April 15, 2024 • 39 mins
Colin examines the upcoming NFL draft and why teams can quickly turn their franchises around unlike the other pro leagues where rebuilds can take years. He tells you why he was right about LeBron James and wrong about the Warriors. Plus, NBA insider Ric Bucher joins the show in studio to preview the NBA playoffs.
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Speaker 1 (00:00):
Thanks for listening to the Best of the Herd podcast.
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Speaker 2 (00:19):
This is the Best of the Herd with Colin cowher
on Fox Sports Radio.
Speaker 1 (00:27):
Here we go on a Monday, live in Los Angeles.
It's the Herd wherever you may be and however you
may be listening. Thanks for making us part of your day.
Colin right, Colin wrong. One hour from now, it is
going to get very very interesting. Over the next couple
of weeks. We're gonna have a couple of major changes
(00:47):
in sports in America. Are you ready for those changes?
Jamat depends what they are, but possibly yeah. So one
week from today is Draft week, all right, So let's
talk about that. So draft is not this Thursday, next Thursday,
but next Monday is NFL Draft Week. It's very intense
(01:10):
and your average to maybe way below average NFL franchise
starting next Monday, it gets very very close to changing
things forever. Maybe you've been a laughingstock. Washington poorly owned,
Chicago poorly quarterbacked, the Raiders, bat at everything, Arizona. Don't
trust the ownership. Draft in the NFL is different and baseball,
(01:34):
your great draft pick goes to the miners. In the NBA.
Even if you get the best pick in years Wemby,
he's gonna win twenty twenty two games and they're not
going to win double or triple that for years to
come potentially. But in football it's different. One year ago
(01:55):
from today, the Houston Texans were a laughing stock. And
this is the key to the NFL and politicians. Do
you bring hope, something new, something fresh. Do you deliver hope?
Nobody delivers hope like the NFL. The Houston Texans bad ownership,
bad roster, bad quarterback, bad team, bad stink, no inertia.
(02:17):
What did they do? CJ. Stroud with the number two pick,
moved up to the number three pick, got Will Anderson,
both our rookie of the year. The Houston Texans win
their division, win a playoff game, and now they're tied
for the third best odds to get to the Super Bowl.
In the AFC. They were a laughing stock, a year
ago to Super Bowl contender. Two picks, one coach got
(02:40):
them all right. And that's the league that is not available.
That ascension is not available in other sports. In baseball
you have to buy relevance, and about six teams maybe
four can afford it. In the NBA, you trade for
or buy relevance, but the Stars mostly want to plan
about five places Miami, LA. You get it. In the NFL,
(03:02):
you draft relevance. And because the kids don't come out
as like true kids, they're twenty one, twenty two, twenty three,
they've been coached hard. They can deliver and change your
franchise if you hit on just one or two like Houston.
Who is Houston this year? Well, Chicago and the Commanders
look like if they get the quarterback right, things could
(03:24):
get interesting. I think if the Chargers move down pick
up a couple of picks Jim Harbaugh, the Chargers could
be sensational. So Bears, Commanders, Chargers are my guesses as
the three teams that could change everything based on a weekend.
And in a very distracted world, nothing delivers sports urgency
(03:47):
like NFL Draft weekend. I mean, the Bears have never
had a great quarterback that could change. Washington has had
absolute instability because of previous ownership. That should change, and
the NFL's finally leaning into this. I've been a draftnick
forever and the NFL finally figured it out. People really
like this. Last year, Round one got eleven point three
(04:09):
million viewers. That beats everything in the world not called
the NFL and Caitlin Clark. Now they're putting it on site,
They're putting it in cities. It's a party. Three of
the last four drafts have gotten their highest ratings. I
don't think the NFL ever quite understood. They never really
(04:30):
truly got it how big the draft was. And the
reason the draft is big is because it's tied to hope.
The NHL, Major League Baseball, MLS, NBA drafts do not
deliver the ability to change a laughingstock to a Super
Bowl contender in one year. My guess is Chargers, Commanders,
(04:52):
Bears have the best shot. I could be wrong on
all three, but we are one week from NFL Draft week.
I love it, you do. The NFL finally leaning into it,
and I can't wait. So here's another big pivot that
is happening. Thinking about it this weekend, I went to
the UFC fight, which was great. I was flying back
and I thought about this, are you all ready for
(05:15):
the Big Pivot? And according to ratings, you're not. But
the Warriors have to go to to zero in the
playing games for the right to play number one seed
Oka See, and they probably won't beat them. They don't
have the depth. Lebron James, well, he was great yesterday.
I had seventeen assists. They need to win just one
(05:35):
of two games in the plan in for the right
to play the world champion Nuggets, and they're not beaten
Denver four times. I think what it's signaling starting tomorrow
in the playing games, the Steph Lebron NBA, it's over.
The Big pivot is here officially last year when the
(05:56):
Nuggets won. But do we realize how much Lebron and
Steph dominated the league eleven finals between Lebron and Steph
in thirteen years, and they want a lot of them.
The Warriors today, though, are incredibly Steph Curry reliant. The
number two score on the Warriors eighteen a game is
Klay Thompson. He often came off the bench. The Lakers
(06:19):
are good and long, not a lot of great shooters
and playmakers, no chance. They beat Denver four times, So
for the next for the next two months, are you
ready for the new NBA Oklahoma City, Young, deep, with
a ton of draft capital. They're going to be great
for a decade. Are you ready for Denver best starting
(06:42):
five in the league championship moxie with a player in
Jokic who's the best sometimes easily in the league. The Celtics,
without question, the deepest roster in the NBA. Offense everywhere,
blowouts everywhere, and they've got all their guys except Tatum
locked up for the future and that'll happen soon. The
(07:04):
t Wolves well coach prepared at Edwards, at Dynamic Star,
and it looks like they may move Karl Anthony Towns,
but they got Rudy Gobert figured out Dallas. Gotta be honest,
Luca is the best pure scorer at his age in
league history, and maybe just ever. He's a walking thirty
(07:25):
three points if he wants to. Meanwhile, Steph and Lebron
are limping into the play in tournament one on a
completely reliant Warriors offense. To Steph and the other, you're
crossing your fingers. Ad is healthy. This is the new NBA.
It's going to start Tuesday. The play in tournament counts
(07:47):
as the playoffs. The old weird Clippers Kawhi Harden no
shot to win a title, Warriors interesting, no real shot
to win a title. Lakers long match up with Denver well,
but they'll face him in round one. Probably no chance
to win a title. It is now more international, younger stars,
(08:08):
and the stars are not just winning games, they're the
top seeds. Denver just won a title, favor to win another.
The Lebron Steph era eleven finals appearances in thirteen years
is officially over, and you're gonna see it starting tomorrow night.
(08:29):
Here's Lebron on being the guy that, even at his age,
has to carry the Lakers still.
Speaker 3 (08:36):
I just want to win. So whatever the game presents
itself for me to be, if it needs to me
more attacked there in the storm range, or if it
needs to me to be more of a setup guy,
if the needs meet me to be more of a defender, now.
Speaker 4 (08:45):
I gotta do it all.
Speaker 3 (08:47):
I am a Swiss army knife, so I gotta do
it all on flour and but none of it is predetermined.
Speaker 1 (08:53):
You're ready Jmac for the more international younger NBA starting
to are you ready for it? I've come to terms
with Stephen Lebron thirteen years, eleven finals appearances, winning, many
are not on legitimate title teams. Though I do think
the Lakers match up really well with a lot of teams,
(09:14):
including Denver. But I do not think you can rely
on a thirty nine year old player to be the
primary playmaker and win seven game series after seven game series,
after seven game series after seven game series. Am I
too harsh?
Speaker 5 (09:30):
I just think you're way, way wrong. I mean, Colin,
you're writing off Lebron James. How many times have we
done that over the last decade?
Speaker 1 (09:37):
It's over for Lebron.
Speaker 5 (09:38):
Can't make the finals, can't pull it off, can't do this.
Did you see his averages in his twenty first season
twenty five, seven and eight?
Speaker 1 (09:46):
Oh oh, this is not an indictment on Lebron. I'm
not blaming Lebron for all the haters on Lebron. You
look silly. You're embarrassing yourselves again. I mean, yesterday I
had seventeen assists, He's a double in a must win game.
Speaker 4 (09:59):
Why what?
Speaker 1 (10:00):
I watched the first half and I was like, oh yeah, well,
first of all, they're better than the Pelicans, and they
should beat the Pelicans again. I mean it's just I mean,
Lebron against Zion not a fair fight, like it's the
Lakers are better. But now you go and do We've
got to beat really good teams that are younger, deeper, quicker,
better shooters four times in twelve days. It's a whole
(10:21):
different proposition.
Speaker 5 (10:22):
Oh casey thunder, youngest number one seed ever. It's just
they'll they'll have their moment in mayby Bay.
Speaker 1 (10:29):
It was the youngest playoff team since the seventy Bills
went to Dallas. How that worked out?
