The Herd with Colin Cowherd - Hour 2 - NBA top 10

Episode Date: May 7, 2024

Colin ranks his top 10 players remaining in the NBA playoffs. Nick Wright from First Things First joins the show to explain why the reigning champion Nuggets could be in real troubleSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

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Fox Sports Radio.com or stream us live every day in the IHeart Radio app by searching Fox Sports Radio or FSR. You're listening to Fox Sports Radio. All right, hour two, we're ready to go. Live in Los Angeles, it's the herd wherever you may be and however you may be listening. Thanks for making us part of your day. I've got a big dinner tonight, J-Mack. Very crucial dinner.

Lots of information to be inspected tonight, magnified perhaps tomorrow. I didn't get the invite, so... No. Okay. This is high-level stuff. Kind of be an abnoxious. Over under, two and a half drinks for you? No, under.

Under? Well, it's a... I got to drive cross-town, so... Oh, yeah, that's risky. Cross-town traffic. I made Uber tonight. I made Uber tonight. I think I'll Uber tonight. Feels like an Uber night.

Is it a West Side dinner? It's right around the corner. Oh. Yeah, fancy. Fancy Hollywood spot? Maybe Kim Kardashian will be nearby. By the way, she was at that Met Gala, which is just obnoxious.

the talk and gala or gala what is it met gala mac gala gala whatever it is that thing is so obnoxious and so weird but i will say this kim kardashian was stunning shocker i've seen her twice in a restaurant in los angeles hold on why is it met gala obnoxious it's just not it's over the top what's wrong with a bunch of hot people dressing up to look good what do you have against attractive people jeez probably my invite was lost in the mail not a big deal. But she, I've sat next to her twice at restaurants. He's a beautiful woman, but last night at the Met Gala, wow. Anywho, so I was thinking about this, here's who's out of the playoffs.

These are all out of, these are great players. LeBron, Steph, Katie, Embed, Kauai, Dame, James Hardin, Jimmy Butler, the old heads. They're all out of the playoffs. So if I said, who are the 10 best players right now in the playoffs, you know, based on production and here's my 10 best players. So Luca would be number one. He's nearly averaging a 30-point triple double. Okay. He's number one. Number two is Yokic. He's nearly averaging a triple double, and he leads the playoffs in rebounds and assists. Number three would be Aunt Edwards, certainly the most watchable player, the only player averaging 30 plus on at least 50% shooting in the playoffs.

So his efficiency has really clicked against better teams. That's a great sign. Number four, Jalen Brunson. He leads the NBA in scoring. His first step is so fast. A highest usage rate by anybody in the playoffs. So big minutes, big production. Number five would be Donovan Mitchell, who was second in point scored to Brunson

and second to Brunson in usage minute. Six, I would get to Jason Tatum. he's the third leading score in the playoffs, and he also leads to Celtics in rebounds and plus minus. Seven would be SGA from Oklahoma City, although his scoring and assist numbers have gone down from the regular season. He's at seven. At eight would be Kyrie Irving, who's been great,

but a lot of it's been in the second half, but he has been great. He's a complete defensive liability. That matters. Tatum is not. Anthony Edwards is not. even Luca now plays some defense. Number nine would be Jamal Murray, who tends to get better as the game goes on,

but his team's in an 0-2 hole, and he's not getting it done right now. Number 10 would be Jalen Brown, who's shooting about 32% from three-point range. Not great. Not much I can take from the Miami series. But right now, that would be the 10 best players, and here's why it's interesting. I don't feel bad saying this that Jason Tatum is number six. So he's not as dominant as Yokic, he's not as dynamic as aunt, and he's not as consistently prodigious offensively as a Donovan Mitchell or a Jalen Brunson.

The Mavs are Luca. I mean, even despite Kyrie, the Mavs are a Luca. Denver is Yokic. The Celtics aren't Jason Tatum. And that's not a criticism. But what's interesting is they were 7 and 1 this year without Tatum. And what's really interesting is Tatum's numbers went down this year, his scoring and his shots per game. And the team got better.

And when he missed the eight games this year, the Celtics' offense improved. Points, field goal, three-point offensive net rating. So you think, well, you're just criticizing Jason Tatum. No, what I'm saying is there's been this thing where I'm supposed to annoy him as the next great player. And I'm watching the playoffs, and all these great players are out. And I've still got him at six. You're not better than Jalen Brunson in the playoffs right now. No way.

Runcson's magnetic. He's taking a less talented team. So think about all the great players that I'm not even counting. Embed, Yonnes, Dame, Steph, LeBron, they're out. And I got him at six. Is that a criticism, or is it a player that because he plays for the Celtics, people are trying to make the face of the league. I don't think he's dynamic like some of these guys.

