1 00:00:00,080 --> 00:00:02,960 Speaker 1: Thanks for listening to The Herd podcast. Be sure to 2 00:00:03,040 --> 00:00:05,720 Speaker 1: catch us live every weekday on Fox Sports Radio in 3 00:00:05,880 --> 00:00:09,600 Speaker 1: noon to three Eastern nine am to noon Pacific. Find 4 00:00:09,600 --> 00:00:12,119 Speaker 1: your local station for The Herd at Fox Sports Radio 5 00:00:12,200 --> 00:00:14,880 Speaker 1: dot com, or stream us live every day on the 6 00:00:14,920 --> 00:00:18,440 Speaker 1: iHeartRadio app by searching Fox Sports Radio or FSR. 7 00:00:21,920 --> 00:00:24,000 Speaker 2: You're listening to Fox Sports Radio. 8 00:00:26,239 --> 00:00:29,000 Speaker 1: Here we go, hour two on a Tuesday. Great, da 9 00:00:29,000 --> 00:00:30,520 Speaker 1: have you in? Nick? Right? In a couple of minutes, 10 00:00:30,560 --> 00:00:34,720 Speaker 1: we are live. We're in Chicago. Seriously, I didn't even 11 00:00:34,720 --> 00:00:39,320 Speaker 1: wear a jacket to work today. I wore a sweater. Unbelievable. 12 00:00:39,560 --> 00:00:41,720 Speaker 1: You think you're gonna throw seven weeks of cold weather 13 00:00:41,760 --> 00:00:47,200 Speaker 1: at this guy. Nothing like a seventy two mile hour fastball. 14 00:00:47,479 --> 00:00:50,720 Speaker 1: Whack that out. I'm wearing sweaters and golf shirts to 15 00:00:50,760 --> 00:00:55,080 Speaker 1: work out. So I was talking about an hour ago, 16 00:00:55,160 --> 00:00:58,800 Speaker 1: interesting story. Dave mcmannimon went and he talked about the 17 00:00:58,840 --> 00:01:01,600 Speaker 1: Lakers not doing anything at the trade deadline, and that's 18 00:01:01,640 --> 00:01:03,560 Speaker 1: because a lot of executives think they're going to go 19 00:01:03,600 --> 00:01:07,200 Speaker 1: after Yannis. And then in the article there's this line 20 00:01:07,400 --> 00:01:10,400 Speaker 1: and I'm like, wait, what, what what? And the line is, well, 21 00:01:10,880 --> 00:01:13,320 Speaker 1: according to a source, if Lebron wants to come back 22 00:01:13,400 --> 00:01:16,679 Speaker 1: next year in LA. He can and might take his 23 00:01:17,040 --> 00:01:21,640 Speaker 1: pick a timeline, need a rim protector, multiple young athletic 24 00:01:21,720 --> 00:01:25,920 Speaker 1: wing defenders, multiple shooters. It's not that Lebron's not good, 25 00:01:25,920 --> 00:01:28,640 Speaker 1: but the Lakers moved off Shack and he was beloved 26 00:01:28,640 --> 00:01:31,600 Speaker 1: in LA and had three titles, and they moved off him, 27 00:01:31,600 --> 00:01:34,360 Speaker 1: and it hurt for a year, But they moved off 28 00:01:34,440 --> 00:01:36,800 Speaker 1: him because they had a young star in Kobe Bryant 29 00:01:36,840 --> 00:01:39,920 Speaker 1: who was an obsessed in great shape player. Lucas not 30 00:01:40,440 --> 00:01:44,080 Speaker 1: Luca's twenty seven in a week like Carmelo Anthony, whose 31 00:01:44,160 --> 00:01:46,839 Speaker 1: last great All NBA year was twenty eight years old. 32 00:01:47,640 --> 00:01:50,840 Speaker 1: Luca's not dunking anymore. Three this year, one last year. 33 00:01:51,080 --> 00:01:54,360 Speaker 1: He doesn't appear again to be in great shape, has 34 00:01:54,720 --> 00:01:58,200 Speaker 1: very casual interest in defending. It's very Carmelo, and I've said, 35 00:01:58,240 --> 00:01:59,960 Speaker 1: you're going to wake up very quickly with the lake 36 00:02:00,240 --> 00:02:02,920 Speaker 1: and go oh, Lucas twenty nine years old and we're 37 00:02:02,920 --> 00:02:06,160 Speaker 1: playing around with Lebron's retirement tours. It's not that Lebron 38 00:02:06,160 --> 00:02:08,040 Speaker 1: hasn't been a good soldier and a great player and 39 00:02:08,120 --> 00:02:10,480 Speaker 1: an all time legend and the best player ever. I'm 40 00:02:10,520 --> 00:02:14,400 Speaker 1: not denying any of that. OKC said, we're picking a timeline, 41 00:02:14,720 --> 00:02:18,040 Speaker 1: san Antonio said. Detroit said, we're picking a timeline. You 42 00:02:18,040 --> 00:02:20,160 Speaker 1: get into trouble when you're the Warriors and you have 43 00:02:20,320 --> 00:02:22,839 Speaker 1: old Steph and old Draymond. We'll try to get young, 44 00:02:22,880 --> 00:02:24,960 Speaker 1: but I don't love being young. We're gonna still be old. 45 00:02:25,000 --> 00:02:28,079 Speaker 1: We'll try. You pick a timeline which direction you're going 46 00:02:28,639 --> 00:02:31,359 Speaker 1: so to me, I mean the Dodgers in the Rams 47 00:02:31,560 --> 00:02:33,880 Speaker 1: move off stars all the time. You can't be paralyzed 48 00:02:33,919 --> 00:02:37,320 Speaker 1: by this. We're not in Memphis. In La John Iran, 49 00:02:37,480 --> 00:02:40,000 Speaker 1: we can't move off him or the Pelicans was Zion? 50 00:02:40,120 --> 00:02:43,320 Speaker 1: What will the fans say? Nobody cares. It's La. They 51 00:02:43,360 --> 00:02:45,560 Speaker 1: moved off a Super Bowl quarterback. In golf, they move 52 00:02:45,600 --> 00:02:48,560 Speaker 1: off Von Miller, they move off Todd Gurley. Dodgers move 53 00:02:48,600 --> 00:02:52,680 Speaker 1: off Cody Bellinger, Trey Turner, Scott Seger, great player, Manny Machado. 54 00:02:52,960 --> 00:02:56,080 Speaker 1: It's La. You know you'll you'll find somebody else, but 55 00:02:56,639 --> 00:02:59,360 Speaker 1: the whole I mean. Jason Timpf yesterday brought the hammer 56 00:02:59,440 --> 00:03:02,919 Speaker 1: on rob Aka. This roster has multiple holes in it. 57 00:03:04,240 --> 00:03:07,000 Speaker 3: There have just been too many misses. Draft misses like 58 00:03:07,360 --> 00:03:10,280 Speaker 3: wasting first round picks on Jalen Hoods, Chafino and Dalton 59 00:03:10,280 --> 00:03:12,959 Speaker 3: Connect and getting nothing out of those guys. Can't even 60 00:03:12,960 --> 00:03:15,360 Speaker 3: play him or they're out of the league free agent misses. 61 00:03:15,440 --> 00:03:18,040 Speaker 3: Jordan Goodwin was like a really important player for them 62 00:03:18,120 --> 00:03:21,000 Speaker 3: last year. They let him walk because they didn't want 63 00:03:21,000 --> 00:03:23,320 Speaker 3: to spend a second round pick to clear a roster spot, 64 00:03:23,360 --> 00:03:25,440 Speaker 3: so they let him walk. Now he's killing it for 65 00:03:25,480 --> 00:03:28,920 Speaker 3: the Phoenix Suns this year, letting Alex Crusoe walk, batching 66 00:03:28,919 --> 00:03:32,120 Speaker 3: their mid level exception choices every year on Kendrick Nunn 67 00:03:32,160 --> 00:03:35,160 Speaker 3: and on Gabe Vincent. Like nobody's perfect on this stuff. 68 00:03:35,200 --> 00:03:39,120 Speaker 3: Calling it's hard, but no one's been as dreadfully bad 69 00:03:39,200 --> 00:03:40,040 Speaker 3: on the margins. 70 00:03:41,360 --> 00:03:44,280 Speaker 1: Yeah, and I and I always like bringing Nick right 71 00:03:44,360 --> 00:03:47,520 Speaker 1: on anytime there's a connection not only to the NBA 72 00:03:47,680 --> 00:03:50,280 Speaker 1: but to Lebron James, who is still a remarkable player. 73 00:03:50,320 --> 00:03:52,360 Speaker 1: He's been a good steward, he's been a good laker, 74 00:03:52,680 --> 00:03:55,360 Speaker 1: but there's an organization that moved off Shack. And I 75 00:03:55,440 --> 00:03:58,280 Speaker 1: remember at the time Shaq was more popular than Kobe 76 00:03:58,560 --> 00:04:00,880 Speaker 1: and at the time and those champions, he was more 77 00:04:00,920 --> 00:04:03,520 Speaker 1: dominant than Kobe. And with that, Nick right, who's in 78 00:04:03,640 --> 00:04:09,640 Speaker 1: LA joins us love. You know, it is interesting. I 79 00:04:09,680 --> 00:04:14,960 Speaker 1: said this earlier. As long as the king is wearing 80 00:04:15,960 --> 00:04:19,919 Speaker 1: is on the throne, the prince can't run your organization. 81 00:04:20,360 --> 00:04:23,960 Speaker 1: Luca is the prince. Lebron's the king, and if he's there, 82 00:04:24,520 --> 00:04:29,240 Speaker 1: your timelines are messed up. You're not really totally Luca's team. 83 00:04:29,279 --> 00:04:33,240 Speaker 1: Who is a flawed player like Carmelo, He's a flawed player. 84 00:04:33,279 --> 00:04:37,520 Speaker 1: He's gotten less dynamic, he doesn't dunk there. I mean, 85 00:04:37,560 --> 00:04:39,680 Speaker 1: I guess we'll go back and I'll ask you again, 86 00:04:40,000 --> 00:04:43,760 Speaker 1: what do you do with the Lebron Lebron component here? 87 00:04:43,880 --> 00:04:45,760 Speaker 1: The article says, well, if he wants to come back, 88 00:04:45,800 --> 00:04:47,760 Speaker 1: he gets to come back. And I think he's going 89 00:04:47,800 --> 00:04:51,400 Speaker 1: to be twenty nine in two years. He's an aging player. 