November 6, 2025 • 33 mins
Colin talks to Rachel Nichols about the Lakers playing well, JJ Redick's coaching style, the future of LeBron James, how teams are defending Victor Wembanyama, and more
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Speaker 1 (00:00):
Thanks for listening to The Herd podcast. Be sure to
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Speaker 2 (00:21):
You're listening to Fox Sports Radio.
Speaker 3 (00:27):
I haven't seen Rachel Nicholson quite some time. It feels like,
you know, we saw so much of you last year,
and now I'm back in l A for a couple
more days.
Speaker 4 (00:35):
We'll be rocked down air a couple of weeks ago.
Speaker 3 (00:37):
Du It's not the same, the same, not the same.
We can connect. I can only tolerate Jmax so long.
It's nice to have another adult in the room. So
you talked to Luca, JJ and Wemby last night. You know,
for a year when I would cover Phil Jackson and
I would talk to other people about him, you know,
they always said Michael would have gotten his points in
(00:58):
Kobe his points, but they always said, you know, he
just did a really good job of getting the most
out of Will Purdue or a Steve Kerr, or Rick
Fox or Derek Fisher, Brian Shaw. I think JJ Reddick's
got that superpower like ruey is looks like an All Star.
Speaker 2 (01:15):
I mean, I don't know. I mean you talked to
him last night.
Speaker 3 (01:18):
It's it just I feel like he just squeezes the
juice out of the B players.
Speaker 4 (01:23):
Yeah, I mean.
Speaker 5 (01:24):
Phil Jackson's actually a great analogy. Phil had text Winter,
JJ's kind of all in one. So JJ in terms
of x's and o's, he's just so excellent at putting
a player in the exact position where he's going to succeed.
So technically he's always got guys in the right place.
And I think that's part of what's going on with
DeAndre Ayton. Frankly, yes, who has been a huge part
of this early seven to two run, but you know,
(01:47):
wasn't really doing that in other cities, and now JJ's
putting him in the exact positions he needs. The other aspect,
that's like Phil Jackson is he does all of that
sort of off court chemistry things. So you know, Phil
Jackson would give guys books, right, and he would sort
of have them do different projects. JJ Reddick has them
doing a Japanese sort of get to know you method
(02:10):
called Pika shuk I'm going to get it wrong. I
always say Pikachu, like the like the whatever, picha kachu.
And it is basically where a guy has to give
a presentation to the rest of the room and there
are six slides where he asked to give shows. You know,
this was what was important to me as a kid.
Speaker 4 (02:28):
This is the basketball court I grew up on.
Speaker 5 (02:30):
Get to know you things, to know each other in
a deeper way, to build that kind of chemistry.
Speaker 4 (02:36):
And you're seeing it.
Speaker 5 (02:37):
I mean, the other Lakers example you can give is
on the flip side. We remember in two thousand and
four when a Detroit Pistons team beat the Lakers in
the finals, a Lakers team that was heavily favored, that
had Kobe Shack, Gary Payton, Karl Malone. Why did the
Pistons win Because they were such a team. They were
all together and they really loved playing four and with
each other. And that has been built this year with
(02:59):
this team, and it's noticeably different, and part of it
is this JJ stuff of having them do the Phil
Jackson style things off the court. Luca said that, you know,
he showed everyone his cars and one of his slides
and everything his pride and joy. And then part of
it is just these guys really like each other. I
mean you can see the way Luca and Austin, you know,
just they vibe all the time.
Speaker 4 (03:19):
It's really fun.
Speaker 3 (03:20):
Yeah, and you know there I said earlier today, I
don't want to pick on Lebron. I think Lebron knows
there's a passing of a torch. LA has always been
the Lakers have always been the past the Torch franchise.
Kareem to Magic to Shaq to Kobe, to Lebron to Luca.
Speaker 2 (03:37):
That's what they are.
Speaker 3 (03:38):
This is not you know, there's a lot of organizations
if they got one of those players right right, Lakers
just do it like every seven years.
Speaker 2 (03:48):
He's not going on a road trip.
Speaker 3 (03:49):
I do think Rich Paul and Lebron understand the passing
of the torch. But there are those that would suggest
he's being a little needy. He wants to send like
his little waves, his little radio waves too. You know,
I'd like, you know, maybe a little more love. What
do you land on that stuff. I don't want to
make a story out of a non story. I think
Lebron's too smart to not understand what the Lakers are doing.
Speaker 5 (04:11):
He does absolutely. I think we saw that neediness. I
need to send out a little wave sort of thing
in the summer, right some of those Instagram posts, Yeah,
I'm in Cleveland wearing a hat that says home, I'm
working out of the old Clippers facility.
Speaker 4 (04:23):
I made all of that kind of stuff.
Speaker 5 (04:25):
I think now he's really on board with being on
this team right now and letting what happens next year be,
you know, next summer to.
Speaker 4 (04:32):
Sort of thing.
Speaker 5 (04:33):
But look, Lebron has a gravity in a locker room,
in any room he's in. I always compare him to Jupiter.
Jupiter has two and a half times the gravity of Earth.
Lebron has two and a half times the gravity of
anyone else in that locker room. So when he's in
the locker room actively on the court, he is such
a huge presence. It is going to be different from
(04:53):
when he is not, and there's going to be a
little bit of a test or interesting to see this
team reintegrate that gravity with what is.
Speaker 4 (05:00):
Working right now. That's not Lebron's fault.
Speaker 5 (05:02):
He doesn't do anything disruptive, it's just that he's different.
Speaker 3 (05:07):
What do you make these international players are usually pretty
petty and mature. They play against older men. European kids
have wine with the parents. They're just different than our kids, right,
Like just there's just a kind of a liberal casualness
to alcohol and just life that we don't quite have.
So I would imagine Wemby is adult, easy to talk to.
Speaker 2 (05:29):
Was he for you last night?
Speaker 5 (05:30):
Oh, he's great, and you know he's funny, but this
is his second language. I believe he also has a
third language in there. I was talking to him about
some of the challenges that you've been talking about on
the show, about the double teams coming at him, and
he said, you know, sort of the game is just
faster right now, which we hear.
Speaker 3 (05:47):
All the time, right quarterbacks say that when they break
into the leak, everything's way everything's way too fast.
Speaker 5 (05:52):
And so he had thought he had flowed the game down.
But now with these new defensive schemes around him, double
teams are coming from his blind side. They're not letting
him get to a spot. Instead of just putting the
tallest guy on him, they're more concerned with where he's
positioned on the court, making him uncomfortable, and he's just
got to learn how to deal with it, and I
asked him, I said, oh, is it kind of like
a video game, like you get to the next level,
(06:12):
you know, it's like leveling up in a video game.
And he's like, that's called scaling up. And it was
just so funny to hear this guy. You know, he's cracking,
he's making a joke and not his first language with
a vocabulary word.
Speaker 4 (06:24):
I mean, he's great.
Speaker 2 (06:25):
Yeah, one more heard. The Herd streams twenty four hours
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Speaker 6 (06:36):
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on Fox Sports Radio, we are excited to announce brand
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Speaker 2 (06:50):
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Speaker 7 (06:51):
You can now watch The Odd Couple live on YouTube
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Speaker 6 (06:56):
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Speaker 3 (07:07):
I'm want to talk to John Morant situation. So I
think Adam Silver's really bright. I think he's a learned guy.
I've had him on the show. I really like Adam.
The NBA has done one thing I think was a
classic mistake, and I told Adam this. They demonized college
basketball and the great thing about college football it microwaves
(07:30):
all these stars and then hands the popcorn to the NFL.
Speaker 2 (07:34):
Yeah, ready to go. You have a little soul.
Speaker 4 (07:35):
Yep, they don't even have to pay for it.
Speaker 2 (07:37):
That's right.
Speaker 3 (07:37):
The G League, the G League basically got in the
way of college basketball. So guys playing El segundo, nobody watches.
The reason I know Zion is Duke, it's Michigan State,
it's Kentucky, So embrace college basketball. I do think the
NIL now is doing that. It's you guys are like
(08:00):
one hundred thousand year four hundred there. I'll stay at
Michigan State. But John Moran, it's kind of a cautionary
tale his lack of maturity. He was recently asked about
his unhappiness the coaches in Memphis.
Speaker 4 (08:14):
What are we doing?
Speaker 2 (08:15):
The coach staff able to talk about a happy.
Speaker 6 (08:18):
Friday and move on?
Speaker 2 (08:19):
Yeah, I ask that question in them. Huh what about
for you?
Speaker 3 (08:23):
Yeah?
Speaker 2 (08:23):
I ask that question so I'll know the answer.
Speaker 7 (08:25):
To that.
Speaker 2 (08:27):
Do you feel like everything's been resolved?
Speaker 5 (08:29):
Yeah?
Speaker 2 (08:31):
They told you that, right, Well yeah, but from you
obviously they can go and tell y'all something mind says,
so what are you making?
