Best of The Herd

Summary

The Herd with Colin Cowherd – Best of The Herd

Date: March 16, 2026
Host: Jason McIntyre (in for Colin Cowherd)
Co-host: Rachel Nichols
Guest: Yovon Buha (Lakers/NBA journalist)

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Episode Overview

This episode of “The Herd” is a high-energy drive through the latest in sports, with Jason McIntyre filling in for Colin Cowherd and Rachel Nichols as co-host. Major themes include the surging LA Lakers, the hype around the World Baseball Classic, March Madness picks and storylines, and deep dives into NBA playoff races and team chemistry. The episode is packed with analysis, insider perspectives, and candid roundtable debate, with featured guest Yovon Buha providing expert Lakers insight.

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Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. Lakers Surge: Are They True Contenders?

Segment Start: [03:45]

• Lakers’ Recent Wins:
  • The Lakers have beaten the Knicks, Timberwolves (3–0 season sweep), and reigning champion Nuggets in overtime ("their third straight impressive win.")
  • McIntyre highlights skepticism from pundits about the Lakers’ ability to beat top teams:

    “All that talk, Lakers can’t beat the good teams. Well, they’ve beaten three in a row now. So are they contenders?” — Jason McIntyre [04:10]

• Luka Dončić’s Clutch Performance:
  • Luka’s game-winner against Denver—with less than a second left—turns media sentiment, as McIntyre notes “now everybody's back on the Laker bandwagon.”
• LeBron James’ New Role:
  • LeBron has accepted a reduced offensive role:

    “LeBron’s numbers this month are way down… He’s just not the offensive threat he used to be. Now he can still score. We know he makes big plays. He’s the greatest player in basketball history, but he is 41 years old.” — Jason McIntyre [07:58]

  • Insightful contrast is made between LeBron’s downbeat comments in February ("we’re not a championship team") versus his more optimistic post-Nuggets win tone.

Notable Quote:

“LeBron has shifted into full-on role player… Has he got LeBron to buy in?” — Jason McIntyre [08:21]
“I think it feels like we’re coalescing right now in a really nice way.” — Lakers Head Coach J.J. Redick (via postgame audio, paraphrased by Rachel Nichols) [06:14]

• Key Factors in Lakers‘ Turnaround:
  • Austin Reaves’ emergence as a reliable secondary scorer.
  • Coach J.J. Redick’s system leading to better net ratings (especially with Marcus Smart in the starting lineup).
• LeBron’s Intensity:
  • Described vivid moment: LeBron’s “full Superman extension dive” for a loose ball, showing effort and buy-in despite age [08:39].

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2. World Baseball Classic: Bigger Than Ever?

Segment Start: [11:40]

• USA Beats Dominican Republic:
  • U.S. advances to the final after a 2–1 win. Jason marvels at the WBC’s rapid rise in cultural impact.
• Player Perspective:
  • Aaron Judge (postgame):

    “There’s nothing like it. And that’s what you dream of as a kid.” — Aaron Judge [12:21]

  • Mark DeRosa (Manager) on the win:

    “That was high-level baseball at its finest… Just a game we’ll remember forever, right?” — Mark DeRosa, played by Rachel Nichols [13:20]

• Upcoming Final:
  • USA will face Italy or Venezuela, with anticipation at an all-time high.

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3. March Madness: Bracketology & Predictions

Segment Start: [18:47]

• McIntyre’s Final Four:
  • East: Duke (led by Cam Boozer)
  • South: Illinois (“very dangerous… I like European players in March.”)
  • West: Arizona (“They are the best team in the country, folks… cash cow.”)
  • Midwest: Michigan
  • Championship Pick: Arizona over Illinois; Wildcats to “cut down the nets in Indy.”

Notable Moment:

“Thursday, Friday, Saturday, Sunday are four of the best days of the year. So please don’t ask me to drive to school pickup… I need to lock in.” — Jason McIntyre [19:44]

• Breakdown:
  • Emphasis on offense, pro-experience, and depth.
  • Skepticism toward Purdue after their Big Ten tournament exertion.

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4. Expert Lakers Deep Dive — Yovon Buha Interview

Segment Start: [23:09]

• Lakers Locker Room Vibe:

  “The vibes are high right now. They’ve won five in a row… three of them against top 10 teams.” — Yovon Buha [23:09]

• The Marcus Smart Effect:
  • Smart’s promotion to starter has massively improved team net rating.

    “Promoting [Smart] full time to being a starter and the [team] getting healthier… The Luke Kennard addition has been huge.” — Yovon Buha [24:55]

• LeBron’s Buy-In:
  • The shift wasn’t from a single meeting, but organic—each star adapting as teammates returned from injury, with LeBron settling in as the “number three” option [26:13].
• Key Play Breakdown — Austin Reaves’ Missed Free Throw:
  • Redick instructed Reaves to miss to the right, but the ball went left, leading to a crucial play.

