THE HERD - Hour 3 - How good are the New York Knicks?

Summary

Podcast Summary: The Herd with Colin Cowherd

Episode: THE HERD - Hour 3 - How good are the New York Knicks?
Date: May 5, 2026
Host: Colin Cowherd
Guests/Analysts: Frank Isola, Nick Wright

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Episode Overview

The third hour of "The Herd" zeroes in on the NBA Playoffs landscape, including deep dives into the development of young teams like the Spurs, the future of stars like LeBron James, and what it takes to be the face of the league. The discussion also weaves in NFL news and covers topics such as Shohei Ohtani’s unique MLB journey.
Note: The title references the Knicks, but the episode primarily discusses NBA contenders outside New York.

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Key Discussion Points & Insights

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1. NBA Playoffs: Youth vs. Experience

[02:37 – 07:22]

• San Antonio Spurs’ Playoff Woes & Victor Wembanyama’s Growth

  • Colin and Frank Isola discuss the Spurs’ young roster losing late-game composure against the more experienced Minnesota Timberwolves and the tactical decisions—or lack thereof—involving Wembanyama in the game’s final seconds.
  • "San Antonio, you have Wenbanyama, you get the rebound with six seconds left, you have a timeout. Do you want to try to run a play and at least get Wembanyama to be part of it?"
    — Frank Isola (03:23)

• Anthony Edwards’ “Old School NBA” Mindset

  • Frank Isola praises Edwards’ willingness to play through injury and take accountability for mistakes, contrasting him with stars who sat out pivotal games.
  • "For me, he's got a lot of old school NBA in him. It's pretty refreshing."
    — Frank Isola (04:04)

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2. Roster Construction and Star Movement

[04:44 – 07:22]

• Houston Rockets: In the NBA Wilderness?
  • Debate about the Rockets' strategy: are they stuck between youth and experience? Jason Timf (from "The Volume") proposes packaging young talent for an aging superstar like Giannis.
    • "Houston…next year Van Vliet comes back…They may go on the market and get a backup point. But they feel like they're kind of in no man's land."
      — Colin Cowherd (04:44)
  • Frank Isola notes Kevin Durant's odd absence and social media controversies are shaking up the Houston locker room.
    • "That whole thing caused a rift on that team this season."
      — Frank Isola (07:20)

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3. The LeBron Conundrum: Aging, Role, and Legacy

[07:22 – 10:22]

• LeBron’s Role in LA & the Evolution of NBA Superstars
  • Colin explores the Lakers' transactional strategy—building around LeBron by constantly swapping out young talent for established stars who ultimately disappoint.
    • "LeBron comes to LA and he doesn't want the young guys. He does. He like. He doesn't like young guys….Alright, we ship him out of town."
      — Colin Cowherd (07:23)
  • Frank Isola compares LeBron’s era-defining smarts and longevity to Tom Brady’s twilight years in the NFL.
    • "In a lot of ways, he had the game figured out and he was just so much smarter than everybody else. And I think that's the case with LeBron."
      — Frank Isola (08:41)
  • The media’s shifting perception: Eight turnovers in a win get overlooked; eight in a loss spark accusations of decline.

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4. Face of the League: Market, Personality, and Performance

[21:42 – 27:47]

• Victor Wembanyama: Potential and Limitations

  • Colin analyzes what separates generational talents: For now, there’s still a “way to play” Wemby defensively—he’s not unguardable like Jordan, Shaq, or Steph.
    • "You watch Wemby last night and Wemby's limited offensively...he is an absolute disruptor defensively, but I don’t think he'll ever be Jokic offensively."
      — Colin Cowherd (26:50)
  • Nick Wright points out Rudy Gobert’s unique ability to challenge Wemby due to their relationship and physical parity.
    • "There is no player in the league more prepared to give Wemby trouble than Rudy. Rudy's known him since he was a kid."
      — Nick Wright (27:20)

• Market Still Matters

  • Colin argues that San Antonio’s "sleepy market" status impacts Wemby’s shot at being face of the league; if he played in New York, things would be different.

• Who Else Has “Face of the League” Potential?

