Colin Cowherd Podcast - Butler Has Elevated Curry To MVP Level, Luka + LeBron = The Warriors Kryptonite? What’s Wrong With The Knicks

Summary

Podcast Summary: The Herd with Colin Cowherd Episode: Butler Has Elevated Curry To MVP Level, Luka + LeBron = The Warriors Kryptonite? What’s Wrong With The Knicks
Release Date: March 6, 2025
Host: Colin Cowherd
Guest: Marcus Thompson
Produced by: iHeartPodcasts and The Volume

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Introduction

In this episode of The Herd with Colin Cowherd, host Colin Cowherd engages in an in-depth discussion with Marcus Thompson, author of Golden KD and Dynasties. The conversation centers around the evolving dynamics of the Golden State Warriors, particularly focusing on the impact of Jimmy Butler on Steph Curry's performance, the formidable combination of Luka Doncic and LeBron James as potential challenges to the Warriors, and the underlying issues plaguing the New York Knicks.

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Jimmy Butler’s Influence on Steph Curry and the Warriors [02:07]

Colin Cowherd opens the discussion by introducing Marcus Thompson and delving into how Jimmy Butler's addition to the Warriors has transformed the team’s dynamics.

Marcus Thompson:
"I didn't expect this. I love Andrew Wiggins and think he's a really good NBA player, especially with the Warriors. If you put him in the right situation, he'll be great for you." [03:16]

Key Points:

• Jimmy Butler’s Role: Thompson emphasizes that Butler elevates Curry’s game to an MVP level without necessarily contributing high-scoring performances himself.

  Thompson:
  "Jimmy lives mid-range. He's just on the court, and by virtue of being Jimmy Butler, he will punish you if you let him. And if you don't, then Steph will punish you." [04:45]

• Team Chemistry: Butler's presence injects energy and aggression, compelling teammates to elevate their performance. Thompson notes a significant shift in Curry's scoring patterns post-Butler’s arrival.

  Thompson:
  "The day they traded him, Steph took 36 shots and the next day he took 32. It was the first time in his career he taken 30 shots in back-to-back games." [07:25]

• Strategic Fit: Butler's defensive intensity and intentional play style complement Curry’s offensive prowess, creating a balanced and more competitive team.

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Impact of Luka Doncic and LeBron James on the Warriors [09:20]

The conversation shifts to the potential threats posed by Luka Doncic and LeBron James, particularly how their synergy could act as a "kryptonite" for the Warriors.

Colin Cowherd:
"How is Luka and LeBron viewed in the Bay Area?" [19:02]

Key Points:

• Denver’s Challenge: Luka and Jokic's chemistry in Denver makes them a formidable opponent. Thompson compares this to the Warriors' internal chemistry with Butler and Curry.

  Thompson:
  "The Lakers have two of the guys that the Warriors have a hard time guarding. That's a lot." [21:09]

• LeBron’s Longevity: LeBron’s ability to adapt and his strategic movements in the league pose ongoing challenges for teams like the Warriors.

  Cowherd:
  "LeBron is the smartest player in league history, arguably in a short list." [35:13]

• Warriors’ Strategy: The Warriors must continuously adapt to counteract the evolving strategies of superstars like Luka and LeBron to maintain their competitive edge.

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Analyzing the New York Knicks’ Struggles [44:29]

Colin and Marcus turn their attention to the New York Knicks, assessing what’s going wrong with the team.

Marcus Thompson:
"Knicks are just disappointing. For a team that can't shoot threes, they sure jack a lot. But I don't like their will at the end." [44:34]

Key Points:

• Shooting Deficiencies: The Knicks struggle with three-point shooting, limiting their offensive versatility and effectiveness against high-caliber teams.

• Defensive Weaknesses: Despite high scoring, their defensive efforts are inconsistent, leading to vulnerabilities against teams with strong offensive players.

• Team Morale and Willpower: Thompson highlights a lack of determination and resilience, especially in clutch moments, which hampers their performance in critical games.

  Thompson:
  "Their will on the defensive end has its limit." [44:53]

• Potential Improvements: The absence of key players like Karl-Anthony Towns exacerbates their issues, and without strategic adjustments, the Knicks may continue to underperform.

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Warriors’ Future Outlook and Playoff Prospects [43:28]

Discussing the Warriors’ upcoming schedule and playoff challenges, Marcus provides insights into their chances against top-tier teams.

Colin Cowherd:
"What's it look like for the Warriors going forward? Where are their challenges?" [43:28]

Key Points:

• Favorable Schedule: The Warriors have a relatively manageable schedule ahead, facing teams they are likely to defeat, which positions them well for a strong playoff run.

• Top Contenders: Teams like Boston and Cleveland present significant challenges due to their robust rosters and defensive capabilities.

  Thompson:
  "Cleveland and Boston are the two best teams in the league. They can defend the rim, they can defend the perimeter. They've got scoring guards, they've got scoring wings." [47:00]

• Playoff Dynamics: Thompson emphasizes the importance of experience and adaptability in the playoffs, suggesting that the Warriors’ ability to adjust their strategies will be crucial against seasoned opponents.

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Conclusion

The episode provides a comprehensive analysis of the Golden State Warriors' current state and future prospects, highlighting Jimmy Butler's pivotal role in enhancing Steph Curry's performance. Additionally, the discussion sheds light on the emerging threats from other star players like Luka Doncic and LeBron James, while also critiquing the New York Knicks' ongoing struggles. Marcus Thompson offers a well-rounded perspective, blending statistical insights with strategic analysis, making this episode a must-listen for NBA enthusiasts seeking a deeper understanding of team dynamics and playoff potentials.

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Notable Quotes:

• Marcus Thompson:
  "Steph's a monster." [07:27]

• Colin Cowherd:
  "Steph is. He's a very intentional player. Like, possessions matter. He doesn't waste possessions." [05:35]

• Marcus Thompson:
  "But without that they're just chucking threes. They aren't really very good." [07:35]

• Marcus Thompson:
  "Jimmy's message now is like, hey, you see what they're doing to Steph? Just go into the paint." [07:35]

• Colin Cowherd:
  "Teams like Houston can't shoot Memphis. Too young." [11:11]

• Marcus Thompson:
  "It's still a massive problem. Where are the Lakers? Let's try to avoid that until the West Finals." [19:44]

• Colin Cowherd:
  "I did not see that happening in the way it did, right?" [04:29]

• Marcus Thompson:
  "The Lakers defense is pretty good, and they lost AD and somehow managed to still get really good defensively." [27:24]

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This detailed summary encapsulates the essence of the episode, ensuring that listeners gain a profound understanding of the key discussions without having to listen to the entire podcast.

Transcript

[Colin Cowherd]

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[Mark Wahlberg]

Hey guys, Mark Wahlberg here. You've heard me say it before, but I'm going to say it again. You guys have to check out Hallow this Lent we are doing something really powerful. It's a 40 day prayer challenge for every day of Lent with Jonathan Roumie, Father Mike Schmitz, and of course yours truly. We are going through the incredible book the Way by St. Jose Maria Escriva. And I, along with my buddy Chris Pratt, will lead us through weekly fasting challenges. Join me and millions of others around the world praying every day this Lent. Stay prayed up and God bless you.

