The Herd with Colin Cowherd - 07/21/2021 - Best of The Herd

Episode Date: July 21, 2021

Colin praises the Milwaukee Bucks for winning the NBA Finals last night and Giannis for showing us he's the most physically unique player. Super teams make for a great movie billboard and star-studded casting list, but they never turn into that long of a movie. Packers are on the same doorstep as the Bucks are to win a championship, the only difference is Giannis works hard to win while Rodgers is working hard to get out of Green Bay. Plus, Colin hands out his NBA Finals Report Cards! Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

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

Where does your group perform? We do some retirement homes. Those people are starving for banter. Listen to humor me with Robert Smigel and friends on the IHeart Radio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts. Imagine an Olympics where doping is not only legal, but encouraged. It's the enhanced games. Some call it grotesque. Others say it's unleashing human potential. Either way, the podcast's superhuman documented it all, embedded in the games and with the athletes for a full year.

Within probably 10 days, I'd put on 10 pounds. I was having trouble stopping the muscle growth. Listen to Superhuman on the IHard Radio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts. A win is a win. A win is a win. I don't care which I'm saying. Yep, that's me, Clifford Taylor the 4th. You might have seen the skits, my basketball and college football journey,

or my career in sports media. Well, now I'm bringing all of that excitement to my brand new podcast, The Clifers Show. This is a place for raw, unfilled conversations with athletes, creators, and voices that not only deserve to be heard, but celebrated. So let's get to it. Listen to the Clifford show on the I Heart Radio app,

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

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

Thanks for listening to The 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 Heard. This is the best of the herd with Colin Cowher on Fox Sports Radio. Oh, here we go on a glorious Wednesday. Live in Los Angeles, it's the herd. Wherever you may be and however you may be listening. We're on IHeart Radio, Fox Sports Radio, and FS1, six games, five of which were completely utterly captivating, astonishingly close.

Two very good teams, one a little less flawed, bigger and stronger than the other. And Joy Taylor is joining me. The herd brought to you by Jersey Mike Subs, B.S. Up Above. Quite a series we watched. Amazing. It was a really, really fun series. I don't know how you watched that and not enjoy it. I mean, my team wasn't in it.

I loved every second of it. Yeah, I was the same way. You know, they call him the Greek freak. And he is unique. there are those handful of players. Not all great superstars are like this. There's been a handful. First time I saw a player like Janus was wilt.

He wore a headband. He was just more athletic than everybody in the 70s. Then it was Dr. J. I mean, as good as Kobe was, I'd seen it before. It was called MJ. But Janus is absolutely unique. Long and agile. He'll run guards down.

Beat him down the floor. The Greek freak. But, you know, there's something else about him. He just plays harder than everybody else. He plays with this optimistic joy. There's no drama with him. He's like an eight-year-old playing basketball for the first time. You want to tell him, hey, slow down.

There's four quarters here. Even the greatest players coast at times take possessions off, not Janus. And a lot of the great current players have something about their game, which appears to be an obstacle. KD and A.D. and A.D. can't stay healthy. Kawhi is nonverbal. Sometimes just disappears. Kyrie's got an erratic personality. Hardin doesn't give you much on the defensive end. And LeBron, frankly, has been great, but he's old. Yonis has one hole. It's that free throw thing. And last night, he was Larry Bird. He's 26 and only getting better.

Here's something else I like about Janus. And I like new stuff, but I like old school too. He only follows seven people on Twitter. His mother, his three brothers, his fiance, and this is funny, Elon Musk, plus Kobe. Janus is an old soul at 26. He's not brand obsessed. He's not Twitter obsessed. He leaves politics to everybody else.

He's not part of the giant American basketball machine. He feels like an outsider. And for all his utterly amazing physical gifts, there are two other things, and I'm not sure anybody other than his parents get credit for them. He's humble and he's grateful. He's truly different. It's about family.

It's about loyalty. It's about trustworthiness. It's about Milwaukee. When's the last time we said that in the NBA? It's all about Milwaukee. I like Janice. I never really thought he was a face of the league. He just didn't want to be.

He didn't seem to interest him. but in sort of a backdoor way, a unique way, not the American basketball machine way, he is now the face of the league. He offers things, I hear this, well, you know, it'd be better if he played in New York or L.A. I've got to tell you, I think it would be fun to play with Yonis. He doesn't need to take the final shot. You don't, if you play with Yonis, have to be the rim protector. That's hard work.