Speaker 5 (10:33):
I know this is the year of the chalk right,
Kansas City Chiefs, U con men's basketball, South Carolina undefeated,
and everybody thinks it's going to be Denver. I'm I'm
not picking the Nuggets to come out of the West.
I think it's a massive overreaction. This team went from
being the hunter now they're the hunted. And if you
think Lebron and Ad don't remember last year getting swept,
I think you wept.
Speaker 4 (10:54):
I would not be shocked.
Speaker 5 (10:55):
If this series won seven Lakers Nuggets opening.
Speaker 1 (10:57):
On seven PM or seven seven, I don't I would not.
Speaker 5 (11:01):
Be shocked if the Nuggets lost in the Lakers.
Speaker 2 (11:03):
I didn't play.
Speaker 5 (11:04):
I'm just telling you the Nuggets are vulnerable this season.
Speaker 2 (11:07):
Be sure to catch live editions of The Herd weekdays
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Speaker 1 (11:16):
All Right, Colin right, Colin wrong? On a Monday, Here
you go.
Speaker 4 (11:18):
Where Colin was right.
Speaker 1 (11:20):
Lebron James finished the NBA regular season, led the NBA
and mede field goal attempts in the fourth quarter. I'll
say it again, Lebron James led the NBA in made
field goals in the fourth quarter. You keep embarrassing yourself
if you're anti Lebron. The guy's incredible twentieth consecutive season,
averaging twenty five plus points, six rebounds, and six assists
(11:43):
per game. And yesterday, that first half by Lebron was
a thing of beauty. Move on Lebron critics. He's remarkable. Still.
Speaker 4 (11:54):
Where Colin was wrong.
Speaker 1 (11:56):
I loved Wemby, but I never thought they should play
him like seventy one games, and Greg Popovich did, and
he delivered. I figured they would have minute restrictions and
game restrictions because I watched chet holmgrim same body type
O case he get hurt and they did have a
little bit of a minute restriction early. But Wemby played
(12:18):
seventy one games. There's an argument he's defensive player of
the year. He averaged twenty one a game in twenty
nine minutes, So I was wrong on that. I thought
they would tailor a season to let his body slow growth.
Fifty games, twenty four minutes, no back to backs. They didn't,
and he delivered.
Speaker 4 (12:38):
Where Colin was right, Scotty.
Speaker 1 (12:40):
Scheffler won the second Masters, and I had said it's
not going to be the same Masters if Scotty Scheffler
wins and there was no buzz at all on the
back nine. Golf needs personality. Look at the ratings in
Jack Nicholas, the Bears Prime or Tiger Brooks kep Co
(13:02):
didn't play well. Bryce and Deshamba good ratings early in
the week, but in the end, this is a sport
that needs some personality. And Scott he's great, but he's
a bit robotic. There's no emotion. You don't even get
a fist pump. Great players aren't all equally interesting.
Speaker 4 (13:20):
Where Colin was rough, I think.
Speaker 1 (13:22):
I'm just too high on the Warriors. I think that's
what it is. They're just too Steph reliant. They sneak
into the playing game because they got red hot at
the end of the season. But their number two scorers
Clay and he was coming off the bench. I like Kaminga,
but he didn't have a finishing package. He's still a kid.
I don't trust them to be highly productive in the playoffs.
This is a team I think maybe it's I like
(13:42):
their core, but I think they have to make a
major pivot. They've got to find somebody on Steph's timeline.
They got to have size. Some of the best teams
in the league now poor zingis, Celtics, Jokich, Rudy Gobert.
You got to have a big somewhere, Anthony Davis. They
don't have size, certainly not veteran size.
Speaker 4 (13:59):
And I was wrong where Colin was right.
Speaker 1 (14:02):
Well, it's a story today that Kawhi Leonard injury update.
Hopefully he'll be ready for the playoffs. And I believe
and have said this. He is the icing and never
the cake. You can't build around him. He doesn't have
a predictable schedule, he's nonverbal, he's not a great communicator.
He's just a remarkable player. But the Clippers always feel
(14:24):
like they're in semi chaos because of hardened silliness and
Kawhi's enigmatic nature. He's a great player, but there's only
a handful of players in this league who are great,
and I feel comfortable building around like Jalen Brunson.
Speaker 4 (14:40):
Night after night where Colin was right.
Speaker 1 (14:42):
Eighty thousand fans showed up to the Ohio State spring
game and Fox put it on broadcast TV. I've said
four years, I do not understand their reluctance to put
spring football on television. Not every program, but at Texas,
Ohio State, Notre Dame, Michigan. There's a handful of high
profile programs in America. They're putting eighty ninety thousand people
(15:05):
in the stadium Ohio State. Chip Kelly, now's the story.
Put these spring games with the massive top twelve programs
on television. Do you see what was on TV this weekend?
There's a reason a lot of you're buying UFC and.
Speaker 4 (15:20):
Not a lot on where Colin was wrong.
Speaker 1 (15:23):
Bo Nicks and Michael Pennix Junior neither invited to the
NFL Draft in person, I like both of them more
apparently than NFL scouts. I think Pennix throws the best
ball and sixty one college starts more than any quarterback ever.
I think bo Nicks looks like to me. He's got
some Drew Brees capabilities, moves well, ran a pro system
(15:48):
with pro players in Oregon. But I'm clearly wrong because
the NFL's got good top contacts and they don't think
either one is getting drafted in the top fifteen. They
didn't invite him to.
Speaker 4 (15:57):
The draft where Colin was right.
Speaker 1 (16:00):
Perreira beat jamahal Hill Tko UFC three hundred, Dana White
does it again. Here's a sport that has lost star
after star. Ronda ROWSI this fight with Holloway and Geechee
that knockout maybe the best fight I've ever seen in
UFC three hundred. Justin Geechee is a dog. He is
(16:20):
a warrior, but got knocked out two seconds to go.
They've lost Rowsie, Connor McGregor John Jones are not the
regulars they once were, but it continues to deliver because,
unlike boxing, the fans always feel like they win when
they go see a UFC.
Speaker 4 (16:39):
Card where Colin was right.
Speaker 1 (16:41):
Finally, Caitlin Clark on Saturday Night Live. We've said this,
this is no knock on women's basketball, but the numbers
are not going to remain this high. She is a
cultural phenomenon. Have you seen where thirty six of forty
four games Indiana are already scheduled for national TV. The
draft tomorrow, the WNBA Draft will be the highest rated
(17:04):
WNBA draft by a mile. This is not a criticism
on a sport that was growing, women's basketball, but she's
an MJ. She's a tiger. There are a handful, and
I mean the number is tiny, a handful of athletes
that are icons. They are lightning in a bottle. And
(17:25):
her ability to go on Saturday Night Live, change the
WNBA schedule and deliver, wait for it, a draft record.
WNBA not against women's basketball, but she is one of one,
all right.
Speaker 2 (17:41):
Be sure to catch live editions of The Herd weekdays
at noon Eastern am Pacific.
Speaker 6 (17:46):
Two NBA Insiders podcasting twice a week to plug you
right into the NBA grape Fine.
Speaker 7 (17:53):
All happening in only one place this league Uncut The
New NBA Podcast with me Chris.
Speaker 8 (17:59):
Haynes and me Mark Stein Join us.
Speaker 7 (18:02):
As we team up to expound on everything we're covering.
Hearing and Chason.
Speaker 5 (18:07):
Listen to This League Uncut with Chris Haynes and Mark Stein.
Speaker 7 (18:11):
On the iHeartRadio app, Apple Podcasts or wherever you get
your podcast.
Speaker 1 (18:16):
Let's bring him on now. The NBA gets interesting the
regular season over the playoffs beginning. Rick Buker is now
joining us in studio.
Speaker 6 (18:27):
It is it's forty eight hours, not seventy two. When
it comes to Vegas, it's seventy two. You can still
get into trouble forty eight. That is a little bit safer.
I do have a question, though, I brought props.
Speaker 1 (18:41):
Who is eight years old? Who is that eight years old?
Speaker 8 (18:43):
Who is that guy? Who is that guy?
Speaker 4 (18:46):
Now?
Speaker 6 (18:46):
That guy is a hedge fund manager, and that guy
would know who Christian McCaffrey is without question. But I
don't understand is how is it that you have more
hair now than you did then and you look like
your what?
Speaker 1 (18:58):
No, my now, I just let it grow.
Speaker 8 (19:02):
It's longer, okay, all right?
Speaker 6 (19:06):
Well, anyway, obviously you wish somebody happy birthday here, and
it was so meaningful to them they left it in
my dressing room.
Speaker 8 (19:14):
Anyway, I can't seen you.
Speaker 1 (19:16):
That wasn't my idea. I'm good, so I said to
start the show, this is the year of the pivot, Lebron.
They're not beating Denver four times. If they beat Sacramento Warriors,
I do not believe are beating a deeper team in
Oka see four times in fifteen days, and in the
last thirteen years, Lebron and staff have been an eleven finals. Yeah,
(19:39):
is the league ready? Do fans care? I feel like
we're going to discover here in the next two weeks.
