July 4, 2024 • 41 mins
Jason McIntyre sits in for Colin on the 4th of July. Jason Reddick tells a little white lie about Bronny James and Jason breaks it down. Mark Medina joins the show to discuss NBA free agency - did Klay Thompson make the right choice taking the Mavericks over the Lakers, is Paul George going to work in Philadelphia?
See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Mark as Played
Transcript
Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
Speaker 1 (00:00):
Thanks for listening to The Herd podcast. Be sure to
catch us live every weekday on Fox Sports Radio in
noon to three Eastern nine am to noone Pacific. Find
your local station for The Herd at Fox Sportsradio 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 (00:26):
Happy Fourth of July. Everybody. It's me Jason McIntyre in
for Colin Coward. This is the Herd. We are celebrating
July fourth very patriotically today. A lot of fun, interesting topics,
great guests. I'm joined as always by Alex Curry. Alex,
Happy Fourth of July to you.
Speaker 4 (00:45):
Happy fourth, Happy Birthday America. It's always fun to I
don't know. This is a different energy in the air
on fourth of July. Even this morning where we lived,
South Bay was already buzzing. They had the Iron Man going.
I think I explained that yesterday. Where you run a mile,
you paddle mile, you pound a six pack of beer,
and then you start the Fourth of July. It was
one of my favorite holidays growing up in Manhattan Beach
(01:08):
like it's yeah, it's special.
Speaker 3 (01:10):
Yeah, be safe with those fireworks, folks, you know they
could be dangerous. I know everybody thinks they're tough, guys.
I got a good firework story I'll tell later in
the show, but I do want to start here. Listen,
when I fill in for Colin, I got to make
it all about me, right, I have to, and I
have to be honest with the audience today. I mean,
it's July fourth, National holiday. Everybody watching TV. Sometimes I
(01:31):
tell a white lie. Guys, it happens sometimes. Listen. I
got kids, you know, they play sports, and maybe they'll
have a bad game. They'll come off, Hey, dad, can
we go get ice cream? And I should be the
dad who says, hell, no, you were awful. You botch
this play. You weren't locked in here, No way, We're
(01:52):
not going to get ice cream. We're headed home. But
sometimes I'll tell the white line. I'll say, you know
what you did your best. Yeah, sure, let's go get
ice cream, let's celebrate. You have to do that as
a father, and sometimes as a husband, you got to
tell white lies to the wife. I'm sure that if
you ask the producers on this show, sometimes they tell
me white lies. Now, in an unlikely scenario where I
(02:12):
have a bad segment. Again, not likely to happen. They
might say, yeah, he good stuff, Jay, when I know
that wasn't my best effort. They don't want to ruin
my confidence for the next segment, right, So sometimes you
got to tell white lies. And that brings me to
JJ Reddick, the new head coach of the Los Angeles Lakers. Now,
I hope he doesn't get upset for my engagement farming
(02:33):
of his name and the Lakers and Bronnie James here
on July fourth. But JJ Reddick was asked a tough
question at a press conference this week, and he had
a choice. He could tell a little white lie or
he could be a truth teller. And here's what went
down at the Lakers press.
Speaker 5 (02:49):
Conference, Rob and I did not give Bronnie anything. Bronnie
has earned this right. Bronnie talks about his hard work.
Bronnie has earned this through hard work.
Speaker 3 (03:01):
Oh boy, here we go. Listen. I'm rooting for Bronnie.
I'm happy the Lakers drafted him at fifty five. I
think he's gonna be a solid NBA player dot ten
twelve year career in the rotation. I think he's gonna
be fine. But don't pee on my leg and tell
me it's raining. Okay, everybody who watched college basketball, everybody
who pays attention to the sport, Ronnie didn't earn this.
(03:23):
We guy averaged four point eight points per game. He
started like six games. I know he had the cardiac arrest,
which obviously hindered his season, but don't tell me he
earned this like that. You just can't do that. But
this is what JJ Reddick signed up for, right Hey man,
it's the Lakers. Every question you get asked, you gotta
(03:43):
be careful. You're under the spotlight. They are coming after you.
The ink stained wretches who follow the Lakers around. They
tweet out everything. Every sound bite has a chance to
go viral, and this one is going viral for JJ,
not in a good way. Everybody said, oh, he didn't
earn it, Well, we know it's not always what you know,
it's who you know. And let's be real, Bronnie was drafted.
(04:04):
His dad is the greatest player in the history of
the NBA. He is an All NBA talent. Still he's
running the Lakers. Why shouldn't they have taken him fifty
fifth overall? You're taking a flyer on somebody at fifty five.
It's not the end of the world. But this is
what JJ Reddick can expect. And the real question is, JJ,
are you ready come November December? Lakers a bit of
(04:30):
a slide. Bronni hasn't played in a week or two.
It's not unheard of that a rookie would't play in
a week or two. But he's sitting on the bench
and the media comes up and JJ, hey, Ronnie's not playing.
Are you thinking of sending him to the G League
so he can get some reps? And then what happens
with the White Lies? Is ready going to keep it up?
Speaker 2 (04:51):
Now?
Speaker 3 (04:51):
For Bronnie, he's in a tough spot. The way he
handled some of these questions I thought was phenomenal, But
he is in an extremely difficult spot because everybody knows
the deal. His dad got him drafted and there's nothing
wrong with that. But here's how Bronnie answered the question.
And you can see a little laugh here. Take take note, just.
Speaker 6 (05:09):
For sure, amplified amount of pressure. I've already seen it,
stuff and media and stuff on the in the internet
and stuff talking about I might not deserve an opportunity,
but you know, I've been dealing with stuff like this
for my whole life, so it's it's it's nothing different,
(05:29):
but it's it's it's more amplified, for sure, But I
can get through it.
Speaker 3 (05:33):
I just want to come.
Speaker 6 (05:34):
In and get my work in and and get better
every day. But I've never really had a thought of,
you know, me going to play with my dad. But
that's always you know, there to you know, take part
of it, but it wasn't a main focus a monita.
Speaker 3 (05:52):
I gotta say that's a pretty great answer for a teenager.
I expect Reddick to be flawless at the MIC. I mean,
he was a player for well over a decade, handled
the media all the time, then he transitioned into announcing
and podcasting. He's gonna be great. I think he's gonna
handle it. Okay, Bron he's the one I'm worried about.
But he's nineteen and he crushed it. That answer was perfect.
(06:13):
But this all leads back to my next point, which
is that Lebron is still running the Lakers anyway it
slice it. And there was a column in the La
Times this week which kind of crucified the Lakers for
the way they're letting Lebron handle things. And it goes
back to the end of the Kobe Bryant era for
Laker fans and the Los Angeles audience. You know what happened.
Kobe wanted a big, fat thank you contract from the Lakers,
(06:36):
and he got it at the end. The problem was
giving Kobe all that money and all that power led
to a quite bad roster. At this point, Paalgasol's gone
and they were in the wilderness, a total train wreck,
the worst I believe, five or six year run the
history of the franchise. It was brutal. And the concern
from Bill Ploshki at the LA Times is that, well,
(06:57):
giving Lebron all this power, I mean, he gets a
picked to coach, he gets a two year max deeal,
he gets to draft his son, We're seeing Kobe Bryant
all over again. And I pumped the brakes on that,
and I disagree with the column largely because Lebron at
the end is playing in an all NBA level. The
Lakers won forty seven games last year. I know they
lost in the first round to the defending champion Nuggets
(07:18):
four to one. It wasn't the closest for one ever,
but the Nuggets did win two of those games almost
at the buzzer thanks to Jamal Murray. One was at
the buzzer, so it sound like they got absolutely destroyed
by the defending champions. Who Oh, by the way, where
the favorites just come out of the West is a
forty seven win team last year, And let's be honest, guys,
they're bringing back pretty much everybody. They add Dalton Connect,
(07:42):
who I don't know if you saw this. He's gonna
wear the jersey number four and his last name is Connect,
so his nickname is gonna be Connect four. I mean,
amazing board game. I hate to brag, but I'm really
strong at Connect four. Anytime we go to like a
hotel or resort, I see Connect four, I'm playing. I'm
inviting randoms to play me. Come on, step up. Any
but he won a piece. Connect four is an awesome nickname.
(08:02):
But Dalta Connect will help in the rotation. I think
Broni's probably gonna play a little bit, maybe not immediately,
but the Lakers should be again in that forty seven
to fifty win range. I think JJ Reddick's probably worth
four to five wins. That's how low I was on
Darvin Ham. So this isn't like the Lakers are in
real deep trouble because Lebron's running the franchise. I understand
(08:24):
the concern, though, Remember everywhere Lebron has gone and then left,
it's been really, really bad. He leaves and the cupboards
bear because, oh, by the way, he's phenomenal and everywhere
he goes he wins championships. Remember the first time he
left the Calves, they fell off a cliff and they
ended up with Kyrie Irving. He couldn't get them pass
(08:45):
like thirty wins. It was brutal. Okay, he goes to
the Heat, they win two titles, They go to the
finals four years in a row. You know how they
did in the five years after Lebron left Miami one
playoff series win. It was rough. Now, and that's with
pat Riley running the show, who's an all time architect
in the NBA, just a genius. So then Lebron goes
back to Cleveland. They win a title with Kyrie Irving,
(09:08):
and then Lebron leaves and how have they done? And
the post Lebron era not good. Now they're starting to
rebound with Donovan Mitchell, but it takes a while. So
there's now the concern that, oh, well, if we just
give Lebron everything he wants, he's gonna leave here in
a year or two or three ever, gonna be left
hold in the bag and the Lakers are gonna be
back in Kobe Bryant time. But we're forgetting Anthony Davis
(09:32):
is one of the fifteen best players in the league.
And I know after yesterday's chat with Chris Bussard, you
guys are hot for my list top ten players in
the league. Ad did not crack the top ten, but
he's close. He's certainly top fifteen. He was outstanding last year.
He's still in his early thirties. I know he has
an injury history, but we talked about the Lakers roster yesterday.
This is a team with two players over the age
(09:54):
of thirty two. That's it. They've got a young nucleus.
I'm probably higher on Austin Reeves than I know. Colin's
not the biggest fan. He likes Austin Reeves. I think
Austin Reeves is maybe not a build around guy, but
I think ultimately he is a great number three, and
then you kind of reboot things. I don't think that
Lebron is going to totally shaft the Lakers. But but
(10:15):
to Bill Plashki's point on the column, Hey, guys, do
you remember what happened when Kawhi left the Spurs? Oh,
that's right. The Spurs were a train wreck until they
landed one Bin Yama in the draft. I'm talking they
couldn't win a playoff series once Kawhi left and demanded
out of San Antonio. I talked yesterday Michael Jordan at
(10:35):
the end of the Bulls saga. They had a great
run in the nineties. Do you know how bad that
franchise has been since? They had to be brief blip
with Derrick Rose, but otherwise the Bulls have been irrelevant
for twenty five years. So yeah, when stars leave, it
doesn't end up well. I am optimistic because I do
believe Lebron is gonna get the Lakers right on the
(10:57):
fringe of contenders. I don't think they're contending for a championship,
but they weren't two years ago and things fell into line,
injuries happen, and boom they're in the Conference finals. I mean, guys,
you can't tell me right now that you don't see
the potential for a Phoenix Sun's implosion, the Warriors being
like a thirty seven win team, the Clippers are stepping back.