[Julie Stewart-Banks]

What's up everyone? Julie Swiftbinks here along with former NHL player Nate Thompson.

[Nate Thompson]

We're doing a new podcast together. Here we go.

[Julie Stewart-Banks]

The name Energy Line with Nate and jsb.

[Nate Thompson]

Each week we'll get together and talk about hockey life. All topics are fair game, right?

[Julie Stewart-Banks]

Exactly. And you'll never know who will drop by to join us.

[Nate Thompson]

Julie is pretty well connected. She has text threads going that you wouldn't believe.

[Julie Stewart-Banks]

Listen to Energy Line with Nate and jsb on the iHeartRadio app, Apple Podcasts or wherever you get your podcasts.

[Colin Cowherd]

The volume. All right. He's one of my favorite guests and it's a perfect time to get a Marcus Thompson right for the athletic. He's the author of the book Golden KD and Dynasties. Really plugged in. I I. You know, it's, it's the warriors got a lot of good people covering them. I Think Marcus does as good a job as anybody that covers a team in the country in any sport. And he is joining us. I mean, it's so funny because I watch a lot of warriors basketball and in my job I gotta watch a lot of stuff. But, you know, I just got into a habit, you know, for 10 years of watching the warriors and I made a comment, I'm like, man, when Steph is off the floor, this is pre Jimmy Butler. I'm like, this is a boring ass team. This is a bad watch. And I said I'd bring in Jimmy Butler just for energy and juice. He'll just get everybody all worked up. So were you in when you heard Jimmy was coming? Were you in the it may not work camp, it'll work kind of camp, or it'll be sensational camp. Which camp were you in?

[Marcus Thompson]

I might be at all three, to be honest with you. I might. I might have been in all three. You know, it was. It was difficult. I. I will say this up front. I didn't expect this. Yeah, I didn't expect, like, I mean, like the one thing that's underscores for me, I love Andrew Wiggins. I think Andrew Wiggins is a really good NBA player, especially who he's become with the Warriors. He's like a testament. If you put him in a right situation, right, he'll be great for you. Like, he probably shouldn't be the A1 of A franchise. Right. But if you put him in a good situation, he's great. Like, he's a great teammate, plays hard. Colin, there's a difference between an All Star and a superstar. Yeah, these things are categorically different. And because of all the drama that was going down in Miami and you know, even. Even how Miami was like a middling kind of team over these last couple of years, I forgot that Jimmy Butler is a superstar. That, that to me is the thing. Cognitively, if you said, yeah, you put another superstar next to Steph like that, that's what he needs. But watching him with Jimmy, it reminds you like, no, Jimmy is one of them ones. Like, he's a. He's a bit of a sideshow sometimes, but like, he's one of those guys and it's instant. And the crazy part is he doesn't even have to play well.

[Colin Cowherd]

Yeah, he.

[Marcus Thompson]

He doesn't even have to play well.

[Colin Cowherd]

He's not shooting well right now.

[Marcus Thompson]

He's. He's not even taking his shots. Jimmy lives mid range. He's. He's go. He's going to the elbow and rising up. He's not doing any. That. He's just on the court. And by virtue of being Jimmy Butler on the court, he will punish you if you. If you let him. And if you don't, then Steph will punish you. So, like, that's the thing. Like, the moment he got there, you could feel the vibes change just by him being there. Like, he shows up in his alo sweatsuit at the Laker game. He. He doesn't even sit on the bench. None of the things you'd expect. This dude to come in and be like, all right, I'm part of this thing. He just came in as Jimmy, and it changed everything. And I was like, hey, yo, I've heard. I. I didn't see that. Like, I didn't see that happening in the way, like, it did, right?

[Colin Cowherd]

He's also. I. I've used the word. He's a very intentional player. Like, possessions matter. He doesn't waste possessions. I always thought sometimes Wiggins could be a little bit of a floater. He would waste possessions. You weren't quite sure if he was on the floor. Jimmy's got more of a presence. He's more intentional. He gets to the free throw line. And, you know, it also underscores something, and I've seen this with LeBron, with Luca, is when you're on a treadmill to nowhere. This is a long season, and it's hard to get guys like Steph or LeBron fired up for an eight seed, right? You give them a. You give them. I said this. It's like LeBron and Steph have a new buddy in the neighborhood they want to show off to, and they're just. I mean, Steph's averaging, like, six more points. He's only taking one more shot. So I think it. You know, in football, you got eight home games. You know, it's. It's very urgent. It's hard for these guys who are at the mountaintop to get fired up for, you know, a playing team. I feel like Steph is com. This is one of these unintended benefits of making a trade with a great player. The great player drives to the arena ready to show off, ready to perform. And now the honeymoon. The new car smell may wear off, but there is something to be said about the fit. Hell coming is not playing. What. When you watch. When you watch Butler analytically, there were questions if he'd fit. Did. Do you think he's more valuable on offense or defense? Right now?

[Marcus Thompson]

Right now, offense, definitely. I mean, by virtue of he's impacting one of the greatest offensive weapons in the history of sports in the way he is. Right.

[Colin Cowherd]

Like.

[Marcus Thompson]

Like you're. You. You can see it. Steph is a different dude.

[Colin Cowherd]

Yeah.

[Marcus Thompson]

Steph's a monster.

[Colin Cowherd]

Yeah.

[Marcus Thompson]

It's so crazy. He said it and I didn't know it till I looked it up. The day they traded him, Steph took 36 shots and the next day he took 32. It was the first time in his career he taken 30 shots in back to back games. He'd never done that before. All and Jimmy hadn't even played yet. Just the fact that we got Jimmy now let's turn up. So. So the fact that Jimmy has that impact on Steph to me brings that to it. Because you're right. Like the part that, that's, that's so very viscerally clear is they just were not good before. I mean, they weren't. They weren't. It was boring. They got guys who just don't go into the paint. Jimmy's message now is like, hey, you see what they're doing to Steph? Just go into the paint. It's wide open. As a matter of fact, I'm going to show you. Just throw it down to me in the paint. Like I'm not doing anything else. I'm going to the rim. And you could see them saying, hey, that's kind of working. But without that they're just chucking threes. They aren't really very good. And it was just draining life out of step.

[Colin Cowherd]

Yeah.

[Marcus Thompson]

So to me, that. That part has been such a jolt. Like they're. They're like a top five offensive defense with Jimmy. But they were bad offensively bad and boring. Bad. Yeah, and bad and boring. It's a bad combo. Right. You don't want to be bad and boring.

[Colin Cowherd]

And the other thing is you see this in baseball when you bring like a true ace to a staff, it allows everybody to go back in the rotation.

[Marcus Thompson]

One in the right spot.

[Colin Cowherd]

Right, Right. And this now allows. I always felt Kuminga was being kind of forced to be a two. And right now he's a three.

[Marcus Thompson]

He's Wiggins too, by the way.

