← The Herd with Colin Cowherd
The Herd with Colin Cowherd
Colin Cowherd Podcast Prime Cuts - NFL Free Agency Breakdown, Bam’s Historic 83, Chiefs Land Super Bowl MVP, Lakers BIG Problem
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- [00:00]
Colin Cowherd
This is an iHeart podcast.
- [00:02]
Jason McIntyre
Guaranteed Human today's podcast brought to you by Ferguson Home where it all comes together Whether you're a homeowner working on a remodel or a pro managing multiple projects, Ferguson Home is where great ideas become stunning spaces. Ferguson Home is designed for the way you want to shop. Experience today's top products by top brands like LG firsthand by visiting a Ferguson Home showroom where you'll explore stunning displays featuring today's latest products and innovations. Or browse their extended selection of products online@FergusonHome.com hey, this is Lavar Arrington here
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Lavar Arrington
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- [01:41]
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Jason McIntyre
show is brought to you by our presenting sponsor, American Beverage. If you think about some of the most iconic drinks in the country, the ones you grab at a barbecue, the ones you raise to celebrate your team, that have been part of your story for decades, Coke, Dr. Pepper, Pepsi, there's something people don't always think about. The companies behind those brands are still making their drinks right here in the US While there's a lot of talk about bringing manufacturing back, America's beverage companies never left. They're American companies making American products with American workers in America's hometown. So 275,000 men and women across all 50 states. Real jobs, good paying jobs, the kind of jobs you can raise a family on. So more than 100 years, those brands have been part of everyday lives and they're still here, still investing, still operating in communities around the country. So if you care about strong local economies and companies that walk the walk, check out the good work and what they're doing@wedeliverica.org. Well, the day didn't start well. I backed out. I had Monday off because the World Baseball Classic. I backed out of the garage. The door wasn't all the way open and I rammed it with Anne's car. So that was just not good for me. That was not. And we're going on vacation Saturday, so I got to make amends really quickly.
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Colin Cowherd
Did it, did the garage door follow you or did the car get the worst of it or what happened there?
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Jason McIntyre
Yeah, well, the garage door stopped working and the car got dinged up. So it was, it was terrible. So I said, all right, I'll go walk the dogs and, and watch some NFL free agency. So I've made peace with it. Ann had to go with her sister downtown Chicago, so she had to cool off. All right, let's start with this, okay? I know he only has six starts. NFL free agency. Malik Willis, 22 million a year, three year deal with the Dolphins. He is not Tua. Stop saying that. He's a real athlete with a better arm. He's got a much better arm than Tua. And he's really, really athletic. I know he's young. I like him. John, I've said this for years. I don't know anything about music other than I like it. I can watch these musical shows. I can tell in 30 seconds if somebody has lounge act or you could sign them to a record deal. And I don't know anything about music. I know A little about football. When I watch that kid's escapability arm, he's got, I mean, he's got. Again, it's the, it's Green Bay. So he was well coached. But there were Packer fans saying they thought he was as good or better than Jordan Love. I think the Dolphins went and found a very interesting player at quarterback.
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Colin Cowherd
Well, the other thing is the people that just signed him know him.
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Reggie Miller
You it's.
