The Herd with Colin Cowherd - The Herd - Hour 1 - Lakers, Blazers, NBA Free Agency

Episode Date: July 3, 2023

In this hour of The Herd, Colin scrutinizes the offseason free agency moves the Los Angeles Lakers have made. Also, Colin soaked in more of the best player in MLB over the weekend. Plus, Colin weighs who will win the eventual Damian Lillard trade—Portland or whoever gets the services of Lillard. Finally, Colin explains why not all player mobility in the NBA is the same. See 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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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 IHeart Radio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts. Hey, this is Robert from the Stuff to Blow Your Mind podcast. Joe and I are both lifelong Star Wars fan, so we're celebrating May the 4th with a brand new week of fun, thought-provoking Star Wars-related episodes.

Join us as we tackle science and culture topics from a galaxy far, far away, such as the biology of tauntons and wampas on the ice planet hot, or the practicality and corporate business sense of the Sith ruling. of two. Listen to Stuff to Bole Your Mind 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 on Fox Sports Radio in noon to 3 Eastern, 9 a.m. to noon Pacific. Find your local station for the herd at Fox Sports Radio.com or stream us live every day on the IHeart Radio app by searching Fox Sports Radio or FSR. Fox Sports Radio.

Here we go. It is a Monday holiday weekend moving forward. It's the hurt. Wherever you may be, however you may be listening. Good show today. Thanks for making us part of your day. Next couple of days, Jay Mack off, Brian filling in. It's nice to have your busy weekend, a lot of NBA moves.

One hour from now where Colin was right, where Colin was wrong. I thought I'd start the show with this. competency is not revolutionary. I'm expected to do basic things every day for three hours. Nobody asked me to be perfect. It's not about being perfect. I'm ad-libbing for three hours. Nobody asks your job.

You don't have to be, even as a pilot, not every landing is nailed. Not every takeoff is perfect. Just don't, you know, crash the thing. Rob Polenke is the Lakers GM. watching Laker fans react to common sense moves over the weekend was quite something. Common sense moves. So yes, the Lakers did have a good weekend because they didn't do anything dumb. They didn't sign Russell Westbrook, right?

So Polinka moved off Russell Westbrook. That was an obvious move. There's no reason for a parade. Why'd you sign him? So first of all, they retained two guys. They needed to. Austin Reeves. I like him a lot. Don't love him. But they got a reasonable contract and they retained him. They should. Not a pure point, not a pure shooter, but he plays well with LeBron. He initiates contract,

can get other guys into foul trouble, works really hard. It's a reasonable price. They also retained Rui Hachamora. Long, nice body type in today's NBA can guard the wing, good size. We saw Denver winning a title with size. Milwaukee won a title with size. I like Rui. Good players. Sometimes great knights, but good players.

And Rob Polinka smartly retained them. He also added size to help Anthony Davis. He got Jackson Hayes, who's had some off-court trouble, really, really talented young big. A.D., sometimes overwhelmed against Yokich and overwhelmed against the big when he's the Lakers only big down low with size and athleticism. So Jackson Hayes is a nice piece. AD also gets hurt a lot.

He's going to miss 25 games. So Jackson Hayes, good common sense piece, comes with a little baggage but talented kid. They also added shooting with Gabe Vincent from Miami. Now, it should be noted Pat Riley, who's brilliant, would not pay him what the Lakers would. But he did shoot 38% on threes in the playoffs. He was very good in clutch situations. Miami in the playoffs, Lakers last year in the playoffs.

L.A. is a big stage. I like the Gabe Vincent contract, more probably that I'd like to sign him for. But he can play, and he's played in big games. But Pat Riley did let him go. They also moved off Dennis Schrooter, who's been a bounce around the NBA guy for a long time, talented, played hard for the Lakers, but a very erratic player you can't trust. Now, I would have bailed on DeAngelo Russell, but Rob Polinkin doeserves credit. It's only a two-year deal, meaning after next year, it'll be an expiring contract player. You'll be able to move him.

He also can shoot. Now, he's erratic. He was awful against Denver. He's untrustable. He was benched. I would have tried to move off him. I'm sure the Lakers looked around for another guy that could add shooting probably didn't want to pay for it or couldn't find him.

