The Herd with Colin Cowherd: Hour 3 – Who Should Be the NBA MVP?

Date: March 31, 2026
Podcast: The Herd with Colin Cowherd (iHeartPodcasts / The Volume)
Featured Guests: Jason Temp (Hoops Tonight), J Mac

Episode Overview

This episode dives deep into the NBA MVP debate as the regular season nears its conclusion. Colin Cowherd is joined by Jason Temp from Hoops Tonight for a lively, data-driven discussion covering the top MVP candidates, their unique value, and broader NBA and college basketball themes. The panel also weighs in on quarterback controversies in the NFL and the evolving landscape of college basketball, highlighting NIL implications and team dynamics.

Key Segments & Insights

1. NBA MVP Race: Who Deserves It Most?

[03:55–11:42]

• Colin’s Opening Argument:
  Cowherd asserts that if he had an MVP vote, he would seriously consider Victor Wembanyama ("Wemby") and knocks Luka Doncic for his defensive failings, despite offensive brilliance.

  “I would vote Wemby MVP…if Luka was a marginal defensive player to solid, I think he’d have a much better say.” (Colin, 03:55)

• Jason Temp’s Analysis:

  • The MVP field has “four guys that are relatively close”: Luka, Jokic, Wembanyama, and Shai Gilgeous-Alexander (SGA), but it's essentially a two-man race at the top.
  • SGA is currently his MVP leader, citing “the best player on the best team” logic and clutch performances.
  • Wemby’s case is historic: his per-minute impact is unprecedented. Spurs are “plus 645 when he’s on the floor, minus 27 when he’s off.” (Jason, 06:10)
  • Despite limited minutes, the Spurs’ leap with Wemby on the court is called “possibly the most impactful per-minute player we’ve ever seen.”
  • Wemby’s Offensive Impact: Beyond blocks and intimidation, he’s the “engine” of an elite offense, generating a record number of corner threes because of the attention he draws when rolling to the rim.
  • Comparable to Steph Curry for the way his gravity produces elite shots for others, though for Wemby it’s more three-point opportunities and off lob and roll actions.

  “The Spurs generate the most corner threes ever in the history of the NBA…When Wemby rolls to the rim, he’s so fast and so big...teams have no choice but to throw the kitchen sink at him…they get wide open three after wide open three.” (Jason, 07:16)

Notable Quotes

• Jason Temp: “Shea’s got the MVP for right now, but if the Spurs can pass OKC in the standings…Wemby could take the award.” (04:54)
• Colin Cowherd: “That’s incredible…he’s like a hundredth in the league in total minutes played, they’re negative with him off and yet threatening for the number one seed.” (06:21)
• Jason Temp: “Wemby’s overall offensive impact is far greater than just his points per game numbers or how many assists per game he averages.” (08:18)

2. Lakers, Playoff Threats, and Postseason Matchups

[08:23–11:42]

• Colin on the Lakers:
  Praises their offensive design but highlights lack of catch-and-shoot threats and serious postseason defensive questions, especially when facing teams with potent scorers (Luka’s defense likely to be “hunted”).

  “I think the Lakers are deceptive…they’re so hard to defend in the regular season, but they have defensive liabilities easy to hunt in the postseason.” (Colin, 09:00)

• Jason’s Postseason Assessment:

  • Regular season defensive stats matter little; it’s about matchups in the playoffs.
  • Lakers must “concede something” — likely threes to role players — due to personnel limitations.
  • Since the All-Star break: “LeBron, Austin, and Luka on the floor: 373 minutes…outscoring teams by 17 points per 100 possessions” (Jason, 10:22) — comparable to Wemby’s impact.
  • “Puncher’s chance” team — can beat anyone if core is clicking, but lack consistency to be top-tier with Spurs and OKC. Places them “tied with Denver as the third best team in the West.” (11:28)

3. College Basketball: Coaching, Youth versus Experience, and NIL Impacts

[11:42–16:47]

• Duke-UConn Analysis:

  • Colin and Jason dissect John Shire’s strategic choices in Duke’s loss, focusing on the challenge of managing young, talented teams versus squads with veteran players.
  • Chaos in late-game situations highlights downsides of youth; five-star freshmen may unravel under pressure; sometimes “you just have to let guys play through the chaos.”

  “When you’ve got five-star 18-year-olds and it’s chaotic, it’s like, call timeout…I thought this was a bit of underwhelming coaching.” (Colin, 12:04)

  • Jason notes it could have gone either way and points out that even the most talented NIL-assembled rosters (e.g., Arkansas) can lack cohesion or positional balance. Ultimate success requires a “complete basketball team.”

Notable Quotes

• Jason Temp: “You can have a lot of talent but you still have to build a basketball team…You watch [Arkansas] play and it’s like, oh, they’re really thin and they can’t guard and they can’t handle big burly front lines. So like it doesn’t matter what you build in terms of talent, you still ultimately to win basketball games have to build a complete basketball team.” (13:33)

4. NBA Draft: A.J. DebonSA vs. Darren Peterson

[14:44–16:47]

• Colin probes Draft comps:
  BYU star A.J. DebonSA is now considered the likely #1 pick as Peterson drops due to injury.
• Jason’s Scouting Report:
  • DebonSA compared superficially to Brandon Miller and Kevin Durant due to build, but he’s a “ferocious attacker of the basket,” not just a mid-range shooter.
  • “He was getting to the rim…seven times a game…very efficient…slender scoring forwards tend to be susceptible to variants…but DebonSA’s going to have such a higher floor.” (Jason, 15:42)
  • Peterson has tantalizing upside but too many durability questions to be considered over DebonSA this year.

