The Herd with Colin Cowherd - HOUR 3 - Westbrook, Bucs, NBA

Episode Date: February 22, 2022

We shouldn't be surprised by Russell WestbrookWas there really friction between Tom Brady and Bruce Arians?Newest addiction of "Buy, Sell, or Hold" Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

This is an I-Heart podcast. Guaranteed Human. 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 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 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 Clifers 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 Clifford show on the I Heart Radio app,

Apple Podcast, or wherever you get your podcast. And for more behind the scenes, follow at Clifford and at TikTok's podcast network on TikTok. On the Look Back at it podcast. From 1979, that was a big moment for me. 84's 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 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 podcasts.

Thanks for listening to The Heard podcast. Be sure to catch us live every weekday from 12 to 3 Eastern, 9 to noon Pacific on Fox Sports Radio and FS1. Find your local station for the herd at Fox Sports Radio.com or stream us live every day on the IHeartRadio app by searching Heard. You're listening to Fox Sports Radio. Navian, endless hot water, go to navian.com or tankless made simple.com, I should say. 15-year limited warranty, too. By the way, I was just reading something. Stan Van Gundy, you know, former NBA coach, was talking about Westbrook today in his Twitter account. And he was saying, you know, everybody's complaining about, you know, Westbrook.

But if you go look at Westbrook's numbers this year, they're completely on brand. he's shooting the same, his efficiency numbers are the same, his turnovers are lower than previous years. This goes to what I've said about Westbrook. You ask somebody to enter your life and you know what they are if you do homework and then you're outraged. You want an intervention because you bring somebody into your life that has, you know, stuff. Like if you go out and get Aaron Rogers, he's needy. You know, this is, Aaron's a lot of, you know, I'm the smartest guy in the room. You got to have to deal with that.

If you bring Brady into your organization, he's super intense, like really demanding. There's no date off. You know, he's a lot of these younger guys may be like, whoa, whoa, whoa, whoa, this is a lot of, this is a little tsunami of efficiency I'm not ready for. With Westbrook, this is why I always said with a trade. AD is always hurt. It's an old roster. And, you know, LeBron increasingly is not going to give you 70 games even.

Well, who's giving you 25 points? on those nights. You need points. Carmelo can give you 15, but, and that's why I said with Westbrook, just know what you're getting when you get somebody. But it's like, you know, you hear these marriage counselors all the time say, you marry the bad boy. And then you're surprised when he shows up, you know, one in the morning occasionally, he's out with his friends. Well, you married him. That's what attracted you to him. Don't try to change him. Or if you marry her, don't try to change her. Westbrook is what he is. Hyper athletic. A lot of turnovers, needs the ball, does not not play well off the ball, which, and by the way, his averages down, Westbrook's averages down.

You could say, but he's only averaging 18, 19 a game. Well, that's because he didn't have the ball in his hands, because LeBron, when he's on the floor, takes the ball away from Westbrook. And he, you know, when you bring Westbrook in with LeBron, we all knew it wasn't a great fit. What it was, though, was a productive, hyper-athletic player who gives you a bunch of minutes, which I still contend the Lakers need. I mean, outside of Malik Monk, and not many.

guys on that roster I want in the floor. LeBron, Malik Monk, you know, AD if he's healthy, you know, but I'd take Westbrook on the floor for 30 minutes. I don't want him with two and a half minutes left and go in the fourth. But Stan Van Gundy pointed out today, it's like, you brought him in. He is what he is.

And now you're blaming him. And that's my takeaway. I never loved the deal, but I accepted and tolerated the deal, knowing what Westbrook is. Because I don't believe you can change people. As Chris Broussardo says, your game is your game. Be sure to catch live editions of the herd weekdays in noon Eastern, 9 a.m. Pacific.

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 where you're saying. Yep, that's me, Clipper 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.

