Hour 2 - The NBA has a problem

Published Jun 26, 2025, 8:17 PM

Rachel Nichols joins The Herd to talk about the NBA possibly shortening the season, player injuries, the NBA Draft, and more

Colin talks more about untradeable players in the NBA and the NFL

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Here we go at our two. Jmack is back. We are flying through it today. Lane Johnson of the Philadelphia Eagles. Last hour. Rachel Nickler in a couple of minutes. So we had the NBA Draft last night. The top eleven picks all played college basketball, all of them. This is something you have heard me going on about this. College basketball and I've said this for the last couple of years is having a renaissance due to the NIL But I told Adam Sober this, I never like the G League. It was more about compensation. The NBA became paralyzed with compensation. And if the college football guys aren't getting compensated, in Nathan, they get tackled for four years. Yeah, players deserve to be paid, and eventually they were, but the NBA got paralyzed. You got to compensate players over, how about develop them? I mean, how about develop the young players? So I never liked the G League. I mean, go look at the playoffs this year, where were all the great G League and overtime elite guys. Amen Thompson is the best of them and he's still unpolished. Scoot Henderson, Kaminga, Jalen Green, Kaminga can't even play with Steph Curry. He has no developed games. So again, if you want to just take a cash grab for a year, I think in the end the G League's regression. I mean, if you go to Kansas or Syracuse, or you or you know, Arizona, or or you're playing in big arenas, national TV, better coaching, and now the compensation is at least equal and maybe slightly better. So I never bought into the G League. I thought it what the league was just paralyzed by it. You've got to pay him. The NBA and basketball in America is a suburb sport. The best teams are in the burbs in Los Angeles. They're in the burbs, you know, like so you know this idea, that are the kids? You know, they can't do one year? Send him to Duke. They have chefs. I talked to gon Zagas Mark Few about this. They got chefs, they got shoes, They're treated like royalty. You hang out for a year or two in college. Go look at the NBA playoffs. Where were all the G League guys when you got down to conference finals and up? So Rick Patino talked about this yesterday on the show Kids Now, choosing college basketball over international and the G League.

We've found that why go to the GI League when you can make seven eight hundred thousand dollars. So many European basketball players, if they sign on with Olympiacos, Punnett, the Naiko or somebody of the lower level teams, they're going to make maybe three hundred four hundred thousand. They can go to college and make a lot more than that. So, with finding that the European players want to come here and attend college and stay away from going to the prones, you.

Got to be careful about being idealistic because it can come off as sort of misguided or silly, you know, like a socialist running New York. It sounds maybe good in principle, but in practice, I don't want the government owning my grocery stores. So the point being is the NBA got very idealistic. This is the empirical way to help the young kids. Yeah, maybe for a year financially, but you're not developing the care. If you really love somebody and you deeply care about somebody, you don't care about tomorrow. You care about their life, you care about the journey, you care about their long term viability, and not just financial. You can give anybody a couple hundred that doesn't do anything, that doesn't do anything. So I'm glad the G League is becoming less relevant because I think college basketball has been marginalized by the NBA. I think the NFL has always understood the value of college football, the coaching. I mean, you're a quarterback. Can you imagine if the NFL had a G League where you played in empty stadiums and you thought that was better than playing at Ohio State or Georgia. I mean's crazy part of what makes college basketball great. You know Cooper Flag or the kid at Baylor. Those guys played in intense national TV games, win or go home games. That's the NBA. That kind of pressure is great. Even the G League, by the way, sold out for the bag. It used to be the D League and somebody came up and said, uh uh Gatorade. Okay, we're the G League. So they were always going to sell out with that. Rachel Nichols, Fox Sports NBA analyst is now joining us, So let me ask you about this. It's an interesting draft, said, I try not to get too higher loan anything because it's a projection draft. I do think the kid that goes to Philly and Cooper Flagg will play on good teams. Immediately. I watched them in college. Those are NBA players in college. Dylan Harper for Rutgers is fascinating because the whole san Antonio unit outside of the Aaron Fox, their kids. Yeah, they can't drink in the hotel bar. Is what is the takeaway on san Antonio's night?