[Colin Cowherd]

Yeah. And so I think Kaminga now. Do you think Kaminga will get pinched when he comes back? How many? I mean, what will his role be?

[Marcus Thompson]

I do think. I think he'll get pinched a little bit. And the difficulty is like Steve's big on shooters and obviously with. With Steph you need space.

[Colin Cowherd]

Yeah.

[Marcus Thompson]

So the thing that's going to be difficult for Kamiga is. Jimmy Butler's playing a lot, and Draymond is playing a lot. That's two dudes who do not shoot through. Draymond will take him, and he's shooting the best he's ever shot, like, in a long time. But they're leaving them open, right? They're packing the paint, and they're like, draymond, have at it. If you add Megan to the mix, that's three guys who. The defense is like, yeah, we kind of don't care if you shoot it. And that's. That's the problem with them. Like, you don't have enough shooters. Steph doesn't have room to work. You allow them to trap. So I think he's. He's probably gonna come off the bench, they're gonna put him in that second unit, and he's got to go dominate that. And I think eventually they'll figure it out, but he's gonna have to shoot better. So I do, I do think he gets pinched. Only the only reason why I think it'll work, though, is because they're just playing transition basketball. They're just running. They're just throwing it up, throwing it ahead. And like you said, Jimmy's the one guy who doesn't turn the ball over.

[Colin Cowherd]

Yeah.

[Marcus Thompson]

So he's, like, being, like, sure about it. And Kaminga has a blueprint for how to play, like, just smart, clean, aggressive basketball. If he can do that, I think he'll be fine, but he's gonna have to shoot better. He's got to shoot, like, 38% in order to justify being on the like with Jimmy Draymond and Kaminga, like, that's a lot of non shooting to. To deal with Steph. So this is going to be the issue. It's the last puzzle piece to fix. If it works, Colin, they might be the 4 SE.

[Colin Cowherd]

Yeah, I think that's exactly.

[Marcus Thompson]

They were dead. They were dead. It was over. Like, Steph is doing, like, eulogies at the press conference, right? He's like, and, and all of a sudden, they might be in top four or five seed.

[Colin Cowherd]

Yeah, I, I, I think teams like Houston can't shoot Memphis. Too young. Yeah, Oklahoma City is very deep, but those young players in playoff road games.

[Marcus Thompson]

I've said, still got to see it. Still got to see it.

[Colin Cowherd]

I said, okc, I would not want to face the Warriors. I'd have no interest in that. I mean, you got, you got 400 some playoff games with Jimmy Draymond, Steph. Like, I got no interest. Chad Holmgren's good. Let's go see him in a big road playoff game in the Bay Area. Like, not interested stuff. So. You know, it's funny. Jimmy always had this reputation. He's bounced around a little bit that he can be difficult. I see him more as just intentional and intense. What is it like to cover him? What is he like, Shoot around? What is he like in games? What. I mean, authentically? What. What's his personality?

[Marcus Thompson]

It's a trip, man. He's the coolest guy in the world. Like, it's so funny to. To get the reputation of a guy and then compare it to what you feel when you meet him. And it's just like. Like, I. It's hard to fathom the other guy now. I'm not. I'm not an idiot. Colin, that other guy's there, right? The guy that cuts out the entire team and the coach. Right? Like in a practice.

[Colin Cowherd]

Yeah.

[Marcus Thompson]

The guy that'll, you know, go toe to toe with Pat Riley. Like, that guy's clearly there. But he's. He's very warm.

[Colin Cowherd]

He's.

[Marcus Thompson]

He's good. Jimmy. Right now, his spirits are high. He got an extra $58 million, which helps, I think, about A lot of his issues are about getting the money he thinks he deserves.

[Colin Cowherd]

Yeah.

[Marcus Thompson]

So, like, he. He's been great. Like, you know, I kind of measure these things by, who can you have a conversation with? Not, like, put a recorder in somebody's face, but who can you go and just have a conversation with? And Jimmy's a guy. You can just go have a conversation with him. Now you hear about he doesn't fly sometimes with the team or he doesn't stay in a hotel. Right. He got his. He got his own crew. And I guess I just had this perception that Jimmy would be somebody that would be difficult, man. Oh, you want to talk to Jimmy Butler? Go talk about some dominoes. He'll talk your ear off about some dominoes. Right. Because he cooked Draymond, apparently, in domino's. So volume sports took a nail when they. When they went.

[Colin Cowherd]

There were a lot of suggestions that kd, and I'm sure it happened. Matt Ishbia, the owner of the Suns, they're going to reboot this thing. There's absolutely a market for KD. Still a tremendous 27 a night player. I've always been a huge fan. Give me some insight here, Marcus. Were they rumors? Did the warriors really try to navigate a deal? Like, what's true and what's just Internet?

[Marcus Thompson]

From what I was. From what I was told and have been told even after the deadline is like, Phoenix was shopping him. Like, hey, what can we. What can we get? And the warriors were interested. Like, they, you know, Joe Laker wanted a star. Yeah, like, we know that. Like, he won. There's a list of stars he wants. And KD was on the list. Right. They were very interested in bringing them back. Depending on, you know, somewhere, probably in the middle. I heard it was just conversations. Heard they had a deal. So usually this stuff is right. Somewhere in the middle. Right. If Katie says, I would love to come back, I think it would have happened. And KD made it clear he just wasn't. He wasn't interested in going back down that road.

[Colin Cowherd]

I get it.

[Marcus Thompson]

And they. They backed out. Yeah. So, no, I heard it was very real. From what I've been told, it was very real. The warriors were interested and Phoenix was interested. And then something happened. KD says no, or they decided to give it more time. Something happened, and they pulled back. But, yeah, we almost had it. We almost had a reunion of 2017. I. I think that's just my. My perception after hearing what I've been told.

[Colin Cowherd]

Well, I think. I think it would have worked. I think this works better. And I, I, I do think, you know, I was joking with the staff today when I. When, when you were. When I was in college, and you'd go out drinking with one of the football players, one of the big, tough football players, that always gave you more courage, you know, And. And I think Jimmy. Jimmy Butler's like a more talented Draymond, where he just gives everybody a little more courage, everybody's a little more aggressive, because you don't want to let down Jimmy. You know, there's just. There's just certain guys, they're kind of badass guys like, you just don't want to let them down. Charles Oakley always had that. Like, you just play a little harder and a little more physical because Jimmy's got your back. He's the bouncer a little bit. So I think he. I think. I mean, KD I don't think would have brought quite the energy or the physicality or. But I think Katie would have given you points, so. And I kind of feel like I've seen that. You know, it's really interesting. I think Steve Kerr is really smart, and he signed an extension. When you go get Jimmy Butler, how much say does Steph have? I mean, Kerr has so much respect for him, and he should. Is. Because I still think LeBron got a heads up on Luca. I think he's been thinking about that since Mark Cuban sold the team. I thought, I thought, I thought LeBron sniffed around with Steph two years ago. He was interested in Yoka. Denver said, no, thanks. And I think once Cuban sold the Mavericks, he started circling, sending messages back, channeling to Luca. And I think he's been on this thing. Steph. Steph is not as calculated as LeBron, but to me, do you think Steph said. Steve, let's. Was it Lake of. Or did Steph have a say in Jimmy?

