First Things First - NBA rests starters in ‘farce’, Lakers vs. Rockets, Rory McIlroy wins Masters, Nick’s Mock Draft 2.0

Episode Date: April 14, 2026

(0:00) NBA rests starters in season finale, Rory McIlroy wins 2nd-straight Masters (25:55) Rockets heavy favorites vs. Lakers, What’s next for Giannis? (39:37) Travis Hunter questions reports about him playing CB full-time (45:59) Nick’s Mock Draft 2.0 (01:04:24) Can the T-Wolves upset the Nuggets?  (01:19:09) Will the Thunder have a 1st-round exit?  (01:24:20) LeBron James’ “A-Plus” season, Are the Knicks in trouble vs. the Hawks? (01:47:45) Eagles expectations if A.J. Brown leaves, Will the Patriots make it back to the Super Bowl? (01:58:09) Front Office (02:06:13) Should Travis Hunter play CB or WR? Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

New York is a show that's excited that the playoffs are finally here. By finally here, I just mean tomorrow and it's the play in. But still, playoffs are here. Must win basketball. How about that? Yes. When are we doing our playoff predictions? Friday.

Are we doing it Friday? Once the field is set. Okay. Yeah, because once the bracket's set. I'm torn. I'm torn. Oh, no, you're not. I'm torn.

You're not torn. I am. You're a lot. My heart in my head are going all. I'm interesting. Bro, unlike your MVP vote where you are. correctly adherent to the history and your ethics and all of that. Yeah.

Predictions is a prediction. Just prediction. You can just go with the heart wants for the heart wants. The public expects me to be right. You can go with Wimby. You want to go with Wemby. If you don't go with Wemby, somebody here is. See, you just wait.

First hour, first things first. Today, KD versus LeBron in round one. Who has more at stake in? Can LeBron pull off the upset? Meanwhile, did Wemby's, path to a championship. Get derailed. He's got a hard path to a championship. And finally, we're 10 days away from the NFL draft.

It's time for mock draft 2.0, not better, just different, or better? Honestly, maybe worse. Is this one just for fun? No, this one's not just for fun, but this is the one that I take the biggest swings on. It took some swing. I made one major shift near the top of the draft. And the butterfly effect was a lot. Was he no sliding doors.

He took some swings. Mock draft 3.0 next Monday. That one serious. 4.0 is the official one that I rank against the whole war. Chris Brousard, Kevin Wilde. Nick Wright, we are starting at the end of the regular season. The bracket is set. The play-in starts tomorrow. Lots of absences as teams either jockeyed for a position

or just straight up rested as they prepared for the playoffs. Headline from Friday from ESPN. ESPN, April 10th, 2026. NBA's Friday slate sees at least 168 out with injury or. You know that's more than a starting five for every team in the league. There's 150. Yeah, that's great math, Ruth. That's correct.

You hadn't thought about that. No, I did not. That was pretty good. That's just, Nick, you were fired up about this that it hit the group chat. It did. You're like, I've got A1 on Monday. What did you make of the final weekend? I am thrilled the playoffs are here,

and we try, you know, to take on Wilde's motto on this show of loving sport. And, you know what I mean? We don't wave the pom-poms for anyone, but we kind of do for sports. And so I don't want to be overly negative long-term, but there is something I want to say about this because I am from, as you guys know, Kansas City, Missouri. There is no NBA team. There isn't even one close.

Denver or Chicago are the two closest when I was growing up. Denver? Wow, how close is Denver? Nine hour drive. Right across Kansas. I mean, or Chicago might be the next closest. Point is this. How far away is Indiana?

The further than Chicago. No, further than Denver? Okay, just can we just Denver? Very far away. Denver hit me hard. Okay. No, I drove to Denver once. as a kid straight across Kansas.

Brutal. Not the point, guys. You hate Kansas. It's just a boring drive. It's just flat and weak. Well, that's the Midwest. All right, let me get to this. So, yet, despite that

growing up, more than the Chiefs, more than the Royals, more than football or baseball, my favorite sport was the NBA. And I think it was because of a moment I had when I was eight years old when my mom told me, I think it's like my big Christmas present or something that she was

taking me to New York to see Michael Jordan take on the New York Knicks in the final game of that regular season. And when I have told this story in the past, in my mind, that game was deciding who had home court advantage. But I fact-checked my own memory. Here were the Eastern and conference standings going in to game 82 of that season. What you will see is the Bulls were totally locked in two and the Knicks were totally locked in one and even for finals purposes that game meant nothing. And Patrick Ewing played 40 minutes and Michael Jordan played 38 for the two time defending champions and I, an eight-year-old boy from the Midwest, fell.

in love with professional basketball. And what happened this weekend is a farce. And it's a joke. And all of the stakeholders, owners, commissioner, players all need

to come together and recognize this doesn't happen in any other sport. And this is fraying away at the credibility of the league. And it is fraying away. at future fans at a time when the youth attention economy is harder to come by than ever

before. And everyone's got to do better on it. And so, again, I don't want to be super negative, and I'm happy about the playoffs. But this really, really irritated me that this is how the season came to a whimpering end. I agree with a lot of what you said. That's a great story. It does happen in football. That last game, if you're already in.

That's why I add in an 18th game, we know it's just for money, but why? Because the stars aren't playing if you're, you know, if you're already in the playoffs. But it's not just this weekend, though. It's like the entire season. And the reason 168 guys were out with either injury or rest, let's just call it what it was, it wasn't just the teams that are about to go on a long, you know, hopefully for them long playoff run. It was the tankers, too. the tankers. Some of those where you're still in a fight for the worst record, some of those

teams sagged Utah who got blasted by the Lakers yesterday. I'm convinced they would have sent Danny Aange out to start point with his son Austin at the two if it meant losing to the Lakers. I mean, they were going to lose that game no matter what. But look, I'm going to be fair, and you have said this before. I think all, like the whole, sports landscape, at least in the NBA, has changed to the point where most people didn't look at it like you.

Most people are like, we're kind of used to it. We don't expect, if you're in the, okay, see, of course they rested guys. And that's some of that I will take on as the media a little. I don't think it's all of the media or most of the media. But we have

put so much of an emphasis on the championships and the playoffs. It's like if you have, no matter what you do in the regular season. If you don't follow it up by winning a championship or doing something spectacular in the playoffs, we tend to dismiss

your regular season. So, teams and players have somewhat said, you know what, it's just about the playoffs. If indeed Philadelphia was like, we're going to sit Joel Embed until March and then make sure he can play for the playoffs.

If they took that tack, that would be a response to this. So, maybe a little's on the media in our emphasis, but the players and the franchises, too, look, I think it's a travesty if indeed Janice Ante Dacoupo could play. It's a travesty that the Milwaukee Bucks did not let him play. Because you weren't giving those fans who went to the last, I don't know, 12 home games and didn't get to see Yonis even though he was saying he could play. You didn't give them discounts or refunds on those tickets.

The NASSIS was out there. Right. Like an understudy. That was enough. Tonight, you do get to see it. Look, I agree with you, Nick. The league has to figure this out because the fans are eventually going to be like, I'm not going to go to the game if so-and-so is not playing.

If I know so-and-so is not playing, and that will hit the bottom line of the league. Let me finally say this about the 82 games and all it. Because, you know, there's all types of theories out there. They can't play 82 now because, you know, they run too much in the pace. I don't think, we all know teams don't practice anymore during the regular season. Training camps aren't close to what they used to be when teams went two a days and things like that. I honestly don't think they're getting players in the shape to even play 82 games. Like, I don't think they even shoot for that.

And you got to practice enough and build up the resistance so you're a problem. body can handle certain things. The more you build it up, the more it can handle. So I think that's something that these teams need to look at. But it is a problem that they have to get fixed. But not just the last weekend. It's throughout the season. Can I play devil's advocate on two points that we discussed all year?

Just because I knew you guys were going to come in high. I'm like, let me try to play the counterpoint. About the tanking teams in Utah. OKC tanked for a few years and just gathered assets. And now they're on the verge of a dynasty. Spurs won 22 games and drafted Wemby. The Pistons won 20 games and drafted

Cade. So we've seen teams not just be bad, but be a little extra bad and immediately turn their franchises around and be the number one seat. Celtics haven't. Celtics just traded away everybody and luckily the nets were so bad. They tried. I mean, yeah. But Tatum and Jalen Brown, they're still sort of reaping the benefits from that.

So that's one. Like, unfortunately, tanking does work. But that's why that's started just the, that's why it's incumbent upon the league to change the incentive structure. Yes. Like, under the current structure, you get what you incentivize and they have incentivized. Yes. And the two, this is going to be directly against you guys. When we're in the regular season, it sure does feel like the regular season matters.

But I would rather have guys rested, healthy, and ready to go, and have a healthy playoff. But I have no evidence. Where we get a champion, well, maybe not. But if we could have a healthy playoff and get a champion that is indicative of the best teams going, not like we had last year where guys were going out and all of a sudden it's a lot of battlefield promotions. Like you actually won because this guy was out and the injuries were part of the story. I would rather have a healthy, all the stars in football, which the NFL has been very good at. We usually are seeing all of our superstars in the playoffs.

so you finally get a Super Bowl with real stars. I would rather have that. And if we have to take a few games off, so be it. So two things just quickly. One is I just haven't seen the evidence that since guys are playing less and they're more careful and load management, that we are getting healthier playoffs. Right.

Last year was it. A bunch of the – and so it doesn't feel like we're getting that. But the other thing that happened this weekend, and this is the other thing we were texting about is teams at the end of the year potentially wanting, I'm not talking about the tankers, wanting to lose games for better playoff matchups, which gets me back to my old hobby horse of. If you really want the regular season to matter, extra incentivizing excellent regular seasons by giving the number one seed, you get to pick who you play in round one. The number two seed picks from the remaining teams

and the number three seed them picks from the remaining teams. You are then, there is a, you wouldn't ever worry about the weird thing we're going to talk about in a second where Spurs are playing the nuggets. Like, who want to? Do they both want to lose the game? Like, who is a, well, I lost better for it as far as that goes. And I know, Brew, I saw your face. You've never liked this idea. So I know a lot of people don't.

I just want to find more way. If we think the genies out of the bottle on what everyone cares about, is the postseason, then finding more ways to have the regular season truly impact your postseason. There should be no rewards for losing. But you're still facing, if you're the one seed, you're still facing an eighth seed. Like, you should, whether you get to choose them or not, you should be able to beat that eighth seat. I get it, there are some instances throughout history, Golden State, Dallas, when Dirk won MVP. They probably wouldn't have picked Golden State to play because they had beaten them in the race.

regular season. But I don't feel like that's the answer. But I tell you what, throughout the season, it felt like two out of every three big games I want to. Oh, wow. The Lakers and the Spurs are playing. It felt like two out of every three of those types games, some star was missing. Well, this was Wild said before the show, we had these playoff matchups.

And it's like, oh, how did this team do against that team in the regular season? Yeah, it's almost irrelevant. And for a lot of it, it's like, well, that's meaningless because how often were those two teams actually a full strength when they play? Absolutely. All right. Speaking up, Denver's win over the Spurs, locked up the three seed. Joker played a half. Wemby didn't play at all. Spurs at the two, but now have to face Denver again.

San Antonio has four losses since the beginning of February, three to Denver. So how damaging was this loss to the Spurs title champion? Well, first of all, let me address this. It certainly wasn't damaging to Wimby's MVP case. My goodness. The rest of the Spurs starters couldn't even beat the Nuggets G-Lean team without winning people. So, no, but seriously, look, it was damaging. I mean, because Nick, no, I texted you guys like, oh, man, it's actually lining up.

Denver's going to play Yokech, 17 minutes, whatever, and then none of their starters. And the Spurs should be able to win this game and avoid Denver in the second round. Obviously, that didn't happen. I think the spurs looked at that like, we got all our starters essentially playing outside of Wimby. I think they should have played Cornet. I don't know what his health situation is, because maybe he would have been the difference

because they didn't play him either, Luke Cornet. But I think the starters went out there feeling like we're going to win this game. They were 11-point favorites. Yeah. Everybody thought they were going to win the game. So you take it easy, and then this other team, those guys are out there with something to prove. I mean, they might go to different teams next year.

They got something, you know, impress some GM from another team or the Nuggets. So they play with Hart. Next thing you know, Spurs are in the game and they can't get it going and Denver's rolling. Look, I don't think Denver, though, because a lot of people, like, the thought is, okay, Denver was trying to avoid OKC. Yes. Right. But not really, though, because it is. Or always saying it's weird because Denver, by which.

they avoid OKC, but they didn't play any of their guys. So it didn't seem like they wanted to win. Right, that they were going to lose. And then would have played OKC. Yeah, I don't look, I think Denver, I think their thought process is let's get healthy. Let's just make sure we're healthy. Obviously with Aaron Gordon, you know, with Peyton Watson, who's not even back yet. They got hamstrings injuries.

