The Herd with Colin Cowherd - 07/12/2021 - Best of The Herd

Episode Date: July 12, 2021

With Colin off, Nick Wright fills in to discuss the Bucks win in game 3 of the NBA Finals and why Giannis Antetokounmpo reminds Nick of a young star quarterback in the NFL right now. He’s hesitant to consider Devin Booker a “superstar” in today’s NBA after a disappointing performance in the Finals and what it takes for him to get into that elite category. He also explains why Suns head coach Monty Williams needs to stop complaining about the officiating even though it’s actually a good strategy. Plus, NBA champion Antoine Walker joins the show to tell Nick Giannis should be considered the best player in the world right now.   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. What's up, fam? It's Isaiah Thomas. And I'm C.J. Toledano. It's our favorite time of the year on our podcast point game, the playoffs. We're digging into the biggest surprises of the season. And I'm looking back on some of my greatest playoff moments. If we didn't talk ever again, I was crying.

You just understood. That's how personal it got. Wow. Then after that game seven, Mark keep coming to him. He's like, you know I love you, dog. You know, it's all love. This was just playoffs. This was just basketball. Listen to Point Game on the IHeart Radio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts. Hey, I'm Deanna Maria Riva, and on my new podcast, How Hard Can It Be? I call on my Gen X squad from Ohio to Hollywood as we navigate Midlife's most fantastic BS. Unfiltered conversations from night sweats to fupas to scheduling sex. Wait, what sex?

Is it just me or does every woman my age want to look at Pinterest instead of having sex sometimes? They say we can't polish a turn, but we're sure going to try. So let's get blunt with laughs, tears, or tears of laughter. Listen to How Hard Can It Be with Diana Maria Riva on the IHeart Radio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts. Will Ferrell's Big Money Players and IHeart Podcasts presents soccer moms. So I'm Leanne. Yeah. This is my best friend, Janet.

Hey. And we have been joined at the hips since high school. Absolutely. A redacted amount of years later, we're still joined at the hip. Just a little bit bigger hips. 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.

Why did you get hard seltzer instead of beer? Oh, they hit a bogo. Well, then you got them. Listen to soccer moms on the IHeartRadio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts. 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 iHeartRadio app by searching Herd. This is the best.

of The HARD with Colin Cowher on Fox Sports Radio. It is the herd. Colin Cowherd, if you follow him on Twitter, you know he's having some travel issues. He will be back tomorrow. Joy Taylor is here with me right now. Broussard joins us in a half hour. Ms. Taylor also traveled this weekend.

I hear through the Great Vine. Joy Taylor maybe also had some travel issues, but kept it to herself. They found a way into work. Joy, just from, following you on your mini social media platform, seemed like you were hosting a powerful women and media conference all throughout the greater Miami area

wherever the hell you were. It was you and a bunch of other superstars. Good weekend? It was a great weekend. It was Miami Swim Week. So I went to a bunch of fashion shows and did a bunch of fancy things that I did not set up. I am not the cool person.

I have to give Kelly credit for that. But it was a great weekend. And yes, the travel right now is a bit insane. insane, but I, I, I, I try not to be the person that uses Twitter to, like, complain about it, because I don't, I don't want to be that person, but only, I just feel like it's a privilege to travel. No, it is not. No, it's not. It's very, but now it's a little, that little knife to Colin's ribs. My flight did not get canceled. Okay, I just got, got, I'm going to say what happened, but I, my flight did not get canceled, so I would be much more enraged. It's understandable. But that's all,

You also went to a major American city. Colin went somewhere that I'm not even sure how it qualifies as a state. And so when his travels canceled, it's like you can covered wagon it to L.A. or you're just going to have to wait. You would have been fine. I'm also, but so, we have a lot to do. But I am so glad I'm here.

Because this show, when I'm not on it, quietly, slightly, a little bit, little anti-Yonis corner. But not today, my friends. We're going to start there. We'll get to Devin Booker in just a moment. But about a year ago on this show when I was talking to Colin, I compared Janice to Lamar Jackson. And what I said was, listen, these are obviously all-time talented guys,

unique one-of-one historically as far as how they do what they do in their sports. But they have a hole in their game that has prevented them and potentially will continue to prevent them from reaching the time. of their respective game. So I want you to follow me down a hypothetical for a moment. That hypothetical is, what if Lamar Jackson, this postseason, had gone into Arrowhead,

taken Patrick Mahomes' best shot, and not played a different game than he typically does, not thrown for 400 yards, but run for 200, passed for 150, and won. And then gone to the, the Super Bowl and did something similar. Ran for like 14 first downs, 175 yards on the ground, 125 yards through the air, and won the Super Bowl. Then Holes be damned, we would be saying, you know what? That guy right there, he's the best quarterback alive. Don't care if the way

