May 3, 2024 • 33 mins
Colin points out the biggest difference between the Knicks and the 76ers as New York took game 6 to advance to the second round of the playoffs. He also reacts to breaking NBA news with the Lakers firing head coach Darvin Ham and insider Ric Bucher joins the show to share who LA is targeting to coach LeBron James.
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Speaker 1 (00:00):
Thanks for listening to the Best of the Herd podcast.
Be sure to catch us live every weekday on Fox
Sports Radio and noon to three Eastern nine am to
noon Pacific. Find your local station for the Herd at
Fox Sports Radio dot com, or stream us live every
day on the iHeartRadio app by searching Fox Sports Radio
or FSR. This is the Best of the Herd with
(00:22):
Colin cowher on Fox Sports Radio. Ah Here we go
on to Friday. Lots to talk about live in LA.
It's the Herd wherever you may be and however you
may be listening. Thanks for Megano's part of your day. Jmac.
Very exciting, very exciting. Very rarely is a New York
(00:45):
team and underdog? Can you think any Yankees and all
that money and Nick's or an underdog?
Speaker 2 (00:53):
Not against the Patriot. Yes, they're certainly an underdog.
Speaker 1 (00:56):
That's an interesting side. I don't know if I like him,
you may. That's against Philadelphia. It took a lot out
of them.
Speaker 2 (01:02):
Fell like a conference final.
Speaker 1 (01:03):
If there's no question it felt like a conference final.
We start our Friday show basically Villanova beat the Philadelphia
seventy six ers last night. Maybe they feel just comfortable
in Villanova because that's where the school is. But the
three Villanova guys Jalen Brunson, Josh Hart, Donte DiVincenzo combined
for eighty points, twenty eight assists, innumerable hustle plays, effort plays.
(01:27):
They were the series. And it's very interesting in the NBA.
If you just say this term Villanova guy, everybody knows
what you're talking about. It's like that saying you ever
heard it Minnesota nice. Everybody sort of gets it Villanova guy.
They don't say that about Kansas guy or Kentucky guy.
(01:49):
And those are great programs. Villanova guys are more mature,
more resourceful. They fit on every NBA team, not every
player in this league. Most don't want to play for TIBs.
Do you think it's a coincidence that all three Villanova
guys not only deal with Tibbs, they flourish with him.
John Calipari I take my shots at him. He used
(02:11):
to be at Kentucky. It was a turnstile program. The
goal was John said, this is to get rich. He
didn't even care about March. He told us get rich.
At Villanova. You may get rich, but it's about being enriched.
Maybe it's like Wall Street in Silicon Valley. You go
to Wall Street as a kid, you want to make money.
(02:32):
You go to Silicon Valley you want to make money too.
But there are a lot of people there that want
to change the world. Many of the devices you and
I use that make our life better, they're not from
Wall Street, They're from Silicon Valley. It's okay to want
to make money, but is it the only goal? I
always felt that that was Calipari's Kentucky. That was never
(02:56):
Villanova with Jay Wright. Be part of the community, three stars,
kids go to class, help with charities, be on campus,
get enriched and possibly rich. One of the reasons, maybe
the only reason these Knicks are so likable. Most New
York teams to America are not likable. This team's totally
(03:18):
likable because they're defined by hustle, effort, discipline, crashing the boards.
They've got a star, and even the star was doubted.
Jalen Brunson was pushed aside by Dallas second rounder Josh
Hart's a g leaguer fourth team, Dante de Vincenzo his
fourth team. It's an underdog team. Make no mistake, though
(03:41):
the better team won. The team that showed more consistent effort. One.
I know these games were close, but so were the
Nuggets and the Lakers games. But you knew who was better.
And the only reason this thing went six is because
Tyrese Maxi hit a couple of bombs. We found out
later in the review of the official one of them
(04:03):
was traveling and shouldn't have been given. This was the
knickt series. Yeah, they were close, but I said this
the other night when they lost a close one. I
felt the Knicks with a better team, better effort consistently.
It's not a shot at Philadelphia. Love their coach, that
got great players. I think they have a better overall roster.
But Villanova guys won the series. And talked after Villanova
(04:27):
in the house.
Speaker 3 (04:28):
You said again, Villanova in the house, Villanova in the House.
Speaker 4 (04:33):
On a serious I think on the court, it's you know,
you have the ability to bring everybody together, make adjustments,
have that open, you know, line of communication with nobody,
you know, nobody taking offense. I think everybody's you know,
goal here is to win, and it's easier when you
have two guys that you've played with only so you
know that. Sometimes when things get heated, it's it's coming
(04:55):
from the right place, and then that translates to everybody,
and everybody's able to talk to each other in that way.
Speaker 1 (05:04):
So the Milwaukee Bucks didn't have Jannis. No Yannis, no shot.
Indiana shot fifty four percent last night, a lot of
easy buckets without Yannis Milwaukee. Now is what happens in
the NBA, overwhelmingly when a small market gets a transcendent
player Okac with kd Lebron the first time in Cleveland,
(05:29):
Shaq in Orlando, kg in Minnesota, Kareem in Milwaukee, Jannie
in Milwaukee. You win a lot, may even win a title,
but you always kind of feel like there's a ceiling.
In NBA Stars and International Soccer Stars, I've compared those
two before. They don't like ceilings. In the NFL, small
(05:53):
market doesn't matter. The way the draft works, you get
mature players immediately can change you. Also a hard cap.
It's almost hard to be terrible in the NFL. You
have to have a lousy owner. But in the NBA,
also also in the NFL, many of the most iconic
franchises are small markets Green Bay, Kansas City, Pittsburgh, Baltimore.
(06:17):
But that's not the case in the NBA, the Lakers,
the Knicks, the Sixers, the Warriors. For a long time,
the Chicago Bulls. Big markets stars, superstars, they go to
big cities, they attract the big cities attract the superstars.
