The Herd with Colin Cowherd - Hour 1 - Victor Wembanyama vs. Chet Holmgren, Giants and Daniel Jones

Episode Date: March 1, 2024

Draymond Green has an amazing impact for the WarriorsLooking at the skill level of Victor Wembanyama and Chet HolmgrenColin tries to be nice to the Chicago BearsIt looks like the NFL isn't going to ban the "Tush Push"See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

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Or stream us live every day on the IHart Radio app by searching Fox Sports Radio or FSR. Fox Sports Radio. Oh, here we go on a Friday, busier than I would have predicted. Lots going on live in Los Angeles, it's the herd. Wherever you may be and however you may be listening, thanks for making us part of your day. So, J-MAC last night, I committed to the Association, the National Basketball Association, 430 Pacific on.

It was Warriors. It was NICS. You get Wemby later. There's Lakers Basketball. All-in. Great night. of NBA hoots and a lot of storylines. Wendy, oh my gosh, he is the storycalling.

Oh, holy chapter. I want to start with a team that I have, I don't like to be a fan, but I like their style and their brainpower. The Warriors, and they beat the Knicks last night. Nix didn't have Julius Randall, Warriors didn't have Wiggins, neither team at full strength. But I think the Warriors, they won their seventh straight row game are interesting. You know, I was thinking about this.

There's a hip-hop star in Atlanta called Killer Mike. fascinating guy. He just won a Grammy. He was on Bill Maher, who I'm a fan of recently, and they were having this discussion about Trump and Biden, and both are polarizing people. Trump's really polarizing, but Biden, you know, a lot of people not into it. And so at one point, Killer Mike had a great line. He sided with Trump over Biden on something, and Bill Maher was kind of taken back and surprised, and he said, pick your policy, not your person. I don't have to like a person. I don't have to like a person. person, I like a policy. And I thought that was an interesting way to frame it, whether I agreed with him or not. It was an interesting way for Killer Mike to frame it. Pick your policy. Don't get paralyzed by a person. And Draymond Green's fascinating because of his suspensions and his drama and the punch.

And yes, I do employ him at the volume. But one of the things I've always said is don't be paralyzed by the name. Pick your stats. Here are numbers that are indisputable since Trump. Draymond Green came back off his suspension. He has literally changed the Warriors completely. Not only are they 12 and 3 over the last 15 games, seven straight road wins, 11 and 3 in February,

points per game, second in the league, assists per game, first in the league, second in the league in opponent three point percentage. They're now fourth in up and down for our radio audience that can't see it. They're a top four, five team in the NBA since he arrived. people get paralyzed by the name, but he's done this, but he's done that, he punched him, he punch him, he put, okay, this is what I care about. It's pro sports, not church, it's not the YMCA, it's professional sports, win games.

I'm not looking for people who are perfect. We're all vulnerable, and so many fans get caught up in that. But it's interesting, this year more than any year, I would argue, Draymond's even more valuable. Why? Because this warrior team has four very young players. Two have size. And to beat the Lakers, Denver, or Minnesota in the West, they'll need bigs, active big.

Small ball thing is done. The West is too big. The good teams are too big. And between Trace Jackson Davis, 6-9, Forward Center, Jonathan Cominguez, 6-7-5, 6-8, Very good, very young, very twitchy. And Brandon Podjemsky, you've got three guys, plus Moses Moody, make it four, that are going to be very valuable for the Warriors. And the key is this year, there's nobody in the league that coaches on the floor better than Draymond Green.

When they mic him during the games on ESPN or TNT, constantly coaching. Huddl, floor, free throws, constantly coaching. And the reason it's so important this year for the Warriors is it's their strangest team yet, but perhaps they're most talented. That somebody has to bridge the gap because this team is only two things. Either really old guys, Steph, Clay, Drayman, Chris Paul,

or really young guys. Cominga, Moses, Moody, Davis, Pods. So who's going to bridge the gap? And they have to get these young guys with size. They have Sarge, but he's an older player. He's not going to get huge minutes in the postseason. They have to get these young guys going quickly.

Next 25, 30 games. So they can play with a Laker size and Denver size and Minnesota size. So I don't think there's ever been a time, maybe early in the dynasty, that Draymond is more valuable to bring the old and the young together. LeBron James has never loved playing with young guys. He didn't want to be a mentor. He didn't want to teach how to play basketball. But maybe he's so great, he doesn't have time for it.

