THE HERD- HOUR 1- Injuries plague Lakers, Miles Simon joins the show

Summary

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The Herd with Colin Cowherd — Hour 1: Injuries Plague Lakers, Miles Simon Joins the Show

Date: April 6, 2026
Podcast: iHeartPodcasts and The Volume

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Episode Overview

Colin Cowherd and guest contributors dive into the latest sports headlines—focusing on the Lakers’ injury woes, the state of their roster under coach J.J. Redick, and what it means for LeBron’s twilight years. The episode also previews the NCAA men’s basketball national championship between UConn and Michigan, reflecting on college basketball’s evolution. Special guest Miles Simon, celebrated 1997 Final Four MOP and college basketball analyst, discusses veteran leadership in college hoops and breaks down Michigan's and UConn's roads to the title game. The hour also features rapid-fire insights on NBA rookies like Cooper Flagg and Wemby, NFL offseason moves, and a candid look at coaching cultures in basketball.

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Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. Lakers Injury Crisis & Roster Challenges

• Austin Reaves (oblique) and Luka Doncic both out injured: The Lakers’ thin roster is exposed (<span style="color:gray">[02:00]</span>).
• Coach J.J. Redick’s situation: Colin repeatedly defends Redick, arguing roster dysfunction isn’t his fault.
  • “J.J. Redick inherited a completely lopsided roster. He should be up for coach of the year. They have no bench. They can’t shoot threes, they can’t rebound.” (Colin Cowherd, 02:21)
• Overreliance on LeBron (age 41) & Luka: Forced high minutes due to lack of depth.
• Comparison with Knicks: Both teams have the same record, but New York’s point differential is “400 times better,” due to more consistent roster construction.
  • “The Lakers are 1 in 10 against the top four teams. So forget beating the good teams...They get stretched to the limit against average teams.” (Colin, 03:29)
• Front office critique: Rob Pelinka’s approach compared to boosting a sports car’s horsepower rather than ensuring balance and reliability.
• J.J. Redick post-game quote:
  • “We’ve got to find just nine guys that can go out there and help us compete.” (J.J. Redick, 05:52)

2. NCAA Basketball Championship Preview

• Michigan v. UConn—Experience & Physicality take center stage
  • Michigan praised for veteran prowess over raw talent:
    • “It’s not just about talent, it’s about weight room...two and three and four years for a UConn player or Yaxel to be in a weight room and get bigger and stronger.” (Colin, 07:22)
  • NIL’s impact: More older, NBA-level players stay in college, raising the sport’s quality.
    • “The quality of college basketball is so much better than 10 years ago because the players are older.” (Colin, 06:40)
• Michigan’s historic run likened to classic Final Four teams: Colin underscores the difference between “all-time great” teams from the 80s/90s and current Michigan—tempering the “best ever” narrative.
• Physical matchup predicted:
  • “The two most physical teams. Coaches have different styles, but they’re both big and they’re physical.” (Colin, 09:11)
• Insight into coaching culture: UConn’s Dan Hurley highlighted for building a “group of fighters,” more than just a collection of stars.
  • Dan Hurley: “We’re a tough program. We’re a group of fighters...We’ve got credible will, and we go into these games, we’re ready for battle.” (Dan Hurley, 17:49)
  • Colin: “Talent isn’t the only thing that’s intimidating. Will is intimidating. Discipline and toughness is intimidating.” (Colin, 18:19)

3. NBA Rookie Frenzy: Cooper Flagg & Wemby

• Cooper Flagg’s prodigious rise:
  • “He looks like...he’s overdelivered like LeBron did, like Tiger did, like Ohtani. None of you thought he would be this good.” (Colin, 27:26)
  • “This is the best basketball player at 17 I think I’ve ever seen...the best teenager I’ve seen in the NBA.” (Colin, 29:57)
  • Historic stats: first rookie with three 45-point games since Michael Jordan, only teenager to score 50 in NBA history.
  • LeBron on Flagg:
    • “Knew he was special from...playing with his team out of Maine...he’s just getting better and better.” (LeBron James, 31:00)
• Victor Wembanyama vs. Nikola Jokic showdown:
  • “It was an amazing game...One of the most fun games...a real test against a team playing for something.” (Wemby, 19:44)
  • Jokic’s offensive mastery highlighted—“He’s the most gifted offensive center I’ve ever seen.” (Colin, 21:07)
• NBA Western Conference playoff race analyzed:
  • Denver, OKC, and Spurs discussed as favorites—Lakers ruled out due to injuries.

4. NFL Updates

• Lamar Jackson’s attendance at Ravens OTAs: Seen as a key step under a new coaching staff.
  • “He’s not in a new place, but with a new staff…it’s important this year to be there.” (Colin, 23:06)
• Ravens & Bills’ Super Bowl windows: Urgency for these franchises with their franchise QBs.
• Broncos’ offseason moves: Jaden Waddle trade assessed as Sean Payton “going all-in” while QB Bo Nix is on his rookie deal.

