The Herd with Colin Cowherd - The Herd - Hour 1 - Boston stays alive

Episode Date: May 24, 2023

Thoughts on the Celtics sending ECF back to Boston Colin discusses an interesting trade scenario for LeBron JamesSee 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.

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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. It was a wild year.

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And a live one on a Wednesday, it's the herd. Wherever you may be and however you may be listening. Thanks so much. A lot of choices out there for making us part of your day. Fired up to Celtics, albeit barely, still alive. J-Mack, they looked like last night a two-seat. And Miami, which had to play a couple playing games, looked like, you know, an eighth seat. Yeah.

How about Joe Missoula? Great coaching job, right? Boston made shots. And now he's a great coach, and he saved his job in Miami. So I have a juicy trade rumor in about five minutes. NBA or NFL? I'm not going to give it away. Oh, come on.

So let's start with this. When Denver had a 3-0 series lead on the Lakers, well, they started the series at home. They were a one-seed. Lakers were a seven-seed. I know you love LeBron and everything, but it made some historic sense. But when the eight seed, Miami Heat, playing their way to get into the playoffs, is destroying the number two seed Boston.

It's crazy town. Like, what's, I mean, maybe the series goes six or seven, but it's crazy town. The heat are not as talented. That's, they've got seven undrafted players four in the rotation. They're not as talented. talented. They're also missing, you know, their best pure shooter, Tyler Hero. He's a 20-point-a-game guy. So the Celtics probably are going to lose this series. It's hard to overcome an 03 deficit. But to get swept and routed by Miami, J-MAC talked about it this week. Analytically, this series

doesn't make any sense. There are no championship teams with seven undrafted guys four in the rotation. Last night actually felt like some Eastern Conference finals normal C. Like Jason Tatum was good. He had a nice second half. Well, he does all the time. The Celtics had eight blocks, eight steals, played real defense. Well, that happens all the time.

And the Celtics deeper bench actually delivered. It does all the time. Again, Boston probably doesn't win this series, but it felt like the players took over. I mean, Marcus Smart at one point in the fourth quarter during a timeout took the coach's chair. and started talking to the players. These guys have been together for a long time.

They were getting embarrassed. Marcus Smart, Jalen Brown, Jason Tatum, had an off day in Miami. Probably weren't having rum drinks, sat down and came to terms with, guys, we have the second best coach. We've got to take this puppy over. I don't think they can come all the way back and win it.

But the entire narrative of the series has been, boy, Boston's coach is over his head. It's not been, Boston just doesn't have enough good players to beat Miami. And when you're not as talented like Miami, there's one way you can win. Jimmy Butler has to be great and you have to win the intensity and the urgency battle. And last night, did it not feel like Boston backed into a corner in the second half, played harder, played better, played better defense? I mean, that's what it felt like, right? I mean, if you go look at the numbers, Boston shot 50% from the field and 40% from threes.

Why? Because they were finally aggressive, drove in, kicked it out, and as they're prone to do all the time, they hit some three-pointers. So this looked like what I thought the series was mostly going to look like, that Boston could go into a Miami. The game is tight, but in the end, a Jason Tatum, a Jalen Brown, more veteran players, a healthier team, missing Tyler Hero. Miami just doesn't have enough shot makers. I mean, ask yourself, the Celtics have two all-NBA players.

That in our lifetimes is what ends up in the finals. doesn't know is win it, but that kind of team ends up in the finals. The heat have seven undrafted guys four in the rotation. That's a team that usually has to like struggle to make the playoffs. And that's exactly what happened to Miami. So they're going to probably still win this thing, although I can't wait for game five in Boston. That is going to be one of the great playoff games.

But I thought when you looked at the game last night, Miami's got a way to win and they didn't bring the energy. and it's really hard. They're pro athletes. They led 3-0. They were at home. You get it, right? You kind of understand this is what it's going to look like.

And for the record, here's good news for Boston. In elimination games, I know we can be critical of Jason Tatum, but he's still one of the top 7-8 players in the league. In elimination games, he averages 30 points. They go back to Boston. He'll be comfortable. In these elimination games, he averages 30 points, nine rebounds, six and a half assists,

and shoots 42% from three-point land. So game five in Boston is going to be one for the ages. My gut feeling this morning is Miami goes back, plays intense basketball, the coaching mismatch resurfaces, and somehow Miami wiggles out of there with a win. Later in the show, we'll talk about this. It's not a small note. Tyler Hero, if Miami gets to the finals, is potentially available. That's not a small thing.

