June 2, 2023 • 41 mins
The Top 10 Most Improved NFL Teams
5 Best NFL Bets for Week 1
Can the Nuggets be a dynasty?
Guest: Ric Bucher
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Speaker 1 (00:00):
Thanks for listening to The Herd podcast. Be sure to
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Speaker 2 (00:18):
You're listening to Fox Sports Radio.
Speaker 3 (00:23):
Welcome back to The Herd.
Speaker 4 (00:25):
Jason McIntyre in for Colin Cowhard, our number two. As
I've explained already, Cowhard ads a little bit of a
travel issue.
Speaker 3 (00:33):
He will be back on Monday.
Speaker 4 (00:36):
I believe he's watching this from an airport at an
undisclosed in an undisclosed city.
Speaker 3 (00:41):
Good luck to you on the road there, mister Cowherd.
Speaker 4 (00:45):
The big breaking news here that happened in the last
fifteen minutes we'll talk about it with Rick Buker shortly,
is that the Phoenix Suns have announced well I guess
they didn't announce it, but Sham Sharania announced that the
Sons are going to be hiring Frank Vogel. A buddy
sent me a tweet that like twenty minutes before they
got Frank Vogel, Doc Rivers pulled his name out of
(01:05):
contention for the Phoenix Suns job smart timing Doc rivers
unless he knew what was coming at any rate.
Speaker 3 (01:12):
I just I like Frank Vogel a lot. I try.
You guys know, I play a lot of basketball.
Speaker 4 (01:17):
I talk about the Men's League, played a lot of
pickup basketball during COVID and Frank Vogel lives in my
neighborhood or lived in my neighborhood living out here in
LA and one of my neighbors, a good buddy, is
like I would see Frank Vogel out and I said,
can you invite him to our pickup game? Because he
apparently still plays basketball. He's like, dude, he is the
nicest guy, the most down to earth, there's no arrogance.
(01:38):
And he was coaching the Lakers. Okay, they ended up
winning the title in the bubble. I'm a big Frank
Vogel guy. Everybody says nice things about him. Defensive guy.
He's going into a really toxic situation in Phoenix, And
I know toxic is a strong word, but I'll be
brief heer because I gotta get to an NFL list.
Two things that jump out, Number one, Kevin Durant, my
guy you know, I like KD. We got a little
(01:59):
Instagram d bromance over the years. He likes to throw
grenades at me. That's fine, but he responds. He's open
to the discourse. I can't get over Kevin Durant and
Kyrie Irving saying, who needs a coach?
Speaker 3 (02:11):
We don't need a coach.
Speaker 4 (02:11):
We could just roll the ball out and play. Kevin Durant,
I respect the talent, top fifteen player all time, No doubt.
Speaker 3 (02:18):
You need a coach, buddy, It's undeniable. Like go look
at Philadelphia with Doc Rivers, go look at Milwaukee with Budenholzer.
Speaker 4 (02:26):
Coaches matter, and this idea that Frank Vogel is just
gonna come in, like, you're not gonna teach Kevin Durant anything,
You're not gonna teach Devin book Er anything.
Speaker 3 (02:36):
It's the supporting.
Speaker 4 (02:37):
Cast and playing around them and maybe playing an ounce
of defense because Denver Denver just shredded them.
Speaker 3 (02:42):
But this is a tough one for Frank Vogel. And
I mentioned to Eddie House last hour.
Speaker 4 (02:47):
Vogels likes his room protectors that when he had that
Laker team, they had JaVale McGee, Dwight Howard, and Anthony
Davis room protecting. Right now it's DeAndre Ayton, Jack Landale
and Bismack Yambo.
Speaker 3 (03:00):
I think, I don't know that's gonna cut it.
Speaker 4 (03:02):
And I don't know that you can really move aighton now,
so gonna get interesting. And I do wonder if this
ends or just begins the Kyrie Irving journey, perhaps to Phoenix.
We'll ask Rick Buker about that shortly. But first, I
came up with the staff this morning. You know, we
like a good list on this show sells well on
the internet, gets people talking. So I came up with
(03:24):
the ten most improved teams in the NFL.
Speaker 3 (03:28):
We will count them down number ten, We'll start with
the Dallas Cowboys. How about them?
Speaker 4 (03:33):
Cowboys pick up Brandon Cooks in the offseason and Stefan Gilmore.
There's an argument this is a top defense, not only
in the NFL, but number one in the NFC. The
talent is there. I know they lost Zeke Elliott. It's
not a huge loss. We'll see maybe for Jerry Jones,
but not necessary for the Cowboys.
Speaker 3 (03:51):
This is a really good team.
Speaker 4 (03:53):
I'm not one hundred percent sold on them with the
Kellen Moore loss, but They are certainly improved as a team,
adding Cooks and Gilmour. Number nine the Detroit Lions, Now
we've been hyping them for a while here. They had
a spotty draft. Maybe reached a bit for the Kid Gibbs,
the running back out Obama, and of course a linebacker
in the first round that doesn't make any sense. But
(04:13):
I love the secondary editions. Cameron Sutton comes over. He's
been rocking Pittsburgh among other places.
Speaker 3 (04:19):
And CJ.
Speaker 4 (04:20):
Gardner Johnson remember from Philadelphia, very good nickelback. This is
I gotta say, this is a Detroit team that's going
to be improved. Jeff Acuda obviously gone.
Speaker 3 (04:29):
But they're the favorites.
Speaker 4 (04:31):
Well they're not the favorites, but I think I would
make them the favorites to win the division over Minnesota.
Number eight, Oh yeah, Jacksonville Jaguars. Calvin Ridley is the
sole reason they are the most improveless so in twenty
twenty in Atlanta, thirteen hundred yards receiving nine touchdowns. Ridley
is a beast. You add him to Trevor Lawrence etn.
(04:53):
I mean, this is a team that they kind of
pushed Kansas City there in the playoff game. I like
this Jacksonville team. You know, we'll talk about Betts later
in the show. It ain't the worst bet in the
world to say they win the most games in the AFC.
Speaker 3 (05:06):
That division is just.
Speaker 4 (05:07):
Absolutely putric Number seven, Let's go with the Denver Broncos.
What's not to love about Sean Payton. They also got
their offensive line added Mike mclinchy, stole him from San
fran and Ben Powers. But you know, you could make
an argument most improved are the Broncos, Like top three.
I had him down here at seven. I do love
(05:28):
the Sean Payton addition. It's just the AFC is so tough.
There's still a world where this team does miss the playoffs.
Speaker 3 (05:35):
Number six, Let's go with the Baltimore Ravens. Lamar Jackson.
They keep him.
Speaker 4 (05:40):
That squabble that marriage was on the Rocks is back on.
They add Odell Beckham. They arguably have, well not arguably,
they got the best wide receiver room, receiving room if
you throw in the tight ends that Lamar Jackson's ever had.
Now the new offensive coordinator, We'll see how that works out,
Todd Monkin.
Speaker 3 (05:58):
But I do think from an.
Speaker 4 (06:00):
Roof standpoint, this offense has all the pieces in place
to be an eleven or twelve win team. Number five,
let's go with the New Orleans Saints. They're here for
one reason and one reason alone.
Speaker 3 (06:10):
Mister Derek Carr. What's not to love about Carr?
Speaker 4 (06:13):
I mean, besides the fact that he was you know,
sixteen games fifteen games under five hundred with the Raiders.
But Carr is a massive upgrade over the poo poo
platter of quarterbacks they've had there since Drew Brees left.
Speaker 3 (06:25):
Carr, you know, I think he could make a case
to be one of the better quarterbacks in the NFC. Now.
Speaker 4 (06:30):
The NFC's down on the quarterback front. It's like Jalen
Hurts and Dak Prescott, like, I don't know, it's pretty bleak.
But Kirk Cousins and Derek Carr right there in contention
for number two. And I do believe Carr and the
Saints they could be a twelve thirteen win team. Vegas
seems to be a little light on them, which is
a bit of a surprise to be number four. Number
(06:51):
four Miami Dolphins. You know, I do not like saying
nice things about the Dolphins. As a Jets Fandi'm conditioned
to dislike Miami dates back to that Dan Marino fakes.
But we don't need to talk about that when you
add Jalen Ramsey, one of the better cornerbacks in the league.
And yes, I've called him a pilot inspector on the
show and he did not like that. But Jalen Ramsey's
a game changer in a secondary. They're gonna lose Byron
(07:13):
Jones the other cornerback, and Xavier Howard very good.
Speaker 3 (07:16):
They're gonna have a good secondary.
Speaker 4 (07:18):
They're gonna have a really good team. The only question
is the offensive line. But from an improved standpoint, Jalen
Ramsey's definitely a.
Speaker 3 (07:23):
Big ad for Miami.
Speaker 2 (07:25):
Number three.
Speaker 4 (07:26):
Yes, here we go, Colin Special the LA Chargers. Adding
Kellen Moore as offensive coordinator is immensely.
Speaker 3 (07:35):
Huge to Justin Herbert.
Speaker 4 (07:37):
I really do think this is a Chargers team that
finally breaks through and wins a playoff game. Remember the
hype has been there for Herbert now for two years.
They lose in the final game of the season to
the Raiders. Herbert was extraordinary, and they missed the playoffs.
Then they get to the playoffs. I think they led
with it like twenty seven nothing, twenty to nothing, whatever
it was on the road in Jacksonville, and then blow
(07:59):
the lead and lose the game.
Speaker 3 (08:02):
Listen, it's I can't say that phrase.
Speaker 4 (08:04):
I was going to say something that I can't say,
but it's time to put up or shut up, basically
for the Chargers, and I think the improvement of Kellen
Moore is huge.
Speaker 3 (08:12):
I love the Chargers this year.
Speaker 2 (08:14):
Number two.
Speaker 3 (08:15):
You were waiting, huh you thought the Jets would be one.
Speaker 2 (08:17):
They're not.
Speaker 4 (08:18):
The Jets are the second most improved team in the
league besides Aaron Rodgers. They add Alan Lazard, Rodgers's best buddy,
Randall Cobb loved me some me cole Hardman quickness, a
lot of junk plays. I know they lost Barrios, which hurts.
But Nathaniel Hackett's going to be the most interesting ad.
How motivated is that dude going to be after getting
(08:40):
run out of Denver in like five minutes in one
of the pretty bleakest head coaching tenures in recent NFL memory. Honestly,
this was up there with the Urban Meyer disaster. It
was bad for Hackett. He's motivated. Him and Rogers have
worked together previously. I think the Jets have to be
the second most.
Speaker 3 (08:59):
Improved team in the NFL Number one.
Speaker 4 (09:02):
Well, that leaves one team, folks, the Chicago Bears. Spend money,
make money. That's like a business adage that goes back
for many, many decades, and the Chicago Bears spent like
drunken sailors in this offseason.
Speaker 3 (09:15):
But here's the good news.
Speaker 4 (09:16):
The last two teams to spend the most in free
agency have seen an uptick of nearly four wins. The
Patriots two years ago they made the playoffs and lost
last year Jacksonville.
Speaker 3 (09:27):
This year, Chicago Bears. Here are some of the names
they added.