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Miles Simon Interview: College Hoops Past & Present

Veteran Leadership & Physicality in March Madness

• Arizona vs. Michigan analysis:
  • Simon: “Arizona had been the big bully...Michigan...were the bigger bully on the block on Saturday night. That was as impressive a performance as you’ve ever seen in a Final Four.” (Miles Simon, 35:21)
• NIL’s positive effect:
  • “Now the NIL guys come back...college basketball is such a wonderful experience for so many reasons.” (Colin, 35:35)
• Dan Hurley / UConn culture:
  • Simon: “They find guys that fit within their culture...is he tough? Can he take hard coaching?...Players are so bought into him and believe in him.” (Simon, 36:24)
  • “The biggest compliment I can give: I have a 12 year old son...I would want my son to play for Dan Hurley.” (Simon, 36:44)
• State of college basketball:
  • “The talent level is so high...players all coming back making the game stronger. Are they going to different schools each year? Yes, but the talent is so good across the board.” (Simon, 38:12)
• Preparing for the championship environment:
  • On Michigan practicing in a football stadium for depth-perception: “Super smart by Dusty May to try to get his guys adjusted…There’s nothing like that. It obviously paid off—they shot the cover off the ball.” (Simon, 39:43)

Lakers Coaching & Future Outlook

• J.J. Redick’s adjustments:
  • Simon: “They started to play more zone towards the end of January. That changed their defense...They don’t have three-and-D guys, but they used their length.” (Simon, 42:00)
  • On LeBron’s future: “Does he want to stay?...Is he going to take a money hit so the team can get stronger, or still want $50-60 million a year?” (Simon, 43:13)
  • “Going forward...still in a tough place, but I was hopeful to see them make a run in the playoffs. You really only need 3 guys—LeBron, Austin, Luka—to carry you in a playoff rotation.” (Simon, 44:00)

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Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• Colin on roster-building:
  “The Lakers are a sports car and their answer for everything is more power...Handling? Don’t worry about it. Aerodynamics? Somebody else’s problem.” (03:06)
• Colin on Michigan’s greatness:
  “What Michigan really are is a reminder of how great college basketball can be if the NBA doesn’t try to marginalize it with the G League and if the NIL doesn’t get changed.” (09:20)
• Dan Hurley on UConn:
  “We’re incredibly tough. We go into these games, we’re ready for battle.” (17:49)
• Miles Simon on Hurley’s coaching:
  “I have a 12-year-old son...I would want my son to play for Dan Hurley.” (36:44)
• Colin on Cooper Flagg:
  “The story of Cooper Flagg is that’s the best basketball player at 17 I’ve ever seen.” (29:57)

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Timestamps for Key Segments

• [01:54] Lakers injuries and roster critique
• [05:38] J.J. Redick’s post-Dallas loss comments
• [07:00] NCAA championship preview; impact of NIL
• [17:49] Dan Hurley on UConn’s identity
• [19:44] Wembanyama postgame on facing Jokic
• [21:07] Jokic’s offensive brilliance analysis
• [23:06] NFL: Lamar & Ravens offseason narrative
• [24:17] Broncos’ AFC prospects; Jaden Waddle trade
• [27:26] Cooper Flagg’s rookie season and impact
• [34:25] Miles Simon on Michigan’s win over Arizona
• [36:24] On Dan Hurley’s cultural fit at UConn
• [38:12] NIL’s effect on college basketball’s strength
• [42:00] Lakers coaching adjustments; rotation
• [44:00] LeBron’s future and Lakers playoff odds

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Tone & Style

• Lively, candid, and highly opinionated.
• In-depth analysis but accessible for casual fans.
• Willing to “take swings” with bold predictions (especially regarding Cooper Flagg and the Lakers’ outlook).
• Guest Miles Simon provides balanced, firsthand insight with a coach’s perspective.

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This summary captures the hour’s most important discussions, direct quotes, and expert insights—serving both plugged-in fans and those catching up for the first time.

Transcript

[Colin Cowherd]

This is an iHeart podcast. Guaranteed Human.

[Jason Smith]

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[John Middlekauff]

car insurance with Liberty Mutual together.

[Jason Smith]

We're married. Me to a human, him to a bird. Yeah, the bird looks out of your league anyways. Only pay for what you [e-mail] Liberty. Liberty. Liberty. Liberty. And Doug, there's nowhere I wouldn't go to help someone customize and save on car insurance with Liberty Mutual, even if it means sitting front row at a comedy show. Hey, everyone, check out this guy and his bird. What is this your first date? Oh, no. We help people customize and save on

[John Middlekauff]

car insurance with Liberty Mutual together.

[Jason Smith]

We're married. Me to a human, him to a bird. Yeah, the bird looks out of your league anyways. Only pay for what you [e-mail] Liberty. Liberty. Liberty. Liberty.

[Colin Cowherd]

You're listening to Fox Sports Radio.

[Jason Smith]

Oh, we got quite a Monday, the national championship Yukon in Michigan. Tonight we are live. It is the Herd. Wherever you may be and however you may be listening, thanks for making us part of your day. John Middelcock from the Volume, Former NFL scout who does great work for us here and at the Volume is joining us. Drafts a couple of weeks away. I think we're all locked in to what we view as a football school, Michigan, which has the best basketball team potentially. John, in a lot of years. You're Arizona. You lived down for a long time. You still do down in Arizona. Wildcats met. The conclusion that many have is Michigan's not just good, are they great? Right? Yeah.

[John Middlekauff]

Not sure. Tommy Lloyd saw that one coming.