So I even get the DeLo move. It's a two-year deal. Those are the best deals. If Kyrie Irming's deal with Dallas was two years, it'd be a lot better than three. You have them for a year. You can move them after a year. None of these moves are Danny Aange. They didn't reshape the roster.

They retained the right two guys. They acquired some nice players. Cam Reddish is a nice player. They got him for a nickel. It's not going to change anything in May and June. and if LeBron and AD do, as they are prone to do, get banged up in the regular season, hopefully cross your fingers not late in the regular season. None of this stuff's going to matter.

These aren't guys winning playoff series. But the Lakers have been such a mess for most of the last nine and ten years that competency is viewed as revolutionary. These are basic moves that any smart GM could make. I liked almost all of them. Austin Reeves absolutely won him back. There's a reason there wasn't a gigantic market for Austin Reeves. He's an old 25, a lot of years of college. We're closer to his ceiling than anybody wants to acknowledge.

He averages 10 a game. I think it'll go to 15 or 16. He's the third best player in a playoff team, but if AD or LeBron got hurt and he had to be the second, you're not winning a playoff series against the Western Conference team next year because most of them are better. Don't turn competency and GM 101 into revolutionary. Nobody reshaped the roster, brought back the right guys, moved off the right guys,

got some cheap contracts. It's a nice weekend for the Lakers. They're a little younger, got a couple extra shooters. Check, check. That's good. Not great. It's good. All right.

So I was watching this weekend, the greatest major league play. of my life, the single best Major League Baseball talent of my life. Yeah, it's not close. It's Shohei Otani. Now, I wasn't around for Babe Ruth or Ty Cobb. He's better. Bo Jackson was good. He couldn't pitch.

Shohei Otani had quite a weekend. Bomb after bomb after bomb against the debacks. Does everybody understand what we're watching here? He leads baseball in all the big power stats. Extra base hits, OPS, RBI, he's tied,

home runs. He's also seven and three on the mound. He doesn't really have a comp. You could say, well, MJ was the best offensive player and defensive player, but we demand that our NBA players actually play defense. Everybody except James Harden does. I'm talking about maybe Michael Phelps, who won 23 gold medals, the next closest was nine, and he was dominant in multiple swim categories.

That's about the comp. Michael Phelps, the greatest Olympian of all time. But this is what globalization does, and it's an amazing thing to sports. The best two NBA players now are Janus and Yokic, highly skilled bigs. And in America, the way it works is that specialization in a lot of different fields is key. Probably because of our capitalistic nature. The more money you can make, the better. Everything's about specializing in this.

specializing in that. If you're in tech, you're a programmer or you're a coder. It's specializing. And in sports, you can shoot threes well. You're a rim protector. Now, LeBron was the exception, did almost everything well, but he's never been a great long-distance shooter. But Europeans are different. The world is different. It's not about specializing. It's about if you want to get to America and make the most money in professional sports, because that's where all the money is, outside of international soccer, the big money in basketball and baseballs in this country, it's be great at many things, make yourself better, your team better, highly skilled. You watch European basketball players.

They do multiple things well. I mean, Yokic can pass. He's an elite passer, elite shooter. He can rebound. He can direct traffic. He can handle the ball. You've never had a center like Yokic. M.B'd won the MVP, but it was more of an anti-Yokic vote.

he's a much more layered player and it's not particularly close than our bigs, especially the old bigs, like the wilts and the shacks or the Akeem's. And Shohei Otani does everything well. And what's remarkable is how he garners all this power. He's 210 pounds. It's unbelievable. He's got like Aaron Judge Power, 210 pound guy. He runs.

He hits for power. He hits for average. He's a dominant pitcher. I'm highly skilled at a lot of things. It's part of what I'm watching with the globalization of sports. I don't know if those players will always be as popular as domestic players. It is clearly an advantage in college basketball to be on television during March Madness and introduce Zion to us.

You know, we didn't watch Yokic or Yonis first couple of years unless you were in Denver or in Milwaukee. But show Hey O'Tani, there's just nothing else. even close. I mean, I love Bo Jackson. It wasn't pitching. Unbelievable weekend. By the best pure... I know, I know you love Babe. And I know baseball fans romanticize the past.

