July 19, 2024 • 43 mins
Colin has some bad news for Bill Belichick as things aren't looking good for the legendary head coach who hopes to get back into the NFL after being let go from the Patriots. He stacks up the Cowboys roster vs the 49ers roster to see which of these teams are in the best position to contend in the NFC. He also updates his official NFL predictions for this upcoming season as training camps are starting to begin
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Speaker 1 (00:00):
Thanks for listening to the Best of the Herd podcast.
Be sure to catch us live every weekday on Fox
Sports Radio and noon to three Eastern nine am to
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Speaker 2 (00:19):
This is the Best of the Herd with Colin cowher
on Fox Sports Radio.
Speaker 1 (00:27):
Here we go on a Friday, on what has been
a really good week, live in Los Angeles. It's the Herd.
Wherever you may be and however you may be listening,
Thanks for making us part of your day. We'll check
in on the USA Olympic basketball team, some news on
Brownie James, bad news for one former NFL legend. Dallas
(00:52):
Cowboys in a bit of a bind. I'm not sure they.
Speaker 3 (00:54):
Know it yet.
Speaker 1 (00:56):
At Tomorrow's Headlines Today with JEMC We've had a really
good week. Montaga guests, a lot of interesting stuff. Eric
Musselman was great in the last hour yesterday college coach
former NBA coach Jmax So when Bill Belichick only really
interviewed with the Atlanta Falcons, the take was what and
(01:18):
Belichick's allies around the league all said, you gotta be
kidding me. Atlanta is the only team that considered him.
But I saw something today which the rest of the
league is seeing, and this could explain a little bit
about the fear of hiring Belichick. So Bucky Brooks, works
for US Fox sports dot Com, did an article that's
(01:41):
a great article on the ten best current rosters in
the NFL. And the rosters are and I pretty much
agree up and down pretty close. Niners, Eagles, Chiefs, top three, Lions, Texans, Ravens, Dolphins, Jets, Cowboys, Browns.
We can argue back and forth, but the Houston Texans
at number five is absolutely terrible for Bill Belichick because
(02:07):
that franchise was a joke in the league. And then
Nick Cassario, who was the director of personnel in New England,
took the job three three and a half years ago
and has crushed the draft and crushed free agency.
Speaker 4 (02:24):
Humhm.
Speaker 1 (02:25):
In three drafts, Houston now is a top five roster
from a bottom three roster. Joked a playoff team in Houston.
Speaker 5 (02:33):
Hmm.
Speaker 1 (02:34):
They just added a star edge, a star running back,
and a star wide receiver and free agency he has
made almost no mistakes. Nick Casario cut out. He may
have missed on an offensive lineman in three drafts. That's it.
Yet New England's last six drafts, of which Casario is
in the building for a few of those, Several of those,
(02:56):
probably last seven drafts have all been putrid for New England.
So either Nick Cassario suddenly got brilliant when he got
on a plane and flew to Houston, or three or four,
five or six of those drafts because he's he was
in New England for years and the drafts kept getting
(03:16):
worse and worse and worse and worse and worse and
worse when Casario was there. So either he got brilliant
once he got on an airplane and flew to Houston,
or Bill Belichick trumped all of his advice, would not
listen and took over the drafts, which I was told
Bill was prone to do in mid January early February.
(03:38):
I got it from here because New England's draft and
Cassario was part of many of those were awful. Now
he goes to Houston and they're all great. I mean,
there's an argument outside of maybe Green Bay, who drafts better.
The last three years than Houston, who's done a better
job in free agency than Houston. And they had bad ownership.
(04:01):
New England had great ownership. They had no momentum. New
England had all the momentum in the world. This is
an indictment on Belichick. He didn't get very few interviews
because he can't coach. But as he is, aged, stubborn, rigid,
only wants to coach certain people, and he craves power.
(04:23):
This is what a Popovitch craves later years, a Belichick
craves Tony LaRussa craves the older coaches. They've got the legacy,
they've got a ring or two or six, and they
got the money. So if everybody's wondering why can't Bill
get the job, it's not about the teams. It's about
Bill's unwillingness to work with others. Everybody knows he's a
great coach, best defensive coach of all time. That's not
(04:46):
the question. So everybody's blaming the teams and the owners
of the teams that pass on him. It's not about that.
It's about Bill's potential unwillingness to just coach, and that
is it. That list with Houston is a top five roster,
and I don't doubt it is an indictment on Belichick
and nobody else. So this is funny. Bronnie James has
(05:13):
become the most popular betting pick for Rookie of the Year.
Don't tell me the economy is bad. Clearly there's a
lot of money to burn in America. The last seven
NBA Rookies of the Year, none of them have spent
a day in the G League. And Brownie right now
is a G League player. So the Democrat should use
(05:35):
this during the national Convention, the Brownie Index. I'm Joe Briden.
I approve this message. Look how good our economy is.
People are betting on Brownie to win Rookie of the Year.
Flights are packed, we all got big screens, and everybody's
betting on Brownie and an inconceivable award he has no
chance to win. That's a strong economy, but it also
really speaks to how absolutely dreadful this draft was the
(06:00):
number two pick. Alex Sars. Alex Sar from France is
one for twenty one in his last two games with
two points. He's the number two pick, zero for seven
on threes. He's not a prospect he's an IKEA manual.
You open up the box. Is this from Is this
(06:22):
from Sweden? Did they send me all the parts? He's
below a prospect. He's been awful and he's the number
two pick. And this illustrates why I defended the Lakers
and lebron James and clutch sports. I mean they had
some leverage, did clutch Sports. I'd be careful about using
(06:42):
it every time I have it. But this is no
big deal. This is not worth all the grifters on
the internet and bad actors losing sleep. It's a bad draft.
The players drafted above him are G leaguers. The players
drafted below him are G leaguers. And the number two
half pick, Alexar from France, has been absolutely offensively terrible.
(07:06):
So and for the record, Brownie actually and Dalton Connect,
the other Laker rookie, both had a really good game
yesterday and Bronnie finished with thirteen points on fifty percent shooting,
so he's had back to back pretty good games. Bronnie
(07:27):
has not the number two pick. He's had terrible picks games.
Bronnie's actually had back to back pretty good shooting games,
so I don't think he's a natural fluid offensive player.
I don't think he ever will be great. My take, though,
isn't necessarily the shooting. It's that he's a six one
and a half player who doesn't play point. So if
he improves his ball handling and can bring the floor
(07:50):
up even occasionally for the Lakers and play excellent defense.
He had a couple of blocks yesterday, I think Bronnie
could stick at the end of a bench or you know,
like a seven, eight, nine ten player not going to
get tons of minutes, but a defensive player. If you
can bring the ball up the floor, his shooting will
get better. It almost always does for young players. Very
few guys come out of college as deadI shooters, almost nobody,
especially at the NBA three point range, almost nobody. So
(08:14):
but here's what I will bet. I will not bet
on Browny James winning Rookie of the Year. But I
will bet the two or three players drafted right before him,
the fifty second, fifty third, fifty fourth, and the two
or three players drafted after him the fifty sixth, the
fifty seventh to fifty eight will all be inconsequential in
(08:36):
three years of the NBA. Everybody you can make money
now on Twitter, slash x, whatever you want to call it.
And there are a lot of people that's how they
make their money, grifting conspiracy theories. They do it on
their podcast, they do it on their platforms. This was
never a big deal in an absolutely dreadful draft. If
(08:57):
he's a bottom of the bench rotational player, welcome to
the twenty twenty four fifty fifth, fifty six, fifty third
pick in the NBA draft. You know, the economy is
good when people are flush with money to bet that
Jmac flush with money, dumb money.
Speaker 4 (09:17):
Huh, he's got no chance, zero chance to win the award.
Speaker 2 (09:21):
None.
Speaker 1 (09:21):
Well he's not going to get enough minutes to do it,
so yeah, he's got none. And even in bad drafts,
there will be probably an international player I would guess
picked like ninth or thirteenth. I mean remember where Jannis
Wood drafted and about three years later you're like, oh,
he's put on twenty five thirty five pounds and became
you know, so they'll be players out of this draft.
(09:44):
But it's a developmental draft.
Speaker 5 (09:46):
It is.
Speaker 1 (09:46):
It is a prospect and ikea manual draft below. It's
what architects give you at that kind of layout. The blueprint.
It's a blueprint draft below a prospect.
Speaker 4 (09:58):
But did you hear the roar when he's making shots
in Vegas? I mean it is a deafening roar, and
you don't hear that as summer league.
Speaker 1 (10:06):
I did a TikTok rant yesterday, oh, just on Brownie
and and it got off o a million people. And
it wasn't some definitive rant. It wasn't funny. It was
just kind of a some thoughts on Brownie on my TikTok.
And this morning the staff said, yea, those Brownie things
really pop. And that goes to show you that when
(10:27):
you get to be in this draft where the Lakers
drafted their first draft pick, by the way, was a
veteran college player, a real need, so they got their
shooter on the wing. What they wanted to get with
our second pick was a defensive player, so they needed
a shooter. They needed youth shooting and some defense. And
(10:48):
maybe he provides that. But I don't think you know,
you and I talked about this yesterday. I don't get
outraged much, no, I you know there. You know, they're
things that have happened recently politically that are frightening for
all of us. But I don't get outraged much, and
that is what is pedaled on the internet and social media.
(11:10):
This brawny story is just give me a break. It's
just not worth getting worked up.
Speaker 4 (11:15):
It's not even about him though. They just don't like
Lebron so they're rooting weirdly for his kid to fail.
And you're right, I'm out on that.
Speaker 1 (11:22):
Okay. So at the top of next hour. We talked
about this yesterday. I told you we have an NFL
standings prediction. We do it after the coaching hires, then
after the coaching hires in draft free agency, and then
we do it, you know, right before camp starts, and
then we do it like after camp starts. We wait
(11:42):
for some potential injuries. So I will have my pre
camp and pre season NFL standing predictions in fifteen minutes
from now, so again I have the right to change.
