February 26, 2025 • 42 mins
Kevin Durant nixed a trade at the deadline claiming he's too big to trade mid-season
Colin brings you his Dynamic Dozen Players & Personalities in Los Angeles, New York, and Chicago
Guest: Dan Woike
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Episode Transcript
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Speaker 1 (00:00):
Thanks for listening to The Herd podcast. Be sure to
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Speaker 2 (00:21):
You're listening to Fox Sports Radio.
Speaker 1 (00:26):
All right, here we go. It's our two live City
of Stars, Los Angeles, Austin Reeves, semi stuff wherever you
may be, however you may be listening. Thanks for making
us part of your day. Lebron and Luca. Last night Dallas,
all sorts of feisty and a couple of minutes we'll
be going to Dan Wiki, who covers the Lakers to
(00:47):
the La Times. It was a magical night. But I
was saying, this is that you know that you've heard
about the placebo effect where people can talk themselves into
being sick. And I was just talking to some yesterday
who had a rough spot in their life. And I
told this person, I said, optimism is such a big
part of recovery. Like you've got to be positive, You've
(01:08):
got to wake up. Tony Robbins talks about this all
the time. Your mind plays tricks on you. Your mind gets
negative very quickly. You got to get things out of there.
Don't don't consume certain things that get you angry. You'll
have a hard time getting off that merry go round.
And so we're all capable of We wake up in
the morning and something happens in our life and it
triggers this great optimism or negativity. And watching Lebron play
(01:34):
with Luca, I said it last hour, it's like a
kid that got a bicycle at Christmas. Every part of
Lebron's game in the last four or five games with
Luca is energized. And I'm watching him. Last night I
said I would give Lebron a new two year deal today.
His fourth quarter last night, it didn't make a biological sense.
(01:54):
I don't know where he's getting the energy. He was
the best player on the floor Alley oops. His defense
is unbelieve and I just think he liked Ad personally
and professionally. But Ad wasn't a playmaker, so Lebron always
felt like he had to be the initiator. Occasionally he
let Austin Reeves run the show. But it's different now.
(02:14):
Lucas the quarterback JJ Reddick has said the quiet part
out loud. Luca's running the show. Austin Reeves can be
second when Lebron's on the bench. But I'm watching the
energy right now and it feels very d weighed in Lebron.
Where Lebron is really playing with on a nightly basis
(02:35):
an energy that I don't think I saw consistently with Ad.
And it's not a shot at Ad. But there was
a way Lebron had to play. He wanted to pass
the baton and though Ad was a remarkable defensive player
and a good guy and got in very good shape,
was getting hurt less. His games is game. Luca is
allowing Lebron to conserve energy and then give you these
(02:58):
intense five six minute bursts. Last night it was a
twelve minute burst and it was like nothing I've ever
seen from a forty year old guy. And here is
JJ Reddick on the new Lebron James.
Speaker 2 (03:11):
Lebron's playing it an all NBA defense level.
Speaker 3 (03:14):
He is.
Speaker 2 (03:15):
You know, people may have perceptions of what he is
as a defender. I watch it every night. He doesn't
gate scored on in isolation.
Speaker 4 (03:23):
If teams do try to target him, he blows plays up.
You know, I think there was this perception of him
at this age like conserving energy. Now there's no conservation
of energy on that end of the floor.
Speaker 1 (03:36):
And with that, Dan Woykee at the La Times is
joining us in studio, and I so appreciate this. I
text a friend, Maverick Carter's a friend, you know, Maverick.
Maverick's underneath the basket. But once a year he gives
me his tickets. So Maverick Carter a really good guy
and with a high school teammate of Lebron And I said,
I don't even know what I watched last night. In
the fourth quarter, I'm like, that was insane. The energy
(04:01):
was palpable, And I do feel like, not that he's
like conserving it, but I do feel like lebron Att
sometimes felt like, man, I would like to let somebody
else run the show a little bit and play off ball.
Does it feel different to you in the last five
or six games.
Speaker 5 (04:17):
I think it's an interesting question, Colin, Like, I think
that there was a time right where we heard about
the torch being passed right or wanting help.
Speaker 6 (04:26):
He wants help playmaking and stuff.
Speaker 5 (04:27):
But then when it came time to actually do it,
he didn't, and I think part of that was because
he was always the best option. Yes, right, it's always
like the ball in Lebron. It's kind of sometimes why
he's been hard to coach, is that what better play
is it than give Lebron James the ball.
Speaker 1 (04:43):
Think about this Dan in Cleveland. As great and skillful
as Kyrie was, he ended up being an off guard
a lot. And I would argue Kyrie is as skilled
does any player I've ever seen with the ball in
his hands.
Speaker 6 (04:55):
He's incredible and he was great last night too.
Speaker 1 (04:57):
Yeah. So I think your point is this is a
little bit of Lebron saying, Okay, I've met my equal
at initiating offense.
Speaker 6 (05:03):
He said something this year.
Speaker 5 (05:05):
You know, being around him now basically every day since
he's been in Los Angeles, by and large, i've never
heard him. Hear him say that somebody is better than
him at stuff like that's just not what he's that's
not how he's built. He said, Luca dont just does
the same stuff as me, and some of it even better.
And I think at this stage in his career, having
somebody who can do that, it does sort of shift.
Speaker 6 (05:25):
Lebron into I call it like Olympics Lebron.
Speaker 5 (05:28):
Yeah, like like the version of him we saw in
Paris where you're controlling the game, but maybe you don't
have the ball all the time, like you're doing all
of these little things. He's such a yeah, Yeah, he's
such a basketball savant. He's so smart at finding ways
to matter in ways to like make differences in games.
And yeah, it's on the offensive end. That clip of JJ.
(05:49):
That was a question I asked some postgame about Lebron's defense,
Like the last six weeks or so, defensively, like, Lebron
has been excellent, and they've been good with Anthony Davis.
Speaker 6 (05:59):
They've been good with Anthony Davis was hurt.
Speaker 1 (06:01):
Their last nineteen games. Are the best defensive team in
the league. Now here's the question though, And I'd said
this for years about Carmelo Anthony, he'd scored twenty nine,
he'd give up twenty two.
Speaker 6 (06:12):
Well that still works.
Speaker 1 (06:14):
No, do you do you worry though? That Reeves Lebron.
The Lakers do feel a little top heavy, Yeah, Reeves Lebron,
Luca all playmakers MAVs have won, but the MAVs have
size that Mark Williams trade I thought would have made
a real difference. Do you worry that Luca's defense will
eventually be a liability?
Speaker 6 (06:35):
Yeah?
Speaker 5 (06:36):
I mean I think they're not a They're not a
perfect team in any real way. I think the things
they're great at, they're great at, and that gives you
a that gives you a chance in this league, right
if you can, if you can manipulate the game in
the way where your strengths mask your weaknesses. And I
think the way the Lakers have been masking their defensive
weaknesses has been with overall team effort. You know, this
(06:56):
is a group that has played incredibly hard. You know,
Sinn Reeves is a really smart defender, even though he
has athletic limitations. Luka Dacic is huge a He's a
big player, and he gets into passing lanes.
Speaker 6 (07:09):
He creates turnovers.
Speaker 5 (07:10):
Now does he get beat off the dribble, Sure it happens,
But when he's engaged, like I mean, you know, forget
last night, he's going for a minute, let's talk about
Saturday in Denver. You know where they win by twenty three.
Masterful defensive game plan. I guess a team they haven't
been able to solve. Luca didn't look like, you know,
a negative defender in that game, and I think at
times when he's been engaged, he's been a pretty good defender.
Speaker 1 (07:31):
He's actually a very good rebounder when he wants to.
Last night the great Yeah, like Luca is one of
those guys that and Lebron's got a little bit of
this magic. Johnson was good at this magic. We needed
to play center and score forty two. Like Luca, when
you ask him to be around the basket, he is
a big, thick body. He can clean the glass. I
mean last night's first half, I think he had like
ten rebounds at half.
Speaker 5 (07:51):
Yeah, And I know we'll get to the Warriors in
a minute, but I do think when you have great
players that are also smart players, yeah, it just helps
this process move along much quicker than it might otherwise.
Speaker 6 (08:01):
Right, Like we'll see.
Speaker 5 (08:03):
With this Lakers group, I think to your point about Lebron,
like there is sort of a you know, when this
trade first happened, there was a feeling around the organization
that like this, the Laker's been provided an off ramp
right that they can move now in this direction where
they don't need Lebron James the same way they needed him.
Speaker 6 (08:20):
Six weeks ago. They have a future.
Speaker 5 (08:23):
I think what they're seeing now is like the immediate
future is maybe even more Luca and Lebron than they realized.
Should Lebron want to do it, and we'll see how
long he wants to do this, but they have real chances.
It feels like they have a real chance this year.
I think with an offseason to like perfectly architect the
(08:43):
roster around the guys that you have in the core
that you have, certainly will have a chance there. And
they're also catching Luka Danta Jet like sort of the
perfect time.
Speaker 1 (08:53):
You know, It's funny when JJ Reddick got the job,
I had heard this about Reddick very arrogant. He went
to Duke And my take is, I am okay with
arrogance as long as it's accompanied with self awareness. JJ's
got both. JJ's a very good looking, very confident I mean,
he's made a lot of money, he's been very successful.
He's also got self awareness. He can laugh at himself.
(09:14):
He knows when he's over the top. Is and I
think if you go look at Lebron's history, even if
he doesn't always agree with Eric Spolstra. He respects his
IQ right, he respects and I really do believe he
respects Hi Lou. There is something about JJ Reddick is
(09:35):
that I think this job could in the Lakers job
is engulfed certain coaches. They didn't have enough like arrogance,
they didn't have enough confidence. Oh, Darvin Ham. Sometimes I
got a little engulfed by it. I think JJ when
I watch him, like he's absolutely sure his way is right.
And for the record, so far it has.
Speaker 5 (09:54):
Been I think the thing with JJ and you mentioned
arrogos and that's the word that comes up with him
a lot. Yeah, it's certainly the first impression. It's also
paired with open mindedness, which is a unique combination.
Speaker 6 (10:07):
You know.
Speaker 5 (10:08):
Usually like people who are arrogant believe their ways the
best because it's the way, not necessarily because it's a
way they've cultivated through conversations with you know, everybody, from
the guy who you know sells him his palmade to
like you know whoever, Like if you've got a good
basketball idea, like JJ Reddick will listen to it.
Speaker 6 (10:25):
That's the reality of it.
Speaker 5 (10:26):
I think coaching is really hard to judge generally speaking,
you know, being there at night and night out. It's
not always the showiest thing because players do what they do.
Basketball is very free flowing. I think the things that
I'm hearing behind the scenes, things about you know, communication,
like making sure that you're you're touching base with players
(10:48):
on a very regular basis, like following his gut, his instinct.
Speaker 1 (10:53):
JJ Reddick is a very authentic guy.
Speaker 6 (10:55):
Correct and very direct. He's very direct, but he's not Kurt.
Speaker 1 (11:00):
He's direct without being mean spirited. He'll tell you exactly
what he feels, but he says it with a smile.
He says it like, hey man, this is what I believe.
I just think JJ Reddick there was some concern as
a podcaster. He absolutely feels big enough for the job.
Speaker 6 (11:14):
Yeah, I think you know.
