The Herd with Colin CowherdColin wants Steph Curry to get the respect he deserves after the Warriors win again and surge towards the top of the West as the playoffs are approaching
He credits the Bears will 2 smart moves to start the new era under head coach Ben Johnson and what this means for quarterback Caleb Williams
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It's the Hurt.
Wherever you may be, however you may be watching or listening. Thanks for making us part of your day. Jay Mac, I was thinking about this morning. I had a good night sleep, had a good night sleep. Show comes fis here. So I'm Washington or the Warriors, Steph Curry against the Nick. Here's Steph Curry in a bad ankle, gonna be thirty seven in a week back to back, goes to the garden. He's now twelve and one at the Garden, and you know the Warriors are cooking and by the way, comingas all banged up.
Wait till he comes back.
I'm just saying, you've been pooh pooing Steph Curry forever. I've been hearing this forever, the disrespect. But here's Steph Curry thirty seven in a week. It was not that long ago that Steph Curry. Dude has had thirty two assists in the last three games twelve and one of the Garden. They finally got him a legitimate star. And every time he's had one Clay in his Prime or KD, he wins titles his legacy's amazing titles before KD, two titles with KD, title after KD with an older Klay Thompson and Andrew Wiggins, and right now since Jimmy Butler arrived, who leads the NBA and plus minus Steph Curry. But he's had doubters, the sm H crowd to shake my head, crowd y'all fall in love with your IG reels and your YouTube highlights and your hops and your handles. I like IQ and EQ and maturity and great off the ball and great with the ball. And he's strangely nuanced that he's flashy yet nuanced and can be like almost on the edge of out of control, but always dependable in the clutch. He is a culture builder. Y'all love James Harden. For years, all I heard about is James Harden. James Harden was in the same draft of Steph Curry. How relevant is James Harden today?
Oh? John Wall?
Oh the bullet He was the first draft after Steph Curry.
He's out a league.
How about Dereck Rose?
Good God, it was just a volcano of Derreck Rose. Love for a decade. He was a draft before Steph Curry. Where's he? Oh he's out of league two?
No disrespect.
I mean Harden can play Derrick Rose, John Wall, they got game. I mean there were two point guards drafted before Curry in the draft, Johnny Flynn and Ricky Rubio. One couldn't shoot, one could barely play. It's been disrespect from draft night on. It's incredible, the disrespect. He had to be a Finals MVP right to justify he's in, you know, all time great stuff, all time great stuff. I mean, there's an argument, and I don't think it's wrong in today's basketball world. He's the point guard starting in on the best starting five of all time. There's only one argument. It's magic. It's magic or Curry. Best two guys with the ball ever in their hands point guard. I mean, there's only a few certainties in the NBA All Time team. Michael's on it, Lebron's on it. We can argue about everything else. And one of the arguments is, think how great Magic Johnson was. There's an argument in today's NBA Magic, you know, got to be able to shoot the three, would still be good, but.
The league is more athletic.
Steph Curry is just really rare, disrespected, underappreciated superstar. I'm not even sure if there's another one in sports. I mean, because we all love and respect Josh Allen. Maybe Lamar Jackson kind of falls into that category where he's one of the greatest players of all time and still didn't get the love. But I mean, Curry, think about this, great knows great. There's an old saying about management. A's people who are securing themselves. A's higher, a's b's insecure higher. C's go ask the great player, who did Lebron James go after before he landed Luca For two years he was trying to lure Steph Curry to be a Laker or he'd be a Warrior. And you go to the Olympics when it's all alphas. Jason Tatum had two points in the gold medal game. Who had four threes in the final three minutes? Who do the stars rely on? Who do the stars go? Hey, get it to staff. Let's bring in the closer. I mean, last night games close late. Here comes Steph eleven zero run bad ankle back to backs.
On the road. It's unbelievable. Yeah, I'll say this.
Finally, that show that you know Jmac doesn't like refuses to watch Wink Wink. Finally, Shack delivered the truth last night.
I demand you fans to start putting Steph Curry in that greatest of all time conversation. I played against Mike, played with Kobe, we played against that with Lebron. They're all great, but you go, at some point we'll have to put Jeff Curry in that category. I'm not saying he is, but let's just have the conversation.
