The Herd with Colin Cowherd - HOUR 2 - Grizzlies, Durant, NBA

Episode Date: April 22, 2022

Thoughts on the Grizzlies win over the Timberwolves Kevin Durant can't overcome Steve Nash's coaching Guest: Tom TolbertSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

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It is the herd. This is our number two. Wherever you may be, however you may be listening, IHeart Radio, Fox Sports Radio, and FS1. So in Minnesota, Memphis game last night, I had to listen to the whole game on radio. So I don't know what it looked like, except for the highlights I saw, but on radio it was crazy. Then it Joy Taylor's joining me. It looked like a collapse. Twice. They lost two 20-point lead. Collapse. So one of the things you see in the playoffs,

And it's really funny. Like, I understand fans falling for it, but the media falls for it a lot, too. The regular season in the NBA is a total grind. Teams are not equally rested. Young teams can play over their head because a young team plays hard every night. Veteran teams, sometimes the dudes aren't locked in. They got injuries, you got nights off. And so, you know, I mean, like, I don't think Memphis is a championship team.

I think Memphis, this stage is a win a playoff series or maybe two team. but I don't think they're a championship team. Milwaukee did this for years. We watched them take baby steps and baby steps, and as they grew up and grew and became better players, then you go from get to the playoffs, win a series, conference final level,

and now you're a champion. And we didn't know if there were going to be a champion until last year, Middleton got hot. Yannis had a great final game, and you were like, okay, they're a champion. I don't think these teams are there yet. But everybody's killing Minnesota this morning, the T-Wills, because, you know,

They just blew leads And it was like Historically bizarre And here's Charles Barkley I told you I picked Minnesota to win this year Because they got talent But they got no brains whatsoever

They got a coach who last game Let his two best players get four files in the first half That tonight he led a 21-0 run A 21 zip run In a playoff game And did not call a timeout He led a team who was up 21 They scored 21 straight points

This dude did not call one single time out. Like, man, it's just embarrassing. Like, if I'm A-Rod and those guys, like, no, man, this is unacceptable. That was ridiculous. So what's really happening is in the baby steps process of the NBA, Memphis is a year to a year and a half ahead of Minnesota. So Memphis is at a stage where they know who their number one guy is and they can win when he doesn't play. Minnesota is transitioning to who their number one is. So let's talk about the T-Bowls for a second.

I never do, so here you go. So years and years ago, they draft Andrew Wiggins. He's going to be R-1. They figure out by year two, he's not the alpha. He's more of a two to a three. He's probably a three. He just doesn't have the killer instinct. The body can't put on weight.

He's a three. That get Carl Anthony Towns, too, and they think he's going to be a one. And they found out. He's too erratic. He's too emotional. He's a two. So Carl Anthony Towns, you could win a championship if he's your two. You can win a championship if Wiggins is a three or a four.

But they thought they were both ones. No, amps are one. Anthony Edwards is a one. He's got Michael Jordan Kobe-like killer instinct. He'll knock you out. Fearless, powerful, big man body. That's a one. Now, he's a kid.

So he's kind of refining his game. but you're watching the T-Wolf's transition to, oh, we thought we had ones, we got rid of Wiggins, we're going to move Carl Anthony Towns back, and now ants are won. So by next year, Minnesota will be a team that will make the playoffs easily, and they'll win a playoff series, or maybe two. So you're just watching this business, this basketball franchise, you're watching a transition in real time. They thought Wiggins was a one.

They thought Carl Anthony Towns was a one. And they invested in them. And they kind of find out very quickly with Wiggins, he's not. You find out more slowly with Kat, he's not. It's not a knock. You know how many true ones there are in the world of basketball, 12, maybe, 15? You know, Mb, Yonest, not a lot of, not a lot of, I mean, Devin Booker, many people feel, is a two. And he's an all star and he's great.

And so you're just watching a team transition. And during that transition process for any business, any person, any team, Ig is bumpy. You're just, you're not quite sure. So I'm not going to crush them. I think they, it just takes times with organizations. They thought Cat was a one. They thought Wiggins was a one. And now they got a one.

And by the way, when you get the real one, you don't have to ask a lot of questions. Like you got John Morant, you figured out about 20 games in, that's a one. That's a one. You figured out Michael Jordan when he's, you know, the true ones, you don't have to ask a question about. You figured out really fast. And so they'll be fine. But Memphis is ahead of them by about a year and a half in the baby steps of the NBA. This stuff doesn't happen overnight.

Even the Warriors. You're building, you draft, you develop. And with that, a guy who played in the NBA for seven years, half of his career was with the Warriors. He's their radio analyst. One of the more talented broadcasters who played in pro sports period. He's been a big hit in the Bay Area for years. Tommy Tolbert. Look at Tommy.