Rachel san Antonio had a great night, which is no surprise. By the way, this is the third time picking in the top of four. I think in the last four years. I am a huge fan of Harper's, like a lot of people are. I think that he is going to be a great part of that young core and it gives him the flexibility. They obviously are heavy at that position. Now, the reason you have dearon Fox. There is to make Victor Webanyama feel like you are serious about winning because he is so competitive, and also to be a more veteran voice. I know we think he's young, but he is the vet on that team, and to sort of teach guys about what it is to be in the league. Eventually, our castle is harper. Are they going to be better than him? And is Fox going to be a trade piece?

Possibly?

But the way san Antonio is looking at all of this is they are trying to play positionless basketball. They are really going in that direction, and they are also embracing defense. And both of their picks in the first round last night were defensive minded guys, guys who are aggressive defensively. You have the player who is the consensus projection for defensive player of the year again in Victor Webinyama. If you have guys who want to play hard in defense around him, even if you're not quite there yet offensively, to compete with the top of the West, defense wins championships, man, and I think they can go a long way with two guys who have a defensive mindset as well as wanting to score.

So let's talk NBA because We're going to kind of wrap it up today for our NBA coverage for a while. One of the things that I think needs to be addressed. I think you would agree with this because you have a history of covering the NFL. The one thing the NFL does really well, they will change a rule in mid season.

Yep.

Like they had a Super Bowl between I was at New England and Philadelphia and the cash rule changed during the game, bobbling touchdown. And my take is you have to act urgently when you have billion dollar games. And I think eight ACL tears three in the playoffs, I think the game is faster, the pacings better. I mean, Draymond Green said this the other day in a podcast. He said he goes no offense, but guys used to walk it up the floor. That's over and I think the NBA Halliburton's out for the year, Tatum's out for the year. I think they need to address it now. First round five games or your takeaway on Adam Silver and what is a problem that I think is only going to increase?

Yeah, these Achilles injuries, they're not as devastating. They don't end careers the way they used to, but they end team's plans. I mean, just look at what the Boston Celtics have been doing over the last couple of days. They're unraveling what was a championship level team because of Jason Tatum and that Achilles injury.

I asked Adam Silver.

At the beginning of the Finals, what are we thinking right now about shortening the regular season? Where is the thought process? And he was adamant again that there is no move.

To do that.

There is obviously a lot of advocates who will tell you if you keep the dates of the NBA season the same, but you play fewer games, you give guys more of a chance to rest between games, take a little bit of a break from that physical bumping around.

Draymond rain is absolutely right. It's not just they used to walk it up the floor.

They cover about ten percent more miles in a game than they used to the speed of the game is measurably different, and the physicality of the game is measurely different. We all remember nineties basketball and talk about it lovingly, but someone has gone and charted how many times these guys hit the floor and it's the highest now that it's ever Wow. So we just have to have the rules and the schedule catch up with that, and if they possibly what I asked Adam was if they possibly have some expansion dollars coming in in the next few years, maybe use that to soften the blow of fewer games, because of course we all know the reason there aren't fewer games, because it's less money.

Yeah, that's a great point. You know. I was saying this the other day. It used to be a guy blew his ACL. It was an old guy injury, Like an old guy plays handball with his college roommate at fifty eight and blows out his ACL. Now it's young guys. That is just fatigue and wear and tear, and it's okay. Like Michael Jordan in the prime of the NBA played a five game first round, it's okay. So you know, it's well chronicled that when James Dolan was building the sphere, he was removed from basketball on a day to day and all of a sudden, the Nick's got pragmatic and patient and profoundly productive. He's back. They run off TIBs. Okay, what are we talking about now? Can we have an update in.

The next coach Well, I was very interested that Nico Harrison said last night, Jason Kidd will be coaching the Mavericks next year. You guys played the clip a few minutes ago. That's all well and good for him to say that, if and I have no idea if he has. But if Jason Kidd decides to go to the Mavericks and say I don't want to be here anymore.

Do you want that guy coaching your team?

Do you want a guy who doesn't want to be there talking to the media every day, dealing with your players every day. So I think Jason Kidd does have some agency in this situation, and there are a lot of things that are attractive about the NIXT job. I got to disagree with what you said earlier in the show, Colin. I think the next job could be more attractive for Jason Kidd. Here's the first reason.

Money.

Here's the second reason. Money, also money. Jason Kidd is the tenth highest paid.

Coach in the NBA. He earns about eight and a half million dollars a year. Steve Kerr earns seventeen and a half million dollars a year.

James Dolan could top that if he wants, If he really wants to go out and get Jason Kidd. He could decide, I'm going to make you the highest paid coach in the NBA.

So that is one big factor.

