The Herd with Colin Cowherd - 06/24/2021 - HOUR 2 - NFL, Clippers-Suns

Episode Date: June 24, 2021

The 50 best NFL players right nowCan the Clippers come back against the Suns?Guests: Antoine Walker, Mark Medina Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

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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. 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, 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.

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You're listening to Fox Sports Radio. Ah, here we go. Our number two on a Thursday, live in Los Angeles. It's the Hurt. Wherever you may be, and however, you may be listening. IHeart Radio, Fox Sports Radio, and FS1. Antoine Walker in a few minutes. Joy Taylor is joining me here on a Thursday.

I'm off tomorrow. Are you working tomorrow? Are you going across country? We are off tomorrow. We are off tomorrow. I think the whole show is off tomorrow. Are they? It could be fake news.

Not sure. Got anything planned? You used to go to like Guatemala every weekend. You travel more than anybody I know. Well, you know, we were stuck in L.A. There was literally a point where we couldn't, you and I were not allowed to leave Los Angeles County. No, you had to, you couldn't. It was like for, what was it, three months?

It was crazy. But yeah, like we couldn't leave. Like, we could leave, but if we left and came back, we had to quarantine, so we couldn't come into work for two weeks. That's what was going on here. in L.A. Yeah. The rest of the country's no concept of how crazy it was here. So, yeah. Yeah, and they just kind of went massless.

Bars now are open around the city of Los Angeles for the first time ever. You know, Texas, Florida, they have no idea. This is the happiest that I've seen L.A. since I moved here. Like, as in humans. Like, everyone's, like, really being nice to each other. Well, it's not a big honk

city. West Coast cities aren't honk cities. Philadelphia honks in traffic. New York does. Boston does. People out of here don't honk. It's true, yeah. It's not a honk city. In Los Angeles, you almost never hear people honking. It's more laid back here. The weather's better. Also, I feel like, the only time I've ever, like, seen or heard anyone honk is just like, there's literally a need for it. Like, okay, you're not moving. The lights been green for a while. It's just. It's different here. I feel like we're all in enough traffic already. Don't make traffic

worse by honking at each other. No, for a big city, L.A. is the only big city I've ever lived in, where, and this happens every day, people let you into traffic. They just wait. You'll go ahead. Get in. We're all in this together. Just come on. It's brutal.

Get in. We're all in this traffic experience. Every day. That's true. No, it's true. Now where else lets you merge? No, no. The only other city I've been able to merge in of size was Portland, Oregon.

And Portland was, Portland was the first city I ever lived in where people just kind of wave you in. Go ahead. Don't hurry. Because people that move to Portland, it's a laid back. You don't go to Portland to make money and be, you go there and chill out in the beautiful summers and the nice coffee and the nice people. L.A. is the only big city in the country.

People don't honk. Yeah. The honking thing I noticed, but the merging thing I never, I mean, I noticed it, but like it's never really occurred that that's like a thing here. Yeah, they let you merge. Because what difference does it make? One car length in front of you, it was still going to take us an hour to get wherever we're going. I just, I think people are happy. It's just a happy place. Yeah, it's just sunny here every day. So, Warriors owner, Joe Lacob, you know, there's been talk about LeBron and Steph Curry playing together and LeBron recruiting him. And so Joe Lacob came out. And one of his quotes was, was, listen, if Steph wants to leave, he could. He's a free agent. He's earned the right. He said, I said that with Kevin Durant. I'm still friends with Kevin. I like Kevin.

He took less money when he was here. He really helped us. We were able to get a couple of other players. So players don't usually do that. And I have great respect and admiration for Kevin Durant. And I would for Steph Curry, no matter what happens. Here's more Joe Lakeb of the Warriors talking about Steph and resigning because he could leave if he wanted to. My full expectation is that Steph will be with us

for the remainder of his career. I think he wants that, we want that. I think we all want to see what it looks like right now with the drafting free agency first. I think that just makes sense, see where we're going, and Steph sees where we're going. Yeah, I would say this. Steph is, if I had to do a list of the five American athletes,

and I'm talking charity, duration, the love meter, how deeply embedded are the fans into you? How are you into them? do you feel like you are the city? There's five athletes and all the pro sports that, and I'm talking, you've got to have champion, you've got to be great. I would say Steph is number one, Sydney Crosby hockey, Pittsburgh number two, Big Ben, although some people are tiring of him, quarterback Steelers number three.

Clayton Kirshoff of the Dodgers is the Dodgers. For a long time, they let a lot of guys go. He was the first guy. They went bank on. He is the Dodgers. And then I think Damian Lillard in Portland feels like he really is that city. Those guys are so big. I think a general manager would struggle to move them knowing the blowback you would get.

And I think with Steph Curry, he just, and I get it if Steph looks, you know, there's arguments. And I mean, he's the highest paid player in the NBA, like $42 million. It is really hard to get good players around Steph Curry. He costs so much money. It's, you know, it's the Aaron Rogers Russell Wilson thing. There are just limitations how good the Seahawks O-line can be or Aaron's defense can be when you're paying them that. But the thing about Steph is that this is why I didn't like Durant leaving. It's not just that he's part of the city and the city's part of him.

