The Herd with Colin Cowherd - 06/28/2021 - Best of The Herd

Episode Date: June 28, 2021

Colin takes a look at the Hawks, their run to the Eastern Conference Finals and why this team is not what we’ve built them up to be. He explains why Damian Lillard could find his new wingman this summer at the Olympics playing for team USA. He also tells you why he was right about the Clippers and wrong about Tom Brady. Plus, NBA veteran Raja Bell joins the show to talk about Chris Paul’s leadership on the Suns and how Trae Young fits into today’s NBA.   Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

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

Streeter Seidel, help an a cappella band with their between songs banter. Where does your group perform? We do some retirement homes. Those people are starving for banter. Listen to humor me with Robert Smigel and friends on the IHeart Radio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts. 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. On the Look Back at it podcast.

For 1979, that was a big moment for me. 84 was big to me. I'm Sam J. 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. 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, 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 Clifers 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 Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcast. And for more behind the scenes, follow at Clifford and at TikTok podcast network on TikTok. Thanks for listening to The Best of 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 iHeart radio app by searching

Herd. This is the best of the herd with Colin Cowherd on Fox Sports Radio. Ah, it is a Monday, and we are packed. Live in Los Angeles, it's the herd. Wherever you may be and however you may be listening, IHeart Radio, Fox Sports Radio, FS1. It's great to have you in one hour from now where Colin was right, where Colin was wrong, plenty of both.

Joy Taylor joining me today. We are getting clarity now. Clarity. It's all starting to kind of work in the directions we thought or hoped. How are you, Joy? I'm great. This was a wild sports weekend. It's not going on.

Another. What a crazy summer. It's really, though, been, I've got to tell you, we have, we've seen the best of times, though. We're seeing remarkable baseball, golf, NBA. performances. And let's start Milwaukee, Atlanta. You know I've told you, I thought Milwaukee would win it in five. And in any business, in any relationship, you're only as good as your answers. Any relationship, any team, any business with a lot of questions is not that great. I want answers. Milwaukee's a much better team. I don't want to hear about Tray Young's ankle. Milwaukee gives me

answers and guarantees. Yonis is an automatic 30 and 13 every year. night. Depth, every night. Milwaukee. Defense, check, Milwaukee. They're a bigger, stronger, more experienced physical team. Check, check, check, Milwaukee. Here's all you have to say to sum up this series. We're surprised when Chris Middleton or Drew Holiday has a really bad night. It's like, whoa, you don't see that much. With Atlanta, we're shocked if Bogdan Bogdanovich has a great night or Kevin Hurtr has a great night. That's the series. When the box, sluze, it's because something we depend on and are used to, a really good veteran player, Drew Holliday, Chris Middleton, good veteran players.

And they're great, good. They have a bad night. We're like, whoa, Chris Middleton was bad. But he's not always as good as he was last night in the fourth, but he's always good. He's a very solid two, probably a three on a great team. Atlanta is essentially Portland. They're Dallas. They have an unbelievable young guard that can just go crazy.

But you never really know what you're getting from the other guys. And Atlanta's one win over Milwaukee, Trey Young goes for 48 points and 11 assists and seven rebounds and they win by three. In the night that Trey Young didn't play well, they got absolutely torched by Milwaukee. And that's the reality. I said this Friday. Atlanta in the East, you can have an unbelievable guard.

Trey Young, Steph Curry, Dame Lillard, like one of these just incredible young players in the East that'll get to the conference finals. In the West, you sneak into the playoffs and you get bounced. That's the difference. That's the difference between Pac-12 football and SEC football. I mean, that's the difference between the NFC West and the NFC East. is that Atlanta's a great Eastern story. But there's outside of Trey Young.

I don't get any guarantees. It's Trey Young and cross your fingers. Milwaukee's a really, really good team. I wouldn't go great. But they're certainly in the class of that Raptors team that won a couple of years ago, the team that Joy loved and called her shot very early. They're in that class that if they get a break and the suns got to the finals or the clippers and guys got hurt, they could absolutely win it.

You don't think Atlanta can win this thing. I mean, how many points would Dame have to score for Portland to win it? 70? What would you have to get from Trey Young every night to win this series and win the championship? 48, 53. So it's just, you're talking about depth, Milwaukee. Size, they dominated the boards again last night, 50 to 35. Milwaukee.

