June 24, 2025 • 44 mins
Colin analyzes Cooper Flagg ahead of tomorrow's NBA draft and why the Flagg comparison to LeBron is fair despite both players never having a "go to move". He shares his "Bold AFC Predictions" for the upcoming NFL season and why the Chiefs are in a precarious position for the first time in the Patrick Mahomes era. He also talks to Nick Wright from First Things First to rank the last 7 NBA champions and why the Thunder deserve more respect
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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 in noon to three Eastern nine am to
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Speaker 2 (00:19):
This is the Best of the Herd with Colin Cowver
on Fox Sports Radio.
Speaker 1 (00:27):
All Right, here we go. It is a Tuesday. We
are ready to roll live in Los Angeles. Sits the Herd.
Wherever you may be and however you may be listening.
Thanks for making How's part of your day? Nick right
one hour from now, My buddy John Middletop is joining me. Yesterday,
today and tomorrow. John, we had a great show yesterday.
It flew by. There's a lot of things going on.
(00:48):
The draft is tomorrow. Rick Patino's gonna join us, which
is sway is how lucky are we? Really? Smart guy
and a great personnel guy. Rick Patino joins us tomorrow
and we're gonna go through the top eight or nine picks.
Smarter than a Rick on all this stuff. He faceful
lot of those guys, But John did you enjoy your
first and in the chair.
Speaker 3 (01:04):
I did.
Speaker 4 (01:04):
I was surprised my key card work this morning, but
I'm here, so I hit the building.
Speaker 1 (01:10):
If king card worked again. So I saw this story.
The draft is tomorrow and Cooper Flag is going to
go number one. So he played at Duke So obviously you,
me and our dogs watched Cooper Flag play a few
times and he was in the tournament. He's a great player.
I think he's a better version eventually, not now, but
eventually have like a Jason Tatum, Brian Scalabriney who does
(01:31):
a really good job. He's a broadcaster in Boston. You
we've had him on the show before. He was talking
about what is game? What? What? What? What? Cooper Flag's
game is.
Speaker 5 (01:41):
Like Lebron has scored fifty thousand points, doesn't have a
go to shot. I'm not sure he has a go
to shot. It's just a basketball player that makes things happen.
Lebron's a freak of nature. Defensively, he's a freak of nature. Defensively,
Lebron can run point. He can run point sixty eight
point guards sixty eight point guard like like.
Speaker 1 (02:00):
That. I have never been into guys with an absolute
go to move. The best restaurants I've ever been at
don't have a signature dish. They just do everything well.
You can get a cob salad, you can get a
chicken palm. The cocktails are good, so are the desserts.
Everything's good. That's a good restaurant. And I always remember
(02:24):
this when I was in college. Might When I was
in college, I wanted to be a baseball announcer. I
wanted to be like a you know, like a Vince
Scully or something right, or a Dick Enburg. And I
remember everybody had a home run call. Everybody had a
home run call. And the two favorite guys when I
was in college, my two favorite broadcasters were a young
Bob Costas and a young al Michaels. And they didn't
(02:46):
They didn't need a gimmick. I didn't need a fly
ball to left, followed by get out through Spats, Little
Graham all we're making fried potatoes and ash just call
the game. Be good at everything. I don't need a
signature home run call. He started watching UFC twenty years ago.
Every fighter had like one style. They were a kickboxer,
(03:07):
a wrestler, or a boxer. Now, the best fighters can
do everything. Quarterbacks. I want mobility. I want you to
be good in the pocket. I want you to be
good pre snap. Jaden Daniels is good at everything. Yeah,
I he can run. He's great in the pocket. He's smart,
he's good pre snap, he's good early in games. He's
good in the two minute drill. Like, I'm not looking
(03:29):
for specialization. I don't need a bag. James Harden's game
feels shicky. He'll finish as one of the great scorers
of all time. Carmelo Anthony would never take two steps
back and hit a three, like he didn't play defense.
I think he'll be a good broadcaster, but his game,
I don't need definition on one move if you have
(03:51):
one like Kareem Well, Colin, what about Kareem? Yeah, but
Kareem wasn't a ball handler. He wasn't a playmaker. He
didn't have the ball in his hands much. Back in
his era, the point guard ran the show and always
had the ball. You would never let the center or
the power forward touch it until they got the ball
down low. So Kareem had to develop a signature move
(04:13):
and it was great for him. But the best guys
now like Wemby Wemby can put it on the floor,
he can shoot at three, he can drive, he can
do everything. And that's Cooper Flag. I look at it
this way. If I want specialization, it'll be for a surgeon,
a heart surgeon, a brain surgeon. But I want my
basketball players to be like a general practitioner. I got
(04:37):
poison ivy. I broke my wrist, can you help me
with both? I got a rash, help me fix it?
I broke my ankle, can you mend it. That's what
I'm looking for, So I don't need a go to move.
I think Cooper Flag is a more aggressive version of
Jason Tatum. And what if I always said about Jason Tatum,
(04:58):
he's an A player. If he was more aggressive, he'd
be an a plus player. So that's what I think
he's going to be. I don't need a signature dish
at a restaurant, and I don't need a signature move.
Kareem had to have one. But in today's basketball, Lebron
James led the NBA last year. Think about this. Lebron
(05:18):
James at his age led the NBA in getting a
bucket in the fourth quarter, and the knock on Lebron
is well, he doesn't have a signature move. That's because
he's a better ball handler than Michael Jordan or Kareem
He's a better ball handler. He elevates others, He's smart.
Lebron always gets a really good shot when you need
(05:40):
him to get a good shot. He's not limited or
boxed in or marginalized by having to go to a
signature move. So I think Cooper Flag is going to
get drafted. I think he's going to average almost twenty
a game as a rookie. I think he's going to
have a great back wall of defense in Dallas and
their bigs behind him. And the thing I like most
about him, he doesn't have a go to move. He's
(06:04):
not concerned about having a bag. And now this story,
and I feel like it's the thirteenth time I've done
this story. The Boston Celtics worked another NBA team on
a trade as soon as the season ended. Between Danny
Ainge and Brad Stevens, they seemingly work every team. It's
(06:26):
like Howie Roseman and the Eagles don't pick the phone up,
just don't pick it up. So Drew Holliday, I've always
liked Drew Holiday, but he got really old, really fast.
And the Celtics have new owners and their books are
all messed up. They gotta go work on their cap sheet.
So yesterday they called Portland. Portland took his monstrous contract
(06:49):
and he's not the same player. He didn't make an
All defensive team last year. And this happens with guys
that played defense at a high level. You can age
very quickly. Defense is hard. Defense becomes injuries. Defense you're
on the floor. Defense is hard work. And Drew Holiday
has been a great defensive player and for five years
I think it was all defense. Right, he didn't make it.
(07:10):
He didn't make it last year and he looked suddenly
kind of old. So the Celtics have to clean up
their books. They move him, and they get and they
get a younger player, a cheaper player, a better offensive
player from Portland, and Forrety Simons, who they're going to
rent for one year because Tatum's gone and they need
his scoring and then he's out. Now, Simon's doesn't really
(07:31):
necessarily fit Boston's culture. He's not a great defender, he
doesn't elevate others, but he can shoot threes, and nobody
shoots more threes. Than Boston, so he'll be a good fit.
But mostly what they did is got Drew Holiday off
the books. They got second rounders in this deal, a
couple of them. They got a younger, cheaper player with
an expiring contract. How do they do it? But I'll
(07:52):
tell you what's happening in the NFL and in the NBA.
It's not just the big swing. You got to win
on the margins because you know, the salary cap in
the NFL is pretty tight. And with the new aprons
and CBA. In the NBA, Phoenix went big with Katie
and Bradley Beal and it was a disaster. Dame Lillard
Milwaukee didn't work. But look at what Indiana did with
(08:15):
Obi Toppin for a couple second round picks. That was
a great move. TJ McConnell, and go look at Sam
prest He's getting Isaiah Hartenstein or Alex Caruso. It's winning
on the margins. Now you are limited on the big swings.
And I said this yesterday. Most of our lives in
the NBA, we knew, like Jerry West was a general manager,
(08:38):
or pat Riley became a GM. N talk GMS. When talk,
I mean one of the great gms in league history.
Ninety percent of sports fans wouldn't know whose San Antonio's
GM was. R. C. Buford. He was like the Howie
Roseman of the NBA. We wait hadn't talk about it. Now,
figure out who the gms are. You have got to
(08:59):
make the the smart moves. Remember Denver wins a title
a couple of years ago, and I fell for it.
I'm like, okay, Yo Kich is the best player in
the world. Gordon's a great defensive player. By the way,
Gordon was one of those margin moves. But all of
a sudden they lost KCP. Well, KCP was their shot
maker late of if Yo Kitch wasn't and they lose
it was it Bruce Brown. They lost another and you
(09:19):
start losing those guys. Well, Yo Kich is still great,
Gordon's still great, Porter, still Porter, Jamal Murray still Jamal Murray,
Malone can still coach. It was the guys on the
edges they got bad. They got worse defensively, they became
too yokicch dependent. If Murray got hurt, they didn't have
another shot creator. So it is now becoming a margins league.
(09:41):
And this is what Boston just did. They got a
guy who's aging off the books. They get draft picks
busted O's against multiple draft picks. They get a younger,
cheaper player with an expiring contract who can shoot a
bunch of threes the day the season ends. The minute
the season ends. They don't do it during like Phoenix,
they don't do it. You know, Houston and Phoenix, they're
(10:03):
doing it day of the finals. Lee does not like that.
The minute the season ends. Brad Stevens oooh, next day,
got a deal, draft picks younger chiefer player off the
books in the year as Tatum's hurt. So you can
go big game hunting. And I'm not opposed to big
game hunting, but I don't consider Katie the Houston big
game hunting. Jannie is big game hunting. But when I
(10:25):
look at KD, you are accentuating a strength, you move
some pieces, but you don't have to pay a five
year max for KD. That doesn't feel like big game hunting.
