The Herd - Hour 3 - NFL offseason

Thoughts on the NFL offseason moves

Tomorrow's headlines today

What will the NBA Finals come down to?

 

Guest: Ben Volin

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Episode Transcript

Speaker 1 (00:00):
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(00:24):
family from Mercedes Bands. Check them out MBUSA dot com.
A lot of NFL this week, Aaron Rodgers. We think
transitioning eventually to the New York Jets. Lamar Jackson's contract,
it's on hold. We don't know what they're doing. The
New England Patriots so populars so discussed, and then Tom
Brady left. Where are they now? Ben voland Patriots writer

(00:48):
for the Globe for years, covered the league for fifteen.
So they brought into Juice Smith Schuster, and my takeaway was,
this is what they used to do to other teams.
They'd bring a guy in a short contract, Incentive Leyden,
he hits, they let it go. Juju tends to be,
you know, brand obsessed. I mean, our government may get
rid of the tech talk so I don't know where
that stands, but he's been a guy that's been distracted.

(01:10):
He doesn't separate from others. You know. My takeaway is
signing him to a three year deal. Kansas City pulled
a Patriot incentives productive CIA little surprised at all by
Juju Smiths contract in the length of it. Yeah, let
the other team pay him the real contract, right, Patriots did.
That's the new reality for the Patriots. It was just

(01:32):
two years ago that they went out and bought a
whole bunch of free agents Hunter, Henry, john Us Smith,
Nelson Agloor, Matthew Judon. Judon was great, Henry's okay, the
other guys didn't really work out so well. So, but
this is the Patriots reality now in the post Tom
Brady era. They have to be the highest bidder to
get some of these free agents, and their drafting hasn't

(01:53):
been great, so they've needed to go out and sign
these free agents. I like this Smith Schuster signing. I
think it is an upgrad over Jacoby Myers. Gives you
a little more physicality, a little more quickness yards after
the catchability than what Myers provided you for a few years.
But you're taking a risk, of course, with the chemistry,
and can Judy Smith Schuster get on board with the

(02:15):
Patriots offense quickly. That's been a problem here in New
England in the past, so there's some risk. My overall takeaway,
Colin is I like the move, but if this is it,
then the Patriots are in trouble because this is not
the move that the Patriots really need, which is to
get an elite number one receiver, sign someone like Odell
Beckham Jr. Or make a big trade for a Jerry

(02:36):
Judy or a te Higgins. They need to go get
a game breaker. I like Smith Schuster, I like going
out getting Mike GISICKI I think they have some good pieces.
I still think they're missing that game breaker. And often
fin the way is has there been any disconnect Belichick
and Robert Kraft. I mean, let's let's just be honest.
Craft was always closer to Brady. They don't win as

(02:57):
much without Brady. Is there a little disconnect? I do
think you've seen a little bit of a disconnect crop
up this offseason. And I don't know if it's disconnect
as much as it is Robert Kraft and the Craft
family kind of taking control, and I think you're seeing
that the Bill O'Brien hire. Rob Gronkowski had an interesting

(03:18):
comment last week where he kept saying they paid him
head coach money, Bill O'Brien to get him to come
and be offensive coordinator. That's only a decision that the
owner is making to pay him the big contract. And
the last time they did that was with Josh McDaniels
to get him to not go to the Colts. That
was another owner decision. You saw the Patriots. They released
a letter the day after the season from the Crafts

(03:39):
to all the season ticket holder saying, no one is
satisfied and we're gonna re examine all aspects of the organization.
They announced via press release that yes, we're going to
be hiring, interviewing, and hiring a real offensive coordinator this year.
No more of this Matt Patricia experiment. And they go
out and get Bill O'Brien, who I believe it was
more of an ownership decision than a Bill bell check decision.

