Is Bryan Abreu Back In the High Life? Ime Udoka & Rafael Stone Presser

Is Bryan Abreu Back In the High Life? Ime Udoka & Rafael Stone Presser

Episode Transcript

Speaker 1 (00:00):
This is the Matt Thomas Show with Ross ten oh
one in h Town.

Speaker 2 (00:11):
Good morning, and welcome to a Monday edition of The
Matt Thomas Show with Ross.

Speaker 3 (00:15):
That's his Sports Talk seven.

Speaker 4 (00:21):
And that is the ball game, A series win bro
the Astros in Boston as they take down the Red
Sox in said three to one.

Speaker 5 (00:31):
Jesus soft Sea in the oh, if only, if only
the Astros could play in the America League East.

Speaker 3 (00:44):
Well maybe just the Red Sox. America League West is
not some juggernaut.

Speaker 2 (00:49):
Yeah, yeah, it's all right. They're back of the high life.

Speaker 3 (00:52):
Bright to brow you you're backing the high life again?

Speaker 2 (00:58):
Oh my goodness. Something to enjoy ourselves this weekend? Yeah?
Why what anything else happening this weekend?

Speaker 3 (01:06):
Then I can.

Speaker 2 (01:06):
Recall, No, no, I was not in Los Angeles yesterday.
Uh it's okay, Mat, rip to the Huge. Should we
have a Rocket's funeral at some point? Well, lay them
to their final rest. It'll be fun. What's that good?
What's what's this? I mean?

Speaker 3 (01:26):
Okay, if we had the Nightcap still back?

Speaker 2 (01:28):
We do it?

Speaker 6 (01:29):
Yeah?

Speaker 2 (01:29):
I know, Rip Nightcap and I kept still going well.
Good hands with Josh Jordan, Oh, Josh host the Nightcap.
No at Nightcap, Toda, I get astro space, but I
need to start listen to that. Oh Rassie, how the
hell are How was your weekend great? I just burned
my tongue. You did great on TV last night?

Speaker 3 (01:47):
Oh thank you?

Speaker 2 (01:48):
Let me peel the curtain back. H Ross said, hey,
can you come to a Channel two? And I'm like,
I just need a little time away, and I still do.
I I'm gonna be an astros mode starting tomorrow.

Speaker 3 (01:57):
You big timeless.

Speaker 2 (01:58):
That's okay, it's a strong term, but it's it's accurate.
I don't think it is. Yeah, Like, hey, Matt, it'd
be coolf we're both on the show together because we
host the show together.

Speaker 3 (02:09):
You know mentioned Sports talks.

Speaker 2 (02:10):
About me giving you some run, giving you live breathe
your own. Uh okay, yeah, if you want to sell
it like that, sure, why not. I mean, if Channel
two was closer, I'd go. I know, long way, that's
my fault, totally my fault. I'm trying to I wasn't
gonna blame anyone else. I'm trying to get you're gonna

(02:30):
blame somebody else's. But yes, it was a good time
on Sports Sunday with Adam Wexer of the A team
two to six Sports Sea. Yes, you guys, I think
it's like he's closer than I am. It's like fifteen
minutes for him and like ten for him if that. Yeah.
So and then went and pick up the wife and
the daughter after their last tournament in Reno. So that

(02:52):
was okay, it was so. It was just a week
I needed to just to just get away from everything
a little. Okay. Friday night was certainly very frustrating. I
still can't hear it on my and that's just not
great either.

Speaker 3 (03:01):
So you sound great.

Speaker 2 (03:03):
I don't think I sound great. I think I sound mid. So, yeah,
you seem a little cranky. No, I'm actually not cranky.
I uh. I actually did a bunch of honey dewes.
I that's good wash clothes. I just dishwashed, powerwash the driveway.
Let's not getting crazy. I don't think I don't think
that was on the agenda. But appreciate you throwing all

(03:23):
the business out there. Uh watched a lot of the astros.
I honestly, ROSSI I still don't know them very well.

Speaker 3 (03:30):
What do you mean?

Speaker 7 (03:30):
I mean?

Speaker 2 (03:32):
Uh? I can't give you the starting five rotation at
this point, I think I give you some of it.
Joe A. Spotta can give you the starting five rotation
at this point. True, that's true. But I mean, are
you talking about your our guys Daniel Johnson.

Speaker 3 (03:46):
And Dustin Harris.

Speaker 2 (03:49):
Yeah, they even no respect to these individuals. No, no, and
they have to understand this. They even have generic names. Hello,
I am Daniel Johnson. I am your replacement player on
the Houston Astros roster. It's like you're watching guys on Lockout.
These are these are the guys coming in that are
gonna the scabs scabs. Hello, I am Dustin Harris. Oh hey, Dustin,

(04:15):
how'd you get here? I was claimed off waivers from
the White Sox. Oh cool. And then you got you
Cody Bolton and Cody Bolton Yeah, Cod Cody. And then
you got Colton Gordon, Colton Gordon, Yeah we know Cody
Bolton Yeah, Colt.

Speaker 3 (04:32):
See it's not great.

Speaker 2 (04:35):
This is not what it's supposed to be. It sposed
to be. Tattoo, it took me, Rossie, he took me months.
Aget tatsu is EMI's first name and last name proper.
We'll see. It takes him. You a while to acclimate.
It's taking him time to acclimate, all right, give him
a break. Who knows what's gonna The slope of the
mountain is looking like a corpus.

Speaker 3 (04:52):
Oh, I saw there were video highlights.

Speaker 7 (04:53):
He's all right.

Speaker 2 (04:54):
He spent way too much time navigating that bad boy.
It's okay. He's gonna pitch again soon, right, Yeah, Sugarland
this week. Okay, and Josh Hater too. Oh, sugar Land
should be good. Telling you we should have got we
you know, we should have done we should have got
some PSLs for Sugarland. Skeeter Baseball, I'm telling her Space.
What's their record looking like? Well, they're not going to
reach one hundred and forty wins. I don't think Oh

(05:15):
they're not. I don't think they are. Well, they do
it like two half seasons, that's right, because it's the
lineup's changed so much. Yeah, I got Oh, what the
hell they're only seventeen and sixteen. Well you know what, Well,
I thought they were gonna be stocked with talent, but
everybody's been called up because everybody's heard. Yeah, it's it's
really if you had the over under on the Space Cowboys,
you're pissed because you thought all those awesome arms would

(05:37):
be leading the triple A. Duple players are up at
the majors. Yeah, but yeah, the Astros won yesterday. They
have won five out of six against the Red Socks. Yes,
they won two in a row for the first time
in like half a month.

Speaker 3 (05:50):
Yes, so that's good.

Speaker 2 (05:51):
And you nimrods on Astros Twitter getting mad at me
for saying that it was ridiculous that at the Joe
Spots should be fired. It's just ridiculous. I was, I
was hitting mute at it. I mean, at a breakneck speed.
Toxic City's out an all time high. This is seriously,
I'm gonna give you a one second. Don't mind astro Twitter.
I know you're pissed. I know you're upset. I know

(06:15):
the team is disappointing. And the fact of the matter
is that the Astros don't make the playoffs this year.
Joe Spott is probably at a job. And I wasn't
endorsing extending Joe's spot, I was. I mean, I was
talking about a five year contract.

Speaker 3 (06:26):
He's the greatest of all time.

Speaker 2 (06:27):
I was just saying he has been in an un
uh tenable as using a Channel Rome term he's been screwed.
This team is wrecked with injuries and lack of performance.
But I I said that on the show on Friday,
calling for Joaspotus firing would be the dumbest thing Astros

(06:48):
Twitter could do. And then some guys in Space City Sports.
I don't know who those guys are. They seem like
decent people, and they called me handicapin retarded for basically
four hours five hours after that. Yeah, my guy guys
wanting to fight me. I mean, seriously, Astros Twitter, be
not as stupid as you normally are. That's all I'm
gonna say. The team's not good, just don't be as

(07:10):
stupid firing Joe fire. I mean, if if you don't
like those guys.

Speaker 3 (07:14):
It's coming in good time.

Speaker 2 (07:15):
It just is. Yeah, I can't believe they're not in
first place with Braiden Shoemake and Dustin Harris starting every
game teaching your tour golfers out Brand Shoemaker and Braiden
Shoemak on the approach, He's got a one hundred and
seventy one yards here, Matt looks like he's got the

(07:36):
eight iron. What do you think about this shot? Let's
go to sixteen. Thanks Cross. At sixteen, we've got somebody
named Johnson here. He's a guy that was on the
Lived tour, but he's not particularly happy there. And Daniel
Johnson's five ten, two hundred pounds, three hundred thirty years

(07:58):
of age.

Speaker 3 (08:00):
In thirty years of.

Speaker 2 (08:02):
Thirty, he was a number five pick of the five
round pick of the National working be's not working on
the computer. It doesn't matter at that point. Pointing is this.
Timing is everything. Timing is everything. The bit's gone. Uh,
just stay with me on this. There goes it's too late. Sorry,
just turn it off if you're unhappy. And again this

(08:26):
is the same, a long line of thinking of rafel
Stone and email ship to stop firing people. No, we
fire everyone, the red secks fired Alex Cora, I ain't working.

Speaker 3 (08:37):
Yeah, how'd that work out this weekend?

Speaker 7 (08:39):
Not great?

Speaker 3 (08:40):
Alex Cora being fired? Fix everything?

Speaker 2 (08:42):
How the phillies since I've had of Thompson and we
want blood.

Speaker 3 (08:45):
That's how it is.

Speaker 2 (08:46):
And I'm gonna say I think Twitter is getting worse
because I think honestly user users are down.

Speaker 3 (08:52):
I see how many are how.

Speaker 2 (08:53):
Many votes were getting on polls, how many likes were
getting on stuff. I mean, people are deactivating a council
left and right. So yeah, Twitter for us is still
gonna be a spot for information. And I'm lazy, but remember,
I mean, I'll be this first. It was fun kind
of seeing how the Twitter cant would go up, we'd
have some parties. Yeah, I could give two craps about that.
Right now, I understand because the people who are staying

(09:14):
are like the people who are more addicted and quite frankly,
and this is for me too, I'm not taking shots
at everybody, So everybody listening, I know there's normal of there's.

Speaker 3 (09:21):
Still take shots myself too.

Speaker 2 (09:23):
Yeah, Like the more do you stay on there, the
more probably you're addicted to it, and that means you
probably have like other issues like me. But we are
no eyes on there. We are not connecting with our
audience on Twitter like we used to be. And it's
not because we're not there, it's just because people have said,
yeah it's toxic, we're gone, so we'll still be on it.
I so love to engage with you, but ROSSI told
me a long time ago. Now what I do now

(09:45):
is I always thought it was and I'm gonna be
I'll peel a curtain back your second. I thought it
was just kind of douchey to me a fight with people.
Now I kind of embrace it. I call you out
and then you want to kick my ass, and then
you've got forty nine bots. You know what, I'm gonna
mute you, I'm gonna block you, I'm gonna call you
a name, I'm gonna insult you, I'm gonna have I'm
gonna tell you to have a bad weekend. And it
felt good. Oh wow, I didn't know you're getting it

(10:06):
scraps with everyone a few I mean, you called me names.
I mean, I do think it's stupid to ask for
a managerial firing, unless again, you had a loaded lineup
that was underachieving. Alvarez crushing Walker, crushing injuries part of life.
Pitching sucks, Emi sucks, O'Brian to bring you until yesterday

(10:30):
sucks nothing that Joe didn't. I'm not trying to like, Oh,
you're the thing, sham Now shut your ball asses up.
I'm at an Astro fan since nineteen seventy nine, way
before I work for the flagship radio station. By the way,
new deal bitches, I ain't going anywhere me. Nanna's ross

(10:50):
here that I call them bitches. I love y'all, but
I don't love some of you, and I want you
to have a bad day. If you want to get
in a car wreck, I don't care about that either. Okay, but.

Speaker 3 (11:06):
What you're about my voice too? I got fun.

Speaker 2 (11:09):
I'm going.

Speaker 3 (11:09):
I'm ready to go.

Speaker 2 (11:14):
Oh man, you want to fight me, fight me, that's fine,
come to King was on the drive. At least you
want to come kick my ass. We'll go have something
to eat. People were threatening you because I'm this and
you're call me retarded and calling me a handicapped and
like whoever thinks of what man has to say?

Speaker 3 (11:33):
Yes, pages, I might dead thirty years into Houston, so
suck it.

Speaker 2 (11:36):
People do listen.

Speaker 3 (11:38):
You don't need to listen. But I'm just telling you
I got scoreboard over your bitches.

Speaker 8 (11:41):
I do.

Speaker 2 (11:44):
You got a scoreboard?

Speaker 8 (11:45):
I like that.

Speaker 9 (11:46):
I do.

Speaker 2 (11:49):
I'm doing something right. I don't do everything right.

Speaker 3 (11:51):
I goof up a lot. I'm the first to admit it,
but I'm doing something right. I didn't know you were
getting in all these internet scraps. Well it's because the guy,
the Space City guy said.

Speaker 9 (12:02):
Like I know.

Speaker 2 (12:05):
He's out here drysnitch, and he knew what he was
doing with that. He knew people were going to respond. Yeah,
he didn't even put as sports empty. So I see
and then people are like, you know what I'm going
at you. Yeah, I appreciate that guy. He listens, don't
know space, You's a good dude. I muted him, but yeah,
they just they I wish him.

Speaker 3 (12:23):
The best, and I, you know, I try to have
a uh thick skin.

Speaker 2 (12:28):
But since he was like also one of the ones
you dope, it needs to be fired for not playing,
Reed Shepherd.

Speaker 3 (12:33):
Okay, well read Shepherd played.

Speaker 2 (12:34):
He went one for ten in game six my Rocket season,
and he comes I was read, Shepherd is the savior
of the Rockets. Guy doing right now?

Speaker 3 (12:42):
Reed Shepherd. Not looking like a savior. But of course
the count.

Speaker 2 (12:46):
Oh well, if he'd got reps in the regular shoes
and he'd have been ready for the moment. Okay, maybe
he needs to Maybe maybe going from four points a
game to thirteen is a massive leap and he is
developing on time.

Speaker 3 (12:59):
Maybe that's what's happening.

Speaker 2 (13:00):
Or maybe you know more than coach Udoka who's been
in the league for like who played in the league
for a long time and has been around the league
and learned under the Tuteligit coach Popovich and took the
Celtics to an NBA Finals. Was the highest sought after
name in the coaching market when the Rockets hired him,
and hasn't done a good job.

Speaker 3 (13:18):
When he since he got here. They won fifty plus
games in two years in a row. Or maybe you
know more than him.

Speaker 2 (13:23):
Maybe there are people out there listening to the show
right now that no more than me. I'm fully admitted
that's true. It's very cool with that. But I'm gonna
give you a hug. Matt. No, I don't know, no
damn hug.

Speaker 3 (13:35):
Yes you No, I don't know you need a hug.

Speaker 2 (13:37):
No, I just don't want to be calling you.

Speaker 3 (13:40):
I'm not retarded in my Handicapno, you're not retarded.

Speaker 2 (13:42):
That here man may be stupid. Oh he's coming to
hug me. I love you, all right, thank you, thank you,
thank you. It can't hurt you, man, it's just screen,
I know. But it's like, come on, now, I don't
call you all those names. Well, I mean probably do
off Air. I mean, I'll be honest with mute him
all right. A lot of times that's what they want.
They have sad lives that they don't they don't do anything.
They hate their job, they hate their wife, they hate

(14:03):
their kids. So they go on the Internet and they
want to get reactions out of people. That's how they
get their dopamine hit. I don't don't, I don't get
it to them. Just muting them. I'm just muting them.
I'm muting too. I'm a mutant mofo ten sixteen, Madden
Ross seven one three two one two five seven ninety.

Speaker 8 (14:18):
Ten, twenty three.

Speaker 2 (14:31):
It is Madden Ross. Nice to have all of you
with us. So the girls are out of town. They're volleyball.
All the boys. You know, we like to go to
places that the girls don't like to eat. So we
go to Rex's Roadhouse because we just like the rolls
and the steaks good. You know, it is what it is.
What are you laughing about? Nothing? That's just funny. The

(14:53):
King would living baby, I mean, it is what it is.
I didn't I didn't leave the King. Why don't the
girls like Texas Roadhouse? The little bougie well bougie theyre bougie. Yeah,
I mean, I'm boogie too, but I can. I can
pound those roles like with the best of them. Don't
click that with the best okay, So we.

Speaker 3 (15:21):
Jesus because all right, I want to use that all.

Speaker 2 (15:28):
I'm sure you do.

Speaker 6 (15:29):
That'll be in the best of.

Speaker 10 (15:32):
Uh.

Speaker 2 (15:33):
So we go to Rex's note house and we go
sit the bar because there's a weight. I mean, there's
the one in Kingwood. I don't know, man, y'all, I
can it's always a weight, the weight I think Porter
comes in and sneaks in there. That's fine. So we
go set the bar and Cameron and I had a
bet and whether or not the Toronto Cleveland game will
be on any of the televisions. There's like eight of them,

(15:55):
all right, zilch. So I said, can we put the
basketball game on? And I and I saved myself a
step ahead by telling him channel too, because there was
no way that the two bartenders were gonna know what
game the channel was on, so they put it on
for us. It was fine, that's it. But man, when
we check out on sports in this town and involves

(16:16):
local teams, we really check out. I don't think I
understand what would a if we were at a bar
in say, let's go with Salt Lake City? Would we
would we with a Rockets Lakers game but on at
a bar in Friday? I would say most for the
most part, Yes, yeah, what Rockets and Lakers. It's sexier
than Cleveland in Toronto, that's true. So but yeah, it was.

(16:40):
It's tough. That's what y'all gonna go to? Big City Wings?
I mean we we we weren't they boys wanted a
steak and Big City and serve wings or serve steak.
But yes, they're like you, Lea should go in there.
You know the games are gonna be on fromost you
dot biz needs to get Rex's note house as a
client on the curb dot com grass fed organic beef

(17:00):
file a Ribby New York trip, what's up? Okay, I
got you on that, all right? Uh so, uh but
that's just not close to my house, but I'm sure
it'd be great.

Speaker 11 (17:10):
It's great.

Speaker 2 (17:11):
Uh seven one three two one two five seven ninety
seven one three two one two five seven nine zero.

Speaker 12 (17:17):
Uh.

Speaker 2 (17:18):
We mentioned again we got to tell the truth. At
eleven thirty Astros with a series win. Dodgers are in
town tonight. Are we gonna be infiltrated by Dodger fans
left and right everywhere. It's at Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday. They
can't be coming in for this, right, I would say
so probably now show he's gonna pitch tomorrow and by
the way, he is, did you see the problems for

(17:39):
the series? I go ahead, it's okay, so Ocherd has
been named the opener? Is that going on? Because it was?
It was TVD right and TVD versus Yoshinobo.

Speaker 3 (17:55):
Yeah, I'm a moto. What did you say, pete Yoshinobu motor?

Speaker 2 (18:00):
That's a That was a song by sticks back in
the e. No, he's a he's a really good pitcher
e er hit er three versus an opener slash bullpen game.

Speaker 3 (18:11):
Shoho Tani, who's era is point six.

Speaker 2 (18:15):
Actually is a better picture than he is hitter this year,
which is strange against Peter Lambert. Okay, that's our that's
our KOs And then Lance mccullors versus Tyler Glasnow who
has been one of the better pictures in baseball and
a whip of point eight.

Speaker 3 (18:29):
So yeah, roll one, build a day.

Speaker 2 (18:32):
That's why high life again was Brian a bre you
fin it's the series. Reds are struggling. It's fine. I
know you declared this a couple of weeks ago. Now
things can turn around, but it's it's feeling like it's

(18:52):
going to be a long summer. Well, here's the only
thing that I did not declare. I didn't realize, how
Jim speaking, the American League sucks. Look at the standing.

Speaker 3 (19:03):
Yeah, that is good.

Speaker 2 (19:04):
That is the only thing I did not because the
good news is is and the the saving grace of
this fourteen and twenty one start. The only sit very frankly,
is that not only is their division week, the entire
American League is a week a's are in first. There
are two games above five hundred, just gonna win and
get it, get a nice little fat six out of seven,

(19:27):
and you're you're twenty and twenty two. Yeah, I mean
it could it literally could be a lot worse, could
be a lot better. It could be a lot better.
And again we're gonna be doing spending a lot of
time looking at what's happened in Old sugar Land this week.
Come on, Tatsuya, come on, Josh Hater. By the way,

(19:48):
you you were right in saying that there's gonna be
eighteen million reasons why Scott Boris is gonna tell Tots
you might have shut his bum ass up and stay
in the United States. Yes, but I did see a
national storyline I think it was on MLB dot com
about if he's really miserable and the right thing to
do would be to go back.

Speaker 6 (20:06):
And not do this.

Speaker 3 (20:08):
It's not only the right thing to do by who
for who?

Speaker 2 (20:11):
If he's miserable here again, it's the right thing to
do would be to go back to Japan. Well, how's
how's he doing now? He's taking a little time to acclimate.
But yeah, yeah, yeah, I'm saying if it's if this
is a season long issue, the right thing would be
to say, you know this, this this US major League
Baseball thing isn't isn't my cup of tea. But Scott
Borrows I gonna let that happen. Why is it the
right thing to do? Because you can't take people's money

(20:34):
if you're unhappy. Why not? I don't know that's a
decent thing to do. He took everyone's money and he's
on the bench. He wanted to play. He took the check,
but he wanted to play. Tatsuoimi doesn't like playing well
he wasn't happy not playing John Wall sitting in a
bucket hat coaching. But you've got options.

