The Herd with Colin Cowherd - 06/15/2021 - HOUR 3 - Kawhi Leonard, Kevin Durant Legacy and Ethan Strauss

Episode Date: June 15, 2021

In Hour 3, Colin recaps Kawhi's clutch ability amongst the leagues best. Kevin Durant's legacy isn't in jeopardy if he doesn't win the title this year, but it wont elevate him either. Ethan Strauss joins the show to talk NBA playoffs, Dallas Maverick Organization and more. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

This is an I-Heart podcast. Guaranteed Human. Another podcast from some SNL, late-night comedy guy, not quite. Unhumor me with Robert Smygel and friends. Me and hilarious guests from Bob Odenkirk to David Letterman help make you funnier. This week, my guest, SNL's Mikey Day and head writer, Streeter Seidel, help an a cappella band with their between songs banter.

Where does your group perform? We do some retirement homes. Those people are starving for banter. Listen to humor me with Robert Smigel and friends on the IHeart Radio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts. Therapy is fantastic, but once again, it does not have a monopoly on healing. That's why I create the resources and that's why I create the community because I really just want you to have more access.

On the podcast, Cultivating Her Space, Dr. Dom and Terry Lomax create a space where black women can show up fully and be heard. It's tough because we're suppressing our emotions and so many of us are like high-achieving individuals. Listen to cultivating her space on the IHeart Radio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcast. I'm Michelle McPhee, and I've been unraveling the strangest criminal alliance I've ever reported on, a Mormon polygamist and an Armenian businessman. Multimillion dollar house, Ferraris and Lamborghinis, private jets, a billion dollar fraud. But how long can this alliance last? Tell me what you know. somebody coming after me.

Listen to Kingdom of Fraud starting on May 12th on the IHeart Radio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcast. The story I've told myself can then shape my behavior and that can lead me to sabotage the possibility of connection. This Mental Health Awareness Month, tune into the podcast deeply well with Debbie Brown if you've been searching for a soft place to land while doing the work to become whole. This podcast is for you to hear more. Listen to deeply well with Debbie Brown from the Black Effect Podcast Network on the IHeart Radio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcast.

Thanks for listening to The Heard podcast. Be sure to catch us live every weekday from 12 to 3 Eastern, 9 to noon Pacific on Fox Sports Radio and FS1. Find your local station for the herd at Fox Sports Radio. com or stream us live every day on the iHeartRadio app by searching Heard. Radio. Here we go, hour three. We're live. It's the herd wherever you may be, and however you may be listening.

IHeart Radio, Fox Sports, Radio FS1. So we predict stuff. Joy Taylor's joining me. We predict stuff. That's what we do on the show. And sometimes you're right, sometimes you're wrong. I always love when people say, that didn't age well.

We have opinions. It's an opinion-based show. We're not 100%. Who cares? Listen, I don't get paid less or more. It's a exhausting way to live your life. I just don't get it. Sitting around going,

that person was wrong, and that. Who cares? It's just fun. We're doing a show. So Aaron Rogers held a press conference today. He wore a shirt saying, I'm offended. I have made the prediction. I'll make it again, is that Aaron, I don't think has the stomach to hold out and be hated, nor does he want to give up $35 million. The Packers have said we're not trading him, and they have the rights, right? They have the control here. So Aaron is very, very calculated. So today he wears a shirt that says, I'm offended. Now, he can, when he comes back to camp for the Packers, he can say, I wore a shirt called I'm offended. Obviously, I was joking. But listen to his comment about what he's been doing, you know, in the last several months. You know, I think that's what this outseason has been about. It's been about really enjoying my time and spending it where I want to spend it and not feeling like I have to go anywhere, not having any responsibilities, but still being an NFL player.

He's setting it up. So when he comes back to camp, he can say, I just went to Hawaii. This is what we said yesterday. I went to Hawaii. I hung out. It was an offseason. I didn't go to camp. I mean, Brady didn't go to a camp a couple years ago.

It's okay. I'm a packer for life. You can see the story now. Remember, all his friends are saying it's fixable. Aaron's now saying, this has all been about just kind of hanging out and having some fun. I think he's setting himself up to come back to the team. and mock the media. He's very prone to do this.

You guys made a lot out of nothing. You guys made a lot. By the way, he's never said anything. He did drop a story to, you know, NFL reporters on draft day. He didn't talk. He didn't talk in Hawaii. He hasn't talked. So Aaron is setting this up, in my opinion, my prediction here.

He's setting it up to return because he's not going to get what he wants. They're not going to fire Briden Gugnkins. They're not. No. He's not going to get what he wants. But he won't look like he looks like he looks. lost because he'll be able to say, I mean, I wore a shirt. It was all about. You heard what I said. He's not quoted on record. He's working through his friends. Yeah, he's never said he's not coming

back. That's right. He's worked through the media. He's worked through his friends. All of it, deniable. He's got total deniability. There's no real. Maniacal. I love it. So, I mean, Aaron is playing this. He wanted to get rid of the GM. He's not able to get rid of the GM, but he has never once been quoted on the record saying anything. And now he's kind of being playful and fun and I'm just having a good time. It's easy to go back and just say the media blew this out of proportion.

