The Herd with Colin Cowherd - The Herd-HOUR-1-Lakers, Cowboys, Big Ten

Episode Date: August 25, 2020

Colin talks about the Lakers looking like a championship team despite the Blazers giving up, the Cowboys not being on the same page about Earl Thomas, and why so many people are upset at the Big 10.Guest: Chris Broussard 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. On the Look Back at it podcast.

From 1979, that was a big moment for me. 84 was big to me. I'm Sam J. And I'm Alex English. Each episode, we pick a year, unpack what went down, and try to make sense of how we survived it. With our friends, fellow comedians, and favorite authors. Like Mark Lamont Hill on the 80s.

84 was a wild year. 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 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 IHeard 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. 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 Herd. Fox Sports Radio. Ah, here we go on a loaded Tuesday.

This is The Hurt. Wherever you may be, however you may be listening. Thanks for joining us live in Los Angeles. By the way, one hour from now, I will give you my five best Fox Bet over underpicks. I love, they're called Future Best. Vegas Fox Bet puts up the number of wins. your team is predicted to have. They give a number.

And you can bet they'll win less than that or more than that. I've got three overs, two unders. They're my best bets. I'm betting them. So I'll give you those in one hour. Joy Taylor is joining me today. We got Lakers, Cowboys, Rockets. Oh, there's a lot going on today.

Big 10. I'm trying to think if I can, if I'm a sneaky guess one. I'm going to write it down and see if I was right about it, about one of your over unders because I think I know which one. I think you know two. Okay. I guess I feel less strongly about the second one, but the first one.

Money to be made in one hour. Yes. So let's start with the Lakers. So last night was the first time in the bubble. Oh, my. Lakers were a championship team. Oh, boy. Woo-hoo-hoo-hoo.

Now, they had size. They had length. They played defense. The chemistry was good. The stars were unbelievable. But here's the problem. They've had all the, those things in the bubble. Now let's be clear, Portland waved the white flag. We all have a tipping

point in life. You moms and dads out there dealing with COVID, your kids at home, probably good for two months, then you reach a weekend. You need some tequila. We all have a tipping point. Portland gave up. And Portland, the series is over. The game was over in four minutes. It was 15-0. and everybody in life, every team. Portland should be proud of their season. They gave you everything. You got dames hurt, wobbling. He's got a finger issue. And C.J. McCullough's got a broken bone in his back.

Nirkich just looked exhausted for his last two or three games. But this was the Lakers doing everything right on the same night, Portland literally waved the white flag. So you can't take much from the game. But one of the things I like about analytics, it tells me the truth. I get out of recency bias. I get out a confirmation bias. There is an issue with the Lakers. They have all these components to be a championship team,

and they've had all of them in the bubble every night. Length and size and a front court, and LeBron's awesome, and AD is mostly awesome, and they've got an experience coach, and a lot of years in this league. But what happened last night? What happened last night is what hasn't happened in the bubble until last night. All the other guys shot well, KCP shot well, and Danny Green

shot well, and Kyle Kuzma shot well. That's the problem. That is the issue. If you look at two numbers for the Lakers this year, they're 29 and 0 when they've shot 50%. That's not on LeBron and AD. AD shot 50% for the season. LeBron shot 49.5%. They're always shooting 50%. They're 20 and 1 when they shoot 40, just 40% on threes. The issue with the Lakers, they've had all of these championship components the entire bubble, the size, the length, the experience, LeBron, A.D., a veteran coach. It's the other guys. That's the Lakers issue. And last night, they all hit.

Why? Was it because Portland gave up, perhaps? was it because it was Kobe Day, 24, 824, a commemorative jerseys that emotionally, those other players, those fringe guys were all emotionally captivated and moved. I don't know. But when I watched the Lakers last night, I'm like, yes, they looked like a championship team last night. But it's not LeBron and AD or their size or their rebounding or their defense or their length

or their experience. I've seen all of that every night in the bubble. when the other guys delivered. This is why I think LeBron James has been frustrated. LeBron sees the same thing. Last night they had Javelle McGee on the court with LeBron, with AD, and with KCP, just those four guys. And I was sitting there watching thinking,

this has to be the longest team in the league. It just looked like giants. Portland looked tiny and small and outmatched and outclass physically. And LeBron is too smart not to see the truth. And I think this is a frustration for LeBron is that he knows he's going to have to depend on Kyle Kuzma and he doesn't trust him. And KCP likes him but doesn't trust him. And Danny Green likes him, but he's old. So that to me is, I'm not going to take too much of last night.