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Colin Cowherd
And it's not the offensive coach, the defensive coordinator that went against him forever. Because you know, in the NFL when you're the backup quarterback, you run the, you know, you run the scout team, you service the defense. So Jeff Halfley had a front row seat for two years and the general manager, who was the right hand guy for Gudikens. Same thing, right? From an evaluation standpoint, do you remember a guy improving this much, this fast? Because remember with Tennessee he was pretty bad. Like he was unplayable. And then last year when he had to play, he was basically just a running quarterback when the floor remember because he got hurt in week one in Brazil. Loved it. And then he had to play and they started winning, like, okay, there's at least something there. I gave Leflore a lot of credit this year. To me, with his arm was fantastic because he proved two things. One, he could come out of the bullpen. So he played in a game when Love got hurt against the Bears that he was not planning on playing. And then, let's face it, Love was kind of hit or miss this year in that game. He was fantastic in the cold weather, which is a big knock on Tua and a big knock on the Miami Dolphins. Can't play in cold weather. Well, why is that the case? Usually when you have a pea shooter arm, what doesn't pierce the cold in the wind? Weak arm strength. Look at the great quarterbacks. You know, historically in that region. Big Ben, Tom Brady, Peyton Manning and Breeze played in a dome. Rivers played in Southern California. Eli Manning, huge arm. Where'd he play? New York. You know, Donovan McNabb, Michael Vick, Patrick Mahomes. Cold weather quarterbacks burrow somewhat of an outlier. Not a great arm, but he's just, he's like Montana, just a great player. So it kind of translates. But I'm with you. I not only like it, I think it's an incredible story of just improvement. Clearly he was always a high character, interesting human, but the play was really raw when Tennessee drafted him. But LaFleur deserves a lot of credit because that offensive staff improving the player deserves a lot of credit. Incredible story. I'm with you. I think no brainer for him. Miami to me is more interesting than going to than Arizona. So I like picking the spot and you know, the guys know you and believe in you. So it wouldn't shock me at all if he. I don't think he becomes like a top 78 quarterback but has just a solid career like what we saw last year. There is no disputing he was a really good player in limited action. Really good.
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Jason McIntyre
Yeah. And it should be noted that Sam Darnold and Baker Mayfield, you know, we've seen this before. There's more good offensive coaches, there's more sophisticated schemes. If you're a hardworking kid, you're not gobbling up, you know, too much cap space. Although they have to pay two, offer two years. So I think we both like it. All right, here's another one. Mike Evans to the 49ers. So he is a big red zone target. They have been hit and miss on receivers. I thought they over played their hand on Debo. He was good, briefly got hurt, moved him. Iuke's a disaster. Ricky Pearsall's solid, not great, but you know, late first round pick. Mike Evans, red zone guy. Kittle McCaffrey, Trent Williams. It's again older player picks up the playbook with Kyle Shanahan quickley a playmaker. It feels like Kyle Shanahan doesn't have a ton of patience with young players. He likes guys. I mean, it feels like to me he likes veteran players. So Mike Evans to the Niners again. This gives Brock Purdy another weapon. Feels like it works to me.
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Colin Cowherd
Yeah, fits their kind of mold. High character, high level guy, very productive. You know, fred Warner, Christian McCaffrey, like that type, human slash player. Ricky Pierce hall is a good player, just can't stay on the field. And Juwan Jennings is going to get a lot of money. So the IU thing blew up in their face. Yeah, I mean they have a major question mark at the wide receiver position. And the other thing is the Rams are loading up on their defensive backfield. So I think the 49ers had to do something offensively because you saw in those last couple games against Seattle, obviously Kittle went down in the second game, but they just had no firepower. And the one thing you have to do, the Rams prove this. If you have some firepower, this is not 1987. The rules are on your side as an offensive coach. But they were rolling out practice squad level guys so you get Mike Evans, a future hall of Famer. Love that move. Doesn't shock me at all. I mean, the 49ers at this point in time haven't been that active the last couple years in free agency. But that's. That's a Kyle Shanahan type guy for sure.
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Jason McIntyre
Yeah, I mean, it's. Listen that the entire team gets nicked up. I mean, there's been stories about some right next to their practice facility.
- [10:12]
Colin Cowherd
Substation.
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Jason McIntyre
There's a substation which weakens tissues. I don't know if it's true, but to me he feels so 49ers. All right, let me throw another one at you. We talked about this yesterday. Tyler Lindebaum. I'm not sure why Baltimore didn't sign him. Probably because they have a Lamar contract. Renegotiation coming up. Renegotiation coming up. Max Crosby is expensive. Kyle Hamilton. Outside of Creed Humphrey of the Chiefs, there's an argument Tyler Linderbaum is the best center in football. I thought they were going to resign him. He was a first round pick out of Iowa. Tough, smart, durable, doesn't miss a lot of starts. I love. This is an A plus move to me by the Raiders because this is what Ben Johnson did with the Bears. You know, they went drafted JPJ out of Oregon last year. He's more of a guard. He was a center in college. He's more of a guard. Then they bring in a Pro bowl center for Fernando Mendoza. Now their offense, basically, they'll probably. They have so many picks. They'll probably get a receiver in the second or third round. They'll also probably draft a right tackle fourth, fifth round. I love this. To me, this is my favorite signing so far in free agency.