(04:00):
So I think what you're seeing is the Crafts rolling
up their sleeves and taking charge a little bit more
this offseason. And Belichick, look, we all have bosses, we
all have people we have to answer to, and I
think he doesn't really want to go anywhere. So I
think that's kind of the dynamic that you're seeing right
now into England. You know, it's interesting Ben Belichick, and
he deserves credit, but he foisted on these average young

(04:22):
quarterbacks in division forever. Well now he can't even force
Josh Allen to punt. Tua has played well against him,
and Aaron Rodgers would be a game changer. Is that
not only did he lose Brady, but their stability or
excellence between the coaches and the quarterbacks, which there wasn't
for twenty years. The Jets were in chaos Rex Ryan years.

(04:46):
The exception that this happens all the time in business,
it happens in other sports, is that the culture has changed.
They don't get they don't get value on guys because
Brady's not there, so guys don't take pay cuts, they overspend,
not get value. And frankly, they may have Aaron Rodgers
signs have the least talented quarterback and now a quarterback

(05:09):
league like the world's changed. And it's very obvious right
that from the outside, that's what it feels like. A
cultural shift in the sport and in the division, and
they're now fourth in a lot of areas like offensive
skill people. Colin, I think you're right on. And my
colleague Dan Shaughnessy as a phrase, he always said the

(05:31):
Patriots would just beat up on the Tomato Cans of
the AFC East, the Dolphins, the Bills, the Jets for
nearly twenty years, those franchises just couldn't get it right
at quarterback. You mentioned the Rex Ryan years in New York.
That was about it. Otherwise, you know, Tom Brady and
Belichick were like thirty two and three against the Buffalo Bills,
just constantly beating up on these teams who could never
find a quarterback and never figure out the real answer.

(05:53):
And I don't think it's that bad for the Patriots,
but they have become the tomato can the last couple
of years. You've said it. They can't they can't force
Josh Allen to punt. Now they're gonna have to face
Aaron Rodgers and the Jets twice this year, assuming the
trade goes through. And I think that makes the Jets
very dangerous because they I think had an excellent roster
and a very good defense especially and now you have
Aaron Rodgers and then you know too, I still think

(06:15):
there's something for him to prove, but that offense, you
can't deny the production they had last year. And I
think the Patriots are looking at a scenario right now
where they probably have the worst quarterback in the division
in Mac Jones. And this is a huge prove it
year now for Mac coming up in year three, he's
got a real offensive coordinator in Bill O'Brien. I do
believe they're kind of upgrading the weapons around him, though,

(06:36):
like I'd said, I'd like to see another receiver come
in for the Patriots. But Mac Jones, I think now
it's all on him, and he's got a lot to
prove that he is capable of leading the Patriots and
being a franchise quarterback and not just make the playoffs,
but make the Patriots really competitive with the other teams
in their division, which suddenly is looking like the toughest
division in football. You used to cover the Florida Gators

(06:58):
and the Dolphins. Miami again takes Braxton Barrias from the Jets.
They go get Jalen Ramsey. It is a star driven town.
Ramsey's a big hit. It's a distracted beach town. It's
an event town, so stars do matter there. What did
you make of that move for Ramsey? Did feel like
a Dolphin move to you? Yeah, well, just because they're
all in. And I love that the Dolphins are all in.

(07:21):
I thought they took the tanking thing too far under
Brian Flores, where they really tore the team down to
the studs and collected all these draft picks. You don't
necessarily have to go that far in today's NFL, so
I love seeing them do the opposite. They realized they've
got a short window here with two all on a
cheap contract. They've got you know, Tyreek Hill and Waddle
and all these guys like let's strike now. So I

(07:41):
love going out and getting Jalen Ramsey and the defensive
coordinator too, Vic Fanjio, I think that's a tremendous hire
for them. The Dolphins, their defense was only middle of
the pack last year, maybe even a little bit worse
than that. So to get one of the better offensive
defensive coordinators out there to get a shutdown corner Alon
Ramsey's Avian Howard. I still think those are two of

