The Herd with Colin Cowherd - Colin Cowherd Podcast Prime Cuts - Jim Harbaugh’s Mind Games, Bears A Playoff Team? NFL’s Xmas Day Takeover, Who Wins The NBA West?

Episode Date: March 30, 2024

Colin’s top takes of the week! He’s joined by John Middlekauff, host of “3 and Out” to talk about whether Jim Harbaugh is engaging in deception and subterfuge when it comes to the NFL draft (3:15), and debate whether the Bears will be a playoff team in 2024 (9:30) Nick Wright, host of “First Things First” on FS1 stops by to talk about the NFL seizing Christmas day from the NBA and whether or not they’ve overreached (22:30) and they debate if any team has a chance of dethroning the Denver Nuggets in the western conference (32:00). (Timestamps may vary based on advertisements.)Follow Colin and The Volume on Twitter for the latest content and updates! #Volume #Herd See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

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All right, a day later, but never a dollar short, John Middlakov, former NFL scout, even though this is the NFL's offseason, there's all sorts of news going on. So, JMAQ on our show today that heard FS1 brought up a really interesting point. He's very good at this, because he's got a lot of contact. with agents and stuff. So here's Jim Harbaugh, just continually saying, J.J. McCarthy's the best player in the draft. I mean, this guy's unbelievable.

Well, as he brought up today, Minnesota is poised to move up. Every rumor on every board is Minnesota is moving up. They've accumulated two first picks. Well, they don't want to move up to first, second, or third probably, because then you'd have to give up multiple ones, you know, for a college player. But you could move up to five with the chargers. and probably get J.J. McCarthy because we don't believe, unless the Giants move up spots to go to Arizona spot, it really is very, nobody, Chicago's not given up their pick. I don't think Washington's given up their pick.

Now, New England's open for business at three, but I think there's some misgivings with Jaden Daniels size, some of this style of play to put him up in New England and that weather. My guess is, so J. Mack said what they're doing basically is Harbaugh is saying how great McCarthy is. Because if you like J.J. McCarthy, he'd be a reach at one, two, or three. But at five, if he is a reach, it's not a huge reach if he's projected to be nine, 10, 11, 12. And all Harbaugh is doing is saying, oh, this guy's great. He wants you to spend more to get his fifth pick. And I thought, yeah, that's exactly what he's doing, right? Well, Adam Peters told the local guys today they're not open for business. They've listened, but they were never open for business. And that's Washington's GM. That's Washington's GM. I do think the Patriots saying that, here's the problem for the Chargers.

Ideally, they would love to do that deal, right? 11, 23, maybe next year's two. Big Hall kind of help reset their roster. Monty Austin Fort, the Arizona Cardinals GM, said we have flashing lights open for business, right? flashing lights. Gerard Mayo said within the last 24 hours, we're open for business too. So if teams trade up before the Chargers, it takes two to tango. Teams often say, hey, we wanted to move back or we wanted to move forward.

We couldn't get a yes on the other end of the line. What if quarterbacks and teams trade either the Patriots take a guy or trade back, and the Giants and the Vikings take three and four? What happens to the Chargers if they get stuck there? Because I have a hard time, Colin, envisioning them. And I know these wide receivers are viewed very highly, and I know they just got rid of two. Google Jim Harbaugh's history. And his GM just came from the Ravens.

They would much more be inclined to take a lineman. That's more of their style high in the draft. But they already have a left tackle. Googling Alt, he's only played on the left side. I think it's a little rich for the Oregon State guy who's more of a right tackle potentially. They already have two defensive linemen, but you could always take a defensive lineman. I don't think there's a guy viewed as a number five overall pick in this draft at that spot. They could get stuck pretty quickly.

Now, they could just take a wide receiver. Do you envision a Ravens GM and Jim Harbaugh taking a wide receiver with a fifth overall picks? I can't. I can't. So I have envisioned if the Chargers got Minnesota's picks and it was two firsts, my first thing I envisioned would be they moved back to like, what is it, 11 or 12? What are the Vikings? It's 11, yeah.