  • Tyrese Halliburton is highlighted for his personality and playmaking, especially if in a bigger market.
    • "If Tyrese Halliburton played in a, like, a Miami or a Los Angeles...he could be a guy..."
      — Colin Cowherd (29:00)
  • Contrasts between outgoing personalities (LeBron, Magic, Michael) and others less press-inclined.
  • "Moody guys don't really become face of the league. That's why Wemby actually gives you great quotes after games."
    — Colin Cowherd (30:15)

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5. Comparing LeBron & Tom Brady’s Longevity

[27:47 – 33:40]

• LeBron's NBA Future: Five, Even Eight More Years?
  • Colin and Nick debate Mike Breen’s comment that LeBron could play another 8–9 years in a reduced role.
    • "Because of his mind, his brilliant basketball mind, he could still do that."
      — Mike Breen (31:44)
  • Nick is skeptical, noting the physical toll of pro basketball versus football and the intensity required.
    • "Basketball for seven or eight more years for LeBron, no shot."
      — Nick Wright (32:41)
  • "I think LeBron could play for a long time…as long as he doesn't have to play the T-Wolves every night."
    — Colin Cowherd (33:42)

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6. Quick Hits: NFL & MLB

[13:40 – 20:35]

• NFL Quarterback Controversies

  • Atlanta Falcons’ quarterback battle (Tua vs. Michael Penix) gets discussed as a reflection on regime changes and how new management wants their own players.
    • "If you got two quarterbacks, you have no quarterbacks."
      — Nick Wright (14:38)
  • Cleveland Browns (Deshaun Watson vs. Shadour Sanders) situation is described as "directionless" despite drafting well.

• Shohei Ohtani’s Slump and Two-Way Dilemma

  • Debates whether Ohtani can remain elite as both a pitcher and hitter amid an intense MLB schedule.
    • "There’s never been more guys throwing 97, never been more movement. The idea that I’m a part-time hitter and a part-time pitcher…I don’t know how you could be great and sustain that for any extended period."
      — Colin Cowherd (19:10)

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Memorable Quotes

• "Anthony Edwards. For me, he's got a lot of old school NBA in him. It's pretty refreshing."
  — Frank Isola (04:04)
• "That whole thing caused a rift on that team this season."
  — Frank Isola (07:20)
• “He must be thinking, I’m catching all this grief. I shouldn’t be the number one guy. In fact, you went out and traded for the guy that’s supposed to be. So cut me some slack.”
  — Frank Isola (10:17)
• “Market still matters. People say it doesn’t. It does.”
  — Colin Cowherd (26:15)
• “Moody guys don’t really become face of the league. That’s why Wemby actually gives you great quotes after games.”
  — Colin Cowherd (30:15)
• “Because of his mind, his brilliant basketball mind, he could still do that.”
  — Mike Breen on LeBron (31:44)
• "LeBron, you know, basketball is a young man's game, okay?...Brady can drop back in the pocket...no way can we get LeBron on the show."
  — Nick Wright (32:40+)

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Important Timestamps

• 02:37 — Spurs’ youth and late game decision-making; Anthony Edwards’ injury perspective
• 04:44 — Debate: Houston’s direction, and star trade speculation
• 07:22 — LeBron’s Lakers legacy and player aging
• 21:42 — “Face of the League” conversation, focusing on Wemby and Halliburton
• 27:09 — Rudy Gobert’s defensive blueprint on Wemby
• 31:26 — Mike Breen’s bold thoughts on LeBron’s longevity
• 13:40 — NFL QB battlegrounds: Falcons and Browns
• 19:10 — Ohtani’s dual-role struggles and overall impact

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Tone & Style

Colin’s approach is conversational, speculative, and opinion-driven. He freely transitions from basketball history and player personality to franchise strategy and media narratives, often weaving in personal analogies. Frank Isola offers seasoned, pragmatic observations while Nick Wright deploys humor and a touch of skepticism to challenge bold claims.

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For New Listeners

This episode is a wide-ranging discussion about where the NBA is heading, what separates great teams and stars, and how personality and market drive superstar narratives. It’s also peppered with sharp NFL and MLB analysis. Whether you’re a basketball junkie or a general sports fan, you’ll get lively debate, sharp takes, and fresh insight into the factors shaping the current sports landscape.

Transcript

[Colin Cowherd]

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[Colin Cowherd]

for listening to the Heard podcast. Be sure to catch us live every weekday on Fox Sports radio at noon to 3 Eastern, 9am to noon Pacific. Find your local station for the [e-mail] or stream us live every day on the iHeartRadio app by searching Fox Sports Radio or FSR. Now let's get this party started.

