Best of The Herd

Summary

The Herd with Colin Cowherd – Best of The Herd (June 15, 2026)

Episode Summary

Theme & Purpose:
Colin Cowherd unpacks the biggest sports stories of the weekend, focusing on the New York Knicks’ championship run and the US Men’s National Team’s transformative performance at the World Cup. Joined by Brian Scalabrine and additional commentators, Cowherd explores underdog resilience, shifting cultures in the NBA, individual leaders rising beyond expectation, and the evolution of US soccer.

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Key Discussion Points

1. New York Knicks’ NBA Championship: Grit Over Glamour

Segment Start: [03:31]

• Non-Traditional Team-Building:

  • The Knicks built their team through a series of “doubted” moves and questionable trades:
    • Firing Tibbs for Mike Brown, acquiring Mikal Bridges for five first-round picks, signing Jalen Brunson in free agency. Players like OG Anunoby previously banged up, and trading Dante DiVincenzo.
    • “Virtually every move the New York Knicks made to build this team was questioned...even the head coach Mike Brown, nobody liked it and it created an underdog mentality.” (Colin, [03:31])
  • The “never give up Knicks” attitude was both slogan and reality.
  • The Knicks avoided injuries, played teams coming off exhausting series, caught momentum in the “atrocious” Eastern Conference, and benefitted from favorable matchups in the Finals.

• Culture Shift & Playing Style:

  • Praises Knicks’ culture, humility, and adaptability as an antidote to the “boring, analytic, led, repetitive three-point shooting contest” (Colin, [04:36]).
  • “This was about grit and it was about hard work and culture and the Villanova guys...The Knicks are their own team. They're led by a small guy, not a center, not a wing, an undersized guy.” (Colin, [05:36])
  • Despite defensive doubts, they became the number one defensive team in the playoffs.

• In-Series Adjustments:

  • Knicks alternated offensive leaders (Brunson vs. Towns) as opponents adjusted.
  • Chemistry and rotation issues during the season vanished during the run.

• Jalen Brunson’s Star-Making Finals:

  • Brunson's 45-point game in the Finals put him among an elite group of Finals scorers.
  • “I was just trying to go out there, just will us to win. Wasn't focused on anything else besides trying to win the game...We won't give up.” (Jalen Brunson, [08:17])

2. US Men's National Team’s World Cup Breakthrough

Segment Start: [09:40]

• Big Win, Bigger Transformation:

  • Cowherd celebrates USMNT’s not just winning, but how convincingly and stylishly they dominated a capable Paraguay side.
  • Historic first half: “That was the smoothest first half, the slickest, the best aesthetic, the most creative. I mean, until Friday, I always thought we labored to score goals even when we won, right?” (Colin, [09:40])
  • The US displayed possession, creativity, clinical finishing, and multiple playmakers rather than relying on athleticism or set pieces.

• Depth of Attack:

  • “Pulisic had zero shots on goal. We had four goals. That tells you the depth of talent.” (Colin, [12:52]).
  • Baligan’s emergence—a genuine world-class striker—changes the team’s identity.
  • “If you thought to yourself, watching this, man, it looks smooth. It looked different. You are right.” (Colin, [11:52])

• National Recognition:

  • “It's fun to look around and know that there's different guys that can pull off these different skills and moves...there's such a good connection between us right now.” (USMNT player, [13:17])
  • “I've never heard Sofi that loud for sports. On that second Balakin goal, it was just like, holy cow. Once you put three on the board and a half...we got a squad.” (Sports Commentator, [14:30])
  • There's new respect from top-tier soccer nations—Germany and others now play more cautiously against the US.

3. "Where Colin Was Right / Where Colin Was Wrong"

Segment Start: [22:07]

• Colin Was Right:

  • USMNT's new era: Called that this US squad was “different,” poised to dominate the group stage and make a deep run.
    • “Like any great championship team, all of our best players are either in their prime or going into their prime.” (Colin, [22:10])
  • Praised OG Anunoby’s all-around impact for the Knicks, asserting he’s the team’s second-best player: “That tip in was the play of the year in the NBA. He's a two-way player...the toughness, the humility.” (Colin, [23:50])
  • Endorses fit of LeBron to the Warriors—“A perfect fit...The offensive ecosystem with Steph and Draymond is built for him.” (Colin, [25:10])
  • Applauds Chiefs for being “ahead of the game” by restructuring Mahomes’ contract again. (Colin, [26:08])
  • Baseball’s “parity era”: Small-payroll teams thriving, big spenders not guaranteed success. (Colin, [27:40])

• Colin Was Wrong:

  • Admits misreading Knicks’ decision to fire Tibbs, underestimating Jalen Brunson’s ceiling, overestimating the Spurs in the Finals.
    • “I thought Jalen Brunson...he’s not a star. I'm wrong there. I thought I picked the spurs to win in six.”
    • “Wemby got bullied in this series. He was not dependable late.”
  • Questions about Tatum/Brown fit for Boston—a bit skeptical that Celtics’ current model can match the Knicks’ playoff X-factor.
  • Acknowledges being wrong about the ability of a small, ball-dominant point guard to carry a team to a championship. (Colin, [26:54])