So that's not to say the Milwaukee Bucks haven't tried.
(06:39):
I mean they're running through coaches like the Sixers, Lakers,
they're running through coaches. They're trying. But the Bucks are
really really old. In fact, I believe they're the oldest
team in the league, and the old players are all
locked into their contracts. And because they've made aggressive moves,
which I appreciate, dam and Drew Holliday, they don't have
(07:00):
a lot of assets. They don't have first round picks.
So here's what You're gonna get the same team next
year unless you make a gigantic move, which I can understand.
If Milwaukee didn't, you can argue Jannis wasn't here. If
Jannis was here, But remember this, the Knicks are going
(07:22):
to add a piece, and they're really good now, and
Boston may win a championship and have championship confidence now,
and Philadelphia has huge cap space and potentially three first
round picks. They'll make a move. This may have been
the year in the East. The Celtics still have a
little uncertainty. Can they win the title? The Knicks are
(07:48):
very Jalen Brunson led Orlando's too young Cleveland two consistent,
Philadelphia once again disappointing at Orlando team Paul George ends
up there. Good luck Knicks get KD good luck. But
what I see happening is they've tried, they did get
(08:08):
a title. They're really old. They're gonna bring the band
back and the same thing next year. For the record,
Indiana really good now not going backwards. OK, see Minnesota, Denver.
This is now a very very young league and the
Bucks are a very old team. Here was Dame after.
Speaker 5 (08:33):
It's definitely disappointing because you know how much better of
a team we are when he's on the floor, and
how much things change when he's on the floor. And
you play an entire eighty two game season, you go
through training camp, you go through all the ups and
downs of an NBA regular season, and you get to
the point where, all right, now we're going to play
for everything, and you're not whole. You know, you don't
(08:55):
how the best opportunity to reach where you want to reach.
So it's fresh, straight and is disappointing, but you know
it's part of the game.
Speaker 1 (09:03):
Here's the good news. They got a title, and they
have Giannis and they have Daane, so they got a
couple of great players. Damian Yanners are great, loll but great,
and they got a title. So it's not the end
of the world, but it kind of. I've seen this
with Shaq and k G and Kareem and k D
(09:23):
in Oklahoma City. Is these international soccer stars, they're bouncing
all over the place club to club, and these NBA
guy they don't want ceilings because the international soccer guy
in the NBA star changes a franchise. Even a quarterback
in the NFL, Mahomes would not be the same player
without Andy Reid, Travis Kelcey, great defense, excellent GM. You
(09:44):
put Messy in his prime and the team they're gonna
score a lot of goals. You put Jannis on a
team tomorrow like Golden State, they're the heavy favorite to
win the championship. So j Mack again, they got a title.
It's not the Knicks would take one of those.
Speaker 2 (09:57):
Well, Dane doesn't have a title, but does it feel
like the Super Team era is kind of over Colin
and last offseason the Bucks ad Dame, the Sun's ad Beal.
Everybody loved both those teams out in the first round.
Speaker 1 (10:09):
Well, I think everything in life and in sports is cyclical.
So I think now the feeling is baking beats, the microwave,
the oven beats, the microwave, draft be smart. That's the
feeling now. But I always I believe this to be true.
And he could be in Hollywood, it could be in sports.
There's very little great. Tom Cruise is great. He fills
(10:31):
the theater. Christopher Nolan is a director, is great, Pay
for him, go buy him. He's just too good. Tom
Cruise fills the theater. Just you know, so in our lifetimes,
great cuts through all the average in the world. So
you're gonna pay for great. So the idea that the
(10:51):
super team is gone. Hey, you know, in a couple
of years, if Anthony Edwards is on the market, people
are gonna go pay spend money for him. They're gonna
give up rotational players, they're gonna try to couple him with.
So I think it's easy to say now the micro
away because Denver, basically with Malone, didn't went until like
the eighth year. So they were basically they baked that
(11:13):
cake in the oven for a long time, and Okase
looks like they're baking and Minnesota looks like they're But
Lebron and ad did win a title a couple of
years ago, and Golden State went and got Cadane was
unbeatable and that stuff wins two.
Speaker 2 (11:24):
Yeah, so okay, see when they lose to Dallas, everybody's
gonna say they're a piece away. Go get Paul George,
go get Kevin Durant, and Okase's gonna have a tough decision.
Let's just remember, though, Denver Aaron Gordon was a top
five pick when they added him, So like, you can
bake as much as you want, but you need to
toss in some special, like you said, yeah, Aaron Gordon
was a top five pick in the draft. He was
(11:44):
an awesome play.
Speaker 1 (11:45):
No no, no, no, I mean a Denver's best four
players in Boston's best four players. They all of them
have great nights. Yokich is truly great. Tatum will be
classified that at I mean, I think he's in that class.
But there's a lot of really really good. But Tatum
and Yokich are great and In the end, you can
have one great and a bunch of high. I mean,
Jalen Brown made an All NBA team. He's got a
(12:06):
max contract, so that qualifies as great in this in
the world, Jalen Brown's great. Be sure to catch live
editions of The Herd Weekdays and Noone Eastern non am
Pacific on Fox Sports Radio FS one and the iHeartRadio
app All right, this story just broke. The Lakers have
officially parted ways with Darvin Ham. U just broke seconds ago.
(12:27):
Sources Telsham, Sharonya, and Jovon Bouja. Apparently the candidates are
Mike Budenholzer, who won a title with Milwaukee and has
twice one Coach of the Year, Kenny Atkinson, JJ Reddick
if he becomes available, Ty Lou if he was available.