It was such a rare night. Portland gave up. It was Kobe Day. It was emotionally a tough night for Portland, a great night for the Lakers. They were playing for something beyond themselves. But the frustrating part of your LeBron, because he's just too smart not to see this, is he really knows. Last night, he's like, it was the other guys. It won me.

I'm always good. A.D., he's almost always good. That's the question with the Lakers. Do you trust Kuzma, Danny Green, and KCP? Because when they hit, you watched it last night. When they hit, get out the way. That's a championship team. So, you know, I was thinking about the Dallas Cowboys this morning.

And everybody, you know, I like movies, you like movies. And there's always that summer blockbuster movie. Stars, big budget, familiar faces, flashy, a lot of marketing and promotion. But in February, when they say, and the best film goes to, nobody. really thinks the rock or whatever the movie is, the Avengers. That's not really what it is. It is just newsworthy. It's fun.

We've all seen them. You know, they're familiar. Have the Dallas Cowboys become the summer blockbuster movie of the NFL? We're in February when we say, and the Super Bowl trophy goes to, we don't really think. of the Cowboys. They're the rock. They're the blockbuster movie. They're the Avengers. They're newsworthy. They're fun. They're captivating. It's big budget. It stars.

I think that's what the Cowboys have become. And here's a prime example. Jerry Jones, bless his billionaire heart, cares about all the wrong stuff. His yacht, staying in the news, branding, selling tickets. So Earl Thomas is out there on the market. and all the other owners and GMs and coaches, there's no big talking point. Mike McCarthy came out when asked about Earl Thomas and said, well, our number one priority

when talking about adding somebody to this very talented roster is, of course, chemistry. Mike McCarthy told you not interested. But Jerry, got to stay in the news, got to sell tickets, got to be relevant, all the wrong stuff. Oh, no, no, no, Jerry, Jerry said that's not the case. I will make the decision here.

Here's Jera. These decisions, like the one you're talking about with Earl, they never served up like a softball. They always come in awkward. They always come in with a little hair on it, a lot of different ways. And that's where I step in. And basically put all this together to whether or not it is smart to make a decision like that.

I haven't visited personally with Earl. I don't know that anybody has, but that would probably be a next step. Jerry wanted to make sure I, I, I haven't talked to him. I make these decisions. I'll make the big blockbuster movie and the Dallas Cowboys in February when they ask, and the winner is, and the Super Bowl trophy goes to, we don't take that. blockbuster movie of the Cowboys seriously now, do we? Ed Wurter, by the way, a veteran reporter figured this out very quickly.

I went to his Twitter account this morning. He said, interesting to me listening to Jerry speaking about Earl Thomas, is that Jerry never mentioned concerns about locker room chemistry. Mike McCarthy cited that as the number one priority in determining whether to add a veteran player. Jerry wanted to make sure everybody knew he made the key decisions. This was his movie and his budget, and these are his stars, and only he will, as the director and producer of this movie, make the calls. I can't take the Blockbuster movie seriously.

It's just fun and cotton candy, and I can't take the Cowboys seriously. I've always said I have a belief in the NFL. It's called my Core 4. I do not consider you a Super Bowl contender unless your owner, your GM, your coach, and your quarterback are at least A minus, at the worst B plus, and I believe in all of them. I'm not sure I believe in now any of Dallas's core four. And in fact, of the four positions, one guy nearing 80 has two of them.

This is why. The coach who's got a Super Bowl told you, listen, we'd think about it, but it's got to be a chemistry thing. Jerry doesn't care about that. It's staying relevant and selling tickets and making sure people know I will make the call. I sign on for the budget for the Blockbuster movie. It is my movie. I sign the stars.

I give the thumbs up if we use Rock or Kevin Hart. That is my decision on this Blockbuster movie. And it's why it's fun and cotton candy, but I can't take it seriously. All right, coming up. So when I didn't fawn over the Dallas Mavericks, when I said the Clippers are going to still win this series, all of you called me an L.A. Homer. That I didn't support the Texas team.

