The Herd with Colin Cowherd - HOUR 1 - Warriors, Celtics, Luka

Episode Date: May 23, 2022

What does Kevin Durant think while watching the Warriors succeed? The Celtics are still the better team even though they are down 2-1 to the Heat Luka Doncic needs to improve in some areas Guest: Ric BucherSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

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A win is a win. A win is a win. I don't care what I'm saying. Yep, that's me, Clifford Taylor the 4th. You might have seen the skits, my basketball and college football journey, or my career in sports media.

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Now let's get this party. You're listening to Fox Sports Radio. Here we go on a Monday, live in Los Angeles. It's the herd. Wherever you may be and however you may be listening, IHeart Radio, Fox Sports Radio, and FS1. One hour from now where Colin was right, where Colin was wrong. A lot of both.

So last night was fun. We have to be honest about this. Sometimes fans are wrong. like this. Everybody hated T.O. Until he was on your team, then you love T.O. Everybody hates the Warriors. You would die to have that team as your team. Way smarter.

Way more fun to watch. The best shooting team of all time. I know you all hate them. Do people hate the Warriors? Oh, a lot of pushback. They're cocky. So were the Bulls. And the Showtime Lakers. Are they supposed to be humble? Yeah, like they've had a dynasty.

were going on the like it was they were they were great before kd they were great with kd they look like they're great again you have a right to be confident bordering on cocky when you're great yeah humble's not really my brand so i can't relate to people who are offended by uh confidence and borderline arrogance like they've earned the right to they love when their teams are arrogant and they're outraged when anybody else yes of course of course so my takeaway on this game was Kevin Durant's had burner Twitter accounts. He talks to DMs, media people all the time. What is he thinking?

He got swept in the first round, and the Warriors looked like they'll get into the finals. He's playing with an odd cast of characters, Ben Simmons, Kyrie Irving, no bench, a young head coach. Warriors have everything. Stars, culture, bench, depth, talent, stuff. You watch the Warriors' unique style, and you're like, oh, how much fun would it be to play with Steph or be Steph?

You watch the Nets and you think, I feel bad for KD. He's got to totally carry the team. He's the only guy you can depend on every night. I know it's a players league, but Kevin Duran is a cautionary tale of, be very careful about bailing on a Hall of Fame head coach. Not many exist. Or a Hall of Fame point guard.

Not many exist. Or a Hall of Fame culture. not many exist. I know it's a players league. When the player has all those other things, they win. Can't do it by yourself. And Andrew Wiggins personifies what the warrior's culture is all about.

The Timberwolves bailed on it. It's not a good franchise. The Timberwolves are like, we don't need him. And he goes to Golden State, and we all thought he was a trade piece. We're like, well, they have Steph and Clay. And here a couple years later, you're like, yeah, he's an all-star. He's actually a really big thorn in Lucas side. What is KD. thinking watching this?

I mean, it's really amazing. Andrew Wiggins is what the Warriors are. Steve Kerr, who, by the way, maybe the smartest guy in the league. He was a great player. He was a great broadcaster. He's a great coach. He was a more than competent general manager. He made the sons pre-Christ Paul kind of interesting for a few years.

You start looking at Steve Kerr, and he and Steph are what make this thing work. It's all about winning, period. End of story. Andrew Wiggins does not work coming to a lot of franchises with a lot of stars. But he's like perfect for the Warriors. He's perfect. And, you know, when Brady and Belichick broke up, at least New England still viable.

Like the Kevin Durant Warriors thing now, I feel bad for Kevin Durant. Because I think he's way too talented to be connected to Ben Simmons, who seems marginally interested in basketball, and Kyrie who's marginally interested in anything not named Kyrie. Like, I know it's a players league. To a point. I mean, LeBron's great, but can he overcome right now the Lakers' front office and bad trades?

No, he can't. And Kevin Durant and LeBron, arguably the two best players in the last 10 years, are both right now saddled with messes. And yet the culture, the coach, Steve, K. Steff, Curry, Dray, Green, Gle, Thompson. You look at how Andrew Wiggins fits in this. They won pre-KD, they won with KD, and they're going to win after KD. And I'm watching that last night and I'm thinking, don't tell me it doesn't bother him. He had a Twitter account that was like, you know, covert. I like, I'm a huge KD fan.