Experience, Milwaukee. Number of guys who can drop 18 to 20 points, Milwaukee. Been here before? Milwaukee. I don't want to hear about Tray Young's injury. Great player. It happens. Smaller athlete, steps in an ankle, boom foot, turns an ankle. That's life. Look around. That's the playoffs.

You've got to overcome. Milwaukee's had to overcome some stuff. Yonnes isn't very confident. Everybody's got to overcome something. I mean, even Phoenix, the hottest team of the NBA right now, COVID, Chris Paul. You've got to be able to overcome. If Atlanta can't overcome a twisted ankle by Tray Young,

you shouldn't be in the NBA finals. But make no mistake here. The teams in all sports that give you more guarantees and more answers are the better team. They're not always as fun to watch. They don't necessarily always have the best young player. They have stretches where they don't always fulfill your promises. This is the Buck Series. This is the team I picked to get to the finals.

And for the record, I didn't pick them because they had the best players. I picked them for two reasons. We all dismissed them, so there was no pressure. And secondly, none of their guys ever get hurt. And they haven't. And that's why they're here. All right. So this is an interesting story.

Damien Lillard, one of the most loyal, great players, one of the great, smallish players in NBA history. There are rumors he's unhappy in Portland. Now, I am not going to breach my confidence. A few weeks ago, I was on social, and Damien Lillard DM me. I'm not going to tell you what Dame said. I'll tell you what I said, you deserve the best. I like Portland. I worked there for a long time, great city.

I'm not going to tell you what he DM'd me. But I'm going to tell you what I said to him. You are too good. You deserve the best. Wherever that best is, if Portland can get you the best, you deserve it. But Dame Lillard is going to play in the Olympics. And I want to talk about that. So the Olympics are like the world's greatest AAU team.

all the best players in the world get together in Olympic years. And they're going to go to Vegas and hang out, that long flight to Tokyo, and you really become close friends. Keep your eye on Jason Tatum and Bradley Beale. They're bros. They're close. Well, I'd put money on them playing together next year because Beal wants out. Jason Tatum wants a two.

Jalen Brown's a tradable piece. and Bradley Beal and Jason Tatum, in my opinion, would be favored to win the East next year. They're going to the Olympics together. Now, I want you to think of Damian Lillard. Damian Lillard, for as great as he is, it's his first time, hanging out with the big guys. And remember LeBron? No, he loved Cleveland. He was happy in Cleveland.

He was loyal to Cleveland. Akron's finest. And then the Redeemed team. He went to the Olympics. Bosch was on the team and Dee Wade was on the team. Well, well, well, well, well, they signed. Remember 2000, I was like, let me look this up. 2000, what was it the year with Kyrie?

2016, Kyrie KD and DeAndre Jordan. We're on the Olympic team together. They hung out. And then they all signed with the nets on the same day. That's the way it works. And Dame is very unique. Wasn't wildly recruited in high school. Right?

Like went to week. State, where he was mostly anonymous. You didn't watch him play. People in Utah didn't watch him play. And then he goes to geographically isolated Portland. So he's never really, he's the best player in the NBA who's never been part of the club. He didn't go to a big school, didn't go to a big college. He's not in one of these areas with several pro teams, a train right away.

He's out there in Portland. and now Dame for the first time in his life gets to go to the five-star restaurant. And it is hard to go back to Sizzler. He is finally getting an opportunity. He's finally going to get the accolades. He's finally going to get the love. He's finally going to prove to everybody, which most of us who watch the league know, it's one of the great players in the last 10 years in the league.

This is an all-time talent, all-time great player. And I am not somebody that just. routes for mobility at all costs. I thought Kevin Durant leaving Steph Curry to Kyrie was a mistake. But I've been mobile and I support mobile. And I especially support mobile. When nine drafts and nine free agency periods, nine plus nine,

18 opportunities to get him a star, they haven't. And now he goes as he's frustrated. It just happens to be the year. He's going to go to Vegas, hang out with the fellas, long flight to Tokyo. because of COVID, the players will probably hang out more together like the bubble.

They're not going to be out on the town. If he leaves, I can't blame him. I always root for Portland. I love Portland, but I can't blame him. Nine free agent opportunities, nine drafts, and they can't get him a dependable two. I like C.J. McCollum. He should be a three, maybe a four, and a great team.

