The Herd with Colin Cowherd - The Herd - Hour 2 - The future of the Warriors

Episode Date: May 11, 2023

How valuable is Klay Thompson to the Warriors? What will the Warriors choose to do in the offseason? The NFL schedule will be released tonight   Guest: Ethan StraussSee 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. Hey, what's good, y'all? You're listening to Learn the Hard Way with your favorite therapist and host Kear Games. This space is about black men's experiences, having honest conversations that it's really not safe to have anywhere, but you're having them with a licensed professional who knows what he's doing. How many men carry a suit or armor it? It signals to the world that you're not to be played with. And just because you have the capability that does not mean that you need to.

Listen to learn the hard way on the IHard radio app, Apple Podcast, or wherever you get your podcast. Thanks for listening to The HARD 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 Hurt at Fox SportsRad.com or stream us live every day on the iHeart Radio app by searching Herd. Now let's get this party started. You're listening to Fox Sports Radio. Here we go. Our number two.

Live in Los Angeles, it's the hurt. Wherever you may be, and however you may be watching or listening, thanks for making that part of your day. The Ethan Strauss, who does a Warriors podcast called House of Strauss, also wrote a book about this team called The Victory Machine. So remember J. Mack, it was, may have been Monday or Tuesday, that I said, I had a list of what I consider the 10 most important players, 1 through 10, in the playoffs as of that day.

Anthony Davis was 1, right? Right. So let's revisit it now a couple of days later, a couple of games later. So AD is number one. We are awaiting word on his health. I think you and I both believe if he couldn't play in game 6 that the Warriors beat them, I still think he remains number one. Interesting.

Steph is the only thing that gives the Warriors a chance to win because their role players will not play great in L.A. Yokic is obviously but a dominating factor. It's interesting. Devin Booker, I put it five and I got a lot of pushback. What? Too low or too high? Too low. And my knock was, he doesn't play great defense.

And they are plus nine with him playing on the floor and plus seven when he's not on the floor. So Booker is points. He's a bucket. but he doesn't stop a bucket. And there's a difference between talented and an MVP. Guys that score, John Morant does not make the Grizzlies better. The net rating goes up when he's off the floor.

He's just talented. Mello was just talented. Devin Booker's talented. They're not significantly better plus, minus. Now, he's not off the floor a lot. But then I put Tatum 7, 6, M. Bede 7, Durant, 8, Jalen Brown, 9, LeBron 10. You know who I would put in now?

And I think I would put him at 8. Jalen Brunson? Yep. So you're bump. LeBron off the list. No, no, no, no. I'm taking KD. off. Oh, that's bold. No, what I'm saying is... KD. Off, Jalen Brunson on. Jalen Brunson has been so vital to them. I had him at like 11, 12. I think I'd move him up. So let's go over the title of this. Best, most important player now. In the playoffs now, who are the most important players?

Like, their team, I don't think the Lakers could win another playoff game against the Warriors without AD. I mean, he literally changes every time they go down the game. the floor defensively or offensively. That could apply to Curry. Like, Warriors are getting blasted if Curry misses the next game. Let's be honest, Draymond and Wiggins were as valuable or more valuable. Last night, the Lakers hung in the first half because AD was great. The minute AD's game curtailed, game was over. Steph didn't have to dominate. Wiggins was unbelievable. Draymond was unbelievable in the second half and they pulled away and blew him out. I think Anthony Davis is the most valuable. I'm saying the best, he's the most valuable.

but he is hot and cold. Proving, when he's cold, this team that's beating the defending champs can't win. Yeah. In the second half last night, he was dominant in the first. They literally, until he stopped being dominant, were toe to toe at the Chase Center,

in a game we thought they'd get blown out. Okay, so how do you... So he's the most important, right? Most important player. How is that different from best? Because we would agree, Anthony Davis is not the best player on this list. Well, no, no.

at his best, he's as good as anybody. So you have to be great. I mean, for instance, at his best. Like when he is, like game one, two and a half days rest, he took the whole game over at the Chase Center. Okay, all right. At his best, he's as good as anybody. All these guys are great.

But the question is when you add in, like that's what I've always said about the MVP award. Russell Westbrook's never been the most valuable player in the league. It was a student. James Hardin's never been the most valuable player in the league. They won the award. And the awards now come about, stats. It used to be Kobe got it won a title. MJ got it. Duncan got it. You gave the MVP. LeBron

got it. The previous five years from the last five years, if you won the MVP, half the time you won the title. Now the MVP would give it to a stat guy. That's why I said Yokic, analytically is number one. His team was seated number one, and he gives you more games than Embed. He's the MVP. It doesn't bother me. But the most valuable is generally the most talented, yes. But also, I always said this about Jim Harbaugh, the coach. Everywhere he leaves, goes into the tank. Stanford was going to Orange Bowls with him. He leaves.

