. He's
got a twenty to four inning scoreless streak, and it

(01:15:17):
could have been even easier for him last night if
the home plate umpire knew where the strike zone was
early in the game. And what's even worse is later
in the game he changed where the strike zone was
and net hitters on both sides saying, whoa, whoa, whoa,
Wait a minute, we've been here for an hour and
a half. What changed? Did we move the plate? Did
you get taller? Are you now wearing glasses? But Hunter

(01:15:37):
Brown had guys strike two, strike three and just had
to throw another pitch or two because he was I'm
not saying getting the call. I mean that was a strike.
All you have to do is put your arm out
to the side and the guy will walk back to
the dugout. But he refused to do it on a
couple of pitches early, another good sign of a mentally
elite Ace didn't bother him in terms of performance. It

(01:16:01):
probably very much bothered him mentally, but it didn't show.
It didn't show in the pitches he had to additionally throw,
or any kind of relationship with the umpire. He wasn't
talking back to him on his way back to the dugout.
He wasn't close to getting ejected. It wasn't egregious, but
he just went about, oh, so that one wasn't a strike.
I guess I'll just throw another awesome pitch. He was
electric again last night. But I really do think it's

(01:16:22):
all five starts. I said it after his start on
day two of the season. The results weren't quite as
strong as the more recent results, but it's pretty clear
he's thrown the ball well. He's had five straight starts
of throwing the ball, I think exactly the way he
wants to all of his pitches, hitting his spots, bringing
unreal gas late in his starts.

Speaker 2 (01:16:41):
Yep.

Speaker 4 (01:16:41):
And he wants seven innings for the first time because
he was never in trouble. Well, bits and a walk.

Speaker 3 (01:16:45):
That last thing you mentioned before the seven innings part
of course, the late gas. I mean, we talk about
the Verlander comparison all the time, just from the mechanics
and just how he looks out there on the mound,
But that is that's something that vintage Verlander would do
so many times.

Speaker 2 (01:16:58):
All Right, I'm going to rear back.

Speaker 3 (01:17:00):
I got a little bit left in the tank, and
a lot of guys do this power pitchers, but pitchers
that obviously can go with a length that is again,
there's a lot to like early on, there's no I
was not like, I wasn't concerned about him going into
last season and then he had kind of the early struggles.

(01:17:20):
You know, he has said it was mechanics driven, but
I had no doubt that maybe not this dominant. But
it's really not that surprising early on, and it is early,
like you said, but I expected this from Hunter Brown.
That's just where he's at. In my book right now,
as an Astros pitcher.

Speaker 4 (01:17:37):
It's hard to do what he's doing, is calling it
expected is extreme because being unhittable every time you get
the ball, it's hard to do that. I mean, Trek
scuogl won the cy Young last year and pitched almost
to this level from the time that Hunter figured it
out last year, added the pitch to his arsenal and
locked in to today. So you add the five starts

(01:17:58):
to his last twenty twenty one appearances, nobody's been better.
He's been better over that period than the reigning cy
Young Award winner, and not by a lot, but awesome.

Speaker 2 (01:18:07):
I agree.

Speaker 4 (01:18:08):
He turned in a very strong postseason start, not opposite Scooble, unfortunately,
but he's certainly trending in the direction of there's no
concern about the future of the Astros pitching staff, even
though the guy who's started on opening day is not
going to be an Astro. The guy who started in
the last four opening days is not gonna be an
Astro in twenty twenty six. All right, we'll just go

(01:18:30):
to the next guy, and Hunter Brown is I won't
call him the next guy after this segment. He's the
guy and I do think it's great that they're both
together this year, because that's why I thought the Detroit
series was even with who the astros were. You're in
a good spot. You're throwing from ber Valdez and Hunter
Brown in these two games, and if it doesn't work out,
then you're throwing use Kakuchi in game three. But you're

(01:18:51):
not gonna lose both of these games with these two starters,
and then when you get to a longer series, each
of them is throwing twice. I don't know who joins
Hunter Brown in twenty six and beyond, but you don't
get much better than what he's been doing from the
start of the season through his first five starts.

Speaker 3 (01:19:07):
And we're less than a month and a half away
until the return of our boys.

Speaker 2 (01:19:11):
Spencer Araghetty. Doctor Clinton said it right here.

Speaker 4 (01:19:14):
You're probably a little bit closer to somebody else's return.
Even though he was sick over the weekend, it'll be
this weekend that Lance mccullor's junior likely throws for the
Corpus Christy Hooks again. I don't think they're gonna send
him to Tacoma to pitch for the Space Cowboys this weekend.
I imagine Joe even probably acknowledge that.

Speaker 2 (01:19:32):
Yay, he loves pitching in Washington State.

Speaker 4 (01:19:34):
I think it's probably an unnecessary, lengthy trip, but unfortunately
he couldn't get what could be his last appearance in
Lance mccullor's junior Obviously we're talking about this past weekend,
but it all goes well this week as he goes
through a throwing session, then he'll be on the mound
this weekend and that could be it for his rehab. Appearances.
Forced Whitley through the ball tremendously well last night. Their

(01:19:54):
pitching staff has been and has the makings of a
staff that will stay as great as they have been.
They have great and they have what looks like staying power,
and it's only getting better should everyone stay healthy because
of how they're now likely going to be able to
deploy the bullpen if Ort throws like he did last year.
If Whitley looks like the pitcher he is, the games
where you're like, oh, he has to go to this guy,

(01:20:16):
Well he doesn't because they won't have any of those guys.

Speaker 3 (01:20:19):
And if you want some backup to what we're saying
about Hunter Brown, don't worry. You won't have to wait
much longer. In about thirty minutes, you'll hear the manager
of the Astros, Joe Spotta, talk about Hunter Brown, among
other things. But when we come back to start four
o'clock hour, we'll tell you exactly who the Texans are
taking with.

Speaker 2 (01:20:35):
A twenty fifth pick in Thursday night draft.

Speaker 5 (01:20:39):
The eighteen on Sports Talk seven ninety.

Speaker 4 (01:20:43):
And our number three of the Tuesday edition of the
A Team. Here at four o'clock wexsay Steve Cole Thompson
here with you mentioned earlier with Wednesday nights Rockets Warriors
Game two, come in your way. We have tickets to
give away contests. We'd like you to enter to win
tickets to game two, and we'll take care of that

(01:21:03):
whole thing over the next two hours. It's pretty simple
for you if you'd like to be entered in the
contest to win a pair of tickets to go see
the Rockets and Warriors tomorrow night over at TC this
postseason Game two.

Speaker 2 (01:21:14):
Well, it is this simple.

Speaker 4 (01:21:16):
All you gotta do is have the iHeartRadio app, and
if you don't, you gotta download it.

Speaker 2 (01:21:20):
You're gonna enjoy it.

Speaker 4 (01:21:21):
If you have it already, and you might need to
get the updates so you can enjoy all the new
and improved features. That is Step one, via the iHeartRadio app,
make Sports Talk seven ninety your number one preset if
you have not already.

Speaker 2 (01:21:34):
That is step two.

Speaker 4 (01:21:35):
Step three is scrab as screenshot of that evidence that
Sports Talk seven to ninety is the number one preset
on your iHeartRadio app.

Speaker 2 (01:21:44):
Step four, email me that screenshot Adam.

Speaker 4 (01:21:46):
Wexler at iHeartMedia dot com, and we'll get you entered
into that contest. We will pick a winner before shows
end at six o'clock today. Adam Wexler at iHeartMedia dot
com a screenshot of Sports Talk seven ninety, the station
you're currently listening to. It's very easy number one on
your presets on your iHeartRadio app. Those of you that

(01:22:09):
are currently using the iHeartRadio app, it's have seen the advancements,
the upgrades, the improvements. It's awesome, very easy to get
to what you want, especially when it's right here on
Sports Talk seven ninety. Will shoot out that same information
I just gave you on social media so you can
see it and make it even that easier to get
you entered into that contest. To get email me of

(01:22:30):
that screenshot Sports Talk seven ninety number one on your
iHeart Radio presets Adam Wexler at iHeart a radio.

Speaker 2 (01:22:38):
Dot com. iHeartMedia dot com. Does I think both work?
Maybe not.

Speaker 3 (01:22:42):
I'm not sure. Sometimes they do. I don't believe so
iHeartMedia dot com.

Speaker 4 (01:22:46):
Yes, Please send it to the correct address as indicated
in the typed version of the post on Sports Talk
seven ninety dot com. Okay, four o'clock here means we
tell you what we think has a good chance of
happening Thursday night. Should the Texans sit at twenty five,
Nick Cassio holds with the twenty fifth pick and the draft.

(01:23:06):
This is version seven again, We're probably gonna be probably considered.
We have a pretty good chance. We're gonna give you
nine different players between last Monday and this Thursday that
could be the selection for the Texans at number twenty five.
Gives us a little bit of a window to be correct.
You've probably heard all of the names we've already suggested,
and even today's name as we unfurl it, the seventh

(01:23:29):
different name of what the Texans might do.

Speaker 3 (01:23:34):
We're the pretty big pick in the twenty twenty five draft.

Speaker 4 (01:23:40):
The Houston Texans select Josh Connerly off its tackle Oregon,
and I will preface the next three names are the
top three that I think are on the board of
twenty five. So Today's name, Wednesday's name, and Thursday's name
are the three most likely of the nine that will
have been said.

Speaker 2 (01:23:59):
So another offensive lineman.

Speaker 4 (01:24:00):
A few minutes ago when Luke Easterling of Athlon Sports
joined US, he did mention the name of Josh Connelly Junior.
The closer we've gotten to draft day, the more I
think if there's a run on offensive lineman, specifically tackles,
then the Texans probably would take him.

Speaker 2 (01:24:18):
And I think that's where the run happens.

Speaker 4 (01:24:20):
If it doesn't and all of these players are still
sitting there, I think they might view Donovan Jackson Connorley
Junior its second round talents, sure as thirty two through
forty talents. And if there's some other player, like a
wide receiver, like somebody in the secondary, maybe the super

(01:24:44):
talented safety from South Carolina. If he's on the board
at twenty five, I think that the Texans should be
and will be fielding phone calls. But let's talk about
Josh Connelly Junior. Why does he make sense for Houston
at twenty five number one, a.

Speaker 11 (01:25:01):
Two years starter at one of the premier levels and
one of the premier schools. So automatically it just fits
the mold of what Nick Cassio wants. Stands six foot five,
three hundred and ten pounds, hyper athletic dude, really good
foot in the ground motion that allows him to win
his one on one battles. He only allowed three sacks
in two years blocking for two different quarterbacks who both
were Heisman caliber players, Dylan Gabriel and then of course

(01:25:23):
first round pick last year, Bo Nicks.

Speaker 2 (01:25:25):
The other thing that.

Speaker 11 (01:25:26):
Really stands out about his game good low center of gravity,
does not give up a lot of pressures, does not
allow defensive linemen to win their one on one battles
and send his feet back. He has a good base
down low. I think the best thing about him is
that the production speaks for itself. Over twelve hundred snaps
over the last two years in pass protection, one sack

(01:25:46):
allowed on his side, efficient quick feet, good overall ability
to win against pass strushers using a good vertical set,
great muscle memory.

Speaker 3 (01:25:55):
Two.

Speaker 11 (01:25:55):
So he makes a mistake, doesn't really fall for it
a second time. This is one of those guys feel
really confident can make the adjustment from either the right
side to the left side, or if you want to
take him out on the left side, He'll be able
to learn from his mistakes pretty quickly adapt and that
I to get back to square one knowing what is
the overall.

Speaker 2 (01:26:12):
Separator of him.