I don't think Michael Jordan loved young players either. He was so great, didn't have time for it. Figure your game out. But Draymond's not giving you 29 a game. So part of the intangibles which make him so special is, and this is why Kerr defended him on the punch against Jordan Poole is, he changes practice, he changes tenacity, he changes effort, he changes field goal percentage.

He is a catalyst, he's tough, but he's also a remarkable, and the numbers bear it out, has a remarkable ability to elevate younger players. And Golden State's got four, and all of them are going to need to play big minutes to be to Denver, Minnesota Lakers. Otherwise, they just don't match up. They're too small. They beat the Knicks, seven straight road wins.

Steph's still the offensive centerpiece. But Draymond remains a massive catalyst, and Steph talked about another road win after. You need guys to step up and be consistent, and that's what they've been doing. So I obviously feel very confident in our ability to win any game on any given night. We just have to keep stacking these good performances together. Doesn't mean you're going to win every game, but I think the identity, that's why I would say are reforming an identity. And I think we are.

All right. The other NBA story, fascinating. There's two young bigs. And when you say bigs, they're a lot. long, but Chet Hongren O KC from Gonzaga. And Wembe, for the Spurs, these guys are over seven feet, can put the ball in the deck, can shoot threes. Well, last night they faced one another. Wembe was remarkable.

Kids 20 years old. 28 points, 5 for 7 on threes, 13 rebound, 7 assists, 5 blocks. Watch, and remember, Chet Holmgren is 7-1 for Oklahoma City. 7-1. Watch this late game. sequence. 28 for Victor Wembeyanama. Holgren.

Trying to answer. He places going. He is something else. Who's blocking a 7-foot-1 guy's jumper? Do you know how high you have to get? All the pre-draft analysts on Wemby said he's very thin. He will be pushed around. He leads the league in blocks.

And listen to these splits. He is getting better really quickly. In October, November, December. Last calendar year. 19 points a game, 44% shooting, 29%. Uh-oh. This year, 23 a game.

Almost 50%, 37% on threes. He's AD plus Janus. Except right now, he's already a better shooter than Janus. And he's much better, much earlier than Janus was. And though he's not as

thick, he's not as strong as AD. He's already a better rim protector. He's a dominating shot blocker above the tin. So I was thinking about this this morning. Every about 10 years in the NBA, we get something we've never seen before. In the 60s, late 60s, it was Kareem. Late 70s, it was magic. In the 80s, it was Michael. In the 90s, it was Shaq. In the early 2000s, LeBron, close to 2010, Steph, and now Wembe. The Magnificent Seven.

A lot of great players. But these guys are sensational players, and they're like nothing you've ever seen before. It's different than just being gifted and special. Kobe was. We'd seen it. It was MJ, and it was better. The Sky Hook with Kareem. Magic's size and passing from a point guard.

MJ's verticality and relentlessness. Shaq's power, size, strength, Steph's shooting, and LeBron's everything. What you are watching with Wembe, he's Kevin Durant, but much better and more dominant defensively. He's Janus, but a much better shooter. He's AD, but with much more length than size. He is Wilk Chamberlain with a jumper.

It is something to behold. And as I said earlier, he's getting better really quickly. Here was Pop after last night. He's gotten more and more physical as years going along. Obviously, he's not afraid to put himself out there. He'll take shots. He's not worried about if he misses it and what the consequences are, anything like that. He likes those moments.

We like those moments. Just think about this. Barring any catastrophic injuries, you know, we're getting closer to the end with LeBron, who does the league hand it to? We talked about this earlier this week. LeBron is such a big brand, and he doesn't necessarily want to give it up. Like a Michael or a Magic, he likes Shaq. He likes the endorsements. He likes the brand. He likes the network. LeBron's not giving that thing up.

