The Herd with Colin Cowherd - 02/16/2021 - HOUR 3 - Bucky Brooks, Lawrence Pro Day, Chris Broussard

Episode Date: February 16, 2021

In this hour of The Herd with Colin Cowherd, FOX Sports and NFL Network analyst Bucky Brooks hops on The Herd to share his reaction to Trevor Lawrence's pro day as well as other hot topics in the NFL. Also, FOX Sports Radio host Chris Broussard checks in with Colin to chat about the Philadelphia 76ers, the Brooklyn Nets, the Anthony Davis injury and other pertinent NBA topics.  Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

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We're listening to Fox Sports Radio. The Fox Bet Super Six NBA contest for a chance to win cash when you pick the outcomes of six of today's NBA games. Download the app now and play for free for your chance to win. Nice. Bucky Brooks, we used him here at Fox Sports. He played in the NFL. He is a scout in the NFL. And he dealt with that pro day with Trevor Lawrence.

And Bucke Brooks is now joining us live. This is a time of the year. We can really go deep with Bucky Brooks. So, listen, this has been a kid. I saw him playing. I saw him at a high school workout in San Diego, and I just was blown away by his arm. He's put on about 10 pounds.

He's having surgery on his other shoulder. I don't know what that means. I shouldn't, but I mean, you broke down the workout. What do you see from Trevor Lawrence? Any concerns, trepidation? What do you see? No, I mean, he's a very clean prospect. And the thing about it, Colin, he and Justin Fields have been on the scene for a long time.

Those guys have always been number one and number two in whatever order since they were in high school. The thing about Trevor Lawrence is Trevor Lawrence has gotten better each and every year. He was at Clemson. On the field, he gives you everything that you look for. He's athletic. He has outstanding arm talent. He can make quick decisions. He is pinpoint and precise with the ball.

I tend to call them Justin Herbert Plus, meaning everything that you like about Justin Herbert, plus a little more explosiveness and pop. That is what Trevor Lawrence is. And then when you get off the field, the intangibles, the leadership ability, the way that he led this program in the offseason, not only in terms of the return to play, but doing the social justice movement, Trevor Lawrence is a very mature prospect. He's someone that I can understand why everybody raves about him as a franchise quarterback.

Okay. What quarterback in this draft is, do you think, I mean, none of them are undervalued. I mean, we're told, we like all of them. Is there anybody that's a little to you more undervalued than the other ones? Yeah, I think when you look around the mock draft scene, there are a lot of people that have kind of moved Justin Fields down to number three and maybe even number four and some drives. And I think that we're making a grave mistake because I think we're being very nitpicky about his game.

What Justin Fields is is a five-star talent with outstanding combination of physical tools and overall ability. Now, where he needs to improve is processing. in terms of being quicker against coverage and those things. But Colin, we have seen him on big stages look like the best guy on the field on multiple occasions. And I think sometimes we spend a lot of time worrying about how he looked versus Northwestern in Indiana. But in the league in which we've seen Josh Allen become a star player, there's no reason why Justin Fields couldn't become a star player in this league in the right system.

Yeah, I don't get. We do this all the time. I remember people used to beat up on Andrew Luck, didn't have a great arm. And it was good enough. That's all I know. It was good enough. So let me ask you about JJ Watt. So if you were a scout for multiple teams, you're a GM today.

Let's forget J.J. Watt. I think I would bring him in and I would structure his contract. Like, for instance, Green Bay. Green Bay is a team that leads in 80% of their games. Meaning if I'm, if I was talking to the agent of J.J. Watt, I'd say, listen, we're going to be leading. He's going to pin his ears back. let's do a bonus-based contract. He can get a lot of sacks and a lot of production.