[Fox Sports Radio Announcer]

You're listening to Fox Sports Radio San Antonio.

[Colin Cowherd]

There's an argument they're not ready to win a title. They're just too young. And I'm watching that game last night, and I'm like, the minute it got to the fourth, Frank, I'm like, oh, no, you don't want to go. You don't want to play Minnesota in the fourth quarter with their Julius Randle. You covered Julius. He's 19 and nine every night. I don't know. I think San Antonio, I watched last night. I'm like, I think they're in a little bit of trouble. I don't want to overreact. What say you?

[Frank Isola]

Yeah, and I saw those. The graphic and the stats that you were talking about before with how good Minnesota is in the fourth quarter. Now, they also got away with one last night. Anthony Edwards, bad turnover by him, which led to a layup which cut it to two. That final possession by Minnesota, I get it. Julius Randle had just made a tough shot, but Anthony Edwards was being guarded by Dylan Harper. They could have gotten the ball to Anthony Edwards. Then, of course, the champagne shot was a good shot by him. But, you know, you also wonder, San Antonio, you have Wen Benyama, you get the rebound with six seconds left, you have a timeout. Do you want to try to run a play and at least get Wembanyama to be part of it? I think they're. They're thinking, listen, Gobert is not going to come in the game if we call timeout and we. And we got a good shot. But Minnesota, you know, Chris Finch is a really good coach, and he's one of these guys that knows how to coach his superstar. And he's really hard on Anthony Edwards. And Anthony Edwards, to his credit, accepted as coaching. You guys just played the clip of him before. He's talking about his performance. He doesn't. He's not patting himself on the back saying, I'm a warrior because I played that I'm a warrior. He's thinking, man, what a mistake I made with that turnover. That's what I like about Anthony Edwards. And I like the fact that not only that he came off the bench last night, is willing to accept that, ease his way back in. But how about the fact that he played and Colin think about all the guys. And I'm not saying that guys aren't hurt, but Brandon Ingham didn't play an elimination game. Franz Wagner didn't play in a game 7. Kevin Durant didn't play an elimination game. And this guy would have every right to say, you know what? I'll see you guys back for Game 3 in Minnesota. He goes out there with a knee injury, not at 100%, knows that he's not going to play a lot of minutes and contributes. Anthony Edwards. For me, he's got a lot of old school NBA in him. It's pretty refreshing.

[Colin Cowherd]

So we, we were talking about this. I have a guy that works at the volume, Jason Timf. And he said, you know, you look at OKC and you look at San Antonio and you just see the young ascending players. Then you have Minnesota's got older veterans mixed with young players. And then you look at Houston and you're like, well, the net rating, they were better without kd. And next year Van Vliet comes back, they may go on the market and get a backup point. And the guys like Amen Thompson and Shepherd getting more comfortable having the ball, but they feel like they're kind of in no man's land. They don't have the experience of Minnesota or the youth of like an OKC or San Antonio. And he suggested Shen Goon, Jabari Smith. Three picks. That's pretty good for Milwaukee because you got an older Giannis.

[Frank Isola]

Yep.

[Colin Cowherd]

Injuries, he's been hyper athletic. He may not age well. He's not a perimeter player. Houston with kd, I'm like, I don't know if it works. The burner phone allegations. What would you do if you had Houston? Would you take the swing and a Giannis?

[Frank Isola]