The other big factor is, yes, James Dolan's ownership has kept some people away, but Jason Kidd played for James Dolan. He understands the spectacle of New York and the ownership for the MAVs has not proven itself to be wonderful in these last six months either, So.

I don't think that's a detriment.

I think the Knicks can be kind of a little bit of a dream job for Jason Kidd. And in terms of competitiveness, yes, Dallas is going to be way more competitive than we expected because of Cooper Flagg. However, they are still in the West. The West is going to be crazy next year while the East, the Knicks are going to be a favorite to at least reach the conference finals. They got to game six of the conference finals last year. The team they played their star blew out his achilles, and the team before.

That blew out his achilles. So I just think there are so many things about that New York.

Job that could could make Jason Kidd say I don't want to be in here anymore Dallas, and then Nico Harrison can say whatever he wants, but I just don't see him staying on the team where he doesn't want.

To be coaching.

Rachel Nichols, Fox Sports. You know, I did this earlier in the week, and I was surprised the pushback I got. I said, we've got seven champs in seven years, and I said here's the order, and I think it's pretty close. But I got amazing pushback when I put the Lakers number one. And Nick Wright also pointed this out. The year the Lakers won, Lebron was close to his prime and Ad was on his prime, and of the other remaining teams, nobody had a one to two as good as those two. And before COVID the Lakers were twenty four and three and would have been the home court favorite. Go back today. So you're a good person to ask. You grew up in the East, but you live out west. People thought I was an abject homer. I'll make folks, they had the best one two combo. They were an unbeatable team that year, and they got home court stripped from them. Go back to that twenty twenty season. You were in La tell me everyone ever, everybody thinks COVID was a break for them, I'm like, no, no, no, it was a negative for them.

Colin I was in the bubble, so I can tell you from living there that that championship was as earned as any other championship. I think it is ridiculous this national conversation of is there an asterisk? Is it the Mickey Mouse Championship. Alex Caruso even made a joke about it after the thunder one, saying, oh, now I've got a real one. I don't understand that at all. It was one of the toughest environments I have ever seen. No crowds, there, no home court advantage.

To sort of get you riled up.

You had to withstand a day to day that made several other teams just quit. I watched the Clippers just quit, give up.

And say we want out of this.

So there is no question to me that twenty twenty was a real and hard earned title. Now on your list, I would personally put the twenty four Celtics above the twenty twenty Lakers. I just think that that was one of the most complete teams I have ever seen play basketball. Between what they could do offensively five out with the way every single guy in that team could play really strong defense.

And the talent level of Jason.

Tatum and Jaylen Brown that shown in that series in that finals just impressed me so much. So I would put them actually at the top of that list. But the twenty twenty Lakers championship, I'll fight those people, Colin, I'll fight them.

That was no dope.

Yeah, And the following year the Lakers were the number one seed as well, until Lebron got hurt. So they had about a year and a half where they were really really rolling defensively and they could score KCP and Caruso, Rachel Nichols is always good seeing you.

Great to see you, Colan.

So you see j Mac you you think it's always anti Lakers, But Nick came on Tuesday and I said, sometimes you'll do a rant or a list or something and people just are adamant. It's like, guys, anybody in America, you know this jam, anybody in America in any field that succeeded during COVID. I mean, Jim harbaught Michigan just gave up. Belichick's like, no, we're just I mean, like elite people elite restaurant tours, elite, I mean people in tech, hands in the air. It was it was just people are missing out on how good that team was. Well.

By the way, what was his take on having the Thunder six out of seven?

Because I think the Raptors might have been more impressive. They took down a sixers team with Embiid, Jimmy Butler and they and Ben Simmons when he was actually good, Like that was a strong team. This Thunder team ruled some weak teams. A lot of guys were injured. I was unimpressed with the Thunder title and the fact that the celebration wrapped up at eleven o'clock at Applebee's earlier this week.

I'm sure you saw that last calls.

Like eleven o'clock in Okay, see.

Okay, don't need to take any shots.

Yea, yeah, we.

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He's still moving.