Well, what are you going to call me now that the rockets are tied with Oklahoma City? I don't think it's a big deal either. And the Clippers and the Rockets are both going to win these series. That's coming up. Be sure to catch live editions of the herd weekdays in noon Eastern 9 a.m. Pacific. Fox Sports Radio, FS1, and the IHard Radio app. Imagine an Olympics where doping is not only legal, but encouraged. It's the enhanced games.

Some call it grotesque. Others say it's unleashing human potential. Either way, the podcast's Superhuman documented it all, embedded in the games and with the athletes for a full year. Within probably 10 days, I'd put on 10 pounds. I was having 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, 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 Clivert 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 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 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 was big to me, not just because of crack.

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

For me, it's one of the most important years. for black people in American history. Listen to look back at it on the IHeart Radio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts. Welcome to my new podcast, Learn the Hardway 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 that's two different levels of trust I want you to just really be a good person join me Keer Gaines is 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. Lowe's, do-it-yourself projects. Want to thank you. Mine was good. Bar-Cart made it at home. Put it right next to the fact that brought it inside. Put it next to the pool table. Played pool last night.

After the Laker gate. Oh, yeah. Oh, yeah, great pool. There's a lot going on on in the counterhouse. I have always had a pool table. Yeah. Oh, yeah. last night. Are you like a pool shark? It lets me show my dominance over the family when I can crush them. So you're the best, you're the best at pool? No, it depends. My wife gets in these weird hot streaks like November last year. She beat me every time. It was weird. Nobody could explain it. So it's good to have you in. So when I said after the Lakers lost to the Mavericks, I love this. Now that I live in Los Angeles, suddenly I'm a Laker Homer. But it was funny because when I used to work at the other place and lived in Connecticut, I was called a Homer. And I always used to say, no, I just. I just.

don't think Pittsburgh matters as much as Los Angeles. Shame on me. L.A. is the entertainment capital of the world. I'm going to acknowledge that it exists in sports because the place I used to work at doesn't acknowledge it. So I used to be the guy that would acknowledge that Los Angeles is actually more important than Buffalo and Pittsburgh. And I got labeled the West Coast Homer, which is nonsense because if I'm a West Coast Homer, why do I keep saying, you know, why do I keep crushing USC football, saying they're not relevant? why do I keep saying the Lakers are not a championship team and why have I downgraded the Rams

much sooner than anybody else nationally? So let's talk about the Clippers beating the Mavs. They will. But it's a tight series, which is not a shock. Patrick Beverly is out. They don't get home court advantage in the bubble. So let's talk about the Rockets. Lost last night to Oklahoma City.

Series tied at two. Probably should be. Russell Westbrook is out. They don't get the home court advantage. Does everybody get what a disadvantage it is to be a favorite and not get home court advantage? Like the bubble is great for underdogs. It's great for young players.

Because young NBA players usually freak out in the playoffs and melt. The crowds are bigger, they're more intense. There are no crowds. This is an AAU gym. It's a theater. So the young guys are flourishing. The old guys who need the juice in the first round because they know they're supposed to win.

The James Hardens, the LeBrons, the stars that need the juice, Paul George, Kauai Leonard. It's tougher for them. They love first round. They get home court advantage. They get the home crowd. They get the juice they need because they mostly sleepwalk through the first round. So this should be a close series.

They basically finished this year with the same record and Westbrook's out. This is what the series was going to look like. Can we stop? Folks, the Western Conference is not the Eastern Conference. the number seven seed in the east is Brooklyn. Name three players on their team. The number seven seed in the West is Dallas, a Hall of Fame coach,

Porzingis, and the best young player in the game, Luca. That's the difference between the West and the East. 20 of the top 25 players in the NBA are West. The best GMs are overwhelmingly West. Many of the best coaches, West. Stars, LeBron, I'm going West. Kauai, I'm going to. and West than the young players.

Luca ended up because Eastern teams didn't know his talent, even though they're closer to Europe. It was a closer flight to go watch and play. The West is better. This is what the first round looks like. The Warriors last year struggled in the first round. Katie was healthy. Clay was healthy.

Steph was healthy. Draybond was healthy. They struggled. Denver last year was the number two seed. They went seven games in the first round. This is what this series is supposed to look like. Westbrook's out. And though I have my issues with Westbrook. When Westbrook is out, Hardin has to play 43 minutes, and James Hardin looked exhausted by the end of last night's game. He'll get some rest. He'll be fine.

