Chris Felica (3:13)

Now, let's get this party started. You're listening to Fox Sports Radio.

Ryan Hollins (3:20)

All right, great guest coming up. I asked him during the commercial break, listen, I guys, we're talking sports. We're having fun. So I asked him, I said, hey, man, where are you on that fraud sga? And he. He looks up. Whoa. I was like, I'm joking, kind of. All right, Ryan Hollins, NBA veteran.

Chris Felica (3:40)

He'S.

Ryan Hollins (3:40)

Always smiling and laughing. We had some good back and forth. All right, first of all, set the scene for me last night. OKC's up 15 in the fourth. Are you saying, okay, that's a wrap. Let me go put the kids to bed. Let me go get a glass of milk and some cookies. It's over. Or did you think the Pacers, hey, they got a shot here.

Chris Felica (4:01)

They're the group that they shown this offseason that they always have a shot. They just believe, man. And for Rick Carlisle, what he's done with that driving kick offense based around Halliburton, they just need one or two guys to get hot from three. I think OB Topping had about five last night. Nim Hard hit some big shots, and you got a group that absolutely believes. And it's. It's a recipe for disaster because you had the, I think 15 or so turnovers in the first half. Second half gets down to five. Indy takes care of the basketball. And the thing about the Thunder, and I called this before the series, J. Mac, and I know you're not going to believe it, but J. Mac, I've been talking about this for a long time. You're going to have the offensive execution of Oakland, excuse me, of Indiana, their ball movement. And they're probably one of the better teams. And this would be ideal. And, and I want you to hear me when I say this to actually move the ball in overtime, move the ball in the fourth quarter. A lot of teams, it's a pick and roll to an isolation. For okc, it's SGA isolation, okay? For New York Knicks, it was pick and roll with cat to a Brunson. Isolation did not work out. You're not going to beat the Pacers because the Pacers continue to move the ball. And when you need it most, Halliburton steps up, they come back from down 20. They are the heart break kids. I don't know whatever nickname is floating out there, man, but I saw this coming a mile away, man. And it is a heartbreaking loss because you just lost homeport advantage.

Ryan Hollins (5:26)

But at the same time, it's not just a comeback. The Thunder had to gag it away. Are you surprised Dagnal went up by. I believe they were up eight after the SGA free throws. He pulls Chet for Wallace and they had no bigs on the court and they couldn't get any offensive boards. They give up points inside. Are you surprised he went no bigs? It did work in the at the end of the first half, but are you surprised that he did that down the stretch?

Chris Felica (5:51)

I'm not surprised about that because they move the ball so well. So if you can guard the ball with a small lineup, the one thing is, if you can keep the ball in front now, you don't have to help now you can take away the three and when you're going to come back, the offensive rebounds hurt you, but the threes kill you. So by going small, OKC gets real switchable. Kayson Wallace, I could, you could argue he's their third, second or third best defender and there's a reason that he was in the game. But you don't want to end up getting spread thin. The twos don't beat you, the threes beat you. And the irony is that Indiana still got threes even with a small switchable lineup with Wallace on the 4 because they will go find a big and they'll go pick on a man and Rick Carlisle is ruthless and I think we're going to have to put start putting more respect on Rick's name, especially if he gets a championship this season.

Ryan Hollins (6:38)

Yeah, no doubt. But you've heard the Pat Pat R, not Patrick, Pat Riley saying no rebounds, no rings. And the rebound edge last night was 56:39. It made up for all the turnovers that they were gagging the ball away 24 times. I don't know. Do you think OKC needs to make any adjustments in game two or do you just say, hey, we're starting Wallace again. We do in us they do.

Chris Felica (7:02)

I think instead of going small, you go big. If you're going to attack anywhere, I think your attack has to be inside. You got to shore up the paint first. And I think you give yourself a chance because Oklahoma City, if you go small, what you're telling Indiana to do, we're trying to run with you you can't run with Indiana. You need to slow it up. You need to own the boards. So when SGA goes into his isolation modes, now you got Chet inside, and now you have Hardenstein inside. And I think when you mix Chet with Hardenstein, you get the most out of Chet. Chet can stretch the floor, he can shoot, and now he can use his lift to cover ground defensively. So I think the mistake he made was trying to match up with Indiana offensively and get up and down the floor. Be sure to catch live editions of the Herd, weekdays at noon Eastern, 9am Pacific on Fox Sports Radio, FS1 and the iHeartRadio app.