It's smart hunting. But boy, Boston does it. Danny Ainge,
Brad Stevens, it's got This is what the NFL is
really all about, you know. It's like, that's why I
(10:45):
kept saying for Chicago, they went and got DJ Moore,
didn't win any more games. Watched Joe Tooney, Drew Dollman,
the center, Joonah Dak all those interior offensive linemen feel
more like, well, kind of marginal moves. We don't talk
guards on this show. Watch Chicago improve dramatically. It's not
(11:06):
just the wide receiver, the left tackle in the quarterback.
So the Celtics do it again. You know you you
know this as a former you work for the Philadelphia Eagles.
You know this is that the media, myself included, we
love the big swing, but a lot of times it's
it's fixing your guard center guard combination. And then the
(11:26):
NBA it's it's getting that first guy off the bench
and adding depth. It's becoming a depth league because you
can't stack your roster.
Speaker 4 (11:34):
I was with the Eagles when they signed Non the
awesome Wah didn't go well last last year. How he
signed Zach Bahn, all Pro Super Bowl Special Teams guy,
four million dollars. You know that's that.
Speaker 1 (11:46):
That that it's a remarkable how this stuff works so
good for Boston. We got a lot of stuff today.
Caitlin Clark smartly turns down an offer. We find out today,
draft tomorrow, and one play I think is pulling a
little bit of a Shador Sanders and I don't love it.
We'll talk about that.
Speaker 2 (12:05):
Be sure to catch live editions of The Herd weekdays
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FS one and the iHeartRadio app.
Speaker 4 (12:14):
Hi, this is Jay.
Speaker 6 (12:15):
I'm the producer of the Paula and Toni Fusco Show.
Usually in these promos they ask you to listen to
the show. I'm here to ask you please, don't listen
to the show. The hosts are two absolute morons who
have the dumbest takes on sports, imagicable. Don't listen to
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Speaker 3 (12:29):
What the hell are you doing our studio get him?
Speaker 5 (12:31):
Paula, Ignore that fool. Listen to the Pauline Tony Fusco
Show on the iHeartRadio app or wherever you get your podcast.
Speaker 2 (12:40):
He's still Moving.
Speaker 4 (12:43):
Sunday on Fox with the Gold Cup quarterfinal as the
US men's national team takes on Costa Rica. No Easy Pat,
No Second Chances. Coverage begins Sunday at six pm Eastern
on Fox.
Speaker 1 (12:55):
Nick Wright joining us top of next hour, so a
lot of things going on. Rick pit Tino will join
us tomorrow. I am told it is a very good draft.
Last year was very international. You know my take on this,
I think going forward, college basketball players will mostly dominate
the draft, where it's been very internationally driven many times.
(13:16):
And my theory is is that the NIL, not that
it saved college basketball, but it has made college basketball
much better. NIL. Now American colleges are able to go
buy the best European players at eighteen, and there's been
stories that they may consider shuddering the Spanish League because
American colleges now with the NIL, are buying up their
(13:38):
best players. So they come over here and play, they
get excellent coaching. Also, the G League, which I've always
thought is nonsense. It was like trying to hurt college
basketball and marginalize it. Very few G League players Amn
Thompson is one of the few G League guys I
really really love. Most of them never kind of define
their games. These finals were all about guys went to
(14:00):
college for at least two years. SGA is an exception,
Chet Holmgren was an exception, but it was a lot
of two and three year players. So I think college
basketball is being empowered. And Rick Patino, we'll talk about
the draft. It is Rutger guys, and it's Arizona guys,
and it's Duke guys. And I think that helps the NBA.
(14:21):
That's what makes college football in the NFL so great.
As the marriage is that you're rooting four against Baker Mayfield,
but you know who he is. You're viscerally connected to
Baker Mayfield or Caleb Williams. You may not like Lincoln Riley,
but you were interested in Kayleb Williams because of Lincoln Riley.
And these college guys there's just you know they're either
not they're going international, they're going G League, They're gonna
(14:44):
play college basketball. You're going to see him at least
one year in March. But like a Zach Edy, Purdue
can pony up some money and he can stand another year.
And I was interested to watch Zach Edy last year
in college basketball. If Purdue was on, I was watching.
I think this is gonna empower college basketball. The drafts
going forward are gonna be more It's not that they're
(15:04):
gonna be more domestic, but there's gonna be higher quality,
more mature players like Cooper Flag that can help you immediately.
And I think Cooper Flag with that great back front
line for Dallas, I think he comes in averages eighteen
a game. They're a playoff team. I think Dallas of
healthy will be the second best team in the West
next year. It'll go, you know, oksee Houston in Dallas
(15:28):
gonna be very good. John, you're looking at me, You
ready to go? I'm ready, Okay, I'm just gab fest
over here. So we're gonna do af seed today, We're
gonna do NFCED tomorrow. These are our surprises. These would
be surprising moves and big headlines if they happen all start.
I think Kansas City is a wild card team. And
(15:49):
Jim Harbaugh and the Chargers now they have their running
back situation and offensive tackles set upgrade at receiver. Last year,
the only thing they were missing was juice. Offensively, their
defense almost near the top of the league. It went
from last to near first in one year. They built
the culture last year. But free agency and a draft,
(16:09):
and you know, you know, Harbaugh's good at the draft.
I think they're going to be one of the better
teams in the league. I think they're an eleven twelve
win team, and the Chiefs come into the season, which
would concern me with offensive line issues. So I like
the Chargers to win the division.
Speaker 2 (16:25):
You're gonna think I'm nuts.
Speaker 4 (16:27):
Daniel Jones leads the Colts to the playoffs. This race
is over. He's gonna be the starting quarterback. You would
have said two years ago. Baker Mayfield leads Tampa to
the playoffs, no chance. Last year, Sam Darnold leads the
Minnesota Vikings the fourteen wins. No chance.
Speaker 2 (16:41):
What does he get in an Indy an.
Speaker 4 (16:43):
Offensive coach who created the start of Jalen Hurts's career. Yes,
a great running game, a lot like a couple of
years ago when he had a healthy sake one Barkley.
Jonathan Taylor almost had fifteen hundred yards last year. The
division stinks. The Jags haven't been good ever. Obviously, the
Houston Texas life a lot of moving parts, a lot
of question marks with the offense, and the Titans no death.
(17:04):
So when you just look at the division, you look
at recent high picks who've resurrected their career. The Colts
have pretty good players, and just a couple of years ago,
Lou Ammaruno. They're a new defensive coordinator, one of the
best defensive coordinators in the league. Did he just get
dumb overnight. No, the Bengals let all their players go,
so I think the Colts Daniel Jones a little like
Alex Smith when Jim Harbaugh got to the Niners. They're
(17:26):
not gonna ask them to do some They're not looking
for forty touchdowns here, throw me twenty.
Speaker 1 (17:30):
Interesting Mike Tomlin and the Steelers after eighteen years when
a losing record will have one. First of all, I
think Baltimore, now they've upgraded their secondary, may have the
second best roster to Philadelphia in the sport. I think
Joe Burrow maybe the best quarterback on any Sunday in
the sport. Aaron Rodgers the quarterback, well, he was five
and twelve last year. He didn't do well with the
(17:52):
defensive culture in New York. There's less dysfunction in Pittsburgh,
but not necessarily on the offensive side. They lost their
leading rusher, their left tackle, their leading receiver. I like
DK Metcalf, but he can me Booty too. I just
think the reality is they spend too much money on defense,
not enough on offense. The TJ. Watt contract extension will
be hovering over their head. I don't think they're going
(18:14):
to be a six win team, but I think eight
is probably the number. Mike Tomlin finally losing record.
Speaker 4 (18:22):
Zach Taylor seems like a good guy, but I think
this will be his last season in Cincinnati. The Bengals
will have a new coach twenty twenty six. This team
feels like an NBA team, star players everywhere, high price.
Speaker 2 (18:33):
Something's missing.
Speaker 4 (18:34):
I mean their star defensive player, which you kind of need.
A pass rusher nowhere to be found. The guy they
drafted to replace him showed up said I'm out. I
mean classic Bengals Joe Burrow. We saw him throw a
bunch of touchdowns last year, have an incredible offensive season.
They still couldn't make the playoffs. Crazy divisions hard, We're
all going to pick the Ravens. The conference is really hard.
(18:54):
How good the AFC West is now? The Patriots are
going to be much better. We think that the AFC
South would be a little morempetitive. I just think this
Bengals thing, you could see it coming from a mile away.
And the other thing, when you have Joe Burrow and
you have Jamar Chase. Some of these guys in their contract,
think how desirable that job would be for some of
these coaches. And I just think that Zach Taylor again.
Speaker 2 (19:15):
Seems like a nice guy.
Speaker 4 (19:16):
They always start slow, and they do a lot of
negative momentum. I feel like coming into this season for
the Bengals.
Speaker 1 (19:23):
And my final one Dolphins blowout, Mike McDaniel and the GM.
They went from number two scoring offense to twenty two
last year. Inexplicably bad offensive line and no backup to Tua.
If you have two as a quarterback, the two things
you have to have are a good old line and
a capable backup. They have neither. They overpaid for Jalen Ramsey.
(19:44):
Now they're looking, you know, Tyreek Hill. A lot of
splashy moves. I don't feel like there's a lot of steak.
It's a lot of sizzle. The best teams in this
league none of them have bad old lines. They just
lost Armstead just retired, So I don't like their direction.
I think McDaniels this is a team that's run through coaches.
(20:05):
Scott Greer, don't know him, but I haven't loved the moves.
I think both Greer Chris Greer. I think Chris Greer
and Mike McDaniel are gone after eight. Remember New England
now is really good, potentially really good. Buffalo is winning
the division, third place against both the GM and the
coach removed.
Speaker 4 (20:23):
Speaking of the Patriots, I think they make the playoffs.
I mean, is there a bigger coaching upgrade? I mean
Pete Carroll and Mike Frable, But Mike Frable's got more
to work with. Like you said, the defense stinks. And
the other thing is they got an offensive coordinator to
go with Drake Mate Josh McDaniels. Not a great head coach,
excellent offensive coordinator. Patriots schedule not very difficult. I like
the Patriots to be playing some games in January like old.