The history of the NBA, you usually need three stars. Maybe one's a superstar, two stars. You got Jimmy's a star, Bam is a high-end player and Tyler Hero, who played Denver once this year and had a great night. So that's not a small note. Tyler Hero could come back if they get to the finals. And that makes me think Denver and Miami, okay, you got Yokach over here, Jamal Murray, Michael Porter, you got Gordon.

On the other side, I got Bam, I got Butler, I got 20-point-of-game, Tyler Hero. I got maybe the best coach in the basketball world. Now that's an interesting final. So I think Miami's going to end this series. My gut this morning is in Boston, but game five just got really interesting. And these are games. Jason Tatum, the numbers tell you at home, elimination game, he can be pretty good. was really good in the second half last night.

Okay, this, this is tasty. I want everybody watching or listening right now, I want you to take a deep breath. And I, this is not tinfoil hat stuff. This is stuff that, that actually you're going to say, that's crazy.

And then in about three minutes, you're going to be like, not that crazy. Kevin O'Connor at the ringer reports, LeBron of the Warriors is something people are talking about. Now, I know what you're saying. Come on, Colin. Did you have a daccarry before the show? Come on. Yes, the Warriors are already old. Adding LeBron would get them one thing on the road. Senior discounts.

I admit it. Clay's 33, Steph's 35, LeBron's 38, Draymond's 33. It would feel like they're punting on the future. Oh, wait. They already got rid of Wiseman. They've Punted on their big guy for the future. And they said last week that Clay Draymond and Steph is what they're building around. They don't care about their future. The Warriors love high IQ guys. Veterans. You have to be on Steph's timeline.

You've got to be able to play in their system because it's a high IQ offensive system. Catch and react. LeBron's good at that. And they're also into winning now. It's why they moved off. their number two pick James Wiseman. It's why Coominga, super athletic, doesn't play in the playoffs. I mean, doesn't play.

It's about winning now. Now you say, yeah, but what about from the Lakers perspective? You know that deep breath I told you to take? Take another one. We looked it up this morning. Wiggins, Coominga, and Jordan Poole. It works. With Rui and A.D.

Oh, time out. It really works. So my wings would be Rui, Wiggins, and Cumminga. I'll sign up for that. Youth, coachable guys. Ascending. My big would be A.D. near the rim.

My guards would be no ego, Austin Rivers, the grinder. A little bit of ego. A lot of attitude. Jordan Poole. Austin Reeves, excuse me. And Jordan Poole. I can live with that. I mean,

the Lakers owner and the GM have had to relinquish power to LeBron James. It's what owners, it's what Pat Riley, it's what Dan Gilbert, it's what you do with LeBron. They'd get it back. Cominga, Wiggins,

Jordan Poole, Austin Reeves, A.D., and the owner and the GM, Rob Polinka, now run the franchise again. Think it's crazy? You could talk yourself into that. The Warriors, here's two things we know about them.

They are into winning now. That's why they bailed on Wiseman. That's why Cumminga doesn't play. They're into winning now. By the way, Draymond, Clay, Steph, LeBron, Looney. That's arguably better than the team they had now. And Rui, Reeves, AD, Wiggins, Bull, comminga.

Say what you want. What have I talked about with LeBron and A.D.? They were perfectly suited three years ago. But LeBron's now down to 55 to 60 regular season games a year. Same for A.D. They often miss the same night. You need more dudes. Can't go into a game with Austin Reeves and Rui on the road in Denver with a chance.

The organization would get the first. powerback and a future. The Warriors would get one of the smartest players ever. Draymond Green and LeBron are tight. LeBron has said publicly, I would love to play with Steph. He said it, I don't know, one or 25 times. Well, Golden State would be punting on the future. They already have.

That's why Cominga doesn't play and Wiseman's gone. That's why they've talked about moving moody. and pool. They're not about the future. New England at the end, that was one of Tom Brady's frustrations. Can be guys who can get open now. LeBron wants to play with ballers now.

You watch Steph against Sacramento, best player in the series. LeBron watched that too. You think on off nights, LeBron wasn't watching Steph Curry? He knows Draymond Green's an elite defender so he didn't have to guard guys in the wing. Draymond will do that. Loney will do the rebounding.