He'll do that. You don't have to guard the best guy. No, he'll do that. He's not going to get hurt in the middle of the season, and you have to carry the team for six weeks while he's out. He seemingly never gets hurt. He's coachable. He's likable.

He values stuff that my entire life has worked in every business I've been in. Work hard. There's a little American dream, not to be corny, but there's a little American dream to Janus. If you come to America and you've got talent and you work really, really hard, you'll fail. Initially, you don't have the connections, perhaps, of somebody born here. And then you'll fail again. And you may fail again.

But if you're optimistic and you persevere and you're coachable and you're trustable and you care about the things that truly matter, America is a great place. And this morning, and I've never said this before, in the NBA, there's no place like Milwaukee. Here's Yonnas. Just believe what you're doing, keep working. You know, don't let nobody tell you what you can be or what you cannot do. You know, people told me I can't make free throws.

I made my free throws tonight. And I'm a freaking champion. I made them not supposed to make it. You know, but I'm joking. actually I'm not but I just believe I hope I give people around the world

from Africa, from Europe give them hope that it can be done it can be done I like that message now the question this morning is it Janice's league is he the best player

well yes this morning he's driving the car everybody including Laurent is in the back seat. Is he the best player? Well, I've been watching this league for 40 years. He is the most physically dominating. The greatest player in the NBA, and it's something you usually hold for about

seven to ten years, the truly great players in this league, they have a style or a play, and when you watch it, you think, oh, nobody else could do that. The first player I really saw it with was Dr. Jay. Dr. Jay had enormous hands. He had a very free-flowing game.

It was very fluid. And Dr. Jay, we'll show you an old piece of tape, would come down the floor. And he would do things that I'd never seen even great players do. He would swoop under the basket. He was the first player that drew me to the NBA. I'd never seen baseball players or football players. I'd never seen soccer players. I've never really seen an athlete do stuff like that.

I remember as a kid trying to palm the ball for years, and I couldn't. Dr. J was the kind of player that you would watch him play, and then you would go outside. I did to my basket, and I would try to do Dr. J stuff, and the ball would come out of my hands and roll into the yard. And then after that, there was Michael Jordan. Michael Jordan had a handful of moves. Remember when he switched hands?

Not even Dr. Jay did that. Michael Jordan had a series of plays. Not many. We know he's the greatest ever, right? But a series of plays, you can just say the switch hands play. And it's Michael Jordan. There's nobody else like that. There's other players who have done things.

Magic Johnson, Showtime Lakers, when he would hold the ball in one hand on the fast break and pass. Shaq the Alleyoop. I always thought that was so fitting for Shaquille O'Neal. Not only the Alleyoop, because a lot of Biggs can do that, but you not only got the dunk, but you got his personality all in three seconds. That is the play of Shaq's career. It sums up him and his dominating game.

I'd never seen anybody do that. By the way, I was sitting 12 feet behind the basket. Steph Curry taking 32 shots. LeBron James running down the floor. Remember, LeBron is a power forward for almost all of my life. Power forwards rebounded, and that was about it. They did not chase down guards 94 feet and block the ball. Not every star has this.

Dr. Jay had it. Shaq had it. Magic had it. Michael had it. LeBron has it. And when I think of Janus, there are two plays in this series. He was clearly the best player, but two iconic plays that I think right now nobody else could do. The first is this block.

To go from defending the ball handler to the block and this Aleoup running past guards on the floor, this is a seven-footer. This was, in our eyes initially, a center. These are the kind of physically game-changing, unique, iconic plays that the all-time physical greats have. And I do believe Janus is in that category. Nobody can quite physically do what he can do today. Does that qualify you as the best player? It qualifies you as the most physically unique and dominating player.

And I think it needs to be said this morning. For the last 15 years, it always felt like LeBron had another gear he can shift to. This morning, I don't think he can shift to those two gears. Want more herd? The herd streams 24 hours a day, seven days a week, within the IHeart Radio app. Search herd to listen live or on demand whenever you'd like. Imagine an Olympics where doping is not only legal but encouraged. It's the enhanced games.

