The Herd with Colin Cowherd - Best of The Herd for Aug 19, 2020

Episode Date: August 19, 2020

The Lakers lost because of something that happened to LeBronGiannis is very similar to Lamar JacksonBill Belichick is fooling everyoneProof last night that Russell Westbrook isn't valuableGuest: Nick Wright, FS1's First Things FirstMonty Williams, Phoenix Suns Head Coach Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

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

Where does your group perform? We do some retirement homes. Those people are starving for banter. Listen to humor me with Robert Smigel and friends on the IHeart Radio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts. Imagine an Olympics where doping is not only legal, but encouraged. It's the enhanced games. Some call it grotesque.

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

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

84 was a wild year. It was a wild year. I don't think there's a more important year for black people. Listen to look back at it on the IHeart radio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts. A win is a win. A win is a win. I don't care what I'm saying. Yep, that's me, Clifford Taylor the 4th.

You might have seen the skits, my basketball and college football journey, or my career in sports media. Well, now I'm bringing all of that excitement to my brand new podcast, The Clifers Show. This is a place for raw, unfilled conversations with athletes, creators, and voices that not only deserve to be heard, but celebrated. So let's get to it. Listen to the Clifford show on the IHeard radio app, Apple Podcast, or wherever you get your podcast. And for more behind the scenes,

follow at Clifford and at TikTok Podcast Network on TikTok. Thanks for listening to the best of Heard podcast. Be sure to catch us live every weekday. From 12 to 3 Eastern, 9 to noon Pacific on Fox Sports Radio and FS1, find your local station for the herd at Fox Sports Radio.com Or stream us live every day on the iHeartRadio app by searching Heard. This is the best of the Heard. with Colin Cowher on Fox Sports Radio.

Ah, here we go on a Wednesday full of sports live in Los Angeles. This is The Hurd, wherever you may be and however you may be listening. Fox Sports Radio, FS1, great to have you in today. Joy Taylor's joining Nick Wright in 25, 30 minutes. Joy, how are you? What a day yesterday was. Yeah, Nick's going to be fired up. I had a great day.

Heat won, basketball all day. He was good. Love having sports on again. Such a great life. Remember how easy my job is. Come in and talk sports. So Portland beats the Lakers last night. Neither team played well.

Both teams had a bunch of open looks. It wasn't a very complicated game. The Lakers didn't hit their open looks. They were five for 32 on threes. Second worst in playoff history. And Portland didn't hit all of them either, but they hit more of them. It was not a target.

one to figure out. Neither team played really well. Dame disappeared for a couple quarters. LeBron, you know, AD disappeared. But when I watched that game last night, we always talk about situational football, like red zone football. Last night was situational basketball, but the situation was Dame hit two big threes late and mellow hit one. That was the game. That was really the game. There are three problems with the Lakers I saw last night. Now, two of them will not get in the way. of the Lakers potentially winning this series. Two of them won't.

One will. So let's talk about the first thing I saw. Once again, Anthony Davis disappears in the fourth. This is who he is. He got no dog. He's great in the first two, three quarters, but his fourth quarter last night, minus 11. The graphic for our Fox Sports FS1 audience,

he just disappears. Some of it's, I think a lot of it's psychology. Maybe he runs out of gas. But, I mean, now, this, the Lakers can still beat Portland with this because they beat the Clippers twice this year and AD disappeared in those games. The Lakers were the number one seed in the West and Anthony Davis disappeared in a lot of fourth quarter games this year. So the first problem, and it happened again last night, is not going to get in the way of L.A. beating Portland in this series. The second problem, Lakers do not have a trustable and dependable third score.

Again, they ended up number one in the West, not having one. Danny Green was awful, minus 20, couldn't hit shots. Cusma. LeBron didn't trust Cusma. You can see his body language. Again, this doesn't necessarily mean that the Lakers can't beat Portland. Okay. The third problem, and it's very rare.

I see this every few years with LeBron. It's very infrequent. But I've seen it happen before. And this one, if you're a Laker fan, is a problem. It's very subtle. LeBron began overpassing last night. Everybody's saying, oh, his passing was great. This team does not have a dependable third score.

LeBron needs the drop 34, not end up with 15 assists. Why is he overpassing? Because of Whiteside, Hassan Whiteside, had five blocks played very well. This is what Roy Hibbert did. Remember years ago when LeBron and that Miami team would face Indiana, and the games were way closer than they should have been. They're always like, how is D. Wade and LeBron and Bosch struggling with Indiana? Now, they would win the series, but they were difficult because Roy Hibbert would get in LeBron's head.