[Jason Smith]

Well, last week there was a game Thursday, Lakers played okc. Boy, did that turn out to be a disaster. Austin Reeves, oblique injury. He's done. Luka Doncic is going overseas to get treatment. He's done. And I see all this criticism this weekend. I'm like, wait, wait, wait, wait, wait. I see all this. J.J. redick. Why is he playing him all these minutes? This was the inevitable conclusion. LeBron's 41. J.J. redick inherited a completely lopsided roster. He should be up for coach of the year. They have no bench. They can't shoot threes, they can't rebound. They've got no rim Protector. They lack 3 and D guys in a 3 and D league. Luka got stretched Like a rubber band that had been stretched for weeks to the limit. I mean, Luka's playing 37 minutes, which isn't outrageous for a star, but they had a heavy schedule, 17 March games, and he led the NBA in usage rate by a mile. But again, you've got no bench. And people say, well, Austin Reaves has been banged up all year. Again, he has to. LeBron's 41, and you have no bench and no three point shooters and you're a poor rebounding team. Think about this. The Knicks and the Lakers have the same record, but the point differential for The Knicks is 400 times better. Why? Because the Knicks can bury crappy teams. The Lakers can't. The Lakers are 1 in 10 against the top four teams. So forget beating the good teams. But they get stretched to the limit against average teams. And that's why I said last week, the OKC loss, you didn't want it to be this, but it was necessary for the new owners to see. This is not a J.J. redick issue. That's not what this is. This is J.J. redick. You inherit things, right? Sometimes, you know, you buy a company or, you know, you're a principal and you get a job at a new school, you inherit dysfunction. That's what J.J. redick, that's where he's at. So you've got to play Austin reaves. You play LeBron as much as you can. You have to play Luka because they step off the floor and you run out of points. They have the second worst bench in the league. So it's almost like the Lakers are a sports car and their answer for everything is more power. Handling, don't worry about it. Aerodynamics, somebody else's problem. Breaking tires. And somebody else can worry about it. Let's give us more horsepower. And that's been Rob Palenque's answer until Marcus Smart to everything. Deandre Ayton, Rui Achamora. Offense, offense, offense. And now this was inevitable. Luka usage rates. I mean, Austin Reaves having to play this many minutes, It's a remarkable. LeBron is still this good. I mean, it's insane. It's Brady with the Bucks. You're like, is he still a top five quarterback? So, I mean, in the NBA, the best general managers, like Sam Presti in Oklahoma City, they build rosters with complementary pieces that can win when their star rests and can win multiple ways. That's not what J.J. redick inherited. He didn't build the roster. He should be up for coach of the year for getting them to Third in the West. Can't beat good teams, win, but can struggle against middling teams. The Knicks have a point differential. They're like in a different sport. So they lose to Cooper flag in the Mavs last night. And here's J.J. redick after poor defensive night.

[Colin Cowherd]

And again, we gotta kind of figure that out as coaches and give these guys the answers to the test in a better way. You know, in terms of just the rotations again, you know, just

[Jason Smith]

trying to

[Colin Cowherd]

find just, you know, nine guys that can, can go out there and help us compete. We've got a week left of the regular season and then a week to prepare. And we've got a. We've got to have the commitment to do it on both ends.

[Jason Smith]

All right, like many of you, I had Michigan in my single bracket winning the national championship. I had him beating Florida. Iowa knocked them out, you know, a couple weeks back. I thought UConn would be good, but I, I've said all year I feel like they need another dependable score, but yet it's UConn in Michigan. And it's interesting. Michigan's really good. They demolished a good Gonzaga team. They demolished Arizona, they demolished Illinois. They're good. But I, I'm hearing people say, oh, they're one of the best teams ever. And I would say this, they're just a reminder of how great college basketball was in the 80s and 90s. You go back to 1982, Final Four. It had Michael Jordan, James Worthy, Patrick Ewing and Drexler Akeem. I mean, it was like, it's insane. And that's what you used to get all the time. You don't anymore. But Nil is going to allow more of it. I mean, Yaxel Lenneborg for Michigan should be playing for the Atlanta Hawks, averaging six points a game. First guy off the bench. Instead, he's in college. Why Nil? It's not perfect, but the quality of college basketball is so much better than 10 years ago because the players are older. We said this about the Indiana Miami national championship. It's just when guys stay in longer. Back in the 80s and 90s, the teams were older. You had stars. Tim Duncan's Ewings staying for three and four years. You know, pre nil. The minute you could be drafted anywhere, you were off to Europe or you were going to the G League or you were going to the Association. So you saw it with Duke and UConn. Duke had a bunch of 19 year old five stars. And in the second half they got nervous and muscled by veteran UConn and that was Arizona against Michigan. Arizona's ridiculously talented. It's all freshmen. Michigan didn't have a freshman starter. So it's not just about talent, it's about weight room. It's about two and three and four years for a UConn player or Yaxel to be in a weight room and get bigger and stronger. As much as we like Cooper Flagg, you can see his growth in just one year with NBA nutrition and NBA trainers. And by the way, it's not like Duke is second tier. So I like Michigan tonight. I'd be surprised if it wasn't close. But just to give you some example, when you say, well, is Michigan an all time team? You gotta have perspective. There was a Houston team that had Akeem Drexler and Michael Young could not win a Natty. There was a St. John's team that couldn't even get to the championship game that had Chris Mullen, Mark Jackson, Walter Berry and Bill Winnington. That was just common in college basketball. So I think Michigan's great, but I think what they are, they're exceptional. But I think what they really are is a reminder of how great college basketball can be if the NBA doesn't try to marginalize it with the G League and if the NIL doesn't get changed. The nil's not perfect, but ratings, revenue and quality of play is through the roof again. I looked it up this morning. The 1982 Final Four had M.J. ewing, Akeem Drexler and James Worthy. And I love Braden Buries, but I'm going to say he's not going to be Jordan. I'm going to go a little limb on that one. Here is Michigan coach Dusty May. We've played with great physicality all year. We've done a great job in the weight room. We've done, I think, a real solid job of not beating our guys up in practice, but yet preparing them for the mental and physical wear and tear of these type of games. But it's a mindset. The baked in schedule prepared those guys for this. So the largest point differentials entering the championship game in March Madness, Michigan is sixth. It is not the best ever, but it's really, really good. Now the last four that have done it have won. Duke had a huge point differential back in the 90s and lost. I do like Michigan. I wish their best player wasn't at about 70%. I think that the game's going to be very difficult to officiate. That would be my guess because the way for UConn to win, they have to get super physical. They need the whistle. And Michigan is not. Michigan can also play that style. So these are the two most physical teams. Coaches have different styles, but they're, they're both big and they're physical. It's amazing to watch a Dai Mara, who at UCLA was a really, really good player, great defensive player, average five a game. He's become an incredible offensive hub for Michigan. I like the Wolverines tonight. And if they do win, let's see the UCLA women. Big Ten, Indiana, Hoosier, Natty, Big Ten, Michigan wins Big Ten. Anybody see a theme here? We got a lot of stuff. Speaking of Cooper Flag, who was at Duke obviously last year, sometimes in our space, our business, the media business, you know, broadcasters can be a little reluctant to be honest because they don't want to be called out if they're wrong. And sometimes you just have to take a swing and let the chips fall. And Cooper Flagg is absolutely what we predicted very quickly. You're watching him and going, is he better than Jayson Tatum? Yeah, it's okay to have those conversations. This kid isn't just excellent. Are we looking at an all timer here? I mean, the numbers he's putting up as a teenager are. It's, it's. You start looking at the names and the comps. You know, Zion came into the league and put up a couple of games and you're like, he's putting up wilt games. But we always worried about his weight and his commitment and yeah, Cooper Flag, I got none of those issues. So we'll talk about that coming up. Oh, we talk about it all the time. The difference between good organizations and great ones isn't just talent. It's systems and infrastructure working together quietly, efficiently all year long. That's Navient H Vac. Navien's NPF hydro furnace works differently than a traditional system. 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[Colin Cowherd]