Notable Quotes

• Jason Temp: “DebonSA…is one of the most ferocious attackers of the basketball that I’ve ever seen for a player of his height.” (15:24)
• Jason Temp: “He’s a clear number one overall pick.” (16:38)

5. Jaden Ivey and NBA Player Dynamics

[16:55–19:21]

• Discussion of Jaden Ivey’s recent public outbursts and off-court challenges.
• Both Colin and J Mac touch on the risks of overexposing private grievances on social media, lack of support systems, and how reputational issues—dating back to college and Detroit—affected his pro trajectory.

Notable Quotes

• J Mac: “If I’m going down one of those rabbit holes and popping off on social media, call me up and be like, hey, dude, just put down the phone. Get off the device.” (17:44)
• Colin Cowherd: “Detroit drafted him as a top five pick and bailed after a couple years. Desperate for that, and they moved off…You don’t move off in a couple years of lottery picks who are athletic, like, who are really talented.” (18:14)

6. Team USA Soccer and the “Coach vs. Players” Dynamic

[24:33–26:52]

• Colin praises Christian Pulisic as the first “lethal goal scorer” US soccer has ever had who can change games single-handedly, but notes frequent blame of coaches when results fall short.
• The current USMNT has enough offensive talent to play aggressively against almost any international side, perhaps for the first time in program history.

Notable Quotes

• Colin Cowherd: “This is the first team…where I think we can play an aggressive style against maybe all but two or three teams in the world.” (25:14)
• J Mac: “Ultimately against the heavyweights…the Netherlands, you know, those we’re going to need to score goals. We can't play...just heavy defense. That's not going to get you where you need to get.” (26:44)

7. MVP Talk: J.J. Redick & Luka Doncic

[27:01–28:34]

• Clippers’ J.J. Redick weighs in: If Luka maintains his current level and team success, “he is the MVP.” (J.J. Redick, 27:19)
• J Mac reels off Luka’s statistical dominance: most 30- and 40-point games and leading league in scoring—“He’s tr. He’s so good.” (28:05)

8. NFL Quarterback Controversies: Vikings & Jets

[28:48–34:42]

• Vikings QBs: Kevin O’Connell discusses open competition between Kyler Murray, Carson Wentz, and JJ McCarthy.

• Colin’s take: If Kyler claims the job in camp, the team might look to move McCarthy elsewhere for a “fresh start.”

  “I think if JJ scraps and starts, I think it’s just too much to overcome. In the building, you lose confidence of teammates…If it doesn’t work in camp, let’s give the kid a fresh start.” (Colin, 30:45/32:08)

• Jets & Geno Smith: Aaron Glenn claims, “he’s the guy that’s going to lead us to the promised land,” (34:00) but panel jokes that may mean “number one pick — Arch Manning, come on down.” (J Mac, 34:25)

9. College Basketball Roster Building & Character

[39:23–45:27]

• Illinois coach Brad Underwood outlines his recruiting philosophy—focused on “character, not characters”—and team-first approach in building winning cultures.

  "I'm a really big character guy. I want character, not characters." (Brad Underwood, 40:20)

• Colin draws lesson: Talent alone doesn’t win, especially in a close-knit sport like college basketball—chemistry and cohesion matter more than NIL-fueled talent stables.

Memorable Quotes

• Wemby per-minute dominance:
  Jason Temp: “He has quite possibly been the most impactful per minute player we’ve ever seen.” (06:10)

• Lakers as Playoff Wild Cards:
  Jason Temp: “They’re a puncher’s chance threat…But the sustainability of their success on a game in, game out basis in the postseason I think puts them a clear level below San Antonio and okc.” (11:24)

• DebonSA vs. Draft Forwards:
  Jason Temp: “He was getting to the rim in congested college spacing seven times a game this year...This is not like Kevin Durant, Brandon Miller.” (15:28)

• Sports Culture & Chemistry:
  Colin Cowherd: "I want character, not characters…One annoying guy in a locker room can unravel a season." (40:20/41:20)

Timestamps of Major Segments

• [03:55] — MVP debate kicks off: Wemby, Luka, SGA, Jokic
• [04:43–08:23] — Jason breaks down MVP race; Wemby’s per-minute value
• [08:23–11:42] — Lakers: strengths, playoff concerns, and metrics post-All-Star break
• [11:42–14:44] — College hoops: Duke vs. UConn, coaching youth, NIL roster construction
• [14:44–16:47] — NBA draft: DebonSA and Peterson scouting
• [16:55–19:21] — Jaden Ivey: social media, personal struggles, and NBA trajectory
• [24:33–26:52] — Team USA soccer: offense vs. legacy, coach/roster debates
• [27:01–28:34] — MVP talk: Redick & Luka’s scoring feats
• [28:48–34:42] — Vikings & Jets: QB battles, fresh starts, and code for tanking
• [39:23–45:27] — Illinois coach Brad Underwood interview on roster culture

Summary

This packed episode of The Herd delivers thoughtful, stats-rich debates on the NBA MVP race, highlights the transformational impact of young stars like Wemby and SGA, and compares offensive engines in basketball. NFL quarterback controversies and the reshaping of college basketball rosters through NIL and character make for lively discussion, while insights from coaches and analysts solidify the theme: talent is crucial, but chemistry and impact—in the box score and the locker room—are what define winners.

For longtime fans and newcomers alike, this episode is a masterclass in sports narratives, savvy analysis, and locker room realities—with Colin Cowherd, Jason Temp, and friends at their incisive best.