Texans Pick Nick Caley, NBA World Shocked By Luka Trade, and The Rockets Are Banged Up Now

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
series Adam Clinton and Adam Wexler are the A Team.

Speaker 2 (00:15):
A What's Up Houston, Texas? It is a Monday edition
of the A Team It's Sports Talks seven nineties, soon
to be simulcast on Space City Home Network. It's Wex,
It's AC it is s guy is falling up in Dallas.
That was a wild weekend in the NBA for a

(00:38):
number of reasons, not the least of which was right
here in Houston where the Rockets decided to roll over
and die on my birthday. Thanks for that. I'm glad
I didn't work that night. Thanks for working that game, Wex.
I really appreciate you, cause if I had to watch
that in person, I might have gone down at halftime
when the Rockets had a massed a grand total of
thirty eight points and just let everybody down there and
know they were ruining my birthday. But we'll hear from

(00:59):
head coach em Udoka on that because he wasn't making
any excuses, and I really really that's the one thing
about a bad Rocket's loss during this Emay Udoka era,
It's just you get the best content from him.

Speaker 3 (01:12):
So anyways, but that's you know, it's that's.

Speaker 2 (01:14):
Very, very minor news relative to what else happened in
the NBA across the weekend.

Speaker 4 (01:20):
Now I'm not sure.

Speaker 2 (01:23):
Well, I so I saw the deal, and I did
what everybody did. I guarantee you did this without even
having talked to you about it. As a matter of fact,
I'm glad we haven't talked as much as we normally
do on the weekend, even as little as we do,
because I wanted to get your organic reaction on some things.
But just the fact that everybody I know that saw
this trade between the Lakers and the Dallas Mavericks and

(01:48):
Jazz whatever had the same reaction. With Danny Ainge just
can't help himself. He's got to get in on everything.
They were like wait wait, wait, wait, Sham's got he
got hacked, right, Like this isn't really like we're all
so we've all in this business been burned by a
fake account so many times.

Speaker 3 (02:05):
Blah blah blah blah blah. Texans have hired and oc
oh who is it? Nick Kyley? Okay, Well, it just
kind of it surprises me, and that's has just reached
out to someone in Los Angeles covers the team for
some intel on this. As I was getting the feeling
that this was going to happen today.

Speaker 4 (02:25):
Covers the Texans.

Speaker 3 (02:27):
No covers the team in LA where he came from. Oh,
I said, well, you just sitting in at Kayley, I said,
I reached out to someone who is in LA that
covers the team. He works for that team until today.
Right multiple reports say the Rams are hiring Nick Cayley.
He was the tight ends coach and past game coordinator
for the Rams the past two seasons. Obviously, that means

(02:48):
he's worked with Sean McVeigh eight interviews for the Texans
and settling in on this. He had drawn interest from
both the Jets and Patriots. He has major Patriots ties,
but that also means he has made Texans ties because
he was in New England when Nick Cassario was there,
and this was somebody they were interested in the first
to go round when hiring NC to work with Jamiico

(03:09):
Ryans and under Nick Cassario.

Speaker 2 (03:11):
So okay, and that's my when you say the Patriots connection,
I just I always tend to throw up in my
mouth a little bit because.

Speaker 3 (03:19):
Well, every single person they interviewed had a connection to
the Texans or a specific coaching philosophy. Okay, the majority
of them had a connection to what they want to see.
I meany heck, they interviewed two coaches that now we
could say, well Bill Aser has a Nick Asario connection. Well,
Jerrod Johnson has a Nick Cassario connection. I mean, at
some point you're starting you get coaches that have more

(03:42):
and more connections with lots of different people. Because now
Nick Cassia has also worked with two different teams. I
mean I wasn't too concerned about it. First of all,
I don't care one way or the other. But Mike
Rabel is the one who's snatching up the connections because
he's now in New England. Kaylee was in New England
from twenty fifteen to twenty twenty two and has been

(04:03):
with the Rams since.

Speaker 2 (04:05):
So I don't I don't snirl my nose up the
way I used to at connections. I mean, everybody's got.

Speaker 3 (04:12):
All so much at the same college. You know that
world famous John Carroll. It's amazing that John Carroll is
as so to speak, nothing as a university, and yet
the number of people in the NFL on the coaching
side that went there is ridiculous for the school that
it is. There's probably five or six fairly notable John

(04:32):
Carroll grads.

Speaker 2 (04:34):
What is it about the water there, It's just it's
it's interesting breeding ground for executives.

Speaker 3 (04:39):
Okay, so.

Speaker 2 (04:41):
That's it. Doesn't None of these names really would have
been like move the needle types to me, other than
the guy who came out of nowhere to tell the
Texans I'm just not that into you, but I am
into the Raiders.

Speaker 3 (04:54):
Oh you know he told the Texans anything. Well, at
this point, I don't know that they've reached out to him,
and he said no, I still never figured. We didn't
know that he.

Speaker 2 (05:01):
Had reached out to anybody or they had reached out
to him until this weekend.

Speaker 3 (05:04):
It was well done. It was almost as secretive as
the Lakers deal with the Okay, can we get to
that real quick.

Speaker 2 (05:09):
Let's get get that aspect out of the way about
this trade. And this is perfect for me because I'm
add so we're all over the map here. Ah, No
way in h double hockey sticks. Lebron James didn't know
about this. Now, if you want to tell me that,
Jason Kidd didn't know about it on the Dallas side
of things, I absolutely brilli believe that, strictly based on
the look on his face that looked like he was
in a hostage video at the press conference yesterday. I

(05:32):
do believe he didn't know anything. But there's no way
Lebron didn't know about this. Just add him to the
arsenal of Superstars that he's been paired with throughout his career.
But let's continue to bleep all over Michael Jordan because
he couldn't win anything without Scottie Pippen. This guy everywhere
he goes gets hand tolivered Superstars said.

Speaker 3 (05:48):
We hardly talked all weekend, and that is the absolute positive.
First time I ever even thought to bring this to
a Michael Jordan conversation.

Speaker 4 (05:55):
I just it was talked about all weekend.

Speaker 3 (05:56):
But it's so far I like, I don't. I do
want understand it, but I'm so far removed from thinking
about it. I just don't.

Speaker 2 (06:03):
I do not under Do you think the Lakers are
championship contenders right now?

Speaker 3 (06:07):
I think they're very unchanged from what they were before
the deal. Those are worse. They're just gonna have to
do it differently.

Speaker 2 (06:13):
Well, they're they're actually worse offensively, if that's possible, and
significantly better offensively when he's out there.

Speaker 3 (06:20):
Yeah, he's fine. He's not Anthony Davis. This is the
first year he's ever been hurt.

Speaker 4 (06:25):
The Davis time.

Speaker 2 (06:26):
Davis put up better numbers than him all season long
in other categories that he doesn't even he scores. That's it.

Speaker 3 (06:31):
If you're trying to tell me he's better Luca, all right,
well come on now, Yes.

Speaker 4 (06:37):
He dishes, that's fine. I'm just talking about the.

Speaker 3 (06:39):
Career numbers are thirty one, nine and eight. I'd say
he's pretty much does everything. Yeah, well, career numbers in
the regular season match that roughly.

Speaker 2 (06:46):
That's fine. Speak, that's fine. And Anthony Davis was just
chopped liver for the Lakers. He actually want a championship.
There's no this is stupid. Nobody thinks.

Speaker 3 (06:54):
Nobody thinks Luca Dacis is the worst basketball player to
winning than than Anthony Davis. Nobody thinks that, even you.

Speaker 2 (06:59):
No, I'm saying that. But what I'm saying what are.

Speaker 3 (07:01):
We arguing about?

Speaker 2 (07:02):
I just asked you if the Lakers are closer or
farther away from being championship contenders this year.

Speaker 3 (07:08):
I just said that they're worse. Yeah, that's a reasonable
debate to have. I'm all into that.

Speaker 2 (07:12):
But the reason they're worse is because they traded Anthony Davis.
That's why Anthony Davis. Also, the fact that he was
the trader, trade player that was traded, That's why that's
pertinent to the conversation. But like, you don't just you
don't just trade a guy who does what Anthony Davis does.
And I get this. This is about the long term
future of the Lakers. If you want to like listen

(07:33):
to the Dallas side of things without just trying to
just claw your own eyes out because you're a mass
fan and you can't believe that they did this, that's
one thing. But I do actually think that they think
that Anthony Davis added to what they had still makes
them more contenders in the short term. Does it make

(07:55):
him more contenders than it did when they just went
to the NBA Finals with Luka Doncic. I don't know yet,
but I don't think it's a I don't think it's
as lopsided as a lot of people are wanting to
make it be. And I actually think, in my opinion,
it's bad for both teams. I'll explain that next segment,
but that's that's how I looked at it immediately.

Speaker 3 (08:13):
And now, yeah, it's definitely I think what a lot
of people thought, like, what's the point and did you
get better? I mean, if we're asking those questions, did
you even get better? Did you even get better? Then
it's definitely something to consider. The difference in ages, the
difference in money, the difference in commitment, and what it
does to your respective locker rooms is also all a
part of this. Back to the initial topic, whether or

(08:34):
not Lebron knows I mean, I don't really Again, this
is this is for people who can't think clearly that
their only focus is Lebron James. This Lebron James that
he runs the team, he's the GM. I don't know what, like,
I'm into it for you know what the future of
these teams are and how it affects the Rockets, And
are either of these teams better than the Rockets? The

(08:55):
standing says no, and the standings say no. But the
are now new outfits. Have they elevated themselves beyond the Rockets?
For that matter, have the Spurs elevated themselves? Into mattering
here this year and on into the future, and clearly
in the case of all three teams for me, certainly
in San Antonio's case, since they absolutely stole to Aaron Fox,
they can do pretty much whatever they want even now

(09:18):
they could have done whatever they wanted because they had
all these assets before. Well, now what they're left with
after trading for Fox or all these assets because it
didn't take any assets to go get them, so they
can now elevate themselves. It might not happen this deadline
in four days, it might not happen this offseason, but
at some point they'll be able to put together even
more established talent than just hoping they draft Well or

(09:38):
Atlanta's pick that they still have potentially turns into somebody
great from this draft, or Stefan Castle who they kept
turns into something great. The Lakers have again, it didn't
take remarkable how little it took to make this flip.
But when you trade an all NBA player for an
All NBA player, it's not really worthwhile to compare it

(09:59):
to some of the other deals because none of these
other teams on the other side of it, we're looking
for a current talent. The Mavericks GM, who's terrible now
decided that's what he wanted, and it's just so abnormal
for us to see a GM want that. That's why
I think we're so thrown off by This can't be real.
This can't possibly be what a team desired, because one

(10:20):
team helped their future tremendously and the other team hurt
their future tremendously. And when you are in the position
both of them are in, especially the Mavericks who were
just in the finals, I'm not sure what they looked
at on the basketball side, and I would guess nothing
that says, well, we aren't good enough. We can't do
it again this year.

Speaker 2 (10:38):
Why not?

Speaker 3 (10:38):
You just did it. You never know what's gonna happen
with injuries, you never know which matchups you're gonna find.
You've seen almost no current healthy basketball from Luca Kyrie,
and you're extremely good defensively front line. So I was
shocked by them basically saying we're not good enough. We
lost to the freaking Celtics, one of the greatest assembly

(10:59):
of talent we've seen, certainly in this era at least,
So you blow it up and go with a different star.
I'm just shocked that that's their thinking. But I think
we've found out since the Saturday night announcement and breaking
of the news that they're going to tell us that
there's a lot more to it. A lot of people
on the inside believe that there can't you can't just

(11:19):
make this decision unless there's more to it. That's why
the Michael Finley beer stealing post Western Conference championship last
year has come back in the news and everybody has
a chance to see it again. And that's why the
ridiculous reports that somehow Luca was pushing two seventy he
got off the plane in LA I don't think that's
a two hundred and seventy pound basketball player, But what.

Speaker 2 (11:41):
Do I know?

Speaker 3 (11:42):
Just all the nonsense you're probably gonna hear, But the
only people who know Luca are the Mavericks. It's the
only team he's played for. It's the only organization that
knows when they all that interworkings, what happened on a
day to day basis, what happened after wins, losses, off
seasons conditioning, they know, and this is decision that they
allowed Nico Harrison to make definitely changes things for the

(12:05):
Rockets and for everybody else in the NBA. So for that,
that's great. I'm all for that. I'm looking forward to
what the next couple of days entail because we were
expecting a fairly active deadline. Just we're not expecting this.
You know, the Fox deal is worthy of an entire
show's worth of commentary all in and of itself, and

(12:26):
yet this one will dominate it and the Rockets as
they get closer to where we are with the trade deadline,
where this team still stands. We've done a show with
them not in second place in the West now today
for the first time and over a month with their
final last loss and Grizzlies getting a win, they finally
slid a half game behind them. This is this is

(12:47):
great for the league and for conversation. The players may
have a little bit of a different perspective, especially since
it sheds more light on the you know, look at
Jimmy Butler and look at James Harden and others just
talking their way out of situations. No loyalty whatsoever, that's
got to be out the window. Now to blindside a superstar,

(13:09):
five time first team All NBA player at age twenty five,
to say, why don't you return my call, Oh, because
I just traded you.

Speaker 4 (13:17):
Okay, Yeah, it's fascinating.

Speaker 2 (13:19):
This is February NBA conversation at its finest, and it
proves that, well, people do still care about the NBA
quite a bit, even if they some of them would
have you believe otherwise.

Speaker 4 (13:30):
So we'll get to that.

Speaker 2 (13:31):
As a matter of fact, when we get back, I
will try I will try to put forth the explanation
as to why this is a bad deal for both
the Lakers and the Mavericks, and in so doing it's
good for the Rockets. We'll explain when we come back.

Speaker 5 (13:48):
The A team on Sports Talk seven ninety.

Speaker 1 (13:53):
Back to Adam Clinton at Adam Wexler the eighteen on
Sports Talk seven ninety.

Speaker 2 (14:05):
It was funny because you were just talking about how
Nick Keyley has Patriot ties and Nick Cassario ties, as
it were. But the way guys like, for example, Tom
Pelisario describes him, he spent the past two seasons with
the Rams, another branch of the Shanahan McVeigh tree headed

(14:26):
to Houston, which is the Demico side of things.

Speaker 3 (14:30):
Yeah, I mean it's well, it's also the slow ex
side of things.

Speaker 2 (14:32):
Yeah.

Speaker 4 (14:32):
Well that's and see.

Speaker 2 (14:33):
That's interesting because you're wanting something different, and I think
he will be. Otherwise they wouldn't be hiring him. But
I just when I saw put it this way over
the weekend, I saw this kind of chatter and I
agreed with it.

Speaker 4 (14:49):
When Chip Kelly was hired by the Raiders.

Speaker 2 (14:52):
To me and to a lot of other people, that
automatically meant, okay, well, the Texans are just gonna hire
from within, whether it be Gerard Johnson or someone like
I didn't, at least I thought that'd be the betting
favorite versus going outside and hiring someone else.

Speaker 4 (15:08):
But Nick Kyley makes sense when you consider.

Speaker 2 (15:13):
All of the people who are in charge right now
and then hiring somebody outside the building. And actually that
begs the question is Jerraw Johnson stay put or does
he move on?

Speaker 3 (15:22):
Yeah, that was the initial anytime you had all these
candidates interviewed, and it kind of to me it really
depended on who they hire and where things are in
the rest of the league. With the Texans hiring Nick
Kahlegg and reportedly NFL Network first to report that he
will be the Texans new OC first that I saw, well,
correct later if needed. There's only two teams that don't
have an OC now, and one of those teams doesn't

(15:44):
have a head coach either. That's the New Orleans Saints,
though it's probably Kellen Moore, and their OC hire might
be a little different because the likelihood is he will
be calling the plays there. The Jaguars also have not
officially hired an OC. Liam Cohen, their new head coach
is their play caller, so similarly, you have that situation.
So in thinking about Jerad Johnson's future, both of those

(16:05):
might be interesting and that he can go and be
the OC and get the title, but he can't. He's
not going to be the play caller in any of
those situations. And I don't know there's much of a
relationship between he and Kellen Moore, he and Liam Cohen,
or there obviously are other more lateral moves that he
can make. Pretty much anywhere that has an opening that

(16:26):
could find some spot for him on their offensive staff.
He certainly could do, because I would imagine, you know,
sometimes you'll get hired for a prominent position head coach, OC,
Special Teams coordinator DC, and it'll be your discretion completely.
You know, who we want to keep, who we don't,
or you'll be like Coach Kully and you get hired
as head coach and the Texans will tell you what

(16:47):
to do and you don't have any say in it.
I imagine Nick Kayley will have some, if not total, say
in it. And obviously I think it's pretty clear that the
Texans that really like Gerad Johnson staying here with no
promotion to work under a new OC as the quarterbacks
coach for a third consecutive year with somebody new getting

(17:07):
the job over, you can't create an interesting dynamic, so
I think would have to be fairly unique people involved
and the relationships involved for him to remain on staff.
It's a little bit different for the senior offensive assistant,
Bill Laser. Like Johnson, he interviewed for this job and
apparently did not get it, but the value he holds
might be similar to what he could have done for

(17:30):
any other of them, and what he could have done
if Girad Johnson were hired, what he could have done
if he were the OC. And if he's not coming back, well,
somebody just like him with experience, probably with play calling
experience would be brought in. It would just be a
person brought in specifically by Kayley. And again, you're not
that many people out there are going to help you
a great deal with play calling as previous play callers

(17:51):
because there's just aren't that many out there. They're already
working somewhere else or they're no longer in the league.
So it will be interesting to see how they put
it together. But all these people, while fairly inexperienced that
they interviewed because it doesn't include Chip Kelly, you know,
Laser had more experience than basically all of them put
together as an offensive coordinator and play caller. The vast

(18:13):
majority of the people they interviewed have never called plays before,
and certainly not at the NFL level, So you know
who's who of they're gonna be very similar higher because
they're most likely going to be doing it for the
first time, and that's what Nick Kyley will do. So
three years of Demiico Ryans as head coach and the
only year he didn't have a first time play caller
was year two of Bobby Slok because he had been

(18:35):
the first guy the last year, but two of his
three coach years as head coach, his OC will be
calling plays with c. J. Stroud for the first time.

Speaker 2 (18:44):
So having said that, and that's the point that I
keep coming back to because it's like, Okay, here we
go again sort.

Speaker 3 (18:50):
Of, but the here we go again it it wasn't
good enough. It wasn't. I mean, some people might say
was bad, well, but I probably wouldn't. It just wasn't
good enough. Talk about slow the last two years of
their offense wasn't good enough. I wouldn't call it bad.

