← The Herd with Colin Cowherd
The Herd with Colin Cowherd
Colin Cowherd Podcast - Rockets BLOW OUT Warriors, Should Rockets Target Giannis? Can Luka Win A Title? Westbrook The “Tone Setter” For Nuggets
00:37:09
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- [00:00]
Colin Cowherd
T Mobile stats are as impressive as your favorite athlete's highlight reel because T Mobile helps keep you connected from the.
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Jason McIntyre
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Colin Cowherd
Are on America's largest 5G network switch now. Keep your phone and T Mobile will pay it off up to $800 per line via prepaid card. Visit your local T Mobile location or learn more@t mobile.com keepandswitch up to 4.
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Jason McIntyre
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Colin Cowherd
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Jason McIntyre
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Colin Cowherd
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Jason McIntyre
In six months okay, have you heard about this? Last year, Degree changed the formula for their Cool Rush deodorant. The fans rebelled and wanted the old scent back and Degree listened and that doesn't happen often. They admitted they effed up and are bringing the original Cool Rush scent back.
- [00:43]
Colin Cowherd
And it's exactly how you remember it.
- [00:45]
Jason McIntyre
Cool, crisp and fresh. There's a reason why it's the number one men's antiperspirant and it's back in Walmart, Target and other stores now for under $4. So try it and see what the fuss is about.
- [00:54]
Colin Cowherd
Head to your local Walmart Target and.
- [00:56]
Jason McIntyre
Try the OG Cool Rush for yourself. Summer is almost here and you can now get almost anything you need for your sunny days delivered with Uber Eats. Now what do we mean by almost? Well, you can't get a well groomed lawn delivered, but you can get chicken parm delivered. A nice tan? Sorry, A box fan? Happily, yes. A day of sunshine? No, a A box of fine wines? Yes, Uber Eats can definitely get you that. Get almost almost anything delivered with Uber Eats. Order now. Alcohol in select markets. Product availability may vary by region. See app for details. This podcast is sponsored by Total Wireless, the official wireless partner of ufc.
- [01:43]
Colin Cowherd
When you're streaming the fight or sharing.
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Jason McIntyre
Those takedown highlights, you need a wireless provider that keeps you close to the action. With Total Wireless, you're covered by the Verizon 5G network, so you don't have to worry about your connection being knocked.
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Colin Cowherd
Out at the biggest moments.
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Jason McIntyre
It's not something you can usually say about a wireless provider, but Total Wireless really does have your back. They're in your corner every second of the day, so you never miss a thing. Visit totalwireless.com or visit your local Total Wireless store to learn more about how Total Wireless can be in your corner. 5G access requires a 5G capable device and a 5G service area. Additional terms apply. See website for details. The volume blending Vice's signature dynamic storytelling. With the high octane world of sports, Vice Sports brings an exciting and diverse range of programming that goes beyond the game. From action packed live events to gripping behind the scenes documentaries to hard hitting investigative pieces and in depth profiles of athletes, coaches, teams, Vice Sports captures the raw energy, drama and passion that makes sports truly unforgettable. Catch live events and other exclusive sports programs only on Vice TV. Go to Vicetv.com and to find your cable channel. Well, usually when we do instant reactions, we have something to urgently react to. But I knew the warriors were in a little trouble when mid second quarter Butler and Curry hadn't scored. But you know this is a bigger point Jason, is that, and I've been on this for years, the quality of college basketball is not very good. I mean the national champion like you watch Florida play a very good college basketball team, they would have seven or eight straight possessions that they were wasted possessions they didn't run a play. College basketball offensively is a tough watch. That's why almost every good college basketball program lives on defense. I mean St. John's Florida, Houston, Gonzaga is the rare, we're actually better on offense annually than defense. And they do it because they have a great coach and a great system. But you watch it and the ratings are good because of urgency. The NBA quality is insane. But a three game first round, which had probably never happened. Daryl Morey said, give me a game first round. But I've always argued you don't need seven games if you want to keep it in the finals for historical symmetry, totally get it. But you don't need seven game first round series. Now I will say the argument is, well what about Clippers, Nuggets? And my takeaway is if it goes 5 or 7, that's a coin flip series. I mean you can't tell me one team's definitively better. It's almost like The Pistons, Knicks, 5 or 7, whoever wins, wins. I'm not losing sleep, but I thought tonight was a bit embarrassing for the league. Like it's just a bad look.