It's just that it is hard. I've been in this business 30 years. When you get a good boss and a good coworker and good teammates, there's a sea of money out there. there's not a sea of great chemistry. It's hard to find. You got a good owner. You've got a good GM. You got a good coach.

You have a great teammate in Clay and Draymond. I don't think you can equal that in the NBA. You see coaches bouncing around. And I think that's hard to leave. I think I've said it before. There's a sea of money. There is not a sea of great management. And when you get it, hold on to it for dear life.

because it often doesn't even last long because a crazy owner fires a GM, a nutty owner gets rid of a coach. It's tough. This is interesting. I thought this was interesting. So pro football focus is doing something this week, and I'm a sucker for lists.

I don't want to give it too much credit because sometimes I think people who do these lists are just trying to annoy us, so we talk about them. NFL Network does the top 100 every year. You know, has Brady 99 or something, Tebow 2 or something. You know, they just do this to get me to talk

talk about him. Pro football focus is doing a list and what's really interesting. So so far, they've done 40 and there's only three quarterbacks. Dack Prescott 50, Josh Allen 40, Russell Wilson, 22. So they have 10 players to go. Well, Aaron Donald's going to be in there. Devonthe Adams for the Packers is going to be in their receiver. Travis Kelsey for the Chiefs tight end is going to be in there. Quentin Nelson offensive line's going to be in there. I'd be shocked if Khalil Mack wasn't in there, and they don't have Justin Jefferson anywhere on this list, and I think you could include him or George Kittle. So the truth is, there's a room for about three or four quarterbacks, maybe just three in the top ten. And my guess it's going to

be Mahomes, Aaron, and Brady. And that's interesting. Because if this is their list, and they grade every player, every play, DAC is their six best quarterback in the NFL. Now, you know, I've said before, I've got about 12. Maybe I'm too low. But it's interesting. Dax's like art. His stock went up when he didn't play. The longer he's around, he's just worth more. So it's interesting. Last year he played four games, and I took those four games. Because it can't be just based off last year. And then I went to the previous year's final 12 games. So let's give him a season. Let's give him 16 games. So it's interesting. Dak Prescott's last 16 games. He's 6 and 10. That's not all his fault. The defense

stinks. He completes 64% of his throws, good, not spectacular. 30 TDs 11 picks, above average, not spectacular. Passer rating 97. Now, passer rating 97, 98. Let's round it up 98. What does that mean? That's about 12th or 13th on average in the NFL. There are 10 guys, 100 or higher. So that passer rating is about 13th. That completion percentage is about that level. The winning percentage is not good, and most of those wins are over the Giants and the Washington football team. But pro football focus, so maybe this is the dad of Jerry sees, has him, if this list has Brady Mahomes and Aaron in the top 10, which I think you'd have to put them in there, I don't know what they'll do with Deshawn Watson, but PFF has never graded Lamar Jackson very highly. So I don't think

he'll be in there. They'll have DAC as the sixth best quarterback in the NFL. That is interesting to me anyway. So what they'll have, my guess is, so right now in the top 40, they have Russell Wilson as the 22nd, well, they have Russell Wilson as either the fourth best quarterback if Mahomes, Rogers, Brady are in the top 10. Russell Wilson is the fourth best quarterback. Josh Allen is the fifth and DAC

is the sixth. That would be better than Lamar? Maybe better than Deshawn Watson? Better than Matt Ryan? I'd love to talk to someone from pro football focus to see. I mean, overall, it's kind of an interesting list. It's just best football players.

Yeah. And so it's a position list. So according to that list, he's higher than Sean Watson. Well, we don't know yet. But you're assuming... I don't think Deshawn's going to be top 10. I know Lamar won't, because of their PFF's grading, they've never graded him highly.

So, and Justin Herbert, it is too young to have him as a top 10 player, right? But they have DAC ahead of, they'll have DAC ahead of Kyler Murray, Lamar Jackson, Matt Ryan, Justin Herbert, which I think is fair. Derek Carr, Kirk Cousins, Baker Mayfield, Big Ben.

That's pretty good. Yeah, some pretty big names. Isn't that kind of interesting? It is very interesting. I mean, listen, I love DAC, but I think definitely, I don't think, a slice of why I like DAC as intangibles, and that can't be what they're measuring. No, that's tape. Right.

That's interesting. So BFF, PFF, excuse me, always loved Baker out of college. Yeah. We disagree on that. And they like Dak. Now, I like Lamar. I think he's special. Oh, of course.

They don't like Lamar. Maybe that has to do with the downfield throwing. Yeah, I mean, I'm sure it is. They're watching tape every play. I'm not. I mean, I think if you win 80% of your games, I'm a big fan of you. Exactly. Since Brady's won about 70% of his games, I think sometimes do you win games?

