The Herd with Colin Cowherd - 07/09/2021 - Best of The Herd

Episode Date: July 9, 2021

Doug Gottlieb filling in for Colin explains how Chris Paul is the best NBA version of Tom Brady. Steph Curry lets it be known that the Warriors Championship window is still wide open! Plus, former Vice President of Basketball Operations for the Memphis Grizzlies John Hollinger joins Doug for all the insight around the league! Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

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by searching Herd. This is the Best of the Herd with Colin Cowher on Fox Sports Radio. Welcome in. This is The Herd, wherever you may be. And however you may be listening to the show, thank you so much. I'm Doug Gottlieb in for Colin Cowherd. Man, we got a great show for you. You have to do the live from Los Angeles. It's sunny. It's beautiful. Hope the weather is spectacular to where you are. You're a lake guy. Hope you get to late this weekend. You're a beach guy. Hope you get to the beach. Don't forget the sunscreen? Good weekend. Good weekend. Great weekend of sports. Apparently this is the, I don't know

if you guys know this. This is the unofficial reopening of Vegas weekend. Garth playing at the Raiders Allegiance Stadium, right? My spies tell me Bieber tonight. And I was playing golf with a buddy yesterday. And he's like, yeah, I'm head up and going to see Bieber, so let's listen to Bieber while we're playing golf and I was like, who are you? Who are you? He's fired up. Obviously, you get the McGregor fight upcoming Saturday night. I can say it's a good, unofficial reopening of Vegas is this weekend.

Speaking of Vegas, boy, now the odds continue to stack in the favor of Phoenix Suns. John Hollinger is going to join us upcoming in 15 minutes. If you don't know John's story, of course, a guy who covers the NBA, follows the NBA, analytics expert used to be in the front office with the Memphis Grizzlies. Of course, now he covers the league for the athletic. I'll get his sense of what Milwaukee did and didn't do and how Phoenix was able to shoot 20 for 40 from three point range. Like, you're not losing when you shoot 50% from three,

especially when you take 40 of them. No, nobody's beating you there. But I do think there's something interesting here. Okay, I want you to stick with me for a second. who are the two two of the three quarterbacks that were most

that have been most discussed as being upset with their franchise and wanting to possibly be moved this off season. Obviously you have Deshawn Watson what really was going to happen. We have no idea. We got to figure out what the league rules,

what these civil cases mean, or they're like all of that. stuff. So let's just, that's the third party. Let's, let's cast that aside for a second. Just, there's so much unknown. And it does, it actually also doesn't fit my story. That's the, that's the most important part. All right. So you got Russell Wilson and he got Tom, and he got Aaron Rogers, right? Remember Russell Wilson? Like, I don't want to be traded, but this is not fun. That was basically what we got. I don't want to be traded, but, you know, I'm, I don't, I'm tired to get hit so much where his offensive linemen are probably

just pleased his punch that he would say that. But I believe I know what's behind that on some level. And then we go to Aaron Rogers. He also has been upset at whether it's lack of weaponry or why are you doing drafting a backup quarterback when you could have got me another toy to play with. Blah, blah, blah, blah, blah, blah. I'm not going to rehash stories that you already know. You wouldn't be listening to this show or a Foxport trading unless you knew that Aaron Rogers potentially wanted out. Unless you knew that Russell Wilson, there was that kind of weird does he want out thing, right?

know those things. Okay, but what's behind it? And I was on with Colin and I told him this and I was on his volume podcast and I told him this and I believe it to be accurate, which is this. You know, when Russell Wilson was at the Super Bowl, he was sitting right there next to Roger Goodell. And when you're watching Tom Brady win another Super Bowl in his first, 40s and his jersey be completely cleaned. And, oh yeah, by the way, Antonio Brown only worked out with two guys while he was suspended. Do you remember who the two quarterbacks he worked out with? One was Tom Brady, who vouched for him, swore by him, and that's how he got into Tampa.