He's our missing piece. That makes sense to me. Now, he's older. He's had some injuries. But when I watched him this past year, Bucky, I thought he was a good player. I thought he was a disruptor. Where do you think,

what would you be willing to do with J.J. Watt if you ran a front office today. What is he? Oh, I think he brings a lot of value. I think his leadership ability, I think his pastures ability, certainly is still valuable in today's game. We just saw a Super Bowl where we saw Jason Pierre Paul and the Dominican

Sue have a major impact as 30-plus year old players. So JJ Watts still offers a tremendous amount of value as a pass rusher. To me, I think the natural fit for him, the Green Bay Packers, having spent time in Green Bay, having known that JJ White is from the Wisconsin area, there's a little bit of legacy there. Remember, he is a brand. The Green Bay Packers are a national brand. He'll get a chance to be on Monday night football a ton of times. He'll play with a quarterback and Aaron Rogers that is guaranteed to put him in situations where he is playing with the lead so he'll be able to get after the passer. And so when I look at the situation, Greenmay to me is an ideal fit. I will also say the Buffalo Bills. The Buffalo Bills are a great cultural fit for J.J. Watt.

This is a team full of hardworking guys. Sean McDermott is a no-nonsense guy that has developed a culture there. I think JJ White will be a nice fit in that situation, and both of those teams score a bunch of points. Yeah, they do. They play with leads. So, you know, I was saying this earlier. I can, Mike Tomlin's never had a losing season. He gets criticized. Andy Reid dominated the NFC for five or six years. They ran him out. Belichick had his first losing season in forever, and even guys like me are like, you know, he's a little rigid. Pete Carroll, who was fired multiple times, has now more power than any coach except probably Belichick. In fact, John Snyder almost left to take the lion's job because Pete had so much power in terms of personnel. But yet, as the

defense slips in Seattle and as they have had some very big whiffs in early rounds in Seattle, Pete never really gets, he's a little Teflon. There's a Doc Rivers quality where we like him. He's got a preference, presence, he's won a title, we like him. You know, there's something about he's just, he lights a room up. But when I look at Seattle, since the Super Bowl, Bucky, I feel like sometimes they're making crap up. They're taking big trades, weird first round picks, they go from leading the NFL in rushing to 19th. Pete doesn't get any, nothing sticks to him. Is it time we examine Pete a little more closely? Well, I mean, I think he's under more fire now more than ever because Rosa Wilson has recently come out and kind of voice some of his concerns.

The thing about it is, it is really hard to take shots at Pete Carroll when you see the amount of success that the Seattle Seahawks have had. They're consistent winners. They're always in the postseason tournament. They're always on the cusp. I think the thing about Pete Carroll and what he's wrestling with now is how do I play the style of football that I want to play with a franchise quarterback? The difference was early in Russell Wilson's tenure, it was easy for Pete to use Russell Wilson as a game manager. Running game, defense, they won a lot of games, went to two Super Bowls, one, one, probably should have won two. But since they've handed the keys of the kingdom to Russell Wilson, the team wins, but they don't win at like the optimal level.

They haven't been back to the NFC championship game. They haven't been back to the Super Bowl. So Pete is at a crossroads in terms of how do I want to play. And I think his post-season, like his post-game comments after the loss to the Rams in the playoffs, I think they were telling. He talked about we have to get these teams out of cover too. As much as he wants to let Russ Cook, it is detrimental to the team because the big plays aren't there. And it also exposes the defense to more snaps.

I think they have to figure out the way the play, bringing over the new offensive coordinator from the Rams is a way. because they want to be a run-oriented team, but they want to have some of the sex appeal that satisfies Russell Wilson. That may be able to happen with this new offense that they're putting in. Okay, from a scout's perspective, LeBron came out the other day and said, listen, in 2011, we had a lockout. I started working myself into football shape. I absolutely know I could have made the Seahawks.

They asked me for a tryout. Tight end is a very unique position. Moeally Cox, Jimmy Graham. Antonio Gates. It is not it's not quarterback. It's not technical like a center or a tackle.