I get it. It's the sport. That's why there's so many great books on baseball. That's why baseball's so great on radio. It's the sport of storytelling and history and lore. Football's about next Sunday. NBA's about the playoffs. Soccer's about the next goal. But I know we romanticize, but

Babe didn't do this simultaneously. This is absolutely remarkable. All right. A lot of stuff today. The dame trade is going to happen, but he may be a little harder to trade than everybody else thinks. Also, a Packer story that is, the Packers say they can't wait to watch Aaron on Hard Knocks. I bet they can't.

They want everybody else to see what they saw for years. A lot to do today. Also, Colin Wright, Colin Wrong. 45 minutes from now. 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. in 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 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. Hey, this is Robert from the Stuff to Blow Your Mind podcast.

Joe and I are both lifelong Star Wars fan, so we're celebrating May the 4th with a brand new week of fun, thought-provoking Star Wars-related episodes. Join us as we tackle science and culture topics from a galaxy far, far away, such as the biology of taun tons and wampas on the ice planet hot, or the practicality and corporate business sense of the Sith rule of two. Listen to stuff to blow your mind on the iHeart radio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts. The Lakers knew they were going to take a PR beating for a couple years, that the long play, they had to get Kobe another star.

They eventually did Pau Gasol, but the Lakers knew that for two years, you know, they were going to have to eat the proverbial dirt sandwich in the media. Because Shaq was going to be winning titles. It would look amazing. But they knew Shaq was a distracted player, an aging player, increasingly not in great shape. Didn't love practice, missed a lot of games. And that's the way it often works in business.

You have to make bets, often initially, the person who wins the bet, loses short term. And Portland and Dame are disconnecting. And wherever Dame goes, he's going to win this in the first year to two. He's going to join a Miami or a Milwaukee and a Philadelphia. And for two years, Portland's GM and Portland fans are going to freak out. But he is small, doesn't defend, hurt more often than ever. And he's damn expensive.

Two years at 45 mil, followed by two years at 60. Now, Dame is a player I love after Steph Curry. He's my favorite small shot maker in the league. And he works at Miami and Milwaukee and probably Philadelphia because they can surround him with length and defenders. He's small and doesn't defend. And he's also one more injury away for being potentially an absolute cap liability.

Dame doesn't matter if Dame's not playing. Miami's getting him and so is Milwaukee and Philly for May. And if he's healthy, he's lethal. But small players, especially small dynamic players, don't age particularly well.

Once they're starting to get injured, generally never goes back. And I love Dame. But he's a convertible sports car. Great in about four states. useless to some degree in others. Dame couldn't play with a Luca. Luca doesn't defend. Couldn't play with a Kyrie.

Kyrie doesn't defend. Wouldn't be good with any team with Hardin. Hardin doesn't defend. You have to protect Dame. And I've always thought this is the real truth of the NBA. If you look at the history of the NBA, the way to do it is find your star and then build around his weaknesses. The Warriors found offenders because Steph couldn't.

LeBron teams have often had great. shooters because LePron's not. And the Blazers are going to be really fun to watch going forward, but they're really young and aren't going to do much for a couple of years. But if they can cobble together six or seven picks and a couple of

interesting players, I cannot wait to watch Hayden Sharp, Simons, Scooter Henderson, a lot of young players. They're going to get more draft picks. I think Portland will win this trade over time. I think they will lose it in

the next couple years. And it'll be painful. And the Lakers knew that. That Shaq joined Wade, Riley. They were going to win now. They were going to win titles. And I mean, we all know he's going to Miami, right? They let Struce go. They let Vincent go. They let their back court go. The back court that took him from an 8th seed of the finals. Miami let those guys go. Let them walk. Somebody else can pay him. They're trying to get damed. And I'm not sure what they can give Portland back. I imagine a lot of really good draft picks. They'll probably have to be a third team involved.

But as Portland fans are freaking out, just remember, the Lakers won a couple of titles with Kobe and Shaq fell apart and you got more great years with Kobe. And though the Lakers weren't particularly well run at times, they still got two rings. Could have had a third. So not every deal that's consummated is great for you initially. I think Portland's going to come out of this thing with some nice pieces,

but they've got their star in Scoot Henderson. They've got a good wing in Jeremy Grant, Nurkich. They pulled him off the floor late as they were kind of trying to get into the lottery. Nerkich is a good player. Simon's good player. Sharp, fascinating young wing. There's a lot to like in Portland. But for two years, going to be a little bit of a dirt sandwich.