Those are gingerly. So I think they just wanted to get healthy. And they took it as if we, We win, we win, and we end up playing who we play if we lose. Because they got to beat O KC or Denver or San Antonio either way. And their team that's won a championship already. So they're not like, oh, let's just get to the conference finals or whatever. They got to go through those teams either way.

But yeah, bottom lines, it took a hit. I would have much rather San Antonio play the Lakers, banged up Lakers in the second round. Listen, I think for Denver, it does. It wasn't actually matter that much because of your point, whether Denver was three or four, they are, it just changes the order in which you probably have to play OKC and San Antonio. Denver probably is going to have to beat both of them to make the finals anyway. But I think this is a borderline catastrophe for the Spurs. Oh. And I think, I think them not playing Wembe was a catastrophic mistake.

Now, don't you think he, I think that those ribs are still sore. I think they were like, look, let's just try to get them really helpful. I think they're still sore. I think that if he needed one more game to be eligible, he would have played. And I think, listen, we said we're going to do our picks on Friday. I think the Nuggets are going to beat the Spurs. And I think that had the Spurs taken the final game as seriously as I think they should have, they would have been set up brilliantly.

they would have been set up to, you know, in round two, take on probably the Timberwolves. You know what I mean? You just said the Lakers, but I mean, because round two, they play the winner of Lakers Timberwolves. And the Nuggets and Thunder are playing each other in round two, beating each other up, and then the Spurs, you know, take on one of them and whomever's left.

Now you get a Nuggets team that has the best player in the world, has confidence against you is playing the best basketball as a team it's played in a couple of years is as healthy as they've been in a couple of years and I just think it is I think it is a huge error

and I don't, I am I am really surprised that the way Wimby and the Spurs attacked this final week like they they seemed so laser focused on

we can win the championship. And then I think to me kind of eye off the ball at the last moment. And I think this is a huge deal. I think them having to play Denver in round two is a huge deal. This is my theory on the Spurs.

Now I could be totally wrong. Obviously, Wimby is going for the championship and their players are, and I'm sure Ms. Johnson. And I think the organization wants to win. But I also think they feel like, and I felt this way all season, watching them play,

I feel like they're like, look, we're way ahead of the schedule we thought we're on. Even if they need to win the first round, obviously. But if they lose to Denver in the second round, I feel like their organization is looking at this like, sure, if we win it great. But whatever happens in these playoffs, it just gives us more evidence of what we need to do. We're way ahead of schedule. So now we're going to find out what do we need to improve? Who do we keep? Who do we get rid of?

Do we need to play through Wimby more on offense? Whatever it is. That's how I feel they're looking at it. And I agree with you. I don't think they should be looking at it that way. I think they should be like we can win it now. And again, I know no players feel that way. Right.

I mean, this can be your moment. I think that's unwritten. Unspoken. We need to take our lumps. And this is probably our take our lumps year. Get some, you know, playoff scars and calluses, if you will. Don't you, like, that's what we are preaching. That's what they're coaches and front office people talk about.

Hey, we, but I think the players and they should be going for it. Because you never know what's going to happen. This is not to me, like, at all controversial. They didn't play their best player. And now a team that I believe has their number is staring at them in round two. See, I don't, I just, I agree with them. not playing Wimby, assuming he's still sore with the ribs. I mean, he played Friday to become eligible.

But they, just like Yokish played to become eligible. Like, you should have played them to be eligible. But my point is this, Nick, I'm still trotting out there, Stefan Castle, Dierrin Fox. They should have won anyway. We should win anyway. And I'm sure that's what they thought. So that's shame on them for losing that game.

All right, Spurs take on the winner of Sun's Blazers in the plane. We're headed to Augusta. We're on 18 with the leader, Rory McElroy, this drive goes full Henry David Thoreau in the woods. But Rory emerges and this put wins him his second consecutive masters. He joins an esteemed list of golfing legends, Nicholas Faldo, Tiger Woods, and now Roy, Rory McElroy. What does this back-to-back win mean for Rory?

Well done. Listen, I feel like for my entire adult life, we have been, folks have been promising us, this next young golfer is the next guy. Whether it was Dustin Johnson or briefly Bubba Watson, Jordan Speath had his moment, Justin Thomas, like you, I feel like Scottie Schaeffler's, maybe having it or had it, Bryson, sure.

It was always going to be roaring, it was Rory, it is Rory, and now these are the things Rory McElroy can say. He's the greatest European golfer ever. He's the only Gary player is better than him as far as non-American golfers with respect to old Tom Morris Jr. And senior from 150 years ago.

We know the career grand slam, how brief of a list that is. It's those six guys, Rory, the only one other than Tiger to do it in the last half century. And here that's the full list of guys in the last 70 years with as many majors or more than Rory McElroy, Nicholas, Tiger, Gary Player, Kansas City's Tom Watson, Arnold Palmer. That's the full list of guys with more majors, again, basically modern golf than Rory. I believe he is the greatest golfer this century other than Tiger Woods.

I think he's better than Phil Mickelson. And the fact that he won four majors immediately, went a decade without winning him, and now has peeled these two. He's only 36. Like he can keep climbing it. He'll always be good at this course. He's just,

he is truly one of the greatest golfers of all time. And I believe the second greatest golfer of this century, like, to tiger. So you're saying, second best to tiger. Is it fair? to say like he's taken the torch from Tiger.

I mean, listen, Tiger was such a force of nature. Yep. And was so otherworldly. I don't think anybody is going to, but it's not outrageous to say this guy is going to finish. Can we throw up that most majors thing again just quickly? And then I'll give it to you, Brew. It's not crazy to say he could finish with the third most majors ever. He could get to nine.

Yeah, I mean, he's at six. Well, and the thing is, look, like you said, he won a lot of majors early. Yes. And then went on that decade-long drought. So I wouldn't say, because we all remember the commercials with Tiger. Like you said, he was supposed to be the next Tiger or the closest thing to Tiger coming out. And then he won early and then went on this drought. I can't say he was a disappointment because he had won the majors earlier.

but it felt like he wasn't the guy that we thought he was going to be. And now all of a sudden, he's rolling. Last year's Masters, this year's Masters, and he's only 36. So like you said, he might go on a run and get to this, you know, nine majors or more. I agree he's the best European golfer too. Nick Faldo obviously has six, you know, majors as well. Sevi by his zero. But he doesn't have as many, like, PGA tour wins, even close.

Fowler's only got nine. PGA Tour wins. And listen, Rory has spent 122 weeks as the world's number one golfer. He's a five-time player of the year. He's a three-time FedEx Cup champion. So even that decade when he wasn't winning majors, he was winning a bunch of stuff. He just wasn't winning majors.

Now, you know, he got over the hump last year at Augusta, and I think had he not done that, I mean, he blew a six-shot lead in two and a half hours on Saturday and overcame that. It's just, I mean, he'd truly. truly is one of the best ever at what he does, and he's now won everything. A PGA Championship, Newton Square, Pennsylvania starts May 14th, if you can get another one. KD sending LeBron home, question mark next on FS1 and the Fox Sports Channel on Series XM.

Rockets the 5, Lakers, the 4, Lakeshow won, 2, or 3 from Houston, but no Luca, no Austin Reeves in these meetings means this is a LeBron KD battle. Here are the Rockets ranks. In the last 10 games, they are hot. 20 games, they were just fine, but they're 9 and 1 in the last 10. Rockets are heavy favorites here. Are you surprised, Brew? Huge favorite.

KD is such a favorite over LeBron. No. These teams right now, with the Lakers being in the situation they are with the injuries, it's so lopsided the talent difference. Like, if you had a draft of players outside of LeBron, the top five, maybe six, I mean, Kevin Durant, Shingun, Amman, Thompson, Jabari Smith, Reed Shepard might all go before the next Laker.

And then I think Eme Udoka is a better coach than J.J. Reddick. I think both are good, but I think I take E. May. It's arguable. It's arguable. I think this year, JJ did a better job than E. Yeah, you can go with that. But I think E. May has a little advantage there.

So shame on the Rockets if they don't take the Lakers. In fact, with the talk, you know, Can Luca get back for a game six or something? If you're the Rockets, this should not go six. This should go no more than five games with the Lakers currently constituted as they are. Because LeBron may be great in this series, but he's to a large degree by himself. And he's not going to be able to defend like he had been over the past month because he's exhibiting so much energy on offense.

I'm in Thompson as a great defender. you might put him on him with all his length. Like there is just no reason for the Rockets to lose this series. And if they do, like I said, shame on Kevin Durant, Ime Udoka, and the whole Rocket Staff. So, yeah, this line says Vegas does not have any of the optimism that I do about a triumphant Luca return. that if there was minus 750 is a massive favorite. And it's interesting because that they're only, if you will, and I know it's in L.A., four and a half point favorites in game one.

So like, you know, it's on the board, obviously, the Lakers win game one according to Vegas, but it's not on the board at all that they win the series. I would not, I am not picking the Lakers to win this series begrudgingly. I wish I could. I will be rooting for the Lakers and I'm very excited to see how far LeBron can pull this. And I reserve the right of course to change my mind if Luca comes back. Or even if the Lakers win game won.

If they win game won, you're definitely going to think they're going to win the series. But I mean, so the, so with that said, the path to a Lakers victory is they obviously, and you don't usually put it this way, but have to get a split at home in the first two games, and they have to hope that one of those games in Houston, the Rocket's late game woes that we have seen all year long, and the Lakers, who again, it's very hard to look at any Lakers stuff and be like, they've been great at this when this isn't the team they've been.

But I do think a lot of the Lakers late game excellence is, LeBron. Well, and you're number one in the clutch. Right. And so, but again, how much of that is Luke and Austin and they're gone? But that if it's close late, that the, you know, there's a lot of, the Rockets don't have a point guard, Kevin Durant turnovers, and LeBron doing good late game stuff. I just, I know the Rockets numbers are that of an excellent offensive team.

I think a lot of that is buttressed by early in the year when they were such a great offensive rebounding team. It made their offense. Right. Look better than it actually was. But even though I don't think they're a great offensive team, I think they will look like a great offensive team against this Lakers team because I know it's weird to be like losing Luca and AR kills the Lakers defense.

But it does because of the role change for LeBron. And I think, I personally think one of the reasons Luca's defense is. is too maligned, too often maligned is, I think other teams' offense gets worse to some degree by how much he exhausts their players when he's on offense. And the Lakers just become easier to defend without those guys, which means the other team's going to be able to execute better on offense. So to me, this is not about KD versus LeBron. No. This is about, I mean, I think that LeBron is demonstrating, even though Katie's going to be on all NBA teams

LeBron had the worst statistical year of his career. I think LeBron's been demonstrating since Luca went out. He could still put up stats like KD is. It's just not his role with the team and had not been his role with the team. Loss to the Mavs, beat the Warriors, beat the Jazz.

Are you thinking sweep, gentleman sweep? I think LeBron's going to put up numbers, but I don't know. I think the Rockets win in six. Six? Six is but... Six is not always close. Maybe Luca could be back. And I mean, listen, Luca gets back from Spain tomorrow.

And so all and will be re-evaluated by the Lakers tomorrow. LeBron also brew those last three games prior to the Utah game. He had not had a three-game stretch with that many points and assists, both, basically 28 and 13, a night is what he was averaging, since the Lakers championship season. He had not had a stretch of that high volume scoring and assisting simultaneously in six years.

So he is, it seemed like he did also kind of time his, you know, playoff ramp up as far as his body, but the team's just not there. Or it just in pencil. What are you thinking in the series? Not predictions week. Five. You can't bring out,

you cannot put on a tuxedo and play the piano. You said to start the year you were going to be rooting for LeBron. I am rooting for LeBron. So you cannot celebrate an injured, battered Lakers team getting beaten in

five without their two of their three best players. We'll see what the audience says. Nobody likes that character. People love that guy. Nobody likes the gentleman where you're swirling your apple juice pretending it's scotch. Nobody likes But if they do go past

If they go six games, I mean, it's not going to feel great. But it's almost, it's a little victory for the Lakers. Yes. If they get, if they force a game six, yes. Then you got a look out there. Like AD came out that one time for no reason. Just like limping around. Like, I'm here, everybody.