He's not as offensively profound. the team is better but there are a lot of times I watch the Celtics play and Jalen Brown taking the big shot so I think people view that as a criticism not just the reality of what I'm seeing and Nick Wright is now joining us live the host of First

and I know that lands as oh you don't like Tatum but I do feel like and we talked about him and then he shows up and you're like okay that may be the best player in the world I've been hearing this for five years on Tatum all the stars are out of the playoffs

or many of them and I still think he's like the fifth or sixth best guy is that what you're seeing well so I would if it's based on these playoffs then that's why that's the argument to having Jalen Brunson ahead of him but also this regular season

you could argue Jalen Brunson you know was probably fifth on a lot of MVP ballots Tatum fifth on a lot of MVP ballots. Shea was better throughout the year when I look at it your list right here. The one guy ahead of Tatum that I would definitively have Tatum ahead of

is Donovan Mitchell. Donovan was great in game six and seven but really struggled games one through five and Donovan's defense leaves a great deal to be desired so we could bump him up one but you also could make the argument that you have to bump Shea ahead of both of them anyway. So no I think that's right like I I don't think it is is a criticism of Jason Tatum to accurately rate him.

And I think the accurate rating of Jason Tatum is the absolute best case scenario is he is the fifth best player in the league. That is the most generous ranking you can possibly give him because if we're just talking about players overall, you have to have Yokic, Luca, Janis, aunt, ahead of him, at a minimum. So at the at a minimum you at best he's five and at worst he's ten. I think

that in my opinion that is the fair tier he drops in. I don't think that's picking on him. I also though don't think maybe I'm wrong I don't think many people argue he's the best player in the league. I think what they are arguing is he's the best player on a team that they think is going to win the championship and that you usually carries with it a gravity, rightfully so, but that is not always the best player in the league. The last Celtics championship, 2008, the only one that's happened in the last 35 years, Kevin Garnett was the best player on that team. At no point during that season, did anyone think Kevin Garnett was the best player in the world? He was, like Tatum, somewhere

in that 5 to 10 range at this point in his career. I don't think Dirk, in 2011, while he was the best player in those playoffs. I don't think he was the best player in the world when they won that championship. So that's how I look at Tatum, a great player, a superstar, but his ceiling is not that of the best player in the world, and I don't think it ever has been. So in the 70s, when I fell in love with the NBA, there was a different team that won every year. Washington, Philadelphia, Golden State, Knicks, Blazers, Sonics. There was no dynasty. and I'm watching Denver last night who I thought could be the Spurs. And I'm like, all right, last five years I've gotten Warriors, Lakers, Raptors, Bucks, Nuggets,

and the T-wolves look significantly better than Denver, and Boston is better. And I thought to myself, did we overvalue, maybe not Yokic, did we overvalue Denver? I certainly did. I thought they had a Spurs feel, and they don't look athletically even close to Minnesota. and ants only getting better. Jamal Murray isn't. So if I tell you, so an international player wins two MVPs but doesn't break through in the postseason.

Then finally the year after he wins a second MVP, finally wins a championship, is dominant from start to finish of those playoffs, and it feels like, well, who's going to stop this guy? I just told the story of Janus, not Yonit. But now all of a sudden it feels like the stories might be a little more similar. Because Janus, the next year, they looked like they were going to win the title. And then Chris Middleton gets dinged.

Jason Tatum, to his credit, has the game of his life in a game six. They lose game seven because Boston hits a million threes. They have not been out of the first round since. A Bucks team that looked like they were poised to be the team since they won the title has not played a single conference finals game. The Nuggets looked like the team to beat all year, and now all of a sudden are facing an O2 hole, just got absolutely dog walked in their building in a must-win game when the other team's best defensive player wasn't there, and you start to ask some really tough questions.

We always assume the team that just won is going to just keep winning, but to your point, it actually hasn't happened over the last half decade. And so, yeah, I'm not going to act as if the Nuggets are, you know, some wildly flawed team, but I don't think they're going to win this series. And then you never know. When Milwaukee was up, 3-2 on Boston as the defending champs, it looked like, well, you know, they've got the best player. He's playing great.

They're just going to win again. Who's going to stop them? They have not been close since then, and they made a maybe panic trade and remade their team. The other question I have about this series is this, Colin. And the people are going to say I'm being unfair, but once again, I think I'm the only fair person out there. Heavy is the head that wears the crown. Is it fair to ask, can we hold Nikola Yokic soon to be three-time MVP, universally accepted best player in the world?

Can he be held to at least as hard of a standard as we hold 39-year-old oldest player in the league? LeBron James to. Can we are, is it fair to say that Joker needed to be better last night in a must-win game? Yeah. Is it fair to say that we just watched Anthony Davis score at will in round one and now in Joker's defense has somehow gotten worse in round two? Every other guy who has been up to this point, LeBron, Durant, Steph, those guys, Janus, when they all of a sudden have not shown up in the playoffs. If that has happened, they have gotten crushed. And even if they have shown up, but they lose, they have been harshly criticized. The discussion surrounding Yokic this year has been, is he going to run down Shaq, Akeem, and Larry Bird in

the all-time rankings? Well, then he better be masterful over these next 10 days, because this is a really tough one to swallow right now. You know, it's interesting. Sometimes the media does this. They're trying to offer protection for somebody that doesn't need it. Mike Conley said, yeah, he looks like MJ to me. And I read these media people, whoa, slow down on the comps. That's not fair.

