Best of the Week on The Herd

Summary

The Herd with Colin Cowherd: Best of the Week Summary

Release Date: June 7, 2025
Host/Authors: Jason McIntyre, Alex Curry, Rick Bucher, Mitch Lawrence
Produced by: iHeartPodcasts and The Volume

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1. Introduction and Hosts

The episode kicks off with co-hosts Jason McIntyre and Alex Curry engaging in light-hearted banter about Colin Cowherd's absence due to vacationing, highlighting the dynamic chemistry among the hosts. (02:53 - 03:19)

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2. NBA: Top Five Players Without a Championship Ring

Jason McIntyre presents his curated list of the top five NBA players who have yet to secure a championship title. This segment delves into player performances, contributions to their teams, and the potential reasons behind their lack of a ring.

• Number 5: Jalen Brunson
  “He is a phenomenal talent. He has emerged as one of the best point guards in the league.”
  (04:41)
  Jason emphasizes Brunson's scoring ability despite criticisms of his defensive play, asserting his place ahead of Halliburton.

• Number 4: Jimmy Butler
  “Jimmy Butler as an alpha led the Miami Heat to the championship 20 twice.”
  (05:30)
  Butler's resilience and leadership are lauded, with Jason recounting his inspiring journey from adversity to NBA stardom.

• Number 3: Shai Gilgeous-Alexander (SGA)
  “SGA does everything well. I'm the master of the mid-range right now.”
  (06:26)
  SGA's versatile play and offensive prowess are highlighted, positioning him as a strong contender for an MVP title.

• Number 2: Anthony Edwards
  “Anthony Edwards is phenomenal. All this future faith of the league stuff, it's legit.”
  (07:10)
  Edwards' young talent and offensive skills are praised, despite occasional on-court distractions.

• Number 1: Luka Doncic
  “Luka makes everyone around him better. He leads in the Jokic Giannis class.”
  (08:15)
  Luka's exceptional ability to elevate his teammates and his comprehensive skill set earn him the top spot on the list.

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3. Knicks Fire Coach Tom Thibodeau

In a surprising turn of events, the New York Knicks have dismissed Coach Tom Thibodeau despite leading the team to their best season in over two decades.

• Background:
  Thibodeau secured a four playoff appearances in five seasons, outperforming expectations and setting records rarely seen in Knicks history. (12:18)

• Reasons for Firing:
  Jason discusses internal conflicts, particularly between players like Josh Hart and Thibodeau, concerning bench rotations and player minutes. Excerpts include: “They had the best starting unit in 45 years, but Tibbs does not trust his bench.”
  (05:30)

• Owner James Dolan’s Involvement:
  Rumors suggest Dolan's presence in exit interviews may have influenced the decision, though the exact reasons remain unclear. (04:13)

• Potential Impact on Team Dynamics:
  Concerns are raised about the future of key players like Karl Anthony Towns and Mikhail Bridges, and the overall direction of the team. (05:30 - 08:15)

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4. Guest Insight: Mitch Lawrence on Knicks' Management

NBA writer and SiriusXM host Mitch Lawrence provides an in-depth analysis of the Knicks' front office dynamics and the precarious environment that led to Thibodeau's dismissal.

• Front Office Turmoil:
  “The Garden front office is full of vipers. These are guys who have their own agendas.”
  (29:05)
  Lawrence describes the Knicks' management as secretive and self-serving, contributing to instability.

• Coaching Pressure:
  The next head coach will not only handle coaching duties but also represent the franchise publicly, adding immense pressure. (31:11)

• Possible Successors:
  Lawrence discusses potential candidates like Michael Malone and Johnny Bryant, weighing their suitability based on past performances and familiarity with the Knicks' organization. (34:24 - 37:43)

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5. Kevin Durant’s Career and Potential Trades

A significant portion of the episode addresses the uncertainty surrounding Kevin Durant's future in the NBA, analyzing his performance, age, and market value.

• Career Highlights vs. Recent Decline:
  “Kevin Durant is one of the 15 greatest players in the history of basketball.”
  (17:00)
  Jason acknowledges Durant’s illustrious career but points out his recent playoff struggles and diminishing market appeal.