Speaker 11 (01:26:14):
I personally think that in a trade down scenario it
makes a lot more sense. I agree with you. If
there is a Nickie man Wory a wide receiver there,
maybe move on back, play the risk game. Hope that
maybe it's a Donovan Jackson him available for you. But
if he's there at twenty five, he is a start,
ready made tackle that I do believe would elevate the
status of the Texans offensive line.

Speaker 2 (01:26:34):
Yeah.

Speaker 4 (01:26:34):
Two years of playing full time left tackle these last
two years. Like you mentioned, at Oregon a high level program.
I do think there was high level competition, probably much
more so than would have been had they not been
a part of the Big Ten. I did see this
note again Daniel Jeremiah's guide on the Athletic Beast, and

(01:26:55):
he writes, Dane Bugler hold it out.

Speaker 2 (01:26:57):
Oh yeah, Dane Brugler, My bad.

Speaker 4 (01:26:59):
I was watching Daniel with Mina suggesting, oh wait to
hear this trade. The textas are definitely going to be
involved in Dame Brugler My mistake on the athletic allowed
only six pressures over his final twelve starts of this
past season. All six came against Ohio State. Ohio State
doesn't necessarily boast some unbelievable talent in this year's draft.

(01:27:24):
I think overall they have plenty of it, and over
the next couple drafts at a couple of different front
seven positions, we'll see it is that even an alarm
bell of any kind that Okay, this was undoubtedly the
best front they played, and there were some struggles, there's
a little bit.

Speaker 11 (01:27:40):
But at the same time, think about it this way.
They also love to blitz their linebackers. That's like a
giant thing with Jim Knowles and sending also defensive backs.
So were the pressures coming against just simply defensive ends
like Jack Sawyer and J. T.

Speaker 4 (01:27:53):
Tumlaur Was it a Sony Styles? Was it a Caleb Downs?

Speaker 11 (01:27:57):
Was he losing those one on one battles where he
wasn't as I think the other thing that's really important
here wex you got to realize that in twenty twenty three,
that was one of the best years the Pac twelve
ever had in football, and it was the final year
of the packed one that we knew it. So he
was going up against really quality defensive lines in Washington
and Washington State and Colorado had a decent pastors that year,

(01:28:19):
and Stanford wasn't that terrible? And you also had Arizona
State in Arizona was a ten win teas butt a
vote of confidence. Stanford wasn't that terrible? Accurate, It wasn't
It was not great.

Speaker 4 (01:28:29):
And the Ohio State pressures comment, there's probably a qualifier
that I will now mention. Sure, they played Ohio State
twice in those final twelve games, so that's two different games.
It was still only six total pressures against the same
team they happened to see twice. They beat them during
the regular season with the Will Howard late slide, and
they got smoked in the postseason with Ohio State just

(01:28:52):
running all over them on their way to winning it all.
I think this makes sense for them with what they're
trying to build, the type of line and athleticism I
think they'd like for a player they want there for
the next six to ten years, but I am a
little not so locked in that they do it at
twenty five.

Speaker 11 (01:29:09):
I will say, there is another thing that we have
to bring up. He was a running back that transitioned
into an offensive tackle, so he is.

Speaker 2 (01:29:16):
A Titus Howard caliber or athletic player thing.

Speaker 11 (01:29:18):
So he's still learning the ins and outs of how
to play tackle, and he's.

Speaker 2 (01:29:21):
Done a pretty good job.

Speaker 11 (01:29:22):
But that's the big issue, is that you want a
guy with proven experience, which is why he came in
at number three.

Speaker 4 (01:29:27):
So the last thing you said prevented the question then
that I'm going to ask now, because this is how
I viewed it. But you had said he's a ready
to go, starting caliber player. I felt like, in watching
him and obviously reading much more about him, there's a
little bit of a developmental aspect to it. Not that
he can't be on the field immediately, not that he shouldn't,
not that he can't win the job, not that he

(01:29:47):
isn't ready, but there are more things to learn for
just the reasons you suggested.

Speaker 2 (01:29:51):
Sure, but okay, let me phrase it this way, then
that way.

Speaker 11 (01:29:54):
It ends up kind of going back and I look
optimistically Glass half full the two days last.

Speaker 2 (01:30:01):
He's a big kid.

Speaker 9 (01:30:02):
He is.

Speaker 11 (01:30:02):
He's a two hundred and ten fives the jug half full,
the water jug of optimism that is cascading through NRG
Stadium right now. He is a ready made tackle to
where you feel confident that he could start. But the
ceiling is through the roof, I mean the yeah, the
ceiling is through the roof.

Speaker 2 (01:30:18):
The floor ceiling through the roof.

Speaker 4 (01:30:20):
So this is that North Carolina Michael Jordan's saying thing
they're trying to do exactly.

Speaker 11 (01:30:25):
But also the two names that I know I'm naming
in tomorrow and on Thursday, and the name that I
think that they ultimately will draft, they are already plug
and play. You know what to expect from both of them.
So you're banking on traits and upside with a guy
in Connery, you know what you're getting in the next two,
which is why I think that those are the two

(01:30:46):
that you've already circled in permanent marker, ready to go.
Pick number twenty five. They were there. You're running up
to the podium to make sure that they are a Houston, Texas.

Speaker 4 (01:30:55):
Only took us seven days for Cole to tap into
some of my all time favorite things about NFL Draft Day.
The buzzwords, traits, upside and.

Speaker 2 (01:31:07):
What was that ceiling phrase again, through the roof.

Speaker 4 (01:31:11):
The floor the ceiling, the ceiling is the roof, the
roof is on fire, raised the roof.

Speaker 2 (01:31:16):
What did you say? Exactly?

Speaker 4 (01:31:17):
Everything and above and Michael Scott and by the way,
if I may, the turntables. These traits that we're talking
about could be on full display for the next two days.

Speaker 2 (01:31:28):
Boys.

Speaker 4 (01:31:29):
Oh yeah, looking forward to to more installments of With
the twenty fifth pick, the Houston Texans select heavy on
offensive linemen. So far, We'll see what tomorrow and Thursday
bring before we get you to the NFL Draft and
our coverage right here of it Thursday night, right here
on Sports Talk seven.

Speaker 1 (01:31:47):
Ninety The Age on Sports Talk seven ninety.

Speaker 3 (01:32:01):
It is the eight team Sports Talk seven ninety. By
the way, when when Cole gave us the dimensions, because
that's what I'm gonna call them of his mocked player.
I'm not gonna say measurements because that sounds weird and
that's correct.

Speaker 4 (01:32:20):
It's not correct as it is. They go to the
combine and they take measurements. Then you go to Pro
Day and you take measurements.

Speaker 3 (01:32:27):
Correct measurements. To me, sounds like you're talking to a supermodel.

Speaker 2 (01:32:31):
Hey, thanks for coming in. The doctor will be in
a few minutes.

Speaker 4 (01:32:34):
Can you take your shoes off so we can get
your dimensions that the nurse never says that, Well, you're
gonna want to step up on the scale, you can
take your shoes off.

Speaker 2 (01:32:42):
We need your dimensions.

Speaker 3 (01:32:44):
What did you say as stats were again, his measurements six',
five three hundred and what because those are, Dimensions i'm,
sorry not a.

Speaker 2 (01:32:53):
House, well yeah he. IS i mean he's built like.
One that's What i'm.

Speaker 3 (01:32:56):
Saying, like if you want to say measurements for any
other normal, mortal male or, FEMALE i still think it
sounds like you're talking about a, model a female.

Speaker 2 (01:33:05):
Model i'm he's a plus size. MODEL i don't know
that he is a plus.

Speaker 4 (01:33:09):
Size they list your, height your, weight your, hand your,
arm your. Wingspan they don't list your cup size or your.

Speaker 2 (01:33:18):
Waist, well what about your?

Speaker 4 (01:33:21):
Bus they don't put a, number then a, dash and
then a, number and then a dash and then the third.

Speaker 2 (01:33:25):
Number what about your? Bus some of these offensive linemen have, boobs.

Speaker 4 (01:33:27):
But they don't list it nor do they measure, it
they see, it you, said they recognize.

Speaker 2 (01:33:33):
It this is an example of What i'm talking. About
you said, Hands.

Speaker 4 (01:33:36):
Yes offensive linemen's, hands wide receivers hands are important information
for those in the drafting.

Speaker 2 (01:33:44):
Business.

Speaker 4 (01:33:45):
Why, well in a wide receiver's, case it's fairly. Obvious,
well that's, true they believe sometimes the wingspan probably even more.

Speaker 2 (01:33:52):
So and your length of. Arm for the offensive lineman.

Speaker 3 (01:33:56):
Hands like if you've got small hands like Your austin,
powers small hands smell a cabbage and then some people
think that are the leader of the free world also
has small, Hands they're not.

Speaker 4 (01:34:07):
Small nine and a half inch hand measurements would be
like the smallest for the best offensive. Tackles Will campbell's
hand measured at nine and a half from the base
of the palm to your middle finger. Tip of, COURSE
i don't. Know this is the number one you know
how to get it? Tackle, Yeah and he has the smallest,

(01:34:29):
hands would you it's not enough to knock him down the.
Board he's a good. Player they have the. Film that's
why you always at some point you just kind of
slide back, to, well he plays, football CAN'T i just
watch him play football and make a determination in.

Speaker 3 (01:34:44):
This i'm not even kidding WHEN i say, this wouldn't
you want smaller, hands especially from a, tackle since they're
always looking at their hands to see if they're holding
on every.

Speaker 4 (01:34:52):
Play you just have to be smart enough to wear
the same color gloves as your upon.

Speaker 2 (01:34:55):
IT i, mean it's not that, hard thank you very.

Speaker 4 (01:34:57):
Much grabbing hold of somebody with larger hands might be
a little bit. Bit we're not talking about somebody who
has abnormally small. Hands we're not talking about a quarterback
who can't grip the. Football it's one of the lesser
important measurements for this particular.

Speaker 3 (01:35:12):
Times you think teams do that each and every, week
find out, like, okay here's what the jersey color is
of the opposings, teams and then legit give their offensive
linemen the closest color possible to. That i'm not even.
Kidding everybody's looking at you. Exactly everybody's looking to get an.
Edge and if we're sitting here talking about the measurement
of guys' hands going into the, draft THEN i cannot

(01:35:35):
even joke about the fact that teams probably do.

Speaker 4 (01:35:37):
That, yeah it usually gets pointed out when they do
the opposite like when you have a, player especially at,
tackle when you're out in, space right and you're wearing
very visible color versus the opponent's jersey colored gloves like
red on.

Speaker 2 (01:35:52):
Blue it's just.

Speaker 4 (01:35:53):
Something that could be avoided with all the options and
color schemes your, uniforms you that oftentimes they're top are
white or your tops are, white and you wear the
opposite of what you have to match what they. Have
but probably not the most important thing from. Alignment he
was not particularly quick or. SPEEDY i guess is more
THAN i would say. Quick he's actually quicker more than

(01:36:14):
he is. Fast BUT i wonder what with each of these.
TACKLES i wonder what their ideal weight actually turns out to.
Be and a little bit of that has to do
with where they go and what those teams want from.
Them you, know connrally comes in probably three point fifteen
when he walks in the door with whatever team drafts.

Speaker 2 (01:36:30):
Him anywhere between three fifteen and three, twenties.

Speaker 4 (01:36:33):
Right so does he play at three ten or does
he play at three twenty? Five or is the waight
that he brings into camp after The other part of
it is that these guys aren't playing football for the
last three, months but they're extremely involved in something.

Speaker 2 (01:36:46):
Else they're training for The.