So they have gotten rid of Darvin Ham. What's interesting
is I'm really surprised by this. Is a week ago
(12:49):
the Lakers leaked it. The Lakers leaked it out a
week ago that Darvin Ham was safe. So the Lakers
tried to get in front of this because a story
only he gets out if somebody wants it out. So
the Lakers tried to get ahead of this, and they
leaked a Darvin ham is coming back and the agents
and Lebron came in and said, And I think what
(13:12):
Lebron said is I can go to Philadelphia. Now, I
can go to a much better roster. I think that's
what That's my guess. What it came down to is
Lebron now can move and Lebron's like, I'm not coming
back for this. I think that's what happened. That would
might You don't go from the Lakers getting in front
of it till he's fired, and five six days later
(13:34):
something happened. And I think that happened is I'm not
coming back for this. That is my guess. By the way,
Budenholzer did a good job, although the knock on him
if you recall, he made some weird strategy situational moves,
very Darvin hammish when he was in Milwaukee, where I
can remember there were a couple of moments in that
(13:55):
series you're like, what is he doing? So again, get
ready if you hire Budenholzer for some strategy questions. I
know people that know Mike and think he's a great guy,
a really really nice guy. I think he's a good coach.
He's fine. JJ Reddick, that'd be weird. Tylu baumbers. You
would not think Steve Steve Balmer would be embarrassed by
(14:17):
the Lakers. I mean they're paying They're paying seven million
dollars for TYLERU. I don't think the Lakers will pay
that much for a coach. I just don't think they will.
How much do they owe Darvin ham still? So they
signed into a four year contract I believe, so they
got they got ten million at least they owed Darvin
hamm are close to it. And Geenie Buss is one
(14:38):
of the poorest owners. She didn't want to pay somebody
else six seven eight million dollars. So Kenny Atkinson, that's
the guy in Golden State that used to be in Brooklyn,
highly thought of. Kenny Atkinson, highly thought of.
Speaker 2 (14:52):
Kenny Atkinson, you might recall, was run off by Kyrie
Irving in Brooklyn when Kenny Atkinson wouldn't play DeAndre who's
Kyrie's guy? Kyrie said, you got to get up out
of here.
Speaker 1 (15:04):
So you know, let's just be honest. Outside of ty Loo,
there are questions about Bootenholzer strategy.
Speaker 2 (15:09):
We don't know if Tyler's available let's be real.
Speaker 1 (15:11):
I don't think Steve Ballmer's highly competitive.
Speaker 2 (15:15):
Lebron likes him, but money talks, right, you think Tyler's
leaving five mili on the table? Come on and listen.
You know I was banging on darvingham most of the
season and the rotations and something, and you would laugh
at me, and it's weird. Now I almost feel bad
for the guy. They were so good in that Denver series, Colin.
They were right there too.
Speaker 1 (15:34):
Yeah, but he substitution in the second quarter.
Speaker 2 (15:38):
Well, it's most of the early fourth quarter, some of
those lineups losing the lead.
Speaker 6 (15:44):
I don't know.
Speaker 2 (15:44):
I feel a little bit bad for him, and my
Laker fans who are listening now are gonna kill me
because I crush him on text chains. I'm like Darvin
Hamm is clueless. I don't I feel bad for the
guy a little bit, Colin.
Speaker 1 (15:53):
I feel bad for anybody who gets fired. I feel well,
I feel less bad if you get nine million dollars
to walk out the door, But I don't want he's
married kids. I feel bad for anybody. Hey, we probably.
Speaker 2 (16:04):
Relocated his family out here from from Milwaukee, and like
you know, two years later, he's dusted. This JJ Reddick
thing is gonna be Listen. You know I'm pro Lebron.
I'll defend him. It is really risky to be like,
hey be my podcast partner, Now come coach the Lakers,
and if they flame out in the first or second round,
who are you gonna blame? Here's only one guy to blame,
(16:24):
Lebron James. Don't blame Breddick.
Speaker 6 (16:26):
You can't.
Speaker 2 (16:27):
He's absolved to blame. This is like a chess match
that Lebron's playing right now. Lebron dangerous.
Speaker 1 (16:32):
Lebron what he does in these situations, he rises above it.
I don't know what happened. It's not my call. I mean,
this is Lebron's game plan, his playbook. But this was
the Lakers leaking a week ago. Darvin Ham's not going
to he's fired. Yeah, okay, and Lebron has options now
doesn't have to re sign. So it's pretty obvious. And
(16:54):
now Lebron will get his people, his agent. Hey, Lebron
doesn't make the call here that you can't go from
this to that in a week without a call being made.
It's not like Genie Bus was like he is coming
back and then after two conversations. She's like, my bad,
he's terrible. Like you don't go from that to that.
Speaker 2 (17:16):
So you made a great point about Kobe and Polenka.
Polenka was his former agent. I'm gonna during the commercial,
I'm gonna look up the timeline of how that happened.
Did gd Buss let Kobe Eyer's agent to be the
GM No.
Speaker 1 (17:28):
I think they'd work with Polenka so long that Genie
considered him almost family by association. And Genie likes that
and said, let's just bring him in house. I trust
him because she'd had so many negotiations on so many
things with Kobe that Rob had built this really nice
relationship with Geenie, and she's like, you know what, I
like him more than the other candidates, and I know him.
Speaker 2 (17:50):
Or was there a Kobe Kobe likes him? Maybe I'm
gonna go elsewhere because you're right, Lebron. Gd Bus probably
called Lebron in the days after the season. Maybe Lebron
was ghosting her.
Speaker 1 (17:58):
I don't even think that happened. I think Lebron's people
made a call. Again. It'd be one thing if Genie
Buss said a week ago, we're going to we're gonna
sit down and discuss Darvin Ham and he's fired. You
don't go from Darvin Ham is coming back to let's
get him out of here one of the first guys fired.
That's a phone call.
Speaker 2 (18:18):
And it's not like something happened right. There was no
incident that anybody's been aware of.
Speaker 1 (18:23):
They got in a parking ticket about six a week
of those times.
Speaker 2 (18:25):
So this makes the Olympic recruiting more interesting. Forget about
bringing Lebron to your team, Golden State or whoever. Now
it's who's Lebron looking at on that Olympic team and saying,
come out to La.