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Memorable Quotes & Moments

| Timestamp | Quote | Speaker | |-----------|------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------|-------------------| | 03:31 | “A lot of that guys, these that were doubted on this roster...The never give up Knicks is not just a slogan, it really is their reality.” | Colin Cowherd | | 05:36 | “They're led by a small guy, not a center, not a wing, an undersized guy...they were the number one defensive team in the entire playoffs. Is that crazy?” | Colin Cowherd | | 08:17 | “I was just trying to go out there, just, just will us to win. Wasn't focused on anything else besides trying to win the game...We won't give up.” | Jalen Brunson | | 09:40 | “It was how we won—that was the smoothest first half, the slickest, the best aesthetic, the most creative...[The USMNT] had possession, great looks, and it just looked easy.” | Colin Cowherd | | 12:52 | “Pulisic had zero shots on goal. We had four goals. That tells you the depth of talent.” | Colin Cowherd | | 13:04 | “That's the greatest half of group play from a men's team at a World Cup in history. Everything went right. Total dominance from top to bottom.” | Brian Scalabrine | | 14:30 | “The scenes in the stadium, Colin, were unbelievable...Once you put three on the board and a half...we got a squad.” | Sports Commentator| | 22:10 | “All of our best players are either in their prime or going into their prime...I think we can go toe to toe with all but about two teams in the World Cup.” | Colin Cowherd | | 23:50 | “He's a two-way player. The blocks, the three pointers, the toughness, the humility...never wants credit for anything. I was right on OG.” | Colin Cowherd |

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Deep Dive – Colin & Brian Scalabrine on Knicks, Brunson, Celtics, and NBA Culture

Segment Start: [33:02]

• Jalen Brunson & Underdog Leadership:

  • “The mentality of Jalen Brunson is what got him through. And I knew the kid, I watched the kid, I followed the kid, I rooted for the kid. And I didn't see, you know, this level of success.” (Brian Scalabrine, [33:43])
  • Cowherd admits he and Becky Hammond doubted a “ball-centric, high usage rate” point guard could close out a championship, but Brunson proved the doubters wrong.

• Wembanyama’s Struggles:

  • Wemby’s Finals performance was more “bullied and hesitant” than anticipated. Scalabrine compared it to the growth Dirk Nowitzki showed after early playoff failures. (Brian Scalabrine, [35:56])
  • “Is it possible Wemby will never be the classic center?” “He's not going to turn into Kareem Abdul Jabbar.” (Cowherd & Scalabrine, [35:45])

• Knicks’ Roster & Celtics Comparison:

  • Knicks praised for “collective humility" and a front line more athletic than Boston’s.
  • “I look at the collective humility and how well the Knicks play together and I'm like, I'm not sure Tatum and Brown like each other.” (Colin, [36:47])
  • Scalabrine: Knicks should be considered favorites for next season due to playoff-ready roster and unique ability to adapt. (Brian Scalabrine, [37:51])
  • Celtics rumors of acquiring Giannis viewed skeptically as a culture and fit issue.

• Analytics vs. Intangibles:

  • Cowherd prefers “analytics over analytics,” valuing situational, gritty plays over pure numbers.
  • Scalabrine agrees, emphasizing playmaking, adaptability, and “small moments” as the difference-makers in close series.

• Mike Brown’s Impact:

  • Brown credited for adaptability and collaborative leadership that unlocked the Knicks’ playoff potential.

---

Notable Segment Timestamps

• [03:31] – Knicks’ championship run deep dive
• [08:17] – Jalen Brunson’s Finals MVP interview
• [09:40] – US Men's National Team World Cup analysis
• [13:04] – USMNT “greatest half in group play” commentary
• [14:30] – On-field/stadium response to US team
• [22:07] – “Where Colin Was Right/Wrong” rundown
• [33:02] – Brian Scalabrine joins: In-depth NBA playoff/Knicks conversation

---

Overall Tone & Style

• Colin’s Signature: Blunt, opinionated, occasionally self-deprecating, always focused on storyline and culture as well as tactics and stats.
• Guest Contributions: Humble, analytic, storytelling—Brian Scalabrine especially brings player/analyst insight.
• Engagement: Listeners are drawn into ongoing debates on underdogs, culture shifts in sports, and re-evaluating old certainties.

---

Summary Takeaways

• Knicks:

  • Built around doubted players and moves—proved culture and adaptability trump star-chasing.
  • Jalen Brunson’s playoff heroics and team’s defensive turnaround were key.
  • New York may bring back nearly its entire core and could be early favorites for next season.

• USMNT:

  • Broke its conservative mold with a creative, dominant group stage showing.
  • Depth, attacking options, and coaching belief have finally arrived—other nations are showing respect.
  • Raised expectations: anything less than quarterfinals would now be a disappointment.

