The Herd with Colin Cowherd - Colin Cowherd Podcast - Ric Bucher on CP3 Collapse, Luka’s Moment, Giannis Help

Episode Date: May 16, 2022

Colin and NBA Insider Ric Bucher discuss the two NBA Sunday Game 7’s, including when the Suns really cost themselves the series (3:00), if they need to make significant offseason moves (7:00), if Golden State can be more effective guarding Luka (14:00), if Giannis will win another title (16:00), if the Heat can win it all (25:00), if the Sixers should sign James Harden to a max deal (28:00), and what Colin was up to in Italy last week. 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! #herdSee 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. Hey, what's good, y'all? You're listening to Learn the Hard Way with your favorite therapist and host, Kear Games. This space is about black men's experiences, having honest conversations that it's really not safe to have anywhere, but you're having them with a licensed professional who knows what he's doing. How many men carry a suit or armor? It signals to the world that you're not to be played with. And just because you have the capability that does not mean that you need to.

Listen to learn the hard way on the AHA radio app, Apple Podcast, or wherever you get your podcast. Hey, this is Robert from the Stuff to Blow Your Mind podcast. Joe and I are both lifelong Star Wars fan, so we're celebrating May the 4th with a brand new week of fun, thought-provoking Star Wars-related episodes. Join us as we tackle science and culture topics from a galaxy far, far away, such as the biology of Tontons and Wampas on the ice planet, or the practicality and corporate business sense of the Sith rule of two. Listen to stuff to blow your mind on the Iheart radio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts.

The Volume. The Colin Coward podcast presented by Fandul Sportsbook, no better place to make every moment more than with Fandul. Basketball, football, they have awesome new and existing user promotions. It's easy to use. It's safe and secure. You can get your winnings back in two hours. My favorite, the same game parlay's. You can bet five or ten bucks in one 150 bucks or more.

If you are new, just download the Fandul Sportsbook app. Get started now. Sign up promo code Colin so they know we and I sent you. The Colin Coward podcast presented by the Fandall Sportsbook. All right. Welcome in everybody to the Monday morning podcast. just got back from a trip from Italy. So if I sound a little off from a zombie,

it's the 13-hour flight. Bonjourno. I don't even know what time it is. And our game sevens were total absolute duds. So without further ado, I'm going to bring in Rick Buecker. I don't even know what to make a Phoenix. They look tight. Chris Paul in a fact.

What do you even make of what you saw? Well, I believe this game was lost two games ago. I honestly believe that when Devin Booker and Chris Paul, it was a little bit like the LeBron James, Dwayne Wade, mocking Dirk Novitsky. They were, everything was rolling for Phoenix, and they were going at Dirk one-on-one, and they were laughing at him. This is Luca Dotsich, who is a European MVP, who has played in front of crowds with fireworks going off in the stands, with people taking their lighters and heating coins and then throwing them at you while you're playing with an absolute mushroom cloud of cigarette smoke covering over the arena. And crowds where I've experienced it. like you start finding anything to put in your ears like paper or anything to try to dull the noise. So you take that, his experience that, there's no, there's no situation that's going to phase

Luca Donchage. And then you basically clown him. You're asking for it. And you're asking for it from a Luca Donchage with a Jason kid who is also of the same mentality. if you insult him, he's going to find a way to make you pay. And he did with Luca basically by saying, okay, Luca, you know what? Every opportunity you get, we're having you go at Chris Paul. We're going to have you go at Devin Booker.

But you're going to have to bring us something to the defense event. They clowns you because they were going at you one-on-one up 20, 25. Right. You've got to give me something the entire way. And Luca responded, the Dallas Mavericks collectively responded. and the Phoenix Suns, the Phoenix Suns basically were the bully. And they got punched, they got punched back. And they didn't know what to do with it.

I still can't get over the lack of offense. I mean, Booker, you know, it's interesting with Devin. I like him a lot. He doesn't create a shot really very well. I mean, Devin needs a screen. Devin needs help. You know, people make these comparisons. Luca doesn't.