I'm keeping a couple of you know, a couple of
in the holster because people.
Speaker 6 (12:01):
Will get hurt.
Speaker 1 (12:02):
A quarterback will go down, a star left tackle will
go down, and that will change things. But I will
have my predictions. Things can change.
Speaker 4 (12:11):
You want to tease a team, maybe the Green and
White team.
Speaker 1 (12:14):
Are they yeah, the Packers. Oh, I've got him as
a playoff team now now annually. The tricky part is
on an annual basis, seven teams that made the playoffs
don't the following year. I've only got five new ones.
So again I'm waiting for the injury. There's going to
(12:35):
be an injury, so I'm a little light on changes.
I have three changes in one conference, two changes in
the other. I have said, I do think it's easier
to pick divisions now because the best quarterback in an
offensive league now quarterback driven more consistently. Josh Allen's the
best quarterback. It's a pretty safe bet he's going to
win if Burrough's healthy for sixteen weeks. Seventeen weeks I
(12:59):
would take. Since I need to be a playoff team.
So that part, I think, if you can give a
really top seven to eight nine quarterback an excellent coach,
he's gonna win the play his division, or at least
be top two and be a playoff team. That part's
getting easier. But the middle down, I don't know what
Chicago is, I don't know what Washington is.
Speaker 4 (13:21):
Well, the tricky one is NFC West Because you love
Matt Stafford you don't love rock Party, I don't hate him,
but it's impossible to pick against perty. You just saw
show Bucky Brooks said they have the number one roster.
I think their favorite every single game this season, like
going against the Niners would be insanity. I know you're
not willing to go there.
Speaker 1 (13:40):
Right forty seven minutes from now that less.
Speaker 4 (13:45):
Need love, Oh my goodness.
Speaker 2 (13:47):
Be sure to catch live editions of The Herd weekdays
and neonon eastern non am Pacific on Fox Sports Radio
FS one and the iHeartRadio app.
Speaker 1 (13:56):
So there is a new podcast called Scoop City. Diana Russini,
who's on our show, and Chase Daniel hosted, and they
were talking to Steven Jones of the Dallas Cowboys. And
I have said four years that Dallas is a really
top heavy franchise because they've overpaid for Zeke, and they've
overpaid for Dak, and they had to like good players
(14:17):
like Amari Cooper go. And then they've missed on some
draft picks, which many teams do. I don't think the
Cowboys are unstable or poorly run, but they are incredibly
perilously top heavy. So Steven Jones talks about three contracts
that they want to get done. Dak Ceedee Lamb and
Michael Parsons.
Speaker 3 (14:37):
I mean, you're talking about two players that aren't quarterbacks
that feel like they, you know, ought to be a
little bit like Jefferson, the top paid nine quarterbacks in
the league. And then of course you have Dak, who's
obviously his resume speaks for itself. You know, those things
just take time when you're talking about the amount of
money involved, and of course we're trying to a little
(14:59):
bit play who d and how to keep all these
guys around thatk. You know, when you start stacking them
up like that, you know it's a challenge. It's not
that it's not doable, but you certainly got to, you know,
have some give and take. You know, we think we
could get this done. No, we can get it done,
but it just takes time.
Speaker 1 (15:16):
And I'll give you an example of how top heavy
they are. And this is what happens when you overpay players.
Now you have to pay for Micah and CD Lamb.
They were first round picks and you've hit on them
and they are elite. My take is Dak is not elite.
He's not a top eight quarterback and you're gonna have
to pay him like a top two quarterback. So here's
the Cowboys, in my opinion, top ten players. I would
(15:39):
say Micah Won, Cede Lamb, Zach Martin Dak. I think
Deron Bland. It was only one Pro Ball, but he's
a very good corner into Marcus Lawrence. I don't know
who seven through ten are. They're not elite players. Remember
they had a corner he got hurt. I'm not going
to count guys who come off major injuries. So let's
(16:00):
go to San Francisco, a rival of the Cowboys, in
their top ten. These are elite players in the league.
Christian McCaffrey, Trent Williams, Bosa, Samuel Fred Warner, kittel ayuk
All put brock Pertty at eight because he had Pro
Bowl numbers and he was a Pro bowler. Sharbarius ward On,
Javon Hargrave made a Pro Bowls a defensive at tackle
(16:22):
at ten and with the Niners. I'm not counting eight
straight Pro Bowl player. Kyle Huschek, I'm not counting because
he was hurt. Hufunga, the safety who was a Pro bowler.
I'm not counting a Leonard Floyd who has had nine
sacks at least in the last four years. So I'm
leaving off elite players for the Niners who are still
(16:48):
elite but either had an injury or they just don't
make the list. I'm not sure Dallas six, seven, eight, nine, ten,
I'm not sure who it is. So it makes it
imperative that you pay Dak Micah and CD Lamb. So
and I've said this, I there are certain teams in
this league I think have been living on the edge.
(17:10):
I thought a few years ago the Rams were, but
then they hit on multiple draft picks. I mean, Pooka
Nakua looks like a number one receiver. They got him
in the fifth round. That's what Dallas is going to
have to do. They're going to have to go find
fifth round players who become Max Crosby or Pooka Nakua
(17:31):
or George Kittle. They're out there, but Dalla's gonna hit off,
have to hit on several of these type of players
because they're going to be wildly top heavy. And I
think Micah and CD Lamb. You can pay him the
big boy money. You draft them in the first round,
pay them, reward them, but that dark contract That's why
I say it's very fear based. We've got to have Dak.
(17:51):
What are you getting in January and February. What's the
return on the dollar. It's not very good. He's had
one great playoff game in his career so and this
offensive line is not as good as it was early
to middle of Dak's career.
Speaker 2 (18:06):
Be sure to catch live editions of the Herd Weekdays
and Noone Easter not a em Pacific.
Speaker 6 (18:12):
Hey gang, this is Jay Glazer, host of Unbreakable, a
mental Wealth podcast, and every week we will have on
leaders from sports entertainment like Sean McVay, Lindsay Vaughn, Michael phelf,
David Spade, got Fiemmi, and also those who can help
us in between the ears, anyone from a therapist to
someone like Ed Milette or John Gordon. We've all been
(18:33):
through some sort of adversity to get to the top.
We've all used different tools. Listen to Unbreakable with Jay
Glazer and Mental Wealth podcast on the iHeartRadio app, Apple
Podcasts or wherever you get podcasts.
Speaker 1 (18:49):
All Right, here we go, it's a Friday, it's hour two.
We'll be going to London in just about five six
minutes to join the US Olympic basketball team. Is they
get ready for Paris and the Olympics, which are starting soon.
Jmack joining me as usual today, Jmack, So I do
several predictions going up to the season. This is the
(19:12):
camps are starting today and tomorrow this weekend, and so
I thought, let's do a pre camp prediction. At least
seven new playoff teams on average transpire every year. I've
got five new ones, so I'm keeping a couple in
the holster. I'm waiting for camp. There will absolutely be
(19:33):
injuries and stories that develop, so this is my pre
camp before any injuries. Pre camp predictions. Let's start in
the AFC East. The Bills have won the division four
straight years. I'm giving it to them. The Dolphins, it's
an offensive league. Had the number one total offense in
the NFL and two it through for forty six hundred
(19:55):
passing yards. It's an offensive league. The Jets third, Yes,
they have a great O line. Questions head coaches defensive
Aaron has not taken a snap more than four snaps
in five hundred and fifty nine days in the NFL.
Hasn't taken more than four snaps sorry about the great defense.
(20:15):
Jets third, Patriots fourth. I think that's the first or
second worst offensive roster in the league. AFC North, it's
the best division in football, so it's inches not feet
listen to the Ravens. Top five offense, top five defense,
and the best special teams coach in the league. I
have him winning the division. Zach Taylor and Joe Burrow
(20:36):
have proven when Joe's healthy, they win. What do you
want me to say? Last year with Jake Browning they
had a winning record with Jake Browning Burrows back in.
They're a playoff team. Steelers. They can't figure out their
O line or their offensive coordinator. I love their roster, frankly,
I worry in an offensive league about getting it right
(20:57):
on that side of the ball. Loved the coach in Cleveland.
This total question mark. N Deshaun Watson, weird personality, weird injuries.
I'll just put them forth for now. AFC West Kansas
City until further notice. They won the division eight straight times,
best coaching, football, best quarterback, they get it. I think
the Chargers have limitations on the perimeter, but don't be
(21:18):
shocked if they don't make a move for Brandon Ayyuk
and potentially give up mac or Bosa. On their edge.
They've got two good edge rushers. They need a star receiver.
They may make a move. In my opinion, I'll take
them second. I like the Broncos more than Vegas, but
PFF says worst roster in the league. Broncos third, Raiders fourth,
They've got a rookie coach and quarterback issues. Finally, AFC
(21:42):
South really much better division than people give it credit for.
I worried about the Texans pulling back, but they had
another really strong draft and free agency period. Stefan Diggs,
Joe Mixon. I'll take them to win. I think it's
Trevor Lawrence's best roster yet. Jaguars second. They were nine
to eight last year and Trevor Lawrence fell apart down
(22:04):
the stretch. They'll rebound. I like the Colts, but I
questioned Anthony Richardson's playing style and staying healthy. Their third,
and the Titans, I have questions at quarterback and their
offensive lines worse than Will Levis, So I'll take them fourth.
We go to the NFC. By the way, I have
three new playoff teams in the AFC. Bill's Chiefs, Ravens,
Texans winning the division, Bengals, Chargers, Jaguars wildcard team. So
(22:28):
that's three new playoff teams. That's the average. Three and
a half to four is the average per year. I've
got three. Let's go to the NFC, where Philadelphia easily
the best roster in the division. Nick Seriani did he
hire better assistance. They started last year ten and one,
(22:48):
then they fell off a cliff. I think they rebound.
