The Herd with Colin CowherdJason McIntyre fills in for Colin Cowherd questioning the Browns for signing Joe Flacco as a free agent, signaling they might pass on a quarterback and Shedeur Sanders in the draft. He shares his AFC playoff teams and why he has the Chiefs missing for the first time in the Patrick Mahomes era. Plus, NBA reporter Jovan Buha joins the show in studio to talk about the Lakers title chances and how they stack up the other contenders in the West
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This is the Best of the Herd with Colin cowher on Fox Sports Radio.
Oh it's Friday. What's up everybody? Yes, I'm still here. Jason McIntyre in for Colin Coward. How we doing today? I'm fired up. We got some more breaking news, had some earlier this week, we got some now. I'm joined by Alex Curry. Is that Aqua Turkoise?
But you could go you could go Aqua.
You're not far off.
It can have many. It's a feel good Friday, Colin, Right, fivees are high today.
You're bringing the heat. You're calling everybody.
Yeah, see ready he'd get.
A donut this morning. So I'm kind of finding the last night sugar high. Yeah, and it's Friday, you know, for the weekends here and yeah, it's exciting, exciting, especially for Lakers fans. Great news, not so great news, fans for the Kansas City Chiefs. We'll get to that shortly, but I'm gonna start the show with the breaking news. Like I said earlier, this week, we had Michael Malone shockingly getting fired by the Denver Nuggets, and then this morning I wake up to more breaking news. The Browns have signed Joe Flacco. And that is not a joke. I know you're scoffing a forty year old j Mack TikTok was not even around by the time Joe Flacco entered the league, Like, what are we doing here? What are the Browns doing? Ah, there's a method to their madness. Cleveland is drafting second overall, and for the longest time, I and many others had Shedure Sanders penciled in for Cleveland. Folks, the slide is beginning. It's starting to sound like Cleveland is not gonna go Shador Sanders two in the draft. And they decided they kicked the tires on Shador. I said, you know what, We'd rather wait for Deshaun Watson's achilles to heal. We signed Kenny Pickett, and now we got Joe Flacco as our third option. They're not taking Chador number two. Overall, I'm kind of short of stunned by this. However, Let's remember everybody watched college football season. It was a great season for Shador Sanders seventy four percent completions really turned that Colorado program around and made them relevant much of the season. We would come on here Monday Tuesday and be like, man, did you see Shador Cook? Did you see that comeback? Did you see that ball placement to Travis Hunter? Shadoor looks good, bro, That's all we were saying. Dion Sanders was joking about steering his kid to certain programs or steering them away from certain organizations. That's what the discussion was. Here we are thirteen days to the draft and the Browns decided we're good at quarterback. We don't need Shadoor at two. But it doesn't stop there. The New York Giants, they interviewed Shador, they saw him at the pro day. Yeah, we're good with Jamis Winston and Russell Wilson. Is that not a little humbling for Shadoor? Like what? However, we had Dame Brugler, an NFL draft analyst, on the show yesterday. Here's what he said about Shador going in the top five.
I think he can be an NFL starter. He's smart, he's tough, he's poised, he's accurate, maybe not as accurate as seventy four percent completions would lead you to believe. I wonder about the way he likes to play. Does he have the physical traits to get away with that? In the NFL? The offensive line was bad, There's no question about it at Colorado. But there are a lot of times where he is running himself into sacks and he's not making the right decision from the pocket, and so there's things about his profile that really I think he can start in the NFL. But is he really going to uplift everybody around me and carry a franchise? That's my I hang up where Okay, I like him, I think you can start, But am I taking him top five of overall? Because it's not just about if you miss on him as a top five pick, it's okay, you're passing on Travis Hunter, Abdua Carter, one of these guys in the top five. So I wouldn't be surprised if we're talking mid first round, maybe even in the twenties.
Wow, Well, at this point, it looks like The New Orleans Saints at nine are kind of sort of the ceiling for Shador, unless you know, my Jets do something crazy and decide to take him. But if you look at that, like, the Raiders are almost certainly not taking Shudor unless this has been a great immortal smoke screen from Pete Carroll in company. Hey, we're signing Geno Smith, but what we're gonna grab Shador is a developmental guy. And I say this because folks, I had to look this up. Shadoor has not thrown a pass since December twenty eighth, and yet he's tumbling down draft boards, So what could it be? Well, this is where it gets interesting. We know that teams have whiffed on quarterbacks. Right the Panthers trade up for Brea Young, looking like a whiff. Uh Maserati mitched Trubisky going ahead of Patrick Mahomes trading up the Niners for Trey Lance. What a whiff, you know? And you would go down those Josh Rosen was taking like twenty some odd spots before Lamar Jackson teams with on quarterbacks. It happens, but what is should what is Shador doing to make teams saying mmm, I don't know. Well, he went on a show this week and talked about meeting with teams, and I don't know. It sounds like Shador maybe turning teams off.
When I go visit these toads and when I go to do all these different parents, I ask room treating without thinking how I feel, and some get offended. I'm like it, some dope, you know, make some people company. Some people, you know, invite that. So, uh, they know what type of person, what type of player they're going to get out of me. So I just have to make sure you know what type of told is, what type of dynamic I'm gonna have with them often.