Be sure to catch live editions of the herd weekdays in noon Eastern, 9 a.m. Pacific. on Fox Sports Radio, FS1, and the IHard Radio app. Imagine an Olympics where doping is not only legal, but encouraged. It's the enhanced games. Some call it grotesque. Others say it's unleashing human potential. Either way, the podcast's Superhuman documented it all, embedded in the games and with the athletes for a full year.

Within probably 10 days, I'd put on 10 pounds. I was having trouble stopping the muscle growth. Listen to Superhuman on the IHard Radio app. Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts. A win is a win. A win is a win. I don't care 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 Clivert Show on the IHeart Radio app, Apple Podcast, 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-tapped

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 Jett. 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 IHeart Radio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts. Welcome to my new podcast, Learn the Hardway 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 or 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, Keer Gaines, is 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. So first of all, the clippers are not losing because of the officials. Let's start there. DeMarcus cousins butchered an intentional free throw miss the other night. Apparently, he doesn't know the rules. Kauai Leonard's out.

They're shooting 42% for the series. And frankly, typical clippers, they've been bad in a couple of late fourth quarter situations. It's not the refs. fans always want the refs to be perfect, and the free throw by DeMarcus Cousins, he apparently doesn't know the rules a decade into the NBA. It's not the refs. But we always understand.

In baseball is a great example. Umpires have different strike zones. There are literally odds makers move the lines based on who's the home plate umpire tonight. That's not cheating. That's the reality of some umpires call a bigger strike zone. I mean, they don't go from here to there, but a slightly bigger strike zone. There are pitchers. Kurt Schilling once told me, you know, there were a handful of umpires.

I was going to get the corners. And there were others. I was not. So you know that over time. We know in the NFL, Herm Edwards has told me, there were crews that call holding. And all week, once you get the assignment, who's officiating the game, you sit down and go, fellas, you got to watch it because they'll call holding. Fans think that robots are apparently officiating game.

We think in the NBA, we acknowledge in other sports. There are officials who call pass interference. And then there are officials, and that's what I would do if I was an official, let two athletes be great. You watch the way the Patriots coach their defensive backs. They're slapping you the entire way down the field. Bill teaches aggressive corner play, and most officials let you do that.

but there are the occasional crews that will call PI. But in the NBA, we think all officials officiate the game the exact same. No, they don't. Some guys give out techs really quickly. Some guys like to, their egos become important. I'm going to set the tone early in this game and they get teams into the bonus because they want to set the tone. Some are young officials. Some are older with confidence and a little ego.

So in game two, the officiating. crew was different than game four, right? So in game two, the officiating crew calls for a replay on that out-of-bounds play, which infuriated almost all of you. You don't think that's reviewable. It should go to the offensive guy. In game four, totally different crew comes in, and they don't go to the replay, and now everybody's upset with that. Well, it's a different crew? Is it possible that the game four crew watched the game two crew and said, guys, this is a mess? We're going to We don't want to be 35 minutes, the last two minutes of the games. On the out-of-bound stuff, let's just go, keep the pace moving.

We'll replay stuff. We'll know we'll have to replay stuff. On the out-of-bound stuff, do we really want to get ripped for four days on television? Let's just move past it. But in baseball, we totally understand umpiring crews have different personalities. Hockey, though I don't know it well, same thing. Football, absolutely that's the case. But in basketball, they're all robots.

they all call it the exact same way. In my world, you wouldn't go to replay on this ever. You really wouldn't. But if you do, then you got to get it right. It's absurd to go to replay and then give it to the team that touched it last. I don't buy that argument. If you're going to go to replay on this, okay. It almost be like on the freeways, which I've never been a fan of.

They have some places in America have cameras where you'll just get a ticket sent to your house. You went 12 miles an hour. over last Wednesday. Americans don't like that. If you're going to give us a ticket, you got to pull us over and catch us in the act. You can't use technology. And that's been something for years and years that's gone on in America. And my takeaway is I don't like cameras on freeways. You're going to get me, see me. But if you do have cameras on freeways and I'm 45 miles an hour over, I probably should pay the ticket. Right. Like if I'm that fat, I don't like going to the replay on this play, ever. Just give it to the offensive guy. Let's go.

If you don't, just go offense. And they didn't. But if you do, then you've got to get the right answer. Because it's going to look stupid. You know, if you're going to do certain things in life, then you'll least get it right. So the idea that this was a different, I'm reading stories this morning. This cost the Clippers. The Clippers are losing this series because they don't have Kauai.

