Thanks for listening to The Herd podcast. Be sure to catch us live every weekday from twelve to three eastern, nine to noon Pacific on Fox Sports Radio and FS one. Find your local station for The Herd at Fox Sports Radio dot com, or stream us live every day on the iHeartRadio app by searching Herd. You're listening to Fox Sports Radio. Oh, here we go, our number two live in LA. It's the Hurt. Wherever you may be and however you may be listening. Thanks for making us part of your day. Had a lot of fun this weekend. Tonight, I'm going to watch some premiere movie premiere air. Johnny not Johnny Damon. Matt Damon's in it all right, Hollywood hot shot. I don't go to these. I'm not into him at all. I may cancel. I'm not into him at all. But who is the wife going? Or No, I'm going with a legal representation and I guess his name on air. No, So I'm going. I want to go see it because I you know, the Michael Jordan mythology in America. Michael was obviously a great player, but it is interesting Magic Johnson went to thirty percent more finals. You can criticize Magic, Lebron James blows all of MJ's awards away, all his records. You can criticize Lebron if you ever criticize Michael, it's like whoa well, And it's all part of the greatest marketing campaign in the history of America for sports er. Jordan, I like where this is going? No, I mean that's he made two hundred and twenty million last year on it. So Nike revolutionized sports marketing, and the greatest campaign they've ever had is Air Jordan and Michael learned it. You know, the Jumpman, the logo, it's all earned, but it is may. It has created this protective shield around Michael that if there's any criticism, all the fanboys, half the people defending him never saw him, see him play, and it's like, well, he's always been a winner. He won in college, a lot of people when at Carolina, Duke, Kansas, Kentucky's been a lot of players that while the Olympics, yeah he had some help on that team beating Tunisia. Okay, nobody's saying Michael's not great, but Michael's early career was marked by a lot of scoring and pissing off teammates. And then Phil Jackson showed up, and then he went to baseball that didn't work, and then he came back with Pippin again, didn't win any championship. He won one playoff series without Pippen ever, and so and then he gets out of it, goes to Washington. That's a mess ownership. He made a lot of Michael's always been good at elevating Michael and deserves all the credit for him. I'm sure Air will be unbelievable. I'll be rooting for the Michael Jordan's story tonight. Anything Affleck and Damon do I love. But the point is Magic's had thirty Every superstar in the history of sports you can criticize except Michael. I was at games, I watched him. He had bad nights, he was selfish, he was hard to play with at times. By the way, punched the teammate. And you know what the reaction was, Well, he's very competitive, he's a leader. Draymond punched the teammate. What's the difference. Draymond doesn't have that force field, that Nike force field around him. Michael was relentless, sometimes a bad teammate and probably the most glamorous basketball player and the best basketball player ever. Check check. I'm a huge MJ fan, but that that Air Jordan marketing effort by the greatest marketing sports company in the history of the world, Nike create. You know, we had, We've had presidents and politicians like this where Ronald Reagan for a while was so popular he joked about bombing Russia and we all went, ah, he's just your crazy old grandpa. That's what popularity does. Yeah. How many how many rings for Jordan without Phil Jackson? And many playoff series wins? Series wins without Pippin again, and by the way, when Jordan left, when he quit in, I think it was seven wins to fifty five. Yeah, it's amazing Scottie Pippen led the team to that many wins. If Hugh Hollands makes a callie should have they get to the finals? And again this isn't criticism, these are all facts. By the way, what happens when Lebron leaves a team like Cleveland, Crash or Miami. They're literally and what Lebron's won with different coaches at every stop, very different anywhere he goes, they win championships. Every what happens. And by the way, none of this is a criticism. These are just all facts. I always think it's interesting Michael punched a teammate, a beloved teammate. There's a very competitive Draymond punches. Not a beloved you know, kind of a bench player who trash talks a lot. Jordan Poole talented, not a beloved figure. And it's like, throw him out of the league. Well, it can't he be relentless and competitive too. He's an intimidating player. That's you know, I don't think either one was in the right, but let's be fair about it. Let's be reasonable. But you can't want to have one guy thrown out of the league and the other guy, well, it's just a very competitive guy. It's weird. You can you just said a bunch of nice things about Michael Jordan's but if someone on the internet will cherry pick one or two maybe negative which are facts, and all of a sudden you hate Michael's the most relentless player of our are seen, the best looking, the most glamorous, the coolest, the most the best offensive player, well, Kareem's the best offensive, best finisher. Again, unbelievable so put that on your little rant. But but in the end, he was flawed like everybody else. He struggled with teammates, he