Yeah, I don't know about that. I saw some quotes where he said he wants to come in and transform the organization. Bro, don't tell me that. Show me. I'll give you the chance to show me if I if you make it sound like you're worthy. But it sounds like Shador may be turning off teams now if you want to get sinister, Hey, he's doing this because he don't like the Browns. The Titans are a bit of a dumpster fire. The New York Giants. Look at those teams in the last like five years, they have not been good at all, and Dion has kind of tickets to pot shots. Is Shador trying to steer himself to a certain team. We don't know, but I will say this in his defense because I have thought I would go Shadoor too. We've seen some quarterbacks tumble down the draft boards, right, Dan Marino famously fell bad Hall of Famer, top ten quarterback all time, Lamar Jackson fell to the end of the first round, two time MVP already. And then there was Aaron Rodgers who famously, when was in the green room, people thought he was gonna go top three and he tumbles down, way down to the Packers, And that was humbling. And maybe there's a world where a draft humble Shador Sanders and the twenty three year ago, twenty three year old goes into say Pittsburgh or New Orleans or I don't know, someone trades for him at the end of the first round, and that kind of is the wake up call that Shadoor Sanders needs. All Right, I'm gonna pivot to the Kansas City Chiefs, a team I have a tumultuous relationship, shall we say, with their fan base. Right, it works, This way I say something in Sandy Area about the Chiefs, a hot take, something that I believe in, and they yell at me and then laugh at me when the Chiefs deliver funny thing. Though, haven't heard from any of those guys in Kansas City since the Eagles flattened them in the Super Bowl. I haven't heard from any of them. And if you remember, we were in New Orleans for the show, I predicted the Eagles could run away with it. It looked prescient. I got a lot of YouTube views and into her. People were loving me for the Super Bowl prediction. Haven't heard from the Eagles fans lately, So if that'd some NFL guys come on this week talk about gambling. Adam turn off, Chris Felika and the wheels started turning last night when I started to drill down on the Kansas City Chiefs, and I I'll start with this. The off season is when you improve your roster and fix issues plug holes. Have you guys seen the Kansas City Chiefs offseason. They haven't done a damn thing. Their biggest signing because we know the offensive line is a train wreck. It was in the Super Bowl. Then they traded Joe Tooney, who was a guard who they moved outside. Their biggest signing was Jaylon Moore, who fifth rounder out of Western Michigan, who was a backup in San Francisco, a backup. Now he's behind Trent Williams, which is kind of, you know, understandable. Trent Williams one of the best left tackles in Lake but I think he had five starts last season. That's it. He's going to be their new left tackle. This is how desperate the Chiefs were last year on the offensive line. They tried four different guys at left tackle. Tooney ended up being the best at the end of the season, but they moved off of him. He's now in Chicago. It's the biggest issue I've had with the Chiefs. They had not improved at all. And you know, I love Travis Kelce. Me and my family like Taylor Swift. We went to see Taylor Swift in concert. I like Travis Kelce a lot. He's a Hall of Famer. He's coming off his worst season as a pro. He's thirty five turns thirty six in October. Travis kelce career low three touchdown catches. If you look, you could draw a direct line. It was like basically his stock market on Monday. Right down Travis Kelce's career stats, right down, folks, I like Kelsey. Do you remember his last three playoff games last year? It's a ghost invisible. Didn't do a damn thing. Showed well in the opener against Houston. After that, nothing, non factor. He's the safety valve for Patrick Mahomes. And I know what you're saying. We get receive rights back. Okay, We'll wait to see if there's a suspension. We'll wait to see if he gets in more trouble in the next five months. But then I saw the really big issue with Kansas City. So last year they went eleven and zero in one score games. Historic stuff. You don't see eleven and zero in one score games. And the staff pointed out to me this morning, Jay, it's not just eleven and oh in one scoreer. They couldn't blow out anybody. They had the worst point differential of a fifteen win team in NFL history. But it gets better. Two teams in their division who finished behind them, the Chargers in Broncos had a bigger point differential than the Kansas City Chiefs. What's that telling you that the Chiefs are unable to blow teams out anymore because they don't have the horses. They're just not that good. They do have, however, Mahomes and Reid arguably one of the best quarterback coach combos after Belichick and Brady in NFL history. That can only carry you so far. And you, guys, know, if you've gambled at all one score games historically, flip year to year. Just a little tidbit, the Denver Broncos went one in six in one score games. So if the Broncos flipped that and are I don't know four in three next year, three extra wins, they might take the division. I think the Chargers are probably gonna win that division this year. And what happens if Kansas City goes from eleven to zero one score games to I don't know four and seven. Oh now we're wait a minute, now, We're looking at like an eight or nine win team in Kansas City. And I'm not saying they're in deep trouble, because obviously they're very good. But if you look at the AFC, the worst teams in the AFC are getting better. Tennessee is for sure gonna get better with a rookie quarterback Cam Warton. The New England Patriots added Mike Vrabel, who's an excellent coach. His record needs no introduction. They're gonna be much better the New England Patriots. Coward loves them. He's starting to commit to me that they're a playoff team. We know the Raiders are going to be better with a real professional head coach in Pete Carroll, and I got a better quarterback at Gino Smith. Here are the Chiefs opponents at home, little edge being at Arrowhead. They have to face the Ravens, the Lions, the Texans, those are all playoff teams, the Colts who are eight and nine, and the Eagles and Commanders who were playoff teams last year and met in the NFC Championship. That's a daunting schedule. Now on the road, they get a poo poo platter of the Cowboys, Jags, Giants, like they should clean those up. The Buffalo game obviously will be huge. Guys, I'm gonna ask you, I'm gonna be real. You look at the last three years, Kansas City has played ten playoff games. That's more than half another season. We see this in the NBA. All the time. When you make a run to the finals two three years in a row, that following year you're drained. The bodies are breaking down, the players are wearing down, and it's very, very difficult to keep that sustainability going. I'm making the call here. It's mid April, before the draft. I don't think the Kansas City Chiefs are a playoff team next year, and I don't think there crater until like a six to seven win team. But guys, nine wins might not make the playoffs in the AFC. Nine you're fine probably in the NFC, but nine in the af when you got the Patriots on the come up, obviously the Bills are going nowhere. We know the Ravens are good, Houston Texan CJ. Stroud, they'll win the division. I think the Chargers win the division, and I think the Bengals who won nine games then still have you know Joe Burrow and I Cowhurtz convince me the Patriots are a playoff team and I'll go Denver Broncos. Kansas City Chiefs missing the playoffs. Go ahead, screen grab it, shave it tag whoever you, whoever the hell you want. I'm on record, April twenty twenty five. Kansas City Chiefs no playoffs next season, So Alex I decided to choose violence here early on yew what I'm.
