More on Kevin Durant's debut with the Houston Rockets, the talent they have, and why they desperately need a point guard
Colin talks about how good Luka Doncic looked last night after his huge weight loss, but the lack of chemistry is a problem
Taking a look at the Warriors and if they should make a play for Giannis Antetokounmpo
Guest: Rachel Nichols
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Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
Speaker 1 (00:00):
Thanks for listening to The Herd podcast. Be sure to
catch us live every weekday on Fox Sports Radio in
noon to three Eastern nine am to noon Pacific. Find
your local station for The Herd at Fox Sports Radio
dot com, or stream us live every day on the
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Speaker 2 (00:21):
You're listening to Fox Sports Radio.
Speaker 1 (00:27):
Rachel Nichols has been covering the NBA for this can't
be right thirty two years?
Speaker 3 (00:36):
Is that?
Speaker 4 (00:37):
Rachel? Is that right?
Speaker 3 (00:38):
Thirty one?
Speaker 4 (00:39):
But sure?
Speaker 3 (00:39):
Yeah.
Speaker 4 (00:40):
I was a college student.
Speaker 5 (00:41):
And I got a job stringing for the Washington Post
covering the end of the Jordan Bulls nineties Bulls era.
I was very nervous. I was nineteen years old, but man,
it was a great start.
Speaker 4 (00:53):
Yeah.
Speaker 1 (00:53):
I'd say that's pretty good start covering the Bulls your
first gig.
Speaker 4 (00:56):
That's pretty good start. Yeah.
Speaker 1 (00:57):
So you talked to Luca last night. I joked he
could see his shoulders. What do he lose thirty pounds?
Speaker 3 (01:02):
Like thirty one pounds? He says he did.
Speaker 1 (01:05):
So. First of all, it's very obvious, like the first
two to three years of Luca. Now he gets to
the rim, he can attack he's much more of an
attacking player. Last year he wasn't. He got hurt, he
put on weight. It was a lot of fallaway stuff.
You talked to him last night, what did.
Speaker 5 (01:19):
He say, Well, he said with the weight loss, he
said that he definitely found it easier to move around.
He got back on defense more easily.
Speaker 3 (01:27):
You saw that last night.
Speaker 5 (01:28):
And he talked about attacking the paint more as well.
You know, he had more paint points last night than
he did in any game last season, and you could
see that. So that's great for the Lakers because Skinny
Luca is someone they're going to need to depend on,
especially when Lebron is out. But you saw, you know,
there's not as much rhythm between these guys as JJ
Reddick would have hoped in the opening night. Lebron being
(01:50):
out definitely a problem. He's not going to solve all
of their problems roster wise. But JJ made the point
after the game, he goes, man, there are a couple
times I was like, I wish Lebron was in there.
He would just take control of this play, and they
don't have that without Lebron. Lebron's such a floor leader,
he's such a communicator. He's such a connector with these guys.
And you know, as Lebron his age, we've seen the
(02:11):
basketball skills with the athleticism diminish somewhat, but the fact
that he is so smart on the court, that is
such a value for this team, and that's just not
there right now.
Speaker 1 (02:21):
Yeah, there's limitations to what they are. They're not very
athletic on the wing. They're going to struggle against the Minnesotas,
they're going to struggle against the OKCS. I thought it
was interesting you talked to Steph last night as well. Listen,
Horford's not going to solve the age issues, obviously.
Speaker 4 (02:36):
I do believe. I talked about it earlier.
Speaker 1 (02:38):
I think four first round picks kaminga Butler at the deadline.
I don't know if it's enough, but Jimmy would go
back home COMINGA is a very good player. When he's
not on the floor with Steph. He can shoot threes,
he's long. But my takeaway on this team is I
think everybody in the building knows in the West there's
got to be I said earlier, Jimmy Butler's more flint
(03:00):
than phase.
Speaker 3 (03:02):
I don't know.
Speaker 5 (03:02):
I mean, maybe that's what they think privately, it's certainly
not what they're saying. They seem to be very confident
in the group that they have. You know, it's interesting.
Steph told me that their biggest struggle last year, even
after they got Jimmy, was they were trying to play
so much catch up. He said, we can't do that
again this year. We have to be able to be
in that top four in the West when the regular
(03:23):
season ends, so it's a much easier ride starting out
the playoffs. And even last year they did make it
to the second round. I know you think that Jimmy
Butler's a fling. They don't think so. Since Jimmy Butler
joined this team, in games he's played, they are twenty
four and seven. They absolutely believe he was the missing
piece that they needed. And when I spoke to Jimmy
about this, he said, for him, it's such a good
(03:46):
fit because he said, for the first time since he
was in Chicago, everybody on the team knows who the
number one option is. There's just no doubt about it,
and that includes him. He said, the number one option
is Steph Curry. It is always Steph Curry. It will
always be Steph Curry as long as step is playing.
So that comfort level that has been a big part
of why these guys have all geled so well together.
(04:07):
They all know exactly what they're supposed to do, they all.
Speaker 3 (04:09):
Trust each other.
Speaker 5 (04:10):
And Jonathan Kaminga to your point, he played really well
last night. He did all the things that Steve Kerr
has been asking him to do, so at least outwardly,
they believe this is a team that they can win
with in the West. And the Yanis factor, of course,
is always out there, and I don't think any team
is going to say Nobodyana says to Kumpo, but Yanis
has to want to go there. Yanis only has one
(04:30):
more season after this that he's tied to that contract,
and if he gets to the point next summer where
he has not signed an extension in Milwaukee, the Bucks
are going to have to make a deal for him
because they don't want to just lose Yanis for nothing
on an expiring contract the next season. So that's when
things we might we might see things sort of come
to a head.
Speaker 3 (04:49):
It's possible that if the Bucks.
Speaker 5 (04:51):
Lose a ton in the first few months of this season,
Yanis could go before the trade deadline. But if they
played decently well, Yannis is at least in the short term,
interested in ma this work, and he might not be
available until the summer.
Speaker 1 (05:03):
So I would have opened with the Okac Thunder because
they're the champs. My second game last night would have
been Wemby against Cooper Flag. I think you got to
sell another generation. I don't think sixty two year old
MJ is the is the I mean again, legend, I
get it. I think baseball has pivoted to all of
its young stars. It's worked. I think basketball is still
(05:23):
holding on to their legends. I would have gone Cooper
Flag Wemby last night as the second game. So Cooper's
going to be great. I can't wait to watch him. Yeah,
Wemby apparently, and you're on that. I apparently he's put
on like thirty pounds or something. I mean, he's just
been in the weight room. Tell me what we're going
to see.
Speaker 2 (05:39):
Yeah.
Speaker 3 (05:40):
No, he is super eager.
Speaker 5 (05:41):
And you can look at all the things we saw
him do through social media and reporting.
Speaker 3 (05:44):
This summer.
Speaker 5 (05:45):
He spent time in a monastery learning you know, meditation techniques.
You know, he was out there playing chess. He was
trying to, you know, all these different things that he
thinks are going to help him with his game, and
obviously in the weight room too.
Speaker 3 (05:56):
He has such a high motor.
Speaker 5 (05:59):
I think a real for the Spurs this year, even
though they are still developing. They have a bunch of
young players. They kind of need to get to that
playoff point because so far it has been in Wendy's
first couple of seasons. We'll get there. We've got plenty
of time. We want to bring everyone along slowly. We
want to develop the core. They wanted to get maybe
a few more high draft picks. We sell them get
Dylan Harford this past June. Now it is time on
(06:21):
Wendy's timeline to make the playoffs. He is just not
a guy who's going to be satisfied with sitting around there.
So I'm interested to see how the Spurs do that.
The Spurs, by the way, another contender for Jannis. Can
you imagine that duo on the court together. I can't.
I don't even know if the screen will be able
to hold how tall they are. But you know, we'll
have to see if they make any more moves. They
are so stocked with draft picks and future assets that
(06:44):
they are going to be a player if they need
to be come the trade deadline, and certainly next summer.
Speaker 2 (06:49):
Be sure to catch live editions of The Herd weekdays
and Noone Easter not a em Pacific.