Speaker 5 (11:17):
The way that I've kind of settled on this with
him is that if you look at you know, you'll
say he didn't have enough experience, right, Well, like if
the most important part of being an NBA coach is
relating to your players, right and I believe that to
be mostly true. You know, he was a star among
stars as a college basketball player, right, like biggest in
the country. You know, a total villain in a way
(11:38):
that very few people are. He was a rookie who
couldn't crack a rotation and had to sit on the
end of a bench of a contender. He was a
sending player, like looking for a bigger role. He was
a starter. He was then a vet, and then he
was a guy whose body quick like. He's basically lived
every basketball NBA life in the course of his career.
Speaker 1 (11:57):
Can't I remember about him as a player beyond shooting
in Duke before Steph Curry became a star, I'd never
seen a player work harder off the ball. Yeah, he
was a cardio machine. If you guarded JJ Ruddy, you
have to chase him.
Speaker 6 (12:09):
Around the floor system himself.
Speaker 1 (12:11):
Yep, all right. I want to talk about Jimmy Butler.
So I read a couple of stories when about when
before Jimmy Butler and the Warriors happened, and there were
analytic people that said, you.
Speaker 6 (12:20):
Know, I don't know if it works enough shooting, Yeah, And.
Speaker 1 (12:23):
My take was to know, he's the anti Wiggins. He's
intentional on every possession. He plays with intensity that you
know when he's on the floor, he's never lost. I
don't think he will rub Draymond the wrong way. Because
Draymond calls out people who often need to be called out.
Jimmy doesn't. In fact, you could say scale it down
this to me, I felt his EQ and his IQ.
(12:45):
I'm like, just get him in this system.
Speaker 7 (12:47):
It'll work.
Speaker 1 (12:48):
And I don't know what the analytics say it has.
Are you a little surprised that's worked this well? Uh?
Speaker 5 (12:55):
No, I think that you know, you touched on two
of the things that I think EQ in the NBA
is the thing that you hear a lot now, like
emotional intelligence, Like how do you fit in these systems?
And I think, you know, Jimmy is so competitive, so competitive,
and you've put him in an environment where a competition
is thrived, right, Like this is a group that has
(13:16):
won at the highest level and they've done it in
back to back seasons as a core and Stephan Draymond
and Steve Kerr. To do that, you have to have
just this incredible competitive endurance.
Speaker 6 (13:26):
You can't do it otherwise it's too hard. And so
I think he fits in that.
Speaker 5 (13:30):
I think that they are a very mature team when
it comes to their culture, so like it can handle personalities.
Speaker 6 (13:36):
It's not foreign to them at all.
Speaker 5 (13:39):
And I think that you know, I, like I said before,
with like Lebron and Luca an Austin Reeves shot degree,
you just tend to trust smart players, right like figured
out guys. And Jimmy Butler is a figured out guy.
He hasn't been a good shooter since he's been in
the NBA. It hasn't stopped him from morning like like
it really hasn't. It's not like, you know, his athleticism
has changed, like it hasn't stopped him, like his availability
(14:01):
and stuff like that. And Miami had their reasons for
moving on, and me had his reasons for wanting to
be out to.
Speaker 1 (14:06):
He wanted a lot of years, a lot of money,
and that.
Speaker 6 (14:08):
Wasn't exactly totally.
Speaker 5 (14:10):
But I think in this situation for a team like
Golden State, right like, I think similar to the Lakers,
there was a feeling that there's an opportunity here in
the Western Conference. There there is a lurking giant literally
in Victor Webenyama in San Antonio, right like, assuming he'll
recover and stuff like that, you have the Okleboland City Thunder,
who if it's not this year, will be soon.
Speaker 6 (14:31):
That roster is built.
Speaker 5 (14:32):
Win and built win for a long time, but right
now there's a feeling that there's a chance to be had.
Speaker 6 (14:39):
When you talk to teams around the.
Speaker 1 (14:40):
Way, I don't think Houston's can shoot well enough. I
think in situational basketball, Houston will come up basket shy.
Sure they'll have the athleticism, they'll can defend, the confidence. Yeah,
but they're they're not a shooting team. And you tighten
people up in a playoff game. And I think Oklahoma
City also feels like to me, they're a year away
and they're going to be looking for buckets outside of
(15:00):
s g A. And if you can lock him down
again these playoffs, when I play a team seven times
and I we're all equally rested, Warriors, Lakers, these older teams, Denver,
I think the Warriors. I mean, if I said to
you right now, Okase ends up with Golden State.
Speaker 5 (15:20):
I mean I think I would lean thunder. But it's close,
much closer than a one to eight should be.
Speaker 6 (15:26):
Yep uh.
Speaker 5 (15:27):
And I think it's because of the experience. It's because
of you know, we've just seen it so many times
with these groups. Golden State can match some of their physicality,
now what you mean, Butler, they don't have the size,
they're gonna they're gonna be hurt against teams that have size.
And that's what's interesting about the West is like there's
also all these just like really unique matchups. There are
teams that are that are coming at this in very
(15:48):
different ways. And I think, you know, Minnesota is gonna
be coming here. They're getting better, getting healthier at the
right time playing defense. I know Chris Finch is a
little happier about where they've been defensively. Just had a
huge win in Oklahoma's Anything Soulls. I think all of
these teams are can look at themselves in the mirror,
like six or seven teams incredibly Memphis and say like
(16:09):
the time is now for us, like Memphis has been,
you know, kind of at the doorstep a bunch of times,
Like are they really ready to win now? Like we'll
find out. I think it's it's going to be a
really good playoff.
Speaker 1 (16:20):
So it's interesting. There are teams that I think that
are very authentic and you know exactly what they are.
And I'll tell you why. The Knicks are this. The
Calves and the Celtics are very good pick and roll teams,
and the Knicks can't defend it. Carl Anthony Towns is
a brilliant offensive player. He's really skilled. Chris Finch told
me yesterday, he goes, I know he was good then
(16:41):
I coached him, and it's he is so good. He
can't defend the pick and roll. Brunson's not great at it,
and Cleveland is so efficient that I just think when
you look at the Knicks, I think they're a step away.
I think Carl Anthony Towns gets them to elite, get
them to a place offensively, they get off of Julius Randall.
He make a better offensive team. But I think when
(17:02):
you look at the Knicks, they are absolutely not built.
They're not constructed to beat the Calves and the Celtics.
They just can't defend them.
Speaker 5 (17:10):
Well, you know, they've struggled against good teams this year.
I think defensively they've really struggled against.
Speaker 6 (17:16):
Good team yep.
Speaker 5 (17:17):
And to me that it's just there's a disconnect, right
because you have such a defensive minded head coach, you have,
you have the type.
Speaker 6 (17:25):
Of you know your coaches.
Speaker 5 (17:27):
In a lot of times, your coaches and your best
players are what drive your identity, and like it does
feel like their identities are moving in different directions.
Speaker 1 (17:33):
That's right.
Speaker 5 (17:33):
You know, there are a terrific offensive team with a
top tier defensive coach, and I think you'd want a
little more alignment there in a perfect world. You know,
it is a little bit it feels a little bit
like an overcorrection. We'll see what happens if they're able
to get Mitchell Robinson back and like you can get
him into shape and playing like well, that helps, It
(17:54):
will help some, But it just feels like at their core,
who they are is a team that's going to outscore you,
and that they have to outscore you. And when you
have put time and money and assets into players like
og Anobi and mckel bridges and Josh Hart, guys that
are there largely to make sure it's hard for the
other team to score, you would like to see that
(18:17):
sort of personality kind of permeate the entire roster. The
way it's just quite frankly, you know, it doesn't like
the Night of the Lucadachi trade, right, like this feels
like ancient history now, Like the Lakers without Anthony Davis
like had no problems with Carl Towns because he was
twenty four feet away from the basket all game, right,
and they didn't exploit their size advantages. They didn't exploit
(18:39):
their toughness advantages in that game. And that's been kind
of a recurring theme against teams that can spread them
out in Cleveland and Boston are.
Speaker 6 (18:47):
Going to spread you out like that is what they do.
Speaker 5 (18:50):
And they're gonna put Carl Towns into rotations, They're gonna
make them scramble, and you know, it's just it's hard
if one of your best players is you know, one
of your biggest weaknesses on the defensive end.
Speaker 1 (19:02):
Finally, let's wrap it up. Let's pivot back to the Lakers.
It's one thing to cover a player. It's another thing
to see a player occasionally when you're around Luca, you're
at practice with Luca, you're in the locker room with Luca.
What is he like to cover? Is there a joyfulness
around him? Because it seems like he's bringing that out
of Lebron.
Speaker 5 (19:20):
I think for him right now, there's still shock. He's
still somebody who is dealing with the emotional baggage from
this trade.
Speaker 1 (19:27):
I thought last night, at the end of the game,
he looked a little shot.
Speaker 6 (19:30):
He was exhausted. Last night like it.
Speaker 5 (19:33):
Colin enjoyed. That game reminded me of a little bit.
Do you remember doing like the presidential fitness testing when
you were a kid? Like where you'd have to yes,
was that game went out way too fast and lap
one of the mile. It was like, you know, just
this horrible cramp after the first quarter. Was so much
emotion that it expended in that game, and then it
kind of sputtered to the finish before Lebron was able
to really pull it through. I think big picture, Luca
(19:56):
being around Lebron can have just as much for lou
as it does for Lebron in terms of what it
takes day and day out to have your body ready
to play at a consistent level.
Speaker 6 (20:07):
You know what it takes to make others great.
Speaker 5 (20:10):
Obviously Luca knows how to do all that stuff and
seeing that and seeing a player that he's loved since
he was thirteen fourteen years old.
Speaker 1 (20:15):
And he's a really giving down court passer, and sometimes
it's different from when he drives and dishes because there's
an immediate payoff. But when you pass the ball down
the floor, you're often eliminating yourself from the play. Sure
you're taking yourself out and a lot of guys. Lebron's
always been great at that. Not all offensive players are.
They kind of want to bring the ball up.
Speaker 5 (20:36):
This Lebron, Luka, and Jokic are the three best at it,
and the Lakers have two of them.
Speaker 1 (20:40):
It's incredible to watch him. He is so I mean,
he is the classic quarterback in this league.
Speaker 5 (20:45):
And Lebron said the other day, right like Lebron said,
he's built to be a receiver. We can argue about
whether he can do both, certainly, but I think I
think the biggest thing that I've seen being around Luca
right now right is like there is somebody who want
who has a fire and wants to prove Dallas wrong.
You can see that, like he is carrying scar tissue
from this trade, and I do you also see a
player that is incrementally getting more used to like I mean, Colin,
(21:09):
look at this. This looks insane. Le's look at Chison
a Lakers jersey. It still looks weird, and but you
you know, you're seeing a player who's getting every day,
like fractionally more comfortable with it.
Speaker 6 (21:21):
In come April, come May.
Speaker 5 (21:24):
You're seeing a player too, who loves the Spotlight loves
the big stage, and I mean every night it feels
like it's a pretty big stage.
Speaker 6 (21:31):
When you got him on the court with le Bron.
Speaker 1 (21:32):
James La Times, Dan Woodgie, great scene you give my
man thanks calling. Do we have a coffee machine up here?