Speaker 3 (20:50):
He didn't have an option.

Speaker 2 (20:51):
No, the option for the player, the player player option
for tatsuyim I is he can opt out out of
the next two years of his contract or the next
year of the contract.

Speaker 3 (20:59):
He he's not he's opting in.

Speaker 2 (21:05):
He's opting in. He's opting in. He'll you know what
he will say. Here's how it's gonna work. If he
has a miserable year, He's gonna take the contract for
an extra year. He's gonna put the Astros in the
dime for eighteen million dollars. Say I needed a year
to acclimate. The Astros signed the deal too. Yeah, and
they didn't realize it. I mean, I also didn't realize
that how miserable he was gonna. I'm not crying for them.

(21:25):
I'm just not. It would be funny if he's like,
I don't think I could do that. It would be crazy.
I mean, it would be a one time. Has has
that happened to anybody that's come over from Japan? I
have never heard and I'm not talking about Japan. I
have never heard of a picture who sucked that said,

(21:47):
you know what, I don't deserve another chance. Yeah, eighteen
million dollars. Now I'm gonna go back at it to
Japan and make four because look, it's something I don't think,
not that I have intelligence on this, but I don't
think it's the Astro's fault. The Astros done everything they could.
They send him to a Rockets game, they threw up

(22:07):
his aches, they he played golf. He's we're trying to get.
They didn't get him in the slope of the mound,
the correct slope of the mound different places though.

Speaker 3 (22:17):
They humidity.

Speaker 2 (22:17):
He needs a due point of exactly fifty two degrees
and then he's ready to go if it's higher or lower.
So as fault. Yeah, their mounds are not a human
You need to get a human door for him. He
needs to get like in a bubble. He'd be like
bubble boy. Seriously, you're gonna start seeing videos of him
working on mounds. He's already done it in two different cities. Yeah,

(22:39):
like on Instagram. And where is Tatsui this week? And
where is it? What mount is he working on? Does
he bring his own shovel? I don't know, but maybe
that's put a corpors sponsor. Don't he make some of
the money back? I like that, or like a dirt company. Yeah, yes,
tatsu Is the mound is not happy. Yeah, he travel stuff.
They use a quick dry he can get on that.
He better not doing sug I know your little league

(23:01):
coach always had a couple of quick drive bags ready
to go. And then and they sat on the on
the on the stool and the duck out there. All right,
Roger and Terry, we'll get to you coming back at
ten thirty one. It's Matt and Ross. We're with you
today until two o'clock. The news at noon. It's coming
up to tell the truth at eleven thirty and I
got some juicy ones for you today.

Speaker 3 (23:18):
I have to tell the truth, all right.

Speaker 2 (23:20):
A few other headlines to get too before go the phones.
Congratulations Jordan Alvarez, you are the American League Player of
the Month in baseball for the month of March and April.
God he was crushing in the month of March and April.
Three point fifty six forty two for one, eighteen nine doubles,
twelve home runs, twenty seven RBIs, twenty one walks, twenty

(23:41):
five runs score to ops of just shy of twelve hundred. Yeah,
let's go went a little cold over the weekend, just started,
Just May hasn't gone off this to such a hot start. No,
he's not gonna win the awarded this point from Mark, Well,
there's still time come on now, but probably not big

(24:04):
series against the Dodgers.

Speaker 3 (24:06):
Uh Number two.

Speaker 2 (24:09):
John Sterling, the long time radio voice of this of
the yankeesn't been frankly fodder for sports radio hosts for
thirty plus years, passing at the age of eighty seven today.
Uh oh he did. Yeah. I think he had worked
a couple of games in the last couple of years,
but has been retired since then. But John Sterling, My

(24:34):
I only have one dealing with John Sterling ever in
my life, and it's a weird one. So I'm covering
the Minnesota Yankees playoff series' gott to.

Speaker 3 (24:41):
Be is the one when you guys were in the
Jurnal no oh.

Speaker 2 (24:45):
Two thousand and nine. Ye see, he always brings it
to Yurnal talk. I don't I've literally never said that.
So were at Yankee you said it was a weird story.
It was a weird story, and you how this has
gotta be a ten out of ten weird. There's a
big platter of desserts at Yankee Stadium and he takes
his index finger and he licks the frosting off of

(25:07):
one of the desserts. Oh no, yeah, I mean I
don't want to do that. And then he left it.

Speaker 12 (25:12):
Yeah.

Speaker 2 (25:13):
I don't think you wouldn't get on a piece, but
he just wanted to get on some of the frosting.
Ten that's not ten out of ten, first of all. Oh,
come on, in public, I think it is weird.

Speaker 3 (25:20):
Ten out of ten.

Speaker 2 (25:22):
Have you ever done that before?

Speaker 10 (25:24):
No, I have.

Speaker 2 (25:24):
If he like licked every one, that'd be ten out
of ten maybe, or that'd be like eight out of ten.
Really Okay, So what do you put boys but a
grown man going to a dessert area index finger going,
you know, I don't want a piece of the cake.
I don't want to some of the of the pie,
but I'm gonna take a big old index finger scoop
of frost in, you know, to take care of my pallette.

(25:45):
It's a weirdo kind of it's public's home narcissistic, weird.
It's a little narcissistic. It feels like it's kind of
nast everyone else is here for me. Yeah, is he
like an only child or something that looked that up.
I knew him early in his career as a voice
of the Atlanta Atlanta Hawks and the Atlanta Braves back

(26:05):
when I first watched the Braves and TBS in the
back in the year.

Speaker 3 (26:07):
I didn't even know he was anywhere else.

Speaker 2 (26:08):
Yeah, did some. Yeah, he's done a lot of things.
Eight World Series with five victories, twelve times Sports Emmy
Award winner when he has fastball was good, but he
became kind of a character of himself the last twenty
years or so, and then none of the three. What
are we gonna do without our spirit? Airline fights? What
airline takes that over? I don't know. There's gonna be

(26:30):
more fights on other airlines. I mean it's like Frontier,
Like I'm gonna throw hands over here. This is bad
for everyone, you know. Oh, it's terrible because because I'll
tell you what. I went on a mirrored Airlines flight
from for La Charlotte when we went down to spring training,
and uh, it was fine. I mean I had to
get the first class because I wasn't gonna sit.

Speaker 6 (26:50):
Back in the coach.

Speaker 2 (26:51):
But it was fine. It was nothing wrong with it. Yeah,
the mere existence of Spirit keeps prices low across the board.
So there was a merger up for grabs a couple
of years ago between Mirriat and UH ret rule what ret.

Speaker 3 (27:08):
Rue bless you and UH there was some ret rue airlines.

Speaker 2 (27:14):
Yeah, and there was unfortunately a lot of uh political
bantering like this is bad for business any rear it's
out of air called apparently. Yeah, the jet fuel prices accelerated. Yeah,
their demise didn't help. And then they helped in margins
as it is. And then and then I guess they
were looking for a five and a million dollar government
by help out and they couldn't come together.

Speaker 3 (27:35):
On that, so they said, shut your bumb ass up.

Speaker 2 (27:39):
It's rude. The nice thing about it is you're seeing
some there were some like some Spirit pilots that were
supposed to fall their last flight. They were flying on
other airlines, and other airlines were like, hey, we applaud
you retired. Now you know, congratulation in your long run.
So it's kind of its kind of sad. But man,
the Mirriort Spirit Airlines flights with the luggage people by

(28:00):
behind the ticket counter. Those are legendary. Why because they
they just they call each other names and throw hands
and it's just you kind of miss it.

Speaker 7 (28:10):
Yeah.

Speaker 2 (28:11):
I didn't care for a merrit but I've only I
did it one time and I vout never again. They're
a multi hour delayed, so I didn't check my bag
in early, and they're like, you need to.

Speaker 3 (28:22):
They wouldn't take it. They said you need to check
an hour before.

Speaker 2 (28:25):
I was like, the fights in two hours, Like, no,
you need to check an hour before the original time.
Shut up. Yes, I would not take my They would
not take my bag. I had to call my mom.
She had to go home, get a carry on back
and then come back. I love. You do not deserve.

Speaker 3 (28:43):
You do not deserve at all at all?

Speaker 11 (28:46):
All right?

Speaker 2 (28:46):
Line three is Roger? His phone usually sucks? Will his
phone suck again today? I don't know.

Speaker 3 (28:54):
Is he in a category three hurricane? Now, Roger?

Speaker 2 (28:58):
Good morning, Roger?

Speaker 6 (29:02):
Hell?

Speaker 13 (29:02):
Yes, can hear me?

Speaker 14 (29:03):
Yes?

Speaker 6 (29:04):
Sir?

Speaker 13 (29:05):
Okay? Sorry man? Uh so, just on the rockets rather quickly.
I uh, you know, I'm not trying to fire anybody
or get anybody. Uh you know, I just think that
if they're gonna try to reshoffle some of this deck.
Just start with the bench. Start with the bench. Have
something coming off the bench that's gonna indeed help you out. Uh,

(29:30):
And you know, in a couple of games or just
trying to you know, get some guys that that you
know that they're helpful, not not just a bunch of
guys that are just they do nothing for you.

Speaker 2 (29:40):
I mean they were down three starters, so they had
to go to their nine, ten eleven guys. Like, yeah,
if you're down three guy or three or top six,
I should say so, yeah, your bench is gonna be thinning.

Speaker 13 (29:49):
Can the quality get better? I mean do they have
enough money for that? I mean I'm trying to start low,
you know, and I know they're they're well, you know money.

Speaker 2 (29:56):
Aaron Holliday should not have been out there, Josha Kogi
probably not playingverybody's healthy. Like the reality is this The
only real freedom you're probably going to have will be
for two things. If you don't resign, Tari, you'll have
some flexibility, and then if Fred gets a renegotiated contract,
maybe a lesser base in future years. But there is

(30:16):
I mean, you are tied heavily into Kevin. You are
tied heavily into Alprin Shingoon. You are tied heavily into
Jabari Smith. I mean, Thompson's looking for a deal that's
going to put him in that fifty million dollars category.
There isn't a tremendous amount of flexibile at this point.
Not that I've been privy to the numbers, but I'm
doing my due diligence looking around and see what the
contracts are. And I don't think if you moved off

(30:38):
of Jay Shawn Tay and Aaron Holliday and Jeff Green
and other people like that, that's all of a sudden
going to open up a roster spot for a forty
million dollar guy.

Speaker 13 (30:48):
No, I'm not asking for that. I'm just maybe just
a slighte upgrade. Also, what are your what do you
think about this? I'm going to a sign and trade
with Tari East and them up in another package. I
don't know who that that's going to be. Also another question,
because you are the Rockets insider, and we love you, Matt,
thank you for all kinds of reasons. But is uh

(31:12):
is Javin Garnett the Boat Callaghan of basketball? Now if
you know who that is, that's A's a fictional character
from the from the movie Draft Day Uh, in which
by and Largest was a top draft pick, that it
wasn't so popular with the teammates. So that's all I
need to ask.

Speaker 2 (31:32):
He and Kevin Durant and Kevin Garnett thank you for
the phone call. Yeah, we got you, We got you.
Thanks Roger God.

Speaker 3 (31:41):
Even minute it was missed five of the six games.

Speaker 2 (31:43):
Yeah, can we like, look the vibe about Okay, let's
just put everything on. The vibe about the burner count
isn't great. He's and I've told you all this one
hundred times times a million. Kevin Durant leads by hit
hitting mid range shots at a fifty percent clip and

(32:05):
hits uh threes and hits about ninety percent for the
free throw line. That's how he leads. He's not going
to be the Kumbaya leader. And I don't want kumbaya.
I need wins. I need points. You guys a year
ago to this point were like, we can't rely on
Kevin on uh, Jalen Green, you can't rely on Dylan
Brooks to be a twenty five point score. Fred Vanvleetz,

(32:26):
I'm gonna give it to you every single time. Those
all are still equations in play. You wanted the Rockets
to go get an elite fourth quarter score. Well, unfortunately
he couldn't be out there in the fourth quarter because
he was hurt. But when he was on the floor
and you needed buckets over the seventy eight regular she's
in games, give them to you.

Speaker 15 (32:45):
Is there?

Speaker 2 (32:46):
Go ahead, Johnny.

Speaker 16 (32:47):
I was just saying, because the whole reason Katie probably
came to Houston is because we Houston Rockets already had
Fred ben Lee as the leader, like he was part
of it.

Speaker 2 (32:57):
Yeah, yeah, and he was gone, like I help me
out here. If we're doing Minnesota radio. And when the
Timberwolves losing the Spurs without Aunt Edwards and Dante v
de Vincenzo, is everyone calling for Chris Finch to get fired?
Is everyone in La saying that the Lakers Jj Reddick
needs to be fired if they don't beat the.

Speaker 3 (33:15):
Thunder with uh with Luka Dancic.

Speaker 2 (33:19):
I don't know those are different situations, but I mean,
it's so ridiculous the expectation right now. And I know
what y'all are scared about, and I get it. Fred's
gonna be a year move of this year a year
year older. He was never a knockdown, drag out forty

(33:39):
point shooter. He helped you out in spurts. But it
is something that needs to be discussed that Freddy is missed, Steven.

Speaker 3 (33:47):
Adams miss it was missed. Kevin Durant played only one
game in the series.

Speaker 2 (33:51):
Yeah, one game, and it's all the coaches and it's
fire everyone, and that one game he played played better
than the entire team, well except for the turnovers, but
that's a diffinitions are bad. But I think he led
them in scoring. He would he had twenty points in
the first half or whatever. And yeah, yeah, Aaron Holliday
shouldn't be out there, Jay Shaun Tait and those guys

(34:13):
like shouldn't be out there. And by the way, Dory
finnih Smith did not play well this year. That's another
thing that's I mean, that was a that was a
bad miss. At this point, he was a dud, complete dud.
That's for sure an issue. And you're hoping that with
an offseason the ankle can get better and he can
play better. But he's gonna be a year older. Fred
van Vliet is gonna be like thirty three coming off

(34:34):
an a cl injury. Steven Adams is a big aren't
you worried about a big man coming off of ankle
surgery and how he's gonna acclimate and get back in
and operate, And then this is gonna be a very
interesting officer. They're gonna kick, They're gonna kick tires on
trades because that's what every team does. But it ain't
a quick fix. And I got news for you any

(34:56):
quick fix for a lot of NBA teams. Let me
tell you that Denver isn't a bad spot. They have
a Christian Brown contract that is killing them right now.

Speaker 3 (35:04):
They're losing their mind.

Speaker 2 (35:05):
They're losing their mind with Jamal Murray can't stay healthy,
that's killing them.

Speaker 3 (35:11):
With the the younger Adaman what's his first name?

Speaker 6 (35:13):
David?

Speaker 2 (35:13):
David? Sure?

Speaker 9 (35:14):
Why not?

Speaker 2 (35:14):
You know what I'm saying. This is not just the
Rockets got issues. The Rockets and the rest of the
NBA had these two teams called the San Antonio Spurs
and the Oklahoma City Thunder who just look fantastic, and
it's going to take a seismic, seismic offseason for them
to get to the number three seed or at least
be in that top two because right now. Those two

(35:35):
teams have been what the part excellence really since the
start of the season. Yeah, and the Rockets want to
get there they do to tell the truth is coming
up and not to thirty five minutes. Well, the news

(35:56):
at noon we're going to carry Emaadoka and Rafelstone speak.
He't won thirty today. Russ will be off tomorrow, so
Gordy's gonna come and hang out with us for a
couple of hours. I got Joe a spot on. Hopefully
we'll be celebrating at Astro victory over the Los Angeles
Baby got missing you today at one twenty today because
of the press conference at one thirty, Rasio Dubon making

(36:18):
highlight material.

Speaker 3 (36:19):
Yes, it was a nice catch.

Speaker 2 (36:23):
I'll stop Nicker's account.

Speaker 3 (36:25):
I was going to Nick Allen. I think he's hurt, right,
he's still hurt. Wow, those are the ones that hurts.

Speaker 2 (36:36):
Let me tell you. Look, Dubon isn't everything, but it
wasn't like Dubon was breaking the bank for you, and man,
that just doesn't look good. That's what hurts is because
now we I can in defense of Jim Crane like
signing these law these big time gouty long term deals.

Speaker 12 (36:54):
I get it.

Speaker 2 (36:55):
You don't want to sign Kyle Tucker to sixty million
dollars a year. You don't want to sign I signed
regment to everything that he got signed to, same thing
for Frommer and Cole and all that type stuff. But
like shaving payroll to get to get under the tax
to for Mariso do Bond, that's where that's where the
penny pinching hurts. And we will see how Hayesus Sanchez does. Okay,

(37:17):
how's little Brafrito doing.

Speaker 15 (37:19):
Hurt?

Speaker 11 (37:20):
Oh?

Speaker 2 (37:21):
But it was okay before, Well, then he declined, and
then Bryce Matthews kind of learning center field bay. That's
a storyline. Bryce Matthews wakes up. That'd be good for
Dana Brown. That'd be good for the Astros making plays
out there speaking Yeah, yeah, you got Bryce Matthews making
center field catches. He's got more pops Marisio do Bond.

(37:45):
He's been hitting a little bit, so Dana. I mean,
I don't think I need to tell yall something that
you don't already know. Dy don't need some wins pretty
soon here. He needs some draft picks to pop up
on some prospect lists right now. It's nothing, Yeah, it's
not good all right, seven one, three, two, five seven
on k SO wh Terry. We'll get to you guys
coming up starting the top of the eleven o'clock hour.

(38:06):
We have but to tell the truth. At eleven thirty, Um,
it really hit me hard going to Bex's modeouse about
how we we just don't like the NFL Network Draft
rewind was on the TV. We just don't care about
non Houston sports. Well, yeah, I guess somebody would have

(38:28):
asked at some point. It was a game seven, I know,
but still it's Eastern Conference. We didn't care about Eastern Conference.
We haven't carrid about it in twenty years. That's true
because like Jordan was there. Yeah, that's the last time
we locked in on Eastern. By the way, I got
news for you. Boston ain't feeling great today. Their team
lost in Team seven of the playoffs. Their Red Sox

(38:50):
sucked them in a managerial change and it didn't pan out.
Other cities are going through it and it's just us.

Speaker 9 (38:56):
I know.

Speaker 2 (38:56):
That's why I gotta keep the Astros relevant. Yes, Lee,
please please? Ten fifty seven on seven ninety is.

Speaker 3 (39:04):
The Matt Thomas Show with Ross.

Speaker 2 (39:10):
Good Morning, Houston, Texas. We're gonna get through this. It's
crappy time for Rocket fans. Astros are under five hundred.
Just hang around. Look Rossie again worth repeating a game
before the caafones. American League sucks. I mean, the Yankees
are the kreme de la creme. I get that, but
everybody else is just fighting for second place right now,

(39:32):
that includes your Astros. I mean, as bad as the
things have gone, they are only four and a half
out of first place. The A's are eighteen and sixteen.
They're in first place. They're two games about five hundred.
They have a minus ten run differential. Every team in
the American League West has a minus run differential. You
still gotta start winning some more games too. Two out

(39:54):
of three. Yeah, it is good, but you still have
to take advantage. Ye, you have an opportunity. You have
to seize the opportunity. Now, the Reds have lost three
in a row. The Astros will go up to Since
this weekend to take on the Reds. The Dodgers, by
the way, are coming in with a record of here
we go twenty one and thirteen. They have lost five

(40:16):
of their last ten. You know, the hottest team in
baseball is who's the hottest team in baseball, Matthew. The
Atlanta Braves. They are twenty five and ten. They have
the best record by far any in sport, in in baseball.

Speaker 3 (40:35):
It's because they got Maurice who dubon the next best records.

Speaker 2 (40:39):
The New York Yankees are game and a half out
the Cubs with Alex Bregman or two and a half
Tampa Bays the fourth best record. They have the rays
of a better record than the Dodgers do. But that
in your pigman smoke it. I'd rather not. All right,
let's go to the phone and talk to the great
people of Houston, Texas. By the way, Uh, this is allergy.
Think I'm taking del daily out stuff. M I don't

(41:01):
know if it's affecting my voice, and I feel fine.
I look, I mean, I look amazing. I was thinking
Haggard was the word. Really, No, I'm just kidding that,
so you look, I I you know what, I'm fantastic.
I took a Rossville real bit of advice, which I
don't like to do a whole lot because normally the
stuff you tell me is not good.

Speaker 3 (41:16):
You need to listen to me more. Quite frankly, I.

Speaker 2 (41:18):
Completely decompressed for this weekend. Yes, did not leave the
Kinglyn metro area. Just took the boys and I had
a lot of weekend stuff because the girls were in
Reno and volleyball.

Speaker 3 (41:27):
By way, shout out to my daughter. Her last ever club.

Speaker 2 (41:33):
Point was her She served an ace to wrap up
her club career's bed.

Speaker 11 (41:38):
That's it.

Speaker 2 (41:40):
Now I can spend that money on area like Michael
Jordan in nineteen ninety eight, left on the top. Yeah, well,
I guess, except now she's going to college, so it's different. Yeah,
I gotta pay for a lot of Houston and Providence airfairs.
Best on the hero there not worried about that at all.
Seems like you're a little worried. You can't sho it up.
I'm significantly worried, really really worried. Kay, So on seven
Natty K so good bring you good.

