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You Might Also Like: The Herd with Colin Cowherd
Introducing Best of The Herd from The Herd with Colin Cowherd. Follow the show: The Herd with Colin Cowherd Jason McIntyre fills in for Colin Cowherd questioning the Browns for signing Joe Flacco as a free agent, signaling they might pass on a quarterback and Shedeur Sanders in the draft. He shares his AFC playoff teams and why he has the Chiefs missing for the first time in the Patrick Mahomes era. Plus, NBA reporter Jovan Buha joins the show in studio to talk about the Lakers title chances and how they stack up the other contenders in the West See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information. DISCLAIMER: Please note, this is an independent podcast episode not affiliated with, endorsed by, or produced in conjunction with the host podcast feed or any of its media entities. The views and opinions expressed in this episode are solely those of the creators and guests. For any concerns, please reach out to team@podroll.fm.
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- [00:00]
Colin Cowherd
American Public University is the number one provider of education to our military and veterans in this country. They offer something truly unique, special rates and grants for the entire family, making education affordable not just for those who serve, but also for their loved ones. If you have a military or veteran family member and are looking for affordable, high quality education, APU is the place for you. Visit Apu Apus Edu Military to learn more. That's Apu Apus Edu Military. As a renter, do you ever feel like you're just throwing money away? Think you'll never be able to save enough to buy your own home? Then check out Rent Rewards from Rocket Mortgage. They're helping you put your monthly rent payments toward home ownership. And for the first time, you can save up to $5,000 off the cost of your home just by paying rent. Only at Rocket Mortgage. Learn more today at 804Rocket or just visit Rocket.com Rocket Mortgage LLC equal housing.
- [01:13]
Jason McIntyre
Lender licensed in all 50 states NMLS.
- [01:15]
Colin Cowherd
Consumeraccess.Org number 3030 the NBA 82 game grind is done and now the real fun begins. The NBA playoffs are here and they're huge and it's time for high stakes drama, clutch moments and jaw dropping plays. If you're looking to make the playoffs Even more exciting, DraftKings sportsbook has you covered. It's the official sports betting Partner of the NBA. Make it a playoff run to remember with DraftKings. Download the DraftKings sportsbook app. The code is heard. Herd new customers will get 200 bucks in bonus bets. Betting just five bucks only on DraftKings. The crown is yours.
- [01:49]
Jason McIntyre
Gambling problem. Call 1-800-GAMBLER in New York. Call 877-8-HOPENY or text hopeny467-369 in connect. Help is available for problem gambling. Call 888-789-7777 or visit ccpg.org Please play responsibly on behalf of Boot Hill Casino and Resort in Kansas 21 Age and eligibility varies by jurisdiction. Void In Ontario, new customers only. Bonus bets expire 168 hours after issuance. For additional terms and responsible gaming resources, see dkng.
- [02:23]
Colin Cowherd
The herd is brought to you by Grainger. If you work as a maintenance manager, your facility is your home turf and your home field advantage is having a partner like Grainger. They offer trusted professional grade products for every industry from lighting and electrical to safety and everything in between. Plus fast dependable delivery. Which is why they always come through in the clutch just like you. Call 1-800-GRAINGER click granger.com or just stop by Granger for the ones who get it done. Thanks for listening to the Best of the Herd podcast. Be sure to catch us live every weekday on Fox Sports Radio at noon to 3 Eastern, 9am to noon Pacific. Find your local station for the herd@foxsportsradio.com or stream us live every day on the iHeartRadio app by searching Fox Sports Radio or FSR.
- [03:14]
Jason McIntyre
This is the Best of the Herd.
- [03:16]
Colin Cowherd
With Colin Cowher on Fox Sports Radio.
- [03:21]
Jason McIntyre
Oh, it's Friday. What's up everybody? Yes, I'm still here. Jason McIntyre in for Colin Cowherd. How we doing today? I'm fired up. We got some more breaking news. Had some earlier this week. We got some now. I'm joined by Alex Curry. Is that aqua?
- [03:39]
Alex Curry
Turquoise. But you could go. You could go aqua. You're not far off. It can have many. It's a feel good Friday color, right? Vibes are high today. You're bringing the heat. You're calling everybody out on the staff.
- [03:51]
Jason McIntyre
I did get a donut this morning, so I'm kind of vibing on that great dinner last night.
- [03:56]
Alex Curry
Sugar high.
- [03:57]
Jason McIntyre
Yeah. And it's Friday, you know, so the weekend is here and yeah, it's exciting.
- [04:01]
Alex Curry
It is good stuff.
- [04:02]
Jason McIntyre
Let's exciting especially for Lakers fans. Great news. Not so great news fans for the Kansas City Chiefs. We'll get to that shortly. But I'm going to start the show with the breaking news. Like I said earlier this week we had Michael Malone shockingly getting fired by the Denver Nuggets. And then this morning I wake up to more breaking news. The Browns have signed Joe Flacco and that is not a joke. I know you're scoffing a 40 year old J. Mack Tik Tock was not even around by the time Joe Flacco entered the league. Like, what are we doing here? What are the Browns doing? Ah, there's a method to their madness. Cleveland is drafting second overall and for the longest time, I and many others had Shador Sanders penciled in for Cleveland. Folks, the slide is beginning. It's starting to sound like Cleveland is not going to go. Shador Sanders 2 in the draft and they decided they kicked the tires on Shador. I said, you know what? We'd rather wait for Deshaun Watson's Achilles to heal. We signed Kenny Pickett and now we got Joe Flacco as our third option. They're not taking Shador number two overall. I'm kind of short of stunned by this. However, let's remember everybody watched College football season, it was a great season for Shador Sanders. 74% completions really turned that Colorado program around and made them relevant much of the season. We would come on here Monday, Tuesday and be like, man, did you see Shador Cook? Did you see that comeback? Did you see that ball placement to Travis Hunter? Shador looks good, bro. That's all we were saying. Deion Sanders was joking about steering his kid to certain programs or steering them away from certain organizations. That's what the discussion was. Here we are, 13 days to the draft, and the Browns decided we're good at quarterback. We don't need Shador at 2. But it doesn't stop there. The New York Giants, they interviewed Shador. They saw him at the pro day. Yeah, we're good with Jameis Winston and Russell Wilson. Is that not a little humbling for Shador? Like what? However, we had Dane Brugler, an NFL draft analyst, on the show yesterday. Here's what he said about Shador going in the top five. I think he can be an NFL starter. He's smart, he's tough, he's poised, he's accurate.
- [06:24]
Colin Cowherd
Maybe not as accurate as 74% completions.
- [06:27]
Jason McIntyre
Would lead you to believe. I wonder about the way he likes to play. Does he have the physical traits to get away with that in the NFL? The offensive line was bad. There's no question about it at Colorado. But there are a lot of times where he is running himself into sacks and he's not making the right decision from the pocket. And so there's things about his profile that really, I think you can start in the NFL, but is he really going to uplift everybody around me and carry a franchise?
- [06:54]
Yovon Buha
That's.