90 00:04:51,760 --> 00:04:55,359 Speaker 4: Yeah yeah, So I don't think this is you know, 91 00:04:55,440 --> 00:04:58,320 Speaker 4: I'm not reporting this, This is I'm not This is 92 00:04:58,560 --> 00:05:02,200 Speaker 4: just my gut opinion. I do not believe Lebron James 93 00:05:02,279 --> 00:05:04,960 Speaker 4: is retiring, and I do not believe Lebron James will 94 00:05:04,960 --> 00:05:08,479 Speaker 4: be a Laker next year. I think wherever the final 95 00:05:08,640 --> 00:05:12,359 Speaker 4: chapter is going to be will be somewhere else. I 96 00:05:12,560 --> 00:05:19,159 Speaker 4: also think to Jason Timp's point that it is a 97 00:05:19,200 --> 00:05:24,760 Speaker 4: basketball crime that you had Lebron James on your roster, 98 00:05:25,400 --> 00:05:30,280 Speaker 4: who Luca modeled his game after, and the types of 99 00:05:30,360 --> 00:05:34,400 Speaker 4: players that you need to have around an older Lebron 100 00:05:34,480 --> 00:05:38,359 Speaker 4: James to succeed are the exact types of players you 101 00:05:38,480 --> 00:05:40,840 Speaker 4: need to have around Luke at Anjiic. Yes, And they 102 00:05:40,920 --> 00:05:42,880 Speaker 4: trade for Luke at Ancic and we're more than a 103 00:05:42,920 --> 00:05:45,840 Speaker 4: year removed, and they're like, man, we sure don't have 104 00:05:45,960 --> 00:05:49,920 Speaker 4: the right types of guys around him. It was you 105 00:05:50,040 --> 00:05:53,599 Speaker 4: were You should have been ready to have Luke on 106 00:05:53,680 --> 00:05:57,120 Speaker 4: the team because you had a guy who offensively plays 107 00:05:57,279 --> 00:06:00,400 Speaker 4: very similarly and as at this point point in his 108 00:06:00,480 --> 00:06:03,680 Speaker 4: career a lot of the same limitations because Lebron at 109 00:06:03,680 --> 00:06:06,720 Speaker 4: forty one isn't a great defender. Does you know you 110 00:06:06,800 --> 00:06:09,800 Speaker 4: do need young athletic wings a lot of the same 111 00:06:09,839 --> 00:06:12,479 Speaker 4: things you need around Luca, And the Lakers have just 112 00:06:12,600 --> 00:06:15,479 Speaker 4: whiffed on that. It It feels to me like the 113 00:06:15,560 --> 00:06:20,200 Speaker 4: Lakers have acted as if they have been put out 114 00:06:20,440 --> 00:06:25,320 Speaker 4: by the fact that Lebron didn't deteriorate more quickly and 115 00:06:25,480 --> 00:06:29,000 Speaker 4: more precipitously, like that their whole. 116 00:06:28,760 --> 00:06:30,719 Speaker 1: Plan was well. 117 00:06:30,880 --> 00:06:35,320 Speaker 4: By twenty twenty three, Lebron will be sixteen points a 118 00:06:35,400 --> 00:06:39,119 Speaker 4: game like every other year, twenty guy and we can start. 119 00:06:39,160 --> 00:06:43,360 Speaker 4: But Lebron was sixth in MVP voting last year. And 120 00:06:43,440 --> 00:06:46,800 Speaker 4: this is the danger that I think the Lakers have run. 121 00:06:47,680 --> 00:06:50,840 Speaker 4: I think it is very if they do not get Yannis, 122 00:06:51,400 --> 00:06:54,600 Speaker 4: and there is no guarantee at all they will get Yannis. 123 00:06:55,200 --> 00:06:58,359 Speaker 4: I think there is a very good chance that five 124 00:06:58,480 --> 00:07:02,080 Speaker 4: years from now, if we say who was the best 125 00:07:02,480 --> 00:07:05,760 Speaker 4: teammate Luca ever had on the Lakers, the answer would 126 00:07:05,800 --> 00:07:09,240 Speaker 4: have been last year's Lebron James. And the second best 127 00:07:09,279 --> 00:07:12,480 Speaker 4: teammate might be this year's Austin Reeves and this year 128 00:07:12,480 --> 00:07:15,440 Speaker 4: and third best this year's Lebron James. So you are 129 00:07:15,480 --> 00:07:19,600 Speaker 4: not the fact that they traded for Luca, punted on 130 00:07:19,640 --> 00:07:23,960 Speaker 4: the last deadline, basically punted on this offseason, and are 131 00:07:24,000 --> 00:07:29,120 Speaker 4: now punted on this deadline. It forget Lebron. You are 132 00:07:29,280 --> 00:07:34,920 Speaker 4: giving up years of Luca's prime and your opportunity to contend. 133 00:07:35,120 --> 00:07:38,520 Speaker 4: It's incredibly risky. It's not the moves I would make. 134 00:07:38,840 --> 00:07:42,160 Speaker 4: But I have been highly critical of how Rob Belinka's 135 00:07:42,200 --> 00:07:45,000 Speaker 4: run the Lakers. I give him credit, he didn't hang 136 00:07:45,080 --> 00:07:48,239 Speaker 4: up on Nico Harrison, but aside from that I don't 137 00:07:48,280 --> 00:07:50,920 Speaker 4: think there have been a lot of great moves. And 138 00:07:50,960 --> 00:07:54,120 Speaker 4: this isn't about Lebron. It is about the fact that Luca, 139 00:07:54,560 --> 00:07:58,200 Speaker 4: who I believe has the ability to be a multi 140 00:07:58,280 --> 00:08:01,880 Speaker 4: time league MVP, might be at the peak of his powers. 141 00:08:02,040 --> 00:08:04,960 Speaker 4: I think you're like, ah, we're you know, we're probably 142 00:08:04,960 --> 00:08:07,840 Speaker 4: a second round team this year, and we're okay with that. 143 00:08:08,160 --> 00:08:10,040 Speaker 4: You should never be okay with that when you have 144 00:08:10,080 --> 00:08:13,240 Speaker 4: a player as good as Luca at the age Luca. 145 00:08:13,120 --> 00:08:16,560 Speaker 1: Is so yeah. I was saying yesterday, I'm not actually 146 00:08:16,640 --> 00:08:20,400 Speaker 1: pro tanking, but when the NBA and Adam Silver create 147 00:08:20,480 --> 00:08:24,360 Speaker 1: these aprons and they literally limit with a hard cap 148 00:08:24,600 --> 00:08:28,320 Speaker 1: other avenues to go from unwatchable to good, I get 149 00:08:28,440 --> 00:08:31,680 Speaker 1: Danny Ainge going and the Spurs going, well, let's thank 150 00:08:31,720 --> 00:08:33,640 Speaker 1: for a couple years and get players. By the way, 151 00:08:33,679 --> 00:08:36,199 Speaker 1: if you look at the Spurs, well, the tanking thing worked, 152 00:08:36,440 --> 00:08:39,680 Speaker 1: and the Pistons it worked. Okay, see didn't. But I'm 153 00:08:39,679 --> 00:08:41,559 Speaker 1: looking at the Jazz and my take is if the 154 00:08:41,640 --> 00:08:45,439 Speaker 1: Jazz get Peterson from Kansas, okay, watch out next year 155 00:08:45,480 --> 00:08:47,360 Speaker 1: because they have a lot of young talent, So you 156 00:08:47,360 --> 00:08:50,640 Speaker 1: can tell me tanking's awful. It's been around forever. There's 157 00:08:50,640 --> 00:08:52,720 Speaker 1: more of it now, But I think there's more of 158 00:08:52,720 --> 00:08:55,800 Speaker 1: it now that David Stern allowed you to rebuild your 159 00:08:55,800 --> 00:08:59,040 Speaker 1: team multiple ways. You could be transactional, you could get 160 00:08:59,040 --> 00:09:01,600 Speaker 1: a KD, you could trade for shack. Now it's like 161 00:09:02,280 --> 00:09:04,840 Speaker 1: tank and all these jams are like, well, how do 162 00:09:04,880 --> 00:09:07,040 Speaker 1: we go from the Wizards and the Jazz three years 163 00:09:07,040 --> 00:09:10,840 Speaker 1: ago to this a top team? So what how do 164 00:09:10,880 --> 00:09:13,679 Speaker 1: you solve tanking? If it's so bad, I don't think 165 00:09:13,720 --> 00:09:15,959 Speaker 1: it's bad for San Antonio, the Pistons, or the Jazz. 166 00:09:16,400 --> 00:09:19,080 Speaker 4: Well, so here's the thing. I do think it's bad 167 00:09:19,080 --> 00:09:21,320 Speaker 4: for the Jazz. Thus far, it's been bad for the Jazz. 168 00:09:21,360 --> 00:09:24,040 Speaker 4: We'll see. The Pistons got to the other side. San 169 00:09:24,080 --> 00:09:28,480 Speaker 4: Antonio had unbelievable lottery luck, and good for them. They're 170 00:09:28,480 --> 00:09:31,280 Speaker 4: a well run organization. If someone's gonna get lucky, I'm 171 00:09:31,320 --> 00:09:34,080 Speaker 4: glad it's an organization that has history of trying and 172 00:09:34,160 --> 00:09:39,080 Speaker 4: doing things the right way. I don't blame individual teams 173 00:09:39,160 --> 00:09:43,439 Speaker 4: for doing what is logically coherent. 174 00:09:42,920 --> 00:09:43,520 Speaker 1: To the path. 175 00:09:43,679 --> 00:09:48,679 Speaker 4: Yes, I blame the league massively for allowing these incentives 176 00:09:48,720 --> 00:09:54,640 Speaker 4: to exist. It is an untenable model that everyone says 177 00:09:54,960 --> 00:09:59,600 Speaker 4: when Giannis doesn't get traded. Oh okay, the smart thing 178 00:09:59,720 --> 00:10:03,360 Speaker 4: for Milwaukee is to not play honest the rest of 179 00:10:03,400 --> 00:10:07,280 Speaker 4: the year. It is an untenable model for the Hawks 180 00:10:07,320 --> 00:10:10,559 Speaker 4: to trade for Trey Young and Anthony Davis and all 181 00:10:10,600 --> 00:10:13,000 Speaker 4: of us assume, but they're not going to play this 182 00:10:13,080 --> 00:10:15,480 Speaker 4: year because they don't want to win games this year. 183 00:10:15,880 --> 00:10:20,640 Speaker 4: I am fine with teams making roster decisions in the 184 00:10:20,679 --> 00:10:24,680 Speaker 4: offseason or at the deadline that say we are looking 185 00:10:25,160 --> 00:10:27,360 Speaker 4: forward to years down the road, we are going to 186 00:10:27,400 --> 00:10:31,320 Speaker 4: trade away older or better players for draft picks. That's fine. 187 00:10:31,720 --> 00:10:36,120 Speaker 4: What I am not fine with is teams actively once 188 00:10:36,160 --> 00:10:38,920 Speaker 4: you have the roster that you have not trying to 189 00:10:38,960 --> 00:10:43,199 Speaker 4: win games, or teams sitting healthy guys. That is flatly 190 00:10:43,360 --> 00:10:48,120 Speaker 4: bad for business. And so there are I think Adam 191 00:10:48,200 --> 00:10:51,800 Speaker 4: Silver needs a bit of a harsher hand and threatened 192 00:10:51,840 --> 00:10:53,280 Speaker 4: teams like Sue make. 193 00:10:53,240 --> 00:10:55,760 Speaker 1: Day taken up, David Starn got on the phone and 194 00:10:55,800 --> 00:10:58,960 Speaker 1: threaten people, GMS, everybody except owners, and. 195 00:10:58,920 --> 00:11:01,400 Speaker 4: So that thing that you Tah did before the All 196 00:11:01,440 --> 00:11:04,560 Speaker 4: Star break. We're in back to back games for the 197 00:11:04,760 --> 00:11:08,400 Speaker 4: fourth quarter of games sat their best players. I would 198 00:11:08,480 --> 00:11:12,160 Speaker 4: be totally fine with Adam Silver calling up the Jazz 199 00:11:12,200 --> 00:11:14,160 Speaker 4: after the first time they did that and say, I'm 200 00:11:14,200 --> 00:11:17,520 Speaker 4: letting you know right now, if you do that or 201 00:11:17,640 --> 00:11:21,680 Speaker 4: something that reminds me of that again, your pick is thirtieth. 