I mean, hell, Denver Nuggets are not getting better, and
(11:20):
if Jamal Murray goes down for any stretch, we know
that that's not like a top five team in the West.
So there is a world where the Lakers are right
back in the mix. And they then got a young nucleus,
get Max Christie's playing and oh my gosh, ruiy Hachi
Mora is still valuable, and all of a sudden, wow,
would you look at that the Lakers are not totally
(11:41):
barren when Lebron leaves. So I'm optimistic for the Lakers
this season. Yes, I'm a bit of a Laker homer
and a Knicks homer. It happens. I'm allowed to do
that as a media member, So I just would push
back on the narrative that giving Lebron too much power
is a bad thing. By the way, guys, he did
bring you a title in the Bubble just a few
(12:01):
years ago. So Alex, I'm optimistic on the Lakers. I
don't know if you are as bullish as I am
on the upcoming season.
Speaker 4 (12:09):
Oh you know, I'm a half glassful kind of a person,
But just imagine what would motivate one of the greatest
players of our time more than just wanting to win
on his own, wanting to make history and win with
his son.
Speaker 3 (12:22):
So he hears all this.
Speaker 4 (12:23):
Lebron sees and hears everything that's going on in the media.
Speaker 3 (12:26):
He is a media mogul.
Speaker 4 (12:28):
He knows how to work it, he knows how to
listen to it, he knows what to give us what
we want. He's hearing and seeing all of this, and
he's just using it as motivation. This is what I'm
hoping for. This is my prediction. This is only going
to push and motivate Lebron even more than before.
Speaker 3 (12:45):
Yeah, prove everybody wrong. Bron and Bronny must see TV
this season, all right? Coming up next year on the Herd,
Oh my gosh, you guys all have a Jets Homer
as well. But my goodness, I'm not picking on the Giants,
but they keep opening their mouths and saying the dumbest
things possible. I mean putting Patrick Mahomes in the same
sentence as Daniel Jones. Guys, I gotta call you out.
That's next year on The Herd.
Speaker 2 (13:07):
Be sure to catch live editions of The Herd weekdays
and Neon Eastern not a em Pacific on Fox Sports
Radio FS one and the iHeartRadio app.
Speaker 3 (13:16):
You are now entering the No Bull Zone sponsored by
Credible Great Rates with none of the Bowl. All right,
let's get to the NFL. Oh, yeah, I love that.
You guys are gotta love this. Yes, let me just
start out. Yes, the New York Giants have been a
hot mess for a good five years. I would call
(13:36):
it a dumpster fire, but that might be a little
too strong. So Hard Knocks is a pretty great franchise
that HBO has had, and they used to just do
the preseason and then that kind of got stale, so
they started to do like an in season and now
they're doing an off season hard Knocks, and Hard Knocks
is with the New York Giants. And you guys know,
the Giants were terrible last year, one of the worst
(13:58):
teams in the league. And there is a sense that
the head coach, Brian Dable, who everybody likes, He's probably fine,
but the GM Joe Shane, is definitely under some heat.
And I know they are kind of a package. Dobi
in Buffalo guys. But Shane seems to be a little
nervous for his job. And how do I know this
because he's saying totally insane stuff in front of the cameras.
(14:21):
Are in Hard Knocks. There was a moment with about
Brian Burns where he is like kind of almost like
a goofy middle schooler going up to girls asking if
they want to dance, and he's like, oh, oh h,
how about a trade. What can I get Brian Burns
off your hands for ha. It's like, dude, stop hamming
it up for the cameras. But he goes further and
it becomes about Saquon Barkley and then Daniel Jones and
(14:44):
you know, we couldn't get the we can't get the
video for you, but I have the quote and this
is just mind numbingly stupid. Okay, Joe Shane is defending
Daniel Jones to his coaches and actually had the Cojones
to utter the reality is facts, three serious injuries in
two years. We need to protect ourselves. Jones didn't have
(15:06):
much of a chance this year. That's legit. Four guys,
the core guys that were gonna play together, played less
than sixty snaps together. He's talking about the offensive line. Miami,
we got effing three practice squad guys playing for us,
like nobody could bad word. Uh, you could have Patrick
Mahomes and he couldn't win behind that. I'm not giving
(15:29):
up on Daniel Jones. And listen, yes there is some
facts there. They had offensive line injuries. Whoop the damn do?
Who doesn't welcome to the NFL, Joe Shane, is this
your first run? Like everybody has offensive line injuries, you
gotta cry about it. And that's the reason Daniel Jones
isn't great and Patrick Mahomes couldn't win behind them because
Patrick Mahomes struggled without his tackles in the Super Bowl.
(15:51):
I guess a historically great Tampa pass rush like this
is embarrassing. I mean, I just want to remind people.
I had to look this up. This is almost you
can't believe this stuff. So Daniel Jones has played in
sixty games, he has forty six fumbles, forty six and
sixty games. He's had one good and I'm gonna use
air quotes good season. That was two years ago when
(16:12):
they went to the playoffs beat the Vikings. They were nine,
six and one. You know, Daniel Jones threw fifteen touchdown
passes that season. That's his good season. Why can't you
just admit that he's not the guy. Ah, it's because
you gave him the big fat contract. You paid Daniel
Jones instead of Saquon Barkley when everybody, everybody knew that.
(16:33):
That's a terrible mistake. And I'm just telling you I
will not forget anytime soon. Coward and I on this
show talking about the market for Daniel Jones, and there
was no market. The Giants were literally bidding against themselves.
If Daniel market said Daniel Jones said, hey, I don't
like what you guys are dealing me here. I'm gonna
(16:54):
go test the market, and the Giants said, go for it.
Daniel Jones would not have sniffed the contract the Giants
gave him. So they gave him forty million. I remember
instant acrimony in the locker room, all sorts of problem.
Saquon Barkley's now unhappy. He's our best player. Oh there's war.
Here's what Joe Shane said about Saquon Barkley. You know,
(17:14):
they lost him, and now it's embarrassing because it's like
he got stolen by your division rival, the Eagles, and
the Eagles are like, oh, we're all giddy, we got
Saquon Barkley. I read an article this week that someone
actually compared the potential of Saquon Barkley joining the Eagles
to what Christian McCaffrey did for the Niners offense. Yeah,
(17:35):
that's how excited people are on saqua. Now that might
be a bit of a stretch, but Saquon Barkley is
really really good. And here's what Joe Shane said about
Saquon Barkley and Daniel Jones. We have to upgrade the
offensive line, and you're paying Jones forty mili and it's
not to hand the ball off to a twelve million
dollar back. My plan is to address the offensive line
(17:57):
at some point in free agency. We're sitting at six.
There's a chance you get it off weapon offensive weapon there.
This is the year for Daniels. So they got that weapon,
the receiver from LSU. I believe neighbors. And now you
have no Saquon Barkley. There's no threat of a run
game whatsoever. Defenses will line up go ahead run against us.
Good luck your offensive line stinks. You don't have a
(18:18):
running back that scares us. Okay, good luck Daniel Jones.
I don't know how he's going to succeed. And that's
when this gets really really interesting. At what point do
they I don't know bench Daniel Jones. Remember they brought
in Drew Locke, Drew Locke who was looking great. Anytime
you hear backup looking great, it's like, oh, putting pressure
on Daniel Jones. I know they really badly want him
(18:41):
to succeed. They're desperate. Would they fire Joe Shane if
this is a five or six or seven win team,
which I think it is. Vegas is not high on
this team at all. They're definitely not first or second
in the division. At best their third and keep an
eye on Washington. I just don't have any faith the
Giants can turn this around. I'll just say this. The
Giants are also struggling with the amount of good coverage
(19:05):
and just coverage in general that the Jets are getting.
We've seen sky high expectations for the Jets. They're favored
in more than I think something like twelve games, maybe thirteen.
Jets are exciting, and I know Aaron Rodgers catching some heat.
But this is a Giants franchise. It's basically a blue
blood in the NFL, right, I mean, I think they
have four Super Bowls in my lifetime. The Jets have yeah, zero,
(19:29):
zero appearances in the Super Bowl. And I've got a
fun staff for you. I'm just gonna throw this chum
out in the water for Giants fans. I had the
staff call up last five years. You know, Jets versus Giants.
This is the dregs of the league, folks. It's bad,
it's bleak. At least we can say we didn't pay
Zach Wilson. You know, we drafted him, but we didn't
pay him. You guys paid Daniel Jones this year. Obviously,
(19:51):
the Jets climb out of this, but I don't think
there's any hope on the horizon for the Giants. Now.
You gotta I mean, if you're the Giants, you almost
want to be like a three or four win team,
so you can have your pick of the literate quarterback
because they're gonna need one. Daniel Jones, ain't the guy.
Sorry about your luck, Joe Shane, Let's go to Alex
Curry with the news. Turn on the news.
Speaker 2 (20:12):
This is the herd Line News.
Speaker 4 (20:15):
I'm sorry, j Mac that that stat.
Speaker 3 (20:17):
Board right there was just brutal. It's a tough time
for New York. At least Aaron Judge. At least Aaron
Judges having a foster season.
Speaker 4 (20:24):
Yeah, and then Nick got some positive the Nicks some
positive it.
Speaker 3 (20:27):
Yes, there you go.
Speaker 4 (20:28):
Okay, Well, let's start in the NBA because Klay Thompson
is done in Golden State after thirteen seasons and four
NBA titles. But the writing was on the wall all
last season about his time there coming to an end.
He was reportedly miserable in his final season, with everything
from his declining role on the team to how contract
negotiations went. He also reportedly felt disrespected after the team
(20:49):
did not offer him a contract extension after the twenty
twenty two title run. Now this tough because you can,
really you can understand both sides of this art and
how both are feeling. Like Clay Side, he gave so
much to this team, four titles. He battled back from
two major injuries, missing two full seasons with his ACL
(21:09):
and his tour Achilles in twenty twenty. But at the
end of the day, this is a business and the
team is a business, and Clay wasn't putting up those
same numbers of the Clay of the past before both
of those major injuries, and they weren't willing to give
them a thank you for what you did for us contract, Alex.
Speaker 3 (21:32):
It's tough for me. A guy makes forty three million
dollars last season and he's miserable. Okay, Oh you dad?
I was like, what do you like?
Speaker 4 (21:40):
You're like, I thought you were going to go the
other way. You don't understand why they didn't give them
more money.
Speaker 3 (21:45):
Well, I mean it's a tough spot, and I just
don't want to hear that you're miserable making forty three million.