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[Jason Smith]

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[Colin Cowherd]

and Doug,

[Jason Smith]

there's nowhere I wouldn't go to help someone customize and save on car insurance with Liberty Mutual if it means sitting front row at a comedy show. Hey everyone. Check out this guy and his bird. What is this, your first date? Oh no. We help people customize and save on

[John Middlekauff]

car insurance with Liberty Mutual together.

[Jason Smith]

We're married. Me to a human, him to a bird. Yeah, the bird looks out of your league anyways. Only pay for what you [e-mail] Liberty. Liberty. Liberty. Liberty. 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]

Fox Sports Radio Radio is taking over YouTube and you can be a part of it.

[Jason Smith]

Just go to YouTube and search Fox Sports Radio. Hit that subscribe button and smash that notification bell and catch all the videos

[Colin Cowherd]

from your favorite shows.

[Jason Smith]

Two pros and a cup of Joe. Dan, Patrick, Colin, Cowherd Stu Gotz and company Live. Covino and Rich, the Odd Couple with Rob Parker and Kelvin Washington, the Jason Smith show with Mike Harmon and the Ben Maller Show.

[Colin Cowherd]

Box sports radio on YouTube.

[Jason Smith]

Subscribe. Hit that thumbs up icon and subscribe. Coming away. You ever notice that Yukon players ride with their coach? They don't bail to other programs. Even if they were offered and they could be more substantial and get more points, they stay. And players don't bail to the NBA or the G League the minute they could. They stay for Dan Hurley's intensity. It's an old roster. They've got three and four year starters. That's why I to me, that's why they can beat Illinois and Duke. I think Illinois and Duke have more talent. I don't think they have the toughness, the maturity. They haven't played in as many big games. I thought Illinois for the first 10 minutes of the first half looked a little out of sorts and kind of nervous. And I think a lot of it is UConn's culture and UConn's toughness and experience. Jim Calhoun got crap for his personality. And Geno, everybody says is arrogant. And Dan Hurley's intensity, they're all cut from the same cloth. They're great, they're smart, they're demanding. And you ever notice their players really like them a lot. And that is the price for being great. Is that Mike Krzyzewski, he was rough, you know, Bob Knight was inappropriate often. But, you know, Hurley is one of those guys that I think this is his best coaching job. Michigan's got more talent. Arizona had more talent. I think Illinois's got more talent. I really do. But he is seven and oh, as a coach in the Sweet 16. And this has been a team that, you know, a couple years ago he had a team that won the national championship. They were blowing out elite teams. I think Purdue was one of those teams. They rolled and it was a great Purdue team. That's not what this team is. I mean, they are all about fight. They've never needed Dan Hurley's personality at UConn more than this team. And he talks about it.

[Colin Cowherd]

The year hasn't been a joyride. We haven't been a machine of destruction. We've been a team that's had to kind of grind out games like this. So we're comfortable in a possession game like that. We're a tough program. We're a group of fighters. You know, it's not appealing to everyone. I'm sure there's some people in here, you know, that it's off putting for, you know. But we are a group of fighters. We're incredibly tough. We've got credible will, and we go into these games, we're ready for battle.

[Jason Smith]

And let me tell you something. Talent isn't the only thing that's intimidating. Will is intimidating. Discipline and toughness is intimidating. Tonight you have the two most physical teams. Illinois is good. Illinois was intimidated out of sorts. It wasn't until the very end of the game when they had a really nice run with their NBA guys that you were like, oh, that's the game I thought I was going to see in the last seven, eight minutes. But this, this what you're watching with UConn, it's. It's one of their least talented teams that has a chance to win a national championship. And I lived in Connecticut for 10 years. I've seen all of them. I saw a lot of them live. This team is not just talent, it's coaching intensity, culture. I mean, it's funny watching Terrace Reed, the big guy, everybody's like, well, he's not really built for today's NBA. And I'm like, yeah, whatever he's built for Yukon, he's built for tonight. That's what I know. Here's John middle cough of the news.