Trey Young's winning a lot of games. There's real value in this. Now. Want more herd? The herd streams 24 hours a day, seven days a week within the IHeart radio app. Search Herd to listen live or on demand whenever you'd like. 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 is a win. I don't care what I'm 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 Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcast. And for more behind the scenes, follow at Clifford and at TikTok Podcast Network on TikTok. Do you remember when Diana Ross double-tap Little Kim's boobs at the VMAs? Or when Kanye said that George Bush didn't like black people.

I know what you're thinking. What the hell does George Bush got to do with Little Kim? Well, you can find out on the Look Back at it podcast. I'm Sam Jette. And I'm Alex English. Each episode, we pick it here, unpack what went down, and try to make sense of how we survived it. Including a recent episode with Mark Lamont Hill waxing all about crack in the 80s. To be clear, 84 is big to me, not just because of crack.

I'm down to talk about crack on day, but just so y'all know. I mean, at this point, Mark, this is the second episode where we've discussed crack. So I'm starting to see that there's a through line. We also have AIDS on the table right now. Thank you for finishing that sentence. I don't think there's a more important year for black people. Really? Yeah.

For me, it's one of the most important years for black people in American history. Listen to look back at it on the IHeart Radio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts. Welcome to my new podcast, Learn the Hard Way with me, your host, and your favorite therapist, Kear Games. And in recognition of Mental Health Awareness Month, I'm bringing over a decade of my own experience in the mental health field and conversations with so many incredible guests. I'm talking. Trip Fontaine, Ryan Clark. Sometimes when we're in the pursuit of the thing, we get so wrapped up in the chase that we don't realize that we are in possession of the thing. And we're still chasing it.

And we don't know when we've done enough. Because people scoreboard watch. Life becomes about wins and losses. Steve Burns, Dustin Ross. Because you find it important to be a good person while you hear on earth. Are you a good person because you're afraid? Because that's two different intentions, bro. Absolutely.

And that's two different levels of trust. I want you to just really be a good person. Join me, Kear Gaines, as we have real conversations about healing, growth, fatherhood, pressure, and purpose on my new podcast, Learn the Hardway. Open your free iHeartRadio app. Search Learn the Hardway and listen now. Saturday, it's a powerhouse showdown at Chavez Ravine and Chris Bryant lead the cab, the Cubs against Moogie Betts and the Dodgers. Or it's one of the greatest rivalries in sports as the Yankees' season. take on the Red Sox, Saturday 7 Eastern only on Fox.

Check local listings for the game in your area. By the way, NetSuite by Oracle is the number one cloud financial system, one-of-a-kind financing for those ready to graduate from QuickBooks. Go to netsuite.com slash herd right now. Antoine Walker, I love having him on. 12 years in the NBA, six of those 12 years. He was in the playoffs. He's been an All-Star three times, an NBA champ with the heat and now joins us live.

So, you know, it's funny. Trey Young can't shoot like Steph, but, you know, he is small, good ball handler. He gets people engaged. And I said this morning, is Atlanta this good or is the east this is bad? Because I'm watching him and I'm thinking, there is some magnetic quality to him. I mean, what do you make of what you're watching with Trey Young? Who do you see? It's crazy because this guy to make the All-Star team this year.

So first you start there, it was like, who was better than him than he didn't make the All-Star team? But honestly, I played against a guy called Allen Iverson. When you look at his ability, Alen Ivison's size and the ability to score the basketball and make whole defenses have to adjust to you at his size, that's a little bit with trait. And then this run us a little bit how Steph was. I think MVP year when Steph was going crazy. They do it a little bit differently, but it's kind of when you think about it. about the size and the way they're able to really work you in the pick and roll and

teams have to make full adjustments just for this one player. This is the run that Trey Young is on. He's turned itself into a superstar. I can't even call him an all-star. I believe he's a superstar and he's only going to get better because he's doing it on the biggest stage right now. And his confidence and swag is second and none. You've got that type of confidence and swag, you want to go get better. Yeah, you know, it is interesting. The NBA would admit this privately but not publicly. We watch the games, much like college basketball, we watch the games at the end of the year.

We talk about the regular season. We don't watch it a ton. So this is when you get shoe deals. When you're great for 12 weeks in the playoffs, is to Antoine's point, that's when you become a star in this league. Michael Jordan was great, but for years he was getting bounced by the pistons,

and we talked a lot more pistons than Michael Jordan, as you know, before Michael started starring in the postseason. So I look at the West tonight, Clippers Trail 02. And earlier Nick Wright was on and said, this will be the 16th game in like 32 days for the Clippers. Phoenix was rested after their series. Chris Paul is going to come back, rested. And I do think we've reached a point.

I like the Clippers a lot. But you've been in these playoffs series. How many times can the Clippers go to the well? Could it just be Phoenix is hotter, healthier, and more rested, and they've just got more energy. it certainly looks like it right now. I think it's a combination of all those things. I think it's very difficult to keep having these grueling series and think you're going to be able to get out of against a team that's fresh,

that's confident, that has two legitimate superstars. And you think about Chris Paul and Deville Booking, and Chris Paul hasn't even played yet, and they've been able to hold a two-old lead. So I just think right now with the Clippers, without Kuwait Leonard, they don't have enough. T. Loo's done a terrific job, was trying to make adjustments to this lineup.