Speaker 4 (09:30):
DJ Moore via trade, Dante Foreman very good backup running back,
Robert Tanyan they stole from the Packers in the division.
Speaker 3 (09:37):
TJ.
Speaker 4 (09:37):
Edwards good linebacker. I don't love paying linebackers, but I digress.
Tremaine Edmunds another linebacker, young, talented. This is a team
that got a lot better, folks. Justin fields has help.
Remember they got Clay Pool last year at the deadline,
so they got some depth on the outside. Chicago Bears
most improved team in the league and one of my
hottest takes for the upcoming NFL season. The Bears will
(10:01):
win more games this year than the Green Bay Packers
in Jordan Love, and that's gonna send Packers fans spirally
because they got no hope going forward.
Speaker 5 (10:09):
All right.
Speaker 4 (10:09):
Coming up next, Rick Buker will tell us if the
NBA Finals are already over after the Nuggets blowout in
Game one, and we'll talk about Frank Vogel and the
move by the Phoenix Suns.
Speaker 2 (10:20):
One more Heard 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 3 (10:30):
Back here on the Herd.
Speaker 4 (10:31):
Jason McIntyre in for Colin Cowherd Cowhard is back Monday.
Our next guest is tremendous on the NBA and with
breaking news. Thank you Phoenix Suns for giving Rick Bucker
and I something to talk about. Rick Bucker Fox Sports
NBA analyst Frank Vogel goes to the Suns, Rick.
Speaker 6 (10:49):
Yeah, initial thoughts, I understand why they would do it.
Obviously they need improvement on their defense. He's also he's
very much a player's coach. I heard you in the
previous segment talking about what a nice guy he is.
He's a really nice guy. And this team is going
to be run by the stars. It's going to be
(11:09):
run by Kevin Durant and Devin Booker and potentially Kyrie Irving,
as we discussed yesterday. And I do I do I
like it? Do I think it's going to get them
where they're going to go, where they want to go,
win a championship?
Speaker 5 (11:22):
No, I don't. I don't see that.
Speaker 6 (11:25):
But considering the composition, you have a brand new owner,
you are cow towing to the stars. Uh, Frank Vogel
is going to make that work. It's the classic I'm
going to give you the exact opposite of what we had.
Monty Williams is a demanding coach, you know, by today's standards,
(11:47):
and Frank Vogel is not to say he's not demanding,
but he's not the least bit confrontational. That was almost
may have been what did Monty end because he was
confrontational with Jay Crowder in terms of this is the
way it's going to be saying with DeAndre Ayton. That's
why those personalities didn't mesh. This does give me pause
(12:08):
and make me wonder whether they would rethink and The
reason that they hired Frank is because he could cultivate
a relationship with DeAndrea aiden that they are more alike
personality wise, and they may see this is the avenue
to getting the best out of DeAndre.
Speaker 3 (12:28):
Interesting.
Speaker 4 (12:28):
I'm sure you saw the video from the Nugget series
where Booker was standing DeAndre on the bench of Booker's
like telling him, like, dude, you got to do that
whatever it was, Yeah, and Ayton was basically just like
not interested. Chris Paul had to take Booker out of there, yes,
and it was just like, maybe the coach can salvage Ayton,
but what about the player's relationship with him.
Speaker 6 (12:47):
I look, I've heard players and talked to players. They
don't they don't begrudge who DeAndrea is.
Speaker 5 (12:55):
They know who he is.
Speaker 6 (12:57):
He's just not a firestarter and and so he's just
got a way about him that you have to accept
that's who he is and find a way how you
can engage him to the best of your ability.
Speaker 5 (13:10):
Because the talent is there.
Speaker 6 (13:11):
I mean, you always have different personalities, and let's face it,
you know, Kevin Durant is not the most aggressive forward personality.
So I can see it working Look, you're always gonna
have different personalities on every team, and it's a matter
of whether the coach can reach each one of them
(13:32):
on their own terms.
Speaker 4 (13:33):
We'll get to the finals shortly, Rick, but I got
to go to this Ja Moran stuff like Adam Silver.
I know it was like an unintended bomb to drop,
but to say, hey.
Speaker 3 (13:43):
We uncovered some more stuff.
Speaker 4 (13:44):
We're not gonna talk about it now, We'll just do
it after the finals. I mean, the speculation is wild.
You know, fifty games, I don't know what we're looking at.
Speaker 6 (13:52):
He embarrassed the league, yeah, Minimum, Well it's not just
that he embarrassed the league. It's that he met with
Adam and obviously gave him certain assurances that this won't
happen again, and then it did. And Adam's not going
to take that lightly. He's not the late great David Stern,
but he's also he's going to draw the line. And
(14:15):
my greater concern is whatever underlying issues that job may have,
those are the ones that need to be addressed because
I've seen this is the guy I saw go to
Salt Lake City to sit next to the bench to
support their summer League team in Salt Lake. Now, there
(14:35):
are plenty of star players who go to Las Vegas
to support their summer league team. I don't, I don't.
I can count on one hand the number of them
that go to Salt Lake City to do that. So
there's so much about Job that is contrary to all
(14:56):
of these incidents that we've heard that I think that
there has to be more going on here then meets
the eye. And I knew from the very start that
going down to Florida for a couple of days of
counseling and stress management wasn't going to be the answer
to this problem. Whatever it is, fifty games, the entire season,
whatever it is, I just hope that it is. Let's
(15:18):
deal with the issue and not just have a punishment,
and hope that Job gets it. Like he's too great
a player, he has too much value to the league.
He could set such a great example for young players
and kids who might find themselves facing the same challenge.
(15:39):
This goes back to I remember Rashid Wallace and any
number of players who come from a certain background. And
we can go back and forth whether that whether joh
qualifies for that, but they come from a certain background
and they're told don't forget who you are, which is
interpreted as don't forget where you came from, don't turn
(16:01):
your back on the people, or don't change your behavior.
What just because you're in the NBA and got money
and the reality, the harsh reality is, yeah, you're in a.
Speaker 5 (16:10):
Different circle now.
Speaker 6 (16:12):
You have to behave differently, you have to hang out
with different people, you have to conduct yourself in a
different way because you're in the NBA. But that for
guys who want to be true to themselves, that's a
really difficult juxtaposition to be in.
Speaker 4 (16:27):
I think that's the dumbest thing ever, This idea that, hey,
don't forget where you came from.
Speaker 3 (16:31):
Man, that's stupid. Well, you would agree right at the
flip side.
Speaker 6 (16:33):
The flip side of it is you're being introduced to
all these brand new people from a culture that you
are not familiar with, and you're being trust these people.
And how many guys, how many players have ever seen
who have been screwed over? Yes, by people just want
to take advantage of them.
Speaker 3 (16:49):
What do you think that John's getting screwed over my
his friends?
Speaker 4 (16:52):
Hey, I'm gonna get on social media and then its
friend goes live where John's hanging on the gun, Like, yeah,
you're supposed to grow.
Speaker 3 (16:59):
Up in mature, right, are you?
Speaker 4 (17:00):
Not?
Speaker 5 (17:01):
For sure? Yeah?
Speaker 6 (17:02):
But when you hand you hand somebody in their early twenties,
I mean I was a mess and me too, Like
you had to be two hundred million dollars and all
of the fame that the NBA brings at age twenty two.
And I didn't grow up like you know, uh middle class,
lower middle class, But like I had good role models
(17:25):
growing up. I still chances are I would have made
the papers or the the headlines.
Speaker 3 (17:32):
Good think there was no social media.
Speaker 6 (17:34):
Well, thank goodness, I'm sure everybody, Thanks goodness. I didn't
make my two hundred million.
Speaker 3 (17:37):
Then let's go to the finals. I don't know. Can
I say it was a bloodbath last night? I mean
it was never close, Rick, like that game was. I
never got a sense Mimi had a chance. I don't know.
I would love to make a.
Speaker 4 (17:51):
Case that the extra day off before you know, they
got a next Friday and Saturday off for before Game two,
can Jimmy Butler conjure up a forty two point game
to salvage the series? Because Denver just looks so confident, man, yeah,
but look I said it going in and I was
I was kind and said I thought that Denver would
win in five.
Speaker 6 (18:11):
I'm still sticking with that. But after watching last night,
all the things that I thought were gonna come true.
They just have all the things that Boston did not.
You saw that, like the zone, they just sliced and
diced that. Ye, Miami didn't try it until Yokic was
off the floor and Christian Brown and Jeff Green got
into the middle of the zone. They got the ball there,
(18:31):
they kicked it back out the threes. They did enough,
and then they even tried it against Jokic and he
showed you exactly how he can slice and dice it.
So I would say that what I would expect, and
this is now, you're going to extremes. Either either play
Kyle Lowry on Jokic and single cover him and say Jokic,
(18:56):
go ahead, and we're gonna let you try to beat.
We're gonna stay home on everybody else. We're gonna put
Aaron uh or we're gonna put Bam out of Bio
on Aaron Gordon because that was I mean, Gabe Vincent
on Aaron Gordon. That just set the that set the tone.
But they're gonna have to do something extraordinary or you
start Cody zeller on on Jokic and you move and
(19:17):
you move bam over. But I I just it's going
to take some something very creative, and even that I'm not.
Speaker 3 (19:25):
Sure is going to take like an act of God
for Miman No.
Speaker 4 (19:27):
No, in all seriousness, heat fans are trying to sell
me on social media. Hey, high Smith was really good.
They unlocked something with high Smith. Maybe he's kind of
like a fire hid.
Speaker 5 (19:36):
I think that was a joke. I really think that
was a joke. I would hope it was. I think
it was. I think that was a playoff of the
Ruy Hatchamura. Remember at the end.
Speaker 6 (19:43):
At the end of at the you know what, the
Lakers found something. I mean, Lakers fans legitimately thought they had.
In fact, not even Lakers fans. I mean I think
I heard people on other networks, not this one, they
were talking about how the Rui thing was. You know,
Rui was the answer to Nikola Yo Kitz. I can't
(20:04):
even say it without laughing.
Speaker 3 (20:05):
Yeah.
Speaker 4 (20:05):
So the other thing, Miami fans are hanging their hat
on Caleb Martin Duncan Robinson, max Strus, the undrafted stars.
Speaker 3 (20:12):
Yeah, two for twenty three shooting.
Speaker 4 (20:14):
That's not gonna happen again, Rick, All they have to
do is at like forty and this is a game,
you h But.
Speaker 6 (20:21):
Here's the problem you're facing. A first of all, just
because of the composition of the Nuggets and the length
and the size that they have, their defensive players can
press up on the perimeter in a way that Boston
couldn't or didn't, and so they weren't missing just because
(20:45):
they weren't not they weren't all wide open. They were
far more contested than the shots that they were getting
against Boston because for any number of reasons, part of
it being that the zone wasn't working and they weren't
getting the same transition looks on on missshots. But this
is also the danger when we were ready to anoint
(21:08):
Caleb Martin as being on the level of Jimmy.
Speaker 3 (21:11):
Butler right, next steph Curry right or yeah, I mean,
just like slow down.
