The Herd with Colin Cowherd - Colin Cowherd Podcast Prime Cuts -  Rodgers Trade Reaction with Silver, NFL 1st Rd. Takes w/ Middlekauff, Kings/Warriors + Lakers Playoffs

Episode Date: April 29, 2023

First, Colin’s top takes of the week, including reacts to the Jets finally completing the trade for Aaron Rodgers with the Packers, and what makes the NFL Draft unique to every other pro sports draft. Then, longtime NFL writer - and host of the Open Mike podcast - Mike Silver and Colin to react to the Rodgers trade, what to expect in year one with the Jets, how long before the Packers can decide if Jordan Love is their next franchise QB, and how Rodgers will handle the the rabid New York media. Next, Colin and 3 and Out podcast Host John Middlekauff react to a surprising 1st Round of the NFL Draft, including the Eagles the consensus #1 rated prospect in Georgia DL Jalen Carter, if the Texans should have taken Ohio State QB C.J. Stroud with the 2nd overall pick, why the Seahawks look to be putting together another stellar class, if the Lions should be considered the NFC North favorite, why Will Levis went undrafted Finally, Hoops Tonight host Jason Timpf joins Colin to discuss if Warriors/ Kings has better than the eventual Western Conference Finals a thriller of a Game 4, if De’Aaron Fox looks is a Top 10 NBA player, what makes Draymond invaluable to the Warriors, if the Lakers are clearly superior to the Grizzlies, where the Knicks have a huge advantage over the Cavs. Follow Colin and The Volume on Twitter for the latest content and updates, and check out FanDuel for the best wagering and daily fantasy action! #Herd #VolumeSee 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. The Volume. This is Prime Cuts, the best of the Colin Coward podcast. All right, Aaron Rogers, going to the New York Jets is official.

The draft picks were around what most people speculated. Nobody won the trade. I mean, you can argue the Jets won the trade because they get Aaron Rogers. I think my takeaway is that. that I've always said that once a rookie quarterback comes in, I will give him a year and a half. Year two Thanksgiving, you will know what you have. Now, it used to be you gave a rookie quarterback two full years.

Bill Pullian would say three, but with seven-on-seven summer camps, the personal quarterback coaching, I'll give you to Thanksgiving your second year in the league. But it is different with Jordan Love. Jordan Love has been in the building for three years. I will give Jordan Love until Thanksgiving this year. You'll know.

By getting another second round pick, the Packers can pick up a wide receiver in the first round, an edge rusher and a tight end in the second. It's an incredibly deep edge rusher and tight end draft. So the Packers should be able to get three starters in their first three picks. And that's what they're going to go after. in what order I have no idea. Wide receiver, tight end, and edge rusher.

It is not a deep wide receiver class. There is one receiver, maybe two in the first round, and the Packers have the 13th pick. So my guess is they go for the best receiver out of Ohio State. Then they probably get a tight end in an edge rusher in round two. Those are all going to be high rotation or starting players. Then you draft and develop the rest of the draft. this is a team that is ready to win football games.

Okay, we know Minnesota's not going 11 and O in one score games. We don't know if Chicago's any good. And Detroit, though improved, is Detroit. With that gambling scandal, who knows who's going to be available in September. But this team is ready to win or at least be competent. Jordan Love is inheriting a top 10 offensive line, two more than capable running backs, won a borderline star.

Christian Watson is an emerging star wide receiver, an offensive coach. They need an edge rusher. They have a Pro Bowl corner, good interior defensive linemen, excellent young safeties. You can't win nine or ten games, and we'll know by Thanksgiving, in the weakest the NFC has been in 20 years, then you got the wrong guy. This is one of my favorite weeks of the year. as all of you know, if you've listened to me for years, I love the NFL draft, the architecture of it. I mean, the Jets were a great example last year where they nailed their first four picks. The Seahawks nailed their first five, and it literally set the future up.

I mean, if they get Aaron Rogers, the Jets will be able to play with anybody. Probably have to get a left tackle and another receiver, and the Jets will be able to play with anybody. They got two good receivers. They have a pass rush. They just need to upgrade it tight end, left tackle. receiver. Joe Douglas will do that in the draft. I mean, Seattle, we thought was a dying franchise. They hit on two tackles, a star running back, an edge rusher, and two corners. Boom. You know, now they just need another edge rusher. They got to get a couple of defensive linemen,

maybe one more receiver, and the sky is the limit. So, you know, other drafts are different. Even a great college baseball player, he's not going to make an impact the following year in the the Major League Baseball playoffs. As great as these NBA players are, Deerrin Fox now is just starting to, like, turn a franchise around. What is he in year five? It takes a long time. These guys come out at 19 years old.

NFL is different for a lot of reasons. Number one is guys come out at 23 and 24 years old. They're real men. They're physically ready to play. So if you hit on your first four or five picks, you know, people lament the L.A. Rams. They have a second and two thirds. if they nail the right edge rusher, interior offensive lineman,

and get a star back or another really high-end receiver in the third round, if they can get three starters, they turn around the franchise. They got McVeigh, they have Stafford, they have Aaron Donald. You're getting grown-ups, men physically and emotionally, ready to play and start. So the Jets and the Seahawks last year are great examples. You nail your verse four or five draft picks. You can in that moment, you bring in five new star,

that you don't have to pay for four to five years, it changes, shifts the paradigm of the entire franchise. I mean, look at how bad the Jets were. The mess Joe Douglas inherits. He even missed on a quarterback and a left tackle to the three most important positions in football. He missed on both. And if Aaron Rogers signs and they hit on a left tackle

and one other receiver, the Jets can play with anybody in this league, including the Chiefs, they can play with anybody in this league. So I love this week. I think the NFL is the league of hope more than any other league. I remember when Bill Parcells years ago took over the Miami Dolphins and they were one and 15. The next year they won 11 games. And I read an article, Tony Sparano, I think, was Bill Parcell's choice as a coach, kind of a defensive guy. And I remember reading an article somebody wrote in the Miami Herald or, you know, Fort Lauderdale paper about what Belichick really

did was he took the middle of the roster to. the end of it. It wasn't the top end of the roster. He made the locker room better, the weight room better. He went and got grinders and rotational players and backups and a handful of low-level starters. And he changed the entire culture of the organization with like 20 new players. And they weren't stars. Most of them weren't stars. So no sport allows you to recreate your roster and your football identity like the NFL. It takes two to three free agent signings, four home runs in the draft,

seven, eight new players to start add energy, especially draft guys who are cheap, and you turn everything around. So I can't wait. Somebody is going to do a Jets or a Seahawks, and I can't wait to watch it. All right, Mike Silver, a valuable member of the volume when breaking news happens.

