The Herd with Colin Cowherd - 12/23/2020 - Best of The Herd

Episode Date: December 23, 2020

Doug Gottlieb in for Colin-Don't write off the Clippers yet, they can beat the Lakers-James Harden is pulling a Costanza-The Steelers are exactly what the Packers are trying to avoid -The Warriors are done and it's not because of Klay Thompson's injuryGuest: Chris Mannix, Sports Illustrated 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 what I'm saying. Yep, that's me, Clifford Taylor the 4th. You might have seen the skits, my basketball and college football journey, or my career in sports media. Well, now I'm bringing all of that excitement to my brand new podcast, The Clifers Show. This is a place for raw, unfilled conversations with athletes,

creators, and voices that not only deserve to be heard, but celebrated. So let's get to it. Listen to the Clifford show on the Iheart radio app, Apple Podcasts, 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.

For 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 Cowherd on Fox Sports Radio. What up?

Welcome in. This is the herd. Wherever you may be in, however you may be listening to the show. Thanks so much. I'm Doug Gottlie, pulling in for Colin Cowherd. wishing you and yours the very merriest of Christmases and the happy festivist to you. We will air some grievances throughout the show. including how James Hardin is pulling a Costanza.

That's right. James Hardin is pulling Costanza. Art imitates life or life imitates art and sports imitates Seinfeld. Don't believe it. We will make you a believer during the show. Welcome in. Chris Mannix will join us in 15 minutes. We'll get his thoughts on last night's NBA action.

The old P. Petros Papadakis will join us. in one hour and 15 minutes. We'll talk some college football, some bizarre hires. USC still having the same coach that everybody hate likes USC football, and also we'll get his take on last night's. What I thought was outstanding ring ceremony. And that gets us to the best for last, which is at the end of the show, where I kind of think the ring ceremony last night for the NBA was a hit.

and there are some other things which we have learned or we have grown to appreciate, we have grown to love during this time of COVID-19 that we probably wouldn't have, if not for being quarantined and kept social distance from each other. So we got a lot to get to. Darius Butler, who's a former Pats and Colts defensive back, will join us as well in the show. Welcome in. I got a thought.

you know, Colin has been riding this where Colin was right. He was right about the Pittsburgh Steelers. But it shows where Colin was wrong about the Green Bay Packers. The Packers organization looks brilliant in the last week. And you can, if you watch the Steelers, you know why. All right, got that to come. Let's get to the NBA. First, the Brooklyn Nets.

You're like, why are you starting with Brooklyn? Just if you wondered why people put up with Kyrie Irving, God, he's a lot, right? Saging the court. You know, we don't really need a head coach. World is flat. I want to stay in Boston. Boston can't stand you.

Boston can't rid to get rid of a grid of you. If you wondered why, that's why. And while there's all kinds of questions that are still to be answered, I got to tell you, the early returns, And if November taught us anything, early returns don't actually mean everything, right? It's what happens at the end when everything, when every score, ballot is counted. That's actually what matters. But the early returns on the Brooklyn Nets is, man, they not only have incredible talent,

they're pretty well put together roster, right? Like you have another guard in Spencer Dinwiddie, L.A. kid, for when Kyrie goes all Kyrie. you got Joe Harris, who's a great shooter, who can just open up the floor, and you got a rim protector in D'Andre Jordan. And the bench ain't bad either. And early returns are, and I'll tell you why later in the show, that the Warriors being done, most of it has nothing to do with Clay. And I'll explain why.

But let me start with the Lakers and the Clippers. The Clippers won their second NBA championship last night, or it only seems that way to Clippers Nation. There is no Clippers Nation. Even a Clipper fan, I'll tell you, there ain't no Clippers Nation, that the Clippers pulling the Clippers last year in the playoffs was pretty much par for the course. That said, what we have a tendency to do, not a tendency, we just do,

is we're a result-oriented people. And because the result is, the Lakers won their 17th NBA title last year, because LeBron was the finals MVP, and because the Lakers roster on paper got better, they're not only the best team in the NBA, they got better than last year. Things we failed to mention. They didn't play the Clippers.

They didn't play the Bucks. And they probably weren't the best team in terms of collection of talent, but they were the best team in terms of cohesion. We don't know if that's what happens with this roster. We don't know how Dennis Schroeder reacts to a big playoff run. We don't know if Kyle Kuzma gets better or gets worse.

Look better last night offensively, but we don't know how much he will play. There's a lot. We don't know. But did anybody else notice that while the Clippers may have won their NBA championship, they looked better, right? They looked. Now, I don't know if Nicholas Petum suddenly remembered how to play basketball like he did before he signed that gargantuan contract with Charlotte.

and I don't know if Mark Asol is going to look like he's washed up the entire year. But the Clippers last year did not have great chemistry. And that was only made more prominent and more obvious when they played in the bubble. They were a bad bubble team. Lou Williams didn't want to be there. Montrez-Herald didn't want to be there. They was infighting over Paul George in his role. And Paul George didn't like the way he was used.