You know, ninety percent of a miracle will never see
that cup. Maybe ninety five, I don't know. I really,
let's settle down with it was a fun It was
not a fun year. No in the locker room. But
I mean he got benched, right, he got benched. At
one point, he was pouting on the sideline. They weren't great.
(22:08):
They did end on like a twenty seven and twelve
heater at the end of the season or something.
Speaker 4 (22:12):
The thing is is like dynasties come to an end
and we just are slowly seeing. We slowly saw after
their twenty twenty two title, kind of the breakdown of
the most recent dynasty that we have seen in the NBA.
And this happens and you move on and it is hard.
And I loved all the heartfelt stories of everything that
(22:34):
he meant to the city and to this team. We
saw we shared Draymond Green sharing that like they had
like a member barriers where he called him and they
were just telling him, we're reminiscing on all the great
times and great things that they did together.
Speaker 3 (22:49):
So you're always going to have that.
Speaker 4 (22:50):
Plus, like Golden State announced that they can't wait to
retire his jersey one day, So they're going to retire
his jersey. He's probably going to have a statue outside.
He helped create this. He's a huge part of that,
and you can't take that away. But all good things
have to come to an end sometimes, and it was
just his time. If he wasn't happy, the team wasn't
willing to give him what he wanted, this was the
(23:10):
right thing that.
Speaker 3 (23:11):
Needed to happen. I mean, remember Scottie Pippen had issues
with the Bulls and he had a hole holding Now like.
Speaker 4 (23:17):
Is anybody really happy towards the end of like such
a long run like that.
Speaker 3 (23:22):
Ay, it was a great run. I get it done.
And he was unhappy that Wiggins got four years and
Draymond got four years. But it just feels a little
like they were a little disrespectful to him. I read
an article Ramona Shelbourne googin Porter. At least I think
it was her, might have been another outlet, but that
Joe Lacob, the owner of the Warriors, like in the
(23:43):
last two months, called Clay and was like, Hey, let's
go golfing at like this swanky golf club. And I'm
sure if you're Clay and the big and the owner says,
let's go golfing. Yeah, he wants to talk turkey. But
Joe Lacub had a policy where he doesn't talk business
on the golf course, so they didn't talk about his
contract at all. And I'm sure he knew at that point,
Damn it's over. He called me to play golf eighteen holes.
(24:04):
I had a blast, but we didn't talk about my contract. Damn,
it really is over.
Speaker 4 (24:07):
Yeah, I mean again, he gave so much to this team.
They gave so much to each other, like this team
created Clay Lay created the Warrior Dynasty, and it was great.
His jersey's gonna get retired, he's gonna get a statue,
and now I.
Speaker 3 (24:21):
Was gonna try somewhere else.
Speaker 4 (24:22):
All Right, let's move to Philly, because Paul George is
headed to Philly to join the seventy six ers on
a four year deal. The move creates a new Big
three with George, Joel Embiid and Tyres Maxie as the
team hopes to finally get that NBA title, and Maxim
made it clear that he's very excited to welcome his
new teammate.
Speaker 7 (24:38):
He's a guy that you can kind of pick up
and plug into any system because of his talent. He's
six ' nine. This guy can shoot the ball, can
rebound the ball, pass the ball, rough, play on the ball,
play off the ball, playoff handoffs, playing transition like you
know the sky's limit.
Speaker 4 (24:55):
J Meck, You know, I'm a glass half full kind
of person. You hope for someone as great as Joel
and b that Paul George will be that missing piece
that he needs to just get to the Eastern Conference finals,
because he's never even made it to the Eastern Conference finals.
Paul George has gotten to the conference finals both in
the East and the West with the Pacers and the Clippers,
and the seventy six ers has had. They've got other
(25:15):
big names with Joel and b to to try to
make that push and get over that hump to get
to the conference finals. James Harden didn't work. Ben Simmons
didn't work. Do you see this working with Paul George
and Philly?
Speaker 5 (25:28):
So?
Speaker 3 (25:29):
I know people don't like answering a question with a question,
but Alex, I'll ask you. So when the Suns added
Bradley Beale for a Big three, everybody was all excited.
I think I was dopey enough to pick them to
come out of the West. Howd that work out? Not great? Okay?
Last year the Bucks, remember when they got Damian Lillar.
Oh my goodness, Joanna's got Dame Holy cow, They're gonna
win the East.
Speaker 4 (25:49):
Remember, But he also said he came in like not
in shape, right, so are they? I don't know why
you would do that when your job is to is
like physical activity.
Speaker 3 (26:00):
I just I get the off season excitement about adding
a star. Yeah, But as I said yesterday, I think
the era of the three stars is done. That just
doesn't work anymore.
Speaker 4 (26:11):
Now now I'm not saying do they have chemistry, We
won't know until we see him.
Speaker 3 (26:14):
Yeah. Now listen, they got a good Nick Nurse is
the guy who I'm yeah, he was the coach in
Toronto when they added Kawhi, remember, and everybody's like, what's
come why own raptors what? And it worked out great.
I don't think this is gonna be easy, but I
think certainly top three in the East, better than the Bucks.
But again, it's gonna come down. I know it stinks
(26:36):
to say it's gonna come down to health. It is,
but and Bead's always hurting the playoff. He played thirty
nine games last year. Thirty nine. Yeah, if he plays
I don't know fifty this year, they're not gonna be
You really want the one or the two seeds this
year because home court advantage. Somebody, either the Celtics or
the Knicks is gonna have to face Philly. So I
think that one or two seeds is gonna actually be important.
(26:56):
So can is embiid gonna log heavy, heavy games in
minutes because way.
Speaker 4 (27:01):
Better too if they want to make it, and they
want to make a deep run. He's going to have
to Your star has to be healthy.
Speaker 3 (27:06):
So he did that to get the MVP award. But
what happened in the playoffs he kind of lost his seam,
ran out of gas against the Celtics. So then the
following year, last year, he gets hurt thirty nine games
in his body's just now built for this. I don't think.
Speaker 4 (27:20):
I don't know, I mean, but you kind of see
that with like all big stars too, Like Tanner ran
out of steam in the finals.
Speaker 3 (27:27):
He's still pushed through.
Speaker 4 (27:28):
Everyone was dealing with injuries.
Speaker 3 (27:30):
Yeah, I feel like he.
Speaker 4 (27:30):
Had like a handful of injuries throughout the entire playoff run.
Speaker 3 (27:34):
Listen, there's managing.
Speaker 4 (27:35):
Can you learn how to manage your injuries and your
exhaustion once you get to that point.
Speaker 3 (27:40):
Fifty wins, third in the East and losing the conference
semifinals to the Knicks. Yeah, that's my prediction. WHOA, Okay, yeah,
in depth prediction there.
Speaker 4 (27:49):
You are just so high on your neck.
Speaker 3 (27:52):
The NFL, you guys.
Speaker 4 (27:53):
The Patriots drafted Drake May third overall this year with
the hopes that he would be their quarterback for the future.
Now he is reportedly showing a lot of improvement in practice,
and his timing, footwork, and accuracy have all gotten better. However,
Jacobe Brissett is still expected to start the majority of
the season, wall May continues to develop, and honestly, I
think this is this is a smart move. You know,
we've seen a lot of these rookies just get thrown
(28:15):
into the fire immediately. I mean they did that with
Mac Jones, another first round pick who started week run.
How did that work out? While he's traded to the
Jags after three seasons? And you know, the positive is
is that they're saying Drake May is improving, right, but
if you have time to develop him, let him develop.
Like it's not like the Patriots are in their like
(28:38):
old years of Super Bowl or bus mentality. They have
so much work and improvement that they need in a
lot of aspects on their team, plus a completely new
coaching staff. Like it's just there's a lot if you
have time to let them develop, let them develop. I mean,
the Patriots have not figured out their quarterback situation since
(28:59):
Tom Brady left. They've had one playoffics like appearance, no ends,
and they've just kind of been a.
Speaker 3 (29:09):
I don't know, I'm I'm a firm believer in you've
got to you got to just do it. You know
you like watching, okay, sure, but the best learning experience
is going to be on the job when the bullets
are really yeah, right out of the Jayden Daniels is
starting for Washington with their line. Bo Nix is starting
yeah in Denver. We don't know about McCarthy yet, we
(29:33):
don't Fenix obviously won't. Caleb Williams is going to start like,
I don't know, Alex.
Speaker 4 (29:38):
You started different of situations though different like each stronger teams.
Like there was the argument for the Patriots should they
trade that top pick and get a haul because they
need improvements everywhere on their team. So what they just
got rid of Mac Jones, get Drake May and think
everything's going to be okay. No, it's the exact same situation.
(29:58):
They have so many holes that they need to fit
on this team before they can get back to the
Patriots of old. If they could ever get back to
that dynasty form.
Speaker 3 (30:06):
I don't think they will. But you know this, if
you want to start a business, the best way to
find out if you're gonna make it or not is
to actually do it. Yes, as opposed to like shadow
someone or workshop the idea of it. You just got
to get out there and do it to start the business,
and you're gonna sink or swim and it's gonna happen.
Like listen, some guys are not built for this. I
like Drake may probably more than most people. I don't
(30:28):
I don't know if he gets succeeded in New England,
like you know, I'll pull a giant joke out of
my rear end. Hey, I don't know Patrick Mahomes could
win with these jokers on the Patriots, like they're that bad.
Speaker 4 (30:39):
That a fine wherever he went the skill position plays, but.
Speaker 3 (30:44):
Yeah, it's it's gonna be a tough one. And yeah,
if I see the Patriots on my early season schedule
with Jacoby pre said, I'm just counting that as a
w rookie coach career backup starting week one, no skill position, guys,
I think it. I think the Patriots are a fade
team early. I'll be betting against them early. In Austin
app Alex Kurr with the news.
Speaker 2 (31:05):
Well that's the news and thanks for stopping by the herd.
Speaker 3 (31:08):
Line News all right, coming up next, why did Clay
Thompson pick the MAVs over the Lakers. Our next guest,
Mark Medina, He's got the answer, He'll tell you next.
Speaker 2 (31:18):
Be sure to catch live editions of The Herd weekdays
and noon Eastern nn AM Pacific.
Speaker 8 (31:23):
Hey, it's Ben, host of The Fifth Hour with Ben
Maller with me and a lot to have you join
us on our weekly auditory journey.
Speaker 9 (31:30):
You're asking, what in God's name is the Fifth Hour.
Speaker 8 (31:32):
I'll tell you it's a spin off of that Ben
Maler show, a cult hit overnights on FSR.
Speaker 9 (31:37):
Why should you listen?
Speaker 8 (31:39):
Picture if you will a world will. We chat with
captains of industry in media, sports, and more every week
explore some amazing facts about human nature and more. Listen
to The Fifth Hour with Ben Maller on the iHeartRadio app,
Apple Podcast, or wherever you get your podcasts.
Speaker 3 (31:53):
Back here on The Herd. On July fourth, very exciting
time for basketball in California. Lakers draw Warriors drama to
help us sift through all of it. Mark Medina, NBA
writer reporter, joining the show. Mark. Great to have you
in on July fourth.