But don't tell me he's not watching this. Because you watch the Warriors and it's so selfless and it's so fun and it's so aesthetically pleasing. And it's just everything a basketball culture should be. All about winning. That's it. Here comes a new star. All right, steps back. Andrew, tonight's your night.

Tonight's your quarter. This is your moment. I think Kyrie, that's not Ben Simmons. I want to show you my favorite moment. I think of the playoffs. Maybe it's not Dr. Jay at the spectrum cradling over Michael Cooper. But Andrew Wiggins, a former number one pick who somehow works with the Warriors as a three. Some nights of four just reminded us why it was a number one pick.

pick. Wiggins puts it on the deck. He'll drive the glass, goes up for a Oh my goodness. With 638 to go, the announcement was made moments ago. It is a successful challenge. The Warriors will get the bucket by Andrew Wiggins and a fantastic Doug. So there you go. Now, I want to talk about, I know, I know, I know, little you little fanboys out there. Colin, you said Miami wouldn't win another game. Listen, I still contend the Celtics are better than the Miami Heat. They're shooting a better field goal percentage. They are shooting a better three-point percentage. They have more rebounds. They have more elite players. And I contend that the better team, they've had two

terrible quarters. Third quarter game one, first quarter game three. But the Celtics are not talented enough to mail it in. Miami knows that. Miami is limited, but they know they're limited. They're playing undrafted guys. They didn't have Lowry the first couple of games. Jimmy Butler couldn't play the second half. But Miami knows that. They know they're not the most talented team in the league. So above the shoulders is where Miami's winning this season. They're not out-talenting Boston. They're out-working them. They're not mailing in quarters. They just have bad quarters because they have limitations. It's inexplicable. It borders on bizarre that Boston, in a series tied at one, is a no-show for the first quarter against Miami at home.

like no passion, no intensity. They're not that talented. We all know what Marcus Smart, Jalen Brown, and Jason Tatum are. Different versions of what they were five years ago when they were joined together. One a defender, one in a hyper-athletic B-plus player, and won a star. But this series for Boston, if they lose it, isn't just disappointing. It's a little bit of a disaster because they've actually gotten the breaks in this series. I mean, if you think about it, Lowry couldn't play for two games.

He's their floor leader. Jimmy Butler couldn't play the other night, second half. They've got undrafted guy. This is not a complete roster. They're just kind of bondoing and band aiding this thing. And when you get breaks, you've got to take advantage of it. Years ago, the Cleveland Cavaliers and LeBron won a title, but they got breaks. Draymond suspended, Bogot got hurt, left the series, and Steph was banged up.

But they took advantage of it. The Raptors a few years ago took advantage of it. Everybody fell apart for the Warriors. They won a championship. A few years ago, the Warriors got into trouble against the Houston Rockets. You remember that series? They trailed. And Chris Paul got hurt.

The Warriors took advantage of it. Listen, man, Kyle Larry didn't play early. Butler didn't play the other night in the second half. This is not a complete team. Miami's, for the record, was a good three-point shooting team in the regular season. Hasn't shot the three particularly well in the first couple games. You're getting breaks here. Boston, you're getting breaks here.

And again, the Celtics are the better team. They got more good players. They're shooting a higher field goal percentage. I said before the series, Boston will get more good shots than Miami. That's why I think they win. Over the course of a series, you know, Steph does this for the Warriors. Because he can beat everybody off the dribble, either Steph gets a good look or he gets somebody a good look.

Like the Warriors generally go into every series and will get more good looks than you will. and because they're good finishers and they're great shooters, they win the most series. I mean, I think Golden State's now won like nine straight, conference final games. Like, they just get more good shots than you. Let's not go too crazy on the analysis. In a three-ball league, if I get more open looks, I beat you. Dallas got some good looks in game one, but they're throwing so many different things the warriors are at the Mavericks. They're not getting a ton of great shot.

Boston's getting more good shots. but they're not talented enough to mail it in. That's not what they are. And I said the other day, I said my concern, I said it on Friday, with the Warriors and the Celtics was cockiness. They both know their better teams. At that point, the Celtics had played eight quarters and had won seven. They're the better team.

But the Warriors who are better than the Celtics and have hardware came in the last night's game in Dallas, cocky. they took the game over. They played better early. They delivered the first punch. What Boston did in game three is bizarre. The audacity to think we don't have to play with passion because Miami's beating you one way and everybody in the world knows it. They out hustle you. They outgrind you.

