Every Thing Sports
Jermaine Every: Don't look now, but Astros season is not too far away
Jan 30, 2018, 6:34 am
The World Series champion Astros will report for spring training in just a couple weeks. Ezra Shaw/Getty Images
There’s a lot going on in sports these days. So naturally, there’s a lot going on in my head. Adult ADD isn’t so bad when you know how to control it and harness it for the sake of writing an article. So here goes…
Astros spring training draws near
The Astros are set to start defense of their World Series title. Pitchers and catchers report on Feb. 14, while position players report on Feb. 19. Spring Training always gets me excited for the upcoming baseball season. This season has me more pumped coming off the World Series win. General Manager Jeff Luhnow has done yeoman’s work in shaping this roster into not just a contender, but a contender for years to come. Pulling off the Gerrit Cole deal was akin to hustling the Pittsburgh Pirates at 3-Card Monte. Playing a 162-game schedule is a grind in and of itself. From their “pre-season” until the last out is recorded, a baseball season lasts about ten months. I believe the only thing standing in their way is staying relatively healthy for that journey. Speaking of the Astros…
Jose Altuve putting in extra work
MLB Network host and Houston native Robert Flores recently tweeted that A.L. MVP Jose Altuve has been at the Astros training facility for FOUR WEEKS! If you needed another reason to love this guy, there ya go. I applaud the fact that he’s gone about this without any shameless self-promoting social media posts (looking at you J.J. Watt). He simply told a media member and let the rest take care of itself. Never mind that, but the man could be resting on his recent accomplishments and taking it easy. Instead, he only took about a month off and got right back to work. He knows the big payday will come. Yet, with all the accolades in tow, he chooses to grind harder in order to stay at the top of the mountain. If only some other top athletes in this city would follow his lead, I wonder: where they could lead their teams?
G.O.A.T. talks
With the New England Patriots making yet another Super Bowl appearance, quarterback Tom Brady has been mentioned as perhaps the greatest athlete/sportsman ever, especially in comparison to Michael Jordan. Those types of arguments are great for debate, difference of opinion, generational divides, and overall discussion. However, one of the flaws I’ve noticed is the lack of inclusion of other athletes/sportsman. Roger Federer just became the first male tennis player to win 20 Grand Slam titles. No mention of him or the three women who did it before he did (Serena Willaims, Steffi Graf, or Margaret Court). What about Pelé, Lionel Messi, Diego Maradona, or Cristiano Ronaldo of soccer? I’m guessing baseball players like Babe Ruth, Willie Mays, or Barry Bonds get no love either? I’m not even going to mention some of the others from sports less popular. Let’s be sure we open our minds and broaden our horizons when making these types of arguments before we eliminate reasonable competition.
The Rockets are ready to contend
The Rockets are ready to contend for the NBA title…if they can remain healthy. Do they need to add some pieces? They sure could use the extra help. Fellow Sports Map columnist Joel Blank laid out his argument for help in the form of another big man. While I agree with him, I believe this team’s biggest obstacle is health. Their record of 19-1 with James Harden, Chris Paul, and Clint Capela in the starting lineup is astonishing. At 35-13 on the season with a fairly firm grip on the No. 2 seed in the Western Conference, they’re currently four games back of the Golden State Warriors for the No. 1 seed and hold the tie-breaker. But that’s not enough. The Warriors are like a large corporation in a lawsuit against a very successful mom & pop operation. Sure the mom & pop operation may have a winnable case in court, but the corporation has longer money and better lawyers to outlast them and will eventually win out unless something drastic happens. Going 16-12 when their version of the Big Three is out doesn’t spell success in the postseason. Making a move is one thing, making the right move (no matter what they may look like) could make or break their chances this season.
The Texans’ blessing in disguise
The Texans’ coaching staff had the task of coaching the South team in the 2018 Senior Bowl. Going into the offseason sans a first and second round pick in the draft and a change at general manager, this came as a blessing in disguise for the Texans. Bill O’Brien and his staff got the chance to be up close and personal with a group of potential draftees, or undrafted free agents, this past week. Scouts, coaches, and front office personnel often attend these events en masse. I sincerely hope they used that time wisely and were able to pick up on more than they would have given normal access had they not been coaching in the game. This would be more beneficial given the stacked deck they’re facing when it comes to rebuilding this team on the fly, particularly this offseason, given that they’re already a one-legged man in an ass-kicking contest.
Bonus!
-If you haven’t seen the footage of Nick Saban doing the Cupid Shuffle, it’s a must-watch.
-A New Orleans Pelicans fan sitting courtside had a brief run as a member of the team in warm-ups.