Speaker 6 (06:53):
Hey, it's me Rob Parker. Check out my weekly MLB podcast,
Inside the Park for twenty two minutes of piping hot
baseball talk, featuring the biggest names the newsmakers in the sport.
Whether you believe in analytics or the eye test, We've
got all the bases covered. New episodes dropped every Thursday,
(07:15):
so do yourself a favor and listen to Inside the
Parker with Rob Parker on the iHeartRadio app or wherever
you get your podcast.
Speaker 1 (07:23):
So, Katie was I watched. It was very very good
in the first half. You know, game went long, and
you know I felt like, Houston, you kind of throw
Katie in. He's your sniper. But they don't have a
point guard now because of Fred Van Vliet, so they
obviously need a point guard otherwise they become the Clippers
with Paul George and Kawhi and you're like, well, who's
(07:45):
getting us into the offense. There's nothing Tyler you can
do the Rockets similarly have a very good coach. I
did feel like late Houston didn't quite know exact you know.
Speaker 4 (07:55):
I mean, i'm In.
Speaker 1 (07:55):
Thompson's great, and there's no question Katie's great, but he's
not gonna start. You're not going to get you into
the offense like Kawhi has tried. What do you make
of them going out? They've got to solve the point
guard issue in the West. In the East, I think
shen Gun a man and Katie in the East could
win the conference.
Speaker 4 (08:13):
I mean, seriously, I think.
Speaker 3 (08:15):
I think you're one hundred percent right.
Speaker 5 (08:16):
I'm laughing because it's an absurd circumstance, but you're absolutely right.
Speaker 1 (08:20):
I mean, what kind of move can they make because
they're just in the West without their guy getting them
into the offense.
Speaker 4 (08:27):
What did you make it last night?
Speaker 5 (08:28):
Well, look, the Rockets this whole way through with Raphael
Stone have been very much let's see what we have
before we go out and make a bunch of moves.
So they believe i'm In Thompson can develop into the
kind of playmaker they need him to be, and he
did some of that last night.
Speaker 4 (08:42):
They expect it.
Speaker 5 (08:43):
Not to happen on game one of the seasons, so
that will develop over the course of this year. We'll
have to see how well he does there. He's obviously
just hugely talented and I would say the most athletic
guy in the NBA right now. The problem is they
don't have any depth there now that Fred van Berlieve
is gone. So you saw Aman Thompson go out with
leg cramps last night, and that's why late they didn't
(09:06):
look good because they really didn't have anyone to put
in that position behind him, and that's something they're going
to really need to find, even if it's just a
smaller trade for a backup point guard. That's where I
might see them going at some point before the deadline,
because the depth issue is as much of a problem
as just not having Fred out there at all. And Kat, look,
(09:26):
he took the blame for the loss after last night,
and he certainly had a couple things that were just
not in character for him.
Speaker 3 (09:32):
Right. No, he was never going to go.
Speaker 5 (09:34):
Be the team's point guard. But he usually makes his
free throws and he missed a crucial one at the
end of the game. We saw him, you know, foul Shay.
I would argue that wasn't his fault. Shay just danced
around so much on that play. I think any defender
might have drawn a fell there. We did see him
call for that time out that they didn't have a
little Chris Webber action. Fortunately none of the refs saw it,
or certainly fortunately for the Rockets. I haven't spoken to
(09:56):
Katie this morning. I don't know if it was nerves
or not. But here's something I've seen, Colin, and I'm
sure you've noticed it too, that great great players in
the last quarter of their career. You'd think that they'd
have no nerves in the world. They've been doing this forever.
They're so elite, they're one of the best ever. They
get a little more jumpy toward the end of their
career because they know better than anyone that is almost over.
(10:18):
And Derek Jeter and I used to have long conversations
about this. He said, I was more nervous in the
final year with the Yankees than I was in my
rookie year. I don't know if that's what Katie was feeling.
I don't know if it was just, you know, he's
got to get more in league with his teammates. Short
preseason and We'll see him be more comfortable as he
goes on, but some of those little unkaty things. Again,
I haven't spoken to him. I'm not inside his head,
(10:40):
but it seemed a little bit to me like a
little first night not quite in the team yet, maybe
a little bit of I would say, jitters, but just discomfort.
Speaker 1 (10:49):
We'll see on the crowds of getting after him, and
you know, I mean, I just that's I mean, listen,
Draymond Green admitted a couple of years ago in Boston.
It's like it got into my head, like I get it.
If you're in an Arenaman, it's all like the endfl
where fans are a mile away. In the NBA, they're
eight feet from you. Ye, you know, in they're in
your faith. So I get I get players. I mean,
I think officials get intimidated. I think officials in college
(11:11):
and pro get intimidated because of the proximity of fans.
So if Katie struggled late, I get it. I get it. Yeah,
Rachel Nichols, Fox Sports, We're gonna have her on a
lot and tonight it is Cooper Flag and Wemby.
Speaker 4 (11:23):
Can't wait. Good seeing your rage.
Speaker 3 (11:24):
See you there, all.
Speaker 4 (11:26):
Right, J Mack with the news.
Speaker 3 (11:28):
No, no, turn on the news.
Speaker 2 (11:31):
This is the headline news, all.
Speaker 3 (11:34):
Right, Colin, great news out of Baltimore.
Speaker 7 (11:35):
Lamar Jackson just jogged on to the practice field for
the first time since September twenty eighth.
Speaker 1 (11:42):
Okay, now this is a game now, Bears at Ravens is.
Speaker 3 (11:45):
A game, so it's it's interesting.
Speaker 7 (11:47):
We don't know that he's playing yet, and I just
wonder how much this was calculated. So practice starts and
then twenty minutes later, after things are underway, Lamar just
jogs out. Now he's only doing mine warm up, throws
a little bit of running. Colin, he hasn't practiced in
almost a month. I don't Maybe this is.
Speaker 3 (12:07):
Gamesmanship for Marball.
Speaker 7 (12:09):
You know, you yank the ping pong tables and then
you plant the seed.
Speaker 3 (12:12):
Hey, maybe Lamar's back. Maybe not.
Speaker 7 (12:14):
Maybe it's Cooper rush again. I don't know. My gut
would tell me he's not gonna start. I don't think
you rush him out there that man. God tells me
he's gonna play.
Speaker 4 (12:23):
Dude.
Speaker 1 (12:23):
They can't lose any more games now that Joe Flacco's
beating Pittsburgh, they gotta play him. I think they have
to play. I don't think they have. I mean, listen,
he's not gonna be how many quarterbacks justin Herbert's gotten
hit fifty times? Nobody's one hundred percent. If you're ninety percent,
I would I. I mean, first of all, Lamar's gonna
want to play. That's the kind of person is. He's
(12:43):
gonna want to play. You're gonna have to talk him
off the field. So I think you play him. What
you're waiting to bet this right? You know you're not
laying anything yet. Well, first of all, I'm it's not
a very good NFL weekend. So if Lamar plays against
kalb that's a great game the league.
Speaker 7 (12:57):
The league could use Lamar, Yes, in that early window.
All right, let's move on to the Philadelphia Eagles. Colin
Jalen hurts quietly, I said quietly. He's having one of
the great seasons. Are you ready for this? In Philadelphia
Eagles history? He has eleven touchdowns and one pick, best
in the NFL.
Speaker 3 (13:16):
He's got a.
Speaker 7 (13:17):
Franchise high one to eight point nine passer rating. We
know the Vikings defense with Flores fresh off of bye,
he cooked them perfect passer rating three hundred twenty six yards,
three touchdowns. Colin, I'm waiting. Where is the respect for
Jalen Hurts? Come on, he needs it. He's been phenomenal.
Speaker 1 (13:36):
Quietly, they've been out gained in every single game. The
staff looked it up during the break.
Speaker 7 (13:42):
Okay, Well, Saquon Berkley's not doing his job. I mean
he doesn't have ninety yards in a game.
Speaker 3 (13:48):
I don't think this season. But all I heard last.
