Thanks for listening to the Best of the Herd podcast. Be sure to catch us live every weekday on Fox Sports Radio in noon to three Eastern nine am to noon Pacific. Find your local station for The Herd at Fox Sports Radio dot com, or stream us live every day on the iHeartRadio app by searching Fox Sports Radio or FSR.

Thanks for listening to the Best of the Herd podcast. Be sure to catch us live every weekday on Fox Sports Radio in noon to three Eastern nine am to noon Pacific. Find your local station for The Herd at Fox Sports Radio dot com, or stream us live every day on the iHeartRadio app by searching Fox Sports Radio or FSR.

This is the Best of the Herd with Colin cowher on Fox Sports Radio.

This is the Best of the Herd with Colin cowher on Fox Sports Radio.

Here we Go. It is a Tuesday, live in Los Angeles. It's the Herd wherever you may be and however you may be listening thanks to making as part of your day. Tonight is the night. Tonight is the night Luca Dante, the newest Laker in Los Angeles and the team that traded him away shockingly, the Dallas Mavericks, limp into town with all their bigs injured. This has the potential to get really ugly. Jmack is going to this one. I'll be locked on a TV, smoking a stog, maybe knocking down a Jit and soda, checking out what will be a spectacle in Los Angeles tonight. And this is a city. Over the last several years between Mookie Betts and Freeman and Shoeyo Tani and Lincoln Riley and Jim Harbaugh and a lot of stars coming to town. J Mac, Tonight is gonna be interesting. So Luka dantic at home hosting the MAVs. You're gonna officially see how awful this trade was. Luca's gonna be inspired, He's gonna be ticked off, and JJ Reddick and Lebron James are gonna make sure he eats. They're gonna feed him the ball all night. This is gonna be the New York Giants against Saquon Barkley. This is gonna be dinner with your ex and she upgraded. You're gonna be wondering if you're Dallas, what was I thinking? Where did it all go wrong? It sets up to be a blood bath potentially because Dallas all their bigs are hurt. So Luca's gonna score anyway he wants. And I said this, If the Ais would have gotten Anthony Davis, Austin Reeves and three first round picks, I still wouldn't have.

Here we Go. It is a Tuesday, live in Los Angeles. It's the Herd wherever you may be and however you may be listening thanks to making as part of your day. Tonight is the night. Tonight is the night Luca Dante, the newest Laker in Los Angeles and the team that traded him away shockingly, the Dallas Mavericks, limp into town with all their bigs injured. This has the potential to get really ugly. Jmack is going to this one. I'll be locked on a TV, smoking a stog, maybe knocking down a Jit and soda, checking out what will be a spectacle in Los Angeles tonight. And this is a city. Over the last several years between Mookie Betts and Freeman and Shoeyo Tani and Lincoln Riley and Jim Harbaugh and a lot of stars coming to town. J Mac, Tonight is gonna be interesting. So Luka dantic at home hosting the MAVs. You're gonna officially see how awful this trade was. Luca's gonna be inspired, He's gonna be ticked off, and JJ Reddick and Lebron James are gonna make sure he eats. They're gonna feed him the ball all night. This is gonna be the New York Giants against Saquon Barkley. This is gonna be dinner with your ex and she upgraded. You're gonna be wondering if you're Dallas, what was I thinking? Where did it all go wrong? It sets up to be a blood bath potentially because Dallas all their bigs are hurt. So Luca's gonna score anyway he wants. And I said this, If the Ais would have gotten Anthony Davis, Austin Reeves and three first round picks, I still wouldn't have.

Made the deal.

Made the deal.

But I but I could. I you know, he's hurt conditioning. Maybe I'd sleep a little better at night. But give it him away for one pick for Anthony Davis and he is not twenty six years old yet, he's got two more days to be twenty five. And here's the thing, the thing I'm thinking about this morning. Yes, Saquon Barkley to the Eagles was a huge gaff by Joe Shane the Giants gym. But Saquon Barkley's a running back. They don't last forever thirty two years old. They can be out of the game thirty three years old. They retire soon, So you don't have to sit and watch this forever. Luca's twenty five. If he gets the conditioning right, he could be dropping thirty three points a night for the next fourteen years. And the other thing, He's in the Western Conference, so Luca could be keeping Dallas because I actually like Dallas's roster, Ad Kyrie, their size, their coach. I actually like Dallas's roster. But there's a real opportunity here for the Lakers to bounce the Mavericks out for years. And this is a player that is just in two days turning twenty six, so years ago, about fifteen straight years out of college. I used to have a dream that haunted me and it may have lasted twenty years and this thing woke me up in a sweat about three times a month. I had this dream that I was going to take a college final and I wasn't prepared, and I had this dream all the time. And just think about it this way, Luca is advanced calculus, and the Mavericks Nico Harrison is gonna spend the next twelve to thirteen years waking up at least two to three times a month in a sweat. That's why if you're gonna trade Luca, you gotta get assets. You gotta get Amo, you gotta get Hi out to your conference. He can't get in the way of keeping you from trophies. So tonight's the night. Dirk Nevinsky previously in Dallas their greatest player ever. Uh, he'll be here tonight, and he has been in LA several times to support Luca.

But I but I could. I you know, he's hurt conditioning. Maybe I'd sleep a little better at night. But give it him away for one pick for Anthony Davis and he is not twenty six years old yet, he's got two more days to be twenty five. And here's the thing, the thing I'm thinking about this morning. Yes, Saquon Barkley to the Eagles was a huge gaff by Joe Shane the Giants gym. But Saquon Barkley's a running back. They don't last forever thirty two years old. They can be out of the game thirty three years old. They retire soon, So you don't have to sit and watch this forever. Luca's twenty five. If he gets the conditioning right, he could be dropping thirty three points a night for the next fourteen years. And the other thing, He's in the Western Conference, so Luca could be keeping Dallas because I actually like Dallas's roster, Ad Kyrie, their size, their coach. I actually like Dallas's roster. But there's a real opportunity here for the Lakers to bounce the Mavericks out for years. And this is a player that is just in two days turning twenty six, so years ago, about fifteen straight years out of college. I used to have a dream that haunted me and it may have lasted twenty years and this thing woke me up in a sweat about three times a month. I had this dream that I was going to take a college final and I wasn't prepared, and I had this dream all the time. And just think about it this way, Luca is advanced calculus, and the Mavericks Nico Harrison is gonna spend the next twelve to thirteen years waking up at least two to three times a month in a sweat. That's why if you're gonna trade Luca, you gotta get assets. You gotta get Amo, you gotta get Hi out to your conference. He can't get in the way of keeping you from trophies. So tonight's the night. Dirk Nevinsky previously in Dallas their greatest player ever. Uh, he'll be here tonight, and he has been in LA several times to support Luca.

I felt a little disappointed and sad for him. You know, I think he obviously didn't see this coming. So he invited me to come out to his first game in LA, and I felt like I had to support him. And it was reported that he was pretty obviously down and disappointed how how it went down, and so I wanted to be there for him. I wanted to just be there for his family and and then show support.

I felt a little disappointed and sad for him. You know, I think he obviously didn't see this coming. So he invited me to come out to his first game in LA, and I felt like I had to support him. And it was reported that he was pretty obviously down and disappointed how how it went down, and so I wanted to be there for him. I wanted to just be there for his family and and then show support.

It was weird.

It was weird.

It was surreal to to see him play for the Lakers. And so at the end of the day, I mean, I'll ever be a Lakers fan, but it was always be a Luca fan.

It was surreal to to see him play for the Lakers. And so at the end of the day, I mean, I'll ever be a Lakers fan, but it was always be a Luca fan.

Uh, Tonight is a spectacle. We've been lucky in Los Angeles. We've just had big coaches, and you know, Stafford to town and harbaught a town and Shohey moves up the I five, and here comes Freddie Freeman from Atlanta, and here comes Molchy Betts and now it's Luca in our lap and facing his Mavericks hobbling into town.

Uh, Tonight is a spectacle. We've been lucky in Los Angeles. We've just had big coaches, and you know, Stafford to town and harbaught a town and Shohey moves up the I five, and here comes Freddie Freeman from Atlanta, and here comes Molchy Betts and now it's Luca in our lap and facing his Mavericks hobbling into town.

