Podcast Summary: The Herd with Colin Cowherd – Best of The Herd
Release Date: April 3, 2025
Host: Colin Cowherd
Produced by: iHeartPodcasts and The Volume

1. NBA Regular Season Highlights

Lakers vs. Warriors Showdown
The episode kicks off with a deep dive into one of the NBA's most anticipated regular-season matchups: the Los Angeles Lakers versus the Golden State Warriors. Colin Cowherd and guest analyst J. Mac discuss the significance of this game, emphasizing its playoff-like intensity despite being a regular-season encounter.

• Colin Cowherd [07:05]:
  "Those matter a lot. Upstairs processes fast and he's accurate. Isn't that the Brock Purdy story? Isn't it?"

• J. Mac [10:08]:
  "LeBron deserves to play with great moments. You see these iconic photos of D. Wade and LeBron or Luka and LeBron on the dunks."

Player Performances and Team Dynamics
The conversation shifts to key player performances, particularly focusing on Shohei Ohtani's impact with the Dodgers and his ability to deliver under pressure. The duo highlights Ohtani's consistency and his role in clutch situations.

• Colin Cowherd [10:12]:
  "Every single night they do something that makes you say, wow, how much fun is this? You just feel that he's gonna do something special."

2. NBA Playoffs Predictions

Western Conference Analysis
Colin and J. Mac delve into the Western Conference standings, assessing the prospects of top teams like the Lakers, Warriors, Nuggets, and the emerging Oklahoma City Thunder.

• J. Mac [25:21]:
  "It's only because of Nikola Jokic and how he is playing that I still believe they have a chance if Aaron Gordon and Jamal Murray play their absolute best."

• Colin Cowherd [30:36]:
  "I think Boston’s going to win this thing. They have the best six-man combo."

Eastern Conference Overview
The discussion shifts to the Eastern Conference, with particular attention to the Boston Celtics and their strategic acquisitions. The Celtics are lauded for their depth, defensive prowess, and the strategic moves by their GMs, Danny Ainge and Brad Stevens.

• Colin Cowherd [31:08]:
  "They have a few really sharp GMs, Danny Ainge to Brad Stevens, and there just haven't been a lot of misses."

• J. Mac [44:40]:
  "The headline in the east will be 'I'd rather be a rich Zingus than a poor Zingus.' Boston breaks back-to-back."

3. Draft Prospects and Quarterback Evaluations

Shador Sanders’ Potential
A significant portion of the episode is dedicated to evaluating quarterback prospects, with a focus on Shador Sanders. Colin provides an in-depth analysis of Sanders' performance at Colorado, comparing him to other notable quarterbacks and discussing his draft potential.

• Colin Cowherd [07:05]:
  "I remember how he moved. I think you have to reach most of the time on quarterbacks."

• Todd McShay [07:05]:
  "He's the best pure passer in terms of touch, timing, layering the football. And he's the fastest processor in this class."

Comparisons to Established Quarterbacks
The conversation includes comparisons between Shador Sanders and established quarterbacks like Eli Manning, Patrick Mahomes, and Josh Allen, highlighting Sanders' ability to create offense despite average teammates.

• Colin Cowherd [07:44]:
  "I go back to something important. Eli Manning wasn't dominating in college football, Patrick Mahomes wasn't winning games in college football."

4. College Basketball Final Four Preview

Duke vs. Houston and Florida vs. Auburn
Colin and J. Mac provide a comprehensive preview of the upcoming Final Four matchups in college basketball. They analyze team strengths, key players, and potential outcomes for the tournaments.

• J. Mac [43:02]:
  "Cooper Flagg is too good. You can't hold him down that long."

• Colin Cowherd [43:15]:
  "Tomorrow's headlines today. Tomorrow, Duke vs. Houston. That is one for the ages."

Key Player Performances
The importance of standout players like Cooper Flagg from Duke and Broom from Auburn is emphasized, with discussions on how their performances could tilt the games in their teams' favor.

• J. Mac [41:09]:
  "I like Duke too much. They have three guys who could go in the top 20."

5. Trends in Sports and Athlete Contracts

Influence of Brand and Team Dynamics
The episode touches upon the impact of team branding and financial strategies on player performances and team dynamics. Examples include Shohei Ohtani's alignment with the Dodgers and Carmelo Anthony's Hall of Fame induction.

• J. Mac [10:08]:
  "You have Shohei Ohtani with the Angels, if he hit a home run, it probably comes in a 7 to 4 loss."

• Colin Cowherd [16:01]:
  "Rocket Mortgage is giving every home one address, rocket.com... Rocket own the dream."

6. Closing Thoughts and Predictions

Final Playoff Predictions
Concluding the episode, Colin and J. Mac solidify their predictions for the NBA playoffs, with a strong inclination towards the Lakers and Boston Celtics as top contenders in their respective conferences.

• Colin Cowherd [48:52]:
  "My guess is I'm going to go Duke Auburn."

• J. Mac [48:54]:
  "I'll go Duke Florida."

Final Game Highlights
They wrap up by reiterating the excitement surrounding tonight's Lakers vs. Warriors game and the broader implications for the playoffs landscape.

• Colin Cowherd [47:07]:
  "This Lakers team, totally complete. We have discussions about who's going to defend Austin Reaves, like tonight and in the playoffs."

Notable Quotes

1. Colin Cowherd [07:05]:
   "I don't look at wins and losses. That's not what I look at."

2. J. Mac [35:21]:
   "At the end of the day, I'm literally a son of a killer."

3. Colin Cowherd [16:01]:
   "Be sure to catch live editions of the Herd weekdays at noon Eastern, 9am Pacific on Fox Sports Radio."

Conclusion

In this "Best of The Herd" episode, Colin Cowherd, alongside guest J. Mac, offers an insightful analysis of the current sports landscape, focusing primarily on the NBA's regular season and playoffs, quarterback draft prospects, and the college basketball Final Four. The discussion is enriched with expert opinions, comparative analyses, and bold predictions, providing listeners with a comprehensive overview of the top sports stories of the day.

For those who haven't tuned in, this episode serves as an excellent resource to understand the dynamics shaping the sports world in April 2025.