Best of The Herd

Summary

The Herd with Colin Cowherd – Best of The Herd

Episode Date: May 11, 2026
Host: Colin Cowherd
Featured Guest: Jason Timpf (Hoops Tonight, The Volume)
Podcast Description: Colin Cowherd tackles the top sports stories of the day, blending sharp analysis, strong opinions, and expert guests.

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Episode Overview

This episode centers on the biggest stories and questions in the NBA Playoffs, focusing especially on the emergence of the San Antonio Spurs and the New York Knicks, the fate of LeBron James and the Lakers, playoff lessons for young superstars, and insights into roster-building in the modern NBA. The episode also features an in-depth conversation with NBA analyst Jason Timpf, discussing the evolution of the Knicks, LeBron's future, and how shifting league economics impact team-building.

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NBA Playoffs: Spurs’ Comeback, Wemby’s Ejection, and Minnesota’s Edge

[Main segment begins 02:13]

Key Discussion Points

• Victor Wembanyama’s Ejection:
  Wemby was tossed for a nasty elbow in the second quarter during the San Antonio Spurs vs. Minnesota Timberwolves game. Colin argues the officials made the right call since it was Wemby’s first ejection and not a display of chronic dirty play.
  • “His resume – not a dirty player. Bigs throw elbows. That’s the reality.” (Colin, 03:35)
• Spurs’ Future and Backcourt:
  The Spurs are lauded for their foundational backcourt, Dylan Harper and Stefan Castle, described as "the best backcourt… Splash Brothers but more athletic for the next decade." (Colin, 04:45) The young team’s journey involves heartbreaks and lessons, but they’re clearly on the path to greatness.
• Playoff Realities:
  Playoff basketball is about physicality and superstar moments. Colin highlights that no matter how talented, “NBA history is not littered with 21-year-olds flying through the playoffs—even LeBron, Shaq, and Kobe struggled early.” (05:53)
• Minnesota Timberwolves:
  The Timberwolves are called “the best fourth-quarter team in the entire playoffs”; their savvy roster construction and coaching are praised.
• Quote – Spurs Assistant Mitch Johnson on Wemby:

  “He’s gotten chucked, he’s gotten pushed down in transition… he doesn’t complain one time… but at some stage, he should be protected, and if not he’s gonna have to protect himself. Unfortunately, stuff like that happens.” (Mitch Johnson, 07:44)

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Knicks’ Postseason Surge: Strength, Chemistry, and Limitations

[Starts at 08:04]

Key Discussion Points

• Knicks' Statistical Dominance vs. Playoff Reality:
  While the Knicks are on pace for the highest net rating and point differential ever, Colin is circumspect:
  • “They must be the best team ever! No, they’re not… They’re that ‘version’—like the Pacers last year or the Heat the year before.” (Colin, 08:04)
• Roster Construction:
  Knicks roster is commended for its versatility, skill, and togetherness. Acquisitions and off-court patience bear fruit as former owner James Dolan’s detachment let the front office build.
• Defensive and Offensive Highlights:
  Mike Brown’s staff is praised for using big man Karl-Anthony Towns more creatively, doubling his playoff assists and minimizing Jalen Brunson’s playmaking burden.
• Competition and Context:
  Colin reminds listeners that the Knicks beat flawed teams (Hawks, Sixers) and will be tested against elite competition like San Antonio or OKC.
  • “Are the Knicks better than last year? Absolutely. Are they the best team in the East? I’m almost sure yes. Are they closer now to winning a title? No.” (Colin, 10:01)
• Quote – Mike Brown on Jalen Brunson's Impact:

  “Is the dude’s name on Snoopy Linus? He got a blanket. I’m Linus, Jalen’s my blanket. So he gets me, helps me relax at a lot of different times throughout the course of games— that’s what great players do.” (Mike Brown, 11:44)

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LeBron’s Lakers Crossroads & Player Valuations

[Colin Right/Colin Wrong starts at 19:32; Timpf interview at 29:17]

Key Discussion Points

• LeBron’s Uncertain Future:
  The Lakers face major decisions, with LeBron’s role and contract under scrutiny. The conversation weighs possible outcomes:
  • Will LeBron tolerate being a “third option” under the new CBA constraints?
• Roster Building and the NBA’s "GM League":
  The new NBA economic landscape means teams must have contributors on rookie contracts. The Lakers are behind, with little homegrown talent and must make tough choices about LeBron and undrafted fan-favorite Austin Reaves.
  • “Because they have to pay Austin, LeBron has to be the casualty.” (Jason Timpf, 33:25)
  • “Now you absolutely have to have half your rotation be—‘I found this guy in the second round at pick 38 who’s a really useful player for us’... There is not a single player for the Lakers since Max Christie back in 2022 that's playing rotation minutes from the draft. That's catastrophic under the modern CBA.” (Timpf, 37:10)
• Austin Reaves: What Is He Worth?
  Debate centers around whether Reaves, who gets "hunted" defensively in the postseason and struggles with injuries, should receive a major new deal.
  • “Austin’s an undrafted player, he gets dinged up. If you want to pay him, fine, but you have to pay him at a number that if you had to move him, multiple teams would be like—okay, $140M is really interesting, $240M is not.” (Colin, 35:17)
• What If the Lakers Won’t Overpay LeBron?
  • “I think LeBron would sign for $15 million with the Lakers if he felt like, ‘Hey, this is coming alongside that and I have a better chance to compete.’ ...When you’re trying to convince a 42-year-old next year to go through this again, it’s about convincing him it’s worth it.” (Timpf, 46:30)