Some call it grotesque. Others say it's unleashing human potential. Either way, the podcast's Superhuman documented it all, embedded in the games and with the athletes for a full year. Within probably 10 days, I'd put on 10 pounds. I was having trouble stopping the muscle growth. Listen to Superhuman on the IHard Radio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts.

A win is a win. A win is a win. I don't care what you're saying. Yep, that's me. Cliver Taylor the 4th. You might have seen the skits, the reactions, my journey from basketball to college football, or my career in sports media. Well, somewhere along the way, this platform became bigger than I ever imagined.

And now I'm bringing all of that excitement to my brand new podcast, The Clifford Show. This is a place for raw, unfiltered conversations with some of your favorite athletes, creators, and voices that not only deserve to be heard, but celebrated. One week, I'll take you behind the scenes of the biggest moments in sports and entertainment, and the next we'll talk about life, mental health, purpose, and even music. The Clifford Show isn't just a podcast, it's a space for honest conversations, stories that don't always get told, and for people who are chasing something bigger. So if you've ever supported me or you're just chasing down a dream, this is right where you need to be.

Listen to the Clifford show on the IHeart Radio app, Apple Podcast, or wherever you get your podcast. And for more behind the scenes, follow at Clifford and at TikTok Podcast Network on TikTok. Do you remember when Diana Ross double-tapped Little Kim's boobs at the VMAs? Or when Kanye said that George Bush didn't like black people. I know what you're thinking. What the hell does George Bush got to do with Little Kim? Well, you can find out on the Look Back at it podcast. I'm Sam Jett.

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

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

For me, it's one of the most important years for black people in American history. Listen to look back at it on the IHeart Radio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your Podcasts. Welcome to my new podcast, Learn the Hard Way with me, your host, and your favorite therapist, Kear Games. And in recognition of mental health awareness month,

I'm bringing over a decade of my own experience in the mental health field and conversations with so many incredible guests. I'm talking, Tripp Fontaine, Ryan Clark. Sometimes when we're in the pursuit of the thing, we get so wrapped up in the chase that we don't realize that we are in possession of the thing. And we're still chasing it.

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

And that's two different levels of trust. I want you to just really be a good person. Join me, Kear Gaines, as we have real conversations about healing, growth, fatherhood, pressure, and purpose on my new podcast, learn the hard way. Open your free, our heart radio app, Search learn the hard way and listen now.

So it would be strange and unexpected if a meteor hit your house. That would be strange. It would not be strange if you got sunburnt because you fell asleep August 15th in a deck chair with no SP 30 on. That would not be strange. That's what happened. I'm hearing a lot of this this morning. Milwaukee got some strange breaks. everybody was hurt.

No, that stuff, that's what happens to Kyrie and Kauai. I heard this, Brooklyn, I mean, if it wasn't the fact that blankety blank got hurt for Brooklyn, yeah, but they always do. Katie's always hurt and Kyrie's always hurt. And Hardin came in out of shape and they played eight total games. What happened to Brooklyn was not strange. That's who they were all year, never healthy. Well, I mean, Ben Simmons and Embed,

disintegrated. That's who Ben Simmons is. He's not the meteor. He's the sunburn. He disintegrates. He doesn't communicate. He doesn't work on his shot. I mean, one of the reasons I don't have the Clippers winning next year. I don't trust Kauai's health or personality. You do get credit for being big, strong, and healthy, and you do get docked for getting hurt a lot. A.D. And KD. Listen, Milwaukee's not a Picasso. I joke with Joy the other morning off the air. They can literally outplay you for a half and be up by eight. I mean, Drew Holiday has nights like last night he can't shoot.

Chris Middleton's hot and cold. Yonnes and his free throws. You know, they have awful quarters last night in the second quarter where they look like a bottom five team in the league. They're not a Picasso, but they're a champion. And by the way, they didn't get every break. Yonis got hurt. they lost a starting guard right before the playoffs, Dante de Vincenzo. He averaged double digits.

They frankly got a weird playoff run. So they had to open with the heat who beat them last year. You think, oh, they'd be in their head. Then they played the favored nets. And then they played a team in Atlanta that totally playing with house money. And then they played a fast finesse team in Phoenix, which ran through the West and swept Denver. So, like, it was a weird playoff team of small teams and quick teams and teams with nothing to lose and teams with stars and a team that beat you last year and they lost on Devenzo and Janice got hurt. And the bottom line is Milwaukee earned this thing.