And LeBron would start overpassing. This is a LeBron thing. And it doesn't happen very often. But this is why LeBron, when he plays with Kevin Love or Chris Bosch or Anthony Davis, would prefer those guys are out of the lane so the guy guarding them, the big, doesn't block the rim. it doesn't happen a lot and everybody last night was doing a victory lap on LeBron's passing this team is not gifted offensively enough

to win with LeBron being the best passer on the floor they're going to win if he scores in this series because you can't trust Annie Green you can't trust Kuzma Rondo's coming back he's not a shooter this is a bunch of odd parts it's a reality show in sneakers so the first two will not get in the way

of beating Portland AD disappears in the fourth he does all the time and they don't have a trustable third score. I mean, they beat Portland earlier this year with those things. But LeBron, and it's subtle, and it doesn't happen very often. But a couple of things have happened throughout LeBron's career multiple times. He loses occasionally confidence in his jumper. Now, it doesn't happen much anymore. It did a lot in his first 10 years. So what would he do when that happened? He would score at the rim. It happens very infrequently now that he loses confidence in his jumper. But he's always liked the basket clear.

he's always liked it clear. So if he loses confidence in his jumper, he can take the smaller defender, the slower defender, and score at the basket where he's all-time remarkable. But just keep your eye on this. If Hassan Whiteside, who's a lot better than Roy Hibbert,

if he gets into LeBron's head in this series and LeBron becomes Uber passer, super passer, best teammate ever, that's a problem. Because the Lakers are not deep enough or talented enough for LeBron to dominate and get 17 assists a night. He's got to drop 34 in this series at some point to clinch it because Portland's real.

Milwaukee lost last night and for the record, Chris Middleton was awful, but let's save that for later. You know, one of the reasons that Patrick Mahomes is great. Russell Wilson's great. To me, those are the best two quarterbacks in the league. Lamar's not in that class yet. Play with the lead, play from behind. It doesn't matter. Tom Brady, play with the lead, play from behind, doesn't matter.

Lamar Jackson's a way better quarterback with a lead than from behind at this point in his career. This goes for Janus as a basketball player. Janus with a lead is great. He's physically imposing. You don't get any cheap baskets. He plays his game. Yonis trailing is not the same player. He doesn't shoot threes.

You need quick points. He doesn't get him for you. Last night, Janus, no field goals, final 11 minutes. Mr. MVP, fourth quarter trailing, three points. Yonis trailing late in a game is not as dominant, imposing, or important as Janus leading. And this is the Lamar Jackson thing. Now, nobody said Janus in the fourth quarter was terrible player. Nobody thinks Lamar's awful trailing.

But when you watch Baltimore trailing and suddenly Lamar Jackson's running a bill, and run fakes, who cares? You got to throw the ball. You're down by 14. There's seven minutes left. They're not as important. The bucks this year were 9 and 16 when they trailed by double digits at any point in the game. They're not a comeback team, especially late.

Can't trust Chris Middleton. Yonis doesn't shoot threes. And Malcolm Brogden, oh, he's gone. Okay, so, and that's with Lamar in Baltimore. When you watched Patrick Mahomes this year, trail in the playoffs, Houston 24-0. I watched that game. My only thing was, all right, let's just let this little run by Houston wear out, give Patrick the ball.

It's going to be fine. You didn't think that Super Bowl was over mid-fourth quarter, San Francisco controlling it. You don't think about leader trailing with Patrick Mahomes. It's not a thing. You don't think about that, by the way. Dame. Actually, I could make an argument that Patrick Mahomes and Damien Lillard are more dangerous trailing.

Because when Dame's trailing, it's like, oh, he'll take any shot. Even the slight restrictions, you know, Terry Stott's, let's move the ball around. When you're just like, no, Dame hit threes, and he takes the brackets off. Like, there's no restrictions. Dame's scarier. Steph Curry is scarier. Patrick Mahomes, you know, he's playing within the guidelines. Uh-oh, now Patrick Mahomes trails 24-0, and he returns to him.

Just go be magic. Mahomes and Dame are scarier trailing. Because now you know they're playing with a focus and intensity and there are no restrictions. There's no coaching restrictions. Lamar Jackson trailing, his passer rating drops, his completion percentage was almost in the 50s. It's not quite the same. That's why to me, Russell and Patrick are different level. Lamar may get there this year.