LeBron essentially would take over in the Wigan spot. They'd be better. Cuminga didn't play in the playoffs anyway. So you'd be, I mean, I don't know. I've heard crazier things. I have heard crazier things. All you blogs looking for content, won't you print that one?

That gets you some clicks. I don't know. Kevin O'Connor at the Ringer, you've got people sniffing around. J. Max over there, doesn't know what to make of it. Did you ever watch the show Scooby-Doo when you were a kid? Yeah, I loved it. So Scooby-Doo, you know, the crew, they would find out what was going on, and they would pull off the mask of the bad guy to reveal the real bad guy.

And I feel like I want to pull the mask off you now, and I'm going to see, like, Draymond Green is under there trying to get LeBron to the Warriors. Because this is crazy, coward. This is insane. So I'm looking at the depth chart. You're talking Curry, Clay, Draymond, LeBron, and Looney. And then what are you going to do? Six, seven Max guys on the bench?

Or minimum guys on the bench? You can't find an old guy that doesn't want to come off the bench. Okay, Tristan Thompson, bring on, come on down. Who else you got? No, no, no. There's no, I mean, this would be, what would Adam Silver do? He would be irate. Do you think he wants a collection of stars on the Warriors again?

It'd be two great stories. If you're a Laker fan, Wiggins, Kamingopul, Reeves, A.D. Rui. How are you not excited about that? You get your future. The organization gets the organization back. that's a good basketball team. I still got a star. I got AD.

And now I've got like Wiggins. Wiggins can get you 20 points. Reeves, everybody in this town loves Reeves. I love Reeves. And we know what Poole's done when he started for Steph. You're getting 20 from him. Anybody on that team going to punch out Jordan Poole in the preseason? Probably not.

He might be their best offensive player. Who says no to that deal? Who's more likely to say no? Probably the Lakers, right? No. So the Warriors would say no, we don't want LeBron? That's not happening. This is insane.

I need a little more time to let it marinate. My gut tells me there's zero chance of it happening, but Curry and LeBron on the same team. That would probably break the internet, would it not? The Golden State Warriors, with my suggestion, based on Kevin O'Connor, would be better next year. Wouldn't be deeper. But they didn't play Coominga anyway. You know what they say? a eight, trust seven.

You need two guys off the bench. And by the way, with Steph Curry, LeBron doesn't have to be great for games. Steph's got one half, LeBron's got the other. I'm not saying Golden State would have a future, but they're telling me over and over, they don't care.

If they cared, they would appease Cominga. He was glued to the bench in the playoffs. Glued to it. Wiseman was a number two pick, not a number 15. Move. They brought back. Paton, they keep going back. And for them, this we know is true. Everything's on the Steph

timeline. Everything. In fact, the only way this doesn't, the only person that would say no to this is Steph, if Steph said no. But I think Steph looks around and thinks, we need size. We need girth. Loonie can't be the only elite. Like LeBron is just big. He's physical. He changes your team. and by the way, LeBron then wouldn't have to shoot as many threes. LeBron could go back to doing what he does, play 30 minutes, drive to the basket and score. So for the Warriors, you know, you look at LeBron, what's the knock on LeBron? He's shooting too many threes. He'd go to Golden State.

LeBron's one of the smartest guys in the league. LeBron would be like, I don't have to take those. Well, there were times in that Warriors-Lakers-Lakers elimination game where the Warriors basically didn't have anybody who could score outside of Curry. Like, you can't count on Clay Thompson anymore. Draymond's not an offensive guy. Wiggins was a hit and miss. LeBron is, I mean, he just put up 48 minutes and had 40 points in...

And LeBron scores the opposite way. He's the most effective scoring, the opposite way the Warriors do. Ball in hands, drive to the rack, get a foul. If this happens, this will be probably the greatest call you've had in the history of the show. Dating back to that other network. You've never had anything. I mean, it's early. I'm not calling it.

I saw a story this morning, and it's not crazy. I mean, LeBron James looks up. He likes Austin Reeves. No, he loves Austin. He likes him. He liked Alex Caruso. He likes Reeves. He likes Rui.

He loves AD. Why? Because AD's a star. Steff's a star. Dremont's a star. That organization is star-driven, not kid-driven. By the way, LeBron doesn't give a rip about anybody's future, except his. The Warriors don't care about the future.