[Marcus Thompson]

I think Steph definitely had a say. Like, it's him and Mike Dunleavy. Dunleavy's the one who made it happen. It's Mike Dunleavy because, you know, they, oddly enough, played together in Chicago. This is like the oddest, like, buddy cop movie.

[Colin Cowherd]

I covered Dunleavy in high school. A Jesuit in Portland.

[Marcus Thompson]

Yes, that's. Yeah, yeah, absolutely. So the oddest buddy cop movie is who knew Dunleavy and Jimmy Butler would be tight to make this happen? Right. But Steph. Steph was first off off the top. Steph was like, we absolutely have to do something. Like, we're not running this back. Like, I'm gonna have a problem with that. Yeah. And once Steve comes out with a mic in his face, it says, we gotta do something. This is not working. Like, that's, that's ball game. The question at that point was, what, what do you do? So from what I was told, there's a conversation. Jimmy's excitement, you know, especially once he got the contract extension, helps a lot. The only question that I ever heard in doing all the interviews and asking questions was, which Jimmy were you getting?

[Colin Cowherd]

Right?

[Marcus Thompson]

Like, that's, that's the only question. I think everybody understood who Jimmy was. And I do think Stephen Draymond, because they're both up in age, they're like, man, I need somebody for the playoffs. Right? That's the big deal. And, you know, playoff Jimmy is the thing they want. They want playoff Jimmy. So he, he definitely was in the mix. I just think they needed to know they were going to get Jimmy Butler, not the guy that they've been hearing Warren with Pat Riley. That, that was the thing. Once they got that, I feel like that was. That was enough for Steph. He just wanted something that he's been begging for something for at least two years now.

[Colin Cowherd]

The. And listen, Kaminga was a good draft pick. Pods, Moody, they've got players. Bring Comminger back. They've got some depth. I, I've said this. I, I, I think OKC would Be a little bit privately terrified to face Butler and Steph and Draymond and Kaminga and Pods and Kerr. That.

[Marcus Thompson]

And if they are, their fans would be terrified because them dudes have been in that building before.

[Colin Cowherd]

Yep. How is Luka lebron? You wrote an article on the suffering Maverick fans. I mean, Kyrie gets hurt because they pressed him into more minutes. I mean that's one of the unintended liabilities of that trade is when Luca left, he only had one real playmaker. I like Spencer did when he. But he's not the playmaker of Luka, obviously. So now Kyrie's got to play more minutes, have the ball more, stay on the floor more. And at the end, his body, he's a small player. He's been hurt before. I think some of it is just, it was just too taxing on his body. Let's. I'll get to that in a second. How do you view Luca and LeBron? How is that viewed in the Bay Area?

[Marcus Thompson]

A massive problem. That's what it's, it's. Where are the Lakers? Let's try to avoid that until the west finals.

[Colin Cowherd]

Right.

[Marcus Thompson]

In the same way, you know, Oklahoma City's like, I don't think Oklahoma City is scared of the Warriors. They're just like, we just rather have them in the west finals if we're going to face them. Like, let's not do it in the first round.

[Colin Cowherd]

Right.

[Marcus Thompson]

So I mean, the Lakers were already a problem. A big part of that is LeBron.

[Colin Cowherd]

Yeah.

[Marcus Thompson]

Like they don't have anybody to guard LeBron. Like ever since Iguodala, you know, declined from his premium self where he could do it like you could throw Draymond on him, but you need Draymond in the back. They just haven't had anybody. Wiggins was okay at it, but you know, it's still LeBron that now you had another guy, that's basically another guy who a ball handling, big bodied person who's difficult to match up with. So now the Lakers have two of the guys that the warriors have a hard time guarding. Now if they had one Wiggins, it'd be fine, right? If they had Wiggins with Butler, it'd be a little bit better. But now you're asking Kaminga to do it. You're asking Moses Moody to do it. You're asking. You're also asking 35 year old Jimmy Butler to do it. Right. And that's, that's a lot. So that's why that's such a difficult matchup. The Lakers are a Difficult matchup for that reason. Denver's a difficult matchup because of Yic. Right. As he is with everybody. But the warriors just don't have side.

[Colin Cowherd]

Yeah.

[Marcus Thompson]

So to me, the Lakers have become a team that like they probably want to. Everybody else, I don't think they're worried about at all.

[Colin Cowherd]

Yeah.

[Marcus Thompson]

But I think Lakers, the, the Lakers plus they can score.

[Colin Cowherd]

Yes.

[Marcus Thompson]

They can score like an insane amount of points even. Even though they're surprisingly good on defense right now. I don't know how much that's gonna hold, especially in a matchup setting where you could just attack Luca and Reeves. When it's calculated right, we're like game three, we're going at Luca every time. So I don't know how that holds up. But they're getting 125 like that's happening. So they're a problem. Like you, you could look at them in a bay. People in the bay know the Lakers are, are a problem and you probably want to stay out of that.

[Colin Cowherd]

And they also have three play initiators because Austin, Reeves, Luka and LeBron can all run the offense and they all.

[Marcus Thompson]

And all of them draw fouls.

[Colin Cowherd]

All of them draw fouls. I like. They really do. So when Dallas, they have Kyrie now. That's it. Now they have size down in Dallas they have a good rotational when they're healthy, lively, obviously. Anthony Davis, they got real size. They got great center rotation. They don't have any, you know, Kyrie's it and you know, opening up a play. So the Lakers have a lot of players who can initiate, get their own shot, who's scoring big in the NBA this season. You are. All the new ways to get in on the action at DraftKings sportsbook. An official sports betting partner of the NBA slams. Dishing the ball, cleaning the glass. Get behind your favorite players. Prop bets you can make on DraftKings. It's fun. The home of NBA player props. If you're ready to place your first bet, make it really simple. Pick how many points your favorite player is going to score. Go to DraftKings Sportsbook. They have an app. Download it. Make your pick. If you're a first timer, here's something special. New DraftKings customers. All you have to do is bet 5 bucks. Get 150 in bonus bets instantly. So take it to the rack with DraftKings sportsbook. Every point counts. Download their app. Takes 90 seconds. Use the code Colin C O L I n to get 150 bones in bonus bets. Betting just 5 only on DraftKings the crown is yours.

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[Mark Wahlberg]

Hey guys, mark Wahlberg here. You've heard me say it before, but I'm going to say it again. You guys have to check out Hallow this Lent we are doing something really powerful. It's a 40 day prayer challenge for every day of Lent with Jonathan Roumie, Father Mike Schmitz, and of course, yours truly. We are going through the incredible book the Way by St. Jose Maria Escriva and I, along with my buddy Chris Pratt, will lead us through weekly fasting challenges. Join me and millions of others around the world praying every day this Lent. Stay prayed up and God bless you.