Speaker 1 (20:44):
Times, you know. So here we go. I got the
Chargers winning the AFC West. The Steelers will have a
losing record, probably eight and nine. The Dolphins start over,
total reboot, and then John I don't think Daniel Jones
leading the coach to the playoffs. They made the playoffs
in New.
Speaker 4 (21:01):
York, I know, and way more talent on this roster. Again,
they're just looking nine ten wins. I'm not talking twelve, thirteen.
Could he save Chris Ballard and change Sichin's career. Owners
you passed away recently. Obviously the girls are now in charge.
Speaker 1 (21:14):
I've said that, you know, I think I've said this.
You've heard me say this. I like everything about the Colts.
They when Andrew Luck retired, they get Wentz. It was
pretty good, and then they get Philip Rivers. For a
year it was actually excellent, but they felt like the
late owner had a strong opinion on the quarterback situation.
And Andrew Luck leaving really illustrates how hard it is
(21:39):
to find a quarterback because they're old. Line's good, they
get a pass rush, they've got nice receivers, they have
a star backfield. They have maybe the first or second
mess guard in the league in quit Now they have
really good pieces. But when Andrew Luck retired, they did
a remarkable job Wentz into Philip Rivers. They're just trying.
It's a life preserver offense situation, and Daniel Jones may
(22:02):
be it. We're not talking thirteen wins, but playoffs in
that division may be nine for sure. Nick right around
the corner.
Speaker 2 (22:12):
One more herd. 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 (22:23):
Here we go. It's hour two tomorrow at this time.
Rick Patino, NBA draft Nick right in five minutes live.
We're in Los Angeles today. It's the Herd. Wherever you
may be and however you may be listening. Thanks for
making us part of your day, you know, John, Like
everybody else, I have to be on my phone from
time to time. I'm not a huge fan of sort
of the sky is falling, sort of narrative constantly on
(22:44):
the phone. It gets a lot of clicks. It's grievance,
it's outrage. It's the sky is falling, it's doom. I
don't buy into that. My favorite sandwich is still peanut
butter and jelly. I take naps every day. I still
watch television. I've been hearing for years dying. Everything's up
on TV. So I was thinking about this a number, John,
(23:05):
and you to You're like me when everybody says you
got to get rid of your cable, I'm like, I
like college football. How do I get rid of cable? Yeah?
I need to watch my Big Dead football. There's games
on cable, so I was thinking about this game seven
on ABC delivered the most watched NBA Finals game in
six years. People are starving for content. I've been hearing
(23:25):
for you. Oh, television is dying. I don't know. I
watch a lot of it. The NFL's up, the WNBA
is up, Indy car Racing is up, the Gold Cup,
Our B team against Haiti was up from last year.
I don't know. Everything's up. Baseball's up now. I do
think there are challenges in hockey and basketball and baseball
(23:47):
during the regular season because we're becoming a very much
an event country. But I've never bought into the television
it's going away. I heard that about newspapers forty years ago,
and I have never been a subscriber to more newspapers
than I am today. I like content. The other thing
I don't buy into is the NBA is doomed. Global league,
(24:12):
seventy six billion dollar TV deal, Amazon and NBC and
ESPNS involved. The Lakers just sold for ten billion dollars
and their number one sponsor is YouTube. The NBA is
just fine. The other thing I don't believe in is
that market size. For years and years I banged on this,
stop being afraid of New York. Look at the NFL
(24:32):
the last five years. You could argue that two New
York teams in Chicago were the biggest tire fires. You
know who's great, Buffalo, Kansas City, Green Bay, I say Buffalo.
Look at the NBA, Indye, Oklahoma City, Boring, Denver. I
mean Boston actually didn't get the number. Okase and Indie
(24:55):
just got. Look at the WNBA. The Indiana Fever and
their star players from Iowa never bought into. The NBA's dying.
Everybody is getting rich in the NBA. It works with
young people. It's amazing on social Look at how much
money the players now make on shoes in apparel. The
league is fine. You may not like it, but there's
a lot of fourteen to thirty three year olds. It's
(25:17):
their favorite sport. It's fine. The TV deal shows that,
and the rating shows that. The other thing is, you know,
big markets. The league is rig for big markets. Let
me tell you. If the NFL and the NBA are
rigged for big markets, they're doing an atrocious job. The
NFL's dominated by small markets. I mean, Cincinnati should have
made the playoffs with Joe Burrow. We already got Buffalo Baltimore,
(25:41):
Green Bay, Kansas City. The New York team stink. I'd
argue the New York teams are the most hopeless in
the NFL this year, the two New York teams. So,
I mean, we had a pack twelve with all big markets.
La San Francisco Seattle had dried up. They moved over
to the Big ten because there's a lot more money
in the Big ten than the glamor is Pac twelve.
With the La San Francisco, Seattle markets, We're all gonna
(26:04):
be okay. Shaq talked about market size recently.
Speaker 3 (26:08):
Yeah, when I was coming up, it was small market.
You're too small. You probably need to go to a
big market. I'm taking pins of them. But now every
market is the same. Nobody cares with city here and anymore.
This ain't the nineties. Bigger market doesn't matter. Social media
is the market now.
Speaker 1 (26:25):
Yep, social media is the market. So yesterday, I don't
know why I got heat for this. I thought it
was incredibly rational. I said, over the last seven years,
we've had seven different champions. We know they're not as
good as the KD Splash Brothers, Draymond team. We know
they're not as good as the Duncan, Janobli, Parker Popovich.
We know they're not MJ's bulls. They're not Shaq and Kobe,
(26:46):
they're not Showtime, they're not the Michale Bird the Walton team,
we know they're not that. It's more seventies, which I
grew up with. I love the rick Berry Warriors and
the Bill Walton Blazers in the DJ and Gus Williams,
Jack Sick Masonics. I love those teams. The Washington Bullets
with Unsealed Hayes, Shaneer, Bobby Dandridge. I love those teams.
(27:08):
But the following decade sort of there was a rebirth
of the NBA. So Nick Wright is joining me. So
yesterday I ranked I ranked the last seven champions, catching
a lot.
Speaker 7 (27:20):
Of heat, Colin, which I know, I listen. I know
you're not checking your mentions, but I know you got
plenty of people on your multiple staffs that come to
you and they're like, Colin, the internet's ripping you. So
can I if I just can jump in? Yeah, my
only major gripe would be I would I would at
(27:42):
the very least flip flop Thunder Warriors. I think you're
under selling the Thunder a bit, and I think that
Warriors team. It was a great postseason run and Steph
was unbelievable, But when their second best offensive players, Andrew Wiggins,
I think that there's and they weren't a dominant regular
season team. So I would have the Thunder at least
(28:04):
at four, if not at three. But what people are
ripping you for is a version of Lebron James derangement syndrome.
How could you have the twenty twenty Lakers number one
when here are the facts about one of the most
disrespected champions, maybe the most disrespected champion of the last
(28:24):
twenty five years. Agree that Laker team started the year
twenty four and three.
Speaker 1 (28:31):
They earned home.
Speaker 7 (28:32):
Court advantage throughout the NBA playoffs, did not get that
home court advantage because it was in the bubble, and
still swept through the West in five games in every series,
and then won the finals in an easy six despite
remarkable Jimmy Butler performance. They then followed that up, well,
(28:55):
how did they defend their title the day Lebron James
got hurt when Solomon Hill did a somersault into his ankle.
The Los Angeles Lakers, it was they were twenty eight
and thirteen. It was the midway point of the next season.
They had the best record in the entire NBA halfway
through the season following their title.
Speaker 2 (29:16):
I would then.
Speaker 7 (29:17):
Add this, Take the best player on all of those
champions twenty twenty. Lebron is eye to eye with twenty
three Joker and twenty one Giannis. And take the second
best player on all those champions twenty twenty Anthony Davis
is markedly better than any of these other team's second
(29:38):
best player. That was so that is here's the deal, Colin.
Here's why you know that there is a fan and
some media obsession with misremembering the career of Lebron James.
Speaker 1 (29:56):
Almost all of.
Speaker 7 (29:58):
The NBA's biggest myths biggest lies either have to do
with tearing down Lebron or uplifting a guy he's competing with.
There isn't a single NBA myth or lie that you're like, oh, oh,
that's interesting that one works in Lebron's favor.
Speaker 1 (30:16):
No, they all go in one direction.
Speaker 7 (30:19):
And the idea that the twenty twenty Lakers got lucky
by the bubble being no home court advantage when they
had home court advantage is one of the most ridiculous
things I've ever heard, but it's what everybody says.
Speaker 1 (30:33):
And by the way, it should be noted it was
the only time in my life in the playoffs where
young teams overwhelmingly flourished because the older married players missed
their kids and family, and the Lakers were an old team.
They were the only old NBA team with veterans that
crushed all the other So they had to fight, you know,
because as you get older, you get kids and family.
(30:54):
You have kids and family, you don't want to go
to four week roady in Orlando. So the bottom line is,
I'm with you. People forget how good they were to
start that season. They were dominant through twenty seven to
thirty games. Okay, yeah, go ahead, absolutely, go ahead.
Speaker 7 (31:08):
No, no, no, they were dominant that year.
Speaker 1 (31:11):
They rolled through the playoffs.
Speaker 7 (31:12):
They then had the best record in the NBA at
the midway point of the next season, they were the
favorites the day Lebron got hurt, they were the Vegas
favorites to go back to back. And so it's just
total recreation of history. We all agree that with I
think the only real other controversy you're probably understelling thunder
(31:32):
a bit, but otherwise finalists, you shouldn't gotten dragged on Twitter.
Speaker 1 (31:35):
I have your back, Okay. So I said this about
Kevin Durant is that I didn't understand his lack of market.
I'm like, listen, players like him. He doesn't need the
ball in his hands. He's arguably the best jump shooter
in the league. He's not a great defender. But Houston
has so much damn length, and so does San Antonio.
(31:57):
I'm like, this guy is a this is a You
don't have to bake him. He's a microwave player. You
need about four practices in two games and he'll give
you twenty five. I think Houston is a great fit.
Let's start with this. Were you surprised at the pushback
on well, you'd have to sign a couple of big years.
(32:19):
I'm like, bench guys make fifteen million. I was surprised
that there wasn't a livelier market.