They want to win now. It would be a one or two-year deal. That's Steph's not playing a 45. Steph's got two more great years. And then he's probably going to at least consider if he's got a title or two. I'm out. By the way, LeBron just played Denver. Did LeBron not just tell Anthony Davis after the game,

LeBron acknowledged he told Anthony Davis, it's the best team we've played. You think they're getting worse? Denver's all ascending players in there in prime. They're not getting worse. LeBron's always been strategic. always been crafty. Who do you think you,

who do you believe he looks at that team with Clay, Steph, Draymond, Loonie, Steve Kerr, offensive coach, LeBron. You don't think LeBron thinks they can beat Denver? You know he thinks that. This would be the opposite of what Kevin Durant did. Kevin Durant had Curry walked away to play with Kyrie Irving. LeBron's in L.A.

There's all this talk. Could Kyrie come to L.A.? No, thank you. I'll go to the Warriors and play with Curry. Be a stroke of genius from LeBron. You'd have to let LeBron engineer it. LeBron would not want to be looked like he was shipped away. You go to Rich Paul, you go to LeBron to say, listen, you tell me. What do you feed?

Because right now the Lakers organization doesn't have the power. Now, Jeannie Bust does, but Rob Polink is a young GM. All I'm saying is our job is to create talk and entertainment. This is out there. You can talk yourself into this very quickly. Is on Palinka's Tombstone. The guy who traded LeBron James. No, no.

The guy who had the courage to move off 38-year-old LeBron could also be it. This is not 28-year-old LeBron. Then it goes on your tombstone. Rebuilding the Lakers with Wiggins and Cominga and Poole and Reeves and A.D. Take that roster and compare it to what it was pre-trade deadline. It was a sinking ship. So how close are the Lakers to getting to the finals? They just made the conference finals.

They did get d. And LeBron getting younger. AD getting healthier. Austin Reeves getting wildly more athletic. This team's not getting better. So you think they maxed out here? You did. Everybody said the Celtics are underachieving.

The Lakers are overachieving. Miami's overachieving. Milwaukee underachieved. Denver's achieving to the level we think they probably should now after all these years. So should I save my Tray Young to the Lakers trade for the second hour or I like Trey Young, you know, that's one of my guys. Listen, we do journalism here.

We're not the New York Times. We can go on rumors, okay? Be sure to catch live editions of the herd weekdays in noon Eastern, 9 a.m. Pacific. On Fox Sports Radio, FS1, and the IHeard 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 super. Superhuman documented it all, embedded in the games and with the athletes for a full year. Within probably 10 days, I'd put on 10 pounds. I was having trouble stopping the muscle growth. Listen to Superhuman on the I-Hard Radio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts. A win is a win. A win is a win. I don't care what you're saying.

Yep, that's me, 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 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 all day, but just so you all know.

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

For me, it's one of the most important years for black people in American history. Listen to look back at it on the IHeart Radio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts. American Grass Seed Company, Pennington, on a mission to ban turf fields in the NFL. go to pennington.com slash flip the turf. Let's get our players on grass. So yesterday, Aaron Rogers had a calf injury. Calf injuries are mostly annoying. Take a long time to heal.

Then you re-injure him. He'll be fine. Robert Saul has said something interesting, though. He's the coach of the Jets. Hot seat, got to win games. He said Rogers' acquisition has been very positive. on a number of fronts. And he said, with our defense and Aaron,

it realistically puts us in the Super Bowl conversation with about six or eight other teams. So what I do about once a month during the season, I call it my Super Bowl bubble. It's usually about seven teams, I think, are Super Bowl worthy and then a couple of hovers. Now, I'm doing this. I haven't seen the rookies play,

the free agents fit, or the coaches fit, coordinators head coaches. I would say there's five teams now that feel like really, really heavy-leaning Super Bowl teams. Kansas City, Cincinnati, Buffalo, Philly, San Francisco. I do think four other teams are really talented. Ravens, Chargers, they got the right OC, Jaguars, and Cowboys.

Now, that's who I see in there. There are two teams that could go either way. I don't think Dallas is going to be atrocious or Jacksonville or Baltimore or the Chargers will be atrocious. They may not be in the Super Bowl bubble, but I don't see man overboard. Miami and the Jets are those two teams. Could be really special or ugly, let me explain.