of Holmes or Rogers do it is prettier, or there's more historical comps for it, if playing his way he had beaten the best in the game in his building, no less, and had gone on to win a championship, then it would be ludicrous to talk about what he can't do, because what he can do would have been good enough to win the championship, going through quite the gauntlet of competition in my hypothetical scenario. Well, folks, we are on the precipice of Janus Andenacompo doing exactly that. I know what Janus can't do. Everyone knows what Janus can't do. And in fact, later in the show, we're going to discuss other superstars the way we discuss Janus

to try to show how absurd so much of the discussion surrounding Janus has been. But we know what Janus can't do. But what if what he can do is simply unstoppable? That is what we're seeing. And if Janus continues this,

not only will the Bucks win the championship, but Janus will have the best claim anyone not named LeBron James has had in 15 years.

that he is in fact the best basketball player alive. We've been waiting quite some time to see who is going to take that mythical but very important mantle from LeBron. And LeBron going out in the first round, being injured for the second time in three seasons, has opened that door, despite the fact that he's currently right now the defending finals MVP.

But to be able to walk through that door, It can't just be one great playoff run like Kauai had. It certainly can't just be one amazing regular season like Yoko Chad. It's got to be all of the above. Yonis already has the regular season hardware. Yonis already has the regular season accolades. And Yonis is building a historically great postseason case. And I won't go through right here.

We'll do it in an hour. but I won't go through right here all of the eye-popping numbers from Janus. But I will give you one. 40-point games in the finals. We're numb to it because LeBron's got eight of them. But if you remove LeBron's eight,

then all of a sudden you're in a situation where in the last 15 years, there have only been seven total. And in the last 40 years, those are the only three guys with more than Janus has had in the last 96 hours. Kevin Durant, as great as he is, has scored 40 in a finals game once. Kobe Bryant, one of the eight greatest players in the history of the sport, scored 40 in a finals game once. He played in 37 of them. Janice has played in three.

His first one was when he's coming off the hyper-extended knee, and he's done it twice in the last two. Kareem did it once, bird did it once, Duncan did it once. Yonis has done it twice since you probably last called your mother. That is how you all of a sudden go from three weeks ago. Oh, my God. Yannis doesn't belong in the same league as Durant to then outplaying Durant in a game 7 in Durant's building

scoring the game-tying bucket on Durant in overtime suffering what looked like a Willis McGehy injury and then being back a week later and now I believe has his team in control of these finals now the guy who's supposed to be able to match Janus is Devin Booker. And we'll get to Booker in just a moment, but to put a pin in the Janus discussion,

when I say best player alive, if we just, we don't even have to go modern NBA era, go from Russell to now. It's a very, very short list of guys that have worn that crown. Russell and Wilt shared it in the 60s. Kareem had it for the vast majority of the 70s. Late 70s, early 80s, Dr. J. from what he did in the ABA, coming to the NBA and instantly winning league MVP, plus Moses, who won a couple, three MVP's in five years,

those two guys had it. Then Bird had it. Then Magic had it. Then Michael had it. Michael left. Akeem took it. Michael came back. He took it back.

Then it went Shaq to Duncan to LeBron. Kobe fans would argue that I should have Kobe in there from like 07 to 10. I think LeBron became the best player. live after the 48 special in Detroit, but if you want to add Kobe, that's fine. But that's less than a dozen human beings in history who have held this crown. Janus, three wins away from holding it himself. And the bucks are going to get those three wins if Devin Booker doesn't start playing better. Even if he does, they might.

And Devin Booker last night was three for 14, and he didn't play in the fourth quarter. And quietly, Devin Booker, since the game in which he broke his nose, game two against the Clippers, he's played eight games, has not shot over 50% once. In fact, in these entire playoffs, he's only shot over 50% four out of his 19 games. And in those last eight playoff games, Booker is shooting 36% from the field, less than 30% from three. and in these finals was mediocre in game one,

was bad in game three, was four for 12 in the first half of game two, but then was excellent in the second half of game two, and he and Aiton, Aiton's energy late, what Chris Paul did. It was like, okay, Booker played great, was probably the best player on his team in that game. So it got papered over a bit.