Mike Silver happens. I love that. That sounds like a billboard. Yeah, Colin, I know you remember a year ago, or a little more than a year ago, we were on together when the Devante Adams trade happened to the Raiders, and we were like, whoa, you know, because that was a little more sudden. But yeah, this is, I think it's an exciting day, and I don't want to gloss over this for Jets fans.

This is awesome. The Jets are getting one of the best quarterbacks of all time, possibly with years left. They have a team that was good enough to almost make the playoffs last year despite injuries and Zach Wilson being the quarterback for a lot of it.

And Aaron knows this offense intimately because Nathaniel Hackett's now the coordinator. So people might say, oh, it's great for the Packers. It's win-win that we can get into all that. But it's not win-win. The Jets win the day today, in my opinion. This isn't perfect.

analogous, but I've three times traveled cross-country and took a new job. The first year, whether you're talented or not, with new environment, is hard. It's choppy. I hope Aaron plays for a second year. First of all, new defensive coordinators, new conference, new environment, it's everything, new neighborhood. And if you go look at Aaron's history, first year starting the league, a little bumpy. First year with Hackett, little bumpy.

I think he's going to do really well. I kind of feel like it's a 10-7-11-6 team. I think their schedule is not the easiest. No. But what's a realistic expectation to you? That's a great question because if you look at it on paper, you say, yeah, the AFC is a gauntlet, right? And the AFC East certainly is not going to be easy. And they are the Jets.

They do have some dudes. I mean, both rookies of the year. Breece Hall was that good before he got hurt. Elijah Verrett Tucker was hurt last year. You know, they've got some dudes, and I think they will play pretty good defense. You know, you're right about year one, because that was the case in Green Bay, which was year one in the LaFleur Hackett offense. And they did go 13 and 3 and reach the NFC championship game with a very good team. But it was not humming offensively the way that you would expect an Aaron Rogers team to.

But I think, you know, my, I look at FAR, his first year. there, which everyone revisionist history thinks sucked, and then he went to Minnesota and was really good. But Farve had those jets eight and three right up in playoff contention. He was an MVP contention. He suffered an arm injury that essentially, you know, made him noodle arm the rest of that year and it didn't go great. But this is going to give them a real jolt. And franchise quarterbacks affect teams in ways that go beyond what most of us see. It's, just changes the energy and the vibe of the organization. It lends a credibility to the meetings, the practices internally. And he's going to pull a game or two out that the jets aren't

used to pulling out. And that's going to potentially snowball. So I think playoffs is a very realistic, you know, possibility. I think once you're in the playoffs with Aaron Rogers, if you're peeking at the right time, that could be really, really. exciting. And I guess the other thing I want to say, because it's confusing, right? I would, if you told me, hey, the Packers and Eric Rogers have decided to come back for one more year, I wouldn't be as wildly upbeat about the Packers. And here's why. I just don't think you'd be getting the same guy in Greenland. The guy they had last year is not the guy that I expect the Jets to be getting today. And that's not the guy.

not fair necessarily to the Packers, but it is a reality. And that's why I think Jets fans should be fired up. Well, yeah, I think all relationships can run their course. And I think the Green Bay situation, there was a lack of trust on both sides. There was a little bit of animosity for different reasons. I think you'll get a highly focused and energized Aaron. I hope it's for two years. And I do think the Jets will be a viable team. Year one. are difficult, as I've said, for a lot of situations. You know, it's interesting with Jordan Love. I don't know what we have.

Here's the good news. He's been there three years. The size is not an issue. He's a big kid that moves well. If he was in, I mean, if you took Jordan Love today, even with what little we've seen, after Bryce Young, he'd be the number two pick in the draft. Right? Like, there's stuff there. I don't know if he can step to the line of scrimmage and audible in and out of stuff.

I don't know, trailing late in the game, third and 11. You know, how is he equipped to do that? I have no idea. But I will say this. It's a good team that needs another receiver, another tight end, and an edge rusher. And I talked to two GMs last week that said it's the best tight end class in years and the best edge rusher class in years. So I do feel like this, Mike. I've always believed years ago you gave a quarterback three years.

but now with the seven-on-seven camps and private coaching, I always say Thanksgiving of year two, you know what you have. But Jordan loves been there for three years. I feel like we'll know by Thanksgiving what kind of we have. Eight, nine games in, they'll be a set because the NFC, Mike, it's not a gauntlet. There's a lot of Ws in this conference. Yeah, I think that's realistic. You know, I came from a different era where,

quarterbacks almost always sat. And when they didn't, they took lumps as great as they were, Aikman, everyone but Marino essentially. But, you know, that all changed with Matt Ryan and Joe Flacco and, you know, for a lot of reasons you stated, it's a different landscape now. I'd say the good on Jordan Love is, yeah, there is some definite upside. I remember one offensive coach I really respect telling me before the draft where Jordan Love was drafted, I would take this guy first overall. So there is something special about the package. The early reviews were not good. And, you know, he's, it's not quite Trey Lance coming from North Dakota State or Carson Wetz, but it's a guy coming from a smaller program, more like Josh Allen, right? And, you know,

early on, I think Packer coaches and players were kind of like, ah, man, if this guy has to play, you know, we're in real trouble. Now, again, the state. standard is very high. So that's the good part. Maybe I think he, from what I've heard, he has gotten a lot better. He has developed. He works at it. He's a good kid. There's some definite upside. I think the hard news is this delusion that many Packer fans seem to have and others that, well, Aaron waited for three years and look what happened. This has happened twice in NFL history where a first ballot Hall of Fame quarterback was succeeded immediately by another future first ballot hall of fame. Fame quarterback, and it was tumultuous both times.

