The Herd with Colin Cowherd - Hour 3 - Some come to the NBA ready

Episode Date: April 3, 2024

A lot of foreign NBA players come to the league ready to play Thoughts on Purdue C Zach Edey and how he will do the NBA How well will the Texans be with Stefon Diggs?   Guest: Kevin O'ConnorSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

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Find your local station for the herd at 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. our favorite an NBA writer for the ringer he's got the draft board and we were talking during the break about kind of a theory of mine i've been criticized through the years for it as a flip-flopper and i always say new information new opinion and the argument i was used is if you were getting on a plane and the pilot said uh the pilot heard from the tower we've got new information there's a huge storm 10 miles out would you want the pilot to go i'm not changing i'm flying right into the storm or change the flight path. So we were talking about Zach Eady. So I had watched him last year and I thought he's slow, he's plotting, he doesn't move, but something's different

and you were talking about it during the break. Edie's top 20 on my board right now. I have him 17th on my board. Others have moved him quite up a lot as well. Eadie has improved in the ways that evaluators needed to see. You saw that block on Dalton Connect late in the second half against Tennessee

to help seal the game for Purdue. Exactly. A huge point. play and he outstretched his arms, almost the still photograph showed how good of a block it was compared to the actual broadcast video. Edie's improvement defensively is quite significant year to year for Purdue, and he's not going to be some necessarily a defensive player of the year candidate, but he can at least at this point, you can look at him and say, okay, Edie can be a zoo bot type of big, somebody who can drop in coverage, play him next to another rim protector, like Lopez is next to Janus, like, you know, you compare him with band, him at a bio. You could do it with a Chet Holmgren, somebody like that to help him assist him protecting the rim. But Edie's good enough offensively with enough touch near the rim. He just swallows and hails rebounds. And defensively, I think he can survive at this point. We're in this year's draft class,

which is lacking star power. He deserves to at least be in mid-first-round pick conversation. By the way, the kid out of North Carolina State burns who they think. Oh, yeah. I don't know. Yesterday, Jordan said Zach Randolph, and I'm like, I cover Zach. Is he, well, how do we view him? I mean, I don't view him as an NBA draft prospect at this point, but at this. He's just a fun college player. He's a fun college player. Maybe if, you know, he adds a three-point shot, you know, trims some weight as well.

So he can defend this. I mean, he needs to. Like, that's part of it. But the touch near the rim is extraordinary. It's unbelievable. I mean, he shoots over 50% on floaters. I looked at his stats after the game. I had to know.

And NC State is over 50% on floaters, nearly 50% on hook shots. he has Yokic's like touch on those types of shots. He just needs to develop everything else in his game. By the way, Tim Tebow was built for college. There's nothing wrong with that. Nothing at all. So Victor Wembeyanama, and I had said is I do think the American basketball culture needs tweaking. I think the European soccer and basketball academy system is better than ours.

We're not always first or best. By the way, ours was better for years. Theirs is better now. And when I watch a Luca or a Wembe come into this league, and they are so skilled, so fast, so early. And also, foreign players come over here, and they're very focused, right? They feel like visitors like you. If you and I, you go to Europe, you feel like a visitor.

You tip more. You want to be more gracious. I always feel like when I go over there, I am a visitor and be respectful. But they come into this country, and I watch Wemby, and I'm like, I thought he'd get pushed around a little. Are you shocked? Are people in the league shocked at how zero to 60? like is he an all-star next year? I mean, is he a top five player next year?

We're talking about a player in Victor Wenbenyama, Colin, that has a chance to be the greatest player of all time. He is arguably before last year's draft, many people considered him the greatest prospect ever, and yet he has exceeded expectations as a rookie with the things he doing. I mean, nine blocks last night, like how soon until he has a quadruple double?