This, not Yannis, not M.B., not, this is the future of the league. And it is something else. Jay Mack? I mean, that kid, it's a little like LeBron. And like Michael came in with the years of college basketball. With LeBron who had a high school, from the first game to 50 games later, you were like, oh,

oh, he's humiliating NBA All-Stars. You look at first game for Wemby to now 50 games later, it's like, oh yeah, he's dominating really elite players. There's no rookie wall for Webbenyama. He's getting better. And listen, Chet Holmden was great last night. He had like 23, 7 and 5. I'm just, if the Spurs don't build around Wemn Mnayama like right now,

I don't want to hear like, oh, yeah, we're going to build slowly at a few years. Webbenyama is ready now. NBA needs him in the playoffs. This guy is, he's box office. He's playing on TV. You can't take your eyes off that, Colin. It's just incredible. Yokic hitting threes.

And by the way, did you see, he doesn't really like Chet Holmgren. There's a little backstory there from a couple years ago. So after the game, like Chet Holmgren's looking to say bye to him and dab him up, Wemby just is like, nope, no, I'm not going over to him. There is a little dog in him that he is. I like this kid, man. It's impossible. And these European kids, and nothing against the domestic kids, but the European kids,

they play against older men when they're younger, so they come in more mature a little ahead. It's not like a guy who goes from high school here to the G League in America, and you're like, that G League is, you know, it's just watered down nothing. International basketball at the highest level.

So they're playing against older guys. They come over here very focused, very mature, and they've been pushed around by bigger guys as their younger players. So like when you watch Luca walk into the league and 20 games into his career in the States, LeBron's like, are that guy's a top five score? Well, he'd been going up against three and four-year-old.

When you're 17 or 16 and going up against 19 to 20 to 24-year-olds, you grow up fast. Oh, yeah. Like Wemby is here. It last night was like, that's the moment. Rocket shipped this point forward. We've got a lot of stuff today. We'll go back to the NFL Combine. Thanks for listening to The Heard podcast.

Be sure to catch us live every weekday on Fox Sports Radio in noon to 3 Eastern, 9 a.m. to noon Pacific. Find your local station for the herd at Fox Sports Radio. or stream us live every day in the IHeartRadio app by searching Fox Sports Radio or FSR. Hey, I'm Doug Gottlie. The podcast is called All Ball. We usually talk all basketball all the time, but it's more about the stories about what made these people love their sport and all the interesting interactions along the way.

We talk to coaches. We talk to players. We tell you stories. You download it. You listen to it. I think you like it. Listen to All Ball with Doug Ghalib on the IHeartRadio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcast. 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 put on 10 pounds. I was having trouble stopping the muscle growth. Listen to Superhuman on the I-Hard radio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts.

A win is a win. A win is a win. I don't care what I'm saying. Yep, that's me, Cliver Taylor the 4th. You might have seen the skits, the reactions, my journey from basketball to college football, or my career in sports media. Well, somewhere along the way,

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

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

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 Ton Ton, 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. All right, welcome back. A lot of interesting stuff happening today. NFL college football is proposing something. It's about time. So my wife, who's from the Chicago area, has been in a lot of her younger years in Chicago,

and we go there a lot, and she doesn't really care about sports or this show. but occasionally she'll jump in the car and, you know, I'll be on, and she'll listen for a few minutes. And she's been on me all week. She goes, can you be nice to the Chicago Bears? I've got cousins there. I like going there. And I'm like, I'm not not nice.

I'm just honest. So I thought today, let's be positive about the Bears. So this will kind of be sort of semi-positive for a really poorly run franchise. So Mike Garifolo, NFL reporter, ESPN, NFL insider. I'm not sure where he works, but he's an insider. NFL network, my bad. So the Giants GM, Joe Shane, says Daniel Jones will be our starter going forward. But Mike Garifolo is 75% sure that they're going to use that first pick and they're going to get a quarterback. So here's what I'm going to say positive about the Bears.

If we're being totally honest now, the difference between Daniel Jones, who the owners of the Giants paid a bunch and liked, the only difference between him and Justin Fields, he's got a better offensive coach and he's got a playoff win. Same player. Neither wins enough. Daniel Jones doesn't win enough.

He's 22, 36. in the weaker NFC. Both Ian Fields have average passer ratings, 85, and both missed too many starts. Daniel Jones has missed 21 starts in five years. Brutal. Both Justin Fields and Daniel Jones have requisite size, move really well, but they feel like the third of the fourth best quarterback on any Sunday in their division. Not good enough.

Both were drafted very high in the first round. Both playing the weaker NFC. neither feels like they're going to host a Lombardi trophy. You can't like one without liking the other, and I like neither. I don't think either is a guy that's going to hoist a trophy. So if you don't have one of those guys, go draft another quarterback. Both Daniel Jones and Justin Field struggle with consistent accuracy. Both struggle with too many giveaways.