Maybe not a super Bowl team, very good. I'm gonna
go with Washington, new coach, new OC, new quarterback, new owner.
I think they use that energy and juice to catapult.
I think they're the surprise team in the NFL. Washington second.
Dallas is a very viable third, but I think they're
(23:09):
top heavy and overly dependent on Dak and Ceedee Lamb
to carry the entire offense. Giants just not good enough
at quarterback. I pick them forth. Let's go to the
NFC North Detroit. Number one offensive line in football. If
you have the best offensive line in football, it's like
having the best starting pitching staff in baseball. It gives
(23:31):
you so many advantages over everybody else. I love their
front office, you know, I love golf. Not great defensively,
They've tried to show it up. I have Green Bay
second best young offensive talent to me in the sport.
They're not paying anybody until Jordan Love here in about
a week. I take them for second by the way.
They close the season out winning six of eight games
(23:51):
and hammer the Cowboys in the playoffs. Chicago's a viable third.
Can't wait to watch them play, but it's a defensive
coach on the hot seat and a rookie quarterback. O
Line's good, not great. They're third. I think Minnesota is
going to be the best fourth place team in the NFL.
I love their offense and I'm rooting for Sam Darnold,
but the division's too good. I think by the end
of the year we'll say this is the best division
(24:13):
in football. I'll pick the Vikings as a really fun,
dynamic number four. Let's go to the NFC West. Yes,
I like the Rams. I thought they had a back
to back sensational drafts, finish top ten in total offense
and scoring last year. I really like what they've done
(24:34):
with their defensive front in the last two drafts. Niners
are good, but they're an old, expensive football team. Watch
out for injuries and the Brandon au noise. Seattle, Hey,
they finished nine to eight. Gino Smith's good enough to
win you games. They have a new staff, a new coach.
I'm gonna take Shanahan and McVeigh over the rookie coach
(24:55):
their third I love Kyler Murray, but I just don't
think Arizona roster right now can comp with the rosters
above them. Finally, the worst division in football. I do
think Atlanta getting Kirk Cousins and Michael Pennix will stabilize
the quarterback position. Second best offensive line in football. It's
hard not to be a playoff team when you have
that good of an offensive line. Bucks have made the
(25:17):
playoffs four straight years. Baker is more than capable. Carolina
Saints not very good. I don't like New Orleans situation
right now. Coaching at all NFC playoff teams Eagles, Falcons, Lions, Rams, Niners, Commanders,
Packers are wild card teams, but only two new playoff teams.
So the problem. I have only three new playoff teams
(25:41):
in the AFC, only two new playoff teams in the NFC.
I'm at five the averages seven, so again I'm gonna
wait through camp. I'm gonna wait for injuries. My take
is something will happen again. You think it's crazy. We're
gonna have a surprise team. Mine's Washington. Last year it
(26:01):
was Houston. I'm crossing my fingers. I think the Chargers
will make a move at wide receiver and potentially move
off Bosa or Khalil Mack. That is my guess because
they drafted a couple of years ago previous regime defensive
end from USC who's a very, very aggressive pass rusher.
(26:21):
So they've got a little stockpiled talent there. J Mack,
I know your initial thought. I'm not going to bet
against the number one offense in the league last year Miami. Oh,
hold on, hold on, hold on, they're not going to
make the playoffs.
Speaker 4 (26:34):
Do you have the exact same winners in the AFC
for each division?
Speaker 1 (26:37):
Yeah, because they're easily they're all star quarterbacks.
Speaker 4 (26:40):
That never happens. Well you know that it never happens.
Speaker 1 (26:44):
I don't know. Brady Manning and Big Ben won their
division year after year after year. But that's not every division.
Speaker 4 (26:49):
That's three of the.
Speaker 1 (26:49):
Division, Buffalo, Kansas City. Like I said, with the Texans,
I think Texans Jags comes down to the final week,
that's either a Trevor Lawrence c J. Stropp.
Speaker 4 (27:00):
I keep an eye on the cold.
Speaker 1 (27:01):
So I have the AFC East. I have Miami offense
and Jets defense. They beat each other up and in
the end they miss it. They missed the play. They're
both in the nine and eight category.
Speaker 4 (27:12):
Yeah, listen, this is fine, this is good, but there's
no real hot takes in here. Every year there's a
super whiff by everyone.
Speaker 1 (27:20):
Dallas not making the playoffs. In Washington with a rookie
coach and quarterback, well dan Quinn.
Speaker 4 (27:26):
New owner, right, new coach, new quarter there's too much
newness man that there is no shot of Washington. I
think you need to get a little hotter and look
at the Baltimore Ravenston.
Speaker 1 (27:36):
You want a hot take, I give you one with Washington,
and you throw a bucket of.
Speaker 2 (27:40):
Water on it.
Speaker 1 (27:40):
Well, fair, okay, fake, Okay, here's another hot take. Niners
have the best roster. I have him second, I don't.
Speaker 4 (27:47):
I don't think that you're my friend. It's not hot.
That's just dumb. I'm sorry. The Ers are not fitishing
executive vision. Come on, buddy, uh, I think keep. Let's
let's we need to add at one point this July,
maybe August. Let's look into the Ravens a little bit more.
They lost a ton, including their defensive coordinator who was tremendous,
(28:08):
and he goes to Seattle.
Speaker 1 (28:09):
Did they have John Harbaugh and Lamar Jackson? Yeah, but
it's more than a two horse races, is it not? Really?
Speaker 3 (28:15):
Okay?
Speaker 1 (28:16):
If you have if you have a top five coach
and a top five quarterback, you make the playoffs.
Speaker 4 (28:20):
Okay, how's this? Let let me hit you better skill
position players. Chargers or Cowboys. Take a deep breath.
Speaker 1 (28:25):
I don't like either. They're both really fits.
Speaker 4 (28:27):
Cowboys they have CD Lamb. So how are the Chargers
in the tougher conference making the.
Speaker 1 (28:31):
Playoff because they have a great quarterback and a great
coach and Dallas has B to B plus at both.
It's a coach quarterback league. You give me a top
six to seven quarterback and a top six seven coach,
you're making the playoffs.
Speaker 4 (28:44):
If we were doing this last summer, I would have said,
Houston Texans, you're like C. J. Stroud in a rookie
defensive coach. No way, get them out of here.
Speaker 1 (28:52):
I did that that's my Washington defensive coach in a
rookie quarterback in Washington is my Houston. That's my that's
my huge We're gonna have a Houston. Mine is Washington,
all right.
Speaker 4 (29:04):
So we do a friendly wager on that earth and.
Speaker 1 (29:06):
We have things. I have to go to London. I'm
a very international host. Joe Varden, senior NBA writer for
The Athletic, former Cavs beat writer at Joe Varden on Twitter.
He's putting up with our nonsense today. He's in London,
one of the great cities in the world. So you know,
it's interesting. I said it that Stylistically in the NBA
(29:27):
there are players that the fans and the media love
Carmelo Russell, Westbrook, Harden, But my eyes tell me stylistically,
Embiid is much more fun to watch. But Anthony Davis
has become a better player over the last two years.
He has been sensational, and Joe, he can not only lead,
(29:47):
he can be complementary. And I don't feel Embiid has
a lot of complimentary in his game. You got to
kind of change the system. So your take on a
d or Embiid starting and my point on my eyes
are telling me eighties a better fit on this Olympic team.
Speaker 5 (30:05):
So part of what is working with Anthony Davis and
with a bunch of the other guys that he's playing
with on that second unit is as we know, the
world has largely caught up with the talk about these
best teams all over the world, right, But what they
haven't done is created the depth. So what we have
(30:26):
in this scenario where if Lebron and Steph and Joel,
three of the great players in history, can just hold
the fort down, then Anthony Davis comes off the bench
against lesser players and just destroys them. And that's what's happening.
He he is a beast. He is playing at full tilt,
which has been great to see. He's been awesome in camp.
(30:49):
He's been really cool to deal with. All those things
are true, but when he gets on the floor, he
is playing against players who simply have no business matching
up with him, and he is taking full advantage.
Speaker 1 (31:00):
Yeah, is there a team that does match up with
them and could fight them for the goal?
Speaker 4 (31:05):
Joe, No, there isn't.
Speaker 5 (31:08):
A team that matches up with them. But we're not
out of the woods yet here in terms of the Americans.
And one of the reasons, of course, is that everybody
can shoot a three. Now, the second is the Americans
could get an injury. A lot of their players are
older that that is true. And then the final thing
(31:29):
is that these games are only forty minutes long, so
you know, you shrink the game. Everybody can shoot threes.
You get in a situation where Serbia plays Jokic for
thirty five minutes out of forty if he keeps it close,
you know, you get into a tight situation. I mean,
these are the kinds of things that can happen. But
I've seen them play against Canada fully loaded, fully loaded
(31:52):
NBA roster, Australia ten NBA guys, and Serbia with Jokic
and Team USA has has clearly been the better team.
Speaker 1 (32:02):
Yeah, Kevin, we made this argument an hour ago. I said,
how was a Phoenix Suns fan, I'd be like, please
don't play Kevin Durant. I think fairly part of his
sort of reality now is he's you know, he's a
bigger guy, six to eleven guys, and up get hurt early,
they start getting hurt later. He's not Larry Bird on
(32:24):
the Dream Team, where he was a shot fighter. Kevin
is still an amazing player, but what will his role
be when he comes back? Could he could he be
eight minutes to a half guy and just really have
a reduced role because I think Steve Kerr also, you know,
I mean, he's thinking about the league and the Suns,
and you don't want to get guys, you know, extended
beyond what they're capable of. What's Durant's role in this Olympics.