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Colin Cowherd
Well, look at all the good teams, right? The Ravens for the last four years have had one of the best centers. The Chiefs have one of the best centers. The Bills just paid their center. Like, I mean, center kind of matters, especially when you have a young quarterback. And I think if you're a Raider fan, you look at it go. We essentially traded max Crosby for two first round picks, one being 14 and a center who's one of the better centers in the league. I just looked. He hasn't missed a snap really in the last two years. So this is a very durable classic like Midwest center. Right. The other thing is, I would say this for the Raven standpoint. He was banged up last year, but the previous two years, when you factor in the center obviously was an excellent player and likely who accounted for 11 touchdowns in 23 and 24 was very productive in their two playoff or their two playoff runs those two years. Like he's not Kelsey or Kittle or anything, but he was a unique player for them and made huge plays. Even the play that led to the miss field goal against Pittsburgh on that Sunday night game. Who made the crazy catch? Isaiah Likely. How many teams have a six six guy? I mean he kind of plays like a little Darren Waller basketball player, elite athlete. You just, you don't need to be that accurate. Just throw him a 50, 50 ball because it's not a 50, 50 ball. So there are some injury concerns. He's not the most durable player. He is a unique player though. So you tell me the Ravens on offense with this 29 year old aging quarterback, new offensive coordinator lose their, you know, kind of just stalwart guy at center and this unique chess piece with Likely, you know, Henry still got something in the tank, but he's a little older. Zay Flowers isn't exactly Jerry Rice good player, but I mean their offense has some question marks, assuming their defense will improve, which it will. But I don't know. That's, that's to me something to keep an eye on with the Ravens who are clearly trying. You know, we talked about this last night, right. Super bowl or bust. I mean, making it to the Super Bowl. They're in this little couple year window now of them and the Bills. There's no, well, we made the playoffs. That's not really their standard in their organization now.
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Jason McIntyre
Rashawn Gary to Dallas Rusher off the edge. I mean, listen, Quinn and Williams, Kenny Clark and the trade for Micah Parsons, Rashawn Gary, it allows them to go get a corner and maybe a Caleb Downs in the draft in the first round. I mean that's what it feels like to me is that they're, they're going to buy, you know, they're going to spend money defensively up front. They don't want to wait for developing players. Jerry Jones is getting older, Dax getting older. So they're going to go buy veteran players up front, which they have, and then they're going to draft on the back end. I still think they're going to draft defensive players with their picks in the first round.
- [14:06]
Colin Cowherd
Yeah, I think clearly there's going to be a good defensive back there with their first pick, which is, what is it, 13. Like they're going to get Caleb Downs. Definitely there's a chance he's there when
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Jason McIntyre
you factor in one of the two best corners.
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Colin Cowherd
Yeah, so they're going to get and I think at pick 20 gives them a little leeway of just they can take a great player, right. Who doesn't have to be a position of need. Say this about the Cowboys. They've. They've drafted pretty well, especially in the first round from Zach Martin. You know, Zeke was really good. Obviously CD Lamb, like Tyler Smith has
- [14:37]
Jason McIntyre
become a good player.