Dame's going to be hitting threes. Miami's going to win a title, and you're going to feel really, really small. And Portland already has kind of a Seattle chip on their shoulder, a small market geographically isolated chip on their shoulder. But Portland's probably going to end up if they can hit on some draft picks. And in recent years, they've been very good at it. Joe Cronin's been very good last couple of years. They've hit on some picks.

And so you take a deep breath. But Dame, there's not a wide market for him. He is small. He can be injury prone in recent years. He does not defend. And he makes big shots and big moments. love him. I don't know if he elevates other teammates, certainly not a yokeach. We don't think he's that. We don't think he's magic. We don't think he's that kind of player. He's a score and a dead eye

and a great player in big moments. And that's what Miami needs. Milwaukee needs. Milwaukee's got their best player. You know, Philadelphia's got their best player. They need a shot maker. Dame's going to be perfect. But don't freak out. Portland gets the right picks. Don't win the You just won't figure it out for about three to four years. Ryan with the news. No, no, no, no, turn on the news. This is the herd line news. All right, Colin, start with free agency.

The 76ers are reportedly in no rush to trade James Hardin. According to Woge, teams that have inquired about Hardin say the asking price is extremely high. The trade process is not expected to get resolved quickly. Wodge also compared this situation to when Ben Simmons wanted out of Philly and thinks the 76ers could wait it out and see if they can convince Hardin to stay. Mori's sort of M.O. has always been to be patient on stuff like this.

He's a dealmaker. But somebody, it may be at the trade deadline. I don't know what it is. Somebody will eventually make a move. And I would say this, I would take Hardin over Kyrie. Kyrie's just too erratic. And though Hardin can be erratic, he is a good distributor. he had a good regular season.

The Clippers does fit because they have so many good wing defenders and they have a rim protector that he's not a very good defender and you can protect him. And the big problem for the Clippers for anybody, and I've probably watched more Clipper basketball than healthy, but if you watch them, their problem is initiating offense. They want Kauai to get them into their offense. They're like Boston, but not as effective as Boston.

They just can't get into their offense a lot. So Hardin does provide something that they don't have. He's from Los Angeles. It works. It doesn't make it a championship team, but that's a landing spot. And Philadelphia, Philadelphia is going to move. Mori makes a lot of moves. Philadelphia is all over the rumor mill this weekend,

but I don't think any of it's going to happen soon. The other benefit the 76ers have to being patient is, as you pointed out, they have Tyrese maxi. So it's not as if they just have a complete void at who's going to run our offense with MVP, Joel Embed, if Hardin does end up sitting out and this drags out into the regular season. So turning our attention to the Warriors, Draymond Green, is reportedly staying with the Warriors, a four-year, $100 million contract. The deal contains a player option for the fourth season.

Draymond tested the free agency market and reportedly had interest from other teams, but the expectation around the league was always that he would remain with Golden State. He had a market. Portland was interested. Dallas would have been a great fit. Sacramento was interested. Resign Harrison Barnes. Draymond's the classic. People used to hate Rodman.

But all you needed to know about Rodman and his prime was go-ask the teams that face Rodman. Like Magic Johnson would tell you, he was just annoying. If you really want to know if a coach is great, go ask the rivals. By the way, all those Ohio State fans that bag on Harbaugh, would celebrate for months if Harbaugh left for the NFL, because Harbaugh now owns the Buckeyes and has created, with excellent quarterback play, good defense, and an absolute clarity in the offense.

The truth is always, go ask your rivals what they think. Let me tell you something. You take Drayman off the Warriors. Even with Steph, I don't think they're a playoff team. And also, it looks like the Warriors. They've made a few moves in the back court, but they're just bringing back. they're bringing back the same guys.

I do not see them as a championship team. I would have done this, but if you cannot get another big, I think there's limitations on what they can do. They feel like a win, a playoff series team. And I would have done this, but if you're going to stay with Clay, instead of getting size, I think the dynasty run is over.