It's not cornerback where it's a specific skill of matching up. Big dudes that can run can be taught to play tied end. And I do look at LeBron and I think to myself he would have made the NFL, right? Like he would have been a nice player in the NFL.

He'd be more than a nice player. I mean, Colin, you named off those names. Jimmy Graham, Antonio Gates. I mean, let's throw Tony Gonzalez in there. I got another one. Julian Thomas. All those guys went to Pro Bowls, and they were just, I would say, average basketball players. And LeBron James, you're talking about a top five basketball player who was an all-state wide receiver in high school.

He would have been 26 years of age at that time where he would have entered the league. He absolutely not only would have made a team, I would have bet on the fact that he would have been a star player. You don't see guys that that size, that stature that can come over the middle that has some experience. Would it have happened right away? Probably not. But in time, there's no

way I would have been against LeBron James, not being able to be a dominant player on the gridiron based on what he did in high school, based on his physical dimensions and what we know about his work ethic and his winning pedigree. You like this time of the year, right? This is for you, this is

fertile ground for you and all this all this movement and stuff. Were you a fan when you were in the front office? You know, you work all year, all this scouting, and then your team goes out and gives up draft picks, and you're probably sitting there thinking, what I scout all year for? How do you view?

You know, you get Carson Wentz and you got to give up first round picks or to Sean Watson. As a scout, would that drive you nuts? No, I probably come from a different standpoint because I'm players over picks. I'm about a proven commodity over what could be behind door number one, number two, or number three. So if I have an opportunity to get a blue chip player in his prime, I am more than willing to pull the trigger on that. We have seen what Jalen Ramsey was able to give the L.A. Rams when he came over.

Great player in his prime. He played at that level. We've seen others be able to come over and do those things. So for me, yeah, I ask you towards give me what I know to be true. someone that I've seen, do it, and an apples-to-apples comparison in the pros, as opposed to apples and oranges. Can this college player project? Will he play in the right system? I like proven players.

So, yeah, I'm a little more on the player-friendly standpoint as opposed to the draft picks. There's a method to the math, but yeah, I won't good player. By the way, we know Carson Wentz is going to fetch some picks. What would you do with a Sam Darnold who regressed last year? What is his value, in your opinion, as a former scout on the market today? You know, it's funny because I hear people talk about first round pick, but to me, I think he is somewhere in the second round. I think he brings back a second round pick.

I just don't know how you can justify with his numbers and performance and production a first round pick. Because with that first round pick, what you're saying is I'm getting a true start or someone that's going to compete. I'm going to hit on it 75% of the time. I just don't know. I think Sam Darno can be a good player. But based on what he's done during the league, It's hard for me to say, absolutely, I'm going to give up a first round pick.

Second rounder, I'll make the deal. Former NFL defensive back and scout. Now Fox Sports NFL analyst, our friend Bucky Brooks. Good seeing you, partner. Nice having you on again. Hey, thanks so much, Colin. By the way, he has a podcast that's very good with Daniel Jeremiah, and I move the sticks, I think it's called.

Is that right? Look at that. See, that switch never goes off up there. Just, phew, whew, information. Oh, it's just flying out of there. Be sure to catch live editions of the herd weekdays in noon Eastern, 9 a.m. Pacific. On Fox Sports Radio, FS1, and the IHeard Radio app.

Imagine an Olympics where doping is not only legal, but encouraged. It's the enhanced games. Some call it grotesque. Others say it's unleashing human potential. Either way, the podcast's Superhuman documented it all, embedded in the games and with the athletes for a full year. Within probably 10 days, I'd put on 10 pounds. I was having trouble stopping the muscle growth.