Over here just shaking my head. It's still the Kansas City Chiefs. There's still a dynasty. Yes, they laid an egg in the Super Bowl, but it's still Patrick Mahomes one of the greatest quarterbacks in our game right now, and Andy Reid the best quarterback coach duo.
It's fair what they have.
The most experienced people still can't figure out a way to beat them, especially in the postseason, unless you're the Eagles and your defense just absolutely wins the championship. I just know that Jids are getting to the playoff disagreement.
Okay, well, Maria ad Alex toss it on the fire and not a log on the fire for when the Chiefs fail this upcoming next coming up next year on the show. So we know the Lakers are gonna probably win tonight against Houston or Portland. They're gonna get the three seed. Who would you rather face? The Warriors are the Clippers. This is not easy because one of those teams is super hot, the other has Steph Curry. That's next year on The Herd.
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Listen. What I'm about to say is real and authentic. Let's go maybe not Shador Sanders level, keeping it real. But there's this guy in the NBA named John Morant and he is a phenomenal basketball player. Period like three years ago, John Morant was on track to be the face of the NBA. I looked this up. In his third year, Memphis got to the conference semifinals, and this guy was dynamite, just an outstand player. And it has gone rapidly downhill for Jamaran. So last night he's playing against the Minnesota Timberwolves and John Moran, who earlier this week was doing a gun celebration pointing out at the Warrior's bench. I believe it was at Buddy Healed. And now Jah Moran has decided since he got told stop doing the gun celebration, guy who was in trouble for having a gun on Instagram Live, he decided, Okay, let me pivot off the guns and I'll go to a grenade celebration So last night, John Moran bangs the three against Minnesota in another loss. By the way, Minnesota smoked him, and here you see on the screen John Moran three. He's all excited, pulls the pin, chucks the grenade and cover his ears. My guy, what are we doing? Somebody on our staff? I should call him out by name, but I'm not going to. I thought it was a great take. Is he trying to get his way out of Memphis? Like it's possible, unlikely, but possible. Why do you keep doing dumb things? This is not a cool celebration. You know, are guys jealous that Steph Curry has the sleep thing when he hit the three late in the game. I mean he did at the Olympics and it's an iconic image. He does it in the NBA, it's pretty awesome. So John's like, I need my signature thing. How about winning? How about playing for your coach?
Now?
You know the Memphis has been a little rocky this season, which adds to the potential. Is joh trying to get out of Memphis? So Memphis, their head coach, kind of had let John Morant do his thing and whatever, and then he keeps getting hurt so they're like, we need some protections. Let's bring in some assistant coaches who are gonna take the ball out of Jaw's hands and make everyone else better, make it more well rounded. And so that worked for a little while and Jaw's numbers came down, but then it stopped working and jos said, bleep this, I'm gonna get mine. And then they end up firing the coach. And so it's this weird tug of war inside Memphis internally, do we want to ride Jaw or do we want to get everybody better? This reminds me and I'm not comparing Ja Morant to Michael Jordan. It's just an obvious coaching strategy. Michael Jordan had the run of the show in Chicago. Doug Collins, who he loved as head coach. Doug, you want me to do me? I got you. I'm gonna get thirty five. Oh, we're gonna lose in the second round of the playoffs. So they bring in Phil Jackson and Text Winter and they put in a triangle offense. We're structure for Michael. Michael, We're gonna take a few shots away from you. We're gonna spread the wealth. But We're gonna be unstoppable now. The timing was great for Jordan and the Bulls and Phil Jackson. The rest of the East was weakening. The Celtics were breaking down. The Pistons definitely broke down. The Ewings Nicks my favorite team of my youth. They could never take down the Bulls in a playoff series that mattered, and the rest is history. You know, Michael Jordan rides a triangle offense to massive success, six titles, blah blah blah. Is there a world where John Morant can fall in line for the betterment of the team and franchise? And given his track record in the last I don't know four years, I'm gonna go in and say that's not happening. Okay. I like John Moran as a player. I know he's immensely popular among the young kids, but he is losing that grip the same way Zion, who was supposed to be face of the league. It was like him and Jamran can they be the face of the league? Can they share it? Because they're dynamic and explosive and just high level athletes, and neither of them has been able to a stay healthy and be get their act together off the court, John Moran just advice. You don't need to take ditch the grenade celebration man. Just play basketball, be a leader and win some games. That's probably your best bet to get back on top.