But in order for them to have a chance, the supporting cast has to play incredibly well. I mean, Terrance Man maybe has to put together another game of 35, 40. That's asking a lot. Reggie Jackson has to continue to keep playing at the clip he's playing at. Because Paul George has played great. Gritty, he missed two fretos and laid the game, but he's been unbelievable the last four games.

And you're basically getting what you're going to get out of the Clippers without Quarlinner. I don't think the Clippers can play any better than they've played. Game two was right there for the win for them. And I think when you blow that game, it's tough to recover from that. Phoenix is just too confident, too healthy, too young, too energetic. I think they're going to win this series. A gentleman sweep. I still get a clippers.

I think they're good enough to win one game. But we're looking at a gentleman sweep. By the way, Trey Young's becoming a star in front of our eyes. So is D'Andre Aiton. And D'Andre and Trey had a bumpy first year. But, man, D'Andre Aiton for the Sons is just... the perfect time to really play your best basketball, and it's happening for Trey and D'Andre. So Steve Kerr is going to coach Team USA, and he talked about Kevin Durant, and he said,

Kevin's more gifted than Michael in terms of size and shooting and range and ball handling, and that's probably seen as a slight to Michael Jordan. But I said this the other day. If you had a one-on-one tournament, every NBA player ever, I'm not so sure Kevin Durant wouldn't win. I don't know who would stop him. He's too long. He's got too much range. Do you agree with what Kerr is saying first?

And secondly, did you ever play with somebody who was incredibly gifted, but they didn't maybe tap into all of it? Well, I don't agree with Steve Kerr. I think Mike was the most gifted players that have played the game and gifted score. Now, what I do agree with, I think Kevin Durant is the second best gifted score we've ever seen in the game today. I think it looks a little different, obviously, because he's coming from a seven-footer, a guy who's seven feet. But we have to stop with this comparison to Michael Jordan. Michael Jordan is one of a kind. If Kevin Durant was as gifted as Michael Jordan, he wouldn't seek out playing with other stars. He'll try to get it done. Not saying you have to get it done by yourself,

but he's seeked out to win his championship. He wouldn't play with four all-stars. So it's a little different than Michael. Michael was gifted enough to be the catalyst and lead his team and Bill Scotty Pipp and the Horace Grant to be in all-stars in this league and carry a group of guys to six NBA titles. That's a different type of gifted that Michael has. But far scoring the basketball, purely scoring, I think Kevin Durant will go down the second best.

I never really played with it. I played with Dirk Nowhuiski. It was a great score. didn't have the ball handling ability of a Kevin Durant, but can really score it. Paul could really score it. Obviously, he's not at that level of a Kevin Durant putting it in the basket. So I'd never had the luxury of playing with Michael Jordan or Kevin Durant guys that were really, really exceptional scores and done it with ease and with so much efficiency.

You know, Joe Lekub, the owner of the Warriors, said, listen, if Steph would want to leave, I understand it, he has the right to leave. We don't think he will. but he complimented Kevin Durant. He said, we like Kevin. He left. I'm still friends with Kevin. And I said this, Antoine.

Steph is one of those players. Dee Wade had this in his prime. I just identified Dee Wade with Miami. I just identified him. Like Aaron Rogers is great, but I don't identify him with the Packers. If he left tomorrow, I'd be like he never really truly his personality didn't fit. Dee Wade always felt like Miami. Like that was the perfect place for him to play.

I feel the same thing with Steph. and you played with D. Wade down in Miami. And there is something, and it's very rare, it's Jeter with the Yankees. When you played with D. Wade in Miami, and I compare him to kind of Steph in the Bay that he just feels like the city. Were you taken back by how much, how popular Wade was? Could you feel it on a nightly basis? Yeah, I could feel it because obviously in his prime. When D. Wade, I mean, when Shaq came in and gave him the name Flash and all those things,

and I watched him become a star and watch him have that incredible play with him and then incredible finals and just to make up and see out to see the people, the celebrities, all the endorsements and things start to come his way. It was surreal. So just to be a part of it was great.

So I did see that. I think with Steph's situation, I think if they take care of him and honestly taking care of him is going to be giving him another $200 million, they're going to offer that to Steph. He's going to sign back there and he'll finish with the Warriors.

But if I'm Steph, I'm looking at the Western Conference and the run that they made, and he was able to make the season he had, you get Clayback, you got the 7th and 14 pick. Wiseman will be back. You got Draymard Green. They're in a great position right now to be good again. You still got Andrew Wiggins who made strides.