Luca doesn't need help. He doesn't need anything. John Morant doesn't need help. Steph Curry doesn't need help. Booker's not super twitchy, quick. He needs something. And it was really apparent in the first half in game seven. Devin just couldn't even get good looks, a fallaway.

I mean, he was smiled as I said that, but he doesn't really create his own shot. He's a great shooter. I don't know that he's a, well, I don't want to say he's not a. great score. But what they did is they made him play in a crowd where he had to make decisions. And ideally what he would have done is drawn that crowd and created for others. He doesn't have that at all. And it was uncomfortable for him. I mean, you could literally see he was, he started thinking. And as soon as he's thinking, game over, Chris Paul is the one that if you try to double him, he's going to kill you because he can distribute. He can fight. He can get other

guys involved. I thought it was brilliant on Jason Kidd's part to say, we're going to make Devin Booker be a playmaker. We're not going to let him be a score. We're going to make him be a playmaker. And Devin doesn't have that in his game. I mean, face it, it's basically taking the sons back to what they were before Chris Paul showed up. Because Chris Paul is the one who became the orchestrator of everything. And for whatever reason, Chris Paul, you know, whether it's fatigue, whether it's age, whatever, he also, he just. But with Chris's age, it feels like Phoenix is athletic, but they need another score. You can't bring this team back. It feels like they have to add a piece offensively. They have, do they have to move somebody? Yeah, I don't, I don't want to

overreact because I also believe that this was just a really bad matchup for them. Luke, like, they don't have like this next series with Memphis, I mean, excuse me, with Warriors in Dallas is going to be really interesting because Draymond Green is the kind of defender you want to put on Luca Donchage. Right. You can play a bigger guy. He's clever. He knows how to play angles.

I'll be very interested to see how that matchup, how that matchup goes. The sons just don't have that kind of guy. Macau Bridges, for as good a defender as he is, Lucas just can body him down. DeAndre Aiton is not quick enough to stay in front of him. Chris Paul is not big enough. Right. It's just they didn't have that one guy and they lit the fire under Luca. I mean, again, I will go back to it.

Like, they were going along and Luca was playing at a certain level. And then they just said, they mocked him. And he was like, oh, no, you're not doing that. And he just, he took them part. You know, Luca has, I mean, when you think of the greatest, last 20, 25 years, the great scores, Michael Kobe, Kevin Durant. LeBron could be, but I don't think him as you're, he's a little a typical for a score because he's such a great distributor. None of them, none of them shoot like Luca. And his body, he's so thick.

he's not going to have Durant's injury issues. I said this about a year ago. I could see him being the all-time leading score in the NBA by the time he's like 33 years old. I mean, he is just the best score on the planet. I'm not even sure there's nothing quite like him. I mean, it's interesting. Here's my only concern. He's not quick in his scoring.

So he needs to body you. And God, that can wear you out over a career because, you know, he doesn't fly past anybody. So every move, Rick, is a lot of work. Herky, jerky, banging. Yeah. Well, there's a tradeoff, though. I mean, you're right. But he also, he scores efficiently.

Like, he can bang you to the mid-range and then step back and hit his shot. He can score in so many different ways. I don't. So there's a trade-off there. The problem that the Mavericks have, the bigger problem as I see, is your point about he can't score fast. Like they don't, he generally is not going to get up and down. If they're, you know, they shot the three ball well.

But if they have to play from behind, they're a different team. They can't score in bunches because that's not, that's not, that's not, that's not him at his best. And I felt sort of the same. And by the way, I'm in the same condition as you are. I took a red eye to the East Coast on Friday, Friday night for Saturday. And I'm still recovering from that. So I know the feeling.