That's right, that's right, Let's just have the conversation. I mean, it's unbelievable. A basketball team in Minnesota took two guards.
In front of him.
Anytime he's had a legitimate number two. Klay Thompson in his prime was arguably the best you know, not even arguably he was the best catch and shooter.
Player in the league.
So Clay and his prime is a Hall of Famer titles, and then he gets kd a couple of titles, and he gets Clay's out of his prime.
They give him.
Andrew Wiggins, who's talented, but you can't really trust him in a big spot title. And right now you start looking at these games, you start looking at the way this team is built. Kamingas banged up that ankle coming back. I'm just saying, every single time you've given him a legitimate dude, he explodes. Dude's got thirty two assists, and what's amazing about Steph is that four as often as he has the ball and is the centerpiece.
He's remarkably unselfish.
I mean, for a guy that's so great with the ball, he's arguably the best player.
In the league off ball.
I mean, that was all the sorts of nuanced to his game, beyond beyond the obvious stuff, beyond the damn he's a good dude, plays with anybody.
I mean, it's just very rare. I mean, Lebron's got this quality.
Magic did as well, so good with the ball, but also great off the ball. Finally, the lebron now is getting a little off the ball love. But I'm glad Shaq said it because I just think he's been so disrespected. Had to beat Jason Tatum and Jalen Brown in the final to justify his greatness.
I mean, come on, now, what are you watching the games? So this is a big deal.
So sometimes I get on tangents and I'm not talking for a show or a week. I'm talking for six years. I have been on a tangent for about six years, and I know it's irritating, but offensive lines are really important. The final four teams this year in the NFL all had top ten offensive lines. The top seven graded offensive lines in the NFL this year all made the playoffs.
Seven for seven. All made the playoffs.
The Chicago Bears had a defensive coach and the offensive line kept getting worse. Ben Johnson gets hired by the Bears. And I know last year the Bears were doing stuff with wide receivers at oh front page of the Chicago Tribune. It was on all the websites receiver, receiver, receiver. This year Ben Johnson offensive coach. First two big moves, two days ago, Guard Rams, yesterday, guard Joe Tune, Chiefs, two experienced dudes. This guy gets it. The first thing he addresses is the old line. Two guards. You know who else pays guards? The Rams, the Chiefs, the Eagles offensive coaches get it. I like Mike Tomlin's eight years now offensive line stinks. Go to the super Bowl. It was all line play. And I don't trust Ryan Polls the GM in the draft. He's had too many whiffs. I don't think he's terrible, but I don't trust him.
This is easy.
Jonah Jackson can play Joe' soone, he can play two starters, and they'll probably go draft to tackle with their first pick. So it's just easier if you're not great in the draft. And the Bears I don't trust. Last year's draft looks like a mess. The Velis Jones pick it receiver years ago turned my stomach bottom line is great move. And by the way, Jim Harbaugh last year, Jim Harball, everybody was like, oh they lost Keenan Allen, Mike Williams got a receiver. What Jim Harbaugh do? Joe allt Notre Dame call was great. What did Sean Payton do first thing he did. He kept Russell Wilson, who he didn't love. He rebuilt the old line. Sean mcvagh takes over the Rams. First big move Andrew Whitworth All Pro left tackle Cincinnati. I mean, I know we all watch quarterbacks, but a quarterback's best friend is protection and push up front. This is a great day to be a Bear fan. I know it's not sexy. I know it's not gonna lead sports shows and other networks, but the seven highest graded offensive lines last year all made the playoffs. Joe Burrow was arguably the best quarterback in the league. Last year, what was his O line? Ranked thirtieth? He missed the playoffs? And last year do you remember this? And I understand if you don't, But last year, Washington, we were all caught up in Cliff Kingsbury and Dan Quinn and a new owner in a new GM. Remember the first thing Washington did last year, before they ever gave Jayden Daniels a snap in a big game, they went and got two offensive linemen free agency. Right, So this is this is what Washington did last year, and those don't make headlines. But the last couple of days, this is what offensive coaches do. It's what McVeigh does, Reid does, Ben Johnson, I mean you start looking at Philadelphia in Detroit. I mean, the Rams were really good last year and one of the reasons they got good bye about Thanksgiving they got hot before that is the offensive line got healthy. So this is really encouraging. I know it's not a blaring headline, two interior offensive linemen, but when you have a young quarterback time to throw a run game an extra half second is the difference between doing something like Washington did and you know, doing something like Caleb Williams had the deal with in his rookie year with a defensive coach J Mac spending it today, Steph Curry last night.