Tonight.

Tonight.

Can't wait. So mel Kiper, maybe you've heard of him, has a big mock draft and he released it today and a lot of people are surprised that Shahduur Sanders, who people you know. During the college football season, many people speculated he'd go number one. He's going number seven in the mock draft of the New York Jets. And I was thinking about this this morning. That's about where he should go. I think he's a good B plus prospect. I think he's a good kid. He's accurate. But my favorite part about Shador Sanders is not It's not that his dad is Dion. It's not that he was one of the first guys that made big nil money. Actually, my favorite part isn't his strength. He's really accurate. You want to know my favorite part of Shaduur Sander. The last two years he has been the most sacked college quarterback out of every single Power five school. Oh it gets worse. In the last two years he had the worst running game of any other quarterback in Power five conferences. This is Andy Dufrayne escaping from Shawshank. This kid has been through a tunnel. Okay, this kid has swam through a tunnel.

Can't wait. So mel Kiper, maybe you've heard of him, has a big mock draft and he released it today and a lot of people are surprised that Shahduur Sanders, who people you know. During the college football season, many people speculated he'd go number one. He's going number seven in the mock draft of the New York Jets. And I was thinking about this this morning. That's about where he should go. I think he's a good B plus prospect. I think he's a good kid. He's accurate. But my favorite part about Shador Sanders is not It's not that his dad is Dion. It's not that he was one of the first guys that made big nil money. Actually, my favorite part isn't his strength. He's really accurate. You want to know my favorite part of Shaduur Sander. The last two years he has been the most sacked college quarterback out of every single Power five school. Oh it gets worse. In the last two years he had the worst running game of any other quarterback in Power five conferences. This is Andy Dufrayne escaping from Shawshank. This kid has been through a tunnel. Okay, this kid has swam through a tunnel.

You know what.

You know what.

And there's a reason that there aren't a lot of great Ohio State quarterbacks in the NFL, and not a lot of great Notre Dame quarterbacks, USC quarterbacks, Texas quarterbacks, Georgia quarterbacks. Why is that? Why is that? Yet? Cow The Golden Bears have given us Goff and Aaron Rodgers. North Carolina State gave us Philip Rivers, gave us Russell Wilson. Eastern Illinois gave us Garoppolo and Tony Romo. Why is that Josh Allen's from Wyoming, Trick Mahomes is from Texas Tech, Lamar Jackson from a basketball school Louisville. Why is that? It's because of what Shadeur Sanders faced a tunnel of crap. Is that the reality is when you go to an Ohio State, you take a three three step drop, hit a receiver, a five star receiver on a drag route. He goes for forty eight yards. It's easy living. Go back to Matt Lionerd at USC. How many times was he sacked? I mean one time one year, it was eleven times. It's not a real life that you'll face in the NFL, especially if you're a top ten lottery pick. You go to bad teams in battle lines, and bad receivers and often really bad coaches. That is why Big Ben didn't go to Ohio State. He was overlooked by them, Miami of Ohio. Drew Brees didn't go to Texas, he was overlooked by them. He went to Purdue Mahome. All those guys from cal Shadeur Sanders has had to manufacture offense. And that's what happens in the NFL. Even if you're Patrick Mahomes because you make so much money, you don't have an elite offensive left tackle, and you have to manufacture stuff because you have to let Tyreek Hill go. Philadelphia is an outlier. They pay the quarterback and they're loaded. The reality is in the NFL, if you're a top ten quarterback, you usually go to a lousy roster or a really bad smell in the organization, and then once you do get paid, you're going to be limited on actually what they can put around you. I mean, that's the downside to being a lottery pick. But Shador Sanders, the most sat quarterback, the worst running game. This kid's ready for it. It's not that his dad's deon. It's not that he was the first NIL star or second. It's not that he's really accurate. He's lived in the NFL. I mean, Caleb Williams high school and college. Everything was easy. He goes to Chicago. That's a real life. The coach, the coordinators, the roster, you're o line. The media is not in your corner. So I look at shit Ror Sanders and I looked it up this morning and he's seventh in Mel Kuiper's draft. That's exactly that's exactly. By the way, if you look at the top seven teams in the NFL Draft, I could argue the Jets have the best roster. You're gonna fall a little.

And there's a reason that there aren't a lot of great Ohio State quarterbacks in the NFL, and not a lot of great Notre Dame quarterbacks, USC quarterbacks, Texas quarterbacks, Georgia quarterbacks. Why is that? Why is that? Yet? Cow The Golden Bears have given us Goff and Aaron Rodgers. North Carolina State gave us Philip Rivers, gave us Russell Wilson. Eastern Illinois gave us Garoppolo and Tony Romo. Why is that Josh Allen's from Wyoming, Trick Mahomes is from Texas Tech, Lamar Jackson from a basketball school Louisville. Why is that? It's because of what Shadeur Sanders faced a tunnel of crap. Is that the reality is when you go to an Ohio State, you take a three three step drop, hit a receiver, a five star receiver on a drag route. He goes for forty eight yards. It's easy living. Go back to Matt Lionerd at USC. How many times was he sacked? I mean one time one year, it was eleven times. It's not a real life that you'll face in the NFL, especially if you're a top ten lottery pick. You go to bad teams in battle lines, and bad receivers and often really bad coaches. That is why Big Ben didn't go to Ohio State. He was overlooked by them, Miami of Ohio. Drew Brees didn't go to Texas, he was overlooked by them. He went to Purdue Mahome. All those guys from cal Shadeur Sanders has had to manufacture offense. And that's what happens in the NFL. Even if you're Patrick Mahomes because you make so much money, you don't have an elite offensive left tackle, and you have to manufacture stuff because you have to let Tyreek Hill go. Philadelphia is an outlier. They pay the quarterback and they're loaded. The reality is in the NFL, if you're a top ten quarterback, you usually go to a lousy roster or a really bad smell in the organization, and then once you do get paid, you're going to be limited on actually what they can put around you. I mean, that's the downside to being a lottery pick. But Shador Sanders, the most sat quarterback, the worst running game. This kid's ready for it. It's not that his dad's deon. It's not that he was the first NIL star or second. It's not that he's really accurate. He's lived in the NFL. I mean, Caleb Williams high school and college. Everything was easy. He goes to Chicago. That's a real life. The coach, the coordinators, the roster, you're o line. The media is not in your corner. So I look at shit Ror Sanders and I looked it up this morning and he's seventh in Mel Kuiper's draft. That's exactly that's exactly. By the way, if you look at the top seven teams in the NFL Draft, I could argue the Jets have the best roster. You're gonna fall a little.

Oh.

Oh.

They got a number one receiver and a number one back, and they have a left tackle from Penn State. And they've got maybe the best corner or second best corner in the league. And they've got a top linebacker. Now they got a new coaching staff. But I would argue falling in the draft of the Jets, it's a better roster than Tennessee or the Giants, or Cleveland or the Raiders. So I looked up the composite rankings of Colorado that Shador Sanders played with. It was even with BYU SMU and Arizona State. And there are two quarterbacks in this draft that are ready to play Day one, cam Ward and Shador Sanders. And the biggest reason is he's lived a real NFL life, running for his life with no running game for two years and having to manufacture offense. J Mack, you are very fired up. I would ask you where you got your tickets. I hopefully you had to pay for him. You didn't get freebie. So you can relate to people. But you are going to the game tonight and i'm'm a little jealous, but I'm gonna sit back watch and my guess is Luca goes for forty four. Well, they don't have any rim protection. Dallas's bigs are all hurt. But the other thing is, you know, JJ Reddick and Lebron James are going to feed him the ball for forty minutes. He is going to get the ball, They're going to initiate offense. This is gonna be one of those you know, you just do guys as solid. It's almost like when Lebron would play Cleveland in Miami. It's like, we're gonna make sure we get in the ball. We're gonna make sure it's a solid Yeah.