But this idea when I said, you know, the Clippers are, they don't get their home court advantage. It's a veteran roster. The bubble is, they got older guys, families. Lakers, by the way, have struggled a bit in the bubble. Older guys, families, businesses. Yeah, Dallas is going to give the Clippers a real pushback. They're the best offensive. team, efficiency-wise in the history of the league, Rick Carlisle, Luca Porzinga, it's not going to be a sweep.

I mean, outside of MJ and LeBron in the Eastern Conference, you know, those were guys that swept their first round series. Like Michael Jordan just flew through the first round, and LeBron mostly in the east flew through the first round. That's not the way it works out west. It's like

Southern college football. It's just better. College football is just better in the south. NBA, it's just way better out here. We out west, it's all the stars, all the best GMs, many of the best coaches, best rosters. I mean, out east, you're trying to convince me Chris Middleton's a star. I'm not even sure he starts for some of the team. Does he start for the Clippers?

I'm not sure he starts for the Clippers. So it's like, this is what it looks like. Houston's going to struggle. Oklahoma City's got a Hall of Fame point guard and a good big and a bunch of young hustlers and Billy Donovan's. code to the year. This is what it looks like in the first round. Clippers are going to win it. Houston's going to win it.

All year long, if you look at the record, Houston was Oklahoma City with a higher ceiling. And we'll see that higher ceiling over the next three games. Joy with the news. No, no, no, no, no. Turn on the news.

This is the herd line news. By the way, Clippers don't have Patrick Beverly. Rockets don't have Westbrook. It matters. Yeah, that's a stupid, pretty similar players. One of them's a defensive stopper. One of them's an offensive igniter. They're out.

Well, Damian Lillard suffered a non-contact injury during the Blazers's game for a loss to the Lakers last night. In the third quarter, he landed awkwardly on his right knee and was forced to leave the game. The team announced that Lillard's first MRI last night was inconclusive, so he'll undergo a second test later today. Before the injury, at 11 points one rebound and four assists. He was three for nine from the field and one of two from three-point range. So wasn't having his usual dame time game. He was all. You could just tell.

I thought they just looked. It was over. Well, yes. I mean, it's like you said, they just, this was, this was what I expected in this series. The Blades just had an incredible season.

They're a great watch, a great story. Yeah. But the Lakers are built to win a championship. Bigger, stronger, longer, deeper. And LeBron James has never lost a first round playoff series. Why is he going to start doing that now? Yeah.

It's Blan James. Like, sometimes I feel like we get to just get a little bit out of control with the, like, It's one game in the first round series. It's okay. The idea of the playoffs, that's supposed to be difficult. Like, if you win a championship, it's not supposed to be easy. Well, you know, the other thing is the NBA used to in Michael Jordan's era,

it was five games in the first round. Now it's seven. So it's really hard for an eight seed that probably isn't as deep as a one seed or a two seed to win. So even when you, so what you get now, Joy, is in the five, in the years when there was a five round first series, you know, you lose that first game. Oh, a panic. The reality now is players know in a seven-game series, you don't have to bring it every night if you're a favorite team. Well, it's also just, if you're the Lakers, you're thinking of a,

you're not going to overlook the Blazers, obviously, but you're there to win a championship. You know there's going to be some bumps and fruzes a long way. There's a lot of championship predigree on that squad. For the Blazers, not that they aren't going to eventually get there, but that's just a lot to go up against. And you had to work so hard in the bubble and throughout the season, just to get to that spot. Rodney Hood is hurt.

CJ McCullough is hurt. In the end of this series, Dame is hurt. And Trevor Arisa opted out. That's what they are. Yeah. So in addition to the knee injury, Lillard also dislocated his left index finger in game two. So he's been playing through that as well. So the heat completed the sweep last night.

Yes. Up Pacers. Really kind of a rough game. But, you know. I watched this entire game. We got through it. I do think Miami's got a low ceiling. But I will say this.

Jimmy Butler went to. Miami and we all thought he's a problem and then we found out a year later he wasn't the problem maybe it's a little organization maybe Philadelphia was the problem and Jimmy Butler's happiest he's ever been well I mean that's that's the culture in Miami yeah Miami knows how to deal with stars and it's a while it's a you know a fancy touristy international fun city the heat specifically that's that's not the brand like it's Pat Riley it's tough basketball defensive grind it out and fit within the system. It's a good culture.