You are now a sage. You are a veteran. You are a guru, Svengali. Look at you right now. Why? Why am I on TV? So let me start with this. Let me talk about the Warriors because I said this about an hour ago.

I said people in the Bay Area, they know about this Jordan Pool guy because this is what the Warriors do. They draft and develop. They steal a guy. They're patient. Year 2, he gets good. Year 3, you're like, wow. And you're 4, you're like, can lead us. So when did you figure out, because you were ahead of us on this, because you're their team?

When did you figure out, oh, we just found another splash brother. We got another star in our hands. To be honest, it was only about two months ago because last year, remember early on, he went down to the G league and worked on his game and came back, and he was a totally different player at that point. And then he's been a slow process, refining his game. The thing is, you've got to learn to slow down and you got to let the game come to you. And you watch all the great players, the game seems slow to them.

They see things happen. before it happens. They're never in a hurry. It never feels like the game rushes them. It felt like early on even this season, sometimes the game rushed him a little bit, trying to put his imprint on the game instead of letting the game come to him. A lot of times he'd do like four or five in and out dribbles, not go anywhere. A lot of times he's a quick shot, too quick, not a great shot before moving the ball around. Within the last couple months, though, this guy has slowed the game down, the heartbeat slowed down, and you've seen everything that he has to offer.

I mean, offensively, he is so dynamic. Great first step. He can finish at the hole. Great free throw shooter has incredible range, but the game's now coming to him. He doesn't feel like I have to go force myself onto the game. And it's been really fun to watch. Yeah, the Warriors have two of the most unique players ever.

First of all, Draymond is one of the only players in league history that can score 10 points and feel like he controls a game. That is very... He can score one point to control the game. One. There's like four guys ever that felt like that. He is, I'm not sure if it's four. Secondly, they have the only superstar that would go, yeah, I'll come off the bench for the series.

I mean, that just doesn't happen. I mean, and even guys I like stars, they're like, hey, man, I'm not coming off the bench. You have been around this culture forever. Who gets credit for it? Boy, that's a good question. I think a lot of it is just step himself and growing up around the game. and understanding what it takes to win and what a team needs. It's never been about him.

It's always been about the team. So when Steve Kerr comes to him and says, hey, what do you want to do with your minutes to start the series? You're going to play about 24, 25. We can start you. And then you'll have a long sit and we'll finish the second quarter with you. And then we'll do the same in the second half. Or, you know, you come off the bench.

We can play your six minutes. Then the gap will be shorter and you'll play another six minutes. And stuff said, yeah. He goes, that sounds good. And let's do that. And this is a guy who doesn't feel like being on the bench as a demotion. A lot of stars feel that way. Like, yo, what I'm going to say when my family sees me, my friends see me, coming off

the bench, that's humiliating. I'm a star. I'm one of the best players in the game. Step doesn't, he didn't see it that way. He just sees it as, hey, what's best for the team? I'm going to do my thing regardless. I mean, the guy's coming off the bench and killing it, as we all figured he would. So it doesn't really matter to him.

What's best for the team? And I would give him a lot of credit for that. I mean, certainly bringing Steve in, I mean, Joe Lake up at the top, Bob Myers. I mean, everybody gets credit for what they've been able to do here. But, hey, it doesn't happen in step. I got to ask you about the Celtics, because I've spent a lot of time talking about the Nets, but I don't know why I think this, that Boston went into Oracle this year and beat the Warriors. Am I right on that?

Oh, yeah. They snuffed them out pretty good. I think the first half, the Warriors only had like 32 points. I mean, they were just long and physical, and that's the type of team the Warriors can have problems with. I was just going to ask you about that. So I'm watching Boston the other night, and I'm like, man, I don't remember a team this good defensively.

Like I always do, we all knew Marcus Smart and Jalen. Jalen was even at Cal, really athletic, strong. Marcus Spark couldn't shoot for three years. So I get it. Tatum's a much better defensive player now. But I watched the Celtics, and I gave them no shot, Tommy, to win the championship, because I'm like, they're so Tatum dependent for the bucket. But I watch their defense, and I'm like, I've never seen Kevin Durant completely out of sorts.

Cannot ball handle. Is Boston a title team? Are they? Yeah, absolutely. And wait until they get, if they get Robert Williams back. I mean, he's a guy in the middle that 6-10, super athletic, gives them a vertical presence on offense where they can throw the lobs. He can block shots.