    “That might be the most impressive play of the season. It’s got to be up there.” — Yovon Buha [27:39]

• Austin Reaves’ Value:
  • Reaves is beloved and a key piece for the future:

    “He’s maybe the most loved Laker… He’s going to make 30 if not $35M annually… and sign a four or five-year deal.” — Rachel Nichols [28:35]

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5. NBA Playoff Picture, Weaknesses & Drama

Segment Start: [32:11]

• LeBron’s Mindset:
  • Early defeatist attitude (“We’re not a championship team”) contrasts with renewed locker room belief after top wins [32:43].
• West Standings:
  • Lakers in third after their win streak, but face a tough road trip (Houston twice, Detroit, Miami, Orlando).
• Houston Rockets’ Collapse:
  • Sengun’s performance fell off dramatically post-All-Star break, with off-court KD text drama possibly correlating to the slump [35:23].
• Minnesota’s Julius Randle Downturn:
  • After failed trade efforts (for Giannis), Randle’s play has dropped, contrasted with Minnesota’s credibility from recent playoff history.
• Lakers’ Defense & Marcus Smart:
  • Smart’s defense (5 steals, 5 threes vs. Denver) is called out as key to shutting down stars like Anthony Edwards, Brunson, and Murray:

    “He to me has been their fourth best player this season and is their fourth most important player.” — Yovon Buha [38:00]

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6. Rapid-Fire NBA takes

• Steph Curry Return:
  • Expected back soon; Warriors “kind of locked into the play-in” and likely first-round exit against OKC [40:02].
• East Contenders:
  • Rachel picks Celtics, Jason leans Knicks. Both agree Boston looks strong post-Tatum injury [40:27].
• Victor Wembanyama (Wemby) and SGA:
  • MVP discussion; Rachel picks SGA, but both agree Wemby’s team is a potential title threat this year:

    “They have a top five offense… I think they’re ready.” — Rachel Nichols [42:07]

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Notable Quotes & Sharp Exchanges

• Jason McIntyre, on Lakers’ reputation:

  “For all this, oh, they’re not contenders nonsense from some, shall we say, some people that are paid by the league to talk about the league but aren’t nice about the league. Lakers are contenders. There’s 17 games over .500.” [09:38]

• Rachel Nichols, on team chemistry:

  “I think it feels like we’re coalescing right now in a really nice way. Still got a long way to go, but certainly optimistic.” [06:14]

• Yovon Buha, on Marcus Smart’s impact:

  “If the Lakers make any noise in the playoffs… it’s going to be because Marcus Smart is playing a big role.” [38:00]

• Aaron Judge (WBC):

  “There’s nothing like it. That’s what you dream of as a kid.” [12:21]

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Timestamped Highlights

• Lakers hot streak / LeBron’s changing role: [03:45]–[09:38]
• World Baseball Classic hype: [11:40]–[14:00]
• March Madness picks: [18:47]–[22:30]
• Yovon Buha (Lakers analysis): [23:09]–[29:00]
• NBA playoff picture, team chemistry: [32:11]–[36:40]
• NBA defense, Marcus Smart: [37:33]–[39:21]
• Steph Curry return, East picks, SGA/Wemby: [39:29]–[43:28]

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Episode Tone & Energy

• High-energy banter, sharp opinions, insider insights.
• Frequent humor and asides (family stories, bracketology, Cheesecake Factory, kids’ chess drama).
• Dead-serious sports debate contrasted with lighter, relatable moments.

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Conclusion

This episode is a sports fan’s whirlwind tour—from the Lakers’ dramatic turnaround and role evolutions, to the adrenaline surge of March Madness and the World Baseball Classic, to granular NBA playoff projections. Loaded with stats, chemistry talk, and real on-court insight, the conversation serves die-hard fans and casuals alike.

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For next time: Listen for Yovon Buha’s further playoff coverage and McIntyre’s daily bracket breakdowns as March Madness unfolds.

Transcript

[Jason McIntyre]

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[Jason McIntyre]

Good.

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[Jason McIntyre]

This is the Best of the Herd

[Rachel Nichols]

with Colin Cowher on Fox Sports Radio.

[Jason McIntyre]

Happy Monday, everybody. Welcome to the Herd. It's me, Jason McIntyre, in for, yes, vacationing once again, Colin Cowherd. I'm joined by Rachel Nichols and I'm just gonna say right out the gate, holy cow, do we have a monster show. It is an incredible week. You need to match my energy, people. There is so much happening. I just learned of a huge NFL trade. Fine, not huge, but involving my jets and the team I dislike the most, the Kansas City Chiefs. We got March Madness starting Thursday. Rachel Nichols, I know you're fired up. I know your Northwestern Wildcats did not make the tournament, but you still love March Madness. Absolutely.

[Rachel Nichols]

I used to be a silent reporter for March Madness, but cbs, I love that game.

[Jason McIntyre]

I remember March Madness World Baseball Classic. I mean, folks, we are just so blessed to be sports fans. I'm going to start the show by turning back the clock a couple of days to see Saturday night. My family, you know, we had plans. So I couldn't go to the Lakers game, the Lakers Nuggets game. I mean, I'm not embarrassed to say, you know, we went to the Cheesecake Factory. Haven't done that in a decade. Took the kids. It was great. But I had to queue up Lakers Nuggets because it was arguably one of the biggest games of the season. And folks, I don't know, two weeks ago, maybe on this show, other shows out there, people were saying Lakers are Not a championship team. What are you guys talking about? You can't win a title with Luka. Well, here we go. Lakers in overtime stunned the Nuggets for their third straight impressive win. They take down the Knicks, they take down the Timberwolves, and they beat the Nuggets. And oh, by the way, they swept the Timberwolves this season, 3 0. And they're 2 and 1 against the Nuggets. So all that talk, Lakers can't beat the good teams. Well, they've beaten three in a row now. So are they contenders? And I ask this because the consensus seems to be. Ah, Luka, come on, he's overweight. What are we talking about? Look at that game winning shot, folks. With less than a second left over, Spencer Jones, Luka's first game winner with the Lakers. Okay, and now everybody's back on the Laker bandwagon. A lot of people are hopping off, you know, your boy. I went nowhere. Okay, now some things have changed in the last few weeks for the Lakers, but I want to start with the positive. Let's go to J.J. redick after the win. Look at the smile from the Lakers head coach.