They stayed healthy. There was no drama. They remained coachable. You do get value. I picked Milwaukee to win two months ago. Joy is my witness. And I said two reasons why. Number one, there'll be no pressure because we've dismissed them.

them. And number two is none of their guys get hurt. And in a condensed season, we were watching everybody get hurt. And I thought, well, M. B'll probably get hurt. And AD will probably get hurt. And Kowal probably get hurt. And then even Donovan Mitchell got hurt and Jamal Murray got hurt. And pretty soon you looked up in Milwaukee wasn't hurt because of the hard work enough of Yonis. When he did get hurt, his body miraculously rebounded in 48 hours. So I don't want to hear about Brooklyn. If I had to live all year with Brooklyn talk. Oh, if Brooklyn was healthy, they're not. That's not who they are.

The whole season, they played eight games together. Kyrie wasn't healthy in college. He wasn't healthy in Cleveland. He wasn't healthy in Boston. He wasn't healthy in Brooklyn. That's who he is. Hardin, a little bit of a vagabond, came in out of shape. And KD, as much as I like him, was coming off a major injury.

You had to bake in. He probably wouldn't play every game this year. to catch live editions of the herd weekdays in noon eastern 9 a.m. Pacific. Hey, I'm Doug Gottlieb. The podcast is called All Ball. We usually talk all basketball all the time, but it's more about the stories about what made these people love their sport and all the interesting interactions along the way. We talk to coaches. We talk to players. We tell you stories. You download it. You listen to it. I think you like it. Listen to All Ball with Doug Gottlieb on the Iheart radio app, Apple Podcast.

or wherever you get your podcast. Imagine an Olympics where doping is not only legal but encouraged. It's the enhanced games. Some call it grotesque. Others say it's unleashing human potential. Either way, the podcast's Superhuman documented it all, embedded in the games and with the athletes for a full year. Within probably 10 days, I'd put on 10 pounds.

I was having trouble stopping the muscle growth. Listen to Superhuman on the I-Hard radio app. Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts. A win is a win. A win is a win. I don't care what I'm saying. Yep, that's me, Clifford Taylor the 4th. You might have seen the skits, the reactions,

my journey from basketball to college football, or my career in sports media. Well, somewhere along the way, this platform became bigger than I ever imagined. And now I'm bringing all of that excitement to my brand new podcast, The Clifford Show. This is a place for raw, unfiltered conversations with some of your favorite athletes, creators,

and voices that not only deserve to be heard, but celebrated. One week, I'll take you behind the scenes of the biggest moments in sports and entertainment, and the next we'll talk about life, mental health, purpose, and even music. The Clifford Show isn't just a podcast, it's a space for honest conversations, stories that don't always get told, and for people who are chasing something bigger. So, if you've ever supported me or you're just chasing down a dream, this is right where you need to be. Listen to The Cliverts Show on the IHeart Radio app, Apple Podcast, or wherever you get your podcast.

And for more behind the scenes, follow at Clifford and at TikTok Podcast Network on TikTok. Do you remember when Diana Ross double-tap Little Kim's boobs at the VMAs? Or when Kanye said that George Bush didn't like black people. I know what you're thinking. What the hell does George Bush got to do with Little Kim? Well, you can find out on the Look Back at it podcast. I'm Sam Jette. And I'm Alex English.

Each episode, we pick it here, unpack what went down, and try to make sense of how we survived it. including a recent episode with Mark Lamont Hill waxing all about crack in the 80s. To be clear, 84 was big to me, not just because of crack. I'm down to talk about crack on day, but just so y'all know. I mean, at this point, Mark, this is the second episode where we've discussed crack, so I'm starting to see that there's a through line. We also have AIDS on the table right now, so...

Thank you for finishing that sentence. Yes, I don't think there's a more important year for black people. Really? Yeah. For me, it's one of the most important years. for black people in American history. Listen to look back at it on the IHeart Radio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts.

Welcome to my new podcast, Learn the Hardway with me, your host, and your favorite therapist, Kear Games. And in recognition of Mental Health Awareness Month, I'm bringing over a decade of my own experience in the mental health field and conversations with so many incredible guests. I'm talking, Tripp Fontaine, Ryan Clark. Sometimes when we're in the pursuit of the thing, we get so wrapped up in the chase that We don't realize that we are in possession of the thing. And we're still chasing it.