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 Jette. 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. 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. 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. And we don't know when we've done enough. Because people scoreboard watch. Life becomes about wins and losses. Steve Burns, Dustin Ross, because you find it important to be a good person while you hear on Earth. Or are you a good person because 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. person. Join me, Keir Gaines, as we have real conversations about healing, growth, fatherhood, pressure, and purpose on my new podcast, Learn the Hardway. Open your free iHeartRadio app, search Learn the Hardway, and listen now. Joy with the news. No, no, no, no, turn on the news. This is the herd line news. Russell Westbrook is a victim of

his brand in this situation. Like his name, West, Westbrook. Yeah. He's not a third star on this team. They have two superstars. It is Anthony Davis and the Bronjames. Yeah. Because his name is Russell Westbrook, there is some confusion as to the role that he is playing on this team. And perhaps even with himself, and when we heard him talking about finishing games,

and now he's earned the right to finish games and all this stuff. Like, there's just a lot of confusion about the role. Successful teams have very strong assigned roles. Yeah. Everyone on the team, the coaching staff, everyone in the organization. Does something well. Does something well. And that's all they do.

Their job. What is the Patriots Dynasty mantra? Do your job. Doesn't say do your job and some of someone else's job. Do your job. And in this situation with the Lakers, Russell Westbrook has been kind of made to be the scapegoat for the season. When in reality, Anthony Davis isn't healthy again. There you go.

No, you know, it's going to be very difficult for you to win a championship without. Anthony Davis being healthy. Now, that's not saying that it's Anthony Davis's fault in this particular situation that he's not healthy, but he's not. Well, and also, had you done your homework, you'd have known AD doesn't remain healthy, and he's also not a great leader. Like, those were not, those were not shocking revelations here. Again, if you, I don't think the Lakers front office is elite. if Frank Vogels won a title as a coach, I don't think Palenka is an elite GM. I'm not saying is incompetent, but he tends to be star-obsessed, brand-obsessed. Somebody has to be responsible for putting together the rust.

Everybody the Lakers have, Joy, is exactly what you thought. You thought Malik Monk was athletic, Twitchian could hit threes. You thought Carmelo off the bench could give you about 12. You thought Avery Bradley, you know, is going to give you about seven a night, but, you know, he's way past his prime. You thought LeBron was the best player in your team. AD had injury history. He's not a leader, but a great, like a great productive, defensive player and can give

you 25 a night. Westbrook is not efficient, turnover prone, wildly athletic, lots of energy and has his moments. There's no real surprises here if you just do basic homework. Nobody on this roster, you're like, wow, AD never misses a start. This is exactly what he was in New Orleans. What's surprising is the expectations. Or that people are surprised. Yes.

Like there's a revelation here with the Lakers. There's no revelations on this team. you talk to Lakers fans all the time. I ask them the same question. What did you expect to be at this point in the season with Anthony Davis missing the time that he's missed and LeBron missing the time that he's missed? Yeah. Do you, like, what is it that you expect? What do you want me to tell you that there's like some secret player that they're not letting on the court? Yeah. That like it has something to do with the lineup. Anthony Davis is your superstar alongside LeBron James. We know what we're going to get with LeBron James at this point in his career.

And he's actually playing better than I think anyone expected him to be playing at this point in his career. He is. That's the revelation. LeBron may lead the NBA in scoring. That's the only revelation. LeBron's probably a little better than we thought. Exactly. So there have been some reports circling that Rich Paul and Clutch Sports were unhappy with Lakers' GM,

Rob Polinkett for not trading Russell Westbrook for John Wall at the trade deadline this season. But Paul is strongly denying those rumors. Stephen A. Smith said that Paul called him to get his side of the story out there. He said Paul told him there's absolutely no truth to the report. And he was never contacted by anyone regarding the story before it came out. And by the way, Rich Paul texted me yesterday. I didn't say this on the show. He said, this story is nonsense.

LeBron isn't going to the calves. He goes, my agency represents Garland and Sexton. So Rich Paul texted me last night. Well, there you go. I mean, that's the other issue with the Lakers right now is that there is, I don't want to say it feels like a power struggle. But there is a little confusion as to who is actually running the team. Well, stuff's getting public.

Who's making the decisions. Yes. There's stories getting out there about, you know, know this and where did this story come from? Like who does this story benefit that LeBron and Rich Paul were trying to force that trade? Who does that benefit? Like who does that look good for? It's all just very confusing.