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Hey, Steve Covino and I'm Rich David and together We're Covino and Rich on Fox Sports Radio.
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Nicola. Jokich's a story out that he is having the greatest statistical season in NBA history. It's bolstered by an avalanche of numbers. Yet the media, the ink stain wretches who vote for the NBA AMVP are gonna give it to SGA. That's fine, I don't care. Do whatever you want. We know Yokich is the best player in the league. Again, I like to think I have all the best takes, but when you sit at a table with like eight guys and girls, they're gonna cook with some good stuff, folks. Just hear me out here, Yo Kicic is playing at a level we've never seen before. This is better than anything Shack did. Sorry, Shack Okay is better than Wilt Chamberlain in the seventies against off duty firefighters and plumbers. All right, Yo Kicch is tearing up the Golden Era in the NBA, tearing it up, averaging a thirty point triple double of twenty nine point eight whatever round up. And he's doing it without another All Star on his team. Let that sink in. The Denver Nuggets have three MAX players and one All Star. What And that's when enter our amazing staff here, somebody, I forgive me, I don't remember who. You know. He's having a season like Lebron had early in his run with the Cavs, and I was like, oh damn, that's a fire take now, initially on my way to minute.
What hold up?
Lebron didn't have anybody. He had Ilgauskis, Moe Williams, time out J Mack. Those guys were NBA All Stars. What now? That just shows you how, I'm sorry, how weak the league was in like two thousand and five to two thousand and nine when Il Gauskis and Moe Williams were All Stars. I'm not gonna lie mow Williams would not be a top twenty scorer in the men's leg I plan no disrespect. I know he was good fifteen sixteen years ago he was. How's he an All Star? Jamal Murray, no All Star, Aaron Gordon, no Allstar, Michael Porter Junior and his big fat contract, no All Star, and Jokic is carrying them. Before this late season swoon year, they were looking at being two or three in the West and Yo Kich is basically carrying the franchise without an All Star. They just fired the coach. And there's a huge article that just came out a few hours ago about what the hell happened in Denver, and apparently the Nuggets wanted to fire Michael Malone mid season at the All Star break. They wanted to run him out, that's how toxic it was. But they somehow peeled off eight wins in a row and it was basically Yo Kich just destroying some really bad teams. So of course they play their first game without Malone. Yo Kich is drawing up plays on the sideline him. So you guys saw that. And then afterward here's their new head coach, David Addleman, talking about the dub.
We know what's ahead here.
Hey, we got a playoff team Friday, a playoff team Sunday, so we have a big journey ahead of us.
The great thing about Tonai all stayed with it. Everybody. Oh gosh, yeah.
It's a happy locker room again. So are the Nuggets going to turn it around? Or does this go south? They lose in the first round and Yo Kic maybe asked south. Now, it seems unlikely that he would ask out Jay. No European, no international superstar has ever asked out Okay. Why can't he be the first? What if he's unhappy? Now this is interesting. I'm sure you guys saw this. So Michael Malone, like after the Pacers loss, I think it was Sunday, was like, we hope to get back Jamal Murray for the playoffs.
We don't know.
Jamal Murray just announced he may play tonight. So was it like, whoa wait a minute, Jamal Murray? Did he hate Malone that much? And why didn't Yo kid step up and be like, yo, hey, this is my guy. Don't fire him like you would think if they like Malone, Yo Kisch would have stepped up. Jamal Murray's now back. They're playing the bench. Guys. It seems everything is copasetic in Denver. The only problem is Yokicic has no help. And now I love Jamal Murray. He's super clutch. He's killed the Lakers in the playoffs. In the bubble, he was mister fifty piece. I think he averaged like forty eight points in a series. Some of them ridiculous. They're a good team, but I just wonder if they're teetering, because you remember when Lebron kept asking the front office for help and they were like, oh, yeah, we'll get you a thirty four year old shack And here's Antoine Jamison who was good for like eight minutes in Washington. That'll help you, right, And Lebron looked around and he's like, do you see Dwight Howard getting legit help in Orlando? Do you see the Celtics leveling up with freaking Hall of famers and you doing nothing for me? And Lebron's just pieced out. Could jokicch do that? I know you're saying, no way. He would rather ride horses in Serbia than form a team or force his way somewhere. We'll see. It's still early in his career. He's only thirty, and Yokis is probably gonna age gracefully given his skill set is insane. He's like an r Vitas Sabonis passing. We know he can hit threes. He's hitting forty one percent on threes this year. That's insane. So I think it's worth keeping an eye on the the Yogic situation where he is possibly somehow underrated. All right, we'll wrap up this hour because I'm gonna go back to my Chiefs take. I had one of the producers of my year, Jamack, you're getting crushed online for this Kansas City Chiefs are going to miss the payoffs, as Alex laughs maniacally. So we had Ben bolan On covers the league for the Boston Globe, and I asked him about the Chiefs and I made my strong case, like, remember I wanted to be a lawyer when I was a kid. And my teacher, and I'll never forget this, one of my few teachers that I remember from elementary school was like to my parents at back to school and Jason would make a great lawyer because he loves to argue. And at the time, I was like, oh, i'll be a lawyer. Cool, And then I found out you got to go like a bunch of years of school after college. I was like, I'm good, no thanks, but I feel like I can argue anything. And I made the case, the Chiefs are going to miss the playoffs, and I asked Ben about it, and he said, I would never count these guys out.