ran through coaches. The Washington situation was a mass, the pre Phil stuff in Chicago, he was going through coaches and teammates. But remember he was going against the Celtics in the Pistons call. They were loaded. That's the argument against Jory. He was too young. I'm not this is an anti Michael. I'm going to watch. I don't go to movie premieres. I'm going because out of respect. I think he's great and I think he's going to be. By the way, the MJ documentary is the best sports documentary of my life. I thought the ten part, oh oh right, I thought it was absolutely and then by the way, the whole I gave him three months of free publicity. I thought, this is unbelievable. I made me love In fact, I said, after that they tried to pick apart some bad Michael stuff, I'm like, I like him more. Yeah, well, Michael had final say over everything. But I remember the record. Eastern religion is within Western religion in America, is worshiping men worship other men. It's like Michael wasn't perfect. Michael had flaws, Michael had bad games, Michael was tough to deal with. Michael's always been good about my elevating Michael. Michael's made Michael rich, even in this Charlotte mess. Yeah, it's just awful. But again, he made his bunch of money and I'm I don't resent any of it. He is. He was really a convergence of so many things, grace and toughness, winning looks, glamor style. But he had two pills, Phil Knight and Phil Jackson that took him from great player to iconic legend that you can't criticize. And it's like, I love Brady, He's got flaws. Human philosophy in there too. Huh. All right, here we go col On a Monday, Colin right, Colin wrong? Here we go where Colin was right? Well, I speculated Aaron Rodgers Green Bay Jets was being held up because he probably asked the Jets go get some players for him. A couple hours later, Diana Russini came out with a wish list that included Packer players. Now, Aaron denied it, but it should be noted that Jets did sign Alan Lazard who they certainly wouldn't have signed if not for pursuing Aaron Rodgers, who wanted a veteran receiver who we liked. So we got that one right on Aaron. Where Colin was raw Duke, That Duke went in the title. John Shier had a very good year one twenty seven and nine. They played well down the stretch, but they were outclassed by Tennessee. This was not a good break. Tennessee was a significantly better team. Their defense shut down on Duke and they won and should have won where Colin was right. Baker Mayfield signed with the Bucks a backup financial contract, fourth team six seasons. It's funny. All the fanboys that used to bang on me, they went awfully quiet. They disappeared, vanished. Maybe Internet's not working at their little house. Baker Mayfield was always a reach at number one, and his personality as hutzpah eventually wore people out. Now I got nothing against Baker. He is one of the thirty two best quarterbacks in the world. I'm sure he'll win a handful of games down in Tampa, but this is a backup quarterback contract. The days of building around him are over, and probably the days of starting long term or over where Colin was raw, My Warriors optimism is fading. They have lost six of their last ten. Do you know they haven't won a road game since January. Andrew Wiggins absence it's a private matter and it's very possible he won't return. They have fallen to seventh in the West, and the truth is they've tried to bridge a gap between the old and young guys this year. It's been hard. Wiggins absence makes it just too hard to defensively to get stops. They feed off the energy at home. You put them on the road without that energy, and they're just an incredibly average team. Where Colin was right and critical at John Calipari for years. I know he loves his players, he really does, and I know he's a great salesman. But in the end, the last three years he's gone nine and sixteen, got bounced out of the tournament by Saint Peter's and this year got beat by a less talented team. Kansas State has some good players, but they're not as talented as Kentucky. Eleven years, no titles, they can't be this average. I do think they're kind of trying to figure out. Do they want to be transfer portal or one and done. I think they're best served going back to the high school all star stuff next year. They have like four or five great high school players. That feels glamorous. It feels very much on brand for Calipari in Kentucky, and I do expect him to bounce back with a good year. Where Colin was raw, the Dan Campbell thing in Detroit, now you got Cam Sutton sand players around the league want to play for him. They had a very good free agent class. They went and fixed their secondary. They got a good B B plus running back out of Chicago, So I gotta give him credit. You know, those players aren't going to Detroit because of their historic success. They're going there because they like Dan Campbell. So the Lions coach who may have butchered that opening press conference, he's got some alpha. I think last week somebody maybe Jamack you compared him a little bit to Mike Tomlin and Mike Vrabel. He's sort of a guy's guy, big emotion, and the players like him. I was wrong where Colin was right. The Celtics five and five in their last ten. I've got doubts about this team. I don't think they'll beat Milwaukee. I have doubts about them in close games. They lost to the Rockets. Recently. I