The Herd with Colin CowherdWhere Colin was right and wrong, plenty of both
Senior NBA writer from The Athletic, Sam Amick joins The Herd to talk about the NBA playoffs, Adam Silver's fingerprints on the league, the fate of the Celtics, and more
Thoughts on Boomer Esiason's comments on Caleb Williams not wanting to play for the Bears
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Here we go our number two on a Monday.
You know, j Mac, I have discovered something in Chicago.
I eat a lot more bread and I'm and it's all good. I tell my wife, can we mix in? I don't know, canalo some seamfood? I'm eating a lot of bread and it's all amazing.
Oh boy, you gained some weight. Huh yeah, right before your big trip. Huhyahs, so you can look like a typical American over there.
Yeah, I am all right. We do it every Monday at this time.
Colin is right, Colin is wrong, and there is as always plenty of both where Colin was right. Well, I'm somewhat vindicated. I broke the story a year ago that Caleb Williams and most notably his dad, were a little uneasy and unsure about his son playing in Chicago excellent reporter Seth Wickersham also last week reporting the same thing. Listen, Caleb and his dad, looking at the history of the quarterback position, had said, this is where quarterbacks go to die. I was told the same thing. Caleb didn't want to push the nuclear button. He did not want to start his NFL career in controversy, so he complied. He went to the Bears. But it should be duly noted that all of his concerns about the Bears and chaos did come true.
Where Colin was wrong.
I would not have paid Brock pretty in the fifty millions, but the Niners did. I said, listen, Tua and Dak, you'll become top heavy, and the Dolphins and the Cowboys did.
Listen. Kyle Shanahan is running the operation.
He's a smart kid, moves pretty well, terribly coachable, and let's be honest, when you give him time with the weapons like Kittle and Jennings, he's an accurate distributor of the football.
I thought they'd pushed back.
I thought they'd tried to get in the forties, but he got closer to fifty five million than forty five million.
Where Colin was right.
Caitlin Clark. It took a year, but the league has finally figured it out. The WNBA is going to televise at this point today all but two of her games, and those may eventually get televised. She is Taylor Swift meets Tiger Woods. We said this last year, the league just didn't quite know what it had. Right now, the Fever are out drawn not only a good team in the Indiana Pacers, but a highly entertaining Eastern Conference Finals team in the Indiana Pacers. She is a once in a generation not only talent talent, but revenue stream and the WNBAS finally figured it out.
Where Colin was right.
I thought the Denver Nuggets would push Oklahoma City to six or seven games. I did like the Thunder to win the series based on depth and levers their coach could pull. But the series, if you listen to odds makers, they thought it was going to be a landslide. And I'm sorry, even the odds makers don't quite understand how good Jokich is. I thought yesterday, by about mid to late second quarter, they ran out of gas, murried, didn't do anything. Aaron Gordon was playing at about seventy percent. But I thought it would be a close series, and it was.
Where Colin was wrong.
The New York Knicks Listen after they won that first game coming back from twenty in Boston. I said, they're not gonna win. They're not gonna win another game in this series, and I really believed it. But the physicality in the NBA playoffs benefited a lot of teams. I mean, it made the Pistons uh more viable against the Knicks. It helped the Knicks, it helped the Pacers, it helps Minnesota, and Boston was a pretty team that was heavily reliant on threes, and three point shooting has gone down significantly in these playoffs.
I'm here for it.
I like the layered style of play the NBA is encouraging, but I was wrong on that.
Series where Colin was right.
I never got the hate for Tyrese Halliburton. I Q e Q distributes controls, pacing, he can score, elevate others. He was voted most overrated player on an NBA anonymous poll. Some of it's just petty, but I think when you watch him play, you're seeing the future of the NBA. The new CBA is not going to allow for stacked rosters. It's going to be point guard driven, elevating other B and B plus players, and I think Halliburton's as good as anybody at.
The league at that where Colin was right.
The New England Patriots, I said back in March, they are the number one bet on my board to double their wins. And the over unders and or future bets came out last week and lo and behold, the Patriots were favored in eleven of their seventeen games. So listen, major upgraded head coach d Line. They had eleven draft picks, so I can only assume their depth will be better. I think they got a left tackle in the draft and Will Campbell, so I don't think there's any question the AFC is harder top to bottom than the NFC, but I think a coaching upgrade.
