March 13, 2025 • 33 mins
Hall of Famer Paul Pierce joins the show in studio to talk about the Lakers as they deal with several injuries including LeBron James
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Speaker 1 (00:00):
Thanks for listening to The Herd Podcast. Be sure to
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Speaker 2 (00:21):
You're listening to Fox Sports Radio.
Speaker 1 (00:25):
Parisher on the corner without further ado, J Mack with
the news.
Speaker 2 (00:31):
This is the Herdline news.
Speaker 3 (00:34):
All right, let's get to that breaking news that Cooper
Flag the best player in college basketball. Here he is
turning an ankle collecting a board in the first half,
went down, instantly, lost the ball, went to the bench,
went to the locker room with putting a wheelchair. Then
he returned to the bench. Cooper Flag, He's gonna be fine,
but the early guess is he will not appear in
(00:54):
the rest of the a SEC tournament. Duke's gonna be
a one seed in the NCAA Tournament. They're odds shifted
a little bit. They had these second best odds at
plus three thirty to win the Natty. There down down
to plus seven hundred.
Speaker 1 (01:09):
What if he can't make the first he can't make
the ACC Tournament and he can't make the first game
of the tournament.
Speaker 3 (01:15):
Well, they're gonna be the sixteen seed without Cooper Flag
the five.
Speaker 1 (01:19):
No, I know, they got two other NBA players. The
Duke's gonna win a bunch of games without him.
Speaker 2 (01:24):
That eight nine game.
Speaker 3 (01:24):
If they're facing like an SEC team, like a Georgia
or something. I mean, they're gonna they're gonna be in
some trouble without Cooper Flag. As you alluded to, he
leads Duke in every every that matters.
Speaker 1 (01:35):
The guy's a superstar. I mean, here's my question. Though,
I guess it's only a sprain ankle, but it looks
like a severe sprain ankle. They've got two other NBA players.
Everybody knew he was at one and done. He's not
playing in the ACC tournament. If they look at him
and go he's not one hundred percent? Would you play
if I was Cooper Flagg? Why go back now? I
(01:57):
will because that dude.
Speaker 3 (01:58):
At all or just for the I.
Speaker 1 (02:00):
Mean, this looks pretty severe when you leave in a wheelchair. Yeah,
now let me see, let me see.
Speaker 3 (02:07):
Here a little bit of a little ginger. You know
how it is after you get an injury. You know,
you play a lot of sports.
Speaker 1 (02:13):
You can just go on.
Speaker 3 (02:14):
Adrenaline for a little while and then the next day.
Speaker 1 (02:16):
Let me tell you some when he wakes up tomorrow,
he's gonna have a candle open that ankle.
Speaker 3 (02:21):
Yeah, not great.
Speaker 1 (02:22):
Let me see here.
Speaker 3 (02:24):
I mean, he knows there's cameras everywhere. They tell him
this stuff. I'm rooting for Cooper flag. He's awesome. I
don't know the Duke's gonna win it without him, right,
I don't think they will be able to.
Speaker 1 (02:32):
Put it when you're a young sprained ankles heel.
Speaker 3 (02:35):
Yeah, all right, Let's go to the NFL, Colin, and
the team that everybody loves, the Dallas Cowboys, and what's
seven to ten? Last year, obviously Dak Prescott was injured.
Off season has been a disaster. They move off their coach,
they lose Zach Martin. Now they've lost DeMarcus Lawrence to
your Seahawks, and.
Speaker 2 (02:51):
They're leading Russia.
Speaker 3 (02:52):
Ricodoubell he's going to the Panthers, Colin. It has been
a busy off season. Me the positives here, Michael Parsons
can't find any positives. I think he thinks he's gonna
be the leader now. But I to me, look at this, Oh,
Brian Schottneimer exciting.
Speaker 1 (03:10):
I'm not joking when I I'm about to say something
and I'm not joking. Could they get the number one
pick next year for Archivan is Jerry? No? I mean
I look at it? Could they? I think that's what
they're trying to do. I honestly I said last year
and I was wrong. I'm like, is this a soft tank?
You tell me what is their best unit? And that
(03:32):
now that Washington's legit, I guess their corners are.
Speaker 3 (03:35):
Okay.
Speaker 1 (03:36):
If Aaron Rodgers goes to the Giants, they'll be you know,
eight winish Washington and Philly. You're in the double digit win.
You start looking at this, where tell me the unit?
You're like, whoa, they're a sprained ankle, the CD lamb
from being the Carolina Panthers two years ago. I don't
see it. I I just don't see it. Thank God,
(04:00):
I don't live on the Cowboys.
Speaker 3 (04:01):
Yeah, that's good. We won't be talking about him a lot,
that's for sure. Final story con is to the NBA.
Lakers have a big one tonight in Milwaukee. Then Friday
they're in Denver. That's a brutal back to back. But
let's focus on Lebron for a second. He missed the
Nets game with a groin tweak. He returned to Los
Angeles for the medical recommendation, leaving the team during this
(04:24):
road trip. Obviously, his son's playing in the state tournament
out here in high school basketball. Lakers are zero to
two on the road trip. This is not great, though,
Jackson Hays out, Ruey actually Moore out, Lebron out, and
you've got Bucks Nuggets back to back.
Speaker 2 (04:40):
Probably gonna be two more losses.
Speaker 1 (04:41):
Jorian Finney Smith may return. I just don't want to
tax Lo you return sooner. Lebron or Cooper Flag, that's
a great I think probably Lebron. The forty year old Well,
I mean, Duke doesn't need the ACC tournament. Just sit him, yeah,
get it, one hundred percent, Just sit him.
Speaker 3 (05:01):
Yeah, that's interesting that the forty year old Lebron versus
an eighteen year old Cooper Flag. Obviously, growing and ankle
are different things, but I.
Speaker 1 (05:11):
Mean the difference is for a young guy in ankle
heels pretty fast. Growing young or old, if you play
with a groin, you'll you'll mess it up. Yeah, it's
like a calf injury. You think you're heeled, You never are.
Are you done?
Speaker 4 (05:25):
Yeah? I was fast.
Speaker 1 (05:27):
J Mack with the news.
Speaker 2 (05:29):
Well that's the news, and thanks for stopping by the herd. Lie,
that is crazy.
Speaker 1 (05:34):
I'm not being hyper here. You start looking even bad
teams in the NFL, like Carolina. You can look at
Carolina and you can go I really like that coach
Bryce Young if I said to you, because the NFL
unlike baseball or the NBA, you only have about two
or three awful teams. Now. Last year, I mean both
(05:55):
New York teams at the end were bad. Last year
was an outlier where I felt like you had eight
bad teams. Teams. It was like the NBA, Who do
we know next year is going to be bad? I
don't think the Saints are going to be very good.
I think everybody could say that the Saints are not
going to be very good. I mean, Arizona plays close
games with Kyler. I think they can win games. Who's
(06:16):
not going to be good? I'm not joking when I
say this. I do not think the Jets will be
very good. I do not think New Orleans will be
very good. I think Dallas is going to be a
bad football team. That I think that is all sorts of.
They need those young offensive linemen to get better fast.
(06:38):
Like really, people, you know, people forget this with these
big brands. Georgia football was swimming in mediocrity forever. You
forget this, I mean you forget you know, Mike Price
higher by Alabama, these big brands. Michigan with Brady Hope
was a mess. The Lakers at the last few years
with Kobe Bryant were a mess. And you think these
big brands because when they do hit, Michigan gets harriball,
(07:00):
they rise very quickly. Lebron A d Luke to the Lakers,
they rise. You know, Red Sox have been really quiet
for years. They're gonna be better this year. They spent
some money, but it's Dallas could go on if they
don't get a quarterback, you could. There were some lean
years after Troy Aikman. Weren't there a few few lean years? There?
Speaker 2 (07:19):
One more heard. The Herd streams twenty four hours a day,
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Speaker 1 (07:29):
Let's bring on Paul Pearce Basketball Hall of Fame co
host on the show What's up? What's up?
Speaker 4 (07:35):
What's up? My man?
Speaker 1 (07:36):
Great cnos, Oh what what up?
Speaker 4 (07:38):
I'm second in the game, coach. Let's get let's go.
Speaker 1 (07:42):
So I'm watching a little Celtics sgayah and SGA is
just going to score on everybody.
Speaker 4 (07:49):
You can't stop Hill at all.
Speaker 1 (07:51):
So he's not as vertical as Michael or that dynamic.
Did you have a guy in the NBA it maybe
maybe it was you, a guy that just got his
you know who, I'll throw a guy. Do you remember
Bernard King?
Speaker 4 (08:05):
Yes?
Speaker 1 (08:06):
I do, Okay, I remember Dominique Wilkins telling me I
love guarding MJ. It was fun. He goes, I didn't
sleep with Bernard King?
Speaker 4 (08:12):
Wow?
