The Herd with Colin Cowherd - Hour 1 - The Lakers can't win

Episode Date: April 22, 2024

Colin explains why the Lakers don't stand much of a chance against the Nuggets He discusses the hype leading up to the NFL Draft Joel Embiid can't seem to stay healthySee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

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All right, here we go. It is a Monday, and we are live in Los Angeles, and it is The Hurt. Wherever you may be and however you may be listening, thanks for making us part of your day. Top of next hour, Colin Wright, Colin Wrong. J-Mack, I know you were out and about with America. I was grounded here in Los Angeles watching playoff games the whole weekend. Lakers, Denver. Stop me if you've seen this result before.

Nine straight. Season on the line tonight for LeBron. But yes, I survived Nashville. It's not Nashville, but Nashville. Yeah. Awesome city. It's great city. You need to get there soon.

I've been to Nashville more than once. Great city. I would suggest leaving the wife at home. Well, no, she likes Vegas too. Oh, she doesn't. And Nashville. So the thing about greatness, like the Denver Nuggets, is they create clarity. How do you compare to greatness?

They really illustrate a team's flaws. And when the Lakers face Denver, you really see their flaws that can be hidden against average teams to slightly better than average. DeAngelo Russell can't trust him in big playoff spots. Austin Reeves. He's a nice four, not a great one. Lakers bench. Darvinham, meh.

AD and LeBron were great. 13 total assists. 59 total points. 56% from the floor. LeBron and AD were fantastic. It's a great one-two punch. But Denver has the world's best player in Yokic. And maybe the best duo in the league with Jamal Murray, who's one of the rare players,

who's significantly better in the playoffs than in the regular season. Aaron Gordon, a top athlete defender. Michael Porter, 17 and 7. KCP, always lethal in the postseason. And an experienced championship winning coach. Twice in game one, Denver just shifted gears for like 90 seconds to two and a half minutes, blew the Lakers doors off. And again, LeBron and AD were great.

But the Lakers have lost nine straight to Denver, and they've led by 10 or more in half of those games. But the difference is the nuggets give you consistent excellence with an occasional spurt. The Lakers are hot and cold. There's a nuanced analytic stat called organized offense percentage by quarter. It's boring, but what it illustrates is Denver is literally the same team the entire game. And the Lakers were very good early and very bad late. As LeBron, as his age gets older and gets tired, he often gets very sloppy. And that initiates these big Denver two-minute runs, and it's game over.

So Denver is very much a marathon runner. They run the first mile at the same speed as the last mile. And they know it's Steve Prefontein. They can endure more than you can over the course of a couple hours. And you're just watching an excellent team. And I said before the series, It's not that the Lakers are going to lose because they are. But what if they get swept again or lose in five games, which they will?

What are the repercussions? LeBron has options. Golden State is interested. Will Darvin Ham get run out? D. Lowe's gone. Are they tired of just Austin Reeves, AD, and nobody else on the bench you can really trust? There are repercussions for great players when they lose. Maybe not for KD, who's a bit of a wanderer, but there have been historically for LeBron,

who is not. He's just mobile, but when he gets his feet in the ground, in a place he wants to live, he's going to make changes. So this series and these games, nine straight times, I've watched all these games. They're all the same. DeLo doesn't deliver. It feels like they're slightly outcoached. They have moments of excellence, but it's the continued, consistent success that Denver provides, and it creates clarity. That's the great thing about championship teams. You look at the chiefs. You start looking at great teams across the board. Michigan this year, they point out your flaws what you need to work on. And boy, does Denver do that to the Lakers?

And here's LeBron after. You don't have much room for error versus Denver change, especially at their own home floor. They're just a team that's been through everything. Obviously, they're a defending champion. So, you've got to execute, you've got to make shots, you've got to defend, and then you can't give them extra possessions. No, you can't. All right, it's draft week.

It is draft week. And Caleb Williams is going to go. So number one to the Chicago Bears. And I'm reading The Athletic this morning. And there's a quarterback coach in the NFL who played in the league. And he talked about Caleb Williams. He said, listen, his arm, there's a lot of wow stuff here. This kid's spectacular talent.

This is generational stuff. But he also added context, said this NFL quarterback coach, who again played in the league. And I think he made great points about Caleb Williams. And I'm going to show him to you. The first one, he said, is the Bears head coach safe. You have a first-year coordinator. It's not like he's going to a place that's stable. It's not like the Jordan Love takeover in Green Bay.

