The Herd with Colin Cowherd - 06/18/2021 - HOUR 2 - Bucks & Nets, Luka Doncic & Top 10 Young NBA Players to Build Around

Episode Date: June 18, 2021

Colin lists his top 10 young NBA players to build around,How the Mavericks should build around Luka Doncic,Nets shouldn’t worry about loss to the Bucks in Game 6,Can Matt LaFleur & Aaron Rodgers still win Super Bowl in Green Bay,Guest: NBA Champion Antoine Walker Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

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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. Imagine an Olympics where doping is not only legal, but encouraged. It's the enhanced games. Some call it grotesque.

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I don't care what I'm saying. Yep, that's me, Clifford Taylor the 4th. You might have seen the skits, my basketball and college football journey, or my career in sports media. Well, now I'm bringing all of that excitement to my brand new podcast, The Clifford Show. This is a place for raw, unfilled conversations with athletes, creators, and voices that not only deserve to be heard, but celebrated. So let's get to it. Listen to the Clifford show on the I Heart Radio app,

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Each episode, we pick a year, unpack what went down, and try to make sense of how we survived it. With our friends, fellow comedians, and favorite authors. Like Mark Lamont Hill on the 80s. 84 was a wild year. I don't think there's a more important year for black people. Listen to look back at it on the IHeart Radio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts.

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 Herd. You're listening to Fox Sports Radio. Ah, live in Los Angeles. Hour 2, it's the herd, wherever you may be, and however you may be listening. Iheart Radio, Fox Sports Radio, FS1. Joy Taylor is traveling to the East Coast again. I've never seen somebody.

You fly east at least once a month, minimum usually twice. Yeah, it's, I'm used to it now, the flight. My whole family is on the East Coast, and I have a big family. family is on the East Coast, and I have a big family at my niece's wedding last weekend, and my sister-in-law's baby shower. Do you just book the cheapest flight, or do you have an airline you use? Not the cheapest flight. I try to, like, get the best scheduled flights.

So obviously non-stop is preferred if it's available, which is not to Pittsburgh. I was going to say, yeah, there's lots of nonstop flights to Miami. But I like to leave right after the show and, like, you know, all that. So not one particular. airline, but yeah. It's going to be my 10th niece and nephew, and then I have a niece on the way, so I'll be a great aunt. Really? Some more flights on the way. Wow. So I was reading, I was, you know, I'm watching these games, and I'm just blown away by all the young talent. And then there's the story of Lucca and Zion yesterday. And I'm like, it's just absurd. These are like

20-year-old, 21, 22-year-old stars. And I'm watching Trace. Young. And I thought, you know, I can sit here and criticize people, but we'll play a game right now. There are, ESPN did an article about a month ago, the best 25 players under 25. It's insane. I mean, at the time, they had Trey Young like 16. I mean, you know, some of these guys, all of them are getting better fast. Like they're getting better. There's no, I mean, nobody's hit their ceiling yet for the guys I'm listening. I think they're all. going to get better, some significantly better. So I'm guessing here because they're all so young.

They don't come out of college like Ewing or Duncan, where you have an established offensive repertoire. So just Trey Young's growth in the last three months is substantial. But if you were a GM of the 25 best players under 25, you get 10 to build your franchise around. Now, we're all GMs here. So there's six components that I would consider. your talent.

Just watch you, wow. Then your productivity. A lot of guys are talented, and they're not that productive. Leadership. Can you run the show for a decade? You're a grown-up. You're a craftsman. Compatibility.

Do you get along with others? That's, does, you know, Luke has got early indications. He can be feisty. Health. You know me on Biggs. Heard early, hurt often. And then I would say potential.

Some of these guys' ceilings, Bam out of bayou's a nice player. I think he's closer to his ceiling than John Morant, who may not even be scratching the surface. So these are the 10 in order. I'm a general manager. And again, a lot of this stuff is these are kids. Let's start. Number one. So I would go Luca.

Why? He's already had more 40-plus playoff games than Duncan, Magic, Lillard, Reggie Miller, Ewing, Drexler, and Oscar Robertson. He's not close to his ceiling. I don't think, I think his conditioning will get better. I think his strength will get better. I think he'll be able to occasionally get off the floor for a few minutes.

I'd put Luca one. That's an easy one. Number two. Now it gets hard. I got to tell you, I see Trey Young, he's averaging 29.5 point in the postseason. That's four more. than he averaged in the regular season,

and that's against two excellent defensive teams. His ceiling, he's just scratching it. He averaged nine and a half assists this season. That's the highest of any player under 25. So he's a total playmaker. You got some Mahomes here. He can run, he can throw, he can, he can score, he can assist, and he's getting better fast.