We should give our guests. We don't have parting gifts,
but a nice Cafe Americano out the door would be
a nice thing. How about that?
Speaker 6 (21:43):
No one's ever said I need more caffeine and collum.
Speaker 1 (21:45):
This is the first time live in La It's the Herd.
Speaker 8 (21:48):
One more Herd. The Herd streams twenty four hours a day,
seven days a week within the iHeartRadio app. Search Herd
to listen live or on demand whenever you like.
Speaker 1 (21:58):
Well, I hope you did not miss the greatest list
that has ever been on a cable network. Earlier when
I had my Dynamic dozen. I'm getting some pushback that
I did not excluded one New York basketball player from
Villanova second rounder who is known as kind of a grinder, overachiever.
I probably should have had him, maybe at twelve, but
(22:19):
I'm sorry. Rick Patino's a rock star. Oways has been
as a coach.
Speaker 7 (22:22):
Yeah, that's what you're labeling Jalen brunts is an overachiever,
not all NBA's star.
Speaker 1 (22:29):
Yeah, so this, this again is being labeled, is the
greatest list of all time on cable television. I said,
New York, LA, Chicago, the twelve most dynamic stars. People
can push back, Maybe I should have Aaron Judge. I
had a hardball. But Jim Harbaugh is literally doing national commercials.
He's a rock star. He changed Big ten ratings, he
national championship, been to super Bowls. Everybody knows Jim Harball.
Speaker 7 (22:52):
Did you have a list earlier of the most what
is it? The highest valued franchises in sports? And the
Knicks were like top three and their best player, Jalen
Brunson doesn't sniff this list?
Speaker 1 (23:02):
Second round pick? So what a little bit of a
little bit of a grinder?
Speaker 7 (23:06):
What's wrong with being a grinder.
Speaker 1 (23:08):
He's a little anti hero.
Speaker 6 (23:09):
So we're only doing.
Speaker 7 (23:09):
Top picks here, Oh, Lebron Lucas sah I said, I said,
you're an alitist. Do you like superstars? Caleb Williams number
one pick? What is he accomplished?
Speaker 1 (23:19):
This is not just an accomplished list, I said, dynamic.
It's called the dynamic does I don't think Jalen's a
dynamic personality and he is.
Speaker 7 (23:30):
I mean, basically Herbert Justin Herber is the opposite of.
Speaker 1 (23:32):
He's a quarterback in the NFL. The NFL is a
thousand times more popular and quarterbacks are, but the.
Speaker 7 (23:39):
Knicks are a thousand times were popular then the Chargers
based on your valuation list.
Speaker 1 (23:43):
Okay, I got Jailing at thirteen thirteen. Gosh, I only
got Justin Herbert at eleven.
Speaker 9 (23:48):
Hater J Mack with the news, No no turns.
Speaker 8 (23:53):
This is the herd line news.
Speaker 7 (23:56):
I can never tell if the audience and loves it
when you're right or just can't sit it. Because this
Aaron Rodgers take you had is starting to maybe come
to fruition. According to the New York Daily News, Aaron
Rodgers prefers to play for the Rams next season, and
not only that, he wants to bring a buddy, DeVante
Adams with him. Now you have floated for a couple
(24:17):
of weeks. Now that Rogers to the Rams makes sense. Listen,
they move on from Cooper Cup and they add Davante
Adams to Pooka Nakula Kyrien Williams.
Speaker 1 (24:25):
That's listen, It makes sense is when you look at
what happened, just take Brett Farr when when, when? Where
did Russell Wilson want to go when he was in dysfunction?
He wanted to go to Pittsburgh, which may underachieve, but
it's not dysfunctional. Tom Brady had been in super function
in New England, so he was willing to go to
(24:45):
an organization that was a little wonky Tampa. And so
what you find is Aaron had all this stability in
Green Bay like Farv did Farv and Aaron go to
the Jets and go, Holy hell, get me out of here.
So what did let me go to the Vikings? They're
well run. I'll I won't have chaos around me. And
I think Aaron's saying, listen, I tried the thing in
(25:07):
New York. I like stability. I'm a grown up. I
do my own workouts. I don't I don't need to
be chased around. I mean Aaron can go hide in
Malibu and with the Rams. I mean you never see
Matt Stafford out. This is not New York where it's
always uh you know. I mean, Woody Johnson isn't close
to stan Kronky in terms of the formidable owner Aaron
(25:29):
Rodgers to the Rams. I don't think it's gonna happen
because I think they're gonna resign Stafford. But that's who
I would go get.
Speaker 7 (25:34):
So let's say they resign Safford, where does Rogers go?
Speaker 1 (25:38):
Vegas feels right?
Speaker 3 (25:39):
Who?
Speaker 7 (25:40):
Well?
Speaker 1 (25:41):
Slow down, Chip Kelly Pete, Carroll brock Bowers, Max Crosby.
But I think what Aeron is. What Aaron is seeking
here is not only a good organization, but what he
is seeking is what he had in Green Bay, which
has grown ups and stability, and you just don't get
that with the debts. You just don't. The owner just
got voted thirty two out of thirty two by Jets
(26:04):
players in an anonymous poll.
Speaker 2 (26:06):
It's not a price.
Speaker 7 (26:08):
DeVante Adams is still in a contact with the Jets.
Speaker 1 (26:10):
Don't need Devonte Adams if.
Speaker 7 (26:12):
Aaron yet to release him. They clear twenty nine MILLI
in cap space.
Speaker 1 (26:16):
Love that, yeah, but they're trying to get rid of
Cooper Cup. The Rams don't need Davonte an.
Speaker 7 (26:21):
I'm saying, you don't think the Rams would take DeVante Am.
He's best friends with Rodgers.
Speaker 1 (26:24):
Who Karen doesn't have any leverage he would be lucky
to get the Rams. He doesn't have any leverage. This
is not the Jets. Aaron's gonna go there, and he's
not gonna tell people who to bring with me. Davonte
Adams is the last thing they need. They don't they
You know, they've got a number one pooka. What they
have to do is find their next star in the draft.
Speaker 7 (26:45):
Well, they're the rest of their depth charted receivers very uncertain, Colin,
they have Cooper Cut's gonna be gone, DeMarcus Robinson free agent,
tou tou.
Speaker 1 (26:52):
Out, Well, give me a break.
Speaker 7 (26:55):
They need somebody at receiver. Do you just say, hey,
bring your buddy Devonte Adams to Rogers.
Speaker 1 (27:00):
If you've seen how much he coughts, I have you
if you're gonna pay Stafford, And if you're paying Stafford,
all right, then then you're I'm gonna have to pay
if he leaves. I gotta pay Aaron, and now I
gotta pay Devonte Adams. And what if I can't get
rid of Cooper cup I got so much money in
just wide receiver. It's a tough way.
Speaker 7 (27:20):
It's not gonna be easy for the Rams, that's for sure.
But the Jets are they're looking great. Uh all right,
let's move on to Uh, oh god, we're now talking
about the Patriots again because you love them. Next season,
Mike Rabil has a lot of work to do to
get this team back to the postseason. They do have
Drake Maso. They're in the right direction, but he spoke
about the challenge of getting back to their winning ways
yesterday at the Combine.
Speaker 10 (27:42):
Our expectations aren't gonna change. It's gonna be to win
the division. It's gonna be the host home playoff games,
and it's gonna be to compete for championships. That's why
we're here, That's why I got hired, and it's it's
to win. It's put a product on the field that
they can be excited about, that they can care about
and they can support like that the whole goal. And
I don't they shouldn't have to wait very long. And
(28:03):
you know, but we also have to understand that, you know,
we're not gonna fix every issue on the first day
of free agency, or we're not going to fill every
hole on the first or second day of the draft.
Speaker 1 (28:16):
Listen, they have the most cap space they twenty eight.
They will get minimum three starters out of the draft
because they're lacking certain speed elements, they'll probably get four
starters out of there. Now, think about this. I'll just
throw this out. So, was Jim Harbaugh worth a touchdown
to the Chargers from Brandon Sam Honey? Okay, Jerrod Mayo
like Staley a little bit over his skis. So let's
(28:38):
say just say this. Let's just say Brabil is worth
three and a half to four points from Jerrod Mao.
That feels true. Free agency with all that money is
probably worth a point to a point and a half.
Now you've got five and a half points better. The
draft with four starter is worth half a point. So
if they are six points better than that, I mean
(29:00):
that's how I'm That's how Vegas would look at it.
So if Rabel's worth a little more than a field goal,
you can go get a number one receiver. That's a point.
You start looking around, look at how many games they
lost last year. You'd be amazed how many close games
they lost by like five and six and three and
two and one point. So I just think I'm not
(29:20):
saying I don't know what, do they win four games
last year?
Speaker 3 (29:22):
Man?
Speaker 1 (29:23):
My take is they will be Remember I said Washington
is going to surprise the league. They're gonna be a
wild card team. Rabel's worth four to four and a
half points, the free agent class is worth a point
to one point and a half, the draft class worth
half a point. And by the way, the Jets losing
Aaron Rodgers, that's two double us in New England.
Speaker 7 (29:41):
Stop listen. I think the audience is gonna start rooting
against the Patriots because if you started hitting all these
picks like seven months in advance, you know, then you're
gonna get a little bit of an implated ego. You know,
if the Patriots hit on the heel of last.
Speaker 1 (29:54):
Like JJ Reddick, I have the self awareness to understand, I've.
Speaker 7 (29:57):
Got fidals story is Nick Sirianni and the Eagles man,
this whole toush push stuff. Colin, coaches and gms are
putting their thoughts on the record after the Packers proposed
to ban it, well, Sirianni discussed all the narratives surrounding
the play.
Speaker 1 (30:13):
This is fun.
Speaker 3 (30:15):
It's a skill that our team has because of the
players that we have, the coach the way the coaches
coach it that we Again, there's just so much time
put into it. The fact that it's that it's a
successful play for the Eagles, and people want to take
that away.
Speaker 6 (30:31):
I think it's a little a little unfair, a little.
Speaker 3 (30:34):
Bit insulting in that sense of that because the guys
work hard at it.
Speaker 8 (30:39):
We work hard at it.
Speaker 7 (30:42):
Yeah, some interesting numbers here. They had Kelsey at center
and when he left, everybody was like, oh, that's a
huge loss. They still did a lot of toush push
the numbers. The Eagles have run it one hundred and
eight times since twenty twenty two. The second most team,
Buffalo Bill's at fifty five, so a half. Basically, if
the amount of times Eagles have run it, third most
(31:03):
team is your Bears sixteen. Basically, the Eagles are the
only ones doing this. The Bills are trying it failed
miserably against the Chiefs, So why would everybody want to
ban it? Why don't they at least try it?
Speaker 8 (31:14):
Well?
Speaker 1 (31:15):
I think there's a couple of reasons. Jalen Hurt squat
six hundred pounds, he is a unique player for it,
and he's also short, so you get this like powerlifter
body behind the best offensive line in football. So some
of it's just personnel realities. A lot of it's now
most quarterbacks justin Herbert six 's five, Josh Allen sixty six,
(31:36):
or they don't squat six hundred pounds. They're big targets
like Josh Allen jumping over the line is a huge target.