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Colin Cowherd
Tyler, all their offensive linemen have become, you know, starters for their team. So I. One thing you'd say about Jerry in the front office operation, Jerry's not the guy breaking down seven games on every player right now. He's the guy front and center when the press conference comes. But they have a really good scouting staff. So I, I think the Cowboys, I was just texting somebody. I think the Giants, this NFC east, you know, the Eagles, they lose Jalen Phillips. Their pass rush when they won the Super Bowl a couple years ago was like historically great. I think they had four guys get double digit sacks. Well since then Brandon Graham retired, came back, probably retire again. Fletcher Cox is gone. Obviously sweat is now on the Cardinals. They have this Jalen Carter situation who is an elite talent, but they are very uncomfortable paying him 40, 45 million dollars. That's so it's like now you look at the Giants who have some stability. The Cowboys offensively have been fantastic. Schottenheimer proved like he's a pretty good offensive play call. If their defense is just solid, they're going to be a pretty interesting team. So you got to have the Giants and the Cowboys like that division is going to be to me dramatically more competitive than I would say it's been over the last 10 years when it's basically just been the Eagles or those couple of years with McCarthy when the Cowboys were pretty loaded. But now the Commanders. I think Commanders still have a lot of question marks. I think they clearly wanted Linderbaum. But what did the Raiders have? No state income tax could offer a huge amount of money. You just have a fresh slate here come you get to be the team captain. So the Commanders had cut their center. He's now on the Chargers. I'm sure they wanted Linder Bomb. They don't have that. The roster is kind of old to begin with. So the Eagles just got a lot of moving parts now. They still got a lot of talents and talent in the NFL matters. But man, I. There's just that that division to me has gotten a lot more interesting in the last couple months.
- [16:25]
Jason McIntyre
I would say Kenneth Walker from Seattle to Kansas City again, he's great after contact gets dinged up. But they have no juice. They're losing backs to free agency. They have no juice in the backfield. I also thought this made sense because they don't have a ton of draft picks, but it allows them. Now, their first pick could be the right tackle, Fano from Utah. They need a corner for McDuffie. They need an edge rusher. They have three big needs now with Kenneth Walker. They'll probably draft another running back later in the draft. It's not a good running back draft. So, I mean, to me, Kenneth Walker is more valuable. This sounds weird to say as a Super bowl mvp, but I think because of Charbonnet with the Seahawks as a backup, they have another couple backs in Seattle that are, you know, spot players. They don't play a ton of. But I think Kenneth Walker to the Chiefs feels incredibly valuable. And with Seattle, not that he was disposable, but they have such a stacked roster. It feels like if they. If they drafted another running back in the fourth round, one of the. A Penn State running back in the third round, you're like, they're fine. I think Kansas City had to do this.
- [17:29]
Colin Cowherd
Yeah, I don't think they had a choice either. I think it's pretty clear to them, too. I don't think they would have taken Jeremiah Love. But at this point in time, you're weighing all your options. I think they understand that that wasn't even going to be an option at pick nine. So you go, quote, unquote, overpay. I mean, they gave him a substantial amount of money. Three years, $45 million, almost guaranteed them 30. Remember a couple of years ago, that was essentially what Howie Roseman gave Saquon Barkley. So these running backs, they've been on zoom calls, always bitching and moaning. They don't get any money. Like, business has been a lot better the last couple of years. You know, the money has gravitated toward them. Listen, the Chiefs, they weren't going to let Baltimore and Buffalo have all the fun like Andy Reid. They don't plan on. I know a lot of people talk about this. I'll just have an off year and they ain't mailing anything in. Their game plan is Mahomes starting week one, they plan on winning. They get a plug and play running back. Now, one thing that he's going to have to prove he can do, Andy likes throwing the ball to the back, right? Shady McCoy, Brian Westbrook, Jamal Charles. When he first got the cancer, that's all Walker does. So it's like now, now, could they maybe want to adapt a little bit, to take some pressure. Who they bring back?
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Reggie Miller
Eric B.
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Colin Cowherd
Enemy. What's he, a running back guy? Right. So maybe they want to take a little pressure off coming off an injury, right? Coming off an ACL, they're not going to want him to throw 40, 50 times a game like he did earlier in his career. So could they maybe try to lean on Kenneth Walker a little bit more? Now that would be very opposite of Andy's history. But listen, what do you talented people in any industry do? They adapt. They change. And he's changed how many times? His offense. His offense now, ask anyone, is dramatically different than it was 10 years ago, 20 years ago. So what if you tell everyone? I don't think many people in the league would believe you. They're a rushing team this year, right? They got a good guard, they got a good center, they got a young stud left tackle like you said. What if they draft a right tackle? And if they go, you know what, why don't we do some Kyle Shanahan and just run the ball, take a little pressure off our quarterback, build up our young defense with our stud coordinator. So what if the Chiefs are their game plan this, this year is to be one of the better rushing teams. Look at, you know, the Bills with, with Cook. Now Cook's a better player than Walker, but what if the Chiefs are about to throw a little curveball here and become a running offense?