Based on a comment by Josh Kronke, who's the president of the Denver Nuggets, he brought up the idea of trading it would be, you know, last resort of trading the joker. They were talking about the Aprons the new cap and I said to me, there are seven untradable athletes in America today. Caitlin Clark, Patrick Mahomes I think are at the very very top. I think at Shohey Otani Jokich, the best player in the NBA, Josh Allen, Aaron Judge, and I think Jayden Daniels is the next. I think he's going to be the Patrick Mahomes, although stylistically he's more. Lamar Jackson. I think he's going to be the next He's going to be the Mahomes of the NFC. And people bring up Wemby and I'm like, listen, miss forty games. Big guys at seven to four, Historically, they don't last that long. Blood clot issue worries. To me, I saw that. I think that was Chris Bosh's issue. People say Lamar Jackson. Lamar Jackson's passer rating in the playoffs is like low eighties. Josh Allen's is over one hundred. Josh has been a great playoff performer. Lamar has it. There are critics. I think he's wonderful, but there are critics. Joe Burrow. Joe Burrow got another significant injury. If Josh Allen got hurt, tomorrow bad. So what if smaller Joe Burrow did, who's had multiple injuries, You'd have to draft another quarterback. You wouldn't if Mahomes or Josh Allen got hurt, he wouldn't do that. So I think there's I think there's seven. And again I'm projecting Cooper Flag is somebody I wouldn't trade either, but he hasn't played a game yet. We don't know the one that I think I can see everybody saying j Mac is Steph Curry. But Michael Jordan was the face of the league, a better player in a bigger media market, drove a higher rating, and he got moved.

Well wait a minute, wait a minute, he got moved.

Or he quit for the sacond day. Well, they told him this is the last dance. They were moving off him. And so I mean, if Michael Jordan, I always said this, if Bellachick and Andy Reid can get fired, anybody can get fired in the NFL. If Michael Jordan can be escorted out of the city like we're done, okay, then it's Steph Curry. I'll ask you this if tomorrow there was a private conversation and somebody said, we'll give you Wemby Stefan Castle and our second pick in the first round for Curry. If you don't take.

That's just come on.

Well, I'm just saying nobody, the Dodgers. You could give them Aaron Judge and Garrett Cole, they would not move off show. Hey O, Tommy, well no, you a moneymaker of the market. Everything lines up.

But I'm just telling you, I just got a text from this.

Gentleman named Wardell Curry, and he said, wtf is Colin talking about? They are not trading me under any circumstances, Colin, he is their franchise. They're not moving off Curry. By the way, I'm sorry. I know he's old and he's probably got one year left. Under no circumstances. Are the Lakers trading Lebron James. That's just not happening. There's no way it's not happening.

You they're not doing.

The point is you don't know that you could trade.

Well, theoretically you could trade Patrick Mahomes. If somebody says.

As oh no, no, no, this isn't this isn't sports talk radio, right, this isn't like call from an anonymous phone. You can't trade Mahomes. You could absolutely trade Lebron tomorrow for Jokic and they let and Mark Walters would do it in one Okay, Well.

Let's get Walter's on the phone. There's no way they're trading Lebron. By the way, has Lebron ever been traded.

Against against?

Has he ever been forty one?

Doesn't matter, He's still he said, Lebron James, he's printing money.

Lak The Lakers sell out during Kobe's awful last four years, couldn't get a ticket.

The LA lays a bunch of star you know whatters around here.

They love Lebron.

If he's healthy, they're showing up.

Jay, Mac, you can't do this. You couldn't. The Lakers have lost Magic Kobe Shack. They traded Shack.

Shack was Kobe.

Yeah, yeah, the.

Shack was unbuild. He was way more popular than Kobe. Shack was. He was the unmovable for They moved off him and didn't lose a season ticket holder.

Well, they will take to Kobe, and they were like Kobell.

Well, the Lakers have Luca.

If Luca and Lebron beefed, I guess yes, I suppose.

Well, there's the argument, you can trade Lebron tomorrow. If Luca went to the front office and said he's out, he's out, it's over.

Lucas said that that's like my hero in basketball.

I know we could create these scenarios, but come.

On, these guys, these guys, you can't take phone calls. In fact, I'll make the argument if you called, if Baltimore said, you know, we can almost see you guys from here. We're right across the potomach. We'll give you Lamar for Jade and Daniels. You don't do it, No, j Jadan Daniels's song as rookie deal.

Of course you don't do that.

And I would argue in the pocket he may be better than Lamar.

Right now, did we pump the brakes?

He hasn't played twenty NFL games yet, Maybe he's not twenty one games or whatever.

The breaks on this car don't work. I'm not even taking a call on him tomorrow. If Luke is just like I can't do it with Lebron. They don't even hesitate to move Lebron.