Speaker 7 (42:01):
Morning, guys.

Speaker 14 (42:02):
How are you? I'll doing okay, quickly, I'll go through it.

Speaker 3 (42:06):
There is probably no way E may get fired this
summer zero champ.

Speaker 11 (42:12):
This is already this is already Stone. This is Stone's
second coach. So how would that look if he already
pulled the plug on this? I just he's he's gonna
ride with ma. Now, I will say that there has
been way too much you know, smoke when it comes
to the coaching staff, and there's been a lot of
you know, criticisms from the national media. I think the

(42:33):
Rockets do need to take a look at the coaching
staff and try to get an offensive ace, kind of
like when D'Antoni was here and he had Bisdelic running
the defense. I'm looking for something like that for hopefully,
hopefully this summer because I just don't see Stone moving
off of off of e May. I just wanted to
see what you guys think about that. And one last
thing is you said Terry's calling in next.

Speaker 3 (42:56):
I guess yeah, y'all should y'all.

Speaker 11 (43:00):
Should play like a national anthem or something every time
he calls in, you know, give him a little presidential.

Speaker 2 (43:05):
How about we play we should play the money song
because he's he's a multi millionaire because he won the
lottery a handful of years back. Don't forget that part.

Speaker 12 (43:15):
Trillion, one trillion billion, one billion trillion people.

Speaker 7 (43:19):
Thanks guys.

Speaker 2 (43:22):
Yeah, I'm checking my venmo. It's Terry is supposed to
send me. You're supposed to send us all some money, right, Yeah, Well,
the question is, is Terry know how to use a Venmo?
Oh that's rude. I imagine he does. There's no chance.

Speaker 3 (43:38):
He's probably had a Vanmo the grandkids. M Well, we
can ask him. Yeah, might as well knock this out. Ooh,
it's so weird.

Speaker 2 (43:48):
What's weird? I know how people spend their money. I'm
not going to tell you how I venmo. I put
my own private. That's not You're never gonna know how
I spend my money. It's some years.

Speaker 3 (43:58):
Send the money with a It's like a kit emoji.

Speaker 2 (44:00):
What's that for? I mean, there's pizza mooji, there is
phone emojis on here, haircut emoji's baseball with a ticket
stub on there, some boutique that one dude gave it
another to his girl. This is weird. Why why don't
we even know y'all's business?

Speaker 17 (44:22):
Do you?

Speaker 2 (44:22):
Is your is your venmo public?

Speaker 17 (44:25):
No?

Speaker 2 (44:26):
But why are we the normal ones?

Speaker 7 (44:27):
Then?

Speaker 2 (44:29):
I don't know.

Speaker 3 (44:29):
Let them live their lives.

Speaker 2 (44:30):
That's fine.

Speaker 3 (44:31):
I mean, is this like a false brag, a humble brag?

Speaker 2 (44:36):
It's a humble brag, like tell somebody you bought pizza,
Like Matt paid Winfried and it's a gas station emoji. Okay,
well that's nice. Caleb paid Halley for a bag, Matt
paid William for pizza. Now you kind of get low
key obsessed over this, then you don't forget it. Let
me let me see what y'all are spending your money on.

(44:57):
Please close app.

Speaker 3 (45:01):
Terry, what's your VIMO account?

Speaker 18 (45:05):
Six nine six?

Speaker 3 (45:10):
All right, Terry, what do you need?

Speaker 19 (45:13):
Yeah, congratulations to your daughter.

Speaker 3 (45:16):
Thank you very much. I appreciate that. Nice you to say.

Speaker 19 (45:21):
And as far as you're being upset, let's go Cavs.

Speaker 8 (45:27):
Where the Lakers.

Speaker 2 (45:28):
Playing in Oklahoma City? Where the Rockets playing in Houston?
Taxi CanCon.

Speaker 17 (45:43):
Exactly.

Speaker 15 (45:48):
You all have a great day.

Speaker 13 (45:50):
And why didn't you play the presidential Yeah?

Speaker 8 (45:53):
There we go.

Speaker 3 (45:57):
Well, this is a national anthem? You want to Hell
to the chief? Why I don't find a national anthem?
It's got gunfire at the back, Like, where do you
find this? By the way, I think we have a
skyhawk in the background. There's an eagle. All right, it's

(46:19):
Hail to the Chief. I think is what we're looking for?

Speaker 2 (46:21):
Yes, is that what you want? Tarry? He's gone. I
think he's got his pills at eleven fifteen vitamins is lunch. Well, no,
it's twelve o eight in Cleveland, taking once a day already.
Gotta stay healthy, baby, So I'm doing these allergy things.
It's working. Uh yeah, okay, I don't think it is.

(46:43):
Wish you knew the BESTE all right? Where we're going
from here? I rails show. I think we're gonna have
to give Terry a break. I just don't. It doesn't. Yeah,
it was. It's funny sometimes sometimes that it hasn't happened.
It has been funny in like two weeks. I disagree.
I like when you take shots at you, that's nothing

(47:04):
funny about that's hilarious. I've already got like, I got
people on Twitter taking shots at me. I got Terry
taking shot me. Come on, can we just be nice
to each other for once? San Antonio Spurs thirteen and
a half point favorites over the Timberwolves, Nix and Sixers.

Speaker 3 (47:19):
Celtics eliminated. That's a shame. Jamal Mosley fired today by
the Orlando Magic.

Speaker 2 (47:25):
How about this?

Speaker 3 (47:26):
They get up in the series?

Speaker 2 (47:27):
What were they up? Three to one? I think three
to one? So he went from at least he went
from being fired to being rehired to being fired being fired,
and apparently Donovan Mitchell about it to Mitchell, Billy Donovan
is the sexy name to replace him down in Orlantindo.
That makes sense. Thunder fifteen and a half point favorites
over the Lakers, who I cannot comment on these things.

(47:53):
I would like to be in next.

Speaker 3 (47:54):
You don't have to comment. They're saying that's a big number.

Speaker 2 (47:57):
That is a huge number, because Lucas sounds like he's
nowhere close to being ready. Yeah, Oklahoma City has been
sitting there relaxing on. Well, there's no beach in Oklahoma City.
I don't know what they've been doing. But what is
the number one thing to do in Oklahoma City? Visit
that haunted hotel?

Speaker 8 (48:13):
Uh?

Speaker 2 (48:16):
What is the number one thing to do in oklaholm now?

Speaker 3 (48:20):
Such probably their top zoo. Well, first of all, it's
not like it's not a it's not a place that
you would go visit. They just got a new hamster
in the zoo.

Speaker 2 (48:28):
They actually have a decent zoo from what I've been.
They have a bricktown area which is like their downtown
restaurant's bar. Stuff.

Speaker 3 (48:36):
Number one National Memorial in museum.

Speaker 2 (48:39):
Oh for the attack, Oh for the bombing. Yeah, I
don't think I want to do that. That's a real down.

Speaker 8 (48:42):
I don't.

Speaker 7 (48:44):
Oh.

Speaker 2 (48:44):
Bricktown, yeah, bricktown. I guess it's like the the Sewage
Walk in San Antonio, pretty close, smaller, it's got putt putt.
Well that the National Cowboy Museum. Now the jam would
have been to go to the casinos down in Norman
and Western Museum. Okay, I think the Leginia. I think
the casinos are legit. Now I'll take you. Oh apparently

(49:09):
I told you, well, you're not going now, I told
you the one that goes they don't have any. But
it doesn't matter. It doesn't matter anymore. I'll sposed to
be in La today celebrating a game seven win one
for the Ages. Let's go instead, Oklahomas.

Speaker 3 (49:24):
LA's instead.

Speaker 2 (49:25):
They scored seventy eight points on Friday, and everybody wanted
to claw their eyes out watching their offense.

Speaker 3 (49:34):
Seventy eight points is a miracle. They got that far.
What was it at half thirty one?

Speaker 2 (49:38):
I've already lost the game out of my mind. Oh
and by the way, we have to stop and look
some of the things Lebron says about non basketball stuff
is really stupid. He's still a magnificent basketball player. I mean,
he just said, you know what, stop talking about my age.

(49:59):
I'm gonna put up twenty points, and I'm gonna do
it fluidly. I didn't shoot. He was a volume shooter
again the other night. But generally speaking for a guy
who's forty one, who's supposed to be old and can't
practice and can't play more than two days, you know,
twice a week, he's scored over twenty points in all
the games in the series. Twenty eight points, eight assists,

(50:20):
seven rebounds in a closeout game at forty one years old.
And by the way, Will Anderson looks like his kid.
Will Anderson and Brownie James are like twins. It's scary.
But what congrats and Will Anderson ridiculously rich, ridiculously rich. Yeah,

(50:45):
not Lebron money, not NBA money. No, they're doing what
they're doing well for themselves. That's true, and that's starving
now looking for their next meal. No, they're not even
in Oklahoma City. Eleven thirteen is Matt and Ross with
you today until two pm. We've got to tell the truth.
Coming up in about seventeen minutes here on the program
seven one three two one two five seven ninety. If
you want to jump in, that's seven one three two

(51:08):
one two five seven nine zero Astros with a nice rebound.

Speaker 1 (51:14):
Uh.

Speaker 2 (51:14):
And we got to get to Brian and Bray you
is he back or was that a one off? We'll
discuss that next year on seven ninety. All right, So
Brian Bray, you gives you two innings yesterday, kind of
boy necess ross right. I mean, I'm worried about aja
blue ball. I don't think I've ever thought I would

(51:36):
utter that phrase. My man is just throwing serious innings
in the last two weeks or so, high volume usage. Frank,
the entire bullpen. I mean, you guys, se If Steven
Hoakard starting to night. That's a bullpen game. It's a concern,
and you continue to I mean, you're getting let's say

(51:58):
you got a quality start from the Colors. I have
to go through the weekend again. I mean that was
like at the end of last week. I should say
Spencer Arraghetty was good, but he went five innings. I'm
a little worried still long term, they won two out
of three. Yes the right, So that's terrible, but you

(52:19):
gotta be terrible teams and then it maybe builds momentum. Remember, yeah, uh,
you know you're you're not looking to sweep the Dodgers. Hell,
I'd be happy with one.

Speaker 3 (52:29):
No, I don't say that.

Speaker 6 (52:30):
I mean I be happy with one.

Speaker 2 (52:33):
Come on, now, two out of three. I'd be happy
with one out of two. You one out of three,
I should say it's good. Two?

Speaker 3 (52:44):
Okay, Shoe have tin. He's got to give us some runs.

Speaker 2 (52:46):
At some point.

Speaker 3 (52:47):
He's gonna have a point six e r a alll
season against the team.

Speaker 2 (52:52):
Well again, the Astros offense, start of the lineup, especially
top of the lineup's good to bounce back a little bit.
Brice M.

Speaker 7 (53:00):
Yeah, I know.

Speaker 3 (53:04):
At least he's uh playing gold glove defense. It's second.

Speaker 2 (53:07):
According to some who said that, I don't know seeing
eye tests. Okay, bo wait, you know what, I'm a
huge watcher of how people age because I'm aging myself. Okay,
you notice the amount of gray in Joe A. Spotta's
beard is growing.

Speaker 17 (53:23):
I have not.

Speaker 3 (53:25):
I'm more focused on my own gray that's growing.

Speaker 2 (53:27):
It's fair.

Speaker 3 (53:28):
It's from hanging out with you.

Speaker 2 (53:29):
Yeah, but I sang it on TV that you're okay, Oh,
thank you, Yeah, I look good. You can say it.

Speaker 3 (53:34):
You were gonna say it, you stopped yourself.

Speaker 2 (53:37):
I think there were people asking why you were a
sport coat. Yeah, I understand I have a because I
have a blue one and I didn't have a pressed
shirt that matched right. The only other shirts I had
they were ready to go wear blue. I guess I
could have prepared better, but no, no, no, you guys
were on for like five minutes. It's fine, it's fine.
I like to wear a coat, but it and also,

(53:58):
I lost some weight, so two of my other coats
really fit well. I didn't want to go out there
looking like I was wearing my dad's coat. Hey, I
have a problem with that. I have lost a lot
of weight in the last ten years, and there's I
had to basically last summer just go into my closet
and get rid of everything. I understand. I'm gonna hold
to have yeah, because you know, if I get it back,
I'm gonna want it, gonna get fat and half exactly. Okay,

(54:18):
how many sport coach do you own, Jonathan Allen? Collectively two?
I have two suit coats and two sport coats. I
think I'm in that same spot. Love is because I
don't wear a lot of that such why would you
get a lot? I think this day and age, we're
less formal. I mean look at the like, for example,
coaches in the NBA. It's it's everywhere. Things are less
formal these days. Do you like the less formal coaching?

(54:40):
People are really next about it, and I don't care.
But it is nice when they dress up. But it's
also like, you don't need some guy like remember when
Sean Miller is like sweating through his shirt.

Speaker 3 (54:51):
You don't need that. Let the guy wear some dry fit.
How about how about the coach that used to be A.

Speaker 2 (54:55):
And M he's now at Maryland, Buzz Williams. Buzz Williams.
It's like his suits didn't fit him and it was
he was like stuck in them. It was squeezing. Really Yeah,
then have good tailors up in college station. They should.
He makes great money or did you make I'm sure
he makes good money in Maryland now too. I I
don't have a problem with it whatsoever. Be comfy. I

(55:16):
don't care either. I would say this, I'd say leave
it up to the coach. Can't they They can wear
suits still, right if they want there they're unionized. I
don't know if it's all with the coaches union. Gotta
say the coach Union said sweatpants. Give them an option.
I mean, I love living the sweatpant life. I come
up here about four out of five days of the week,
I'm wearing sweatpants. You got me. I'm in the lemon life. Right,

(55:38):
You feel good, don't you? I do want to be comfortable.
I don't want these white pasty legs being shown publicly.
I noticed that when I'm when I'm walking around in
the hotel, like some of the players are like, is
that who is that? First of all? And second why
is his legs? So it's fair, I know, But the
only to fix it is to put them out there. No, no,

(55:59):
just don't worry about it. Yeah, why you're not gonna
do it because it's gonna fade if you If you
take time to ten, you gotta maintain. Yeah. I don't
have time to maintain anything with life changes. Man, you
gotta be you gotta be committed to maintaining them. It's
like I'm going to people, I'm gonna go in Quto
for three weeks. Okay, Yeah, what's gonna happen after that?
Like working out? There's nothing worse in my life than
working out. Now, I can eat right, I can do that.

(56:19):
You can.

Speaker 3 (56:20):
There's gym right here.

Speaker 2 (56:20):
You can hit it. After two o'clock. There's nobody in there.
Normally at two o'clock, nobody just me, myself and I usually. Okay,
So you don't have to be embarrassed. And that's fine
because I seriously I have zero muscle tone. Yeah, well,
I think you should at least get like you get
your steps in. I got my hypertension down. Worried about
your blood pressure? Me too, Me too.

Speaker 3 (56:45):
Doug salth Pottery, Good morning to you.

Speaker 12 (56:48):
How's it going, Guy's good. You know, with the Rockets,
I think it's fands. We got to be a little
bit patient. You know, they're they're starting five obviously not
counting Durant is like twenty two and a half year
years old, and the Lakers starting five, not counting Lebron
was twenty eight and a half. And you know, I
don't always agree with the way the Rockets draft. They've
had really good draft picks two, three, four, three, but

(57:11):
they're always getting the kids that are one and done.
You know, they're average ages anywhere from eighteen to twenty,
so they're not really learning on the job in college.
They're having to learn on the job of the pros.
That's just going to take time for these guys to develop.
So as much as I don't like the fact that
they're always taking kids one and done, at least the
kids they've drafted are more than what you and Ross

(57:33):
like to say just the guy. And I'll use as
an example Jeres Walker from the Cougars. You know, he
got drafted first round number eight in the NBA first
year three points, second or four points this year ten points,
so it's taken him three years to become again what
you guys called just the guy. So the folks the
Rockets have are more than that. But I just standably

(57:54):
just have to be a little bit patient. You know
that these guys go under their age. They're not twenty five,
twenty six at twenty two years old, so it is
what it is. But anyway, I appreciate guy guys up
and I'll listen.

Speaker 2 (58:06):
Thank you, uh there is a it's funny we can't
and thank you for the phone called Doug. We don't
need to use age anymore. It's more about experience.

Speaker 9 (58:15):
You know.

Speaker 2 (58:16):
There are some that say Alprin Shangun is who he's
going to be for his career. Jabari has taken a
step up a little bit reed certainly has. I'm talking
about the guys a Men Thompson. The next step in
his career would be obviously to get the shot going.
Now the question will be will that ever be the case?
His free throw percentage is exceptional, went up over ten

(58:39):
percent year to year, so there is a there is
a there was a increase in that it's in the
eye of the beholder Ross and that it's not really
what you and I really believe. It's what the ask,
it's what the rockets believe. Yeah, it's it's a true
statement to say these guys are young and they can
get better. But the question is, and that nobody really knows.

(59:03):
The true answer to is how much better? Because as
you said, you have guys Alprin shing Gun is in
his fifth year of his career. Yes, he's twenty three
years old and by the way, a two time All
Star olthough the second time was an injury replacement. How
much better is he going to be? Because there are
players who hit their ceiling a lot faster and who

(59:29):
within those five years are getting him. For example, at
Edwards has finished top ten in the MVP within his
first five years a couple times.

Speaker 3 (59:36):
And that we got into this trap with Jalen Green.
Oh he's so young, he's so young.

Speaker 2 (59:40):
But yeah, but when you compare him to his peers,
he's lacking in development because there are guys usually takes
him a couple of years to reach their all star
potential and then they can get better from there. But
generally by year three or four, you're seeing a lot,
at least ninety percent of what the player is going
to be. And as I mentioned on the Postgame Show
on Friday, like in twenty sixteen seventeen, I thought James

(01:00:02):
Harden and his ceiling, then he went on won three
scoring championships and mvy PTE. So guys can't get better.
But James Harden went from like twenty nine points a
game to like thirty three. Right, you're not expecting all
of a sudden Alprin Shingun is gonna be a thirty
and ten guy or something like that. That would be
largely unprecedented. And the comp that a lot of people

(01:00:23):
make is Nikola Jokic. Well, by his fifth year, Nikola Jokic,
I believe, was making an All Star team, trying to
pull it up here real quick. Yeah, by his oh
my god, waited nicolayk oh my god. But by his
fourth year he was first Team All NBA. By the way,
there has been a little bit of not shaming of

(01:00:44):
Nikola Jokic, but that Denver lost to those folks. He
wasn't very good. Rudygobert did a number on him that series.
Did we take him off the top ten all time list?
Because I'm in the leader of that. We can't take
him off the list because a one bad series can't. No,
we can't. All right, I'm just saying he said, no,
we can. We can cannot we can? I mean, whoa, Okay,

(01:01:07):
Jonathan Johnny put it out there, some sense to the standard.

Speaker 3 (01:01:10):
He's three time MVP.

Speaker 2 (01:01:12):
Okay, I'm not taking him off the top ten all time. Well,
first of all, I didn't have him on the top
ten all time list. I did.

Speaker 3 (01:01:21):
You gotta you gotta flesh that list out then, because.

Speaker 2 (01:01:24):
The problem, here's the problem is that if I'm putting
him on the list, I gotta kick somebody out. And
I don't know how much do He averaged twenty six points,
thirteen rebounds, and nine and a half assists.

Speaker 3 (01:01:33):
Horrible almost averages.

Speaker 2 (01:01:36):
Twenty six you go, bear getting all the shine though
he shot forty four percent from the field. Turn the
ball over quarterback, I'm assuming. Let me see the turnovers
four three, four, four, three and five. It's a lot,
but it's a lot. Yeah, it's not Kevin Durant eight
for the amount of ball handling he does as well. Yea.
And that's also nine and we're talking about nine and

(01:01:57):
a half assists, So I mean three point eight turnovers,
nine and a half assis. That's that's acceptable, three to
one for sure. All right, listen, Dave, hangtut. We're gonna
get to you once to talk about the Rockets. We
have to tell the truth coming up next as well,
So gentlemen, I have four sports takes. Also, we have
an interesting Ramona Shellburne report with some nuggets about the

(01:02:19):
Rockets future. Okay, let's hold onto that too. We got
to tell the truth. Dave and Ramona show what about
I saw Ramona in La Yeah, mm hmm.

Speaker 18 (01:02:27):
That's cool.

Speaker 2 (01:02:28):
It's fine. It's one of those California reporters never come east.
They always want to stay in l.

Speaker 3 (01:02:33):
It's not true. I didn't see her names David and
David mcminnimon was.

Speaker 2 (01:02:37):
There, mcmimon, mcmim Rachel Nichols. I saw there. She looks
good still she was ever bad. But you know, forget
it all right, guys. I have four sports takes. I
believe three of them.

Speaker 15 (01:02:51):
You hear me.

Speaker 2 (01:02:52):
You always put me in this tough spot.

Speaker 7 (01:02:54):
I did nothing.

Speaker 3 (01:02:55):
You're right, I put you nowhere. It's just easier for.

Speaker 2 (01:02:58):
Me to blame you. Seven to one three two one
two five seven. Nati to tell the truth is up next,
plus Ramona Sherborn nuggets seven one three two one two
five seven Atie, I never know why.

Speaker 6 (01:03:20):
Don't get.