Speaker 5 (32:49):
So you look at what they're doing with Joel, and
Joel is actually playing a few less minutes than Lebron
and Steph and Ad and Bam. But by and large,
what Steve is doing is he's playing five guys at
a time. He's using hockey subs. So I think that Durant,
(33:09):
assuming that he gets onto the floor this week, I
know he practiced today, I'd be surprised if he plays Saturday.
I feel more like Monday against Germany is when he
makes his on court in game debut. But if he starts,
I think, by and large, you know he plays the
hockey sub minutes. The thing is Steve can then turn
(33:30):
to a few more minutes for for Tatum and or
Booker over Durant, But that's you know, I think he's
going to play. I think he's going to start, and
he's got to find a way to fit in, if
you will, on a on a starting unit that already
has the guys that we mentioned and might have Anthony
Edwards too. You know, Colin, I asked Kevin this very question.
(33:52):
It's funny that you asked me. And I said, at
the end of his press conference today, you know you,
we know you're a great player. We know you're USA's
all time leading scorer. But you've been sitting there for
two weeks watching these guys. What do you think your
impact will be on a team that already has Curry,
Lebron and Joel and the starters. And he said, basically
what we're saying now is that you he can do anything.
(34:15):
You know, he is a shooter, which you can never
have enough shooting. He can protect the rim, you know,
as a six eleven seven footer, he can do that
coming down you know from the wing. I think that helps.
And he's he's a clutch scorer, which you know, I
know they have Curry Lebron can be great in the clutch.
But but Durant in Gold medal games. This is crazy.
(34:37):
He's averaging twenty nine points a game in gold medal games.
So when the Chips are down, if they have to
turn to a guy, they could turn to him, you know, bring.
Speaker 1 (34:46):
It's an interesting question the future. I mean, Jalen Brown's
obviously Kyrie Irving good enough to play. They're not. You
can argue Nike whatever. But the future is interesting because
KD Stephan Lebron this is the last. This is the
end of the road. I don't know if Ade'd come
back again because his body again, there's been durability issues.
In your eyes, we can't just bring the Celtics over.
(35:09):
What is the future of the Olympic team for us?
Speaker 5 (35:13):
I love this conversation. It's something that I think about
a lot, and I started thinking about it last summer
with the World Cup team because those were the guys
who are supposed to be just sort of coming up
when we think about the next Olympic team, which is
they're gonna play in Los Angeles. So this is another
very important Olympics for the Americans. Tatum and Booker, you
(35:37):
think they're going to be on the team. Anthony Edwards
is the leading scorer right now, forget about Curry, forget
about James, forget about Davis. Anthony Edwards is leading this
team and scoring through three games. He's on the team.
Tyrese Haliburton. He's on the team because he's on this
Olympic team now. And then you think about is will
(35:59):
Brunson be too old? Maybe not Donovan Mitchell, maybe he
gets a chance. You know, Cooper Flagg, you know, he
will have been in the league three years by then.
I wouldn't be surprised if he's on the team. You know,
the two guys that we're not talking about right now,
John Morant and and Zion Williamson, they were supposed to
be the next faces of the league for varying reasons.
(36:21):
It hasn't happened. Did they get it turned around within
the next four years? So did they get a chance
on Team USA? These are all great questions. France is
going to be awesome by then. You know, Victor women
Yama is just going to be in point. They're gonna
be a lot to deal with. But but you know,
I think the next team USA is still going to
(36:43):
be very good.
Speaker 1 (36:44):
Yeah, you know, it's it was not a great draft.
We know that brawny went fifty five. I defended the move,
and my takeaway is all week, I've been going to
the players that were drafted just above him and just
after him, and he's very much, very similar, except he
sells more merch. But it's you know, it's guys struggling.
It's all G league guys within basketball. It didn't bother.
Speaker 6 (37:07):
Me at all.
Speaker 1 (37:08):
And the argument I made Joe was, we do favors
for each other, and Lebron's done a twenty year favor
for the NBA, making their rating. They got a new
TV contract mostly on Lebron, James Right and Steph Curry
and the Warriors dynasty. So you know, in a bad draft,
his kid's a G league prospect. I don't have a
(37:28):
problem with it at all. He's actually I had back
to back pretty good games. But in basketball, do you
send any resentment for the pick?
Speaker 5 (37:38):
Not yet, but I mean you have to keep in mind,
like basically since that pick was made, I've been around
these twelve future Hall of famers and one of them
is his dad, So it's harder. It would be harder
to catch the average you know, the average player, you know,
grumbling about this or that. I think the average player
(37:58):
knows that team every year take flyers on guys. Every
year there's draft and stash guys from Europe. Sometimes they
never come over. You know, there's players that are taken
in the top fifteen who stink top twenty. So you know,
I think no one is under any illusion as to
(38:18):
why this happened. Yeah, and it would be better if,
like the Lakers, like didn't try to make up reasons
for why Bronnie was picking. We know that what we
want to see next is what Bronni does with the opportunity.
Speaker 1 (38:30):
Yeah, it's good. It's a great point. There is that
draft and stash European thing which is not discussed, but
to your point, it does happen. And I think in
the end, when the NFL you have a seven round draft,
I've always felt after about the fifteenth pick, you're taking
some gambles. In the NBA, it's an older college player
who maybe fits. Finally, you have unique access. Joe Varden
(38:51):
joining us for our radio audience at Joe Varden, a
long time NBA writer now for the Athletic does a
great job. You got to go to practice. You got
these guys and nobody gets that. What is it like
watching the the legends of the game with the kids.
What's the intensity? What is I know, it's a simple question,
(39:13):
what is practice like for these guys.
Speaker 5 (39:17):
They work hard, you know, they they have to do
it in a controlled manner when they're practicing against each other,
partially because of some of the injuries. You know, Joel Uh.
There's a there's a player here who's kind of like
a two way guy. He's played a little bit for Utah,
but he's also played spent time in the in the
G League. His name is Michael Potter and he he's
(39:41):
here with Team USA and he practices some of Joel's minutes.
So you have to so so things like that are happening,
Like Kevin Durant isn't on the floor, you know, Kawhi
Leonard when he was in training camp, he was practicing,
but they had to go slower. But the real off
factor I find is when you watch these guys practice,
(40:05):
like in the in the pregame early shoot arounds, they're
very regimented. They come out to at a time and
they work with position coaches and there's a scenario that
happens before every game where Lebron James works with Anthony
Edwards and who is their position, coach, Eric Spolstra, And
(40:26):
you get to watch Spolstra work with Lebron after all
their history together. You've got Spolstra working for twenty minutes
before every game with Lebron, but then also with Anthony Edwards.
So it's so cool to see, like, you know, the
past come back together with those two. But then watch
the torch literally be handing handed over to Anthony. Anthony
(40:48):
Edwards is the next guy. It's awesome to watch Steph
on the floor with Lebron at the same time and
watch them sort of command attention at practice. You know,
Lebron is more of the voice. Steph sort of carries
the equal amount of respect, and yeah, you just get
you just get to watch all this sort of come together.
(41:08):
And it's fun to talk with Steve Kerr about it
because he knows that he's coach. He's coaching an embarrassment
of riches, but you know, that's that's what this team
was supposed to be. It was supposed to be a
flex of the might of the American NBA over the
last fifteen years, and you know it'll be a different
flex in four years from now.
Speaker 1 (41:28):
Joe you do a great job. Good seeing you again,
haven't seen you in a while. Have a blast. It's
a great basketball assignment. He's for the athletic and they
hire only the best. It's good seeing again, my man.
Speaker 5 (41:38):
Great to be on. Great to see you as well.
Speaker 1 (41:40):
Call Joe Varden. He did for years. He was a
Cavaliers beat writer that we used a lot. So he
just keeps going up and up and up. And that's
a fun team to cover. And there's a lot of
actually there's a lot of storylines. When you can go
to the bench for Jason Tatum and Anthony Davis.
Speaker 6 (41:55):
We're pretty good.
Speaker 4 (41:57):
His job of getting to watch Team USA practice amazing.
So when I moved out here, we were able to
get like media passes to the Lakers, So I would
go to some Laker games like two hours early, just
stand courtside and like Lebron's warming up right here or
not before Lebron got there. But it was just like
I would love to do that. Watch Luka Doncic put
up like seventy five shots, Like I'm a nerd like
that about this.
Speaker 1 (42:17):
I said this years ago. Mark Cuban had just purchased
the Mavericks, but he was a national figure, and I
was working in Portland, so this is this is a
long time ago, and I'm doing a six o'clock news
report and just before I go on, Dirk Novitzky is
he's shooting around the three point ring twenty one of
(42:38):
twenty two. Yeah, and the one that didn't go in
rattled in and out, and it's like, people have no.
Speaker 4 (42:43):
Idea, Well that's Dirk Davitsky. I mean, I've watched like
Ronnie Walker end of the bench guys make like eighteen straight.
I'm like, what, how is he not playing? More like, oh,
that's right, he's in the NBA.
Speaker 1 (42:53):
These guys are real and these are the world's best player. Yeah,
what would practice be like? I know, I've talked to
Mark Few, the goune Zaga coach who's helped in this
coaching for years for the Olympics, and he said, it's
just it is. And by the way, he's got NBA
guys at Gonzaga. He's like Colin, it's it's just hard
to explain how good Lebron and Durant and.
Speaker 3 (43:13):
Those guys are.
Speaker 1 (43:14):
It's it's he had Durant in his prime, and he
told me he goes I've never seen a guy this
is Mark Few and Kevin Durant. He goes all the
great players I've done at this Olympic level. He gets
his shot every single time. You can't you can't trap him,
you can't take the ball out of his hand. If
Kevin Durant wants to get a good look, he will
(43:34):
get it every single time, regardless of who you put
on him. And he said and then and He's like
and these are this is at practice in games against
the world's best players. So it's a That's why I always,
despite all the stuff with KD to the end, I'll
defend him. He is one of the great gifted offensive
players in the history of the sport. Like way up there,
(43:54):
Top five six
Thanks for listening to the Best of the Herd podcast.