Speaker 4 (01:36:49):
Combine they're putting their body together slightly differently than this position,
specifically than they would for playing college football or PLAYING nfl.
Football they're trying to win at The, combine or win
On Pro, day or win after and through The Senior.
Bowl this is somewhere WHERE i Think connery looked good
at The Senior, bowl was highly regarded for the work

(01:37:12):
he put in, there and usually something that helps from
a draft. PERSPECTIVE i tend to think The texans like
him enough to draft, him but AS i said, EARLIER
i think at twenty, five it's really going to depend
on what else has happened at that position up until that,
point because WHILE i think they like, HIM i don't
know that they think so highly of him they just, say,

(01:37:34):
well let's make it. Easy he's, There we'll take him
at twenty five Before nick wants to go ahead and
play the draft game and try to maximize their ability
to get the most talent out of this.

Speaker 11 (01:37:44):
Draft to be, fair there was a all pro version
center at pick number fifteen and they stole With Kenyan,
green so you never know what.

Speaker 3 (01:37:51):
To Expect why DOES Djb enemy have The texans taking
a wide receiver.

Speaker 4 (01:37:55):
Hold on the pick you're referring to as whom oh
it Was Tyler. Wyn, yeah they did not He nick
and his staff did not do a good job of
maximizing their ability adding a. Pick trading back from thirteen to,
fifteen watching two players who have been studs for their respective,
teams one on the defensive, interior one on the back

(01:38:16):
end In philly And, baltimore, respectively and then they drafted
a player that three years after the draft was sent
To philadelphia. Again Kenyan green was sent To philadelphia to
help get YOU. Cj Gardner. Johnson, so by no means
was it a total. Loss but his on field contributions
over three seasons In houston were basically. Zero he just
wasn't a good player when he was healthy and out,

(01:38:36):
there and that now he's. Elsewhere so THE Espn nation
crew of reporters put together, there you cover this, team
and so you get their. Pick and they went through
the first twenty four picks and they got to The.
Texans our good FRIEND Djb enemy has the clock on
him at twenty. Five and who did you say The
texans took And Mecca, abuca so we had that as

(01:39:00):
one of our previous six before today The texans select
at twenty.

Speaker 2 (01:39:04):
Five by the, way quickly wrong with.

Speaker 3 (01:39:06):
That, well, no before you go any, further Former texans
beat writer or at least cover the, Team Sarah barshop
has The rams Taking Matthew golden right after The texans
with that.

Speaker 4 (01:39:17):
Pick, Yeah Luke easterling was on with us And Russell
brown was on with us, yesterday and we've said the
same thing when we went through A mecca last. Week
he is advanced for a college football. Receiver is his
ceiling a little bit?

Speaker 2 (01:39:32):
Lower? Maybe and maybe?

Speaker 4 (01:39:34):
Probably but is he going to be super productive from
day one and on and into the. Future and is
a FIT i think with his type of skills with this,
team with this, offense WITH cj opposite or next To Nico,
COLLINS i absolutely think. SO i don't Think golden's much
different than. Him quite, honestly do you think this is
not much different as a type of. RECEIVER i think

(01:39:55):
they play this a similar way and their body types
aren't that. Dissimilar he's just clearly more of a regarded
as more of a home run.

Speaker 11 (01:40:03):
Hitter BEFORE i let a se go real fast And
MECCA booka is what you see is what you.

Speaker 2 (01:40:07):
Get type of.

Speaker 11 (01:40:07):
Receiver i'm expecting sixty five, catches eight hundred and seventy
five yards, minimum and six touchdowns a. Year that's WHY
i Think i'm getting in him where everyone else may
be a little bit, better but that's still a quality
number two in an offense that needs a number.

Speaker 3 (01:40:20):
Two, Okay so if you get to this point and
those two guys are indeed sitting, there sure does this
just come down to the fact that he played WITH. C. J?

Speaker 2 (01:40:29):
STROUD i sure hope.

Speaker 11 (01:40:30):
NOT i think personally it's because of more, Consistency and
it's nothing Against Matthew, golden WHO i believe is a
much more fluid route runner and maybe has a little
bit more. Upside but it was one great year At
texas where you have two years of evidence right on
a guy in A mecca book who had one thousand.
Yards and the other thing is that in both years
ac he was the number.

Speaker 2 (01:40:50):
Two in twenty twenty.

Speaker 11 (01:40:52):
Two he was the number two Behind Marvin Harrison. Junior
last year was the number two Behind Jeremiah.

Speaker 3 (01:40:56):
Smith so he's used being number two Behind Nico. Collins
why would it be? Bad Would i'm, Saying wex, SAID
i hope not WHEN i.

Speaker 4 (01:41:03):
SAW i, mean you're. Not you can't pick a player like. That,
well but, NO i mean if you Think Matthew golden's,
better BUT cj likes A mecca because he's friends with, him,
DON'T i mean you.

Speaker 2 (01:41:11):
CAN'T i mean What i'm.

Speaker 3 (01:41:13):
Saying is if they're both there and you're looking at the,
two that's your. Tiebreaker, WELL i mean that's. Not familiarity
is not a small or overrated.

Speaker 2 (01:41:21):
Thing, no it.

Speaker 4 (01:41:22):
Isn't AND i do think the comparison and the production
and the group he was playing, with it's just so
unfair in this. Comparison golden had What igbuka had for
just one season last year in the sark offense With
quinn And arch before, that no offense to who he
had throwing in the. Ball but they were. Awful AND

(01:41:45):
i can't believe how MANY ufh GAMES i went to
and worked And i'm.

Speaker 2 (01:41:49):
Like how hard is it to get him the? Ball
but they couldn't do.

Speaker 4 (01:41:52):
It, yeah and that's why his production was oh my,
god look at what he's doing this. Year, well it
was always there and there were some with him AT
u OF h that last, year but they just weren't very.
Good that's Why Dana holgerson got. Fired it's why they
changed the coaching, staff among many. Reasons he was in
the same wide receiver room When Clayton tone was there

(01:42:13):
With Tank.

Speaker 2 (01:42:13):
Dell it's also why he.

Speaker 4 (01:42:14):
Left it's why they could have been so much. More
BUT i think If Matthew golden and The bug are
on the board at twenty, five to, me it's it's
kind of a no, brainer and it's the opposite of
WHAT dj.

Speaker 2 (01:42:25):
Said but that's just one person's.

Speaker 3 (01:42:26):
Band, also every time you Say tankdlle's, NAME i guess sad.

Speaker 2 (01:42:30):
Uh, well that's ALL i can. Do ALL i can.
Do JOE.

Speaker 4 (01:42:33):
A spotta on The astros from his appearance earlier today
On Sports talk seven ninety comes your.

Speaker 2 (01:42:38):
Way next.

Speaker 1 (01:42:40):
The eighteen On Sports talk seven. Ninety it is THE A.

Speaker 3 (01:42:51):
Team It's Sports talk seven. Ninety it's A tuesday edition
of the. Program wex a. C Cole thompson with you
as we take you up until six o'clock. Tonight we
were talking a lot of football over the first half
hour this four o'clock, hour but back to The Baseball
conversation as, Promised Joe aspota making his weekly appearance here

(01:43:12):
on the, station and, coincidentally maybe one of the first
questions he was asked was About Hunter brown and his
dominance over his last two. Starts we were talking about
The astros Second, DACE i THINK i can call him
that with confidence a little bit, earlier And JOE. A
spotta echoing some of those.

Speaker 12 (01:43:30):
Sentiments you, know he Is MAT's he's been, really really,
good and.

Speaker 9 (01:43:40):
The beauty of it is that there is potential to
get even. Better like he's overall, game, RIGHT i.

Speaker 12 (01:43:48):
Think once you reach this level where he is, now
where we know he's got this, stuff and you, know
you got all the teams talking about Facing Hunter. Brown
now he's creating that consistency where you show up every
single night and you get your team an opportunity to
win the.

Speaker 9 (01:44:07):
Game, right you know it's doing.

Speaker 12 (01:44:09):
That he's becoming that guy now is you know long term,
right It's Hunter brown is becoming that Eighth And i've
been watching him transform into this.

Speaker 9 (01:44:21):
Guy where we we you, know we lean on him skipping.

Speaker 13 (01:44:25):
It literally last night it was like him throwing darts
at a board and hitting the bull's. EYE i mean
he when he was, missing he wasn't missing by, much.

Speaker 9 (01:44:33):
No and and the thing is that when he.

Speaker 12 (01:44:38):
When, pitching but you, know when hitters are following pitches,
off he's, like you know, what he's ninety nine down the,
Middle like right when you when you have, confidence And
i'm just going to just challenge you with my best
in the heart of the.

Speaker 9 (01:44:52):
PLAY i don't care IF i get, hit But i'm
not going to walk you.

Speaker 12 (01:44:56):
Once when you reached that level of, confidence now you're
doing some some.

Speaker 13 (01:45:00):
Stuff you also made a lot of change yesterday moving
yourd on to the second.

Speaker 2 (01:45:04):
Spot initial thought about.

Speaker 13 (01:45:06):
That got on base couple of, times including the obligatory intentional,
walk Which i'm more than okay, with and it helped
out a little bit because you got to.

Speaker 2 (01:45:13):
Cook a number and in the middle of the, game
which was a nice surprise as.

Speaker 12 (01:45:16):
Well, yeah you know peretis right, now he has been
our best hitter with main in scoring. Position and you,
know the more the more traffic we could get on
in front of him for him to get big, hits
like the night before when he got the big hits
to center Against San. Diego he did it again last
night after they Walked jor. Done you, know he really

(01:45:38):
has a feel for RBIs so trying To i'm just
trying to create some you, know some moments there where
our best guys come up to the play offense and
try to give our offense, sparking trying to give our
starter hunt a brown this case and our bullpet an opportunity.

Speaker 9 (01:45:56):
To pitch with the. Lead and he worked out really
well last.

Speaker 14 (01:45:59):
Night i'm a big Fan joe Of alvarez hitting second
and it happened last night in that seventh inning when
he was able to come up and knock his zenzo.

Speaker 2 (01:46:08):
In what is?

Speaker 14 (01:46:09):
That is there anything you talked to him about? It
how Does jordon feel about? It he's just, say, hey
put me wherever And i'm going to.

Speaker 9 (01:46:15):
Hit, yeah you, know yeah he.

Speaker 12 (01:46:17):
Is he's like, that he puts me wherever type of you,
know he's so.

Speaker 9 (01:46:19):
GOOD i you, KNOW i look AT i look.

Speaker 12 (01:46:22):
At it this, way AND i present it to him this.
Way if you look at the best lineups in the, game.

Speaker 9 (01:46:28):
The tool hitter are you, know we're talking about The
Bobbie witt.

Speaker 12 (01:46:32):
Juniors of the world of Vladimil guerrero's The Mookie, betts
The Aaron. Judge you, know those are the guys when
the game he's on the line and you go to
hear me say this all the time seven eighth, inning
that two spot right Behind al two. B it comes
up all the. Time having someone Behind al two bay
with a presence, that, okay this guy's great also helps

(01:46:54):
Out altub get better.

Speaker 9 (01:46:55):
Pitches see.

Speaker 12 (01:46:56):
It so, now, uh you, know both both of our
best hitters are getting you, know big up, bats getting
pitches to hit in high leverage.

Speaker 14 (01:47:05):
Moments astro's Manager joe a spotted with us here On
Sports talk seven. Ninety also some good production last night
from the back end of the.

Speaker 2 (01:47:11):
Lineup.

Speaker 14 (01:47:12):
Uh you mentioned last night of the post Game Zach
decenzo will be back in the lineup. Today was that
something planned or something you're, Saying, Hey i'm going with
a hot.

Speaker 12 (01:47:20):
Hand, no, no a we PLAN i do going To you,
KNOW i gotta, wait this is breaking.

Speaker 9 (01:47:28):
NEWS i am going to wait for. Him he when
he slid in second.