Speaker 6 (21:16):
When a guy has a great series against a particular opponent,
or even a couple of series, I mean, he's been
he's been good, and he certainly made himself a lot
of money. But there is the test of facing different opponents,
different challenges that a player must pass before you can
anoint them being at a certain level. And then you know,
(21:38):
and then there's just Jimmy like or the fact that
they didn't get to the free throw line, and that
Jimmy didn't get to the.
Speaker 3 (21:44):
Free throw fALS called on Denver.
Speaker 4 (21:45):
Somebody speculating again, just NBA guy speculating time for the.
Speaker 3 (21:49):
NBA to call in Scott Foster. Get the cooler and
they get some get some free throws for the Heat.
Speaker 6 (21:54):
Yeah, but if you watch the game, and I watched
the game with my daughter. She's a huge Jimmy Butler
and Jimmy Butler before he blew up just now always
a Jimmy Butler fan, uh and a Miami Heat fan.
Speaker 5 (22:06):
And I and she was just two free throws.
Speaker 6 (22:09):
I said, do you remember any calls where you said, oh,
that was a foul? The Miami Heat weren't attacking the rim.
Gabe Vincent said it at the end of the first quarter, like,
we need to put pressure on the rim. But when
you're playing against guys that are equally athletic and bigger
and longer, good luck getting to the rim and getting
the shopper.
Speaker 3 (22:29):
Had a couple of nice blocks.
Speaker 4 (22:30):
That was I mean, I think Caleb Martin beat him
to the hoop and that was a layup against Boston
and Porter just smacked it against the back. Wow.
Speaker 6 (22:37):
It is I Again, It's why I felt that the
Denver Nuggets not only were massively underrated going into these
playoffs and and and certainly going into the last series
and into this one, but I we're looking at potentially
the next dynasty, if you will, because they're young, they're athletic,
(23:03):
they get the right coach, the chemistry is good, and
Nikolai Jokich ain't going anywhere.
Speaker 4 (23:09):
Yeah, you look at the contracts and it's like Murray's
locked in, Gordon's locked in. The only guy that could
lose is Bruce Brown, who I like a lot.
Speaker 3 (23:16):
I think he's a very good player, knows's role, but
Christian Brown's evolving.
Speaker 4 (23:20):
Jeff Green is a veteran, Like they don't have a weakness.
Thirteen and three in the playoffs and when they get
up by double digits, they're eleven to zero, so they
know how to just choke you out.
Speaker 3 (23:29):
You come back against this team.
Speaker 6 (23:30):
You know what this is gonna do is I think
it's going to bring back seven foot, two d and
fifty pounds centers on every roster. There's going to be
a spot for them now, because what are we seeing
with Jokic, Like, how do you match up with the
Miami Heat don't have anybody, The Golden State Warriors don't
have anybody. You can make the case that even with
(23:53):
Anthony Davis, like the Lakers, who are they turning to,
teams just haven't equipped their rosters with the plenty of
seven footers that are two d and twenty two hundred
and thirty pounds and can.
Speaker 3 (24:07):
Chew gum at the same time and run.
Speaker 5 (24:08):
Yeah.
Speaker 6 (24:09):
Yeah, but that's you know, that's Anthony Davis. If you're
gonna defend Nikola Jokic or Joel Embiid, you're gonna need somebody.
Speaker 5 (24:16):
Who's got is athletic, but he's.
Speaker 6 (24:18):
Gonna need a little more or has a little more heft.
So I think I think what we could see with
Jokic to a great extent and mb to a lesser
extent is once more, this is like the Draymond Green effect.
Speaker 5 (24:30):
Right, you had a.
Speaker 6 (24:32):
Power forward who was skilled and could defend bigger players
and then get out on the break. Now you're gonna
need I think you're gonna see rosters trying to find
that that seven foot guy that can defend the Jokic's
and embiids for the teams that are interested in playing
for a time.
Speaker 3 (24:49):
Are there any more plumbly brothers out there that we
don't know about?
Speaker 6 (24:51):
I guess we'll we'll, We'll find out Zellers, Deller's big
Jokic's brothers make they get a job.
Speaker 4 (24:57):
Hey, so last one, I gotta ask about Nick nurse situation.
So yes, Nick Nurse disciplinarian, holds players accountable, stresses defense.
Speaker 5 (25:08):
Yes, it's like James.
Speaker 4 (25:11):
Those are things that James Harden does not click with
and vibe with. As the young kids would say out there.
I'm sure you saw the press conference. It was a
little contentious. It didn't sound like Harden's like, we need
James Harden back here. He's like, I want James Harden
back sher.
Speaker 6 (25:25):
I like him, Yeah, because it's I mean, one, it's
not up to him. Two, he's walking into a situation
where you.
Speaker 4 (25:32):
Don't think he could just say, hey, James, I'm here now,
I want you. You're my guy, please stay And then
Darryl Mory Pony's up.
Speaker 6 (25:39):
Like, no, this was not at the relationship between James
Harden and Daryl Morey has been going on for years
and that will be stronger than anything that Nick Nurse
has ever able to accomplish. I will say, if there's anybody,
And again I understand the hiring here. I don't think
he's as harsh. He's not Scott Skiles, he's not Tom Thibot, right,
(26:01):
He's this is the guy who made it work with
Kyle Lowry and Kawhi Leonard and like, yeah, I'm a
number of different guys and I and I love the
way he handled the the.
Speaker 5 (26:15):
Raptors this past year.
Speaker 6 (26:17):
Like I looked at them and I thought I thought
they would have a better record than that he did.
But he got everything that he could out of them.
They didn't have a closer. That's what they needed. And
the fact that James is or can be, I think
that Nick will appreciate that. My bottom line is, I
think Nick has the ability to reach different guys in
(26:41):
different ways. Do you think and if Darryl decides that
James and James decides that he wants to stay, there's
a part of me that thinks that this is all
a smoke screen to get money, right, not only to
get money, but to keep the NBA off of the
Philadelphia's back because if you remember, James sign a team
friendly deal for this year. He could have he could
(27:04):
have demanded more. So yes, so he well, that's cap
if if James was promised we're gonna take care of
you down the line, that's cap circumvention.
Speaker 5 (27:19):
And the league was aware of it.
Speaker 6 (27:21):
So this all all this innuendo of he's going to
go someplace else and he doesn't know, and I want
my freedom, and you know what, I'm not sold that
it's not just to cover so that when he resigns
with Philadelphia, the NBA doesn't come down.
Speaker 5 (27:35):
It's good.
Speaker 3 (27:36):
I like that now.
Speaker 4 (27:37):
I will say Harden notoriously likes to stay out at
night and party. Fred van Vliet, who was his guy,
Nick Nurse's guy in Toronto, also eligible to be moving. Like,
do you think Nick Nurse would rather have James Harden
or Fred VanVleet.
Speaker 5 (27:50):
Oh, that's a great question.
Speaker 3 (27:52):
I don't know, because Nurse not not Maury, because we
know who Mariy would rather guy.
Speaker 5 (27:58):
That's a great question.
Speaker 6 (28:00):
I would think Fan Vliet just because he's got an
established relationship with him.
Speaker 4 (28:07):
You've been to Philly a lot. I lived outside of Philly.
Fred Van Vliet is more Philadelphia than James Harden will
ever be.
Speaker 5 (28:12):
I would agree with that.
Speaker 3 (28:13):
Yeah, and like, I'm a big Fred Van Vliet fan. Yeah, bullushite.
I want the Lakers to go after him.
Speaker 6 (28:17):
But he is I mean his size and his ability
to get his shot. He's an overachiever in what he's been.
Speaker 4 (28:24):
Give me an overachiever all day over and underachiever and
I'm with you.
Speaker 6 (28:29):
But if you ask me, if you ask me who
can score more easily with the game on the line,
I'm gonna give you James Harden ten out of ten times.
I love what Van Vliet has made himself into. But
if you're giving me one of the other to close
a game, it's not a hard choice.
Speaker 3 (28:44):
I'm gonna ask where was Harden in Game six and seven?
Speaker 5 (28:47):
And that I like, I'm not responsible for what he does.
I'm just telling what he could.
Speaker 4 (28:52):
I know, I know he listened. He won two games
for them in the series, literally in the final Yeah
what thirty seconds?
Speaker 6 (28:59):
Yeah, he showed you in one what he's capable of.
When you've experienced that, boy, it's awfully hard to give
up to that. You're constantly gonna go, can I just
get one more?
Speaker 4 (29:07):
Can he can give you two? And then Embiid can
win you a game. I don't know, didn't Bid win
any games with them in that series. Yeah, oh he
was heard again. Yeah, the conditioning rick. One of my
favorite videos that went around during the postseason against the
Nets was Joel Embiid falling down and he just kept
hitting the deck like every other possession, He's just falling down,
(29:28):
barely getting touched.
Speaker 3 (29:30):
Do you think that kind of stuff is gonna work
with Nick Nurse? Come on, man, I'm just telling.
Speaker 6 (29:33):
You, well, I we see that across the league. It's
one of my great issues is that guys fall down
and if they don't get the call, they it's five
on four going the other way like that part of
the game. You know, Jeffan Gunnys is suggesting all these changes.
That's what I want to change. I didn't even stop.
(29:54):
Every time we shoot the ball, every time we go anywhere,
we're just gonna we're gonna fall down hoping to get
a call.
Speaker 5 (30:01):
That's what I want to eliminate. It that's what I wish.
Speaker 4 (30:04):
What was Van Gunny out on halftime or something like that?
I saw something about or recent.
Speaker 6 (30:08):
Yes, five minutes for halftime max and don't shoot and
don't shoot free throws until the last four minutes.
Speaker 5 (30:17):
Just give the points when there's a fact.
Speaker 3 (30:19):
What is the halftime thing about? I don't know.
Speaker 5 (30:21):
I think it's just to keep it moving.
Speaker 4 (30:23):
Oh yeah, guys who load manage want to take off
games back to back. Now you get it, shrinking halftime.
Speaker 5 (30:29):
Yeah, I don't know.
Speaker 6 (30:30):
Man, Maybe he's trying to run Lebron out of the
league because between getting rid of halftime and no free
throws like that was part of the Lakers secret.
Speaker 5 (30:37):
Like we gotta get to the free throw line. Everybody
can rest. Let's score from there. We don't want to
go up and down. That's part of what Denver did
to run them out of the series.
Speaker 4 (30:46):
All right, Rick Buker, Fox Sports NBA analysts will be
on speak for yourself later.
Speaker 5 (30:51):
Yes, let's just speak.
Speaker 3 (30:52):
Speak speak speak.
Speaker 4 (30:53):
I don't know why I said yes, abbreviation speak later
on all right, coming up next, It's never too early
to ahead to Week one of the NFL season. I
already have my five Best Bets for NFL Week one.
Speaker 2 (31:05):
Be sure to catch live editions of The Herd Weekdays
and Noone Easter n a em Pacific on Fox Sports
Radio FS one and the iHeartRadio app.