- [06:54]
Jason McIntyre
That's my hang up where, okay, I like him, I think he can start. But am I taking him top five overall? Because it's not just about. If you miss on him as a top five pick, it's okay. You're passing on Travis Hunter, Abdul Carter, one of these guys in the top five. So I wouldn't be surprised if we're talking mid first round, maybe even in the 20s. Wow. Well, at this point, it looks like the New Orleans Saints at 9 are kind of sort of the ceiling for Shador. Unless, you know, my jets do something crazy and decide to take him. But if you look at that like the Raiders are almost certainly not taking Shador unless this has been a great immortal smokescreen from Pete Carroll and company. Hey, we're signing Geno Smith, but. But we're going to grab Shador as a Developmental guy. And I say this because, folks, I had to look this up. Shador has not thrown a pass since December 28, and yet he's tumbling down draft boards. So what could it be? Well, this is where it gets interesting. We know that teams have whiffed on quarterbacks, right? The Panthers trade up for Bryce Young, looking like a whiff Maserati. Mitch Trubisky going ahead of Patrick Mahomes, trading up the Niners for Trey Lance. What a whiff, you know, and then we go down those. Josh Rosen was taking like 20 some odd spots before Lamar Jackson. Teams whiff on quarterbacks. It happens. But what is should. What is Shador doing to make teams say I don't know? Well, he went on a show this week and talked about meeting with teams and I don't know, it sounds like Shador may be turning teams off. When I go visit these coaches and when I go to all these different franchises, I ask them truly what I think and how I feel. And some get offended, some like it, some don't. You know, make some people comfortable, some people, you know, invite that so they know what type of person, what type of player they're going to get out of me. So I just have to make sure you know what type of thought, what.
- [08:50]
Yovon Buha
Type of dynamic I'mma have with them often.
- [08:53]
Jason McIntyre
Yeah, I don't know about that. Shador. I saw some quotes where he said he wants to come in and transform the organization. Bro, don't tell me that. Show me. I'll give you the chance to show me if I. If. You make it sound like you're worthy. But it sounds like Shador may be turning off teams now. If you want to get sinister, hey, he's doing this because he don't like the Browns. The Titans are a bit of a dumpster fire. The New York Giants, look at those teams. In the last like five years, they have not been good at all. And Dion has kind of taken some pot shots. Is Shador trying to steer himself to a certain team? We don't know. But I will say this in his defense because I have thought I would go Shadora too. We've seen some quarterbacks tumble down the draft boards, right? Dan Marino famously fell bad. Hall of Famer, top 10 quarterback all time. Lamar Jackson fell to the end of the first round two time MVP already. And then there was Aaron Rodgers, who famously, when he's in the green room, people thought he was going to go top three. And he tumbles down, way down to the packers. And that was humbling. And maybe there's a world where the draft humbles Shador Sanders and the 23 year go, 23 year old goes into, say, Pittsburgh or New Orleans or, I don't know, someone trades for him at the end of the first round. And that kind of is the wake up call that Shador Sanders needs. All right, I'm going to pivot to the Kansas City Chiefs, a team I have a tumultuous relationship, shall we say, with their fan base. Right. It works this way. I say something incendiary about the Chiefs, a hot take, something that I believe in, and they yell at me and, and then laugh at me when the Chiefs deliver. Funny thing though, haven't heard from any of those guys in Kansas City since the Eagles flattened them in the Super Bowl. I haven't heard from any of them. And if you remember, we were in New Orleans for the show. I predicted the Eagles could run away with it. It looked prescient. I got a lot of YouTube views and it's where people were loving me for the Super Bowl. Prediction. Haven't heard from the Eagles fans lately. So we've had some NFL guys come on this week. Talk about gambling. Adam Chernoff, Chris Felica and the wheels started turning last night when I started to drill down on the Kansas City Chiefs and I I'll start with this. The off season is when you improve your roster and fix issues, plug holes. Have you guys seen the Kansas City Chiefs off season? They haven't done a damn thing. Their biggest signing because we know the offensive line is a train wreck. It wasn't the Super Bowl. Then they traded Joe Tuni, who was a guard, who they moved outside. Their biggest signing was Jaylon Moore, who, fifth rounder out of Western Michigan, who was a backup in San Francisco. A backup. Now he's behind Trent Williams, which is kind of, you know, understandable. Trent Williams, one of the best left tackles in the league, but I think he had five starts last season. That's it. He's going to be their new left tackle. This is how desperate the Chiefs were last year on the offensive line. They tried four different guys at left tackle. Tuni ended up being the best at the end of the season, but they moved off of him. He's now in Chicago. So that's the biggest issue I've had with the Chiefs. They have not improved at all. And you know, I, I love Travis Kelsey, me and my family like Taylor Swift. We went to see Taylor Swift in concert. I like Travis Kelsey a lot. He's a Hall of Famer. He's coming off his worst season as a pro. He's 35, turns 36 in October. Travis Kelsey, career low, three touchdown catches. If you look, you could draw a direct line. It was like basically the stock market on Monday. Right down Travis Kelsey's career stats. Right down folks, I like Kelsey. Do you remember his last three playoff games last year? It's a ghost, invisible. Didn't do a damn thing. Showed well in the opener against Houston. After that, nothing non factor. He's the safety valve for Patrick Mahomes. And I know what you're saying. We get Rasheed Rice back, okay, we'll wait to see if there's a suspension. We'll wait to see if he gets in more trouble in the next five months. But then I saw the really big issue with Kansas City. So last year they went 11 and 0 in one score games. Historic stuff. You don't see 11 and oh in one score games. And the staff pointed out to me this morning, Jay, it's not just 11 and oh and one score. They couldn't blow out anybody. They had the worst point differential of a 15 win team in NFL history. But it gets better. Two teams in their division who finished behind them, the Chargers and Broncos, had a bigger point differential than the Kansas City Chiefs. What's that telling you? That the Chiefs are unable to blow teams out anymore because they don't have the horses. They're just not that good. They do have, however, Mahomes and Reed, arguably one of the best quarterback coach combos after Belichick and Brady in NFL history. That can only carry you so far. And you guys know if you've gambled at all one score games historically flip year to year. Just a little tidbit. The Denver Broncos went 16 in one score games. So if the Broncos flip that and are, I don't know, four and three next year, three extra wins, they might take the division. I think the Chargers are probably going to win that division this year. And what happens if Kansas city goes from 11 and oh and one score games to, I don't know, four and seven? Oh, now we're, wait a minute. Now we're looking at like an eight or nine win team in Kansas City. And I'm not saying they're in deep trouble because obviously they're very good. But if you look at the afc, the worst teams in the AFC are getting better. Tennessee is for sure going to get better with a rookie quarterback, Cam Ward. The New England Patriots added Mike Vrabel, who's an excellent coach. His record Needs no introduction. They're going to be much better. The New England Patriots. Coward loves them. He's starting to convince me that they're a playoff team. We know the Raiders are going to be better with a real professional head coach in Pete Carroll. And they got a better quarterback at Geno Smith. Here are the Chiefs opponents at home. Little edge being at Arrowhead. They have to face the Ravens, the Lions, the Texans. Those are all playoff teams. The Colts, who were 8 and 9, and the Eagles and Commanders who were playoff teams last year and met in the NFC championship. That's a daunting schedule. Now on the road, they get a poo poo platter of the Cowboys, Jags, Giants, like they should clean those up. The Buffalo game obviously will be huge. Guys, I'm gonna ask you. I'm gonna be real. You look at the last three years, Kansas City has played 10 playoff games. That's more than half another season. We see this in the NBA all the time. When you make a run to the finals two, three years in a row, that following year you're drained, the bodies are breaking down, the players are wearing down. And it's very, very difficult to keep that sustainability going. I'm making the call here. It's mid April before the draft. I don't think the Kansas City Chiefs are a playoff team next year. And. And I don't think they're cratering to like a six, seven win team. But guys, nine wins might not make the playoffs in the afc. Nine, Nine, you're fine probably in the nfc, but nine in the afc. When you got the Patriots on the come up, obviously the Bills are going nowhere. We know the Ravens are good. Houston Texans, C.J. stroud, they'll win the division. I think the Chargers win the division. And I think the Bengals who won nine games then still have, you know, Joe Burrow and I Cowherd's convinced me the Patriots are a playoff team and I'll go. Denver Broncos. Kansas City Chiefs missing the playoffs. Go ahead, screen, grab it, save it. Tag whoever you whoever the hell you want. I'm on record. April 2025 Kansas City Chiefs. No playoffs next season. So, Alex, I decided to choose violence here early on. What?