The coach continued. Not going to be like that in Chicago. Defensive head coach, hot seat, new O.C. There was quarterback stuff for the last number one guy with Justin Fields. Half the team wanted him to stay. Half didn't. Those things are huge factors for a young quarterback coming in at the start of his career. and he continued.

Look at Brock Purdy. Goes into a situation, all the boxes are checked. Solid organization, good defense, play caller, developer of talent, knew exactly what he was looking for. Those things are critical. If Purdy goes to the Panthers, we don't know who he is right now. I do not disagree with any of those points. But I'd like to add that something else is true.

if you're destined to be a star in this league, you will be. Trevor Lawrence entered a complete clown show. Year two, in the AFC, he won a playoff game. Justin Herbert's had two coaches, both whiffs. He's gotten to the playoffs in a division with Mahomes. Joe Burrell entered with a young head coach losing record, frugal owner, nor indoor practice facility, none in Cincinnati and northern climate, horrible offensive line, at the time didn't have a dominant weapon, running for his life,

and his career, he's two plays from winning a Super Bowl. Yes, yes, where you land is really critical, but the great ones find a way to do it. The Colts were a mess. Colts were a mess before Peyton Manning. He won four MVP's there and got to two Super Bowls. if Caleb Williams, and I believe he is, is generationally great, you'll see it, the Bears GM and owners will see it, and if Matt Eberfluse isn't the guy, he'll be gone. I suspect he will be after year one.

Herbert got the bag. I mean, Josh Allen, think about this. Has yet to have a great O-line, has a defensive coach, he's on his third coordinator, has never had a true number two receipts. finally got an elite running back. In the last five years, they've been top four in offense. You'll figure out how to get it done. In every business, talent overcomes, talent wins, talent separates.

Yes, for 90% of these players, for 90% of these players, it's where you land. It's who coaches you. J.J. McCarthy is not talented enough, nor is Bo Nix. Michael Pennix, and I like all three to some degree. They're not talented enough to go to a clown show and deal with a coaching carousel. Herbert is. And in my opinion, Caleb Williams is. If you're destined to be a star in the entertainment business, singing, music, athletics, you will be.

Jordan hit on his third coach. Jordan eventually got Scotty Pippen. Eventually, as Jordan fought with his owner and his GM in the first couple of coaches and teammates eventually it worked it always does all right jemak so i sat around saturday and sunday and after little morning workouts watched a ton of playoff basketball and i've come to the conclusion it is put up her shut up time for joel mb there's no way with jalen brunson not having a great day and no second star on that team that joel mb should lose that game with a second star.

Yeah. Would be interesting if they lost game two, and then you started hearing rumblings about Joel Embed. I'm done in Philly. Get me to New York to play with Jalen Brunson. We've know the Embed-New York stuff's been out there for a minute, huh? That would be very Kevin Durant of him. I'm out.

I just lost to you guys. I'll go play with New York. That, by the way, the environment at the garden looked electric. You know what? I was telling my friend Jason Temp on my podcast last night, I said, you know, NBA players don't need any, individual market to succeed. You can get rich anywhere.

Shoe deals, Instagram, salary. But right now, many of the best teams are about to be best teams, OKC, Minnesota, Denver Nuggets, Orlando. There's a lot of brands that aren't very big national brands. And if the Lakers get ousted, Steph's out, LeBron's out, the New York Knicks become very valuable as a brand for. the league. I watched that game. And the Knicks, just because of the

Garden and those fans and the celebrities, it felt like a game seven of the Eastern Conference Finals. Yeah. The intent, I'm sorry, Cleveland and Orlando and Indianapolis and O'KC, don't jump out of my TV like Madison Square Garden does. I mean, they're going to show, star, star, star, star,

big, loud guys, pop up. And there's something about the lights in New York where they light the crowd. Maybe that's two. You can see the celebrities. That thing felt like a game seven of a conference finals. The only environment. Home teams, by the way, 8 and 0. I think that was the first time in like over 10 years that that's happened in the first round, game one.

Minnesota environment with Anthony Edwards going off. I thought that was the second best to the garden. It was just like, this is big time basketball. It's fun. Really fun stuff. Home teams rolled. Be sure to catch live editions of the herd weekdays in noon Eastern, 9 a.m. Pacific. On Fox Sports Radio, FS1, and the IHeard Radio app.

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 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. 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 tauntons 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 podcasts. You can keep telling me something is great, but I need proof, data, something. I've been hearing for years, Joel M. Bid is a great all-time center. Okay. So all the great centers since I started watching the NBA in 1972, they've all won championships. Wilt, Moses Malone, Bill Walton, Akeem, Shaq, David Robinson, Tim Duncan, now you. You're Yokic, they've all won. Walton in the 70s, Wilt, 72 is the first year I remember watching the NBA.