Be sure to catch us live every weekday on Fox
Sports Radio and noon to three Eastern nine am to
Noone Pacific. Find your local station for The Herd at
Fox Sports Radio dot com, or stream us live every
day on the iHeartRadio app by searching Fox Sports Radio
or FSR.
Speaker 2 (00:19):
This is the Best of the Herd with Colin cowher
on Fox Sports Radio.
Speaker 1 (00:27):
Here we go on a Friday, on what has been
a really good week, live in Los Angeles. It's the Herd.
Wherever you may be and however you may be listening,
Thanks for making us part of your day. We'll check
in on the USA Olympic basketball team, some news on
Brownie James, bad news for one former NFL legend. Dallas
(00:52):
Cowboys in a bit of a bind. I'm not sure they.
Speaker 3 (00:54):
Know it yet.
Speaker 1 (00:56):
At Tomorrow's Headlines Today with JEMC We've had a really
good week. Montaga guests, a lot of interesting stuff. Eric
Musselman was great in the last hour yesterday college coach
former NBA coach Jmax So when Bill Belichick only really
interviewed with the Atlanta Falcons, the take was what and
(01:18):
Belichick's allies around the league all said, you gotta be
kidding me. Atlanta is the only team that considered him.
But I saw something today which the rest of the
league is seeing, and this could explain a little bit
about the fear of hiring Belichick. So Bucky Brooks, works
for US Fox sports dot Com, did an article that's
(01:41):
a great article on the ten best current rosters in
the NFL. And the rosters are and I pretty much
agree up and down pretty close. Niners, Eagles, Chiefs, top three, Lions, Texans, Ravens, Dolphins, Jets, Cowboys, Browns.
We can argue back and forth, but the Houston Texans
at number five is absolutely terrible for Bill Belichick because
(02:07):
that franchise was a joke in the league. And then
Nick Cassario, who was the director of personnel in New England,
took the job three three and a half years ago
and has crushed the draft and crushed free agency.
Speaker 4 (02:24):
Humhm.
Speaker 1 (02:25):
In three drafts, Houston now is a top five roster
from a bottom three roster. Joked a playoff team in Houston.
Speaker 5 (02:33):
Hmm.
Speaker 1 (02:34):
They just added a star edge, a star running back,
and a star wide receiver and free agency he has
made almost no mistakes. Nick Casario cut out. He may
have missed on an offensive lineman in three drafts. That's it.
Yet New England's last six drafts, of which Casario is
in the building for a few of those, Several of those,
(02:56):
probably last seven drafts have all been putrid for New England.
So either Nick Cassario suddenly got brilliant when he got
on a plane and flew to Houston, or three or four,
five or six of those drafts because he's he was
in New England for years and the drafts kept getting
(03:16):
worse and worse and worse and worse and worse and
worse when Casario was there. So either he got brilliant
once he got on an airplane and flew to Houston,
or Bill Belichick trumped all of his advice, would not
listen and took over the drafts, which I was told
Bill was prone to do in mid January early February.
(03:38):
I got it from here because New England's draft and
Cassario was part of many of those were awful. Now
he goes to Houston and they're all great. I mean,
there's an argument outside of maybe Green Bay, who drafts better.
The last three years than Houston, who's done a better
job in free agency than Houston. And they had bad ownership.
(04:01):
New England had great ownership. They had no momentum. New
England had all the momentum in the world. This is
an indictment on Belichick. He didn't get very few interviews
because he can't coach. But as he is, aged, stubborn, rigid,
only wants to coach certain people, and he craves power.
(04:23):
This is what a Popovitch craves later years, a Belichick
craves Tony LaRussa craves the older coaches. They've got the legacy,
they've got a ring or two or six, and they
got the money. So if everybody's wondering why can't Bill
get the job, it's not about the teams. It's about
Bill's unwillingness to work with others. Everybody knows he's a
great coach, best defensive coach of all time. That's not
(04:46):
the question. So everybody's blaming the teams and the owners
of the teams that pass on him. It's not about that.
It's about Bill's potential unwillingness to just coach, and that
is it. That list with Houston is a top five roster,
and I don't doubt it is an indictment on Belichick
and nobody else. So this is funny. Bronnie James has
(05:13):
become the most popular betting pick for Rookie of the Year.
Don't tell me the economy is bad. Clearly there's a
lot of money to burn in America. The last seven
NBA Rookies of the Year, none of them have spent
a day in the G League. And Brownie right now
is a G League player. So the Democrat should use
(05:35):
this during the national Convention, the Brownie Index. I'm Joe Briden.
I approve this message. Look how good our economy is.
People are betting on Brownie to win Rookie of the Year.
Flights are packed, we all got big screens, and everybody's
betting on Brownie and an inconceivable award he has no
chance to win. That's a strong economy, but it also
really speaks to how absolutely dreadful this draft was the
(06:00):
number two pick. Alex Sars. Alex Sar from France is
one for twenty one in his last two games with
two points. He's the number two pick, zero for seven
on threes. He's not a prospect he's an IKEA manual.
You open up the box. Is this from Is this
(06:22):
from Sweden? Did they send me all the parts? He's
below a prospect. He's been awful and he's the number
two pick. And this illustrates why I defended the Lakers
and lebron James and clutch sports. I mean they had
some leverage, did clutch Sports. I'd be careful about using
(06:42):
it every time I have it. But this is no
big deal. This is not worth all the grifters on
the internet and bad actors losing sleep. It's a bad draft.
The players drafted above him are G leaguers. The players
drafted below him are G leaguers. And the number two
half pick, Alexar from France, has been absolutely offensively terrible.
(07:06):
So and for the record, Brownie actually and Dalton Connect,
the other Laker rookie, both had a really good game
yesterday and Bronnie finished with thirteen points on fifty percent shooting,
so he's had back to back pretty good games. Bronnie
(07:27):
has not the number two pick. He's had terrible picks games.
Bronnie's actually had back to back pretty good shooting games,
so I don't think he's a natural fluid offensive player.
I don't think he ever will be great. My take, though,
isn't necessarily the shooting. It's that he's a six one
and a half player who doesn't play point. So if
he improves his ball handling and can bring the floor
(07:50):
up even occasionally for the Lakers and play excellent defense.
He had a couple of blocks yesterday, I think Bronnie
could stick at the end of a bench or you know,
like a seven, eight, nine ten player not going to
get tons of minutes, but a defensive player. If you
can bring the ball up the floor, his shooting will
get better. It almost always does for young players. Very
few guys come out of college as deadI shooters, almost nobody,
especially at the NBA three point range, almost nobody. So
(08:14):
but here's what I will bet. I will not bet
on Browny James winning Rookie of the Year. But I
will bet the two or three players drafted right before him,
the fifty second, fifty third, fifty fourth, and the two
or three players drafted after him the fifty sixth, the
fifty seventh to fifty eight will all be inconsequential in
(08:36):
three years of the NBA. Everybody you can make money
now on Twitter, slash x, whatever you want to call it.
And there are a lot of people that's how they
make their money, grifting conspiracy theories. They do it on
their podcast, they do it on their platforms. This was
never a big deal in an absolutely dreadful draft. If
(08:57):
he's a bottom of the bench rotational player, welcome to
the twenty twenty four fifty fifth, fifty six, fifty third
pick in the NBA draft. You know, the economy is
good when people are flush with money to bet that
Jmac flush with money, dumb money.
Speaker 4 (09:17):
Huh, he's got no chance, zero chance to win the award.
Speaker 2 (09:21):
None.
Speaker 1 (09:21):
Well he's not going to get enough minutes to do it,
so yeah, he's got none. And even in bad drafts,
there will be probably an international player I would guess
picked like ninth or thirteenth. I mean remember where Jannis
Wood drafted and about three years later you're like, oh,
he's put on twenty five thirty five pounds and became
you know, so they'll be players out of this draft.
(09:44):
But it's a developmental draft.
Speaker 5 (09:46):
It is.
Speaker 1 (09:46):
It is a prospect and ikea manual draft below. It's
what architects give you at that kind of layout. The blueprint.
It's a blueprint draft below a prospect.
Speaker 4 (09:58):
But did you hear the roar when he's making shots
in Vegas? I mean it is a deafening roar, and
you don't hear that as summer league.
Speaker 1 (10:06):
I did a TikTok rant yesterday, oh, just on Brownie
and and it got off o a million people. And
it wasn't some definitive rant. It wasn't funny. It was
just kind of a some thoughts on Brownie on my TikTok.
And this morning the staff said, yea, those Brownie things
really pop. And that goes to show you that when
(10:27):
you get to be in this draft where the Lakers
drafted their first draft pick, by the way, was a
veteran college player, a real need, so they got their
shooter on the wing. What they wanted to get with
our second pick was a defensive player, so they needed
a shooter. They needed youth shooting and some defense. And
(10:48):
maybe he provides that. But I don't think you know,
you and I talked about this yesterday. I don't get
outraged much, no, I you know there. You know, they're
things that have happened recently politically that are frightening for
all of us. But I don't get outraged much, and
that is what is pedaled on the internet and social media.
(11:10):
This brawny story is just give me a break. It's
just not worth getting worked up.
Speaker 4 (11:15):
It's not even about him though. They just don't like
Lebron so they're rooting weirdly for his kid to fail.
And you're right, I'm out on that.
Speaker 1 (11:22):
Okay. So at the top of next hour. We talked
about this yesterday. I told you we have an NFL
standings prediction. We do it after the coaching hires, then
after the coaching hires in draft free agency, and then
we do it, you know, right before camp starts, and
then we do it like after camp starts. We wait
(11:42):
for some potential injuries. So I will have my pre
camp and pre season NFL standing predictions in fifteen minutes
from now, so again I have the right to change.