• Trade Speculations:
  Various scenarios are explored, including potential trades to teams like the San Antonio Spurs, Washington Wizards, or even the Detroit Pistons, though practicality and team needs limit these options. (18:53 - 20:17)

• Market Challenges:
  Durant's $54 million contract and his performance metrics make teams hesitant, with younger talents offering comparable scoring potential at a lower cost.
  “I think we're getting close to Kevin Durant not really getting the interest that he thought he would.”
  (19:40)

• Future Outlook:
  Discussions focus on whether Durant will adapt his role to become a leader on a younger team or face a decline similar to past NBA legends nearing retirement.

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6. Upcoming Segment Tease

The hosts tease an upcoming discussion about an NFL star contemplating retirement, promising insights into another high-profile sports narrative. (22:18)

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7. Conclusion and Final Thoughts

The episode wraps up with reflections on the Knicks' future and the broader implications of coaching changes in high-pressure environments. Mitch Lawrence’s optimism about coaches like Michael Malone is balanced against the uncertainty faced by the Knicks. (39:11 - 39:24)

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Notable Quotes

• Jason McIntyre on Jalen Brunson:
  “Brunson's slightly better than Halliburton.”
  (04:20)

• Jason on Jimmy Butler's Journey:
  “Jimmy Butler coming out of like living on. He was couch surfing.”
  (05:30)

• Mitch Lawrence on Knicks' Front Office:
  “The Garden front office is full of vipers.”
  (29:05)

• Jason on Kevin Durant's Market Value:
  “We're getting close to Kevin Durant not really getting the interest that he thought he would.”
  (19:40)

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Conclusion

This episode of "The Herd with Colin Cowherd" offers a comprehensive analysis of current NBA dynamics, focusing on standout players without championships, the unexpected firing of Knicks' Coach Tom Thibodeau, and the uncertain future of Kevin Durant. Expert insights from Mitch Lawrence provide depth to the discussion on the Knicks' internal struggles, while the hosts maintain an engaging and conversational tone throughout. Whether you're a die-hard sports fan or seeking to catch up on the latest NBA developments, this summary encapsulates the key discussions and takeaways from the episode.

Transcript

[Jason McIntyre]

This is an iHeart podcast.

[Colin Cowherd]

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[Jason McIntyre]

Now let's get this party started.

[Alex Curry]

You're listening to Fox Sports Radio.

[Jason McIntyre]

Here we are, our number two here on the herd. Colin Cowherd. Still vacationing? Yes, he is enjoying another sojourn around the globe. So you have to settle for me. Jason McIntyre joined by Alex Currie. Alex. I don't know how both colorful.

[Rick Bucher]

I love it. On Mondays, we wear pink.

[Jason McIntyre]

I think I look good in pink.

[Rick Bucher]

I didn't know until we sat down. I was like a great minds back.

[Jason McIntyre]

In my prime, in my 20s. Just kidding. I'm still in my prime. I would rock like a pink shirt to go out. I love pink.

[Rick Bucher]

I love pink. On men especially. You're a girl, dad. So it's like, it's even cooler.

[Jason McIntyre]

Pink shirts are money, guys. Coming up in a few minutes. Rick Bucher. Never miss it when Rick joins me because we always sp bar over stuff and I'm sure he's going to love the list that I just came up with. We'll talk about it right now. So obviously, SGA and the Thunder going to the finals against Halliburton and the Pacers, and we saw that over the weekend. LeBron did a podcast with Luka Doncic along with Steve Nash, and they were talking about Luca's style. And I said, why don't we do a list the top five players in the NBA without a ring? And it. Here's what LeBron and Luka talked about that got me to that point. Here we go.

[Unnamed Analyst]

Obviously, we've seen throughout his career, like, there's plays and passes that certain guys that in. In the league history.

[Alex Curry]

Yeah.

[Unnamed Analyst]

Have ever been able to make. I mean, it's always his pace. Yeah, it's always been his pace. And he's never, ever been on the floor where he's allowed someone to dictate where they're going to put him on the floor. It's always been the opposite, you know, and for us, we all working off of that. We just got to stay ready.