Fast. Number three. Number three. I think I'd go Jason Tatum. I've already had 50-point games. Now, his ceiling, he's pretty close to it. I think he's a 26-27-point-a-game guy. Now, now, I'll say this.

He's not at his ceiling because his points, rebounds, and assists have increased the last four years. He is not at his ceiling. But I think we're getting close to it, and that is about a 27-5 point-a-game guy. Very dependable, can put it in the deck, can drive, can score at the rim, can shoot. I get a lot with him.

And he's coachable. Stevens can be demanding. He's coachable. Number four. I mean, I'll go Devin Booker. Now, the leadership thing, he's talented, but they really needed Chris Paul to get to the next level. That's a little ding on him. Talent's insane.

He's a natural score. By the way, better shooter from the field, better shooter from three, better shooter from three, better shooter from the free throw line this postseason than the regular season. What does that tell me? he's good in crisis he's been a better playoff player than a regular season guy that's a big one but the leadership

thing I don't know he may just be a great talent number five John Morant ain't close to his ceiling I could have him low he may be two rookie of the year everything got better in his second year like Trey Young

his confidence is through the roof I don't even know where his ceiling is like he of he and Trey Young, no idea what the ceiling is. It's insane right now. And he's got, he's more athletic than Trey Young, but Trey Young at some point has been on the road just so productive I have Trey ahead of him. Maybe a big mistake by me. Number six. Donovan Mitchell's been a little banged up this year, plays on both ends. Again, I think he's closer to his ceiling. Sealing's good. He's averaging 33 and a half. His ceiling is

great. But I think he indicates how good the list is. Because I think he of all these players, he and Tatum are really close to their ceiling. And I love it. But John Morant and Trey Young could have another 25, 30 percent to their game. I mean, if I said Trey Young average 34 next year, would you be shocked? I wouldn't. Number seven. Zion health's a factor. It's all health. Doesn't defend. His game is, he's great at what he does. He's great at what he does. but there's holes. Health, frightening. Heard in college, heard in the NBA.

Now, he's averaging 26 a game. That's the most ever for a player 20 year younger. His ceiling's insane. I'll probably regret this one. But there is a health issue, and he needs the right coaching. Don't take him out in three land all day. Let him be what he is, which is a gifted bucket guy, free throw line. A lot of Carl Malone here.

Don't try to make him Jason Tatum the shooter. Number eight. Jamal Murray, torn ACL bothers me. Very good player. The injury is something. It's something, but he's great. Number nine. Lamello Ball, rookie of the year.

Unbelievable. Way better than I thought. No health. I mean, he had a little injury this year. But again, we really don't know what he is. If he's this good now, what is he next year? I mean, this has had not been a great. organization. He wins rookie

of the year. What happens when he gets real teammates? Does he double his assists? Number 10. Deeran Fox. Nobody talks about him. He averages 25 and 7. And his scoring average has gone up every year. I think he's kind of close to

his ceiling, but who's he played with? So just look at these players. And again, Bam out of Iowa is a good player. But I don't think he's nearly as dynamic or as versatile offensively as these, I think it's a guard wing league. And obviously, a lot of you are saying, I'm living in the moment on Trey Young. Yeah, I am living in the moment. I'm watching it against two great defensive teams.

He's eating them alive. I am living in the moment. I'm watching what I'm seeing against the Sixers on the next defense. And these are veteran coaches, Doc Rivers, Tom Tibado, eating them alive. What am I supposed to do with that? Antoine Walker is now joining us live. All right, Antoine, you saw my goofy list. Am I over valuing Trey Young, too?

Am I nuts on that? I don't know if he's two. He's a terrific talent. He's one of the, I call these guys a hybrid point guard. They're not traditionally great point guards. And like a Chris Paul, who's a real true point guard, these are point guards that have unbelievable scoring ability. for his size though

he's really gutty really tough to see what he's doing against Philly when they got got 6869 on him his patience to be able to change his game up he's maturing right in front of our own eyes on the biggest page in the playoffs so he's headed that way I don't know if he's number two

but he's very close let's go to my list again is there anybody on this list that you would absolutely have like John Morant I don't I'm guessing he could end up being battle for number one. On my list, is there anybody, I got Luca won, Trey Tatum, Booker,

Morant, Donovan, Zion, Jamal, LaMello, Deere, anybody too low in your opinion? Probably Zion. I would probably put Zion in their top five under 25. Just because of the impact that he can have on a team or franchise, you can put a, you get some pieces

around him, you can actually make a deep run to win the championship. He's that good. So I think Zion John Moran has been too inconsistent for me. He hasn't been there all season long. He had spurts. He talked to do on the playoffs, but I thought he could get that done night in and night out.