And so they moved Doc out. They moved, you know, you move a head coach who has an NBA championship to his name, one seat over in Tailu. You change offenses, which focuses more on the strength of Paul George. You add in a 3-D wing. You add in a rim protector in Sir Jabaca, something they did not have. And with all of the attention on the Lakers roster on paper getting much better, we should point out that the reason the Lakers knew they had to step up

their game and their roster was they weren't a great team they weren't a great collection of talent last year they were a great team they won because they stayed together because of the leadership of lebron because of their defense not because of their offense and they know that the league is going to get better and the clippers will be better out of the bubble than they were in the bubble and more cohesive in year two of those two stars playing together than they were in year one get it. It's a no-lose game for the Lakers. We've seen plenty of teams take a dump when they get their rings in the ring ceremony and it screws everything up. And it's a little bit awkward to recognize basically half the roster isn't there anymore. And while I know that, I don't think, I know,

Rob Polinka is doing a very, very good job. The reason he's forced to do a very good job and move some pieces around is he knew his team wasn't all that good. They just got the most out of what they had and played together and stuck together. And oh yeah, by the way, got the benefit of not having to play the clippers or the bucks on their path to an NBA championship. It doesn't mean they have to give it back. It doesn't mean they have to apologize for it.

It doesn't mean it's an asterisk by the resume of one LeBron James. It doesn't mean any of that. It's just the reality of it. And if you want to be result-oriented, that's fine. You can. But the subtle nuances of last night where were, look, the Clippers have evolved and done so nicely offensively,

and it seems, I like some of the fixes to their roster. I like Landry Shamet. But obviously they felt like they had to move them out, and now you got Reggie Jackson off that bench with Lou William. That's a pretty dynamic backcourt off the bench. I like Nick Baton. Yes, they overpaid for their Morris. But he's the better Morris.

So I like Luke Kinnard, who's a better shooter and a more efficient player than Kyle Kuzma. Making more money than Kyle Kuzma. It's like I understand that you're allowed to sit there as a Laker fan and go, ha, doesn't matter. Talk to me in the playoffs, Clippers. That's fair. And until something happens to change that perspective. that is a valid perspective.

But I'm warning you, Laker guy, and Clipper and Clipper denier, that roster's better. That coach is a better fit. The Lakers had to fix some things. And fixing some things is a little bit like every time you have surgery, right? Every time you have surgery, every time you go inside somebody's body, something can go wrong. Every time you go to the bullpen, somebody can come out and perform work. worse than expectations? The Marcosol thing, I'm not sure there, kids.

On paper, awesome. In reality, a shell of himself defensively, and maybe he plays his way into shape, but he wasn't the one who 72 days ago was playing in the bubble. No, no, his season's been over for a long time. So I'm cautiously optimistic about the Clippers. I am more than cautiously optimistic about the Nets. I am selling any warrior stock.

And while the Lakers lineup and roster on paper is definably better than it was last year, they didn't win last year because of their roster. And they got some breaks that went their way. And the more times you go in to try and fix some things, sometimes you screw some things up. I'm not sure if they become, if they're really the best team in the NBA because we're We're asking that, well, Dennis Truder may scores this many points there. How many will he score when he's the third option over here?

I don't know if it works. Markersoll was a great defensive player. Was 35 years old, big guy doesn't age like LeBron. And the rest of the league has seemingly gotten better. Stay tuned. One more herd? The herd streams 24 hours a day, seven days a week, within the IHeart Radio app.

Search Her 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 I'm 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 Clivert Show isn't just a podcast, it's a space for honest conversations, stories that don't always get told, and for people who are chasing something bigger. So, if you've ever supported me or you're just chasing down a dream, this is right where you need to be.

Listen to the Clifford show on the IHeart Radio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcast. And for more behind the scenes, follow at Clifford and at TikTok Podcast Network on TikTok. Do you remember when Diana Ross double-tap Little Kim's boobs at the VMAs? Or when Kanye said that George Bush didn't like black people. I know what you're thinking. What the hell does George Bush got to do a little 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 you 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. Then you're finishing that sentence. Yes. I don't think there's a more important year for Black. 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, Keer Games. And in recognition of Mental Health Awareness Month, I'm bringing over a decade

of my own experience in the mental health field and conversations with so many incredible guests. I'm talking, Tripp Fontaine, Ryan Clark. Sometimes when we're in the pursuit of the thing, We get so wrapped up in the chase that we don't realize that we are in possession of the thing and we're still chasing it and we don't know when we've done enough. Because people scoreboard watch. Life becomes about wins and losses.

