The Herd with Colin Cowherd - The Herd - Hour 2 - The Ja Morant situation

Episode Date: May 15, 2023

Colin discusses where he was right and wrong Journalist J.A. Adande joins the show to talk about Ja Morant's most recent suspension and who's to blame for the transgressions of the NBA's youngest superstarsSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

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and however you may be listening. Thanks for making us part of your day. Colin Wright, Colin Wrong in a couple of minutes. It is great to have you here. J. Mack, you, did you, you like the Lakers over the Warriors? No, I had, I had Warriors. And seven? Seven, yeah.

I was a little surprised. I mean. they beat him. Not just they beat him, the way they beat him. Beat him down. You were all over that. You would you had said the Warriors looked old. I didn't totally buy it. Some of it was just Steve Kerr had not lost

to a team in the West with this group, ever. And I just, I couldn't get past that. Now the opposite's true. Yokic has never been to the finals. I think a lot of people are picking the Lakers here. I haven't settled on a decision. It's coming soon. I'm writing it up for foxports.com, but is it tough one, Colin?

Feels like a go-either-way series. Is it not? The gambling price kind of reflects that as well. I thought if the Lakers went seven or the Warriors, either team would lose in game one in Denver, not well rested, but the Lakers won in six. So they go to Denver now, very rested.

Yeah, they won game one at Memphis, game one at Golden State. They want to win this series. They got to win game one in Denver. I thought if it went seven, they'd go to Denver and get whacked. But I don't know if that's true now.

They're rested. I saw them rested going to the Chase Center, and Anthony Davis was unstoppable in the first. half set the tone for the entire series. Is he doing that against Yokic? Not as much. Although Yokic is not a great defensive player. Not a great defender. But Yokich makes you defend on the other end, which saps energy. So Yokic is going to force AD to be moving around. By the way, Yokch is a big body. He's banging on you. I mean, Luni was not a very formidable threat for Anthony Davis. You couldn't have him on the floor because you want Draymond on the

floor. Yeah. So Yokic leans that big old body on you. Different ball game. All right, Colin right, Colin wrong. Let's hit it. Where Colin was right? I said I thought Yokic, not M-Beed, was the MVP in terms of real data. You get the exact same performance from Yokic and you've seen it in the playoffs. 30 points, 55% shooting, 9 assists, 12 and a half rebounds. He is the most consistent big in the game. He plays more games than M-Bed. I think Joel is more fun and a better story and everybody's rooting for him. that. I'm not bothered by it. But I mean, if you're asking me and telling me that triple doubles matter, which I was lectured on for years by Russell Westbrook's triple double MVP, there's your walking triple double in the NBA. I felt he was the more formidable center. Where Colin was right?

I had said, I thought they'd beat the Lakers, but I did not think the Warriors were a championship team. You cannot rely even on Steph Curry at 35 to do a majority of your scoring. They became too Steph Curry reliant. They're going to make moves. But you could see during this series, the whole series came down to, what the hell do we do with Anthony Davis? I mean, they just didn't have anybody to pull them away consistently from the basket, so therefore you couldn't have Looney and Draymond on the floor at the same time.

The most important player in this series was not Steph Curry, despite his gifts. So we were right on that. Where Colin was wrong. All right, Jason Tatum delivered in a big game. Listen, I like him. I always like him. I consider him a top 10 player. Closer to 7.

J. Mack has him one or two. Nonetheless, he did give 16 points in the fourth quarter of game 6, answered some critics, and yesterday's performance was one for the ages. To me, he's always been lacking a little, a little MJ dog in him, a little dog. But he did have it. Now, now, it is round two. It's going to be really hollow if he doesn't deliver it in the next. round but tip of the cap good kid great day where Colin was right never trusted the sixers fun goofy

flimsy just think they're they're just inconsistent Hardin I never buy Hardin is a role player a really fun role player but like all role players that can score he's hot and cold and I think I I would compare the Sixers to Kirk cousins the bigger the stage the more they shrink and that doesn't mean Kirk Cousins isn't the top 15 quarterback, and it doesn't mean the Sixers don't do a lot of things right. But I think there's a little bit of house of cards. I think they're probably going to make a coaching change, a hardened change, and figure out who works with Joe LMB. Where Colin was right? I said, Devin Booker's having a great series.

This is a bunch of nonsense. I said, after they tied this series, they're going to go lose the next two games, and Booker's going to cool off. He shot 61 percent, and I said it's going to cool off the next two games. he shot 37%. Listen, he was on a heater. It happens. We've seen this before. Now, it lasted a long time,

but that's not who he is. We just didn't think, after they lost Chris Paul and D'Andre Aiton, they just don't have the depth. They're a man down. They'll reboot. They'll get a new coach.