Nor do they have the offensive line. So Philadelphia has
this uniquely built quarterback short and a powerlifter body, and
then they have a great old line, so it works
for them. That's the argument to keep it is they
have personnel advantages. The argument to get away with it,
(32:00):
get away from it is it can be a bit
dangerous when you have people.
Speaker 7 (32:03):
No evidence of that, it could be dangerous. But there's
no evidence of Eagles run at one hundred eight times injuries,
not where are they? So this danger angle, I think
you got.
Speaker 1 (32:12):
To talk how about this angle. It's a repetitive play.
That's bad TV.
Speaker 7 (32:17):
I mean, I think every Eagles fan on the planet
would argue against bad. It's automatic. They're running it at
a eighty seven percent clip. I mean, it's working. It's automatic.
Why would you want to band it? I just don't
get well.
Speaker 1 (32:30):
Pats were automatic, kickoff touchbacks were automatic. The league has
a history of getting off of things that are boring.
Speaker 7 (32:37):
So are you surprised that because the Eagles have had
so much success, other teams haven't been like, hey, we
could have a backup quarterback like a Taysom Hills well
be r Tours push guy, Like why not?
Speaker 1 (32:48):
Why didn't everybody copy the triangle offense with Phil Jackson
because they didn't have Kobe or Michael Why you didn't
You ask yourself everybody in the world, why does Phil
jacks Why the Lakers are the only team running this
brilliant offense? Because Michael Jordan was unstoppable in it and
the only other player in league history that was ninety
percent Michael was Kobe Bryant, And so a lot of
(33:08):
it's personnel. He just put Jalen Hurdson in me, Michael Well,
I think Jalen Hurts is a six hundred pound power
lifting five eleven and a half guy that gets behind
the best old line. It's a personnel advantage that that's
the Eagles best argument is we just got better players
at this, and they do. They're uniquely built. If Jalen
Hurts is six six, it doesn't work as well. He's
a target. Jayden Daniels is not a player I would
(33:32):
do this with because Jalen's more. He's got a thinner
body frame.
Speaker 7 (33:35):
Remember the Bills were doing it with Josh Allen work
against the team. I mean, Josh Allen's a tank.
Speaker 1 (33:40):
I hated it. I thought it was terrible for Buffalo.
I think it makes him a target where he's holding
the ball up. I think that's so uncreative. I mean,
if they're the second best team in the league at
doing it, that shows you the separation between the Eagles
and the rest of the wall.
Speaker 7 (33:54):
They have kind of hacked the Church Bush and it
works for them and it's unstoppable.
Speaker 1 (33:58):
Well, for instance, in baseball, Joe Madden created the defensive ship,
and then a lot of teams started copying the defensive shift,
and it hurt by the way it was effective, and
it hurt the aesthetics of the sport, and so Baseball's like,
this is not good for the sport. It wasn't illegal.
Joe Badden just thought of it and thought, we're gonna
put the second basement in right field. But baseball looked
(34:21):
at it after five or six years and said, we
got all these great players like Bryce Harper, lining out
to right field. We want them on the basis the
only reason you get rid of the defensive shift. It's
bad for television.
Speaker 6 (34:31):
So maybe that's it.
Speaker 7 (34:32):
We wait five years of the toos push get get
five years of it. If it's that bad and ugly
and boring, then maybe they outlawed.
Speaker 1 (34:39):
Listen, I got takes to that. That clearly just you
can't throw a seventy six mile an hour slider at
me and not think I'm going to hit it out.
Speaker 7 (34:45):
Is that the gummy bears and stuff you're loading up
on I already had.
Speaker 1 (34:48):
I already had a brand muffin with gummy bears in it.
Today I am eating so much sugar.
Speaker 7 (34:53):
Loading you know, you look like you're carrying a couple
more healthy Okay, okay, jmack.
Speaker 8 (34:59):
With Well, that's the news and thanks for stopping by
the Herd Line. Be sure to catch live editions of
The Herd weekdays at noon Eastern nine am Pacific on
Fox Sports Radio FS one and the iHeartRadio app.
Speaker 11 (35:13):
Hey, Steve Covino and I'm Rich David and together we're
Covino and Rich on Fox Sports Radio. You could catch
us weekdays from five to seven pm Eastern two to
four Pacific on Fox Sports Radio and of course the
iHeartRadio app.
Speaker 9 (35:26):
Why should you listen to Covino and Rich.
Speaker 11 (35:28):
We talk about everything life, sports, relationships, what's.
Speaker 9 (35:31):
Going on in the world.
Speaker 11 (35:32):
We have a lot of fun talking about the stories
behind the stories in the world of sports and pop culture,
stories that well other shows don't seem to have the
time to discuss. And the fact that we've been friends
for the last twenty years and still work together, I
mean that says something, right, So.
Speaker 9 (35:45):
Check us out. We like to get you involved too,
take your phone calls, chop it up.
Speaker 11 (35:50):
As they say, I'd say the most interactive show on
Fox Sports Radio, maybe the most interactive show on planetar.
Be sure to check out Covino and Rich live on
Fox Sports Radio and the iHeartRadio app from five.
Speaker 9 (35:59):
To seven pm Eastern two to four Pacific, And.
Speaker 11 (36:02):
If you miss any of the live show, just search
Kobe and on Rich wherever you get your podcasts, and
of course on social media that's Cavino and Rich.
Speaker 1 (36:11):
So before Jimmy Butler went to the Warriors and we
thought that was the fit, and it's worked out. They
won again last night, big uh. There was a lot
of rumors about KD to the Warriors, and uh, I
just I just watched KD play in Chicago against the Suns.
That team's got some fit issues and misses some a
(36:32):
true point guard and that thing just doesn't work. But
KD was on the Draymond Green podcast and and talked
about he was the guy that nixed the KD to
the Warriors deal because it was there for him.
Speaker 12 (36:47):
But as far as the Warriors, I just didn't thank
you was you know, and then I didn't want to move.
And then it's a player like me, I just I
cost a lots. Me going into your team is gonna
make this It's gonna be a whole new era of
your team when I get to your team, you know
what I'm saying. So and that's work and the season
Like I'm still of value, you know what I'm saying,
especially in my contract and just my production. That me
(37:10):
just getting up and moving in the middle of season,
it's going to be a big blow to any team
I'm going to. It just don't make sense for either
side right now to go go through that, you know
what I'm saying, When we just played the season out
and if that's the decision, you want to make you
know in the off season, then you know you figure
it out.
Speaker 1 (37:29):
Yeah, I mean that makes sense. I will say, don't
you now you're what are you looking at? What don't
you like about? Because I think Phoenix is broken?
Speaker 7 (37:36):
Maybe I misheard? Did he just say it would be
very difficult if I just change teams mid season, that
team would have to be blown up, which is saw
Luka Doncics get traded mid season, Jimmy Butler mid season.
Both those teams are thriving. Now, Colin, what the hell
is he talking about?
Speaker 6 (37:51):
Well, it's too difficult for me. Who who are Kevin Durant?
Speaker 7 (37:55):
What are you even talking about? Dude?
Speaker 1 (37:56):
Well, I thought Jimmy Butler was the perfect fit. I
thought he was a perfect fit. I think Luca fitz Lebron.
I think they've done the Kadie thing. There's no going
home again. I think they did it.
Speaker 7 (38:08):
But couldn't he have gone anywhere else and easily fit in? Hell,
Detroit Pistons are one of the hottest teams in the league.
Couldn't he have gone to Detroit and helped them be
a top five team in the East or something crazy?
Top four? I don't know.
Speaker 1 (38:19):
Well, we don't. We don't know that that many teams
went after him. We know that Golden State was interested
and I and I think his take was I've done that,
which is which is? It's you know, there's certain places
in my life I've been. There's no reason to go back.
I get the I don't need to do that again there.
I think Kevin Durant really wishes Phoenix would have worked,
and it didn't, and it hasn't, and they're missing a
(38:41):
point guard. And is now some of that on Kevin Durant,
though I don't think he's been the problem. I don't
think sometimes like the Bradley Beal thing did not work,
that's that just didn't work. I thought it would, it
did not. I watched them play against the Bulls, and
it's so obvious when you watch them in person, as
you have Durant in the corner and Boozer on the wing,
and when they try to initiate the offense, it doesn't work.
(39:02):
And so they need a point guard and Bradley Beild
more of a two guard. So it just the Phoenix
thing's not gonna work.
Speaker 7 (39:08):
Colin. Last night they lost the game one. Okay, they
had five guys score twenty more points. I think they
shot fifty seven percent from three and then they lost.
They got bigger problems at a point guard. I think
some of this. Kevin Durant has to take some ownership
of this. They got swept by Minnesota last year. He
got swept at the end in Brooklyn by Boston. Remember
that Tatum and those guys laughing at him. Kevin Durant
(39:30):
needs to get his actor And I'm a huge KD fan,
but at some point you've got to take ownership. Ay Man,
I haven't been good. I think it's always here.
Speaker 1 (39:37):
I always feel this with Kevin Durant. Buyer, Beware, you
know what you're getting. He doesn't want to be vocal.
He's not gonna be the leader. You know. It's sort
of like you know what you get when you get
Aaron Rodgers. You're gonna get a little bit of an older,
prickly player who could be a little passive aggressive. You
know that going in? So are you built for that?
(39:58):
Lebron is a I'm gonna take. I'm gonna be the
new ecosystem of the franchise. I'm gonna talk to the press,
I'm gonna push back. It's my ball. I'm gonna initiate.
That's not who Kevin is. Kevin's more Aaron Rodgers. Sometimes
he can be a little prickly, he can be a
tad moody. They're both remarkable talents. But I often and
(40:20):
this is nothing against uh Matt ishbia A uh you know,
the owner. He came in. He was gonna be hyper aggressive.
Totally appreciated. I just met his brother this weekend, justin
they're aggressive guys. I appreciate that. But I think not
every player is built the same. When you brought a
Rod in as a baseball player, he was not Jeter,
he was not a foundational piece. He he's not the
(40:42):
leader in the clubhouse. He is a superstar player that
needs to be appreciated. And there are certain things with
a rod that that you have to be ready for.
And it worked. But that and that's not a criticism.
We're all different personalities, and so I think you just
you have to be fair to Katie when you bring
k I would prefer to bring KD in if I
(41:03):
have certain elements already in place, right and I think
Golden State had those. But I think Kde deep down
said I did it. I've been there, I done it,
I won titles, I was MVP. Why repeat it?
Speaker 7 (41:14):
It's colin. You know, as you grow up and mature
and get older, like you changed, that's normal. Life is changed.
Has Kevin Durant changed at all?
Speaker 3 (41:21):
I don't know.
Speaker 7 (41:22):
It's still the same guy. I just want to get buckets.
I just want to hoop like that's what it's been
his line for that.
Speaker 1 (41:27):
But that's some players, that's what they want. I you know,
I proa.
Speaker 7 (41:31):
He's thirty six years old. Well almost over for KD.
It's all you got, no more chance for a legacy
or whatever crap you want to call it.
Speaker 1 (41:37):
Lie. I find myself defending him. I think I don't
know him, but I think he's a different personality. And
if you inherit him or you trade for him, just
know what you're getting. And he doesn't want to be
like in Brooklyn. He's like, hey man, I'm going to
give up on this dynasty because I don't care about trophies.