Speaker 1 (08:12):
Were there guys in the NBA and you were a
great defensive player? Were there guys that you did not
like to play? Because I think Boston looks up and goes,
he's getting thirty six. There's nothing we can do about it.
Speaker 4 (08:23):
I mean, was that I didn't You didn't.
Speaker 1 (08:26):
Love to guard that just stylistically, he just got twenty
eight every time you played.
Speaker 4 (08:30):
Every time. I mean, I think my air had better
athletes at the perimeter when I started looking back at
like Vince Carter, Ray, Allen Tracy McGrady and Kobe Bryant.
You know, even had Glenn Robinson, mash Man, maybe Jamal Mashburn,
but mass Burn played out the post a lot a
lot of guys who scored thirty in our league. Like
that was very athletic. And not to say he's not athletic.
(08:53):
He just knows how to get to the spot. And
like the league that we hear in today, how they
talking about three and layups and now he like I'm
playing an old school stuff. I'm still mid range. He
might be the best mid range shooter in the league.
Speaker 1 (09:05):
If you gave Kawhi Leonard his touch. It feels a
little bit that Kawi is a stronger player defensively, but
Sja is a good defender. It just it's he's one
of those guys. If I said to you, Ke Key
Vandaway on steroids, okay, okay, footwork.
Speaker 4 (09:20):
I learned a lot of my footwork from Keky Vandaway
coming up twenty six at night.
Speaker 1 (09:25):
Yes, that's a good one, Key Vandaway, But on steroids.
Speaker 4 (09:29):
I mean I'm give him more like Kobe without the athleticism. Yeah,
I mean he just gets to the line, pivots one way,
people's the other way, then shoots over you gets Now.
Speaker 1 (09:40):
Now I have said this before. I'm gonna take Boston
to win again. I think the biggest obstacle is Cleveland.
But they don't really have a weakness. Here's they do
have a weakness though, huh they have a week what's
their weakness.
Speaker 4 (09:51):
I mean we saw it last night and this is
the one thing that concerns me. So when the shots
aren't falling, they gotta find other ways a scorer. Because
like when you look at the best scorers in the
league that don't have a great shoot night, but you
look up they still got thirty it's because they got
to the line. They got to the line like fifteen times.
We saw that.
Speaker 1 (10:10):
Now we're doing that.
Speaker 4 (10:11):
Yeah, you look up, like James hard to have really
be five for twenty but thirty points because he made
eighteen free throw So you gotta do something that just
like the gates, you having a bad shooting good night.
And that's what I see from Boston. So when you
look up and they only have nine free throws because
they're not being aggressive. Now the threes they take are
are good threes and that's who they are. That's not
(10:33):
their identity.
Speaker 1 (10:34):
But they don't manufacture enough free throws and scoring beyond
the three.
Speaker 4 (10:39):
Yeah, because it's gonna be nice like that where the
shots ain't falling. We saw that a night ago. So
I just hope they keep in mind just to find
a better a better balance, because I knew a night's one,
I didn't have my shot going. If I missed my
first two threes, I might not take another three the
rest of the game. Like That's just was my mentality
because I'm like driving.
Speaker 1 (10:58):
They know Lebron's like that.
Speaker 4 (11:00):
Yeah, Like unless I'm just like wide open, I'm not
like forcing number threes. You know what, because I got
to my mid range, I got to my mid post,
and I'm attack the paint, and I knew where I
could be effective. So you know, it's just a fine line.
And you gotta stay true to who you are because
Boston's a three point shooting team, right, you gotta stay
true to who you are. But you got to saw
some nights that listens. We gotta change a game plan.
(11:21):
Let's start attacking. We got advantages everywhere we can attack.
Speaker 1 (11:24):
Yeah, I would give SGA the MVP over Jokic. Why
because I think SGA is arguably the second best player
in the year in the league. Yokic is the best player,
but a SGA's team is much better b his number
two player. Check Holmgan gets hurt a lot. See it's
the third youngest team in the league. He's babysitting these guys,
I do.
Speaker 4 (11:43):
They were the number one team last year in the
West they were. Yeah, so coming in they were the
favorite to be number one. But you give it to them,
not because of he's averaging leading the league and yeah,
I mean he he playing with two All Stars. Joker
is not doesn't have another All Star, so you can't
just eliminate. But the reason you give SGA the MVP
is because he has the signature moments like last night
(12:06):
was a signature moment. The other night versus Denver signature
moment forty forty prime time forty points on prime time.
You look at those deals, right right, you know what
I'm saying.
Speaker 1 (12:16):
Sunday, I was at home, I went to the game. Yeah,
I'm like, okay this, I'm gonna make my MVP decision
on the game.
Speaker 4 (12:22):
National televised game. Oh he got forty up he sealed it.
That's right, you know what I'm saying. But then Joker
comes back and the next one he has a big game,
so oh not so fast. But then you come back
versus the Celtics on the road without your second leading
score plan and you deliver. So right now he got
the advantage.
Speaker 1 (12:42):
So the next team, uh is not as good as
your Celtics team, but they have one thing in common.
Is that one I wish? So basically, Mikhale Bridges went
to Tibbs and said, you got play us less. I
had heard because kgU ray all in Rondo. I had
heard Doc Rivers and you tell me if I'm wrong
(13:04):
saying a road trip. If we win the opener, no practice,
you can just play the next game that Doc would basically, guys,
give me everything you got in the opener, and if
we keep winning, I won't give you a practice. Is
that true?
Speaker 4 (13:18):
Yeah? I mean we would do more walkthroughs once we
got on the road. Once the season started. Uh, you know,
you win the game because we are we gonna stay
true to who we were a defensive unit. We're gonna
play the same way versus everybody. The league is a
lot different now, you know, we gonna play the same
defensive principles where the defensive principles are different, and so
win the game on the road. All right, we'll get
(13:39):
the next night off, but then in game day the
next day, we're gonna have to shoot around to walk through.
So we'll still get to get get to the game plan.
But it's no need to practice and run up and
down and bang with each other when when you're seasons
towards the end of the season and you need healthy bodies.
Speaker 1 (13:54):
I mean, I watched the Knicks and the Blazers. I do.
Here's the advantage for the Knicks being zero to ten
against the best teams. The advantage is everybody in the
building knows we need another dude. Like in the NBA,
you get in trouble when the GM thinks one thing,
the owner thinks another, the coach thinks another. Everybody knows
(14:16):
we probably got to upgrade off Cat or some piece.
Do you think there is a piece in the league
right now? Who would you part with to get another piece?
In New York? Oh, so they move Randal to get Cat.
Cat's the easier, more effortless offensive player. Randall's better defense.
Is there a guy you like like, I'll give you
the one I got one KD.
Speaker 4 (14:38):
I mean KD can help anybody who's right on the bat.
Speaker 1 (14:40):
I mean, don't they kind of need a catch and shoot.
Speaker 4 (14:43):
They can use KD. But I was thinking more like
Zion Wilson.
Speaker 1 (14:48):
That's interesting.
Speaker 4 (14:49):
That would be because you know, Kat can still stretch
the floor the way he shoots the ball, like you
have those two imposing big guys, and he brings some
star power to New York, and I think he needs
some friend I share anyway out of New Orleans.
Speaker 1 (15:01):
The other thing is because of his injuries, you wouldn't
have to give up the farm, right.
Speaker 4 (15:06):
Yeah, he might be you know, somebody you can kind
of steal from you.
Speaker 1 (15:10):
What's the average at forty five fifty five games a year?
Speaker 4 (15:13):
So you think Zion r I'll take a high risk,
high reward for New York and then bring some excitement.
Speaker 1 (15:19):
That's really good. So tonight the Warriors get kaminga back
and it's a TNT game so coming, you know, because
Paul the NBA is so young. Now, you know, in
the NFL, you're drafting guys that have played three to
four years. We're married, they're twenty three. College basketball you're
(15:40):
getting Cooper Flag for a year. Dude, he's eighteen nineteen
come to the league. So it's a developmental league, and
so we've all kind of been waiting on cominga Now.
For the record, he's twenty a game this year, but
I feel like I've been waiting forever to get to
twenty four. Sga was a guy the Clippers veailed on
(16:01):
and he literally became a star. Did you get a
sense even with young guys, could you sense by the
second year of a young guy, this guy's ceiling is sixteen,
like should be able to Does Kaminga have another level?
Speaker 4 (16:19):
What year is he?
Speaker 1 (16:21):
Is he four?
Speaker 4 (16:24):
Wow? That's a good question because usually you know who
somebody is by like, if they're going to be a
star star by the second third year?
Speaker 1 (16:32):
Kevin Garnett, Yeah, by the All Star Game. Second year,
I'm like, oh this is gonna work.
Speaker 4 (16:37):
Yeah, yeah, you see it early with the guys who
are up there. Now, can Kaminga be like an All
Star one day in a good situation? Maybe he has
that type of potential. He has athleticism, and it seems
like his game is starting to come around. You know,
he's shooting shooting the ball, better. We already know his
athleticism is high left long after Yeah, so he has
the tools to be really really good.