I think they'll be fine. But the Devin Booker stuff, he's a great two. He's not Michael Jordan, and those were the numbers. Where Colin was wrong. I had the Lakers. winning in six, my bad.

Listen, LeBron James, I got to quit being so hard on LeBron James because for 15 years I loved him and now I always call him an old man, but he's giving you 24, 10, and 5.5 and 38 minutes on 50% shooting. I'm sorry. I'm sorry. He's an All-Star. And he was unbelievable in Game 6. I think it has to go down.

If you write a book on LeBron James of the many chapters, this has to be one of the chapters. Game 6 Warriors, a guy in the league 20 years. Michael was out of the league by this time. Only Kareem Abdul-Jabbar was even kind of playing at this point at a higher level. I think. He wasn't this. I mean, first of all, almost nobody plays 20 years. But they average like three points a game when they do. I remember old Kareem barely getting up the floor. What that was, we all witnessed. That was all-time stuff. Where Colin was right? Well, John Morant is a highlight reel. I've said there's immaturity issues.

I don't think he's a franchise guy. And in the end, his style and his lack of maturity will be his undoing at some point. I still like him. I'd still support him. And I think a lot of this is the NBA's fault. I think a lot of it is parental. I think a lot of it is Nike. I think a lot of it is the Grizzlies.

It is easy to dump on a kid. but it's another cautionary tale. But being a franchise player, and I've said this about a lot of guys, Baker Mayfield, Johnny Manta, a lot of people. Being a franchise guy is different than being a talented guy. Being a franchise guy is standing at the podium, taking shots, taking the criticism, being able to handle it, being dependable, being mature. There's a lot more than just guys got talent.

Guy can throw a nice spiral. Guy can, he's got, you know, hops. I think Jaws got a long way to go. My guess is he'll get there soon enough. Where Colin was right? I said Jalen Brunson is the best quarterback in New York City on Thursday. On Friday, he had 41. Listen, for years I was told Mello was the guy, but you can't build a culture around Mello.

Mello's just super talented, Hall of Fame-level talent. Brunson is resilient and tough. A shot maker, a playmaker, you can build a culture around Jalen Brunson. He is a phenomenal young player. Your classic Villanova kids, second rounder, chip on his shoulder. Dallas didn't exactly know what to do with him. He is going to own this franchise for the next four to five years. I have no doubt.

No doubt. They will win multiple playoff series with him. Eric Spolstra faced him for a couple of weeks and had this to say after. How was that dude not an All-Star or All-NBA? I haven't even like really checked it all NBA. Have those come out yet? Yes. Oh, they have.

He should be on one of those teams. I wish he was still out west. But man, you got to respect him as a competitor. Yeah, he's absolutely. And by the way, easy to root for. Love those second round guys, those Villanova guys, easy to work for. Root for. Where Colin was right.

Ty Lou, we told you last week. I think it was Friday. Keep your eye on Ty Lou, coach of the Clippers. I've been told the Kauai stuff's driving him nuts. He is a great coach who has a unique ability to handle dysfunction. And the Phoenix Sons have a D'Andre Aiton issue and a Chris Paul issue. The stories today, he is in the mix for the Phoenix Sons job. Wouldn't be shocked if he was in the mix for the Milwaukee Bucks job.

Tailu, I got to tell you. tell you, there's a lot I love about the Clippers, but that Kauai Paul George stuff, it is a lot to deal with. I think he would be absolutely phenomenal with Milwaukee or Phoenix, but we told you Friday, keep your eye out for Ty Lou. I've now had two people tell me that Ty Lou is the leading candidate in Phoenix. Now, the John Morant story is, it's sad. I mean, he's going to get it together. I don't doubt that for a second. But sometimes I think, you know, when you were 19 or I was 19, our goals and our missions were different. Now, we're old, we're married, kids profession. But this is why I've said, let's stop treating college basketball like it's the enemy

of the NBA. And the NBA does. The NFL appreciates college football. The NFL likes college football where they hard coach players, they hold them accountable, they're in these cultures, they have a life beyond just football, they grow up a little, then they hand them to the NFL, and they're ready to play immediately. A lot of these young kids come into the NBA, and they're ready to play, but they can't even drink a, they can't have a beer in the club bar. Like they're not old enough. They're not emotionally ready, and you've got the shoe company promoting them, and this agent and this guy and that guy, it is a lot. for somebody that at 1920 to handle.

Now, John Morant is going to be fine as a player. He's a great player. I wouldn't build my franchise around him, but I said this about Derek Rose. I can watch somebody and think he's amazing, but a 190-pound, 180-pound guard that crashes to the floor and goes up against the bigs at the rim, I just don't think they last very long.