Speaker 7 (32:25):
Well, so I wasn't surprised by the market, because I
do think you have to thread the needle of like.
I don't think Kevin Durant would have made as much
since for San Antonio or Miami because neither one of
those teams are Kevin Durant away from winning a championship,
(32:46):
and when you trade for him, what you are really
trading for is this coming season, and you hope next
season as well, the twenty seven season, and then after
that he'll be forty and it's probably in a difference
in situation. So I understood the market, but I agree
with you wholeheartedly in this regard. This is the perfect
(33:09):
trade for Houston. So Houston replaces Jalen Green, who in
the playoffs, despite having I think a thirty seven point
single game, averaged thirteen points on less than forty percent
from the field, less than thirty percent from three. He
could not make a shot, he could not create a shot,
(33:30):
and you replace him with one of the best shot
makers and shot creators for himself in the history of
the league. You have now a starting lineup of Van Vliet,
who's a steady champ, I'm in Thompson, who is a
future star defensive player of the your caliber guy, Kevin Durant,
Jabari Smith, the top five pick, and Shngoon. And you
(33:52):
didn't decimate your bench. Coming off the bench, you still
have Tarry Eason, Steven Adams, Reed Shepherd, who they took
in the top five last year. But Udoka didn't, you know,
want to play a rookie, but he'll play a lot
in cam Whitmore. You go nine deep, you can defend,
you have a great coach. You now have a bucket
(34:13):
at the end of games. And Shingoon is the connector.
And so the critique on Durant has been about leadership stuff.
Udoka will take care of that. I think right as
we sit here today, and you know it's early. Obviously
season ended two days ago, but when I look at
next year, I think the Rockets have a real path
(34:34):
to being the Western Conference champion, and I would I
miss seeing Kevin Durant in big games. Some of that
has been bad luck. Some of that's been bad choices,
some of that's been bad teams. Like you know, it's
a big stew Some of it's on him, some of
it's not. But the fact of the matter is this Colin.
In the six years before he went to Golden State,
(34:56):
his final six in Oklahoma City, he made the conference
fin finals four of those six years, in the NBA
finals once in the three years in Golden State obviously
three straight NBA finals. In the six years since then,
he has won two playoff series. He has never been
out of round two. For a guy who lived at
(35:17):
you know, mid May, end of May, beginning of June
NBA playoff basketball for the first decade of his career.
I want him to have one last act. And I
still think he's right around the tenth best player in
the league.
Speaker 1 (35:30):
He is.
Speaker 7 (35:30):
It is a great addition, and I do not think
they gave up too much at all.
Speaker 1 (35:35):
Okay, So I'm looking at my topics here. I don't
you get so agitated when I pick the Chargers over
the Chiefs so as you do it every year, I am,
and it's not home.
Speaker 7 (35:50):
I don't And by the way, it's not out of
Chiefs defense. It's out of Colin Coward protectionism. You know
how much you've meant to me, You know how much
I love you, and I hate that every year you
do this to yourself, that every year it's either the
Bronco and you flip a coin. Is it Sean Baiton
and the Broncos, or is it my friends the Chargers
who are gonna beat the Chiefs. And then you're just wrong?
(36:12):
But go ahead, I'll let you do it again, I guess.
Speaker 1 (36:14):
Okay, So John and I John Middlakoff. Do you know John?
Have you met John before?
Speaker 3 (36:18):
Yeah?
Speaker 7 (36:18):
Of course, never in person, but I obviously know Johnny
does a great job. And his three bold predictions made
a lot of sense, unlike yours.
Speaker 1 (36:27):
So let's just go to mind. Let's not let's not
throw shade at John. So no, John's were great, okay,
and you and you probably do agree. The Dolphins are
no steak in a lot of sizzle. I think they're gonna.
I think they're they're gonna and I think to so.
The one that bothers you are the Chargers when the
AFC West. And here's my take is that I've watched
(36:47):
Harbaugh and year two everywhere. First year he builds the culture,
but he needs two years to build the roster. And
their roster is now really, really good. And I don't
know what the Chief's O line is. I don't know
what it is. They're receivers. I hope they stay out
of personal issues. But that's been sketchy. Don't you think
(37:08):
it's time? Didn't you see the vulnerability of the Chiefs
last year.
Speaker 7 (37:12):
When Mahomes played and they went fifteen and one and
were seventeen and one. Mahomes playing going into the Super Bowl. Yeah, listen,
I said it before and I'll say it again. The
twenty twenty four of Kansas City Chiefs were, without a doubt,
the worst one loss two time defending champion I've ever seen.
Now they're the only one lost two time defending champion.
But yeah, but I just somebody and the I know
(37:37):
the Chiefs looked bad in the Super Bowl.
Speaker 5 (37:39):
They did.
Speaker 7 (37:40):
I also know your beloved Justin Herbert is. I think
he just threw another pick against the Texans. That game's
been over for four months. But I'm sure they're flying
high going into the offseason. But here is the problem.
The problem is this. Patrick Mahomes in his career is
thirty five and five against the AFC West. Patrick Mahomes
(38:02):
in his career has started seven years. They have won
the division seven times. They have played in the AFC
Championship seven times. They have won the conference five times.
To pick against Reid and Mahomes is just lunacy. And
I would evidence it by whenever you do your other divisions,
(38:26):
every other team in the league that you believe clearly
has the best coach and quarterback in its division, you
will pick to win that division. Except for the team
that always wins the division, that is always there. And
so I think that I do think like maybe because
(38:47):
sometimes you know, there's like take Osmosis and j Mack
has just been he's you know, he is playing, he's
betting zero on the roulette wheel every time. He's like,
when it comes up, I'm gonna.
Speaker 1 (38:58):
Be a genius.
Speaker 7 (38:59):
And so he says better into the Chiefs every year,
and I think it is rubbed off on you a
bit now. So maybe with middle coolf there now, I
thought John's predictions were excellent. I also though if he
has the Patriots and who's the other team he has
in the playoffs.
Speaker 1 (39:14):
Oh, the Colts.
Speaker 7 (39:16):
I respect that because that's going to mean there are
some teams everyone has penciled into the playoffs that are
going to be left without a chair, and so obviously
the Bengals are one of them, according to John. So
I do respect a non Chalky prediction.
Speaker 1 (39:34):
But I'll tell you this much.
Speaker 7 (39:35):
It's not gonna be the Chiefs without a chair. And
it's not gonna be the Chiefs not winning their division.
Speaker 1 (39:39):
Okay, that's fair, let's see. Okay, one more thing. The
draft is tomorrow, I said, earlier. I always defect. I
never like going to a restaurant that's got a signature dish,
like just do everything well. Last night, I by the way,
overlooking palm trees in the Pacific Ocean in Santa Monica,
I had a vhy swat a nice lockdown thinking of you,
(40:01):
and as I had dinner, I was in a restaurant
where everybody ordered a bunch of stuff and it was
all amazing. And my take is, I don't want to
go to a place that's got a sixteen egg omelet.
Just dude. And I've always said Lebron doesn't have a
signature move, and my take is, because he does everything well,
I don't need the skyhook. He just gets the best
(40:22):
players the best shots. So they're saying Cooper Flag doesn't
have a bag, and my take is it's been the
most overrated thing of my life. Kareem had one because
he didn't have the ball in his hands. You didn't
give centers the ball like you do now at mid court,
like you had to wait for the ball late in
the shot clock. What do you make about the criticism.
(40:42):
You know, Lebron, he didn't have a go to signature
move like Jay.
Speaker 7 (40:48):
Yeah, so I also again this right, of course this
is but this is again to go back to what
I first said, Every NBA myth starts and ends with
the same theme. We must elevate Michael Jordan at the
expense of Lebron James. And so there's just there there.
It's never the other direction on the myts.
Speaker 1 (41:10):
There's some of that on the facts, but not the myths.
Speaker 7 (41:13):
So like, does Lebron have one single move, Like you
close your eyes and you think of Lebron, that's what
he did. And the answer to that question is it's
actually probably a chase down block, right, that's you close
your eyes, you think of it. But on offense, when
you can do everything, then you don't have to do
(41:33):
any one thing specifically. People will say for Jordan, his
signature move was the mid range turnaround, but that's only
only young people think young Ish people think that because
that was a ninety six to ninety eight Jordan's signature
post baseball, Jordan's signature early in his career was I'm
(41:54):
gonna go down the middle of the lane, jump in
the air, and figure it out about force seconds later
because I can hang and I'm such a great athlete
that I can figure this out on the fly. He
wasn't this mid range assassin he became later in his career.
Here is what I will say about Cooper Flag. There
is not a single person alive who was a finished
(42:18):
product at what they ended up being at eighteen and
a half years old. The most important number with Cooper
Flag is his date of birth. He reclassified he is
when he gets to the league. Since we're talking about Lebron,
he will be only two weeks older, two weeks older
than Lebron was when Lebron entered the league and Lebron
(42:41):
skipped college. He turns nineteen nineteen in December of his
rookie year. So the fact that Cooper Flag does basically
everything pretty well is to me a brilliant place to start.
He'll figure out a couple things.
Speaker 1 (42:59):
He great.
Speaker 7 (43:01):
But what I think sometimes happens to young star athletes,
and maybe this is why signature moves can be at
times overrated, is they figure out what they do really well,
and they end up spending all their time or a
lot of their time perfecting that as other things atrophy
a bit. Yeah, it feels to me like Cooper Flagg,
(43:23):
you know, is a b to an a minus at
almost everything you can be, and so he'll figure out,
you know, where his ultimate strength is. But listen, I
do I think he's a future League MVP. I think
that's a little strong. Do I think he's a no
doubt consensus first overall? Pick absolutely, and I think he'll
be just fine.
Speaker 1 (43:44):
Nick right bringing the heat. Really enjoyed it today. You know, basically,
I'm I'm here a little bit of your speedback. But
I enjoy that. I enjo filche well, No, I gave
you credit. I had you listen you.
Speaker 7 (43:57):
Our relationship on this show is actually a perfect It's
just a homeostasis where when you're right, I affirm you,
and when you're wrong, I try to prevent you from
public embarrassment.