And the other was Russell Wilson, who I'm sure tried to talk the Seahawks into like, hey, man, we can get this guy on the cheap, we need this type of talent. It could change us. So it's one thing to not be able to get your team to acquiesce and go after a lot. a wide receiver who's on the market for free, basically. It's another thing to watch the same wide receiver play with a quarterback who continues to win championships, and he can't move at all, and he's got a completely clean jersey, and they dominate the Can City Chiefs. It's not just about being unhappy with the Seahawks. It's about a jealousy, a reasonable competitive jealousy, reasonable competitive jealousy of Tom Brady.

of Tom Brady. Okay, then go to Aaron Rogers. And Aaron Rogers and Tom Brady can yuck it up at the match, you know, last week and can be buddy, buddy, and can talk to each other, whatever. But if you remember the end of the NFC championship game where Aaron Rogers, he's got a coach who most people think that the reason they kick the field goal

instead of going for it on fourth down, was that Matt LaFC? floor was out of place. Okay, so now if we score touchdown, now we go for it on fourth and we score a touchdown, now we got to have another play and he just wasn't ready for it. Let's kick the field goal. Let's try and get the ball back. And then we'll have a chance to refresh and go through what we want to do offensively.

Okay. So you're Aaron Rogers and you're like, my coach just made a terrible decision to kick a field goal on fourth down, which doesn't really help us win. It might have been out of plays. okay, the GM is not into me anymore. He's into this new guy, Jordan Love. And then they pop off their helmets at the end of the game. And Aaron Rogers got a beard.

His eyes are sullen. He looks 70 years old. He looked like George Blanda. Now! Tom Brady takes off his helmet and his hair is... They did something to the hair. There was a day. They did something to the hair.

And then, you know, I mean, his face is... I mean, it's stupid. He's like perfect tan, his hair's not out of place. He probably, after a two and a half hour football game, he probably still smells good. He's one of those guys. Okay, so if we'll at least hypothesize, again, hypothesis, not theory,

hypothesize that one of, at least one of the big issues with Aaron Rogers and Russell Wilson is that they have incredible amount of jealousy for Tom Brady. Like Tom Brady switch teams, it wasn't seamless. but it wasn't like they didn't eventually make it work. Because that's the whole thing with quarterbacks. Like, yeah, if I switch teams, how long is it take to come up to speed? Like, look, Peyton Manning's first year, he threw 50 touchdown passes.

Tom Brady's first year, he won a Super Bowl. It can obviously be done if you know what you're doing. You have people who cooperate and do it your way. I'm sure they're sitting there going like, dude, I got to get the Tom Brady set up. Happens in my business, happens in your business. Right? I mean, you see somebody get a car who's doing the same game. same coverage and they're getting the way they got a car service they get security they got

their own stat guy i got to do that happens in our business you know wait you can hire more producers behind the scenes to do a radio show yeah more minds more voices more kind of diverse thoughts the better right i mean you see a show that's really well prepared you're like i i got to get some of that it's very reasonable to have competitive jealousy okay so You have unhappy stars in the NBA. And I know there's a lot of unhappiness, which shouldn't be unhappiness in the NBA, right? Guaranteed contracts, a lot of glamour, good offseason,

you know, great medical thing after you're done playing like yada, yada, yada, you're not putting your brain in harm's way the way you are in football. But there is a lot of, there's like Damian Lillard, for example. But go around the league and there are other Damien Lillard's, you know. And while, while Janus having success in a small, market may make you think you can stay there. They can build it around you. I would tell you, if you're watching Chris Paul, and he wasn't as good last night, you know, some of those shots he hit in game one, that's not him. Like, he doesn't hit shots.

He's not a great finisher at the rim. He's a mid-range jump shooter. He's not a great shooter. He's not a great shooter going with the ball on his left hand. And playing the numbers, they got more misses last night than they did previously. But he's still 36. six years old, and he's got a coach who gives him the ball and says run the team. They work together. He's got all these young guys around him that when, like this whole, and no disrespect to Colin, I understand the premise of what he's saying with Chris Paul being the MVP because of all the intangibles he brings, but here's a poorly kept secret in the NBA.

Chris Paul didn't play that well the entire season or even most of the season. He had some great nights and he had some nights where he just kind of chilled and got everybody else involved because he didn't have it because he's 36 years old. He was good this year. He wasn't the best player in the league. He does bring value, but he's not the only one. And none of it works unless you have Devin Booker and DeAndre Ait and Booker's just a walking bucket, right?

But the point is this. You look around the league and you're like, what am I doing chasing after these star teams when if I can just get a team full of a young group of guys, a coach who's been through it as a head coach before and as a former player that, like, I want the Chris Paul set up. And what it, what it will bring in is it'll bring an incredible amount of unhappiness. If you're Brad Beale, an incredible amount of unhappiness, if you're Damian Lillard. By the way, they're both going to be commiserating together on USA basketball here over the next month.