Speaker 2 (19:05):
But yeah, and when I say, when I look at
it not being good enough, it had far more to
do with the fact that he didn't have the proper
protection CJ than necessary. I'm not staying the play calling
was perfect because it was far from that, because I
just feel like Bobby slowk was like, well, I'm just
going to call the plays no matter what. I'm not
going to adjust to the fact that my line is

(19:25):
awful and or what other teams are doing to exploit
that weakness. Whereas you still you can hire whoever you want,
You've got to fix the protection for CJ for anything
to work, regardless of the offense or who's calling it
or whatever. So yeah, that'll be that'll be interesting to
see how how they solve that moving forward. All right,

(19:45):
this Lakers Dallas deal. When I first heard it, I mean,
everybody did the same thing. Like we talked about in
the first segment. Is this this Legit is this real?

Speaker 4 (19:55):
I love the.

Speaker 3 (19:55):
Fact that Shamien did the same thing. They called him
personally to see if everything okay. He had to.

Speaker 2 (20:00):
Tweet He's like, this is one thousand percent reel or
however he phrased it. This is not I have not
been ACKed, essentially, and I think I know I texted
this to other coworkers.

Speaker 4 (20:13):
I don't know if I texted this to you.

Speaker 2 (20:16):
But on the surface, I thought about Anthony Davis's age.
I always think about his injury propensity because he's hurt.
He's hurt right now. Both these guys are hurt right now.
Like that's the funny part about this. It's not funny,
but it's it's ironic. I guess we don't know when
Luke is coming back. Right sometime after the All Star

(20:38):
break was like the best case scenario if he had
stayed in Dallas, and not that it matters now that
he's in la Is calf injury is not going to
magically get better because he's by the ocean. But I
mean Anthony Davis was out with what an adductor's strain,
abdominal injury, whatever, So both of these guys are are
not healthy. The Mavericks absolutely looked like they were shell

(20:59):
shot as an organization as they lost by what forty
three the other night to the Cleveland Calves.

Speaker 3 (21:05):
Well, they didn't have any players everybody that matter happens
a lot by the way, Well, they didn't have anything
to do with the trade. They only traded one player
of significance. They just everybody else sat out.

Speaker 2 (21:14):
Yeah, but uh, well I take that back, because the
Lakers had a nice win over to night's opponent who
they beat the Knicks or was it the Nets?

Speaker 3 (21:22):
The Knicks?

Speaker 2 (21:22):
Yeah, and lebron had a triple double and he moved
to like twenty three and eight all.

Speaker 3 (21:27):
Times, and Brony combined for a triple double. Stop stop
talking about Bronny, But there were some good Bronny memes.
That's why weekend, That's why I know that lebron knew
about this. What's a greater likelihood to happen? Luka Doncic
wins a title with Lebron or Luka Doncic wins a
title with.

Speaker 2 (21:46):
Bronni can I do options?

Speaker 3 (21:49):
See well, I mean, if you don't think Luca's never
going to play in the finals again, I mean you
can say neither, but I mean he's already been to
the finals once without Luke, without Lebron, and they're gonna
have Luca's not going to be playing as the lone
start in LA during his time there.

Speaker 2 (22:03):
That's right.

Speaker 4 (22:04):
He's got Austin Reeves.

Speaker 3 (22:05):
When when Lebron goes away, somebody else will join at
some point, just like Anthony Davis did. It's his LA this,
I mean, all this other angst about the deal, when
are we going to get to What did the Lakers
do to deserve this? That's that's where they put their
location down. They put a pin on their Google map.
Here we are, We're in LA. Look at our purple
and gold and look at our history. Do you ever

(22:27):
think about it the time to deserve this?

Speaker 2 (22:29):
How about how about doing the opposite of doing anything
to deserve this? Because when they got Lebron, they had
mismanaged their organization so badly that it took basically him
saying I want to play in Los Angeles for the Lakers,
not the Clippers, for them to be saved by him,
you know, his presence.

Speaker 3 (22:49):
It was a short time of not being very good.
This is where he wanted to be. And then they
did have enough of an asset pool, including brandon Ingram
to orchestrate the deal for Anthony Davis, so they weren't
totally disarray. They literally had the pieces in place for
what is you know, are pretty fair deal all things considered.
This time, Lebron's talked about we just don't have you know,

(23:09):
are their moves to make or do you have the
right team. He was talking very negatively about what they
had as possibilities. We can't win quite with what the
roster we have. This is what we are and I
kind of agreed with him. And all Rob Polinka had
to do was make sure his phone was on so
the Mavericks could offer him this, could come to him
with this, and he could say okay after he probably

(23:33):
said Some have reported that he has indicated and at
the during this three week negotiating period that nobody else
on any team was involved in they were asking for
more players or picks, and somehow he talked the MAVs
out of it.

Speaker 2 (23:49):
It's remember that time that David Stern stepped in for
quote basketball reasons and the mixed that.

Speaker 3 (23:54):
That was one of my first thoughts.

Speaker 4 (23:55):
Yeah, pau Gasol was supposed to be a rocket.

Speaker 2 (23:57):
I don't know if you guys remember, but instead he
got handled over to the Lakers a few a short
time later. Because that that was that trade was okay
for basketball reasons. But the one where Paal Gasol became
a rocket and Chris Paul went to the Lakers, that
was not okay for basketball reasons. That's the maddest I've
ever seen and heard Darryl Mory in my entire time
of knowing him. He was you could coming.

Speaker 3 (24:18):
Out teams involved a lot of logistics, a lot of agreements,
a lot of phone calls, a lot of paperwork, and
an unheard of roadblock and never had before stopped to
the trade. The commissioner said, no, well, unfortunately that's never
happened before, right, But it wasn't normal circumstances. The commissioner
had a second job, He had a side hustle. He

(24:39):
was running one of the three teams involved in the
trapped before exactly that is it was.

Speaker 2 (24:44):
It was honestly a blemish on his not completely flawless resume.
I mean, Davis Thrnder's deserves a lot of credit for,
you know, the globalization of the game.

Speaker 4 (24:58):
And look, the players did all the work, but.

Speaker 2 (25:00):
Stern the NBA was on tape delay and infiltrated with
coke heads when he took over. The finals were on
tape delay, i should say, and everybody was doing cocaine,
including a lot.

Speaker 3 (25:11):
On the Rockets, so everybody knew who was gonna win
before they watched the game because of the X platform.

Speaker 4 (25:16):
No, that's different spoiler alert.

Speaker 2 (25:19):
Yeah that would have been awesome. Wow. So okay, we'll
get to our best of X. I'll still get to
why I think this is probably a bad deal for
both teams, even though I might be proven wrong. Obviously,
the Rockets are media well, the Rockets will be a
topic of conversation because a lot of people are now
having fomo.

Speaker 4 (25:38):
That's what I'm gonna call it.

Speaker 2 (25:39):
The Rockets got to beg a deal now because of
what happened over the weekend with the other two teams
in Texas.

Speaker 3 (25:44):
I got to catch up with the teams behind him.

Speaker 2 (25:46):
They don't have to catch up with anybody exactly the Eggs,
thank you. See WEX always talking since on this show,
so Yeah, we will get to the best of X
and all of that as we continue here on a
Monday edition of the program.

Speaker 5 (25:58):
The A Team on Sports Talk seven ninety.

Speaker 2 (26:03):
Whatever happens with the NBA or any other sports that
you're gonna be watching, don't you want to see it
all unfold in front of your crystal clear vision eyes. Yeah.
You don't want glasses or contacts for that. You just
want to wake up in the morning and have twenty
twenty vision without doing anything. And that's the first thing
that I noticed when I had the lasic procedure done

(26:24):
over at Berkeley I Center back in two thousand and eight.
You didn't fall asleep with contacts in anymore. You didn't
have to have a subscription for them, you didn't have
to have a pair of glasses laying around. You just
had twenty twenty vision. You woke up, and you went
about your day. It's awesome. It's very freeing if you've
been dealing with those other things. And so when you
call seven one, three, five, two six eyes, you can

(26:46):
get that very same scenario unfold for you, free consultation,
and on top of all that, you're gonna enjoy zero
percent financing until twenty twenty seven, and you're gonna save
well over twelve hundred dollars. Oh and by the way,
you can use your flex medical or health savings accounts
to pay for it. So Lasik at Berkeley Eye Center

(27:06):
perfect twenty twenty vision leaving those glasses or contacts behind
and not having to pay any sort of uh interest
until twenty twenty seven, and savings with well over twelve
hundred bucks. It's seven one three five two six eyes
seven one three five two six e y e s
first Lasik at Berkeley Center.

Speaker 5 (27:26):
Myers prusses it. This said, good bye, Hey.

Speaker 6 (27:30):
Jake Myers, catch every astro's name on Sports Talks seven
ninety before the iHeartRadio app Home of Your Astros?

Speaker 5 (27:39):
Did you all see this? Should be putting out between
five and fifteen.

Speaker 1 (27:43):
Posts a day.

Speaker 3 (27:44):
Four hundred people were arrested for things that they said
on social media. History repeats itself type beg you'll succeed.
Never doubt that you're the one.

Speaker 2 (27:54):
Two perso, no one building lead.

Speaker 3 (27:57):
You're the best. Nothing's gonna have but top. You know
you're the best of the supposting every single day.

Speaker 2 (28:06):
You know you're the.

Speaker 3 (28:07):
Best of the breaking the entire internet. I think it's
pretty obvious when you get shocked by an NBA trade
in the manner that everybody who follows the NBA was
literally everybody, the players involved, the players in the league.

(28:29):
I mean the best of X honestly, with the Luca
Anthony Davis deal that went down late Saturday night, but
not late enough where all the games in the NBA
were over. The best of X is the video of
the Suns sitting on the bench, and Kevin Durant actually
told the story after the game. He said, you know,
the fans behind us were talking about it and were like,

(28:50):
there's no bleeping way, and our security guys showed us
his phone and you could see the guys during the game,
which is usually not something they do look at their
cellular phone device. But I think under the.

Speaker 4 (29:00):
Service film was that.

Speaker 3 (29:01):
That's what according to Kevin Durant, it was one of
their security guys phones, and so they were, you know,
their disbelief was set aside by this is real. I
don't know if you've seen the video. I happen to
see it early this morning. For the first time, the
Warriors had what I believe was a you know, an
executive event or season ticket holder event, sponsor event, a
poker knight type of deal, a game night, and they

(29:22):
were you see them talking with fans, and you know, uh, Pajemski,
Curry and others are like holding their phones up here,
show me this and show me that, and the fans
are like, this cannot be real. No, it's real. This
is really happen, and they're all just in complete and
total disbelief.

Speaker 4 (29:38):
Was the Kevin Durant because I've seen that video.

Speaker 2 (29:41):
Was that the same game where he was trash talking
Gary Payton or was that a different game?

Speaker 3 (29:44):
Okay, different game.

Speaker 4 (29:45):
I love him so much.

Speaker 2 (29:47):
Yeah, he's been he was a warrior or when he
was a warrior, I just kind of like blackout that
time in my life as an NBA follower, observer and
fan of Kevin Durant.

Speaker 3 (29:56):
Yeah, he's been very good to us with his burner
accounts and his willingness to p much say anything. He's
really really good for the media and I think by
proxy for fans. Whether you dislike him or do like him,
I think he really just he tells you things. He
will he will sit down and I'll have a conversation
with you. Whethers post game. I'll have a conversation with

(30:16):
you from his DMS on his IG or Twitter or wherever,
and it's not like everybody else, but also best of
X is usually from that exact place. I just mentioned
the comments section I go to at Lake Show assist
on the Twitter platform because on June twenty eighth, twenty
twenty three, that's still what it was six forty nine

(30:39):
pm that evening, he wrote potential trade eyeball emoji Lakers
receive Luka Doncic, maz receive Anthony Davis to firsts. Who
wins this trade? June twenty eighth, twenty twenty three. The
actual trade that nobody was going to and wanted to
believe took play February first, twenty twenty five. This tweet

(31:04):
came from June twenty eighth, the early stages of the
off season in twenty twenty three. It was met with
at the time, is this a joke? Never in a
million years and haha, typical Lakers fans and MAVs would
never trade Luca, especially not to a team in the West.

(31:27):
You Laker fans are delusional. You're not getting Luca. Why
would the Mavericks want Anthony Davis? When he's not even
guaranteed to play half a season. Lakers win trade hands down,
no question, vaults into title favorites again, slides right into
that delusional category. And this was in June of twenty
twenty three, not even two February second, twenty twenty five,

(31:52):
when the vast majority of these awesome, unbelievable what is
going on in the NBA comments actually came from because
the deal actually went down. Someone who's been on the
program before from the DFW area, works on the ranger
side of things, mostly Jared Sandler. He posted less than
twenty four hours ago, is this the worst moment in

(32:13):
DFW sports history? My first thought is twenty eleven Game six,
But that was one moment for one moment's sake. This
is one moment that he raises the potential for a
decade's worth of more moments. That is what I was
working on all weekend. Because the group text that I
mentioned all the time, that's thirty years or however long

(32:36):
we've had the ability to text one another without punching
keys too often to even want to send a text
when you had the only means to do it that way.
These are guys from San Antonio and Dallas. These are
Spurs fans and Maths fans and Rangers fans and Cowboys
fans and been in a group text with him all
this time, and this was by far the worst time
of their sporting lives. All of those that were Mavers

(32:57):
fans ready to give up their season tickets, not even
caring if the team is good, if Anthony Davis plays well,
could it work? Not even getting there to maybe today,
but this was their guy. They were just in the finals.
They built all this around Luca twice because their second
trip to the Western Conference Finals was this go round,
and obviously it landed them in the NBA Finals. They

(33:20):
drafted or they got Luca on Draft Day and were
able to do what people here hated about the Indianapolis
Colts for years, go for Peyton Manning to Andrew Luck,
what we all hated with the San Antonio Spurs for years,
going from David Robinson to Tim Duncan, and now the
Mavericks were doing the exact same thing and almost never
injured elite Dirk Noovitzky for almost two decades, immediately into

(33:43):
Luka Doncic, who while the narrative this week end for
two days was, Yeah, he's conditioning and he's a little chubby,
and okay, let me, are you trying to tell me
he was gonna score thirty five points a game. He
was gonna play defense if he was in shape. Maybe
maybe that's not when anybody was pointing out. They were
just saying, this guy's always heard that's not true. Guy

(34:04):
almost never hurt. He certainly doesn't miss any important time.
He's missed all of three playoffs but his career, and
he's twenty five, but sixty plus games or sixty five
plus games in all but one year, and this will
be year two. I'm not exactly gonna call that guy
injury prone while recognizing he's not a model of health.
But some good moneyball memes. Remember when Artio was standing

(34:26):
in the dugout or the hallway of his manager's office
in advance or just after his meeting with Brad pitt Bean,
and he's saying, well, you can't start paying tonight. It's
my lineup. I'm gonna start paying. He's out there today,
Well you can't start it. And why not, Well, that's
because he plays somewhere else now and in this case,
he can't start. Luca tonight Jay Kid. He plays for

(34:47):
the Lakers.

Speaker 2 (34:48):
Now the hostage video is still I can't get over
and I did.

Speaker 3 (34:52):
Really really like this from X. Now think about these
sports we're currently talking about the Tiger spent some money
this week, but not on Alex Bregman. We haven't even
gotten to that yet, So wow, Jack, How do NBA
gms think? And how to Major League Baseball gms think?
And Phil put it in perspective to wrap up best
of X. Here, nbagms might say this, please take our

(35:14):
twenty five year old superstar. We'd love to do a deal.
We just saw that this weekend, while a major league
general manager might say this, sorry, our twelfth rank prospect
in the organization that several years away is absolutely off limits.
It happens so often. I'm not trading this guy who
the guy we drafted a couple of years ago that

(35:35):
we know for a fact he's going to be so
awesome we can't possibly move him. While an NBAGM is
taking a five time first team All NBA guy who
just played in the finals on the best team in
the West and saying and making the call to offer
him to another team. It's just is unfathomable that this
all went down.

Speaker 2 (35:55):
And as you can imagine, and we'll get to this
a little bit later in the show, Rival or just
general executives around the NBA are pissed because of what
the Lakers just didn't give up.

Speaker 3 (36:09):
I know they gave up Anthony Davis.

Speaker 4 (36:11):
That's that is a big piece.

Speaker 2 (36:13):
But like, you don't think the MAVs could have gotten better?

Speaker 5 (36:17):
You're crazy?

Speaker 3 (36:18):
Yeah, the last you know how we have interviews with people.
I got one last question for you, and then they
answered and say, here's our second last question for you.
This is the real last item of Best of X.
As Matt puts this out there, Luca getting traded before
Zion due to conditioning is crazy.

Speaker 2 (36:32):
Dad is a very very good point, and I actually
had a conversation about that very thing.

Speaker 4 (36:38):
Then I might bring into this because of this conversation.

Speaker 2 (36:41):
All right, we will come back to wrap up the
two o'clock hour next. Chip Kelly was just not that
into the Houston Texans or anyone else, but he did
land somewhere and it was a little bit of a surprise.
And so how that relates to what the Texans actually
did do, Because in case you missed it they have
hired their offensive coordinator.

Speaker 4 (37:00):
Of that conversation coming up next.

Speaker 1 (37:03):
The eighteen on Sports Talk seven ninety back to Adam
Clinton had Adam Wexworth the eighteen on Sports Talk seven
ninety eight.

Speaker 2 (37:21):
Team rolling along here on Sports Talk seven ninety So, seriously,
what was your favorite non offensive coordinator moment so far
of Nick Hayley's career.

Speaker 4 (37:30):
I'm stealing a bit from Matt Thomas in a way.

Speaker 3 (37:33):
Well, I don't even know what to say why. I
don't understand the question. That's why.

Speaker 2 (37:41):
He's he's a first timer in that he's a first
time offensive coordinator, but he doesn't get this job unless
somebody's have some serious, you know, thought that he can
do the job better than Bobby Slowak, who they just discarded.
So I guess I don't know. I'm I'm fighting the

(38:02):
another first time coach thing. But yet I understand why
a lot of people are like good a fresh perspective
of fresh approach from one of the also rans, one
of the retreads, a Chip Kelly, if you will. And
I also think it's fascinating that we didn't hear a
squat from him talk about in the shadows and then

(38:23):
all of a sudden, Oh no, no, I am going
to go to the NFL, but I'm going to go
to the Raiders where they don't have a quarterback. There's
probably not a surefire one that we're gonna get our
hands on in this upcoming draft, and I'm in like
one of the toughest divisions to win in football. That's
a lot of factors going against you. If you're Chip Kelly, Yes,
for sure.