But no, Dodgich is, again, so much of the playoffs is matchups. And this was not ultimately ended up not being a good matchup for the Phoenix Sun. I dare say that if they had gotten somehow managed to get past Dallas, like I would like them against the Phoenix Suns. I think it would have been, I mean, again, the Golden State Warriors were going to a completely different, different setup. Now I'm really curious to see whether the Dallas Mavericks can replicate this. Yeah, I think the Warriors are a tough matchup because Wiggins is now the league's best

for Clay. I mean, they're really an intriguing team on nights where pools playing well. It's Steph. It's pool. It's clay. it's Wiggins, you know, and they also, they're so small, but the league's getting small. I mean, let's be honest about it. The league's getting really small. Donchitz is playing five. Giannis is playing five.

You have point centers now, essentially. I think Golden State's a handful. First of all, Spencer Dinwiddie was on fire. with Spencer, I feel like Spencer's the kind of guy. You get about two games like that a series. You know what I mean? And that's not a knock on him, but he's a B. Sure.

And the A's, Luca gives you that game, six games. So I just, I think Golden State, you know them better than I do. But I think they're a, I also think you could throw a Draman at him. You could throw Kuminga at him. You could throw, you know what I mean? Like, you could just throw more bodies than feet. Because Kaminga, 6, 7, 220. you wouldn't put him on for a long stretch, but between Draymond and him, it's a tough matchup.

And I think Luca could have an off game or two. Yeah. Yeah, I don't have an answer because you're right. Caminga, Andrew Wiggins, Draymond Green. You could rotate those guys on to Dotsich, and you're going to give him a tougher challenge than the Phoenix Suns were able to do with Chris Paul and Mikhail Bridges. None of those guys work. None of them fit.

Jay Crowder, none of those guys can bother Donchitz once he figures you out. But there's also Jalen Brunson. You know, they have other playmakers. And I really, I have to kind of sit back and think about who I like going into this series because the warriors are not the warriors of old. Clay Thompson had had a great game six,

but for the most part, he's not Clay Thompson anymore. Steph Curry. I was watching that game with a couple buddies, and they were like, what's wrong with Steph? And I was like, he's lost like a quarter step. And so he doesn't get the same airspace on his three. And he doesn't get to the rim to be able to finish in the same way. It's just he was always working with a very small margin and maximizing it.

And now the margin has shrunk even more. So you have to have Jordan Pool. going. You have to have, you have to have clay giving you some semblance. Draymond Green has to be good. And Wiggins has to be efficient. And you're talking about guys in Wiggins and Poole who just have never been on this, they've never been on the stage before. That's right. So they're kind of figuring it out. So I don't have an answer for you yet on exactly what kind of series we're going to get. I just, I hope we get a long one because it's going to be intriguing. Yeah, I don't think we have a great team in the West.

And I don't think we have one in the East because we have Miami and Boston now. And I think I like Boston in seven. But I want to go to Milwaukee. I've always kind of felt with Milwaukee. I said this last year is I think they could win three titles in six years. They feel like the Spurs. I was reading Jeff Perlman's book when I was in Italy, Three Ring Circus, Kobe, Shack, and Phil. And the amount of...

chaos, animosity, angst for all those years. And yet they won three straight. And if Carmelone's healthy, they may even win four straight. Because they were so gifted. Like the Warriors with Durant, they were so gifted. Look at all the chaos with Jordans, Bulls, Jerry Krause, Phil Rodman. The truly great teams know they're great. There's lots of egos.

But they just out-talent you. Milwaukee's like San Antonio. They can't win three straight. They're not that gifted. They've got to have all the guys healthy. They need a break. And I looked at it and as I watched that Boston series, I thought they're just not good enough without Chris Middleton to end up in the finals.

I mean, in the last six years, I could be wrong on this, but I think they've been eliminated four times in either the first of the second round because things didn't work out. They made a conference finals and lost and then they made the finals and won. But I look at Milwaukee and I'm like, listen, They're going to win another championship probably. Yeah.

But all of our champions are not equal. There's the Dirk Mavericks. And I kind of feel like this is a poor man's spurs where you've got a dominant big, a strong culture, a couple other really nice players. You know, Manu Tony, it's Drew, it's Middleton, nice players. Yeah. But they're not special without middle. You take one of them out. they're a team.