- [04:51]
Colin Cowherd
It's so consistent over the years. In my series preview for this series, when I picked the warriors in six, I was like they're going to get blown out probably in game five. And one of the things that happens when you see one of the things you see when you root for the same team for over a decade, you become very familiar with their personality. Yeah, and like we saw an extremely similar game in Memphis three years ago in that series where they were up three, one went on the road. It just got demolished before they came home and closed the deal. It's in. It's. It's just. There's already a natural kind of like urgency swing from side to side in a series after each team wins. You know, like Houston gets game two two, you know, Golden State's gonna come out in game three and just play an amazing game. Right? Like, you know, Houston's gonna throw a great punch in Game 4 after. After Golden State wins Game 3. Right. But when, when you have this situation where a team has a 31 advantage and they know they have a home closeout opportunity in the bank, it almost always ends up being kind of a. A shellacking in these types of situations. And it's happened to the warriors in the past as well. When, when they lost to The Lakers In 2023, Lakers took a 31 lead. They went to Golden State, Golden State beat them. Then they head back to LA and LA closes the deal. It's kind of like the natural flow of series. And to your point, when you have such a consistency in that regard, that just says, this is too long, we are wasting too much time here.
- [06:14]
Jason McIntyre
So I think it's interesting. So Houston is a team that. I said this today on FS1 is that Oklahoma City is a similarly young team, but better, and they've got a ton of draft picks. You're not going to leapfrog them. Whereas every one of their young players, to me, has sort of a defined role. Houston has Jalen Green, who's athletic, but I still don't know what his offensive game is in the half court. He's just athletic. And so I do think Houston's going to have to make take a swing. I think a Kevin Durant fits. Well, maybe they get into the. I mean, they may have more than anybody for Giannis, but. So we were talking about this. Jason McIntyre and I were talking about this, and I said I would. Houston has told people, amen Thompson, no chance. And it's funny watching him tonight with five steals in the first half. When I watch Amen Thompson, I absolutely know what he is. He's a physical, tough defense often is the best part of his game hustle. He has a defined. Even though he's a kid, he has a defined game. And that's one of the first things I look for, actually. If Zion could have stayed in shape, I thought he had a very defined game. Like I knew what he was. Jalen Green, I don't know what he is. And I always feel like I don't care if it's a talk show host or a basketball player or a politician. If you don't, if you can't, kind of what are you? And if I'm struggling with that three years into your political career, it's like I'm not sure you are anything other than maybe smart or aspirational or driven. So I think, I look at it and I think if they went into the Giannis sweepstakes, you'd have to give up two really good players. Would you give up Sengun Jalen Green and two firsts? Because I think if I'm Milwaukee, I'm going to have multiple suitors. I'm going to get a Malik, an og and for, you know, I don't think the Knicks, you know, they gave up so many firsts for Mikhail Bridges. Let's just talk Houston. What would Houston give up in your opinion? You run the Rockets for Giannis?
- [08:26]
Colin Cowherd
Well, first of all, Colin at the R, I'm gonna try not to be too insensitive here. But I'll tell you what, Jalen Green is. He's salary filler that that's what he is at this point in his career. He has demonstrated through multiple years with Houston that there is certain things that he just hasn't figured out in terms of how to bring consistent winning impact every single game. When he's got his pull up three point shot going and he's making good decisions at the rim, he looks like an all star caliber player that can lift that team to greatness. But two out of three games he struggles to accomplish those things and then suddenly the inattentiveness off ball, the poor decision making, all that just rises to the surface. And so he needs to go somewhere where he can go make mistakes for a while because he just needs a lot of time. Right. And you know, Amend Thompson to me should be untouchable. I would not give up a mental. Honest. I think that Amend. The only reason I would ever consider giving up a player of Amend Thompson's caliber is if I was certain that we would be a runaway favorite the next season. You know, like, like for instance, if OKC wanted to make a move for Giannis, they should be more willing to part with someone like a Jalen Williams, for instance.
- [09:33]
Jason McIntyre
Right.
- [09:33]
Colin Cowherd
When you consider, when you consider the fact that they would immediately become a runaway championship favorite. Right? But Houston with Giannis is still like, they'd be very good defensively, but it wouldn't be perfect. Right?
- [09:43]
Jason McIntyre
Right.
- [09:44]
Colin Cowherd
Amen. Amen. Thompson is the level of prospect that I think has the potential to be like the Scotty Pippen of this era.
- [09:50]
Jason McIntyre
That's a great, the most, the most.
- [09:51]
Colin Cowherd
Devastating perimeter athlete defensively that we have in the sport. Intimidating, but he has. Exactly. But he has a lot more offensive pop than people realize in. Wait till he starts to piece some of these parts of his game together. He can handle the ball a little bit. He's got a pretty decent set of moves in one on one situations. Once he polishes up mainly the short range, mid range shot making and adds a little bit of muscle, he's going to be a guy that can easily average 20 points a game in this league very efficiently, potentially more.