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Spurs’ Championship Trajectory and Playoff Readiness

[Timpf interview continues at 38:17]

Key Discussion Points

• Spurs’ Immediate and Long-Term Outlook:
  Despite their youth, the Spurs are argued to be ready for immediate contention, especially once Wemby returns. Their upside as a dynasty is repeatedly emphasized.
  • “Could they win it this year? Absolutely… Their guards are good and talented, they’re young, Wemby buys them the margin for error to make mistakes… They give OKC real problems.” (Timpf, 38:59)
• Comparison to Rival Teams:
  San Antonio’s athletic backcourt and defensive versatility positions them as a threat to established teams.
  • “It’s like the Splash Brothers with more athleticism… This could be the best backcourt for a decade." (Colin, 38:17)

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NBA Draft & Team Building Philosophies

[NBA Draft discussion at 40:42]

Key Discussion Points

• AJ Debona – Consensus No. 1 Pick:
  The draft class is top-heavy, AJ Debona stands out as a "potentially franchise-altering talent.” Darren Peterson is described as an elite movement shooter and the likely No. 2.
• Washington Wizards Roster Decisions:
  Should they trade Anthony Davis to build around younger talent after landing a top pick?
• Chicago Bulls’ Needs:
  Caleb Wilson is described as the “perfect high-upside pick” for Chicago.

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State of Contenders: Warriors, OKC, and Team-Building

• Steve Kerr’s Extension & Warriors’ Options:
  Colin and Timpf discuss that, with Kerr returning, the best avenue for Golden State is adding older star talent (e.g., Kawhi, LeBron) for a final run—not sacrificing their future for another superstar.
  • “They should go after every old-guy talent in the league to go one last run… and keep their draft picks so they can rebuild whenever Steph is done.” (Timpf, 44:39)
• The “GM League”: Both highlight the importance of smart management and finding discounted role players as the NBA’s economics get tougher, drawing analogies to NFL roster building.

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Notable Quotes & Moments

• On Playoff Lessons:

  "Part of the journey for these young NBA teams historically is blowing a lead in the fourth quarter, getting frustrated, losing to a well-coached team with veterans. But it is hard to watch the Spurs and not feel like we’re watching what could be one of the great NBA teams ever—not yet, but eventually.” (Colin, 05:11)

• On the Knicks’ Run:

  “Every year in the playoffs, you get a surprise team that clicks… The Knicks are that version. Take a deep breath.” (Colin, 08:04)

• On LeBron’s Next Step:

  “If Rob Pelinka comes with a pitch—‘I’m resigning Austin at this number, I’m bringing back Marcus Smart, I’m going to make a trade for this guy’—LeBron will be on board with taking a discount… he wants to win.” (Timpf, 34:20)

• On Reaves’ Value:

  “What are your standards? Oklahoma City is going out of their way to hunt him in the series… what happens when your second star gets hunted?” (Colin, 34:58)

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Segment Timestamps

| Segment | Topic | Start Time (MM:SS) | |---|---|---| | Playoff Open – Spurs, Timberwolves, Wemby | 02:13 | | Spurs Young Core Evaluation | 03:41 | | Knicks Playoff Run & Roster | 08:04 | | Knicks’ Limitations, Competition | 10:01 | | Mike Brown on Brunson | 11:44 | | Colin Right/Colin Wrong (Rapid Fire Stories) | 19:32 | | Guest: Jason Timpf Joins | 29:17 | | Knicks Evolution & Matchups | 30:37 | | Lakers’ LeBron Dilemma | 32:27 | | Austin Reaves’ Market Value | 36:16 | | Spurs’ Playoff Ceiling | 38:17 | | NBA Draft Insights | 40:42 | | Warriors’ Future w/ Kerr | 42:55 | | Timpf on LeBron Alternate Destinations | 46:30 |

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Episode Takeaways

• San Antonio and New York represent the league’s contrasting paths: Spurs are building a potential decade-long dynasty, while Knicks are a peak story benefitting from smart construction and a weak conference.
• LeBron and the Lakers are navigating a crucial turning point as NBA economics become less forgiving, and "GM talent" is more vital than ever.
• Execution and innovation—on the court and in the front office—drive NBA success in the current era; teams must find undervalued assets to stay competitive.

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This summary captures the key themes, insights, and quotable moments that drive this episode—making it accessible and engaging for both avid NBA fans and casual listeners alike.