If you’re reading this, I love you. Thanks for putting up with me this long as my own attention span sometimes won’t allow me to do the same without at least three or four breaks. Remember, I’m available for rebuttal, debate, or general conversation on Twitter. Until next week, be good, or be good at it.
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Astros keep doing this, and it’s getting hard to ignore
Jun 25, 2025, 10:01 pm
While the rolling Astros have a week of possible World Series preview matchups against the Phillies and Cubs, it’s the Rockets who made the biggest local sports headline with their acquisition of Kevin Durant. What a move! Of course there is risk involved in trading for a guy soon to turn 37 years old and who carries an injury history, but balancing risk vs. reward is a part of the game. This is a fabulous move for the Rockets. It’s understood that there are dissenters to this view. Everyone is entitled to an opinion, including people with the wrong opinion! Let’s dig in.
The Rockets had a wonderful season in winning 52 games before their disappointing first-round playoff loss to the Warriors, but like everyone else in the Western Conference, they were nowhere close to Oklahoma City’s caliber. While they finished second in the West, the Rockets only finished four games ahead of the play-in. That letting the stew simmer with further growth among their young players would yield true championship contention was no given for 2025-26 or beyond.
Kevin Durant is one of the 10 greatest offensive players the NBA has ever seen. Among his current contemporaries only Stephen Curry and Nikola Jokic make that list. For instance, Durant offensively has clearly been better than the late and legendary Kobe Bryant. To view it from a Houston perspective, Durant has been an indisputably greater offensive force than the amazing Hakeem Olajuwon. But this is not a nostalgia trip in which the Rockets are trading for a guy based on what he used to be. While Durant could hit the wall at any point, living in fear that it’s about to happen is no way to live because KD, approaching his 18th NBA season, is still an elite offensive player.
As to the durability concern, Durant played more games (62) this past season than did Fred VanVleet, Jabari Smith, and Tari Eason. The season before he played more games (75) than did VanVleet, Dillon Brooks, and Alperen Sengun. In each of the last two seasons Durant averaged more minutes per game (36.9) than any Rocket. That was stupid and/or desperate of the Suns, the Rockets will be smarter. Not that the workload eroded Durant’s production or efficiency. Over the two seasons he averaged almost 27 points per game while shooting 52 percent from the floor, 42 percent from behind the three-point line, and 85 percent from the free throw line. Awesomeness. The Rockets made the leap to being a very good team despite a frankly crummy half-court offense. The Rockets ranked 21st among the 30 NBA teams in three-point percentage, and dead last in free throw percentage. Amen Thompson has an array of skills and looks poised to be a unique star. Alas, Thompson has no credible jump shot. VanVleet is not a creator, Smith has limited handle. Adding Durant directly addresses the Rockets’ most glaring weakness.
The price the Rockets paid was in the big picture, minimal, unless you think Jalen Green is going to become a bonafide star. Green is still just 23 years old and spectacular athletically, but nothing he has done over four pro seasons suggests he’s on the cusp of greatness. In no season has Green even shot the league average from the floor or from three. His defense has never been as good as it should be given his athleticism. Compared to some other two-guards who made the NBA move one year removed from high school, four seasons into his career Green is waaaaaay behind where Shae Gilgeous-Alexander, Anthony Edwards, and Devin Booker were four seasons in, and now well behind his draft classmate Cade Cunningham. Dillon Brooks was a solid pro in two seasons here and shot a career-best from three in 2024-2025, but he’s being replaced by Kevin Durant! In terms of the draft pick capital sent to Phoenix, five second round picks are essentially meaningless. The Rockets have multiple extra first round picks in the coming years. As for the sole first-rounder dealt away, whichever player the Rockets would have taken 10th Wednesday night would have been rather unlikely to crack the playing rotation.
VanVleet signs extension
Re-signing Fred VanVleet to a two-year, 50 million dollar guarantee is sensible. In a vacuum, VanVleet was substantially overpaid at the over 40 mil he made per season the last two. He’s a middle-of-the-pack starting point guard. But his professionalism and headiness brought major value to the Rockets’ kiddie corps while their payroll was otherwise very low. Ideally, Reed Sheppard makes a leap to look like an NBA lead guard in his second season, after a pretty much zippo of a rookie campaign. Sheppard is supposed to be a lights-out shooter. For the Rockets to max out, they need two sharpshooters on the court to balance Thompson’s presence.
For Astro-centric conversation, join Brandon Strange, Josh Jordan, and me for the Stone Cold ‘Stros podcast which drops each Monday afternoon, with an additional episode now on Thursday. Click here to catch!
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