It seems like he's going to be a good fit with you got with those guys. So they're right there. So I don't see no reason for Steph to have to leave. I think they still compete for a championship because you don't have to take those two picks. Those two pits can turn into some veteran guys to help you out and make a playoff run. So Steph's in a great position, but the best way to do that is that off the stuff is Max, which I think they would do. D. Wade left Miami because he felt like Pat Rowley did not appreciate him with the contract offer. He offered him towards the end of that career. And that's why D. Way left

in Kansas, I think it took like a two-year, $48, $49 million deal because he felt appreciated. So that's, think Golden State is going to take care of that. You won't see the same thing happen. Yeah. Antoine, great seeing you again. We appreciate it. All right. Thanks having me. Antoine Walker, 12 years in the NBA, a three-time All-Star, a first-round pick and an NBA champ. Yeah, it's, you know, it is interesting. So you've got Clay and Steph's a great back court.

And then you got Draymond is your small, big, right? Kind of your enforcer. Wiseman doesn't feel like he fits. And Andrew Wiggins is okay, but he's really expensive. and then you have two draft picks. So Golden State, and they're really smart, they're probably going to get rid of a Wiggins or a Wiseman, although it's weird to draft Wiseman and bail on him quickly.

But this is a really, really good draft. Last year's draft had one center everybody liked. Lamello ball, we had questions, and Edwards with the Minnesota, the super athletic guy. And like after that, we were like, are any of these guys going to be any good? This draft has, I mean, I love mock drafts, mostly football, but I'm looking in the 20s and there's guys who can absolutely play next year in the NBA.

It's a real draft and the Warriors have a 7 and a 14. You said this yesterday, Joy, I wouldn't be shocked if they coupled them for a total real building team and said, we'll give you some picks. Can we move up to like 6? I could see them trading for players too, like Antoine said, because they are right there. I mean, Steph had them in the playing game by himself, essentially. I don't think they'll move off Wiseman either. Wiggins always kind of felt like a temporary situation. Like we might be able to move him down the road.

Wiggins is the classic. There's always a few teams that need him. He gives you 18 a night. He's a good kid. But you're never going to, you know, he's gotten to a point where he's a temporary thing. Like for two years, as you're rebuilding or you're not quite there, he's excellent. He's your second or third best player. But I think the Warriors have, it feels like to me, they have their three foundations.

pieces. Now they need supporting cast members. Joy with the news. No. No. No. No. Turn on the news. This is the herd line news. All right. We haven't talked to very much Aaron Rogers in the past couple days. Not. No, we haven't for four or five days. Why not? His future in Green Bay has been obviously a big talking point. But apparently not that much amongst the Packers player themselves. DeVante Adams said they're all praying for Rogers to return, but they're mainly

focusing on their own improvements. He said, honestly, it's not even something that we truly talk about like that. Everyone's been doubt into what they got to do. There's enough to worry about what themselves than to be going and worrying about what other guys are doing. Obviously, it's been a little bit of a confusing situation, but there hasn't been any negative talk or anything like that. Everybody's behind him.

Now, he did join the Green Bay Country Club, Aaron Rogers did, which I do not believe is a small thing. You play in that club July, August, September. Aaron would not join that if he was not going to go to camp. why in the world would you do that? Maybe to make you think he's going to keep. Yeah, again, Aaron's literally trolling the organization. But there, I do.

I'm with you. Nothing is everything, but everything is something. It's something. It's something. If he's not going to retire or force his way out, I don't know why he wouldn't be at training camp. You're just giving up $2 million for the sake of giving up too much. Like what is the point?

If you're, if you're going to come back and you're not going to retire or force your way out, why would you not be a training camp? It makes no sense. That's right. So I do think, I do think if he's going to play next year, he's going to be a training camp because why would you, why would you not be at training camp? But if you're going to play in the fall, that's just going to hurt you in the fall, because that's, that's weeks where you're not with your team, despite how great you are, the training camp is important and you're the face of the organization.

So unless it's absolute line in the sand And he's not coming back, I expect to see him in training camp. And by the way, there's no value in him. Forget the money. Obviously $2 million. It's not that much money, Darren Rogers. But it's like, why?

Why not? Yeah. Like he's not forcing his way into a longer contract as far as we know. Obviously, if they did give him a contract extension, that he would probably stay. But I think that's not really the issue. I don't think it's about money. So I expect them to see him there.

But I also believe Devonti Adams. I don't think that, you know, guys in the locker room always say this. We're not worried about what other people make. We don't talk about other people's money and their situations. Obviously, many of them are very close to Aaron Rogers, Devonte being one of them. But they can't get involved in the day-to-day of what Aaron Rogers is doing or not doing. Like, they have their own families and careers to worry about.

And if Aaron Rogers doesn't come back, they're going to have to play with the backers with whoever is the quarterback, and whoever's the new face of the organization. So Team USA for the Olympics, men's and women's teams have been finalized. The men's team is Bam out of bio, Bradley Beal, Devin Booker, Kevin Durant, Jeremiah Grant, Jemond Green, Drew Holidays, Zach Levine, Damian Lillard, Kevin Love, Chris Middleton, and Jason Tatum.