Well, it's all very vague. He's never on the record with anything. So he can play it either way he wants to now. What you're saying is completely plausible, which he probably will and may end up doing. Or he can retire. And either way, you can be like, well, you guys knew, you heard all about it.

You heard all the stories. He's leaving everything open. Everything is open-ended. Or he can show up, and be like, oh, you guys made a big deal out of it. So he has thought this through. It's very calculated. He can come back. He doesn't look like he lost to the Packers. He'll just say, you know, media, you can't trust these guys.

It's all clickbait. Well, we are a bunch of puppets. Yeah. By the way, the Rogers sound courtesy of Turner Sports matches July 6th on TNT. In 15 minutes, Ethan Strauss, who when he covered the Warriors, he and KD had multiple dust-ups. Like it was a contentious relationship. he'll be joining us in 15 minutes. Okay, so jazz clippers, you know I like the clips.

If you are ranking great NBA players, here's the question you've got to ask yourself. Game 7, finals, minute left, two minutes left, who's in control? My guy, now that LeBron is out of his prime, is often Kauai Leonard. The NBA media and fans, they love their Westbrooks, John Walls, Derek Roses.

Some of those guys I don't want in the arena. Game 7, seven minutes left tied. Kauai Leonard or Yannis. You don't want Yonis? Can't hit a free throw. M. Bid or KD or Kauai. Those guys are rarely healthy, increasingly for an entire series. Kyrie or Hardin, they play no defense.

They'll score and give it up on the other end. LeBron in his prime and Kauai, and I've said this before, I'm not sure there's a better choice. He can get you a stop. He's as good a on-ball defender as the league has. He's as good a get-a-bucket guy as the league has, except maybe KD. When the game starts, and don't get me wrong, he'll miss his 20 load management games a year. But when the game starts, Kauai never seems to get hurt in-game.

He finishes it. On-ball defender. He's unaffected. He's got a unique personality. I'm not sure he hears, reads any of the criticism. He's unaffected. He's been in multiple big games. Yokic hasn't.

Even Chris Paul, who I admire and love, has some holes in his game. He's small. He's no longer an elite defender. And let's be honest, Chris Paul's greatest strength, and he's got a lot of them, is really getting somebody else a great shot. Kauai Leonard can guard anybody. Remember that series, Toronto, Milwaukee, where he guarded Janus and marginalized him, took him out of the series.

He can guard a point guard, a two, a three, a four. Only LeBron over the last 10 years, you could say that. LeBron could guard Derek Rose in his prime in his MVP year. LeBron could guard a four. If you'd never seen Michael Jordan play, you'd never seen YouTube didn't exist, Google didn't exist, no search engines, you'd never seen Michael play. And I had to describe Michael to you. I would say he had the athletic ability and the flare of,

Kobe and the efficiency of this guy named Kauai Leonard. He had the Kobe personality and the Kobe flare, but the strength and efficiency of Kauai Leonard. You know, it's the age-old question.

Who do you want in the foxhole? You ever see that movie Platoon? Remember that movie Platoon? Charlie Sheen, Tom Berringer, I think. And you're watching that whole thing, and there's these deep discussions as you're sitting in the foxhole. and there's fear and there's anxiety.

But there were two or three people in that movie. It's one of my favorite movies of all time. There were two or three guys. You're like, oh, that guy could get hit by a... I want that guy in the foxhole. That's the guy I want in the foxhole. And that's what the NBA playoffs are. Can make a stop, can make a play, unaffected, finish games,

wobble around, up against the ropes, finish the fight and win it. I've seen Kauai do it in San Antonio. I've seen him do it in Toronto, and I'm watching him do it in this series. Even among all-time greats, the tie game seven-minute left question, Magic Burden Barkley, not great defenders, could be a liability there. Duncan, Shaq, don't want him near the free throw line. You get in very rarefied air when you talk about seven minutes left, game seven, who do you want both ends?

It's like Michael, LeBron and his peak, Kauai, and then you can throw some others in there. He's also got a very unique personality. I mean, one of the things about Michael was he appeared to be better in crisis. Despite what the critics have said, LeBron is generally, he really is, better in crisis. You can't say that for a lot of stars. A lot of guys melt. Kauai's got a unique personality. I don't think he reads the criticism.

I really don't. He doesn't even have an agent. He's not in that cycle of information and rumors and gossip. He's got Uncle Dennis. He's just a baller. but you start looking around in that age-old foxhole question, just not a lot of guys. He'll hit a free throw, he'll hit a jumper, he'll make a stop, he'll guard anybody,

he's not affected by pressure. The game starts, he'll finish it. Kauai Leonard. And that's why I think the series is over. Because if you have that kind of guy, they end up with a lot of trophies. Okay, a crazy series. It was really at times awful basketball of Philadelphia, Atlanta. we know Atlanta's not a great team.

We know Atlanta has a fledgling star in Trey Young. We know that. But we know a lot about Philadelphia, too, because we've seen this over and over. At the end of the game last night for the Sixers, Sheikh Milton was bringing the ball up. What about Ben Simmons? He was on the bench. What?