My takeaway is that they would take the Oregon State tackle at 11, maybe a bit high, but he's a bruiser. and they could also use him on the interior of their issues. And then I think their second pick would be a defensive tackle from like Texas or one of the big interior linemen. Right tackle, defensive tackle, and I'm like, that's exactly the how. And then they'd go get a center. They got two fourth round picks. They're going to get a center of the third of the fourth round. That's what Jim wants to do.

He wants to get big. You know, George Young, the legendary Giants GM used to always say, when in doubt, go big. That's how Harbaugh and Baltimore and the Harbaugh's draft. They just go big a lot. Hell, I can make an argument. Zay Flowers is the first home run wide receiver hit that Lamar Jackson's had. I mean, O'Dell didn't make any impact. Mark Andrews has been ready to star the receiving game.

So, yeah, I'm with you. And they took him in the 20s. Yes. Right? The Ravens, the Helodidatas, those types, they take higher. Ronnie Stanley. Zay Flowers, are they taking, even though Malik neighbors and Roma Dunes, they are viewed as top 10, Marvin Harrison?

I just, I have a really hard time. Now, maybe Marvin Harrison, he's seen him up close and personal. Maybe he feels very comfortable with that player. But I can't imagine that's what they want to do. But I can already envision them getting stuck because if a quarterback goes one, two, three, four, whether that's trade ups, obviously Arizona would have to trade back. But let's say the Patriots even stay there. What if there's no one to trade with the Chargers?

Well, yeah. So today, the New York Giants, the Mara family said, that they can draft a quarterback at number six. The Mara said they will allow the GM and the coach if they think it's necessary. Nice of them. Nice of them to say you can draft a quarterback. So I think they will. I could see the Giants actually, you know, my guess, I don't know if I'd do Jaden

Daniels in that weather. I would much rather have. So don't we both agree? It's going to go Caleb, Drake, May 1 and 2. Do we agree with that? Pellasaro said today from the league meetings that he's heard a lot of J.J. McCarthy with Adam Peters. And when you think of Adam Peters history, right, even recently, they won a lot with Jimmy Garoppel. And then they had immediate success with Brock Purdy.

Now, obviously, these two guys are two of the best, I mean, Brady's the best player ever in Peyton Manning's a top five quarterback. He was around those guys in Denver and then New England. So prototypical, and the one guy that he completely whiffed on with the group was Trey Lance. So I wonder if they're more inclined. I heard Drake May forever, but when I saw that, I don't think that's just getting thrown around because if JJ could go four, what the hell is the difference of taking him two? If people like him at four or five, it's not crazy to think someone would like him at two, right? It's the same pick, essentially. If I get new information, I change my opinion. And I'm not your classic journalist, obviously. I'm not a boots on the ground guy, but I'm texted NFL, two NFL GMs today about something. So, and you have, you have. the same contacts and the same kind of effort is that we're both seeking information constantly, and sometimes I just get new information. And I was very cool on Ryan Poles, you know,

former offensive lineman, the Bears GM. A Vueless Jones pick, I could not stand at number three. I just thought it was a complete whiff, and I thought they just didn't do their homework, or their SEC Scout didn't do their homework because at SC, he couldn't track the ball. He was a returner, Max. I didn't love the Chase Claypool move, but I understood it. Mooney was a smaller player. Chase was a big body, had a great rookie year. Disracted player didn't work. But I got to tell you, as a former offensive lineman, I think he's put some effort into draft capital, and I think their left tackle and right tackle can both play. They had another tackle. They moved inside. They've saved his career. I thought, the DJ Moore move, Keenan Allen, DeAndre Swift, Gerald

Everett. I've got to be honest. I did not a year ago. I did not trust Ryan Poles the GM of the Bears. But I've got new information. The other thing they're doing, which the Steelers aren't, the Steelers and the Bears are defined defensively. Their cultures, I mean, outside of Bradshaw and Ben, and some talented receivers, it's a defensive culture. He is saying, no, that's not what we're going to do here.