And they're bringing Kelsey.
Back for another year.
There's so plenty time before they kick the ball off in September.
There are still moves to be made, whether it's fighting another receiver or you know, bollstering the offensive line.
The draft is coming up. I think the Chiefs they're not just sitting on their hands this offseason. They're trying to make their their roster better and trying to specifically address their offensive line.
So you know, maybe you know, maybe you're writing that they're not.
Going to wait fifteen games and go fifteen to two, But that's it. I'm never counting out Patrick Mahomes and Andy Reid and Travis Kelson. These guys are too good and too savvy and have won too many games for them not to have things figured out by the fall.
And Ben obviously is not wrong there. I'm not counting out Reading Mahomes. I mean two two are the best to ever do it. That being said, I don't have the Chiefs in the playoffs right now now, so God, I don't know. Sometimes something an idea kick in your head and you're like, ooh, that's good, and then you're like, ooh, I probably shouldn't say that on air. So we talked about like Shadoor Sanders and he's batching interviews. Well, think about this with the Chiefs. Sometimes you don't reveal everything right. Sometimes you hold some stuff back, almost save it for next time you meet a girl at a bar, kick game, get a number, but you're withholding some of your good stuff for maybe a first day of second day whatever. I talked about the Chiefs earlier, right, I wanted my little tangent. I saved some stuff, little Amo, save it just in case. I'm back to a corner. Do you guys know the history of the Super Bowl loser? It's called the Super Bowl hangover. You're familiar with it, obviously, forty nine Ers fans sure as hell are. Last few times they went to the super Bowl the following year, it fell apart like a house of cards. Okay, four of the last nine Super Bowl losers didn't even make the playoffs the next year. I know it's a tiny sample size. That being said, I will go back to the other point I made. This team has had a lot of playoff battles in January and February the last three years, ten playoff games that wear and tear adds up on your body. I mean, Isaiah Pacheco started to show the first cracks. He was hurt. Offense really sagged. They went out and got who another oft injured running back in Elijah Mitchell. Guys, go look at the Chief's depth chart. It doesn't scare a soul. You cover up Patrick Mahomes, right, you cover up the quarterback. And I'm just telling you, as I call it up here, none of these guys are like, oh geez, how do hell the hell do we game plan for Xavier Worthy? Uh Rasi Rice? We assume her she Rice is gonna be back. We don't know Hollywood Brown. Remember they got him last year and it was like, Hollywood Brown, Oh what a value you get there is? He could be awesome as the number three. Come on, Hollywood, what the hell did he do last year? Sky Moore? Guy can't catch a cold. Kelsey's getting old. I'm just saying there is a lot of weakness on this Chiefs team. McDuffie their great slot corner. They moved him outside last year. Not as great not as great, struggled, went out and got Christian Fulton, who just can't stay healthy at all. So you can move McDuffie back to slot. Like they're tinkering around the edges. It's difficult. It's tough to stay on top forever. I must stand by it. It's not happening for the Chiefs this year.
Now.
I can see Alex smirking, see a couple other people in the studio. You're like, oh, dear Jmack, what are we doing? Alex, listen, go go big or go home. You got me bold, You're bold. You got the teal No, not Teal trickoise turqoise.
Yeah.
But Jim Mac, when you're talking about the Super Bowl hangover, I think that applies to every other team except the Chiefs, who have won three Super Bowls since twenty nineteen.
So that's not I don't think that.
Plays has the same effect on a team that is like a dynasty and they just laid an egg in the Super Bowl last year, like they are still Patrick Mahomes and Andy Reid and Travis Kelcafe's healthy Chiefs and they've always just been. As long as those three are locked in, they'll figure out the rest. Obviously, their defense was also top notch as well. Not No one showed up in the Super Bowl. But I'm not gonna base their whole next season on that one super Bowl no of course performance, It's still Patrick Mahon.
The Chiefs one score games, no way, offensive line is a train wreck. I just I'm not buying them. Like nothing lasts forever in this league. You know that, Alex. The Patriots, they couldn't keep it together two decades. It was so tough every single year to make the playoffs. They have Brady at Belichick. There's just not a lot they can do around the margins.
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Jovonne Boja from the Athletic Lakers Reporter, Sorry to Butcher, the name Buddy, great to see. Yes, this guy, he's phenomenal covering the Lakers, and obviously it's a great time to be a Lakers fan. They're gonna lock in on the three seed, right, all they need is one win in the final.
I think they should lock it in tonight.
And what do you feel confident about this team heading into the postseason, only twenty seven games for Luca in a Lakers jersey, I do.