Yeah, you are on fire.
You love Steph Curry.
Furse my favorite player of all time.
He used to be Magic Johnson, right, I love the flare in the passing, and then Steph Curry overtook him.
He's been my favorite, probably for over a decade.
Interesting though, so you know, we kind of looked at the Warriors, and their front office deserves credit because we kind of looked at him and it was a treadmill to nowhere. Yeah, it is amazing. I was down on them right right right, And we were waiting for Wiggins to be a two, he's not. We were waiting for Kaminga to be a two.
He's not.
When you slot it, now, Steph Butler's at two, and now Cominga's like, oh he could be a three, pods he could be a four. Draymond still doesn't score much, but it is amazing what you do. It's like a pitching staff. When you put a legitimate two with Steph, then the three in the four can be inconsistent, and that's why they're three and fours. It's like when you give Lebron Luca offensively, now you like Ruey way more because Ruey goes from instead of having to be a three offensively, now Rui's a four, and offensively Ruey can be a little hit and miss. But when Ruy goes from three.
To a four, now Rui's a really good.
Four, oh yeah, instead of a reach at three. So now Kaminga, because we've been waiting for Minga.
For years, could be looking at a Lakers Warriors second round matchup. That would that could that's the kind of game that could break the internet. Like Luca Butler, Lebron Curry just amazing collection of talent. If that happens in the second round, I'm sure the TV executives would love a Western Conference Finals with those two. Lebrony by the way, Zion. Did you see Zion last night?
I did not.
I mean he was higher line, unstoppable. Well, no, he was Lakers till one by thirty or forty or whatever it was.
But oh, I mean looked.
Really I only watched the first happen Yeah, fell asleep. Yeah, I mean, the Lakers season is already gonna come down to this. It really is going to come down to this health. Luca look looks in much better shape. He looks in much better shape. And Lebron's obviously playing with a ton of energy. I think at some point, you know, it's like your new best friend. You know, at some point Lebron's energy and Steph's energy will come down. Yeah, I think I think we're in the honeymoon phase. I mean, you're I'm watching last night's honeymoon phase stuff. But they'll there'll be a time when you know, again you get about twenty thirty games in with a new teammate, like like the Warriors. Right now, it's the honeymoon phase. I mean, Steph is playing out of his mind. He's playing like, let's be honest. If Jimmy Butler's not on the team, does he take last night off? If they're not playing in New York back to back off Charlotte where he got hurt, is it's possible. Steph's like, I'm not New York is why he played. Jimmy Butler's why he played. It's like, Okay, I'm gonna play this game. If they were battling for a ten seed with no Butler and they're playing in New York first, then Charlotte, he's not playing. So the energy with the Lakers and the Warriors, and I gotta tell you something, just got bits and pieces early Lakers last night because I had a bunch of stuff going on late. Here's what jumps out to me about the Lakers and being an executive in Los Angeles for any team, including an athletic director for sc or UCLA. It's very unique in the country. I don't think there's any city like it. And I'll tell you why. One of the things that makes it really hard in Los Angeles is our weather because it's Mediterranean and every I want I had to do something last night.
People are outside, they're having a good time, and it's forget the game last night.
That game secondary what's really fascinating about the Lakers coming up next, and not just the Lakers, but why La forces the Lakers to do things sometimes do an area of discomfort work sometimes didn't work with Westbrook to Lebron and the Lakers.
Works other times.
Be sure to catch live editions of The Herd weekdays and neon eastern non am Pacific on Fox Sports Radio FS one and the iHeartRadio app.