So again, what's the argument that they would trade Wemby from the Spurs?

What is that again? Just run by?

No, I'm saying, I'm saying right now, I always use this argument. Let's throw out a crazy hypothetical. He misses another forty games this year, you are going to look at him differently than you did two years.

That's in a hypothetical. Let's deal in reality.

Not No, it's not bigs that get hurt in the first two years. We have a twenty five year history. They get hurt again within two years.

Technically, he didn't get hurt. He had a blood clot of medical issue. Sorry to get all you know.

Well, there's not a lot of pro athletes at twenty one that have major blood clot issues. They're is it out.

Wires, It's just random. This isn't Greg Odin.

Okay, I'm not saying you would, but I'm saying there there is a history of bigs and medical concerns early. I was said six years ago in MBT. I'm like, guys, he can't stay healthy. That's right on that, you know.

Listen, I had fun of fun four days watching my daughter play volleyball. I forgot how much fun this is coming. Oh my gosh, geez I. I just love arguing with you, man.

Jmckle.

The news, no news, this is the herd line news.

All right, no argument here. You're Genenver Broncos. Everybody loves them both. Nick center year two after having probably the second best rookie quarterback season after Jade and Daniels. In a recent TV appearance, Bronco's left tackle Garrett Bowles spoke Khiglie of his quarterback.

Bose a trenendous football player.

Man, I'm so grateful I get to protect him and you know, you know, being his live side protector, you know, giving them all the time in the world. You know, he's he's a freaking angel. You know, you looked at the numbers that he put up last year. You know, you know, between him and J. T. Daniels, you know, those was the two young quarterbacks the league that's going to be very successful. And you know, I have one of them behind me. And you know his demeanor, his composer, his you know, his work atic, you know, just always wanting to get better and let me know, his arm, talent and just the way he sees you. Hey, yeah, swag man, he really does.

You know. It's funny half the GMS were not Bonnicks fans. Isn't that amazing?

Well, he's like a jack of all trades, master of none. This doesn't he's not a special player in any category.

He just good at everything.

I mean, he's a rookie. He threw for thirty eight hundred yards and had twenty nine passing touchdowns as a rookie in a division with Harbaugh and Andy Reid and the Raiders actually defensive league were okay.

So for anybody who thinks bon Nicks could have a sophomore slump. He opens against the Tennessee Titans crap defense, and then the Indianapolis Colts average at best. Then he has the Bengals in Week four and they haven't played defense in a few years. So there is a world where Nicks comes out hot and honestly, Denver starts three and one or people are like, oh, is this maybe a super Bowl team? Like this schedule. I know the Chargers game will be difficult out here at so far, and then that Eagles Jets back to back.

On the is tough.

But the New York Giants don't have a defense. The Cowboys defense doesn't scare anybody, you know. The Texans defense is good, not elite. I don't think, Sorry, Greg, I think there's a world where Nicks does not have a slump in Denver's an eleven win team.

Yeah, I mean, it just was interesting. I remember going I saw Bonnicks play twice live, and I remember the second time I went to Utah. I was in Utah and I got a seat in the second row, and because I wanted to be behind the Oregon bench. He was literally going talking to his offensive lineman, barking like it was like he was a code. The first thing you noticed, he's way more ripped in person than you think, like he is jacked up, not Will Levis where it looks like he's, you know, kind of infatuated with a mirror, but just kind of in shape. And then the second thing is do that guy coach is on the sideline like he is barking at college guys. So it's just funny that in the NFL, where quarterbacks the number one position, a big chunk of the league, with sixty one games on tape, two major conferences, about half the league wasn't into him. I just don't get what didn't they see or athletic. Then I think people realize maybe you just people didn't watch enough Oregon. You watch them play in college. Dude is an athlete.

It's okay to say that the NFL still struggles at times to identify who's gonna work in the NFL at quarterback and who won't.

Next up Colin, let's go to the Cowboys.

Not talking about them a lot because there's really nothing to say.

But the wide receiver room is legit.

They've got the one two punch of pickins and CD Lamb and listen.

Brian Schottenheimer's first run as a head coach could be impressive.

According to Pro Football Focus, you can't find a better.

One two punch at wide.

Receiver is always operated best when they have a vertical threat that opens up the space to allow Ceede Lamb to work underneath.

And you know what I.

Still think to this day, I think they're the winners right now of the George Pickens trade.

I like this trade.