[Rachel Nichols]

Is coalesce a word? I think so. Is it the right word for coming together? Yeah, gelling, coalesce.

[Jason McIntyre]

You've read my work. I don't use words like that.

[Rachel Nichols]

Okay, that's. I would. I think it feels like we're coalescing right now in a, in a, in a really nice way. Still got a long way to go. We still got a long way to go, but certainly optimistic with how we've, we've handled this, this stretch of games. And going 8, 9 over this stretch is. It's, it's, it's big time.

[Jason McIntyre]

Big time is one way to put it. That's for sure. I love this Lakers team. I do think they're going to be dangerous. But what has changed? And, and that's the interesting angle here. We know Luke is the man all this. He's not first team, all NBA. Stop, folks. He leads the league in scoring, averaging 32, 8 and 8. He's having a tremendous season. One of the best scorers we've seen in NBA history. Okay? He's unstoppable. Austin Reaves is starting to become the wingman that we thought he could be. And why is all this happening? It's in part due to LeBron James. So if you guys recall, back on February 9th, after the Lakers lost to the Thunder, LeBron was asked, hey, OKC, they won the championship. That's a championship. Team? Are you guys a championship team? Here's what LeBron said on February 9th. You want me to compare us to them?

[Rachel Nichols]

No, I want to know where you

[Jason McIntyre]

think though, that like sort of as this team is on, it's like, that's a championship team right there. We're not. What, so what are the biggest things you think that are keeping this team

[Rachel Nichols]

as this right now? You can't sustain energy and effort 48

[Jason McIntyre]

minutes and they can.

[Rachel Nichols]

That's why they won a championship.

[Jason McIntyre]

So that was dispiriting at the time. And I remembered it because I was like, why is LeBron selling here? What's going on now? His, his buddy Rich Paul had been parroting this a week or so before and it was like, huh, what's going on in Laker land? Well, guess what? The Lakers have adjusted and LeBron's been a big adjustment, if you guys have noticed. It's a small sample size, but LeBron's numbers this month are way down. When it comes to shots and, and three point attempts, his minutes are the same. He's just not the offensive threat he used to be. Now he can still score. We know he makes big plays. He's a smart player. He's the greatest player in basketball history, but he is 41 years old. Okay, now here's where it gets fascinating. Listen to how LeBron's tone has changed from February 9th. This was him after the win over the Nuggets when they were carried by Luca and Austin Reeves. We just want to continue to keep

[Commercial Announcer]

building good habits, continue playing the game the right way.

[Jason McIntyre]

Denver's a championship. You know, ball club.

[Commercial Announcer]

They core with AG and Jamal and Yoke.

[Jason McIntyre]

They won a champion.

[Commercial Announcer]

Christian Braun, they won a championship.

[Jason McIntyre]

So they have that championship DNA. So, you know, that's what we trying to. That's what we're striving for. So before we're not a championship team. Now we're striving for it. It's all changed, folks. I don't know if you've watched closely. I know a lot of you like, ah, Lakers, I'm so sick of them. They're a great show. You got to pay attention. LeBron has shifted into full on role player. Now J.J. redick, we, we admit he's a great coach. Has he got LeBron to buy in? So I mentioned the stats. There was a moment in the fourth quarter of that Nuggets game where LeBron did the full Superman extension dive, okay, For a loose ball. I leapt out of my, my little. We were in like a little cubicle there, Not a cubicle, obviously, but here's the play right there on the screen. LeBron diving for a loose ball. He kind of pulled a groin or whatever. He's old, man. That's what happens. But look at this now. Him and Reddick joked about it afterward. I'm telling you, I kind of laughed about it in the morning meeting. Remember, Luka went to the finals with the Mavs. We've been saying for months, in that Kyrie Irving role can be Austin reaves. That makes LeBron like P.J. washington. Now, don't scoff, okay? Don't scoff. P.J. washington was integral. He. He had one win over the Thunder in that postseason run by himself with the corner threes and defense. LeBron, he seems to have been bought into his new role. He's taking fewer shots, he's playing more defense. Obviously, there are questions. Can you have him on the. On the court in the final minute of a pivotal game as a defender, given he's. He's 41 years old, people want to attack him? I would say fine. I. I trust LeBron when one of the smartest players the league has ever seen. We're talking about a guy who memorizes plays from the opponents and calls them out before they happen. I'm just telling you, Lakers have a massive game tonight in Houston, and they play Houston again Wednesday, okay? Lakers are third in the west for all this, oh, they're not contenders nonsense from some, shall we say, some people that are paid by the league to talk about the league but aren't nice about the league. Lakers are contenders. There's 17 games over.500. Okay? LeBron's bought in. Luka's cooking. I can't wait for Lakers Rockets tonight. All right, let's pivot to the World Baseball Classic. And, guys, I'm watching that game last night against the Dominican Republic, and I do not know when the World Baseball Classic became such a huge deal. I had to look this up. It only started 20 years ago, so it doesn't have the length in the history of the Olympics or the World Cup. Side note. Oh, my gosh. How good is this year for sports? You had the Winter Olympics, usa, Canada, hockey. What a. What a game. Now you've got the World Baseball Classic, another USA team that everybody's enjoying the thrill ride. And then we got the World cup this summer here on American turf. This is going to be maybe one of the sports years of the century, folks, when you line all that stuff up and the growth of the World Baseball classic. So the USA wins 2 to 1 to advance to the final. They will play the winner of Italy Venezuela tonight. Now obviously everybody loves the vibes and the energy. It just jumps off the screen. Look at that play. Just gutting him out at at third. Just phenomenal stuff. Okay, this is what Aaron Judge said last night after the win and I will admit I was gobsmacked by this comment figure out better than this series. It's just like I said, the fashion that these fans have represent our country, representing some of their favorite players.