Speaker 5 (08:39):
Its current situation is clearly deeply unhappy, and I think
this is a little bit of a come to Jesus
moment for.
Speaker 4 (08:45):
Not only Job but the franchise.
Speaker 5 (08:48):
Right because Job burst into this league with so much
energy electricity, was able to do so many things around
the basket that has decreased every year every year. His shooting,
which was something we thought he could work and get
better at, instead has decreased every year on us at
a low right now. And when he is not happy,
he is not playing the brand of basketball.
Speaker 2 (09:09):
That will make him simple moodie player.
Speaker 4 (09:11):
Right.
Speaker 5 (09:12):
The problem has been throughout his entire time in Memphis
is that Jow wants to do what Jaw wants to do,
whether it's on the court playing the way he wants
to play. Right now he's in conflict with the coaching
staff over their substitution patterns, or whether it's off the court.
Speaker 4 (09:26):
I want to do this. I want to go to clubs,
I want to have a gun, I want to do
these things.
Speaker 5 (09:30):
What is good for Jaw in his mind has not
been historically what is best for the franchise. And finally,
with the suspension the other day, the franchise said, we're
going to hold you in line with what's best for
the franchise and we'll see what happens. I don't think
Memphis is in a position to trade him for a
couple of reasons. First of all, I think the market
for him right now is not very good, and a
lot of people don't want to bring.
Speaker 4 (09:51):
That kind of energy onto their team.
Speaker 5 (09:53):
And also, I think we underestimate nationally the attachment that
the people of Memphis have to Jah Moran, and that
he is the reason there are fans in the seats
that's an arena whose lease is up soon, their attendance
is extremely low.
Speaker 4 (10:07):
I think they need to keep.
Speaker 5 (10:08):
Him there on the court, but they have got to
figure out a way to reconcile the fact that he
wants to do what he sees is best for him
and they want to do what they see is best
for the team.
Speaker 3 (10:17):
You know, it's really interesting. This just popped into my
head for whatever reasons. The wide receiver position in the NFL,
the boundary receiver. You know, they break the huddle first.
They're often the longest, most creative, gifted athlete on the field,
and you know, diva receivers like a term. The problem
(10:38):
with being that is that as college football has progressed,
it's a much more throwing sport. There's fifteen to twenty
receivers that come college to the pros annually, and nobody
puts up with it anymore. Where I think Jaws in
trouble is the global scale of basketball talent has increased,
so people look at John think. I mean it used
(10:58):
to be Rachel that after about the fourteenth pick you
ran out of player's in the draft. Now you go
mid second round. I mean in a terrible draft. Browny
goes mid second and has actually looked good. So I
don't think there's a huge market for Jaw, is there.
Speaker 5 (11:17):
I mean, it's just he's put himself in a difficult position,
which is a shame because he walked in with everyone's
sort of admiration and fantastic town intentions. Look, I think
the global game has made the American game step up.
We have great young American stars right now, right starting
with Anthony Edwards. Of course, Kate Cunningham, Jaylen Williams, who.
Speaker 4 (11:37):
Just won a title.
Speaker 2 (11:38):
Cooper had one bad game.
Speaker 5 (11:40):
Right, I mean he's obviously incredibly promising and Shake Gilders Alexander.
I know he was the teenth you know, foreign player
to win MVP.
Speaker 4 (11:49):
He's Canadian.
Speaker 5 (11:50):
He grew up in the AAU style system. You know,
he played a bunch of He wasn't didn't on an
AAU team because of where he grew up, but he
played in a bunch of AAU tournaments. He went to Kentucky, Like,
let's not pretend that he didn't have the same upbringing
as these American players. So you're seeing a lot of
successes in this country, and of course then globally we
are getting to your point about maturity. We have not
(12:13):
just a bunch of players from Slovenia. We have Slovenia's
best player. You kind of have to be the best.
It's like we send to a foreign league, we're sending
you Lebron, right, so they're sending us their version of Lebron.
Speaker 4 (12:24):
We have Serbia's best player.
Speaker 3 (12:26):
Oh, we have the best talent, but there are these
iconic every other year global players. That's the best of Europe, right,
I mean, Gianna.
Speaker 5 (12:35):
Sent Kupo isn't just a good player in Greece the
way I don't know. Kate Cunningham is a very good
player in America. He's the best player in the entire
country and in fact of many surrounding countries too. I mean,
that's who you're getting, So comparing them is not always
an apples to earn you apples to apples comparison. But
I think it's really an interesting point in the game.
To your point is that these international players have helped
(12:57):
American players also step up up all the way across,
and there's just so much talent in the league right
now that if you can't see your way to be
a good teammate, if you can't see your way to
help the team win as opposed to help you do
what you want to do, you're not going to last
as long.
Speaker 3 (13:13):
Well.
Speaker 2 (13:13):
I always ask you a next question.
Speaker 3 (13:15):
They've won three in a row, just hammered a good
Minnesota team, So I didn't like getting rid of TIBs.
I didn't think he was super creative. I know Mike.
Mike Brown's a great guy. He's a veteran, he knows
his stuff. What's the talk in New York. Now, the
TIBs firing was strange based on the best season for
the next and two decades. But they're playing okay. I
(13:37):
kind of think the next personnel is what it is.
I don't think the coach is going to Mike Brown's
not going to elevate or I mean, what do you
make of it?
Speaker 5 (13:45):
Look, they are playing deeper into the bench than they
ever did under TIBs, and that will help them in
the playoffs because they'll have more guys with more experience
to go to and that is what management wanted, right
They thought that, Hey, that's one part that's missing the
style that Mike Brown plays. I think when we saw
the Knicks have a little trouble at the.
Speaker 4 (14:02):
Beginning of the season, it was just adapting to that.
Speaker 5 (14:05):
I think Carl Anthony Towns is still trying to figure
out who he is in this system.
Speaker 4 (14:09):
But I do think that will come.
Speaker 5 (14:11):
And Mike Brown is a great coach in getting guys
sort of together and emotional and the stuff we were
talking about well.
Speaker 4 (14:17):
Top with JJ Reddick.
Speaker 5 (14:18):
He knows how to have a locker room sort of
get that extra step that Detroit Pistons two thousand and
four extra step of we want to play for each other,
we like each other, and you know, we saw it
in Sacramento. He turned that franchise around in that way,
and I think we're going to see that in New
York too.
Speaker 4 (14:34):
It's just a question of management.
Speaker 5 (14:36):
Said when getting to the game six of the Eastern
Conference Finals isn't good enough. You are saying that for
Mike Brown to be successful, he has to win a
title or at least get to the finals, and that's
not guaranteed.
Speaker 2 (14:50):
Jay Mac, I want you to listen closely. Rachel.
Speaker 3 (14:53):
I saw her offset today made a point. Steph Curry
and I have something in common.
Speaker 2 (14:58):
What is it?
Speaker 4 (14:58):
Yeah, both of them are out today with them so
you know. Hall of Fame All Stars, right.
Speaker 5 (15:05):
I also told Colin that the tenor of the Jets
talk on this show has greatly changed when I was
here yesterday.
Speaker 2 (15:11):
Fame All Stars.
Speaker 3 (15:11):
I like how you reference it kind of respect I
so richly deserved.
Speaker 4 (15:15):
Yeah, exactly.
Speaker 2 (15:17):
I love having you on the show.
Speaker 4 (15:18):
It's great to see you.
Speaker 2 (15:19):
Great to see you. Jay Mack with the news, Turn
on the news. This is the headline news all right,
Hall of Famers. Let's start by talking about the forty
nine Ers.
Speaker 7 (15:30):
They made the low risk move adding keyon White ahead
of the deadline. Ultimately, at six and three, San Francisco
is in the thick of.
Speaker 2 (15:39):
The NFC playoff.
Speaker 7 (15:40):
On Kyle Shanahan doesn't believe the team's inactivity at the
deadline is a reflection of their goals.
Speaker 8 (15:47):
I don't think it has to do with how we
do this year's team. I think we worked just as
hard this year to make a trade that made sense
for our team this year and next year, just as
hard as we do every year. And there's a lot
of teams with records like six and three or better
than didn't make any big trade.
Speaker 2 (16:04):
They're not.
Speaker 8 (16:05):
Just because you make a big trade doesn't mean it's
always a smart move.
Speaker 3 (16:09):
The line is interesting at four and a half. How
do you not like the Niners at home to cover
that is a lot in a division rivalry game.
Speaker 7 (16:19):
The problem is the Niners can't pressure the quarterback now,
They just cannot. They don't have anybody. Williams is out,
Huff was out, Bosa's done.
Speaker 4 (16:27):
Like.
Speaker 7 (16:27):
They can't get to the quarterback. So now you're leaning
on a kind of an inferior secondary. They're playing a
lot of new guys I feel like the Rams are
scoring thirty for sure. Depends on that in the question
is can they slow down Mac Jones? They could not
at so far in a revenge spot. I have a
feeling the Rams show up here.
Speaker 2 (16:44):
You don't, uh, it's.