They need a deep breath. They need to just evaluate where they are right now, which is not the worst place in the world to be based off of the roster that was put together. If you're unhappy with what you're accomplishing, then you need to look at who put the roster together. And then that probably needs to change moving forward with your organization. organization. So Ben Simmons is getting closer to making his Nets debut. He reportedly is going to ramp up this week and is planning to make his return sooner rather than later. The Nets will be

playing Philly on March 10th. I'm really excited to watch that. I really am. I think this is a fascinating midseason move. I'm excited to watch him. I have it for both teams. Oh, I want to see it. I can't wait to watch them play. I think it's I think the Nets have a lot of moving parts. I think Philadelphia would be very good, very quickly. But this is a a good move. It was two dead teams and now two really interesting teams. Yeah. And if he does end up coming back when they play Philadelphia on March 10th, that will be so much must watch basketball. It's only 16 days away. Obviously there was going to be some transition time for Ben Simmons because he hadn't played all season long and mentally had to get ready to play as well. So we're

looking forward to seeing when he is going to get on the court. So the Browns have plenty of decisions to make regarding their roster this offseason. One player that could be letting go of is Jarvis Landry. He's entering the final season of his contract, but he's hoping to stay with his current team. This morning, he tweeted, I have put the ball in Cleveland's court by telling them I would like to stay, but if not, then I'm confident enough in myself to be a better healthy me this year. I'm moving forward to helping do my part in a winning championship elsewhere. He also tweeted that he suffered a high grade MCL sprain, a partial quad tear, and a bone bruise in week two and came back too early. So he played hurt all season.

Well, I will say this. They need him because they need receivers if he stays. So if he's healthy, he's generally an 80 catch guy. So he becomes, I always felt he was sort of the soul of their passing game. Yes. So, yeah, I mean, let's be honest about it. Baker got hurt, Landry got hurt, and both their tackles got hurt. Those are fairly key positions in the NFL.

So this team fell apart physically. First of all, the division did. Baltimore did. Cleveland fell apart. So Cleveland's still good. The Steelers didn't fall apart. They just were limited with Ben all season. Their first pick, if available, should be Drake London or the wide receiver from Ohio State.

They need a receiver. And that's if Jarvis Landry is back. I got to tell you, I don't think of mine into the Cleveland thing anymore. I feel like you do. I think the window was small. It was small. It was not optimized. I understand Baker was hurt.

I think they're going to be better than they were last year. Yeah. I think they'll be better at the beginning of the year than they were last year at the end of the year. Yes. I think I got a little too excited about the turn and the culture in Cleveland. Every year's different. Yeah. Well, you know.

Yeah. I'm kind of back to like, you got to prove it again with Cleveland. Not that that matters to them. But I just personally feel like I got ahead of myself. Like, I just really got crazy with the capability of the roster and on paper. There's a good roster. I'll argue that all day. It's a great roster. It's a great roster. Lots of great pieces. And now you've got Joe Burrow in that division.

And Mike Tomlin's never had a losing season. And Lamar Jackson and the Ravens are not going to be as injured as they were last year. And Lamar Jackson is in league MVP. The AFC has separated from the NFC to me. Now that Brady's gone, the AFC is a much deeper conference. At the quarterback position. I think it's just, I mean, listen. And they also have the youth of the quarterback position.

If Train Lance doesn't work outside of the Rams, who has the chance to be great? Green Bay, I think we both admit, is going to have to move a lot of pieces with a salary cap. They're not going to be great. They could win their invasion. I just think, I mean, there were some teams. I think even the Seahawks and the Cardinals have the, they have the personnel, the potential. Arizona, I think, could be. They were great for the first eight weeks.

They were great. They were great until Christmas. They got to figure out how to finish the season. Joy with the news. Well, that's the news. And thanks for stopping by. The Hurd-Lie News. We had Rick Stroud on earlier.

He's covered Tampa forever. There's a big story that Brady and Bruce Ariens was very clunky at the end, not great. Rich Orrenberger, who played in the NFL, has been on this show, talk radio guy in San Diego said, I heard it wasn't great. You know, Ariens would come in and kind of scratch up the game plan, left which and Brady had created, undermine them. Ariens was not happy, got a hold to Rick Stroud. They talked about it.

Rick Stroud came on earlier on our show today and said he doesn't buy into Brady, Ariens not getting along. I don't buy it. I mean, what is turbulence, right? I mean, you know, Tom is a perfectionist, so I think that part of him never really left, and it is a little more loose here. But that's what he wanted.

But, you know, when Rich Hornberger put that out, Bruce Ariens had texted me. and said, I'm really ppped off about this, right? Like, I got to say something. They tell me not to, but I got to say something. And he just felt like this narrative that there was tension between him and Brady, especially this idea that he was changing game plans. I mean, Byron Leppwich has done all the game planning with Tom Brady since he got here.