They've all won. Even second-tier centers, Ewing, Dwight Howard, got to finals. M.B's been in the league for like 11 years. He's played for eight of them. Came in hurt. He's never won a second-round

Eastern Conference playoff series. The East has never been this week. I mean, I love the Knicks, but a two-seat, it's never been this week. He's got a second star. He lost this weekend. Again, he's losing in the East, often losing is the favorite.

In this Nick series, he has a second star. Maxie was great, 33 points. Kyle Lowry, the ghost of Kyle Lowry appeared. He was really good. And you're going to let Josh Hart and Miles McBride beat you? Jalen Brunson has very few stinkers. that may be the only one in the series. Eight for 26. Didn't play well.

Not efficient. He's a great player. So Jalen Brunson doesn't play well. Jalen Brunson doesn't have a second star. He's got rotational guys, number three and four guys. Embed gets his number two guy that plays out of his mind. Kyle Lowry plays an incredibly important game. I'm sorry. I need proof.

Well, the MVP, let's be honest, that was an anti-yokic vote. It wasn't a pro-M-Beed vote. vote. You got tired of the European guy dominating MVP voting and Yokic is truly great. He does more well than M.B. does. And he's always available. But all the top players right now in the NBA

who at least have some age on them and experience, they've all been to conference finals. Kauai's and Jimmy Butler's and Steph and LeBron and A.D. And Tateham, it doesn't matter. They've all been to conference finals. Joel M.B. can't win a second round playoff series in

the East. The weakest it's ever been at some point, dude, you were old for five in the fourth quarter. At some point I need more April, May, and June wins. I'm sorry. I'm not going to put you in all these classes. Oh, he's Shaq. He's this. He's that. He's a center

who's often not available and not clutch in big playoff spots. And this was a break. This was a window. Jalen Brunson has very few clunkers. Doesn't have many of those. You may not get another one in the series. Maxie was sensational. Kyle Lowry was good.

I'm sorry that you have to change this narrative. It's not on us. This is about you delivering. That's the difference between very good and a stat monster. At this point, M. B's a stat monster. There's nothing else beyond it. It's a 320 hitter in baseball that never wins

a playoff series. You've got to give me something here. J. Mack with the news. No, no, no, no. Turn on the news. This is the herd line news. Am I wrong? You're right. I mean, now Sixers fans pushback. Well, with Embed on the floor, they were plus 14.

It's the non-imbed minutes, and that's where I'm like, well, who do you look at for that? The GM? Where's our roster? I mean, Nick Batum bailed them out against the heat. Remember that? You had like 20.6-3s. Mbid goes off the floor. They got nothing. If Embed's off the floor, and Jalen Brunson's playing poorly,

you still have a star, and the Knicks don't. I mean, the Knicks, Brunson played poorly. Julius Randall not available. You Sixers can't beat. them just when he's off the floor. By the way, Tobias Harris benched in the fourth quarter again. Your guy, your guy Tobias Harris. By the way, Jalen Brunson, are you ready for this? Five offensive rebounds. Joel and beat three. How was it a tiny point card? Well, the Knicks are incredibly

likable because they squeeze every ounce of talent. When you, they're Villanova in the pros. It's a bunch of these grinder guys who just the effort, Josh Hart is everywhere. So it's not about, and I do think there's a ceiling to this, but in the Eastern Conference, maybe they're There's not a ceiling to this team. So a lot of pressure on Embed to win this series. I thought Kevin Durant had the most pressure. I think it's probably... Oh, I think it's on Embed.

Yeah, big time. All right, let's get started with Jason Tatum and the Celtics. Your buddy, Jason Tatum, it wasn't a close game, so they rolled. He had a triple double 2310 and 10. He also got fouled if you're watching at home. This is kind of a cheap shot by Martin, Caleb Martin, in the final minute of the game. You know what I was thinking about? So they're winning the game convincingly, and the Celtics still have...

Tatum in the game. And Miami's like, Caleb, go be disruptive. Oh, right. Am I wrong? A little bit of a cheap shot. All right. Well, here's what Tatum said about the cheap shot after the game. Little. Just understanding is playoff basketball, right? It's a physical game. Playing against a physical team. You know, it's going to happen. It's not the last time I'm probably going to get hit like that or fouled in this series.