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There's nothing like it.

[Jason McIntyre]

And that's what you dream of as a kid.

[Rachel Nichols]

I was Ben my backyard playing wiffle ball.

[Jason McIntyre]

This is the moments of dream of

[Rachel Nichols]

big spots, big situations

[Jason McIntyre]

and it just, it gives me chills right now thinking

[Rachel Nichols]

about how special that was.

[Jason McIntyre]

All right, listen, you guys know I love hot take. Happy hour. Come on. Is that a little bit much bigger than the World Series. Now some jokers in our morning meeting this morning to peel back the curtain just a little bit. We're like, well Aaron Judge is never going to win a World Series. So he's saying this. Oh he's 34 years old. Lakers, not the Lakers. Yankees are going to be there for sure in the postseason and in the mix I don't know if they'll pull off a World Series but for him to say that about the World Baseball Classic, that says a lot. And obviously Wednesdays final is going to be enormous regardless of who we play. Obviously Italy is on quite a run. But here's Mark DeRosa after last night's win talking about the thrilling, thrilling victory.

[Rachel Nichols]

That was high level baseball at its finest. I mean for our bullpen to come in and do the job they did. Dominican never stopped. It was like constant traffic, never relaxed. Just, just a game we'll remember forever, right?

[Jason McIntyre]

Boy, that was unforgettable. Now I, I will admit there, you know, you look in the archives and see who played in previous years in the World Baseball Classic and obviously the talent this year is off the charts. And I did see that when Benyama played in the All Star Game and was talking about it back in the end February. He wants to compete and you saw it raise the level of everyone else. And I just wonder if so many good players are in it in the World Baseball Classic now that everybody's stoked for it. And obviously the final is the semifinal is tonight and the final is tomorrow night. The USA will play the winner of Italy, Venezuela. It'll be thrilling. It's on Fox tomorrow. Tonight's game is on FS1. I don't know about you guys, I'm extremely fired up for it. And the USA chants will be ringing loudly on Tuesday night. Coming up next here on the Herd NCAA Tournament. We'll do our bracket picks later in the show, but I have an interesting comparison for a certain Mr. Boozer on Duke. You're probably not going to like it. He doesn't have the sizzle and the flash of Cooper Flag and Zion Williamson, but there's a certain MVP who he reminds me of. That's next. Be sure to catch live editions of the Herd, weekdays at noon Eastern, 9am Pacific, on Fox Sports Radio, FS1 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 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.

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[Jason McIntyre]

Pay the Apple way.

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well, in sports and in life, timing is just about everything. You can have all the right talent right mindset, even have the right team. But if you don't act at the right moment, opportunity slips away. True on the field. And it's true when it comes to your health. Two words for you right now. Prostate exam. I did mine a year ago. Yeah, are you imagining that finger right now? Relax. Prostate cancer screening starts with a simple finger free blood test. Around one in eight men in the US going to be diagnosed with prostate cancer in their lifetime. But that's no reason to re clench when caught early. At localized or even regional stage, prostate cancer has a 99% five year relative survival rate. So did your tight end. Just relax.

[Jason McIntyre]

Good.

[Commercial Announcer]

If you're 40 or older, have a prostate, go to relaxit's a blood test.com, relaxitabloodtest.com to find out if a PSA blood test is right for you. The PSA blood test can be the first step in screening, so talk to your doctor to evaluate your risk, determine when to get tested, and discuss screening options and the next steps. It's easy. Oh, I'm loving this. I've always had eye issues. Struggling to see up close? Make it visible with viz. VIZ is the once daily prescription eye drop to treat blurry near vision for for up to 10 hours. The most common side effects that may

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[Jason McIntyre]

welcome back. Our number two here on the Herd on a Monday. Lots of sports happening. Try to maintain yourselves folks. It's very difficult. We got exciting baseball in March. We've got March Madness. We've got the hot Lakers playing the Rockets tonight. My guy Yovon Buha here in the studio here in about, I don't know, six minutes after I prattle on about my final four picks, joined by Rachel Nichols. Rachel, how was the weekend, by the way? Didn't get to ask you that at the outset. I was so nervous. You know the Monday is a busy show we had so much going on in this show. But yeah, I was actually in Vail this weekend. Yeah, it was lovely. What a baller. How sails. Was there snow or. No, not a lot of snow. Not a lot of snow. Just vacationing, huh? Friends, Friends. Birthday O. That's a nice birthday. I was schlepping my son to a chess tournament. Oh, he had a brutal loss in the championship. Wait, could you watch it? First of all, both of our, our

[Rachel Nichols]

kids are all on chess teams, which is hilarious.