Speaker 2 (01:03:35):
All right, ladies and gentlemen, It's time for us to play.
To tell the truth where I have three truths in
one line seven one three two one two five two.
Let me get this right again, seve one three two
one two five SEVENI we have a little bit of
breaking news from the Texans as well to get to really,
so we got a little juice and morsels to get

(01:03:55):
to you over the next hour. Nothing so severe nothing
so crazy. Okay, let me get to it. I have
three truce boys, and I have one line wonderful. Which
of the four am I lying about? Number one? These
are opinions. These are not fact. These are all opinions
of mine, So take that with a grain of salt.

(01:04:17):
I don't like watching games at Fenway Park. I don't
like going to Fenway Park. I think it's just Yankee
said em. Even though it's new, is mystique to it.
Chicago's got mistique. Dodger citium is mystique. I ain't a
fan of Fenway Park.

Speaker 3 (01:04:31):
It's overrated.

Speaker 2 (01:04:32):
I think the right field whatever, the Topesky's pole thing
is a joke, is what you're saying. I'm saying, Yeah,
I just I just don't like it. I think I've
not been It's next up on my list. I think
it's everything is overrated about Fenway Park. Okay.

Speaker 3 (01:04:44):
Number two. I would be stunned, stunned.

Speaker 2 (01:04:50):
If it's an eventful offseason for the Rockets. And I
would say stun meaning that Jabbari or an alpie or
a man or something like that would be traded. They're
gonna kick the tire. I just there's gonna be like
ten teams kicking the tires on a lot of high
end players. I would be completely stunned if it's an
eventful offseason. Could be wrong, but it's my opinion. Number three, Ross,

(01:05:13):
You've been trying to put this in my head for
a long period of time, and it actually range true
more than ever before. There is such a discrepancy between
Oklahoma City and San Antonio and the rest of the
West that if I'm Steve Kerr, I'm getting out of coaching.
I'm gonna go back to television, where I was very successful.
I was a front office guy with the Phoenix Suns.

(01:05:35):
I think the roadblock for Oklahoma City and San Antonio
are too big that he's gonna say, you know what,
I can make good money not have nearly as much pressure,
maybe going to the front office. I'm done with coaching.
I'm leaving the Golden State Warriors. Okay, and number four guys,
I think it's been way too quiet on CJ. Strodt
extension talk. I think we hear from David Mulligetta in

(01:05:56):
the next thirty days. Don't know that for sure, but
just a gut feeling in mine says that I think
he's like, oh, this is great that Alsi's aus sharer
is getting his money, and I really feel great that
Will Anderson is getting his money. And then Nico Collins.
You know, if there's been one thing we've noticed about
Nick Cassaro, he takes care of his guys, and maybe
you take care of him now it's compared to him

(01:06:18):
having a bounce back year and then really want overpay,
really putting you in a behind the eight ball because
you're talking about maybe paying him forty to forty five
this year is compared the next year maybe sixty sixty five.
I think we're gonna hear from David Malgano the next
thirty days, his agent hear from him.

Speaker 7 (01:06:34):
In what way?

Speaker 2 (01:06:35):
Just pay mek Nick. We're looking forward to having some
really good conversations. And what do you mean he's gonna
have a press conference or he's gonna sweet something out. Yeah, no,
he'll get a he'll get a story out. He don't
got pres Cofford, you don't have the pres converge for
in player, but he'll damn well geta Will will run
to a schefter. We'll run to a uh Ian Rappaport
if you will. Okay, So my four takes are one

(01:06:58):
nothing I like watching or going to a game at
Fenway Park. Number two, i'd be stupp be an eventual,
eventful offseason for the Rockets. Number three, I think Steve
Kerr is gonna leave coaching for television to the front
office because Oklahoma City and San Attornio are setting up
for domination in the West. And number four, I do
believe we're gonna hear from David Mulligata in the next
thirty days, just to put the put a little little
Bernie out saying, Hey, you've been taking care of a

(01:07:20):
lot of guys in this roster, take care of my guy.
Which one of the four am I not telling you
the truth? Which one am I aligned you about? Which
three am I telling you the truth?

Speaker 3 (01:07:29):
How you philing?

Speaker 2 (01:07:30):
Jonathan not good? I think he's down the last two
for me. I think Matt has said Fenway Park is overrated.

Speaker 16 (01:07:38):
I think he I think I've heard that before too,
but I'm not too sure. And then Steve Kerr, Does
Matt really believe that?

Speaker 2 (01:07:45):
I meant, that's just like way out of left field
Steve Kerr's coaching future. Yeah, does he leave?

Speaker 3 (01:07:50):
I mean, hmm, I think he's right about the Rockets offseason.

Speaker 2 (01:07:58):
We'll see.

Speaker 3 (01:07:58):
I mean, I don't know, this is a he said,
she said.

Speaker 2 (01:08:01):
All opinion, by the way, just all opinion.

Speaker 3 (01:08:02):
I know usually they're way off base.

Speaker 2 (01:08:05):
Say that was unnecessary, such a catchy.

Speaker 8 (01:08:14):
So with.

Speaker 3 (01:08:20):
It's hard to.

Speaker 16 (01:08:23):
Okay, you're gonna take a Okay, you're gonna take Steve Gert.

Speaker 2 (01:08:25):
That's the Steeve ger one, that's Seer one. Yeah. Yeah,
today while we're.

Speaker 3 (01:08:32):
Young thirty days, you believe that?

Speaker 2 (01:08:37):
Mm hmm.

Speaker 15 (01:08:38):
Listen, do you know what.

Speaker 2 (01:08:39):
Let's let me throw a carved ball. Let's do the
Rockets number two. Okay, Okay, here we go. I do
not like Fenway Park at all. It's a band box.
It's hard to get around, the seats are uncomfortable. I
think Pesky's poll is a joke. I think the monsters
way out lift. It's just mickey gimmicky gimmick. That's Matt Thomas,

(01:09:00):
every Mad Thomas word. So yeah, I don't like Fenway
Park at all. Okay, I'm sorry, Jonathan. I don't think
it's gonna be a menful off season for the Rockets.
That was a little We've been talking about that even
during the show. Today. Yes, gotta listen. Sometimes that's all right.

Speaker 3 (01:09:14):
He's baby back there, you know. Sometimes I know.

Speaker 2 (01:09:20):
And number three, I do think it's been too quiet.
I think David Mulliguy is gonna say something next thirty days,
so Ross you win. I think Steve Kurrer is gonna
be a coach. Yes, the money is incredible, highly respected.

Speaker 3 (01:09:31):
He loves it.

Speaker 2 (01:09:32):
You gotta. I mean, I don't know if he wants
to continue climbing up the whole time win list.

Speaker 3 (01:09:35):
That might be important to him.

Speaker 2 (01:09:36):
I think there's could be a job in Chicago, there
could be a job in Orlando.

Speaker 3 (01:09:38):
He could ultimately stay in Golden State. You never know.

Speaker 2 (01:09:41):
But I don't think Steve Kurrs quitting coaching. So Ross
wins and further extends his lead over you.

Speaker 3 (01:09:48):
You know, Jonathan, I have a I have an advantage.

Speaker 5 (01:09:50):
You know.

Speaker 3 (01:09:50):
I'm in here.

Speaker 2 (01:09:51):
I can feel the body language. It's a little better.
Don't feel any of my language. Don't feel my body either.
Why not? All right? Should leave the room.

Speaker 3 (01:10:02):
No, No, you can stay. We need you to stay.
Actually get her on the board.

Speaker 2 (01:10:06):
All right, let's see all time coaching. Wow, he's frittered down,
And I thought where the heck is Steve Kerr, Steve Kerr,
Steve Kerr.

Speaker 16 (01:10:19):
I just want to say Cole Thompson tried to play
and he lost to So I don't feel.

Speaker 2 (01:10:24):
Six hundred and four wins. I thought he had way
more than that. Jackson took some of his wins. I
think right, all times wins leader is all time coaching wins.
Lenny Wilkins, No third, Phil Jackson, kick yourself when I
say it, Phil Jackson, no fourth, I'm sorry. Phil Jackson's

(01:10:46):
way down, Oh, Don Nelson second, Well, I'm all around it,
all night done. More recent Phil Jackson, Jerry Sloan, more
recent more's are gonna kick yourself? I feel bad.

Speaker 3 (01:11:05):
Actually, I'm gonna end this now. Greg Povich, I know,
see I told you, yeah, I got all around it.

Speaker 2 (01:11:14):
I know you know. It's like me and the dating scene.
I got all around it.

Speaker 3 (01:11:17):
Oh, I just couldn't get in.

Speaker 2 (01:11:20):
Correct. Deep breath, Okay seven one three two one two
five seven ninety seven one three two one two five
seven nine. We've got some breaking a little bit of
breaking Texans news. We'll get to that, but first, Brent,
you were up in uh Boston this weekend. You have
a good trip. It was a good trip. I'm still

(01:11:42):
um in Maine.

Speaker 7 (01:11:43):
Now.

Speaker 20 (01:11:43):
I got to see uh Game seven, Uh Celtics Blues.
As it turns out, Celtics fantiers very salty. They were
very upset after that. But I don't blame him. Man Friday,
everybody was laughing, having a good time. And when I left, y'all,
I told you I'm not to jump off the bridge
or cliff this weekend. And Matt, from the first segment,
it seems like you did a cannonball off that stude.

Speaker 2 (01:12:03):
That's what I'm talking about.

Speaker 12 (01:12:05):
You know what.

Speaker 2 (01:12:06):
Let me tell you, let me tell you about Brown,
let me take about radio. Okay, you can't do that
every single day because that's fraudulent. But when I go
off and I'm mad about something, I hope you all
understand that's genu wine and that's just something I was.
I mean, it's we did it every day, it'll be tiresome.
So I don't do it every day. But sometimes you
just gotta say what you gotta say.

Speaker 14 (01:12:24):
You gotta do what you gotta do.

Speaker 20 (01:12:25):
You know, everybody's upset right now, everybody The vituals high
and Stibbitti comes out when everyone gets real mad, but
you know, a Rockets and basketball was just a roller
coaster emotionally this year. I mean, the news about getting
to Rant and then the gut punch of Fred's injury,
and then on the court, just how many blowout games

(01:12:47):
did we have that we almost lost and then something
that we did lose. Just an emotional roller coaster, and
then Steve Adams going out was terrible, just on how
they had the staff for their defense. And that's kind
of the surprising thing for me this year. One of
the takeaways was the swarming defense that we had last
year that didn't seem like we had this year. I mean,
we were calling him the Tearror twins last year, and

(01:13:09):
while they're both individual the good defenders, it seems like
we lost.

Speaker 2 (01:13:12):
The energy this year. What do you think about that?
The energy?

Speaker 14 (01:13:16):
Jen Brooks is the catalyst for the swarming.

Speaker 2 (01:13:18):
Dylan Brooks a high effort, high high energy, could shooter,
not a lead shooter. You didn't miss his offense, What
you know what you really miss ross? You miss Jalen
Green taking that next logical step to be a guy
that could score twenty five points every single night. And
it's just not gonna be part of his resume. And
can we talk about this Dylan Brooks mistique. I mean,

(01:13:40):
come on, you know how many top first team All
NBA defense he's made zero zero in his career. He's
made one second team in his career. Super big Dylan
Brooks stand. I like Dylan, know who Dylan Brooks is.
He sets an edge and culture and all that type
of stuff. Dylan Brooks. I mean, what's the deepest he's
been in the playoffs with anybody. I like Dylan Brooks,
but I think this did it's a complete oversell to

(01:14:03):
act like he was the reason the Rockets defense was
incredible last year where they finished six in defensive rating.
This year they finished fourth last year, So you went
from fourth to six. And that's also with guys that
have been injured and stuff like that. So, yes, Dylan
Brooks good defender.

Speaker 8 (01:14:21):
Yeah, fun.

Speaker 2 (01:14:22):
I guess he stares at the other end of the
floor for five minutes at the beginning of games and
he gets some technical fouls and ruffles some feathers. He's
he's just yeah, he's more of a pest than he
is an actual guy, like lockdown defender. Guy. Way over
sold by Rockets fans, I think, but but valuable. I mean,

(01:14:43):
if he came back tomorrow in a one year deal,
I'd be happy to have him back. But I mean
you're talking about like you want some kind of like
you know, tough culture and stuff like that. A men
Thompson is emblematic of that. I think Jabari Smith Junior
does a good job with that as well. You have
guys on this team who are tough and hard nosed
and they play good, hard defense. Ethan I would put
on that list too. Yes, but you need this team

(01:15:05):
means outside shooting. I mean, and Dylan Brooks is gonna
give you what thirty seven percent of.

Speaker 3 (01:15:10):
Yay Dylan Brooks.

Speaker 2 (01:15:11):
I don't know what it was it ended up with,
but yeah, he was your best three point shooter last year.
There are two years ago. Yeah, yep, all right. Jonathan
Alexander from the Chronicle put out a tweet that doesn't
clarify some things. But something's still not clarified. We'll discuss
that next seven one three, two, one two eleven forty

(01:15:33):
five here on Sports Talk seven anti. So, Jonathan Alexander,
I may need to text him because the tweet he
just sent out, which is about twenty two minutes, Old
said the following and other people are catching up on
this too. Calan Hannah mcnaer said the Texans and the
Rodeo have decided to make things work to keep where

(01:15:55):
they play football games in Harris County, well Torol towns
in Harris County. I think it is. I think I
think Cypress is Harris County still still Okay, So that
doesn't necessarily mean that, Uh I'm trying to is Cypress

(01:16:18):
and Harris County. You all can help me out with that. Now,
you could go out to outside of your four banned
Walter Brasouri those counties to build a stadium. But I
guess my argument is he's saying to keep in Harris County.
That doesn't necessarily mean he's going to try to keep
the team the Texans playing at Energy Stadium. You see

(01:16:41):
what I'm saying. Where there's a little bit of it
looks like it's right on the edge. But I think
it is in the county. Yes, I think it. Yeah,
it is Cypress and Harris County. So it doesn't necessarily
Yeah it's in the county, Okay, Yeah, you're right, you're right,
So it doesn't necessarily answer a whole lot. I'm gonna
text him, see if you give it a school of
clarification on that.

Speaker 18 (01:17:00):
Uh.

Speaker 2 (01:17:01):
Okay, Now I was given a little tidbit. I'm not
an insider on stadium talk, but I was given a
little tidbit that frankly, it would be probably in the
best interest for Callan Hannah. And I did not realize
this to keep it at an Energy stadium because the
money that Callan Hannah have is the franchise. You know

(01:17:25):
how Tillman's got the casinos and the hotels in a restaurant.
Callanahannah don't have that about. I don't know if they're
attached to that.

Speaker 3 (01:17:35):
Yeah, I'm just asking.

Speaker 2 (01:17:36):
No, I don't. Certainly carry doesn't want any part of that.

Speaker 3 (01:17:39):
Yeah, how's that going? Is Carrie still the head of
McNair group?

Speaker 15 (01:17:41):
Hmmm?

Speaker 2 (01:17:42):
So the money that Callan Hannah have accrued have have
accrued through the investment of the Houston Texans. They don't
have outside interest. Now they may have some, but it
wouldn't be the level of owning an NFL team. Okay,
So they don't have three million dollars three billion dollars
that are owned to build a stadium them beyond what
their friends. They have to they have to literally give

(01:18:03):
up the stadium, the finance the stadium off of mortgaging
the city and the team itself. So that's what I'm saying,
is that maybe, yeah, I'm sorry, you know, I don't
mean to speak in ambiguities here, but it's just just
that the statement doesn't make a whole lot of sense
unless they just came and said, look, Rodeo will get along.
Toro Town's being built. We're looking for a place to play.

(01:18:23):
Then ten games, maybe there's Rodeo's like, yeah, you guys,
get out of there, you build Torottown, We're good to go.
So that's the thing from Jonathan and not I said,
I'll try to text him and see you get a
little bit more of a clarification on that. Okay, the
reality is this, it probably I mean, they would love
to have their own facility, they'd love to have what
Jerry World has, But the Dallas Cowboys are a different brand.

(01:18:48):
They're just they're just not the same brand as the
Houston Texans are. You can't you can all, you can
wish what you want, but you just you know, you're
not You're not gonna you don't have the same sort
of uh, how would you say interest? Harris Konty has
been burned by stadiums before.

Speaker 3 (01:19:03):
I think I thought they still owed a billion on.

Speaker 2 (01:19:07):
Furbishment would be obviously a lot cheaper. And we're seeing refurbishment, frank. Yeah,
So the city center is getting upgrade, yes, and Tilman's
kicking in money for that, Yes, he is so. And
you know that, uh, dyke In Park is going to
get the boost as well. I mean it is. I
think it's going to.

Speaker 3 (01:19:24):
You know, honestly, it feels like a it doesn't feel
as old as it is.

Speaker 2 (01:19:27):
No, I you know why. I think it's because to
the astros credit dyke In Park, does they maintain things now?
That whole little little metropolis that we're going to build
a cross street with a connection and then the restaurants shot.

Speaker 3 (01:19:39):
It's been slowed for a reason.

Speaker 2 (01:19:41):
What's the deal? The reason we don't go downtown. We
don't go downtown. I wouldn't do it. I know we're
too spread out. We've never been a city that goes
in early and stays late. Just hadn't been the case.

Speaker 12 (01:19:54):
Mm hmm.

Speaker 2 (01:19:56):
We like we go to our games and then we
get out, and I think that's just I just think
that's who we are. I don't know that that's not
a good thing about slapping up a bunch of stuff
on there. They're putting lights under the underpasses and stuff.
I guess they're trying to They're trying to beautify the
area for the World Cup.

Speaker 3 (01:20:10):
Isn't George R. Brown just a hot mess right now?

Speaker 18 (01:20:12):
Yeah?

Speaker 2 (01:20:12):
I think so everything's constructed. Every the whole city is
under construction right now ahead of the World Cup. Everything
downtown they're planting flowers so we can look pretty for
I don't know, the people come in from Azerbaijan for
the World Cup or whatever. It's crazy to me, I
have not heard. I have a lot of soccer friends.

(01:20:32):
They're not buying tickets. They're like Matt, they're too expens
Tales are slow, they're very expensive, and as I've as
I've communicated, multiple times, uh they the tickets that they're
they're gouging American prices and the Europeans and people from uh,
I mean Eurasia and everywhere all around, like they're not
used to these big ticket prices. I told you they
launched protests for like eighty dollars tickets in England. They're

(01:20:55):
like no, and We're like what, that's cheap, that's real cheap.
So they're trying to charge like American prices in the
world's like, no, we're not gonna have empty stadiums, are we.
I don't know. I don't know. Maybe not for like
the knockout rounds and stuff like that, but for a
lot of the group play.

Speaker 3 (01:21:13):
It could be people are predicting a disaster, but people
like to always do that, so I don't know.

Speaker 2 (01:21:18):
Well, you know, the greatest example that to me is
remember when Qatar had the Summer Olympics and how the
seams are not gonna be ready, they can't sell was fine, exactly.

Speaker 3 (01:21:29):
It's just easy.

Speaker 2 (01:21:29):
I guess. It's just easier to predict doom and gloom
than it is to We're ahead of the curve on
these things, all right, Uh, News and noon coming up. Yes,
Ramona shoven with an article on the rocket that's inch interesting.
Uh are the Rockets are the astors? Excuse me? Are
they back in the high Life again with Brian Abree?
You That gets the final the final two hours of
the show. By the way, rockets are meeting with immediate
one thirty will carry the press conference for you.

Speaker 3 (01:21:51):
Right here on Sports Talk seven ninety is the Matt
Thomas Show with Ross.

Speaker 11 (01:22:02):
Taking it to second.

Speaker 4 (01:22:03):
Correa throws the first double play, and that is the
ball game. A series win for the Astros in Boston
if they take down the Red Sox.

Speaker 8 (01:22:12):
It's ten three to one.

Speaker 2 (01:22:18):
Back in the High Life again Sports Survey. That's how
the Astros are only yes, four and a half out
of first place in America League Quest. They're right there, baby,
Thank you al for sucking. I wouldn't say my confidence

(01:22:40):
is super high, but we'll see. Well, confidence can be
built with a series win over the Dodgers. It'd be
nice starting tonight at seven to ten pm. Las Vegas
does not think it's going to happen, but you know,
Las Vegas can be wrong. Two to one dogs, Yeah,
not good?

Speaker 17 (01:22:59):
All right?

Speaker 2 (01:22:59):
Twelve five on Sports Talk seven on any Time Now
for the news at noon, Frosting, what's going on?

Speaker 3 (01:23:07):
Oh laugh you thanks for asking.

Speaker 2 (01:23:09):
Yes, the Astros get a series victory in Boston, winning
yesterday with Cody Bolton and aj blue Ball getting it done,
combining to only give up one run. Then Okert in Dello,
Santos and Brian a bray you getting you six outs

(01:23:29):
with a ten inning victory. Now, unfortunately, even though you
did get the six outs from Brian to brey you, Matthew,
Velocity didn't really take over ninety five a lot of it,
holding it ninety two to ninety three. So Velos still
not there for Brian to bray you. So therefore, I
am still concerned about how effective he can be for
the Houston Astros. I would not sell it any harder

(01:23:51):
than we have. I mean, we play a little seed
win with which is good, but he had there was
nothing else the Astros could do. He had to go
out there and give him two and they got him.