• NBA & Broader Sports:

  • Giants can be toppled, old school champions are making way for new blueprints driven by humility, grit, and adaptability.
  • Core leadership, team-building, and culture can be as decisive as raw talent or analytics.

---

This episode is a must-listen for fans tracking the culture shift in basketball and the awakening of American soccer, blending big-picture narrative with game-level detail and candid self-assessment from one of sports radio’s most opinionated hosts.

Transcript

[Colin Cowherd]

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[Colin Cowherd]

Thanks for listening to the Best of the Herd podcast. Be sure to catch us live every weekday on Fox Sports Radio and noon to 3 Eastern, 9am to noon Pacific. Find your local station for the [e-mail] or stream us live every day on the iHeartRadio app by searching Fox Sports Radio or FSR.

[Fox Sports Radio Announcer]

This is the Best of the Herd with Colin Cowherd on Fox Sports Radio.

[Colin Cowherd]

Here we go. It is a Monday World cup underway. The United States men's national team get to that in a second. Are they just gonna breeze through their group? It's the Herd. Wherever you may be, however you may be listening, thanks for making us part of your day. One hour from now. Colin right? Colin Wrong. Plenty of both. So let's, let's wrap a bow around the NBA season and what the New York Knicks did. And I think one of the reasons they were a pretty likable team and the ratings were so big, they weren't your classic, we're going to go buy stars. Virtually every move the New York Knicks made to build this team was questioned. I mean obviously they fired, they fired Tibbs. People weren't sure about that. Go back and look at the columns. The Carl Anthony T.R. towns trade, well, they had to give up Dante DiVincenzo. That didn't go over well. Jalen Brunson, free agency. Most people thought why overpaid a Mikhail Bridges? Remember they gave away five first round picks. I mean I remember saying I like it. That is a haul for Mikhail Bridges. I mean, oh gee, people liked it but he'd been banged up in Toronto. You weren't quite sure and you put this team together and everything had been questioned. And so even though you had like, you know, Cat was a former lottery pick and Bridges was a top 10 pick, it was mostly doubted. Eye rolled, people, moves, trades, even the head coach Mike Brown, nobody liked it and it created an underdog mentality. So you know, the never give up Knicks is not just a slogan, it really is their reality. A lot of that guys, these that were doubted on this roster. Now did they get some breaks? Yeah, they played three teams in the playoffs coming out of a grueling seven game series. They stayed away from injuries, they remained very, very healthy. They gained some momentum in the atrocious Eastern Conference. And, and it, it should be noted, San Antonio, as I said before, the series was a. Was a better matchup for the Knicks than okc. OKC had been to a championship final. OKC had more depth, more experience. All that youth really came unraveled, especially in fourth quarters in this series. But another thing I really liked about the Knicks is this championship. And this team was about culture. Not a boring, analytic, led, repetitive three point shooting contest. This was about grit and it was about hard work and culture and the Villanova guys. I mean, the NBA regular season becomes so formulaic and so repetitive. I mean, the Celtics a few years ago got to the finals and the ratings weren't necessarily that great the year they won the championship. It's just the same offense, follow the leader, small ball, three point shooting. The Knicks are not that. The Knicks are their own team. They're led by a small guy, not a center, not a wing, an undersized guy. You know, we thought they had defensive liabilities and instead, I mean, they were the number one defensive team in the entire playoffs. Is that crazy? Better than Oklahoma City, better than Detroit, better than San Antonio. We looked at the Knicks and we're like, I said this all year, like, if Cat and Brunson are on the floor at the same time, you're like, yeah, I don't know. Also, this team pivoted multiple times. They came into the playoffs very Jalen Brunson dependent. And then they pivoted early in the Atlanta series to having Cat initiate more offense. And then the spurs sort of figured that out. And then they went back in the last two games of the series late to being Jalen Brunson dependent. So offensively, defensively, they made all sorts of adjustments, coaching adjustment. In the off season, there were chemistry issues. There were reports late in the regular season like defense and chemistry and the rotation and all of it vanished. So I just like the humility, I like the hard work. I like a group of guys. I mean, even Brunson and his dad, easy to wrap your arms around that. Here's Jalen Brunson, the MVP on winning the title.

[Brian Scalabrine]

Eleven players in NBA history have a

[Colin Cowherd]

45 point game in the NBA Finals and you're one of them. What did it take to get that done tonight?

[Jalen Brunson]

Everything. I was just trying to go out there, just, just will us to win. Wasn't focused on anything else besides trying to win the game. Getting stops, getting out and running, just figuring out how to cut that lead or to gain it when we got it. Really exciting moment knowing that we just. We won't give up.

[Colin Cowherd]

You know, the reality of being a columnist or a talk show host is you have a show the next day or a column the next day. But it is interesting. Those Knicks moves, all of them by at least some of us were panned. Like, I didn't like the Tibbs move. I'm like, he just got to the conference finals. What are you doing?

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Like.