Speaker 3 (16:45):
You know, these division rivalry games are always different. A
lot of tough divisions. Even Miami Buffalo's tough this weekend.
There's a lot of divisional matchives that kind of scare me.
Just to Tad Saints Panthers. Everybody loves the Panthers Anthers.
So I don't know what to do here, Rams signers,
this is maybe one. You'll watch it, you live bet it.
Each score on the first drive and this is down
(17:08):
to three, then yeah, I'll.
Speaker 2 (17:09):
Take the ranks. Yeah, good call. All right, let's move on.
Speaker 7 (17:12):
Next story is your guy Bo Knicks and the Broncos
Huge one tonight Colin Denver, seven and three. We know
Chiefs fans around the country are watching rooting for the
Raiders bow Knicks. These divisional games, man, they're important.
Speaker 2 (17:29):
To us.
Speaker 9 (17:29):
First, we got to win them. These are the ones
that have the most way to them. These are the
ones that you you got to go in there and
win to set yourself up for the the playoffs, and
so as a team, these are the most important for
US rivalries. And you know these are the fun ones
and it's like playing a conference game and uh in college,
(17:49):
these are the ones that you look forward to. These
are why you know you're a Bronco to be be
teams like.
Speaker 2 (17:55):
This weird stat for you column.
Speaker 7 (17:58):
So the first three this season Denver cumulative score minus
one in the fourth quarter plus sixty for whatever reason, they.
Speaker 2 (18:09):
Turn it on late.
Speaker 7 (18:09):
If you want to get exotic, and I maybe bet
the Raiders first quarter.
Speaker 3 (18:13):
Well, I mean the lion is again, it's a divisional matchup.
The line's outrageous nine and a half. Well here, how
about this? So last week against the Jags, right, Raiders
you know were in it. It was close.
Speaker 7 (18:23):
The Jags scored on their last six drives of the game.
Once the Raiders defense got tired, they just Jags mowed
through them. That's without Travis Hunter. Brian Thomas left early.
Bo Nicks and companies should mode right down the field
against these guys, you would think.
Speaker 3 (18:38):
And defensively it's been a a I swear to god,
this I mean like Seattle hammering the Commanders in DC
Arizona dominating the Cowboys.
Speaker 2 (18:49):
It's week to week in this league.
Speaker 3 (18:51):
Like my preseason predictions have been really really good so
far this year. I had New England shocking people. I
had Seattle shocking people week to week in this league.
Speaker 2 (19:01):
So you're not taking raiders here, are you?
Speaker 6 (19:03):
Uh?
Speaker 2 (19:04):
Or maybe take the points, but not outright?
Speaker 3 (19:05):
Yeah, I just nine and a half. Feel stay away.
You know what I was for hiring Pete Carroll?
Speaker 2 (19:13):
What do we make of it?
Speaker 7 (19:14):
Now?
Speaker 2 (19:15):
I'll let you take that one, buddy. Yeah, I don't
know how I feel like I got. Chip Kelly is
the OC.
Speaker 7 (19:19):
I remember talking to him at your birthday party and
I was like, I love Chim Kelly. It's been a
tough go, like Ashton Gent.
Speaker 2 (19:26):
You have seen some of the numbers. It's like a
non factor. Yeah, nothing's working. I don't I don't know.
Final story, Calm, let's go to Oh this news stinks.
Speaker 7 (19:34):
C J. Stroud of the Texans was ruled out yesterday.
Remember midweek they ruled him out. He took a brutal hit.
I'm with Damiko Ryans. I thought that was a dirty play.
We gotta protect quarterbacks in this league. Colin, you know,
we got to see Marcus Mariota and Washington the rest
of the season.
Speaker 2 (19:50):
You know, they're in a European game next week.
Speaker 7 (19:52):
And I'm not wicking who's waking up a six thirty
watch more because Mariota.
Speaker 2 (19:55):
Now we got c J. Stroud out Davis mills I mean,
he's even a corner TV game for you. I mean
I watch Davis Millson's recorders because I had Houston last week.
Speaker 3 (20:04):
No that there's a game every weekend that I just
don't watch.
Speaker 2 (20:08):
This is the game. Well, I'm kind of intrigued by
the Jaguars here. I don't know. I'm glad somebody is.
Speaker 7 (20:14):
I mean, I like Trevor Lawrence till I think addingm
Jacobe Myers, he's good man.
Speaker 3 (20:20):
No, you know what he is is Brian. I mean
Travis Hunter hasn't done anything. They should have just put
him on offense. Forget about defense.
Speaker 2 (20:28):
That was dumb.
Speaker 3 (20:29):
You know, that's something everybody talked about and debated, and
I from the very beginning I said, put Travis Hunter
on offense. A. It's the most important part of pro football.
Number two is I can guarantee twelve touches. I can't
guarantee you touch the ball on defense, so I can
literally people can scheme against you. I'd rather control my
(20:49):
talent then you control it. If I have a great corner,
you can largely control how often the ball is thrown
in his direction. With Travis Hunter on offense, I control
how many touches. I can put him in the backfield,
I can put him in a slot, I can put
him on the sideline. I like controlling my assets and
putting him on defense.
Speaker 2 (21:08):
At his talent, Well, I'm just.
Speaker 3 (21:10):
Gonna, I'm gonna, I'm gonna go to the other side
of the field. So, I mean, I don't think Jacksonville's
ever played it right with him.
Speaker 2 (21:18):
Final question, c J Stroud rookie year awesome.
Speaker 5 (21:23):
C J.
Speaker 2 (21:23):
Stroud's second year less awesome. C J Stroud has not
been good this year?
Speaker 7 (21:28):
Come. I mean, at this point, I don't know what
he is. I'm not saying he's not a franchise quarterback.
It's a little like Trevor Lawrence. We know he's talent, yeah,
but we keep waiting for the next thing.
Speaker 2 (21:43):
The next iteration of his process and when he's gonna learn.
We haven't seen it. We haven't seen it.
Speaker 7 (21:48):
You know, we saw that with Joe Burrow. We saw
that with Lamar Jackson. No, I haven't seen Stroud take
the leave. I'm not saying he's not a franchise guy,
but I think there's questions like, you know, is he
a backs are you paying him like what top of
the market when he's asked for the money, are you
are you making him well?
Speaker 3 (22:04):
I mean remember he's inexpensive now, so you can surround
him with more talent now than you will in three years.
Speaker 2 (22:10):
How much longer because this is his third year.
Speaker 3 (22:12):
Yeah, yeah, Jmack of the News, Well that's the news,
and thanks for stopping by the.
Speaker 2 (22:18):
Herd Line News. All Right, we're in La. It's the Herd.
Be sure to catch live editions of The Herd weekdays
at noon. Easter not a Empacific.
Speaker 3 (22:36):
We had noted on this earlier. I don't think there's
ever been a city in a time period that has
had more good coaches currently than La. Dave Roberts just
pulled off Houdiniacs in the World Series. He'll be a
Hall of Fame manager. JJ Ruddick has been really terrific
(22:57):
with the Lakers. I mean, say what you want about
last year when he didn't but he buddy in the
second half. But he's a notch above Darvenham and Laker
fans love him. And then you've got Jim Harbaugh Sean McVay.
I still contend Lincoln Riley offensively is one of the
sharpest coaches in college football US. He's got a top
(23:17):
five offense. It just it feels like everybody works in
LA right now. It just doesn't happen very often. And
Reddick was one of those guys that, you know, there's
the old thing, you got to have experience to be
a head coach.
Speaker 2 (23:31):
A lot of it's just intellect.
Speaker 3 (23:32):
If you're a really smart guy and you've been around
the game and you understand the game, and if you
listen to his podcast, very sharp guy.
Speaker 2 (23:40):
But Steve Nash was a sharp guy.
Speaker 3 (23:42):
He went to Brooklyn, but the environment wasn't very good
because Kyrie and Kadi didn't think they needed a head coach.
I do think part of what really helps JJ Reddick
is and he's fostered a lot of this.
Speaker 2 (23:56):
The environment's better.
Speaker 3 (23:57):
You know, Luke is easy to get along with, Austin
Reeve's easy to get along with. The new ownership group, Ruie.
Most of the people I don't think Lebron's difficult. I
think Lebron in his prime there was a lot of
gravitas to Lebron and how you treated him. I think
old Lebron that JJ Reddick really has hand. He has leverage.
(24:17):
Lebron does not, and with this new ownership group, they're
not beholden to Lebron. So JJ comes in to a
franchise he's got star players, nice role players, new ownership,
and old Lebron. If Lebron was twenty seven, this could
be a much tougher job. But instead you have clarity
on who your number one is and Lebron doesn't really
(24:38):
have any leverage or power at this point. And that's
not a knock on Lebron, it's just the reality. Here's
Rachel Nichols moments ago on JJ Reddick.