- [16:30]
Alex Curry
I'm over here just shaking my head. It's still the Kansas City Chiefs. They're still a dynasty. Yes, they laid an egg in the super bowl, but it's still Patrick Mahomes, one of the greatest quarterbacks in our game right now and Andy Reid, the best quarterback coach duo. That's fair. What they have the most experience people still can't figure out a way to beat them, especially in the postseason. Unless you're the Eagles and your defense just absolutely wins the championship. I just know that Chiefs are getting to the playoffs.
- [16:55]
Jason McIntyre
Disagreement. Okay, well she add Alex's Toss it on the Fire. Another log of the fire for when the Chiefs fail this upcoming season coming up next year on the show. So we know the Lakers are going to probably win tonight against Houston or Portland. They're going to get the three seed. Who would you rather face, the warriors or the Clippers? This is not easy because one of those teams is super hot. The other has Steph Curry. That's next year on the Herd.
- [17:21]
Colin Cowherd
Be sure to catch live editions of.
- [17:23]
Jason McIntyre
The Herd, weekdays at noon Eastern, 9am Pacific on Fox Sports Radio, FS1 and.
- [17:29]
Colin Cowherd
The iHeartRadio Apple American Public University is the number one provider of education to our military and veterans in this country. They offer something truly unique special rates and grants for the entire family, making education affordable not just for those who serve, but also for their loved ones. If you have a military or veteran family member and are looking for affordable, high quality education, APU is the place for you. Visit Apu Apus Edu Military to learn more. That's Apu Apus Edu Military. You know, buying a home used to be a huge headache. You had to go to different places for listings, pre approval financing. It was exhausting and confusing. But now Rocket is putting everything you need in one place. Rocket.com a single seamless home ownership platform to help you find, buy, sell, finance, even refinance your home. You'll find smarter tools, personalized dashboards, real time insights and more. All the things you need to make the kind of informed decisions that can make a big difference for you and your family. So whether you're buying your first home, managing homeownership tasks, or unlocking equity for future opportunities, there's only one destination that has everything you need. All under one roof. Every home at one address. Rocket.com the new home for all things home ownership. Whether you're buying or refinancing, you have to just give a look because it's all there. Rocket Own the dream. The NBA 82 game grind is done and now the real fun begins. The NBA playoffs are here and they're huge and it's time for the all high stakes drama, clutch moments and drop dropping plays. If you're looking to make the playoffs Even more exciting, DraftKings sportsbook has you covered. It's the official sports betting partner of the NBA Try placing a bet on your favorite player's performance. Will he drop 30 points? 40 or more? It's your call. Here's something special for first timers. New DraftKings customers bet just five bucks. Five bucks. That's it. To get $200 in bonus bets instantly make it a playoff run. To remember with DraftKings, download the DraftKings sportsbook app. The code is heard. That's me H E R D and new customers will get 200 bucks in bonus bets. Betting just five bucks. That's it. That simple. Only on DraftKings. The crown is yours.
- [20:02]
Jason McIntyre
Gambling problem. Call 1-800- gambler in New York. Call 877-8-HOPENY or text hopeny467-369 in Connecticut. Help is available. For problem gambling. Call 888-789-7777 or visit ccpg.org Please play responsibly on behalf of Boot Hill Casino and Resort in Kansas. 21 Age and eligibility varies by jurisdiction. Void. In Ontario, new customers only. Bonus bets expire 168 hours after issuance. For additional terms and responsible gaming resources, see dkng.
- [20:37]
Colin Cowherd
If you're an inventory specialist in a warehouse, Grainger knows you've probably faced a situation like this before. Your forklift, your facility's workhorse, is leaking hydraulic fluid, and with a full schedule of shipments on the docket, this has the potential to cause a major delay of game. But you're not worried. You're prepared for this type of situation, and you have an ace in the hole. Grainger Grainger offers professional grade products for every industry, from hydraulic oils and hoses. So much more. Plus next day delivery. So you can be confident that you'll have the product you need on hand to fix that forklift and get it back in the game. Call 1-800-granger. Click granger.com or just stop by Granger for the ones who get it done.
- [21:22]
Jason McIntyre
Listen, what I'm about to say is real and authentic.
- [21:26]
Alex Curry
Let's go.
- [21:27]
Jason McIntyre
Maybe not Shador Sanders level keeping it real, but there's this guy in the NBA named John Moran, and he is a phenomenal basketball player, period. Like three years ago, John Morant was on track to be the face of the NBA. I looked this up. In his third year, Memphis got to the conference semifinals and this guy was dynamite. Just an outstanding player. And it has gone rapidly downhill for John Moran. So last night he's playing against the Minnesota Timberwolves and John Moran, who earlier this week was doing a gun celebration, pointing it at the warriors bench. I believe it Was at buddy healed. And now John Moran has decided since he got told stop doing the gun celebration. Guy who was in trouble for having a gun on Instagram live. He decided, okay, let me pivot off the guns and I'll go to a grenade celebration. So last night, John Morant bangs a three against Minnesota in another loss. By the way, Minnesota smoked him. And here you see on the screen John Moran 3. He's all excited, pulls the pin, chucks the grenade and cover his ears. My guy. What are we doing? Somebody on our staff. I should call him out by name, but I'm not going to. I thought it was a great take. Is he trying to get his way out of Memphis? Like it's possible. Unlikely, but possible. Why do you keep doing dumb things? This is not a cool celebration. You know, are guys jealous that Steph Curry has the sleep thing when he hits a three late in a game? I mean, he did at the Olympics. And it's an iconic image. He does it in the NBA. It's pretty awesome. So Ja's like, I need my signature thing. How about winning? How about playing for your coach now? You know, the Memphis has been a little rocky this season, which and adds to the potential is Ja trying to get out of Memphis. So Memphis, their head coach kind of had let John Morant do his thing and whatever, and then he keeps getting hurt. So they're like, we need some protections. Let's bring in some assistant coaches who are going to take the ball out of jaw's hands and make everyone else better, make it more well rounded. And so that worked for a little while and jaws numbers came down, but then it stopped working. And Ja said, bleep this. I'm going to get mine. And then they end up firing the coach. And so it's this weird tug of war inside Memphis internally. Do we want to ride jaw or do we want to get everybody better? This reminds me, and I'm not comparing John Moran to Michael Jordan. It's just an obvious coaching strategy. Michael Jordan had the run of the show in Chicago. Doug Collins, who he loved as head coach. Doug, you want me to do me? I got you. I'm going to get 35. Oh, we're going to lose in the second round of playoffs. So they bring in Phil Jackson and Tex Winter and they put in the triangle offense. More structure for Michael. Michael, we're going to take a few shots away from you. We're going to spread the wealth, but we're going to be unstoppable now. The timing was great for Jordan and the Bulls and Phil Jackson. The rest of the east was weakening. The Celtics were breaking down. The Pistons definitely broke down. The Ewings. Knicks. My, my favorite team of my youth. They could never take down the Bulls in a playoff series that mattered and the rest is history. You know, Michael Jordan rides the triangle offense to massive success. Six titles, blah blah, blah. Is there a world where John Morant can fall in line for the betterment of the team and franchise? And given his track record in the last, I don't know, four years, I'm going to go ahead and say that's not happening. Okay, I like John Moran as a player. I know he's immensely popular among the young kids, but he is losing that grip the same way Zion, who was supposed to be face of the league, it was like him and John Morant. Can they be the face of the league? Can they share it? Because they're dynamic and explosive and just high level athletes and neither of them has been able to a stay healthy and B, get their act together off the court. John Moran, just advice you don't need to take ditch the grenade celebration, man. Just play basketball, be a leader and win some games. That's probably your best bet to get back on top.