Colin Cowherd (7:53)

Summer is 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 day at the lake? That's a no. A Philly cheesesteak? That's a yes. A nice tan. Sorry. A box fan? Happily, yes. What about a day of sunshine? Not happening. How about a box of fine wines? Yeah, that's happening. Delivery's on its way. Okay. How about some clear skies? Nope. Well, how about some French fries? Yeah. So how about a freshly cut lawn? Can't help you there. But a barbecued prawn? Order it and it's on its way. Even throw in some paper towels. Clean up after the feast. So while you can't get fun in the sun delivered, don't worry because you can get pork buns delivered. 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. At the end of the season, there's only one team that can call themselves NBA champs. Only one player that can call themselves the number one pick in the NFL draft. Well, there's only one electric SUV worthy of the title. The Ultimate. The all electric BMW ix. What I love about the IX is that it delivers legendary BMW performance. While its sleek design exudes innovative style from the inside out. Not to mention how much space and utility it provides. Over 75 cubic feet of cargo space. The IX is completely changing the game with an all electric suv. The greatest legends of sports never compromise any part of the game. So why would you settle for anything less from your suv? After all, there's only one ultimate the BMW ix. Everything you love about the ultimate driving machine. Electrified looking to transform your business through better HR and payroll. Meet Paycorp, a paychecks company the powerhouse solution that empowers leaders to drive results. From recruiting and development to payroll and analytics, paycor connects you with the people, data and expertise you need to succeed. Their innovative platform helps you make smarter decisions about your most valuable asset, your people. Are you ready to become a Better Leader? Visit paycor.comleaders to learn more. That's paycor.com leaders everybody loves a good MVP story. And the story of Wasabi Technologies is one of the best. Wasabi is purpose built to free businesses from skyrocketing storage costs and unpredictable egress fees from old and top heavy legacy providers. You know the big guys. Wasabi is the world's hottest cloud storage company, becoming the go to provider for professional and collegiate sports teams and leagues around the world. And here's why. From Wasabi's AI enabled intelligent media storage, Wasabi Air to the industry's only cloud storage service with triple protection against cybercriminals, data deletion and ransomware. Wasabi has taken the lead in driving innovation in data storage, eliminating overhead where it matters to deliver you results you can count on and won't break the bank. In fact, Wasabi's up to 80% less than those other guys and doesn't charge a cent for businesses to access their own data. Wasabi Another championship story. Check them out for free@wasabi.com Wasabi Hot Cloud Storage proud partner of the Volume Podcast Network.

Ryan Hollins (11:23)

No, I totally agree. I do want to listen, man, you got to be delicate with this guy because he has so many fans and understandable, he's a great basketball player. Sga, just where you go with this J man. But ryan, let's be real. 38 points on 30 shots, three assists for your point guard and four 40 minutes. I mean, at some point does he have to get everyone else involved? Because again, it's just one game and maybe the Thunder roll them after this. But on some level, can you, can you see that the strategy from the Rick Carlisle is hey SGA, you get yours, go for it. Go for a 40 piece. We don't care. We're not letting the other guys bang. 3, 4, 5, 6 threes. Lou Dort hit five but nobody else really got got going for them and that kind of hurt them in the end of the game.

Colin Cowherd (12:09)

It did.

Chris Felica (12:09)

And again J Mac, like I said, you can see this coming in. I think for Shay, he has to stay aggressive, you know, and it looked like last night if you're not going to have the assist, that's got to be 45 to 50 points. And they probably come away with the win. If you're playing Indiana, Shay is going to have to be in that range with that style of play against the Indiana Pacers. But ultimately, at the end of the day, I think it's too late to change. I think you go bigger, I think you go hit the boards, you try to pound out Indiana on the inside and I think that gives you a shot to win. But I think trying to spread the floor and play Indiana style, that's not going to work. Now in terms of Shay, my only argument my may say, hey, down the end of the stretch, you know, you got to match Caliburon, like forget what's happened earlier. And I get it, you're. You're playing against their ball movement and you're scoring at the rate that 4 and 5 Pacers are scoring at for SGN. That's just what it's going to have to be. But down the stretch of the games, he's going to have to find a way to close those games out. The ball is going to have to be in his, in his hands. And ultimately right now, he's just not going to have help and he's going to have to bring it home. So again, get back to your identity. Understand that your offense isn't going to be great, but they got to find ways to defend. And I think that's what Dagner tried to do. And my argument for him is go back bigger and be you.

Ryan Hollins (13:24)

But wait a minute. Not going to have help. I mean, J Dub, who I think is criminally overrated all NBA guy this year, not help. He was 6 of 19 from the floor.

Chris Felica (13:34)

It's a C. It's a season award. J Mac. It's a season award, J Mac. You can't be mad if they got for a seat, but here's the thing.