Speaker 5 (24:47):
JJ in terms of x's and o's, he's just so
excellent at putting a player in the exact position where
he's going to succeed. So technically he's always got guys
in the right place. And I think that's part of
what's going on with DeAndre Eyton Frankly, who has been
a huge part of this early seventy two run, but
you know, wasn't really doing that in other cities, and
now JJ's putting him in the exact positions he needs.
Speaker 3 (25:10):
Yeah, I think when an athlete's the NBA, you know,
is kind of weirdly always been a bit of a
status league. You know, guys want their respect and the
players got more power than the coach. That's very rarely
the instance. In the NFL, it's the shield is number
one coach ownership, with very few exceptions to star players.
Speaker 2 (25:34):
But in the end, Belichick state and Brady had to leave.
Speaker 3 (25:36):
Like it's always kind of felt like it's more of
a management league than a players league. But Lebron in
this league where he's had hand and leverage and status
and he just doesn't have it anymore. And Charles Barkley,
we used this earlier today, talked about aging Lebron for.
Speaker 10 (25:54):
All the time, always gonna win. There's nothing you can
do about it, you know, I joked on the show
a couple he's going to head just say Sciatica. They
could have just row old. It's exact same thing. All
old people back hurt. You know, he's got to accept.
I hope he leaves sooner than later. Obviously, Lebron's a
better player than me, But I don't want to see
(26:16):
great players just hanging on.
Speaker 3 (26:19):
Yeah, I think I think Lebron's smart enough to understand
his place right now with the Lakers.
Speaker 2 (26:24):
I mean, you were there last night. There's no negative energy.
Speaker 3 (26:27):
He's not going on the road trip, but there's no negative,
weird vibe around him right now.
Speaker 7 (26:31):
The vibes are great with the Lakers. Charles Berkley's way,
he could not be more wrong.
Speaker 2 (26:36):
Colin.
Speaker 7 (26:36):
Two years ago, Lebron played seventy one out of eighty
two games and was third team All NBA. Last year,
he played seventy of eighty two games. He was second
team All NBA, sixth at MVP. He's not falling off,
that's just there's zero evidence of that. No, it's because
he's out with sciatica. No, I think, oh no, oh
my gosh, he's getting old. Like, what the hell is
Berkeley talking about?
Speaker 3 (26:57):
Well, I think Lebron is a little like staph that
the offense has in his career run through him. Kevin Durant,
the offense even in OKC when he was in his prime,
didn't run through him. The Warriors didn't run through him.
It ran through staph. There are players who are great
players that I mean the Lakers, the offense ran through magic,
(27:18):
even though Kareem was the primary score. But the offense ran.
The pacing ran through magic. It was Magic's offense. And
when they needed a bucket, they went to the Big Fellow.
But the offense ran through magic. His decision making his pace,
his tempo, he had the ball in his hands. Lebron's
always been he is the ecosystem, Like, here's the offense,
here's Lebron, and in his prime for thirteen years or
(27:41):
fourteen years, that was fine, but he was a much
more dominant player in the East, which is awful compared
relative to the West. So in the West you've got
to be in your prime and great Jokic, you know.
I mean, if you look at the West right now,
it's going to be won by like Ants great and
in his prime. Yoki's great and in his prime. Wemby
(28:02):
he's not even in his prime yet, SGSGA great and
his prime. Lebron's really really exceptional, way out of his prime. Yeah,
there's limitations on what you can do to give him
the ball forty minutes tonight.
Speaker 7 (28:14):
This is a great point you're making and I we
don't know the answer to what I'm about to ask.
Speaker 2 (28:19):
So the reason I have Lebron over Jordan has to go.
Speaker 7 (28:22):
So Jordan was just scoring and then was put in
the triangle text and Phil Jackson triangle, and.
Speaker 2 (28:28):
Then he thrived. Lebron has thrived as the system wherever
he's gone. Right Cleveland, he's the system. They go to Miami,
he's the system.
Speaker 7 (28:36):
Now we have to find out can Lebron thrive as
he's what he's an Angelarry Park right, can he thrive
in that environment? Nobody knows the answer to that. For
Berkeley to pretend he knows, he's being goofy. I don't
see why Lebron, a pros pro, can't be like you
need me to do this at my age. Yeah, Luca's better.
There's a video last night of Luca the over the
(28:57):
head pass to RUI. Lebron looks at Nix and they're like,
oh my gosh. I think everybody knows Luca is the guy.
He is the alpha and the omego with the Lakers
right now, right he's everything. Yeah, Ken, Lebron just work
in it. I'm going to be positive and say, yeah,
I think he can. Yeah, it's just his stylistically. He's
an interesting fit. When he doesn't have the ball, you
(29:20):
know he's he's not Kd's a great.
Speaker 3 (29:22):
Off ball player. Klay Thompson was a great off ball player.
Some guys need they need it in their hands.
Speaker 2 (29:28):
Is he going to be a cutter? Is he a
spot up shooter? I don't think so. No, JJ Redick
Scott has worked cut out right because they're rolling.
Speaker 7 (29:34):
Now you show the standings. This is a good Lakers team.
Last year they had Jackson haz at center. Now they've
got DeAndre Aytons.
Speaker 3 (29:40):
Well. Aidens has been super offensively talented. He's moody, he
will not play defense. He goes into a funk. You
know he's I The way I sort of look at
DeAndre Ayton is JJ Reddick will get the best out
of him.
Speaker 2 (29:57):
But he he sulks.
Speaker 3 (29:58):
He aight and seen himself for a one or a two,
and he's probably a three or four. But he was
I think he was a number one pick out of Arizona.
So he comes in with all this status and the
NBA it's a kind of a status league.
Speaker 2 (30:11):
Guys want theirs.
Speaker 7 (30:12):
But everybody saw him in Portland They're like, oh, he's garbage,
he doesn't want to play, he's checked out. It's not
what you are right now, it's what you can be.
And with Luca and Lebron and JJ Reddick whipping him
into shape, Deandreen looks like the number like a top
five pick that we should have been.
Speaker 2 (30:27):
Well he was always physically gifted, yeah, but he just
never really put it all together right. He was like,
I got to get that second contract.
Speaker 3 (30:33):
Well, he felt he was ignored in Phoenix. He felt
he was ignored in Portland that didn't use him. So
JJ Reddick's doing a good job. There's something about his
tone and temperament. He feels valuable total. Now again, will
he feel as valuable like last night? Well, there's no
Lebron in Austin Reeves, so he gets touches. The truth is,
if Lebron Austin Reeves and Luca plays and Rui Ayton
(30:54):
doesn't get any touches. So that's a whole because Rui's
a nice player.
Speaker 7 (30:58):
Is Ayton gonna pout? I mean, you get a pout
with Luka Dancic out here, you're second in the West
and all of a sudden you're going from twenty to ten.
Speaker 2 (31:04):
To like, I don't know. Eight and seven, yeah, I
don't want to give the pouting dude, you want to
win games eight and last night got looks and touches.
That's not gonna happen. I hope he understands that.
Speaker 3 (31:13):
Well. I don't know if he does. NFL schedule this weekend.
Denver's gonna win tonight. The question at home is how
much they win by? I m sometimes I don't quite
understand the line. Indianapolis feels like they got pushed around.
I think they're gonna hammer Atlanta. It's my favorite bet
(31:33):
of the weekend. The Colts, favorite Colts, and in hammering,
I think they're gonna hammer Atlanta.
Speaker 2 (31:40):
I hope so. I think I'm I'm on them.
Speaker 7 (31:41):
The Tampa Bay, New England one is when I'm keep
drilling down on I think we're gonna do it tomorrow
and headlines.
Speaker 2 (31:46):
I don't want to give away my take, but you have.
Speaker 7 (31:48):
Any reader, Drake Maye, this will be the best quarterback
the Patriots have faced since Josh Allen, like five months ago.
Paygers haven't played anybody. Colin well, they yeah, the Falcons
are nobody. Sorry, I don't I don't see any glaring upsets.
A game that's very interesting is Arizona at Seattle. So
Arizona looks great against Dallas short week, they go to
(32:10):
Seattle looked unbelievable, unbelievable. You know, it's we did this earlier.
We did our pyramid.
Speaker 3 (32:19):
If you look at quarterback play, just based on this year,
the best quarterback in the league is Sam Darnal. Josh
Allen and Matt Stafford are one notch below. And now
they just gave Sam Darnold arguably the fastest wide receiver
in the league as a deep threat. So I'm interested
(32:40):
to see how that plays. You know, it's not like
they're asking him to be an offensive lineman and build cohesion.
He is a deep route runner, so he may be
able to walk in Seattle and immediately be an impact guy.
You know. The Monday night Philadelphia at Green Bay, everybody
loves the Packers.
Speaker 2 (33:00):
He goes off a bye, Sirianni, is he able to
change things up? He's not really a skiing guy.
Speaker 3 (33:05):
Yeah, that's not really him. All right, good stuff. Rachel
Nicols stopped by today. We certainly appreciate that. And tomorrow's
our blazing five. We had three straight winning weeks two
and three last week. We'll rebound. That's what we do.