But so he has for the time being been suspended by the Memphis Grizzlies. One more herd? The herd streams 24 hours a day, seven days a week, within the iHeart radio app. Search heard 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 I'm saying. Yep, that's me, Cliver Taylor the 4th.

You might have seen the skits, the reactions, my journey from basketball to college football, or my career in sports media. Well, somewhere along the way, this platform became bigger than I ever imagined. And now I'm bringing all of that excitement to my brand new podcast, The Clifford Show. This is a place for raw, unfiltered conversations with some. 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 Cliverts Show isn't just a podcast, it's a space for honest conversations, stories that don't always get told, and for people who are chasing something bigger. So, if you've ever supported me or you're just chasing down a dream, this is right where you need to be. Listen to the Clifford show on the IHeart Radio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcast. And for more behind the scenes, follow at Clifford and at TikTok Podcast Network on TikTok. Hey, this is Robert from the Stuff to Blow Your Mind podcast. Joe and I are both lifelong Star Wars fan, so we're celebrating May the 4th with a brand new week of fun, thought-provoking Star Wars-related episodes.

Join us as we tackle science and culture topics from a galaxy far far away, such as the biology of Tontons and Wampas on the Ice Planet Hot, or the practicality and corporate business sense of the Sith rule of two. Listen to Stuff to Bole your mind on the IHeart Radio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts. J.A. Adonde covered the Kobe Bryant Lakers for the L.A. Times, the Jordan Bulls for the Chicago Sun Times. Now he's the director of sports journalism. J.A. Adonde with a beard and a little of gray in it,

which means he has seen things, my friends. He has seen a lot of things. So it's funny when you look at the... these Lakers, I've been a doubter for most of the season. And I really came to, I had an epiphany yesterday. And I said, I don't, I don't get this, Austin Reeves and old LeBron. And then I went and looked at all of LeBron's numbers against the Warriors and the Grizzlies in the playing game. 24 points, 10 and a half assists, five and a half rebounds, 50% from the field in 38 minutes. And I'm like, wait, time out. I got to stop calling him old LeBron and start acknowledging he's one of

the foremost productive players left in the playoffs, with Yokic and Tatum being two others. And so it was like, it was my bias. It was aged by it. He's an old man. And I'm watching him. And I got into my car yesterday. And I was driving and I thought, I got to stop that. Just what is he producing when he plays?

And these are all start. These are Jalen Brown, but a better rebounder and better assist guy. Are you amazed? Because you watched an older Jordan. You've watched an older Kobe. Are you shocked by this? Not shocked. I go with a maze, though, Colin.

And we have to jumpstart ourselves, right? We almost need a defibrillator for ourselves to get as excited as we should be by those numbers because for LeBron, they're very pedestrian. Right. Right. But for 20 years in the league to put up numbers like that, anyone else we'd be raving about and they're very pedestrian for him. But it's a great sign for the Lakers that they have won two playoff series with LeBron putting up

those type of numbers. I think he still has something left. I think we can see more from him. I think we got a taste from it in that close out game six against the Warriors when he had 39 and nine. And even that is not one of the all-time LeBron games, but it's still an outstanding production, 39 and nine and the question is, does he have a little extra in the tank that he can draw on for these next four weeks of basketball? It's a sprint now. Or maybe it's like a 400-meter race. Colin, now for these next two weeks, who can be the best out of LeBron, Anthony Davis, Yokic, Jason Tatum, Jimmy Butler, these star players, who can have the best four weeks out of those guys? And I think that will go a long way toward determining our next champion.

We both know Doc Rivers. I like him a lot. I tend to think he's an old school culture coach, more than a new school tweak and adjust coach. maybe a little Joe Torrey if there's a similarity to a baseball manager. He's great with alphas. He kind of cleaned the clippers up, never made him great. Clean the Sixers, Ben Simmons stuff up, never made him great. What do you make of what's happened in Philadelphia?

Do you have to start over? I think you do. And as we've seen, it's easier to change the coach than it is to change the key players on the roster. You know, that's what caused Booneholzer and Milwaukee. It's what caused Moni Williams and Phoenix. And, you know, the accumulation of these losses, right? The blown three one leads and the blown three-two leads and the losses in game sevens and the losses, you know, that you look at the numbers and I don't want to misquote them accurately, but they're not favorable. I think he's,

he's lost two-thirds of his games when he's had an opportunity to the clinches series, hasn't advanced past the second round since 2012. Those are the statistics I'm comfortable saying live on TV and being sure that they're accurate. where do you go from there? And Darry is not the general manager that brought him in. It makes it a lot easier to escort him out. You know, I said this, and I firmly believe it. Every Celtic fan woke up yesterday morning with the same thought,

which is if Tatum delivers were good. But there is that sort of, you know, and I think sometimes it's generational. Kids are different today. Michael Jordan, what he was lauded for, punching a teammate. If you say that, people go, he cared about winning. Right? It was a different time that Michael didn't have to live in this day by day shot by shot vortex of social media.