Speaker 1 (16:59):
Are you you surprised Jimmy Butler has been this important?
Speaker 4 (17:05):
Yeah, I didn't know he was gonna have this type
of impact. It's like it gave Steph a jolt in
the arm. It's like he took a shot and was like, oh,
I'm re energized. But dude, know what Jimmy brings. He
brings a level of toughness to the physicality that I
noticed to the Yeah, for sure, I would say like
Jimmy is one of my comparables actually because of his attitude,
the way he plays, he's under control, and his demeanor.
(17:27):
You know. So he brings a physicality to the team
on the offensive end, and then you got Draymond on
the other on the other end, get giving you that
defensive physicality. And that's what the Warriors needed because I
looked at them before Jimmy got there as like a
finesse team.
Speaker 1 (17:41):
You know, they didn't get to the line.
Speaker 4 (17:43):
No, they are a for nets team. They are hit
or missed, you know, and then it's gonna be nice.
Stephan beyond and most nice he'll be on. But then
those nice they're off. There's no physicality brought to the game,
and he's bringing that and that's gonna be dangerous. And
then you're gonna have step close you out. He keep
it close, keep it like Jimmy is like the guy
in the box arena. Just g you body blows. You
know what I'm saying. It just starts wearing on you.
(18:05):
You know what I'm saying about about the tenth round,
you just can't take it no more.
Speaker 1 (18:09):
So I said this, ok C will be a good
home team in the playoffs. I don't trust young guys
on the road. Go to your Celtics teams. Tell me
the okay, remember the Bulls with Derreck Rose. Everybody kept
telling me, oh, And I was like, they play so
hard in the regular season because they got no trophy.
(18:30):
Was there a team when you played that you knew
you'd beat them in a playoff series? But man, they
brought brought an intensity on a Tuesday night and they
were you know, they were a really good team in
the regular season. But it never quite translated.
Speaker 4 (18:47):
Man.
Speaker 1 (18:47):
Uh, remember that Cleveland team Jordan used to face all
the time. Not remember that?
Speaker 4 (18:53):
Remember that game?
Speaker 1 (18:55):
Oh, dude, they chew people up. They could never get
past Chicago.
Speaker 4 (19:00):
Oh, I mean the young Cleveland team with Lebron was
like that were they? Yeah, they were really good. Like
even in the last year we went to the finals,
they were still young and fast and they were the
number one team in the East, and we were like,
we actually lost some games. We could have been like
saw them in the conference finals or second round. We
chose to lose a couple of games to see them
(19:22):
in the second round because we knew we could get
them in a playoff set. Right, So you know that's
they remind me of that team right there, because Cleveland
was This was twenty ten, right, and this is when
Cleveland was number one seed in the East. They want like.
Speaker 1 (19:34):
Sixte So I'm gonna throw a crazy theory at you, Okay,
I want you to have an open mind in my theory.
Speaker 4 (19:40):
Okay.
Speaker 1 (19:41):
So Lebron at forty years old, was carrying the Lakers.
They make the move to get Luca. He's not in shape,
he's playing in shape, and then Jackson, Hayes and Ruey
get banged up in Austin Reeves and Lebron goes to
play the Celtics has a great first half, Boston pulls away.
(20:02):
He feels a little tweak and is growing, and Lebron says,
Daddy's gonna take some time off you young guys get healthy.
I'm looking at the schedule. It's outrageous and that Lebron
could play. And I am defending Lebron on this. It's
like a baseball team in August. The starter's like, yeah,
my elbows a little sore. I'll wait to the playoffs.
(20:25):
That look. And I'm not saying Lebron's dog in it,
but I'm saying he's like, you know, it's a little tweak.
I've been carrying you guys for three and a half months.
Speaker 4 (20:35):
Yeah, I look at it like, I mean, it's pretty
brilliant actually, because he said, all right, you know they
were in the fourth or fifth, see Luca Combs. They
make a push. They pushed all the way to the
second seed. They're like, all right, we got some cushion.
All right, we have a month, three weeks left, you
know what. Second seed is great, but the most important
(20:56):
thing is we need to be healthy. So we don't
even care we made our push. We're gonna be in
the playoffs as long as we're not in the play
in So now if we slide all the way to five,
don't we don't mind because if we going to the
playoffs as a healthy team, the Lakers are still gonna
be dangerous. Yes, you know, because look who's ahead of them?
Who do you trust ahead of them? Even at five?
(21:17):
Who do you trust? Houston?
Speaker 1 (21:19):
No? I trust Golden State?
Speaker 4 (21:20):
Okay, but they won't play Golden State, right, you know,
Golden State to probably come in at that six. But
Memphis you trust them versus the Lakers.
Speaker 1 (21:30):
Excuse me?
Speaker 4 (21:31):
The only one, Yeah, the only team that you're like,
I mean, okay, see that young, Like, come on, you
gotta understand. Listen, as a young team, when when the
production start and what I call the production, it's the playoffs,
it's the production. Now you go, okay, see, y'all gonna
go from like two or three reporters in your locker
room to see all these reporters now they're going, wh
y'all play the Lakers. It's gonna be one hundred of
(21:53):
them now. And I just remember this when I was
in the playoffs, just like whoa, so many cameras, so
many lights, and that can overwhelm a young team. Just
the bright lights.
Speaker 1 (22:01):
Also when you play, you get ripped all night on
TV radio.
Speaker 4 (22:04):
Oh my god. And that that type of pressure, you know,
as a young team can get to them, you know,
and the aura that the Lakers bring. So I'm looking
at okay, see Lakers. Only team that can cause the Lakers,
I think trouble is the Denver Nuggets.
Speaker 1 (22:17):
Yeah, size because.
Speaker 4 (22:19):
Of what they've done in the pack can't stop. Yeah,
so it's gonna get interested Ron, Lebron rest up. You know,
I would even rest up Luca on the rest of
this trip. Let's just let's gets healthy. Let's get healthy
and come back home and get these gummea gangs that
we suposed to get after this road trip.
Speaker 1 (22:35):
Get back to a three seed.
Speaker 4 (22:36):
Yeah, I mean it'll matter. They can drop the five,
go ahead. They just want to be helped.
Speaker 1 (22:41):
Lebron and Luca can win on the road. Yes, Okay, see,
I got my questions with Houston. I got my questions
with right. Paul Pierce is always great. Speak after us
live in La. It's the Hurt.
Speaker 2 (22:50):
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Speaker 5 (22:59):
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Speaker 6 (23:13):
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Speaker 2 (23:17):
Going on in the world.
Speaker 5 (23:17):
We have a lot of fun talking about the stories
behind the stories in the world of sports and pop culture,
stories that well other shows don't seem to have the
time to discuss.
Speaker 6 (23:26):
And the fact that we've been friends for the last
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So check us out. We like to get you involved too,
take your phone calls, chop it up. As they say,
I'd say the most interactive show on Fox Sports Radio,
maybe the most interactive show on planetar.
Speaker 5 (23:41):
Be sure to check out Covino and Rich live on
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miss any of the live show, just search Covino and
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Speaker 1 (23:57):
Today the NFC, We'll give you one more glimpse. Hold
me accountable for now. This is my all the coaching
hires done. Ninety nine of free agency done. Aaron Rodgers,
Russell Wilson, Kirk Cousins may find a new team. I
think Russell's maybe a win for the Steelers more than
(24:19):
their quarterback situation last year. Maybe a win. He's a
year older. There's a picture of Aaron strolling on the beach.
He's trying to figure out where to go. I'd go
to New York. He'll probably go to Pittsburgh. That's what
we hear. Here are my predictions in the NFC. I
think it's the harder conference to predict because there's fewer
star quarterbacks. I'll take Eagles, Commanders, Cowboys, Giants. If the
(24:43):
Giants sign Aaron Rodgers, I'll probably flip that. He's probably
worth a couple wins. I would probably flip that and
put the Cowboys last. So I think Aaron's worth a
winner to Pittsburgh or New York right now, Eagles, Commanders, Cowboys, Giants.
In the North, Lions the stacked roster, Vikings the weakest roster.
(25:04):
I think Bears and Packers battle it out. You know,
I like Green Bay and Jordan Love Matt Lafleur. But
Jordan Love last year struggled against better defenses like sixty
percent completion percentage, eighty one passer rating two and six.
So do I think organizationally Green Bays better? Yeah, But
I right now think the Bears with their acquisitions, have
(25:25):
a better old line and a more dynamic quarterback. We'll
see in the running back Josh Jacobs. We'll see what
the Bears do in the draft. So I'd go Lions, Bears, Packers, Vikings.
This division is always I like Pennix, so I think
Pennix Baker your best quarterbacks. Tampa brings their entire offense back.