Just like Tom Brady and Russell, excuse me, just like Aaron Rogers and Russell Wilson are likely very jealous of Tom Brady and want that set up late in their career. How do I get a ready-made team that's been bad forever, but they've loaded up with good players, a quarterback-friendly coach who will just give me the team? And I can end up playing in the Super Bowl with no green grass on the backside of my jersey because nobody touches me. How do I get that set up? The same is true in the NBA.

How many guys are sitting around there going like, you know, if I would just, like, dude, put me with DeAndre Aitin and Devin Booker and give me that team and I'm good. What am I doing sitting around here where they clearly don't. know how to build it around me. Be sure to catch live editions of the herd weekdays in noon Eastern 9 a.m. Pacific on Fox Sports Radio, FS1 and the IHeart Radio app. Imagine an Olympics where doping is not only legal, but encouraged. It's the enhanced games. Some call it grotesque. Others say it's 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 think. put on 10 pounds. I was having trouble stopping the muscle growth. Listen to Superhuman on the I-Hart Radio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts. Hey, I'm Deanna Maria Riva, actress, mother, lover, and a Gen X woman walking through life one hot flash and hormonal crying jag at a time. You ladies know what I mean.

I'll bet you a parameda Pazzo chin here you do. So let's talk about it. Join me on my new podcast. How Hard Can It Be with Deanna Maria Riva, where I call on my GenX squads from Ohio to Hollywood as we navigate midlife's most fantastic BS. All of a sudden, I'd had hanginess happening on my own. I was like, what the hell is that? I was married when I had her, so I didn't even consider how empty that nest was going to be.

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and dive into it unfiltered and unbothered and ask, How Hard Can It Be? I cannot believe I'm about to say this out loud in public. Listen to How Hard Can It Be with Diana Maria Arriva as part of My Cultura Podcast Network available on the IHeart Radio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts. If you're watching the latest season of the Real Housewives of Atlanta, you already know there's a lot to break down.

Georgia accusing Kelly of sleeping with a merry man. They holding Kay Michelle back from fighting Drew. Pinky has financial issues. I like the bougie style of Housewives show. I think it looks like it's going to be interesting. On the podcast, Reality with the King, I, Carlos King, recap the biggest moments from your favorite reality shows, including the Real Housewise franchise. The drama, the alliances, and the team everybody's talking about. As an executive producer in reality television, I'm not just watching.

it, I understand the game. As somebody who creates shows, I'll even say this. At the end of the day, when people are at home, they want entertainment. To hear this and more, listen to Reality with the King on the IHard Radio app, Apple Podcasts,

or wherever you get your podcast. American soccer is about to explode. The World Cup is coming. Remers sending on to Ernie. Score the chip. I'm Tad Ramos. I'm Tom Boe. On our podcast, Inside American Soccer, you'll get the real storylines. I'm not worried about Policic. I'm not worried about Balagan. I'm not worried about McKinney.

My only concern is what happens in the back. The biggest decisions. If you're going to look at stats and numbers, he has no shot at making this World Cup team. And the truth about the U.S. national team. It wouldn't be a huge surprise if our team ends up in the quarterfinals or potentially a great run into the semi-finals. The World Cup is almost here. Experience it all with us. Listen, Inside American Soccer with Tom Bogart and Tab Ramos

on the IHeart Radio app, Apple Podcasts, wherever you get your podcast. Out of Lake Tahoe, they have the pro-am. It's like the biggest, best celebrity golf event that there is. And Steph's a very good golfer, and he's one of the favorites sort of to win out there. But he was asked about the Warriors this upcoming season. season. Quote, it's a great position to be in knowing we're trying to retool and that level we're trying to get back to.

We do have a lot to work with with potential picks, guys coming back, hopefully enticing some free agents to come out to the bay and be part of a winning organization, how we do things. I feel like everything's on the table at this point. There's a lot of time before the draft before training camp and free agency period. So, like, look, do I think that Steph Curry is going to come out and go, like, hey, I want to go to the Lakers? No. But do I think that his statement would have been this statement if he wasn't all in on the Warriors? No, of course not. He's all in on the Warriors.

He's not going anywhere. Um, and I would also guess, like, look, there were stories out of, out of Brooklyn last year that all of those guys knew. They just unequivocally knew that Kevin Durant was going to be back and as good or better than ever. Why? Because they had seen him playing. They had seen him work out. And so they knew what level was going to get to. My guess is that because Steph is with Clay around Clay, he truly believes Clay will be back and will be fine. And maybe he is.