questioned their head coach. Is he a playoff coach that can go toe to toe with the Doc Rivers or Eric Spoelstra Budenholzer. I don't. I don't know if he is. And I also I always questioned Jason Tatum, who I think is a top eight nine player. I'm not doubting that, but there are times when I watched the Celtics and close games where it feels like the alpha is Jalen Brown and Tatum's just a really the more talented player. But Celtics right now have dropped a third where Colin was raw. Well, the betty markets have CJ. Stroud right now is the number one quarterback to go. I think he's fine. I don't see the wow in him. I think he's talented and depending on where he lands, he could be successful. But I've said before I think Bryce Young from Alabama is much more polished, could walk into the NFL and play right now. I don't know Bryce Young small five ten and a half. I don't know how long it lasts, but the betting markets right now with Caroline and the number one pick, have them going after CJ. Stroud. And I was wrong where Colin was right. I have been on the offensive head coach bandwagon for years. Three teams that I thought did really well in free agency. Cincinnati offensive coach went and got a star left tackle Carolina Adam Feelin, adding offensive pieces. Frank Wright offensive coach, and I think Denver's crushed it, rebuilt their offensive line offensive head coach Sean Payton. Meanwhile, Ron Rivera showing no urgency at quarterback, and Chicago paid two linebackers. Where Colin was right. Where Colin was wrong. On a Monday, you and I are both Jordan fans, wouldn't you say I'm a big job? My issue is I was born in New York, so I wrote route for New York teams. So I grew up a Knicks fan, and Jordan tormented them in the nineties. Even when they took the two nothing series lead in the playoffs, you still felt like Jordan's gonna rip our throats out when he did, and so that stunk. But I was a Magic Johnson guy as well. Forever. I thought Magic was the best player in the eighties. Yeah, best player of all headed tour of all time. And then Jordan takes over when Magic. Very different players, very different players, completely different, but Magic. I mean, I've fancied myself a point guard back in the day. You know, team leader, no look passes. I love Magic Johnson. Yeah, everybody does. Magic still gets a crowd in Los Angeles. But Magic's game is also his personality. He's very giving. Magic has bothered deep Lee. If you're a young athlete, you could be a dodger. You could be it doesn't matter. You could be a ram, you could be a charger. If you come to Los Angeles and you don't lean on Magic Johnson for help, he's offended. He really wants His game was giving, and that's his personality. Lebron James very much that way. He's kept all his high school friends. Lebron is very much a giver and a distributor. Everybody that's ever played with Magic and Lebron are better now. Michael's a more relentless score. Michael had just a psychology. People were afraid to face Michael. He was like Tyson. Nobody wanted to fight him. He did not elevate all of his teammates, and I don't think Pippin's ever quite gotten the credit he deserves. Phil Jackson has, but I've said it before, take out Phil Jackson and Phil Knight. Do we have the Air Jordan campaign? No, which is this impenetrable shield around Michael that if you criticize him and it's like you're not criticizing him saying a punch to player. He was hard to deal with. Washington missed just this what happened, by the way, Michael Jordan not kind of like magic, he said, personality might magic. Just everybody wants to be around Magic, hang with him because he's Michaels sort of covert and private. He's a hermit. Basically, he doesn't hang with anyone. If you if you see him on a golf course, he's playing against someone from money, smoking a cigar or playing pickup basketball, shooting in the Bahamas with Brady, He's not one of these. He's like kind of hiding behind the scenes. Yeah, but that's okay too. No, certainly everybody's different. Yeah, No, and it's I can't wait to watch Air tonight. If I go, I'm either way. You know, you got a busy Monday night. Schedule, right, I mean there's a lot going on. I don't know. I don't like going to these things. One more Herd. The Herd streams twenty four hours a day, seven days a week within the iHeartRadio app. Search Herd to listen live or on demand whenever you like. Gain visibility and control over your financials, inventory, hr and more, go to netsweet dot com, slash heard, netsweet by oraclenetsweet dot com. Slash heard supposed to pour again at midnight tonight. Just pour in Los Angeles for the meteorologist forever. It was the best gig ever. It was sunny for eleven months a year. It was a little wet in February. Now like rain comes from nowhere, it's not even in the forecast, and all of a sudden, you're like, really four more days of rain. It's endless, which is great. It's the only state I've ever lived in I root for I got up in the Pacific Northwest, so I was always rooting for sun. I root for rain. Down here, we are out officially of a twenty year plus drought in California. It's just been remarkable to see wait to the snow melts, the reservoirs all getting full again. Good for farmers. They'll probably be a downside. There's, you know, some flooding obviously. How are you getting in your runs if it's raining all the time? Called treadmill