- [25:32]
Colin Cowherd
Be sure to catch live editions of.
- [25:33]
Jason McIntyre
The Herd weekdays at noon Eastern, 9am Pacific.
- [25:37]
Colin Cowherd
Hey, it's Steve Covino and I'm Rich Davis and together we're Covino and Rich on Fox Sports Radio. You can catch us weekdays from 5 to 7pm Eastern, 2 to 4 Pacific on Fox Sports Radio. And of course, the iHeartRadio app. Why should you listen to Covino and Rich? We talk about everything, life, sports, relationships, what's going on in the world. We have a lot of fun talking about the stories behind the stories in the world of sports and pop culture. Stories that, well, other shows don't seem to have the time to discuss. And the fact that we've been friends for the last 20 years and still work together, I mean, that says something, right? So check us out. We like to get you involved too. Take your phone calls, chop it up, as they say. I'd say the most interactive show on Fox Sports Radio, maybe the most interactive show on planet Earth. Be sure to check out Covino and Rich live on Fox Sports radio and the iHeartradio app from 5 to 7pm Eastern, 2 to 4 Pacific. And if you miss any of the live show, just search KO Vino, Rich, wherever you get your podcast. And of course on social media, that's Covino and Rich. American Public University is the number one provider of education to our military and veterans in this country. They offer something truly unique. Special rates and grants for the entire family, making education affordable not just for those who serve, but also for their loved ones. If you have a military or veteran family member and are looking for affordable, high quality education, APU is the place for you. Visit Apu APIs Edu Military to learn more. That's apu Apus Edu Military all you renters out there, here's something from Rocket Mortgage you're going to want to hear now. Anyone who has ever rented before knows that feeling you get every month. Your hard earned cash gone. It's like throwing money away. Even more frustrating is the knowledge that every dollar you spent on rent is a dollar you could have put towards your future. It can make it feel like you'll never be able to save enough to afford a home of your own. And that's what makes what Rocket Mortgage is doing so special. Rocket Mortgage is now helping you put your monthly rent payments towards home ownership. It's called Rent Rewards and for the first time you can save up to $5,000 off the cost of your home just by paying rent. Only at Rocket Mortgage. If this sounds like something that could make a difference in your life, call 804Rocket or visit Rocket.com learn more about rent rewards. That's 804Rocket or Rocket.com Rocket Mortgage LLC.
- [28:14]
Jason McIntyre
Equal housing lender licensed in all 50 states NMLS consumeraccess.org 3030 if you're an.
- [28:18]
Colin Cowherd
Inventory specialist in a warehouse, Granger knows you've probably faced a situation like this before. Your forklift, your facility's workhorse, is leaking hydraulic fluid and with a full schedule of shipments on the docket, this has the potential to cause a major delay of game. But you're not worried. You're prepared for this type of situation and you have an ace in the hole. Grainger Grainger offers professional grade products for every industry from hydraulic oils and hoses. So much more plus next day delivery so you can be confident that you'll have the product you need on hand to fix that forklift and get it back in the game. Call 1-800-GRAINGER Click grainger.com or just stop by Grainger for the ones who get it done. Everybody loves a good MVP story and the story of Wasabi Technologies is one of the best. Wasabi is purpose built to free businesses from skyrocketing storage costs and unpredictable egress fees from old and top heavy legacy providers. You know the big guys Wasabi is the world's hottest cloud storage company, becoming the go to provider for professional and collegiate sports teams and leagues around the world. And here's why. From Wasabi's AI enabled intelligent media storage, Wasabi Air, to the industry's only cloud storage service with triple protection against cyber criminals, data deletion and ransomware. Wasabi has taken the lead in driving innovation in data storage, eliminating overhead where it matters to deliver you results you can count on and won't break the bank. In fact, Wasabi is up to 80% less than those other guys and doesn't charge a cent for businesses to access their own data. Wasabi Another championship story. Check them out for free@wasabi.com Wasabi Hot Cloud Storage Proud partner of the VOLU.
- [30:06]
Jason McIntyre
Podcast network, Nicola Jokic is a story out that he is having the greatest statistical season in NBA history. It's bolstered by an avalanche of numbers. Yet the media, the ink stained wretches who vote for the NBA MVP are going to give it to sga. That's fine, I don't care. Do whatever you want. We know Jokic is the best player in the league. Again, I like to think I have all the best takes, but when you sit at a table with like eight guys and girls, they're going to cook with some good stuff. Folks, just hear me out here. Jokic is playing at a level we've never seen before. This is better than anything Shaq did. Sorry, Shaq. Okay. This is better than Wilt Chamberlain in the 70s against off duty firefighters and plumbers. All right. Jokic is tearing up the golden era in the NBA. Tearing it up. Averaging a 30 point triple double of 29.8 whatever roundup. And he's doing it without another all star on his team. Let that sink in the the Denver Nuggets have three max players and one all Star. What? And that's when enter our amazing staff here. Somebody forgive me. I don't remember who. You know, he's having a season like LeBron had early in his run with the Cavs and I was like, oh damn, that's a fire take. Now initially on my. Wait a minute, Whoa, Whoa, hold up. LeBron didn't have anybody. He had Elgauskis, Mo Williams. Time out, J Mac. Those guys were NBA all stars. What now that just shows you how. I'm sorry, how weak the league was in like 2005 to 2009 when Ilgauskis and Mo Williams were all stars. I'm not gonna lie. Mo Williams would not be a top 20 scorer in the men's league. I plan no disrespect. I know he was good 15, 16 years ago. He was. How's he an All Star? Jamal Murray? No All Star. Aaron Gordon? No.
- [32:09]
Colin Cowherd
All star.
