The Herd with Colin Cowherd | What's Wright: Nuggets CRUSH Celtics, Tatum to the RESCUE? Luka-LeBron FAILING + Combine HEADLINES | Nick Wright

Date: February 27, 2026
Host: Nick Wright
Guest/Co-host: Damanze

Overview

This episode of "What's Wright" is a deep dive into the state of the NBA as teams hit the post-All-Star grind, focusing on standout matchups (notably Nuggets vs. Celtics), the MVP race, and major player narratives (Tatum's injury, Luka and LeBron's partnership). Nick Wright and Damanze also touch on college hoops drama with top prospect Darren Peterson, the NFL's brief offseason, Chiefs draft strategy, and listener questions. The tone is candid, fast-paced, and grounded in analytics and big-picture thinking.

Main Discussion Segments & Key Insights

1. NBA Recap: Nuggets Dominate Celtics & Tatum’s Importance

Timestamps: 10:19–19:09

• Game Breakdown – Celtics vs Nuggets

  • Nuggets blow out shorthanded Celtics, even without Aaron Gordon and Jamal Murray (who left early due to illness).
  • "The Nuggets still annihilated Boston." — Nick Wright (14:55)
  • Observes that NBA news cycle is in a post-trade lull but some narratives (like Tatum’s absence) loom large.

• Tatum’s Impact & Boston’s Playoff Odds

  • Without Tatum, Nick ranks Boston's championship odds at "close to 0%".
    “[The Celtics] cannot win four rounds without Tatum, and I believe they absolutely can win four rounds with him.” — Nick Wright (11:14)
  • Healthy Tatum vastly shifts Boston’s ceiling, even if not at 100%.
  • Tatum will likely take minutes from bench players (not core stars), so reintegration shouldn’t derail team chemistry.
  • Insight: The concept that having a “hero’s return” (Tatum as a 'savior’ in a team already winning) is not problematic—it’s essential for a legit title run.

• MVP Race:

  • Without Tatum, Jalen Brown has been outstanding—Nick’s surprising third pick on his MVP ballot (see more in MVP segment).
  • Quick betting tip: "11 to 1 on Boston if you think Tatum's coming back is a more than fair price." (19:17)

2. Nuggets, SGA, and the 65 Game Rule: MVP Implications

Timestamps: 20:04–24:17

• Jokic’s MVP Candidacy

  • The MVP race (Jokic vs. Shai Gilgeous-Alexander) hinges on both clearing the 65-game eligibility threshold.
    • "I don't think [Jokic’s] going to clear it... but he's gonna get it.” — Nick Wright (22:40)

• Jalen Brown’s Case

  • If SGA and Joker miss the threshold, Jalen Brown, Cade Cunningham, and Wembanyama are next up, each making strong cases.
  • "MVPs in one title does sound kind of weird. But... I think Jaylen Brown gets it this year and to me, he deserves it." — Damanze (22:44)

3. College Hoops: Darren Peterson’s Odd Saga & March Madness Survivor

Timestamps: 27:15–35:42

• Darren Peterson/Kansas

  • Peterson, a likely #1 pick, repeatedly subs himself out of games for ambiguous reasons (injury? NIL thresholds? Motivation?).
  • "It's one of the most bizarre college basketball stories I can remember." — Nick Wright (27:32)
  • Nick: If this continues through March, it could tank Peterson's draft status. A likely red flag for NBA GMs.

• March Madness Survivor Pool Announcement

  • Nick is heavily promoting a $3 million winner-take-all survivor contest (splashsports.com/nick).
  • Noted as accessible but competitive—explains his personal survivor pool history.

4. Lakers & The Luka-LeBron Experiment: Falling Short

Timestamps: 37:40–45:44

• Roster Construction, Usage Stats & Fit

  • Lakers' main problem isn’t the Luka-LeBron fit, but lack of shooting and defense.
  • Usage rates: Luka has highest ever (41%), LeBron lowest of career (23%). Stats show LeBron is sacrificing.
  • "LeBron of his 23 year career has the lowest usage percentage of any season of his career right now." (38:23)
  • The trio (Luka-LeBron-Austin) nets poorly together due to defense, not offensive redundancy.

• Clint Capela vs. DeAndre Ayton

  • Damanze: Lakers would kill for prime Capela’s presence, which is exactly what their stars need.

• Luka’s Disappointing LA Tenure

  • "At this point, disappointing." — Nick Wright (44:18)
  • Despite star stats, Luka isn't making the leap (conditioning, defense) to vault into true MVP contention.