We're going to spend money on offense. That's what the Rams do. That's what the Browns are doing. That's what the Chiefs are doing. It's the opposite of the Steelers. So I find over the last two weeks, when he went and got Keenan, D'Andre Swift, good pass catching running back, 25-year-old kid, good player, not a great player, good player.

And then Gerald Everett with Cole Commet, those are functional, smart players. I've got to be honest, between Caleb, who I really like, between these offensive pieces, I almost feel like I've got new information. I think the, I think the Bears got the GM right. How is he viewed inside the league? Well, I mean, I think he had what has potential to be one of the great moves in the history of the league in that trade that he made last year with the Carolina Panthers, right? Because for a while, it looked like he was going to be defined on some of his worst moves that was early on. I mean, that Chase Claypool move was pretty embarrassing because his pick ended up being really high. And I think the Steelers ended up drafting Joey Porter, Jr., who's a really high end. I mean, that pick at the beginning of the second round is very, very valuable. But that Carolina Panther trade, I mean, truly was a game changer. And if Caleb, he does not have to become Patrick Mahomes.

If he just is a top 10 NFL quarterback, which would be probably the best quarterback in the history of the franchise, it would change their franchise forever. And he took advantage of a team and an owner who was desperate and cleaned up, right? And he also added one of their best players who was under contract in DJ Moore. Because my first thought last year when they traded for sweat, I'm like, God, that's a little much. Well, then they immediately got them. They started winning games. Their defense was better. So their draft pick actually ended up not as bad.

They got them under contract. Actually, that aged pretty well. I had to kind of eat that. I was like, well, it's not as crazy as it looked. So, yeah, when you work for Andy and Veach and John Dorsey, he was around a lot of high-level people for a while. And I think it's fair. I'm sure you would agree and you've done this, just like most people. Every human being makes bad business decisions.

Right. Most people's are not public. As a GM, every move you make is very public. Right. So you're going to have bad ones, but it doesn't have to define you if your great moves are awesome. Joe Douglas has had some really good moves for the Jets, but his quarterback moves so far have just not worked out. And it's going to ultimately get them fired if they don't work. Right.

So if you figure out the quarterback situation, which they are primed to do in Chicago, all these other kind of, they're not even ancillary moves because they were kind of big, have a chance to, if DJ Morris is in the pro bowl for a couple of years and sweats a pro bowler, I mean, we're going to be talking about this guy like a top 10 GM. and if he can get the Bears as a winning operation. Now, as a GM, you're also very dependent on your head coach. There is no great general manager that doesn't either have a good degrade head coach. So you don't, once the season starts, you're not implementing anything, you're not with the player. You're not doing anything, really. So he's very. Chris Ballard's reputation is going to improve over the next two years because of Shane Steichen.

I mean, he has might have the next Kyle Shanahan. Right. So it's going to change his life. It already did this year. The quarterback got hurt. We're all like, oh, the culture screwed. All of a sudden, they're in the playoff mixed week 17 with Gardner Minchew. So there's a lot of pressure on Iber Fluse.

And most GMs get two coaches. So this was kind of a package deal. Polian remember was involved with the hiring of these guys. He was. Definitely Iber Fluse. So if this doesn't work out, you get another one. You've got to get it right. Because if he gets it right with Caleb and the players,

he could be viewed as an elite. guy. But if he doesn't, a lot like the quarterback position, just because you have a good quarterback, if your coach isn't good enough, you're going to be in trouble. I think the pressure on Iber flus, Siriani and McCarthy, because of their markets, I mean, it's the Cowboys. He has no years left on his contract. They almost fired Siriani like two months ago. Those guys are going to be in their own little stratosphere in the way we talk about it. But I think Iber flus, the pressure starts immediately because of their roster, because of the talent, and because they have a quarterback that we've been talking. It happened in Jacksonville, right? Part of Urban Meyer, obviously there was a lot