We're like Rodman, always there for the rebound.
Thanks for listening to The Herd podcast. Be sure to
catch us live every weekday on Fox Sports Radio and
noon to three Eastern nine am to noone 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 3 (00:27):
I haven't seen Rachel Nicholson quite some time. It feels like,
you know, we saw so much of you last year,
and now I'm back in l A for a couple
more days.
Speaker 4 (00:35):
We'll be rocked down air a couple of weeks ago.
Speaker 3 (00:37):
Du It's not the same, the same, not the same.
We can connect. I can only tolerate Jmax so long.
It's nice to have another adult in the room. So
you talked to Luca, JJ and Wemby last night. You know,
for a year when I would cover Phil Jackson and
I would talk to other people about him, you know,
they always said Michael would have gotten his points in
(00:58):
Kobe his points, but they always said, you know, he
just did a really good job of getting the most
out of Will Purdue or a Steve Kerr, or Rick
Fox or Derek Fisher, Brian Shaw. I think JJ Reddick's
got that superpower like ruey is looks like an All Star.
Speaker 2 (01:15):
I mean, I don't know. I mean you talked to
him last night.
Speaker 3 (01:18):
It's it just I feel like he just squeezes the
juice out of the B players.
Speaker 4 (01:23):
Yeah, I mean.
Speaker 5 (01:24):
Phil Jackson's actually a great analogy. Phil had text Winter,
JJ's kind of all in one. So JJ in terms
of x's and o's, he's just so excellent at putting
a player in the exact position where he's going to succeed.
So technically he's always got guys in the right place.
And I think that's part of what's going on with
DeAndre Ayton. Frankly, yes, who has been a huge part
of this early seven to two run, but you know,
(01:47):
wasn't really doing that in other cities, and now JJ's
putting him in the exact positions he needs. The other aspect,
that's like Phil Jackson is he does all of that
sort of off court chemistry things. So you know, Phil
Jackson would give guys books, right, and he would sort
of have them do different projects. JJ Reddick has them
doing a Japanese sort of get to know you method
(02:10):
called Pika shuk I'm going to get it wrong. I
always say Pikachu, like the like the whatever, picha kachu.
And it is basically where a guy has to give
a presentation to the rest of the room and there
are six slides where he asked to give shows. You know,
this was what was important to me as a kid.
Speaker 4 (02:28):
This is the basketball court I grew up on.
Speaker 5 (02:30):
Get to know you things, to know each other in
a deeper way, to build that kind of chemistry.
Speaker 4 (02:36):
And you're seeing it.
Speaker 5 (02:37):
I mean, the other Lakers example you can give is
on the flip side. We remember in two thousand and
four when a Detroit Pistons team beat the Lakers in
the finals, a Lakers team that was heavily favored, that
had Kobe Shack, Gary Payton, Karl Malone. Why did the
Pistons win Because they were such a team. They were
all together and they really loved playing four and with
each other. And that has been built this year with
(02:59):
this team, and it's noticeably different, and part of it
is this JJ stuff of having them do the Phil
Jackson style things off the court. Luca said that, you know,
he showed everyone his cars and one of his slides
and everything his pride and joy. And then part of
it is just these guys really like each other. I
mean you can see the way Luca and Austin, you know,
just they vibe all the time.
Speaker 4 (03:19):
It's really fun.
Speaker 3 (03:20):
Yeah, and you know there I said earlier today, I
don't want to pick on Lebron. I think Lebron knows
there's a passing of a torch. LA has always been
the Lakers have always been the past the Torch franchise.
Kareem to Magic to Shaq to Kobe, to Lebron to Luca.
Speaker 2 (03:37):
That's what they are.
Speaker 3 (03:38):
This is not you know, there's a lot of organizations
if they got one of those players right right, Lakers
just do it like every seven years.
Speaker 2 (03:48):
He's not going on a road trip.
Speaker 3 (03:49):
I do think Rich Paul and Lebron understand the passing
of the torch. But there are those that would suggest
he's being a little needy. He wants to send like
his little waves, his little radio waves too. You know,
I'd like, you know, maybe a little more love. What
do you land on that stuff. I don't want to
make a story out of a non story. I think
Lebron's too smart to not understand what the Lakers are doing.
Speaker 5 (04:11):
He does absolutely. I think we saw that neediness. I
need to send out a little wave sort of thing
in the summer, right some of those Instagram posts, Yeah,
I'm in Cleveland wearing a hat that says home, I'm
working out of the old Clippers facility.
Speaker 4 (04:23):
I made all of that kind of stuff.
Speaker 5 (04:25):
I think now he's really on board with being on
this team right now and letting what happens next year be,
you know, next summer to.
Speaker 4 (04:32):
Sort of thing.
Speaker 5 (04:33):
But look, Lebron has a gravity in a locker room,
in any room he's in. I always compare him to Jupiter.
Jupiter has two and a half times the gravity of Earth.
Lebron has two and a half times the gravity of
anyone else in that locker room. So when he's in
the locker room actively on the court, he is such
a huge presence. It is going to be different from
(04:53):
when he is not, and there's going to be a
little bit of a test or interesting to see this
team reintegrate that gravity with what is.
Speaker 4 (05:00):
Working right now. That's not Lebron's fault.
Speaker 5 (05:02):
He doesn't do anything disruptive, it's just that he's different.
Speaker 3 (05:07):
What do you make these international players are usually pretty
petty and mature. They play against older men. European kids
have wine with the parents. They're just different than our kids, right,
Like just there's just a kind of a liberal casualness
to alcohol and just life that we don't quite have.
So I would imagine Wemby is adult, easy to talk to.
Speaker 2 (05:29):
Was he for you last night?
Speaker 5 (05:30):
Oh, he's great, and you know he's funny, but this
is his second language. I believe he also has a
third language in there. I was talking to him about
some of the challenges that you've been talking about on
the show, about the double teams coming at him, and
he said, you know, sort of the game is just
faster right now, which we hear.
Speaker 3 (05:47):
All the time, right quarterbacks say that when they break
into the leak, everything's way everything's way too fast.
Speaker 5 (05:52):
And so he had thought he had flowed the game down.
But now with these new defensive schemes around him, double
teams are coming from his blind side. They're not letting
him get to a spot. Instead of just putting the
tallest guy on him, they're more concerned with where he's
positioned on the court, making him uncomfortable, and he's just
got to learn how to deal with it, and I
asked him, I said, oh, is it kind of like
a video game, like you get to the next level,
(06:12):
you know, it's like leveling up in a video game.
And he's like, that's called scaling up. And it was
just so funny to hear this guy. You know, he's cracking,
he's making a joke and not his first language with
a vocabulary word.
Speaker 4 (06:24):
I mean, he's great.
Speaker 2 (06:25):
Yeah, one more heard. The Herd streams twenty four hours
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Speaker 6 (06:36):
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Speaker 2 (06:50):
That's right.
Speaker 7 (06:51):
You can now watch The Odd Couple live on YouTube
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All you gotta do search Odd Couple FSR on YouTube
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Speaker 3 (07:07):
I'm want to talk to John Morant situation. So I
think Adam Silver's really bright. I think he's a learned guy.
I've had him on the show. I really like Adam.
The NBA has done one thing I think was a
classic mistake, and I told Adam this. They demonized college
basketball and the great thing about college football it microwaves
(07:30):
all these stars and then hands the popcorn to the NFL.
Speaker 2 (07:34):
Yeah, ready to go. You have a little soul.
Speaker 4 (07:35):
Yep, they don't even have to pay for it.
Speaker 2 (07:37):
That's right.
Speaker 3 (07:37):
The G League, the G League basically got in the
way of college basketball. So guys playing El segundo, nobody watches.
The reason I know Zion is Duke, it's Michigan State,
it's Kentucky, So embrace college basketball. I do think the
NIL now is doing that. It's you guys are like
(08:00):
one hundred thousand year four hundred there. I'll stay at
Michigan State. But John Moran, it's kind of a cautionary
tale his lack of maturity. He was recently asked about
his unhappiness the coaches in Memphis.
Speaker 4 (08:14):
What are we doing?
Speaker 2 (08:15):
The coach staff able to talk about a happy.
Speaker 6 (08:18):
Friday and move on?
Speaker 2 (08:19):
Yeah, I ask that question in them. Huh what about
for you?
Speaker 3 (08:23):
Yeah?
Speaker 2 (08:23):
I ask that question so I'll know the answer.
Speaker 7 (08:25):
To that.
Speaker 2 (08:27):
Do you feel like everything's been resolved?
Speaker 5 (08:29):
Yeah?
Speaker 2 (08:31):
They told you that, right, Well yeah, but from you
obviously they can go and tell y'all something mind says,
so what are you making?
Speaker 5 (08:39):
Its current situation is clearly deeply unhappy, and I think
this is a little bit of a come to Jesus
moment for.
Speaker 4 (08:45):
Not only Job but the franchise.