Speaker 7 (13:52):
Year, Colin, Hey, it's all Saquon Barkley. So now, no,
Saquon five and two. Hurts has great numbers like we do.
Are we gonna give him?
Speaker 3 (14:01):
I see you. It's just it's paining you to say.
Speaker 7 (14:05):
Yes, Jason Hurts, he's a top five quarterback.
Speaker 3 (14:08):
In the league.
Speaker 4 (14:09):
No, he's a top five winner in the league.
Speaker 7 (14:11):
Oh goodness, gracious, uh.
Speaker 3 (14:15):
I don't know what he's got to do.
Speaker 7 (14:16):
I mean highest passer rating, Colin, I don't know big
names on that list. Your guy Jared Goff and Jalen
Hurts chicking in forth so well.
Speaker 1 (14:24):
By the way, pass highest pass rate. Where's Mahomes on
that list?
Speaker 3 (14:28):
He hasn't been. He was terrible last year.
Speaker 4 (14:30):
Come on, where's Josh Allen on that list?
Speaker 3 (14:32):
I don't. I don't. That's a good question.
Speaker 1 (14:36):
Passer rating is is a part of comp there's a
compilation of stats. Yes, I'm uh composition it is, okay.
Speaker 7 (14:46):
Of the World Final story is your Dodgers. They are
headed into the World Series obviously starts uh Friday on Fox.
Everybody's very excited, especially to see sho He Otani.
Speaker 3 (14:59):
He had that in edible.
Speaker 7 (15:00):
Six shutout innings with ten strikeouts and then pop three homers.
Probably the greatest game in Major League Baseball play office.
Speaker 3 (15:07):
I don't know, like well, I don't know what's better anyway.
Speaker 7 (15:10):
Dion Sanders was so impressed that he has chimed in
on what Otani did.
Speaker 8 (15:15):
He did what.
Speaker 2 (15:17):
Six innings, struck out ten and then went three for
three at the plate and hit three home runs.
Speaker 8 (15:22):
Handing the MVP doing the game like everybody's launching the
eating bombs now is unbelievable. Man, what what this game
has gotten to? But I like it because it's faster,
is quicker, and you're allowing its many more. Guy, I
hope he opens the door for others because there's many
more pictures, many pit up more this no sound right,
many pictures that can do both. But they're never allowed
(15:44):
to do.
Speaker 4 (15:44):
So I'll tell you this.
Speaker 1 (15:48):
One of the things that's very noticeable when you watch
Major League Baseball now, how many dudes throw at one hundred.
I mean, I can this is It just shows you
how much stronger people are. First of all, there's so
many pictures now that are like six six and above.
It's just guys throwing straight downhill. But I can remember
in the seventies and eighties, Nolan Ryan. In the eighties,
(16:09):
you're like, oh my god, the guy throws a hundred
and not every pitch. Nolan was at ninety eight a lot.
There was a guy that pitched for the Astros, Jr. Richard,
and I can remember the name because JR. Richard was
a guy that could reach I think he reached one hundred.
Speaker 3 (16:23):
Is this a seventies reference again.
Speaker 1 (16:25):
Yeah, yeah, that's when sports was really special. Oh not,
that's I'm just telling you Nolan Ryan, Jr.
Speaker 4 (16:33):
Richard.
Speaker 1 (16:34):
I can't think of a third guy. Siver threw it hard,
but I think he was like high nineties. Everybody throws
a hundred, it's insane. There's one guy that throw throw
one hundred three one oh four.
Speaker 7 (16:46):
Man, So mean athletes keep getting better. Imagine how that works.
Speaker 4 (16:51):
It's funny, hey Nolan Ryan.
Speaker 1 (16:56):
Funny thing about Nolan ryany through seven no hitters. But
go look at his win loss ruck. You would think
of a guy as seven no hitters. Jo, he won
seventy eight percent of his starts. I think he was
a little above five hundred.
Speaker 7 (17:07):
I think, boy, they need a Jeopardy category with seventies
sports trivia.
Speaker 4 (17:11):
You would clean up, man, I would j Mack with
the news.
Speaker 2 (17:16):
Well, that's the news, and thanks for stopping by the
herd Line News.
Speaker 1 (17:20):
Okay, the staff is looking it up as we speak.
Look at this, he won fifty two percent of his
games and had seven no hitters. Yeah, it's just everybody's
thrown ninety nine one hundred miles an hour out of
the pen closers. It's incredible. And Toronto still, I'm telling you,
(17:43):
Toronto is going to be viable in this series. I'll
take Toronto to win Game one, Dodgers win next to
and then we'll see what happens. But the Blue Jays
will be the first team in the playoffs to put
consistent pressure on the Dodgers because they just get runners
on and they got a lot of guys that can
drive him in and there's no way Blake Snell can
be that good against Toronto as he was against Milwaukee.
(18:05):
There's no way that was Kofax Like, I don't think
we see that again.
Speaker 2 (18:10):
Be sure to catch live editions of The Herd weekdays
and Noone Eastern non a em Pacific on Fox Sports
Radio FS one and the iHeartRadio app.
Speaker 4 (18:20):
So we were talking about this.
Speaker 1 (18:22):
There are certain teams that I buy more than the
betting public or the experts.
Speaker 4 (18:27):
I think the.
Speaker 1 (18:27):
Dallas Mavericks are going to be really good, and I
don't buy the Calves. I think they're deep. But Donovan
Mitchell can go a little Westbrook, I don't think he
necessarily elevates others. I think Houston with a point guard,
if Thread van Vliet was healthy, could win it. Because
I think Shan Goon by the end of the year
is a chance to be a top six player in
(18:48):
the league, top five or six.
Speaker 4 (18:49):
I think he's that good and he's a kid. But
I was just.
Speaker 1 (18:52):
Sitting here thinking of the top ten teams in the league,
and again at the top, it depends on what flavor.
I think Denver has a chance to be the best
team in the league. And then I think Oka, Seed, Dallas,
and Minnesota round out the top four. All the best
four teams are all excellent coaches, smart teams, you can
protect the rim, Denver, Oka, Se, Dallas, Minnesota. I like
(19:14):
Dallas more than the betting public. And then I think
you get into a Orlando Knicks Calves situation.
Speaker 4 (19:21):
They're good, they're not elite.
Speaker 1 (19:24):
And then I would say Houston, Golden State Lakers are
all flawed. Houston didn't have a point guard, Golden State's
too old, and the Lakers are not athletic enough to
defend the rim or the perimeter.
Speaker 4 (19:36):
But I don't I mean Orlando.
Speaker 1 (19:38):
Nicks and the Calves I do not think are titled teams.
I think Orlando's the best team in the East. Now
adding Desmond Bay. Now, if Jason Tatum was healthy, it's
different if Halla Burton's healthy. So in one year, Indiana
and Boston could very well battle for the championship. This
is a lobsided year, and again I am not into
(20:01):
the last year.
Speaker 4 (20:03):
I remember J Mack coming on the.
Speaker 1 (20:04):
Air and predicting that Indiana was gonna dominate Cleveland, and
I thought you were nuts, and they I mean they
dominated them, and so I'm just I think the Caps
have depth, but I I just I think there I
just don't see it. There's a lot of championship team.
Speaker 7 (20:24):
I think Gardland's out, Max Truce is out to start
the season. The Knicks, by the way, karl anthe Town's
not playing to night. I don't know if teams are
starting load management or just trying to prevent the injuries
because Colin we saw last year what Damian Lillard, Tatum Halliburton,
these are like top twenty players in the league all
go down in injuries.
Speaker 1 (20:41):
The great players in the league. Donovan Mitchell is a
good player. He everage less than four assists a game
in the playoffs. Yeah, okay, so he's you know, it's
like the Kawhi Leonard thing. Coawhi is great, who's the
elevating Westbrook was great?
Speaker 4 (20:54):
Who in his prime?