And both, strangely, take way too many sacks, considering they're both really mobile. I would move off both. But don't tell me Justin Fields is no good, and Daniel Jones should get paid like he's getting paid. The difference is the New York Giants owners have this weird loyalty to Daniel Jones. The only difference between Daniel Jones and Justin Fields is Brian Daibles, a really good offensive coach for the Giants, and the Bears have a defensive coach, and now they're running through coordinators.

That's the difference. I think Justin Fields is more athletic, but they're both athletic. They both turn it over. They both take too many sacks. They both struggle with accuracy. They're both not very good in the second half. The difference is, and here's more positive news for the Bears, it really is. They're not stuck with a big paycheck.

They're going to move off Justin Fields, probably to Atlanta, get a second, third-round pick. The Giants are stuck. Do you know who the sixth biggest cap hit at quarterback is in the league? Daniel Jones, that's all. awful. So my takeaway is if you're telling me, you're in New York, go, oh, I like Daniel Jones, got to like Justin Fields. Here's what's interesting.

And it plays in the Giants' favor. It is a loaded first two rounds of wide receivers. And the Giants need one. But the Giants have a couple of second round picks. So if you look at the top ten picks, the Giants have number six. Who is the prediction of who will fall in the game? this draft, Drake May. If Drake May falls in this draft, I'm the Giants at six, I get him. Also, people argue that Drake May needs a year to ramp up, that his accuracy and consistency

needs work. If Mahomes can sit for a year, so can Drake May. And then Joe Shane, the GM for the Giants, is a man of his word, because all he is saying is Daniel Jones will be our week one starter. Hey, we didn't say we weren't going to draft a quarterback. We just said Daniel Jones is our week one starter. The Giants, if Drake May falls right into your lap, take him, you got two seconds. There's going to be arguably eight to 12 receivers taken in the first and second round. There are plenty of receivers. You could take two of them in the second round. The Giants have their rush end. The Giants have their left tackle. The Giants have a star running back. There's a lot of things. They have defensive linemen. There's a lot of things the Giants have. They need weapons and within a year

to get out of this contract with Daniel and get another quarterback. That's actually very positive for both the Bears and the Giants. It's a new leaf I am turning here on March 1st. J. Mack with the news. Turn on the news. This is the Herdline News. Next time I see Ann, I'm going to have to say just, you know, we don't need relentless optics. optimism all the time. I mean, the Giants stink. The last five years are one of the worst franchises in the league, record-wise. I know they got to the playoffs one year.

But my take is Drake May falls. It is a wide receiver jammed draft, and it's one of the things they truly need. They really need wide receiver help. You got two picks in the second round, I believe. You think Drake May could fall? Absolutely. Really? Jade and Daniels and J.J. McCarthy are getting such positive...

vibes out of the combine and the knock on drake we had lance zerline on yesterday and he said week to week game to game half to half you don't know what you're getting so nobody so i'm just saying okay all right speaking of quarterbacks let's start with caleb williams he is decided he's not going to participate in the medical exams at the combine this week what a diva i'm joking he is believed to be the first prospect to skip the medical evaluations and he spoke about that decision today For the medical stuff, I'll be doing the medical stuff, just not here in Indy. I'll be doing it at the team interviews. You know, not 32 teams can draft me.

There's only one of me. And so the teams that I go to from my visit, you know, those teams will have the medical and that'll be it. I know that's your guy, but come on. What? Come on. What? Every single other player in the history of the Combine, according to reports, has done the medical. You know, that's going to be a top pick.

And he's like, 32 teens can't draft me. They don't need to see my medical. I don't know, man. You know, I'm not, I'm not a conspiracy theory. Fire away. But I just finished watching this morning the octopus murders on Netflix.

And it is one of the all-time great dogs ever. Is that even a real thing? Do octopus murders? And I'm got to tell you, you watch it, makes you a little bit of a conspiracy theorist. About octopuses? Or about our government. Oh, oh.

The point being. How about this? If you didn't want to get drafted by Chicago, I'm not doing the medical, I'm not throwing reports that he disappeared after the season. Putting out a deal of vibe. That's doing. Putting out an interesting vibe.