So, you know, I wasn't hurt. You get here like that. You know, just get up. I mean, if you look at it, you know, third and fourth time, you see Drew Holiday gave a little shove to Martin, who then was a little over. Let's watch the highlight. I didn't quite see that.

You're trying to sell me on that? Listen, I don't think it was dirty. I don't think Spolster's dirty. Caleb Martin plays hard. This is a guy I bet on a lot back in college. He's just a guy will not stop playing for 40 minutes. I did like how Jalen Brown stepped up for his buddy there. That's a potentially scary fall for Tatum,

who is. No, I let Jalen Brown came over to show hands. Yeah, basically anybody shoves you like that. I'm going to step up up, hey, hey, settle down, buddy. All right. Next up, let's go the Dallas Mavericks. Boy, I picked them to go to the finals. They did not look good. They had 30 points

at half. Yeah, so Cowherd calls me yesterday and is just mocking the Mavericks for five minutes, and I just had to take it. No Kauai Leonard, 30 points at half for the Mavs, and Jason Kidd talked about the embarrassment after the loss. I thought the physicality was the biggest thing that stands out. They were physical and we were passive.

So we have to look at that when we look at the video tonight and tomorrow that the physicality, we have to embrace that and do better on the floor. And I understand we got wide open looks that we just didn't make. We were one from six from the corner from three. Normally we knock those down. So we'll look and see how we can get better. we have a better effort in the first half. Yeah. Phoenix and Dallas, honestly, just didn't really want to engage.

Like they just, Phoenix and Dallas, from the very beginning, both got pushed all over the floor. Just a really weak effort. Now, again, it's a seven-game series. I don't know about Phoenix. Dallas is going to play well. There's a little bit of a lobsided roster where their scoring comes from basically two players, whereas the clippers have four guys, sometimes five that could give you points. Even Terrence Mann can sometimes drop a 20.

But I think Dallas will recover. Like this game, when they had 30 at half, you're like, okay, that's not the way this series is going to look. So it felt like motivation was everything. Mavs came in the hottest team in the league, I think 17 and 2. So the clippers are on their toes, ready to go. No Kauai Leonard. So Mavs are like, we got this. And, you know, all these gibronies like you and I say, oh, Mavericks got this series.

I think everybody picked the Mavr to win this series. So Tai Lu motivated his guys. And you could see, like, Zubots came out and was like dominant. He had like, I think 20 and 15. really good. And by the way, remember, James Hardin last year, what did he do early in the series? Oh, no, he's very good. Hardin's playoff history is good early in series. Oh, yeah. Hardin couldn't miss yesterday. We'll see how that goes in game six and seven. So just file that away. All the paper Kipp clips fans in my mentions. Final story, let's get to the NFL. This is, this is kind of

interesting. Dak Prescott finally talking about his new contract. And he's not, he's not worried about his future with the team at a charity event over the weekend. He spoke about what he's looking for Listen closely in his upcoming contract negotiations. I'm not trying to be the highest paid necessarily. So I'll wait until negotiations began and obviously want to put this team in the best situation. I'm not going to say I fear being here or not. I don't fear either situation to be candid with you. I love this game and love to play and love to better myself as a player and my teammates around me.

Right now it's with the Dallas Cowboys. It's where I want to be in. I am and that's the focus and after the season we'll see where we're at and if the future holds that then if not we'll go from there if you paid quarterbacks if you made your money based on how good you are Mahomes is the highest paid I would put Josh Allen's second highest paid who's third highest paid well you have to consider everything that dag well Lamar's great but he has struggled in the playoffs so if you're if you're paying a quarter this is not the NBA where the regular season doesn't count.

In the NFL, it all counts. Are you paying for past performance? I'm paying for everything. Productivity, availability, playoff wins. So Mahomes would be the highest paid quarterback in the league. Josh Allen is second. Didn't have Super Bowl wins,

but wildly productive. Often the team, he has to overcome elements on his team. Who's third? Let me throw a name out at you. Matt Stafford. Yeah, but the injury history. I know that ding's in,

but is he not in the class for third? Oh, yeah. He's in the mix. Burroughs up there, but we've got like four straight years of injuries. Yeah. And I've got Stafford a year of injuries and a Super Bowl. Okay. I want to go back to the video.

Were you watching it? So I don't want to be body language expert guy. But Dak was rocking back and forth the entire time when he was answering that question. I don't want to be the most paid necessarily. That's a big tell. This is weighing on him a lot. You can even see it. He's holding back what he really wants to say.

I got to get paid. I don't want to be a lame duck quarterback. And I agree with him. The problem is Dallas is up against it, Colin. If you're talking, I guess my point is, if you paid quarterbacks based on production, playoff wins, availability, is Dak about ninth? And right now he's paid like...