Speaker 5 (08:48):
Right because Job burst into this league with so much
energy electricity, was able to do so many things around
the basket that has decreased every year every year. His shooting,
which was something we thought he could work and get
better at, instead has decreased every year on us at
a low right now. And when he is not happy,
he is not playing the brand of basketball.
Speaker 2 (09:09):
That will make him simple moodie player.
Speaker 4 (09:11):
Right.
Speaker 5 (09:12):
The problem has been throughout his entire time in Memphis
is that Jow wants to do what Jaw wants to do,
whether it's on the court playing the way he wants
to play. Right now he's in conflict with the coaching
staff over their substitution patterns, or whether it's off the court.
Speaker 4 (09:26):
I want to do this. I want to go to clubs,
I want to have a gun, I want to do
these things.
Speaker 5 (09:30):
What is good for Jaw in his mind has not
been historically what is best for the franchise. And finally,
with the suspension the other day, the franchise said, we're
going to hold you in line with what's best for
the franchise and we'll see what happens. I don't think
Memphis is in a position to trade him for a
couple of reasons. First of all, I think the market
for him right now is not very good, and a
lot of people don't want to bring.
Speaker 4 (09:51):
That kind of energy onto their team.
Speaker 5 (09:53):
And also, I think we underestimate nationally the attachment that
the people of Memphis have to Jah Moran, and that
he is the reason there are fans in the seats
that's an arena whose lease is up soon, their attendance
is extremely low.
Speaker 4 (10:07):
I think they need to keep.
Speaker 5 (10:08):
Him there on the court, but they have got to
figure out a way to reconcile the fact that he
wants to do what he sees is best for him
and they want to do what they see is best
for the team.
Speaker 3 (10:17):
You know, it's really interesting. This just popped into my
head for whatever reasons. The wide receiver position in the NFL,
the boundary receiver. You know, they break the huddle first.
They're often the longest, most creative, gifted athlete on the field,
and you know, diva receivers like a term. The problem
(10:38):
with being that is that as college football has progressed,
it's a much more throwing sport. There's fifteen to twenty
receivers that come college to the pros annually, and nobody
puts up with it anymore. Where I think Jaws in
trouble is the global scale of basketball talent has increased,
so people look at John think. I mean it used
(10:58):
to be Rachel that after about the fourteenth pick you
ran out of player's in the draft. Now you go
mid second round. I mean in a terrible draft. Browny
goes mid second and has actually looked good. So I
don't think there's a huge market for Jaw, is there.
Speaker 5 (11:17):
I mean, it's just he's put himself in a difficult position,
which is a shame because he walked in with everyone's
sort of admiration and fantastic town intentions. Look, I think
the global game has made the American game step up.
We have great young American stars right now, right starting
with Anthony Edwards. Of course, Kate Cunningham, Jaylen Williams, who.
Speaker 4 (11:37):
Just won a title.
Speaker 2 (11:38):
Cooper had one bad game.
Speaker 5 (11:40):
Right, I mean he's obviously incredibly promising and Shake Gilders Alexander.
I know he was the teenth you know, foreign player
to win MVP.
Speaker 4 (11:49):
He's Canadian.
Speaker 5 (11:50):
He grew up in the AAU style system. You know,
he played a bunch of He wasn't didn't on an
AAU team because of where he grew up, but he
played in a bunch of AAU tournaments. He went to Kentucky, Like,
let's not pretend that he didn't have the same upbringing
as these American players. So you're seeing a lot of
successes in this country, and of course then globally we
are getting to your point about maturity. We have not
(12:13):
just a bunch of players from Slovenia. We have Slovenia's
best player. You kind of have to be the best.
It's like we send to a foreign league, we're sending
you Lebron, right, so they're sending us their version of Lebron.
Speaker 4 (12:24):
We have Serbia's best player.
Speaker 3 (12:26):
Oh, we have the best talent, but there are these
iconic every other year global players. That's the best of Europe, right,
I mean, Gianna.
Speaker 5 (12:35):
Sent Kupo isn't just a good player in Greece the
way I don't know. Kate Cunningham is a very good
player in America. He's the best player in the entire
country and in fact of many surrounding countries too. I mean,
that's who you're getting, So comparing them is not always
an apples to earn you apples to apples comparison. But
I think it's really an interesting point in the game.
To your point is that these international players have helped
(12:57):
American players also step up up all the way across,
and there's just so much talent in the league right
now that if you can't see your way to be
a good teammate, if you can't see your way to
help the team win as opposed to help you do
what you want to do, you're not going to last
as long.
Speaker 3 (13:13):
Well.
Speaker 2 (13:13):
I always ask you a next question.
Speaker 3 (13:15):
They've won three in a row, just hammered a good
Minnesota team, So I didn't like getting rid of TIBs.
I didn't think he was super creative. I know Mike.
Mike Brown's a great guy. He's a veteran, he knows
his stuff. What's the talk in New York. Now, the
TIBs firing was strange based on the best season for
the next and two decades. But they're playing okay. I
(13:37):
kind of think the next personnel is what it is.
I don't think the coach is going to Mike Brown's
not going to elevate or I mean, what do you
make of it?
Speaker 5 (13:45):
Look, they are playing deeper into the bench than they
ever did under TIBs, and that will help them in
the playoffs because they'll have more guys with more experience
to go to and that is what management wanted, right
They thought that, Hey, that's one part that's missing the
style that Mike Brown plays. I think when we saw
the Knicks have a little trouble at the.
Speaker 4 (14:02):
Beginning of the season, it was just adapting to that.
Speaker 5 (14:05):
I think Carl Anthony Towns is still trying to figure
out who he is in this system.
Speaker 4 (14:09):
But I do think that will come.
Speaker 5 (14:11):
And Mike Brown is a great coach in getting guys
sort of together and emotional and the stuff we were
talking about well.
Speaker 4 (14:17):
Top with JJ Reddick.
Speaker 5 (14:18):
He knows how to have a locker room sort of
get that extra step that Detroit Pistons two thousand and
four extra step of we want to play for each other,
we like each other, and you know, we saw it
in Sacramento. He turned that franchise around in that way,
and I think we're going to see that in New
York too.
Speaker 4 (14:34):
It's just a question of management.
Speaker 5 (14:36):
Said when getting to the game six of the Eastern
Conference Finals isn't good enough. You are saying that for
Mike Brown to be successful, he has to win a
title or at least get to the finals, and that's
not guaranteed.
Speaker 2 (14:50):
Jay Mac, I want you to listen closely. Rachel.
Speaker 3 (14:53):
I saw her offset today made a point. Steph Curry
and I have something in common.
Speaker 2 (14:58):
What is it?
Speaker 4 (14:58):
Yeah, both of them are out today with them so
you know. Hall of Fame All Stars, right.
Speaker 5 (15:05):
I also told Colin that the tenor of the Jets
talk on this show has greatly changed when I was
here yesterday.
Speaker 2 (15:11):
Fame All Stars.
Speaker 3 (15:11):
I like how you reference it kind of respect I
so richly deserved.
Speaker 4 (15:15):
Yeah, exactly.
Speaker 2 (15:17):
I love having you on the show.
Speaker 4 (15:18):
It's great to see you.
Speaker 2 (15:19):
Great to see you. Jay Mack with the news, Turn
on the news. This is the headline news all right,
Hall of Famers. Let's start by talking about the forty
nine Ers.
Speaker 7 (15:30):
They made the low risk move adding keyon White ahead
of the deadline. Ultimately, at six and three, San Francisco
is in the thick of.
Speaker 2 (15:39):
The NFC playoff.
Speaker 7 (15:40):
On Kyle Shanahan doesn't believe the team's inactivity at the
deadline is a reflection of their goals.
Speaker 8 (15:47):
I don't think it has to do with how we
do this year's team. I think we worked just as
hard this year to make a trade that made sense
for our team this year and next year, just as
hard as we do every year. And there's a lot
of teams with records like six and three or better
than didn't make any big trade.
Speaker 2 (16:04):
They're not.
Speaker 8 (16:05):
Just because you make a big trade doesn't mean it's
always a smart move.
Speaker 3 (16:09):
The line is interesting at four and a half. How
do you not like the Niners at home to cover
that is a lot in a division rivalry game.
Speaker 7 (16:19):
The problem is the Niners can't pressure the quarterback now,
They just cannot. They don't have anybody. Williams is out,
Huff was out, Bosa's done.
Speaker 4 (16:27):
Like.
Speaker 7 (16:27):
They can't get to the quarterback. So now you're leaning
on a kind of an inferior secondary. They're playing a
lot of new guys I feel like the Rams are
scoring thirty for sure. Depends on that in the question
is can they slow down Mac Jones? They could not
at so far in a revenge spot. I have a
feeling the Rams show up here.
Speaker 2 (16:44):
You don't, uh, it's.
Speaker 3 (16:45):
You know, these division rivalry games are always different. A
lot of tough divisions. Even Miami Buffalo's tough this weekend.