Listen to Superhuman on the IHard Radio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts. A win is a win. A win is a win. I don't care which I'll say it. Yep, that's me, Cliver Taylor the 4th. You might have seen the skits, the reactions, my journey from basketball to college football, or my career in sports media. Well, somewhere along the way, this platform became bigger than I ever imagined. And now I'm bringing all of that excitement

to my brand new podcast, The Clifford Show. This is a place for raw, unfiltered conversations with some of your favorite athletes, creators, and voices that not only deserve to be heard, but celebrated. One week, I'll take you behind the scenes of the biggest moments in sports and entertainment. And the next, we'll talk about life,

mental health, purpose, and even music. The Clifford Show isn't just a podcast. It's a space for honest conversations, stories that don't always get told, and for people who are chasing something bigger. So if you've ever supported me or you're just chasing down a dream, this is right where you need to be. Listen to the Clifford show on the IHeart radio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcast. And for more behind the scenes, follow at Clifford and at TikTok Podcast Network on TikTok.

American soccer is about to explode. The World Cup is coming. Ramos sending on the only store at the chip. I'm Tab Ramos. I'm Tom Boat. On our podcast, Inside American Soccer, you'll get the real storylines. I'm not worried about Policic. I'm not worried about Balligan.

I'm not worried about McKinney. My only concern is what happens in the back. The biggest decisions. If you're going to look at stats and numbers, he has no shot at making this World Cup team. And the truth about the U.S. national team. It wouldn't be a huge surprise if our team ends up in the quarterfinals or potentially a great run into the semifinals.

The World Cup is almost here. Experience it all with us. Listen, inside American South. soccer with Tom Bogart and Tab Ramos on the IHart Radio app. Apple Podcasts, wherever you get your podcast. Will Ferrell's Big Money Players and IHart Podcasts presents soccer moms. So I'm Leanne. This is my best friend Janet.

Hey. And we have been joined at the hips since high school. Absolutely. Now a redacted amount of years later, we're still joined at the hip. Just a little bit bigger hips. Wider. This is a podcast. We're recording it as we tailgate our youth soccer games in the back of my Honda Odyssey.

With all the snacks and drink. Sidebar. Why did you get hard seltzer instead of beer? Oh, they had a bogo. Well, then you got it. Do you want a white collar some here? Just hit it. What are y'all doing?

Microphones? Are you making a rap album? Oh, I would. Come on. Could you move? I would buy it. Cuts through the defense like a hot knife through sponge cake. That sounds delicious.

Oh, you're lucky. I'm not a drug addict. You are. I'm not an alcoholic. You are. I'm lucky I'm not a killer. I love this team, and I'm really trying to be a figure in their lives that they can rely on.

Oh. Listen to soccer moms on the IHeartRadio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts. Joy Taylor with the news. No, no, no, no. Turn on the news. This is the herd line news. Well, Matt Ryan is expected to be back as the Falcons quarterback next season, mostly because he is extremely expensive. But the team is still going to look at other options for that position.

down the line, GM Terry Fontenose said, you always bring in quarterbacks. You need to bring in quarterbacks, whether it's in the draft, whether it's in the free agency or signing guys out the street. It's so important. It's about having the right 53,

but we have to add competition at every position, so we're not going to be afraid to add strengths. I don't know that I just completely agree with that. You don't always have to add a quarterback. If you have, say, Aaron Rogers, you don't have to add Jordan, love, you could get, you know, another starter with that draft position. But when you do have

Matt Ryan, who has struggled a lot, and he's owed 40 plus million in the cap hit this year. And you have the number four overall pick. I do think that you should consider taking a quarterback because you are likely going to move off of Matt Ryan in the coming years. And you want somebody who can come in and sit behind someone like Matt Ryan, learn a little bit. He's probably not going start this year. But who knows? You really don't know what's going to happen if you bring in somebody in the first round and, you know, there's injuries and all kinds of things. So we saw what happened with Justin Herbert this year. Obviously, I think Matt Ryan is a little more secure than the situation that was in place with Justin Herbert, Tyra Taylor injury. But my point is, in this