Speaker 3 (38:43):
Heid has it possible he's closer to becoming a head coach.

Speaker 2 (38:46):
There because Pete Carroll is ninety.

Speaker 3 (38:48):
Well, I mean, Pete Carroll's probably not going to win.
I'll start there. Nobody would though exactly, So he's got
a shorter term deal and he maybe he coaches the
three years and that's that. I mean, would you promote
from within though? If you didn't win when the coach
you yourself cut? Chip Kelly, are probably part of the reason,
or did you buy yourself a full clean year because

(39:10):
you didn't draft a quarterback this year? The twenty twenty
five season for the Raiders is no consequence to you,
because what do they expect? You didn't have a quarterback
and then the next year maybe you find one. I
mean you know, maybe I don't know the situation there,
but it has probably less to do. I mean, I'm
not gonna sit here and say, how could he possibly
choose the Raiders situation over the Texans situation, because there's
no way he did that. There's absolutely, positively no way

(39:32):
he did that unless it was strictly money, and then
there definitely is a way. He's being paid like unbelievable money,
arguably the highest paid OC in the league, unless Monken
got even more than him by re upping today after
guiding a team to an incredible offensive season in the
NFL last year, whereas chip Kelly was not in the NFL.
All he did was win a National Championship is OC

(39:54):
with Ohio State. But he got an unbelievable deal. I
don't think the Texans were interested in paying six million
dollars for anybody, let alone Chip Kelly. And there's no
way they're paying Nick Kyley six million dollars. And I
don't think anybody else they interviewed would command or had
the leverage I guess to ask for six million dollars,
So it certainly could be a money issue. So he
chose the Raiders' money maybe over the Texans whatever, and

(40:17):
he might not have even gotten that far down the road,
but we can all see the football side. I mean,
it makes no sense to say, rather than hitching my
wagon to a back to back playoff team with CJ.
Stroud and Demiko Ryans running things in a division where
the other three teams may or may not be competitive,
I'd rather go to the fourth best team in a
four team division where one of those teams is playing

(40:38):
in the Super Bowl, another one of those teams just
made the postseason, and another one of those teams just
made the postseason, and we don't have a quarterback. I
think we can all see the logic in there. There
isn't any so that clearly were other things that play,
and the most obvious one is the lack of interest
from the Texans. Most likely that's what it was. Almost assuredly,

(40:59):
They're just never a connection to where they wanted to
take this far down the road. Jerrad Johnson, Jeff Nixon,
Thad Lewis, Nick Kayley, Grant Yudinsky, Brian Johnson. Six of
the other candidates that were interviewed limited experience or none
as a play caller. Jeff Nixon among that group, the
most as a play caller this past year with Syracuse
and during brief times during his multiple stops in the NFL.

(41:22):
They all made sense. Other probably than thad Lewis, I
thought was a bit of a reach for his experience level.
But you know, it's an opportunity to get to know
a coach you might have interest in in later, especially
if you do actually like a chip Kelly type offense,
and that thad Lewis's post NFL playing careers, a lot
of that time has been spent learning from Chip Kelly,

(41:43):
whether it's in San Francisco or elsewhere. So there's any
one of these guys that they hired would have carried
a very very similar thought behind them. They're taking a chance.
But this is somebody who almost everybody else in the
NFL was interested in either this year or last year
or soon to be in the next year. Totally normal

(42:03):
group of candidates to interview. It's not bad, it's not good.
And then they just said, all right, today we're hiring
one of them.

Speaker 2 (42:09):
Yeah, I'm I mean, it's hard for me to feel
one way or the other just because we don't have
any You have a track record, but you don't I
guess that's always the most fascinating. And with coordinators it's
so much different because even though they're in his case,
he hasn't been an actual OC before. Even if you
have been in OC, it's just it's different personnel, and

(42:32):
there's so much to do for the Texans from a
personnel standpoint before he ever gets to the point where
he's actually calling plays that it's like, I can't I
can't get to one way or the other about something
like this.

Speaker 4 (42:45):
So we shall see, all right.

Speaker 2 (42:47):
The A Team continues here on Sports Talk seven ninety
three o'clock hour, and the simulcast coming up next.

Speaker 5 (42:54):
The aight on Sports Talk seven ninety.

Speaker 2 (42:59):
Where are you going to watch the big game this weekend?
Or you know, if you're not going somewhere, where are
you getting food from to watch the big game? H
I got the same place to take care of both
of those scenarios. It's Big City Wings, Houston's Wing Joint.
Wall to wall TV is to watch the games and
the menu you need for everybody you'll be watching the

(43:19):
game with, big or small. If there's a gathering at
your home or some other place, you want to get
it catered, they can do that. They cater for any
special occasion. They're Big City Wings.

Speaker 3 (43:28):
They are awesome. They've got everything you can need for
all these they're taking your Super Bowl pre orders right
now and they've been offering you ten percent off all
orders one hundred bucks plus one place before the seventh
of this month. As this weekend approaches, they've got game
day catering packs Street Pack, Big City Pack, Executive Pack
and check out all the details at Big Citywings dot com.
Thirteen very convenient locations. More on the way Benning. Where

(43:52):
you are, there's going to be a Big City Wings
near you and you can truly experience the Big City
Wing treatment. Big City Wings Houstons Wing Joint.

Speaker 1 (44:03):
Two lifelong Houston sports guys named Adam Talking Your Teams
series Adam Clinton and Adam Wexler are the A Team.

Speaker 2 (44:16):
A welcome into the simulcast portion of the program as
we will take you up almost the next three hours
here on Space City Home Network as well as Sports
Talk seven ninety. It is the A Team wex and
Ac and Yeah, we will step aside a little bit
early for Rockets basketball there in Madison Square Garden tonight

(44:37):
to take on the Knicks as the tour of New
York begins over the next forty eight hours. They'll be
taking on the Nets tomorrow night, team that had its
way with the Rockets back here in Houston on Saturday.
That was again, I cannot thank you enough that you
worked that game on my birthday so I didn't have
to witness that in person.

Speaker 4 (44:57):
That was carnage.

Speaker 3 (44:57):
Yeah, we're spand of just a couple of days, the
rock It's arguably played their two worst games of the season.
They definitely played their worst game of the season in
a win when they beat the Atlanta Hawks a couple
nights ago on that road trip, and what they put
on the court on Saturday night against the Nets from
pretty much the entire game. They played okay offensively in
the third quarter, as they didn't gain any ground on

(45:19):
the Nets because they played awful defensively. The Nets are
also broken down and bad. A fully healthy Nets Nets
team is not good. This wasn't even close to a
fully healthy Nets team, and the Rockets just couldn't do
anything to keep them from playing for them in front
and holding a comfortable lead almost the entire game. That's
why the comments you heard during the postgame show and
will here again today, were very blunt and honest. It

(45:42):
was bad basketball, and they had stayed away from those
games for so much of this season, and now through
forty eight games. It was really a big reason why
they weren't a forty four or forty five, forty six
win team last year. To be honest with you, they
just had too many of those games. A little bit
more understandable last year. But everybody that was there last
year's back here this year and they've done an awesome
job of not having those type of afternoons or evenings,

(46:05):
and hopefully they can sweep the season series with the Knicks.
They'll do that if they win tonight, even the season
series with the Nets if they get them tomorrow night.
And when they wrap up this road trip, interestingly enough,
they will be taking on the Dallas Mavericks, who will
be playing at home with their presumably their new look
team for the first time.

Speaker 2 (46:27):
I get the outrage. And by the way, at the
bottom of the hour, side a buddy of mine when
I was at sam Houston State that was in the
broadcasting school with me, and he is a lifelong Dallas
sports fan, not just MAVs so but he's rational Okay,
he is the exact type of guy you would want
to hear from in a situation like this, not the

(46:48):
people who were you know, for example, spraying graffiti outside
of the American Airline is the arenair of the Center.
There's one in Miami, and there's one here.

Speaker 3 (46:56):
There's the AAC huh that's their building, and the right
A which they don't call it, that did it in Miami.

Speaker 4 (47:03):
Because they changed sponsorships there.

Speaker 3 (47:06):
You remember, got some really crazy porn site that was yeah,
we didn't go that one.

Speaker 2 (47:11):
Okay, well that's great. I can't imagine that Adam Silver
would have liked that. Well, nix that deal.

Speaker 3 (47:16):
Imagine where that site or industry in general would be
without sponsorships. I mean, people to forget all about it.

Speaker 4 (47:22):
Yeah, I would never want to use that product.

Speaker 2 (47:26):
So anyways, I was fascinated by MAVs fans and I'm
gonna call it a pilgrimage. They made to the front
of the building where the Dirk statue is and all
that kind of stuff. It looked like someone had passed
from the organization. It kind of looked like Dirk had
passed because they're laying things at his statue or they're

(47:49):
spraying graffiti derogatory towards the GM of the Mavericks after
this deal is made, and I get it so but
the you know, John tam is his name, He is
not that guy. He'll give you a rational breakdown of
what it's like to be up there right now and
to be a Dallas area sports fan. By the way,

(48:10):
don't think it's lost on any of us that Jerry
Jones is probably cackling to himself since it's taken the
heat off of him for a while now.

Speaker 3 (48:17):
It's not lost on me. With what's going on in
the past maybe two years or so, you know, the
Cowboys were in the midst of another depending on what
timeline you're talking about, another twelve win regular season, another
division championship one of those three years and postseason and
a Hollymount and then here's where they are today. The
Rangers won the freaking World Series. And now even though

(48:40):
the Pakoda numbers have them winning the division next year,
which I cannot wait to get into. But now they're
just another team. Maybe they're good, maybe they're not. They
got Jack Peterson, It's okay, so are look where they
are now. They were just in the finals they were
the only western most recent Western conference team their Western conferences,

(49:00):
and they're laying jerseys and posters at the feet of
the long since departed from the court, Dirk Novitzky, because
they do feel like their hearts were ripped out, their
fandom was stomped on, not only because he's good, but
much more so because this is our guy. Yeah you

(49:22):
took they got a good player. They might be able
to win. And whether you're looking long term or short
term doesn't even come into the equation. They this is
our guy. This is he's never played anywhere else. We
got to where we are because of him. We tried
to build a team around him. We love going to
games because of him. He scored seventy three points in
a game last year. He's our only five players make

(49:44):
first team All NBA. He's done it five times. One
of the best so called five players in the league.
And he's on our team. And you said, ah, we
don't need him. He doesn't mean that much to us.

Speaker 2 (49:53):
Why did they say that, I know that there is
what they say that No, no, no, Why did the organization say, na,
we don't want you. As Brian Windhorse put it, they
want out of the Luka Doncic business.

Speaker 3 (50:06):
Yeah, clearly they do. Now the only question really is why,
because we're all trying to justify it, and I think
at the end of the day, we're never going to
get there because I just don't think there's any justification
for it, period. But that's why nobody else does it.
You know, there's lists of you know, no player in
NBA history that's made All NBA five times has ever
been traded before age thirty? Right, I mean, okay, well,

(50:29):
let's get with the program. We keep talking about, you know,
making changes all these sports and making this a forty
minute game. Things change, Maybe this will be the new thing.

Speaker 4 (50:36):
Don't want No, it's not, but I do want to know.

Speaker 2 (50:40):
I badly need a crystal ball for a number of reasons.

Speaker 3 (50:43):
Seriously walk yourself down the path to the answer. He
doesn't care about his conditioning. Okay, that's enough to get
rid of him, even though his awful no care attitude
about conditioning had you in the NBA finals.

Speaker 2 (50:55):
Well, there's a caveat to that though, and this is
this is the ugly side of this business, but it
is a business. By doing that, they they they eliminated
at least for the time being, his ability to sign
a super Max contract three hundred and forty five million
dollars or wherever it was.

Speaker 3 (51:14):
Yeah, five for three forty five, which is, you know,
he's now eligible to sign one for far more than
one hundred million, less and one fewer seasons. So you
could probably argue it cost him in the neighborhood of
fifty to sixty million over that's if you're trying to
match the time period.

Speaker 4 (51:30):
That's a big middle finger to him.

Speaker 2 (51:32):
If you're the Mavericks, why would they do that on
top like they know that because that's not of any
concern to them. They're not.

Speaker 3 (51:39):
They saved themselves hundreds of million. They don't care about
the money they cost him. I know it sounds good
to say it, and it's definitely true it did cost
him money, but that can't be You can't think of
they're not they send him to the Lakers. How much
of it They didn't screw him over.

Speaker 2 (51:54):
No, As a matter of fact, who they screwed over
was the rest of the NBA. And and this brings
me to the Rockets, because the Mavericks just traded their
franchise player at the age of twenty five like you said,
they traded him within the conference to the Lakers of
all teams because you know, they need another generational superstar

(52:17):
and they need to do basically zero other than like
you said, have their phone on to have it dropped
in their lap. I mean, this is why, honestly, I
get why casuals don't like the NBA sometimes when things
like this continue to happen.

Speaker 4 (52:30):
Over and over and over and over and over and
over and over again.

Speaker 2 (52:32):
Like we've been talking about the officials with Kansas City,
that's the closest the NFL has gotten even remotely to
the type of let's go into a season any given
year with predetermined mentality about how we don't like, how
things aren't fair in this league. The NBA has like
four or five of those things every single year, from
named officials to teams that have an unfair and competitive

(52:55):
advantage that you just don't ever usually hear about in
the NFL because of their market, even in today's you
know climate of social media and you know TV being
so convoluted, and then you have the Spurs getting better
by also, what did they give.

Speaker 4 (53:14):
Up nothing to get nothing?

Speaker 2 (53:17):
To have this guy who wanted to be drafted by
this organization. And then this other guy over here who
has Lebron James's agent say I would like to go
to this team over here, and gets it. He gets
his wish and now they're together. And so it's like
the other two teams in Texas are making these deals,
are making these and you have the Rockets over here,

(53:38):
and I saw this a lot.

Speaker 3 (53:39):
What are we doing? Why are we doing anything right now?
We've lost two games in a row and we're out
of the second seed.

Speaker 2 (53:45):
Like, you can't make a fomo trade right now if
you're the rock and they won't, by the way, like
rafel Stone's not sitting here like, oh look at that.

Speaker 3 (53:53):
I mean, I sure hope fomo is not a real
thing in an NBA general managers.

Speaker 2 (53:58):
Shouldn't be a real thing in most situations in life.
It certainly shouldn't be a real thing in rafel Stone.

Speaker 3 (54:03):
What you should do is think, is this a time
where other gms, not me, but other gms might actually
be something stupid might actually consider Okay? Is now actually
is this the right time to make this move? Because
we're not even getting into most of these other teams,
like Chicago Bulls, for instance, they absolutely botched the last
probably five to eight years of their franchise, how they

(54:24):
handled Jamar DeRozan and his exit, how they've now handled
Zach Levine and his exit. They essentially got absolutely nothing
for two elite level players because they didn't know when
to trade them. They operated and if it's just in
a very very bad way, they were like the Bengals
all those years in the NFL. They were then the
worst place. They weren't among the worst teams in the league,
but they certainly weren't among the best. They were stuck

(54:45):
in Noma's land with some talent, but they weren't going
to win anything, and they just never faced that. So
that's why they again getting themselves involved in this deal
allowed it to happen, and it doesn't really do anything
for them.

Speaker 2 (54:57):
They have if you actually look at the history, if
you look at the history of the Bulls, they've actually
been awful as an organization on either side of lucking
out and having Michael Jordan fall to them at number
three back in nineteen eighty four. That's it, and Crows
gets some credit for what he did to build those teams,
But since then, even with the Derek U with the
UH ah geez de with the Derek Rose era, and

(55:22):
then before that they were awful, awful, awful awful. Rod Thorne,
you know, gets the credit, but on either side of
that not very good. So what the uh what the
Rockets do in this situation or don't do is going
to be very very very interesting to keep an eye
on as we move forward here. Just a few days
before the trade deadline.

Speaker 5 (55:42):
The A t on Sports Talk seven.

Speaker 2 (55:44):
Ninety, what are you going to watch the Big Game
with this weekend? If it's anything less than twenty twenty
vision where you're not having to use glasses or contacts,
then it's just not the best scenario. Berkeley E Center
wants you to know that you can get that to
twenty vision with their Lasik procedure, just like I did
back in two thousand and eight, And they're letting you

(56:05):
know right now you've got zero percent financing until the
year twenty twenty seven, and on top of that, you're
saving well over twelve hundred dollars and you can use
that flex medical or health savings account to pay for it.
This is an absolutely fantastic deal and it's one you
want to take advantage of.

Speaker 4 (56:23):
Here as the year is just underway.

Speaker 2 (56:26):
All you got to do is get a free consultation
and call seven one three five two six eyes seven
one three five two six e Yes, it's a Lasic
budget You're going to love at Berkeley I Center. Seven
one three five two six eyes.

Speaker 1 (56:41):
Back to Adam Clinton at Adam Wexler the eighteen.

Speaker 5 (56:46):
On Sports Talk seven ninety eight.

Speaker 3 (56:51):
That it is only Monday afternoon, a full week ahead
of us, and so much that took place over the weekend.
And on top of that, in the opening moments of
the show today, the Texans hired reportedly their new OC
and in the most recent moments, the Texans have made
it official that Nick Cayley will be calling the shots
for the Houston Texans offense moving forward, making that official.

(57:12):
He comes most recently from the Rams organization. Nick Keyley
is the Texans new OC, the second OC to serve
time under Dumiko Rans as head coach here two years
of Bobby Sloweck who came in from San Francisco with
him as a first time play caller and now it
is a first time play caller. For year three, Kaylee

(57:34):
was the tight ends coach and passing game coordinator. The
past two seasons with Sean mcvay's Rams, so he was
obviously working with a pretty good offense Matt Stafford. If
you recall, I think it was this past off season,
the off season of CJ Strouds. Everywhere. CJ was talking
quite a bit interestingly and kind of out of the

(57:55):
blue about how much he loved Matt Stafford. Didn't necessarily
mean he loved him play with the Rams and Kayley,
but certainly would have been part of any conversation about
the career of Matt Stafford. Clearly has some work now
with the Texans DWOC I mentioned last hour if you
were not already aware, probably worse since he had been
interviewed over a week ago, and we have talked about

(58:16):
him for the last couple of years. When the Texans
were initially looking for their first OC under Dmico Ryans,
Nick Cayley's name came up. But prior to working with
the Rams, he spent six seasons working with the Patriots
on the offensive side of the ball as an offensive assistant.
Also coached the tight ends there, which means he's been
the coach at the tight end position for very good

(58:37):
John Newsmith, who is a part of the extremely entertaining
Pro Bowl games this past weekend, Hunter, Henry Tyler, Higbee,
and of course Rob Gronkowski. If that matters to you,
and it shouldn't, just a note of who was there
when he was there, and naturally his time in New
England of course crossed paths with Texans. Well, he does

(58:58):
everything on the football side now. The executive football operator
of this entire team, the VP and GM, that's Nick Caserio.
I also happen to go to the same college, not
at the same time, but yes, spent time together there.
It's got some college coaching experience for several years before
he became an NFL coach with the Patriots, and now
about ten years as an NFL head coach is what

(59:19):
has gotten into his first opportunity to call plays for
an NFL outfit. And he'll be doing that for what's
probably not a new look offense. He's gonna c J.
Stroud's gonna drop back and hand the ball off to
Joe Mixon. He's going to drop back and throw the
ball to Nico Collins. That's gonna be a big chunk
of your successful offense next year under this new OC.