Speaker 6 (19:44):
It's a new league, yes, yes, and but the only
way that that happens is if you have stars who
make deep playoff runs.
Speaker 8 (19:52):
Right.
Speaker 6 (19:53):
Luca Danchetz makes his presence felt, Jalen Brunton, Jason Tatum,
the Anthony Edwards like the new legion of Stars. But
you can do everything that you want in the regular season,
it's not until the playoffs where you catch everybody's attention.
So the question is, at this point, because those guys
aren't established, are storylines going to win out over star
(20:18):
power when it comes to ratings Because we have great storylines,
but we don't have any stars and no offense to
Nikola Jokicic, who without question as a star, but his
game and his presence and his personality. While I think
he's kind of fun to listen to, it's very understated
and people aren't just making it must see TV.
Speaker 1 (20:44):
It's hard to explain what Caitlin Clark did. It was
her game that was something about this midwestern young lady
that had a Steph game, a Trey Young game, and
it literally I'm in an airport in Chicago and she's
in the march madness. Everybody in the lounge is watching
the singular game. It's hard to explain. Now, Steph obviously
(21:06):
had it. The Warriors a team you've covered and know
well you live in the Bay Area. I kind of
look at them this year. I think I like Steph
and Draymond and the course so much I overvalue them.
But I just when I go watch them, they're very
dependent on Steph. They're very dependent on threes. They're bigs,
are young and not ready for the postseason. I think
it's gonna be They're gonna get extinguished pretty quick. What
(21:29):
say you? Yeah?
Speaker 8 (21:30):
I look.
Speaker 6 (21:31):
I just I sat down with Steph in Portland to
talk about a variety of things, and he said at
the time, like we're still trying, We're still kind of
figuring out exactly who we are. And the biggest part
is that they are relying so much on a trace
(21:51):
Jackson Davis and a Brandon Pajemski. Those are two rookies,
right who have to be good for them to be good.
And so it's not like while the names are still there,
the the trio of Clay Draymond and Steph just isn't
(22:12):
as dominant as it was now. Now they have to
get something out of Jonathan Kaminga, they have to get
something out of Moses Moody, and so they just are
not the same dominant level team even though the names
are there and you on occasion they have that look.
Speaker 1 (22:34):
Oh they have halves when you're you know, they they
that they feel like they're the old Warriors. Oh there's
no right moments in spurts, yes, no question, yes, But.
Speaker 6 (22:42):
To me, like the New Orleans game is really telling,
like that was a game they wanted and they had
it at home. They're at home and they and they
couldn't get it, And that to me tells me that, look,
it's it's it's not any one person's fault.
Speaker 8 (23:00):
Father time. I mean the fact that.
Speaker 6 (23:03):
They they ended up getting another ring wasn't the beginning
of another dynastic run.
Speaker 8 (23:09):
It it was a.
Speaker 6 (23:09):
Last gas pulled one back from the crypt. So there's
no there's no shame in where they are. But this
is going to be a challenge going forward.
Speaker 1 (23:21):
So I think I don't have an MVP vote. You
do do, And I think there's an argument, let's take
Jokic out of it, who's the best player? But once
you win a championship, everything's different. There's a confidence, there's
an understanding, a little pressure is off the table, and
I think MVP has to constitute stats how much you're caring.
(23:44):
For instance, I think one of the better arguments for
Luca is that he has solved for the time being
the Kyrie thing. Like Kyrie is quiet and focused, not distracted,
a great teammate. That's a thing. But is there an
argument that the knicks that are not it's not an
(24:05):
NBA offense without Jalen Brunton. Yes, could you convince yourself
to vote him as MVP.
Speaker 6 (24:13):
No, I could not put him at the top of
my ballot. And for those who may not understand you
have a ballot, you put five names on it in
order there's a point differential between each slot. Jalen Brunson,
I haven't filled it out yet. I will in the
next twenty four to forty eight hours. Jalen Brunson will
be on my MVP ballot, which if you had asked
(24:35):
me at the beginning of the year, I would not
have expected. But do I put him at the top
of my ballot. There's no conceivable way that I could
do that because to me, if it really is between Jokic,
Shay Gilges, Alexander and Luka Doncic, and.
Speaker 8 (24:54):
Probably as of right now, that would be the order.
Speaker 1 (24:57):
That they would have out. Anthony Davis seventy five games. Yep,
he's been absolutely fantastic.
Speaker 8 (25:03):
He has been.
Speaker 6 (25:04):
He has been, and he will be on my Defensive
Player of the Year ballot. He's still a little too
up and down for me offensively, yes, and let's look
at the competition. I mean, honestly, this will be the
first year Jokich winds up at the top of my ballot.
It will be the first year that he's ever been
at the top of my ballot. And he's won twice previously,
(25:25):
close second last year, but this year. To your point, like,
I have seen an aggression from him as opposed to
being that orchestrator. He got something out of winning that
ring where it was like, Oh, and I saw the
same evolution with Lebron. Oh, I'm the best player in
(25:46):
the league. Oh, I don't need to orchestrate like I
can bully people like there are times where I need
to go get it. I need to take on the
responsibility of being the best player in the league. Let
me not see if I can get somebody else as shot.
I'm the best option here. I need to punish teams
(26:06):
because they can't guard me, and that's gonna make it
easier for everybody else too. Nicola has shown me that
this year in a way that he had not previously,
and it's why he's probably going to be at the
top of my ballot.
Speaker 1 (26:21):
So you and I are similar that I think we
would both admit. Boston has the deepest roster you can
see by re signing Jalen Brown and Drew Holliday. Poorzingis
locked in Tatum soon. They're not too worried about the bench.
They're keeping the core guys here and going for it
for the next two or three years. Yeah, but they
(26:42):
face the most pressure in the East by far. I
still don't know Joe Missoula close. I would take a Spolstra.
There are coaches that I prefer.
Speaker 8 (26:51):
Oh yeah.
Speaker 1 (26:52):
So here's my takeaway when I push back on the
they should glide through the East? Yes, should, Yes, But
I still have questions.
Speaker 6 (27:02):
Yes, you do too, I without question. You know I
was asked earlier. You know, who do I see beating them?
And it's like, or who's the biggest threat? Like anybody?
Look at Miami did it last year? You could make
the argument that the Boston Celtics have had the most
talented team for the last three years running, and there
(27:24):
is no question.
Speaker 8 (27:25):
That that's the case this year.
Speaker 1 (27:26):
This year's no question, no question.
Speaker 6 (27:28):
And yet do we believe in them in the postseason?
And why for the last two years haven't they been
able to get it done? And have most important, have
they solved the issue that kept them for winning it
the previous two years? Does Drew Holliday solve that issue?
(27:49):
I don't think he does. Does Kristaps Perzingis solve that issue?
I don't think he does because it's still going to
be with a game on the line and more often
than not in the playoffs, it comes down to the
one possession at the end of the game. Who's going
to win it for me? Who am I giving the
ball to and say get me something?
Speaker 8 (28:08):
Is going to be Jason.
Speaker 1 (28:09):
Tatum, and we mostly trust him.
Speaker 6 (28:12):
And we sometimes like sometimes he does get it done.
I just look, he doesn't have to that I of
the Tiger. I trust Jalen Brunson or Damian Lillard to
hit the shot, to hit the shot, to make the
play with all the marbles the middle of the circle
(28:34):
board to that date myself there then I do Jason
until I see otherwise. I've seen it in moments, but
I also seen him and it's not just a matter
of whether you make the shot or you miss the shot,
it's are you aggressively looking to get that shot?
Speaker 8 (28:50):
Do I feel like you want to take that shot?
Speaker 1 (28:53):
Bruns And I always feel that.
Speaker 6 (28:54):
Absolutely with Damien. Prior to Milwaukee, I always felt that
with Steph. I feel that with any number of guys
that have won championships, I've felt that. I have not
felt that with Tatum. There are times where he defers
or his games not rolling, and it's then he decides
(29:19):
this it's not my night. Well, you don't have that
choice if you're the best player on the team to
say I'm I'm taking this one off.
Speaker 1 (29:25):
So sometimes bad news long term can be good news.
Yannis is injury, Yeah, Milwaukee loses. Doc can say, come on,
it wasn't I didn't have Jannis. The Bucks can sell
Yannis on, hey, it was a bad matchup and you
missed three games that if they were to lose to
(29:46):
Indiana with a healthy Giannis, yes, which because of style
of play, is possible. Indiana is young, deep and fast
and Milwaukee's old.
Speaker 8 (29:54):
Oh yeah, no, no, no, this is a matchup issue.
Speaker 1 (29:56):
This, in a weird way, gives Doc and the front
office and out when they go to preach to Jannis
in the off season, We're gonna get younger.
Speaker 8 (30:05):
See.