They got a number one receiver and a number one back, and they have a left tackle from Penn State. And they've got maybe the best corner or second best corner in the league. And they've got a top linebacker. Now they got a new coaching staff. But I would argue falling in the draft of the Jets, it's a better roster than Tennessee or the Giants, or Cleveland or the Raiders. So I looked up the composite rankings of Colorado that Shador Sanders played with. It was even with BYU SMU and Arizona State. And there are two quarterbacks in this draft that are ready to play Day one, cam Ward and Shador Sanders. And the biggest reason is he's lived a real NFL life, running for his life with no running game for two years and having to manufacture offense. J Mack, you are very fired up. I would ask you where you got your tickets. I hopefully you had to pay for him. You didn't get freebie. So you can relate to people. But you are going to the game tonight and i'm'm a little jealous, but I'm gonna sit back watch and my guess is Luca goes for forty four. Well, they don't have any rim protection. Dallas's bigs are all hurt. But the other thing is, you know, JJ Reddick and Lebron James are going to feed him the ball for forty minutes. He is going to get the ball, They're going to initiate offense. This is gonna be one of those you know, you just do guys as solid. It's almost like when Lebron would play Cleveland in Miami. It's like, we're gonna make sure we get in the ball. We're gonna make sure it's a solid Yeah.

You think he's maybe dieting today, a little uh, intermittent fasting, not eating a little like a little slimmer to just shove it in the face of the math boy. It's tough to be a Dallas Mavericks fan right now. How about a Dallas sports fan right now? Colin Cowboys are in turmoil.

You think he's maybe dieting today, a little uh, intermittent fasting, not eating a little like a little slimmer to just shove it in the face of the math boy. It's tough to be a Dallas Mavericks fan right now. How about a Dallas sports fan right now? Colin Cowboys are in turmoil.

I was in Chicago this weekend and I was talking to a couple of Chicago sports fans they are going through. People in Los Angeles are spoiled.

I was in Chicago this weekend and I was talking to a couple of Chicago sports fans they are going through. People in Los Angeles are spoiled.

We are.

We are.

I mean, I mean there has been about an eight year run. I mean, think of our football coaches. We've had Chip Kelly, Lincoln Riley, Jim Harbaugh, Sean McVay. Our quarterbacks have been Caleb Williams, Matt Stafford, Jared Goff got shipped out of town. He wasn't good enough, and Justin Herbert not not bad. No, so it's and all of a sudden, Luca falls in the lap of the Lakers. So it is Tonight's gonna be a big night, now huge massive.

I mean, I mean there has been about an eight year run. I mean, think of our football coaches. We've had Chip Kelly, Lincoln Riley, Jim Harbaugh, Sean McVay. Our quarterbacks have been Caleb Williams, Matt Stafford, Jared Goff got shipped out of town. He wasn't good enough, and Justin Herbert not not bad. No, so it's and all of a sudden, Luca falls in the lap of the Lakers. So it is Tonight's gonna be a big night, now huge massive.

I'll go triple double for Luca, thirty two point triple double.

I'll go triple double for Luca, thirty two point triple double.

Be sure to catch live editions of The Herd weekdays in Noone Eastern non am Pacific on Fox Sports Radio FS one and the iHeartRadio app.

Be sure to catch live editions of The Herd weekdays in Noone Eastern non am Pacific on Fox Sports Radio FS one and the iHeartRadio app.

Is that you've seen everything like four times and that you tend not to overreact to stuff, and you realize that sports is very cyclical, and let me just give you an advantage. Boxing used to be a much bigger deal, but it was poorly run. UFC was brilliantly run by Dana White and the Fertida family. UFC killed boxing, it'll never return. Horse racing used to be bigger, too many controversies. Tennis just went through a twenty year run of Nadal, Feeder and Djokovic maybe the three best players ever. Men's tennis will never duplicate that again. That will never happen. Sometimes great happens Tiger Woods and golf. Literally the Sopranos, the NFL and Tiger Woods. The only thing that got me to a TV on Sunday. I would race home to see Tiger Woods. If I did stuff in the morning on a Saturday or a Sunday. I've never done that in my entire life. There'll be no more Tigers. I mean, I love Dustin Johnson, Brooks, Koepka, I like all of them. It's not Tiger Woods. He was a meteor for ten to twelve years. It's okay. Sports are cyclical. Take the NFL out. It's our English Premier League. We watch it, it's perfect for TV and we bet it like crazy, and many of us played it. Take the English Premier League out. Cricket used to be much bigger in England. It's called their national pastime. It takes four days. Nobody's waiting four days for a result from a sparning event.

Is that you've seen everything like four times and that you tend not to overreact to stuff, and you realize that sports is very cyclical, and let me just give you an advantage. Boxing used to be a much bigger deal, but it was poorly run. UFC was brilliantly run by Dana White and the Fertida family. UFC killed boxing, it'll never return. Horse racing used to be bigger, too many controversies. Tennis just went through a twenty year run of Nadal, Feeder and Djokovic maybe the three best players ever. Men's tennis will never duplicate that again. That will never happen. Sometimes great happens Tiger Woods and golf. Literally the Sopranos, the NFL and Tiger Woods. The only thing that got me to a TV on Sunday. I would race home to see Tiger Woods. If I did stuff in the morning on a Saturday or a Sunday. I've never done that in my entire life. There'll be no more Tigers. I mean, I love Dustin Johnson, Brooks, Koepka, I like all of them. It's not Tiger Woods. He was a meteor for ten to twelve years. It's okay. Sports are cyclical. Take the NFL out. It's our English Premier League. We watch it, it's perfect for TV and we bet it like crazy, and many of us played it. Take the English Premier League out. Cricket used to be much bigger in England. It's called their national pastime. It takes four days. Nobody's waiting four days for a result from a sparning event.

It's died.

It's died.

Mostly baseball up and down. Huge in the seventies, not as big in the eighties, really quiet for twenty years. And now they've got all the stars lined up in the big markets and they just set ratings and they've sped the game up. There's been a lot of time talk about the NBA, and it should be noted before I give you this SoundBite. They just signed an eleven year, seventy six billion, billion dollar deal. There's an old saying about the Bible, treat others as you want to be treated. Everything else in it is just commentary, and there's a saying in sports, just get the contract. Everything else's noise. Adam Silver, the owners and the players. Eleven year, seventy six billion. But there's a lot of critics about the NBA, and Channing Fry, never afraid to have a strong opinion, says, this is what's killing the league.

Mostly baseball up and down. Huge in the seventies, not as big in the eighties, really quiet for twenty years. And now they've got all the stars lined up in the big markets and they just set ratings and they've sped the game up. There's been a lot of time talk about the NBA, and it should be noted before I give you this SoundBite. They just signed an eleven year, seventy six billion, billion dollar deal. There's an old saying about the Bible, treat others as you want to be treated. Everything else in it is just commentary, and there's a saying in sports, just get the contract. Everything else's noise. Adam Silver, the owners and the players. Eleven year, seventy six billion. But there's a lot of critics about the NBA, and Channing Fry, never afraid to have a strong opinion, says, this is what's killing the league.

Nostalgia is killing the NBA. That nineties basketball Michael Jordan and Kobe was not as clean as y'all think it was. Every great player, whether that's Aunt wemby Ron, you know, Steph, this that this that you know, they compare them to a month forty years ago. The rules weren't even the same. Nobody celebrates these new people, So why the would anybody want to be the face of this league. You're gonna get on on every network for not being somebody from forty years ago. Bron is one of the greatest players ever to play. Stephen Curry is one of the greatest players ever to play. Jannis is one of the great Jokic and you know what we do. We talk about Michael Jordan. All this superstar era is over.

Nostalgia is killing the NBA. That nineties basketball Michael Jordan and Kobe was not as clean as y'all think it was. Every great player, whether that's Aunt wemby Ron, you know, Steph, this that this that you know, they compare them to a month forty years ago. The rules weren't even the same. Nobody celebrates these new people, So why the would anybody want to be the face of this league. You're gonna get on on every network for not being somebody from forty years ago. Bron is one of the greatest players ever to play. Stephen Curry is one of the greatest players ever to play. Jannis is one of the great Jokic and you know what we do. We talk about Michael Jordan. All this superstar era is over.