He can affect shots. He can switch out on the perimeter, which is what you want with your big guys nowadays, a guy that can protect the rim and switch out and stay in front of guards on occasion. So when they get him back, they are really good defensively. In fact, as long as this warrior run has been going,

seven, eight years, whatever the case may be, Boston always gave them fits. They were long, they were athletic, they got into them, they were physical. They still play with that brand of basketball, but they got some guys that could put the ball, on the hoop now. So I look at all the teams in the east. And look, if Ben Simmons comes back, who knows what he'll look like. So I don't want to say that series is over because it certainly

is not. But when I look at the teams in the east, like what team could give them the most trouble? Boston's certainly at the top of the list. So I think most of us prescribed to the theory that Phoenix Golden State, that was going to be the series. And I kind of felt like Phoenix was so hungry. You know, these really good teams that haven't won a championship like Milwaukee last year until they won it. They just play with an intensity in the regular season. Their chemistry is very good. Then Booker gets hurt, but he'll be back. If Phoenix and Golden State collide with the emergence of Jordan Poole, it makes me think differently.

I thought it was just a Phoenix series. They've played multiple times. If they play, and at this point, I think Phoenix will be fine. They'll get through the Pelicans, even without Booker. I believe that. what does Phoenix do that is a problem for the Warriors and what does Golden State do that's a problem for Phoenix? Well, I mean, what the sons have is a legit 7-1 guy in DeAndre Aden. He's a guy that can cause because they don't have the Warriors do not have that.

They have Looney and Bramont playing five. And because James Wiseman unfortunately couldn't make a back this year because the knee issues, they don't have any size at all. Now, Draymond is, I mean, we talked about him a couple of. minutes ago. He's one of the most unique players in the NBA. Today and in history, he can dominate a game without scoring. What he's done on Yokich this series is incredible.

Yokic is awesome. And he's stoned him multiple times because he's so good defensively. He anticipates. He gets into your body. So, moving on, if they play Phoenix, he can do that with Aiden, but Aiton's a different type of guy. They don't rely on Aiton to get a bunch of buckets.

He'll score occasionally. He gives him a vertical threat as well. He can really run the court. So that's really, and then, I mean, the Chris Paul factor. Chris Paul is fantastic. He's just one of the best in the NBA. I think where the warriors can give them trouble is just being able to have multiple guys on the team that could handle, move the ball, kick the ball, spread you out. And, and they have, I mean, look at the three shooters they have when they put those guys on the court altogether, Jordan, pool, play Thompson, Steph Curry. If one of those guys are open, they're going to hit the shot, especially the way they're going right now. I looked last

night between those three, they had 80 points on 48 Google attempts. That's astounding. I mean, that's incredible to have that kind of production from three guys. So I think offensively, even though the suns are really good, if they were to meet, I think it'd be just a heck of a series. I think that's the one that we're looking forward to. But hey, you still got to get by these and Memphis is still out there waiting if they can get by Minnesota. So there's a lot of landmines left. I'll tell you this. I

said this about DeMarie D'Rey, in the other day. You're in San Francisco. It's a very heady place, Silicon Valley, the birthplace of some of the analytics. And I like analytics, but I always use the term man analytics. I'm not going to reduce my pro athlete to a number. There are moments. I'm going to go to my star and say, just get me a bucket. It's funny. You know what I like about these, the last couple years in the playoffs, Tommy, is that analytics are still big. But playoff basketball is so situation. situational. Like DeRosen, people about six years ago when analytics came in, Tom, they kind of rolled

their eyes at DeRosen. Yeah, he's athletic. He can't. Increasingly in the playoffs, like Dremont, DeRosen, Chris Paul, kind of your worldview, because the Warriors were really the epicenter of this avalanche of analytics. And, you know, they were at the forefront of it. But you are seeing some stuff in the playoffs where, like, mid-range. jumpers, like they matter.

Like getting a stop, getting a bucket. What's your takeaway on all that? The analytics, baseball, it's just taking the whole sport over. What's your view of it in the NBA? I do have to say since you mentioned it. My beard looks nice. I didn't know it looked that good, but I haven't seen them. It's looked pretty good.

You know what? It's interesting because I always relate basketball and baseball together in this, in that I still love watching the sports, but it's not as diverse as it once was in terms of skill set and what players can do. Basketball used to see all kinds of stuff. Nowadays, they tell George Gervin, take your finger roll and sit on the bench. Kareem, that sky hook. Nice shot, but it's not efficient enough for us. I mean, there's so many things. Think about all the shots guys used to take back in the day and make and now they don't. It's threes and layups. And baseball is the same thing. Hit run, stolen bases, all that. Nowadays, it's just hit a home runner walk. But I, you know what,

I get it. You want to shoot threes. They're worth more than twos. But those aren't always the best shots. I've always said, get me a good shot, not is it an efficient shot? Because what may be an efficient shot for somebody isn't an efficient shot for somebody else. Yeah. Like a lot of these shots, DeRosen's taking, you're showing here, well, I wouldn't tell someone to take those. I mean, those are tough shots. But that's his shot. He gets to his spot.