Speaker 6 (30:05):
I hate this entire narrative that they have to convince
Jannie to stay in Milwaukee. Jannis is the reason they
made the Damian Lillard trade, right, They made that trade
in exchange for Jannis, and Yannis made it clear started already.
(30:25):
You know that little chirp about well, I don't know
if they're committed to a championship as much as I am,
and doesn't make sense that I would sign an extension
now anyway, because you know, it makes more sense money
wise if I do it a year from now.
Speaker 8 (30:42):
And then they went and get.
Speaker 6 (30:43):
The got the guy that he's always wanted to play with,
Damian Lillard, even though it cost him Drew Holiday, and oh,
I will sign an extension. So they did what he
wanted them to do. And we all had doubts about
whether it was the smartest thing to do in giving
up Drew Holliday and whether it was going to work
(31:03):
as well well as Yannis thought it was going to.
I do not want to hear how oh well, now
Milwaukee has to figure it out for Yan.
Speaker 8 (31:11):
No, you did, Jannis. They did your bidding.
Speaker 6 (31:15):
Like, if anything, you need to stick it out and
give them the opportunity to fix what you kind of created.
And how they do that, whether they you know, they
move on from Damien, whether they send Damien to Miami,
which is what I think even he knew that was
a better fit than Milwaukee, right, So I just this
(31:38):
idea that you're you're right, and then it gives Doc
and Al, it gives Milwaukee and out well, Janis.
Speaker 8 (31:45):
Was hurt, just like he was hurt last year.
Speaker 6 (31:48):
But this idea that Jannis has the right to say, Hey,
after I'm all about championships, and we don't have a
championship team here. If they're further away now than they
were a year ago, I'm putting that on what Yiannis
wanted because they did it.
Speaker 1 (32:07):
So j McK and I are on the same page.
Speaker 4 (32:10):
Don't play a little bit.
Speaker 8 (32:11):
Wait a minute, write that down.
Speaker 1 (32:12):
Lebron, a D. Don't play against the Pelicans because if
you win.
Speaker 6 (32:15):
Wait a minute, are you seriously you are both singing
that song?
Speaker 1 (32:19):
Yeah? Both really we floated this as a topic. I
didn't float it. I put my shovel in the dirt.
I to dig I do not want to play Denver.
We match up great with OKAC and we're gonna beat
Golden State and Sacramento whoever we have to play.
Speaker 8 (32:37):
You know what this is that this is that guy,
this is that guy.
Speaker 6 (32:41):
Like it's all the numbers and let me cruntch the analytic.
Speaker 1 (32:46):
They match up well with the Pelicans. It's a go
either way game. My takeaway is, well, A D, you
have a bad back. Let's see the first quarter, Lebron,
We're gonna sit you.
Speaker 6 (32:57):
All right, Where did we start this conversation. We started
with you expressing doubts about the Golden State Warriors.
Speaker 8 (33:05):
In fact, we didn't. We just do that. That was
the wrong in the in the in the segment.
Speaker 1 (33:09):
That's too positive, right the Warriors?
Speaker 8 (33:12):
So what the what? What if?
Speaker 6 (33:14):
What if one Sacramento beats Golden State? Well, Sacramento has
has been very, very good, has been a big problem
for the Lakers this year.
Speaker 1 (33:24):
But the Warriors are all rested. Didn't play guys for
that game.
Speaker 6 (33:27):
Okay, here's the other part, and it's the Lebron James
factor because we always mcro scope anything that he does.
Lebron James is going to sit out in order to
duck the Denver Nuggets.
Speaker 8 (33:42):
How do you think that's gonna play smart? Wow? Because
you're not be Maybe only on this show would it?
Would it play that way?
Speaker 1 (33:51):
I think most NBA aren't aren't. Isn't sports about strategy?
Speaker 8 (33:55):
Okay?
Speaker 6 (33:56):
I I I actually I meant to do this because
I thought you might bring this up because this feels
like it's in your wheelhouse.
Speaker 8 (34:02):
Yes, Like I'm just gonna look.
Speaker 1 (34:05):
At the least he misses thirty you know, he misses
twenty five. Games a year. It's a playing game. I'm
not missing game six or seven of a series. I'm
a playing game strategically, so I don't have to play Denver.
Speaker 6 (34:17):
I just it is so dangerous to introduce to a team, no,
we want to lose today, but we want to win tomorrow,
particularly at this time of year.
Speaker 1 (34:28):
What the Warriors are doing rest and all their guys.
Speaker 8 (34:31):
I mean, it's what they didn't know. They look.
Speaker 6 (34:34):
They didn't want to be where they didn't want to
be where they were where they are. The Lakers didn't
want to be where they are. I think we have
this idea that the both the Lakers and the Warriors once,
especially the Lakers right now, because they do.
Speaker 8 (34:45):
Have a little bit of that feel.
Speaker 6 (34:47):
Last year they shocked all of us, me included I
was wrong. I will admit like I did not see
them in the Conference finals last year. I didn't see
them getting through, and I come up with all kinds
of explanations.
Speaker 1 (35:01):
Strategy has to be part of it.
Speaker 6 (35:03):
But they've strategized all year long to be where they
are right now and to roll the dice and say
we're going to purposely lose one game because we are
so confident we are gonna win the next one.
Speaker 8 (35:20):
They're not that good. They're not that good.
Speaker 1 (35:24):
But they can beat Okay, see they're not beaten Denver
four times in fifteen days under.
Speaker 6 (35:29):
They can beat Okac. I don't think they can beat Denver.
Speaker 1 (35:33):
They can't.
Speaker 6 (35:34):
But so is it just about because I don't know
how much farther they're going to go after that?
Speaker 1 (35:42):
Well, you keep saying it's dangerous to Strategy is always dangerous, okay.
Strategy is always taking less now, getting more later. Strategy
is unemployed when you feel you need strategy. Michael Jordan's
bulls beat you, okay, right like Kobe Shack and they're
prime beat you. Strategy is employed when you see yourself
(36:04):
having a hole.
Speaker 6 (36:05):
So is this just about like this is about getting
to the getting to the playoffs.
Speaker 1 (36:09):
It's about avoiding Denver until the very end. If we
got to play Denver, let's cross our fingers. Maybe Murray
twisted ankle. Maybe somebody knocks them out because they think
they match up t Wolves. No, they don't want to
play the Lakers. So in case he didn't want to
play the Lakers, Warriors don't want to play the Lakers.
A lot of these coaching staffs. You you start talking
around people in the league. Minnesota's like, we'd prefer not
(36:30):
to open with the Lakers. Denver wants to play the Lakers.
Speaker 6 (36:33):
Sure, sure, but are you saying that the Lakers should
be so kind? It's one thing for these other teams
to go, you know what, this team compared to the Lakers.
We'd rather play team B.
Speaker 7 (36:45):
Right.
Speaker 6 (36:45):
It's one thing to say that, But are you so
confident that the Lakers outside of the Denver Nuggets are
the second best team in the Western Conference.
Speaker 1 (36:52):
I think they can beat anybody in the West and
Boston in the East. Yeah, to see they're beating Denver. Wow,
So I go strategy, Yeah, what tell me the career political?
Biden's doing this, Trump's doing that strategy and these are
guys running these are guys that's president former president. Like
the very top of any industry is employing strategy. Okay,
(37:15):
So my strategy is send out the boys, cross your
fingers against the Pelicans, and then we vanquish the next
two and face Okay.
Speaker 6 (37:23):
See, okay, but you're talking about strategy that doesn't pivot
on one day, one event, one thing. You're talking about
an overall arcing thing. Where if you have an off day,
we can we can compensate, we can course correct.
Speaker 1 (37:39):
That doesn't sound right.
Speaker 8 (37:40):
This isn't this.
Speaker 1 (37:42):
That doesn't sound very courageous.
Speaker 6 (37:44):
Let's wait, wait, wait a minute, that's not what a
purposely avoiding the Denver Nuggets is courageous.
Speaker 1 (37:53):
Yes, because the last two courage Jmac, after this, after
this te where you land you.
Speaker 5 (38:03):
Mean, yeah, okay, I'm kind of with you in the
strategy idea of duckings. By the way, my life, Rick,
just remember Jamal Murice had some shin splints. Those those
can flare up like this lengthy postseason.
Speaker 1 (38:20):
I would much rather face Denver than Conference in the
first round. Yeah right now, I don't want to. It's
just like when I first went out with Anne. I
didn't deliver all my best lines in the first date.
I saved stuff. Now I risked her not giving me
a second date, but I employed a strategy. I saved
some ammo for the second, third date, and then after
(38:41):
three dates, she's like, this guy's a winner.
Speaker 8 (38:43):
By the way, remember last year, it's just good that
the guy didn't meet Anne.
Speaker 6 (38:47):
Right, no chance, no chance she goes out with this guy.
Speaker 1 (38:52):
You have to employ strategy.