So some nights I think he takes it up, but I think Zion should definitely be in your top five. All right. So let's talk bucks. So yesterday I got on this rant, where because LeBron and Durant are so gifted that can do virtually anything, we think all these guys can do everything.

And Janus, Milwaukee has tried to make him into a three-point shooter, and it just doesn't look good. He's not natural. And last night, they said, nope, no threes. Just do what you do, and Brooklyn couldn't stop him. Sometimes I feel like, because LeBron is such a great Swiss Army knife, Antoine, that coaches and GMs feel like their guys got to do everything, and you were in this league for 12 years. Guys can usually do one or two things at a high level.

Everybody's not everything. Do you think with Janus, Milwaukee is better served just being like, be the best defensive big, be great within seven feet, and just stay there and do your thing? Well, I think it's tough because he's a two-time MVP, and he's had a lot of success, and he's at the individual accolades at the age of 26. So it's very difficult sometimes as a coach, and for people around him to tell him that, hey, you probably need to get the three-point game out of your game. And I'm pretty sure he spends a ton of time in the summertime shooting a bunch of threes. But you can't be good at everything. I was not necessarily a great freet-tho shooter. I wasn't a great 15-foot jump shooter.

I can make it occasionally. I made freetos when they count it. So you've got to figure out what you're really good at. And the space that teams are playing them with, he has to play from 15 feet in. That's when he's at his best at. We saw that in game six when he's attacking the basket. Obviously, he's a freak of nature in transition. him LeBron James, those guys are

unbelievable in transition. So you're going to get 8 to 10 points that way. He just has to figure out how to be more an effective score without shooting a 3-point shot. Not saying he can't never take a 3, but it's not a part of his game. And when he's shooting 3s, those are empty possessions for the buck.

So he did a terrific job with that, hopefully he continues to do that in game 7. But I still worry a little bit, Colin, about his free-thost shooting. Yeah. Having the ball in late in games, I still worry about that. That's something that he's,

He has to understand that he's not a great free throw shooter. I may have to give it off to Militin, who's a better free throw shooter than I am, and who is a great score, too. By the way, speaking of free throws, it's one thing if a big isn't a great free throw shooter. It's another if your point guard's not. Have you ever seen or played with a great player that lost confidence? And if not, fine, but how do you get it back? What do you do if you're coaching Simmons?

Well, I think one thing with Simmons, you've got to continue getting a gym and practice and find a routine you like. I think Doc Rivers made a mistake in taking them out that game and not allowing him to be in to get foul. You've got to try to get over this phobia. So now that's in the players here. You lose the confidence of the team. You're at home. Now you've got 15,000, people now that don't want to see you get foul late in games. So I think that's something with the coach has to show you confidence.

your teammates. I have to show you confidence. But it's something he has to continually work on, finding the routine that he's very comfortable with. And Ben Simmons shot is not as bad, I think, as Janice. Yeah. So I think Ben Simmons shot is really, really close to getting fixed. And he doesn't miss as bad as John has been.

So it's about confidence. And sometimes that's a little coaching. When a coach has to show some confidence in you and leave you in the game in that situation. So Doc may have made a mistake and taking them out. we'll see as this series continues, if Big Simmons can get past that, but that's a tough thing to do to a player,

especially a young player like that. You know, speaking of Zion, story breaks yesterday that his family is not happy with New Orleans. Chris Paul didn't like playing there. A.D. wanted out. Story about Zion wanting out. John Hollinger reports, they would be the team that would relocate

their own by an NFL owner. They're great NFL owners. This kind of feels like a side business. You know, it would be easy for people to go, come on, Zion, you're like 20 years old. Stop making demands. You could make that argument to me. And then there's me thinking, listen, you don't want to waste six years like Anthony Davis did. Where do you land on the Zion story? I can understand why New Orleans went in a different direction. And college, every coach

cannot coach a young player. That's why I was so surprised that Tibbs had so much success in New York. But Stan Van Gundy, I played for Stan Van Gundy in Miami. It was a short time. I went through a full training camp, 20 games before Pat Riley, ultimately fired him and came and took over. But Stan Van Gundy's a screaming and a yeller. Not saying that he's screaming in the yellow than you at every play, but he's a coach that's emotional into the game.