Steve Burns, Dustin Ross, because you find it important to be a good person while you hear on earth or are you a good person because you're afraid? Because that's two different intentions, bro. Absolutely. And that's two different levels of trust. I want you to just really be a good person.

Join me, Keer Gang. is we have real conversations about healing, growth, fatherhood, pressure, and purpose on my new podcast, learn the hard way. Open your free iHeartRadio app. Search Learn the Hardway and listen now. I saw this on social media when I was when I was actually parking the car. Al Dukes is a friend of mine. He's a producer of a New York City morning show.

And his tweet was a good one. It was funny and allowed me to respond. on Twitter as well, which it went a little something. The back and forth, it was no real back and forth, the back and forth went a little something like this. Al Dukes, Al Hughes Dukes,

Al's boring tweets is his Twitter handle. I love Seinfeld more than any show in the history of shows, but the Festivist references this time of year gets old. To which I responded, the airing of grievances has begun. A festivist for the rest of it.

Right? Happy Festivist to all of you. But, and this is, is really important. That's not, although that's the sign-fail reference everyone's going to make today because of this time of year, that's not the one that's actually taking place.

Do you guys see this? The NBA is investigating James Harden is a video of him getting Dior luggage from somebody calling him his best friend at a strip club in Houston. No mask on, no gloves at a strip club.

Okay? So again, to review James Hardin was a no-show the first couple days at Rockets training camp. They didn't know when he was going to be there, where he was going to be there. He's reportedly demanded a trade several times over to specific teams. Then when he finally did show up, he was in shape. Round is a shape. He was in shape. There's a report that there was some sort of kerfuffle, maybe even a fight over.

his effort and lack of fitness at training camp. And then there's video of James Harden, being James Harden, at a strip club, which is a direct violation of the NBA's COVID protocol. They are investigating. There's a strong likelihood he'll get suspended before tonight's game. There's a Seinfeld episode called The Millennium. In that episode, George Costanza does everything in his power to get himself fired. attention Steinbrother

in front of this morons your triumphs mean nothing that's George Costanza driving around the Yankee Stadium parking lot dragging the World Series trophy in tow that in fact is exactly what James Hardin is doing

what does it take for a guy to get fired around here or at least traded I think direct violation of COVID protocol will cost you a substantial amount of money in your pocket as well but I'm guessing that strategy does in fact work. It's a he's going to, you know what he's going to do next? Next he's going to burn Akeem Elishoan's jersey, right?

Like that's the, that's the last straw. That's the last straw. Or maybe he's going to say something bad about Tillman Fertita's multitude of restaurants as a restaurateur. You know what I never liked Morton's? And they bring out that beautiful piece. of meat? Who does that? That's not safe. Let's welcome in Chris Mannix. Senior NBA writer covering the league for Sports Illustrated. You can follow them on Twitter

at SI Chris Mannix. Is that Hardin's general philosophy here? What do I got to do to get fired? Is that why he's at a strip club being James Hardin? You know, it's a good example, Doug. It's something that Costanza line and is something I thought of, you know, when you saw the strip club report today. Basically, I mean, the answer. I mean, he's, from everything I've been told, he is anxious, if not eager to get out of there, that he's done with Houston. And look, I understand wanting a trade, and we can get into the ridiculousness of the guy that, you know, basically put the rockets in this position demanding out of it. But it's pretty embarrassing if you're James Hart.

I mean, I mean, I don't know how significant the argument he had with, you know, another teammate in practice. I mean, you played the game down. You know, that stuff happens all the time. I hear stuff about guys getting to fight constantly. But, you know, the idea that you would potentially be breaking protocol days before, the day of your season opener, is wild. And if you're a team acquiring him, yeah, you want the MVP candidate.

and, you know, the guy that, you know, is about his talent and his offensive players there is in this league. But you also are looking at that going, like, what am I getting myself into here? Like, what exactly am I getting with James Hart? I'm getting a great player, but how much baggage is he bringing with me? And if he doesn't get his way, am I going to be subject to these type of tantrums moving forward? So, look, if James Harden wants to be traded, fine, but, you know, this latest round of revelations, they're not helping his chances of getting moved anytime soon. What's your biggest takeaway Lakers Clippers last night?