Well, yes, this is true, and TV ratings are down, but I saw this this morning that basketball this past year had eighteen billion views across social media. Far and away the most people are watching it. Differently, the NBA isn't hockey. I talked about it yesterday the first time in two years. You know what I'm not talking about on today's show, Oh hockey? We talk basketball. Every show like mine talks basketball. We played it. If we don't like pro basketball, we used to. If we don't like it now we still like March badness. We all shot a ball, few of us shot a puck. The NBA is part gossip, infighting, drama, rumors. It's like those magazines at the cashier at every grocery store. The NBA is the Kardashians plus People magazine plus US Weekly. Yes, they need to do some tweaking. Like baseball, they're slow to it. They need to shorten the playoff series from seven games in our first rounder to three five make the games more urgent. Eighty two games feels long. How about sixty eight? How about fine players seven figures suspend them for two and three week periods without pay for load management, which is just egregiously outrageously nauseating. NFL players play hurt every Sunday in blizzards. You have an ice cream headache and you have to sit out. Give me a break. It's gross. But the good news is the Knicks, the Celtics, and the Lakers, the three biggest brands, are now all good and they're all ascending. The number one player in this next draft is Cooper Flag from Duke. By the way, this next draft is a domestic draft. Lots of kids from Duke and Carolina. So yes, I think there's too many three point shots. I think they should cap it at maybe fifteen or eighteen per teen then no matter where you shoot it it's worth two points. Yes, I think they should shorten either the season or playoffs. But we talk basketball. They just signed an eleven year, seventy six billion dollar deal. If I sell my whole house and I get the bag on it and it goes down when you own it, that's a U problem. I got it. It was nice when I lived in it. They got the bag, they got the contract. Adam Silver's happy, the players are happy, the owners are happy. Do I think NBC overpaid for it? I do. Do I think Amazon overpaid for it? I do? But in the end, this is a sport that we watched it in high school. One of the best sports movies arguably is Hoosiers. We still watch March Madness. Women's basketball has Caitlin Clark and it's growing. The NBA is well financed, and love it or hate it like the Kardashians, it's relevant. We talk about it all the time, and yesterday it was the first time in two years. This show and many others talks hockey. What you want to be in sports because everybody knows the NFL is the sun. Everything gets its heat from the NFL, Everything rotates around it. Get the NFL out of here and in England and the UK get the English Premier League. GOA. Everything is second place. So starting in second place. College football, I love it. Baseball on a heater, NBA at least socially and culturally very relevant. Yes, we talked too much about Michael Jordan, but Michael Jordan's the greatest basketball player probably ever. Michael Jordan was the coolest, he was the best dressed, he was the best looking, he was the most relentless. He went six for six in the finals. It's okay, but this idea that we don't talk about Steph, Yeah, we do all the time. I've done five hundred segments on Steph. Well, we don't reward Jokic. He should have won three straight MVPs. He's just kind of a boring player. So was Kareem in his prime. Sometimes Biggs don't want to talk. Shack's an outlier. The league's fine ratings are down. It needs to be tweaked. But when Michael Jordan left, the ratings went down fifty percent, and it wasn't about politics. It was about they missed Michael. Take the NFL out and look at how cyclical sports is. Boxing's dead horse, racing's less relevant. Radio is not the water cooler topic it used to be. Soccer is bigger. World Cup ratings are huge networks Netflix, Fox. Everybody's fighting to get the World Cup. What they're not fighting for is baseball, so everything changes. It's highly cyclical. The English Premier League, in the NFL, those are different discussions and everybody's chasing those. But tennis, men's tennis will never be as big as it was for the last twenty years, and golf will never have another Tiger Woods. That would scare me. The NBA ratings are down on TV, most of it on cable TV. Everything outside of talking Trump is down on cable TV, isn't it? It'll survive.

Well, yes, this is true, and TV ratings are down, but I saw this this morning that basketball this past year had eighteen billion views across social media. Far and away the most people are watching it. Differently, the NBA isn't hockey. I talked about it yesterday the first time in two years. You know what I'm not talking about on today's show, Oh hockey? We talk basketball. Every show like mine talks basketball. We played it. If we don't like pro basketball, we used to. If we don't like it now we still like March badness. We all shot a ball, few of us shot a puck. The NBA is part gossip, infighting, drama, rumors. It's like those magazines at the cashier at every grocery store. The NBA is the Kardashians plus People magazine plus US Weekly. Yes, they need to do some tweaking. Like baseball, they're slow to it. They need to shorten the playoff series from seven games in our first rounder to three five make the games more urgent. Eighty two games feels long. How about sixty eight? How about fine players seven figures suspend them for two and three week periods without pay for load management, which is just egregiously outrageously nauseating. NFL players play hurt every Sunday in blizzards. You have an ice cream headache and you have to sit out. Give me a break. It's gross. But the good news is the Knicks, the Celtics, and the Lakers, the three biggest brands, are now all good and they're all ascending. The number one player in this next draft is Cooper Flag from Duke. By the way, this next draft is a domestic draft. Lots of kids from Duke and Carolina. So yes, I think there's too many three point shots. I think they should cap it at maybe fifteen or eighteen per teen then no matter where you shoot it it's worth two points. Yes, I think they should shorten either the season or playoffs. But we talk basketball. They just signed an eleven year, seventy six billion dollar deal. If I sell my whole house and I get the bag on it and it goes down when you own it, that's a U problem. I got it. It was nice when I lived in it. They got the bag, they got the contract. Adam Silver's happy, the players are happy, the owners are happy. Do I think NBC overpaid for it? I do. Do I think Amazon overpaid for it? I do? But in the end, this is a sport that we watched it in high school. One of the best sports movies arguably is Hoosiers. We still watch March Madness. Women's basketball has Caitlin Clark and it's growing. The NBA is well financed, and love it or hate it like the Kardashians, it's relevant. We talk about it all the time, and yesterday it was the first time in two years. This show and many others talks hockey. What you want to be in sports because everybody knows the NFL is the sun. Everything gets its heat from the NFL, Everything rotates around it. Get the NFL out of here and in England and the UK get the English Premier League. GOA. Everything is second place. So starting in second place. College football, I love it. Baseball on a heater, NBA at least socially and culturally very relevant. Yes, we talked too much about Michael Jordan, but Michael Jordan's the greatest basketball player probably ever. Michael Jordan was the coolest, he was the best dressed, he was the best looking, he was the most relentless. He went six for six in the finals. It's okay, but this idea that we don't talk about Steph, Yeah, we do all the time. I've done five hundred segments on Steph. Well, we don't reward Jokic. He should have won three straight MVPs. He's just kind of a boring player. So was Kareem in his prime. Sometimes Biggs don't want to talk. Shack's an outlier. The league's fine ratings are down. It needs to be tweaked. But when Michael Jordan left, the ratings went down fifty percent, and it wasn't about politics. It was about they missed Michael. Take the NFL out and look at how cyclical sports is. Boxing's dead horse, racing's less relevant. Radio is not the water cooler topic it used to be. Soccer is bigger. World Cup ratings are huge networks Netflix, Fox. Everybody's fighting to get the World Cup. What they're not fighting for is baseball, so everything changes. It's highly cyclical. The English Premier League, in the NFL, those are different discussions and everybody's chasing those. But tennis, men's tennis will never be as big as it was for the last twenty years, and golf will never have another Tiger Woods. That would scare me. The NBA ratings are down on TV, most of it on cable TV. Everything outside of talking Trump is down on cable TV, isn't it? It'll survive.

Be sure to catch live editions of The Herd weekdays and neonon easternn a EM Pacific.

Be sure to catch live editions of The Herd weekdays and neonon easternn a EM Pacific.

Hey, Steve Covino, Man, I'm Rich David and together we're Covino and Rich on Fox Sports Radio.

Hey, Steve Covino, Man, I'm Rich David and together we're Covino and Rich on Fox Sports Radio.

You could catch us weekdays from five to seven pm Eastern two to four Pacific on Fox Sports Radio and of course the iHeartRadio app.