- [19:45]
Jason McIntyre
Do you think Travis Kelsey signs with them or somebody else?
- [19:48]
Colin Cowherd
Well, I thought he was going to go to the Giants and then they signed. Likely that's not happening. I mean, by all accounts, maybe there just is a tie that I undervalue a little bit. This is a unique player with a unique connection to Andy and the Chiefs and for the right price. I mean, at this point in time, he's. He's so wealthy on and off the field that maybe he's just cool with like, hey man, I, I understand. I'm not a $15 million a year player anymore. Could we go like 5 and incentivize that up if I give you 10 touchdowns? But this is where I want to be. These are my people, which, which I value. I think I do understand from a player standpoint of seeing some, you know, Kobe Bryant types like, this is the only franchise I ever played with, even though historically that's not really how the NFL works. So I am a little surprised if it, if it does work out. But I think the reason that we haven't seen it yet is the Chiefs aren't just going to, well, Travis, here's the check. You fill it in like those days are kind of over because he wasn't great last year, Colin. I mean, the drops, he definitely looked his age. Right. I think you got to be very careful. And Andy has been over the course of his career of kind of, you know, separating the emotional connection to the human in the past.
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Jason McIntyre
Right.
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Colin Cowherd
But this might just be a really tough one given that, I mean, Andy says I might owe some Super Bowls to this guy. Right. I mean, he's. So I do listen, we're all human beings. So I. This is probably really tough internally for Veech and Andy. This is most players, they'd say, hey, see you, Godspeed, good luck, get what you can. Because this is, this is a little abnormal to what good teams do in the NFL. Right. But maybe there is just a connection that unless you really in that building with these guys every day that I even undervalue from the outside.
- [21:34]
Jason McIntyre
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- [22:46]
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- [23:14]
Jason McIntyre
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- [25:11]
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- [26:23]
Jason McIntyre
So I defended Bam out of Bayou in the I heard and here here's what my two things is. First of all, if John Morant scored 83, far less of a player than Bam on a bayou. Not even the same stratosphere. Bam's just bigger, more mature, more reliable, two time Olympian, five time all defense. But if Ja Morant scored 83, people would celebrate it because he's cool. Aesthetically, he's appealing. It would look cool. There'd be at least like four unbelievable spinning plays. Bam scores 83 and it's like what, my neighbor and waste management has a nicer house than I do?
- [27:08]
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- [27:08]
Jason McIntyre
I don't like this at all. Be one thing if it was Ben Affleck. It's like, you know, I tend to think in the NBA style matters. And I think it's off putting for Bam to shoot 43 free throws when he averages five. And I mean Kobe Bryant stayed in a game against an awful Raptors team and scored in the last four and a half minutes 11 points in a route. He was in the 70s. He was high 60s, 70s and he just kept going and people celebrated it. There was no pushback. I mean in the fourth quarter he's one of only the one of the only Lakers that took a shot. He was like he shot like 14 of the 17 shot and nobody batted an eye. But Bam does it. And I think, I just don't think stylistically we feel like he's the guy that should do it. So that's why, that's why I defended him.