Speaker 10 (32:08):
Yeah, Jason, Happy fourth of July. I love that you
got the picture out of colors. Try to do my
part as well.
Speaker 3 (32:13):
I'm just trying. I don't know if his peach qualifies,
but anyway, let's get to the good job. Klay Thompson
nearly picked the Lakers. You spoke to Clay's dad, who
put in a big pitch to Clay, Hey, come to
the Lakers. I call games. You got to come home.
How was the conversation with Michael Was he just.
Speaker 10 (32:28):
Strut Well, Michael was definitely disappointed, but I think that
when I talked to him, he was processing it and
he was saying, Hey, as long as Klay as happy,
then I'm good. But no doubt he wanted Klay to
go to the Lakers because this is the team that
he played for during the Showtime eras Kareem Abdul Jabbar's backup.
Speaker 9 (32:45):
So he laid out the stops.
Speaker 10 (32:46):
He went into Showtime Laker memories, bringing up Kobe Bryant.
Speaker 9 (32:51):
That was Clay's idol growing up.
Speaker 10 (32:54):
The idea of how Clay would fit well with Lebron
James Anthony Davis gain a lot of open looks, and
then he even tried Jason to sell Clay on the
idea that in La there's just so many harbors, so
many ports, you'd have so many places to park your
boat and also ride in none of those things were
Clay chose the Mavericks because they got to the NBA
Finals last season. They could make a push to even
(33:16):
get even to a greater level with contending for a title.
Speaker 3 (33:20):
I'm just curious, do you think that he's got a
better chance at a title with the MAVs or would
he have with the Lakers, Assuming the Lakers didn't have
to give up too much to get him. There was
no way they were parting with Austin Reeves right that.
Speaker 10 (33:34):
It's not clear on, but I think the challenge that
the Lakers had with any sign in trade specifically is
that they don't have a lot of assets that other
teams want. Whether they drew the line and the sand
in Austin Reeves isn't clear, but no doubt if Clay
went to the Lakers, they would be a dramatically different team,
even though he's not the same.
Speaker 9 (33:54):
Injury as players pre twenty nineteen injuries. But there's no
doubt Dallas.
Speaker 10 (34:01):
Is more equipped to make an NBA Finals push than
the Lakers are because Luka Doncis is playing a MVP level.
Kyrie irvings been playing like he was in twenty sixteen.
They have a better supporting cast, and even with last
season with Lebron, James Anthony Davis being mostly healthy being
most effective, you can't always think that's a guarantee because
(34:22):
where Lebron is at it in his career as well
as eighties injury history.
Speaker 3 (34:26):
So you were at the Lakers press conference with Reddick
and Bronnie are assuming and Reddick told I called it
a white lie, but he essentially said Bronni earned his way,
and of course everybody freaks out about it. Listen, man,
Kendall Jenner didn't earn her makeup empire, you know, Paris
Hilton kind of a big last name. You know, like
a lot of people didn't earn it, whether it's movies, music,
(34:48):
TV sports. I mean, how many NBA coaches have hired
their sons who didn't have experience front offices. This happens everywhere, Right,
It's not that big of a deal, or is it. Well?
Speaker 10 (35:00):
I think you hit a really key point in using
the term white lie. There's no doubt that obviously relationships
matter in the NBA, and Lebron's influence plays a factor.
But in fairness, Jason, before the NBA Draft even took place,
there were outside executives that I talked to that really
downplayed the Lebron component as far as would the Lakers
(35:22):
feel pressure to select Bronny just because of Lebron as
well as any potential teams drafting Browny just in case
they could get Lebron. Those executives certainly have question marks
about Bronni as far as does he have a defined
skill set. Their conclusion as right now, no, but they
did give him a lot of credit for overcoming the
(35:43):
cardiac arrest, having the kind of mental resiliency to overcome.
Speaker 3 (35:47):
That and also show at least relative.
Speaker 10 (35:50):
Improvement from a limited workload at the beginning of last
season in USC till the very end. So again, he's
obviously at work in progress. There's a reason why he
was draft at fifty and could have gone on drafted,
But there is some optimism even among people outside of
the Lakers, that he could carve out a long career
as a role player.
Speaker 3 (36:10):
Yeah, and listen, I think you I know I've had jobs.
I don't know if you have or Alex, but like
you know, you maybe aren't qualified for the job, or
they don't have you in a defined rule and you
just get it. He get me in the door, I'm
going to make stuff happen. I will figure it out, right,
isn't that doesn't that kind of sort of apply here?
Speaker 9 (36:27):
It does?
Speaker 10 (36:27):
And look, the Lakers are saying this, but most importantly
out people outside of the Lakers are saying this.
Speaker 9 (36:33):
The work ethic and the character are.
Speaker 10 (36:36):
Real, and the improvement is what he's shown as a playmaker, shooter,
and defender are real. Now again, there's executives I talk
to this say, okay, he's not an elite defender, elite shooter,
or elite really at anything. But to your point, he's
young and they feel that whatever deficiencies he has, he
can show ongoing improvement because of those intangible qualities.
Speaker 9 (37:00):
Out again, what is this ceiling.
Speaker 10 (37:02):
No one's projecting that he's going to be like his dad,
but there is a pathway for him to at least
have a productive NBA career.
Speaker 3 (37:09):
I love how these guys just pokels well, he's not this,
he's not this. We don't know what he is. Well
he can be what we want him to be.
Speaker 10 (37:16):
And I think, yeah, Jason, I think the bottom line
is all these questions are fair to bring up, but
I think it's a much different conversation when we're looking
at what the Lakers did. They selected Bronny at number
fifty five. It's a late second round pick. Usually second
round picks don't have a long career. It will be
a much different component. But the Lakers user seventeenth pick
to pick Bronnie, or they traded picks to move up
(37:38):
higher in the second round. Now, they used a fifty
fifth pick on Bronny.
Speaker 3 (37:43):
So just for the meat balls out there, I know
a lot of people I saw it on social media
how they're like, oh, look at the other fifty fifth
overall picks. They got two way deals. Did you see
Trace Jackson Davis's rookie deal with the Warriors. He was
taking fifty seventh overall, He got like as much money
as Bronnie. It's like, let's pump the brakes on on
some of the money. Right. People are overreacting because it's
lebron Right, Well.
Speaker 10 (38:04):
The terms of his zeal are in line with all
second round contracts.
Speaker 3 (38:07):
Now.
Speaker 10 (38:07):
I know that some people put some memes out there
the comparison of nikolea Jokic's second contract or looking contract.
It's apples and oranges. It's up because the salary cap. Yeah,
so those kind of conversations. Again, there's a lot of
legitimate questions about just what his fit's going to be,
what his role's going to be, how the dynamics going
(38:30):
to play out with Lebron and the Lakers. But that
part it's irrelevant because again, his contract is in line
with other second round picks, and comparing it to previous
second round picks in earlier area doesn't make sense because
the salary cap number wasn't the same number.
Speaker 3 (38:47):
All right, let's go to the East. Give me your
top three teams in the East as of right now.
Speaker 9 (38:51):
Okay, so this is my on paper top three teams,
no doubt. It's the Boston selling Its theay won the championship.
They have their whole core back. Now here there's the
difference on paper.
Speaker 10 (39:01):
I would put the Philadelphia seventy six ers second because
they got Paul George.
Speaker 9 (39:06):
Now, he's a great two way player.
Speaker 10 (39:07):
Joel Embiid's back Tyrese MAXI I think can still play
at a really good level even being that third guy.
But can Paul George and or Joel Embiid stay consistently healthy.
Their track record has shown that that's a challenge, and
so with that you have to pay attention to the Knicks.
They got mckel Bridges, they have most of their core back,
(39:29):
Isaiah Hartenstein's. Hartenstegin's departure is huge. He was a great rebounder,
great pick and role player with Jalen Brunson. But the
fact that they got the Villanova Cruz still back Tom
Thibodeau's identity as far as having that blue collar work ethic,
that goes a long way. So I think it's really
between Philadelphia and New York for that second spot, and
it really comes down to health.
Speaker 3 (39:49):
Yeah, I got it. I'll take the Knicks obviously, But
what about role players. We saw them playing a huge
role for the Celtics, whether it was a Derek White game,
Porzingis against the Mans, obviously, Drew ha you look at
the maps, Derek Lively came out of nowhere. Gafford had
moments with the Sixers. Don't even have ten guys on
their roster right now, Like I just I'm not buying,
(40:10):
Like I mean again Mark last summer, Damian Liler joins
the Bucks. Oh, Bucks, they're the best in the East.
Speaker 10 (40:15):
Bradley Beal's and the Suns, like you're you're not buyers
of Eric Gordon and Andre Drummond.
Speaker 9 (40:19):
They they got those plays.
Speaker 3 (40:20):
But Eric Gordon guard me, you know. And I'm kidding obviously,
but like, yeah, Kelly Oubray, I just they don't even
have nine I don't even think nine guys on the road.
They're gonna have like three or four minimum dudes. And
we saw what happened with like Phoenix. When that when
that kind of thing happens, you have an injury in
the Bucks and all of a sudden, you're playing like
guys on two way contracts in big, pivotal, high leverage spots.
(40:41):
Does that concern you at all?
Speaker 10 (40:43):
It very well could because of the injury history. From
a basketball standpoint, I don't have any concerns. I think
that fit's gonna be great. And from what we saw
with Paul George with the Clippers, even though obviously the
Clippers didn't live up to the expectations about getting a
championship with Kawhi Leonard and Paul George, that all.
Speaker 9 (41:01):
Came down to health.
Speaker 10 (41:02):
The basketball standpoint, Paul George was really effective in adapting
his game as either the number one, number two, and
even last season the number three options. So I think
from a basketball standpoint, aren't going to be any issues.
But like what you mentioned with the Phoenix Suns, if
there's injury concerns, this can all fall apart pretty quickly.
Speaker 3 (41:21):
We got ten seconds. Who does the US beat in
the gold in the Olympics for the basketball? Do they
be France or Canada?
Speaker 9 (41:27):
I think it'll be France.
Speaker 3 (41:28):
Oh that's going to be good.
Speaker 10 (41:29):
I mean, look, they had so many new players in
this draft class represented they are the real deal.
Speaker 9 (41:34):
But the US will prevail.
Speaker 3 (41:35):
Mark Medina great stuff coming up next. I ranked the
top ten players in the NBA. You're not going to
want to miss it.
Thanks for listening to The Herd podcast. Be sure to
catch us live every weekday on Fox Sports Radio in
noon to three Eastern nine am to noone Pacific. Find
your local station for The Herd at Fox Sportsradio 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 (00:26):
Happy Fourth of July. Everybody. It's me Jason McIntyre in
for Colin Coward. This is the Herd. We are celebrating
July fourth very patriotically today. A lot of fun, interesting topics,
great guests. I'm joined as always by Alex Curry. Alex,
Happy Fourth of July to you.