They're awful. He goes to Michigan. They're awful. They become great. Now they're a top three program, top three or four program. It's not just what you provide when you leave. If you take Jalen Brunson out of the Knicks, all they have is size and no shooters. They're terrible.

Well, the weird part about Anthony Davis is him and LeBron were with the Lakers, with Westbrook, and they were a middling team. They had to change the role players around, and then they become a major thing. Remember, though, AD was not available early in the season. He is the longest stretch of sustained playing and success since he's been a Laker. So let's be fair to AD, the first half, he was all banged out. It was LeBron and Westbrook trying to win games. Okay.

Let's go to Ethan Strauss, NBA writer, House of Strauss. Substack. Well, you know, we were saying the other day Steve Kerr, Ethan said, he was on, I think, a radio station in San Francisco. And he said, when he was at Chicago, the end. Those guys were done. They were done emotionally. They were done physically. And he said, that's not the case with Steph, Clay, and Drayman. And I buy that with Steph and Draymond. Draymond's still an elite catalyst, an elite defender, and Steph's still the best shooter in the league. But I would be hard pressed to pay Clay Thompson. And you know the relationships here.

He's just not the same player. But there is that value proposition here. It's like, but Steph loves him. He's given your rings. Inside the wall, if they are beat by the Lakers, do you think Clay Thompson coming back is a no-brainer? Or is somebody going to raise their hand and go, guys, he's a B player now on a lot of nights. He's a C player. Your thoughts on that? I would say it's a brainer, Colin. Not a no-brainer, right? Not a no-brainer. Maybe you have to think about it. But remember Popovich would talk about corporate knowledge with the Senate. Antonio Spurs because there were those conversations over their two decades of being a quality team, but you lose the chemistry.

You lose that sense of where everybody is supposed to be. So while it is true, after two injuries, Clay Thompson, not defensively, what he was, he is probably more valuable to them than he would be to another team just by virtue of always knowing where to be on those transition breaks with Steph Curry, having that telepathy. And yes, he still has those moments where, hey, he can win you a playoff game. The problem sometimes is that he thinks he can when he can't. And when he starts talking about Kobe Bryant before a playoff game, then from the Warriors perspective, you really have to watch out.

But he still retains that capability. And I don't think it's gotten so bad that they want to part ways. Listen, this team won a title and moved off Harrison Barnes for KD. And maybe it's the culture of Silicon Valley, the tech world they live in. but this is a team that's been willing to reboot, boot, reboot, reboot. They don't romanticize the past at all in San Francisco. That's one of the things I love about them. They've made mistakes.

Wiseman, we're done. DeAngelo Russell, no thanks. I think they can move off Jordan Pool. They do not fall in love with themselves. They fall in love with winning. So my takeaway is if they lose to the Lakers in L.A., and I think they will, they're going to make a move. They're not going to bring this whole band back together.

Is there something that makes sense? ends to you a move that makes sense? I think party ways of Jordan Poole just might have to happen. Now, the way that happens, I'm not sure, right? Like who you're going to get for him on the market. There is that risk that I do think he could be a lot better for another team than for them. Yes. But it just doesn't, it's been an awkward fit.

The conventional wisdom is sometimes correct. I do think what happened in the preseason might have sullied it. But then, hey, pool has a responsibility, regardless of what happened, to maintain his progression and to an improve. And that has not occurred. It's a difficult situation. He's a sensitive guy by reputation. I mean, I'm not around the team anymore. I'm more of, what do they call it, an emeritus, as they say. But I know people around that situation in the media. And there's a little bit of that Kevin Durant, prickliness, this idea that the media is coming at me and questioning me. me and everything else, but the difference is Jordan Poole's no Kevin Durant. And you combine such a public incident as what happened, it just combined with how he's played, seems like a situation that has run its course. Well, I do like this, what you said is important that I think Jordan Poole would be better for another team. I think he'd be a 24 point of game guy in Orlando, let's say, or, you know, or anywhere else in the league, maybe not Dallas because Luca has the ball, but I think

he's a 20 point a game player. Whereas I think you're right that Clay Thompson's a better warrior than he is anywhere else. So that's the balance now. The Wiggins last night, and I said this about Jason Tatum earlier, I got a bunch of kids. You can find, you know by five, six, seven years old the personality of your kid. You don't know how his life. Six months. You can tell the aggressive kid, the funny kid, the social kid, the quiet kid. Tatum is not an alpha. He's just gifted. Andrew Wiggins is very much like Tatum. He has to be pushed and prodded into being aggressive. When he is, he was so important last night.

But you just, I don't think he can duplicate that two more games. Where do you think they are, Steve Kerr, Step? Where are they on Wiggins who is Twitchy? When he plays well, they win. Would they move off him, or do you think they are all in on Wiggins? I think they showed the commitment to Wiggins this season. I mean, his absence, his sabbatical, his unexplained pause, whatever you want to call it, I don't think that would be tolerated by a lot of guys in a lot of situations.