[Colin Cowherd]

No, no, no, no.

[Jason Smith]

Turn on the news. This is the herd line news.

[John Middlekauff]

Okay, Collins, sticking with basketball. Let's go to the NBA where we had a clash of the big man Titans. Wemby and Jokic went at it. They combined for 74 points, but Jokic, he came out on top. Here's what Wembanyama had to say about going head to head with the former several time mvp.

[Colin Cowherd]

I think it was an amazing game, you know, very fun. One of the most fun games. I wish we could have closed it out. And my conclusion of this game is moment is good for us. Everything that happened tonight's good for us. So real test against the team that's actually playing for something right now. We've had a little bit of play at large. Obviously, I really get the best defensive player in the world. So when you come into these games, you always have to be focused in defense.

[Jason Smith]

Yeah, I mean, six, seven different times. Jokic just went right at Wemby, who is in a class now with the best defensive players at all time. And it was a little, you know, it wasn't, it wasn't teacher student, but it, he is such a gifted offensive player that Jokic over Wemby. You're like, it doesn't look nearly as hard as it does for every other big guy in the league. He sort of controlled the other thing about this game, John, 49 free throws. Teams were 44 of 49. I went back and looked after the game. I'm like, how many free throws were missed? This was two really, really good teams. Maybe not OKC great, but two exceptional teams.

[John Middlekauff]

I mean, how many guys in the history of basketball would you say are better offensive players than Nicole Jokic? Less than 5.

[Jason Smith]

Oh, I, I mean there, Shaq was more powerful. Akeem had maybe better feet. Kareem had the unstoppable shot. But in terms of passing, screening, distribution, he's a better defensive player than people say. I think he's the most gifted offensive center I've ever seen.

[John Middlekauff]

You know, I was looking at it last year. They took OKC to seven games.

[Jason Smith]

Yeah.

[John Middlekauff]

And Aaron Gordon got hurt. You know, they easily could have won that series. The Thunder are heavy favorites to win it again. And the spurs have better odds than Denver. I think Denver is a pretty live dog if they're going to eat Aaron Gordon healthy. And Nikola Jokic, I mean, how many MVPs the guy won? He's having one of his best seasons this season. I mean, I, I think they can win the championship.

[Jason Smith]

I think the one criticism, and it's not a criticism of San Antonio, it's a reality, is they're young.

[Colin Cowherd]

Yeah.

[Jason Smith]

And I mean, they haven't made the playoffs. So you're asking a team that hasn't made the playoffs to win it. Now they got a great culture, ownership. So that part we know. But you start looking at OKC now as a champion and Denver's experience. That's why the Lakers, you know, the Lakers didn't have the bench or defensively to win a championship, but you could see them stealing games. Now the Lakers are done. So it feels like a three team race to me. In the West.

[John Middlekauff]

The spurs kind of feel like that early KD Russ Harden group, though their future is a little brighter because it looks like Wemby is going to be there for a while. Let's move to the NFL, you know, around this time of year. Colin, we do a lot of talk about who's at off season activities and who's not there. Typically the quarterbacks attend. Well, Lamar Jackson for the last several years has kind of been a no show, but as many people noticed a couple months ago, they fired their coach. So things change. The new offensive coordinator made it pretty clear, Lamar, we need you here. And credit to Lamar, he's given up $1.5 million the last two years, missing these OTAs. He's not giving up that money this year. Colin, he attended today.

[Jason Smith]

Yeah. And I think with a new staff, remember, I remember criticizing Aaron Rodgers. It's like when you have a new staff and you're in a new place, you got to show up. He's not in a new place, but with a new staff, Jesse Minter, who could be, actually be great. But John Harbaugh, I mean you're talking like NFL nuts and bolts. It's like Andy Reid, you, I can miss a camp with John Harbaugh. I think it's important for him this year, maybe not next year, but this year to be there.

[John Middlekauff]

I think the Ravens and the Bills, I mean when it's all said and done, we'll pay Josh and Lamar probably combined billion dollars.

[Jason Smith]

Right.

[John Middlekauff]

These guys are in their late 20s, early 30s. Over the next course of this year, in the next couple of years, it's pretty important to get it done because if not now, more than likely especially Lamar, the way he plays. It's hard to see him winning a Super bowl when he's like 38.

[Jason Smith]

Right.

[John Middlekauff]

You know, now's the time. Get Jesse Minter. I think Ravens bounce back. I think they're going to be pretty frisky. Let's go to your guy. The Broncos, they, they got all the way to the AFC championship game last year. Obviously they might have done more if Bo Nix doesn't get hurt. But whatever success they had last season, Sean Payton has made it very clear he wants to deal with the brand new clean slate heading into this season.

[Colin Cowherd]

Let's run it back. Let's understand one thing, it's anything but that.

[Jason Smith]

When you win 11 to 13 one

[Colin Cowherd]

score games like you saw the flip

[Jason Smith]

in just one season between Kansas City, it's how do you improve your team?

[Colin Cowherd]

And the better you get, the harder

[Jason Smith]

it is to improve your team. Yeah, I, I, I will tell you. That's why I think the Jaden Waddle acquisition with Cortland, Sutton, Harvey, you start looking around at their skill pieces now Franklin Mims, you're like, yeah, it's time. Like you'd have to pay Bo here in a couple years. It feels like to me just roster composition. Denver's got the best roster in their division and maybe in the afc.