Yeah. To your point, they're missing that elite level dynamic athlete to be a playmaker alongside Steph. And something you've been on for a while is the value that Draymond provides to Golden State goes well beyond just a box score number. And we'll wrap it up with this, Colin. The Rockets landed two big free agents over the weekend.

Fred Van Vleet, who was reportedly the team's top target in free agency, agreed to a three-year, $130 million deal. Houston also got Dylan Brooks on a four-year $80 million contract. In 2016, after Van Vleet went undrafted, he also tweeted, bet on yourself. So the Rockets bringing in some free agent. Well, Van Blyte's a guy that when you're undersized, you have to be able to be a willing defender and shoot. He is both. He's tough. He's willing to defend. He's scrappy. He can shoot.

And Dylan Brooks, again, is young players in the league in Houston has lots of them. Young players don't defend. They try to block shots to try to get steals, but they don't put a body on people. They're often thin. Young players are often thin. You get to a pro weight room for about four years. the toughest guys in the NBA, there's no rookies. They're all like 28 to 34. The PJ Tucker's, the Draymond Greens. They've been in those pro workout rooms. Dylan Brooks has an NBA vet body.

He's physical. He'll put a body on people. He also is willing to be a little bit of a trash talker and intimidate beyond just scoring. So, you know, here's the world we live in. His value is 80 million. Westbrooks is eight. And that's the reality of it. Dylan Brooks is going to find a team.

He may drive you crazy. and I thought he went sideways a little bit with Memphis, an immature team. But there's some Draymond Green. He's not as good a passer or the catalyst offensively. But there's real value having a guy that does all the garbage and all the little work, puts his body on the best player. Dylan Brooks has value. My entire life, there's been two or three guys in the league that everybody argues they're overpaid,

and they end up on really good teams off in championship teams. Good stuff, Ryan with the news. Well, that's the news. And thanks for stopping by. The Herd Lie News. So you know if you listen to me in the show, I'm not a fan of Hard Knocks. It's like anything else. I thought Hard Knocks, when it came out for HBO,

gave us all access we didn't have. And then came Twitter and Snapchat and Instagram and TikTok. And now I've got too much access of everybody. I don't need to know what you're eating for lunch. But that's the world we live in. So hard knocks now, no team wanted it. Four teams qualified. They all begged not to be on it.

But it does give you, I mean, Aaron Rogers with a Jets, that's the most interesting team. I think it is. I think Aaron's a unique personality. Most quarterbacks in my life are sort of like conservative and predictable and creatures of habit. And he goes on darkness retreats and does ayahuasca. So he's just a different guy. a bad guy, just a different guy. I've never said he's a bad guy. Just a little prickly, a little unique. That's okay. Unique is good for sports. And I do think the Jets will be fascinating.

Mark Murphy, the Packer president, was quoted this weekend saying, I can't wait to watch it. And I think Hard Knocks got lucky because, you know, if Aaron Rogers is still a Packer, I'm not sure who would have been the second choice to do this. If you take the Jets out, I'm a serious question. I love my football. Who's fascinating? There's a lot of good teams. Nobody's really fascinating. The Jets are a little bit of a personality circus, and I'm excited for it. Young guys and old Aaron.

But what's interesting about this, don't compare clearly improved to great. I think a lot of New York fans, I just saw a story this weekend, where the athletic rated the most underrated and overrated teams, and they had the Jets as the most overrated. Doesn't mean the Jets are bad. But adding Aaron doesn't mean the Jets are great. It'll be the weakest O-line he's ever had, his first defensive coach,

and even though I like some of the offensive pieces, they're mostly kids. And Nathaniel Hackett's the play caller. Don't love it. Remember when Brady went to Tampa and had success, he inherited a two-time NFL head coach of the year, an offensive coach and a one-time Super Bowl winning offensive coordinator. When Stafford went to McVeigh, he inherited a Super Bowl head coach and a NFL head coach,

both from the offensive side. We just don't know much about Robert Sala. He's good looking. He's really intense. His teams play hard. But NFL defensive stats are strange. Great offenses year to year to year are pretty predictable. You have an offensive coordinator or coach.