But last night he was bad, and people are acknowledging it, but not killing it. him for it. And I'm not here to kill him for it because Devin Booker is not the caliber of player that deserves to get killed for a terrible game. Now, that might sound like an indictment, but it's not. It is, and we've discussed this before, I think, on this show. It is the superstar test. Do you want to know who is and who isn't a superstar? superstar in this league, ask yourself this question. Can you have a three for 14 and have it not

be the lead or the secondary lead from that game? If you can, then you're not. So there's a, during the broadcast during these playoffs, we've had the word superstar thrown around awful liberally. Trey Young's a superstar. No, he's not, not yet. Donovan Mitchell's a superstar. No, he's not, not yet. Julius Randall superstar, not even close. Devin Booker, who I think most people are like, oh, he's better than all those guys, except for maybe Donovan, maybe including Donovan. He's clearly a superstar. No, he's not. He's a star. He is a future superstar. But when you can go three for 14, have your coach for reasons that I don't yet totally understand sit you for the entire fourth quarter

and it is not the overwhelming lead or thanks to what Janice did, secondary lead where people are eviscerating him, it means not a superstar. We know what would happen if LeBron, KD, Yonis, Kauai, Steph, those guys had that game and their team put them on the bench for the fourth quarter.

It is the story. You know why? Why? Because they're superstars. Devin Booker is an excellent player. One day will be a superstar. It's not yet. And you can tell by the lack of criticism that he's getting today. 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'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. What's up, fam? This Isaiah Thomas. And I'm C.J. Toledano and our podcast PointG game is about defining the odds. Like LeBron heading into the playoffs without Luca and Austin Reed. And finding ways to win no matter what. He's the smartest player to ever play the game.

His IQ is at a level that we've never seen before. And he knows without Luca and Austin Reeves, I got to manipulate the game. We get a player's perspective on the challenges of the playoffs. I think Joker's going to be exhausted this series because when they don't have Rudy in the lineup, he has to really guard guys like Nasree. He has to guard Julius Rand. And then he has to give us everything he gives us on the night-to-night basis on offense. And when IT's friends stop by, like Quentin Richardson, we dive into some playoff history too.

Steve Nash would get that thing. That man, hell get the flying. He run up the court, licking his fingers why he got the ball. Like, after you go through a training camp with that, Isaiah, you figure it out real quick. Get your ass up and down the court, and you're going to get the ball. So listen to Point Game on the IHeart Radio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you 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 IHart Radio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts.

Hey, it's Edwin Castro, also known as Castro 1021. And I'm Conky, his best friend and business manager. And we've got a new show called The 1021 Podcast. I'm taking you behind the scenes on how I became one of Twitch's most popular streamers. We also love sports. And with the World Cup right around the corner, we'll be breaking. down the biggest storylines ahead of the big tournament here in the USA. Listen to the 1021 podcast on the Iheart radio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your

podcasts. I'm a nerd for history. Joy's been to my home in New York and I am doing the show right now for my home in New York and I am surrounded by bookshelves that are almost entirely history books. Like basically, mostly United States history starting around 18. 1855 until about 1968. I got probably 80 books on that. And then I have said that I am going to write a book myself

about the last 50 years of the NBA. Now I've been saying that for quite some time and now the NBA is probably about to come out with a bunch of books of their own because they're about their 75th anniversary season and my book's gonna be passe and no one's gonna care. But I'm still working on it. I've actually got it all on my computer right here.

haven't quite finished the project. But I'm a nerd for history. But I also think at times we get spoiled by recent history. And so we don't understand the full context of what we're seeing. So Janus,

what he has done in these two finals games, the last two finals games, it just isn't done. And what do I mean by that? Like, okay, so what if we do, a 40-point, double double in finals

history. Can we show the full list of guys with more than one? Okay, so LeBron's got six, which is why people think it happens a lot, because LeBron's been doing it for the last decade.

But West Elgin, Havlicek, and Petit all played 50 years ago or longer. So in the last 50 years, years. The only two human beings to have more 40-point double-doubles than Janus in the last 96 hours are LeBron and Shaq. That's it. What about just 40-point finals games? Not double-d-doubles,

just 40 points in the finals. Show me everyone who has more than Janus in their careers in the last 40 years. Think about that just for a moment. That again, because LeBron has been doing it, we think it's normal. It's not normal. Kobe Bryant, 37 career finals games. One time he touched 40. KD. One time he's touched 40. Steph, one time. Kareem, one time.

In the last 15 years, if you remove LeBron and Janus, it's happened seven times. Janus has done it twice this series a week and a half ago, his knee bent in the wrong way. So it's not overstating it to say he's having one of the greatest finals ever. It's also not overstating it to say this. What Janus has done this postseason is these finals is Apex Shaquille O'Neal. show me Janice's finals average and then Shaq the three years he won finals MVP

Shacks barely got him in points and rebounds Janus has him in assists Janus has him in field goal percentage Janus has him in plus minus do you guys remember Shaq in those finals in 2000 it was Shaq making Rick Smith

want to flee back to the Netherlands in 01 it was de Kemi Ma Ma Tomo was a great player and Todd McCullough trying to deal with him. And in 2002, poor Todd McCullough has to deal with him again. That was the Nets Center in 2002. Shout out Jason Kid for getting that team to the finals back-to-back years. And Shaq every night was 35 and 15. Well, Yonnas played game one of these finals on a bulky knee, only gave you 20 and 17.