He fades away a little bit and he leans back so he can get that jumper off. That is his shot. Why would I want to turn that guy into a three-point shooter when he can shoot 50, 55 percent on those mid-range two? news. Yeah, they're quote unquote tough. And the analytics would say those are bad shots. But here's what the analytics don't take into account. They don't take into account the human element. It's different from one person to a next. Like I've always said in football, third and one, right, or fourth of one, go for it. Well, would the analytics say go for it? But is my offensive line hurt? What's the weather like? Who am I playing against? It doesn't take those factors into consideration. So the best

coaches will use the analytics. They won't let the analytics use them. He's so good. Tom Tolbert is so good and now you're good looking. I mean, you're always fine, but look at this. You look like somebody. Thank you. You were always fine. Let's be honest, Colin. I wasn't that fine.

And why do you think I grow beer? People grow beer to hide their face. Yeah. You kind of look like if the Grateful Dead got a hold of you and said, hey, can you cut you, we're going to do a little, a little makeshift thing. Yeah. I could.

I could. I mean, if you want me to, I got a staff. I was cleaning my staff earlier. this morning. So there's some spells I was working on. So I'll let you know how it goes. Tom Tolbert. Good seeing you, buddy.

See you, Colin. He's so great. Warriors radio analyst. He's been in the Bay Area. He's been a rock star for years. It's great point about the analytics. It's like what he used a term that people in the NBA use. Get to your spot.

Like Jordan had a spot. Kobe. And now Jordan had a couple spots. But they're just certain guy. If you go look at, you can track every basket by every player. LeBron's got a side he likes. Right. That's why you do scouting and good defenders know where the spots are

and try to move you off your spot. Right. And so like Demar Jar Rosen, I like buckets. Like, hey man, most of these playoff games, because as you point out, we don't have a great team right now. Right. Phoenix is really good. Milwaukee, when they're healthy, it's really good.

But when you don't have a great team, like we knew going in, the reason I like Philly over Toronto. I said, Toronto's not good enough to pull away from them. The games are going to be close with four minutes left. I get Embed, Harden, and Maxie. And to me, the three most talented guys. So the bottom line is with Chicago and Milwaukee and Middleton out now,

it's basically who's better Derozen or Janus with four minutes to go. Now, Janus is a more guaranteed shot if he gets it in the box. But it really comes down to when you don't have great teams and you have good teams, get a bucket guy becomes wildly valuable. Chris Paul is a get a bucket, Janus. Now, now if you have a dynasty on your hands and you're like,

listen, like Houston tried this was Golden State. Golden State's a dynasty. Houston's like, listen, we're not going to beat them with get a bucket guys. We're going to take 53s. And there'll be nights, we hit them. So again,

if you had the warriors, if KD was still with the warriors, then I would get like reluctance for Demar de Rosen. But we don't. In the foreseeable future, we don't have that dynasty because, like, the LeBron and KDs now, that ear is done. So, like, guys like DeMarie Rosen and Chris Paul become wildly valuable. These games are all close.

We're watching them here. They're all close. I mean, I watched three games last night. They're all close with three and a half minutes to go. One more herd? The herd streams 24 hours a day, seven days a week, within the IHeard radio app. Search Herd to listen live or on demand whenever you'd like. Imagine an Olympics where doping is nubes.

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. 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. sports and entertainment, and the next we'll talk about life, mental health, purpose, and even music. The Clifford Show isn't just a podcast, it's a space for honest conversations, stories that don't always get told, and for people who are chasing something bigger. So, if you've ever supported me or you're just chasing down a dream, this is right where you need to be.

Listen to the Clifford show on the IHeart Radio app, Apple Podcast, or wherever you get your podcast. And for more behind the scenes, follow at Clifford and at TikTok Podcast Network on TikTok. Do you remember when Diana Ross double-tapped 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 Jett.

And I'm Alex English. Each episode, we pick a here, unpack what went down, and try to make sense of how we survived it. Including a recent episode with Mark Lamont Hill, waxing all about crack in the 80s. To be clear, 84 is big to me, not just because of crack. I'm down to talk about crack on day but just so y'all know

I mean at this point Mark this is the second episode where we've discussed crack so I'm starting to see there's a through line We also have AIDS on the table right now so

Thank you for finishing that sentence I don't think there's a more important year for black people Really? Yeah for me it's one of the most important years for black people in American history 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 Hardway 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 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,

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on my new podcast, learn the hard way. Open your free, our heart radio app, Search learn the hard way and listen now. USFL action continues tonight at 8 Eastern as the Michigan Panthers take on the New Jersey Generals on USA. Then Saturday at noon, Pittsburgh Battles, Philadelphia on Fox, and the Birmingham Stallions take on the Houston Gamblers at 7 on FS1. And on Sunday, New Orleans squares off against Tampa Bay on NBC. Pennsylvania is the only state's got a couple of USFL teams. Good opening week.