So as j Mac will tell you, the safest bet in the NBA is take the Lakers in the first quarter, got off to a huge lead, blew out the Pelicans. You know, no Ruy, no Reeves, no problem, didn't matter. Lebron was great, Luca was great. But you know, it's funny when I've been in California for eight nine years and I really like Los Angeles, and you know, one of the things I've really learned is you have to be aggressive as a team. The Clippers have become stagnant, even with a new arena. Nobody talks about him. The market's too big, there's too many things going on the beach, the mountains, the weather. I mean, people are out walking around the beach last night. It's just the way it is in Los Angeles. And I mean the Dodgers win the World Series and they go spend a four hundred and fifty million dollars in upgrades to their roster and one hundred million dollars in a clubhouse renovation. That's after winning a World Series. Like that's the way it works. I mean, the Rams considered, hey, we may have to move off Matt Stafford. They moved off golf when he got to a Super Bowl. Harbaught of the Chargers, Lincoln Riley. They steal Oklahoma's coach. You have to swing big in this town because there's too many premiers, too many red carpets, too many things going on, and it forces organizations, especially the Lakers, to be hyper aggressive. I mean, they took a big swing on on Anthony Davis work. They took a big swing on Westbrook didn't work. They took a big swing on JJ Reddick. Everybody criticized him. JJ Reddick not experienced kind of an ego. He's been absolutely fantastic. When you watch this team offensively, you can see the game preparation, and you know, I think it's hard in this town that you are forced you can't be the Cincinnati Bengals and just stay in draft order and don't take a big swing. I mean, Lebron's playing out of his mind. And I do think there's a honeymoon period for a staff roal Lebron with a new guy, you're kind of showing off. But it's just the status quota doesn't work here. And I think Lebron is completely energized now because and even Lebron, you can kind of lose him during the football season. You forget about him if you're not viable. And you know, the Clippers a desperate organization. They build a new basketball arena, but they're still clinging to Kawhi and James Harden and that story's over. Nobody's interested. And I'm watching the Lakers briefly last night, and it's just there's such they reinvigorated the franchise, the team. And I'll say this, I have been critical of the Lakers front office before because there's been some misses, but I appreciate the effort, Like you know, even the way it's funny. You remember when they got Mark Williams the Charlotte Center and the trade and then the next his doctors, the Lakers doctors said no, it's not gonna work here, and Charlotte's like, what do you mean? He's healthy, he just played. I honestly think what happened. I honestly think this happened. I think the Lakers took a big.
Swing on it. And then you know, they don't have a they don't have.
A scouting department quite as big as the Warriors. You know, the bus family is not as wealthy as a lot of these big owners. I think the Warriors or the Lakers did a little digging on it and started making a few calls, a little more digging. They took a big swing, and I said, ah, yeah, well our doctors don't like him. I don't think that's the craziest theory out there on why they made it and then suddenly why they they moved off it. But I appreciated the effort. JJ Reddick, I appreciate the effort. And you know, again, you can make big swings that are stupid. Trading away Luca for ad and one first round of Max Christy. That's just a dumb move. But one of the things I've I've I've over and over I've said, I love the way the Philadelphia Eagles do business. I mean, Carson Wentz was having an MVP season. Yeah, we're going with Nick Foles. And Doug Peterson wins the Super Bowl. Yeah, we're moving off him. And Chip Kelly had a winning season. It's not a good fit. And I think in Los Angeles it's just different. The Dodgers could just rest on their laurels. Nope, they went and spent four hundred and fifty million dollars more and they're renovating, which is, by the way, a beautiful stadium. They're gonna renovate it, make it even better. And I think it'd be in an executive in Los Angeles. You have got to stay on your toes. I said it with Jim Harbor to the Chargers. I said, you just can't do another coordinator. You're getting lost in this.
This is not San.
Diego where people go to the games. Philip Rivers wins ten games and that's good enough. That is not good enough here. And so the JJ Reddick swing unbelievable, the lucaswing unbelievable, and even the Westbrook move that didn't work. It's what LA forces you to do, and it's what the Lakers do. J.
Mack with a.
News No, no, no, the news. This is the herd Line news.
All right, Colin, let's start with the Uridas.
Listen, we know they need a new quarterback right well new GM John's spy tech. It sounds like he's got options, whether it's the draft or free agency, and now Max Crosby has chimed in on recruiting a certain quarterback.