They're shooting 42% in the series. I frankly don't think this morning they're as good as Phoenix. They've had bad fourth quarters. This is who they are. And DeMarcus cousins, I guess. He has doesn't know the rules of basketball after a decade in the league. Be sure to catch live editions of the herd weekdays in noon Eastern 9 a.m. Pacific. Hey, what's up, everybody? It's me, three-time Pro Bowl of LaVarrington,

and I couldn't be more excited to announce a new podcast called Up on Game. What is Up on Game, you ask? Along with my fellow Pro Bowler, T.J. Hushman Zada and Super Bowl champion. Yep, that's right. Plexico Burris. You can only name a show with that type of talent on it. Up On Game. We're going to be sharing our real-life experiences loaded with teachable moments. Listen to Up On Game with me, LaVar Arington, T.J. Hushmanzada, and Plexico Burris on the IHeart Radio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcast from.

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

A win is a win. A win is a win. I don't care which I'm saying. Yep, that's me, Cliver Taylor the 4th. You might have seen the skits, the reactions, my journey from basketball. 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 a little kill? 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 on day, but just so y'all know. I mean, at this point, Mark, this is the second episode where we've discussed cracks. 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 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. 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. 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, is we have real conversations about healing, growth, fatherhood, pressure, and purpose. On my new podcast, Learn the Hardway. Open your free, our heart radio app.

Search Learn the Hardway and listen now. Where Colin was right. What a shock. The Clippers were bad late. in games. Game two and game four, totally winnable games, missed free throws, poor execution late. This is what the clippers are. They're the only really, really excellent team in the NBA that can't get the last six minutes right. In the fourth quarter of game four against the Suns, they had 14 points. They were three of 19. They were 0 for six for threes. I don't want to

hear about officials. This team had wide open looks, couldn't hit any of them. I've been saying this for two months. This is why I have questions about the Clippers and why I like the Sons in this series. I don't trust the Clippers late. Where Colin was wrong. Chris Middleton was more Batman than Robin yesterday. 38 last night, a career playoff high. I've been critical of him for years, but I will say this. When you don't ask him to give you last night every night, he's a shotmaker. He's a very nice shooter in the NBA. I've always thought he's. He's a very nice shooter. I've always thought a better three, maybe a four on a dynasty, a three on a finals, or a championship team. But he deserves some praise because he was money last night, especially in the fourth.

Where Colin was right? Talked about it last week. Dame Lillard, I said, here it comes. What do you know? Chris Haynes broke the story. He reportedly could request a trade soon. Listen, nine years, they couldn't get him a running mate. See, J. McCollum's a very nice player. Should be a three or a four, not a two. and, by the way, Lillard consumes a lot of social media, so Portland fans bagging on him, I'd stay away from that. That's the kind of stuff you don't think it matters.

It does. You're lucky to have them. Realize that. Where Colin was raw. I had an NFL head coach call me and say, Tom Brady wasn't ripping Mitch Trabisky. Another story today, multiple sources, Tom Brady MFing, was not Mitch Trabisky. So here's my takeaway.

Who was it? You wouldn't do that to Garoppolo or Tannahill or Derek Carr, which everybody keeps telling me, those guys aren't terrible. Tom Brady wouldn't rip somebody who was just beat him or pretty good. Derek Carr's pretty good. There is some stories that people think it's Derek Carr that he's talking about. Does everybody realize Brady was not going to go to the Chargers because they were West? Why would you go to Gruden, a second-tier roster first year in Vegas?

So when Brady said, you're going to keep that blankety blank, it must have been a team he had some interest in, right? He looked at it a little, I can't believe the Raiders were even with that roster even considered. But multiple stories today, it's not Trebisky. Where Colin was right? Well, the sons DeAndre Aiton the emerging star at center. Finally somebody came out and talked about the value behind the scenes of Chris Paul. That's really the only teammate that really push me, like big bro type push, knowing what I got. I never thought that I had.

I think he was the best thing that happened to my career. I can say that every day. That's the Chris Paul nobody sees on the floor. Pushing young players. It's kind of embarrassing he wasn't even nominated for the MVP. So much of the NBA is only what we can see. What makes Chris Paul different. one of the rare veteran players who will put his arms around a young player, bark at him pushing,

be demanding on that young player, and DeAndre 8, everybody's asking right now, why did DeAndre Aiton suddenly get so good? The answer, Chris Paul. Where Colin was wrong. Well, Woj reporting the 76ers are committed to Ben Simmons as a, quote, central piece of their franchise. All right. I guess I don't know how you can sell that to the fans or the locker room, but the Sixers are saying to Woj, we're not going anywhere with Ben Simmons.