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Reggie Miller
Could not disagree more. I don't personally think it has much to do with Bam or his style. I definitely think it has some to do with Kobe. But you brought up Kobe. Let's just go back to the 81. It, it became a blowout but I just pulled it up so I have it exactly correct. They were down seven after the first. They were down 14 at half and they were up six going into the fourth quarter. That game, that game was a real game. Now was Kobe going for the record? Yes. What, did Kobe take all of the shots late? No doubt about it. But Kobe did that all the time. Like Kobe could be a bit of a ball hog. I mean that was literally at one point in the fourth quarter, a six point game. I think that Bam is a great story. A very, very, very good player. All star Olympian. He worshiped Kobe Bryant. He clearly has friends in the league, respect in the league. I mean, Durant came out and supported him immediately. Giannis LeBron, he's, he's a well liked pros pro who's one of the best defensive players of his era. I thought it was cool that Asia Wilson was there. I have a group chat of people who like really care about the NBA. And Bam having 43 at halftime hit the group chat. My wife was out to dinner. I was watching Wemby against the Celtics. So when Bam has 43 at halftime, I'm like, oh, that's interesting. I'll throw it on the second TV on the League Pass. Then Bam has over 60 through three and I'm like, okay, something's clearly happening here. What's main TV it with volume. Jalen Brown had been ejected by this point from the Celtics. Let's flip this the screen situation. And I'm going to lock in on this. So I did not watch like highlights of it or box score it. I watched the second half of that basketball game. Sometimes the story is the record. And I know it's not the Wilts is the record, but it's the modern scoring record. Sometimes the story is the record, other times the story is how you got the record, how Michael Strahan got the single season sack record. It became more about how we got it than the record. Doesn't mean he wasn't a great player, doesn't mean it wasn't a great season. But getting the last one against Favre, when Favre laid down, you're like, that doesn't sit right, doesn't look right. Don't love it. When David Robinson won the scoring title over Shaq, the Clippers sat all the starters. After five minutes, he was clearly gunning for it. He got 71. We don't talk about it as an all time great scoring accomplishment. We talk about it as kind of game, the system a little bit. But okay, he's the scoring champion. The last six or seven minutes of that basketball game last night, it was just not basketball. They are intentionally fouling to maximize possessions up 25 in the fourth quarter against the Wizards. Spoelstra.
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Jason McIntyre
Yeah, it's doctored.
- [31:10]
Reggie Miller
Spoelstra is challenging offensive fouls on Bam. On a charge with four minutes left in a 20 point game to try to get him extra free throws. His teammates are intentionally missing free throws to try to get him extra possessions. Like I have, it was a great game. I have no problem with them going for the record. I have no problem. But when you are manipulating possessions in order to do it and Kobe's, yes, he shot all the shots, but it was at least a competitive game. Minutes into the fourth quarter, it became a blowout because of his dominance. I just, I didn't like how he got the record. It doesn't mean it wasn't an all time great performance. When Klay Thompson scored 62 on 29 minutes, he sat the fourth. When Kobe had 65, I think against the Mavericks and they were blowing him out, he sat the fourth. There's just like there was something about it that just didn't sit right. If you were watching it because he didn't get it by playing real basketball.
- [32:20]
Jason McIntyre
If he'd have scored, he had 62 at the end of three. If he'd, if he'd have ended with 71. And they didn't do that. You're saying if he just scored 68 and didn't do that, it sits much better with.
- [32:31]
Colin Cowherd
Yeah, of course.
- [32:32]
Reggie Miller
I mean we've Booker, Lillard, Luca, they all have 70 point games. Like it's. Scoring is going up, teams are tanking, teams are bad. Like all of those.
- [32:43]
Jason McIntyre
It.
- [32:44]
Reggie Miller
When David Robinson did it, it hadn't happened since David Thompson and there were three guys ever to do it. Then after David Robinson did it, there was a long gap until Kobe did it. Then there's, it's happening more regularly. Like I, I was going back and forth on sound. Tirico and Reggie during the Celtics game are talking about what Bam did and Reggie's like openly opining that someone's going to get 100. And he's, I mean he's, he's right. If what happened last night is immediately celebrated when it's not basketball, like someone's going to get hot. A team is going to decide to game it and go for it. And that guy will be hot from three. Bam took a bunch of threes. He only hit like seven of them. He shot, he shot less than 50% from the floor. So like, and I know people have been in my mentions and comments all day, like all you do, all you Guys do is you just want to complain about basketball. Like, I promise, I love basketball. I was watching two games by myself on a weeknight in the regular season. I love the sport. I just don't like how he got it. And here's a take or a theory that I haven't said publicly. I wanted to save it for you. I think because he. Kobe was his favorite player. I think if he would have him at 81, no complaints. I think if he would have. I think if he would have done it as a tribute to Kobe, it would have been like, oh, my God, how cool. And like, yeah, the Wizards and yeah, they were gunning for it. But there is something about Kobe's 81 in the flow of a game and Bam's 83 when he is being triple teamed and his teammates are passing up layups and they're intentionally fouling guys and challenging calls and missing free throws.