[Jason McIntyre]

You know what this is leading up to, right, people? I'm a Luca guy. And this is not just Johnny come lately. This is not since he got to the Lakers. But I'm a huge Luca fan, so I thought I'd rank going from five to one the five best players in the NBA without a ring. Now, this caused some drama in the morning meeting. And I, out of the corner of my eye, I can see Rick Bucher just like, oh, my gosh. So let's start with number five, fifth best player right now in the NBA without a ring. And that's got to be my guy. Jalen Brunson. He is a phenomenal talent. He has emerged as one of the best point guards in the league. He's a, you know, sub six three point guard, which some people think you can't win with and Brunson. All he does is deliver buckets. Now why they didn't get by the Pacers? I don't think it's fully on Brunson. Obviously his defense was not up to snuff. But the fifth spot came down to me for Brunson or Halliburton. And I'm sorry, I think Brunson's slightly better than Halliburton. So I go Brunson at number five. The fourth best player in the NBA without a ring. Here we go. A little bit of a curveball. Jimmy Butler now. Somebody tried to tell me in the morning meeting. Oh, my God. J. Mack, Joel Embiid. It's so much better than Jimmy Butler. And I almost like vomited in my mouth. Come on, guys. Jimmy Butler as an alpha led the Miami Heat to the championship 20 twice. Okay, that's a superstar now. I know he's getting up there in age and he's not what he was three years ago, but he is still a phenomenal talent. I love the Jimmy Butler story. Back to my radio days. Like Jimmy Butler coming out of like living on. He was couch surfing. Okay. Had to like fax in his resume to get into college at Marquette. Like this guy was in a rough spot and he has just become a star in the NBA. I love everything about Jimmy Butler. I don't know if he'll get a title, but I am his fourth best player in the league without a ring.

[Colin Cowherd]

Number three.

[Jason McIntyre]

Let's go to the mvp, Shai Gilgis Alexander. I have a feeling Rick's going to have him at once. I think SGA is a really good player, obviously. Great season. He's on a really good team. SGA does everything well. I'm not going to say he's a jack of all trades, master of none, because he's the master of the mid range right now. He just gets buckets at the mid range. Probably gonna get his title this year, right? Favorite. Fifth biggest favorite in like the last 50 years or whatever. SGA. Third best player in the league without a ring. Number two, Anthony Edwards. Yes. I believe Anthony Edwards is better than Shay Gilgeous Alexander. Sorry. He's younger. He's got a better offensive bag. He's led the league in threes this season. He just doesn't have as good of a team as okc. I think Anthony Edwards is phenomenal. All this future faith of the league stuff, it's legit, guys. He's that good. Now, is he a little goofy off the court and sometimes not locked in. And he loves a good IG baddy. Who doesn't? But once Anthony Edwards grows up just a little bit. Alex, stop laughing. Once he grows up just a little bit, Anthony Edwards is going to be the top player in the NBA. Now for the number one player in the NBA without a ring, it's got to be Luka. Who's better than Luka. I have him right there in the Jokic Giannis class. And my thing that I come back to all the time, Luka makes everyone around him better. He did it in Dallas. They got to the finals last year because he made everyone around him better. That Dallas team, it's not a great team. Look at them this year. What would they do this year? Now I know Kyrie got hurt, but they had AD and largely the same guys that Luca had that he put on his back and got to the finals for me, Luka Doncic, the best player in the NBA without a ring.

[Alex Curry]

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

[Colin Cowherd]

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[Mitch Lawrence]

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[Jason McIntyre]

Hello and welcome back to the herd. It's me, Jason McIntyre here in LA on a Wednesday and boy, do we have a spicy show ahead. I'm joined, as always, by Alex Curry. Alex, I had several people ask me about the ghost topic yesterday you brought up. And I never fired up about ghosts. No.

[Rick Bucher]

Okay, J. Mac, the way you see it is like you think like white sheets. Scary. No, I'm talking about like energies. Like you can feel energies. And it's funny because a lot of people bring it up to me too. And it's all women who can feel it and see it.

[Jason McIntyre]

We can't see anything.

[Rick Bucher]

No, but women have like strong intuitions. I mean we're basically like goddesses with great life.

[Jason McIntyre]

Pretty much, yeah. I don't see the paper towel being empty. The toilet paper. I don't even see that stuff.

[Rick Bucher]

It's not like what you see in cartoons, tunes, and movies.

[Jason McIntyre]

Scooby Doo goes terrifying. All right, so listen, obviously, we got to start the show with the big news in the NBA yesterday, my New York Knicks, who finally seem to get their act together, right? Greatest season this century, and they fire their coach, Tom Thibodeau. He gets fired yesterday in what, like, the middle of the show. Alex and I were stunned. That was closer to the end of the show. And one interesting nugget trickled out overnight regarding how this happened. Because, remember, a lot of folks, myself included, thought it maybe you just bring Thibodeau back and you run it back. You know, you guys, two games away from the NBA Finals, took down the defending champion Celtics. Why not run it back? But this nugget trickled out of the exit interviews. Apparently when the Knicks were interviewing Josh Hart, Mikhail Bridges, Jalen Brunson, one certain play person in the organization happened to sit in on those exit interviews, and that was James Dolan, who's largely been a ghost the last five years. You like that play on words there. Dolan has not been around the Knicks because he's been running the sphere in Vegas and getting that off the ground. And obviously, that's a great win for Mr. Dolan. But sitting in on the exit interviews, and all of a sudden, boom, the head coach is gone. You have to wonder, did he hear something he didn't like? Well, we know that that just something did not come from Jalen Brunson, who staunchly defended his coach after the Knicks were eliminated by the Pacers. We had a reporter say, well, what do you think about Tibs? Is he going to make it back? And Brunson was like, is that a real question? We know Brunson like Tibbs. He's known Tibbs since he was a young guy. Rick Brunson, his father, who's down with the Nick staff, played for the Knicks. And, like, there's a lot of internal stuff. Brunson and Thibodeau were copacetic. But what we do know is that Josh Hart had beef at points this season with Thibodeau and Mikhail Bridges, as recently as the middle of March, piped up, why aren't we playing our bench? Why are we playing so many minutes? What's going on here? I mean, and the numbers bear it out. The Knicks starters averaged more points per game. Than any other starting unit in the last 45 years in the NBA. Tibbs does not trust his bench. Right. That's very well known. Happened in Chicago, unfortunately. After that you saw Derrick Rose wear down, you saw Joe Kim, Noah, like these guys careers Luang, their careers kind of ended early because Tibbs ran him into the ground and the Knicks players clearly pushed back on that. Bridges actually mentioned in March. Yeah, we got Landry Shamit. Why isn't he playing more well? Tibbs I guess saw the light and started playing Landry Shamut in the Pacer series. But unfortunately it was a little bit too late. Landry Shamet couldn't save the day. So now you have to wonder like does this change the trajectory of say Karl Anthony Towns? Now we know he is a Tibbs guy dating back to Minnesota. Is he all of a sudden on the trading block? What happens? Mikhail Bridges who was had for five first round picks and is looking for a big money extension. Do you pay him? Do you try to get three guys to create him in the aggregate next year? Does this mess everything up? But most importantly, where do the Knicks head for a head coach? And I do want to quickly defend Tibbs. Just give me a second. There was a 19 year stretch where the Knicks won one playoff series, okay? Thibodeau has won four in the last three seasons. He has been successful. Look at this. Under Tom Thibodeau, five seasons, four playoff appearances and you see that winning record there. I know this is going to be surprising. He has more wins with the Knicks than Pat Riley. It's just a mind blowing stat. Like Tom Thibodeau has been great. And we should also add before Tibbs came on board, 18 seasons, 12 different head coaches. So they finally get their act together and now we're back in the head coaching cycle for the Knicks. Who's going to be the next head coach? Well, you know, at the top of next hour I'm going to reveal my five top names to replace Thibodeau. And then a really spicy name that I, I haven't really seen bandied about. It doesn't seem realistic, but I think there could be some potential there. What's going to happen next with the Knicks? Now I do want to pivot to a really explosive report in the Athletic about Kevin Durant and oh boy, folks, it don't look good for Kevin Durant. Let me start here by saying Kevin Durant is one of the 15 greatest players in the history of basketball. Full stop. We all agree the guy won an MVP, carried OKC to the finals, goes to Golden State, wins two finals MVPs. His resume speaks for itself. Kevin Durant has had an incredible career. It's inarguable. That being said, we know sports are. What have you done for me lately? And in some ways, you know, Kevin Durant is the guy who used to be an A list actor and get all the first look at scripts and now he's not getting any looks. I mean, Nick Cage comes to mind, you know, won an Academy Award for leaving Las Vegas. What has that guy done lately? Where's Nick cage the last 10 years? Can he open a movie? No shot. I mean, Will Smith. Will Smith has an unbelievable movie resume. I mean, I am Legend is like probably one of my top 10 movies of all time. I love Will Smith as an actor again, like, is he getting any good looks anymore? When are they starting filming bad boys for, you know, like, that's where Kevin Durant is in his career. I don't know if anybody wants them. And I know what the trade deadline. There were teams involved. And talking to the Suns, you had reports, I'm going to put those in air quotes. Reports that five teams wanted Kevin Durant. Well, the latest report in the Athletic is that the Phoenix Suns keep calling the Houston Rockets and the Suns keep lowering their asking price. Kevin Durant is 36 and we know he's still a bucket. Okay, that's, that's obvious. Kevin Durant, he can give you 25 points a night.

[Alex Curry]

That's.

[Jason McIntyre]

That's great. Yeah, so can Mo Wagner and Jalen Green. I mean, These guys are 10 years younger and they can score almost what Kevin Durant does. And Kevin Durant is also kind of an ornery, prickly fellow who, oh, by the way, has not been great in the playoffs lately. Guys, the super team Suns. Yes. D Book Durant and Bradley Beal qualifies as a super team. That's three. All NBA players joining forces. They didn't make the playoffs this year. Okay, Kevin Durant has been swept in two of his last three trips to the playoffs. And yes, both were with super teams. Need I remind you, the super team fiasco in Brooklyn, which is really deserves its own 30 for 30. It was a Hindenburg, okay? They got swept in his last playoff appearance by Jason Tatum and the Celtics. Like, Kevin Durant in the postseason is not what we. He used to be. Again, you could love KD and he's a bucket, but he's turning 37 in September. Here's Rick Bucher earlier this week talking about the trickiness of how to move Kevin Durant.

[Steve Cavino]

The tricky part is, are you just getting him as a one year rental or is he going to sign an extension? Do you want to sign him to extension? What does that extension look like? There's a lot of tricky parts to that. To your point, because of KD's age.

[Jason McIntyre]

I just don't know what the market is for Kevin Durant. So I start looking at the standings and teams that could be close and looking at Kevin Durant's $54 million contract next year. And yeah, okay, sure, he's going to give you 25, 27 points a game. He don't want to be a leader. So if you expect Kevin Durant to go to a young team and maybe be that leader, be that agent of change, who's going to take them up the next step, and I'll toss one out there. We know Kevin Durant went to the University of Texas. He loves Austin, has a very big affinity for the city. Hey, the San Antonio spurs, could that work? Wembanyama, de' Aaron Fox, Kevin Durant, maybe that's something. And then you look at what the spurs are and you're like, okay, well, we're not giving up Stefan Castle for to rent Kevin Durant for one year. Is Wembanyama and kd, is that doing anything in the West? And I look around the Houston Rockets, folks, they would rather chase Giannis than go after Kevin Durant. I mean, I don't. You know, a couple of years ago, Kevin Durant, you know, he grew up in the D.C. area. He's a legend in Maryland growing up. And I floated the idea, why wouldn't he go to the Wizards, you know, and join forces with like John Wall and Bradley Beal? This is way back. And it's like, Wizards are one of the worst teams in the league right now. I mean, is that the kind of thing where we're going to see Kevin Durant end up on a bad team? Somebody in our morning meeting floated, what about the Atlanta Hawks? Kd, Trey Young, Jalen Johnson coming back from. I don't know. And again, I'm a huge Kevin Durant fan. Yes, we've had our online beefs a few times over the years, but I love him as a basketball player. I don't love the I just want to hoop, I don't want to be a leader thing. I mean, could we see him in Detroit to help the Pistons get over the top? But then you look at the Pistons salaries and it's like, okay, are we dumping any of our Good young players. Hey, we need Ansar Thompson. You're not getting him. Not for Kevin Durant for one freaking year. And the more we talk about KD and you read stories about the Suns lowering their asking price, you start to wonder like, she's. The sun's going to have to attach a draft pick, assuming they have any left to get off Kevin Durant. Are we in a world where Kevin Durant is close to ending his career like Patrick Ewing did with the Seattle Sonics? You guys remember Olajuwon wearing a Raptors jersey? I mean, Karl Malone sitting on the bench with the Lakers? Like, we're not. This is like a year or two away, maybe for. For Kevin Durant. He's either going to have to have a big reality check and understand, dude, I'm not that guy anymore, or Kevin Durant's gonna have to change his ways and say, you know what? I will be a leader for a young team because if I need 25 points, I'll go get Tyler. Hero. Sorry. I don't think Kevin Durant's defense is that superior to what you're getting at 54 million playing the position he does. And I'll leave you with this. Like, again, I don't want to be seen as taking jabs at Kevin Durant, but at this stage in the game, like, what do you do with him? Is there a world where nobody wants Kevin Durant? As shocking as that sounds, I think we're getting close to Kevin Durant, not really getting the interest that he thought he would. So he goes super teams, and now he goes kind of out with a whimper. All right, coming up next here on the Herd, an NFL star. Yes. Star. Is throwing around the R word. Retirement. We'll tell you who that is next here on the Herd.

[Alex Curry]

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

[Steve Cavino]

Hey, it's Steve Cavino. And I'm Rich Davis, and together we're Kavino and Rich on Fox Sports Radio. You can catch us weekdays from 5 to 7pm Eastern, 2 to 4 Pacific, on Fox Sports Radio. And of course, the iHeartRadio app. Why should you listen to Covino and Rich? We talk about everything. Life, sports, relationships, what's going on in the world. We have a lot of fun talking about the stories behind the stories in the world of sports and pop culture. Stories that, well, other shows don't seem to have the time to discuss. And the fact that we've been friends for the last 20 years and still work together. I mean, that says something, right? So check us out. We like to get you involved too. Take your phone calls, chop it up as as they say, I'd say the most interactive show on Fox Sports Radio, maybe the most interactive show on planet Earth. Be sure to check out Covino and Rich live on Fox Sports radio and the iHeartradio app from 5 to 7pm Eastern, 2 to 4 Pacific. And if you miss any of the live show, just search Kobeno and Rich wherever you get your podcast. And of course on social media, that's Covino and Rich.

[Colin Cowherd]

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[Jason McIntyre]

Welcome back into the herd. We got to go to New York now to figure out who put the knife in Tom Thibodeau's back. It's got a Mitch Lawrence who's covered the Knicks forever. NBA writer, host, Sirius xm. He's got an amazing background there, as you can see. All right, Mitch, so we were talking during the commercial break and you described the Garden as a pit full of vipers. Can you kind of break down what happened? Because Thibodeau just led the Knicks to their best season this century and then he gets axed.

[Alex Curry]

Yeah, I mean, he had their best playoff run since 1999, and the fans were partying like it was 1999 and all of a sudden he's the guy who's the scapegoat. It is. Listen, the Garden front office is full of vipers. These are guys who have their own agendas. Whatever they are, they leak stuff to the media. They want certain people and certain people out. And they added in. For Tom. It goes beyond basketball, Jason. It goes beyond he didn't develop a bench. It goes beyond. Guys didn't know their roles. It goes beyond, you know, you didn't have an offensive imagination. This goes beyond all that stuff. And now we're going to see who. Jim Dolan, the owner, you know, who gets his ear and who he talks to and who they settle on as the next coach and say, this is what I. When I was, you know, based in New York and at the New York daily news, doing 21 years of NBA columns, this was familiar ground for anybody who dealt with the Knicks and dealt with Jim Dolan. It is a. It's a. It's a treacherous place if you're a coach because you're the guy who's the face of the franchise. They don't let Leon Rose talk. Dolan doesn't talk. So Tom Thibodeau was the guy who had to talk. They don't help. Nobody's held accountable in terms of Leon Rose or Jim Dolan. And, you know, stuff like this happens. It's a very. It's run differently than any other organization, and it's been unsuccessful in a lot of ways. You know, it's the anti spurs, anti Miami Heat, whatever you want to call it. They do things their own way. And for the most part, before Time came on board, they were irrelevant and a dumpster fire. And they, I think Nick fans probably fear now, that's the road they're headed back on.

[Jason McIntyre]

Yeah, especially if you don't make the right hire. So who would you say has the biggest pull or the most poll in making the hire? Is it Dolan, who's kind of been out of the mix? You know, he was with the Sphere in Vegas building that. Is it Leon Rose? Do the players have a say here? We know it's a players league. I mean, Jalen Brunson couldn't save Tibbs, but how do you break that down?

[Alex Curry]

Well, Jalen. Jalen Brunson liked him, so he. They didn't listen to him. So you also have to wonder what that means for him, especially if they get rid of his father who's on the bench. I think that has to be a concern for Nick fans, too. Listen, I think it's going to probably be a few people. It'll be Leon Rose. They'll run it by Dolan. Dolan will, you know, do his checks. It's hard to tell. It's because nobody really talks publicly. Like, what they should do is have Leon Rose out there today to say, this is why we fired Tom Thibodeau. I'M going to take questions and answers. And by the way, this is what we're looking for in our next coach to give people an idea of what they're going for. But the Knicks don't do things like that like other teams. They don't make people, you know, like Pat Riley goes public after his team gets wiped off the court against Cleveland and he's owned, he owns up to stuff. The Knicks don't do that. So you never know their game plan. So it's very hard to say exactly how it's all going to run or who's going to have the power, who's going to, you know, who wants who out there. It's. Oh, you're always dealing with a lot of mystery at the Garden.

[Jason McIntyre]

Yeah. And it feels like, I don't know if you use the word accountability, but like Leon Rose, like, shouldn't you step up and meet the media and talk about this? I mean, that seems like the way we should do it.

[Alex Curry]

No, everybody does it that way in the league. I mentioned Pat Riley, Brad Stevens, when thing went south for Boston for this year, the standing champs, he met with the media and he had Daryl Morey and Nick Nurse meet in Philadelphia. Nobody had a worse year, expectation wise, than probably Philadelphia. Jim Dolan doesn't want his people like Leon rose and other GMs before him to speak publicly. He kind of has an, you know, you hear teams having a, you know, a media policy. He has an anti media policy. That's for as long as I, you know, the longest time and a lot of it dates back to that sexual harassment case. And you know, post that in 2007. That's already 18 years where Isaiah Thomas and the Knicks gotten in big Trouble, cost Dolan $12 million. After that, the league basically held sway. David Stern over the Knicks. That's when they hired Donnie Walsh. Jim Dolan listen to the NBA then. But since then he, he does things his way. He's not going to have Leon Rose at all. Talk to the media. The next coach will be the face of the franchise, just like Tom was Tom Thibodeau. Which adds to, you know, the pressure of the job in New York. Now you're the coach. Not only you have to coach the team, prepare the team, now you're also the face and the voice of the franchise. Puts a lot of pressure on that next coach. Besides the fact that obviously the next coach has a very high bar. You got to come in, you got to win 11 playoff games because Tom just one year, 10.

[Jason McIntyre]

I'm going to throw some names at you. You tell me your thoughts. But first, the Phoenix Suns have just announced that they have hired Cavs assistant Jordan Ott. You know, whoever that is. I, I don't know that that is a move based on what the Knicks are doing, but there is a guy, Johnny Bryant, whose name is bandied about as a potential Knicks candidate. I, I don't think you go from Tom Thibodeau to Johnny Bryant, do you?

[Alex Curry]

Well, I don't think so either, but that doesn't mean it can't happen. And he seems to be the front runner right now. He was in New York. Now, you mentioned Jordan not getting the Phoenix job. Johnny Bryant was also up for that job. So now he works in Cleveland for Kenny Atkinson. But he had been in New York. He's familiar with the front office. People are familiar with him. He's got, he's got people who hope he gets a job. He has people who, from my understanding, who hope he doesn't get the job. Listen, if you think you're a championship contender, and I don't think the Knicks are, I think they are a decent cut below with that roster with their two best players being one way, offensive players and defensive liabilities. I'm talking about Jalen Brunson and Karl Anthony Towns. You've built around those, those guys. I don't think you can bring in a guy like a Johnny Bryant who's never been a head coach, certainly, you know, and all of a sudden entrust him to actually exceed what Tom Thibodeau did. I think that's an impossible spot for him. And I think that's a thing that I think Nick fans have to be worried about.

[Jason McIntyre]

Yeah, Michael Malone was fired by Denver maybe two months ago. Yeah, he feels like Thibodeau 2.0, doesn't like to play young guys, rides his starters like that was an issue for Tibbs. I would cross Michael Malone off the list.

[Alex Curry]

Your thoughts just based on that? Well, I will say this. If you go back to his Denver team and he had Jokic, I know SGA is the mvp, but this is like back in the Michael Jordan era when Karl Malone won the mvp. We all knew that Michael Jordan was the best player in the world. Just like now we know that Jokic is the best player in the world. He only had a bench of basically three guys. Jeff Green, Bruce Brown and Christian Brown. That's it. They won the title that way. So if you're hung up on this bench nonsense that he won't play your bench, I mean, think of it this way, the Tom Thibodeau, is he really the first coach in the history of the NBA and maybe sports to get fired because he didn't. He didn't develop a bench? It's absurd. Subserve. Look who's on his bench. Mike Malone had a great bench with those three players versus what Tom Thibodeau had to work with. But anyway, that's a whole different story. I would hire Mike Malone. He knows New York. His father coached in New York. I knew Brendan Malone when he was an assistant in Syracuse, when I started out in the newspaper racket in 1980. I go back that far when Michael Malone was running around in basically diapers. Yeah, I think he's a hell of a coach now. Ten years in Denver, long time. Won a title, maybe got a little full of himself. That's what people say.

[Jason McIntyre]

I don't know.

[Alex Curry]

I haven't talked to Mike since then. But he's a very good coach. And let's not forget, where was he before he landed in Denver and did a great job? Their first title ever? He was in Sacramento. He did a great job there. For a franchise that continues to, you know, I mean, that's just like total dysfunction out there. Except for a few moments, right? Except for a very few moments. And Mike Malone did a good job there. I think Nick fans would actually say, you know, what if we get Mike Malone, yeah, we can go places and not worry about what he did with his bench in Denver. Just look at his accomplishments. The only thing, though, Jason, is, is he going to come in? You're going to say, well, he had, you know, let's see how he does.

[Jason McIntyre]

Without yoke, without the.

[Alex Curry]

That's fair.

[Jason McIntyre]

Yeah, that's all right. Let me throw one more. He's currently coaching the Dallas Mavericks and his name is Jason Kidd. He played with the Knicks. Obviously he was not brought in to talk about the Luca deal. He looked shell shocked at the press conference afterward. Are the Knicks an upgrade from the maps? I don't know. Jason Kid's an interesting name.

[Alex Curry]

It is an interesting name. You know, if you look at the Knicks in terms of where they are in the east, you know, Indiana's there now. Boston's not going to have Tatum for probably a year, but they're going to be back. You've got Detroit on the rise or Orlando. We'll see what happens in Milwaukee with Giannis. The Knicks, you know, they're going to. They're probably going to take a step back with a new coach. I don't know. How Jason? First of all, he has a job in Dallas. Like you raised the point with his roster. He's not going to have Kyrie Irving for a while. He'll have Anthony Davis. We know that Anthony Davis cannot stay on the court at points, but he's going to get Cooper flag, right? It sounds like they're going to keep that draft pick and they'll pick Cooper flag. So it would have to be some sort of a trade to get chasing kid. They're going to have to get some sort of compensation. And who knows what Nico Harrison and Patrick Dumont, the the owner are thinking these days about Jason Kidd? I have no idea. All I know is that the Maverick fans are still irate that Luka Doncic is a Laker that has not gone away.

[Jason McIntyre]

Yeah. Mitch Lawrence, NBA writer. Serious SiriusXM host. Great stuff. I like the blue Knicks shirt, turtleneck. Nice job, Mitch. Thanks a lot, man.

[Alex Curry]

Thanks for having me. Jason. Enjoyed it.

[Jason McIntyre]

Yeah, interesting stuff. He's bullish on Michael Malone. Listen, I was pushing Michael Malone's name a month ago when the Knicks were struggling against Detroit and I was like, I don't know if they can't get by Detroit, just get tibs out of here bringing Malone. Then they beat the Celtics and I'm like, just keep tibs.

[Colin Cowherd]

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