Not a lot. And it's, look, it's mostly due to the fact that I can't, I'm not going to read anything into the Lakers until like February because they're not even going to try, really, Doug. I mean, they're just going to, I think they're just going to mail a lot of it in in the first month of the season and get guys as much rest as humanly possible. That's something even Frank Vogel kind of alluded to. after the game. I mean, it's just, it's just not worth it. Like, this could be one of those years

where we look at the Lakers as the best team in the Western Conference, but they finish the season as, like, the four-seat because they're just not going to go all out to try to win regular season games, especially not in, you know, December, January, even into February. I think they'll click into gear sometime in March or April, and then we'll see the real Lakers. But until then, it's like, all right, Clippers look good. I mean, it's fine. They played well, but the Lakers, to me, until we get to the midpoint of the season, they're just going through the motions. Yes, but there was a, like, again, my easy takeaways are,

I don't think Marcusal look particularly good, but I am willing to give him the benefit of the doubt. But, like, look, that's a major piece that they're selling people on. Like, look, now we have a legit rim protector. Now we have a stretch five center. And last night, if that's what you look like at the start of the season, at the end of the season, have you played your way in a shape, or have you just been exposed this over the hill, and now we can't find any minutes for you?

No, that's a good point. That's more of like the, I see that as a big picture potential flaw with the Lakers, not just to this, you know, to his last game. Look, the Lakers, it wasn't broke with Dwight Howard and Javille McGee. So it ain't broke, you don't fix it. So like Dwight had found a role with that team. He was contained within that locker room,

though there were some things that went on last year that certainly irritated some people. within the Lakers. But he played well alongside Anthony Davis. So didn't Javille McGee. So if you win a championship with that duo, you know, gobbling up, you know, 40 of the 48 minutes at AD playing the last eight at center, you know, why are you mixing it up? I mean, I think Gasol is one of the all-time great teammates.

I think he still can be a great facilitator because his passing skills aren't going to disappear. But his three-point shooting has started to slog off in recent years, especially last year, and offensively just not the same player. I question that move specifically when it comes to the Lakers. Yeah. And then for the Clippers, again, it's really early, and I know that anybody who's reasonable says, call me in the playoffs.

That's when the Clippers warts get exposed. I do think they made it clear to make Paul George more comfortable offensively. But Toom seem like a better fit. And frankly, Sir Jabaka, they didn't have any rim protection. Like, I kind of like their additions, and I like the change of. what they're doing offensively very early, but that's reasonable to take away in such a limited sample size. Yeah, it is.

And, you know, Abaka specifically, I thought, despite the fact that Abaca didn't have, you know, the accomplishments that Montres Harrell had last season, I thought he was a much better fit. I mean, you know, Harrell is a dynamic player in the open floor and he's an offensive rebound or all those things that he does positively. But that's not what the Clippers need. They need shot blocking. They need a guy that can make three-point shots periodically and mid-range jumpers more regularly. That's what Abakah does.

And speaking of great teammates, another guy that's a great teammate that has a solid relationship with Kauai Leonard. I mean, that was a big move. Now, the Clippers, I still think, might be one move away from being the type of contender that they want to. And that's at the point guard position. I think they may need to go out and try to find somebody at that. slot. I've always thought Terroixir made some sense, you know, for the clippers in that mix. And he could be available in the next couple of months. La Mello ball kind of comes around. But that, to me, is the one position that maybe could use an upgrade.

That's a great point. Chris Mannix joining us. I know you're going to be at the Celtics Nets game for Christmas Day. We'll get to the Celtics. But like, look, you and I know a lot more than we divulge, but everything we know about Kyrie Irving is he's a pain of the ass, right? he just, he's a pain in the eye. But, but he can really play basketball. He is really, really, really. I would make the contention. I'm not sure he's not the most talented of all of those, you know, all of those point

guards that we could kind of go list. Like I think he has that much versatility, that much potential. And last night was a great example of that, that with all the noise and the nonsense and the media boycott, which lasted. a couple of days, there's a reason that teams continue to buy it. Yeah, I mean, you can't, if you're an Eastern Conference contender, you can't have watched that game and not been, I mean, Shook might be the wrong word, but you took notice of how the Nets played.

I mean, Kyrie and Kevin Durant are going to be a problem for anybody in a postseason series. These are two proven playoff performers. I know we get a long way to go before we get there. Kevin Durant looks like the old Kevin Durant. And I've been writing this for months now because people that were watching his workouts in November that were there, partificing. Like, dude, he's great. Like, he's back to being the old Kevin Durant.

Kevin Durant is going to be the first kind of shrug off the Achilles injury almost as no big deal with the way he's going to play this season, I think. The chemistry issues, I think, could still linger. I mean, that was one of the bigger problems with Kyrie's Celtics, where the young. young players just didn't feel like they were getting enough touches or the appreciation that they needed. And that's not going to reveal itself, Doug, for another couple of months at least. You know, Will Kairas Levert and Spencer Dinwiddie and Joe Harris and Jared Allen, will all these guys still be willing to buy into reduced roles as we get to the midpoint

of the season? But if they do, that's the best team in the East. I mean, unequivocally to me, that's the best team in the East because they've got two guys in the playoffs. Yeah, and they're proven that they can do it in the playoffs. It's not just they've gotten buckets. They've gotten buckets in the most important of games. Okay, so then where does that leave us?