(08:02):
the best in the NFL. Love what the Dolphins are doing.
They're going all in. They're striking while it's hot. Draft
picks don't meet as much for them right now going
for it, and it's the whole opposite of what they
were doing just a few years ago. So good to
see them finally going for Ben Volland covers the Patriots.
Boston Globe covered this league since oh seven. Good scene
you get in a Friday. Have a nice wintry weekend, Budden,

(08:25):
All right, thanks Colin. You bet be sure to catch
live editions of The Herd Weekdays and New n East.
They're nine a Empacific Raiders. Jimmy Garoppolo deal was official.
There were some rumors out there last night it wasn't
official that he passed the physical. I couldn't figure out
what it was. I went down that rabbit hole. Jimmy
Garoppolo and the Raiders are officially official. So it's all good.

(08:47):
J Mac with the news. No, no, this is the
Herd line news. I saw some of that speculation it was.
I think it was Jets fans driving it. Well, what
maybe Jimmy g can hit the market, you know they
need I couldn't. I thought I thought it was either
a money issue, which the Raiders are one of the
poorest ownership groups, or they couldn't write a check big enough,

(09:09):
or it was a physical thing with his injuries. But
it got cleared up today. Oh good, Yeah, all right,
let's start with Dan Campbell and those pesky Detroit Lions
nine and eight last year beat the Packers on the
final night of the season, but they did miss the playoffs.
They also prevented Green Bay from making it. According to
new cornerback Cam Sutton, Dan Campbell has become a draw

(09:30):
for prospective free agents. Now that's a new one. Here's
what he had to say, seeing what he's been doing
around the league, and it's exhilarating. Man Like, guys love
this guy. Guys, he's not just not just a me speaking,
but you see this fait far spread around on the league,
you know what I mean. Guys want to play for him.
Guys want to you know, just to love his energy
and just everything that he brings to the game. And

(09:51):
he's passed. He's going to be always passionate about what
he does. You know that's you need that, you know,
you need someone who's going to be head over heels
and just again just trying to push you in the
right duration and see the biss for you. So listen.
He's an offensive coach, so he's on the right side
of the ball. And in that trade, he got a
more than competent quarterback. And in the front office, I

(10:11):
feel like Detroit is a classic team. They've got an
elite coordinator, a capable quarterback, the front office has drafted
really well, and they've kind of taken the goofy ownership
out of it. I don't think it's just a Dan
Campbell story. If you look at their last two to
three drafts, they've been really strong. Jeff Okuda appears to
be a miss. He had a major injury. But yeah,

(10:34):
But I mean, if I think they have an elite
coordinator and they paid him big money, and then it's
Dan Campbell's motivation, and then it's a front office that's
been very clever. I never thought I watched every single
Amorn Saint Brown college game. I didn't think he'd be
just good at a front I don't think anyone did.
So you got to give them that offense has got

(10:55):
for them to be able to give up Hawkins in
the tight end and still be dynamic offensively. This team
has guts. The front office has some courage here. A
lot of people wouldn't be willing to take the heat
because Hawkinson was a very good tight end and they
moved him in division. Yeah, it's weird. The Dan Campbell
hiring was kind of made fun of throughout the League's
like a raw, raw guy. Nobody thinks of him as

(11:18):
an XS and o's wizard. But Cordon camp Sutton, it
sounds like maybe that works. Hey, you've got your raw
rock coach who's full of energy, got got the team
fired up, and then you've got your great offensive coordinator
and the defensive coordinator handled their jobs. Maybe this potentially
could be a new formula for some teams. It could be.
But they didn't make the playoffs that that should be noted.
They didn't make the playoffs. But you're two with Campbell. Yeah,

(11:41):
but I do feel like trading Matt Stafford getting those picks,
hitting on those picks. You know, it's like I say,
Green Bay. If you move off Aaron and you end
up getting a first and then they pick up some
of his contract, that's it. But you end up getting
Jordan Addison and another pick. Jordan ends up becoming a
sixty catch for a touchdown guy as a rookie because