Montana to Young, the Niners did not get nearly as many years out of that combined. The Packers somehow got 15 and 15. Three decades of uninterrupted transcendent quarterback play that could cover up all ills and pull games out of nowhere. And I just, especially young Packer fans, I'm looking at you guys going, you guys, like, it could work out well, they could be a well-rounded team, Jordan Love could be good, the odds of having yet another transcendent quarterback just take the reins and keep it rolling are not good. And you're not going to notice that necessarily week three in the third quarter against the Bears when you're marching down the field.

But you're going to notice it in December on 3rd and 18 against a really good team. At times where Aaron and far before him were able to just do insanely. magical things. I just don't think that's going to be the case. And that's not a slight on Jordan Love. I'm just trying to be realistic. Yeah, listen, if he was as good as a borough or a Mahomes, they would not have signed Aaron to an extension.

Right. Because there was drama three years ago. If he was as bad as Zach Wilson, they know it. And they would have kept. So my takeaway, he's somewhere between 12 and 20. He's probably in that mix, which. If it goes well. If it goes well.

Yeah, he's somewhere between Kirk Cousins and Jimmy Garoppolo. You know, he's somewhere in that. But it's also possible that he is Zach Wilson. It just hasn't played a lot. I mean, I think he's a more mature person and all that. But like, yeah, but I hear you, yeah. Like if it goes the way they're hoping it will go and they've got good infrastructure around him. And Matliflor is a really, really good coach.

I think he has a chance. You know, Mike, I think they're going to look like last year. They're going to be at the nine and eight sort of level up, but it's going to be the opposite. So with Aaron, he didn't want to work with the young receivers. They start slow. Schedule weekends. They finish strong. I think because Jordan Love is going to be totally committed to the young guys and nobody has film on him.

They're actually a pretty good team until Thanksgiving. At Thanksgiving, the break, you get film. People now have had their buys. And now I think people take stuff away from. Jordan Love that he had in the first eight or nine weeks. I think they're going to end up the same place last year's team did. A pretty, a team that would be sub 500 in the AFC, potentially above 500 in the NFC, but it is his first year.

The kid hasn't seen live bullets, played from behind Sunday night games. I think a realistic expectation is Jets, 10 wins, Packers 8 to 9. Feel about right to you. Yeah, and he's going to have to have a tough makeup because I remember being out on Aaron Rogers Island, his first year as a starter in 2008, when there was a lot of skepticism. And because of my cal ties and the fact that, you know, the blind squirrel nut theory, I was right on this one. And I had to weather that first year when he was six and ten. Now, he played really well a lot. There were a lot of close games he couldn't pull out.

He had some injury stuff. So a lot of people were still very, very skeptical after 08. In 2009, he was obviously much, much better. And then we had that epic playoff game against the Cardinals and Kurt Warner. And, you know, I covered that game and remember, like, being pretty sure that we were seeing a guy who was going to ascend. So I thought the compensation was reasonable. It was mostly what we thought, which is the Packers are either going to get a, couple of twos or a two and a one if Aaron plays. I don't think there's a real winner. I guess

the winner is the team that gets Aaron Rogers, but I didn't think the compensation. It was sort of what we thought, right? Yeah, I liked it. I thought, you know, it was creative. There was some compromise. That swap of 13 and 15 was a good creative way to change the value. Both teams, you know, could have stared down longer, but there was good motivation. to get it done. I thought, if you're the Packers, then you know you're getting rid of them. I thought Brian Guticuss did a really nice job. I liked his hall, all things considered. And if you're Joe Douglas and Robert Sala, A, you got to have them because, you know, you're coaching for your jobs, presumably. And, you know, it's all set up for that.

And B, I, you know, I know the Jets just wanted some recognition that if he doesn't play that second year that they would have given up a lot. And now they have at least a little bit of protection that way. So I actually thought both GMs did a really nice job of creatively splitting the difference and doing it in a timely manner. Give me your prediction on the New York media, which can lean ferocious and left. And Aaron Rogers, who's now supporting Robert Kennedy, he's the anti-vaccine candidate. Like, listen, say what you want. There's two different ways to write the same story.

Do you think it'll be a rough first year? What do you think, Aaron, who's had some rabbit ears, you got the daily news, the Times, the outspoken post. There's sports talk radio in New York can be brutal, WFAN, wildly entertaining and outspoken. How do you think it goes year one? That's a great question. I look at it the same way I look at any coach going into that market or anyone who's kind of, you know, thrown into it. If you win, it's going to be awesome.

You know, Eric Mangini was on The Sopranos as Man Genius when he won early. Rex Ryan was loved, you know, through foot fetish scandal at all. It was all good. And a lot of ways you could keep living off that. If it goes bad early and you appear to be defensive or out on a fringe or, you know, combative, then it's a tougher place to have thin skin about it. I don't know that Aaron will or won't. Aaron has ways to communicate directly.

It's a different era. But, you know, I think if it goes well early, he will be getting a lot of love from those back pages and a lot of the, you know, potential trigger points will be, ah, well, you know, he's got a different view on the vaccines, but hey, did you see that pass on third and 12, you know, but if, you know, if it's not going so well, then yeah, sure, people are going to be looking for ways to poke and prod and we'll be watching. Imagine an Olympics where doping is not only legal, but encouraged. It's the enhanced games. Some call it grotesque.

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

A win is a win. I don't care which I'm saying. Yep, that's me. Clipper Taylor the 4. 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. All right, let's bring on John Middlkoff. You know him. You love him.

He's part of the volume podcasting digital network. We love having him, former NFL scout. Okay, let's start. I thought the first thing that jumped out to me is good teams and good GMs get value. Belichick gets Christian Gonzalez, right? Middle of the first, a very good corner. And the Eagles got to me the best player I watched in college football at the number nine pick. They moved up a spot.

I mean, to me, Philadelphia, again, they've got the culture. They think they have the coach, you know, Fletcher Cox age. I thought Philadelphia got the best player. You know the organization well. What were your thoughts on that? Well, I think first and foremost, if you remember several years ago, they drafted Jalen Rager instead of Justin Jefferson, and it really kind of bit him in the ass, right?