- [10:22]
Jason McIntyre
And he is, he is really a physical. I mean most young players, Jason, are not that physical. He has a 29 to 33 year old physicality to him.
- [10:32]
Colin Cowherd
When I watch him play, it's, it's the type of athlete that is most valuable in the modern NBA, which is rangy but also strong because there's a lot of rangy dudes that can get shoved around. But like there's a. When you can bring physicality and the ability to cover ground. I mean that's what made Draymond, you know, the best defensive player of this era is he could cover ground, but he was also big and strong and could win ground battles and there's just a, there's a, a ton of value there. So like if I was running the Rockets, I would literally, I would negotiate earnestly, but I'd get a deal done. And what I mean by that is everything's on the table. But, but Amen Thompson, if you want Shangun, Jabari Smith Jr. And Jalen Green, we'll make it happen. You know, like whatever it is you need to do to make it happen. Because one of the things that Houston has is depth. They just have a lot of good players. They can afford to give up three rotational players for Giannis and not be in a situation where they don't have the requisite talent to compete next year.
- [11:26]
Jason McIntyre
FUBO is my favorite way to watch live sports. NFL, NBA playoffs, mlb, college sports and more. I love it. They have over 200 live channels, live sports shows, movies, news. And they offer an incredible base plan for sports fans with must have sports channels including FS1, ESPN, NFL Network and the Big Ten Network. Watch the NFL, NBA baseball, college sports, tennis, golf, F1 and more. And they have a special offer for my fans. Go to fubotv.com Colin that is me and I love FuboTV. I've been telling you this for years. I watch it on planes, I watch it in Ubers. I watch it at home. Go to fubotv.com Colin for 25 bucks off each month for two months of the pro plan. That's fubotv.com Colin For 50 bucks off, I want to throw something at you. This was my take on the Knicks Pistons is a year ago the Pistons were in a rebuild and the Knicks thought Mikhail Bridges was going to get them right up next to Boston. And yet five point separates these teams in five games. And my take is they gave up a little too much for Mikhail Bridges though. I think everybody, myself included, kind of like the deal. But the problem was when you're talking vis a vis Knicks Celtics is that Jalen Brunson OG and Mikhail Bridges and Kat, we know what they are. Tatum made a leap and Peyton Pritchard went from nine a game to the best guy in the league off the bench. And so two of the Celtics because Jaylen Brown has established what he is. Tatum is playing with a confidence today that we thought he should have been playing with four years ago. I don't think his skill's necessarily that much better, but go look at his first quarter scoring against Orlando. He's a much more aggressive player. And by the way, Steph's been burned by this, is that Steph sometimes defers. Steph's smart, collaborative, a great teammate, NBA fans. And it's not a criticism, it's a reality. They reward aggressive, even if it's like over the top, Westbrook aggressiveness. Like they just, I mean, and Westbrook jumps off the tv.
- [13:37]
Colin Cowherd
It resonates with people.
- [13:38]
Jason McIntyre
I mean, just, you can't. When, when he's on the floor, you can't. Okay, Westbrook's right there. That could be a seven footer. That's just. I always said with Andrew Wiggins, is he on the floor? Is he playing? Does he have. I mean. So my point being is, is that the problem that the Knicks face and I think they have to swing big, is they thought McHale Bridges really bridged the gap. They were inches behind Boston. Tatum pops, Pritchard pops. And it's like, oh God, they did. They lost ground, actually. So I look at the Knicks and think, let's not waste our time here. Cleveland and Boston both got significantly better. New York is what they. They just have good players. They've got to take a big swing.
- [14:20]
Colin Cowherd
You know, I think, I think people have missed the point on Boston in a lot of ways in the sense that they look at them as a team that's led by all these big wings that are super versatile. And I think that was the direction that the Knicks were trying to match.
- [14:34]
Jason McIntyre
That's right.
- [14:35]
Colin Cowherd
But it, it's much more of a team wide concept of the ability to piece together these lineups where everyone can guard. That's really the foundational concept that makes the Celtics so unbeatable. If you look at it, Mikhail Bridges, OG Anobi and Josh Hart in theory are these three rangy wings that can do a lot of work defensively. But because they're bracketed by these two weak points, there's almost like a diminishing return in having that type of defensive talent because of the way teams can still get them in rotation. Like it's still the Pistons in the half court. Kade Cunningham bringing Jaylen Brunson's man into the action and getting great looks attacking even though he's got OG Anunoby on him. Whereas if you're with the Celtics and you run that exact same thing at a Derrick White, good luck. You run that exact same thing at a Drew Holiday, good luck. And Peyton Pritchard competes his ass off defensively. And so that really is the foundational trait that everybody's missing is like you're seeing this situation where the Knicks copied almost on the margins in a way that has a diminishing return because of their bill. They almost would have been better off looking for like waiting and holding their firepower for a better player than putting all their cards in the Mikhail Bridges type of basket. Because Mikhail Bridges would have been more valuable if Jalen Brunson and Carl Anthony Towns were replaced by more versatile defensive minded stars. And they're just not. And so I think the, the ultimately it doesn't matter how good your on ball defender is. If I can put him in an action that gets me an advantage, yeah.