(12:03):
he's a very refined player, he's not going to take time.
And Christian Watson's emerging, and all of a sudden you
look up and you don't miss Aaron as much like
when you get those picks like Detroit did for Stafford
and you hit on them with like a great tackle
or a great pass rusher or greatness or great that,
whatever their picks were. It makes the Jared Goff playing

(12:24):
with two home run draft picks couldn't suddenly look a
lot closer to Matt Stafford a team that doesn't have
draft picks lose his own alignment and then he's running
for his life and gets banged out. How about this,
Dan Campbell could be could be a not I don't
want to say a poor man, but like a light
version of Mike Tomlin with the Steelers, who is an
awesome coach when it comes to getting the team up

(12:45):
to play. Team personnel motivation. I think that's fair. There's
something there, Yeah, I mean it's I think that's how
we look a man's man kind of a physical stature,
like Mike Vrabels got that as well. Like they're just
like physical guys. There's players as look at Campbell, Tomlin
and Rabel and it's like like a peer, right, it's
not like a coach. Yeah, and I think there's value

(13:07):
in that. I think Tomlin's a really good comp on
that right. Next up is Odell Beckham Junior. According to
a report, the Ravens, Chiefs and Cowboys are interested in OBJ,
but another report says Odell is looking for a multi
year deal. That sounds a little strange. Sequon Barkley also
replied to a video of Obj's workout, saying he's still

(13:29):
that guy, to which Odell replied, tell Giants GM Joe
Shane to call my agent. I got more expletive left
to do. I heard this workout was good? Oh against
air Well. I mean he's running around in a field
catching passes. Shot. Come on too, Do you think Odell
Beckham would be a productive player if you put him

(13:52):
on the Giants? Not the Giants. Let's say put him
on here's my concern you you can't put him on
a medium to bad team because he will take up
too much oxygen. With the Rams. He was like the reporters,
they're not running to Odell Beckham Junior for a quote
with the Rams because they got Aaron Donald, Jalen Ramsey,
Matt Stafford Cooper. Like they have leaders on that team.
Who are the leaders on the Giants? Daniel Jones like

(14:14):
the back. That's what I'm saying. Yeah, but if you
put him on New England with accurate mac Jones, I
don't think he'd want to go there. Okay, all right,
let me throw These teams are Ravens, Chiefs and Cowboys. Listen,
Kansas City Chiefs just slide him. I mean they could
take Darius Tony, who was a bit spotty off the field,
and then boom, he's a model citizen and crushing it. Um.

(14:36):
I think anybody could work with the Chiefs. You got
Andy Reid, right, do you think with Kansas City sixty
five catches, six touchdowns? Yeah, but they're not giving him
a multi year deal. No, but I'm saying he'd be
I still contend he could be productive. Thirsty five might
be high because they spread it around again, Yes, tell
me true l But he he's still a playmaker. He

(14:57):
still gets open. But is he gonna be happy with
a two catch game followed by a one catch? I
think if he's winning, if you go look at Lash
when he's winning. He's fine with the Rams. He was
making big catches. He wasn't making it. Cooper Cup was
the volume guy. But at thirty, how many more contracts
with his is this? Is it right? So he doesn't
want like a one year, six million dollars deal because

(15:17):
he's like, I would consider giving him a two year
deal at a at a read, I'm not giving him
twenty million per but I but I will say this,
I'm not building my franchise. I mean, if I was
the Rams and had money, I'd consider bringing them back again.
I mean, Cooper cupsured volume guy. If you had money,
though they I mean if yeah, they don't, but if
if I had some, yeah, I mean he's still productive.