Well, remember, Aaron Gordon played game seven on what appeared to be like a torn hamstring. Unbelievable. That was, that was. Guess what? Haunted him into the next year. Yeah, right. That's a good point. I wouldn't do that with Luke.

Head to Milwaukee where reports are that doc is, quote, departing and stepping down and is out. We're not using the word fired, okay? Maybe he takes a front office consulting job. That's what he was before he was in. Oh, yeah, that's right. Remember? Like, I got an idea for head coach.

And Adrian Griffin was going 30 and 13, which wasn't good enough. Doc, they went 30 and 52, right, this year? And Doc and Adrian Griffin got fired after golf. Doc is 97 and 103. Yeah, but I think this year their final record. It was 30 and 52. Adrian Griffin went 30 and 30. Meanwhile, Janus was asked about his future.

Here's what Janice said about returning to the bucks. Very good question. I don't know. It's not up to me. We'll see. What's next for Janus in the bucks? Go ahead, bro. I like Janus.

Me too. But like, get out, Janus. Just make the trade demand public. Like, why, if he goes back to the bucks next. year, I am, I'm just going, I want to declare a moratorium. I think that's fair. We're done talking about Janus leaving. I mean, I know an extension maybe would be in play. But unless the bucks are good, we should declare a moratorium. Just like, we're not going to cover like Janus implores Kyle Kuzma to lock in.

Yeah, it's just, it's, it is at this point, the team needs to trade him. You have Janus and you're terrible, okay? And it's better for him to go elsewhere. Now, Nick, here's the thing that they have to be concerned about. I think they've waited too long. Yes. Because he's 31 years old. He's coming off his worst injury season of his career. Play, what, 36 games?

The last couple of playoff outings, he's missed a few, like last year they, well, let me put this way. This year they don't make the playoffs. The last four years, I believe, they've gone out in the first round. A couple years ago in 2024, he's, was injured, played three of the five games in the playoffs. I think the last time they were in the playoffs, he may have

missed the game. He has been banged up over the last few years. So now I don't think you get as much as you would have gotten maybe at the trade deadline or last summer or something like that. So would Houston give up Shingoon, Reed, Shepherd, and picks? Now that could

help, if not, that could help a Golden State or New York Knicks maybe get in there and get him, but I just don't, I'm not sure they're going to get as much as they would have earlier by trading him. Listen, I think both parties have handled this

immaturely. And I almost wanted to use the word unprofessional, but I don't mean it in the traditional sense. I mean unprofessional, almost unadult. Like part of being an adult and part of being in business is tough decisions and recognize.

that sometimes in life, you can't have everything, and you need to decide on your own what is most important to me. And it feels to me like the Bucks and Yannis refused to do that themselves. And I put as much, everybody focuses on why Yonis should demand a trade. I think just as much blame goes to why the Bucs, he doesn't have a no trade, why the bucks didn't just execute a trade or, you know, do this on their own.

But neither, both of them seem like they feel like, well, we want Janice to be a buck for life and we want to compete for championships. Those two things, it's like saying, I want to play in Milwaukee and I want to live on the beach. They're in conflict. You can't do it. And the fact that in this press conference, he was asked about signing the extension. and he was like, well, I'd have to consider it. I do not feel like he is handling this as if professional basketball is his job.

And I know that sounds harsh, but like, it's your job, man. And we all would love everything about our job to be perfect. And for some people, it is for, there was a period of time where it was. And that's probably what makes it so hard. He loved Milwaukee, and he was winning. MVP's and they were contending for titles. Everything was great. But now it's none of those things.

And what I would say is, I do think it feels like his value is slowly going down. The playoffs can make teams, you know, all of a sudden do rash things. And I'm not saying trading for Janus would be a rash decision, but a team that maybe otherwise was like, no, we like our young players, we like what we're building. I'll give you the team that I've been saying has the best trade package for Yannis, Atlanta. Atlanta right now this moment is probably like, man, think about what we can be next year,

like what we were the second half of the year. Let Atlanta, if they were to, I'm not even predicting this would happen, just get smoked by the Knicks, 4-0 or 4-1 with a few blowouts in there. Then all of a sudden they might be like, all right, we're not as close as we wanted to believe we were. Like what you're saying about Houston,

Let Houston lose to the Lakers. And again, I don't think that's going to happen. But they might all of a sudden be like, everyone's available. And so maybe Milwaukee comes out the other side of this. But at this point, if I'm the Bucks, I'm not that concerned about what Yonis wants. No, no. And I know they feel like they have to offer him that max extension. I don't feel that way.

I feel like they have to pay him what his contract is. and they have to do what's best for the team, which is to trade him for the best package available. It's another year of one of the marquee faces of the NBA sitting and watching the playoffs, or at least deep into the playoffs. It feels like a long time ago, we were saying like,

ah, what's failure? I'll be back next year. Yeah, I guess not. Travis Hunter took to social media to respond to reports that he's going to be a full-time corner and just a contributor on offense. He retweeted the video in which the report was reported and wrote, now who told you this?

Your reaction to Travis's reaction. So this is odd. So James Gladstone, the GM of the Jags, in January, alluded that this was probably going to happen on the record on video. And last year, Travis played when he played, 67% of the snaps on offense, and 33% on defense.

It sounds to me like what they're saying is, you know, that they're going to flip that. And that he is, and what Gladstone alluded to was we had one position, we have one position that, you know, has a lot of guys that we're going to lose in free agency, which was corner, and one position where we have a lot of depth, which is wide receiver. So, you know, we'll, you know, we'll probably use Travis as such. So I don't, I didn't view Rappaport's report, which was actually him quoting, Cameron Wolf's report, which Cameron Wolf, I think, was just kind of quoting what Gladstone had said on the record as, you know, massive breaking news. It is, however, if Travis Hunter's

pissed about it. If Travis is upset that they're like, hey, you're going to be our starting CB1, our top outside corner, and a situational receiver, and that's not what he wants. I think that is problematic and he has said in the past remember he was like I'd quit football if I couldn't play both ways and now they're not saying brew he can't play both ways but the fact that he

responded to that somewhat innocuous report by you know putting up a wall against I thought was noteworthy. Yeah and they look you would think he knows what Glassstone said but sometimes guys just get away and maybe he didn't see it

they may be telling him though, face to face or on the telephone, whatever it is. Yeah, you know, you're going to play both ways. But in their mind, they're thinking sporadically on offense or occasionally on offense, but the full focus will be defense. It's very possible they haven't articulated to him. You're not going to be full time both ways. And they're just playing with words or whatever it might be.

But he clearly has made it clear he wants to play both ways. The smart thing, though, is what they're doing. he I just don't believe he can survive one I don't I think his best chances of being a star are to play one side of the ball primarily whether it's offense or defense apparently it's going to be defense you can do spot work on the other side if he plays both ways I don't think he'll be a star on either side he'll be he maybe he'll be okay but this is what's best for him they gave it a try he got hurt it also increases your chances of injury if you're going both

ways. So you got hurt at practice though. Yeah but that may be just the wear and tear from playing in the game and he's not a big guy. And I get it cornerbacks, but he's a he seems slight even as a cornerback to me. Did this not hit your radar at all KW? Well when the first again it's been a little bit of a

reporting and quotation telephone gray area let's say on what does full time corner mean? What is sparrat? What is contributor mean? Even like the, there's a lot of wide receivers who are, you could look at them and say, well, you actually only contribute on offense because you're only out there for 40% of the snaps.

Yeah. So I think it's, honestly, I think it's a big game of telephone. And I think Travis Hunter's role is not going to be vastly different than it was. Really? I don't think so. Except you do think it'll flip though, right? last year he played way more receiver than corner they are saying yeah then no i guess so i expect him to play more defense but i don't think it's i don't think that this reporting and even gladstone's quotes

because i read two gladstone's quotes and again i'm not listening to the source i'm listening to the stuff that has been but to your point if you say he played 30 some odd percentage of the plays on defense correct that's kind of part-time yeah so i think it could flip here's what here's what i think the Jags plan is. And I just think they need to make sure they're on the same page with Travis. And I would have thought they were until this quote tweet by him.

If you are our number one corner, you don't really leave the field on defense. That's one of the only positions on defense that you do not rotate out. Like if you are, when Christian Gonzalez is healthy, he's out there, like 97% of the, the snaps. If you're not the slot corner, you're not a safety, you're not a rotational de-lineman, you're out there. So you're going to be playing almost every defensive snap,

and then, as Coach Manjini suggested specifically, we will work you in on offense. There isn't a wide receiver that plays, the only positions on offense that play 100% of the snaps are the linemen and the quarterback. You know, all the wide receivers regularly, you know, so even if you're a full-time wide receiver, you play more full. football, so to speak, which is really what it seems like he wants to do, he just really wants to play as much football as possible, is the team's top corner. I think message that, the red zone package, that can, that can work. I wouldn't give up on him being an impact receiver in certain ways, but they need corners. I thought in college, I agree with you on this brew. He was better at corner. And I think that last year, again, his first half of his rookie year, I didn't think he was graded either. And so that's the part that probably needs some adjusting. I wouldn't give up on it, but that's the part that needs something. Something to watch. I think our next, my prediction, Liam Cohen,

quote, clarifying the situation is up next. Okay. Not up next after the break, but that will be our next chapter. But will it really clarify it? Yes. Live from New York, the show that's reminding you that Joe Mazzula does not want to be coach of the year, bro. He said it's a stupid award.

It doesn't matter. Might be too bad for you, Joe. I have to grudgingly accept that. Back an hour, first thing first. He doesn't want it. Today, who has more on the line? LeBron or KD in round one. Feels like LeBron, it's going to put up numbers,

even in a close sweep. People are going to be like, good job, LeBron. Meanwhile, are the Thunder destined for an early exit? History says yes, and so does one person here, including staff. Right now, we're 10 days into the NFL draft. Nick is one of the most accurate draft prognosticators on the globe.

He was globally recognized, okay? We're on the clock with the first pick. And the first thing's first mock draft 2.0. You globally recognized. All right, this pick will not change in any of the four mock drafts. I try to take a little creative liberty with mock draft 2.0, but number one pick has been set in stone quite some time. Fernando Mendoza, two, the Las Vegas Raiders.

We all know that. The number two pick is where things change up significantly. The Jets decide with Gino Smith in a must-win year. You know what? Let's get Garrett Wilson some help. If you're going to get to the promise land, you need somebody to catch the football. Yeah, for the head coach it is.

And shocked the draft by taking Carnell Tate, Ohio State receiver number two, which shakes up everything a bit. The Cardinals, I think the need is. Sunny Stiles. I've had sunny styles in both of the drafts, which all of a sudden means Arvel Reese, who a lot of people think is the best player in the draft, is available for a Titans team that you know what they need more than anything? Good players. Yeah. They've got one or two. So they go Arvel Reese instead of Jeremiah Love. The Giants with Harbaugh, I think, are going to try to shore up that offensive line even more. The Browns obviously need

offensive line help as well, which means all of a sudden, And Jeremiah Love is on the board at number seven to pair with Jaden Daniels in, you know, a very dynamic, probably the fastest quarterback running back field maybe of all time. Ruben Bain goes one spot earlier than he did in mock draft 1.0, so he's not there for the Chiefs. The Chiefs, however, would be utterly thrilled if the draft fell this way. Some people think David Bailey, while probably not a three-down backer at this point, might be the best pure pass rusher in the draft. The Chiefs take pass rusher, just like they didn't mock draft 1.0.

And then the Bengals make a smart move. They had excellent safety five years ago. They didn't re-sign him. They let him go down to Atlanta where he was an excellent safety for them. They try to not repeat that mistake of years down the road, but they finally replace him with Caleb Downs, one of the best all-around players in the draft. That would be great.

And that would be great for them. And I do think if he's available, that would be the pick for them. That is the first 10 picks. The mock draft 10.0 with a shakeup caused by Carnell Tate going number two. So we'll go back to two. Jets taking Cornell Tate last year. Garrett Wilson led the Jets in receiving yards and touchdowns. But the number is 3.95 and four touchdowns and eight games.

Do you think this is a mistake, Brew, if the Jets went wide receiver at two? I would. And it's nothing to do with Tate. He is a talent. But I'm looking at it like a couple years ago. You had two great receivers, Garrett Wilson, who you still have, and Devante. Sure. Right.