He was kind of protected. And that the things that- On a critical difference, we didn't see the video. That's right. That's the difference in this era. Everything is on video. We saw the video, which I think where you're heading with this, the Draymond Green Punch, right? Yeah.

We saw that video. So it's interesting. I think Tatum, I think a lot of current players have more Tatum in them. They're thoughtful. They want to share the ball. Maybe LeBron introduced this era where LeBron in high school scored like 27 a game as a junior and 28 as a senior. He could have scored 50. But LeBron loves sharing it.

And Tatum's not MJ. He's not punching teammates. He's not relentless. And I watched him yesterday. and I do think there'll be games when you'll go back to being kind of, I'll get the ball around. I won't. And I think it makes them a better human. But I don't think yesterday is the end of the story.

I think, I think Tatum is kind of a new star, a new generation of star where it's not a lot. I mean, you covered Kobe. Kobe didn't care what you thought of him. He'd go six for 28 and he'd take nine more shots. I mean, you know better than anybody. I'm just throwing my belief out that Tatum is just a different kind of cat. Well, and he modeled himself after Kobe, and so he tries to infuse a lot of Kobe. I think you were.

Kobe wristband, right, for one of these playoff games, but he came up in a social media era, which Kobe did not. Michael Jordan certainly did not. And so this sensitivity, this instant blowback that you're getting from millions of people now that can directly communicate with you instantly is different. And so I think that does infuse the way some of these guys play. But what I love about Tatum, I love that game six where he was. And he still wanted the ball.

He still wanted to take those shots and he delivered. And that was a microcosm of what I love about Dan Bay Plows. Usually they gave you an opportunity to redeem yourself over the course of the series or maybe even the course of your career. But in this case, in this game, he redeemed himself. I've never seen someone go from that awful for about 44 minutes of the game to that clutch when it mattered the most. And then he just rolled that all the way through that game seven and delivered, you could argue statistically, the best game seven performance who's ever seen. Steph Curry's mark didn't even last another round of the playoffs before a Tatum eclipset with that 51 point performance.

So the Grizzlies in John Morant. So I said last night on a podcast and I said it today. I'm not saying he's not responsible. But there are times that the NBA has seen college basketball as the enemy. And in fact, I would argue being on a college campus, having a life beyond basketball, a real schedule, being hard coached, that this is a failure, not just of job, but of Nike, of the NBA, a parental, of the Grizzlies, that we foist these young 19-year-olds into fame and fortune, the girls, the money, the pressure, and we're shocked that some of them unravel.

And I'm not saying pro football players don't, but you're coming at 23. You can be cut tomorrow. It is much, you know, it's less pandering. And I think, I feel like too often the NBA uses these young stars as an ATM. And so everybody gets paid and it's like, let's worry about the guy and the human, not just he can sell shoes and stuff. And I feel like I know it's his, I know he's responsible.

But I'm going to be, you know, I'm going to say, I think there's a lot of guilty people on this. Am I wrong or does it come down to jaw? It has to come down to him first and foremost, right? I do think there was sort of disservice done to him by everyone involved in that they brought him right back after what he missed eight games.

Right. And the notion that, you know, when I said, when he went away, I said, you know what, just punt this season and forget about it. This season's over. And you're not going anywhere this season, especially with Jai out and what Stephen Adams heard, you know, the other injuries they had, Brandon Clark. This season is a watch. Take the long-term view and make sure that he is right. And instead, I feel like he was rushed back and, you know, paid some lip service to the changes that he had done when clearly nothing. has changed, not significance. I was encouraged after the loss of Lakers when he took responsibility

and said, my actions away from the court hurt our franchise. And it seemed like he got it then, but then however many days later, here he is doing the same old stuff. And in the macro, it's not that big, you know, if you look at, you've got politicians taking pictures with assault rifles and sending them out his Christmas cards. You know, so is JAR waving a gun around in a car the worst thing that we've seen? Not necessarily, but in the context of where, what he's been through this year, it was incredibly ill-advised and self-inflicted damage, and it lets you know that he's not ready. And calling to your point about college, Steve Kerr made an interesting point talking about

whether or not he should rely on more of the young players. He said, you're talking about guys who would be juniors in college right now. And was Stefan Curry or Draymond Green ready to lead a team to an NBA championship when they were juniors in college? No, it takes a while. It takes experience. It takes maturity. we're asking so much of these guys at such a young age, even going back to Jason Tatum,

he's still only 25. That's right. Is it realistic to expect him to lead a team to a championship at that age? We really haven't seen guys other than like Magic Johnson when he came in playing alongside Kareem Abdul-Jabbar who have done it. So you're right, Tom, that they would all be better served by more time away from the spotlight. And going back to the social media aspect, they're asked to do so much so publicly at such a young age. Jay Adande, Director of Sports Journalism.