Yeah, they would not play Ben Simmons in the last possession. We've all known for years, Embeded Simmons. We're media people, we take sides. I was initially a Simmons guy because Embedds always hurt. And when Biggs get hurt early, they get hurt often. But it's beyond that. Last night, on the biggest stage, as big a game as the Sixers have had in years, and we've all talked about their issues,

and Philadelphia keeps denying their issues, and now they've got a new GM and a new coach, and Doc and Darry and, oh, it's all good, it's great. Yes, they have great moments. But on the biggest stage, M. Bede was hurt, and Simmons did not take a shot in the fourth quarter because he would then be fouled and terrified to go to the free throw line. We have got to, you know what they always say? The first way to solve a problem is admit a problem.

And the problem in the NBA is if you have an issue, the rule in the NBA, NBA is keep it really quiet and trade it away before anybody knows about it because you'll lose your leverage. But in Philadelphia's case, they've been denying it and denying it and denying it and denying it. And now, Ben Simmons over the next four years is going to make, what, 32, 35, 38 and 40 million. Good luck getting rid of that contract and making a great deal because everybody is now watching him deteriorate. like this is something we have been on this show for two years in the NBA when you've got a problem

find it keep it quiet and make a move because now it's on the biggest stage now GMs are watching Ben Simmons and like 35 million a year you can't have him on the floor he won't take a shot and then you look at Embed who's a marvelous player he's hurt again

so you know the NBA is has been a great story league and a star league and a gossip league and a rumor league. What you want to do three years ago is when they were both at their height and there was speculation and people like me and talk show host and media going, I'm a Simmons guy and I'm an MBE guy. What we were really saying is they both had value. We were all arguing over it. You were MBEed.

I was Simmons, but they both had value. After last night, one guy can't jumpies hurt. One guy can't be on the floor and the fourth. What's the value? And they're both mega expensive. I mean, Doc Rivers is over it officially. Here he was after the loss. We stopped passing.

You know, I thought that we started the game off that way. Then we got back in the ball movement. Then we went back to hero basketball. You know, basically everybody wanted to be the hero instead of just trusting the team, trusting each other. So when you do that, you usually lose, especially when the other team outworks you, the whole game. I'm not so big with me.

Doc was like this marriage counselor. And after about 12 sessions, he's like, all right, I can't fix you guys. I'm done with it. Like Doc's done with it. This should have been addressed years ago. It wasn't. And now on the biggest stage, every GM, everybody can see it. Ben Simmons did not take a shot in the fourth quarter.

32 million a year? My point card? Shake Milton's on the floor? Not great. Well, Ethan Strauss, he and Katie have battled. That's coming up. School's out for the summer,

but if your business is running QuickBooks, you'll never get a break. QuickBooks manual processes, integration difficulties, glitchy delays. If scrambling for numbers you need, failing to graduate to NetSuite, we'll leave you in summer school while your friend's party.

NetSuite by Oracle is the number one cloud business system. It gives you visibility in controls over your e-commerce, your HR, your financials, all in one place. 93% of companies surveyed increased their visibility since graduating from QuickBooks to NetSuite. Special financing for those ready to graduate. NetSuite.com slash herd, H-E-R-D. No wasted time, no manual processes.

Doesn't matter how big the company is. Bigger you are, easier, better it works. NetSuite by Oracle. Be sure to catch live editions of the herd weekdays at noon Eastern, 9 a.m. Pacific on Fox Sports Radio, FS1, and the I-Hard Radio app. Hot water that never runs out. Go Navi in tankless water heaters.

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 I-Hard Radio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts. Will Ferrell's Big Money Players And IHeart Podcast presents soccer moms So I'm Leanne This is my best friend Janet 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 drinks

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 or something here? Just hit it. Oh, what are y'all doing? Microphones?

Are you making a rap album? Oh, I would. Come on. 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're lucky I'm not an alcoholic.

You are. 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 IHeart Radio, Apple Podcasts or wherever you get your podcasts. American Soccer is about to explode. The World Cup is coming.

Ramos sending on to Ernie. Score at the chip. I'm Tab Ramos. I'm Tom Bo. 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 Soccer with Tom Bogart and Tab Ramos on the IHeart Radio app, Apple Podcasts, wherever you get your podcast. What's up, fam? This Isaiah Thomas. And I'm C.J. Toledano. podcast 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 bases on offense. And when IT's friends stop by, like Quentin Richardson, we dive into some playoff history too. Steve Nass would get that thing. That man, hell get the flying. He run up the court, licking his fingers why he got the ball. Like, after 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.

you get your podcasts. Tankless made simple.com save money, save efficiency, save space. Tankless water heaters are the way to go. Ethan Strauss is a media guy that's never, I love him. I think he's one of the most fascinating guys. He's never been afraid to, you know, he won't coddle the players. He'll go after him at press conferences. He's a very thoughtful guy.