What has been reaction around the league to Janus signing the biggest contract in the history of the sport and staying in Milwaukee? A lot of surprise. Not that Yonis signed an extension, but that he signed on for the full boat, the five years with a four-year opt-out. There was, you know, a lot of people were talking about that December 21st deadline, but most of the people I talked to around the league kind of shrugged at it because they expected if Yonis was going to sign a deal that he would sign a one plus one or a two plus one, the kind of deal that you know, gets you some financial security, but also gives you flexibility as you get into your 20s. That kind of deal could have been signed at any point. It was no deadline for that type of deal. So it wasn't a surprise that he signed an extension that he went. all in on the exact same contract he could have signed next summer.

And look, we know, Doug, even if Yonis had a catastrophic injury, like, say, Kevin Durant did, a max contract would still be there for him with Milwaukee. Him signing this at this point was really surprising because most people expected him either to be available next summer or to be on a short-term deal. I think the Warriors are done, and let me propose why. It's not just the result of last night. Okay, so when the Warriors throughout their peak, right, Steph was incredible, right? He was the two-time league MVP, the first ever unanimous MVP.

But the setup around him, both offensively and defensively, allowed him to be incredible. And offensively, for example, look at from Barbosa to Iguodala to Dremont, who didn't play last night, but we'll play, to Kevin Durant. you go and look at many of his co-stars on those runs, and they had the ability to bring the ball up, to handle the basketball, and allow Steph to play without the ball. When he's probably at his most dangerous is when he doesn't have the ball, and he constantly moves, and he constantly comes off screens,

and now he's a great shooter, score, and passer that he's behind you, and you don't know where he is. This roster is so different, you know, Wiseman's not a ball handler, plus he's like 19. Andrew Wiggins is Andrew Wiggins is not a great passer. You know, he's like a below three assist guy for his career.

I mean, I like Kelly Ubrae, but again, a slasher, not a ball handler or passer. He's gone from a point guard who can play without the ball because he has point forwards everywhere to a guy who has to really dominate the ball and create for everybody else, and that's not who he is.

Yeah, I would agree with most that. Look, I think obviously Dremont being in the mix makes them better. I think Wiseman's only going to get better as this season goes on. I mean, he, like, there's a reason he started that game last night. I think he is a physical specimen who I think instantly is going to give them credibility defensively, and he's going to get a lot of buckets in transition because he can run the floor as well as any five men in the NBA right now. Here's where I think the Warriors' biggest issue is going to be. And this was, you can probably. probably understand this better than I did.

But I had a lot of scouts telling me in November, December, as the Clay injury revealed itself, that this Warriors offense, it's been built around two shooters. Like Steve Kerr built this offense around having two guys that could be knocked down shooters. It just doesn't function with one guy. It just doesn't work the way. And watching that game last night, you could see it.

I mean, watching Andrew Wiggins start one for eight and missed every three-pointer he took, watching Kelly Ubrae right around the same number. He was bricking everything. Kent Baysmore isn't making shots. Like, you know, without one of those three guys emerging as a reliable three-point shooter, I don't know how that functioned that offense operates. And I don't think they're going to be good enough defensively to not outscore you in a lot of games. So I still think they're a playoff team, but instead of being kind of a middle-of-the-packed playoff team,

like I had them pegged, they might be in that 6-7-8 range. Yeah, I agree with you. I think that one of the things that this is a personal belief is, when you have more natural ball handlers, natural passers, guys shoot a higher percentage because you have better players creating better shots. Better passes equals better shots. And I think that you're right. It does function better when you have the space created by Clay and Steph,

but you also have, you also have, you know, better shooting percentage if you have more guys that can create shots other than just Steph Curry or whatever you're doing, kind of in transition. Last thing, Chris Manick's joining us in the herd. I'm Doug Gottlie filling in for Colin. We mentioned the Celtics. You know, Gordon Hayward goes to Charlotte. They completely overspend. But it's not crazy. The Celtics expected that to see it coming. Kemba's had this needy thing, which he's gotten worked on. Where are the Celtics in the mix

before they tip off this season? Well, they'll miss Gordon Hayward. I mean, people talk about the contract being exorbit. I always get a kick out of that. Like, it's not your money. What do you care? Like, they'll miss him on the floor. That's unquestioned. I mean, he wasn't the All-Star. He wasn't Utah for many reasons in Boston, but he still was a valuable contributor in that rotation. Now, I think they can overcome a lot of that by natural development. I personally think that Jason Tatum is going to be in the MVP mix this year. I think it's going to be a guy that averages close to 30 points per game this year. I just really believe, Offensively, this is a season because of his own development and the opportunities