But when I'm watching them, the bucks trailing last night, and it's funny about this. For years and years, I said this with Mike Tyson. in the fighter. Mike was great when he was landing punches and he was leading a fight. But I watched Mike Tyson twice against Holyfield and once against Lennox Lewis when he was trailing. By the fifth round, you're like, it's not working. And Mike wasn't the baddest man on the planet. He wasn't even the baddest man in the ring that night. Certain fighters, certain football quarterback, certain NBA players, they are downhill stars. They get a lead on you. And, Watch out.

Then there's Dame. Then there's Mahomes. Then there's Russell Wilson. Then there's Steph Curry. You can argue they're more dangerous trailing. That's not Janus. And that's what I saw last night. Milwaukee got down.

I mean, Janus is shot chart. It's all around the rim, man. Not a lot of stuff in the perimeter. I mean, he can occasionally hit a three. But that shot chart is around the rim and above the rim. One more herd? The herd streams 24 hours a day. seven days a week within the iHeart radio app search heard 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 superhuman documented it all embedded in the games and with the athletes for a full year within probably ten days i'd put on ten 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 Clivered 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 with Little Kim? Well, you can find out on the Look Back at it podcast. I'm Sam Jay. 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 was big to me, not just because of crack. I'm down to talk about crack all 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 for finishing that sentence. Yes. I don't think there's a more important year for black people.

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 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, Keir Gaines, 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. Media people. You're just too nice. You're too swell. So Bill Belichick is short with everybody at press conferences. You can ask legitimate questions to Belichick. He'll eat you apart. On to Cincinnati.

I mean, Belichick doesn't give anybody the time of day. people who ask legitimate questions. But have you noticed Belichick in the last couple of months? He's like your friendly local junior varsity football coach. Got time for the media. It gives long answers. Somebody yesterday asked him about quarterback position platooning it. And his entire career, Belichick would have literally rolled his eyes.

Belichick yesterday, when asked about platooning quarterback, said, oh, I would certainly consider it. It may give us the best chance to win the big game. game Sunday. Oh, come on. Don't pee on my leg and tell me it's raining. Belichick is a historian. He is an unbelievable football historian. When the NFL 100 list came out, it was Belichick who fought for 188-pound defensive end named Bill Hewitt. Bill Hewitt, because Bill Belichick fought for him in newest history. He was called the off-sized kid. Belichick informed us. The 30s, they smoked on the sidelines.

People didn't wear helmets. Bill knew schematically how his team used Bill Hewitt. Schematically wasn't a word in the 30s. And Bill fought for Bill Hewitt to be a top 100 player because Bill knows history, loves history. His mom spoke seven languages. His dad helped create scouting. Bill is a football historian. and he knows platooning quarterbacks.

Do not work in this league. Come on, bruh. Media people, figure it out. You think, A, you don't think Belichick has a plan with three A plus college prospect quarterbacks a position he needs to fill, and B, Belichick is suddenly doing the opposite of what he's done the last 20 years.

He answers stupid questions with kindness. we'll certainly think about platooning them their quarterbacks. Golly, if it helps us win the big game. He let smart, high IQ veteran, mostly affordable players go. He didn't address in free agency key holes. Like they don't have a tight end who's ever taken a snap in the league that can play. These are all things that are the opposite of Belichick. He doesn't have time for dumb questions.

He's not going to talk about platooning quarterbacks. I mean, can you imagine if somebody would have asked, him. Brady and Garoppolo, as you can platoon, he would not have answered the question. Now he's got Cam Newton and Brian Hoyer who could walk through a mall in New England, and nobody would know who he is. Suddenly Bill sounds like the junior varsity coach that everybody in high school likes because the head coach is mean, and the junior varsity coach is like, we'll play six kids at quarterback. Kids just should have a right to play the game. That's not who Bill is. Bill's the most manipulative coach.

and as a manipulator myself, I can spot it. He's the most manipulative coach in league history. There isn't even a second. I don't even think. Pete Carroll's a little. Is there a second? Most coaches are like Mike Tomlin. They love football.

They're earnest. They lay it right out there. They're not sneaking around. They're like, this is my emotion. I'm mad. I'm mad. When I'm pissed, I'm pissed. When I'm happy, I'm happy.

When I'm funny, I'm funny. Bill's always got an angle. But this year with three A plus quarterbacks and he's got, you know, older beat up cam and two other guys. This year, he's, you know, it's platooning quarterbacks. He's got no plan. He's making it up. Let's not addressing free agency. Folks, come on.