going on, but like, you got handed Trevor Lawrence. So to me, the pressure gets multiplied by like 10, you know, that Frank Reich, all of a sudden we draft this guy at number one. We trade our franchise. I got to fire you. That adds an element of pressure with the high quarterback pick. Or it makes you, D'Amico, get the guy right, like, God, D'amico's a shooting rocket ship. Now, he might, he would have been probably saw it. He would have figured out because the Miko's pretty special. But I don't know. I mean,

I mean, Eber Fluse looks like he's changed his look. It feels a little younger. on paper already. And they had Caleb Williams and Player X. If that guy becomes an immediate impact player, we talking about this team as a wild card? Well, if I was Chicago, I'd trade down at nine. I really would. Again, you're in a, we've talked about the Chargers and the Giants. I think those positions like five and six are too rich for some of these quarterbacks. Nine, you know, if somebody wants to go Raiders 11 to 9, that's different than 11. Denver sitting right there, too. Yeah, so I could see where the bears would move down just three spots because this draft, I've been told, has 18 first round players.

It's usually about 15 to 16. This feels like 18 or night. The UCLA end is kind of the end of perceived first round talent. You know, the end of the first round, those last eight, nine picks, it's no man's land. Everybody would rather have top of the second picks. But I've heard the UCLA rush end is probably in that small group of last considered elite start day one. players be very productive. So I do think the bears are in a good spot. I, Jalen Johnson, the corner, Montes, what, defensive line, I would think if they've got two receivers, now,

my take was their offensive moves in free agency signal that that that number nine pick is going to go defense. They got to give I agree. I agree. I agree. You can't just keep saying, I got receivers, I got tight ends. And for the record, I think they probably, they probably need I mean, if you look at that position, there's a verse from Florida State. They could probably use another rush end. Yeah, you could take the Bama past rusher as well. You could take one of those two guys for sure if you get stuck. The one thing with Chicago, you'd say that division, Detroit kept their offensive coordinator,

who I think a lot of people view as the linchpin of that operation. So they're going to be good again. The talent on that roster is not really debatable. It's top five, six in the NFL, the Lions roster. And like most people, it's hard to bet against the Packers if Jordan Love is going to be a good player. So it's not like it's going to be easy for them, right? They're playing. And if Minnesota is just a credible operation with a lot of good, talented players, it's going to be a challenge.

And even if Caleb is really good, the NFL's hard. I mean, Peyton Manning set a record for interceptions as rookie year. So it's just the pressure that comes along with it. Now, Caleb, like a lot of guys in recent memory, has been under the spotlight. He's used to it. He's used to getting paid so the money shouldn't overwhelm them. But when's the last time the Bears had this much pressure slash interests going into this? It's probably 15 plus years ago.

When's the last time they had this much offensive talent? When's the last time the Bears had a legitimate star number one receiver and a legitimate star number two receiver? That's just not that, you know, and a star quarterback. I couldn't tell you the last time he had Jay Cutler, didn't he have Alshan Jeffrey? Yeah, he had Alshon. They had Brandon Marshall for a minute. They had those two guys. They were solid.

They were a real team. And that's kind of what this. But Jay, by that time, was a veteran player played. You know, Caleb's been in Lincoln Riley's offense. There is a little bit of a jolt. You know, you get Waldron runs more of the Shanahan operation. There's time to just get use to playing in a system where you're probably under center a little more. Now, part of it is as an offensive coordinator, you're not going to force him to do things he doesn't want to do.

But you also have to kind of find a middle ground. So I'm fascinated. I, like you said, Ryan Poles, I give him an A plus. for about the last 12 months. He's been kicking ass to take a name. Imagine an Olympics where doping is not only legal but encouraged. It's the enhanced games. Some call it grotesque.