Sean Payton proved this in Denver.
Can be somewhere between three four and six points per game, and if you had just given this team six to seven points more last year, they would have won ten games.
Colin was right.
Well Now even ex steeters popular ex steeters like Ryan Clark are sounding off about Mike Tomlin. I think Mike Tomlin's going to get votes for the Hall of Fame. I think he's a great motivator, but Ryan Clark said last week his message has grown stale. Listen, it's an offensive league. This team can't figure out their offensive line for seven years. They're showing no urgency at quarterback. Who knows if Aaron Rodgers is going to be around. Even pat Riley used to say it. You get about ten years to coach and then people players tune you out. I think Tomlin's going to get Hall of Fame votes, but listen, Andy Reid, Bill Belichick, Pete Carroll, all time coaches have moved on or been moved out, and I just feel like it's time in Pittsburgh. Colin Wright, Colin wrong on a Monday with that Sam Amick at the Athletics senior NBA writer is non joining us.
You know, I think when sam Win.
Adam Silver got the job as commissioner, it took him a while to unpack some things. There were things he was clearly uncomfortable with. He did not like Kevin Durant going to the Warriors. He thought it was lobsided.
He didn't like it. But you know, you got to get to the new CBA. You can't.
You can't pull many levers when you take over for Stern. I think this NBA is what Adam wants. More parody and less star stacking, more physical which takes away some of the three point shooting, where the baskets and the physicality kind of I don't know. I look at this basketball. I like it aesthetically I prefer it, but I do feel like this is finally Adam Silver's footprint on the league.
I do you agree with any of that?
I agree with all of it.
I think you're right that, you know, especially following somebody as legendary and you know, kind of impactful as David Stern, Adam took his time to put his fingerprints on things.
Look at last night's game game seven.
Okay, see Denver, Okay, see he suddenly represents, you know, the right way to build within the context of this collective bargaining agreement.
They're well positioned to contend because of that. Denver.
Meanwhile, we wrote this today. The Nuggets, you know, you almost feel bad for him. They are constructed more to fight back against the teams that were the way of the previous NBA and and now they have to find a way to pivot. Obviously, we're seeing shorter runways for dominance, for contention, just as the Celtics, who are you know, feeling it this week for a number of different reasons.
Even if Jason Tatum, as you know, didn't.
Get hurt, you know, they were in a bad place roster wise, salary wise, So the churn.
Is going to be more.
I don't know how I feel about it long term. Right now, I mean, it's been a blast. The playoffs have been amazing, The style of play is fantastic. You have new fan bases who are you know, incredibly excited about being in titled contention, not you know, not the dynasty approach of before. So long term we'll see, but you know, I see the vision and we're seeing it layout right now.
One of the things that's interesting the NFL did this in the Eagle Patriot super Bowl that Roger Goodell had hurt a lot of heat. Nobody can understand the catch rule. I remember having him as a guest and I'm like, I don't know what a catch is. That's a problem. I talk about sports for a living. I feel like Adam Silver had heard so much about three point shooting. He said, we're gonna let more physicality. You can hit on those shooters, wear those shooters down the calves. Boston, I would say, were pretty teams instead physical Detroit physical, New York physical, Indiana physical, Minnesota. Yes, I feel like this is a pivot literally, not a memo or a call, but I feel like Adam said, guys, swallow the whistle. I mean, this doesn't look anything like the regular season, does it.
It doesn't.
And to me, it goes back even farther.
The whistle had changed last year and in the second half of the year prior. You remember, let's go back to the All Star Game in Indianapolis, when you know nobody's obviously trying. The scoring is through the roofs, and leading into that, you had all these guys who scoring, who were not elite scorers, scoring fifty plus points.
It was way too easy, you know. I've talked to Adam about it.
I've talked to Joe Dumars at the time, of course, had his position with the league, Money mccutch and the head of referees. They they looked at the game itself and also, by the way, coach k Mike Krzewski is is a consultant with the NBA and Mike told Adam defense is fun too, and fans like defense, and they started talking about, you know, how to tweak the game.
And I find it so interesting.