Speaker 12 (01:47:33):
Base yesterday on the Double he's second double left, field
he kind of jammed his. Thumb SO i am waiting
for him to come. In he's getting treatment right. Now
he's going to hit in the cage and hopefully he
doesn't need a day to heal that. Thumb SO i
wanted to give him back to back. Days my plan

(01:47:55):
is to give him back to back.

Speaker 9 (01:47:56):
Days BUT i am waiting for him to tell me
how he feels.

Speaker 13 (01:48:00):
And has it been a little bit of a not a.
Struggle but you're always trying to wiggle guys. In you
want to make sure That cam learns right field and
get everybody their proper opportunities be bouncing left field in
THE dh.

Speaker 2 (01:48:11):
Spot is that a tough spot because you want to see.

Speaker 13 (01:48:15):
Him do it a little bit of everything in the
infield and thatftfield and still get it plenty of. It
bad's because, look you hate young players that just don't
get the opportunity to get.

Speaker 2 (01:48:22):
Their you, know two or three play appearances per night if.

Speaker 5 (01:48:25):
They, can, no, no you do.

Speaker 9 (01:48:27):
Man it's it's.

Speaker 12 (01:48:28):
Tough it's a tough balancing act because they are guys
that we this is this is our, future right AND
i want to give these guys opportunities to play in
the best way for you to you, know to play
and get better is by gaining that experience on the,
field learning from your, mistake learning from the up and
downs of a very long. Season so this first, Month

(01:48:48):
i've been trying the first three, Weeks i've been trying
to get every one opportunities to, play and and and
and once it does, settle some of these guys need
to have you, know every day about you know The jordonzel,
too with That jeremy's the paradis to walk. With those
guys are penciled in there every. Day but then it's
the other players To rogers At dubon who we know

(01:49:09):
how you know how Good dubon is when he gets
every day up. Bats he's his ability to, play put
the ball in, play he's. Defense so trying to get
all these guys in and we have we have had
Every thursday, off he makes it a little bit. Challenging
but once we get Into, may when we have seventeenth,
straight now you want to see.

Speaker 9 (01:49:26):
More bats to go to a lot of these.

Speaker 4 (01:49:28):
Players an update to the update From JOE. A. Spotty
he mentioned it was breaking news with the slide jam
thumb For Zach. Decenzo he still didn't have official. Word
we'll see what the lineup looks, like but the jam
thumb meant they wanted to see him work in the.
Cage they wanted it to be, tested and if all goes,
well he'll probably start in right. Field Cam, smith who

(01:49:51):
was hit on the knee in last night's game but is,
fine would be the odd man, OUT i guess in
this particular. Situation he has started the last. Games, obviously
it's been pretty. Good it's been helpful to this, team
and that's really all you could ask from a player
who's going through it all for the very very first.
Time but it'd be awesome if they found additional production

(01:50:11):
from who's been the last guy on their. Bench he's
just been a hard hard time For Joe aspoted to
find spots for him in the lineup with who they
have on their roster and the slots that have to
be filled in creative.

Speaker 3 (01:50:23):
Ways, yeah well It's i'm just happy they're playing more,
consistently if nothing else at this, POINT i know that
this kind of thing happens throughout the, season but just
maybe it was BECAUSE i was watching From. AFAR i,
mean The padres are coming to. Town they're playing the
best baseball in all of, baseball and The astros were,
like so, what we're?

Speaker 2 (01:50:45):
Three.

Speaker 4 (01:50:45):
Yeah their pitching was so. Good they were able to
beat The padres. Twice their pitching was even better last.
Night now they've won three out of four on This
homestand and this IS i said it earlier in the.
Weekend once they took the first two, games they have
to have a winning HOMESTAND i lost that game to
The Padre, sunday and then they pick back up with a.
Win now you still need another win to have a

(01:51:05):
Winning homestand they need to hit the road not only
with a Winning homestand how about a winning. Record how
about hitting the road at thirteen and. Eleven how about
now showing some progress with both the pitching and the
actual results that, well you're playing winning, baseball not just.
Sound we're up a, game we're down a. Game we're
looking at five. Hundred we're almost. There and that could
happen over the next two. Days really good pitcher on

(01:51:26):
the bump tonight to start for The Blue jays And
Chris bassett's so we shall see.

Speaker 5 (01:51:32):
The age On Sports talk seven.

Speaker 4 (01:51:34):
Ninety interesting stuff over the course of the first three
plus two plus hours of the. Show we'll get to
football at five in just a few, minutes so we
will have an opportunity to hear From New texans SAFETY.
Cj Gardner, johnson Probably Jalen petrie as well after he
signed his. Extension we wanted to sneak in a little

(01:51:57):
bit of what The rockets had to say following their
first to practice After game, one not practice, yesterday AND
i have a chance to kind of walk through some
of the things they'd like to make adjustments on and
some things that they know needs to need to go
better in this. Game we'll start with the adjustment angle
of it with the Emai udoka.

Speaker 15 (01:52:16):
Offensively execute and that's getting to our. Spacing you, know
take care of the, ball those two big points of
empestis coming into the, series and you didn't do those
well in the. Game and then you, know you obviously
got to make some shots here and, there and that helps,
Obviously but the turnovers is a big. Problem that's going
twenty five points off FOR r seventeen sixteen fast. BREAKPOINTS
a good amount we're off those, turnovers and a lot

(01:52:37):
of those are due to, spacing guys cutting at the wrong,
time playing in the crowd and not get to.

Speaker 2 (01:52:42):
Our, spots playing in our crowd and.

Speaker 4 (01:52:45):
Spacing it was visually obvious and then just about everybody
said the same after the, Game jalen talking about they
just didn't have the right spacing and we're executing the right.
WAY i called it playing in. Traffic he just called
it playing in a. Crowd and there's no doubt those
are the things that they just took place, far far too.
Often there are there are five guys wearing the other
uniforms out, there and it's not like The rockets did

(01:53:06):
all that on their, own but there are some things
they do still have control. Over when some of those
decisions get. Made why are you passing it over into
this part of the court where you know that teammate
is gonna get double. Teamed why are you dribbling into
that area of their defense where you're gonna be? Stuck
and they just they just did a little bit too.
Often i'm not sure this is exactly What fred is

(01:53:27):
going to say, here but IF i were grading The
rockets letter grades only because we don't like to get too,
Specific i'm not gonna give them a seventy one or,
anything or a ninety three just letter. GRADE i probably
wouldn't go below a see BECAUSE i thought they did
enough on one end of the floor to win the
ALMOST a level defense even with What curry And butler,

(01:53:50):
did but not QUITE c level offense OR d level.
OFFENSE i know what letter comes, next but A c seems.
FAIR i don't think they're gonna win very often if
they're GIVING c level performances in this.

Speaker 6 (01:54:03):
Series, YEAH i, mean nothing's gonna be easiest the, playoffs
but it's correctable mistake for. Sure definitely things that we
can get better. At give them, credit they played a
good defensive, game but also we can help, ourselves LIKE i,
said we can we can close some of those caps
down and you, know limit some unforced errors and turnovers.

Speaker 4 (01:54:21):
And things that we usually.

Speaker 6 (01:54:22):
Do so you, know you come into these things you
want to play your, game but you still got to
play your good, game, Right so we got to raise
our level a little. Bit they stray out a higher
level and be more deliberate and intend those things that
we want to.

Speaker 3 (01:54:34):
DO i keep hearing things that play into WHAT i
Was singinger, like in other, words everything is, correctable it,
is but one of those things you got to correct
is those shots not.

Speaker 4 (01:54:46):
MISSING i, mean THEY i would agree with what he,
said though they win the game the same exact way they,
shot if they don't give all those points.

Speaker 2 (01:54:54):
Away the.

Speaker 4 (01:54:55):
TURNOVERS i don't know why it's not so obvious to,
people But i'll say it just in case it. Isn't
turnovers are the worst because you can't, score and it
is such a great high percentage that the other team
is about to. Score you're taking two points or three
points off the board while you're often putting two or

(01:55:18):
three points on the board for. Them it's it's not just.
You LIKE i Call Wes Russell westbrook three pointers.

Speaker 2 (01:55:25):
Turnovers they. ARE i believe they.

Speaker 4 (01:55:27):
Are now he's made two huge, threes like he always gets. Back,
well he's wide open for a. Reason and you, know
in this last game in THE i think it was
both in the first. QUARTER i think it was in
the first ten to twelve possessions of the, Game Draymond
green took a three pointer with nineteen seconds on the shot,
clock and a couple of minutes, Later alpera And shangoon

(01:55:49):
took a three pointer with sixteen seconds on the shot.
Clock you can't literally ever do that if.

Speaker 2 (01:55:54):
You have those two.

Speaker 4 (01:55:55):
Teams draymond should never be shooting an early possession, three
And al he's the Same i'll be made a. Three
the only other three he took because they were going
to face a shot clock violation if he didn't shoot.

Speaker 2 (01:56:06):
It and he made. It you, know even those aren't automatic.

Speaker 4 (01:56:09):
Turnovers because you're awesome at, rebounding you've got to get shots.
Up you can miss them, all but you still have
a chance to score if you take, it because now
you can rebound it rather than, well you just passed
it Into Draymond green's.

Speaker 2 (01:56:24):
Hand you just passed it Into pajemski's.

Speaker 4 (01:56:26):
Chest they're turning around and running the other way because
they don't want to face your half court.

Speaker 2 (01:56:30):
Defense they want to get out and run if they.

Speaker 3 (01:56:33):
Can, yeah that's what burns a lot of, teams not
just the, rockets is the transition points that come with the.
Missshot that's why them being so good at rebounding is
great on both ends of the. Floor but by the,
WAY i haven't talked at all about you know who's.

Speaker 4 (01:56:47):
Antics, well there were antics came When alprin shouldn't go
AND i think he was getting ready to shoot a free.
THROW i WISH i could recall, exactly but he was
the initiation of it was From. Draymond he walked By
albern and you gave him a little shove and got
their arms tangled up And albert pushed back the.

Speaker 2 (01:57:05):
REFEREES i remember saying this on the.

Speaker 4 (01:57:07):
Air James capers was so close to, them it was
very easy for him to get them to disengage without
needing to call technicals Or nobody came off the.

Speaker 2 (01:57:17):
Bench this security didn't come running onto the quart or.

Speaker 4 (01:57:20):
Anything SO i Thought capers did a really nice job
of handling what was a nothing and keeping it a.
Nothing and even that's that's the whole idea behind these
antics and the big storylines and the narrative about. HIM
i know he's made mistakes in the playoffs, before he's
cost his team in the playoffs. BEFORE i don't know
that the intensity level is going to be ratcheted up
to that level that he makes that bad of a
decision In game one of the first round. Series seems

(01:57:44):
like it more likely happens, later but a little bit
of old school feel to, it at least according To Dylan, BROOKS.

Speaker 6 (01:57:51):
I love, it grabbing a lot of hold in gott
to find a way in order to make shots within that.
Physicality but it's our type of. Style let us play
like this during the regular. Season you know we had
great chances to.

Speaker 9 (01:58:04):
Win SO i KNOW i love.

Speaker 6 (01:58:06):
IT i know our team loves.

Speaker 2 (01:58:07):
It it is.

Speaker 4 (01:58:08):
Interesting they absolutely did let them play in the first.
HALF i think there was eleven fouls called in the first.
Half it meant The rockets got fouled on a few
shots that didn't go in and there was no. Call
it meant The warriors got fouled quite a few times
and it was not. Called and then they called seven
fouls in the first three, minutes two minutes ninety seconds

(01:58:28):
of the second. Half and those are the thing we
talked about it when The cougars were in THE ncaa
Tournam you can't do, that like you can't tell them
here's how we're calling the. Game AND i mean you
tell them by showing them we're swallowing our. Whistle this
is your physical. Team you're a physical. Team we're letting
you play the way you want and this is how
you've been playing all. Year and then you just completely
change it on them because while nobody was in foul,

(01:58:50):
trouble it sends teams into the bonus so, quickly and
when you're sending Golden state into the bonus. Quickly that's
a killer For houston When Golden state eight is sending
The rockets into the bonus so, quickly also a killer For.
Houston eleven of twenty from the free throw line And
alburn was three for, four so not one hell.