I think they're the second best team in the West right now. The only team I would consider taking over them would be Oklahoma City, just due to the dominant season that they've had, them having home court in that matchup. The Lakers have struggled at times on the road, but right now you look at what they've done post Luca, the offense is finally coming together. It was really the defense carrying them in those early few weeks. I think they look really good. I mean they were up by one against Okay. See in the second matchup right before Luca egregiously got tossed in a tech that was you were.
In the arena few I was there.
Yeah, okay, so you know that meat ball stands up. He's yelling at Luca, but the ref was right in the line.
It was like wrong place, wrong time for Luca.
Of just he looked back at the fan and the ref was like running right by the fan at that time. So I think that the ref thought he was talking to him, but he had also picked up a tech earlier. Not a great arguing on Jared Vanderbilt's behalf. So I mean, I don't think it's he's the easiest player to refle with. Let's say, right, but you gotta at that point, I think just say like my bad and rescind it. But you know they did rescind it. After that, they did rescind it. But in the moment, all the players immediately reacted like, no, he was talking to the fan. He was talking to the fan because he's had a back and forth with that fan going.
Back to the last postseason when he torched the MAVs.
Yeah, yeah, it was awesome, or when he was with the MAVs torching. Ok see, all right, let me turn back the clock a little bit. So February you get word that the trade has happened a D for Luca. I mean, just your initial were you like laying in bed going to say, like, what was going down when you heard it and talk to me about that.
I was at Madison Square Garden, so because that was a late game, because it was it was an eight thirty PM Eastern time game, so that we cleared the locker room a little after like eleven. And it was all the Lakers' best wins of the season. They won in New York without Anthony Davis. That was one of their first big wins with this centerless group that they've been going with. So Max Christy, who ended up getting traded, had a really good game that there was the viral clip of like, as he's talking to us, they take down his name plate, and it was completely coincidental of the timing, but it was kind of indicative of.
What was about to happen.
But Lebron remember he almost had I think forty of that game, and they looked really good. It was like one of their best wins of the season. And then less than an hour after we cleared the locker room, the trade happens. And there was only four of us in the Nick's press room at that time, and someone just yelled out the Lakers just got Luca, and none of us believed it, and so we immediately started like texting people and no one's believing it. And then all of a sudden, Shams puts out his follow up of this is real, and then we all started like scrambling and it's just a mad dash and we're going around the arena calling people, texting people, and Nixed security is like, no, you can't go here, you can't go there, So.
It was it was a while.
Now I stayed up at that point it dropped like twelve fifteen am Eastern time. I was up till seven writing than I did my podcast went live, So it was it was a crazy night.
So a lot of people think Lebron was involved in this, but I don't know. Everything I've heard is he was not involved at all. I don't even think he got a heads up. What do you know about that?
I don't think he was involved. I know there's been a lot of speculation that I do think the circle was a little bit bigger than what has been indicated, but not by like much like I think the respective front office is new to some extent, right because that there's been some reporting now coming out that there was some pushback with Nico inside the Mavericks were not like I think it wasn't literally just like Rob Plink and Nico Harrison and in the two owners. I think it was a little bit of a larger circle than that, but but more so within the respective front offices. But outside of that, I like Luca clearly didn't know, right because you've seen the reactions and the way that the tribute hit him. There's no way that like that guy did not know he was getting traded. He was about to buy a fifteen million dollars house in Dallas that he was considering his forever house, so like he thought he was getting the super Max this summer, buying that house, and like was going to be a Maverick for life.
So you know, I don't think Lebronk do.
Though.
We'll get to the Dallas aspect of it. But I'm curious, what is it like to cover Luka Doncics be in the locker room with him. He's good in interviews, you know, the English is fine, but I know he's combative on the court and gets like you know, with the refs other players. But what's it like covering him on a daily basis.
I would call him stoic and jovial, like a mix of that. So it depends on if it's a win or a loss. But he's completely you know, off the court, he's much more introverted and quiet and he'll crack some jokes every now and then, but like the fiery, expressive personality that you see on the court, that's not how he is off of it. And he kind of talks about that duality of like flipping that switch, being a killer on the floor and then off the floor.
He's much more laid back.
But we'll say, but he's been fun cover And he did say a few weeks ago that he's like, I like short answers, so he tried he's efficient with his answers to us.
He tries to keep it like one to three sentences.
I appreciate that. So let me ask. It's weird we've talked you for five minutes and we barely mentioned Lebron James, who I think is the greatest player in NBA history pres and that kind of says where we are. But what have you seen a different Lebron since the trade? Because it you know, if that last game against Dallas is any indication they're going to ride Luca early was a doseph Reeves and then Lebron's your closer, because that seemed to be the case against Golden State about eight days ago when they lost the game.
Yeah, I think Luca and Lebron compliment each other well, because you see with Luca, he gets off to these really big first quarters, first halfs and if you actually break it down by points per quarter. He's at like thirty forty percent more points in the first quarter compared to each other quarter, so he's at about like ten points.
A game in the first quarter.
So he's often setting the tone early and then he likes to have defenses overreact and just kind of freak out to that. Then you start seeing the doubles, the blitzes, and then he picks you apart with his pass. Lebron's the opposite. Lebron likes to pick his spots early and then when everyone's tired, he goes to that extra year in the fourth quarter. And then you saw it in the Dallas game. He had thirteen points in that fourth quarter and really sealed it. As Dallas they made a little run there to regain the lead, then Lebron took over and the Lakers on that one. So I think that that kind of combination of Luca's hitting you early and then Lebron comes in for the haymaker late and look, Luca's capable. I mean, he's one of the most clutch players in the league. He's capable of taking and making big shots. But like, I think that that's kind of been the way they've been going about it.
