May 4, 2024 • 36 mins
Where Colin was right and wrong...plenty of both
BREAKING NEWS: Lakers fire HC Darvin Ham
Guest: Paul Pierce
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Speaker 1 (00:00):
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Speaker 2 (00:22):
You're listening to Fox Sports Radio.
Speaker 1 (00:25):
All right time for on a Monday. It's customary. Colin Wright,
Colin wrong.
Speaker 2 (00:30):
Where Colin was right, The.
Speaker 1 (00:31):
First fourteen picks in the draft were offense. All six
highly touted quarterbacks went in the top twelve fifty five
offensive linemen in the draft. We've been on this for years.
Stop drafting as much defense. High Michael Pennix, we never
bought into a second rounder. He's at starting quarterback. I
thought he may fall to like a Miami or at
(00:52):
Dallas or maybe a Rams. But twenty three to thirty
two picks went offense seventy two percent. Folks. They've changed
the rules. Load up on offense like New England did.
Speaker 2 (01:03):
Where Colin was raw.
Speaker 1 (01:05):
Aunt Edwards was the best player in that series. I said,
he's dynamic, he's great, but is he gonna be Dominique instead?
Of MJ. Does he have the leadership abilities, the relentlessness.
Can he elevate teammates. That's exactly what he did in
this series. Yes, he's dynamic. Nobody dispute. Dominique was dynamic.
I still think he has to improve as a shooter.
(01:27):
But thirty one and eight in this series, was willing
to guard KD. Was verbal, was great with his teammates,
was a coach on the bench. That's the difference between
dynamic and MJ. You gotta be willing sometimes to say
the tough thing to teammates, guard the other team's best guy.
Here was aunt after.
Speaker 3 (01:48):
I told you all yesterday, our day before, yesterday, whatever,
the last time we played that I want to kill
everything in front of me. So once I knew we
had a chance to sweep them, and you know, I
mean why we want to go back in Minnesota. I
mean to a recipe. They came out and competed. They
played hard tonight. It was very tough, but I mean
big shout out to my teammates.
Speaker 4 (02:05):
Man.
Speaker 3 (02:05):
They came out and competed at a high level throughout
the whole forty eight minutes, and they trusted me at
the end.
Speaker 1 (02:11):
YEP four games. Sweek never ever close where Colin was right.
I set a month ago Jaden Daniels would go number two,
and that I trusted my source on this, and my source,
Big Jay Journalism is officially four for four on giving
me scoops. Cliff Kingsbury and the organization decided over a
month ago that Jade and Daniels was ready to play.
(02:33):
Drake May wasn't that his mobility would help them greatly
with a rebuilding offensive line, and that right now as
a pocket passer, he was more accurate and consistent. So
they made this decision over a month ago. My source
nailed it Jaden number.
Speaker 2 (02:49):
Two where Colin was raw.
Speaker 1 (02:52):
I didn't think the Suns would win the championship or
even the West, but I was wrong on KD. He's
not close to a cornerstone player. He's exactly what he
always told us. He was a hooper. He gets buckets
and there's nothing wrong with that. But I do think
less of him because of Brooklyn and Phoenix than I
(03:12):
did when he was a warrior. I did think he
was a better, easier scorer than Lebron, but Lebron hadds
so many dimensions that KD doesn't he is what he
promised us and told us he was. He's just a hooper.
Speaker 2 (03:26):
Where Colin was right.
Speaker 1 (03:27):
Michael Pennix Junior. I said it midway through the college season.
That's a franchise quarterback. I don't care if he's left handed.
I don't care about the acl stuff. And four teams,
including Atlanta, were reportedly interested in the top ten picks. Listen,
size arm, the ease in which he throws the deep ball.
There's knocks on him, like, for instance, the underneath stuff.
(03:49):
You can teach quarterbacks the underneath stuff. You cannot teach
a quarterback to throw a ball this beautiful and this
accurately on d Brout So Panix, not JJ McCarthy was
the quarterback that many teams were moving up to get.
Speaker 2 (04:07):
Where Colin was wrong.
Speaker 1 (04:10):
Paul George, James Harden. I gotta be honest on James
Harden's that I whiffed on that. I didn't think it
was gonna work. I thought it was just cly Westbrook.
Harden yack, He's been great, just what the doctor ordered.
This was always a team with a good roster and
a great coach that didn't have a lubricator, didn't have
a point guard. He's been terrific. Yesterday assists threes floaters.
(04:34):
They tried to run him off the three point line,
all right, go ahead, and he burned him. A magnificent performance.
He is Oh and we said this years ago. He's
always been a more willing passer than people get him
credit for. But this has actually worked significantly better than
I predicted.
Speaker 2 (04:50):
I was wrong where Colin was right.
Speaker 1 (04:53):
Also said this that Jalen Brunson. I said this at
the start of the year will be the greatest Nick
since Patrick Ewing. I never bought a namello. I didn't
buy an Amri Stodemeyer. This kid, not Daniel Jones or
Aaron Rodgers. This is the best quarterback in New York. Intelligence, toughness, clutch, leadership.
(05:13):
He is fantastic.
Speaker 4 (05:15):
You know.
Speaker 1 (05:15):
I mean, historically, small guys don't lead you to championships.
Steph Isaiah Thomas did. But what I liked about Brunson
he never takes the fans or his game for you know,
he doesn't take the foot off the gas. He is
working it on both ends every game. He is the Knicks.
He feels like Tips. He feels like the Knicks. Toughness, leadership,
(05:40):
clutch time stats.
Speaker 2 (05:42):
We were right where Colin was wrong.
Speaker 1 (05:45):
I thought the Patriots in my final mock draft had
such a weak roster they'd move out of the three
spot and accumulate a ton of picks. But I'm happy
I was wrong. They went and got Drake May and
their first five picks for offensive and seven of eight
total picks were offensive, which whether or not he's gonna
star or even succeed at any level, you got to
(06:06):
give these kids a fighting chance. Drake May's got a
new coach, and Elliott Wolf did a nice job to
help elevate him with some really interesting and fast offensive pieces.
Speaker 2 (06:18):
Where Colin was right.
Speaker 1 (06:19):
Bon Nicks to Sean Payton number twelve. We called that
months ago, not that I had a source inside the
Broncos building, but I did believe that of all the
quarterbacks in this draft, he was a great fit, A
great fit with Sean Payton, sixty one college starts, hyper accurate.
Dad was a coach, very coachable. People forget on bon Nicks.
(06:43):
He was a five star recruit. I remember as a
freshman him beating Oregon Justin Herbert on a final drive
of the game and thinking, who is this kid. He's good,
he's talented. I saw him play live twice, and he
is the kind of quarterback bridge water and breeze that
Sean Payton likes, that Kyle Shanahan likes. Here's the play,
follow it and delivered accurately. The NFL is about fit,
(07:06):
and he's a good fit.
Speaker 2 (07:07):
Where Colin was wrong.
Speaker 1 (07:09):
Eagles gave aj Brown an extension, making him the highest
paid wide receiver guaranteed money. Ever, I thought they'd consider
moving off him. There was some drama. He will sometimes
show his emotions. They had Devonte Smith, they got Saquon Barkley,
they got good tight ends, they have a good old line.
I thought they'd consider moving off him. He's a remarkable player.
(07:32):
But instead they doubled down. And if you look at
Philadelphia's weapons, they are at the very top of the
league tight end, running back, o line, quarterback, wide receiver weapons.
In an offensive league, the Eagles are stacked.
Speaker 2 (07:47):
Where Colin was right.
Speaker 1 (07:49):
I know a lot of you bang on Sark, but
two years ago the Texas Longhorns had nobody drafted. This year,
they had eleven players drafted. Due to Sarks recruiting second
only to Michigan. They are sec ready, Sark gets criticized.
The dude can evaluate quarterbacks, recruit his butt off, and
(08:12):
they are now a powerhouse football program. They'll get to
a national championship game. They'll win eventually a national championship.
But what Sark had to do is what Lincoln Riley's
trying to do. Let's make us a ten to twelve
player a year draft program. We got to get NFL bodies.
And when you watched Bama face Texas last year, what
(08:34):
was obvious Texas had more good players. Texas was bigger
and faster.
Speaker 2 (08:40):
Way to go, Sark be sure to catch live editions
of The Herd weekdays and neon eastern non am Pacific
on Fox Sports Radio FS one and the iHeartRadio app.
Speaker 1 (08:50):
And with that, we've been watching him on Undisputed and
we say, hey, man, if you get time, we'd love
to have you on the show. He's a busy guy.
He's got to drive out to the valley, but he
made time for us today the ten time All Star
Paul Pierce joining us in the Herd. Look at Paul
the dapper, Yeah, it is good to see you. Yeah,
what you look like you could still play? Do you
(09:14):
ever go out and wreck league it a little bit,
a little bit.
Speaker 4 (09:17):
Today you're playing tonight. Yeah, I playing tonight now.
Speaker 1 (09:21):
When you were a great defensive player in the league,
that's good enough. Do you defend when you go out
and play.
Speaker 5 (09:27):
The Okay, like the NBA today, the new NBA, I
just go shoot threes.
Speaker 1 (09:33):
You know, when we were talking about this last night,
there are some organizations that rise. The Yankees and Alabama
football and the Lakers. I mean, the Lakers are a
flawed roster, but historically in the big games, Celtics have
a lot. And I watched the Clippers last night and
I'm like, okay, this is a moment and it was
like the ghost of Clippers past arrived. It was their
(09:54):
worst playoff loss in history.