Yeah. They're just a team. Well, it's the challenge to, and I, you know, fans hate to hear this, but you're in Milwaukee, you're in San Antonio. That's like, it's, it's, you know, you're not going to get Gary Payton and Car Malone and guys who will join the Lakers to make a run, Horace Graham. Like, that's not happening for the most part in Milwaukee or San Antonio. You're just going to get good guys who are at the end of their career.

David Wests are going to go there and say, hey, I don't have a ring yet, and I can spend a year in Milwaukee or San Antonio trying to win one. I do, look, I think Janice is going to win a couple more championships. And it's going, and I think he can be better. What we saw against the Celtics is that he reverted a little bit as soon as the mid-range jump around. wasn't working. And he couldn't score efficiently in that in the mid, uh, in the mid post, um, at a slower pace. And he desperately, they desperately needed that with that Chris Middleton. That's ultimately what they missed is that Chris Middleton would, would give you some of that. And so, and then they need to get more athletic like Pat Connettton, Grayson Allen, like all those guys

got exposed. Grace and Allen was. terrified on the court. Yes. Yes. He was, he's Duncan Robinson, basically. Like, great regular season, we're going to get you threes. You can hit them. And now we get it where, oh, they're targeting you at the defensive end and they're not going to let you have a wide open three. You're going to have to put the ball on the floor. Now, what can you do? And that's just a guy unravels. So they definitely have some work to do, have to do on this roster. And now I'm just, I'll be interested to see. where this Boston Celtics team goes because

I think there is such a value in winning a championship and understanding what it takes. That's what kind of surprised me with how Milwaukee unraveled as this series went on. Yeah. Like a lot of their they were self-inflicted wounds. Like they were getting behind early and

turning the ball over and missing open threes when they needed one. like that when you want a championship that's not supposed to have Bobby Portis you're not supposed to go off the rails oh god game seven and he was liability you know if you ever wondered god bobby's such a he's a really nice player why is he bounced around the way that he has yeah now now you know you get to find out the pressures raised then you find out what the true character of guys are and he just he lost it The playoffs are here. You can make every game feel like Game 7 on Fandul's Sportsbook, an official partner of the NBA. Fandul's hooking you up free bets through the playoffs.

Free bets. Doesn't matter if you're a new customer or already have an account. Be sure to check out the app. Exclusive weekly same game parlay promos. Fandul's got so many ways to play. Best of all, when you win, you get paid faster than a fast break. If you're new to Fandul, download the Fandul Sportsbook app, sign up with a promo code, Colin. If you already have an account, you're all set to get in on the action. Either way, you'll get an assist from Fandul when you bet a same game parlay during the playoffs. Van Delsportsbook, an official partner with the NBA. 21 plus and present in Arizona, Colorado, Connecticut, Indiana, and Louisiana.

Permitted parishes only. Michigan, New Jersey, New York, Tennessee, Virginia, or West Virginia. First online, real money wager only refund issued as non-withdrawable site credit that expires in 14 days. restrictions apply. See terms at sportsbook. Fandul.com. Gambling problem, 1-800 next step or text next step to 5334-2-2-A-R-O-2-8-8-8-8-9-7-7-1-7-1-7.

Or visit C-C-P-GG or visit Fand-UL dot-G, or visit Fand-ULDLG and Colorado, Indiana, and Virginia, 18777-7-1-1-1-1-1-1-1-1-7-0-1-1-1-1-1-1-1-1-7-1-1-1-1-1-1-Gl Imagine an Olympics where doping is not only legal but encouraged. It's the enhanced games. Some call it grotesque. Others say it's unleashing human potential. Either way, the podcast's Superhuman documented it all,

embedded in the games and with the athletes for a full year. Within probably 10 days, I'd put on 10 pounds. I was having trouble stopping the muscle growth. Listen to Superhuman on the I-Hard Radio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts. A win is a win. A win is a win. I don't care what 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 celebrate.