And since then, okay, ho-hum, 40-40. I just read this on Twitter. I think Justin Kubacko has. had it, players in finals history to have at least 85 points, 20 rebounds, 10 assists in back-to-back games combined. Yonis and that's the list. So it is not outlandish, prisoner of the moment to say we are witnessing history and to say we are three games away from Janis joining

we can show the last thing this group of guys and this group of guys here represent NBA royalty it's 11 guys on this list who's the worst player on it Steph

Bob Petit who was the best player of the 50s multiple MVP's and a championship forget finals MVP because then step be off it multiple MVP's and a championship. 11 guys ever.

Yonis could be the 12th. And by the way, guys, as far as the youngest players to ever have two MVPs in a title, it's Kareem and Bob Pettit, Janus would be next in line. Younger than Duncan, younger than LeBron, he was 27 when he won his first ring, younger than Jordan, who was 28 when he won his first ring.

it is it is not hyperbole at all to say we are on the precipice of witnessing history and just what he did in games two and three

are history guys don't score 40 points in the finals again LeBron's done it eight times so people think they do in the last 15 years take LeBron out

and take Janus out has happened seven times seven Be sure to catch live editions of the herd weekdays in noon Eastern 9 a.m. Pacific. Hey, I'm John Middlecoff, and I host the three and out podcast. Do you like football? Do you like the NFL? Do you like the NFL draft? Quarterbacks, coaches.

Well, I talk about it all on the show. I used to work for Andy Reid as a scout. Now I give you my unfiltered and raw opinions on everything that goes on the NFL. And you know we're talking college football because of how important the draft is year round. Listen to the three and out podcast. with me, John Middlecom, on the Iheart radio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcast. Imagine an Olympics where doping is not only legal, but encouraged. It's the enhanced games.

Some call it grotesque. Others say it's unleashing human potential. Either way, the podcast's Superhuman documented it all, embedded in the games and with the athletes for a full year. Within probably 10 days, I'd put on 10 pounds. I was having trouble stopping the muscle growth. Listen to Superhuman on the I-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 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 nest was going to be. Mood swings, night sweats, fupas, sex drive.

Wait, what sex? Dating at 45. How can it be getting naked at 50 with the new guy? That one's kind of hard. 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. What's up, fam, it's Isaiah Thomas. And I'm CJ Toledano, and our podcast Point Game is about defying the odds. Like LeBron heading into the playoffs without Luca and Austin Reed.

And finding ways to win no matter what. He's the smartest player to ever play the game. His IQ is at a level that we've never seen before. And he knows without Luca and Austin Reeves, I got to manipulate the game. We get a player's perspective on the challenges of the playoffs. I think Joker's going to be exhausted this series because when they don't have Rudy in the lineup,

he has to really guard guys like Nas Reid. He has to guard Julius Randall. And then he has to give us everything he gives us on the night-to-night basis on offense. And when IT's friends stop by, like Quentin Richardson, we dive into some playoff history too. Steve Nash will get that thing. That man, hell get the flying.

He running up the court, licking his fingers why he got the ball. Like, after you go through a training camp with that, Isaiah, you figure it out real quick. Oh, yeah. Get your ass up and down the court, and you're going to get the ball. So listen to Point Game on the IHeart Radio app,

Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts. If you're watching the latest season of the Real Housewives of Atlanta, you already know there's a lot to break down. She's accusing Kelly of sleeping with the merry men. 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 Housewives 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. Antoine Walker. His daughter is a superstar athlete. Antoine was a superstar athlete. He should have gotten his take on it. He's going to join us right now. Broughts you by Mercedes.

the best or nothing. Antoine, you don't want your wonderful daughter all of a sudden have greater career than you had. A good one, not a better one than you. Be honest. Be honest, Twan. I got to keep some leverage. She's prettier than me, so she gives more attention than I get. I appreciate the honesty. There you go. Got to keep some leverage. All right. Let's start on the losing side for a moment. Were you surprised Devin Booker didn't see the court in the fourth quarter? What do you make of his struggles aside from the second half of game two in this series? Well, I thought I was surprised to see him not playing the fourth quarters just because you wanted to see him obviously start to see the ball going to basket. And I think any time you start for fourth quarter, you want to see if you can chip into their lead and make a little run to see if you got a chance to get back into the game.

So that's what I was more surprised about. And not to say that the Phoenix hasn't been great all season along and through the playoffs, but This guy has to get it going. So I thought that Manti Williams would go back to him. But I'm not terribly concerned with his performance last night. He's been pretty consistent throughout the playoffs. But one thing about, and I said this earlier, one thing about Devin Booker, he's a tough match us for him.