baby, Well you can run on a treadmill. I don't like it, but that's why I do. Isn't that bad for the knees? Probably a lot of things are bad. So those cocktails I have every night j Mac with the news, No, no, this is the herd line. Yeah. I always think about that before I know. There's certain things I do, like have a cocktail four night to week and for nights every other night, probably have a sit there and have a cigar or something. But I'm not gonna have what kind of quality of life if you are. I don't want to live to eighty five, I mean about ten more years. So actively looking to shave years off your life? Is that what I'm hearing. I'm just saying, do you want to live a life where you eat fruit? You know, you drink green tea your entire life and don't have any fun. We all make decisions. People bungee jump, people take big adventure and you have one cocktail every other night. That's that's fun? Is that? Well, I'm saying, I go out with my wife, have a glass of wine. I know that it's not I know it's not extending my life, but it's adding enjoyment to my current life. So I'm in a men's basketball league, as you know, Yes, I have to start telling the guys like, listen, you can't go out Saturday night and expect to perform Sunday evening at our basketball game, because honestly, I mean listen, some of these guys get after it, and I'm like, you know, when the playoffs come, we gotta have to have like a no drinking Saturday night policy. Guys, Listen, we had an incredible comeback last night. I documented it on the IG Stories. I didn't play, I'm injured, but um yeah, listen. So you've got to take sports seriously, just like you gotta take the show serious. And I'm boozing it up on a Sunday night for coming in on a Monday. I don't booze it up ever, but I'm saying I think there are things in life that you decide to do. Because when I ski downhill fast, I know it's dangerous. I've had broken ribs last year, had an absolutely awful crash this year which left me purple and limping for about six days. But the quality of my life is elevated every time I'm on a mountain in Utah or Colorado. It's just a better life. You gotta roll the dice, snap some fun. Okay, you won't see me on the slots ever. First story Alan Lazard, because we haven't talked about the Jets in what ninety minutes? Alan Lazart met the media for the first time. Sits signing his four year deal with the New York Jets. Former Packers receiver could potentially be reunited with that guy named Aaron Rodgers in New York. Packers and Jets are engaged in trade discussions. Here's Alan Lazard crediting Rogers for his NFL success. He's a big reason why I'm here today. I can't deny that. You know, he stood up on a table, I mean during training camp when I probably didn't deserve to make the roster. Um, at least in the front office his eyes, and he called for me to be in the game. Um. He's relied on me in a lot of heavy pressure situations and has always believed in me, and so as a wide receiver, the best relationship you can have is with the quarterback, and the relationship I have with him has been phenomenal. That's great. I like to hear that. Let's let's let's that's a nice Aaron Rodgers story. Let's be fair and balanced. That's a nice story. I'd like to hear that that Aaron pounded on the table for him. That's great, That's awesome. Alan's art undrafted. I didn't realize this out of Aaron Rodgers was a star and sat up there and said, we got to give this kid a chance. I like That's one of my favorite Aaron Rodgers stories ever. I like that good. He's a good player. He's big, you know, he's a total different body type, and he's more consistent. I think Corey Davis probably has more natural talent. But there's nothing wrong. I mean I every team in the NFL would like a big body type like Allans Art. What he's worth is some you know the market, but he's a big, long, lean guy that can run every You don't want a bunch of small guys. You gotta have somebody that can go up and over corners. And he's the guy. Yeah, nice story. I like that, all right, Look at Poitier, Aaron Rodgers, just listen. I think his mark. I said this about Aaron earlier. The market's telling you it's not percolating for him. But that's a great story. Next up, let's go back to college hoops. Alabama and Houston are the only number one seeds remaining in the tourney. Perdue, of course, choked against fairly Dickinson in the opening round. And Kansas Arkansas was an amazing game Saturday. Holy collu, I'm not sure does Arkansas have better players than Kansas? They they I think they do. They got more, more better players, like deeper roster um, they're best player who's going to be an NBA first round pick. Nick Smith couldn't make a basket. They essentially got benched, and you still were able to pull it out. A lot of teams this weekend shot poorly in one. It's a defensive tournament, so I was talking to Jay Billis last night. It's it is a defensive tournament year, but that doesn't make it. I mean, I I don't know what the ratings are, but I've sat there all weekend long. The games were competitive. All the ones I watched were competitive. Now there were some blowouts, but I didn't watch those. I was surprised how close Northwestern made it with Ucla. I thought Ucla controlled it early and all of a sudden, I'm like, whoa, guys say? With Penn State and Texas, that was wake. I thought Texas would run away with it. Unfortunately, no