On their end. They can decide whether to extend him later. But he was one of five receivers in the NFL with a perfect ninety nine point nine deep receiving grade. The threat that Pickens gives you one on one deep down the field is going to open things up for Lamb underneath. And I don't think you could pick two receivers that compliment each other better than those two.

I'll tell this at you. I'm gonna name I think there's about eight teams every year that could win the Super Bowl. And I'll name them, and you say, yes if you believe it, Okay, Kansas City, yeah, Buffalo yeah, Baltimore, yes, Detroit yeah, Rams yeah. You like San Francisco, I'll put them in there. San Francisco, Yeah, Like I think the Chargers are going to be in that space. My personal opinion, Chargers, you maybe yes or no. Your Super Bowl bubble is gonna be huge well right now. And I think Denver's better than people think. So what do they all have in common? They all have good coaches. Like it's interesting to watch Cowboy fan. There's an argument you have the worst staff in the league. I'm not saying. I'm not saying coach is bigger than quarterback. But this Brian shotten Emmer thing is going to unravel by mid October. He struggled to keep jobs as a coordinator. I don't I've interviewed him. He has a reputation as a nice guy. He was a bounce around guy at cowardin there. Tell me the last bounce around the league coordinator that became a great head coach. It doesn't exist. Yeah, Like so it's like, doesn't matter how goods Pickens is. Well, mid October, there's gonna be rumors. I mean, never forget this, that Mike McCarthy left the Cowboys.

Yeah, that was before Pickens. I'll just say the variance with Pickens is going to be massive. I mean, Colin, he's playing for a contract, right, he's opposite Ceedee Lamb and if him and Dak click and he's like, man, I could be a big money guy. Maybe Pickens keeps his stays in line and isn't like a locker room disaster like in Pittsburgh. I mean, doesn't that exist that scenario.

The only scenario I see is five and twelve. That's it or less, this team does not win six games. All right, I'm convinced of it. Yeah, we have a trade in the NBA. Colin Holy Cal, here we go.

The Los Angeles Lakers have traded up from the fifty fifth pick in the second round of tonight's draft to the forty fifth pick. Now, it's unclear if the Lakers are targeting someone specifically or or they are lining up a trade. There is a lot of stuff floating around right now about your guy Austin Reeves.

Because he's in line for a four year, eighty nine million dollar deal.

But if he's traded to another team, he could make one hundred and eighty two mil, basically a lot more money.

If he goes elsewhere.

Now he's going to command a big, big contract to the Lakers trade him to get someone else to get in front of having to pay him. There's also reports tell me, would you do this? Okay, would you do Rui Hachimura, Dalton Can and a twenty thirty one first round pick for Derek White?

Yes, say it again to the audience.

Ruiyachimura, Dalton connect and a twenty thirty one first Lebron will be long gone, Luca will be like thirty.

Derek White, Derek ab So change the Lakers.

You would have a nucleus of Reeves, White, Luca Lebron that's formidable, but no size whatsoever.

Okay, that is a top three to four team in the West.

You and this.

They have no size, which is fine because Derek White isn't size, but Luca is a big guard. Derek White's an elite defender. So you would have four guys, four that can create shots or hit threes. You may not win a championship. You'd still have to make a size move at some point. You have to with the trade deadline, get size. Can Hayes and Reddick don't work.

They went after Mark Williams from Charlotte. Well he got traded to Phoenix.

I can't get that move. I think that's the easiest move you've ever proposed on this show.

And now I don't propose that. Hold on, hold it, that's a report that's not mine. I'm on the fence on this deal.

Order.

So if that deal goes through, give me your top four players on the Lakers in order.

Uh. Well, look, I would say Lebron, Luca, Derek White, Austin Reeves, Derek White above Austin News. Derek White's an elite defender. Austin Reeves is this chair?

Oh I'm sorry, hell out to stop disparaging my guy.

All right.

The problem is Austin Reeves. If he is your four, that's a conference final potential team. If he's your three, you're not dead.

Let me just remind you Rudy Gobert had like twenty seven and twenty in the clincher. Okay, this trade does nothing to help them against a big Okay.

Derek White's thirty one and was on the Team USA last year. He's better than Austin Reeves. I got news for you. Austin Reeves against the t Wolves when they put athletes on him. Hello, anybody's seen him? Where do you go?

Oh?

Oh man?

That would be a first of all, who's proposing this trade?

I don't know it, says report here.