At the time you look at Joe Dumars, this guy who's from the Bad Boy Pistons, and you know, and the irony of him, you know, had playing a part in the league being so offensive heavy, so they pushed it the other way. It's even more extreme in this postseason, just with MMA style stuff at times. Mostly I think it's great, a little wear and tear effect on the guys. I think the players are figuring out what they think about it. But entertainment wise, it's been fantastic.
You know what Sammy make joining us from the athletic You know what's really interesting. I said during the season, I kept saying over and over, Okay, nixt need a swing, they need KD, they need another bucket, they need Giannis. And now I watch them and I mean, no, don't just rupt it, just let them play.
I think they need to tweet.
You know what they need is Hartenstein, who they let go to OKC because they couldn't afford it. If they had him, you may be able to win multiple championships. But what do you think? What do you think this style of play? Let's just take the Knicks. Do you think and they listen, they've been very patient for the last three years. They weren't the previous twenty they didn't reach This is a smartly, slowly constructed operation.
Now what do.
You think the Knicks do? I mean, if they beat Indiana, maybe nothing. If they lose, maybe something. What do you think the Knicks need or do they need anything going forward?
Well, they might, like you said, they might need nothing. There's so much parody among the final four here that I could actually see the championship parade, you know, going down Madison Avenue.
So we'll see if they fall short.
And they are a fascinating case study for all this stuff we're talking about, because they have been tough and gritty in the playoffs, but leading into it, questions were there on that front. Karl Anthony Town's not always the bruising type. That part of their identity kind of comes and goes. But let's say they fall short. The patience I think is still going to be there. But and this is something I think we're going to get to later in our chat as well. But you know, they honest thing is going to loom over everybody this summer. The Knicks, if he is actually available, are absolutely going to look at that very hard. And so that's the most obvious one. But we'll see, you know, how they finish this run.
First, it feels like to me there are three tiers of off season moves, be y honest tier, then there's the KD tier. Then there's the Jonathan Kaminga tier, which is a good player but not a defined offensive game. Right if when you size it up, Sam, you've been doing this for years, Let's talk Giannis. I think Miami would want him. I don't know if they can get it done. You could do a double twin tower with Wemby, but again I wouldn't want to move off. Maybe they move off their draft pick. I don't know. Do you think there's a leader in the clubhouse quietly right now on that.
No, because it all starts with the big fella.
Giannis has got an extremely close and small circle. They don't leak much, they don't chat much outside of that circle. You know, right now I can confidently share and have written this that you know it's clear that Giannis is reading the room and deciding what he thinks of the current situation in Milwaukee. Eventually he will meet with GM John Horst and Bucks management and ownership to discuss things. But it's all going to be about how he sees the chessboard, so to speak, because regardless of what all these different teams might be able to put on the table to get him, it all starts and ends with a does he want to leave Milwaukee? And then be if he does, where does he want to go? And then the Bucks have got to figure out how they're going to move. You know, he's got two years left on his deal and this is an absolutely massive moment for them because this is a guy they want to see in a Bucks jersey until the end of his career. So you know, we got to wait and see if he wants out and if so, where he wants to go.
So I'm a slight lean Indiana over the next I don't know what to make of ok Okac in Minnesota. I think home court could be the difference. I think it's fascinating. You know, people would say, well, you know, outside of New York, this isn't going to work for the league. I don't know if it is, but I will say the coaching Minnesota's done. Julius Randall is a new player. He wasn't this good in the first month of the season for Minnesota. He's a new player. It's incredible, Like it's a moment. It's like, what am I why? I couldn't remember when he was a Laker and you felt like the poor league was moving away from him. You're like, oh, it's too bad.
He wasn't playing twenty years ago. He's a great guy, right.
And then Gobert can't score. Calmy passed his prime. Nas Reed kind of an energy, athletic guy. Tell I think, Okase, he's just got more good quality rotational players. I think they're better. I don't know what to make of this series. You know, Sam, they say styles make fights. I want to watch the first two rounds. Do you have a lean on that series?
I've been around Okay, see, you know I was there last night. I'm in Okay. See right now.
They are so deep and so dangerous and so dominant when they're at their best, and that's the qualifier here. Mark Dagnall said postgame something I thought was completely on point. He said that his takeaway from Game seven is you know, we were who we are, which sounds like a Dennis Green twist on his old quote, but like they lived.