Oh, he's literally saying, I want to dominate KD and did. He plays like him. He's vertical. He's aggressive. He's a good defender, maybe better than good. he is now like Jordan become really efficient almost more so in the playoffs than the regular season and I watch him and I'm like oh this mid-range game the fallaway stuff it's like the trash talking yeah it's like Dominique or Michael but it feels more Michael than Dominique I trust his jumper more

I don't think he needs protection Kobe leaned into the Michael stuff tiger leaned into the Jack Nicholas stuff like I'm okay saying I'm not saying he's going to be Michael aesthetically and everything but that's got an MJ field to it, does not? Oh, listen, there's a lot of similarities, but to be fair to both players, there's a lot of differences. Obviously, Michael, six rings, five MVP's. Anthony's got a long way to go. Also, obviously, in Anthony's favor,

Anthony's 22 and about to make the conference finals at 22, Jordan was getting bounced in the sweet 16. Just to be fair, we're going to set that we're going to be an honest portrayal of the history here. Jordan didn't win his first series until he's 25 years. old. I, you know, Anthony Edwards already got that under his belt. So there's similarities and differences between the two. But, and is, listen, aunt's funny because he said six hours before this game, stop with the Jordan comparisons. And then he literally did the Jordan shrug. And so I think Aunt knows what he's doing. I also think that there's nothing he can do

about the fact that their games are, he has a very similar game to young Michael, except with a far better outside shot. Now, there's just, there are a lot of ways for him to grow and we'll see what these next steps are. But the NBA needs this from Anthony Edwards. Yes. I love Luca. And I think Luca might be able to, I think the Mavs, I think there's a world that exists where the Timberwolves Nugget series ends up being a war, and whoever comes out of it, the Mavericks end up beating. And I think this could be actually Luca's time to make his first NBA finals when nobody seems really to be talking about it.

I know JMAX's been big on Luca being the best player all year, and I think that take might end up aging quite well. But as much as I love Luca, and as brilliant as Joker is offensively, right or wrong, the NBA needs one of these homegrown guys. to be on that level. And he's the only one that I think can do it. He's the only 20-something-year-old American player that I think does have best player-alive ability.

Yeah, and I think the NBA style matters. It doesn't in the NFL. Brady didn't have a style. He was almost robotic at times. He was efficient. In the NBA, it's more about art. Style absolutely matters. You know, again, it doesn't really in golf,

or if you're, you know, big, strong off the T's cool, but you've got to win majors. got style and flare, and it's fun to, I like Luca. It's not as much fun to watch. I like Yokic a lot. It's not that fun to watch. This is dynamic fun, it's good TV. Now, here's the other thing.

We were talking about J. Mack and I were, that you've got to be very careful screwing with the Knicks. And I compared it a while ago, about an hour ago, to a fidget spinner. When the fidget spinner got popular in America, I was like, there's no there there that's not sustainable. There's nothing to it. The Rubik's Cube was kind of mathy, and I'm like, this can't last forever. And I said the Knicks have become that.

I'm like Josh Hart, this is not what he is. Brunson's not MJ. This team's not this good. You stop playing guy. I mean like three Villanova guy scored 92 points. And I say to myself, this is the fidget spinner. We're all going to get, we're going to go, this is nonsense. And I keep watching him and waiting and it never happens.

So what are the Knicks? I mean, a son of a gun to play, man. A team that no matter what happened. Pardon me. Happens over the first 45 minutes of action. The game's going to be tied with three minutes left, and good luck, man. I mean, that's what it is. NBA Twitter, great and also does a great radio show on Sirius Rob Perez Worldwide Wob,

who's a diehard NBA fan, but a Knicks fan through and through. He's been saying it all year. Just like playing the Knicks, welcome to hell, we'll see you at the finish line. That's how they play. Now, and what Brunson is doing is truly historic. Yeah. The guys with four straight or more 40-point playoff games, it's now Brunson, Bernard King, MJ, and Jerry West. Jerry West actually did it six straight times, but he lost a bunch of finals, so I guess he's disqualified for many of the conversations.

He was pretty damn good if you read your history books about the league. Brunton also, though, the game before the 40-point streak started, he scored 39. He is their offense. Everyone knows it, and nobody can stop him. Now, do I think that if they get to Boston, which I think they will, that they are going to be able to deal with Boston's length, and the fact that Boston has been basically, will likely have been resting for a few days, gone through two easy series, and the Knicks will have just gone through hell to get there playing.