Speaker 7 (31:14):
Hey gang, this is Jay Laser, host of Unbreakable, a
mental health podcast, and each week we try to help
turn our mental health issues into mental wealth, and we
dive in with everyone from a world of sports and
entertainment like Sean McVay, Lindsey Vaughn, Michael Phelp, David Spade,
Guy Fiemmy, and also those who can help us in
between the ears, anyone from a therapist to someone like
(31:36):
Ed Milett for John Gordon. So each week, listen to
Unbreakable with Jay Glazer, a mental health podcast, on iHeartRadio app,
Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get podcasts.
Speaker 4 (31:49):
Baseball fans, you still have a chance at ten thousand
dollars this weekend playing Fox beds Super six. Download the
free Super six app on your phone and enter your
six weekend baseball predictions for a chance.
Speaker 3 (32:02):
At the jackpot.
Speaker 4 (32:04):
I'm sure Dodgers Yankees will be in that Super six mix.
I did not get tickets for Dodgers Yankees. I think
It's a resting weekend for me. Back to back days
on the herd, coming off a trip to Paris. Gonna
be a little rest for the weary. Oh except I'm
playing in a soccer tournament Sunday.
Speaker 2 (32:23):
You know.
Speaker 5 (32:23):
Good luck to be on that, all right.
Speaker 4 (32:25):
So you guys know people will follow my podcast, follow
me on the radio show. So I've been doing this
NFL gambling contest. I would you go to Vegas? You
have to sign up in Vegas. That's the only way
to do it, where every week you have to pick
five games and the winner at the end of the
season gets like three million bucks or whatever, and they
(32:46):
placed like the top fifty guys. So I've been doing
this for like seven years. I've had two really good runs,
just missed out on the money. And it's the most
challenging gambling thing ever. So to get myself ready this
year for the contest, I've already looked at week one
and I was breaking down the lines last night for
Week one during the heat Nugget Snoozer. So I have
(33:07):
my five early picks to Obviously this is subject to change, injuries,
blah blah blah, but five games right now that jump
out at me in Week one.
Speaker 3 (33:16):
Here we go.
Speaker 4 (33:17):
First game is the forty nine Ers at the Pittsburgh Steelers.
Steelers getting three points. Okay, there's a couple obvious gambling adages.
Number One, you gotta love in Week one teams that
did not make the playoffs the prior year versus teams
that did. Why Because the gambling public just saw that
(33:37):
one team make the playoffs.
Speaker 3 (33:39):
They're good. The other team, they didn't make the playoffs.
Speaker 4 (33:41):
They're not good, and the casual gambler will gravitate. The
public will gravitate toward that team. Give me the Pittsburgh
Steelers getting points. Mike Tomlin, who is an awesome coach
as an underdog, awesome at home. I don't know who's
starting at quarterback for the forty nine Ers, Pittsburgh fans.
I just went on social media during the break and
I saw you're upset. I didn't have Pittsburgh as one
(34:03):
of the most improved teams. The good news is I've
been hyping them in the show for the longest time.
They are a playoff team. I think they win outright
Week one against the Niners. I don't care if it's
Lance Sam Donald, brock Purdy Steve Young, Joe Montana, it
doesn't matter. Give me the Steelers getting three at home
against San Frano.
Speaker 3 (34:22):
Week one, Next up, Bears Packers.
Speaker 4 (34:26):
Okay, I gave the Bears a lot of love in
this show, Chicago, don't think I will love you. So
Bears are favored by two and a half against the Packers,
and I think that line's gonna catch a lot of
people by surprise, like whoa, whoa whoa Packers are dogs
against the Bears. Doesn't Aaron Rodgers own the Bears? Remember
you would celebrate with I own you and the belt. Well,
(34:47):
Aaron Rodgers is not there anymore. And as I said earlier,
most improved team in the league, Chicago Bears. The Bears
spent a ton of money justin Field's continuity with his
offensive coordinator. There's a lot of newness on that Green
Bay offense. I just don't know what I'm getting from
Jordan Love. I think the Bears win at home, and
I think I love them not having to pay the
(35:09):
premium of three under a field goal Bears.
Speaker 3 (35:12):
Two and a half.
Speaker 4 (35:12):
That's my second bet that I like in Week one.
Next up, I'm gonna go back to a tried and
true measure in Week one?
Speaker 3 (35:19):
Are you ready for this? Week one?
Speaker 4 (35:21):
Home underdogs in the division going back about seventeen years
are hitting over seventy percent in Week one, So it's
home divisional underdogs Cleveland Browns at home. I know they're
facing the Bengals. This also applies to, Hey, the Bengals. Yeah,
they made the AFC Championship.
Speaker 3 (35:40):
Game last year.
Speaker 4 (35:40):
The Browns, Oh, they stink. Go ask anybody the brown stink.
Deshaun Watson, he's washed. Stefanski hot seat, Give me the Browns, baby, listen.
I don't know why the Browns win total this year
is nine and a half, So Vegas knows something. And
I think Kevin Stefanski catches the Bengals napping here.
Speaker 3 (35:59):
Joe Borough. By the way, the staff came up with
a stat one in four in his career against the Browns.
Speaker 4 (36:04):
Gimme Cleveland plus two and a half in the opener.
Next up, and this is another one divisional home underdog,
New York Giants getting three against the Mighty Dallas Cowboys. Now,
the Giants didn't make the playoffs, but everybody thought it
was kind of a just a luck box season, and
it was kind of sort of lucky. If Daniel Jones
looked competent under Brian Dable, the Cowboys were the better team, obviously.
(36:30):
I like the Giants getting three a full field goal here.
I'm not a believer in Mike McCarthy.
Speaker 3 (36:34):
You guys know that.
Speaker 4 (36:35):
I know this Cowboys defense will be good, but I
trust Dable to do enough to get the win or
cover here. Giants, by the way, have Darren Waller added
a tight end? And keep an eye on the kid
Jalen Hyatt some very positive early reviews on the wide
receiver from Tennessee. I like the Giants getting three against Dallas.
And finally, what would a segment on the NFL and
(36:56):
gambling be by me Jason McIntyre without the Jets and
the Buffalo Bills. Yes, the Jets in primetime now, this
game opened at I think it was two and a
half or three.
Speaker 3 (37:07):
Jets were dogs. Instant money comes in on the Jets.
Speaker 4 (37:09):
They're one and a half point underdogs against Buffalo under
the lights MetLife Week one, the Aaron.
Speaker 3 (37:16):
Rodgers debut national TV game.
Speaker 4 (37:18):
Folks, I'm excited for this. It's June and I cannot wait.
The Jets finally have a franchise quarterback. And I'm betting
the Jets here getting one and a half. And I
know Buffalo Bills fans.
Speaker 3 (37:29):
Are gonna, oh, you killed the Bills yesterday. Just hang
tight and haank tight.
Speaker 4 (37:33):
The Jets last year did really well against Josh Allen.
They won one game out right, and I'm fairly certain
Zach Wilson was the quarterback. And then they cover the
spread in Buffalo. Allen he struggled against his Robert solid defense.
Jets are for real this year, guys. You can deny
it all you want. You can hate the Jets because
I like them.
Speaker 3 (37:49):
I get it. But they are going to cover against
the Bills in Week one. Now.
Speaker 4 (37:53):
I do want to go on to something about Buffalo
that I talked about yesterday.
Speaker 3 (37:57):
Okay, I do believe they are under a lie of pressure.
Speaker 4 (38:02):
Obviously McDermott, you know you don't want to regress, and
they fell back a little last year despite the awesome
point differential and the thirteen to three record.
Speaker 3 (38:11):
What have you done for me lately and in the postseason?
Not good?
Speaker 4 (38:15):
Score ten points at home? Now here's the problem. Albert
Breer said something yesterday that I had totally missed in
my analysis of the Bills going forward and listen. As
much as I love my own opinion and I think
I'm always right, I am open to altering my opinion
when I get new information. And this isn't necessarily new,
(38:36):
but it was just totally overlooked by me. And it's
what Albert Breer said yesterday about the Buffalo Bills. Maybe
I'm being too harsh. Here's Breer yesterday.
Speaker 8 (38:44):
I think they were dealing with a lot more than
people remember, you know, at the end of last year,
and I think that was an emotionally and physically worn
out football team. Twice that team was displaced towards the
end of the year because of snowstorms, and then the
Damar Hamlin situation. Obviously that weighed on it everybody in
the organization. This is a team that thinks it's being
slept on right now that I think is going to
(39:05):
come back refreshed, you know. I think you're gonna be
a quarterback who's gonna be in better health going into
the year than he was at the end of last year.
Speaker 3 (39:12):
I actually like where Buffalo is going into this season, even.
Speaker 8 (39:15):
Though they're much more under the radar than they were
last year.
Speaker 4 (39:19):
It's pretty Damn good. I've known Breer for a long time.
I've read his stuff. I had totally forgotten about they
were displaced, and I'm remembering it was the Thanksgiving week.
They had to play two games in four days. Now, Jason,
how could you forget that? Well, A, I'm not a
Bills fan, but b they won both those games. They
beat the Browns and then on Thanksgiving they beat the Lions,
(39:41):
and I was like, Okay, they won both those games.
Easy to forget when Buffalo was really freaking good last
year thirteen and three. They lost to the Dolphins in
that crazy game that they were actually the better team
back in September. Then they lost to my Jets, and
then they had that brutal loss to the Vikings, which, folks,
let's be realistic, that was one of the luckiest wins
(40:03):
of the season for anybody. I think Justin Jefferson. Was
it Justin Jefferson who had that amazing catch? I think
it was him on fourth and like nineteen Come on, Iowa, Sam,
you remember Justin? I mean, it was everywhere on the internet.
It was like one of the catches of the year.
And the Vikings pull it out in overtime. There was
like a goal line screw up, unbelievable game. But I
forgot about the displacement. Obviously, you can't forget the Hamlin stuff.
(40:24):
And it's just one of those It was one of
those moments where I was like, damn, maybe I overlooked
some things on the Bills and I was reading too
much into that lost to the Bengals, which was embarrassing.
Now I did have the Bengals in that game picked
him on this show. It was just tough for me
to get over scoring a whopping ten points at home
(40:45):
with one of the greatest offenses in the league against
the defense is not I don't think that Bengals defense
was anything great. And now you go into a season
where Buffalo bill fans may not want to hear it,
but mcdermot's on the hot seat and oh, by the way,
they lost Stabole. Josh Allen, predicted to win the MVP,
did not had a good season. I don't want to
anger anybody, but if you asked Josh Allen, did you
(41:09):
have a great season, I'm curious as to what he
would say because he was the favorite to win the
MVP Award and his numbers, the counting numbers were good,
but I wonder if he considers their disappointment because he
laid an egg along with the offense in the playoffs
against Cincinnati. But I wanted to bring that up. I
know Colin does his thing on I think Mondays or Tuesdays.
Where Colin was right, where Colin was wrong, And I'm
(41:33):
not saying I'm wrong on the bills. I'm saying perhaps
I overlooked some things. All right, coming up in the
final hour, can anyone slow down? The Joker plus Chris
Brussard stops by Jay mackin for Colin. The Herd
Thanks for listening to The Herd podcast. Be sure to
catch us live every weekday from twelve to three eastern,
nine to noon Pacific on Fox Sports Radio and FS one.