And then you had a better quarterback, Aaron Rogers. I know it wasn't prime Aaron Rogers, but he's still better than Gino Smith. And you won five games. So they need to, last year they were 31st in the league in points allowed. And they had no interceptions and were dead last in. takeaways. They need help on the defense in. So you had on your draft a lot of defensive players

after Sunny Stiles or whoever it might be. Go for one of those guys, shore up the defense. And look, Gino, if he has another bad year, which is obviously on the board, let's say you drafted Tate. So Gino doesn't play well this year. Now you've

got two A-level receivers, let's say Tate really plays well, and no quarterback to throw him to football. You know, so I just feel like that would not be a smart pick. Listen, I think a lot of what you said is probably

accurate. That's 2.9. And I think the Jets are, when it's all said and done, going to have a hard time not going with one of the two Ohio State linebackers in Stiles or Reese or David Bailey, who in this

draft went all the way down to 9. However, I'm very confident they're not going Jeremiah. I'm very confident they're not going offensive lineman because they've gone offensive lineman in each of the previous two drafts and I'm very confident they're not going quarterback at two so if they were to decide you know what we're going to go offense this would be the player they pick and so that's the you know logic for it like it all right let's look at pick number seven Jeremiah love to the commanders

team up with jaden a new OC David Blau through how dangerous would a love Jaden combination be Nick took a veiled shot at Derek Henry and Lamar in that that duo did come to my mind I don't think these guys would be faster than them I think Lamar I don't know remember the well he didn't run the 40 yeah I mean I think Jaden and Lamar probably comparable speed and I but I Henry is now now he's probably faster yeah okay fair enough it wasn't this point you know I know um that would be dynamic because look jaden and his great rookie year also led the commanders in rushing.

And so he needs help. We know obviously he's had trouble staying healthy. And so to have a running back that you can give the ball to, they haven't had a 1,000 yard rusher since he's been there. And so this would help in that regard. And he's a great receiver. That's the thing, right?

Not only, I mean, yeah, you put him in a slot. You can even stretch him out. He is a legitimately good receiver. So that will help. But also, imagine him in the checkdowns and then running after catch. Like I just think he'd be a great weapon for them. You already got Terry McLaurin.

Like that'd be great for them. I do wonder, so Daniel Jeremiah, you know, in his latest mock, had Jeremiah Love falling to nine and the chief's taking him, just even though they are to kind of walking. That's, I mean, I, that's not what I would do. But if he is as good of a receiver as it looks like, you could have them both on field multi at the same time. But the reason I even brought it up is,

I do think that if the Titans don't draft Jeremiah Love, I don't think the Giants or the Browns are in the, like it feels very, it feels like the Raiders at one, the Jets at two, the Cardinals at three, Giants, Browns at five and six are not going to be in the Jeremiah Love business. So. I could see the Giants. Because of Harbaugh and the.

always has had a good run game. Potentially, I just feel like Harbaugh's first draft pick with the Giants is going to be a big person. I think it's going to be exactly like his brother. Yeah, like let's just like beef up the line. The offensive line. And so point is, I could see a scenario where Love drops a bit more. The Titans seem to be the home for him. But if not, I think he would be there.

Can I ask a question about this draft or the way that the mock draft is moving forward? Am I just a simpleton for thinking that head coaches who have made their resume on defense like Dan Quinn are going to lean toward a defensive player? I'd have to go back through a few drafts and sort of... No, I think it is overwhelmingly likely that Washington, and they need help on defense. That Washington does take a defensive player. I think that the only offensive player, I guess they could go offensive line. I think some, they might, though, fall in love with the idea of this supporting Jaden through this player in the backfield. And so they feel like they have their receivers.

Jaden bounce back year. CMC. Ask. Yes. And so I'm sure they don't want him running as much, even though he's great at him. All right. Back to the draft Miami on the clock. Miami, the good thing about doing mock drafts for Miami is they need literally everything. Yeah.

They take the top corner in the draft, Mansour Delane, out of Ellen. USU. The Cowboys is probably a bit of a reach, but they desperately need a true offball linebacker. They get the best in this, or I don't know if he's actually the best in the draft, but probably the best one position linebacker. You could say R. V.L. Reese or Sunny Stiles or a multi-position might be better, but C.J. Allen there. Kenyon Sadiq, the best tight end and maybe the only first round tight end goes to the Rams, which is maybe they are only, I don't want to say position of weakness on offense because they have. They have three tight ends. They like. But remember that Rams last year were running a ton of two and three tight-in formation.

None of those guys super dynamic, Sadiq, is. The Ravens upgrade the interior of that offensive line with the best interior offensive lineman in the draft. The Bucks take Ruben Bain's teammate Messador out of Miami. Another edge rusher there. The Jets at number 16 with the pick they got for Sauce Gardner gets a quarter. corner in Avion Terrell out of Clemson to try to supplement, you know, that loss there. All of a sudden, the Lions need help on the offensive line. They go with Monroe Freeling, the big tackle out of Georgia.

The Vikings for the first time in a decade, one of Harrison Smith patrolling their defensive backfield. Dylan Tunman for the safety out of Oregon, the Purdue transfer steps in there. I think this is probably more the range that he will go in. Mach draft 1.0 item falling all the way. way down to 29. I don't think that's likely anymore. The Panthers need help again, getting to the quarterback, Keldrick Falk, out of Auburn, and then the Cowboys who need help all through their secondary take the corner, Jermad McCoy, out of Tennessee. All right, let's look at the Rams. They grab tight ends, Sadiq at 13. This pick coming over from the Falcons.

Rams had the number one offense and points and yards brew. Tight end Colby Parkinson, 29th among tight ends and yards. But tied for second most TDs. with eight grabs in the end zone. If they draft Sadiq, do you think they're repeating as the number one offense? Man, I mean, adding him, was he running a four-three? Fastest tight-in ever. He's not, you know, much of a blocker, but he's a dynamic receiver. And you've got to pay attention to Puka and Devonze Adams.

Like, the only question, honestly, because they even got a good running back in Kyron Williams, would be, is the Stafford fall? off at all because of age. If he doesn't, then their offense would be incredibly dynamic. So yeah, this would definitely fit the bill for them. I, this

is kind of a, taking a tight end this high, particularly a tight end that isn't really a complete tight end. Right. He's a great, right. He's kind of a big slot receiver. It's another way to look at him. It's kind of a luxury pick.

But I think the Rams are, you know, have the benefit of being able to make a luxury pick. I think they have a very, very solid overall roster. They have drafted incredibly well in the middle rounds. They obviously, traditionally, have not had a bunch of first round picks to work with. I think taking Sadiq at 13 would be a bold move, the type of move I could see less need making. All right, Steelers on the clock at 21. Listen, some people think this guy, Emmanuel McNeil War, is a better safety than Tundeman from Oregon. Again, the Steelers spend more money on defensive team in the league.

They also, despite spending all that money, you know, they have all Jalen Ramsey patrolling that defensive backfield. I think McNeil War would be a nice addition for them. The Chargers start a run on wide receivers. Jordan Tyson, the first receiver off the board since Carnell Tate at two. The Eagles then take Omar Cooper Jr. to potentially fill a coming void from A.J. Brown. The Browns then take Mackay Lemon, the wide receiver out of USC, pardon me, as we go wide receiver, wide receiver, wide receiver in the early 20s. The Bears, listen, the bears all of a sudden need a tackle. We talked about this.

Their left tackle Torres, Patelotendon, in the postseason last year, they take Blake Miller from Clemson. The bills, I feel like, still need a receiver. I know that Brandon Bean might disagree with those radio guys about it a year ago. I think at this point he probably agrees with him. They take Denzel Boston out of Washington. The Niners do have to start thinking about life after Trent Williams, not necessarily for this year. Caden Proctor could be a great.

I don't know that he's ready to play right away, which is not ideal as a first round pick. But if you're going to learn from someone, learning from Trent Williams, you can't teach that frame and athleticism. And so he could maybe be your swing tackle as a rookie and then step in. He could go super high too, right? Yeah, I mean, I think that there is,

it's certainly on the board somebody falls in love with the measurable. Like he is such a great athlete and he is so huge, but it also seems like there is real worry about him on day one being ready to, you know, block NFL defensive ends because the technique issues again, I don't pretend to be an expert on this. But I think he could, you know, vacillate. The Texans for the fifth consecutive year need to upgrade. the offensive line. So they go

in Acho or out of Arizona State. The Chiefs with the pick they got for trading away, Trent McDuffy, take Colton Hood out of Tennessee. Injury questions with him, but not a lot of talent questions at all. The Miami Dolphins with the pick they got for Jalen Waddle, take a

wide receiver who would be the what is that? The sixth wide receiver taken in the first round, Casey Concepcion out of Texas A&M. Patriots It's probably a little bummed to see six wide receivers go off the board ahead of them. So they pivot to Ohio State defensive lineman, Caden McDonnell. You would expect that Mike Grable would have good insight on that position,

but that school in particular. And the final pick of the first round for the Super Bowl champions, Caches Howell Edge out of Texas A&M. All right. Let's go back to 23. Omar Cooper Jr. from Indiana had some big catches, none bigger than this. That was a catch of the year. A.J. Brown replacement question mark, bro.

Look, I think he'd be a good one. You see he's physical, right? He's kind of big and he can run after the catch, which is what you think about when you think of AJ Brown. And so I do think he'd be a good replacement, especially when I think he pencil-in at number two behind Devonte Smith. And when you add, they also added Hollywood Browns,

Antavian Wicks, who may not be as good as you hope he is, but that's a good group of receivers so he won't be like carrying it all by himself. I actually think if they're going to trade Brown, he would be a good pick at 23. This would be a shocking pick if they went wide receiver. It just means they definitely trade Brown. I would just, yeah, A, it would be a big signal that they're trading AJ Brown.

And also, we did this with quarterbacks a while ago, and maybe just the draft is super wide receiver heavy. Do you think, and the problem is I like Omar Cooper a lot? No, but go ahead. Like, how do you feel comfortable taking the six or seventh wide receiver in the first round? Well, I mean, but he would be the third. Oh, he's the third. The KC. Concepcion for the Dolphins was.

So, again, I think most people believe that Carnell Tate's the best receiver in this class. And then I think there is real debate between Lemon, Tyson, and Omar Cooper. as far as who is the second best receiver in this class. So maybe some people actually think Denzel Boston is. But at least the first three I mentioned, and maybe the four including Boston, all have different folks who think they are the next best guy. You might even have a few people who think one of those guys

is better than Carnell Tate. I think those guys are wrong. But I just think the, if Devonte Smith is going to be your wide receiver one, having a guy that is his good run after the captain, and as physical as Omar Cooper is right. He's not as tall or I think quite as physically imposing as AJ Brown. But AJ Brown might be the most physically imposing receiver in the NFL outside of D.K. Metcalf.

I just think that fits well. I would be, I think the Eagles are, I think the Eagles are going offense in the first round. And I think it will either be a tackle as a Lane Johnson down, you know, replacement for the future or receiver. to step in for A.J. Brown, because I think they are trading A.J. Brown. I think the Hollywood Brown and the Dantavian Wix moves have made it to where they don't have to take a receiver in the first round. But I still think they might do it. All right. Is Jalen Brunson worried about the Hawks?

That's next on first things first. That was a good mock draft 2.0. That was good, man. Thank you. We really get brass taxed on Monday. Yeah, three points. That's a new structure. Right here on FS1, Pete Crowe, Armstrong, the real deal.

The Cubs take on Bryce Harper and the Phillies. Get your popcorn ready. Oh, a little T.O. reference. Tonight, six Eastern, only on FS 1. Hey, W. You check to see who's in dead last in all of major league baseball. Oh, I don't know. Check to see who's on a two-game winning streak

or maybe three-game winning streak. It's lost to Red Sox. Check to see how many, I check to see. How many times? How many times has, I'll save it for fat. Fewest wins have been in baseball. First stop, fast break. Rockets Lakers starts in LA,

Saturday night. Lakers have home court, but the The Rockets are huge faves. If LeBron were to pull this off, what would a round one victory mean? All right, Brew, tell me what you think of this. The three most non-title, most impressive non-title moments or accomplishments of LeBron's career. Of LeBron's career. So I will order them in chronological, not this.

This is going to be a good. segment. At 22 years old, leading that 07 Cavs team passed Detroit and to the NBA finals. You said that's number one. That's, well, that's in the top three. I'm not ordering. I'll let you can

the, so I would say that is in my top three. His finals performance in 2015 against Steph and the Warriors without Kevin Love, without Kyrie, the 36, 13.

2015, when they, you know, went up to 1, he averaged 36, 13, and 9 for the series. And the entirety of, and he was age 30 at that point. And the entirety of, I would say, the 2018 playoff run, his last year in Cleveland, eight 40-point games, the two buzzer beaters, culminating in that 50-point game one of the finals that they lost, that at age 33. To me, those are the three best accomplishments, most impressive accomplishments, for LeBron that are season he didn't win the title where they didn't end in the championship.