202 00:11:21,760 --> 00:11:24,800 Speaker 4: Next year you're out of the lottery, You're picking thirtieth. 203 00:11:25,160 --> 00:11:28,400 Speaker 4: Fight me in NBA arbitration. But I am going to 204 00:11:28,480 --> 00:11:32,079 Speaker 4: make that ruling. I would be fine with Adam Silver 205 00:11:32,200 --> 00:11:35,400 Speaker 4: making it very clear if you are doing things that 206 00:11:35,480 --> 00:11:39,040 Speaker 4: are against the competitive integrity of the sport, the penalty 207 00:11:39,080 --> 00:11:41,839 Speaker 4: will be Joe Smith level harsh to get people to 208 00:11:41,880 --> 00:11:45,440 Speaker 4: stop doing it. I'd also be okay with them saying 209 00:11:45,920 --> 00:11:49,600 Speaker 4: here's how it's going to be. The ten teams that 210 00:11:49,679 --> 00:11:53,960 Speaker 4: are not play in or playoffs, the bottom ten teams 211 00:11:53,960 --> 00:11:56,480 Speaker 4: in the league, they all have a ten the same 212 00:11:56,600 --> 00:12:00,640 Speaker 4: lottery odds, and if a team we see a team 213 00:12:00,679 --> 00:12:03,960 Speaker 4: tanking out of the play in to get one of those, 214 00:12:04,200 --> 00:12:05,320 Speaker 4: you're picking thirtieth. 215 00:12:05,480 --> 00:12:05,720 Speaker 1: Yeah. 216 00:12:05,720 --> 00:12:10,400 Speaker 4: And because right now the incentives are so misaligned that 217 00:12:10,440 --> 00:12:13,200 Speaker 4: there is not the it is the smart thing to 218 00:12:13,280 --> 00:12:16,400 Speaker 4: do for individual teams, and it is the worst thing 219 00:12:16,480 --> 00:12:19,000 Speaker 4: to do for the overall health of the league or 220 00:12:19,040 --> 00:12:21,920 Speaker 4: respect to your customer. You can't have those things be 221 00:12:22,080 --> 00:12:23,240 Speaker 4: contradictory like that. 222 00:12:24,600 --> 00:12:28,800 Speaker 1: I always think too that a league has got to 223 00:12:28,880 --> 00:12:32,840 Speaker 1: tweak itself when really smart people are struggling. Pat Riley 224 00:12:32,920 --> 00:12:35,199 Speaker 1: now can't figure out how to make the heat good 225 00:12:35,559 --> 00:12:38,360 Speaker 1: and the Warriors can't figure out how to make it work. 226 00:12:38,800 --> 00:12:42,160 Speaker 1: We know that pat Riley and Steve Kerr, Mickey Irris 227 00:12:42,240 --> 00:12:44,240 Speaker 1: and the Owner and Joe Lake, those are really well 228 00:12:44,320 --> 00:12:48,720 Speaker 1: run organizations. Miami and Golden State have become irrelevant. That 229 00:12:48,960 --> 00:12:52,480 Speaker 1: tells me, Okay, this is too hard. It's getting too 230 00:12:52,520 --> 00:12:54,720 Speaker 1: hard for the smart people. I mean, if you literally 231 00:12:54,760 --> 00:12:57,240 Speaker 1: went to the NFL and mcveigh's like, I can't win anymore, 232 00:12:57,679 --> 00:13:00,160 Speaker 1: you've probably made it too much of a defensive League's 233 00:13:00,160 --> 00:13:02,120 Speaker 1: things getting in the way of smart people. So that 234 00:13:02,280 --> 00:13:05,040 Speaker 1: we move into the Warriors, and my take is, never 235 00:13:05,120 --> 00:13:08,240 Speaker 1: fall in love with your stars. Fallen like they've tried 236 00:13:08,280 --> 00:13:11,600 Speaker 1: to make everybody fit Curry the kaminga thing's a disaster. 237 00:13:12,040 --> 00:13:14,840 Speaker 1: There's no way out. I get it again. They're in 238 00:13:14,920 --> 00:13:17,880 Speaker 1: the Yannest take a gigantic swing, give up all your 239 00:13:17,960 --> 00:13:22,240 Speaker 1: draft capital. Do you blame the Warriors on falling in 240 00:13:22,240 --> 00:13:24,719 Speaker 1: love with Korea? Would you have moved off him years ago? 241 00:13:24,840 --> 00:13:27,800 Speaker 4: What do you know? I would have gone the opposite. 242 00:13:27,600 --> 00:13:32,480 Speaker 4: I blame them maybe for not loving Steph enough. I 243 00:13:32,520 --> 00:13:36,640 Speaker 4: think what they've done the last few years is basketball criminal. 244 00:13:37,120 --> 00:13:40,240 Speaker 4: I think that you have an obligation when you have 245 00:13:41,440 --> 00:13:47,040 Speaker 4: one of let's be you know, conservative here fifteen greatest 246 00:13:47,080 --> 00:13:49,960 Speaker 4: players in the history of the sport, and he ain't fifteen. 247 00:13:50,320 --> 00:13:54,840 Speaker 4: He's higher than that. Yeah, still at or near the 248 00:13:54,880 --> 00:13:59,360 Speaker 4: peak of his powers. You have an obligation to only 249 00:13:59,480 --> 00:14:04,440 Speaker 4: care about out his timeline. This was my frustration with 250 00:14:05,120 --> 00:14:08,360 Speaker 4: Lebron at the end of his time in Cleveland, when 251 00:14:08,440 --> 00:14:11,160 Speaker 4: we knew it was ending, but he was still by 252 00:14:11,240 --> 00:14:14,760 Speaker 4: a large margin, the best player in basketball. In twenty eighteen, 253 00:14:15,080 --> 00:14:18,679 Speaker 4: when they had to trade Kyrie, they could have done 254 00:14:18,720 --> 00:14:22,280 Speaker 4: a Kyrie Paul George trade, but the owner in Cleveland 255 00:14:22,320 --> 00:14:25,640 Speaker 4: was like, no, we need a draft pick for the 256 00:14:25,680 --> 00:14:29,680 Speaker 4: post Lebron era, and the post Lebron era was five 257 00:14:29,760 --> 00:14:32,640 Speaker 4: years of nothing, and that draft pick was Colin Sexton. 258 00:14:33,840 --> 00:14:38,320 Speaker 4: The Warriors two timeline thing was a farce, and they 259 00:14:38,760 --> 00:14:42,680 Speaker 4: ended up kind of stealing a championship in twenty twenty two, 260 00:14:42,800 --> 00:14:47,680 Speaker 4: despite the fact that Wiseman Moody Kaminga contributed very little, 261 00:14:48,000 --> 00:14:51,160 Speaker 4: and that papered over the fact that they got were 262 00:14:51,280 --> 00:14:54,520 Speaker 4: very fortunate that post KD they had the year where 263 00:14:54,560 --> 00:14:57,280 Speaker 4: step broke his hand and they were awful, and they 264 00:14:57,280 --> 00:14:59,880 Speaker 4: had made some shrewd moves that they then could have 265 00:15:00,360 --> 00:15:03,120 Speaker 4: restocked their team with guys ready to win now. But 266 00:15:03,160 --> 00:15:06,320 Speaker 4: they I thought that they had a little light years 267 00:15:06,360 --> 00:15:09,600 Speaker 4: ahead arrogance thinking we're gonna be great with Steph and 268 00:15:09,640 --> 00:15:13,760 Speaker 4: then when he retires, we're gonna be man John Wiseman 269 00:15:13,800 --> 00:15:17,240 Speaker 4: and Jonathan Kaminga. We're never gonna be Stephan Clay right, 270 00:15:17,240 --> 00:15:20,000 Speaker 4: And you were dopes for you had you have one 271 00:15:20,000 --> 00:15:22,000 Speaker 4: of the greatest players ever and one of the greatest 272 00:15:22,000 --> 00:15:24,800 Speaker 4: wingmen ever. And they didn't go all in on that era. 273 00:15:24,960 --> 00:15:27,120 Speaker 4: And now they are stuck in the middle where they 274 00:15:27,480 --> 00:15:30,480 Speaker 4: they traded Kaminga at as you know, low as possible value, 275 00:15:30,680 --> 00:15:35,240 Speaker 4: Jimmy got hurt. And now Steph who is who is 276 00:15:35,280 --> 00:15:39,440 Speaker 4: the greatest old small player ever. He's already the greatest 277 00:15:39,440 --> 00:15:42,320 Speaker 4: small player ever. But we've never seen a small guy 278 00:15:42,440 --> 00:15:44,720 Speaker 4: age like this stock being close but not as good 279 00:15:44,760 --> 00:15:47,800 Speaker 4: as Steph. He's just twisting in the win for the 280 00:15:47,840 --> 00:15:50,400 Speaker 4: final years of his excellence. And that's a shame. 281 00:15:50,880 --> 00:15:55,080 Speaker 1: One NFL question. I wouldn't I think been there, done 282 00:15:55,080 --> 00:15:59,160 Speaker 1: that on uh, Tyreek Hill. I think Kansas City's got 283 00:15:59,160 --> 00:16:01,240 Speaker 1: to get their O line and game right. I'd actually 284 00:16:01,320 --> 00:16:03,240 Speaker 1: trade picks if I could get love from Notre Dame 285 00:16:03,240 --> 00:16:05,400 Speaker 1: and get the running game solved. I think your O line, 286 00:16:05,480 --> 00:16:08,560 Speaker 1: Simmons will be fine at left tackle. I don't think 287 00:16:08,560 --> 00:16:11,000 Speaker 1: you need to go back Tyreek Hill. There's off field stuff. 