Listen, I'm not giving up the Japanese Jordan aka Ruyatsi Moro. He's good, He's very valuable. And listen, first round picks down the road. I don't know whether the Lakers are gonna be in five years. I do think they're gonna be good with new ownership, but we'll see if that.

If that is the if that is available, make the move. Derek White's you're three now in Boston when they won a title, he was somewhere between a four and five. But they're not Boston. They're not but and the East is easier than the West. But if Derek White's you're three in Austin's your four, that is a multiple potential. If everybody's healthy and Lucas supposed to be in decent shape, that is a multiple series winning Westerns.

Lakers become the savorites in the West.

Over overrated okay, so.

No, no, no, no, Okay, sees better. Houston's probably better, but by Dallas I think is wereal Toy good. But I've said this for years, it's not about your star. Who is your fourth best player? When the Warriors dominated the league, think about how this team you had Katie one, Step two, Clay three, Draymon four. Draymond is the best defensive player in the history of the league. Okay, but that's your four and he's an offensive catalyst. That is an all time team. If you go to Jordan Pippin, I mean, KU coach at one point was great and then Rodman, you start going to when your fourth guy is like a Hall of Fame level player. Derek White is a Team USA guy, tremendous shooter, smart guy, worker and an excellent defender. Boyll the Celtics cleaning house or why would they want the Dalton Connect.

Get off money? Well don't.

The Connect is a gunner, just like your boy. He loves to fill it up from downtown. Doesn't play a lot of d though.

And those new Celtics owners are going to be shedding some payroll. They're going to be down to Jalen Brown and a bunch of Wicker furniture. What's going on here? They're dumping the whole franchise. Jmack with the news.

Well that's the news, and thanks for stopping by the herd Line News.

Get me all fired up for that. Jmack. J Max says, well, they're called reports, Well, who who's reporting?

I'm interested Joey Baggett Donuts in Boston.

According to Davis, for that was too specific for you to just make up there's something there. If that's if that, I would make that movie one. I can't even believe it's available. It's the hurd.

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

Alex Hello looks to continue his legendary season and hold off Award new Garden Kirkwood and the rest of the pack as the Indie Car series roars into midd Ohio July sixth on Fox.

So I had said the other day that I think Caitlin Clark maybe stylistically play is like Steph Curry, but I think she's really Michael Jordan. Is that you know, magic and Bird. People say save the League, but Michael made it global. Michael really made a lot of guys rich. His ability to sell merchandise. That's why that movie Air is so good. Damon Ben Affleck, It's such a good movie. And that's her. She has moved merchandise up five hundred percent ratings fifty percent. Jordan's the only pro athlete in my lifetime that literally had half the league viewership in his pocket. And then she arrived. Michael his second year, broke a bone in his foot and you know, didn't play much, and because the league was getting very, very physical. And in college basketball, players you know, you play go from thirty games to play in eighty two plus the playoffs in pre season. So now Caitlin Clark has banged up. She will not play again tonight. So the physicality, she's getting roughed up, the league has an off season. How do we defend her, Well, it's pretty obvious how people want to defend her. They're trapping, double teaming, getting very physical, and now she's banged up. So her first six games she was Caitlin Clark. In her last three games, she's averaging twelve a game and shooting twenty seven percent. She is not healthy. So this is where she's a lot like Michael Jordan is the physicality of the league, and basketball has always been this way. If you can't figure out how to stop somebody, Steph Curry face some of this in basketball. The ants Arizuola's get physical with them, make them uncomfortable. Rick Patina was on yesterday and talked about Caitlin Clark. She's a great passive.

She reminds me of Steph Curry when Steph Curry came into the league. She's doing what step did early on. She has unbelievable range, she has great visions. She's a terrific passive.

You know, she's.

Physically a little weak, but that's that's she'll She'll get stronger as time goes on. But she really understands how to play, and she reminds me of a female version of Steph Curry. Incredible range.