- [32:09]
Jason McIntyre
Michael Porter Jr. And his big fat contract. No All Star. And Jokic is carrying them. Before this late season swoon here, they were looking at being two or three in the west, and Jokic is basically carrying the franchise without an All Star. They just fired the coach. And there's a huge article that just came out a few hours ago about what the hell happened in Denver. And apparently the Nuggets wanted to fire Michael Malone mid season at the All Star break. They wanted to run him out. That's how toxic it was. But they somehow peeled off eight wins in a row, and it was basically Jokic just destroying some really bad teams. So of course, they play their first game without Malone. Jokic is drawing up plays on the sideline. I'm sure you guys saw that. And then afterward, here's their new head coach, David Adelman, talking about the dub. We know what's ahead here. We got a playoff team Friday, a playoff team Sunday.
- [33:02]
Yovon Buha
So we have a big journey ahead of us. The great thing about tonight is you.
- [33:06]
Jason McIntyre
All stayed with it. Everybody stayed with. Hold on.
- [33:09]
Yovon Buha
Yeah.
- [33:10]
Jason McIntyre
Yeah, David. It's a happy locker room again. So are the Nuggets going to turn it around or does this go south? They lose in the first round, and Jokic maybe asks out. Now, it seems unlikely that he would ask out, Jay. No European, no international superstar has ever asked out, okay? Why can't he be the first? What if he's unhappy? Now, this is interesting. I'm sure you guys saw this. So Michael Malone, like, after the Pacers lost, I think it was Sunday was like, we hope to get back Jamal Murray for the playoffs. We don't know. Jamal Murray just announced he may play tonight. So was it like, whoa, wait a minute. Jamal Murray, did he hate Malone that much? And why didn't Jokic step up and be like, yo, hey, this is my guy. Don't fire him. Like you would think if they like Malone, Jokic would have stepped up. Jamal Murray's now back. They're playing the bench. Guys, it seems everything is copacetic in Denver. The only problem is Jokic has no help. And I love Jamal Murray. He's super clutch. He's killed the Lakers in the playoffs. In the bubble, he was Mr. 50 piece. I think he averaged like, 48 points in a series. Some of them ridiculous. They're a good team, but I just wonder if they're teetering because you remember when LeBron kept asking the front office for help and they were like, oh yeah, we'll get you a 34 year old Shaq. And here's Antoine Jameson, who was good for like eight minutes in Washington. You want that'll help you, right? And LeBron looked around and was like, do you see Dwight Howard getting legit help in Orlando? Do you see the Celtics leveling up with friggin hall of Famers? And you're doing nothing for me. And LeBron just peaced out. Could Jokic do that? I know you're saying no way. He would rather ride horses in Serbia than form a team or force his way somewhere. We'll see. It's still early in his career. He's only 30 and Jokic is probably going to age gracefully given his skill set. Is insane. He's like an Arvida Sabonis passing. We know he can hit threes. He's hitting 41 on threes this year. That's insane. So I think it's worth keeping an eye on the, on the Jokic situation where he is possibly somehow underrated. All right, we'll wrap up this hour because I'm going to go back to my Chiefs take. I had one of the producers in my ear, J. Mac, you're getting crushed online for this. Kansas City Chiefs are going to miss the playoffs as Alex laughs maniacally. So we had Ben Volen on covers the league for the Boston Globe and I asked him about the Chiefs and I and I made my strong case. Like, remember I wanted to be a lawyer when I was a kid. And my teacher and I'll never forget this, one of my few teachers that I remember from elementary school was like to my parents at back to school night. Jason would make a great lawyer because he loves to argue. And at the time I was like, oh, I'll be a lawyer. Cool. And then I found out you got to go like a bunch of years of school after college, I was like, I'm good, no thanks. But I feel like I can argue anything. And I made the case the Chiefs are going to miss the playoffs. And I asked Ben about it and he said I would never count these guys out. And they're bringing Kelsey back for another year. There's still plenty of time before they kick the ball off in September. There are still moves to be made, whether it's finding another receiver or, you know, bolstering the offensive line. The draft is coming up. I Think the Chiefs, they're not just sitting on their.
- [36:32]
Yovon Buha
Their hands this offseason.
- [36:33]
Jason McIntyre
They're trying to make their. Their roster better and trying to specifically address their offensive line. So, you know, maybe, you know, maybe you're right in that they're not going to win 15 games and go 15 and two. But that said, I'm never counting out Patrick Mahomes and Andy Reid and Travis Kelsey. These guys are too good and too savvy and have won too many games for them not to have things figured.
- [36:55]
Colin Cowherd
Out by the fall.
- [36:56]
Jason McIntyre
And Ben obviously is not wrong there. I'm not counting out Reed and Mahomes. I mean, two of the best to ever do it. That being said, I don't have the Chiefs in the playoffs right now. Now. So, I don't know, sometimes something, an idea will kick in your head. You're like, oh, that's good. And then you're like, oh, I probably shouldn't say that on air. So we talked about, like, Shador Sanders, and he's kind of botching interviews. Well, think about this. With the Chiefs, sometimes you don't reveal everything, right? Sometimes you hold some stuff back. I'm gonna save it for next time you meet a girl at a bar. Kick game, get a number. But you're. You're withholding some of your good. Your good stuff for maybe a first date, a second day, whatever. I talked about the Chiefs earlier, right? I went on my little tangent. I saved some stuff, a little ammo, Save it just in case I'm backed into a corner. Do you guys know the history of the super bowl loser? It's called the Super Bowl Hangover. You're familiar with it, obviously. 49ers fans sure as hell are. Last two times they went to the super bowl, the following year, it fell apart like a house of cards, okay? Four of the last nine super bowl losers didn't even make the playoffs the next year. I know it's a tiny sample size. That being said, I will go back to the other point I made. This team has had a lot of playoff battles in January and February the last three years. Ten playoff games. That wear and tear adds up on your body. I mean, Isaiah Pacheco started to show the first cracks. He was hurt. Offense really sagged. They went out and got who? Another oft injured running back in Elijah Mitchell. Guys, go look at the Chief's depth chart. It doesn't scare a soul. You cover up Patrick Mahomes, right? You cover up the quarterback. And I'm just telling you, as I call it up, Here, none of these guys are like, oh, gee, how do. How the hell do we game plan for Xavier Worthy? Rasheed Rice. We. We assume Rasheed Rice is gonna be back. We don't know. Hollywood Brown. Remember they got him last year and it was like Hollywood Brown. Oh, what. What a value get there is. He could be awesome as a number three. Come on, Hollywood. What the hell did he do last year? Sky Moore. Guy can't catch a cold. Kelsey's getting old. I'm just saying there is a lot of weakness on this Chiefs team. McDuffie, their great slot corner, they moved him outside last year. Not as great. Not as great. Struggled. So they went out and got Christian Fulton who just can't stay healthy at all. So you can move McDuffie back to slot. Like, they're tinkering around the edges. It's difficult. It's tough to stay on top forever. I'm gonna stand by it. It's not happening for the Chiefs this year. Now I can see Alex smirking, see a couple other people in the studio here, like, oh dear. J. Mac, what are we doing? Alex, listen, go. Go big or go home. You gotta be bold.
- [39:45]
Colin Cowherd
You're bold.
- [39:45]
Jason McIntyre
You got the. You got the teal. No, not teal.
- [39:48]
Alex Curry
Turquoise.
- [39:48]
Jason McIntyre
Turquoise.