Yeah, we could roll back the Rudy Gobert tape. Yes, hi, Oh that was epic. I was actually at a Laker I think that was at a Lakers game when that happened, or maybe I was, Oh no, it was a Sparks game. It was. I was at like a Sparks Caitlin Clark game when I went down saw that on. Let me ask quickly about Austin Reeves and how he fits in here. I've been pushing him on Coward for a while. Coward has been like a little overrated. Then I came on here and said, I think Austin Reeves is at least as as or better than Mark Price, who may have been before your time in Cleveland a little bit. And all these people are like, no, no, no, Mark Price, come on, he was an all star. Austin Reis is underrated and he's on an amazing contract. What's it like him fitting in with these two icons.
It's been incredible because on paper you thought that Austin would have to take a bit of a step back. Because since the D'angela Russell trade, he's really amped up his usage, his efficiency, his production. And at first few games that there were some growing pains there where he had a lot of turnovers, he struggled against some more athletic backcourts. But from that point on, of like early January, he's been playing at an all star level and really looking at the last fifteen he's twenty five to five and five with like efficient shooting. So it's been interesting to see, like with Luca coming, things have actually increased for Austin in terms of his role in his usage, his field goal attempts and all that. So I think it's actually been Lebron who's taken a little bit more of a step back and been playing a little bit more off the ball. Austin and Lebron have a really good two man games, so he comes up and screens for Austin, and I think they're stillkind of working that.
Out with Lebron and Luca.
But Austin's been been great and he's making thirteen million dollars a year, so that's one of the best contracts.
He seems super happy to be here, like you never see him frowning or anything. Let me ask. I made a case earlier this week that the Lakers have like a bit of a They appear to be villains, right, Lebron's a flopper, Luca argues and yells at refs, and then there's just a Laker narrative who we hate the Lakers and they get gifted Luka Doncic and it feels like going to the playoffs, we know he's got beef with Dylan Brooks, Desmond Vane, Draymond Greed. Every team has had like their moments.
With these beef with everybody.
Do you think they are kind of the villains of the league, you could say that. I mean, I think the Celtics are up there too, you know. I think that there's just some natural also because of how many Laker fans that they're just are everywhere, like that, the Celtics naturally become the villains. But also they're the defending champs, so I think that that plays a part. But yeah, I mean I think so, like Luca has beef with everybody, and the Lakers by nature have now inherited with everybody.
So and I thought it was funny with the tribute video.
But when we asked him after the game, what was your favorite moment from the tribute video, he said the Rudy Gobert.
Yeah, yeah, and that was like, you guy's diabolical.
He really, he's a killer. I mean, I love him. I guess my question is Lakers heading into this weekend needing to wins or one win to lot one win. Yeah, it looks like they'll play the Warriors or Clippers.
So I did a quick calculation and I think it's going to be most likely the Warriors or the Timberwolves, depending.
On what happens with now.
That's if everything goes chocked, because right now some of these teams are resting guys.
I just saw that.
Yeah, So looking at it tonight, every game is easy for the teams and the playoff mix, except for Denver and Memphis. Play in Denver, second out of a back to back from Memphis, they just lost last night to Minnesota. Theoretically, Denver should win that game.
They're fighting.
If if Denver wins out, they're going to be the four seed and kind of salvage what's been a pretty rough season for them.
But looking at it, I think it's gonna come down to.
Clippers versus Warriors, and if the Clippers won that game, Lakers will play the Timberwolves. If the Warriors won that game, the Lakers will play the Warriors.
Huh, who scares you more? Well, that's tough for me to ask you. But who do you think is a tougher matchup for the Lakers, Warriors or Timberwolves Warriors.
I think that the Warriors are.
I mean, we just saw them and beat the Lakers, so there are some recency bias there with that.
But I just think they're switching scheme.
The Lakers offense has gummed up at times against switching schemes. I think Draymond at the five is a look where they've really picked on big men lately.
I think one of the most encouraging things for the Lakers is they've gone up.
Against Memphis and Houston and OKC and now just Dallas, some of the biggest teams in the West, and they've been able to play their double big lineups off the floor because Luca and Austin and Lebron can go mismatch hunting. You can't do that as much against Golden State because it's not a mismatch against Draymond Green. So I think them with their motion offense as well, that can give the Lakers some problems. They like to play fast, they get out and transition the constant moving and cutting.
I think between those two, Golden State's the tougher one.
Now, Minnesota did take down Denver last year. Anthony Edwards was amazing. They did have towns, but I think he got benched in there. Minnesota seems limited offensively, but defensively they got they could throw McDaniels right and go beart protecting the room. That could be a problem for the Lakers.
Well, Luca versus Gobert, we've seen that movie before. He wants that. But I'm with you.
I think on paper, Minnesota has all of the traits of a team that you think would give the Lakers problems. They got the size, they got perimeter defense, and they got the apex superstar in Anthony Edwards, who we've seen can rise to the moment. However, to your point, I think you can double and blitz and really force the ball out of Ant's hands and then it's like Julius Randall, Nazrid Jaden McDaniels like I like those guys to an extend as the number two option in a playoff series against the Lakers. I think the Lakers would have three of the four best players on the court in that series.