Speaker 5 (38:53):
Sons and Nuggets were tied to to last year. I
don't even know that the Nuggets are definitely getting by
the Sons, who are playing great down this that's more
like the j Max that I went
Thanks for listening to the Best of 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
Foxsportsradio dot com, or stream us live every day on
the iHeartRadio app by searching Fox Sports Radio or FSR.
Speaker 2 (00:19):
This is the Best of the Herd with Colin cowher
on Fox Sports Radio.
Speaker 1 (00:27):
Here we go on a Monday, live in Los Angeles.
It's the Herd wherever you may be and however you
may be listening. Thanks for making us part of your day.
Colin right, Colin wrong. One hour from now, it is
going to get very very interesting. Over the next couple
of weeks. We're gonna have a couple of major changes
(00:47):
in sports in America. Are you ready for those changes?
Jamat depends what they are, but possibly yeah. So one
week from today is Draft week, all right, So let's
talk about that. So draft is not this Thursday, next Thursday,
but next Monday is NFL Draft Week. It's very intense
(01:10):
and your average to maybe way below average NFL franchise
starting next Monday, it gets very very close to changing
things forever. Maybe you've been a laughingstock. Washington poorly owned,
Chicago poorly quarterbacked, the Raiders, bat at everything, Arizona. Don't
trust the ownership. Draft in the NFL is different and baseball,
(01:34):
your great draft pick goes to the miners. In the NBA.
Even if you get the best pick in years Wemby,
he's gonna win twenty twenty two games and they're not
going to win double or triple that for years to
come potentially. But in football it's different. One year ago
(01:55):
from today, the Houston Texans were a laughing stock. And
this is the key to the NFL and politicians. Do
you bring hope, something new, something fresh. Do you deliver hope?
Nobody delivers hope like the NFL. The Houston Texans bad ownership,
bad roster, bad quarterback, bad team, bad stink, no inertia.
(02:17):
What did they do? CJ. Stroud with the number two pick,
moved up to the number three pick, got Will Anderson,
both our rookie of the year. The Houston Texans win
their division, win a playoff game, and now they're tied
for the third best odds to get to the Super Bowl.
In the AFC. They were a laughing stock, a year
ago to Super Bowl contender. Two picks, one coach got
(02:40):
them all right. And that's the league that is not available.
That ascension is not available in other sports. In baseball
you have to buy relevance, and about six teams maybe
four can afford it. In the NBA, you trade for
or buy relevance, but the Stars mostly want to plan
about five places Miami, LA. You get it. In the NFL,
(03:02):
you draft relevance. And because the kids don't come out
as like true kids, they're twenty one, twenty two, twenty three,
they've been coached hard. They can deliver and change your
franchise if you hit on just one or two like Houston.
Who is Houston this year? Well, Chicago and the Commanders
look like if they get the quarterback right, things could
(03:24):
get interesting. I think if the Chargers move down pick
up a couple of picks Jim Harbaugh, the Chargers could
be sensational. So Bears, Commanders, Chargers are my guesses as
the three teams that could change everything based on a weekend.
And in a very distracted world, nothing delivers sports urgency
(03:47):
like NFL Draft weekend. I mean, the Bears have never
had a great quarterback that could change. Washington has had
absolute instability because of previous ownership. That should change, and
the NFL's finally leaning into this. I've been a draftnick
forever and the NFL finally figured it out. People really
like this. Last year, Round one got eleven point three
(04:09):
million viewers. That beats everything in the world not called
the NFL and Caitlin Clark. Now they're putting it on site,
They're putting it in cities. It's a party. Three of
the last four drafts have gotten their highest ratings. I
don't think the NFL ever quite understood. They never really
(04:30):
truly got it how big the draft was. And the
reason the draft is big is because it's tied to hope.
The NHL, Major League Baseball, MLS, NBA drafts do not
deliver the ability to change a laughingstock to a Super
Bowl contender in one year. My guess is Chargers, Commanders,
(04:52):
Bears have the best shot. I could be wrong on
all three, but we are one week from NFL Draft week.
I love it, you do. The NFL finally leaning into it,
and I can't wait. So here's another big pivot that
is happening. Thinking about it this weekend, I went to
the UFC fight, which was great. I was flying back
and I thought about this, are you all ready for
(05:15):
the Big Pivot? And according to ratings, you're not. But
the Warriors have to go to to zero in the
playing games for the right to play number one seed
Oka See, and they probably won't beat them. They don't
have the depth. Lebron James, well, he was great yesterday.
I had seventeen assists. They need to win just one
(05:35):
of two games in the plan in for the right
to play the world champion Nuggets, and they're not beaten
Denver four times. I think what it's signaling starting tomorrow
in the playing games, the Steph Lebron NBA, it's over.
The Big pivot is here officially last year when the
(05:56):
Nuggets won. But do we realize how much Lebron and
Steph dominated the league eleven finals between Lebron and Steph
in thirteen years, and they want a lot of them.
The Warriors today, though, are incredibly Steph Curry reliant. The
number two score on the Warriors eighteen a game is
Klay Thompson. He often came off the bench. The Lakers
(06:19):
are good and long, not a lot of great shooters
and playmakers, no chance. They beat Denver four times, So
for the next for the next two months, are you
ready for the new NBA Oklahoma City, Young, deep, with
a ton of draft capital. They're going to be great
for a decade. Are you ready for Denver best starting
(06:42):
five in the league championship moxie with a player in
Jokic who's the best sometimes easily in the league. The Celtics,
without question, the deepest roster in the NBA. Offense everywhere,
blowouts everywhere, and they've got all their guys except Tatum
locked up for the future and that'll happen soon. The
(07:04):
t Wolves well coach prepared at Edwards, at Dynamic Star,
and it looks like they may move Karl Anthony Towns,
but they got Rudy Gobert figured out Dallas. Gotta be honest,
Luca is the best pure scorer at his age in
league history, and maybe just ever. He's a walking thirty
(07:25):
three points if he wants to. Meanwhile, Steph and Lebron
are limping into the play in tournament one on a
completely reliant Warriors offense. To Steph and the other, you're
crossing your fingers. Ad is healthy. This is the new NBA.
It's going to start Tuesday. The play in tournament counts
(07:47):
as the playoffs. The old weird Clippers Kawhi Harden no
shot to win a title, Warriors interesting, no real shot
to win a title. Lakers long match up with Denver well,
but they'll face him in round one. Probably no chance
to win a title. It is now more international, younger stars,
(08:08):
and the stars are not just winning games, they're the
top seeds. Denver just won a title, favor to win another.
The Lebron Steph era eleven finals appearances in thirteen years
is officially over, and you're gonna see it starting tomorrow night.
(08:29):
Here's Lebron on being the guy that, even at his age,
has to carry the Lakers still.
Speaker 3 (08:36):
I just want to win. So whatever the game presents
itself for me to be, if it needs to me
more attacked there in the storm range, or if it
needs to me to be more of a setup guy,
if the needs meet me to be more of a defender, now.
Speaker 4 (08:45):
I gotta do it all.
Speaker 3 (08:47):
I am a Swiss army knife, so I gotta do
it all on flour and but none of it is predetermined.
Speaker 1 (08:53):
You're ready Jmac for the more international younger NBA starting
to are you ready for it? I've come to terms
with Stephen Lebron thirteen years, eleven finals appearances, winning, many
are not on legitimate title teams. Though I do think
the Lakers match up really well with a lot of teams,
(09:14):
including Denver. But I do not think you can rely
on a thirty nine year old player to be the
primary playmaker and win seven game series after seven game series,
after seven game series after seven game series. Am I
too harsh?
Speaker 5 (09:30):
I just think you're way, way wrong. I mean, Colin,
you're writing off Lebron James. How many times have we
done that over the last decade?
Speaker 1 (09:37):
It's over for Lebron.
Speaker 5 (09:38):
Can't make the finals, can't pull it off, can't do this.
Did you see his averages in his twenty first season
twenty five, seven and eight?
Speaker 1 (09:46):
Oh oh, this is not an indictment on Lebron. I'm
not blaming Lebron for all the haters on Lebron. You
look silly. You're embarrassing yourselves again. I mean, yesterday I
had seventeen assists, He's a double in a must win game.
Speaker 4 (09:59):
Why what?
Speaker 1 (10:00):
I watched the first half and I was like, oh yeah, well,
first of all, they're better than the Pelicans, and they
should beat the Pelicans again. I mean it's just I mean,
Lebron against Zion not a fair fight, like it's the
Lakers are better. But now you go and do We've
got to beat really good teams that are younger, deeper, quicker,
better shooters four times in twelve days. It's a whole
(10:21):
different proposition.
Speaker 5 (10:22):
Oh casey thunder, youngest number one seed ever. It's just
they'll they'll have their moment in mayby Bay.
Speaker 1 (10:29):
It was the youngest playoff team since the seventy Bills
went to Dallas. How that worked out?
Speaker 5 (10:33):
I know this is the year of the chalk right,
Kansas City Chiefs, U con men's basketball, South Carolina undefeated,
and everybody thinks it's going to be Denver. I'm I'm
not picking the Nuggets to come out of the West.