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 J. And I'm Alex English.

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

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

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

Steve Burns Dustin Ross because you find it important to be a good person while you hear on earth or are you a good person because you're afraid because that's two different intentions bro absolutely and that that's two different levels of trust I want you to just really be a good person Join me, Keir Gaines, as we have real conversations about healing, growth, fatherhood, pressure, and purpose on my new podcast, Learn the Hardway. Open your free iHeartRadio app. Search Learn the Hardway and listen now. The 1970s NBA had a ton of parody and it was not very well watched. Now, my Sonics won a championship. The Blazers did. So as a kid from the Pacific Northwest, it was a great time. I think the Sixers won one, Warriors may have won one. The Bears.

talking about like mid the late 70s. Yeah, with the Al Addles, Rick Berry, Jeff Mullins. Yeah. Kevin Grevy and the bullets and Elvin Hayes and Westonnell. Yeah. And in that time, there were a lot of memorable players, but no great teams. And I kind of felt watching yesterday, I'm like, these are really good teams. Boston's a great example of really well coached, know what they are.

There's a certain way they've got to play. They can go, they can discombobulate a little bit. If Tatum's not hitting, it can get really ugly, really fast. I do think, I just, I've been saying this all year on Miami. I don't get it. They don't have a closer. And then, you know, Butler played, you know, they got, they played some dysfunctional sixer team here that kind of have unraveled.

I think I like Boston over Miami because of Tatum, but I say it was so little conviction. I mean, what do you make of Miami? Good bench, great coach, athletic, deep. I think they get the most out of what they have

on a nightly basis, more so than anybody else, which is why they have the regular season record. They had the regular season record that they did. And then they played a Philadelphia team that honestly, the 76ers would have been better if James Harden just didn't go to the defensive end of the floor because you assume that he's going to guard somebody or he's going to rotate or he's going to do something. You assume like he's there, he's going to do something and he wouldn't. And so you combine that with the fact that he wasn't

scoring. And so now if you have him on the floor, you're thinking, oh, he's going to score, but he's not going to defend. So we need to have Matisse Thibble out there. We need to have defensive players out there. They can't score. And if Hartman's not scoring, now it's just, it's an avalanche. It's an avalanche. And I think Miami was able to, look, I wasn't impressed with Miami in the way they beat them. They just outlasted them. Yes. In a lot of those games. Not, not like, took control of the game. And it was for three quarters. You were like, if Philly could just hang in, they could win and they just didn't get good and sustain it

You know Rick I was thinking about this In fact I was thinking about this in Italy When I Because I was watching highlights And I thought You know, Daryl Morey probably made a promise To James Harden On a contract extension right

Yep But I don't believe you can find Any of the last five champions And I could be wrong I'm just going off memory that had a terrible contract. It's almost a deal killer. Champions rarely have an absolutely egregiously bad contract.

There's a lot of things champions don't have. Not all are great defensively. Not all have three reliable scores. Not all have a great coach. As Boodin-Hulls are a great coach. None have a just a time bomb contract. And if you give Harden that, it's over. You just limited.

And I thought to myself, because of the way he laid an egg, the media and fans, if you break that promise, have no problem at all with it. They don't. And the owner could step in and go, we're not signing him and Maury's off the hook. They could. That was my takeaway. I thought to myself, it was so bad that Mori will curry favor with the fans in the media in Philly. And you know a sports radio in Philadelphia carries weight. And it was so bad the owner can step in and say, we're not doing it.

Mori can just go, hey, what can I do? I tried. He could. He could. However, the agent and the players, superstar players will know that Hardin was promised and that they backed out of it. And how that plays going forward with other star players. They don't look at it as Hardin didn't live up to his. contract. They will look at it strictly as, no, he came over, you promised him a deal, and you broke it.