Speaker 4 (00:45):
Happy fourth, Happy Birthday America. It's always fun to I
don't know. This is a different energy in the air
on fourth of July. Even this morning where we lived,
South Bay was already buzzing. They had the Iron Man going.
I think I explained that yesterday. Where you run a mile,
you paddle mile, you pound a six pack of beer,
and then you start the Fourth of July. It was
one of my favorite holidays growing up in Manhattan Beach
(01:08):
like it's yeah, it's special.
Speaker 3 (01:10):
Yeah, be safe with those fireworks, folks, you know they
could be dangerous. I know everybody thinks they're tough, guys.
I got a good firework story I'll tell later in
the show, but I do want to start here. Listen,
when I fill in for Colin, I got to make
it all about me, right, I have to, and I
have to be honest with the audience today. I mean,
it's July fourth, National holiday. Everybody watching TV. Sometimes I
(01:31):
tell a white lie. Guys, it happens sometimes. Listen. I
got kids, you know, they play sports, and maybe they'll
have a bad game. They'll come off, Hey, dad, can
we go get ice cream? And I should be the
dad who says, hell, no, you were awful. You botch
this play. You weren't locked in here, No way, We're
(01:52):
not going to get ice cream. We're headed home. But
sometimes I'll tell the white line. I'll say, you know
what you did your best. Yeah, sure, let's go get
ice cream, let's celebrate. You have to do that as
a father, and sometimes as a husband, you got to
tell white lies to the wife. I'm sure that if
you ask the producers on this show, sometimes they tell
me white lies. Now, in an unlikely scenario where I
(02:12):
have a bad segment. Again, not likely to happen. They
might say, yeah, he good stuff, Jay, when I know
that wasn't my best effort. They don't want to ruin
my confidence for the next segment, right, So sometimes you
got to tell white lies. And that brings me to
JJ Reddick, the new head coach of the Los Angeles Lakers. Now,
I hope he doesn't get upset for my engagement farming
(02:33):
of his name and the Lakers and Bronnie James here
on July fourth. But JJ Reddick was asked a tough
question at a press conference this week, and he had
a choice. He could tell a little white lie or
he could be a truth teller. And here's what went
down at the Lakers press.
Speaker 5 (02:49):
Conference, Rob and I did not give Bronnie anything. Bronnie
has earned this right. Bronnie talks about his hard work.
Bronnie has earned this through hard work.
Speaker 3 (03:01):
Oh boy, here we go. Listen. I'm rooting for Bronnie.
I'm happy the Lakers drafted him at fifty five. I
think he's gonna be a solid NBA player dot ten
twelve year career in the rotation. I think he's gonna
be fine. But don't pee on my leg and tell
me it's raining. Okay, everybody who watched college basketball, everybody
who pays attention to the sport, Ronnie didn't earn this.
(03:23):
We guy averaged four point eight points per game. He
started like six games. I know he had the cardiac arrest,
which obviously hindered his season, but don't tell me he
earned this like that. You just can't do that. But
this is what JJ Reddick signed up for, right Hey man,
it's the Lakers. Every question you get asked, you gotta
(03:43):
be careful. You're under the spotlight. They are coming after you.
The ink stained wretches who follow the Lakers around. They
tweet out everything. Every sound bite has a chance to
go viral, and this one is going viral for JJ,
not in a good way. Everybody said, oh, he didn't
earn it, Well, we know it's not always what you know,
it's who you know. And let's be real, Bronnie was drafted.
(04:04):
His dad is the greatest player in the history of
the NBA. He is an All NBA talent. Still he's
running the Lakers. Why shouldn't they have taken him fifty
fifth overall? You're taking a flyer on somebody at fifty five.
It's not the end of the world. But this is
what JJ Reddick can expect. And the real question is, JJ,
are you ready come November December? Lakers a bit of
(04:30):
a slide. Bronni hasn't played in a week or two.
It's not unheard of that a rookie would't play in
a week or two. But he's sitting on the bench
and the media comes up and JJ, hey, Ronnie's not playing.
Are you thinking of sending him to the G League
so he can get some reps? And then what happens
with the White Lies? Is ready going to keep it up?
Speaker 2 (04:51):
Now?
Speaker 3 (04:51):
For Bronnie, he's in a tough spot. The way he
handled some of these questions I thought was phenomenal, But
he is in an extremely difficult spot because everybody knows
the deal. His dad got him drafted and there's nothing
wrong with that. But here's how Bronnie answered the question.
And you can see a little laugh here. Take take note, just.
Speaker 6 (05:09):
For sure, amplified amount of pressure. I've already seen it,
stuff and media and stuff on the in the internet
and stuff talking about I might not deserve an opportunity,
but you know, I've been dealing with stuff like this
for my whole life, so it's it's it's nothing different,
(05:29):
but it's it's it's more amplified, for sure, But I
can get through it.
Speaker 3 (05:33):
I just want to come.
Speaker 6 (05:34):
In and get my work in and and get better
every day. But I've never really had a thought of,
you know, me going to play with my dad. But
that's always you know, there to you know, take part
of it, but it wasn't a main focus a monita.
Speaker 3 (05:52):
I gotta say that's a pretty great answer for a teenager.
I expect Reddick to be flawless at the MIC. I mean,
he was a player for well over a decade, handled
the media all the time, then he transitioned into announcing
and podcasting. He's gonna be great. I think he's gonna
handle it. Okay, Bron he's the one I'm worried about.
But he's nineteen and he crushed it. That answer was perfect.
(06:13):
But this all leads back to my next point, which
is that Lebron is still running the Lakers anyway it
slice it. And there was a column in the La
Times this week which kind of crucified the Lakers for
the way they're letting Lebron handle things. And it goes
back to the end of the Kobe Bryant era for
Laker fans and the Los Angeles audience. You know what happened.
Kobe wanted a big, fat thank you contract from the Lakers,
(06:36):
and he got it at the end. The problem was
giving Kobe all that money and all that power led
to a quite bad roster. At this point, Paalgasol's gone
and they were in the wilderness, a total train wreck,
the worst I believe, five or six year run the
history of the franchise. It was brutal. And the concern
from Bill Ploshki at the LA Times is that, well,
(06:57):
giving Lebron all this power, I mean, he gets a
picked to coach, he gets a two year max deeal,
he gets to draft his son, We're seeing Kobe Bryant
all over again. And I pumped the brakes on that,
and I disagree with the column largely because Lebron at
the end is playing in an all NBA level. The
Lakers won forty seven games last year. I know they
lost in the first round to the defending champion Nuggets
(07:18):
four to one. It wasn't the closest for one ever,
but the Nuggets did win two of those games almost
at the buzzer thanks to Jamal Murray. One was at
the buzzer, so it sound like they got absolutely destroyed
by the defending champions. Who Oh, by the way, where
the favorites just come out of the West is a
forty seven win team last year, And let's be honest, guys,
they're bringing back pretty much everybody. They add Dalton Connect,
(07:42):
who I don't know if you saw this. He's gonna
wear the jersey number four and his last name is Connect,
so his nickname is gonna be Connect four. I mean,
amazing board game. I hate to brag, but I'm really
strong at Connect four. Anytime we go to like a
hotel or resort, I see Connect four, I'm playing. I'm
inviting randoms to play me. Come on, step up. Any
but he won a piece. Connect four is an awesome nickname.
(08:02):
But Dalta Connect will help in the rotation. I think
Broni's probably gonna play a little bit, maybe not immediately,
but the Lakers should be again in that forty seven
to fifty win range. I think JJ Reddick's probably worth
four to five wins. That's how low I was on
Darvin Ham. So this isn't like the Lakers are in
real deep trouble because Lebron's running the franchise. I understand
(08:24):
the concern, though, Remember everywhere Lebron has gone and then left,
it's been really, really bad. He leaves and the cupboards
bear because, oh, by the way, he's phenomenal and everywhere
he goes he wins championships. Remember the first time he
left the Calves, they fell off a cliff and they
ended up with Kyrie Irving. He couldn't get them pass
(08:45):
like thirty wins. It was brutal. Okay, he goes to
the Heat, they win two titles, They go to the
finals four years in a row. You know how they
did in the five years after Lebron left Miami one
playoff series win. It was rough. Now, and that's with
pat Riley running the show, who's an all time architect
in the NBA, just a genius. So then Lebron goes
back to Cleveland. They win a title with Kyrie Irving,
(09:08):
and then Lebron leaves and how have they done? And
the post Lebron era not good. Now they're starting to
rebound with Donovan Mitchell, but it takes a while. So
there's now the concern that, oh, well, if we just
give Lebron everything he wants, he's gonna leave here in
a year or two or three ever, gonna be left
hold in the bag and the Lakers are gonna be
back in Kobe Bryant time. But we're forgetting Anthony Davis
(09:32):
is one of the fifteen best players in the league.
And I know after yesterday's chat with Chris Bussard, you
guys are hot for my list top ten players in
the league. Ad did not crack the top ten, but
he's close. He's certainly top fifteen. He was outstanding last year.
He's still in his early thirties. I know he has
an injury history, but we talked about the Lakers roster yesterday.
This is a team with two players over the age
(09:54):
of thirty two. That's it. They've got a young nucleus.
I'm probably higher on Austin Reeves than I know. Colin's
not the biggest fan. He likes Austin Reeves. I think
Austin Reeves is maybe not a build around guy, but
I think ultimately he is a great number three, and
then you kind of reboot things. I don't think that
Lebron is going to totally shaft the Lakers. But but
(10:15):
to Bill Plashki's point on the column, Hey, guys, do
you remember what happened when Kawhi left the Spurs? Oh,
that's right. The Spurs were a train wreck until they
landed one Bin Yama in the draft. I'm talking they
couldn't win a playoff series once Kawhi left and demanded
out of San Antonio. I talked yesterday Michael Jordan at
(10:35):
the end of the Bulls saga. They had a great
run in the nineties. Do you know how bad that
franchise has been since? They had to be brief blip
with Derrick Rose, but otherwise the Bulls have been irrelevant
for twenty five years. So yeah, when stars leave, it
doesn't end up well. I am optimistic because I do
believe Lebron is gonna get the Lakers right on the
(10:57):
fringe of contenders. I don't think they're contending for a championship,
but they weren't two years ago and things fell into line,
injuries happen, and boom they're in the Conference finals. I mean, guys,
you can't tell me right now that you don't see
the potential for a Phoenix Sun's implosion, the Warriors being
like a thirty seven win team, the Clippers are stepping back.
I mean, hell, Denver Nuggets are not getting better, and
(11:20):
if Jamal Murray goes down for any stretch, we know
that that's not like a top five team in the West.