I think it's a massive overreaction. This team went from
being the hunter now they're the hunted. And if you
think Lebron and Ad don't remember last year getting swept,
I think you wept.
Speaker 4 (10:54):
I would not be shocked.
Speaker 5 (10:55):
If this series won seven Lakers Nuggets opening.
Speaker 1 (10:57):
On seven PM or seven seven, I don't I would not.
Speaker 5 (11:01):
Be shocked if the Nuggets lost in the Lakers.
Speaker 2 (11:03):
I didn't play.
Speaker 5 (11:04):
I'm just telling you the Nuggets are vulnerable this season.
Speaker 2 (11:07):
Be sure to catch live editions of The Herd weekdays
in Noone Eastern, Non a, em Pacific on Fox Sports
Radio FS one, and the iHeartRadio app.
Speaker 1 (11:16):
All Right, Colin right, Colin wrong? On a Monday, Here
you go.
Speaker 4 (11:18):
Where Colin was right.
Speaker 1 (11:20):
Lebron James finished the NBA regular season, led the NBA
and mede field goal attempts in the fourth quarter. I'll
say it again, Lebron James led the NBA in made
field goals in the fourth quarter. You keep embarrassing yourself
if you're anti Lebron. The guy's incredible twentieth consecutive season,
averaging twenty five plus points, six rebounds, and six assists
(11:43):
per game. And yesterday, that first half by Lebron was
a thing of beauty. Move on Lebron critics. He's remarkable. Still.
Speaker 4 (11:54):
Where Colin was wrong.
Speaker 1 (11:56):
I loved Wemby, but I never thought they should play
him like seventy one games, and Greg Popovich did, and
he delivered. I figured they would have minute restrictions and
game restrictions because I watched chet holmgrim same body type
O case he get hurt and they did have a
little bit of a minute restriction early. But Wemby played
(12:18):
seventy one games. There's an argument he's defensive player of
the year. He averaged twenty one a game in twenty
nine minutes, So I was wrong on that. I thought
they would tailor a season to let his body slow growth.
Fifty games, twenty four minutes, no back to backs. They didn't,
and he delivered.
Speaker 4 (12:38):
Where Colin was right, Scotty.
Speaker 1 (12:40):
Scheffler won the second Masters, and I had said it's
not going to be the same Masters if Scotty Scheffler
wins and there was no buzz at all on the
back nine. Golf needs personality. Look at the ratings in
Jack Nicholas, the Bears Prime or Tiger Brooks kep Co
(13:02):
didn't play well. Bryce and Deshamba good ratings early in
the week, but in the end, this is a sport
that needs some personality. And Scott he's great, but he's
a bit robotic. There's no emotion. You don't even get
a fist pump. Great players aren't all equally interesting.
Speaker 4 (13:20):
Where Colin was rough, I think.
Speaker 1 (13:22):
I'm just too high on the Warriors. I think that's
what it is. They're just too Steph reliant. They sneak
into the playing game because they got red hot at
the end of the season. But their number two scorers
Clay and he was coming off the bench. I like Kaminga,
but he didn't have a finishing package. He's still a kid.
I don't trust them to be highly productive in the playoffs.
This is a team I think maybe it's I like
(13:42):
their core, but I think they have to make a
major pivot. They've got to find somebody on Steph's timeline.
They got to have size. Some of the best teams
in the league now poor zingis, Celtics, Jokich, Rudy Gobert.
You got to have a big somewhere, Anthony Davis. They
don't have size, certainly not veteran size.
Speaker 4 (13:59):
And I was wrong where Colin was right.
Speaker 1 (14:02):
Well, it's a story today that Kawhi Leonard injury update.
Hopefully he'll be ready for the playoffs. And I believe
and have said this. He is the icing and never
the cake. You can't build around him. He doesn't have
a predictable schedule, he's nonverbal, he's not a great communicator.
He's just a remarkable player. But the Clippers always feel
(14:24):
like they're in semi chaos because of hardened silliness and
Kawhi's enigmatic nature. He's a great player, but there's only
a handful of players in this league who are great,
and I feel comfortable building around like Jalen Brunson.
Speaker 4 (14:40):
Night after night where Colin was right.
Speaker 1 (14:42):
Eighty thousand fans showed up to the Ohio State spring
game and Fox put it on broadcast TV. I've said
four years, I do not understand their reluctance to put
spring football on television. Not every program, but at Texas,
Ohio State, Notre Dame, Michigan. There's a handful of high
profile programs in America. They're putting eighty ninety thousand people
(15:05):
in the stadium Ohio State. Chip Kelly, now's the story.
Put these spring games with the massive top twelve programs
on television. Do you see what was on TV this weekend?
There's a reason a lot of you're buying UFC and.
Speaker 4 (15:20):
Not a lot on where Colin was wrong.
Speaker 1 (15:23):
Bo Nicks and Michael Pennix Junior neither invited to the
NFL Draft in person, I like both of them more
apparently than NFL scouts. I think Pennix throws the best
ball and sixty one college starts more than any quarterback ever.
I think bo Nicks looks like to me. He's got
some Drew Brees capabilities, moves well, ran a pro system
(15:48):
with pro players in Oregon. But I'm clearly wrong because
the NFL's got good top contacts and they don't think
either one is getting drafted in the top fifteen. They
didn't invite him to.
Speaker 4 (15:57):
The draft where Colin was right.
Speaker 1 (16:00):
Perreira beat jamahal Hill Tko UFC three hundred, Dana White
does it again. Here's a sport that has lost star
after star. Ronda ROWSI this fight with Holloway and Geechee
that knockout maybe the best fight I've ever seen in
UFC three hundred. Justin Geechee is a dog. He is
(16:20):
a warrior, but got knocked out two seconds to go.
They've lost Rowsie, Connor McGregor John Jones are not the
regulars they once were, but it continues to deliver because,
unlike boxing, the fans always feel like they win when
they go see a UFC.
Speaker 4 (16:39):
Card where Colin was right.
Speaker 1 (16:41):
Finally, Caitlin Clark on Saturday Night Live. We've said this,
this is no knock on women's basketball, but the numbers
are not going to remain this high. She is a
cultural phenomenon. Have you seen where thirty six of forty
four games Indiana are already scheduled for national TV. The
draft tomorrow, the WNBA Draft will be the highest rated
(17:04):
WNBA draft by a mile. This is not a criticism
on a sport that was growing, women's basketball, but she's
an MJ. She's a tiger. There are a handful, and
I mean the number is tiny, a handful of athletes
that are icons. They are lightning in a bottle. And
(17:25):
her ability to go on Saturday Night Live, change the
WNBA schedule and deliver, wait for it, a draft record.
WNBA not against women's basketball, but she is one of one,
all right.
Speaker 2 (17:41):
Be sure to catch live editions of The Herd weekdays
at noon Eastern am Pacific.
Speaker 6 (17:46):
Two NBA Insiders podcasting twice a week to plug you
right into the NBA grape Fine.
Speaker 7 (17:53):
All happening in only one place this league Uncut The
New NBA Podcast with me Chris.
Speaker 8 (17:59):
Haynes and me Mark Stein Join us.
Speaker 7 (18:02):
As we team up to expound on everything we're covering.
Hearing and Chason.
Speaker 5 (18:07):
Listen to This League Uncut with Chris Haynes and Mark Stein.
Speaker 7 (18:11):
On the iHeartRadio app, Apple Podcasts or wherever you get
your podcast.
Speaker 1 (18:16):
Let's bring him on now. The NBA gets interesting the
regular season over the playoffs beginning. Rick Buker is now
joining us in studio.
Speaker 6 (18:27):
It is it's forty eight hours, not seventy two. When
it comes to Vegas, it's seventy two. You can still
get into trouble forty eight. That is a little bit safer.
I do have a question, though, I brought props.
Speaker 1 (18:41):
Who is eight years old? Who is that eight years old?
Speaker 8 (18:43):
Who is that guy? Who is that guy?
Speaker 4 (18:46):
Now?
Speaker 6 (18:46):
That guy is a hedge fund manager, and that guy
would know who Christian McCaffrey is without question. But I
don't understand is how is it that you have more
hair now than you did then and you look like
your what?
Speaker 1 (18:58):
No, my now, I just let it grow.
Speaker 8 (19:02):
It's longer, okay, all right?
Speaker 6 (19:06):
Well, anyway, obviously you wish somebody happy birthday here, and
it was so meaningful to them they left it in
my dressing room.
Speaker 8 (19:14):
Anyway, I can't seen you.
Speaker 1 (19:16):
That wasn't my idea. I'm good, so I said to
start the show, this is the year of the pivot, Lebron.
They're not beating Denver four times. If they beat Sacramento Warriors,
I do not believe are beating a deeper team in
Oka see four times in fifteen days, and in the
last thirteen years, Lebron and staff have been an eleven finals. Yeah,
(19:39):
is the league ready? Do fans care? I feel like
we're going to discover here in the next two weeks.