Do you have a great quarterback? And do they have a couple of weapons and protection? So the top 10 offenses of last year will probably be pretty much near the top this year. Defense doesn't work that way. In the NFL, the top five defenses one year, you could have four or five different ones the next year based on who are the quarterbacks you faced. I'm sorry, if you face Justin Herbert's a couple of times a year and Mahal. and Josh Allen and Lamar. Your defensive stats aren't going to be that great.

The Eagles last year shut everybody down. And then they played Patrick Mahomes, who did exactly what he wanted to in the second half of the Super Bowl. By the way, the San Francisco Niners, defense was unbelievable. And then Mahomes came to the Bay Area and did whatever he wanted to. Defensive stats can be a little disrupted based on who you play. And the Jets play some good quarterbacks now in that division. and I don't love Tua, but I love Mike McDaniel,

and I don't love Sean McDermott, but I love Josh Allen, and they've got to face those guys four times. So there are a couple of things that concern me. But here's another stat about Aaron that I've been on for years, and it doesn't get discussed. And I'm not sure why. He's not good coming from behind. He only has 21 come from behind fourth quarter wins in his career.

That's fewer than Jay Cutler. A lot fewer than Derek Carr, Ryan Tannihill, Andy Dalton, Matt Ryan. Well, those guys trail all the time. I don't know. Titans lead a lot of people. They were a number one seat a couple years ago. He only has, in fact, one playoff fourth quarter comeback. That's tied with the great Marcus Marioda.

And it was against the Cowboys, so it barely counts anyway. He's not good at that. Now, I have my theories why. I think Aaron tends to be a bailer, not a baller. He's not a foxhole guy. A bit of a finger pointer when things go south. But he's great with a lead. A bit of a frontrunner.

That's my theory. That's all psychological stuff. I could be totally wrong. But the numbers, and I've been on this for maybe 10 years, are kind of odd. Where are the fourth quarter comebacks. The smarter of veteran John Elway feasted on him. Mahomes, I've never seen anything like it. Look at Mahomes' fourth quarter comebacks.

Before you go, well, he didn't trail much. The chiefs are the best team in football. Why has Mahomes got so many fourth quarter comebacks and second half comebacks? Because he's great at it. The last three Super Bowl champs, their starting quarterbacks were top five in fourth quarter comeback wins. And if you play in the AFC and that division, you're going to be behind. You're not going to blow these teams out. This is not Philadelphia last year playing crappy quarterbacks and bad teams in the NFC.

The Jets are going to be behind this year. And the second thing that nobody is talking about, only one team in the last decade, one team has won multiple road playoff games to win a Super Bowl. And that was the goat in the wacky, zany, never seen it before COVID year, where a lot of crap happened that none of us can explain. Forget the vaccine.

football was zany too. There was no exhibition season. Illegal practices. Players on game day, seven not able to play. Suddenly, screwed the betting markets up, screwed football up. That's it. Last 10 years, one team won multiple road playoff games. Well, look at the AFC. Jacksonville's division, Kansas City, Cincinnati, there's a lot of teams that could be a number one seat. Let's honest. With an offensive line, a defensive coach, are we putting the Jets as a number one seed? They're going to have to play probably multiple road games. The only team to do it in a decade, multiple road playoff wins and win the Super Bowl is Tampa. And it should be noted, the division was bad and the conference may have been the weakest the NFC ever is.

The NFC over the last three or four years has eroded significantly. It's like the AFCs, the SEC and the NFC's a combination of the ACC and the Big 12 and the Pac-12. So these are things that need to be discussed, and they're real. Aaron's not a great fourth quarter comeback guy. He's not. And it's really hard to win multiple road playoff games in the AFC. It can be done. We watch Cincinnati with Joe Burrow do it.

Wild games. They lost the Super Bowl. So it can, can be done. Burrow, though, similarly. is a very strong playing from behind quarterback. Aaron is not for reasons I believe that are easy to see. Many would argue that. So I look forward to hard knocks.

I don't think there's a wildly captivating team outside of the Jets and Aaron Rogers, but they're better. Don't confuse it with great. All right. So all this free agency talk. A lot of fun. I would admit it. I've enjoyed it. But we've got to be honest about something.

Phoenix is the best team in the league this morning. I said it. I like Denver. I like him a lot. A couple years ago, you told me Milwaukee was going to run through the league for five years. Phoenix is really good. Did you see what they did this weekend? Very quickly. We'll talk about that coming up.