[Colin Cowherd]

Like what? Mike Brown's been fired multiple times. Mike Brown wasn't the first choice. I did like the Mikhail Bridges move, but five first round picks is a ton. Jalen Brunson. Nobody thought he would be this. Other than his dad, you know, Dante DiVincenzo. They lost him. I remember when Hartenstein left OKC. I remember being on the air and saying, oh, man, that's a big loss. That is gutting. So doubted the entire time. They were only a third seed in the east. So not all championships look the same. Good for the Knicks. All right, let's talk the United States men's national team. By now, you know we won, but it isn't that we won.

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[Colin Cowherd]

We said Friday on the show we think we'll win. It was how we won that was the smoothest first half, the slickest, the best aesthetic, the most creative. I mean, until Friday, I always thought we labored to score goals even when we won, right? We wouldn't get that many great looks. Certainly an open play, highly dependent on counter attacking and set pieces and corner kicks, but the ability to dominate possession, get great looks. You know, I always felt when I watched soccer United States, we had some athletes, but we were sort of wooden really, where we were a little rigid and we'd get opportunities and we wouldn't take advantage of them. And Paraguay, by the way, beat Argentina and Brazil in qualifying. So they're more than capable. Not a dynamic offense, but more than capable. But great athletes. Here's what they have in common. You, you can go to Mike Trout in his prime, Mookie Betts, mj, Dirk Nowitzki. Scoring great athletes make plays look easy. It's like, man. And that's practice and repetition and skill. And you can also tell from our attacking style that our coach believes in us. For years and years, everybody wanted to blame Klinsmann. You can burr halter. The truth is, our coaches did not employ an attacking style because we couldn't. We'd get burned. We had to play counterattack. Conservative rock fight. Win one, nothing. Set up pieces. That's not what this team is. Fowler and Baligan is A remarkable striker. And then you have Pulisic splitting. The defense has always been really playmaker and goal scorer, but primarily a great point guard who needs a guy that he can set up and depend on. Baligan had two goals. We haven't had a multiple World cup goal scorer since 1930. So if you thought to yourself, watching this, man, it looks smooth. It looked different. You are right. We didn't look this creative. We weren't filled with this many playmakers. I know you said and felt and talk with friends, man, that first half, that's as good as we've looked. Your eyes aren't fooling you. Baligan was a very good youth player, a striker, a goal scorer, and he chose us over England because he would have probably been there second or third. He is our one. And I mean, I just thought it was a thing of beauty. It's not that we won. It looked. Had you taken our jerseys off and put on Argentina or Spain, you would have said, oh, that's what they look like, overwhelming Paraguay. That's what Germany has looked like through the years. That's what England will look like in some of their matches. That's what Argentina has looked like, where you're like, oh, dominating possession, man. When they get opportunities, they nail. Do you realize Pulisic. How many shots did Pulisic have in that?

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Zero.

[Colin Cowherd]

Pulisic had zero shots on goal.

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We had four goals.

[Colin Cowherd]

That tells you the depth of talent. Depth of talent. Alexi Lyle's Pulisic after.

[Brian Scalabrine]

I mean, I think that's the greatest half of group play from a men's team at a World cup in history. Everything went right. Total dominance from top to bottom.

[US Men's National Team Player]

It's pretty special to watch. It's fun to look around and know that there's different guys that can get. Can pull off these different skills and moves and things going on. It's great. It's great. But more, you know, than just that, I feel like there's such a good connection between us right now. I really like the way even Baligan, I mean, the. What you'll, you know, everyone will look at the goals, but the way he's fighting against these center backs, holding up the ball, getting fouls, you know, Surge, all these guys. Malik had a really good performance as well, so they all deserve a lot of credit.

[Colin Cowherd]

You know, they call it the beautiful game, but be really honest. Ours wasn't that beautiful. It wasn't. We won by rock Fight, counterattack. You know, one nothing. Cross your fingers. We said that Friday. That was the beautiful game. That's what it looks like. The passing, the fluidity, the open play, opportunities seized. It's what I said in an essay about a week ago, like, I think we can seize this World cup. Doesn't mean we necessarily win it, but we take advantage of opportunities, U.S. soil. And that's what it looks like. J. Mac, that was fun. We were texting during that thing. That was about as good. Well, it was the best half of soccer by the United States men's national team ever. Not just offensively, just fluidity, the way it looked.

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It was absolutely beautiful.

[Sports Commentator]

Yeah, the scenes in the stadium, Colin, were unbelievable. I mean, just an absolutely electric performance. I've never heard Sofi that loud for sports. On that second Balakin goal, it was just like, holy cow. Once you put three on the board and a half, it wasn't like, oh, maybe we can hold them off. It's like, oh, damn, we got a squad. We might, we, we might make a run here. Colin, I'm already looking at tickets for the round of 32. I will let you know because we're winning the group, by the way, on Friday against Australia.

[Colin Cowherd]

That.

[Sports Commentator]

That's a lock. We're winning that game. Hey, quarterfinals are bust.

[Brian Scalabrine]

We.