For Miami, the upside, Vic Fangio is as good as any defensive coordinator in the league, and they went and now have two elite corners, a problem last year. It's the second year for Mike McDaniels system, the fastest receiving core in the league, and Tua is really accurate. Really great offensive coaches, even Kyle Shanahan, used the second. takes the second year in a system, Sean McVeigh, for it to truly pop. They could be really good. Or to a concussion, they're using Mike White a backup, and in the AFC, they're a six-win team.

Then there's the Jets. Excellent defense. Here comes Aaron Rogers. With a young O-line, with a receiving corps, you hope a young player delivers. A running back coming off a major injury. Brutal early schedule, they go two and four, three, and three. There's grumbling, and it becomes an incredibly pressurized situation, and the New York media's got their fangs out, and it kind of goes sideways.

But they could both be great. If you look at my Super Bowl bubble, again, those teams may not win it. I don't see man overboard. Jets in Miami, I think, could be both. really special, but a two a concussion, an ugly early start for Aaron, who, by the way, is relying on Nathaniel Hackett. Cross your fingers on that. Diana Rusini, however, I've been glass half full with the Jets recently. Diana Rusini came out yesterday with a tweet, said she spoke to multiple Jets players and coaches about Aaron, quote, the standards been raised, little details now significant, everybody being held

accountable, Rogers All In has a lot to say. So the best hope for the Jets is you get the new and improved Aaron Rogers. You see that with products. They come out and they say, well, new and improved tide. It was doing just fine. If you get the new and improved Aaron, which I think I said this yesterday, I've taken three or four new jobs. You're always trying to be a better version of yourself if you take a new job.

A little less snarky, a little more accountable. committed offseason Aaron? That feels like year 8 Aaron in Green Bay. J. Mack with the news. No, no, no, no, no. Turn on the news. This is the herd line news. Very positive, very optimistic.

Disrespectful leaving the jets out of the Super Bowl bubble. I mean, come on, what a fringe material? That offensive line needs work. Why don't we start with one of the teams you like a lot, the Buffalo Bills? Can I call them the fading, the cratering Buffalo Bills? What notable player missing from the OTAs this week? Coach Shaw McDermott confirmed that receiver Stefan Diggs has not reported to the team yet. Diggs has not been around for any of the voluntary workouts so far this offseason.

Colin, I looked into this contract-wise. You know, Diggs is the second biggest cap percentage hit on the team 10% of his 10.6% of his cap hit from the team. Something seems a miss here. He had 11 touchdowns last year, career high. Why is he all upset? Okay, first of all, this is a non-story, and here's why. Oh, okay. Josh Allen and Stefan Diggs have worked together for years, have been money for years.

This is not like a new receiving corps or a rookie quarterback. Kenny Pickett needs to be at OTAs. Lamar Jackson need to get to OTAs. Last year, Aaron Rogers needed to get to OTAs. I'm good with Stefan missing camp. In fact, I would argue, and Stefan privately would tell you, Josh Allen has got to find a second reliable receiver and he's got to get Dalton Kincaid the new tight end

into the mix with Dawson Knox. So this camp is going to be about the new tight end, the new running back. Stefan Diggs is actually being a team player and saying let's let the new guys get the attention. Non-story. That's your take. That's it.

My take is Stefan Diggs and Josh Allen. That's the only thing with that offense. I always trust. Don't trust the run game. As a Jets fan, I got to push back. I'm going to rattle off all these young receivers on the bills who look up to Diggs, this highly paid superstar, who's just no-showing for volunteer. Here's the rest of the receivers, Gabe Davis, who was a disappointment last year.

Oh, Buffalo's up fans are upset with this guy. He needs an OTA. Exactly. He needs to be looking up to Stefan Diggs, who's to show this guy the ropes. Then you've got somebody named Khalil Shaker. Never heard of him. Trent Shurfield, little guy who was on the Niners. Deonté Hart.