But because they know that they need him, because they know that he is, as Doc Rivers likes to say, a superstar in his role, they tolerated it, they accepted it. And it might be paying dividends. I mean, this is a war of attrition this series. You have a lot of veteran guys who have played a lot of minutes over their careers. A lot of guys who look like they're not the same person in the second half, as in the first half. So having a twitchy guy like Wiggins, who, because of bizarre circumstances, missed two months of the season, this might be where it really pays dividends.

So I think they're committed to him, and I don't think what happened is necessarily going to disrupt that. You know, you covered KD and had some dustups with him, and that's why we love you. So, yeah, so I thought it was a, I didn't have a problem when he came to the Warriors. I think he was frustrated with Westbrook. I don't think the franchise in Oklahoma City put their arms around him enough. He went to Golden State. I thought it was a horrible career decision to leave, not be loyal to Steph, be loyal to Kyrie. I thought he was too sensitive.

Now he gets out of there, which I'm happy for, he goes to Phoenix. There are those, my partner, J. Mack, one of them being like he likes to go to winning situations, but I think to myself, I'd be a hypocrite because I bounced around to companies. I want to go to winning situations. I don't want to go to bad situations. Where do you land if they get bounced by Denver? And I think they will. Your relationship.

What is fair criticism of KD? What's not fair? If I said, you covered him for years, you've watched his life. Give me a couple paragraphs. on where you stand today with KD? Well, I'm not sure if I personally stand much of anywhere with KD. He basically told me to F off when I asked to interview him for my book, you know, just doing due diligence.

But he's got, he's such an interesting guy. Even if he would tell me that, even if he in the dust up, as you said, would come at me in a press conference. Nobody hates him. He's got an interesting quality that way. he can be very frustrating and difficult to deal with and in many instances all about himself, but there is an aspect of him, a vulnerability, a likableness to him, which is why these teams, in addition to his talent, I think, are just down for the journey and down for the ride.

Will this impact his legacy if he loses again? Yeah. I mean, that's how it goes, right? He's maybe the greatest score of all time, or at least one of the greatest scores of all time. But part of greatness, part of being remembered, is committing the situations long term and leading them. I mean, we're talking about rarefied air when we're ranking the greatest players ever. It's how it goes. You can get in there that way as a top 25 guy, maybe, but you're not going to be top 10. And that's just the cost of it. You know, we don't have to moralize about it, Colin.

We don't have to say that you're a bad guy if you bounce around certain situations. But it's just a reality that if you bounce around and you can't lead those situations, repeatedly to the finals, like LeBron James has done, for instance. That will impact how we view you historically. And even if Kevin Durant acts as though he doesn't care about that, we all know he does. Finally, Ethan Strauss joining us, the victory machine, the making and unmaking of the Warriors Dynasty, host of the Warriors NBA podcast House of Strauss. I think it's the smartest thing out there.

So you know, I said this earlier, when you pin a champion against the wall, last night we saw them bring their fastball. We saw it last year. I think it was like game four in Boston. We saw it twice in the Sacramento series. I believe this was the first time we saw it in this series where you're like four quarters. Wow. They are aggressive. And I thought it was their best game since Sacramento. Give me a thought of what game six tomorrow night looks like. You've seen so many of these moments. Now, they're pinned against the wall again. But God, can they duplicate Kate last night with this roster. I'm not sure they can. What say you? Well, now I can draw off my emeritus status, if I am pronouncing that word correctly. I feel like being around Steve Kerr,

I learned something about winning. You know, it's easy to dismiss that somebody knows how to win. And we can say when we're trying to be smart and trying to be smart than the participants, that it's random or variance or small sample size. But being around Steve Kerr and seen him win playoff series, I learned a thing or two, and he is a big believer in energy. He believes these are wars of attrition, that this is not, I take one game, you take the next, d-da-da-da-da-back and forth. He thinks it's more like two boxers get exhausted, and then one nudges the other over, and that's how it goes. And this series could be that. It could be that. I'm looking at Anthony Davis. You're talking about first half versus

second half. Anthony Davis in the first half of this series averages 16 points, 65% field goal percentage. Second half, he's averaging 6.4 points and 44% from the field. So, the warriors share the ball for a reason. It's not just kumbaya. The idea that charisma, if I were to make it a religion, is about energy. And the idea is that we can serve our energy. That's why we share the ball. And then eventually, because we have conserved our energy, we will be able to overwhelm the opponent. So right now it's just a battle of do the Lakers and their veterans in LeBron and AD who can get tired as great as they are. Do they have enough gas in the tank? Or can the warriors with Twitchy Andrew Wiggins and their carrying a sharing approach finally overwhelm them in two games?