Cliff Kingsbury, number two pick Washington, the OC. I am simply throwing it out there. Just start to be a little difficult. A little difficult. I'm not doing a physical. I'm not doing this. I'm not doing that. I would love to go to Chicago.

Chicago says, let's just go to the second pick. Take two first round picks it. I am just suggesting after watching this Netflix doc, my mind is percolating. I might have a contract coming up. Maybe I should start to be difficult around here. Time out. You already are. I'm not Caleb Williams caliber.

Next up, J.J. McCarthy, who you now are back on the train. I am not. I am driving this bad way. I am not. He will throw for the scouts with the combine this weekend. However, he's dealing with some hammy tightness, so he's going to skip the 40 and jumping drills. I have a theory on that.

McCarthy said he has had some amazing meetings with teams already. He's focusing on his wins at Michigan as his most important stat. He's a winner. Quarterback stat is winning. You know this. The big thing about McCarthy is his traits and his speed and his quarterback. He doesn't want to come out of the combine as, oh, he's a fact. quarterback. He's a running, he wants to be, here's my arm, this is what I think. No, listen, he is

without question the most interesting first round pick because of this, because is it Harbaugh, is it Michigan's talent? You know, you can make an argument that it's got an Alabama feel. Great coach, great O-Line, always playing with a lead, dominating defense, strong run game. That's what Tua had and Mac Jones had and every Alabama quarterback has, dominating, playing with a lead, great field position, only one or two, teams in the conference that can compete. I mean, they didn't have him throw in the second half against Penn State. And so what happens is it's not a real NFL existence.

You know, a lot of these NFL guys, Aaron Rogers plays at Cal, Big Ben, Miami of Ohio. Look how many great quarterbacks played at second tier places where it's a real NFL reality. You're getting hit. You play trailing. You have to come from behind. You have to overcome. Don't have to overcome much at Alabama as a quarterback or J.J. McCarthy last two. three years at Michigan. So it's an interesting vibe. He feels to me a little bit like all these

Bama quarterbacks who come out with a great record. They never lose. They never play from behind. They don't lose any games. They have a dominating run game. They never have to get in shootouts to win. They didn't even, he didn't throw the ball against Penn State on the road, which is going to run the ball. So it's like, I'm not, again, I'm not banging on him. I'm just saying he's got, Michigan has been so good the last two years, so dominant. It's very Alabama-law. It's a weird way to quarterback. It's not a real quarterback life in the NFL, never playing from behind.

So I've been workshopping this analogy for a while, and you're not going to love it. But there was a moment at Iowa State where Brock Purdy was thought of as a first-round pick. You guys can deny it all you want. He was considered a first-round pick, the traits, the skills, the winning, and then he kind of regressed.

When he falls to the seventh round, there's value in Brock Purdy. Yeah. Okay. If J.J. McCarthy were to fall in the draft, second, third. Okay, yeah. A great value. Yes.

As much as I like him, I do wonder if, like, you know, fifth overall is a bit rich for Jay J. I think it is. I just... I think it's a... And I was calling him a top ten potential guy. I just... I don't know if you could take him that high.

So in the... And let me defend Brock Purdy. Brock Purdy, that's a real football NFL experience. He played from behind. He often played against teams with much more talent. He trailed. He didn't have a great defense to support him.

So Brock Purdy was in close game, shootouts, playing from behind, as was Patrick Mahomes in college, as was Big Ben. That's why, I mean, USC's never had a great quarterback because they dominated for so many years, dominated West Coast football. Alabama quarterbacks never play from behind, never have to win shootouts. And so there is something to be said about. Now, I don't think Brock Pretty has all these amazing NFL first round traits, but it's a real experience.

Philip Rivers, a real experience. So that's why you would think in football that the high school quarterback that goes number one, then goes to Ohio State, and then becomes a star NFL quarterback. They've never had a great NFL quarterback until we think CJ Stroud. USC's never had one. I'll just float this. So during the season, nobody was saying McCarthy is like top 10 first round. Not really anybody.

I did have that in a mock draft. But why are we only hearing about McCarthy now? And there's like radio silence on Bo Nix, Michael Pennix, like nothing. Is that by design? Is somebody pushing McCarthy's name, a team perhaps, in an effort to keep the scent off of Bo Nix and Penix? Because that's who we really like. Well, it's interesting. Yes.