Justin Shorter. I don't know any of these dudes. Basically, Buffalo's got a young wide receiver room and they need a veteran to be in there showing these guys what it takes, the commitment to winning. And oh, by the way, Dalton Kincaid, you think he walks in that room

and is like, oh, where's our best wide receiver? Oh, he's not here. Oh, why do I have to be here? Dalton King, I'm a highly touted guy. This is a bad example for the young guys. This is Stefan Diggs saying, I got really frustrated last year when nobody beyond me offensively,

me and Josh were held accountable or productive consistently. So the bills heard it, went and got a back, went and drafted a tight end, an offensive lineman. This camp is not about Josh Allen or Stefan Diggs. It's about everybody else, including that coaching staff with the offense, Diggs, a true leader, allowing others to flourish. Boy, is the leader of this show, when you start just mailing it in, I'm going to be like, well, cowards not working his butt off. Why should I? Why should I be grinding in the salt mines when cowher is not even showing up to voluntary OTA? This is a real salt mine job, yeah, sure.

Yes, the salt mines, obviously. Next up, let's stick with a 49ers team that's in your Super Bowl bubble. Brock Purdy on the road to recovery. We're getting weekly updates on Brock Purdy now. It's going very well. Irrelevant. Oh, of course it is. He's expected to begin throwing next week, Colin, ahead of schedule.

Kyle Shanahan believes Purdy is on track to be on the field when the season starts. We're hoping for week one, and we feel pretty optimistic about. that. So we're hoping for he'll be ready to play in week one. Usually you got to come back before that to make that goal and that's kind of the goal we're hoping for and don't have any reason to think differently. I'm going to give you a little telepathy. I'm going to read the mind of Kyle Shanahan. Telepathy. Why did they bring Sam Darnold over? They didn't bring him over to be the future. They brought Sam Darnold over because he plays stylistically and athletically he's a more experienced version of

Trey Lance who they're moving off of, right? So, Brock Purdy's their guy. They don't have to pay him for four years. Seven games, he's their guy. Got to the NFC championship. But we got two seasons of Justin Fields. We don't know. Brock Purdy, he's their guy.

Okay, continue. It's like 9 and 0 and starts when he was healthy. Started and finished. He was 708, no, 9 and 0 or something like that. Was it Brock Purdy or the team? But Darnold is camouflage. What Darnold does, Darnold is Trey Lance, not a beautiful thrower.

but bigger than average, mobile but not Lamar. Somebody they like, but there's limitations. This team is telling you, Purdy is our future. But if he goes down, we don't know of Trey, live bullets can handle it. We know Darnold can just with limitations. So I think the Darnold move is basically acknowledging two things. Brock Purdy is the guy, and Trey Lance will eventually be moved once he's healthy, get some preseason stuff and looks viable on the market.

Yeah, I'm trying to look at Sam Darnold's numbers from last year in... No, no, no, he's not the future. He's not the future. They need a backup. So, listen, I've been on the show for like, you know, eight months now. You like me. I'm the guy, obviously. Brock Purdy started seven games, Cowherd.

I like the guy. Seven games. And we're sure he's our guy going forward. I would say this year and next, and his price tag is a big reason why. That, okay, that I can buy. Because they're allowed now with him that can keep McCaffrey and Trent Williams and Kittal and Debo. Oh yeah. And they can keep Fred Warner and Bosa.

Okay, this is one of the best rosters in the last 10 years. The only way you're allowed to keep it is by one of the things we've discussed, a third, fourth, fifth, six-round quarterback, kind of like Dak early with the Cowboys. You can overpay for guys. You can take big swings. You're not paying the quarterback anything. It's what Seattle did with Russell Wilson. Now go to a seventh round contract.

So I think Shanahan looks at this and thinks, my offense doesn't need a superstar quarterback. Can you cognitively get to play it? By the way, Jimmy Garoppolo got to a Super Bowl. So he's thinking, well, this kid is a healthier version of Garoppel. Limitations, but can get it out accurately. I like Purdy, but my guy, are we gassing the guy up too much? Half a season?

Seventh-round pick? Hold on. I just want to point this out. They opened the season in Pittsburgh and T.J. Watt in that nasty defense. I'll tell you, this is a game I've circled on the calendar for week one. I will be betting the Steelers as a dog at home. Colin, are you sure you want Pretty coming back for that game? There's a chance they wreck him coming off the surgery in that first game.

Because after that, it's like the Rams. We know they're not going to be good. The Giants, mediocre at best. Arizona, worst team in the league. I don't know that I'm rushing Brock Purdy back for that open. I'm dead serious. The Steelers will win that game outright. I'll write the headline right now for week one.