5. LeBron as Potential Vegas Owner: Financial Realities

Timestamps: 45:44–48:08

• LeBron’s ambition to own a Las Vegas NBA team runs into a $6B expansion fee roadblock.
• Even with Rich Paul possibly selling Klutch Sports, coming up with enough liquid capital is a massive challenge.
• "That's a lot of money. And to need it liquid and in cash...I don't think he could get a loan for $5 billion." — Nick Wright (47:50)

6. Western Conference Check-in: Thunder, Spurs, and Young Title Odds

Timestamps: 51:48–60:03

• Thunder’s Recent Slide

  • OKC started out dominant but is now just 10–8 in their last 18 games; no longer invulnerable.
  • “Are they flawed or just bored? My money is on bored.” — Nick Wright (52:10)
  • Without home court, their title path gets harder.

• Repeat Champions are Rare

  • No NBA champ has even made the conference finals the year after since the 2019 Warriors.
  • Walks through historical precedents (Jordan needed 7 runs, LeBron 7, Duncan 2, Shaq 7, etc.) for young stars to win titles.

• Wembanyama & Spurs

  • If Spurs win a ring behind rookie Wemby, it’s essentially unprecedented—a generational feat.
  • "Wimby. Winning a title on his first playoff run would be essentially unprecedented." (56:58)
  • Team culture, lack of distractions in San Antonio cited as possible factors for unity.

7. Chiefs Offseason & Draft Priorities

Timestamps: 61:08–67:55

• GM Brett Veach hints at making the KC running game more explosive; could target a top RB like Jeremiah Love at #9 or in free agency.
• Nick highlights history: top-10 RB picks rarely bust (Gurley, McCaffrey, Zeke, Fournette, Bijan, Gibbs all produced).
• “You don’t have running back busts in the top 10. The question is, can you get better value elsewhere?” — Nick Wright (62:38)
• Chief’s only “don’t do’s” in the draft: don’t take an O-lineman (OL is already loaded), and only take a WR at 9 if it’s their undisputed top guy.

8. Listener Questions

Timestamps: 67:55–69:33

• WBC Coverage — Nick jokes about “World Basketball Classic” before clarifying it’s “World Baseball Classic”; expects some coverage since Fox holds rights.
• Q&A Podcasts — More mailbag shows are likely soon, especially during summer sports slowdown.
• MVP/Nuggets-Thunder Preview — Nick picks Nuggets to beat OKC, assuming Jamal Murray returns first.

Quotes & Signature Moments

• On Tatum’s Necessity:
  “If Jason Tatum does not come back, I would have... the following teams ahead of Boston in championship probability... They cannot win four rounds without Tatum.” — Nick Wright (11:14)
• On MVP Race Mechanics:
  “If [Jokic] clears it and Shea doesn’t, then definitively, yes, like those two guys are the top, top, top two contenders.” — Nick Wright (20:13)
• On Luka in LA:
  “At this point. Disappointing.” — Nick Wright (44:18)
• On LeBron in Vegas:
  “That’s a lot of money. And to need it liquid and in cash... I don’t think he could get a loan for $5 billion.” — Nick Wright (47:50)
• On Thunder’s Recent Performance:
  “Are they flawed or just bored? My money is on bored.” — Nick Wright (52:10)
• On Young Stars Winning Titles:
  “Wimby winning a title on his first playoff run would be essentially unprecedented. Walton’s the only one who can be like, I was the best guy and I did it.” — Nick Wright (56:58)
• On Chiefs Drafting RB:
  “You don’t have running back busts in the top 10. The question is, can you get better value elsewhere?” — Nick Wright (62:38)

Episode Structure & Notable Timestamps

• [10:19] Denver's domination of the Celtics; Tatum MVP odds and Boston’s title window.
• [20:04] Jokic & SGA MVP math; can they clear the 65-game rule?
• [27:15] Darren Peterson’s red flags and the $3M March Madness survivor pool details.
• [37:40] Lakers: Luka-LeBron fit, usage stats, and why the 'big three' isn’t working.
• [45:44] LeBron’s Vegas ownership ambitions, financial realities.
• [51:48] Thunder slumping, Spurs historical context, young stars and rings.
• [61:08] Chiefs draft philosophy: RB vs. Edge rusher, O-line, WR.
• [67:55] Listener mailbag, including WBC coverage and podcast format notes.

Summary

This episode packs in big, conversational analysis about the state of the NBA (notably the Celtics’ dependence on Tatum, the MVP landscape, concerns about young teams like OKC and San Antonio), the challenges with superstar upgrades and risky draft picks (both in the NBA and NFL), and a blend of humor with real talk about industry economics (LeBron's Vegas ambitions). For those interested in high-level strategy, player development, and the unique storylines defining this sports season, Nick and Damanze deliver both breadth and sharp takes.