Speaker 4 (09:56):
So I want to ask you.
Speaker 1 (09:58):
You played for Kansas, boss, and so you want a
lot of games. And those are legendary, iconic basketball organizations.
Speaker 4 (10:05):
Right.
Speaker 1 (10:06):
Does the Clippers from the outside looking in look like
not that it's haunted, but there's something hanging on the
franchise in big spot.
Speaker 4 (10:13):
Yeah, I truly believe.
Speaker 5 (10:15):
And I said this before, I think they got a
dark cloud over them. And I think the only way
that dark cloud is gonna get removed is when they
move into their own building next year. I truly believe that.
You know, they share a building there in the shadow
of the Lakers, y'all. You know, you share locker rooms
and stuff. It's the Lakers building. You know, it's they
(10:38):
crib and you just kind of lease it out. You
go in there and hang out and put your you know,
and then they then you gotta get out and then
but it's always gonna be the Laker House. So I
just think that dark cloud is gonna be removed when
they get into their own building. You know, because even
when I played there, Colin and Jason, I just it
(10:59):
was just untimely injuries and it just seemed like some
untimely happens every single year.
Speaker 1 (11:05):
Now was the medical staff up to snuff. There was
as good as the Celtics.
Speaker 5 (11:10):
I mean, you got all the best of the best.
I mean, this is Los Angeles. You got us LA,
all the doctors is coming from over there, and you
got the best of the best. But it's just like
when I was there, break Blake got hurt. CP three
got hurt. And now you see every year it's either
Kawhi or Paul George. It's just like something. And these
(11:32):
are years where you're like, Okay, this team can contend
for a title.
Speaker 1 (11:35):
They have an excellent roster.
Speaker 5 (11:37):
Yeah yeah, and this is a team you feel like,
all right, they could content for a title. But unfortunately,
right now Kawhi is dealing with injuries, and it just
seemed like it's the same song every year. So I
just feel like when they get some new energy in
a new building, things are kind of refresh, you know.
Speaker 4 (11:55):
So that's just me, That's what I think.
Speaker 1 (11:57):
So I have defended darvinham on this is that the Bucks,
the Lakers, and the Sixers have superstar players and it's
not a coincidence they've each had three coaches in six years.
So in the NBA, the star player grumbles to his agent,
the agent calls the media and says coach lost the
locker room. But the truth is Malone went seven years
(12:21):
without winning. The guy in Oklahoma City couldn't make the
playoffs for three years. Is that. When I watched the
Lakers played, I think it's a flawed team. Ruey didn't
show up for two games, de Lo's hitting miss against
the Nuggets, and the only player I could depend on
offensively late in the games was usually Austin Reeves and Lebron,
whereas they got Porter and Murray and Yok and Cacp's
(12:42):
one of the most underad dudes in the league. Yea,
I saw a Laker team that played their arsof they
played hard. Now when you look at them, what do
you see?
Speaker 5 (12:53):
They just don't have enough defensively. We always tend to
look at the offensive prowess. I mean, you know, a
d Lebron and teams. You know, the first thing we
always look at in the stat sheets is the scoring.
All right, well, I'll tell you one. I'll tell you
one stat and this is about the Celtics because we
(13:14):
gotta talk a little. So Jason Tatum went four to nine,
played over thirty minutes, and they won by thirty.
Speaker 4 (13:23):
You know why because they can defend.
Speaker 1 (13:25):
Yeah, and yeah, they're nor.
Speaker 5 (13:27):
Talented, they're deeper and everything, but defense wins championships.
Speaker 4 (13:31):
And the Lakers just didn't have a consistent.
Speaker 5 (13:34):
Enough defense or reliable defense to where they can get
stops down the stretch. Because they got the guys who
could score to win ball games. And so when you
don't have that dependable defense down the stretch, I mean,
it just seemed like every game was the same.
Speaker 4 (13:51):
Okay, you played.
Speaker 5 (13:52):
For stretches of defense, you have moments, but you just
couldn't put nothing consistently together. And so the talent was there?
Is it the coach? Somebody's escapegoat every year? Right, you
know it can't be the coaches every time. It's top
of the players to start looking in the mirror.
Speaker 1 (14:12):
So it's interesting we romanticize. Somebody once said this and
I thought it was a I forget who said it.
They said a lot of the athletes, the way they
treat people, you'd never want him as a boss. Like
Michael Jordan, he's hard to play with, but we romanticize that,
like Kobe could be rough to play with if you
read the book. Uh, three Ring Circus. Uh, Kobe was
(14:36):
a lot to do.
Speaker 4 (14:37):
Yeah.
Speaker 1 (14:38):
So then there's Jason Tatum. Uhh, he's a nice guy. Yeah,
everybody likes him. And there's and I watched them and
I think if you look at most NBA champions, I mean,
Shaq and Kobe were they were killers. And by the way, KG,
Paul Pierce, you guys dogs dogs, And then you look
at Boston and you're like Jason, it is a nice guy,
(15:01):
And part of me is like, do you have to
have that? Get me the ball, get out of here,
because I think Tatum likes to share, likes to help,
likes to lubricate the offense. He's not always doesn't always
want to take the big shut And that's when I
watch him, I think, do you have to have that?
Speaker 4 (15:20):
I think he has it. I think he has it
some way that we don't.
Speaker 5 (15:23):
Maybe we don't see it all the time, but when
I go back and I look at what you did
last year to the Sixers, and when I'll go back
and when he has a forty fifty game in uh
in Philadelphia, and then I go back and it was
a huge game, it's a swing game.
Speaker 4 (15:41):
They lose.
Speaker 5 (15:42):
And then when I go back and I look at
that game seven in Milwaukee, I mean, you can't tell
me that's not kind of like a doll games.
Speaker 4 (15:52):
Just because he don't come out as a raw rack
type person.
Speaker 1 (15:55):
He's not a big trash guy.
Speaker 5 (15:57):
No, not a big trash talking guy. And you know
he'd on here. You know, he just don't come off
that way when he talks is kind of like subtle, right, soft. Yeah,
So you know that's why we we kind of build
him with that, you know, personality wise. But I've seen
some Dog games where I was like, I mean he
had fifty five in the All Star Game.
Speaker 4 (16:15):
I mean, you gotta have you gotta have some type
of drive.
Speaker 5 (16:18):
Competitive I know the All Star Game is not as
competitive as it used to be. Let you gotta have
a mentality to go out there and do it. And so,
but they have some guys on the team like that,
like I mean Drew Holliday, Dog Jaylen Brown.
Speaker 4 (16:33):
Oh he got it.
Speaker 1 (16:34):
He's feisty.
Speaker 4 (16:35):
Yeah.
Speaker 5 (16:35):
So you know, I wouldn't call that a knock on
him because he's shown in big moments he can come
up big.
Speaker 1 (16:42):
Yeah. So we like to say that markets don't matter,
but if you go to when I grew up, the
first face of the league was probably Jerry West, La
Magic La Bird, Boston, Michael Jordan, Chicago, Shaq, Kobe lam
Duncan was never the face of the league. Lebron is
the only small market guy that's been the face of
(17:04):
the league, and he was a star coming out of
high school.
Speaker 4 (17:07):
Yeah.
Speaker 1 (17:07):
The chosen one was his nick at right. So it's
interesting we say markets don't matter, but you know, I
look at the NBA right now, and I'm thinking, who's
the face of the league. Now, First of all, you
have to want it. Joks doesn't want it, no, so
you have to want it. And then I look at Anton,
I think, well he wants it. But it's Minnesota. You know.
Speaker 5 (17:28):
It's not that they don't want it, Colin, it's who
gravitates towards you.
Speaker 4 (17:34):
You know what I'm saying.
Speaker 5 (17:35):
It's who are the people gravitating toward.
Speaker 4 (17:39):
Now.
Speaker 5 (17:40):
You could say Jannis, Joker and b Tatum, all these
guys are the best players, but the people who choose
the face of the league, that's who the people gravitate toward.
And right now a lot of people are gravitating toward
Anthony Edwards.
Speaker 4 (17:59):
They're like, man, you know when you see him in
his interviews.
Speaker 5 (18:01):
Man, he talked like me. He he's just a normal dude.
He say, oh he looking at.
Speaker 1 (18:07):
His own highlight.
Speaker 5 (18:07):
He just he don't come on, he coming on real authentic.
I mean, he got the flare, the personality, got the games,
the game, and right now you just see the kids
gravitating towards that.
Speaker 1 (18:20):
I think John Morant had a chance, but then person
where his aunt. It's all basketball it's all basketball.
Speaker 5 (18:26):
You don't have nothing to say really about him outside
of the oh whatever girl stuff, whatever, whatever. But I
mean people like, man, I can relate to him, I
can grat man. He just just the way he talks.
It feels like he's talking right to you. Yeah, you know,
and it's interviews. Yes, it feels naturally real, Like when
(18:46):
he's sitting there with well Carl Towns and he was like, man,
you need to just stop fouling so damn much like
you know, you know, it's just like.
Speaker 2 (18:55):
Oh, that's how people are talking to jail.
Speaker 5 (18:57):
Yeah, that's like at the gym, and you relate to
and you gravitate toward that.