So there is a world where the Lakers are right
back in the mix. And they then got a young nucleus,
get Max Christie's playing and oh my gosh, ruiy Hachi
Mora is still valuable, and all of a sudden, wow,
would you look at that the Lakers are not totally
(11:41):
barren when Lebron leaves. So I'm optimistic for the Lakers
this season. Yes, I'm a bit of a Laker homer
and a Knicks homer. It happens. I'm allowed to do
that as a media member, So I just would push
back on the narrative that giving Lebron too much power
is a bad thing. By the way, guys, he did
bring you a title in the Bubble just a few
(12:01):
years ago. So Alex, I'm optimistic on the Lakers. I
don't know if you are as bullish as I am
on the upcoming season.
Speaker 4 (12:09):
Oh you know, I'm a half glassful kind of a person,
But just imagine what would motivate one of the greatest
players of our time more than just wanting to win
on his own, wanting to make history and win with
his son.
Speaker 3 (12:22):
So he hears all this.
Speaker 4 (12:23):
Lebron sees and hears everything that's going on in the media.
Speaker 3 (12:26):
He is a media mogul.
Speaker 4 (12:28):
He knows how to work it, he knows how to
listen to it, he knows what to give us what
we want. He's hearing and seeing all of this, and
he's just using it as motivation. This is what I'm
hoping for. This is my prediction. This is only going
to push and motivate Lebron even more than before.
Speaker 3 (12:45):
Yeah, prove everybody wrong. Bron and Bronny must see TV
this season, all right? Coming up next year on the Herd,
Oh my gosh, you guys all have a Jets Homer
as well. But my goodness, I'm not picking on the Giants,
but they keep opening their mouths and saying the dumbest
things possible. I mean putting Patrick Mahomes in the same
sentence as Daniel Jones. Guys, I gotta call you out.
That's next year on The Herd.
Speaker 2 (13:07):
Be sure to catch live editions of The Herd weekdays
and Neon Eastern not a em Pacific on Fox Sports
Radio FS one and the iHeartRadio app.
Speaker 3 (13:16):
You are now entering the No Bull Zone sponsored by
Credible Great Rates with none of the Bowl. All right,
let's get to the NFL. Oh, yeah, I love that.
You guys are gotta love this. Yes, let me just
start out. Yes, the New York Giants have been a
hot mess for a good five years. I would call
(13:36):
it a dumpster fire, but that might be a little
too strong. So Hard Knocks is a pretty great franchise
that HBO has had, and they used to just do
the preseason and then that kind of got stale, so
they started to do like an in season and now
they're doing an off season hard Knocks, and Hard Knocks
is with the New York Giants. And you guys know,
the Giants were terrible last year, one of the worst
(13:58):
teams in the league. And there is a sense that
the head coach, Brian Dable, who everybody likes, He's probably fine,
but the GM Joe Shane, is definitely under some heat.
And I know they are kind of a package. Dobi
in Buffalo guys. But Shane seems to be a little
nervous for his job. And how do I know this
because he's saying totally insane stuff in front of the cameras.
(14:21):
Are in Hard Knocks. There was a moment with about
Brian Burns where he is like kind of almost like
a goofy middle schooler going up to girls asking if
they want to dance, and he's like, oh, oh h,
how about a trade. What can I get Brian Burns
off your hands for ha. It's like, dude, stop hamming
it up for the cameras. But he goes further and
it becomes about Saquon Barkley and then Daniel Jones and
(14:44):
you know, we couldn't get the we can't get the
video for you, but I have the quote and this
is just mind numbingly stupid. Okay, Joe Shane is defending
Daniel Jones to his coaches and actually had the Cojones
to utter the reality is facts, three serious injuries in
two years. We need to protect ourselves. Jones didn't have
(15:06):
much of a chance this year. That's legit. Four guys,
the core guys that were gonna play together, played less
than sixty snaps together. He's talking about the offensive line. Miami,
we got effing three practice squad guys playing for us,
like nobody could bad word. Uh, you could have Patrick
Mahomes and he couldn't win behind that. I'm not giving
(15:29):
up on Daniel Jones. And listen, yes there is some
facts there. They had offensive line injuries. Whoop the damn do?
Who doesn't welcome to the NFL, Joe Shane, is this
your first run? Like everybody has offensive line injuries, you
gotta cry about it. And that's the reason Daniel Jones
isn't great and Patrick Mahomes couldn't win behind them because
Patrick Mahomes struggled without his tackles in the Super Bowl.
(15:51):
I guess a historically great Tampa pass rush like this
is embarrassing. I mean, I just want to remind people.
I had to look this up. This is almost you
can't believe this stuff. So Daniel Jones has played in
sixty games, he has forty six fumbles, forty six and
sixty games. He's had one good and I'm gonna use
air quotes good season. That was two years ago when
(16:12):
they went to the playoffs beat the Vikings. They were nine,
six and one. You know, Daniel Jones threw fifteen touchdown
passes that season. That's his good season. Why can't you
just admit that he's not the guy. Ah, it's because
you gave him the big fat contract. You paid Daniel
Jones instead of Saquon Barkley when everybody, everybody knew that.
(16:33):
That's a terrible mistake. And I'm just telling you I
will not forget anytime soon. Coward and I on this
show talking about the market for Daniel Jones, and there
was no market. The Giants were literally bidding against themselves.
If Daniel market said Daniel Jones said, hey, I don't
like what you guys are dealing me here. I'm gonna
(16:54):
go test the market, and the Giants said, go for it.
Daniel Jones would not have sniffed the contract the Giants
gave him. So they gave him forty million. I remember
instant acrimony in the locker room, all sorts of problem.
Saquon Barkley's now unhappy. He's our best player. Oh there's war.
Here's what Joe Shane said about Saquon Barkley. You know,
(17:14):
they lost him, and now it's embarrassing because it's like
he got stolen by your division rival, the Eagles, and
the Eagles are like, oh, we're all giddy, we got
Saquon Barkley. I read an article this week that someone
actually compared the potential of Saquon Barkley joining the Eagles
to what Christian McCaffrey did for the Niners offense. Yeah,
(17:35):
that's how excited people are on saqua. Now that might
be a bit of a stretch, but Saquon Barkley is
really really good. And here's what Joe Shane said about
Saquon Barkley and Daniel Jones. We have to upgrade the
offensive line, and you're paying Jones forty mili and it's
not to hand the ball off to a twelve million
dollar back. My plan is to address the offensive line
(17:57):
at some point in free agency. We're sitting at six.
There's a chance you get it off weapon offensive weapon there.
This is the year for Daniels. So they got that weapon,
the receiver from LSU. I believe neighbors. And now you
have no Saquon Barkley. There's no threat of a run
game whatsoever. Defenses will line up go ahead run against us.
Good luck your offensive line stinks. You don't have a
(18:18):
running back that scares us. Okay, good luck Daniel Jones.
I don't know how he's going to succeed. And that's
when this gets really really interesting. At what point do
they I don't know bench Daniel Jones. Remember they brought
in Drew Locke, Drew Locke who was looking great. Anytime
you hear backup looking great, it's like, oh, putting pressure
on Daniel Jones. I know they really badly want him
(18:41):
to succeed. They're desperate. Would they fire Joe Shane if
this is a five or six or seven win team,
which I think it is. Vegas is not high on
this team at all. They're definitely not first or second
in the division. At best their third and keep an
eye on Washington. I just don't have any faith the
Giants can turn this around. I'll just say this. The
Giants are also struggling with the amount of good coverage
(19:05):
and just coverage in general that the Jets are getting.
We've seen sky high expectations for the Jets. They're favored
in more than I think something like twelve games, maybe thirteen.
Jets are exciting, and I know Aaron Rodgers catching some heat.
But this is a Giants franchise. It's basically a blue
blood in the NFL, right, I mean, I think they
have four Super Bowls in my lifetime. The Jets have yeah, zero,
(19:29):
zero appearances in the Super Bowl. And I've got a
fun staff for you. I'm just gonna throw this chum
out in the water for Giants fans. I had the
staff call up last five years. You know, Jets versus Giants.
This is the dregs of the league, folks. It's bad,
it's bleak. At least we can say we didn't pay
Zach Wilson. You know, we drafted him, but we didn't
pay him. You guys paid Daniel Jones this year. Obviously,
(19:51):
the Jets climb out of this, but I don't think
there's any hope on the horizon for the Giants. Now.
You gotta I mean, if you're the Giants, you almost
want to be like a three or four win team,
so you can have your pick of the literate quarterback
because they're gonna need one. Daniel Jones, ain't the guy.
Sorry about your luck, Joe Shane, Let's go to Alex
Curry with the news. Turn on the news.
Speaker 2 (20:12):
This is the herd Line News.
Speaker 4 (20:15):
I'm sorry, j Mac that that stat.
Speaker 3 (20:17):
Board right there was just brutal. It's a tough time
for New York. At least Aaron Judge. At least Aaron
Judges having a foster season.
Speaker 4 (20:24):
Yeah, and then Nick got some positive the Nicks some
positive it.
Speaker 3 (20:27):
Yes, there you go.
Speaker 4 (20:28):
Okay, Well, let's start in the NBA because Klay Thompson
is done in Golden State after thirteen seasons and four
NBA titles. But the writing was on the wall all
last season about his time there coming to an end.
He was reportedly miserable in his final season, with everything
from his declining role on the team to how contract
negotiations went. He also reportedly felt disrespected after the team
(20:49):
did not offer him a contract extension after the twenty
twenty two title run. Now this tough because you can,
really you can understand both sides of this art and
how both are feeling. Like Clay Side, he gave so
much to this team, four titles. He battled back from
two major injuries, missing two full seasons with his ACL
(21:09):
and his tour Achilles in twenty twenty. But at the
end of the day, this is a business and the
team is a business, and Clay wasn't putting up those
same numbers of the Clay of the past before both
of those major injuries, and they weren't willing to give
them a thank you for what you did for us contract, Alex.
Speaker 3 (21:32):
It's tough for me. A guy makes forty three million
dollars last season and he's miserable. Okay, Oh you dad?
I was like, what do you like?
Speaker 4 (21:40):
You're like, I thought you were going to go the
other way. You don't understand why they didn't give them
more money.
Speaker 3 (21:45):
Well, I mean it's a tough spot, and I just
don't want to hear that you're miserable making forty three million.
You know, ninety percent of a miracle will never see
that cup. Maybe ninety five, I don't know. I really,
let's settle down with it was a fun It was
not a fun year. No in the locker room. But
I mean he got benched, right, he got benched. At
one point, he was pouting on the sideline. They weren't great.
(22:08):
They did end on like a twenty seven and twelve
heater at the end of the season or something.
Speaker 4 (22:12):
The thing is is like dynasties come to an end
and we just are slowly seeing. We slowly saw after
their twenty twenty two title, kind of the breakdown of
the most recent dynasty that we have seen in the NBA.
And this happens and you move on and it is hard.
And I loved all the heartfelt stories of everything that
(22:34):
he meant to the city and to this team. We
saw we shared Draymond Green sharing that like they had
like a member barriers where he called him and they
were just telling him, we're reminiscing on all the great
times and great things that they did together.
Speaker 3 (22:49):
So you're always going to have that.