And some players are not going to be receptive to that. He's going to run really tough film sessions, point out all your mistakes. A lot of guys cannot sometimes young guys don't respond. that. And that's sometimes with these GMs, we recycle the same coaches all the time. That's why you have to get young, new

fresh blood coaches because the league is younger. So you have to get younger coaches that can actually relate to these guys. And I think that's what the problem is that. And I think that's what Stan had is problem. Because Stan is a different type of coach. He's a veteran coach. He's a screaming. He's a yelling. He's going to get out

to you. He's not going to let you make a lot of mistakes. And sometimes young players do do not accept that and do not react very well that he's got a very young team. And on top of the Zion's family, they got to get out the way. It's too early in Zion's career for family to be going to the press

and making demands. Let Zion fill it out. He still is a ways away from where he needs to be as a pro. So let him get some consistency in his game. Let him have multiple all-star years before the family start making demands. I hate to see that when you see the family gets involved. In the big leagues now,

He's a grown man now. You don't need the family involved now. He can have a little self now. He's a big boy. Your family ever chirp? My family was not the kind of family that chirped in my ear. Joy, was your family a chirping family? We're chirpers, but not with the media.

Antoine, what was your family like? We talk, I'm a sports family, so we talk, but not to the media. That's all behind closed doors. Yeah. But I know not to bring that to the forefront. But I just think Stan was the wrong coach. We used to have those older veteran coaches with those. with those guys. We've got to get younger coaches

to coach these younger players. Yeah, no, I mean, look at Steve Nash. KD likes him. Nash likes him. I mean, that's a lot of this whole world in sports is relationships. Andy Reed works as an old guy because Andy's a young spirit. When you listen and talk to Andy, he's young. Belichick feels

old, Andy's old feels young. To your point, it's Carlisle and Lucas, 61-year-old coach, 22-year-old kid. Antoine, great seeing you again. Yes, thanks. Take seeing you too, Colin. All right. Yeah, I mean, it doesn't mean, that's why I always say, Hubey Brown is 80 something? Sounds young. Well, it's not about age. It's about, there's a difference between being old

and the age that you are. Like, we're talking about Tom Brady. Tom Brady is technically an old guy to all these kids in the league. He's like 20 years. Like Pete Carroll feels young. Yes. Andy Reed, old feels young. It's a matter. I also think it's very important what you, how you build your staff. Like you don't necessarily have to understand TikTok and, you know, all like everything that's new.

But if you don't surround yourself with assistance that do, like you don't have to do everything. You can be the coach, the head coach, and be relatable and keep it simple and let your assistance be that for you. Like I think your staff is very important too. Yeah. Who are you saying, Ryan? Yeah, Popovich has felt a little stubborn and a little rigid and a little old. By the way, Belichick is tweaking it. He embraced Cam. Belichick is smart enough to kind of survey it and go, you know what? I don't want to be old crusty guy.

Cam is honestly the antithesis of Tom and everything. But he embraced him. And to Belichick's credit, it's like that's the way to do it. Like you want to get crusty. You want to, you know, Tony Larusa, he feels a little low. And by the way, there's nothing wrong with aging. But Pat Riley's a great example, has always felt young. Yes.

Pat Riley has always felt. But Pat also very much believes in delegating. Like he doesn't step in Spose space, who is younger. You know what I mean? Like, there are roles that you can play within an organization. That's what I'm saying. Like, you can be the head coach and you can have your system in the way that you do things. And you can have assistants who are young and who can communicate with the younger players.

And then they can communicate with you. Like, there's a way you can build all of this. And you don't necessarily have to be that. I don't understand. I got to be honest with you. Maybe I'm lazy. I like delegating. Like to me...

No, I don't... That doesn't make you lazy. That means you understand what you're great at and you understand what other people are great at and you understand that if you take time away from what you do great to do something that someone else should be doing, that makes what you do that's great less great. I hate people hovering over me.

Yes. That's why I don't hover over people. I mean, about once a week I'll say, hey, this is a good, so you should put this in her line. like if it's a crazy story. I just don't like people hovering over me, so I don't want to hover over people. Well, if you hire great people, you don't need to hover.

Well, I'm just professionally claustrophobic. Don't hover over me. So to me, like, these people that, like, have to meddle when they get older, it's like, don't you want to just, like, spend all your time in the hiring process, get that right? And then you don't have to hover. Well, trust issues.

If you hire good people and you trust them to do your job, you don't have to hover. Maybe I trust too much. I'm very trusting. You trusted me. I think I'm trying to. I know. I trust you a lot. Maybe I should scale that back. I don't know what you're doing every weekend. There's things going on here. There's a lot of travel, global travel. Be sure to catch live editions of the herd weekdays in noon Eastern 9 a.m. Pacific on Fox Sports Radio, FS1, and the IHeart 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 unleashed. reaching 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.