situation, yes, I do think it's a falcons should draft a quarterback, but I don't think that that applies blankedly to every single team. Yeah, you know, it's interesting because Atlanta's got, their offense isn't the problem. I mean, I can see Matt Ryan sitting there going, guys, if you watched us play, we're scoring 28 a Sunday. They've got so many defensive issues. And I do think Arthur Smith,

whether he works long term, I don't know, but Matt finally gets an offensive guy. So I actually think you could have an Aaron Rogers situation where you draft Justin Fields. But then Matt gets this offensive coach like Rogers did and his numbers go up and everybody goes,

well, why'd you draft a quarterback? I could make the compelling argument that Matt's numbers for two years, we're getting four to five new quarterbacks in the league every year, plus you can acquire guys, that Atlanta really needs to get defensive players. I mean, it's not like they can't score. So I think Atlanta's in a situation. You could make an argument, and I would totally buy both.

Their offense will be better now with Arthur Smith. They can't stop anybody in a very smartly quarterback division, and they need help on? I mean, I don't always have to have conviction on every argument. You can argue Atlanta needs picks and defense, and if you look at their scores last year, that's a reasonable argument. You can, but in Bucky Brooks and Daniel Jeremiah's Moved the Sticks podcast, they have a saying, confetti guy.

Do you think that Matt Ryan is a confetti guy? Could you see him at the end of the year, holding up the Lombardi Trophy as the confetti falls on his head? I don't. We've seen Matt Ryan in a Super Bowl and how that went. Now, obviously, Tom Brady was on the other side, but, you know, that's the question. Yes, you're right. They do need a lot of defensive pieces, but you also do have a new head coach this year.

You are moving into a new era, assuming they're going to move off Matt Ryan despite his production. I just think it's, I think it's kind of reached the end of the road with Matt Ryan here. We just know he's not going anywhere because it's $40 million and who's taking Matt Ryan at $40 million. No one. So I think that's the bigger question there. So the 49ers have been looking at other options at quarterback and could move off of Jimmy Garoppolo this year. But Tiki Barber thinks San Francisco would be making a big mistake if they do that. To make him a guy who's going to put the team on his shoulders and all of a sudden we're stagnant and we're going to, you know, let's get in his hurry up offense.

And I'm going to dime the ball across the field and make these great throws and lift us and make our, you know, less than, you know, pro bowl players better. I don't see that in him. With all that being said, I think it would be a mistake. for the 49ers to flippantly move on with him and try to replace him with someone else. Because I don't think that replacement is easily found. Also, does Kyle Shanahan want to develop a quarterback? I mean, that division is just, Matt Stafford makes the Rams probably slightly better. The Seahawks are at least good.

Arizona showed a little life. Kyler had a much better second year. I don't want to go in with, you know, and their draft pick is like, what is it, Joy, like 13th or something? So you're getting the fourth or fifth quarterback. Like, I'm not going to do that in that division. There's just too many good coaches. They have the 12th pick.

But Jimmy G. is never available. I know. Like, yes, but he is injured all the time. He's missed 23 games due to injury as a 49er. That's crazy. It's so, that is significant. So, yes, when Jimmy G is physically out there, they are capable.

Like they were one throw away from winning the Super Bowl. I like Jimmy D. But availability is a skill and he is mostly unavailable. And that's got to be frustrating to the point where obviously they are very openly looking for a solution there. But I don't know that Kyle Shanahan would be against making some moves and trying to develop a quarterback. Because if he's not there, if he can't play, if he's not in the field, you're not better off. Like then you're running with backup. So is that, are you better off trying to develop a quarterback and you have someone for the future?

And maybe you hit and he's cheap, but available? Or do you run it back with Jimmy G. Who, you know, may or may not ever even get on the field. He's injured a lot. So we just talked about this with Bucky Brooks. LeBron James had the opportunity to make the jump to the NFL in 2011. The NBA went into a lockout that year. And he said he was invited to try out for the Cowboys and the Seahawks.