Up to their identity.
But the subtext there is that they didn't do that for a lot of the series against Denvers. So I have questions about their inexperience, about their inconsistency.
I probably trust Minnesota a little bit more.
And you know, I actually think he's been better than people have been given him credit for in these playoffs. It's a different style of play. He's been more of a playmaker, but he's been a good leader. He's finding ways to lift the guys around him. He's had a few stinkers, you know, and Chris Finch called them out after Game one against the Warriors. But they are a lot deeper than Denver. I think that's going to pose problems for Okay. See they have more optionality defensively to deal with. You know, this kind of you know, bunch of veloci raptors that the Thunder has and I think it is a fascinating matchup. And then of course, like the you've got the boxing match component of SGA and and these two incredible young stars, and you know who's gonna meet the moment, it'll be fun. But I think Minnesota is gonna give him a fight.
Yeah, Sam Amick the athletic, it's fun.
You're gonna get some moves.
We were saying, this is if the Bucks move Yannis West and OKC, he's got a war chest and SODA's Houston Soda, San Antonio, And if I was the GM, I just want to get him out of my conference. Boy, the East is gonna be wide open, like like that's the thing. Like Caitlin, Clark and Halliburton may have a nice run here because if you take if I mean seriously, Sam, you start moving guys out of it. Do you see anybody moving east? It's KD Miami a play Uh.
I mean, I think that the Miami situation is tricky, you know, because they don't have the foundation that I think has got stars around the league. Even though it is Miami saying, you know, we're so used to so many players wanting to go there. I'm not getting that vibe right now, so I don't think they're going to be on anybody's short list.
The point you.
Make about the East, I think also ties into the honest discussion.
And I guarantee you.
The Bucks when they sit down with Giannis are going to highlight exactly what you just talked about, which is to say, yes, we know the roster isn't where we need it to be to contend for a title, but you honest like you could still maybe be top four and then like roll the dice and see what happens because the East is taking a step back. You know, KD an interesting one obviously, you know we'll see where he goes. But but you're right, I mean, it's it's it's you know, the parody is there, but it's not as dominant as it was before.
Sam, AMC is always great seeing you.
What a fun last couple of months it has been, will be as well going forward. Thanks Sam, indeed, thanks Colin, appreciate you you've been. Yeah, it's been a lot of fun. I've enjoyed it. Jay MC in your next you know, usually it was funny. I was watching there was some Yankee Met stuff over the weekend, and it's such a there are moment. Half the year is great for New York. You know, the minute the NFL is over until October, it's going to be great time for the New York sports franchises. They may have the two worst organizations in pro football.
I mean they do that. These are bad teams.
But I will say this between the Yankees, Mets, and Knicks, it is that the Garden looked. It was insane on Friday night, just insane.
Without question and real quick. I'm starting to dig in a little more to the Jets. Listen, I'm not drinking any kool aid, but they're not going to be as bad as people think. That defense is loaded. They get Johnson back, their ed rusher from FSU, who is phenomenal two years ago.
I'm just saying they're going to be competitive.
I don't see any much reaction from you, but like, yeah, I.
Know justin fields, you're not down. But just keep an eye on the Jets.
No expectations, new coach, new attitude, and quarterback.
Oh oh, new attitude. Okay, all right.
Well, and AFC is a pretty easy conference to predict because the gap between great quarterbacks and average ones is so severe. I think it's much harder in the NFC, where I mean, Stafford's great, but he gets banged up and he's older. So I think the AFC is an easy prediction. Last year I had success there. I think the NFC there's only two or three things I know. I know the Eagles are stacked. I know Jaden Daniels is insane. I know McVeigh and Stafford are going to win a bunch of games. There's a lot of questions, you know, I don't. I don't know. You know, I can can Washington literally duplicate that? By the way, Detroit's a good one. Now Chicago's for real? You like Minnesota Green Boys, Oh was viable?
You know?
Is Detroit going to duplicate that? So now they're the hunted not the hunter? Is Dan Campbell's message? Raw?
Raw, almost collegiate message? Does that play? Now?
I think all that stuff to your point, you're you're a doubter on them.
I'm not.