Find your local station for The Herd at Fox Sports
Radio dot com, or stream us live every day on
the iHeartRadio app by searching Herd.
Speaker 2 (00:18):
You're listening to Fox Sports Radio.
Speaker 3 (00:23):
Welcome back to The Herd.
Speaker 4 (00:25):
Jason McIntyre in for Colin Cowhard, our number two. As
I've explained already, Cowhard ads a little bit of a
travel issue.
Speaker 3 (00:33):
He will be back on Monday.
Speaker 4 (00:36):
I believe he's watching this from an airport at an
undisclosed in an undisclosed city.
Speaker 3 (00:41):
Good luck to you on the road there, mister Cowherd.
Speaker 4 (00:45):
The big breaking news here that happened in the last
fifteen minutes we'll talk about it with Rick Buker shortly,
is that the Phoenix Suns have announced well I guess
they didn't announce it, but Sham Sharania announced that the
Sons are going to be hiring Frank Vogel. A buddy
sent me a tweet that like twenty minutes before they
got Frank Vogel, Doc Rivers pulled his name out of
(01:05):
contention for the Phoenix Suns job smart timing Doc rivers
unless he knew what was coming at any rate.
Speaker 3 (01:12):
I just I like Frank Vogel a lot. I try.
You guys know, I play a lot of basketball.
Speaker 4 (01:17):
I talk about the Men's League, played a lot of
pickup basketball during COVID and Frank Vogel lives in my
neighborhood or lived in my neighborhood living out here in
LA and one of my neighbors, a good buddy, is
like I would see Frank Vogel out and I said,
can you invite him to our pickup game? Because he
apparently still plays basketball. He's like, dude, he is the
nicest guy, the most down to earth, there's no arrogance.
(01:38):
And he was coaching the Lakers. Okay, they ended up
winning the title in the bubble. I'm a big Frank
Vogel guy. Everybody says nice things about him. Defensive guy.
He's going into a really toxic situation in Phoenix, And
I know toxic is a strong word, but I'll be
brief heer because I gotta get to an NFL list.
Two things that jump out, Number one, Kevin Durant, my
guy you know, I like KD. We got a little
(01:59):
Instagram d bromance over the years. He likes to throw
grenades at me. That's fine, but he responds. He's open
to the discourse. I can't get over Kevin Durant and
Kyrie Irving saying, who needs a coach?
Speaker 3 (02:11):
We don't need a coach.
Speaker 4 (02:11):
We could just roll the ball out and play. Kevin Durant,
I respect the talent, top fifteen player all time, No doubt.
Speaker 3 (02:18):
You need a coach, buddy, It's undeniable. Like go look
at Philadelphia with Doc Rivers, go look at Milwaukee with Budenholzer.
Speaker 4 (02:26):
Coaches matter, and this idea that Frank Vogel is just
gonna come in, like, you're not gonna teach Kevin Durant anything,
You're not gonna teach Devin book Er anything.
Speaker 3 (02:36):
It's the supporting.
Speaker 4 (02:37):
Cast and playing around them and maybe playing an ounce
of defense because Denver Denver just shredded them.
Speaker 3 (02:42):
But this is a tough one for Frank Vogel. And
I mentioned to Eddie House last hour.
Speaker 4 (02:47):
Vogels likes his room protectors that when he had that
Laker team, they had JaVale McGee, Dwight Howard, and Anthony
Davis room protecting. Right now it's DeAndre Ayton, Jack Landale
and Bismack Yambo.
Speaker 3 (03:00):
I think, I don't know that's gonna cut it.
Speaker 4 (03:02):
And I don't know that you can really move aighton now,
so gonna get interesting. And I do wonder if this
ends or just begins the Kyrie Irving journey, perhaps to Phoenix.
We'll ask Rick Buker about that shortly. But first, I
came up with the staff this morning. You know, we
like a good list on this show sells well on
the internet, gets people talking. So I came up with
(03:24):
the ten most improved teams in the NFL.
Speaker 3 (03:28):
We will count them down number ten, We'll start with
the Dallas Cowboys. How about them?
Speaker 4 (03:33):
Cowboys pick up Brandon Cooks in the offseason and Stefan Gilmore.
There's an argument this is a top defense, not only
in the NFL, but number one in the NFC. The
talent is there. I know they lost Zeke Elliott. It's
not a huge loss. We'll see maybe for Jerry Jones,
but not necessary for the Cowboys.
Speaker 3 (03:51):
This is a really good team.
Speaker 4 (03:53):
I'm not one hundred percent sold on them with the
Kellen Moore loss, but They are certainly improved as a team,
adding Cooks and Gilmour. Number nine the Detroit Lions, Now
we've been hyping them for a while here. They had
a spotty draft. Maybe reached a bit for the Kid Gibbs,
the running back out Obama, and of course a linebacker
in the first round that doesn't make any sense. But
(04:13):
I love the secondary editions. Cameron Sutton comes over. He's
been rocking Pittsburgh among other places.
Speaker 3 (04:19):
And CJ.
Speaker 4 (04:20):
Gardner Johnson remember from Philadelphia, very good nickelback. This is
I gotta say, this is a Detroit team that's going
to be improved. Jeff Acuda obviously gone.
Speaker 3 (04:29):
But they're the favorites.
Speaker 4 (04:31):
Well they're not the favorites, but I think I would
make them the favorites to win the division over Minnesota.
Number eight, Oh yeah, Jacksonville Jaguars. Calvin Ridley is the
sole reason they are the most improveless so in twenty
twenty in Atlanta, thirteen hundred yards receiving nine touchdowns. Ridley
is a beast. You add him to Trevor Lawrence etn.
(04:53):
I mean, this is a team that they kind of
pushed Kansas City there in the playoff game. I like
this Jacksonville team. You know, we'll talk about Betts later
in the show. It ain't the worst bet in the
world to say they win the most games in the AFC.
Speaker 3 (05:06):
That division is just.
Speaker 4 (05:07):
Absolutely putric Number seven, Let's go with the Denver Broncos.
What's not to love about Sean Payton. They also got
their offensive line added Mike mclinchy, stole him from San
fran and Ben Powers. But you know, you could make
an argument most improved are the Broncos, Like top three.
I had him down here at seven. I do love
(05:28):
the Sean Payton addition. It's just the AFC is so tough.
There's still a world where this team does miss the playoffs.
Speaker 3 (05:35):
Number six, Let's go with the Baltimore Ravens. Lamar Jackson.
They keep him.
Speaker 4 (05:40):
That squabble that marriage was on the Rocks is back on.
They add Odell Beckham. They arguably have, well not arguably,
they got the best wide receiver room, receiving room if
you throw in the tight ends that Lamar Jackson's ever had.
Now the new offensive coordinator, We'll see how that works out,
Todd Monkin.
Speaker 3 (05:58):
But I do think from an.
Speaker 4 (06:00):
Roof standpoint, this offense has all the pieces in place
to be an eleven or twelve win team. Number five,
let's go with the New Orleans Saints. They're here for
one reason and one reason alone.
Speaker 3 (06:10):
Mister Derek Carr. What's not to love about Carr?
Speaker 4 (06:13):
I mean, besides the fact that he was you know,
sixteen games fifteen games under five hundred with the Raiders.
But Carr is a massive upgrade over the poo poo
platter of quarterbacks they've had there since Drew Brees left.
Speaker 3 (06:25):
Carr, you know, I think he could make a case
to be one of the better quarterbacks in the NFC. Now.
Speaker 4 (06:30):
The NFC's down on the quarterback front. It's like Jalen
Hurts and Dak Prescott, like, I don't know, it's pretty bleak.
But Kirk Cousins and Derek Carr right there in contention
for number two. And I do believe Carr and the
Saints they could be a twelve thirteen win team. Vegas
seems to be a little light on them, which is
a bit of a surprise to be number four. Number
(06:51):
four Miami Dolphins. You know, I do not like saying
nice things about the Dolphins. As a Jets Fandi'm conditioned
to dislike Miami dates back to that Dan Marino fakes.
But we don't need to talk about that when you
add Jalen Ramsey, one of the better cornerbacks in the league.
And yes, I've called him a pilot inspector on the
show and he did not like that. But Jalen Ramsey's
a game changer in a secondary. They're gonna lose Byron
(07:13):
Jones the other cornerback, and Xavier Howard very good.
Speaker 3 (07:16):
They're gonna have a good secondary.
Speaker 4 (07:18):
They're gonna have a really good team. The only question
is the offensive line. But from an improved standpoint, Jalen
Ramsey's definitely a.
Speaker 3 (07:23):
Big ad for Miami.
Speaker 2 (07:25):
Number three.
Speaker 4 (07:26):
Yes, here we go, Colin Special the LA Chargers. Adding
Kellen Moore as offensive coordinator is immensely.
Speaker 3 (07:35):
Huge to Justin Herbert.
Speaker 4 (07:37):
I really do think this is a Chargers team that
finally breaks through and wins a playoff game. Remember the
hype has been there for Herbert now for two years.
They lose in the final game of the season to
the Raiders. Herbert was extraordinary, and they missed the playoffs.
Then they get to the playoffs. I think they led
with it like twenty seven nothing, twenty to nothing, whatever
it was on the road in Jacksonville, and then blow
(07:59):
the lead and lose the game.
Speaker 3 (08:02):
Listen, it's I can't say that phrase.
Speaker 4 (08:04):
I was going to say something that I can't say,
but it's time to put up or shut up, basically
for the Chargers, and I think the improvement of Kellen
Moore is huge.
Speaker 3 (08:12):
I love the Chargers this year.
Speaker 2 (08:14):
Number two.
Speaker 3 (08:15):
You were waiting, huh you thought the Jets would be one.
Speaker 2 (08:17):
They're not.
Speaker 4 (08:18):
The Jets are the second most improved team in the
league besides Aaron Rodgers. They add Alan Lazard, Rodgers's best buddy,
Randall Cobb loved me some me cole Hardman quickness, a
lot of junk plays. I know they lost Barrios, which hurts.
But Nathaniel Hackett's going to be the most interesting ad.
How motivated is that dude going to be after getting
(08:40):
run out of Denver in like five minutes in one
of the pretty bleakest head coaching tenures in recent NFL memory. Honestly,
this was up there with the Urban Meyer disaster. It
was bad for Hackett. He's motivated. Him and Rogers have
worked together previously. I think the Jets have to be
the second most.
Speaker 3 (08:59):
Improved team in the NFL Number one.
Speaker 4 (09:02):
Well, that leaves one team, folks, the Chicago Bears. Spend money,
make money. That's like a business adage that goes back
for many, many decades, and the Chicago Bears spent like
drunken sailors in this offseason.
Speaker 3 (09:15):
But here's the good news.
Speaker 4 (09:16):
The last two teams to spend the most in free
agency have seen an uptick of nearly four wins. The
Patriots two years ago they made the playoffs and lost
last year Jacksonville.
Speaker 3 (09:27):
This year, Chicago Bears. Here are some of the names
they added.