(59:43):
He'll be protected by a pretty decent chunk of what
you saw this past year. Because overhauling this group in
one off season with how their money is tied up,
is going to be very, very difficult. They'll make some
inroads in that regard, and then it's the other pieces
that aren't necessarily in place. Little bit different looking tight
end group if Bredon Jordan is available, if Kate Stover

(01:00:04):
continues to advance, and you'll see what you have with
Dalton Schultz, who's contract is also a very interesting one.
He just off of signing a three year extension last year.
Techtel's injury situation is unfortunate but likely to keep him
out of the mix for much, if not all, of
next year. And Stefan Diggs, who his teammates talked very

(01:00:24):
positively about hoping for a return. But a player like that,
young or old, will be a part of Nick Keley's
first offense. I hope they're pretty confident.

Speaker 2 (01:00:33):
Well yeah, no, and like, but everything you just said
about the big chunks of the offense, who they'll be
going to and being involved with that, that was the
case with Bobby Slowick.

Speaker 4 (01:00:45):
So what makes.

Speaker 2 (01:00:46):
You different in doing so or being different with that
very same core group of offensive linemen, and again, a
new offensive line coat could improve things. I guess I'm
just until I start seeing the personnel moves in that

(01:01:06):
position group, I'm not gonna get excited one way or
the other about who's calling place.

Speaker 3 (01:01:10):
And even though the name Chip Kelly had some people excited,
there's no reason to get excited about the offensive coordinator
higher If you knew what was gonna be out this
is what's almost always out there. I mean one of
the there's thirteen teams with head coaching changes and offensive
coordinator firings that were gonna need a new OC this year.
I don't know how many people are wowed by those

(01:01:31):
that have been getting these jobs, the most vast majority
of them, like they always are, their first timers. You know,
Aaron Glenn's plucking an OC who for the first time,
but he worked with him in the Detroit offense that
he's familiar with that he wants to bring to the Jets.
They're excited because they saw what Detroit can do with
Jared Goff and Alma and Ross Saint Brown and Sam

(01:01:52):
Laporta and an elite offensive line and Jamira Gibbs and
David Montgomery. Last I checked. None of them play for
the Jets. They don't even a quarterback. He might be
a very very good offensive mind, but he's gonna have
a very very difficult time doing what he actually wants
to do because it doesn't have the personnel to do it.

Speaker 2 (01:02:10):
Now.

Speaker 3 (01:02:10):
I think that's one advantage that Texans have with their
new OC. A first time play caller, a first time
offensive coordinator, he's got something to work with. As much
as the offensive line is a problem, it's a benefit
to have what you have here in CJ and success.
This is why I still go back to our conversation

(01:02:30):
with Ross Tucker, like this is a good thing. Having
success is good. Joining a team that's successful should not
be a turnoff, should not be a well that's too stressful.
I'm gonna have to win immediately. I just I don't
get it. You're an NFL coach. That's what everybody's trying
to do. You might not have the circumstances to do
it with. But man going into a situation and saying

(01:02:51):
no to it, because I don't you say no to
situations that are bad, you don't say notice situations that
are good. This is a good situation. I'm still struggling
to find the negati of it, and I don't need
to anymore.

Speaker 2 (01:03:01):
They have a coach.

Speaker 3 (01:03:02):
I think getting excited about it comes when you see
what he does. I have one major concern about every
offensive coordinator, and it showed itself quite a bit in
two years. It actually showed itself too much in year two.
You can't put the team in a bad situation because
you're unsure of what to do. Can't be sending plays
in with ten seconds on the play clock, can't be
shuffling in players that will force the referees to hold

(01:03:23):
you up at the line, and thus you don't get
the playoff at all. The discipline of your offense as
a group, illegal formations, illegal shifts, total confusion, wasting timeouts
early in the second half because your offense doesn't know
what they're doing. Usually comes from communication. And I don't
think it was a huge problem, but you know what
happened this year, and now you've got someone who's got

(01:03:45):
to fight that because he's never done it before. How
quick is Nick Kley going to get these play calls
in out quick is he going to make his decision?
How in tune are they going to be? And that
they're all working together for the first time.

Speaker 2 (01:03:55):
Yeah, it's the first time head coach or the first
time offensive corner or the first time whatever in the NFL.
By the way, being such a tight ends guy, not
saying I'm pigeonholing him, it's just what he's done for
the most part when he's been at the coaching level.
I wonder what he thinks about the current position group
of the Texans there. I wonder if is Dalton Schultz.

(01:04:15):
I know, like, what's his contract situation.

Speaker 3 (01:04:17):
Well, you just signed that three year extension last year.
But the way contracts work and I can't even tell
you how they've put it together to where it seemed
like there were outs. When I had less tied looked
over it, but it didn't seem like it was much
of a savings. Instead of paying him the twelve to
fourteen or whatever number hits you next year, you'd pay less.
By cutting him, you'd pay less and there'd be a

(01:04:37):
minimal savings. But the amount of dead money you'd take
on from it, I just I don't know that it's
worth it because you're still taking it's the same reason
they signed him in the first place. If you didn't
sign Dalton Schultz. You were asking C. J. Strout to
throw a bunch of guys that maybe they're good, maybe
they're not. You could have gone cheaper and signed it
john Neus Smith who we just brought up, or some
other not nearly as familiar or maybe not even as

(01:04:59):
talented tied. There just wasn't a very good group of them.
So they chose rather than taking a chance and guessing
this guy can play in our system and be good,
they said, well, we know Dalton Schultz, we know what
he can do, and we know how well he fit
in the year once, so we'll just bring him back
at a extremely high rate. I would imagine he's probably
a fan. You know, Parkinson spent a lot of time
on the field this year because of Higbee's injury with

(01:05:19):
the Rams. Those are their top two tight ends. As
if they would have moved forward there staying there, I
think they can if they're running that offense, which is
obviously a hybrid of McVeigh and Shanahan and now Kayley.
It's a little bit different, a little bit different than
what the Texans do, and they got away from using
the full back quite a bit last year, which was
usually oftentimes part of those offenses if you saw late

(01:05:42):
in the year's I've mentioned it before, but it's worth
of mentioning again when the Texans were adding Andrew Beck
to the roster and playing him in games, even though
it was maybe the seven to fifteen plays a game,
it did matter. It was one of the reasons they
ran a more effective offense the final couple weeks of
the season and on into both of their postseason games.

(01:06:04):
So that could be something you see a little bit
more of, although I think the Rams did it very
very infrequently in front of.

Speaker 2 (01:06:10):
Kiren Williams Brevin Jordan and what he does moving forward
or is it you know, I know he was injured
and has to come back from that, and you know,
Dalton Schultz to me has always been like kind of
a like a band aid between getting out of the
doldrums that was pre cj. Stroud and getting somebody who's

(01:06:32):
you know, bonafide, not if not elite, and very very
solid at that position.

Speaker 4 (01:06:37):
I don't know if Brevin Jordan's gonna end up being
that guy.

Speaker 2 (01:06:40):
He showed like flashes when he was healthy, but it's
just it feels to me like it's a position that
ever since Owen Daniel's departed has been kind of not
forgotten but just and not even necessarily neglected, but certainly
not embraced the way it used to be.

Speaker 3 (01:06:56):
Putting effort into your tight end position with money assets,
draft pick is you better find something special because otherwise
they're just guys and you can't be paying just guys.
Dalton Schulten that that's what he was last year. He's
just a run of the miller. And I don't mean
to flippantly, no, I agree like that, but you can't
be paying that kind of money for that kind of production,
especially when he's an extremely subpar as a blocker. And

(01:07:17):
it definitely hurt the team that they would put a
tight end out there and ask him to block, and
it was something they should have been asking you to
do because he couldn't do it.

Speaker 2 (01:07:23):
All Right, you want a unique perspective on the pain
that is Dallas sports fan, I know you do, Houston
sports fans. That's that's what we thrive on, right, You're
going to get that when we come back next here
on the A Team Sports Talk seven ninety.

Speaker 5 (01:07:37):
The eighteen on Sports Talk seven.

Speaker 2 (01:07:39):
Ninety nice stream Davis right talking about Frog baseball Strike one.
Hey you dummies. Listen to Astros baseball and Rockets basketball
games on any device with the free iHeart radio apps.

(01:08:01):
It is the A Team Sports Talk seven ninety Space
City Home Network Monday edition of the program WEX and
AC coming off a weekend where the shock waves felt
around the National Basketball Association off of not one but
two blockbuster trades. But let's face it, I mean, even
though the Spurs might have pulled over one on the
Sacramento Kings, I guess they got Zach Levine. All anybody's

(01:08:24):
talking about is Luka Doncic deal when it comes to
NBA conversation. So I felt like I would bring in
someone who would absolutely reflect the absolute and utter pain
of Dallas sports fan. My good buddy John Terran. I
went to school with him at Sam Houston State. I
believe he grew up in Fort Worth, as I recall,
but he's a Dallas area sports fan, and John, like,

(01:08:47):
you're a reasonable guy. You've also seen me at my
utter worst as a sports fan, because well, I'm me
as you got the news of this. First of all,
where were you and how did that go down? And
then is this like do you feel like your soul
has like kind of left your body a little bit.

Speaker 7 (01:09:06):
Add what did the Spurs get in their trade? Did
they get more than one first round pick in like
twenty thirty or something like that. It's so yeah, Adam,
I think the main consensus from the DFW area is
just the puzzlement of not only trading Luca, but but
their return and just just the why is there something

(01:09:27):
going on behind closed doors we don't know about? But
to answer your question, you know, nothing like a Saturday
at eleven PM news dump to put on people on
this following that the Jerry Jones Schottenheimer game plan, which
I think Brian Schottenheimer is the only relief person in DFW,
I think, yeah, I think they said him an assortment

(01:09:48):
of crumble cookies over to over to Nico today. But no,
I was. I was asleep and I woke up on
Sunday morning and had like ten text messages. So I
rolled a over and just looked at my phone and
just got just today, Oh my god, which of course
that alerts my wife because usually when you get a
saying like that looking at a phone at five in

(01:10:09):
the morning, it's you know, somebody probably died or in
an accident or something, and she was like, what's going on?
Said the MAVs traded Luca And she was like, oh, okay,
went back over and went to sleep. But but yeah,
and it's just Adam, I can't make sense of this
whole deal. So just just complete shock, and I would say,
just confusion. We don't know what's going on.

Speaker 3 (01:10:31):
Well, the Mas went and played a basketball game yesterday,
which had people doing a lot of things regarding.

Speaker 7 (01:10:37):
I was going, I don't know that they that they played.
They had a game appearing, Yeah.

Speaker 3 (01:10:41):
That was on the schedule, and the other team was
out there, and I honestly, I'm actually shocked at what
came from the MAVs social media department. We'll get to
that later. Uh that's what I wanted to get to though,
Like the day, the day, it's now the day after,
and you know, we got a second wave of fans.
You were in this second wave. Some people found out
about it Saturday night, some people woke up to it
Sunday morning, and then the day happened, and it felt

(01:11:02):
like the whole day, maybe the whole city and the
whole fandom, all the MAVs fans for life were just
in the days. Is that accurate?

Speaker 7 (01:11:11):
Yeah, it's accurate, And I think it's important for you
to understand and all your listeners to understand kind of
the the the journey as a Dallas Maverick fan. So
I'm I'm forty two, so I grew up. You know
when when the Rockets were winning championships, the Dallas Mavericks
rolled out a starting lineup on NBA JAM of Mike
Islama and man Derek Harper.

Speaker 3 (01:11:33):
Don't do Mike as Alina like that. He was on
NBA JAM.

Speaker 7 (01:11:37):
He was, Yeah, is Alena Butchard the name there, but
he was an NBA JAM hero. But I mean we
were the first team you played in NBA a jam
just to get that easy win before you played the
timber Wolves. I mean I got made fun of for
wearing a Dallas Maverick starter jacket to school. It was
that bad. And then the then we're sold on the
j team Jamal Jackson, Jimmy Jackson, Jamal Mashburn and Jason Kidd,

(01:12:00):
and well that blew up when they traded Jason Kidd
when he was like twenty three to Phoenix. And then
you get the Dirk years. And this is important to
go back to the Dirk spent over two decades with
the Mavericks and I'm speaking for my health here, but
I feel a lot of DFW would feel the same
on that twenty eleven run. Yes, we were a static

(01:12:21):
the MAVs won a championship, but we were excited for Dirk.
We were excited that it was Dark that led us there.
If Mark Cuban at the trade deadline and that twenty
eleven season would have traded Dirk away and another player
came in and won that title, yeah we would have
been excited, but we wouldn't have been the same. And

(01:12:42):
as great as Dirk was a stand up guy, phenomenal player,
top twenty NBA talent, he didn't have the sizzle that
Luca has. I don't know what brand of shoe Dark
Novitzky wore, but my kid, my eleven year old son,
he wanted Lucas for Christmas.

Speaker 8 (01:13:00):
Us.

Speaker 7 (01:13:01):
The young fan base here is what is what is
who I feel sorry for they they grew up with
with Luca, my son's eleven dollan from the time he
could understand basketball. I mean it was Luca watching him
go off during the the COVID Tournament and that stuff.
And I mean he's you know, I'm not putting him
in the same breath, don't get me wrong here as Jordan,

(01:13:22):
but he's the first basketball player in the DFW area
that we had that relationship with. Like goodness, we got
a global icon on our hands.

Speaker 2 (01:13:31):
That's That's what's crazy is that as many accolades as
Dirk had there and he won the championship and all
that kind of stuff, but.

Speaker 7 (01:13:37):
Like it was Tim Duncan.

Speaker 2 (01:13:39):
Okay, so so you that's what you mean when you
say sizzle like so oh sure.

Speaker 7 (01:13:44):
I mean Dirk was great, but I mean, come on,
if you're not a MAVs fan, He's a seven footer
who you know, got up and down the floor very
slowly and and hit hit turnaround jumpers. And I love Dirk,
but he he wasn't. I mean, you go around the
neighborhoods and go to like games in the DFW area
just watching kids. They're all wearing number seventy seven, right,

(01:14:05):
They're all wearing Luca's shoes. We all love dirt, but
he didn't have that kind of effect on a younger generation.
So then you add in social media to all this.
I mean, Luca was a complete different animal.

Speaker 2 (01:14:16):
Right. So Okay, now the GM is trying to sell
the to the fan base that they're in a better
position to win now with Anthony Davis then and it
teams just coming off a finals.

Speaker 7 (01:14:27):
Run, right, And that goes back to my point. That's
where I was going with this, with what he's selling
the Metroplex onals, this gives us a better chance to win.
Don't get me wrong. If Anthony Davis and we need
to get to that, I feel bad for this guy.
He's by all means a great player, and I think
he might get booed his first game.

Speaker 2 (01:14:44):
Oh my gosh, could you imagine?

Speaker 7 (01:14:46):
I mean, I wouldn't. There's a chance, especially when the
Lakers come here, when Luca puts up seventy against us,
that's gonna that's that's gonna be a whole different animal.
But I think even if they do come in here
and win, I think there's going to be some yeah,
we're excited. It won't be like the Dirk run. It'll
be like, yeah, that's great. But we don't have an
attachment to these guys.

Speaker 2 (01:15:08):
So you know, quick, we got like thirty seconds. Do
you feel like do you feel like the Lakers are
gonna get like the best version of Luca in some
sort of like revenge type thing.

Speaker 7 (01:15:21):
I think when Luca plays the Mavericks, he is going
to he is going to destroy us, you know. But
you know, as if I'm being completely honest, I think
Maverick fans, we didn't like the complaining to the refs.
We didn't like some of the other theatrics. But when
Luca's motivated, ask the Timberwolves how that works out. You know,
he can go score shirts on you pretty quick.

Speaker 3 (01:15:41):
All right, John, We appreciate the time.

Speaker 2 (01:15:43):
I just had to get a little flavor from a
Dallas sports fan. We didn't even get into the Cowboys
and all that mess. Right now, you guys are you're
going through the.

Speaker 7 (01:15:51):
Go Stars, go Rady.

Speaker 2 (01:15:53):
All right, Man, Good talking to you, buddy, and we'll
catch up again soon.

Speaker 7 (01:15:57):
Hey Clanton, anytime, Buddy, appreciate.

Speaker 2 (01:15:59):
It, all right, John tam up in the Metroplex. He's
going through it as our most Dallas fans. Like I said,
the Dirk Noovitsky statue having like signs, and I mean
it wasn't Flowers, but it just felt like somebody had
passed the way that the fan base was like making
a pilgrimage up there this weekend, and it's just fascinating
to see how this unfolds. And I still I don't

(01:16:22):
know if it's true, but I gotta think there's something
that may either we find out about later or whatever
to make this even a reasonable deal for the Mavericks
to say, yeah, we are getting out of the Luka
Doncic business.

Speaker 5 (01:16:36):
The ad on Sports Talk seven ninety, Well.

Speaker 2 (01:16:40):
If you are depressed for another reason, because you're in
a lot of debt right now, maybe you should go
on over to my good friends over at Primeway Federal
Credit Union and start getting out of that debt, because
maybe when your franchise player gets traded away, at least
you'll have that going for you. PRIMEWAYFCU dot com is
the website to go to. They're all about giving you
solutions to your financial problems. If you are in debt

(01:17:02):
for whatever reason, don't let those high interest rates keep
you from drowning in even more debt. You want to
consolidate your debt into one low monthly payment, you can
do so at Primeway, and with those low introductory rates,
you'll be able to see a future where your debt
free and get rid of the stress that inevitably comes
with debt. Those payments will be manageable, and you'll be
out of that debt before you know it. Start on

(01:17:23):
your journey to financial freedom today by visiting the website
PRIMEWAYFCU dot com. That's primeway FCU dot com.