Ryan Hollins (13:43)

Go ahead.

Chris Felica (13:43)

But here it is. J Mac, if we came into the series right, and I asked you outside of say, who do you expect to show up for the Thunder? Who would you say?

Ryan Hollins (13:50)

I. That's the. That's the reason I picked the Pacers. Is it? I don't know. I don't know that. I think those guys are legit twos and threes. LeBron and Luca are a legit duo, right? AD and Kyrie, legit duo. You got duos everywhere. I don't know that there's a true two with Chet or J Dub. Do you think either of them.

Chris Felica (14:09)

I think they can be. I think we just haven't seen it yet. You know, with all due respect and I Think the challenge for Oklahoma City, when they win games, they've been able to win defensively, so they turn them over 15 times in the first half, second half, that defense has to ramp up even more. And the tough thing with Indiana is when you ball pressure, they continue to move the ball, they continue to trust. So it's hard to really key in. In Oklahoma City, Mark Dagno, they have one of the more intelligent defenses. You know, they have strategies for every single player on the floor. You know, they may press up with Hal Burton, they may, you know, sag back on them. They have, they have. And that's just a one on one defense. They have team defense for every single player they play against. And think about Rick Carlisle. Rick is always throwing in a different player. He's always throwing in a different wrinkle. And I think ultimately, at the end of the day, man, it does. It just becomes really, really tough for Oklahoma City because they got to score enough. And defensively they have to manufacture more points with their defense. It's a point of emphasis. So look for diagonal to possibly trap a lot more, maybe mix things up little 1, 2, 2 zone, you know, a little running jump action. But he's going to have to win it defensively. And I think one guy who you saw do that in Toronto was Nick Nurse. Nick Nurse was excellent on the defensive end. They were able to create points with their defense. So I think Dagnan is going to understand and think about that. Game 7 against, against Denver, they went in trap, they put Caruso on the big dog.

Colin Cowherd (15:37)

Okay.

Chris Felica (15:37)

On Jokic. So that may be something you see in Game two.

Ryan Hollins (15:41)

So interesting. Again, I picked Pacers in six. I did say I can see OKC winning in four straight, but a reason that I think Indiana's got a shot. Okc's bench overwhelmed the West.

Alex Curry (15:52)

Right?

Ryan Hollins (15:53)

Just too much for Minnesota too. Denver had no bench last night. No. And I haven't heard people talking about this. Indiana's bench outscored OKC 39, 28. That's unheard of for this OKC team. So when you start taking bullets out of the chamber, I don't really know where the edge is for okc. And I'm sure they win game two in a runaway zigzag theory. But this Indiana bench, I think it's better than OKCs.

Chris Felica (16:18)

They trust, man. And the one thing that Rick will do, and I played for Rick over in Dallas, he'll go with a hot hand. He'll put whoever in the game is playing well, he's going to trust his bench, he'll go with different guys. So these guys are battle tested and ready. And for OKC, that you're absolutely spot on. That was their advantage against Denver. That was their advantage against Minnesota, against ant man, being able to throw bodies at him and making him have to be a ball player. And you know what's even tough for Oklahoma City, they were prepared for this matchup because Minnesota is more one on one. You know, we're going to out physical you out tough you out talent you. And you couldn't do that in this situation. So I think for Dagno, he's going to have to find a way to create the turnovers. The guys on defense, you got fouls, you got to use them. You got to make this game extremely physical.

Ryan Hollins (17:09)

For Indiana, struggle with Ryan Hollins, NBA former center. He's on FOX Sports Radio 9am on Sunday. Let me ask this one. So Jaden McDaniels, you know, really good defender. People thought, oh, he could slow shake. He, he had no chance. And then I say, well, Andrew Nemart, he's a dog. I like that dude. Oh no, Jay. He's got no chance. People forget this. He was team Canada. He knows SGA well. Like Nemhard has a history with sga. And SGA got so ticked at him last night. Did you see that shove in the fourth quarter after a foul like sga, people don't want to admit this. He was a little shook in that game. He was not getting the free throws he wanted. Here it is right here. We're showing on the screen. Look at sga. Just get out of here. And it was like, oh, okay. And then Nemhard went and bumped him on the line. These are the little things, man. Nep Hard is really good, Brian making $2 million a year.