[Jason McIntyre]

Chess is really smart and they don't let the parents in on my kids tournaments. And I'm one of those weirdo parents, like taking photos and like trying to engage and you're a weirdo parent. I'm shocked. Very shocking. Shock. Unbelievable. All right, let. Let me quickly get to the Final Four, you guys. I, I love March Madness. Very exciting. Basically my life takes a hiatus. I already told the wife, listen, I'm not really available this weekend. Thursday, Friday, Saturday, Sunday are four of the best days of the year. So please don't ask me to drive to school, pick up. I'm not making dinner. I'm fine ordering pizza every meal. Okay. Okay. I need to lock in. So I'm starting to fill out the brackets and I've got my Final Four. We're just going to go with the Final Four to start and then we'll break down the semifinals and finals. So my Final Four teams not going to shock anybody, but I'm going with Kam, Boozer and Duke. I've got them in the Final Four coming out of the East. Mild surprise. Illinois coming out of the South. The south is the toughest region if we're being honest. Okay. Florida is the one seed there. I like them, don't love them. The problem is they just got smoked by Vandy by over 20 this past weekend. Vandy also in that region. Houston, very dangerous. I'm going with Illinois because I like offense. I like. Gosh, I hate saying this. I like European players in March. Arizona has many. These guys are smart, savvy, they played professionally. I'm just telling this Illinois team, very dangerous. Obviously in the Big Ten tournament they had a bad loss. But overall I think Illinois gets to the Final Four. Coming out of the West, I've got Arizona. They are the best team in the country, folks. Listen, I watched a lot of Arizona this season. Bet on them. They are cash cow. They've got five guys who are going to be drafted. Four probably in the first round. And the guy who may not go first round was the conference player of the year who hit the game winner over the weekend against Iowa State in a tremendous game. And then my final team in the final four, Michigan. No huge surprise. I'm not going to read too much into that loss to Purdue on Sunday. So those are the final four. In the semifinals. I've got Arizona advancing again. Co opied buries. This kid buries. Keep an eye on him. They're calling him baby sga. Yes, that's a thing. And I've got Illinois beating Duke in the other. That's not going to be popular at all. Illinois doesn't play defense. Duke I don't think has enough offense. So I've got Arizona, Illinois in the championship. And I got the Wildcats cutting down the nets in India. I know a lot of people are like, wait, what about Purdue? Can they get to Indianapolis? I think they shot their wad in the Big Ten tournament. By the way, last time Purdue won the Big Ten tournament, lost in the first round. Okay. As a one to a 16. So I like Arizona. I'm just telling you, man, they got dudes. I think four guys get drafted in the first round. Just a great team, fun to watch. They only lost two games all season. Co op right there. You see, he missed one of them. So Arizona is my pick. We'll get into some, some bets and individual games in the next couple of days. But yeah, those are my final four picks. All right, let's bring on our guest. He covers the NBA and the Lakers. He is on cloud nine right now because he's got a contender on his hands. Yovan Buha, who was in the building for Lakers Nuggets. I know. It was a thriller I was watching on my phone from the Cheesecake Factory. Hey, you gotta do family stuff, as you know. What was the mood like in the locker room after the game?

[Rachel Nichols]

That was an incredible win. The win of the season, I think, for the Lakers. And I mean, the vibes are high right now. They've won five in a row. Eight of nine and five. You know, among those five wins, three of them have been against top 10 teams in the NBA with New York and Minnesota and Denver. So the vibes are high in there.

[Jason McIntyre]

Yeah. Now, Jovan, you'll remember he has, you know, buhas block. He does a YouTube show and he was the one who came on the show in the summer and was like, hey, Jake Laravia is a good signing. And everybody. What is this guy talking about? Listen, man, the bench for the Lakers has looked better recently. It's like Luke Kennard is showing up. Laravia it almost feels like Redick is pushing all the right buttons, I think

[Rachel Nichols]

so I just tweeted this out. But with the starting group, they're a plus 7 net rating coming out of the All Star break with the Big three. This was the big one because when I was on a month ago, we talked about three keys for me coming out of the All Star break for LA were to get healthy, which they've been trending in the right direction. I wanted them to optimize the Big three, which coming into the All Star break, they had a minus 10 net rating with the big three coming out of the all star break now plus 12.6 net rating with those three. So it's flipped entirely where they're dominating people with those three on the floor and then plus seven net rating with the starters. And then I also want to see some statement wins. They just beat the Knicks, they just beat the Timberwolves, they beat the Nuggets and ot like they're playing their best basketball this season at the right time. So I think that they're ascending when they need to.

[Jason McIntyre]

So Rachel and I were talking this morning about this whole like, you know, end game situation. It's like the Big three weren't playing great together, especially defensively. All of a sudden the numbers flip. What, what do you think has changed? Are other teams not playing as hard? Are the Lakers just playing harder? What's what. Why the change?

[Rachel Nichols]

I think that the starting group has been optimized with Marcus Smart in there. If you look at all the lineup data, Marcus Smart has led this group in plus minus net rating all season and I think promoting him full time to being a starter and the Lakers getting healthier at the right time. I think the Luke Kennard edition has been huge with his off ball shooting and gravity and just the way that teams have to guard him. He's also been a nice playmaker for them. One term that JJ likes to use is called the blunder. When like you, you penetrate and then you get the defense scrambling and rotating like Luke Canard's really good at triggering that. But I, I think like Luka has been playing at in an MVP level. Austin Reaves the last few games. He has three straight games, 30 plus, four straight with 20 plus. First time he's done that since that end of November, early December stretch. So we're talking about multiple months ago. LeBron came back and is really bought into being, I think more of the third option right now. Then again, you got a bunch of role players playing well so you, you Put that all together and they've won eight or nine.

[Jason McIntyre]

So do we know. And again, this is tough with the LeBron situation. Do we know why all of a sudden he bought in? Was there a meeting, was there a film session that just, it kind of spooked LeBron. He's like, you know, I got to roll into the PJ Washington spot now from, from Lucas Mav's days. Like be a role player.

[Rachel Nichols]

Yeah, I, I don't think so. I, I think it's been more so we've seen like when LeBron first came back, I think people forget like he took a step back offensively and it was more Luka and Austin because those have been the two guys. Like LeBron came back during. They had a seven game win streak early in the season. They started the season 15 and 4 and LeBron came back during that win streak. So I feel like there's been a lot of a narrative out there that they like Never won with LeBron this season or like he kind of made the team worse. And some of the lineup data earlier in the season was definitely negative what we'll say. But like he came into that win streak and he adapted and he took a step back. Then Austin Reaves got injured and if you look at the usage when Austin Reaves came back, he was more the number three guy because LeBron then found his footing and LeBron was playing his best basketball of the season when Austin was out. So I think it's been more so when one of the big three or, you know, more specifically LeBron or Austin is out, the other one assumes more usage, scores more, has a bigger role then the, the new guy coming back is sort of like, all right, I'm going to assimilate, I'm going to kind of find my, my role. So with LeBron going out here for a few games, I, I think that jump started Austin and now you're seeing him playing his best basketball in months and now LeBron's come back in as the number three.

[Jason McIntyre]

So you're, you know, I've been to games and seen you courtside, obviously covering the team. Talk me about through the Reaves missed free throw. Did J.J. redick signal? Is this something I worked on in practice? Because it just lined up perfect. I mean that was one of the great plays of the season.

[Rachel Nichols]

Yeah, I mean one of the, one of the plays of the season. So what's funny is JJ had said he told Austin to miss to the right because they were trying to anticipate where the second nugget was going to be in terms of rebounding. So they were telling him to miss to the right because they thought that was going to be the single side to go, then corral the offensive rebound, but that it ended up going to the left because that's where there was only one nugget. I think the underrated part of that play is look at deandre Ayton, Seal, Nikola Jokic and, and just that allows Austin to get that shot up, you know, barely deterred. But I mean that, that might be the most impressive play of the season. It's got to be up there and

[Jason McIntyre]

then you see Austin, I love you to the basket. I mean, listen, Austin Reaves is I, I don't know if I read it from you or somewhere else, but he is such a, like everybody loves him. He's maybe the most loved Laker because they drafted him. You know, there's, I, I just don't see them parting with him. It just keeps up. Right.

[Rachel Nichols]

I don't see it either. I think it's just a matter of like how much money he's going to make and, and that will ultimately be determined by the rest of the season and how the playoffs go. But he's going to make 30 if not 35 plus million annually and I think sign a four or five year deal with the Lakers this summer.

[Jason McIntyre]

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

[Commercial Announcer]

All right, two truths and a lie. Here we go. I went to college with college football coach Jim McElwain. I began my broadcasting career doing play by play for the Las Vegas Stars. And I've been a Verizon customer for 15 years. Okay, I lied. All three are true. A Verizon isn't as expensive as you think. In fact, if you bring in your ATT or T Mobile bill to a Verizon store, they'll give you a better deal. That's right, a better deal on the best network with the most ways to save on plans, streaming and phone deals. So take that AT and T or T Mobile bill to your local Verizon store today. Get a better deal, then start saving based on root metrics. Best overall Mobile Network Performance U.S. 2nd Half 2025 All Rights Reserve must provide recent consumer mobile bill in the name of the person redeeming the deal. Additional terms, conditions and restrictions apply. Security usually means extra steps and complications. But with Apple Pay, secure payments are simple. Your transactions are authenticated with face id, touch ID or passcode, so security is built in when you check out. Plus, your name isn't shared with merchants and they don't see your actual card number. Whether you're shopping in store, online or

[Rachel Nichols]

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[Jason McIntyre]

Good.

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[Rachel Nichols]

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[Jason McIntyre]

so I don't know if we could play the audio, but on February 9, LeBron was asked about OKC beat you and LeBron's like, yeah, they're a championship team. We're not. And it sound like, his tune changed a little bit after the Nuggets win. Do you think that LeBron, I mean, he's being serious? He's not really smiling during the interviews. I don't know. Do you think he's enjoying this? If that. Maybe that's a weird question, but he doesn't seem like, oh, my gosh. Yeah, we do have the sound. All right, here. Here it is. Here. Here's the audio. You want me to compare us to them?

[Rachel Nichols]

No, I want to know where you

[Jason McIntyre]

think, though, that, like, sort of this team is on. It's like, that's a championship team right there. We're not. So what are the biggest things you think that are keeping this team as this right now can't sustain energy and effort? 48 minutes, and they can.

[Rachel Nichols]

That's why they won a championship.

[Jason McIntyre]

So it sounds like he was defeated almost at that point. And then if you fast forward to this past weekend, it's like, wait a minute, we just beat the Knicks. We swept the Wolves this season, and now we've taken two out of three from Denver. I know Jokic didn't play in one of them, but are they a championship team? Like, do you think LeBron is, quote, unquote happy, or is he thinking, what's going to happen this summer? Do they want me back? Where do I go? You know, that uncertainty. Nobody likes that.

[Rachel Nichols]

Yeah. I'm not going to pretend to know what LeBron's thinking on this, but I can say that I feel like the belief in this group has increased with this recent stretch. And, I mean, to that point, like, I came on here a month ago and talked about it like, they had not been beating the best teams in the NBA entering this past weekend. When, you know, about a week or so ago, when they first beat New York, they were 412 against teams with a.600 win percentage or better, which functionally is like the top 10 teams in the NBA. They had lost 12 of 13 games against those teams, and 10 of those 12 losses had been by double figures. So basically, every time the Lakers had played a top 10 team, they were getting blown out. So while the record was still impressive, and they were beating up on under.500 teams, the last kind of thing, if you wanted to nitpick, their sort of standing was like, they just can't beat. I mean, think about, like, Christmas Day against Houston getting blown out by OKC San Antonio. Like, they had all these blowout losses. Even recently, a few weeks ago, they. Boston, right? They lost by 20 plus to Boston. So it was like they had yet to pass that. That was like the final test that they needed to show. We could beat a New York, we could be to Minnesota, we could beat a Denver at full strength, you know, with Jokic back. And they've done that now. So I think that just the general optimism with this group has obviously been trending upward over the past week or so. Now they have a huge road trip coming up. Play Houston twice, play Detroit. Miami and Orlando are both rolling right now. Those have been two of the hottest teams in the East. So, like this is a tough six game road trip and this will show us, I think, kind of where they're ultimately at in the West.

[Jason McIntyre]

Let me drill down. Since you mentioned the Rockets. They play the Rockets tonight in Houston, then Wednesday they are, I think, I think the Rockets won the first meeting. Yes, yes. So the Lakers need these two for any tiebreakers. I do need to ask about the Rockets. So Shen Goon, unclear if he's going to play what's going on, but he has cratered since the All Star break. And you remember what happened at the all star break. KD's text.

[Rachel Nichols]

Yes.

[Jason McIntyre]

A, do you think there's any correlation there? B, what the hell's going on with the Rockets?

[Rachel Nichols]

I don't know what's going on with the Rockets. They have been like, they to me are now the sixth best team in the West. Right. And probably going to lose in round one and we'll see how competitive that even is. Like, I wouldn't, I mean, if you told me they got like swept or lost in five in round one, I wouldn't be that surprised at this point. But yeah, I mean, I think there's got to be like a little bit of a correlation of, you know, if it comes out that you're texting about Rachel, like, I don't think she's going to love that. Right. From some burner. So, you know, it's just, I think there's like a human element to it. Right. So I would like they, I mean, I think they were trending down a little bit before then. So, you know, there could be some causation versus correlation within some of this. But for sure, I don't think if your teammate is, you know, comes out there, have a burner behind your back and saying some of the things he said about his teammates, like, yeah, that's gotta be tough.

[Jason McIntyre]

It's not just the Rockets. Have you noticed Julius Randle's play has declined significantly for the Wolves and they all of a sudden like they went to the conference Finals twice in a row. Chris Finch comes on the show. I love talking to that guy. He is awesome. But they tried to trade Randle for Giannis. It's very well known and Randle's numbers have sagged. Do you think there's a correlation there as well?

[Rachel Nichols]

There could be. Could be something.

[Jason McIntyre]

He killed the Lakers in the series.

[Rachel Nichols]

I mean, I think Minnesota deserves, like, difference for me between Minnesota and Houston is Minnesota has proof of concept of they've made back to back Western Conference finals. So I think that, like, I trust them more than I trust Houston. Houston's unproven, right? Like this group, they lost in seven last year to the Warriors. They've yet to win a playoff series. They've yet to play in a playoff series with kd. So we just don't really know what we're getting from Houston in mid to late April. With Minnesota, there's an element of like, they can be a little Jekyll and Hyde and like, their highs are very high, their lows are very low. And then I think come playoff time, they become a serious basketball team. So I, I think they'll be a tough first round out if they don't make the second round. But yeah, I mean, Julius Randall's got to be better, right? Like, I mean, last year he was probably a top 20 player, I would say, based on like, his play, especially toward the end of the season.

[Jason McIntyre]

He's not been that this season to go back. Just because you said Anthony Edwards. I remember. So the Lakers played such good D on Ant. He struggled. And then Jamal Murray. Saturday was like one of 13.

[Rachel Nichols]

Yeah. And Jaylen Brunson. Jaylen Brunson, they shut him down too.

[Jason McIntyre]

So now I, I'm asking because I don't know. So the last time you were on, you were like, well, Marcus Smart's been amazing. And in my head I'm like, bro, come on. Marcus Smart's not been that good. He's. He's unreliable. Is Marcus Smart the reason all three of those guys struggled?

[Rachel Nichols]

Is he Big, big part of it. Like, the Lakers defense has been trending up. So most of the season they've been a bottom 10 defense. And that's been the Achilles heel for this group is just, they don't have a. Like, if you compare their best defenders to basically any other top west team's best defenders, there's a pretty clear gap there. So, like, they don't have an Amen Thompson, they don't have an Aaron Gordon, they don't have a Wemby, like the, you know, OKC's whole team is like an all defense team. Like they're just loaded. So the Lakers, it's been more of a team defense than an individual defense. But I give Marcus Smart a lot of credit where he had five steals in that game against Denver and he made five threes on the other end. So like he to me has been their fourth best player this season and is their fourth most important player. And if the Lakers make any noise in the playoffs, if they win a round or even a couple, it's going to be because Marcus Smart is playing a big role. But yeah, his defense, he's always guarding like one through three the best defender. Lakers do switch a lot. They've been playing some more zone. So he's not like possession to possession. He might be switched off. But like, I mean he had some nice possessions against Jokic and I think in general the Lakers physicality, like I give Austin Reaves a lot of credit. He's been a guy that teams will target or try to attack with like a big man. Like he was switching onto Jokic and tipping the ball loose and generating steals. So like the Lakers overall physicality I think is ramped up.

[Jason McIntyre]

Pelinka, good signing by him. Okay, couple more. Steph Curry's my favorite player in the league. He's talking about coming back. What are you hearing anything?

[Rachel Nichols]

I think he's gonna be back. I mean they have, they have nothing to not play for, right. So I mean there's the whole like pick and what happens with that. But they're trying to win and I don't think they're going to do much like they'll probably be if they make the playoffs. They probably be the eighth seed and losing round one to OKC in four or five. But they're kind of locked into the play in. If you look at the standings, the furthest they could drop is 10th. So if you're already going to be in the play in like this is assuming he's actually cleared to return.

[Commercial Announcer]

Right.

[Rachel Nichols]

And I think if he can return, he will return. I think it's going to come down to just is he physically capable of not some shenanigans of like them trying to hold him out because like they want it. Like the warriors want to go out with pride. So I think if he plays, they have a shot, I think to be the eighth seed and then from there you'll probably lose to okc.

[Jason McIntyre]

I hope he's on a real team next year. Okay, so Rachel's rolling with the Celtics as her favorites. I Like the Knicks in the east. Who you got?

[Rachel Nichols]

So I'm of both minds. I'll give you an answer.

[Jason McIntyre]

Gotta pick one.

[Rachel Nichols]

Going into the season, I've been a Knicks guy.

[Jason McIntyre]

Yes.

[Rachel Nichols]

So my preseason prediction was okc, New York. And I'm off that now. I'm on, I'm on Boston. I think Boston's getting back because Tatum's look pretty. Damn, Tatum's looked pretty good.

[Jason McIntyre]

I just, I go back to that series last year. So the Knicks were up on them when. Before Tatum got hurt. They're, they're kind of a good matchup. They, OG and Bridges are as good as you can do on the wings against Brown and Tatum.

[Rachel Nichols]

They are.

[Jason McIntyre]

I don't know about the other spots.

[Rachel Nichols]

Like, I don't think Kat's been the same player as last season.

[Jason McIntyre]

Another guy. I like their depth.

[Rachel Nichols]

I like their, I mean I think that top four in the east, like if you told me any of those four. Detroit, Boston, New York, Cleveland, I think those are going to be the four teams that advance to the second round. And then it's really going to come down to matchups, momentum, injuries, all that stuff. But I, I think right now, Boston, they're, I mean they've been so good without Tatum and he's been like, he's been a seamless fit. And if you look at like his per possession and per 36 numbers, he's basically back to last season minus the efficiency. Like the field goal percentage, 3 point percentage has not returned yet. But I think that is just a matter of time. So, yeah, I mean they've been the second best team in the east this season. And then you add in your best player back.

[Jason McIntyre]

Like I don't know how he's going to hold up against the playoff riggers. You know, it's a lot tougher game and I date him personally. All right, final question. Wembanyama. Is he your mvp? I know everybody wants sga. You go on sga.

[Rachel Nichols]

Sga. All right.

[Jason McIntyre]

Can we Yama at least win the title this year?

[Rachel Nichols]

Yes. And I've been arriving at this point recently where I, I think you can make a case. I mean right now they are arguably the second best team in the league, but like I think there's a real case for that in the playoffs. I'm just this team's, I mean, just amazing. And you look at like what, what in some, several of those games against OKC where they've gone 4 and 1. WEMBY didn't even play 30 minutes in those games. And they're beating OKC. So like, I think there's, I mean, they got to get to the conference finals first, but if they can get to the conference finals, I think they're a really tough matchup for OKC and one of maybe only two teams in the west that can beat okc. So I, yeah, I mean, typically we do. If you look at some of the recent champions, right, Like Boston had several runs to the conference finals before they finally broke through okc. There was the ascension of first round exit, second round, exit, championship. Go back to like last decade with the Warriors. It was second round, first round. Then they broke through, won the title. So typically teams like this need a year or two of getting your playoff experience under your belt. That would be my one thing with them. But I think they're, they're ready. Like they've beaten, they've won like basically every big matchup they've had. They've beaten everybody this season. They've been dominant on both ends of the floor. They have a top five offense like

[Jason McIntyre]

for the Spurs, Lakers, where Lakers sat everybody and Wemby had like 25 in

[Rachel Nichols]

the first quarter there.

[Jason McIntyre]

I was like, oh my gosh, it's crazy. All right. Yovon Buha, obviously great stuff. Check out his Buhas Block podcast. Great stuff as always, buddy. Thanks a lot.

[Rachel Nichols]

Think Verizon is expensive?

[Jason McIntyre]

Think again. Anyone can bring their AT&T or T

[Commercial Announcer]

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[Jason McIntyre]

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[Jason McIntyre]

store today and we'll give you a better deal on the best network based on RootMetric's best overall mobile network performance. US Second Half 2025 all right. Must provide a very recent postpaid consumer

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mobile bill in the name of the

[Jason McIntyre]

person redeeming the deal. Additional terms, conditions and restrictions apply whether

[Commercial Announcer]

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[Jason McIntyre]

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[Jason McIntyre]

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[Jason McIntyre]

This is Julian Edelman from Games With Names. I want to take a second to

[Rachel Nichols]

talk about something that's personal to me.

[Jason McIntyre]

I've had the privilege of working closely

[Rachel Nichols]

with Robert Kraft for a long time, and one thing I've always respected is

[Jason McIntyre]

how seriously he takes up standing up to hate. As a Jewish athlete, my identity is something I am proud of. But I also know what it feels

[Rachel Nichols]

like to be singled out for it. That's why this new commercial for the

[Jason McIntyre]

Blue Square Alliance Against Hate that aired during the big Game really hit home.

[Rachel Nichols]

It's about showing up for someone when they're targeted, even if you don't have the perfect words.

[Jason McIntyre]

And sometimes standing next to someone is enough.

[Rachel Nichols]

And you can show support by sharing

[Jason McIntyre]

the Blue Square this is an iHeart podcast. Guaranteed Human.