He reminds me a little bit of Tom Verducci who does baseball, who always makes me think will be critical of his sport. Ethan doesn't have a problem addressing issues with Adam Silver. And that's my kind of guy. Make people uncomfortable. So Ethan Stroth and KD. When he was covering the Warriors, KD and Ethan Strauss,

KD, they didn't know us get along. Here's a clip. You got to do Ethan Strauss who come in here and just give his whole opinion on stuff and make it seem like it's coming from me. And he just walk around here. Don't talk to nobody. Just walk in here and survey

and then write something like that. And now y'all piling on me because I don't want to talk to y'all about that. talking, and we're talking. So, who are you? Why do I got to talk to you? How are you playing? How's the team playing in the last couple weeks? I'm done.

You know you don't care about that. Well, I mean, you know what? It is, I guess in retrospect, I mean, KD can be a little prickly sometimes. Like, in the moment, it was uncomfortable. As you look at that now with KD, how does it sit with you? I'm reminded there's this Aaron Sorkin quote. about sea sickness where at the time it feels like you're going to die, but to everybody else, it's just kind of funny. And that's how I felt at that particular moment, because my friends

in media all found it hilarious. It was ridiculous. It's an absurd situation. But you're at the center of that storm. You're at the center of that controversy. And now I can look at it the way everybody else looks at it, which is that's a pretty funny press conference. That gave me a good laugh. You know, I said this earlier. LeBron's moves have been calculated. Kevin's have often been impulsive. I mean, he joined a Warriors team that won without him. He went to Brooklyn with the very erratic Kyrie Irving. And then I look at him right now and I think to myself, yeah, you're wearing a life preserver trying to save the nets right now. Of course you are. Kyrie's hurt again. Hardin, you can't trust him in the playoffs. when you when the word started coming out that Kevin Duratton was going to go to Brooklyn

and there were a lot of rumors and you were on the forefront of those were you surprised by it or do you just think he's a guy that's always going to be emotional, impulsive and do what he wants to do and if it doesn't help his legacy so be it. Well, I think I was surprised by it just because we had heard Knicks for so long and obviously his agent slash manager slash best friend Rich Klyman had this relationship with the Knicks. and had tweeted about it, and that seemed to be where things were headed. When it became Brooklyn, I think I felt the way that a lot of people feel and still feel

because they are not a resident team, which is, that's kind of weird. It's kind of weird. You know, I don't hate it. I don't love it. It's not at all like when LeBron went to Miami where a bunch of people hated it. And then you had the backlash to the backlash, and a bunch of people were defensive on his behalf. I talk about the ratings with you, Colin. you don't see a lot of people all that interested in the Brooklyn Nets.

It's a lukewarm response. So I think all of us are still sorting out how we feel about this thing, this thing that is in many ways, I think, worked out tremendously from a basketball perspective, at least when everybody's healthy. You know, when you look at KD and his game, I don't think tonight I'm going to change my thought on KD at all. If he loses, he loses, he wins, he wins. He's still a great player. will it do you think it will it change your opinion let's say he goes out tonight and is just it just doesn't work Harden gets hurt in the first eight minutes they go down in flames how do you view KD like paragraph on kD his legacy well legacy it's an interesting thing because when you win a championship and you're

as good as he was when he won those championships you set a baseline and we almost make it seem like it's it's all or nothing that we're going to consider you a loser if you lose. But if you win, you're just going to get the glory of glories. It's more complicated than that. You know, I think back to Steph Curry, those 2019 finals. Remember, Clay goes down. KD obviously went down.

It's him against the world, against that Great Raptors team. If he had somehow come back and won that game six and game seven in Toronto, yeah, that impacts his legacy. It does. It just has to. It doesn't mean that we think Steph Curry's a bum or that we rip him for not being able to do it, but it presents an opportunity where he could have gotten himself top 10. And you could say, hey, small sample size, that's not fair.

We make these legacy decisions on the basis of small sample sizes. That is why we watch. We need to be careful as nerds observing the sport, and I include myself in that category, not to get too logical about it. We need to keep this feeling we all have. We're nervous watching the game. We've got suspense because the guy's legacy can swing from here to there. So I look at it as Kevin Durant isn't going to hurt his legacy for failing to come through underman,

just like Steph Curry didn't hurt his legacy in 2019. But it presents the opportunity for himself to go up and to get in that conversation where it's him and LeBron for this particular era. All right. Two other NBA thoughts going forward. Luca apparently doesn't like Mark Cuban's right-hand man. There was a story in the athletic, the company you work for, where a lot of multiple sources appear to be inside the Mavericks organization, which to me is the worry.

Luca's going to sign an extension with the MAVs, so that's all good. What do you make of Cuban, the Mavericks, and Luca and the story? Is it just, hey, it's an off-season story. Luca's going to sign. It's not that big of a deal. Or is there anything there in your opinion? Well, first of all, I don't want to queues you. of anything, but I feel like you ducked having to pronounce Heralaba Bulgiris's name, which I can

appreciate. You're a professional broadcaster for that right there. That was Barry Sanders going out of bounds rather than making it hit. So I can understand why you did that. It's an awkward thing to discuss because it is my own shop reporting on what is happening there. I do think that beyond what's been reported, I think that there's stuff happening underneath the surface of that organization. I would not be surprised if Donnie Nelson and Rick Carlis want to have more power and they don't want Bulgaris to have the power. And I'm not saying that's the only reason that that story was written, but I do think that there's a power struggle underneath the surface.