[Sports Commentator]

We look like a legitimately awesome contender.

[Colin Cowherd]

And it's also. I noticed this against Germany. So let's say, let's. Let's talk boxing. So, you know, when Mike Tyson's in his prime, is that you had to be very careful even if you thought you had a length advantage and an experienced advantage. You know, Larry Holmes and old Larry Holmes fought him and stayed at bay

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for rounds and rounds.

[Colin Cowherd]

And then Larry got greedy and Tyson knocked him out. Like you paid respect to Mike by your style against Mike. Is that you always just. You had to kind of, even if you had late length advantages, you always sort of kept yourself at bay, a little bit attacked, move away from Mike, or if you did, you clenched him, you got really close because you knew of his power. Watch Germany. When we tied it against Germany and you go back, they're not as aggressive against us. And that is the advantage of the respect being paid. When you are gifted, you can't cheat, you can't be overly aggressive. When we would play before this World cup, when we would play a Netherlands or a Brazil, a Spain, when we would play them, why weren't we super aggressive? That's respect, that they have better talent, they have better personnel, and that's what the great players do. It's not just that you play them, it's how you play them. How do you formulate your game plan. You could watch our dominant time of possession not only against Paraguay, but also the corner kick advantage and the time of possession advantage against Germany and countries. Now watch them play us a little bit differently, not as aggressively because they know in open space we can burn them. We have that skill level.

[Sports Commentator]

I mean DEST was unbelievable. Pulisic was unstoppable. Colin did you hear the comments the Paraguay coach made about Pochettino? He was like, dude, we got embarrassed. Pochettino watched their earlier meeting. I think they met in November and adjusted everything and Paraguay was just caught flat footed. They had no answers. Colin, it was just relentless from our offense and we, like you said, we've never seen that before.

[Fox Sports Radio Announcer]

From a usat Be sure to catch live editions of the Herd, weekdays at noon Eastern, 9am Pacific on Fox Sports Radio, FS1 and the iHeartRadio app

[Stugatz]

Stigatz here. I have a podcast empire. It continues to grow and I have brought it here to iHeart. I'm also doing a live radio show from 3 to 5pm Eastern because my wife wanted to kick me out of the house. It's called Stugac company Live, which is available in podcast form right when the show finishes every single day. Some of the biggest names in sports, a lot of phone calls.

[Fox Sports Radio Announcer]

I love you guys show.

[Brian Scalabrine]

It's one of my favorites.

[Stugatz]

A lot of interaction, guys not taking themselves too seriously. Those are just some of the things that you could expect from from Stugats Co. And Stugatson Co. Live. So listen to Stugats Co. Live and our original podcast. Please subscribe, rate and review Stugots Co. And God bless Football. Taylor's livelihood depends on it. Do it today and you can check all of those out on the iHeartRadio app, Apple podcast or wherever you get your podcast.

[Colin Cowherd]

Service opens doors and at the American Military University it can open doors for the whole family. If you have a loved one who served in the military, you may qualify for reduced tuition. AMU offers flexible online programs designed to fit your schedule so you can keep moving forward wherever life takes you. Learn more at AMU Apus Edu Military Open doors to the future for you and your family with the help of American Military University Being there for those

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[Colin Cowherd]

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[Colin Cowherd]

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[Colin Cowherd]

Storage, proud partner of the Volume Podcast Network. We do it every week at this time. We're Collins right? We're Collins wrong. Every Monday at this time.

[Fox Sports Radio Announcer]

Here we go where Colin was right.

[Colin Cowherd]

I said the United States men's national team. This group was different. 13 players returning. Like any great championship team, all of our best players are either in their prime or going into their prime. I think Baligan, Pulisic, Weston, McKinney Dest are elite players, international players. My takeaway on this? It would look different. We'd fly through the group stage and we have a chance to win two knockout games, which is not something we regularly do. So was I surprised how beautiful it was in the first half? Yes. But I'm not surprised at our ability to play attacking soccer and dominate. I said it against Germany. I'll say it again. I think we can go toe to toe with all but about two teams in the World Cup. Where Colin was wrong well a lot with the Knicks. I didn't like the Tibbs firing. I thought he had created a culture and momentum. I said I thought Jalen Brunson very good player but he's not a star. I'm wrong there. I thought I picked the spurs to win in six. I thought Wemby would be the difference. I didn't listen to myself. Inexperience always matters in these big championship moments. And let's be honest, Wemby got bullied in this series. He was not dependable late. I thought Mike Brown and his staff had a notch above series against Mitch Johnson and his staff. I still don't get the reluctance to play Dylan Harper in crucial minutes. De' Aaron Fox had a bad series and I'm not sure they can move that contract. I was just wrong on the Knicks

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[Fox Sports Radio Announcer]

where Collin was right but

[Colin Cowherd]

I've loved OG Onenobi for a long time. I had said he's the first or the second best Knick and I said that before the finals not Cat. I think if you ask 30gms in the league privately he's the guy. Now Brunson's the finisher and the closer and OG early in his career had some injury issues but that tip in was the play of the year in the NBA. He's a two way player. The blocks, the three pointers, the toughness, the humility. He averaged 21 a game. I just think he's one of those great athletes. You know, it's the linebacker who can cover in space and pass rush. He can do so many things and never wants credit for anything. I was right on OG where Colin was wrong, but I was really wrong on Wemby. I just thought he got pushed around, could never get to his spot. He's not a big bodied guy. He was very inefficient in the series, shot 42%. Now some of this is on the spurs staff that played him only 28, 29 minutes during the regular season and relied on him heavily to play 40 minutes in the postseason. That's on the staff. But too many threes, really bad. Late, hesitant. And some of his postgame comments I thought were off the mark.