Got a lot of numbers. People are into it. So, and then you'll watch. Eventually the NFL will steal stuff from the USFL because that's the way it works. The camera angles are amazing. Yeah. You know, it was thinking about this. Do you have a Brooklyn Net story in your update?

I do. Okay, so I'm not going to do this. Joy Taylor with the news. Turn on the news. This is the heard of my news. There are multiple angles on the Brooklyn Nets. I just don't want to, you know, get in the way and, And, you know, well, let's talk about Kyler Murray first.

And then we'll get to the Brooklyn Nets. So there's been a lot of shout out of this offseason about what's going to happen with Kyler Murray and the Cardinals. And according to GM, Steve Kime, he is not going anywhere. He told reporters yesterday there is zero chance. Kyler will be traded. Kyler replied with a 100 emoji to Ian Rapaport's tweet of the comments. Now, by the way, that's good because they shouldn't trade him. Let's not go there.

I mean, for what? This is why I keep putting Aaron and Kyler in the same boat. Not every quarterback is Dak Prescott low maintenance. Like there are going to be guys who you have to wrestle with a little publicly. There's categories. There's the star that is low maintenance. There's the star that is a little more work. And then there's no star.

You choose. Yeah. Yeah. So you're going to. I guess what? The Cardinals had no star. His name is Josh Rosen. And they moved off of him for,

Tyler Murray. So they know. They know what that experience is like. So Aaron and Kyler, my takeaway has always been, I would pay them. I would love ideally not to be called out publicly. I don't want my business to be public, but I'm not moving off them. No, I don't think that that is even remotely a possibility. I, first of all, I will never forgive the Cardinals. I said this last week when you were out. I will never forgive the Cardinals if they put us through this Dak Prescott nonsense with this contract. I don't want to talk about Kyler's contract for the next two years. So don't make us do that. By the way, Jerry Jones very openly said he regrets doing that. He should have paid DAC early. You have your guy,

don't turn it into a circus. So whatever the issue is with Kyler Murray and the Cardinals, which I'm sure they'll sort out, because Kyler Murray has improved every single year he's been there, and the team has improved every single year he's been there. He's clearly a dynamic quarterback. Does he different than other quarterback? Sure, but there's no one way to win with the quarterback in the NFL anymore. Everyone is different. Patrick Mahomes is different than of Mars, different than Josh Allen is different than Joe Burrow. So you don't have to have a prototype at the quarterback position. What you do have to do is lean into what they do well and build around them. Yeah. But you know you have to pay Kyler Murray. The one thing that always drives me

insane with these organizations that get into these situations is like, it's like when your credit card bill comes. And you're like, oh, what is this? Like, yeah, you have to pay the bill. That's all this works. What do you mean? This is a good thing that you have credit and you can buy things. Yeah. This is a good thing, that you have a quarterback that wants to be paid and needs to be paid. Yeah. That means you have a guy.

Yeah. Well, I mean, you're going to find out over the next half decade a team in the Seattle Seahawks that decided to keep the coach and the GM and move off the quarterback, and you're going to see how that works. They're going to be in fourth place. If Kyler Murray and Matt Stafford are healthy, the Seahawks have no chance to win their division probably for half a decade. So that team got tired of him.

and moved off Russell and kept the coach in the GM. And I'm here to tell you, Arizona's looking at that going, we're not doing that. No. We're going to deal with what we've got to deal with. If it's a little public grievance, we'll deal with it. Deal with the public grievance. Or, I don't know, find out what he wants and give it to him.

What is your other option? This is not a place where you can get a discount. Just eat it, dude. It's a quarterback. You pay for the quarterback. Right. What else are you paying for? Also, also, there is something to be said.

Mahomes is obviously wild. You profited off Brady. Like the ownership profited off Brady. You don't profit off every great quarterback. Like Derek Carr, if they just get to the playoffs, Derek Carr keeps you relevant, keeps you good. You know, the ultimate playoff would be four, three home games for six straight years,

and then Derek would pay for himself. Right. Like, I mean, Tom Brady literally paid for himself. They got two to three home games for 20 years. So he was, You were profiting. The truth is, though, with most quarterbacks, if they keep you relevant, if they, if they keep you, you know, in the Super Bowl 810 team bubble, that is, that's an A. Brady was like A plus and then some.

He was profitable as the best player in the game. Unlike what Dan Campbell says, you do need a quarterback to win in this league. Yes. I just, I don't understand why these organizations get surprised when the check comes. Like, oh, that's all, that's all that food? Who got the extra bottle of wine? You have to pay the quarterback. Budget for it, man.