they're going to present itself with his team that he blows up. I think Jalen Brown, as he does every year, is going to get better. Even Romeo Langford might find his way to the rotation. They're still pretty high in his ability to be kind of an eighth man with that group. The question is still Kemba. Like Doug, that knee injury began in February, lingered after three months off in the bubble and is back once again with Brad Stevens saying he's nowhere close to being able to play. We can sit here and discuss how they overcome Gordon Hayward all day long,

but if Kemba's not 100%, they don't win anything. They might not get out of the first round if they do, their second round fodder. I mean, Kemba, his offense is going to be needed in the playoffs when he go up against Milwaukee, Miami, even like teams like Toronto and Philadelphia, and of course, Brooklyn. So to me, it's all about Kemba and what he looks like in April and May because right now, in December, it does not look good for an injury that's going on one year. one year of him not being able to function properly. Does the Sixers make a trade for Hardin?

I think it depends on the first couple of weeks of the season. I don't think that Darryl Morey lets it linger too long. If they don't, if the moves they made, and look, their cursory moves, they do look more functional out there, at least in the preseason than they did last year. But if Danny Green and Seth Curry and these other shooters, they added, if they don't make a difference

and make the Sixers look more like the team we saw two years ago, I think Darrell will get aggressive. And I think that that's still the move, I think, is most likely to happen, a trade, you know, centered around Simmons and James Hart. Chris Mannix. Manix, have a very merry Christmas. Can't wait to read your stuff on that Celtics next game you'll see in person on Christmas Day. And we appreciate to join us in the herd. You got it. Be sure to catch live editions of the herd weekdays in noon Eastern, 9 a.m. Pacific on Fox Sports Radio, FS1 and the IHeard Radio app. I want to make sure. then my good friend Colin Cowherd gets credit for basically telling you

what was going to happen with the Steelers before it happened with the Steelers. Paper Tigers is the easy nickname to give them, right? That he did not believe they were nearly as good as their record, that that adage of, you are what your record says you are. Now, I would point out that you lose Devin Bush, you lose Bud Deppree, a team that's built around their defense, specifically their linebackers, and what was the most vaunted pass rush in the NFL,

you lose DePri, that changes things, right? That allows you to slide people over to T.J. Watts side. But nonetheless, Colin was absolutely right. But you know who else was right? You know who else deserves credit? Over the last week or so, no team should be commented on about having great foresight more so

than the Green Bay Packers. And like, wait, what? And yes, I can use the downfall of the Pittsburgh Steelers as the reason why. What do the Packers get eviscerated over in the offseason? Well, you know, they didn't have a wide receiver in either of the first two rounds. It was the best wide receiver draft maybe in the history of the league. Now, it should be pointed out that I think Colin had a stat that everyone that I know is used, which is like 16 and the last 19 first round draft pick wide receivers have been busts.

It's a really hard, it's a very difficult position to evaluate. But nonetheless, you look at Justin Jefferson, you look at, you know, you start to go through, you start to go, some of these wide receivers have been absolute hits. Some of them. But over the last week, three things have happened. and basically revolving around Pittsburgh, one to the Packers, and it shows that that organization has incredible foresight and made the right decision twice, once in the first, once in the second round.

Okay, first thing is Ben Rothensberger. Can we all agree he looks old? Looks over the hill. Looks like his arm just doesn't have the same zip, same pop anymore. And you can sit there and go like, hey, dude, he had Tommy John surgery. What do you expect? That's fair. Okay, but he's also in his late 30s, 37, I believe.

And when you look, look around the league, there's questions about Tom Brady's arm, about Drew Breeze's arm. We all know about Philip Rivers' arm, which they're able to hide because of Frank Reich and playing indoors. But eventually, you know, he's been the weak link at times for that team. The Green Bay Packers may have the best quarterback in the NFL, maybe ever in Aaron Rogers. He's unbelievable. He will be or should be the league's MVP. somehow people are questioning an organization that won 13 games and a postseason game last year. And then there moves this year, which will likely get them home field advantage throughout the playoffs as the number one seed this year.

Somewhere, and on this show, other shows people with the Packers don't know, they don't know what they're doing. Did you see Ben Rothesberger? Do you know what happened before he hurt his arm? He threw for 5,000 yards. It goes that quick. It just does. You know what happened before Philip Rivers had a disastrous season with the Chargers? They won 12 games.