Like it's a lot to come back from, not just the Achilles, but the knee as well. But in a similar way to Kevin Durant, it's not like he was John Morant. before he got hurt. You know, like his game is not all quick twitch explosive. He's very good at both ends, but it's not like he's a, you know, he's a super quick twitch guy. So losing that does not necessarily mean

his game will suffer that greatly. But I do think it's interesting. Like, how do you balance that out if you're the Warriors? James Wiseman wasn't great. You know, it wasn't the best rookie. But keep in mind, you had no training camp, a guy who played three college games. He's going to take, if he has any sort of work ethic,

he's going to take a massive jump from year one to year two. And then you have the Kelly Ubrays to move, two first round picks to move. You had the possibility to be, you know, who else can you move? Will you move Andrew Wiggins? You know, Wig was really good for them their third best player, right?

Or third best score. Do you retool and you say, hey, we're going to run it back with Draymond Green? Or do you say, hey, Draymond was great, but he's no longer can't score and all the other stuff that he does? I mean, like, look, if he doesn't smoke a layup against the Memphis Grizzlies, they play in the playoffs this year. There's still a lack of offense there. But I think it's interesting.

There's two teams in the bay that all people consider when, when, when, healthy, when healthy, change championship caliber rosters. That was Golden State going back a couple years ago. That was the San Francisco 49ers going back a year ago. Nick Bosa is that sort of game changer, but they also are like now they're in the process of do we change quarterbacks mid year?

You know, do we trade Garapolo before the season? What do we, or do we ride with Garoppolo? And then just like the Chiefs rode with Alex Smith, We're a year, and then we bid a do and we start the Trey Lance era. But both are in really interesting. Obviously, the Niners further along because we've had the draft, we've had free agency, we've had them retool, they went out and got a quarterback. But it is really interesting that the Warriors and Niners, and by the way,

the Warriors actually play in San Francisco, the Niners don't, but regardless of it, you know. Funny, the Warriors, they still kind of claim Oakland, even though they don't play in Oakland. The Niners claim San Francisco. They don't play in San Francisco. Anyway. But Steph Curry, and we can't take everything that a guy says at an event where every quote that could be negative, they'll take. And he's just too smart. He's not giving you anything negative. But I read into what he's saying and he's like, look, we got options. We'll take free agents. We got draft picks we can trade. We got some pieces we may

on a move, but we're not far away. And I kind of think he's right. Kind of think about it. They went from the worst team in the NBA to a eighth place playoff team. And they still didn't have Clay Thompson. They had a rookie center who didn't go through training camp. And they had all kinds of moving parts, as did everybody else throughout the season. I kind of think he's right. But I also think it speaks to Steph Curry's not going anywhere. There was some sort of discussion that LeBron was befriending him so that he'd force his way out of. Like the Warriors would do a lot of things. One, they're never going to trade or let Steph Curry go and especially let him go to the Lakers.

I just, I don't see that being even close to an option. There are some things you don't do. And I understand Kevin Durant going to the Warriors. But again, how is that looked at? How is that looked at? Be sure to catch live editions of the herd weekdays and noon Eastern. 9 a.m. Pacific. What's up, everyone? It's me,

three-time NFL All-Pro Sean Merriman. And I have a new sports podcast called The Lights Out Podcast with Sean Marriam. This podcast is special to me as I get a chance to talk to some of the best who've ever done it on the field or the track. So whether it's talking to a Super Bowl champion or a NASCAR

Cup Series champion, the Lights Out podcast will bring it to you the only way I know how to. I'm giving you the best insight from the best who's ever done it. Listen to Lights Out with Sean Merriman on the A Heart Radio app 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 IHard Radio app. Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts.

Hey, I'm Deanna Maria Riva, actress, mother, lover, and a Gen X woman walking through life one hot flash and hormonal crying jag at a time. You ladies know what I mean. I'll bet you a perimenopausal chin here you do. So let's talk about it. Join me on my new podcast. How hard can it be with Deanna Maria Riva, where I call on my Gen X squads from Ohio to Hollywood as we navigate Midlife's most fantastic BS. All of a sudden, I'd had hanginess happening on my own. I was like, what the hell is that?