Chris Felica (18:05)

Listen, man, the IQ is back in the game. Shout out. Mark Few, he's done an excellent job with his guys, but Nim Hard is a guy. T.J. mcConnell, you Indiana and Rick Carlisle said, we're going after toughness. We don't want sexy. We don't want the 40 inch vertical. We're going out and getting toughness. But those guys are frustrated. And you're absolutely right. That Team Canada thing is a thing. My guy, Dylan Brooks. When Dylan Brooks sees Shay, you know, it's personal. It's on. You know, when he sees Jamal Murray, they know each other's moves. Those guys have been playing together for so long.

Colin Cowherd (18:37)

But.

Chris Felica (18:37)

But Nim Hard doesn't wow you. He's tough as nails. He's going to show up, he's going to hit a big shot. T.J. mcConnell, the same type of guy, you know, and they're just breeding the right thing. And we thought in the NBA, you know, you win with the three pointers, you win with versatility. Recall has Rick Carlisle will not have Anything less than 2 pure point guards on the floor. He will have Nothing less than 2 pure point guards on the floor. They're going to run their offense, they're going to hit shots, they're going to get in sets. It's simple basketball. The IQ is coming back to the game. And I'm sorry for those fans watching. This isn't LeBron, this isn't Curry, this isn't this Durant. This isn't the lupa, the star studded finals that we were normally able to rally by. This is just some darn good basketball we're seeing, man. And these guys are Hoopers, they're tough and, and toughness in IQ are the things that you're going to be looking for in this NBA draft. And all these teams looking into free agency, that's how you went, hey, my guy, Fred Van Fleet, he. That's why Houston was number two in the west, because Fred Van Fleet is tough as nails. And that is bringing the NBA back. Man.

Ryan Hollins (19:40)

That's a good take. So let me know if you agree with this. It just came to me listening to you. Best case scenario for the NBA, Indiana wins a series, OKC goes after Giannis or Kevin Durant and gets one of them. Then everybody hates OKC because they brought back KD or because they got Giannis and they just won 68 games. I think that would be great for the league. I'm not being disrespectful, but I just think they're boring. As they're currently constructed, there's no reason to feel love or hate for okc, but if you give them a superstar, man, screw those guys. I'm rooting against them. Agree or disagree?

Chris Felica (20:19)

I agree. As we, as we take our basketball hat off, we put our entertainment hat on. I called it a while ago. J Mac, I don't know if I was, I was on with you or Colin, but I said, man, would love if Kevin Durant went back to Oklahoma City. They definitely have the assets. Sam Presley got enough assets and we're able to win. And they can put a package together with Kevin Durant and Chet and those boys. And just the homecoming you're like, I think it would be special. The entire NBA would be excited. I think the moment would Be there. And I think, hey, Oklahoma City, potentially, and I don't speak this from any knowledge, just selfishly, hey, if the Houston Rockets could put a friendly package that could keep a lot of our young talent here and add a guy like Kevin Durant would bring immense value. But we're saying the same thing. You know, J. Mac, we talked about earlier, just being certified, having a guy who, you know, can hit a shot, who's been there before, who can be in that mentor role. Because when you have a mega star like Shay Gilsit Alexander, there's only so many people that can say, hey, Shay, take this shot here, do this. Because he's like, well, I was better than you. Like when I played with Boogie Cousins in Sacramento. Like, I could tell Boogie Cousins how to be a professional. I could tell, talk to Boogie about showing up to practice on time. I couldn't talk to him about closing games. I could give advice, my opinion, but you know what I'm saying, like, never been there before. So Durant could be one of those guys on one of the teams and it would be, it would be cool to see in Oklahoma City. I think Houston has a need, but these young budding teams that need somebody, hey, that's why Minnesota, with the respect with him and Ant man are, are there. And you know, KD has a lot of gas left in the tank, man, I, I, I, I tell you that much. But that could be a cool fit. And in terms of Giannis on, I think we know Giannis has kind of expressed he wants to go to a big city, but I think I'd like to see Giannis in a situation where he could win and be truly competitive. I think, you know what jumps to mind, obviously, like the no brainer and I don't even know if it's possible to work. But the Golden State Warriors, I think, because him and Steph Curry, the way he puts, he puts pressure on the rim. J. Mac, he puts pressure on the wing. And you want to open things up.

Ryan Hollins (22:31)

How are you going to get him?

Chris Felica (22:32)

No, that's what I said. I don't know how. That's what I said. I agree. I don't know how.

Steve Covino (22:36)

I don't know.