Transcript

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[Superhuman Shack / Sleep Apnea Spokesperson]

i keep telling them not to say that i'm no superhuman believe it or not i struggle with moderate obstructive sleep apnea or osa in adults with obesity moderate to severe osa is a condition where breathing is interrupted during sleep with loud snoring choking gasping for air and even daytime fatigue let's just say it could sound a lot like this sound familiar learn more at don't sleep on osa dot com this information is provided

[Colin Cowherd]

by lilly a medicine company support for the show comes from public so it kind of feels like there's two types of investing platforms you got the old school brokerages that look like they were designed in like nineteen ninety five then you have those other platforms the ones that feel less like investing and more like a casino public is neither it's the investing platform for people who actually take this stuff seriously you know people who are serious about building their wealth because on public you can build a portfolio of stocks and options and bonds and crypto without all the bugs or the confetti retirement accounts yep high yield cash of course they even have direct indexing honestly this is what investing platform should look like modern design simple to use and customer support that actually cares go to public dot com cowherd and earn an uncapped one percent bonus when you transfer your portfolio that's public dot com cowherd ad paid for by public

[NBA Analyst / Commentator]

holdings brokerage services by public investing member finra sipc advisory services by public advisors sec registered advisor crypto services by zerohash

[Colin Cowherd]

all investing involves risk of loss see

[NBA Analyst / Commentator]

complete disclosures at public dot com disclosures

[Colin Cowherd]

imagine never buying gas again ev's are as easy to charge as your phone and perfect for everyday life drive daily with confidence everywhere you go most americans drive forty miles a day most ev's are equipped with two hundred to four hundred miles of range they've got fewer parts fewer repairs and fewer headaches with hundreds of new and used ev models available today there's an ev to fit every lifestyle and every budget i love my electric vehicle it's easy no more gas stations the way forward is electric learn more at electric for all dot org 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 three eastern nine am to noon pacific find your local station for the herd at foxsportsradio dot com or stream us live every day on the iheartradio app by searching fox sports radio or fsr this is the best of the herd with colin cowher on fox sports sports radio here we go on a busy busy monday will tonight be the last game as a laker for lebron colin right colin wrong an hour from now the knicks what are we to do with the new york knickerbocker wherever you may be however you may be watching or listening appreciate it thanks for making us part of your day listen resumes matter okay what you done previously will determine how i will treat you currently how you'll be punished currently so the big story last night is the t wolves came from behind to beat the spurs was wimby getting ejected because he threw a nasty elbow in the second quarter if it was bill lambir meta world peace maybe a dennis rodman or a draymond green hey i'd suspend him for multiple games in the series but it's wemby first time he's been ejected he's got people flying at him he threw an elbow elbows get thrown by everybody his actually hit nas reed in the throat and so he got ejected for the rest of the game i thought the officials got it right but his resume not a dirty player bigs throw elbows that's the reality the most striking thing in the game was with him gone the spurs i mean they're going to be so good for the next ten years they are good at backcourt could be the best backcourt splash brothers but more athletic for the next decade it's insane dylan harper and stefan castle they are i mean they're getting better every six months every six weeks but what was amazing is in minnesota against the veteran t wolves an incredibly well coached team spurs still led but this is what happens when you're young you don't have wimby you don't have your star ant is now the best player on the floor he's not playing it one hundred percent got a banged up knee but he had sixteen points in the fourth and this is what it does playoff basketball is about two things number one it's always been super physical referees let you play that's why veteran older teams usually prevail the second thing playoff basketball is superstars eventually in big key moments rise above scheme and right it's that you're not tricking anybody by game three of a series so nba history is not littered with twenty one year olds flying through the playoffs even lebron's first title twenty seven shaq and kobe got bounced early shaq's first title shaq's twenty seven michael jordan got bounced early by a lot of those veteran pistons or celtic teams so the reality of this series is the best fourth quarter team in the entire playoffs is the minnesota timberwolves and even with ant not at one hundred percent they're going to be really tough to beat and they came flying back in the fourth quarter and this is and it does feel like to me and probably to you we are looking at potentially a ten year dynasty plus i mean dylan harper's twenty he is noticeably better today than three months ago stefan castle much better this year than last i think he's what twenty twenty one years old wemby's twenty two i mean it's incredible how good san antonio is but part of the journey for these young nba teams historically is blowing a lead in the fourth quarter getting frustrated somebody gets thrown out they're grabbing me i elbow him why do i get thrown out part of the journey is losing to a really well coached team well constructed team like minnesota i mean i think the t wolves roster is so smartly constructed but it is hard to watch the spurs and not feel like we are watching what could be one of the great nba teams ever not yet but eventually i mean their young players are insane to lead the game without wemby in the fourth quarter against i mean again minute we knew minnesota was a tough matchup great fourth quarter team well coached lot of lot of veterans two way players so here's mitch johnson on the wemby ejection every single play on

[Superhuman Shack / Sleep Apnea Spokesperson]

every single part of the floor people are trying to impose i get it

[NBA Analyst / Commentator]

we get it that's part of the

[Superhuman Shack / Sleep Apnea Spokesperson]

game but he's gotten chucked he's gotten pushed down in transition running freely all the stuff he doesn't complain one time we don't complain because we're just gonna play we don't really give a excuse my language but at some stage he should be protected and if not he's gonna have to protect himself and unfortunately