So you may or may not know this. So when Michael Jordan was getting beat up by the Detroit Pistons, Jmack, you're probably too young to remember this. Jordan finally decided and from this point forward he lifted weights day of game. Every day. Jordan got bigger and stronger. We've seen this with NFL quarterbacks like Jaden Daniels. Apparently he's put on fifteen pounds. Lamar Jackson got thicker. But Jordan, after getting tackled for two years, was finding himself getting worn down by the NBA because they couldn't stop him, So let's tackle him. The Celtics and the Pistons. So Michael put on size. So my take for Caitlin Clark is she has to get more cut right now. She's a great basketball player, She's not terribly strong and you can see it. Players push her around. She fell to the floor off kind of a semi body check and it's like, so, I I think it's very much an mj compon in terms of influence and merchandise and strength. It's a Steph com in that her style. You know her stylistically she plays much more steff than she does Michael Jordan. But I think this is I don't think it's problematic. I think it's the reality. This is why they went and got Sophie Cunningham. Yes, she needed a Charles Oakley. That's why they went and got Charles Oakley in Chicago to protect Michael Jordan. Okay, co what you're saying.

So, first of all, that Jordan's story, so much has been made of it. Oh, I had to get in the weight room and pump iron after the Pistons beat me up. Let me just remind people the Pistons went to the finals three years in a row. The final year they knocked out the Bulls, and that's what Jordan said, I got a lift. So of course the Pistons are gassed. The next year the Bulls sweeped them. So there's this narrative Michael just got stronger and then kicked Detroit's butt, not really, but to curry Colin. Interestingly, early in his career, remember he had ankle injuries and he was not gonna get the big bank money and he ended up getting on like a cheaper contract. I know, it sounds cheaper like it was like eighty million instead of the.

Real big money.

Yeah, relative to what he could have had.

Right, So he was on like one of the best deals ever and that's when they got hot.

But some of these guys, you're right, they're a little wiry. I don't what are you.

Expecting Caitlin Clark to like get on creatine and gain like ten pounds?

Like no, But I do think when I watch Caitlin Clark, I mean, Jordan went from one ninety five to two fifteen.

Yeah, I don't can I don't know that that works with women's bodies in basketball.

Like well, when she plays, I don't you look at her? You don't see a ton of definition. It works with anybody like Asia Wilson. If you watch her play, she's physical, it's.

Like a different frame. But let me and let me ask you this.

Maybe the WNB as WNB and aate's to step up and referee her in a way that says, that's the face of our league. We can't have people drop in her all the time. And we need to protect our stars the way the NFL. You know this, the NFL protects quarterbacks. Remember there was a while. You breathe on Brady, you breathe.

On my homes.

You get your get you back back. You go back to hockey's history. Hockey had an era when scoring went down and you were able to clutch and grab, and Hockey stepped in and said, this is bad for the game. It's slowing, it's down. Yeah, I wouldn't have a problem doing that. The NBA went the other way. NBA says, our game, our players are so skilled, we have to make the game more physical. Otherwise it's one thirty eight, one thirty and people hate now the All Star Game. So the NBA skill is so great, they want a more physical game. But I but NBA guys, can jump over you. Yeah, WNBA players, it's not a vertical league. True, So I do think you may have to consider like hockey did, or like the NFL is done. Okay, we're we're like quarterbacks are sitting targets, a lot of them. Yeah, I do think it's something you have to consider, which is we're going to officiate the WNBA at the trade deadline or whenever they hit it differently than we've done before. I don't think that's radical.

Colin.

Remember she got bumped, poked in the eye, and then bumped. Since that game, she's one for twenty three on three pointers. I don't think it's a coincidence that she's been kind of rattled and shook. I don't know that they injured her in that game, but something seems off.

Clearly she doesn't look like herself.

Think about what's happened in American sports. Baseball has made four to five changes. They've all worked all of them.

Yeah.

The NFL, they changed their kickoff, They've changed their pat Now I love the pat change kickoff. I'm not sure the NBA has never been reluctant to make changes. I think they should shorten the playoffs from ten weeks to like eight of seven gamers to five games maybe until the finals. But I do think the WNBA has had to sort of modify or shift the sport based on having their first superstar, a global superstar. So I think the knock on the WNBA is you weren't prepared for her. And Christine Brennan has a book out, yes, and it's very interesting. I talked about this there day. Caitlin Clark had a game against Michigan when she was a sophomore and drop forty six, and Christine Brennan says, people who were at the game said, this is one of the great games in the history of women's basketball. This player is different. That was like Luca at fifteen was having games where people were like this Luca guy that We've never seen anybody offensively like this in Europe. So I do think the WNBA, maybe now to get the critics off their backs, should modify officiating to and you say, well, it's pandering, No, it's not keeping your assets healthy.

Yeah, protect the moneymaker, baby.

Yep. All right, two hours flying by, It is a Thursday hour three coming up. It's the hurt

The Herd with Colin Cowherd

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