Chris Felica (22:37)

I don't know how. You know, you, you, you have to lose something or something that you may not want. But again, I understand the allure with San Antonio because him and Wimby, they have assets, the Houston Rockets have assets. So it's beautiful to be in play in all these situations. We saw the news about New York willing to throw everything and if I'm New York. Look, if you fire Tom Thibodeau, you damn sure better. Excuse me. You darn sure better be. Better try to get Giannis out to the Kupo or bring these fans back because tips with the dog, man. I don't. Forgive me. New York. I just don't understand it. Maybe there's something behind the scenes that I don't get. I guess it has to be somebody's fault. But Giannis, Anton Cooper. New York could be very box office. I'm not sure what you give up. Maybe anything that Milwaukee asked for.

Ryan Hollins (23:21)

We got one minute. Real quick. So Kevin Durant. There's a. I don't. It's unclear if it's a report or speculation that the paperclips are going to make a move on Kevin Durant. Some kind of Norm Powell package. It doesn't seem realistic. However, KD plus Kawhi is kind of sort of fascinating. You think there's any shot that goes down?

Chris Felica (23:43)

I mean, I think there's always a shot because Kevin Durant's at the age and respected enough where he can go where he'd like to go. I don't think that the Phoenix Suns, in all respect to what they've done with their organization, they would kind of send him somewhere that he doesn't want to go. And I think, you know, KD's knowledgeable enough to say like hey, I don't want to give leave you guys in a bad place. So I. I think the Clippers are in play. I think any large market is in playing great situation and AD he probably wants a mix of winning and you know, a nice location. You know, at his age, man, it kind of gets down to that. So, you know, HD definitely going to be in play, you know, or that's going to be a highly sought after market. But I think for the clips, just being in LA and no alone it's there. But the challenge they're going to say, well what if we're Phoenix? What assets do we get back that makes us feel comfortable. But ultimately I think it's in Kevin's his choosing.

Ryan Hollins (24:32)

It's okay. D to stay off ig he's trying to bag on me on the herd. IG take a shot but whatever it happens, happens to the best of us.

Chris Felica (24:39)

What did you say this time? What did you say this time, bro?

Ryan Hollins (24:43)

I'm a nice guy. Sports radio former NBA guy all around good dude. Thanks Ryan. Have a great weekend. Appreciate it.

Chris Felica (24:52)

J man, talk to you soon, man.

Ryan Hollins (24:55)

All right, Coming up next, does Aaron Rodgers move the Vegas needle at all for the Pittsburgh Steelers. The Bear joins us next.

Chris Felica (25:03)

Be sure to catch live editions of the Herd weekdays at noon Eastern, 9am Pacific.

Colin Cowherd (25:07)

Hey, Steve Covino. And I'm Rich Davis, and together we're Covino and Rich on Fox Sports Radio. You can catch us weekdays from 5 to 7pm Eastern, 2 to 4 Pacific, on Fox Sports Radio. And of course, the iHeartRadio app. Why should you listen to Covino and Rich? We talk about everything. Life, sports, relationships, what's going on in the world. We have a lot of fun talking about the stories behind the stories in the world of sports and pop culture. Stories that, well, other shows don't seem to have the time to discuss. And the fact that we've been friends for the last 20 years and still work together, I mean, that says something, right? So check us out. We like to get you involved, too. Take your phone calls, chop it up, as they say. I'd say the most interactive show on Fox Sports Radio, maybe the most interactive show on planet Earth. Be sure to check out Covino Enrich live on Fox Sports radio and the iHeartradio app from 5 to 7pm Eastern, 2 to 4 Pacific. And if you miss any of the live show, just search Kobe no Enrich wherever you get your podcast. And of course, on social media, that's Covino and Rich. Summer is 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 day at the lake? That's a no. A Philly cheesesteak? That's a yes. A nice tan? Sorry. A box fan? Happily, yes. What about a day of sunshine? Not happening. How about a box of fine wines? Yeah, that's happening. Delivery's on its way. Okay, how about some clear skies? Nope. Well, how about some French fries? Yeah. So how about a freshly cut lawn? Can't help you there. But a barbecued prawn or it and it's on its way. Even throw in some paper towels. Clean up after the feast. So while you can't get fun in the sun delivered, don't worry because you can get pork buns delivered. 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. At the end of the season, there's only one team that can call themselves NBA champs. Only one player that can call themselves the number one pick in the NFL draft. Well, there's only one electric SUV worthy of the title. The ultimate. The all electric BMW ix. What I love about the IX is that it delivers legendary BMW performance. While its sleek design exudes innovative style from the inside out. Not to mention how much space and utility it provides. Over 75 cubic feet of cargo space. The IX is completely changing the game with an all electric suv. The greatest legends of sports never compromise any part of the game. So why would you settle for anything less from your suv? After all, there's only one ultimate the BMW ix. Everything you love about the ultimate driving machine. Electrified Looking to transform your business through better HR and payroll? Meet Paycor, a paychecks company. The powerhouse solution that empowers leaders to drive results. From recruiting and development to payroll and analytics, paycor connects you with the people, data and expertise you need to succeed. Their innovative platform helps you make smarter decisions about your most valuable asset. Your people. Are you ready to become a better leader? Visit paycor.com leaders to learn more. That's paycor.com leaders. Everybody loves a good MVP story. And the story of Wasabi Technologies is one of the best. Wasabi is purpose built to free businesses from skyrocketing storage costs and unpredictable egress fees from old and top heavy legacy providers. You know the big guys. Wasabi is the world's hottest cloud storage company, becoming the go to provider for professional and collegiate sports teams and leagues around the world. And here's why. From Wasabi's AI enabled intelligent media storage, Wasabi Air to the industry's only cloud storage service with triple protection against cybercriminals, data deletion and ransomware. Wasabi has taken the lead in driving innovation in data storage, eliminating overhead where it matters to deliver you results you can count on and won't break the bank. In fact, Wasabi is up to 80% less than those other guys and doesn't charge a cent for businesses to access their own data. Wasabi Another championship story. Check them out for free@wasabi.com Wasabi Hot Cloud Storage. Proud partner of the Volume Podcast Network.