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

And that's two different levels of trust. I want you to just really be a good person. Join me, Kear Gaines, is we have real conversations about healing, growth, fatherhood, pressure, and purpose on my new podcast, Learn the Hardway. Open your free iHeartRadio app. Search Learn the Hardway and listen now. I think they're totally over-huff. We have a super team in college football.

All you college football fans in Alabama love that, but you don't like NBA super teams. So NBA super teams are overrated. As I said, they come with two fatal flaws. Stars are very expensive. So KD. Kyrie and Hardin, forget Bench. They're not taking pay cuts. Second thing is you have egos and two things that get blown up in America, rock bands and NBA teams, because you can only have so many lead singers, right?

So what constitutes a super team? So let's say a super team is when you have two superstars on the team. So that would be LeBron and AD right now. That's a super team. When KD, not before, but when KD joined Steph Curry, because Clay is not a superstar, Drayman's not a superstar. So when Katie and Steph were together. And then De Wade and LeBron, Boss wasn't a superstar, darn good.

So those three. So two years were the Lakers, four years with the heat, and three years were the Warriors. Nine years, five titles. Should have been four, but Ray Allen hit a great shot.

Nine years, five titles. It ain't that super. The Avengers have one loss. Nine years, five titles could have easily been four. And by the way, look at Brooklyn. That's the current super team. You think that has a long shelf life? I mean, seriously, you think that has a long shelf life?

I'll tell you what has a long shelf life. The Spurs. That thing lasted first title to last lasted 15 years. Milwaukee reminds me of the Spurs. 26-year-old superstar young guy that doesn't get hurt. Great system. A lot of depth. Well, nobody wants to play in Milwaukee.

Well, Drew Holiday did. Janice does. I don't want to hear that. Nobody wants to play in Portland. Dame does. I always hear that. Nobody wants to play in Blank City. Yonis seems happy as heck.

And if he's happy, they're fine. So you start looking around. The current super team is Brooklyn. They have no rim protector. They have no bench. And if I ran the team, I'd get rid of Kyrie Irving. I would go KD, James Hardin, and a better bench in a rim protector. I would do it tomorrow.

And also, Milwaukee now is a champion. What does that mean? They're going to play with the confidence of a champion. I mean, Joy and I talked about this yesterday. Our only, we both liked, I think, Milwaukee yesterday. We both said, though, God, they're going to get tight. Three minutes left. They lead by.

The beginning of that game was a disaster on both ends. It was awful. The teams were tight. Well, they won't be tight. They're champions now. So they'll play with an unbelievable confidence. And I do think, I'm going to play a bite from Janus. Super teams make great headlines and great movie posters.

but it's always a shorter movie than you think, and it's never as great as you think. It does have a Hollywood component where you put all these great actors together. It's never quite as good as you think. It's not as authentic. People didn't work as hard. Janus talked about that after last night's title.

Obviously, I wanted to get the job done. But that's my stubborn side. Like, it's easy to go somewhere and go win in a championship with somebody else. It's easy. I could go, I don't put anybody in spot, but I could go to a super team

and just do my part and win a championship. Still won. But this is the hard way to do it and this is the way. And we did it. Yes, they did. He's so likable.

Be sure to catch live editions of the herd weekdays in noon Eastern, 9 a.m. Pacific. It's the summer of Janus and Aaron Rogers. Aaron Rogers rushed to social media last night after the Bucks vanquished the Phoenix. Sons. Aaron said, incredible job by Wes and Mark Peter John Horst. Our GM made some incredible moves.

Our stars played like stars. Can't Stop 34 champs. Yes, he mentioned the general manager. That did appear to be a fairly obvious shot at the Packers GM. Milwaukee, and I'll say this, without any reluctance, has now the least manipulative superstar in America and the most manipulative. superstar in America. And it is interesting and it's not lost on you, I'm sure, if you thought about it. Green Bay today, the Packers are exactly where the Bucks have been the last two years.

I want you to think about this. The Packers are exactly right now where the Bucks have been the previous couple of years. On the doorstep of a title, amazing regular seasons led by a guy who's MVP of the league. I mean, last two years, Bucks have the best record in the East, but they can't knock the door down. The difference, of course, is Janus worked harder and burrowed through it. Aaron Rogers on that same doorstep is demanding an exit.