And ultimately, it comes down to Mark Cuban. For somebody who is so out and about presenting himself as in control of everything, it sometimes seems like there's almost a power vacuum. Sometimes it's very ironic. he can come off a little bit like an absentee owner as involved as he is because guys stick around for years and years, if not decades. And you have this scandal break out in the organization. And it's, well, I didn't know anything about anything. And you wonder sometimes if Mark Cuban, for instance, just said, hey, Bulgaria is the guy.

He's the GM, right? I don't know if we have a story like this. But when it's open to interpretation, when there's a power, vacuum. That's when the knives come out behind the scenes and people battle for who's in control. So that was my immediate takeaway. You've covered this league long enough that you have enough sources on Kauai Leonard. It's funny. Generally, great teams look great. I mean, the Showtime Lakers, they were so fluid offensively. You know, the pistons that dominated were so physical. It was palpable. You could feel it through the screen. The Bulls teams were so

relentless. Most championship teams, the warriors, were so explosive and dynamic. They looked before they were champions. That's what a champion looked like. I watched this Clipper team with Kauai. They don't have a point guard. They don't really have a starting five. They're mixing and matching. They're so inartistic and clunky, even leading by 20 last night. Is that just because of it's going to be the way Kauai's teams are if you build the culture around him or if they got a point guard it would solve everything. What do you kind of make of building your franchise around a nonverbal, interesting cat-like Kauai?

Will it always mean the team's a little off, the team's a little unpredictable, the team's a little strange, or can you solve their riddle? I think you need somebody to have that role. I mean, somebody's got to replace that leadership and be able to communicate because that's not who he is. And that's fine. You know, it's good to know your. limitations. It's good to know what you are, but you need somebody to replace that. Maybe that's

Beverly. Maybe they've got enough voices in the locker room who can appropriately do that. But aesthetically, that's an interesting observation. They aren't aesthetically great to watch. They don't really have an identity presented to the rest of the fans. They are mercenary. There isn't a sense that they're connected to anything. It feels like they could win the championship. But it also feels like they could win the championship and have a parade down Figueroa that nobody goes to. It's a very weird situation. I'll tell you what it doesn't seem like. It doesn't seem like it's long term. It feels like they could win a championship, but it doesn't feel like they could make multiple trips because there's just not enough drawing everybody to the situation to make

it worth it year after year. Yeah, it is an interesting team. They don't look like what championship teams could look like. Even the Pistons who were limited offensively, They had a star quarterback in Isaiah Thomas, and they were tough, and they were good situationally, and they had a great coach, and the Clippers feel like they're kind of making it up as they go. By the way, a prediction, you're not in the prediction business. My prediction is if James Hardin plays 20 minutes tonight, 20, 24 minutes, and can do that the next couple games, then the Nets win the series. Don't know if he can. If he can't, if he comes in tonight and can't play, I think it's over. I think Milwaukee uglies it up and wins the series.

Any thoughts on the outcome going forward? We hear Harden, we'll try to play tonight. Yeah, I'm with that. I'm with that. It's funny. We can look at this. We can have the most granular analysis at the end of the day. It's pretty simple.

It's more stars beat the team with one star. The bucks have not really punched above their weight in post seasons. A lot of those threes, those early shock clock threes tend to go wanting when the pressure is on. and the pressure is really on them as an organization. And we're in an era where the double team is so huge. We rarely talk about this. But from a historical basketball perspective, double teams really bedevil stars more now than they did back in the 90s. Because remember back in the 90s, there was that annoying illegal defense where they would stop the game and there'd be a technical foul shot.

That basically was a rule that made it really hard to double team guys. You remember the double team would come, you'd have to run right back to where you were, because otherwise it was zone defense. So you always knew where the double team was coming from and where the guy would run back to. Now it can come from anywhere. So if you're a singular star, if you're Kevin Durant with his injured teammates, right, you're getting sworn and there aren't openings. And right now, if you're Janus, yeah, Middleton can sometimes get to that place,

but you've got a lot of the same problems. So, yeah, two stars better than one. lot of fancy talk to say what everybody in a sports bar understands yeah Ethan you're great the athletic good stuff we'll talk soon by the way he's got a book the victory machine the making and end making of the warriors dynasty yeah put it up there real quick there yeah yeah out the paperback baby all right buddy good talking to you great talking to you all right see even he brings up that rule about how the double team now you couldn't do it years ago because of the zone so now if you have one star the double team

comes from everywhere. Nobody, you're not going to get called for the zone. You're just smart. Just pop that right out there. Oh, by the way, SimpliSafe delivers a feeling of security that comes through human interaction. SimplySafeColin.com 24-7. Phone calls ready. If you have any problems, customize your system.