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

And now I'm bringing all of that excitement to my brand new podcast, The Clifford Show. This is a place for raw, unfiltered conversations with some of your favorite athletes, creators, and voices that not only deserve to be heard, but celebrated. One week, I'll take you behind the scenes of the biggest moments in sports and entertainment, and the next we'll talk about life, mental health, purpose, and even music. The Clifford Show isn't just a podcast, it's a space for honest conversations,

stories that don't always get told, and for people who are chasing something bigger. So, if you've ever supported me or you're just chasing down a dream, this is right where you need to be. Listen to the Clifford Show on the IHeart Radio app, Apple Podcast, or wherever you get your podcast. And for more behind the scenes, follow at Clifford and at TikTok Podcast Network on TikTok.

Do you remember when Diana Ross double-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 Jek. And I'm Alex English.

Each episode, we pick it here, unpack what went down, and try to make sense of how we survived it. including a recent episode with Mark Lamont Hill waxing all about crack in the 80s. To be clear, 84 was big to me, not just because of crack. I'm down to talk about crack 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, so... Thank you for finishing that sentence. Yes, I don't think there's a more important year for black people. Really? Yeah. For me, it's one of the most important years. from black people in American history.

Listen to look back at it on the IHeart Radio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts. All right, we like to bring on Nick Wright as often as we can. So it's, I think the NFL views the sports world differently. So we all know that big eats small, right? It's just in business. Big eat small. Like at some point, Fox is like, we can't build a scale to compete with Disney. We're going to sell a big chunk of our business off. By the way, they took Disney for a ride.

They got about $80 billion for a movie business that wasn't worth anything and the $20 billion for the regional sports network that was worth a nickel about a year later. But the NFL has now scheduled another Christmas Day game. So there was always sort of a gentleman's agreement in sports. You know, you get opening day in baseball. the NBA gets Christmas Day. And then, you know, the NFL is going to dominate certain things in the fall. Now, for the record, I've always believed, and I've thought this forever, that the NBA would be much better served starting two days after the Monday after Thanksgiving, the Wednesday after Thanksgiving. Monday, Tuesday is football talk from the weekend. Then Wednesday is a dead day in that sports calendar.

NBA starts a month later, plays into early July because it's wide on. And then so, so I've always thought the NBA's got their schedule. They should just move it a month later in on both ends, beginning and end. But it is interesting now, kind of the pit bull attack mantra of the NFL. I think they see weakness. I see I think they see Stefan LeBron getting older. And I think that marketing day on Christmas was a real thing. It was an introduction as we're all home to the NBA. They put the biggest games, the biggest stars. And it was sort of their free. marketing day. And I think the NFL had not that they were getting huge ratings, but they were the biggest regular season game. And I think the NFL sees weakness. I think they watched the NBA during BLM and COVID, you know, lose some viewers for, you know, maybe positioning, marketing on that. Stumble a little. Perhaps you can see some ratings erosion there. And then LeBron and Steph are getting older. The game's getting more a little bit more European. And it's, it's interesting. Like the gloves are off. It feels like to me, the NFL has said, we're going

to squeeze you. And I think, yeah, go ahead. And I do believe that's a tipping point. That Christmas Day mattered a lot to the NBA. And those NFL games put a blanket over it. Well, so there's, there's two angles of this. One is what it means for the NBA and it's terrible for the NBA. The opening day, and the NBA is fine, but it used to then have, uh, it used to have Christmas Day is a big day. That's going away. The All-Star game. Now it's like, ah, nobody gives a shit about that. It's a joke. And then, and now the NBA, both professional and collegiate basketball at this point in

this country seem to be moving towards, we really love your postseason. And the rest of it, take it or leave it. Yep. So I think it is. bad for the NBA in that regard. I also think, and this is where we might disagree, long term, I think this is a massive strategic error by the NFL. And here's why. I think one of the secrets to the NFL's success is all of us, and I don't mean media, just We are in a different spot because it's literally our job.

But everyone that loves football has convinced all of their loved ones, spouses, children, whatever, who don't love football, that the games are unmissable. Like, it is, I don't know about you. I think most of your listeners at this point, they don't even get shit from their significant others. when my team is playing a NFL game, they know I am out of commission. I am watching. It is mandatory. No weddings.

It is part of being a fan. I'm not going to a wedding. Correct. We won't schedule our own events. We won't, you know what I mean? No one's going to ask me to take my kid to the birthday party that. No.

Okay. So here's why I think it's a mistake. It's the same reason I thought that putting on Christmas Eve, that Bill's Chargers game on an app was a mistake. Because it's Christmas Eve and it's on an app and people are just going to miss it. And the moment it starts being, and Christmas Day, they put a Raiders game at 1 p.m. Christmas. Those fans are on the West Coast. That's 10 a.m. That's Christmas morning.

So there were a lot of Raider fans who just missed the game. here's why it matters. Now your significant other or your kid or whomever says you can miss you missed the other. It was fine. You watched it later. You caught up. As soon as it becomes if the inventory becomes so ubiquitous and they put it on days where people are going to miss and Christmas people are going to miss. Thursday.

Right. Then all of a sudden it's like, oh, you don't have to watch every game. you thought you did, but you don't. And even if you still think you do, your wife or your significant other, it's like you do not have to watch every game. I know it because we were at Aunt Margaret's house on Christmas Eve and you didn't watch and you were fine.

So I think long term, I think it's a mistake. I'm the only person that thinks this. I understand the ratings are going to be massive. But I think there has been a, I think all of us, especially as they've added a 17th game like I whisper. I don't want my kids to hear it.

I said, I don't have to hear it. Like, I cover the sport. I could probably miss a game or two and be okay. But they don't think that. They're like, no,

it's daddy's watching football. Don't bother him. Daddy's. I'm like, yes, it's worked. But all of a sudden, you put games on Christmas,

they're going to be missed. Like, now I watched the Chiefs. It was my team played at one B.M. on Christmas. And that's the other thing. Now, was also the worst dude.

That was the Raiders game. Yeah. It's just a disaster. I mean, it didn't lose sense, by the way, Super Bowl champions. But I didn't like, I didn't love it. Yeah. Because here's the difference. NBA is watched passively.

Yes. Even on Christmas, like even the Christmas Day games. Yeah. It's in the background. Right. It's on. And then, oh, it's close with five minutes of them sit down and watch. I don't know how to watch football passively.

I can't come in and out of the room and be like, it's just not how my brain works with football. So I just don't, I don't, and it's on a Wednesday. I don't know. I don't love the Christmas Day thing. I like the rule changes the NFL did. I'm not just trying to bang on the league. I think the Christmas Day thing's a little greedy.

I don't love it. And I think it's short-sighted. Yeah. No, I don't disagree. I, you know, it's, it's, I tend to, I don't know if this is selfish or not. I tend to look at the sports calendar. and I see everything through the eyes of what does it do for the production of my show and my staff?

So when they talked about 18 games and that's going to happen, they'll add a second by week. Well, the season will end. The staff will go dark for a week. Everybody gets a vacation. We'll come back. We'll be right into free agency

in the final 20 games of the NBA season. So for me, I'm like, I get rid of two dead weeks of sports talk. But, you know, one of the things, like, for instance, College basketball is a prime example. I can absolutely be fascinated with something for three weeks and nothing more. And I think it's the sports brain.