There's a lot of divisional matchives that kind of scare me.
Just to Tad Saints Panthers. Everybody loves the Panthers Anthers.
So I don't know what to do here, Rams signers,
this is maybe one. You'll watch it, you live bet it.
Each score on the first drive and this is down
(17:08):
to three, then yeah, I'll.
Speaker 2 (17:09):
Take the ranks. Yeah, good call. All right, let's move on.
Speaker 7 (17:12):
Next story is your guy Bo Knicks and the Broncos
Huge one tonight Colin Denver, seven and three. We know
Chiefs fans around the country are watching rooting for the
Raiders bow Knicks. These divisional games, man, they're important.
Speaker 2 (17:29):
To us.
Speaker 9 (17:29):
First, we got to win them. These are the ones
that have the most way to them. These are the
ones that you you got to go in there and
win to set yourself up for the the playoffs, and
so as a team, these are the most important for
US rivalries. And you know these are the fun ones
and it's like playing a conference game and uh in college,
(17:49):
these are the ones that you look forward to. These
are why you know you're a Bronco to be be
teams like.
Speaker 2 (17:55):
This weird stat for you column.
Speaker 7 (17:58):
So the first three this season Denver cumulative score minus
one in the fourth quarter plus sixty for whatever reason, they.
Speaker 2 (18:09):
Turn it on late.
Speaker 7 (18:09):
If you want to get exotic, and I maybe bet
the Raiders first quarter.
Speaker 3 (18:13):
Well, I mean the lion is again, it's a divisional matchup.
The line's outrageous nine and a half. Well here, how
about this? So last week against the Jags, right, Raiders
you know were in it. It was close.
Speaker 7 (18:23):
The Jags scored on their last six drives of the game.
Once the Raiders defense got tired, they just Jags mowed
through them. That's without Travis Hunter. Brian Thomas left early.
Bo Nicks and companies should mode right down the field
against these guys, you would think.
Speaker 3 (18:38):
And defensively it's been a a I swear to god,
this I mean like Seattle hammering the Commanders in DC
Arizona dominating the Cowboys.
Speaker 2 (18:49):
It's week to week in this league.
Speaker 3 (18:51):
Like my preseason predictions have been really really good so
far this year. I had New England shocking people. I
had Seattle shocking people week to week in this league.
Speaker 2 (19:01):
So you're not taking raiders here, are you?
Speaker 6 (19:03):
Uh?
Speaker 2 (19:04):
Or maybe take the points, but not outright?
Speaker 3 (19:05):
Yeah, I just nine and a half. Feel stay away.
You know what I was for hiring Pete Carroll?
Speaker 2 (19:13):
What do we make of it?
Speaker 7 (19:14):
Now?
Speaker 2 (19:15):
I'll let you take that one, buddy. Yeah, I don't
know how I feel like I got. Chip Kelly is
the OC.
Speaker 7 (19:19):
I remember talking to him at your birthday party and
I was like, I love Chim Kelly. It's been a
tough go, like Ashton Gent.
Speaker 2 (19:26):
You have seen some of the numbers. It's like a
non factor. Yeah, nothing's working. I don't I don't know.
Final story, Calm, let's go to Oh this news stinks.
Speaker 7 (19:34):
C J. Stroud of the Texans was ruled out yesterday.
Remember midweek they ruled him out. He took a brutal hit.
I'm with Damiko Ryans. I thought that was a dirty play.
We gotta protect quarterbacks in this league. Colin, you know,
we got to see Marcus Mariota and Washington the rest
of the season.
Speaker 2 (19:50):
You know, they're in a European game next week.
Speaker 7 (19:52):
And I'm not wicking who's waking up a six thirty
watch more because Mariota.
Speaker 2 (19:55):
Now we got c J. Stroud out Davis mills I mean,
he's even a corner TV game for you. I mean
I watch Davis Millson's recorders because I had Houston last week.
Speaker 3 (20:04):
No that there's a game every weekend that I just
don't watch.
Speaker 2 (20:08):
This is the game. Well, I'm kind of intrigued by
the Jaguars here. I don't know. I'm glad somebody is.
Speaker 7 (20:14):
I mean, I like Trevor Lawrence till I think addingm
Jacobe Myers, he's good man.
Speaker 3 (20:20):
No, you know what he is is Brian. I mean
Travis Hunter hasn't done anything. They should have just put
him on offense. Forget about defense.
Speaker 2 (20:28):
That was dumb.
Speaker 3 (20:29):
You know, that's something everybody talked about and debated, and
I from the very beginning I said, put Travis Hunter
on offense. A. It's the most important part of pro football.
Number two is I can guarantee twelve touches. I can't
guarantee you touch the ball on defense, so I can
literally people can scheme against you. I'd rather control my
(20:49):
talent then you control it. If I have a great corner,
you can largely control how often the ball is thrown
in his direction. With Travis Hunter on offense, I control
how many touches. I can put him in the backfield,
I can put him in a slot, I can put
him on the sideline. I like controlling my assets and
putting him on defense.
Speaker 2 (21:08):
At his talent, Well, I'm just.
Speaker 3 (21:10):
Gonna, I'm gonna, I'm gonna go to the other side
of the field. So, I mean, I don't think Jacksonville's
ever played it right with him.
Speaker 2 (21:18):
Final question, c J Stroud rookie year awesome.
Speaker 5 (21:23):
C J.
Speaker 2 (21:23):
Stroud's second year less awesome. C J Stroud has not
been good this year?
Speaker 7 (21:28):
Come. I mean, at this point, I don't know what
he is. I'm not saying he's not a franchise quarterback.
It's a little like Trevor Lawrence. We know he's talent, yeah,
but we keep waiting for the next thing.
Speaker 2 (21:43):
The next iteration of his process and when he's gonna learn.
We haven't seen it. We haven't seen it.
Speaker 7 (21:48):
You know, we saw that with Joe Burrow. We saw
that with Lamar Jackson. No, I haven't seen Stroud take
the leave. I'm not saying he's not a franchise guy,
but I think there's questions like, you know, is he
a backs are you paying him like what top of
the market when he's asked for the money, are you
are you making him well?
Speaker 3 (22:04):
I mean remember he's inexpensive now, so you can surround
him with more talent now than you will in three years.
Speaker 2 (22:10):
How much longer because this is his third year.
Speaker 3 (22:12):
Yeah, yeah, Jmack of the News, Well that's the news,
and thanks for stopping by the.
Speaker 2 (22:18):
Herd Line News. All Right, we're in La. It's the Herd.
Be sure to catch live editions of The Herd weekdays
at noon. Easter not a Empacific.
Speaker 3 (22:36):
We had noted on this earlier. I don't think there's
ever been a city in a time period that has
had more good coaches currently than La. Dave Roberts just
pulled off Houdiniacs in the World Series. He'll be a
Hall of Fame manager. JJ Ruddick has been really terrific
(22:57):
with the Lakers. I mean, say what you want about
last year when he didn't but he buddy in the
second half. But he's a notch above Darvenham and Laker
fans love him. And then you've got Jim Harbaugh Sean McVay.
I still contend Lincoln Riley offensively is one of the
sharpest coaches in college football US. He's got a top
(23:17):
five offense. It just it feels like everybody works in
LA right now. It just doesn't happen very often. And
Reddick was one of those guys that, you know, there's
the old thing, you got to have experience to be
a head coach.
Speaker 2 (23:31):
A lot of it's just intellect.
Speaker 3 (23:32):
If you're a really smart guy and you've been around
the game and you understand the game, and if you
listen to his podcast, very sharp guy.
Speaker 2 (23:40):
But Steve Nash was a sharp guy.
Speaker 3 (23:42):
He went to Brooklyn, but the environment wasn't very good
because Kyrie and Kadi didn't think they needed a head coach.
I do think part of what really helps JJ Reddick
is and he's fostered a lot of this.
Speaker 2 (23:56):
The environment's better.
Speaker 3 (23:57):
You know, Luke is easy to get along with, Austin
Reeve's easy to get along with. The new ownership group, Ruie.
Most of the people I don't think Lebron's difficult. I
think Lebron in his prime there was a lot of
gravitas to Lebron and how you treated him. I think
old Lebron that JJ Reddick really has hand. He has leverage.
(24:17):
Lebron does not, and with this new ownership group, they're
not beholden to Lebron. So JJ comes in to a
franchise he's got star players, nice role players, new ownership,
and old Lebron. If Lebron was twenty seven, this could
be a much tougher job. But instead you have clarity
on who your number one is and Lebron doesn't really
(24:38):
have any leverage or power at this point. And that's
not a knock on Lebron, it's just the reality. Here's
Rachel Nichols moments ago on JJ Reddick.
Speaker 5 (24:47):
JJ in terms of x's and o's, he's just so
excellent at putting a player in the exact position where
he's going to succeed. So technically he's always got guys
in the right place. And I think that's part of
what's going on with DeAndre Eyton Frankly, who has been
a huge part of this early seventy two run, but
you know, wasn't really doing that in other cities, and
now JJ's putting him in the exact positions he needs.