Speaker 3 (01:59:10):
Fault, yeah nine missed free throws in a ten point.

Speaker 4 (01:59:14):
Loss, YEAH i, MEAN i don't think it didn't dictate.
It but, man they're saying, here you came an uncontested
fifteen foot shot you take hundreds of every.

Speaker 2 (01:59:22):
Day just put them, in.

Speaker 3 (01:59:22):
Make half of those free, throws and have just one
member of your backcourt play fifty percent.

Speaker 2 (01:59:28):
Better it's a, win.

Speaker 4 (01:59:30):
RIGHT i think too many other factors will be different
in this game two On wednesday night to be quite so.
Simple but if The rockets can manage to do exactly
what you, said bring the same kind of defensive, energy
dominate on the, glass both of which are very, likely
then they may have a chance to have a repeat
of this. Performance but with those things go, right and
when they, do then they can fly out On friday

(01:59:51):
To San francisco with a win in this. Series that
would be, advisable to say the, Least football at five.

Speaker 1 (01:59:58):
Is next the age On Sports talk seven ninety by.

Speaker 4 (02:00:05):
The plot here on the, eighteen that's when we talk
football at five and The astros. Lineup Zak decenzo not
in tonight's lineup for The, astros likely as a result
of that thumb That Joe spotta mentioned and hearing his
visit with A Matt thomas show With ross. Earlier you
can catch that entire interview we played a portion of

(02:00:26):
earlier At Sports talk seven ninety dot. Com So Cam
smith in the lineup in right field at the bottom
of the. Order tonight's lineup looks a lot more like
the lineups That Joe spotta had been using all season
prior to last. Night they scored seven runs last, night
and they look a little bit like they had earlier
in the. Season one other item that we didn't get
to as an analysis from our end That ross brought

(02:00:49):
up With joe Was Jardan alvarez was bumped up into
the two spot last. Night he remains, there and you
kind of Heard joe spot explain, why AND i meant
to say it, Then i'll say it now. NOW i
think we might see this. Stick even Though jordon's gotten
off to an extremely Non jordon like start to the.

Speaker 2 (02:01:07):
SEASON i think he may end up staying at.

Speaker 4 (02:01:09):
Two peretis at, Three Christian walker's back in the, lineup
and he's fifth, again where he's been the last couple of.

Speaker 2 (02:01:16):
Games had the day off.

Speaker 4 (02:01:17):
Yesterday Jeremy pania bats clean Up Brendon rodgers again the
start at, Second joinardy as our, Friend Jake myers And
Cam smith round out the. Lineup james he joined us
earlier today and you can also hear that if you
missed it right there On Sports talk seven ninety dot.
Com believe you'll have a chance to hear a little
bit of it as well coming up in a little
over an hour as part of The astros On deck.

Speaker 2 (02:01:41):
Show and now to The Football.

Speaker 4 (02:01:44):
Texans phase one of the offseason program began this. Week
players in the, facility we are not in view of
any of the work that they're. Doing we media, members
but luckily they have a social media team that is
inside the bubble with the t inside the weight room
with The, texans so we get a little bit of
a chance to see all of as many as we

(02:02:04):
can of the people that are at least. Attending it's not.
Mandatory there are works there's some work to be. Done
nice to See Jalen petrie on the field doing some
of this conditioning. Work it's not football, work it's it's
more conditioning work and testing. Work but he obviously was
coming off of the injury last. Year he'll be part

(02:02:24):
of a secondary that would have been considered among the league's,
best regardless of any additions they might have made this
offseason or. SUBTRACTIONS i don't know how you could not
consider them at least among the top. Three with the
addition OF. Cj Gardner, Johnson Jalen petrie should be ready
to go long before the season. Opener you return a

(02:02:45):
cornerback tandem on the edges that were both individually tremendous and,
playmakers And Derrick Singley junior And Kamari. LASSITER i don't
know That Kaylen bullock is going to intercept this number
of passes every. Year, no he'll do, more but he
certainly looks like the type that will be in the
mix to do that every single year one, RIGHT i,

(02:03:07):
mean you're If i'm so high on Both bullock And
lasser after one awesome rookie, season it would be fair
to say the same About mitchell And, dejeene but their
best safety is on your. Team, now how do you
know they're still better than? You or were they better than?

Speaker 2 (02:03:28):
You, well you said top. Three So i'm just trying
to figure.

Speaker 4 (02:03:30):
Out i'm trying to prevent the conversation BECAUSE i, really,
Honestly i'm just trying to paint a picture of how
could another team have five better players playing as a
unit then The texans five players and their starting. Secondary,
YEAH i, MEAN i can't really envision it and a.

Speaker 2 (02:03:46):
SECONDARY i hope they are top. THREE i hope THEY'RE
i hope they number. One they are top, three top, three.

Speaker 3 (02:03:53):
Right WHAT i mean by that is they need to
be because even if you hit a home run in
every pick of the, draft and and it's two hundred
percent offense to the, line you know, whatever they are
going to.

Speaker 2 (02:04:07):
RELY i.

Speaker 3 (02:04:08):
KNOW i keep making jokes about six three games and
nine three games that The texans win.

Speaker 2 (02:04:12):
And it's fun and. All you, know those that won't.

Speaker 3 (02:04:13):
Happen, no BUT i do think they're going to, rely
perhaps even heavier when you take take into account the
subtraction Of Laramie. Tunsel, sure everything else on the offense
days as, is and we just addressed the offensive. LINE
i know that's not necessarily the case because you've got
interchangeable parts at wide receiver with what's, happened but that

(02:04:35):
defense is going to carry you again this. Year like
in other, WORDS i know it's easy to say you're
only going to go as far as your superstar, quarterback
and a lot of times that's the.

Speaker 2 (02:04:43):
Case but look at The chiefs last.

Speaker 3 (02:04:45):
Year they weren't whatever it was fifteen into they that
record was as much about their defense being the best
they've ever had during this run as it was anything
the offense was. Doing because the offense most weeks was
pedestrian at. Best AND i know they're not the same,
team But i'm JUST i can't sit here in this
chair for a full season and talk about HOW i

(02:05:06):
felt LIKE. Cj strau was playing with a hand tie
behind his back because of what was happening in front
of him and think that even with a perfect case scenario,
draft that offensive line's going to be.

Speaker 4 (02:05:19):
Better, well just to continue the, Case texans comp as
bad as their offense was at running up and down
the field and lighting up the, scoreboard because they clearly
were no longer that, offense they didn't give the ball.
Away they had the fourth fewest turnovers in THE nfl last.
Year not very, surprisingly the three teams in front of

(02:05:39):
them were all FELLOW afc playoff. Teams The texans were
more middle of the. Pack they were tied for eleventh
with five other, teams so just outside the top. Ten
they weren't, awful but they weren't. Elite Kansas city. Was
it's one of the reasons why they were such in
the plus because their. Defense while they were more sound
Than houston and they were better where it counted aside from,

(02:06:03):
turnovers they were better in the red. Zone, defensively they
were better in goal to, go all those. Things The
texans just kept turning teams. Over they were near the
top of the league in. Takeaways that's what made their
defense so. Great they were so. Disruptive but AGAIN i
go back To mara by the, way it absolutely. Is
but you can do that and be good in the
red zone and be good inside the, ten and they.
Weren't they were one of the worst teams in the.

(02:06:24):
League that's what really truly separated them from being. GREAT
i don't know that the secondary makes it, change but
it's why they have made changes again to what they're
going to be bringing in Between Will anderson on one
edge And Daniel hunter on the other.

Speaker 2 (02:06:38):
Edge With Sheldon rankins.

Speaker 4 (02:06:39):
Back in the, House Will Anderson junior at the podium,
yesterday super fired up about getting him back for this.
Team played with him his rookie season quite, obviously and
there'll be some other changes up, front but we were
talking about the back end and the changes AND. Cj
Gardner johnson he met with the media earlier today and
he made it pretty, clear coming from where he was
and the type of players that are, here that he's

(02:07:00):
not coming for the. Opportunity it's not a nice place to.
Be it wasn't expecting to be. Traded But i'll let
you hear from him as he delivers what he had
to say about being A texan championship but.

Speaker 16 (02:07:11):
Nothing he ain't bring me here to win no division
or no. Conference so If i'm here to help win
the Super, bowl that's gonna be that's gonna be the
you know the. Reason but a lot of people look
at this team is, like, oh you, know they got
a lot of great. Pieces but me to, YOU i
think it's more than just a lot of great. Pieces
you have a great culture, here a great. ORGANIZATION i
think the more you filled this up with, winners not just.
Me Cose dimigo was a, Winner Dark, Running dherbry was a.

(02:07:33):
Winner well was a. Winner so you just filled the
room up with. WINNERS i think you're gonna get what you.
WANT i think we're gonna get it real.

Speaker 4 (02:07:38):
Soon keep talking dirty to, me pretty. SIMPLE i love. That,
yes his first comment was the money. Comment he's a,
COMPETITOR i, says just call, me.

Speaker 2 (02:07:50):
Don't call ME.

Speaker 8 (02:07:51):
Cj, now.

Speaker 2 (02:07:55):
He didn't get traded.

Speaker 4 (02:07:56):
Here they didn't go out of their way to improve
a stre so they could be a little bit. Better
they didn't want to bring him in here because he's
a great culture, guy even though he. Is they brought
him here because there are missing pieces to a championship caliber.
Team and that's WHY i, SAID i didn't come here
to win a division or or a.

Speaker 2 (02:08:16):
CONFERENCE i. AGREE i agree with.

Speaker 4 (02:08:20):
That how about having those lofty. Goals that's if you,
do the rest of the locker room be right on.

Speaker 2 (02:08:25):
Board if they're, not then get. Out so you said,
no didn't?

Speaker 4 (02:08:28):
You oh he's. Choking actually he was being very. CIRCUS i,
mean as much as we all agree to a certain. Extent,
clearly they're they're the talents, there and they're in the
final eight back to back. Years I'm i'm okay thinking
it And i'm okay being super disappointed when they don't win.
It but are you looking at them, today giving them

(02:08:50):
some help in the draft and, saying, YEAH i think
they're going to be two of the three teams clearly
better than them in THE afc and this year's postseason Buff,
Low baltimore And Kansas city else are still pretty clearly
better than them as we sit, here even post. Draft
but you're Saying Super bowl or bus that means you're
probably gonna need to beat two of them in the.

Speaker 11 (02:09:10):
PLAYOFFS i also will say is that this does solve
one major issue with a veteran talent before the draft at,
safety getting another defensive backend there to now take that
off the board and allow you to focus all your
other needs on other major spots like debth of defensive,
tackle wide, receiver offensive.

Speaker 4 (02:09:29):
Line you're also not, guessing did we get a good?
Safety did we draft.

Speaker 2 (02:09:33):
You know what you? Had how long has that?

Speaker 3 (02:09:35):
Been, WELL i can tell you how draft you're, Guessing,
yeah but how long has that been a problem for
The texans or like the weak. LINK i guess in
The texans, Defense will two years for sure just because of,
that that being the tenure of this latest culture he's talking.
About but, YEAH i mean What cole is saying is
absolutely a nice byp product of. It it's one less

(02:09:58):
thing you got to worry About thursday night or, beyond
because we have plenty to worry about on the offensive
line here In.

Speaker 2 (02:10:04):
Houston you have a lot to worry about on the
offenses in.

Speaker 4 (02:10:06):
General, Still, Yeah Will Anderson junior seemed like he's down WITH.
Cj Gardner johnson being a defensive teammate and.