Speaker 4 (09:30):
DJ Moore via trade, Dante Foreman very good backup running back,
Robert Tanyan they stole from the Packers in the division.
Speaker 3 (09:37):
TJ.
Speaker 4 (09:37):
Edwards good linebacker. I don't love paying linebackers, but I digress.
Tremaine Edmunds another linebacker, young, talented. This is a team
that got a lot better, folks. Justin fields has help.
Remember they got Clay Pool last year at the deadline,
so they got some depth on the outside. Chicago Bears
most improved team in the league and one of my
hottest takes for the upcoming NFL season. The Bears will
(10:01):
win more games this year than the Green Bay Packers
in Jordan Love, and that's gonna send Packers fans spirally
because they got no hope going forward.
Speaker 5 (10:09):
All right.
Speaker 4 (10:09):
Coming up next, Rick Buker will tell us if the
NBA Finals are already over after the Nuggets blowout in
Game one, and we'll talk about Frank Vogel and the
move by the Phoenix Suns.
Speaker 2 (10:20):
One more Heard 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 3 (10:30):
Back here on the Herd.
Speaker 4 (10:31):
Jason McIntyre in for Colin Cowherd Cowhard is back Monday.
Our next guest is tremendous on the NBA and with
breaking news. Thank you Phoenix Suns for giving Rick Bucker
and I something to talk about. Rick Bucker Fox Sports
NBA analyst Frank Vogel goes to the Suns, Rick.
Speaker 6 (10:49):
Yeah, initial thoughts, I understand why they would do it.
Obviously they need improvement on their defense. He's also he's
very much a player's coach. I heard you in the
previous segment talking about what a nice guy he is.
He's a really nice guy. And this team is going
to be run by the stars. It's going to be
(11:09):
run by Kevin Durant and Devin Booker and potentially Kyrie Irving,
as we discussed yesterday. And I do I do I
like it? Do I think it's going to get them
where they're going to go, where they want to go,
win a championship?
Speaker 5 (11:22):
No, I don't. I don't see that.
Speaker 6 (11:25):
But considering the composition, you have a brand new owner,
you are cow towing to the stars. Uh, Frank Vogel
is going to make that work. It's the classic I'm
going to give you the exact opposite of what we had.
Monty Williams is a demanding coach, you know, by today's standards,
(11:47):
and Frank Vogel is not to say he's not demanding,
but he's not the least bit confrontational. That was almost
may have been what did Monty end because he was
confrontational with Jay Crowder in terms of this is the
way it's going to be saying with DeAndre Ayton. That's
why those personalities didn't mesh. This does give me pause
(12:08):
and make me wonder whether they would rethink and The
reason that they hired Frank is because he could cultivate
a relationship with DeAndrea aiden that they are more alike
personality wise, and they may see this is the avenue
to getting the best out of DeAndre.
Speaker 3 (12:28):
Interesting.
Speaker 4 (12:28):
I'm sure you saw the video from the Nugget series
where Booker was standing DeAndre on the bench of Booker's
like telling him, like, dude, you got to do that
whatever it was, Yeah, and Ayton was basically just like
not interested. Chris Paul had to take Booker out of there, yes,
and it was just like, maybe the coach can salvage Ayton,
but what about the player's relationship with him.
Speaker 6 (12:47):
I look, I've heard players and talked to players. They
don't they don't begrudge who DeAndrea is.
Speaker 5 (12:55):
They know who he is.
Speaker 6 (12:57):
He's just not a firestarter and and so he's just
got a way about him that you have to accept
that's who he is and find a way how you
can engage him to the best of your ability.
Speaker 5 (13:10):
Because the talent is there.
Speaker 6 (13:11):
I mean, you always have different personalities, and let's face it,
you know, Kevin Durant is not the most aggressive forward personality.
So I can see it working Look, you're always gonna
have different personalities on every team, and it's a matter
of whether the coach can reach each one of them
(13:32):
on their own terms.
Speaker 4 (13:33):
We'll get to the finals shortly, Rick, but I got
to go to this Ja Moran stuff like Adam Silver.
I know it was like an unintended bomb to drop,
but to say, hey.
Speaker 3 (13:43):
We uncovered some more stuff.
Speaker 4 (13:44):
We're not gonna talk about it now, We'll just do
it after the finals. I mean, the speculation is wild.
You know, fifty games, I don't know what we're looking at.
Speaker 6 (13:52):
He embarrassed the league, yeah, Minimum, Well it's not just
that he embarrassed the league. It's that he met with
Adam and obviously gave him certain assurances that this won't
happen again, and then it did. And Adam's not going
to take that lightly. He's not the late great David Stern,
but he's also he's going to draw the line. And
(14:15):
my greater concern is whatever underlying issues that job may have,
those are the ones that need to be addressed because
I've seen this is the guy I saw go to
Salt Lake City to sit next to the bench to
support their summer League team in Salt Lake. Now, there
(14:35):
are plenty of star players who go to Las Vegas
to support their summer league team. I don't, I don't.
I can count on one hand the number of them
that go to Salt Lake City to do that. So
there's so much about Job that is contrary to all
(14:56):
of these incidents that we've heard that I think that
there has to be more going on here then meets
the eye. And I knew from the very start that
going down to Florida for a couple of days of
counseling and stress management wasn't going to be the answer
to this problem. Whatever it is, fifty games, the entire season,
whatever it is, I just hope that it is. Let's
(15:18):
deal with the issue and not just have a punishment,
and hope that Job gets it. Like he's too great
a player, he has too much value to the league.
He could set such a great example for young players
and kids who might find themselves facing the same challenge.
(15:39):
This goes back to I remember Rashid Wallace and any
number of players who come from a certain background. And
we can go back and forth whether that whether joh
qualifies for that, but they come from a certain background
and they're told don't forget who you are, which is
interpreted as don't forget where you came from, don't turn
(16:01):
your back on the people, or don't change your behavior.
What just because you're in the NBA and got money
and the reality, the harsh reality is, yeah, you're in a.
Speaker 5 (16:10):
Different circle now.
Speaker 6 (16:12):
You have to behave differently, you have to hang out
with different people, you have to conduct yourself in a
different way because you're in the NBA. But that for
guys who want to be true to themselves, that's a
really difficult juxtaposition to be in.
Speaker 4 (16:27):
I think that's the dumbest thing ever, This idea that, hey,
don't forget where you came from.
Speaker 3 (16:31):
Man, that's stupid. Well, you would agree right at the
flip side.
Speaker 6 (16:33):
The flip side of it is you're being introduced to
all these brand new people from a culture that you
are not familiar with, and you're being trust these people.
And how many guys, how many players have ever seen
who have been screwed over? Yes, by people just want
to take advantage of them.
Speaker 3 (16:49):
What do you think that John's getting screwed over my
his friends?
Speaker 4 (16:52):
Hey, I'm gonna get on social media and then its
friend goes live where John's hanging on the gun, Like, yeah,
you're supposed to grow.
Speaker 3 (16:59):
Up in mature, right, are you?
Speaker 4 (17:00):
Not?
Speaker 5 (17:01):
For sure? Yeah?
Speaker 6 (17:02):
But when you hand you hand somebody in their early twenties,
I mean I was a mess and me too, Like
you had to be two hundred million dollars and all
of the fame that the NBA brings at age twenty two.
And I didn't grow up like you know, uh middle class,
lower middle class, But like I had good role models
(17:25):
growing up. I still chances are I would have made
the papers or the the headlines.
Speaker 3 (17:32):
Good think there was no social media.
Speaker 6 (17:34):
Well, thank goodness, I'm sure everybody, Thanks goodness. I didn't
make my two hundred million.
Speaker 3 (17:37):
Then let's go to the finals. I don't know. Can
I say it was a bloodbath last night? I mean
it was never close, Rick, like that game was. I
never got a sense Mimi had a chance. I don't know.
I would love to make a.
Speaker 4 (17:51):
Case that the extra day off before you know, they
got a next Friday and Saturday off for before Game two,
can Jimmy Butler conjure up a forty two point game
to salvage the series? Because Denver just looks so confident, man, yeah,
but look I said it going in and I was
I was kind and said I thought that Denver would
win in five.
Speaker 6 (18:11):
I'm still sticking with that. But after watching last night,
all the things that I thought were gonna come true.
They just have all the things that Boston did not.
You saw that, like the zone, they just sliced and
diced that. Ye, Miami didn't try it until Yokic was
off the floor and Christian Brown and Jeff Green got
into the middle of the zone. They got the ball there,
(18:31):
they kicked it back out the threes. They did enough,
and then they even tried it against Jokic and he
showed you exactly how he can slice and dice it.
So I would say that what I would expect, and
this is now, you're going to extremes. Either either play
Kyle Lowry on Jokic and single cover him and say Jokic,
(18:56):
go ahead, and we're gonna let you try to beat.
We're gonna stay home on everybody else. We're gonna put
Aaron uh or we're gonna put Bam out of Bio
on Aaron Gordon because that was I mean, Gabe Vincent
on Aaron Gordon. That just set the that set the tone.
But they're gonna have to do something extraordinary or you
start Cody zeller on on Jokic and you move and
(19:17):
you move bam over. But I I just it's going
to take some something very creative, and even that I'm not.
Speaker 3 (19:25):
Sure is going to take like an act of God
for Miman No.
Speaker 4 (19:27):
No, in all seriousness, heat fans are trying to sell
me on social media. Hey, high Smith was really good.
They unlocked something with high Smith. Maybe he's kind of
like a fire hid.
Speaker 5 (19:36):
I think that was a joke. I really think that
was a joke. I would hope it was. I think
it was. I think that was a playoff of the
Ruy Hatchamura. Remember at the end.
Speaker 6 (19:43):
At the end of at the you know what, the
Lakers found something. I mean, Lakers fans legitimately thought they had.
In fact, not even Lakers fans. I mean I think
I heard people on other networks, not this one, they
were talking about how the Rui thing was. You know,
Rui was the answer to Nikola Yo Kitz. I can't
(20:04):
even say it without laughing.
Speaker 3 (20:05):
Yeah.
Speaker 4 (20:05):
So the other thing, Miami fans are hanging their hat
on Caleb Martin Duncan Robinson, max Strus, the undrafted stars.
Speaker 3 (20:12):
Yeah, two for twenty three shooting.
Speaker 4 (20:14):
That's not gonna happen again, Rick, All they have to
do is at like forty and this is a game,
you h But.
Speaker 6 (20:21):
Here's the problem you're facing. A first of all, just
because of the composition of the Nuggets and the length
and the size that they have, their defensive players can
press up on the perimeter in a way that Boston
couldn't or didn't, and so they weren't missing just because
(20:45):
they weren't not they weren't all wide open. They were
far more contested than the shots that they were getting
against Boston because for any number of reasons, part of
it being that the zone wasn't working and they weren't
getting the same transition looks on on missshots. But this
is also the danger when we were ready to anoint
(21:08):
Caleb Martin as being on the level of Jimmy.
Speaker 3 (21:11):
Butler right, next steph Curry right or yeah, I mean,
just like slow down.