Speaker 1 (44:10):
And if I can't, then I just have to inflict it.
That's all it is. Talk to you later,
Thanks for listening to the Best of the Herd podcast.
Be sure to catch us live every weekday on Fox
Sports Radio in noon to three Eastern nine am to
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 Cowver
on Fox Sports Radio.
Speaker 1 (00:27):
All Right, here we go. It is a Tuesday. We
are ready to roll live in Los Angeles. Sits the Herd.
Wherever you may be and however you may be listening.
Thanks for making How's part of your day? Nick right
one hour from now, My buddy John Middletop is joining me. Yesterday,
today and tomorrow. John, we had a great show yesterday.
It flew by. There's a lot of things going on.
(00:48):
The draft is tomorrow. Rick Patino's gonna join us, which
is sway is how lucky are we? Really? Smart guy
and a great personnel guy. Rick Patino joins us tomorrow
and we're gonna go through the top eight or nine picks.
Smarter than a Rick on all this stuff. He faceful
lot of those guys, But John did you enjoy your
first and in the chair.
Speaker 3 (01:04):
I did.
Speaker 4 (01:04):
I was surprised my key card work this morning, but
I'm here, so I hit the building.
Speaker 1 (01:10):
If king card worked again. So I saw this story.
The draft is tomorrow and Cooper Flag is going to
go number one. So he played at Duke So obviously you,
me and our dogs watched Cooper Flag play a few
times and he was in the tournament. He's a great player.
I think he's a better version eventually, not now, but
eventually have like a Jason Tatum, Brian Scalabriney who does
(01:31):
a really good job. He's a broadcaster in Boston. You
we've had him on the show before. He was talking
about what is game? What? What? What? What? Cooper Flag's
game is.
Speaker 5 (01:41):
Like Lebron has scored fifty thousand points, doesn't have a
go to shot. I'm not sure he has a go
to shot. It's just a basketball player that makes things happen.
Lebron's a freak of nature. Defensively, he's a freak of nature. Defensively,
Lebron can run point. He can run point sixty eight
point guards sixty eight point guard like like.
Speaker 1 (02:00):
That. I have never been into guys with an absolute
go to move. The best restaurants I've ever been at
don't have a signature dish. They just do everything well.
You can get a cob salad, you can get a
chicken palm. The cocktails are good, so are the desserts.
Everything's good. That's a good restaurant. And I always remember
(02:24):
this when I was in college. Might When I was
in college, I wanted to be a baseball announcer. I
wanted to be like a you know, like a Vince
Scully or something right, or a Dick Enburg. And I
remember everybody had a home run call. Everybody had a
home run call. And the two favorite guys when I
was in college, my two favorite broadcasters were a young
Bob Costas and a young al Michaels. And they didn't
(02:46):
They didn't need a gimmick. I didn't need a fly
ball to left, followed by get out through Spats, Little
Graham all we're making fried potatoes and ash just call
the game. Be good at everything. I don't need a
signature home run call. He started watching UFC twenty years ago.
Every fighter had like one style. They were a kickboxer,
(03:07):
a wrestler, or a boxer. Now, the best fighters can
do everything. Quarterbacks. I want mobility. I want you to
be good in the pocket. I want you to be
good pre snap. Jaden Daniels is good at everything. Yeah,
I he can run. He's great in the pocket. He's smart,
he's good pre snap, he's good early in games. He's
good in the two minute drill. Like, I'm not looking
(03:29):
for specialization. I don't need a bag. James Harden's game
feels shicky. He'll finish as one of the great scorers
of all time. Carmelo Anthony would never take two steps
back and hit a three, like he didn't play defense.
I think he'll be a good broadcaster, but his game,
I don't need definition on one move if you have
(03:51):
one like Kareem Well, Colin, what about Kareem? Yeah, but
Kareem wasn't a ball handler. He wasn't a playmaker. He
didn't have the ball in his hands much. Back in
his era, the point guard ran the show and always
had the ball. You would never let the center or
the power forward touch it until they got the ball
down low. So Kareem had to develop a signature move
(04:13):
and it was great for him. But the best guys
now like Wemby Wemby can put it on the floor,
he can shoot at three, he can drive, he can
do everything. And that's Cooper Flag. I look at it
this way. If I want specialization, it'll be for a surgeon,
a heart surgeon, a brain surgeon. But I want my
basketball players to be like a general practitioner. I got
(04:37):
poison ivy. I broke my wrist, can you help me
with both? I got a rash, help me fix it?
I broke my ankle, can you mend it. That's what
I'm looking for, So I don't need a go to move.
I think Cooper Flag is a more aggressive version of
Jason Tatum. And what if I always said about Jason Tatum,
(04:58):
he's an A player. If he was more aggressive, he'd
be an a plus player. So that's what I think
he's going to be. I don't need a signature dish
at a restaurant, and I don't need a signature move.
Kareem had to have one. But in today's basketball, Lebron
James led the NBA last year. Think about this. Lebron
(05:18):
James at his age led the NBA in getting a
bucket in the fourth quarter, and the knock on Lebron
is well, he doesn't have a signature move. That's because
he's a better ball handler than Michael Jordan or Kareem
He's a better ball handler. He elevates others, He's smart.
Lebron always gets a really good shot when you need
(05:40):
him to get a good shot. He's not limited or
boxed in or marginalized by having to go to a
signature move. So I think Cooper Flag is going to
get drafted. I think he's going to average almost twenty
a game as a rookie. I think he's going to
have a great back wall of defense in Dallas and
their bigs behind him. And the thing I like most
about him, he doesn't have a go to move. He's
(06:04):
not concerned about having a bag. And now this story,
and I feel like it's the thirteenth time I've done
this story. The Boston Celtics worked another NBA team on
a trade as soon as the season ended. Between Danny
Ainge and Brad Stevens, they seemingly work every team. It's
(06:26):
like Howie Roseman and the Eagles don't pick the phone up,
just don't pick it up. So Drew Holliday, I've always
liked Drew Holiday, but he got really old, really fast.
And the Celtics have new owners and their books are
all messed up. They gotta go work on their cap sheet.
So yesterday they called Portland. Portland took his monstrous contract
(06:49):
and he's not the same player. He didn't make an
All defensive team last year. And this happens with guys
that played defense at a high level. You can age
very quickly. Defense is hard. Defense becomes injuries. Defense you're
on the floor. Defense is hard work. And Drew Holiday
has been a great defensive player and for five years
I think it was all defense. Right, he didn't make it.
(07:10):
He didn't make it last year and he looked suddenly
kind of old. So the Celtics have to clean up
their books. They move him, and they get and they
get a younger player, a cheaper player, a better offensive
player from Portland, and Forrety Simons, who they're going to
rent for one year because Tatum's gone and they need
his scoring and then he's out. Now, Simon's doesn't really
(07:31):
necessarily fit Boston's culture. He's not a great defender, he
doesn't elevate others, but he can shoot threes, and nobody
shoots more threes. Than Boston, so he'll be a good fit.
But mostly what they did is got Drew Holiday off
the books. They got second rounders in this deal, a
couple of them. They got a younger, cheaper player with
an expiring contract. How do they do it? But I'll
(07:52):
tell you what's happening in the NFL and in the NBA.
It's not just the big swing. You got to win
on the margins because you know, the salary cap in
the NFL is pretty tight. And with the new aprons
and CBA. In the NBA, Phoenix went big with Katie
and Bradley Beal and it was a disaster. Dame Lillard
Milwaukee didn't work. But look at what Indiana did with
(08:15):
Obi Toppin for a couple second round picks. That was
a great move. TJ McConnell, and go look at Sam
prest He's getting Isaiah Hartenstein or Alex Caruso. It's winning
on the margins. Now you are limited on the big swings.
And I said this yesterday. Most of our lives in
the NBA, we knew, like Jerry West was a general manager,
(08:38):
or pat Riley became a GM. N talk GMS. When talk,
I mean one of the great gms in league history.
Ninety percent of sports fans wouldn't know whose San Antonio's
GM was. R. C. Buford. He was like the Howie
Roseman of the NBA. We wait hadn't talk about it. Now,
figure out who the gms are. You have got to
(08:59):
make the the smart moves. Remember Denver wins a title
a couple of years ago, and I fell for it.
I'm like, okay, Yo Kich is the best player in
the world. Gordon's a great defensive player. By the way,
Gordon was one of those margin moves. But all of
a sudden they lost KCP. Well, KCP was their shot
maker late of if Yo Kitch wasn't and they lose
it was it Bruce Brown. They lost another and you
(09:19):
start losing those guys. Well, Yo Kich is still great,
Gordon's still great, Porter, still Porter, Jamal Murray still Jamal Murray,
Malone can still coach. It was the guys on the
edges they got bad. They got worse defensively, they became
too yokicch dependent. If Murray got hurt, they didn't have
another shot creator. So it is now becoming a margins league.
(09:41):
And this is what Boston just did. They got a
guy who's aging off the books. They get draft picks
busted O's against multiple draft picks. They get a younger,
cheaper player with an expiring contract who can shoot a
bunch of threes the day the season ends. The minute
the season ends. They don't do it during like Phoenix,
they don't do it. You know, Houston and Phoenix, they're
(10:03):
doing it day of the finals. Lee does not like that.
The minute the season ends. Brad Stevens oooh, next day,
got a deal, draft picks younger chiefer player off the
books in the year as Tatum's hurt. So you can
go big game hunting. And I'm not opposed to big
game hunting, but I don't consider Katie the Houston big
game hunting. Jannie is big game hunting. But when I
(10:25):
look at KD, you are accentuating a strength, you move
some pieces, but you don't have to pay a five
year max for KD. That doesn't feel like big game hunting.
It's smart hunting. But boy, Boston does it. Danny Ainge,
Brad Stevens, it's got This is what the NFL is
really all about, you know. It's like, that's why I
(10:45):
kept saying for Chicago, they went and got DJ Moore,
didn't win any more games. Watched Joe Tooney, Drew Dollman,
the center, Joonah Dak all those interior offensive linemen feel
more like, well, kind of marginal moves. We don't talk
guards on this show. Watch Chicago improve dramatically. It's not
(11:06):
just the wide receiver, the left tackle in the quarterback.