Now, by the way, Darry, the GM, tends to say he loves all his players. He also tends to make a lot of moves. So I'll kind of believe it if the season starts and Ben Simmons is there. But as of this morning, Wojj is reporting Simmons going nowhere. Where Colin was right? Well, I picked the Bucks to win a title, and the second reason was, their guys never get hurt. And when Trey Young twisted his ankle, it's another health break for the Bucks.

I mean, go look at the playoffs this year. Donovan Mitchell, Hardin, Kyrie, Kauai, A-D, M-B. This is why I said, I like Milwaukee, they're sturdy. Their guys don't get hurt. Drew Holiday, Chris Middleton, Janus. They play a lot of games. They don't get hurt. And over the last, I would say four to five years in the NBA,

health is the reason the Raptors won a title. Health is the reason hardened CP3 couldn't get past Golden State. That's why I took the bucks. Where Colin was right? Well, Friday there was a story from Baker Mayfield's agent. We are expecting very soon contract talks. I said, there's no contract talks. Cleveland's not signing Baker Mayfield.

They want to watch this year. Well, story came out today. The Browns have had no substantive talks yet regarding Baker Mayfield. They picked up his fifth year option. I'm not saying they won't sign him. I think by Thanksgiving, if he plays well and their first or second in their division, they probably will sign him. I'm not saying they won't.

But what is the rush? Goff and Carson Wentz are cautionary tales of signing it a little bit too soon. And I liked signing Carson Wentz and it backfired. And I like signing Jared Goff. The reality is, last time Baker had a little success, he wasn't mature enough to handle it, didn't come into camp in great shape. There is no rush. Lamar Jackson's different.

He's won 80% of his games. Every year he comes in in peak shape and is better. If you're rushing to sign Baker, it is the classic low sports self-esteem front office. He gives you a little success. Somebody likes us, and you sign him to a long contract. Sit and watch till Thanksgiving. If you like what you see, then you call the agent. One more herd?

The herd streams 24 hours a day, seven days a week, within the IHeart Radio app. Search herd to listen live or on demand whenever you'd like. Apparently Chris Haynes reported that Damian Lillard wanted Jason Kidd as a coach for the Blazers. They didn't get him. he wanted longtime David Vanterpool, a blazer assistant, much of Lillard's career. He didn't get him and they hired Chauncey Billups. So be that as it may. Like a lot of times, and I understand fans have a hard time moving off players.

But in the end, are you more loyal to players or championships? Like I always wanted my teams to win. I had favorite players, but when I was a kid, I wanted to win games. And if I could win more games than I was happy. Portland's got a million issues. They're a mile from a championship. The only great asset you have is Dame. He's 31.

Maybe it's time. I think it's time for Dame to move, but maybe it's also time for the Blazers. They could not beat Denver. That's with Dame putting up historic numbers, and Denver didn't have Jamal Murray. And by the way, look at the West. The Nuggets will be better next year. The Warriors will be back because Clay Thompson and they have two first-round picks. The Mavs, the Clippers, the Jazz, the Seas.

sons have all surpassed them. Is it about winning or about a star player? Like, if you go to Boston, Boston makes so much sense to me, we get Jalen Brown, he's not Dame, but he's going to average about 23 and a half points a game. So I get a lot of Dame. He's a better defender. He's a bigger athlete than Dame. Give me Marcus Martin first round draft picks, and if I can hit on one of them, there

you go. But Portland's a mile. Forget winning the championship. They're a mile from getting out of the West. they are a member a couple years ago they got to the conference finals everybody went crazy but they got swept by the warriors who didn't at the time kee wasn't healthy they're a mile away so i can love the player dame and think he should go and i can root for the organization and think it's time like this is something organization struggle with right like they want to you know you want to keep

everybody to the to the last minute the hardest point for any organization it's not the first few years with a player. You develop him. He doesn't cost you very much. You're getting benefits. The first big decision is, do we have to pay him a lot? With Dame, it was obvious. You pay him a lot. Then you get to that point, about 31, 32 years old. They've been hurt a couple times. They're still great, but you haven't been able to deliver around them the essential parts they need for a championship. And now teams always feel like I'm stuck. And that to me is the time you move them. That is, Dame's got a ton of value around the league, and you try to get him out east. So if you do face him, it would be in the conference championships.