The epitome of leadership, and it's always been wildly undervalued by fans, it's called leadership. It doesn't show up in the box score. Janice has elite leadership traits. He trusts teammates. He's not passive aggressive. He's not manipulative.

He's incredibly coachable. He's patient. He takes criticism and doesn't get defensive. Aaron is gifted but does not have great leadership traits. Passive aggressive, aloof, vindictive, at times petty. Whereas Janice. is optimistic. Sometimes Aaron feels cynical.

It is interesting how they're juxtaposed in the same market, is it not? The Packers today are the bucks the last two years, just inches away. But the Packers never give Aaron Rogers. Devonte Adams is a top three receiver and Aaron Jones a top five back. David Boktiari is the highest rated pass blocking left tackle in the NFL, and their tight end had 11 touchdowns. The defense isn't dominating, but Kenny Clark is great. Zadarius and Preston Smith are excellent. Their young safeties are fantastic, and Alexander, one of their corners, to me, is a top two and three corner in the league.

Let's stop with the Packers. Don't give Aaron enough. Nobody is saying they couldn't use a pass rusher. Hell, 90% of the league would die for a Bosa brother. Nick or Joey, take your pick. But there are a lot more stars. I mean, elite players playing next to Aaron. Then there are Janus.

And Janus is number two. It's Chris Middleton. He would not have started for the Warriors. dynasty a few years back, would not have started. Alexander, Devante Adams, Aaron Jones, David Boktiari, Kenny Clark would start for everybody. It would start for everybody in the National Football League. 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. So last night, Janus carried him to the finish line.

Joy, we're going to hand out report. cards. Okay. Mike Budenholzer. I've been very critical of him throughout the playoffs. I'm going to give him an A-minus. First of all, he overcame deficits in all but one series. So there's something, he didn't overreact.

He was a believer in this is what we do and we do it well. I also thought in game two, when he just put Drew Holiday and Chris Paul for the next three games, it literally changed the momentum of the series and it wore. down Chris Paul. So I would have given him a C minus early, but he never panicked. The Drew holiday to Chris Paul move was everything. And he tried at least once. It may have been two times in the finals. He put a lineup on the floor that had not been used all regular season or the playoffs. Oh, a lot of pressure on him going into these playoffs. Chris Paul. I think in the end, C to a C plus. Here's the reality. He led all players in turnovers.

He had 21 in the finals, and they were outscored. The sons were by 11 when he was on the court in the finals. The only son starter with a negative plus minus. So I thought he played very well last night and very well early in the series. But in the crucial games, games two, three, and four and five, there were times he was a liability on the floor and was kind of disengaged in a couple of first half. So I'd say C. Chris Middleton.

I've been very critical. Chris, I almost flunked you out. but you are the teacher's pet in this finals. You get an A-minus. In the end, he led all players in the finals with three-pointers and minutes played. And here's where Chris Middleton doesn't get a lot of respect. He plays his butt off defensively. Chris Middleton plays real defense.

And so you have the best defensive player in the league, and Middleton and Drew Holliday and PJ Tucker are plus defenders. But nobody talks about Middleton as a defender. because Drew and Janice are so out. They could be the best defenders at the positions in the league. Middleton, defense takes him from a B plus to an A-minus player. DeAndre Ait. It's his first fight.

It's a big spot for him. He couldn't stop Yannis. So a B-minus, he couldn't stop Yonis. Didn't have a lot of help. And he shot his lowest field goal percentage in any round of the playoffs. He did average 14 and 12. This was a lot to ask of him. You know, when Sarich got hurt, they needed Kaminsky, Frank Kaminsky.

So he was in a rough spot. He was also on the losing end of a couple of those iconic plays, which didn't help him. Most people can't stop, be honest. Yeah. Drew Holley. Good solid B-plus. Now, he could not shoot last night. Now, Drew's shooting is at times regrettable, but he had the highest, highest plus-minus of any player in the finals,

Yannis. When he was on the floor, Phoenix's offense struggled. He had the most assists, not Chris Paul. He had the most assists by any player in the finals. Now, why isn't he an A? He had a couple of stinkers from the floor. He did not shoot the ball effectively in multiple games. Monty Williams. Good B, good solid B. He lost four straight games, and there were some questions about making some moves throughout the series, staying with Chris Paul, maybe too long. I thought his hands were tied a little bit when one of his bigs got hurt. You know, they were up too oh and lost the next four, so that's a B.