(15:40):
I just you're gonna get fourteen games out of him.
You're not getting seventeen. You may get thirteen, But he's
productive that part I don't doubt. Final story at Colin,
I remember when this guy was a fixture on your show.
But Ben Simmons, what was the last time he said
his name? He has been out of action since set
You Weary fifteen No useless, dealing with knee and back
issues with his injury history, The New York Media asked

(16:01):
coach jacque Vaughn whether they're gonna sit Simmons for the
rest of the year and the Nets are gonna be
in the playoffs. Here's jacque Vaughan on fading Ben Simmons.
There's zero discussions about him not playing like we expect
him to be back, waiting for him to be back.
Watching last Sacramento game, it's great to see him and

(16:22):
his physicality versus Saboni's last time, so looking forward to
seeing that again for sure. Yeah, no setbacks. He's progressing,
so great to see him. He's doing some work on
court right now, so as more updates come, I'll definitely
give them to you guys. But good to see him.
Good to see him back on court getting some work
in what a waste of talent, one time bust, perplexing stories.

(16:46):
I'm looking at the standings and Nets are currently six.
They would face the Sixers in the first round. Listen
if that series happens. Ben Simmons an't playing. He's not
going to Philly for a series. He's a little fragile.
I feel bad for them. He's just I defended him
on the show for years, I said, I would build
around him over and beat I own it. I was
way wrong on Ben Simmons. I think a lot of

(17:07):
people were a lot of people were you can't overcome indifference.
He was like coming out of LSU six nine six
ten point guard vision, like, oh yeah, this has Magic
Johnson type caliber. It's like a great defender and a
great distributor who could close at the rim. He looks
like an it's all above the shoulders with him. It's
not about his talent, his prototype. It's magic but a

(17:30):
much better defender. Oh yeah, magic that could play defense.
J Mack with the news. Well that's the news, and
thanks for stopping by the Herdline News. That whole dupe thing.
Duke Win's this tournament. People are gonna freak out tomzoll
In today. Tom Iso did get the dub over USC.
How many years in a row, twenty years in Nerol

(17:51):
they made a tournament or something like that. It's a
large number. Xavier is in a dog fight with a
bad team right now, but they'll pull it out. You know.
It's um getting to the tournament. The Big ten doesn't
win a lot of these things. They have good brands,
produce a good basketball Michigan State's the best Big ten
basketball brand right is Zoe Michigan States. Michigan State's the

(18:15):
bigger basketball school. It used to be what are the
what are the what are the half dozen biggest college
basketball brands in the country. It's Duke Juan Kansas to
Kentucky three, UCLA, North Carolina, North Carolina four, Michigan State, Ucla.

(18:35):
By the way, Villanova when they had Jay Wright, Gonzaga
is a top seven or eight. Aren't thinking the last
you know, fifteen twenty years. We that's what we're talking
about here. Okay, okay, let's say this last decade. Let's
do ten years. Everybody can remember this century since two thousand.
I can't remember that far back. I can remember ten years. Okay, no,

(18:58):
I Villanova's absolutely in awesome in the last So the
last ten years, that's that's a long that's ten tournaments.
So Duke, Kentucky, Kansas, Gonzaga, Arizona, Virginia has a title
in Michigan State, Villanova, I'm not putting him in order.
Syracuse last decade, I think you have to consider Baylor there.

(19:23):
Baylor's got to be like nine or two Scoundrew's good
by the way Baylor in a tough matchup, losing at
the half to UCSB, a team from out here. Baylor,
Baylor's not a strong team this year. Well, I watched
them twice. I could. I could hang ten or fifteen
on Baylor. I'm a shooter. Baylor can't defend. They can't
defend the perimeter. Okay, that's a joke. People settle down.

(19:44):
Cowherd's waiting to feed feed me a lie go ahead.
I see it. I want a fire go ahead. No,
no, no no, as Duke won the championship. Yet it's okay,
so they just captured. Be sure to catch live editions
of The Herd weekdays in noon Easter not a Empacific
on Fox Sports Radio one and the iHeartRadio app. Hey,
I'm Doug gottlie The podcast is called All Ball. We

(20:08):
usually talk all basketball all the time, but it's more
about the stories about what made these people love their
sport and all the interesting interactions along the way. We
talked to coaches, we talked to players, We tell you stories.
You download it. He listened to it. I think you
like it. Listen to All Ball with Doug Gotlieb on
the iHeartRadio app Apple podcasts or wherever you get your podcast. Yeah,