Speaker 4 (19:02):
So he's on his way. You know, it could be
telling them, you know.
Speaker 5 (19:05):
I mean, just personality wise and charisma wise, Anthony is
checking all the boxes.
Speaker 1 (19:11):
Paul Pierce joining us for our radio audience, the Finals, MVP,
the ten time NBA All Star. I want to go
back to your Boston days because it was it was
really one. I'm a believer outside of Lebron and the
Celtics usually that the baking in the ovens better than
the microwave. We think you could just go grab all Stars,
but really Denver was baked right now, Oklahoma City Bank,
(19:35):
you guys, lebron Okay, he wins everywhere and you guys,
so all these experiments Barkley and Pippen went to Houston
didn't Yeah, the Suns didn't work. Brooklyn didn't work. You
guys worked, and you were big personalities. So I want
to know why because ray Allen had to go from
the one to the two or the three, why did
(19:58):
it work in Boston?
Speaker 5 (20:01):
I think we were just old and desperate. All of
us have been the All Star Games and had money.
Speaker 4 (20:09):
They had money. I mean, we were like, what else
is left?
Speaker 5 (20:12):
I mean, we're old, I'm thirty kg's thirty one race
thirty two. We're like, man, come on, we gotta win.
We didn't accomplish. We just scored the ball as many points,
shot as many three Defensive Player of the Year Kevin
won that year, but he won an MVP. So it
was just like, man, we don't got a lot of
time left we we you know, docs he laid out
the plan. Yeah, he laid out the plan because we was.
Speaker 4 (20:35):
On the duck boat.
Speaker 5 (20:36):
We took a ride on the duck boat before the
season started. We jumped on and rolled around the city
just us, US four, Just us.
Speaker 1 (20:42):
By the way. For people that don't know this, if
you've never been to Boston, they have duck boats everywhere. Yeah, everywhere,
and they can drive and then they go into the water,
and in Boston.
Speaker 4 (20:50):
It's a huge thing in Boston outside the clam chowder.
But you uh.
Speaker 5 (20:54):
We rode the duck boat around the city so people
can see us, waving at us, and he was like,
all right, Casey was like, you think we can win
this year. He's like, we gotta win it this year.
The first year because usually it takes time to kind
of get to know each other. And he was like,
what you think our window is. I think we got
a three year window because y'all old as hell.
Speaker 4 (21:15):
You know what I'm saying. So we got a three
year and that was our window.
Speaker 5 (21:18):
Thank god we won it the first year because the
next year Kevin got hurt and then we went back
to the finals in twenty ten, and so that was
our chance. We said we can probably get two out
of three. That was our We said this, how many
you think we can get?
Speaker 4 (21:31):
Doc?
Speaker 5 (21:32):
He said, we can if we can squeeze two out
of three, Legends Yeah, and so we got to the finals,
but as you all know, we wasn't as the healthiest team.
But it was a good run, you know, for the
shorter period of time. And you know, if we got
together a little younger, like four or five years earlier,
we could have been sitting on China.
Speaker 1 (21:52):
It was really interesting though, because and I felt this
with the Heatls a little bit, is that I did
feel the guys liked each other, which is not easy
because in the NFL offensive and defensive players they don't
even practice together along in baseball a third of the
rosters in the bullpen. In the NBA, it's a small roster.
They're all in the same restaurants playing like if you
(22:14):
don't one guy can screw up a locker room. Absolutely,
And it was like you went three years and you
guys were.
Speaker 4 (22:20):
Or one girlfriend or one wife can screw up a
locker room.
Speaker 5 (22:23):
Well I've heard stories, so a lot of things can
has to go right, and it didn't. Yes, yeah, I
mean I think because me and Garnett was already friends.
Speaker 4 (22:32):
We knew each other since high school.
Speaker 5 (22:33):
Okay, so you know, I think we just left our
egos at the door and they race chill and Kevin
already knew Ray. I didn't have a relationship prior to
to Boston with Ray, but Rayce respected, you know, and
so when we got there. The good thing is we
talked every day on the phone, damn there. When we
got when the trade happened, we was on three way call,
like when we're gonna.
Speaker 4 (22:53):
Get the Boston let's start playing. What's up?
Speaker 5 (22:55):
What y'all?
Speaker 4 (22:56):
Y'all good?
Speaker 5 (22:56):
Were talking like every week every other day? Wow right
the gate?
Speaker 1 (23:00):
Okay, So I said about the Phoenix Suns, because boy,
I whiffed on that. I had him in the Western
Conference final.
Speaker 5 (23:06):
To the finals for the season when they made the trade. Yeah,
I predicted in the finals.
Speaker 1 (23:11):
So I'll make the argument that Vogel actually he's great
with Biggs, and they didn't give him a great one
and he had no point guard, so it wasn't built.
It was a Mike D'Antoni roster with Frank Vogel of
the coach. So be that as it may. I do
think the Knicks are a You don't want somebody to
take the ball out of Jalen Brunson's hands. Kevin doesn't.
Speaker 4 (23:34):
You can give him the.
Speaker 1 (23:34):
Ball with five seconds, letting the shot. I think i'd
move Kevin Keith Booker. Now that's I'm not I'm not
being anti Kevin, but I think Chicago to get past
the Minnesota. Okay, see those teams are going to getting
better Denver, Boston. They gotta make a move, right. What
do you make of the Kadi to New York idea?
Speaker 5 (23:57):
That's a great idea, and you don't want to take
the ball out of Brunts's hand, But I'm not sure
he really fits that New York mode. Their grinders, Yeah,
they like if things go south with KD and we
already know how he is when people start talking bad
about him, and if the New York media jumps on him,
he not gonna like that, you know that. I mean, so,
(24:21):
if there is a player and you have to have
some more star power, I think I think maybe Paul George,
But then what do you do with you play him?
In Andonoby they kind of like the same position, But
I think you do need another guy to take pressure
(24:42):
off Brunts.
Speaker 1 (24:43):
I mean, he's playing hard minutes, yea long minutes. They're
asking a lot of him.
Speaker 5 (24:50):
Maybe if Katie is willing to take a step back
the leader, Yeah, yeah, that makes it work that make
it work.
Speaker 1 (25:01):
We were talking about this, how I think the NBA,
with all these small market and European influences, I think
the league needs New York. So go back to your
I mean the Celtics and the Knicks or rivals, but
the Celtics just have dominated it. Yeah, but when you
played in the Garden, did it feel different?
Speaker 4 (25:18):
It definitely feels different.
Speaker 5 (25:19):
You feel like it feels like I feel like I'm
in this feels like the garden. Actually, you know, it's
dark on the in the you can't see the crowd,
but the stage is lit. It's that's no arena. Does that?
You know there's no other arena. I could think like
the stage is like a stage is lit and the
crowd is dark, and it's just like the spotlights on you.
Speaker 4 (25:41):
I loved I always played well in New York.
Speaker 5 (25:43):
I got a few game winners, you know, I got
I got a I got a nice little collage of
game winners in.
Speaker 4 (25:48):
The in the Garden.
Speaker 1 (25:49):
They never get old, do they?
Speaker 4 (25:50):
No? I never get old. I love playing there.
Speaker 5 (25:52):
Just slapping Spike Lee on the head watching him in discuss.
Speaker 4 (25:57):
Oh man, you gotta love it.
Speaker 1 (25:58):
I know, I love watching the game Hey, man, it's
a real pleasure to have you. I know you're busy.
Speaker 4 (26:04):
Yeah, man, No, that's great. Now. I'm glad we have
a chance to send out fine.
Speaker 1 (26:07):
And I'm just out of here a talking head with
gray hair. But you've been really nice to me and
I appreciate it.
Speaker 4 (26:12):
Man.
Speaker 1 (26:12):
No, all this all the Legend Paul Pierce.
Speaker 2 (26:15):
Be sure to catch live editions of The Herd Weekdays
and Noone Easter nine am Pacific on Fox Sports Radio
FS one and the iHeartRadio app.
Speaker 6 (26:24):
What do you get when you combine a three time
Manager of the Year at a three time National Sports
Writer of the Year.
Speaker 2 (26:31):
It's the Book of Joe Podcast.
Speaker 6 (26:33):
Hey, this is Tom Ferducci from Fox Sports, MLB Network
and Sports Illustrated.
Speaker 2 (26:38):
And I'm Joe Madden.
Speaker 1 (26:39):
We're going to be around to talk a little bit
about managerial decisions, playoff games, and what may have occurred
to the dugout, maybe in the nineteen eighties. I can't
wait for this, Joe.
Speaker 6 (26:46):
We're going to dive into what goes on in the
dugout and behind the scenes in Major League Baseball.
Speaker 1 (26:51):
Cars, wind whatever else we want to talk about.
Speaker 6 (26:53):
Listen to the Book of Joe podcast on the iHeartRadio app,
on Apple podcasts or wherever you get your podcasts.
Speaker 1 (27:01):
All right, this story just broke. The Lakers have officially
parted ways with Darvin Ham. Just broke seconds ago, sources
tell Sham Sharonya and Jovon Bouja. Apparently the candidates are
Mike Budenholzer, who won a title with Milwaukee and has
twice one Coach of the Year, Kenny Atkinson, JJ Reddick
if he becomes available, Ty Lou if he was available.