They out physical you. They outwork you. They don't out talent you. So this is a weird space for Boston. You can't just lose this series and chalk it up to. You know, it's close. It could have gone either way. Now, Boston should win the series.

I mean, you got to win the series. Once you stole game two down there and you have home court, you got to win a series. All these advantages leaning your way. All right. We have a lot of stuff. A lot of good stuff today. Colin was right. Where Colin was wrong at the start of next hour on a Monday.

Be sure to catch live editions of the herd weekdays in noon Eastern 9 a.m. Pacific. on Fox Sports Radio, FS1, and the IHard 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 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, 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.

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and at TikTok Podcast Network on TikTok. Do you remember when Diana Ross double-tap Little Kim's boobs at the VMAs? Or when Kanye said that George Bush didn't like black people. I know what you're thinking. What the hell does George Bush got to do with Little Kim?

Well, you can find out on the Look Back at it podcast. I'm Sam Jek. And I'm Alex English. Each episode, we pick it here, unpack what went down, and try to make sense of how we survived it. Including a recent

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Really? Yeah. For me, it's one of the most important years for black people in America. history. Listen 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 Hard Way with me, your host, and your favorite therapist, Kear 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 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 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 care gains is 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.

It is great to have you in. Colin Wright, Colin Wrong, top of next hour. Joy Taylor, as always joining me. So listen, I love Luca, you love Luca. Everybody loves Luca and he's a kid. And I've said before that he's got a little bit of LeBron, he's got a little bit of Larry Bird in him. But when you watch these young players develop, you see good habits, you see bad habits. It's like raising kids. Like you try to steer them away from their bad habits, steer them into their good habits. And yes, Luca has some Larry Bird in him. But he's got some James Hardin in him and Carmelo Anthony in him.

Let's talk Hardin. Luca has the number one usage rate in the NBA the last two years. It goes up in the playoffs. Is anybody really going to want to play with him? And if they do, will it work? I kept hearing how James Hardin was good buddies with Westbrook. it didn't matter. Your game is your game. Is this Lucas game? He has to have the ball in his hands all the time.

Now, LeBron used to have the ball in his hands a lot, but he's a great passer. He's a great distributor. I mean, LeBron's one of the great distributors. He really is of all time. We just think of Magic Johnson and point guards. LeBron's a top five passer in my life. Maybe top three. Magic's the best I've ever seen. So he's got a little James Hardin in him. I don't know if he plays well with a team.

especially a star teammate who wants to score. I mean, if I said Luca KD, you'd be like, I don't know if that's good for KD. You say LeBron and his prime in KD, you're like, oh, yeah, that would work. Steph and KD. Oh, yeah, that would work. Luca and KD. When would KD get the ball?

So there's a little harden in Luca. There's also a little bit of mellow in Luca. You're never really sure he's in great shape. George Carl complained about that for years. he's like, Carmelow plays himself in shape. It kind of feels like that with Luca, right? Like, is he really dialed in? So there is Larry Bird here,

but there's some James Harden questions, and they're real. His usage rate is through the roof, and it goes up in the playoffs. They become more Luca dependent. There's another player, statistically, who Luca's becoming. Get ready for it. Westbrook. Luca and Westbrook are the only two current NBA players with a losing record in playoff games in which all time in which they've played scored 40 or more.

That's not great. Let me say those names again. Mellow, Hardin, and Westbrook. Not exactly the comps you're looking for in playoff success. So I like Luca a lot. But is he just an immense individual talent who is going to struggle? playing with others and elevating others. Like Michael was so great, right?

And he wasn't a great distributor, but Michael was relentless on the defensive end. He had the ball in his hands a lot, but he was relentless. Well, LeBron had the ball in his hands a lot. But he elevated other people, and in his prime was a good defender. If you're just a great score, you're mellow, hardened, Westbrook. Those guys don't play on the defensive end. Those guys lack self-awareness.

Michael had great self-awareness. LeBron's still, very good self-awareness. So, again, I love Luca. I think he's fantastic. And there is some Larry Bird there. But Larry Bird didn't need the ball in his hands all the time. So they've got to figure out a way. And I say it's like when you have kids,

you're trying to move them subtly away from their bad habits and suddenly into their good habits. And like with Luca, there's some habits here. You've got to come into a season in shape. you've got to put forth an effort on the defensive end. Like, Steph Curry's not a great defender, but he's feisty. Larry Bird wasn't a great defender, but he was competitive. He was trying.

