NERDS AROUND TOWN
Nerds Around Town: The Mandalorian, trouble in Mexico City and X-Men updates
Dec 3, 2019, 8:16 am
ART BY JESUS RODRIGUEZ
Born with a comic book in one hand and a remote control in the other, Cory DLG is the talent of Conroe's very own Nerd Thug Radio and Sports. Check out the podcast replay of the FM radio show at www.nerdthugradio.com!
GOOD DEED OF THE DAY
For the next two weeks I'm going to be pointing to the charity called "Let's Bring 'Em Home." They buy plane tickets for active duty enlisted guys and fly them home for the holidays. On December 13th, Nerd Thug Radio and The Adventure Begins will be teaming up and holding the Nerd Thug Takeover to benefit this wonderful organization. Starting at 6pm, proceeds from sales will be going to this 501c registered charity and will be helping to try and bring some enlisted people home for the holidays so they can see their families.
KRAKOA TROUBLES
There may already be trouble in X-Paradise, part of the massive X-Men relaunch has been the new titles with new line ups and new directions. They're already putting one book on hiatus after only two issues and they're bringing more down the way. It's obvious that they haven't found the right line up yet and they're still struggling to find the right mix. Fallen Angels is going to go on a break and Wolverine comes out now at a larger page count, they are also previewing a new book with the most "dysfunctional lineup" ever. I'm not filled with confidence.
TROUBLE IN MEXICO
There's a massive tour going around and the other day they were in Mexico City and the show was cancelled after barricades were damaged and the bands Slipknot and Evanescence hadn't played their sets yet. Some members of the 50,000 strong crowd decided to storm the stage and destroy everything they could get their hands on, which included Evanescence's band gear. They literally watched their gear burn up, that is not how Mexico City should party. Evanescence has been cool about it but bands may want to start renting gear when they play Knotfest.
THE MANDALORIAN
Suddenly there's unhappy nerds with the fourth episode of The Mandalorian. After three episodes of happy nerds in the world of Star Wars, suddenly there's an episode they don't like. It happens to be the episode with a ton of action and an AT-ST walker tank. Who the heck is complaining about this episode and why? Well it turns out, because women help and are bad ass in this episode. Yeah Gina Carano of MMA fame is featured in this episode as shock trooper on the run from her past, and people are mad that she's tough. This is such a joke. Just the casting alone should have been a hint that a character is capable of some serious damage, but then she and the Mandalorian both are on the same page throughout the episode so she's basically set up as a high level mercenary or experienced mercenary of some serious degree so if we've accepted The Mandalorian as an awesome mercenary without any backstory then why are we asking for her backstory before we decide she's awesome too?
NOT THAT YOU ASKED
So in the buildup to Christmas I'm enjoying the access to the entire Marvel catalog and rewatching all of the movies (minus the Hulk and the two Spider-Mans) in chronological order so I started with Captain America. I think of all the intro movies this has held up maybe the best or second best (behind Iron Man). To see young Steve Rogers again, knowing how this all ends and to see the dynamic of the love lost knowing they find each other at the end of Endgame, it makes this movie and the whole story arc for Cap and Agent Carter sweet.
Feel free to check out my brand-new comic book Another Day at the Office or buy a shirt from Side Hustle Ts where some proceeds help people struggling with cancer or listen to Nerd Thug Radio. Thoughts, complaints, events and comments can be sent to corydlg@gmail.com.
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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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