Yeah, I've, I, I've always linked him to Houston as well. And I think if you look at Houston historically, you know, look at the players that they've acquired over the years, you know, they always end up with big men, whether it's, you know, through the draft with Akeem, Ralph Sampson, Moses Malone, you know, whether or not they ended up getting Charles Barkley, Scotty Pippen, Yao Ming, they always seem get a player. They got Kevin Durant through a trade. I don't think it's the craziest thing, but there are definitely some issues there in Houston. I think not having friend Van Fleet there all season long was huge. But my thing to you would be, you know, Kevin Durant loves playing basketball. And the way that he leads is that he shows up in practices, shows up in place. He missed four games during the regular season, he missed five games in the playoffs. And again, I'm not trying to sit here and tell you that he wasn't hurt, but the whole thing was odd. And then him not being on the bench in game three, I thought that was pretty peculiar. And after that whole Thing with the burner kind. I know IME Adoka addressed it yesterday. He said, oh, it's not a problem. Guys on our team are laughing about it. Okay, but how come when Kevin Durant had the opportunity to say, this is all nonsense, it's not true. He didn't really say that. I think, you know, IME Adoka being a good guy and liking Kevin Durant, he's going to cover for Kevin Durant. He's also going to cover for himself. He doesn't want to make it look like this. You know, the locker room is a little fraction, but I would think for some of the young players on the team, if you're Jabari Smith, how are you not thinking, wait a second, I should be the guy on Twitter saying dumb things about my older teammate. Be on social media like, who am I? I'm just like a young kid trying to break into the league. And I think that's. I think that whole thing caused a rift on that team this season.

[Colin Cowherd]

I want to end with some Laker perspective because you know the league so well. I think it's so ironic that the Lakers. LeBron comes to LA and he doesn't want the young guys. He does. He like. He doesn't like young guys. He doesn't want, you know, Lonzo and ku. That's not his jam. So they say, okay, we're going to get you Anthony Davis, 26 years old, in his prime, and he was banged up, never quite in great shape. They're like, all right, we ship him out of town. We're going to get you Luke at 25 or 26, he's in his prime, and now he's never in great shape and he's never healthy. And it makes me think. That series against Houston makes me think that the Lakers owner looks at that and thinks, LeBron can play for five more years? He's going to have to be a little bit of an advisor, not the CEO. Yeah, but Mike. Mike Breen said this yesterday. He's like, he could play for eight more years. Don't kid yourself. His body's. It's. It's just. He has to. It's really mind and ego and can you kind of suppress the reality that I'm. I'm better than Austin, and on many nights I'm more available than Luka? I could see LeBron just saying, I love the game, I love LA. It's good for my brand to be out there. How do you think the next two years work for LeBron?

[Frank Isola]

It'll be interesting. I Mean, why wouldn't they want to bring him back? And I know you follow the NFL a lot. I think I always think about Tom Brady as he got older and was losing it physically, and he never wanted to get sacked so he'd kill a play. Early on, he knew he reached a point where, in a lot of ways, he had the game figured out and he was just so much smarter than everybody else. And I think that's the case with LeBron. He must see the way some of these young players play opponents, even guys on his own team, and think, my God, they're never going to be as smart as I am as a basketball player. So even though there's some physical limitations and he only played 60 games this year, and maybe that would be the case going forward, I still think he could be really effective. What I find funny is he had to gain with eight turnovers. So I'm doing my radio morning show on Sears with Brian Scalaria. I said, you know, it's Amazing now with LeBron, he's kind of reached the point where when he has eight turnovers, they win the game, and no one's really giving him grief because it's like, come on, the guy's 41 years old. It's like, it's okay. The very next game, he has the eight turnovers. They lose, and now all of a sudden, everyone's saying he, you know, he looks like he's worn out, looks like he's losing his step. I think the guy's done really well. That's their best player, has yet to play in the playoffs, and they're in the second round. That is not easy to do for any team. And they didn't have Austin Reese for the first couple of games against Houston as well. So for LeBron, and I know there was this idea, oh, my God, you imagine if they end up losing the series after going up 3 0. All right, it could happen. I'm not so sure. That's such a huge dent on a Guy's career who's 41 years old and isn't the best part of the team. But guess what? They still need him to be the best player. Now, he must be thinking, I'm catching all this grief. I shouldn't be the number one guy. In fact, you went out and traded for the guy that's supposed to be. So cut me some slack. And I can't believe, all these years later, I think he deserves it. Cut the guy some slack.

[Colin Cowherd]

Frank, as always, it's great seeing you. Starting lineup, serious XM NBA Radio Scalabrini is a riot. Great, great seeing you as always, good seeing you, Colin.

[Frank Isola]

Keep up the good work.

[Colin Cowherd]

All right. Frank Isola has been covering New York sports and XM series and Brooklyn Nets broadcast. Guy knows his stuff and calls it as he sees it and we love that.

[Fox Sports Radio Announcer]

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]

Hey, is Cavino and Rich from Fox Sports Radio.