288 00:16:11,000 --> 00:16:13,640 Speaker 1: He's kind of distracted. And the truth is now the 289 00:16:13,640 --> 00:16:16,760 Speaker 1: way the defenses and the shells are defensively in the NFL, 290 00:16:16,920 --> 00:16:19,560 Speaker 1: people aren't giving up the Tyreek Hill touchdowns like they 291 00:16:19,640 --> 00:16:22,320 Speaker 1: used to. Sure, but you're a Chiefs fan, You've got 292 00:16:22,360 --> 00:16:25,960 Speaker 1: a sense of it. You Is there part of you 293 00:16:26,080 --> 00:16:29,760 Speaker 1: that thinks, man, he could be what worthy? Isn't volume 294 00:16:29,960 --> 00:16:30,920 Speaker 1: and over the top? 295 00:16:31,320 --> 00:16:35,640 Speaker 4: I don't know, so I listen. I said on TV 296 00:16:35,920 --> 00:16:38,880 Speaker 4: two years ago that I thought Tyreek Hill would be 297 00:16:38,920 --> 00:16:41,680 Speaker 4: a Chief in twenty twenty six. I said on TV 298 00:16:41,800 --> 00:16:44,560 Speaker 4: at the beginning of this football season that I thought 299 00:16:44,560 --> 00:16:48,960 Speaker 4: Tyreek Kill would be a Chief next year. The combination 300 00:16:49,360 --> 00:16:55,720 Speaker 4: of what is a growing volume of really let's call 301 00:16:55,800 --> 00:17:00,080 Speaker 4: them ugly allegations to be kind off the field, that 302 00:17:00,280 --> 00:17:05,000 Speaker 4: is not allegations, just on the record, awful teammate stuff 303 00:17:05,400 --> 00:17:07,960 Speaker 4: with the way it ended the last year in Miami 304 00:17:08,040 --> 00:17:11,080 Speaker 4: and him going from being in love with to a 305 00:17:11,200 --> 00:17:14,200 Speaker 4: big public you know, critic of Toua. Even if that's fair, 306 00:17:14,240 --> 00:17:16,080 Speaker 4: it's not good from your highest paid player and your 307 00:17:16,359 --> 00:17:20,400 Speaker 4: best player on your team and just on the field, 308 00:17:20,960 --> 00:17:25,080 Speaker 4: real concern of a guy whose entire skill set was 309 00:17:25,080 --> 00:17:29,440 Speaker 4: based around he was the single best athlete in the world, 310 00:17:29,600 --> 00:17:32,560 Speaker 4: arguably for a period of time, certainly in the NFL, 311 00:17:33,240 --> 00:17:37,600 Speaker 4: coming off a catastrophic knee injury. All of those things 312 00:17:37,720 --> 00:17:41,639 Speaker 4: make it from if he signed with the Chiefs for 313 00:17:41,840 --> 00:17:46,560 Speaker 4: five million bucks, Okay, see if fine, but that it 314 00:17:46,640 --> 00:17:49,080 Speaker 4: is not a priority. It should not be something you 315 00:17:49,160 --> 00:17:52,119 Speaker 4: base your offseason round. If he wants to take a 316 00:17:52,200 --> 00:17:54,560 Speaker 4: massive discount to try to prove to people he can 317 00:17:54,600 --> 00:17:58,520 Speaker 4: still do it. And you know, if the off field stuff, 318 00:17:58,640 --> 00:18:01,320 Speaker 4: you know, does not keep him out football and does 319 00:18:01,359 --> 00:18:05,879 Speaker 4: not continue, then I suppose. But I also, I'm an adult, 320 00:18:05,920 --> 00:18:08,920 Speaker 4: and I understand it's professional football and you're not gonna 321 00:18:08,920 --> 00:18:11,280 Speaker 4: have a team full of Walter Payton Man of the 322 00:18:11,359 --> 00:18:16,679 Speaker 4: Year winners. However, yeah that right now, the guys on 323 00:18:16,760 --> 00:18:19,919 Speaker 4: the Chiefs my team, they don't have a lot of 324 00:18:20,000 --> 00:18:23,159 Speaker 4: guys who have off the field concerns. But the guys 325 00:18:23,200 --> 00:18:27,000 Speaker 4: they do are clustered in that wide receiver room. And 326 00:18:27,040 --> 00:18:30,880 Speaker 4: then you bring Tyreek in as well. That would be concerning, 327 00:18:31,280 --> 00:18:36,080 Speaker 4: to say the least. And so it is. I thought 328 00:18:36,080 --> 00:18:38,080 Speaker 4: it was a fade accompany a couple of years ago. 329 00:18:38,200 --> 00:18:41,240 Speaker 4: He'll finish his career in Kansas City. Now it seems 330 00:18:41,240 --> 00:18:44,320 Speaker 4: like they could have him for you know, pretty cheap, 331 00:18:44,440 --> 00:18:47,160 Speaker 4: so maybe he will, but it is not a priority 332 00:18:47,200 --> 00:18:48,600 Speaker 4: the way I would have thought it was a couple 333 00:18:48,600 --> 00:18:49,160 Speaker 4: of years ago. 334 00:18:49,320 --> 00:18:51,159 Speaker 1: So I want to circle back to something of the 335 00:18:51,240 --> 00:18:54,000 Speaker 1: Lakers because this is and I think we both like 336 00:18:54,119 --> 00:18:58,240 Speaker 1: doing this. Is that I said four years ago when 337 00:18:58,280 --> 00:19:01,240 Speaker 1: the world fell in love with lou and I did 338 00:19:01,240 --> 00:19:04,040 Speaker 1: two in the first two to three years. I said, 339 00:19:04,760 --> 00:19:08,640 Speaker 1: he's really become a much better version of Carmelo. He's 340 00:19:08,680 --> 00:19:13,040 Speaker 1: not in great shape, doesn't want to really defend. And 341 00:19:13,160 --> 00:19:16,120 Speaker 1: most of the guys that win rings d Wade, Lebron 342 00:19:16,320 --> 00:19:20,719 Speaker 1: Kobe Duncan Shack at least four prime years. They defend. 343 00:19:20,760 --> 00:19:23,840 Speaker 1: They send the message that we're going to play both ends. Wemby, 344 00:19:24,040 --> 00:19:26,639 Speaker 1: by the way, we're going to play both ends. Steph 345 00:19:26,640 --> 00:19:29,000 Speaker 1: Curry's limited but they surrounded him with people that could. 346 00:19:29,280 --> 00:19:32,439 Speaker 1: I've said this on Luca. Two things can be true. 347 00:19:32,480 --> 00:19:35,080 Speaker 1: He's an all time great offensive talent. He's twenty seven 348 00:19:35,080 --> 00:19:38,159 Speaker 1: in a week. Carmelo Anthony's last all NBA year was 349 00:19:38,200 --> 00:19:42,160 Speaker 1: twenty eight. We know this to be true. Athletes age differently. 350 00:19:42,400 --> 00:19:47,760 Speaker 1: Brady obsessed, Lebron obsessed, age beautifully. Guys that you know, 351 00:19:48,359 --> 00:19:50,520 Speaker 1: do what I want in the offseason may have some 352 00:19:50,640 --> 00:19:54,119 Speaker 1: smokes and a couple of Belgian beers. My take on 353 00:19:54,200 --> 00:19:56,680 Speaker 1: Luca is, and I want to throw this out there, 354 00:19:56,840 --> 00:19:59,520 Speaker 1: is you're going to look up in two years messing 355 00:19:59,560 --> 00:20:03,439 Speaker 1: around with Lebron's retirement tour, and Luca's going to be 356 00:20:03,440 --> 00:20:06,280 Speaker 1: twenty nine, and Nick, it's going to feel like those 357 00:20:06,359 --> 00:20:09,440 Speaker 1: last that last great year with Carmelo. You're like, he's 358 00:20:09,560 --> 00:20:12,240 Speaker 1: aged really quickly. I guess I'm not in love with 359 00:20:12,320 --> 00:20:14,080 Speaker 1: Luca as much as everybody else is, so. 360 00:20:14,000 --> 00:20:16,640 Speaker 4: I would use a different comp And this guy also 361 00:20:16,840 --> 00:20:20,240 Speaker 4: has not won. But it's reason for more optimism because 362 00:20:20,320 --> 00:20:23,399 Speaker 4: Luca does not remind me of Carmelo. He reminds me 363 00:20:23,640 --> 00:20:29,200 Speaker 4: of James Harden, except Luca is an all time playoff riser, 364 00:20:29,600 --> 00:20:34,400 Speaker 4: while Harden was an all time playoff faller, stylistically, ball dominant, 365 00:20:34,560 --> 00:20:37,760 Speaker 4: shot selection, all of that. Being a great passer in 366 00:20:37,880 --> 00:20:41,080 Speaker 4: grade scorer is similar to Harden. Maybe, you know, off 367 00:20:41,119 --> 00:20:45,800 Speaker 4: season work habits maybe similar to Harden. You know, body 368 00:20:45,840 --> 00:20:50,120 Speaker 4: fat percentage maybe similar to Harden. But James Harden, despite 369 00:20:50,160 --> 00:20:53,760 Speaker 4: all of that, his he he was, and he has 370 00:20:53,840 --> 00:20:57,320 Speaker 4: played a very long time still at a very high 371 00:20:57,359 --> 00:21:01,959 Speaker 4: level in the regular season. He obviously is, you know, 372 00:21:02,000 --> 00:21:04,359 Speaker 4: a different type of all time guy. When it comes 373 00:21:04,400 --> 00:21:08,080 Speaker 4: to legendary athletes who are just every single year a 374 00:21:08,200 --> 00:21:10,720 Speaker 4: shell of themselves in the postseason, that is not who 375 00:21:10,800 --> 00:21:13,560 Speaker 4: Luca has been. Luca has been was I think is 376 00:21:13,600 --> 00:21:17,280 Speaker 4: the second all time in NBA history and playoff points 377 00:21:17,280 --> 00:21:22,639 Speaker 4: per game. He has I think the fourteenth most forty 378 00:21:22,680 --> 00:21:26,080 Speaker 4: point games in playoff history. Already, he's been a great 379 00:21:26,119 --> 00:21:29,280 Speaker 4: playoff performer. Now you need to surround him with the 380 00:21:29,359 --> 00:21:32,240 Speaker 4: right people. You need to understand he is not the 381 00:21:32,280 --> 00:21:35,800 Speaker 4: easiest guy to build around. But the MAVs figured it out. 382 00:21:36,040 --> 00:21:38,399 Speaker 4: The MAVs, they went to a conference finals, they had 383 00:21:38,440 --> 00:21:41,320 Speaker 4: a down year, they were in the NBA Finals ahead 384 00:21:41,320 --> 00:21:44,600 Speaker 4: of schedule with Luca. So I disagree with you on that. 385 00:21:44,680 --> 00:21:48,760 Speaker 4: I don't I think he is. Carmelo did one thing awesome, 386 00:21:48,880 --> 00:21:52,960 Speaker 4: score the basketball. Luca is one of the greatest creators 387 00:21:52,960 --> 00:21:56,359 Speaker 4: of offense and an offense unto himself, similar to Harden, 388 00:21:56,640 --> 00:22:00,440 Speaker 4: but unlike Harden, he's a great playoff player, will have 389 00:22:00,480 --> 00:22:03,919 Speaker 4: a longer prime than you think. But I also think 390 00:22:04,200 --> 00:22:06,800 Speaker 4: that it's he won't ever be better than he is 391 00:22:06,880 --> 00:22:10,000 Speaker 4: right now. He's not going to become a great defender. No, 392 00:22:10,119 --> 00:22:12,879 Speaker 4: he's not going where he's not going to improve. I 393 00:22:12,880 --> 00:22:15,280 Speaker 4: don't believe as a player. I think he can maintain 394 00:22:15,840 --> 00:22:18,480 Speaker 4: and you can build a contender out of that if 395 00:22:18,520 --> 00:22:19,480 Speaker 4: you know what you're doing good. 396 00:22:20,000 --> 00:22:26,159 Speaker 1: Similarly, Harden all NBA stuff, seven awards, thirty and before 397 00:22:26,600 --> 00:22:30,600 Speaker 1: one since so Harden's actually aged very quickly. I think 398 00:22:30,760 --> 00:22:34,560 Speaker 1: that your life. I mean, I think Harden. You're right 399 00:22:34,800 --> 00:22:38,760 Speaker 1: Harden and Luca. Harden's a very good distributor, great vision. 400 00:22:39,280 --> 00:22:42,000 Speaker 1: Luca similarly so, maybe it's a bad comp but I'll say, 401 00:22:42,000 --> 00:22:46,040 Speaker 1: Carmelo age quickly. Luca no longer dunks. It's more cerebral 402 00:22:46,040 --> 00:22:50,040 Speaker 1: than athletic. Harden age very quickly. Like this this pro. 403 00:22:50,119 --> 00:22:55,840 Speaker 4: So that's fair like you you are, it is we 404 00:22:55,960 --> 00:23:02,480 Speaker 4: need to not be tricked by leb age trajectory reports 405 00:23:02,680 --> 00:23:06,680 Speaker 4: or Brady. Lebron and Brady are in separate categories entirely, 406 00:23:07,280 --> 00:23:11,040 Speaker 4: and then like Drew Brees, Steph Curry are in separate 407 00:23:11,160 --> 00:23:15,359 Speaker 4: categories also, and then there's everybody else, Like there is 408 00:23:15,760 --> 00:23:20,680 Speaker 4: the once in a millennia outlier of Brady and Lebron 409 00:23:21,200 --> 00:23:24,199 Speaker 4: into their forties still being excellent. Then there is the 410 00:23:24,240 --> 00:23:27,760 Speaker 4: once in twenty five years outlier of Breeze at age 411 00:23:27,800 --> 00:23:31,040 Speaker 4: forty still being good, Steph at thirty eight as a 412 00:23:31,080 --> 00:23:33,880 Speaker 4: six to two guy, still being really good. And then 413 00:23:33,960 --> 00:23:37,520 Speaker 4: we get to, Okay, the modern athlete instead of peaking 414 00:23:37,600 --> 00:23:41,520 Speaker 4: at twenty seven, might be peaking at thirty. But there's 415 00:23:41,560 --> 00:23:43,920 Speaker 4: still a ticking clock on that. So I agree with you, 416 00:23:44,080 --> 00:23:47,479 Speaker 4: like it is foolish to think, oh, the Lakers have 417 00:23:47,600 --> 00:23:50,119 Speaker 4: ten years to figure this out with Luca, No, I 418 00:23:50,160 --> 00:23:53,680 Speaker 4: think they. I think he will be an MVP candidate 419 00:23:54,119 --> 00:23:58,359 Speaker 4: for the next five years. But that means that means 420 00:23:58,359 --> 00:24:01,640 Speaker 4: you your window is right now. That means right now 421 00:24:01,680 --> 00:24:04,280 Speaker 4: you should be trying to win the championship. And what's 422 00:24:04,320 --> 00:24:06,560 Speaker 4: frustrating me at the Lakers is last year and this 423 00:24:06,680 --> 00:24:09,239 Speaker 4: year it did not feel like they were trying to 424 00:24:09,280 --> 00:24:11,760 Speaker 4: win the championship. It was like, oh, will be good, 425 00:24:12,280 --> 00:24:15,800 Speaker 4: and then we'll see when we're and Giannis might not come. 426 00:24:16,080 --> 00:24:18,639 Speaker 4: And if Giannas doesn't come, they're like, we're gonna have 427 00:24:18,640 --> 00:24:21,680 Speaker 4: all this cap space. In the modern NBA, cap space 428 00:24:21,760 --> 00:24:24,800 Speaker 4: is not that valuable because nobody comes a free agent. Guys. 429 00:24:25,320 --> 00:24:29,080 Speaker 4: Guys instead of becoming free agents, they ask for contract excensions, 430 00:24:29,440 --> 00:24:32,560 Speaker 4: then demand a trade. They don't let the contract expire. 431 00:24:32,640 --> 00:24:34,760 Speaker 4: So I don't know what the plan is. I hope 432 00:24:34,800 --> 00:24:37,720 Speaker 4: your Dodgers guys can get the Lakers on the right track, 433 00:24:37,760 --> 00:24:40,679 Speaker 4: but I am not optimistic under the current regime. 434 00:24:41,240 --> 00:24:44,119 Speaker 1: Nick Right, First things first in La this week, just 435 00:24:44,160 --> 00:24:47,520 Speaker 1: hanging out. Good see anybody, great to see you, all right, Yeah, 436 00:24:47,560 --> 00:24:50,280 Speaker 1: the I would say Luca is going to be elite 437 00:24:50,320 --> 00:24:53,040 Speaker 1: for about three more years. I think, you know, twenty eight, 438 00:24:53,080 --> 00:24:55,520 Speaker 1: because he's almost twenty. It was he twenty seven here 439 00:24:55,560 --> 00:25:00,320 Speaker 1: real quick, twenty seven this year, next year, following year, 440 00:25:00,760 --> 00:25:03,960 Speaker 1: and then go look at James Harden Carmelo twenty eight 441 00:25:04,000 --> 00:25:06,639 Speaker 1: went down. That was his last great year, twenty nine, 442 00:25:06,680 --> 00:25:09,199 Speaker 1: Harden thirty not the same player. I think Luca is 443 00:25:09,200 --> 00:25:11,280 Speaker 1: going to be the same thing. Everybody talking all Lucas 444 00:25:11,280 --> 00:25:13,560 Speaker 1: in great shape he was coming into the season. Look 445 00:25:13,560 --> 00:25:15,960 Speaker 1: at him now, he looks heavier. The data tells you 446 00:25:16,040 --> 00:25:17,879 Speaker 1: he's still a very slow defender. Like this is what 447 00:25:17,920 --> 00:25:20,280 Speaker 1: he is. I'm not anti anything. I'm just telling you 448 00:25:20,320 --> 00:25:23,359 Speaker 1: what the data tells you. Like NFL wide receiver thirty 449 00:25:23,359 --> 00:25:27,440 Speaker 1: four years old, it all changes. It's called biology in Chicago, 450 00:25:27,480 --> 00:25:28,120 Speaker 1: It's third. 451 00:25:33,480 --> 00:25:36,560 Speaker 2: One more Heard. The Herd streams twenty four hours a day, 452 00:25:36,640 --> 00:25:39,840 Speaker 2: seven days a week within the iHeartRadio app. Search Herd 453 00:25:39,880 --> 00:25:44,000 Speaker 2: to listen live or on demand whenever you like. 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Last hour, a lot of NBA 466 00:26:20,480 --> 00:26:23,280 Speaker 1: Tank and Talk and What's Wrong with the NBA. And 467 00:26:23,320 --> 00:26:25,760 Speaker 1: I will say this every year at this time we 468 00:26:25,840 --> 00:26:29,600 Speaker 1: spend about three weeks hammering the NBA because football season's over, 469 00:26:30,080 --> 00:26:33,119 Speaker 1: March madness isn't here yet. Where My wife asked me 470 00:26:33,400 --> 00:26:35,920 Speaker 1: this morning, is this a hard week to host? I said, 471 00:26:35,960 --> 00:26:38,600 Speaker 1: it's a dead week. There's about three a year. This 472 00:26:38,800 --> 00:26:41,040 Speaker 1: is one of the dead weeks. Next week's a little 473 00:26:41,040 --> 00:26:43,000 Speaker 1: bit of a dead week, and then we got one 474 00:26:43,040 --> 00:26:46,600 Speaker 1: maybe in like July or early August. By and large, 475 00:26:46,640 --> 00:26:49,520 Speaker 1: the sports calendar doesn't give us a lot of rest stops. 476 00:26:49,920 --> 00:26:52,800 Speaker 1: But this has been kind of traditionally the week everybody's 477 00:26:52,840 --> 00:26:55,800 Speaker 1: like NBA has got a lot of problems. Well, there's 478 00:26:55,840 --> 00:26:58,000 Speaker 1: the tanking issue, but that's the way to get better. 479 00:26:58,520 --> 00:27:00,640 Speaker 1: By the way, the Jazz won't be doing next year. 480 00:27:00,720 --> 00:27:03,840 Speaker 1: The Spurs are done doing that, okay, see and Detroit 481 00:27:03,920 --> 00:27:06,280 Speaker 1: are done doing it. So I do think the middle 482 00:27:06,320 --> 00:27:07,760 Speaker 1: and top of the league right now has got a 483 00:27:07,760 --> 00:27:08,560 Speaker 1: bunch of good teams. 