(20:32):
Ramona Shelburne reports Clutch Sports, Lebron Rich Paul. They've bailed on,
they've cut ties with Ben Simmons. You truly agreed to
part ways? Yeah? Remember when they were defend them in
every turn? I defended him for years. Man. I knew
some guys out here in LA who were in his circle.
They're like, this guy is so talented and just didn't
pan out. Yeah. I mean agents tend to like players

(20:53):
who are willing to play kind of help, So I didn't.
You know, it's one of those I understand agents job.
But Ben Simmons is a nightmare. It's like a complete
utter bust. You cannot solve indifferent. All right, we call
it Tomorrow's headlines today. Jason McIntyre will give you the
former newspaper guy who kicked that career to the curb
and now he makes big, bold predictions through headlines. Are

(21:16):
you ready? Yeah? Okay, Tomorrow's headlines today Aaron Rodgers and
the Jets next year. What's the headline. I've been very
sour on Rodgers to the Jets, but I'm warming up
to it, getting enough outside noise from friends people like trust.
The headline will be Hello darkness, my old friend. Jets

(21:40):
make the playoffs once again. They're back, baby conn Listen,
I just looked at this last year. You'll be surprised.
They lost games by five to the Patriots, seven to
the Patriots on that punt return, five to Minnesota, eight
to Buffalo, three to Detroit, five to Miami six one
score games they lost. They went three and six in
one score games with quarterbacks that we're talking about Zach Wilson,

(22:01):
Joe Flacco, etc. Now you're getting a Hall of Fame
quarterback in Aaron Rodgers. I know he's coming off his
worst year in about a decade, but the skill position players.
A healthy Breecee Hall, a VT back on the offensive line,
they may try him and left tackle right I don't
know if he's built built for left tackle, but maybe
right tackle. And of course you got Garrett Wilson on
the outside with Alan Lazard Elijah Moore. The pieces are

(22:22):
in place for the Jets to have an eleven win season. Now.
I know the schedule may we'll see how it falls
with road trips and such. But this team talent wise,
if Rogers buys in and he's motivated. As mister Brier
said yesterday on the show, if Rogers is motivated, just
keep an eye on the Jets being an eleven win team.
Tomorrow's headlines today, what's it gonna be the headline for

(22:45):
Jordan Love and the Packers next season? So I'm not
just doing this to needle you, but the headline will
be it ain't easy being cheesy, Love melts down. I
don't see it, Colin. I'm I'm looking at everything from
Jordan Love. This is a guy who led college football
and interceptions when he was coming out. Again, if he

(23:06):
were so good, wouldn't it be in on the field.
Wouldn't they have put him out there at some point,
or maybe he shoved Rogers out and not giving him
the big deal. I just don't see it with Love.
You got young receivers, offensive lines, aging. We'll see what
happens with Baktri and some of those guys. The defense
underperformed last year. And now let's remember for the first time,
Lafleura does not have a Hall of Famer to lead

(23:26):
him in the huddle every day. Lafleura head Rogers, I
know gasped up Lafleura. Kevin Clark sat here from the
Ringer oh Leaflora wrote great stories about him. Let's see
what it's like life without a Hall of Famer. Why
don't you go ask Belichick how that's working out? Interesting,
Oliver run there's only seven and a half. You could
be right. Tomorrow's headlines today off season headline for the

(23:50):
enigmatic Lamar Jackson. Enigmatic isn't good. That's an SAT word
here on a Friday in the Power Hour. Yeah, the
headline will be parental advisory explicit contract. Colts give Lamar
good rating. I'm trying to speak it into existence. I
don't want him to not play next season. Can the
Colts throw a hail Mary? Can Shane Stike and get

(24:11):
his guy, his new Jalen Hurts. They got Jonathan Taylor,
one of the best backs in the league who had
a brutal season. They don't really have a great receiving corps,
Michael Pittman. They can't really upgrade it once you give
Lamar the big contract. But you put Lamar Jackson on
turf Colin, that is a show that you got to
see and remember the Colts since losing Andrew Luck, I
think it's just been a revolving door of quarterbacks starting