Speaker 1 (01:17:33):
Back to Adam Clinton at Adam Wexler.

Speaker 8 (01:17:35):
Two A's height on Fox Talk seven ninety You're a
home for your home teams and these two apps.

Speaker 2 (01:17:53):
John was putting on a brave face. Sky's falling in
the Metroplex right now.

Speaker 3 (01:17:57):
Well, I want to make one point clear about everything
we've brought up. The MAVs had a game, an afternoon
game yesterday against the Calves, and you kept bringing up
all the items jerseys, posters, other things left at the
Dirk Novitzky statue yesterday. The game was in Cleveland. This
wasn't some sort of showing for everybody going to the game, right,

(01:18:18):
there was no game. They were there on the road.
They're going to be on the road, like I said,
until they play Houston. Like have you seen that for
their first home games since this deal was made?

Speaker 4 (01:18:26):
Have you seen that ever?

Speaker 2 (01:18:28):
When it wasn't a death like I don't want to
be morbid, but we just passed the anniversary of Kobe passing.
It was something Lakers fans. It was the easiest thing
to do when that happened. Go to Staples Center at
the time and lay something down at the statue of him.
I think Shaq's statue was there too. I can't remember
the timeline of when they were erected there.

Speaker 3 (01:18:48):
Shack's got a statue in LA I think he does,
doesn't he nice? Does he have one in Cleveland? What
about Phoenix, Miami, Boston, Orlando? Definitely not in Orlando. He's
done his best work on set on TV. Well, he
got some hardware in the association. I forget what happened
with his career after his finals appearance against the Rockets.

Speaker 2 (01:19:10):
I'm sure he was pretty good. That was my favorite
finals he was featured in. But I like I think
the I think it's gonna be okay. That's in Dallas.

Speaker 3 (01:19:22):
You keep saying it, so I hope people realize this
isn't we traded our best player. We traded a good player,
we traded somebody we liked. It's way beyond that. And
what our caller was talking about is what all of
my buddies in Dallas have been saying, especially well the
text thread like it's it's awesome, It's the best thing ever.
I posted that yesterday. I said that this is when

(01:19:42):
I've I've never been more thankful that I've had this,
you know, thirty year friendship with these guys for the
however many years we've had a group text because I
couldn't recall the date of texting beginning. But my phone's
never blown up more that night, all through yesterday. It's
still blowing up again today here during the show. You know,
I need this. I need to go for a walk.
I need to get this away, the reality of do

(01:20:04):
I want to go anymore? Are the Lakers one of
my new favorite teams because I'm a Luca fan Luca
and I don't want it. I'm so mad at them.
This is your initial react. I'm so mad at what
they've done. But what our friend was just saying is
what's obviously true. I think pretty much when you have
the MAVs come here to Toyota Center and jerseys are there,

(01:20:27):
the majority of them are definitely Lucas. There are a
lot of nostalgias wearing the Dirks, but the majority of
them in our city that go to MAVs games for
whatever reason, they are MAVs and that's what they're wearing.
And I'm sure we've all seen it. I haven't been
to a MAVs game that I can recall when Luca
was on the team, but it's just covered. Seventy seven

(01:20:48):
is the biggest deal ever. I'm a little bit disappointed
to continue to report as I did yesterday, still no
discounts at the MAVs shop on the Doncics jerseys, still
full price. It will cost the same to get Lucas
seventy seven as it does to get Kyrie. Shocked by that.

Speaker 2 (01:21:04):
But I think seventy seven is available from the Lakers,
by the way. I know they've got a lot of
retire jerseys, but I'm pretty sure that one's available.

Speaker 3 (01:21:10):
It will be available, and it will be something we'll
get to the basketball again. We've got time before these
guys hit the court and how it impacts Houston. Houston
still has games remaining with both teams, clearly, the one
with the MAVs coming up now in less than a week,
and I'll see the Lakers a little later this month,
close to the end of the season they are. Lakers
and Mavericks also have a game a piece against each

(01:21:31):
other in each location, one here in February and one
at the end of the month in April, end of
the season in April, and those should be fun and
charged and things will be different then, because I mean,
if I sat here today and said when they play
later in the season, it's gonna be well, it's the
eightieth game for both teams. When they play on April ninth,

(01:21:52):
it's in Dallas. Lakers Mavericks. Are they battling for? I
don't want to play in the playing tournament. They're battling
for the sixth seed. I don't want to play as
the ninth seed. I'm not sure what they're going to
be battling for. I don't anticipate either of these situations.
With how little season is left regarding they're both hurt.
I don't believe either of those teams can play their

(01:22:14):
way into a top four seed. And Denver's the only
team that's even remotely close to them. The Rockets and
Nuggets have a pretty a nice cushion, let's say, and
clearly they're not catching Oklahoma City. So I think that
at the end of the year. That's something that probably
will be on the line, and in addition to the obvious,
what it means to everybody out there. And again, I
wouldn't say the Rockets need to make a move because

(01:22:36):
they're afraid of these teams catching them, or afraid of
meeting these teams in the postseason from a matchup standpoint
and not being able to beat them. I think they
would have had a difficult time against either one of
them for different reasons. I think they were clearly more
talented than the Lakers. And I think even though the
Lakers were a good defensive team because of good defensive
team at the rim, because of Anthony Davis, which they

(01:22:58):
will not be now today before they make their next acquisition,
the Lakers aren't going to the playoffs without a center.
They're going to have one. They're going to trade for one,
They're going to find a way to get one. And
so that's the team you'll be trying to match up with.
And the Mavericks may be doing something else on the
other side, something in the back court, because they're absolutely
loaded in the front court. Their only concerns might be

(01:23:19):
how do we actually deploy these players defensively? I mean,
Daniel Gafford's a really good defensive player and rim protector
because he's a five. And Anthony Davis, I think, kind
of quietly but constantly, has been crying about not wanting
to be a five. As he's posted all these incredible numbers,
as he's been a dominant defensive player, as he's been

(01:23:40):
all NBA, he still doesn't want to play the five
for some reason. And now he's probably going to be
granted that opportunity. Gaffard at five, Davis at four.

Speaker 4 (01:23:48):
Well, PJ.

Speaker 3 (01:23:49):
Washington now almost exclusively at the three, which could be
a little bit more difficult for him on the perimeter.
But they could be really, really good defensively, and they
have one of the league's elite closers. But they had
two of the league's elite closers. That's what was different
about the MAVs. The Celtics could probably argue that they

(01:24:10):
have too, if you believe both Tatum and Jalen Brown
are that, and I think that's fair. The Calves this
year might be getting close to saying both of their
backcourt players and Garland and Mitchell are that. And there
really aren't any other teams. I don't think that could
say they have two elite closers. The MAVs did, and
both the teams I just mentioned are in the East.

(01:24:32):
That was an advantage they had over every team in
a series in the postseason, a huge reason why the
Rockets have always had trouble with them, because one of
the two of them was always going off in the
beginning of the game, and one of the two of
them was always going off at the end of the game.
You know, Luca. I think one of the last times
they played them, Luca did next to nothing. I guess

(01:24:53):
the game maybe was an overtime game, if I'm remembering correctly,
and Kyrie just kept scoring and scoring and scoring, and
Luca kept doing nothing, thing and nothing. And that's how
good they are. Luca could be completely utterly shut down offensively,
which means he's useless because he doesn't play any defense.
And the Rockets, very good team had a hard time
putting them away because they couldn't stop Kyrie. And that's

(01:25:15):
what I think the MAVs basketball got rid of that
they're going to miss the most they it's just you
only got five guys out there, and you have the
two best closers in almost every game, not just one
of them, you have two of them.

Speaker 2 (01:25:28):
The most fascinating thing about this to me, because you've
mentioned social media earlier today, is that they were able
to keep this under wraps, but they had to for
three report. But they had to, according to this report
because because of what you were just talking about, the deals,
the deal that was that was basically put down, put

(01:25:49):
to bed when they tried to trade for Chris Paul
and then the ones in the past for Anthony Davis,
and there was the one about bron being possibly traded
to the Warriors. Like all these outside forces start influencing it,
fan backlash, agents that are involved, all that kind of
stuff comes into play, and it was like all parties.

(01:26:12):
Danny Ainge didn't even know until like thirty minutes before
the deal that oh, these are the two players that
are going to be swapped between Dallas and la He
was just putting in filler for it to happen.

Speaker 3 (01:26:22):
So it's crazy to see how it unfolded.

Speaker 2 (01:26:24):
Crazier to see that it was kept under wraps in
the age of social media, and crazier that we're all
talking about the way we are here on a Monday after.

Speaker 5 (01:26:33):
The eighteen on Sports Talk seven.

Speaker 1 (01:26:35):
Ninety two lifelong Houston sports guys named Adham talking your teams.
Adam Clinton and Adam Wexler are the a team a.

Speaker 3 (01:26:54):
Four o'clock hour here on a Monday, Welcome back from
the weekend edition and welcome two Super Bowl week. Oh yeah,
that they're in football land and to that end, the
teams arrived there and are fully engrossed in their preparations
for this little old football game that matches up two
teams who actually know each other fairly well, despite being

(01:27:16):
obviously in other conferences. And we're gonna talk a little
bit about the game. Thought we might have a different
topic to discuss with our guests from NBC Sports Philadelphia.
In a familiar name to Houstonians, Dave Zengero has been
covering the Eagles since he was once covering the Texans
here in Houston, just a couple of years back. Always
great to catch up with you, especially since so many

(01:27:37):
of us that worked here together then are out there
doing all this great work, whether it's on the NFL
side or elsewhere. But you're back covering the Eagles in
the Super Bowl. They had a remarkably good season. Did
you ever even doubt that they would get at least
to the NFC Championship game once it was finalized in

(01:27:58):
the offseason, that hey, Barkley's coming aboard.

Speaker 9 (01:28:03):
Yeah, I mean they were just going to talk to
you guys, by the way. But yeah, there were some
moments earlier this year where things were not going well.
They were two and two after the first four games.
We had a really early week five by yeah, and
at that point, I mean, things weren't great because they
went through the offseason with head coach Nick Sirianni and
they kind of let him wait out there for nine
days whether or not they were going to bring him back.

(01:28:24):
After the collapse of twenty twenty three, they'd bring him back.
And then things weren't great early on. They were two
and two. They just lost to the Tampa Bay Bucks,
the team that knocked him out of the playoffs going
into the bye week. So yeah, there were some sketchy
moments early on in the season. But then after the
bye week they rattle off ten straight wins. They only
lost one game since then, and it was a game
where Jalen Hurts left early with the concussion. So they

(01:28:47):
really turned things around on both sides of the football.
But yeah, I don't think it was like a guaranteed
thing that they'd be this far.

Speaker 3 (01:28:54):
Yeah, it's interesting that one game you mentioned that they
lost also required the Commanders basically go off in the
fourth order and score twenty two points three touchdowns just
to hand them the only loss they've suffered since then.
A lot of get to with Philadelphia, but I indicated
we would have had another question for you about the
OC from that twenty three collapse season in Philadelphia, with

(01:29:16):
Brian Johnson being among the eight candidates interviewed here in
Houston for the then vacant offensive coordinator job when I
spoke with you earlier, but now no longer vacant OC job,
and that Nick Kayley has been named the Texans new OC.
The Eagles played the Rams each of the last two
seasons while Kaylee was tight ends coach and this year
he was also their past game coordinator. And obviously you're

(01:29:38):
familiar with a lot of the tenants of a McVeigh offense.
Does anything stand out to you as the really really
good Eagles defense the past two seasons, especially this year,
faced what the Rams like to do. What you'd take
out of that to maybe share with Texans fans looking
forward to what Knicks bringing to the table.

Speaker 9 (01:29:56):
Sure, And it was funny because Nick Kelly was actually
a name that was on my rad are because the
Eagles are probably going to have to find a new
offensive coordinator at some point this offseason if Kellen Moore
gets the same job, which it kind of looks like
that's the way things are going. So yeah, I think
Kayley's one of those guys who he was going to
get an offensive coordinator job at some point here soon,
and he was a name that was like firmly on

(01:30:17):
my radar. Yeah, I mean I think we all kind
of know the tenants of that offense.

Speaker 2 (01:30:21):
Now.

Speaker 9 (01:30:21):
The Eagles in this season have Vic Fangio, and Fangio
has kind of been the one guy that really slow
down that offensive system, whether it's McVeigh or Lafleur, like
he's been kind of the stopper of that offense. But yeah,
it's a fun, innovative offense that puts a lot of
stress on defense. I think, you know, the preestat motion
is what gets all the acclaim, but you have to

(01:30:44):
be really good with your communication when you face an
offense like that. It puts so much stress on a
defense to make sure that your eyes are disciplined and
you're not getting lost in the sauce, so to speak.
With all the stuff that they do, that that eye
candy that they like to throw out there, it's a lot,
and there's a reason so many of those guys have
gone on to have success, and there's a reason that

(01:31:06):
so many offenses around the league are trying to mimic
that it works. And it's worked for a lot of
different teams. So I think it's a pretty good hire
for the Texas. I think it's a different way to
go about this. I'm interested to see how it works.

Speaker 4 (01:31:19):
Dave, I'm going to cut to the chase.

Speaker 2 (01:31:21):
What does it feel like knowing that most of America
is rooting for the team that you cover. Given the
chiefs dominance and what's happened recently with it, may have
been a factor, may not be so much a factor
with the officials, but it's definitely being talked about.

Speaker 9 (01:31:35):
Yeah, you know, it's interesting. I don't even know if
I really have that perspective. I'm so insulated in my
own little world that, yeah, I understand why that would
be the case. You have a team that's really dominant.
I think there are some people rooting for the dominant
team and they want to see history with the three
P but you're probably right that more people are rooting
against that history being made. And honestly, I do think

(01:31:58):
the Eagles, maybe aside from their head coach who kind
of rubs people the wrong way, I think they are
a very likable team. I think they have likable players
and kind of a lot of amazing storylines with this team,
whether Saquon Barkley finally getting a chance to be on
a really good team and rushing for two thousand yards,
or you know, Zach Bond middle linebacker comes out of
nowhere now playing in the city that drafted him as

(01:32:22):
an All Pro player Defensive Player of the Year finalists, like,
there are a lot of individual stories that make the
Eagles kind of fun to root for, So I think
it only makes sense that a lot of folks from
around the country are kind of getting on board and
hoping to see them win.

Speaker 2 (01:32:37):
You mentioned a lot of those players, and it does
it takes the guys maybe having insane years individually anytime
a team gets to the Super Bowl. But I know
Wex and I have talked about this a lot. Have
you ever thought about, you know, whether or not your
team or the Eagles would be there where they are
at right now had Saquon Barkley come down to Houston

(01:32:58):
where a lot of people thought he had a better
than average chance of signing. I mean, is he Is
he really the thing that put them over the top
in your opinion?

Speaker 9 (01:33:07):
Yeah, I mean absolutely, And look, I don't know if
he would have had the success like to this level
anywhere else, just because the Eagles offensive line is so good.
It's a dominant offensive line, and it's he has Jalen
Hurts the quarterback with that plus one in the run game,
So it's kind of like a perfect storm for Saquon
to have this two thousand yard season. But yeah, it's

(01:33:29):
you know, it's hard to imagine where this team would
be the Eagles without him this year, because not only
has he been great, but he's changed the complexion of
their offense. Early in the year, this is a past
first team. Jalen Hurts averaged thirty three pass attempts in
the first four games of the season. He hasn't thrown
that many passes in a game since. Like this has
become just a purely run the football team, and on

(01:33:51):
occasion they'll let him air it out. But this is
a run first team with the best running back in football,
the best offensive line in football, and I think I
think it's also become kind of their calling card as
a team. They're a tough, physical team. They're going to
bully you, and it starts with that offensive line in Barkley. Yeah,
I don't think that they're here without him for sure.

Speaker 3 (01:34:12):
Curious on that same storyline at AC initially brought up
to you as clearly being a storyline here. We know
for a fact the Texans talked about it. We talked
to them and they gave us these answers. They were concerned, aware,
wary of the fact that they knew Kansas City was
going to get called. Sean McDermott has said the same
thing as they went into their game with the Chiefs.

(01:34:34):
This was discussed by the teams before they played them
and clearly was on their minds. Do you believe Sirianni
will avoid it do the same thing, maybe not acknowledge it.
How do they attack this game? And I guess not
bring this topic up.

Speaker 9 (01:34:51):
I think they'll acknowledge it to the level they acknowledge
any game and referees and go through what has been
called to get their team ready. I don't think it's
going to be them harping on man. The refs really
have helped the Chiefs out and this and that. Like,
I don't think that's really in their makeup to go
overboard with it. I think there will be you know,

(01:35:11):
on tape like hey, this particular call gets called with
this team, be aware of it, try not to do it.
But I really think they're going to hesitate to go
overboard with it. And that's kind of been their mo
for a long time here. You like, even think back
to the last Super Bowl between these two teams and
there was a really questionable holding call on James Bradberry
that kind of led to the to the final result,

(01:35:34):
and the Eagles never made excuses for it. It was
technically a hold and they called it and that was it.
I think that they try to avoid those types of things.
They don't want to even make it look like they're
making excuses preemptively, and they I think they're very cognitant
of that. But yeah, they'll prepare similar to other games,
where you know, if this is a call that that

(01:35:56):
team tends to get a lot. They'll be aware of
it and try to limit them.

Speaker 3 (01:36:00):
You brought up the game that I think is inevitable
to be a storyline. And not only did they play
in the Super Bowl, it was just two years ago.
So the particulars, a lot of them, well, they were
out there in the middle of all this stuff. You know,
the leading you know, past catchers for Jalen Hurts were
all there, with Smith, Goddard and aj Brown. He's obviously back,
a very significant change behind him. And you could even

(01:36:21):
say similarly with Pacheco and Kelsey and Smith, Schuster and Mahomes.
And this was a great Super Bowl and one that
ended essentially on the final play with a field goal attempt.
I actually expected to be very similar.

Speaker 2 (01:36:36):
I don't I don't know.

Speaker 3 (01:36:37):
Is revenge on the minds.

Speaker 2 (01:36:39):
Of the Eagles.

Speaker 9 (01:36:41):
No one's gonna admit that. But I think there are
certainly people in that locker room who were there for
the last game that were happy that this is the
matchup in this one. I think that they felt like
that game was there for them to win.

Speaker 2 (01:36:54):
Two years ago.