- [16:06]
Jason McIntyre
I kind of fell for it. I thought Mikhail Bridges got him close. I didn't think he would be better, but I thought, oh, they'll compete. They could win a game, maybe a second and a seven game series or you know, and it's like, no, you know, I will say this about Jayson Tatum. I mean again, he feasted on Orlando, but this was the best year he's had as a pro. He had a really, really good year. Is that. And we do this sometimes in society. Attention. With all these media platforms, attention is a currency and Jason is an attention seeker and it probably makes him a much more balanced human. I'm watching this post game last night. If you told me he ran a tech Company or you're like, oh, yeah, he's a professor at the local college. I would be like, yeah. He comes up and he's thoughtful and he's got interesting pace when he talks. And it, none of it's. I just. My takeaway is he's got the personality, in some ways of just like a great friend or just a guy you'd want in a band. It's like he's thoughtful. And the truth is, pro athletes are sometimes delusionally confident. And sometimes it works like you read. I've read the, I remember reading the book the Three Ring Circus on the Kobe Shack stuff from Jeff Pearlman. And like, I love Kobe, but, oh, good, good lord. He was a lot. I mean, he was 17, 18, 19. You're like, this guy's obnoxious. He'd be the, you know, it's the guy that you, you, you never could depend on to take you to the airport, you know, but it's like that's sort of what, that's sort of what made him great, like, that obnoxiousness. So I, I just look at Tatum and I think sometimes, am I punishing him because he's so patient, thoughtful, and collaborative? I mean, I feel like now when I look at him and I'm like, hey, he'd just be the best teammate, right?
- [18:07]
Colin Cowherd
I think that it's okay to change our opinion based on new information. And what I mean by that is, Jayson Tatum, in his inconsistent level of aggression, in his lack of top end, was a legitimate part of why they struggled over the years. And then last year, with an overwhelming talent advantage, they made it through the East. And Tatum contributed in a big way, especially with his defensive versatility and his playmaking in the half court. But he didn't show that superstar upside in that playoff run. And so I think this is the first time, really, that I'm watching Jason Tatum and I'm watching him from start to finish through a playoff series, command things in a way. Yeah, with a level of aggression and a le with, with the same level of versatility showed in recent years, but also bringing the high end scoring pop. Colin, he had three straight 35 point games. He had two total in the entire playoff run last year. Like, this is it. Like, it's okay for us to be like, Tatum is growing up into. Like, I don't think he was a top tier superstar until this year.
- [19:13]
Jason McIntyre
Now I think he is exactly how I feel.
- [19:15]
Colin Cowherd
And I think it's okay. I think it's okay to be like, he's growing into the player that some people thought he was and I disagreed for a while and now I'm there where it's like it's the versatility and it's the top end like the big one. For me it's like game four and I'm watching the difference in the maturity with the way that he's attacking switches against guards down the stretch against Orlando while Paolo is not getting good shots doing the exact same thing on the other end of the floor and I'm like oh, it's like it reminds me of the old days when I'd watch LeBron or some other grownup do it to Tatum when he was the young guy. Like Tatum is growing into. Like he almost looks like a 30, 31 year old star as a 26, 27 year old star because he's got so much experience in these big moments over the years. But it's a combination of two things. Colin, you mentioned it. This is a huge piece. The confidence there is a calm, cool and collected demeanor that he has in the half court now that he just didn't have in the past. That that to me is part of his growth. And then the second piece of it, he finally brought along this shot making piece which was so inconsistent for him over the years. He had it in the past but he wasn't as big and strong and versatile. Then he got big strong and vers versatile but he didn't have the shot making. Now he has both and he's confident and he looks like a top three player in the NBA right now.
- [20:31]
Jason McIntyre
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- [22:54]
Colin Cowherd
Hey, so we all make.
- [22:55]
Jason McIntyre
Mistakes, but owning up is the right thing to do. You know a Degree Cool Rush deodorant?
- [23:00]
Colin Cowherd
Well, last year they changed the formula and it did not go well with their fans.