Coming off that Clipper series, with Patrick Beverly really guarded really well. And now you have multiple defenders. PJ Tucker is guarding him. Holiday, Milton. These guys are not giving him a lot of airspace. They're not letting him get a lot of easy looks. And that comes with something, that's going to be some rough shooting night.

But Devin Booker, he's going to have to get out in transition, try to get some layup, or he's going to have to try to get to the foul line. When that jump shot's not going, you've got to see that bar go through the back thing. And the best way to do that is get to the free throw line or get a layup to get itself going. So he can have that big night. Rely on your jump shot, it becomes really tough to do that night in the night out. Do you, I mention this on the show today, morning, but not when you were on.

Remember a couple of years ago when Jason Tatum, his efficiency kind of out of nowhere dipped, and it was right around the time he was, you know, publicly embracing the relationship with Kobe and trying to seemingly model his game against Kobe, or after Kobe. And now we've seen Devin Booker. They've made a big thing about the be legendary and the relationship he had with the late great Kobe Bryant. I'm curious as a player. So Kobe had, you know, a Hall of Fame mentality, obviously,

that I think almost every player would benefit from taking from. But Kobe's part of what made him a cyber mentality, one of the greatest players ever was, he made impossible shots look easy. Like Kobe's shot selection wasn't great. What made him great was that he could make them. When you see a guy like book, it does feel to me like he's taking a lot of Kobe shots.

And as good as Booker is, he's obviously not Kobe. And I don't think that's, I don't think that's necessarily going to lend itself to the efficiency the sons are going to need from him. He's a tough shot maker. I think, you know, when we talk about tough shot makers in the league, I think Steph is probably the toughest, you know, Steph is the best bad shot maker we've ever seen.

And I think that's what allows people about Steph. But one thing about Devon Booker in relation with Kobe, I think, has got his toughness. you see that the competitive drive that he has, the toughness that he has, playing through that broken nose. That may play a little part in his officer's struggles as well. Never have my nose broken,

but you get you getting that thing hit consistently throughout the game. Obviously, you see he doesn't want to wear it bad. So we don't know if that's a problem. But I think one thing with Devin Booker is, and sometimes you've got to make the game easy for yourself. And Chris Paul is a great point guard, and he can do that. But as a player, sometimes you've got to figure out like, how can I get out this slump?

How can I get, be more consistent? And that's something that he's going to have to figure out as he grows as a player. But if you're watching the series, everything is jump shot, everything is mid-range, everything is one dribble pull up. So you got to mix it up a little bit. It's a lot of film. And at this time, players are studying you when they're going home. So you've got to change your game up a little bit to get going. And this is his first go-around at it.

So he'll get better, but they cannot win this series with him. I'm having on 10 point. Antoine Walker with us, of course. Antoine, two teams in the last 40 years have come back from O2 down in the finals to win the title. Famously, obviously LeBron in 2016, down O2 and then down 3-1. And then you guys in 2006. And I know some of the audience associates you almost exclusively with the Celtics,

but not only did you play with the heat in 06, you started every single playoff game in that championship run. You guys were down O2, and then won fours, straight games. Shaq was excellent that season for the heat and he was good in the finals, but that was the Dwayne Wade finals. At what point during the finals did you as a teammate realize, oh my God, Dwayne is going to another level and are you seeing something similar right now with Yannis? Well, I think when we play with Dwayne, it's probably game three. He kind of willed us to a win and we knew that, hey, this guy's having a special series.

as Shaq always, you always said Shaq said others. Myself and Gary Payton and Jay Will, James Posey, Edinus Hasdom, had to do our jobs. We knew that we had a guy that can get it done on the offensive end, but we got to do all the little things. And that's score, rebound, play defense, and that's what made our run really really special. I think for Janice and what he's doing right now, and I've been very critical in Janus myself personally and it's offensive game. But I think you see improvements.

And the improvement comes, it's not taking bad shots last night. I thought that was the most impressive part. Getting to the basket, wanting to get fouled, getting to the foul line, making his fritos. That's the difference in what you're saying in final genre. He's not afraid to attack the basket knowing that he struggled from the line. And if he continues to do that, sky's the limit how good it could be. Nick, you got to put. Could you imagine if this guy gets a 15 to 17 footer when his skill set that he already has in place?