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Why should you listen to Covino and Rich.

Why should you listen to Covino and Rich.

We talk about everything life, sports, relationships, what's going on in the world.

We talk about everything life, sports, relationships, what's going on in the world.

We have a lot of fun talking about the stories behind the stories in the world of sports and pop culture, stories that well, other shows don't seem to have the time to discuss.

We have a lot of fun talking about the stories behind the stories in the world of sports and pop culture, stories that well, other shows don't seem to have the time to discuss.

And the fact that we've been friends for the last twenty years and still work together.

And the fact that we've been friends for the last twenty years and still work together.

I mean that says something, right, So check us out.

I mean that says something, right, So check us out.

We like to get you involved too, take your phone calls, chop it up.

We like to get you involved too, take your phone calls, chop it up.

As they say, I'd say, the most interactive show on Fox Sports Radio, maybe the most.

As they say, I'd say, the most interactive show on Fox Sports Radio, maybe the most.

Interactive show on planetar.

Interactive show on planetar.

Be sure to check out Covino and Rich live on Fox Sports Radio and the iHeartRadio app from five to seven pm Eastern two to four Pacific, And if you miss any of the live show, just search Covino and Rich wherever you get your podcasts, and of course on social media.

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That's Covino and Rich.

That's Covino and Rich.

So I'm watching on the video last night, I'm watching some aibot do these amazing things and it's like ninety percent human, and yet we still have grown men that collect baseball cards. Boy, some of you just love romanticizing the past, and I'm just not here for it. Nothing wears me out like sports guy reliving the good old days. Yes, you can occasionally bring up Michael Jordan and Lebron James and that debate. But there's so much great right in front of us. And I saw this. Five major college football programs, USC, Texas, Florida State, Nebraska, Missouri and several others are going to follow. They're canceling their spring game and they should. There's no need for it. Steve Starkeshan was on with Kay Adams recently and said, it's now a pro football format.

So I'm watching on the video last night, I'm watching some aibot do these amazing things and it's like ninety percent human, and yet we still have grown men that collect baseball cards. Boy, some of you just love romanticizing the past, and I'm just not here for it. Nothing wears me out like sports guy reliving the good old days. Yes, you can occasionally bring up Michael Jordan and Lebron James and that debate. But there's so much great right in front of us. And I saw this. Five major college football programs, USC, Texas, Florida State, Nebraska, Missouri and several others are going to follow. They're canceling their spring game and they should. There's no need for it. Steve Starkeshan was on with Kay Adams recently and said, it's now a pro football format.

Over the last two years, we've played thirty games. That's a lot for college football. The development that's needed for these guys to get ready for the fall is a little bit different than it used to be, and so our approach is going to be a little bit more NFL driven, kind of more of an Ota style early on, and as we grow into more of the scrimmage formats and the second half of spring ball that I just don't know. Rolling the ball out, playing the game and when we only get fifteen practices is the best for us. I think college football is changing right now, and we need to do a great job as coaches of adapting to college football.

Over the last two years, we've played thirty games. That's a lot for college football. The development that's needed for these guys to get ready for the fall is a little bit different than it used to be, and so our approach is going to be a little bit more NFL driven, kind of more of an Ota style early on, and as we grow into more of the scrimmage formats and the second half of spring ball that I just don't know. Rolling the ball out, playing the game and when we only get fifteen practices is the best for us. I think college football is changing right now, and we need to do a great job as coaches of adapting to college football.

Yes, stop complaining about the NIL, stop complaining about the transfer portal. College football now looks a lot as it should, like pro football general managers. Yep, everybody's hiring a general manager, so a coach doesn't have to figure out the budget salaries, a playoff format. Computers and sports writers aren't figuring out the national championship. We're not hinging on bad bowl games sponsored by pop tarts. The reality is you got to beat three or four great teams down the stretch to be a national champion. That's the way it should be. Now. The NFL tweaks every year. College football so far behind and outdated. It has to make some seismic moves. More big games, a real playoff format, real free agency. Bill Belichick is now in college football. Chip Kelly left college went back to the pros. Why not, they're the same thing. I'll just take the bigger check. There was always this big gap between college and pro football, and my take was always why the reason boxing died. It was potentially a billion dollar business and it was poorly run. College football's attendance and ratings were going down. That's why Fox and ESPN and the NBC stepped in and said, let's make it more NFL, let's have two major conferences. Let's the PAC twelve. The games are empty. There's one or two programs that matter. Let's move the big conferences together, PAC twelve. Why don't you join the Big ten and make one super company. And let's take Texas Oklahoma and let's put a into the SEC. That's not to say you can't make the playoff from the ACC or the Big twelve of the Mountain West, but it's like grown up sports now, free agency playoff format transfer portal. You can either complain about stuff or put your arms around it and go Okay. The world's changing, and I'm watching AI robots last night. Some of you are collecting baseball cards and you're forty nine years old. It's time to stop looking in the rearview mirror. This is the future of college football. Big games playoff at the end, sometimes playing in bad weather, physicality rules. I love it. And you know it's like I watched the Dodgers defer these payments and people are complaining that the Dodgers are deferring payments to show hey and Mooki Betts, Well it's legal. That's a U problem. Grow up. I mean, I mean analytics and sports force old farts out of work like NBA people that don't put their arms around the three point shot unless you're Greg Popovich fired. And baseball gms that don't pay attention to analytics and now deferring payments, you're gonna get fired. So spring football is a relic, It doesn't Matt? What about the fans? What about him? Ratings were up this year? What about the fans? Ninety percent of people that love college football do not go to the games. They watch it on television, and TV was better than ever. All right, So J Mack's been on this heater for a while and I don't agree. But when I ran that clip and we went to a commercial, J Mack was giddy. So he thinks Channing Fry is basically just taking a shot at Charles Barkley and shack on inside the NBA who constantly hammer the players. And here was the bite. Is Channing Fry taking a shot at Shaq and Charles.

Yes, stop complaining about the NIL, stop complaining about the transfer portal. College football now looks a lot as it should, like pro football general managers. Yep, everybody's hiring a general manager, so a coach doesn't have to figure out the budget salaries, a playoff format. Computers and sports writers aren't figuring out the national championship. We're not hinging on bad bowl games sponsored by pop tarts. The reality is you got to beat three or four great teams down the stretch to be a national champion. That's the way it should be. Now. The NFL tweaks every year. College football so far behind and outdated. It has to make some seismic moves. More big games, a real playoff format, real free agency. Bill Belichick is now in college football. Chip Kelly left college went back to the pros. Why not, they're the same thing. I'll just take the bigger check. There was always this big gap between college and pro football, and my take was always why the reason boxing died. It was potentially a billion dollar business and it was poorly run. College football's attendance and ratings were going down. That's why Fox and ESPN and the NBC stepped in and said, let's make it more NFL, let's have two major conferences. Let's the PAC twelve. The games are empty. There's one or two programs that matter. Let's move the big conferences together, PAC twelve. Why don't you join the Big ten and make one super company. And let's take Texas Oklahoma and let's put a into the SEC. That's not to say you can't make the playoff from the ACC or the Big twelve of the Mountain West, but it's like grown up sports now, free agency playoff format transfer portal. You can either complain about stuff or put your arms around it and go Okay. The world's changing, and I'm watching AI robots last night. Some of you are collecting baseball cards and you're forty nine years old. It's time to stop looking in the rearview mirror. This is the future of college football. Big games playoff at the end, sometimes playing in bad weather, physicality rules. I love it. And you know it's like I watched the Dodgers defer these payments and people are complaining that the Dodgers are deferring payments to show hey and Mooki Betts, Well it's legal. That's a U problem. Grow up. I mean, I mean analytics and sports force old farts out of work like NBA people that don't put their arms around the three point shot unless you're Greg Popovich fired. And baseball gms that don't pay attention to analytics and now deferring payments, you're gonna get fired. So spring football is a relic, It doesn't Matt? What about the fans? What about him? Ratings were up this year? What about the fans? Ninety percent of people that love college football do not go to the games. They watch it on television, and TV was better than ever. All right, So J Mack's been on this heater for a while and I don't agree. But when I ran that clip and we went to a commercial, J Mack was giddy. So he thinks Channing Fry is basically just taking a shot at Charles Barkley and shack on inside the NBA who constantly hammer the players. And here was the bite. Is Channing Fry taking a shot at Shaq and Charles.