- [39:49]
Alex Curry
Yeah, but J. Mac, when you're talking about the super bowl hangover, I think that applies to every other team except the Chiefs, who have won three Super Bowls since 2019. So that's not. I don't think that plays has the same effect on a team that is like a dynasty. And they just laid an egg in the super bowl last year. Like they are still Patrick Mahomes and Andy Reid and Travis Kelsey, if he's healthy. Chiefs, and they've always just been. As long as those three are locked in, they'll figure out the rest. Obviously their. Their defense was also top notch as well. Not. No one showed up in the super bowl. But I. I'm not gonna base their whole next season on that one Super Bowl.
- [40:33]
Jason McIntyre
No, of course.
- [40:34]
Alex Curry
Performance.
- [40:34]
Jason McIntyre
It's still Patrick Mahomes one score games. No way. Offensive line is a train wreck. I. I just. I'm not buying them. Like nothing lasts forever in this league. You know that Alec. The Patriots, they couldn't keep it together. Two decades. It was so tough every single year to make the playoffs. They had Brady Abell check. There's just not a lot they can do around the margins.
- [40:55]
Colin Cowherd
Be sure to catch live editions of.
- [40:57]
Jason McIntyre
The Herd, weekdays at noon Eastern, 9am Pacific on Fox Sports Radio. FS1 and the iHeartradio app Yovon Buha from the athletic Lakers reporter. Sorry to butcher the name, Buddy. Great to see you. This guy, he's phenomenal covering the Lakers and obviously it's a great time to be a Lakers fan. They're going to lock in on the three seed, right? All they need is one win in the final two.
- [41:21]
Yovon Buha
I think they should lock it in tonight.
- [41:22]
Jason McIntyre
And what do you feel confident about this team heading into the postseason? Only 27 games for Luka in a Lakers jersey.
- [41:29]
Yovon Buha
I do. I think they're the second best team in the west right now. The only team I would consider taking over them would be Oklahoma City. Just due to the dominant season that they've had them having home court in that matchup. The Lakers have struggled at times on the road, but right now, you look at what they've done post Luca, the offense is finally coming together. It was really the defense carrying them in those early, you know, few weeks. But I think they look really good. And I. I mean, they were up by one against OKC in the second matchup right before Luka egregiously got tossed in a Tech that was.
- [42:01]
Jason McIntyre
You were in the arena?
- [42:02]
Yovon Buha
I was there, yeah.
- [42:03]
Jason McIntyre
Okay. So, you know that meat ball stands up, he's yelling at Luka. But the ref was right in the line.
- [42:08]
Yovon Buha
It was like, wrong place, wrong time for Luca of just. He looked back at the fan and the ref was like running right by the fan at that time. So I think the ref thought he was talking to him. But he had also picked up a.
- [42:20]
Jason McIntyre
Tech earlier that was not a great.
- [42:21]
Yovon Buha
Arguing on Jared Vanderbilt's behalf. So, I mean, I. I don't think it's. He's the easiest player to ref, let's say. Right. But you gotta, at that point, I think just say, like, my bad and rescind it. But, you know, it was.
- [42:33]
Jason McIntyre
They did rescind it after. They did rescind it.
- [42:35]
Yovon Buha
But in the moment, the. All the players immediately reacted like, no, he was talking to the fan. He was talking to the fan because he's had a back and forth with that fan going back to the last postseason. Yeah.
- [42:43]
Jason McIntyre
When he torched the maps. Yeah, yeah, it was awesome. Or when he was with the Mavs torching. Okay, all right, let me turn back the clock a little bit. So February, you get word that the trade has happened. AD for Luca, I need just your initial. Were you, like, laying in bed, going to sleep? Like, what was going down when you heard it and talk to me about that.
- [43:02]
Yovon Buha
I was at Madison Square Garden, so Because that was a late game. Because it was, it was 8:30pm Eastern Time game. So we cleared the locker room a little after like 11. And it was one of the Lakers best wins of the season. They won in New York without Anthony Davis. That was one of their first big wins with this centerless group that they've been going with. So Max Christie, who ended up getting traded at a really good game. And then there was the viral clip of like, as he's talking to us, they take down his name plate. And it was completely coincidental of the timing, but it was kind of indicative of what was about to happen. But LeBron, remember, he almost had I think 40 that game. And they looked really good. It was like one of their best wins of the season. And then less than an hour after we cleared the locker room, the trade happens. And there was only four of us in the next press room at that time. And someone just yelled out, the Lakers just got Luca. And none of us believed it. And so we, we immediately start like texting people and no one's believing it. And then all of a sudden, Shams puts out his follow up of this is real. And then we all start like scrambling and it's just a mad dash and we're going around the arena calling people, texting people. And Nick's security is like, no, you can't go here, you can't go there. So it was, it was a while now. I stayed up at that point. It dropped like 12:15am Eastern time. I was up till 7.
- [44:21]
Jason McIntyre
Whoa.
- [44:22]
Yovon Buha
Writing. Then I did my podcast, went live. So it was a crazy night.
- [44:26]
Jason McIntyre
So a lot of people think LeBron was involved in this, but I don't know. Everything I've heard is he was not involved at all. I don't even think he got a heads up. What do you know about that?
- [44:36]
Yovon Buha
I don't think he was involved. I know there's been a lot of speculation. I do think the circle was a little bit bigger than what has been indicated, but not by like, like, I think the, the respective front office is new to some extent. Right. Because there's been some reporting now coming out that there was some pushback with Nico inside the, the Mavericks front. Like, I think it wasn't literally just like Rob Polinka, Nico Harrison and the two owners. I think it was a little bit of a larger circle than that, but. But more so within the respective front offices. But outside of that, I, like, Luca, clearly didn't know. Right. Because you've seen the reactions and the way that the Tribute hit him. There's no way that, like, that guy did not know he was getting traded. He was about to buy a $15 million house in Dallas that he was considering his. His forever house. So, like, he thought he was getting the supermax this summer, buying that house, and, like, was going to be a maverick for life. So, you know, I don't think LeBron knew, though.
- [45:32]
Jason McIntyre
We'll get to the Dallas aspect of it, but I'm curious, what is it like to cover Luka Doncic, be in the locker room, him, he's good in interviews. You know, the English is fine, but I know he's combative on the court and gets like, you know, with the refs, other players, but what's it like covering him on a daily basis?
- [45:48]
Yovon Buha
I would call him stoic and jovial, like a mix of that. So it depends on if it's a win or a loss.
- [45:55]
Jason McIntyre
But.
- [45:55]
Yovon Buha
But he. He's completely, you know, off the court, he's much more introverted and quiet, and he'll. He'll crack some jokes every now and then, but, like, the. The fiery, expressive personality that you see on the court, that's not how he is off of it. And he kind of talks about that duality of, like, flipping that switch, being a killer on the floor, and then off the floor, he's much more laid back, we'll say. But he's been fun to cover. He did say a few weeks ago that he's like, I like short answers. So he tried. He's efficient with his answers to us. He tries to keep it like one to three sentences.
- [46:28]
Jason McIntyre
I appreciate that. So let me ask. It's weird. We've talked to you for five minutes, and we've barely mentioned LeBron James, who I think is the greatest player in NBA history. And that kind of says where we are. But what. Have you seen a different LeBron since the trade? Because it, you know, if that last game against Dallas is any indication, they're going to ride Luka early with a dose of reeves and then LeBron's your closer, because that seemed to be the case against Golden State about eight days ago when they lost the game.