Speaker 1 (20:55):
Who's the elevating James Harden, to his credit, pivoted and
became a much better distributor, I think in the mid
the second half of his career. But so if you
look at these international players, what makes Shengon or Jokic
so great is their ability to score thirty and have
(21:15):
twelve assists yes, and hit multiple threes. These international players
are their their skill level at twenty two, twenty three,
twenty four years old is unbelievable. Our domestic players are great,
They're not as great early. And I think it's the
academy system over in Europe, whatever it is. But and
I think Cooper Flag, who debuts tonight, has a European feel.
(21:39):
He handles the ball, scores at the rim, elite plus defender,
can shoot the threes. A Cooper Flag in terms of
a domestic rookie is about the best player we've had
in a decade.
Speaker 3 (21:53):
Possibly.
Speaker 7 (21:55):
It's interesting because like even in tech, and I know
you follow tech a lot, you go look at who
Elon musk wroked crew says the engineers. He goes and
gets international guys to come over here to America and
work for Tesla, like this is well documented. Similarly, you
got these basketball players very well rounded.
Speaker 3 (22:11):
They do everything grand everything work ethic is amazing.
Speaker 7 (22:14):
They come in and like you said, Shan Goon is
not even twenty five years old.
Speaker 4 (22:17):
He's I think he's I think he's twenty three.
Speaker 7 (22:20):
I mean, these guys are honestly, I think what was
the number seven straight MVPs have been international.
Speaker 1 (22:25):
Yeah, the last American MVP domestic guy Arizona State, Oklahoma City,
Houston was James Harden seven years ago. And the odds
on favorite this year in terms of like numbers, Wemby's
gonna give it a run because Wemby's gonna have you know,
six blocks a game, twenty five, twenty eight points a game.
Speaker 3 (22:45):
Wemby Cooper Flag tonight. How good is that?
Speaker 4 (22:48):
See?
Speaker 1 (22:49):
I would have had that last night. I would have
all played with the thunder of the Champs. Then I
would have gone to Cooper Flag. See, the NBA made
a choice. Sixty two year old mj forty year old
Lebron hopefully in Steph made that choice.
Speaker 7 (23:00):
They do it on Christma Colin, they would they get
crucified on Christmas for not putting Indiana and Okay, see
remember last year that was the big story. Well, you
gotta give us a respect. Obviously, gonna put Curry and
Lebron on Opening Night. But well, because they're Curry and Lebron,
They've carried the league for fifteen years, they had the
most social media followings, They're huge on every platform you
need them on.
Speaker 4 (23:21):
Open It's major league baseball. Who was the last?
Speaker 1 (23:25):
I mean, Major League Baseball is not going to open
up and put a star in his sixties.
Speaker 4 (23:33):
In the opening night.
Speaker 7 (23:34):
O Tani playing in Japan a couple of years ago,
and like Sunday Night Baseball is always Yankees, right, Yankees
Red Sox Like, I mean, I can't bash the NBA
for that. I will say Wemby versus Cooper Flag needs
like major promo on here or whatever.
Speaker 1 (23:50):
Now here's the top five MVP odds for the NBA,
Sga Jokich, Luca, Jannis, Wemby on international guys, I mean,
that's what the league end up.
Speaker 7 (24:00):
Well, it doesn't help that Zion Williamson like ate his
way out of the league briefly and John Morant can't
get his act together.
Speaker 3 (24:06):
Those guys were supposed to be now years ago.
Speaker 1 (24:09):
One of the value propositions of international players is they're
more mature.
Speaker 3 (24:15):
It's fair.
Speaker 1 (24:15):
I mean, Zion and Jaw struggle with maturity. Ant has
struggled to some degree with a little maturity. The international guys,
they just come in and it is all basketball, no nonsense.
They'd live, breathe, eat, sleep, hoops and they're really really loyal.
Speaker 7 (24:32):
Cooper Flag appears to be cut from that cloth. He's
not out there at the nightclubs. You know, he's not
flexing on social media. He appears to be one of those.
I mean he's from Is he from Maine? I believe
or grew up there.
Speaker 4 (24:44):
I can now say that Maine does. Does Maine have
a nightclub? I mean, I.
Speaker 1 (24:50):
Mean you walk in, it's twelve dollars cover and cariboos
sitting in the corner.
Speaker 4 (24:54):
I don't even know what no.
Speaker 1 (24:55):
I think Cooper Flag. Here's the thing that I see.
Cooper Flag. His skill level for his age, yeah, feels European.
I mean, if you have not, I watched last night
Houston shng Goon's skill level at twenty three is insane.
Cooper Flag can do everything, runs the floor, handles the ball, shoots,
(25:17):
really physical defense. Most even Lebron his rookie year wasn't
a great defender. Cooper Flag is a people have said
Jason Tatum is his comp Two things. He's better than
Jason Tatum, much better defender at this age and much
more aggressive player.
Speaker 4 (25:33):
I mean, Tatum still has.
Speaker 1 (25:35):
That kind of passive thing in big spots where like
take the game over. Cooper Flag is hyper aggressive, unbelievable
defender at his age.
Speaker 4 (25:43):
So he is better than Tatum Now.
Speaker 1 (25:45):
Now, a lot of young players shoot the three better
than guys that broke in eight years ago because the
whole damn sport is shooting threes now. So I'm not
gonna hold it against guys. But in terms of Cooper
Flag is he's old school aggressive, like he he not
going to hang out in the summer, Dude, He's going
to be all Mavericks, all basketball, all about winning.
Speaker 3 (26:07):
Well, Tatum is in that mold.
Speaker 7 (26:08):
And by the way, I think he was all NBA
for like four years in a row, first Team. Let's
not say Cooper Flag's better than him yet maybe down.
Speaker 4 (26:14):
The road I'm saying at his age.
Speaker 7 (26:16):
Yes, yes, that is age Cooper Flag phenomenal. Listen, you
want to make me cry, you know, ask me why
Cooper Flag didn't get the ball against Texas Tech in
the Final four and how Duke blew that game?
Speaker 3 (26:27):
Oh my god, unbelievable.
Speaker 4 (26:28):
But so anyway, so last night it was fun. It
was a midweek.
Speaker 1 (26:34):
I've always argued the NBA, every league should cut down games.
Of course, they're all going in different directions because billionaires
want more money. I've always argued the NBA should open
on the Tuesday after Thanksgiving because we get football saturation Thursday, Friday, Saturday, Sunday.
We talk about it Monday, and then Tuesday Wednesday is
wide open. That's when the NBA should start. I'd cut
(26:56):
it down to sixty eight games. I'd cut baseball to
one hundred and twenty. I want the playoffs starting in
August twentieth, not late September October.
Speaker 7 (27:03):
But you know, nobody try telling these players that, yeah,
you have to take less money. Try to tell the owners, hey,
less revenue because you're down fifteen games or.
Speaker 3 (27:11):
Whatever, that none of that's happening.
Speaker 4 (27:13):
Yeah, I gotta tell you something.
Speaker 1 (27:16):
This is we are in the golden age of globalization sports.
Speaker 4 (27:21):
The NBA. I'm watching last night. These guys are so good.
Speaker 1 (27:25):
The quality of bigs, European bigs is just wow, just wow.
They're not gonna do for thirty on them because they're
not that fascinating. But in terms of skill, and the
other thing is international players when they come over here,
like they really I mean, it's it's a little bit
(27:48):
like you and I traveling overseas with our family. You
tend to be a little more gracious. When you go overseas,
you tip a little better. You feel like, hey, I'm
a visitor. It's almost the way when they come to
the States to play basketball, very gracious. I mean, they're
nice to fans. They're just all they care about is basketball. Yeah,
and they're not they don't. I mean, I think they're
really great stewards of the game, but man, they they
(28:11):
want to go back home in the season ends. Tyson
are totally loyal. Luca was devastated that he was traded.
Speaker 7 (28:17):
Yeah, if you look at some of these franchise quarterbacks
in the NFL, they're in that mold. Jalen Hurts is
all business, shows up with a briefcase justin. Herbert's not
out partying. Patrick Mahomes total class. Like they have their
act together and it's almost like a European basketball vibe,
where like, honestly, I don't I mean, Joe Burrow goes
to a couple of fashion shows, but otherwise these guys
are locked in.