Ryan Hollins (29:37)

Back here on the herd. Final segment of the week. Wow, it's been a banger of a week. I mean, you got Thibodeau getting run. You got the heavily favored Thunder choking away things at home. And now to wrap up the week, Chris the Bear Felica joining us live from Saratoga. The Belmont Stakes are on Fox tomorrow. Chris, a degenerate gambler. Just kidding. He's not degenerate. A great gambler No, I AM. Who has okt plus money. Genius move from when Denver led 2:1. I am curious, do you have a Belmont Stakes pick for the audience tomorrow?

Steve Covino (30:16)

I do. It's nothing super creative. I do think that the favorite, Journalism, the previous winner, will win his second leg of the Triple Crown here. I think the way the race is going to shape up, he's going to be a little bit closer to the lead in a race that's not going to have as much pace as potentially the Kentucky Derby had, which may have set up for for sovereignty to win him. But if I journalism the way he's bounced out of the practice and looks so good over this track, I do think that he will win at this moment a quarter distance and just called off the derby champ.

Ryan Hollins (30:46)

All right, let's pivot to the NFL. Aaron Rodgers, the long national nightmare is over. He was ours bear for two years. Obviously you're a Jets fan. We commiserate frequently. I'm just glad it's over. I'm just curious your thought. Is this going to work in Pittsburgh?

Steve Covino (31:04)

I don't know. I mean, I guess. I guess that if you want to take the glass half full approach, he's better than anyone they had on the roster and anybody they currently have on the roster now. And look, you and I both know about the jets organization kind of being a little bit of disarray. Offensive line had its injuries. The weapons that he had in the jets weren't necessarily great coaching staff, obviously issues there. He now goes to those arguably one of the most stable coaching staffs and organizations in the league. You bring in DK Metcalf, you keep it running back. You're a team that traditionally wins with defense. He showed flashes at times last year that he still had something left. He doesn't have to go out and win the game, win games for them. However, I still think that if you're looking at that division, they're behind Baltimore, they're behind Cincinnati. As long as Joe Burrow is healthy and Hendrickson is ready. I know Mike Tomlin has not had a losing season as a head coach. It feels like they're probably still in that eight or nine win range, third in that position.

Ryan Hollins (32:08)

Yeah. I'm just curious. You know, Aaron Rodgers, I don't want to call him a coach killer. That being said, there's a world where the streak ends for Tomlin and all of a sudden they win, you know, five or six games. The Arthur Smith marriage with Rogers is a disaster. We heard about Tomlin maybe leaving for TV for a Little bit. I don't know just how bad could this get And I don't want to be too negative, but that's the reality.

Steve Covino (32:31)

You see, I don't know if it's necessarily bad if they have a five wing type season because the Steelers have always been in the mid. They're in the worst place you can be in the NFL. You're in the middle, you're, you're in, you're nine and eight. You're maybe going to go to the playoffs but you're not going to make a run at time the same. Well, if they kind of bottom out this year, what's going to be a quarterback heavy draft next year with Garrett Nussmeier? Maybe, maybe Arch Manning, Carson Beck and a bunch of Dante Moore, potentially Lenore Sellers. Next year is a great quarterback draft. And if the Steelers are picking top six, top five next year, that's not the worst thing in the world. If they go for it, they go for it one year and try and win the division, try and make a playoff ball with Aaron and they make it fine. That's good. But this is a year where if you kind of have a down year, you're going to be in a good position at the top of the track.