Because if you look, I keep saying Denver and Bo Nix, essentially he's Drew Brees with mobility. Sean Payton wants him. Maybe Denver's throwing it out there. So J.J. McCarthy's over-dress. Because there's so many good tackles, and everybody in the NFL needs a tackle. Everybody, including the Chiefs. So there's so many good tackles. There's so many good receivers.

They're going to start filling these spots. Denver's sitting there, what are they drafting, like 12 or something? Denver's sitting there thinking, if all the tackles get taken. All it takes is one guy, the tight end from George is going to get taken in the top. 10, 11. There's one great corner. There's one great edge rusher. All it takes is somebody to take a McCarthy or a little bit of a reach in an OC and a bone

Knicks falls a couple of spots, and then Denver gets it. So somebody broke down the bow Knicks throws this season. I've got to find the tweet. And he is, like, ridiculously competent on those short throws that Drew Brees thrived on. Oh, he lives. Late with the Saints. He's very good when you scheme a play up. What does Sean Payton do?

Follow my play. Short stuff. Not over the top Chuck and Duck yet. That's what Kyle Shanahan and Sean Payton want. Here's my play. Run my play. That's why Shanahan likes Kirk Cousins. Bo Nix is that with mobility.

That's why Breeze worked. Follow my design. I guess it's time to get on board with your Bo Nix duo at Denver. Folks, if doing the mock drafts at home, you want a winner, Bo Nix and Champagne. Final story, Joelle Embed has been out since January 30th with a knee injury, suffered against the Warriors here. And they're terrible. He did have surgery, hopeful for return this season.

He did speak and said there is no official timeline. He did add that rehab is going well. and he's trying to get as healthy as possible for the playoffs. Now, the Sixers are cratering. I think I saw there are like 7 and 17 since Abed went down. They're hurtling toward the play in, Colin. So I'm going to make this a two-part question. A, should Embedd return off this knee injury to try and hopefully make a run in the playoffs?

And B, and this is bigger, Olympics this summer. Should he play or give in the knee like, hey, man, do you want to win a title or go, you know, play with all the super stars on team USA. Should he sit out? Because I've got a name to replace him on the Olympic team if you're interested. Who? Jet Homegren. Big, long, can block, fundamentally sound. Makes the pass, not a ball hog.

I think he'd be a great fill-in for Embed. I don't know if Embedd's coming back. If you watch the interview, he's like, yeah, I'm hopeful to get back. I think we've seen the best of Embed. And it never won a second playoff series. I think people compare him to Shaq. He never got to the conference finals.

Yeah, yeah. Did he win a second one? He's got to the second round, but never got him. Yeah. So people compared him to Shaq. No, Shaq was dominating the entire league. And with a guy that was ball-centric, Kobe, still flourishing, still a dynasty. So let's slow down on the Shaq MB combos, the combination, the comps.

Let's slow down. Shaq dominated the league in his prime. Could play with Kobe. So, you know, don't, well, he had to play with Hardin. Shaq played with Kobe. ball usage, a lot of shots. Penny Hardaway. Like, Shaq was rolling through the playoffs.

We like Embed. Mbeats had an amazing regular season career. It's recency bias. You didn't watch and see. I covered series that Shaq played. There was nothing in the world ever like Shaq. There still has never been anything like Shaq in his prime, ever. M. B's really, really good.

He's very good. He's not Shaq. Kobe is closer to MJ that MBE is. to Shaq. Kobe and MJ relentless, could take over games, willing defenders, tough guys. So who's a beat close to? He's not a, he's not close to a lot of one. I think his comp may be shack. And I, you know, I've said this before. You can see some shack. But it, the longer I, more information I get on Embed, it gets less, less, less related. That comp doesn't feel nearly as close as it did two years ago. Well, it's, he's been unlucky with the injuries, right?

obviously the repeated knee issues, I just can't stay healthy. Like Shaq for whatever reason, as a 350-pound behemus. It was like healthy. When I first saw him beat, I bought into it. I bought into those comps.

But I thought he was going to keep ascending, and I think we've seen the very best. I mean, LeBron left the East. You've got to now win the East. LeBron left. Now there's Janus. And now there's Tatum. Don't scoff.