That's a real team. They've got a little bit of everything. Not a ton of size, but the game doesn't have much size anymore. So that feels like a real team. Well, yes. I mean, obviously having Kevin Durant's, Devin Booker, Damian Lillard, those are big time names. They're going to be favored in Tokyo. And the women's roster is Ariel Atkins, Sue Byrd, Tina Charles, Nefisa Collier, Skyler Diggins Smith, Sylvia Fowles, Chelsea Gray, Brittany Griner, Jewel Lloyd, Brianna Stewart, Deana Tarasi.

Deana Tarasi still plays. Yeah. She's still great? She's still, yes. And Asia Wilson as well. I'm actually getting really excited for the Olympics. I love the Olympics. Oh, you should love the Olympics.

I love watching. I love watching track. Obviously, I ran track. Right, right, right. to Shakari was unbelievable the other day. So I'm really getting excited for... I kind of tempered my

excitement about the Olympics because I'm like, I still, like, is it going to happen? I don't want to get too excited about it. But it's amazing. It's great three weeks of television. It's fantastic television. It's... I mean, it's... Listen, I don't... You're just watching years and years and years of

hard work and dedication coming to fruition, dreams being made. It's like for the country. I love it. It's amazing. I love the World Cup. I've said this before. Outside of the NFL playoffs and maybe a great NBA finals or the college football national championship, I'd watch the World Cup. Yeah. Team USA over anything. And people are like, oh, soccer. Well, you watch the Olympics. Do you like curling? I mean, you watch the Olympics because of a part of it's the flag. Yes. The World Cup. When the United States men's national team is not in the World Cup,

That's why I watched the women's World Cup more often than the men because our women are so dominant. So it's like when you get these patriotism plays, it tugs at your heart. It's great. It's great. There's just amazing moments. So Carmelo Anthony is a free agent after spending the last two seasons with the Blazers and the Lakers are reportedly expected to have interest in signing him this offseason.

We have talked about this for many years, Mello and LeBron. Everybody says they love him. Nobody signs him. Well, it would be his 19th season in the NBA. He did average 13.4 points, 3.1.1 rebounds. Yeah, he was good for Portland. 1.5 assists per game last year with Portland. He's actually, I like him.

The last two years, I think he's really been a good team player. He's been a fun player. We've talked about this a lot, and I've kind of always been like, for the first time I'm like, this actually might be a good, they have so many free agents. They're reportedly talking about moving off Kyle Kuzma. Like, that's 13 points that Mello average. They will move off Kuzma if they can.

Yeah, because Kuzma's contract, you can move it, but LeBron's body language with Kuzma is not good. Not great. They don't play them a lot together. They're free agents this off season. Dennis Schroeder, Andre Drummond, Alex Caruso, Montres Harrell is a player option. Taylor is restricted. Markief Morris, Wesley Matthews, Ben McMor, Jared Dudley.

They're keeping Caruso. DeVante. They have a long list of free agents. They're keeping KCP and Caruso. Everybody else, I think, moves. I just don't think that Carmelo would be a negative signing for them. I mean, I talked about it a long time. He can still hit a jumper.

Yeah. It would be interesting. It would be a fun story, but I also do think he would be able to contribute. He's not going to be a guy you're relying on every night. Joy with the news. Well, that's the news. And thanks for stopping by. The Herd Lie News.

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. Hey, it's Ben, host of the fifth hour with Ben Mather, along with my trusty sidekick, David Gascone, would mean a lot to have you join us on our weekly auditory journey. You're asking what in God's name is the fifth hour? I'll tell you, it's a spinoff of the Ben Mather show, a cult hit overnights on FSR. Why should you listen? Picture, if you will, a world where we chat with captains of industry,

in media, sports and more every week, explore some amazing facts about human nature and more. Listen to the fifth hour with Ben Mather on the Iheart radio app. podcast or wherever you get your podcast. 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 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 where you get your podcast. And for more behind the scenes,

follow at Clifford and at TikTok podcast network on TikTok. Do you remember when Diana Ross double-tap Little Kim's boobs at the VMAs? Or when Kanye said that George Bush

didn't like black people. I know what you're thinking. What the hell does George Bush got to do with Little Kim? Well, you can find out on the Look Back at It podcast. I'm Sam J. And I'm Alex English.

Each episode, we pick it here, unpack what went down, and try to make sense of how we survived it. Including a recent episode, with Mark Lamont Hill waxing all about crack in the 80s. To be clear, 84 is big to me not just because of crack. I'm down to talk about crack all day, but just so you all know.

I mean, at this point, Mark, this is the second episode where we've discussed crack. So I'm starting to see that there's a through line. We also have AIDS on the table right now. Thank you for finishing that sentence. Yes. I don't think there's a more important year for black people. Really? Yeah.

For me, it's one of the most important years for black people in American history. Listen to look back at it on the IHeartRadio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts. Welcome to my new podcast, Learn the Hard Way with me, your host, and your favorite therapist, Keer Games. And in recognition of mental health awareness month, I'm bringing over a decade of my own experience in the mental health field and conversations with so many incredible guests. I'm talking, Tripp Fontaine, Ryan Clark. Sometimes when we're in the pursuit of the thing, we get so wrapped up in the chase that we don't realize that we, are in possession of the thing.