I was married when I had her, so I didn't even consider how empty that Ness was going to be. Mood swings, night sweats, fupas, sex drive. Wait, what sex? Dating at 45. How high can it be, getting naked at 50 with the new guy? That one's kind of hard, you know? Well, that's lighting. They say we can't polish a turd, but we're sure going to try.

So let's get blunt with laughs, tears, or tears of laughter, and dive into it, unfiltered and unbothered and ask, how hard can it be? I cannot believe I'm about to say this out loud in public. Listen to How Hard Can It Be with Diana Maria Riva as part of My Cultura Podcast Network available on the IHeart Radio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts. If you're watching the latest season of the Real Housewives of Atlanta, you already know there's a lot to break down.

Gorsha accusing Kelly of sleeping with a merry man. They holding Kay Michelle back from fighting Drew. Pinky has financial issues. I like the bougie style of Housewives. show. I think it looks like it's going to be interesting. On the podcast, Reality with the King, I, Carlos King, recap the biggest moments from your favorite reality shows, including the Real House Wise franchise, the drama, the alliances, and the team everybody's talking about. As an executive producer in reality television,

I'm not just watching it. I understand the game. As somebody who creates shows, I'll even say this. At the end of the day, when people are at home, they want entertainment. To hear this and more, listen to Reality with the King on the IHard Radio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcast. Will Ferrell's Big Money Players and IHart Podcasts presents Soccer Moms. So I'm Leanne. Yeah. This is my best friend Janet.

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

with all the snacks and drinks. Sidebar. Why did you get hard seltzer instead of beer? They had a bogo. Well, then you got it. Do you want a white collar or something here? Just take it. Oh, what are y'all doing?

Microphones? Are you making a rap album? Oh, I would. Come on. Can you put it? I would buy it. Go. Go.

It's like a hot knife through sponge cake. That sounds delicious. Oh, you're lucky. I'm not a drug addict. You're lucky I'm not an alcoholic. You are. You are. I'm not a killer.

I love this team, and I'm really. trying to be a figure in their lives that they can rely on. Oh. Listen to soccer moms on the IHeart Radio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts. John Hollinger joins us, writes for the athletic. Of course, used to help run the Memphis Grizzlies. He's covered the NBA for years. John, have you ever seen Madagascar?

I can't say that I have, but I'm really interested in where this is going. Okay, so Madagascar is there's a lot of. a bunch of animals from the, from the, uh, from the central park zoo. They get loose. They mistakenly get you. This is not a spoiler alert. It's like a 15 year old movie. Um, they, they, they, they get shipped to Madagascar.

They're out in the wild. They want to go to the wild. They get out in the wild, right? And the zebra and the lion, Alex, the lion are best friends. They're best friends. But, you know, hunger starts, nobody's feeding you stakes every night. And all of a sudden, they're running. in some field and the zebra, played by Chris Rock, who is the best friend of the lion,

suddenly the zebra looks like a steak and the lion, he's not playing, he's going lying on you, right? Okay. So I'm playing pickup basketball last night, you know, and I'm just running up and down, just staying away from study. Yeah, good cardio, good cardio, right? But now it's kind of closer than I thought it should be. So I decided to take a guy and another guy comes over, not to take a charge, but to kind of get

my way so I, I two-foot stop, jump like sideways, kind of threw two guys to lay the basketball in. And I felt a pop in my knee and I just incredible pain. I've never, knock on one, I've never been hurt before. It's because I went lying. Like all of a sudden I decided to become a basketball player and I'm past the age of being a basketball player. And now I'm, so the question is, worst dad injury that you've suffered.

We got a guy who just said he's, what is this? I have a broken hip suffered at a family vacation that's gorgeous. Free Jr., John Hollinger, worst or most embarrassing adult injury you've suffered? So one of the last times I play basketball pickup, I kind of had to stop playing because the injury rate was just getting ridiculous. Yeah. So I was basically trying to do what you described, like, okay, I'm just going to hang out on the perimeter, take jump shots, like not getting any kind of physical situation or

crowd and, you know, just run up and down. and I jumped up to get a loose ball that was just a little bit above my head. You know, we're talking maybe six, maybe jumped six inches off the ground. Through out your back? Your back? And then when I came down, my ankle twisted, and I turned to look to see whose foot I came down on, and there was nobody around me. I didn't come down on anyone's foot.