He didn't have great foot speed. Like Luca's just not really involved on that side of the floor. And Golden State is working him and seeking him. And for a while in the series against Phoenix, they were doing the same thing. So I'm not Sandy's Mellow or Hardener Westbrook, but there are some habits and comps and stats here that tell you he's got to come into a season in shape he's got to put forth an effort on the defensive end and at some point if you have the ball in your hands that much even if he did attract a star to play with him would the star be happy a year later just say it out

loud if i said to you kd and luka i'm not i'm not but if you told me lebron and kd i'd be like yeah that would work. That would absolutely work. Everything kind of works with LeBron James, except Russell Westbrook, who can't play off the ball. Here's Luca after the loss. I'm still learning. I think the first two courses, I wasn't in, I played very bad. You know, that's on me. But I'm still learning. And I think, you know, after this season is done, whatever we are, I think we're going to look back, you know, and learn a lot of things, you know. It's my first time in conference finals in the NBA. So I'm 23, man.

I'm still learning a lot. He is. Good news is we now have it confirmed. He does not drink on game days. That's the good news. Joy Taylor with the news. No. Turn on the news.

This is the herd line news. Yeah, considering how things are going for the Mavs, I think that original notion that that was a good idea would quickly go out the window. So the Niners are still planning. to trade Jimmy Garoppolo this offseason and reportedly they are willing to be flexible to make it happen. According to Albert Breer, San Francisco

has had an open line of communication with the quarterback's camp over the last few months and that both sides are willing to work together to find the best situation for Jimmy G and the team is also hoping that his shoulders on the men so there will be potential latecomers for the quarterback trade market. But apparently they are not being as

rigid as we thought they were. They're not holding out for a particular draft pick I also think that because it is Jimmy, they are, to Robert's report, going to try and find the best situation for him. Well, it's not one of these things. Like, if you trade Russell Wilson, you'd prefer he go to the other conference. Correct.

Like Jimmy Garapolo, I think you could trade him in division and not be like, oh, my guy, he's going to come back to haunt us. You can like Jimmy and respect him. But I think Kyle Shanahan's offense, I think they feel good about it. So I think it gives you, if you trade Aaron Rogers and your pay. Packers, you want to get him to the AFC. Yes. I think Jimmy they would trade anywhere? Well, actually,

I don't. I think that they're going to try and find the best situation for him. They got him for a second round pick. So it's not like they didn't get the value out of Jimmy. Oh, God, they crushed it. They're not going to have as many suitors because of the injury history and because even without the injury history, it's not like Jimmy is

not a Russell Wilson, even though he's had some success in the league. So I just think it's a little bit of an interesting wrinkle because it sort of removes the conversation about if Trey Lance is going to be ready or not. Now, I maintain it didn't matter if Trey Lance was ready or not because for what you gave up to get Trey Lance, you have to find out if he's going to get ready or not. And having Jimmy Garoppolo on your roster, whatever you may think of it, there is a lot of

allegiances still in the locker room. George Kittle talked about it and said it's a toss up for him between Jimmy G and Trey Lance. You got to get the team to Trey Lance. So it appears that this is just a waiting game at this point and they are, going to be flexible about moving him and not be too greedy about the picks. So the Lakers are still without a head coach. And Michigan basketball coach, Juan Howard, was one of the names mentioned as a potential option for the Lakers' open job.

But he has reportedly declined their interest. He will remain at his alma mater where he will also be coaching his two sons next season. Now, this is not a terrible surprise because why would he leave a situation like this that is a great situation? and he has his sons on the team. So that's not a huge, the job is not that big that he's going to miss this kind of an opportunity. Yeah, and I, it's just, you know, alma mater, there is a pull here. Like college is a different business than the NBA.

But for some guys, especially coaching, you know, like we said this before, Jay Wright could have taken 10 jobs. Of course. But it was like, that's where he was in a sit. I mean, it's just like Villanova for Jay Wright was like coming home. It felt right. It was like, to me, there is a, like in professional sports, you could take any job and you don't care. But college has like a unique pull for some people.

Correct. And you have to have the right job. And he's going to be coaching his two sons. So there are lots of layers to why this would not be a good move for him. It would actually be a surprising move. If this wasn't the case, and he had been at Michigan for a while and he wasn't coaching his sons and it sort of felt like he had kind of hit a stride there, then maybe that would be a good jump. But he's also got lots of years of coaching. He doesn't have to take the first MBA job that comes on the table, even if it is the Lakers, which I don't know is a really a great job.