Well, he also had a left shoulder strain and only scored six points, but he had a handful of plays on defense. While his teammates stepped up offensively, Goron Dragich had 23 points, 20 of those in the second half, and Bamabio had 14 points and 19 rebounds and his first playoff series wins. So now they await the winner of the Buck's Magic series, which is really good for Miami because Jimmy was out

and was questionable to return and ended up finishing the game, but could really use some rest. So Milwaukee can close out on Wednesday, but at least they'll get a couple days. Listen, it was a nice year for Miami. They'll find their fate is different over the next two weeks. I'm remaining optimistic.

Obviously, I'm a heat fan, but I do think that the bucks are, you know, particularly that they would make it to the championship and lose to the clippers this year. Hey, by the way, you know, if Miami beats Milwaukee, because I have questions about Milwaukee, it's not a terrible thing for the show. Because I keep telling you, NBA is bare.

in Milwaukee 1 o'clock games. I deep down, I think the NBA wants Yonnes out anyway. I will be insufferable if the heat beat Milwaukee. Everyone in the entire country is going to hate me. They're shooting three as well. They're young players. I just think, you know, again, this is a seven game series. And, you know, we got to see, make sure that everyone stays healthy over the next week or so.

Finally, Tua is the Dolphins quarterback of the future. But he might not see much action in 2020. According to the Herald, the Miami Herald, Ryan Fitzpatrick is looking like the starter. So the competition between Tua and Josh Rosen is for the backup role. And based on their performances so far in camp, Tua could start his rookie year as the third string quarterback. It feels like fake news to me, but whatever. Fake news? I mean, third string?

I was just saying what they see in camp. I don't look, I don't think that Tua is going to finish the year as a third string quarterback in Miami. But I also don't think it's the worst situation that Ryan Fitzpatrick is the first star. And there's no pressure on Tua to get out there before he needs to. Yeah, no preseason for Tijuana. I said this with Joe Burrell. I would not, I would rather sit. This is the only year of my life.

If I was a quarterback, I don't want to be near the field as a rookie in September. Rebuilding O-line and Cincey in Miami. Yeah, I mean, we haven't talked about it really at all, but Justin Herbert's in a great situation. Fantastic. Justin Herbert. Zero pressure to get out there. Oh, you know, that's what's funny. That's a great point.

Justin Herbert may have the best situation of all. He has got a veteran in front of him. They're not rebuilding at all. And they're not even talking about him. Yeah. They're like, there's no pressure to force it out there whatsoever. And they're not rebuilding anywhere. They got Trey Turner on their own line.

They, I think they solved one of their tackle spots. Their receivers are good. So the chargers are great. Like Herbert, no. They're the number two team in Los Angeles that plays pro football. Zero pressure on him. It's a good situation for him and for two would and not have any pressure to be out there right now. Fake news out there for America today, folks.

Joy with the news. Well, that's the news. And thanks for stopping by. The Hurd-Lie News. Chris Brousard. You know, we don't get Broussard a lot on the show. He's very successful and very busy. He just doesn't have a lot of time for us.

So we get these rare glimpses of our friend. He's joining us now brought to you by Mercedes. Ben's the best or nothing. So it is just a pleasure to have Chris Broussard. By the way, he does a show with crazy. I left you 10 messages saying, Colin, when am I coming on again? When are you putting me on again? No, you got to.

I saw your first things first. You're crushing it. We love it and undisputed as well. So let's talk about the Lakers last night. Well, my takeaway was, listen, they've had AD LeBron experience, age, size, length all year. It's when they shoot well that they are, you don't want any part of them. My problem is last night everybody shot well. Okay, everybody shot well.

Why can't they do it more often? Like that, to me, I watched last night and I'm like, oh, they're 29 to no when they shoot 50%. Why don't they shoot that well? Is it a coaching issue? Is it, is it Kuzma's just not the player we think? think he is. What did you take a last night? I think you hit it on the head. And the bottom line is they just don't shoot it that well. This is not an aberration. We know how much they struggled with their three-point shot in the bubble. But they were 23rd in the league and three-pointers

before the shutdown. So at the end of the regular season in March. So they just are not a very good shooting team. And we know it's becoming more and more of a shooters league every day. And in the bubble, it is gone even more so that way. Yeah. So, and remember, they're playing against a horrible defensive team as well in Portland. So look, I'm not trying to downplay how well they played last night. They were great, but they still have the normal question marks, which are, one, are they going to hit shots outside? Two, is Anthony Davis going to be great in the fourth quarter? Right.