Speaker 3 (01:24:00):
Mike Burrows had a quality start for you on Friday,
gave up a three run.

Speaker 2 (01:24:04):
Jack but that was it. And then Spencer Arraghetti was
good five innings of one run ball on Saturday. So
hopefully that's something to build on with the rotation. Tonight,
starting for the Houston Astros, Stephen Okert, opening against Yoshinobu
Yamamoto said three times fast, Yoshiobu Yama, Moto, Yoshinobu Yamamoto,

(01:24:26):
Yoshinobu Yama Moto.

Speaker 3 (01:24:28):
Two point eight seven e RA.

Speaker 2 (01:24:30):
Tomorrow it's Otani with a point six ERA against Peter Lambert,
and then it's Glass and Ow with a two point
five six ERA versus Lance Picklers Junior with a six
point three to two Yari. Hmmm, probable hitchers for the
Astros and Dodgers just get one, maybe two. I don't

(01:24:54):
think they're gonna sweep, but it'd be wonderful thing it
would be. It would be nice. I one day, by
the way, a one to ten game here on Sports
Talk seven to ninety. Yes, you're a home for your
use at Astro love when you listen to Astros games
all the time, especially in the noon ten to twelve two.

Speaker 11 (01:25:13):
Yes.

Speaker 2 (01:25:13):
By the way, ESPN giving out their monthly grades for
the all thirty Major League Baseball teams, would you care
to hear the grade for the Astros in the month
of April. No, don't do it. It's an f an,
F and F can just explain why I get they
do five point nine to one staffyraugh eleven different starting pitchers.

Speaker 3 (01:25:38):
That's not f's. That's in four games sweep in Seattle.

Speaker 2 (01:25:41):
Oh that was not good.

Speaker 3 (01:25:43):
Walked twenty six batters in the first three games of
that series. Awful.

Speaker 2 (01:25:46):
Good news is though, for the month of April, you're
not Alvarez player of the Month. That's right, folks, he
did enough to be player of the Month in the
American League. So congratulations to jord On in the month
of April three fifty six, four sixty two on base,

(01:26:08):
seven thirty seven slug and playing every single day. By
the yeah, is he taken a day off yet?

Speaker 15 (01:26:14):
He has not.

Speaker 3 (01:26:16):
He did struggle over the weekend.

Speaker 2 (01:26:17):
I think he was one for fourteen in Boston, so
he can have the days off in Cincinnati. Why what's
the Dodgers? You need your heavy hitters. But no, no,
if you're already gonna lose, might as well rest them now, yeah,
I need all guns of blazon. No, if you're already
two to one dogs, you're gonna lose with them, might
as well rest? What Joe spot us like?

Speaker 3 (01:26:35):
Oh or two to one dogs?

Speaker 8 (01:26:37):
Good?

Speaker 2 (01:26:37):
Absolutely you should play him when your favorite See this
is the Greg Popovich philosophy, which I like. Greg Popovich
used to rest as players on the on the team
where they were gonna lose or was it gonna be
fifty to fifty? What you do is you increase your
win probability against the bad teams? Play him against the Rockies.
You can send them against the Dodgers when you're starting
Steve Okert and you're gonna lose anyways.

Speaker 3 (01:26:56):
Probably, So how was Astros.

Speaker 2 (01:26:57):
Twitter gonna handle if your on Avarez is not playing
any of the three games? So I've been playing for now.
I'm not saying cinhim for three games. I'm not saying
Cinham at all. Put him out there. I'll put him
out there. Okay, good, he's played.

Speaker 3 (01:27:08):
Thirty five games.

Speaker 2 (01:27:09):
I'm at how were feeling he's pacing for one sixty two?

Speaker 3 (01:27:16):
You have him at one twenty nine.

Speaker 2 (01:27:18):
Were you nervous about Christian Walker when he got hit
in the head Saturday? Oh my god?

Speaker 3 (01:27:22):
Really wasn't.

Speaker 11 (01:27:22):
Now.

Speaker 2 (01:27:23):
I don't know if he was bleeding or whatever. But
he looked, you know, he didn't go down and a heap.
He stood up the whole time, looked coherent, came back
and played the next game. It was crazy that his
his helmet got snapped in half. Yep.

Speaker 3 (01:27:38):
But you know, I was at the next day. It
was really good to see.

Speaker 2 (01:27:41):
And I know this isn't breaking news, but I mean
it happened on Friday night, So we must mention the
Rockets were eliminated by the Los Angeles Lakers over the
weekend ninety eight to seventy eight. No, it's not nineteen
ninety six, this was a game in twenty twenty six.
The Rockets only scored seventy eight pots thirty one points

(01:28:01):
in the first half, could not get it going from
three or anywhere. Bad offense, Lakers were good enough. Rockets
eliminated four games to two in their first round Western
Conference series, and a press conference at one thirty, which
we'll carry right here on Sports Test. Make sure you
stay Tunedah. Also an interesting article put out by Ramona

(01:28:24):
shelburn and Tim McMahon. We'll talk about that later on
in the show as it regards to what the basically
the season and what the future holds for the Houston Rockets.
So those two people know, huh, they were given the
inside intelligence. I mean, they've been around for years in
the NBA. Tim McMahon's broken a lot of stuff. Romona
Shelburne as well. So I'm I'm not gonna say they're

(01:28:46):
making a bunch of stuff up. Nope, I'm sorry. There's
somebody that's got it. That trust him?

Speaker 3 (01:28:51):
Okay, thank you, Mic Brown.

Speaker 2 (01:28:54):
Sorry trust Ramona Shelburton with a bombshell piece of the
ESPN Ramona Shelly and Rachel Nichols in the same room
breaking bread balla way. I do miss the Max salad
at Crypto dot Com arena. I've had it every single
time I was there.

Speaker 3 (01:29:10):
Delicious. That don't know why I brought that up. Macaroni salad, delicious.
I love that better than Sally's macaroni salad.

Speaker 2 (01:29:19):
Oh yeah, Max sad potato sad. You got one choice.
What are you going with potato? I'm trying to go
potato too, But Max Mustard only absolutely both Mustard better
all right? And Spirit Airlines out of business today, close
down Saturday. It's bad for everyone, even if you don't
fly them. It's good that they have cheap flights that

(01:29:40):
are options for other people to keep other prices down.
Here we need fuel price to go down. I was
trying to book these airfares for these fall trips are
going up there. Oh my god, Oh what's it? Never mind,
you don't even want to know. I'm talking like six well,
good thing, I fill up like once a month. Oh
the gasoline price in La. We were there, all right,

(01:30:01):
but six seventy nine something great and that's Beverly Hills
eight bucks now right, Yeah, it's not great?

Speaker 1 (01:30:06):
All right?

Speaker 2 (01:30:06):
Uh So a little tidbod on the Ramona Showburn story
coming back Astros chatter and we got it one twenty today,
one twenty Missing you. How are former astros doing? It's
a Matta Thomas showed Ross here on Sports Talk seven ninety.
All right, so I'm doing my missing you prep. I'm
three unto the five, and so far we're three for three.

Speaker 3 (01:30:29):
I'm not missing you.

Speaker 2 (01:30:31):
I think. Okay. We'll have that at one twenty today,
normally at one thirty. Are you okay with her?

Speaker 3 (01:30:36):
It's cold here, he's got a shiver.

Speaker 2 (01:30:38):
Did you all right? Yes, I'm okay.

Speaker 3 (01:30:42):
Uh, three out of five we don't missing you.

Speaker 2 (01:30:44):
We'll find out. We'll do the full missing at one twenty.
We have the Rockets press conference at one thirty two.
Oh all right, So Ramona Showburn and Tim McMahon. Yes, uh.

Speaker 3 (01:30:53):
Tim is based out of Dallas. Becomes a lot of
rocket games.

Speaker 2 (01:30:55):
Ramona I don't see as much at all, but she
was able to do a little deep dive just got
some NBA source, is my guess, more from the agent
general manager side than it would be from the player.
These players today just raws. Some talked to the media anymore.
So yeah, unless you got to some kind of Broski
relationship with them. But what did you were able to assess? Well,
I was able to scan the entire article throughout a

(01:31:17):
couple of our breaks. I'm not going to say I
did a complete deep dive, but there are a lot
of interesting takeaways for me. I think first and foremost,
I'll just go ahead and go with the headliner. They
are not expected to make a big move talking about
the Rockets, they believe in their young core.

Speaker 3 (01:31:34):
This is a quote from a source.

Speaker 6 (01:31:36):
Of course.

Speaker 2 (01:31:36):
High ranking Rockets source stressed that the Rockets franchise would
be opportunistic, but they remain. The hope remains they can
build a sustainable contender without making a costly blockbuster deal.
Quote from the source. We aren't thinking we've got to
win now because we're in Katie's window. We're hyper focused
on our young core. Our five guys have a chance

(01:31:58):
to win a lot of games together for a long time.
We don't want to make to make the mistake other
teams have of giving up on guys too soon. I
wonder what the player the players are talking about, who
give who gave up on people too soon? I'm sure
that the Clippers on Shake Gildess Alexander, that one comes
right out the top of mind. Mavericks on Jalen Brunson,

(01:32:22):
off the top of my head, those two, I think.
But I mean, now, you wouldn't say Isaah Hartenstein, right,
you wouldn't say that. I'm not gonna start about that. Yeah,
I think the I think the Mavericks gave up too
soon on Luka Doncic.

Speaker 3 (01:32:37):
That's a pretty fair assessment.

Speaker 2 (01:32:38):
Yeah, but way, if you want to join us today,
We've got a lot of people that have been calling
him in not holding. So look, we're here for you, guys.
It's a seven one three two one two five seven
ninety seven to one three two one two five seven.

Speaker 3 (01:32:49):
So there is a theory.

Speaker 2 (01:32:51):
Two If he's warning somebody else's gear, is he gonna flourish?
And that would make us even more matter than we
are right now. I get it.

Speaker 13 (01:32:57):
Go on.

Speaker 8 (01:32:58):
Uh.

Speaker 2 (01:32:59):
Also, that's the biggest takeaway is they don't think that
we shouldn't expect as much as you said on to
tell the truth, Matthew not expecting some kind of.

Speaker 3 (01:33:06):
Huge boat rocking a deal for the Rockets in this offseason.

Speaker 2 (01:33:13):
Also talks about the burner thing with Kevin Durant, says
that that was no issue with anybody and that the
players that he was talking about allegedly on the burner
account mostly Jabartis Smith Junior, Alpern Shangoon, don't have thick
the thin skin and they apparently Kevin Durant talked to
the everybody after the All Star break and they hashed
it out and everybody was cool, like it wasn't some

(01:33:35):
sort of rift in the locker room or anything like that.
Also an interesting one as well about Reed Shepherd. Oh,
I don't know about this. There is a belief in
the Rockets building that Reed Shepherd could be similar to

(01:33:57):
Steve Nash.

Speaker 3 (01:34:01):
Hmm hmm. That's a lot of love.

Speaker 2 (01:34:05):
Yes. Internally, there's belief Reed Shepherd has the potential to
develop into an all time great such as former Phoenix
Suns point guard Steve Nash, if given enough time and
the right conditions.

Speaker 3 (01:34:19):
This is a funny part too.

Speaker 2 (01:34:20):
Externally, there's less of a consensus a rival scout said, quote,
more like Steve Kerr than Steve Nash. Well, if you're
the number three pick now, Granted, the NBA draft that
year was not That was when zachar went number one,
and that the remember center for the Wizards was number

(01:34:41):
two Alex Sar Right, I think so, yes, So it
was not a gangbuster draft to begin with, So judging
him is a number three in normal and NBA years
wouldn't be necessarily the right case here. Stefan Castle is
the best player of that draft right now.

Speaker 3 (01:34:57):
Right, and Stefan Castle was Rookie of the Year. I
don't know who else was. I don't think has been
okay for that.

Speaker 2 (01:35:04):
I believe I don't need read to be a number
three overall pick, but I needed to be a solid
seventeen point guy. Mantes Bozialis came alive a little bit
for the Bulls. Yeah, I'm just trying to look at
guys that were taking in that lottery. Yeah, Mantes Boozialis
averaged sixteen points on high volume. He was talked about

(01:35:25):
it's possibly a guy who could go in the top three.
He slipped a lot because he was he was terrible.
He had tools, but he was terrible in the G
League that year.

Speaker 3 (01:35:33):
Zach edie eh Doakh's heart all the time.

Speaker 2 (01:35:38):
No, Uh, Is it fair to say that that Reed
made a sizable jump from season one to two in
the NBA. I think the answer is yeah, absolutely, And
I think people need to get a little perspective on
Reed Shepherd because they wanted him to play thirty five
minutes a night and start every single game like the
year before.

Speaker 3 (01:35:55):
He was coming up and down from the G League.
Like he he he made a massive leap, And I.

Speaker 2 (01:36:01):
Understand we always want more, and we want more right now,
but like expecting him to be a twenty point per
game score immediately, and then any Mayadoka is an idiot
for never playing him. He played twenty He played all
eighty two games in twenty six minutes a night. Only
Rocket to play all eighty two by the way, and
again twenty six minutes a night. That's serious rotation time.

(01:36:22):
And I'd be curious that you know, I will look
it up with the second half of the season was
I'm sure those those minutes per game went up considerably.
So if you played all eighty two games at twenty
six minutes a night, that's stunting your development. People got
to relax on that. No, there are deficiencies. I think
he's gonna probably have to gain about ten pounds. I

(01:36:44):
think the DeAndre eight in defensive coverage, a big man
on him hurt him. Did you see that in game
five and that have a game six? Excuse me?

Speaker 3 (01:36:51):
Yeah, they were switching a lot of stuff and he
and so the.

Speaker 2 (01:36:53):
Elite, the elite shooting guards are gonna have to figure
out ways to get by the blow by those guys
or slidestep or do whatever it takes to get open looks.
Because I thought Deanner eight and in game six may
read's life miserable in terms of open looks for shooting. Yeah,
he reads good, but people act like, I don't know.

(01:37:16):
He's He's got like the handles of Kyrie Irving, and
he could just get by everyone. And he's got some limitations.
He can't get by a lot of guys on the
perimeter who are better defenders.

Speaker 3 (01:37:25):
And he's got it.

Speaker 2 (01:37:26):
He does his little in out dribbles and throws in
a couple of fakes and sometimes it works and it
looks great, and sometimes it doesn't. Yeah, twenty almost twenty
eight point nine, So almost twenty nine minutes a game
in the second half of the seak after the All
Star Break. Twenty nine minutes a game. That's not stunting
his development, folks. I mean, come on that, that's using

(01:37:48):
a player who's shown you something. He went from twelve
minutes a game to twenty six point two. It's a
big leap.

Speaker 3 (01:37:53):
He can get better. He needs to.

Speaker 12 (01:37:55):
He just have to.

Speaker 2 (01:37:56):
He's got a bulk up, as you said, it's gotta
get a little stronger he can give. I mean he's
getting back down like the on switches. Marcus Smart was
bullying him in the post Riehatcha Mura as well, like
they they were working him the Lakers and in a
seven game series. The good news is, I mean, the
bad news is they're going to exploit things that are
wrong with you. The good news is now you know.

(01:38:18):
Now you know what you need to work on and
the deficiencies and that Ree Shepherd was getting hunted all
series long. Same thing with Albrunching Non. They did a
lot better in the second half of the series. Alpi,
he's got to get that three point shot going again.
He had it in the first two months. I don't
know if he'll ever have it again. No, I don't
think it's not gonna happen. I don't. Okay, you don't
need your seven foot You like your seven footer to
make threes, but you don't need it. But the problem

(01:38:38):
is if you have him and a man on the
floor at the same time, that takes two perimeter guys
that you can't rely on outside about fifteen fifteen feet.
I would like him. I don't know what to do.
I mean, in theory, trading one of them is not
the worst idea, but I just don't think that's going
to happen, especially if that story is accurate, saying that
you're giving up on somebody. Now they of course, the

(01:39:01):
story doesn't say that they are not going to make
a move, right, just says they would. They will knock
on some door. Basically, they will be opportunistic, is what
it says they will be. But they're not thinking we
have to win. Now you know the reason why. In
a I understand why Giannis is so attractive, but there's

(01:39:22):
a part of me, Rawson, maybe you have to shake
me from this. I don't want them to overpay for
him two straight years of serious injury. He doesn't help
you in terms of three point threat. He is on
the wrong side of thirty. He's still a magnificent player.
I'm not arguing that point. But if you're going to
go all into at a second player on the down

(01:39:45):
third of his NBA career, and that's just the case.
He's been around the NBA a long time, that makes
me a little nervous. Now, if Giannis all of a
sudden says I want to play for the Houston Rockets,
Rockets make it happen, of course i'd be excited. Well,
here's the thing, though, that makes you nervous, right it does.
What if they run it back with what they have, Well,
I know for a fact, I'm not going to do everything.

(01:40:06):
Is you're dealing with the unknown no matter what, you're
dealing with an imperfect situation. You're dealing with the situation
where things oh no, yeah, and I'm not saying you're
you know, I'm not talking about you, but anyblody like,
oh no, if they trade for Jannis, it could go wrong. Yeah,
if they run it back, it most likely will go wrong.
And if they blow it up like they did several
years ago, there's no guarantee you're getting the they tank

(01:40:28):
for four years, they got zero superstars out of their
four years of tanking for draft picks. So a lot
of that was my product. Because of the lottery balls.
We could say, oh no, it's not gonna work out
if they trade for Yannis. Yeah, it might not work
out if they don't or do either way, you got
you got too Goliaths. You have a you have a

(01:40:48):
budding dynasty in Oklahoma City, and then you have a
giant that is waking up and getting its feet underneath
it in San Antonio. So there's no guarantees no matter
what you do is the problem. They could trade for
Giannis and then it might not work out for sure,
and doing nothing is more likely to not work out.

(01:41:12):
So I'm not I'm not pushing for Yannis. It could
work out, but you need a lot of kind of
like what we we're talking with the Astros. You need
Hunter Brown to get back. Email needs to be good.
This guy like you need all this stuff to happen.
You need Alprinshuning Shingoon to get stronger. You need Read
to continue to develop. You need Jabari Smith Junior to
get to forty three point shooting. You need to get
Kevin Hrant back and healthy at thirty eight. You need

(01:41:32):
Fred Van Vliet back and healthy and playing better at
thirty three off at ACL you need Steven Adams back
and healthy off a major surgery as a seven footer.
That's I just name like six things that have to
go right, but that's everybody. So there's no guarantees no
matter what. And one more element of that is you

(01:41:52):
just describe the team that's got flaws, what all of
a sudden makes it. Those guys super attractive to Milwaukee
to say I want what you don't want in order
for us to unless you're giving up draft picks. I
think part of it is that alprinchingun could thrive more
or Amn Thompson could. They could both thrive more without
each other, honestly on the floor as both as non
shooters that have to start, all right, little clarification on

(01:42:14):
the Jonathan Alexander tweet about the Texans and their stadium
situation will give you that coming back twelve thirty on
Sports Talk seven. Auntis twelve thirty four on Sports Talk
seven Aunty. Trying to eat during the show is stupid,

(01:42:40):
but when your man's hungry, man is hungry.

Speaker 3 (01:42:44):
By Matt How you doing no good?

Speaker 8 (01:42:48):
Uh?

Speaker 2 (01:42:48):
You know, I'm gonna let you work through those hiccups.
I'm gonna encourage people to follow me on Instagram at
oh using my hiccups for your Instagram following numbers. Yeah,
I'm three away from fifteen hundred at sports RV and
until one o'clock I'll follow you back. You know what,
until two o'clock, I will follow you back at sports

(01:43:09):
RV on Instagram.

Speaker 3 (01:43:11):
Let's see what do I have up there on my
latest is.

Speaker 2 (01:43:13):
My Well, I have a video I did at I
did a video like at one am at the Toyota Center.
They're literally packing up the court talking about the Rockets
off season like that late. I don't think most people
don't care. I'm normally not in the way. So yeah,
they were packing up the court and like picking up
the trash and stuff like that. And also my review
of a well known Houston restaurant I put up this

(01:43:34):
morning as well, So there you go. Check it out.
Good things and bad things.

Speaker 3 (01:43:38):
Check it out.

Speaker 2 (01:43:39):
I think I nothing bad. Most everything was good, but
I put in order of what I thought was best
from best to worse. Is how I listed things at
sports RV.

Speaker 3 (01:43:50):
On my Instagram. I would appreciate a follow.

Speaker 2 (01:43:54):
Thank you never any again during the show, I don't
believe you you're a liar. Hey, there's zero percent chance.
I don't believe you believe it? All right?

Speaker 3 (01:44:10):
No, okay?

Speaker 2 (01:44:11):
Well, one more thing from the Rockets Rockets Ramona Shelbourne
and Tim McMahon piece is they talked about how the
word used was moodiness, and I didn't mention that I
should have. Duran was predictably brilliant on the court throughout

(01:44:33):
the twenty five to twenty six season, averaging twenty six
points blah blah blah, playing seventy eight games, but team
sources said his quote moodiness end quote took some getting
used to and war on the team's young players throughout
the campaign. But isn't it who Kevin Durant is a
dynamic that was exacerbated without Van Vliet and Adams as buffers.

(01:44:56):
I think they knew who Kdie was. Don't you think?

Speaker 19 (01:45:01):
I mean?