But players are also savvy. They know Hardens a dog. Secondly, because of the emergence of Maxi and the talent of Embed, you don't really need another star for the next three or four years and people forget. I mean, Maxi, Tobias, Embed, and you get another good player. You get another good player. you don't need a scar for three years. Okay, but here's the question. And I haven't looked closely enough at their books, but you're going to have Harden for at least one year. The very least he's going to opt into his 47,

where I think the promise was, which almost makes it worse, promise was you opt into the 47 and will take care of you afterward. Don't make us load up on you now. I'd rather load up for one and move him. Well, that's not, I mean, okay, so, well, however that goes, but here's the problem. So you sign him for one for, you know, he opts in, right? You have him for a year. Yeah. Right. How are you going to move him? Like, you're going to have to trade him. You're going to do a sign and trade. If you just let him walk, I don't think they're going to have cap room to just go and sign somebody. So that's where when you say, we're, because I don't think. think Tyrese, Matisse, Tobias, and M.B. makes you a title contender. I...

Maybe you have more faith. I don't know how much better Tyrese Maxi is going to get. I think he's very good. I don't think he reaches like... Is he 23 a game good? Oh. So because M. B. is 29. He's 23. Well, but it's when you get your 23. Because I need him to be, I need him to be the guy at the end. Because I can't always count that I can, in a last second situation,

I can't count that I can get the ball into M.B.'s hands fast enough in a place where he can operate. I just think, I think the time bomb contract is a deal breaker for championships. Well, I'm, I don't, I agree with you there. I believe that if you are the Philadelphia 76ers, while you would never say it, you're not looking at this strictly to the prism of winning a championship is the definition of success. If I'm a team that is always in the mix for the next three, four, five years,

that's successful. That's the reality. But it's the reality because of, it's also the reality of with Embed because of his health. because of, because here's the other thing. Like, he stayed healthy and I give him all the credit in the world for playing with an orbital fracture and tearing his, you know, a ligament in his thumb and all that. But this happens every year. And he's in the prime of his career.

So even when he's in shape and he doesn't have a major injury that causes him a season, he breaks down physically somehow some way. And I just feel like, you know, somebody asked me the other day, like, do you blow it up? Do you just like, you need to start over? I mean, the other part is you're going to have Doc there for he's got three more years on his deal. I don't know that Doc is taking you to another championship. So while I would never advertise it, I look at this Philadelphia team as I just want to be competitive. And if somebody falls down, if somebody has an injury, maybe we sneak through.

That's a hard sell in Philadelphia. But I don't feel like they're one piece away. I really don't feel like they're one piece away. There's so many flaws to them, whether it's coaching or your star player being fragile or the James Harden question. Like, it just, I don't know. And I don't know that Embed as my star player and his demeanor and the way he, when he didn't win MVP.

Like, that can't be my emotional leader. Yannis can be my emotional leader. Stefan Drummond can be my emotional leader. Chris Paul can be my emotional leader. A guy who says, you know, I just, well, you guys just spoke to who you want to vote for. And I don't, you know, I don't know if I'll ever win. Like, dude, move on.

You didn't win MVP, okay? But you took a nice step forward. You got plenty of people saying that you should have won MVP, and you should be looking at how do I win a championship anyway. So what are we doing here? All right, I'm going to go Warriors in six over Dallas, Boston and seven over Miami. Any problem with either? No, but, you know, Colin, I always say this.

When somebody says, I'm going to take them in seven, you're really not saying anything. Like, take them in six. If you think Boston's a better team, take them in six. Nobody's going to fault you if they win in seven. That's true. I'll take both. I'll take the Celtics Warriors and Six. By the way, you've been to Italy because you've traveled, you're a soccer guy.