- [23:04]
Jason McIntyre
Degree's whole thing is it turns up.
- [23:06]
Colin Cowherd
The sweat and odor protection when you.
- [23:09]
Jason McIntyre
Turn up the effort.
- [23:10]
Colin Cowherd
And good thing it does because Cool.
- [23:12]
Jason McIntyre
Rush fans really turned up the effort to bring back the original formula. One guy even started an online petition and degree listen. They admitted they effed up and are bringing the original cool Rut ascent back. And it's exactly how you remember it.
- [23:26]
Colin Cowherd
Cool, crisp and fresh.
- [23:28]
Jason McIntyre
It's back in Walmart, Target and other.
- [23:30]
Colin Cowherd
Stores now for under $4.
- [23:32]
Jason McIntyre
There's a reason why it's been the number one men's antiperspirant for the last decade.
- [23:37]
Colin Cowherd
It's the same reason why people were not happy when it changed.
- [23:41]
Jason McIntyre
So if you never tried it, it.
- [23:42]
Colin Cowherd
Might be a good time to see what the fuss is about, head to.
- [23:45]
Jason McIntyre
Your local Walmart or Target to try.
- [23:47]
Colin Cowherd
The OG degree Cool rush for yourself.
- [23:49]
Jason McIntyre
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- [25:40]
Colin Cowherd
Oh.
- [25:45]
Jason McIntyre
Okay. I. I have to mention this. As I've always said in our business, and you're in this business is it's not flip flopping. If you give me new stuff, I'll have a new opinion. I have never liked six, four and under players. Derrick Rose, John Wall, Westbrook that aren't pure shooters. Nash Curry. Little guys don't lead the titles anyway. Historically, Curry's an outlier. Isaiah Thomas, both, by the way, really good perimeter shooters. Therefore, when you're six, four and under and can't, especially with no hand check, you get to the rim and you get hit by the redwoods. And you just hit the floor too often. Now, Dwyane Wade had a little bit of this because he was never a gifted outside shooter, but Dwayne was built like a. Like a running back. He. I mean, he's, He's. He looks like an NFL player. So I was always like, with Westbrook, I'm like, listen, man, this is just, you know, it just doesn't work for me. But I said, I watched him last night and I thought he was last night. The tone setter of every great player in that game is that Jamal Murray would have an amazing second half. Jokic was off. I never trust Gordon or Porter offensively, although I really love Gordon as a player. He is so relentless that he almost makes teammates guilty if they don't play with energy. I mean, you can see why, like, Harden and Westbrook, they're good buddies. They go to Houston, they didn't get along. And I think part of it was Westbrook is like, bro, I know you were out last night, but you can't bring that last game for the Clippers. I mean, Harden might as well have been a hologram. I mean, he was invisible. But I watched Westbrook, and I think all these years later, what I appreciate about him is he plays so hard. He almost forces you as a teammate to play harder because you and I know this. Some nights. This is asking a lot. 82 games, playoffs. I mean, Jokic, last night just doesn't have it. And I was like, kind of blown away by Westbrook last night and this newfound ability to hit a three, but it's. His energy was just ridiculous last night in the first half.
- [28:04]
Colin Cowherd
Yeah, it's infectious. It. I, I'm so glad you said it like that because I've always felt that way in team basketball. Like, when there is somebody on your team that is busting his ass on defense, you look like an idiot. If you're out there next to him, not doing the same thing screams on film. And like, trust me, like these film sessions, like, I remember when I was in college, like, it's embarrassing when you're sitting in the room and you're not doing your job. Like, and, and the, The. The. The coach is pausing the screen and like you're jogging back in trans, standing up there pointing at you in front of your teammates like, it. Laziness stands out on the tv. It stands out in film. It especially stands out juxtaposed with an energy bunny. And like, that. There's a ton of value there. I, you know, I've, like, really grown to Appreciate Russell Westbrook in this phase of his career in a way that I didn't in the past. Couple different things. He is a guy that his motor and physicality actually translates in the postseason really well because he's a very physical player. So like, and we've seen so many examples of this in NBA history. The big strong athlete who plays hard just has a lot of utility when it's a rock fight, when it's like super, super physical. During the regular season with the Lakers, there was just so much time where he was asked to do more than he was capable of. But as this has shifted towards him being in a smaller role, he's polished up his jump shooting. Like you mentioned earlier. Like, he put in work behind the scenes. He understood, oh, if I'm going to stay in this league, I'm going to need to be able to hit a corner three. And so he's put in a lot of work behind the scenes. The second piece of it, finding a fit that works. So for instance, Jokic, we've talked about this on the show before, inverts your spacing. He brings the center away from the basket. That makes it so there's fewer redwoods around the basket. And so Russ is. Russ had a layup missing problem over the years and he's missing fewer layups in Denver because he's getting easier cuts right around the rim. And so when you combine the little bit of corner three point shooting, the ability to finish because of the lack of congestion under the rim with the Jokic team, and then you add to it just the way his physicality translates to the playoffs. He's become a very useful player for the Nuggets now, like a flat out important player in the championship goals, no question.