[Julie Stewart-Banks]

It's Julie Stewart Banks. I'm doing a new podcast from iHeart Podcasts and the National Hockey League and I'm paired up with one of my favorite players, the always quotable Nate Thompson.

[Nate Thompson]

I wore nine NHL sweaters and I have story after story to share. And believe it or not, I have plenty to say. And not just about hockey.

[Julie Stewart-Banks]

Believe me, he does Energy Line with Nate and JSB is the name of the podcast and it's going to be, well, it's going to be quite the ride. We're officially linemates, Nate. We're the Energy Line.

[Nate Thompson]

We'll have plenty of folks join us, current players, some of my former teammates, hall of Famers. And wait till you see some of the connections that Julie has. She has quite the Rolodex.

[Julie Stewart-Banks]

Okay, we'll lean into Nate's playing experience and tap into our interests away from hockey. Try to do what energy lines are supposed to do, provide an emotional boost. How do you feel about all that, Nate?

[Nate Thompson]

I'm vibing Julie. I'm ready to roll.

[Julie Stewart-Banks]

Listen to energy line with Nate and jsb on the iHeartRadio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts.

[Colin Cowherd]

You know, it's funny, Marcus. So I've watched so much football in my life. Obviously, a good baseball manager, they say, can win you four games a year. It's mostly GM payroll pitching. And in football, you can see it's the coaching sport. It really matters. Urban Meyer goes to a college program. He can add six wins a year. Bill Parcells did that. You know, McVeighs, obviously, he's just beating people on Sunday, schematically. Basketball's different because the players control the league, and very rarely is Steve Kerr, you know, slow down. I've got to play for you. That's. That's what they're doing at Tom Izzo at Michigan State. That's not the NBA. So what I do, what I tend to watch, I tend to watch how you close a game and how you open a game. So closing a game, there is coaching. Opening a game, there is a game plan. Right? Guys are sitting around watching. You don't have a lot of prep time in the NBA. You talk about it at. Shoot around, you do about 10 minutes before the game. You have sort of a mission to get on front and use some matchup advantages. The Lakers start first six minutes of these games. Marcus, they are so good early. And Doberman, they really are now, by the way, Steve Kerr was always the great coach out of half. He was the great.

[Marcus Thompson]

Absolutely. Third quarter.

[Colin Cowherd]

Third quarter. Coach, what are you hearing around the league on Reddick when you talk to people? I know you cover the warriors, but I. I just think you can see his excellence early and late in games.

[Marcus Thompson]

Yeah, I think defensively is the part you hear where people are saying, like, wow, they. They're actually really good defensively. And the Lakers have places to go to attack. Like, you could attack Austin Reeves. You could attack LeBron, right? LeBron's been known to loaf on defense, but somehow they've managed to be good on defense, which is they add Luca and get better on defense. And to me, that, like, the adjustment piece, too. Like, how fast can you shift philosophies? Do you have to stay on? What? Like. Like game plan. You said at the beginning, do you have to stay on that? Because you said it at the beginning and hope it works or can you shift? Are your guys prepared to shift? That's what we're seeing from. From the Lakers that makes you be like, hey, how does J.J. know what he's doing already? Like, when you talk to people, they're like, you know what? The Lakers defense is pretty good. Like, and then they lose AD and somehow managed to still get really good defensively. It's surprising people. Like, I don't think, you know, obviously, we thought he was like a LeBron plant. We thought he was like, basically like podcast nepotism, if there's such a thing. Right? Like, like. But he's actually pretty good. Like, he's. He knows what he's doing. Not now. We'll see the, like, as you said, it's the management of personalities in the long run. Right. It's how you. How you deal with this stuff. But he's got, like, the Dorian, Finney Smith, Rui Hachimura. Right. Jackson Hayes, he's got these players who, number one, are going to do what he says, and number two, they're trying to fight for a spot in the league. Right. So they can go out and execute. Right. You're seeing him work these. It's these exterior pieces that are doing so well that that's the part where JJ's kind of showing his. His, like, ability. He's. He knows when. When to go with Ruri, when to switch out, when to go big. Like, Jackson Hayes is not this good. I don't care. I don't know what's happening, but they're supposed to be done. You lose Anthony Davis, and Anthony Davis wanted a big. Remember? That was the thing. The Lakers need a big. They don't get the big, and they get rid of Anthony Davis and somehow they're still managing. So if. If it weren't for what's happening In Detroit and J.B. bickerstaff, we. We be talking about J.J. as coach of the year, which is kind of insane because they were just doing a podcast like, a year ago.

[Colin Cowherd]

Yeah, well, I mean, you know, some. Jason came out pretty early. Steve Nash in Brooklyn was a bit of a mess, but, I mean, Colin.

[Marcus Thompson]

Would you like to be an assistant coach who's been on the. For 15 years, wait for your shot, watching these dudes walk in. Oh, yeah.

[Colin Cowherd]

But, you know, I mean, there is something to be said. I mean, JJ was on broadcasts and podcasts, and he sounded very erudite.

[Marcus Thompson]

Absolutely. And he spent 17 years in the league.

[Colin Cowherd]

Yeah. I mean, he, you know, Jason Kidd. Similarly, these guys around Basketball. They've got intuitive. Steve Kerr. Yeah. Intuitive feel for it. So you wrote that article on the suffering Mavs fans. Do you think when Cuban. Cuban sold the team. Mark has a pretty good sense of business timing and exit strategy?

[Marcus Thompson]

Absolutely.

[Colin Cowherd]

Why do you think Cuban sold? I tend to think everything. Mark's. Again, Mark. Mark is very good at seeing around corners. I can disagree with him sometimes on loving NFTs and Bitcoin or politics or whatever it is, but it just feels like Cuban sold the team. And it hasn't felt the same since he sold it.

[Marcus Thompson]

You know, the fact, like when he sold it, I thought, is this a Vegas move? Are they. You sell it to the Vegas billionaire, the Adelson family, right. The wife of the famous, you know, Vegas casino guy, the one who got fleeced by Mark Davis, oddly enough for the Raiders.

[Colin Cowherd]

Yeah.

[Marcus Thompson]

But I thought it's just a Vegas move. And one of the things that I've learned from Joe Lake up and the whole A's debacle, because, you know, Oakland has lost its teams and it's all boils down to you got to be ready to spend 1.5 to $2 billion on. On a stadium. You just have to be able to do that. And if you're not ready to do that now you're relying on your local municipality to come up with the money. And I'm like, I'm thinking, Cuban saw, do I want to spend a 2 billion dollar stadium or cash out and get my billions, right? It's. It's the opposite move of what John Fisher did with the Ace. Sell the team and get billions or. No, now he's playing in like a high school stadium in Sacramento because they don't want to sell like that. That's what I thought. I don't think at any point he thought Luka was going to be traded. You know why? You know why he didn't think that? Because you don't trade Luca.

[Colin Cowherd]

Right.