We know he will in the first three, will he in the fourth? And then after that, free throw shooting, I think. think we already know the answer to that. Even last night, they only shot 67% 20 of 30 from the line. As the games get closer, that could become a bigger problem for them as well. So I defended the Rockets this morning. I said, listen, the Clippers don't have Patrick Beverly. He's a very important defensive piece. The Rockets don't have Westbrook. He's an offensive igniter. This is what the series should look like without Westbrook. I do think Houston will win. or is there something deeper beyond my analysis other than just, hey, no Westbrook,

it's going to be a tight series. Hey, Colin, I picked Oklahoma City. Yeah. You know, assuming Westbrook was going to miss the bulk of the games, I picked Oklahoma City in six. And if he comes back for the last three, we know it's now a two of three series. If he's back for all three games and he's himself, then you have to give Houston the edge. but if he misses one, maybe two of these games, I'm sticking with Oklahoma City,

not necessarily in six, but to win the series. They have found an answer to the Rockets, and it is small ball of their own. Their small lineup with Shagilder's Alexander, Dennis Schrooter, Chris Paul, Danilo Gallinari, and Lou Dort, who's a really good defender,

is I actually like that five better than the Rocket small five. You know, without Westbrook. Yeah. Give me Westbrook and I'll give the Rockets the advantage. But that group is more versatile. They shoot the three. They got more guys that can create on their own. And Chris Paul is a mid-range shooter.

See, the Rockets aren't going to make any adjustments. Mike Dan Tony is going to continue to shoot the three. No matter what, we saw they finish the game, 5 or 26. The only adjustment they can make is Westbrook coming back. And so I think the Rockets are in for a heck of a dogfighting. lose depending on Westbrook status. By the way, I love what Brett Brown said yesterday. When they ushered him out, he said, I'd like to thank the 102 players.

It's a joke. This league has always been talent first, but chemistry, as we've seen, that's why the Lakers are good. It's not because the roster is great. The chemistry is excellent. I mean, he took a shot at Philadelphia and said seven years, 102 players. Um, he's not wrong. He's not wrong, Chris, is he?

No, in that the blame goes all over the place in Philadelphia. First, the front office with letting JJ Reddit go, which was their shooting. You know, Jimmy Butler, they couldn't figure it, find a way to get him, you know, worked into the culture, or they didn't have a strong enough culture to handle him. You see, Miami does, and he's been terrific there. Overpaying Al Horford, some would argue even overpaying Tobias Harris, although he's a really good player. So the front office is not absolved of blame.

Joel M.B. loves to float around to the three-point line 50% of the time. And I've blamed it on Ben Simmons having to play down low for the most part. But when Simmons isn't there, M.B. does the same thing. He lets guys like Daniel Tice push him out to 15, 16 feet on his post-ups, and then he faces up. He's not playing big enough enough of the time. And a lot of that's on M.B.

Ben Simmons, the fact that he doesn't have a jump shot yet or even taking jump shots yet has to be put on him. So I get it. There's a lot of blame to go around. But if I had to do blame pie, the biggest slice would still go to Brett Brown. It is your job as the head coach to connect with your players, to get Ben Simmons to understand the importance of getting a jump shot, to get Joel NB to understand the importance of playing down low 85. percent of the time and punishing people like Shaqwood in today's game. Look, you can talk about the front office decisions all you want, but when I look at that

roster, they've got talent. Tobias might maybe a little overpaid, but he's a great third option. Al Horford, how's he fit? But he's a very good player. And Josh Richardson is good. Matisse Steebill is a good young player defensively great. It is the coach's job to bring those guys together. and maximize their potential.