Speaker 1 (28:37):
You know why the Eagles don't have a ping pong
table in the facility. Jalen's like, none of that nonsense. Here.
Speaker 4 (28:45):
The adult Jalen Hurts
Thanks for listening to The Herd podcast. Be sure to
catch us live every weekday on Fox Sports Radio in
noon to three Eastern nine am to noon Pacific. Find
your local station for The Herd at Fox Sports Radio
dot com, or stream us live every day on the
iHeartRadio app by searching Fox Sports Radio or FSR.
Speaker 2 (00:21):
You're listening to Fox Sports Radio.
Speaker 1 (00:27):
Rachel Nichols has been covering the NBA for this can't
be right thirty two years?
Speaker 3 (00:36):
Is that?
Speaker 4 (00:37):
Rachel? Is that right?
Speaker 3 (00:38):
Thirty one?
Speaker 4 (00:39):
But sure?
Speaker 3 (00:39):
Yeah.
Speaker 4 (00:40):
I was a college student.
Speaker 5 (00:41):
And I got a job stringing for the Washington Post
covering the end of the Jordan Bulls nineties Bulls era.
I was very nervous. I was nineteen years old, but man,
it was a great start.
Speaker 4 (00:53):
Yeah.
Speaker 1 (00:53):
I'd say that's pretty good start covering the Bulls your
first gig.
Speaker 4 (00:56):
That's pretty good start. Yeah.
Speaker 1 (00:57):
So you talked to Luca last night. I joked he
could see his shoulders. What do he lose thirty pounds?
Speaker 3 (01:02):
Like thirty one pounds? He says he did.
Speaker 1 (01:05):
So. First of all, it's very obvious, like the first
two to three years of Luca. Now he gets to
the rim, he can attack he's much more of an
attacking player. Last year he wasn't. He got hurt, he
put on weight. It was a lot of fallaway stuff.
You talked to him last night, what did.
Speaker 5 (01:19):
He say, Well, he said with the weight loss, he
said that he definitely found it easier to move around.
He got back on defense more easily.
Speaker 3 (01:27):
You saw that last night.
Speaker 5 (01:28):
And he talked about attacking the paint more as well.
You know, he had more paint points last night than
he did in any game last season, and you could
see that. So that's great for the Lakers because Skinny
Luca is someone they're going to need to depend on,
especially when Lebron is out. But you saw, you know,
there's not as much rhythm between these guys as JJ
Reddick would have hoped in the opening night. Lebron being
(01:50):
out definitely a problem. He's not going to solve all
of their problems roster wise. But JJ made the point
after the game, he goes, man, there are a couple
times I was like, I wish Lebron was in there.
He would just take control of this play, and they
don't have that without Lebron. Lebron's such a floor leader,
he's such a communicator. He's such a connector with these guys.
And you know, as Lebron his age, we've seen the
(02:11):
basketball skills with the athleticism diminish somewhat, but the fact
that he is so smart on the court, that is
such a value for this team, and that's just not
there right now.
Speaker 1 (02:21):
Yeah, there's limitations to what they are. They're not very
athletic on the wing. They're going to struggle against the Minnesotas,
they're going to struggle against the OKCS. I thought it
was interesting you talked to Steph last night as well. Listen,
Horford's not going to solve the age issues, obviously.
Speaker 4 (02:36):
I do believe. I talked about it earlier.
Speaker 1 (02:38):
I think four first round picks kaminga Butler at the deadline.
I don't know if it's enough, but Jimmy would go
back home COMINGA is a very good player. When he's
not on the floor with Steph. He can shoot threes,
he's long. But my takeaway on this team is I
think everybody in the building knows in the West there's
got to be I said earlier, Jimmy Butler's more flint
(03:00):
than phase.
Speaker 3 (03:02):
I don't know.
Speaker 5 (03:02):
I mean, maybe that's what they think privately, it's certainly
not what they're saying. They seem to be very confident
in the group that they have. You know, it's interesting.
Steph told me that their biggest struggle last year, even
after they got Jimmy, was they were trying to play
so much catch up. He said, we can't do that
again this year. We have to be able to be
in that top four in the West when the regular
(03:23):
season ends, so it's a much easier ride starting out
the playoffs. And even last year they did make it
to the second round. I know you think that Jimmy
Butler's a fling. They don't think so. Since Jimmy Butler
joined this team, in games he's played, they are twenty
four and seven. They absolutely believe he was the missing
piece that they needed. And when I spoke to Jimmy
about this, he said, for him, it's such a good
(03:46):
fit because he said, for the first time since he
was in Chicago, everybody on the team knows who the
number one option is. There's just no doubt about it,
and that includes him. He said, the number one option
is Steph Curry. It is always Steph Curry. It will
always be Steph Curry as long as step is playing.
So that comfort level that has been a big part
of why these guys have all geled so well together.
(04:07):
They all know exactly what they're supposed to do, they all.
Speaker 3 (04:09):
Trust each other.
Speaker 5 (04:10):
And Jonathan Kaminga to your point, he played really well
last night. He did all the things that Steve Kerr
has been asking him to do, so at least outwardly,
they believe this is a team that they can win
with in the West. And the Yanis factor, of course,
is always out there, and I don't think any team
is going to say Nobodyana says to Kumpo, but Yanis
has to want to go there. Yanis only has one
(04:30):
more season after this that he's tied to that contract,
and if he gets to the point next summer where
he has not signed an extension in Milwaukee, the Bucks
are going to have to make a deal for him
because they don't want to just lose Yanis for nothing
on an expiring contract the next season. So that's when
things we might we might see things sort of come
to a head.
Speaker 3 (04:49):
It's possible that if the Bucks.
Speaker 5 (04:51):
Lose a ton in the first few months of this season,
Yanis could go before the trade deadline. But if they
played decently well, Yannis is at least in the short term,
interested in ma this work, and he might not be
available until the summer.
Speaker 1 (05:03):
So I would have opened with the Okac Thunder because
they're the champs. My second game last night would have
been Wemby against Cooper Flag. I think you got to
sell another generation. I don't think sixty two year old
MJ is the is the I mean again, legend, I
get it. I think baseball has pivoted to all of
its young stars. It's worked. I think basketball is still
(05:23):
holding on to their legends. I would have gone Cooper
Flag Wemby last night as the second game. So Cooper's
going to be great. I can't wait to watch him. Yeah,
Wemby apparently, and you're on that. I apparently he's put
on like thirty pounds or something. I mean, he's just
been in the weight room. Tell me what we're going
to see.
Speaker 2 (05:39):
Yeah.
Speaker 3 (05:40):
No, he is super eager.
Speaker 5 (05:41):
And you can look at all the things we saw
him do through social media and reporting.
Speaker 3 (05:44):
This summer.
Speaker 5 (05:45):
He spent time in a monastery learning you know, meditation techniques.
You know, he was out there playing chess. He was
trying to, you know, all these different things that he
thinks are going to help him with his game, and
obviously in the weight room too.
Speaker 3 (05:56):
He has such a high motor.
Speaker 5 (05:59):
I think a real for the Spurs this year, even
though they are still developing. They have a bunch of
young players. They kind of need to get to that
playoff point because so far it has been in Wendy's
first couple of seasons. We'll get there. We've got plenty
of time. We want to bring everyone along slowly. We
want to develop the core. They wanted to get maybe
a few more high draft picks. We sell them get
Dylan Harford this past June. Now it is time on
(06:21):
Wendy's timeline to make the playoffs. He is just not
a guy who's going to be satisfied with sitting around there.
So I'm interested to see how the Spurs do that.
The Spurs, by the way, another contender for Jannis. Can
you imagine that duo on the court together. I can't.
I don't even know if the screen will be able
to hold how tall they are. But you know, we'll
have to see if they make any more moves. They
are so stocked with draft picks and future assets that
(06:44):
they are going to be a player if they need
to be come the trade deadline, and certainly next summer.
Speaker 2 (06:49):
Be sure to catch live editions of The Herd weekdays
and Noone Easter not a em Pacific.