Devin Booker. I'll surprisingly give him a B-plus. When you get to the finals or conference finals, the last three minutes of games matter. he played way too much hero ball to close out games. The 31 field goal attempts and just two attempts, two assists. Think about this. 31 shots, two assists in the fourth quarter of the finals. Now, he was great.

It didn't play great last night. But he had back-to-back 40-point games in games four and five. But where he can really refine as a player, and Kauai did this. It used to be you gave the ball to Kauai, you never got it back. I mean, he averaged like one assist for the first five years in the league. Devin has got to be able. It took Michael and Kobe a while. He's got to be a little better vision.

And some of this will be if he trusts teammates more. But I thought at the end of games, little too much hero ball. Finally, Janice entered the quipo. I thought about this a lot. I'm going to give him an A. No, A plus. Well, he came in hurt.

So what really happened is he dominated middle to the end of the series. he was unstoppable. But he came off a knee injury. He had the Aleoup, the iconic block, a 50-point close-out game. Listen, I am a hard grader. I do not give A-pluses because I want Yonis because, you know, I don't want him to get soft. Oh, yeah.

Clearly, if he doesn't get an A-plus, he's going to- I don't want his work as he to go down the tank. Silk Sheets guy moving forward. Yeah, so I want him to work hard in the off-season. So as a teacher, I feel a responsibility. I almost give you A-plus. I will say this. The free throw shooting is an issue. Now, last night he was Larry Byrd. Yeah, that was stupid. I mean, I literally sat there. I'm thinking, you've got to give me a break.

And not only was he making them, they were going swish. I loved it. I love when players do that. I love them when we all say they have a hole in their game or something that they can't do and they just go out in the biggest moment and crush. But he came in with an injury, missed a lot of free throws, but it's a good solid A for him. Be sure to catch live editions of The Herd weekdays in noon Eastern 9 a.m. Pacific. Let's go to BJ Armstrong, multiple titles, three of them with the Chicago Bulls and All-Star as well. BJ Armstrong is now NBA agent. He is joining us live. So, I mean, from your perspective, 26, five-time All-Star, Finals MVP, defensive player of the year, two-time MVP.

Is it his league this morning, BJ? Without question, Colin, this is his league. He's established itself. It's not as a superstar. He's the best player in the league on both sides of the ball. And what's scary about him, every time you watch him, every time I watch him, I go, this guy is scoring 50 points a game without a consistent jump shot,

let alone a three-point shot. These 50-point games at some point, Colin, are going to be 60 and 70-point games once he has a consistent mid-range shot. Yeah. And he's just an amazing, amazing talent. And he's figured it out. He's figured out what all great players, have figured out. He gives 100% 100% of the time. He's a remarkable player, a remarkable talent.

He's playing in an era where we talk about shooting, analytics, so forth and so on. And he's the best player without any of those things, just because he understands who he is and what he brings to the game of basketball. You know, it's interesting. The one fly in the ointment of analytics, and this is interesting, of the seven teams that shot the most threes, B.J. Combined. and they had one playoff series win. And I was thinking about that this week. The last three teams to win are the Raptors, big and physical, the Lakers big and physical, and the Bucs big and physical.

And I'll throw this at you and you tell me, because you're an agent and you represent all sorts of shooters and bigs. The one thing where analytics can't measure it is that at the end of seasons, officials let you play. And finesse teams and jump shooting teams, BJ, they don't get to the free throw line. Efficiency becomes overrated because of the sheer volume of free throws the Raptors get. The Lakers got.

The Bucks got. So this analytics for the NBA in the regular season where it's a volume play, I get them. But I do look at this and I think, okay, this is the third year in a row, BJ, where a team that's not known as a three-point team that's kind of ugly, that's kind of physical. and the refs swallow the whistle, and that's not baked into analytics, that finesse does not work late in seasons. Am I nuts? No, you're not nuts.