Speaker 3 (25:10):
Yeah, I think when an athlete's the NBA, you know,
is kind of weirdly always been a bit of a
status league. You know, guys want their respect and the
players got more power than the coach. That's very rarely
the instance. In the NFL, it's the shield is number
one coach ownership, with very few exceptions to star players.
Speaker 2 (25:34):
But in the end, Belichick state and Brady had to leave.
Speaker 3 (25:36):
Like it's always kind of felt like it's more of
a management league than a players league. But Lebron in
this league where he's had hand and leverage and status
and he just doesn't have it anymore. And Charles Barkley,
we used this earlier today, talked about aging Lebron for.
Speaker 10 (25:54):
All the time, always gonna win. There's nothing you can
do about it, you know, I joked on the show
a couple he's going to head just say Sciatica. They
could have just row old. It's exact same thing. All
old people back hurt. You know, he's got to accept.
I hope he leaves sooner than later. Obviously, Lebron's a
better player than me, But I don't want to see
(26:16):
great players just hanging on.
Speaker 3 (26:19):
Yeah, I think I think Lebron's smart enough to understand
his place right now with the Lakers.
Speaker 2 (26:24):
I mean, you were there last night. There's no negative energy.
Speaker 3 (26:27):
He's not going on the road trip, but there's no negative,
weird vibe around him right now.
Speaker 7 (26:31):
The vibes are great with the Lakers. Charles Berkley's way,
he could not be more wrong.
Speaker 2 (26:36):
Colin.
Speaker 7 (26:36):
Two years ago, Lebron played seventy one out of eighty
two games and was third team All NBA. Last year,
he played seventy of eighty two games. He was second
team All NBA, sixth at MVP. He's not falling off,
that's just there's zero evidence of that. No, it's because
he's out with sciatica. No, I think, oh no, oh
my gosh, he's getting old. Like, what the hell is
Berkeley talking about?
Speaker 3 (26:57):
Well, I think Lebron is a little like staph that
the offense has in his career run through him. Kevin Durant,
the offense even in OKC when he was in his prime,
didn't run through him. The Warriors didn't run through him.
It ran through staph. There are players who are great
players that I mean the Lakers, the offense ran through magic,
(27:18):
even though Kareem was the primary score. But the offense ran.
The pacing ran through magic. It was Magic's offense. And
when they needed a bucket, they went to the Big Fellow.
But the offense ran through magic. His decision making his pace,
his tempo, he had the ball in his hands. Lebron's
always been he is the ecosystem, Like, here's the offense,
here's Lebron, and in his prime for thirteen years or
(27:41):
fourteen years, that was fine, but he was a much
more dominant player in the East, which is awful compared
relative to the West. So in the West you've got
to be in your prime and great Jokic, you know.
I mean, if you look at the West right now,
it's going to be won by like Ants great and
in his prime. Yoki's great and in his prime. Wemby
(28:02):
he's not even in his prime yet, SGSGA great and
his prime. Lebron's really really exceptional, way out of his prime. Yeah,
there's limitations on what you can do to give him
the ball forty minutes tonight.
Speaker 7 (28:14):
This is a great point you're making and I we
don't know the answer to what I'm about to ask.
Speaker 2 (28:19):
So the reason I have Lebron over Jordan has to go.
Speaker 7 (28:22):
So Jordan was just scoring and then was put in
the triangle text and Phil Jackson triangle, and.
Speaker 2 (28:28):
Then he thrived. Lebron has thrived as the system wherever
he's gone. Right Cleveland, he's the system. They go to Miami,
he's the system.
Speaker 7 (28:36):
Now we have to find out can Lebron thrive as
he's what he's an Angelarry Park right, can he thrive
in that environment? Nobody knows the answer to that. For
Berkeley to pretend he knows, he's being goofy. I don't
see why Lebron, a pros pro, can't be like you
need me to do this at my age. Yeah, Luca's better.
There's a video last night of Luca the over the
(28:57):
head pass to RUI. Lebron looks at Nix and they're like,
oh my gosh. I think everybody knows Luca is the guy.
He is the alpha and the omego with the Lakers
right now, right he's everything. Yeah, Ken, Lebron just work
in it. I'm going to be positive and say, yeah,
I think he can. Yeah, it's just his stylistically. He's
an interesting fit. When he doesn't have the ball, you
(29:20):
know he's he's not Kd's a great.
Speaker 3 (29:22):
Off ball player. Klay Thompson was a great off ball player.
Some guys need they need it in their hands.
Speaker 2 (29:28):
Is he going to be a cutter? Is he a
spot up shooter? I don't think so. No, JJ Redick
Scott has worked cut out right because they're rolling.
Speaker 7 (29:34):
Now you show the standings. This is a good Lakers team.
Last year they had Jackson haz at center. Now they've
got DeAndre Aytons.
Speaker 3 (29:40):
Well. Aidens has been super offensively talented. He's moody, he
will not play defense. He goes into a funk. You
know he's I The way I sort of look at
DeAndre Ayton is JJ Reddick will get the best out
of him.
Speaker 2 (29:57):
But he he sulks.
Speaker 3 (29:58):
He aight and seen himself for a one or a two,
and he's probably a three or four. But he was
I think he was a number one pick out of Arizona.
So he comes in with all this status and the
NBA it's a kind of a status league.
Speaker 2 (30:11):
Guys want theirs.
Speaker 7 (30:12):
But everybody saw him in Portland They're like, oh, he's garbage,
he doesn't want to play, he's checked out. It's not
what you are right now, it's what you can be.
And with Luca and Lebron and JJ Reddick whipping him
into shape, Deandreen looks like the number like a top
five pick that we should have been.
Speaker 2 (30:27):
Well he was always physically gifted, yeah, but he just
never really put it all together right. He was like,
I got to get that second contract.
Speaker 3 (30:33):
Well, he felt he was ignored in Phoenix. He felt
he was ignored in Portland that didn't use him. So
JJ Reddick's doing a good job. There's something about his
tone and temperament. He feels valuable total. Now again, will
he feel as valuable like last night? Well, there's no
Lebron in Austin Reeves, so he gets touches. The truth is,
if Lebron Austin Reeves and Luca plays and Rui Ayton
(30:54):
doesn't get any touches. So that's a whole because Rui's
a nice player.
Speaker 7 (30:58):
Is Ayton gonna pout? I mean, you get a pout
with Luka Dancic out here, you're second in the West
and all of a sudden you're going from twenty to ten.
Speaker 2 (31:04):
To like, I don't know. Eight and seven, yeah, I
don't want to give the pouting dude, you want to
win games eight and last night got looks and touches.
That's not gonna happen. I hope he understands that.
Speaker 3 (31:13):
Well. I don't know if he does. NFL schedule this weekend.
Denver's gonna win tonight. The question at home is how
much they win by? I m sometimes I don't quite
understand the line. Indianapolis feels like they got pushed around.
I think they're gonna hammer Atlanta. It's my favorite bet
(31:33):
of the weekend. The Colts, favorite Colts, and in hammering,
I think they're gonna hammer Atlanta.
Speaker 2 (31:40):
I hope so. I think I'm I'm on them.
Speaker 7 (31:41):
The Tampa Bay, New England one is when I'm keep
drilling down on I think we're gonna do it tomorrow
and headlines.
Speaker 2 (31:46):
I don't want to give away my take, but you have.
Speaker 7 (31:48):
Any reader, Drake Maye, this will be the best quarterback
the Patriots have faced since Josh Allen, like five months ago.
Paygers haven't played anybody. Colin well, they yeah, the Falcons
are nobody. Sorry, I don't I don't see any glaring upsets.
A game that's very interesting is Arizona at Seattle. So
Arizona looks great against Dallas short week, they go to
(32:10):
Seattle looked unbelievable, unbelievable. You know, it's we did this earlier.
We did our pyramid.
Speaker 3 (32:19):
If you look at quarterback play, just based on this year,
the best quarterback in the league is Sam Darnal. Josh
Allen and Matt Stafford are one notch below. And now
they just gave Sam Darnold arguably the fastest wide receiver
in the league as a deep threat. So I'm interested
(32:40):
to see how that plays. You know, it's not like
they're asking him to be an offensive lineman and build cohesion.
He is a deep route runner, so he may be
able to walk in Seattle and immediately be an impact guy.
You know. The Monday night Philadelphia at Green Bay, everybody
loves the Packers.
Speaker 2 (33:00):
He goes off a bye, Sirianni, is he able to
change things up? He's not really a skiing guy.
Speaker 3 (33:05):
Yeah, that's not really him. All right, good stuff. Rachel
Nicols stopped by today. We certainly appreciate that. And tomorrow's
our blazing five. We had three straight winning weeks two
and three last week. We'll rebound. That's what we do.
We're like Rodman, always there for the rebound.
Hosts And Creators
Colin Cowherd
Jason McIntyre
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