And that's the battle. That was so smart. Ethan Strauss, you just give me something I haven't heard before. It's the coffee. It's the morning Joe. That's what it's. It's the coffee. Yeah. Good seeing you, buddy. Substack, Ethan Strauss, House of Strauss. It's fantastic. And he went out on his own and he has just crushed it. And there's a reason why he's smart. Did you hear, how good was that? That's what you pointed out in this series. AD first half, dominant. Second half, half the player. Yeah, it's like Ethan's watching this show. I mean, listen, Anthony Davis, I know you had him at one, but the more I was just pouring over numbers here, He can't be one, Colin.

He cannot. He's inconsistent. Who's one? Steph. It's got to be. Okay, then who's two? Yokic. That's fair.

He's been unbelievable. Now, A.D. Yokich next round will be very telling. How excited are you tonight? I love treadmill games. I'm sorry. I just got ahead of myself. I don't know that Yokch is going to face A.D. next round. Dremont versus Yokch next round could be interesting.

Who would you rather see in terms of consumer? You're a consumer. I think Warriors Nuggets is fascinating. is Lakers Nuggets fascinating. Yes, because there'll be several games here at Crypto, and we get lobby to go to games. A.D. Yokich, the return of centers. Like, there are good narratives there.

You know, I just, I have a man crush on Steph Curry. Am I a lot? You know that. Sort of the country. What's not to love? Like, when you watch him, he is hypnotizing, Colin? He is, but I'll tell you this. This Sixers Celtics series,

tonight is going to be unbelievable. I'll have to eat a lot of crow if the Sixers actually get to the conference. I said all year long. And B has never done that. I've said all year long. I don't trust Philly. I love watching them. They're one of my favorite teams to watch on the treadmill.

I got big personalities, Doc, Mb, Maxie. I've watched a ton of Sixers. Love watching them. But man, I don't know. Can they close the door tonight? This could be one of the best NBA games of the season tonight. Could be one of the best games. I can't get over how the Celtics just got beat wire to wire basically at home.

No, Philly. It just doesn't. Something's not computing in my head. I don't understand what happened. Well, if they lose, if the Celtics lose, a lot of people are going to be apologizing to me when the Celtics pull off a big trade. A lot of people saying,

Uncle Colin. And Tatum got all NBA. He can make, I'm sorry, Brown got all NBA. He can make a lot more money staying in Boston. Why is he leaving? He's leaving what? Is it 60 mil on the table? 40 mil, something huge number.

I guess not getting to the finals is no big deal. Got to the finals last year. Some of us are winners. Some people just want money. Wait. Winners. I like winners. I'm crazy.

Me, Colin, old school. Like winning. Well, he's playing with Jason Tatum, one of the best winners in the league. Hey, Tatum or Jimmy Butler? I'm getting texts from guys. Jay Mack, how can you take Tatum over Butler? No, I take Butler's. Butler's my guy.

Yeah. The question is, is it a five or a 10-year timeline? Five years I take Tatum. Today, I take Butler. Jimmy Butler is everything that drives me nuts about Tatum. Is Jimmy Butler? Now, by Tatum is younger. He's in his prime.

I think Jimmy's past his prime, but Jimmy today, if they're playing tonight, I take Butler. He's clutch. Oh, he's. But Tatum, it has a better skill. It's tough, man. No, no, Tatum's a... If you said your five favorite players in the league, guys that you will watch, like Jimmy Butler's in my top five, he is.

Okay, if I said this to you. But Tatum's also... You and I are building a team and it plays tomorrow. Let's go back and forth on this. Okay, so you and I are building a team and it plays tomorrow. I owe first. What is it what who's left in the playoffs currently? Yes.

Okay. Hold on. Hold on. I get Steph Curry. Just for tomorrow. Wait, let me get Curry. No, I got to go first. The show is not called Jemak.

It's called the herd. I go first. Does it go? You get one. I get two. Yes. So I get two picks now. No, no.

You get the next pick. I just totally got, um, and Steph's gone? Yes. He's gone. I'll go Yokic. Okay. You go Yokich. Okay.

you know who I want next? This is... I want A.D. Jason Tatum. I'll take Jimmy Butler. I won the series. I got... Wait a minute.

It's not even over. Kevin Durant. Yeah, I mean, I... Go ahead. Take him B. Take him. He's yours. So I know I have my guard.

I've got my big. I've got my wing. There's only one guy you cannot take that I want. Steph. I've got, hold on, let me see this. I've got Steph. Sorry, audience, we didn't really prepare for this. I have Steph, I have my big, I've got my wing.

God, I'd tell you. DeBook, take them. No, I don't want, I don't need D-Book. Because I don't want to take the ball to hands of Steph and Butler taking the shots. You know who I kind of like? No. Jalen Brown. Take him.

He's yours. Take him. You got Jailen Brown. Oh my gosh. Greatest player in the history of the sport. 38. Can do anything he wants. It's into your team.