I mean, Justin Jefferson went on to be one of the best players in the league, and Jalen Rager's not even on their team. I think, I mean, I know that they kind of got together as an organization and said, why are we out thinking of the room here? Take the best players from the best programs. what have they done the last couple of years? Devante Smith, Alabama, Heisman Trophy. Jordan Davis, starting defensive tackle at Georgia National Championship.

Trade for A.J. Brown, an SEC blue chip guy who's dominating. Yeah. Nocobo Dean, they draft from Georgia in the second round. They also, I think one thing, Howie and obviously Jeffrey Lurie, they know well from the Andy years. And they've carried it over into their good team for Doug Peterson in this last couple of years. His culture is really big. And when you have these veteran guys, like, why do you resell? signed Fletcher Cox and Brandon Graham. They're done because they bring a lot to the table.

Yep. And then when you get a situation like this, what's this guy going to do? Act like an idiot around those two guys? I mean, Brandon Graham stripped Tom Brady to win a Super Bowl. He's been in the league for 12, 13 years. Fletcher Cox is an all-time great eagle. And while he's on the other side of his career is just an SEC guy. The other thing they have now, to me and in football is different than like AAU, right?

If you meet a kid from L.A.U, they all play together in basketball. They've all played. In football, if I'm from L.A., I don't know the guy from New York or Seattle or Florida, right, besides in college, if I play them. Well, the SEC guys all know each other. Right. And they all kind of roll together. Well, think about their team, Colin.

Devante Smith, Alabama, Nicopi Dean, Jordan Davis, the New Georgia guys. Fletcher Cox, SEC guy. A.J. Brown, SEC guy. Jalen Hertz. Well, I think we think Oklahoma, three years Alabama. Bama SEC guy. So their core, they all kind of speak

the same language in terms of that Southern football culture. Obviously, they all come from elite program, especially the Bama and Georgia guys. It's a risky pick. I mean, this guy, I think,

scared a ton of teams you could see him going to nine. Like, that's pretty telling. But I think Howie feels very good about their infrastructure. Now what their coach is, with their players to kind of operate,

a lot like Belichick used to do for years with Tom and some of their core guys, where they, as it went on, they started taking some flyers because they felt really good about their main guys. You can't act like an idiot when the top guys you look up to and are kind of like, you know, you have a lot in common with. So I think that was, I mean, an easy pick for that, obviously.

Yeah. And by the way, for those of you uninitiated, John's a former scout, this is the kind of insight you get, which I've never heard anybody talk about that. But I think you're right on the money. And the other thing that jumped out to me is I've said with C.J. Straub, He is a first round quarterback. I don't see a ton of juice. He's accurate.

Jared Goff is a very accurate comp. I think he's a little better runner than Jared. But, you know, there was a lot of speculation. I kind of fell for it that they would get Jalen Carter or Will Anderson. What did you make of the Texans getting Stroud? What did it tell you? One thing I was stunned in the sense that they just got a brand new coach who's young and I'm a big believer in D'Amico.

When I was with the Eagles, we traded for him as a player because of his character. and I've lived in the bear for a long time, went to the practices. Kyle Shanahan swears by the guy. I think he's going to be a stud head coach. I mean, he's been good at everything he's ever done in his entire life. I don't know why it's going to stop. Little, I mean, obviously I understand why the GM and the front office and the owner and needs to get a quarterback, you look at there.

But if you're Domeca, why rush into this? You know, I think a lot of people in the NFL, he throws a beautiful ball. Yes. But when you look at Ohio State these last couple years, a lot like Tua when he was Alabama. I mean, Colin, you're talking about three or four, top 15 wide receivers on their team. They're not like a couple guys that play in the NFL, right?

These are top 15 picks. Well, technically in Jigba, 20, but you know what I mean. I mean, this is, and the speed difference in the Big Ten relative to even two in the SEC that the advantage Ohio State has, I do think that Georgia game, though, because the Jared Goughcom was definitely something that kind of kick, stay with it. But that Georgia game, he was running around. He looked like kind of a different player.

Yeah. Now, I don't know what your take was, but the take of like when he responded to the test, I'm not a test taker. I'm a football player. I didn't love that. Quarterbacks get hell to a higher standard, man. Right. You're not playing slot receiver DB.

So, I mean, Peyton Manning, Tom Brady, Lamar. Those guys don't, they don't get defensive over stuff like that. But risky move. I actually thought their move trading back up to get Will Anderson, who I liked a lot. But holy moly, they gave up a lot. to go back from 12 to 3, especially, but I guess when you're in the, when you've drafted the quarterback,

and they got all these picks coming from Deshawn Watson, maybe they're, they're not thinking about Caleb Williams and Drake May anymore, obviously. I mean, I thought Seattle, you know, I just think Pete, you know, a lot of people thought Jalen Carter, he takes some swings. They did not mess around with that,

which I understand, everyone I know in teams that had no shot of getting this guy, they loved Witherspoon. Kind of a throwback to, you know, some of those teams they had with, Russell Wilson, those LOB teams, absolute just MF or stud. I mean, big time tackler can play inside, outside. You can move them around, can tackle.

Seattle's got two twos of three and two fours. So of their three needs, one was Lockett D.K., they needed another receiver. They needed, they wanted another. And they got one. I mean, he's good. He's awesome, with healthy. Yep. And then they got a wide receiver.

and then they get, you know, Jackson Smith, Nick Nijigba. So they end up getting two of their three needs. I think they need a guard now. And then later an edge rusher. But, I mean, if you look at last year's pick on ESPN, they put up the last six or seven like great young players. I mean, they are, they had a run, John, where I think Pete Carroll and Paul Allen passed,

they had a run where Pete had too much control in them. draft and it feels like they've given it back to John Snyder and the scouting department. They have not missed on a pick. We got the tackles. They got Kenneth Walker. I mean, they got a good young nucleus. I mean,

they won nine games where I'm guilty. I thought they were going to be terrible. And they were really good. And I think they're going to be even better. I mean, because they got so many young pieces that they're building around. Okay. So I think we both agree Seattle did well.