He hadn't played football since his junior year of high school. But he was still confident in his abilities. told the athletic, I would have made the team. I would have tried out, but I would have made the team. I just know what I'm capable of doing on the football field, especially at that age. So to your point earlier, this is going to drive people that hate LeBron James totally crazy. But, you know, I was thinking myself, you know, there was a moment in time where I was very upset with LeBron James for leaving my Miami heat and going back to Cleveland. And how, how, I'm not in that space anymore. I've grown. He's with the Lakers now. I can enjoy LeBron James and all his great

but how would I have thought in that moment? And I think that a lot of people are critical of LeBron James in one aspect of his game, which is why they would push back on the idea that he could make in the NFL. And that is LeBron may or may not sell some fouls every once in a while. Sure. Might exaggerate with a few flops. And that doesn't work in the NFL. The NFL, you actually get hit full collision sport.

Right. And I mean, the NBA is a contact sport. The idea that the NBA is like all finesse and there's no physicality to it. You're talking about seven-foot-tall 250-pound men. You go run up against them and try and score a basket. You're going to end up on your back and very injured. It's very much a contact sport, but it's not a collision sport. So I think that's the part that people would be resistant to.

But LeBron played football in high school. So it's not like he doesn't know the feeling of what it's like to be tackled. Obviously not by NFL players, but it's not like he never played football. Listen, Travis Kelsey doesn't like to block. Jimmy Graham mostly refused to block. Ali Mo Cox. I mean, if you look at the NFL, if you carry

three to four tight ends, everybody's got a bad blocking tight end. LeBron would not be he would not be a George Kittle or a gronk. That's not what kind of player he would be. He would be an incredible vertical threat. He would not be your best blocking

tight end. But remember, LeBron, if you look at his career, there's been thin LeBron, there's been heavier LeBron, And, you know, he's one of these guys that spend seven figures a year in his body. There's no doubt in my mind that LeBron would spend a million and a half years. He'd get up to about 267, 266. He'd probably run a little slower 40, but you'd tell me in the red zone,

LeBron fades to the corner. There's nothing. And we know he can jump. There's just nobody in the NFL that could defend him. Nobody. No one. No one. No.

I wish. Sometimes, you know, I've seen most everything I want to live in sports. LeBron of the NFL would have been a treat that I'll never get a see. I'll say that. Joy with the news. Well, that's the news. And thanks for stopping by. The Herd Lie News.

Anthony Davis of the Lakers out for some time. Could be up to a month's thoughts on Steph Curry, who's playing his best basketball in forever. Chris Broussard joins me next. Be sure to catch live editions of the Herd weekdays in noon Eastern 9 a.m. Pacific. Imagine an Olympics where doping is not only legal but encouraged. It's the enhanced game. Some call it grotesque. Others say it's unleashing human potential.

Either way, the podcast's Superhuman documented it all, embedded in the games and with the athletes for a full year. Within probably 10 days, I'd put on 10 pounds. I was having trouble stopping the muscle growth. Listen to Superhuman on the IHeart Radio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts. A win is a win. A win is a win. I don't care what you're saying. Yep, that's me. Taylor the 4th. You might have seen the skits, the reactions, my journey from basketball to college football, or my career in sports media.

Well, somewhere along the way, this platform became bigger than I ever imagined. And now I'm bringing all of that excitement to my brand new podcast, The Clifford Show. This is a place for raw, unfiltered conversations with some of your favorite athletes, creators, and voices that not only deserve to be heard, but celebrated. One week, I'll take you behind the scenes of the biggest moments in sports and entertainment. And the next, we'll talk about life, mental. health, purpose, and even music. The Clifford Show isn't just a podcast.

It's a space for honest conversations, stories that don't always get told, and for people who are chasing something bigger. So, if you've ever supported me, or you're just chasing down a dream, this is right where you need to be. Listen to the Clifford show on the IHeard radio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever

you get your podcast. And for more behind the scenes, follow at Clifford and at TikTok podcast network on TikTok. American soccer is about to explode. The World Cup is coming. I'm Tom Ramos. I'm Tom Bow. I'm Tom Bow.