Look at him. Look at him rocking back and forth. That is not the look of a guy. When he's at the podium after games, he's just standing there stone face and talking. He is rocking back and forth. And to me, that is, I need to get paid. Show me the money. All right.

And can you blame him? Can you blame him now? I don't blame anybody for wanting money. I don't blame anybody for that. I'm just saying it is interesting. Anytime the DAC thing comes up, that's a good segment for us. If you paid quarterbacks based on, availability has to be a part of it. That hurts Burrow a lot.

You've got to be available to play. Are you productive? That's second. Third is, okay, I need some playoff stuff. That hurts Lamar a lot, Justin Herbert. But it's interesting when you start getting to DAC. It's like you're just not getting it. He's mostly available.

He's very productive. I don't get anything in the postseason. That's the interesting thing. You're looking at some quarterbacks who are now playing the waiting game. Dak, Tua. Did Trevor Lawrence get paid yet? I don't think he has. And those are guys who it's like, you know,

which team is going to blink first and cough up a ton of money? Listen, Trevor Lawrence is up against it too. You look at his numbers last couple years, turnovers? I mean, listen, I don't care that Lamar won an MVP five years ago. I'm not paying him based on that MVP. Right. It's tough. J. Mack with the news.

Well, that's the news. And thanks for stopping by. The Hurd Lie News. So when Damian Lillard went to the box, we liked the move. They needed a killer on the outside, like an elite Steph Curry kind of guy. Chris Middleton, good player, eroding, not that guy. And so we know Dame is great, and we know Janus is great. But the question is, why aren't they great together?

So, Janice is out this weekend. Dame has the green light, and he put on a Steph Curry show. I mean, he didn't even have to show up in the second half. He had 35 at half. The Bucks have decided this is their franchise. They defer to Janus, even on coaching hires. Yonis makes the call. I want another player.

They get rid of Juho Holiday, who they loved. Yonis is great, no question. And the Buc's offense is built around Janus attacking the basket. But that means a lot of times Dame has to defer. And it's very funny. Dame's, to me, not an off-the-ball guy. Like, I think Steph Curry has warped everybody's mind that everybody believes that a shooter like Dame can just play off-ball. And the truth is, Steph Curry is unique.

Steph Curry has warped everybody's mind thinking, what he does, we've all normalized it. Well, you just play off the ball more. Dame yesterday, when it was his team, and he's got the ball. And he's attacking, and he sets the tempo. Totally different team. He was 100% on ball. It's his team. It looks totally different, 35 and a half.

So two great players don't always equal great chemistry. LeBron has worked with virtually everybody. He worked with De Wade eventually. He worked with difficult Kauai, Kyrie eventually. He worked with AD still does. And by the way, Steph worked with Clay and Steph works with KD. and Draymond. LeBron and Steph work with everybody.

But not everybody's game is that. When I watch Janice and Dame, and I don't watch every Bucks game, but when I watch them, I always feel like it's your turn, my turn, is it my turn or your turn, your turn, your turn, my turn, whose turn is it? And that's not necessarily a great team. But for Dame to score 35 points in a half, and he's got the ball, and he controls the tempo, and he controls the offense, that's ideally suited for Dave. game. But that's not really what the bucks, how they're constructed. Janus wants a new coach,

they get a new coach. Janus wants a new star. They let Drew Holiday go. They get a new star. Janus wants the ball. Janus gets the ball. Here was Dame after his performance. I don't think that it's all on me, but I know that I got to be a little bit more aggressive and I got to step forward a little bit more assertively. And in the playoffs, like I said before, it's about setting the tone. We're going to see this team a lot of times, and you want to establish yourself, especially on your home floor.

And, you know, that was just my mentality to come out and, you know, try to set the tone in that way. So let me throw this at you, J. Mack. So home teams went eight and no. And in most instances, here's why I believe this to be true, is that because the NBA regular season

is teams tanking at the end and the good teams resting stars at the end, that the, sort of intensity of the NBA regular season does not feel like the playoffs at all. And at the end of a season with many teams tanking, you have to be careful about the teams that get into winning streaks like the Sixers and the Mavs and the Suns. But what happened this weekend is there is such a gap between the regular season and the playoffs that teams, road teams go on the road in the playoffs.

And the home team, they also played in the same regular season. but they get the jet fuel of the crowd. And if you ever gone to an NBA playoff game, it is not an NBA regular season crowd. It's a totally different sport. It's not like college football or hockey or baseball. No, no, no. You go to an NBA playoff game.