Speaker 17 (02:10:15):
That juice and his energy is contagious AND i felt
it today while we were running sprints and we were
conditioning and stuff like. That he's very competitive in to
play in his defense in the playoff style and our
brain new, ball you got to be competitive and you
got to have a little edge.

Speaker 9 (02:10:26):
To, you AND i think he has all those.

Speaker 2 (02:10:28):
Things quarterbacks are going to die this. YEAR i can't.

Speaker 4 (02:10:31):
Wait hopefully that will be the type of defense they.
Play but, yeah as far as you, go as you,
go as far as your quarterback can take you AND
i think you've seen that with even different varying levels
of talented. QUARTERBACKS i, mean look how far The commanders
went this. Year, well they added a superstar quarterback and
that's how he played even though he was a. Rookie
look at how far THE. Cj Gardner Johnson eagles went this.

(02:10:53):
Year they went all the way and what do they.
Get unbelievable quarterback, play especially at the right. Time texans
probably still need that FROM cj this year to do
any of the things we're discussing today or any day
while he is wearing number seven for the deep steel
Blue Houston. Texans or, reminder we're giving away tickets To
game two for The. Rockets if you don't have the,

(02:11:15):
Deats i'll give you the deats when we come.

Speaker 5 (02:11:17):
Back the eighteen On Sports talk seven.

Speaker 4 (02:11:21):
Ninety for those that didn't hear it earlier or see
it on social, media we do have a pair of
tickets to give away to tomorrow night's game Two Rockets.
Warriors the contest ends before this show ends, Today so
if you have The iHeartRadio, app you can. Enter if you,

(02:11:42):
don't you can download it and then you can. Enter
but before you, do you have to Make Sports talk
seven ninety your number one preset on your iHeartRadio. App
and then you got to grab a screenshot of that
and email that to me At Adam wexler at iHeartMedia dot.
Com Adam wexler at iHeartMedia dot com me a screenshot
of the evidence the fact that Sports talk seven to

(02:12:04):
ninety is number one on your presets on the iHeartRadio.
App you will be entered to, win and we will
draw the winner just before this show ends in about
thirty five, minutes send somebody out to go See Rockets
Warriors game two From Toyota. Center just to shade after
eight thirty last, NIGHT i imagine you didn't watch a whole lot.

Speaker 2 (02:12:25):
Of THE nba. ACTIVITY i was keeping like one eyeball on.

Speaker 10 (02:12:29):
It.

Speaker 2 (02:12:29):
WELL i mentioned it.

Speaker 4 (02:12:30):
Earlier the One Western conference series that has now gotten
their first two games. Played it's all. Even it's been
a very even. Series first game went. Overtime The nuggets
won by. Two last night's, game The clippers won by,
three with The nuggets playing some unsmart basketball in the
last couple of, minutes and they, actually i mean from

(02:12:50):
a turnover and shot selection, standpoint they played on smart.
Basketball for the last five minutes because even though Nikoa
lejokic is, great they just kept running the same things
that weren't. Working he kept turning the ball over and
they kept getting awful. Shots didn't help That Aaron gordon
missed a wide open dunk in the final couple of.
Minutes but, Nonetheless Kawhi leonard and how he played is

(02:13:11):
why when we discussed before we knew and then after we,
knew who The rockets could play as the seventh, seed
and was asking the, question who do you think is
the best among the other, teams as in who would
you least like to, play not saying you're afraid of,
them but who would you have least liked to match up?
With AND i thought The clippers were extremely high on that.

(02:13:31):
List the team they are today is even better than
the team that produced fifty wins this. Year Because kawhi's,
healthy it doesn't have to try to play in back to.
Backs he was unbelievable in last night's. Game, basically if
he shot, it it went.

Speaker 3 (02:13:49):
In, well this is what they thought they were getting
when they traded for, him and, look.

Speaker 2 (02:13:54):
And it's why you do.

Speaker 4 (02:13:55):
It even through the man he's always heard or it
didn't work out With Paul george And james and oh
well what about? Now it's it still tends to be
worth it if this falls into. Place we're two games
into his. POSTSEASON i don't know that he remains healthy
and everything does work out for. Them but they played,
really really good defense all year. Long that was actually there,

(02:14:17):
There that's who they. Are and now they have a
second elite offensive weapon which clearly takes pressure off their
number one weapon that he doesn't necessarily have to be number.
One James harden's fourth quarter was watching he just gave
the ball To kawhi for most of the.

Speaker 2 (02:14:31):
The first time he's done that in the. Playoffs but
it was by. Design, YEAH i, know it was because
they couldn't stop.

Speaker 4 (02:14:36):
Him here's the. Deal and he was good, too he
just didn't have to be. GREAT i GOT i got
a hot hot take for.

Speaker 2 (02:14:44):
You ready for?

Speaker 9 (02:14:45):
This?

Speaker 2 (02:14:46):
Yeah it has to do with this.

Speaker 4 (02:14:47):
Series it has to do with This Rocket's warrior, series
has to do with The Clippers nuggets.

Speaker 2 (02:14:52):
Series, okay what do you?

Speaker 3 (02:14:54):
Got If denver loses in this? Round ye re Hire
Michael malone the First, no, oh the. Opposite they'll they'll
Fire David. Adelman that's sort of not the. Opposite they're Trading.
NIKOLAJOKIC i could see look at what they. Did, okay
would you call that knee jerk no Firing Mike, Malone,

(02:15:14):
YES i would knee jerk.

Speaker 4 (02:15:16):
To we're acting like an incident. Happened they're, like, well
we can't do this.

Speaker 2 (02:15:19):
Is they're in the, playoffs they're a top four.

Speaker 4 (02:15:22):
Seed ish they won a title less than three years
ago with, Him, yes and they're, like, Bye i'd just
rather call it a peculiar bad. Decision, well then this
will qualifies. That, okay they lose this series of The,
clippers i. E they're out in the first round in
every round since that championship or every playoffs since that.

(02:15:43):
Championship they've been going quote backwards. BACKWARDS i know you're,
correct BUT i know you know how relatively silly that
is because the most of, It, yeah you realize.

Speaker 3 (02:15:55):
Unless silly as Firing Mike. Malone, right, yeah no, question
you're you're one hundred per. There we now have two,
teams two teams that are doing stupid.

Speaker 4 (02:16:05):
Things, Now memphis is a worst situation because they're not
even sure that they.

Speaker 3 (02:16:09):
HAVEN'T i wasn't even talking about. THEM i was talking About.
Dallas so now we have three.

Speaker 4 (02:16:12):
Teams, well they haven't fired the extremely Talented Jason kid.

Speaker 10 (02:16:16):
Yet.

Speaker 4 (02:16:17):
Yeah do you know last night the loss for The
nuggets was their first under their head.

Speaker 2 (02:16:22):
Coach, YEAH i. Did they were undefeated under Coach, Adelman so.

Speaker 3 (02:16:25):
They're telling themselves see the Firing Mike.

Speaker 4 (02:16:29):
Malone but they did have to win to earn this
right to be the four. Seed they fired their, coach
it's they were on a losing, streak and then they Aired,
adelman and they won three straight regular season games to
earn the four seed to win home court. Advantage but quite,
honestly what they, did which is WHY i don't want
to mess With. Karma If i'm AN nba team late
in the, SEASON i just want to play it. Out

(02:16:49):
it unfortunately worked out TO i think they caught the
worst possible matchup against the best possible. Opponent The clippers
would have been a bad matchup for whoever got, them
because they're awesome them when they're, healthy which they. Are,
yeah EVERY nba team right now is, healthy except for The,
bucks who are welcoming Back Damian lillard for their next. Game,

(02:17:09):
yeah for the most, part they're all basically the teams
that have advanced obviously the teams that are waiting for
the lot Of it.

Speaker 3 (02:17:15):
Could be a bad thing for The, bucks by the,
way because every time he plays for, them their defense is.

Speaker 4 (02:17:19):
Terrible, well their defense is going to be awful against
The pacers no matter. What they probably need some. Firepower
didn't mention this from yesterday as it relates to The
rockets and the. Lottery they held all of their tiebreakers.
Yesterday he can't wait till they pick. Ninth, well because
that's where they're. Picking they from a moving up, perspective

(02:17:41):
the odds moved in their.

Speaker 3 (02:17:43):
Favor seventeen percent chance combined to have a top four.

Speaker 4 (02:17:46):
Pick, right they have the same. Record phoenix did same
record As. Portland they ended up winning the, tiebreaker so
they have their specific combinations and Now portland has theirs
a little less than a three four percent chance toll
in the number one. Pick you just mentioned the seventeen
point three three percent chance to move up from nine
to one of.

Speaker 2 (02:18:02):
The top four.

Speaker 4 (02:18:03):
Spots so that's what The rockets will be looking at
On may twelfth when they hold the. Lottery do they
in fact move up into the top, four or do
they sit at nine or worse if one of the
teams behind them.

Speaker 2 (02:18:14):
MOVESTUP i think ten is like twenty eight percent or
something like. That, Right, well it's not, higher it's significantly.

Speaker 3 (02:18:20):
Lower i'm saying they've got a twenty eight percent chance
to have the tenth pick as opposed to like the.

Speaker 4 (02:18:25):
Fifty if you look at the, yeah because one of
the there's Still if you're, nine that means, ten, eleven, twelve,
thirteen and fourteen are all behind, you and you add
up their percentage chance of landing ahead of, you and
now you bump back by.

Speaker 3 (02:18:36):
The way between picks five and, eight zero percent chance
of that.

Speaker 2 (02:18:42):
HAPPENING i thought that was.

Speaker 4 (02:18:43):
Fascinating what does help, you, though is if nothing from
you get the you are up one. Spot but this
is also that you, know we went into the draft
the year That wemby was selected and The rockets had
to settle for a Men. Thompson the combination that was
pulled was the combination you lost when you won the.

(02:19:04):
Tiebreaker had they lost the, tiebreaker the combination that was
pulled from the lottery balls the ping pong balls would
have been theirs it became or this is all in
advance of the. Draft it went to the team that
lost the so called coin, flip which ultimately went, well
we landed the combination that ended up getting picked for.

Speaker 3 (02:19:22):
First, yeah they would have had the second coming Of Ralph.

Speaker 2 (02:19:25):
Sampson so good for this first for getting. THAT i
don't know about.

Speaker 3 (02:19:29):
That you want to make a bet right now since
IT'S i, mean he obviously didn't finish the season because
of health, reasons but that was a complete fluke had
nothing to do with soft.

Speaker 4 (02:19:37):
Tissue, yeah it could be more like AN nba flight
reason with the you, know blood.

Speaker 3 (02:19:42):
Clocks he's going to be the Next Royce. White he's
gonna get him his own. Bus, well he's not afraid of.

Speaker 2 (02:19:45):
It he's not. ANXIETY i don't shouldn't say. AFRAID i
think anxiety has a better way to say. It it,
essentially that's what it.

Speaker 9 (02:19:51):
Was.

Speaker 3 (02:19:51):
THOUGH i don't like. Flying i'm afraid of, it so
give me a. Bus it gives me.

Speaker 4 (02:19:54):
ANXIETY i have a medical, condition documented condition that.

Speaker 2 (02:19:59):
The league which Causes, uh he's still the ANXIETY i. Have,
no it makes him not want To by the, WAY
i don't like flying nearly as much AS i used.
To even a year.

Speaker 3 (02:20:09):
AGO i found that. Out here's the, thing And i've
said this a million. Times you've. Been you've been way
more THAN i, have and certainly my wife has the.
Crosswinds when you're landing in and taking off From Las
Vegas international in the middle of the, desert there's nothing
right That, no not a fan Wex, hey here's this

(02:20:33):
huge gust of.