Speaker 6 (06:53):
Hey, it's me Rob Parker. Check out my weekly MLB podcast,
Inside the Park for twenty two minutes of piping hot
baseball talk, featuring the biggest names the newsmakers in the sport.
Whether you believe in analytics or the eye test, We've
got all the bases covered. New episodes dropped every Thursday,
(07:15):
so do yourself a favor and listen to Inside the
Parker with Rob Parker on the iHeartRadio app or wherever
you get your podcast.
Speaker 1 (07:23):
So, Katie was I watched. It was very very good
in the first half. You know, game went long, and
you know I felt like, Houston, you kind of throw
Katie in. He's your sniper. But they don't have a
point guard now because of Fred Van Vliet, so they
obviously need a point guard otherwise they become the Clippers
with Paul George and Kawhi and you're like, well, who's
(07:45):
getting us into the offense. There's nothing Tyler you can
do the Rockets similarly have a very good coach. I
did feel like late Houston didn't quite know exact you know.
Speaker 4 (07:55):
I mean, i'm In.
Speaker 1 (07:55):
Thompson's great, and there's no question Katie's great, but he's
not gonna start. You're not going to get you into
the offense like Kawhi has tried. What do you make
of them going out? They've got to solve the point
guard issue in the West. In the East, I think
shen Gun a man and Katie in the East could
win the conference.
Speaker 4 (08:13):
I mean, seriously, I think.
Speaker 3 (08:15):
I think you're one hundred percent right.
Speaker 5 (08:16):
I'm laughing because it's an absurd circumstance, but you're absolutely right.
Speaker 1 (08:20):
I mean, what kind of move can they make because
they're just in the West without their guy getting them
into the offense.
Speaker 4 (08:27):
What did you make it last night?
Speaker 5 (08:28):
Well, look, the Rockets this whole way through with Raphael
Stone have been very much let's see what we have
before we go out and make a bunch of moves.
So they believe i'm In Thompson can develop into the
kind of playmaker they need him to be, and he
did some of that last night.
Speaker 4 (08:42):
They expect it.
Speaker 5 (08:43):
Not to happen on game one of the seasons, so
that will develop over the course of this year. We'll
have to see how well he does there. He's obviously
just hugely talented and I would say the most athletic
guy in the NBA right now. The problem is they
don't have any depth there now that Fred van Berlieve
is gone. So you saw Aman Thompson go out with
leg cramps last night, and that's why late they didn't
(09:06):
look good because they really didn't have anyone to put
in that position behind him, and that's something they're going
to really need to find, even if it's just a
smaller trade for a backup point guard. That's where I
might see them going at some point before the deadline,
because the depth issue is as much of a problem
as just not having Fred out there at all. And Kat, look,
(09:26):
he took the blame for the loss after last night,
and he certainly had a couple things that were just
not in character for him.
Speaker 3 (09:32):
Right. No, he was never going to go.
Speaker 5 (09:34):
Be the team's point guard. But he usually makes his
free throws and he missed a crucial one at the
end of the game. We saw him, you know, foul Shay.
I would argue that wasn't his fault. Shay just danced
around so much on that play. I think any defender
might have drawn a fell there. We did see him
call for that time out that they didn't have a
little Chris Webber action. Fortunately none of the refs saw it,
or certainly fortunately for the Rockets. I haven't spoken to
(09:56):
Katie this morning. I don't know if it was nerves
or not. But here's something I've seen, Colin, and I'm
sure you've noticed it too, that great great players in
the last quarter of their career. You'd think that they'd
have no nerves in the world. They've been doing this forever.
They're so elite, they're one of the best ever. They
get a little more jumpy toward the end of their
career because they know better than anyone that is almost over.
(10:18):
And Derek Jeter and I used to have long conversations
about this. He said, I was more nervous in the
final year with the Yankees than I was in my
rookie year. I don't know if that's what Katie was feeling.
I don't know if it was just, you know, he's
got to get more in league with his teammates. Short
preseason and We'll see him be more comfortable as he
goes on, but some of those little unkaty things. Again,
I haven't spoken to him. I'm not inside his head,
(10:40):
but it seemed a little bit to me like a
little first night not quite in the team yet, maybe
a little bit of I would say, jitters, but just discomfort.
Speaker 1 (10:49):
We'll see on the crowds of getting after him, and
you know, I mean, I just that's I mean, listen,
Draymond Green admitted a couple of years ago in Boston.
It's like it got into my head, like I get it.
If you're in an Arenaman, it's all like the endfl
where fans are a mile away. In the NBA, they're
eight feet from you. Ye, you know, in they're in
your faith. So I get I get players. I mean,
I think officials get intimidated. I think officials in college
(11:11):
and pro get intimidated because of the proximity of fans.
So if Katie struggled late, I get it. I get it. Yeah,
Rachel Nichols, Fox Sports, We're gonna have her on a
lot and tonight it is Cooper Flag and Wemby.
Speaker 4 (11:23):
Can't wait. Good seeing your rage.
Speaker 3 (11:24):
See you there, all.
Speaker 4 (11:26):
Right, J Mack with the news.
Speaker 3 (11:28):
No, no, turn on the news.
Speaker 2 (11:31):
This is the headline news, all.
Speaker 3 (11:34):
Right, Colin, great news out of Baltimore.
Speaker 7 (11:35):
Lamar Jackson just jogged on to the practice field for
the first time since September twenty eighth.
Speaker 1 (11:42):
Okay, now this is a game now, Bears at Ravens is.
Speaker 3 (11:45):
A game, so it's it's interesting.
Speaker 7 (11:47):
We don't know that he's playing yet, and I just
wonder how much this was calculated. So practice starts and
then twenty minutes later, after things are underway, Lamar just
jogs out. Now he's only doing mine warm up, throws
a little bit of running. Colin, he hasn't practiced in
almost a month. I don't Maybe this is.
Speaker 3 (12:07):
Gamesmanship for Marball.
Speaker 7 (12:09):
You know, you yank the ping pong tables and then
you plant the seed.
Speaker 3 (12:12):
Hey, maybe Lamar's back. Maybe not.
Speaker 7 (12:14):
Maybe it's Cooper rush again. I don't know. My gut
would tell me he's not gonna start. I don't think
you rush him out there that man. God tells me
he's gonna play.
Speaker 4 (12:23):
Dude.
Speaker 1 (12:23):
They can't lose any more games now that Joe Flacco's
beating Pittsburgh, they gotta play him. I think they have
to play. I don't think they have. I mean, listen,
he's not gonna be how many quarterbacks justin Herbert's gotten
hit fifty times? Nobody's one hundred percent. If you're ninety percent,
I would I. I mean, first of all, Lamar's gonna
want to play. That's the kind of person is. He's
(12:43):
gonna want to play. You're gonna have to talk him
off the field. So I think you play him. What
you're waiting to bet this right? You know you're not
laying anything yet. Well, first of all, I'm it's not
a very good NFL weekend. So if Lamar plays against
kalb that's a great game the league.
Speaker 7 (12:57):
The league could use Lamar, Yes, in that early window.
All right, let's move on to the Philadelphia Eagles. Colin
Jalen hurts quietly, I said quietly. He's having one of
the great seasons. Are you ready for this? In Philadelphia
Eagles history? He has eleven touchdowns and one pick, best
in the NFL.
Speaker 3 (13:16):
He's got a.
Speaker 7 (13:17):
Franchise high one to eight point nine passer rating. We
know the Vikings defense with Flores fresh off of bye,
he cooked them perfect passer rating three hundred twenty six yards,
three touchdowns. Colin, I'm waiting. Where is the respect for
Jalen Hurts? Come on, he needs it. He's been phenomenal.
Speaker 1 (13:36):
Quietly, they've been out gained in every single game. The
staff looked it up during the break.
Speaker 7 (13:42):
Okay, Well, Saquon Berkley's not doing his job. I mean
he doesn't have ninety yards in a game.
Speaker 3 (13:48):
I don't think this season. But all I heard last.
Speaker 7 (13:52):
Year, Colin, Hey, it's all Saquon Barkley. So now, no,
Saquon five and two. Hurts has great numbers like we do.
Are we gonna give him?