- [34:38]
Jason McIntyre
It.
- [34:39]
Reggie Miller
It wasn't basketball. I have no other way to describe it other than it wasn't basketball. And so I just. I don't want it to take away from Bam because it was cool. But I can't sit here and celebrate it in the same way as Kobe Bryant's.
- [34:54]
Colin Cowherd
I can't.
- [34:55]
Reggie Miller
I can't do it. Reasonable minds can disagree.
- [35:01]
Jason McIntyre
Here's another take I had. I said through LeBron's career, you know, it's. It's almost like I use the example of David Schwimmer on Friends. He could be a mobster in his next 10 roles. To me, he's Ross on Friends. He's been typecast. Yeah, kind of the white, whiny kind of. He was such a strong character on Friends and he played it for so long. That's what. And who he is. And so similarly, LeBron has been typecast. Is that LeBron makes everything work. He and Dwyane Wade were not a perfect fit. Neither was really a great catch and shoot guy. The team had no center or no true point, but they work because of sheer athleticism. He and Kyrie Irving shouldn't have worked. Kyrie needs the ball. Kyrie plays no defense. And yet LeBron made that work. LeBron made Ilgunas Zelgaskas work in Cleveland, got him to a finals. He made him suddenly we talked about this guy as this energy guy without much touch is just unbelievable. Anthony Davis had a label as a soft player, didn't fight through injuries. Not in great shape. Nope. He wins with him too. And it's perfect. So every Matthew Della Vadova, J R Smith was a broken player, everything. For 20 years, LeBron had been typecast. It just works. So then when he plays with Luca, it's like, well, of course this is the easy one and it's the, it's the one that doesn't. Because neither wants to be off ball. Luka's so much better at this point than LeBron is. So LeBron has to play off ball. He's having a bad jump shooting season. And if you play with Luka, you have to be good defensively to cover up his flaws. That's why the one time he went to the finals with Dallas, big, athletic, they acquire that trade deadline. P.J. washington, rim protectors. Suddenly you're like, oh, Lucas stinks on defense. It doesn't matter. He just pushes people to this, then takes off, pushes people, runs them off the three point line. So there's a way to build around bad defensive players. Steph, Kyrie. Well, LeBron never was that. And so there's this belief that LeBron and Luka, it will eventually work. It's over a year in the net rating, the defensive rating, it's atrocious when LeBron and Luka are together. In fact, when Luka and Austin are together, it's fantastic. And nobody wants to hear this. Luka and Austin are great. Luka without Austin and no, LeBron's great. Austin. Just take LeBron out of all the plus minuses, everything works unless you put LeBron in it on the Lakers. And nobody quite knows what to make of it because he's still a very good player.
- [38:08]
Reggie Miller
Yeah, LeBron is still a very good player. It's the Lakers fault in terms of the roster construction because to your point, they were together last year and we've watched LeBron and Luka Long enough. We should know. But I think there's a time when LeBron and Luka could have worked, but not when LeBron's 41. Because I mean, LeBron was first team all defense, I think, 2009 to 2013. Like, he's not, he doesn't have as many. He doesn't have as many.
- [38:45]
Jason McIntyre
Yeah, six times, all in his 20s. But there are no great defensive players in the NBA in their mid-30s. On, they're just not.