I mean, you're not going to have any job security. That's for sure. They've had six head coaches, including interim coaches in Los Angeles since Phil Jackson. Vogel's the only coached during that time since Phil Jackson to receive an extension. It was for one year. So you're not getting job security with the Lakers. Well, no. And the other thing is, in the last three years, LeBron has averaged.

averaging 56 games. So Joy, that's like 68, 70% of the season. I mean, what's the numbers on that? Is that 70%? 71% of the season. So I'm not getting... Yeah, you're not going to LeBron in his prime either. Yeah, like, and he's not playing a big chunk of the season. And there's an argument to be made that 56 will become 50. Like, he's not going to play more over the next three years. And LeBron had an incredible season. Yes. It's not that. But he's also only under contract with the Lakers through next season. Then he's an unrestricted free. agent after that. Now, no one feels like he wants to leave LA, but you don't know that. LeBron could completely change his mind and want to play somewhere else or go back to Cleveland or whatever he's

going to do. And Anthony Davis is completely unreliable. So I think that they will end up going with a first-time head coach with the Lakers because that is actually a good situation for a first-time head coach to take the Lakers job. You're not going to have any security. So you'll have the opportunity to coach the Lakers, and in three years you'll probably be moving on to somewhere else. But that's what the Lakers do. So your reputation precede you as an organization. You can't expect people to leave high-profile jobs where they have security and can start building legacies to come here for a couple years. And then everything changes after LeBron leaves. And you have no assets and you cannot rebuild because you don't have any draft picks.

Yeah, it's not. So it's not even on the coach. Like whatever happens in the next couple years, you have to be a really, really bad coach for me to be like, yeah, this is the coach's fault. What are they working with? Well, you know, like let's say Quinn Snyder had ever left Utah. I can move Donovan Mitchell if he's unhappy. I can get a lot for Donovan Mitchell and they have draft picks. Now, they're not a great free agent hub like Green Bay.

But like, if I said to you, you've got to trade Anthony Davis at this point. I'm not sure what you get for him. I'm not sure what you get for LeBron. I think you get, I mean, moving LeBron is out of the question to me. I think that's insane to even entertain that conversation. You still have to deal with Westbrook, which we haven't even mentioned. And Anthony Davis is not going to be healthy. I'd say to say at this point, you're not going to get a healthy Anthony Davis.

you've never had healthy Anthony Davis, except for the bubble, which was a unique situation. And when he was in there, he was great. But, yeah, to your point, you're not going to get the highest level for Anthony Davis, if you are even going to move him because he's kind of the only assets you have, so you might as well keep him. So Tiger Woods made the cut at the PGA Championship this weekend, but after the third round on Saturday, he acknowledged he was very sore

and had been dealing with pain in his leg. He decided to withdraw from the tournament and did not compete on Sunday. He posted his worst score ever in this event in that round with a nine, over 79. He has filed a play in the U.S. Open next month. I think this is where we're going to get from Tiger moving forward.

He was limping Thursday. Yeah, there's going to be, exactly. So there's just going to be days where it's not feeling great. Anybody who has a, well, he's had body issues for a while now, but obviously that injury with his leg and the accident, anyone who has something

that they're recovering from or has dealt with something like that before, it has good days and bad days. There's just days where you can play through it and it's not giving you pain. And when it is, it's an issue. But I think this is what we're going to have from Tiger moving forward. Good stuff, Joy of the News. Well, that's the news.

And thanks for stopping by. The Herd Lie News. You know, I'm a fan of mobility, the ability to move to greener pastures. But, you know, you got to be careful about it. Kevin Durant's a great example. He should not have moved. I said it at the time. I'm not a backseat driver.

I thought it was a terrible mistake. I compared it. If Mahomes left for the... the Jets to play with a buddy, we would go, what are you doing? See a therapist. You're ruining your career. Now, Mahomes is much younger than KD, whose legacy is mostly set. But nobody said to Kevin Durant, this is a tragedy.