Speaker 1 (18:38):
I'm running the show.
Speaker 2 (18:39):
Now, it's my show. I got Darvin Ham out of here.
Speaker 1 (18:41):
I don't think. I don't think other stars. If you're
a young star, you don't want Lebron's brand to overshadow yours,
and Edwards doesn't.
Speaker 2 (18:49):
Wan no, no, no, no, I'm talking about Kevin Durant specifically.
Speaker 1 (18:51):
I don't think. Tell Plady no, that doesn't feel right.
Paul George, how about Lebron says this, Paul, you love La.
You don't have to move. I played seventy one games.
Kawhi couldn't show up for the playoffs. You think I'm
crazy on that? What do the Lakers need wing defenders?
Speaker 2 (19:10):
It just feels very I.
Speaker 1 (19:11):
Mean, I'm Lebron James. Hey, how's that hardened thing working out?
How is Kawi available tonight? You come over here. I'm
playing seventy one games. We got a rim defender.
Speaker 2 (19:25):
What if Lebron flips it on Curry and says, hey,
Curry's not you guys wanted me. Sorry, not happening, Curry.
It's a sinking ship there in Golden State. Why don't
you try to get the zero chance no shot?
Speaker 1 (19:37):
He is of their DNA. Now, Paul George is the
interesting one because Paul loves La and you just go
over to him and say, Bro, I know you have
a cute new arena. Crypto's on the way back, coin
is on fire. Just stan La come here.
Speaker 2 (19:55):
Lebron feels like he's this shoot his shot guy. You
know you see this vague fan. He's just like, I'm
going in it, doesn't I gotta.
Speaker 1 (20:02):
Make the way. What does Lebron work well with shooters?
Lebron's always been great with guys who can score on
the wing. Kyrie could do it.
Speaker 5 (20:10):
J R.
Speaker 1 (20:10):
Smith could do it. Battier could do it, Love could
do it.
Speaker 2 (20:13):
By the way, you think Lebron told Genie bus this week, Hey,
look at Kyrie dominating with the Mavericks. We sure could
have used him. And I was against that move. And
I think you when.
Speaker 1 (20:23):
Lebron James I go to Paul George, you tried to
go to a franchise to save him. Over here, we
win him. You tried to build something that's never happened.
We're trying to add to something another title that happens
all the time here. That's a pretty convincing sales job.
That's the difference between you're a football coach at Michigan
(20:44):
and you say, hey, you want to come to Michigan.
We win Natty's here, we win the Big Ten, or
you're at Purdue. Tell you what be the start of
something great here?
Speaker 2 (20:55):
I would want to start something great, as I know
you would too.
Speaker 1 (20:58):
No, I wouldn't. I'm lazy. Give me a big freebie,
get me a bunch of great players. I can just
mail it in. I'm telling you, it's a pretty easy
sales job. How's that Clipper rebuild going.
Speaker 2 (21:10):
We got a new arena, Lebron, It's going to be fired.
Speaker 1 (21:13):
Wait, why don't you come over here. I'll give you
a new Bentley. If you're gonna have a Bentley, be
sure to catch live editions of The Herd Weekdays and
Noone Easter not a im Pacific.
Speaker 3 (21:24):
What do you get when you combine a three time
manager of the Year at a three time National Sports
writer of the Year.
Speaker 6 (21:31):
It's the Book of Joe Podcast.
Speaker 3 (21:33):
Hey, this is Tom Ferducci from Fox Sports, MLB Network
and Sports Illustrated.
Speaker 1 (21:37):
And I'm Joe Madden. Are we're going to be around
to talk a little bit about managerial decisions, playoff games,
and what may have occurred to the dugout maybe in
the nineteen eighties.
Speaker 3 (21:45):
I can't wait for this, Joe. We're gonna dive into
what goes on in the dugout and behind the scenes
in Major League.
Speaker 1 (21:50):
Baseball, cars, wind whatever else we want to talk about.
Speaker 3 (21:53):
Listen to the Book of Joe Podcast on the iHeartRadio app,
on Apple Podcasts or wherever you get your podcasts.
Speaker 1 (22:00):
Darvin Ham has been fired. Let's bring in Rick Buker again.
Buker sitting there. I want to get lunch. I want
to stretch out.
Speaker 6 (22:07):
We're like, no now, yeah, I have all kinds of plans,
so much for that.
Speaker 1 (22:11):
So what's the what's the line? This is the eighth
coach in fourteen years, and I was.
Speaker 6 (22:15):
Trying to figure out how many coaches has uh Lebron had?
Speaker 1 (22:19):
Now it was seven or eight?
Speaker 6 (22:23):
Yeah, because there was I feel like I'm missing one
in Cleveland, there was Paul Silas, there was David Blatt,
there was Tylo then spoke, there's Luke Walton in LA.
I think you could get to ten before he's done
the way we're going.
Speaker 1 (22:40):
Well you are no. J Mack had mentioned this earlier.
I don't see you as this, but apparently Laker fans
see you as tough on Lebron.
Speaker 6 (22:48):
Yes. Yeah, I have high expectations for him based on
where we where we place him in the in this
in the hierarchy of of NBA players, and what he's accomplished.
I so he's hard to coach, hard to coach, Yeah,
uh yeah, I think it's a challenge. It's without question.
Speaker 1 (23:08):
Because he wants to sub himself in and out.
Speaker 6 (23:10):
And well it's not just subbing himself in and out,
but but you to take advantage of Lebron and what
he does, you have to make your team Lebron centric.
Speaker 1 (23:22):
Yeah, he very much. You said this yesterday. Lebron teams
are He's the ecosystem. Yes, Kevin Durant will come and
get pockets.
Speaker 4 (23:29):
Yes.