Speaker 6 (19:44):
It's a new league, yes, yes, and but the only
way that that happens is if you have stars who
make deep playoff runs.
Speaker 8 (19:52):
Right.
Speaker 6 (19:53):
Luca Danchetz makes his presence felt, Jalen Brunton, Jason Tatum,
the Anthony Edwards like the new legion of Stars. But
you can do everything that you want in the regular season,
it's not until the playoffs where you catch everybody's attention.
So the question is, at this point, because those guys
aren't established, are storylines going to win out over star
(20:18):
power when it comes to ratings Because we have great storylines,
but we don't have any stars and no offense to
Nikola Jokicic, who without question as a star, but his
game and his presence and his personality. While I think
he's kind of fun to listen to, it's very understated
and people aren't just making it must see TV.
Speaker 1 (20:44):
It's hard to explain what Caitlin Clark did. It was
her game that was something about this midwestern young lady
that had a Steph game, a Trey Young game, and
it literally I'm in an airport in Chicago and she's
in the march madness. Everybody in the lounge is watching
the singular game. It's hard to explain. Now, Steph obviously
(21:06):
had it. The Warriors a team you've covered and know
well you live in the Bay Area. I kind of
look at them this year. I think I like Steph
and Draymond and the course so much I overvalue them.
But I just when I go watch them, they're very
dependent on Steph. They're very dependent on threes. They're bigs,
are young and not ready for the postseason. I think
it's gonna be They're gonna get extinguished pretty quick. What
(21:29):
say you? Yeah?
Speaker 8 (21:30):
I look.
Speaker 6 (21:31):
I just I sat down with Steph in Portland to
talk about a variety of things, and he said at
the time, like we're still trying, We're still kind of
figuring out exactly who we are. And the biggest part
is that they are relying so much on a trace
(21:51):
Jackson Davis and a Brandon Pajemski. Those are two rookies,
right who have to be good for them to be good.
And so it's not like while the names are still there,
the the trio of Clay Draymond and Steph just isn't
(22:12):
as dominant as it was now. Now they have to
get something out of Jonathan Kaminga, they have to get
something out of Moses Moody, and so they just are
not the same dominant level team even though the names
are there and you on occasion they have that look.
Speaker 1 (22:34):
Oh they have halves when you're you know, they they
that they feel like they're the old Warriors. Oh there's
no right moments in spurts, yes, no question, yes, But.
Speaker 6 (22:42):
To me, like the New Orleans game is really telling,
like that was a game they wanted and they had
it at home. They're at home and they and they
couldn't get it, And that to me tells me that, look,
it's it's it's not any one person's fault.
Speaker 8 (23:00):
Father time. I mean the fact that.
Speaker 6 (23:03):
They they ended up getting another ring wasn't the beginning
of another dynastic run.
Speaker 8 (23:09):
It it was a.
Speaker 6 (23:09):
Last gas pulled one back from the crypt. So there's
no there's no shame in where they are. But this
is going to be a challenge going forward.
Speaker 1 (23:21):
So I think I don't have an MVP vote. You
do do, And I think there's an argument, let's take
Jokic out of it, who's the best player? But once
you win a championship, everything's different. There's a confidence, there's
an understanding, a little pressure is off the table, and
I think MVP has to constitute stats how much you're caring.
(23:44):
For instance, I think one of the better arguments for
Luca is that he has solved for the time being
the Kyrie thing. Like Kyrie is quiet and focused, not distracted,
a great teammate. That's a thing. But is there an
argument that the knicks that are not it's not an
(24:05):
NBA offense without Jalen Brunton. Yes, could you convince yourself
to vote him as MVP.
Speaker 6 (24:13):
No, I could not put him at the top of
my ballot. And for those who may not understand you
have a ballot, you put five names on it in
order there's a point differential between each slot. Jalen Brunson,
I haven't filled it out yet. I will in the
next twenty four to forty eight hours. Jalen Brunson will
be on my MVP ballot, which if you had asked
(24:35):
me at the beginning of the year, I would not
have expected. But do I put him at the top
of my ballot. There's no conceivable way that I could
do that because to me, if it really is between Jokic,
Shay Gilges, Alexander and Luka Doncic, and.
Speaker 8 (24:54):
Probably as of right now, that would be the order.
Speaker 1 (24:57):
That they would have out. Anthony Davis seventy five games. Yep,
he's been absolutely fantastic.
Speaker 8 (25:03):
He has been.
Speaker 6 (25:04):
He has been, and he will be on my Defensive
Player of the Year ballot. He's still a little too
up and down for me offensively, yes, and let's look
at the competition. I mean, honestly, this will be the
first year Jokich winds up at the top of my ballot.
It will be the first year that he's ever been
at the top of my ballot. And he's won twice previously,
(25:25):
close second last year, but this year. To your point, like,
I have seen an aggression from him as opposed to
being that orchestrator. He got something out of winning that
ring where it was like, Oh, and I saw the
same evolution with Lebron. Oh, I'm the best player in
(25:46):
the league. Oh, I don't need to orchestrate like I
can bully people like there are times where I need
to go get it. I need to take on the
responsibility of being the best player in the league. Let
me not see if I can get somebody else as shot.
I'm the best option here. I need to punish teams
(26:06):
because they can't guard me, and that's gonna make it
easier for everybody else too. Nicola has shown me that
this year in a way that he had not previously,
and it's why he's probably going to be at the
top of my ballot.
Speaker 1 (26:21):
So you and I are similar that I think we
would both admit. Boston has the deepest roster you can
see by re signing Jalen Brown and Drew Holliday. Poorzingis
locked in Tatum soon. They're not too worried about the bench.
They're keeping the core guys here and going for it
for the next two or three years. Yeah, but they
(26:42):
face the most pressure in the East by far. I
still don't know Joe Missoula close. I would take a Spolstra.
There are coaches that I prefer.
Speaker 8 (26:51):
Oh yeah.
Speaker 1 (26:52):
So here's my takeaway when I push back on the
they should glide through the East? Yes, should, Yes, But
I still have questions.
Speaker 6 (27:02):
Yes, you do too, I without question. You know I
was asked earlier. You know, who do I see beating them?
And it's like, or who's the biggest threat? Like anybody?
Look at Miami did it last year? You could make
the argument that the Boston Celtics have had the most
talented team for the last three years running, and there
(27:24):
is no question.
Speaker 8 (27:25):
That that's the case this year.
Speaker 1 (27:26):
This year's no question, no question.
Speaker 6 (27:28):
And yet do we believe in them in the postseason?
And why for the last two years haven't they been
able to get it done? And have most important, have
they solved the issue that kept them for winning it
the previous two years? Does Drew Holliday solve that issue?
(27:49):
I don't think he does. Does Kristaps Perzingis solve that issue?
I don't think he does because it's still going to
be with a game on the line and more often
than not in the playoffs, it comes down to the
one possession at the end of the game. Who's going
to win it for me? Who am I giving the
ball to and say get me something?
Speaker 8 (28:08):
Is going to be Jason.
Speaker 1 (28:09):
Tatum, and we mostly trust him.
Speaker 6 (28:12):
And we sometimes like sometimes he does get it done.
I just look, he doesn't have to that I of
the Tiger. I trust Jalen Brunson or Damian Lillard to
hit the shot, to hit the shot, to make the
play with all the marbles the middle of the circle
(28:34):
board to that date myself there then I do Jason
until I see otherwise. I've seen it in moments, but
I also seen him and it's not just a matter
of whether you make the shot or you miss the shot,
it's are you aggressively looking to get that shot?
Speaker 8 (28:50):
Do I feel like you want to take that shot?
Speaker 1 (28:53):
Bruns And I always feel that.
Speaker 6 (28:54):
Absolutely with Damien. Prior to Milwaukee, I always felt that
with Steph. I feel that with any number of guys
that have won championships, I've felt that. I have not
felt that with Tatum. There are times where he defers
or his games not rolling, and it's then he decides
(29:19):
this it's not my night. Well, you don't have that
choice if you're the best player on the team to
say I'm I'm taking this one off.
Speaker 1 (29:25):
So sometimes bad news long term can be good news.
Yannis is injury, Yeah, Milwaukee loses. Doc can say, come on,
it wasn't I didn't have Jannis. The Bucks can sell
Yannis on, hey, it was a bad matchup and you
missed three games that if they were to lose to
(29:46):
Indiana with a healthy Giannis, yes, which because of style
of play, is possible. Indiana is young, deep and fast
and Milwaukee's old.
Speaker 8 (29:54):
Oh yeah, no, no, no, this is a matchup issue.
Speaker 1 (29:56):
This, in a weird way, gives Doc and the front
office and out when they go to preach to Jannis
in the off season, We're gonna get younger.
Speaker 8 (30:05):
See.
Speaker 6 (30:05):
I hate this entire narrative that they have to convince
Jannie to stay in Milwaukee. Jannis is the reason they
made the Damian Lillard trade, right, They made that trade
in exchange for Jannis, and Yannis made it clear started already.