(27:24):
So they have gotten of Darvinham. What's interesting is I'm
really surprised by this. Is a week ago the Lakers
leaked it. The Lakers leaked it out a week ago
that Darvin Ham was safe. So the Lakers tried to
get in front of this because a story only gets
out if somebody wants it out. So the Lakers tried
to get ahead of this, and they leaked a Darvin
(27:46):
Ham is coming back, and the agents and Lebron came
in and said. And I think what Lebron said is
I can go to Philadelphia now, I can go to
a much better roster. I think that's what That's my
guess what it came down to is Lebron now can
move and Lebron's like, I'm not coming back for this.
I think that's what happened. That would might You don't
(28:08):
go from the Lakers getting in front of it till
he's fired in five six days later, something happened, and
I think that happened is I'm not coming back for this.
That is my guess. By the way, Budenholzer did a
good job, although the knock on him if you recall,
he made some weird strategy situational moves very Darvin Hammish
(28:33):
when he was in Milwaukee where I can remember there
were a couple of moments in that series you're like,
what is he doing? So again, get ready if you
hire Budenholzer for some strategy questions. I know people that
know Mike and think he's a great guy, a really,
really nice guy. I think he's a good coach. He's fine.
JJ Reddick. That'd be weird. Tylu Baumer's you would not
(28:55):
think Steve Steve Balmer would be embarrassed for the Lakers.
I mean, they're they're paying seven million dollars for ty Lou.
I don't think the Lakers will pay that much for
a coach. I just don't think they will. How much
do they owe darvin Ham still, so they signed into
a four year contract I believe, so they got they
got ten million at least they owed darvin Ham are
(29:17):
close to it, and Jeenie Buss is one of the
poorest owners. She didn't want to pay somebody else six
seven eight million dollars. So Kenny Atkinson, that's the guy
in Golden State that used to be in Brooklyn, highly
thought of Kenny Atkinson, highly thought of.
Speaker 7 (29:33):
Kenny Atkinson, you might recall, was run off by Kyrie
Irving in Brooklyn when Kenny Atkinson wouldn't play DeAndre Jordan,
who's Kyrie's guy? Kyry' said you got to get up
out of here.
Speaker 1 (29:45):
So, you know, let's just be honest. Outside of ty Loo,
there are questions about Boodenholzer strategy.
Speaker 8 (29:50):
We don't know if Tyler's available. Let's be real.
Speaker 1 (29:52):
I don't think Steve Ballmer's highly competitive.
Speaker 7 (29:55):
Lebron likes him, but money talks, right, you think Tyler's
leaving five mili on the table.
Speaker 8 (30:01):
And this listen.
Speaker 7 (30:02):
You know I was banging on Darvingham most of the
season and the rotations and some and you would laugh
at me, and it's weird. Now I almost feel bad
for the guy. They were so good in that Denver series, Colin,
they were right there too.
Speaker 1 (30:15):
Yeah, but he shot substitution in the second quarter.
Speaker 7 (30:19):
Well, it's most of the early fourth quarter, some of
those lineups losing the lead.
Speaker 8 (30:24):
I don't know.
Speaker 7 (30:25):
I feel a little bit bad for him, and my
Laker fans who are listening now are going to kill
me because I crush him on text chains. I'm like
Darvin Ham is clueless. I don't I feel bad for
the guy a little bit, Colin.
Speaker 1 (30:34):
I feel bad for anybody who gets fired. I feel well,
I feel less bad if you get nine million dollars
to walk out the door. But now I don't want
these married kids. I feel bad for anybody.
Speaker 7 (30:44):
Hey, we probably relocated his family out here from from Milwaukee,
and like, you know, two years later, he's dusted. This
JJ Reddick thing is gonna be listen. You know I'm
pro lebron. I'll defend him. It is really risky to
be like, hey, be my podcast partner, now come coach
the Lakers, and if they flame out in the first
or second round, who are you gonna blame? There's only
one guy to blame, Lebron James. Don't blame Buddick.
Speaker 1 (31:07):
You can't.
Speaker 8 (31:08):
He's absolved to blin. This is like a chess match
that Lebron's playing right now. Lebron dangerous.
Speaker 1 (31:13):
Lebron what he does in these situations, he rises above it.
I don't know what happened. It's not my call. I mean,
this is Lebron's game plan, his playbook. But this was
the Lakers leaking a week ago. Darvin Ham's not going
to he's fired. Yeah, okay, and Lebron has options now
doesn't have to re sign, so it's pretty obvious. And
(31:34):
now Lebron will get his people, his agent. Hey, Lebron
doesn't make the call here that you can't go from
this to that in a week without a call being made.
It's not like Geenie Buss was like he is coming back,
and then after two conversations, she's like, my bad, he's terrible. Like,
(31:55):
you don't go from that to that.
Speaker 7 (31:56):
So you made a great point about Kobe and Polinka.
Polenka was his former agent. I'm going to join the commercial.
Speaker 8 (32:02):
I'm gonna look up the timeline of how that happened.
Speaker 7 (32:04):
Did gd Buss let Kobe Eyer's agent to be the
GM No.
Speaker 1 (32:08):
I think they'd work with Polenka so long that Genie
considered him almost family by association. And Genie likes that
and said, let's just bring him in house. I trust
him because she'd had so many negotiations on so many
things with Kobe that Rob had built this really nice
relationship with Genie and she's like, you know what, I
like him more than the other candidates, and I know him.
Speaker 8 (32:31):
Or was there a Kobe Kobe likes him?
Speaker 7 (32:33):
Maybe I'm gonna go elsewhere because you're right, Lebron gedi
Bus probably called Lebron in the days after the season.
Speaker 8 (32:37):
Maybe Lebron was ghosting or.
Speaker 1 (32:39):
I don't even think that happened, and I think Lebron's
people made a call again. It'd be one thing if
Genie Buss said a week ago, we're going to we're
gonna sit down and discuss Darvin Ham and he's fired.
You don't go from Darvin Ham is coming back to
let's get him out of here one of the first
guys fired. That's a phone call, and.
Speaker 7 (32:59):
It's not like something something happened right. There was no
incident that anybody's been aware of.
Speaker 1 (33:03):
They got in a parking ticket about six a week
of those times.
Speaker 7 (33:06):
So this makes the Olympic recruiting more interesting. Forget about
bringing Lebron to your team, Golden State or whoever. Now
it's who's Lebron looking at on that Olympic team and saying.
Speaker 8 (33:18):
Come out to La. I'm running the show now, it's
my show. I got Darvin Ham out of here.
Speaker 1 (33:22):
I don't think. I don't think other stars. If you're
a young star, you don't want Lebron's brand to overshadow yours,
and Edwards doesn't.
Speaker 8 (33:29):
Wan No, no, no, no, I'm talking about Kevin Durant specifically.
Speaker 1 (33:32):
I don't think they'll play it. No, that doesn't feel right,
Paul George, how about Lebron says this, Paul, you love La.
You don't have to move. I played seventy one games.
Kawhi couldn't show up for the playoffs. You think I'm
crazy on that? What do the Lakers need wing defenders?
Speaker 8 (33:51):
It just feels very I.
Speaker 1 (33:52):
Mean, I'm Lebron James. Hey, how's that hardened thing working out?
How is Kawi available tonight? You come over here? I'm
playing seventy one games. We got a rim defender.
Speaker 7 (34:06):
What if Lebron flips it on Curry and says, hey,
Curry's not you guys wanted me. Sorry, not happening, Curry.
It's a sinking ship there in Golden State. Why don't
you try to get the zero chance.
Speaker 8 (34:17):
No shot?
Speaker 1 (34:17):
He is of their DNA. Now, Paul George is the
interesting one because Paul loves La and you just go
over to him and say, Bro, I know you have
a cute new arena. Crypto's on the way back, coin
is on fire. Just Stan La, come here.
Speaker 7 (34:35):
But Lebron feels like he's this shoot his shot guy.
You know you see this vague fan. I think he's
just like I'm going in it, doesn't I gotta.
Speaker 1 (34:42):
By the way, what does Lebron work well with shooters?
Lebron's always been great with guys who can score on
the wing. Kyrie could do it.
Speaker 7 (34:51):
J R.
Speaker 1 (34:51):
Smith could do it, Battier could do it. Love could
do it.
Speaker 7 (34:54):
By the way, you think Lebron is told GENI bus
this week, Hey, look at Kyrie dominating with the Maverick.
Speaker 8 (35:00):
We sure could have used him. And I was against
that move.
Speaker 1 (35:03):
And I think you when Lebron James, I go to
Paul George. You tried to go to a franchise to
save him. Over here, we win him. You tried to
build something that's never happened. We're trying to add to
something another title that happens all the time here. That's
a pretty convincing sales job. That's the difference between you're
a football coach at Michigan and you say, hey, you
(35:25):
want to come to Michigan. We win Natty's here, we
win the Big Ten, or you're at Purdue. Tell you
what be the start of something great here?
Speaker 7 (35:35):
I would want to start something great as I know
you would to.
Speaker 1 (35:39):
No, I wouldn't. I'm lazy. Give me a big freebie,
give me a bunch of great players. I can just
mail it in. I'm telling you, it's a pretty easy
sales job. How's that Clipper rebuild going. We got a
new arena, Lebron, it's going to be fired. Why don't
you come over here. I'll give you a new Bentley.