Speaker 6 (23:30):
And and when when he was winning you championships that
was worth it, then you without question, what do I
need to do? What do you need Lebron? I'm I'm
I'm good with all that. Now. The problem that I
have is when it doesn't work, like when it when
they don't win a champ or he doesn't win a championship.
Now it's everybody else's fault. It's like, no, no, no,
we're catering to you. It's a little bit like Yannis
(23:50):
and Milwaukee, like we're catering to you if it doesn't
If it doesn't work, I'm not going to blame other people.
We we did what you asked us to do. We
got you who you wanted to get like so, And
there's nothing wrong with failing. It's just abdicating the responsibility
of that. And so this is another case where I
(24:11):
just look at their roster and I look where Lebron
is in his career and Darvin ham by no means
was perfect in the job.
Speaker 1 (24:19):
That he did.
Speaker 6 (24:20):
But you're not going to find somebody who's going to.
Speaker 1 (24:24):
Fix this this roster, this.
Speaker 6 (24:26):
Group with a thirty nine year old Lebron James as
your closer still and win a championship. That's just not realistic.
Speaker 1 (24:35):
So Jmax said, is it a good job? And I said, well,
if you're looking at it from thirty thousand feet, Lebron's
not playing seventy one games again, and Anthony Davis has
had a year and a half stretch where he hasn't
been hurt. Yeah, the odds are telling you that's going
to deteriorate Hunter.
Speaker 6 (24:51):
Yes, Yeah, it's not going to get better and they're
going to be left holding the bag.
Speaker 1 (24:57):
So and also they're going to get a third star.
It could be a player that coaches struggle with Trey Young.
Speaker 6 (25:05):
Yeah, And I don't again, I don't see how that
you're going to have. You can't just acquire him. You're
going to have to trade pieces out to get him.
And I don't know that Tray changes the equation. I
don't know that he moves the needle for you in
terms of where you need to go. Defensively, they had issues.
(25:25):
They had issues, particularly defensively on the perimeter. Trey Young
certainly doesn't help you in that regard. So I do
not see a coach coming in and solving this. Darvin
Ham wasn't the reason. I could make as strong a
case that Darvin Ham was the reason that they actually
(25:46):
got to the playoffs. If you look, if you look
at the teams, the similar teams, Golden State didn't get there, right, Yeah,
the Lakers did. Those two rosters, to me, are pretty
comparable in the challenges.
Speaker 1 (26:00):
That they had, age and injury.
Speaker 6 (26:03):
Yes, so they they made their run, they got there,
and then they came up against the defending champs, who
have your number and have the matter.
Speaker 1 (26:10):
See, I would argue Golden State has more overall talent.
Speaker 6 (26:14):
But they had issues this year that were difficult to overcome, and.
Speaker 1 (26:18):
So Draymond's staff.
Speaker 6 (26:20):
Okay, but that's but that's even more reason to say
that what I'm saying, the Lakers made it and the
Warriors did.
Speaker 1 (26:25):
What I'm saying, My takeaway is, I like, if you
gave me both rosters, I take the Warriors, right.
Speaker 6 (26:30):
So I'm just look, Obviously there's been talk about Tyleru.
I heard you guys discussing that the one element that
you didn't mention is the fact that they low balled
TYLERU the last time they went after him.
Speaker 1 (26:42):
Who did the Lakers did?
Speaker 6 (26:45):
Oh, I didn't know that they low balled him. And
they I mean, they made an offer and he was like,
that's not good enough, and then they said, well, we're
not going to do better than that.
Speaker 1 (26:55):
Balmer came in double.
Speaker 6 (26:56):
And Balmer paid him, and Phoenix would do the same
if they if they ultimately make a change.
Speaker 1 (27:02):
They would go Tyler.
Speaker 6 (27:04):
They would, got I would, I would. I could see
them going tylu he's got My understanding is is that
he would. He's on their list if they make a change.
Speaker 1 (27:11):
Well, Tyler's very good with dysfunction.
Speaker 6 (27:15):
Uh, he's good with coaching stars too.
Speaker 1 (27:17):
Okay, Yeah, I mean, do you call the Lakers dysfunctional?
Clippers are dysfunctional?
Speaker 6 (27:23):
Sons felt No, I would not call them dysfunctional. I
just think they're impaired. I just I don't. I just
don't think they're a great team. And the expectations are
always in Laker Lakerville that that they're supposed to be great,
and with Lebron, you're supposed to play for a title.
And AD's healthy, so you're supposed to play for a title.
(27:46):
And as we know when we look at teams first
of all, the West just being stacked young and coming. Uh,
it's just it's not realistic. It's not it's not a
realistic expectation. And I don't want to be a coach
walking in to a situation that I don't have full
control over and that has unrealistic.
Speaker 1 (28:07):
Okay, so I'm gonna get let's take Tylo out of it.
I'm gonna give you these names, Okay, Kenny Atkinson, JJ Reddick, Yep,
what was the other one? J mack uh, Mike Budenholzer.
Which one would you take?
Speaker 6 (28:22):
I well, for entertainment purposes me personally, I'm taking JJ Reddick.
Speaker 1 (28:28):
I will give me JJ redd Probably go Atkinson Brooklyn.
Speaker 6 (28:35):
He's very much an analytics guy. Budenholzer and and and
Atkinson are very different in their approach, I would say
because of Bud's experiment experience working with Joannis, but i'd
lean that direction.
Speaker 1 (28:55):
Yeah.
Speaker 6 (28:55):
Well, look, you're you're finding a coach for the next
year or two with Lebron that's embarrassing, and then you're
and then you're moving on anywhere.
Speaker 1 (29:04):
So that's what I The argument I've made is that
I even think guys like Kenny Atkinson would go, you're
not gonna give me three million dollars because remember, Jeanie
bus is one of the poorest owners. She's not paying
seven for a coach and Darvin Hand's last two years.
Speaker 6 (29:21):
Yeah, And if I'm Kenny Atkinson, I like better, I
need to come and I need that next job to
be better, like put me in a better situation.