What a career. Covered MJ. You've had a Chicago. I mean, I got in on, I covered those Warriors, you know, clip, I got to see all LeBron's finals. I got to cover those in person, too. So I've been very, very fortunate. You have.

Especially when it comes to the NBA. Director of Sports Journalism, Northwestern, Medill School of Journalism, noteworthy because I would not be able to get into that even now. J.A. Adande, it's great seeing you, my man. I can pull some strings. Great to see. I hope to catch up you in Chicago this summer.

All right. I'll be there, and I will call. Yeah, I wanted to go to Northwestern, but I didn't really have the grades to go to Northwestern. See? By way, Christian Bale didn't have any formal training. I just had to become America's most trustworthy journalist, the hard Scrabble way. Were you close to being a wannabe journalist? Well, I wanted to be a sports writer.

I read a lot of column. I thought, it would be fun to be a columnist and have sort of your, how you viewed the world. Being a beat writer didn't interest me. That's like real work. We're having an opinion on sports interested. I was a columnist. And was that any fun?

Super fun. College, it was really, really fun. You could just write whatever the hell you want. I actually, no joke, wrote a column because all my friends were talking. You know, every guy goes to the gym and is like kind of hitting on girls and stuff. And then you go play pickup basketball. and a lot of the guys were talking about, can you wear a tank top to the gym

it on the college campus? You know, and kind of flex and look cool. And I wrote an entire column about it and I got so much more feedback about that than any other sports column I wrote during my time in college. It was a lot of fun. And then, you know, you want to be a journalist at a newspaper and you've got to like work hard.

Oh, boy. This is way more fun than that. Yeah, so much fun. Working hard is overrated. Overrated. I think we can all admit that. Yeah. J. Mack with the news.

No. Turn on the news. This is the herd line news. He's got that column hanging up somewhere in his house. It's framed. Oh, no doubt. Also, we have some Jets news coming up that's not great. Give us out like seven minutes, okay?

But we're starting with NBA. We're starting with NBA. Lakers, they're going to the Western Conference final. Starts tomorrow night in Denver. Can't wait. That was a game six against Golden State that was not really that close. Austin Reeves. Look at this half court.

Splash! Just an awesome shot by Reeves. What's not to love about Austin Reeves? guy's good. I started to follow him on the gram. Do you follow him on Instagram? I do not. How is he on the gram? He's like a normal dude, you know? It hasn't gone to his head yet like it has John Moran. At any rate, your boy, Draymond Green on his podcast is now picking Lakers versus Nuggets. Here we go. Oh, Denver ready, man. I think Denver is ready. Like Denver taking that next step. They're doing it. We're watching it. I think we're going to have a rerun of 2020. I think the Lakers are the bubble. And I think the Lakers will take it. I got the Lakers.

I got the Lakers in six. Closing out at home in six. That is my prediction. That's what I'm rolling with, and I'm sticking to it. I agree. Six, huh? So a couple numbers for you. Nuggets at home in these playoffs,

six and no, average margin of victory, 14 points per game. Okay, but Phoenix gave them a tussle in one of those games, didn't they? One of them was really close. They did not. Not in Denver. I think one was maybe nine points. Lakers at home in the playoffs.

Cushing people. 7 and 0, because I'm going to include the play-in game against Minnesota. The NBA doesn't. It's so dumb. But we're going. By the way, Minnesota led that in the fourth by, I think, like eight points. I was at the game, and I was like, what's happening? Lakers are close to losing.

I know. That was without Gobert, right? Remember he got the fist of cuffs with Kyle Anderson? So Lakers seven at a hole in the postseason. What Draymond doesn't account for here is the altitude, and Denver had the second best home record. in the regular season. Lakers have to win one game in Denver to win this series.

Is it game one? They snuck up on Memphis. They snuck up on the Warriors. Game one line. Do you want to guess it? Denver Lakers tomorrow night? Denver minus two. Try again.

Not even close. Denver minus three. I said not even close to two. So you guess three. Minus five and a half are the Nuggets. That's a big number. Well, I think I'd take the Lakers because by winning game six, they get real rest.

They get a little extra rest. So they got Saturday, Sunday, and then Monday, they flew there today. But again, they got to sleep in their bed. Friday, Saturday, Sunday night, Sunday night. They're rested. They're ready to go. Friday was the game. So they rested Saturday, Sunday, Monday, and then they'll play Tuesday.

