The Herd with Colin Cowherd - The Herd - Hour 2 - Dan Woike

Episode Date: July 3, 2023

In this hour of The Herd, Colin starts with another edition of "Where Colin Was Right, Where Colin Was Wrong." Also, Dan Woike of the LA Times stops by the show to talk NBA free agency. Finally, longtime NBA veteran Ryan Hollins joins The Herd to reflect on some of the Association's free agency movements.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

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Here we go. Hour 2 on a Monday. Live in Los Angeles, it's the hurt. Wherever you may be, however you may be listening. Thanks for making an ass part of your day. Good stuff today. A lot of things went on over the weekend, as you know on Monday. My favorite segment, Colin right, Colin wrong. There was plenty of both.

It was actually a lot on this weekend. I watched some baseball, United States men's national team. How good did they look this weekend? trades. I was telling a friend this weekend, if NFL and NBA free agency was a league, if that was a league, it'd be like second or third favorite. And I know overwhelmingly, the moves are all incremental. There was no Danny Aange deal here. I mean, Houston got better, but, you know, they're not a real challenger. Now, I do think if Dame goes to Miami, that's not incremental. I think Beal to Phoenix, we'll see over time. That's not incremental.

That's a better basketball team. But, you know, I try not to have addictions outside of caffeine, and I love free agency. I can't get enough. I try to stay off my phone on the weekends. I'm like just sitting there for like three hours, trying to figure out all these stories. I loved it.

So here we go, Colin Wright, Colin Wrong, and a Monday. Where Colin was right? When the GM came out last week for the Blazers and said, we are building a future with Dame, I said, oh, nonsense. They're just playing, you know, to the fans and playing to the media. Bottom line is 11 years, five first round exits and three non-playoff teams. Loyal to what? Dame's getting older.

He still has value. One more injury to Dane who's had injury plague years the last two years. He doesn't have the same value. He is a shot maker and a defensive liability, and I like him a lot. But now is the time. Portland's going to have a really fun future. Sharp is interesting. Simons, Scoot.

I can't wait to watch him play. Nirkich is a good player. Jeremy Grant. You're going to get something back for. Dame, probably not as much as a want unless there's a third team, but I never bought into this dame and the Blazers or the future stuff. Where Colin

was wrong. I would not have resigned DeAngelo Russell. Now, Rob Polenka got him for two years. You can move off him in a year. Everybody loves those last year of the contract players. He was dreadful against Denver. There's a reason he lasted 15 minutes in Golden State. He's squirrely, kind of immature. He shot

13% from the floor against Denver, had a series worst minus 47. If I recall, the plus minus in that series for the Lakers was mid-20, and he was minus 47. He literally, they benched him. This has been it when he was with the Lakers the first time. This time, Golden State, Minnesota. He's really talented.

He does give you a shooter. I get it. Like, he'll get good looks. Lakers Cudillo Ford did not have another shooter. I would have moved off him. I thought they would. They didn't. Where Colin was right.

Bill Belichick continues to utterly confound me by signing Devante Parker. I just give up. He's last in the NFL the last three years in separation. He doesn't separate and Mac Jones won't throw to him. And they give him three years and potentially 33 million. He just can't pull away from people. Either can Juju-Smith Schuster, though he's far more productive.

I just don't, I don't get it. And then they go into the draft and draft three guards and two kickers as the slowest offense in the league. Sometimes you just have to, I'm just, lost. I don't understand what they're doing. I need a roadmap, a GPS system with a Patriots offense. I don't understand any of it. It's a speed league. It's a perimeter league. And they re-signed Devante Parker. And for money, I don't get it. Where Colin was right? When Draymond punched Jordan Pool, I set on the air, Draymond will be around. Pool's gone. Sooner or later, it'll happen,

and it's what happened. Listen, Draymond had a market. I think he would have been a great fit in Sacramento and a great fit in Dallas, maybe in Portland. He is a very unique player where he averages seven and a half points a game, and Steve Kerr has told people I know privately, after Steph, he's the soul of the organization. He does so many things well beyond shoot, and he can occasionally hit a jumper. But the bottom line is Jordan Pool punt. There's a lot more punches thrown at practice than anybody care to believe. You just see it in football and you're okay with it.

Kerr was mad or the video got out. than he was at Draymond. Where Colin was wrong. You know, my rule is be aggressive in sports. It's kind of backfired for the Padres and Mets. Unbelievable. Both are 38 and 46. In baseball, it's hard to buy wins.

You can buy pressure, and there's a lot of pressure on the Padres, and there's a ton of pressure on the Mets, and how that kind of translates to getting tight at the plate, neither team can hit. San Diego's hitting 233. The Mets are hitting 240. and I think they both went out with splashy hires to buy wins and what it bought is enormous pressure on these rosters

and they're just bad baseball teams right now. Where Colin was right? The athletic named its most over-hyped NFL teams and it had Jets won in the Cowboys 3. I like Dallas. They're not a Super Bowl team and I like the Jets, but they got a below-average offensive line and Aaron's never played with a defensive coach.

And let's be honest, that division's filthy. It's got Belichick, it's got Tua and Mike McDanielan weapons, and Buffalo's a loaded roster. So I think the Jets have a very good defensive roster, but their offensive pieces are young. I mean, Garrett Wilson, good, kid. If I told you tomorrow, Breece Hall never came back, was never the same running back.

You got one young receiver you love, and a meh offensive line. Take a deep breath. Where Colin was wrong. I can't figure out the Sixers. So they're not going to resign Tyrese Maxie? Or he's in trade talks? Why do I love him so much?

Sometimes you get these dynamic young small players. And they're fun to watch. But they can't shoot. Westbrook, John Moran, Derek Rose, John Wall. This kid can shoot. I don't know. I know he's small. Probably never going to be a franchise.

guy, but he's dynamic. He can shoot. He plays hard. I also like young players. He obviously works hard. He is better every 30 games. He feel like he's a better player. But Tyrese Maxey's name being bantied about. Boy, if I misjudge this situation. Where Colin was right? I said when he came out last year, he's not only better than Babe Ruth. It's like embarrassing to argue it. Shohei Otani is unbelievable. His comp is Michael Phelps. He's your classic international player that didn't do what our domestic players often do, which is specialize in one thing. He's like Yokic, who can pass, shoot, ball handle.

Oh, Tani does everything. He can run. He hits for power. He leads baseball and all the power stats. He's a draw. He can pitch. I mean, he's remarkable. The fact that he can garner so much power, he had six home runs and seven-game homestand,

and he's 210 pounds. I mean, if you go to the history of power hitters in recent years, Just that should not be leading baseball and all the power stats. He's really a remarkable all-time player. Where Colin was right? I have said for the last six months, this United States men's national team, the depth is remarkable. I mean, listen, our B team, one, literally we had two hat tricks over the weekend, blowing through Trinidad Tobago, say what you want.

They took us out of the World Cup several years ago. the speed, the depth, the skill is really noticeable. How fast is this team? They're very good at not only attacking, and their coach, BJ Gallehan, the interim coach, is allowing them to play a highly aggressive style. Now, that's easier, obviously, against teams that you have superior talent. That's been the knock on Burholter that he tends to be a bit more passive and not as aggressive.

Well, when you're playing the Netherlands or England, you can't be. This team is really good. The fact that our B team was up 3-0 quickly against anybody is pretty remarkable. Remember beating Canada about three weeks ago, four weeks ago, without two of our best players who had red carded. This is a really special team. And I am not some hype master with the United States national teams. I've said for years, there's a reason we play defensively against great teams.

They have better players. We'll get burned. This is a unique group. we're still what three years from a north american on our soil or close to it world cup this team can be a threat i'm not i know i sound like crazy town they are fast they are skilled and we are deep we i said it we Colin right calling wrong in the monday all right he's here to defend austin reeves of course he is dan waikie l laid times, the Lakers, who had a very nice weekend.

I liked it. I applaud it. I don't think competency is revolutionary. Let's get to the Austin Reeves thing. So, yeah, they missed out on some names on their list, Con. The Lakers were really into Kelly Olinick, Mack McClawn, Patrick Beverly. Okay. Go ahead. So this is what happens in my space. I like Austin Reeves. I would have retained him. They got him for a good number. Yep. Good deal. It'll be one of the, he'll walk into training camp, you know, as the starting shooting guard. on one of the best contracts in the league. Yeah, it's very good.

And I also thought, you know, I think there are, you can get guys on good contract. I mean, I know it's a backup player, but Gordon for the Sons is a really redeemable contract. Oh, it's a great deal. It's a great deal for Phoenix. Here's my thing on Austin Reeves. And I've said this about,

you see this in football a lot. In football, if a guy, a lot of the guys that get drafted in the first round are like they play three years in college. They don't red shirt. They're like 21 years old. They come to the NFL. They have high ceilings.

So you draft them with a lot of it, not being just production ceiling. But as you get fifth-year seniors out of Wisconsin, he is what he is. And by the way, he'll go fourth round, but he's valuable. Austin spent a lot of years in college, two years into the league. He's an older, experienced 25, more mature

than a lot of kids that come out of college. And I like him. He's at 10 points a game. I think it'll get to 16 and a half, maybe 17, 3 assists. I like him a lot. That's basically what he was when he moved into the starting lineup, right? He was about 16 and 4, almost 50, 40, 90.

shooting. And I like that. But I think there's this sense that if LeBron and AD got, one of them got hurt. Sure. And he had to be your two in the playoffs. You're probably not in the West winning that series. Is that reasonable? No. No, it's, yeah, it is. But I mean, I think that's true for virtually any player making $20 million or less that isn't, you know, on a rookie contract like Victor Wembeyanama or something down the road. Right. Like I think that that is, you know, that's basically true for most complimentary players, right? Like, I mean, you mentioned Tyrese Maxie earlier. So I like him a lot.

And maybe, but I think he's, you know, probably a different class of prospect than Austin Reeves. But it's, you know, I had a conversation with the scout, you know, kind of we were talking about contracts and stuff like that. And this was before, you know, Austin wasn't able to get a restricted offer, which says more, I think, about restricted free agency than it does about how well he played. Okay. Because the Lakers could match anything. That's right. Normally if you're going to get a player and restrictive free agency,

you have to overpay. Right. And there wasn't really an overpay available. I don't think he's an overpay guy. Yeah. I think he is, and I'll say, even at the $100 million,

$400,000, I think most people around the NBA would have viewed that as a reasonable match. Like for a starting shooting guard at age 25, in a year or two, like certainly getting ready to, who's shown improvement

at every step along the way, right? Like, so there are some questions, I think, about like, what his ceiling is, but I can tell you that even internally within the Lakers, that was those, that ceiling went up this year as to what they thought he could be when they saw him move into the starting line because we did see him without LeBron James for a pretty good chunk of games in the second half of the season when LeBron was out with the foot injury,

you know, it was DeAngelo Russell, Austin Reeves, Anthony Davis, Rui Hachamara, like really not even Rui Hachamara at that time, you know, it was those were the three guys that were kind of leading this charge and we saw games where Austin had, you know, 30 points. got to the free throw line 15, 16 times. So I think, though, but I was talking to, anyways, I digress, I was talking to the scout and I'd asked him, you know, about Desmond Bain, who was taken 30th, I believe, or 29th in the first round of the draft. It was a zero-star recruit.

Yeah, and just got a $200 million extension. Yeah. And I think the notion, this got said that Desmond Bain, he viewed as a better player than Austin Reeves. I do. But it was closer than most people would think. And if you, you know, it's funny because those two guys were matched up. up in the first round of the playoffs.

And I would say Austin got the better of him the first three or four games. Bain kind of wore him down a little bit over the course of the series because, you know, they were running Austin through Dylan Brooks and different stuff. But Bain got paid to some degree. Sometimes you get paid not for your talent. There's a reason they brought Marcus Smart in. Bain is a grown-up. He's a grinder.

He's really good, too. No, he is. Yeah. But he is viewed as in an unstable situation, unstable, excuse me. Sure. Marcus and Bain, no problems. Yeah. They're viewed, I mean, I think they haven't gone out and looked for, is Derek Rose even on that team?

Did they make a run at? Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. You know, as someone I think as a jaw mentor and stuff. Essentially, guys now are getting paid in Memphis sort of to get this thing under control. That's okay. I totally buy that.

Yeah. But I, but I, again, I can like players. Like, I thought the two guys you had to retain were Reeves and Rui. Yep. 100%. And I thought, you know, Pat Riley lets Gabe Vinton go. But he's a shooter. and if you play with LeBron, you get shots.

I'm okay, always overpaying for a young shooter. Again, undrafted, I think he's undrafted. Great story, hard worker, typical heat culture kid. Couldn't even get on a summer league roster. That's like that's the climb that gave Vincent his ban on. By the right, there's a lot more of that in the league than anybody wants to admit. Totally. Yeah.

I mean, I think if you look at, you know, the start of free agency, you look at Fred Van der Leet, Draymond Green, Austin Reeves. Desmond Bay. I mean, these are guys that are non-lottery players, certainly, and we're seeing a ton of lottery extensions go out around the league right now, and like, that's fine. Like, that's, that is the straightest line path to being great in the NBA. That would be the advice I'd give any kid out there who wants to be a good best player. You want to be a good NBA player? Get drafted first. That's like, that's the best path. The higher you are in the draft, generally speaking, the more chance you have to attain success. That's right. But, I mean, Nicola Yokic, I mean, there are different pathways, especially as the game changes and the court gets more open. There's more skill involved and stuff like that. I think there are, I mean, you know, that's one of the things with Austin Reeves.

I think that the Lakers are betting on is that, you know, his ceiling isn't maybe just nice story. I think he surpassed nice underdog story. I mean, he is going to play for Team USA this summer. And it's not the Team USA type of class that you would look at and be like, oh my gosh, this is loaded with stars. But I mean, it's a group that has like Tyrese Halliburton, Anthony Edwards, and stuff like that.

And I think he's one of the best guards in the NBA under the age of 25, 26. He's a good, really good young player. And that's why the Lakers prioritized him. And it's really why they suppressed his market and restricted for agency by telling everybody, we will match anything. And so

you can offer him $100 million, but it's a waste of your time. All right. Let's go to, I do think it's interesting that people hate. You know, small markets get worked up about mobility, but it's not like small market Milwaukee didn't go out and get this guy and this guy and this guy and Drew Holiday. Mobility's everywhere. Portland, by the way, is going to make a big move for Dame and they're going to bring all sorts of people in and they went and got to Jeremy Grattan. Everybody's getting somebody.

Like this idea that everybody wants to go play for the Knicks, they've missed on so many free agents through the years. Give me a break. Look at the Chicago Bulls free agency history for a place that supposedly would attract free agents. So in the end, Phoenix, it's a winter league, It's warm weather. That's always been kind of attractive. I've had players say that. Sleeping Giant, really, in a lot of ways. But I look at this team. And here's what I really like about it. Gordon, they stole off the bench. They also went and got a stretch for and some size. I do worry about Aiton being the fourth option and being pouty and disengaged. But they do have enough duplication, Dan. Dan Wojke, joining us for a radio audience, L.A. Times, that you could give.

You could go to KD. and say, I want 52 regular season. Beal 62. Booker 68. Sure. And that means Aiton is your third option on most nights and sometimes down the floor is second. Because I do think it's a bit problematic. Aiton has shown the ability to pout. And if you're the fourth option, he's not getting that ball. They have so much duplication.

Even counting Gordon with shooters, you can really juggle this lineup, Dan, and give one of them a night off during the regular season. Yeah. And still be, if you told me, KD missed a series. I think it could win a playoff series with this. I think it's that

it's got that much offense. I think it's hard to do that way and I think that's one of those approaches that when teams build these three star lineups, like that is like a common thought, right? But I think organically like Colin, Colin, those nights are going to happen, right? Like, Devin Booker's going to pull a hamstring and he's going to miss two weeks. Like, that is going to happen.

History has shown us that Bradley Beale will probably be hurt at some point. Like that is part of the deal. same with Kevin Durant, right? Like you'll have a sore knee or something or an ankle. And so you hope that the luck lines up in a way where you'll be able to do it. But you're right. Like they are top heavy enough seemingly that they should be able to navigate that. And I think, you know, I was talking to an executive who thought that they did about as good as they could do with the constrictions that they had based on this trade.

You know, I mean, and then you look at some of these guys and they might not be names that people, you know, really know. like it's hard to get super excited if you it lets you really follow basketball but like Yuta Wadonabe, right? Who like, yeah, you know, who like went a huge chunk of the season without missing. It was just like one of the best three point shooters in the league. You know, Bates Gop from San Antonio was a guy who shot, you know, 38% is a really versatile defender. I think a guy that Frank Vogel is going to love playing. Like that just seems like, you know, Frank Vogel's kind of player. And they did pretty good.

You know, it's hard though. And it's one of those things, like you think back to the teams that have had the most success, you know, with three stars. And obviously you think about, you know, the Miami Heat. And yes, they had LeBron James. Yes, they had Chris Bosch. Yes, they had DeWain Wade. But huge parts of those championship runs were the fact that Mario Chalmers was the right player for the right situation. Also.

That Shane Badiere and Mike Miller were really good for agency signings. Ray Allen eventually really good for agency signings. So when you do have these spots, you just can't miss. You have to use your. You have to use the avenues you have. And right now they are selling to free agents like Eric Gordon. And those are the guys' opportunity to play, opportunities to win. And they've gotten, they've done pretty well.

If you look at the team that didn't work thrown together, they had a first year coach, Steve Nash. The other one's Boston Doc Rivers, Eric Spolstra, Steve Kerr, Frank Vogel. It does help. It's fluid. It's a lot of personality. I mean, in fairness, Frank struggled with it in L.A. you know, two years ago with Russell Westbrook,

LeBron James, but that's fit and stuff like that. And this is a smoother fit. I think Devin Booker can play on the ball a little bit more and is a pretty good passer. I think certainly the ball skills for Kevin Durant are outrageous. Like that guy can do everything. You know, but I think that there's something to that. I do think it might be a right coach, right time situation in Phoenix.

And it's going to be hard. You're going to have depth issues. But you have 82 games to kind of settle on, you know, the eight guys that you try. trust and you know come playoffs like you i mean i i generally think in the playoffs the way their rosters built like those three guys are going to have to stay healthy yeah it's going to be really hard otherwise i mean we saw that with brooklyn yeah you lose one you lose two next thing you know you're out of the you're out of the playoffs yeah but i i do kind of believe in the fact that

they've got enough time and they've got enough talent to find the right pieces that fit because yes this the sons are really in a lot of ways a microcosm of the nbae you have those super top to your talented players. And then everybody else in the league, it's about situation and opportunity. Yeah. And you get in the right situation, you get the right opportunity,

you get a chance to shine. Someone else's trash is your treasure. And I think the son's team is a really good opportunity to show that. So the heat are a lot of things. They're not covert on their messaging. It's pretty clear what they're doing. Struis, see ya.

Gabe, buy. They can move off other pieces. Oladipo. Yeah, Victor Oladipo. That's right. So it's like they're clearing up space. For Dame, I think he fits because I think Dame, the market's interesting. I compared him to a convertible sports car.

It works in Miami and warm weather. It's useless in Anchorage. Is that he has to be surrounded by length and defenders. Bam and Butler are. So you can get away with it. He works, you know, he would work in Milwaukee where you have a rim protector, Drew Holiday. But he's not a defender. He's small and a bit injury prone.

But Miami's the fit. Bam, Butler, Dame is. that sounds like a title team. The question becomes fairly obvious. What do they give Portland? Yeah, I think that is what I'm so interested in. And I'm sure people like our friend Beloram and the Oregonian are talking about this where it does sort of feel like either you play Kate Dame

or you go get the best offer, right? Like those are the pathways. And ideally, if you're Joe Cronin, they're two separate questions. Like hopefully Miami isn't the best. offer because it should feel like you should be able to get more if it is a one-for-one trade than Tyler Hero who doesn't really fit your timeline. It doesn't. You know, and, you know, picks.

Like, you can get some draft picks and some swaps and stuff like that. You know, I think certainly if the Brooklyn Nets are as interested as reportedly, I think they have an offer. Like what? Like, Cal bridges? No, it's not a win now situation, Colin. It's a pick situation, is that you take on the draft picks that the Nets got back from Phoenix you take on the draft picks that the Nets got, you know, and the Philly deal for Hardin.

Maybe you house Ben Simmons for a year in Portland. Like, I mean, you are kicking the ball down the road. Like this is a, yeah, they're not a championship team now. This is an extended rebuild at this point. And that's why some people were kind of curious about the Jeremy Grant deal. I had one scout. I was on the phone with them actually when Damien Lillard requested the trade. And I said, well, the Grant deal looks a little different now. He said, you know, he joked that it was maybe it was like an airline ticket where you get 24 hours after you book it to kind of you can pull back but

you know Jeremy Grant will have value regardless of what they do because he's a pro and you don't want to give Scoot Henderson just like nothing around him you want you want to develop him and stuff like that. NERCCH is a player see I think if I was trading Dame I try to trade NERCage and that deal too I try to get

off the NERCage money and use like your opportunities to do that three teams you need a third team maybe I mean it's hard to get to 60 million with Miami I mean you could take back Duncan Robinson, you could take back, you know, you could take back Martin, you can take back different players like that, and maybe you pawn them off down the road. I just think that, you know, if you're Portland, the question is, is like, you've shown loyalty to Damian Lillard time and time

again, and he's shown loyalty to you. It's been a good relationship. This is like not a messy breakup by any stretch. I think the, it is now, I feel like Portland has done enough, right? And now, now they can take Damien Lerloy the open market and he's a player that's under contract and they should they should open it to all bidders who wants him you know is it just the heat you know would San Antonio be interested and kind of building their culture um ground up like you know that's a name that's that's been mentioned I think it's really interesting yeah Brooklyn certainly is it is a as is a team that could put together Damien Lillard mckell Bridges Nick Claxton camp Johnson like that's a pretty good core in the east you know

it's young, it's upcoming. Like, I think those are, I think you need to explore all your options. You shouldn't just be on the phone with Pat Riley. My takeaway is if Dame, and this is okay, in the NFL, there's always, we like to pretend that everybody's got a chance to win. Yep. But in college football, I can tell you right now, USC, Michigan, LSU, Bama, Georgia, Ohio State.

You probably look at the SEC, you probably look at like two teams of the big ten, and be like, okay, it's probably coming for one of these teams. And in the NFL, we think it's a wide open bubble. It's about six teams. Sure. If Dane went to Miami. They're one of the teams. Well, and it's pretty small list.

Denver, Phoenix, Milwaukee, then Miami. I think Boston. I'm there with Boston. I'm there with Boston. They don't have a point guard still, but it's, but okay, well, let's put Boston in. Sure. They're in that mix, I think. Denver, Boston, Phoenix, Milwaukee.

Miami. If Philly doesn't get Dame, I don't put him in there. I'm a fool's goal. I mean, if they're moving off a hard and especially in that situation, I think it's a pretty small list of championship teams. I think right now, as of today, some people would have the Lakers in that list. Just in the conference finals, had a good offseason. We'll see what happens to how healthy they were.

But like, yeah, it's not a lot. I mean, like, I think you have a, although there is a feeling in Denver we'll see, but you do talk to people and it does feel like this is the dawn of parity in the NBA right now that like you look around and you see like the 70s. Like the warriors, the warriors are a crumbling dynasty in some ways. They're getting older and stuff like that. By the way, didn't, will you surprise they did not go get another big?

I don't know. I don't really think it's, I think Luni is pretty much like kind of what they do. Like, and Draymond is functionally the big and stuff. I was a little surprised that they went Chris Ball and Corey Joseph. I mean, I didn't think we'd be talking about Corey Joseph today, but like that, that to me seemed like if you have X amount of minimum slots, that was a little bit of a surprise. But I think you want, you know, especially with Chris Ball, they're going to spread the floor, they're going to run a ton of pick and roll. They're going to use

Clay Thompson as a screener a bunch. They're going to use Dramon Green as a screener a bunch. They're going to get into space. Caminga. And that's the other thing, Colin, is you need those guys for this to work. You need Kaminga. You need Moses Moody. Like, they have to play. You have to create those pathways for those guys. But

I do think you can look around and you can make arguments for six or seven teams you know, based on last, I mean, I think we could look at, it's not hard to squint and see a version where John Moran comes back focused, and Memphis is the team that they were for the first 50 games last year. I think they were one of the best teams in the West. I think, you know, Marcus Smart and that mix is really interesting.

I think Minnesota in year two of towns and Gobert will be better, you know, and they could certainly get better through trade too. So it's pretty loaded right now. So I think teams are operating in a way where it's like you look at the situation, said like, we need to go for it. Yeah. Dan Wojke, L.A. Times. We both like Austin Reeves. I like Austin Reeves.

I know. I'm teasing. I'm teasing. All right. Good scene again. I like Mac McClung better, though. Well, in the dunk contest. Be sure to catch live editions of the herd weekdays in noon Eastern 9 a.m. Pacific on Fox Sports Radio, FS1, and the IHeard Radio app. Imagine an Olympics where doping is not only legal, but encouraged.

It's the enhanced game. 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. Taylor the fourth. 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. Do you remember when Diana Ross double-tap little Kim's boobs at Viamaz? Or when Kanye said that George Bush didn't like black people.

I know what you're thinking. What the hell does George Bush got to do with a little Kim? Well, you can find out on the Look Back at it podcast. I'm Sam J. 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 yeah, yeah, yeah. But just so y'all know. I mean, at this point, this is the second episode where we've discussed crack. So I'm starting to see that there's a through line. We also have AIDS on the table right now.

Thank you finishing that sentence. 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.

No, no, no, no. Turn on the news. This is the herd line news. Start off in the NFL. Kellyn Moore and Dak Prescott spent seven seasons together in Dallas. They were teammates in 2016 and 2017 before Moore moved into coaching. Moore left the Cowboys to become the Chargers offensive coordinator earlier this year. But he still has plenty of praise for Dak.

Here's what Moore said, quote, he's the best person, I think the best leader I've ever been around easily. player or coach or anything. I think his ability to connect with the team in all spectrums is rare, and I've never seen it any other way. His work ethic, his command, I think he's incredible. We've all been through that Dallas journey, and he has a phenomenal way of being able to deal with it probably more than your average NFL starting quarterback,

and he handles it beautifully. He's certainly a guy you forever root for. Yeah, I mean, I think that's what you have to say, and I think it's true. So I think because of social media and the, avalanches that ensue if you say something controversial. We are living in a time now where people have never been more boring with their quotes, especially coaches. But I think in this instance, it's true. Dax's not a great throw over the football. He's not a wildly dynamic athlete. He's

athletic with a decent arm. But what he is is an intangible guy. And that's how he got the contract. You don't have to worry about him. He's an adult. He's had to deal with some Zique immaturity and Desimiturity. He's had the deal with the controversies. Right? During social movements, he's always been an ace. He always gets through it. You know, I've never seen him as a great armed talent. That's not what he is. But I think for the Cowboys, because of a kind of vanity-led owner, intangibles become really important. Like you could have a little less town. Can you imagine Kyler Murray with Jerry Jones? I mean, that would be just too much noise. Like, Dax's quiet. No noise.

As you said, with the Cowboys, that could be just as valuable. some physical traits as well. Sticking in the NFL, Bill Belichick has raised some eyebrows at his end of the year press conference when he called out the Patriots, saying they were one of the lowest spending teams in the league. Some perceived these comments as a shot at Robert Kraft, but he was asked about it and made it clear

that money is not an issue in New England. Kraft told Greg Bardard of the Boston Sports Journal that Belichick has never not gotten what he wanted from a cash spending perspective, and there have never been any limits set. Kraft also said money spending will never be an issue, or he'll sell the team. Yeah, it's years ago when they threatened to leave

and they had a bad stadium. But Gillette Stadium now is a moneymaker with all the real estate around it. They're game day revenue. I don't have a list of game day revenue. Patriots have to be top 10 in the league. The issue is how they've spent their money offensively. They've usually gotten their defensive space. ending right, but they've missed on a lot of offensive players.

They've, you know, I mean, they've got tight ends that don't separate and receivers that don't separate. So, you know, if you just took out wide receivers, which they struggle with, if you took the Patriots today and you gave them Jamar Chase and T. Higgins, the roster was the exact same. We'd be like, oh, great defense, great coach, great at home. great owner. They have a hole in the franchise. They've done very little to address it. In fact, they've doubled down on it by resigning older receivers that can't separate. But I never look at

them and think money's an issue. I do think it's been an issue through the years with Cincinnati and the Brown family. The Raiders don't have a lot. But I put them in a class of like eight teams, the Rams, the Eagles. They got a lot of money. Denver owners got a lot of money. Arizona's been a team. you worry about. In fact, I know this. Arizona is spending significantly less annually than Seattle, San Francisco, and the Rams. Like, it's a thing that doesn't get talked about. So Patriots are on our short list of the most affluent teams in the league. We'll wrap it up with this. The Birmingham Stallions are champions again. They defeated the Pittsburgh Mallors on Saturday, 2812, for their second straight USFL title. Regular season MVP, Alex Magoo, had

307 total yards and threw four touchdowns in the win. Receiver Dionne Cain caught three of those touchdowns and had 70 receiving yards on his way to being named the Games MVP. Well, Alabama's been a dynasty, the Birmingham Stallions. The South is doing very good in this football dynasty thing. Yeah, way to go.

Nice team. I still contend the receivers and backs in this league looked like NFL guys. O-line Minow, quarterbacks hang. Quarterbacks are fun, They're all Tyler Heineke. A little smaller than an NFL team want. Arms okay, not really special.

Ryan with the news. Well, that's the news. And thanks for stopping by. The Herd Lie News. The end of your first year, Discover credit cards automatically double all the cashback you've earned. Seriously, check it out for yourself. Discover.com slash match.

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 Ghalib on the IHeartRadio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcast. Imagine an Olympics where doping is not only legal but encouraged. It's the enhanced games. Some call it grotesque. Others say it's unleashing human potential. Either way, the podcast's Superhuman documented it all,

embedded in the games and with the athletes for a full year. Within probably 10 days, I'd put on 10 pounds. I was having trouble stopping the muscle growth. Listen to Superhuman on the I-Hard Radio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts. A win is a win. A win is a win. I don't care what you're saying.

Yep, that's me, Cliver Taylor the 4th. You might have seen the skits, the reactions, my journey from basketball to college football, or my career in sports media. Well, somewhere along the way, this platform became bigger than I ever imagined. And now I'm bringing all of that excitement to my brand new podcast, The Clifford Show. This is a place for raw, unfiltered conversations with some of your favorite athletes, creators, and voices that not only deserve to be heard, but celebrated. One week, I'll take you behind the scenes of the biggest moments in sports and entertainment. And the next we'll talk about life, mental health, purpose, and even music.

The Clifford Show isn't just a podcast. It's a space for honest conversations, stories that don't always get told, and for people who are chasing something bigger. So if you've ever supported me or you're just chasing down a dream, this is right where you need to be. Listen to the Clifford show on the IHeart Radio app, Apple 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-tapped Little Kim's boobs at the VMAs? Or when Kanye said that George Bush didn't like black people. I know what you're thinking. What the hell does George Bush got to do with Little Kim? Well, you can find out on the Look Back at it podcast. I'm Sam J. And I'm Alex English. Each episode, we pick a here, unpack what went down,

and try to make sense of how we survived it. Including a recent episode with Mark Lamont Hill, waxing all about crack in the 80s. To be clear, 84 is big to me, not just because, of crack. I'm down to talk about crack on day, but just so y'all know. I mean, at this point, Mark, this is the second episode where we've discussed crack. So I'm starting to see that there's a through line.

We also have AIDS on the table right now. Thank you 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. 10 NBA years. I Heart Radio podcasting. Okay. So I said this morning, if you just, if you were at a bar in 20 years and you, this sounds like a team that would win a title.

And I said, remember that K.D. Booker, Aiton, Beal, Gordon team, that Frank Vogel coach, like that team was crazy good. That sounds like a championship team. More so than had a year ago, we would have said, Yokich, Murray,

Gordon and Porter dominated the NBA. You'd be like, really? I mean, I look at Phoenix and I'm like, with Gordon and Beal, this is the best shooting team probably since maybe the KD. Steph Clay teams, right? Like just the ability to hit shots. Well, here's the reality. When it comes to Steff and Clay, that's a whole class of his own.

But this is a team that's absolutely loaded. And Chris Paul was a part of the big three, but we all know that Chris Paul was older. You still have Bradley Bill here in his prime. Eric Gordon was a huge signing. We got to see him this year as a rocket, and Eric Gordon can still ball. He can put it on the deck.

He can finish at the rim. And when you need him, he can come in and play some backup or starting point. So, I mean, this is a team that's absolutely loaded. And Colin, you and I both know, it comes down to the little things. It comes down to culture. They're going to have to have a major training camp.

The culture is going to have to come in place. And obviously, we know with every, NBA championship and just as Denver that's going to come down to hell. You know, if we were talking about the Warriors, you know, their back court's a little different, but it's the same

core, basically. Steph, Clay, Wiggins, Dray, Monty. The league feels like it's getting bigger. They're not. I mean, and I tend to be pro-warriers. I don't know if they match up with some of the other teams. Do you think they

do? I honestly don't think that they do. Here's a struggle now. If you are going to play Chris and Steph at the same time, you've got to protect both of them. And Clay has lost a bit of a step, so he's not going to be the same lockdown defender that he was. So I really am worried with what they do.

Now, when you do play small, the key is going out and getting a big. You've got to get a shot blocker. You have to have somebody on the back side that you can funnel those small guys too. Have one guy who can play two men. If the Warriors don't get that, I don't have much faith in them winning a championship this year. I do think they're extremely competitive.

I do think Chris coming along and playing with Steph Curry allows Steph to be free. This is the first time since Igadala in Livingston where you can really put Steph Curry off the ball and just say, focus on scoring the basketball. Don't worry about anything else but being the best score you can beat. Do you worry that Kyrie is a bit of a ball-centric guard that doesn't defy. defend. It's a little doubled down. I mean, generally speaking, you find your star and then you protect him, right?

Janus, give him shooters. LeBron, give him shooters. Steph, give him defenders. Luca is ball-centric and doesn't defend. Kyrie is ball-centric and doesn't defend. What do you make of three years? Look, it is a concern, Colin, I'd be lying to you if I said it wasn't.

But I think what Dallas is going to be able to do in this off-season that they could do via trade during the season is going to get those three 3 and D guys. They were hurting without Finney Smith. That was a big loss. They need the guys who can come out and defend and kind of make up for what's missing. And here's the deal, Colin, and we both seen this. We've raved about it before.

Look at Dodgers by himself can go on and win you a game. He can go out and get you two and a half, maybe three games in a playoff series. So with Dallas's biggest concern is we're running Luca into the ground. We need a guy who can pick up the slack. heck we need a guy even if lucas out can go out and be that guy and kairie's that guy and the one thing in free agency or if you go on and trade for a big name you go out and make a splash you've got to resign those guys and you got to keep them on so whether it's in dallas for the next three years or a potential trade you got a great asset there in kairie irving but i think the idea is to relieve

lucid datches from having to be superman night in and night out uh dame um bam butler dame works i don't know what they can give Portland, but it does feel like Miami, Ryan, is basically just letting all their shooters go. So it feels like they're telegraphing it, right? Well, what you're doing is think about it. Duncan Robinson through the entire season, really didn't play. Or if it was hero,

hero came out, and hero, you know, he was missing during that playoff, the playoff series. Caleb Martin is a dog. You got him there as an absolute still. So you're saying, man, instead of Kyle Lurie, we're going to put Damien Lillard in that situation. situation. We're going to keep our culture. Damian Lillard, no disrespect to LeBron. He's the most

respected player in the entire NBA. He fits right in with that heat culture. And you got a team that maybe physically wouldn't be favored, but top to bottom, culture wise, you wouldn't rule out them competing for a championship and just seeing Dame would help. No disrespect to the teams of the players who played with him, but seeing him would help another superstar and culture behind him. I just don't think Damon Lillard has had that. Yeah, I think Portland is going to a bevy of picks that will secure their future, I think Miami would be great, not good, but great for two years. And sometimes when you make these moves,

it's like when the Lakers split Shaq and Kobe up. Shaq won the early part of it. Kobe won the later part of it. You don't always win both ends of the draft. The other team may win quickly. You get the picks and you flourish later. Ryan Hollins, 10 years in the league. We got to run my man.

Good seeing you. All right, brother, talk so. We love Ryan coming on the show. No, I mean, listen, the two things you've got to do in this league to win championship. Find a star. It's hard. But if you go to the last 10 titles, they've been won by Janice, Yokic, Steph, LeBron, Kee, and LeBron again. Okay, that's what you've got to do. There's a lot of titles in this league with Duncan, Bird, Magic, MJ, Kobe, Shack, LeBron, you've got to have a star.

The second thing is finding players that can cover for the star. LeBron's never been a great shooter. Wade never a great shooter. So they got Badiye, Ray Allen, Mike Miller, shooters. Clay Steph's not a great defender. The guy got Iggy. They got Draymond. They got Clay in his prime.

So I worry that Luca and Kyrie are the same thing. Neither defends. Both need the ball. Hour three next. 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 whenever you'd like.

Another podcast from some SNL late night comedy guy, not quite. Unhumor me with Robert Smy and friends, me and hilarious guests from Bob Odenkirk to David Letterman help make you funnier. This week, my guest, S&L'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 I-Heart 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. 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 podcasts. This is an IHeart podcast. Guaranteed Human.