Speaker 1 (29:28):
It's like, it's almost like the Yankee job with Aaron Boone.
You think to yourself, oh, it's the Yankee job. But
when you had John Carlos Stanton and Aaron Judd, before
you had Garrett Cole, You're like, it's not a World
Series roster Houston is, Atlanta is. But you think it's
a great job. When when when Brian Kelly took over
Notre Dame, Oh it's Notre Dame. I very many good players. Now,
(29:51):
Notre Dame was a good job because Kelly recruited him.
So the Lakers job, the brand makes you believe what
a not necessarily a great Your bet two best play players.
One is historically brittle and one's in your twenty two.
Speaker 6 (30:03):
Yeah, and you're you need the authority when you walk
into that locker room not having a ring behind you,
because there are guys who do have a ring in
that locker room. If you're Kenny Atkinson, you don't walk
in with that. Bud does walk in with that.
Speaker 1 (30:17):
JJ Reddick lived here. Listen, he's got it. He's got
some LA fields. I think he moved to Austin, Texas
or something at one point. But he's a isn't he.
He's done some LA stuff. He take the game in fact,
I think he.
Speaker 6 (30:27):
I mean, if he's doing if he's doing based in
New York now.
Speaker 1 (30:30):
But if he's doing a pod with Lebron, he's got
to be in LA sometimes.
Speaker 6 (30:33):
Yes, yeah, well I'm yeah, please give it, Please please
give me that.
Speaker 1 (30:39):
Is there any chance yeah, that Lebron would leave if
they don't hire who he wants. Hm.
Speaker 6 (30:46):
No, No, he's not leaving, but they're not hiring somebody
he doesn't want, so that means it JJ Reddick or well,
I mean his he would want ty Lou. Yeah, but
he's not gonna just don't think he's gonna he can
get to her.
Speaker 1 (30:58):
Not going to be embarrassed. Went into his new arena.
Speaker 6 (31:01):
Well and he's not going to give up Tylo to
the Lakers. He's not gonna give the Lakers what they want.
It's that's that's not happening. And again I would go
back to and I don't know how Tive feels about this,
but do you, for all things considered, the Lakers job
you I don't know that the Lakers job is something
that anybody really likes what he wants at this time.
Speaker 1 (31:23):
That's what I'm saying. I think Kenny Atkinson, I'm maybe
I'm I don't know, Kenny, but I could look at
it and think you're twenty two for Lebron. They've they're
on their eighth coach. Yeah.
Speaker 6 (31:33):
I mean, look, I'm drawing a blank in terms of
who they went after. But I don't I don't recall
that Darvin was necessarily their first.
Speaker 1 (31:40):
Well he was, Charlotte wanted him, and the Lakers hired him.
There wasn't a big list for him. Yeah, and then
and the knock was he's a rookie head coach with Lebron. Yeah,
and I think he's been fine. I think there's some
substitution patterns that are wacky, but.
Speaker 6 (31:53):
But this is I mean, you think it's gonna the
idea that because JJ Reddick sounds intelligent on a pot
a cast, that he's going to make like in game
decisions that are going to be perfect. Look, Kevin Durant
wanted Steve Nash, wanted Steve Nash, who Steve Nash is
one of the most cerebral who wanted him Kevin Durant, Oh, Now,
and that didn't work at all in Brooklyn.
Speaker 1 (32:13):
Well, it didn't work. Initially he got better, but it
didn't work.
Speaker 6 (32:18):
It ultimately did not work. And so again that's why
I it's not because I don't want to see.
Speaker 1 (32:23):
It not you know. You know what's funny about that.
I think I can tell this story now. Steve Nash
took that job, and let's just say, sources tell me
that he couldn't. He wanted to be fired at the end,
and I believe it was. It was he was like,
according to sources, this is no fun. Yeah, let me
(32:45):
get go back to Manhattan Beach and surf.
Speaker 6 (32:47):
You know who you know who else feels that way.
Darvin Hamn some of the things that he said in
the last few weeks indicates to me he's over it.
He's like, if you're I'm Okay, I'd like to continue
to coach, but if i'm not, uh, this is I'm in.
Speaker 1 (33:07):
I'm always a little jealous of people who get fired
and get that parachute, and it's like which which he had?
When's the last time you took a month off?
Speaker 6 (33:19):
A month? I think he's got like at least a
year or two at five million per.
Speaker 1 (33:23):
Like, we'll sign me, sign me up for that little jelly.
All right, Rick Buker, good stuff, good seeing you. Thanks again,
same
Thanks for listening to the Best of the Herd podcast.
Be sure to catch us live every weekday on Fox
Sports Radio and noon to three Eastern nine am to
noon Pacific. Find your local station for the Herd at
Fox Sports Radio dot com, or stream us live every
day on the iHeartRadio app by searching Fox Sports Radio
or FSR. This is the Best of the Herd with
(00:22):
Colin cowher on Fox Sports Radio. Ah Here we go
on to Friday. Lots to talk about live in LA.
It's the Herd wherever you may be and however you
may be listening. Thanks for Megano's part of your day. Jmac.
Very exciting, very exciting. Very rarely is a New York
(00:45):
team and underdog? Can you think any Yankees and all
that money and Nick's or an underdog?
Speaker 2 (00:53):
Not against the Patriot. Yes, they're certainly an underdog.
Speaker 1 (00:56):
That's an interesting side. I don't know if I like him,
you may. That's against Philadelphia. It took a lot out
of them.
Speaker 2 (01:02):
Fell like a conference final.
Speaker 1 (01:03):
If there's no question it felt like a conference final.
We start our Friday show basically Villanova beat the Philadelphia
seventy six ers last night. Maybe they feel just comfortable
in Villanova because that's where the school is. But the
three Villanova guys Jalen Brunson, Josh Hart, Donte DiVincenzo combined
for eighty points, twenty eight assists, innumerable hustle plays, effort plays.