Speaker 4 (02:20:34):
Wind you up there in the cockpit with your hands
on the, controls can you can you level this thing?

Speaker 2 (02:20:39):
OUT i, MEAN i don't.

Speaker 3 (02:20:40):
NEED i don't need every, takeoff regardless of the, weather
which is usually clear because It's, vegas to need to
be like the opening sequence of flight When denzel's a,
functioning coked up alcoholic and you see that pocket.

Speaker 2 (02:20:54):
Up down, right that's.

Speaker 3 (02:20:55):
Awful he's, Like he's, like you see that pocket up,
There we're gonna go right through The, LIKE i don't
need it's.

Speaker 2 (02:21:02):
All it's.

Speaker 3 (02:21:02):
Underrated it's so Un denzel in a good, Movie Sean
goodman's is Supplier John.

Speaker 4 (02:21:07):
Goodman have you not seen that one Of John goodman's
two awesome movies where he dabbles in, drugs Like The hangover, yes,
actually actually, okay you've never Seen. FLIGHT i think it's
one of the several. Movies, well what is The equalizer
series as? Well i've been encouraged by you to watch

(02:21:28):
them four. Movies you need to have to see all Three? Equalizers, now,
yes CAN'T i just watch the television show Like jordan's?

Speaker 2 (02:21:36):
Dad why would you want to Watch Queen.

Speaker 4 (02:21:38):
Latifah the original, face the one That Jordan belford's dad
watched that equalized the original?

Speaker 2 (02:21:47):
One, yeah don't call him yea.

Speaker 4 (02:21:50):
As sumario in a family full of pilots and flight.

Speaker 11 (02:21:54):
Attendants, yeah, man not Goll he's, here he was.

Speaker 2 (02:21:59):
There all. Good in case you missed, it that comes your. Way, next.

Speaker 5 (02:22:05):
THE a team On Sports talk seven.

Speaker 4 (02:22:07):
Ninety quite a few things to get through here and
in case you missed, it some items we've not yet
maybe had a chance to get, to or others that
need a.

Speaker 2 (02:22:19):
Revisit so let's. Go what do you?

Speaker 6 (02:22:21):
Got?

Speaker 8 (02:22:23):
All?

Speaker 11 (02:22:23):
Right, so and about, draft we're pushing cross finish.

Speaker 2 (02:22:27):
Line we're getting, There we're almost.

Speaker 11 (02:22:28):
There now this is the time where rumors and speculation
wants to get. Started and naturally this for the insiders
are gonna have a big time role. Well according To
Monday Morning Quarterbacks Albert, brear The, texans they all like
pick number twenty five and they may be interested in
moving on up to go get an offensive, Lineman Gray
zabel being one of the. Options and apparently they are

(02:22:51):
absolutely in love With Calvin banks out of The university Of.
Texas we talked about him.

Speaker 4 (02:22:54):
Yesterday as you wrote about this in Your In case
you missed it slot on the show doc AND i
perused some reels on social, media one relating to where
we are on THE nfl. Calendar sure it made me
think of. Huh So nick's taking phone calls And Albert
breer wants to get a little intel and he probably.

Speaker 2 (02:23:13):
Knows nick pretty.

Speaker 4 (02:23:14):
Well so we called him and he, said, Hey, nick,
sniff if you're interested in moving up in the, draft just, sniff.
Sniff if McGuire's, there maguire's, there sniff if McGuire's. THERE i,
Mean i'm still moved by the word is. OAK i
just want to play, Football. Jerry, YES i watched part
of that very intention football. Movie another GREAT nfl draft.

(02:23:38):
Movie Hey man's cush on the big board.

Speaker 2 (02:23:41):
Again i'm tired of me.

Speaker 4 (02:23:42):
Already speaking Of Jerry, jones or speaking Of, Jerry Jerry,
jones the name that was brought up cowboys looking to move.

Speaker 2 (02:23:48):
Down how about?

Speaker 4 (02:23:49):
That just to Keep cole too into the theme of the,
show he talks and we just do. Nonsense just how
about the number one pick in THE nfl, Draft vern
from stand By? Me?

Speaker 3 (02:24:04):
Vern, wow that's. Believable anything can happen in the.

Speaker 4 (02:24:11):
Movies now when he got to be an, ADULT i
can acknowledge that the future husband Of Rebecca romaine did
change body types from a, short slightly overweight child actor
to a much different looking.

Speaker 3 (02:24:28):
Adult and interesting How jerry his name Is. Jerry he
went from Uncle jesse to him as far as husbands, Go,
yeah two Actors jesse. Kops, yeah now that's not fair
to have. Bond he's also a.

Speaker 4 (02:24:44):
MUSICIAN i Consider John stamos a ping pong. Player what
From entourage when he Was johnny wouldn't let him?

Speaker 2 (02:24:52):
Win your recall For entourage episodes is really.

Speaker 4 (02:24:55):
Uncanny, Okay so back to the draft and the possibility
to Then Nick cassario will take a phone call and, say,
yes you can have, this that and the other if
you give us a pick much higher than twenty, five
so it's pick number.

Speaker 11 (02:25:08):
Twelve here is the five trade value, chart offer number twenty,
five number fifty, eight number eighty, nine the fifth round
pick number one sixty six to move up to number
twelve to go Get Calvin.

Speaker 2 (02:25:22):
Bicks how many?

Speaker 4 (02:25:23):
Picks so the value chart says that's. Reasonable they say that's.
Reasonable so that was twenty they're current twenty, five five fifty,
eight and eight eighty.

Speaker 2 (02:25:32):
Nine so that.

Speaker 4 (02:25:33):
Would leave them with their other third round, pick which
is seventy, nine and Then washington the twelfth, pick which
they're trading. For so instead of drafting four players in
the top eighty nine starting with twenty, five.

Speaker 2 (02:25:43):
You canna draft twelve.

Speaker 4 (02:25:44):
Guys you draft two players in the top seventy nine
at twelve and seventy nine.

Speaker 11 (02:25:49):
Basically and, also by the, way you got throw in
one of Those day three picks that we already Know
nick's got trade at.

Speaker 4 (02:25:54):
Something, yeah THAT'S i, MEAN i don't want to say it's,
nothing because it absolutely, isn't BUT i get why that's
part of it to me unless you are really really
not on board with What Lukey easterling told us, earlier
AND i tend to be on board with. It how
much difference is there between ten and? Twenty there is
ten and. Thirty so why are you trading from twenty

(02:26:14):
five to? Twelve because you're nick and you can't help. Yourself,
no here's the part THAT i know can. Degenerate you
give us the draft value, chart and you gave us
the possibility would do is do we have an inkling
of the? Player because you're not trading for a, position
you're trading for this specific. Player you think you have
to go get at twelve because other teams would trade
up for, them or teams at, thirteen, fourteen and fifteen

(02:26:34):
or drafting.

Speaker 2 (02:26:35):
Them who's this? Player so NATURALLY i think it's gonna
Be Calvin.

Speaker 11 (02:26:38):
Banks but the way to watch aces had explode is
It's Matthew. Golden and then you have to go into
next year with the same five offensive line and not
have any sign that you were progressing the.

Speaker 3 (02:26:49):
Way, no that is general manager. Malpractice if you do,
That i'm, SORRY i don't. Care, LOOK i might be
the Biggest texas honk on a, planet or at least
the second biggest in the, room whatever the room that.
Is that is, honestly that's borderline. Fireball, yeah you're gonna

(02:27:09):
trade your entire draft to not not their entire, draft
it is their entire.

Speaker 2 (02:27:13):
Draft if you're not even getting an.

Speaker 4 (02:27:14):
Offensive swappy picks and trading two picks AND i say,
nay if it's not for an offensive, lineman, Wtf, nick all,
right what else do you?

Speaker 11 (02:27:25):
Have so The texans are the top team in THE Afc.
South everybody is now trying to chase, them including the Tests,
titans who won the first overall pick so, close And Mike.

Speaker 2 (02:27:35):
Burghini the NEW gm.

Speaker 4 (02:27:37):
Is trying to take a page out Of Nick cassio's.

Speaker 2 (02:27:39):
Book because of when, asked what is.

Speaker 5 (02:27:41):
The plan at number?

Speaker 2 (02:27:42):
One this is awesome and, no we've come to a.
Consensus the entire organization is to stay at that. Pick
AND i guess you'll find Out thursday night who we.

Speaker 4 (02:27:50):
Pick what do you mean who you're going to? Pick
we know who you're going to. Pick it's so, close
really really.

Speaker 2 (02:27:59):
Hey, yes this is the league.

Speaker 4 (02:28:02):
Office if at some point during the week you're asked
who you are going to take with the number one,
pick could you please not tell the national?

Speaker 2 (02:28:09):
Media that would be helpful to, us.

Speaker 4 (02:28:11):
Even though we, know and you, know and Cam ward,
knows and The university Of miami, knows and the other
thirty one general managers, know and all the fans that
follow the sport.

Speaker 2 (02:28:20):
Know could you please just not make a Public, okay? Thanks,
YEAH i mean that's kind of the way it.

Speaker 3 (02:28:24):
Works do you happen to have the SoundBite of when
he was asked About Will? Levis because it's. Awesome, NO
i couldn't find. It it's only nine seconds. Long and
he Says Will levis is on the. Roster that's what he.

Speaker 2 (02:28:36):
Says it's a true.

Speaker 4 (02:28:37):
Statement he, said he's stilly work in, progress he's on the.

Speaker 2 (02:28:41):
Roster, yeah that's you're.

Speaker 3 (02:28:42):
Correct that is a little bit more SO I i
shorted him about five words to Say Will levis.

Speaker 2 (02:28:50):
Exists.

Speaker 4 (02:28:51):
YEAH i don't think he was any smoke screening, Either
like will this help us get a few more phone?

Speaker 2 (02:28:56):
Calls will a couple more? Gms? Say?

Speaker 4 (02:28:57):
No, really is there any way we can? MOVE i
don't think anybody's interested in moving.

Speaker 2 (02:29:02):
Up for ward for?

Speaker 4 (02:29:04):
Ward, no but are they interested moving up for the
next best?

Speaker 2 (02:29:08):
Player hunter Or? Carter i'm glad that.

Speaker 11 (02:29:10):
You asked that because of according to and this coulda
be weird to say for the first time ESPN's Peter.
Schrager he's been doing it FOR Nfl network for so,
long saw smoke.

Speaker 4 (02:29:21):
Screen, no The giants and The Cleveland browns are in
the market for.

Speaker 18 (02:29:26):
Trades take a listen from several different sources telling me
there are teams who are looking to get up in this,
draft the assumption being four Abdua, Carter Travis hunter or
the running Back Ashton, genty who everyone expects to go
somewhere in that five.

Speaker 9 (02:29:42):
To seven to eight.

Speaker 18 (02:29:43):
Range there have been teams making, calls and those teams
are not immediately slamming down the.

Speaker 2 (02:29:48):
Phone they're not immediately slamming.

Speaker 4 (02:29:51):
Down this is WHY i brought it up With luke,
earlier AND i. DO i would like For Ashton genty
to not get drafted at five to The jacksonville. DRAGUARSES
i think he's going to be. AWESOME i think comparisons
to both the first edition Of Saquon barkley with The
giants and the latest edition Of Saquon barkley as An.
Eagle he can do that with an, offense can absolutely game,

(02:30:14):
change franchise.

Speaker 2 (02:30:16):
Change he's that level of a.

Speaker 4 (02:30:17):
Talent it's funny to me what we went through in
two thousand and six With reggie And vince And mario
and everyone's trying to tell us That Reggie bush is the,
greatest high most highly graded running back. Prospect, Ever jens's
higher greater than that by a, lot in my, opinion
a lot because he actually can take the ball twenty
five thirty times a, game Which reggie was never going

(02:30:39):
to do it. Too, yeah between the tackles. Too imagine
that really. GOOD Nfl intel on the UPCOMING Nfl, draft
what will The titans?