But both Boston and Miami can give you high-end players and picks back. You move him out east. You don't have to face him as much. He's not going to beat you in the playoffs. Come to your place and beat you three or four times in the playoffs. That makes sense to me. And it's like, it's not a shot at Dame. Listen, if you could trade broadcasters.

like if I was a tradable piece, you would understand that. Like you get to a certain point, this guy or gal is expensive. We've gotten a lot of value, but we don't have enough pieces for the network, and they're a great trade asset, and I can get a bunch of pieces and fill a bunch of needs.

You're not going to get dames equal. You're not going to get Steph Curry for them. You've got to get out of that space. But Portland's like bad defensively, really bad in the backguard defensively. They don't have the depth. They don't have the wing scoring. They got like five needs.

You can solve about three of them with a trade. Now, you won't be quite as good offensively in the back court, but you'll be much better defensively. So does it kind of, in the end, do you get some value out of it? I think Boston makes a ton of sense. But fans always struggle with this, and to me, it's all about winning. And it's nothing against the star. The star is always going to get his.

And that's, Dame will get his. That'll be good. but I want to see the greatest players play with other great players. I don't want to see one guy in an island dropping 54 and they can't beat Denver. To me, that's not what sports is all about. Sports is when you get, you know, the NBA's always been top heavy. By the way, nobody wants to admit this. There's a reason I predicted all seven teams to make the playoffs last year in the AFC.

Now, how was I able to do that? for the same reason I can mostly predict who's good in the NBA. The NFL is way more top-heavy that anybody wants to admit. All I ever hear is, well, you know who's going to win in the NBA. No, no, no, no, no. I know who's going to win in college football. I didn't know the sons were going to be the best team. I didn't know Atlanta was going to be in the Eastern Conference Finals.

I didn't know Dirk Novetsky was going to beat the heels. I didn't know the Raptors were going to beat the Warriors. I've never bought into that. You know who's going to win in the NBA. No, I know who's going to be viable. but I can tell you right now who's going to be viable in the NFL. Let me give you eight, nine teams. Next year, Cleveland's going to be good.

Baltimore is going to be good. Kansas City is going to be good. Buffalo is going to be good. Guarantee it. In the NFC, Seattle's going to be good. If Aaron's there, they're going to be good in Green Bay. The Rams with Matt Stafford, if he stays upright, are going to be very good. I can tell you right now, in my Super Bowl bubble, I can give you seven teams.

I guarantee you're going to be good. And eight, if Garapolo doesn't get hurt. If Garopolo is upright and plays, San Francisco is a 12-win team. Will there be an Atlanta Hawks that emerges? Every year there is. Every year. Will there be a Brooklyn Nets that disappoints?

Last year in Minnesota, every year there is. But this idea, I've always thought it's just fear-based nonsense. The NBA is not fair to small markets. Well, Phoenix is beating the second most notable team in Los Angeles and Milwaukee about as unglamorous as the NBA games. is beating a team that hasn't been here forever. Yeah, Toronto won. The Mavericks beat the Healds.

San Antonio was a dynasty. So, you know, to me, I've never been afraid of these super teams. They never last as long as you. Everybody was afraid of Brooklyn. Oh, I don't, what a turnoff. They couldn't get past Milwaukee. What are we talking about here? So I root for super teams because it's the best playing with the best.

They never last as long as you think. Super teams never have a bench. Therefore, you ask the starters to play a ton of minutes, and there's always, it's very hard to win in the NBA with no bench. It's not a shock. Milwaukee's got a pretty good bench. It's not a shock. Phoenix has a pretty good bench.

It's not a shock the Clippers play nine guys. Ten of Kauai was there. Super teams, you've got to be really super. You've got to have LeBron, Bosch, and D. Wade, or Durant, Stefan, Clay. Like, those are super teams. You can get away with a bad bench. 90% of super teams are not. that good or not that skilled. You got to have some bench.

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. Raja Bell is a former NBA player, 12 years in the NBA, undrafted out of Florida International University. Now, that's a very common story in the NFL. It is a very unique story in professional basketball. He played a year, the CBA, and then became one of the best defensive players in the NBA, two-time all-NBA defensive team. He played for these sons. He knows how passionate the market is.