I'm not denying that. I think Pittsburgh will be very formidable in that game. And my takeaway is you start Sam Darnold and then you go to Brock Purdy for the rest of the year. We just solved the quarterback situation, Kyle. Final story. Back to the NBA. Heat obviously could not pull off the sweep last night. Good defense from Boston, switching everything.

You see that in the second half? And it forced Miami to do a lot of one-on-one junk that they're not used to. But was it whipping around like it was in the first half? Miami still has three more chances to close out the series. Jimmy Butler, of course, was asked about the Celtics gaining momentum. No, if anything, this will build momentum for us knowing we need to play with a lot more energy. We've got to play like our backs are against the wall. I think all year long we've been better whenever we've had to do things our way.

Jimmy Butler went to the podium last night singing like a pop song sleeves off. I love me some Jimmy Butler. That guy's cool. Big fan. By the way, the Tyler Hero story this morning

is not insignificant. He played Denver once this year. Do you see his line, 26, 10, 5? Well, Denver has smoked Miami. I think six straight games. They're better. But Tyler, Hiro, Bam, Butler, and Spoe, and then all these role guys

can be role guys. still take Denver, but Hero gives them... It's good. You know what he doesn't give them is defense. And some of the heat fans are saying one of the reasons were better defensively is because Tyler Hero can't guard a chair on the court. And now we've got Caleb Martin and Struce and Vincent. But by the way, one of the guards, I think it was Vincent got her. Did you say that ankle turn late in the game? Oh, yeah. But he didn't look good. That looks like, I looked at that and I thought, that's not punitive. He'll play next game. Okay. Well, if he can't, they're already very thin.

Nobody fell on it. He just, he just tweaked. It looked ugly. I'm just telling you, there's a team that's very thin. Oladipo's done. Heroes out. They don't have a lot of depth. If Boston wins game five, are you going to be checking in from your vacation

watching the rest of the series or no? I'll be in Reichavik. I don't even know what time zone that is. Either do I yet. J-Mac with the news. Well, that's the news. And thanks for stopping by. The Herd Lie News.

Fun stuff today. Be sure to catch live editions of The Herd, weekdays, and New Neon News. 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 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. Listen to the Cliverts show on the IHeart Radio app, Apple Podcast, or we're 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 a 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 all 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. Week 7 of the USFL kicks off Saturday at 4 Eastern on Fox as Birmingham takes on New Orleans. Then at 9 on FS1, Philly Battles Pittsburgh.

And on Sunday, it's Michigan versus New Jersey at 5.30 on FS1. So it feels like 20 years ago, the hot stove league in baseball was really, really interesting. baseball didn't have a salary cap, but more teams could vie for great players. Now there's like six teams that make super money. They get who they want. You can see the Dodgers angling for Shohei Otani. If they want him, they'll get him. Only the Yankees.

Maybe a Braves could compete. But, I mean, maybe the Mets with Steve Cohen. The bottom line is, in the NBA, the trade rumors fly fast and furious, and there's a realistic hope you could land somebody. So Joe Von Buha of the athletic, the subscription service, says the Lakers Brass has had internal discussions about going after Tray Young. Now, Tray Young loves the big stage and has a reputation that's worse than reality.

Very durable for his size. Outside of Luca, he's the highest scoring guard in the league, loves again the big stage, pretty durable, plays big minutes. He's a kid, right? he's a kid still developing. And the Lakers too often chase the past. I am all for new, fresh, and dynamic. If you look at the last 15 months, they've had Westbrook and Mello and DeAndre Jordan

and Rondo and Dwight Howard and DeLowe a second time around. I mean, they shop at the dollar store on some of these old guys. This feels new, fresh, young, and dynamic. So if LeBron didn't leave, what does he need? He needs shooters. That's why yesterday I said, Kyrie U.S. Irving can drive you crazy, but he actually fits with LeBron because LeBron needs shooters and guys that can run the offense when he misses 25 NBA starts, when he misses a second

half because he's gassed. Kyrie Irving can run the offense. I get Tray Young without all the headaches. I got a younger Trey Young than Kyrie Irving. I would take Trey Young over Kyrie Irving. I'd sign him to a five-year deal tomorrow. It wouldn't even be close. Trey Young is a big stage guy for his size.