But I think the NFC is a hard conference to figure out. I don't know what to do with the Night or Seattle. I don't know what to do with Seattle. I don't know what to do with Sam Darnold, new team, new conference, new coach.
But I know what to do with the Jets.
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All right, welcome back.
I did think it was interesting, I said, Sean McVay really screwed up August for sports talk show hosts because for years and years you could talk about the NFL Week three of the exhibition season, you know, starters would play. Now it's down in three weeks. Sean McVay said, I'm not going to play any starters. People push back and said, oh, your team won't be ready, and then the Rams went eight no, And so August is. You know, July and August are dry in our business. But you know, the WNBA and Caitlin Clark have really become a topic. And I thought over the weekend, here we are, you know, season opener level games, and Caitlin Clark had a triple double. She's going to smash doubles do not happen a lot in the WNBA. She's going to become the all time leader probably in about two weeks, and she's going to end up having you know, forty in her career, and you know the top people before that are fifteen. But I did think it was interesting this foul in the game that was upgraded to a flagrant, and it was like, listen, one of the reasons this league is flourishing is the quality of plays gotten better and it's become more physical as a league. Like, that's just not a flagrant. There's nothing about that that is a flagrant. But I think the league's even like, Okay, let's let's protect Angel Reest. That's just a hard foul that that is not a flagrant foul. It's a basketball foul you see a thousand times, especially when you're you know, you're trying to stop somebody from scoring. And Caitlin Clark has no history of being a cheap player. But I do think all of this intensity and animosity is great. I mean, go back to the Michael Jordan Docorent Menery with Isaiah Thomas. They still can't stand each other. Take a deep breath. It's okay. Here's Caitlin Clark on the foul being upgraded to a flagrant.
I'm not sure what the rest saw to upgrade it, and that's up to their discretion after watching the initial whatever happened during the play, and then whatever happened after. You know, we watch a lot of basketball. You it's a take foul to put them at the free throw line and rather give up two points. You know, I've watched a lot of basketball in my life. That's exactly what it was. I wasn't trying to do anything malicious. That's not the type of player I am. So yes, was it anything like that? And I went for the ball And that's clear as day in the replay. You watch it, you know it shouldn't have been upgraded.
Yeah, but her triple double numbers, they just they just don't happen a lot in the WNBA, and they're going to start happening a lot.
They are right now.
The fever, I mean, the people in line for six to eight hours to get merchandise, not to see the game. Merchandise it is. It's got a Taylor Swift vibe. You may not get it, but the fandom here is Epic League has never seen anything like this.
Yeah, let me ask you, Colin, how much of this is Angel Reese is just kind of upset because Caitlin Clark is pasted her. Remember in college LSU was winning the title and she's pointing to the ring. In the WNBA, it's a different story. The fever are good. The sky stink.
Clark has beloved. She's on the cover of Slam.
Magazine, which is, you know, kind of a basketball bible. Clark is getting all the accolades, and here Reese is getting crushed again. I don't think it was so much about the foul, but the other stuff. Clark is being worshiped right now around the league and Reese is kind of not. And I understand it, and you do, but I don't think Reese kind of gets that, do you.
Well, I would say this, there are two sports. There are more than two sports, but the two domestic sports that I've always felt are a little bit insular. Baseball, which always feels like, hey, we don't get you. Guys, don't pay attention to us, you talking heads, you media, We don't we do more NFL college football and NBA and women's basketball. Well you didn't like us before, Caitlin Clark. So when you get these sort of tribal, insular sports, they kind of pushed back when a new star comes into the league, like Bryce Harper came into baseball, and guys like you and me are like, oh, this is great, and baseball is like whoa, there's a way to play the game, and I think there's a little bit of that in the AWNBA were like, time out, Why didn't you pay attention to us the last so and so years. Well, you didn't have your Bryce Harper, you didn't have your Tiger Woods, you didn't have your staff. So I defend them a little bit, but I gave you a couple of weeks on that. Like Baseball, two or three years into Bryce Harper, there were still just like, get over it. He's fascinating and he's great, and his hair is flying, he's great on TV.
Get over it.