cover for me there. But going back to the NCAA tournament, So Princeton knocked off Arizona obviously on Thursday, and Alabama's road to the final four is kind of easy. Here are the latest odds according to Fox Bet Alabama plus three hundred, Houston plus three fifty, followed by Connecticut plus eight hundred. Now Ucla Gonzaga feels like, you know, that's a tough one, that's gonna be a war. Well, you believe it's in Vegas on Thursday night. You gotta be careful. So the best I've seen any team look for a half was Tennessee's second half against Duke. They're shot making, they're spacing their patients, their defense. What the market's telling you is they're not going to do implicate that. I thought Tennessee second half it was like, if that's what Tennessee is, they can play with anybody in the country. They were raised in Alabama's plus three hundred is because when they beat SDSU and they will then line gone seven to seven and a half, Alabama will face the winner of Creton Princeton. Nobody expects Princeton. Here's the bracket. I'm just gonna put this out there. Keep an eye on Creton. I have futures on them from way back to win the title. Colin they played one of their best games of the season against Baylor there in Michigan State. Look at that bracket. You're right, I bet Kansas State in that game. I love the kinds that's gonna be in Arden. What's the number? I think plus one and a half for kse State. The both point guards are from New York Harlem in that area. It's gonna be a great game. These Thursday Friday games are gonna be incredible. I don't what do you make a Connecticut they were they have new guy. I mean they were a little bit of a mask. Calhoun laughed. Kevin Ollie. Then they've gone through some coaches. It looks like they got there. Danny Hurley is doing a good job. The situation with their big guy. He is unstoppable in the paint. He looks like kind of him with Tumbo type player, where he just gets it close to the hoop and you can't stop him. But Arkansas's got those dogs. Just keep it down. I got somebody that just text me and a college basketball scout. Keep your eye Yukon. They're winning this thing. I have them in one brackets. Do you really hot? You do? I don't think I did about eight or nine? What man, it's one month of the years. People love this thing. I love it. It's incredible. Um let's go to the final story, and that is the Houston Texans. How about this? Laramie Tunsel, highest paid offensive tackle in the NFL, got a three year, seventy five million dollar extension. This is the second time in his career he takes the titles, surpassing Trent Williams of the Niners. I don't totally understand this move. They have a lot of host of fall color. Why are you making them the highest paper? Isn't the move to shop him and get back a bunch of picks? Well, no, because you're drafting a quarterback, so you want to get the left tackle right. And by the way, you're not going to pay your quarterback for the next four years. So if I told you you're not going to pay your quarterback for the next four years, they got a star running back, they don't have to pay. Now they have a star left tackle. You know, Demiko Ryans is gonna make the defense better. I got no problem pan a left tackle or a star receiver when I'm going into the rookie quarter that gets You're right, Bryce Young, assuming he goes to Houston, is gonna need a lot of protection on the left side. And they have They have the twelfth overall, so they have do they have the second and the twelfth? Is Houston have in front of me? But they basically second and twelfth. So they can get a quarterback at two and a wide receiver at twelve, and they'll have a left tack and they have a star running back. That kid out of Florida appears stars pears, a good player, he's good. He had one good season. Um, I just there's not a lot of firepower on this team. MCA Ryan's has a lot of work to do. This is a house that you essentially gutted if you're trying it down to the studs. If they get Bryce Young and Jordan Addison, let's just I'm just throwing it out there. You have the smallest receiver in the smallest quarter But he's a great route runner. He'll be He's very polished, so he will he will you know him, mean he will play early. He's not a kid. That's raw. Promise he's going to be your number one. Well, I get him Bryce the back, a left tackle, Demiko, make the defense better that at least in Houston. It feels optimistic. I mean, I'm Bryce Young's the most polished quarterback. How long he laughs. I don't know. Are they in the mix to be the worst team in the league? No? If No, I think if Bryce Young can get reasonable protection, Demiko, keep the game's low scoring, they'll that division. Tennessee's not gonna score, Indie's not gonna score. So maybe we need to do who's gonna be the worst team in the NFL next year? Well, I mean look about divisions, not Houston. I'm looking around if if the COFC is loaded, loaded, having the schedule is going to big up four games against low scoring Tennessee and low scoring Indie fair. They took Kansas City to overtime last year one game. Well, I mean, you play seventeen in the NFC, if you if they play in the NFC, I think they would be in the mix to win like six games, do you think? I think if Houston gets Bryce Young and like a Jordan Addison, they'll be competitive. So five wins, yeah, five win team, But I'm not I don't think the worst