You are make a sports tragedy. The Warriors now have won nine straight conference finals games. And Draymond Green was talking after the game. He had a quote where he said, you know, basically none of these people really removed us from this space. We're not too old. We're not this. We're not that. We're just a different version of what we've been now for about a decade. And when you watch the Warriors play, you know, it's all the same stuff. They remain in half for about eight years, the best third quarter team in basketball. They're the most aesthetically pleasing. They move and cut better

than any team I can ever remember. With Kevin Durant without, that remains the same. They're really smart defensively, and that's just Steve Kerr. He's known as an offensive coach, but they're throwing so many different things at Luca. And they always find ways also within their culture to empower players who seem a little old or like a weird fit. And I think this all comes down to two people, Steve Kerr and Steph. They're about winning. And this is not a shot at him, but LeBron's about LeBron. He's become kind of obsessed with his brand. That's not Steph. Steph's not obsessed with his brand. He's obsessed with winning. And he's, he'll take fewer shots. He'll take less money. He'll be willing to adapt to what the team needs. He's not going to bail. Like, Steph Curry could have

left over the last two years when the team was falling apart. It's not like he wouldn't have had suitors. It's not like, you know, if somebody offered huge, I mean, Golden State wouldn't want to move him, but Steph could have gone to the front office and said, I'm out. I'm not going to deal with all these young kids. Dremont's getting older. Clay has another injury. And this is, the power of Steph is, you know, everybody talk, everybody's a pro wrestler now. Everybody's got a brand and everybody. And the truth is, very few people are popular enough or talented enough to really have a brand. Everybody else is just faking it. And when you look at what, what Steph is, and I think this is why Steph's got more championships in him. I think the Warriors are going to win it this year. I thought

they would end up with Boston. I still do, but I think they would beat Boston. They're just better offensively, and it's an offensive league more than a defensive league. But as LeBron is always looking for an exit, the minute, Duane Wade and Bosch felt, oh, I'm out. The minute, Kyrie gets a little crazy, get me out of here. I don't even think it's a guarantee that LeBron ends in Los Angeles, if not for how well as business does. Mobility is wonderful, but Steph is giving you another example of it, which is, listen, I had stuff before KD, I got stuff with KD, I'm going to get stuff after KD. and it's his ability to not be brand obsessed, not always take the most money. I said this all the time.

I love Russell Wilson and LeBron, but Brady takes pay cuts. Like, these guys are all, LeBron made $120 million last year. 109 million. Like, if you're really about winning, if it's really about that and not just a pursuit of Michael Jordan, which has been just like everything it feels like to LeBron, winning in Cleveland and beating Michael Jordan, I don't deal with any of that. None of that's a burden for Steph. He's just about winning.

I'll do whatever it takes to win. I'll take a little less money. I'll take fewer shots. I mean, last night's a great example. Andrew Wiggins. Brother, it's your night. Yours, go ahead. And that's one of the things I really like about Steph.

And what's amazing, and the NBA playoff ratings are up 20% without LeBron, I think you, the public, get it. I think you, the public, the consumer, feels it. That mobility's fine. And I've said this before with Joe, I've moved around the country. many times for commerce. It's like, what's my hometown? Like the advantage to somebody who said, you know, I'm going to stick it out and stay in this town. We're going to have some dips. I'm going to definitely have some dips in my career, but I'm going to stick it out as I think the

public can feel that with Steph. Like he's a warrior. This is where it's going to end. He's never going to move. He's never going to threaten. It's not about his brand. It's not about his net worth. It's about winning. And I think people can feel that. It is about winning with Steph Curry. All right. Good stuff. Rick Buecker. the corner. Antoine Walker, interested in his thoughts as well. Be sure to catch live editions of the herd weekdays in noon Eastern, 9 a.m. Pacific. Hey, it's Ben, host of The Fifth Hour with Ben Maller, along with my trusty sidekick, David Gascon, would mean a lot to have you join us on our weekly auditory journey.

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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 it. 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. Cliver Taylor the 4th. You might have seen the skits, the reactions, my journey from basketball to college football, or my

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Open your free iHeartRadio app. Search Learn the Hardway and listen now. Rick Buecker's been covering the NBA for a long time and it's all started in the Bay Area and I was just talking to Rick during the break is the Warriors are so much more fun to watch than the other teams. They're cutting style, they're shooting,

And I feel like I'm getting the third version of the Warriors, the pre-KD, the KD, the post-KD. But a lot of things haven't changed. Kerr's brilliance, Steph Curry's selflessness, and sort of a culture that elevates people. Like Wiggins was weird. It didn't work in Minnesota. And then you put him in here and you're like, he's willing to be like a three. I think he's been huge in this series. and did you think it would work as well when they got him?