Listen to this sad, sad, sad team. A hundred-year-old LeBron gets hurt all the time, KD, Jason Tatum, no alpha, and Yokic. You said for tomorrow. All my guys are healthy and in their prime. LeBron is still in front. I get Steph A.D., get a bucket Jimmy Butler, and my lockdown defender number two who can hit a basket but doesn't need the ball,

Jalen Brown. Jalen Brown's locking down Tatum? Okay, so locking down LeBron? So you took LeBron. Let's just finish out our top five. LeBron. And then, by the way, off the bench, well, I'll make him my two. Boy, I don't want to take shots. Okay, now I'll go Booker. All right. I get, give me, ooh, Jamal Murray or Hardin.

God, your team is just all ego and misplaced alpha. Oh, no, wait, wait, wait, you know what? We'll go Jalen Brunson. A guy you really like. I like Jalem. Calming presence, lefty. God, I get Steph A.D., Butler and Brown. I got great defenders.

We get those on the screen head to head. First of all-star draft. My team is way. better defensively. Ooh, defense wins. Give me a break. It's an offensive league, man. I got KD.

I mean, my team is so much better. Kevin Durant, LeBron, the same team. They're not losing a game ever. You got second round Jalen Brunson, a hundred-year-old LeBron. KD, he just basically stubbed his toe. Second round Brunson?

Got hurt in the layup drill. Tatum's never available late for a big shot, and Yokachachu's amazing. The only, the question is, by the way, draft Kings just came out. I'm a 12-point favorite. Oh, stop it. In the first half. Tell Wes wherever he is gallivanting across America

with his job. Put the team side by side on social and we'll see who has a better team. I know it's not close, unfortunately, for you. One more herd? The herd streams 24 hours a day, seven days a week within the IHeart radio app. Search Hurd 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 IHard Radio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts. A win is a win. A win is a win. I don't care what 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. Hey, this is Robert from the Stuff to Blow Your Mind podcast. Joe and I are both lifelong Star Wars fan,

so we're celebrating May the 4th with a brand new week of fun, thought-provoking Star Wars-related episodes. Join us as we tackle science and culture topics from a galaxy far, far away, such as the biology of taun tons and wampas on the ice planet hot, or the practicality and corporate business sense of the Sith rule of two. Listen to Stuff to Blow Your Mind on the iHeart radio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcast. Podcast. Before you pack your bags for vacation season, secure your home with SimplySafe home security takes a couple of minutes. Go to SimplySafecollan.com. There is no safe, like SimplySafe JMac with the news.

No, no, no, no, turn on the news. This is the herd line news. Can I be honest with you? Yeah. I'm really looking at NFL schedules during every commercial break. Some of the leaks out there are crazy. We'll have some stuff. I don't know how much we can talk about now, but tomorrow, Folks, oh my gosh, there's some real juicy stuff. Who's in trouble. New York Giants, if the leaked schedule is accurate. New York Giants are in deep, deep trouble. All right, let's go back to the NBA. Sorry. The Golden State Warriors, obviously the nice 15-point win last night in game five.

Dremont Green, your guy. Outstanding performance, 20 points, 10 boards. Even played really well, strong defense on Anthony Davis. And here he is talking about his mindset last night. Oh, he was good. I definitely wanted to come out of a set of tone. like a Ruben told me before the game, like, you play well, but I still haven't felt your presence like I know you can feel, like your presence should be felt. And, you know, that's coming out

aggressive, both ends of the floor. That's verbally. So everyone hears you on the floor. And, you know, I felt a little disrespectful when he said it. So, you know, I knew it was on me to come out and like you said, set the tone for our guys, come out aggressive. Seasons on the line back against the wall. You got to come out and give all that you got, and that was just my mindset coming into this game, and that'll be my mindset going into the next one. Yeah, can they get?

Because it's very clear. In the two games, the Warriors have out-rebounded the bigger Lakers. They've won both. We don't think of this as a rebounding powerhouse team, but what it shows you is, because they're not as big as the Lakers, when they're aggressive and attack the basket, and crash the boards, especially when AD wears down at half, which the numbers tell you he is, they've won both those games.

It's the only staff that's been true. When the Warriors win on the boards, they've won both games. So the question is, can they win in the boards? Can they be super aggressive? Now, here's the good news. AD's been great in first halves, average in the second. What if AD's not 100% right and fuzzy? Well, we're 90 minutes into the show, and we haven't talked about Clay Thompson at all.

Colin, he's an abomination right now. He's in his own head. He started one for seven, I think finished three for 12. He was bad. 29% shooting in the last three games. However, game six is next. You know his nickname is Game Six Clay. Because of the OKC performance many moons ago, where I think he had like 12-3s, whatever.

He had like 40-something points. I don't think they can win this series unless Clay Thompson turns it around because they don't have a second score. You can't count on Wiggins going for 25. No, you can't. You can't count on Draymond going for 20. And a lot of their guys, defense gentsals, not. not a score. Loonie's not a score. Colin, they need Clay Thompson to win this series.