Speaker 3 (14:01):
I see you. It's just it's paining you to say.
Speaker 7 (14:05):
Yes, Jason Hurts, he's a top five quarterback.
Speaker 3 (14:08):
In the league.
Speaker 4 (14:09):
No, he's a top five winner in the league.
Speaker 7 (14:11):
Oh goodness, gracious, uh.
Speaker 3 (14:15):
I don't know what he's got to do.
Speaker 7 (14:16):
I mean highest passer rating, Colin, I don't know big
names on that list. Your guy Jared Goff and Jalen
Hurts chicking in forth so well.
Speaker 1 (14:24):
By the way, pass highest pass rate. Where's Mahomes on
that list?
Speaker 3 (14:28):
He hasn't been. He was terrible last year.
Speaker 4 (14:30):
Come on, where's Josh Allen on that list?
Speaker 3 (14:32):
I don't. I don't. That's a good question.
Speaker 1 (14:36):
Passer rating is is a part of comp there's a
compilation of stats. Yes, I'm uh composition it is, okay.
Speaker 7 (14:46):
Of the World Final story is your Dodgers. They are
headed into the World Series obviously starts uh Friday on Fox.
Everybody's very excited, especially to see sho He Otani.
Speaker 3 (14:59):
He had that in edible.
Speaker 7 (15:00):
Six shutout innings with ten strikeouts and then pop three homers.
Probably the greatest game in Major League Baseball play office.
Speaker 3 (15:07):
I don't know, like well, I don't know what's better anyway.
Speaker 7 (15:10):
Dion Sanders was so impressed that he has chimed in
on what Otani did.
Speaker 8 (15:15):
He did what.
Speaker 2 (15:17):
Six innings, struck out ten and then went three for
three at the plate and hit three home runs.
Speaker 8 (15:22):
Handing the MVP doing the game like everybody's launching the
eating bombs now is unbelievable. Man, what what this game
has gotten to? But I like it because it's faster,
is quicker, and you're allowing its many more. Guy, I
hope he opens the door for others because there's many
more pictures, many pit up more this no sound right,
many pictures that can do both. But they're never allowed
(15:44):
to do.
Speaker 4 (15:44):
So I'll tell you this.
Speaker 1 (15:48):
One of the things that's very noticeable when you watch
Major League Baseball now, how many dudes throw at one hundred.
I mean, I can this is It just shows you
how much stronger people are. First of all, there's so
many pictures now that are like six six and above.
It's just guys throwing straight downhill. But I can remember
in the seventies and eighties, Nolan Ryan. In the eighties,
(16:09):
you're like, oh my god, the guy throws a hundred
and not every pitch. Nolan was at ninety eight a lot.
There was a guy that pitched for the Astros, Jr. Richard,
and I can remember the name because JR. Richard was
a guy that could reach I think he reached one hundred.
Speaker 3 (16:23):
Is this a seventies reference again.
Speaker 1 (16:25):
Yeah, yeah, that's when sports was really special. Oh not,
that's I'm just telling you Nolan Ryan, Jr.
Speaker 4 (16:33):
Richard.
Speaker 1 (16:34):
I can't think of a third guy. Siver threw it hard,
but I think he was like high nineties. Everybody throws
a hundred, it's insane. There's one guy that throw throw
one hundred three one oh four.
Speaker 7 (16:46):
Man, So mean athletes keep getting better. Imagine how that works.
Speaker 4 (16:51):
It's funny, hey Nolan Ryan.
Speaker 1 (16:56):
Funny thing about Nolan ryany through seven no hitters. But
go look at his win loss ruck. You would think
of a guy as seven no hitters. Jo, he won
seventy eight percent of his starts. I think he was
a little above five hundred.
Speaker 7 (17:07):
I think, boy, they need a Jeopardy category with seventies
sports trivia.
Speaker 4 (17:11):
You would clean up, man, I would j Mack with
the news.
Speaker 2 (17:16):
Well, that's the news, and thanks for stopping by the
herd Line News.
Speaker 1 (17:20):
Okay, the staff is looking it up as we speak.
Look at this, he won fifty two percent of his
games and had seven no hitters. Yeah, it's just everybody's
thrown ninety nine one hundred miles an hour out of
the pen closers. It's incredible. And Toronto still, I'm telling you,
(17:43):
Toronto is going to be viable in this series. I'll
take Toronto to win Game one, Dodgers win next to
and then we'll see what happens. But the Blue Jays
will be the first team in the playoffs to put
consistent pressure on the Dodgers because they just get runners
on and they got a lot of guys that can
drive him in and there's no way Blake Snell can
be that good against Toronto as he was against Milwaukee.
(18:05):
There's no way that was Kofax Like, I don't think
we see that again.
Speaker 2 (18:10):
Be sure to catch live editions of The Herd weekdays
and Noone Eastern non a em Pacific on Fox Sports
Radio FS one and the iHeartRadio app.
Speaker 4 (18:20):
So we were talking about this.
Speaker 1 (18:22):
There are certain teams that I buy more than the
betting public or the experts.
Speaker 4 (18:27):
I think the.
Speaker 1 (18:27):
Dallas Mavericks are going to be really good, and I
don't buy the Calves. I think they're deep. But Donovan
Mitchell can go a little Westbrook, I don't think he
necessarily elevates others. I think Houston with a point guard,
if Thread van Vliet was healthy, could win it. Because
I think Shan Goon by the end of the year
is a chance to be a top six player in
(18:48):
the league, top five or six.
Speaker 4 (18:49):
I think he's that good and he's a kid. But
I was just.
Speaker 1 (18:52):
Sitting here thinking of the top ten teams in the league,
and again at the top, it depends on what flavor.
I think Denver has a chance to be the best
team in the league. And then I think Oka, Seed, Dallas,
and Minnesota round out the top four. All the best
four teams are all excellent coaches, smart teams, you can
protect the rim, Denver, Oka, Se, Dallas, Minnesota. I like
(19:14):
Dallas more than the betting public. And then I think
you get into a Orlando Knicks Calves situation.
Speaker 4 (19:21):
They're good, they're not elite.
Speaker 1 (19:24):
And then I would say Houston, Golden State Lakers are
all flawed. Houston didn't have a point guard, Golden State's
too old, and the Lakers are not athletic enough to
defend the rim or the perimeter.
Speaker 4 (19:36):
But I don't I mean Orlando.
Speaker 1 (19:38):
Nicks and the Calves I do not think are titled teams.
I think Orlando's the best team in the East. Now
adding Desmond Bay. Now, if Jason Tatum was healthy, it's
different if Halla Burton's healthy. So in one year, Indiana
and Boston could very well battle for the championship. This
is a lobsided year, and again I am not into
(20:01):
the last year.
Speaker 4 (20:03):
I remember J Mack coming on the.
Speaker 1 (20:04):
Air and predicting that Indiana was gonna dominate Cleveland, and
I thought you were nuts, and they I mean they
dominated them, and so I'm just I think the Caps
have depth, but I I just I think there I
just don't see it. There's a lot of championship team.
Speaker 7 (20:24):
I think Gardland's out, Max Truce is out to start
the season. The Knicks, by the way, karl anthe Town's
not playing to night. I don't know if teams are
starting load management or just trying to prevent the injuries
because Colin we saw last year what Damian Lillard, Tatum Halliburton,
these are like top twenty players in the league all
go down in injuries.
Speaker 1 (20:41):
The great players in the league. Donovan Mitchell is a
good player. He everage less than four assists a game
in the playoffs. Yeah, okay, so he's you know, it's
like the Kawhi Leonard thing. Coawhi is great, who's the
elevating Westbrook was great?
Speaker 4 (20:54):
Who in his prime?
Speaker 1 (20:55):
Who's the elevating James Harden, to his credit, pivoted and
became a much better distributor, I think in the mid
the second half of his career. But so if you
look at these international players, what makes Shengon or Jokic
so great is their ability to score thirty and have
(21:15):
twelve assists yes, and hit multiple threes. These international players
are their their skill level at twenty two, twenty three,
twenty four years old is unbelievable. Our domestic players are great,
They're not as great early. And I think it's the
academy system over in Europe, whatever it is. But and
I think Cooper Flag, who debuts tonight, has a European feel.