Ryan Hollins (33:21)

Interesting. All right, let's quickly pivot to Frank Ragnow. Listen, I'm sure people are like ah, center retired, who cares? This is big. You're a gambler. You know the trenches are everything I do believe. And we had Adam turn off who you know. Well, he was on the show earlier this week. It's like he's betting the Lions that season win total under. I don't, I don't know if they're a playoff team in the and the loaded nfc.

Chris Felica (33:43)

Chris? Yeah.

Steve Covino (33:45)

I think you look at the NFC and you look at their, their win total, you might want to investigate the under with some of the games that they, they won last year. But you look at all these great teams in the NFL, what's the common denominator? Eagles, Lions, Ravens. Great offensive lines are the key. Losing the anchor of your O line right now, I mean, I don't know if you could replace that. I mean does it mean they're going to have a losing season and completely miss the playoffs? I don't know. But I think this is a bigger deal than that. Especially when you focus so much on quick passes with Jared Goff in the running game with Montgomery and Gibbs. I think this is a big deal and really can't be overestimated.

Ryan Hollins (34:27)

I'm with you Chris Felica, host of the Bear Bets podcast, Fox Big Noon Kickoff. Chris, thanks a lot. Enjoy Saratoga and hopefully the money people can make some money off your pick from earlier. Great stuff as usual.

Steve Covino (34:38)

Yeah, we're on a, we're on a 4 o' clock tomorrow. Be out all day and follow us on Twitter. We'll be sending out some things.

Ryan Hollins (34:44)

Good stuff, buddy. Thanks a lot. The Bear, Chris Felica. All right, let's go to Alex Curry with the news.

Chris Felica (34:51)

No, no, no, no. Heard on the news. This is the Herd line news.

Alex Curry (34:56)

All right, J. Mac, let's start in San Francisco because nine the Niners had a down year last year, but even with that, Brock purdy went from Mr. Irrelevant to one of the highest paid quarterbacks in football. And Mac Jones is his newest backup. And Mack talked about how easy the 49ers offense is on a quarterback.

Colin Cowherd (35:13)

I think they, they do a great job explaining what the expectation of each.

Chris Felica (35:17)

Play is and why they're doing a.

Colin Cowherd (35:19)

Certain play and there's no, nothing left.

Chris Felica (35:22)

Up to doubt if that makes sense.

Colin Cowherd (35:23)

And everything's based on timing and rhythm and also playing off structure. So has all three elements of quarterback play. And yeah, it's, it's really interesting to watch it and see how they see the game because it is the correct way to see it. And as you can tell, the quarterback play is very efficient.

Chris Felica (35:41)

Yeah.

Alex Curry (35:42)

Kyle Shanahan sets quarterbacks up for success. Right. Look, I mean obviously look what he just did from Brock Purdy, very last pick in the draft, Mr. Irrelevant to then he was a third stringer who came in and now is the one of the highest paid quarterbacks in the league. But when you kind of compare Purdy to Garoppolo under Kyle Shanahan, similar number. So you could kind of say like he takes, I don't think Brock is like an average guy now, but he takes kind of those kind of quarterbacks and he makes them break. But you're also able to build around because you're not paying them great quarterback kind of money. So now that you're paying Brock as like one of the top quarterbacks, the question is will they still be able to build around him and have the team around him to make them as successful as they can be? Because yeah, here you look at the numbers up on the board right now of Garoppolo, Jim G And Brock Purdy under Shanahan. I think the yards per attempt, it's ranked first and second in the NFL right there. So it's, it's, I'm a Brock Pie fan. I know you're a Brock Pie fan, but again, this is going to be a test year. He just got the bag. Like his jump from payment is absolutely insane.

Ryan Hollins (36:56)

800 that.

Colin Cowherd (36:57)

Yeah.

Alex Curry (36:57)

He was making under a million dollars to what, 50 million a year?

Ryan Hollins (37:00)

Like, hey, listen, he's going to. He went from taking the bus to maybe private jets. That's quite elite.

Alex Curry (37:09)

Well, he has a car deal. Remember, he got everyone those. Yeah, he got everyone cars for Christmas, which is wild. Okay, let's head to New York where Russell Wilson is no stranger to having younger quarterbacks pushing him for playing time at this point in his career. Giants obviously have first round quarterback Jackson Dart. And despite New York drafting the Ole Miss product, Russ isn't changing how he moves around the law.