Speaker 8 (35:57):
You're gonna have a Bentley
Thanks for listening to The Herd podcast. Be sure to
catch us live every weekday on Fox Sports Radio in
noon to three Eastern nine am to noon Pacific. Find
your local station for The Herd at Fox Sports Radio
dot com, or stream us live every day on the
iHeartRadio app by searching Fox Sports Radio or FSR.
Speaker 2 (00:22):
You're listening to Fox Sports Radio.
Speaker 1 (00:25):
All right time for on a Monday. It's customary. Colin Wright,
Colin wrong.
Speaker 2 (00:30):
Where Colin was right, The.
Speaker 1 (00:31):
First fourteen picks in the draft were offense. All six
highly touted quarterbacks went in the top twelve fifty five
offensive linemen in the draft. We've been on this for years.
Stop drafting as much defense. High Michael Pennix, we never
bought into a second rounder. He's at starting quarterback. I
thought he may fall to like a Miami or at
(00:52):
Dallas or maybe a Rams. But twenty three to thirty
two picks went offense seventy two percent. Folks. They've changed
the rules. Load up on offense like New England did.
Speaker 2 (01:03):
Where Colin was raw.
Speaker 1 (01:05):
Aunt Edwards was the best player in that series. I said,
he's dynamic, he's great, but is he gonna be Dominique instead?
Of MJ. Does he have the leadership abilities, the relentlessness.
Can he elevate teammates. That's exactly what he did in
this series. Yes, he's dynamic. Nobody dispute. Dominique was dynamic.
I still think he has to improve as a shooter.
(01:27):
But thirty one and eight in this series, was willing
to guard KD. Was verbal, was great with his teammates,
was a coach on the bench. That's the difference between
dynamic and MJ. You gotta be willing sometimes to say
the tough thing to teammates, guard the other team's best guy.
Here was aunt after.
Speaker 3 (01:48):
I told you all yesterday, our day before, yesterday, whatever,
the last time we played that I want to kill
everything in front of me. So once I knew we
had a chance to sweep them, and you know, I
mean why we want to go back in Minnesota. I
mean to a recipe. They came out and competed. They
played hard tonight. It was very tough, but I mean
big shout out to my teammates.
Speaker 4 (02:05):
Man.
Speaker 3 (02:05):
They came out and competed at a high level throughout
the whole forty eight minutes, and they trusted me at
the end.
Speaker 1 (02:11):
YEP four games. Sweek never ever close where Colin was right.
I set a month ago Jaden Daniels would go number two,
and that I trusted my source on this, and my source,
Big Jay Journalism is officially four for four on giving
me scoops. Cliff Kingsbury and the organization decided over a
month ago that Jade and Daniels was ready to play.
(02:33):
Drake May wasn't that his mobility would help them greatly
with a rebuilding offensive line, and that right now as
a pocket passer, he was more accurate and consistent. So
they made this decision over a month ago. My source
nailed it Jaden number.
Speaker 2 (02:49):
Two where Colin was raw.
Speaker 1 (02:52):
I didn't think the Suns would win the championship or
even the West, but I was wrong on KD. He's
not close to a cornerstone player. He's exactly what he
always told us. He was a hooper. He gets buckets
and there's nothing wrong with that. But I do think
less of him because of Brooklyn and Phoenix than I
(03:12):
did when he was a warrior. I did think he
was a better, easier scorer than Lebron, but Lebron hadds
so many dimensions that KD doesn't he is what he
promised us and told us he was. He's just a hooper.
Speaker 2 (03:26):
Where Colin was right.
Speaker 1 (03:27):
Michael Pennix Junior. I said it midway through the college season.
That's a franchise quarterback. I don't care if he's left handed.
I don't care about the acl stuff. And four teams,
including Atlanta, were reportedly interested in the top ten picks. Listen,
size arm, the ease in which he throws the deep ball.
There's knocks on him, like, for instance, the underneath stuff.
(03:49):
You can teach quarterbacks the underneath stuff. You cannot teach
a quarterback to throw a ball this beautiful and this
accurately on d Brout So Panix, not JJ McCarthy was
the quarterback that many teams were moving up to get.
Speaker 2 (04:07):
Where Colin was wrong.
Speaker 1 (04:10):
Paul George, James Harden. I gotta be honest on James
Harden's that I whiffed on that. I didn't think it
was gonna work. I thought it was just cly Westbrook.
Harden yack, He's been great, just what the doctor ordered.
This was always a team with a good roster and
a great coach that didn't have a lubricator, didn't have
a point guard. He's been terrific. Yesterday assists threes floaters.
(04:34):
They tried to run him off the three point line,
all right, go ahead, and he burned him. A magnificent performance.
He is Oh and we said this years ago. He's
always been a more willing passer than people get him
credit for. But this has actually worked significantly better than
I predicted.
Speaker 2 (04:50):
I was wrong where Colin was right.
Speaker 1 (04:53):
Also said this that Jalen Brunson. I said this at
the start of the year will be the greatest Nick
since Patrick Ewing. I never bought a namello. I didn't
buy an Amri Stodemeyer. This kid, not Daniel Jones or
Aaron Rodgers. This is the best quarterback in New York. Intelligence, toughness, clutch, leadership.
(05:13):
He is fantastic.
Speaker 4 (05:15):
You know.
Speaker 1 (05:15):
I mean, historically, small guys don't lead you to championships.
Steph Isaiah Thomas did. But what I liked about Brunson
he never takes the fans or his game for you know,
he doesn't take the foot off the gas. He is
working it on both ends every game. He is the Knicks.
He feels like Tips. He feels like the Knicks. Toughness, leadership,
(05:40):
clutch time stats.
Speaker 2 (05:42):
We were right where Colin was wrong.
Speaker 1 (05:45):
I thought the Patriots in my final mock draft had
such a weak roster they'd move out of the three
spot and accumulate a ton of picks. But I'm happy
I was wrong. They went and got Drake May and
their first five picks for offensive and seven of eight
total picks were offensive, which whether or not he's gonna
star or even succeed at any level, you got to
(06:06):
give these kids a fighting chance. Drake May's got a
new coach, and Elliott Wolf did a nice job to
help elevate him with some really interesting and fast offensive pieces.
Speaker 2 (06:18):
Where Colin was right.
Speaker 1 (06:19):
Bon Nicks to Sean Payton number twelve. We called that
months ago, not that I had a source inside the
Broncos building, but I did believe that of all the
quarterbacks in this draft, he was a great fit, A
great fit with Sean Payton, sixty one college starts, hyper accurate.
Dad was a coach, very coachable. People forget on bon Nicks.
(06:43):
He was a five star recruit. I remember as a
freshman him beating Oregon Justin Herbert on a final drive
of the game and thinking, who is this kid. He's good,
he's talented. I saw him play live twice, and he
is the kind of quarterback bridge water and breeze that
Sean Payton likes, that Kyle Shanahan likes. Here's the play,
follow it and delivered accurately. The NFL is about fit,
(07:06):
and he's a good fit.
Speaker 2 (07:07):
Where Colin was wrong.
Speaker 1 (07:09):
Eagles gave aj Brown an extension, making him the highest
paid wide receiver guaranteed money. Ever, I thought they'd consider
moving off him. There was some drama. He will sometimes
show his emotions. They had Devonte Smith, they got Saquon Barkley,
they got good tight ends, they have a good old line.
I thought they'd consider moving off him. He's a remarkable player.
(07:32):
But instead they doubled down. And if you look at
Philadelphia's weapons, they are at the very top of the
league tight end, running back, o line, quarterback, wide receiver weapons.
In an offensive league, the Eagles are stacked.
Speaker 2 (07:47):
Where Colin was right.
Speaker 1 (07:49):
I know a lot of you bang on Sark, but
two years ago the Texas Longhorns had nobody drafted. This year,
they had eleven players drafted. Due to Sarks recruiting second
only to Michigan. They are sec ready, Sark gets criticized.
The dude can evaluate quarterbacks, recruit his butt off, and
(08:12):
they are now a powerhouse football program. They'll get to
a national championship game. They'll win eventually a national championship.
But what Sark had to do is what Lincoln Riley's
trying to do. Let's make us a ten to twelve
player a year draft program. We got to get NFL bodies.
And when you watched Bama face Texas last year, what
(08:34):
was obvious Texas had more good players. Texas was bigger
and faster.
Speaker 2 (08:40):
Way to go, Sark be sure to catch live editions
of The Herd weekdays and neon eastern non am Pacific
on Fox Sports Radio FS one and the iHeartRadio app.
Speaker 1 (08:50):
And with that, we've been watching him on Undisputed and
we say, hey, man, if you get time, we'd love
to have you on the show. He's a busy guy.
He's got to drive out to the valley, but he
made time for us today the ten time All Star
Paul Pierce joining us in the Herd. Look at Paul
the dapper, Yeah, it is good to see you. Yeah,
what you look like you could still play? Do you
(09:14):
ever go out and wreck league it a little bit,
a little bit.
Speaker 4 (09:17):
Today you're playing tonight. Yeah, I playing tonight now.
Speaker 1 (09:21):
When you were a great defensive player in the league,
that's good enough. Do you defend when you go out
and play.
Speaker 5 (09:27):
The Okay, like the NBA today, the new NBA, I
just go shoot threes.