You know, this is a hill I'm going to die on. But when the Patriots go five and 11 or six and 10 and they have the eighth pick and they've got like 11 picks and nobody except Jacksonville needs a quarterback, they're ensuring. This whole thing about tanking. It's not called tanking. Get over it. Salespeople are no longer called salespeople. They're called account executives. She's an executive.

He's an... Bob's an executive. I thought he was a sales guy. He is an accountant. He is an executive for accounts. Multiple by Bob's an executive. It's not called tanking in the NFL. Peyton Manning can play.

Andrew Lux's available. It's not called tanking. It's restructuring. It's moving the furniture around a little bit. 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. All right. Let's bring in Nick Wright, brought to you by Mercedes-Benz.

The Best or Nothing. Just like Nick, the best or nothing. Well, quite an interesting night at the Nick Wright household last night. Quickly. Hold on, real quick. Colin, Colin, I'm sorry. I have to congratulate you. What? Can I tell the audience, big night for you last night. Because best I can tell, you picked the Blazers and the Lakers to win the series. So congrats.

I was, I mean, so he couldn't lose. You were watching it probably a drink in both hand. So I was happy for you, but go ahead. I still think the Lakers will win the series. But let's be honest about this. Players don't change. AD was not a great late game player in New Orleans. He's not a great late game player. He's not a great late game. player for the Lakers. You have to acknowledge this. LeBron has to carry this team in the fourth. AD's disappearing act now is a trend, Nick. Like, this is what he is, right? Well, contrary to what some people would have you believe, LeBron's arguably the greatest closer in league history. So it should be his job. But, yeah, I mean, listen, Anthony Davis is going to have to be better in the fourth quarter of the games once you get to the conference finals and

the NBA finals. But there is this narrative today from folks across every, wherever you are on the LeBron spectrum, from Skip Bayless to Shannon Sharp, the one thing everyone seems to agree on is, well, listen, LeBron's got to be more aggressive. The 17 assists were nice, but he's got to be more aggressive. I say to all of those people, you are wrong. LeBron James, is not playing to beat the Blazers. He is playing to win a title. And the only way the Lakers win a title is if by the time they face their toughest opponents, Kuzma and KCP and Danny Green and Anthony Davis are all feeling good about their games, hitting shots, and in rhythm. LeBron knows the three highest scoring finals of his career. You know what they all have in common? They're

all losses because his teammates let him down. So this idea that LeBron, I heard you talking, Ah, Hassan White's side scared him off. I think it's more he understood what he understands, I should say, what the Lakers need not to win four games against Portland, but to win 16 games over the next eight weeks. And that is guys who right now are not in rhythm, get in rhythm. Now, if they're down 3-1 in the series, then I think his approach would change because it becomes break glass in case of emergency. But at 0-0 or even down 1-0, I think LeBron's approach is going to be the exact same. Distribute, get other guys going. Well, it doesn't matter to me because I pick both teams, so I feel great about the whole series.

True. Correct. You're in a win-win. You can't lose. So I said this. The difference between Patrick Mahomes and Lamar Jackson, they're both talented. but I never feel if Mahomes is down 24-0, I'm like, oh, he's more dangerous. Because now Andy Reid's like, all right, kid, save us. With Lamar, I don't feel that way. He got down by Tennessee in the playoffs third quarter, and I'm like, okay, this doesn't feel the same. Janus has a little bit of that, is that from behind, he's marginalized. And I watched yesterday, Nick, the Bucks defense, and I don't know the answer to it,

it's not as suffocating, and they're going to play from behind in games. Do you think it's a problem? It's, no, this one, this I think you absolutely nailed. It's the final piece to the puzzle for Janus. It's why, despite the fact that he's about to win his second straight league MVP, you rarely hear him called just universally the best player in the world. because as great as he is, as dominant as he is, there is a bit of a, oh gosh, this is embarrassing.

What was the thing that hurt Superman? Cryptonite. I don't know the word. Cryptonite. Thank you. There is a bit of a kryptonite, and it's one NBA guys have to deal with all the time, which is we're losing and got to come back.