Chris Felica (37:32)

I think the biggest thing is for me is just being my best every day. Leading, you know, just. I always think about, you know, just leading everybody. You know, just leading every room, every moment, every time I get step on the white lines and the opportunity of that. We had a great dinner the other night. All the guys, you know, followed o.

Colin Cowherd (37:47)

Lineman and quarterbacks and running backs together.

Chris Felica (37:49)

We just had a good time. Just tons of laughs and good time together. So just. I think the, the, the fellowship of it all is the best part right now.

Alex Curry (37:59)

I'm not expecting anything big from Russell Wilson.

Ryan Hollins (38:04)

What do you find big?

Alex Curry (38:05)

If you look at his last two stops right in Pittsburgh, he went 6 and 5 as a starter, but lost the last four when it counted the most, when they needed him the most. And Pittsburgh didn't pursue him. They pursued Justin Fields who started before him. That's who they really wanted to keep. So I. We obviously know what went down in Denver. They paid him millions of dollars to leave and go play for another team. So it was like last two stops have not been successful. And the Giants quarterback room is, you know, interesting. They also picked up James Winston. You have Russ. They drafted Jackson Dart. So I'm not. There's a lot of question marks there.

Ryan Hollins (38:45)

It's a mid. It's a quarterback mid off it is. Jack may not even be mid.

Chris Felica (38:49)

Yeah.

Alex Curry (38:50)

Yeah. All right. And let's end with your boy kd. Kevin Durant. Rumors are flow and we've heard of a lot of likely landing spots, but a Phoenix radio host floated one this morning that might be surprising to you.

Colin Cowherd (39:06)

The one team that. I think that there'll be communication now again, this may be the sun's reaching out to them or them reaching out to the Suns or just mutual interest. The one more team I'm going to put in there as a possibility is the Clippers. We've never talked about the Clippers. Clippers before, but they got Zubac, they got done. They got Powell, they got Derrick Jones. I'll have to look at what their draft capital is. But the Clippers are a team that I heard.

Ryan Hollins (39:38)

I don't.

Alex Curry (39:38)

Interesting.

Ryan Hollins (39:39)

Like it is interesting.

Alex Curry (39:40)

Can you keep everybody Kawhi. I mean you're gonna have another like big three.

Ryan Hollins (39:46)

Yeah. Like.

Alex Curry (39:50)

That'S a great. And LA. I would watch like you're also like competing with LeBron and Luca and whoever else they get here in LA.

Ryan Hollins (40:00)

Why is always missing.

Colin Cowherd (40:02)

It's.

Ryan Hollins (40:03)

Well, it's Katie's 37 in September issue.

Alex Curry (40:06)

Is he can't stay healthy at the end of the season in his postseason. He did this last year. This was the first time that he was injured beforehand. And then he.

Colin Cowherd (40:14)

He was.

Alex Curry (40:15)

He was healthy towards the back end of the season into the postseason. But that's kind of been their Achilles heel. Like they just haven't had that postseason, that playoff success. So it's. Would KD want to be there? Do they have enough to give up?

Ryan Hollins (40:29)

I think KD would certainly want to be in la.

Alex Curry (40:31)

Yeah.

Ryan Hollins (40:32)

I don't know that the deal is going to be good enough. Like somebody's going to throw some stupid stuff at the Suns. I think they're just desperate to take any. Anything. It's like when you're selling your house and you got to get the hell out. Just give me an offer. Let's go.

Alex Curry (40:44)

I mean, as we talked about, he's just trying to get it done before Giannis lands somewhere because that's going to set the market. As soon as Giannis trade situation happens, like, there it is. So if you get this done before.

Ryan Hollins (40:56)

Giannis, I wonder mentally what Kevin Durant's saying. Hey man, you could get shipped for Zubots and Norman Powell. Rudy Gobert was like 5,000 picks. Bridges was five. I don't care that I'm 37.

Alex Curry (41:08)

But again, at this point, like, don't you just want to be. You want to be in a place where you are still competitive and have an opportunity to make a run like that. You're still competitive and you're in a big market and you're in a great city.

Ryan Hollins (41:22)

It's a wake up call. Alex Fury with the news.

Chris Felica (41:27)

Well, that's the news and thanks for stopping by the herd lie news.

Ryan Hollins (41:31)

All right, folks, we survived the week barely. I mean, you know, getting barbs from Cam Newton and you know, the Deion Sanders crowd. It was a hell of a week for Cowherd. I think the show is still standing. Alex Great stuff. The big guy's back on Monday and I guess I'll be back. I don't haven't heard from anybody. See you then.

Colin Cowherd (41:52)

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