Can he turn it around? Like he I mean, he's getting cooked by everybody defensively. Schrooter's going around him like he's a traffic cone. I'm waiting for Clay to wake up. It's not happy. Dremont woke up. Clay did not at home, which is a little troubling. Next up, let's talk about the all NBA teams that came out yesterday. First team was obvious. Janice, Luca, Embed, Shea Gilges Alexander, and Jason Tatum.

I don't think that's obvious. I think Yokic. it easily beyond that team. Yeah, no, okay. Well, you know, the media loves Joel M. B. Right? They want to give it to him. Well, I think everybody likes him, but I think Yokic had the number one C. I think the media gets stale.

Hey, we gave it to Yokic two years. Let's spread the wealth. The media gets bored very easily. Right, and they're championing Mb, which I get, fine. Mbid's first selection of the first team ever. He did get MVP. How many games he played, 65, 66? A little more than that.

Second team was Jalen Brown. Okay. Yeah. Jimmy Buckets. Curry, Yokic, Donovan Mitchell. By the way, the second team would beat the first team. I would take that team with Curry, Butler, Brown, and Yokic to beat team one. All right, go, continue on.

It's fair. Third team, are you ready? Yeah. Deer & Fox, LeBron, Lillard, Julius Randall? Yeah, there's some limitations offensively with this team. And the bonus. Yeah, the first, this is the worst offensive team. If Damien Lillard had an off-shooting night, this is a

bad off. So they seem to, there's like no real line of how many games you have to play, because a lot of these guys missed a bunch of games. Like LeBron missed a lot, Lillard missed a lot. Booker missed a lot. Did not make any of the teams, mild surprise. I don't know. You brought up a good point. Like, how much do these NBA teams really matter? It's a regular season award. Way to go. You played a lot of games and did a good job. Doesn't the playoffs, isn't that what matters way more than what you did in the regular season? I'm not an awards guy. I think the high I've said this. I've been doing this for people in Portland have listened to me for 20-some years. I'm not an awards guy. It means nothing. Because I always said, I worked in newsrooms for 13, 14 years.

We all knew who could play. We all knew when the red light came on and you didn't have the prompter went down who had talent. A lot of people wanted to win local Emmys. Didn't mean any talent. So I'm always been like, I'm not an awards guy. Like I know who I have. I know who can play. When I watch the NBA, nothing against a bonus, but he's not on one of my 15. guys. I like him a lot. And Dame, by the way, who I love, who I think the second best shot maker in the league at this point in his career, you know, I wouldn't build

around him. I would take Yokic over M. B., because he plays more. He elevates others. And I kind of know what I get every single night from M. Beach. I don't from M.B. So this stuff doesn't, but they're all good players. They're all great players. But Donovan Mitchell went to the playoffs and shrunk.

De Aaron Foxx. Two years in a row. Yeah. So it's like And I like, but Jalen Brunson's not on any of those teams. Yeah, that's weird. This morning, tell me a guy that is, I mean, Jalen Brunson is one of the most valuable guys in the league. And it's funny, people were saying it during the regular season, because the Knicks weren't great. Jalen Brunson is one of the 15 most important people in this league. You look at that list now and it looks outdated because we haven't seen some of these guys playing a lot. Mitchell made second team.

He had an awesome regular season. season, but this is the second straight postseason. He got outplayed head-to-head by Brunson, who didn't make any of these teams, which is, it's tough for me because I know Mitchell's good, but I've seen him head-to-head get beat up by Jalen Brunson two straight years. So how can you justify Mitchell's second team in Brunson nowhere? Because Mitchell gets Mitchell... 60-point games. Yeah, he's more of a prolific score. He has those outrageous nights. So I mean, I'm not against anybody, but this doesn't mean much to me. If you told me, okay, like we did earlier, If you told me I get a starting five to win a game tonight, Jimmy Butler's on the team,

Yokic is on the team, Steph is on the team, AD at least in the first half, what I'm watching is on. Yonis generally is on a team. Like I know my guys. I wouldn't put Jason Tatum on that team because Jason Tatum to me, it would be a close game if I played my five best against your five best. I wouldn't trust him late. I wouldn't trust Janice late because he's terrified to shoot a free throw.

You're lost not putting Tatum on that team. Final story, Jordan Love, settling in as his new role as the Packers' starting quarterback. I actually did a deep dive on the Packers' win total this season for Fox Sports.com. I'm not bullish on this team, and I don't... You think there are a seven-win team. Seven and a half's a total. We'll see. Running back, Aaron Jones, says the rest of the Packers are impressed with how Jordan Love has carried himself.

He believes in himself, first off, that's number one. You've got to believe in yourself, or nobody else is going to believe in you. So he believes in himself. He cares about everybody around him. And we've seen him just come in consistently and just work, work, work, you know. And as an athlete, you know, you want to come in and play right away. And that wasn't Jordan's case. He didn't have that opportunity.

And, you know, he did it the right way. He waited his time. And you never heard one people complain out of him. So he has everybody's respect. So how long will you give Jordan love? I mean, before you render a verdict. He's had three years. And this is a good old line.