Speaker 4 (22:50):
Plus, like Golden State announced that they can't wait to
retire his jersey one day, So they're going to retire
his jersey. He's probably going to have a statue outside.
He helped create this. He's a huge part of that,
and you can't take that away. But all good things
have to come to an end sometimes, and it was
just his time. If he wasn't happy, the team wasn't
willing to give him what he wanted, this was the
(23:10):
right thing that.
Speaker 3 (23:11):
Needed to happen. I mean, remember Scottie Pippen had issues
with the Bulls and he had a hole holding Now like.
Speaker 4 (23:17):
Is anybody really happy towards the end of like such
a long run like that.
Speaker 3 (23:22):
Ay, it was a great run. I get it done.
And he was unhappy that Wiggins got four years and
Draymond got four years. But it just feels a little
like they were a little disrespectful to him. I read
an article Ramona Shelbourne googin Porter. At least I think
it was her, might have been another outlet, but that
Joe Lacob, the owner of the Warriors, like in the
(23:43):
last two months, called Clay and was like, Hey, let's
go golfing at like this swanky golf club. And I'm
sure if you're Clay and the big and the owner says,
let's go golfing. Yeah, he wants to talk turkey. But
Joe Lacub had a policy where he doesn't talk business
on the golf course, so they didn't talk about his
contract at all. And I'm sure he knew at that point,
Damn it's over. He called me to play golf eighteen holes.
(24:04):
I had a blast, but we didn't talk about my contract. Damn,
it really is over.
Speaker 4 (24:07):
Yeah, I mean again, he gave so much to this team.
They gave so much to each other, like this team
created Clay Lay created the Warrior Dynasty, and it was great.
His jersey's gonna get retired, he's gonna get a statue,
and now I.
Speaker 3 (24:21):
Was gonna try somewhere else.
Speaker 4 (24:22):
All Right, let's move to Philly, because Paul George is
headed to Philly to join the seventy six ers on
a four year deal. The move creates a new Big
three with George, Joel Embiid and Tyres Maxie as the
team hopes to finally get that NBA title, and Maxim
made it clear that he's very excited to welcome his
new teammate.
Speaker 7 (24:38):
He's a guy that you can kind of pick up
and plug into any system because of his talent. He's
six ' nine. This guy can shoot the ball, can
rebound the ball, pass the ball, rough, play on the ball,
play off the ball, playoff handoffs, playing transition like you
know the sky's limit.
Speaker 4 (24:55):
J Meck, You know, I'm a glass half full kind
of person. You hope for someone as great as Joel
and b that Paul George will be that missing piece
that he needs to just get to the Eastern Conference finals,
because he's never even made it to the Eastern Conference finals.
Paul George has gotten to the conference finals both in
the East and the West with the Pacers and the Clippers,
and the seventy six ers has had. They've got other
(25:15):
big names with Joel and b to to try to
make that push and get over that hump to get
to the conference finals. James Harden didn't work. Ben Simmons
didn't work. Do you see this working with Paul George
and Philly?
Speaker 5 (25:28):
So?
Speaker 3 (25:29):
I know people don't like answering a question with a question,
but Alex, I'll ask you. So when the Suns added
Bradley Beale for a Big three, everybody was all excited.
I think I was dopey enough to pick them to
come out of the West. Howd that work out? Not great? Okay?
Last year the Bucks, remember when they got Damian Lillar.
Oh my goodness, Joanna's got Dame Holy cow, They're gonna
win the East.
Speaker 4 (25:49):
Remember, But he also said he came in like not
in shape, right, so are they? I don't know why
you would do that when your job is to is
like physical activity.
Speaker 3 (26:00):
I just I get the off season excitement about adding
a star. Yeah, But as I said yesterday, I think
the era of the three stars is done. That just
doesn't work anymore.
Speaker 4 (26:11):
Now now I'm not saying do they have chemistry, We
won't know until we see him.
Speaker 3 (26:14):
Yeah. Now listen, they got a good Nick Nurse is
the guy who I'm yeah, he was the coach in
Toronto when they added Kawhi, remember, and everybody's like, what's
come why own raptors what? And it worked out great.
I don't think this is gonna be easy, but I
think certainly top three in the East, better than the Bucks.
But again, it's gonna come down. I know it stinks
(26:36):
to say it's gonna come down to health. It is,
but and Bead's always hurting the playoff. He played thirty
nine games last year. Thirty nine. Yeah, if he plays
I don't know fifty this year, they're not gonna be
You really want the one or the two seeds this
year because home court advantage. Somebody, either the Celtics or
the Knicks is gonna have to face Philly. So I
think that one or two seeds is gonna actually be important.
(26:56):
So can is embiid gonna log heavy, heavy games in
minutes because way.
Speaker 4 (27:01):
Better too if they want to make it, and they
want to make a deep run. He's going to have
to Your star has to be healthy.
Speaker 3 (27:06):
So he did that to get the MVP award. But
what happened in the playoffs he kind of lost his seam,
ran out of gas against the Celtics. So then the
following year, last year, he gets hurt thirty nine games
in his body's just now built for this. I don't think.
Speaker 4 (27:20):
I don't know, I mean, but you kind of see
that with like all big stars too, Like Tanner ran
out of steam in the finals.
Speaker 3 (27:27):
He's still pushed through.
Speaker 4 (27:28):
Everyone was dealing with injuries.
Speaker 3 (27:30):
Yeah, I feel like he.
Speaker 4 (27:30):
Had like a handful of injuries throughout the entire playoff run.
Speaker 3 (27:34):
Listen, there's managing.
Speaker 4 (27:35):
Can you learn how to manage your injuries and your
exhaustion once you get to that point.
Speaker 3 (27:40):
Fifty wins, third in the East and losing the conference
semifinals to the Knicks. Yeah, that's my prediction. WHOA, Okay, yeah,
in depth prediction there.
Speaker 4 (27:49):
You are just so high on your neck.
Speaker 3 (27:52):
The NFL, you guys.
Speaker 4 (27:53):
The Patriots drafted Drake May third overall this year with
the hopes that he would be their quarterback for the future.
Now he is reportedly showing a lot of improvement in practice,
and his timing, footwork, and accuracy have all gotten better. However,
Jacobe Brissett is still expected to start the majority of
the season, wall May continues to develop, and honestly, I
think this is this is a smart move. You know,
we've seen a lot of these rookies just get thrown
(28:15):
into the fire immediately. I mean they did that with
Mac Jones, another first round pick who started week run.
How did that work out? While he's traded to the
Jags after three seasons? And you know, the positive is
is that they're saying Drake May is improving, right, but
if you have time to develop him, let him develop.
Like it's not like the Patriots are in their like
(28:38):
old years of Super Bowl or bus mentality. They have
so much work and improvement that they need in a
lot of aspects on their team, plus a completely new
coaching staff. Like it's just there's a lot if you
have time to let them develop, let them develop. I mean,
the Patriots have not figured out their quarterback situation since
(28:59):
Tom Brady left. They've had one playoffics like appearance, no ends,
and they've just kind of been a.
Speaker 3 (29:09):
I don't know, I'm I'm a firm believer in you've
got to you got to just do it. You know
you like watching, okay, sure, but the best learning experience
is going to be on the job when the bullets
are really yeah, right out of the Jayden Daniels is
starting for Washington with their line. Bo Nix is starting
yeah in Denver. We don't know about McCarthy yet, we
(29:33):
don't Fenix obviously won't. Caleb Williams is going to start like,
I don't know, Alex.
Speaker 4 (29:38):
You started different of situations though different like each stronger teams.
Like there was the argument for the Patriots should they
trade that top pick and get a haul because they
need improvements everywhere on their team. So what they just
got rid of Mac Jones, get Drake May and think
everything's going to be okay. No, it's the exact same situation.
(29:58):
They have so many holes that they need to fit
on this team before they can get back to the
Patriots of old. If they could ever get back to
that dynasty form.
Speaker 3 (30:06):
I don't think they will. But you know this, if
you want to start a business, the best way to
find out if you're gonna make it or not is
to actually do it. Yes, as opposed to like shadow
someone or workshop the idea of it. You just got
to get out there and do it to start the business,
and you're gonna sink or swim and it's gonna happen.
Like listen, some guys are not built for this. I
like Drake may probably more than most people. I don't
(30:28):
I don't know if he gets succeeded in New England,
like you know, I'll pull a giant joke out of
my rear end. Hey, I don't know Patrick Mahomes could
win with these jokers on the Patriots, like they're that bad.
Speaker 4 (30:39):
That a fine wherever he went the skill position plays, but.
Speaker 3 (30:44):
Yeah, it's it's gonna be a tough one. And yeah,
if I see the Patriots on my early season schedule
with Jacoby pre said, I'm just counting that as a
w rookie coach career backup starting week one, no skill position, guys,
I think it. I think the Patriots are a fade
team early. I'll be betting against them early. In Austin
app Alex Kurr with the news.
Speaker 2 (31:05):
Well that's the news and thanks for stopping by the herd.
Speaker 3 (31:08):
Line News all right, coming up next, why did Clay
Thompson pick the MAVs over the Lakers. Our next guest,
Mark Medina, He's got the answer, He'll tell you next.
Speaker 2 (31:18):
Be sure to catch live editions of The Herd weekdays
and noon Eastern nn AM Pacific.
Speaker 8 (31:23):
Hey, it's Ben, host of The Fifth Hour with Ben
Maller with me and a lot to have you join
us on our weekly auditory journey.
Speaker 9 (31:30):
You're asking, what in God's name is the Fifth Hour.
Speaker 8 (31:32):
I'll tell you it's a spin off of that Ben
Maler show, a cult hit overnights on FSR.
Speaker 9 (31:37):
Why should you listen?
Speaker 8 (31:39):
Picture if you will a world will. We chat with
captains of industry in media, sports, and more every week
explore some amazing facts about human nature and more. Listen
to The Fifth Hour with Ben Maller on the iHeartRadio app,
Apple Podcast, or wherever you get your podcasts.
Speaker 3 (31:53):
Back here on The Herd. On July fourth, very exciting
time for basketball in California. Lakers draw Warriors drama to
help us sift through all of it. Mark Medina, NBA
writer reporter, joining the show. Mark. Great to have you
in on July fourth.
Speaker 10 (32:08):
Yeah, Jason, Happy fourth of July. I love that you
got the picture out of colors. Try to do my
part as well.
Speaker 3 (32:13):
I'm just trying. I don't know if his peach qualifies,
but anyway, let's get to the good job. Klay Thompson
nearly picked the Lakers. You spoke to Clay's dad, who
put in a big pitch to Clay, Hey, come to
the Lakers. I call games. You got to come home.
How was the conversation with Michael Was he just.
Speaker 10 (32:28):
Strut Well, Michael was definitely disappointed, but I think that
when I talked to him, he was processing it and
he was saying, Hey, as long as Klay as happy,
then I'm good. But no doubt he wanted Klay to
go to the Lakers because this is the team that
he played for during the Showtime eras Kareem Abdul Jabbar's backup.