I twisted my ankle on the floor jumping six inches off the ground. That's when I knew I was. That's it. Yep. That's it. Well, that's what my, that's one of my daughters, she has no sympathy at all, right? Come home and she's like, well, you're just an idiot for, why are you doing that? Why would you do that? Why would you put yourself in arms away? Okay, let's get to last night. I thought the Bucks tried kind of the kitchen sink thing in the first half in terms of different looks defensively to no avail. Was it something the Bucks were doing wrong that allowed Phoenix to get that many open looks? Or was it simply Phoenix?

with ridiculous ball movement that allowed them to get that many open looks? I thought Phoenix won the game more than Milwaukee lost it, if you want to look one way or not. The tremendous shooting performance by Phoenix, great ball movement. I thought defensively they were, again, pretty good. I mean, one of the underrated things about this series is that the Bucks haven't really been able to get Holiday or Middleton going, and so they haven't been able to, I mean, Phoenix is shooting has been a problem,

but Milwaukee just has not been able to match it either. But through the first two games, I would describe it more, especially the second game, more as Phoenix winning it. Game one, I thought Milwaukee put themselves in some weird situations with some of the adjustments they tried to make from how they played in the regular season that maybe they shouldn't have made. But game two, they went back to putting Holiday on Chris Paul. They played a more traditional drop coverage.

I thought Brooke Lopez actually played it pretty well. I thought they could have played Lopez more minutes. He ended up playing 28, I think. And, but I thought it was more Phoenix winning that game than Milwaukee losing it, bottom line. Okay. Can Milwaukee make this thing a series, right? Like, if it's the Clippers, you're like, oh, 2-0, now the Clippers will start playing. Milwaukee, last time they were down 2-0, they got the benefit of Kyrie Irving getting hurt that changed everything.

And James Harden was still not right. Can they make this thing a series? I think they can. Because I do think some of this shot making is going to even out over the course of a series. So, you know, they'll go back home, like an emotional list from that, you would think. I do think they make this a series of some kind. I would be surprised that they didn't at least win game three and make this somewhat competitive. I have a hypothesis on the Chris Paul thing.

Okay. I think that Chris Paul's not just his success, but how he's revered, how he's treated, how he's been able to be given the ball with a team full of young guys who hadn't yet really won anything. I think that's kind of,

there's, there are some guys, Damien Lillard's got to be sitting around going like, that's what I want, right? Like I, there's that competitive jealousy that I think exists in the NFL where they're watching Tom Brady

and he looks better than ever, and he's got a clean backside of his jersey, and guys are like, why can't I do that? I'll just go to a team that's already just all they need is a quarterback. Do you think that other, especially point guards, are looking around going like, I want the Chris Paul setup? Yeah, I mean, I think Lillard, I think, has to be looking at that.

You know, I think initially these guys think like, if you're KD going to Golden State, who is already won, then it feels a little more like you're a tag along maybe. And I'm not sure all these guys want that exactly. But to have that experience Chris Paul has happened, where he's going to a place where they haven't won as the final piece, I think that is really appealing to a lot of these guys.

Yes. Okay, so let's look at Lillard. He said he's going to keep his comments in house, right? He hasn't said nothing to nobody and whatever. what do you think that to me that implies that he doesn't want out he wants it fixed

but again that's just me guessing with the tea leaves what do you think he means by I ain't commenting anything publicly everything's going to be announced I think he still wants it to happen in Portland but it is increasingly realizing that it probably won't

and I don't know the way the way I read this is like the clock is ticking and he's not going to ask out right now, but you can see the moment on the horizon where he will. He's still got three years left before he can become a free agent. So leverage-wise, he's not like in a great spot, whereas a year from now, I think his position is much stronger. That's the point where, you know, Paul George got traded.

That's the point where Darren Williams got traded going way back. Once you get inside two years, I think the leverage of, oh, this guy could actually be for nothing becomes much stronger. And if you use the team to really play ball with the player and try to cash in on his stock at that point. Sure. So it really depend a lot on how this year goes, I think. What do you think happens with the Lakers in terms of their personnel?

I mean, it's interesting what they, David Fisdale now on their bench. And I believe Mike Penberthie is going to be moved up to the front of the bench. So Penberthys like Anthony Davis's guy, everybody thinks Fisdale is really tight with LeBron. So those two are what they're building around. What do they do to change their roster? Well, it's interesting because you can say push all your chips in to go around LeBron and Davis, but what do they have for chips? I mean, I think that's the real problem right now. I think one of the things that they held fast on not trading 10, you know, they held fast on not trading telling Horton Tucker and putting him in a deal for Kyle Lowry.