It is louder. They're standing. And the road teams, because they're such a malaise about the NBA regular season, the road teams, Lakers were the only one that came out with better energy than the home team. They came out with better energy. But like a Phoenix or a Dowell's,

A lot of these teams came into the game and they just were overwhelmed by the crowd, the physicality, and the intensity. So if you're a boxer and you have the crowd behind you, or if you're a basketball team and you have the crowd behind you, you tend to be more aggressive, you play with more physicality. And a lot of these road teams,

they just weren't ready to play. They just got overwhelmed. Young Indianapolis just got overwhelmed. Dallas, not even ready to be physical. Phoenix pushed around for two and a half hours. So my guess is that the losing road teams will come in with, you won't see these rebounding disparities and this physicality disparities in the second game.

Yeah, and I did a little of this on my podcast with how you gamble in the NBA playoffs. Like, I don't think you automatically take the Lakers tonight, but like Lakers' first half tonight makes sense. Colin, season on the line for the Lakers, let's be real. You can't go down O2 to Denver and expect to beat Yokic for four or five. That's not happening, right?

I mean, you're not dominating the rest of the series. And I think same thing for the Sixers tonight. They're going to come out and it's not going to just be in B'd, like they're going to be playing with their hair on fire. This is it. You can't go down 02 or you're in deep trouble. Yeah, this feels like the six or season. Yeah, and by the way, Phoenix Suns, that's another team.

Everybody loves the Suns against the Jimberwell. We dominated them in the regular season. Anthony Edwards averaged 14 a game against the Sun. It was the best player on the floor. It was unstoppable. Three out of four teams that win game one in the NBA playoffs win the series. You've got to be ready to play. And I think as the regular season has become more load management and less intense,

these road teams walk in, and that Milwaukee crowd, that doesn't sound like a Tuesday against Orlando. I love Halliburton. What was going on? Like, it was the first playoff game. And he took seven shots. What are you doing? And then Dame at home, a veteran looked like it was game seven. We don't need Yonis.

I'm good. I got 35 at the half. And it didn't score at all in the second. Did not. Yeah, yeah. Crazy. Strangest line. Be sure to catch live editions of the herd.

weekdays in noon Eastern 9 a.m. Pacific. Hey, what's up everybody? It's me, three-time Pro Bowl of LeVar Arrington, and I couldn't be more excited to announce a podcast called Up on Game. What is Up on Game, you ask? Along with my fellow Pro Bowler, T.J. Hushman Zada and Super Bowl champion. Yep, that's right. Plexico Burris. You can only name a show with that type of talent on it. Up on Game.

We're going to be sharing our real-life experiences loaded with teachable, Listen to Up On Game with me, LaVar Arington, T.J. Hushmanzada, and Plexico Burris on the IHeart Radio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcast from. 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 which I'll say it. Yep, that's me, Cliver Taylor the 4th.

You might have seen the skits, the reactions, my journey from basketball to college football, or my career in sports media. Well, somewhere along the way, this platform became bigger, than I ever imagined. And now I'm bringing all of that excitement to my brand new podcast, The Clifford Show. This is a place for raw,

unfiltered conversations with some of your favorite athletes, creators, and voices that not only deserve to be heard, but celebrated. One week, I'll take you behind the scenes of the biggest moments in sports and entertainment, and the next we'll talk about life,

mental health, purpose, and even music. The Clifford Show isn't just a podcast. It's a space for honest conversations, stories that don't always get told, and for people who are chasing something bigger. So if you've ever supported me or you're just chasing down a dream, this is right what you need to be. Listen to the Clifford show on the IHeart radio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcast. And for more behind the scenes, follow at Clifford and at TikTok Podcast Network on

TikTok. 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 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 podcasts. And I was thinking of this, you know, people love to point out when opinionists like myself and others, many others, are wrong. but what happens when you are?

Years ago, there was this argument that KD was better than LeBron, and I laughed at it over and over. LeBron's game, there's more depth, he's a leader, he's stronger, he's more reliable, and he makes really good decisions. What if Kevin Durant gets rolled here in round one by Minnesota? Not exactly a historical juggernaut. It will point out what the almost apologizing, NBA media always fails to do. KD makes bad decisions. Can you imagine Patrick Mahomes saying,

I'm done with Andy Reed and Travis Kelsey. I want to go play for the Jets because I like this slot receiver. That's essentially what KD did, leaving a dynasty. At one point, the argument that KD was better than LeBron was a furious debate. I rolled my eyes at it. KD is a great shotmaker, an all-timer. Love is game. But his skill set should put him in the top one or two in the last decade.