I mean, Josh Hart, this playoffs is averaging, averaging 47 minutes per game. Does that feel sustainable for four rounds? It doesn't, but they keep winning, man. And Brunson is, last night, Fan Duel and Draft Kings, all the sports books, had his over-under for points, Colin, going into the game. It was an even money bet on either side. He's as likely to go over as under. At 37 and a half, they went into a playoff game.

Like, yeah, we expect Jalen's going to get 37, 38. And the overhit, like, it is remarkable what they're doing, and they have taken on, this is like the perfect Tibbs team. They are as fun to watch as any Knicks team of my life since really the Spreewell-Allen-Huston-N-Huston-N-Huston-N-Ey. 99 team, which I thought was great. They ended up losing in the finals to the Spurs. I think they'll make the conference finals. It would be crazy to pick them over Boston.

But man, oh man, I don't think Boston's looking forward to that matchup. I'll tell you that much. Yeah. Plus, sometimes being rested, even in the NFL, you think by weeks are so valuable. And you find out they're really not. If you're hot, young teams want to play the next night, the next night. So I think that Boston New York series would be a lot feistyier than P. I think I would take the Celtics in six.

Yeah, but I mean, if it goes six, then all of a sudden weird things can happen. And while you might be right about being rested can be overrated, I think in-game rest could be useful. Just one note to the broadcast partners of the league. When Josh Hart has not sat for a single minute in a week and is playing his ass off on both ends, can we not be like, hey, Josh, can you give us the between-quarter interview? that poor guy is hyperventilating. It's his only time to sit down and he's like,

no, we feel, we feel great about this pace. Let the guy rest for a moment. It's unbelievable. Yeah, it's like Olympic coverage. Somebody wins the marathon, and the NBC's over there with the right. Yeah, what are you doing? One continent to the other.

Can we give him a break? Great scene, buddy. Nick Wright, first things first. Yeah, Josh Hart is, and it's just crazy because Josh Hart's like double the player he usually is. It's like a rebounding demon. I mean, he's like a nine-point-a-game four-team in the league guy. Now he's giving you 18-19 points.

His effort is, you know, it's what the Knicks. Your favorite, by the way, you have a team here that you don't give nearly the love the Knicks that's formidable, and yet you slobber over the jets that are a tire-fire most of the time. No, no, I'm giving the Knicks a lot of props. I mean, I also like the Lakers and Curry's my favorite player, so the Knicks' allegiance is high, but, like, NBA's a player league. You like players. The NFL's a team league.

You don't like root for players, do you? Well, I think fantasy football and betting changed that. But fantasy football has really changed that. It's a fair point. On the Knicks. So my kid plays video games, and there's this game, Fortnite, I'm sure you've heard of. Yeah. And so when you're playing, there's a term called, are you a sweat?

Like, you're playing the video game and you're sweating because you're trying so hard. So there's like a term called a sweaty try hard. That's what the New York Knicks are coming. I mean, Josh Hart goes for like, Five offensive rebounds on the same position. I'll tell you right now, though. You don't see that around the league. My favorite team to watch in the playoffs easily.

Yeah. Easily. And the home Knicks, or even a better TV product than the road nicks, because you get the New York crowd. They're a blast to watch, and it shows that it's not always star-driven. Like in the NFL, I don't need a lot of stars. Some teams are just fun to watch. I mean, the Baltimore Ravens, to me, just their physicality and Lamar,

just the way they play, I think they're really fun to watch. I think the Niners with Brock Purdy, who's not like Mahomes or Allen. I think they're a fun watch. The Knicks have one star. I love watching them play. I mean, I got home, ordered DoorDash. I was watching the pre-game. I don't watch pre-game shows much.

Watching the pre-game, waiting for the entire Knicks game. Then I did a live YouTube head after. I was glued to the TV for three and a half hours. So part of the problem as a New Yorker is I'm texting a New York friend. Man, what's the ceiling on this team? And he's like, dude, just enjoy it. That's exactly what you should do. About Carl Anthony Towns or who's the next piece to get a

us to beat the Celtics. Just enjoy it. And sometimes we'll be going somewhere. We'll get somewhere. And when are we going home? And I said, we just landed. We've got three days. Just have a great time. We don't need to know when the plane's leaving. We don't need to know where this is ending. Let's just enjoy what the Knicks are. It does not seem sustainable, correct? Right.

John Hart is not Scotty Pippen. I swear he's not. One more herd? The herd streams 24 hours a day, seven days a week, within the I-hard radio app. Search Herd to listen live or on demand whenever you'd like. 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 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 My Heart 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 career in sports media.

Well, somewhere along the way, this platform became bigger than I ever imagined. And now I'm bringing all of that excitement to my brand new podcast, The Clifford Show. This is a place for raw, unfiltered conversations with some of your favorite athletes, creators, and voices that not only deserve to be heard, but celebrated. One week, I'll take you behind the scenes of the biggest moments in sports and entertainment, and the next we'll talk about life, mental health, purpose, and even music. The Clifford Show isn't just a podcast, it's a space for honest conversations, stories that don't always get told, and for people who are chasing something bigger.

So, if you've ever supported me or you're just chasing down a dream, this is right where you need to be. Listen to the Clifford show on the IHeart Radio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcast. And for more behind the scenes, follow at Clifford and at TikTok Podcast Network on TikTok. Hey, this is Robert from the Stuff to Blow Your Mind podcast. Joe and I are both lifelong Star Wars fan, so we're celebrating May the 4th with a brand new week of fun, thought-provoking Star Wars-related episodes. Join us as we tackle science and culture topics from a galaxy far, far away, such as the biology of

tontons and wampas on the ice planet hot. or the practicality and corporate business sense of the Sith rule of two. Listen to Stuff to Bole Your Mind on the IHeart Radio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts. 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 Jett. And I'm Alex English. Each episode, we pick it here, unpack what went down, and try to make sense of how we survived it. Including a recent episode with Mark Lamont Hill, waxing all about crack in the 80s. To be clear, 84 is big to me, not just because of crack. I'm down to talk about crack on day, but just so 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 that there's a through line. We also have AIDS on the table right now, so. 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 Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts. So many things going on, J. Mack. There's an interesting story out of Denver with the Broncos and Sean Payton and Bo Nix. Get to that in a bit. But Jay Mack with the news. No, no, no, no. Turn on the news. This is the herd line news.

Let's start in Denver. but with the nuggets, the sore loser Denver Nuggets. This was an embarrassing showing from them, not just losing, but the way they acted. Specifically, Jamal Murray, my guy, your buddy from UFC. Jamal Murray, very strangely, threw a heat pack from the bench onto the court during the game. Also through a towel, refs didn't see it,

and afterward they said he would have got teed up. They couldn't tell if he was throwing it at the refereg, just throwing it on the court in frustration. Here's Coach Chris Finch after the game. I didn't actually see it happen, but when it was explained to me, you know, the referees didn't see it either, so they're not able to issue a technical unless they see it. We tried to impress upon them that there probably aren't many fans in the building that have a heat pack. So it probably had to come from the bench, which they found logical. But, yeah, it's inexcusable and dangerous.

And, you know, I'm sure it was just a mistake and an oversight. I'm sure there was nothing intentional by the officiating at all, but certainly can't allow that to happen. Yeah, he's right. And by the way, it heightens the intensity in the series, but it illustrates the nuggets don't have any answers for this stuff. They've never been behind in the last two seasons. Well, they try to ease into games.

You know, they're champs, so they kind of ease in the game. You can't ease into it. They're down 18. I mean, that second quarter, you text me, and I was watching thinking the same thing. Series is over. It's over. Yeah, the series is over.

You can look differently. Even if they won the first game in mini, they don't match up particularly well. It is hard to flip a switch from apathetic to relentless. Minnesota's playing with a total chip. Yeah. So if you look at that video right there, Jamal Marie angry with the refs all night.

He was very frustrated. Jaden McDaniels is locking him down. Elite style. And Jamal Marie's like, whatever. And then he made like the money sign, which you know the league does not like that. insinuating that the reps are on the take or whatever. Now, Rudy Gobert got suspended earlier this season for doing the money stuff.

I can't imagine that they're going to suspend Murray in the middle of a playoff series right there. They're not going to do that. Would they? Well, it's not a good look for Murray. And I like him. I'm a huge fan. You guys know that. Can't do that.

I mean, what happens if the Nuggets get swept? Let's just look big picture. Well, that would mean Minnesota swept the sun. Sons and the Nuggets. You are looking, this is a bulldozer. Like, that's not, first of all, LeBron in his prime, somebody would steal a game. You know, Michael in his prime, you could force him to a game five, six,

sweeping the sun's sweeping Denver? The crazy part is the guy who, Connolly, who built this Denver juggernaut is now the GM of the Timberwolf. So he's been building a team to beat the team he, built in the first place, and they're perfectly equipped. They have every answer. It's like they've got the book with the answers, and they just have. And it also does help, because Goberra was missing last night. It helps that Ant appears to have, like, gone from, like, really, really excellent player to,

oh, oh, is he the best player left in the playoffs? Like, this is he's arriving on the scene. And that was always Jordan's thing, is that, well, you knew Jordan was great early, and you watched him in some of these series, but he didn't have the components around him. If you had a given Jordan Carl Anthony Towns scoring and Gobert the best defender in the league. I mean, you didn't have Pippin for a while. So the difference is Ant has this infrastructure, the right coach. Jordan didn't get the right coach for a long time.

I mean, between Finch, the size, the defenders, NAS got six men of the year. It's a well-constructed machine. KCP is a very good defender, right? He has no chance against Anthony. None. He's like, he also yelling at the refs. calling for push-offs. I think they're frustrated.

They have no answers. Now, the Mavs, Nick, good point. I'm on the Mavs. I wrote about this for Fox Sports. The Mavs, I think, will beat the Timberwolves next series. Whoa. They've got two good defenders who are built to guard Anthony Edwards. Derek Jones, one of the best athletes in the league.

He's a little thin, and then Josh Green, who's a beast. I know you could scoff at these guys. I like the Mavs next round. Now, Mavs got to get by OKC tonight. I just watched a video during the commercial. Kyrie Irvin getting up 800 shots. 800, the machine. Before game one.

Mavs. I'm very fired up for the Mavs OKC. It's going to be a good series. Get you some Doordash tonight and lock in. I'm a big dinner tonight. I'll have to watch the highlight. Oh, that's right. You got the big dinner.

Very influential people. Can I text updates or do you want to go ahead and do that? I won't read them, but go ahead. Okay. Next up is Clay Thompson heading for unrestricted free agency this offseason. A lot of reports that, oh, maybe Orlando could be a destination for Clay. Well, according to Shams Sharania, the interest is mutual. Shocker.

The Warriors have made it clear they want to re-sign Clay, but he's going to probably have options, especially with somebody who can, you know, pay more money. The magic can open up in excess of 60 million cap space this offseason. Now, if you're Clay Thompson's agent, you of course are running to Shams and saying, Clay's options are open. Let me ask you, let's say I'm Clay Thompson. I've had a great time.

Why wouldn't you want to end your career in Orlando with these young great players? Like this idea that... been with Curry and Draymond for a decade and you love them? It was great. It's over. The Warriors are... They're your boys. You've lived in the Bay Area for a decade.

Why would you want to leave there? Because I can have a second chapter of my life and I don't have to do the heavy lifting. I used to work in another place. More fun here. Why do you have to stay? Derek Jeter didn't have a better place to go. Like the Yankees had all the money on the ecosystem. Now it's changed now.

the Dodgers have it. But when the Yankees had all the money, there was no reason to go. You had people hitting in front of you, behind you. It was the place to stay. They didn't get old, and all of a sudden you couldn't compete for a championship, and the Warriors aren't in the top 10 for a championship. So in the NBA, you are defined by championships. In baseball, it's more individual. So to me, I look at Klan, I think, what a great last four-year chapter, getting to the Eastern Conference finals or more, along with OKC, maybe the most talented young team in the league. So remember he, his dad, I think, lives out here. He went to Washington State, Clay did. So he's like a West Coast guy for life. He just bought a place, I'm not, I hope I'm not

giving up to him, in Hermosa Beach, a few doors down from a guy on my basketball team. He loves L.A. Why can't he rent a house in Orlando? He spends his entire summer here. You sure he's going to want to go to Orlando? Orlando's sunny. I'm not asking him to live in Nova Scotia. I mean, it's Orlando Winter Park, the Butler Chain of Lakes. Nice restaurant. What do you? In tourism for Orlando? I'm just saying, you're making it sound like he's got to live in Ottawa or something up north and it's freezing cold.

West Coast, they're called planes, Delta. You can get coast to coast in four and a half hours. It's an interesting thought. I think this is all just gamesmanship to get more money out of the Warriors. Are the Warriors just going to be like, oh, Clay, we're not going to pay you by? Sometimes moving, you restart your life. What are you trying to say? I'm not trying to say anything.

What are you trying to say? I'm not trying to say anything. I'm just saying. I can hear the laughter by ear right now, okay. Just the idea that it's like, well, he was once a warrior. How can he leave? Have you watched the Warriors? It's time to leave.

I thought you had to go to the finals this year. My final story is Major League Baseball. This gentleman named Shohei Otani is putting on a show call it. Leading the league hit his 11th Homer the season last. night. Wow. Four homers and three game. Hitting like an innocent man. Here's the call from L.A. Sports AM 570.

Two, two pitch now, Tootany. He swings and hammers it. Oh, deep center failed. Way back in God. Tie game. Shohei Otani, putting on a show

early in the ballgame. His 11th home run to lead Major League Baseball. Is he fun? Is that a beautiful... Look at the stats here. He is dominating. Look at that. That's what an innocent man bats.

XBH's extra base hits, by the way, just in case he didn't know. An innocent man. So Otani's put, you know, he had a bit of a rough start. Dodgers kind of slow out of the gates. Because of the unfair accusations. Yeah, and now he's cleared of everything. Look at a swing. God, that's beautiful.

He has a beautiful swing. It's kind of like Will Clark. Oh, you like Will Clark, too? I loved his swing. He was one of my favorite. Although I read a bunch of stories. He was like not the nicest guy. Will was a lot.

He was a handful. Will was a handful. But Will Clark had a beautiful swing. I mean, lefties, you know, the swing from Will Clark was epic. Look at that. Low baseball talk. We could do, listen, you do 70s NBA? Can I do 80s MLB?

Oh, 80s. Go to a Dodger game. Have you ever been to a Dodger game? God, the stadium's amazing. Oh, that's right. You don't follow me on Instagram. Yes, I've gone to Dodgers game. That's the only team.

My daughter likes, I mean, like, her friends are like, the Dodger games. It's fun. Fun. By the way, now the games don't last six hours. They're like two and a half. I mean, are you ready for $20 beers? And it's not like it's a 24-ounce beer. Did I live in L.A.? That's what beers are. You go to a stadium, that's what they are.

Nobody goes to an airport or a sporting event in L.A. and thinks discount prices coming, you just bake it in. You do know airports, too. Yeah. Nobody goes to airports for the reasonably priced food. J. Mack, with

news. Well, that's the news. And thanks for stopping by. The Herd Lye News. 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, I'm Doug Gottlie. The podcast is called All Ball. We usually talk all basketball all the time, but it's more about the stories about what made these people love their sport and all the interesting interactions along the way. We talk to coaches. We talk to players. We talk to

You tell you stories. You download it. You listen to it. I think you like it. Listen to All Ball with Doug Ghalib on the IHeartRadio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcast. Imagine an Olympics where doping is not only legal but encouraged. It's the enhanced games. Some call it grotesque.

Others say it's unleashing human potential. Either way, the podcast's superhuman documented it all, embedded in the games and with the athletes for a full year. Within probably 10 days, I'd put on 10 pounds. I was having trouble stopping the muscle growth. Listen to Superhuman on the IHard Radio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts. A win is a win. A win is a win. I don't care what you're saying.

Yep, that's me, Cliver Taylor the 4th. You might have seen the skits, the reactions, my journey from basketball to college football, or my career in sports media. Well, somewhere along the way, this platform became bigger than I ever imagined. And now I'm bringing all of that excitement to my brand new podcast, The Clifford Show. This is a place for raw, unfiltered conversations with some of your favorite athletes, creators, and voices that not only deserve to be heard, but celebrated. One week, I'll take you behind the scenes of the biggest moments in sports and entertainment. And the next, we'll talk about life, mental health, purpose, and even music.

The Clifford Show isn't just a podcast. It's a space for honest conversations, stories that don't always get told, and for people who are chasing something bigger. So if you've ever supported me or you're just chasing down a dream, this is right where you need to be. Listen to the Clifford show on the IHeart Radio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcast. And for more behind the scenes, follow at Clifford and at TikTok Podcast Network on TikTok. Hey, this is Robert from the Stuff to Blow Your Mind podcast. Joe and I are both lifelong Star Wars fan, so we're celebrating May the 4th with a brand new week of fun, thought-provoking Star Wars-related episodes.

Join us as we tackle science and culture topics from a galaxy far, far away, such as the biology of taun tons and wampas on the ice planet hot, or the practicality and corporate business sense of the Sith rule of two. Listen to stuff to blow your mind on the iHeart radio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts. 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? do a little kill. Well, you can find out on the Look Back at it podcast. I'm Sam J. And I'm Alex English. Each episode, we pick it here, unpack what went down, and try to make sense of how we survived it. Including a recent episode with Mark Lamont Hill

waxing all about crack in the 80s. To be clear, 84 is big to me, not just because of crack. I'm down to talk about crack on day, but just so you all know. I mean, at this point, Mark, this is the second episode where we've discussed crack. So I'm starting to see that there's a through line. We also have

on the table right now. 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. Saturday, it's baseball night in America on Fox as Paul Goldschmidt leads the Cardinals against the Brewers.

Or the Red Stick on the Giants. It all begins at 7 Eastern on Fox. Check for the game in your area. Ryan, what's my take on Paul Goldsmith? Most under-ed player in baseball, Hall of Famer. Nobody but me sees it. Anyway, two football takes. Number one, it's pretty interesting.

So, Jay Mack, did you notice before the draft that I kept saying Bo Nix to Denver? Many of you believed I had inside. Let's just stop that there. There is a story today, according to Albert Breer, that Sean Payton only told the owner of the Broncos and his GM. That was it. Nobody else in the building.

No players, no scouts, no director of college scouting. He wouldn't tell anybody he wanted Bo Nix. So how did I get the information? Am I literally in the class of the Broncos' owner? Well, not financially. The truth was, I had talked to Sean so much when he spent a year at Fox, dinner before the show after, that he was looking for coachable, accurate, quick processor, get it out quick, accurate, that I thought, oh, Bo Nix is exactly what he always talked about. And what was funny is he did such a good job of hiding this is that even Bo Nix told me off

the air when he was here on our show that when Sean Payton interviewed him, he was lukewarm he questioned the size of his hands, his feet, but Sean had made the decision, and I think a lot of it was fit that he does see a younger, more athletic

Drew Breeze. But this also is one of my golden rules in our business. People like to gossip, even sometimes your friends, because people want to feel special. And especially men, what makes men feel special? having information that nobody else has.

So if you don't want anything to leak, keep it to yourself. Don't tell anybody anything. And here's Sean Payton. Basically, you have to tell the owner, because the owner's going to ask. And your general manager, otherwise,

according to this story, he listed the quarterback class in no particular order on the draft board. He just put the guys all up there, no order. And I do think Bo Nix is exactly what he always talked about. when we would talk about breeze and his ability to process stuff quickly, get it out accurately,

the ability to add lib, but not the necessity to add lib, that was the quarterback they were going to go get. Here's another football take. I should save this one, maybe. In fact, this is a good one. I'm going to save it. It deserves more space, and I have two and a half minutes left. So let me just ask you this. So we know of the six quarterbacks taken in the first round, we know one thing always to be

true. Where you land matters. It does matter. If I told you two quarterbacks absolutely prosper, two fail, would Bo Nix be in either group? Two are hits, two or whiffs. I would say closer to Josh Rosen than Drew Brees. Does that get us anywhere or not really? Well, Josh Rosen was a miss. Right. And Drew Brees is a Hall of Famer. Yes. So you're saying closer to a closer to a miss. All right. I think it'll be a fine,

serviceable. Well, that's not Josh Rosen was a miss early. Yeah, but he's on that side of the 50%. If the middle ground

is between Josh Rosen and Drew Breeze, I think he'll be a slight toward Josh Rosen. I just don't see greatness from him, but I mean, do you see,

I mean, is Kirk cousins or Dak? Great. Do you see double-digit wins and product-t If he's one of those guys, it's a huge hit.

Well, he throws a much better ball than Dak. Much more accurate thrower of the football than Dak. Yeah, but nobody saw Dak being a 10-year starter for the Cowboys coming out of college. He inherited the best O-Line in football. Nobody saw Kurt Cousins being a eight-year starter or whatever he is.

Nobody saw that. Well, I think Bo Nix is more talented than both. I think he's more athletic than you think. And I think his college in the best Pac-12 ever, this is the best of Back-12's ever been. He completed 77% of his throws. Well, also, look at the throws. I think he threw more passes under 10 yards than like any quarterback that's in this draft. Did you watch Patrick Mahomes this year?

He lived on the eight-yard completion. This year, like seven years into his career. No, I mean, when Tyreek left, the last two years, Mahomes has lived on the seven, eight-yard completion. That's the league. Who's throwing it deep? Who's throwing the ball over the top? It's one thing throwing the 10-yard passes into wide-open windows

in the Pac-12 and then doing that in the NFL. Like, that's going to be, I mean, come on. So we talked about this yesterday. We both admit the Chargers with Harbaugh and the Bears with Caleb, those are the most interesting watches in the league. Like, just you've got to get to a TV and see what the Chargers look like. And you've got to get to a TV and watch the Bears.

I know it's, because Pennix won't play right out of the gate, I'm fascinated by Bow Nix and Denver, and I think you'll know instantly. Like Kenny Pickett may have fooled people till Thanksgiving. Like Daniel Jones, you knew instantly. That's not great. I think you'll know very quickly with Bo Nix. Either it hits or it doesn't, but you'll sense it quickly.

Okay, so we knew early with Brayette. Bryce Young that it was not looking good. From training camp when I was like, dude, he looks tiny in the pocket. You are in fairness. But I don't think it's over for Bryce Young. Do you? No. PFF grade on 20-plus yard passes for Bo Nix.

He was sixth in college football. So he's good throwing the ball downfield. I think we'll know very quickly either way. But it's not over for Bryce Young. Even if Nick struggles out of the gate, he's going to be okay. It could be okay. Right? Yeah, I think he's going to be okay plus.

Hour three next. Another podcast from some SNL late-night comedy guy, not quite. Unhumor me with Robert Smygel and Friends. Me and hilarious guests from Bob Odenkirk to David Letterman help make you funnier. This week, my guest, 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 podcast. Imagine an Olympics where doping is not only legal but encouraged. It's the enhanced games. Some call it grotesque. Others say it's unleashing human potential. Either way, the podcast's Superhuman documented it all,

embedded in the games and with the athletes for a full year. Within probably 10 days, I'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. On the Look Back at it podcast. From 1979, that was a big moment for me. 84 was big to me.

I'm Sam J. And I'm Alex English. Each episode, we pick a year, unpack what went down, and try to make sense of how we survived it. With our friends, fellow comedians, and favorite authors. Like Mark Lamont Hill on the 80s. 84 was a wild year. I mean, it was a wild year. I don't think there's a more important year for black people.

Listen to Look Back at it on the IHeart Radio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you 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. 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 Cliford Show. This is a place for raw, unfilled conversations with athletes, creators, and voices that not only deserve to be heard, but celebrated. So let's get to it. Listen to the Clivert 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. This is an IHeart podcast, guaranteed human.