And I think they may look back and regret that a little bit because now Horton Tucker's a free agent and it gets complicated with keeping him with the luxury tax and everything. It could get pretty expensive. Or you could still use him as a chip in the sign and trade potentially to get something that helps you right now. But because they gave up all their draft picks basically in the Anthony Davis trade, They don't have a lot left over to put in another deal for another player. And if you look at just the contracts they have,

it's hard for them to even match money on a lot of deals. Kuzma and Caldwell Pope are really their only significant deals other than LeBron and Davis who aren't going anywhere. And then you have Schroeder, who's a free agent, and that's going to get interesting, too, because he wasn't that good for him. And you wonder if the money's going to get a little out of hand on him. I don't think Schroeder's back.

the question is, you know, as the rules have changed some on sign and trades, can they do a sign and trade, right? Because that would be. Yeah, because they have to stay under the apron now if they put them in a sign and trade, so it gets tricky with what they can take back. Exactly. So it's a really difficult situation for a front office to manage when you don't have a lot of assets. You've got to basically find value where other people aren't looking. And this hasn't been a thing that the Lakers do normally. Normally, they just, you know, they're there.

They're, they're, you know what they are? They're the guy who walks into Nordstrom and says, what's new? I'm buying that, you know? Whereas the rest of us is like, what's on the sale rack? Can I find something? It's out of season? That's okay. Don't worry about it.

I'm never, I can be a year late on stuff next fall anyway. John Hollinger joining us. Ryan Music's producing the show. He used to be my producer. He's now, Collins' producer. We had this interesting discussion earlier today. I said, and again, maybe some of this is, watching Kevin Durant come off on Achilles.

And I understand that there's a knee injury involved as well. But, I mean, look, I don't think it's unreasonable to think Clay Thompson can be close to himself. We have no idea. I just, I wonder what the warriors can do to take that next step. Do they allow Wiseman to improve? Because he's going to take a massive jump, right? I mean, everybody does. The good ones all do from year one to year two.

And he barely played in college. Do they move Wiggins? Do they move their pick? What do you think, do they move off Draymond because he can't score and try and get in the Ben Simmons discussion? What do you think the Warriors do to get back fighting at the top of the league? I think they're going to put seven and they have the seventh pick in the draft this year and the 14th pick. I think they're going to put seven and Wiseman in play and go big game hunting. That to me is plan A.

they can put Kelly Ubrey into a sign and trade potentially if they need to match money that way. So they do have a lot of assets. They have a lot more assets to put in play than say the Lakers, so they can do some stuff. The question is, who is going to be available this summer that is worth putting those kind of chips on the table for? And we're still kind of learning what that market is. I don't know if I love the Ben Simmons fit there. you know, they're so based on shooting and cutting and kind of all the different stuff they can do in the half court. I'm not totally sure how he fits in that.

I mean, I think what people think is, and I understand they're different. People think, well, Draymond shoots some, but he can't shoot, so what's really the difference? Only you get far younger, and you get a guy that does other things, other things, as well as defend, like, Drayman. I don't think he's as good a post-defender as Draymond is. But I think everything else he does as well. The other question is, does he buy into their culture, right? Like, are you going to swap a guy out and it's a completely new culture?

That's where you, I mean, Draymond's pretty close to the nerve center of that team. So I do think I'd be a little skittish about making that deal from that sense. I don't know. I mean, you know, maybe someone inside the team would have a better understanding of that. than I would, but that's my sense from the outside. But again, you know, even if you do that kind of deal, yeah, I do think you need one more true big then, because Simmons isn't really going to be that guy. Like, let's say you play Philadelphia in the finals, for example.

Like, you're going to put Ben Simmons on Joelle and Bede? Like, no. Whereas you could put Draymond on Jewel and Bede and survive. So I do think there's that element. I just wonder what else is going to be available for them to trade. for that be they have the assets to put on the table the question is what who's going to be out there that they could get back with those assets yeah it's it's it's going to be fascinating and then you have the clippers who i'm sure you know they got to be sitting home going like if we were just

healthy we win this thing the net's probably in this in the same um because they finished so strong despite the injuries do they i it when they were down oh two to dallas it felt like they were four quarters away from Steve Ballmer just coming in and kerosene burning the whole thing down. Absolutely. But did they stand, Pat? I think they stand mostly Pat now. I think they're pretty happy with Ty Lou, so I don't see a change happening there. I think the front office is probably, you know, still going to continue.