Speaker 9 (32:45):
So he laid out the stops.
Speaker 10 (32:46):
He went into Showtime Laker memories, bringing up Kobe Bryant.
Speaker 9 (32:51):
That was Clay's idol growing up.
Speaker 10 (32:54):
The idea of how Clay would fit well with Lebron
James Anthony Davis gain a lot of open looks, and
then he even tried Jason to sell Clay on the
idea that in La there's just so many harbors, so
many ports, you'd have so many places to park your
boat and also ride in none of those things were
Clay chose the Mavericks because they got to the NBA
Finals last season. They could make a push to even
(33:16):
get even to a greater level with contending for a title.
Speaker 3 (33:20):
I'm just curious, do you think that he's got a
better chance at a title with the MAVs or would
he have with the Lakers, Assuming the Lakers didn't have
to give up too much to get him. There was
no way they were parting with Austin Reeves right that.
Speaker 10 (33:34):
It's not clear on, but I think the challenge that
the Lakers had with any sign in trade specifically is
that they don't have a lot of assets that other
teams want. Whether they drew the line and the sand
in Austin Reeves isn't clear, but no doubt if Clay
went to the Lakers, they would be a dramatically different team,
even though he's not the same.
Speaker 9 (33:54):
Injury as players pre twenty nineteen injuries. But there's no
doubt Dallas.
Speaker 10 (34:01):
Is more equipped to make an NBA Finals push than
the Lakers are because Luka Doncis is playing a MVP level.
Kyrie irvings been playing like he was in twenty sixteen.
They have a better supporting cast, and even with last
season with Lebron, James Anthony Davis being mostly healthy being
most effective, you can't always think that's a guarantee because
(34:22):
where Lebron is at it in his career as well
as eighties injury history.
Speaker 3 (34:26):
So you were at the Lakers press conference with Reddick
and Bronnie are assuming and Reddick told I called it
a white lie, but he essentially said Bronni earned his way,
and of course everybody freaks out about it. Listen, man,
Kendall Jenner didn't earn her makeup empire, you know, Paris
Hilton kind of a big last name. You know, like
a lot of people didn't earn it, whether it's movies, music,
(34:48):
TV sports. I mean, how many NBA coaches have hired
their sons who didn't have experience front offices. This happens everywhere, Right,
It's not that big of a deal, or is it. Well?
Speaker 10 (35:00):
I think you hit a really key point in using
the term white lie. There's no doubt that obviously relationships
matter in the NBA, and Lebron's influence plays a factor.
But in fairness, Jason, before the NBA Draft even took place,
there were outside executives that I talked to that really
downplayed the Lebron component as far as would the Lakers
(35:22):
feel pressure to select Bronny just because of Lebron as
well as any potential teams drafting Browny just in case
they could get Lebron. Those executives certainly have question marks
about Bronni as far as does he have a defined
skill set. Their conclusion as right now, no, but they
did give him a lot of credit for overcoming the
(35:43):
cardiac arrest, having the kind of mental resiliency to overcome.
Speaker 3 (35:47):
That and also show at least relative.
Speaker 10 (35:50):
Improvement from a limited workload at the beginning of last
season in USC till the very end. So again, he's
obviously at work in progress. There's a reason why he
was draft at fifty and could have gone on drafted,
But there is some optimism even among people outside of
the Lakers, that he could carve out a long career
as a role player.
Speaker 3 (36:10):
Yeah, and listen, I think you I know I've had jobs.
I don't know if you have or Alex, but like
you know, you maybe aren't qualified for the job, or
they don't have you in a defined rule and you
just get it. He get me in the door, I'm
going to make stuff happen. I will figure it out, right,
isn't that doesn't that kind of sort of apply here?
Speaker 9 (36:27):
It does?
Speaker 10 (36:27):
And look, the Lakers are saying this, but most importantly
out people outside of the Lakers are saying this.
Speaker 9 (36:33):
The work ethic and the character are.
Speaker 10 (36:36):
Real, and the improvement is what he's shown as a playmaker, shooter,
and defender are real. Now again, there's executives I talk
to this say, okay, he's not an elite defender, elite shooter,
or elite really at anything. But to your point, he's
young and they feel that whatever deficiencies he has, he
can show ongoing improvement because of those intangible qualities.
Speaker 9 (37:00):
Out again, what is this ceiling.
Speaker 10 (37:02):
No one's projecting that he's going to be like his dad,
but there is a pathway for him to at least
have a productive NBA career.
Speaker 3 (37:09):
I love how these guys just pokels well, he's not this,
he's not this. We don't know what he is. Well
he can be what we want him to be.
Speaker 10 (37:16):
And I think, yeah, Jason, I think the bottom line
is all these questions are fair to bring up, but
I think it's a much different conversation when we're looking
at what the Lakers did. They selected Bronny at number
fifty five. It's a late second round pick. Usually second
round picks don't have a long career. It will be
a much different component. But the Lakers user seventeenth pick
to pick Bronnie, or they traded picks to move up
(37:38):
higher in the second round. Now, they used a fifty
fifth pick on Bronny.
Speaker 3 (37:43):
So just for the meat balls out there, I know
a lot of people I saw it on social media
how they're like, oh, look at the other fifty fifth
overall picks. They got two way deals. Did you see
Trace Jackson Davis's rookie deal with the Warriors. He was
taking fifty seventh overall, He got like as much money
as Bronnie. It's like, let's pump the brakes on on
some of the money. Right. People are overreacting because it's
lebron Right, Well.
Speaker 10 (38:04):
The terms of his zeal are in line with all
second round contracts.
Speaker 3 (38:07):
Now.
Speaker 10 (38:07):
I know that some people put some memes out there
the comparison of nikolea Jokic's second contract or looking contract.
It's apples and oranges. It's up because the salary cap. Yeah,
so those kind of conversations. Again, there's a lot of
legitimate questions about just what his fit's going to be,
what his role's going to be, how the dynamics going
(38:30):
to play out with Lebron and the Lakers. But that
part it's irrelevant because again, his contract is in line
with other second round picks, and comparing it to previous
second round picks in earlier area doesn't make sense because
the salary cap number wasn't the same number.
Speaker 3 (38:47):
All right, let's go to the East. Give me your
top three teams in the East as of right now.
Speaker 9 (38:51):
Okay, so this is my on paper top three teams,
no doubt. It's the Boston selling Its theay won the championship.
They have their whole core back. Now here there's the
difference on paper.
Speaker 10 (39:01):
I would put the Philadelphia seventy six ers second because
they got Paul George.
Speaker 9 (39:06):
Now, he's a great two way player.
Speaker 10 (39:07):
Joel Embiid's back Tyrese MAXI I think can still play
at a really good level even being that third guy.
But can Paul George and or Joel Embiid stay consistently healthy.
Their track record has shown that that's a challenge, and
so with that you have to pay attention to the Knicks.
They got mckel Bridges, they have most of their core back,
(39:29):
Isaiah Hartenstein's. Hartenstegin's departure is huge. He was a great rebounder,
great pick and role player with Jalen Brunson. But the
fact that they got the Villanova Cruz still back Tom
Thibodeau's identity as far as having that blue collar work ethic,
that goes a long way. So I think it's really
between Philadelphia and New York for that second spot, and
it really comes down to health.
Speaker 3 (39:49):
Yeah, I got it. I'll take the Knicks obviously, But
what about role players. We saw them playing a huge
role for the Celtics, whether it was a Derek White game,
Porzingis against the Mans, obviously, Drew ha you look at
the maps, Derek Lively came out of nowhere. Gafford had
moments with the Sixers. Don't even have ten guys on
their roster right now, Like I just I'm not buying,
(40:10):
Like I mean again Mark last summer, Damian Liler joins
the Bucks. Oh, Bucks, they're the best in the East.
Speaker 10 (40:15):
Bradley Beal's and the Suns, like you're you're not buyers
of Eric Gordon and Andre Drummond.
Speaker 9 (40:19):
They they got those plays.
Speaker 3 (40:20):
But Eric Gordon guard me, you know. And I'm kidding obviously,
but like, yeah, Kelly Oubray, I just they don't even
have nine I don't even think nine guys on the road.
They're gonna have like three or four minimum dudes. And
we saw what happened with like Phoenix. When that when
that kind of thing happens, you have an injury in
the Bucks and all of a sudden, you're playing like
guys on two way contracts in big, pivotal, high leverage spots.
(40:41):
Does that concern you at all?
Speaker 10 (40:43):
It very well could because of the injury history. From
a basketball standpoint, I don't have any concerns. I think
that fit's gonna be great. And from what we saw
with Paul George with the Clippers, even though obviously the
Clippers didn't live up to the expectations about getting a
championship with Kawhi Leonard and Paul George, that all.
Speaker 9 (41:01):
Came down to health.
Speaker 10 (41:02):
The basketball standpoint, Paul George was really effective in adapting
his game as either the number one, number two, and
even last season the number three options. So I think
from a basketball standpoint, aren't going to be any issues.
But like what you mentioned with the Phoenix Suns, if
there's injury concerns, this can all fall apart pretty quickly.
Speaker 3 (41:21):
We got ten seconds. Who does the US beat in
the gold in the Olympics for the basketball? Do they
be France or Canada?
Speaker 9 (41:27):
I think it'll be France.
Speaker 3 (41:28):
Oh that's going to be good.
Speaker 10 (41:29):
I mean, look, they had so many new players in
this draft class represented they are the real deal.
Speaker 9 (41:34):
But the US will prevail.
Speaker 3 (41:35):
Mark Medina great stuff coming up next. I ranked the
top ten players in the NBA. You're not going to
want to miss it.
Hosts And Creators
Colin Cowherd
Jason McIntyre
Popular Podcasts
Dateline NBC
Current and classic episodes, featuring compelling true-crime mysteries, powerful documentaries and in-depth investigations. Follow now to get the latest episodes of Dateline NBC completely free, or subscribe to Dateline Premium for ad-free listening and exclusive bonus content: DatelinePremium.com
Are You A Charlotte?
In 1997, actress Kristin Davis’ life was forever changed when she took on the role of Charlotte York in Sex and the City. As we watched Carrie, Samantha, Miranda and Charlotte navigate relationships in NYC, the show helped push once unacceptable conversation topics out of the shadows and altered the narrative around women and sex. We all saw ourselves in them as they searched for fulfillment in life, sex and friendships. Now, Kristin Davis wants to connect with you, the fans, and share untold stories and all the behind the scenes. Together, with Kristin and special guests, what will begin with Sex and the City will evolve into talks about themes that are still so relevant today. "Are you a Charlotte?" is much more than just rewatching this beloved show, it brings the past and the present together as we talk with heart, humor and of course some optimism.
Stuff You Should Know
If you've ever wanted to know about champagne, satanism, the Stonewall Uprising, chaos theory, LSD, El Nino, true crime and Rosa Parks, then look no further. Josh and Chuck have you covered.