484 00:27:09,040 --> 00:27:14,560 Speaker 2: J Mack with the news, No news, this is the 485 00:27:14,600 --> 00:27:15,720 Speaker 2: headline news. 486 00:27:16,160 --> 00:27:18,520 Speaker 6: I mean, I loathe the tanking talk, but the only 487 00:27:18,560 --> 00:27:21,080 Speaker 6: thing I dislike more than that is Aaron Rodgers. Colin, 488 00:27:21,280 --> 00:27:23,800 Speaker 6: we have an Aaron Rodgers update, because you know, it's 489 00:27:23,840 --> 00:27:26,320 Speaker 6: February and there's nothing to talk about. Aaron Rodgers future 490 00:27:26,440 --> 00:27:30,000 Speaker 6: still up in the air. Reports indicate he is quote 491 00:27:30,320 --> 00:27:34,200 Speaker 6: leaning towards coming back to Pittsburgh. I mean, goodness, gracious, 492 00:27:34,240 --> 00:27:37,320 Speaker 6: Aaron Rodgers again, dude, you're not Lebron. What are we 493 00:27:37,320 --> 00:27:40,640 Speaker 6: doing here? Lebron is still thriving. Okay, Aaron Rodgers backed 494 00:27:40,640 --> 00:27:43,520 Speaker 6: into the playoffs. Just go right off into the sunset, 495 00:27:43,560 --> 00:27:46,600 Speaker 6: Go be anonymous in Malibu, take up surfing as a hobby, 496 00:27:46,640 --> 00:27:48,400 Speaker 6: and maybe enjoy the ayahuasca. 497 00:27:48,600 --> 00:27:52,120 Speaker 1: I will say he made the playoffs. It's an organization 498 00:27:52,640 --> 00:27:55,960 Speaker 1: with an organization that can't figure out offense. You know, 499 00:27:56,080 --> 00:27:58,840 Speaker 1: the Steelers are going to be better offensively, that is 500 00:27:58,960 --> 00:28:01,679 Speaker 1: without a question. Mike McCarthy, You know we bang on 501 00:28:01,720 --> 00:28:05,879 Speaker 1: Mike McCarthy. Mike McCarthy's got terrible branding. He's got the 502 00:28:05,920 --> 00:28:09,320 Speaker 1: same winning percentage is John Harball. And we all love 503 00:28:09,400 --> 00:28:13,040 Speaker 1: John Harball and nobody loves Mike McCarthy. It's the same coach. 504 00:28:13,359 --> 00:28:16,359 Speaker 1: They both got a trophy. Look at their playoff records. 505 00:28:16,640 --> 00:28:20,840 Speaker 1: The difference is well, well, one guy had Joe Flaccow 506 00:28:20,880 --> 00:28:23,600 Speaker 1: and Lamar Jackson. Those are pretty good quarterbacks. One guy 507 00:28:23,640 --> 00:28:26,760 Speaker 1: had Dak Prescott and Aaron Rodgers. Those are really good quarterbacks. 508 00:28:27,200 --> 00:28:30,240 Speaker 1: Pittsburgh with Aaron Rodgers and I'm not saying it's the 509 00:28:30,320 --> 00:28:32,440 Speaker 1: right thing to do, but I will tell you Pittsburgh 510 00:28:32,440 --> 00:28:35,880 Speaker 1: with Aaron Rodgers will be a much better offensive team. 511 00:28:36,359 --> 00:28:38,280 Speaker 1: They've got to hit some draft picks and move off 512 00:28:38,320 --> 00:28:41,200 Speaker 1: defense so they can change their spending to the other side. 513 00:28:41,040 --> 00:28:41,560 Speaker 4: Of the ball. 514 00:28:42,000 --> 00:28:44,760 Speaker 1: But McCarthy in this offense for the first time in years, 515 00:28:45,040 --> 00:28:48,520 Speaker 1: will look like a progressive offense. Bang on him all 516 00:28:48,560 --> 00:28:53,120 Speaker 1: you want. He's got John Harbaugh's resume down the line. 517 00:28:53,800 --> 00:28:54,560 Speaker 5: What are you producing? 518 00:28:54,600 --> 00:28:54,760 Speaker 2: Now? 519 00:28:54,800 --> 00:28:58,400 Speaker 6: That's a great topic. Does Mike McCarthy need better branding? Yes, 520 00:28:58,520 --> 00:29:00,880 Speaker 6: I mean honestly it is because Mike Arthy cries at 521 00:29:00,920 --> 00:29:03,960 Speaker 6: the introductory pres conference. It's like, bro, what are you doing? 522 00:29:04,160 --> 00:29:06,440 Speaker 6: You walk away from the Cowboys to go to this disaster. 523 00:29:06,880 --> 00:29:09,200 Speaker 6: And I know you said the Steelers made the playoffs. 524 00:29:09,200 --> 00:29:11,600 Speaker 6: They backed in like, I mean, come on. 525 00:29:11,640 --> 00:29:14,040 Speaker 1: Well, Coley, you know, if you make it, you make it. 526 00:29:14,080 --> 00:29:17,000 Speaker 1: There's a lot of very I mean, listen the Seattle Seahawks. 527 00:29:17,240 --> 00:29:19,240 Speaker 1: You go look at the Seahawks. 528 00:29:18,680 --> 00:29:19,360 Speaker 4: The Rams. 529 00:29:19,720 --> 00:29:23,280 Speaker 1: The difference between home field making it not making looky 530 00:29:23,360 --> 00:29:26,120 Speaker 1: stuff in the NFC West. I mean, you went down 531 00:29:26,160 --> 00:29:27,800 Speaker 1: to the last couple of weeks and some of these 532 00:29:27,840 --> 00:29:30,680 Speaker 1: good teams. We weren't sure the Rams were gonna make 533 00:29:30,720 --> 00:29:32,760 Speaker 1: it in with two weeks ago, were like, well, what 534 00:29:32,800 --> 00:29:35,800 Speaker 1: if they lose here in Seattle and San Francisco win here. 535 00:29:35,880 --> 00:29:37,800 Speaker 1: So if you get in, you get in. And they 536 00:29:37,800 --> 00:29:38,160 Speaker 1: got in. 537 00:29:38,280 --> 00:29:40,480 Speaker 6: Yeah, all right, let's move on to Mike Vrabel and 538 00:29:40,520 --> 00:29:43,720 Speaker 6: the New England Patriots Colin. Obviously, the Super Bowl loss 539 00:29:43,800 --> 00:29:47,160 Speaker 6: was a bad one. Some people saw that beatdown coming. 540 00:29:47,320 --> 00:29:50,400 Speaker 6: But one guy who's shown in the game was Christian Gonzalez. 541 00:29:50,480 --> 00:29:52,680 Speaker 5: He was very, very. 542 00:29:52,480 --> 00:29:55,120 Speaker 6: Good and says Rabel has been helping him become a 543 00:29:55,160 --> 00:29:58,320 Speaker 6: better leader. Adding been trying to find my own voice, 544 00:29:58,360 --> 00:30:01,320 Speaker 6: my leadership, trying to grow. Gonzales looks like probably a 545 00:30:01,360 --> 00:30:02,600 Speaker 6: top five cornerback. 546 00:30:02,240 --> 00:30:02,800 Speaker 4: In the league. 547 00:30:02,680 --> 00:30:04,800 Speaker 5: He had one of the best plays in the Super Bowl. 548 00:30:04,840 --> 00:30:07,120 Speaker 1: Defensively, he was probably their best player in the Super Bowl. 549 00:30:07,600 --> 00:30:10,080 Speaker 5: They didn't have many good ones. Yeah, so he was. 550 00:30:10,000 --> 00:30:11,360 Speaker 1: That best player in the Super Bowl. 551 00:30:13,040 --> 00:30:14,960 Speaker 6: You know, it looks like he's going to get a 552 00:30:14,960 --> 00:30:18,000 Speaker 6: big extension, but it's not a lock because he has 553 00:30:18,120 --> 00:30:20,640 Speaker 6: been injured Colin that has been a bit of a 554 00:30:20,640 --> 00:30:23,600 Speaker 6: bugaboo for him. First team All Pro in twenty twenty four. 555 00:30:23,760 --> 00:30:26,040 Speaker 1: I would definitely bring him back. I think he's a 556 00:30:26,080 --> 00:30:29,120 Speaker 1: good teammate. He was great in the big games. There's 557 00:30:29,160 --> 00:30:30,880 Speaker 1: not a lot of great corners in this league. When 558 00:30:30,880 --> 00:30:34,040 Speaker 1: Sauce Gardner goes for two firsts, that's telling you there 559 00:30:34,080 --> 00:30:36,280 Speaker 1: aren't a lot of I mean, if I said to 560 00:30:36,320 --> 00:30:38,840 Speaker 1: you five best corners in the league, you could mostly 561 00:30:38,920 --> 00:30:41,240 Speaker 1: name them. If I said five best receivers, you and 562 00:30:41,240 --> 00:30:44,200 Speaker 1: I would argue for thirty minutes. You're like Patrick Sartan, 563 00:30:44,360 --> 00:30:48,680 Speaker 1: Sauce Gardner, Christian Gonzalez, like the Kid Seattle, Devin Witherspoon. 564 00:30:48,720 --> 00:30:51,040 Speaker 1: There's not a lot of great corners. The Rams don't 565 00:30:51,040 --> 00:30:52,400 Speaker 1: have him, The Niners don't have him. 566 00:30:52,480 --> 00:30:53,360 Speaker 5: Rams definitely, you know. 567 00:30:53,680 --> 00:30:55,360 Speaker 1: I mean it's honestly, you go to the good teams 568 00:30:55,360 --> 00:30:57,520 Speaker 1: in this league, they don't. I mean, you see yesterday, 569 00:30:58,320 --> 00:31:00,520 Speaker 1: you weren't here yesterday. But Travis hunh wh A story 570 00:31:00,520 --> 00:31:02,760 Speaker 1: came out the Jags are moving Travis Hunter to corner 571 00:31:03,120 --> 00:31:06,160 Speaker 1: more than a receiver. Oh gos what really? But my 572 00:31:06,280 --> 00:31:10,160 Speaker 1: take is it's easier to get receivers. It's impossible to 573 00:31:10,200 --> 00:31:11,240 Speaker 1: find an elite corner. 574 00:31:11,440 --> 00:31:14,200 Speaker 6: I bet Travis Hunter's thrilled at that. I you traded 575 00:31:14,280 --> 00:31:16,040 Speaker 6: up for a cornerback in the draft Wood. 576 00:31:15,800 --> 00:31:18,640 Speaker 1: But he could be a top six corner by next year. 577 00:31:19,000 --> 00:31:20,960 Speaker 1: He's not going to be a top six receiver by 578 00:31:21,040 --> 00:31:22,920 Speaker 1: next year. There's just too much talent at the position. 579 00:31:23,040 --> 00:31:25,640 Speaker 6: Now, okay, final story, let's save some room for this one. 580 00:31:26,000 --> 00:31:28,360 Speaker 6: So Colin, Jason Tatum is working to come back from 581 00:31:28,400 --> 00:31:32,640 Speaker 6: the Achilles injury. Okay, and we know Achilles injuries historically 582 00:31:32,720 --> 00:31:35,000 Speaker 6: been a year. People are trying to shrink the timeline. 