Take a listen.
The first year off an achilles is one of the hardest things to do. You've seen Apple with Kirk had it down here and A with Aaron. I mean, he struggled, like you said, early on, but he got better as a season went. I think with all the doubt and all the negativity around Aaron Rodgers always needs to retire things like that. You know he's getting caught by the Jets. I think he's gonna come back. I think he's gonna have a big year this year, and I hope it's in our time.
Yeah, what do you think there? J?
Max?
Well, interesting, last time Max Crosby was pounding the table for someone who was Antonio Pierce.
How'd that work out.
Remember he was like in the owner's ear, I won Antonio Pierce here him and Devonte Adams like, I think they took the owner out to dinner and they.
Were like, we need to keep Pe.
Well now he's going and we need Aaron Rodgers. Okay, you know Pete Carrol better than anyone. What do you think he wants?
Do you think he wants Aaron Rodgers?
I think Pete would like a veteran presence in the room.
I mean, I think, if you know, I don't.
Think Pete wants to give away all that draft capital for a quarterback. He's not going to get cam Ward. They're not selling you know that they're not selling off that many pieces. So I think there's I think Aaron's very attractive and I but I but I think the other thing is Pete's going to control the organization. I mean, you know, Norm Chow got a little big for his breeches, and Norm Chow left USC and Pete Carroll made share Russell Wilson. It's kind of my team, my culture, see you later. Like Pete's gonna run the show. This is going to be Pete's culture based on that. That's not a good fit. That's I don't think. I mean, I think Aaron's good enough, and I do think Pete will allow Hip Kelly to just run the offense. But this is gonna be Pete Carroll's franchise, by.
The way, you think Chip Kelly wants, I don't know combative Aaron Rodgers.
I think Chip Kelly is all about ball. He doesn't love recruiting. That's why I left college football. Like Chip Kelly's all about football, all about schemes, play design, and play college. He didn't want to do anything in nonsense with the NCAA and recruiting. That's why I've always said I think Chip Kelly's actually a great NFL fit because he does not like all the college nonsense and the parents and the nil He didn't want to deal with any that's new Kingsbury.
Kingsbury maybe not a great head coach in Arizona. I thought he was fine and then goes to Washington and ZC and just crushes it.
Maybe that's Chip Kelly's history.
Yeah, I mean, I think Chip was a great college coach. I don't think there's anything awesome that way. I mean, I mean awesome at Oregon and awesome at Ohio State. I mean Ryan Day, Ryan Day.
Ryan.
You know, if you go look at Ryan Dane Ohio State, you could argue the Michigan game plan was run trying to prove how tough they were.
Oh, that's good.
All the playoff games that was those were those were Chip Kelly's games. But Ryan Day wanted to prove, hey, all beat Michigan. No, Ryan, you haven't beaten Michigan. I when I watched the Michigan game plan, that did not feel like Chip Kelly's game.
Point I hadn't thought of that.
It was almost like Ryan Day has been hearing for three times, tries that Michigan's tougher and more physical, but we'll show you that's right.
Nobody pushes the buck guys around. So Ryan, he took over that game and they were they were bad. But when I watched the playoffs, I kept saying, this feels like a chip Kelly game.
Is that he just he made?
Chip Kelly has a way of making you think and doubt yourself, multiple formations, motions. He's a matchup guy. He's constantly making defensive coaches think.
You look at all the quarterbacks Chip has had, most of them have had some mobility right, Mike Vick in Philadelphia, Will Howard at Ohio, see Marcus Mariota.
Wasn't that his he needs someone Wheels he likes. I don't know that that's Aaron Rodgers, not at this point. No, it's so, I don't think it justin Fields. I don't know.
I don't know. I think the Raiders are in a tough spot.
Daniel Jones.
So let's just say a com your NFL quarterback told me to keep an eye on Daniel Jones and the Raiders.
And this was like, I don't think that.
I think you heard it too.
I don't think it's crazy. But again, I better get a team friendly deal. Like Daniel, I saw you. You stole money in New York. I better get a team friendly deal.
It's the old money.