I'm keeping a couple of you know, a couple of
in the holster because people.
Speaker 6 (12:01):
Will get hurt.
Speaker 1 (12:02):
A quarterback will go down, a star left tackle will
go down, and that will change things. But I will
have my predictions. Things can change.
Speaker 4 (12:11):
You want to tease a team, maybe the Green and
White team.
Speaker 1 (12:14):
Are they yeah, the Packers. Oh, I've got him as
a playoff team now now annually. The tricky part is
on an annual basis, seven teams that made the playoffs
don't the following year. I've only got five new ones.
So again I'm waiting for the injury. There's going to
(12:35):
be an injury, so I'm a little light on changes.
I have three changes in one conference, two changes in
the other. I have said, I do think it's easier
to pick divisions now because the best quarterback in an
offensive league now quarterback driven more consistently. Josh Allen's the
best quarterback. It's a pretty safe bet he's going to
win if Burrough's healthy for sixteen weeks. Seventeen weeks I
(12:59):
would take. Since I need to be a playoff team.
So that part, I think, if you can give a
really top seven to eight nine quarterback an excellent coach,
he's gonna win the play his division, or at least
be top two and be a playoff team. That part's
getting easier. But the middle down, I don't know what
Chicago is, I don't know what Washington is.
Speaker 4 (13:21):
Well, the tricky one is NFC West Because you love
Matt Stafford you don't love rock Party, I don't hate him,
but it's impossible to pick against perty. You just saw
show Bucky Brooks said they have the number one roster.
I think their favorite every single game this season, like
going against the Niners would be insanity. I know you're
not willing to go there.
Speaker 1 (13:40):
Right forty seven minutes from now that less.
Speaker 4 (13:45):
Need love, Oh my goodness.
Speaker 2 (13:47):
Be sure to catch live editions of The Herd weekdays
and neonon eastern non am Pacific on Fox Sports Radio
FS one and the iHeartRadio app.
Speaker 1 (13:56):
So there is a new podcast called Scoop City. Diana Russini,
who's on our show, and Chase Daniel hosted, and they
were talking to Steven Jones of the Dallas Cowboys. And
I have said four years that Dallas is a really
top heavy franchise because they've overpaid for Zeke, and they've
overpaid for Dak, and they had to like good players
(14:17):
like Amari Cooper go. And then they've missed on some
draft picks, which many teams do. I don't think the
Cowboys are unstable or poorly run, but they are incredibly
perilously top heavy. So Steven Jones talks about three contracts
that they want to get done. Dak Ceedee Lamb and
Michael Parsons.
Speaker 3 (14:37):
I mean, you're talking about two players that aren't quarterbacks
that feel like they, you know, ought to be a
little bit like Jefferson, the top paid nine quarterbacks in
the league. And then of course you have Dak, who's
obviously his resume speaks for itself. You know, those things
just take time when you're talking about the amount of
money involved, and of course we're trying to a little
(14:59):
bit play who d and how to keep all these
guys around thatk. You know, when you start stacking them
up like that, you know it's a challenge. It's not
that it's not doable, but you certainly got to, you know,
have some give and take. You know, we think we
could get this done. No, we can get it done,
but it just takes time.
Speaker 1 (15:16):
And I'll give you an example of how top heavy
they are. And this is what happens when you overpay players.
Now you have to pay for Micah and CD Lamb.
They were first round picks and you've hit on them
and they are elite. My take is Dak is not elite.
He's not a top eight quarterback and you're gonna have
to pay him like a top two quarterback. So here's
the Cowboys, in my opinion, top ten players. I would
(15:39):
say Micah Won, Cede Lamb, Zach Martin Dak. I think
Deron Bland. It was only one Pro Ball, but he's
a very good corner into Marcus Lawrence. I don't know
who seven through ten are. They're not elite players. Remember
they had a corner he got hurt. I'm not going
to count guys who come off major injuries. So let's
(16:00):
go to San Francisco, a rival of the Cowboys, in
their top ten. These are elite players in the league.
Christian McCaffrey, Trent Williams, Bosa, Samuel Fred Warner, kittel ayuk
All put brock Pertty at eight because he had Pro
Bowl numbers and he was a Pro bowler. Sharbarius ward On,
Javon Hargrave made a Pro Bowls a defensive at tackle
(16:22):
at ten and with the Niners. I'm not counting eight
straight Pro Bowl player. Kyle Huschek, I'm not counting because
he was hurt. Hufunga, the safety who was a Pro bowler.
I'm not counting a Leonard Floyd who has had nine
sacks at least in the last four years. So I'm
leaving off elite players for the Niners who are still
(16:48):
elite but either had an injury or they just don't
make the list. I'm not sure Dallas six, seven, eight, nine, ten,
I'm not sure who it is. So it makes it
imperative that you pay Dak Micah and CD Lamb. So
and I've said this, I there are certain teams in
this league I think have been living on the edge.
(17:10):
I thought a few years ago the Rams were, but
then they hit on multiple draft picks. I mean, Pooka
Nakua looks like a number one receiver. They got him
in the fifth round. That's what Dallas is going to
have to do. They're going to have to go find
fifth round players who become Max Crosby or Pooka Nakua
(17:31):
or George Kittle. They're out there, but Dalla's gonna hit off,
have to hit on several of these type of players
because they're going to be wildly top heavy. And I
think Micah and CD Lamb. You can pay him the
big boy money. You draft them in the first round,
pay them, reward them, but that dark contract That's why
I say it's very fear based. We've got to have Dak.
(17:51):
What are you getting in January and February. What's the
return on the dollar. It's not very good. He's had
one great playoff game in his career so and this
offensive line is not as good as it was early
to middle of Dak's career.
Speaker 2 (18:06):
Be sure to catch live editions of the Herd Weekdays
and Noone Easter not a em Pacific.
Speaker 6 (18:12):
Hey gang, this is Jay Glazer, host of Unbreakable, a
mental Wealth podcast, and every week we will have on
leaders from sports entertainment like Sean McVay, Lindsay Vaughn, Michael phelf,
David Spade, got Fiemmi, and also those who can help
us in between the ears, anyone from a therapist to
someone like Ed Milette or John Gordon. We've all been
(18:33):
through some sort of adversity to get to the top.
We've all used different tools. Listen to Unbreakable with Jay
Glazer and Mental Wealth podcast on the iHeartRadio app, Apple
Podcasts or wherever you get podcasts.
Speaker 1 (18:49):
All Right, here we go, it's a Friday, it's hour two.
We'll be going to London in just about five six
minutes to join the US Olympic basketball team. Is they
get ready for Paris and the Olympics, which are starting soon.
Jmack joining me as usual today, Jmack, So I do
several predictions going up to the season. This is the
(19:12):
camps are starting today and tomorrow this weekend, and so
I thought, let's do a pre camp prediction. At least
seven new playoff teams on average transpire every year. I've
got five new ones, so I'm keeping a couple in
the holster. I'm waiting for camp. There will absolutely be
(19:33):
injuries and stories that develop, so this is my pre
camp before any injuries. Pre camp predictions. Let's start in
the AFC East. The Bills have won the division four
straight years. I'm giving it to them. The Dolphins, it's
an offensive league. Had the number one total offense in
the NFL and two it through for forty six hundred
(19:55):
passing yards. It's an offensive league. The Jets third, Yes,
they have a great O line. Questions head coaches defensive
Aaron has not taken a snap more than four snaps
in five hundred and fifty nine days in the NFL.
Hasn't taken more than four snaps sorry about the great defense.
(20:15):
Jets third, Patriots fourth. I think that's the first or
second worst offensive roster in the league. AFC North, it's
the best division in football, so it's inches not feet
listen to the Ravens. Top five offense, top five defense,
and the best special teams coach in the league. I
have him winning the division. Zach Taylor and Joe Burrow
(20:36):
have proven when Joe's healthy, they win. What do you
want me to say? Last year with Jake Browning they
had a winning record with Jake Browning Burrows back in.
They're a playoff team. Steelers. They can't figure out their
O line or their offensive coordinator. I love their roster, frankly,
I worry in an offensive league about getting it right
(20:57):
on that side of the ball. Loved the coach in Cleveland.
This total question mark. N Deshaun Watson, weird personality, weird injuries.
I'll just put them forth for now. AFC West Kansas
City until further notice. They won the division eight straight times,
best coaching, football, best quarterback, they get it. I think
the Chargers have limitations on the perimeter, but don't be
(21:18):
shocked if they don't make a move for Brandon Ayyuk
and potentially give up mac or Bosa. On their edge.
They've got two good edge rushers. They need a star receiver.
They may make a move. In my opinion, I'll take
them second. I like the Broncos more than Vegas, but
PFF says worst roster in the league. Broncos third, Raiders fourth,
They've got a rookie coach and quarterback issues. Finally, AFC
(21:42):
South really much better division than people give it credit for.
I worried about the Texans pulling back, but they had
another really strong draft and free agency period. Stefan Diggs,
Joe Mixon. I'll take them to win. I think it's
Trevor Lawrence's best roster yet. Jaguars second. They were nine
to eight last year and Trevor Lawrence fell apart down
(22:04):
the stretch. They'll rebound. I like the Colts, but I
questioned Anthony Richardson's playing style and staying healthy. Their third,
and the Titans, I have questions at quarterback and their
offensive lines worse than Will Levis, So I'll take them fourth.
We go to the NFC. By the way, I have
three new playoff teams in the AFC. Bill's Chiefs, Ravens,
Texans winning the division, Bengals, Chargers, Jaguars wildcard team. So
(22:28):
that's three new playoff teams. That's the average. Three and
a half to four is the average per year. I've
got three. Let's go to the NFC, where Philadelphia easily
the best roster in the division. Nick Seriani did he
hire better assistance. They started last year ten and one,
(22:48):
then they fell off a cliff. I think they rebound.