[Covino & Rich Announcer]

Now, in addition to hearing us live weekdays from 5 to 7pm Eastern, 2 to 4 Pacific on Fox Sports Radio, we're excited to announce a brand new YouTube channel for the show.

[Colin Cowherd]

Yup, that's right. You can now watch Covino enrich live on YouTube every day.

[Covino & Rich Announcer]

All you gotta do search Covino Enrich FSR on YouTube again. Go to YouTube search Covinoenrich FSR.

[Frank Isola]

Check us out on YouTube.

[Colin Cowherd]

Subscribe.

[Frank Isola]

Hit that thumbs up icon and comment away.

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[Colin Cowherd]

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[Colin Cowherd]

No, no, no, turn on the news.

[Fox Sports Radio Announcer]

This is the heard line news.

[Nick Wright]

Start with our favorite team to not bet on the Atlanta Falcons. Interesting scenario unfolding with Kevin Stefanski as the new head coach. They bring in Tua, who was last seen getting benched in Miami. And Michael Penck is the incumbent, but he's coming off an acl. And Colin, I didn't realize this. He's had three ACL surgeries. Not all on the same leg, but overall it's just a wacky situation in Atlanta. Um, here's Matt Ryan, the new president of football operations talking about the situation.

[Matt Ryan]

Mike's in a good spot right now. So as far as expectations, we don't really know what to expect at the beginning of training camp. But you know, I think with, with the way both of those guys are working and the conversations we've had with both of them about, you know, I believe quarterbacks should be the most competitive people on your team. Whether that's first, second, third, whatever that may be. There's a way to go out there and compete and to, you know, attack the day.

[Nick Wright]

Yeah, you know, if you got, they say if you got two quarterbacks, you have no quarterbacks.

[Colin Cowherd]

I will, I will say their quarterback situation, Penix is calm, was tua. So I mean even left handed, like I think there's a way to play the backup quarterback situation. Like it should play a little bit like your starter. You don't want to, you don't want Jared Goff's backup to be a hyper mobile guy. You don't want. And I kind of look at the panics to a thing and I'm like, that's kind of a smart way to do it. You know, it's not a great division. I don't know. I could be talked into Atlanta wins the division with Stefanski. I could absolutely be talked into it.

[Nick Wright]

You are a pushover. Let me ask you this though. Michael Penix was there last year. The coach has been Fired. They've got a new gm. Like, the new regime has nothing to do with Pennix. They've got. They don't owe him anything. They're inheriting him. And meanwhile, they also brought in Tua. So you know how that works with management. They. They kind of want their guy. I'm a little concerned for Michael Penix, who I thought was going to be a pretty damn good NFL quarterback. He was so good in college.

[Colin Cowherd]

Yeah. Kaylin DeBoer. I. I just want to watch it play out, you know, young quarterbacks. I mean, the guy in New Orleans popped last year. And you're like, how so? I mean, I. I kind of feel like, let's just get him. The light goes on at different times. Everybody. There's an old saying, everybody learns at a different pace. Quarterbacks in the NFL again, similarly. Let's get him snaps. Let's get him protection now. Two behind him to push. I thought Pennix was going to hit. I thought that whole draft Outside of JJ McCarthy, I was huge on.

[Frank Isola]

Yeah.

[Colin Cowherd]

So I'm not selling my stock. I don't think. I still think he throws a great ball, but I still think TUA throws a great ball. But I worry about athletically.

[Nick Wright]

Are you worried about the management stuff? Because, Colin, I remember. You remember that website I started the Big Lead, right? They sell it, new management comes on. They got all these ideas. I'm like, guys, that's not going to work. They're like, well, you're out of here. And within two years, the site goes under. Like, you got to be careful of new management coming in, thinking they got all the answers and wanting to shove out the old regime. I'm nervous for Pennix. If you want to give me odds. I think two is starting week one.

[Colin Cowherd]

Kyle, what are the odds on that?

[Nick Wright]

I haven't seen them yet because we don't know how Pennix is rehabbing. We don't even know if he's going to be ready. He should be. I just. And I like Michael Pennix. He seems like a nice guy. Anyways, let's move on to another dumpster fire. The Cleveland Browns. The Cleveland Frowns. The factory of sadness.

[Colin Cowherd]

I love it.