583 00:31:35,200 --> 00:31:39,400 Speaker 6: So your buddy, this gentleman named Bill Simmons is theorizing 584 00:31:39,880 --> 00:31:43,320 Speaker 6: the Celtics are aiming for a March first return. Now 585 00:31:43,320 --> 00:31:46,600 Speaker 6: that seems really ambitious. I would bet against that if 586 00:31:46,640 --> 00:31:51,600 Speaker 6: you could. But here's what Simmons allegedly said. So NBC 587 00:31:52,480 --> 00:31:56,960 Speaker 6: has a comeback video ready for Jason Tatum. NBC is 588 00:31:57,000 --> 00:31:59,920 Speaker 6: televising a game on March first. The Celtics have been 589 00:32:00,160 --> 00:32:03,400 Speaker 6: flexed into that March first game. So he's trying to 590 00:32:03,400 --> 00:32:06,080 Speaker 6: read some tea leaves. Man, I think that's when Tatum's 591 00:32:06,080 --> 00:32:08,760 Speaker 6: coming back. Colin, you got one of the I know 592 00:32:08,760 --> 00:32:10,160 Speaker 6: you don't think he's top five. You think he's like 593 00:32:10,200 --> 00:32:12,040 Speaker 6: seven or eight. I think he's a top five player 594 00:32:12,080 --> 00:32:14,960 Speaker 6: in the league before the injury. Why would you force 595 00:32:15,000 --> 00:32:18,160 Speaker 6: him back? He's still very young? Why would you do that? 596 00:32:18,400 --> 00:32:18,640 Speaker 5: Again? 597 00:32:18,960 --> 00:32:23,000 Speaker 6: Saw other players patients wait, don't rush to come back? 598 00:32:23,040 --> 00:32:26,760 Speaker 1: Well, because you know it's very easy to say that. 599 00:32:26,880 --> 00:32:31,440 Speaker 1: But my question is, san Antonio, this may be the 600 00:32:31,520 --> 00:32:35,160 Speaker 1: last year Boston could beat him in the finals. I 601 00:32:35,160 --> 00:32:38,920 Speaker 1: mean san Antonio right now, Oklahoma City is better right 602 00:32:38,960 --> 00:32:42,480 Speaker 1: now than Boston. But you could argue Tatum and Boston 603 00:32:42,520 --> 00:32:45,480 Speaker 1: would be number two in the league by next year. 604 00:32:45,960 --> 00:32:49,360 Speaker 1: All these young Spurs players are now moving into prime. 605 00:32:50,040 --> 00:32:53,959 Speaker 1: You may not beat san Antonio for eight years. So 606 00:32:54,080 --> 00:32:57,000 Speaker 1: my take, if I'm them, I would bring I could 607 00:32:57,040 --> 00:32:59,440 Speaker 1: see bringing Tatum back now again, he's got to be 608 00:32:59,520 --> 00:33:02,600 Speaker 1: ninety and I'd put him on a minute's restriction. I 609 00:33:02,640 --> 00:33:04,440 Speaker 1: would not bring it. I would have him at twenty 610 00:33:04,480 --> 00:33:06,640 Speaker 1: four minutes for three weeks. I would have him at 611 00:33:06,720 --> 00:33:09,520 Speaker 1: thirty six. But my take is, if Tatum is confident 612 00:33:09,560 --> 00:33:11,720 Speaker 1: the doctors give you a green light, you have got 613 00:33:11,760 --> 00:33:14,760 Speaker 1: to think about these things. There are these windows closed. 614 00:33:15,160 --> 00:33:17,680 Speaker 1: First of all, we thought the Celtics window with Tatum 615 00:33:17,720 --> 00:33:19,920 Speaker 1: and Brown was open much earlier than it was. We 616 00:33:19,920 --> 00:33:22,080 Speaker 1: thought they were going to beat the Warriors and they lost, 617 00:33:22,400 --> 00:33:24,840 Speaker 1: So the window did not open up until the year 618 00:33:24,880 --> 00:33:28,760 Speaker 1: they won it. And now you're thinking, now Halliburton comes 619 00:33:28,800 --> 00:33:32,200 Speaker 1: back next year, the pistonser young, will be better. Next year, 620 00:33:32,560 --> 00:33:36,240 Speaker 1: the Knicks could make a big move for Giannis. My 621 00:33:36,440 --> 00:33:40,320 Speaker 1: take is the East is there for the taking. Take it, 622 00:33:40,680 --> 00:33:43,600 Speaker 1: and by next year san Antonio could go on a 623 00:33:43,800 --> 00:33:47,120 Speaker 1: massive run with Wemby and all their young players. 624 00:33:47,400 --> 00:33:49,800 Speaker 6: So that's a great point of view from the Boston 625 00:33:49,920 --> 00:33:53,280 Speaker 6: Celtics franchise. Okay, you mentioned like at the doctor's clear them. 626 00:33:53,360 --> 00:33:56,600 Speaker 6: If I'm Tatum, I'm going to multiple independent doctors. I 627 00:33:56,640 --> 00:33:59,800 Speaker 6: ain't jeopardizing back to back Achilles injuries or what. 628 00:34:00,000 --> 00:34:01,760 Speaker 5: Ever other injury could come from an achilles. 629 00:34:01,840 --> 00:34:04,520 Speaker 6: Remember Klay Thompson went down back to back years done. 630 00:34:04,680 --> 00:34:07,600 Speaker 6: He has never been the same. Tatum's still in his prime. Man, 631 00:34:07,640 --> 00:34:10,120 Speaker 6: I'm not rushing back. I'm not making the Celtics rush 632 00:34:10,200 --> 00:34:12,360 Speaker 6: me back to maybe get to the finals. 633 00:34:12,400 --> 00:34:14,719 Speaker 5: Like what is alf seven years left? 634 00:34:14,800 --> 00:34:17,960 Speaker 1: He's a competitive pro athlete. He wants to play. I mean, 635 00:34:17,960 --> 00:34:21,360 Speaker 1: can you imagine rehabbing in the prime of your athletic gears. 636 00:34:21,600 --> 00:34:24,000 Speaker 1: You can't play. Tatum wants to play. 637 00:34:24,160 --> 00:34:25,440 Speaker 5: Yeah, I'm sure he does. 638 00:34:25,520 --> 00:34:28,480 Speaker 6: But you're gonna listen to your head or the doctors, 639 00:34:28,560 --> 00:34:29,760 Speaker 6: the experts. 640 00:34:30,680 --> 00:34:37,520 Speaker 1: I'm giving you an argument on Bill's Bill's insider stuff. 641 00:34:37,640 --> 00:34:40,640 Speaker 6: It might take his big Celtics Honk, I make a 642 00:34:40,719 --> 00:34:41,280 Speaker 6: huge deale. 643 00:34:41,280 --> 00:34:43,160 Speaker 1: You look up and you're like, we don't match up well, 644 00:34:43,360 --> 00:34:46,480 Speaker 1: Wemby by next year, this it is Halliburton comes by. 645 00:34:46,520 --> 00:34:50,200 Speaker 1: Halliburton's great. He I mean, I don't know. I just 646 00:34:50,239 --> 00:34:53,120 Speaker 1: look at it and I think to myself, we always 647 00:34:53,160 --> 00:34:56,720 Speaker 1: think these windows are open. Like Denver. I thought Denver 648 00:34:56,800 --> 00:34:59,080 Speaker 1: was gonna reel off three straight titles. Then they have 649 00:34:59,160 --> 00:35:01,279 Speaker 1: to move off certain players because of the hard cap. 650 00:35:01,320 --> 00:35:02,799 Speaker 1: And you're like, Denver's not that good. 651 00:35:02,920 --> 00:35:04,000 Speaker 5: It's tough to win titles. 652 00:35:04,040 --> 00:35:07,320 Speaker 6: I mean, it'ser impossible to win multiple. 653 00:35:07,520 --> 00:35:09,319 Speaker 5: I mean, listen, I know people love Okay, see you 654 00:35:09,320 --> 00:35:12,239 Speaker 5: mentioned them. That don't look like the best team in 655 00:35:12,239 --> 00:35:13,560 Speaker 5: the league to me, not close. 656 00:35:13,680 --> 00:35:16,520 Speaker 1: Let me tell you some Detroit still ascending. Okayc is 657 00:35:16,520 --> 00:35:19,959 Speaker 1: going to be fine, Nicks, san Antonio's going up. 658 00:35:20,840 --> 00:35:22,719 Speaker 5: Who's your finals right now? Give me your finals year 659 00:35:22,719 --> 00:35:23,800 Speaker 5: with a February. 660 00:35:23,360 --> 00:35:26,719 Speaker 1: With Detroit is an ascending guy would say Detroit makes 661 00:35:26,719 --> 00:35:30,799 Speaker 1: the finals for a year. Next year it's Tatum and Halliburton, 662 00:35:30,800 --> 00:35:33,080 Speaker 1: and I would take the Celtics next year. I would say, 663 00:35:33,960 --> 00:35:36,720 Speaker 1: pre big moves that I don't know about. Detroit gets 664 00:35:36,719 --> 00:35:41,680 Speaker 1: in and faces Okay, see beats the Spurs in six games. 665 00:35:42,120 --> 00:35:42,880 Speaker 5: I'll go Spurs. 666 00:35:42,960 --> 00:35:43,120 Speaker 1: Nick. 667 00:35:43,239 --> 00:35:46,000 Speaker 5: So we're divergent, wildly divergent. Interesting. 668 00:35:46,200 --> 00:35:48,319 Speaker 1: Well, I like the Knicks. I think they get the. 669 00:35:48,800 --> 00:35:49,799 Speaker 5: Sure sounds like it. 670 00:35:50,120 --> 00:35:51,919 Speaker 6: The Pistons, who's their second best player? 671 00:35:51,920 --> 00:35:52,120 Speaker 4: Again? 672 00:35:52,320 --> 00:35:52,760 Speaker 5: I forgot. 673 00:35:53,360 --> 00:35:57,360 Speaker 1: They're an ascending young team with a superstar. They play defense, 674 00:35:58,640 --> 00:36:05,879 Speaker 1: They'll be fine. Detroit's good. What's the kid the All 675 00:36:05,880 --> 00:36:06,880 Speaker 1: Star Duran? 676 00:36:07,200 --> 00:36:08,680 Speaker 5: Jalen Duran. Yeah, he's solid. 677 00:36:10,040 --> 00:36:10,680 Speaker 1: He was an All Star. 678 00:36:10,760 --> 00:36:13,680 Speaker 5: GI me Mitchell Robinson any day of the week, baby. 679 00:36:14,360 --> 00:36:17,640 Speaker 1: Jmck of the news, Well that's the news, and thanks 680 00:36:17,640 --> 00:36:22,640 Speaker 1: for stopping back the herd Line news. It just you 681 00:36:23,040 --> 00:36:26,839 Speaker 1: do understand, when Halliburton comes back, all bets are off 682 00:36:26,840 --> 00:36:32,400 Speaker 1: in the East. So you know, some people think, and 683 00:36:32,440 --> 00:36:34,560 Speaker 1: for the record, there are people now that suddenly like 684 00:36:34,640 --> 00:36:38,560 Speaker 1: the Calves. Okay, so to me, if Tatum comes back, 685 00:36:38,600 --> 00:36:41,200 Speaker 1: it's like strike when the iron's hot, the East is 686 00:36:41,200 --> 00:36:44,360 Speaker 1: wide open. Detroit's going to be better next year. Orlando's 687 00:36:44,360 --> 00:36:46,600 Speaker 1: going to be better next year. Cleveland could be better 688 00:36:46,640 --> 00:36:50,640 Speaker 1: next year. San Antonio will absolutely be better next year. 689 00:36:51,040 --> 00:36:53,560 Speaker 1: Keep your eye on Dallas with Cooper Flag. They're they're 690 00:36:53,560 --> 00:36:55,560 Speaker 1: moving pieces. They can go big game hunting. 