Speaker 9 (01:36:55):
They were up ten at halftime when Patrick Mahomes went
off the field, and I feel a lot of people
thought that were going to win that Super Bowl and
then there was this you know, it didn't work for
them in the second half. So I think there are
certainly players in that locker room who were excited to
draw the Chiefs in this one. I think both defenses
are better now than they were two years ago, so
it might not be as high scoring as that game was,

(01:37:17):
but you never know. You get to this game and
a lot of times everything you thought is going to
happen just doesn't work out that way ultimately. Like, look
at the talent level, I think the Eagles are a
more talented team than they were in twenty two, and
I honestly don't think the Chiefs are as talented as
they were two years ago. I think the Eagles are
a more talented team in this game, but that doesn't

(01:37:38):
necessarily mean they're going to win it, right, Like if
it's a close game in the fourth quarter and fifteen
has the ball, you know, I think that we all
kind of know what happens in those situations. And that's
to me what makes this game so fascinating is that
the more talented team might not win it.

Speaker 3 (01:37:55):
It's a very interesting way to put it, especially the
people here in Houston who watched their playoff game against
the Chiefs. We really appreciate the time as always the
big easy enjoy it.

Speaker 4 (01:38:04):
Go Birds, guys, take care.

Speaker 3 (01:38:07):
Davis A. Garrow, NBC Sports Philadelphia a little insight on
the Super Bowl.

Speaker 1 (01:38:13):
The A Team on Sports Talk seven ninety. Back to
Adam Clinton and Adam Wexler, the A team on Sports
Talk seven ninety.

Speaker 2 (01:38:32):
I was talking to wex about, you know, the Texans offense.
Is it as simple as just fixing the line and
then anybody who is in the position of offensive coordinator,
you know, offensive line coach, that's going to help the
cause and it will. But one thing you mentioned about

(01:38:53):
specifically Nick Kyley, and I bring this up also because
during the break, you know, mutual friend of ours was
texting and asking whether or not it was a good hire,
and I was actually telling him what you and I
were talking about in real time, which is something that
Nick Kyley and a lot of other coaches like him
will do, but that the Texans and a ton of

(01:39:15):
other teams don't do as much as, for example, what
wex would prefer, like I've been screaming and do it
pre snap motion. It sounds like the most simple thing ever,
but it really can't help. And you were talking about
some statistics that back up that very thing during the break.

Speaker 3 (01:39:32):
If you guys were listening closely to our interview with
Dave s Andngaro just a minute ago, it was nice
that they had played the Rams twice, so his insight there,
I thought was great, But he was on the very
same wavelength with obviously it never being brought up. That's
one of the main things he talked about with why
what the Rams do is difficult to combat and he's

(01:39:53):
saying all that knowing that the DC he covers, Vic Fangio,
former Texans DC, does a really really good job against it.
Both of those games were win Both of those games
were wins. Both of those games, the Rams offense was,
for the most part held in check. I would have
brought it up myself in a longer non interview conversation
because I had seen some numbers. Texans Cap Troy, who

(01:40:14):
I'm I'm sure most of you follow on the X
platform earlier today, had put out numbers with regards to
what the Texans offense did in this past season and
what the Rams offense did this past season, what personnel
groupings they used, whether it's eleven personnel or otherwise, whether
they're in the shotgun or under center. And I just
went immediately to the third grouping of stats, which was motion.

(01:40:38):
The motion for the Texans they did it about seventy
percent of the time, The Rams did it eighty two
percent of the time. Motion at the snap. The Texans
did it an incredibly low thirty four percent of the time,
and the Rams did it more than twice as often
seventy one percent of their snaps. On offense, you had
motion at the snap. If you like what the Rams

(01:41:00):
are doing on offense, you probably think that might be
a reason why it might be something you want to do.
And you're running a different offense, so it's not you're
not really truly comparing apples to apples, and I do
think it leads to different plays. You're probably you know,
their personnel also is exceptionally well suited for certain things.
And heck, like the MAVs with Luca and Kyrie, something

(01:41:24):
I was pointing out as super unique. And I know
it didn't happen every game this year for the Rams
because of injuries. There's not another team in the NFL
that has a Puka Nakua and a Cooper Cup together
on the field.

Speaker 4 (01:41:35):
They're really duplicates of one another.

Speaker 3 (01:41:38):
I think Nikoua is a little bit bigger and more
of a threat down the field, but that's just how
they use them. Both of them can do that. No
other team has two players like that, so it lent
itself to certain things that Lafleur and they're head coach
McVeigh and obviously Nick could work on that. They're not
going to have the ability to do that here. They
have different personnel, and then they're going to continue to

(01:41:58):
have different personnel here. But I would be shocked if
they didn't have a player that played football a lot
like one of those two here in Houston moving forward,
because it allows you to do so many things. I
would have thought with those numbers I gave you, and
knowing Matt Stafford, that he actually would have had an
exceptionally high completion percentage last year. He actually didn't. His
completion percentage was just middle of the pack. He was

(01:42:20):
eighteenth in the league. CJ, by the way, was another
four spots back at twenty two, which kind of goes
into what they were not doing very well. Last year,
because it really was a kind of a different story
with their offense in general. His completion percentage wasn't dramatically
different one year to the next, but their effectiveness year.

Speaker 2 (01:42:38):
Was so yeah, And I just I'm thinking about how
they can because I agree with you. I don't think
they're going to be able to fix the line in
one offseason.

Speaker 4 (01:42:50):
And even if they, well, there's two.

Speaker 3 (01:42:52):
Ways to say it, and I don't mean to cut
you off as often as I have through the first
six segments today.

Speaker 5 (01:42:57):
But.

Speaker 3 (01:42:58):
Fixing it and changing the people on it are two
different things to me. And they may not beat everybody else.
I think we're going to find out very quickly that
the offensive line coaching they had last year wasn't good enough,
and it wasn't good period. It may scare some people
that there's a really good chance that their assistant offensive
line coach will be elevated a permanent offensive line coach.

Speaker 4 (01:43:20):
Is that a more important higher than the OC itself.

Speaker 3 (01:43:22):
I think it's extremely important, and I do think they
just whatever, for whatever reason, someone who'd coached offensive line
in the NFL plenty and very well respected it just
wasn't working. Whatever he was trying to do or whatever
he wasn't seeing or wasn't getting conveyed to the players
was a big part of it. In addition to some
of the physical limitations. They played two guards that weren't good.
That's the biggest problem, no matter what else anybody says,

(01:43:44):
at least my opinion, they played two bad guards for
most of the year and it really torpedoed the offense.
Their communication was bad, their strength was poor, their footwork
was poor, and their effectiveness was poor. And you can't
have an offensive line where everybody on it because they
were your two guards. Everybody on it had somebody next
to them that was concerning. The left tackle, the right tackle,

(01:44:05):
and the center all had something else to deal with
while they were dealing with their own problems, and their
communication as all wasn't very good. So Kole Popovich is
the assistant offensive line coach who also worked in New
England with both Kaylee and while Nick Seria was there.
Although his name is not Nick c it's Cole Pe,
so he is different than the two of them. But yeah,

(01:44:26):
there's a pretty good chance he will stay on and
he will be elevated as an assistant to the worst
position group on the team last year to now the
person in charge the group last year. These guys are
all it's going to work well. But I can understand
how that's scary.

Speaker 2 (01:44:41):
These guys are all in on the draft this year,
like I know they would be anyways, but it's just
this is like.

Speaker 3 (01:44:48):
There will be a collective groan at whatever draft gathering
you're at. If you hear from whomever is announcing the picks,
whether it's NFL personnel or a Texans legend, when they
say the Houston Texans select and the next two words
you hear aren't offensive line or wide receiver, you'll probably
hear some groaning. Doesn't mean it's wrong. No, it doesn't

(01:45:10):
mean it's not the right player. But I think that's
what the fans want to hear.

Speaker 2 (01:45:15):
That's the other thing what happens with Stefan Diggs. It's
getting pushed to the back burner, but it's kind of
a huge deal because A he's been injured and isn't
under contract, and B tank Dell's leg is currently mangled,

(01:45:35):
so you.

Speaker 3 (01:45:36):
Have sad surgery. It's fine, it's not fine. Well I'm mangled,
is like, come on now, he's just not ready to play. Football,
and that's gonna last for another time.

Speaker 2 (01:45:46):
Keep track of the three initials that got torn on
that one play. Like, I don't expect anything for this
is like Luis Garcia, Lance mccullors, Javier It's all rolled
into one. I'm not expecting anything from him this year.
That way, that's OK.

Speaker 4 (01:46:02):
I don't get disappointed.

Speaker 2 (01:46:04):
But that doesn't do anything for you because now you're
back to where you were in the playoffs.

Speaker 3 (01:46:07):
Hey, Nico Collins and some guys that's not gonna win. Yeah. Well,
that's why I think, and investing in the future is
also part of it, whether or not that players drafted
so highly he can immediately step on the field like
so many wide receivers do and help this team next year.
But if you take a player, I think any pretty
much anywhere. If you look at the draft class in
twenty twenty four, there were receivers all over the draft

(01:46:28):
board and in almost every round that did turn out
to be super productive. This year, somewhere in the NFL
and free agency, you're probably going to the back tier.
I don't think you're spending t Higgins money, and I'm
not sure that there's really much else out there. I
mean if you consider, I would assume like Brandon Cooks,
DeAndre Hopkins, Deontay Johnson. These are some of the better names.

Speaker 4 (01:46:53):
I don't think Deontay is out there.

Speaker 3 (01:46:54):
I mean, Keenan Allen's time in Chicago probably doesn't come
to an end, but contractually it started. Could you know
Amari Cooper getting traded to Buffalo and what his future holds.
But then you go further down the list and you're
you're just gonna be taking a bigger chance. This player's
ready for a bigger role, that player's ready. Young guys, well,
guys that just haven't.

Speaker 4 (01:47:13):
Really just haven't blossomed.

Speaker 3 (01:47:14):
Yeah, I haven't really had much of an opportunity with
where they have been. But finding your next wide receiver
or even twenty twenty five wide receiver to pair with
Nico in free agency, it would be hard to come by.
Like Darius Slayton, there's just not many kJ Osborne. These
players are okay, and they might thrive in your system.

Speaker 4 (01:47:34):
Don't you feel just get one?

Speaker 2 (01:47:35):
Yeah, but don't you think everything we just got done
saying makes a reunion.

Speaker 4 (01:47:42):
More possible?

Speaker 3 (01:47:43):
Yes, But I didn't mention his name specifically because I
also have cost in mind, what is it that it's
going to cost to bring him back because he can't.

Speaker 2 (01:47:52):
Ask for that in light of his injury? Can he He.

Speaker 3 (01:47:55):
Can ask for it, especially when he knows somebody else
will give it to him.

Speaker 2 (01:47:59):
But that's why i'may saying how many teams are lining
up to give him that kind of money given these
coming off not just that injury, but it's it's not
it wasn't late like like it was with with a Tank,
but it was more than half the season was gone
when this happened.

Speaker 3 (01:48:12):
Roughly at that point. I don't know that it's a
huge impact for who he is now personally from this
injury and what players can do after it. Normally the
second year is the year you're kind of at your
your return to form, but you can play that first.

Speaker 2 (01:48:26):
Especially when you're on the wrong side of thirty.

Speaker 3 (01:48:29):
I would be super concerned, but I also would not
want to, you know, spend a ton of money in
that direction. If he if it makes sense, then yeah,
I could see it. Team will want him, But now
we're talking about well, CJ you want him, yeah, Nico
you want him, Yeah, Tank you want him?

Speaker 2 (01:48:43):
Yeah?

Speaker 3 (01:48:43):
What about our new OC? Does he want him?

Speaker 4 (01:48:48):
That's what I'm saying.

Speaker 2 (01:48:49):
He's gonna be right there in the think of things,
decision making, draft, free agency, all of that. It has
to be You've hired this guy to do the job.
As a first time er doing it, he he's not
going to want to not be set up for success
every single way possible. So yeah, his influence on a
decision like that will be interesting as well. We will
continue here on a Monday edition of the show with

(01:49:11):
our signature segment next.

Speaker 5 (01:49:15):
The eighteen on Sports Talk seven ninety.

Speaker 10 (01:49:19):
No need for a roadmap when all roads lead to
that sweet iHeart Radio app, Astros and Rockets games plus
legendary Houston Sports Talk seven ninety on any device with
the free iHeartRadio app. Now that's the art of living now,

(01:49:40):
the good good, the.

Speaker 1 (01:49:42):
Bad that's not good, and the ugly that's getting real ugly.

Speaker 5 (01:49:48):
With the eighteen, well.

Speaker 3 (01:49:51):
Much like we did earlier on our first standard, we
do it every day portion of our day two thirties,
wee with best of X four to thirty hit our
signature segment and on Mondays that's good, bad and the
ugly and a mirror one another in that it is
the very same topic it's not often, in fact never,
we're in two players on the All NBA team get

(01:50:12):
traded for one another the following season. That's what happened
with Luca going from Dallas to LA and Anthony Davis
going from LA to Dallas. So yeah, there's some good, bad,
and ugly fallout from all of it, all in the
form of audio from very different places, but all related
to the same item. Hey, on a particular trade, I

(01:50:34):
have to interrupt, please do Dan. He's being modest. He
just casually mentioned during the break, he goes, Hey, did
you happen to see the post I made on the
Doncicch trade on Instagram? I compared the art of the
deal between the Mavericks and the Lakers to a deal
made in the very, very very early days of Stratton Oakmont.

(01:50:55):
Is this when he was doing Penny Stock still now,
this is when he had opened up it. Stratton Oakmont
had just so you still teach showing these guys the
other nice because these guys were in sales.

Speaker 4 (01:51:04):
Yes, but mainly and drug dealing.

Speaker 3 (01:51:07):
They were just selling that. So Jordan Belfert was trying
to show them one hundred and sixty six thousand likes
wex two point three million.

Speaker 2 (01:51:15):
Best post ever was probably an Astros World series.

Speaker 3 (01:51:18):
It might have gotten like over five k. That is,
it's an all time reforming. It's Instagram over eighty two
thousand times. Now again, you only got like four hundred
and twelve comments. You could probably up your game there.
That is art right there. I appreciate that. So if
you're not following, that's the kind of stuff you're missing
out on. Over it to Adam J. Wexler on the

(01:51:38):
social media all three platforms Instagram.

Speaker 4 (01:51:41):
Yeah, must be nice.

Speaker 2 (01:51:42):
I'd have to hear the same name for all three
platforms and not have to change it up with a
stupid underscore for Instagram, like me, go ahead, I'm.

Speaker 3 (01:51:49):
Sorry, Adam Underscore Clinton, I.

Speaker 2 (01:51:52):
Hate Adam at. Adam Clanton on Instagram can absolutely go daf.

Speaker 3 (01:51:58):
I mean I could sidetrack us with a total different good, bad,
and ugly. I would myself and my constant social media names.
That would be good. It's all the same.

Speaker 4 (01:52:07):
You have your Instagram accounts, by the way, nobody.

Speaker 3 (01:52:10):
One of them is pretty useless, So I hope people
aren't following yours would be I guess bad because the
only changes you've added an underscore to one and then
Dan's would be ugly because he's actually had the name
is actually changed from Dan Matthews twenty seven is what
we find on Instagram. Yes, and yelling at you all caps,
Dan Matthews, h o U.

Speaker 4 (01:52:32):
Yell at us on Twitter.

Speaker 3 (01:52:33):
On Twitter, you should have yelled at more of us
and more of our listeners throughout the week last week,
and we should have done the same as you were
out yesterday at a big, huge gumbo festival and I
know that was a good time had by all.

Speaker 2 (01:52:47):
I love gumbo.

Speaker 5 (01:52:48):
It was.

Speaker 3 (01:52:48):
It was tremendous. And shout out to Reulicious Foods for
taking home the belt Way to go peeps.

Speaker 4 (01:52:53):
Nice.

Speaker 3 (01:52:54):
It's a great and nice little weekend weather for once.
But back to the good beat, so all in forms
of audio. I thought what the Phoenix Suns went through
regarding this trade that obviously didn't have anything to do
with them, but it went down during their game, so
we were able to catch up with some of them.
The media was after the game. Kevin Durant, these were

(01:53:16):
some of his initial comments. So what do you think
about the deal which the media knew he knew about
because they were looking at their securities phone on the
bench during the late stages of the game. Durant on
the Luca ad dealin.

Speaker 2 (01:53:30):
It was crazy, crazy.

Speaker 6 (01:53:32):
Dan would have never thought Luca John just get traded
this age mid season.

Speaker 3 (01:53:37):
It's NBA will.

Speaker 2 (01:53:39):
Health plates man, and.

Speaker 6 (01:53:42):
He can get traded in anybody's up you know, for grabs,
you know, so yes, so the fans, you know, somebody spectator.

Speaker 2 (01:53:48):
It's pretty fun.

Speaker 6 (01:53:49):
I know it was kind of nerve breaking, no part
for Luca and everybody in Dallas, LA A D so
everybody involved.

Speaker 2 (01:53:55):
I'm sure the head is spinning right now.

Speaker 6 (01:53:58):
It's pretty uh, pretty wild times man, and especially around
trade deadline. I know everybody's gonna be watching a phone
in the next week. Next week, we got five days,
I know, everybody following the.

Speaker 3 (01:54:10):
Updates, So yeah, crazy.

Speaker 4 (01:54:13):
Did you see McCollums tweet.

Speaker 3 (01:54:16):
Well, yeah, that's see. I thought this post would be
much more traction worthy. I grabbed a pick of the
two players, put them together, and then slapped on top
of it. Comments being made around the athletes world ce
J McCollum talking about I better get my bags packed.

Speaker 2 (01:54:30):
You never know.

Speaker 3 (01:54:30):
In the NBA you had Josh Hart and Tyrese Maxy
going what or huh? You had Micah Parsons chiming in,
you had Dirk throwing emoji's up. There are a lot
of people all sports worlds noticing this clearly, and Durant,
I think quite clearly said if anybody in this locker room,
by the way, that was the visitors locker room at

(01:54:51):
Motor Center, and his locker must have been pretty close
to the bathroom. They're all on alert because if this
can happen, well, well all bets are off for anybody
else out there. And Phoenix has long been thought of
as a team who might be very active. So that'll
give us the good. Now again we'll slide over to
the bad. They did have a lot of very important

(01:55:15):
musicians and popular musicians gathered together last night in Los
Angeles the Grammy Awards, hosted by Trevor Noa until Jim
Gaffigan Dad joked himself on the mic, I don't.

Speaker 11 (01:55:29):
Know how to say this.

Speaker 1 (01:55:30):
Trevor no was traded to the Dallas Mavericks, so I
know this is a shot, but I am now your host.

Speaker 3 (01:55:40):
They had time to work in a Mavericks laker's joke
midst handing out awards in real time, in real time.
Very good stuff. And again if you you know the
Super Bowl performer, halftime performer, had quite the night. Very
good night for Kendrick Lamar. Do you feel out of hardware?