I'm gonna go play with my friend. I didn't get
it at all. It did not work, but that's who
(41:59):
he is. Give people what maya angelou say? People tell
you who they are. Listen. He's telling you who he is.
Our three. We're going to the NFL comby next
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
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Speaker 2 (00:21):
You're listening to Fox Sports Radio.
Speaker 1 (00:26):
All right, here we go. It's our two live City
of Stars, Los Angeles, Austin Reeves, semi stuff wherever you
may be, however you may be listening. Thanks for making
us part of your day. Lebron and Luca. Last night Dallas,
all sorts of feisty and a couple of minutes we'll
be going to Dan Wiki, who covers the Lakers to
(00:47):
the La Times. It was a magical night. But I
was saying, this is that you know that you've heard
about the placebo effect where people can talk themselves into
being sick. And I was just talking to some yesterday
who had a rough spot in their life. And I
told this person, I said, optimism is such a big
part of recovery. Like you've got to be positive, You've
(01:08):
got to wake up. Tony Robbins talks about this all
the time. Your mind plays tricks on you. Your mind gets
negative very quickly. You got to get things out of there.
Don't don't consume certain things that get you angry. You'll
have a hard time getting off that merry go round.
And so we're all capable of We wake up in
the morning and something happens in our life and it
triggers this great optimism or negativity. And watching Lebron play
(01:34):
with Luca, I said it last hour, it's like a
kid that got a bicycle at Christmas. Every part of
Lebron's game in the last four or five games with
Luca is energized. And I'm watching him. Last night I
said I would give Lebron a new two year deal today.
His fourth quarter last night, it didn't make a biological sense.
(01:54):
I don't know where he's getting the energy. He was
the best player on the floor Alley oops. His defense
is unbelieve and I just think he liked Ad personally
and professionally. But Ad wasn't a playmaker, so Lebron always
felt like he had to be the initiator. Occasionally he
let Austin Reeves run the show. But it's different now.
(02:14):
Lucas the quarterback JJ Reddick has said the quiet part
out loud. Luca's running the show. Austin Reeves can be
second when Lebron's on the bench. But I'm watching the
energy right now and it feels very d weighed in Lebron.
Where Lebron is really playing with on a nightly basis
(02:35):
an energy that I don't think I saw consistently with Ad.
And it's not a shot at Ad. But there was
a way Lebron had to play. He wanted to pass
the baton and though Ad was a remarkable defensive player
and a good guy and got in very good shape,
was getting hurt less. His games is game. Luca is
allowing Lebron to conserve energy and then give you these
(02:58):
intense five six minute bursts. Last night it was a
twelve minute burst and it was like nothing I've ever
seen from a forty year old guy. And here is
JJ Reddick on the new Lebron James.
Speaker 2 (03:11):
Lebron's playing it an all NBA defense level.
Speaker 3 (03:14):
He is.
Speaker 2 (03:15):
You know, people may have perceptions of what he is
as a defender. I watch it every night. He doesn't
gate scored on in isolation.
Speaker 4 (03:23):
If teams do try to target him, he blows plays up.
You know, I think there was this perception of him
at this age like conserving energy. Now there's no conservation
of energy on that end of the floor.
Speaker 1 (03:36):
And with that, Dan Woykee at the La Times is
joining us in studio, and I so appreciate this. I
text a friend, Maverick Carter's a friend, you know, Maverick.
Maverick's underneath the basket. But once a year he gives
me his tickets. So Maverick Carter a really good guy
and with a high school teammate of Lebron And I said,
I don't even know what I watched last night. In
the fourth quarter, I'm like, that was insane. The energy
(04:01):
was palpable, And I do feel like, not that he's
like conserving it, but I do feel like lebron Att
sometimes felt like, man, I would like to let somebody
else run the show a little bit and play off ball.
Does it feel different to you in the last five
or six games.
Speaker 5 (04:17):
I think it's an interesting question, Colin, Like, I think
that there was a time right where we heard about
the torch being passed right or wanting help.
Speaker 6 (04:26):
He wants help playmaking and stuff.
Speaker 5 (04:27):
But then when it came time to actually do it,
he didn't, and I think part of that was because
he was always the best option. Yes, right, it's always
like the ball in Lebron. It's kind of sometimes why
he's been hard to coach, is that what better play
is it than give Lebron James the ball.
Speaker 1 (04:43):
Think about this Dan in Cleveland. As great and skillful
as Kyrie was, he ended up being an off guard
a lot. And I would argue Kyrie is as skilled
does any player I've ever seen with the ball in
his hands.
Speaker 6 (04:55):
He's incredible and he was great last night too.
Speaker 1 (04:57):
Yeah. So I think your point is this is a
little bit of Lebron saying, Okay, I've met my equal
at initiating offense.
Speaker 6 (05:03):
He said something this year.
Speaker 5 (05:05):
You know, being around him now basically every day since
he's been in Los Angeles, by and large, i've never
heard him. Hear him say that somebody is better than
him at stuff like that's just not what he's that's
not how he's built. He said, Luca dont just does
the same stuff as me, and some of it even better.
And I think at this stage in his career, having
somebody who can do that, it does sort of shift.
Speaker 6 (05:25):
Lebron into I call it like Olympics Lebron.
Speaker 5 (05:28):
Yeah, like like the version of him we saw in
Paris where you're controlling the game, but maybe you don't
have the ball all the time, like you're doing all
of these little things. He's such a yeah, Yeah, he's
such a basketball savant. He's so smart at finding ways
to matter in ways to like make differences in games.
And yeah, it's on the offensive end. That clip of JJ.
(05:49):
That was a question I asked some postgame about Lebron's defense,
Like the last six weeks or so, defensively, like, Lebron
has been excellent, and they've been good with Anthony Davis.
Speaker 6 (05:59):
They've been good with Anthony Davis was hurt.
Speaker 1 (06:01):
Their last nineteen games. Are the best defensive team in
the league. Now here's the question though, And I'd said
this for years about Carmelo Anthony, he'd scored twenty nine,
he'd give up twenty two.
Speaker 6 (06:12):
Well that still works.
Speaker 1 (06:14):
No, do you do you worry though? That Reeves Lebron.
The Lakers do feel a little top heavy, Yeah, Reeves Lebron,
Luca all playmakers MAVs have won, but the MAVs have
size that Mark Williams trade I thought would have made
a real difference. Do you worry that Luca's defense will
eventually be a liability?
Speaker 6 (06:35):
Yeah?
Speaker 5 (06:36):
I mean I think they're not a They're not a
perfect team in any real way. I think the things
they're great at, they're great at, and that gives you
a that gives you a chance in this league, right
if you can, if you can manipulate the game in
the way where your strengths mask your weaknesses. And I
think the way the Lakers have been masking their defensive
weaknesses has been with overall team effort. You know, this
(06:56):
is a group that has played incredibly hard. You know,
Sinn Reeves is a really smart defender, even though he
has athletic limitations. Luka Dacic is huge a He's a
big player, and he gets into passing lanes.
Speaker 6 (07:09):
He creates turnovers.
Speaker 5 (07:10):
Now does he get beat off the dribble, Sure it happens,
But when he's engaged, like I mean, you know, forget
last night, he's going for a minute, let's talk about
Saturday in Denver. You know where they win by twenty three.
Masterful defensive game plan. I guess a team they haven't
been able to solve. Luca didn't look like, you know,
a negative defender in that game, and I think at
times when he's been engaged, he's been a pretty good defender.
Speaker 1 (07:31):
He's actually a very good rebounder when he wants to.
Last night the great Yeah, like Luca is one of
those guys that and Lebron's got a little bit of
this magic. Johnson was good at this magic. We needed
to play center and score forty two. Like Luca, when
you ask him to be around the basket, he is
a big, thick body. He can clean the glass. I
mean last night's first half, I think he had like
ten rebounds at half.
Speaker 5 (07:51):
Yeah, And I know we'll get to the Warriors in
a minute, but I do think when you have great
players that are also smart players, yeah, it just helps
this process move along much quicker than it might otherwise.
Speaker 6 (08:01):
Right, Like we'll see.
Speaker 5 (08:03):
With this Lakers group, I think to your point about Lebron,
like there is sort of a you know, when this
trade first happened, there was a feeling around the organization
that like this, the Laker's been provided an off ramp
right that they can move now in this direction where
they don't need Lebron James the same way they needed him.
Speaker 6 (08:20):
Six weeks ago. They have a future.
Speaker 5 (08:23):
I think what they're seeing now is like the immediate
future is maybe even more Luca and Lebron than they realized.
Should Lebron want to do it, and we'll see how
long he wants to do this, but they have real chances.
It feels like they have a real chance this year.
I think with an offseason to like perfectly architect the
(08:43):
roster around the guys that you have in the core
that you have, certainly will have a chance there. And
they're also catching Luka Danta Jet like sort of the
perfect time.
Speaker 1 (08:53):
You know, It's funny when JJ Reddick got the job,
I had heard this about Reddick very arrogant. He went
to Duke And my take is, I am okay with
arrogance as long as it's accompanied with self awareness. JJ's
got both. JJ's a very good looking, very confident I mean,
he's made a lot of money, he's been very successful.
He's also got self awareness. He can laugh at himself.
(09:14):
He knows when he's over the top. Is and I
think if you go look at Lebron's history, even if
he doesn't always agree with Eric Spolstra. He respects his
IQ right, he respects and I really do believe he
respects Hi Lou. There is something about JJ Reddick is
(09:35):
that I think this job could in the Lakers job
is engulfed certain coaches. They didn't have enough like arrogance,
they didn't have enough confidence. Oh, Darvin Ham. Sometimes I
got a little engulfed by it. I think JJ when
I watch him, like he's absolutely sure his way is right.
And for the record, so far it has.
Speaker 5 (09:54):
Been I think the thing with JJ and you mentioned
arrogos and that's the word that comes up with him
a lot. Yeah, it's certainly the first impression. It's also
paired with open mindedness, which is a unique combination.
Speaker 6 (10:07):
You know.
Speaker 5 (10:08):
Usually like people who are arrogant believe their ways the
best because it's the way, not necessarily because it's a
way they've cultivated through conversations with you know, everybody, from
the guy who you know sells him his palmade to
like you know whoever, Like if you've got a good
basketball idea, like JJ Reddick will listen to it.
Speaker 6 (10:25):
That's the reality of it.
Speaker 5 (10:26):
I think coaching is really hard to judge generally speaking,
you know, being there at night and night out. It's
not always the showiest thing because players do what they do.
Basketball is very free flowing. I think the things that
I'm hearing behind the scenes, things about you know, communication,
like making sure that you're you're touching base with players
(10:48):
on a very regular basis, like following his gut, his instinct.
Speaker 1 (10:53):
JJ Reddick is a very authentic guy.
Speaker 6 (10:55):
Correct and very direct. He's very direct, but he's not Kurt.
Speaker 1 (11:00):
He's direct without being mean spirited. He'll tell you exactly
what he feels, but he says it with a smile.
He says it like, hey man, this is what I believe.
I just think JJ Reddick there was some concern as
a podcaster. He absolutely feels big enough for the job.
Speaker 6 (11:14):
Yeah, I think you know.