[Colin Cowherd]

stuff like that happens okay so listen sometimes uncle colin doesn't tell you what you want to hear it's a big responsibility being america's honesty broker i don't wave pom poms that was twenties and thirties okay now i'm a lot of wisdom with all this gray hair and so i read a stat this morning the knicks are on pace to have the highest point differential and highest net rating in the history of the playoffs oh they must be the best team ever no they're not every year in the playoffs you get a surprise team that clicks last year it was the fourth seeded pacers made game seven of the finals the year before it was the fifth seeded dallas mavericks got to the finals the year before that it was the eighth seeded miami heat that got to the finals the knicks are are that version take a deep breath atlanta had a losing record in the east until march and the sixers got into the playoffs via a play in game okay they're not beating the greatest teams there philadelphia's got a lot of talent but embiid shocker got banged up the one thing that's been impressive with the knicks two things really number one is the way they're using cat he has doubled his assist totals from last year's playoffs in half the games mike brown and his staff have done a great job to take the burden solely off jalen brunson to initiate offense it has been fantastic we've always known kat super skill he was skilled in minnesota he's always been skilled so that's that's impressive the second thing is this roster is very smartly constructed james dolan spent a couple of years in vegas building the sphere got out of basketball and the knicks front office did a great job they've got defensive players a scoring guard a skilled big a defensive big a big they just have a bunch i mean a bunch of guys and they all fit together and they and they play great together but it's hard to figure out what their true flaws are i mean the hawks and sixers had losing records against playoff teams so i i mean the pistons or the cavs are going to get to the eastern conference finals i like detroit i like detroit in that series before it started but they have clear offensive limitations ceilings and deficiencies so to understand here's the way i would put it with the knicks to understand what we know of the knicks depends on the question are the knicks better than last year absolutely are they the best team in the east i'm almost sure yes are they closer now to winning a title no because the spurs are a mile better than last year and okc is better so again the knicks were forty three and nineteen against the east they were good but not spectacular against the west six games above five hundred so they deserve a ton of credit it's a complimentary roster you get a nice group of smart skilled veterans but remember the patriots got to a super bowl they weren't close to either team in the nfc i am impressed with cat's development what they're using him i'm impressed it's a really smart team highly functional it works well off each other i mean during the season we kept hearing reports the chemistry's off yeah well that vanished they're playing great basketball together and here's mike brown after and all those knicks fans in philly tyrese maxey was exhausted from it here's mike after this

[Superhuman Shack / Sleep Apnea Spokesperson]

is the dude's name on snoopy linus he got a blanket i'm linus jalen's my blanket so he gets me he helps me relax at a lot of different times throughout the course of games but that's what great players do they keep you poised they make the game easier for everybody else and they help

[NBA Analyst / Commentator]

you get through the stretch being completely

[Colin Cowherd]

honest we were better when we played them in the garden this entire season like i know we lost game two

[NBA Analyst / Commentator]

and one but like game two was

[Colin Cowherd]

better regular season was better here we

[NBA Analyst / Commentator]

was you know i was telling them

[Colin Cowherd]

it just felt it felt louder here for them than it did in the garden and it's like well we got to put a stop to it as a team like winning these games that's what's going to make you know our fans like louder than theirs or whatever i don't know how to keep them out i don't know the logistics of

[NBA Analyst / Commentator]

it but you know it does suck

[Colin Cowherd]

i can't even lie it definitely does suck am i surprised the knicks won not surprised am i shocked it was a sweep yeah kind of because i think philadelphia's got really good players they have no bench but their front four their coach are really good but again this happened you see this a lot in college football where a team will fly through the big twelve then you watch them against the big ten team or an sec team and you're like okay the east is awful the middle and bottom of the east is awful remember last year's team that got to the finals the pacers halliburton didn't play they were one of the worst teams in the league you know you start looking at the nba draft lottery there's a lot of eastern teams getting good players so but i do think there are certain things that are true the roster's complimentary they're taking the burden off jalen brunson with cat i mean they just play really hard for mike brown he and the staff have done a really nice job any chemistry rumors earlier this year don't appear to be problem now you people say well they're a better colin colin their defense was better at the end of the regular season i don't want to hear about march the lakers were unbeatable in march march is when you play tanking teams in the east that are looking for lottery position so march is fool's gold in the nba oh the knicks were a very very good march team so were the lakers the knicks have defensive flaws the pistons have offensive flaws but they deserve a ton of credit they're playing well and listen i mean they're they're like breaking nba history with some of i mean to score one hundred forty four points in a playoff game it's just i don't care i mean that's globetrotters washington general stuff so that i mean i'm i was impressed by it j mac we got a lot tonight could be lebron's last game as a laker oh settle down geez could last game is a laker what where's he playing next year colin akron's calling oh yeah he's he's going to cleveland by the way is cleveland winning tonight i don't know if you saw they were favored which is i'm surprised i took i like detroit in this series i think detroit in the knicks will be fun because detroit's all defense the knicks have a glorious offense and that's smash them knicks will destroy listen i know detroit beat him in the regular season who's falling for that once again this knicks team hey by the way who's had a more impressive postseason so far the knicks or the undefeated thunder well the standard for the thunder is once you win a championship in the nba the regular season doesn't matter as much you rest guys so anytime you win a championship i mean after wemby and these guys win a championship you start resting guys more it doesn't mean as much you know we've seen this with the dodgers like this year the dodgers are struggling to hit do we think they'll be struggling to hit in september last year the dodgers couldn't get their pitching right on the back end and then they solved it suddenly in the postseason the championship teams a lot of it is you're you're playing for later in the year so i mean i i know this okc is good enough to beat the knicks in five games i mean i think they're good enough to beat the spurs in five or six games whether they do i don't know but i mean they don't play with their food well like an oklahoma city is dialed in i mean they go they go six into the bench they can play eleven guys twelve guys and like they can all play i mean what happens against a fully strength a full strength knicks team when og's back imagine what sweeping the sixers and they didn't have og and an obi their best player maybe for two games like come on i think he's i think if gm's could pick anybody off the knicks og would be at the top of the list be sure to catch live editions of the herd weekdays at noon eastern nine am pacific on fox sports radio fs one and the iheartradio app hey this is jason mcintyre join me every weekday morning on my podcast straight fire with jason mcintyre this isn't your typical sports pod pushing the same same tired narratives down your throat every day straight fire gives you honest opinions on all the biggest sports headlines accurate stats to help you win big at the sportsbook and all the best guests do yourself a favor and listen to straight fire with jason mcintyre on the iheartradio app apple podcasts or wherever you get your podcasts brought to you