Speaker 2 (01:45:02):
I don't think he's acting out of character. Maybe that
rubs younger teams the wrong way. I obviously it does.
As I mentioned, the story also says the burner thing
was was not a problem. They talked about, they talked
it out, and then everybody went about their business. I mean,
they won nine in the last ten games, so it
couldn't have been that big of a problem, right, all right,

(01:45:22):
I promise you a little updated in the Texans. Jonathan Alexander,
What do you got? Jonathan Alexander updated his story on
the Chronicle website, giving him a running it. Do this
a good job. Cal McNair saying today through the team president,
the Texans are focusing on renovating Roliant Stadium, which is

(01:45:47):
said to be significantly behind the needed maintenance. They have
not ruled out building a new stadium within the park. Okay,
so what I'm getting out of this is they're not
going to go to Fort ben or Bersoria or Waller
County because probably those counties tell them to shut their
bumbasses up. I guess, so not so many words, but

(01:46:11):
you have to go to those counties and say are
you willing to contribute? And they can say no, and
then that makes the answer fairly easy. Yes. So it
sounds like to me there are three options in play.
One refinance Reliant, two tear down Reliant and build another
one right on the premises. Now that might guess that

(01:46:33):
would be the rodeo he kicking and helping on them. Yeah,
I mean where would they play while they're tearing it down?
That's moot. Astrodom No. Or three stay in Harris County
and go to Toro Town and build a stadium there,
which my guess is would be the least attractive because
I don't think the Rodeo wants to be out there
at Toro Town. Yeah, I mean I get that, and

(01:46:55):
the rodeo is I mean obviously a huge deal. You
get five hundred thousand spring breakers coming in for that
or two million, depending on who you two million according
to in KPRC Local two whose laying people, they have
more sources than you do. I don't think that's no,
they do. But it's also no.

Speaker 3 (01:47:15):
I guess it's easier though, because those the rail is full.

Speaker 2 (01:47:19):
What I'm trying to say is like, it's not like
NRG slash Reliant area is super accessible and bustling when
there's not an event, it's nonexistent, right, So how much
would the rodeo feel like, well, if we're a destination anyways,
the red line, but the rodeo cannot you can't have

(01:47:42):
that that monument, that humongous structure for fifteen days a year,
that seems ridiculous. I mean, I mean, I'm trying to
put the common sense angles of this. The Texans need
ten home games, the Reliant needs twenty dates for Rodeo
and kick and cook Off and Rodeo itself. You fill
it up with consciences. The rest of the time you refurbish.

(01:48:04):
Everybody win wins.

Speaker 3 (01:48:07):
But again, the jealousies.

Speaker 2 (01:48:08):
The only thing that kicks in is that if you're
jealous that these other cities are getting these facilities, is
callin Hannah going why can't we get this too? And
I just don't know economically with those I mean, if
you're not willing to go outside of Harris County because
Kansas City is leaving Missouri at this point to go
to Kansas, that's a state leave. Yeah, they got a

(01:48:28):
bunch of money. Cincinnati's doing a refurbishment, Chicago maybe going
to Indiana. I mean, I think you have all these
options in front of you, and the best optionist stay
in Harris County, work with the Rodeo. You're getting Toro Town,
You're building that yourself. You're getting I'm sure a huge
tax breaking and real estate advantages. It's ten days ross right,

(01:48:50):
help me out, it's ten Yeah, I'm trying to look
at it. How how many concerts do they do a year?
Because it's only usually the big, big, big names. Well
Energy you probably Kendrick Lamar, of course, Taylor Swift. Uh
with the weekend. Here here's the problem. You're not getting

(01:49:12):
a super Bowl again, and that's probably driving That's what
the problem is. It's not only the location of the
stadium that's not getting the super Bowl. We're not we
don't do a We do an okay job, but we're
not a golfing six days a week, big party town.
I mean they're gonna they're gonna they're gonna rotate Rossi

(01:49:32):
between Las Vegas, New Orleans and Los Angeles and probably
do that for them. Even Miami's not gonna be able
to build a new stadium and get one. They usually
do it for teams that build new stadiums. Yes, but
that means Kansas City's probably gonna want to get one. Uh,
but Buffalo won't get one because that's too far up there.
Who Tennessee is gonna get one. Nashville needs to get

(01:49:53):
one because they got to burn new Citium going into
their place. You cannot sell your soul financially for a
one time event. You got to get back into rotation
for your college football. Is your final fours, your major concerts,
the fifty to sixty thousand sex concerts, and you'll get
all that done with the reverbishment. I just I think

(01:50:16):
what the Texans did, and again I've not been privy
to any of this, and my guess is they went
to the other counties and the other counties are like,
we'd love to have you, but we can't give you. Know,
we don't know the viability of building this hlaciously huge
structure for ten home games a year.

Speaker 3 (01:50:31):
I think that it feels like refurbishment. It's gonna happen.
That's how it kind of feels now.

Speaker 14 (01:50:36):
Now.

Speaker 2 (01:50:36):
The only thing that's new to this is that what
they destroy reliant to put a structure because you're not.
You can't move the astronome. We've talked about that at nauseum.
You got to dismantle that bad boy that that opens
up a ton of space. They're trying to make it
a rackball.

Speaker 3 (01:50:51):
They said they can't.

Speaker 2 (01:50:52):
That's ridiculous. They said they can't blow it up because
it's underground. Basically, too much of it is underground. You're
going to literally rock the foundation of everything, right, so
you have to dismantle it, which apparently isn't much more expensive.

Speaker 3 (01:51:03):
Take the wrecking ball. Let's go tear it down.

Speaker 2 (01:51:05):
What have a huge part, dump a huge park. You
have a bunch of land right there. You gotta take
it down, National landmark for for what. Nobody goes there.
Nobody can get in there. No not a lot in there.

Speaker 3 (01:51:18):
It's just a big iceore. It's a big dilapidated iyesore.

Speaker 12 (01:51:23):
See.

Speaker 2 (01:51:23):
I think that area even though I would never, I
would never put a business over there because it's terrible
over there. You refurbish energy energy reliant, you build the
huge parking structure where Astro Wholt was, and you start
to figure it out that way. That land across the
way in sixteen is still just sitting there right as
far as I know, I don't go over there any

(01:51:44):
much anymore. So, But today to me, the headline is
Fort ben Brazoria, Walder County. What else we got in there?
Have basically said, yeah, you guys, keep it to yourself,
and I think they probably understand it's best for them
to stain Harris County and probably best of them to
work with the Rodeo. I think the Toro town thing

(01:52:06):
probably changed their mind. That's they can do all they
want out there. They can build their practice facilities, they
can have their restaurants and their bars, and they can
have their flag football fields and their volleyball courts and
then shipp in like the like the Cowboys do. Cowboys
play ten games at a T and T. Everything else
they do isn't isn't Frisco m hm, that's what they
make their money.

Speaker 3 (01:52:27):
I guess how are the how is the the Red
Robin at Frisco doing?

Speaker 2 (01:52:34):
Robin? Arlington doesn't do great? It was on the it
was on the Rangers parade route. Red Robin does do
unlimited fries?

Speaker 7 (01:52:42):
Ok.

Speaker 2 (01:52:42):
Correct, that's ridiculous. Who cares for potatoes? Yeah? I mean
if you want to unlimited burgers would have a conversation,
different conversation, that's right, all right? Seven one three two
one two five seven nine. If you want to join
us seven one three two one two five seven nine
zero seven one three two one two five seven ninety
seven one three two one two five seven anti astros

(01:53:04):
take two or three from Boston. Do we have a break?
You fixed? The numbers don't necessarily indicate that the Vila
was like around ninety three. He hit ninety five like once,
So no, damn seven one three, two, one two five
seven ninety. We've got the Rockets to get to the
press conference coming up in forty five minutes from now.

(01:53:24):
We have missing yet one twenty. I've done all five.
I'm missing you good looking forward to it. I don't
know if any of these guys would make that big
of a difference. I'll let you decide that. Well, I
feel like we're missing at least one. Matt and Ross
with you until two pm, and at one point thirty

(01:53:48):
we'll have the Rockets press availability at TODE Center. Wonderful
is he made? Doka and uh Rafael Som will speak.
Now they're going to get into the There'll be some
things that you will not understand because I don't understand them.
The aprons are basically tax thresholds where they get penalized. Yes,
you're gonna hear about aprons, and once you cross the apron,

(01:54:11):
you get penalized for them. So take everything they say
with a grain of salt. In that it's more about
the big picture. I'm sure there'll be some Kevin Durant questions.
I'm sure there will be some Steven Adams questions. I'm
sure it'll be Fred van Vliet when you hear the
apron stuff. Just it's just gonna be the white noise,
at least it is for me. They'll be asked about
trade possibilities, and they're gonna be probably very generalizational, right,

(01:54:34):
can get into it. We have a good core. We
want we like our young players. We want to let
them grow. We don't want to make rash decisions stuff
like that kind of the end of season stuff.

Speaker 15 (01:54:45):
M hm.

Speaker 2 (01:54:46):
You know, I'm sure they'll be asked about coaching staff,
whether they'll be an adjustment made to bringing in some
more offensive minded folks. We're gonna evaluate everything, which is sine.
Imagine if they said, Matt, bring in somebody else to
add a third leg to your show, how do you
think we would take that?

Speaker 3 (01:55:02):
We wouldn't be thrilled about that question, Like what is
this show missing? Nothing?

Speaker 2 (01:55:07):
We bring you entertainment analysis. Jonathan's the third voice. Jonathan's
the third voice.

Speaker 3 (01:55:12):
Does great.

Speaker 2 (01:55:12):
People always talk about how great Jonathan does. Jonathan, You're
always welcome to come on the show whenever you want to.

Speaker 8 (01:55:18):
You.

Speaker 2 (01:55:18):
Thank y'all. Thank y'all. That's what I'm saying. We don't
need this until ross many years ago, when the show
first begin I said, man, say my show this, y'all
just come in and say what you want. Argue with me. Yes,
you hear stupid stuff. Attack me? Oh love it. You've
been doing it for a long time. I wouldn't say attacking. Yeah,
there's some tough love. Tough that's exactly right, tough love.
All right, So Jonathan, you are now in charge of

(01:55:40):
tough love on the radio. As the girl said too,
it's some tough love.

Speaker 15 (01:55:45):
Is this?

Speaker 2 (01:55:46):
Dirk?

Speaker 15 (01:55:46):
Is that?

Speaker 2 (01:55:47):
Is that correct?

Speaker 6 (01:55:47):
Is that?

Speaker 2 (01:55:48):
Dirk on seven out of You at twelve fifty two?
Little Dirk?

Speaker 21 (01:55:52):
Hey, Matt, how you doing good?

Speaker 14 (01:55:53):
How are you?

Speaker 21 (01:55:54):
I I'm doing well, Thank you, sir. Hey, I just
want to give you a shout out. I was traveling
back from y'all's favorite place, Vegas. Said, yeah, I can
hear the your voice. And it's been a little while,
it has it has. I was there for my younger
son's pool tournament. Uh, And so we were traveling back
and I was running through Flagstaff, and I was listening

(01:56:17):
to a radio station that ROSSI pay like is a
classic rock Anyway, they were playing, and then they went
to the news and they were talking about the it
was game five that the Rockets had won and stuff,
and I'm paying minimal attention to it and stuff. I'm
trying to not get killed. And but I hear the voice.
Your voice had one of you was Lebron Steell.

Speaker 2 (01:56:40):
I think it may have been reached Shepherd read Shepherd.

Speaker 3 (01:56:42):
That's exactly right. Good for him, Thank you for catching that.

Speaker 21 (01:56:46):
Yes, I said, hey, flag staff gets to hear the
best guy.

Speaker 2 (01:56:48):
And oh, well, you know what, I don't know. I
don't deserve you, my man. Are you?

Speaker 10 (01:56:52):
Uh?

Speaker 2 (01:56:53):
How'd you do in Vegas?

Speaker 21 (01:56:53):
By the way, Well, like I said, I went there
to watch my son play, and we were there about
four days. I did gamble little bit at the Golden
dug at a whole.

Speaker 2 (01:57:01):
Dollar'll be a dollar, I got you. That's funny.

Speaker 21 (01:57:07):
I found no faster than the five, you know, twenty
five cent machine while my wife was using the restaurant.
But I figured the tillman man needed that buck, so
I'll go give it.

Speaker 2 (01:57:16):
Well, maybe maybe he'll put that towards my future income. Derek,
thanks for the nice message. I appreciate you listening. How
about that listening flag Staff Arizon, a little little highlight call.

Speaker 3 (01:57:24):
Wow, we're worldwide.

Speaker 2 (01:57:27):
Yeah it works out.

Speaker 8 (01:57:29):
Uh.

Speaker 2 (01:57:30):
That was a great steal. That was That was Reid's
best post is a moment the mid range and then
followed up with the stealing slam was beautiful. He's got
some limitations and we got to fall in love with
the highlight reels and stuff like that, and he's shown
us he's sewing and flashed, but he he's not perfect.

Speaker 3 (01:57:44):
He's got a refine.

Speaker 2 (01:57:45):
And yeah, he's only two years in the NBA, and
I don't want to call his rookie year a wash,
but in terms of like incomplete much you can say
that how much of a leap he made from one
year to the next as it was it as I said,
twelve minutes a game him up to twenty six.

Speaker 3 (01:58:02):
A big leap, and he handled it pretty well. And
he can still get better.

Speaker 2 (01:58:06):
I would hope. So I'm telling you, folks, and you
may not know this or want to comprehend it, they
love him, They love him, they love him. This Ramona
Shelbourne piece with Tim McMahon says they think he could
be the next Steve Nash.

Speaker 3 (01:58:22):
I would take.

Speaker 2 (01:58:27):
You don't need to be Steve Nash, sawid NBA player.

Speaker 3 (01:58:30):
I don't think he's going to be Steve Nash, but
it'd be great if he was.

Speaker 2 (01:58:34):
Who's the Nash is saying? I can see clearly now,
Oh I don't remember. Hold on, I don't want to
know that, Charlie Nash. You don't want to look it
up me either, but it's gonna look it up. Johnny,
Johnny Nash, Houston guy by the way, Oh really yeah,
I think I remember that ninety say it all right.
Let's go to Glenn on seven ninety at twelve fifty five. Glenn,

(01:58:56):
good afternoon to you. What's going on?

Speaker 18 (01:58:58):
Good afternoon, guys, right show and enjoy listening to y'all.

Speaker 2 (01:59:02):
Siate.

Speaker 18 (01:59:03):
When y'all were talking about Cyprus and the county it's in,
it reminded me last week before the Rocket Game, I
switched to can I say the names of the network,
I mean the names of the channels? Anyway, it was
a channel that the Rocket Game was on. I didn't
have it, so I said, well, I'm gonna I'm gonna

(01:59:25):
call in and buy that channel. So I did that
so I could watch the Rocket game. And it was
sixteen dollars a month.

Speaker 7 (01:59:32):
So that's no big deal.

Speaker 18 (01:59:34):
And then I said, what's my new bill going to be?

Speaker 6 (01:59:36):
And she said two.

Speaker 18 (01:59:37):
It's like two twenty five a month, and it had
been one fifty something, so the math didn't work. So uh,
I said, well go ahead and leave that. She's gonna
she said, you're going to lose the space City Network
and UH, anyway to clarify that. The next day and

(02:00:02):
they said the same thing. So I kept thinking, that
doesn't make sense. So I called back on Friday and
they put me on hold and she came back and
asked me what ZIP code was. I gave that to
her and she said what county are you in? And
I said, Harris. She said you're not in Montgomery and

(02:00:23):
I said no. She said, well, you're paying the reason
it went to two hundred. You're paying out an area
for Space City Network and she said you're in the
Ranger area.

Speaker 14 (02:00:41):
You know what.

Speaker 2 (02:00:41):
Unfortunately, and Glenna, I hate to do this to you,
but it's the geo fences are a disaster. Everybody has
got it differently on their computers, on their wet phones
on the televisions. I cannot, and I consider myself somewhat

(02:01:03):
of an expert on the television side of things. I
don't know what the hell's going on. He's in Montgomery County.
Isn't the Rangers area though? Either it is not, it's
it's it's based off of maybe sometimes what what your
what your satellite thinks you live, where your phone thinks
you live. I wish I could give you some sage advice,

(02:01:27):
but if I do, I would tell you to call
the provider, and then you're gonna be talking to somebody
making nine dollars an hour that lives in a Kazakhstan,
and you're gonna be just pissed off even more. I
just the safest thing you can do, and I know
you guys don't want to hear this. The safest thing
you can do is go get direct legal or legal stream.
Oh sorry, I thought it wasn't direct TV beefing with

(02:01:50):
CBS recently. Who knows direct.

Speaker 3 (02:01:54):
Beefing with an NFL network?

Speaker 8 (02:01:56):
Now?

Speaker 2 (02:01:56):
I think you can get your Space City Home network
separately on your phone without having a cable and or satellite.
It's for all the things, and the first of all,
you also have these restrictions based off of where you're city,
like who a team is closest to you. They need
to get rid of all that. Just get rid of it.

(02:02:17):
If I want to be an Astro fan and I
live in Abley and I should be able to watch
the Astros on Space City and Call to Day, yeah,
you should be able to choose, and they're trying to
do that, but there are territorial restrictions in the NBA
and in baseball.

Speaker 3 (02:02:32):
It's just twenty six, let's go.

Speaker 2 (02:02:34):
These regional TV networks are going away stop with these
territorial restrictions. So, Glenn, I'm sorry, I cannot give you
any sage advice of what to do because you're gonna
wind up calling Kakakhstan and you're gonna be mad at
them because they have no idea what the hell you're
talking about. Good luck, no good luck, You have no luck.
It's got you got bad luck your way. You know,

(02:02:54):
you can get the Astros somehow, Yeah, direc TV, it's
probably the easiest thing or h But the the cuter
you try to get, the more hurdles you're gonna have
to overcome. Well, I'm already sick of fubo. They've got
no NBC networks and no uh no T Turner networks.
There beefing with everybody. Everybody's beef with everybody. At least

(02:03:19):
I went to Mexu's moatouse and said channel two and
they put it on for I'm glad they had channel
two because everything else was on the NFL didn't work.
A draft recaps All right, final hour of the show
is coming up in twenty minutes. We got Missing You,
we got uh girod and gamber gym gamber Jim's call suck.
I don't what to do, but it says Astro's pitching.

(02:03:41):
Someone give them a little bit of a breakout. I
want to talk some strows. No gambler talk, because nobody
cares about that stupid product. They lost again. I don't
know how I know this sounds like maybe maybe I'm gambler.
Matt one o'clock on seven ninety's The Matt Thommas Show
with one O five on Sports Talk seven out eight

(02:04:13):
is the final hour about Thomas show. We got Missing
You coming up in about fifteen minutes, where we take
a look at five Astro former astro players and how
they're doing, and the press conference for Emai A Doka
and raphel Stone coming up at one thirty here on
Sports Talk seven. Uti can't wait, you can we'en waiting
all dight. I can't wait. All right, I'm gonna get

(02:04:36):
some water, yes, throat, trying to get back to close
one hundred percent. Okay, we got a Girod to talk to.

Speaker 3 (02:04:42):
Oh all right, Girrod.

Speaker 2 (02:04:46):
The floor is yours at one o six on seven,
Hunty Jerrod, good afternoon to you.

Speaker 14 (02:04:51):
Good afternoon, Matt rock y'all doing all.

Speaker 3 (02:04:53):
Right, doing great, doing fantastic, Thank you.

Speaker 14 (02:04:59):
Okay, Yeah, I don't think the Rockets need to make
a huge trade, you know, based on what's available, and
you know and his potential trade deadline. You know, you
try to bring in Yannis man. Yannis is not a
shooter either, so I don't think he'll mess well with
mean Thompson. H You know, you probably would have to
trade Sagoon in the deal, But I don't think that'll
just be a good pitch for the Rockets. Young course,

(02:05:21):
I don't.

Speaker 7 (02:05:22):
I don't.

Speaker 14 (02:05:22):
I wouldn't make that trade. I think that just just
need to make some smart, small moves.

Speaker 21 (02:05:26):
Around the edge.

Speaker 14 (02:05:27):
Just doing through your agency. We got guys like a CJ. McCullum,
a guy that can get a bucket maybe coming off
the bench. Maybe bring him in. Or maybe a Norman
Paul that's another guard that could create his own offense.
Get a shout out. You know, a veteran the veteran player,
I probably would look at a player like that. And
then when you go to the draft, I know the
Rockets don't have a number one draft pick, They've got

(02:05:49):
two number two's. I think this is a deep draft
for point guards coming out of college. You got the
guy out of Purdue, Brandon Smith. You got the guy
Brandley out of out of uh Arizona. He's out there.
They got some pretty good guards. I think uh even
the what they got named trade from Michigan, I think
he's coming out. So you got some good point guards.