That's one of the conditions that Bruce had coming back to coaching. I was there every day. I didn't sense any tension. The coaches I talked to didn't really sense that. You never always pleased, right? but I think it's a false narrative on my assumption. I will say this. If you, even great locker rooms, you bark.

Guys bark at each other. I mean, Brady and Josh McDaniels have had shouting matches on national television. I don't like the idea that you're supposed to get along all the time. You probably shouldn't. And my wife and I, she yelled at me the other day. Not happy. Ghosted me for like 12 hours. I'm just not advocating for drama.

I'm just saying you want to have people around you who disagree with you from time to time. No one is right all the time. If I have someone around me that always tells me that I'm right, I'm very weary of them. They're lying to me. It sounds nice, but you need to have people that push you. And that's the type of person that Tom Brady is. Yeah. Yeah, I don't know.

I don't know the answer on this. I think Ariens and Brady are two totally different dudes. Listen, you went a Super Bowl in two years. It was a roaring success. If you'd have reversed it, if the first year Brady would have gone down there, there, they made the playoffs, got beat, second year and won the Super Bowl, you know, timing's so funny, we'd be like, wow, it's magical. You won the first one, you lose the second. We're like, ah, it didn't end well.

Listen, when you went down there, if you'd have said before, two years, won Super Bowl, everybody, including Brady, would have taken that. Every single person in Tampa would have taken that. That's what happened. You just got the one earlier than you thought, and you eroded on the second year. Everybody thought you were going to be like, oh, I mean, because they were to the Super Bowl favorite, right? They weren't the first year. They were the second. So that, you know, I always said this about Charlie Weiss at Notre Dame.

Had you reversed the record, it had been, he got hot early and then eroded. If he just reversed it and he won six games the first year and nine the last, you know, that Notre Dame thing really worked. It's, they won sooner than we thought. And by the way, they probably won because they were a little combative. Like, that's how you solve stuff fast, not passive aggressively. You confront, you argue, you yell, you go public, you, and you apologize. That's the way to get over.

fights is yell quickly and then you move on really quickly. The worst part is when you extend it, you don't talk, you ghost. My wife ghost me for like 12 hours. And then, damn, we got over it. Did you deserve it? It's not one of those that nobody was right. There was no, you know, the way I viewed it is there was no real right answer. She did not view it that way. There was a right answer. It was hers. Be sure to catch live editions of the herd weekdays in noon Eastern Pacific on Fox Sports Radio, FS1, and the IHeart Radio app. I'm George Reister, host of the Reister or Wrong podcast. This is the intersection where sports, business, society, and pop culture meet the truth.

Absolute fire on Mondays, Wednesdays, and Fridays. Facts only. Make sure you check your feelings at the door because no BS is allowed. We keep it 100. This is where real conversations. Listen to the Rights or Wrong podcast on the IHeart Radio Apple, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcast. Imagine an Olympics where doping is not only legal but encouraged. It's the enhanced games.

Some call it grotesque. Others say it's unleashing human potential. Either way, the podcast's Superhuman documented it all, embedded in the games and with the athletes for a full year. Within probably 10 days, I put on 10 pounds. I was having trouble stopping the muscle growth. Listen to Superhuman on the 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, 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. 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 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. 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. 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. 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. 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 Hardway. Open your free iHeartRadio app.

Search Learn the Hardway and listen now. Good to have you. And today's best for the last. Buy, sell or hold, second half of the NBA edition. So this point forward NBA, a lot of awards, a lot of positioning, A lot of seating.

Here we go. Buy, sell, or hold. All right. Time to. Colin will decide if he'll buy it. Sell. Watch it. Or hold.

Buy sell or hold. Buy sell or hold. Anthony Davis doesn't play another game this season. I'm going to sell that. If he returned a month from today, the Lakers would have 10 games left. And you know they want to get some cardio in, some games in for Anthony Davis.

So it's a midfoot sprain. He'll be back, my guess, with about five games to play. Buy, sell or hold. The Lakers and the Braun make the playoffs. I'm going to sell on that. Sell, sell, sell. Their ninth, AD's only coming back later. It's an old roster.