And Brett just hasn't done it. So I do think this was the right decision to get rid of it. So, you know, Lucas fascinating. He doesn't have Porzingis. And tonight, you saw, I don't know if you just saw, Porzingis has ruled out in tonight's game, too. When you talk to all your NBA sources and your coaches, are we seeing something here with Luca that is just beyond really good basketball

that is like, I mean, I don't think LeBron had this many elements to his game offensively at his age. I don't know if, I don't know if Larry Bird did. I mean, when Magic came into the league, many people thought he couldn't defend. And frankly, he couldn't shoot. Has there ever been a player like this at 21? I'm not sure there has been, Chris. Look, I have said, and I've caught flack, that Luca Doncha, if you take LeBron's second year, and you count that as this 20-year-old year.

I think Luca's the best 20-year-old we've ever seen. Now, if you say LeBron's third year when he was second in MVP voting, average 30 points, okay, you can give the edge to LeBron. But Luca, we haven't seen this. And Magic had arguably the greatest individual performance ever as a 20-year-old when he, and I don't mean just for a 20-year-old, but for any NBA player, but he did it at 20 when he was a rookie game, 6, MVP, all that in the finals.

However, for that season, Magic wasn't even rookie at a year. It was Larry Byrd. And Kareem was the MVP. So Magic didn't even lead the Lakers and assist his first two seasons. It was Norm Nixon. Luca Donchich is the truth. And I would argue the best 20-year-old we've ever seen in the NBA, depending on where you go with LeBron's season.

I've called him, Colin, the new age Larry Bird. First of all, the attitude. He is not scared of brothers. He believes he can outplay them just like anybody else. He'll talk trash to him. I love his attitude. He's got everything in the offensive game that you could want to handle, the passing. He's not as good a shooter as Byrd, but he's a much better shooter than his 32% three-point average sense.

He's a very good shooter. And like Byrd, we know he's not what we would call athletic today as far as speed, quickness. but his strength, his faints and slights and his startup and slow down and, you know, all the moves that he has, he can get any shot he wants against any player, even the most athletic defenders. Look, he is out playing Kauai and Paul George. He is. They can't stop him. I know.

This dude is the truth, man. No, listen. And by the way, Porzingis is out and you're asking him to carry a team over the, The best defensive team, best defensive roster in the league is probably Clippers. I don't think you're wrong. It's fascinating that Magic didn't lead the Lakers and assists the first two years. Think about that. That was Norm Nixon.

You forget. And Magic came into the league and took over the league, right? He literally wasn't the MVP of his team. He didn't lead the Lakers and assists. And he didn't win rookie of the year. And Magic was great when he walked into this league. I'm with you. This Luca, in a lot of it, let's be honest.

He played as it was a 15-year-old kid, he was playing against men. Right, absolutely. Yeah, it is molded his game. All right, Chris Broussard. I always leave you with a nugget, Colin. You know that. That's right. That's Chris Nugget Broussard is what we've called you for years.

Good to seeing you, buddy. All right, man. Coming up next, oh, my Lord, Big Ten is unraveling. The athletic directors and the coaches are furious at the commissioner. the latest story there, what's happening to the Big Ten, which canceled the football season, the A-Ds and the coaches think it was way too early and a competitive disadvantage, which it was for the conference. That's coming up.

What we could learn from the Big Ten. 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, 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 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 Jett. And I'm Alex English. Each episode, we picket here, unpack what went down, and try to make sense of how we survived it. Including a recent episode with Mark Lamont Hill,

waxing all about crack in the 80s. To be clear, 84 is big to me, not just because of crack. I'm down to talk about crack on day, but just so you're just so you're I mean, at this point, Mark, this is the second episode where we've discussed correct. So I'm starting to see that there's a through line. We also have AIDS on the table right now. Thank you 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 Hardway with me, your host, and your favorite. 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. Join me, Kear Gaines, as we have real conversations about healing, growth, fatherhood, pressure, and purpose on my new podcast, learn the hard way. Open your free iHeartRadio app. Search Learn the Hardway and listen now. Cars shield.com code herd, H-E-R-D, deductible may apply, summer beats up your car, get protected, a warranty when yours runs out. Well, what has happened previously in the past will often dictate what you're going to deal with in the future. So it's important to, as you start a business, as you run a league, what happened previously, it's important to read, be curious, look at what others have done.

will lead you generally down a more successful path. So the Big Ten, many believe panicked, canceled a football season, which of course in the recruiting world is a competitive disadvantage to the SEC and the Big 12 and the ACC and this is recruiting season. And according to a story today by Adam Rittenberg, many within the Big Ten programs are furious and frustrated by the cancellation and the process that led to it. Bid in this league 20 plus years, said a league source. This has been embarrassing.