[Marcus Thompson]

Ever. At least you don't do it at 25 years old, right? So I wouldn't be surprised if Cuban knew that it's going to be tough to get the stadium we need. Because remember he. Remember when he bought that team and he was right, it was like, oh, they got the new fancy the lockers and they. They treat the players top. Not like. Like you got to be top notch now. And that's $2 billion. That's $2 billion. You just got to have $2 billion. I think he saw it might be tough to get a stadium. Let me sell it. Let me Let me take the profit instead of digging a bigger hole. And if that means the team goes to Vegas like that, it's off my hands, so to speak. That's the best I can think of. But I agree with you 1 million percent. Cuban. Cuban saw this seven steps away. He was on it.

[Colin Cowherd]

Well, you know, I'll throw my LeBron theory at you. LeBron has always avoided a mess. So he leaves Cleveland. He plays in the Olympics, and he's like, man, I got to play with good players. Dan Snyder can't get me. He goes to Miami for Finals. Wade and Bosh especially. Wade is struggling to play back to backs. He bails. He's right. He goes to Cleveland, gets a title. Kyrie's like, I don't want to be here. We are maxed out. He leaves a second time. This time, everybody's good with it. He goes to the Lakers. People love Lonzo Ball. Kyle Kuzma, he didn't. He got rid of him. Brings in AD. AD was great. And I believe LeBron realized, as he aged about two years ago, that he could not be on every possession, every night, the lead initiator. And Austin Reeves is more of a three or a four than a two. And so I think he was looking for Steph two years ago, and he made overshare overtures and went back channels with Steph. And Steph's like, man, I'm good here. And then I think he was interested.

[Marcus Thompson]

In Jokic, and I think it happened to be like, hey, do you want to come here instead?

[Colin Cowherd]

That's right.

[Marcus Thompson]

I think that was part of the conversation. How about. And then you could come here.

[Colin Cowherd]

He knew Jokic could also make the game easier for him. Denver's not interested. And I think when Cuban sold the mavericks, I think LeBron went back channels, thought to himself, here's the moment. I'm going to make sure he knows I like him a lot. I think eventually he made it known upstairs. Guys, I'm getting older. I cannot play 40 minutes. I love AD to death, but I can't be the play initiator every damn time down the floor. I can't do it. I mean, there are times now when you watch him now. Austin Reaves hasn't played in a couple games. When Luka and Austin are there together, I mean, it's like LeBron's got a smile on his face. He just. He's floating in the wing. It's. And by the way, he's got.

[Marcus Thompson]

He's earned that, by the way. He's earned the right to be. Absolutely.

[Colin Cowherd]

But I do think. I think. And this is not a criticism, I think LeBron's the smartest player in league history, arguably in a short list. I think he's calculated. And the idea that he just woke up one day and went, well, what do you know? We got Luka the perfect teammate. I don't buy that. I'm not. I just. I mean, Marcus, I'm not a tinfoil hat guy, but LeBron is too smart. He's too much of a businessman. I think he made. He let everybody know Luka is the target. You think I'm nuts.

[Marcus Thompson]

I don't. I just wonder how you keep that quiet, because one thing Brian hasn't been great at is keeping all this stuff quiet. So I. Occam's razor come into play. What's more likely, that LeBron pulled this from behind the screen, which I'm not saying is off the table, or Nico Harrison was like, I got the moves. That's gonna make me a legend. I don't know. They're both kind of wild. We. Did he really just do this, though? Did Nico just decide, you know what? I'm gonna call Rob Pelinka. We're gonna make this happen?

[Colin Cowherd]

No, I don't.

[Marcus Thompson]

That's almost as crazy.

[Colin Cowherd]

Well, so I had this discussion two nights ago at dinner with a friend. I said, you know, the star players in the last cba, they're getting, like, outrageous money, and I have no problem with it, but they're making significantly more than Patrick Mahomes. And I think it's different. I think billionaires have no problem writing $40 million annual checks. But, Marcus, when that check is 75 million annually. Okay, I'm looking at everything.

[Marcus Thompson]

I'm looking 350. Yeah.

[Colin Cowherd]

I'm looking at everything. I'm looking at your injuries, I'm looking at your. As a teammate. Can I ask some things in the beverage choices? Yep. And I think. I think that ownership group said this is back to back camps. He's missed. He's been hurt since Christmas. He's doesn't always do. He leaves the minute the season's over. He doesn't do much off season. I think ownership made it clear we're not sure if we're going to 350 large on this.

[Marcus Thompson]

Yeah. Very clear, though. Right? Because I don't think if they weren't thinking that way, Nico couldn't do it. Right. They had to be thinking that way.

[Colin Cowherd]

Right.

[Marcus Thompson]

The question is, like, the same investigation they do for, like, to see if he's worth the 75 million a year. That investigation might at some point tell them, yeah, he might actually be worth it still. Right. Like, did their investigation not include this part? Like, hey, I wonder if we're going to have to give money back for season tickets if we do this.

[Colin Cowherd]

Right?

[Marcus Thompson]

Like, did they stop the investigation at Luca, or did they analyze. Here's what a magnetic NBA superstar bring. The value they bring to a franchise, and they decided it was less than 350. What? Lucas, what is Luca worth to the Mavs? Like, that's the part I don't understand. I agree with you. They're probably like, yeah, 350 is a lot. Like, that might be too much. But, like, if you analyze Steph Curry, like, what's his value?

[Colin Cowherd]

Oh, God.

[Marcus Thompson]

To the worst. Like you said, like, that's the part of, like, Luca is 25. You got him 10 more years. What's the value?

[Colin Cowherd]

Also, though Steph is a domestic product, Steph has multiple titles. He's incredibly likable, Mr. Community.

[Marcus Thompson]

He is a perfect face of franchise. Absolutely.

[Colin Cowherd]

And whereas Lucas, you know, little international hookah bars, loves his beverages, leaves the city the minute the season's over. Like, there's. And by the way, really not in great shape. Although I'll say this, he looks better in the last 10 days than he did in Dallas. I mean, he looks. He's gotten tighter. It's the LA lifestyle.

[Marcus Thompson]

Yeah. And the shape thing is not nothing because they didn't win a championship. Part partly because of it.

[Colin Cowherd]

Yeah.

[Marcus Thompson]

He was like.

[Colin Cowherd]

He was. He was gassed at the end.

[Marcus Thompson]

He was done.

[Colin Cowherd]

He was done.

[Marcus Thompson]

He was done. Yeah, absolutely. So that's not. So to, like, I understand that. To say, hey, you got. We got to the finals, and part of the reason we didn't win is because our best player was done. And the response to that is, I'm still not gonna get in shape. That's probably a little bit troubling because the guys we know who are in the position Luca is, if that happens, they're coming back in shape. They're like, I'm never feeling that again. Right. Like, we're going to work out like crazy, and I'm coming back. You know, you guys that question me about pens, that's how much shape I'm gonna be in after getting sunned by Jaylen Brown in the NBA finals. Right. So the fact that his response was to be the same guy, I could see that being troubling still, Colin, like, he's Luca. Like, at some point, the receipts just gotta matter more.

[Colin Cowherd]

I said, I said I wouldn't have made the deal. But if you get, if you, if you would have been able to corral three first round picks AD and Austin Reeves, then I wouldn't have done it. But I'd sleep on that.