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[Colin Cowherd]

shaq but off camera he's just a

[Superhuman Shack / Sleep Apnea Spokesperson]

regular guy people never believe me when i say i'm just like them i take out the trash do dishes and i struggle with moderate obstructive sleep apnea or osa and a lot of adults with obesity also struggle with moderate to severe osa you know those scary breathing interruptions during sleep the loud snoring choking and daytime fatigue i knew i had to talk to my doctor don't sleep on the symptoms learn more at don'tsleeponosa

[Colin Cowherd]

dot com this information is provided by lilly a medicine company support for the

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[Colin Cowherd]

imagine never buying gas again ev's are as easy to charge as your phone and perfect for everyday life drive daily with confidence everywhere you go most americans drive forty miles a day most ev's are equipped with two hundred to four hundred miles of range they've got fewer parts fewer repairs and fewer headaches with hundreds of new and used ev models available today there's an ev to fit every lifestyle and every budget i love my electric vehicle it's easy no more gas stations the way forward is electric learn more at electric for all dot org where colin was right where colin was wrong on a monday where colin was right well what a shocker the steelers have backed themselves into a corner because they have no urgency at quarterback the gm admitting yeah we know aaron's in town but we have no idea where he is listen aaron did it in green bay he did it with the jets he's doing it with the steelers his personality is he's not going to be the highest paid quarterback or the best quarterback but his ego his pride his lever is i'm going to make you uncomfortable and i'm going to control the time and the place of my off seasons so this is just on brand for aaron rodgers where colin was wrong no i did not think the knicks would score eighty plus points in the in a half twice on the road in the playoffs i think they're playing great offensive basketball it's a very complimentary roster and it's very difficult to figure out how much of this sticks against like an okc or san antonio but it doesn't matter for now they've been absolutely great i am shocked that they swept the sixers because i think philadelphia with embiid and maxey had two of the best players in the series i'll take an l on this one where colin was right yeah you conspiracy nerds if you were ever going to rig a draft it would have been this one the most generational draft in a decade you could have given dallas a greater pick make the bulls number one in big city chicago golden state with steph curry no number one washington number two utah a bunch of unwatchable bad teams got all the best picks so you know small market memphis small market salt lake city the dreadful wizards the clippers even got one well i don't buy i don't buy rigged it's a way to validate you know your happiness when your team is poorly run the best gm's are running this league and most of those teams at the top except maybe utah don't have them where colin was wrong well tom pelissero reporting that jj mccarthy and kyler murray it is a true competition between the two i think it's kyler's job i think you have to massage this based on the lack of confidence jj mccarthy has had but i also think that when you give up draft picks to move up to get jj mccarthy if he has a great camp you have to reward him but palisaro saying in minnesota they view this as a coin flip a fifty fifty position with kyler and jj where colin was right joel embiid swept joel embiid not one hundred percent healthy in another playoff series joel embiid can't win a second playoff series i acknowledge when he's healthy he's remarkable but he's the only mvp to never make a conference final and he's now going to be owed one hundred eighty eight million dollars guaranteed that's a bad contract i thought you know that the thing with embiid is when a big guy is hurt early in his career he'll be hurt often and he missed his first two years in this league with injuries that would have been a massive red flag to me but talent is hard for a lot of gm's to ignore and when he's healthy you saw it in the previous series against boston he was dominating but he was eventually what he's been since he arrived where colin was right well austin reaves second straight playoffs not one hundred percent healthy second straight playoffs not a very good plus minus in fact the lowest of all the lakers second straight playoffs a team is hunting him t wolves did last year okc did this year again i can like a player undrafted scrappy the headband guy but this is what i've been saying what are your standards oklahoma city is going out of their way to hunt him in the series and you know people do that with luka so now your second star is going to get hunted that's not championship level basketball you can have a flaw or a weakness but who are you going to protect him with forty two year old lebron luca it's turning out again i know regular season austin is terrific postseason austin to me is not worth two hundred forty million where colin was wrong steve kerr gonna run it back ride or die i mean it's a very old roster very little flexibility not a lot of great draft picks i don't think it's gonna be terribly competitive because the best rosters in the west minnesota okc san antonio i would say houston they're all ascending they're all going to be better so the west is about young ascending talent the east outside of detroit you know you got some old teams knicks got some veterans cavs got some veterans so i'm actually surprised steve kerr didn't take a year off retire or go to broadcasting where colin was right well the athletic using an analytical analytical projection model ranked rosters and buffalo was third right after the seahawks and rams i keep saying this i know billy beane is low hanging fruit as a general manager look at their offense star quarterback star left tackle star running back star tight end excellent wide receiver dj moore comes to town brandon bean gets beat up and i understand josh allen's great hasn't been to a super bowl i understand but my takeaway is guys the bills roster is not lampoonable it's very good where colin was right the dodgers are not ruining baseball here are your american league division leaders cleveland tampa and the a's meanwhile the new york mets are unwatchable meanwhile the pirates reds and brewers are all outstanding and would be playoff teams yes the dodgers who can't hit this year are stacked but it's baseball the reds the pirates the a's tampa the guardians the brewers you know who stinks the mets and the phillies are struggling the nationals in big market dc once again not very good stop with the little guy can't compete little guy struggles to compete in college basketball little guy milwaukee when well run is competing just fine in major league baseball be sure to catch live editions of the herd weekdays at noon eastern nine am