A win is a win. A win is a win. I don't care what you're saying. Yep, that's me, Clifford 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 Podcast, or wherever you get your podcast. And for more behind the scenes, follow at Clifford and at TikTok Podcast Network on TikTok. What's up, fam? This 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 Reed. He has to guard Julius Randall. And then 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 Nass would 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. Will Farrell'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? Well, then you got it. Do you want a white collar or something here? 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'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 I Heart Radio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts. Tomorrow on FS1, it's Showtime, catch Shohei Otani as he looks to continue his dominant season for the Angels when they take on the Tigers. Tomorrow at 10 Eastern on FS1 and the Fox Sports app.

Yeah, he's amazing. He throws 100 miles an hour. He's near the home run leaders. He's literally amazing. And he's not heavily marketed. He plays in the number two team in Southern California. Well, I mean, right now the Dodgers and the Padres are the most dynamic. teams on the West Coast.

Giants are also actually giants and A's are pretty good. Mariners are what they are. But for as big as he is, he's a classic player. If he played for the Yankees, if Mike Trout and Otani played for the Yankees, they would get so much more press.

That's not a shot at the Angels. It's just, it's the reality of, you know, we always think in the NBA market size matters. But NBA players are so active on social media, it's less important than you think. John Morant gets tons of press in Memphis. Dame gets loads of love in Portland. That's not the issue.

We talk Zion and Dame and John Morant constantly in Donovan Mitchell. Baseball is the sport. Actually, because the guys aren't as equipped with social media. They're not as popular. Baseball's the sport where where you play, Mike Trout with the Yankees would be on the cover of magazines. Yeah, I mean, it's part of the reason why I've always said they need to lean into the personalities. The NFL is starting to catch on to the NBA style of leaning into personality.

There's some control you have to give up there. But I mean, can you imagine baseball? Like, this is an incredible player having an amazing season. Lean into it. Celebrate it. Yeah. Joy with the news. No.

No. Turn on the news. This is the herd line news. Flip those bats. Yeah. Flip them. Stare at your home run. Three or four seconds.

Watch it for a minute straight. So the Bucks were able to get the 104-89 win last night to force a game seven with the Nets. I don't mind this because I love good game seven. Yonis put up some big numbers with 30 points of 17 rebounds in the game. But hasn't consistently been the difference maker. Former NBA player Al Harrington thinks it's because it's easier for teams to plan for him in a longer series. Yonis, as great as he is, he's very limited. Why he's so good is because all season he plays.

somebody wants every couple months. You don't really get a chance to really gain playing for them. So all that dribbling, full court and dunking works. Now it's a series and now we can pay attention to all your weaknesses. Like, we know you can't go left. We know you can't shoot the three. You're going to get exposed every time in the series. Well, he's still playing.

Well, let's not make it sound like he's averaging seven a game. He's still a great player in the series. But there is some truth to that. No, there definitely is. I mean, we've talked about this a lot, that if you have a hole in your game, in the playoffs. If you're playing against a capable team, they're going to expose that.

Now, the nets are very short-handed. So I do not think that this would have been a seven-game series if they were fully staffed. They're not. So that's why we're in a game seven. And that's not a knock on the bucks. It's just we saw how the first two games went. Like, that's what it would have been.

So, I mean, I think the Janus has opportunity this season because they are as healthy as they are. Chris Middleton had an unbelievable night last night, 38 points. Yeah. Middleton was great last night. Yeah, he was great. End of the third quarter, he had back to back to back baskets in about a minute, and I felt that sealed it. Yes, because every time that the Nets started to make a run,

he had a big moment, and that's what they needed. The Bucks could make it happen this year, and then we don't talk about any of the issues with Yannis again. But there's a lot of basketball left to play. Bucks Nets game seven is featured on the free-to-play Fox Bet Super 6 app. Download the app and answer six. question about tomorrow's game for your shot to win $1,000. By the way, I've got this Fandul thing.

FanDuel sent me this thing, and they gave me, now I can't bet in California, but they gave me play money. They gave me $10,000 of play money. I may, what is the J. What is the Hawks Sixers line tonight? Was it? It's a, a little more second. Give me one second.

One second, one second, what's a good? It's three and a half. Sixers are favorite by three and a half, yeah, over the Hawks. And where's that game at? That is in Atlanta. I think the Sixers are going to play their game of the year tonight because they were humiliated. I think they're going to play much better, yes. I'm going to bet I've already lost a little money.