Speaker 2 (02:30:47):
Do you'll have to wait Until thursday.

Speaker 5 (02:30:52):
The eighteen On Sports talk seven.

Speaker 3 (02:30:54):
NINETY i know you uh peruse The San Francisco chronicle,
daily so you are already probably aware of wex.

Speaker 2 (02:31:08):
Did Jimmy butler stopped by Tom Ball High school for
a workout. Yesterday oh good for.

Speaker 4 (02:31:12):
Him they actually got their practice in today At Toyota
center rather than THE u OF H Gyve Lewis development
facility where they practiced prior To game. One we had
A matt AND i a little comment About Jimmy butler
close to being back in his hometown but not.

Speaker 2 (02:31:30):
Quite he's from Tom.

Speaker 4 (02:31:31):
Ball just ask. Him he's said that many. Times why
do you think he's like. That i'm not sure did
not have the most ideal, Childhood, okay But i'm not
Or houston's fault in his.

Speaker 2 (02:31:46):
Mind it certainly could be.

Speaker 12 (02:31:49):
The.

Speaker 4 (02:31:49):
City You're you're asking an answerable. Question i'm just telling you.

Speaker 2 (02:31:54):
WHAT i, know all, Right get him on the. Phone not.

Speaker 3 (02:31:56):
IMPORTANT i have said this AND i absolutely still agree
with it after the other, night which might shock you and,
others in light of What Steph curry. Did The warriors
are only going to.

Speaker 2 (02:32:11):
Go as far As Jimmy butler takes.

Speaker 3 (02:32:13):
Them you know WHY i say, THAT i do not
because The warriors were going nowhere fast before he was
added to the.

Speaker 4 (02:32:21):
Roster, YEAH i totally understand, that AND i do. Agree
and he has a huge asset and they got light
years better by.

Speaker 2 (02:32:27):
Moving him in and Moving Andrew wiggins.

Speaker 4 (02:32:30):
Out, however there's a totally new player wearing number thirty
Because Jimmy butler is on the.

Speaker 2 (02:32:37):
Team because the attention having paid to, him JUST.

Speaker 4 (02:32:40):
I don't EVEN i, MEAN i can just show you the.
Numbers they're unbelievably. Different he was not even in the
top thirty scorers this year through the first fifty five
games before he arrived he was.

Speaker 2 (02:32:50):
Thirty, first he was.

Speaker 4 (02:32:51):
Scoring about twenty three twenty two points per, game and
then he was in the top five for most of
the time That butler was. Here The rockets helped when
they held him to three points in Early. April he
finished the year over those two months that he was,
there scoring seven more points per game and in the
top ten in THE, nba and all of his shooting

(02:33:12):
percentages went. Up his twos went in more, often his
threes went in more often because it was on display
against The.

Speaker 2 (02:33:20):
Rockets look at what twos he. Made, layup, layup.

Speaker 4 (02:33:23):
Layup you think he could get those layups Before Jimmy
butler was on the floor with.

Speaker 2 (02:33:27):
Him absolutely.

Speaker 4 (02:33:27):
Not and then on top of, that you're not just
Watching Jimmy butler that helped them win a bunch at
the end of the. Season in the regular, season you're
watching Playoff jimmy for one. Game he's only played one playoff. Game,
remember the other game was not a playoff. Game but
The butler The rockets saw wasn't even This. Butler In
february when they saw The warriors for the first time With,

(02:33:48):
jimmy and then again In april when they saw them
for the second.

Speaker 2 (02:33:50):
Time he's now into.

Speaker 4 (02:33:53):
Well in addition to helping everybody else be at their,
BEST i can still get. Mine he had five, Steals
he's shot ten for. Nineteen he's the one who hit
the three that put him up twenty that forced The
rockets to call time. Out it's not easy to do
what he does to get through the regular season and

(02:34:13):
then flip a.

Speaker 2 (02:34:13):
Switch he's done his whole. Career he's one of the all.

Speaker 4 (02:34:16):
Timers if you just look at who are you in
the regular season and then who do you become in the,
postseason very few players are able to elevate their game
to the degree he has been able.

Speaker 3 (02:34:28):
To does this surprise you that he's a career just
under twenty five point per game, score.

Speaker 4 (02:34:33):
Not at, all because those are regular season. Number he's
not out there looking to fill it. Up he's out
there looking to win in whatever number of games he plays.
In he's also obviously managed the last handful of years
of his court. Time he's mismanaged the way THAT i
think he's gotten along with the. Management but in THE,
nba you're never doing it. Wrong James harden didn't do it.

(02:34:54):
Wrong Jimmy butler didn't do it. Wrong Anthony davis didn't
do it. Wrong Donovan mitchell didn't do it. Wrong they
want to play somewhere, else so whatever it. Takes mentality
in THE nba works for the. Player not only do
they get where they want to, go they get a,
bigger better. Contract he just signed for one hundred and twenty.
Million in the future comes To Jimmy butler From Golden,

(02:35:16):
state it's gonna be well worth it if they make
a run this.

Speaker 3 (02:35:19):
Year, yes well obviously, yes But i'm thinking about that
future you're talking about when it comes To Jimmy. Butler
we've heard the regular season versus Playoff. Jimmy we've heard
about The moniker the Playoff Jimmy. Moniker has he not
had injuries the last couple of seasons that have kind

(02:35:41):
of derailed his year In.

Speaker 4 (02:35:42):
Miami he's a sixty five game a year right. Period
that's all he wants to. Play that's all he's going to,
play that's All he's maybe going to be healthy for
the last time he played more than sixty five games
in a regular. Season he wasn't playing For Golden, State, Miami,
philadelphia Or, minnesota right it was when he was in
his sixth year With, chicago the first team he played.
With he's played for four franchises since and never played

(02:36:06):
sixty five games more than sixty five in a.

Speaker 3 (02:36:08):
Season you know what the moral to The Jimmy butler story,
Is and this might not be fair because we don't
know what His Golden State warriors career is going to.

Speaker 2 (02:36:15):
Be they better win it all this. Year it's probably
not going to be better ever going to.

Speaker 3 (02:36:19):
Be, yeah but especially at his advanced, age but also
just the way his career has. Gone and if we
can give guys injury prone, reputations THEN i can give
you a franchise cancer.

Speaker 4 (02:36:32):
Reputation to, me these are two separate. CONVERSATIONS i don't
care how many games he plays in the regular. Season
if i'm, Management, yeah he doesn't miss the postseason, games,
right and he plays great in the postseason. Games Golden
state has him for a whole year this past. Year
maybe they're the four, seed maybe they're the three. Seed
they have to make it from the seventh seed because
of what you're. Describing but teams are probably okay with,

(02:36:54):
that Right, well if they get the best at the.

Speaker 2 (02:36:57):
End it's Like Kawhi leonard and The, clippers.

Speaker 3 (02:36:58):
Right and in This western common for, instance seating just
does not matter unless, you of, course you're going up
Against Golden, STATE i, mean, Uh Oklahoma, city and then
you're gonna lose by fifty. One way to get off
the team. Bus, memphis, seriously well.

Speaker 4 (02:37:11):
They got host The rockets had that happened to him
many many years ago when they opened up With seattle The.

Speaker 2 (02:37:16):
Sonics remember When seattle had a basketball.

Speaker 4 (02:37:18):
Team The rockets had just finished up a SERIES i
don't even remember, where they had no time in, between
and they played an earlier start time than they should
have out on The West.

Speaker 2 (02:37:27):
Coast. Three sure sounds. Good the year ago with ninety,
three the home team won every.

Speaker 4 (02:37:31):
Game, well they they were non competitive in that opening
game of that series, because in part because of their
arrival there and had how the, league.

Speaker 2 (02:37:40):
You, know they didn't. Have look at What memphis just.

Speaker 4 (02:37:42):
Did memphis Played friday night at Home friday, night the
second of the two night, games and then had the
noons start In Oklahoma city less than forty eight hours.

Speaker 2 (02:37:52):
Later, well maybe the, playoffs one GUESS i get all.

Speaker 4 (02:37:56):
That, well how About Oklahoma city doesn't have the first
game of the day On.

Speaker 3 (02:37:58):
Sunday, Well i'm kidd four time, SLOTS i, know and
we got to have Those Rockets warriors at eight point
fifty On sunday.

Speaker 2 (02:38:05):
Night they.

Speaker 3 (02:38:07):
Didn't they made sure that the seven Seeded warriors didn't
have to deal with any sort of lack of.

Speaker 2 (02:38:12):
Rest, though just a Little jimmy for.

Speaker 4 (02:38:13):
You last three seasons regular season scoring numbers twenty three
points per, game twenty one points per, game and this
year eighteen points per. Game postseason for those three, years twenty,
seven twenty seven and twenty five in.

Speaker 3 (02:38:25):
Game that's that's WHY i say What i'm. Saying Steph
curry's career postseason average is twenty. Seven so he's twenty
four in the regular, season twenty five in the regular,
season he's twenty four to seven and exactly twenty seven
points per game in the.

Speaker 2 (02:38:39):
Postseason also very. Good doesn't step it.

Speaker 4 (02:38:41):
Up that's it's more per. Game, yeah but it's not Like.
Jimmy it's not Like. Jimmy that is. Accurate by the,
way for those of you that, participated we certainly appreciate.
That try to hit as many of you back on
the email AS i, can BUT i can tell you
we have a winner AND i will notify her. Shortly
this year is our ticket winner to go See Rockets

(02:39:02):
Warriors game two On wednesday. Night so appreciate everyone participating
and of course listening to us.

Speaker 2 (02:39:08):
Via The iHeartRadio, app making us number one on your.

Speaker 4 (02:39:11):
Presets it's not just for the, contest it's for the
ease of enjoying THE A, Team The Matt Thomas show With,
ross The Sean Salisbury, show and of Course rockets And Astros.
Baseball Astros, baseball well we've got that for. You The,
astros Playing game two of their three game series with
The Toronto Blue, jays Took game one last night without
allowing The Blue jays to score any, runs and they

(02:39:31):
will try to get win number two of this, series
win number four of this homestand and they will have
more wins than losses for just the second time this,
year third time this. Year if they are able to accomplish. That,
Tonight Matt thomas will have the on deck show for.

Speaker 3 (02:39:45):
You looking forward to, that looking forward to talking about
it all tomorrow prior To game two between The rockets
and The. Warriors should be a Good wednesday of discussion
following at win tonight and preceding A rockets win tomorrow.

Speaker 2 (02:40:03):
Night that'll do it for.

Speaker 3 (02:40:04):
Us we will reconvene tomorrow afternoon at two o'clock

Speaker 5 (02:40:10):
The eighteen On Sports talk seven ninety

All Episodes

Episode Transcript

Popular Podcasts

On Purpose with Jay Shetty

Stuff You Should Know

Dateline NBC

.css-15opob5{left:0;position:absolute;top:0.8rem;} All Episodes

.css-14f5ked{margin:0;word-break:break-word;display:-webkit-box;-webkit-box-orient:vertical;box-orient:vertical;-webkit-line-clamp:2;overflow:hidden;}Rockets Hope to Even Up Series, Texans Draft Talk Heating Up, Astros Improving

Episode Transcript

Popular Podcasts

.css-r6mb8g{margin:0;word-break:break-word;display:-webkit-box;-webkit-box-orient:vertical;box-orient:vertical;-webkit-line-clamp:1;overflow:hidden;}On Purpose with Jay Shetty

Stuff You Should Know

Dateline NBC

All Episodes

Rockets Hope to Even Up Series, Texans Draft Talk Heating Up, Astros Improving

On Purpose with Jay Shetty