Next story is Fox NFL insider Jordan Schultz is reporting that Donald and the Vikings are in contact regarding a possible short term extension. Shultz says the forty million dollar franchise tag was way too steep for Minnesota, but they want Donald back at the right price.
Now, this is another.
Situation called like if the Vikings say, hey, Sam, we like you, how does twenty twenty five million years sound and if Donald says no way, I can get more, all right, Sam.
Go for it, enjoy Vegas or the Giant.
I think it would be.
I think Sam Darnold would say, if you said, listen, Sam, we'll give you a three year deal, third year team option. We'll give you two years because we're not paying JJ McCarthy, Daniel Jones will probably leave, so let's go. Let's go twenty nine million to thirty two million, two year deal. I think Sam would stay. I really, I really do, cause I think Sam's a smart enough kid to realize there are not a lot of coaches in the NFL that are better for quarterbacks than Kevin O'Connell. And there's no other Justin Jefferson in the league. So Sam's been I mean, it's really easy when you've been treated poorly and poorly coached.
Man, it is, and then.
You get a taste of the good life. It is hard to go backwards.
It's amazing.
You sit in first class couple of times, you can sit and coach your whole life. You sit in first class couple of times. All of a sudden you go past row six and start looking back and going man, I missed, I missed the extra leg room.
Why are you staring at me when you're saying daggers into my eyes as you say this for some reason.
Yeah, no, no, I'm with you.
I'm sorry to think Donald probably stays in Minnesota and Colin. It's not the worst thing in the world. If you're paying your backup twenty five mili in your starter or nothing. If Donald doesn't win the job, you need a good backup in this league, as we've seen quarterbacks go down all the time. Final story, Colin is the King, the greatest player in NBA history. Lebron James became the first to hit fifty thousand points in the league. He came in needing just one point, got it on his first shot at triple from the wing. Lebron finished with thirty four, eight and six. He's forty.
Okay, here's Lebron and his accomplishment.
Well, obviously, first, think out of my mind, like where I'm front.
And you know, just picking up the game.
And I was a little kid and samming a love for the sport and was hoping that someday I'd be able to play at the highest level. I've been able to do it and you really enjoy you know, and really enjoying my career. So it's definitely islan there is pretty cool to just see that.
It's just I hope everybody's appreciating it.
It's really crazy.
It's listen, it's tough for me to think of a league without Lebron at this point, he's.
Been dominant for what twenty years.
People just forget this. I loved MJ. Everybody loved MJ. But MJ retired and did baseball, and then Jay came back, and then Jay went to Washington. Michael's career was moments of brilliance and a lot of turbulence. And he came into the league. He couldn't get along with coaches. He was running through coaches. He got Doug Collins, he liked him. They couldn't win. He couldn't beat the Piston Celtics. Then Michael had that Phil Jackson run and he went and did baseball, and Michael came back for came back, lost to Orlando. Then he went in another three year run and he went to Washington. Michael's career was not as linear as people think. Lebron's just I mean, it's just like the only bad spot for Lebron was his first team. That's the only time Lebron hasn't hasn't won his first team. That was inept in the front office, inepted ownership.
And then he still got them to the finals when he was twenty two.
Yeah, and they got I think swept by the Spurs, a great Spurs team. But it's interesting, it's the opposite of Jordan. The only time Lebron has really struggled as part of a unit is the first team. Since then, when Lebron has taken control of his career Miami, Cleveland, Los Angeles, he is over delivered.
You know how a lot of these child actors kind of really struggle later in life. There's a bit it's so many of them from show TV shows in the eighties because the fame in an early age of the twenty It just distorts you. This guy was on the cover of Sports illustraight, I believe it's sixteen years old. But you know what, I've never got in trouble with the law with that.
That doesn't happen a lot in sports. Bryce Harper's a warm clad He's a great guy, great husband, lived up to next thing I have Lebron James. And you know why, because sports gives you a purpose. You're not some Hollywood weirdo who does a couple of movies and has nothing but spare time on your hands. In sports, it gives you a purpose, it gives you a direction. You're part of a community. It's not just you making movies. It's not you writing scripts or directing. It is you being part of a community. You have to be accountable to coaches, your teammates, the trainers, you yourself, the diet. So I think sports is something you don't you don't there's a lot of these young start. Very rarely do we look at a sixteen year old and go, that's going to be a superch It does a lot of pressure on our team.