- [30:22]
Jason McIntyre
And I know this isn't the be all, end all, but there is something about when you turn a television on and you come into the second quarter, the players that add something, you can usually spot in like two possessions. Like, you're like, oh, like Amend Thompson's a great example. You're like, shit, man, that dude is physical. He's an intimidating presence. Obviously great scores. Almost all have that. Russell Westbrook jumps through the TV screen. He is just straight gin on the rocks. It's like, pow. It hits you. It's like, who's this guy, like cutting And Jimmy Butler's got that too. When he's really into it. It's like, dude, who is like. When you're a pro athlete and can kind of intimidate other pro athletes and it's a Man's got it, Butler's got it, Russell's got it. No. And, you know, it's funny watching Westbrook, I'm thinking, could he have always shot threes like this? He's now shooting them because he's probably a little less, you know, I mean, everybody comes down a little bit athletically, and he was so hyper athletic. But it is amazing to me to watch him shoot threes. I don't know if the shooting style has changed, but last night I'm like, it looked smooth, it looked confident and comfortable.
- [31:42]
Colin Cowherd
He's more compact. There's less wasted motion. He's getting good energy transfer. Like, it's straight up and down. There's no hitch, I think. I think taking more corner threes has been really big for him because it just takes that little extra bit of distance off. But it's. At the end of the day, it's work. It's repetition. I mean, Aaron Gordon, Aaron Gordon is now like a legitimately good three point shooter. You want to know how he built a gym at his house and he shot hundreds and hundreds and hundreds and hundreds and hundreds of shots for years and years to turn himself into this kind of player and not. Aaron Gordon has now transformed himself into a player that kind of changes the future of the Nuggets because of his ability to shoot three really, really well. One last thing I wanted to say in the Russell Westbrook thing, which I think is fascinating, like, the James Harden juxtaposition is crazy to me because, you know, there. There is, like, levels to competitive fire, right? Like. Like, I'm not going to sit here and say James Harden wasn't playing hard because, you know, he was guarding Jokic for parts of the game. He was a big part of the way. Their defensive scheme was set up to keep Zubots on the backline, but, like, there was such a palpable difference in intensity. Set Westbrook aside for a second. Look at Jokic yelling and screaming. Look at the way he acted in Game two when his team fell apart, when he made a scene on the sideline, ripping those guys a new one. There's a level of it. He's screaming at the. There's like a light in his eyes. It's hard to explain, like, an intensity in his eyes as a competitor in that game and James Harden looked half asleep. And it's weird because, like, I think part of it stems from the way that over the course of a series, coaches start to scout out your pet actions. They found the coverage that works best at that point in the Series. The on ball defender, in this case Christian Brown, has been eye to eye with James Harden so many times now in this series that he's starting to pick up on some of his tips and the way that he likes to set up his moves. And you start sitting on that same left to right crossover, right to left crossover. A bunch of times it starts to take on a resemblance for you and you can start to pick up on those cues and be ahead of things. And it's always right around this time. Call it right around. Game five, Game six In a. In a coin flip type of series that you see as things get really hard for Harden, he kind of just like relaxes. And with jokic, he goes 4 for 13 last night, but he's the best player on the floor because he's just super intense and he's hyper focused on every advantage on every possession because he knows what it takes.