team in the league. You gotta keep your eye in Indie. Maybe the Indies another good candidates. That division's a joke. Um, Atlanta, what are they? Carolina is gonna win some games if they get if they get who I Anthony Richardson, Well, they're gonna be an interesting team. Didn't they get Andy Dalton to be their weak ones? Your guy, what do you call him? The water Pistols. That was a long time ago. I got a lot of respect. Okay, water under the bridge. J Mack with the news, Well that's the news, and thanks for stopping by the Herdline News. It is interesting. Two of the best bigs in college basketball, Zach Eediot Perdue, they're they're gone and Drew Timmy and I was reading, you know, I went online. I think it does bother like some people. I think you were bothered by the fact that Drew Timmy may not get drafted. And my takeaway is just because it's basketball. They're two different, totally different sports, and so you just have to understand that college baseball and Major League baseball it's like two different sports. You know. It's like college baseball is domestic. Major League baseball is much more international. Obviously, you know your Dominican influence, your Latin influence, your Asian influence. College baseball tends to be kind of domestic. College basketball is young and unrefined, and it's a coach's sport. I mean, in these games, I picked the coaching. I mean literally, I look at who's coaching in these games. I picked the coach. So um, I mean it's NBA nothing against the coach, but I'm I'm picking the players. Okay, Well, Walker Kessler's seven one kid out of Auburn. Now he's a little more active in bouncy where you got He's gonna be first team All Rookie. Okay, you said bouncy and active. Timmy is ground bound for sure. Yeah, I mean I think Timmy and also Timmy, Timmy and Zach Dye are not perimeter players, so you got to be able to eventually shoot the ball outside. How many Plumbly brothers are in the NBA and they cannot do a lick offense? Nor Timmy can run circles around those guys. I'm not ying he's the first round pick, but offensively and calling you know this, when everybody is saying one thing, whether it's you have to go five wide receivers in the NFL, you have to be passing offense, you have to do this. Everybody is universally saying you can't have Drew Timmy. He's not an NBA. I think I think there is someone who will find an edge and say I can make him work even if he's the eleventh guy on the team. Orlando. Yeah, no, I think they'll be like an Orlando or a Charlotte that'll go get him and he'll be a bench player, but he'll play hard, good in the room. There, you go in half, when you go on the road. You don't need to worry about him going out after hours, going to the clubs. That's not him. This is a good locker room guy. There is some value in that. And I'm telling you like, I'm not comparing him to this guy. But Yokis was drafted in the middle of the second round. He was a Doughey European and everybody's like, come on, they go to like a if you look at the draft, they look to like a Taco Bell commercial in the middle of him being drafted Alex who we don't need. And again, obviously he's not gonna be Yoki, But nobody knew Yokis was gonna win two NBA. Yokis is the best passing big man since maybe Bill Walton. Nobody had that for him. NA slips the thirteenth a lot of these players, but what teams miss on them? Big Donny, you could argue, I mean, it is interesting Draymond Green's a second round or he's been terrific stuck around Michigan State forever. What is he? Tweener. I'm not saying Timmy can't play in the NBA. What I'm saying is he's a dominant college player and he's much more. Uh. I think he's going to be a bench guy in the NBA. Who you know, he battles down low, He's got good leverage on his butt. I mean, he moves around pretty well. Either hand down. Low's fight, but you're not gonna give you any perimeter. He's gonna be a defensive liability. You can't hit three last night his third of the season. Yeah, he does. He's not a he's not a shift Listen. I like watching him. He is. He is. He makes old school guys look old. And the problem with UCLA is their big guy was hurt in the Pac twelve tournament. Tried to play this week. It played like twelve fifteen minutes whatever it was. He's gonna They're gonna have no chance. Would you come back one because he could because of COVID he can come back and play. I think he's got one more year. I would go pro. Do you try to have a robust market internationally, like, for instance, I own a team in the New Zealand Breakers. They went to the finals. He's not playing for the New Zealand Breakers. Why not? The way you talk, Jazz just signed a guy on the Breakers to a ten day contract. Yeah, are you a recruiting pitch for your business? Is this what this is? The show is now a recruiting pitch for New Zealand basketball? Listen, we gotta go. We got a great squad rip. Hamilton is one of the owners of our team. Sat in a box with him and Yeah, Sean Marion part of the cost. You're not the only one who talks to NBA scouts and rest of us. After a j mac with the News, be sure to catch live editions of The Herd week Days and Neunist nine am Pacific on Fox Sports Radio FS one and the iHeartRadio app. Two NBA Insiders podcasting twice a week to plug you right into the NBA Grade five all happening in only one place. This League Uncut, the new NBA podcast with Me Chris Haynes