You've hit it dead on. In the regular season, you can play a certain style of play. But as you just said, Colin, let's identify there's levels to this. There's regular season basketball, there's playoff level basketball, and then there's championship caliber basketball. In order to do that, Colin, you have to exercise the totality of the game. And that means you have to get the best shot that's possible because the teams you're performing against are going to take away something. And that's what championship caliber of basketball is all about.

You make adjustments on the fly and you have to be fundamentally sound at all areas of the game if you're going to play that. And you just can't be a one-dimensional team. And I think that's what analytics doesn't take into account because when you look at this Milwaukee team, they adjust it. And their best player, you know, Janus, which is simply amazing. I mean, I can't tell you last time I've seen a player and said, I've been this excited about because what he's done is he's really pushed the reset button on what it means to be the best player. He's not only the best player on the perimeter. He could be the best player in the post. He does it in transition. Now he's doing it in the half court. He can rim protect. I mean,

he has the totality and the aspect of the game, the way the game is played today. He's really just a phenomenal, phenomenal player. You know, it's interesting. We get caught up in super teams. And I like to remind people, the Bulls, the best basketball team I've ever seen, were not a super team. Michael and Scotty, the two best players. This was, it was a long journey, couldn't get through Detroit for years, you know, couldn't get through the Celtics.

And San Antonio was not a super team. The old Celtics, 11 titles, they were not a super team. Do we, and by the way, don't get me wrong, when Katie and Steph and Clay are playing together, it's a tough out. But it is funny about the super teams. In your business, the agent business, and players ask you about joining forces. Do you ever have discussions with some of your clients and say, listen, there's a downside of super teams.

There's going to be a lot of salaries, no bench. I mean, I think sometimes it's overstated how great super teams are and how they just run the league. And I don't see that to be true. Well, what these super teams are. have done if they stole the headlines. Okay, the game will never be replaced by the three elements of the game, right? You have to defend, you have to rebound, and you have to share the ball. You know, instead of saying super, I've replaced that with really one word, best. Who's the best in the

league? And if your best player is the best defensive player, Janus, if he's the best rebounder or one of the top, that means he's going to limit the shot, Janus. And now this young man is playing what the best player does in the league. He plays a blended style of play, which means he can get his play. And players involved, like Chris Middleton and Drew Holliday. And by the way, he can score 40, 50 points and carry the team when necessary. So when you peek into that best player stratosphere like he has done now, there's no stopping him. He's the best. It doesn't matter because in a 48-minute game, Janus can dictate the game because he's the best player on both sides of the ball.

Now, the super team can dominate teams who can't peek into that category. it. This young man right now is now he's in the rare air where the only the best players live. Not the great players, the best players. He can dictate the game. And now it really doesn't matter because he can affect the game without scoring. And if he does score, if he does get a consistent jump shot, this league is going to be in trouble because there's no stopping him. By the way, if you represented as an agent Chris Paul, Lakers came knocking, he could opt out or stay. what would you, what would you suggest? Well, I think Chris Paul has to figure out where he's at in his career.

Because, you know, Chris Paul was playing against perhaps the best defensive guard in the league. Yeah. You know, everyone's talking about what was wrong with Chris Paul. And I just said, you know, if I can be honest here, he's 36 years of age. And he has two problems. Drew Holliday. That's the only problem. Yeah, Drew Holliday is that good on the defensive side of the ball.

So when you look at how you win games, you know, these guys are great. And we talked about Chris Paul and Chris Paul, what he's done. He's a Hall of Famer without question. But Drew Holliday, he's a competitor. And he took the challenge. And you know what? He did something against all smaller guards at all of us smaller guys play. Size and length is the one thing that doesn't deteriorate with age.

Drew Holliday is a bigger guard. He's bigger than Chris Paul. And he just wore Chris Paul down during the course of the series. And he's a terrific, terrific player. And you can see why everyone in the league, all these executives, are always trying to get taller, bigger point guards, because length is one thing that doesn't go away. Us smaller guards, we require two things.

We have to have speed and quickness in order to be effective. And Chris Paul is 36. I mean, he's 36, Colin. Yeah. Good seeing you, BJ. You brought it today. You were our MVP. You had all sorts of great stuff.

It's always great seeing you, man. I appreciate it. Matt, thank you for the kind words. It's always a pleasure. Thanks, guys. One of the truly good guys, executive vice president, managing exec for the Wasserman Media Group, which is massive in Los Angeles.

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.

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