691 00:36:55,760 --> 00:36:58,360 Speaker 2: Be sure to catch live editions of The Herd weekdays 692 00:36:58,360 --> 00:37:01,920 Speaker 2: and noon Easter. Not a emphasis on Fox Sports Radio 693 00:37:02,200 --> 00:37:04,400 Speaker 2: FS one and the iHeartRadio app. 694 00:37:05,200 --> 00:37:09,280 Speaker 6: The Fastest Racing on Earth returns to Fox. Alex Pullo, 695 00:37:09,800 --> 00:37:13,799 Speaker 6: Joseph Neugarten and Potto Award lead the way as the 696 00:37:13,840 --> 00:37:18,239 Speaker 6: twenty twenty six Indie Car season launches in Saint Petersburg 697 00:37:18,640 --> 00:37:20,440 Speaker 6: March first live on Fox. 698 00:37:20,960 --> 00:37:23,680 Speaker 1: So very interesting. Mark Cuban used to own the Dallas 699 00:37:23,680 --> 00:37:26,600 Speaker 1: Mavericks Bottom for two hundred and eighty five million, sold 700 00:37:26,640 --> 00:37:29,439 Speaker 1: them for three and a half billion. He did very well. 701 00:37:29,480 --> 00:37:33,120 Speaker 1: Smart guy, shark tank forty businesses he owns, blah blah blah, 702 00:37:33,200 --> 00:37:36,640 Speaker 1: very smart guy. He's talking about tanking. I think tanking 703 00:37:36,880 --> 00:37:39,000 Speaker 1: is I've been saying this all week, is that I 704 00:37:39,360 --> 00:37:41,600 Speaker 1: don't think of myself as pro tanking, but I don't 705 00:37:41,600 --> 00:37:43,359 Speaker 1: think it's the biggest problem in the world. It's been 706 00:37:43,360 --> 00:37:47,760 Speaker 1: happening forever, and it's creating the Spurs, and it created 707 00:37:47,800 --> 00:37:50,320 Speaker 1: the Pistons, and it's going to create by next year's 708 00:37:50,400 --> 00:37:54,200 Speaker 1: draft or the next draft, if the Jazz get Peterson 709 00:37:54,200 --> 00:37:58,320 Speaker 1: from Kansas or Boozer from Duke or the kid from Byu, Utah, 710 00:37:58,440 --> 00:38:01,160 Speaker 1: is going to be good for years. Mark Cuban on tanking, 711 00:38:01,800 --> 00:38:05,920 Speaker 1: He said, why the NBA should embrace tanking. There's this 712 00:38:06,120 --> 00:38:09,640 Speaker 1: misguided thinking that fans want to see their teams compete 713 00:38:09,640 --> 00:38:12,480 Speaker 1: every night with a chance to win. It's never been 714 00:38:12,520 --> 00:38:14,200 Speaker 1: that way. When I got into the NBA, I thought 715 00:38:14,239 --> 00:38:17,319 Speaker 1: I was getting into the basketball business. Huh huh. I 716 00:38:17,360 --> 00:38:20,840 Speaker 1: was getting in the business of creating experience for fans. 717 00:38:21,239 --> 00:38:24,520 Speaker 1: Few fans remember the score from the last game they saw. 718 00:38:25,440 --> 00:38:30,040 Speaker 1: They don't remember dunks or shots or what they remember 719 00:38:30,120 --> 00:38:32,799 Speaker 1: is who they were with their family, their friends, a date. 720 00:38:33,120 --> 00:38:37,520 Speaker 1: That's what makes the entertainment vehicle work. They had a 721 00:38:37,560 --> 00:38:40,200 Speaker 1: great time at the game. The NBA should worry more 722 00:38:40,200 --> 00:38:44,000 Speaker 1: about fan experience than tanking. It should worry about pricing 723 00:38:44,080 --> 00:38:48,160 Speaker 1: fans out of games, not tanking. You know who cares 724 00:38:48,200 --> 00:38:51,080 Speaker 1: the least about tanking. A parent who can't afford to 725 00:38:51,080 --> 00:38:55,200 Speaker 1: bring their three kids to a game. Affordability and quality 726 00:38:55,239 --> 00:38:59,640 Speaker 1: of game presentation are more important than tanking. I'll give 727 00:38:59,640 --> 00:39:02,560 Speaker 1: you a story, and diehard fans who listen to sports radio, 728 00:39:02,680 --> 00:39:06,200 Speaker 1: they'll go on the internet. No true. I went to 729 00:39:06,239 --> 00:39:09,440 Speaker 1: a game at Fenway Park years ago. It was Boston 730 00:39:09,480 --> 00:39:11,960 Speaker 1: Red Sox against I think the Texas Rangers. It was 731 00:39:11,960 --> 00:39:14,480 Speaker 1: a Sunday game, and I'm sitting next to all these 732 00:39:14,560 --> 00:39:18,399 Speaker 1: sullies and all these you know, all these Red Sox 733 00:39:18,480 --> 00:39:21,200 Speaker 1: dieard fans drinking their Sam Adams with their Red Sox 734 00:39:21,239 --> 00:39:24,719 Speaker 1: hats on. I tried to engage them on baseball. They 735 00:39:24,719 --> 00:39:28,319 Speaker 1: had no idea, they knew nothing. They didn't know who 736 00:39:28,400 --> 00:39:32,920 Speaker 1: was pitching for the Red Sox. You think fans. Oh, 737 00:39:33,000 --> 00:39:35,880 Speaker 1: I go to Laker games now, everybody's on a phone, 738 00:39:35,960 --> 00:39:40,080 Speaker 1: they're all influencers. Nobody's watching the game. They're all getting pictures. 739 00:39:40,760 --> 00:39:42,759 Speaker 1: So Mark Cuban would know more than you and I 740 00:39:42,840 --> 00:39:45,360 Speaker 1: on owning an NBA team. He's like, the problem with 741 00:39:45,360 --> 00:39:47,880 Speaker 1: the league is they've outpriced a big chunk of it. 742 00:39:47,920 --> 00:39:52,040 Speaker 1: This is an entertainment experience. You're worried about tanking the 743 00:39:52,160 --> 00:39:54,880 Speaker 1: Utah Jazz. They're selling out game. I mean the Chicago Bulls. 744 00:39:54,880 --> 00:39:58,239 Speaker 1: Folks have been selling out games since Jordan left. They've 745 00:39:58,239 --> 00:40:00,480 Speaker 1: been unwatchable for many of those years. I don't even 746 00:40:00,520 --> 00:40:04,399 Speaker 1: know what they're doing now. They still sell out. They 747 00:40:04,440 --> 00:40:08,400 Speaker 1: still sell out. They got one or two Josh Gidea's 748 00:40:08,400 --> 00:40:11,440 Speaker 1: are pretty good player. Their draft picked last year, he 749 00:40:11,440 --> 00:40:13,160 Speaker 1: had a pretty good player. They got a couple of 750 00:40:13,239 --> 00:40:16,440 Speaker 1: nice young players. They got about fifteen guards. Don't have 751 00:40:16,440 --> 00:40:19,640 Speaker 1: any centers. But you know beyond that. But the point 752 00:40:19,719 --> 00:40:22,319 Speaker 1: is they sell the games out in Chicago's a good 753 00:40:22,320 --> 00:40:25,400 Speaker 1: sports town. Chicago fans they know basketball. They're still selled 754 00:40:25,440 --> 00:40:28,440 Speaker 1: out because people have I'm a season ticket holder for 755 00:40:28,480 --> 00:40:30,560 Speaker 1: the Bulls. You go to the game, they've got lights 756 00:40:30,600 --> 00:40:33,880 Speaker 1: and music and fun, and the visiting teams got stars, 757 00:40:34,080 --> 00:40:36,279 Speaker 1: and you have a great time, and the next home 758 00:40:36,360 --> 00:40:38,840 Speaker 1: game will be sold out to Bulls have the biggest 759 00:40:38,880 --> 00:40:40,960 Speaker 1: arena in the NBA. I think they've led the NBA 760 00:40:40,960 --> 00:40:44,320 Speaker 1: in attendance eight to the last ten years. They've been terrible, 761 00:40:45,320 --> 00:40:49,520 Speaker 1: So you're worried. I this is where it's different. In football, 762 00:40:49,600 --> 00:40:52,640 Speaker 1: there's one game a week. But when you get to baseball, 763 00:40:52,680 --> 00:40:55,080 Speaker 1: part of what makes and I've said this. Part of 764 00:40:55,120 --> 00:40:58,440 Speaker 1: what makes the Cubs fascinating is that, yeah, you'd like 765 00:40:58,520 --> 00:41:00,680 Speaker 1: your team to win. But if I went to the 766 00:41:00,719 --> 00:41:03,560 Speaker 1: typical Cub fan and I said name your starting staff, 767 00:41:03,880 --> 00:41:06,759 Speaker 1: less than one percent of fans could name it. Who's 768 00:41:06,800 --> 00:41:09,040 Speaker 1: your number three starter for the Cubs couldn't name it. 769 00:41:09,440 --> 00:41:12,680 Speaker 1: Go to a Pistons game, who's your third best player 770 00:41:12,680 --> 00:41:15,399 Speaker 1: for the Pistons? Go ask somebody at the upper deck 771 00:41:15,719 --> 00:41:18,239 Speaker 1: that can afford to go to a game twice a year. 772 00:41:18,680 --> 00:41:21,520 Speaker 1: Drink some bud, have a good time, knock down some nachos. 773 00:41:22,440 --> 00:41:25,399 Speaker 1: They're not in fantasy basketball leagues. They have a life, 774 00:41:25,400 --> 00:41:28,440 Speaker 1: they have kids, they're working. So Mark Cumans like, stop 775 00:41:28,440 --> 00:41:32,640 Speaker 1: worrying about tanking. Make the tickets more affordable. I don't 776 00:41:32,640 --> 00:41:36,720 Speaker 1: think he's wrong. Nobody's gonna like to hear that, especially 777 00:41:36,760 --> 00:41:37,440 Speaker 1: the ntheards.