Speaker 6 (21:16):
When a guy has a great series against a particular opponent,
or even a couple of series, I mean, he's been
he's been good, and he certainly made himself a lot
of money. But there is the test of facing different opponents,
different challenges that a player must pass before you can
anoint them being at a certain level. And then you know,
(21:38):
and then there's just Jimmy like or the fact that
they didn't get to the free throw line, and that
Jimmy didn't get to the.
Speaker 3 (21:44):
Free throw fALS called on Denver.
Speaker 4 (21:45):
Somebody speculating again, just NBA guy speculating time for the.
Speaker 3 (21:49):
NBA to call in Scott Foster. Get the cooler and
they get some get some free throws for the Heat.
Speaker 6 (21:54):
Yeah, but if you watch the game, and I watched
the game with my daughter. She's a huge Jimmy Butler
and Jimmy Butler before he blew up just now always
a Jimmy Butler fan, uh and a Miami Heat fan.
Speaker 5 (22:06):
And I and she was just two free throws.
Speaker 6 (22:09):
I said, do you remember any calls where you said, oh,
that was a foul? The Miami Heat weren't attacking the rim.
Gabe Vincent said it at the end of the first quarter, like,
we need to put pressure on the rim. But when
you're playing against guys that are equally athletic and bigger
and longer, good luck getting to the rim and getting
the shopper.
Speaker 3 (22:29):
Had a couple of nice blocks.
Speaker 4 (22:30):
That was I mean, I think Caleb Martin beat him
to the hoop and that was a layup against Boston
and Porter just smacked it against the back. Wow.
Speaker 6 (22:37):
It is I Again, It's why I felt that the
Denver Nuggets not only were massively underrated going into these
playoffs and and and certainly going into the last series
and into this one, but I we're looking at potentially
the next dynasty, if you will, because they're young, they're athletic,
(23:03):
they get the right coach, the chemistry is good, and
Nikolai Jokich ain't going anywhere.
Speaker 4 (23:09):
Yeah, you look at the contracts and it's like Murray's
locked in, Gordon's locked in. The only guy that could
lose is Bruce Brown, who I like a lot.
Speaker 3 (23:16):
I think he's a very good player, knows's role, but
Christian Brown's evolving.
Speaker 4 (23:20):
Jeff Green is a veteran, Like they don't have a weakness.
Thirteen and three in the playoffs and when they get
up by double digits, they're eleven to zero, so they
know how to just choke you out.
Speaker 3 (23:29):
You come back against this team.
Speaker 6 (23:30):
You know what this is gonna do is I think
it's going to bring back seven foot, two d and
fifty pounds centers on every roster. There's going to be
a spot for them now, because what are we seeing
with Jokic, Like, how do you match up with the
Miami Heat don't have anybody, The Golden State Warriors don't
have anybody. You can make the case that even with
(23:53):
Anthony Davis, like the Lakers, who are they turning to,
teams just haven't equipped their rosters with the plenty of
seven footers that are two d and twenty two hundred
and thirty pounds and can.
Speaker 3 (24:07):
Chew gum at the same time and run.
Speaker 5 (24:08):
Yeah.
Speaker 6 (24:09):
Yeah, but that's you know, that's Anthony Davis. If you're
gonna defend Nikola Jokic or Joel Embiid, you're gonna need somebody.
Speaker 5 (24:16):
Who's got is athletic, but he's.
Speaker 6 (24:18):
Gonna need a little more or has a little more heft.
So I think I think what we could see with
Jokic to a great extent and mb to a lesser
extent is once more, this is like the Draymond Green effect.
Speaker 5 (24:30):
Right, you had a.
Speaker 6 (24:32):
Power forward who was skilled and could defend bigger players
and then get out on the break. Now you're gonna
need I think you're gonna see rosters trying to find
that that seven foot guy that can defend the Jokic's
and embiids for the teams that are interested in playing
for a time.
Speaker 3 (24:49):
Are there any more plumbly brothers out there that we
don't know about?
Speaker 6 (24:51):
I guess we'll we'll, We'll find out Zellers, Deller's big
Jokic's brothers make they get a job.
Speaker 4 (24:57):
Hey, so last one, I gotta ask about Nick nurse situation.
So yes, Nick Nurse disciplinarian, holds players accountable, stresses defense.
Speaker 5 (25:08):
Yes, it's like James.
Speaker 4 (25:11):
Those are things that James Harden does not click with
and vibe with. As the young kids would say out there.
I'm sure you saw the press conference. It was a
little contentious. It didn't sound like Harden's like, we need
James Harden back here. He's like, I want James Harden
back sher.
Speaker 6 (25:25):
I like him, Yeah, because it's I mean, one, it's
not up to him. Two, he's walking into a situation
where you.
Speaker 4 (25:32):
Don't think he could just say, hey, James, I'm here now,
I want you. You're my guy, please stay And then
Darryl Mory Pony's up.
Speaker 6 (25:39):
Like, no, this was not at the relationship between James
Harden and Daryl Morey has been going on for years
and that will be stronger than anything that Nick Nurse
has ever able to accomplish. I will say, if there's anybody,
And again I understand the hiring here. I don't think
he's as harsh. He's not Scott Skiles, he's not Tom Thibot, right,
(26:01):
He's this is the guy who made it work with
Kyle Lowry and Kawhi Leonard and like, yeah, I'm a
number of different guys and I and I love the
way he handled the the.
Speaker 5 (26:15):
Raptors this past year.
Speaker 6 (26:17):
Like I looked at them and I thought I thought
they would have a better record than that he did.
But he got everything that he could out of them.
They didn't have a closer. That's what they needed. And
the fact that James is or can be, I think
that Nick will appreciate that. My bottom line is, I
think Nick has the ability to reach different guys in
(26:41):
different ways. Do you think and if Darryl decides that
James and James decides that he wants to stay, there's
a part of me that thinks that this is all
a smoke screen to get money, right, not only to
get money, but to keep the NBA off of the
Philadelphia's back because if you remember, James sign a team
friendly deal for this year. He could have he could
(27:04):
have demanded more. So yes, so he well, that's cap
if if James was promised we're gonna take care of
you down the line, that's cap circumvention.
Speaker 5 (27:19):
And the league was aware of it.
Speaker 6 (27:21):
So this all all this innuendo of he's going to
go someplace else and he doesn't know, and I want
my freedom, and you know what, I'm not sold that
it's not just to cover so that when he resigns
with Philadelphia, the NBA doesn't come down.
Speaker 5 (27:35):
It's good.
Speaker 3 (27:36):
I like that now.
Speaker 4 (27:37):
I will say Harden notoriously likes to stay out at
night and party. Fred van Vliet, who was his guy,
Nick Nurse's guy in Toronto, also eligible to be moving. Like,
do you think Nick Nurse would rather have James Harden
or Fred VanVleet.
Speaker 5 (27:50):
Oh, that's a great question.
Speaker 3 (27:52):
I don't know, because Nurse not not Maury, because we
know who Mariy would rather guy.
Speaker 5 (27:58):
That's a great question.
Speaker 6 (28:00):
I would think Fan Vliet just because he's got an
established relationship with him.
Speaker 4 (28:07):
You've been to Philly a lot. I lived outside of Philly.
Fred Van Vliet is more Philadelphia than James Harden will
ever be.
Speaker 5 (28:12):
I would agree with that.
Speaker 3 (28:13):
Yeah, and like, I'm a big Fred Van Vliet fan. Yeah, bullushite.
I want the Lakers to go after him.
Speaker 6 (28:17):
But he is I mean his size and his ability
to get his shot. He's an overachiever in what he's been.
Speaker 4 (28:24):
Give me an overachiever all day over and underachiever and
I'm with you.
Speaker 6 (28:29):
But if you ask me, if you ask me who
can score more easily with the game on the line,
I'm gonna give you James Harden ten out of ten times.
I love what Van Vliet has made himself into. But
if you're giving me one of the other to close
a game, it's not a hard choice.
Speaker 3 (28:44):
I'm gonna ask where was Harden in Game six and seven?
Speaker 5 (28:47):
And that I like, I'm not responsible for what he does.
I'm just telling what he could.
Speaker 4 (28:52):
I know, I know he listened. He won two games
for them in the series, literally in the final Yeah
what thirty seconds?
Speaker 6 (28:59):
Yeah, he showed you in one what he's capable of.
When you've experienced that, boy, it's awfully hard to give
up to that. You're constantly gonna go, can I just
get one more?
Speaker 4 (29:07):
Can he can give you two? And then Embiid can
win you a game. I don't know, didn't Bid win
any games with them in that series. Yeah, oh he
was heard again. Yeah, the conditioning rick. One of my
favorite videos that went around during the postseason against the
Nets was Joel Embiid falling down and he just kept
hitting the deck like every other possession, He's just falling down,
(29:28):
barely getting touched.
Speaker 3 (29:30):
Do you think that kind of stuff is gonna work
with Nick Nurse? Come on, man, I'm just telling.
Speaker 6 (29:33):
You, well, I we see that across the league. It's
one of my great issues is that guys fall down
and if they don't get the call, they it's five
on four going the other way like that part of
the game. You know, Jeffan Gunnys is suggesting all these changes.
That's what I want to change. I didn't even stop.
(29:54):
Every time we shoot the ball, every time we go anywhere,
we're just gonna we're gonna fall down hoping to get
a call.
Speaker 5 (30:01):
That's what I want to eliminate. It that's what I wish.
Speaker 4 (30:04):
What was Van Gunny out on halftime or something like that?
I saw something about or recent.
Speaker 6 (30:08):
Yes, five minutes for halftime max and don't shoot and
don't shoot free throws until the last four minutes.
Speaker 5 (30:17):
Just give the points when there's a fact.
Speaker 3 (30:19):
What is the halftime thing about? I don't know.
Speaker 5 (30:21):
I think it's just to keep it moving.
Speaker 4 (30:23):
Oh yeah, guys who load manage want to take off
games back to back. Now you get it, shrinking halftime.
Speaker 5 (30:29):
Yeah, I don't know.
Speaker 6 (30:30):
Man, Maybe he's trying to run Lebron out of the
league because between getting rid of halftime and no free
throws like that was part of the Lakers secret.
Speaker 5 (30:37):
Like we gotta get to the free throw line. Everybody
can rest. Let's score from there. We don't want to
go up and down. That's part of what Denver did
to run them out of the series.
Speaker 4 (30:46):
All right, Rick Buker, Fox Sports NBA analysts will be
on speak for yourself later.
Speaker 5 (30:51):
Yes, let's just speak.
Speaker 3 (30:52):
Speak speak speak.
Speaker 4 (30:53):
I don't know why I said yes, abbreviation speak later
on all right, coming up next, It's never too early
to ahead to Week one of the NFL season. I
already have my five Best Bets for NFL Week one.
Speaker 2 (31:05):
Be sure to catch live editions of The Herd Weekdays
and Noone Easter n a em Pacific on Fox Sports
Radio FS one and the iHeartRadio app.