I mean, they've done some good work there over the last few years. As long as Kauai resigns, which I don't know why he wouldn't. I don't see how that would be a change. They have some decisions to make. I mean, Reggie Jackson and Nick Batum are free agents. They've got to figure out how to either resign or replace those guys. But that basic core, Kauai, Paul George, I think that's going to stay put. They don't really have trade assets to make big deals for other pieces because, again, like the Lakers, they used it all to put together the team they have now.

So I think it's going to be a pretty stable offseason there with the Clippers, famous last words. but that's what I'm expecting right now. Yeah, it is, it is famous, famous last words. Last thing here, I do wonder, here we are, yesterday was the,

what, 11th anniversary of the decision. And I do think that one of the things, we talk about this kind of player empowerment era. And I think, I think on a daily basis, players have more power, but haven't,

hasn't some of this stuff all happened before? It does, it, like, Magic Johnson got his first coach fired. Larry Bird got his first coach fired. People forced trades in the past and forced the way out.

Kareem Abdul-Jabbar forced his way out of Milwaukee in order to get to Los Angeles. Are we in that different in era or are we only broadcasting it different? No, I do think some things have genuinely changed. I think certainly the public looks more favorably on players wanting to move themselves of different situations than 10 or 20 years ago. And I think actually the teams themselves have realized that it's in their interest to play ball with these guys when they do that because otherwise they're just going to end up leaving for nothing.

So I think things have changed. You're right, though, that it wasn't as if this never happened before. I mean, I think Moses Malone was another example, or Charles Barkley even. And so, but. Barkley, Malone, Shaq signed as a free agent, right? Like, we've had this sort of movement. It's just, I guess, because it became a TV show, maybe it was because of LeBron and his prime, right? Like, Kobe did ask out, but it wasn't, it was different.

And obviously he wasn't given that, but Jordan never left, Bird never left, magic never left, you know. So maybe that's really the change. But the rest of the stuff does feel like we've kind of. have been down this road before. Most stars at some point become disgruntive with, I mean, Carl Malone at the end of his career joined the Lakers, right, to try and chase a championship ring. That happened. Gary Payton

chased rings in Miami. I think got one in Miami, right? And chased him, uh, chased one in L.A. So we have kind of been through this before. Yeah, I think what's different now, too, they've changed some of the rules contractually so that almost all

these guys now, when they change teams, it ends up being via a trade. rather than free agency. We still have it happen with free agency. I mean, we did have Kauai. But the way the extension rules work now, especially with the new rule with the Supermaxes, I think when these guys change teams,

the vast majority of them is going to be via trade rather than just guys up and leave in a free agency. Yeah, no, it's interesting. The Supermax contract was designed so that guys could not leave. They'd stay in one place. and it ends up like guys are signing it and then they feel like they can still determine their own fate just put their heels in the ground and not play.

So it actually has the opposite of the intended effect. That's the crazy part about that one. John, really appreciate you. Join us. Thanks so much for your time. And we'll look forward to touching base as the series rolls on. All right. Thanks, Doug. 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, S&L's Mikey Day and head writer, Streeter Seidel, help an a cappella band with their between songs banter. Where does your group perform?

We do some retirement homes. Those people are starving for banter. Listen to humor me with Robert Smigel and friends on the Iheart radio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts. What's up, fam? It's Isaiah Thomas. And I'm C.J. Toledano. It's our favorite time of the year

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You know, it's all love. This was just playoffs. This was just basketball. So listen to Point Game on the Iheart Radio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts. Therapy is fantastic. But once again, it does not have a monopoly on healing. That's why I create the resources and that's why I create the community because I really just want you to have more access. On the podcast, cultivating her space, Dr. Dom and Terry Lomax create a space where black women can show up fully and be heard.

It's tough because we're suppressing our emotions and so many of us are like high achieving individuals. Listen to cultivating her space on the IHeart Radio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcast. Your husband is not who you think he is. Your body is not what you thought it was. Your identity is formed by a secret history. I'm Danny Shapiro, and these are just a few of the stunning stories I'll be exploring on the 14th season of Family Secrets. He kind of shoved me out of the way and said, move, and he went out the front door and he jumped in a car and drove off, and that was the last time I saw him. Listen to Season 14 of Family Secrets on the IHeart Radio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts.

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