[Marcus Thompson]

Considering a bigger bounty. Yes.

[Colin Cowherd]

Three first AD in Austin Reaves because Austin then can be a number two play initiator to Kyrie Irving. So Kyrie doesn't have to do every. That to me is such a just, it's just bad strategy. Spencer Dinwiddie's not going to be able to do that in a regular basis. So if I were to get another, I mean Austin's average in 18 a game, he can play, he can, he can be a playmaker. Three first and the best defensive player arguably in league. I sleep on that. And again, I wouldn't sleep on it. If Luka was in great shape and Luca didn't have back to back calf injuries and miss camp, then I don't. But there you have to. You get to 75 million annually. I'm going to consider ankle turns like everything.

[Marcus Thompson]

Like I really need to see what's under your fingernails at that point. No, I'm with you. The bounce bouncy. A better bounty would make this a little bit more palatable. No question.

[American Express Voice]

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[Mark Wahlberg]

Hey guys, Mark Wahlberg here. You've heard me say it before, but I'm going to say it again. You guys have to check out Hallow. This Lent, we are doing something really powerful. It's a 40 day prayer challenge for every day of Lent with Jonathan, Roomie, Father Mike Schmitz, and of course, yours truly. We are going through the incredible book the Way by St. Jose Maria Escriva. And I, along with my buddy Chris Pratt, will lead us through weekly fasting challenges. Join me and millions of others around the world praying every day this Lent. Stay prayed up and God bless you.

[Julie Stewart-Banks]

It's Julie Stewart Banks. I'm doing a new podcast from Iheart Podcasts and the National Hockey League and I'm paired up with one of my favorite players, the always quotable Nate Thompson.

[Nate Thompson]

I wore nine NHL sweaters, and I have story after story to share. And believe it or not, I have plenty to say, and not just about hockey.

[Julie Stewart-Banks]

Believe me, he does. Energy Line with Nate and JSB is the name of the podcast, and it's going to be, well, it's going to be quite the ride. We're officially linemates, Nate. We're the energy line.

[Nate Thompson]

We'll have plenty of folks join us, Current players, some of my former teammates, hall of Famers. And wait till you see some of the connections that Julie has. She has quite the Rolodex.

[Julie Stewart-Banks]

Okay. Today we'll lean into Nate's playing experience and tap into our interests away from hockey and try to do what energy lines are supposed to do, provide an emotional boost. How do you feel about all that, Nate?

[Nate Thompson]

I'm vibing, Julie. I'm ready to roll.

[Julie Stewart-Banks]

Listen to Energy Line with Nate and JSB on the iHeartRadio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts.

[Colin Cowherd]

So the Lakers go into a really rough sled that they play. I think it's the Knicks. This airs tomorrow morning. They go up against the Knicks, the Celtics, the Bucks, a lot of road games, Denver. It's a rough sled. What's it look like for the warriors going forward? Where are their challenges?

[Marcus Thompson]

They're pretty. They're actually in a pretty good place from a schedule perspective. They got Brooklyn. They probably assuming they beat Brooklyn, but just assume they beat Brooklyn. They come home for a long, like, home stand. I mean, they get Milwaukee at home. They got two games left against the Lakers, but they're done with Boston. They're done with Cleveland. They're done with the teams that give them problems. So they've got. They're sitting actually kind of pretty. They get Toronto and Phoenix. Their schedule is very doable. Like, it's very it. They're in a good place. Like, they're not like cupcake games. There's not a lot of Charlottes, but it's a lot of those teams. They should beat the Sacramentos. Right? The. The San Antonio.

[Colin Cowherd]

What did you make in New York watching them? What do you make of the Knicks?

[Marcus Thompson]

Knicks are. Knicks are just disappointing, man. I. I'm. I'm g. Give a pass because Towns was not there. But for a team that can't shoot threes, they sure jack a lot. But I don't like their will at the end. And I wonder. I wonder if Tibo has worn them down. Yeah, they, they, they. Their will on the defensive end has its limit.

[Colin Cowherd]

It can't just be Hartenstein. They're just not as good.

[Marcus Thompson]

Yeah, yeah, you can, you can break them defensively and that's, that's going to be troubling. Now again, playoff basketball is different. It's half court to half court. It's matchup based. But I'm wondering, what are their legs like? Like what, what is, what is their psyche like after? What is this year three, year four of TIBs and I don't know, it was like, it's G Santos. It was, gee, Santos cooking. Like, we're not talking about, like Steph was cool, like Jimmy Butler was okay, but they're getting outworked by guys who should be in the G League. Their will just breaks sometimes. Like if you watch the Knicks, they just, they just decide to give up. And then it's like Brunson, go save us. So I don't, I mean, obviously Boston and Cleveland are at the top, but I tell you this, if I'm New York, I don't want them Pistons in the first round. I'll tell you that much. You know, you don't want to see the Pistons in the first round. That, that young, hungry team full of athletes who. Willing to fight. Yeah. Nah, I don't know if they have the will. So again, they didn't have Town, so that's something. But I'm, I'm, I'm, I'm worried about the Knicks team. I'm not quite Stephen A. Smith level worried, but I'm worried about the next.

[Colin Cowherd]

Well, I've watched them play Boston twice and I've watched one of the Cleveland games and they attack Carl Anthony Towns in the pick and roll. I mean, they just attack.

[Marcus Thompson]

I don't know. Towns is not going to solve this problem in the playoffs. No, he might, they might be able to score more, which will help you against some teams.

[Colin Cowherd]

Yeah, he's down.

[Marcus Thompson]

No, he's great. Yeah, no question. He'll, he'll, he'll go out and get you some buckets in the playoffs and he'll, he'll create some moments. But like this team, you know, if they get either Boston or Cleveland in the second round, I just don't know. They have to get one of them. They have to get one of them, right?

[Colin Cowherd]

Yeah, they just don't match. I. Cleveland is so efficient. Cleveland and Boston are the two best teams in the league. They can defend the rim, they can defend the perimeter. They've got scoring guards, they've got scoring wings. They're both efficient backups who could score.

[Marcus Thompson]

Yeah.

[Colin Cowherd]

Yeah. It's. I always say if Derrick White is at some nights the fifth best player on your team, that is a. That there. It's almost like they, you know, with the new taxes and the new ceilings and the. The way it works in the NBA.

[Marcus Thompson]

Second aprons.

[Colin Cowherd]

All the second apron shit. It's like Boston for about two years, beat it. They've got a roster that you couldn't build right now, but they. They kind of grandfathered it in and they just got too many good players.

[Marcus Thompson]

Yeah. And Cleveland, man, that DeAndre Hunter trade was, like, unfair. They were already really good. They just got another. And that's the thing about all these guys. Like, they. You got to be able to guard wings. And you look like you just listed like, four people on Boston who could guard wings. Cleveland just added another guy. They've got guys who can guard wings. That to me, is going to be like, I'm not putting Oklahoma City in there yet because I want to see them in the playoffs. Guard wings or guard the explosive point guard. Like, they've got the bodies. They got the. The. The. The stats right. They rank pretty well defensively. Playoffs are different monsters.