(24:32):
in Week one. I trust Steiken as an offensive guy.
I think the defense leaves a lot to be desired.
I don't know how Lamar would feel going to Indie,
but indoors with Jonathan Taylor, the offensive line is not terrible.
It's got some pieces. Colts and Lamar make it happen.
That's interesting. Let's shift gears and pivot to the NBA
Tomorrow's headlines. Today headline for the NBA's Most Valuable Player, Yeah,

(24:59):
you love this guy. You just love talking about his
how skilled he is, how he stuffs the stat sheet.
The headline will be say it ain't so catch third
times a charm for Nicola. Look at that on St.
Patrick's Day. They got it in the lepre coon outfit. Listen,
the numbers don't lie. The Nuggets have been at the

(25:20):
top of the Western Division at Western Conference for like
four months. Now. Come he did it without Jamal Murray.
Porter has been in and out of lineup. He's the
one constant that Denver's had. He's averaging a triple double.
He has established himself by far as one of the
superior players at his position ever, three straight MVP Awards
would really cement him as like a top ten center

(25:42):
to ever play the game. I know he doesn't have
a title. Maybe that's coming this year. I have Denver
going to the finals out of the West. Employe, I
will say this, between Katie's injury Andrew Wiggins not playing,
Clippers dysfunction, the door is open. This has to be
the year. I said last Friday when I hosted Well,
the most pressure is on him of any player in

(26:03):
the NBA in this postseason. I mean Dallas had a
year like this where they got through you know, the Spurs,
the Lakers, the historic guy that the dirt n a bitch. Yes,
you have these weird years that you know the doors
open for you. And a little lucky against Lebron in
the finals. I mean he had a meltdown that we
STU people still don't know what happened. Yeah, the top
of the West is wide open. Tomorrow's headlines today a

(26:27):
lot of uncertainty with the Lakers. What's the headline going
to be for this storied franchise. Wow, the story hasn't
been good lately, and Brian Wynhorse saying earlier that Lebron
may not come back during the regular season not good news.
The headline will be no ring circus, Lakers get clowned
after ring leader returns, and the fall guys obviously going

(26:48):
to be Anthony Davis, because if he can't play every
day to get this team to the playoffs, I mean,
he's got to put him on his back and dragged
them there so Lebron can swoop in and save today
like Superman. It's a it's a tall ask for Anthony Davis.
But isn't the a franchise He was a franchise player
in New Orleans, got them to the playoffs. Now you're
just saying, hey, can you just elevate everybody? Can you
elevate Vanderbilt, D'Angelo, Russell Beasley the shooter, like you've got

(27:10):
to do it. The pressures on Anthony Davison Colin, I
don't like what I've seen when he's under pressure. I
think they fold. I don't think they get in now
tonight it's a big swing game. They played Dallas. It's
no word yet on if Luca or Kyrie will play.
Probably no, Luca. Kyrie's been out for a little bit.
If the Lakers win this, it's huge because then Dallas
drops down and then all of a sudden, Dallas is
play in or who knows. It's a log jam at

(27:33):
the bottom of the West. But I don't think the
Lakers get in, not even the play well, it's just different.
For years, we always felt like the East had some
good teams, but kind of unpredictable. I feel like the East,
I know exactly what I get from the Sixers, the
Bucks and the Celtics, and I think Cleveland's probably a
year away. They're gonna lose a bunch of close games

(27:56):
in the playoffs to one of those three teams, but
they're really really close. They're just you know, Mobley's young, Garland,
They've got some young guys. And I think Miami is
always Miami. The West. It's just a weird year. It's
like Denver's good and everything, but they have no history
and everybody else. You got the Luca Kyrie thing. Kyrie's
always banged ub they don't play defense. You got the

(28:17):
Clipper thing where Kawai can't play back to backs. You
think you think the Clippers have a shot at getting
out of the West. I think it's wide open, man.
I say, if if Kad comes back, and here's the
good news, like when Andrew Wiggins comes back, if he
did or Kad did, they're rested. So you're getting a
guy that it's I mean, take a look at Golden State.