And frankly, he's getting lost. Yokic looks much better historically. Steph is really the soul of the Warriors winning titles before him during and after. Anthony Davis now is a more consistent player on both ends. Yonis has more regular season MVP's. As I'm watching Phoenix get rolled, Kevin Durant's becoming increasingly irrelevant. It wasn't long ago

that the apologetic NBA media gave him a pass for leaving the NBA penthouse from ownership down for a fixer-upper in Brooklyn and then a remodel in Phoenix. And it's not working here either. I like him. I like his game. I've said if there was a one-on-one tournament, he'd probably beat Jordan. He's a great score.

But NBA players have power and they have leverage. That doesn't mean they make good decisions. What if he gets rolled by Minnesota after that debacle in Brooklyn? Anybody in the NBA media going to call him out? You'd call out Mahomes because the NFL media isn't here to protect its stars. It's here to cover them. Report, not support. But you know what Katie's starting to feel like?

You're going to call me nuts. Like a more available, Kawhi. Enigmatic, mysterious, not sure why he does what he does, super talented, can get you a basket and a stop. But what is he?

Is he just somebody that's talented with a skill set that should make him a top two player in the league? But with all these young, players coming most from Europe. Yokic now established as the best player. What's the gap between Yokic and Durant? It's not close. It's the

Grand Canyon. And LeBron's already established him as a Grand Canyon separation from KD. Steph Curry now has separated. Janus has more regular season MVP's. It's not to say I don't like Kady's game. But couldn't I argue he's kind

of closer to Kauai now than the best players of the league? Is that a hot take? but when he left Golden State that had the best GM arguably and the best coach and the best unit and the best players because you know he struggled sometimes with a Kerr or a Draymond get over it like I know he just wanted to go play with his friend but at every other sport would you leave a Yankee dynasty to go play with the race really if you already had the bag would you leave the chiefs and Andy Reid as a quarterback to because you had a buddy going to play for the jays? Jets. I thought the decision at the time was ridiculous, and nobody called them out on it.

And maybe that's just the NBA where players have power and leverage and can do what they want to do. But if they do get rolled by Minnesota, and I mean, they didn't even, they didn't look constructed well. Like, that wasn't competitive. And I think they'll come back and be competitive. But what does Katie become? And I asked JMAQ, who's got a personal relationship apparently with him, what will he become as I watch for two and a half hours? Phoenix not be, and by the way, Booker was awful. I'm not blaming KD. What does he become? Because I know

the debate four years ago that I rolled my eyes at was better than LeBron. That warrior's title once he left kind of put the dagger on that argument, didn't it? I would say so. But let's be real, that whole KD better than LeBron. It wasn't like a five-minute argument. That was two years where they went back to back. KD was the best player on the best team,

and KD annihilated LeBron in the finals. Now, he did have a stacked deck. You're stacked deck. He had a stacked deck. All right. Since then, he's done Jack squat. The thing that troubled me, and I still think the sons win this series, let's not overreact to game one.

He had one assist in 39 minutes. And that's been his game. I just want a hoop. I want to go, well, that's not basketball. It's a team sport. In the huddle, who's getting on Devin Booker? D. Book, what's going on? McDaniels is locking you up?

I mean, Booker could do nothing. If they're getting 15, 20 points from Booker, they're not winning the series. It was an F in terms of effort. They were completely pushed around for two and a half hour. And again, I can think two things at one time. I think he's an all-time great player. But he's becoming less relevant.

I mean, when Kauai misses a game and they trounce the Mavericks, I said this two years ago. You've got to move off Kauai. What are we doing here? What do we keep pretending he's something? They're not doing that. Come on. Clippers opening.

By the way, I drove by the new Klippers facility. Have you seen the outside? It's gorgeous. Looks amazing. It looks like something out of the Avengers. But I do wonder, like, you know, what is Kevin Drup? You know, we do the whole legacy thing.

It's been one game in the playoffs. But you start to what, he can't be a top 10 player all time. He just cannot if he doesn't like get back to the time. He's not a guy that calls players out. He wouldn't call Simmons out in Houston. Well, no, he'll do it on podcasts. He'll do it in public media appearances. He wouldn't call Kyrie out in person in Brooklyn.

He didn't call Booker out this weekend. Again, some guy, Kobe Bryant was confrontational. Michael Jordan was confrontational. I don't know if LeBron is or not. Katie's not. Maybe a podcast confrontational, but not real. And again, I like his game. But considering his skill set, I mean, I've had people tell me that we're on the Olympic staff.