I mean, now we're talking about you putting them in the conversations with LeBron and Michael Jordan and Kobe as one of the greatest players of all times. So this is unbelievable to watch him work because he's been so efficient and putting this team on his back after horrific injury that we didn't know what was going to happen. And we were just hoping that he plays in game three. And now this guy's on the verge of trying to pick this team to win a championship. All right, so I'll let you out of here on this one because you, I believe, like I did, the bucks in seven. You didn't waver after two games when they were down 02. Let's say Janus during this

series, he obviously won't, doesn't all of a sudden add the 17-footer. That he just, it plays, you know, stays to be the same player, but it's enough and they win the title. And you're right, you have been a guy that's been critical of him at times. If they win the title and Janus keeps up around this level of performance, will you consider him the best player in the league? I think LeBron's the best player in the league still right now. I'm not ready to give that title over to him. But the conversation definitely changes now because now you're talking about a guy,

and I think this is for the world. They play in Milwaukee. We don't get to see Yonis play 45 times on national TV during the season, like you see a KD and LeBron James. So now it's just like it's coming out party. Yes, he is the two-time MVP. People know how good he is, but people don't really know because now they get to see it on the big stage.

so the commentation does change. I think he jumps, he leapsed strong in that top three category with him, Kevin Durant and LeBron as the top three guys in the league. And whoever you like more, obviously, Nick, you will be LeBron. You know, it's a bunch of KD fans out there. And then you got Yonis. So, you know, it'll be those three guys, Kali. This guy is 26 years old.

So he's got an opportunity right now with a pretty good team. If they continue to add guys and guys get better, They can have a terrific run right now with Yonis being one of the best players in the league. Well, Antoine, you said I'll be with LeBron. If Yonis wins the title, I'll call him the best player in the world. LeBron lost in round one and was dinged up and I'll give LeBron that credit. Also, it really works. Whenever the world calls someone else the best player in the world,

LeBron responds the next year by winning the title. 2015, everyone gave it to staff, so LeBron came back to 2016 and won the title. Last year, you were like, oh, it's Kauai Leonard. Ron came back by winning the title. So, yeah, no, I'll give it to Janus if they finish it off. I think he'll have earned it. There's the great Antoine Walker. Antoine, thank you, as always.

You had to deal with me twice today. Nobody signs up for that. I appreciate you, bro. All right, thank you, Nick. 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.

The officiating of the NBA finals, last night, Janus took more free throws than the entire Sun. Monty Williams has some thoughts on it. I'm not going to get into the complaining publicly about files. Just not going to do that, but you can look, you know, we had 16 free throws tonight. One person had 17. So, you know, DA is we've got to learn from that. We've got to beat guys to the spot.

And he'll grow from this. I promise you he will. Okay, that's a good job. by Monty Williams, pardon me, trying to prime the officials for game four. The problem is this, though. The reason the Sons are not getting foul calls is because all year long they didn't get foul calls because they're a jump shooting team. And the reason Yannis shot 17 free throws was because he was constantly attacking. I would challenge Monty Williams or any Sons fans that's upset to try to go find the foul that was called against Janus

that wasn't a foul. There was one play where Janice fouled Devin Booker on a rebound. That went uncalled. Then Macau Bridges came in and fouled Janus, and they called that. But Janice got these free throws because he was getting hacked. He didn't get the free throws 20 feet away from the basket on a rip-through move.

The sons of the 16 teams in the playoffs, They're 16th and three-throw rate. It's just not their game. And it's not as if a bunch of bucks are going to the line. Hell, going into last night's game, there had been nine total free-throw shot by all the players on the bucks aside from Yonis. Yonis is just constantly attacking,

and there's no one on Phoenix that can guard him. Now, I think this is money well spent by money. If he does get fined, I think more coaches should. should do this. I said Bud should have done it after game one. But the referees called a fair game yesterday. It just is one guy is constantly going to the rim and the other guy, the other team has a bunch of guys taking pull-up jump shots. Why, Janus is like Lamar Jackson, but that could be a great thing. Next. Be sure to catch live editions of the herd weekdays at noon Eastern 9 a.m. Pacific on Fox Sports Radio, FS1, and the IHeard Radio.

app. Rip Buker's going to join us to talk NBA Finals game one. In fact, let's do it right now. He's brought to you by Mercedes-Benz, the best or nothing. All right, Rick, you and I, actually, I didn't realize this until a moment ago. We had the same finals prediction, which was Bucs in seven with the small caveat of if Yannis doesn't play, all bets are off. No, you're not picking the bucks if Yonis doesn't play. I want to go back to all the way back to a week ago. I thought the best case scenario was Janus was back for game three. Can you contextualize the fact that not only did he come back for game one, but seemingly by game two, he's playing some of the best basketball of his career?

Yeah, I can't, well, I just can't get over the fact that seeing the video of him hyper extending his knee the way that he did, that he came. back, played game one, played game two with seemingly no effect. Now, the way that he is playing, I saw glimpses of that during the regular season. It's why I put him at the top of my MVP ballot MVP ballot for the first time this year, because I saw him doing things that I thought were important for an MVP to do. The numbers were always there. The numbers were always there. The record of the bucks was always there. But there are certain things that a guy has to do when he has to do them and how he does them that I thought had been missing up until I saw them this season.