And I think the Lamar comparison is a very apt one. There is, as great as Mahomes is, you could argue there is no quarterback in the league you would rather have with a six-point lead than Lamar Jackson. Right. Because he can do everything. And as great as LeBron is,

as great as James Harden, Kevin Durant are, you could argue that if you're up eight midway through the fourth quarter, there's nobody better to have than that guy right there. But the flip side to that question is, what if you're down eight? And it is the question, LeBron or Janus needs to answer this postseason because it is the hole in his game and it is why

him not having, even though he had three threes yesterday, not having a reliable jump shot, that's the last piece for him. And maybe he'll answer it here. And your point about the Bucks who had a historically great defense in the regular season, that defense has to show up. So on this one, I agree with you 1,000 percent. And because I agree with you 1,000 percent, I have to take a shot on the front end, which is, my, oh my, how far Patrick Mahomes is gone, because when he was down 24-0 to the Texans, Courtney and Colin Coward, he had never won a big game in his life, and yet you were totally confident he was going to come back in that one. So good, good for Patrick. That's quite a journey for him. Speaking of journey, Westbrook's been around a while.

I don't know if you noticed this last night, but this was the best Houston looked in the bubble. They actually were great on threes because the world's worst three-point shooter wasn't playing. And it is funny how certain players leave a team or miss a game and the team's not the same. Westbrook leaves Houston. And last night, there is no question. They were virtually flawless. They hit threes. They played defense.

They were intense. You didn't notice that at all? No, listen. I think you raise a really good point. point that if a guy leaves a team and you look at the team's record the year before he got there and it's better than the year he was there and then you look at the team's record the year after he left and it's better than he was there you start to question his impact now that player i'm describing is your future goat kawai leonard not russell westbro but for the sake of the discussion

i'll bring it back to russell westbro okay listen hardin this is not about what russ does or doesn't do This was about James Harden, once again reminding people. You can argue about his playoff chops. You can argue about his clutch gene. You can argue about his watchability. He is one of the five greatest scores of the last 50 years, and if you think differently, you're wrong. Like, that's what last night was about.

Also, here's something we're not hearing this morning or this afternoon about the Rockets. And I'm shocked. They got out rebounded by double digits. So, like, I think that counts as half a loss or something. Because every time the Rockets lose, we talk about rebounding margin. But they won, so it's like, oh, who cares? Hardin's awesome. Like, listen, they can beat Oklahoma City without Russ, because Hardin is that great.

They can't beat the Lakers without Russ. And I do think that even though Russ obviously is not a good three-point shooter, Russ's penetration makes the defense collapse and allows guys to get open threes. As great as they were last night, I don't know if you can expect that type of of performance from Jeff Green and the like once again. So I said this before, is maybe it's because I'm manipulative that I can spot manipulative. But I am supposed to- Very manipulative, by the way, America. A professional manipulator, if you really think about it.

So I'm supposed to believe the NFL's most manipulative coach. When asked if, would you think about rotating quarterbacks? He's like, golly, good question. You bet super duper. I'm on it. Really? Cam Newton and Brian Hoyer, and they're going to go back and forth. Are we not watching what's happening?

Belichick is now answering patiently ridiculous questions. He's a historian to the league but knows suddenly now platooning quarterbacks is a good idea. Is it because I'm manipulative? He clearly has a plan to get one of the three great quarterbacks next year. And platooning quarterbacks is a way to ensure you're not going to have a great record nobody says tanking. We don't tank in football. You don't tank in hockey.

It's too, you know, there's violence. But you're seeing some of this, right? Like Belichick suddenly Mr. Nice JV coach that wants all four quarterbacks to play. And by the way, if guys opt out, it's all about family first. Doesn't it feel a little fishy? A little? All right. So here's the part that where I can't follow you down this path.

All right. If he were honestly considering platooning quarterbacks, I feel like he would dismiss the question. The fact that he actually acknowledged the question makes me think if he is this king manipulator like you're making him out to be, which he may or may not be, that if he were actually thinking about it,

he would dismiss it. And if he wasn't thinking about it, he would be like, oh, let's have people have this conversation, even though we're never going to do it. There's a bit of a princess bride situation. I know what you know, that I know, what you know what I know. And so I don't know where that train ends.

What I found most interesting about the Patriots quarterback rotation yesterday, where it was Cam, Stidham, and Hoyer was not that all three are competing for the starting spot, but that I think Hoyer and Stidham are competing for the backup job. I think the reason Hoyer's getting those reps is because they don't know who their backup is, not they don't know who the starter is. Cam's going to be the starter, but the backup there is going to really matter because of Cam's injury history the last few years. Hoyer doesn't, Hoyer's been in this system. He's been with these coaches.