Beating the Rockets single-handedly if Luca and AR don't come back for a single game would make that, like, crack that list. Really? Yeah, I think it... One of those three?

Yeah, I think it might at age 41, 23 years in, beating a Rockets team that yes, they've dealt with injury, but this is the team they have been for basically the last 50 games. That is as a plus 550 underdog, whereas you put in, Danny said last week,

five of the six best players in this series are on the other team. And your contemporary, except he's younger than you, Kevin Durant is on the other team, plus he's got a fully, you know, basically fully healthy squad around him. That might, I might find that more impressive than like the 2015 final. without Kyrie and Kevin Love, given the age.

He was, you know, he was 30 years old when he did that. He was 33 his final year in Cleveland. At 41, 8, year 23, winning this series, I think, would do that because it will take such a Herculean effort from him. It would be wildly impressive. I wouldn't put it above any of those three because it's the first round. And it's a very flawed Houston team. I would actually, while giving LeBron tons of credit,

it if obviously he'd have to play great if they do that his numbers probably be crazy just kill Houston yeah yeah I mean it would be more of an indictment on Kevin Durant and Ema O'Doka and the rest of them as well but those two mainly Durant just can't let this

happen and I don't I don't know I mean I know he wants to win I don't know if it's as drives him as much as some other guys he wants to improve at the game but he's got to like look at this like I got to win this.

I want him to be like, I got to win this series. This team brought him in to win a championship. Now, it's gone so poorly that that's no longer even on the board. Nobody's even thinking that. And if they win this first round, get beat, obviously, by Oklahoma City in the second round. Nobody's really going to kill Durant in the Rockies. But he was brought in to be the final piece, right? They were the second seat last year, so they thought they could win.

but it would be great for Lomber. But just because it's the first round. And like a first round win that would really catapult itself into that top three, as you mentioned, would have to be like over O KC. It would have to be some humongous upset where he wouldn't have a chance. Yeah, yeah, yeah.

For me to put it with that, that Detroit, I mean, to me that by far is his greatest achievement, non-title achieved. I think that, yeah, I mean, listen, I think the, The 07 playoff run to the finals and the 2018 playoff run to the finals are, you know, two of the greatest accomplishments of his career, in my opinion, of any career, even though they didn't win the title. I think this is where I think he is a bit of a, from a narrative standpoint,

victim of his continued high level of play. It's nobody cares. that he's the oldest player in the league and that he's played 23 years when it comes to this. Like the reason that the Lakers are plus 550 and not plus 1,500, is the little kernel of,

well, maybe LeBron does something crazy. And that's wild for, you know. It's actually respect. I get what you're saying. Usually we'd be like, oh my gosh, a 41-year-old averaging 21 points a game. But it's respect because he's, He's been so great, so consistently.

Yeah, he hasn't had a dip. Well, on the flip side, if LeBron retired, everyone would be like, Kevin Durant, the old man still getting it done. No one even talks about Durant being old. Yes. Right. He's very old too. And played the second most minutes of anyone in the whole league this year.

Not amazing. Most minutes was Amen Thompson. Wow. Yeah. Hemaudoka, pressing to play my best players. Exactly. Three six matchup. We'll see Anthony Edwards back in Denver.

What are the chances Brew the Wolves can pull off the upset over, in the gang. I'm giving them a 25% chance. Now, some people might think that's low. I don't look at, look, I think the wolves are a tougher matchup for them than who was it going to be? Houston. The, yeah.

If they had lost, however it would have laid out. But I think people are overstating how, like, they've got the Nuggets number because they beat them a couple years ago in game seven. Remember, that was a huge comeback. I think they were down 20. Yes. And they had this huge comeback. Great win in Denver.

So that was fantastic. But this year, they were three and one against Minnesota. I don't think Minnesota has their number like we feel they did a couple of years ago. And Denver's getting healthy. Now, if Anthony Edwards, Anthony Edwards has not looked like himself for a month now. Now, he played pretty well Friday when they played the rocket. I think he had 22 points, 27 minutes. But he's still, I'm not sure he's 100%.

And for them to have a legit chance, he's going to have to not only be 100%, he's going to have to be on fire. And I would love to see it. Believe me, I'd love to see him face the Wimby and the Spurs in the second round than Denver. So I give him a 25% chance, but I think the Nuggets will win this series.

Listen, I know you're not a gambler, but those odds we have on the screen, the implied percentage of that is almost exactly 25%. So you're in line with Vegas. I am not. I give them 10%. Really? Oh, I thought you thought it was going to be closer.

No, I would be stunned if Denver loses this series. I don't give, and this is more about the respect for Denver and maybe lack of respect in some degrees. for the overall quality of the Rockets, I don't give the Timberwolves much more of a chance than I give the Lakers. I think that, like, the, I would be equally surprised by the Lakers upsetting the Rockets

as I would by the Timberlals upsetting the Nuggets. I think, I can't believe that. I think this is the best, I think this has a chance to be the best Nuggets team that we've seen. And, you know, that first Nuggets team, They, the little yeah, but some people, I don't think really barely. You mean really won the championship? Yes.

Put on the title is, you know, they played a playing team in the finals in Miami. The path was not exactly the most. They played a Lakers team that nobody thought was going to get there, you know, in the conference finals. This is the opposite of that path. This would be a team that beat you, then the spurs, then the defending camps. This would be a historic run. and I think they can do it. And so I would be,

I don't think the term rules have looked right. It feels like they, I don't want to say, slept walked, but just, you know, we're on a bit of a cruise control throughout the regular season. And the tax of that is,

okay, you get Denver in round one. Sorry, guys, but that's what you get. So I would be, I would be shocked if Minnesota wins this series. Yeah, they're up and down, inconsistent,

but these last two years when they've gotten to the conference finals. We have not expected it. That's true. They kind of played to the- I've underestimated them every year in the playoffs. That's totally true.

They can utilize Rudy in a funny way. Yeah, Rudy's had a good thing. An can explode. He's got to explode. He's going to have to explode. If he doesn't, I mean, we're going to, it'll be interesting to make a list.

We should maybe do it as a segment. We know the stars are under the most, you know, Haiti's under pressure, Shays under pressure. We get that. The other tier of guys, Donovan. I think Donovan's under a lot of pressure.

Anthony Edwards. Like, when are we going to start talking about Anthony Edwards? Like, we talk about Lou Geh. There's a feeling he doesn't have the pieces around him. Now, that might be, might not be the case, but that's the field. And Luke has. He benefits from that. I think back-to-back conference finals helps him.

Listen, Luke is unfairly maligned, in my opinion. And, you know, has been, everybody loves Ant. And the, but I also think people don't quite view him. as quite the caliber of player. Dan Lucas? Yes, and so because of that, he's not held to the exact same standard. Yeah.

I do want to say one thing, because I'm sure Timberl's fans think that was too harsh by me. I think Minnesota might have been the unluckiest team by what happened Sunday. Because had the Spurs been able to beat Denver without Wimby,

and they get the Lakers in round one, and then this young Spurs team in round two, they being Minnesota, I think Minnesota would have a very real chance of finding itself back in the conference finals for a third straight year. I just think Denver is a juggernaut right now. I think Denver's excellent.

All right, if the Knicks won yesterday, they would have faced the Raptors, who they have no problem beating. Instead, they lost and now take on the Red Hot Hawks. Should New York be worried? They should, I mean, this is a tough first-round matcher. That's what I'll say. I expect the Knicks to win.

I think Nick there is more pressure on the Knicks to win or get to the finals than any other team in the league. Boston's already won a championship and you got the excuse of Jason Tatum's not himself. Detroit is a young, they won what, 2014 games a couple years ago. So they're kind of young and up and coming. Cleveland, there's no expectations. But there's no expectations for Cleveland. We all are like, okay, I'm not trusting James Hardin.

Here's the thing about Donovan. I get it. He hasn't been to a conference final. But he's also a 6-1 guard. You know, we don't always expect that very few 6-1, 6-2 guards. But Jayla Bronson's a 5-11 guard. Right, but he's also, okay, that's fair. That's fair.

But the Knicks fired a coach that got him to a conference final. Yes, that part's true. And so I think there's, and then you go west, okay, see, yeah, there's pressure to repeat. But nobody's repeated in seven years. Spurs are young, Denver's got a ring. So I think there's more pressure on the Knicks. The Hawks, a couple, what, a week ago, it was 108, 105 Knicks in a tight game. Yep.

Like, the Hawks have a better record than the Knicks post-All-Star break. They're 20 and 6. Nicks are 18 and 9. Like, this is just, I expect the Knicks to win, but this is just more trouble than you want in a first-round matchup. I, so KW, I guess we finally, it's finally time to talk about the Hawks. We just did. Listen, I, moderately concerned is my answer. I think that bruise analysis, and it pains me to say this, is spot on.

You say it every three day and a half hour. It still is hurt. It's still the fact that I say it a lot doesn't mean it doesn't hurt. I expect the next to win, but I expect it to go seven. Seven. That would be disheartening as a Knicks fan. And I, listen, and I think the biggest winner of this series is Boston. I think Boston's going to have, you know, either the imbidless Sixers or the magic who might have had the single, the magic lost.

Against what was left of Boston. That was the worst loss than the Spurs. I mean, that was horrifying. They don't like each other, the coach and the, so whoever Boston gets in round. one. I think that will be a quick, easy series, and they will be resting and waiting for, I think, the Knicks, but after a tough series against Atlanta. I'm going to say six, but if it goes seven, whew. Seven in the garden with Jalen Bronson. You worried about that? No, but anything can happen in a game seven. And it also takes a lot out of you.

In the next game, they lost seven nothing to Germany. Boy, that one wasn't good. A thunder looked to have a somewhat easy path to the finals, but as mentioned on this show several times. The champs have had a tough road to repeating. Going all the way back to the Raptors, no reigning champ has made it past the second round. So are the Thunder destined for an early playoff exit? I hate to say another thing that would stun me, but this one would stun me. Listen, I think the Thunder were some of the biggest winners of yesterday. I think if Denver had fallen to four, absolutely, I would have been on here today.

on here today, I think saying that we're very in play to repeat history of, because Denver at 4 would be playing them in round two and that they're going to continue that trend. But now in round

two, they are going to get most likely the Rockets who I think they would trounce. Or if the Lakers have gotten there, I guess we assume that means Luke's back. If Luke is back and at full strength, and Austin's back, I don't think Brew would.

I would give the Lakers a shot. Oh, yeah. But. What type of shot would you give them, a percentage rise? One in four, 25%, something like that, like the, but I think it's more likely that we see Luca than that we see Luca at full strength. You know, I think Luca maybe could, might come back if the Lakers extend round one, but will he be fully operational Luca?

And so it would, this is the. exact bracket they wanted and they got it. And so getting the spurs and the nuggets both where you're only going to play one of them and it would be the conference finals, we're not considering the conference finals an early exit, right? If they make the conference finals and lose? No. So my answer is no. I don't think they are. I didn't think any, you know, we usually don't think these other teams are and then they

lose, but this would be stunning to me if they don't make at least the conference. Yeah, I agree. No, they are not destined for an early playoff exit. Now, I will say this. We didn't expect Indiana to make the finals. We didn't expect Indiana to push O KC to seven. And who knows what would have happened had Tyrese Halliburton not gotten hurt. So, but I think that one of the benefits for OKC, one of the things that they have going for them, I wouldn't be surprised if they feel a little bit disrespected in that so many people are talking about San Antonio. San Antonio

did beat them handily in the regular season. So I just think that they have a lot of material where they can go to play the disrespect card. They can say people only think we beat Denver last year because Aaron Gordon played on a

bad hamstring. People only think we beat Indiana because Tyrese Halliburton got hurt. People think San Antonio's better than us. Despite our great record, number one, seed playing without our second best player all season. People think we aren't that good. Like this

they have a lot of ambion for that. I think we saw that in the Lakers game. I thought they were trying to get the Lakers. Yep, they were. They were sending a message. Do you think people, but I haven't heard a lot of people say they don't think Oklahoma City's that good. No, nobody's saying that good, but I, and I'm not even

saying it's real out, it's real out, really out there, but they can drum up these, you know, dragons in their minds and, and Bagnaught can use that to motivate guys. Can I ask a question? I was talking about round two. Which of the four play-in teams do you think would be the most likely to give O'KC a series?