Now, what I am seeing in this series is all of that coming together. We're not just seeing glimpses. We're seeing him demand the ball. We're seeing him demand accountability of his teammates. and perhaps the most important thing that I'm seeing is that he is catching and operating below the free throw line. It reminds me of your favorite player, LeBron James, when he went to the Miami Heat. And the first thing they did, particularly after they lost the first year, was LeBron, we need you to play free throw line down. We need you to operate from the midpost.

We need you to play pick and roll with Dwayne Wade where you're the roller. in some instances. And it opened everything up for LeBron. Because let's face it, whether it's LeBron or Janus, once they get two feet in the paint, I don't know that there's a defender that you can match up with them where you can stop them from getting a quality shot. So I'm seeing the same development. His fearlessness in wanting to get to the free throw line rather than avoiding contact, his ability to get the ball and protect it and get into the paint.

We're seeing it here. Once he gets there and now he draws a crowd, now it's going to open it up for everybody else. I'm seeing him do that consistently now on the biggest stage. And so this is what I saw a little bit of during the regular season, and now we're seeing it full force. That he's doing it after he got injured. I can't explain that.

But the reality is that I always knew that the seed was there. So Rick, sometimes we watch playoff series. and maybe we're wrong, but we think, oh, this adjustment is right there. Do this. Why won't you do this? Take Kendrick Perkins off the floor, Scott Brooks to go back a decade ago. Like we're like, we're begging. I'm watching the series, and I also watch Sun's Bucks in the regular season,

and I'm just like, there's no, it's not to say the Suns can't win the series. I pick the Bucks, I think they'll win, but the Suns obviously can. But there's no, I don't see an adjustment to stop Yonis. I feel like you just hope that his. 40 is not enough. Do you see something sitting there for the suns to do to slow him down? I don't simply because if you put Jay Crowder on him, he's demonstrated that he's physical enough, he can get into the paint and hit that jump hook over him. If it's DeAndre Aiton, he's going to face up and he's going to attack him. Now, you can try to make him play in a crowd.

I suppose you can try to double team him, but that's the beauty of catching the ball in the mid-post. is it's really difficult to double team there and not leave wide open three-point shooters. The best move that they could try to make is to say we're going to make somebody else beat us. We're going to stop Janus. We're going to double team him. We're going to send double teams at different times. We're going to confuse the floor. And we're going to force him to give the ball up and make somebody else beat us.

The tricky part with that is the buck's got a nice little test on the ability to play without Janus with Drew Holiday and Chris Middleton having to carry the water against Atlanta. So if it comes to that, it's not as if that's going to be brand new for the Milwaukee Bucks. Do you think, let's say prior to these last 72 hours, the way Janus has been discussed has been in line with the other great players. By that I mean, when people are talking about you mentioned my guy, LeBron, I'll mention a guy from your neck of the woods, Steph. Nobody does step-curry commentary like this. Listen, Steph, he's the greatest shooter ever. Now, obviously, he stinks in the low post and he can't play above the rim.

But he is the great, it feels to me like with Janus, even when folks have been complimenting him, they throw in the thing he can't do. Which we didn't do that with Shaq. It wasn't like Shaq's so dominant. Now, can't shoot a jump shot, save his life. Or it seems like you disagree, which is totally fair. Do you think Janus gets disgust the way, because every guy, except for LeBron, let's be honest,

has a hole in their game. And then, but we don't focus on those when we're complimenting them the way we have with Janus. Look, Nick, you know this better than anyone. Even LeBron takes his criticism. It's just a different type of criticism. And Steph gets his criticism. It's just a different type of criticism.

with Shaq. It was Shaq. He's not always in shape. He doesn't always play hard. It was the conditioning. And so, and LeBron, he's not clutch, whatever, staff, he can't defend. He got two championships because Kevin Durant was the best player. The top guy, people are always going to try to pick holes in who they are. The distinction is with Janus, and I believe that it is a valid one, is that unlike, and if you look at, let's face it, the guys that he was competing for MVP with, a James Harden. A James Hardin is a closer and a score, a guy you put the ball into his hands and say, go get me something. Until recently, we didn't see that with Janus, and Yonis seemed to be okay with it. Like, oh, you want Chris Middleton to close games? Okay. And that doesn't sit well. with people when they're voting for him as most valuable player. That to me is the great distinction.