(02:06:10):
Because even when you get Van Fleet back, I think
you need a love of ball him. Even with Van
Fleet coming back, I think they need a love of
ball him. So maybe you look look at the NBA
draft for coming up after the NBA season was over
with to maybe address that league. But the problem problem
with the Rockets there they don't have a franchise level player.
They don't have a transports transport well transformation little player

(02:06:32):
on the team like a who case got Shay Gildrid.
Santonio has women Yama even Minnesota they have Edwards Denver.
They they don't probably make some moves too, but they
do have a good starting point in Chokis. The Racers
don't have. They they have a lot of good players,
a lot of B beat plus level players. They don't
have that top teen, top fifteen player. That's part of
the problem. You need that type of player to uh,

(02:06:54):
you know, get over there, get over that hump and
make a deep playoff run and posibly win the championship.
The Rockets don't have that currently. I think they probably
gonna have to go the Detroit Pistons route. You know,
back when they had you know, Chauncey Billinson was they
closed and they had a lot of B B plus
level players and uh Prince and Rip Hamilton and Rashid
Wallace being they won a championship beat the Lakers, that

(02:07:16):
Lakers team that was lived by Kobe and Shack. So
I think that's probably the blue quick that the Rockets
need to look at this quick keep Bill and keep
bill to keep being an add a piece here, add
a piece there, and hopefully you get over a hump.
It's to be tough though, with Okay seeing san Antonio,
both having young rosters, both having for minimal teams for
years to come. So but I think that's the best
route the records.

Speaker 17 (02:07:37):
Got to go.

Speaker 14 (02:07:37):
Man, go go that route. Make someone move to pac
get another ball handers to go with van Fleet, and
then you take your chances up next season, possibly making
some noise.

Speaker 12 (02:07:47):
Thank you.

Speaker 3 (02:07:47):
Jerrod Rossell thought or two about that. Well, he covered
a lot.

Speaker 5 (02:07:54):
Uh.

Speaker 2 (02:07:54):
He wants more ball handling. He wants them to get
somebody in the draft, but they don't have a first
round draft pick. That's to be a problem mentioned Yeah, yeah, Look,
if Giannis comes, he's not a great shooter, but he's
a really great passer and he can drive past guys.
You don't have anybody now, I mean a man can

(02:08:14):
drive past guys. But a lot of times people just
sag off from the paint and it clogs everything up.
Kind of same thing similar with the Giannis as well,
but he still makes it work. Jannas shooting like sixty
three percent from the floor, this year. So and he's
an excellent, excellent passer and reader of offenses. We're talking
about a guy one time or two time MVP, I
think maybe two.

Speaker 3 (02:08:34):
So here here is Gianna still in a nutshell.

Speaker 2 (02:08:36):
According to me from the outside, still one of the
greatest downhill players in the NBA. Has fantastic finisher, has
got diversity in his game as long as it's not
the three point shot, and is a minus free throw shooter.
So getting the free throw line fourteen times a game
is thrilling, but if you only makes nine of them,
it's not great. I do worry about injuries, but you

(02:08:59):
know what, life is worried about injuries all the time.
So you're worried about Vin Drank can get hurt. Fred
Vavlee did get hurt, Steve Adams did get hurt. We're
dealing with that. We're the element of the Oh no,
no matter what, yep, I know there's a there's a
scariness aspect to what you already knowing to have with
youth as compared to experience. But knowing that chemistry is

(02:09:24):
still not up in the air. I know, I mean,
what's the chemistry of the rockets? Is it great? Is
it awful. I mean, we got stories out there that
are saying a little bit of both you at the
end of the day, no matter what they do. I mean,
you've been trying to win a championship since nineteen ninety five. Yes,
I need another ring. Okay, Well, I just mean the

(02:09:49):
city of Houston. Oh you're talking about Oh yeah, I
wasn't just making about you. Oh I'm sorry. I mean, yeah,
that's okay, But I mean you mentioned the Pistons. They've
been trying to run a ring since what two thousand,
nicks had been trying for fifty years. Nick's had been
trying for fifty years. When's the last time?

Speaker 18 (02:10:05):
Uh?

Speaker 3 (02:10:06):
Do we have to go back to when's the last time?

Speaker 2 (02:10:08):
In seventy six? Or one?

Speaker 12 (02:10:09):
Was it?

Speaker 3 (02:10:09):
Eighty three?

Speaker 2 (02:10:12):
Emveryerone with Iverson one of made the finals and O
one was it the faux faux fo muld Malone teams?

Speaker 17 (02:10:19):
Was that? It?

Speaker 2 (02:10:20):
Is that the last one?

Speaker 12 (02:10:22):
Yeah?

Speaker 3 (02:10:23):
It's it's hard, folks, to win a championship.

Speaker 2 (02:10:27):
And now we're watching Oklahoma City building a dynasty with
more draft picks, san Antonio striking it rich with wemban
Yama terrible, Seriously, Victor wembn Yama makes a difference. I
don't listen too stupid ohs that think, oh he's gonna
get hurt. Well, of course everybody's gonna get hurt. Hurt
is part of the life in the NBA.

Speaker 7 (02:10:48):
It just is.

Speaker 2 (02:10:49):
Yeah, you didn't get Kate Cunningham and you didn't get Wimby.
Those are the ones that really hurt. POWLO. I like,
but I don't think you know, Powell's making a lot
of money for being just and didn't like Yeah, like
Jamal Mosley got fired, Like Jamal Mosley who got fired?
Uh yeah, last championship for the seventy six or is
nineteen eighty three? It just ain't us. Life is hard

(02:11:16):
in the NBA, no matter what they do. So the
most likely thing is, no matter what they do is
they're not gonna be championed. They're gonna win a Championship'll
let you for thirty seconds two O, you make the
move for you honest, No, if you do, I do
believe it ends untouchable. So let's go Jabbari Alpi for
the trade. What a bunch of first round picks? Yeah,

(02:11:37):
what does your lineup look like? I don't even know
what's gonna. I mean you're gonna you're starting Doyan Phinny Smith.
I guess you're starting Tari Are you keeping him? He's
a restricted free agent. See that's something they don't think
it's gonna happen. Yeah, they're gonna run it back because
I also think part of it is I think it's
gonna be ten teams kicking the doors, and I think
the Rockets have will have the most attractive deal to
ten unless you just want to give the Bucks a

(02:11:59):
boltload a draft pick. My guess they want you mortgaging
your future. Yeah, yeah, all right, Missing you is up next.
We've got the Rockets press conference in fifteen minutes as well.
Seven one three two one two five seven ninety seven
one three two one two five seven NINTI It's Matt Ross.
Were with you today up until two o'clock, no believe
or not today because we have the press conference coming

(02:12:20):
up in just a few minutes one thirteen on seven ninety.
It's our weekly update to see exactly how we're feeling
about our five astros among others that are gone. And
I simply give you the stats, and I asked, Ross,

(02:12:43):
are you missing you Kyle Tucker for the Los Angeles
Dodgers on me in town. That right, and we're not
getting a Kyle Tucker tribute, right, that happened last year already, Right, Yeah,
we're good, all right. Last seven games for Kyle Tucker
six for twenty five, no home runs, th rb eyes
for the season the Dodger right fielder three home runs,

(02:13:06):
sixteen RBIs and ops.

Speaker 3 (02:13:08):
Of six eighty four. Ross, I ask you, are you
missing him?

Speaker 18 (02:13:13):
No?

Speaker 2 (02:13:17):
Cam Smith doing just fine, hitting bombs, is hitting really well.
Next he wasn't asking not so much. But that's okay.

Speaker 3 (02:13:28):
Farmer Valdez did not pitch last week for the Tigers.

Speaker 2 (02:13:32):
Why not maybe you sip and see? Okay, tonight.

Speaker 3 (02:13:37):
Two and one is Mark with an e are of
three points six seven.

Speaker 2 (02:13:43):
I say, ironically enough, we're missing you absolutely seven starts.

Speaker 3 (02:13:49):
Would you say era three points sixty seven.

Speaker 2 (02:13:54):
On the season, Yeah, I think so, two one and
I got three thirty five. Uh oh, all right, I'll
look it up. I mean it's it's a half. It's
a half run among friends either way. Yes, you're missing
Frommer because you're starting. Pitching has been a disaster largely

(02:14:15):
all season long. Oh you know, what The last game
he pitched was April the thirtieth. Eight strikeouts, six hits,
two earned runs or six Yeah, two and one three
thirty five ra whip is one point two six Pretty good? Right,
It's okay? Correct, that's fine. We're still missing him because
we've got Steven over started missing him because he's been good. Yeah,

(02:14:36):
he had one really bad start, and every other start
he's been pretty good. Next. Hey, Sue Sanchez of the
Toronto Blue Jays, last seven games, five for twenty five,
no home runs, no RBIs for the season, four home runs,
fifteen rb eyes and an ops the seven to twenty
five ross. Do you miss him? I guess we'll say
yes because because low Braffito's hurt.

Speaker 3 (02:14:54):
Yeah, sure, why not? Well, you made it for a
cost cutting bitch?

Speaker 2 (02:14:58):
He hasn't that been great?

Speaker 8 (02:15:00):
Up?

Speaker 3 (02:15:00):
It was a negative war?

Speaker 2 (02:15:01):
Actually? Okay? No, not missing? Not missing as okay. Number
four Alex Bregman last seven games for the Chicago Cubs,
four for twenty four, no home runs, two ribbees on
the season, three home runs, twelve RBIs and ops is
six eighty six. He needs to get the knob of
the bat in front of the ball better. I said,
that's what fixed this swing in Boston, right, I said,

(02:15:22):
we don't miss him, No, not missing him all right, Last,
but not least, Mauricio Dubon, don't go look at your
highlights on your Instagram, in your ESPN. He's making a
credible How did he bounce off the wall and make
the throw that fast? And I believe he his his
shoulder and neck were throbbing after. That's what I'm saying.
It's crazy, incredible play. Two home runs, eighteen RBIs on

(02:15:43):
the season with an ops to seven forty five in
his last seven games, six for twenty five, no home runs,
four ribbies, great defensive play over the weekend.

Speaker 3 (02:15:52):
No doubt the Astros are missing you.

Speaker 2 (02:15:58):
We're missing you, Mauricio, especially since Allen whatever his name is,
Nick nick Allen. Why do you call him Zach? I
don't know you're thinking of Zach Gallen the picture for
the Diamondball, or Zach galvin Akis. The actor is Zach
Grinky Zach from Saved by the Bell. Nick Allen Morris

(02:16:19):
Nick Allen. We do we miss?

Speaker 7 (02:16:21):
Well?

Speaker 2 (02:16:21):
We don't miss any ay, we do we really?

Speaker 3 (02:16:24):
Why not? I guess utility wise, having to play a
Correa shows up every time you get the back spasms.

Speaker 2 (02:16:32):
All right, So of the five we missed two, we
miss you from ber Valdez. We miss you, Mauricio Dubon.
Nick Allen is rehabbing. By the way, Hunter Brown throwing
ketch up to one hundred and twenty feet. Up to
one hundred and twenty feet. It's the only gonna throw

(02:16:52):
sixty feet six inches.

Speaker 3 (02:16:53):
He's throwing.

Speaker 2 (02:16:54):
Yeah, but he's throwing catch. He's not throwing mount Oh
don't you know how rehab for pictures works? Have you
not been around Houston the last three years? I got
memorized it. Yeah, all right, that's missing you for the week.
I'll miss you tomorrow. Yeah, I we'll be gone by Yeah,
i'll be back Wednesday. Back show. Look at you. You

(02:17:18):
know you've to you you learn from the.

Speaker 3 (02:17:21):
Master, Charlie. Yeah, I'll work the show. Yes, you will,
and you should.

Speaker 2 (02:17:30):
That's funny.

Speaker 3 (02:17:31):
Yeah, we had a thirty minute show last week.

Speaker 17 (02:17:33):
I know.

Speaker 2 (02:17:33):
All right, any surprises come up in this press conference
here in five minutes? What do you think surprises?

Speaker 18 (02:17:37):
No?

Speaker 3 (02:17:38):
Okay, yeah, your dope is not here.

Speaker 2 (02:17:40):
He's been gone, he's fired, nor any th of aprons.
Cann just confuse the hell out of us. Correct, I'm
not that confused. Aprons are bad. If you hear apron
is bad, this mom's making brownies or something. Yeah, think
about that. You gotta kiss the cook apron kiss a
chef dad in the outside of the barbecue.

Speaker 14 (02:18:00):
Yeah.

Speaker 2 (02:18:00):
All right, let's get to that press covererence after I
tell you about Seth These Fine Jewelry set His set
These Fine Jewelry dot com is a website I want
you to check out because Sethis is an amazing sorry
quick interesting ark Schooble injured list Tigers. Ooh, sorry to interrupt.
That's okay. I made a noise, so I figured I
might as well tell you why. All right, Jonathan, you
will give us the queue when we are ready to

(02:18:22):
go with the press conference down at tode Center. One
thirty one is their time. Matt and Ross with you
here on seven ninety tomorrow. We'll have Joe A spoted
with us at twelve thirty. Gord, he's gonna hang out
with us for a couple hours ten o'clock until noon.
Wonderful checking with Ryan Hollins as well. He owes me
in appearance on this show to Andy, we get a
thought about whether or not Oklahoma City can or the
Lakers can make it competitive with the Lake with the
Yoklahoma City thunder My dad, I guess no, it's not.

(02:18:46):
You just have to hope the internal growth running it back.
You need everybody to come back and get healthy, and
they need players. You have to get to get better.
Twenty two and twenty three year olds can get better. Now,
does that mean they can all gonna blossom in the Superstars?

Speaker 8 (02:19:01):
No?

Speaker 2 (02:19:03):
Shoot, better play better, play better together. It's another thing
we talked about is the chemistry it takes. They had.
Remember it was Lebron James going to the heat, not four,
not five, not six, not seven.

Speaker 3 (02:19:16):
Yeah, they lost their first year, all right, he says,
go on, he said, go to the press conference.

Speaker 2 (02:19:20):
Here we go. This is where both of you start
with Rafel just big picture overall thoughts on the season
and your assessment overall. Yeah, I think yeah, I think.

Speaker 17 (02:19:34):
I think the season was frustrating and and disappointing. We
we expected to win more games in the regular season
that we did, and I think we expected to win
more games in the playoffs than we did. And I
understand that that we took a lot of injuries this year,

(02:19:57):
and I do care about the injuries, but the expectation
for winning is with the players that we had playing
so and I think that that that feeling of disappointment
is definitely felt everywhere in in our locker room, with
all of our players, all of our coaches, all of
our front office and and ownership. I think I think

(02:20:20):
everyone feels the same on that front.

Speaker 9 (02:20:23):
All right, Raphel, do you guys feel that you can
compete with the top of the Western Conference with some
small tweaks to this roster? Do you feel like that
you guys need to make big moves in this offseason.

Speaker 6 (02:20:36):
In terms of the roster.

Speaker 17 (02:20:37):
Uh, you know, we'll we'll we'll look at everything over
the offseason and and look at all, you know, all
all all potential deals. But getting back to Vanessa's question,
we think that the players in our locker room can

(02:20:58):
win a lot of games and can be very competitive.
And my firm expectation is, I mean, we have players
coming back from injury.

Speaker 6 (02:21:08):
They will help us.

Speaker 17 (02:21:12):
If we bring back largely the same group, I think
the continuity will help us. But the single biggest thing
is my expectation is is that Tari Jabari read I'll
be amend all need to be way better basketball players

(02:21:32):
next year, and and I think they should be. That's
that's on them, it's on us, But I expect that
growth from them, and so I expect to be an
improved team next year, regardless of our ability or willingness
to do to bring in any outside talent.

Speaker 22 (02:21:53):
So I mean, from a coaching standpoint, do you echo
my field's position. Do you feel like your roster is
good enough if everybody is healthy, to get to the
next level.

Speaker 7 (02:22:04):
Absolutely, I think.

Speaker 23 (02:22:06):
You know, we had expectations that we fell short of,
you know, due to circumstances, injuries and things like that.
They may have changed at some point, but when we're
whole and healthy, competing is a least of anything. We
feel that we can beat anybody and play at the
highest level. And so this year changed due to that.
But as as it is constructed and what we had,

(02:22:28):
we still feel we should have won more than fifty two.
We still should have won the first round series. And yeah,
we had some injuries there and they did as well,
but I felt we had more than enough to get
it done. And so yeah, it would be interesting to
see us whole and healthy, but you know, like I said,
even with what we had, we feel we should have
done better.

Speaker 10 (02:22:49):
Raphael, you've mentioned a couple of times competitive, but when
you bring in a guy like Duraan, when you make
a move like you made last offseason, certainly it seems
like you're looking for more than just to be able
to compete.

Speaker 2 (02:23:02):
Right, Nope, so you're you're not.

Speaker 10 (02:23:05):
You weren't thinking championship.

Speaker 17 (02:23:07):
That's part of compeating, Like you just go out and compete,
Like there's no there's no trade I can make, there's
no draft pick I can make. That is going to say, oh,
we're guaranteed a championship, That's not it.

Speaker 6 (02:23:19):
You have to compete. This is this is a hard league,
Like the margins are very thin.

Speaker 17 (02:23:28):
Sometimes the hardest series the team has on the way
to his championship run is their first round series. So, like,
to me, what the goal is to put a roster
in place that has a chance to compete for a championship.

Speaker 6 (02:23:42):
But that doesn't mean.

Speaker 17 (02:23:44):
That doesn't mean if you don't if you make the
if you don't make the finals or something you failed
like like like, in terms of putting together a roster
that can compete, you want one that can compete. And
not once did I ever say with respect to bring
Kevin in and that it was championship or busts. I
never said that to him, I never said that to anybody.

(02:24:05):
That's that's very much not our attitude. We we thought
he could be additive to the team.

Speaker 15 (02:24:10):
He was.

Speaker 17 (02:24:12):
We thought he could be a wonderful example to the
team of of to the young guys of of how
to work like a professional, how to how to like
really hone your craft.

Speaker 6 (02:24:22):
I thought he did a really good job of that. Yeah.
That that that that's that's the thought process.

Speaker 24 (02:24:30):
Thank you, right, Phil, you mentioned the younger players. Just
a writer here, just a moment ago with specifically with
Tari and a man. Obviously, Tarri has a contract situation.
I'm just curious if those are guys that you are
interested in, just giving your comments earlier, guys that you're
interested in extending, and where you guys are, what the
status is with that.

Speaker 17 (02:24:49):
Yeah, I mean, I generally just don't talk about contracts,
but but I'm happy to talk about them as players.

Speaker 6 (02:24:54):
They're an enormous part of what we've.

Speaker 17 (02:24:56):
Done, and you know, I fully expect they're going to
be with us for the foreseeable future obviously, like you know,
there's choices and everything has to be made and nothing's guaranteed.
But but I'm extremely high on both of them.

Speaker 8 (02:25:12):
Well, Shargh.

Speaker 15 (02:25:15):
During the last off season after you signed Doing, you
spoke about how you signed him because you wanted him
to kind of take the place and I take the place,
but kind of feeling the void left by dealing Brooks.
What was kind of your understanding on his injury timeline
as far as recovering where you're surprised they took as
loan for him to come back onto the court.

Speaker 6 (02:25:32):
Yeah, I mean I was, and he was too.

Speaker 17 (02:25:34):
It just it was just a little it was just
a slower process than anybody wanted. The answer is yes, Raufel.

Speaker 2 (02:25:42):
Do you expect to go into the repeater tax again
next year? Is that's something ownership has kind of okayed,
so to speak.

Speaker 17 (02:25:48):
I mean, it's a discussion we're not going to be
in the repeater just so you know, like that's that
that doesn't apply to us because this is this was
our first year in the tax. I think you're asking
where we're going to be in the tax, you know,
I think I you know, we'll see the roster the
way it's set up, we very likely will be.

Speaker 6 (02:26:09):
But but all of.

Speaker 17 (02:26:10):
That's like what contracts become available, what trades happened, all
of this. I don't see us. I don't see Tillman
ever wanting to take a step back that isn't strategic.
So like if we weren't, it's because of some opportunity
to do something else that is basketball related.

Speaker 6 (02:26:28):
You know, I think I I've told you guys a
couple of times.

Speaker 17 (02:26:32):
I think in a lot of respects, I'm I'm I
have kind of the best owner in sports. His his
goals are really aligned with mine, and it's it's all
about winning and and he's provided amazing amounts of support
and I expect.

Speaker 25 (02:26:48):
He will continue to coach on last year, you all
got you all were second in the West, and you
eliminated in the first round, and we had these type
of who we had the exit interviews last year. You
talked about, you know, how the team was, and then
you all talked about going into the next season, and
then you all blew the team up and what you
made some changes in the team. Excuse me, but now
you're pretty much in the same situation. Now, you know,

(02:27:10):
you were successful in the regular season, maybe not a
successful that you want to.

Speaker 2 (02:27:13):
Be lost in the first round.

Speaker 25 (02:27:16):
Is there any mindset that some more changes are going
to happen or do you all know that as we
speak today or could something change later on?

Speaker 23 (02:27:26):
Well, I mean changes are always an option, you know,
you do other guys that are free agents and have
contract situations. But to say blowing the team up or whatever,
you know, the the Durant trade and you know, changing
our the look of our team, that was something that
happened and wasn't a plan going into off season last year.

(02:27:47):
But for us, I think improvement across the board is
like Raphel mentioned, with our young guys. That's not making
any changes, that's growth from those guys. Getting everybody back
healthy as a part of it, and we'll have that
veteran mix and what we kind of envisioned going into
the season, which was you know, Fred and Steven not
having a season in injuries, doing coming around from the surgery,

(02:28:09):
and Kevin available in the playoffs, and you mix that
with our young core, you know, that's a we have
a great outlook with that.

Speaker 7 (02:28:15):
As far as.

Speaker 23 (02:28:16):
Our opinion, yeah, we won fifty two, felt we should
have won sixty plus lost in the first round even
with the injuries and the injuries the other the Lakers had,
and still felt we could have made it out of
that series as well.