Phoenix, Portland, Golden State, or the Clippers? I would say they beat the Clippers 3-0. And both, I think almost all of them were double figure. I think one was nine and the rest were blowouts. Because of Kauai, I want to say them. Steph could maybe win a game by himself. He goes crazy. But I guess I would say to Clippers, but I don't give any of them.

I don't listen, I don't give any of them a chance. I think Phoenix would give them the best series. I think, you know, now that Phoenix is. Dylan Brooks can get under your skin. Right. Devin Booker's, you know, been to a finals. Devin Booker can go, you know, can match Shays scoring output or close to. it. And so now I think Phoenix is probably going to beat Portland, so it won't matter.

But, you know, they obviously get the winner of the second Western Governance playoff game. And so the loser of Phoenix Portland is going to play the winner of Clippers Warriors with the prize of probably getting your head handed to you by OKC. It would be fun if they could just, if somebody could get them to a game six in round one. That would be fun. I don't, I don't anticipate it. another 50 point win. Didn't have that 50 point win in the first round? Oh, yeah.

Last year. Yeah. Live from New York, it's the real deal. First thing's first overtime. Today, championship or bust for the Knicks? Hmm. We discussed. Meanwhile, are the Eagles planning for a post-A.J. Brown future?

I've got June 1 circled on my calendar when a little cap situation would be. Oh, you've been scouring spot rack? I don't scour it. I check it every day. Okay, yes. I just do the scouring. I don't need to scar. I just go to A.J. Brown page.

It says it's going first and cap thing. And finally, which starting quarterback needs help on their O line, a little bit of draft talk. We're 10 days away alongside Chris Bessard. Who's had a great show. Can I answer that question? Thank you, Lance. Yeah, please.

Justin Herbert. Are we got a more Justin Herbert conversation? I mean, the Chargers might find their way into the office. I mean, of course. Justin Irving needs help, man. My goodness, how many lineman does he eat? I mean, well, last year you didn't have enough? I know, it's coming back.

Yeah, so get up more. Kevin Wilde's, Nick Wright and Danny Parkins. We are starting in Los Angeles. The Lakers close out this season. Oh, no, it's five and a half now. Over the jazz. Four and a half. Moving lines.

Oh, really? Four seed waiting for the Rockets on Saturday. Here's JJ Reddick on LeBron's season. He had a not a good season, not a great, he had a remarkable season. all things considered. You take away the fact that he's in his 23rd year and he's 41 years old, hit a remarkable season.

The fact that those things are real and they're very real in terms of the day-to-day management, it's unbelievable what he did this year. I like that. Put a grade on LeBron's season, Perkins. A plus? If you were ever in a class that was graded on a curve, you know, it's the type of thing where, like, it was a math class, it would only hurt me even more because I was just at the bottom of it. But, like, if you grade LeBron's season on a curve accounting for age, it's just remarkable, but you don't even, it was good without it, I guess is kind of the overarching point.

Like, there were a bunch of different ways I could do the graphics here, but I wanted to just put age at the bottom and not filter it for it, basically not put the curve. total list of players who were 20.6 board seven assists this year. It's four guys. This is really a Jalen Johnson group. Yeah, we'll talk Hawks Nixon a little bit. But wanted to include because a young player, awesome athlete on an up and coming team. And then obviously a couple of MVP candidates in LeBron. And then if you wanted to filter for over 50% shooting, it's just Yokic and LeBron.

So I can't remove age from the equation when discussing this year from LeBron because it's just so clearly beyond anything we've seen before for a guy over 40. Yeah, I mean, if you factor in age, there's only one grade, and that's 8 plus. Like, 41, 23rd season doing this, no question. And I'll throw in the adjustments that he's had to like. Right? The going. And we really now, when Luke,

Luca first got there last year, LeBron did adjust show that he can defer and be the second role player, second option. But this year, he really just, I mean, he wasn't really playing that way early. They were kind of who's team, it was Lucas team, but him and Reeves back and forth. They're not playing a lot together. And then LeBron just decided after he was injured, he came back and played that third role, third option perfectly to perfection. they go on this run and now Lucas out, Austin's out, so he takes over and goes back to being the number one option and plays well at it.

I haven't put together my all-NBA teams yet, and he's not eligible because of the 65 game rule. But he may have, had he been eligible, he may have found himself on a third team. I'm not sure, but I'm just saying he would be at least a name I'd write down as somebody I'll consider for that third team. So he's been fantastic, no question. So I also, the age part is stunning, but I think it's almost more noteworthy if we remove the curve like you're talking.

Yeah, I mean, I looked at it both ways. So yeah, that's fine. And so because you said last week when we were talking about some Lakers topic, you just kind of said in passing, like what does Luca do better than LeBron? or about offensively or as an offensive floor general, something like that. I don't, I'm not trying to misquote you. And listen, I think Luca's, you know, Lucan Joker, in my opinion, with respect to Shea, the two best offensive players in the league and what Luca does better than any player in the league is score. He is, you know, literally the scoring champion.

Now, maybe other guys could do it if they took as many shots, but he's not inefficient, those things. So I am not, and I do not think LeBron James at this moment of his career is as good of a player is Lukin Anjic. I do think there is an argument that as far as floor general running an offense, LeBron's the best guy on the Lakers for that.

And the fact that he I think, if I think that might be true, my guess is LeBron thinks it is definitively is true. LeBron probably thinks I'm, you know who's best for to have the ball in their hands of me? Yeah. And the fact that he

accepted and maybe even on his own initiated, all right, I'm just going to have to change for us to win, not just deferring to Luke at Ancich, but deferring to Austin Reeves. And I really like Austin Reeves. And Austin Reeves and Braun seemed to have a great relationship. And he's oddly one of Brown's longest tenured teammates of his whole career, because he's been there, you know, for LeBron's almost entire Laker career. To do that when he knew that he could still be putting up the numbers he's put up this week in service of winning. It's something that very few all-time greats across any

sport willingly would do. And the fact that the moment Luke and Austin went down, he ripped off as far as points and assists, the best three-game stretch he's ripped off in six years. The last time he had that many points and that many assists over three games was the year they won the title means like he can still as far as being the offensive engine. do not vintage LeBron, but, you know, earlier Lakers LeBron stuff and took a different role in service of winning for a team that I felt, and I think you agreed to me until the OKC game, all of a sudden became an actual contender, not an A-list contender, not like top, but it was, all of a sudden it was, wait, they might be able to win the championship with LeBron doing this

is to me the most stunning part of the season. Yeah, I do think, remember I said it a few weeks ago, like LeBron and Luca is great, but I think I was talking about when Luca's shooting too much, dribbling too much, I think when you have two big scoring options with you, I think LeBron is sitting there sometimes saying this is not the smartest way for us to play. But he also realizes that Luca can't do what,

LeBron decided to do. Neither can Austin. They have to have the ball in their hands be top scoring options for them to be effective. And so he willingly, you know, went to the other option. I just think when he's got the ball in his hands, he moves it a little more. LeBron was very ball dominant in his prime, too. But I think now when he has the ball in his hands, he still passes it more than Luca does and doesn't dribble as much. So if he had a remarkable season according to his coach, an A-plus season, according to you guys. There's a number four seed

and would have a chance at making a run if their guys were healthy. Why are we so enthusiastic to move him to another team? I think personally, I don't, I think he wants to stay with, I haven't talked to him or anybody like that, but I think he wants to stay

with the Lakers. I think that's one reason he decided to play the other role. Because all the talk was right before that, Lakers going to move on from LeBron, have cap room to go with. He showed them, look, I can be on this team and we can be effective. We still need other pieces, but I can be this third option and fit in and not step on Lucas Toes, Austin Toes.

That's my take on it. I think he wants to stay there. His whole family, his age, does he want to move around to another city and all that? Right. I mean, I think there is still some basketball redundancy with him and Luca, and he is the one who pivoted because of the reality of. of age. Because, like, they made the deal for Luca.

They're going to sign Luca. He really, right. And he realized, this is Lucas team. Like, he's smart enough to realize that. So he made the choice, yes, because he can, because of physicality, size and all that. But also because the writing was on the wall. So I think if he wants to stay in L.A., this role's going to be the one he has to do it. The role from before the guy's got.

Yeah. And so that, so there's a lot there. I think that if LeBron were going to stay in L.A. and they were trying to have the best chance at winning a championship next year. I actually think that what Rich Paul said four months ago is still correct, which is moving Austin for better defensive pieces around Luca.

That's the piece that he has massive value. He's an excellent score. His value only increased this year. I think that would be the move. But the day of the OKC game, it just came out, I think, yesterday or today. But LeBron and Steve Nash recorded a podcast before the injuries. But it was recorded the day of that game. And Nash asks LeBron about his role at the time.

And he basically says what we're saying. I recognize this is what the team needed. And then he says, like, while kind of chuckling, he's like, yeah, so it's cool for now. And then starts kind of laughing. I do think there's an element of being willing to do something because it is the best thing for this team is one thing and then knowingly saying this is going to be the role I play for the end of my career is different.

And I think that's the decision he's going to have to make this off season. Well, the question is what team now I do think the way he's playing now might make a team say, we could put the ball in LeBron. Yes, definitely. What team is that? Like Cleveland is not, that roster is not that. No, but I don't think he has to be the number. Maybe New York. Maybe New York, maybe Golden State.

Not necessarily the number one ball handler because Jalen Brunson would be a lot of that. But not, there are a lot of places, I think, where he wouldn't be third. Where, you know what I mean, he would be the, for lack of a better term, in the Austin Reeves role to Luke. You know what I mean? And the second option. It was third option that really just took, he was, you know, cut into the basket, spotting up and playing defense, which again was good for the Lakers. I just don't know if that's how,

and maybe it is, I don't know if that's the role he wants to play to end his career. No. The Dallas quote, when he said, they put me on the shelf. It's not, you know what, I love my role. No way. Hawks in New York on Saturday, Nick's looking to make a deep playoff run, and

the pressure is mounting. Drew, you know how the back pages can be. Oh, yeah. Oh, my goodness, clutch points. They have a back page? Yep, they just released a Twitter page. James Dolan adds pressure to Nix with stern NBA finals expectations. Also, fan side. Nix received championship treatment

despite 53 year drought. And then finally, this is a classic one. Lupica's back. Real sense of urgency for championship or bust Nix. How much pressure? Hold on before Danny answers. I don't know if we can show that clutch points headline again. Yeah.

Of just by itself, if we can't, it's all right. The byline. was Jackson Stone. I just want you guys to know. What? It says Jackson Stone. Not Jackson Blaine, and I'm not saying that's a mythological creature like bro. But I am saying that caught my eye.

He said that was written by accident. It's spelled with an X, I believe. Oh, okay. Sorry. All right. As you were. How much pressure? I mean, listen, we don't, we, I like the rip from headlines, but, you know, they also fired Tibbs for making

in the Eastern Conference finals and upsetting Boston, like actions over words. We don't do as much Larry O'Brien or bust as we do Super Bowl or bust, but I would assume the Knicks would have been the number one team on your list if that would

have existed. You have to make the finals. I think, Danny, I said it earlier. I think there's more pressure on the Knicks to make the finals than any team in the league. And I think that is, of course, true. Some people might say, okay, see, but they've won it. They have, they've got

one championship. No one's repeated in seven years, so they would just be the latest to not do it. So yeah, I think, now I don't think the Knicks obviously you get there, you want to win it, it's been since 1973 that they won one, but

I just, I feel like the main pressure is get there. Win the East and get there. If they do that, then all is well. I mean, even though they'd be disappointed they didn't win the championship. But yeah, they got to get there. Well, I said it in the walk-in video. I heard you say it earlier today, too. I think this series is going seven in round one. Atlanta, they might be just too young to not know what they

don't know. And if all of this pressure is on the Knicks, they're a four and a half point underdog in game one. Like the Hawks, yes, a lot of it has been against bad teams. There's no doubt about that down the stretch, but you can say that for the entirety of the NBA. You mentioned Brew earlier that they have a better record since the All-Star Braves. It bears out in the numbers. Like if we just do tail of the tape since the All-Star break across the board in the Eastern Conference, the Hawks have just been better. Now, are they better? Do they have the playoff experience?

I guess we're going to find out over the next couple of weeks, but I think the Knicks are a flawed team that has been better in some areas in the regular season that will see if that pays dividends in the postseason. You normally shorten your bench, so I'm not sure how much Mike Brown going a little bit deeper. bit deeper is going to ultimately matter here in round one when both of these teams have a break. But I don't expect them to come out of the east. And I think there's a lot of pressure on it. And if they don't go as far as they did last year, are they going to turn around and fire Mike Brown one year into that deal? No, no chance. I would. Okay. But then why did you fire Tim?