They've been dying for good basketball. Raja Bell is now joining us live. You know, it's funny, Raja, that I grew up in the West Coast, so I can remember being in high school, and they had Paul Westball and Alvin Adams, and then they had the Tom Chambers and the Barclays. And Phoenix was always this incredible. NBA city. But they sold, they had some, you know, bad breaks. They didn't have the new owner, Sarver didn't work for me. And as I watch them now, I'm like, oh, this is the Phoenix I remember.

It's a great basketball city. And go back to your time there. I told Joy the other day, I said, I can't imagine Phoenix being great this year and fans not being able to go. It would be just, Did you enjoy your time there? Phoenix was my favorite stop. I played on some great teams, some great environments, but the town is just electric when they have good sports. It's a great, it's a great town to begin with. But when sports are good and they have teams to cheer for,

people to pull for, especially late in the playoffs, the later you get in the playoffs, it's a phenomenal vibe. It was a great place by far my favorite stop along the way. That's not taking anything away from the other places. But we just had really good teams. I had really great teammates, like a family environment, and the fans and the way that city embraced us was unreal. You know, I've been a huge fan of Chris Paul forever, and, you know, he's old school.

And I like, and I think too often in sports, we want to ditch old school. And I think there's real value in having guys. I mean, you're a guy that got into people's faces. You would jaw with Kobe. You would get, I mean, that's old school. Like everybody's a buddy now. You were more PJ Tucker. would, even your buddies, you get in their face. I love Chris, but Chris also can wear people out.

And I know that. Are you surprised by his success this quickly in Phoenix? No. So, you know, you talked about kind of, you know, the sons maybe haven't lost their way for a while. I think, you know, James Jones has a lot to do with that in the construction of the roster. And what I thought they were missing in that equation with that young talent that they had was a guy like Chris. and so I'm not surprised that he would come in at this point in his career, and I'm sure he's learned along the way to how to kind of relay those messages to people, maybe in a less abrasive kind of way. Someone to hold those guys accountable, someone to tie all their skill sets together.

And that's kind of what I see him doing on the floor, right? He's another guy who can close, but he's a guy who can help alleviate some of the stress off of Devin Booker, get in some easy buckets. He can also help get DeAndre Aitin cooking so you get the best out of him offensively. And all of those shooters and other guys that can make plays, he's able to help facilitate. And so you see that playing itself out on the court, but where I thought he had the most impact,

and I'm sure if I was in the building and really getting to ask these questions, which I'm not, someone would say, is someone that is willing to do what you're talking about, Colin, hold people accountable, be in faces, ruffle some feathers today, knowing that it'll provide dividends

and we could get a win tomorrow and not being afraid to do that because championship teams have to have the guy in the room that's willing to tell you when you didn't do your job. and tell me when I've got to be better in my job and tell us collectively that we've got to play better as a group and not be afraid of the backlash that comes with that. So I think he's the perfect guy.

Now, what the shelf life on that is, you know, that remains to be seen. I think you kind of just alluded to it could rub people the wrong way. But in the immediate and right now, I think he's the perfect fit and you see what's happening with the suns on their run to a possible championship. You know, Kauai Leonard is such Raja, such an enigma. He's nonverbal. so it's hard to build the franchise around it. One of the things I've said is that the cake was built in San Antonio and it was built in Toronto.

He was the icing and he's great. It's carrot cake icing. It's the best. He's the assassin. But if you build your franchise around him and he's the cake, he's nonverbal. And I'm not blaming him for the injury. I'm not. But this team has been weird at the end of games, the last two years with Doc and Ty Lou, the communications poor.

is it possible that Kauai is just the most talented two the games ever had that you can't really build around him but he's your best player and you understand it yeah that's that's tough one it's an interesting point it's an interesting way to look at it I'm reluctant to say that he's a number two just because his skill set um is is so remarkable on both ends of the floor like offensive and defensively. He is a game changer. And the ball typically finds who the number one is, right? Like coaches can call plays, but players no. And even at young ages, the ball's going to find the best player on the floor.

And so when that plays itself out over and over again, I mean, he is the number one. But if I think outside the box and kind of allow myself to go down the path you're going, you could have something there, right? Like, I think you need a – you have to have someone who is his equal in terms of skill set. so that he can fall in the lane at best of one B because he is relatively non-communicative and teams are built on that. Those are relationships. They're families.