- [46:52]
Yovon Buha
Yeah, I think Luka and LeBron compliment each other well. Because, you see with Luka, he gets off to the. These really big first quarters, first halves, and if you actually break it down by points per quarter, he's at like 30, 40% more points in the first quarter compared to each other quarter. So he's at about like 10 points a game in the first quarter. So he's he's often setting the tone early, and then he likes to have defenses overreact and just kind of freak out to that. Then you start seeing the doubles, the blitzes, and then he picks you apart with his passing. LeBron's the opposite. LeBron likes to pick a spots early, and then when everyone's tired, he goes to that extra gear in the fourth quarter. And then you saw it in the Dallas game. He had 13 points in that fourth quarter and really sealed it as Dallas. They made a little run there to regain the lead. Then LeBron took over and the Lakers won that one. So I think that that kind of combination of Luca's hitting you early and then LeBron comes in for the haymaker late. And look, Luca is capable. I mean, he's one of the most clutch players in the league. He's capable of taking and making big shots. But like, I. I think that that's kind of been the way they've been going about it.
- [47:53]
Jason McIntyre
Yeah, we could roll back the Rudy Gobert tape.
- [47:56]
Yovon Buha
Yes.
- [47:57]
Jason McIntyre
Oh, that was epic. I was actually at a Laker. I think that was at a Lakers game when that happened. Or maybe I was at. Oh, no, it was a Sparks game. It was. I was at like a Sparks Caitlyn Clark game when I went down. Saw that on. Let me ask quickly about Austin Reeves and how he fits in here. I've been pushing him on Coward for a while. Coward's been like a little overrated. Then I came on here and said, I think Austin Reaves is at least as good as or better than Mark Price, who may have been before your time in Cleveland a little bit. And all these people are like, no, no, no, Mark Price, come on, he was an all star. Austin Reeves is underrated and he's on an amazing contract. What's it like him fitting in with these two icons?
- [48:33]
Yovon Buha
It's been incredible because on paper, you thought that Austin would have to take a bit of a step back because since the D'Angelo Russell trade, he is really amped up. His usage, his efficiency, his production. And first few games, there were some growing pains there where he had a lot of turnovers. He struggled against some more athletic backcourts. But from that point on of early January, he's been playing at an all star level and really looking at the last 15. He's 25, 5 and 5 with efficient shooting. So it's been interesting to see with Luka coming, things have actually increased for Austin in terms of his role and his usage, his field goal attempts and all that. So I think it's actually been LeBron who's taken a little bit more of a step back and been playing a little bit more off the ball. Austin and LeBron have a really good two man games. So he comes up and screens for Austin and I think they're still kind of working that out with LeBron and Luka. But Austin's been great and he's making $13 million a year, so that's one of the best contracts.
- [49:28]
Jason McIntyre
He seems super happy to be here. Like you never see him frowning or anything. Let me ask, I made a case earlier this week that the Lakers have like a bit of a. They appear to be villains, right? LeBron's a flopper. Luka argues and yells at refs. And then there's just the Laker narrative who we hate the Lakers and they get gifted Luka Doncic and it feels like going into the playoffs we know he's got beef with Dylan Brooks, Desmond Bain, Draymond Green. Every team has had like their moments with these guys.
- [49:54]
Yovon Buha
Beef with everybody.
- [49:55]
Jason McIntyre
Do you think they are kind of the villains of the league?
- [49:58]
Yovon Buha
You could say that. I mean, I think the Celtics are up there too. You know, I think there's just some natural also because of how many Laker fans that there are everywhere like that the Celtics naturally become the villains, but also they're the defending champs. So I think that that plays a part. But yeah, I mean, I think so. Like Luke has beef with everybody and the Lakers by nature have now inherited with everybody. So. And I thought it was funny with the, the tribute video when we asked him after the game what was your favorite moment from the tribute video? He said the Rudy go Bear. And I was like, this guy's diabolical.
- [50:33]
Jason McIntyre
He really, he's a killer. I mean, I love him, I guess. My question is, Lakers heading into this weekend needing two wins or one win to lockdown? One win.
- [50:41]
Yovon Buha
Yeah.
- [50:41]
Jason McIntyre
It looks like they'll play the warriors or Clippers.
- [50:45]
Yovon Buha
So I did a quick calculation and I think it's going to be most likely the warriors or the Timberwolves, depending on what happens with. Now that's if everything goes chalk because right now some of these teams are resting guys.
- [50:57]
Jason McIntyre
I just saw that. Yeah.
- [50:57]
Yovon Buha
So looking at it tonight, every game is easy for the teams in the playoff mix. Except for Denver and Memphis. Play in Denver second night of a back to back from Memphis. They just lost last night to Minnesota. Theoretically, Denver should win that game. They're fighting. If Denver wins out, they're going to be the four Seed and kind of salvage what's been a pretty rough season for them. But looking at it, I think it's going to come down to Clippers versus Warriors. And if the Clippers won that game, Lakers will play the Timberwolves. If the warriors win that game, the Lakers will play the Warriors. Huh.
- [51:30]
Jason McIntyre
Who scares you more? Well, that's tough for me to ask you, but who do you think is a tougher matchup for the Lakers, warriors or Timberwolves?
- [51:37]
Yovon Buha
Warriors. I think that the warriors are. I mean, we just saw them beat the Lakers, so there's some recency bias there with that.
- [51:43]
Jason McIntyre
But.
- [51:43]
Yovon Buha
But I just think their switching scheme, the Lakers offense has gummed up at times against switching schemes. I think draymond at the 5 is a look where they've really picked on big men lately. I think one of the most encouraging things for the Lakers is they've gone up against Memphis and Houston and OKC and now just Dallas, some of the biggest teams in the west. And they've been able to play their double big lineups off the floor because Luka and Austin and LeBron can go mismatch hunting. You can't do that as much against Golden State because it's not a mismatch against Draymond Green. So I think them, with their motion offense as well, that can give the Lakers some problems. They like to play fast, they get out in transition. They're constantly moving and cutting. I think between those two, Golden State's the tougher one.
- [52:24]
Jason McIntyre
Now, Minnesota did take down Denver last year. Anthony Edwards was amazing. They did have Towns, but I think he got benched in there. Minnesota seems limited offensively, but defensively they got. They could throw McDaniels right and go bear protecting the rim. That could be a problem for the Lakers.
- [52:39]
Yovon Buha
Well, Luca versus Gobert, we've seen that movie before. He wants that. But I'm with you. I think on paper, Minnesota has all of the traits of a team that you think would give the Lakers problems. They got the size, they got perimeter defense, and they got the apex superstar in Anthony Edwards, who we've seen can rise to the moment. However, to your point, I think you can double and blitz and really force the ball out of Ant's hands. And then it's like Julius Randle, Naz Reed, Jaden McDaniels. Like, I like those guys to extend an extent. But as the number two option in a playoff series against the Lakers, like, I think the Lakers would have three of the four best players on the court in that series.
- [53:16]
Jason McIntyre
Yeah, I had A hot take against the Thunder. I think the Lakers have three of the four best players. I'm sorry, I go Austin, you can make that case over J Dub.
- [53:23]
Yovon Buha
I mean I, I would probably go J Dub, but. But it. If Austin outplayed him, I wouldn't be like shocked by that.