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[Colin Cowherd]

co benefits and now superhuman shack i

[Superhuman Shack / Sleep Apnea Spokesperson]

keep telling them not to say that i'm no superhuman believe it or not i struggle with moderate obstructive sleep apnea or osa in adults with obesity moderate to severe osa is a condition where breathing is interrupted during sleep with loud snoring choking gasping for air and even daytime fatigue let's just say it can sound a lot like this sound familiar learn more at don'tsleeponosa dot com this

[Colin Cowherd]

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[Colin Cowherd]

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[NBA Analyst / Commentator]

think there's three reasons you would be very excited if you're a knicks fan one they're just a different basketball team than they were even just earlier this year let alone previous seasons carl anthony towns because they're having him operate with the ball so much out at the three point line he's averaging six times as many assists per game as he did last year in the postseason he has three ten assist games in this postseason he had zero his entire career before that brunson went from last year in the postseason seventy one percent of his made shots were out of on ball work pick and rolls isos post ups this year that's down to fifty six percent as a team last year in the postseason only half of their baskets were assisted which was dead last in the nba this year sixty one percent which is one of the best training on brunson yeah absolutely completely fundamentally different equal opportunity high variety offense then you take it to how they match up with san antonio and okc with san antonio they just straight up gave him issues this year they can put wemby in space in a way that okc struggles with and they're big and strong at the right position groups to be able to match san antonio's guards og anunoby gave problems to steph castle in their individual matchups this year but then the okc piece of this is okc's defense is designed to turn you over and pressure the ball and they concede the weakness of their defense is they concede threes and the knicks offense now is set up in a way they take good care of the basketball and they move it extremely well for open shots so in a lot of ways they're kind of like perfectly constructed to give issues to the thunder defense and so i i'm just done putting a ceiling on them like i wouldn't be the least bit surprised if they were given a real shot to okc or san antonio in the finals the

[Colin Cowherd]

you started as a laker podcaster so you have incredible depth you watch every game you podcast after every game it's been fascinating they got blown out in the regular season at the end by oklahoma city and it was like a cautionary tale of guys that can't defend an old lebron and then you watch them in this series i think the coaching's been excellent but let let's start with the lebron piece out i said this earlier outside of like a josh allen in the nfl even good quarterbacks i'm like what's the number sam darnold won a super bowl what's the number i like lebron next year but it's a what's the number the new cba as you know jason is punitive to average gming i mean boston's considering moving jaylen brown a tremendous player do you think lebron comes back and is willing to be a season long third option

[NBA Analyst / Commentator]

he has to be the casualty of their payroll situation one of the luxuries for teams like okc or boston or san antonio is they have really good rotation players on rookie scale contracts like that and aj mitchell's not even on a rookie scale contract he's just on a straight up three year nine million dollars deal that that sam presti managed to pull off so they have all these discounted players so they can overpay for a role player here or there they can have hartenstein on the roster for over thirty million that's a that's a luxury the lakers because they were not able to get any sort of rookie scale role player talent over the last couple years they don't have that luxury so because they have to pay austin lebron kind of has to be the casualty and it's unfair because frankly he was one of the ten best players i watched in this postseason so you could argue he's worth another max for for at least another year right but the reality is he's going to have to be the victim there i would just say if i'm lebron there's no other situation with how cleveland has looked with some of the risks with golden state i still think this is his best opportunity to win and frankly i think as long as rob pelinka comes with a pitch like remember lebron was willing to take a discount for klay thompson two years ago clay chose dallas lebron's like now i want my money but he was going to leave money on the table to facilitate klay thompson if rob can go to lebron and be like here's my plan i'm resigning austin at this number i'm bringing back you know marcus smart and i'm choosing you know rui hotchmer whatever it is i'm going to go trade for this guy i'm going to get this guy in restricted free agency or i'm going to get this guy in the off the free agent market i think lebron will be on board with taking a discount because frankly you can tell in just how he's wired and how he looked in this postseason he wants to compete he wants to win he doesn't want to go through all this again to get his butt kicked he's