And when you have a guy who can be as aloof at times and not in the chain of communication, you better believe it's going to, you know, kind of rear its head at the wrong time. And so having someone there who is maybe one A or at least is equal, I think is really, really important with Kauai. And preferably a guy who's as equal that's really chat. really personable, a great dude, you know, rallying the troops, taking them out on the town and having dinners and, you know, bonding family, somebody who really generates culture and brotherhood in that locker room.

I want your thoughts on the replay use. So we always know that umpires have different strike zones and NFL officiating crews, some call pass interference, some dope. But in the NBA, we think they have to call it the same way. And I watched the end of game two in that out of bounds play. I think the crew in game four said, hey, man, if that thing comes up, like, let's just keep play going. We're not going to go to the replay on that thing.

So I will defend the officials in that not all NBA officiating crew, some T guys up fast. You know, Raja, you knew the guys that let you push. You had a book on them and you knew who they were. So I'm going to defend the officiating crew in game four that watched game two and thought, guys, let's just stay out of the replay on that. is that a reasonable take or am I wrong? Yeah, no, that's, look, that, the backlash that you got from, from game two, I think you were, you probably got something from the league saying, hey, if that pops its head up again, just leave it alone.

I mean, I would take it a, you know, I take it a step further than the rest. I like that the rest didn't go back to that. I think, I hate the call. Even though if you're going letter of the law, I mean, it's off of, I guess it would have been Devin Booker at that time, but I don't like the call. Anyone who plays basketball knows that ball's off of the defender at that point. But I'm okay with the rest not reviewing it, stalling the game out the way they did in game two and game four. And I would take a step further and say that the league or the competitive committee or whoever it is, I don't know, probably got involved.

And there was a phone call in regards to that. Hey, guys, look, if these come up again, we're going to try to leave those alone. By the way, Steph, Dame, Trey Young. So now you can't hand check. So good luck keeping these guys in front of. now they can shoot from the logo. So as a great defensive player, how would you defend Trey Young?

Yeah, it's tough. I mean, it's much easier said than done, but I'm going to say it anyway. You have to take away his face, Colin. If you were going down, you know, pluses or minuses of Trey Young or any NBA player, one of the minuses he would have is his size, right? Right.

Just both height-wise and physically. And so when you asked me as a 6-5-22, 20-pound defender, what I would do. You know, I would try to limit his ability to play in space. I would try to touch him up as much as I could. Now, I have six fouls, and I know we're playing in a league that increasingly doesn't want to let guys touch, but I'm going to take four of them over the course of that game, just trying to hope that the cumulative effect will slow him down at the end of the game.

But allowing him to play in pure space out at the top of that key and coming downhill into the lane, I mean, you are just, I mean, he's either making shots or he's missing shots at that point. And part of me believes that the Bucks are kind of employing a strategy to some degree that the Spurs used to employ against us with the sons with Steve Nash and Amari. Their philosophy was if they stayed home on myself, they stayed home on Sean Marion, if they stayed home on whoever else was out there with us and didn't allow us to kind of compliment with 12 to 15, 16 points that Amari and Steve over the course of a series would not be enough to beat them. And it played itself out that way. And then Tim Duncan's told me on record.

record. That was their strategy in those games. And so part of me believes that's what the bucks are doing. But you just got to be disciplined because he can drop 50, 47, 45 if you're just going to let him play in space. By the way, he's got a podcast. One of one of the great basketball podcasts in the country. Right now, Bill Simmons pays him. If Bill doesn't, I will. So, by the way, if Simmons gives you any grief, just call me and I'll buy your podcast.

His name is Rajabelle. give your podcast some love here. Yeah, we're on the ringer net with ringer feed. We're called The Real Ones. I'm with Logan Murdoch. Great dude out of the Bay Area. Way too much brave propaganda for me. But we have a good time.

We chop it up. Check us out. We're on Mondays and Thursdays. We just have fun with it. It's a good time called Real Ones. Raj's smart dude. Credit to the game. Great seeing you, man.

Appreciate it. Thanks for having me, guys. Another podcast from some SNL late-night comedy guy, not quite. Unhumor me with Robert Smygel and friends. me and hilarious guests from Bob Odenkirk to David Letterman help make you funnier. This week, my guest, SNL's Mikey Day and head writer Streeter Seidel

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