He's durable. He plays big minutes. Now, you say, why would call him? Quinn Snyder give him up. Quinn, who coached at college, he's got a system. He's not a huge fan of guys ad-libbing at point. Donovan Mitchell could drive him nuts, though he liked him. Trey Young sometimes can kind of freelance and ad-lib.

It's not exactly what Quinn Snyder loves. They wouldn't give him away for cheap. But you can't tell me you like Kyrie Irving to the Lakers and not Trey Young. He's younger. He's still ascending. plays more games. He can play more minutes. Both love the big stage. He's not as personally erratic. I'm all for it. So this one to me is like, I think, and I'm not, I said this. I, you know, I'm seen as a Brady guy, Tom Brady guy. But at the end in New England, I was fatigued by it. It's like,

give me a new story. That's why Tampa was so much fun. LeBron has had an amazing career. I think I'm viewed fairly is very, very pro LeBron. I didn't like his first year in L.A. where he didn't like his teammates. He didn't care about basketball. He was setting up his business. It was like, dude, come on, pivot back. Make the thing the thing. Basketball.

But he's been a very good steward for basketball for the Lakers and has earned all the respect that he's garnered through his career. But Trey Young is repped by Clutch Sports. Clutch sports reps AD and LeBron. So it's not crazy town. And I do think the Lakers, I've said this before with LeBron. LeBron and AD were initially perfect. But because now both missed 25 regular season games, you've got to get me somebody who plays 68 to 70 games.

It's Trey Young. For his size, it's remarkably durable. He plays every night. Loves the big stage. Plays big minutes. That's what LeBron needs. He's gone. Somebody can run the offense.

He's playing. Somebody can finish his pass. He plays 24 minutes. who can play 40, Tray Young. So if you're into Kyrie Irving, this is a significantly better option than Kyrie Irving. I would take this a thousand times. Jemak, I know you love this because you love Trey Young. Yeah, I'm proud of you, Cowherd.

This is exciting that you would take Trey Young over Kari Irving. Finally, we agree on something. I just want to point this out to people. Trey Young, in his first ever playoffs at age 22, took the Hawks to the conference finals while averaging 28.8 points per game, nine and a half assists per game. When he was 22 years old, Kyrie Irving, never,

never sniffed the playoffs with those Cavs teams back in the day. And it's not like this Hawks team was great that he took to the conference finals. What we're doing, the critics of the NBA, remember, who are the two names that have surfaced in the last two days with LeBron, Kyrie and Trey Young? What are they?

Clutch. Point guards that can play, the Lakers are saying, we'll look at point guards. who can play when LeBron's out, and if LeBron's in, they can finish his passing. So they're looking at the same type of player. I think it's absolutely what the Lakers need. That's why I don't think Jordan Poole coming down here from the Warriors in a package is crazy.

Austin Reeves can be one of your leaders at point. The other thing, yeah, like defensively everybody. Oh, Tray Young doesn't play defense. Why would you want him? Let me just remind everybody. Dennis Schroeder's a great defender. Steph Curry did get the better of Dennis Schroeder. And, oh, by the way, he could not handle Jamal Murray.

Jamal Murray lit him up 30 points and a half. Come on. Here's the other thing. Darvin Hammond, AD, guarantee your defense is fine. Your defense will be fine. The other thing is, we do this. And I've made this mistake. In the NFL, the college player comes in at 23 to 24 years old often.

Remember, he red shirts. He plays for three years. You get a man. They're often married in relationships. They have shorter careers. You get more mature. players. In the NBA, you get a kid. And the better they are in college, the faster they're to the NBA. Jason Tatum is just now becoming Jason Tatum. Trey Young's a kid. He's an ascending

player. Jamal Murray, Michael Porter, this year finally becoming, they've been in the league for years. So you have to look at young NBA players. Don't label them too harshly in year one or two. Even I said John Morant. He's a kid. In three years, he'll look back at this stuff and go, the hell is I doing? Hour 2, live in L.A. 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'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 On the Look Back at it podcast For 1979

That was a big moment for me 84 is big to me I'm Sam J And I'm Alex English Each episode We pick a here unpack what went down And try to make sense

of how we survived it With our friends Fellow comedians And favorite authors Like Mark Lamont Hill On the 80s 84 was a wild I mean

It was wild 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. This is an IHeart podcast. Guaranteed human.