And then all of a sudden, you look over the hill and it's done. Tom Brady, Drew Breeze. Like, father time, undefeated. And eventually, you're going to need a replacement. And drafting Jordan Love, who's two years away from being ready, is just about lined up with the timing of what would be reasonable to see a drop off in Aaron Rogers' performance, right? And if you watch the Pittsburgh Steelers, you're like, man, I wish they had the era parent.

They don't. They tried to draft one a couple years ago. And Rothesberger fought him on it. Remember? Okay. What else do the Steelers lack? A running game. Their running game has not been the same since they lost Levy on Bell.

Since he sat out a year. I'm going to combine two things. Their lack of running game and the starting running back for the Green Bay Packers. Aaron Jones. Do you guys see who he signed with about a week ago? Drew Rosenhouse. When you sign with Drew Rosenhouse, you tell the entire league that I care about one thing in my next deal. The bottom line.

Drew is a professional. He's an excellent agent. His job is to get dudes as much money as possible, regardless of who's giving him that check. So drafting A.J. Dylan protects them against that. Protects them against that. Just admit it. The Packers have great foresight. And they've built a juggernaut of a team.

Aaron Rogers has bought into the system. They're a Super Bowl contender, if not a Super Bowl favorite. And they have prepared themselves for the eventuality that he ages and that Aaron Jones leaves. Be sure to catch live editions of the herd weekdays in noon Eastern 9 a.m. Pacific. 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, 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 Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcast. And for more behind the scenes, follow at Clifford and at TikTok Podcast Network on TikTok. Do you remember when Diana Ross double-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 a little kill? Well, you can find out on the Look Back at it podcast. I'm Sam J. And I'm Alex English. Each episode, we pick it here, unpack what went down, and try to make sense of how we survived it. Including a recent episode with Mark Lamont Hill waxing all about crack in the 80s. To be clear, 84 is big to me, not just because of crack. I'm down to talk about crack on day, but just so y'all know.

I mean, at this point, Mark, this is the second episode where we've discussed 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 Hardway with me, your host, and your favorite therapist, Kear Games. And in recognition of mental health awareness, in this month. I'm bringing over a decade of my own experience in the mental health field and

conversations with so many incredible guests. I'm talking. Trip Fontaine, Ryan Clark. Sometimes when we're in the pursuit of the thing, we get so wrapped up in the chase that we don't realize that we are in possession of the thing. And we're still chasing it. And we don't know when we've done enough. Because people scoreboard watch. Life becomes about wins and losses. Steve Burns, Dustin Ross, because you find it important to be a good person while you're you hear on earth? Are you a good person because you're afraid? Because that's two different intentions, bro.

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

Search, learn the hard way, and listen now. The Golden State Warriors have been an amazing basketball team. Now, Joe Lakeup, who owns the team said, you know, they're years ahead of everybody else. Pride comes before the fall. It just does. And they were great. And I thought, and I've said it on this radio show before, that the Warriors needed KD

as much as KD needed the Warriors. Yes, they won 73 games. Everybody always talks about, they won 73 games. But that was not a 73 win championship team. They did not win the title. and that team was set to lose Harrison Barnes or overpay Harrison Barnes. And so they lost Harrison Barnes and had to upgrade. And the league was catching up to the Warriors.

Remember, what they were able to do wasn't just make jump shots to win an NBA championship. They were able to play small ball in winning time. Play with Draymond Green and Andre Aguadala as their, two big men, if you will, and win championships. That's what they did, right? Andre Godala was their MVP because he was wide open for a reason, right? And then the next year, instead of leaving Andre Godal open, then left Harrison Barnes open and he couldn't make the shots.

Combined that with Draymond getting suspended, combined that with Bogot getting hurt, and what should have been another championship was not. But Bogot was never the same. Harrison Barnes was leaving. Igwadala was close to over the hill. So was Barbosa. They needed an addition, and they traded in the strength in numbers for Kevin Durant,

who carried them over the threshold for the next two years. And they would have won another title in his last season had he not gotten hurt. I think everybody kind of, you know, if he didn't get hurt, they're going to beat the Raptors. But here's why I think the warriors are dead. You can be a great player. You cannot do it not only by yourself, but you have. have to do it in a setting that fits how you play and who you need to play around. Steve Nash, I know he never won a title, but Steve Nash is the greatest example of that.

How many people remember the fact that Steve Nash, when drafted in the NBA, do you know he was drafted by? The Phoenix Suns. And he could never get on the court because they had another point guard. His name's Jason Kidd. So they trade away Steve Nash to the Dallas Mavericks, and Nash's career only took off because he played for Donnell. who was like the first big time coach to use small ball. They used small ball and he was great. They took a power forward out of the lane.

You take a center out of the lane essentially. The two coaches that Steve Nash had his success with, Don Nelson, small ball, Mike Dan Tony, not only small ball but transition ball, just ball screen after ball screen after small screen. And they use Sean Marion at the four. Do I think Steve Nash was great? Yes. Do I think he would have been great in a traditional system at the time? No.