(30:25):
You know that little chirp about well, I don't know
if they're committed to a championship as much as I am,
and doesn't make sense that I would sign an extension
now anyway, because you know, it makes more sense money
wise if I do it a year from now.
Speaker 8 (30:42):
And then they went and get.
Speaker 6 (30:43):
The got the guy that he's always wanted to play with,
Damian Lillard, even though it cost him Drew Holiday, and oh,
I will sign an extension. So they did what he
wanted them to do. And we all had doubts about
whether it was the smartest thing to do in giving
up Drew Holliday and whether it was going to work
(31:03):
as well well as Yannis thought it was going to.
I do not want to hear how oh well, now
Milwaukee has to figure it out for Yan.
Speaker 8 (31:11):
No, you did, Jannis. They did your bidding.
Speaker 6 (31:15):
Like, if anything, you need to stick it out and
give them the opportunity to fix what you kind of created.
And how they do that, whether they you know, they
move on from Damien, whether they send Damien to Miami,
which is what I think even he knew that was
a better fit than Milwaukee, right, So I just this
(31:38):
idea that you're you're right, and then it gives Doc
and Al, it gives Milwaukee and out well, Janis.
Speaker 8 (31:45):
Was hurt, just like he was hurt last year.
Speaker 6 (31:48):
But this idea that Jannis has the right to say, Hey,
after I'm all about championships, and we don't have a
championship team here. If they're further away now than they
were a year ago, I'm putting that on what Yiannis
wanted because they did it.
Speaker 1 (32:07):
So j McK and I are on the same page.
Speaker 4 (32:10):
Don't play a little bit.
Speaker 8 (32:11):
Wait a minute, write that down.
Speaker 1 (32:12):
Lebron, a D. Don't play against the Pelicans because if
you win.
Speaker 6 (32:15):
Wait a minute, are you seriously you are both singing
that song?
Speaker 1 (32:19):
Yeah? Both really we floated this as a topic. I
didn't float it. I put my shovel in the dirt.
I to dig I do not want to play Denver.
We match up great with OKAC and we're gonna beat
Golden State and Sacramento whoever we have to play.
Speaker 8 (32:37):
You know what this is that this is that guy,
this is that guy.
Speaker 6 (32:41):
Like it's all the numbers and let me cruntch the analytic.
Speaker 1 (32:46):
They match up well with the Pelicans. It's a go
either way game. My takeaway is, well, A D, you
have a bad back. Let's see the first quarter, Lebron,
We're gonna sit you.
Speaker 6 (32:57):
All right, Where did we start this conversation. We started
with you expressing doubts about the Golden State Warriors.
Speaker 8 (33:05):
In fact, we didn't. We just do that. That was
the wrong in the in the in the segment.
Speaker 1 (33:09):
That's too positive, right the Warriors?
Speaker 8 (33:12):
So what the what? What if?
Speaker 6 (33:14):
What if one Sacramento beats Golden State? Well, Sacramento has
has been very, very good, has been a big problem
for the Lakers this year.
Speaker 1 (33:24):
But the Warriors are all rested. Didn't play guys for
that game.
Speaker 6 (33:27):
Okay, here's the other part, and it's the Lebron James
factor because we always mcro scope anything that he does.
Lebron James is going to sit out in order to
duck the Denver Nuggets.
Speaker 8 (33:42):
How do you think that's gonna play smart? Wow? Because
you're not be Maybe only on this show would it?
Would it play that way?
Speaker 1 (33:51):
I think most NBA aren't aren't. Isn't sports about strategy?
Speaker 8 (33:55):
Okay?
Speaker 6 (33:56):
I I I actually I meant to do this because
I thought you might bring this up because this feels
like it's in your wheelhouse.
Speaker 8 (34:02):
Yes, Like I'm just gonna look.
Speaker 1 (34:05):
At the least he misses thirty you know, he misses
twenty five. Games a year. It's a playing game. I'm
not missing game six or seven of a series. I'm
a playing game strategically, so I don't have to play Denver.
Speaker 6 (34:17):
I just it is so dangerous to introduce to a team, no,
we want to lose today, but we want to win tomorrow,
particularly at this time of year.
Speaker 1 (34:28):
What the Warriors are doing rest and all their guys.
Speaker 8 (34:31):
I mean, it's what they didn't know. They look.
Speaker 6 (34:34):
They didn't want to be where they didn't want to
be where they were where they are. The Lakers didn't
want to be where they are. I think we have
this idea that the both the Lakers and the Warriors once,
especially the Lakers right now, because they do.
Speaker 8 (34:45):
Have a little bit of that feel.
Speaker 6 (34:47):
Last year they shocked all of us, me included I
was wrong. I will admit like I did not see
them in the Conference finals last year. I didn't see
them getting through, and I come up with all kinds
of explanations.
Speaker 1 (35:01):
Strategy has to be part of it.
Speaker 6 (35:03):
But they've strategized all year long to be where they
are right now and to roll the dice and say
we're going to purposely lose one game because we are
so confident we are gonna win the next one.
Speaker 8 (35:20):
They're not that good. They're not that good.
Speaker 1 (35:24):
But they can beat Okay, see they're not beaten Denver
four times in fifteen days under.
Speaker 6 (35:29):
They can beat Okac. I don't think they can beat Denver.
Speaker 1 (35:33):
They can't.
Speaker 6 (35:34):
But so is it just about because I don't know
how much farther they're going to go after that?
Speaker 1 (35:42):
Well, you keep saying it's dangerous to Strategy is always dangerous, okay.
Strategy is always taking less now, getting more later. Strategy
is unemployed when you feel you need strategy. Michael Jordan's
bulls beat you, okay, right like Kobe Shack and they're
prime beat you. Strategy is employed when you see yourself
(36:04):
having a hole.
Speaker 6 (36:05):
So is this just about like this is about getting
to the getting to the playoffs.
Speaker 1 (36:09):
It's about avoiding Denver until the very end. If we
got to play Denver, let's cross our fingers. Maybe Murray
twisted ankle. Maybe somebody knocks them out because they think
they match up t Wolves. No, they don't want to
play the Lakers. So in case he didn't want to
play the Lakers, Warriors don't want to play the Lakers.
A lot of these coaching staffs. You you start talking
around people in the league. Minnesota's like, we'd prefer not
(36:30):
to open with the Lakers. Denver wants to play the Lakers.
Speaker 6 (36:33):
Sure, sure, but are you saying that the Lakers should
be so kind? It's one thing for these other teams
to go, you know what, this team compared to the Lakers.
We'd rather play team B.
Speaker 7 (36:45):
Right.
Speaker 6 (36:45):
It's one thing to say that, But are you so
confident that the Lakers outside of the Denver Nuggets are
the second best team in the Western Conference.
Speaker 1 (36:52):
I think they can beat anybody in the West and
Boston in the East. Yeah, to see they're beating Denver. Wow,
So I go strategy, Yeah, what tell me the career political?
Biden's doing this, Trump's doing that strategy and these are
guys running these are guys that's president former president. Like
the very top of any industry is employing strategy. Okay,
(37:15):
So my strategy is send out the boys, cross your
fingers against the Pelicans, and then we vanquish the next
two and face Okay.
Speaker 6 (37:23):
See, okay, but you're talking about strategy that doesn't pivot
on one day, one event, one thing. You're talking about
an overall arcing thing. Where if you have an off day,
we can we can compensate, we can course correct.
Speaker 1 (37:39):
That doesn't sound right.
Speaker 8 (37:40):
This isn't this.
Speaker 1 (37:42):
That doesn't sound very courageous.
Speaker 6 (37:44):
Let's wait, wait, wait a minute, that's not what a
purposely avoiding the Denver Nuggets is courageous.
Speaker 1 (37:53):
Yes, because the last two courage Jmac, after this, after
this te where you land you.
Speaker 5 (38:03):
Mean, yeah, okay, I'm kind of with you in the
strategy idea of duckings. By the way, my life, Rick,
just remember Jamal Murice had some shin splints. Those those
can flare up like this lengthy postseason.
Speaker 1 (38:20):
I would much rather face Denver than Conference in the
first round. Yeah right now, I don't want to. It's
just like when I first went out with Anne. I
didn't deliver all my best lines in the first date.
I saved stuff. Now I risked her not giving me
a second date, but I employed a strategy. I saved
some ammo for the second, third date, and then after
(38:41):
three dates, she's like, this guy's a winner.
Speaker 8 (38:43):
By the way, remember last year, it's just good that
the guy didn't meet Anne.
Speaker 6 (38:47):
Right, no chance, no chance she goes out with this guy.
Speaker 1 (38:52):
You have to employ strategy.
Speaker 5 (38:53):
Sons and Nuggets were tied to to last year. I
don't even know that the Nuggets are definitely getting by
the Sons, who are playing great down this that's more
like the j Max that I went
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