And I think it was game two, where I thought it was the revelation, even though they lost. He took seven mid-range jumpers and made five of them. He was inside, he was getting clawed, and he was still trying to get the ball up to get a shot, knowing it would get him to the free throw line. Those sound like really simple things, but they were things that he was. would not do consistently. He did not trust his mid-range jumper, even when it was there to be taken, would not consistently take it, would look to kick it out, and he wouldn't try to get to the free throw line no matter how he was shooting. Those are two important elements. As we know, James Hardin loves to get to the free throw line, is never going to pass up a shot that he thinks that he can take.

And so that is the great distinction, and that was the great criticism. And up until now, Being a two-time MVP, that was a valid criticism. Dude, if you're the best player, then you need to take the shot with the game on the line. And much like my criticism with LeBron at times, you're the most physically imposing guy. You're the most difficult matchup. I don't want you throwing it to Kyle Corver if you have a look. If you're totally bottled, I get it. If you have a look, I want you taking that shot.

Janus has taken a page from the same book, and that's why I think the criticism was valid and why he deserves the plot it's now, because he's a different Janus that we're seeing than we've ever seen before. One more Janus question than I got a Devin Booker one, and I'll let you go. Let's say the Bucks finish it all,

that they end up winning the title. They win three of the next four. Do you think Janus will justifiably go into next season consider the best player in basketball. If he continues to play the way he has the last two games, I don't see how you can't. Now, it's going to be a little bit different because the three-point shot has just become such a hallmark

of anybody that we consider the best player. If it's not Steph, it's KD, if it's not KD, LeBron has that in his bag. And that's not part of what Yannis is. He's a different animal when it comes to that. But, look, if he continues to play the way he's playing right now, it will mean that he won this series definitively. And I don't know that we've ever been able to say that about Janice Antecompo and the Milwaukee Bucks. And if it's Janus is the reason that the Milwaukee Bucks won the NBA finals, I don't see how you put him anywhere other than at the top of the mountain.

Yeah, but at age 24, he wins a league MVP, and age 25, he wins a league MVP and a defensive player of the year. And at age 26, he wins a finals MVP. That's how you become the best player alive. And the guy who I've said, the guy who I, you know, obviously argued for 13 years been the best guy, if that same year he goes out in round one

and gets dinged and does not have a great playoff series, seems fair. And a lot of people would argue Durant, and as brilliant as Durant was, Yanis beat Durant in his building in a game seven. when Durant was up 2-0 and up 3-2, and I know there was a, listen, I know that dealt with injuries, but it's just a strong case that Janus would have that I think would be pretty, you know, bulletproof as far as logical.

All right, last one, Booker, doesn't play in the fourth quarter, has actually struggled. Since the game he broke his nose, he's shooting 36%. That's eight games. 28% from three over those eight games. Your level of concern for Booker for the rest of the series, your thoughts on him being sat for the fourth quarter? Devin, to me, is a superstar scorer. Not a superstar.

And I go all the way back to the clip. We all know about the clip where he's playing in the offseason and they double team him. And he's like, hey, we don't double team and pick up. And I don't look at that as some referendum on he doesn't like to be double-teamed or he doesn't like to work hard, it's none of that. But if you don't like to be double-teen, it's because I want to show you that I can score.

And on the very first play of game three, Drew Holliday defended him tough. And Devin Booker was like nodding, oh yeah, okay, let me show you. In the NBA finals, I don't care, Devin, whether you score or not. It's not how you score. It's how you play. If your shot's not falling, how else can you affect the game? And that's where we talk about holes in games.

That's where Devin needs to evolve. In that if the ball's not going in when I shoot it, which every player has knights like that, how else can I affect the game? Right now, Devin Booker, when he does not score, he is not a superstar in the making or does not have a superstar effect on the result. And that's where he needs to evolve.

And I'll be interested. I mean, he got a lot of PJ Tucker. I don't think PJ Tucker should be able to guard Devin Booker. I think that some of what Devin suffered from in game three had more to do with Devin than anything that the Milwaukee Bucks did. I believe he's still an emotional player, the way he plays. And that's not a good recipe for being consistent or successful in the NBA finals because the emotions are already high enough.

Yeah. Huge game for him, Game 4. All of these games are the biggest games of almost all these guys' career, none more so than Devin Booker, this upcoming game 4. Rick Buehuecher, Rick, great stuff as always. Appreciate you, man. My pleasure. Another podcast from some SNL late-night comedy guy,

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What's up, fam, it's Isaiah Thomas. And I'm C.J. Toledano. It's our favorite time of the year on our podcast, Pointeat, game, the playoffs. We're digging into the biggest surprises of the season. And I'm looking back on some of my greatest playoff moments. If we didn't talk ever again, I was part of you. You just understood.

That's how personal it got. Wow. Then after that game seven, Marquis come until he's like, you know I love you, dog. 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.

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