Figure it out. And guess what? They're expensive now and the price continues to go up. It's not going to go down. So here's the brook on that story. I don't know what angle you had on this. But Shams Sharani, the Athletic, reported that Ben Simmons is set to make his season debut

game four on Monday. This will be his debut for the Nets as well as the first time since he's played since June of last year. Little late. It's been a while. Kind of. Rehabing a herniated disc

in his back. It's been a while. It's been a while since I had lasagna. This isn't been a while. I mean, God, give me a break. It's a year. It's a long time. I think this is a really unfair position to put Ben Simmons in, and I'm not really high on the Ben Simmons situation to begin with. You have sympathy for Ben? In this situation, I do. He hasn't played in a year. You're putting him in in a desperate situation. Well, whose fault was that? Well, this fault, my fault. You're fault whose fault doesn't matter. It's what the situation is. And I'm not big on fair, but I do think this is not a particular player that you might want to put a, I don't know, a ton of unnecessary pressure. Oh, boy. Pro Sports is pressure. I am coming down on the,

I am the hard coach. I think you need to know your personnel. And this might not be the best situation to insert Ben Simmons in. I know he gets paid a lot of money. I get it. This is his job. I'm with you. I did not expect to see Ben Simmons this year at all. I know. I'm crazy. And how significant of a role he's even going to play? Like, I don't think it's going to matter.

Oh, I do. Maybe I have unrealistic. I think if he came in and gave me eight minutes a half, because I think he's a perfect fit for Kevin Durant. Yeah, but what about Kyrie? Kyrie's on the floor show. No, I know. I get it.

He works with Kyrie too. They played no time together. Zero. Well, it's practice. Talking about practice. I don't know. I feel like, I feel like, listen, if my kids graduate college and we're two years in, and I'm still paying for rent, like I'm losing my patience, I feel like Ben Simmons,

they've been paying rent a long time, is time to give me some production. I agree. But this is, sometimes this is, like, this is just an L. Like you kind of got to take an L on Ben Simmons this year. You're going to put him in the playoffs in game four against the Celtics. At a high-pressure situation, to play eight minutes and do what? Like, what if he doesn't contribute? What if he falls apart?

Defend Jason Tatum. Make Jason's life as miserable as Kevin Durant is against the Celtics defense. He is a great defensive player. He really was all NBA. Like, he's a great long, for his body type, he's real strong. He's a physical defender. I don't know how, I'm thrilled to be able to watch it, but I don't know how significant of a change it's going to be for them.

So the Grizzlies overcame a 26-point deficit last night to beat the Timberwolves 104-95 and take a 2-1 lead in the series. They overcame two different 20-point deficits during the game. John Moran had triple-double. Desmond Bain made seven three-pointers, had himself a night, 26 points. Brandon Clark also scored 16 of his 20 points in the first half. The Timberwolves were the lead's highest scoring team in the regular season, but they only scored 30 field goals in.

game two and 33 field goals last night. They went eight minutes and 34 seconds last night between the second and third quarter without scoring a basket. John Morant, it literally looks like a video game. Like there are guys doing, Jordan pulled a couple baskets last night. I'm like the hell was that. John Morant's body control in the air is, it's like he's pressing pause and like moving and all the defenders are stuck in the same place.

It's remarkable what he's able to do. Game four is tomorrow night. I'm with you. I just think that the, I think the Grizzlies are ahead on the development process of the Timberwolves. I also don't think that they had

a really good game plan last night. Doesn't feel like they kind of stopped down like, hey, things are kind of steamrolling right now. Maybe we take a beat. Well, also. Maybe we redistribute who should be shooting these shots. When you get on an airplane, you do get like every other industry,

about 8% of the pilots are great. And everybody else is getting a check and just knows how to fly. Correct. Right, like in the NBA, you are seeing coaching mismatches all over these playoff series. Like Steve Nash, they don't have plays. They don't have sets with, I mean, like, no, they just go. I mean, but that's what they wanted.

You were watching Boston out coach. It's the great experiment. No need for a coach. That's right. Like, that's what they, that's what they wanted. I thought it was, I thought it was, there was a lot of blames to go around last night. Yeah. And those fans were unhappy.

But you can't, you can't allow that to happen. Like that is, someone needs to make an adjustment here. Like, hey, maybe you stop shooting so much. So I listen to the, T-Wills, Memphis, I was in my car for two hours last night, not get into it. And not great. So I listen to the whole thing on radio. And my takeaway listening to it was, was Barclays before. I didn't see him.

And I'm like, all right, it's like a 12-0-0-0-10-run, T-O, 16-0-0-2. Yeah. You got to call time out. You got to slow things down. It's a little out of control right now. A young team plays fast anyway. So you've got to call a timeout and just bring everybody down a little bit. They did not have a good game plan.