- [34:06]
Jason McIntyre
Yeah, it's like Stephen Adams isn't in his class. But the other night, I'm watching Stephen Adams for Houston, I'm like, christ, he's their most consistent player. Like, he's just. I think, I think. And I love players like that. Now it's time for power players, brought to you by BMW, the ultimate driving machine. And today's power player is Jamal Murray, who gave us an electrifying performance in the Nuggets game five win over the Clippers. Wow. Knocked down eight threes, dropped 43 points. What a second half. His highest total since the Disney World pandemic bubble. If Jamal Murray continued to shoot like this, he and Jokic and the Nuggets could be on their way to hoisting another Larry O'Brien trophy. So what is it that sets apart these power players from the rest? Bottom line, it's their attention to detail, innovative playing styles, and relentless drive for performing at the highest level. The Same goes for BMWix. Everything you love about the ultimate driving machine. Electrified. It's not just scoring. By the way, before we close this out, because we're going to both go watch the Laker game, we got into this discussion today. The Mavericks shouldn't have traded Luca, but. And Jack Lowe was talking about this with, with, on, on. The ringer is that I would never trade Mahomes Allen and Lamar Jackson, but I would now take a call on Joe Burrow because of two major injuries. I would take a call. I'm not looking to trade him. I would take a call on Jalen Hurts, who I still think small and okay in the pocket, but there are players, you know, like Lebron in his prime got you guaranteed finals. MJ got you guaranteed titles. Kareem got you titles in Lucas prime. He guarantees you buckets. And those are great. But there is a difference between a LeBron and his prime. And I think now he'll be in better shape next year. The Lakers won the trade. I'm not in any way insinuating they didn't crush it, but I think this little peek at Luka, when you. Let's face it, when he's on your team, you just watch him more. Even if you love the NBA, you watch him more. Can you look at him now? And you watch as much NBA as anybody, but is there a part of you, even 10%, that goes, I get Houston, I get Dallas, and Nico taking the call.
- [36:31]
Colin Cowherd
So just because there is a reason to do something doesn't mean it's reason enough. And like, I. I see the reason like. Like Colin. I'm. I'm. I don't. I don't want to be overly critical of Luca here because it is tough to come into a team right in the middle of the season and to do all of the things that he's being asked to do. But let me just posit. Like, let me just present it like this. If Luca outplays Ant, do the Lakers win the series? Let me. Let me give you one more.
- [37:06]
Jason McIntyre
Literally, the last game, Ant was like six of seven against him. So I think that is. They don't put Luca on Ant a ton because for obvious reasons. So I'm not sure what the answer is to that.
- [37:18]
Colin Cowherd
So in the fourth quarter in this series, which is where the games have been decided.
- [37:22]
Jason McIntyre
Yes. And by the way, Minnesota was in these close games all year long. I mean, so it's like that is who they. They're not pretty enough offensively to blow good teams out. They're in all. All their games look like this.
- [37:35]
Colin Cowherd
Luka has five made field goals and one assist in the fourth quarter in the series. Ant has 10 made field goals and seven assists in the fourth quarter in the series. He has dramatically outpaced Luka's output when the games have been on the line late. Luka is shooting 5 for 17 in the fourth quarter in the series, and he looks blatantly exhausted every single time. Down the stretch of these games, there's been so much focus on the fact that he had to play 24 straight minutes. You know who else played 24 straight minutes to end that game? Anthony Edwards. He looked fantastic, right? Julius Randle played 23 and a half of the 24 available minutes. He looked fantastic. He's guarding LeBron, grabbing rebounds, doing all that kind of stuff. LeBron, who's 40 years old, had three of the most absurd defensive plays I've seen. Like he, LeBron almost single handedly stole that game with defense.
- [38:26]
Jason McIntyre
Yeah, DiVincenzo Block and the Finney Smith shot in the other end.
- [38:30]
Colin Cowherd
Yeah. And then he stripped Nas Reed on the very next possession, got another stop, and then he did strip Anthony Edwards on what was kind of an iffy call. It was kind of already slipping when he was like. But it was good defense on that play. The point being, like, there were four stars in that game that all played basically the entire second half. Three of them looked like they were spry. For the record, they're all better athletes. I'm not expecting Luka to be out there flying around like a 6, 8 freak athlete in those situations, but I would expect him to look like Luca. I would expect him to look like Luca. And the bottom line is, is every single time a game has been hanging in the balance in this series late, Ant has looked like Ant and Luka hasn't. And the Wolves have immediately taken control and won the series. And so I don't think it's negotiable at all at this point whether or not Luca's conditioning is standing in the way of whether or not they could have won series. The Lakers controlled the first three quarters. They, they are capable. They are capable of beating this team. And in the biggest like, like, for instance, I saw some criticism of LeBron for having zero points. For the record, LeBron does deserve some criticism. He had a bad turnover late. I didn't like the three he took off the left wing. Zero points. Like, find a way to score something. But he only took two shots in that fourth quarter. You know why? Because this team has a construct. The construct is we need Luca to create offense for us. That's his one job. This is one job. Everyone else like. LeBron's job on this team is to be Draymond Green on the other end of the floor. You know, and like, yes, LeBron could have and should have done more. But I left that game very disappointed because I felt like Luca, when the series was hanging in the balance, didn't even look remotely like himself. If he makes that layup against Nas Reed, which by the way is just maybe a little bit more conditioned athlete than he is right now, doesn't even have to be in peak condition, just in good enough shape to get the lift, to get that ball up off the backboard. They win this, they don't win the series, they win the game. It's two, two. But instead he smoked it and then didn't get back in transition defense and left Nas Reid open. He had a three and all of a sudden a seven point game was a two point game.