So Jemir Gibbs, the running back. So people are going to bang on Detroit's. Now, Gibbs is a very dynamic. And again, Alabama, big school. You see them run over guys and run past guys in the SEC. So, you know, my takeaway on Detroit is the last two drafts with this front office, John, I've really liked them. And so part of me thinks to myself with Swift and Gibbs as they're trying to take, they love their O line. okay they solved their corner issue a little bit right are they basically saying is we want to take the pressure off Jared Goff or I mean I was watching them high five in the room like this was not a

pick they had trepidation over these guys were high fiving what did it say to get a running back when they have swift because their O line can control I think can control out of the defensive fronts in that division is that what they're saying I think in most drafts, when you see a guy that you go, you know, I think it's fair to say going into any draft, a guy like him is like an early second, you know, somewhere in like 32 to 40 pick. This draft was viewed as pretty terrible. Like the difference between pick eight and 25, you know, you might not be able to tell the difference. Like Kincaid going 25 to the bills might be no different than the six pick, you know. So it's just time will tell people were not that comp.

This was not Jamar Chase and the wattles and the Pena Sewells and the Mike Parsons. That wasn't this trap. So when you go, well, they got to a Super Bowl with Jared Gough when he had a great running game, right, with Sean McVeigh in with L.A. And last year, Jared Gough, statistically, was excellent. Well, they had another pick and they got a lineback because their defense, I mean, I think Aidan Hutchson is going to be a really, really good player. To me, he's got some whiffs of Joey Bosa. I mean, he's got a chance to be a 12, 15 sack guy next year immediately. So if their defense is just incrementally better, their offense, I mean, the USC wide receiver they have as a stud. Like you said, their offensive lines of stud, their coach, while he's an

offensive because he's a tight end, is really wired more like a defensive tackle. I mean, he wants to be a tough physical guy. I'm with you. If you love this guy, and I'm going to give them the benefit of the doubt because I watched them last year and they were an impressive operation. So I think they know the wiring. The other thing is Dan Campbell came from Sean Payton. You know, over that five or six year run when he got fired from Miami and went there, became his assistant head coach. They had really good drafts during that time when the Saints were really good at the end of the 2000, you know, the teens, right, the 17, 18, 19. So I think he knows the wiring of the guys. Remember, sometimes the Saints, you'd be like,

well, they did that and then it would work out. Right. So I'm with you. It's, it was a little eye-opening because you see the second running back come off at 12. But I'm going to give them the benefit of the doubt because I know their play style and I know what they want to do. The other thing is, once the last time a running back from Alabama beside Trent Richardson hasn't worked in the NFL. You watch them all over the league. They're all successful players. Well, and Jared Goff's history is, when Gurley was healthy, he's been a really good quarterback. When Jared gets in trouble is third and long.

Okay. So is Detroit saying, we love our OC. We just don't want to get in third and long. You and I know, I saw Goff out dual Mahomes. When they had Gurley and they could run, Jared was getting you to the Super Bowl. It's when the O-line aged and they didn't have a consistent run game. Now you lean on Jared Goff. and it's not pretty.

Right. So I look at Detroit and I think they love their OC. They have good young receivers. Excellent O line. Swift got banged up and maybe they're just saying, listen, we're just going to do a one-two punch. And by the way, in that division, the D-line for the Vikings,

the D-line for the Packers, the D-line for the Bears. Are you going to pick them to win the division? You picked Minnesota last year. To me, obviously injuries can happen. But Detroit would be my pick as of recording this today to win the North. And again, I think is Detroit looking at that division and thinking our O line is significantly better in those six games against the D lines in our division. Can we go five and one in that division?

For sure. And in a weird way, because they haven't even made the playoffs, right? But if you assume that they're going to be in the mix, the three teams that are at the top of the conference, the Eagles, the Niders, and Cowboys are all physical teams. So this is not a lightweight fight. You're getting in the ring to fight heavyweights. So you have to be willing to played like that. And Dan Campbell is now building a team who they draft their second pick in the first round, a linebacker from Iowa, right? I mean, they have a type of guy that they're looking for to build their team. And honestly, that should translate to playing the Cowboys, the Eagles, and just give them a chance, if not in 23, the next couple years.

Obviously, you know, Jared Goff is going to be the guy we talk about the most, but he's proven if you can do it around him. And their roster, I like the lot with the lions have going on a lot. So, I mean, the Will Levis situation, I talk to people that I really trust. And their big concern with them was, listen, the kid is smart. We know his mom went to an Ivy League school, Yale. We know he's a four-point student. Why is his judgment so bad? And what I heard was Jay Cutler is that Jay Cutler was arrogant and obstinate.

And if Jay wanted, Jay had a rope. Jay had an arm. And if Jay wanted to sling it, he didn't give a shit what the coach said. And Jay, I'll argue it forever, Jay had one of the best arms in the league when he played. He had an absolute hose. But Jay was stubborn, rigid, difficult. And people worried, we'll love us with the selfies, the gun show, look at me. The Combining wore a muscle shirt.

I had a head coach and a GM told me, they. hated that. I mean, listen, Brady Quinn works at Fox, and I like Brady, but that was one of the knocks I heard. He can't be jacked as a quarterback. You have to be fluid and you don't see biceps on Aaron Rogers or Peyton Manning. Your take on Will Levis dropping.

Yeah, I mean, I think that he was a fascinating player coming into the season. And then the season was a disaster. And I had people that really like them that aren't necessarily quote unquote decision makers, but are high in their organization and said if coming out his junior season or whatever, two years ago, when Liam Cohen, right, the Rams guy was his offensive coordinator, he would have been a locktop five pick. Then he goes to Rich Skangarello, who a lot of people are down on, disastrous season.

And then like you said, kind of has a bad off season. The lifting things, you're not playing offensive tackle or line back. No one cares. It's about pliability. It's about fluidity. And that's a big knock on his game. It's fluidity. touch. And we've seen so many guys, Brady Quinn, Kaepernick got really big. Whether you can throw

at 120 miles an hour, if you can't throw a strike, who cares? You're not going to make the big leagues, right? So touch is a big issue with them. I also think that like Anthony Richardson, who this raw guy was viewed as very moldable. One thing I have heard, like when he went and met with people, they were just like, you know what? This guy means well. Like I would love to be around this guy. There was a lot of positive vibes around him. Very grateful. Like Anthony Richardson wrote a pen a letter. He was like humble and grateful. And it's like, John, you look at that and you think, okay, this kid wants to learn. Yeah. And whether it works out, only time will tell. And more the history would show us it probably won't. But I know that a lot of people were down on him.

And during the process came away the opposite. Like, I'm rooting for this guy. I think this guy not crazy to go on the top five is the ceiling is sky high and I think Will Levis started getting more negative and negative not like you said anything malicious but the buff stuff to the lifting the pictures on Instagram within the last month like what are we doing

you know it's just I mean he didn't he tumbled I mean this was a guy that I think after last season 21 when Kentucky had the really good year I don't see how he wouldn't have been a top five pick not with those measurables, right?

But then, yeah, I mean, I clearly the league is very, I mean, this is a quarterback starved league for no one to touch them. Right, that's crazy. 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. on 10 pounds. I was having trouble stopping the muscle growth. Listen to Superhuman on the I Heart Radio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts.

A win is a win. A win is a win. I don't care which I'm saying. Yep, that's me. 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 brain. 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 what 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. Colin, how you doing, man? What a game. Harrison Barnes, with the shot of his life, he had a chance to erase all the pain and suffering from the 2016 finals and he left it long.

Well, they needed that Draymond Block. They needed the 22 from Jordan Poole. I feel like I'm watching the younger, Warriors take on the old warriors. They, Stefan Deerran, get baskets, get great looks when they want. You have enforcers. You know what? I watched this tonight in the second half and I'm like, outside of Denver, is this

the Western Conference Final? Like, are these new, now that the Warriors are at full strength, are we watching essentially the Western Conference Final in round one? I remember, I had a similar thought after the playing games. And everyone's like, oh, man, the wolves and the Lakers, they're both terrible. What an ugly basketball game. And I have like a completely different feeling about this. I think all of these teams are awesome.

I think the Kings are awesome. I think the Warriors are awesome. I think the Lakers are awesome. I think the Sons are awesome. The Nuggets have been arguably the most impressive team in the first round here in the Western Conference. And like, again, like what you're seeing here is it doesn't, it's a 2-7 matchup and it's a first round matchup.

But these are two teams from an overall talent standpoint that are typically types of teams that you'd see in later playoff rounds. They're incredibly evenly matched. I want to give a special shout out to Deere and Fox because there's this thing that happens. And I mean, we've even seen the reverse side of this with Darius Garland on the Cavs this year as he's really, really struggled to just be consistently effective throughout the series. Every time we see a young player kind of rise up the echelons of the NBA, there's always this question like, is his game going to work when they get to the playoffs?

Some guys struggle to get separation. Some guys struggle in the physicality. Like, Trey Young had a really good game in game three against Boston. That's the outlier. He's had like six straight playoff stinkers before that. You know what I mean? Deerrin Fox, his game translates so well to this level. And I actually think you'll find this interesting, Colin,

because you've been super critical of this type of player. Right. This ultra-athletic point guard. That is this unbelievable downhill force that plays with passion and energy. that player has failed time and time and time again in NBA history. And the thing that separates, in my opinion, Darren Fox from the others, is he legitimately has outrageously good shooting touch

from everywhere on the floor. And so whoever's guarding him has to give a certain amount of space just to attempt to contain the drive. And so, and he's deadly on those shots. Well, and also Westbrook and Wall, especially, they didn't play with a ton of self-awareness. In their prime, they were going a thousand miles an hour.

Deerrin plays with really good pacing. He knows when to slow it up. I mean, you look like you're watching a 12-year veteran. Like he knows when to speed it up. Steph does this. You know, when, you know, he'll go right through traffic. He's trying to speed the tempo up. And it's not really to get a shot.

It's just kind of to see if he can find a little crevice and get to the basket if he can't then he pulls it up and waits for the bigs to come down de aaron's got a real understanding of pace and tempo he's not playing with his head down everything you know it's like patrick mahomes he sees the field he sees the court he sees everybody de aaron fox is really smart and he plays like a really smart basketball player step curry's really smart some of this is just guys de aren't also not that he's not vertical but he's kind of uh he's i would i would i would You know, if I was a scout, I'd say, smooth, smart, beautiful offensive game. It's gorgeous.

I mean, mid-range, outside, everything is pretty. So I don't really put him in that. You know, and I feel like he's a little bit like Steph. Probably I trust Deerrin more in a mid-range, Steph on a three. But I think their games are so much about manipulating pace and tempo. John Wall never did. John was just, get me the ball, and I'm going to race. Everybody down the floor, and the wings are like, bro, hold up.

I can't keep up with you. And Westbrook has a little bit of that. It's a hundred mile an hour fastball. It's the quarterback that has a fastball. You know, he throws it on the deep post. He throws it on the screen. It's a one-tempo thrower. And so I think Deeran is, I think he's an all-time.

I think next year he'll be. I think right now he feels like a top 10 player, maybe 10. but I think if they get past the Warriors, he's going to be a top 10 player because I feel like he's just 12-ish and then you're watching them in this series. You're like, I mean, if I told you today, John Morant or him, I'd take Deer on Fox.

He's been great in every game. This is an outstanding defense in a high-stakes playoff series where he came in as the underdog and he's been great in every game. I mean, look, like people always get a little freaked out when we start to talk about lists because you feel bad about bumping guys.

But I mean, here's the deal. Like, he is performing at this level against this type of defense at a higher level than most of the players around the league. I think that's completely reasonable. I think, you know, it's funny over the course of the series, I've been talking a lot about how the kings have no answer for Steph Curry. And that's a big part of why I have it. I've been yet to relinquish my stance that the Warriors will win the series.

And I still feel that way. I pick them in six. I'm going to stick with that for right now. But, like, the reality is, is like, the kings should feel really. really good about their chances because the same thing is in reverse. Like they, I did think it was interesting that we didn't see as much Gary Payton today. They spent a lot of time with Draymond Green on Deer and Fox today, which is a super interesting adjustment.

Yes. Also just what a, again, what a, what an amazing luxury as a coach to be able to do that. And they did a similar thing last year in the finals, if you remember when they moved Draymond out onto Jalen Brown because he can just, the thing with Draymond is he has these obnoxiously long arms. First of all, his defensive performance down the stretch of this game was so ridiculous. And there was a lot of talk over the last couple of days. Oh, the Warriors better without Draymond, which everyone just gets dumber whenever that happens.

They were 11 points better per 100 possessions with him than without him in last year's postseason. They were 14 points better with him than without him in this regular season. Like that argument is dead on arrival. I can't believe it ever even gets brought up. He blew up some plays around the rim. You're thinking of the block. Oh, my God. Sabonis.

He had another play. Subonis is coming down the floor on a short roll. It's a two-on-one. Harrison Barnes is standing wide open in the dunker spot, ready to go up and dunk it. And Sabonis goes to pass it to Harrison Barnes. And Draymond just pokes it out of Sabonis' hands. He blew up a two-on-one. That's a basket 95% of the time in the NBA. Like he was unbelievable defensively in this game.

But even with him, he has to give a little bit of ground to Deerran Fox to try to contain that drive. And on that final shot, the one that Deerran made that brought it back to one. Like, you got a great contest on it. but that's what great players do. And Dearen Fox has done that this entire series. He can adjust his release based on where he is on the floor and he can knock these shots down. Well, and also, Dremont's got really good hands. Clay Thompson's are okay.

Wiggins, I think. I've really noticed it with Wiggins. He doesn't quite have his wind yet. And his hands, sometimes when you don't have your wind, you can lose your legs or you get sloppy. Wiggins today had four or five balls that he just couldn't secure. For a guy that's not a great shooter, Draymond's got strong hands and good hands. Like he touches it, he gets it.

His timing. There's certain players in the league that, and because I employ Dremont, one of his many employers, by the way, a talented guy. You know, people are going to say, Colin, you have a bias. First of all, I've said this a thousand times in my career.

every great team of my life, Haslam for the Heat, Rodman for the Bulls, Derek, Rick Fox for the Lakers, Lambere for the Pistons, Dremont Green, all great dynasties. Bruce Bowen for the Spurs have a feisty, annoying, tough guy. And his job, he's in the league because he's smart enough to know. I mean, Bruce Bowen scored, he could score 20 a game in the league. He's like, I knew on this team, my way in the league to rings. was to play the way I had to play. Do the stuff that nobody else wanted to do. If you don't get Dramon Green,

like if you don't understand, have you ever noticed out around outside the arc? They bring him up. They want him to have the ball in his hands, him to set the screen, him to make the pass. Like, that organization puts him in the crosshairs. You make a mistake out there.

It's a lap or a dunk the other way. Like, this organization has so much trust for Dremon with the basketball in his hands. he's such we think of him defensively but as you watch him jason he's such a catalyst his passing his screening his hands uh if you if you know people that don't get him you don't get the game like anybody know everybody knows that daren fox and stepford right that doesn't take you know you're watching jalen brunson he's obviously a such a unique fun player guys like draymond like they just don't sometimes i watch draymond and i think he should open a clinic on how to make the

NBA as a star and average eight a game. Like he does so many things that you don't think they like screening, passing. He does so many little things well that you don't necessarily like you don't get points in a box score for screening or those little he'll screen those little touch passes that don't get the assist but they're the pass before the assist, the incubator of it. Like he doesn't get a lot of credit for that, but he was so. big late today to your point. Yeah, you know, it's funny because a lot of people have been comparing him in Dylan Brooks,

which drives me crazy. They'll be like, oh, they both make the... I've never seen Draymond Green shove a cameraman just to be a jerk. Okay, like, there's a difference between like, like, just being a jerk and being a guy who's kind of a physical instigator. There's no doubt that Draymond's a physical instigator. And Dylan Brooks is that and more. And the other thing, too, is like, Dylan Brooks is a limited offensive player from a skill standpoint that doesn't get it. And we'll take 11 shots in a quarter in a road playoff game in Los Angeles. And you're like, dude, what the hell are you doing?

Like, Draymond has his offensive limitations, but he understands his role. And I love how you pointed out all those little things because it's, you're right, they love to have the ball in his hands. They've been running a ton of Steph high pick and roll as this series has progressed. Like there was a play at the end of this game where Andrew Wiggins made a floater. Steph runs the high pick and roll. They trap him. He makes the drop off pass to Draymond.

He's rolling down the basket. Looney and Wiggins kind of mess up. They both cut. And you never want to both cut because now you're getting in each other's way. It's better for one guy to cut, one guy to state the three point line. And Draymond, like, hangs in the air and just waits barely for Wiggins to kind of break open and hits him in stride. And Wiggins makes the floater. And I'm like, man, that was kind of an impressive play in traffic and the short roll.

They like having the ball in his hands. He can disrupt guys below the rim defensively. He can disrupt guys above the rim defensively. Tap out rebounds is a big one. There will be like a ball in the air and he knows he can't go get it. but he'll just run up and just tap at it and just keep it alive. So I kind of feel like Sacramento almost ended the dynasty. And I think they're going to look at that film on the way home.

And they're going to think, we just gave one away. We just gave a game away. They outplayed Golden State early. Too many turnovers. They're a tough out, man. They are the baby warriors. They are a tough out. And they're really smart.

As I said at the start of this, I just feel like they need a. another shooter and they'll probably get that in the draft or, you know, somewhere in free agency. I actually think if they upgrade the Subonis position at any point, they could be super dangerous. Because like the unsung heroes of the series have been, well, I say unsung. The real heroes of this series have been Malik Monk and Deer and Fox and the simple fact that nobody can guard them. Malik's been good in this whole series and it's funny because the Lakers couldn't afford to keep him. But that's the only reason he's not a Laker right now. He was one of the rare bright spots last year.

just an excellent shot creator that can beat people off the dribble and knock down threes. He just played so well that the Lakers were financially incapable of retaining him. You know, it's funny. I actually think the Kings deserve to be slight favorites right now. They've played well enough and they have two games at home. It's pretty simple. That said, these games are going to reach a fever pitch of intensity and drama and stakes. And so I still lean, I still lean warriors just because they've,

Look, if it's game five and it's 100 to 100 with three minutes left, there's no doubt that the Warriors will be more comfortable in that situation simply because they've been in those situations before. The same goes for game seven. Again, the Kings should, I bet you they were positive in the locker room. I bet you they feel good in their film session. They should feel confident. But I think these games are going to get even more sweaty palms, even more high drama.

And I just trust the Warriors a little bit more. What was your take on that Lakers blowout of the Grizzlies yesterday? Do you think the real matchup is more like the first quarter or more like the last three quarters? Well, I think the Lakers, I think we both chose the Lakers. I think they're better. I always felt there was two things that were true about Memphis. They're deep and they're inexperienced. And I'm not saying depth and experience or everything, but they feel like they need

another score to me. You know, Jah was sensational. But I, I just feel like they need another dependable score. I mean, you really don't want somebody scoring 45 points in a playoff game. You really don't. I mean, that's just, I mean, everybody's in awe of John Moran. It's like, you know, you can go back to the Kobe stats. Like the Lakers were awful when he scored over 35 points, right? And so, you know, Jaw starts playing well. He plays downhill. And it's fun. It's magical. But I just, I never, I mean, listen, they were a two seed. The Lakers were a seven. And I felt it was, you know, I sit on the air.

If I said it on the air, I believe it, I'm like, I think the Lakers are going to win the series. There were a 43 win team. Right? When's the last time a 43 win seven seed, you take them over a two seed? Like coffee. And Memphis is one of the best home teams in the league. So I just don't, I don't feel. And we're seeing it with Cleveland, by the way.

You know, really young. have some depth. But Garland and Mitchell, I mean, the Knicks aren't even getting a good series from Julius Randall. He's not playing well. And so I just don't feel like, I think Sacramento, regardless of, I think Sacramento is really close to being a championship team, like a player away. I don't with Memphis. I don't always love, I feel they're a little less mature than Sacramento, a little chippier.

little less self-awareness. Their stars had some problems. The King Star is like staff, mature. So it's not that I don't buy into Memphis, but I really never bought into them as a championship team. I really don't. In fact, if you told me the two really young teams in the NBA I like, I would say it's Sacramento and Cleveland.

Cleveland's been disappointing. Like these playoffs, basically Jason, nothing surprised us except Cleveland. I mean, that's the only series where if you had a told anybody, yeah, Julius Randall, good game one, doesn't do anything, and they lead three one. That would be a surprise. I think almost everything we're saying, including the Lakers Grizzlies, we all kind of expected. We trusted LeBron and AD over the last three weeks. They just won a lot of close games and they won a lot of games against, for the same reason, they're winning this one. I'm glad you said that about Memphis because I actually agree.

I don't think they're close either. A couple things. The only, position, I think that they have really, the only spots that I feel really good about, like really good about are Jaron Jackson and Jha. Desmond Bain has been bad in almost every playoff game that he's played, especially over the last couple of years. He struggles mightily to create his own shot off the dribble and guys are good at chasing him over those screens to lessen the quality of the shots and he can't make, like Austin Reeves has soundly outplayed him in this series. You know what I mean? The grizzlies have severe limitations. shot creation and off ball offensive skill.

I was talking with a buddy yesterday about this. Like, what scares me for the Lakers is they can get lazy. And you saw that. Like, I tweeted right after the first quarter yesterday. I'm like, just get ready for them to do the bare minimum to try to win this game. You know, like the whole game, it was like, oh, they got back to 11. I guess we should start trying again. I'd get it up to 16, 17.

And then they'd have three bad possessions in a row and it'd be a 10. And we're like, all right, call time out. All right, let's go get control of this game again. Like, I think the Lakers are so much better than the Grizzlies. I think that people are... So do I. But to your point about the arrogance, the way Jha was acting in that fourth quarter, like, oh, I've got these guys.

Like, I'm like, they're not even playing anymore. They're jogging back in transition. They're barely guarding you. In the first quarter, you couldn't even get a clean look. He shot two for 10 on two-point shots before the fourth quarter. Like, they have figured out the jaw pick and roll because Jared Vanderbilt and Anthony Davis have taken away his floater and they've shut off the rig on him. They've, they've kind of figured that out. Memphis to me has so far to go. But with the Lakers in their lapses in execution and effort,

what freaks me out for them there is Sacramento and Golden State because Memphis is a young athletic team that loves to play fast, but they're unskilled, like remarkably unskilled compared to other NBA teams. Yep. Sacramento and Golden State love to play fast and they are super skilled. at every position. So, like, they will, those teams, if they have those same brief lapses in judgment and effort in execution, the Lakers will get run off the floor by the Warriors and Kings.

So like, it's weird. I feel so confident that the Lakers are going to beat the Grizzlies. But I am so hesitant to pick them as a team that can make a real run because they just have, it is part of their identity. As soon as they start to feel even remotely comfortable, LeBron and Anthony Davis go, how can I start conserving energy? And it's going to be something that gets them beat, I think. Yeah, I mean, I also think that the question we asked about Memphis all year,

because Jaws not a great shooter. He's a great athlete. He's got the floater. He finishes at the rim. If you take the rim away, you take a chunk of this field goal. I mean, it's the Westbrook. He's a better shooter than Westbrook. But if you took the rim away from Russell Westbrook,

he can have really bad nights and it gets into his head really fast. Even great shooters. I mean, LeBron, for a big chunk of his career, like, didn't like Biggs around the basket because if he lost confidence in his three, he could always beat guys off the dribble, score, and get back into it. LeBron always liked his boss and as Kevin loves, stay clear. I didn't get this point in his career. He shoots threes, makes him, misses him, nothing's in his head. He's kind of graduated last couple years. But Jaws not a great natural shooter.

So if he's not hitting the three and the rims closed off, you're not beating people on floaters and, and, and, you're not beating people on floaters and, and, you're, mid-range jumpers. And so I think when I look at this team all year, my takeaway was, well, if you shut jaw down a little bit and make him shoot 41 percent, who's the second dependable score? There isn't one. And they just don't have one. Make sure to check out the Dremont Green show. I brought Dramon Green into the volume because one of the more entertaining voices in sports,

unique perspective, understands behind the rope. Also chops up with guests like Gary Payton, Zach Levine, Tracy McGrady, make sure download the Draymond Green Show wherever you get your podcast only on the volume podcast network. 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 IHeart Radio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts. This is an IHeart podcast. Guaranteed Human.