Denver gets an extra day, but they're at home. Altitude. Hmm. You think Lakers is getting five and a half. Now, the series price I'm looking out of here, Nuggets are minus 150 to win the series. So you bet $150 to win $100. Lakers are plus $130.

You bet Lakers, LeBron it plus money. You know? I would bet LeBron and the Lakers. I'm going to go Lakers in six. We're going to do a lot on this, but I got to ask you, who is the important role player in this series for the Lakers? Because we saw Austin Rees had a game. DeAngelo Russell had a game.

I think DeAngelo Russell will have to be consistently good. Andrew Wiggins, I thought, was a key for the Warriors, and he wasn't consistently good, and it hurt them. It became very Steph reliant. So I think Dilo, because I know Anthony and LeBron are going to give me something, but this team isn't the Warriors. Like they get scoring from all three levels, wings, big guard. So D. Lo is going to have to give you 20 in two or three games in this series.

He's going to have to be a, and Austin Reeves will give you what he gives you. But D.Lo has been a little, he can be sneaky effective. He's one of those guys who'll hit three straight jumpers and then disappear. I think D'Angelo Russell is going to have. And this has not been great for him in his career. Consistent, 17, effort, play a little defense. Okay, so a little defense on who? Like, who's guarding the Yokets Murray Pick and Roll?

How was Coach Cowherd defending that? Who were you putting on Murray in the Pick and Roll? Is it Vanderbilt? It sure as hell ain't DeAngel Russell. No. Is it Austin Reeves? He's a good defender. He's a willing.

He's a willing defender. Okay, so it's Vanderbilt. No offense there. Yeah, it's ended up benching him for Schroeder. Schroeder, whatever you say it. I just, this is a tough one for the Lakers, man. The matchups are not great. Remember Aaron Gordon, how well he played KD last series?

He's going to be now defending LeBron. And, like, LeBron's got to have to match up on. I just, we'll get it to him more tomorrow. I don't think this is a great series for the Lakers. All right. Next up, NFL. Bryce Young was at Panthers' minicamp this weekend. I had so many people text me about this video.

Bryce Young, with his giant helmet. Now, I don't know if we have the video of him behind him. behind his offensive line. Now, come on. At a certain angle, it's like, oh my gosh, he is definitely smaller than Kyla Marie. At any rate, Frank Reich, very excited. He said Young was in complete command, made a great impression. He did confirm that Young will enter OTAs as the backup.

Oh, come on. To what do you call him the beige water pistol, Andy Dalton? Oh, come on. Yeah, so we're just seeing Bryce Young here. I like Bryce Young. I'm rooting for him. I know he's your guy. I know that you kind of be in...

There's another angle that shows... The helmet does look big on him, but it also looks big on that guy. Oh, that's Bryce Young. Okay. So it looks a little, it looks a little big on him, I would admit. But we said this on this show. This is not like a newsflash, but now that you're seeing it. Well, by the way, there's another piece of video where he walks in with a guy.

And he just looks like his little brother. Come on. I mean, listen, I'm not bashing him. I'm just saying that's the reality. He's not a big strapping quarterback. He's not. He looks a little small. but we knew he would look small.

In the SEC, he did not look small, right? No, no, he kind of did. Yeah, he did. Yeah, I thought he did. We used to show that video against Texas, and he looked like a little kid there. That's the thing. He even played a hell of a game against Texas in the Final Drive.

No, he's a fan. Making plays left and right here. Yeah, no, no, no. I've said, not every investment to 401k or a Sapphira. Sometimes you flip stocks. He's not a 15-year starting quarterback. Can he be a five-year player that creates, can he win a playoff game?

can he win the division is he does he create stability in an organization that when post cam has been a tire fire at quarterback yes i do believe he's the guy to do that so do you remember the plague toa against the bengals with the fencing and like yes yes it was awful in my head i keep coming back to that and i wonder can bryce young escape those moments because kailer marie can he largely has he's super quick i just don't know if brys young has that ability to escape those massive hits. You know, Tua really got banged. If you go look at that video on YouTube, it's like, oh my gosh.

And Bryce Young's smaller than Tua. Yeah, I know. Listen, it's the concern. But by the way, it's well documented. He got banged up in college. We've discussed it. It is a concern. And I think there will be moments in the first couple of years that you kind of like,

plunge your teeth and go, what are we watching here? He's a winning player. We like him. If you told me today. you're going to get four years of solid B to B plus quarterback play, which I think is what he is. Four years, that's it. I would have still drafted him over Will Andrews. Well, he's on the rookie deal now, so this next year of all season, you could just go spend a lot of money and make a road.