There's Phil Mickels back, the Great of Matter, like that was everything. Yeah, I got it in the mailbox.
Every week and you open it up and you read it. Can you imagine at.
Sixteen and now here we are, what twenty four years later and he's still on top of the sports world.
I mean a big knock on le Bron, which was silly as you know China, that was that China thing. Like he's a businessman, you know, he wanted to make sure it was all good. Like, take a deep breath, everybody. This guy didn't get in trouble. This guy is it's and his son had a great bucket last night.
You see Ronnie with the score in traffic? What what?
What? Whatever?
You got?
You got problem.
I'm not gonna say anything.
He scored. He appens like twenty three in the G League.
Get whatever. That's a fact, bad topic. J Mack with the news.
Well that's the news, and thanks for stopping by The Herd Line News.
No, I'll tell you it. Losing has value. The New York Knicks can't beat the good teams. Why that has value? Live in La, It's the hurt.
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Hey, Steve Covino and 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. Why should you listen to Covino and Rich. 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. 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. 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 interactive show on planetar. Be sure to check out Cavino 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 on Rich wherever you get your podcasts, and of course on social media that's Covino and Rich.
Her New and Illinois has their site set on a statement win before twenty time.
Tip off is at eight eastern on Fox.
So U watch some Warriors, Nicks and Steph but on a show that's what Steph does. But you know it's interesting. You know we've said this before this there are sometimes losing is good. Losing in Indianapolis got you Andrew luck. Losing in Cleveland got you, Lebron James. You don't want to be like meatball fan that you know your outraged. There's positioning sometimes, you know, not necessarily tanking, but giving reserves a chance to play in a rich draft, to move up the draft.
Like that stuff.
Matters, right, And the New York Knicks have built a good roster but losing. They're on and three against the Celtics, oh and to two against Okac, oh and two against the Calves. And it's actually not terrible because there's now a lot and they probably they're not gonna beat when Comingia comes back. I mean, I know they didn't have cat last night. The Knicks can't beat the good teams. They're not gonna beat them, especially in a series. They can't beat them in a one off forgetting a series. And that's great in a way because there's one hundred percent clarity in the building that they're good and some Knight's very good, but they're not great. They have smartly and aggressively built a very strong roster. Got Og from the Raptors, good move. They stole Brunson from the MAVs. Great move. They got Mikhale Bridges from Brooklyn. I love that move. They got Cat from Minnesota, the quirky player. Good offensively, pretty weak defensively, but for the time being, it's a good move and they're on pace. The New York Knicks a fun team to watch, with great energy, play their ars off. Not as good this year defensively, but it's a good roster, smartly aggressively built, and they're on their way for their best season in twelve years. The cities into them and should be. They're a fun watch. Don't blow it up. The chemistry's good. But they gotta do what the Lakers did. You know, Lebron and ad were good. They actually won a title and the Lakers moved off it.
Lakers moved off it. That's what they gotta do.
And I think it's giannis My take on this year. You'd probably have to move Kat, You'd probably have to move Og. You do not trade Brunson, all right, You're gonna have to move Michale Bridges or an Og In about five first round picks. Jaylen Brenson, I love him, We all love Jaylen Brunson. I don't think he's a one, even though it feels like they're nights. He is, But in the end. I think he's closer, in my opinion, to Jimmy Butler than he would be to a Steph Curry. I think he's closer to a Jimmy Butler than he is to a Luca or Lebron James. He's a really good one era or two. I don't think he's as good as Anthony Davis, and Anthony Davis to me, he's the best two ever. So I think they got to make a move for Giannis. Everybody in the building, though, knows it's a good team. It's like what the Raptors did for years. The Raptors were excellent for years and Kyle Lowry was their guy. Think they had a Mark Gasol, they had some nice players. They were very good team, and then they added Kawhi Leonard and won a title. Now and Toronto has always been considered a well run operation. And everybody love Kyle Lowry and everybody loves Brunson. This is not hate, okay, It's just the reality of if the best players in this league are Lebron and Jannis and Jokic and Staff, then Brunson's probably a one A. And I think where NBA franchises go to die is when everybody in the building is arguing, well, we're great, No we're not, Yes we are, and then people like go off into their own camps. Executives can be incredibly selfish, not just players. It's all about survival and job retention. Everybody in the Knicks building knows they're really good, they're not great because they don't really have.