Be sure to catch live editions of the herd weekdays in noon Eastern 9 a.m. Pacific. Hey, I'm Doug Gottlieb. The podcast is called All Ball. We usually talk all basketball all the time, but it's more about the stories about what made these people love their sport and all the interesting interactions along the way. We talk to coaches.

We talk to players. We tell you stories. You download it. You listen to it. I think you like it. Listen to All Ball with Doug Gottlieb on the IHeart Radio app, Apple Podcasts, wherever you get your podcast.

Imagine an Olympics where doping is not only legal but encouraged. It's the enhanced games. Some call it grotesque. Others say it's unleashing human potential. Either way, the podcast's Superhuman documented it all, embedded in the games and with the athletes for a full year. Within probably 10 days, I'd put on 10 pounds. I was having trouble stopping the muscle growth.

Listen to Superhuman on the I-Hard Radio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts. A win is a win. A win is a win. I don't care what you're saying. Yep, that's me, Clifford Taylor the 4th. You might have seen the skits,

the reactions, my journey from basketball to college football, or my career in sports media. Well, somewhere along the way, this platform became bigger than I ever imagined. And now I'm bringing all of that excitement to my brand new podcast, The Clifford Show.

This is a place for raw, unfiltered conversations with some of your favorite athletes, creators, and voices that not only deserve to be heard, but celebrated. One week I'll take you behind the scenes of the biggest moments in sports and entertainment, and the next we'll talk about life,

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

Listen to the Clifford Show on the IHeart Radio app, Apple Podcast, or wherever you get your podcast. And for more behind the scenes, Follow at Clifford and at TikTok Podcast Network on TikTok. 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 Bole Your Mind on the IHeart Radio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcast. This summer, it's the 2023 FIFA Women's World Cup with the defending champs USA chasing a historic third win in a row. Don't miss the action when the tournament kicks off July 20th on the networks of Fox Sports. Right around the corner.

So, um, I know people don't. like mobility, but there's two different ways to do mobility. When you put superstars with other grown-ups and an experienced head coach, good things happen. Steph, K.D., Clay, Andre Iguodala, Draymond Green, great coach. Dynasty. De Wade, Bosch, LeBron, Badiye, Ray Allen, grown-ups, Spolstra, very good. Doc Rivers.

A. G., Ray Allen, Paul Pierce, grownups. But when you put erratic Kyrie Irving and temperamental quirky James Hardin with KD with an inexperienced coach, it blew up. It's why I never bought into Brooklyn. I said, we don't have the coach, we don't have the personalities, grownups added to superstars is crucial. The Phoenix Sons have a superstar, you could argue two, in Booker and KD. Now they have a championship grown-up coach, experience Frank Vogel. They added mature adult Bradley Beale and this weekend, excellent guard off the bench, Eric Gordon. Grown-ups.

Bradley Beale's a grown-up. I know you don't like mobility, but not all mobility is the same. same. KD. With the Warriors was arguably the best team ever. With Brooklyn, the biggest embarrassment and disappointment in the league last year. KD. was there for both. Nobody would dispute Kyrie's talented. James Hardin, too. Okay, not all the same. What Phoenix has done is unbelievable. Bradley Beals one of two players in the league in the last four years that's average 30 points. And Gordon's, now let's talk about what the Phoenix Suns did what everybody said they couldn't do. They cobbled together a

bench in two days. Three. Eric Gordon, cheap. He's been in 60 playoff games. He's been in 11 playoff series. Shot 42% on threes off the bench. Multiple Sooners, mature, excellent signing. Grown up, been in playoff games. Don't have to worry about him. They also added a stretch for who can shoot, Utah Watanabe, 44% on threes. They got more length, a stretch four that can hit shots. Now they have two shot makers on the bench. They also added two other bigs who came and were developed in the Spurs system, though not Spurs. Right?