Tampa's schedule, by the way, for an NFC South team,
(25:49):
is brutal. Tampa's got a first place schedule. Rough schedule
for Tampa. That's the difference. Remember Atlanta beat him twice
last year, and now I get Pennix, So Falcons, bucks
Pan their Saints. A lot of people are high on
the Panthers. Jmack was last year that didn't transpire. And
finally the NFC West, I think the Rams are clearly
(26:10):
the best team. The Cardinals are a four. The forty
nine ers have twelve draft picks, and they got rid
of I mean a lot at their top corner Greenlaw
who Funga. They got rid of some dudes, and their
d line needs outside of Bosa needs help. I don't
think they're the same defense. I do not, and I
(26:32):
don't think it's a great draft. I think they want
to go get a tight end in the draft, and
by the second third round, all these picks, how many
great defensive players can you get? So I tend to
like the Seahawks. They got to shore up their offensive line.
But outside of that, I like Seattle's roster and so
my NFC predictions and I won't make another one till
(26:55):
after the draft. Eagles, Lions, Falcons, Rams, when the division
can manners bear Seahawks wild Cards, you have to have
at least four new playoff teams annually. That's the average
last twenty thirty years. So I have Falcons bear Seahawks
as the new teams. Now I will not have as
many new teams in the AFC. Why because you have
(27:18):
Josh Allen Lamar. I'll give your heads up. I do
think cam Ward could potentially get Tennessee in that division,
could make them interesting. That's the only guy in the
draft that I think can win change out comes as
cam Ward. That's it.
Speaker 4 (27:37):
So let's be real.
Speaker 3 (27:38):
This is extremely difficult. Right this time last year, nobody
had bow Nicks and the Broncos going to the playoffs.
Speaker 2 (27:45):
Now, you did, like.
Speaker 3 (27:46):
Jaden Daniels in Washington, but did you have them as
a playoff team, yes, well, and I like the only
guy in the country.
Speaker 1 (27:51):
Yeah, No, I had Washington as a playoff team, and
I had bow Nicks and Denver as the most improved
team because of his sixty one college starts, and they
were out of Washington. They were the most important.
Speaker 3 (28:01):
We know, every year something wacky happens, Niners lose the
Super Bowl, we missed the playoffs.
Speaker 1 (28:05):
Okay, so my favorite thing, they call them future bets.
My favorite thing in betting is not the weekly picks.
It's picking a team every year that doubles their wins.
So last year I had Denver, I was right. The
year before I had the Rams, I was right the
year before that, I had Minnesota. So what team is
going to double their wins? I think it's the Bears
(28:26):
and New England. Now, New England's got a more manageable
schedule than Chicago does, So I think Chicago, how many Chicago?
What Chicago did last year?
Speaker 3 (28:36):
Not?
Speaker 1 (28:36):
New England's the easiest bet on the board. So New
England will be my double the win total Chicago. But
I have Chicago getting to the playoffs. So basically, basically,
New England is my Denver of last year. Chicago's my Washington.
So Washington was my surprise playoff team. That's my Chicago.
(28:58):
New England is my ver. Won't make the playoffs, but
they'll double their win total minimum.
Speaker 3 (29:03):
What about the Super Bowl hangover theory where a lot
of the Super Bowl losers.
Speaker 1 (29:09):
Oh no, no, I don't.
Speaker 3 (29:10):
If you have the Chief's missing the playoffs anything crazy.
Speaker 1 (29:13):
Like that, you will be surprised. Where I put Kansas.
Speaker 3 (29:16):
Do you think the Lions losing both coordinators, lose like
six wins and they go from fifteen to nine?
Speaker 1 (29:23):
I think the I think the NFC North, it's a
good question, is going to be very competitive. Yeah, like,
what's the bigger Chicago's better? JJ McCarthy could be great.
Speaker 3 (29:34):
Well, wait, what's a bigger loss? Sam Darnald leaves the
Vikings or both coordinators leave the Lions.
Speaker 1 (29:39):
Both coordinators leave the Lions because I think JJ McCarthy
is probably as good as Sam Donald and you are
not getting Ben Johnson and Aaron Glenn in Detroit.
Speaker 4 (29:48):
I think.
Speaker 3 (29:49):
Well, the other thing where the Lions missed the playoffs
next year, I don't think that's crazy from fifteen wins.
Speaker 1 (29:53):
Oh no, I don't either, and all to usually, if
you have a dominant O line, it's hard not to
make the playoffs. I mean, I mean Atlanta had a
good old line.
Speaker 4 (30:02):
Did you get the Jared.
Speaker 3 (30:03):
Golf playoff performance out of your head? I mean, what
do you have seventeen turnovers against Washington?
Speaker 4 (30:08):
It was.
Speaker 2 (30:09):
At home?
Speaker 4 (30:10):
No?
Speaker 1 (30:10):
Less think they were town now. They hired Ben Johnson
left as the OC of the Lions to Chicago. Didn't
they hire in house? They hired an in house candidate.
Did they also hire an in house candidate to replace
Aaron Glenn? Because I'm not a huge fan of that.
Speaker 2 (30:27):
They don't.
Speaker 3 (30:27):
They don't have a lot of guys on defense. Hutchison
will be back, obviously, but did DJ reid pick up
was good? I don't know, man, I feel like the
Lions are probably gonna talk I am and the Seahawks stuff.
Speaker 1 (30:40):
Did they go? So they were both The Lions coordinators
were replaced by in house candidates. I so ask yourself,
was the best candidate in the NFL to replace Ben Johnson?
What are the chances they'd be on the team he's
already on. I don't think that. I mean it's like
this company. I mean, if you lost a shot vice
(31:00):
president at this company or ESPN, what are the chances
in the world your next VPS here? It could happen. Now,
you may like somebody that fits the culture, but generally
a coordinator, an offensive coordinator is outside of the head
coaching quarterback. Can you argue the offensive coordinator is the
(31:21):
third most important person in an organization outside of coach quarterback. Well,
if the coach is defensive, it is.
Speaker 2 (31:27):
There you go.
Speaker 4 (31:29):
I would agree with that.
Speaker 2 (31:30):
Colin.
Speaker 3 (31:30):
The only thing is there's no real like super duper
random team you have surging up New England.
Speaker 2 (31:36):
No, No, in the NFC.
Speaker 1 (31:37):
The NFC with in Chicago, they won five games.
Speaker 2 (31:41):
Everybody loves them.
Speaker 1 (31:41):
Now, no they don't.
Speaker 2 (31:42):
Yeah, they do that offensive line. They're the biggest winners.
Speaker 1 (31:46):
Oh, by the way, the Lions new OC was the
was from Denver. My bad. I thought they moved him up.
Speaker 4 (31:51):
My bad.
Speaker 1 (31:53):
So he was previously with Detroit. The Denver came back,
so that's different. He went somewhere he left, That's okay.
Speaker 3 (32:00):
I wanted to see like a Carolina Panthers make this list.
That would have and there is Listen, I know it's speculation.
We don't want our traffic in.
Speaker 1 (32:07):
Really, you're not impressed that I took the cruddy Seahawks
to make the play they're not making the playoff.
Speaker 3 (32:12):
I think that's just you can just put a big
act through it right now so you you all of.
Speaker 1 (32:17):
A sudden, so you don't you're not impressed by the Bears, Seahawks.
Speaker 3 (32:20):
Bears is expected Seahawks, that's not happening. But anyways, the
Panthers are the team to watch. There's a lot of
online speculation. I don't know where it originated.
Speaker 1 (32:29):
Oh you did that, you sold me that crap last week.
Speaker 3 (32:31):
Wait a minute, that they are making an attempt to
trade for T Higgins and some people are connecting the
number eight pick in the draft, who is Carolina Carolina Panthers.
Oh I would trade for T Higgins? Now you like
T Mac a lot the wide receiver from Arizona who
a lot of people have, Carolina, take Cape. Would you
rather have young T Mac or established T Higgins who
(32:52):
you would then have to pay?
Speaker 1 (32:55):
It's a good questions. I would take T Mac. I
don't have to pay him for four years. Higgins.
Speaker 3 (33:01):
Higgins is a known quantity, but he's more of.
Speaker 1 (33:03):
A two than a one. T Maac to me, is
a one, and a receiver's a position you can come
in and play pretty quickly. Yeah, like corner, running back.
You know it's not. It's not quarterback or left tackle.
All right, good show, a lot of fun. We'll see
you tomorrow. Speak or no, no, no, no. First things first is
next my bed
Thanks for listening to The Herd Podcast. Be sure to
catch us live every weekday on Fox Sports Radio in
noon to three Eastern nine am to noon Pacific. Find
your local station for The Herd at Fox Sports Radio
dot com, or stream us live every day on the
iHeartRadio app by searching Fox Sports Radio or FSR.
Speaker 2 (00:21):
You're listening to Fox Sports Radio.
Speaker 1 (00:25):
Parisher on the corner without further ado, J Mack with
the news.