Nostalgia is killing the NBA. The nineties basketball Michael Jordan and Kobe was not as clean as y'all think it was. Every great player, whether that's Aunt Wemby, Bron, you know, step this this that you know, they compare them to a month forty years ago, the rules weren't even the same. Nobody celebrates these new people, So why the would anybody want to be the face of this league.

Nostalgia is killing the NBA. The nineties basketball Michael Jordan and Kobe was not as clean as y'all think it was. Every great player, whether that's Aunt Wemby, Bron, you know, step this this that you know, they compare them to a month forty years ago, the rules weren't even the same. Nobody celebrates these new people, So why the would anybody want to be the face of this league.

You're gonna getn.

You're gonna getn.

On every network for not being somebody from forty ten years ago. Bron is one of the greatest players ever to play. Stephen Curry is one of the greatest players ever to play. Jannie is one of the great Jokic and you know what we do, we talk about Michael Jordan. All this superstar era is over.

On every network for not being somebody from forty ten years ago. Bron is one of the greatest players ever to play. Stephen Curry is one of the greatest players ever to play. Jannie is one of the great Jokic and you know what we do, we talk about Michael Jordan. All this superstar era is over.

Okay, so let me start with this. We don't celebrate Lebron James. We haven't celebrated celebrated Steph Curry and Kevin Durant. Of course we've celebrated him, but the bigger picture with Barkley. So I've always felt this NFL media is top. NFL media criticizes rookies, they criticize coaches, they criticize players. It's very similar to the way the media in the UK treats the English Premier League.

Okay, so let me start with this. We don't celebrate Lebron James. We haven't celebrated celebrated Steph Curry and Kevin Durant. Of course we've celebrated him, but the bigger picture with Barkley. So I've always felt this NFL media is top. NFL media criticizes rookies, they criticize coaches, they criticize players. It's very similar to the way the media in the UK treats the English Premier League.

It's vicious, and.

It's vicious, and.

Our football media is grown ups and they're tough and they hammer everybody. Our basketball media, college and pro is very soft and overwhelmingly tries to curry favor with the Stars. Barkley is the only Barkley and Shack and that show are the only show that holds players and load management accountable by and large the NBA media, because everybody's trying to curry favor with you know, Rich Paul, and he's very, very, very talented, and they're trying to curry favor with the stars and the top agents, very little critical media. I've stopped bringing on certain NBA reporters who are good people, but it's all fluff. Everybody's great. Well, let's address load management like Baseball's got this problem too, where too many of the reporters are romanticizing baseball. Tom Verducci, who I think is brilliant, Verducci was the first guy to say they're steroids all over the sport. Verducci was also the first guy to say the game's too slow, too many pitchers three and a half hours. It takes sometimes a strong opinion from a very notable person to push back on a sport. And I think Barkley and Shack are the guys that are like, why aren't you playing? Why are you rest? I want a show that is hard and has teeth and bite into the players. We can't. They're not PR firms. My job is going to be a PR guy. Barkley's the opposite of that. Now, is Barkley too critical? Certainly can argue that. But if you take that show out ESPN mostly fluff, mostly pro player pro NBA, everything's great and it's not. I'm not saying everybody on ESPN is, but the broadcast sometimes feel like it's owned by it's owned by the team. It's like, guys, it's okay to criticize players. I think Barkley and Shack provide. They're the outlier. They're the dogs on TV that criticize players. Now, J Mack, you think the opposite, Yeah, I do.

Our football media is grown ups and they're tough and they hammer everybody. Our basketball media, college and pro is very soft and overwhelmingly tries to curry favor with the Stars. Barkley is the only Barkley and Shack and that show are the only show that holds players and load management accountable by and large the NBA media, because everybody's trying to curry favor with you know, Rich Paul, and he's very, very, very talented, and they're trying to curry favor with the stars and the top agents, very little critical media. I've stopped bringing on certain NBA reporters who are good people, but it's all fluff. Everybody's great. Well, let's address load management like Baseball's got this problem too, where too many of the reporters are romanticizing baseball. Tom Verducci, who I think is brilliant, Verducci was the first guy to say they're steroids all over the sport. Verducci was also the first guy to say the game's too slow, too many pitchers three and a half hours. It takes sometimes a strong opinion from a very notable person to push back on a sport. And I think Barkley and Shack are the guys that are like, why aren't you playing? Why are you rest? I want a show that is hard and has teeth and bite into the players. We can't. They're not PR firms. My job is going to be a PR guy. Barkley's the opposite of that. Now, is Barkley too critical? Certainly can argue that. But if you take that show out ESPN mostly fluff, mostly pro player pro NBA, everything's great and it's not. I'm not saying everybody on ESPN is, but the broadcast sometimes feel like it's owned by it's owned by the team. It's like, guys, it's okay to criticize players. I think Barkley and Shack provide. They're the outlier. They're the dogs on TV that criticize players. Now, J Mack, you think the opposite, Yeah, I do.

Come on, the reason these guys want to sit out is so they're rested for the playoffs. Why because you got these guys on TV every night there's NBA games. Well, he doesn't have the rings, he doesn't have a championship, he's this, he's that. Well, why would I want to play in January and February when all that matters is the playoffs and if I can win a championship. These guys have bashed Curry and Clay, the Splash brothers. They blash Kevin Durant, like he's like a bum. I mean, they're like not counting Kevin Durant's championships in Golden State. Well, he doesn't really have a title.

Come on, the reason these guys want to sit out is so they're rested for the playoffs. Why because you got these guys on TV every night there's NBA games. Well, he doesn't have the rings, he doesn't have a championship, he's this, he's that. Well, why would I want to play in January and February when all that matters is the playoffs and if I can win a championship. These guys have bashed Curry and Clay, the Splash brothers. They blash Kevin Durant, like he's like a bum. I mean, they're like not counting Kevin Durant's championships in Golden State. Well, he doesn't really have a title.

He joined the war Like, that's the crap.

He joined the war Like, that's the crap.

Well, that's a little over the top.

Well, that's a little over the top.

That's the nonsense they say. I've tuned them out. Obviously they're entertaining and fun.

That's the nonsense they say. I've tuned them out. Obviously they're entertaining and fun.

But you've heard the phrase young snakes have the most venom, right, You've heard that. Okay, there's so many good young players in the league right now that have a comp us more than Michael Jordan did in his first five years.

But you've heard the phrase young snakes have the most venom, right, You've heard that. Okay, there's so many good young players in the league right now that have a comp us more than Michael Jordan did in his first five years.

And we don't give these guys any props. We're like, oh, y got Anthony Edwards.

And we don't give these guys any props. We're like, oh, y got Anthony Edwards.

Come on, But isn't that what pr firms do. Isn't that what.

Come on, But isn't that what pr firms do. Isn't that what.

Team's asking for fluff?

Team's asking for fluff?

I'm just not asking to rip guys every night for what they haven't accomplished when they're.

I'm just not asking to rip guys every night for what they haven't accomplished when they're.

Like twenty four to twenty five.

Like twenty four to twenty five.

Luca, by the way, Luca first five years in his way has done more than any other player.

Luca, by the way, Luca first five years in his way has done more than any other player.

Now.

Now.

Lamar Jackson's won seventy seven percent of his games. I have to literally defend him weekly. He gets eaten alive by everyone in January.

Lamar Jackson's won seventy seven percent of his games. I have to literally defend him weekly. He gets eaten alive by everyone in January.

You got to defend him because he always shows up and kind of poop.

You got to defend him because he always shows up and kind of poop.

What's my point is I defend Lamar. I feel like I'm in a small group of defenders because he wins seventy six percent of his games. But there's no national concern that we're too hard on Lamar Jackson. It's football. Deal with it. You're gonna get criticized if you're a quarterback.