(01:27):
They were the series. And it's very interesting in the NBA.
If you just say this term Villanova guy, everybody knows
what you're talking about. It's like that saying you ever
heard it Minnesota nice. Everybody sort of gets it Villanova guy.
They don't say that about Kansas guy or Kentucky guy.
(01:49):
And those are great programs. Villanova guys are more mature,
more resourceful. They fit on every NBA team, not every
player in this league. Most don't want to play for TIBs.
Do you think it's a coincidence that all three Villanova
guys not only deal with Tibbs, they flourish with him.
John Calipari I take my shots at him. He used
(02:11):
to be at Kentucky. It was a turnstile program. The
goal was John said, this is to get rich. He
didn't even care about March. He told us get rich.
At Villanova. You may get rich, but it's about being enriched.
Maybe it's like Wall Street in Silicon Valley. You go
to Wall Street as a kid, you want to make money.
(02:32):
You go to Silicon Valley you want to make money too.
But there are a lot of people there that want
to change the world. Many of the devices you and
I use that make our life better, they're not from
Wall Street, They're from Silicon Valley. It's okay to want
to make money, but is it the only goal? I
always felt that that was Calipari's Kentucky. That was never
(02:56):
Villanova with Jay Wright. Be part of the community, three stars,
kids go to class, help with charities, be on campus,
get enriched and possibly rich. One of the reasons, maybe
the only reason these Knicks are so likable. Most New
York teams to America are not likable. This team's totally
(03:18):
likable because they're defined by hustle, effort, discipline, crashing the boards.
They've got a star, and even the star was doubted.
Jalen Brunson was pushed aside by Dallas second rounder Josh
Hart's a g leaguer fourth team, Dante de Vincenzo his
fourth team. It's an underdog team. Make no mistake, though
(03:41):
the better team won. The team that showed more consistent effort. One.
I know these games were close, but so were the
Nuggets and the Lakers games. But you knew who was better.
And the only reason this thing went six is because
Tyrese Maxi hit a couple of bombs. We found out
later in the review of the official one of them
(04:03):
was traveling and shouldn't have been given. This was the
knickt series. Yeah, they were close, but I said this
the other night when they lost a close one. I
felt the Knicks with a better team, better effort consistently.
It's not a shot at Philadelphia. Love their coach, that
got great players. I think they have a better overall roster.
But Villanova guys won the series. And talked after Villanova
(04:27):
in the house.
Speaker 3 (04:28):
You said again, Villanova in the house, Villanova in the House.
Speaker 4 (04:33):
On a serious I think on the court, it's you know,
you have the ability to bring everybody together, make adjustments,
have that open, you know, line of communication with nobody,
you know, nobody taking offense. I think everybody's you know,
goal here is to win, and it's easier when you
have two guys that you've played with only so you
know that. Sometimes when things get heated, it's it's coming
(04:55):
from the right place, and then that translates to everybody,
and everybody's able to talk to each other in that way.
Speaker 1 (05:04):
So the Milwaukee Bucks didn't have Jannis. No Yannis, no shot.
Indiana shot fifty four percent last night, a lot of
easy buckets without Yannis Milwaukee. Now is what happens in
the NBA, overwhelmingly when a small market gets a transcendent
player Okac with kd Lebron the first time in Cleveland,
(05:29):
Shaq in Orlando, kg in Minnesota, Kareem in Milwaukee, Jannie
in Milwaukee. You win a lot, may even win a title,
but you always kind of feel like there's a ceiling.
In NBA Stars and International Soccer Stars, I've compared those
two before. They don't like ceilings. In the NFL, small
(05:53):
market doesn't matter. The way the draft works, you get
mature players immediately can change you. Also a hard cap.
It's almost hard to be terrible in the NFL. You
have to have a lousy owner. But in the NBA,
also also in the NFL, many of the most iconic
franchises are small markets Green Bay, Kansas City, Pittsburgh, Baltimore.
(06:17):
But that's not the case in the NBA, the Lakers,
the Knicks, the Sixers, the Warriors. For a long time,
the Chicago Bulls. Big markets stars, superstars, they go to
big cities, they attract the big cities attract the superstars.
So that's not to say the Milwaukee Bucks haven't tried.
(06:39):
I mean they're running through coaches like the Sixers, Lakers,
they're running through coaches. They're trying. But the Bucks are
really really old. In fact, I believe they're the oldest
team in the league, and the old players are all
locked into their contracts. And because they've made aggressive moves,
which I appreciate, dam and Drew Holliday, they don't have
(07:00):
a lot of assets. They don't have first round picks.
So here's what You're gonna get the same team next
year unless you make a gigantic move, which I can understand.
If Milwaukee didn't, you can argue Jannis wasn't here. If
Jannis was here, But remember this, the Knicks are going
(07:22):
to add a piece, and they're really good now, and
Boston may win a championship and have championship confidence now,
and Philadelphia has huge cap space and potentially three first
round picks. They'll make a move. This may have been
the year in the East. The Celtics still have a
little uncertainty. Can they win the title? The Knicks are
(07:48):
very Jalen Brunson led Orlando's too young Cleveland two consistent,
Philadelphia once again disappointing at Orlando team Paul George ends
up there. Good luck Knicks get KD good luck. But
what I see happening is they've tried, they did get
(08:08):
a title. They're really old. They're gonna bring the band
back and the same thing next year. For the record,
Indiana really good now not going backwards. OK, see Minnesota, Denver.
This is now a very very young league and the
Bucks are a very old team. Here was Dame after.
Speaker 5 (08:33):
It's definitely disappointing because you know how much better of
a team we are when he's on the floor, and
how much things change when he's on the floor. And
you play an entire eighty two game season, you go
through training camp, you go through all the ups and
downs of an NBA regular season, and you get to
the point where, all right, now we're going to play
for everything, and you're not whole. You know, you don't
(08:55):
how the best opportunity to reach where you want to reach.