Speaker 2 (00:31):
This is the Herdline news.
Speaker 3 (00:34):
All right, let's get to that breaking news that Cooper
Flag the best player in college basketball. Here he is
turning an ankle collecting a board in the first half,
went down, instantly, lost the ball, went to the bench,
went to the locker room with putting a wheelchair. Then
he returned to the bench. Cooper Flag, He's gonna be fine,
but the early guess is he will not appear in
(00:54):
the rest of the a SEC tournament. Duke's gonna be
a one seed in the NCAA Tournament. They're odds shifted
a little bit. They had these second best odds at
plus three thirty to win the Natty. There down down
to plus seven hundred.
Speaker 1 (01:09):
What if he can't make the first he can't make
the ACC Tournament and he can't make the first game
of the tournament.
Speaker 3 (01:15):
Well, they're gonna be the sixteen seed without Cooper Flag
the five.
Speaker 1 (01:19):
No, I know, they got two other NBA players. The
Duke's gonna win a bunch of games without him.
Speaker 2 (01:24):
That eight nine game.
Speaker 3 (01:24):
If they're facing like an SEC team, like a Georgia
or something. I mean, they're gonna they're gonna be in
some trouble without Cooper Flag. As you alluded to, he
leads Duke in every every that matters.
Speaker 1 (01:35):
The guy's a superstar. I mean, here's my question. Though,
I guess it's only a sprain ankle, but it looks
like a severe sprain ankle. They've got two other NBA players.
Everybody knew he was at one and done. He's not
playing in the ACC tournament. If they look at him
and go he's not one hundred percent? Would you play
if I was Cooper Flagg? Why go back now? I
(01:57):
will because that dude.
Speaker 3 (01:58):
At all or just for the I.
Speaker 1 (02:00):
Mean, this looks pretty severe when you leave in a wheelchair. Yeah,
now let me see, let me see.
Speaker 3 (02:07):
Here a little bit of a little ginger. You know
how it is after you get an injury. You know,
you play a lot of sports.
Speaker 1 (02:13):
You can just go on.
Speaker 3 (02:14):
Adrenaline for a little while and then the next day.
Speaker 1 (02:16):
Let me tell you some when he wakes up tomorrow,
he's gonna have a candle open that ankle.
Speaker 3 (02:21):
Yeah, not great.
Speaker 1 (02:22):
Let me see here.
Speaker 3 (02:24):
I mean, he knows there's cameras everywhere. They tell him
this stuff. I'm rooting for Cooper flag. He's awesome. I
don't know the Duke's gonna win it without him, right,
I don't think they will be able to.
Speaker 1 (02:32):
Put it when you're a young sprained ankles heel.
Speaker 3 (02:35):
Yeah, all right, Let's go to the NFL, Colin, and
the team that everybody loves, the Dallas Cowboys, and what's
seven to ten? Last year, obviously Dak Prescott was injured.
Off season has been a disaster. They move off their coach,
they lose Zach Martin. Now they've lost DeMarcus Lawrence to
your Seahawks, and.
Speaker 2 (02:51):
They're leading Russia.
Speaker 3 (02:52):
Ricodoubell he's going to the Panthers, Colin. It has been
a busy off season. Me the positives here, Michael Parsons
can't find any positives. I think he thinks he's gonna
be the leader now. But I to me, look at this, Oh,
Brian Schottneimer exciting.
Speaker 1 (03:10):
I'm not joking when I I'm about to say something
and I'm not joking. Could they get the number one
pick next year for Archivan is Jerry? No? I mean
I look at it? Could they? I think that's what
they're trying to do. I honestly I said last year
and I was wrong. I'm like, is this a soft tank?
You tell me what is their best unit? And that
(03:32):
now that Washington's legit, I guess their corners are.
Speaker 3 (03:35):
Okay.
Speaker 1 (03:36):
If Aaron Rodgers goes to the Giants, they'll be you know,
eight winish Washington and Philly. You're in the double digit win.
You start looking at this, where tell me the unit?
You're like, whoa, they're a sprained ankle, the CD lamb
from being the Carolina Panthers two years ago. I don't
see it. I I just don't see it. Thank God,
(04:00):
I don't live on the Cowboys.
Speaker 3 (04:01):
Yeah, that's good. We won't be talking about him a lot,
that's for sure. Final story con is to the NBA.
Lakers have a big one tonight in Milwaukee. Then Friday
they're in Denver. That's a brutal back to back. But
let's focus on Lebron for a second. He missed the
Nets game with a groin tweak. He returned to Los
Angeles for the medical recommendation, leaving the team during this
(04:24):
road trip. Obviously, his son's playing in the state tournament
out here in high school basketball. Lakers are zero to
two on the road trip. This is not great, though,
Jackson Hays out, Ruey actually Moore out, Lebron out, and
you've got Bucks Nuggets back to back.
Speaker 2 (04:40):
Probably gonna be two more losses.
Speaker 1 (04:41):
Jorian Finney Smith may return. I just don't want to
tax Lo you return sooner. Lebron or Cooper Flag, that's
a great I think probably Lebron. The forty year old Well,
I mean, Duke doesn't need the ACC tournament. Just sit him, yeah,
get it, one hundred percent, Just sit him.
Speaker 3 (05:01):
Yeah, that's interesting that the forty year old Lebron versus
an eighteen year old Cooper Flag. Obviously, growing and ankle
are different things, but I.
Speaker 1 (05:11):
Mean the difference is for a young guy in ankle
heels pretty fast. Growing young or old, if you play
with a groin, you'll you'll mess it up. Yeah, it's
like a calf injury. You think you're heeled, You never are.
Are you done?
Speaker 4 (05:25):
Yeah? I was fast.
Speaker 1 (05:27):
J Mack with the news.
Speaker 2 (05:29):
Well that's the news, and thanks for stopping by the herd. Lie,
that is crazy.
Speaker 1 (05:34):
I'm not being hyper here. You start looking even bad
teams in the NFL, like Carolina. You can look at
Carolina and you can go I really like that coach
Bryce Young if I said to you, because the NFL
unlike baseball or the NBA, you only have about two
or three awful teams. Now. Last year, I mean both
(05:55):
New York teams at the end were bad. Last year
was an outlier where I felt like you had eight
bad teams. Teams. It was like the NBA, Who do
we know next year is going to be bad? I
don't think the Saints are going to be very good.
I think everybody could say that the Saints are not
going to be very good. I mean, Arizona plays close
games with Kyler. I think they can win games. Who's
(06:16):
not going to be good? I'm not joking when I
say this. I do not think the Jets will be
very good. I do not think New Orleans will be
very good. I think Dallas is going to be a
bad football team. That I think that is all sorts of.
They need those young offensive linemen to get better fast.
(06:38):
Like really, people, you know, people forget this with these
big brands. Georgia football was swimming in mediocrity forever. You
forget this, I mean you forget you know, Mike Price
higher by Alabama, these big brands. Michigan with Brady Hope
was a mess. The Lakers at the last few years
with Kobe Bryant were a mess. And you think these
big brands because when they do hit, Michigan gets harriball,
(07:00):
they rise very quickly. Lebron A d Luke to the Lakers,
they rise. You know, Red Sox have been really quiet
for years. They're gonna be better this year. They spent
some money, but it's Dallas could go on if they
don't get a quarterback, you could. There were some lean
years after Troy Aikman. Weren't there a few few lean years? There?
Speaker 2 (07:19):
One more heard. The Herd streams twenty four hours a day,
seven days a week. Within the iHeartRadio app, search Herd
to listen live or on demand whenever you like.
Speaker 1 (07:29):
Let's bring on Paul Pearce Basketball Hall of Fame co
host on the show What's up? What's up?
Speaker 4 (07:35):
What's up? My man?
Speaker 1 (07:36):
Great cnos, Oh what what up?
Speaker 4 (07:38):
I'm second in the game, coach. Let's get let's go.
Speaker 1 (07:42):
So I'm watching a little Celtics sgayah and SGA is
just going to score on everybody.
Speaker 4 (07:49):
You can't stop Hill at all.
Speaker 1 (07:51):
So he's not as vertical as Michael or that dynamic.
Did you have a guy in the NBA it maybe
maybe it was you, a guy that just got his
you know who, I'll throw a guy. Do you remember
Bernard King?
Speaker 4 (08:05):
Yes?
Speaker 1 (08:06):
I do, Okay, I remember Dominique Wilkins telling me I
love guarding MJ. It was fun. He goes, I didn't
sleep with Bernard King?
Speaker 4 (08:12):
Wow?
Speaker 1 (08:12):
Were there guys in the NBA and you were a
great defensive player? Were there guys that you did not
like to play? Because I think Boston looks up and goes,
he's getting thirty six. There's nothing we can do about it.
Speaker 4 (08:23):
I mean, was that I didn't You didn't.
Speaker 1 (08:26):
Love to guard that just stylistically, he just got twenty
eight every time you played.