[Colin Cowherd]

too old for that so it's in the austin reeves piece is interesting is again this is the second playoffs in a row he's not healthy his body he didn't have elite traits he was undrafted you know we say that about guys like josh allen get thumped and they're healthy brock purdy gets banged into he's a seventh round pick a lot of this is unfortunate it's it's it's dna austin's an undrafted player he gets dinged up if you want to pay him fine but you have to pay him at a number that if you had to move him multiple teams would be like okay one hundred forty is really interesting two hundred forty is not because the new cba is so punitive it's a it's really now a a little bit like the nfl it's a gm league it's not a coach like or even a star league it's a gm league what's a reasonable number to austin reaves so because luca can't defend austin gets hunted if you had to move him eventually you think you could

[NBA Analyst / Commentator]

i think that number kind of lands in that forty to forty five million annually the truth of the matter is you start looking around at guards around the league there's a lot of pretty mediocre bad guards that are making like thirty thirty five million like ty or like emmanuel quickley like if i'm austin reeves agent i'm being like look i understand you guys want to stay flexible but like my guy's just better than all those dudes you need you need to pay him and again it's it's it's part of just the circumstance where if the lakers were able to have three or four rotation players on rookie scale contracts you'd be like hey austin but it's just the austin is unfortunately going to get blamed his contract is going to get blamed for mistakes that rob pelinka made elsewhere in their team building over the course of the last few years if this was okc they'd be like yeah forty forty five million will pay austin because i've got another you know twelfth overall pick this year that's going to be a rotation player for us on a on a rookie scale deal like i've got casen wallace i've got this guy i've got that guy they've got all these dudes that can just fill roles at discounted discounted prices and you say it's a gm league like with how punitive the second apron is you now have to draft well you now have to find pro with through your pro level scouting discounted free agents football it's very nfl yeah because frankly if you have if you're going to compete for a title you need three or four awesome players and if you're going to have three or four awesome players you got to pay them a lot of money which is going to put you in a crunch with the second apron so now you absolutely have to have half your rotation be i found this center that the sacramento kings had no use for but he's playing for us i found this dude in the second round at pick thirty eight who's this really useful player for us and jordan walsh for the celtics for example like you have to find those guys and there is not a single player for the lakers since max christie back in twenty twenty two that is playing rotation minutes for them from the draft from anywhere in the draft that that is such a catastrophic miss under the constraints of the modern

[Colin Cowherd]

cba i think i picked san antonio in six games and i think they're going to win the next two ants not one hundred percent wemby being out they'll come back energized i said we can pay attention to wemby but the fact that dylan harper at twenty and stefan castle at twenty one are this good it's like the splash brothers with more athleticism this could be the best backcourt for a decade like i i know wemby's great and he's going to be the centerpiece i guess the only question with san antonio is could they win it this year like one of the safest bets in sports is that team will win multiple titles is san antonio they're so young can they win

[NBA Analyst / Commentator]

it this year absolutely i think people are if you look at what happened in this series they had a really poor showing in game one but they pretty much dominated outside of that when wemby's on the floor as a matter of fact if you remove game two which is blowout just like that so that the wolves quit in that game they weren't even running back on defense you kind of throw that one out in the other three games they're plus twenty with wemby on the floor and minus twenty with him off the floor like there's a huge delineation between because they're young their guards are good and talented they're young wemby buys them the margin for error to make mistakes on defense and he creates so much like gravity for them on offense to open opportunities for them they're going to win the series when wemby comes back in game five they'll win in game five they'll win in game six the wolves really haven't figured out how to score when he's on the floor but what you saw last night is exactly why they need wemby because if you remove him from the equation as good as dylan harper was for stretches of that game as good as jaron fox was it's like oh but ants just way better than these guys and it's and like and that will happen in the next round if we's not around because shea is better than all those guys wemby is the ultimate equal equalizer and frankly they match up so well with okc specifically because wemby is the one guy like okc is playing against a lakers team with no rim protection he played against the sun's team with no rim protection when you put wemby at the basket with all those athletic guards and their depth of ball handling on the other end of the floor they give okc real problems let's not forget that like on christmas day after they had already lost we all were like okay this is the game where okc is going to bring it and they got their butts kicked again like that is a team that has given them serious issues at this point i lean slightly towards san antonio to beat okc should they meet in the next round so at that point i mean they absolutely have a shot to get it

[Colin Cowherd]

done this year the draft lottery and you're here for the combine so i would struggle a little bit with peterson there's a report today that creatine use legal everybody my wife puts it in her morning coffee i mean creatine use was the reason for some of the cramping i also thought it kind of got into his head a little bit he's obviously a great talent you're here for the combine all week caleb wilson is fascinating to me like i feel like we're halfway home to his game is aj demons an overwhelming number one pick for you like is it is it a not close draft yeah i

[NBA Analyst / Commentator]

think he is he's the the thing with darren peterson is there i see more of like a ray allen with the sonics kind of vibe with him where like he's a very good athlete but he's not anthony edwards he's more of like a movement shooter to me that can like play both ends of the floor do a little bit of stuff on the bounce and by the way sonics ray allen was an awesome player so i'm not trying to undercut him in any sense aj debona is like a potentially franchise altering talent and then you look at washington and it's like they kind of already have trey johnson from last year who plays the same position and if you're building the team it's like you have trey young you have trey johnson you have bilakula bali and you have alex sar aj slots perfectly in there as the four man now where it gets really interesting is i don't think that he can play alongside alongside ad and alex r so then you wonder like are the wizards going to trade anthony davis this summer and which i would do i would trade ad and i would try to retool around those guys but i think aj devonts is the shoo in for number one and darren peterson's the obvious number two there's a there's a fall off from there for me like even to cam boozer i see a