[John Middlekauff]

Yeah, I think they're going to be a very sexy pick to, to represent the AFC in the Super Bowl. I think the Waddle, I, I think why you gotta like the Waddle move is Sean's the Offense is his baby. He's utilized a lot of these type guys. You can move them around but there's

[Jason Smith]

a lot of pressure.

[John Middlekauff]

This is going to be a high priced team. They've kind of got over that hump with the Russell Wilson contract. Like you said, they still have the rookie quarterback contract working to their advantage. That's why they could make the move. But they, they just gave their first and third round pick Colin for a guy. So they're all in right now.

[Jason Smith]

Yeah, I mean Jaden Wall is a very good player. First third is a lot but I think, I mean that's Sean Payton basically saying guys we got two years to pay Bo Nicks, like what are we waiting for? Let's go get a certified one or a one A. So I mean offensively I always feel like if you have an offensive coach like Ben Johnson or Sean Payton you can overpay like they'll squeeze the most out of the talent. And I, and I kind of feel with Sean Payton it's, it's, this is validation. He was right about Bo Nicks. We can now say he was right about Bo Nicks. And his take is this is what I think the Ben Johnson's are doing too. It's like hey, I'm going to have to pay Caleb a fortune in a couple years. Load up now.

[John Middlekauff]

And the one thing when you close your eyes and you think Bo Nicks at Oregon, the type guys they have waddle feels like that type player. So I think he goes and he fits with, with Bo Nix getting the ball to him behind the line of scrimmage. But man Colin, there are going to be a lot of disappointed teams in the AFC because there's only one team that can win it.

[Jason Smith]

Yeah. And they're stacked Jon, with the news.

[Colin Cowherd]

Well that's the news and thanks for

[Jason Smith]

stopping by the Herd lie news. So Dallas beat the Lakers Lakers season's over. Let's just be honest about it. It's not fair to ask 41 year old LeBron to score 38 points in playoff games. If they play Minnesota it'll be a disaster. It'll be a sweep. So Cooper flag lit up the Lakers his last two games he's averaging 48 points, 61% three point shooting, 92% free throw shooting. Youngest active player in the NBA. So and I said this earlier is that you know there's all these blogs and trolls and you know there's so many places to get called out now and I mean it used to be the worst thing possible is your boss got Mad at you or a letter to the editor Saturday at your local sports page. Now people can light up the president, connect with Jay Z. And so a lot of people I notice in my space, like they like qualify their opinions. And with Cooper Flag, I refuse to do it. I said he's going to be better than Jayson Tatum. Not his first year. By his second, you're going to look up and go, oh, he's like Jayson Tatum if Jayson Tatum was super aggressive. And I got to tell you, the gap between Tatum and Cooper Flag right now is millimeters. Like it is tiny. And let's just stop the safe taking. I mean he looks like, I think he's over delivered like LeBron did, like Tiger did, like Ohtani has. None of you thought he would be this good. And so it's okay to take a swing, put it out there and say, yeah, he's going to be better than Jason Tatum. His personality works better. And by the way, first year in the NBA, Jayson Tatum averaged about 13, 14 points. This kid's at 21 and because Dallas has nothing else around him, you know, you can really sag off on their other players and try to attack Cooper Flag and it just, it doesn't matter. I mean, I remember when he went to Duke, he led Duke in everything. Con knipples there. He leads him in everything. He's 17, he should be a senior in Maine. So, you know, and whenever somebody comes out with a strong opinion, you will often hear that's a lot of pressure. Well, it's mom and dad's job to protect their kid or his agent or his manager. It's not our job. Our job's to tell stories. And the story of Cooper Flagg is that's the best basketball player at 17 I think I've ever seen. He's the best teenager I've ever seen in the NBA. And we said this when he was in college, he plays real defense. Even LeBron came into the NBA, you had to kind of figure out how to play defense. He's not an elite defender yet, but he's a slasher, a cutter, a left hand. He can spot and shoot, handles both hands. It's like, what am I washing? This isn't a good player. It's not even a great player. I think we're looking at an all time player. I think if this kid, barring injury, I think you're looking at a 15 time All Star. I think he's that kind of player. So in people's. And also can we. This is Uncomfortable. It does matter. We have not had a domestic player be an MVP since 2018. James Harden. It matters. I mean, if you had an Italian basketball league, don't you think they'd want occasionally Italy to produce one of their better players? Like it would kind of matter. You know, Canadians root for Canadians when they watch the Olympics on cbc. It's okay. It matters. I mean, we have not had a domestic player be dominant. Even when James Harden won the mvp, you know, he didn't play much defense. He was ball centric. Is he a great teammate? He was just wildly productive offensively. This kid is, I mean he is, he is everything. And for the record, I remember his rookie year. He came in and LeBron spotted Luka a week in when he was young. He was like this Luca guy. It was like the first week he's like, that's real. He was even as or more complimentary about Cooper Flag from the very beginning. LeBron was like, that is legit.

[Colin Cowherd]

Obviously special. I mean, I've seen that all the way back to like the AAU days

[Jason Smith]

when you know, he was coming up

[Colin Cowherd]

in the ranks and playing with his team out of Maine and just doing the things that he was doing on the circuit. So knew he was special from there and he's just taking that from what

[Jason Smith]

he was doing back home to the

[Colin Cowherd]

AAU circuit, to Duke and now here he's just getting better and better and better. It looks like he loves the game,

[Jason Smith]

he's putting in the work.