Speaker 4 (08:30):
Every time. I mean, I think my air had better
athletes at the perimeter when I started looking back at
like Vince Carter, Ray, Allen Tracy McGrady and Kobe Bryant.
You know, even had Glenn Robinson, mash Man, maybe Jamal Mashburn,
but mass Burn played out the post a lot a
lot of guys who scored thirty in our league. Like
that was very athletic. And not to say he's not athletic.
(08:53):
He just knows how to get to the spot. And
like the league that we hear in today, how they
talking about three and layups and now he like I'm
playing an old school stuff. I'm still mid range. He
might be the best mid range shooter in the league.
Speaker 1 (09:05):
If you gave Kawhi Leonard his touch. It feels a
little bit that Kawi is a stronger player defensively, but
Sja is a good defender. It just it's he's one
of those guys. If I said to you, Ke Key
Vandaway on steroids, okay, okay, footwork.
Speaker 4 (09:20):
I learned a lot of my footwork from Keky Vandaway
coming up twenty six at night.
Speaker 1 (09:25):
Yes, that's a good one, Key Vandaway, But on steroids.
Speaker 4 (09:29):
I mean I'm give him more like Kobe without the athleticism. Yeah,
I mean he just gets to the line, pivots one way,
people's the other way, then shoots over you gets Now.
Speaker 1 (09:40):
Now I have said this before. I'm gonna take Boston
to win again. I think the biggest obstacle is Cleveland.
But they don't really have a weakness. Here's they do
have a weakness though, huh they have a week what's
their weakness.
Speaker 4 (09:51):
I mean we saw it last night and this is
the one thing that concerns me. So when the shots
aren't falling, they gotta find other ways a scorer. Because
like when you look at the best scorers in the
league that don't have a great shoot night, but you
look up they still got thirty it's because they got
to the line. They got to the line like fifteen times.
We saw that.
Speaker 1 (10:10):
Now we're doing that.
Speaker 4 (10:11):
Yeah, you look up, like James hard to have really
be five for twenty but thirty points because he made
eighteen free throw So you gotta do something that just
like the gates, you having a bad shooting good night.
And that's what I see from Boston. So when you
look up and they only have nine free throws because
they're not being aggressive. Now the threes they take are
are good threes and that's who they are. That's not
(10:33):
their identity.
Speaker 1 (10:34):
But they don't manufacture enough free throws and scoring beyond
the three.
Speaker 4 (10:39):
Yeah, because it's gonna be nice like that where the
shots ain't falling. We saw that a night ago. So
I just hope they keep in mind just to find
a better a better balance, because I knew a night's one,
I didn't have my shot going. If I missed my
first two threes, I might not take another three the
rest of the game. Like That's just was my mentality
because I'm like driving.
Speaker 1 (10:58):
They know Lebron's like that.
Speaker 4 (11:00):
Yeah, Like unless I'm just like wide open, I'm not
like forcing number threes. You know what, because I got
to my mid range, I got to my mid post,
and I'm attack the paint, and I knew where I
could be effective. So you know, it's just a fine line.
And you gotta stay true to who you are because
Boston's a three point shooting team, right, you gotta stay
true to who you are. But you got to saw
some nights that listens. We gotta change a game plan.
(11:21):
Let's start attacking. We got advantages everywhere we can attack.
Speaker 1 (11:24):
Yeah, I would give SGA the MVP over Jokic. Why
because I think SGA is arguably the second best player
in the year in the league. Yokic is the best player,
but a SGA's team is much better b his number
two player. Check Holmgan gets hurt a lot. See it's
the third youngest team in the league. He's babysitting these guys,
I do.
Speaker 4 (11:43):
They were the number one team last year in the
West they were. Yeah, so coming in they were the
favorite to be number one. But you give it to them,
not because of he's averaging leading the league and yeah,
I mean he he playing with two All Stars. Joker
is not doesn't have another All Star, so you can't
just eliminate. But the reason you give SGA the MVP
is because he has the signature moments like last night
(12:06):
was a signature moment. The other night versus Denver signature
moment forty forty prime time forty points on prime time.
You look at those deals, right right, you know what
I'm saying.
Speaker 1 (12:16):
Sunday, I was at home, I went to the game. Yeah,
I'm like, okay this, I'm gonna make my MVP decision
on the game.
Speaker 4 (12:22):
National televised game. Oh he got forty up he sealed it.
That's right, you know what I'm saying. But then Joker
comes back and the next one he has a big game,
so oh not so fast. But then you come back
versus the Celtics on the road without your second leading
score plan and you deliver. So right now he got
the advantage.
Speaker 1 (12:42):
So the next team, uh is not as good as
your Celtics team, but they have one thing in common.
Is that one I wish? So basically, Mikhale Bridges went
to Tibbs and said, you got play us less. I
had heard because kgU ray all in Rondo. I had
heard Doc Rivers and you tell me if I'm wrong
(13:04):
saying a road trip. If we win the opener, no practice,
you can just play the next game that Doc would basically, guys,
give me everything you got in the opener, and if
we keep winning, I won't give you a practice. Is
that true?
Speaker 4 (13:18):
Yeah? I mean we would do more walkthroughs once we
got on the road. Once the season started. Uh, you know,
you win the game because we are we gonna stay
true to who we were a defensive unit. We're gonna
play the same way versus everybody. The league is a
lot different now, you know, we gonna play the same
defensive principles where the defensive principles are different, and so
win the game on the road. All right, we'll get
(13:39):
the next night off, but then in game day the
next day, we're gonna have to shoot around to walk through.
So we'll still get to get get to the game plan.
But it's no need to practice and run up and
down and bang with each other when when you're seasons
towards the end of the season and you need healthy bodies.
Speaker 1 (13:54):
I mean, I watched the Knicks and the Blazers. I do.
Here's the advantage for the Knicks being zero to ten
against the best teams. The advantage is everybody in the
building knows we need another dude. Like in the NBA,
you get in trouble when the GM thinks one thing,
the owner thinks another, the coach thinks another. Everybody knows
(14:16):
we probably got to upgrade off Cat or some piece.
Do you think there is a piece in the league
right now? Who would you part with to get another piece?
In New York? Oh, so they move Randal to get Cat.
Cat's the easier, more effortless offensive player. Randall's better defense.
Is there a guy you like like, I'll give you
the one I got one KD.
Speaker 4 (14:38):
I mean KD can help anybody who's right on the bat.
Speaker 1 (14:40):
I mean, don't they kind of need a catch and shoot.
Speaker 4 (14:43):
They can use KD. But I was thinking more like
Zion Wilson.
Speaker 1 (14:48):
That's interesting.
Speaker 4 (14:49):
That would be because you know, Kat can still stretch
the floor the way he shoots the ball, like you
have those two imposing big guys, and he brings some
star power to New York, and I think he needs
some friend I share anyway out of New Orleans.
Speaker 1 (15:01):
The other thing is because of his injuries, you wouldn't
have to give up the farm, right.
Speaker 4 (15:06):
Yeah, he might be you know, somebody you can kind
of steal from you.
Speaker 1 (15:10):
What's the average at forty five fifty five games a year?
Speaker 4 (15:13):
So you think Zion r I'll take a high risk,
high reward for New York and then bring some excitement.
Speaker 1 (15:19):
That's really good. So tonight the Warriors get kaminga back
and it's a TNT game so coming, you know, because
Paul the NBA is so young. Now, you know, in
the NFL, you're drafting guys that have played three to
four years. We're married, they're twenty three. College basketball you're
(15:40):
getting Cooper Flag for a year. Dude, he's eighteen nineteen
come to the league. So it's a developmental league, and
so we've all kind of been waiting on cominga Now.
For the record, he's twenty a game this year, but
I feel like I've been waiting forever to get to
twenty four. Sga was a guy the Clippers veailed on
(16:01):
and he literally became a star. Did you get a
sense even with young guys, could you sense by the
second year of a young guy, this guy's ceiling is sixteen,
like should be able to Does Kaminga have another level?
Speaker 4 (16:19):
What year is he?
Speaker 1 (16:21):
Is he four?
Speaker 4 (16:24):
Wow? That's a good question because usually you know who
somebody is by like, if they're going to be a
star star by the second third year?
Speaker 1 (16:32):
Kevin Garnett, Yeah, by the All Star Game. Second year,
I'm like, oh this is gonna work.
Speaker 4 (16:37):
Yeah, yeah, you see it early with the guys who
are up there. Now, can Kaminga be like an All
Star one day in a good situation? Maybe he has
that type of potential. He has athleticism, and it seems
like his game is starting to come around. You know,
he's shooting shooting the ball, better. We already know his
athleticism is high left long after Yeah, so he has
the tools to be really really good.
Speaker 1 (16:59):
Are you you surprised Jimmy Butler has been this important?