[Colin Cowherd]

pretty big pretty big gap vertical or

[NBA Analyst / Commentator]

athletic yeah and caleb wilson is perfect for the bulls because they desperately need like a high upside they need something to alter the entire future of the franchise and i don't know if you saw the video going around his workout the other day but he is shooting he's shooting amazing in his in his workouts the form looks great he's showing a lot of stuff beyond just his athleticism so for chicago he's the perfect like high upside pick number four is almost a sweet spot to be because the decision is made for you and i think he's the perfect type of franchise altering talent for them i want

[Colin Cowherd]

to talk about steve kerr as i watch the nba draft lottery which by the way they waste no time the guy comes up looks like an accountant they're flying through it like everything else in sports you sit there and wait for the game to start i thought wouldn't it be fascinating if the warriors become the mavericks and get a huge break they didn't steve kerr signs an extension a little surprising because he's so deft at broadcasting and has done very well but it's a two year deal he's sixty it's a lot of money it's a you know i mean like i get it is there a way out for the warriors if you consider i mean they've got butler and draymond and steph agency they want to keep pods but not i mean is there a way out for them could they get giannis first of all i just

[NBA Analyst / Commentator]

am so glad he decided to come back he's got his whole life to go to the broadcasting thing like there's no rush that that that offer is going to be there whenever he decides to be done and frankly it just seems weird to even consider watching a steph curry draymond green team without steve kerr and for all the criticism he's gotten for his offense like last year when steph curry was on the floor they had a one hundred and nineteen offensive rating despite the like lack of offensive talent around him which is a very very good number so like his awesome his offense works with steph it just does it always has no one's been able to solve it i think he's the perfect coach to lead the steph curry version of the team now what it also tells me because steve is the head coach of that olympic team that olympic team that won against serbia in france two years ago and there were a lot of guys on that team like you know kawhi was on the team before he ended up leaving with the ankle injury but lebron james was on that team and i think that their best opportunity to retool the roster is actually with older talent and the best way to convince older talent to go is you can't be like hey by the way we have this new assistant coach that we found out from like minnesota you want to come play with this guy that you don't know no like you want to have a guy that's like hey come play with stephen come play with steve let's build the avengers the old school avengers and let's go at this thing i don't think they're going to make a move for giannis because giannis is just going to cost too much and at this point after steph's knee broke down this year and his his hamstring broke down last year steph is too much of a risk now so like i don't think giannis wants it i don't think the front office would be smart to mail in their future for giannis but they should go after kawhi they should go after lebron they should be going after every old guy talent in the league to go one last run at this thing and they're going to keep their draft picks so that they can rebuild whenever steph is done and whenever steph is done then steve can ride off into the sunset and be on the tnt well the rolling

[Colin Cowherd]

stones are still touring there's nothing boomers are doing well i read jason timp hoops tonight at the volume one more let's circle back to the lakers because you know i mean you're are you watch every minute these new owners dodger owners let go of bellinger and manny machado and corey seger and trey turner like they let go of great players rich paul has been on his podcast almost i don't think campaigning is the right word but you can tell he views lebron as he should as an asset let's just say the owners come in and they're like this is the number i mean we've we've run the baseball thing we've pulled away from the sport and we've let great players go if they just gave him an ultimatum and lebron wasn't comfortable does he retire is there is there a space he

[NBA Analyst / Commentator]

would move to so again it comes down to the pitch because if rob polinka goes we're running it back lebron's going to be like i just played the thunder like i'm not i'm not doing this again to get my butt yeah i'm not doing this again to get my butt kicked by the thunder but it would be the same thing for golden state like if golden state was like well here's our pitch we're getting kawhi and we want to sign you you know or if they if it's the cavs and they have some similar kind of idea some sort of big sweeping trade to make in the off season to make a pitch to lebron i just don't think you're going to convince lebron to pick up and move his life unless he knows for sure that he's got a really good chance to compete and so then with the lakers it's is lebron going to go through this again yes but as long as you have a pitch for him that you can surround him with some sort of altering talent it could be a trade it doesn't necessarily have to be you know like i don't think lebron i think lebron would sign for fifteen million with the lakers if he felt like hey this is coming alongside that and i have a better chance to compete within the season i think i think everything when you're trying to convince a forty two year old next year to go through this all again it's going to be about convincing him that it's worth it it's worth

[Colin Cowherd]

putting his body through it jason temp he'll be on thursday too he's going to be at the combine this week at the volume sports it's called hoops tonight good seeing you thanks colin in

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[Colin Cowherd]

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[Superhuman Shack / Sleep Apnea Spokesperson]

i keep telling them not to say that i'm no superhuman believe it or not i struggle with moderate obstructive sleep apnea or osa in adults with obesity moderate to severe osa is a condition where breathing is interrupted during sleep with loud snoring choking gasping for air and even daytime fatigue let's just say it can sound a lot like this sound familiar learn more at don'tsleeponosa dot com

[Colin Cowherd]

this information is provided by lilly a

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