[Nick Wright]

New head coach Todd Monken said he wants to name a starting quarterback before training camp in July. We are watching as Deshaun Watson battles Shadour Sanders. Watson has a slight edge. Remember, there was another report that the owner wants to put out there that desean's looking great and he's got the edge. So maybe they could trade him and start Shador. Ultimately it's the same old story with the Cleveland Browns. They don't have a quarterback, they're directionless. I know you love them though.

[Colin Cowherd]

Well, I like their, I think their GM's sharp. I thought their draft was just on college players. I thought they had the best draft. Just not, not talking, just on college players. I thought their first four picks you could not do better. Four starters and four, three of the four starters I think will be high end starters.

[Nick Wright]

Yeah. How many times have they won the draft in the last decade? Like seven. Like when you have a million picks and you're at the top of every round.

[Colin Cowherd]

This from a Jets fan?

[Nick Wright]

Yeah, I'm very familiar with the jets winning the draft and losing in the season. I'll say Shador, start. No, no, no. I'm going to go to Sean Watson starts week one. We are. What, what is this? May? Cinco de Mayo. By the way, how are you celebrating tonight?

[Colin Cowherd]

I haven't, I haven't. You know, I'll resolve that as I, as I take the train back to the burbs. I'm not sure I'll see. I'm not sure exactly how I'm gonna do this Final story.

[Nick Wright]

Colin, it's a little more negativity. Sorry to get all Debbie Downer in the final hour, but have you noticed Shohei Ohtani, despite winning pitcher of the month for the first time in his career, is in like one of the biggest slumps he's been in. I mean, the guy's on fire from the mound, but at the plate, he has zero hits in his last 17 at bats, one home run in his last since April 12th. Like, is this just too much of a burden? It reminds me of when the Jags drafted Travis Hunter and they were like, he's going to play both ways. We're like, there's no way you can tackle Derrick Henry.

[Colin Cowherd]

I don't even know. I don't know how you can do both. I mean, you have to compartmentalize it take to be a great hitter. You go back and look at Ted Williams, Wade Boggs, Tony Gwynn, these guys, I mean it was a science. They spent so much, much time on the art of hitting and there's never been more guys throwing 97, never been more movement. Everybody now, because you go to the bullpen sooner, Everybody's throwing high 90s. I mean the idea that I'm a part time hitter and a part time pitcher, I don't know how you could be great and sustain that for any extended period.

[Nick Wright]

Well, he is a reigning three time mvp. I know, you know, he should be able to do well at the play. I just wonder if it's a, it's a fatigue and a mental, mental thing that's a lot to carry, man.

[Colin Cowherd]

Dodgers are interesting. Like, you know, you're back to back World Series champs. You have a stacked lineup. You went and got a closer. I mean there I, I think it's, you know, we talk about how long the NBA season is. We never talk about how long baseball is double. Not only is it double NBA, but the spring training is four times longer than the NBA exhibition season. I don't worry about the Dodgers. I don't worry about Ohtani. It's. I mean last year they blew 26 saves going into the playoffs. They were a mess and in the end they win in game seven.

[Nick Wright]

Barely pulled it out. Let's be in an epic game seven.

[Colin Cowherd]

I mean, come on. J Mac with the news.

[Fox Sports Radio Announcer]

Well, that's the news and thanks for stopping by the Herd Lie New Be sure to catch live editions of the Herd, weekdays at noon Eastern, 9am Pacific on Fox Sports Radio FS1 and the

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[Colin Cowherd]