Speaker 1 (09:33):
You know, when we were talking about this last night,
there are some organizations that rise. The Yankees and Alabama
football and the Lakers. I mean, the Lakers are a
flawed roster, but historically in the big games, Celtics have
a lot. And I watched the Clippers last night and
I'm like, okay, this is a moment and it was
like the ghost of Clippers past arrived. It was their
(09:54):
worst playoff loss in history.
Speaker 4 (09:56):
So I want to ask you.
Speaker 1 (09:58):
You played for Kansas, boss, and so you want a
lot of games. And those are legendary, iconic basketball organizations.
Speaker 4 (10:05):
Right.
Speaker 1 (10:06):
Does the Clippers from the outside looking in look like
not that it's haunted, but there's something hanging on the
franchise in big spot.
Speaker 4 (10:13):
Yeah, I truly believe.
Speaker 5 (10:15):
And I said this before, I think they got a
dark cloud over them. And I think the only way
that dark cloud is gonna get removed is when they
move into their own building next year. I truly believe that.
You know, they share a building there in the shadow
of the Lakers, y'all. You know, you share locker rooms
and stuff. It's the Lakers building. You know, it's they
(10:38):
crib and you just kind of lease it out. You
go in there and hang out and put your you know,
and then they then you gotta get out and then
but it's always gonna be the Laker House. So I
just think that dark cloud is gonna be removed when
they get into their own building. You know, because even
when I played there, Colin and Jason, I just it
(10:59):
was just untimely injuries and it just seemed like some
untimely happens every single year.
Speaker 1 (11:05):
Now was the medical staff up to snuff. There was
as good as the Celtics.
Speaker 5 (11:10):
I mean, you got all the best of the best.
I mean, this is Los Angeles. You got us LA,
all the doctors is coming from over there, and you
got the best of the best. But it's just like
when I was there, break Blake got hurt. CP three
got hurt. And now you see every year it's either
Kawhi or Paul George. It's just like something. And these
(11:32):
are years where you're like, Okay, this team can contend
for a title.
Speaker 1 (11:35):
They have an excellent roster.
Speaker 5 (11:37):
Yeah yeah, and this is a team you feel like,
all right, they could content for a title. But unfortunately,
right now Kawhi is dealing with injuries, and it just
seemed like it's the same song every year. So I
just feel like when they get some new energy in
a new building, things are kind of refresh, you know.
Speaker 4 (11:55):
So that's just me, That's what I think.
Speaker 1 (11:57):
So I have defended darvinham on this is that the Bucks,
the Lakers, and the Sixers have superstar players and it's
not a coincidence they've each had three coaches in six years.
So in the NBA, the star player grumbles to his agent,
the agent calls the media and says coach lost the
locker room. But the truth is Malone went seven years
(12:21):
without winning. The guy in Oklahoma City couldn't make the
playoffs for three years. Is that. When I watched the
Lakers played, I think it's a flawed team. Ruey didn't
show up for two games, de Lo's hitting miss against
the Nuggets, and the only player I could depend on
offensively late in the games was usually Austin Reeves and Lebron,
whereas they got Porter and Murray and Yok and Cacp's
(12:42):
one of the most underad dudes in the league. Yea,
I saw a Laker team that played their arsof they
played hard. Now when you look at them, what do
you see?
Speaker 5 (12:53):
They just don't have enough defensively. We always tend to
look at the offensive prowess. I mean, you know, a
d Lebron and teams. You know, the first thing we
always look at in the stat sheets is the scoring.
All right, well, I'll tell you one. I'll tell you
one stat and this is about the Celtics because we
(13:14):
gotta talk a little. So Jason Tatum went four to nine,
played over thirty minutes, and they won by thirty.
Speaker 4 (13:23):
You know why because they can defend.
Speaker 1 (13:25):
Yeah, and yeah, they're nor.
Speaker 5 (13:27):
Talented, they're deeper and everything, but defense wins championships.
Speaker 4 (13:31):
And the Lakers just didn't have a consistent.
Speaker 5 (13:34):
Enough defense or reliable defense to where they can get
stops down the stretch. Because they got the guys who
could score to win ball games. And so when you
don't have that dependable defense down the stretch, I mean,
it just seemed like every game was the same.
Speaker 4 (13:51):
Okay, you played.
Speaker 5 (13:52):
For stretches of defense, you have moments, but you just
couldn't put nothing consistently together. And so the talent was there?
Is it the coach? Somebody's escapegoat every year? Right, you
know it can't be the coaches every time. It's top
of the players to start looking in the mirror.
Speaker 1 (14:12):
So it's interesting we romanticize. Somebody once said this and
I thought it was a I forget who said it.
They said a lot of the athletes, the way they
treat people, you'd never want him as a boss. Like
Michael Jordan, he's hard to play with, but we romanticize that,
like Kobe could be rough to play with if you
read the book. Uh, three Ring Circus. Uh, Kobe was
(14:36):
a lot to do.
Speaker 4 (14:37):
Yeah.
Speaker 1 (14:38):
So then there's Jason Tatum. Uhh, he's a nice guy. Yeah,
everybody likes him. And there's and I watched them and
I think if you look at most NBA champions, I mean,
Shaq and Kobe were they were killers. And by the way, KG,
Paul Pierce, you guys dogs dogs, And then you look
at Boston and you're like Jason, it is a nice guy,
(15:01):
And part of me is like, do you have to
have that? Get me the ball, get out of here,
because I think Tatum likes to share, likes to help,
likes to lubricate the offense. He's not always doesn't always
want to take the big shut And that's when I
watch him, I think, do you have to have that?
Speaker 4 (15:20):
I think he has it. I think he has it
some way that we don't.
Speaker 5 (15:23):
Maybe we don't see it all the time, but when
I go back and I look at what you did
last year to the Sixers, and when I'll go back
and when he has a forty fifty game in uh
in Philadelphia, and then I go back and it was
a huge game, it's a swing game.
Speaker 4 (15:41):
They lose.
Speaker 5 (15:42):
And then when I go back and I look at
that game seven in Milwaukee, I mean, you can't tell
me that's not kind of like a doll games.
Speaker 4 (15:52):
Just because he don't come out as a raw rack
type person.
Speaker 1 (15:55):
He's not a big trash guy.
Speaker 5 (15:57):
No, not a big trash talking guy. And you know
he'd on here. You know, he just don't come off
that way when he talks is kind of like subtle, right, soft. Yeah,
So you know that's why we we kind of build
him with that, you know, personality wise. But I've seen
some Dog games where I was like, I mean he
had fifty five in the All Star Game.
Speaker 4 (16:15):
I mean, you gotta have you gotta have some type
of drive.
Speaker 5 (16:18):
Competitive I know the All Star Game is not as
competitive as it used to be. Let you gotta have
a mentality to go out there and do it. And so,
but they have some guys on the team like that,
like I mean Drew Holliday, Dog Jaylen Brown.
Speaker 4 (16:33):
Oh he got it.
Speaker 1 (16:34):
He's feisty.
Speaker 4 (16:35):
Yeah.
Speaker 5 (16:35):
So you know, I wouldn't call that a knock on
him because he's shown in big moments he can come
up big.
Speaker 1 (16:42):
Yeah. So we like to say that markets don't matter,
but if you go to when I grew up, the
first face of the league was probably Jerry West, La
Magic La Bird, Boston, Michael Jordan, Chicago, Shaq, Kobe lam
Duncan was never the face of the league. Lebron is
the only small market guy that's been the face of
(17:04):
the league, and he was a star coming out of
high school.
Speaker 4 (17:07):
Yeah.
Speaker 1 (17:07):
The chosen one was his nick at right. So it's
interesting we say markets don't matter, but you know, I
look at the NBA right now, and I'm thinking, who's
the face of the league. Now, First of all, you
have to want it. Joks doesn't want it, no, so
you have to want it. And then I look at Anton,
I think, well he wants it. But it's Minnesota. You know.
Speaker 5 (17:28):
It's not that they don't want it, Colin, it's who
gravitates towards you.
Speaker 4 (17:34):
You know what I'm saying.
Speaker 5 (17:35):
It's who are the people gravitating toward.
Speaker 4 (17:39):
Now.
Speaker 5 (17:40):
You could say Jannis, Joker and b Tatum, all these
guys are the best players, but the people who choose
the face of the league, that's who the people gravitate toward.
And right now a lot of people are gravitating toward
Anthony Edwards.
Speaker 4 (17:59):
They're like, man, you know when you see him in
his interviews.
Speaker 5 (18:01):
Man, he talked like me. He he's just a normal dude.
He say, oh he looking at.
Speaker 1 (18:07):
His own highlight.
Speaker 5 (18:07):
He just he don't come on, he coming on real authentic.
I mean, he got the flare, the personality, got the games,
the game, and right now you just see the kids
gravitating towards that.
Speaker 1 (18:20):
I think John Morant had a chance, but then person
where his aunt. It's all basketball it's all basketball.
Speaker 5 (18:26):
You don't have nothing to say really about him outside
of the oh whatever girl stuff, whatever, whatever. But I
mean people like, man, I can relate to him, I
can grat man. He just just the way he talks.
It feels like he's talking right to you. Yeah, you know,
and it's interviews. Yes, it feels naturally real, Like when
(18:46):
he's sitting there with well Carl Towns and he was like, man,
you need to just stop fouling so damn much like
you know, you know, it's just like.
Speaker 2 (18:55):
Oh, that's how people are talking to jail.
Speaker 5 (18:57):
Yeah, that's like at the gym, and you relate to
and you gravitate toward that.