Like college basketball, this next weekend, Gonzaga, Purdue, will not miss it. These big games this weekend will not miss it. I don't think the quality of college basketball is great, but I like the I like the, the Mardi Gras feel, the annual party feel. Well, listen, it's cliche. And it's the only time anyone ever uses this specific word is with college sports, but it's the right word. The pageantry of it is something. Yes. Like the students and the band and all of it, it is, it overcomes the fact that I'm like,

I'm pretty sure this team shoots 36% on open shots. Like that I'm like, I am pretty like, this is not good. No. But it is entertainment. But you're right. I feel totally fine parachuting in. Yes. Like I, the, I, the, I, I don't pretend and act like I'm a college basketball.

expert. I'm not. And I came into the tournament. I'm like, yeah, I used to live in Houston. I like the coach. I'll root for them. Yeah. And other than that, I'll root for underdogs because it's fun. I'll root against Yukon because it'll cause wild pain. And then that'll just be it. Like, you know, and then I'm into it. And the women's game has stars that I, that I'm into. But I don't need to have a year-long investment. That's right. I just don't. Can I throw a pretty ridiculous? Sure. But I believe it's correct NBA take action. Absolutely. I love these. Okay. So right now, if you had to pick a team to win the West, you would pick who?

I think the Lakers match up with Denver physically. Now that Carl Anthony Towns is hurt, they don't. O.K.C.'s too young. Phoenix, too mid-range. They duplicate too many of their skills. I think Denver will eventually a healthy win. I think Boston's deeper, but will lose in the finest. No, I'm just talking about West. Yeah, I'm just talking about out West. Denver. Denver is the, thus heavy favorite by everyone, right? I agree with you. Even though they're the nine seed,

the Lakers appear to me to have the most upside. Everyone's healthy, everything clicks, all of it, but they can't beat Denver. They got swept by him last year. They got swept in the regular season. Close to them.

Games are close. Games are close, but they just can't beat them. Okay. So here is the Gallic. Here is the tape that's going to sound ridiculous, but I truly believe the Lakers should want Denver in round one. And here's why. If you have to beat them no matter what, if the assumption is no one's going to beat them for you, okay, you're going to have to beat them.

You want them in round two when you just went six or seven with Minnesota or OKC and they swept whoever they were. playing. You want them in round three when the games are every other day or you want them in round one when there's two or three days between games at times. Yep. LeBron and AD can both play 44 minutes. You are as fresh as you're going to be at any point and try to knock them off when they, you know what I mean? Right before they have really hit their stride. So again, I think the Lakers in a series against Denver are like 15%. And it's not like if they got them in round one, they'd be 50. But they'd be 30.

But I think that 15% might go up to around 20. I truly believe that. I don't think they could beat them in the got every other day. Because you need LeBron to play too much, AD to play too much. That's right. But round one would be an intriguing spot where you could just play LeBron and AD like the whole game every time. Be like you have two days off. This has been my theory on the Lakers.

if it was March Madness style, like the in-season tournament, they'd win the title. And if I was Adam Silver and I wanted to extend KD, LeBron, and Steph's efficiency and greatness, I would make the first round three, the second two rounds, five games in the final seven. If Steph loses in the finals, LeBron or KD, that's fine. I won. But asking older players, even if you're a dominant favorite, you lose games in a series because nobody sweeps anybody. I mean, outside of LeBron in the first round, nobody sweeps anybody. So what's happening is you're making revenue, but you really lessen the chances of the Warriors instead. Steph is carrying the Warriors now.

He has to go six games in the first two playoffs. If it was three and they steal what Steph takes two. So I always said, forget this. agreed, shorten the playoff series until the finals, and it allows older players to remain viable in those last two to three years of their contract or career like K.D. LeBron and stuff right now. Well, so that's, and the age thing, this is what everybody, what nobody realizes is how old these guys are in NBA years.

Kobe Bryant won. the final playoff game Kobe Bryant ever won. He was 33. The final playoff game Michael Jordan ever won. He was 35. Steph is 36. KD is either 36 right now or about to be. I'm going to check.