Speaker 5 (11:17):
The way that I've kind of settled on this with
him is that if you look at you know, you'll
say he didn't have enough experience, right, Well, like if
the most important part of being an NBA coach is
relating to your players, right and I believe that to
be mostly true. You know, he was a star among
stars as a college basketball player, right, like biggest in
the country. You know, a total villain in a way
(11:38):
that very few people are. He was a rookie who
couldn't crack a rotation and had to sit on the
end of a bench of a contender. He was a
sending player, like looking for a bigger role. He was
a starter. He was then a vet, and then he
was a guy whose body quick like. He's basically lived
every basketball NBA life in the course of his career.
Speaker 1 (11:57):
Can't I remember about him as a player beyond shooting
in Duke before Steph Curry became a star, I'd never
seen a player work harder off the ball. Yeah, he
was a cardio machine. If you guarded JJ Ruddy, you
have to chase him.
Speaker 6 (12:09):
Around the floor system himself.
Speaker 1 (12:11):
Yep, all right. I want to talk about Jimmy Butler.
So I read a couple of stories when about when
before Jimmy Butler and the Warriors happened, and there were
analytic people that said, you.
Speaker 6 (12:20):
Know, I don't know if it works enough shooting, Yeah, And.
Speaker 1 (12:23):
My take was to know, he's the anti Wiggins. He's
intentional on every possession. He plays with intensity that you
know when he's on the floor, he's never lost. I
don't think he will rub Draymond the wrong way. Because
Draymond calls out people who often need to be called out.
Jimmy doesn't. In fact, you could say scale it down
this to me, I felt his EQ and his IQ.
(12:45):
I'm like, just get him in this system.
Speaker 7 (12:47):
It'll work.
Speaker 1 (12:48):
And I don't know what the analytics say it has.
Are you a little surprised that's worked this well? Uh?
Speaker 5 (12:55):
No, I think that you know, you touched on two
of the things that I think EQ in the NBA
is the thing that you hear a lot now, like
emotional intelligence, Like how do you fit in these systems?
And I think, you know, Jimmy is so competitive, so competitive,
and you've put him in an environment where a competition
is thrived, right, Like this is a group that has
(13:16):
won at the highest level and they've done it in
back to back seasons as a core and Stephan Draymond
and Steve Kerr. To do that, you have to have
just this incredible competitive endurance.
Speaker 6 (13:26):
You can't do it otherwise it's too hard. And so
I think he fits in that.
Speaker 5 (13:30):
I think that they are a very mature team when
it comes to their culture, so like it can handle personalities.
Speaker 6 (13:36):
It's not foreign to them at all.
Speaker 5 (13:39):
And I think that you know, I, like I said before,
with like Lebron and Luca an Austin Reeves shot degree,
you just tend to trust smart players, right like figured
out guys. And Jimmy Butler is a figured out guy.
He hasn't been a good shooter since he's been in
the NBA. It hasn't stopped him from morning like like
it really hasn't. It's not like, you know, his athleticism
has changed, like it hasn't stopped him, like his availability
(14:01):
and stuff like that. And Miami had their reasons for
moving on, and me had his reasons for wanting to
be out to.
Speaker 1 (14:06):
He wanted a lot of years, a lot of money,
and that.
Speaker 6 (14:08):
Wasn't exactly totally.
Speaker 5 (14:10):
But I think in this situation for a team like
Golden State, right like, I think similar to the Lakers,
there was a feeling that there's an opportunity here in
the Western Conference. There there is a lurking giant literally
in Victor Webenyama in San Antonio, right like, assuming he'll
recover and stuff like that, you have the Okleboland City Thunder,
who if it's not this year, will be soon.
Speaker 6 (14:31):
That roster is built.
Speaker 5 (14:32):
Win and built win for a long time, but right
now there's a feeling that there's a chance to be had.
Speaker 6 (14:39):
When you talk to teams around the.
Speaker 1 (14:40):
Way, I don't think Houston's can shoot well enough. I
think in situational basketball, Houston will come up basket shy.
Sure they'll have the athleticism, they'll can defend, the confidence. Yeah,
but they're they're not a shooting team. And you tighten
people up in a playoff game. And I think Oklahoma
City also feels like to me, they're a year away
and they're going to be looking for buckets outside of
(15:00):
s g A. And if you can lock him down
again these playoffs, when I play a team seven times
and I we're all equally rested, Warriors, Lakers, these older teams, Denver,
I think the Warriors. I mean, if I said to
you right now, Okase ends up with Golden State.
Speaker 5 (15:20):
I mean I think I would lean thunder. But it's close,
much closer than a one to eight should be.
Speaker 6 (15:26):
Yep uh.
Speaker 5 (15:27):
And I think it's because of the experience. It's because
of you know, we've just seen it so many times
with these groups. Golden State can match some of their physicality,
now what you mean, Butler, they don't have the size,
they're gonna they're gonna be hurt against teams that have size.
And that's what's interesting about the West is like there's
also all these just like really unique matchups. There are
teams that are that are coming at this in very
(15:48):
different ways. And I think, you know, Minnesota is gonna
be coming here. They're getting better, getting healthier at the
right time playing defense. I know Chris Finch is a
little happier about where they've been defensively. Just had a
huge win in Oklahoma's Anything Soulls. I think all of
these teams are can look at themselves in the mirror,
like six or seven teams incredibly Memphis and say like
(16:09):
the time is now for us, like Memphis has been,
you know, kind of at the doorstep a bunch of times,
Like are they really ready to win now? Like we'll
find out. I think it's it's going to be a
really good playoff.
Speaker 1 (16:20):
So it's interesting. There are teams that I think that
are very authentic and you know exactly what they are.
And I'll tell you why. The Knicks are this. The
Calves and the Celtics are very good pick and roll teams,
and the Knicks can't defend it. Carl Anthony Towns is
a brilliant offensive player. He's really skilled. Chris Finch told
me yesterday, he goes, I know he was good then
(16:41):
I coached him, and it's he is so good. He
can't defend the pick and roll. Brunson's not great at it,
and Cleveland is so efficient that I just think when
you look at the Knicks, I think they're a step away.
I think Carl Anthony Towns gets them to elite, get
them to a place offensively, they get off of Julius Randall.
He make a better offensive team. But I think when
(17:02):
you look at the Knicks, they are absolutely not built.
They're not constructed to beat the Calves and the Celtics.
They just can't defend them.
Speaker 5 (17:10):
Well, you know, they've struggled against good teams this year.
I think defensively they've really struggled against.
Speaker 6 (17:16):
Good team yep.
Speaker 5 (17:17):
And to me that it's just there's a disconnect, right
because you have such a defensive minded head coach, you have,
you have the type.
Speaker 6 (17:25):
Of you know your coaches.
Speaker 5 (17:27):
In a lot of times, your coaches and your best
players are what drive your identity, and like it does
feel like their identities are moving in different directions.
Speaker 1 (17:33):
That's right.
Speaker 5 (17:33):
You know, there are a terrific offensive team with a
top tier defensive coach, and I think you'd want a
little more alignment there in a perfect world. You know,
it is a little bit it feels a little bit
like an overcorrection. We'll see what happens if they're able
to get Mitchell Robinson back and like you can get
him into shape and playing like well, that helps, It
(17:54):
will help some, But it just feels like at their core,
who they are is a team that's going to outscore you,
and that they have to outscore you. And when you
have put time and money and assets into players like
og Anobi and mckel bridges and Josh Hart, guys that
are there largely to make sure it's hard for the
other team to score, you would like to see that
(18:17):
sort of personality kind of permeate the entire roster. The
way it's just quite frankly, you know, it doesn't like
the Night of the Lucadachi trade, right, like this feels
like ancient history now, Like the Lakers without Anthony Davis
like had no problems with Carl Towns because he was
twenty four feet away from the basket all game, right,
and they didn't exploit their size advantages. They didn't exploit
(18:39):
their toughness advantages in that game. And that's been kind
of a recurring theme against teams that can spread them
out in Cleveland and Boston are.
Speaker 6 (18:47):
Going to spread you out like that is what they do.
Speaker 5 (18:50):
And they're gonna put Carl Towns into rotations, They're gonna
make them scramble, and you know, it's just it's hard
if one of your best players is you know, one
of your biggest weaknesses on the defensive end.
Speaker 1 (19:02):
Finally, let's wrap it up. Let's pivot back to the Lakers.
It's one thing to cover a player. It's another thing
to see a player occasionally when you're around Luca, you're
at practice with Luca, you're in the locker room with Luca.
What is he like to cover? Is there a joyfulness
around him? Because it seems like he's bringing that out
of Lebron.
Speaker 5 (19:20):
I think for him right now, there's still shock. He's
still somebody who is dealing with the emotional baggage from
this trade.
Speaker 1 (19:27):
I thought last night, at the end of the game,
he looked a little shot.
Speaker 6 (19:30):
He was exhausted. Last night like it.
Speaker 5 (19:33):
Colin enjoyed. That game reminded me of a little bit.
Do you remember doing like the presidential fitness testing when
you were a kid? Like where you'd have to yes,
was that game went out way too fast and lap
one of the mile. It was like, you know, just
this horrible cramp after the first quarter. Was so much
emotion that it expended in that game, and then it
kind of sputtered to the finish before Lebron was able
to really pull it through. I think big picture, Luca
(19:56):
being around Lebron can have just as much for lou
as it does for Lebron in terms of what it
takes day and day out to have your body ready
to play at a consistent level.
Speaker 6 (20:07):
You know what it takes to make others great.
Speaker 5 (20:10):
Obviously Luca knows how to do all that stuff and
seeing that and seeing a player that he's loved since
he was thirteen fourteen years old.
Speaker 1 (20:15):
And he's a really giving down court passer, and sometimes
it's different from when he drives and dishes because there's
an immediate payoff. But when you pass the ball down
the floor, you're often eliminating yourself from the play. Sure
you're taking yourself out and a lot of guys. Lebron's
always been great at that. Not all offensive players are.
They kind of want to bring the ball up.
Speaker 5 (20:36):
This Lebron, Luka, and Jokic are the three best at it,
and the Lakers have two of them.
Speaker 1 (20:40):
It's incredible to watch him. He is so I mean,
he is the classic quarterback in this league.
Speaker 5 (20:45):
And Lebron said the other day, right like Lebron said,
he's built to be a receiver. We can argue about
whether he can do both, certainly, but I think I
think the biggest thing that I've seen being around Luca
right now right is like there is somebody who want
who has a fire and wants to prove Dallas wrong.
You can see that, like he is carrying scar tissue
from this trade, and I do you also see a
player that is incrementally getting more used to like I mean, Colin,
(21:09):
look at this. This looks insane. Le's look at Chison
a Lakers jersey. It still looks weird, and but you
you know, you're seeing a player who's getting every day,
like fractionally more comfortable with it.
Speaker 6 (21:21):
In come April, come May.
Speaker 5 (21:24):
You're seeing a player too, who loves the Spotlight loves
the big stage, and I mean every night it feels
like it's a pretty big stage.
Speaker 6 (21:31):
When you got him on the court with le Bron.
Speaker 1 (21:32):
James La Times, Dan Woodgie, great scene you give my
man thanks calling. Do we have a coffee machine up here?
We should give our guests. We don't have parting gifts,
but a nice Cafe Americano out the door would be
a nice thing. How about that?
Speaker 6 (21:43):
No one's ever said I need more caffeine and collum.