So the Celtics do it again. You know you you
know this as a former you work for the Philadelphia Eagles.
You know this is that the media, myself included, we
love the big swing, but a lot of times it's
it's fixing your guard center guard combination. And then the
(11:26):
NBA it's it's getting that first guy off the bench
and adding depth. It's becoming a depth league because you
can't stack your roster.
Speaker 4 (11:34):
I was with the Eagles when they signed Non the
awesome Wah didn't go well last last year. How he
signed Zach Bahn, all Pro Super Bowl Special Teams guy,
four million dollars. You know that's that.
Speaker 1 (11:46):
That that it's a remarkable how this stuff works so
good for Boston. We got a lot of stuff today.
Caitlin Clark smartly turns down an offer. We find out today,
draft tomorrow, and one play I think is pulling a
little bit of a Shador Sanders and I don't love it.
We'll talk about that.
Speaker 2 (12:05):
Be sure to catch live editions of The Herd weekdays
and neon Eastern non am Pacific on Fox Sports Radio
FS one and the iHeartRadio app.
Speaker 4 (12:14):
Hi, this is Jay.
Speaker 6 (12:15):
I'm the producer of the Paula and Toni Fusco Show.
Usually in these promos they ask you to listen to
the show. I'm here to ask you please, don't listen
to the show. The hosts are two absolute morons who
have the dumbest takes on sports, imagicable. Don't listen to
the show so it can get camps.
Speaker 3 (12:29):
What the hell are you doing our studio get him?
Speaker 5 (12:31):
Paula, Ignore that fool. Listen to the Pauline Tony Fusco
Show on the iHeartRadio app or wherever you get your podcast.
Speaker 2 (12:40):
He's still Moving.
Speaker 4 (12:43):
Sunday on Fox with the Gold Cup quarterfinal as the
US men's national team takes on Costa Rica. No Easy Pat,
No Second Chances. Coverage begins Sunday at six pm Eastern
on Fox.
Speaker 1 (12:55):
Nick Wright joining us top of next hour, so a
lot of things going on. Rick pit Tino will join
us tomorrow. I am told it is a very good draft.
Last year was very international. You know my take on this,
I think going forward, college basketball players will mostly dominate
the draft, where it's been very internationally driven many times.
(13:16):
And my theory is is that the NIL, not that
it saved college basketball, but it has made college basketball
much better. NIL. Now American colleges are able to go
buy the best European players at eighteen, and there's been
stories that they may consider shuddering the Spanish League because
American colleges now with the NIL, are buying up their
(13:38):
best players. So they come over here and play, they
get excellent coaching. Also, the G League, which I've always
thought is nonsense. It was like trying to hurt college
basketball and marginalize it. Very few G League players Amn
Thompson is one of the few G League guys I
really really love. Most of them never kind of define
their games. These finals were all about guys went to
(14:00):
college for at least two years. SGA is an exception,
Chet Holmgren was an exception, but it was a lot
of two and three year players. So I think college
basketball is being empowered. And Rick Patino, we'll talk about
the draft. It is Rutger guys, and it's Arizona guys,
and it's Duke guys. And I think that helps the NBA.
(14:21):
That's what makes college football in the NFL so great.
As the marriage is that you're rooting four against Baker Mayfield,
but you know who he is. You're viscerally connected to
Baker Mayfield or Caleb Williams. You may not like Lincoln Riley,
but you were interested in Kayleb Williams because of Lincoln Riley.
And these college guys there's just you know they're either
not they're going international, they're going G League, They're gonna
(14:44):
play college basketball. You're going to see him at least
one year in March. But like a Zach Edy, Purdue
can pony up some money and he can stand another year.
And I was interested to watch Zach Edy last year
in college basketball. If Purdue was on, I was watching.
I think this is gonna empower college basketball. The drafts
going forward are gonna be more It's not that they're
(15:04):
gonna be more domestic, but there's gonna be higher quality,
more mature players like Cooper Flag that can help you immediately.
And I think Cooper Flag with that great back front
line for Dallas, I think he comes in averages eighteen
a game. They're a playoff team. I think Dallas of
healthy will be the second best team in the West
next year. It'll go, you know, oksee Houston in Dallas
(15:28):
gonna be very good. John, you're looking at me, You
ready to go? I'm ready, Okay, I'm just gab fest
over here. So we're gonna do af seed today, We're
gonna do NFCED tomorrow. These are our surprises. These would
be surprising moves and big headlines if they happen all start.
I think Kansas City is a wild card team. And
(15:49):
Jim Harbaugh and the Chargers now they have their running
back situation and offensive tackles set upgrade at receiver. Last year,
the only thing they were missing was juice. Offensively, their
defense almost near the top of the league. It went
from last to near first in one year. They built
the culture last year. But free agency and a draft,
(16:09):
and you know, you know, Harbaugh's good at the draft.
I think they're going to be one of the better
teams in the league. I think they're an eleven twelve
win team, and the Chiefs come into the season, which
would concern me with offensive line issues. So I like
the Chargers to win the division.
Speaker 2 (16:25):
You're gonna think I'm nuts.
Speaker 4 (16:27):
Daniel Jones leads the Colts to the playoffs. This race
is over. He's gonna be the starting quarterback. You would
have said two years ago. Baker Mayfield leads Tampa to
the playoffs, no chance. Last year, Sam Darnold leads the
Minnesota Vikings the fourteen wins. No chance.
Speaker 2 (16:41):
What does he get in an Indy an.
Speaker 4 (16:43):
Offensive coach who created the start of Jalen Hurts's career. Yes,
a great running game, a lot like a couple of
years ago when he had a healthy sake one Barkley.
Jonathan Taylor almost had fifteen hundred yards last year. The
division stinks. The Jags haven't been good ever. Obviously, the
Houston Texas life a lot of moving parts, a lot
of question marks with the offense, and the Titans no death.
(17:04):
So when you just look at the division, you look
at recent high picks who've resurrected their career. The Colts
have pretty good players, and just a couple of years ago,
Lou Ammaruno. They're a new defensive coordinator, one of the
best defensive coordinators in the league. Did he just get
dumb overnight. No, the Bengals let all their players go,
so I think the Colts Daniel Jones a little like
Alex Smith when Jim Harbaugh got to the Niners. They're
(17:26):
not gonna ask them to do some They're not looking
for forty touchdowns here, throw me twenty.
Speaker 1 (17:30):
Interesting Mike Tomlin and the Steelers after eighteen years when
a losing record will have one. First of all, I
think Baltimore, now they've upgraded their secondary, may have the
second best roster to Philadelphia in the sport. I think
Joe Burrow maybe the best quarterback on any Sunday in
the sport. Aaron Rodgers the quarterback, well, he was five
and twelve last year. He didn't do well with the
(17:52):
defensive culture in New York. There's less dysfunction in Pittsburgh,
but not necessarily on the offensive side. They lost their
leading rusher, their left tackle, their leading receiver. I like
DK Metcalf, but he can me Booty too. I just
think the reality is they spend too much money on defense,
not enough on offense. The TJ. Watt contract extension will
be hovering over their head. I don't think they're going
(18:14):
to be a six win team, but I think eight
is probably the number. Mike Tomlin finally losing record.
Speaker 4 (18:22):
Zach Taylor seems like a good guy, but I think
this will be his last season in Cincinnati. The Bengals
will have a new coach twenty twenty six. This team
feels like an NBA team, star players everywhere, high price.
Speaker 2 (18:33):
Something's missing.
Speaker 4 (18:34):
I mean their star defensive player, which you kind of need.
A pass rusher nowhere to be found. The guy they
drafted to replace him showed up said I'm out. I
mean classic Bengals Joe Burrow. We saw him throw a
bunch of touchdowns last year, have an incredible offensive season.
They still couldn't make the playoffs. Crazy divisions hard, We're
all going to pick the Ravens. The conference is really hard.
(18:54):
How good the AFC West is now? The Patriots are
going to be much better. We think that the AFC
South would be a little morempetitive. I just think this
Bengals thing, you could see it coming from a mile away.
And the other thing, when you have Joe Burrow and
you have Jamar Chase. Some of these guys in their contract,
think how desirable that job would be for some of
these coaches. And I just think that Zach Taylor again.
Speaker 2 (19:15):
Seems like a nice guy.
Speaker 4 (19:16):
They always start slow, and they do a lot of
negative momentum. I feel like coming into this season for
the Bengals.
Speaker 1 (19:23):
And my final one Dolphins blowout, Mike McDaniel and the GM.
They went from number two scoring offense to twenty two
last year. Inexplicably bad offensive line and no backup to Tua.
If you have two as a quarterback, the two things
you have to have are a good old line and
a capable backup. They have neither. They overpaid for Jalen Ramsey.
(19:44):
Now they're looking, you know, Tyreek Hill. A lot of
splashy moves. I don't feel like there's a lot of steak.
It's a lot of sizzle. The best teams in this
league none of them have bad old lines. They just
lost Armstead just retired, So I don't like their direction.
I think McDaniels this is a team that's run through coaches.
(20:05):
Scott Greer, don't know him, but I haven't loved the moves.
I think both Greer Chris Greer. I think Chris Greer
and Mike McDaniel are gone after eight. Remember New England
now is really good, potentially really good. Buffalo is winning
the division, third place against both the GM and the
coach removed.
Speaker 4 (20:23):
Speaking of the Patriots, I think they make the playoffs.
I mean, is there a bigger coaching upgrade? I mean
Pete Carroll and Mike Frable, But Mike Frable's got more
to work with. Like you said, the defense stinks. And
the other thing is they got an offensive coordinator to
go with Drake Mate Josh McDaniels. Not a great head coach,
excellent offensive coordinator. Patriots schedule not very difficult. I like
the Patriots to be playing some games in January like old.
Speaker 1 (20:44):
Times, you know. So here we go. I got the
Chargers winning the AFC West. The Steelers will have a
losing record, probably eight and nine. The Dolphins start over,
total reboot, and then John I don't think Daniel Jones
leading the coach to the playoffs. They made the playoffs
in New.