[Fox Sports Radio Announcer]

Where Colin was right.

[Colin Cowherd]

Bill Simmons said he would bet his life on the warriors stealing LeBron from the Lakers. Well, we don't want him to bet his life that if it's. If this doesn't happen. That's not what I'm rooting for. But it does make two of us listen. The warriors analytically pass more than almost every team in the NBA. The Lakers don't. That's because Luke has got the ball in his hands a lot. The warriors are a natural fit. That offensive ecosystem with Steph and Draymond often being a canalist is built for him. He's got the wisdom and the intelligence to fit into an offense that has been touched tough on young guys. Also his ability to facilitate the offense. It's very highly Steph dependent. They need another scorer, they need another wisdom filled veteran. They need another great distributor LeBron. And I agree with Simmons. He's got to listen.

[Fox Sports Radio Announcer]

This is a perfect fit where Colin was right.

[Colin Cowherd]

Andy Reid and the Chiefs. Brett Veach did it again. Restructured Patrick Mahomes deal third time in six years. Kansas City has reset the quarterback market. This isn't hard to figure out. Do exactly the opposite of what the Cowboys did with Dak Prescott. Reset the market regularly and Mahomes off an injury. You notice that. Why would they do it now? Because they may get a better deal than if he's an MVP at the end of the season. Constantly ahead of the game on quarterback contracts. Brett Veach and the Chiefs always a little early. Don't do what the Cowboys did where Collin was wrong. I really like Jalen Brunson, but I didn't think a ball centric point guard who's smallish could lead you to a title Becky Hammond didn't think so. I didn't either. Like Steve Nash to me was a better long range shooting Jalen Brunson little better from three. It always felt like that to me. Similar games, the one handed closing, very clever, always find their spot. But he was by a mile the highest usage rate guy in the finals. Yet he was at his best in the final game of the series, which is the opposite of Harden or a LUCA where they wear down over a series. So it was pretty damn remarkable. He was better late in the fourth quarter in the final two games.

[Fox Sports Radio Announcer]

I was wrong where Colin was right.

[Colin Cowherd]

Well, the Dodgers haven't ruined baseball. The 27th payroll Washington Nationals lead baseball in run score. How about that? The team with no money or at least not spending. Oh by the way, the Dodgers just lost two of three to the lowly Chicago White Sox. The low payroll Bruins, Guardians and Rays are having great seasons. Take a deep breath. Baseball's got more parody right now than the NBA, which does have a salary cap.

[Fox Sports Radio Announcer]

Where Colin was right, the Big Ten.

[Colin Cowherd]

And Ken Paxton, the Attorney General of Texas thankfully did the same thing and said guys, stop threatening to not play Texas Tech athletic teams because of Brandon Sorsby. Guys, it's a bad thing. He bet on games when he was at Indiana. It's not good, we all know that. But gambling's legal. It's an NCAA bylaw. Texas Tech is going to defend him. It's ridiculous to think you could cancel games. These teams have contracts with networks. Turbulence happens with young people in college sports all the time. All the time. You should have seen it coming. I have no problem if you suspend them for the year. It's not about that, but weak management by the ncaa, just like weak parenting, allows a brush fire to become an inferno. And once again the NCAA really nowhere to be found come punishment time.

[Fox Sports Radio Announcer]

Be sure to catch live editions of the Herd, weekdays at noon Eastern, 9am Pacific on Fox Sports Radio. FS1 and the iHeartRadio app service opens

[Colin Cowherd]

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[Colin Cowherd]

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[Colin Cowherd]

Proud partner of the Voluum podcast network. Colin Right, Colin. Wrong on a Monday. And with that, Brian Scalabrine. He's been a Celtics TV analyst for a long time, co hosting the starting lineup with our buddy Frank Isola. All right, let's start with this, Brian. I was wrong on Jalen Brunson. I, I felt that I ball centric, high usage rate, wears down in a series, not a great defender. I mean, your takeaway, when Becky Hammond said it, I agreed with her. I'm like, I can like a guy, he can be an all star, he can dominate the East. But the fact that he was a dominant closer and Wemby disappeared, I didn't forecast that. Did you?