Speaker 4 (19:02):
So he's on his way. You know, it could be
telling them, you know.
Speaker 5 (19:05):
I mean, just personality wise and charisma wise, Anthony is
checking all the boxes.
Speaker 1 (19:11):
Paul Pierce joining us for our radio audience, the Finals, MVP,
the ten time NBA All Star. I want to go
back to your Boston days because it was it was
really one. I'm a believer outside of Lebron and the
Celtics usually that the baking in the ovens better than
the microwave. We think you could just go grab all Stars,
but really Denver was baked right now, Oklahoma City Bank,
(19:35):
you guys, lebron Okay, he wins everywhere and you guys,
so all these experiments Barkley and Pippen went to Houston
didn't Yeah, the Suns didn't work. Brooklyn didn't work. You
guys worked, and you were big personalities. So I want
to know why because ray Allen had to go from
the one to the two or the three, why did
(19:58):
it work in Boston?
Speaker 5 (20:01):
I think we were just old and desperate. All of
us have been the All Star Games and had money.
Speaker 4 (20:09):
They had money. I mean, we were like, what else
is left?
Speaker 5 (20:12):
I mean, we're old, I'm thirty kg's thirty one race
thirty two. We're like, man, come on, we gotta win.
We didn't accomplish. We just scored the ball as many points,
shot as many three Defensive Player of the Year Kevin
won that year, but he won an MVP. So it
was just like, man, we don't got a lot of
time left we we you know, docs he laid out
the plan. Yeah, he laid out the plan because we was.
Speaker 4 (20:35):
On the duck boat.
Speaker 5 (20:36):
We took a ride on the duck boat before the
season started. We jumped on and rolled around the city
just us, US four, Just us.
Speaker 1 (20:42):
By the way. For people that don't know this, if
you've never been to Boston, they have duck boats everywhere. Yeah, everywhere,
and they can drive and then they go into the water,
and in Boston.
Speaker 4 (20:50):
It's a huge thing in Boston outside the clam chowder.
But you uh.
Speaker 5 (20:54):
We rode the duck boat around the city so people
can see us, waving at us, and he was like,
all right, Casey was like, you think we can win
this year. He's like, we gotta win it this year.
The first year because usually it takes time to kind
of get to know each other. And he was like,
what you think our window is. I think we got
a three year window because y'all old as hell.
Speaker 4 (21:15):
You know what I'm saying. So we got a three
year and that was our window.
Speaker 5 (21:18):
Thank god we won it the first year because the
next year Kevin got hurt and then we went back
to the finals in twenty ten, and so that was
our chance. We said we can probably get two out
of three. That was our We said this, how many
you think we can get?
Speaker 4 (21:31):
Doc?
Speaker 5 (21:32):
He said, we can if we can squeeze two out
of three, Legends Yeah, and so we got to the finals,
but as you all know, we wasn't as the healthiest team.
But it was a good run, you know, for the
shorter period of time. And you know, if we got
together a little younger, like four or five years earlier,
we could have been sitting on China.
Speaker 1 (21:52):
It was really interesting though, because and I felt this
with the Heatls a little bit, is that I did
feel the guys liked each other, which is not easy
because in the NFL offensive and defensive players they don't
even practice together along in baseball a third of the
rosters in the bullpen. In the NBA, it's a small roster.
They're all in the same restaurants playing like if you
(22:14):
don't one guy can screw up a locker room. Absolutely,
And it was like you went three years and you
guys were.
Speaker 4 (22:20):
Or one girlfriend or one wife can screw up a
locker room.
Speaker 5 (22:23):
Well I've heard stories, so a lot of things can
has to go right, and it didn't. Yes, yeah, I
mean I think because me and Garnett was already friends.
Speaker 4 (22:32):
We knew each other since high school.
Speaker 5 (22:33):
Okay, so you know, I think we just left our
egos at the door and they race chill and Kevin
already knew Ray. I didn't have a relationship prior to
to Boston with Ray, but Rayce respected, you know, and
so when we got there. The good thing is we
talked every day on the phone, damn there. When we
got when the trade happened, we was on three way call,
like when we're gonna.
Speaker 4 (22:53):
Get the Boston let's start playing. What's up?
Speaker 5 (22:55):
What y'all?
Speaker 4 (22:56):
Y'all good?
Speaker 5 (22:56):
Were talking like every week every other day? Wow right
the gate?
Speaker 1 (23:00):
Okay, So I said about the Phoenix Suns, because boy,
I whiffed on that. I had him in the Western
Conference final.
Speaker 5 (23:06):
To the finals for the season when they made the trade. Yeah,
I predicted in the finals.
Speaker 1 (23:11):
So I'll make the argument that Vogel actually he's great
with Biggs, and they didn't give him a great one
and he had no point guard, so it wasn't built.
It was a Mike D'Antoni roster with Frank Vogel of
the coach. So be that as it may. I do
think the Knicks are a You don't want somebody to
take the ball out of Jalen Brunson's hands. Kevin doesn't.
Speaker 4 (23:34):
You can give him the.
Speaker 1 (23:34):
Ball with five seconds, letting the shot. I think i'd
move Kevin Keith Booker. Now that's I'm not I'm not
being anti Kevin, but I think Chicago to get past
the Minnesota. Okay, see those teams are going to getting
better Denver, Boston. They gotta make a move, right. What
do you make of the Kadi to New York idea?
Speaker 5 (23:57):
That's a great idea, and you don't want to take
the ball out of Brunts's hand, But I'm not sure
he really fits that New York mode. Their grinders, Yeah,
they like if things go south with KD and we
already know how he is when people start talking bad
about him, and if the New York media jumps on him,
he not gonna like that, you know that. I mean, so,
(24:21):
if there is a player and you have to have
some more star power, I think I think maybe Paul George,
But then what do you do with you play him?
In Andonoby they kind of like the same position, But
I think you do need another guy to take pressure
(24:42):
off Brunts.
Speaker 1 (24:43):
I mean, he's playing hard minutes, yea long minutes. They're
asking a lot of him.
Speaker 5 (24:50):
Maybe if Katie is willing to take a step back
the leader, Yeah, yeah, that makes it work that make
it work.
Speaker 1 (25:01):
We were talking about this, how I think the NBA,
with all these small market and European influences, I think
the league needs New York. So go back to your
I mean the Celtics and the Knicks or rivals, but
the Celtics just have dominated it. Yeah, but when you
played in the Garden, did it feel different?
Speaker 4 (25:18):
It definitely feels different.
Speaker 5 (25:19):
You feel like it feels like I feel like I'm
in this feels like the garden. Actually, you know, it's
dark on the in the you can't see the crowd,
but the stage is lit. It's that's no arena. Does that?
You know there's no other arena. I could think like
the stage is like a stage is lit and the
crowd is dark, and it's just like the spotlights on you.
Speaker 4 (25:41):
I loved I always played well in New York.
Speaker 5 (25:43):
I got a few game winners, you know, I got
I got a I got a nice little collage of
game winners in.
Speaker 4 (25:48):
The in the Garden.
Speaker 1 (25:49):
They never get old, do they?
Speaker 4 (25:50):
No? I never get old. I love playing there.
Speaker 5 (25:52):
Just slapping Spike Lee on the head watching him in discuss.
Speaker 4 (25:57):
Oh man, you gotta love it.
Speaker 1 (25:58):
I know, I love watching the game Hey, man, it's
a real pleasure to have you. I know you're busy.
Speaker 4 (26:04):
Yeah, man, No, that's great. Now. I'm glad we have
a chance to send out fine.
Speaker 1 (26:07):
And I'm just out of here a talking head with
gray hair. But you've been really nice to me and
I appreciate it.
Speaker 4 (26:12):
Man.
Speaker 1 (26:12):
No, all this all the Legend Paul Pierce.
Speaker 2 (26:15):
Be sure to catch live editions of The Herd Weekdays
and Noone Easter nine am Pacific on Fox Sports Radio
FS one and the iHeartRadio app.
Speaker 6 (26:24):
What do you get when you combine a three time
Manager of the Year at a three time National Sports
Writer of the Year.
Speaker 2 (26:31):
It's the Book of Joe Podcast.
Speaker 6 (26:33):
Hey, this is Tom Ferducci from Fox Sports, MLB Network
and Sports Illustrated.
Speaker 2 (26:38):
And I'm Joe Madden.
Speaker 1 (26:39):
We're going to be around to talk a little bit
about managerial decisions, playoff games, and what may have occurred
to the dugout, maybe in the nineteen eighties. I can't
wait for this, Joe.
Speaker 6 (26:46):
We're going to dive into what goes on in the
dugout and behind the scenes in Major League Baseball.
Speaker 1 (26:51):
Cars, wind whatever else we want to talk about.
Speaker 6 (26:53):
Listen to the Book of Joe podcast on the iHeartRadio app,
on Apple podcasts or wherever you get your podcasts.
Speaker 1 (27:01):
All right, this story just broke. The Lakers have officially
parted ways with Darvin Ham. Just broke seconds ago, sources
tell Sham Sharonya and Jovon Bouja. Apparently the candidates are
Mike Budenholzer, who won a title with Milwaukee and has
twice one Coach of the Year, Kenny Atkinson, JJ Reddick
if he becomes available, Ty Lou if he was available.