I think I'm going to bet all of it a little. I've been out of hit and miss. I think I'm going to bet all of it on Philadelphia tonight. See, this is why I can't have funny money. If it was real money, what would you do? I bet $100. So that's what you guys should do. Don't buy your mortgages.

because Colin has play money. Okay. Okay, now I've got to fight my plays again. So Rick Carlisle is stepping down after 13 years as the Mavis head coach, with two years left on his contract. After the Mavericks were eliminated by the clippers in the first round, Mark Cuban said he did not plan on making a coaching change. But Carlisle's exit comes one day after GM Donnie Nelson,

mutually parted ways with the team. I think that mutual part is a little bit flexible. Yeah, I don't think it was that mutual. Yeah. Despite all these moves, Luca still plans to sign a five-year max contract. contract with the team. A little bit of news also, a little update. Dirk Novitsky is joining the organization as a special advisor.

I like that. He said Mark Cuban approached him about helping out. His first assignment will be to assist him in search for a new head of basketball operations and then a coach. So I like when organizations bring in legends who want to be involved, obviously. They know the organization. They know the city. They know the fan base.

They know the culture. Also. And they can help. And great player. there's that as well so he can lean into what Cuban doesn't see and he has a great relationship with Luca. Yeah. So I think that's a great situation.

There's a lot of head coaching jobs open. Mavs, Celtics, Pelicans, Wizards, Blazers, Blazers, Pacers, and Magic are always. By the way, some of those are really good gigs. Washington's not, but. Blazers. Good gig. Celtics. Good gig.

Mavs. Good gig. I mean, I think the Pelicans is a great job as well. You have Zion. if you can come in there and turn things around, I think that's a great opportunity for a coach. Well, the entry point's good because they underachieve last year. So if you come in and get them to the playoffs,

it's going to give you another year. You'll get two years minimum on it. If you can come in as a coach and turn things around and get signed to sign that extension, which you probably will, but I think that's a good situation for a coach as well. So there's a lot of job openings out there. So Bucks fans are ready to see their Super Bowl winning team in person. Tampa announced the stadium would be at full.

capacity for the 2021 season and they are already sold out all regular season home games as well as the two preseason games. You know what? When I was there, they stunk and they were great fans. Tampa's a great NFL city. Hockey, hit and miss, baseball not interested. NFL, it's a great NFL. They love the Buccaneers. Tampa also introduced a waiting list for those hoping to purchase seasons and passes in future seasons. So they are fully booked. Super Bowl. Tampa Brady in full effect. I love it. Joy, this franchise is so funny. You know how like the Utah Jazz are always pretty good and can't win the title?

Tampa has been unbelievable or awful. Like the two championship teams, that team last year was stacked. And then you go back to the Dungee team that won. It was like, that was the best defense in like a 15 year period. Like their history is so bizarre. When Tampa broke in, I've always had a soft spot for Tampa. because Tampa broke into the NFL the same year the Seattle Seahawks did. So when I was a kid, the Seahawks and the Buccaneers were expansion teams.

Tampa's defense was great. They couldn't score. They didn't score for the first three games. They didn't score a touchdown until week four. The Seahawks defense was pathetic, but we got Jim Zorn and Steve Largent. So it's like if you combine the two teams, playoff teams. So the Seahawks for like five years, unbelievably fun to watch. They would beat the Raiders, but they just couldn't stop anybody.

The Bucks were pathetic offensively, but had the Leroy Selman. And so, and, and what really changed it and why Seattle's been better has largely been one guy, Russell Wilson. Right. Shocker. The minute Tampa gets the quarterback right, they're great. So it shows all the way back to 76, the teams were truly great when you got one position right. The franchise quarterback position? Yeah.

Yeah. That's it. Is that why we've been talking about? Aaron Roger. Roger's going to do for so long. Yeah. Got a little power. It's a little important.

Enjoy with the news. Well, that's the news. And thanks for stopping by. The Herd Lie News. Speaking of Brady, the difference between him and Aaron Rogers, it's fascinating to think about because there is another story on Aaron Rogers. Be sure to catch live editions of the herd weekdays in noon Eastern 9 a.m. Pacific. Hey, this is Jason McIntyre.

Join me every weekday morning on my podcast, Straightfire with Jason McIntyre. This isn't your typical sports pod pushing the same tired narratives down your throat every day. Straightfire gives you honest opinions on all the biggest sports headlines, accurate stats to help you win big at the sports book, and all the best guests. Do yourself a favor and listen to Straight Fire with Jason McIntyre on the IHeart Radio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts. Imagine an Olympics where doping is not only legal but encouraged. It's the enhanced games.