A true superstar.
Now you could say, what about the Celtics, Well, you guys all keep telling me Tatum's the third best player in the league.
I think he's closer to eight. But he's very good.
But Brown and Tatum are both one a's and they both play excellent defense, so you can get away with that. It's not like you always have to have a superstar to win. It helps the nineteen seventies there weren't a lot of superstar teams. There was a different champion every year. You don't have to have a Jokich or a Yannis. But I do think now that Luke and Lebron are together, and Butler and Stafford together, and you start looking around and Brown and Tatum are together, and all of a sudden, you start looking at Evan Mobley's together now with Donovan Mitchell and o case, he's got check Holmgren, who's an offensive star, with SGA who could be the second best player in the league. You got to have another guy, and so don't blow it up. But losing does have.
A little bit of value.
So I saw this this morning. I was encouraged by this. I was encouraged by this. Now brock Perty, according to rumors, was offered forty five million dollars. Was the offer the Niners made, and that is exactly what he should be paid. Twelfth, thirteenth best quarterback in the league, forty five million dollars.
If he had a bad.
Defensive coach and a bad set of weapons, he really would be mister irrelevant quarterback.
But he doesn't.
He has Kyle Shanahan, arguably after Andy Reid, the best play designer in the league. George Kittle was the number one rated tight end on PFF. Juwan Jennings was the thirteenth best tight end or a receiver and they won six games. And he's also had two elbow injuries and one elbow surgery, so there are things here.
He's not a big athlete.
He's a moderately sized quarterback with a couple elbow injuries, one surgery that last year has a great play designer, but they were missing their star running back and they won six games. So is my forty five million feels right? If you go look at his splits against elite playoff teams, they're not very good. I mean, Josh Allen's the MVP. He's making forty four million a year. Forty five million feels right. So and again, too many fans think contextualization is hate. I've never hitted Dak Prescott. What I tried to always do with Dak Prescott was contextualize it. He is not to be paid close to Mahomes because he's not close to Mahomes or Lamar Jackson. I mean, I don't think he's as good as Jalen Hurts. And we've all sort of had some questions about Jalen Hurts. Jalen Hurts does a couple of things extraordinarily. Well, what's Dak do extraordinarily? Well, now he has a second lower body injury.
Never been a.
Great spinnet guy from the pocket. You can't pay him in a million bucks, you can't take you know, you can't pay him that that's his salary, that's his what is.
That ninety million this year. Now they're going to rework it.
We'll probably get down to fifty or fifty five or sixty. But too many fans confuse context for hate. Nobody hates brock Purty. Good kid. Forty five million dollars to Brock Purdy. I don't know what happened in the last year that became an insult. What forty five million dollars for the last guy picked in the draft who has a losing record and bad splits against playoff teams, with two elbow injuries, one a surgery, and forty five millions an insult? And I love Sam Darnold, but I'd struggle paying him forty five million. He's bigger, he's got a better arm, he moves better, and he was a first round pick. And I couldn't pay Sam forty five million. So here was Steve Young on Rich Eyesen this week on why the deal will eventually get done.
It gets done like it has to get done. There's not alternatives out there.
He can threaten, he can he can move around, he can do all the things you do, and he can process as well as anybody. So in that way, you know, quarterbacks are so hard to find that Brock has done enough for sure to go out and get you know, and get paid and get and get it done.
Now, I will say this, I don't think quarterbacks are as hard to find today as they were fifteen to twenty years ago. I mean, you found Brock Purty as the last pick in the draft. So I don't think I think Kyle mccordatt Syracuse, who will get drafted in the second or third round, is going to end up being a franchise quarterback for somebody. I mean, you got Kirk Cousins was a fourth round pick. There's a lot of good quarterbacks out there. Never been more good young quarterbacks, never been more great quarterback coaching.
Rachel Nichols in studio.
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