He's been with these players. He doesn't need a bunch of reps. The fact that he's getting them, to me, is likely more about Stidham. And if the Patriots end up with an awesome quarterback, Colin, in two years or three years, unfortunately, for the, you know,

the right-thinking American to really don't like this franchise, guys, I believe that quarterback is more likely to be Aaron Rogers than Trevor Lawrence. I think if there is a master plan for Belichick, I think it's about what Aaron Rogers could be more so than what one of these young college quarterbacks could be. Oh, that was good today. Yeah, well thought out. It was very well thought out today.

I did appreciate that. Thank you. Congrats again, man. I'm sending you your half blaker jersey. That's what I'm going to call it, a shirzy. I'm very excited for you. Get out of here, you jerk. All you do is mock me.

It's very hurtful, very painful. Nick Wright, first thing is first. Good stuff. 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-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 J. 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, so. Thank you for finishing that sentence. 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. 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 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 Hardway and listen now. Russell Westbrook's a lot of things. I always thought his MVP was nonsense.

Last night, Houston played their best game in the bubble. Westbrook was gone. They shot threes, Why? Because Westbrook didn't take any. Their defense was great. Is that there's a big difference. I've always thought the media doesn't understand the word valuable. So let's be fair here. I always thought his MVP was nonsense. The most valuable player in the league easily for 10 years in a row is LeBron. It's not even arguable. It's not about, so let's, what is Westbrook? Now there's five boxes he checks. Is he exciting? Oh, hell yeah. He's must watch. Is he athletic? He may be the league's

most athletic guy. Is he interesting? It's kind of fascinating. Yeah. Is he productive? Yes, very productive. Is he respected? Yes, absolutely. Players love him. I mean, MJ thinks, you know, no question. But is he valuable? Oklahoma City got better when he left. Kevin Durant got more efficient and one more when he left. Victorola Depot became an all-star when he left. Subonis became an all-star when they left him. So when you buy a home, what's valuable? Oh, the kitchen? Well, I mean, no, you could rebuild your kitchen. Bathrooms are essential. Not really. You can have bad bathrooms and buy a house.

The most valuable thing when you buy a house is location. I can fix anything in the house. I can't move it. I can't move it to the beach. I can't move it overlooking the ski lift. I can't move it to Park Avenue. What's most valuable when you buy a house, don't worry about the kitchen. Don't worry about where's it located?

Is it in a good school district? Do you think it's a safe neighborhood if you can afford that? Do you think you have easy access to walking parks and, you know, that's the most valuable thing when you buy real estate. That's what all the smart real estate people do. They don't worry about the kitchen. You can fix the kitchen. You can't fix the location.

It is what it is. So the value with Westbrook, he checks a zillion boxes. He doesn't check the valuable box. When LeBron James leaves a team, they go into the, they fall off the cliff into the sea. Even if they're well-coached, Miami, well-run Miami, good roster Miami. LeBron leaves they're a mess. They can be a championship-level team. Cleveland twice.

He leaves. They're the worst team in the league. An hour later. Like, that is valuable. It's like I've always said this. There's a few things you should never go cheap on. Toilet paper, good toilet paper is valuable. It's not expensive.

Don't go cheap on toilet paper. Don't go cheap on quarterbacks. They're very valuable. There are a lot of good football players. Nobody's even close to the value of a quarterback. So when I watch Houston yesterday, their intensity was unbelievable. Their shooting was unbelievable. their defense was unbelievable.

If LeBron James leaves your basketball team, the Lakers, their defense won't be as good, their passing won't be as good, situationally they won't be as good, defensively they won't be as good. Houston was better at everything yesterday without Westbrook. And that's not to say Westbrook's not great. He is great.

This league is full of great players and great coaches. That is not it. But valuable is a different word than great. In my life, I'm going to watch on the NBA. for 40 years. I've been watching this league forever. There have been a lot of great players that I didn't think were terribly valuable.

And then you get the guys who are not only valuable to their team, they're valuable to the league. I mean, Magic Johnson and Larry Bird were unbelievably valuable to the NBA brand. The league was kind of new commissioner, swimming around, a bunch of teams were almost bankrupt. And here comes this good-looking, epipresent, Magic Johnson.

He was not only valuable to Kareem's career and the Lakers brand, he was valuable to the league. Michael Jordan wasn't just valuable to the Bulls. He was valuable internationally to basketball. So value has several levels. And again, Westbrook is a great talent, exciting, athletic, energized, productive. Guys love him, they respect him. He plays his butt off.