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With Deckorators decking made with surestone technology, you're getting something totally different from the typical wood fiber composites out there. Decking with Shirstone technology is made through a patented process that uses crushed rock, which gives every board incredible strength and durability. And Deckorators engineered it with a unique surface design that increases traction in wet conditions. So if you live in a rainy area or you've got kids running around outside, it's a safer, more comfortable surface. Plus, there are more than 40 different color and size combos so you can design a customized outdoor space that actually fits your home and your style. It's durable, it's safe, it looks great and it's going to stand out. Build seasons right around the corner. Order a sample today. Visit decorators.com herd to get your free sample. That's decorators with A K again. Decorators.com herd how many you know it? I don't. I don't think you know. I was writing a list in the break about face of the league and Ant has already said, like, I'm not really interested. Wemby's very interested, but generally it hasn't been an international player. It could be absolutely. San Antonio's kind of a sleepy market. It's not big market. I do think market still matters. People say it doesn't. It does. If you put Wemby in New York, he's the face of the league. You put Wemby in San Antonio. Maybe. You know, it's just interesting when you watch him. And this is why I don't think people even quite understand how great LeBron is. When LeBron broke into the league, I remember watching this first game. I didn't watch it live, but I remember seeing highlights. He was a freight train. He wasn't as artistic. He was just his big go to move. His first four years in the league wasn't a three point shot. It was when he would chase you down and block your shot off the backboard. And then he got tired of playing for an organization that couldn't get him good players. He goes to Miami and then he develops a three point shot at the end of Cleveland in Miami and it's just a whole different ball game. He, he at that humiliating Dallas finals. He augments his game with several, you know, low post improvements. But they, they, they wanted AD in LA to be the guy. He wasn't. LeBron was better. They want Luca to be the guy. Well, he doesn't play any defense and he's hurt again. You watch Wemby last night and Wemby's limited offensively and you. There's a way to play Wemby. There really wasn't a way to play Michael Jordan. There really, there wasn't really a way to play Shaq. You could foul him and get him to the line, but there's not necessarily a way to play Steph Curry. And that's the thing is, you know, Kareem, what were you going to do? He was going to get the shot off. What's fascinating about Wemby is there is early on anyway, there is a way to play him. And you saw Minnesota do it last night. You can get under him, you can be physical with him, you can get him off balance. He's on the floor a lot. He's a pretty good three point shooter. Not a great passer, not yet. A great decision maker. You know, I said earlier, he's a disruptor defensively and a finisher offensively, but he doesn't have Jokic his offensive game. There was a point during LeBron's 15 year prime like he did everything kind of well. Like there wasn't really a way. I mean, if you think about it, there wasn't really a way to defend Jerry West, Wilt, Magic Bird staff, Michael Akeem was a handful. Shaq right now with Wemby. And this is why there wasn't really a way to defend LeBron. LeBron was going to get. If he, LeBron wanted 38 and 8 and 12, he was getting it right now with Wemby and some of it is 7 foot 4, you can get him off balance, you can get him unmoored a little bit, and he's a pretty good shooter. He was over 8 last night, but. And that's been my thing on him, he is an absolute disruptor defensively, but I don't think he'll ever be Jokic offensively in terms of the layering, the nuance, seeing the floor, passing, shooting, I don't think he'll ever be that. And here was Nick on the T Wolf shutting, you know, largely shutting down Wemby last night.

[Nick (guest analyst)]

Offensively, you have one of the greatest defensive performances any players had since Wilt Chamberlain in the playoffs and your team loses because you can't get enough buckets. That's first point. Second point is this. You were talking Julius Randle. There is no player in the league more prepared to give Wimby trouble than Rudy. Rudy's known him since he was a kid. He is the second longest guy in the league to Wimby and he's so much stronger than him. They escaped even though they kind of screwed up down the stretch. I think right now they're the favorites in the series.

[Colin Cowherd]