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. A win is a win. A win is a win. I don't care which I'm saying. Yep, that's me. Clipper 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 Podcast, 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. Ramis. I'm Tad 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 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. 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 Podcasts presents Soccer Moms. So I'm Leanne. Yeah. This is my best friend, Janet. Hey. And we have been joined at the hip 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? They had a bogo. Well, then you got it. Do you want a white collar something here? Just take 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're lucky 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 IHeart Radio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts. You know, there are very few people. A lot of artists write songs and sell merch.

But they don't, they're not the Beatles. they don't change in industry. I don't know hip-hop particularly well, but like Biggie Smalls or Tupac, like kind of changed, you know, and I'm just kind of riffing here, but there are people that write songs and they're really good, and then there's Biggie Smalls that, like, kind of changed everything.

And you're like, oh, that's... Nick Saban didn't just change to Alabama. He changed the SEC. He changed college football. It is now a one-or-a-two-team sport. that's great. Jim Harbaugh made Michigan better. But hell, he hadn't even changed the Big Ten.

Still can't beat Ohio State. Nobody can ever beat Ohio State in the Big Ten. There's a big difference. And, you know, Michael Jordan, don't kid yourself, made the NBA global. LeBron inherited that. Michael made it global.

Michael will always be more popular than LeBron. The look, the glimbinger, the style. Michael's more popular than LeBron. We can argue who's better. But Michael made the sport global. It wasn't global. It was domestic. You watch college guys.

If you had an international player, it was like, nobody care. Michael's like everybody's looking for the next Luca. Everybody. So that's the difference, is that there's a lot of people that make money and they, you know, they write songs or they, They act. And then there's people that you look at and you're like, oh, like that James Dean, you know, that kind of, that kind of actor where for 30, 40 years, tough guys are trying to be him. And I look at Brady and Rogers.

Tom Brady literally in one year changed the league. His team is now the team. Overwhelming favorite. He changed the NFC. Dormat to the Kings. It's like almost unfair. He also changed by leaving the AFC. Mahomes now, Andy Reed, it's their conference.

Josh Allen, the AFC East is his division. Belichick's reign is a super genius. They were under 500. That's a lot of change. Aaron Rogers, like KD, he's talented. But let's say he left Green Bay and went to Denver. He wouldn't be favored in his own division. He wouldn't even change the AFC West.

I mean, some of that is we don't know if Vic Van GEO is great. We don't know about his new GM, but there's a big difference between making commercials, doing jeopardy, being great, transforming the league. Brady has transformed the league. Look at how many general managers are in this league from New England. Look how many offensive coordinators and assistants. And you could say, well, that's Belichick. No, I saw Belichick last year without Brady. And I saw Brady last year without Belichick.

How'd that work out? Now, we always argued Brady Belichick, who gets the credit? They're both great. But we've got to go 60-40 Tommy here, right? We all good on that. It's 60-40 Tommy. Now, it's not 50-50 split. I love Pete Carroll.

Is 60-40 Russell Wilson. We got to be fair here. I love Andy Reid, but it's 60-40. Mahomes now. We saw Belichick break. It's not an even split. All those weak draft picks that Tom made look special, they're not. New England had to go to the free agent market and split $100 million. So it just, it just, there's, Sabin changed so many different things. The Beatles, Bob Dylan, Biggie. These are rare. Don't, don't conflate that or confuse Like whenever we talk Michael and LeBron, you know, I hear a lot of people, you know, and LeBron's great.

Don't get me wrong. But you don't quite understand how big Michael Jordan was. Let me tell you something. I've been at games with LeBron. I like LeBron. He does more things well than Michael. Michael was not only the best player. He was the best looking player.

He was the most stylish player. He was the most glamorous player. He was the winningest player. He was the most clutch player. Like LeBron, there's little dents in the armor. Now, the knock on Michael, he, you know, he didn't embrace politics. Well, let's be fair about that. Most athletes were told back then, stay away from that stuff.

When I got into sportscasting, don't talk politics and religion. Now I often get criticized. You don't talk politics. I mean, well, how come you don't talk about? Well, because I was trained. When I got into this business, you don't talk religion and politics. And so I try to stay away from them. there's a Drew Bree situation or a Kaepernick situation.

Or there's a moment, a LeBron situation. I'll talk about it, two, three times a year. But I come from the people tune to me for sports, not politics. If I'm going to talk it, it better be a jab. I better not spend around on it. But it is interesting. As good as Aaron is, if he moved, NFC wouldn't change.