I think the NBA is more secure with itself, and the NFL, because they're talked about daily, is more secure with themselves. Those players root for new blood. They love, you know why, because they're like, oh good, you can go interview them and not me all the time. Like Kevin Durant, go talk to him an I'm over, you know, I'm over being discussed interviewed. So I think there's some of that there where I understand some of the animosity. But listen, she got all these teams from commercial jets to private charters. That alone, if anybody in your life could be your stepdad, your boss, if they can get you from commercial economy class to first class.
Thank them.
Okay, this she is rising, all boats, everything is rising.
And let's be real, Colin.
You know, this rivalry they have has become kind of sort of about race. You got the former NFL quarterback RG three weighing in saying that Angel Reese hates Caitlin Clark. It's obvious, and it gets like five million views, and then the WNBA is opening an investigation into fan conduct at the game. I mean, I don't like that it's being made about race, but I kind of sort of get that there is a racial element to this.
I mean, this is a predominantly African American.
League and now Clark comes in and is a big star, and there is some anger from some players. We saw it last year, which cheap shots toward Clark, some commentary, and.
That's not going to stop anytime soon.
Well yeah, I mean, then there's there's there's a racial component do a lot of things. There's also some you know, there's some grifters in the media though, you know, it gets real clicky. I think ultimately the growth of the WNBA is two things. It was growing pre Kitlin Clark. The sport is an easier watch. I said this years ago, I said this ten years ago. I'm like, it looks a little more like guys. It's chippy and there's trash talking. This is good. So I said that years ago, and then all of a sudden you get jet fuel added to it.
Kitlin Clark.
But this league, when you watch it now, the pacing, the ball handling, the passing, and go on YouTube and watch twelve years ago, it didn't look like this. I mean, Cheryl Miller looked like this, but.
The league didn't look like this.
So the quality of play, you could sit down and give this an hour and a half. It's entertaining. It's good basketball. The range of the shooters, the passing. Now again, she's the best at you know, she was just voted the best are the best two guards, the best point guard. But it's a real sport. It's a real sport with a lot of high end athletes, and it's fun.
Jamck with the news.
No, no, no, this is the headline news heard boring.
In the NBA.
Colin.
One of the bigger stories of the postseason has been Julius Randall. He has been incredible, a catalyst in the Wolves domination of the Warriors, Randall was so impressive. Raymond Green came out and said this on his podcast.
The only other playoff series where I felt like I lost my match like that, I didn't completely dominate my matchup, take over my matchup. The only other series really in my career where I feel like I lost my matchup Toronto. And this series also reminds me of that series because it's also a series where I don't feel like I lost my matchup. I lost my matchup like Julius was incredible, and he played great back and obviously like some of the shots he.
Was taken, with shots that you want him to take, it he made him.
Yeah, I mean, that's a lot of this is on Julius Randall could very easily have never developed a three point shot and just been.
An old school power forward.
He deserves a ton of credit for changing his game, and the staff in Minnesota deserves a ton of credit because he did not look like this his first month in Minnesota. He's become a legitimate number two star with this staff and and Edward, he really has become. I mean, god, his assist totals are up, his three point shootings, and he was always a bully. He's always a tough guy. He could always get you know, within six feet. He's just a different player.
By the way, the Lakers fans have to be watching this Western Conference Finals, Julius Randall one of their guys dominating Alex Caruso. Somehow you didn't give him a shout out earlier.
He was pretty fricking.
He was rid of ball yesterday.
In game seven. He's going to be an Western conferenceponse.
I'm just curious, what do you think they do against Randall? Because his playmaking when he's getting a triple double like that was stunning to me. If he's able to do that against okay See, they're in big trouble.
I don't know. Do you put check on Julius Randall. I don't know where the matchup is.
Do thell the advantage. Minnesota is big and they're physical. Now, I would say, okay See has lou Dork and they have length, but Minnesota is the bigger, stronger team. Naz Reid, Rudy Gobert, Julius Randall, and these are physical players.
They've been in weight rooms a while.
Okac is really fast and really twitchy, and they get up the floor. But I if Minnesota should probably want to ugly this thing up a little bit, so that gives you hope. I think it's a seven game series.
And you have the thunder, I'll go Timberwolf.
You know, we can make it a steak dinner at your favorite restaurant in Chicago, whatever you want. You know, No, Big Gil, I don't mind getting steak dinners off you.
Next story, Colin, now listen.