That's the thing. Three years. So, Bactiari, I can't get over this quote in the offseason where Bactiari said it looks like a rebuild. Like, bro, you've been in practice with Jordan Love for three straight years? And you think this is a rebuild? Really, everybody else is coming back. The running backs, the receivers, the defense. They lost one number two tight end. They lost a tight end.

Okay. And they have ascending, developing receivers. One would hope. They did address tied in and receiver in the draft. Yeah, two years ago, this team was the number one seed in the NFC. I just, I'm not going to. of bail on love after the six games or Thanksgiving. Let's just give him the season, see how he progresses.

But it's telling that they said, we're not giving you your fifth year option. We're not picking that up. That would have given him $20 million guaranteed. Instead, we'll give you a one-year deal for 13 mil, but with incentives, you can make 22-mill. That's not a vote of confidence. Seven-mill guaranteed were taken away from you? All the messaging. The messaging we're getting in the last two months.

Matt LaFleur, lower expectations. David Bakhtiari, it's a rebuild year. The contract, very team-friendly. So the messaging I'm getting from the organization is, he's okay, we're going to give it a year, and then we'll see. The messaging to me I'm getting is, we know it's not great, we don't think it's terrible, we're going to give it a year, just be realistic. So they're telling me, they're telegraphing the message, which is,

He's a guy. He's just a guy. But there aren't a lot of examples of a guy sitting for three years and then starting and dominating. There's a handful of... Aaron went six and ten. Aaron Rogers. His first year starting. Six and ten.

Let's be real. He ain't Aaron Rogers, okay? He's not. I'm sorry. This has not happening. Shamek with the news. Well, that's the news. And thanks for stopping by.

The Herd Live. Be sure to catch live editions of The Herd weekdays in noon Eastern 9 a.m. Pacific. on Fox Sports Radio, FS1, and the IHeart Radio app. Hey, it's Ben, host to The Fifth Hour with Ben Mallor, and would mean a lot to have you join us on our weekly auditory journey. You're asking what in God's name is The Fifth Hour? I'll tell you, it's a spinoff of the Ben Mallor show,

a cult hit overnights on FSR. Why should you listen? Picture, if you will, a world when we chat with captains of industry, in media, sports and more every week, explore some amazing facts about human nature and more. Listen to the fifth hour with three. Ben Mather on the Iheart Radio app, Apple Podcast, 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 Heart Radio app. Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts.

A win is a win. A win is a win. I don't care what you're saying. Yep, that's me, Clifford Taylor the 4th. You might have seen the skits, the reactions, my journey from basketball to college football, or my career in sports media. Well, somewhere along the way,

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

The Clifford Show isn't just a podcast, it's a space for honest conversations, stories that don't always get told, and for people who are chasing something bigger. So, if you've ever supported me, or you're just chasing down a dream, this is right where you need to be. Listen to the Clifford Show on the IHeart Radio app, Apple Podcast, or we're you get your podcast. And for more behind the scenes, follow at Clifford and at TikTok podcast network on TikTok. Hey, this is Robert from the Stuff to Blow Your Mind podcast. Joe and I are both lifelong Star Wars fan, so we're celebrating May the 4th with a brand new week of fun,

thought-provoking Star Wars-related episodes. Join us as we tackle science and culture topics from a galaxy far, far away, such as the biology of tantons and wampas on the ice planet hot, or the practicality and corporate business sense of the Sith rule of two. Listen to stuff to blow your mind on the IHeart Radio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts. All right, NFL schedule releases officially tonight on the network, NFL network. But as we're finding out, our guys at Fox, our managers upstairs have it, they won't give it to us, which was unfortunate. But we knew we know some stuff. We don't know all the stuff.

There's a few games we know. The first game of the year is the Lions, the Detroit Lions, the Kansas City Chiefs. That's on Thursday after Labor Day. That is a tough ask facing Andy Reid in Kansas City. Everybody loves Detroit. That is a lot to chew on. I'll take Kansas City. That is a big ask for Jared Gough. By the way, Gough doesn't tend to play well in bad weather. The good news is, nice weather in Kansas City, sweltering Kansas City. We do know week one, the bills are at the Jets. We know that. I don't think that's great for Aaron Rogers to face an angry buffering team that's got many of the same players they've had for four years.

Cowboys Niners Week 5, Raiders at the Chiefs on Nickelodeon. I don't know what that's all about. I guess kids love the NFL. Some games, there's some games on Fox we know. You know, Week 13, Niners at the Eagles, that's a massive game. Those are the two best teams, I think, two best rosters easily in the NFC. Giants at the Eagles at the end of the year, that's around Christmas. Giants at the Eagles in week 16.

that's all good. I'm very interested. You know, the teams that faced the Niners last year, the following week were 0 and 16. So find out who you play like before and after the Niners. Because if you play the Niners, they're such a physical football team that teams out after the Niners were all beat up. And so like if you lose to the Niners,

you're going to lose the next week. Pray that you have a buy. Because Kansas City played somebody in then, I remember, I forget what it was. There was a buy involved. They did beat the Niners. But by the, I forget exactly what it is. If you face the Niners, you lose the next week.