Speaker 4 (21:01):
York, I know, and way more talent on this roster. Again,
they're just looking nine ten wins. I'm not talking twelve, thirteen.
Could he save Chris Ballard and change Sichin's career. Owners
you passed away recently. Obviously the girls are now in charge.
Speaker 1 (21:14):
I've said that, you know, I think I've said this.
You've heard me say this. I like everything about the Colts.
They when Andrew Luck retired, they get Wentz. It was
pretty good, and then they get Philip Rivers. For a
year it was actually excellent, but they felt like the
late owner had a strong opinion on the quarterback situation.
And Andrew Luck leaving really illustrates how hard it is
(21:39):
to find a quarterback because they're old. Line's good, they
get a pass rush, they've got nice receivers, they have
a star backfield. They have maybe the first or second
mess guard in the league in quit Now they have
really good pieces. But when Andrew Luck retired, they did
a remarkable job Wentz into Philip Rivers. They're just trying.
It's a life preserver offense situation, and Daniel Jones may
(22:02):
be it. We're not talking thirteen wins, but playoffs in
that division may be nine for sure. Nick right around
the corner.
Speaker 2 (22:12):
One more herd. 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 (22:23):
Here we go. It's hour two tomorrow at this time.
Rick Patino, NBA draft Nick right in five minutes live.
We're in Los Angeles today. It's the Herd. Wherever you
may be and however you may be listening. Thanks for
making us part of your day, you know, John, Like
everybody else, I have to be on my phone from
time to time. I'm not a huge fan of sort
of the sky is falling, sort of narrative constantly on
(22:44):
the phone. It gets a lot of clicks. It's grievance,
it's outrage. It's the sky is falling, it's doom. I
don't buy into that. My favorite sandwich is still peanut
butter and jelly. I take naps every day. I still
watch television. I've been hearing for years dying. Everything's up
on TV. So I was thinking about this a number, John,
(23:05):
and you to You're like me when everybody says you
got to get rid of your cable, I'm like, I
like college football. How do I get rid of cable? Yeah?
I need to watch my Big Dead football. There's games
on cable, so I was thinking about this game seven
on ABC delivered the most watched NBA Finals game in
six years. People are starving for content. I've been hearing
(23:25):
for you. Oh, television is dying. I don't know. I
watch a lot of it. The NFL's up, the WNBA
is up, Indy car Racing is up, the Gold Cup,
Our B team against Haiti was up from last year.
I don't know. Everything's up. Baseball's up now. I do
think there are challenges in hockey and basketball and baseball
(23:47):
during the regular season because we're becoming a very much
an event country. But I've never bought into the television
it's going away. I heard that about newspapers forty years ago,
and I have never been a subscriber to more newspapers
than I am today. I like content. The other thing
I don't buy into is the NBA is doomed. Global league,
(24:12):
seventy six billion dollar TV deal, Amazon and NBC and
ESPNS involved. The Lakers just sold for ten billion dollars
and their number one sponsor is YouTube. The NBA is
just fine. The other thing I don't believe in is
that market size. For years and years I banged on this,
stop being afraid of New York. Look at the NFL
(24:32):
the last five years. You could argue that two New
York teams in Chicago were the biggest tire fires. You
know who's great, Buffalo, Kansas City, Green Bay, I say Buffalo.
Look at the NBA, Indye, Oklahoma City, Boring, Denver. I
mean Boston actually didn't get the number. Okase and Indie
(24:55):
just got. Look at the WNBA. The Indiana Fever and
their star players from Iowa never bought into. The NBA's dying.
Everybody is getting rich in the NBA. It works with
young people. It's amazing on social Look at how much
money the players now make on shoes in apparel. The
league is fine. You may not like it, but there's
a lot of fourteen to thirty three year olds. It's
(25:17):
their favorite sport. It's fine. The TV deal shows that,
and the rating shows that. The other thing is, you know,
big markets. The league is rig for big markets. Let
me tell you. If the NFL and the NBA are
rigged for big markets, they're doing an atrocious job. The
NFL's dominated by small markets. I mean, Cincinnati should have
made the playoffs with Joe Burrow. We already got Buffalo Baltimore,
(25:41):
Green Bay, Kansas City. The New York team stink. I'd
argue the New York teams are the most hopeless in
the NFL this year, the two New York teams. So,
I mean, we had a pack twelve with all big markets.
La San Francisco Seattle had dried up. They moved over
to the Big ten because there's a lot more money
in the Big ten than the glamor is Pac twelve.
With the La San Francisco, Seattle markets, We're all gonna
(26:04):
be okay. Shaq talked about market size recently.
Speaker 3 (26:08):
Yeah, when I was coming up, it was small market.
You're too small. You probably need to go to a
big market. I'm taking pins of them. But now every
market is the same. Nobody cares with city here and anymore.
This ain't the nineties. Bigger market doesn't matter. Social media
is the market now.
Speaker 1 (26:25):
Yep, social media is the market. So yesterday, I don't
know why I got heat for this. I thought it
was incredibly rational. I said, over the last seven years,
we've had seven different champions. We know they're not as
good as the KD Splash Brothers, Draymond team. We know
they're not as good as the Duncan, Janobli, Parker Popovich.
We know they're not MJ's bulls. They're not Shaq and Kobe,
(26:46):
they're not Showtime, they're not the Michale Bird the Walton team,
we know they're not that. It's more seventies, which I
grew up with. I love the rick Berry Warriors and
the Bill Walton Blazers in the DJ and Gus Williams,
Jack Sick Masonics. I love those teams. The Washington Bullets
with Unsealed Hayes, Shaneer, Bobby Dandridge. I love those teams.
(27:08):
But the following decade sort of there was a rebirth
of the NBA. So Nick Wright is joining me. So
yesterday I ranked I ranked the last seven champions, catching
a lot.
Speaker 7 (27:20):
Of heat, Colin, which I know, I listen. I know
you're not checking your mentions, but I know you got
plenty of people on your multiple staffs that come to
you and they're like, Colin, the internet's ripping you. So
can I if I just can jump in? Yeah, my
only major gripe would be I would I would at
(27:42):
the very least flip flop Thunder Warriors. I think you're
under selling the Thunder a bit, and I think that
Warriors team. It was a great postseason run and Steph
was unbelievable, But when their second best offensive players, Andrew Wiggins,
I think that there's and they weren't a dominant regular
season team. So I would have the Thunder at least
(28:04):
at four, if not at three. But what people are
ripping you for is a version of Lebron James derangement syndrome.
How could you have the twenty twenty Lakers number one
when here are the facts about one of the most
disrespected champions, maybe the most disrespected champion of the last
(28:24):
twenty five years. Agree that Laker team started the year
twenty four and three.
Speaker 1 (28:31):
They earned home.
Speaker 7 (28:32):
Court advantage throughout the NBA playoffs, did not get that
home court advantage because it was in the bubble, and
still swept through the West in five games in every series,
and then won the finals in an easy six despite
remarkable Jimmy Butler performance. They then followed that up, well,
(28:55):
how did they defend their title the day Lebron James
got hurt when Solomon Hill did a somersault into his ankle.
The Los Angeles Lakers, it was they were twenty eight
and thirteen. It was the midway point of the next season.
They had the best record in the entire NBA halfway
through the season following their title.
Speaker 2 (29:16):
I would then.
Speaker 7 (29:17):
Add this, Take the best player on all of those
champions twenty twenty. Lebron is eye to eye with twenty
three Joker and twenty one Giannis. And take the second
best player on all those champions twenty twenty Anthony Davis
is markedly better than any of these other team's second
(29:38):
best player. That was so that is here's the deal, Colin.
Here's why you know that there is a fan and
some media obsession with misremembering the career of Lebron James.
Speaker 1 (29:56):
Almost all of.
Speaker 7 (29:58):
The NBA's biggest myths biggest lies either have to do
with tearing down Lebron or uplifting a guy he's competing with.
There isn't a single NBA myth or lie that you're like, oh, oh,
that's interesting that one works in Lebron's favor.
Speaker 1 (30:16):
No, they all go in one direction.
Speaker 7 (30:19):
And the idea that the twenty twenty Lakers got lucky
by the bubble being no home court advantage when they
had home court advantage is one of the most ridiculous
things I've ever heard, but it's what everybody says.
Speaker 1 (30:33):
And by the way, it should be noted it was
the only time in my life in the playoffs where
young teams overwhelmingly flourished because the older married players missed
their kids and family, and the Lakers were an old team.
They were the only old NBA team with veterans that
crushed all the other So they had to fight, you know,
because as you get older, you get kids and family.
(30:54):
You have kids and family, you don't want to go
to four week roady in Orlando. So the bottom line is,
I'm with you. People forget how good they were to
start that season. They were dominant through twenty seven to
thirty games. Okay, yeah, go ahead, absolutely, go ahead.
Speaker 7 (31:08):
No, no, no, they were dominant that year.
Speaker 1 (31:11):
They rolled through the playoffs.
Speaker 7 (31:12):
They then had the best record in the NBA at
the midway point of the next season, they were the
favorites the day Lebron got hurt, they were the Vegas
favorites to go back to back. And so it's just
total recreation of history. We all agree that with I
think the only real other controversy you're probably understelling thunder
(31:32):
a bit, but otherwise finalists, you shouldn't gotten dragged on Twitter.
Speaker 1 (31:35):
I have your back, Okay. So I said this about
Kevin Durant is that I didn't understand his lack of market.
I'm like, listen, players like him. He doesn't need the
ball in his hands. He's arguably the best jump shooter
in the league. He's not a great defender. But Houston
has so much damn length, and so does San Antonio.
(31:57):
I'm like, this guy is a this is a You
don't have to bake him. He's a microwave player. You
need about four practices in two games and he'll give
you twenty five. I think Houston is a great fit.
Let's start with this. Were you surprised at the pushback
on well, you'd have to sign a couple of big years.
(32:19):
I'm like, bench guys make fifteen million. I was surprised
that there wasn't a livelier market.
Speaker 7 (32:25):
Well, so I wasn't surprised by the market, because I
do think you have to thread the needle of like.