But the valuable thing with him, I've always said, there are a lot more valuable guys in the league. in my opinion. Monty Williams, of all the accolades of Monty Williams, I can assure him that the strangest award that will ever be on his mantle, 20 years from now, will be best coach in the bubble. He just won that award.

He is joining us live, the son's coach. First season in Phoenix, they went 8-0 in the bubble. You know what's interesting, Monty? That is the strangest. plaque, any coaches ever won in the history of the league. So congratulations for Coach of the Bubble, Monny. But Joy brought up, we were talking about this during the break, is that because there's no home court advantage, what became very apparent in the bubble, and I saw it yesterday with Houston, effort is winning these games. You convinced your young Phoenix team.

You guys played hard every moment. And in this bubble, you don't get the home court call. You don't get the home court juice from the fans. You're not tired from flying. I just thought the teams that played with effort, Portland's doing this. You convinced the young team of Phoenix to play hard for every minute of every game. Did you figure it out before we did that effort was going to be the deciding factor in this bubble? Well, I appreciate the kind words. We have a bit of a blueprint for how we want to play. Our guys bought in from day one in Flagstaff at our first training camp on the high level of intensity that we had to play with to be successful. And one of our coaches, Darko Rikovic, he was watching the games overseas. And he made a remark to the staff that

the teams that were in shape and playing with a high level of force, and intensity from the start we're having the most success. And that's fit with our DNA. And so we just, you know, we didn't fall into it. It's just how we have to play. And we have talented guys for sure,

but they're young. And then we had, you know, phenomenal play from Devon and leadership from Ricky and a number of our guys stepped up and grew on the fly. So that's the only way we can play. That's the only way I want to play. I don't think you should be rewarded for playing hard.

I think that should be a given. And it's not something I take for granted. We just have a team that competes every time we touch the floor. You know, it's interesting. You face the Lakers and Portland this year. I was saying Damian Lillard is almost scarier when he trails. Then the coaches are like, Dame, we need you. It's almost like Patrick Mahomes in the NFL.

Trailing, he's scarier than leading. when he's leading, Andy Reid may tell him, just run the ball, run the clock out. When he's trailing, Mahalb's got to throw it 12 straight times. You have faced Portland. You have faced the Lakers. Is there a way to defend Dame? Is there a secret sauce or anything with Portland defending them? Well, we haven't figured it out.

Damien is a guy that from the first time I met him at the Chicago pre-draft camp. You just kind of knew he was different. And we had him in a room doing the draft process, and all of the people in the room were asking about his family, you know, hobbies and all that stuff. And as a coach, I wasn't really worried about that. And so I jammed him up with a time, score, situation question. And I hit him with about four or five different scenarios in one play.

And he looked me in the eyes. right after he processed it, processed the question. And he said, coach, I don't know. And I thought that was profound. He didn't try to fool me. He didn't try to come up with something that would sound like he knew what he was talking about. He had enough security and confidence in his own ability to say he didn't know. And I thought to myself, I'm like, I don't know what he's going to be.

Nobody knew back then. But I thought it said a lot about the confidence that he had and his ability. and he had in himself. And, you know, we're seeing it now. You know, Lakers, meanwhile, they're very big. I thought Dwight Howard made a couple of key plays last night. Javail McGee's always been athletic. Anthony Davis is a handful.

I do think over the course of this series, I think the Lakers size probably ends up winning this series. It's a real handful. When you face the Lakers, how did you work around if you could? How did you work around? They're just size. We had to zone a bit to hide some of the matchups or what we would call mismatches.

And so we zoned and tried to get them late into the clock. And we would switch and live with a contested shot, hopefully a non-paint two. But the guy that will probably help them when he gets back as Rondo because he sets the deck for everybody. He's an organizer. and he's one of those guys that you don't value him until he's not out there on the floor. And when I was watching the game last night, it just seemed like they were missing his ability to organize the floor and get guys in their spots.

But there's certainly a big team, a deep team. They missed a ton of shots last night. And that's always the equalizer, especially in the playoffs, where plays aren't necessarily going to get you over the top. It's going to be concepts and environments, talent, and decisions. And last night, Portland made shots. And when I saw CJ come out in the third quarter, he was really aggressive. And when he played like that in the third, I thought L.A. could be in trouble if you saw a couple of his shots go down. And he did.