[Brian Scalabrine]

Yeah, I mean, I don't think anybody did. And even though he had success in high school, like, remember I was in Chicago where Rick Brunson was an assistant coach on that staff. Jalen Brunson would come in after practice and he'd work out with us. And he was really good. And he won in high school. He won two national championships in college, he won at Dallas and Dallas, you would think that they would know what they're doing. They were always looking for a new star. He got to the Knicks, they got, you know, pretty far. But I think like his mentality is up there with the greats, like the all time greats, the Steph Curry's, the Michael Jordan's, the Larry Birds, the Magic Johnsons, you know, he just doesn't have the physical tools that those guys have. But you know, when it comes to like the fourth quarter and delivering, I think your mentality goes a lot further than people realize. Like you can go on the other side of it and look like de' Aaron Fox was a little bit shook up by the moment. Other guys, I mean, maybe you could point to Wimby and say he wasn't ready for the moment, but the mentality of Jalen Brunson is what got him through. And I knew the kid, I watched the kid, I followed the kid, I rooted for the kid. And I didn't see, you know, this level of success.

[Colin Cowherd]

Yeah, I mean, you listen, you were in four finals. You played 11 years. You know this league inside and out. It's why you and Isola are so good. You know the league. As I was saying this, if you go to the last eight championships, the way the NBA officiates Brian in the Finals, only Jokic is a true center that's won. And he's kind of an international center facing the basket, loves to shoot high pick and rolls. My take is watching Wemby. He got bullied, I don't think even. Even Giannis, although he doesn't get bullied as more of a wing player because he's got the ball so often, is that the reality is you. It's hard to. The NBA makes it so difficult for a big to find his spot down low. And is it possible that Wemby will never be like the classic center? Is he's going to be more Giannis, more Jokic than what we. What we view as a classic center?

[Brian Scalabrine]

Sure, Sure. I don't. He's not going to be with like, he's not going to turn into Kareem Abdul Jabbar. No. But you remember the. We believe warriors beat Dirk Nowitzki, who won the MVP that year.

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[Brian Scalabrine]

Like, Dirk was really good, but he was guardable. And then, you know, I think a couple playoff blunders, the first round exit, and then he came back, and when they beat Miami in the finals, he was unguardable. No one could guard. He just went through the entire roster. So I do think, like, with Wemby and his mindset, and he's only in his third year, he hasn't even made it to the playoffs before this year. He hasn't even finished a complete season. I guess his rookie year he did. So it's like there's. There's a lot to grow with a guy like Wimby, and I think that team is going to show that. And you know the Knicks, they're the ones that blew game one against Halliburton when the shot went up above the shot clock and dropped. So they had their playoff blunders as well.

[Colin Cowherd]

Yep.

[Brian Scalabrine]

But since it's San Antonio doing it at the highest level, I think it's still a really successful season for them. And I think Wimby can grow from this.

[Colin Cowherd]

You know, I said this, and you know this as a Celtics analyst. I said, I kept thinking of the Celtics watching the Knicks because they're such rivals. I said, I looked at the Knicks bigs, and I count OG As a big. I mean, three and D. I look at Robinson's physicality cat skill. And I'm like, man, the Celtics front line is unathletic compared to that. They need to take a swing. And then I look at, and I look at the collective humility and how well the Knicks play together and I'm like, I'm not sure Tatum and Brown like each other. I like both of them, but Tatum's strangely passive and Brown said it's my favorite season ever and it was one without Tatum. And I kind of look at the Knicks and I want your perspective on this because there's a Giannis rumor to the Celtics and I'm like, well, that would close the gap, but the Knicks bring virtually everybody back. I think Robinson's contract may, they may move that. But I mean, should we look at the Knicks as a one off or. It's a pretty darn good roster. Brian.

[Brian Scalabrine]

Yeah, I, I think the Knicks are better in the playoffs than we can previously give him credit for. Like, if you think about what Bridges does, he, you know, he plays his 82 games, but in the playoffs he goes up. I heard you talking about OG Anunoby. It's amazing. They, the Knicks got him for RJ Baron, Emmanuel Quickley, like, he is a gamer, he defends at a high level, he knocks down shots, he makes big plays. Carlton Towns is a matchup nightmare. So yeah, I do look at the Knicks as the favorite next year. I know the odds came out and the odds came out to win the championship. Oklahoma City, San Antonio Celtics, and then it came in Knicks. But I think the Knicks do have the best roster because in a playoff game, like where are you going to lean your defense? And you still have to deal with Jalen Brunson, who is an absolute terrorist when it comes to that fourth quarter. He might not play well. He didn't actually have a great series, but in the fourth quarter of every game, when he needed to make a play, he made the play. So you asked this question about the Giannis rumors. I hear the same things. Just I'm not sure the Celtics are going to go down that road. I don't, I don't know for a fact that they wouldn't go down that road, but it doesn't seem like to be their MO But I do think the Celtics are trying to gear up with a healthy Tatum and trying to look at the Knicks, look at Oklahoma City, look at San Antonio and seeing can we put a team together that could challenge, you know, those four teams.