And we're still chasing it. And we don't know when we've done enough. Because people scoreboard watch. Life becomes about wins and losses. Steve Burns, Dustin Ross, because you find it important to be a good person while you hear on earth? Are you a good person because you're afraid?

Because that's two different intentions, bro. Absolutely. And that's two different levels of trust. I want you to just really be a good person. Join me, Kear Gaines, as we have real conversations about healing, growth, fatherhood, pressure and purpose on my new podcast,

learn the hard way. Open your free iHeartRadio app. Search Learn the hard way and listen now. Casper's 4th of July sales here. Check it out. casper.com slash promo, 30% off bundles, mattresses and more, Cedaros, celebrating bed white and blue.

Casper's 4th of July sale. That's clever. See what they did there. Mark Medina covers the NBA for USA today. He's been all over Phoenix and the Clippers. He's now joining us live. He's in L.A. the game tonight, Clippers and the Sons.

So you've seen this Sons team develop over the last several weeks. Are you shocked how good they have become over the last three weeks? It's like they peaked at the perfect time. Yeah, Colin, you said it best. I think the Sons, they're grinders with talent.

They put in the work, but they have a lot of young players like Devin Booker and D'Andre Aiton that are morphing into stars. So am I surprised about the success? Not anymore. Going into the season, I thought that they were due to be a playoff team, but do nothing beyond making some noise in the first round. But they've obviously exceeded that. Now, there is a caveat with the Lakers specifically that if LeBron James Anthony Davis were healthy, I think that would be a different outcome.

But in fairness to Phoenix, they've hit it on all cylinders. And I think the encouraging thing is they've been able to adjust with or without Chris Paul. No doubt they're a better team with him. but they have learned how not to be overly dependent on them because they have a lot of young pieces that are blossoming at the right time. The Clippers are an interesting team. They can still win without Kauai because Paul George, frankly, does a lot of what Kauai does.

They would be better with Kauai, obviously. The question is, two seven game series, are they just, do they have enough gas left? They've played 16 games potentially tonight, 32 days. Do they have enough left in your opinion? I don't, but then again, I discounted the Clippers overcoming the O2 series deficit against the Utah Jazz, because I thought they were much more complete than the Dallas Mavericks, and the Clippers prove me otherwise.

I think that the Sons are going to wind up winning this series in six games. But as far as game three goes, Kauai Leonard's already ruled out. It remains to be seen if or when he's going to ever return. and after Paul George missed those two free throws in game two, Clippers coach Hail-Lew was noting that, you know, Paul George looks tired out there, and it's not surprising. Yeah.

He leads, you know, the NBA and active players right now for most playoff minutes, and he's obviously carried a heavier workload with Kauai Leonard out of the lineup. So unlike last year, when they collapsed in the bubble, I think, you know, Paul George is more aggressive. The Clippers are more resilient. So I'm not, I trust that they'll keep that identity. But at some point, you're going to run into a wall and I wonder if this is it. You know, you've covered the Warriors, Lakers, and now the league.

Joe Lacob came out almost casually said, if Steph wants to leave, he could. I'd still like him. Durant left. I still love Kevin. You know, it wasn't that it wasn't an endorsement, but Joe can be sort of casual at times, which I'm sure Steve Kerr didn't love and Bob Myers didn't love. but could you ever see a scenario in which Steph Curry left the Warriors? I could never see it.

I guess in today's NBA, you never rule any possible scenario out, but I think in this case, Steph Curry, he's going to play his entire career with the Golden State Warriors. He's not going to be asked to be traded, and that would be the only mechanism that the warriors would ever deal him. There was a fork in the road where he said,

I want out, and I'm never going to sign my extension. you may as well get something, you know, before I become a free agent. But I don't think it's going to reach that point. Unlike Kevin Durant, you know, the Warriors internally can kind of joke about LeBron James trying to recruit Steph Curry because they know that Steph's not going to listen. I think in Kevin's case, while there was, you know, some optimism that Kevin would stay with the team because they had won championships with him and the culture was really good,

they knew that there was a very strong possibility that he would wind up leaving, and that obviously turned out to be the case. So I would expect at some point this offseason, you know, Steph takes out his pen and signs that extension. You know, Joy and I were just talking about this. There's a mellow to the Lakers story, and it's remarkable how many players are capable of leaving right now for the Lakers. Now, my gut feeling is, despite the misstep a couple days ago, Caruso's coming back in KCP, probably comes back. We know LeBron's back and

you know, AD, I mean, listen, right now his value is not as good as it was. He's coming back. Is there, I mean, LeBron is not overly patient. The Lakers have, it's a huge brand. What do you think the Lakers look like? Is there a big

game hunting going on in the league for them? Do you think they could go big and pull somebody in? I don't think they can go big because the reality is, they're salary-capped. You know, the Lakers historically, as you know, Colin, have never shied away with being a big spending team.