And it helped those guys win the game. Monty Williams' first year in Phoenix. He was a U.S. national team assistant coach under Mike Cheshefsky and Rio de Janeiro. Sons 8-0 in the bubble. He won the bubble coach. So you were in Philadelphia last year. I know it's so funny. You were in Philly last year with Embedon Simmons,

and it's interesting about this sport. You can have two great players. They don't always play together well. I always thought it was a credit to KD and Steph that you had these two great players, and they just fit. They just fit. Chris Paul and Hardin, it didn't fit as well. And that's okay.

There's nothing wrong with that. Here's my thing about Embedon Simmons. I always had this theory that if any relationship, if you're in therapy after eight years, maybe it's just too darn hard. Like stuff shouldn't be that hard. And I watch Embedon Simmons. And I'm a cynic on this, Monty. I'm like, God, it can't be this hard.

Is it possible that Embedon Simmons are both great? But it's never going to quite click. Well, you know, I had the fortune of coaching those two guys. And the thing that, you know, I don't want to make declarations about this year's team. I can only speak to. my experience with those two guys. The thing that really helped those two was JJ Reddick, because JJ had the ability to space the floor,

which helped both of those guys. And when Ben would go into his DHO, his guy would tend to back off of him into the painting. That was an easy shot for JJ, because there was no help after the dribble handoff. And so JJ was a great compliment to those two guys. That's no disrespect to Jay Ridge, or Tobias or any of those guys that are playing with Philly now.

But I know that JJ created a lot of opportunities for that team. And it's hard when you're playing in a city like Philadelphia and everything you do is criticized every hour. Those guys are competitive, high-level talents, and they're young. Ben is a guy that I spend a ton of time with. and you know he's he's right there i think when he starts to take those shots in the game and make them like he does in his warm-ups and his workouts you're probably going to see a top five player in the league

yeah but the jury's out on on that that that team but they they're upside is tremendous you know it's um the bubble is really great i mean i've been watching the NBA and i've been a fan forever um i think the aesthetic is amazing I don't think I've ever been more into these games. There's no home court. Intensity is like college. I love the young players in this league right now. It's just amazing to me.

Kids are coming in the league and they're better earlier. When was the first time? Devin Booker is going to be your guide now for years. When was the first time you looked at Devin Booker? Because Kentucky puts a lot of dudes in the NBA. A lot of miss, a lot of okay. And then Devin comes in and you're like, pow, when was the first time you saw him? and did you think Devin Booker would be this, which is, you know, the young Hardin,

like literally a guy that could scored 50 and you wouldn't be surprised? I think for me it was my time with USA basketball, and the senior team would play against the select team. And I think it was his first time in that environment. And after every scrimmage and every practice, we go into our meetings and start talking about players on our team. We talk about the scrimmage and was there somebody from that select team that we could bring up? And almost every day Devin's name came up. He had a confidence about him. And he wanted everybody to know that he belonged.

And I had a chance to be with him every day indirectly. And he reminded me so much of Brandon Roy, who I coached him. Oh, God, I love Brandon Roy. Yeah, he and Book have so many similarities, not many weaknesses in their game at all. great footwork, good hands, and fundamentally more sound than people give them credit. But the difference between, you know, Devin and Brandon and other players is their confidence.

Devin feels like he's the best player on the floor every time we play. So I didn't see what he's doing now back then, but that was the first encounter that I had with them. And you could see that he was different from the other young players on the select team. Everybody I know in the league loves you. Monty Williams. How are your kids doing COVID? Your kids doing okay? How are you doing? My kids are great, man. I just graduated.

I didn't. Thank God, I didn't have to do anything. But she just graduated from Week in college. I have two in college, and my boys are here at the house and in my pocket. And they're all doing well. They're just the inspiration for me, and I'm so thankful that God gave me these kids. And my new wife, Lisa, has her hand. full trying to take care of me and all of my children. So thank you so much for asking.

And I really appreciate that. Huge fans. You're just a credit to the sport, man. You're one of the good guys. Appreciate you stopping by. I'd love to have you on again. Thank you so much. Thank you for allowing me to promote our program.

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. my guest, S&L's Mikey Day and headwriter, 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 Superhuman documented it all, embedded in the games and with the athletes for a full year.

Within probably 10 days, I'd put on 10 pounds. I was having trouble stopping the muscle growth. Listen to Superhuman on the IHard Radio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts. On the Look Back at it podcast. From 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. It was a wild year. I don't think there's a more important year for black people. Listen to look back at it on the IHeart Radio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts.

A win is a win. A win is a win. I don't care what you're saying. Yep, that's me. Clifford Taylor the Fourth. 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. This is an IHeart podcast. Guaranteed human.