and me Mark Stein join us as we team up to expound on everything we're covering Hearing and Chason. Listen to This League Uncut with Chris Haynes and Mark Stein on the iHeartRadio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcast. Your home for Saturday Baseball is MLB on Fox All season long. The biggest stars and teams square off in the biggest games on the best day of the week. Major League Baseball Action returned Saturday, April first on Fox. So we were talking during the break. Is I don't remember a year where I felt that the Eastern Conference was significantly better than the Western Conference in the NBA. But I think Cleveland's the best young team in the NBA. I think Milwaukee's the best team in the NBA. I think Boston is good, although I do worry about them at end of games. I always feel a little dicey would Tatum in this new coach. I think Miami is as the best coach team in the NBA is arguably Miami. I think the East is very good and very solid at the top. The West is a bit of a mess. I was looking at the Western Conference standings. I don't remember the West being this wide open. So let's start with Denver. Kind of a middle of the pack defensive team with no playoff you know, greatness to speak of, But they don't have a big hole anywhere. I think Yo Kich can be a bit of a defensive liability, but the middle of the pack defensively, they have depth, capable coach, They've got a star, they got bucket guys that can get you a bucket. So Nuggets are the best. The Kings don't play a liquid defense. I don't trust them in the playoffs. Grizzlies John Morant, and they're you know, they're deep. Who's their number two score sons. It's a big what if. If Chris Paul is healthy, if k is available. Clippers, I'll say it again, if Kawhi Leonard is your team leader, you're probably not winning a championship. If he enters Toronto or San Antonio, where the culture is already baked in, he can be get a bucket, get a stop guy. The Clippers cultures built around him. He's non verbal, he's not always the great teammate. I don't trust them to win a championship. Mavericks to offense, not enough defense, Warriors, if Andrew Wiggins doesn't play, they're not winning a championship. They can't win on the road, Thunder. It's remarkable they're even in the playoff chase. What a story they've been. I don't even. I don't even how do you explain it? Coach of the Year materials tough t Wolves and Lakers and Jazz Pelicans, and they're not championship teams. So I don't know. I just wide open. You know, sports are not as cyclical as you think. I mean, the SEC has dominated college football for twenty years Yokovic Serena. I mean it's not as cyclical as you think. If you look at Major League Baseball, Atlanta is gonna be good, Houston's gonna be good, Dodger's gonna be good, Yankee is gonna be good. Met should because they paid for it. A lot of the same teams year after year. College football, Ohio State, Michigan will be good, Bama's gonna be good, George is gonna be good. Sports are not as cyclical as you think. It's mostly you know, it's like building wealth. You figure out a formula, rents and repeat, and you just keep making money. Sports it's mostly the same people year after year. That's why college basketball's fun now, because it's all these weird teams because of the transfer portal. NBA, the West has been better. That doesn't mean Lebron didn't win title. The West has been better than the East for twenty twenty five years. They've had better GM's, better owners, more stability. I mean, as good as the Celtics have been run. We're the titles Milwaukee Yannis great one. So I mean in the West, you get a lot of titles, you get great basketball operations. It is wide open I don't know what to make of it. And maybe it's the year Denver gets lucky. Wiggins is out, he's got a personal issue. Kd is banged up. The Clippers. It's hard to buy their leadership when their leader doesn't talk. Lakers are breaking down, Kings in Dallas don't play any defense. Maybe this is a year for Denver. I don't think anybody's beating Milwaukee. Other basketball topic is John Calipari. So momentum is a lot one of the things that's amazing. If you went and looked at the dynasty with Pete Carroll at USC, Mac Brown at Texas Urban Meyer at Florida, you get about seven years and then you start losing your top assistance and it crumbles. What's amazing about Nick Saban's You know, he's going on what like twenty years almost, and the thing never crumbles. He's had to run through like seven eight offensive coordinators. It's still great in a down year in like thirteen, fourteen, fifteen years. So that's the reigning dynasty in football in the South. We thought Kentucky would be that. But here's the issue with Kentucky. What's the trend? So if John Calipari had struggle. He's been there fourteen years. So let's say the first seven were kind of disappointed, kind of disappointed, but the last seven you had a title. They were dominating recruiting. We would celebrate Calipari, but it's the inverse of that. The first seven years he's been their fourteen, first seven he got a title. They dominated recruiting. They were the most discussed program in the country. Everybody loved him. But in the last seven years it's trending down. In the second part of his contract, Gonzaga, Duke, Carolina, Villanova, Kansas have had far more tournament success, So I think he's I think Kentucky's