Get a free security camera. Joy Taylor with the news. No, no, no, no. Turn on the news. This is the herd line news. Well, Cam didn't have a lot of time to prepare with the Pays. Patriots before starting for them last season. But this year, Bill Belichick has seen how much farther along Cam is in his second year with the team. He said Cam's way ahead of where he was last

year at this time. There's no question about that, as you would expect. He's had a good year of experience under his belt. He's able to start the process at the beginning and not be in catch-up mode like he was last year. Well, that's very positive. It is very positive. Belchick can be very positive when he wants to. Yeah. Although the inner web this morning was picking on Cam because they were they used that quote and then they showed Cam flying the ball over receiver's heads from like 10 feet. Yeah, I saw that video as well. There's enough video of Cam Newton. I think we know what Cam Newton is as a quarterback at this point. We're not evaluating a rookie quarterback. That's my issue with that video. Like when we get video from a rookie or we're going

to talk about Tua in a second, like that has some value to me because we haven't seen him play, you know, in a Super Bowl. Right. Just relax with the Cam Newton floating pass in mini-camp. Like, it's not that big of a deal. Can you imagine? Can you imagine? I'm still going to start pending any injuries.

Look how big Cam is. He's going to walk by Belichick. Now, Belichick's an average-sized man to slightly larger than an average-sized man. Yeah. Now, I want everybody to watch on television. This is why Cam Newton must look at Mac Jones like a ball boy. show the, do we have the picture again of Camp? I mean, isn't it Mac right next to him? No what, you'll see this picture.

Look at the size of Cam as a human being. Now watch this. Look at that. Next to a six-foot-tall head coach. Yeah, I mean, isn't this next piece of video, Cam and Mac next to each other? I don't know they're going to show it a second. Yeah. No, so that's why my whole thing on it.

If you're a player, you're going to start Cam. Now, Justin Fields looks more impressive than an Andy Dalton physically. But Cam Newton, all the, all the Baylor's on Cam. And I'm not a huge Cam fan. Physically, he gives you a dementia. Look at that. I'm sorry. I don't care about your line of scrimmage expertise at Alabama.

Cam's starting. He's going to play all the games. Cam is absolutely starting. And he's going to play all the games this year. He's probably going to play all the games this year. And that's fine. There's no pressure on Mac Jones. We're not picking on Mac Jones.

No. I think, I don't know. I actually have no thoughts on what Mac's career is going to be. I don't know at this point. I don't. But I do know what Cam has been. And Cam, if you have a choice between Cam and Andy Dalton, what are you going with?

You're going to go with Cam Nealyn. Generally, you go with somebody who can do something dynamically. That's the name of the game. And that's what Cam can do. Cam is a dynamic runner. So the Dolphins' mini camp kicked off today. Two did not get off to a great start. Excuse me?

Well, let's just put it in perspective here. Let's paint the correct proper picture. Five picks? Five interceptions. The reporters in attendance say one bounced off the receiver's hands and should have been caught. Okay. So let's call it four and a half. Four and a half picks.

After practice, two said he wanted to be more aggressive in the passing game today. Okay, he was. And if there was an ever-in-a-time to make mistakes, it's now. Oh, boy. Want to point out, Jacoby Brissette also threw two interceptions. And two's not five. Two is in five. But it's important to note that it was pouring down rain at practice today.

Oh, oh, hey, everybody, it rained. I mean, it's Miami rain. You can't see your hand in front of your face. Five interceptions, Joy. at a practice? He was being aggressive. Ryan? Joy. I don't want to be a hater. Five. Finally, Aaron Rogers participated in a press conference today to promote the match, which he will play in this July, which I'm really looking forward to. I loved it last year. Oh, it's fun. It was so, it was, it was like, it will be one of those special moments for me, the one last year, just because we had no sports on. So we were all watching it like it actually counted for something. But he should. showed up wearing a shirt that says, I'm offended. And he also commented on what his

offseason has been like for him so far. You know, I think that's what this off season has been about. It's been about really enjoying my time and spending it where I want to spend it and not feeling like I have to go anywhere, not having any responsibilities, but still being an NFL player. That's fine. I have loved every second of this Aaron Roder's story. You know, I think about this because my whole thing on this is I come in every day and I pick a side because I want to be fair. So today I sided with the Packers. Previous three days I sided with Aaron. I should also be honest about this.

He's really given us a great deal of content. Yes, it's incredible. From the moment this happened, the day of the draft, I have been absolutely in love with the story because it reflects so much in sports and so much of what's going on in society. Ego, power. much of the waves of change that are happening because of social media and platforms and media. Like it's, it has everything. It's been one of my favorite stories to talk about.

Thank you, Aaron. Joy with the news. Well, that's the news. And thanks for stopping by. The Hurd-Ly News. Okay, we're going to play a game called Kauai or that guy. You know, you tell me you like your guy. A minute left, games tied.

Kauai or that guy? We'll put all the guys up there. You tell me who you like more than Kauai. For all those that question Kauai, who's now my guy? After a busy day, there is nothing better than a long, relaxing hot shower. Of course, it can go south very quickly when the hot water runs out. Just when the shower's getting good. It doesn't happen with our friends at Navian.