And once things started to get out of control, you have to make adjustments. But, you know, they're where they are for a reason. And it's actually really a testament to how well coached and how prepared and the mentality of the Grizzlies that they never felt like they were out of those games. Joy with the news. Well, that's the news. And thanks for stopping by. The herd lie news. I'm going to get into my KD, some thoughts on Kevin Durant.

I'm so fired up to watch them play. This series to me, I didn't think Boston was a championship team, but you start watching their defense and you're like, I don't know, like Warriors' offense, Celtics defense. Isn't it such an interesting postseason this year? Really the whole season, but now you're really getting to see it in the postseason. It's like everyone's always complaining, you know, everyone freaks out and overreacts to all this change.

And then things just settle in the middle. And defense and coaching. And availability and culture are rising to the top. When you don't have a dominant team, a great team, it's amazing how all the other stuff becomes accentuated. Be sure to catch live editions of the herd weekdays in noon Eastern, 9 a.m. Pacific on Fox Sports Radio, FS1, and the IHeart Radio app. Hey, what's up everybody? It's me, three-time Pro Bowl of LaVar Arrington,

and I couldn't be more excited to announce a new podcast called Up on Game. What is Up on Game, you ask? along with my fellow pro-bowler, T.J. Hushmanzada 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 moments. Listen to Up On Game with me, LaVar Arington, T.J. Hushmanzada, and Plexico Burris

on the IHeart Radio app, Apple Podcast, 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 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. Do you remember when Diana Ross double-tap Little Kim's boobs at the VMAs? Or when Kanye said that George Bush didn't like black people. I know what you're thinking.

What the hell does George Bush got to do with Little Kim? Well, you can find out on the Look Back at it podcast. I'm Sam J. And I'm Alex English. Each episode, we pick a here, unpack what went down, and try to make sense of how we survived it. Including a recent episode with Mark Lamont Hill, waxing all about crack in the 80s. To be clear, 84 is big to me not just because of crack. I'm down to talk about crack on day, but just so you all know.

I mean, at this point, Mark, this is the second episode where we've discussed crack. So I'm starting to see that there's a through line. We also have AIDS on the table right now. Thank you for finishing that sentence. Yes. I don't think there's a more important year for black people. Really? Yeah.

For me, it's one of the most important years for black people in American history. Listen to look back at it on the IHeart Radio app, Apple Podcast. 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 are in possession of the thing. And we're still chasing it. don't know when we've done enough. Because people scoreboard watch. Life becomes about wins and losses. Steve Burns, Dustin Ross, because you find it important to be a good person

while you hear on earth? Or are you a good person because you're afraid? Because that's two different intentions, bro. Absolutely. And that's two different levels of trust. I want you to just really be a good person. Join me, Kear Gaines, as we have real conversations about healing, growth, fatherhood, pressure, and purpose. On my new podcast, learn the hard way. Open your free.

Heart Radio app, search Learn the Hard Way and listen now. So Brooklyn and the Nets resume their series over the weekend. I don't think Brooklyn can win the series. I think Boston's defense is too suffocating. I do think the only life preserver that I could see is Ben Simmons. If Ben can give you 10 minutes a half and becomes a really nice distributor, I think he fits with Katie perfectly. I think he would fit with Kyrie.

Simmons strangely fits with great scores. he doesn't really want to shoot. He doesn't have the confidence to shoot. He defends at an incredibly high level, very unique body, but you don't know what you're going to get. The problem with KD now, KD and LeBron, it's an end of an era. For about 10 years, 12 years, you could give LeBron and KD a flawed team, a flawed coach, and you would get to the conference finals.

Like, he would just win a bunch of games. They were just so gifted. They're still talented, but you're not going to get the same games. They can't carry bad coaching. They can't carry weak size. They can't carry things like they used to. And so, you know, I believe what I'm about to say is always true in every business. The buy low, sell high variable works in every business.

This business, your business. Finding talent or acquiring something at a discount and moving something and getting a sucker to buy it. That works in every business. Wall Street, Main Street, every business. And I think LeBron. needs to move off AD, and Durant needs to move off Kyrie. And you think you're out of your mind.

They're top 10 players in the game. But KD. and LeBron could have overcome Kyrie's nonsense and AD's health issues seven years ago. You were getting 75-80 games. They can't. It's an end of an era. KD. now cannot overcome Nash's coaching. He can't. And Kyrie can't and LeBron can't overcome AD's health.

And so, and I've been saying this now for multiple years. AD is the worst kind of teammate for LeBron. AD would be a great teammate on a lot of teams. If you don't need a guy to play more than 60 games, you need size, you don't need a power five. You need a guy that runs the flight. Golden State is so fast and up, up tempo that like AD is one of the few bigs that would like work with Golden State.