I know you're on board the trade Austin Reeds strength, but according to Dan Wokie, regular guest on this show, the Lakers have shown.
No interest in using Reeves in a trade. That's that's them anything less.
Than a tough tier big and there aren't many of those available. The only names you're really hearing are Daniel Gafford and Nick Klaxton. And he ain't giving up Austin Reeves for either of those guys. So I know he didn't have a great series against Anthony Edwards. I mean, who does. But Austin Reeves apparently not going anywhere. And I will just point this out. I was at multiple places this weekend volleyball tournament.
Bar and there was one other place where I.
Was and the fans sports fans are coming up to me like, I can't believe Cowhard is bashing Rock Perdy and wants.
To trade Austin Reeves.
Those were like what they're leading with Colin. Nobody wants to trade awstin reason.
Yeah, I get why he's popped in hear he's undrafted the headband. He looks he looks like a guy playing at the why until you stood next to him, and he's already big. But when you look at Kevin durant or, and when you look at a lot of these NBA guys, it's like they're out of our galaxy. So I understand the popularity of brock Purty. He's the ultimate underdog. Most people in society and sports fans are underdogs. He's like six' one, he's not big, he didn't have a huge arm. Guys talked themselves into I got a little brock Purty in me. Austin Reeves has that. He's got that everyman quality where you think you know I worked on my game.
I mean his.
Shots are a lot of time contact, they're ugly. He's not breaking ankles, he's not jamming at the rim a lot. So I get his popularity. But again, if you start looking at the best constructed rosters in the NBA. If you think Luca Lebron Ruie and Austin Reeves is getting better next year, I don't.
Don't one big.
That's all we gotta do.
You got a private Clason away from the nets. Final story Collin is Yannis. Obviously we talked about him earlier and he's the biggest name. But Kevin Durant is number two, and we know he's looking to.
Get out of Phoenix.
How about this report the Philadelphia seventy six ers. Yes, those guys who had an awful season. They could package Paul George your guy Pg. Thirteen and the number three pick for Kevin Durant or a guy like wait for it, Laurie Markin into the Utah Jazz Colin. There's a lot of smoke around Kevin Durant the Sixers at three. They would love to give up that pick and bring in a difference maker. Do you think Kevin Durant makes sense alongside Joel Embiid, Maxi McCain, do you like that or no?
If Joel Embiid's the center piece er operation, it's not a championship team. Indiana's younger, deeper and better. It's becoming more of a point guard league.
I mean, I just I.
Feel like the ship has sailed. You know, we blamed Ben Simmons, we blamed James Harden. Now we're blaming Paul George. You know who's been there for all of it at Joel Embid So to me, it's not a championship team. I think being lost in all of this Yannis kd talk. I don't think Katie's the fit in Utah, but I think Utah Danny Ainge Marketing's a good trade piece.
They've got draft capital.
We're all paying attention to Wemby, and we watched Houston against the Warriors. Keep your eye on Utah. We're going to make a big move. He's got connections with Brad Stevens. Maybe they can do a deal with the Boston Celtics want to move a little money. I can see Boston giving up something for Lori Marketing, moving off of Porzingis, moving off of Drew Holliday Al Horford. I can see Brad Stevens saying, how about another dependable twenty two and a half a game and if or whatever Lori Marketing averages, that's interesting to me. And then Boston getting all sorts of picks, some expiring contracts.
That's interesting.
Remember when the Golden State Warriors, so they won the title in twenty two, then there was the injuries.
No, no, I'm sorry. Before that, they had the injuries after the.
Raptor series, up with the high pick and they took James Wiseman and it just didn't work out.
What if the Celtics got that number five pick from Utah they.
Give up a bunch of stuff. Would the Celtics finally could get the right pick to go with Tatum and Brown if they're able to pry number five from Utah. Utah's desperate to be good, Colin they haven't won a playoff series.
I think since like the Ice Age.
Well, I don't. I don't think.
I think Boston is a mature offense. Between Derek White, Tatum and Brown, you're not getting a college kid I fit in there.
Lori marketing fits in there.
And if you're losing size with Horford and per zingis Lauri marketing becomes very interesting for the Celtics to me. That that's and then by the way Age and Brad Stevens, they've got a relationship. So I just Utah is going to be sneaky and we're not talking to Utahs often. Look, they're often forgotten. They got picks, they got some players. Keep your eye on the tip.