Navian tankless water heaters are instant and endless hot water. Spa-like comfort. You save money, the planet, only heating water when you need it, not when you don't. And Navian's 15-year limited warranty is among the best available. So you save some energy. You save space. Frankly, you save big in your water bill because it's a high-efficiency Navian tankless water heater.

Right now, save hundreds two on local rebates. Find the name of your Navian contractor. Help you upgrade to a Navian tankless water heater. The web address is free and easy to remember. TanklessmadeSimple.com. Tanklessmade simple.com. Navian with a 15-year limited warranty. One more herd?

The herd streams 24 hours a day, seven days a week, within the IHeard radio app. Search Herd to listen live or on demand whenever you'd like. 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 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 I-Hard Radio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts. What's up, fam, it's Isaiah Thomas. And I'm C.J. Toledano, and our podcast 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 first, 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 why he got the ball. Like, after 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. American soccer is about to explode.

The World Cup is coming. Ramon sending on to Ernie Stewart the chip. I'm Todd Ramos. I'm Tom Boe. 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, Inside American Soccer with Tom Bogart and Tabramos on the IHeart Radio app, Apple Podcasts, wherever you get your podcast. Will Ferrell's Big Money Players and IHeart Podcast presents soccer moms. So I'm Leanne. This is my best friend, Janet. And we have been joined at the Hipsons 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 drinks. 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 or something here? Just hit it. Oh, what are y'all doing? Microphones? Are you making a rap album? Oh, I would. Come on. Could you imagine?

I would buy it. Cut through the defense like a hot knife through sponge cake. That sounds delicious. Oh, you're lucky I'm not a drug addict. You're lucky I'm not an alcoholic. You're 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 IHeart Radio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts. Summer's here. Get active. Shed Pounds. go to MDrive for Men.com. Free shipping, 60-day money-back guarantee. They have M-Drive boost and burn. So we're going to play Kauai versus that guy,

is that I've made the argument that Kauai is in a very rare class of all-time players in terms of his ability to be a great defensive stopper. In fact, I think he can guard more people than Michael could. He can go smaller and bigger, whereas Michael, you know, Michael, was not going to generally guard bigs. And I really do. I think Kauai is a unique personality. But at his best, he is Michael Jordan without the flare, the hand size, the vertical nature,

the relentlessness, both ends of the floor. Could you imagine if Kauai could use the hand check with his hands? He's a great defender, and does not have that as part of his arsenal. And his mid-range game. There's a lot of Michael here. Now, he's not as good athletically as Michael, who was. And he doesn't have the flare or the drama of Kobe or Michael. But when you really inspect his game and you go to efficiency numbers,

he is an all-time player. So, Joy and I are going to play, Kauai or that guy. And the game is, fourth quarter, game seven, five minutes left, Coire that guy. Kauai Leonard or James Hardin? Kauai Leonard. Kauai is the second highest net rating in the league. 12.2.

Hardens is 2.9. Hardin is a liability on the defensive end with seven minutes to go in a game seven. Teams try to hide James Hardin defensively. The Rockets did and the nets do. Kauai Guard your best player. Kauai Leonard or Luca Donchich. This is not close. Kauai Leonard.

Do you know that Kauai Leonard had a better offer? A better defensive rating, a better defensive rating, and a better net rating than Luca all year. Now, Luca is a spectacular offensive talent, but he's a kid, and his game does have holes. Kauai or LeBron? That is LeBron. Now, in his prime, it's easily LeBron. Now, Joy and I both believe LeBron's going to come back rested, and he's going to be really good next year. But LeBron averages seven and a half points in the fourth quarter.

only Michael Jordan has ever averaged more points in the fourth quarter than LeBron James. Don't kid yourself. All this, he's not clutch nonsense with LeBron is stupid. Kauai or Kevin Durant? Again, you'd be surprised. I would take Kauai. It's narrow. It's razor thin.

Kauai is a more efficient shooter than KD. He's got a higher career field goal percentage and three point percentage. He's a better defensive. rating guy, a better net rating than KD. And also, KD, when a game starts, sometimes he doesn't finish it. You can also be a very physical player with KD, PJ Tucker, and get him a little off his game. Kauai is not affected at all by physical defenders. All right. Now it gets interesting. It does.

Kauai Leonard or Dway Wade. And again, I'm not saying anything other than seven minutes to go game seven. I would take Kauai in that instance. Here's why. Kauai is absolutely a more efficient shooter. The knock on Wade was always, he wasn't a great shooter. Also, Kauai has won a championship

in Toronto without a second star player. Duane has had the Shaq years, the LeBron years. He's kind of needed a second guy. Again, it's close but efficiency in shooting also, Kauai is a bigger athlete. Kauai is

6-7, Duane is 6-4, so Kauai has the ability. He guarded Janus a couple of years ago. You couldn't ask D-Wa-Wa to do that late in the game. Kauai or Dirk Novitsky? Mismatch, Kauai easily. Better athlete, significantly better defender. Again, like Luca, Dirk is a virtually unstoppable offensive player. But that's kind of where it ends. Kauai or Magic Johnson? Magic Johnson. Magic Johnson averaged in the playoffs, 12 and a half assists per game. Forget the fact he'd score.