By the way, even by year three, if he goes into year three, he's been good, but he's banged up. Draft another quarterback second round. Well, the Bears just had that chance. This is third year of Justin Fields, and they did not. But Justin Fields is a bigger, stronger kid. You don't worry about that. That's a good point. All right.

Now let's get to the big news, and it involves my New York football Jets. Jets defensive tackle Quinn and Williams decided over the weekend to go into his social media bios, Twitter and IG, and remove the Jets in what Jets fans are calling is like a weak move. Remember, Kyler Murray did this with the Cardinals. He got all Huffy, wanted his deal. So Quinn and Williams has made the move on social media. He has not been paid. We saw Leonard Williams get paid.

I think another defensive tackle got paid. and Quentin Williams has not happened. So GM Joe Douglas has said he's hopeful and optimistic a deal can be reached, but things may not be going so well right now. Colin, we've had a lot of good Jets excitement the last couple weeks. They got Aaron Rogers, they crushed the draft. You know, we got the schedule release. He's a very good player.

He's a very good. He's top three in his position in the NFL. Top six. No, no, Aaron Donald, Chris Jones, and Quinn and Williams. How about the kit for tennis? How about the kid for Atlanta? Jeffrey Simmons is right there. The kid from Atlanta.

Jared. Yeah, yeah. He's not, no. He was like three years ago. I don't think he's as good as Quinn. Quintin Williams, pro football focus, loves him, grading out as a top five guy. I say top three.

Leonard Williams is excellent. Leonard Williams is good. He's not Quinn Williams. Second best Williams defensive tackle in New York. At any rate, is this nothing, something, panic time? Well, it's easy for me, because I didn't grow up with these platforms. To say, I think it's immature. But what happens if my employers, I have a contract dispute, I've got to be honest with you.

I'm starting to look at this and then maybe it's a game. Your contract's up this summer, right? Yeah. Well, no, no, next summer. Well, yeah, I may have to really, maybe I better be careful about rolling my eyes at this stuff. Maybe it's a very effective negotiating tool. What happens to my boss where I coward just puts host four blank? Wow.

I don't see. That doesn't feel like a move that you would do. I don't think it is either, but who knows? Huh. Uh-oh. You think they're watching and listen to you that way? Quinn Williams, come on, dude. I think they're rolling their eyes at me as they usually do.

Joe Douglas, get this damn deal done. Come on. J-Mack with the news. Well, that's the news. And thanks for stopping by. The Herd Lie News. Be sure to catch live editions of the herd weekdays in noon Eastern, 9 a.m. Pacific on Fox Sports Radio, FS1, and the

Heart Radio app. Hey, I'm Doug Gottlieb. The podcast is called All Ball. We usually talk all basketball all the time, but it's more about the stories about what made these people love their sport and all the interesting interactions along the way. We talk to coaches, we talk to players,

we tell you stories. You download it, you listen to it, I think you like it. Listen to All Ball with Doug Gottlieb on the iHeartRadio 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-Hard Radio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcast.

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

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

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

Star Wars-related episodes. Join us as we tackle science and culture topics from a galaxy far, far away, such as the biology of tauntons 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. You know, I was thinking about this. Like, in Hollywood, that you have superstars that can drive people to a box office. Tom Cruise, Denzel Washington, Tom Hanks, Merrill Streep. And there's a handful of people. Christian Bale? Christian Bale, I think. If Christian Bail's in a movie, you're like, oh, he's in stuff that's Michael Keaton is never in bad movies for me. But there are, there's a difference

there's a lot of stars in Hollywood. How many stars drive revenue? That's different. A star can be good and talented, but they don't drive anybody to the box office. There's only about seven, seriously, seven, eight, nine, ten maybe,

that literally, oh, you sign them. I mean, Jim Carrey at one point with comedy. If Jim Carrey, you know, he had like a 10-year stretch, if Jim Carrey was in a funny movie, it didn't matter if it was the mask or whatever, you went to the movie. movie. Tom Cruise is one of the last remaining guys that drives audience, but that doesn't mean there's only 10 stars in Hollywood. There's lots of stars. And I look at the NBA, and I feel the

same way. There's a bunch of stars. I mean, if Kyrie Irving walked into your mall or you bumped into Russell Westbrook, you'd be like, oh my God, it's the most famous person you'd ever seen. But there are two levels of stars. There are the stars that you can build around and win titles. Kobe and Shaq and Duncan and Magic and MJ and LeBron and Ad and Janice and Tatum, Steph and Yokic. And then there are guys like Jaw and Hardin and I think M. Beads this. They're just stars. But I don't think like they're guys that can and some of it is injuries, some of it. But what you notice is, let me ask you this. What a magic and Bird and Michael and Steph and LeBron and A.D. and Janice and Tatum and Yokic all have in common, maturity level.