- [40:32]
Jason McIntyre
Right, Right.
- [40:32]
Colin Cowherd
So like, so like I, I, I am a huge believer in Luka. I genuinely think he could be the best player in the league. There's a version of this if he gets in shape where he is the best combination of scoring and playmaking talent in the NBA after Jokic ages out. And if he is, and he also gets in good shape and becomes just an above average defensive player, that's the best basketball player in the world, it's an achievable outcome for him. He just has to put in the work behind the scenes. And by the way, it's not too late. Maybe he can flip the script, but the Lakers are not winning tonight and Friday and Sunday unless Luka Doncic outplays Anthony Edwards and he has to win that matchup.
- [41:09]
Jason McIntyre
Yeah, no, I think that's really well put. Is that, Listen, it's just years ago I said, and I got so much pushback. I said he's a better version of Carmelo. He's a better version, there's no question. But Carmelo is one of the great, I mean one of the great offensive talents we've seen in 15 years. Like he was an absolute bucket against every defender in the league. And the truth is, so is Luka. But I say this, most great players, at least for about a seven year window in their prime, were great defenders. Now you can be Bird and staff where you're trying really hard, but you're limited. That's also okay in the locker room, but mailing it in sends a message. Harden Luca, Melo. It sends a message like you guys take it from here. And you know, a lot of times in the NBA you don't face a profound offensive player on the other end. But when you and Ant are matching up and Ant's this ascending dynamic player that you can't take your eyes off, you notice like Lucas defense is noticeably awful. And I think it was well said by you. Okay, let's go.
- [42:23]
Colin Cowherd
We can give an some credit, we can give an some credit to like Colin, like he has been so, so, so incredibly good in the series. He's growing before our eyes. You said the other day that he's the best young player in the league. I 100% agree. I think he's the fifth best player in the world right now. He's playing unbelievable basketball.
- [42:39]
Jason McIntyre
No, I think we've been looking because of the emergence of great international players, which I do not think is bad for the league. Shohei Ohtani, I will argue forever is great for baseball. I don't care. But I think Tatum and Ant have emerged as the guys. I think it's indisputable and we're seeing it in real time. One in the east, one in the West. It's not deniable because they're on the floor with other good players. Bancaro has been up and down. Luca looks overmatched. Like when you can put great players on them and you're like, oh, wow, yeah, they've separated and so it's good for the NBA. I don't think it's necessary to have a domestic face of the league. It helps. It's something, right? Jason? Great stuff. Let's go watch the Lakers.
- [43:25]
Colin Cowherd
Yep. See you next week. Colin.
- [43:29]
Jason McIntyre
The volume okay. Have you heard about this? Last year, degree changed the formula for their Cool Rush deodorant. The fans rebelled and wanted the old scent back. And degree listen, and that doesn't happen often. They admitted they effed up and are bringing the original Cool Rush scent back.
- [43:46]
Colin Cowherd
And it's exactly how you remember it.
- [43:47]
Jason McIntyre
Cool, crisp and fresh. There's a reason why it's the number one men's antiperspirant. And it's back in Walmart, Target and other stores now for under $4. So try it and see what the fuss is about.
- [43:57]
Colin Cowherd
Head to your local Walmart, Target and.
- [43:58]
Jason McIntyre
Try to OG Cool Rush for yourself. Summer is almost here, and you can now get almost anything you need for your sunny days delivered with Uber Eats. Now, what do we mean by almost? Well, you can't get a well groomed lawn delivered, but you can get chicken parm delivered. A nice tan. Sorry. A box fan? Happily, yes. A day of sunshine? No. A box of fine wines? Yes. Uber Eats can definitely get you that. Get almost. Almost anything delivered with Uber Eats. Order now. Alcohol in select markets. Product availability may vary by region. See app for details. Ugh.
- [44:42]
Colin Cowherd
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- [45:13]
Jason McIntyre
Today we live in a divided country.
- [45:16]
Colin Cowherd
And our media couldn't be more polarizing. That's why we started the Middle with Jeremy Hobson.
- [45:21]
Jason McIntyre
It's about bringing voices not from the.
- [45:23]
Colin Cowherd
Extremes, but from the vast middle into the national conversation. Each week, we hear from ordinary Americans from all over the country. And when you subscribe to the Middle, you also get an episode each week called One Thing Trump did that focuses on just one item from the avalanche of news.
- [45:38]
Jason McIntyre
Listen to the Middle with Jeremy Hobson on the iHeartRadio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts.