The Herd with Colin Cowherd - The Herd-HOUR-2-Right & wrong, NBA playoffs

Episode Date: August 24, 2020

Colin goes over where he was right and wrong, and the NBA playoffs.Guests: Tim Hardaway Sr., Matt Mosley 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 Heard. You're listening to Fox Sports Radio. Ah, here we go.

Wherever you may be, however you may be listening live in Los Angeles. This is the herd. Joy Taylor is joining me. Tim Hardaway, whose son's now a maverick. They're playing well. You know, it's funny, Joy. When I was watching the NBA as a kid, it was almost like genetically, if you had a big guy, you won. Like a lot of the centers were like, Wilts Chamberlain were flaky.

They weren't the hardest worker. but if you had a 7-foot-1 guy it was good, you win a lot of games. The NBA now is like, who wants it more? Like height's not a problem. Can you shoot? Seth Curry. Not Steph Curry.

Seth Curry is a bigger problem than Joel M.B. This league now is so talented. And if like if you live for basketball and you work on your game and you can shoot, nobody cares about your height, Dame Lillard's tiny, nobody cares. It used to be 70s, 80s, 90s, Best center dominates a conference.

You have Rick Smithson be really dominant. It was so much more physical, which is why a lot of old school people don't like this new style of play. But it's really just a lot more. And this isn't saying that old school basketball wasn't amazing. I loved it. But it's just more skill and finesse now. We have seven foot four.

But that opens it up for so many more players. Porzingis is 7.4. He's a slasher. He's not even like the idea. Luke is a 6.8 point who's unsty. unstoppable. We always romanticize the past. I'm such a windshield guy.

I'm not a rearview mirror guy. We used to, oh, those Knicks Pacer series. Of the 10 starters, eight couldn't shoot. If Reggie Miller went to the bench, Indiana couldn't shoot. I mean, most of the legendary Knicks couldn't shoot a 15-footer. Everybody can shoot now. The whole seven-foot-four guys are slasher who can hit threes. And if you can't shoot in any capacity, the people are terrified to have you

their squad. So it's really fun. All right, here we go. Colin Wright, Colin wrong on a Monday, fire away. Where Colin was right. I don't buy into Philly, never have. I think you got to break up Ben Bied and Simmons. They're the first team out of the playoffs. They got swept. Blame whoever you want. I didn't like the Tobias Harris acquisition. I've just never bought into this. I didn't buy into the process. It did get them some players and picks. But we keep blaming the coach, but I just, any relationship, if you're still going to therapy eight years in, it ain't going to work. This thing, shouldn't be this hard.

Simmons is hurt and M.B. doesn't get along with him and Simmons can't shoot. Break up the band, get a bunch of pieces and start over. Where Colin was wrong. I still think the Clippers are the better team, but their defense is getting worked by Dallas. If you look at all the analytics, it looks like Clippers should win this series in about five games. Dallas is fun and feisty and can score.

But I'll tell you, the Mavericks are getting penetration. They're getting tons of open looks. times Luca just looks too strong for anybody for the Clippers to guard. You know, Patrick Beverly has been gone for three games, but that's something, but it's not that much. Dallas's offense is consistently beating a Clippers defense, and I did not think that would be the case. I thought this would be, you know, 117, 11, and the Mavericks would be getting low percentage

shots and not getting penetration, and it's just been the opposite. Where Colin was right? Never bought into Jarrett Stidham. The other network, every analyst told you, oh, Jared Stidham is the guy. And I'm like, I watched them in college. He's okay. I don't get it.

If Bill Belichick watched Jared Stidham for a year and still wanted 43-year-old Tom Brady back, what does that tell you? He's had a poor camp. There's one story out today. He didn't get in good enough shape, so he's got a leg injury because he's overexerted himself.

We don't know if that's true, but that's one report. In the end, though, it really hasn't been much of a quarterback competition. Cam Newton has dominated it, and all I'm saying is, I watched him in college.

He's got something decent arm, but I never bought into these reports that this was the future. He's a backup in the NFL, and that's what it looks like he'll be this year. Where Colin was wrong. I liked when the Ravens went and got Earl Thomas. He could still play.

I think their secondary is unbelievable, but this thing back. fired and pretty quickly. Stories came out today that last year multiple times he was a headache. So I got to take a wrong on it and he's not a victim here. He's had Pete Carroll and John Harbaugh and he can't make either work at the end. So I got the Ravens of 60. No, this doesn't help my case. Lamar Jackson's a little tweaked as well, but that part I'm fine with. Where Colin was right? Listen, Russell Westbrook is talented and dynamic and fun. valuable.

Houston leads O KC21. It should be 3-0 in the series. What's interesting is Houston's offensive efficiency rating in the regular season was 112. Their offensive efficiency rating in the bubble in the playoffs is 112. You can be great and popular and dynamic and athletic, and he's been a great supporter and he played defense in the bubble. I just don't buy into the valuable thing.

I think I've seen a lot of Russell Westbrooks in my years watching the NBA. Unbelievably gifted, a first ballot Hall of Famer. It doesn't necessarily make teammates better, and Houston's offense is fine without him. Where Colin was wrong. Kind of shocked how effective Dwight Howard has been for the Lakers this year. Rebounds, totally accepted his role, not looking for attention. When they bring him in, he's often the second best Laker off the bench.

You get size, athleticism, rebounding, shot blocking, situational offense. LeBron likes him. They have a good chemistry on the court. And I always thought he was a little bit of an unfocused, you know, a little juvenile at times, kind of underachieve for all his talent. He's been great here. He's one of the reasons the chemistry has been unbelievable. And he's become a fairly dependable bench player on a nightly basis.

Good against Portland so far. Where Colin was right? Chris Middleton. 11 points a game shooting 32%. 12 made buckets in the playoff series. Two points last Thursday. Like this is one of these, I don't get it. Like this is why I think the bucks are not going to win championships.

I've said this. I think Janus is amazing. They're probably this year the best team in the East, especially after the Celtics had an injury to Gordon Hayward. But Chris Middleton, this is, the playoffs are truth serum. the real stars rise in the playoffs. Paul George, little fools gold here. Chris Middleton, a lot of fools gold.

Don't buy it. Where Colin was wrong. I've been open to spring football. It's not ideal, but I think you could have kids play in January, February, and then have them play in September. But Urban Meyer came on the show and said, nope, can't do it. It's not fair to the players. Nick Sabin said it'd be JV football.

The Big Ten this weekend said, you know, we're going to do spring football, but we're going to play indoors. Oh, boy. So every game's a road game for every team. I didn't think spring football would be great, but I thought, you know, if it's on television in January, February, March, I'll watch. It'll be cold weather for just the Big Ten. But increasingly, the top coaches are against it.

And, I mean, if the Big Ten, who's for it is saying we do think it's, you have to play the games indoors. Okay, now we're, now that's like exceptions on the exception. Like if you were playing in the bubble in Orlando and you had to wear a mask as you played in the bubble, then just canceled the season. Okay, like if you're having to jerry rig all this stuff and fewer games and now play indoors

and it's probably not going to work. Where Colin was right. Yonis today will mark his third early start of four playoff games. The NBA is telling you he's not the face of the league and he's been around for seven years and he's been great for four. He's a great kid. He's a terrific player. But I'm sorry, his documentary and his Instagram does not make him a face of the league.

Zion is somebody, the NBA, has three times already, move the schedule around to get him on TV. The NBA is putting Janus for the third time in four games on 1 o'clock Eastern. Leagues will tell you and networks will tell you where the stars are. And you know where the stars are in the NBA? Playing at night. That's where the stars are in all sports, playing regularly in prime time, because that's where the ad dollars are better.

Where Colin was right? The NBA draft lottery is a lot of fun, but it's useless. They do it to avoid tanking and to help smaller markets, and neither works, because teams still tank and the smaller markets. Do you know the last 11 lottery winners? Cleveland three times, Minnesota twice, New Orleans twice, Phoenix, Washington, and Philly, and they're all a mess.

I'll go back and say something I've always felt about the NBA lottery. Let the players decide where they want to play. And you think it's crazy. But with a salary cap, they couldn't go to the great teams. They couldn't go to the Lakers. They couldn't go to the Clippers. Were they going to fit them in in Boston? If you let players select teams, many players would say,

I want to go to the bad teams because I want to make the most money, and open up their contract. Let them make more money. This will never happen, of course. But the NBA lottery once again, we had a lousy franchise win the lottery again. And they'll be lousy next year as well and the year after. All right, right, calling right, calling wrong. Tim Hardaway's son's playing for the Mavs, playing well.

He's a great former NBA player. A lot of years for the Miami Heat is right around the corner for us. Howie Long. Matt Moseley will join us some cowboy stuff and some Maverick stuff. I contend a lot of the Mavericks series is just Luca. The kid's unbelievable. He's the best 21-year-old, maybe ever. I mean, Michael Jordan wasn't this good in the NBA.

Michael Jordan was still in college, I think, at that point. What was Michael Jordan? 22 years old, his first year in the NBA. Luca just turned 21. Can't stop him. One more herd? The herd streams 24 hours a day, seven days a week within the I-Hard Radio app.

Search Herd to listen live or on demand whenever you'd like. 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. A win is a win. Yep, that's me, Clifford Taylor the 4th. You might have seen the skits, the reactions, my journey from basketball to college football,

or my career in sports media. Well, somewhere along the way, this platform became bigger than I ever imagined. And now I'm bringing all of that excitement to my brand new podcast, The Clifford Show. This is a place for raw, unfiltered conversations with some of your favorite athletes, creators, and voices that not only deserve to be heard, but celebrated. One week, I'll take you behind the scenes of the biggest moments in sports and entertainment, and the next we'll talk about life, mental health, purpose, and even music. The Clifford Show isn't just a podcast, it's a space for honest conversations, stories that don't

always get told, and for people who are chasing something bigger. So if you've ever supported me or you're just chasing down a dream, this is right where you need to be. Listen to the Clifford show on the IHeart Radio app, Apple Podcast, or wherever you get your podcast. And for more behind the scenes, follow at Clifford and at TikTok Podcast Network on TikTok. 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 Jett. 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. So that you're 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 IHeartRadio 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'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, our heart radio app, Search learn the hard way and listen now. This week on Thursday night baseball, Bryce Harper and the Phillies battle Juan Soto and the Nationals or the A's Battle the Rangers. The action begins at 630 Eastern on Fox and the Fox Sports app. Check local listings for the game in your area. A lot of baseball, NBA, you got hockey. We have real sports. NFL camps are opening. And right now three college football conferences, the big 12, the ACC and the SEC are all practices starting.

getting underway. So here we go. We got real sports, and I'll say it again. I think the sports has been better than I thought. The NFL camps were opening up. They had a little scare yesterday with COVID positive tests, but instead it was a New Jersey clinic where they had false positive. So we're all moving in the right direction. Therapeutics are better. Doctors are smarter. We're doing less guessing right now, and the bubbles are not only, I was sitting there watching it yesterday, watching the NBA with a friend. And I'm like, I'm just shocked how good the bubble is. Like, I'm shocked how good the quality is, the aesthetics, the play. Nobody's got home court advantage.

So it's, you know, for underdogs, like Dallas, it's like, we're not going on the road. We're all even up here. Let's bring in via the Coward Global Satellite Network, Tim Hardaway Senior, former All-Star, 14 years, five all-NBA first teams. So his son is averaging 20 a game, shooting the lights out for Dallas. You know, Luke is a phenomenal player. When is the first time, Tim, that your son, told you. Yeah, this Luca guy, this Luca guy is really good. Like, did it take long to figure out

how special he was? Well, it didn't take long to see how special he was. But everybody got to understand. He's been playing professional basketball since he was 13 years old. He's been playing against wrong folks since he was 13 years old. So this is nothing new to him. He just comes out here and plays his same way. He plays his same style each and every game. And he's effective with it. He's fine his teammates. When he needs to take over the basketball game, he takes over the basketball game. But, you know, I think not only is his team at all, I think the coaches are at all of how he plays each and every night, what he brings his table and how he does and how he plays well each and every night,

give his team a chance to win each and every night. I think that's surprising. You know, every night they have a chance to win. if he's playing a game. You know, it's interesting with the Clippers. I look at their roster and their experience. And Tim, I think to myself, this should be about a five-game series. But they're really struggling. Dallas is getting your son's getting open looks. They're getting a lot of penetration.

Is it possible? Like when you look at the Clippers, you look at their roster. I got players. I got Lou and I got Paul and I got Montrez-Harrell and I got Kauai. Why are they struggling in your opinion? Well, I think it's a lot of pressure on them. You know, Kauai, there's no pressure on him. He just comes out here and play the way he plays.

But I think the other guys, you know, as it mounts, as it the game goes on and on, you know, and they keep missing shots and Kauai keep putting in shots. You know, I think the pressure is on Paul George on, on, on, on, and Moe Williams, he's playing well because he's, Moe Williams has been in this predicament, many, many, many times. Just other players have to just step their game up.

And I think that at this particular point, you know, it's just mountain, mountain, everything is mountain. And every time that Dallas Mavericks be aggressive on offense, going to the hole, making things happen at the rim, making good passes, playing strong with the basketball, making open threes, making tough threes. I think that, you know, it just keeps mountain and mountain and mountain. those guys start to get, you know, it gets tougher for them. You know, I agree with Dr. River, with Paul George, everybody should, you know, he's a great

ball player. The guys don't figure it out. I hope he don't figure it out this series. I don't blame you. You know, we were talking earlier about LeBron James and Anthony Davis. They have worked together from day one. We were kind of surprised on their show. Their chemistry has been great.

as you know, two stars in Philadelphia don't appear to get along. When you were in the NBA, did stars generally get along? Was it sometimes hard when you had like a LeBron and an AD, and there are two of the top four players in the league? Are you surprised the Lakers chemistry this year has been as good as it's been? No, I am not surprised that the Lakers chemistry is as good as it's been and is right now because LeBron is that type of player. He's a leader on the court.

He's a coach on the court. He helps everybody out that's on his team to understand and make sure they understand what they want to run, how they want to run, who they're looking for, you know, what they're looking for in the offense. And then they don't, he tells them, don't worry about me. And when I need to turn it on, I'm going to turn it on, which he does.

And when he turns it on, you know, the other team is at his mercy. So I'm not surprised at, you know, how they're playing and the chemistry that they're playing with. But, you know, going back to what you was talking about with the Philadelphia 76ers, I think you've got two headstrong guys. Yeah. And they're young now. They're young. And they're still trying to figure it out.

And I think they will figure out. And I think that, you know, this year or this summer, you know, you just got to talk. talk to them, ask them what they want. It's all about communication. Ask them what they want, what they're looking for, what they, what they need to do together or when one is out and when one is, you know, and, you know, how the chemistry level is going to be. I don't think that, you know, it's a lot of pressure saying, this is Joel L&B's team or

this is a Simmons team. No, it's both of their teams, all right? And the way they come out is to play together, play with a lot of confidence. They easily put the team on their backs, you know, and go out there and play to win. But, you know, it just haven't happened yet. And me personally, I wouldn't trade neither one. If I keep them and try to win with them because you got two guys like that with the talents that they have, you got to make it work or try to make it work for your team.

You know, James Harden is one of the greatest scores I've ever seen. And there is an argument to be made that as great a score as he is, his game is not necessarily always going to be helping other teammates or winning championships, but he's a great basketball player. He's very ball-centric. He's got to kind of control the offense. He and Westbrook, they sometimes work together. they sometimes don't. What do you make of Westbrook and Hardin playing together? I'm not denying they're not fascinating.

I don't know if it's championship level stuff, Tim. Your thoughts? I think it's championship level stuff. I didn't think that Chris Paul and James Hardin will work out because they're two dominant ball guys that need the ball in their hands to make things work for their team. but Russell Westbrook,

he's a person that doesn't need the ball in his hands. He'd go out there and have a triple double by rebounding basketball in the offensive end and defensive end, playing great defense, playing good offense when he gets the ball, slashing to the hole, cutting to the hole,

and you know, just doing his own thing when he needs to do his own thing out on the court. I just think that these two guys are perfect compliments to each other and they play well with each other. I just think, that as it goes on and as if Russell Westbrook is not healthy,

I think that that team is not going to be successful. I think they need Russell Westbrook to get healthy to get back on the court and to get back to where he is aggressive out there on the court. People are scared of him when he comes downhill. He's going to the basket. He makes things happen.

He can shoot his mid-range jump shot. So I think that these two guys complement each other, and I just think that they're missing Russell Westbrook. And once they get him, you know, they are a championship caliber team. But I'm going to tell you this. A lot of people upset with James Hardin and how he plays. He dribble, dribble, dribble, dribble, dribble, dribble, dribble, dribble.

But you know what? That's the way the offense is. And he gets people involved. Even though he dribbles a lot, he makes the right play. He gets the person to basketball. They can shoot a jump shot. They can dribble, drive. But, you know, he's right up there with the best guys that carries teams, that scores the basketball,

and that makes that offense run. So I commend them each and every night because what he does, you got to be in phenomenal shape to go out there and to play the way he does each and every night and to give 35, 40 points, 50 points a game. You've got to be in phenomenal shape to do that. And I commend him for that. Finally, Lucas 21. I don't think I've ever seen a 21-year-old who's as good an offensive player. So go back to – now, LeBron was a greater physical specimen.

He was faster, better defender. But go back and look at LeBron at 21 and Luca at 21. Are you shocked by how good Luca is? Does he compare to LeBron at 21? Of course, he compares to LeBron at 21. I'll tell you this. Like I said before, Luke has been playing

against grown men and pro since he was 13 years old. And this right here only helps him to try to understand or he already understands how to get to the rim, when to make the, you know, the past, how to make the past,

how to, you know, get his teammates involved in how to take over a game. I think LeBron knew how to do that, but at that particular point, you know, he was still coming out of high school. Right. You know, he was, he was coming out of high school right into the NBA. And you had NBA guys that look, man, you got a passion ball.

Even though I know you, you're the guy that we're going to take us to the promised land, you know, I'm still open. I'm still here, you know, he still had to run a team and do other things. But Luca is, is a guy that, that when he goes out there and play and the things they do with a Euro step, getting to the rim, creating files. The only thing he had to do is make some file shots. Then, you know, they wouldn't even be in that predicament of going overtime. But, you know, that's another story.

But, you know, just the things that he does out there. He's a triple double walking around each and every game. I mean, I look at the game. I look at the game differently than a lot of people. I look at how he's always around the basketball, you know, rebound in the basketball. basketball, tipping it out, has his hands in the passing lane. You know, he just has a knack for the basketball. And that shows you that he studies the game.

He understands what he needs to do to take his team to that next level. Tim Hardaway, Senior, NBA, great, good seeing you, glad you're well. He's, I'm not going to give his location, but he's not far from where my wife grew up. It's a beautiful part of America. And it's good seeing you, man. Congrats to your son. Nice seeing you, too. Thank you very much.

Continuous success. And everybody stays safe. Thanks. Tim Hardaway, Senior. It is amazing about Luca, his point. Luca was 13 playing against, like, European men. Just think about it. It sounds crazy to say this.

LeBron came out of high school and then play the Sacramento Kings and drop 30. I mean, it's just insane. You could never do that as good as Bryce Harper or Mike Trout, as good as Lamar Jackson is, as good as Patrick. Cain was with the Blackhawks. Literally LeBron walked out of high school and you could not stop him in the NBA and he was

18. I mean, that's basketball is one of those sports. You either have it or you don't. You can identify it. You can identify it at 12, 13 years old and it is remarkable. As good as Luca is, he was in the European leagues as a 15, 16 year old kid playing against men. And that really speaks to

the physical nature of Luca and LeBron's game because we see it all the time. Rookies come into the NBA and we're like, you're, I mean, you're a kid. You don't look like it. And the next year they have a completely different body because they are still, they're still growing. Luca looks like a man. Yeah. He bounces off like Kauai Leonard, bounces off him.

Joy with the news. No, no, no, no. Turn on the news. This is the herd line news. Well, Lamar Jackson missed two training camp practices this weekend with what is being reported as a groin injury. John Harbaugh would only say it was a soft tissue injury and Lamar was just being held out to be safe.

Our D3 has been obviously taking snaps in place of Hamar Jackson. Damn Jalen hurts. He did return to the field. Well, damn, who has Jalen Hurst? No, no, no. It's Eagles, my bad. I got all excited. He did return to the field this morning with the team and Harbaugh said he looked good.

He was not playing around with any of the media's questions. about Lamar Jackson's injury either. But I don't think it's anything to panic about. There's always going to be a little tweak here and there in camps. And obviously they've been in a different situation leading up to these camps. So I don't think of the same thing to go crazy about. What is interesting is we're going to go from practice to games. So there's going to be no preseason.

So what I am interested in the first two weeks, do we have a lot of injuries? I mean, usually you have, you know, even a veteran in the NFL gets at least like 60 to 70 in-game snaps in the preseason. There's none. Having no preseason is great for the fans' perspective, right? Because we don't... It's a garbage product. Ticket holder. You've got to pay for those.

Nobody really goes. It's hard to watch anything besides the, you know, third preseason game and the first one for, you know, a quarter. But I do think there's something to have because it has been routine for NFL vets to be a part... for that to be a process by leading into the season. hopefully there's no major injuries.

There's injuries every year, right? You can't even do. It's hard, hard to evaluate if that's going to be a, you know, a product of not having a preseason or if that's just what would happen. Can you even have scrimmages anymore? You can't even have, well, they have, I mean, inter squad. Inner squad stuff, but it used to be, you'd have preseason OTAs. You'd get inner squad. You'd get multiple team scrimmages.

Like, all that stuff's done. Well, you know, everyone just talks about the, the calluses that you have to build up in camp. So I don't know if they're going to have. you know, more intense smearages in camp, like they're going to do something to, you know, I just think that the first couple weeks, we just, let's be an evaluation mode and not, not panic or, you know, put too much into anything

that happens the first couple weeks. It's just an unprecedented season. So Donovan Mitchell continues to be the difference maker for the jazz in this series against the nuggets. Surprising series. Well, I thought this would be a good series of, the pretty evenly match, but I was leaned towards the jazz at the beginning of the series anyway.

He scored 51 points in game four, 18 of them in the fourth quarter, and led the jazz to a 129-127 win and a 3-1 series lead. It's his second 50-point game in the playoffs this year, which makes him the fourth player in NBA history to have multiple 50-point games in a single postseason. This has been a very good bubble for Dame Booker and Donovan. Young score first guards have done. I mean, I don't know what it is, but this has been a great bump. for a lot of the young scores.

Well, you know, we're not really talking about it because they lost the game, but Jamal Murray also had 50 points, which is the most ever by a Denver player in a postseason game. This is the first game in NBA postseason history that opposing players each scored at least 50 points. So, yeah, a lot of scoring going on in that series. It's been a fun series, though, really close games. I think the Jazz are going to end up winning it. Obviously, they're up 3-1 now. But, again, just two really fun young teams that are, you know, a year or two away.

from being contenders and have dynamic offensive pieces that are going to be fun to watch moving forward. So the other sweep that we're not talking much about because it was, you know, the Nets. The Raptors swept the Nets, dominant in the first round of the playoffs. One game for 150, 122. Fred Van Vleet, Pascalsalsiakum are now like stars. Like they've taken massive upgrades. Van Bleeds like a different, totally different player than last year. Totally different player.

Well, when you have a system that's built to, you know, develop players that you have there, that's how it goes. They did, however, lose Kyle Lowry in the first quarter yesterday after he turned his ankle. He tried to play through the pain, but ended up leaving just nine minutes into the game. Today, the team announced that Lowry was diagnosed with the left ankle sprain and his status will be updated at a later time. They have depth. They can actually get away with a few games. They do, but they don't know when he's going to come back. Now, they have three days, so they don't start the series against his health until Thursday.

So that's good news for the Raptors. But huge loss. I mean, he's the leader of that franchise. So the Raptors bench, though, scored 100 points in game four setting in NBA records. So, yeah, definitely some depth there in the bench. Now, again, they were playing the Nets who, you know, had a great bubble, very impressive. I think they've taken massive steps forward despite the situation this year. But it's going to be a different situation against the Celtics because they don't have Kyle Lowry back.

I think that the Raptors win that series. if they had Kyle Lowry, if he's out for three games, I don't know. Good stuff, Joy with the news. Well, that's the news. And thanks for stopping by. The Herd Lie News. Matt Mosy's a columnist in Dallas. He's got a very popular podcast.

He's got the latest on the Cowboys and the shockingly stubborn Dallas Mavericks. That is coming up next. Be sure to catch live editions of the herd weekdays in noon Eastern 9 a.m. Pacific on Fox Sports Radio, FS1, and the I-Hard 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 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-tap Little Kim's boobs at the VMAs? Or when Kanye said that George Bush didn't like black people. I know what you're thinking. What the hell does George Bush got to do with Little Kim? Well, you can find out on the Look Back at It podcast.

I'm Sam Jek. 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 all day, 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.

Welcome to my new podcast, Learn the Hardway with me, your host, and your favorite therapist, Keer Games. And in recognition of Mental Health Awareness Month, I'm bringing over a decade of my own experience in the mental health field and conversations with so many incredible guests. I'm talking, Tripp Fontaine, Ryan Clark. Sometimes when we're in the pursuit of the thing, we get so wrapped up in the chase that we don't realize that we are in possession of the thing. and we're still chasing it

and we don't know when we've done enough because people scoreboard watch. Life becomes about wins and losses. Steve Burns, Dustin Ross, because you find it important to be a good person while you hear on earth? Are you a good person because you're afraid? Because that's two different intentions, bro.

Absolutely. And that's two different levels of trust. I want you to just really be a good person. Join me, Kear Gaines, as we have real conversations about healing, growth, fatherhood, pressure, and purpose on my new podcast. Learn the hard way.

Open your free iHeartRadio app. Search Learn the hard way and listen now. Tackle your do-it-yourself projects. I did. Bar-Card at home, thanks to Lowe's. Go to Lowe's.com. Transformations. Go to Lowe's goals.

Give us an update and how you're doing. Cowboys Camp is rolling right now. There's a lot of talk about Earl Thomas the safety who's been jettisoned out by the players after an altercation with a backup safety this week and joining us Matt Mosley, a cowboy insider, a columnist, covered the Cowboys for 17 years, and he is joining us now live. Also co-host of the Doomed Day podcast with my buddy Edward.

So let's talk Earl Thomas. That's the big rumor. Everybody's hot on that. Cowboys haven't had a great safety in years. Matt, do you buy the Earl Thomas Cowboy talk? Well, I buy it. I think, Colin, they are looking into it. But as they came under the radar on this Everson Griffin, they would do that with him.

But I do not know exactly what's going on. with this guy. I think even the Cowboys, and they will take on troubled players. I mean, they almost need to prefer it at times. And they need safety. By the way, Ha-ha, Clinton Dix has not blown the doors off of this

training camp. But for right now, I think even the Cowboys have been given pause about what's going on with this former University of Texas grades. So there's a story that Mike McCarthy is not calling plays. And there was so much

criticism about play calling last year. Are you even the slightest bit surprised by that? What did you make of that? I thought he was brought here two call plays. I think it's the one thing Jerry kind of put on him and Stephen and said, let the boy wonder continue. Now, we don't know. We still don't.

Boy, Kellyn Moore has his fans. I don't know. And I'm surprised McCarthy embraced this. I think he misses it. This is one to watch. If they have some issues earlier in his, season. This guy's going to yank the play calling duties back so fast. He will not wait and like, oh, let's go through some of these growing faith. This is what the man does. When you love

carrying that laminated chart in your hand, you want to call out plays. So anytime I hear coaches talking about, well, this allows me to be more with the defense. That's a bunch of bull. Does the Rams coach spend a whole bunch of time with the defense? Not really. No, it's a Kyle Shanahan likes to call plays. So, So, Gerald McCoy, who's on our show about three months ago, he's just a world-class dude, he gets hurt. Now, I read your columns and I read people and go, Dallas is fine, defense is fine, but we don't know what you're getting from Alden Smith. How has his camp been? Gerald McCoy feels like a loss to me.

Does he not? Feels like a loss. I really do. I think he brought leadership. I thought he brought depth. I'm not buying this Tristan Hill. I think they need more there. And the Alden Smith, I mean, it's a really.

really nice story. I want to see him do well. He's been incredible in training camp, but let's see if he can get through a season. Now, strength-wise, MMA training. I know you do a lot of that in L.A. I mean, the man apparently was pulling all the ropes out of the walls. I mean, he's got, he's a, but can you build a defensive line around a bunch of 30-year-old players? The Cowboys are trying. Are they talented players? You bet. But other than Lawrence, you do have a lot of age. We rarely see great teams build great defenses around aging veterans. Yeah.

You know, Dak got his one-year contract. Quarterbacks don't like franchise tag stuff. I get it. I don't think anybody wants a franchise tag if you're a quarterback in the NFL. But he's always been great in the leadership stuff. He says the right stuff. Do you believe there is just a tad bit of bitterness for Dak there? Absolutely.

I think he's I think he fills in. I don't think he can help but feel that. But I think he's going to lean into this thing the right way. I think it will drive him. Will they ever get a long-term deal done? I don't know. But I think in the short term, this is actually going to drive him. And I think there is some anger there.

I also think there's a little bit of hurt there. But it's nothing that's prevented him from using that new backyard football field that he has. Colin, I know you've heard about this gorgeous field over there. May play some high school games there this year. Okay. let's shift to basketball because you cover the Mavs as well. Go back to Dirk Novitsky developed into a star. Luca is a star now.

Talk about kind of the transformation of him, the franchise, and what you make of this series. Unbelievable. I think whether they win the series or not, they're going to have a parade for what happened yesterday. You know, during a pandemic, boy, this gave everybody something to hold on to. Look at that step back. You can't put Reggie Jackson out there, guarding him.

What a lappable deal. And he called game. He's got, Dirk did not have this much confidence. Maybe year three or four, but even when you got to 2006, seven, Dirk was in some way still getting punked by certain players. Now, that ended. And he won a championship. But this guy, and by the way, that Montres Harold stuff never phased him.

You know, the rest of the world's like, oh, my gosh, how will he ever recover from this? I can't believe he said. day. This kid does not care, and he doesn't care about all his records. Every day we, oh, Wilk did this. Oscar, the Big O. I mean, you think he knows who the Big O is? No. It is interesting. You know, a lot of teams, there was a team that traded him and moved up. If you go to Dallas is a football town, but if I said to you, how big is Luca today in the pantheon of all these, you know, stars in the last 10 years, it feels like he has become like the it guy more than a Zika or a Dac.

I think he may have, he may be right there. It's hard to ever get past the quarterback. But where he sits right now, I don't think anybody, they got some really good hockey players here, but nothing is comparing to Luca. He's already, he's gotten to where Dirk was like year six or seven. And he's already there. And where does he go from here? I mean, you average 28, 29 in the bubble.

I mean, you know, this is unbelievable what we're seeing. And my man, Donovan Mitchell, doing it as well. of Mitchell, some of these young players who are sort of taking that next step. And I think the bubble is helping Luca, by the way. I think kind of that calming, there's just, you know, the virtual fans there. What a way to have this huge coming out party. He loves the spotlight. Don't get me wrong. It's not that he doesn't like the fans and he'd love to put it in the Clipper's face. But I think he sort of enjoys this sort of atmosphere. So you put a superstar in kind of, and he brings his own energy and he energizes and he's lifting his teammate. That's the big deal. Did we think

Trey Burke was some kind of great signing? You may have had that, Colin. I did not. And the guy scored 25 last night. I mean, he's a monster. He's been better than Paul George in this series. And that's a whole other story. You talk about some shrinkage, major shrinkage going on with Paul George. And that's amazing. And they could end up losing this series now. And who would have thought that? Matt Mosley, a columnist, Dallas News. Good seeing you, buddy, rocking in your chair. You're just handling this COVID very well. Very proud of you. Good talking to you. Oh, thank you. Thank you. Hope you like my lighting today. Yeah, we'd really liked it. It was exceptional. Exceptional lighting. You know, it is interesting

about the Paul George story. So you generally think as an NBA fan, well, my first two stars, they'll be good. You know, that's what we generally think. I don't have to worry about like, you know, Paul George and Kauai. We were doing a rundown this morning. Anthony Davis was great, by the way. game against the Blazers. He was unbelievable in the fourth dagger. And that's really a big thing. Because our perception is the first two stars in the playoffs always rise. Look at what is happening in the bubble for the number two guy. Paul George, this is the worst he's played in years. C.J. McCullum has a broken back. Chris Middleton's been awful. Porzingas got ejected than hurt. Ben Simmons hurt. Westbrook hurt. These teams cannot depend on their number two guys.

And so when Anthony Davis comes out against Portland and totally flourishes in the second half and primarily the fourth quarter, it's a real thing. You know, the Lakers, and he really was the go-to guy. They didn't have an answer for him. And the Lakers were just bigger than Portland. I had said I thought Portland would beat him. But then I watched Portland in a bubble, and I watched them play three straight games. And my takeaway was, they look shot. They're bad defensively when they're energized.

They're awful defensively when they're not. And there are limitations. If Dame is not on fire and he disappears, you know, it's not a terribly dynamic offense. Mello's been nice, but he can't carry you. Nerkich is nice, but he's not going to carry you. C.J. McCullum is good, but he's not going to carry you. But Anthony Davis has been the best number two in the bubble. And that's a thing because there's been a lot of bad number twos.

And I think Matt brings up a great point. For these young players who historically have struggled in the playoffs, it's a little big, and they're on the road. And there's no fans. And so for these young players, this is like, this is AAU. This is like a small gym. And maybe that's why the veteran players don't feel as energized. They love the crowd.

And the young guys don't feel as intimidated. I mean, this has been the young guy bubble. Unbelievable play from young guys. MDrive, check it out. MDriveforMen.com. The only supplement built for men with Drive. Check it out. MDrive for Men.com.

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, 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 IHeart Radio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts. Imagine an Olympics where do you. 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.

I don't care what I'm saying. Yep, that's me, Cliver 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 Cliford 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 Clippert 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's podcast network on TikTok.

On The Look Back at it podcast. For 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. This is an IHeart podcast. Guaranteed human.