Maybe not a super Bowl team, very good. I'm gonna
go with Washington, new coach, new OC, new quarterback, new owner.
I think they use that energy and juice to catapult.
I think they're the surprise team in the NFL. Washington second.
Dallas is a very viable third, but I think they're
(23:09):
top heavy and overly dependent on Dak and Ceedee Lamb
to carry the entire offense. Giants just not good enough
at quarterback. I pick them forth. Let's go to the
NFC North Detroit. Number one offensive line in football. If
you have the best offensive line in football, it's like
having the best starting pitching staff in baseball. It gives
(23:31):
you so many advantages over everybody else. I love their
front office, you know, I love golf. Not great defensively,
They've tried to show it up. I have Green Bay
second best young offensive talent to me in the sport.
They're not paying anybody until Jordan Love here in about
a week. I take them for second by the way.
They close the season out winning six of eight games
(23:51):
and hammer the Cowboys in the playoffs. Chicago's a viable third.
Can't wait to watch them play, but it's a defensive
coach on the hot seat and a rookie quarterback. O
Line's good, not great. They're third. I think Minnesota is
going to be the best fourth place team in the NFL.
I love their offense and I'm rooting for Sam Darnold,
but the division's too good. I think by the end
of the year we'll say this is the best division
(24:13):
in football. I'll pick the Vikings as a really fun,
dynamic number four. Let's go to the NFC West. Yes,
I like the Rams. I thought they had a back
to back sensational drafts, finish top ten in total offense
and scoring last year. I really like what they've done
(24:34):
with their defensive front in the last two drafts. Niners
are good, but they're an old, expensive football team. Watch
out for injuries and the Brandon au noise. Seattle, Hey,
they finished nine to eight. Gino Smith's good enough to
win you games. They have a new staff, a new coach.
I'm gonna take Shanahan and McVeigh over the rookie coach
(24:55):
their third I love Kyler Murray, but I just don't
think Arizona roster right now can comp with the rosters
above them. Finally, the worst division in football. I do
think Atlanta getting Kirk Cousins and Michael Pennix will stabilize
the quarterback position. Second best offensive line in football. It's
hard not to be a playoff team when you have
that good of an offensive line. Bucks have made the
(25:17):
playoffs four straight years. Baker is more than capable. Carolina
Saints not very good. I don't like New Orleans situation
right now. Coaching at all NFC playoff teams Eagles, Falcons, Lions, Rams, Niners, Commanders,
Packers are wild card teams, but only two new playoff teams.
So the problem. I have only three new playoff teams
(25:41):
in the AFC, only two new playoff teams in the NFC.
I'm at five the averages seven, so again I'm gonna
wait through camp. I'm gonna wait for injuries. My take
is something will happen again. You think it's crazy. We're
gonna have a surprise team. Mine's Washington. Last year it
(26:01):
was Houston. I'm crossing my fingers. I think the Chargers
will make a move at wide receiver and potentially move
off Bosa or Khalil Mack. That is my guess because
they drafted a couple of years ago previous regime defensive
end from USC who's a very, very aggressive pass rusher.
(26:21):
So they've got a little stockpiled talent there. J Mack,
I know your initial thought. I'm not going to bet
against the number one offense in the league last year Miami. Oh,
hold on, hold on, hold on, they're not going to
make the playoffs.
Speaker 4 (26:34):
Do you have the exact same winners in the AFC
for each division?
Speaker 1 (26:37):
Yeah, because they're easily they're all star quarterbacks.
Speaker 4 (26:40):
That never happens. Well you know that it never happens.
Speaker 1 (26:44):
I don't know. Brady Manning and Big Ben won their
division year after year after year. But that's not every division.
Speaker 4 (26:49):
That's three of the.
Speaker 1 (26:49):
Division, Buffalo, Kansas City. Like I said, with the Texans,
I think Texans Jags comes down to the final week,
that's either a Trevor Lawrence c J. Stropp.
Speaker 4 (27:00):
I keep an eye on the cold.
Speaker 1 (27:01):
So I have the AFC East. I have Miami offense
and Jets defense. They beat each other up and in
the end they miss it. They missed the play. They're
both in the nine and eight category.
Speaker 4 (27:12):
Yeah, listen, this is fine, this is good, but there's
no real hot takes in here. Every year there's a
super whiff by everyone.
Speaker 1 (27:20):
Dallas not making the playoffs. In Washington with a rookie
coach and quarterback, well dan Quinn.
Speaker 4 (27:26):
New owner, right, new coach, new quarter there's too much
newness man that there is no shot of Washington. I
think you need to get a little hotter and look
at the Baltimore Ravenston.
Speaker 1 (27:36):
You want a hot take, I give you one with Washington,
and you throw a bucket of.
Speaker 2 (27:40):
Water on it.
Speaker 1 (27:40):
Well, fair, okay, fake, Okay, here's another hot take. Niners
have the best roster. I have him second, I don't.
Speaker 4 (27:47):
I don't think that you're my friend. It's not hot.
That's just dumb. I'm sorry. The Ers are not fitishing
executive vision. Come on, buddy, uh, I think keep. Let's
let's we need to add at one point this July,
maybe August. Let's look into the Ravens a little bit more.
They lost a ton, including their defensive coordinator who was tremendous,
(28:08):
and he goes to Seattle.
Speaker 1 (28:09):
Did they have John Harbaugh and Lamar Jackson? Yeah, but
it's more than a two horse races, is it not? Really?
Speaker 3 (28:15):
Okay?
Speaker 1 (28:16):
If you have if you have a top five coach
and a top five quarterback, you make the playoffs.
Speaker 4 (28:20):
Okay, how's this? Let let me hit you better skill
position players. Chargers or Cowboys. Take a deep breath.
Speaker 1 (28:25):
I don't like either. They're both really fits.
Speaker 4 (28:27):
Cowboys they have CD Lamb. So how are the Chargers
in the tougher conference making the.
Speaker 1 (28:31):
Playoff because they have a great quarterback and a great
coach and Dallas has B to B plus at both.
It's a coach quarterback league. You give me a top
six to seven quarterback and a top six seven coach,
you're making the playoffs.
Speaker 4 (28:44):
If we were doing this last summer, I would have said,
Houston Texans, you're like C. J. Stroud in a rookie
defensive coach. No way, get them out of here.
Speaker 1 (28:52):
I did that that's my Washington defensive coach in a
rookie quarterback in Washington is my Houston. That's my that's
my huge We're gonna have a Houston. Mine is Washington,
all right.
Speaker 4 (29:04):
So we do a friendly wager on that earth and.
Speaker 1 (29:06):
We have things. I have to go to London. I'm
a very international host. Joe Varden, senior NBA writer for
The Athletic, former Cavs beat writer at Joe Varden on Twitter.
He's putting up with our nonsense today. He's in London,
one of the great cities in the world. So you know,
it's interesting. I said it that Stylistically in the NBA
(29:27):
there are players that the fans and the media love
Carmelo Russell, Westbrook, Harden, But my eyes tell me stylistically,
Embiid is much more fun to watch. But Anthony Davis
has become a better player over the last two years.
He has been sensational, and Joe, he can not only lead,
(29:47):
he can be complementary. And I don't feel Embiid has
a lot of complimentary in his game. You got to
kind of change the system. So your take on a
d or Embiid starting and my point on my eyes
are telling me eighties a better fit on this Olympic team.
Speaker 5 (30:05):
So part of what is working with Anthony Davis and
with a bunch of the other guys that he's playing
with on that second unit is as we know, the
world has largely caught up with the talk about these
best teams all over the world, right, But what they
haven't done is created the depth. So what we have
(30:26):
in this scenario where if Lebron and Steph and Joel,
three of the great players in history, can just hold
the fort down, then Anthony Davis comes off the bench
against lesser players and just destroys them. And that's what's happening.
He he is a beast. He is playing at full tilt,
which has been great to see. He's been awesome in camp.
(30:49):
He's been really cool to deal with. All those things
are true, but when he gets on the floor, he
is playing against players who simply have no business matching
up with him, and he is taking full advantage.
Speaker 1 (31:00):
Yeah, is there a team that does match up with
them and could fight them for the goal?
Speaker 4 (31:05):
Joe, No, there isn't.
Speaker 5 (31:08):
A team that matches up with them. But we're not
out of the woods yet here in terms of the Americans.
And one of the reasons, of course, is that everybody
can shoot a three. Now, the second is the Americans
could get an injury. A lot of their players are
older that that is true. And then the final thing
(31:29):
is that these games are only forty minutes long, so
you know, you shrink the game. Everybody can shoot threes.
You get in a situation where Serbia plays Jokic for
thirty five minutes out of forty if he keeps it close,
you know, you get into a tight situation. I mean,
these are the kinds of things that can happen. But
I've seen them play against Canada fully loaded, fully loaded
(31:52):
NBA roster, Australia ten NBA guys, and Serbia with Jokic
and Team USA has has clearly been the better team.
Speaker 1 (32:02):
Yeah, Kevin, we made this argument an hour ago. I said,
how was a Phoenix Suns fan, I'd be like, please
don't play Kevin Durant. I think fairly part of his
sort of reality now is he's you know, he's a
bigger guy, six to eleven guys, and up get hurt early,
they start getting hurt later. He's not Larry Bird on
(32:24):
the Dream Team, where he was a shot fighter. Kevin
is still an amazing player, but what will his role
be when he comes back? Could he could he be
eight minutes to a half guy and just really have
a reduced role because I think Steve Kerr also, you know,
I mean, he's thinking about the league and the Suns,
and you don't want to get guys, you know, extended
beyond what they're capable of. What's Durant's role in this Olympics.
Speaker 5 (32:49):
So you look at what they're doing with Joel, and
Joel is actually playing a few less minutes than Lebron
and Steph and Ad and Bam. But by and large,
what Steve is doing is he's playing five guys at
a time. He's using hockey subs. So I think that Durant,
(33:09):
assuming that he gets onto the floor this week, I
know he practiced today, I'd be surprised if he plays Saturday.