Because this is really ideal. He gives you everything you need depending on the night you need him. Yeah. Yeah. No, I did not because Andrew has to be a willing participant as a complimentary player. You have to sell him on the idea that you were a star in Minnesota. And while you got some accolades and you got paid, you weren't winning the ultimate prize. So are you more about I want to be a lot?

a star or are you more about do I want to play on championship teams? And the beauty and the brilliance of the Golden State Warriors is that they will make you feel like a star at times even though you are playing a complementary role. If you're going to have a night, they're going to say go have a night. That doesn't happen with every team. And it obviously starts with Steph Curry and the way that he talks about guys and the way that he encourages them and the way that he gives them room to blossom. But it's also a function of how the Warriors play. In today's NBA, we see it with most teams. They are so star-centric that one of those stars goes down. When one of those stars is compromised, the whole system falls apart because it is so focused on what they do, right?

The Warriors are not like that. It's why they're able to function when Steph doesn't have a great game or Clay or Draymond because they're not dependent on that one guy creating everything. Now, if I want to be sort of a cynical, I could say that's because Steph can't be that guy. He can't physically overwhelm you the way that a Kauai Leonard or even a Luca Donchich can. But nonetheless, they've built a system that doesn't rely on a superstar player making it go. and that's what makes them so unique in today's NBA. You know, I said this earlier. I love Luca.

We all do. And he's a kid. And everybody says, well, there's some Larry Bird. I get it. I see it. But Bird didn't need the ball all the time. There's also a couple disturbing things about Luca. I also see some James Harden and some mellow.

He's never in great shape and gives you nothing on the defensive end. That's very mellow. And I think players over time can resent that. The second thing is his usage rate actually goes up in the playoffs, where you need others to help you, it's more Luca-centric. And that's my thing. You start looking at him and I'm like, I see some bird, but I see some mellow and I see some harden.

Is there anything that concerns you with Luca? Sure. Absolutely. Because we've set the bar so high. I mean, it's been the last three years that he's been the preseason favorite to win MVP. And then he comes back and he's not in. great shape or they get off to a slow start and suddenly that goes away and then he he does something great and it's right back to oh he's taking over the league and to your point that's exactly right

he has to get into better condition he has to utilize the pieces around him better he has to become a better defensive player it doesn't have he doesn't have to be a great defensive player he just has to have the kind of conditioning and desire to be able to give you a consistent effort yeah at that to the floor. Now, all that's said, in looking at this particular series, it is the ancillary players that have let the Dallas Mavericks down because these are wide open threes that they're missing. The Warriors have basically said, we don't think you can consistently shoot the three the entire game. Reggie Bullock, Maxie Kleber, Dorian Finney Smith. Like, we don't think you can make that shot and knock us out. And they've been proved right. And until they're proved otherwise,

we're going to continue to get the same thing. And so, look, I look at the way this series has gone and the opportunity has been there. But we're talking about a Dallas Mavericks team that had never even, the current iteration had never even won a playoff series. Now you're in the Western Conference finals and you know that you're one step away from going to the finals and your playing a team that has won multiple championships, that ratchets up the pressure. And what we're seeing is that these guys just aren't quite ready to face that pressure and knock down open shots when they have the opportunity. You know, we know things Boston is, good culture, play good defense, but I've seen them completely unravel in two quarters. And there are some times, Rick,

where there are some fundamental issues a team can have. They can't solve. You can't solve every problem, right? And when the Warriors, things are going poorly. Steph is the classic point, one of the great ball handlers ever. He can beat guys off the dribble. He'll get us good looks. Like the Warriors had a moment yesterday.

I think it was end of the first or in the second. They were like six minutes. They couldn't score. But they were getting good looks. I look at Boston and I'm like, sometimes they have bad quarters because when the avalanche hits and it always, does in the NBA playoffs. Like you're going to have bad spells.

Who is their offensive point guard? I'm going to take control. Marcus Smart's a defender. That's not what Jalen does. I think there's a flaw here that if they lose this series, they go, all right, we're not letting go at Tatum. We love Smart's defense. We may need a floor general.