Because I mean, they just want to keep paying coaches. I also think they felt that Tibbs had a track record of teams, you know, peaking in the regular season and not being able to get over the hump. This is probably the last version of this Knicks team as presently constructed. Well, look, if they go out early, what they should do is go get Janus, period. And I think they will. And I was saying earlier to Nick, I don't think the market is going to be quite as high for Janus. Not that it won't be high, but I don't think it would be quite as high as it would have been a few months ago or a year ago. I think that's right.

To stay here for a second. One of the reasons, so I know it's weird to say you expect a series to go seven, but you'd be surprised if the other team won because anything could happen in game seven. The biggest edge for the Knicks in this series is games that are,

if you've got to go get a bucket late, and I really like this player. I like him as a person. He came on the show seven years ago, sent us beautiful wine. But CJ McCollum, being the go-to you know

kind of clutch option for closer for Atlanta versus Jalen Brunson is a huge Delta. And that's you know I think CJ's been awesome for them since they acquired him and I think he's part of the reason for their turnaround and he does bring some playoff experience

to that team. I think that is where the Knicks have the biggest edge. I feel maybe I'm wrong on this. I feel like there is massive, immense pressure on the Knicks in this round and I don't feel like there's that

much pressure on them after that. I think that... Really? The basketball world expects them to lose to Boston. The basketball world, but what about Dolan and the Knicks fans? I mean, I think Nick the... I mean, I think Knicks fans will be bummed. I think if they lose this

round, it's a catastrophe and everything is on the table. If they lose to Boston... It's a step backwards. I understand. One more games. They beat Boston. in last year. I think it's almost impossible to see them bringing back the Villanova Knicks plus towns next year if they

don't get to where they got last. No, I agree. I agree. Like I said, I think they will make changes. It'll be Janus. Maybe LeBron, I don't know, but I think they'll make some change. They should make changes. I mean, I would be interested in Janus and LeBron.

Well, no, I mean, I mean, I mean, one or the other. Next question. Is it better if the Hawks for the next long-term future if the hawks sweep them. I don't think they're going to do. If they beat it, if they beat Atlanta, if they beat Atlanta and look good in beating Atlanta and lose a tough series to Boston, I do not think they're blowing up the necks.

I don't think they would, I think they would of course be interested in getting Janus. I don't know if they'll be able to. I think they would be interested in bringing in LeBron at the right price. I don't agree that they. are all of a sudden going to make some massive franchise altering trade if they lose to a Boston team that is flatly better than them. I understand that this year did not, one of the reasons we had such high expectations, even hopes is maybe better worth than expectations for the Knicks was because we thought Boston

was eliminated. It was not because they, even though they won that series, I don't think a lot of us thought, well, the Knicks are just clearly moving forward better than the Boston Celtics. They beat him in that series and credit to them, but one of the reasons the Knicks' expectations were where they were was, we crossed off Indiana, we crossed off Boston. Boston's not a cross-off. They're the best team in the conference.

I don't think, if they get dog-walked by Boston, that's one thing. They lose like a tough game six in Boston to lose. I don't know if Leon Rose can run it. Or that would be in New York, sorry. If Dolan goes to Leon Rose's office, what's your plan? You can't say run it back. I don't know that I agree with you. I just, I don't think that,

every year that you don't make one step further than you did the previous year doesn't mean you have to make some cataclysmic change. Last year they made the furthest, it was the best year they've had in a quarter century and they made some massive change. Like I don't think you have to do that every year. I just don't.

I mean, I don't think you fired a coach, but personnel changes, I think there would be some. I like their roster. I just don't think they're as good as Boston right now. Head down to Augusta. Rory wins back to back Masters Championships. Danny, you said he were super fired him about this. What did this mean for Rory?

It's one of my favorite sporting events of the sports calendar. And for Rory, I think it meant a tie. Obviously he exercised the demons last year, and that was amazing. But like the Rory of pre last year, if he blows that six shot lead, he can never get it back. And the fact that he was down to early against a awesome leaderboard and everybody else was the one who kind of collapsed around him and then he made just enough great shots. It is like a validation that the old Rory where I would watch him on Sunday of a major and expect him to collapse, that is now officially gone. And then the all-time

stuff just starts to get really fun and interesting. Like did it lock him in as a top 10 golfer of all time? This is the list of guys, 30 or more wins. six or more majors, and it's a who's who of the guys who matter in golf. Really screwing over old Tom Morris senior injury. I understand. So who was on the outside? Who did he jump? Fowlado.

He jumped. Yeah. So Fowl would be one. And then like, Nick, you said definitively that you have him above Phil. I think that's now the debate for him. Yeah. Because I think he's better than Phil. So, so Rory's got 30 wins.

Phil has 45. They both have six majors, but Rory has the career grand slam. Phil doesn't. Correct. But Phil has 13 seconds at majors and seven thirds at majors. I like the second and thirds.

It's just he's like I just think it's very close. I think Rory has four seconds at majors. Rory, listen, part of this, Phil for two weeks of his career was the world number one. Now that's a tiger stat. I understand. Rory for 122 weeks in his career was the world number one.

He's the five-time player of the years, three-time FedEx Cup champ. And I also, you know, Phil is done. Correct. And so if they're tied right now, you know, Rory, pass him next week. You know what I mean? Like, Roy's still accomplishing things. And Phil's in group chat. Roy's 36, almost 37.

Right. And so that's the other, that's the piece that I think the golf fan that, you know, is like, watches the masters of the majors, but isn't really, I bet they think Rory's way older than he is because he won those four majors so long ago, but he was 21 and 22 or 23 and 24 when he was winning him, that he still has, like, you are in your golf, he's going to be in his golf prime for another close prime decade. Like, another 40 majors. The thing with Rory, too, is though, if you count Schaeffler as a part of his generation, like, I think Schaeffler is going to pass it.

Yeah, and Sheffler is the better. Really? I do not. I think I put Sheffler in the group of Kepka, Justin Thomas, Jordan Speath, these guys who people promised me was the next guy that was going to, you know, get in this, this hollowed class. And Roy is the only one who's going to do it, in my opinion. Yeah, I would take that bad. But forced the playoff all of a sudden on the outside looking in.

First time in a major since Phil and Tiger in 02 that the world number one and two finished first and second in a major. I would have loved to see that playoff with Scotty and Rory. Are the Eagles still contenders without AJ Brown? Breaking news, was AJ Brown? It's a hypothetical. Oh, okay. Welcome back to first things first.

Willie Colon out here. Willie. Let's go to Philadelphia. More AJ Brown talks. An article on ESPN.com dropped this morning. The title kind of stands out. Eagles, AJ Brown intrigue increases as the NFL Dren Nears, I clicked on the link.

The Eagles took another step in solidifying what could be a post-brown receiver room with the acquisition of Devon Tavian Wix. The front office believes Devante Smith is more than capable of thriving with a heightened workload. And the recent additions give the Eagles some solid options to pair with him. So we are not going to you, you came over to my side and you said you agree post-June 1. You think it's happening now that they did the Hollywood Brown and the Wix's move. So we're not going to do will he or won't he. Yep. Let's just live in the hypothetical that it happens, much to the chagrin of Eagles

fans, I apologize. Tis the season. What will your expectations be for the Eagles and their offense if they don't have A.J. Brown. Well, I think it starts with Devonty Smith. So I feel he's able to carry the wide receiver room for the Philadelphia Eagles, but I don't think he will impact the defense

like A.J. Brown does. That's the difference. I also believe right now, if you're Holly Roseman, in Val, I think they've done a great job of building up to the release possibly the release of AJ Brown by getting Hollywood Brown. You're talking about Wix. You talk about Elijah Moore. But I think right now, if you're Howard Roseman, you're going into the draft,

you may want to trade up and go get an Omar Cooper Jr. out of Indiana or Jordan Tyson out of ASU solely because I feel like if you're going to have Devonte Smith few year, number one, you're going to need a bona fide superstar at the two positions. Because Devonte Smith, even though he can stretch the defense, he's a little more, he's a more streamlined, he's more vertical. Like you need somebody who's a big body threat on third down and particularly in the red zone. So I think if you're the Eagles right now, that's something you may have to entertain. So let me ask you a comp question.

And I know Jalen Hertz is not a throw to all three levels, lead the league in pass attempts. No one would say he's the best thrower of the football in the NFL. But is there any Jackson Smith and Jigba in Devante Smith's game? When I watch Devante Smith, I can see that. He is a smooth route runner with great hands who gets open. I think Devante Smith in a... He plays strong, too. In the right situation where it's like, oh, yeah, we're going to target you 150 times this year,

and we've got a quarterback who can, you know, dot the eye and put the ball wherever he wants on the field. I feel like he would be considered a top 10 receiver in football. He's just in a low-volume passing offense with Jalen Hertz is the guy doing the passing, and he's opposite A.J. Brown, who is a better player and more of like a, easy to see. Like he jumps off the tape because he's so physically imposing. I think Devante Smith

is absolutely a number one wide receiver in this league. Yes, when given opportunity. Yeah, and I don't know if he would be in Philly, but I do think if the Eagles featured him more because A.J. Brown is gone. I think Devante Smith would have a career year. Well, that's the thing.

If they prop him up and let him be the true number one, that I mean, we'll have to see about that. My question going forward is, you know, I remember AJ Brown, at the end of one of his games, you know, there was so much talk about his antics on the sideline. I can remember AJ Brown saying, you know, you guys are all looking at me.

Smitty is just as unhinged. He's the same guy that likes to bark out. If Smithy's on an island by himself and he's not getting a ball or if things aren't going his way, or this passing attack isn't living up to the expectation. DeBonte Smith's just going to be reading a book. Or will we see, yeah, how will we now judge Jalen Hurst? How will we now judge the situation?

Because that would be two star receivers right now who seem to have an issue with Jailen. Well, yeah, I think that there's, Jalen Hurts is going to be even more under the microscope than he has been if they do move on from AJ Brown because it will be like, all right, are we actually better? Because my assumption will be they will be worse as a team because if you have two number one receivers and then you have one number one receiver. Right. Simple math. You probably will be worse. But I do, like, so like this isn't about Dantea Wix or Hollywood Brown or any move that they make in the draft.

But I do think good offensive line, Sequin Barclay, Devante Smith, Dallas Goddard, like we should still have the expectations that the Eagles are flirting with being a top 10 offense in the NFL, no? Well, that's, that's, if we're not constantly questioning their identity, which we did week after week, we didn't know who they were, right? We knew they had all these pieces. You talk about now when we sign in Goddard, you know, possibly having AJ Brown in and out. We don't know.

But my point, when you look at them moving forward is, yeah, they have. have the makeup to be a top 10 offense, but will they be considering that there's still serious consideration if Jalen Hertz is capable of being what they need them to be, right? Because when we read the report, the issue was, well, we know he's efficient against man, but against zone, he disappears. Like some of those things we have to erase if we want to consider like this outfit being a legit outfit or at least a top 10 outfit. A little far into his career to still be having those questions. By far. All right, let's go to the masters, but we're not talking, Rory. Not right now by the way, Drake May, he was there.

Man, that's cool. And he sat down under the umbrellas to talk about the Super Bowl loss and looking ahead to this upcoming season. Here's what Drake May had to say. He said it's humbling. You've got to get back to work. When you're so close and within reach, you want that feeling.

And everybody says you'll be back, but it's not that easy. So we've got to get back to work. And I'm looking forward to trying to prove to myself that we can get back and just have another year and get a chance at it. Willie, you've been to a Super Bowl. Yeah. What's it going to take for the Patriots?

to get back to the Super Bowl? Just to be more attentive to detail. I think some of the goals they have dressed in the offseason. They needed to get better in the run game. But valid they finished six in the rush in the football. But they were horrible in short-yarders, right? They didn't do well. Inside the five, they struggled.

On the go-line, they struggled. So they went out and went ahead and got a fullback in Gilliam. They went ahead and got, excuse me, I'm slipping my mind. I forgot who they get. Anyway, fast forward. Romeo Dobbs? Not Romeo Dobbs. Somebody else.

I apologize. But my point is they have to be better on short yardage. And then on top of that, you also got to realize, man, like, you know, Drake May as a whole, he was sacked 21 times in the playoffs last year. And it equated to him having a bumped shoulder in the Super Bowl. So they got to show up that protection. But I also think on the defensive side, they got to get some pass for help. Hopefully they can address that in the draft.