Speaker 10 (02:28:28):
And so.

Speaker 23 (02:28:30):
You know, due to the circumstances, expectations can change, but
we still thought we'd do better. And I think that's
the plan coming back with the guys we have next
year with everybody healthy. But at the same time, you
never know how people respond to surgeries and our recovery,
and so we're not putting it all back on Fred
or Steven, and the main thing is our young guys
continued to grow and seeing that mix and what it

(02:28:51):
looks like when we're all healthy.

Speaker 26 (02:28:55):
Raphael, you mentioned the frustrating situation with Dorian coming back
from his like surgery. With Fred and seven, are there
any concerns that they might have similar limitations next year.
What's the outlook as far as just what you can
reasonably expect from them next season and when they'll be
fully clear to play.

Speaker 17 (02:29:11):
I mean, the honest answer is there's always concerns coming
off of surgery because you just you don't know how
everybody's body is going to recover and everything else.

Speaker 6 (02:29:19):
The big difference is.

Speaker 17 (02:29:21):
Dorian surgery was postseason and that and you know Fred's was,
I don't know, nine months ago now whatever, it was
seven months ago, eight months ago, and uh and Stevens
was like three or four months ago.

Speaker 6 (02:29:32):
So I think there, I think that they they have the.

Speaker 17 (02:29:36):
Luxury of of you know, his timeline was to be
ready going right, you know, right going into preseason and
then it ended up extending. So when it bled, it
really it really hampered him. That's not their timeline. So
so so hopefully it's better, but but they're not. They're
not young guys, and like, like you Ma said, like

(02:29:57):
you know, you know, we're not completely depend enough on them.
It's not you know, the the off season plan isn't
Oh they're coming back, it's fine. I think it's much
more looking at our young guys and saying, you guys
need to improve.

Speaker 6 (02:30:10):
You've had this year, you need to come back kind
of you know, better than you were at the end.

Speaker 17 (02:30:16):
And by the way, I think I think all of
them were better at the end than they were at
the beginning. And so so it's really you know that
that's where we're looking for the real improvement. I do
think spread and Steven will make complete recoveries. You know,
we expect that to be for the beginning of the season,
but even if it bleeds a little bit, you know,
if those guys, if the rest of our team is

(02:30:37):
doing what they're what they should be doing, I think will.

Speaker 6 (02:30:39):
Be in a good place.

Speaker 9 (02:30:41):
Right both of you guys, do you expect changes to
the offensive structure and or the coaching staff for next season?

Speaker 23 (02:30:52):
Offensive structure, I would say the ability to play different
ways with the personnel that was missing, that should obviously change.
You know, you look at your floor in general kind
of being out and how we had to kind of
adjust on the fly, and with our choice to stay
with Read and I'm in and give those guys a

(02:31:13):
really good look at the point guard position. It changed
some of the things we could do, no doubt, you know,
situational things in the game situations. But that was a
choice he made and I think it will help us
long term. But having certain guys back, I think Steven
is very underrated and what he does for us, and
so losing him halfway through definitely affect us as well.

(02:31:35):
And so just the versatility and Read and I'm in
growing this year and not having to rely on Kevin
as much or Outprin as much, and having enough point
guard back should definitely help the offensive structure flow of things,
and you know, winning at certain points and not losing
late game situations.

Speaker 9 (02:31:53):
And so.

Speaker 23 (02:31:55):
And the totality of the guys that we have back.
I think in general we should look to better, We
should look different and close out the games and have
some of the lumps and ups and downs that we
had at the end of the end of games, and
so they'll be exciting to see that part. In general,
coaching staff wise, I don't see any changes coach in

(02:32:17):
terms of the reflection after game six.

Speaker 27 (02:32:19):
Is it harder to reflect knowing that you know there
isn't another game, or is it easier because you know
this is gonna be the offseason starts now and you
have a new season to start from a whole new page.

Speaker 7 (02:32:30):
I wouldn't say it's harder to reflect.

Speaker 23 (02:32:32):
I think you could see pretty easily immediately the things
that we did to be successful in the prior games
and what we didn't do in that game, and so
you know, the basics where we played at a much
faster pace in the games prior games, created a lot
of turnovers, got out in the open court offensive, rebounded
better outside of Game five and then and then made

(02:32:54):
some more shots. Obviously that's a part of it. That's
what hurt us in Game one and two and Game six.
But it's pretty easy to look back and see what
hurt us throughout the series, the things we did really well,
and how that got away from us in Game six,
and so you know it starts now. We've had exit
meetings with guys already and mapping out the plan for
the offseason and talking about negatives, positives, all the ups

(02:33:17):
and downs of this season and where guys grew in.
So I think everybody's locked in and using a first
round loss his motivation going.

Speaker 28 (02:33:25):
Forward, not having Fred this year and just trying to
get somebody to be a primary distributor for you. Is
that something that you guys identify as a primary target
this offseason, even if Fred is back, to have somebody
veteran or otherwise.

Speaker 2 (02:33:41):
That can be able to do that alongside him.

Speaker 7 (02:33:45):
I mean.

Speaker 17 (02:33:47):
The no, like, no, don't we don't need somebody alongside
for it? If you're saying kind of behind him, like
if that's what you meant, like, I think maybe like.

Speaker 6 (02:33:58):
We'll see how it works.

Speaker 17 (02:34:00):
I mean, we were really really effective this year when
A men was on the court, and so I do
think that one one area we weren't as skilled as
I would have liked.

Speaker 6 (02:34:11):
And certainly I think we all like so.

Speaker 17 (02:34:15):
Like when Reid and a men were in together, it
was way better than in terms of our skill level
than it would have been otherwise. I think, you know Fred,
Fred is like a man and that he can guard
multiple positions. So Fred can play with Reid, he can play,
he can play with a man. We can play Fred
and Reid and a men because of men so big

(02:34:38):
so so Fred.

Speaker 6 (02:34:40):
Coming back would add a lot.

Speaker 17 (02:34:42):
If the opportunity comes in to get a good positive
player who's also really skilled, like, we'll jump on it.
The issue is just like what what I don't believe
in I guess philosophically, is just going to get a
point guard because they're a point guard. And let's just
say somebody is a very good ball handler and passer,
but they can't defend and they can't shoot, well.

Speaker 6 (02:35:05):
I'd rather just cobble it together.

Speaker 17 (02:35:07):
Then Okay, yeah, we can get into our offense good,
but like no one guards them after they make the
initial pass.

Speaker 6 (02:35:13):
And then on the other end, they're just a sieve.

Speaker 17 (02:35:16):
And those players do exist in the NBA, there's quite
quite a few of them, and they're available, but I
didn't think that would make us better on the hole.
So I think it's always an opportunity cost and there's
lots of ways to win basketball games. There's lots of
ways to lose them. My goal is simply to win,

(02:35:37):
and aesthetics just aren't that important to me. And so
like understanding the concern people have about the way things
sometimes look.

Speaker 6 (02:35:46):
There are trade offs.

Speaker 17 (02:35:47):
And our team, our team this year was very big,
and we were very physical, and when Fred went down,
I think we made a conscious decision just to lean
into that, and I think I think it paid off
at times and at times it hurt us.

Speaker 6 (02:36:02):
But but again there's a trade off.

Speaker 17 (02:36:04):
And if you can get a player who's big and
physical and a and a point guard, that's that's optimal.

Speaker 6 (02:36:11):
Those guys are kind of hard to find.

Speaker 17 (02:36:12):
So sitting here today, going into the summer, you know,
we would like to be more skilled.

Speaker 6 (02:36:18):
We'd like to we'd like to be better shooting.

Speaker 17 (02:36:20):
We'd like to do all of that without giving up
defense and rebounding I hope we can do that like that,
that's always the goal. But you know, but if you can't,
then we'll have to make some hard decisions around the margins.
I think the timing of when Fred went down dictated
our course more than anything else, because at that point
in time, and even bleeding into the trade deadline, it

(02:36:43):
was going to be very hard to make a short
term deal that didn't hurt us in the long term
and provided and provided.

Speaker 6 (02:36:50):
Kind of you know, what we thought was an optimal
trade off, and so we did what we did.

Speaker 10 (02:36:55):
There's questions for Emmy when you look at this this
rosters it's currently construc I mean, what do you feel
like maybe you guys maybe need more of or you know,
where you could really improve. And then secondly, what do
you come down on the usage of the rant going
forward as you know, as he gets a little bit
older and all of those things. I mean, are you

(02:37:17):
comfortable playing in as many minutes in as many games
as you did this year?

Speaker 2 (02:37:21):
Next year?

Speaker 23 (02:37:22):
I would say, I mean, a variety is good for us,
and shooting always stands out. You know, we want, as
we've mentioned, our guys have internal growth in those areas.
But you know there are some needs addressed there, and
I said that the final press conference, where we have
some guys that do a lot of the same things,
and so to have.

Speaker 7 (02:37:43):
A little variety there. Specifically, shooting would be good, as.

Speaker 23 (02:37:47):
Rapel mentioned, whether it was before the season or trade deadline,
you know, talking about point guard.

Speaker 7 (02:37:52):
The decision we went with I'm in and read.

Speaker 23 (02:37:55):
You know, it really came down to the names that
were there and is anybody going to supplant those guys
in their role or takeaway? We obviously look at a
big picture. We didn't want to take away from reading
on men's development. So yeah, to this point, if there's
a name there or something makes sense, you look at it.
But we also hope that they took steps and grew

(02:38:15):
enough this year to you know, back up or couple
with Fred and so that's that. I think the shooting
is always a thing like that, like I mentioned, but
versatility is a good thing for us, and we have
a lot of guys that can play up and down.

Speaker 7 (02:38:29):
And when you look at Tari and.

Speaker 23 (02:38:32):
Kevin, even Jabbari and those guys are playing out roam
with Steven, we can go a lot of different ways.

Speaker 7 (02:38:37):
And when we're whole. It gives us a lot of options.

Speaker 23 (02:38:40):
That we didn't have when Steven went down, and so,
like you said, we'll look at everything and whatever makes sense,
you know, try to add to our team.

Speaker 7 (02:38:47):
No doubt.

Speaker 23 (02:38:48):
As far as Kevin, I would say, no, you definitely
want to shave those minutes down, and that was not
the plan going into the season. I think amends a
little bit different, younger guy that does a ton for us,
and we're great when he's on the court. But I'm
not a guy that would like our too. You know,
two of our guys being the top five minutes wise,
and so you know, Kevin was a guy that was available,

(02:39:12):
you know, outside of missing two games personal on sitting one.
He really missed one game with the ankle injury, and
we had a lot of ups and downs with other
guys being in and out, and so he showed it
the load. He obviously works extremely hard to be ready
for those situations. But yes, you take age and into
a factor and you'd like to shave that down. But

(02:39:33):
having Fred Steven back and you know Dorian, you know,
coming off injury and hopefully better next year, should be
able to do that. And I'm in as well, you
don't want to rely on anybody. I think our our
balance is good when everybody's healthy, and that'll help take
Kevin's minutes down.

Speaker 24 (02:39:53):
Raphaeld, what do you feel like is y'all's most realistic
or I guess optimal path to to add and improve
the sh that we've all talked about at this point.
I mean, you mentioned the confidence and the young guys,
So where does that improvement in shooting overall when the
team actually come from.

Speaker 17 (02:40:09):
I mean, I think you know it's it's possible we
bring back fifteen guys, but is very unlikely. So I
think I think, yeah, I think I think that as
we're as we're looking kind of at filling out the
back end of the roster, I think, I think, I

(02:40:30):
don't know that we're going to like get it, get
a shooter who can't do anything else, but like trying
to find trying to find a quality player.

Speaker 6 (02:40:38):
Who who may be their strength is shooting.

Speaker 17 (02:40:40):
I think that makes some sense as well as IMA does,
and that can come in a lot of different forms.
It might not give you one guy, might be two
or three guys like who knows, and then also like yeah,
like I think I think some of our young guys.
I think both Jabbari and Reid are already very good shooters.
The theory of them and my expectation for them is

(02:41:01):
that they become elite and and and and again that
internal growth changes changes our dynamic too.

Speaker 11 (02:41:10):
Ravel.

Speaker 19 (02:41:10):
I just want to make sure I'm understanding when you're
saying very skilled. You mentioned you're you're very skilled with
the men on the floor, and then you're looking for
that what what are those traits specifically that you would
put under the umbrella of being very skilled.

Speaker 17 (02:41:23):
Sorry, I mean what I was saying is like, if
he's playing at the three and then you've got two
small guards next to him, that you're probably going to
be very skilled because like all of them can drib
Like when I say skilled, I generally.

Speaker 6 (02:41:36):
Mean dribble and pass.

Speaker 17 (02:41:37):
So your but your ball handling capability and so if
he's if he's your primary ball handler and you don't
even have a secondary, you're you're you're you're not you're
not probably a very skilled team. Really you're probably like
doing that because you're can be really really big and physical,
but you're you're probably foregoing skill.

Speaker 12 (02:41:58):
That's what I'm.

Speaker 29 (02:42:02):
Well, what do you what do you take from Reid's
season overall, and how did that impact how you look
at what he can be in the future. Is he
a starting point guard years down the road?

Speaker 17 (02:42:12):
I think he, I mean my expectation for him as
he should be. I think he should be a really
good one. I think that's his expectation for himself as well.
I actually thought Reid had a great season. He essentially
didn't play as a rookie like we We got him
in here and there, but but never in kind of
a high leverage real way. And he got thrown into

(02:42:34):
the fire and uh, and when he was good, he
was really good. And so I think for him it's
finding consistency and just getting you you know, and I
thought I thought he did over the course of the season.
But he needs to take He took a big jump
last summer in terms of his readiness to enter this year.

Speaker 6 (02:42:52):
He needs to do the same thing again this summer
so that.

Speaker 17 (02:42:57):
We, you know, going into each game, we're hoping to
get great read I don't know that we expected to it.
It needs to become that the expectation as we get
him playing, you know, nightly at his very best, and
when he doesn't, we're all surprised that that that that
should be his goal going in the next year.

Speaker 6 (02:43:14):
But I did think he had a very good year.

Speaker 2 (02:43:18):
For both of you.

Speaker 9 (02:43:19):
What did you take from a men's season at point guard?
How did he perform, how did teams defend him, how
did he react? And is that a role you see
him continuing to feel moving forward.

Speaker 23 (02:43:29):
I think he has some ups and downs. You know
when you look at him and Reid, and that's not
their natural position that they played. A mean's had the
ball in his hands. A ton Read has played more
off ball coming off the bench of Kentucky with Dillingham,
he didn't even play the point and I think we
looked at it coming into the draft. He had sixteen
pick and rolls as a freshman at Kentucky, so you know,

(02:43:52):
he's more off ball moving even going back to high
school was a motion offense where he didn't just dominate
the ball. And so they're growth. We knew they were
gonna take some months with it, some ups and downs.
They both progressed and showed you know, potential at times
and making the right play, whether it was the score,
make the pass, pocket pass, get passes, those things. But

(02:44:12):
you know, I look at it, like, you know, if
you have a rookie quarterback in the NFL, he's played
quarterback before he was drafted to play quarterback. It's different
than bringing two guys to play at point guard that
really haven't played that spot, and the rookie quarterback is
still going to struggle. So of course, if you have
guys out of position, they're going to take some ups
and downs, but it will benefit us all going forward.

(02:44:34):
And so before I'm in, I think it was just
that understanding of balance, and the last two months of
the season you kind of saw his numbers take off
and his comfort level take off there and his understanding takeoff,
and so the paint touches were evident and not shooting
in the crowd or finding his outlets. It became more consistent.
And so couple that with Fred coming back, and you

(02:44:56):
don't have to rely on Fred like we did our
first two years for turnovers and getting us into set
because you have reading I mean that grew in that area.
Kevin obviously is part of that, and then you have
a unique center who can initiate and so the balance
there should be much better. But I think they both
took steps in the right direction as far as playing
the point guard, being as that that was not their
natural position.

Speaker 7 (02:45:14):
Coming in.

Speaker 17 (02:45:17):
A second, I'm gonna you ask both of us that question.
I believe, yes, uh yeah, I do want to say
I was very happy with the men gier. I mean,
he played a ton of minutes, he was super durable,
and we were just a really good team with him
on the court. And so I think I think he
had a really good season to build off of. And

(02:45:37):
to e May's point, I was really really pleased with
the way he ended, the way he ended the season
and some of his some of his last steps. I
think a big thing for him is the same thing
for Reid is just is becoming more consistent with it
and really understanding what he wants to do.

Speaker 6 (02:45:52):
And then the other one is like doing it in
the playoffs too.

Speaker 17 (02:45:55):
I thought he had some good games in the playoffs,
but I thought, I think he's capable of so much more.

Speaker 6 (02:45:59):
I think a man is capable of a lot, and
so we're gonna we're gonna.

Speaker 7 (02:46:03):
Keep pushing him as well.

Speaker 3 (02:46:04):
Yeah, it's just for both of you. I'll start with you, im.

Speaker 22 (02:46:07):
Can you just talk about the season that Alpi had
and is there any concern about the summer load weighing
on him in terms of injuries throughout the season.

Speaker 7 (02:46:18):
Your light is on.

Speaker 23 (02:46:19):
Oh, I'm sorry, but no, I think it was really
good for him. You know, he we had coaches out
there spend a lot of time with him. He obviously
had a really good euro Basket and the carryover into
the season was great. You know, he was in tremendous shape,
you know, played really well. I don't know, I think,

(02:46:41):
you know, I did lean on some things in the
past and San Antonio days with Manu and Tony and
these guys playing in all the European or all the
competitions that they played in, and it felt like at
some point they all kind of hit a little wall
in the middle of the season and needed a little
breaker reset. And you know, with the injuries this year
was hard for us for that opportunity for alphab to

(02:47:02):
take a game here or there, you know, once Steven
goes out and all that.

Speaker 7 (02:47:05):
And so I think the carryover is great.

Speaker 23 (02:47:08):
We start the season really great and a great spot,
very confident and aggressive, and then might have hit a
little bit of a ball in the middle, which guys
do in general around all Star break and you can
see some things physically starting to add up, you know,
some getting nicked up here and there, but love how
he bounced back and finished as well. And so I
think it's always a good thing to continue to play
and be in different roles. And like I said, it

(02:47:30):
was a little non it was not deniable how good
he came into the season and they had great carryover
from that.

Speaker 6 (02:47:40):
Good you answer it for me, right, We'll take you more.

Speaker 25 (02:47:44):
All right, Coach, there's a lot of outside noise about
the vibes and the chemistry about your team, about the
locker room and especially.

Speaker 2 (02:47:52):
Post All Star break.

Speaker 25 (02:47:53):
Could you just take us into the locker room and
tell us, you know, how your players vibe and have
the type of chemistry that they have with each other.

Speaker 23 (02:48:04):
Yeah, I mean, it's it's you know, for us, it's
almost a little bit laughable when you hear things because
you're like, where the hell does come from? And it's
the opposite of what we deal with on a daily basis.
And I think that be echoed by the players if
you ask them, you know, day to day, man to man.
And so they all make jokes about it and laugh
about the vibe and all that, and I think you

(02:48:24):
saw that throughout the season, but things have said and
it's always been the case. I've been, I've been in
some bad situations and we're far from that or anything
like that. You go through your normal ups and downs
of a season, and guys are frustrated with losing a
times games we shouldn't lose, or you know, whatever the
situation may be. But yeah, like I said, we almost

(02:48:47):
turn a blind eye to it and make a joke
out of more than anything, because these reports come out
and you're like, where to come from? Where they talking
about this? The opposite of what we're feeling is so
don't put much stock into it, and I don't think
the guys do either.

Speaker 6 (02:49:02):
Well, yeah, I want to add to that.

Speaker 14 (02:49:04):
One.

Speaker 17 (02:49:04):
One thing I did note, which I thought was really funny,
is none of you in this room wrote about that,
So the people who were around the.

Speaker 6 (02:49:11):
Team weren't the ones writing it, So that I did.

Speaker 17 (02:49:13):
I did find I did find that really interesting that
the people whose faces I see every day they didn't They.

Speaker 6 (02:49:19):
Didn't write that. So those of you who aren't here today,
you can note.

Speaker 2 (02:49:22):
That this is for the both of you.

Speaker 27 (02:49:27):
Obviously, the cohesion between you, yourself and ownership has been
pretty strong over the last two three years. How is
it or how are those conversations like when you guys
don't see eye to eye and how do you guys
find a resolution.

Speaker 17 (02:49:43):
The premise of your question, I don't think happens very often. So,
I mean, I think the reason it works well, I'm
not trying to speak for you. May the reason it
works well for me is because when I look at
what's happening on the practice court or the game in court,
or the locker room or whatever, and then I go

(02:50:04):
to talk to him, we see the same thing so like,
and then I think it just becomes brainstorming how how
to fix it or how to enhance it, or whatever
the case is. But I don't remember a whole I
don't remember, like, I don't remember anything of significance where
we actually did disagree.

Speaker 6 (02:50:24):
So when that happens, I'll get back to you.

Speaker 23 (02:50:27):
Oh, I'd say the same. I mean, it's pretty much
aligned on everything. And you know, as far as roster
and personnel people that we've targeted and liked, it's been
very similar. It's not like he's forced me to take
a guy that I didn't think messed with excuse me,
messed with what we're doing, and so that's what it's good.

Speaker 7 (02:50:50):
Alignment