Don't even. and scoff. Tatum's been to like the conference final like five times, Colin. Five and beat zero. And it beats head guys. He had Hardin. He had Jimmy Butler. Come on. Not disputing that. All right, Tatum. Yeah. Get on. With the news. Well, that's the news.

And thanks for stopping by. The herd lie news. There's a lot of things going on today. A lot of things going on today. And said, you get your haircut. She told me that. And she said, be nice to Chicago.

So I'm trying to, you know, Ann runs a show. Thanks for listening to The Heard podcast. Be sure to catch us live every weekday on Fox Sports Radio in noon to 3 Eastern, 9 a.m. to noon Pacific. Find your local station for the herd at Fox Sports Radio.com or stream us live every day on the IHeart Radio app by searching Fox Sports Radio or FSR. 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 what you're saying.

Yep, that's me. Cliver Taylor the Fubber. fourth. 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 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. podcast. Tomorrow on Fox, the greatest of all time is back as Messi and the newly minted Louis Suarez team up to put the league on notice as they leave Inter-Miami in an early season showdown against Orlando City SC tomorrow at 430 Eastern on Fox. So Troy Vincent of the NFL, he's the NFL competition committee or he's the VP of Football Operations. So you hear a lot about Troy Vincent. And only Roger Goodell has kind of more, you know, verbal sound bites that matter. If Troy Vincent talks, it's a big deal.

He said the NFL is going to keep allowing for the tush push, the brotherly shove in Philadelphia. And basically he said, we're not going to punish a team that does something very well. Now, it does surprise me for three reasons. Number one is quarterbacks look like pinatas. You know, they're getting pushed at, pulled at, people taking shots at them. We've seen a couple of quarterbacks hurt. You know, it does make the quarterback vulnerable. and we know the number one asset in this league beyond anything, including coaches, is quarterbacks at all costs. So you can get into a situation where a quarterback's getting jammed into a pile and people are taking shots at him. Whatever, they're going to allow it.

Secondly, it's ugly football. It's Australian rules football meets rugby. And the NFL has always been a TV show and, you know, baseball never gets that. NBA sometimes does. NFL always understands a TV show. That's why they changed the catch rule. It was too confusing for viewers. What's a catch?

What's not? Long replays. You had non-football. You had eight, nine minutes of trying to figure out what's a catch, what's not a catch. So they just changed it. And it's better television. The game moves faster. The third thing is the NFL doesn't like automatic anything.

That's why they moved the PAT back. They didn't like people after a touchdown, going to the fridge for five minutes, getting on their phone with an automatic PAT. They like drama, and this is basically no drama. It works every time for Philadelphia. But I think in the end, what the NFL is saying is, listen, it's not like they're skirting the rules. It's not like there's a loophole that the NFL and Troy Vincent has to close.

Basically, it's like proprietary. It's intellectual property. They have mastered something that's legal. They're just doing a more successful version of the quarterback sneak. and it's very unique to them. Nobody else does it quite as well because they have a quarterback that I think he leg presses like 600 pounds,

Jalen Hertz, and one of the best centers in 20 years. And so it's like intellectual property. It's proprietary. It's what we do, we do it better than everybody else. And by the way, it's also, it's not overtaking the league. The Kansas City Chiefs and Mahomes don't do it, and they just want a Super Bowl. It's not a hack.

It's not a loophole. It's something they do really, really well that nobody else does really, really well. And by the way, Travis Kelsey, Jason Kelsey probably has, is he going to play? Is he retired? He's got one more year. I mean, when he leaves, it won't be as successful. Also, Jalen Hertz has had injuries.

If he ever got banged up doing it, they would probably pull back on it. If Nick Seriani doesn't last, they may move off the play altogether. The next coach may not like it. So, you know, the NFL is just saying they created it. It's theirs. They do it better than anybody else. If you want to try it, you can, but it's not a loophole. It's a quarterback.

They push better than everybody else. They have the world's best quarterback sneak. For the record, Tom Brady during his dynasty, especially the second half of it, was the best quarterback sneak guy. Because he was 6'5, they always had good interior offensive linemen. Brady sort of mastered the quarterback sneak. So why can't Philadelphia do their version of it? You know, they talked about in basketball years ago. You know, when, like, Lou Al Cinder came into college basketball, it was like, hey, we have got to limit dunking.