Speaker 4 (17:05):
Yeah, I didn't know he was gonna have this type
of impact. It's like it gave Steph a jolt in
the arm. It's like he took a shot and was like, oh,
I'm re energized. But dude, know what Jimmy brings. He
brings a level of toughness to the physicality that I
noticed to the Yeah, for sure, I would say like
Jimmy is one of my comparables actually because of his attitude,
the way he plays, he's under control, and his demeanor.
(17:27):
You know. So he brings a physicality to the team
on the offensive end, and then you got Draymond on
the other on the other end, get giving you that
defensive physicality. And that's what the Warriors needed because I
looked at them before Jimmy got there as like a
finesse team.
Speaker 1 (17:41):
You know, they didn't get to the line.
Speaker 4 (17:43):
No, they are a for nets team. They are hit
or missed, you know, and then it's gonna be nice.
Stephan beyond and most nice he'll be on. But then
those nice they're off. There's no physicality brought to the game,
and he's bringing that and that's gonna be dangerous. And
then you're gonna have step close you out. He keep
it close, keep it like Jimmy is like the guy
in the box arena. Just g you body blows. You
know what I'm saying. It just starts wearing on you.
(18:05):
You know what I'm saying about about the tenth round,
you just can't take it no more.
Speaker 1 (18:09):
So I said this, ok C will be a good
home team in the playoffs. I don't trust young guys
on the road. Go to your Celtics teams. Tell me
the okay, remember the Bulls with Derreck Rose. Everybody kept
telling me, oh, And I was like, they play so
hard in the regular season because they got no trophy.
(18:30):
Was there a team when you played that you knew
you'd beat them in a playoff series? But man, they
brought brought an intensity on a Tuesday night and they
were you know, they were a really good team in
the regular season. But it never quite translated.
Speaker 4 (18:47):
Man.
Speaker 1 (18:47):
Uh, remember that Cleveland team Jordan used to face all
the time. Not remember that?
Speaker 4 (18:53):
Remember that game?
Speaker 1 (18:55):
Oh, dude, they chew people up. They could never get
past Chicago.
Speaker 4 (19:00):
Oh, I mean the young Cleveland team with Lebron was
like that were they? Yeah, they were really good. Like
even in the last year we went to the finals,
they were still young and fast and they were the
number one team in the East, and we were like,
we actually lost some games. We could have been like
saw them in the conference finals or second round. We
chose to lose a couple of games to see them
(19:22):
in the second round because we knew we could get
them in a playoff set. Right, So you know that's
they remind me of that team right there, because Cleveland
was This was twenty ten, right, and this is when
Cleveland was number one seed in the East. They want like.
Speaker 1 (19:34):
Sixte So I'm gonna throw a crazy theory at you, Okay,
I want you to have an open mind in my theory.
Speaker 4 (19:40):
Okay.
Speaker 1 (19:41):
So Lebron at forty years old, was carrying the Lakers.
They make the move to get Luca. He's not in shape,
he's playing in shape, and then Jackson, Hayes and Ruey
get banged up in Austin Reeves and Lebron goes to
play the Celtics has a great first half, Boston pulls away.
(20:02):
He feels a little tweak and is growing, and Lebron says,
Daddy's gonna take some time off you young guys get healthy.
I'm looking at the schedule. It's outrageous and that Lebron
could play. And I am defending Lebron on this. It's
like a baseball team in August. The starter's like, yeah,
my elbows a little sore. I'll wait to the playoffs.
(20:25):
That look. And I'm not saying Lebron's dog in it,
but I'm saying he's like, you know, it's a little tweak.
I've been carrying you guys for three and a half months.
Speaker 4 (20:35):
Yeah, I look at it like, I mean, it's pretty
brilliant actually, because he said, all right, you know they
were in the fourth or fifth, see Luca Combs. They
make a push. They pushed all the way to the
second seed. They're like, all right, we got some cushion.
All right, we have a month, three weeks left, you
know what. Second seed is great, but the most important
(20:56):
thing is we need to be healthy. So we don't
even care we made our push. We're gonna be in
the playoffs as long as we're not in the play
in So now if we slide all the way to five,
don't we don't mind because if we going to the
playoffs as a healthy team, the Lakers are still gonna
be dangerous. Yes, you know, because look who's ahead of them?
Who do you trust ahead of them? Even at five?
(21:17):
Who do you trust? Houston?
Speaker 1 (21:19):
No? I trust Golden State?
Speaker 4 (21:20):
Okay, but they won't play Golden State, right, you know,
Golden State to probably come in at that six. But
Memphis you trust them versus the Lakers.
Speaker 1 (21:30):
Excuse me?
Speaker 4 (21:31):
The only one, Yeah, the only team that you're like,
I mean, okay, see that young, Like, come on, you
gotta understand. Listen, as a young team, when when the
production start and what I call the production, it's the playoffs,
it's the production. Now you go, okay, see, y'all gonna
go from like two or three reporters in your locker
room to see all these reporters now they're going, wh
y'all play the Lakers. It's gonna be one hundred of
(21:53):
them now. And I just remember this when I was
in the playoffs, just like whoa, so many cameras, so
many lights, and that can overwhelm a young team. Just
the bright lights.
Speaker 1 (22:01):
Also when you play, you get ripped all night on
TV radio.
Speaker 4 (22:04):
Oh my god. And that that type of pressure, you know,
as a young team can get to them, you know,
and the aura that the Lakers bring. So I'm looking
at okay, see Lakers. Only team that can cause the Lakers,
I think trouble is the Denver Nuggets.
Speaker 1 (22:17):
Yeah, size because.
Speaker 4 (22:19):
Of what they've done in the pack can't stop. Yeah,
so it's gonna get interested Ron, Lebron rest up. You know,
I would even rest up Luca on the rest of
this trip. Let's just let's gets healthy. Let's get healthy
and come back home and get these gummea gangs that
we suposed to get after this road trip.
Speaker 1 (22:35):
Get back to a three seed.
Speaker 4 (22:36):
Yeah, I mean it'll matter. They can drop the five,
go ahead. They just want to be helped.
Speaker 1 (22:41):
Lebron and Luca can win on the road. Yes, Okay, see,
I got my questions with Houston. I got my questions
with right. Paul Pierce is always great. Speak after us
live in La. It's the Hurt.
Speaker 2 (22:50):
Be sure to catch live editions of The Herd weekdays
in noon eastern nine am Pacific on Fox Sports Radio
FS one and The iHeartRadio app.
Speaker 5 (22:59):
Hey Steve and I'm Rich David and together we're Covino
and Rich on Fox Sports Radio.
Speaker 6 (23:04):
You could catch us weekdays from five to seven pm
Eastern two to four Pacific on Fox Sports Radio and
of course the iHeartRadio app.
Speaker 1 (23:11):
Why should you listen to Covino and Rich.
Speaker 6 (23:13):
We talk about everything life, sports, relationships, what's.
Speaker 2 (23:17):
Going on in the world.
Speaker 5 (23:17):
We have a lot of fun talking about the stories
behind the stories in the world of sports and pop culture,
stories that well other shows don't seem to have the
time to discuss.
Speaker 6 (23:26):
And the fact that we've been friends for the last
twenty years and still work together. I mean that says something, right,
So check us out. We like to get you involved too,
take your phone calls, chop it up. As they say,
I'd say the most interactive show on Fox Sports Radio,
maybe the most interactive show on planetar.
Speaker 5 (23:41):
Be sure to check out Covino and Rich live on
Fox Sports Radio and the iHeartRadio app from five to
seven pm Eastern two to four Pacific, and if you
miss any of the live show, just search Covino and
Rich wherever you get your podcasts, and of course on
social media. That's Covino and RICHFC.
Speaker 1 (23:57):
Today the NFC, We'll give you one more glimpse. Hold
me accountable for now. This is my all the coaching
hires done. Ninety nine of free agency done. Aaron Rodgers,
Russell Wilson, Kirk Cousins may find a new team. I
think Russell's maybe a win for the Steelers more than
(24:19):
their quarterback situation last year. Maybe a win. He's a
year older. There's a picture of Aaron strolling on the beach.
He's trying to figure out where to go. I'd go
to New York. He'll probably go to Pittsburgh. That's what
we hear. Here are my predictions in the NFC. I
think it's the harder conference to predict because there's fewer
star quarterbacks. I'll take Eagles, Commanders, Cowboys, Giants. If the
(24:43):
Giants sign Aaron Rodgers, I'll probably flip that. He's probably
worth a couple wins. I would probably flip that and
put the Cowboys last. So I think Aaron's worth a
winner to Pittsburgh or New York right now, Eagles, Commanders, Cowboys, Giants.
In the North, Lions the stacked roster, Vikings the weakest roster.
(25:04):
I think Bears and Packers battle it out. You know,
I like Green Bay and Jordan Love Matt Lafleur. But
Jordan Love last year struggled against better defenses like sixty
percent completion percentage, eighty one passer rating two and six.