[Colin Cowherd]

So he's gotten better. But it's a great rookie class.

[Jason Smith]

So he's the first rookie with three 45 point games since MJ. Only rookie with back to back 45 point game since the merger. Only teenager to score 50 points in NBA history. A teenager. You know, he obviously leads the Mavs and everything. I'm telling you, I really want the Mavs who have the six pick to get Kate and Vogler from Illinois. I think it would be just perfect as a teammate. I think they're both. Now, now, now. Kaden's not this level. He's really good and he's ascending. But don't be afraid to just say it out loud for anybody to listen to. This isn't just a great young player. This has the potential. I, when I watch him play, I'm like, what part of his game needs work when he's doing left handed floaties and cutting and slashing and baseline and it's like, wow, who knew Maine, I mean, writers of horror movies and great NBA stars, Maine as an unexpected call or voicemail. Saying you owe back taxes is probably absolutely a scam. IRS impersonators, you know. April, March, April, watch out. IRS impersonators sharing personal info. Hang up. Don't give details. The real IRS always makes contact by mail first. Lots of places can accidentally expose your personal info. It's important to understand how cybercrime can screw up your Life. That's why LifeLock monitors millions of data points a second for risk to your identity, loans taken out in your name, crimes committed by thieves pretending to be you. If you do become a victim, money back. They're going to give you a restoration specialist guaranteed to fix it or your money back. Protect yourself with LifeLock. Here comes tax season. Scammers everywhere. Call 1-800-LIFELOCK. The promo code is heard 40% off your first year potentially term supply LifeLock. Be sure to catch live editions of the Herd weekdays at noon Eastern, 9am Pacific. Now this won't last long and Miles Simon was the most outstanding player of the tournament. He is joining us, former assistant coach with the Lakers for pretty good stay and he is now Fox Sports analyst. So listen, I picked Michigan to win. It wasn't a big swing because of the a couple of things. One, they were older and I think it matters. I think you know, Duke really good young Arizona stacked young. Did you notice as a former Arizona Wildcat, were you concerned about that youth against guys who have been in that college weight room for three years lifting are bigger and stronger. Were you a little worried about what happened?

[Colin Cowherd]

I was only a little bit worried only because of the Karchenkov lend a board matchup which really didn't come to fruition because Bendelberg, you know, hurt his legs, hurt his knee slash ankle early in the game. But Braden Buries has been had been doing it all year and been such a been such a stud for this group. So it wasn't as big a concern. But the thing that was concerning to me is Arizona had been like the big bully on the street all season long. Like punishing teams in the paint, punishing teams on the glass. But Michigan has been that same way with Mara Johnson, Linda Borg and they were the bigger bully on the block on on Saturday night. I mean that was as impressive of a performance as you've ever seen in a final Four with the way they did it and how they neutralized Arizona size and Arizona's like finishing ability at the rim. That was the game changer. That was the game changer.

[Jason Smith]

Yeah. And you know, it's funny you know this because back in like the mid-90s and beyond. In the 80s, there was a final four in 82 that had Drexler, Akeem, Michael, Worthy. Ewing guys just came back. And now the NIL guys come back. Yaxel. If Yaxel wasn't in Michigan and there was no nil, he'd be coming off the bench or the fifth starter for the Atlanta Hawks. And it's like, you know, it's like instead, college basketball is such a wonderful experience for so many reasons. The coaching, the atmosphere. When you look at UConn, listen, Hurley's intense, but UConn, it's not the most beautiful campus. They don't get sometimes Duke recruits. I think the way to win in UConn is Calhoun. And Hurley is demanding. You know, listen, guys, we have to be more physical. We don't. I mean, that's my takeaway. What is your takeaway? Because I don't think UConn has Michigan's talent. I don't think they had Duke's talent.

[Colin Cowherd]

They don't. But they find guys that fit within their culture and what they want. I saw this thing on Hurley just a few days ago, as a matter of fact. He says we don't ever look at the rankings. Like, they just go with their eye test and then they find out about the individual and the kid, right? And can he fit into what we do? Like, is he tough? Does he play hard? Can he take hard coaching? And like, I love, I like, I love that. I love listening to Dan Hurley. I love his coaching style. Like the biggest compliment I can give. I have a 12 year old son who plays basketball, right? I would want my son to play for Dan Hurley. And then you can tell that the players are so bought into him and believe in him. They fight for him tooth and nail. They take to that tough coaching. But you can also tell that Hurley lifts them up and gives them love after he gets on him and after he coaches them hard, right? Which is just. Which is just teaching. Ultimately, then the players, the players respond to him in such a positive way. And I was telling the people I was sitting next to on, on Saturday night, look at how they respond to him over and over again. Like, it's really, really cool to see.

[Jason Smith]

Listen, I said I like new stuff. I think college basketball was great in your day, great in the 80s. And then I thought it got pretty lean. Guys were going to the G League, guys were going overseas. And I'm like the sport. And if you're any good, you're there. You know, it's like an airport you're there for a cup of coffee, get on the next flight and leave. Nil's like, no, Zach, Edie's gonna stay and the UConn guys will stay. I think the quality now, so I love quality. Radio revenue and ratings are great, but what I really like is the games are better, the players are older. How do you view the sport right now?