I think it would have been really good. But when he was in Phoenix, they didn't put him in, like nowadays, you would put Jason Kidd and Steve Nash on the floor at the same time. And they'd be unbelievable. But that wasn't the case back then. You have to find the right fit. You know, look, people talk about, well, LeBron James got to the Eastern Conference Finals with, you know,

with Boobie Gibson as one of his guard. It's true. It was a joke of a roster that he personally took down Detroit and got them to the NBA finals. It should be pointed out that that was an era where Alan Iverson did the same with the 76ers. The East was so bad that one guy could carry a team that just played defense and one guy scored up points to carry him. But for LeBron to be peak LeBron, look at the difference in LeBron.

look at the difference in LeBron two years ago and LeBron last year. Give him another superstar that he can bring out the best in and you get the best in LeBron. When he was in Miami, it wasn't just that he played with Dwayne Wade. It was that they took LeBron from Cleveland.

Cleveland was a 60-win team. You take their best player. He took Bosch from Toronto. They were a 50-win team. You took away their best player. So to your competition go, and then you add arguably the best shooter in the sport at that time you take him away from the Celtics and they collapse in the second year obviously to that this doesn't diminish from lebron's

greatness it only paints an accurate portrayal of for lebron to be great he's got to have other guys that can make plays that he can create shots for for step curry to be great and he is great but would he be the would he be the historic great game-changing player that he is now considered. If he wouldn't, it's not just playing with Clay. It's not just playing with KD. It's that the setup of that team was incredible defensively at four other positions to hide that Steph was just going to go for steals.

And offensively, it allowed him to play as much without the basketball as with the basketball. Think about it. Think about his best teammates. All right, Clay Thompson doesn't dribble. Shoots, passes, defense. But take Clay out of the mix. This isn't about Clay.

Look around that roster now. Andrew Wiggins, he's a scorer and he can play defense. But he is not a creative passer. He is not a ball handler. Keep looking. Draymond Green doesn't play last night and it gets even more. James Wiseman isn't a passer. When they were at their best,

Andrew Bogut was as good a passer as any big guy. in the game. Also a great illegal screener, right? But when you add great passer, Andre Godala, like a point forward. Dremont Green, point forward. Kevin Durant, point forward. Leandro Barbosa, kind of a quasi-scoring but point guard. Sean Livingston, he was a point guard before he became this mid-range monster late in his NBA career. They surrounded Steph Curry defensively with guys who could cover his weakness and offensively, same thing. Steph is not really a point guard. He's better without the basketball moving around and then creating when he catches it,

then he is creating for other people. It doesn't mean he can't pass. Doesn't mean he doesn't like to pass, but he's also a high turnover guy, and that's not really what he does or how they play. And now they've brought in a very talented roster. Look, if you look at their roster on paper, you're like, ooh, okay, Kelly Ubre, he could average 1520. and Andrew Wiggins, he could average 15, 20,

and James Wiseman eventually could average 10, 15 points a game. And if Draymond will be wide open, he could average 10 points. And look at it, like, that's not the way it works. They shot the ball well because they passed the ball well because they had all kinds of guys that could create shots for each other. And that is all gone. Now the only two passers they have is Draymond, who can't score, and Steph who you don't want him making every play.

not just because they lost clay. Obviously, that is the death now, but because of the new construction of the team, which they had to do on the fly, I don't see the Warriors being contenders at all. And it's a really hard one to unwind. Really hard one to unwind. Another podcast from some SNL late-night comedy guy,

not quite. Unhumor me with Robert Smygel and friends. Me and hilarious guests from Bob Odenkirk to David Letterman help make you funnier. This week, my guest, S&L's Mikey Day and head writer Streeter Seidel help an a cappella band with their between songs banter. Where does your group perform?

We do some retirement homes. Those people are starving for banter. Listen to humor me with Robert Smigel and friends on the I-Heart 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 is, 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, Cliver Taylor the 4th. You might have seen the skits, my basketball and college football journey, or my career in sports media. Well, now I'm bringing all of that excitement to my brand new podcast, The Clifford Show. This is a place for raw, unfills of 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 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. On the Look Back at a podcast.

For 1979, that was a big moment for me. 84 was big to me. I'm Sam J. And I'm Alex English. Each episode, we pick a year, unpack what went down, and try to make sense of how we survived it. With our friends, fellow comedians, and favorite authors. Like Mark Lamont Hill on the 80s. It was a wild year.

I don't think there's a more important year for black people. Listen to look back at it on the IHeart Radio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts. This is an IHeart podcast. Guaranteed Human.