- [38:52]
Reggie Miller
And so, so that's the thing. Like there was a point in time when LeBron and Luka obviously could have worked, but it is not when LeBron is in his 40s and everybody should know that. So, you know, they haven't played a ton of minutes together this year, relatively speaking, but we, we want to make them A story because they're good for ratings. It's the lakers. It's celebrity. LeBron matters a lot to the league.
- [39:22]
Jason McIntyre
And, like, it's a good offensive team. They're fun.
- [39:25]
Reggie Miller
Yeah, exactly right?
- [39:27]
Colin Cowherd
And you.
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- [39:28]
Reggie Miller
Like, when they walk onto the court, feels big. Oh, yeah, it feels big. And it's like. And I'll admit, like, I'm like, damn, that's an impressive fight. Like, you know, like, when you.
- [39:40]
Lavar Arrington
Like when they.
- [39:40]
Reggie Miller
When they walk onto the court, you're like, well, on any given night, it feels like they could score 125 points and just. And just outscore you. But the west is too good, and, like, the Thunder are too good defensively, and the Rockets are too good defensively, and the spurs are way too good defensively, and the Wolves are too athletic. Like, they're drawing dead.
- [40:01]
Jason McIntyre
They're.
- [40:01]
Reggie Miller
They're. They are. They are. They'll make the playoffs, and they are drawing dead. But they have so much star power and brand power that people like us almost feel compelled, frankly, to talk about them because it's good for business. But, like, I can't tell you how many times I've seen, like, Lakers contender or pretender. I've been on shows where the question is, like, Lakers, they are not a contender. They're not a contender.
- [40:25]
Jason McIntyre
Nope.
- [40:26]
Reggie Miller
It's. It's very obvious. And, like. And so, like, they're worse with LeBron. Is that LeBron's fault if, like, if he is still very good and he's 41, he's like, well, you. You guys want me to be Scottie Pippen? Like, I'm not that anymore. Like, so I just. I guess it's a criticism of LeBron, but at 41 years old, I don't expect him to be a lockdown defensive player, given that that's never happened in the history of the sport.
- [40:53]
Jason McIntyre
Bears, nine and a half. Is that the easiest bet of the offseason? Bears have added Kobe Bryant, Devin Bush, Bradley, the center. Caleb's going to get better. Second year. They. By the way, they play the NFC south and the AFC east, so, you know they're beating the Dolphins and Jets. Bears, nine and a half.
- [41:19]
Reggie Miller
Listen, I love. I. I love it.
- [41:22]
Jason McIntyre
The.
- [41:23]
Reggie Miller
The regression case is simple. They had seven comeback wins. They led the league in takeaways, and left guard, center, right guard, right tackle, all played over 90% of your snaps. So you're going to have some offensive line injuries, and obviously, the Dolman injury, you already. You've already lost your center out of that equation. So there's going to be, it's going to be a different offensive line even if they're bringing the other, you know, three pieces back. You know, that's, that's the three pronged case for regression is what I just said. Offensive line won't be as healthy as it was. You won't lead the league in takeaways and you're not going to have seven fourth quarter comebacks. But Caleb is going to be better. He's just, he is going to be better.
- [42:06]
Jason McIntyre
And the, well, Colston Loveland and Luther Burton at the end of the year were accelerating. They became like, like, like Colston Loveland became. Is he like the second best tight end?
- [42:16]
Reggie Miller
Correct. And I think so, yeah. I think the Bears have an incredibly high offensive ceiling this year. Like, I think they're going into the year thinking that they can be the best offense in football. Now, probably a third of the league believes that. Dallas believes it. The Rams believe it. The Jaguars believe it. The, you know, the Niners believe it. So I'm not saying, I'm not saying I'm picking them to be the number one offense in football, but like, they absolutely are going to go into the year thinking that they can be. The schedule point that you made is a good one. And that's the, like Caleb's improvement in year two under Ben Johnson, Year three in the league. Like it's the year for the leap. And he got better every month during the season last year as he was learning the system. So I cannot even imagine how big of a leap he can take from year two to year three. So, yeah, you're not going to hear me coming on here and being like, I think the Bears are an eight win team. No shot.
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Colin Cowherd
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