Speaker 1 (21:45):
This is the first time live in La It's the Herd.
Speaker 8 (21:48):
One more Herd. The Herd streams twenty four hours a day,
seven days a week within the iHeartRadio app. Search Herd
to listen live or on demand whenever you like.
Speaker 1 (21:58):
Well, I hope you did not miss the greatest list
that has ever been on a cable network. Earlier when
I had my Dynamic dozen. I'm getting some pushback that
I did not excluded one New York basketball player from
Villanova second rounder who is known as kind of a grinder, overachiever.
I probably should have had him, maybe at twelve, but
(22:19):
I'm sorry. Rick Patino's a rock star. Oways has been
as a coach.
Speaker 7 (22:22):
Yeah, that's what you're labeling Jalen brunts is an overachiever,
not all NBA's star.
Speaker 1 (22:29):
Yeah, so this, this again is being labeled, is the
greatest list of all time on cable television. I said,
New York, LA, Chicago, the twelve most dynamic stars. People
can push back, Maybe I should have Aaron Judge. I
had a hardball. But Jim Harbaugh is literally doing national commercials.
He's a rock star. He changed Big ten ratings, he
national championship, been to super Bowls. Everybody knows Jim Harball.
Speaker 7 (22:52):
Did you have a list earlier of the most what
is it? The highest valued franchises in sports? And the
Knicks were like top three and their best player, Jalen
Brunson doesn't sniff this list?
Speaker 1 (23:02):
Second round pick? So what a little bit of a
little bit of a grinder?
Speaker 7 (23:06):
What's wrong with being a grinder.
Speaker 1 (23:08):
He's a little anti hero.
Speaker 6 (23:09):
So we're only doing.
Speaker 7 (23:09):
Top picks here, Oh, Lebron Lucas sah I said, I said,
you're an alitist. Do you like superstars? Caleb Williams number
one pick? What is he accomplished?
Speaker 1 (23:19):
This is not just an accomplished list, I said, dynamic.
It's called the dynamic does I don't think Jalen's a
dynamic personality and he is.
Speaker 7 (23:30):
I mean, basically Herbert Justin Herber is the opposite of.
Speaker 1 (23:32):
He's a quarterback in the NFL. The NFL is a
thousand times more popular and quarterbacks are, but the.
Speaker 7 (23:39):
Knicks are a thousand times were popular then the Chargers
based on your valuation list.
Speaker 1 (23:43):
Okay, I got Jailing at thirteen thirteen. Gosh, I only
got Justin Herbert at eleven.
Speaker 9 (23:48):
Hater J Mack with the news, No no turns.
Speaker 8 (23:53):
This is the herd line news.
Speaker 7 (23:56):
I can never tell if the audience and loves it
when you're right or just can't sit it. Because this
Aaron Rodgers take you had is starting to maybe come
to fruition. According to the New York Daily News, Aaron
Rodgers prefers to play for the Rams next season, and
not only that, he wants to bring a buddy, DeVante
Adams with him. Now you have floated for a couple
(24:17):
of weeks. Now that Rogers to the Rams makes sense. Listen,
they move on from Cooper Cup and they add Davante
Adams to Pooka Nakula Kyrien Williams.
Speaker 1 (24:25):
That's listen, It makes sense is when you look at
what happened, just take Brett Farr when when, when? Where
did Russell Wilson want to go when he was in dysfunction?
He wanted to go to Pittsburgh, which may underachieve, but
it's not dysfunctional. Tom Brady had been in super function
in New England, so he was willing to go to
(24:45):
an organization that was a little wonky Tampa. And so
what you find is Aaron had all this stability in
Green Bay like Farv did Farv and Aaron go to
the Jets and go, Holy hell, get me out of here.
So what did let me go to the Vikings? They're
well run. I'll I won't have chaos around me. And
I think Aaron's saying, listen, I tried the thing in
(25:07):
New York. I like stability. I'm a grown up. I
do my own workouts. I don't I don't need to
be chased around. I mean Aaron can go hide in
Malibu and with the Rams. I mean you never see
Matt Stafford out. This is not New York where it's
always uh you know. I mean, Woody Johnson isn't close
to stan Kronky in terms of the formidable owner Aaron
(25:29):
Rodgers to the Rams. I don't think it's gonna happen
because I think they're gonna resign Stafford. But that's who
I would go get.
Speaker 7 (25:34):
So let's say they resign Safford, where does Rogers go?
Speaker 1 (25:38):
Vegas feels right?
Speaker 3 (25:39):
Who?
Speaker 7 (25:40):
Well?
Speaker 1 (25:41):
Slow down, Chip Kelly Pete, Carroll brock Bowers, Max Crosby.
But I think what Aeron is. What Aaron is seeking
here is not only a good organization, but what he
is seeking is what he had in Green Bay, which
has grown ups and stability, and you just don't get
that with the debts. You just don't. The owner just
got voted thirty two out of thirty two by Jets
(26:04):
players in an anonymous poll.
Speaker 2 (26:06):
It's not a price.
Speaker 7 (26:08):
DeVante Adams is still in a contact with the Jets.
Speaker 1 (26:10):
Don't need Devonte Adams if.
Speaker 7 (26:12):
Aaron yet to release him. They clear twenty nine MILLI
in cap space.
Speaker 1 (26:16):
Love that, yeah, but they're trying to get rid of
Cooper Cup. The Rams don't need Davonte an.
Speaker 7 (26:21):
I'm saying, you don't think the Rams would take DeVante Am.
He's best friends with Rodgers.
Speaker 1 (26:24):
Who Karen doesn't have any leverage he would be lucky
to get the Rams. He doesn't have any leverage. This
is not the Jets. Aaron's gonna go there, and he's
not gonna tell people who to bring with me. Davonte
Adams is the last thing they need. They don't they
You know, they've got a number one pooka. What they
have to do is find their next star in the draft.
Speaker 7 (26:45):
Well, they're the rest of their depth charted receivers very uncertain, Colin,
they have Cooper Cut's gonna be gone, DeMarcus Robinson free agent,
tou tou.
Speaker 1 (26:52):
Out, Well, give me a break.
Speaker 7 (26:55):
They need somebody at receiver. Do you just say, hey,
bring your buddy Devonte Adams to Rogers.
Speaker 1 (27:00):
If you've seen how much he coughts, I have you
if you're gonna pay Stafford, And if you're paying Stafford,
all right, then then you're I'm gonna have to pay
if he leaves. I gotta pay Aaron, and now I
gotta pay Devonte Adams. And what if I can't get
rid of Cooper cup I got so much money in
just wide receiver. It's a tough way.
Speaker 7 (27:20):
It's not gonna be easy for the Rams, that's for sure.
But the Jets are they're looking great. Uh all right,
let's move on to Uh, oh god, we're now talking
about the Patriots again because you love them. Next season,
Mike Rabil has a lot of work to do to
get this team back to the postseason. They do have
Drake Maso. They're in the right direction, but he spoke
about the challenge of getting back to their winning ways
yesterday at the Combine.
Speaker 10 (27:42):
Our expectations aren't gonna change. It's gonna be to win
the division. It's gonna be the host home playoff games,
and it's gonna be to compete for championships. That's why
we're here, That's why I got hired, and it's it's
to win. It's put a product on the field that
they can be excited about, that they can care about
and they can support like that the whole goal. And
I don't they shouldn't have to wait very long. And
(28:03):
you know, but we also have to understand that, you know,
we're not gonna fix every issue on the first day
of free agency, or we're not going to fill every
hole on the first or second day of the draft.
Speaker 1 (28:16):
Listen, they have the most cap space they twenty eight.
They will get minimum three starters out of the draft
because they're lacking certain speed elements, they'll probably get four
starters out of there. Now, think about this. I'll just
throw this out. So, was Jim Harbaugh worth a touchdown
to the Chargers from Brandon Sam Honey? Okay, Jerrod Mayo
like Staley a little bit over his skis. So let's
(28:38):
say just say this. Let's just say Brabil is worth
three and a half to four points from Jerrod Mao.
That feels true. Free agency with all that money is
probably worth a point to a point and a half.
Now you've got five and a half points better. The
draft with four starter is worth half a point. So
if they are six points better than that, I mean
(29:00):
that's how I'm That's how Vegas would look at it.
So if Rabel's worth a little more than a field goal,
you can go get a number one receiver. That's a point.
You start looking around, look at how many games they
lost last year. You'd be amazed how many close games
they lost by like five and six and three and
two and one point. So I just think I'm not
(29:20):
saying I don't know what, do they win four games
last year?
Speaker 3 (29:22):
Man?
Speaker 1 (29:23):
My take is they will be Remember I said Washington
is going to surprise the league. They're gonna be a
wild card team. Rabel's worth four to four and a
half points, the free agent class is worth a point
to one point and a half, the draft class worth
half a point. And by the way, the Jets losing
Aaron Rodgers, that's two double us in New England.
Speaker 7 (29:41):
Stop listen. I think the audience is gonna start rooting
against the Patriots because if you started hitting all these
picks like seven months in advance, you know, then you're
gonna get a little bit of an implated ego. You know,
if the Patriots hit on the heel of last.
Speaker 1 (29:54):
Like JJ Reddick, I have the self awareness to understand, I've.
Speaker 7 (29:57):
Got fidals story is Nick Sirianni and the Eagles man,
this whole toush push stuff. Colin, coaches and gms are
putting their thoughts on the record after the Packers proposed
to ban it, well, Sirianni discussed all the narratives surrounding
the play.
Speaker 1 (30:13):
This is fun.
Speaker 3 (30:15):
It's a skill that our team has because of the
players that we have, the coach the way the coaches
coach it that we Again, there's just so much time
put into it. The fact that it's that it's a
successful play for the Eagles, and people want to take
that away.
Speaker 6 (30:31):
I think it's a little a little unfair, a little.
Speaker 3 (30:34):
Bit insulting in that sense of that because the guys
work hard at it.
Speaker 8 (30:39):
We work hard at it.
Speaker 7 (30:42):
Yeah, some interesting numbers here. They had Kelsey at center
and when he left, everybody was like, oh, that's a
huge loss. They still did a lot of toush push
the numbers. The Eagles have run it one hundred and
eight times since twenty twenty two. The second most team,
Buffalo Bill's at fifty five, so a half. Basically, if
the amount of times Eagles have run it, third most
(31:03):
team is your Bears sixteen. Basically, the Eagles are the
only ones doing this. The Bills are trying it failed
miserably against the Chiefs, So why would everybody want to
ban it? Why don't they at least try it?
Speaker 8 (31:14):
Well?
Speaker 1 (31:15):
I think there's a couple of reasons. Jalen Hurt squat
six hundred pounds, he is a unique player for it,
and he's also short, so you get this like powerlifter
body behind the best offensive line in football. So some
of it's just personnel realities. A lot of it's now
most quarterbacks justin Herbert six 's five, Josh Allen sixty six,
(31:36):
or they don't squat six hundred pounds. They're big targets
like Josh Allen jumping over the line is a huge target.
Nor do they have the offensive line. So Philadelphia has
this uniquely built quarterback short and a powerlifter body, and
then they have a great old line, so it works
for them. That's the argument to keep it is they
have personnel advantages. The argument to get away with it,
(32:00):
get away from it is it can be a bit
dangerous when you have people.