No dunking in college basketball. Why? Because one guy's just better at it. We'll get a race. This was discussed. I'm not joking. I can remember this being discussed a lot in the 70s. Dunking is getting too easy, especially in college basketball, UCLA centers.

Let's raise the rim. Thank God. Cooler heads prevailed. players are now never been bigger. Dunking's cool. If you can master it and in college, I mean, listen, first few years of the NBA, most of the NBA career,

Kareem and the Skyhook, outside of wilt blocking it once or twice, nobody could stop that. So I thought this was, usually in the NBA, beating the Washington Wizards is not newsworthy, especially if it takes overtime. But I thought the Lakers win last night was substantial,

Because basically, LeBron, proving at 39 years old, he can play back-to-backs. There was some discussion during the day whether he would take the night off. And not only didn't he take the night off, he had 31 points. And so it matters. And I had said earlier this week, I had listed the top 10 duos in the NBA, and I put LeBron and AD at two. Yokic, Jamal Murray's won. And I just think that's Yokic is the world's best player.

And I just get assist points. So if you look at the list, sorry for the radio audience. I'll work down slowly on this. But if you look at the list, what I believe is Anthony Davis is the NBA's best defensive player. He and very quickly, Wemby. And then LeBron James, combination of offense and leadership on any given night is the NBA's first, second, or third best player. So I put Jason Tatum and Jalen Brown third, but let's be honest. We have some reservations in big spots with both those players.

Kevin Durant and Booker, I like a lot. I don't think defensively they have an AD, and they, do a lot of mid-range stuff. Kauai Leonard and Paul George, will they be available? Steph and Draymond? Steph has to be very hot. If he's not,

Draymond's not giving you big points. Luca and Kyrie, nobody plays defense. Shea and Chet Hongren, really, really youthful. Janice and Dame, Dame doesn't play defense, small. Anthony Edwards, Carl Anthony Towns. Like him a lot, wouldn't trust him in a big spot.

I've already got a trophy with AD and LeBron. So I do think LeBron, and you know, it's the Wizards, but I do think LeBron playing a back-to-back at 39 years old, 21st year, and dropping 31, and the other thing, I've said this before. If you think this is crazy, DeAngelo Russell is strangely valuable to this team. If he gave you 20 points in six and a half assists per night, and that's what his ceiling was, I think this team could take Denver, Western Conference finals, seven games.

but he's all over the map. In the playoffs, he shrinks quickly and they'll reduce his minutes. Austin Reeves should be a four. If DeLo was a predictable three and Austin Reeves was an excellent four, that's a championship team. I'd have the best defender, the best leader score on any given night, an excellent score at four, and then Deelow at three. So DeLo is frenetic and weird and inconsistent,

and some nights he has three assists, some nights 17. some nights 24, some nights 11. Last year in the playoffs, he shrinks and disappears. So I think LeBron and AD just don't, I don't think you can win a championship if Austin Reeves is your three. I think he has to be your four. You know, he makes contact, he gets to the line. He feels, like again, we're talking championship. If you look at the Celtics and your four is Porzingis.

If you look at Denver and your four is Michael Porter, who was like a number one high school player in the country and can have 30 point nights and can be big in playoff game, Austin Reeves has to be a four. You're not winning if he's a three. You can compete with him, but in the end, Boston and Denver's starting lineup has more consistency, and with DeLo, you're all over the map. J-Lo, I know, J-Lo. J-Mack, I know.

I know you love your Brock Purdy in Austin Reeves, fighters and underdogs. He should be a four. I think Austin Reeves is a three. They got to the conference finals with him as a three. That's my point. You can't get past that if he's a time. Well, you get there and then you see what happens. See what happens.

It's so negative. I know. By the way, Daniela Russell, number two overall pick, I believe, out of Ohio State. And he's never been consistent. Warriors had him for a minute, got him out of town. Also true. And I just, it's one thing in the regular season. Playoffs.

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 I-Heart Radio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts. Imagine an Olympics where doping is not only legal, but encouraged. It's the enhanced games. Some call it grotesque.

Others say it's unleashing human potential. Either way, the podcast's Superhuman documented it all, embedded in the games and with the athletes for a full year. Within probably 10 days, I 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 IHard radio app, Apple Podcast, or wherever you get your podcast. This is an IHart podcast.