But we'll see what happens. You know, so they're an interesting spot. They added all that cap space last year, but I said it to Wilds all the time, and I think some Patriots fans, based on the comments, got a little upset. Like, I thought they were still a year ahead of schedule. Like, I did not think they were a dominant team. Some of that was strength of schedule. Some of that was roster construction. But, like, I think that it's totally in play that this upcoming Patriots team is a better team with a worse record because that's just how the NFL works.

Like, you know. you think you're going to be back. There is no guarantee that you will get back. Yeah, but you're going like the years we went back to Super, but we knew the defensive strength of our team, right? We knew no matter how we performed offensively, defensively, we were at elite level. I don't know if we could say that about the Patriots,

even though they performed extremely well in the playoffs, right? Like I think if you don't have a legit pass rush, so Valid they got a safety in Cameron, Burt, out of Chicago, who's listening, he did a great job intercepting the football last year. But if you don't have legit at rushes that can get home, and impact the quarterback, it's hard to say you're going to repeat, right? Like, I think defensively they showed up and they showed up in a major way and carried this team.

But I know every year that we had an opportunity with going to the Super Bowl is because our defense was at an elite level or one aspect of our team was like at an elite level. I don't know if we said about the Patriots. So history is not on their side. If you look at this in terms of maybe this will mean nothing to you. But if you get there early, we immediately will talk about you always getting back. You have to. Because, like, Joe Burrow, it's kind of shocking.

And I know part of that is Mahomes and all the guys in the AFC and injuries, right? But like, obviously Dan Marino thought he was going to get back. And he didn't. Obviously, when Joe Burrow got there so quick, we're like, oh, Joe Burroughs going to get back. So Drake May, the overwhelming odds are not only that he won't get back this year, but that he won't get back for a while. Most guys do not get four, five, six shots to hoist multiple Lombardi trophies. You know what I mean?

It's just it's hard. It's hard. You know it better than me. And in the AFC, he's got to go through Burrow. He's got to go through Allen. He's got to go through Lamar. He's got to go through Mahomes. And then we'll see on the next crop of guys, whether it's Bo Nix, whether it's Herbert,

whether it's whomever you think it is. So what will it take? Yeah. There's no guarantees that it'll get back. They have to get a lot better, but the overwhelming likelihood is that Drake May gets another shot or maybe two at a Super Bowl, not that he's going to be playing an AFC championship games for the next decade. Well, listen, I think, I said not to be redundant, I feel like the league catches up to you fast, right? I think no, but he's not going to walk up on anybody like he did last year.

I do think when you put this offense together, man, there is so much of this offense, especially on third and long, where it's like, hey, man, you're Drake May. Here's a cape. like go save us. They need more of a consistent offense. And that's why I really said, man, they got to get a run game together. The person I was trying to talk about was Elijah Rivera-Tucker. Winelphi.

He's one of the best run-blocking office linemen in the league. So hopefully that stabilizes the run game. With that also, you expect this offense should just be more streamlined, right? Like we fall in love with the boroughs and Josh Allen and all these MVP-style quarterbacks that, like, man, when all loss fails, we got this guy, that runs out fast. If you're not able, one, you don't have a run game and two, you don't, if you can't protect them. So I think the Patriots done enough in the offseason to kind of stabilize some of that. But still, you want to save a young quarterback coming off a banged up shoulder. Coming up next, Willie Cologne tells us an offensive lineman who could be put it on a gold jacket and one to stay away from.

And then we'll pick some teams coming up on the OTO. Warwick. We are 10 days away from the 2026 NFL draft. And we want to bring you inside the OT War Room where every day we're talking the biggest storylines. ahead of the draft. Willie Colon and I taking calls on offensive linemen. And Willie, the comment section, they're like, which one of you was an offensive lineman? They can't tell. Right. I guess it was you. Been in the wait room. Yeah, thank you very much. Uh, earlier today, Nick Wright unveiled his second, uh, mock draft. He had seven offensive linemen taken in the first round. It's a very popular position. Obviously, you can see some of them here. This is the entire list of the guys who were taken. You're a Super Bowl champion. You study the position.

Which of those guys do you think is maybe being overdrafted or projected to go too high? Man, believe it or not, it's the big right tackle out of Utah, Spencer Fennell. Listen, I get it 6-6-6-3-11. I have serious concerns about his measurements, his arm length and his hand size. Right now, he's projected to have a shorter arm length than Will Campbell. And we know how much that hurt Will Campbell this season in his rookie year, especially on life on the edge. Like, listen, I like the fella.

I think he's aggressive. He pops off the tape. He's tough. He can definitely run. He's athletic. But life on the edge is different. And what you see you out of this guy right here is when you don't have long arms, you tend to catch.

That means if you're catching, that means you're taking on the bull rush instead of stopping the bull rush. Like if I come at you, Danny, I won't do that because I know I want to hurt you there. Delegant. But what I'm trying to say is if the only way to compensate with short arms, you've got to have elite footwork. Right. I wasn't a very tall guy.

My arms weren't very short, but my feet was elite. I had to be elite because of guys I were going against like Jason Taylor, the Javan Curses of the World. Those guys were 6-5-66 long-long guys. If they got to my chest first, I was done. So that's something he's going to have to be able to combat at the next level. I think he will, especially with proper coaching. But I also think scheming fit matters.

If you're the 49ers, if you're the Seahawks, teams that run a lot of outside zone, that's where he can be effective. If you're a downhill team that, you know, like run between the tackles, pull guards, he may struggle with that because he's not an overly big guy, but he's a very athletic tackle. So you don't have to be careful where you draft him. Yeah, a lot of the mock drafts love Fanoe. Also, everything I read about him is like,

and he had the third fastest 40-yard dash time. I'm like, I don't see a lot of film of offensive tackles running 40 yards. Yeah, the only time you see offensive tackles running along distances is to try to stop interception. Not the most valuable skill. Seems like a good athlete, though. So you're worried about Fonneau, but let's go to the positive side. Who do you like?

Who do you see, you know, long time career, all pro, maybe even put it on a gold jacket one day? Man, I'm going to tell you, there's a big ugly out of Alabama named Cadden Proctor. You're talking about 6, 7, 350 pounds. His nickname should be the human forklift. The man is a problem in the run game, and his ceiling is high, and I will compare him to Jonathan Ogden. You know about Big J.O. Oh, wow. Okay.

Future Hall of Famer. Like, he has generational type size, solid of past protection, but look at Big J.O. right here. Anchoring, dropping his hips, getting his hands underneath the pads. Look at the big fella, Caden Proctor right here. Same thing. Hand swat. Knows how to sink that big butt of his to stop the bullruss. Look at J.O. moved. This is a, this is the backside block trying to get to the linebacker, cleans the hole open for big Jamal Lewis. Looking at Cadham Proct on the backside. Rood him up out of that. That's what I'm talking about forklift. Picking him up out of

sitting them down, as the other coaches would say. When you have a big left tackle, an athletic left tackle, you talk about a guy who can move his feet with his weight. Now he was listed at 350 at the start of 2005. He's probably like 370 there. But it doesn't matter if you can go to work. We got extra tape for you. I want to show you how versatile and how athletic this big fella is. If we can get to it right away, that's him doing the damn thing once again. But this is him at Wildcat. Look at this. Look at a big fella rumble. Oh, he picks his feet up. That's Olin porn. Danny. Look at this. He got him out and white out. Catching the ball. Get home. Big fella for six. I mean, that alone. That two pieces alone, I will.

draft him. There's no way you miss on this big athletic bear, this beef eater of a man. I love Caden Proctor. I've been watching the tape of him all weekend. Athlete, footwork, aggressive, may have some weight issues. It's okay. We'll trim him down.

We'll figure it out, but the kid is a stud. I like him a lot. Now I kind of want him to be a bear with Ben Johnson, throw him the ball, trick plays. That's a lot of athletics. The more you can do, Danny. Okay. And a lot of mock drafts have him in the lower half of the first round. And if you're getting Jonathan Ogden in the lower half of the first round.

That is quite a steal. So I want you to look at this. I put together, you're the expert on the offensive line, but I like to think that I know what these teams actually need here. So here are the teams that I thought absolutely need to come out of this draft with an improvement at O-line. You think of the Niners, Trent Williams is 38 years old and in a contract dispute, and they lost Buford, their left guard.

So they got serious left side of the offensive line question marks. The Vikings, Ryan Kelly retired at center, And they were just awful in pass protection last year. Second in sack rate, second in total sacks allowed. The Lions, it went from a strength to a question mark after, you know. Decker gets released. Ragnow, the retirement last year. They were trying to bring him back.

Then he failed the physical. The Chargers, well documented. Justin Herbert took 54 sacks last year. It's been discussed. And the Browns, they hire Todd Munkin. They do some things on the interior of their offensive line, but they have a huge issue at left. tackle and they got two picks in the first round with six and 24.

You could probably add 15 teams to need to come out of the draft and offensive lineman. But I gave you those top five teams. You could pick them, anyone else, best fit for Caden Proctor. For me, it's the Chargers. And I know a lot of people say, well, we just signed Rashan Slater to a big deal. They gave him the bag. That is something I would say.

The man is coming off a Patelant Tendant tear. And if you know what that is, that's the, that's the tenant that connects your quad to your kneecap. You know what? He's blocking two guys to your belt. That's huge. That's pretty good. The reason why that matters is because we don't know what Rashaun Slater is going to look

like next year, right? What Procta does for you, outside of his athleticism and his size, but he's a guy who dominates in the trenches. You know one thing Hallball loves to do is run to football. You know what you need to do. Protect Justin Herber. This young man gives you size, generational size, that is, talent, versatility. You can move him up and down the line.

Obviously, he won't be able to play center for you, but he can definitely play guard and both tackles. Joe Alt was also hurt last year. We can't forget that. So for a unit in the charges who's played by injuries, if you get him at 22, I think that's a win for you. You get size, you get depth, you get everything you need to kind of propel this offensive run game. So you mentioned, I guess, you're walking right into my question. Like, they've paid Alt a lot of money.

They've paid Slater a lot of money. They both were hurt last year. I know you mentioned the Patelotenden issue. That's a serious one to come back from. But let's go glass half full for the Chargers. And let's say both Alt and Slater come back. Caden Proctor, he's not too. You compare to Jonathan Oggen.

He can play guard. I can definitely bump down the guard and you just let go of Macaude Beckham. He was a failure for you after he left Philadelphia. And that is another mountain of a human being. 100%. The body size is comparable to Caden Proctor, 6,7, both 350 pound plus. Canaan Procter can play. He can be definitely a hold that you can feel because of it's athleticism, because of his size.

And also, believe it or not, he's 20 years old. So he's still grown. He's still a pup. He's just a big pup, right? That's a big pop. You get him with the right office line coach and I guess you put him in a situation where he's coming down hill and he used some of that athleticism. This kid could be a pro bowl about year two. I promise you.

I watched a lot of them. I like him a lot. All right. That is one heck of a competent ceiling when you're talking about Jonathan Ogden. And I think a lot of teams would be interested. And again, Ben Johnson. I hope you're watching. Trick plays.

Trick plays. That is exciting. Tune in tomorrow. Greg Jennings joins us here in the war room. He's scouting Carnell Tate for us to see the next great receiver to come out of Ohio State. That's tomorrow with Greg Jennings on the OT. To Jacksonville, he had reports circulating on Friday that Travis Hunter's role was going to be now full-time cornerback with a little sprinkle on the offensive side of the ball. Seems like that might have been news to Travis Hunter as he retweeted Ian Rappaport and said, now who told you this with the little, you know, thinking face emoji?

But Tony Jefferson, safety. he weighs in. They told him that. They just ain't told you that yet. Rook, welcome to the league. Is that how it goes down on? Sometimes it does. Sometimes you step in and you're sitting down with your position coach and you think you're kind of on set to do what you do. And he goes, hey, man, we got a different plan for you. You usually don't find out until you're on the job. So, and I can understand why this is a blow to Travis Hunter. His mystique, his unicorn power is the fact that he can play both sides of the ball. If this is truly, truly, news to him, he's probably sick about it.

Well, also, if it's truly news to him, terrible job by the Jaguars? The messenger for that should not be Ian Rappaport. No, but you know how they're... It should be your general manager or your coach. 100%, but you know how they're going to sell it. This is more about your health and longevity rather than

you... But that's the explanation. I'm still talking about the news. He should get the news in a phone call or at a team meeting. He should not get it on Twitter. Does it really matter? The end of the day, you're still going to be starting. I know, but I... At a position that you're comfortable with. Memo to the bosses.

Tell me the news direction. You know what I mean? Don't make me read about it. Seems fair.