Speaker 2 (01:55:59):
Yeah? Do you feel like some of these artists that
are like racking up the Grammys.

Speaker 4 (01:56:04):
It's a little. It's a little there's like a.

Speaker 2 (01:56:08):
Technicality involved because there's more categories now than there were
when like legendary bands that have a fraction of the
hardware that they do.

Speaker 3 (01:56:17):
Honestly, for the three plus hours it was on, it
was more of a concert than an award show, and
that's how it should be. I mean, I thought the
performances were pretty good. A bunch of artists that extremely
as the award suggests popular. One other item from the
bad much more in tune with the basketball side of it.
When our good friend and former Maverick mentioned what he

(01:56:38):
thought was going on behind the scenes, a little sadder
in nature with Luka Dancic on Chandler's Combo podcast that
he does every single day.

Speaker 1 (01:56:47):
This dude just bought it fifteen million dollar house, just
closed it last week in Dallas.

Speaker 3 (01:56:51):
Apparently he cried like when he found out.

Speaker 2 (01:56:53):
And this is your everything.

Speaker 4 (01:56:54):
Who took you to the conference final.

Speaker 3 (01:56:55):
Last year's talking about Luca Chandler. It also indicated he'd
reached out to Mark Cuban, the no longer shot.

Speaker 4 (01:57:03):
Caller in Dallas.

Speaker 3 (01:57:05):
Well, he said, you know, I can't believe this happened,
and he's like, that makes two of us. I believe
it was a paraphrase because he bought a house, he
was saying. His reaction to I don't know that. That's
the reason. He cried, I mean reasoned all of them
together might be there. And to the ugly uh, their
general manager. You you have a bad enough time when

(01:57:26):
you make a deal like this, and I think Nico
Harrison was having a bad time of things. And then
he made some statements to some members of the media
following the deal, and then even worse, he was part
of the pregame press conference. Like we said a couple
of times, the Mavericks had a game yesterday. Well, it's
normal for j Kidd to meet with the media. It's

(01:57:47):
not necessarily as normal for the GM to also meet.
But when you make a deal, it's a nice clean
way to go ahead and meet with the media. He
was telling jokes, commenting on is it all are? There
are always as many people here. We'll give you the
ugly of what he actually said when we come back
on the other side.

Speaker 5 (01:58:04):
The age on Sports Talk seven.

Speaker 1 (01:58:06):
Ninety Adam Clinton and Adam Wexler.

Speaker 5 (01:58:12):
The A team now continues.

Speaker 3 (01:58:20):
The good, bad and the ugly, with the ugly being
the press availability for Mavericks GM Nico Harrison. A lot
of people not super familiar with him as the weekend began,
although he had been the architect of the moves that
the Mavericks made last year in and around the trade
deadline that I applauded and obviously worked. They put a
different group of players around Kyrie and Luca and took

(01:58:40):
them all the way to the NBA Finals. That seems
pretty good. But over the last twenty four to forty
eight to seventy two hours, I think more people are
in tune with his inexperienced as a GM. Really was
not in basketball, NBA wise or transactionally prior to twenty
twenty one when the Mavericks brought him in. He was
a Nike employed before that, a long time, well respected

(01:59:02):
and very well known Nike employee. But now most people
know that he was involved in the pitch to retain
Steph Curry in the Nike portfolio, but it did not
go well and he got out of there. He said, Ah,
I'm out of this. Let me go ahead and under
armour and get my own signature shoe and was basically
blamed or a likely reason, with him apparently admitting he

(01:59:26):
called him Seth at one point during the meeting, and
the meeting was prepared for Kevin Durant but then given
to Steph Curry. But nonetheless, it probably has very little
to do with the fact that they pulled off this
deal yesterday. I set the scene for you already. This
is a normal pregame availability for the head coach, but
much more well attended in that they had just pulled
off this deal and Nico Harrison was there for at

(01:59:47):
least the first couple minutes of it. And a very
important question was asked from the MAVs side regarding their
more recent new owners. You know, Mark Cuban's not running
the team anymore. He's involved with the team, but he
doesn't call the shots and he certainly doesn't own them anymore.
So a question about how this was kind of brought
up to the owner and how he reacted to it

(02:00:08):
was asked of the GM, So question is there and
answer horrific as it is, is also there?

Speaker 7 (02:00:15):
Nico, What was the conversation like with Patrick Umont when
he introduced this idea.

Speaker 11 (02:00:18):
To him the first time? He left Abbie? No, I
mean Patrick, he's he's the owner. Obviously he's the ultimate
decision maker. But he entrusted in j Kid and I
the lead this team, and he's putting the trust into us.
And then obviously you got to get judged on the
performance that you've done as a as a leader, and

(02:00:39):
at some point, if it doesn't work out, then I'll
be judged for that.

Speaker 3 (02:00:42):
In case you missed it, which is coming up officially
probably Wednesday, when we have time for it since we're
off early today. In case you missed, his initial answer
to how did the owner respond when you first brought
this idea of trading Luca away from his basketball team?
How did that go? Did he respond? This was his answer,
The first time, laughed at me, your own laughed.

Speaker 4 (02:01:07):
At you, hurt you, and you laugh about that.

Speaker 3 (02:01:09):
And then you did it. Then you talked him into it, well,
talked him into it.

Speaker 2 (02:01:14):
But you're still the owner at the end of the day, Like,
if this guy's trying to do this and you are
laughing at him upon the initial presentation of said idea.

Speaker 3 (02:01:26):
I'm just flowing it out there. Let's say how he reacts.
When do you think about recently buying this team and
watching them go to the finals and I'm gonna tell
you we're gonna do something to get even better? What
do you think about trading there?

Speaker 2 (02:01:36):
This is why, like, there has to be there has
to be something else at play here.

Speaker 3 (02:01:42):
Right and early in the show, I said, okay, well
we'll walk you down that path, and we didn't get
very far because I think every path you could take,
there's no way it's been so unbelievably unreported because the
extent to which you would reach this point where you're saying,
my twenty five year old, five time first team All
NBA guys to making the franchise to the finals, I
don't want him here anymore. He can be the most

(02:02:04):
unconditioned athlete. Zion Williamson could laugh at him for a
conditioning great he could have it. You know, we know
the video of the stupid video that was brought up
so many times this weekend of MAVs management and former
player Michael Finley taking the beer away from Luca during
their postgame celebration after they won in the postseason this year.

Speaker 2 (02:02:25):
By the way, Luca just trails Michael Finley that all
the time.

Speaker 3 (02:02:29):
But just the idea that okay, so all right, I'll
take that and say the MAVs kept it under wraps
all these years. One of the reasons he's in such
bad conditioning is because he can't stop drinking drinks after games.
He drinks when they're on the road. He's come to
practice drunk. I mean, if you're just tuning in, I'm
throwing out totally ridiculous hypotheticals here. This is not reported
and I'm not saying it happen, but I'm trying to

(02:02:52):
get to a point where you're inside the organization and
these are the things that are compelling you to say
no to the future with Luca because it isn't injuries.
This is the first time he's had an extended injury
in season. He's had some issues. Obviously, doesn't play eighty
games in a season. But if my Superstar first team
all NBA guys out there for sixty five plus games,
if he's had the team in the playoffs for fifty

(02:03:13):
three games, and he's missed only three of them in
a series, all in one series which you won early
in the playoffs. And he's the second all time leading
scorer in the postseason to Michael Jordan. I don't think
it's too big of a problem his conditioning when he's
playing almost forty minutes a night in the postseason on
top of all this, So each of these strikes against

(02:03:34):
him and the well, this hasn't been reported until now
stories we are definitely gonna hear. How bad could they be?
He's late to meetings, he Jimmy Butler's flights. I mean,
what could possibly.

Speaker 4 (02:03:48):
None of that this far? Now?

Speaker 3 (02:03:50):
The player wanting out and not getting along with them
and doing these things like Harden did, like Butler's, that's
the other side of it, that's different.

Speaker 4 (02:03:58):
He never asked for a trade, right.

Speaker 2 (02:04:00):
Well, because you wouldn't you know why? Because even if
he hates life in Dallas and nobody knows about it,
which isn't crazy to say under the circumstance.

Speaker 3 (02:04:08):
Handler Parsons report right correct that he just bought a
fifty million dollar house.

Speaker 2 (02:04:13):
But that why would you Why wouldn't you if you're
about to sign an extension for three hundred and forty
five Supermax dollars.

Speaker 3 (02:04:21):
And that's the other part of the story that is
pretty much from management side, the only thing that you
could say as a reason if you didn't want to
offer it. And we're trying to tell you all the
reasons why we still can't believe that's possible. But Harrison
did promote that as the one of the reasons try
to avoid chaos in the off season, a tumultuous off season.
And this isn't even the year where he could leave,

(02:04:42):
but it's the year you would kind of put it
all under wraps and lock him up long term. Like
they're having reservations. That's a that's a basketball team problem.
That's an organization problem. If you're having reservations about this player.
I'm having a hard time putting it all together to
why you should? Why should you?

Speaker 2 (02:04:57):
You know, it's funny, So you're talking about out a
situation where maybe the only tangible thing that we can
actually see with our eyes is his weight.

Speaker 3 (02:05:05):
Right, So if you think that it's out of.

Speaker 2 (02:05:09):
Control, or even if you think it's going to get
out of control, I E. Zion, You know, because even
if he is able to put up big numbers, which
Zion has been able to do as well, not as
consistently obviously, and you can't stay on the floor as much.
But you're you're saying that maybe there's a medical reason
or otherwise that down the line, and we'll hear about

(02:05:29):
this all the time. Players like Yao couldn't the weight
that they're carrying wasn't good for their joints and so
they start to break down. Okay, well, if that's the case,
then wouldn't that at least show up on some sort
of medical.

Speaker 3 (02:05:42):
Yeah, physical can follow along with us. We're just flat
out making stuff up, totally speculating. It's totally ridiculous stuff.
We pretty much know it's just not the case. And
are you saying as an organization, it's because he comes
to camp out of shape, It's because he doesn't get
in shape over the course of the season. It's holding
us back at it as a team? Definitely, the answer

(02:06:04):
could be yes, Shack did the same thing in LA
every year. Yeah, and what did it hold him back
from a fifth title? Is sixth title? That's holding Luca back.
Like if Luca was in the most ideal shape of
his life last season. What difference would it? Would it
have really made it different? Could they have won another
game in the finals, Could they won two more games?
Could they have a shorter postseason because they won more games? Again,
I don't like I don't like that Luca got hand

(02:06:26):
delivered to La. But I do think that both teams
got weaker as constructed right now than they were prior
to this deal. And that's good for teams like the
Rockets who were in the Western Conference with them. Yeah,
that's an element of this discussion that we've only teased
for the first twelve segments today and having really attacked. Sure,
we'll get to it in Football at five Football at
five next. As the Super Bowl Week approaches, the always

(02:06:49):
important and not nearly as exciting media night is tonight
for the first night, and then teams will get to
their practices over the course of the remainder of the week.
One of the teams, the Chiefs, or anybody but the Chiefs,
the Eagles will be Super Bowl champs.

Speaker 1 (02:07:05):
The a team. On Sports Talk seven ninety two lifelong
Houston sports guys named Adam Talking Your Teams series Adam
Clinton and Adam Wexler are the A team A.

Speaker 3 (02:07:33):
Football at five and a shortened five o'clock hour from
a truly eighteen perspective, We'll dive into Rockets basketball for
the hour that precedes tip off tonight from Brooklyn Side,
New York, New York. Tonight Brooklyn tomorrow, same tip time
of six thirty, their second go round with the Knicks.
I'll have the launch bat for you at five thirty. A.

(02:07:56):
C and MT have the ballgame tonight from Madison Square
Garden in The Rockets would like to avoid a three
game losing streak. They've done a really good job of
doing that all season. But more on that coming up
as we get through the hour. This is football at five,
So yet another Bregman is signing? Where free zone here
this segment, But there were some details on that I

(02:08:19):
think from this past weekend. Texans have an offensive coordinator.
If you did not hear earlier this afternoon, they made
it official. Nick Cayley is the Texans offensive coordinator. Forty
two years old, most recently with the La Rams. He
was their past game coordinator and tight ends coach. Was
elevated to pass game coordinator this past year. Their tight
ends coach for the last couple of years cut his

(02:08:41):
teeth as an NFL coach with the New England Patriots
after about ten years as a college coach at Akron, Auburn, Iowa,
State of Eastern Illinois, Arkansas, and Florida Atlantic. He spent
the better part of his first decade as an NFL
coach with the Patriots, all on the offensive side of
the football, majority of the time working with tight ends,

(02:09:01):
which he's obviously continued on his path to being an
offensive coordinator. Multiple other teams had requested and then interviewed
him to be their next offensive coordinator. Some thought the
Jets were a very likely landing spot, and that was
only after he wasn't the choice for Mike Rabel back
in New England. They were both there together for a

(02:09:22):
period of time too, but neither of those spots were
for him. We talked with Daves and Garo, who is
in New Orleans covering the Eagles. Knowing that the Eagles
are likely to need another offensive coordinator yet again, Nick
Siriani both the good and bad of it. He's been
to the Super Bowl twice in his four seasons as
head coach of the Eagles. Shane Steiken, OC, Brian Johnson OC,

(02:09:48):
Kellen Moore, OHC. And when Kellen Moore officially gets hired
by the New Orleans Saints, which just about everybody thinks
that he will as soon as he can be as
in Monday after the Super Bowl, he'll go to his
fourth offensive coordinator. And Nick Keyley was a name that
a lot of people in Philadelphia thought would be a
nice addition to a very good offense and somebody they

(02:10:08):
certainly should be interested in, but they can't be anymore
because of the eight that the Texans interviewed, it's Kaylee
that lands the job. Obviously, some discussions will have to
be made about what do they do with two of
the interview candidates that are Texans Gerad Johnson, the quarterbacks
coach for the last two years and senior offensive assistant

(02:10:29):
Bill Laser for both of the past two years. He's
got offensive coordinator experience and obviously he has been to
the building, but both of them interviewed for a job
that Texans said no, you can't have it too. So
it's always an interesting dynamic about what their future holds,
how the fit might be, and what a new OC
would want When two of the people are holdovers doesn't

(02:10:49):
mean they weren't good, doesn't mean they are good, but
it definitely creates an interesting scenario for an incoming and
first time play caller, first time.

Speaker 4 (02:10:57):
OC, so what's the okay he gets in?

Speaker 2 (02:11:00):
First item of business is offensive line coach unless they
are promoting from within to.

Speaker 3 (02:11:06):
Me first, here's first. It's the same thing every coach does,
and we I think learned most about this when Bill
O'Brien took over and he basically wiped everybody out. You
meet with the coaches that the team has kept or
maybe still under contract most of the time that the
option is theirs, but you'll want to come in and
if you don't know them already, and I think he
knows Ben McDaniels from both previous stops and the fact

(02:11:31):
that they both are from Canton, Ohio, not necessarily known
for football coaches. I think there's all of fame there,
but that is where they are from. And also McDaniels, see,
I still think there's a when you say Patriots and
Texans coaches, Well, I don't think people say that say
that anymore after the people that have been here for
a while, but their ties don't go away after they

(02:11:54):
become Texans coaches, and after Nick becomes Texans GM, well,
he happens to people and these are you know. I
do think the idea, the fact that he's worked elsewhere
under Sean mcvagh in this style of offense that they
specifically wanted in year one. They didn't know at the
time they'd be getting at year one for CJ. Stroud.
But you've taken somebody off as very similar tree like

(02:12:15):
you did with slowing. So to me, the answer to
quit first order of business is sitting down with Cole Popovich,
sitting down with them, McDaniel, sitting down with Jia Johnson,
sitting down with a Bill Laser, and any of the
offensive staff that is considering staying here or is wondering
what is there for them here, and you kind of
move from there. He probably also has an idea of
what other coaches he's worked with before that he might

(02:12:37):
like to bring with him, which kind of goes straight
into these same shorter or longer conversations he might have.
I referenced Bill O'Brien because Wade Phillips was pretty direct
when he talked to us about it. Yeah, Bill came
in and basically said, we don't want you here.

Speaker 2 (02:12:49):
Get out. Yes, it's true, and he wasn't very happy
about that. By the way, he was.

Speaker 3 (02:12:53):
A very very accomplished defensive coordinator, whereas Bill O'Brien was not,
right at the NFL level, accomplished at anything other than
being on the team that had Tom Brady.

Speaker 2 (02:13:03):
And I said that also knowing that the first item
of business is probably the phone call to CJ. Stroud.
Hey man, just want to let you know I'm coming
to town. I'm gonna fix all the problems. No, but
in all seriousness, I would imagine after all of that
gets out of the way, like the draft is so
it's important every year. It's just and I don't want

(02:13:26):
to you know what, I don't want to believe what
you said about not being able to fix it in
one offseason. I'm gonna be positive about this and that
they can maybe not. You know, it's not gonna be perfect.

Speaker 4 (02:13:36):
No team is.

Speaker 2 (02:13:38):
But I'm just looking at the two teams in this
Super Bowl and I have such envy and jealousy about
their offensive lines.

Speaker 3 (02:13:46):
Yeah, I had we had Dave Zangaro on a little
bit longer, I would have asked him about their offensive
line coach there just Stubtlin. What he's done there is
also rather unique. You know, who hired him to coach
offensive line for the Eagles, Chip Kelly. That's how long
he's been there. He's been through Chip, He's been through
Doug Peterson. He's been retained by obviously Peterson, and then

(02:14:08):
again now for what would next year be his fifth
season under coach sirianni and working with a new oc
over and over and over again, who also retain him
for a reason. Now, they spent good money and draft
capital on their offensive line. Incredible that they went from
one of the three or four best centers in the
history of the NFL, Jason Kelce, to the Super Bowl

(02:14:29):
after replacing him, because obviously he's been retired for this season,
and a lot of people if you if you listen
to anything that Jason said during his retirement conversations, he
couldn't stop talking about how coach Stotland basically made him
who he was and why he was you know, that
got to the level that he was and what made
him want to keep coming back in the years that
he did. I don't know that that Staltland is an
automatic stay, but if he would be available to any

(02:14:53):
team in the league because he's not the style of
O line coach that he knew OC wants, which would
be shocking because how good he's been. Just something to note.
As the Texans, you know, whether it's same guys or
new guys, you got to put together a whole new staff.
So we talk about Mahomes and Hurts and Barkley and
Pacheco and Kelsey and aj Brown. You're probably fair in saying, yeah,

(02:15:14):
there's thirty two NFL teams out there. The two teams
in the Super Bowl both have top five offensive lines
are very I mean, I know the Eagles do guy
was about to say the ales for should argue the
Chiefs are fringier on the top five. Lions have a
great offensive line. There's a few others, but I mean,
it's kind of a big reason why these offenses possess
the ball as much as they do, succeed as much

(02:15:35):
as they do, are are so good on third down
as much because these guys up front are great and
the questions about them don't exist when you head into
the season, and it's basically the questions that always exist
when you're talking about the Texans.