Everybody is furious. Not the way it's supposed to go down. The ramifications of this are staggering. So let's talk about history. What have we seen with COVID? Now, I've said this before. The media too often seeks negative over positive, never considers the ramifications of business. and that's why many people in the media are losing their jobs now as they are, I believe this entire COVID is managing it, trying to find the bright lights and the silver clouds.

It's a pandemic. We're in the middle of it. It's difficult. Don't panic. I am seeking people that give me good information that don't panic. I have seen so much panicking in the media, and that doesn't solve anything. Here's what I have seen in sports. Let's start with the draft. Joy and I were on the air, the draft. One reporter at another network yelled, if you hold the draft, they'll be blood in the streets. Oh, God, that's embarrassing. The draft was an absolute five-star home run. The NFL. put their commissioner in the basement of his house. They had players. It was one of my favorite things in the draft ever. They went into players' homes, kids' homes, and you saw the cousins and the families and embracing as they became millionaires with generational wealth. I thought it was as good a draft as I'd ever seen.

The NFL just managed it. They didn't panic. They put the commissioner in a basement. They put cameras in the homes of 20-year-old kids and cousins and families, and it was joyful, it was wonderful, it was a home run. What did the UFC do? Oh, crap. We're going to rent an island.

We're going to go rent an island. It's going to be really expensive. And they had some positive tests. They didn't panic. And Dana White said, this is a business. We can't have fans. We're going to go run a damn island. And they did.

And two of the best cards I've ever seen in the UFC. Two of the best cards I've ever seen. What did golf do? What did NASCAR do? we're just going to manage it. We're going to be aggressive. We're not going to let it stop our majors and stop our tournaments. NASCAR had positive tests.

A couple of drivers, what they say? All right, quarantine. Race goes on. And panic. Golf. A couple of guys. Tournament out. All right.

Event goes on. By the way, Major League Baseball never promised us they weren't going to have positive tests. Major League Baseball is like, we can't do a bubble. The players union, which is very strong. This is why baseball bubbles don't work because the players are like, talk to the hand, we're not doing it. NBA unions not as strong.

The NFL union's much weaker. NHL unions weaker. Baseball union players said, we're going to be with our families. What happened? Baseball had some positive tests. The media panic. Baseball media canceled this season.

It doesn't work. This is outrageous. This is why death is going to happen. And yet, Miami Marlins, Cardinals situations. Got it all right. By the way, teams now are holding players accountable,

as we've talked about. Teams are like, bro, don't screw up the season for. Yankees, Dodgers, Cubs, all the good teams? Twins, they're not having problems. What have we seen over and over with this? Media panicking? Rob Manfred didn't. Roger Goodell didn't.

Gary Bettman didn't. Adam Silver didn't. We're managing our way through this. And aggressive is winning. Petrified, panic, stay home. That's not winning. Hiding is not winning. So the SEC, which we predicted on this show,

is going to put their head down, and it may be imperfect, and maybe the Pact 12 is right, and maybe the Big Ten's right. But the salute, when I'm not talking about states, governments, governors, mayor. I'm just talking sports. What has worked through this is not expecting perfection, understanding you're going to have positive tests, social distancing, mask wearing, bubbles or semi-bubbles whenever it's possible,

and work your way through it. Even in California, they close the bars, but the restaurants, they move people outside. Or should we just according to the media, shut the restaurants down. This is a health crisis. You manage it. You don't panic. You find the silver lining. You figure out how to keep people working.

Maybe the Big Ten made a massive mistake. But aggressive is winning. Managing this thing is winning. Hour two 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 I-Hard Radio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts. A win is a win. A win is a win. 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 Clifford Show. This is a place for raw, unfilts 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. On the Look Back at it podcast. From 1979, that was a big moment for me.

84 was big to me. I'm Sam Jay. And I'm Alex English. Each episode, we pick a year, unpack what went down, and try to make sense of how we survived it. With our friends, fellow comedians, and favorite authors. Like Mark Lamont Hill on the 80s. 84 was a wild year. I mean, it was a wild year.

I don't think there's a more important year for black people. Listen to Look Back at it on the IHeart Radio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcast. This is an IHeart podcast. Guaranteed human.