Owen 16, you lose because they just beat you up. Well, Sam Darnold's the quarterback now, and they don't think they're going to get Brock pretty for a while. So they're going to be more physical. They have no finesse. There's no finesse to Sam Darnold's game. So I'm excited to see, like for instance, we know Dallas plays the Niners at San Francisco Week 5.

So Dallas loses that game. Who are they going to lose to the next week? And by the way, that's interesting because Mike McCarthy now is calling plays. So he's already going to go into the season. Dallas needs to start well. Okay. McCarthy's got to get some people on his side because Dallas got rid of a great young coordinator who's going to flourish with the Chargers in Herbert and McCarthy's calling his own place.

Last thing you need to two or three game losing streak early. So week five at the nine. feels like an L. And if you play the Niners the following week, it's an L. So that could be a little week five and six, little late September losing streak for Dallas. The wolves come out in the media on Mike McCarthy. That's a story that'll develop. Also, here's another story.

J. Mack is hearing from Warren Sharp. Yeah, you guys know Warren Sharp. He's been a guest on the show before Rights for Fox. Does a lot of stuff. He's saying that the leaked New York Giants schedule has to be among the most brutal schedules ever to start the season. seven of their first 10 games on the road. Brutal.

And two trips to the West Coast. Again, this is a leak schedule according to Warren Sharp. Week two at Arizona, they stay out west. That's a win. And play San Francisco the next week. Lose. Come home to Seattle. And then week five at Miami, week six at Buffalo, week seven at Washington.

Non-playoff team. I mean, again, we haven't seen it confirmed, but seven road games to basically start the season, seven of first ten weeks? You know the one thing that I've always, was looked at with schedules. How many quarterbacks do you play that are better than your quarterback? So if you have a top 12 quarterback, obviously a lot of the quarterbacks you face will not be as good as yours.

That's why quarterback's so valuable. If you have a Desmond Ritter and you face 10 quarterbacks who are absolutely better than you and then five or six that are in the same class, that's a seven, six win team. So that's why it's really interesting to me is just look at your schedule and count how many quarterbacks you face that are either as good as your quarterback or better because if they're as good and they're at home, you'll be an underdog. And that generally dictates how you'll do. How many great quarterbacks do you play?

You want to see Carolina early. Bryce Young, like a rookie quarterback, eyes wide open. You want to see C.J. Strout early, right? I don't know if Anthony Richards. even starts a season. I think we agree. Probably Minchew starts, right? Richardson has like no experience in college. We'll see. But you want to face those rookies

early. Kyler Murray, do you want to see Arizona early because he's probably not going to play, right? Kyler Murray probably starts the season on the pup. So this schedule matters a lot. I don't know who's saying it doesn't. This is Well, you and I both like to gamble. So to us, that's the weather matters. I mean, I think about stuff all the time.

You do not want to play Miami in Miami in September. Yeah. So we know Green Bay. We know Aaron Rogers and the Jets are going to face Miami twice. The question is, when do they have to go to Miami? You'd much rather face Miami mid-October on. It is, remember Steelers a couple years ago, went down there and we're vomiting on the field?

Yeah, yeah. By the way, New Orleans Saints and Dome games, apparently someone said that 12 of 17 games are in domes for New Orleans. That's good because Derek Carden didn't have a huge arm. Massive. I mean, again, I've been pushing the Saints. I think I can convince you by August to get on board the Saints straight. We'll see. All right.

So this stuff matters. If the story is true, now you've been saying pull back on your New York Giants love. Oh, you have to. If this schedule is true, by the way. They're not going back to the playoffs, right? Not if this schedule is true. Keep an eye on the Bears. I like Bears.

What do you mean? Why? Come on. They're going to be good. Bears, lions? Listen, the league must trust the Lions to put them on the showcase game to start the season against Kansas City. No? This Lions team could be.

Well, I think the Lions and the Chiefs will score a lot of points. September football tends to be offense. And then Thanksgiving hits and the weather gets bad and you got to have a run game and it's a game of attrition and players are banged up. I don't trust September football. But my takeaway is the Chiefs and Lions, the overrunners should be about 58. That's going to be a high scoring affair. Hour three coming up. 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. Hey, what's good, y'all? You're listening to learn the hard weight with your favorite therapist and hosts Kear Games. This space is about black men's experiences, having honest conversations that it's really not safe to have anywhere,

but you're having them with a licensed professional who knows what he's doing. How many men carry a suit or armor? It signals to the world that you're not to be played with. And just because you have the capability that does not mean that you need to. Listen to learn the hard way on the IHard radio app, Apple Podcast, or wherever you get your podcast. This is an IHart podcast. Guaranteed human