On our podcast, Inside American Soccer, you'll get the real storylines. I'm not worried about Policic. I'm not worried about Balagan. I'm not worried about McKinney. My only concern is what happens in the back. The biggest decisions. If you're going to look at stats and numbers, he has no shot at making this World Cup team.

And the truth about the U.S. national team. It wouldn't be a huge surprise if our team ends up in the quarterfinals or potentially a great run into the semifinals. The World Cup is almost here. Experience it all with us. Listen to Inside American Soccer with Tom Bogart and Tabramos on the iHeart radio app, Apple Podcasts, wherever you get your podcast. What's up, fam? It's Isaiah Thomas.

And I'm C.J. Toledano, and our podcast's Point Game is about defining the odds. Like LeBron heading into the playoffs without Luca and Austin Reed. And finding ways to win no matter what. He's the smartest player to ever play the game. His IQ is at a level that we've never seen before. And he knows without Luca and Austin Reeves, I got to manipulate the game. We get a player's perspective on the challenges of the playoffs.

I think Joker's going to be exhausted this series because when they don't have Rudy in the lineup, he has to really guard guys like Nas Reid. He has to guard Julius Randall. And then he has to give us everything he gives us on the night-to-night basis on offense. And when IT's friends stop by, like Quentin Richardson, we dive into some playoff history too.

Steve Nash will get that thing. That man, hell get the flying. He running up the court, licking his fingers while he got the ball. Like, you go through a training camp with that, Isaiah. You figure it out real quick. Get your ass up and down the court, and you're going to get the ball.

So listen to Point Game on the IHeart Radio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts. Chris Brousard covers the NBA for Fox Sports, formerly New York Times. Cavs Beat Rider for years also does the odd couple with Rob Parker, very funny, sticky show. Easy to listen to, and he's joining us now live

enduring the East Coast storms. I'm going to bounce a few things around for you. First of all, are you surprised M. Beed and Simmons are working together? I don't like the chemistry. I've watched them this year. I still don't love it, but they're winning. They are winning. Tobias Harris looks better than he's looked in a couple years.

What do you make of Philadelphia? Do you buy them? Well, this is what I've said. Actually, for probably two years, Colin, is that Brett Brown was fine, but get a new coach and give him a chance to work with Embed and Simmons and see what he can do. And look, you may be looking at what happened last night without Embed and Simmons goes wild. And, you know, they lost to Utah. But that was a, you know, they played well.

There's no shame in losing on the road to Utah. But this is, this is. working. This is working well. If I'm Philadelphia, I am happy with what Doc Rivers is done. He's got an NB to go down low a little more. Look, I still would like to see NB down there a bit more, but he's playing as well as anybody in the league. His mid-range jump shot has become phenomenal. I think Colin, he could end up surpassing Patrick Ewing as the best jump shooting center, like true center, not a stretch five in the history of the league, the way he's shooting right now.

I like them a lot in the east. I still have Brooklyn ahead of them, but I think Brooklyn and Philly are the two best teams in the east, and it's working. So I would not mess with it right now. They added shooting around those two guys. Doc's done a good job there. Let's talk about the Nets. Listen, I think Hardin and KD are good enough to win the East if you gave them some wing

defenders. I just think with Kyrie and Hardin, you're going to be in a lot of fun, wildly entertaining 136, 132 games, but that doesn't feel like championship stuff to me. How long do you think they stick with this sort of three-headed offensive basketball monster? Well, you said, look, Durant's the best player and Hardin's the second best player. Now, Kyrie is a top 15 player in the league, so he's phenomenal too. But Hardin and Durant are the two best. And I think KD, and either of those two, like before they got hard. And I think they were a legitimate contender. So I feel you on that.