(21:39):
He handles the ball, scores at the rim, elite plus defender,
can shoot the threes. A Cooper Flag in terms of
a domestic rookie is about the best player we've had
in a decade.
Speaker 3 (21:53):
Possibly.
Speaker 7 (21:55):
It's interesting because like even in tech, and I know
you follow tech a lot, you go look at who
Elon musk wroked crew says the engineers. He goes and
gets international guys to come over here to America and
work for Tesla, like this is well documented. Similarly, you
got these basketball players very well rounded.
Speaker 3 (22:11):
They do everything grand everything work ethic is amazing.
Speaker 7 (22:14):
They come in and like you said, Shan Goon is
not even twenty five years old.
Speaker 4 (22:17):
He's I think he's I think he's twenty three.
Speaker 7 (22:20):
I mean, these guys are honestly, I think what was
the number seven straight MVPs have been international.
Speaker 1 (22:25):
Yeah, the last American MVP domestic guy Arizona State, Oklahoma City,
Houston was James Harden seven years ago. And the odds
on favorite this year in terms of like numbers, Wemby's
gonna give it a run because Wemby's gonna have you know,
six blocks a game, twenty five, twenty eight points a game.
Speaker 3 (22:45):
Wemby Cooper Flag tonight. How good is that?
Speaker 4 (22:48):
See?
Speaker 1 (22:49):
I would have had that last night. I would have
all played with the thunder of the Champs. Then I
would have gone to Cooper Flag. See, the NBA made
a choice. Sixty two year old mj forty year old
Lebron hopefully in Steph made that choice.
Speaker 7 (23:00):
They do it on Christma Colin, they would they get
crucified on Christmas for not putting Indiana and Okay, see
remember last year that was the big story. Well, you
gotta give us a respect. Obviously, gonna put Curry and
Lebron on Opening Night. But well, because they're Curry and Lebron,
They've carried the league for fifteen years, they had the
most social media followings, They're huge on every platform you
need them on.
Speaker 4 (23:21):
Open It's major league baseball. Who was the last?
Speaker 1 (23:25):
I mean, Major League Baseball is not going to open
up and put a star in his sixties.
Speaker 4 (23:33):
In the opening night.
Speaker 7 (23:34):
O Tani playing in Japan a couple of years ago,
and like Sunday Night Baseball is always Yankees, right, Yankees
Red Sox Like, I mean, I can't bash the NBA
for that. I will say Wemby versus Cooper Flag needs
like major promo on here or whatever.
Speaker 1 (23:50):
Now here's the top five MVP odds for the NBA,
Sga Jokich, Luca, Jannis, Wemby on international guys, I mean,
that's what the league end up.
Speaker 7 (24:00):
Well, it doesn't help that Zion Williamson like ate his
way out of the league briefly and John Morant can't
get his act together.
Speaker 3 (24:06):
Those guys were supposed to be now years ago.
Speaker 1 (24:09):
One of the value propositions of international players is they're
more mature.
Speaker 3 (24:15):
It's fair.
Speaker 1 (24:15):
I mean, Zion and Jaw struggle with maturity. Ant has
struggled to some degree with a little maturity. The international guys,
they just come in and it is all basketball, no nonsense.
They'd live, breathe, eat, sleep, hoops and they're really really loyal.
Speaker 7 (24:32):
Cooper Flag appears to be cut from that cloth. He's
not out there at the nightclubs. You know, he's not
flexing on social media. He appears to be one of those.
I mean he's from Is he from Maine? I believe
or grew up there.
Speaker 4 (24:44):
I can now say that Maine does. Does Maine have
a nightclub? I mean, I.
Speaker 1 (24:50):
Mean you walk in, it's twelve dollars cover and cariboos
sitting in the corner.
Speaker 4 (24:54):
I don't even know what no.
Speaker 1 (24:55):
I think Cooper Flag. Here's the thing that I see.
Cooper Flag. His skill level for his age, yeah, feels European.
I mean, if you have not, I watched last night
Houston shng Goon's skill level at twenty three is insane.
Cooper Flag can do everything, runs the floor, handles the ball, shoots,
(25:17):
really physical defense. Most even Lebron his rookie year wasn't
a great defender. Cooper Flag is a people have said
Jason Tatum is his comp Two things. He's better than
Jason Tatum, much better defender at this age and much
more aggressive player.
Speaker 4 (25:33):
I mean, Tatum still has.
Speaker 1 (25:35):
That kind of passive thing in big spots where like
take the game over. Cooper Flag is hyper aggressive, unbelievable
defender at his age.
Speaker 4 (25:43):
So he is better than Tatum Now.
Speaker 1 (25:45):
Now, a lot of young players shoot the three better
than guys that broke in eight years ago because the
whole damn sport is shooting threes now. So I'm not
gonna hold it against guys. But in terms of Cooper
Flag is he's old school aggressive, like he he not
going to hang out in the summer, Dude, He's going
to be all Mavericks, all basketball, all about winning.
Speaker 3 (26:07):
Well, Tatum is in that mold.
Speaker 7 (26:08):
And by the way, I think he was all NBA
for like four years in a row, first Team. Let's
not say Cooper Flag's better than him yet maybe down.
Speaker 4 (26:14):
The road I'm saying at his age.
Speaker 7 (26:16):
Yes, yes, that is age Cooper Flag phenomenal. Listen, you
want to make me cry, you know, ask me why
Cooper Flag didn't get the ball against Texas Tech in
the Final four and how Duke blew that game?
Speaker 3 (26:27):
Oh my god, unbelievable.
Speaker 4 (26:28):
But so anyway, so last night it was fun. It
was a midweek.
Speaker 1 (26:34):
I've always argued the NBA, every league should cut down games.
Of course, they're all going in different directions because billionaires
want more money. I've always argued the NBA should open
on the Tuesday after Thanksgiving because we get football saturation Thursday, Friday, Saturday, Sunday.
We talk about it Monday, and then Tuesday Wednesday is
wide open. That's when the NBA should start. I'd cut
(26:56):
it down to sixty eight games. I'd cut baseball to
one hundred and twenty. I want the playoffs starting in
August twentieth, not late September October.
Speaker 7 (27:03):
But you know, nobody try telling these players that, yeah,
you have to take less money. Try to tell the owners, hey,
less revenue because you're down fifteen games or.
Speaker 3 (27:11):
Whatever, that none of that's happening.
Speaker 4 (27:13):
Yeah, I gotta tell you something.
Speaker 1 (27:16):
This is we are in the golden age of globalization sports.
Speaker 4 (27:21):
The NBA. I'm watching last night. These guys are so good.
Speaker 1 (27:25):
The quality of bigs, European bigs is just wow, just wow.
They're not gonna do for thirty on them because they're
not that fascinating. But in terms of skill, and the
other thing is international players when they come over here,
like they really I mean, it's it's a little bit
(27:48):
like you and I traveling overseas with our family. You
tend to be a little more gracious. When you go overseas,
you tip a little better. You feel like, hey, I'm
a visitor. It's almost the way when they come to
the States to play basketball, very gracious. I mean, they're
nice to fans. They're just all they care about is basketball. Yeah,
and they're not they don't. I mean, I think they're
really great stewards of the game, but man, they they
(28:11):
want to go back home in the season ends. Tyson
are totally loyal. Luca was devastated that he was traded.
Speaker 7 (28:17):
Yeah, if you look at some of these franchise quarterbacks
in the NFL, they're in that mold. Jalen Hurts is
all business, shows up with a briefcase justin. Herbert's not
out partying. Patrick Mahomes total class. Like they have their
act together and it's almost like a European basketball vibe,
where like, honestly, I don't I mean, Joe Burrow goes
to a couple of fashion shows, but otherwise these guys
are locked in.
Speaker 1 (28:37):
You know why the Eagles don't have a ping pong
table in the facility. Jalen's like, none of that nonsense. Here.
Speaker 4 (28:45):
The adult Jalen Hurts
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