I feel more like Monday against Germany is when he
makes his on court in game debut. But if he starts,
I think, by and large, you know he plays the
hockey sub minutes. The thing is Steve can then turn
(33:30):
to a few more minutes for for Tatum and or
Booker over Durant, But that's you know, I think he's
going to play. I think he's going to start, and
he's got to find a way to fit in, if
you will, on a on a starting unit that already
has the guys that we mentioned and might have Anthony
Edwards too. You know, Colin, I asked Kevin this very question.
(33:52):
It's funny that you asked me. And I said, at
the end of his press conference today, you know you,
we know you're a great player. We know you're USA's
all time leading scorer. But you've been sitting there for
two weeks watching these guys. What do you think your
impact will be on a team that already has Curry,
Lebron and Joel and the starters. And he said, basically
what we're saying now is that you he can do anything.
(34:15):
You know, he is a shooter, which you can never
have enough shooting. He can protect the rim, you know,
as a six eleven seven footer, he can do that
coming down you know from the wing. I think that helps.
And he's he's a clutch scorer, which you know, I
know they have Curry Lebron can be great in the clutch.
But but Durant in Gold medal games. This is crazy.
(34:37):
He's averaging twenty nine points a game in gold medal games.
So when the Chips are down, if they have to
turn to a guy, they could turn to him, you know, bring.
Speaker 1 (34:46):
It's an interesting question the future. I mean, Jalen Brown's
obviously Kyrie Irving good enough to play. They're not. You
can argue Nike whatever. But the future is interesting because
KD Stephan Lebron this is the last. This is the
end of the road. I don't know if Ade'd come
back again because his body again, there's been durability issues.
In your eyes, we can't just bring the Celtics over.
(35:09):
What is the future of the Olympic team for us?
Speaker 5 (35:13):
I love this conversation. It's something that I think about
a lot, and I started thinking about it last summer
with the World Cup team because those were the guys
who are supposed to be just sort of coming up
when we think about the next Olympic team, which is
they're gonna play in Los Angeles. So this is another
very important Olympics for the Americans. Tatum and Booker, you
(35:37):
think they're going to be on the team. Anthony Edwards
is the leading scorer right now, forget about Curry, forget
about James, forget about Davis. Anthony Edwards is leading this
team and scoring through three games. He's on the team.
Tyrese Haliburton. He's on the team because he's on this
Olympic team now. And then you think about is will
(35:59):
Brunson be too old? Maybe not Donovan Mitchell, maybe he
gets a chance. You know, Cooper Flagg, you know, he
will have been in the league three years by then.
I wouldn't be surprised if he's on the team. You know,
the two guys that we're not talking about right now,
John Morant and and Zion Williamson, they were supposed to
be the next faces of the league for varying reasons.
(36:21):
It hasn't happened. Did they get it turned around within
the next four years? So did they get a chance
on Team USA? These are all great questions. France is
going to be awesome by then. You know, Victor women
Yama is just going to be in point. They're gonna
be a lot to deal with. But but you know,
I think the next team USA is still going to
(36:43):
be very good.
Speaker 1 (36:44):
Yeah, you know, it's it was not a great draft.
We know that brawny went fifty five. I defended the move,
and my takeaway is all week, I've been going to
the players that were drafted just above him and just
after him, and he's very much, very similar, except he
sells more merch. But it's you know, it's guys struggling.
It's all G league guys within basketball. It didn't bother.
Speaker 6 (37:07):
Me at all.
Speaker 1 (37:08):
And the argument I made Joe was, we do favors
for each other, and Lebron's done a twenty year favor
for the NBA, making their rating. They got a new
TV contract mostly on Lebron, James Right and Steph Curry
and the Warriors dynasty. So you know, in a bad draft,
his kid's a G league prospect. I don't have a
(37:28):
problem with it at all. He's actually I had back
to back pretty good games. But in basketball, do you
send any resentment for the pick?
Speaker 5 (37:38):
Not yet, but I mean you have to keep in mind,
like basically since that pick was made, I've been around
these twelve future Hall of famers and one of them
is his dad, So it's harder. It would be harder
to catch the average you know, the average player, you know,
grumbling about this or that. I think the average player
(37:58):
knows that team every year take flyers on guys. Every
year there's draft and stash guys from Europe. Sometimes they
never come over. You know, there's players that are taken
in the top fifteen who stink top twenty. So you know,
I think no one is under any illusion as to
(38:18):
why this happened. Yeah, and it would be better if,
like the Lakers, like didn't try to make up reasons
for why Bronnie was picking. We know that what we
want to see next is what Bronni does with the opportunity.
Speaker 1 (38:30):
Yeah, it's good. It's a great point. There is that
draft and stash European thing which is not discussed, but
to your point, it does happen. And I think in
the end, when the NFL you have a seven round draft,
I've always felt after about the fifteenth pick, you're taking
some gambles. In the NBA, it's an older college player
who maybe fits. Finally, you have unique access. Joe Varden
(38:51):
joining us for our radio audience at Joe Varden, a
long time NBA writer now for the Athletic does a
great job. You got to go to practice. You got
these guys and nobody gets that. What is it like
watching the the legends of the game with the kids.
What's the intensity? What is I know, it's a simple question,
(39:13):
what is practice like for these guys.
Speaker 5 (39:17):
They work hard, you know, they they have to do
it in a controlled manner when they're practicing against each other,
partially because of some of the injuries. You know, Joel Uh.
There's a there's a player here who's kind of like
a two way guy. He's played a little bit for Utah,
but he's also played spent time in the in the
G League. His name is Michael Potter and he he's
(39:41):
here with Team USA and he practices some of Joel's minutes.
So you have to so so things like that are happening,
Like Kevin Durant isn't on the floor, you know, Kawhi
Leonard when he was in training camp, he was practicing,
but they had to go slower. But the real off
factor I find is when you watch these guys practice,
(40:05):
like in the in the pregame early shoot arounds, they're
very regimented. They come out to at a time and
they work with position coaches and there's a scenario that
happens before every game where Lebron James works with Anthony
Edwards and who is their position, coach, Eric Spolstra, And
(40:26):
you get to watch Spolstra work with Lebron after all
their history together. You've got Spolstra working for twenty minutes
before every game with Lebron, but then also with Anthony Edwards.
So it's so cool to see, like, you know, the
past come back together with those two. But then watch
the torch literally be handing handed over to Anthony. Anthony
(40:48):
Edwards is the next guy. It's awesome to watch Steph
on the floor with Lebron at the same time and
watch them sort of command attention at practice. You know,
Lebron is more of the voice. Steph sort of carries
the equal amount of respect, and yeah, you just get
you just get to watch all this sort of come together.
(41:08):
And it's fun to talk with Steve Kerr about it
because he knows that he's coach. He's coaching an embarrassment
of riches, but you know, that's that's what this team
was supposed to be. It was supposed to be a
flex of the might of the American NBA over the
last fifteen years, and you know it'll be a different
flex in four years from now.
Speaker 1 (41:28):
Joe you do a great job. Good seeing you again,
haven't seen you in a while. Have a blast. It's
a great basketball assignment. He's for the athletic and they
hire only the best. It's good seeing again, my man.
Speaker 5 (41:38):
Great to be on. Great to see you as well.
Speaker 1 (41:40):
Call Joe Varden. He did for years. He was a
Cavaliers beat writer that we used a lot. So he
just keeps going up and up and up. And that's
a fun team to cover. And there's a lot of
actually there's a lot of storylines. When you can go
to the bench for Jason Tatum and Anthony Davis.
Speaker 6 (41:55):
We're pretty good.
Speaker 4 (41:57):
His job of getting to watch Team USA practice amazing.
So when I moved out here, we were able to
get like media passes to the Lakers, So I would
go to some Laker games like two hours early, just
stand courtside and like Lebron's warming up right here or
not before Lebron got there. But it was just like
I would love to do that. Watch Luka Doncic put
up like seventy five shots, Like I'm a nerd like
that about this.
Speaker 1 (42:17):
I said this years ago. Mark Cuban had just purchased
the Mavericks, but he was a national figure, and I
was working in Portland, so this is this is a
long time ago, and I'm doing a six o'clock news
report and just before I go on, Dirk Novitzky is
he's shooting around the three point ring twenty one of
(42:38):
twenty two. Yeah, and the one that didn't go in
rattled in and out, and it's like, people have no.
Speaker 4 (42:43):
Idea, Well that's Dirk Davitsky. I mean, I've watched like
Ronnie Walker end of the bench guys make like eighteen straight.
I'm like, what, how is he not playing? More like, oh,
that's right, he's in the NBA.
Speaker 1 (42:53):
These guys are real and these are the world's best player. Yeah,
what would practice be like? I know, I've talked to
Mark Few, the goune Zaga coach who's helped in this
coaching for years for the Olympics, and he said, it's
just it is. And by the way, he's got NBA
guys at Gonzaga. He's like Colin, it's it's just hard
to explain how good Lebron and Durant and.
Speaker 3 (43:13):
Those guys are.
Speaker 1 (43:14):
It's it's he had Durant in his prime, and he
told me he goes I've never seen a guy this
is Mark Few and Kevin Durant. He goes all the
great players I've done at this Olympic level. He gets
his shot every single time. You can't you can't trap him,
you can't take the ball out of his hand. If
Kevin Durant wants to get a good look, he will
(43:34):
get it every single time, regardless of who you put
on him. And he said and then and He's like
and these are this is at practice in games against
the world's best players. So it's a That's why I always,
despite all the stuff with KD to the end, I'll
defend him. He is one of the great gifted offensive
players in the history of the sport. Like way up there,
(43:54):
Top five six
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Colin Cowherd
Jason McIntyre
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