By the way, Utah Jazz member, I'm not going to say his name, just join my gym. His parents moved into my area. I've seen him a couple of times, haven't spoke to him. I need a lead and I'll tell them.
Mate.
Mean, Colhert talked about you on the show. He's a prominent player. You would know him for sure.
I know you're talking no flights.
Sorry.
J Mack with the news.
Well that's the news, and thanks for stopping by The Heard Line News.
Jeff Schwartz Next Hour Live in Chicago, which The Herd.
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WFA and Radio in New York. Former Jet bloomersias and very popular host. He got a little hot last week talking about the report that Caleb Williams before he was drafted, he and his dad were trying to figure out a way to maybe not play in Chicago.
That the level of entitlement is is breathtaking, and it's it's it's no wonder why he was He failed initially, and it's no wonder why the coach got fired.
Just keep your mouth shut.
You're going into the greatest league that there's ever been for the sport that we all love. You're going to have a chance one day to make five hundred million dollars because guys like me and guys before me all went on strike so you could actually make more money. So keep your pie hole shut and go out and play football and earn your keep and your and earn your respect.
Yeah, that feels too hot for me. Eli Manning actually did refuse. John Elway and his dad did change course. Caleb didn't. He just had opinions. And the media is much wider and broader than years ago. A lot of stuff didn't used to get out. Everything now gets out. There's layers of conspiracy theories that aren't even true, that are fabricated and created that get out. So I didn't I mean, Jay Mack, I didn't like Caleb during the season when the mic was in front of him, said the right stuff like he did acknowledge in this book by Seth Wickersham. Books are listen, the book will be great. I'm going to talk to Seth. You know how books are. You can write eight thousand pages on the Clintons and they'll be like one line and everybody will glom onto the line. And at one point he had concerns about Shane Waldron. Well, it worked out that Shane Waldron struggled in Chicago and got run out of the building, and he had a concern that he said, I got there and nobody was showing me watching.
Film with me.
I don't think that's a that's almost a cry for help. It's not indignant, it's not embellishing, it's a I just needed help here. And also, last year I thought the offensive line regressed badly. We most of us thought the offensive line would improve. But I've said this for years, J Mack, You've been here as a witness defensive coaches and offensive lines. Go look at the lowest rated O lines in the league the last five years. It is overwhelmingly defensive coaches. So Eber Flues could not get I and Ryan Pulse could not get the O line right. Ben Johnson comes in. First thing he does, guard center, guard, Let's go spend money. So I think this was a bad fit. Jared Goff, Jeff Fisher, bad fit. Brian Flora is to a bad fit. Nobody banged on Tua when he ripped Brian Flores and said he treated me poorly, he was just being honest about it. Flora's acknowledged it and apologized, Yeah.
I'm not gonna bang on boomeras sizes and I've done that enough on this show.
I do think though, Caleb Williams's dad had a pretty strong quote about how the rookie contracts are.
Kind of I think the use the word he used was unconstitutional.
Basically, you're drafted and they have your rights essentially for up to eight years. And Colin, when you sit there and think about that, these guys are coming out twenty one, twenty two years old and they're kind of locked.
I mean he's got a point, does he not?
Well, but that's that's the industry. I mean, that's there's nothing you can do about that. That that's and they'd well, well, do you have attorneys to do that? I mean, the NBA, CBA, it's got all sorts of aprons.
You can't do it. You could do four years ago.
The NFL used these first round picks like Sam Bradford's one of the last ones. Sam Bradford signed a deal. He was making more than like Pro Bowl quarterbacks. So this thing ebbs and flows. Uh. I mean, there's been strikes in my lifetimes, all sports, multiple times. But you have some things you can't fight and and and the rookie payscale and the rookie contract is one of those things.
Well, the only issue about the contract is it's so long.
They basically lock you up. Like you keep talking about, kids come out of college. It can bounce around jobs, nil transfer portal, you can go wherever you want. But in the NFL, if you get drafted by a crap team and a bad franchise, you're kind of stuck.
Colin yep.
And is that fair?
Yeah, it's life.
Everything's fair. Some things are in a paper that are not fair. Hour three next to the month