It's inevitable that's going to happen. He's already had a five-by-five. With Victor Wenbanyama, if you look at last year's one year, year ago yesterday that he had the play that went viral where he shot and missed the three and then dunked it he dunked his own mystery point right if you look at the rate of improvement since that moment he shoots over 40% on pull-up threes now he is better defensively than he was then the passing is the ingredient that's probably improved more than anything else for him making his

teammates better just imagine what wemby's going to look like when he has a proper supporting cast think about how Yokic won a finals, won an MVP, as soon as the Nuggets surrounded him with the right pieces, that elevated his play, overcame some of his own flaws. Someday that will happen with Wembenyama if the Spurs hit it with their draft picks. They could have two lottery picks this year. They're going to have a ton of cap space. They have draft capital move. At some point, Wemby's going to have a great supporting cast, and you're going to see him become the best player in basketball for many, many years. So I think sometimes the most interesting playoff team isn't a title team, but it's just I find Milwaukee fascinating.

So the coach gets fired, Doc comes in, wasn't popular, Doc is struggled. Dame felt like a little bit of a Hail Mary. You knew you would be worse defensively. It's an old roster that's big or very small. And my contention is Golden State, similarly, is not a champion. championship team with their current size. You know, they've got Sarich, and you've got the kid off the bench from Indiana, a nice player, Kamingas long.

But I keep looking at Janus, and I think this is interesting. They go in and a Knicks, Philadelphia. Now, somebody knocks him off early. I could see Janus, who's become Kevin a little westernized. He's got stronger opinions. I could see that thing getting blown up. Am I nuts? How soon you're talking now?

Are you talking this summer blowing up? Are you talking like 20, 25? What if they lose? I think it's too soon this summer for Yannis to want to pull the plug on the Bucks. And it's also too soon to say that they won't be the team representing the East in the finals, for that matter. I still think the Bucks have another gear to hit in the playoffs. We've seen flashes of them playing lockdown defense this year. They had a game where they just switched nearly everything and locked down every action.

We've seen them change schemes and have some great moments playing drop coverage in a game against Dallas. We've seen them have moments. They just haven't strung it together. And right now you have Doc occasionally closing games with Bobby Porter's over Brooke Lopez. He can't be doing that in the playoffs. The doc concern is real. The depth concerns are real.

If Dame is even in his post-prime stage, that's for real. There's concerns. So to your point, if they fail with Dame, which I think they would give it two years into next season, you've got to give it a full year with the same coach. They fired Adrian Griffin in January. I don't think you could blow it up, if you're honest, summer you would have to wait and ultimately he should give it more time you need to develop that chemistry with dame and they've made progress this year in ways that i think inspire optimism

about the playoffs of course they're not you know quite as a safe pick as boston and bid coming back for philadelphia you feel a lot better about them but i still think the books belong in the finals conversation right now um warriors uh have tried to bridge the gap between pods comminga moody um Cominga and Steph and Clay and Dremont. I don't think they're going to run this team back. I don't think it's a championship team. I think it can win a series. I don't think they match up with Denver, the Lakers, at all.

But I do think against like an OKC, 22-year-old kids, they'd have a chance to win a series like that, even though, you know, OKC's at the top of the West. And the reason I thought Yonis could be moved, because I think Golden State absolutely would give up the farm to get him. What do you make in the next year for the Warriors, how do you envision it? Because this is the last dynasty we had.

They surprised us beating Boston. They have their moments in their nights. Last night's a great example in these close games. What do they look like in a year? What are they going to do in the off-season? I would expect we're going to see one of two things happen. Clay Thompson resigns for a very team-friendly contract, $20 million or less.

Or you see Clay Thompson and or Chris Paul being the guys moved. I think those are the pieces you move despite all the issues with Draymond Green I mean he's the reason why they're the 10 seed right now with the suspensions He's a catalyst Exactly But he's also a catalyst in positive ways

Where you see the block that he had last night Oh the block of the year Oh my God it's one of the blocks of the decade Dremon was amazing on that play The way he quickly helped and then rotated back over To block the shot he is the energizer of that team He's the reason why they have a chance currently Where you feel like there's some belief

because you need to have an elite defense as well. So I think with Draymond, despite all the flaws, you need to try to make it work with him. It's Clay at his age where he does not warrant double coverage ever at the stage of his career anymore. He is not the lockdown defender he once was. And with Chris Paul, he's very good last night. He's been great at moments this season.