- [53:29]
Jason McIntyre
You think the Lakers are worried about J Dub heading into a playoffs?
- [53:31]
Yovon Buha
No, they're not. They're not afraid of okc. No one's. To be completely honest, no one's. If you talk to NBA players, they're not afraid of okc.
- [53:39]
Jason McIntyre
Yeah. What do you make of the whole free throw merchant stuff? I'm sure you've heard it. I'm sure SGA's heard it.
- [53:44]
Yovon Buha
Yeah, I don't. That I, I think is a little bit overblown.
- [53:48]
Jason McIntyre
Oh.
- [53:48]
Yovon Buha
Because even that, that I thought he had a good first game against the Lakers. Like, like they held him to a relatively inefficient night, no free throws. But like even within that I thought he still got to his spots and was know pretty productive in that game. So I think it's a little overblown. It is an element. But I think Shay's really good, obviously. Top two.
- [54:08]
Jason McIntyre
Do you have an MVP vote?
- [54:09]
Yovon Buha
I do.
- [54:10]
Jason McIntyre
Will you give it to Shay or Joker?
- [54:11]
Yovon Buha
It's going down to the wire for me. I, I am leaning Joker.
- [54:15]
Jason McIntyre
Oh, there we go.
- [54:16]
Yovon Buha
I don't think he's going to win. I think Shay's going to win. But I, I think it's. We do this thing where like it reminds me of LeBron in his prime where he would have the best numbers and his team would be really good and then we would talk ourselves into another player where it's like Rose, Jokic's numbers are the best and his team is really good. And is it as good as it was last season or maybe in previous seasons? No. I also think you could look at like the bench and some of the roster decisions they've made and clearly the coaching situation was not where it should have been, at least based on the locker room reaction. So I just, I don't want to overcomplicate it. Like if you pulled all 30 GMs, at least 27 would say Jokic is the best player.
- [54:57]
Jason McIntyre
Yeah.
- [54:57]
Yovon Buha
So it's like. And his numbers, Shay's numbers are right there. I'm not like discounting his numbers, but.
- [55:02]
Jason McIntyre
It'S not a 30 point triple double.
- [55:04]
Yovon Buha
Yeah, like 60 point triple double.
- [55:06]
Jason McIntyre
Oh, 60 point. Yeah. Yeah.
- [55:08]
Yovon Buha
But he had the 30, 20, 20 game as well. Like it's close. I Just I default to the guy who I think is the best.
- [55:13]
Jason McIntyre
While we're on the Nuggets. Anything on Michael Malone? I mean, did that shock you or it.
- [55:18]
Yovon Buha
The timing shocked me. Not like it had been the worst kept secret in the NBA that Malone and Booth had some beef now going for a couple years. So that, that didn't shock me. But the timing of it, to fire your coach, three games left in the regular season and your gm, you know that.
- [55:34]
Jason McIntyre
So are they less dangerous or more dangerous now? Because they're going to be. They're going to look different. They did the other night playing starting Picket Westbrook a lot fewer.
- [55:42]
Yovon Buha
A lot fewer minutes. I mean, honestly, I think if you play Westbrook less, they get a bit more dangerous. I think Jamal Murray is the wild card there, but with his health and, and whether he's going to be back for the first round series. But depending on how things shake out, it's looking like they can lock up the four seed. And if they lock up the four seed, I would likely favor them in round one. Problem is then round two you get okc, who they didn't match up with as well last year. I think it's been a little bit of a better matchup this year, but I would favor okc.
- [56:08]
Jason McIntyre
All right, last one. So the whole Lakers Thunder thing is fascinating to me. I don't know if you. How much you look at the gambling odds, OKC to win the west is like minus 150. Right. The Lakers are like plus 600. And that to that disconnect to me is crazy. Yeah. Because the numbers, regular season numbers. Okay, he's awesome. But the eye test and knowing Luca and LeBron, I'm like, I like the Lakers in that series. I'm curious, would you like down the stretch of games we know the Lakers are going to have four awesome guys on the court. Right. And maybe the fifth is like whoever's hot. Gabe Vincent one day, maybe Goodwin, whatever. I don't know what OKC does down the stretch. Who are their five core guys because they can't play the two bigs against the Lakers.
- [56:48]
Yovon Buha
You're not going two bigs. You're probably going Shea Dort, J Dub, Chet. And then that fifth guy might be a rotating.
- [56:56]
Jason McIntyre
But between is that enough shooting?
- [56:57]
Yovon Buha
Jason Wallace or Isaiah Joe, Aaron Wiggins, something like Ken Rich, Bullet, like Caruso.
- [57:02]
Jason McIntyre
You spent all this money.
- [57:03]
Yovon Buha
Caruso could be, could be the other guy. I think there could be some spacing concerns a little bit. But you know, Caruso is one of the best Perimeter guys.
- [57:09]
Jason McIntyre
He's good.
- [57:10]
Yovon Buha
I would assume it's probably Wallace, but. But Wallace or Caruso. Yeah, that's a good call. Yeah. For the Lakers, like, I think their closing lineup is going to be DFS, Rui, LeBron, Austin and Luka. That lineup has been crushing it on both sides and I just, I don't know how you match up with it because the way they're able to space you out and they can pick and pop with Rui or dfs, have the other guy in the corner and they could obviously run two or three man actions. With Luca, LeBron and Austin, it's like it's basically unguardable. And then defensively, those lineups have been really, really good. And you saw it against AD. They took AD out of that game. They had 13 points. So they're doubling and swarming and like.
- [57:48]
Jason McIntyre
Are they kind of built like the Celtics a lot of length and wings a little bit?
- [57:51]
Yovon Buha
I could see it. I mean, I think obviously boss Boston's got like half of Team USA on their team, so yeah, it's, it's a little different. But I think that's the, the team to me that like, is the toughest matchup for the Lakers because they can switch.
- [58:05]
Jason McIntyre
Yeah.
- [58:06]
Yovon Buha
And they have so much perimeter athleticism, length in defense that obviously, like, you know, they're the defending champs for a reason. But that'd be a fun Finals, certainly.
- [58:15]
Jason McIntyre
All right. Yovon Buha, Amazing stuff covering the game tonight. I guess I will be there. Lakers rocket. Say hi to him. He's a nice guy. Walks around the concourse. I've seen him out there. Great stuff.
- [58:25]
Colin Cowherd
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- [60:29]
Yovon Buha
Spring is here and you can now get almost anything you need for your.
- [60:31]
Jason McIntyre
Sunny days delivered with Uber Eats. What do we mean by almost?
- [60:35]
Yovon Buha
Well, you can't get a well groomed.
- [60:36]
Jason McIntyre
Lawn delivered, but you can get a chicken parmesan delivered. A cabana? That's a no. But a banana? That's a yes. A nice tan? Sorry, nope. But a box fan?
- [60:45]
Yovon Buha
Happily, yes.
- [60:46]
Jason McIntyre
A day of sunshine? No.
- [60:47]
Yovon Buha
A box of five fine wines?
- [60:49]
Jason McIntyre
Yes. Ubereats can definitely get you that. Get almost almost anything delivered with UberEats.
- [60:54]
Yovon Buha
Order now.
- [60:54]
Jason McIntyre
Alcohol in select markets.
- [60:55]
Yovon Buha
Product availability may vary by Regency app.
- [60:57]
Jason McIntyre
For details.