Speaker 7 (32:03):
No evidence of that, it could be dangerous. But there's
no evidence of Eagles run at one hundred eight times injuries,
not where are they? So this danger angle, I think
you got.
Speaker 1 (32:12):
To talk how about this angle. It's a repetitive play.
That's bad TV.
Speaker 7 (32:17):
I mean, I think every Eagles fan on the planet
would argue against bad. It's automatic. They're running it at
a eighty seven percent clip. I mean, it's working. It's automatic.
Why would you want to band it? I just don't
get well.
Speaker 1 (32:30):
Pats were automatic, kickoff touchbacks were automatic. The league has
a history of getting off of things that are boring.
Speaker 7 (32:37):
So are you surprised that because the Eagles have had
so much success, other teams haven't been like, hey, we
could have a backup quarterback like a Taysom Hills well
be r Tours push guy, Like why not?
Speaker 1 (32:48):
Why didn't everybody copy the triangle offense with Phil Jackson
because they didn't have Kobe or Michael Why you didn't
You ask yourself everybody in the world, why does Phil
jacks Why the Lakers are the only team running this
brilliant offense? Because Michael Jordan was unstoppable in it and
the only other player in league history that was ninety
percent Michael was Kobe Bryant, And so a lot of
(33:08):
it's personnel. He just put Jalen Hurdson in me, Michael Well,
I think Jalen Hurts is a six hundred pound power
lifting five eleven and a half guy that gets behind
the best old line. It's a personnel advantage that that's
the Eagles best argument is we just got better players
at this, and they do. They're uniquely built. If Jalen
Hurts is six six, it doesn't work as well. He's
a target. Jayden Daniels is not a player I would
(33:32):
do this with because Jalen's more. He's got a thinner
body frame.
Speaker 7 (33:35):
Remember the Bills were doing it with Josh Allen work
against the team. I mean, Josh Allen's a tank.
Speaker 1 (33:40):
I hated it. I thought it was terrible for Buffalo.
I think it makes him a target where he's holding
the ball up. I think that's so uncreative. I mean,
if they're the second best team in the league at
doing it, that shows you the separation between the Eagles
and the rest of the wall.
Speaker 7 (33:54):
They have kind of hacked the Church Bush and it
works for them and it's unstoppable.
Speaker 1 (33:58):
Well, for instance, in baseball, Joe Madden created the defensive ship,
and then a lot of teams started copying the defensive shift,
and it hurt by the way it was effective, and
it hurt the aesthetics of the sport, and so Baseball's like,
this is not good for the sport. It wasn't illegal.
Joe Badden just thought of it and thought, we're gonna
put the second basement in right field. But baseball looked
(34:21):
at it after five or six years and said, we
got all these great players like Bryce Harper, lining out
to right field. We want them on the basis the
only reason you get rid of the defensive shift. It's
bad for television.
Speaker 6 (34:31):
So maybe that's it.
Speaker 7 (34:32):
We wait five years of the toos push get get
five years of it. If it's that bad and ugly
and boring, then maybe they outlawed.
Speaker 1 (34:39):
Listen, I got takes to that. That clearly just you
can't throw a seventy six mile an hour slider at
me and not think I'm going to hit it out.
Speaker 7 (34:45):
Is that the gummy bears and stuff you're loading up
on I already had.
Speaker 1 (34:48):
I already had a brand muffin with gummy bears in it.
Today I am eating so much sugar.
Speaker 7 (34:53):
Loading you know, you look like you're carrying a couple
more healthy Okay, okay, jmack.
Speaker 8 (34:59):
With Well, that's the news and thanks for stopping by
the Herd Line. Be sure to catch live editions of
The Herd weekdays at noon Eastern nine am Pacific on
Fox Sports Radio FS one and the iHeartRadio app.
Speaker 11 (35:13):
Hey, Steve Covino and I'm Rich David and together we're
Covino and Rich on Fox Sports Radio. You could catch
us weekdays from five to seven pm Eastern two to
four Pacific on Fox Sports Radio and of course the
iHeartRadio app.
Speaker 9 (35:26):
Why should you listen to Covino and Rich.
Speaker 11 (35:28):
We talk about everything life, sports, relationships, what's.
Speaker 9 (35:31):
Going on in the world.
Speaker 11 (35:32):
We have a lot of fun talking about the stories
behind the stories in the world of sports and pop culture,
stories that well other shows don't seem to have the
time to discuss. And the fact that we've been friends
for the last twenty years and still work together, I
mean that says something, right, So.
Speaker 9 (35:45):
Check us out. We like to get you involved too,
take your phone calls, chop it up.
Speaker 11 (35:50):
As they say, I'd say the most interactive show on
Fox Sports Radio, maybe the most interactive show on planetar.
Be sure to check out Covino and Rich live on
Fox Sports Radio and the iHeartRadio app from five.
Speaker 9 (35:59):
To seven pm Eastern two to four Pacific, And.
Speaker 11 (36:02):
If you miss any of the live show, just search
Kobe and on Rich wherever you get your podcasts, and
of course on social media that's Cavino and Rich.
Speaker 1 (36:11):
So before Jimmy Butler went to the Warriors and we
thought that was the fit, and it's worked out. They
won again last night, big uh. There was a lot
of rumors about KD to the Warriors, and uh, I
just I just watched KD play in Chicago against the Suns.
That team's got some fit issues and misses some a
(36:32):
true point guard and that thing just doesn't work. But
KD was on the Draymond Green podcast and and talked
about he was the guy that nixed the KD to
the Warriors deal because it was there for him.
Speaker 12 (36:47):
But as far as the Warriors, I just didn't thank
you was you know, and then I didn't want to move.
And then it's a player like me, I just I
cost a lots. Me going into your team is gonna
make this It's gonna be a whole new era of
your team when I get to your team, you know
what I'm saying. So and that's work and the season
Like I'm still of value, you know what I'm saying,
especially in my contract and just my production. That me
(37:10):
just getting up and moving in the middle of season,
it's going to be a big blow to any team
I'm going to. It just don't make sense for either
side right now to go go through that, you know
what I'm saying, When we just played the season out
and if that's the decision, you want to make you
know in the off season, then you know you figure
it out.
Speaker 1 (37:29):
Yeah, I mean that makes sense. I will say, don't
you now you're what are you looking at? What don't
you like about? Because I think Phoenix is broken?
Speaker 7 (37:36):
Maybe I misheard? Did he just say it would be
very difficult if I just change teams mid season, that
team would have to be blown up, which is saw
Luka Doncics get traded mid season, Jimmy Butler mid season.
Both those teams are thriving. Now, Colin, what the hell
is he talking about?
Speaker 6 (37:51):
Well, it's too difficult for me. Who who are Kevin Durant?
Speaker 7 (37:55):
What are you even talking about? Dude?
Speaker 1 (37:56):
Well, I thought Jimmy Butler was the perfect fit. I
thought he was a perfect fit. I think Luca fitz Lebron.
I think they've done the Kadie thing. There's no going
home again. I think they did it.
Speaker 7 (38:08):
But couldn't he have gone anywhere else and easily fit in? Hell,
Detroit Pistons are one of the hottest teams in the league.
Couldn't he have gone to Detroit and helped them be
a top five team in the East or something crazy?
Top four? I don't know.
Speaker 1 (38:19):
Well, we don't. We don't know that that many teams
went after him. We know that Golden State was interested
and I and I think his take was I've done that,
which is which is? It's you know, there's certain places
in my life I've been. There's no reason to go back.
I get the I don't need to do that again there.
I think Kevin Durant really wishes Phoenix would have worked,
and it didn't, and it hasn't, and they're missing a
(38:41):
point guard. And is now some of that on Kevin Durant,
though I don't think he's been the problem. I don't
think sometimes like the Bradley Beal thing did not work,
that's that just didn't work. I thought it would, it
did not. I watched them play against the Bulls, and
it's so obvious when you watch them in person, as
you have Durant in the corner and Boozer on the wing,
and when they try to initiate the offense, it doesn't work.
(39:02):
And so they need a point guard and Bradley Beild
more of a two guard. So it just the Phoenix
thing's not gonna work.
Speaker 7 (39:08):
Colin. Last night they lost the game one. Okay, they
had five guys score twenty more points. I think they
shot fifty seven percent from three and then they lost.
They got bigger problems at a point guard. I think
some of this. Kevin Durant has to take some ownership
of this. They got swept by Minnesota last year. He
got swept at the end in Brooklyn by Boston. Remember
that Tatum and those guys laughing at him. Kevin Durant
(39:30):
needs to get his actor And I'm a huge KD fan,
but at some point you've got to take ownership. Ay Man,
I haven't been good. I think it's always here.
Speaker 1 (39:37):
I always feel this with Kevin Durant. Buyer, Beware, you
know what you're getting. He doesn't want to be vocal.
He's not gonna be the leader. You know. It's sort
of like you know what you get when you get
Aaron Rodgers. You're gonna get a little bit of an older,
prickly player who could be a little passive aggressive. You
know that going in? So are you built for that?
(39:58):
Lebron is a I'm gonna take. I'm gonna be the
new ecosystem of the franchise. I'm gonna talk to the press,
I'm gonna push back. It's my ball. I'm gonna initiate.
That's not who Kevin is. Kevin's more Aaron Rodgers. Sometimes
he can be a little prickly, he can be a
tad moody. They're both remarkable talents. But I often and
(40:20):
this is nothing against uh Matt ishbia A uh you know,
the owner. He came in. He was gonna be hyper aggressive.
Totally appreciated. I just met his brother this weekend, justin
they're aggressive guys. I appreciate that. But I think not
every player is built the same. When you brought a
Rod in as a baseball player, he was not Jeter,
he was not a foundational piece. He he's not the
(40:42):
leader in the clubhouse. He is a superstar player that
needs to be appreciated. And there are certain things with
a rod that that you have to be ready for.
And it worked. But that and that's not a criticism.
We're all different personalities, and so I think you just
you have to be fair to Katie when you bring
k I would prefer to bring KD in if I
(41:03):
have certain elements already in place, right and I think
Golden State had those. But I think Kde deep down
said I did it. I've been there, I done it,
I won titles, I was MVP. Why repeat it?
Speaker 7 (41:14):
It's colin. You know, as you grow up and mature
and get older, like you changed, that's normal. Life is changed.
Has Kevin Durant changed at all?
Speaker 3 (41:21):
I don't know.
Speaker 7 (41:22):
It's still the same guy. I just want to get buckets.
I just want to hoop like that's what it's been
his line for that.
Speaker 1 (41:27):
But that's some players, that's what they want. I you know,
I proa.
Speaker 7 (41:31):
He's thirty six years old. Well almost over for KD.
It's all you got, no more chance for a legacy
or whatever crap you want to call it.
Speaker 1 (41:37):
Lie. I find myself defending him. I think I don't
know him, but I think he's a different personality. And
if you inherit him or you trade for him, just
know what you're getting. And he doesn't want to be
like in Brooklyn. He's like, hey man, I'm going to
give up on this dynasty because I don't care about trophies.
I'm gonna go play with my friend. I didn't get
it at all. It did not work, but that's who
(41:59):
he is. Give people what maya angelou say? People tell
you who they are. Listen. He's telling you who he is.
Our three. We're going to the NFL comby next
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Colin Cowherd
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