We may need a guy. I look at them and I think, when the tsunami hits a team in the playing, playoffs, you need a guy to bring the temperature down. Who's that guy for them? Marcus Smart is that guy. And I may be, I don't know what the, the population number on Marcus Smart Island is these days, but I count myself as a member. And when you get the best of Marcus Smart, it works. I do think that he can be a playmaker. I do think that he can be your floor general offensively. But there is. the crazy Marcus Smart, there is the decision making that sometimes goes off the rails. When he is

conservative Marcus Smart or he's efficient Marcus Smart, then I believe he gives you everything you need. But here's the great distinction. If you're going to make it between the Warriors and the Celtics, and you brought it up with Steph being that sort of tempering influence. And I saw it in game in game two, I was there. And they're down by 14 going into. the half. And Steph Curry had just been bottled up. They couldn't even get a shot off before the end of the half.

And Steph Curry goes, and the disastrous first half, they were completely outplayed. And I'm seeing Steph, and I don't know if the cameras caught it, Steph walks to the locker room and he's nodding his head like, we've got this. We've got this. I know exactly what we need to do.

For a guy who's won championships, to be able to walk in a locker room and say, we're good, Everybody looks at it and goes, oh, Steph says we're good. We're down by 14. We've played terribly, but Steph says we're good. We must be good. That resonates a lot more with a team than Marcus Smart, who serves the same role. Guys, we're good.

We just need to play a little bit better. We need to be a little more efficient. We need to take care of the ball. As much as they might have confidence in Marcus Smart, Marcus Smart hasn't won championships. Marcus Smart hasn't led anybody there. And Marcus Smart sometimes is the culprit. So it doesn't infuse the same sort of confidence in a team.

And that has been the distinctive element for me with the Warriors. When I look at who they've beaten, Denver, Memphis, Dallas, like, those teams can play better than they have in their respective series. But the Warriors are not going to beat themselves. You're going to have to execute to beat them. And when they hit a lull, they have the capability of rolling through it. Those teams, those other teams, never having been on this stage before and never experienced those lulls on this stage, don't react quite the same way. And again, where we started, it all starts with Steph.

For whatever reason, the confidence that he has and the confidence that he is able to instill in his teammates, along with Dremont and Andre and a couple of the other leaders on that team, That is the secret sauce. But they, I will say this, they have to win the championship this year. Because otherwise, it means somebody else is going to discover what the secret sauce is. As of right now, the Golden State Warriors are the only team in the league, the only competitor in this entire thing that knows how to get it done. And that is serving them extremely well. Rick Buecker, good seeing you again on a Monday, buddy.

Appreciate it. You got it, Colin. Yeah, it was, it's, it really, is interesting that when you get us see the final four teams, you know, for years LeBron just ran the league. And he, you know, I saw this with Michael Jordan. Michael Jordan could even make like a

Barclay look small or an older magic look small. Like the great players, like the clarity, they kind of rise up of everything and it feels like they're playing at one level. Shaq and Kobe in their prime were up here and the only thing they could beat them was their disarmony. Their inability to get along. It's

not that now. These teams feel closer. But it does, like when I watched last night on the road, is Golden State significantly better than the remaining three teams? They are significantly better than Dallas. And Dallas is pretty good. And they are just, they have discombobulated the Maverick. Another podcast from some SNL late night comedy guy, not quite. Unhumor me with Robert Smigel and friends. Me and hilarious guests from Bob Odenkirk to David Letterman helped make you funnier. This week, my guest, SNL's Mikey Day and head writer Streeter Seidel, help an a cappella band with their between

songs banter. Where does your group perform? We do some retirement homes. Those people are starving for banter. Listen to humor me with Robert Smigel and friends on the IHeart Radio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts. Imagine an Olympics where doping is not only legal, but encouraged. It's the enhanced games. Some call it grotesque. Others say it's unleashing human potential. Either way, the podcast's Superhuman documented it all, embedded in the games and with the athletes for a full year. Within probably 10 days, I'd put on 10 pounds, I was having trouble stopping the muscle growth. Listen to Superhuman on the IHeart Radio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts. 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-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 bowl your mind on the IHeart 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. Clifford Taylor the 4th. You might have seen the skits, my basketball and college football journey, or my career in sports media. Well, now I'm bringing all of that excitement to my brand new podcast. The Clifford Show. This is a place for raw, unfilled of conversations with athletes, creators, and voices that not only deserve to be heard, but celebrated.

So let's get to it. Listen to The Clifford Show on the IHeart Radio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcast. And for more behind the scenes, follow at Clifford and at TikTok podcast network on TikTok. This is an IHeart podcast. Guaranteed human.