What's my point is I defend Lamar. I feel like I'm in a small group of defenders because he wins seventy six percent of his games. But there's no national concern that we're too hard on Lamar Jackson. It's football. Deal with it. You're gonna get criticized if you're a quarterback.

Well, wait a minute, he's awesome in the regular season. We've been We said that in audio. What happens in January? Tell me where the results?

Well, wait a minute, he's awesome in the regular season. We've been We said that in audio. What happens in January? Tell me where the results?

What? What?

What? What?

Where are the results from an Edwards?

Where are the results from an Edwards?

He's like twenty four years old, full time MVVY.

He's like twenty four years old, full time MVVY.

Has been ripped day one and now well he.

Has been ripped day one and now well he.

Wins the m vv every year. We expect the best player to win championship.

Wins the m vv every year. We expect the best player to win championship.

Well, an ant is one of the best players in the league and is certainly in the MVB consideration, and we're worried that he's getting too much criticism.

Well, an ant is one of the best players in the league and is certainly in the MVB consideration, and we're worried that he's getting too much criticism.

I would agree that's a great question for Chris Finch. Is Anthony Edwards getting too much criticism?

I would agree that's a great question for Chris Finch. Is Anthony Edwards getting too much criticism?

We crush quarterbacks, it's part of the game. We crush politicians, it's part of the game. Why can't NBA stars be crushed?

We crush quarterbacks, it's part of the game. We crush politicians, it's part of the game. Why can't NBA stars be crushed?

I think they are getting crushed by one show, unfair one Show.

I think they are getting crushed by one show, unfair one Show.

Be sure to catch live editions of The Herd weekdays in neon Eastern non am Pacific on Fox Sports Radio FS one and the iHeartRadio app.

Be sure to catch live editions of The Herd weekdays in neon Eastern non am Pacific on Fox Sports Radio FS one and the iHeartRadio app.

Well, sometimes you get lucky. It is the greatest road win in the history of regular season NBA last night Chris Finch and the t Wolves. Uh, first time ever a team is trailed by over twenty entering the fourth and won. And you scored forty one points in the fourth against the number one rated defense. So I want when you go into the fourth quarter, you you were Belichick meets Andy Reid meets Red Arback. What did you tell What do you tell a team you're getting housed against an excellent team? What did you tell your team?

Well, sometimes you get lucky. It is the greatest road win in the history of regular season NBA last night Chris Finch and the t Wolves. Uh, first time ever a team is trailed by over twenty entering the fourth and won. And you scored forty one points in the fourth against the number one rated defense. So I want when you go into the fourth quarter, you you were Belichick meets Andy Reid meets Red Arback. What did you tell What do you tell a team you're getting housed against an excellent team? What did you tell your team?

Well, I mean, first of all, I think you just you have to have that competitiveness in you, you know, and we have a lot of competitors, and our team's fighting, and we've had a couple comebacks like that, not quite as big.

Well, I mean, first of all, I think you just you have to have that competitiveness in you, you know, and we have a lot of competitors, and our team's fighting, and we've had a couple comebacks like that, not quite as big.

But you've been a lot of close games.

But you've been a lot of close games.

Yeah, we've been in a lot of clutch games. But it was really the young guys. So the rookies who brought us back into that game, and sometimes you just need that young energy. So the third time we played Oklahoma City in four games, we played them the night before and so just they brought the juice and made a couple of plays and full disclosure calling I at about ten minutes on the clock, we were down nineteen. I was almost going to pull the two remaining starters, and then I thought, let me just see what happens here for the next minute or so, and then I think we got an a one and kind of cut it to sixteen, and then you think, well, maybe we'll see you know, and.

Yeah, we've been in a lot of clutch games. But it was really the young guys. So the rookies who brought us back into that game, and sometimes you just need that young energy. So the third time we played Oklahoma City in four games, we played them the night before and so just they brought the juice and made a couple of plays and full disclosure calling I at about ten minutes on the clock, we were down nineteen. I was almost going to pull the two remaining starters, and then I thought, let me just see what happens here for the next minute or so, and then I think we got an a one and kind of cut it to sixteen, and then you think, well, maybe we'll see you know, and.

Then just kind of snowball from there.

Then just kind of snowball from there.

By the way, Oklahoma City, Now, let's play the clip. Chris, despite winning, a little fired up after he maybe a little lighter in the wall in a couple of days. Here's Chris after the win last night.

By the way, Oklahoma City, Now, let's play the clip. Chris, despite winning, a little fired up after he maybe a little lighter in the wall in a couple of days. Here's Chris after the win last night.

It's so frustrating to play this team because they foul a ton, you know, they really do.

It's so frustrating to play this team because they foul a ton, you know, they really do.

They foul.

They foul.

They fell all the time, and then you know, you can't really touch Shay and it's a it's a very frustrating thing, and it takes a lot of mental toughness to try to play through it, and you know, we just eventually were able to get downhill and force, you know, force the issue ourselves and we're rewarded for it.

They fell all the time, and then you know, you can't really touch Shay and it's a it's a very frustrating thing, and it takes a lot of mental toughness to try to play through it, and you know, we just eventually were able to get downhill and force, you know, force the issue ourselves and we're rewarded for it.

So J Mack has been on this all season. He has been on this all seat. I defend SGA, I defend Carl Malone, I defend James Harden. I don't think you get that whistle in the playoffs, and I think that's problematic. Carl Malone didn't, Harden didn't, SJ won't. But there are players that do create contact. Luca, by the way, it's phenomenal at it. But you obviously feel strongly about this. Were you sending a message? What was that for?

So J Mack has been on this all season. He has been on this all seat. I defend SGA, I defend Carl Malone, I defend James Harden. I don't think you get that whistle in the playoffs, and I think that's problematic. Carl Malone didn't, Harden didn't, SJ won't. But there are players that do create contact. Luca, by the way, it's phenomenal at it. But you obviously feel strongly about this. Were you sending a message? What was that for?

I mean, first of all, I would thanks for bringing to attention. But more to the point, it's like they're very physical defense, which is I mean, they've done.

I mean, first of all, I would thanks for bringing to attention. But more to the point, it's like they're very physical defense, which is I mean, they've done.

A great job building their defense there. They swarm you.

A great job building their defense there. They swarm you.

And there's an adage when you're playing defense, like, hey, if we're physical and we're fouling all over the place, they're not going to be able to call them all.

And there's an adage when you're playing defense, like, hey, if we're physical and we're fouling all over the place, they're not going to be able to call them all.

That's Jerry Sloan with a jazz. Jerry Sloane would just be so physical they can't blow the whistle.

That's Jerry Sloan with a jazz. Jerry Sloane would just be so physical they can't blow the whistle.

All night, and and and all credit to the league.

All night, and and and all credit to the league.

You know, about a year ago they decided that they were going to allow more physicality into the game. We love it too, and we're a defensive team and we benefit from that. But then, and when you have a player on the other end, Shay, who's so crafty and so hard to guard, and he's able to slow the game down in a way where everything's focused on him, so all the all the contact is kind of accentuated. I it's it's it is a very tough mental you know, trap that you have to fight through with your players because you want to be able to match physicality when the game is physical, and you can't do it around a player like Shaye because he's so crafty.

You know, about a year ago they decided that they were going to allow more physicality into the game. We love it too, and we're a defensive team and we benefit from that. But then, and when you have a player on the other end, Shay, who's so crafty and so hard to guard, and he's able to slow the game down in a way where everything's focused on him, so all the all the contact is kind of accentuated. I it's it's it is a very tough mental you know, trap that you have to fight through with your players because you want to be able to match physicality when the game is physical, and you can't do it around a player like Shaye because he's so crafty.

Well, there are certain players. Jokich is one, Sga is one, and Luke is one. It doesn't matter what the pace of the game is. Yes, they played at their pace.

Well, there are certain players. Jokich is one, Sga is one, and Luke is one. It doesn't matter what the pace of the game is. Yes, they played at their pace.

Yeah, I mean the guy's selling popcorn is selling popcorn at their pace.

Yeah, I mean the guy's selling popcorn is selling popcorn at their pace.