It may not be the last injury. They have the third toughest schedule remaining. Remember the Lakers, remember when they were struggling early and we kept saying, this is the easy part of their schedule. So they're currently on Fox Bet. Heavy favorites to miss the playoffs. I agree. Buy seller hold.

Rob Polinka will be fired by the end of the season. Hold. He's had it for five years. Had the issue with magic. LeBron praising Sam Presti, Oklahoma City GM. I think it's a go either way. Jeannie Bust tends to be loyal to people she knows. And he's Kobe's.

former agent, so she tends to be loyal. Ramba's family, magic people she knows. So I'd probably lean, he'll return, but hold. Buy seller, hold, a new look, Brooklyn Nets, win the east. That's a sell to me. First, Kyrie can't play the home games yet. Katie's got a sprain MCL. There's no timetable for his return. They weren't playing well. And we don't know what in the world. Last time I saw Ben Simmons, he couldn't, he was terrified. So I have no idea. That's why I'm so excited to watch them play. Everybody else in the media just thinks this thing's going to be, you know, big Christmas present, open it up, NBA trophy.

I got no idea what it looks like. A ton of moving parts. All right. Well, buy seller hold the revamped 76ers make their first Eastern Conference final since 2001. Buy, bye, bye, bye, bye. First of all, number seven scoring defense in the league. M.B. right now is arguably the best player on any given night in the league. and people forget they nearly reached the conference finals last year.

It was a seven-game series they lost. So, yeah, I... And a lot of the teams above them, like, for instance, or the teams around them, Cleveland, Chicago, I think are more built for the regular season than the postseason. And Milwaukee defensively is not as good as they were last year. So I think they end up in the Eastern Conference Finals. Buy seller, sell or hold the bucks win back-to-back titles.

I'm going to say sell. Sell, sell, sell. They really struggle defending the three. They give up the most three-pointers per game in the league this year, like over 14. They're a five seed. I do think they'll end up in the Eastern Conference finals. It is hard to win back-to-back. I think Phoenix has been easily the best team in the league.

Even without Chris Ball, I still think they'll end up easily winning the West. So I just think winning back-to-backs is hard. Juel M. Bede wins the NBA MVP. This is increasingly an easy one by. Buy, by, bye, buy. Leads the NBA. He's got his best scoring year ever. Leads the NBA in scoring.

Most 30-point games. Most 40-point games. And if he and Harden work together, which I think they will. A lot of people question it. That just gives him another reason. I really think, I don't think Philadelphia wanted to let go of Seth Curry in that trade. I think that was one they lost sleep on the draft picks and Andre Drummond and Ben Simmons. they're fine with. But I think they're going to be good. I think it's a pretty special team

with a great locker room. And Embed, he's got so much shack in him. He's really a special player. Buy seller hold the Warriors surpass the Sons is the number one seat in the West. That's a sell for me. First of all, Draymond Green, no timetable for his return. He was having a great year. Clay Thompson has only played 16 games. The Sons have an easier schedule down the stretch. I could see this team. I don't think they always match up necessarily that well with Phoenix. I think they're going to end up a really solid number two seed a few games back, catching up a little bit without Chris Paul, but not fully.

How about the Bulls finish the season as the number one seed in the east? I think they're tied with Miami. I say yes for a couple reasons. First of all, they haven't won. They haven't been the number one seed in the east in like a decade, so it matters to them. They also are one of these teams that the regular season is really important, and seeding for this team will be important. They're going to be a much better team at home.

You got DeRosen and Zach Levine are the number, I think they're number one scoring duo in the league. And I do think there are teams when you put them together and they're building chemistry, this regular season seeding is a big deal for them. They're tied with Miami. I don't think it is with Miami. I think Miami's had these guys.

They're running it back last couple of years. I don't think they'd rest players down the stretch. So I think Chicago wants to be the number one seed, and I think they will be. Buy seller hold. Monty Williams wins coach of the year. Yeah, that's an easy one. By the way, they have won. They are easily the best team in the league with easily the best chemistry.

They've won 18 of 19 before Chris Paul got hurt. And just the construct of this team, I still think they'll win most of their games without Chris Paul. The construct of it, this would be a pleasure to coach. If you love the NBA in the 80s, this is an 80s NBA team. A big that likes being a big, a point guard who barks, teammates and likes to distribute. Number two, who can shoot threes, but is mostly mid-range, and wing guys who defend, young wing guys who defend.