(27:24):
So they have gotten of Darvinham. What's interesting is I'm
really surprised by this. Is a week ago the Lakers
leaked it. The Lakers leaked it out a week ago
that Darvin Ham was safe. So the Lakers tried to
get in front of this because a story only gets
out if somebody wants it out. So the Lakers tried
to get ahead of this, and they leaked a Darvin
(27:46):
Ham is coming back, and the agents and Lebron came
in and said. And I think what Lebron said is
I can go to Philadelphia now, I can go to
a much better roster. I think that's what That's my
guess what it came down to is Lebron now can
move and Lebron's like, I'm not coming back for this.
I think that's what happened. That would might You don't
(28:08):
go from the Lakers getting in front of it till
he's fired in five six days later, something happened, and
I think that happened is I'm not coming back for this.
That is my guess. By the way, Budenholzer did a
good job, although the knock on him if you recall,
he made some weird strategy situational moves very Darvin Hammish
(28:33):
when he was in Milwaukee where I can remember there
were a couple of moments in that series you're like,
what is he doing? So again, get ready if you
hire Budenholzer for some strategy questions. I know people that
know Mike and think he's a great guy, a really,
really nice guy. I think he's a good coach. He's fine.
JJ Reddick. That'd be weird. Tylu Baumer's you would not
(28:55):
think Steve Steve Balmer would be embarrassed for the Lakers.
I mean, they're they're paying seven million dollars for ty Lou.
I don't think the Lakers will pay that much for
a coach. I just don't think they will. How much
do they owe darvin Ham still, so they signed into
a four year contract I believe, so they got they
got ten million at least they owed darvin Ham are
(29:17):
close to it, and Jeenie Buss is one of the
poorest owners. She didn't want to pay somebody else six
seven eight million dollars. So Kenny Atkinson, that's the guy
in Golden State that used to be in Brooklyn, highly
thought of Kenny Atkinson, highly thought of.
Speaker 7 (29:33):
Kenny Atkinson, you might recall, was run off by Kyrie
Irving in Brooklyn when Kenny Atkinson wouldn't play DeAndre Jordan,
who's Kyrie's guy? Kyry' said you got to get up
out of here.
Speaker 1 (29:45):
So, you know, let's just be honest. Outside of ty Loo,
there are questions about Boodenholzer strategy.
Speaker 8 (29:50):
We don't know if Tyler's available. Let's be real.
Speaker 1 (29:52):
I don't think Steve Ballmer's highly competitive.
Speaker 7 (29:55):
Lebron likes him, but money talks, right, you think Tyler's
leaving five mili on the table.
Speaker 8 (30:01):
And this listen.
Speaker 7 (30:02):
You know I was banging on Darvingham most of the
season and the rotations and some and you would laugh
at me, and it's weird. Now I almost feel bad
for the guy. They were so good in that Denver series, Colin,
they were right there too.
Speaker 1 (30:15):
Yeah, but he shot substitution in the second quarter.
Speaker 7 (30:19):
Well, it's most of the early fourth quarter, some of
those lineups losing the lead.
Speaker 8 (30:24):
I don't know.
Speaker 7 (30:25):
I feel a little bit bad for him, and my
Laker fans who are listening now are going to kill
me because I crush him on text chains. I'm like
Darvin Ham is clueless. I don't I feel bad for
the guy a little bit, Colin.
Speaker 1 (30:34):
I feel bad for anybody who gets fired. I feel well,
I feel less bad if you get nine million dollars
to walk out the door. But now I don't want
these married kids. I feel bad for anybody.
Speaker 7 (30:44):
Hey, we probably relocated his family out here from from Milwaukee,
and like, you know, two years later, he's dusted. This
JJ Reddick thing is gonna be listen. You know I'm
pro lebron. I'll defend him. It is really risky to
be like, hey, be my podcast partner, now come coach
the Lakers, and if they flame out in the first
or second round, who are you gonna blame? There's only
one guy to blame, Lebron James. Don't blame Buddick.
Speaker 1 (31:07):
You can't.
Speaker 8 (31:08):
He's absolved to blin. This is like a chess match
that Lebron's playing right now. Lebron dangerous.
Speaker 1 (31:13):
Lebron what he does in these situations, he rises above it.
I don't know what happened. It's not my call. I mean,
this is Lebron's game plan, his playbook. But this was
the Lakers leaking a week ago. Darvin Ham's not going
to he's fired. Yeah, okay, and Lebron has options now
doesn't have to re sign, so it's pretty obvious. And
(31:34):
now Lebron will get his people, his agent. Hey, Lebron
doesn't make the call here that you can't go from
this to that in a week without a call being made.
It's not like Geenie Buss was like he is coming back,
and then after two conversations, she's like, my bad, he's terrible. Like,
(31:55):
you don't go from that to that.
Speaker 7 (31:56):
So you made a great point about Kobe and Polinka.
Polenka was his former agent. I'm going to join the commercial.
Speaker 8 (32:02):
I'm gonna look up the timeline of how that happened.
Speaker 7 (32:04):
Did gd Buss let Kobe Eyer's agent to be the
GM No.
Speaker 1 (32:08):
I think they'd work with Polenka so long that Genie
considered him almost family by association. And Genie likes that
and said, let's just bring him in house. I trust
him because she'd had so many negotiations on so many
things with Kobe that Rob had built this really nice
relationship with Genie and she's like, you know what, I
like him more than the other candidates, and I know him.
Speaker 8 (32:31):
Or was there a Kobe Kobe likes him?
Speaker 7 (32:33):
Maybe I'm gonna go elsewhere because you're right, Lebron gedi
Bus probably called Lebron in the days after the season.
Speaker 8 (32:37):
Maybe Lebron was ghosting or.
Speaker 1 (32:39):
I don't even think that happened, and I think Lebron's
people made a call again. It'd be one thing if
Genie Buss said a week ago, we're going to we're
gonna sit down and discuss Darvin Ham and he's fired.
You don't go from Darvin Ham is coming back to
let's get him out of here one of the first
guys fired. That's a phone call, and.
Speaker 7 (32:59):
It's not like something something happened right. There was no
incident that anybody's been aware of.
Speaker 1 (33:03):
They got in a parking ticket about six a week
of those times.
Speaker 7 (33:06):
So this makes the Olympic recruiting more interesting. Forget about
bringing Lebron to your team, Golden State or whoever. Now
it's who's Lebron looking at on that Olympic team and saying.
Speaker 8 (33:18):
Come out to La. I'm running the show now, it's
my show. I got Darvin Ham out of here.
Speaker 1 (33:22):
I don't think. I don't think other stars. If you're
a young star, you don't want Lebron's brand to overshadow yours,
and Edwards doesn't.
Speaker 8 (33:29):
Wan No, no, no, no, I'm talking about Kevin Durant specifically.
Speaker 1 (33:32):
I don't think they'll play it. No, that doesn't feel right,
Paul George, how about Lebron says this, Paul, you love La.
You don't have to move. I played seventy one games.
Kawhi couldn't show up for the playoffs. You think I'm
crazy on that? What do the Lakers need wing defenders?
Speaker 8 (33:51):
It just feels very I.
Speaker 1 (33:52):
Mean, I'm Lebron James. Hey, how's that hardened thing working out?
How is Kawi available tonight? You come over here? I'm
playing seventy one games. We got a rim defender.
Speaker 7 (34:06):
What if Lebron flips it on Curry and says, hey,
Curry's not you guys wanted me. Sorry, not happening, Curry.
It's a sinking ship there in Golden State. Why don't
you try to get the zero chance.
Speaker 8 (34:17):
No shot?
Speaker 1 (34:17):
He is of their DNA. Now, Paul George is the
interesting one because Paul loves La and you just go
over to him and say, Bro, I know you have
a cute new arena. Crypto's on the way back, coin
is on fire. Just Stan La, come here.
Speaker 7 (34:35):
But Lebron feels like he's this shoot his shot guy.
You know you see this vague fan. I think he's
just like I'm going in it, doesn't I gotta.
Speaker 1 (34:42):
By the way, what does Lebron work well with shooters?
Lebron's always been great with guys who can score on
the wing. Kyrie could do it.
Speaker 7 (34:51):
J R.
Speaker 1 (34:51):
Smith could do it, Battier could do it. Love could
do it.
Speaker 7 (34:54):
By the way, you think Lebron is told GENI bus
this week, Hey, look at Kyrie dominating with the Maverick.
Speaker 8 (35:00):
We sure could have used him. And I was against
that move.
Speaker 1 (35:03):
And I think you when Lebron James, I go to
Paul George. You tried to go to a franchise to
save him. Over here, we win him. You tried to
build something that's never happened. We're trying to add to
something another title that happens all the time here. That's
a pretty convincing sales job. That's the difference between you're
a football coach at Michigan and you say, hey, you
(35:25):
want to come to Michigan. We win Natty's here, we
win the Big Ten, or you're at Purdue. Tell you
what be the start of something great here?
Speaker 7 (35:35):
I would want to start something great as I know
you would to.
Speaker 1 (35:39):
No, I wouldn't. I'm lazy. Give me a big freebie,
give me a bunch of great players. I can just
mail it in. I'm telling you, it's a pretty easy
sales job. How's that Clipper rebuild going. We got a
new arena, Lebron, it's going to be fired. Why don't
you come over here. I'll give you a new Bentley.
Speaker 8 (35:57):
You're gonna have a Bentley
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