You know, in terms of face of the league again, Wemby's great. It's a well run organization. He'll win a bunch. Handsome kid, smart kid. And he wants to be face of the league. So I. There's a strong chance. Cooper, flag kid from Maine, kind of quiet, all about basketball. I don't know if he has the interest in it. He may be a little like Ant. He just wants the ball. He doesn't want to be the face of the league. You know, I was thinking about this. The guy that would be face of the league, I think if you went to a different market and it's easy to forget about him because of his injury, is Tyrese Halliburton is such a joyful player and he's got a great personality and his dad and he's funny. He's really a unique player. If Tyrese Halliburton, you know, played in a, like a Miami or a Los Angeles or Golden State, I think, I think Tyrese Halliburton could be a guy that, I mean, good God. Reggie Miller again, big personality in Indiana. Reggie Miller was front and center. Center in the NBA. Reggie Miller and I don't know, you think it's crazy. Just don't forget how great Tyrese Halliburton was. And it's interesting. He wasn't a dominant high school player. He wasn't a dominant college player. There were, there were times last year you're watching him play and I'm like that Herky jerky style. I'm like, I'm not sure how to defend him. Like, it's just the weirdest. It was like a combination of Dirk Nowitzki staff. He had crazy range. He was long, he was difficult. I think Halliburton's one of those guys that's going to come back. He got so popular. So it's all smiles. He's playing with a smile. He's taunting you. A little bit of Steph Curry. So, I mean, not all great players are face of the league. There is something about, like LeBron's. A prime example is LeBron's always been willing to talk to the press. Magic was. Michael was like, moody guys don't really become face of the league. That's why Wemby actually gives you great quotes after games. The LeBron thing is, I don't even think we understand how great he is. I think it's like, you know, never forget this. Before Brady went to Tampa, there was an article written, I believe, by Seth Wickersham, where there were multiple leaks inside the Patriots calling Tom a system quarterback. Before Tom went to Tampa, I would say a majority of you, the consumers thought it was 70, 30 Belichick. And then we learned it was like 75, 25 Brady when he went to Tampa. A dysfunctional organization that always had good players, could never get the quarterback right. Went from 500 to Super bowl champions. But it's. But when Tom left, like, I think Tom Brady could come back and play today. Right now, I want to play a bite. Mike Breen was on the Ryan Rosillo podcast. I want to play this fight that like Brady today. Been out of the league, now a broadcaster several years. There's not a doubt in my mind he'd be a top 10 quarterback today. He's in incredible shape. He was a pocket guy. It wasn't that about athletic ability. No question. If you gave him the right protection, Brady would be a top eight, nine, ten quarterback in the league. No question. I mean, C.J. stroud's in that space. He's better than C.J. stroud right now. I mean, I think in terms of pre snap understanding, efficiency. Here's Mike Breen on Rasilo's podcast talking about LeBron and how he's aging.

[Mike Breen]

The guy's been an NBA player more than half of his life, which is kind of. Kind of hard to believe. And I do believe he could play for another what's. He's 41. He could play for another eight, nine years and like, he could come off the bench and average 18 minutes a game and give you 12, 7 and 5. I think he's. Because of his mind, his brilliant basketball mind, he could still do that.

[Colin Cowherd]

Eight, maybe a bit much for me, but five, you think it sounds crazy. Tom Brady's been retired, what, four years? Tom Brady could absolutely play today. Absolutely play. A lot of these guys that retire are beat up. Brady wasn't. LeBron isn't. A lot of these guys that retire, they just don't want to put in the work. Brady loved it. Brady left for family stuff. I heard a year after Brady retired, he done the Fox broadcasting. I heard there were people around Tom that were like, he's. He's woken up in the morning and thought, I'm better than like 28 of these quarterbacks right now. You're looking cynically at me. I. LeBron, you know, basketball is a

[Nick Wright]

young man's game, okay? Brady can drop back in the pocket, slice and dice a defense and maybe get hit once or twice. Basketball for seven or eight more years for LeBron, no shot. No shot if he played.

[Colin Cowherd]

If he just decided next year, Lakers say, we'll give you a three year deal. And part of the deal is, quietly, he doesn't play more than 54 games.

[Nick Wright]

Oh, they're not doing 54, by the way. Is Mike Breen audition? Is he a hot take artist now? LeBron could play eight or nine more years.

[Colin Cowherd]

I don't think it's crazy. Tom Brady's been retiring from.

[Nick Wright]

Insane is what it is.

[Colin Cowherd]

Brady's been retired for almost half a decade.

[Nick Wright]

Basketball and football are different, man.

[Colin Cowherd]

Yeah, you're right. Nobody tackles you in basketball.

[Nick Wright]

I mean, Brady doesn't get tackles because he's got one of the quickest releases.

[Colin Cowherd]

It's.

[Nick Wright]

He's a cerebral guy. LeBron is cerebral, but the pounding on the body, no way can we get LeBron on the show. I know you're booking everybody. You're getting all the big names.

[Colin Cowherd]

Yeah, I mean, he's going up against all these skinny Euros. I think LeBron could play for a long time.

[Nick Wright]

Okay?

[Colin Cowherd]

As long as he doesn't have to play the T Wolves every night.

[Nick Wright]

Boy. Halliburton, face of the league. LeBron. Eight more years. What are we doing, bro?

[Colin Cowherd]

Being accurate.

[Nick Wright]

You day drinking over there in Chicago.

[Colin Cowherd]

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[Colin Cowherd]

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[Nick Wright]

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[Colin Cowherd]

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[Nick Wright]

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