sort of kind of caught between should we be the one and done transfer portal and I tend to think they should go back to being kind of the glamour high school recruiting story. I thought it was a good brand. They were the first in They and Duke were crushing it. I think that's who they are. I think Calipari lives for recruiting. He's great at it. I'm not sure the transfer portal. I don't think Kentucky the transfer portal. Frankly, it's a it's a recruiting. You know, it's it's like Georgia football. Do they really need the recruiting portal? Some do. I don't think Georgia does. Calipari talked about this weekend's loss and what it's about at Kentucky basketball. I understand what this program is about, and I think again that's what makes it what it is. And that's why I tell players, this isn't for everybody because the expectations are so high, and the same with coaching, it's not for everybody. This thing is there's there's a high expectation level and it is Kentucky. You put that on the other team's going to play out of their minds and they're gonna play like they have nothing to lose, and that means you got to play that way. But everybody plays Alabama football like it's the greatest game ever too, and they don't go on losing streaks. And it's finally Georgia has surpassed Alabama after fifteen years of dominance in Alabama is still probably the second best program in the country right now to Georgia's. So I'm not somebody here to levy criticism. I think Calipari's a great recruiter. He's a get great salesman. Kentucky doesn't have chaos. They've their programs had cheating and chaos and a mess many times. Their stability as much as you can be stable in college basketball. But I do think the Gonzagas and the Villanova's, who are less star driven, I think it'd be more fun to coach. I think it's exhausting to do what he's doing. Like I was talking to Jay Billis last night, these players are really talented. The idea that I go go, I have to go out and get seven new recruits every year, and I'm constantly teaching chemistry, and then they're off, they're gone. Like Nick Saban knows, this year they return, you know, eighty percent of their best players are all coming back, and they've all been in the program three or four years, so you're not constantly creating chemistry. Alabama has to find a quarterback, but they got four or five guys you know, in toe waiting to play. So to me, I like the way Jay Wright and Mark Few have built it, which is we're gonna get really really good high school players, but not necessarily a high number of one and done. Now Gonzaga had Chet Holmgren, obviously Jalen Sugs. They'll get in the case. I mean, you're not gonna turn it down if a kid wants to play there. But I just think it's become so the sport is transient enough between the portal and one and done, it's just a conveyor belt coming and going. Kentucky's like is that on hgh And I think it's just hard to coach. Well, you know, you could say that, but coach k is doing the same thing at Duke, or was until Shire took over. I'm looking it up. Duke Final four last year, Elite eight in twenty nineteen, champion in twenty fifteen, Elite eight in twenty eighteen. Like, coach k is doing the same thing. You know, Pallo, Benkaro, rotating and superstar freshman every year and they are able to break through and go further than Kentucky. You could argue he also coach k was the greatest coach in the history of the sport, and then Nick Saban. There are exceptions, as Nick Saban is the greatest coach in the history of college football, and that's not a knock on Calipari, but coach k is the best ever and says, yeah, I mean they're much vastly superior to Calibu. Well, I good coach. I'm not enough of a coach to say, but I do think when you're comparing anybody to Saban or coach k, it's like comparing people to Wooden. Well, there was one John Wooden. There's one Sabans. I mean, what's amazing about Saban is even the Pete Carrolls and the Urban Myers and the mac Browns. After about seven eight years, you start losing your assistance and you hire a bad one and it unravels. Saban's gone through how many offensive He's a defensive coach. When's the last time he missed an offensive coordinator? Like? Never? I mean, he gave guys like Kiffin and Sark other chances and they ended up being coordinator of the year. So Saban's really I think we have to look at Nick Saban as a complete outlier historically, and frankly, in forty years Duke didn't have a bad season. Well, the able the ability of Saban to adapt and say I amazed passed me by. I've got to bring in offensive minds, even guys like Lane Kiffen, who had been through tough moments. I've got to have them running my offense. Now, you know, Calipari, maybe he's gonna say, you know what, this freshman stuff is not really working. I need to change my ways and start getting some program guys the way Drew Timmy goes to Gonzaga and boom every year their Final four Elite date. You can find those guys in high school and they come to Lexington, stick around for a few years, and you've got a chance to build something. Yeah, Kentucky's a glamour program. USC in college football is a glamour program. Michigan's just a great program. But there are programs. USC is a glamor program. Texas football glamor program. Sometimes it's hard. Kentucky basketball, Michigan State's just great. Kentucky's glamour and there's layers of drama with that.