[Colin Cowherd]

So, you know, it's interesting. One of the things I said that I found really likable about the Knicks, and I've said this about the Celtics is I always say I like analytics over analytics. I will look at the numbers and the analytics. But in football it is blocking and tackling. I don't care what the numbers say. And in basketball, it's situational. I need a basket. I need to stop. I don't care what I mean when Brunson scoring, I don't need. I need a basket. That's what the spurs needed this entire series. With four minutes left, stop the momentum. And I look at Boston and I think, God, they're so formulaic in regards to threes. Do you think like this Celtics team, You know how this is a copycat league? For years it was small ball. That was just the Warriors. Not everybody else could do that because Draymond plays so big for his size. Do you think the Celtics tweaked their formula? If they got a Giannis who does not shoot a three and be like, okay, guys, we are a little burdened by the incessant three point formula.

[Brian Scalabrine]

Actually, that's a really good point. You know, it doesn't seem like they're MO to take a guy at 31 and, you know, you'd have to give up Jalen Brown. I don't know if there's a way to do it without giving up Jalen Brown and to say, like, hey, we rely too many on too many threes. So if we go out and get personnel that can change that, then maybe we can, you know, attack. You know, in the Oklahoma City Indiana series, that series also didn't produce a lot of threes. It was a lot more pace, a lot more mid range, a lot more going to the basket. And now this year it's the same kind of thing. I think the San Antonio spurs relied a lot on the three. But, you know, when you play a certain style and the coach coaches a certain way, you know, I would just like to see, like with the Knicks, things weren't going well one way. They just adapted to a different way. And I, I think all teams need to do that. And maybe that' you're talking about. When you talk about analytics, it's just like finding a guy that's going to make a play. And that play doesn't have to be a three, it doesn't have to be a layup. It could be a driving kick and, you know, two or three times or coming up with a big defensive stop or taking a charge. Those are in the, in the finals where the margins are tight or even in the Eastern Conference finals, where the margins are tight. You know, those little plays make a big difference. And, you know, maybe. Maybe the Celtics look at it, say, like, well, Giannis can make plays that our guys can't make, so maybe we go down that road. But it just doesn't feel right to me. And, you know, like, it wasn't. It's not like I have conversations with anybody. It doesn't feel like the Celtics would go down that road. But you bring up a good point. If they want to go away from being three happy, I guess that would be an interesting deal.

[Colin Cowherd]

Finally, I found the Knicks incredibly likable. I know they're a rival of the Celtics, but there was something, you know, Mike Brown success looks like a lot of different things to other people. And he's coached with Carlisle, Good coach. And Popovich and Kerr. What was Mike Brown when they made the move for Tibbs? I was like, man, Tibbs has a formula. They have a culture. They like each other. They're physical. Like, I didn't like it. I'm like, man, James Dolan needs to go back and build another sphere and leave the basketball guys to the basketball. But James Dolan was right. Are you surprised the success Mike Brown had? Because, you know, unlike football, you can be fired multiple times in the NBA. It doesn't hurt. It doesn't ding your credibility, apparently. What did you make of it?

[Brian Scalabrine]

Yeah. Yeah. So, you know, I think with Mike Brown, there were times where they were talking about minutes. You know, the minutes are actually the same as it was with Thibodeau, and then they talk about ball movement, and the ball movement is the same as it was with Thibodeau. So then they talk about defense, which also was the same, you know, So I think, like, sometimes there's a narrative that people go with and people write, and they wrote that narrative, and maybe they just wanted Thibodeau gone. I have no idea why, but you can't argue with the end results. And I will say, like, Mike Brown made a few decisions and he didn't stick with it, which was really nice. There was a time when they were playing through Carl Anthony Towns, and then Carl Anthony Towns was a no show, so they just went a different route. And then I think Jalen Brunson did a good job of trying to get everyone involved, but at times when they're down 22 to the Cleveland Cavaliers, Jalen Brunson is what brought him back. So, like, even though the narrative was too much of this and too much of that, I think Mike Brown is probably a little bit more adaptable, and maybe that's what the Knicks needed. I think their defense this year was average at best. And something happened. I don't know what happened. It was Game three against Atlanta. From Game four on, their defense was completely different. They started flying around more. They started trapping the ball. They were way more impactful, way more physical. Is that Mike Brown saying, hey, this didn't work the first three games when we're down 2:1 to Atlanta? I don't know. But he pushed the right buttons and that's all that really matters. And I think nowadays, maybe like an NFL head coach, it's about relying on your offensive coordinator, defensive coordinator, having more of a collaborative effort. And it seemed like Mike Brown throughout. He did a really good job of making it a collaborative effort, and I think I can give him a ton of credit for that.

[Colin Cowherd]

Eleven years in the league, got to the finals four times. One of the smarter guys. He and Frank Isola are great. We put him on regularly on this show as well. Brian, great seeing you my man. I always appreciate your insight.

[Brian Scalabrine]

You gotta call and see you on

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[Colin Cowherd]

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[Colin Cowherd]

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