Speaker 2 (02:15:48):
We're a little over two months away until I can
start to really feel one way or the other about
the offensive line being improved.

Speaker 3 (02:15:57):
From a draft standpoint, early were depending on who you
like and who you listened to and draft evaluators out there.
If you were to grade it out on what's available
from an offensive line perspective, it's viewed as a good draft.
There would appear to be good players available. The probably
best two tackles would not be anywhere near you when

(02:16:17):
you draft, if you hold onto your pick at twenty five,
but an offensive lineman sometime and again, Nick Casera, once
your past I don't even know if I asked to
say past your first pick. He traded last year's first pick,
both of them that they had at different times, and
their first draft selection last year was at forty two,
with Lassiter players to contribute immediately. If last year's drafted

(02:16:40):
didn't tell you that, the last game the Texans played,
the first pick they made Starter played every snap, The
second pick they made starter played every snap. Lassiter and
Blake Fisher, third player they drafted, started and played every
snap in their first season in their final playoff game.
That was a good draft, and none of those were
first round picks. One of him even went in the

(02:17:00):
top forty.

Speaker 2 (02:17:03):
So when you say that it's a good, you know,
good draft for that, what are we taking. They just
drafted to tackle last year, so are they. But you're
not gonna typically draft guards in the first round.

Speaker 3 (02:17:15):
You don't. But a lot of times you can take
a tackle in the first round with the intention of
him being your starting tackle down the road and him
starting his career interior line because that's where you have
the opening. Not every offensive lineman can do that, Not
every offensive lineman is skilled enough or has some experience
doing it, but that'll happen quite often.

Speaker 2 (02:17:35):
I feel like the ability to be successful with a
rookie on the interior versus the tackle position is a
lot better approach, or at least a lot more it's.

Speaker 3 (02:17:46):
Probable danger the quarterback sees, right, he sees it coming
because it's right up the middle.

Speaker 2 (02:17:51):
Yeah, and because I mean Dwayne Brown was basically just
thrown out there as a rookie, as a rookie first
round pick, right. So in this case, especially considering where
you are. But because we talked what are we already
talking about the affordability of doing this, that's the most
affordable route to go yep.

Speaker 3 (02:18:10):
Literally, and because three of their five linemen are playing
under contract extensions, they're very, very very well paid and
produce some difficulties as it relates to cap maneuvering. One
more segment before we shift completely into Rockets coverage. We'll
bring that to you next.

Speaker 5 (02:18:28):
The eighteen on Sports Talk seven ninety.

Speaker 2 (02:18:32):
As painful as it can be to think about the
Texans offensive line play, it's even more painful for you
if you have been putting off getting rid of the
joint pain that plagues you. Maybe it's a little bit
nagging thing, maybe it's a lot, but if your knees,
your hips, your shoulders, your back, whatever it may be,
if it is not allowing you to live life one
hundred percent pain free, not only should you not do

(02:18:55):
surgery and the downtime and drugs that come with it.
You should take a different approach with QC Kinetics.

Speaker 3 (02:19:01):
Definitely what you want to do to take care of
business with your body and in fact use your body
to make sure that these aren't problems for you. Moving forward,
We're into twenty twenty five quite a bit, so let's
go ahead and make that phone call to QC Kinetics
and get yourself back to the life you once led
that you can get back to thanks to our good
friends over at QC Kinetics. A lot of you have

(02:19:23):
already made that phone call, and we encourage more of
you to do the same. At seven to one, three,
nine to one, three fifty two eighty five. No steroids,
no drugs, no surgery, no downtime with QC Kinetics.

Speaker 1 (02:19:35):
We now return to Adam Clinton and Adam Wexler on
Sports Talk.

Speaker 5 (02:19:40):
Seven ninety.

Speaker 2 (02:19:46):
Final segment before we make way for Rockets basketball coverage.
Got the Nicks at MSG tonight. They put up one
hundred and forty three points in consecutive nights during their
recent five game winning stream and then that got snapped
recently but in their last game as a matter of fact.
But this is you mentioned not having a three game

(02:20:07):
losing streak. It's gonna be a tall task to do
that here tonight with who they're playing.

Speaker 3 (02:20:11):
Yeah, we'll dig in on a lot of that conversation
coming up in the next segment when we dive into
Rockets launch pad. First of two back to backs here
to open up February, essentially a back to back here
on tonight and Tuesday night, another back to back which
spans their two afternoon games this weekend. They play Saturday
afternoon in Dallas, the first home game for the Mavericks

(02:20:35):
since making this deal, and they play Sunday afternoon at
home on Super Bowl Sunday. So we'll get you all
set for all that when we get back with Rockets
launch pad at the bottom of the hour. An item
we did not discuss at all thus far today, but
I said we would and we will.

Speaker 6 (02:20:51):
Now.

Speaker 3 (02:20:52):
Free agents signing made by a team in the hunt
for Alex Bregman Jack Flaherty. He's signing with the Tigers,
and I think what people saw the initial report, they
might not have seen a clear picture of what it
actually was. A two year deal for thirty five million
dollars for Flarity to go back to the Tigers. He
pitched for the Tigers last year before they traded him

(02:21:14):
to the Dodgers, and now he's going back. And it's
a pretty good move for a team that managed to
make their way to the postseason, win a very very
very very very short series to open the postseason before
losing in a much more normally timed out series where
you have to win more than twice, but they did
it without him in the postseason obviously, and got to
the postseason the last couple of months without him. But

(02:21:36):
the way that the two year deal is put together,
it's a player option after year one, so it kind
of indicates that Flarity probably didn't see the kind of
numbers he had hoped for and thus is signing a
shorter term deal, one that allows him to get back
out there. But it's also front loaded, so it could
actually be pretty darn lucrative twenty five million dollars next

(02:21:56):
year in what would be the first year of any
Bregman deal the Tigers might sign. I don't think anybody
in Detroit is even saying it or reporting it that
this takes them out, so I guess it doesn't. But
how much money was Detroit looking to spend on their
twenty twenty five payroll and maybe beyond that, because Flarity
could also be back beyond that, I kind of think

(02:22:19):
they're not really well, there's certainly I don't think an
up any offer they have to Alex after spending this money,
because they don't strike me as a team that ever
decides this is it. Why don't we go all in
let's let's do this. We have the roster, We've done
enough with our lower roster or lower salary roster players.
We have the ability to do this, and ownership that

(02:22:41):
wants to do this. Maybe they do something different, but
my thought is they're definitely in an Astros like situation.

Speaker 4 (02:22:49):
This is it.

Speaker 3 (02:22:50):
I mean, we're not pulling it. It's not off the table,
but it's not gonna get any better, Alex.

Speaker 2 (02:22:55):
Right, And so until this weekend's news with Flarity, I
was told routinely, Tiger's very much in it, Tiger's very
much in it. Tiger's very much in it. And now
I'm with you. I'm like, well, they're not in it
necessarily any more than the Astros, at least not for
the dollar figures that he because. To me at this point,

(02:23:15):
it's just like, all right, is he just hoping that
somebody just decides that the late going here?

Speaker 3 (02:23:21):
That's what deadlines can do. All Right, I'll give you
a little bit more, but I mean, I'm being serious.
This is why deadlines and this is not a hard deadline.
But they're about to start playing baseball, but the teams
about to start.

Speaker 2 (02:23:32):
The teams that he would you want to go to
or he would be happy with signing with, and the
ones that would use him, they're all in the same position.
They're they're okay at third base if they don't sign them.

Speaker 3 (02:23:46):
I mean, the Cubs are one of these teams. The
Red Sox are one of these teams. The Astros are
one of these teams. The Tigers are one of these teams.

Speaker 2 (02:23:52):
Those are the four I was thinking.

Speaker 3 (02:23:53):
All ready to clear the way for Alex Bregner to
play for them. Three of them will have him at
third bay almost assuredly, including the Astros and the Red Sox.
I guess continue to entertain the option of having crappy
third baseman Rafel Devers over there and he'll stay and
we'll move Bregman over to second, which I still find
amazing that they're considering that. But under all circumstances the position,

(02:24:17):
they're still open to adding him. I think none of
them seem willing before pushed by a deadline, if they
even like. It's more of a deadline for Alex and
Scott Morris than it is for the team. Any team
would love him, to love to have him there for
five weeks before the season opener, but I don't think
they'll be crushed if he isn't where. I think the
player might really not feel a very happy about potentially

(02:24:40):
not starting this season the way he wants because he
hasn't had his normal work before the season starts.

Speaker 2 (02:24:46):
And are you like me where you read the reports
where there's one team that supposedly is offering a little
bit more than the Astros, and you thought that team
was the Tigers.

Speaker 4 (02:24:54):
I think before this weekend, I.

Speaker 3 (02:24:55):
Think I had kind of just kind of fallen in
line with that XU and I think several of the
the ghost reports, I think Hayman and Bob Nightingale had
both suggested it, and I just kind of went with
it and probably shouldn't have to me, that's the Blue
Jays to me, that team is we know he's not
coming here. We have to give him the best deal.
We have to overpay him, we have to give him

(02:25:16):
what nobody else will, or else there's no way he's
even gonna consider us. I still don't think he will.
I don't think he should. I'm not dissatisfied. I think
Toronto's actually had an okay off season. But the biggest
reason why he won't go there is, well, who am
I playing with in a year you're gonna pay me
one hundred and seventy or eighty, which is offset by

(02:25:37):
all of the Well, then you're not gonna pay Vladimir
Gerro Junior. And by the way, the Canadian dollar has
taken a hit. Alex, believe me, you should stay here.
I mean, how much of you? If you're talking to
the Astros this prior to this offseason and you're a
free agent and a big frit you would want to know, well,
what is the future hold for Alex Bregman. Is he
gonna be here? Am I taking his money? Are you

(02:25:58):
gonna sign Kyle Tucker? Am I taking his money? So
saying that you want to sign me in Toronto, will
are you saying you're paying me because you have no
intentions of paying Vladimir? So now I'm going to be
the most highly paid player on the team that's not
nearly as good.

Speaker 2 (02:26:11):
That scenario you're talking about is supposedly why he's hesitant
at this point to return to the Astros. If it's
for the reason of I don't know what they're going
to be in a year or two when they have
to maybe blow things up a little or a lot.

Speaker 3 (02:26:24):
I don't agree with that. I don't think they have
to blow anything up.

Speaker 2 (02:26:26):
I think correct and you know what, the necessarily if
one of those guys.

Speaker 3 (02:26:30):
Leave just one right because he knows the answer. Here,
they did blow it up. Kyle Tucker's not a teammate anymore.
Jordon is right, Jordon is and Christian Walker is for
at least the next three years, and.

Speaker 2 (02:26:42):
You're pitching the threads would.

Speaker 3 (02:26:43):
Be for four to five years with control depending on
what you do. Hunter Brown's young Arraghetti's young Blanco and
Javier's contractually are in a good place for your team.

Speaker 2 (02:26:52):
Do you think the Astros end up signing fromber Well?
I think there's almost no way they do. If you've
signed all for six years one fifty six or thereabouts, right,
But if Alex is under a different.

Speaker 3 (02:27:04):
Structure, because what's that structure, but a, well he's not
here is quite as long, so they wouldn't necessarily be
concurrently earning all that money. Me the difference is it's
a question that you're gonna have much better intel on
in a year, because in a year, when you get
to the off season, you're gonna note, well, what was
Hunter Brown in his year? Where he went into the

(02:27:25):
year as an ace and what was Spencer Arraghetti when
the league has already seen him and.

Speaker 2 (02:27:29):
Now in Montero's money is coming off the books.

Speaker 3 (02:27:32):
On top of yes, yes, that's the other part. I'm
just looking at the team you're on. Then, Fromber, can
you can you afford to not have Fromber in your rotation? Well,
the answer is only yes if the other pitchers show
you that it is.

Speaker 4 (02:27:44):
And what what kind of twenty twenty five did Fromber?

Speaker 2 (02:27:47):
Just have? That actually does go into it because depending
on what year you're talking about. I mean, I know
you like to say when he's out there, they win,
but it didn't always didn't go that way.

Speaker 3 (02:27:56):
I mean, to me, that's the last thing I would
be thinking could be a tipping point. Fromber in twenty
twenty five is going to be great because that's what
he always is. He finished seventh in the cy Young
voting this year. He had a two ninety one era.
He was freaking awesome. Again, that's what he does, That's
who he is. Twenty three was this or four if
you don't want to count COVID, But it wasn't.

Speaker 4 (02:28:17):
Twenty twenty three pretty up and down, even though he
had no hitter.

Speaker 3 (02:28:21):
Yes, it was far less consistent from day one till
the end. But don't you like starting pitchers to give
you one hundred and ninety eight innings with a three
forty five ERA and a whip under one one five?

Speaker 2 (02:28:31):
I do, And given the circumstances that were under it,
you're not going to probably find something out there better.

Speaker 3 (02:28:38):
Not for any kind of you would have to. You'd
sign a picture that hit free agency that it doesn't
have a great resume. Could you get him here for
two years twenty two, you know, one year fifteen and
maybe he catches fight he does. Like what the Royals
did with uh Lugo this past year. Wasn't super expensive
he had, He wasn't necessarily going to be awesome. He
turned out he was great. Michael Walker's turned, you know,

(02:29:00):
some less great years into free agency into multiple pretty
good contracts.

Speaker 2 (02:29:05):
I don't know if they're gonna be good again this year.
The Royals, Yeah, I mean if they should be.

Speaker 3 (02:29:09):
If Pasquatch is back in business like he was before
he got hurt, Bobby Wood Junior is an MVP candidate
every year, they'd still have more young talent. And honestly,
I think they're pitching can get better because they're most
of them are so young. They've they've done a really
they had a lot of years of building because they
were so bad drafting players. They now have panned out.

Speaker 2 (02:29:30):
You know, I'm mad, I am that they Reagan's twenty
twenty three.

Speaker 3 (02:29:36):
Because it could be a while because there's now many
other good teams in the mix.

Speaker 2 (02:29:40):
That was the one.

Speaker 3 (02:29:41):
Well, like this Tiger's team. We keep trying to put
Bregman on those Pakota numbers. The Baseball Perspectives puts out
which uses a lot of statistics to generate what they
believe win totals will be. The following year, they have
the Tigers fourth in their division as an under five
hundred team, below the Guardians finishing third, with the Twins
winning the division over the Royals.

Speaker 4 (02:30:03):
None of them, what are they win looking well?

Speaker 3 (02:30:04):
They also have the Astros behind the Rangers, right, so
I maintain my question, although they had the Astros as
the fourth best American League team.

Speaker 4 (02:30:12):
So they're getting in as a wild card and who's.

Speaker 3 (02:30:15):
Not winning like Orioles, Yankees, Rangers are the three ahead
of them with a slightly higher win total, So nobody
above ninety three, a lot like last year Dodgers at
one O three.

Speaker 2 (02:30:25):
Only one hundred and three wins. The type of offseason
they've had, that kind of website should put them at
one fifty.

Speaker 3 (02:30:33):
Maybe they'll give you guys a lot of days off.

Speaker 2 (02:30:35):
Seriously, if you're the Dodgers and you've had the type
of offseason that you have and put the kind of
money that you have into this team, if you don't
win one hundred and twenty games, I'm not even kidding
right now when I'm saying.

Speaker 3 (02:30:46):
This, how many will they win in the postseason?

Speaker 2 (02:30:49):
Three?

Speaker 3 (02:30:50):
You need eleven if you win the division? Will they
win them? Will they win eleven times?

Speaker 2 (02:30:53):
They're not winning the World Series this year. It's too
perfect for them to do it. It's too baseball. I can't.
I just can't.

Speaker 4 (02:31:01):
Maybe they will, Maybe they'll just run the gamut.

Speaker 3 (02:31:03):
I mean, it feels like Shoe Hay could not pitch
in the World Series and go oh for nineteen and
they'd win easily.

Speaker 2 (02:31:12):
On paper yep, but it's the least on paper sport
in the world.

Speaker 3 (02:31:18):
But they look at the twenty nineteen Astros Series team
and they're clearly better. But probably a lot.

Speaker 2 (02:31:26):
I mean, that's essentially what the Astros did in twenty nineteen,
even though they weren't coming off a World series. The
only reason they can go the World Series is because
of two reasons injuries and Shoe West.

Speaker 4 (02:31:35):
I hate that fat guy.

Speaker 2 (02:31:36):
Boy.

Speaker 3 (02:31:37):
Do we have a good umpire story for you and
the listeners tomorrow?

Speaker 2 (02:31:41):
What time?

Speaker 3 (02:31:42):
Uh pick a time? We're on from two to five
thirty two to one. Okay, I don't mind it. That
gay a material, but you're you're gonna enjoy it because
it combines a couple of the things that listeners of
this program know you love to rant about. Get fired
up about blood boiling, about.

Speaker 4 (02:31:58):
Blood pressure is gonna be raised. Yep, very good stuff.

Speaker 2 (02:32:01):
I will abstain from a lot of salt for dinner
here in a few minutes, yanes kidding.

Speaker 3 (02:32:06):
Mix in a meal and get yourself into Rockets coverage.
You appreciate everybody with us throughout the day. That includes
our guest Dave Zengero, who covers the Eagles for NBC
Sports Philadelphia. Not only that, our conversation included his thoughts
on new offensive coordinator Nick Kyley from the Rams, against
whom the Eagles have played each of the last two
years and could have been an Eagles OC candidate if

(02:32:26):
not the fact that Texans just hired him. More on that,
of course, coming tomorrow. Also here as we bring you
back for another three and a half hour edition of
The A

Speaker 5 (02:32:34):
Team The Age on Sports Talk seven ninety

All Episodes

Episode Transcript

Popular Podcasts

Stuff You Should Know

Dateline NBC

On Purpose with Jay Shetty

.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;}Texans Pick Nick Caley, NBA World Shocked By Luka Trade, and The Rockets Are Banged Up Now

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;}Stuff You Should Know

Dateline NBC

On Purpose with Jay Shetty

All Episodes

Texans Pick Nick Caley, NBA World Shocked By Luka Trade, and The Rockets Are Banged Up Now

Stuff You Should Know