I really think they would. But that's not going to happen. but I think, you know, it could work. But LeBron and AD, KD, now are past the point of being able to carry real holes. They can't do it. It's the end of an era. And Janus may be able to going forward. And, you know, we could have maybe John Morant will be able to going forward.

But Katie and LeBron can't. And so people that we think were great fits for them, because in our mind, LeBron and Katie are so, they're not good fits anymore. AD is the worst kind of fit. The only guy in the league worse than AD for LeBron is Kauai. LeBron needs a young guy, an All-Star that plays 75 minutes tonight. That's what he needs. He could use a Yokic. Yokic never misses games.

Yokic can pass. Yokch can score. Yokch can rebound. LeBron and Yokch would actually, you say they need the ball in their hands, Yokkich can shoot well enough. You could put him off the ball all the time. That's what LeBron needs. You don't think he does, but he does.

AD's a terrible fit for him. And by the way, Kyrie to me is a weird, bad fit for KD. What is he? Unavailable, sometimes brittle, does not defend. KD, actually, if Ben Simmons had his act together, is perfect. He'll defend. He won't take shots.

He's a great distributor. KD plays on the perimeter, so he won't block the lane. So so much of basketball is fits. And that's why the Simmons thing is so fascinating to me. His game is perfect for KD. I'm not taking shots. I'll defend the 610 guy. You don't have to.

I'll distribute you. You just go score. I'll just get you good shots. You can play on the wing. You don't have to bring the ball up. They can't trap you. I'll bring the ball. He's a perfect fit.

I just don't know if he has his act together. But I think we all kind of look at AD and LeBron as the power couple. And Kyrie and Kady is the power couple. I don't think they're good fits. I think they're talented. enough that when they're going and they're healthy, it can work. We saw it in the bubble. We know Kyrie and Katie.

There are moments you're like, wow. But by low, sell high. I said this. If I was the Lakers, everybody's going to move Westbrook. That's fine. That's not going to change everything. If you can go get Buddy healed for Westbrook, that's great. You're not a championship team.

What you have to do in the first half of next year is 80s healthy for 20 straight games. And somebody's like, okay. And it's painful because you're in the number four seed. Boom, make the deal. Because LeBron's going to be good for 55 games a year, probably for another three to four years. I mean, LeBron takes so, such meticulous care of his body. But you often, you know, it's just like all of us in relationships. What was a perfect fit for you early in your life?

The party girl, the party boy. Oh, now you guys have kids. And he's not home dependably. And it's kind of marginally employed. and she's going to Vegas with her girlfriends again this weekend. At 28, it was perfect. At 38, it's irresponsible. At 48, we need to get attorneys.

And I think K.D. has to upgrade over Kare. He's simply not physically and emotionally dependable enough. And by the way, if they get swept, this is going to land on KD. It's not going to land on Karee. Because Kyrie, we look at it as kind of flaky and the world's flat. and, you know, he said before, I'm going to retire early. KD. is going to take all the hit if he gets swept.

It's not going to land on Kyrie. It's not going to land on Kyrie. By the way, for all the Lakers issues, it's not landing on AD. Nobody holds them accountable. We're all crushing LeBron because we hold LeBron and KD to higher standards. But in both KD and LeBron's personalities, this is. is where they missed. They're not Michael Jordan. They're not confrontational. Like LeBron's not confrontational with AD. Michael would be. Kobe would be. Get your ass in the gym.

Work out. Play through pain. It's not LeBron's DNA. And it's not KD's. KD. wanted to play with Kyrie because they're friends. Michael could not care less. He punched teammates. And I think it's really, it's an end of an era. I think Katie and LeBron have to upgrade, even though everybody thinks they're great, they got their robin. I think they're bad fits. They're so gifted they can win a bunch of games. They're bad fits. LeBron needs youth and durability and somebody who can play off ball.

I mean, Ant would be just perfect for LeBron. I mean, like, you know. And KD needs an adult, a distributor, a defender. It's Simmons. Simmons would be great with KD. That's why I can't wait to watch it. Just give me eight minute to half. I'm not asking for the world.

You don't have to shoot. Hustler Turfs, the brand lawn care pros have trusted for years when it comes to premium zero-turn moors. Go to hustlerturf.com, 1,400 dealers nationwide. On a Friday, we are rolling. We got a little NFL draft talk last hour as well. Movers and Shakers, Debo Samuel, upgrade. It's the herd. 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'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. 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've, get your podcast. A win is a win. A win is a win. I don't care what I'm saying. Yep, that's me, Clivert 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 Cliford Show. This is a place for raw, unfills 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.