So do I think organizationally Green Bays better? Yeah, But
I right now think the Bears with their acquisitions, have
(25:25):
a better old line and a more dynamic quarterback. We'll
see in the running back Josh Jacobs. We'll see what
the Bears do in the draft. So I'd go Lions, Bears, Packers, Vikings.
This division is always I like Pennix, so I think
Pennix Baker your best quarterbacks. Tampa brings their entire offense back.
Tampa's schedule, by the way, for an NFC South team,
(25:49):
is brutal. Tampa's got a first place schedule. Rough schedule
for Tampa. That's the difference. Remember Atlanta beat him twice
last year, and now I get Pennix, So Falcons, bucks
Pan their Saints. A lot of people are high on
the Panthers. Jmack was last year that didn't transpire. And
finally the NFC West, I think the Rams are clearly
(26:10):
the best team. The Cardinals are a four. The forty
nine ers have twelve draft picks, and they got rid
of I mean a lot at their top corner Greenlaw
who Funga. They got rid of some dudes, and their
d line needs outside of Bosa needs help. I don't
think they're the same defense. I do not, and I
(26:32):
don't think it's a great draft. I think they want
to go get a tight end in the draft, and
by the second third round, all these picks, how many
great defensive players can you get? So I tend to
like the Seahawks. They got to shore up their offensive line.
But outside of that, I like Seattle's roster and so
my NFC predictions and I won't make another one till
(26:55):
after the draft. Eagles, Lions, Falcons, Rams, when the division
can manners bear Seahawks wild Cards, you have to have
at least four new playoff teams annually. That's the average
last twenty thirty years. So I have Falcons bear Seahawks
as the new teams. Now I will not have as
many new teams in the AFC. Why because you have
(27:18):
Josh Allen Lamar. I'll give your heads up. I do
think cam Ward could potentially get Tennessee in that division,
could make them interesting. That's the only guy in the
draft that I think can win change out comes as
cam Ward. That's it.
Speaker 4 (27:37):
So let's be real.
Speaker 3 (27:38):
This is extremely difficult. Right this time last year, nobody
had bow Nicks and the Broncos going to the playoffs.
Speaker 2 (27:45):
Now, you did, like.
Speaker 3 (27:46):
Jaden Daniels in Washington, but did you have them as
a playoff team, yes, well, and I like the only
guy in the country.
Speaker 1 (27:51):
Yeah, No, I had Washington as a playoff team, and
I had bow Nicks and Denver as the most improved
team because of his sixty one college starts, and they
were out of Washington. They were the most important.
Speaker 3 (28:01):
We know, every year something wacky happens, Niners lose the
Super Bowl, we missed the playoffs.
Speaker 1 (28:05):
Okay, so my favorite thing, they call them future bets.
My favorite thing in betting is not the weekly picks.
It's picking a team every year that doubles their wins.
So last year I had Denver, I was right. The
year before I had the Rams, I was right the
year before that, I had Minnesota. So what team is
going to double their wins? I think it's the Bears
(28:26):
and New England. Now, New England's got a more manageable
schedule than Chicago does, So I think Chicago, how many Chicago?
What Chicago did last year?
Speaker 3 (28:36):
Not?
Speaker 1 (28:36):
New England's the easiest bet on the board. So New
England will be my double the win total Chicago. But
I have Chicago getting to the playoffs. So basically, basically,
New England is my Denver of last year. Chicago's my Washington.
So Washington was my surprise playoff team. That's my Chicago.
(28:58):
New England is my ver. Won't make the playoffs, but
they'll double their win total minimum.
Speaker 3 (29:03):
What about the Super Bowl hangover theory where a lot
of the Super Bowl losers.
Speaker 1 (29:09):
Oh no, no, I don't.
Speaker 3 (29:10):
If you have the Chief's missing the playoffs anything crazy.
Speaker 1 (29:13):
Like that, you will be surprised. Where I put Kansas.
Speaker 3 (29:16):
Do you think the Lions losing both coordinators, lose like
six wins and they go from fifteen to nine?
Speaker 1 (29:23):
I think the I think the NFC North, it's a
good question, is going to be very competitive. Yeah, like,
what's the bigger Chicago's better? JJ McCarthy could be great.
Speaker 3 (29:34):
Well, wait, what's a bigger loss? Sam Darnald leaves the
Vikings or both coordinators leave the Lions.
Speaker 1 (29:39):
Both coordinators leave the Lions because I think JJ McCarthy
is probably as good as Sam Donald and you are
not getting Ben Johnson and Aaron Glenn in Detroit.
Speaker 4 (29:48):
I think.
Speaker 3 (29:49):
Well, the other thing where the Lions missed the playoffs
next year, I don't think that's crazy from fifteen wins.
Speaker 1 (29:53):
Oh no, I don't either, and all to usually, if
you have a dominant O line, it's hard not to
make the playoffs. I mean, I mean Atlanta had a
good old line.
Speaker 4 (30:02):
Did you get the Jared.
Speaker 3 (30:03):
Golf playoff performance out of your head? I mean, what
do you have seventeen turnovers against Washington?
Speaker 4 (30:08):
It was.
Speaker 2 (30:09):
At home?
Speaker 4 (30:10):
No?
Speaker 1 (30:10):
Less think they were town now. They hired Ben Johnson
left as the OC of the Lions to Chicago. Didn't
they hire in house? They hired an in house candidate.
Did they also hire an in house candidate to replace
Aaron Glenn? Because I'm not a huge fan of that.
Speaker 2 (30:27):
They don't.
Speaker 3 (30:27):
They don't have a lot of guys on defense. Hutchison
will be back, obviously, but did DJ reid pick up
was good? I don't know, man, I feel like the
Lions are probably gonna talk I am and the Seahawks stuff.
Speaker 1 (30:40):
Did they go? So they were both The Lions coordinators
were replaced by in house candidates. I so ask yourself,
was the best candidate in the NFL to replace Ben Johnson?
What are the chances they'd be on the team he's
already on. I don't think that. I mean it's like
this company. I mean, if you lost a shot vice
(31:00):
president at this company or ESPN, what are the chances
in the world your next VPS here? It could happen. Now,
you may like somebody that fits the culture, but generally
a coordinator, an offensive coordinator is outside of the head
coaching quarterback. Can you argue the offensive coordinator is the
(31:21):
third most important person in an organization outside of coach quarterback. Well,
if the coach is defensive, it is.
Speaker 2 (31:27):
There you go.
Speaker 4 (31:29):
I would agree with that.
Speaker 2 (31:30):
Colin.
Speaker 3 (31:30):
The only thing is there's no real like super duper
random team you have surging up New England.
Speaker 2 (31:36):
No, No, in the NFC.
Speaker 1 (31:37):
The NFC with in Chicago, they won five games.
Speaker 2 (31:41):
Everybody loves them.
Speaker 1 (31:41):
Now, no they don't.
Speaker 2 (31:42):
Yeah, they do that offensive line. They're the biggest winners.
Speaker 1 (31:46):
Oh, by the way, the Lions new OC was the
was from Denver. My bad. I thought they moved him up.
Speaker 4 (31:51):
My bad.
Speaker 1 (31:53):
So he was previously with Detroit. The Denver came back,
so that's different. He went somewhere he left, That's okay.
Speaker 3 (32:00):
I wanted to see like a Carolina Panthers make this list.
That would have and there is Listen, I know it's speculation.
We don't want our traffic in.
Speaker 1 (32:07):
Really, you're not impressed that I took the cruddy Seahawks
to make the play they're not making the playoff.
Speaker 3 (32:12):
I think that's just you can just put a big
act through it right now so you you all of.
Speaker 1 (32:17):
A sudden, so you don't you're not impressed by the Bears, Seahawks.
Speaker 3 (32:20):
Bears is expected Seahawks, that's not happening. But anyways, the
Panthers are the team to watch. There's a lot of
online speculation. I don't know where it originated.
Speaker 1 (32:29):
Oh you did that, you sold me that crap last week.
Speaker 3 (32:31):
Wait a minute, that they are making an attempt to
trade for T Higgins and some people are connecting the
number eight pick in the draft, who is Carolina Carolina Panthers.
Oh I would trade for T Higgins? Now you like
T Mac a lot the wide receiver from Arizona who
a lot of people have, Carolina, take Cape. Would you
rather have young T Mac or established T Higgins who
(32:52):
you would then have to pay?
Speaker 1 (32:55):
It's a good questions. I would take T Mac. I
don't have to pay him for four years. Higgins.
Speaker 3 (33:01):
Higgins is a known quantity, but he's more of.
Speaker 1 (33:03):
A two than a one. T Maac to me, is
a one, and a receiver's a position you can come
in and play pretty quickly. Yeah, like corner, running back.
You know it's not. It's not quarterback or left tackle.
All right, good show, a lot of fun. We'll see
you tomorrow. Speak or no, no, no, no. First things first is
next my bed
Hosts And Creators
Colin Cowherd
Jason McIntyre
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