Like, you cannot believe his talent. It's next generation. It doesn't even make sense compared to other great players. And I'm just like he just now, I look at him and I'm like, this, this, this Phoenix thing ain't working. I mean, is this what it is? They got hot at the end of the season, mostly because Beio played great. I think let's not get caught overreactica. Okay.

It is just one game. But something's got to change pretty quick. I think Durant has to be the, who's the leader? in that huddle. Well, no, we've said this. Anthony Edwards is punking everyone on the team. We said this for years now. Before Chris Paul got there, Phoenix

was awful. Yeah. With Devin Booker. So Chris Paul was the leader. So Chris Paul leaves, say what you want, he's a leader. Kevin comes in. Well, Kevin's not a leader.

And Beale doesn't want to be a leader. And Booker's never been the leader. They're just talented dudes. They're just great players. So it's sort of a rudderless ship. Like Anthony Edwards was embracing leadership. Mike Conley historically. They brought Mike Conley.

That's a leader. It was Carl Anthony Towns's team, and pretty quickly we realized this is AntSquat. Well, and they also brought in Mike Conley, because Mike Conley's high IQ veteran player. He was terrible, by the way. He was, but he holds guys accountable. Chris Paul hasn't been good, but Chris is verbally he'll come after you. Like you knew when the bucks came out, like Dame Liller was in that hotel. Guys, Yonis A-N-A-N-N-I've been to the show before.

I've always thought Dame's a leader. Right. I've always thought Dame's a leader. You can't quantify that, but does Kevin Durant have the leadership? I went to a Lakers Warriors game. You and I went to, the one when you were way upstairs. And when I went to that game, the game was over late. Draymond Green, as I left the arena with two minutes left, Draymond Green's on the huddle.

And they leave by whatever, 10, 12, barking. Like some guy, and by the way, his barking was off putting to Durant, who was there at the same time. You can't leave that team for Brooklyn. You can't leave Steph for Kyrie. You can't do that. And then you can't want out and go to Phoenix and not be a leader. when you know Booker and B. Alar. Like, at some point,

let's stop supporting, start reporting, and being honest here. It's weird that he made such a great move dumping OKC and Russ to go to Golden State. Like, genius move, one of the smartest I've ever seen in the NBA. And then everything since then has just not been good. I don't know why.

I still don't know why he picked Kyrie in Brooklyn. Kyrie's kind of like cool among the players' love him. You know, Kyrie is your favorite player's favorite player. You know that saying? I don't know if anybody's favorite player, other than Anthony Edwards is KD. Because all he does is score. He doesn't make anyone better.

One assist. In 39 minutes. Are we being too harsh? Colin right, calling wrong, Tom, my next hour. Maybe we're too harsh. Maybe we have to soften things up. You can soften like the NBA media. I'm coming in hot.

I'm so excited for the draft Thursday. Yeah. In fact, I've had two opportunities to get a free dinner Wednesday. I've turned it off. Can't do it. Really? I've got to be rested for draft day. I've had two people reach out there in town.

Hey, on dinner Wednesday. Unavailable. Is it because of the restaurant? If they said no boo Malibu, you got to hit it up. No, I've never been. You can't be up late Wednesday. I have to get solid sleep Wednesday. No alcohol all weekend.

Total clarity for draft picks. We have a little, it's a little time here, 30 seconds. Have you noticed how there's not as many leaks this year, regard to the draft? You know why? Because there's going to be more moves. Well, there's also gambling involved, and I do think the league has done a great job.

A lot of this, Jayden Daniels, too, that's starting to pull back according to the gambling odds. It was running on nothing. It was like, Jamie Daniels, could go second. Why again? Who's reporting that? And it was all just speculation. Drake May back up to two, Calhurt.

It's happening, baby. All right, we are ready to go. Don't forget, save big in your water and energy bills. Tankless made simple.com. It's a Navian 15-year limited warranty Monday, our two next. Another podcast from some SNL, late-night comedy guy. Not quite. Unhumor me with Robert Smygel and Friends. Me and hilarious guests from Bob Odenkirk to David Letterman help make you funnier.

This week, my guest, S&L's Mikey Day and head writer, Streeter Seidel, help an a cappella band with their between songs banter. Where does your group perform? We do some retirement homes. Those people are starving for banter. Listen to humor me with Robert Smigel and Friends on the 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, 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 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. This is an I-Heart podcast. Guaranteed human.