They're not, they're like, you can build a functional, they're the foundational pieces. Whereas John Morant, immature, hardened, closing nightclubs, you know, like, I'm not denying their stars, but, you know, and I always said that's about Carmelo Anthony. You can't build around him, but he gives you 27 a night, but he wouldn't play defense. He was threatened by Jeremy Lynn. He was never in great shape. D. Wade was less talented, but D. Wade was, I thought, more mature, both ends, wanted to be a leader, would take the blame, never insecure, was willing to both. Was Shaq and LeBron give them the keys to the team? Carmelow was insecure with Jeremy Lynn. And so there's a maturity, a self-awareness. And I guess my point is, now we know that Hardin is not that guy. And we know Janus, Tatum, LeBron, A.D., Steph, R. has MB moved to, he's a star, but between the injuries, his style.

Even yesterday when he says, hey, you can't win two on five. Dude, look in the mirror. What you're doing is blaming the other guys. Look in the mirror. Your team was often better when you were not on the floor. Like John Morant. The net rating goes up when he's off the floor. And so there's a bunch of stars in Hollywood.

How many people drive real revenue? Eight. There's a bunch of stars in the NBA. How many are guys Kobe both ends MJ both ends Janus both ends LeBron A.D.

Now Yokic is a limited defensive player so is Steph. But they give you the effort. They're just limited. Yokic doesn't have great foot speed. Steph is smaller. And I think there's it is I don't know. I think it's easy to just blame Hardin but I think all of us who have watched the

sport have never really thought hardens that guy. Hardin is nightclub guy, fashionable guy, fun guy. I'm not building my team around it. Isn't it similar to when you talk about franchise quarterbacks in the NFL? Like Kirk Cousins is paid like a franchise quarterback, but he's not like that guy who you can build around and win a Super Bowl. But he's, Dack, is paid like a franchise quarterback, but nobody puts him in that class of, well, but that's different. Kirk Cousins and Dack have one thing in common. They're both grownups. They are. I can give them the keys to

my franchise. Damien Lillard's a grown-up. You can give him the keys. You're not winning an NBA title around Damian Liller. Well, if he's your number two, you. you can. If he's your number two, that's the thing. And like, so Dame is that. So I do, Dave doesn't have a title, but Dame is mature and committed. I want him on my franchise. Yeah, I want Dame on my franchise. So let me, let me throw a name at you that, again, a lot of people like this guy.

I don't know. John Morant, can you build a title contender. No, no, no. He can be part of one. He's not going to be the face of it. He's not mature enough. He's 174 pounds. The way he attacks the basket, he gets hurt.

Another one. Kauai Leonard No, not anymore No, he's just not available You gotta be available I love you If you didn't show up twice a week I wouldn't love you as much

You gotta be available That's I mean listen That's gonna hurt a lot of people out there Who think Kauai Leonard is one of the best Two-way players in the league Go look at if I'm wrong Go look at all the foundational players I named Okay now here's one you did not name Colin

Some shoot some don't You haven't named this guy And we did I think we disagree here Kevin Durant turns 35 in September Absolutely for years. Probably not because of his age. Yeah. Like today I'm not building around him, but he can be part of a great team. Did he raise the level of the sons? Yes. He did? Yes.

Maybe according to the odds, but did you see it on the court? Well, I mean, they threw him into a team at the trade deadline. I mean, it's just, just, come on. I like KD a lot. I don't know that he doesn't do what Steph Curry does. That's for sure. I hear that constantly. I like KD a lot. Let me rip him for five minutes. Hour three next. podcast from some SNL late-night comedy guy, not quite. Unhumor me with Robert Smygel and Friends. Me and hilarious guests from Bob Odenkirk to David Letterman help make you funnier.

This week, my guest, SNL's Mikey Day and head writer, Streeter Seidel, help an a cappella band with their between songs banter. Where does your group perform? We do some retirement homes. Those people are starving for banter. Listen to humor me with Robert Smigel and Friends on the IHeart Radio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts. Imagine an Olympics where doping is not only legal but encouraged.

It's the enhanced games. Some call it grotesque. Others say it's unleashing human potential. Either way, the podcast's Superhuman documented it all, embedded in the games and with the athletes for a full year. Within probably 10 days, I'd put on 10 pounds. I was having trouble stopping the muscle growth. Listen to Superhuman on the I-Hard Radio app, Apple Podcasts,

or wherever you get your podcasts. Hey, what's good, y'all? You're listening to Learn the Hardway with your favorite therapist and host Keer 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 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 AHA radio app, Apple Podcast, or wherever you get, Get your podcast.

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