He still has a $30 million expiring contract in his late 30s. If you're the Warriors, I think you have to take some of that youth and invest it into today if you actually want to win again with Stefan Curry. 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. 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 a lot of it. trouble stopping the muscle growth. Listen to Superhuman on the I-Hard radio app, Apple Podcasts or wherever you get your podcasts. A win is a win. A win is a win. I don't care what I'm saying. Yep, that's me,

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. 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 fans, 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 Bo Your Mind on the IHeart Radio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts. So I want to circle back to college basketball. Ryan Rosillo and I were joking. We lived in Connecticut. Dan Hurley was on the show Monday, and I thought he had a great quote.

I said, you know, Dan, Kansas and Vince basketball, UCLA, Arizona, Kentucky, or flashy. Syracuse was about Beheim. And here's Yukon, up in stores, even boring for the cows. And all they do is win, men and women. All they do is win. It's not flashy, it's not a cool college town. It's not a cool state. And I'm watching Hurley, and I don't know if he's got NBA aspirations.

When you look at the talent Yukon has, because you have your draft board, are they more, you know, we both acknowledged in the years that Duncan stays for three or four years in Ewing, Leitner. The sport had more depth of NBA talent. It's a lot of one and done. But they're hammering people. These are 11, 12 points spreads, and they're covering all of them. Give me some sense, some contextualization on Yukon.

Are they a team that is historically good, or is a diluted sport, and they're just the best of it? I mean, I think with Yukon, they are historically good. They have a team with five potential NBA players in it. Like, everybody talks about Donovan Kling and their potential top five center. everybody talks about Stefan Castle, their guard. But they also have Newton in that back court, a really good defensive player who just needs to improve a shot.

They have Carabana knockdown shooter who can do a little bit more than that, too. He can attack on the post. He's got size at 6'8. They have Spencer, a really good wing shooter. They have five potential NBA players in their starting lineup. For Yukon, it's just going to be about sustaining this in the years to come. You see Cooper Flagg, the top prospect next year. He chooses Duke over Yukon.

how do you bounce back from this where a team like Duke got a loaded recruiting class. Yukon may not necessarily be the favorite next year, but building it back up, developing another team as strong as this one, that may not have the headlining prospect like Cooper Flagg, but then again

neither does this one. It's built with depth, and maybe that's Yukon's formula moving forward. Can't believe DJ Burns doesn't have a second late, second grade. He is such a unique... He's so fun. He's like, He's like, Zach Randolph meets Oliver Miller meets.

There's something there, but he, you know. The personality's great, too. Oh, he's really fun. You know what? There is an argument to be made. Football's the only sport. We talked about this the other day. If you took a year off from golf, you lose tempo, everything.

If you took a week off in baseball, you've got to get back in the cage. If you take two weeks off in basketball, your hand-eye coordination, your ball skills. Football's weird. You can play like your senior year of high school, get a collar. scholarship and it is weird when people suggest that he's a left tackle i'm like yeah yeah because i mean when you watch him play so if if i was a fan of nz state and i wanted to argue with you he's an NBA guy you would say probably not i mean no he doesn't jump he's two or it's listed at 275 pounds i mean it's very unlikely like kenneth lofton is also a high level kind of similar type of

player who got a shot in the NBA, but now he's a G-leager. So I think with somebody like DJ Burns, he clearly has touch. I almost wonder with a guy like him, how does he not have a three-point shot? His touch is so feathery soft. I mean, honestly, I covered Jack Randolph, and I aesthetically never liked this game, but it was his game. You know, it's like every city's got its quirks. Like I watch him play, and I'm like, I, there's something about the uniqueness of him.

It's fascinating, though. You do this for a living, and it's like, it's amazing, isn't it, that like a T-Bow or a DJ can be so dominant as college players, and you're like, yeah, that doesn't work in pro ball. Isn't that the fun thing about basketball, though? You mentioned the unique game DJ Burns has. Like, basketball accommodates all these types of unique stars. You don't need to fit into a certain specific role with a specific skill site. You can just be you.

And so that's why you can't necessarily rule it out entirely. Right. It's just, you know, he had 29 points in a big game. And now he's on our radar, but let's see how he does against, 7 foot 4, Zach. I cannot wait for that matchup. That's going to be awesome. I looked at some Draft King's numbers this morning,

and they are predicting he will come back down to Earth. Hey, it's great seeing you again. Thank you. Love all your college and pro stuff. Jordan with the news. No, no, no, no. Turn on the news. This is the herd line news.

All right, Colin. Derek Henry, signed with the Ravens this off season after eight brilliant seasons in Tennessee. Now, there was speculation that Henry, could have been a fit with the Cowboys, where he lives in Dallas. But according to Henry, Dallas never called. They ain't hollied me at all.

I knew once free agency started that, you know, I want to work something out if we could. Even though I'm living in Dallas, and I'll talk to you about it. You know, Dallas has been a perfect situation as well because we lived there. We got to move, but at the same time, you know, Ravens, the history of it.

And then talking to Ray at the Pro Bowl, just like his passion about the organization, his impact there, and how he talk about it. I was just like, man, that's somewhere. If I'm not in Tennessee or I don't get to go to Dallas, I'd love to be a raven. You know, it was the one move I said at the trade deadline, and J. Mack was here. I said he is a perfect fit for Dak and the Cowboys. And, you know, they didn't make the move. And now I look at him in Baltimore, and I'm like, no, that's even a better move.

So he fits, not every, I mean, he's obviously good, but I thought Dallas worked. I think Baltimore's perfect. Physical, he really, when I think Ravens, I think tough and physical. Absolutely. You put him in the same backfield as Lamar Jackson. They have a decent offensive line. Imagine the threat, Colin, of Lamar and Henry. I mean, that's insane.

That's exactly what they've been missing. J.K. Dobbins was a really good player, but he was hurt. Now they're bringing Henry, who's a unicorn. He might be 30, but he's not an average 30-year-old. He's a different guy. Even his career, I didn't think he had necessarily a burst in the NFL. He didn't dominate his first couple years in the league. It took him, I think, until year, was it year three?

Year three, maybe? Then he popped. You know what guys tell me too about Derek Henry? He's a lot faster than he's given credit for. We see the size, the guy's a Greek god, he's an Adonis. You've seen a high school tape. He doesn't even look real. Yeah.

But he's actually really fast. The fourth quarter, we saw Baltimore struggle, not running the ball against Kansas City and the AFC championship. That's why they got them. Okay, next up, the New England Patriots. A lot going on there. This offseason, they promoted Gerard Mayo to replace Bill Belichick as the head coach. Mayo has been their linebackers coach, Colin, since 2019.

Pro-Buller Matthew Judon thinks that continuity will be valuable. You know, this is a quote. I think our defense had a lot of good moments throughout the season, and I think Mayo is going to be an amazing head coach for us. Help us out and try to write this ship. It's new. Everything's new, but I'm glad we've got a lot of old faces coming. Now, I love the Mayo Higher Colin. I think his temperament, his intellect, his relationship building was the perfect fit post Bill Belichick as New England's head coach.

Yeah, they just, he inherited a franchise that allowed their head coach for the last seven or eight years to take over the draft, and you are seeing the result of that. Bill Belichick is a great defensive coach, but he didn't draft offense well. They didn't necessarily develop it well. So Gerard Mayo needs to be given to me three full years. This is not, you know, sometimes you take over, like Harbaugh, you'd be shocked if even this year, with his knowledge of college personnel, if they didn't look significantly better. You'd be like, wow.

Then there are situations where, like, you've got to go Thanksgiving of Gerard Mayo's third year. Right. And I want to see improvement. They don't have any game breakers. I mean, they don't have a number one or a two receiver. They don't have any speed in a sport where you could get away with some of that 20 years ago. It's like the NBA. It's a spacing speed league.

It's a shooter's league. NFL now, it's perimeter speed. You have to have guys that can make plays and that can get the ball in the middle of the field and make place. They don't have any. I like what you said yesterday. Give guys time. You know, what was it? Shosefsky did not win a title.

Almost two decades. He was almost ran out of Durham. Bayheim. Beheim, 20-something years. Dean Smith, 21 years. And you get, in college, you get first-round picks. At big brands, you're getting great players. So that's why I also think New England, I know everybody says quarterback.

Look at what the free agent market gives you annually. This year, you could have gotten Baker, Kirk. Kirk, or Russell Wilson. I would load the roster up and go free agent. I don't think a defense. offensive coach. Unless something falls to you, I would. Now, they may move down and get Bo Nicks at 22. I don't have a problem with that. But they need like six to seven players, almost all of them offense, to hit, to be a viable offense. This is a legitimate rebuild. Complete Carolina level rebuild. Right. Let's take the time. Okay. College hoops. You talked about DJ Burns, Zach Eadie. The Wooden Award finalists in all the Americans were named yesterday. Purdue,

Zach Edy, is looking to win his second consecutive award, win an award. And here's a look at the full list, Colin. The actual five Wooden Award finalists, RJ Davis from Carolina, Zach Edy, obviously, Dalton Connect from Tennessee, Jamal Shed from Houston, and my personal favorite, Tristan Newton.

Colin, best player, in my opinion, best team, also, Yukon. We love Zach Eadie. Let's give it to Tristan Newton. Yeah, my guess is Edy guess it. Because he's so big, so dominant. It's a good story. It's, you know, Big Ten, middle of the country. He's galvanized so many fans.

He's got a little controversy. Everybody thinks he gets too many calls, which, by the way, bigs can do because... They're big. Well, the other thing is they initiate a lot of contact, but you can't call them because at their size, they'll knock a guy over without fierce contact. So, you know, a lot of Biggs aren't fascinating to watch. But when you get to 7-4, and college centers are off in 6-9, 6-10, he's pretty interesting watch.

DJ Burns not on that list, but for us, America, sweetheart. Oh, I think he's a fun player to watch. We got one more fun story. How about this, Colin? Forbes released their 2024 billionaires list, which featured star athletes like LeBron, MJ, and Tiger. Stan Cronky, famous owner, was highest of anyone in the sports world.

16 billion. By the way, that's only 115. on the list. Michael Jordan at 3.2 billion, about a thousandth. Guys, Colin, do guys like MJ Tiger and LeBron get enough credit for their business accuracy? Well, I mean, Jordan

is it just building. You know, Tiger had a peak. LeBron has had a peak. The Jordan brand endures forever. So, I mean, Michael's brand is the best brand. Tigers got beat up because of some physical decisions and, you know, some stuff he did in his personal life, personal

decisions. LeBron doesn't move the shoes like Michael. He's made really good investments. But that Jordan brand is Michael's that's just going up. That's going one direction. Michael Jordan hasn't played a game in almost 25 years. He's selling more

shoes now than he ever has. College football teams wear his brand. It's time for us to give our athletes some love, Colin. Oh no, they get plenty of it. Okay. They're fine. Jordan with the news. Well, that's the news. And thanks for stopping by. The Hurd-Lie News.

When your business reaches a certain scale, challenges begin to surface. You need a customized solution, and that is netsuite.com slash herd. Learn more down there, download their popular KPI checklist, absolutely free. NetSuite.com slash herd. Be sure to catch live editions of the herd weekdays in noon Eastern, 9 a.m. Pacific. Hey, it's me, Rob Parker. Check out my weekly MLB podcast inside the Parker. for 22 minutes of piping hot baseball talk

featuring the biggest names and newsmakers in the sport. Whether you believe in analytics or the I-Test, we've got all the bases covered. New episodes drop every Thursday, so do yourself a favor and listen to Inside the Parker with Rob Parker on the IHartRadio app 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 which I'm saying. Yep, that's me. Clipper Taylor the FDefiardt, forth. You might have seen the skits, the reactions, my journey from basketball to college football,

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

and for people who are chasing something bigger. So if you've ever supported me or you're just chasing down a dream, this is right where you need to be. Listen to the Clifford show on the IHeart Radio app, Apple Podcast, or wherever you get your podcast. And for more behind the scenes, follow at Clifford and at TikTok Podcast Network on TikTok. Hey, this is Robert from the Stuff to Blow Your Mind podcast. Joe and I are both lifelong Star Wars fan,

so we're celebrating May the 4th with a brand new week of fun, thought-provoking Star Wars-related episodes. Join us as we tackle science and culture topics from a galaxy far, far away, such as the biology of taun tons and wampas on the ice planet hot, or the practicality and corporate business sense of the Sith rule of two. Listen to Stuff to Blow Your Mind on the iHeart radio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your point. podcast.

Saturday on FS1 witness one of the greatest lineups of all time, powered by three former MVP, O'Tani, Betts, and Freeman lead to Dodgers as they take on

Cody Bellinger and the Cubs. It all begins Saturday at 3.30 Eastern on FS1. Well, the story that broke about 30 minutes before our show, star receiver for Buffalo Stefan Diggs goes to the Houston Texans. Texans, it's amazing in this

sport that if you get quarterback right, it's hard to screw it up. Everything sort of works. You know, Chargers did. They haven't gotten the coach right now until Harbaugh. But if you get the coaching quarterback right, like Houston's done, everything works. So Stefan Diggs, Minnesota, Buffalo, Houston, he's going to be very good. Tank Dell, Nico Collins, they're going to be very, very good. They got Joe Mixen, Dalton Schultz. So I had said a couple of months ago, I thought Houston, their schedule would tough and they would pull back. I'm off that. I think Houston now feels like Stefan Diggs

to me is worth a game. Is he worth several? Probably not. But if you have a star receiver, he'll win you a game, he'll make a play, he'll make a catch, and C.J. Stroud can certainly get it to him. So I think Houston, you know, I kind of felt like sometimes you have a sophomore slump, I'm off that. They've done a really

good job in that front office. It also points to New England, and they had bad drafts. He goes to Houston. They've had back-to-back great acquisition years. It tells you that Belichick did not allow him the freedom that the Houston Texans did. Because all he's done in Houston is make free agent and drafting gems. And in New England, they can't draft to save their life.

You don't even talk about Will Anderson, third overall last year. So they got Stroud to Will Anderson 3. They have their book-in pass rusher, not to mention shroud. They have a dressed offensive line. Houston, is it too early to say Houston is a legitimate Super Bowl contender next year? It's not. I think in this league it's not. I mean, I felt Detroit was a bit young last year, but the NFC's weaker.

I think they'll be viable. I still think they're Detroit last year, could get there, kind of feel like there's veteran teams, like a Baltimore above them, but certainly could be there. Daniel Jeremiah earlier, former scout on the bills filling that void at wide receiver and Stefan Diggs now that he's with Houston. They can get guys. They can get guys at the bottom of the first round where they're picking. and they can get guys in the middle rounds that'll come in there with Josh Allen.

And this is just the reality of what the league is right now. When you pay these guys, you saw it with Mahomes, and they had to make a decision on Tyree Kill, and he goes away. You saw it this year with the Chargers. Keenan Allen, Mike Williams, they're gone. And I think the same thing is true there in Buffalo. And, you know, Diggs is a, you know, he's a stud, but his play has tailed off a little bit.

And when you get to 30 and you're paying that much money at that position, When you already have the quarterback paid, I almost think it's looked at as a luxury. Yeah. The other thing we talked about is European players, we're going to have our six straight, I believe, MVP, not an American player. Top leading scores in the NBA, top four, not American players. I would say the best American player in his prime is Jason Tatum. Maybe Aunt Edwards, maybe a year away from his prime. But the academy system for soccer and basketball in Europe is less coddling and more.

intense and it's better than our current system. AAU basketball, Steve Kerr's talked about that. It's just not making players better. And our soccer academies were a little behind the times on that. Europe had a little headstarting us by about 100 years. But Ryan Rusillo earlier on these European players and how Wembe has come in and he is now, I mean, next year, it feels like he will be a first team all-star next year. whatever ceiling you had on him and going, okay, maybe it'll take a couple years.

Like, he's already there now. This isn't the finished product, clearly. Like, he seems to get it immediately. And that's not supposed to happen with somebody this young. Every quote, his demeanor during games, you know, for the longest time, the Eurolabel of those guys being soft, I think it applied. Like, I do all the draft stuff all the way going back 20 years. And you're like, I don't know about this guy. But something clicked, you know, going back to, I would say, like with Prozingis, You know, Luca looks like he's mad at the world when he's out there the entire time.

But, you know, I'd rather have that than somebody who's passive. We just have so many unique players right now. Wembe is physically totally unique. Zach Edie at 7'4, Caitlin Clark, who looks like Steph Curry. And America like stars, but they like unique. Part of Jordan was, he was the coolest player we'd ever seen, not just the best. You know, part of Steph Curry, his star, his star, him was, that's different. You can't take

those shots. Mike Tyson was a heavyweight champ, but he was kind of tiny. He was smaller. Most heavyweight champs were Ali, Larry Holmes, Lennox Lewis. They were big. Tyson looked smaller. There is something about the

aesthetic of it. Like, it's Wemby is so different. I mean, let's be honest about Mahomes. He threw it left-handed. We never talked about side-armed throws with John Elway or Joe Montana or Tom Brady. or Peyton Manning. So there is something about it is not only the game is great, but it's, I mean, Caitlin

Clark takes shots that I would not suggest in men's basketball. That's just too far away from the basket. She has unlimited range. So we're seeing some really unique basketball stuff. I mean, Yokic in the NBA is the best passing big man in the history of basketball. And I covered Arbita Sabonis. I didn't see him in his prime. He was always the Blazers best passer as a center.

It wasn't Bonzie Wells, Steve Smith, Damon Stodomar. No, it was Arvina Sabonis. So there is a, the look, the stylistically, like Magic Johnson came onto the scene, six, eight and a half point guard, it was doing all this one-handed passing. Like, nobody did that. Wimbenyama is a freak. We hear that unicorn term all the time. He is a legitimate unicorn.

Janus, these are generational players. But what Kevin said earlier, Victor, if this guy ends up having the type of career, we think he can have, is he going to be considered one of, if not the greatest player of all time? I mean, that doesn't feel like hyperbole. That's how good he is. I always think in terms of if you had a one-on-one tournament in the NBA. That would be great, by the way. We should do that.

Michael would be great. Durant would be great. LeBron would be great. I never really included centers because they couldn't handle the ball. But is Wemby a year away from like, oh, he would literally go 10-0 on Jordan? Like you just literally could not stop him. What's happening now, the bigs have handles. The bigs can score.

And in that world of one-on-one, I always thought Durant would be the toughest out because he's 6.11 and a half and handles the ball like a small forward. And that's just, there's nothing Michael could do or LeBron could. You just score. Now, Wemby had four inches. I mean, it's just,

it doesn't look like anything. And Chet Holmgren's a little bit of that with OKC, where you're like, Oh, he's going to hit another three at 7-2. Fascinating stuff. Want to thank Ryan Rusillo for stopping by. Kevin O'Connor, appreciate that. Daniel Jeremiah, good show today.

Jordan filling in for J-Mack again. We stop by tomorrow Thursday off Friday, so tomorrow is our last day together. Can't wait. Thanks, buddy. We'll see you. 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 IHeart Radio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts. Imagine an Olympics where doping is not only legal, but encouraged. It's the enhanced games.

Some call it grotesque. Others say it's unleashing huge. 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 I-Hard radio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts. A win is a win. A win. A win is a win. I don't care what I'm saying. Yep, that's me. Clifford Taylor the 4th. You might have seen the skits, my basketball and college football journey or my career in sports media.

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