(28:38):
Clay Thompson's having a great year. Steph is still remarkable,
tons of depth in the back court. You know what
you get with Kevon Looney cominga's now, you know, a
fifteen minute a night guy. He might he might be
starting in the playoffs. If you if I told you
tomorrow Andrew Wiggins is coming back in a week now,
he's got a very serious personal situation. I was told
it's highly doubtful he won't come back for the ular season.

(29:00):
That's what I was told down we don't know if
they'll make the playoffs, so he doesn't come back for
the regular season. This team's on the road for a while.
They can't win road games. They lost another one. So
but if I said today Andrew Wiggins is back in
a week, I would take I would take the Warriors.
But if he comes back just for the postseason, you
gotta play yourself in shape three weeks and this team

(29:21):
just has not shown the ability to go on the
road and beat band teams. So I mean to me,
the NBA Finals is going to be decided by who's
not currently playing Andrew Wiggins and Kevin Durant because I
think I think if Andrew Wiggins came back to the
finals team, I think Milwaukee's the best team in the league.
Adding Crowder shot makers players. I mean between Brook Lopez,

(29:45):
Drew Hold and Jannis, three great defensive players. So I
think I think it's Milwaukee's year. What's interesting is if
you're the Celtics and you make another run and you
have no ring with this and you got close last year,
but now you take a step back, you don't get
to the finals, because I think Milwaukee's absolutely better. What
do you do with Boston? Well, I mean Robert Williams

(30:06):
can't stay consistently healthy. You're getting to a point with
Marcus Smart, he has now moved as a defensive player
out of his prime. Well, let's see what player demands
out this offseason. Will it be Karl Anthony Towns? Perhaps
in Minnesota? We know that you know it's Anthony Edwards.
Team Towns has missed like the entire season. Would you
swap him for say a Jalen Brown. I mean, the

(30:26):
only way to remake this team is unloading Brown, right,
you're not off coming off Tatum. He's up first team.
But it's it's one of those things with Boston, they're
very I saw this was Sacramento Kings for years. They
were really, really good and they just couldn't get through
the Lakers. And I think Boston feels like they're certainly
capable of winning, but they are so beholden to Robert

(30:47):
Williams being available. I mean, we know what we're getting
with Tatum and Jalen Brown, and if Marcus Smart plays,
you're getting about sixteen points. You know what you're getting.
If Robert Williams doesn't play, they're not They're gonna struggle
with a sixerson and they're gonna struggle with a box.
They just don't have the size, and he can't depend
on Al Horford. I think Boston's in a really interesting
place is that when you're really like Cincinnati. In the NFL,

(31:08):
it's different. If you have Burrow Jamar Chase, you're gonna
be fine, right, and you're gonna keep them intact. But
in the NBA, teams tend to get impatient. You tend
to get impatient. And if if Boston Milwaukee's not changing
anything if they don't win, and I doubt. I doubt
Golden State Fields despot Paul George is not an upgrade
over Jaylen Brown? Is he Paul George? Oh over Jaylen Brown?

(31:31):
I mean, you're gonna see some teams looking to change
things up. That's an interesting But Utah Jazz came to
the end of their run. They said, Donovan Mitchell, let's
get him out of here. Rudy Goberlett, let's just say
I wouldn't make that move. Jalen Brown has been a
very good I like him so and he's always do
you get this team better quick? It's a great question.
Do you move Horford retires, Robert Williams, you move and
you inherit a big center deal of center. I mean,

(31:53):
I don't know what you do. That's why that's why
the Celtics playoff runs fascinated. So we'll talk about this June.
And I also don't think situationally they'll be as good
as Milwaukee because I don't know if I trust their
coach yet. Well, I've in La see in Monday. The
hurd