[Colin Cowherd]

I love it. It's at an, it's at an all time high. And listen, Colin, I've been in the NBA the last eight years. I'm diving back into college. I always still followed it, even in the NBA, but man, you hit it right on the head. The talent level is so high. Guys are guys that would normally be drafted in the second round, maybe the late first. Talented, talented players. Like you said, they're all coming back and that's just making the game stronger. Yeah. Are they going to different schools? Almost each and every year they are because they're going to take, going to take more money. But the talent level is so good across the board. It makes it really fun to watch. It's been the most exciting that it's been in many, many years. And you're seeing this product night in and night out. Big Ten, big, Big east, you know, doesn't matter, just deep, deep conferences, sec. And it's so, it's so fun to watch. And people are tuning in and the numbers are, and the numbers are bearing that out, you know, with how many people are watching.

[Jason Smith]

So as a kid, I love the Sonics and I would go to the Coliseum and then they started playing games in the Kingdome, which was a baseball, you know, it was a baseball football stadium. And I can remember going on the floor one time and thinking, now this is weird. It's like shooting baskets in an air race port hanger. So Michigan, Dusty May had his guys practice. We have some slides of this at the football stadium for depth perception. Now, you could say it's hokey, but what was your interpretation of that?

[Colin Cowherd]

I thought that was awesome. I saw that video clip about an hour ago and I think that's really smart. Outside the box thinking by Dusty May. I played in the RCA Dome, now Lucas Oil Stadium, for our national championship. And it was different than anything else that you can play in because the depth perception, like the seats are so we're so far back and it kind of messes with your eyes a little bit. And then I'm not gonna, I'm not gonna lie, like, even during, during our practice sessions in 97 in the Dome, I almost felt A little breeze while you're shooting the basketball. You know, it's like. Like playing like outside in Newport beach or something like that. But you can see like on that still shot right there, you could see the net, but super. Yeah, see the nets, like, move. It's not straight. It's not straight up and down. But super smart by Dusty May to try to get his guys adjusted to it. You know, there's nothing like that. And it obviously paid off because they shot the COVID off the ball, a lot of them being dunks and layups, but they knocked down a good amount of threes, too.

[Jason Smith]

Miles Simon joining us, college basketball analyst at Fox Sports Play. We just mentioned the Italian League about a half hour ago. He was an MVP of the Italian League. And. And I just like guys playing college now as long as they can. You know, I. You were in the NBA for a long time with the Lakers for several years. And I think what JJ Redick has done this year, they don't have a bench, they don't rebound. Even though they have the same record as the Knicks, their point differentials, 400 points worse. Meaning they can't really bury teams. They can't beat the good ones. They can't bury it. People are crushing him for playing, you know, for Austin Reaves injury and Luka and I'm like, guys, he's got to play Luka and Austin Reeves. LeBron's 41, they've got no bench. Your takeaway, you know, JJ, your takeaway on the Lakers. I. And I'm not blaming Rob Polink, I'm not blaming anybody. I'm just saying in the NBA you got to win multiple ways. You got to have some depth. The Lakers don't. They have to outscore you. I thought the Oklahoma City loss and injuries were almost inevitable. What do you make going forward with LeBron's contract with JJ Redick? Are the Lakers in a good place or are they on the outside looking in next four or five years?

[Colin Cowherd]

I think a couple things. So, like when you talk about JJ's coaching, he's done. He's done a really good job. And you talk about adjustments. So what they. One thing that they did as a staff is they started to play more zone towards the end of January. That changed their defense, right? So their defense got a little bit better. They don't have these like three and D guys. These like great stoppers. They have great. But they got some guys you can mix it up, play some zone, be good enough in your man to man, and you like, use your Length and size. If you got Luka and LeBron on the floor, you got guys that are, you know, six eight or six, nine. So you use that type of length. So that made their defense better, that, that helped him get that winning that great winning record in March. But it's disappointing obviously that Luka and Austin are hurt and you know, if they're going to miss the first round. I know Luca's in Europe now trying to do everything that he can to maybe get his hamstring ready for possibly the first round. But that's disappointing because this is a team that can challenge somebody I think definitely in the first round and win, win a series because you have greatness on the floor. Luka can carry you through a series, maybe two. Austin's been obviously a stud, so they can, they can definitely score with teams. Just a matter of their defense was Good enough. Now LeBron going forward, does he want to stay like he's technically, he's taken a little bit of a backseat as the third option. And that's a credit to LeBron. That's a credit to LeBron. And like him still being committed to winning. Does he want to do that for whatever his final year or final years of his career are? Is he going to take a money hit to do, to do that so that the team can get stronger or is he still going to want 50 to 60 billion a year? So I think they're going forward to answer your question, I think they're still in a tough place going into this offseason, but I was hopeful to see them make a run in the playoffs because you, you really only need in the playoffs, you're going to shorten your bench anyways, right? There's only going to be seven, seven guys playing and three of those guys are going to be LeBron, Austin and Luka, which can, which can carry you. And you got to remember in the first round, a lot of times you get a longer break between games. So last year when I was with the Suns, we had, we played like our, and then we had like a three day break. So that suits, that suits those guys. You can still play 40 to 42 minutes and then you're going to get, you're going to get a lot of, you're going to get a lot of rest.

[Jason Smith]

Miles, it's been an absolute pleasure. We'll have you on again. Miles Simon doing more college basketball stuff at Fox Sports specifically. It's great seeing you.

[Colin Cowherd]

Thank you, man. I appreciate you having me.

[Jason Smith]

Miles Simon, go back to that great Arizona year He was the most outstanding player in 97. The late, great Lute Olson. Yeah, that was a wild team. A wild, wild Final four. All right, Colin right. Colin wrong. Mark Few. Gonzaga next.

[Colin Cowherd]

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