[Colin Cowherd]

Yeah.

[Marcus Thompson]

It's just different. Yeah.

[Colin Cowherd]

And this Cleveland team, you've had Donovan Mitchell and Evan Mobley, you know, last year they kind of disappointed us. Oklahoma City feels like Cleveland last year, really impressive, but not quite ready to go on the road and give you a plus plus stuff from. From role players on the road. I think Cleveland's ready to do that now. Mobley just. Mobley's better every year.

[Marcus Thompson]

Yeah. And. And again, they've added the upgrade pieces, too. Like, they didn't just run it back with the same team. And that's. That's what we're going to see about okc. Maybe Shay is just that good where he figured it out. Like, he felt it. They lost to Dallas. They went to work and got better. Maybe he's enough and Jalen Williams is enough next to him. I just want to see it first because experience matters a lot, man. It just. The playoffs are a different monster. Like, if they get Jokic, I love Chet Holgren. What is he doing with Nicola Jokic? Like, that's. That's just gonna be a tough. Like, you have to fight. You got to fight out of that series. You know, Jamal Murray shows up, it's over. You don't always show up, but when he does, it's pretty good. Right? So that. And. And Russ, you, like, you. You have to fight to get out the West. So I'm curious about how the kind of fight Oklahoma City have. If they got it, they should, they should be in the Finals. If not, it's gonna be a long off season for Sam Presley because he's got like a bounty of stuff that. It's like, hey, at some point you probably need to cash in all these assets you're so famous for and get something right. Go, go, go get Giannis. Then if, if he can't win, like, go do something with all that. Yeah, that's who, that's where Lucas should be. I'm like, hey, give me all that stuff for Luca.

[Colin Cowherd]

That's right.

[Marcus Thompson]

That's what I'm. He should be in Oklahoma City with my seven picks, three young players and defensive stoppers and all that, that like that. If, if they got a win. Otherwise Sam Preston needs to go ahead and cash in that winning ticket he's got or the winning tickets.

[Colin Cowherd]

Well, I mean, every other NBA draft is, you know, fairly talentless. This past draft, it just, there's not a lot there. So like you can have all these draft picks, but what you have to do is when you get that every third draft, when it's really deep, you got to go all in. And then, then, I mean, I couldn't tell you the last time we had great back to back drafts. That's just not the way it works anymore. You get like a good one, a bad one, a moderate one, a good one. So I think, okay, I think Presti's sharp. You know, it's. I worry about Holmgren long term as body, but they, they got waves of players.

[Marcus Thompson]

You want to see Katie back there?

[Colin Cowherd]

It's interesting, J. Mac on my show today, I. I don't know if it's a very attractive place for kd, but I will say this. I don't know his relationship with Presti. If you're asking me if there's a dude that works, it's Oklahoma City and kd because he, he doesn't need the ball. You can, he is catch and shoot and SGA needs the ball. So, yeah, I mean, I'd cash in a lot of chips. That's. That'd be a two year experiment. But Jesus, him, Holmgren, SGA Williams. Jesus. That. That is a lot of buckets.

[Marcus Thompson]

That's a lot of buckets. A lot of thin buckets too.

[Colin Cowherd]

Marcus Thompson, great seeing you, man. Love seeing you.

[Marcus Thompson]

Likewise. Likewise. This is hard out here in these streets. I got my new assignment. I'm covering figure skating world championships.

[Colin Cowherd]

For who?

[Marcus Thompson]

Let's go for the athletic.

[Colin Cowherd]

You are.

[Marcus Thompson]

I'm a. I am an accomplished Olympic writer now, Colin. I was in Paris covering track and field and now I'm going figure skating. Can you imagine me at the figure skating? I'm in this thing. I'm out here, college.

[Colin Cowherd]

Wow. Good for you. Well, you're a great writer, so you got the ability to do different. Different things.

[Marcus Thompson]

I'm taking advantage of it now. I'm looking forward to this. So. Yeah, yeah, let's go. Next time we're going to talk about the quad God in advance of the winter.

[Colin Cowherd]

I can't promise you that. For the athletic, the very talented Marcus Thompson. Thanks, buddy.

[Marcus Thompson]

Thanks for having me. My guy.

[Colin Cowherd]

The volume.

[Nikki Glaser]

This is Nikki Glaser from the Nikki Glaser podcast. On a more serious note, I'm still thinking about that commercial with Tom Brady and Snoop Dogg hating on each other. Because when you listen to the reasons for hating someone or something, you realize just how stupid they really are. There is too much hate in this country and it's gotta stop. So join us at iheart and standing up to it. If you see hate, speak up, call it out and you can learn more by following. Hat's upwithhate.

[Mark Wahlberg]

Hey, guys, Mark Wahlberg here. You've heard me say it before, but I'm gonna say it again. You guys have to check out hallow. This Lent, we are doing something really powerful. It's a 40 day prayer challenge for every day of Lent with Jonathan Roumie, Father Mike Schmitz, and of course, yours truly. We are going through the incredible book the Way by St. Jose Maria Escriva. And I, along with my buddy Chris Pratt, will lead us through weekly fasting challenges. Join me and millions of others around the world praying every day this Lent. Stay prayed up and God bless you.

[Julie Stewart-Banks]

What's up, everyone? Julie Swearbinks here along with former NHL player Nate Thompson.

[Nate Thompson]

We're doing a new podcast together. Here we go.

[Julie Stewart-Banks]

The name Energy Line with Nate and jsb.

[Nate Thompson]

Each week we'll get together and talk about hockey life. All topics are fair game, right?

[Julie Stewart-Banks]

Exactly. And you'll never know who will drop by to join us.

[Nate Thompson]

Julie is pretty well connected. She has text threads going that you wouldn't believe.

[Julie Stewart-Banks]

Listen to energy line with Nate and JSB on the iHeartRadio app, Apple Podcasts or wherever you get your podcasts.

[Part Time Genius Hosts]

Hey, Will, do you ever get overwhelmed by how much science happens these days?

Constantly. I'm like, ah, there's so much science. I can't keep track of it all.

Then it's a good thing. Our podcast Part Time Genius is counting down the 25 greatest science ideas from the past 25 years.

That's right, Mango. We're talking animals in a paper called.

Chickens Prefer Beautiful Humans. This was actually the title of the paper. They all discovered that much like humans, chickens are attracted to symmetrical faces.

[Nate Thompson]

Got it.

[Part Time Genius Hosts]

We're talking talking medical miracles.

He's an endocrinologist who found a way to stimulate insulin producing cells using, wait for it, the saliva of a Gila monster.

There's no way to make that not sound crazy.

We even talked to some of the experts behind these breakthroughs. It's a week full of fact packed stories you won't want to miss. So listen to the Part Time Genius countdown of the 25 greatest science ideas of the past 25 years starting Monday, March 3rd on the iHeartRadio app, Apple Podcasts or wherever you get your podcasts.