I don't think Kevin Durant would have made as much
since for San Antonio or Miami because neither one of
those teams are Kevin Durant away from winning a championship,
(32:46):
and when you trade for him, what you are really
trading for is this coming season, and you hope next
season as well, the twenty seven season, and then after
that he'll be forty and it's probably in a difference
in situation. So I understood the market, but I agree
with you wholeheartedly in this regard. This is the perfect
(33:09):
trade for Houston. So Houston replaces Jalen Green, who in
the playoffs, despite having I think a thirty seven point
single game, averaged thirteen points on less than forty percent
from the field, less than thirty percent from three. He
could not make a shot, he could not create a shot,
(33:30):
and you replace him with one of the best shot
makers and shot creators for himself in the history of
the league. You have now a starting lineup of Van Vliet,
who's a steady champ, I'm in Thompson, who is a
future star defensive player of the your caliber guy, Kevin Durant,
Jabari Smith, the top five pick, and Shngoon. And you
(33:52):
didn't decimate your bench. Coming off the bench, you still
have Tarry Eason, Steven Adams, Reed Shepherd, who they took
in the top five last year. But Udoka didn't, you know,
want to play a rookie, but he'll play a lot
in cam Whitmore. You go nine deep, you can defend,
you have a great coach. You now have a bucket
(34:13):
at the end of games. And Shingoon is the connector.
And so the critique on Durant has been about leadership stuff.
Udoka will take care of that. I think right as
we sit here today, and you know it's early. Obviously
season ended two days ago, but when I look at
next year, I think the Rockets have a real path
(34:34):
to being the Western Conference champion, and I would I
miss seeing Kevin Durant in big games. Some of that
has been bad luck. Some of that's been bad choices,
some of that's been bad teams. Like you know, it's
a big stew Some of it's on him, some of
it's not. But the fact of the matter is this Colin.
In the six years before he went to Golden State,
(34:56):
his final six in Oklahoma City, he made the conference
fin finals four of those six years, in the NBA
finals once in the three years in Golden State obviously
three straight NBA finals. In the six years since then,
he has won two playoff series. He has never been
out of round two. For a guy who lived at
(35:17):
you know, mid May, end of May, beginning of June
NBA playoff basketball for the first decade of his career.
I want him to have one last act. And I
still think he's right around the tenth best player in
the league.
Speaker 1 (35:30):
He is.
Speaker 7 (35:30):
It is a great addition, and I do not think
they gave up too much at all.
Speaker 1 (35:35):
Okay, So I'm looking at my topics here. I don't
you get so agitated when I pick the Chargers over
the Chiefs so as you do it every year, I am,
and it's not home.
Speaker 7 (35:50):
I don't And by the way, it's not out of
Chiefs defense. It's out of Colin Coward protectionism. You know
how much you've meant to me, You know how much
I love you, and I hate that every year you
do this to yourself, that every year it's either the
Bronco and you flip a coin. Is it Sean Baiton
and the Broncos, or is it my friends the Chargers
who are gonna beat the Chiefs. And then you're just wrong?
(36:12):
But go ahead, I'll let you do it again, I guess.
Speaker 1 (36:14):
Okay, So John and I John Middlakoff. Do you know John?
Have you met John before?
Speaker 3 (36:18):
Yeah?
Speaker 7 (36:18):
Of course, never in person, but I obviously know Johnny
does a great job. And his three bold predictions made
a lot of sense, unlike yours.
Speaker 1 (36:27):
So let's just go to mind. Let's not let's not
throw shade at John. So no, John's were great, okay,
and you and you probably do agree. The Dolphins are
no steak in a lot of sizzle. I think they're gonna.
I think they're they're gonna and I think to so.
The one that bothers you are the Chargers when the
AFC West. And here's my take is that I've watched
(36:47):
Harbaugh and year two everywhere. First year he builds the culture,
but he needs two years to build the roster. And
their roster is now really, really good. And I don't
know what the Chief's O line is. I don't know
what it is. They're receivers. I hope they stay out
of personal issues. But that's been sketchy. Don't you think
(37:08):
it's time? Didn't you see the vulnerability of the Chiefs
last year.
Speaker 7 (37:12):
When Mahomes played and they went fifteen and one and
were seventeen and one. Mahomes playing going into the Super Bowl. Yeah, listen,
I said it before and I'll say it again. The
twenty twenty four of Kansas City Chiefs were, without a doubt,
the worst one loss two time defending champion I've ever seen.
Now they're the only one lost two time defending champion.
But yeah, but I just somebody and the I know
(37:37):
the Chiefs looked bad in the Super Bowl.
Speaker 5 (37:39):
They did.
Speaker 7 (37:40):
I also know your beloved Justin Herbert is. I think
he just threw another pick against the Texans. That game's
been over for four months. But I'm sure they're flying
high going into the offseason. But here is the problem.
The problem is this. Patrick Mahomes in his career is
thirty five and five against the AFC West. Patrick Mahomes
(38:02):
in his career has started seven years. They have won
the division seven times. They have played in the AFC
Championship seven times. They have won the conference five times.
To pick against Reid and Mahomes is just lunacy. And
I would evidence it by whenever you do your other divisions,
(38:26):
every other team in the league that you believe clearly
has the best coach and quarterback in its division, you
will pick to win that division. Except for the team
that always wins the division, that is always there. And
so I think that I do think like maybe because
(38:47):
sometimes you know, there's like take Osmosis and j Mack
has just been he's you know, he is playing, he's
betting zero on the roulette wheel every time. He's like,
when it comes up, I'm gonna.
Speaker 1 (38:58):
Be a genius.
Speaker 7 (38:59):
And so he says better into the Chiefs every year,
and I think it is rubbed off on you a
bit now. So maybe with middle coolf there now, I
thought John's predictions were excellent. I also though if he
has the Patriots and who's the other team he has
in the playoffs.
Speaker 1 (39:14):
Oh, the Colts.
Speaker 7 (39:16):
I respect that because that's going to mean there are
some teams everyone has penciled into the playoffs that are
going to be left without a chair, and so obviously
the Bengals are one of them, according to John. So
I do respect a non Chalky prediction.
Speaker 1 (39:34):
But I'll tell you this much.
Speaker 7 (39:35):
It's not gonna be the Chiefs without a chair. And
it's not gonna be the Chiefs not winning their division.
Speaker 1 (39:39):
Okay, that's fair, let's see. Okay, one more thing. The
draft is tomorrow, I said, earlier. I always defect. I
never like going to a restaurant that's got a signature dish,
like just do everything well. Last night, I by the way,
overlooking palm trees in the Pacific Ocean in Santa Monica,
I had a vhy swat a nice lockdown thinking of you,
(40:01):
and as I had dinner, I was in a restaurant
where everybody ordered a bunch of stuff and it was
all amazing. And my take is, I don't want to
go to a place that's got a sixteen egg omelet.
Just dude. And I've always said Lebron doesn't have a
signature move, and my take is, because he does everything well,
I don't need the skyhook. He just gets the best
(40:22):
players the best shots. So they're saying Cooper Flag doesn't
have a bag, and my take is it's been the
most overrated thing of my life. Kareem had one because
he didn't have the ball in his hands. You didn't
give centers the ball like you do now at mid court,
like you had to wait for the ball late in
the shot clock. What do you make about the criticism.
(40:42):
You know, Lebron, he didn't have a go to signature
move like Jay.
Speaker 7 (40:48):
Yeah, so I also again this right, of course this
is but this is again to go back to what
I first said, Every NBA myth starts and ends with
the same theme. We must elevate Michael Jordan at the
expense of Lebron James. And so there's just there there.
It's never the other direction on the myts.
Speaker 1 (41:10):
There's some of that on the facts, but not the myths.
Speaker 7 (41:13):
So like, does Lebron have one single move, Like you
close your eyes and you think of Lebron, that's what
he did. And the answer to that question is it's
actually probably a chase down block, right, that's you close
your eyes, you think of it. But on offense, when
you can do everything, then you don't have to do
(41:33):
any one thing specifically. People will say for Jordan, his
signature move was the mid range turnaround, but that's only
only young people think young Ish people think that because
that was a ninety six to ninety eight Jordan's signature
post baseball, Jordan's signature early in his career was I'm
(41:54):
gonna go down the middle of the lane, jump in
the air, and figure it out about force seconds later
because I can hang and I'm such a great athlete
that I can figure this out on the fly. He
wasn't this mid range assassin he became later in his career.
Here is what I will say about Cooper Flag. There
is not a single person alive who was a finished
(42:18):
product at what they ended up being at eighteen and
a half years old. The most important number with Cooper
Flag is his date of birth. He reclassified he is
when he gets to the league. Since we're talking about Lebron,
he will be only two weeks older, two weeks older
than Lebron was when Lebron entered the league and Lebron
(42:41):
skipped college. He turns nineteen nineteen in December of his
rookie year. So the fact that Cooper Flag does basically
everything pretty well is to me a brilliant place to start.
He'll figure out a couple things.
Speaker 1 (42:59):
He great.
Speaker 7 (43:01):
But what I think sometimes happens to young star athletes,
and maybe this is why signature moves can be at
times overrated, is they figure out what they do really well,
and they end up spending all their time or a
lot of their time perfecting that as other things atrophy
a bit. Yeah, it feels to me like Cooper Flagg,
(43:23):
you know, is a b to an a minus at
almost everything you can be, and so he'll figure out,
you know, where his ultimate strength is. But listen, I
do I think he's a future League MVP. I think
that's a little strong. Do I think he's a no
doubt consensus first overall? Pick absolutely, and I think he'll
be just fine.
Speaker 1 (43:44):
Nick right bringing the heat. Really enjoyed it today. You know, basically,
I'm I'm here a little bit of your speedback. But
I enjoy that. I enjo filche well, No, I gave
you credit. I had you listen you.
Speaker 7 (43:57):
Our relationship on this show is actually a perfect It's
just a homeostasis where when you're right, I affirm you,
and when you're wrong, I try to prevent you from
public embarrassment.
Speaker 1 (44:10):
And if I can't, then I just have to inflict it.
That's all it is. Talk to you later,
Hosts And Creators
Colin Cowherd
Jason McIntyre
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