Kauai's averages 2.8 assists in his career in the playoffs. So Magic could score like Kauai, but Magic's gift is he was Chris Paul on steroids. Everybody else was scoring too. So listen, I've always said magic's a lot closer to Michael Jordan. If you put both in their prime than Michael would ever want to admit magic the three greatest basketball players I've ever seen in my life are no order just Michael Magic LeBron if you didn't see Magic playing his prime because he retired early he could get you 42 or 28 assists or 17 rebounds Michael couldn't pass like him and elevate others like him. Kauai Leonard or Shaq.

People going to go crazy. Kauai. First of all, you want Shaq seven minutes to go? free throw line? There's a reason they called it Hackashack. Also, there are limitations defensively of what Shaq can do because of his size, right? So he's a free throw liability. There are limitations defensively because of his size. Now, again, Kawhi can hit a three, Shaq can't. Shack was perfect for his era. Yeah. If you go back to Shaq's era, you know, he was perfect for it. And nobody is, nobody's disputing the greatness of Shack.

But this argument is seven minutes to go. Game is tied, game seven. I'd take Kauai. Kauai or Tim Duncan? Same thing. Duncan was a free throw liability. I would take Kauai. Again, building my franchise around him guy, Duncan. But if I need a bucket or a stop, remember Kauai is more versatile offensively than Duncan. He's more versatile defensively than Duncan.

Kauai versus that guy, seven to go. I'd take Kauai. Kauai or Michael Jordan. Michael Jordan. Now Michael has scored. Michael has the greatest fourth quarter average. in league history. He's the greatest shot maker

in big games in league history. Michael's Kauai, but more athletic. Also, Michael was not passive-aggressive or non-verbal. Michael was relentless, would get in your face. For all the people that call him a jerk, Michael's leadership ability,

either by talking or example, really separates him from Kauai. Finally, Kauai Leonard, or Tom Brady. Come on. Tom Brady. Tom Brady has 48 career winning drives.

He has 39 career fourth quarter comebacks. Again, Brady and Michael Jordan do it differently, but they'll bark at a teammate, they'll elevate a teammate, relentless, do it by example. You get into the greatest leaders of all time. Michael and Brady kind of magic's way up there, kind of take it to a different. So you only have LeBron, Magic, Michael, and Tom over Kauai. Now. In the clutch.

You're talking, again, these tie games, seven left, both ends of the floor, hit a free, you're asking me, guys got to be able to hit a free throw. Guys got to be able to defend. He's got to be able to do everything and take over the game. Yeah, you got to be able to, seven minutes to go, you cannot be a defensive liability. You can't be a free throw liability. I need versatility. Can you get a stop?

Can you get a bucket? Can you hit a three? Can you dunk? Do you see that Dunkie had that Kauai light last night? That thing was I'm telling you Violence. Kauai is in a very small group of Game 7 tied.

You don't have to tell me about Kauai. That's why I thought he was going to be the game changer in Toronto. They already had a culture. They already had leaders. They already had role players. I would build my franchise around Tim Duncan. Right. Before Kauai. But if we get to a game 7 and I got to choose one, it's Kauai.

Spa Light, Comfort, Navian, tankless water heaters, local rebates, 15-year limited warranty. Good stuff today. Tonight, Hardin's going to play, we think. Not like I know, I'll take Brooklyn. I just need 24 minutes from him, and they win. See you tomorrow. Another podcast from some SNL late-night comedy guy, not quite.

Unhumor me with Robert Smigel and friends. Me and hilarious guests from Bob Odenkirk to David Letterman help make you funnier. This week, my guest, SNL's Mikey Day and head writer Streeter Seidel. help an a cappella band with their between songs banter. Where does your group perform? We do some retirement homes. Those people are starving for banter. Listen to humor me with Robert Smigel and Friends on the I-Heart Radio app, Apple Podcasts,

or wherever you get your podcasts. Therapy is fantastic, but once again, it does not have a monopoly on healing. That's why I create the resources and that's why I create the community because I really just want you to have more access. On the podcast, cultivating her space, Dr. Dom and Terry Lomax create a space where black women can show up fully and be heard. It's tough because we're suppressing our emotions and so many of us are like high achieving individuals. Listen to cultivating her space on the IHeart radio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcast. I'm Michelle McPhee, and I've been unraveling the strangest

criminal alliance I've ever reported on, a Mormon polygamist and an Armenian businessman. multi-million dollar house, Ferraris and Lamborghinis, private jets, a billion dollar fraud. But how long can this alliance last? Tell me what you know. Is somebody coming after me?

Listen to Kingdom of Fraud starting on May 12th on the Aihart Radio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcast. The story I've told myself can then shape my behavior and that can lead me to sabotage the possibility of connection.

This Mental Health Awareness Month, tune into the podcast deeply well with Debbie Brown if you've been searching for a soft place to land while doing the work to become whole. This podcast is for you to hear more. Listen to Deeply Well with Debbie Brown from the Black Effect Podcast Network on the IHeart Radio app, Apple Podcasts,

or wherever you get your podcast. This is an IHeart podcast. Guaranteed human.