And then Jay Crowder, the classic veteran who can hit a big three, big tough guy, physical guy. It is a 1988 NBA team. And I think Mottie deserves a lot of credit. He is completely eagoless. He lets the players run the show in Chris Paul. Chris Paul's not easy to get along with. I love Chris Paul, not easy to get along with.

He gets along with Monty, because everybody loves him. loves Monnie. So if you, if Phoenix is a great watch in the NBA. If you like old the time NBA, they play like an old school NBA team. And buy seller hold, Evan Mobley wins rookie of the year. That is a buy, not just because he's a Trojan. He is a heavy favorite for the last five players to win rookie of the year, have been on playoff teams. And we said this yesterday. There's this rumor that, you know, LeBron's going to go back to Cleveland. Rich Paul texted him yesterday and said it's not going to happen. Cleveland is not, they're too young to win like two series to me. The East is better this year.

They're not going to win two series. But Cleveland's got good young players. Darius Garland, Sexton's hurt, but he averaged 24 last year. For years outside of the LeBron draft pick, they butchered a lot of picks. They have hit on three or four straight first round picks. And then they brought Jared Allen over, Levert from the Pacers. So this is a really good basketball team. Cleveland is a really, really interesting basketball team. And we were saying this yesterday, Joy, I think if you ask people in Cleveland if they could give up some of the young players for LeBron,

they would say no way. I think they got a title with LeBron. I think Dan Gilbert has no interest running that back. Yeah, I think fans would agree with that. I think, listen, you got the title. LeBron was great. He ditched for a more glamorous girl twice, Miami and L.A. But I think Cleveland, for his...

Cleveland fans are excited about... They should be. I mean, they've got... Now, they're just, they don't, the reality is the front office also went and supplemented it with getting like a Jared Allen, Levert. So it's like, good team. They'll be fun for the next five or six years. Not running your business on NetSuite trying to sink a put cap over your eyes. You can't see.

NetSuite by Oracle, the number one cloud financial system, visibility and control over your HR financials. And more Rick Stroud and Mark Schlerth both joined us today. Aaron had a, Aaron Rogers. had an Instagram. There were a lot of hearts on it and a lot of love. And, you know, Aaron said, don't make anything of it. I just got out of a 12-day cleanse, which, you know, that's like purposeful vomiting and nose drops. I mean, it's like 12 days. It's, that is a long time to be cleansing for, and by the way, Aaron's healthy. I mean, if you eat hamburgers all day, you know, you need a 12-day cleanse. I don't think Aaron is a guy that I would think, that guy

needs to cleanse it out. He's out there just wild party and every night. But Aaron's kind of ethereal and, you know, kind of a little bit of spiritual. So he went and did a 12-day cleanse. He was on Pat McAfee on Sirius X-M today and said, I'm not, I got no announcement yet. I don't believe he's told the Packers

because it's impossible if you're Aaron Rogers, you could not keep that a secret. There's no way you could keep that a secret. No, I don't think he's made a decision yet, but he doesn't have a whole lot of time to make this decision. I'll throw it out there. he's a Packer or he considers retirement, I would go 90-10-packer, 10% retirement.

I hope you're wrong. What would you guess? Well, I certainly don't want him to retire. That would be not good for Fox. He's an NFC quarterback. No, I mean, he's going to go to Denver. Go to the Steelers. I don't know.

I don't know. The Green Bay Story is, I've watched the movie. He is such a California kid, though. I mean, seriously, he should be... Oh, there's a 12-day cleanse. That doesn't feel like Pittsburgh to me. I did not do a cleanse in Pittsburgh, actually, no. It doesn't feel like Wisconsin to me.

Juice cleanse in Miami. My mailman cleanses. Everybody cleanses out here. We'll go to the cleanse capital of the world. All right, speak for yourself around the corner on a Tuesday. It's 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 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, 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 hear. 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 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 podcasts a win is a win a win a win I don't care what I'm saying yep that's me cliver taylor the fourth you might have seen the skits my basketball and college football journey or my career in sports media. Well, now I'm bringing all of that excitement to my brand new podcast, The Clifford Show. This is a place for raw, unfilled of conversations with athletes, creators, and voices that not only deserve to be heard, but celebrated.

So let's get to it. Listen to The Clifford show on the IHeart Radio app, Apple 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. Thank you.