So you've traveled abroad a great deal. Yeah. I could honestly, I usually do a 10-minute opening rant before I do these, but I'm dealing on, you know, I'm literally, it's three in the morning right now. I could live in Italy for long stretches. Oh, yeah. Where did you go? I went to Florence, Siena, Kianti, okay. Rome

I can do without Rome Tuscany Tuscany Florence Now you're talking to my life Yeah my wife didn't like Rome as much either She liked Florence and Sienna And she likes Tuscany She could and I'm like I need some juice

Rome's got a lot of juice Oh I like Rome a lot Yeah I can I can already see it There's going to be a cowherd villa In Tuscany It's coming I will say this herd burgers that herd burgers are not going to make it in tuscany though i'll tell you right now

the cost of living we had lunch one day both had a glass of wine water bottle of water nice lunches uh aspresos 24 bucks they don't tip over there 24 bucks you don't tip i was just like people everybody wants to move you know to americans are moving to costa rica and i'm like yeah i'd get sick of the surf i know you like to surf i'm like if this we're just we're just we're going to move you're We paid $60 for dinner every night and we were just gorging ourselves. Oh, and it is fabulous food, man. Oh. Yeah.

My son, my son's graduated from high school. He and two buddies are going to Italy, flying to Milan, going to Florence. Now, do you like Milan? I haven't been there. It's a fashion. It's the fashion capital. I haven't been there. It's not, I don't.

I give me Tuscany. Give me the Isle of Capri. Like, give me this, give me the South, Southern Italy. But, no, no, you picked it. You did it right. And by the way, we went in May. So there's no, the tourism, you know, the Russians aren't visiting because of their situation. And for whatever reason, like, I think it's the regulation still on COVID, perhaps.

They said Russians and Asians were not ramped up for tourism. And so May is not a heavy month for Americans. So there was basically it wasn't crowded. It was fantastic. So what you're saying is that there was a place to park the cowherd yacht. I'll tell you this, parking in Rome is so inept. They make fun of it. Oh, yeah.

But did you drive? Did you drive? No, we basically. No, we had tours, basically just hired individual tours. We did a Vespa tour, a food tour, a castle tour. Did you do a Florence food tour? We did a three-hour Florence walking tour. We did a Rome food tour.

Food in both was amazing. I strongly recommend the food tours. We went. So in Florence, we went on a tour where every place that we went had to be in the family for at least three generations. And it was like gelato, the bakery, seafood. It was unbelievable. One of the greatest experiences, I took my kids and one of the greatest experiences they've ever had.

All right. Let's shut it down. Good 35 minutes, Rick. Celtic 6, Warrior 6. We're both exhausted. We'll talk soon, buddy. Volume. Make sure to check out the Dramon 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 Dramon Green Show wherever you get your podcast, only on the volume podcast network. Another podcast from some SNL, late-night comedy guide, Not quite. Unhumor me with Robert Smygel and Friends. Me and hilarious guests from Bob Odenkirk to David Letterman help make you funnier.

This week, my guest, S&L's Mikey Day and head writer, Streeter Seidel, help an a cappella band with their between songs banter. Where does your group perform? We do some retirement homes. Those people are starving for banter. Listen to humor me with Robert Smigel and Friends on the IHeart Radio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts. Imagine an Olympics where doping is not. 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.

Hey, what's good, y'all? You're listening to and learn the hard. way with your favorite therapist and host, Kear Games. This space is about black men's experiences, having honest conversations that it's really not safe to have anywhere, but you're having them with a licensed professional who knows what he's doing. How many men carry a suit or armor. It signals to the world that you're not to be played with. And just because you have the capability that does not mean that you need to.

Listen to learn the hard way on the AHA radio app, Apple Podcast, or wherever you get your podcast. Hey, this is Robert from the Stuff to Blow Your Mind podcast. Joe and I are both lifelong Star Wars fan, so we're celebrating May the 4th with a brand new week of fun, thought-provoking Star Wars-related episodes. Join us as we tackle science and culture topics from a galaxy far, far away, such as the biology of taun tons and wampas on the ice planet hot,

or the practicality and corporate business sense of the Sith rule of two. Listen to Stuff to Blow Your Mind on the iHeart Radio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcast. guests. This is an IHeart podcast. Guaranteed Human.