Yeah, I had a hot take against the Thunder. I think the Lakers have three of the four best players. I'm sorry, I go off.
To can make that case over J Dubb. You can make that.
I mean I would probably go J Dub, But but if Austin out played him, wouldn't be like shocked by you think.
The Lakers are worried about J Dubb heading into a playoffs.
Se, No, they're not. They're not afraid of okay. See, no one's to be completely no one. If you talk to the NBA players, they're not afraid of okay.
See.
Yeah. What do you make of the whole free throw merchant stuff. I'm sure you've heard it. I'm sure SGA has heard it.
Yeah, I don't.
That I think is a little bit overblown because even that that, I thought he had a good first game against the Lakers, like like they held him to a relatively inefficient Knight for no free throws.
But like, even within that.
I thought he still got to his spots, uh and was you know, pretty productive in that game. So I think it's a little overblown. It is an element, but I think Shane is really good obviously.
Top two.
Do you have an MVP vote I do, will you give it to Share or Joker?
It's going out in the wire For me, I am leaning Joker.
There we go.
I don't think he's gonna win. I think she's gonna win.
But I think it's we do this thing where like it reminds me of Lebron in his prime, where he would have the best numbers and his team would be really good, and then we would talk ourselves into another player where it's like Rose Jokich's numbers are the best and his team is really good yea, and is it as good as it was last season or maybe in previous seasons? Though I also think you could look at like the bench and some of the roster decisions they made, and clearly the coaching situation was not where it should have been, at least based on the locker room reaction.
So I just I don't want to overcomplicate it. Like if you polled all.
Thirty GMS, at least twenty seven would say Yokich is the best player. Yeah, so it's like, and his numbers, Shane's numbers are right there. I'm not like discounting his numbers, but it's not a thirty point triple double yeah, like sixty point triple double.
Oh sixty point yeah, yeah, but you.
Had the thirty twenty twenty game as well, Like it's close. I just I default to the guy who I think is.
While we're on the Nuggets, anything on Michael Malone, I mean, did that shock.
You or the timing shocked me?
Not like it had been the worst kept secret in the NBA that Malone and Booth had some beef now going for a couple of years, so that that didn't shock me, but the timing of it to fire your coach three games left in the regular season and your GM you know.
So, are they less dangerous or more dangerous now? Because they're gonna be They're gonna look different they did the other night playing starting picket Westbrook a few.
A lot fewer minute.
I mean, honestly, I think if you play Westbrook less, they get a bit more dangerous. I think Jamal Murray's the wild card there, but with his health and whether he's going to be back for the first round series. But depending on how things shake out, it's looking like they can lock up the four seed. And if they lock up the four seed, I would likely favor them in Round one. Problem is than round two you get okay see, Yeah, they didn't match up with as well last year. I think it's been a little bit of a better match up this year. But I would favor okay see all.
Right last one. So the whole Lakers thunder thing is fascinating to me. I don't know if you how much you look at the gambling ons. OKAC to win the West is like minus one fifty, right, the Lakers are like plus six hundred and disconnect to me is crazy. Yeah, because the numbers regular season numbers. Okaysey's awesome, but the eye test and knowing Luca and Lebron, I'm like, I like the Lakers in that series. I'm curious, would you like down the stretch of games, we know the Lakers are gonna have four awesome guys on the court, right, and maybe the fifth is like whoever's hot, Gabe Vincent one day, maybe Goodwin whatever. I don't know what OKC does down the stretch. Who are their five core guys? Because they can't play the two bigs against the Lakers.
You're not going two bigs, You're probably going Shay Door, jdubb Chet, and then that fifth guy might be a rotating, But between is that enough shooting an Wallace or Isaiah Joe, Aaron Wiggan, something like Kenrich Will like Caruso, you spent on Smoke Russo could be could be the other guy. I think there could be some spacing concerns a little bit. But but you know, Cruso is one of the best perimeter guys.
Is good.
I would assume it's probably Wallace, but but Wallace or Caruso, Yeah, that's a good call. Yeah for the Lakers, Like I think their closing lineup is going to be the FS Ruy, Lebron, Austin and Luca. That lineup has been crushing it on both sides, and I just I don't know how you match up with it because the way they're able to space you out and they can pick them pop with Ruey or dfs have the other guy in the corner and they could obviously run two or three man actions with Luca, Lebron and Austin, it's.
Like it's basically unguardable.
And then defensively, those lineups have been really really and you saw.
It against Ad. They took AD out of that.
Game totally at thirteen points. So they're doubling and swarming and like, are they kind of built like the Celtics a lot of length and wings A little bit, I could see it. I mean, I think obviously Boston's got like half of Team USA on their teams, so it's a little different, but I think that's the team to me, that like is the toughest matchup for the Lakers because they can switch and they have so much premier athleticism, length and defense that obviously, like you know, the the defending.
Champs for a reason, but that'd be a fun finals.
Certainly, all right. Jovonn Booja amazing stuff covering the game tonight. I guess the Lakers Rockets say hi Tom. He's nice guy, walks around the concourse. I've seen him out there. Great stuff.