And okay, so Ant's an interesting player. What is so aunt? I was surprised today. I know he was like top ten. He leads the NBA in three point shots made what and I've complained about this. I want ant being dynamic. I also understand like Wemb's shooting to me too many threes, But I understand the game and the analytics as a coach. What is the dividing line, the line in the sand on Okay, I want you to shoot threes, but you can beat guys off the dribble and beat dynamic. Do you fight with that?

And okay, so Ant's an interesting player. What is so aunt? I was surprised today. I know he was like top ten. He leads the NBA in three point shots made what and I've complained about this. I want ant being dynamic. I also understand like Wemb's shooting to me too many threes, But I understand the game and the analytics as a coach. What is the dividing line, the line in the sand on Okay, I want you to shoot threes, but you can beat guys off the dribble and beat dynamic. Do you fight with that?

Well?

Well?

I think I asked this question a lot, like what's the number of threes you like ideally like Anthony to shoot. I don't really have a number. I just want good ones, and he's done it. I think largely the ones he's taken this year are good. He came into the season trying to up his volume because, as crazy as it may sound, I think for the first time he gained full confidence in his shot. He's always been able to make it. We've always been preaching, hey, this is something you really do. You need to trust it more. And I think he started the season on such a hot streak that he kind of relied on it, maybe a little too much. And then since Christmas time he's really gone back to attacking more. I love his shot balance right now, he's attacking more, his free throws are up as a result. But yet he's still shooting good shots and making him out a high clip. So I think he's, you know, kind of mastered it. Right now, we've seen a few more of the Anthony dunks and spectacular plays going to the rim in the last month and a half.

I think I asked this question a lot, like what's the number of threes you like ideally like Anthony to shoot. I don't really have a number. I just want good ones, and he's done it. I think largely the ones he's taken this year are good. He came into the season trying to up his volume because, as crazy as it may sound, I think for the first time he gained full confidence in his shot. He's always been able to make it. We've always been preaching, hey, this is something you really do. You need to trust it more. And I think he started the season on such a hot streak that he kind of relied on it, maybe a little too much. And then since Christmas time he's really gone back to attacking more. I love his shot balance right now, he's attacking more, his free throws are up as a result. But yet he's still shooting good shots and making him out a high clip. So I think he's, you know, kind of mastered it. Right now, we've seen a few more of the Anthony dunks and spectacular plays going to the rim in the last month and a half.

You didn't want to necessarily move off Cat. But it's the CBA, it's the reality. So you bring in Julius Randall a little ball centric for me, but he's a bit more of an initiator that can get ant good looks. Karl Anthony Towns isn't. So it works out. But the new CBA. I mean, here's my theory on the Luca trade, and you tell me if I'm wrong. My theory is it was. It was different when you pay a guy thirty five million, So a billionaire goes there's a lot of money. But you know, quarterbacks of the NFL are making sixty If I got to pay a guy seventy five million, now, it's like that's more than Patrick Mahomes. That's that's double Josh Allen, that's double what Lebron made in his prime. I'm gonna consider everything condition thing's bad, bad defensive player so I didn't buy it was just Nico the GM. My take is this new CBA, the Stars won, but I think billionaire owners now are like, wait, wait, wait, wait, seventy five billion is a number that is so punitive if the players hurt or isn't in condition. So my take is the players think they won the Stars, but I think billionaires look at that number and think that is double aeron judge and they played twice our games and that went into the Luca trade.

You didn't want to necessarily move off Cat. But it's the CBA, it's the reality. So you bring in Julius Randall a little ball centric for me, but he's a bit more of an initiator that can get ant good looks. Karl Anthony Towns isn't. So it works out. But the new CBA. I mean, here's my theory on the Luca trade, and you tell me if I'm wrong. My theory is it was. It was different when you pay a guy thirty five million, So a billionaire goes there's a lot of money. But you know, quarterbacks of the NFL are making sixty If I got to pay a guy seventy five million, now, it's like that's more than Patrick Mahomes. That's that's double Josh Allen, that's double what Lebron made in his prime. I'm gonna consider everything condition thing's bad, bad defensive player so I didn't buy it was just Nico the GM. My take is this new CBA, the Stars won, but I think billionaire owners now are like, wait, wait, wait, wait, seventy five billion is a number that is so punitive if the players hurt or isn't in condition. So my take is the players think they won the Stars, but I think billionaires look at that number and think that is double aeron judge and they played twice our games and that went into the Luca trade.

Yeah, I would agree. I would agree with that.

Yeah, I would agree. I would agree with that.

I think now in the new CBA landscape, you really have to decide, like you know obviously who you're gonna marry going forward. There's amazing talent. Luca is an amazing talent, take and that's their decision.

I think now in the new CBA landscape, you really have to decide, like you know obviously who you're gonna marry going forward. There's amazing talent. Luca is an amazing talent, take and that's their decision.

I'm not going to comment too much on that.

I'm not going to comment too much on that.

He've been hurt a lot.

He've been hurt a lot.

Yeah, but I also think when you when you get to this point with the with these salaries, it really limits your ability to continue to construct teams around that star without it being further punitive with the double apron and now just being able to escape those areas of the CBA to kind of readjust which is what we had to do so we could continue to build around.

Yeah, but I also think when you when you get to this point with the with these salaries, it really limits your ability to continue to construct teams around that star without it being further punitive with the double apron and now just being able to escape those areas of the CBA to kind of readjust which is what we had to do so we could continue to build around.

And had to move Carlin towns and so it's it's like the tax code right now, I mean trying to figure out the tax code.

And had to move Carlin towns and so it's it's like the tax code right now, I mean trying to figure out the tax code.

Mean, it's so complicated and a lot of these teams are now having to kind of pivot quickly to set themselves up for four and five years down the road, which is, you know, an interesting place to be when you're roster building.

Mean, it's so complicated and a lot of these teams are now having to kind of pivot quickly to set themselves up for four and five years down the road, which is, you know, an interesting place to be when you're roster building.

I want to throw this at you that when before I kept saying about a month ago, just get Jimmy Butler with staff. I don't care what analytics say. He has the emotional intelligence. He'll work with Draymond and staff. And Kurr is that if you're a little score earlier young, it won't work there, and that he's intense, but it'll work, and it has worked. So I want you to talk about this. Julius Randall, by the way, has worked better than I thought. With Aunt, I didn't think it would work. I thought he was too ball centric and I think Ant needs the ball. But it has worked. So I want you to talk about the Warriors and Jimmy Butler. Butler has a reputation that he's tough. Everywhere he goes, he wins what is it about him? Did you think the Warriors did you think it would work as well as it did?

I want to throw this at you that when before I kept saying about a month ago, just get Jimmy Butler with staff. I don't care what analytics say. He has the emotional intelligence. He'll work with Draymond and staff. And Kurr is that if you're a little score earlier young, it won't work there, and that he's intense, but it'll work, and it has worked. So I want you to talk about this. Julius Randall, by the way, has worked better than I thought. With Aunt, I didn't think it would work. I thought he was too ball centric and I think Ant needs the ball. But it has worked. So I want you to talk about the Warriors and Jimmy Butler. Butler has a reputation that he's tough. Everywhere he goes, he wins what is it about him? Did you think the Warriors did you think it would work as well as it did?

Yeah, I thought it would work. I did.

Yeah, I thought it would work. I did.

I think you know, Jimmy high basketball like you. He fits their basketball culture. He doesn't need the ball, and when he has the ball, he's looking to make his teammates.

I think you know, Jimmy high basketball like you. He fits their basketball culture. He doesn't need the ball, and when he has the ball, he's looking to make his teammates.

Very intentional.

Very intentional.

Yeah, he's very intentional.

Yeah, he's very intentional.

He can get to the line, which is something that they struggled with, which helps you control games. And you know, he's a perfect partner alongside Draymond because of the defensive flexibility, the toughness, the rebounding, and he immediately understand as we've seen, you know, how Steph plays and how to make you know, how to kind of jive with that with the playmaking. You know, he's just waiting to find Stephi's a lot like Draymond in that way. But then when needed, he can step up and make a shot. And the admirable thing, not only does he win everywhere, his numbers go up in the playoffs, which you don't often.