But they, I think they can get to the finals. And I think if they get to the finals, obviously that means they're playing well. And they could give the Lakers or the clippers, whoever comes out of the West, major trouble. So, look, offensively, it's been great. I said when they first teamed up, I said ideally what will happen is Hardin is the point guard. Kyrie is the two and Durant does his thing in the front court.

I wasn't sure if Kyrie would accept that fully, but he has, obviously, and it's smart because Hardin, Colin, Hardin might be the best point guard in the league. I mean like a point guard. He's still going to give you 20 plus points, but the way he runs the offense, the way he passes the ball, he is excellent. And I'm glad for him he's getting the show. his whole game because a lot of people thought he was a ball hog and just a score. But look, their only question is defense because on offense, they can get a open shot every

single trip down the floor. You can't really say that about any other team in the league every time down the floor because of those three guys, Joe Harris or DeAndre Jordan or whoever else is out there or one of the big stars will get an open shot if they work for it. So I think they're great. All they have to do is get the defense together and play more games together with the big three. So they develop chemistry. They're a real threat.

Make no mistake about it. AD will be back in two or three weeks. Let's talk Lakers when AD was healthy. They were on a long winning streak. Now, the games were ugly. They were winning narrowly. They fell behind 22 to 2 the other night and still won. Do you see any warts, or did you believe this new Laker team, which is younger,

was better than last year's title team. Yeah, that's a great question. Before the season, I was saying definitely. Now, I think they do miss some rim protection that they had with Javelle McGee and Dwight Howard. And Margasaw, you know, just doesn't have a ton left. You can see that. But Schroeder's playing well. Schroeder, I mean, he's playing well.

And obviously, Montrez is fit in. So, yeah, I think they were the favorites to win it when they. are healthy. Here's what I'd like to see, though, Colin, while AD is out, and he's going to miss at least these nine games it looks like before the All-Star break. Obviously, he's got to get right physically.

But I think he needs to take a mental inventory as well of where he was, because I expected him to become, you know, getting the MVP conversation this year. Come off that championship with more swagger, more confidence, a natural passing of the torch from LeBron to AD as the top player on the Lakers, and it just hasn't happened.

AD scoring is down. His rebounding is down. Oddly, his foul shooting is down, not just number of attempts, but he's a career 80% shooter shooting 71%. And the numbers, I like him defensively. I think he's been great, but for some

reason the numbers say the Lakers have been better without him on the floor defensively. So I want him, maybe it's been because he's been banged up physically all year and playing through, you know, some soreness, but he's, He's got to think what is going on with me. I got to get my game face on during the regular season

and display the same type of drive that LeBron is showing in the regular season so AD can become that MVP caliber player. That's what they're going to need from him to win the championship this year. All right. We're up against it. Chris Broussard. You see him on first things first in the morning. Fox Sports.

He's our NBA guy. Good stuff. It is always a pleasure to see you, Chris. Good luck enduring that rugged East Coast winner. I'm glad it's you, not me. Thanks. Thanks, Collie. Great to see you, buddy.

All right. Odd couple with the Rob Parker, very funny radio show. Improve your diet, improve your life with delicious, high-quality protein delivered to your door. Go to butcherbox.com slash h-E-R-D. Two New York strips, pack a bacon free in your first box. Butcherbox.com slash H-E-R-D. Anthony Davis, that's what's interesting about Anthony.

He was not having a good year. His offensive numbers were all down. Now, some of it is the break and his body has to heal. But I'd say this. The bubble last year, those guys didn't have to be on flights. They got a three-month in-season break and they didn't have to be on flights. So, you know, I'm not saying the bubble wasn't challenging, but you can't use it as an excuse.

AD was not playing well before he got hurt. We'll see you tomorrow. It's The Herd. One more Herd? The Herd streams 24 hours a day, seven days a week, within the IHeart Radio app. Search Herd to listen live or on demand whenever you'd like. Another podcast from some SNL late-night comedy guy,

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