Speaker 7 (31:14):
Hey gang, this is Jay Laser, host of Unbreakable, a
mental health podcast, and each week we try to help
turn our mental health issues into mental wealth, and we
dive in with everyone from a world of sports and
entertainment like Sean McVay, Lindsey Vaughn, Michael Phelp, David Spade,
Guy Fiemmy, and also those who can help us in
between the ears, anyone from a therapist to someone like
(31:36):
Ed Milett for John Gordon. So each week, listen to
Unbreakable with Jay Glazer, a mental health podcast, on iHeartRadio app,
Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get podcasts.
Speaker 4 (31:49):
Baseball fans, you still have a chance at ten thousand
dollars this weekend playing Fox beds Super six. Download the
free Super six app on your phone and enter your
six weekend baseball predictions for a chance.
Speaker 3 (32:02):
At the jackpot.
Speaker 4 (32:04):
I'm sure Dodgers Yankees will be in that Super six mix.
I did not get tickets for Dodgers Yankees. I think
It's a resting weekend for me. Back to back days
on the herd, coming off a trip to Paris. Gonna
be a little rest for the weary. Oh except I'm
playing in a soccer tournament Sunday.
Speaker 2 (32:23):
You know.
Speaker 5 (32:23):
Good luck to be on that, all right.
Speaker 4 (32:25):
So you guys know people will follow my podcast, follow
me on the radio show. So I've been doing this
NFL gambling contest. I would you go to Vegas? You
have to sign up in Vegas. That's the only way
to do it, where every week you have to pick
five games and the winner at the end of the
season gets like three million bucks or whatever, and they
(32:46):
placed like the top fifty guys. So I've been doing
this for like seven years. I've had two really good runs,
just missed out on the money. And it's the most
challenging gambling thing ever. So to get myself ready this
year for the contest, I've already looked at week one
and I was breaking down the lines last night for
Week one during the heat Nugget Snoozer. So I have
(33:07):
my five early picks to Obviously this is subject to change, injuries,
blah blah blah, but five games right now that jump
out at me in Week one.
Speaker 3 (33:16):
Here we go.
Speaker 4 (33:17):
First game is the forty nine Ers at the Pittsburgh Steelers.
Steelers getting three points. Okay, there's a couple obvious gambling adages.
Number One, you gotta love in Week one teams that
did not make the playoffs the prior year versus teams
that did. Why Because the gambling public just saw that
(33:37):
one team make the playoffs.
Speaker 3 (33:39):
They're good. The other team, they didn't make the playoffs.
Speaker 4 (33:41):
They're not good, and the casual gambler will gravitate. The
public will gravitate toward that team. Give me the Pittsburgh
Steelers getting points. Mike Tomlin, who is an awesome coach
as an underdog, awesome at home. I don't know who's
starting at quarterback for the forty nine Ers, Pittsburgh fans.
I just went on social media during the break and
I saw you're upset. I didn't have Pittsburgh as one
(34:03):
of the most improved teams. The good news is I've
been hyping them in the show for the longest time.
They are a playoff team. I think they win outright
Week one against the Niners. I don't care if it's
Lance Sam Donald, brock Purdy Steve Young, Joe Montana, it
doesn't matter. Give me the Steelers getting three at home
against San Frano.
Speaker 3 (34:22):
Week one, Next up, Bears Packers.
Speaker 4 (34:26):
Okay, I gave the Bears a lot of love in
this show, Chicago, don't think I will love you. So
Bears are favored by two and a half against the Packers,
and I think that line's gonna catch a lot of
people by surprise, like whoa, whoa whoa Packers are dogs
against the Bears. Doesn't Aaron Rodgers own the Bears? Remember
you would celebrate with I own you and the belt. Well,
(34:47):
Aaron Rodgers is not there anymore. And as I said earlier,
most improved team in the league, Chicago Bears. The Bears
spent a ton of money justin Field's continuity with his
offensive coordinator. There's a lot of newness on that Green
Bay offense. I just don't know what I'm getting from
Jordan Love. I think the Bears win at home, and
I think I love them not having to pay the
(35:09):
premium of three under a field goal Bears.
Speaker 3 (35:12):
Two and a half.
Speaker 4 (35:12):
That's my second bet that I like in Week one.
Next up, I'm gonna go back to a tried and
true measure in Week one?
Speaker 3 (35:19):
Are you ready for this? Week one?
Speaker 4 (35:21):
Home underdogs in the division going back about seventeen years
are hitting over seventy percent in Week one, So it's
home divisional underdogs Cleveland Browns at home. I know they're
facing the Bengals. This also applies to, Hey, the Bengals. Yeah,
they made the AFC Championship.
Speaker 3 (35:40):
Game last year.
Speaker 4 (35:40):
The Browns, Oh, they stink. Go ask anybody the brown stink.
Deshaun Watson, he's washed. Stefanski hot seat, Give me the Browns, baby, listen.
I don't know why the Browns win total this year
is nine and a half, So Vegas knows something. And
I think Kevin Stefanski catches the Bengals napping here.
Speaker 3 (35:59):
Joe Borough. By the way, the staff came up with
a stat one in four in his career against the Browns.
Speaker 4 (36:04):
Gimme Cleveland plus two and a half in the opener.
Next up, and this is another one divisional home underdog,
New York Giants getting three against the Mighty Dallas Cowboys. Now,
the Giants didn't make the playoffs, but everybody thought it
was kind of a just a luck box season, and
it was kind of sort of lucky. If Daniel Jones
looked competent under Brian Dable, the Cowboys were the better team, obviously.
(36:30):
I like the Giants getting three a full field goal here.
I'm not a believer in Mike McCarthy.
Speaker 3 (36:34):
You guys know that.
Speaker 4 (36:35):
I know this Cowboys defense will be good, but I
trust Dable to do enough to get the win or
cover here. Giants, by the way, have Darren Waller added
a tight end? And keep an eye on the kid
Jalen Hyatt some very positive early reviews on the wide
receiver from Tennessee. I like the Giants getting three against Dallas.
And finally, what would a segment on the NFL and
(36:56):
gambling be by me Jason McIntyre without the Jets and
the Buffalo Bills. Yes, the Jets in primetime now, this
game opened at I think it was two and a
half or three.
Speaker 3 (37:07):
Jets were dogs. Instant money comes in on the Jets.
Speaker 4 (37:09):
They're one and a half point underdogs against Buffalo under
the lights MetLife Week one, the Aaron.
Speaker 3 (37:16):
Rodgers debut national TV game.
Speaker 4 (37:18):
Folks, I'm excited for this. It's June and I cannot wait.
The Jets finally have a franchise quarterback. And I'm betting
the Jets here getting one and a half. And I
know Buffalo Bills fans.
Speaker 3 (37:29):
Are gonna, oh, you killed the Bills yesterday. Just hang
tight and haank tight.
Speaker 4 (37:33):
The Jets last year did really well against Josh Allen.
They won one game out right, and I'm fairly certain
Zach Wilson was the quarterback. And then they cover the
spread in Buffalo. Allen he struggled against his Robert solid defense.
Jets are for real this year, guys. You can deny
it all you want. You can hate the Jets because
I like them.
Speaker 3 (37:49):
I get it. But they are going to cover against
the Bills in Week one. Now.
Speaker 4 (37:53):
I do want to go on to something about Buffalo
that I talked about yesterday.
Speaker 3 (37:57):
Okay, I do believe they are under a lie of pressure.
Speaker 4 (38:02):
Obviously McDermott, you know you don't want to regress, and
they fell back a little last year despite the awesome
point differential and the thirteen to three record.
Speaker 3 (38:11):
What have you done for me lately and in the postseason?
Not good?
Speaker 4 (38:15):
Score ten points at home? Now here's the problem. Albert
Breer said something yesterday that I had totally missed in
my analysis of the Bills going forward and listen. As
much as I love my own opinion and I think
I'm always right, I am open to altering my opinion
when I get new information. And this isn't necessarily new,
(38:36):
but it was just totally overlooked by me. And it's
what Albert Breer said yesterday about the Buffalo Bills. Maybe
I'm being too harsh. Here's Breer yesterday.
Speaker 8 (38:44):
I think they were dealing with a lot more than
people remember, you know, at the end of last year,
and I think that was an emotionally and physically worn
out football team. Twice that team was displaced towards the
end of the year because of snowstorms, and then the
Damar Hamlin situation. Obviously that weighed on it everybody in
the organization. This is a team that thinks it's being
slept on right now that I think is going to
(39:05):
come back refreshed, you know. I think you're gonna be
a quarterback who's gonna be in better health going into
the year than he was at the end of last year.
Speaker 3 (39:12):
I actually like where Buffalo is going into this season, even.
Speaker 8 (39:15):
Though they're much more under the radar than they were
last year.
Speaker 4 (39:19):
It's pretty Damn good. I've known Breer for a long time.
I've read his stuff. I had totally forgotten about they
were displaced, and I'm remembering it was the Thanksgiving week.
They had to play two games in four days. Now, Jason,
how could you forget that? Well, A, I'm not a
Bills fan, but b they won both those games. They
beat the Browns and then on Thanksgiving they beat the Lions,
(39:41):
and I was like, Okay, they won both those games.
Easy to forget when Buffalo was really freaking good last
year thirteen and three. They lost to the Dolphins in
that crazy game that they were actually the better team
back in September. Then they lost to my Jets, and
then they had that brutal loss to the Vikings, which, folks,
let's be realistic, that was one of the luckiest wins
(40:03):
of the season for anybody. I think Justin Jefferson. Was
it Justin Jefferson who had that amazing catch? I think
it was him on fourth and like nineteen Come on, Iowa, Sam,
you remember Justin? I mean, it was everywhere on the internet.
It was like one of the catches of the year.
And the Vikings pull it out in overtime. There was
like a goal line screw up, unbelievable game. But I
forgot about the displacement. Obviously, you can't forget the Hamlin stuff.
(40:24):
And it's just one of those It was one of
those moments where I was like, damn, maybe I overlooked
some things on the Bills and I was reading too
much into that lost to the Bengals, which was embarrassing.
Now I did have the Bengals in that game picked
him on this show. It was just tough for me
to get over scoring a whopping ten points at home
(40:45):
with one of the greatest offenses in the league against
the defense is not I don't think that Bengals defense
was anything great. And now you go into a season
where Buffalo bill fans may not want to hear it,
but mcdermot's on the hot seat and oh, by the way,
they lost Stabole. Josh Allen, predicted to win the MVP,
did not had a good season. I don't want to
anger anybody, but if you asked Josh Allen, did you
(41:09):
have a great season, I'm curious as to what he
would say because he was the favorite to win the
MVP Award and his numbers, the counting numbers were good,
but I wonder if he considers their disappointment because he
laid an egg along with the offense in the playoffs
against Cincinnati. But I wanted to bring that up. I
know Colin does his thing on I think Mondays or Tuesdays.
Where Colin was right, where Colin was wrong, And I'm
(41:33):
not saying I'm wrong on the bills. I'm saying perhaps
I overlooked some things. All right, coming up in the
final hour, can anyone slow down? The Joker plus Chris
Brussard stops by Jay mackin for Colin. The Herd
Hosts And Creators
Colin Cowherd
Jason McIntyre
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