But, you know, they have over $100 million devoted to five players already. They just don't have the spending mechanism beyond having $5.5 million in a mid-level exception. And so any deals that they make, it's going to have to be through trades. And you look at the assets that they have. I think Kyle Kuzma comes to mind because he has a friendly contract. He's a young player. remains to be seen, you know, what his long-term potential is.

But other than that, there's really not many options they can do. But it's inevitable that there's going to be changes this offseason because, A, the Lakers lost in the first round, and B, you know, there's going to be up to 10 players that will be free agents this summer. And so I think what's going to happen, they're going to resign Dennis Schroeder, even though there's mixed feelings about his time with the Lakers, they can overspend because they have his bird rights. And so I think it's more realistic that they retain them and then try to find some sort of trade package.

But it remains to be seen. But Rob Polinka has a lot of work ahead of them. By the way, do you ever think Trey Young would be this good? You cover the league for the USA today. This team was 16 and 20 at the All-Star break. Are you a little shocked by Atlanta? Well, I'm shocked that they were able to turn it around this quickly after firing Lloyd Pierce and then becoming a playoff team. But I was not shocked, big picture speaking about Atlanta Hawks' trajectory.

It all started in 2017 when the Hawks' GM Travis Schlank got the job. He came from the Warriors as an assistant GM, and he basically tore down the roster, collected assets, got draft picks, got someone like Trey Young. But Trey Young, no doubt, has taken a leap forward. There were comparisons even before, you know, the shimmy move that he's performing in game one against the Bucks with Steph Curry. I thought that was a reach, but there was no doubt that he was going to be a star player. But how long would that take?

He already made the All-Star team last year, but there was this narrative that he was just a guy that got stats, but he wasn't a winning player. And I think that this season, he wanted to show that, you know, he is about winning basketball. He can become a complete player two ways. And now there's no way around it. He's a much better offensive player than defensive player. But I think through time, you're going to see that. he is the real deal as far as having all the right skill sets that lead into winning basketball. And here they are in the Eastern Conference finals.

Yeah, Mark, that's exactly what I heard early. He wasn't a winning player, but he was a really talented player. And to your point, he is now basically his winning is as good as his scoring. He has really taken this team and carried them through. Mark Medina, NBA writer, USA Today, covering the Sons and the Clips tonight in Los Angeles. Thanks, my friend. Thanks, Mark. Colin, thanks so much.

Always good to see you. Yep. What do you get when you cross a Mercedes with a race car? You get chills. You get goosebumps. No other way to say it. OMG AMG. Visit MBUSA.com slash AMG.

Mercedes AMG, what I drive. All right. What do we got here? Olden Pawloneys joined us in the last hour. So Clippers, Sons. It is, it is, yesterday I was, I was being kind of coy on Instagram. and Twitter, my friend who text me after the Clippers fell behind to the Mavericks, a friend inside the Clipper building said, we're going to win the series.

And they did. And my friend text me after they fell behind to Utah inside the Clipper Building and said, we're going to win this series. I don't think we're going to lose another game. But he didn't text me after that son's loss. And I think what you're seeing is, and we're seeing this, there's a Tray Young out west. His name is D'Andre Aiton. he's just a big and he's not going to score as much.

But they both came into the league. They were stars in college, scuffed a little in year one, got little labels. Maybe it's not. And then they get the right leadership and the right coach and the right guidance. And they get hot and confident. And you see, be very careful about labeling players when they walk into this league. They were both talented. But it also goes to show, do you embrace coaching?

Do you have the right coach? Do you have the right teammates? DeAndre Aiton is a handful. A lot of these bigs in the NBA, like Rudy Gober can't shoot, Yonis can't shoot, and Beds a big body, he gets banged up. And then you start looking at DeAndre Aiton, and he is, like he's Bama to Bayou,

but I think more athletic. Like he is dynamic. He runs the court. He loves the rim. He doesn't want to shoot outside. Like he loves being a dominating rim protector and enforcer, and it's a joy to watch a big love being a big hour three next.

Another podcast from some SNL late night comedy guy, not quite on Humor 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. Imagine an Olympics where doping is not only legal, but encouraged. It's the enhanced games. Some call it grotesque. Others say it's unleashing human potential. Either way, the podcast's superhuman documented it all, embedded in the games and with the athletes for a full year. Within probably 10 days, I'd put on 10 pounds. I was having trouble stopping the muscle growth. Listen to Superhuman on the IHard Radio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts.

A win is a win. A win is a win. I don't care what I'm saying. Yep, that's me, Cliver 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 Cliford Show. This is a place for raw, unfilled conversations with athletes, creators, and voices that not only deserve to be heard, but the show. celebrated. So let's get to it.

Listen to the Clifford show on the I Heart Radio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcast. And for more behind the scenes, follow at Clifford and at TikTok podcast network on TikTok. On the Look Back at it podcast. From 1979, that was a big moment for me. 84's big to me. I'm Sam J. And I'm Alex English.

Each episode, we pick a here, 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. This is an IHeart podcast. Guaranteed human.