Tom would still be the favorite. Kyle Shanahan and Tom would... I mean, it's like Kyle already beat Aaron head-to-head. in the NFC Championship. Tom just beat him twice last year, head-to-head the NFC championship. Wouldn't change the NFC. Wouldn't change it at all.

I mean, it would change the NFC North, but even that argument is, even that argument. Green Bay is the best run organization in the NFC North, right? I don't think you can dispute that. In terms of developing players, now, let's be fair, they don't get free agents. You can't blame them for that, right?

Like Buffalo's not exactly a free agent hub. Memphis and the NBA is not a free agent. Hub. So the NFC North, the Packers would still be the best organization the day he left. And for a year, they'd be the best roster still.

I mean, they would be. Tom left New England. It unveiled how bad some of those offensive draft picks were. It's like, nobody can get open. These Titans are terrible. They don't have a star running back. And again,

this is not a shot at Aaron. it is because Aaron, I've always said, is KD. You know, Brady's, you know, now the NFL is not an international sport. It's a domestic sport. Basketball is more international. Baseball is more international. Soccer is really international. Hockey's more international.

So Tom, there's limitations on how international Tom can be. But Brady is like Jordan. He changed everything. The shoe deals. I mean, even now the NFL, it does feel bigger with Tom than it did 20 years ago. feels broader. Well, I think that's the difference between a great player and the greatest player. Right?

Yeah. They transformed things. Michael Jordan was the greatest player. He transformed the entire. He didn't just transform the league. He transformed basketball globally, like on every level. Muhammad Ali did this in boxing. Tiger did this in golf.

Yeah. Like if you said three biggest athletes ever, like I would say, Ali, tiger in my life. Like even in broadcasting, Oprah owns her own network. Yeah. She wins. Howard's probably second. Stern probably second. But it's like, you know, Oprah is like, oh, no what, I don't work on the network. I'm going to own my own network. That's like, okay, that's the way to do it. That's the plan that, I mean, I've said before. But you have to be, you have to be Oprah to do that. That's right. But Oprah's different than ever. We don't even consider Oprah to be like a broadcast.

compare Oprah to anyone house. Like if a president's in trouble, who do you call? The Pentagon first and Oprah second. I mean, the royal family is like, let's go to Oprah. Yes. England's royal family, let's go to Oprah. Like Oprah's just different. Yeah.

And I grew up, I'm old enough. I grew up with Ollie. My dad and I, my dad didn't like sports. We argued about Ollie. He liked Frazier. I like Ali. But I mean, it's, it's. Yeah, there are extreme outliers, the greatest who

do something that changed their, not just their business, but other businesses as well. Like that's why when we criticize, A, I was around for Ali. Can't explain it. You can't explain Ali. I was around for Jordan. There's no player that ever compared it. Magic was really big, but not as global, but magic was, let me tell you something. Magic was more popular than LeBron.

Magic was insane because the smile, his style. Like, Magic's game was fun. Magic was really fun to watch play. That's what I call him magic. What a great point that is right there. That's what I'm here for. They could have called him Irvin. He's more magical than Irvin.

Hard to soak up the sun when your shorts are soaking up to sweat. Go to Tommyjohn.com slash heard. 20% off your first order. Tommyjohn.com slash heard. Check out their site. Great merch, great details. Hour three next. Another podcast from some SNL, late night comedy.

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, S&L'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. 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. A win is a win. A win. A win is a win. Yep, that's me, Cliford Taylor the 4th. You might have seen the skits, my basketball and college football journey, or my career in sports media.

Well, now I'm bringing all of that excitement to my brand new podcast, The Clifford Show. This is a place for raw, unfilled conversations with athletes, creators, and voices that not only deserve to be heard, but celebrated. So let's get to it. Listen to The Clifford Show on the IHeard Radio app, Apple Podcast, or wherever you get your podcast. And for more behind the scenes, follow at Clifford. and at TikTok Podcast Network on TikTok. On The Look Back at it podcast. From 1979, that was a big moment for me.

84 was big to me. I'm Sam Jay. And I'm Alex English. Each episode, we pick a year, unpack what went down, and try to make sense of how we survived it. With our friends, fellow comedians, and favorite authors. Like Mark Lamont Hill on the 80s. 84 was a wild year.

It was a wild year. I don't think there's a more important year for black people. Listen to Look Back at it on the IHeart Radio app, Apple Podcasts or wherever you get your podcasts. This is an IHeart podcast. Guaranteed human.