Like they'd moved around. But so you have smartly developed players, grownups off the bench, and suddenly, by the way, smart GMs can do this in a weekend. It is incredibly difficult to find stars. It's pretty easy to find people who want to play with stars. As far as benches go, they don't have to be great. The Nuggets just won a finals with an eight-man rotation. What you want in a bench, usually a really good wing defender

and somebody that can give you 14 to 20 points on any night. The sons, by the way, I know you're saying, Beal, chill. Booker, chill. Aiton can be temperamental, but let's not go there with KD. He did not disrupt Brooklyn. He was the only thing about Brooklyn that was redeemable. His personality doesn't get in the way. I've had multiple people in the league on multiple teams,

even ones that he left tell me he's a good hang. Guys like him. So it's hard to get stars. It's not hard to get people that want to play with stars. And this Phoenix team now has all the boxes to win a team, win a title. Length, they added length all over their bench. Shooters, check. Playoff experience, check.

Bench, check. Championship head coach, check. In 20 years, if you were just sitting in a lounge or a bar, and you're talking to somebody. Does it sound, say it out loud. Does it sound crazy that you could go, remember that Phoenix team for a couple years that had Beal and Booker and Ait and Gordon and KD?

Remember that team? Oh my man, they were lights out. That sounds like a team that could win a championship or two. No, some is dependent on KD's health. But this team's good enough now. Beal, Booker, Aiton, and that bench, Gordon is good enough to win a playoff series if Katie doesn't play.

they're not going to be a championship without him. You can win a playoff series without it. Remember, if I'd have said to you two years ago or a year ago, you're not going to believe this. Yokic is going to be the best player in the world. We know he's good. But Yokic, Aaron, Gordon, Michael Porter, and Jamal Murray are not only going to win the championship and going to blow through everybody

and sweep the Lakers. Nobody would have believed it. Got to be able to see around corners a little. Phoenix is really good. They got smart veterans, cobbled together a bench, added two more shooters in a shooter's league. They've got tons of length. The Brooklyn issue, a lot of it was on a guy I like Steve Nash.

Steve Nash would tell you, rough first job, a lot of moving parts. This has some, but Vogel's history is he gets the most out of bigs. And D'A. D' Andre Aiton is a big that can be a little temperamental. But what I love about Phoenix more than anything, because now they have so many shooters with Beal and Gordon and Booker and K.D. One of them, KD could take, you could go into a season and you could tell Beale and KD, I need 58 games. Booker, I need 68. Somebody could almost always be off. Translation, DeAndre Aiton will never be the fourth option.

Sometimes down the floor he'll be the second. maybe mostly the third. What I worry about is if he is constantly the fourth option. But this team has duplicate players, multiple pull-up jump shooters. And they have enough depth at shooting now and size. They can give shooters rest. So Aiton will get his looks. Vogle tends to make Biggs happy. I think it's really good. I think it's the most talented team in the league. It doesn't mean they'll win it. But I've got four proven elite scores. Bradley Beal, one of two guys in four years, averaged over 30. Twice.

I got Booker, who took the playoffs over for about a 9-10 game stretch. I've got one of the great shot makers in league history. And now I've got two guys, but mostly Gordon off the bench. Tremendous, quick score hits threes. This is a really good basketball team. People freak out about mobility. Not most mobility doesn't work. It's a maturity and a coach thing.

Got to have the right coach because you're bringing in some more egos. It's very fluid, a lot of moving parts. Got to have the right coach, veteran coach. That's key. But just say it out loud. This is a stacked roster. In an offensive league, this is a completely stacked offensive roster. They got better over the weekend.

Good stuff. One more herd? The herd streams 24 hours a day, seven days a week within the IHeart radio app. Search herd to listen live or on demand. ever you'd like. 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, wherever you get your podcasts. Imagine an Olympics where doping is not only legal, but encouraged. It's the enhanced games. Some call it grotesque. Others say it's unleashing human potential.

Either way, the podcast's Superhuman documented it all, embedded in the games and with the athletes for a full year. Within probably 10 days, I'd put on 10 pounds. I was having trouble stopping the muscle growth. Listen to Superhuman on the I-Hard radio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts. Hey, this is Robert from the Stuff to Blow Your Mind podcast. Joe and I are both lifelong Star Wars fan,

so we're celebrating May the 4th with a brand new week of fun, thought-provoking Star Wars-related episodes. Join us as we tackle science and culture topics from a galaxy far, far away, such as the biology of 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 Blow Your Mind on the IHeart Radio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts. This is an IHeart podcast. Guaranteed Human.