LeBron obviously is 37. We are already on KD is 35, turns 36 in a few months. We're on borrowed time with these guys. Historic, we've been on borrowed time with LeBron, but we are on. borrowed time with these guys. And folks don't realize it. Because LeBron has won a title and finals MVP at 35 and then was in the conference

finals at 38, that's not the history. That's not, there is no precedent for that. Those guys are not supposed to still be carrying their rosters. And the Durant thing, man, this is an unbelievable stat. Durant's first 11 years in the league, Colin, he played 49 conference finals or NBA finals games, 1,99 minutes in the conference finals or the NBA finals. So in Durant's first, 11 seasons, six years, he was in the second to last, you know, series of the year. and three years he was in the last one. In the six years he has played since then.

He has played 11 minutes in the conference finals in R&BA finals. Kevin Durant in his 30s has played 11 minutes past round two. Hey. Which is a damn shame, but it is wild that it has happened. I said it when it happened. I know I'm giving myself credit, but when he left Golden State for Brooklyn, I said, this is the equivalent of Mahomes saying, I have a friend playing for the Jets.

I want to go to the Jets. We would go, the fuck you talking about? You're out of your mind. Andy Reed, Steve Kerr, Steph, Clay Draymond. That is the difference between LeBron and KD. LeBron may have had a difference with teammates. LeBron would be like, this is a cash cow. I'm not going any.

LeBron has left old D. Wade. crazy Kyrie. He's left untalented Cleveland. If Kyrie would have stayed and Kevin Love, he would have stayed in Cleveland. LeBron is left because of a his exit strategies were usually, I can't win here anymore. LeBron is left because he thought that this is over. I need to be able to win elsewhere. And he did.

And listen, KD, this is where you and I do somewhat disagree. I totally get why Katie left because we all said, those rings don't count loser don't care everybody yelled at him said you're ruining the sport the rings don't count it wasn't the leaving

just the leaving it was the leaving plus being like I'm going to go from the lowest maintenance most reliable wingman superstar and Steph Curry to the highest maintenance

least reliable one in Steph Curry in Tyree or like Going from that to that is what the, and then the Phoenix thing, like Phoenix is built poorly. They just, they, you know, the roster never made sense. But it is, listen, Katie's no longer a true MVP candidate. He's closer to the 10th best player in the league than the best player. Yeah, fair. You know what I mean?

Yeah. Which is, but for him too, in the last six years, not make it out a round two is one of the wildest things ever for a player of his caliber to not get those week the his whole 20s NBA postseason great series moments he was a part of it he was a part of the tapestry and now he hasn't played you know a really bit he's played in my opinion in the last six years, one huge game. Game seven against Janus, round, and that was round two, and that was the game where he stepped on the line,

where he hit what he thought was the game winner and stepped on the line, and then lose an overtime, and that's it. Other than that, it's getting worked in round one or going out and round. It's, it sucks. It's not what I, and I'm not like killing him for it. think it's because he's like not a great player but it is a I don't have the you know I don't have it in front of me but it feels a little like the last you know half decade of merino or maybe eight years of marino where it's like it's not like there were a bunch of deep yeah I know you

didn't win a ring but you had deep playoff rounds it's like no there's a you know what I mean a lot of years where it's just like you lost in the wild card round you lost in round two you missed the playoffs you lost the wild card round the volume thanks so much for listening if you've enjoyed the podcast take a moment rate and review another podcast from some s nl late night comedy guy not quite on humor me with robert smigle and friends me and hilarious guests from bob odenkirk to david letterman help make you funnier this week my guest S&L's Mikey Day and head writer Streeter Seidel help an a cappella band with their between songs banter.

Where does your group perform? We do some retirement homes. Those people are starving for banter. Listen to humor me with Robert Smigel and Friends on the IHeart Radio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts. On the Look Back at it 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 you here, unpack what went down, and try to make sense of how we're. We survived it with our friends, fellow comedians, and favorite authors. Like Mark Lamont Hill on the 80s.

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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 Clifford 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 podcast network on TikTok. This is an IHeart podcast, guaranteed human.