So it's fresh, straight and is disappointing, but you know
it's part of the game.
Speaker 1 (09:03):
Here's the good news. They got a title, and they
have Giannis and they have Daane, so they got a
couple of great players. Damian Yanners are great, loll but great,
and they got a title. So it's not the end
of the world, but it kind of. I've seen this
with Shaq and k G and Kareem and k D
(09:23):
in Oklahoma City. Is these international soccer stars, they're bouncing
all over the place club to club, and these NBA
guy they don't want ceilings because the international soccer guy
in the NBA star changes a franchise. Even a quarterback
in the NFL, Mahomes would not be the same player
without Andy Reid, Travis Kelcey, great defense, excellent GM. You
(09:44):
put Messy in his prime and the team they're gonna
score a lot of goals. You put Jannis on a
team tomorrow like Golden State, they're the heavy favorite to
win the championship. So j Mack again, they got a title.
It's not the Knicks would take one of those.
Speaker 2 (09:57):
Well, Dane doesn't have a title, but does it feel
like the Super Team era is kind of over Colin
and last offseason the Bucks ad Dame, the Sun's ad Beal.
Everybody loved both those teams out in the first round.
Speaker 1 (10:09):
Well, I think everything in life and in sports is cyclical.
So I think now the feeling is baking beats, the microwave,
the oven beats, the microwave, draft be smart. That's the
feeling now. But I always I believe this to be true.
And he could be in Hollywood, it could be in sports.
There's very little great. Tom Cruise is great. He fills
(10:31):
the theater. Christopher Nolan is a director, is great, Pay
for him, go buy him. He's just too good. Tom
Cruise fills the theater. Just you know, so in our lifetimes,
great cuts through all the average in the world. So
you're gonna pay for great. So the idea that the
(10:51):
super team is gone. Hey, you know, in a couple
of years, if Anthony Edwards is on the market, people
are gonna go pay spend money for him. They're gonna
give up rotational players, they're gonna try to couple him with.
So I think it's easy to say now the micro
away because Denver, basically with Malone, didn't went until like
the eighth year. So they were basically they baked that
(11:13):
cake in the oven for a long time, and Okase
looks like they're baking and Minnesota looks like they're But
Lebron and ad did win a title a couple of
years ago, and Golden State went and got Cadane was
unbeatable and that stuff wins two.
Speaker 2 (11:24):
Yeah, so okay, see when they lose to Dallas, everybody's
gonna say they're a piece away. Go get Paul George,
go get Kevin Durant, and Okase's gonna have a tough decision.
Let's just remember, though, Denver Aaron Gordon was a top
five pick when they added him, So like, you can
bake as much as you want, but you need to
toss in some special, like you said, yeah, Aaron Gordon
was a top five pick in the draft. He was
(11:44):
an awesome play.
Speaker 1 (11:45):
No no, no, no, I mean a Denver's best four
players in Boston's best four players. They all of them
have great nights. Yokich is truly great. Tatum will be
classified that at I mean, I think he's in that class.
But there's a lot of really really good. But Tatum
and Yokich are great and In the end, you can
have one great and a bunch of high. I mean,
Jalen Brown made an All NBA team. He's got a
(12:06):
max contract, so that qualifies as great in this in
the world, Jalen Brown's great. Be sure to catch live
editions of The Herd Weekdays and Noone Eastern non am
Pacific on Fox Sports Radio FS one and the iHeartRadio
app All right, this story just broke. The Lakers have
officially parted ways with Darvin Ham. U just broke seconds ago.
(12:27):
Sources Telsham, Sharonya, and Jovon Bouja. Apparently the candidates are
Mike Budenholzer, who won a title with Milwaukee and has
twice one Coach of the Year, Kenny Atkinson, JJ Reddick
if he becomes available, Ty Lou if he was available.
So they have gotten rid of Darvin Ham. What's interesting
is I'm really surprised by this. Is a week ago
(12:49):
the Lakers leaked it. The Lakers leaked it out a
week ago that Darvin Ham was safe. So the Lakers
tried to get in front of this because a story
only he gets out if somebody wants it out. So
the Lakers tried to get ahead of this, and they
leaked a Darvin ham is coming back and the agents
and Lebron came in and said, And I think what
(13:12):
Lebron said is I can go to Philadelphia. Now, I
can go to a much better roster. I think that's
what That's my guess. What it came down to is
Lebron now can move and Lebron's like, I'm not coming
back for this. I think that's what happened. That would
might You don't go from the Lakers getting in front
of it till he's fired, and five six days later
(13:34):
something happened. And I think that happened is I'm not
coming back for this. That is my guess. By the way,
Budenholzer did a good job, although the knock on him
if you recall, he made some weird strategy situational moves,
very Darvin hammish when he was in Milwaukee, where I
can remember there were a couple of moments in that
(13:55):
series you're like, what is he doing? So again, get
ready if you hire Budenholzer for some strategy questions. I
know people that know Mike and think he's a great guy,
a really really nice guy. I think he's a good coach.
He's fine. JJ Reddick, that'd be weird. Tylu baumbers. You
would not think Steve Steve Balmer would be embarrassed by
(14:17):
the Lakers. I mean they're paying They're paying seven million
dollars for TYLERU. I don't think the Lakers will pay
that much for a coach. I just don't think they will.
How much do they owe Darvin ham still? So they
signed into a four year contract I believe, so they
got they got ten million at least they owed Darvin
hamm are close to it. And Geenie Buss is one
(14:38):
of the poorest owners. She didn't want to pay somebody
else six seven eight million dollars. So Kenny Atkinson, that's
the guy in Golden State that used to be in Brooklyn,
highly thought of. Kenny Atkinson, highly thought of.
Speaker 2 (14:52):
Kenny Atkinson, you might recall, was run off by Kyrie
Irving in Brooklyn when Kenny Atkinson wouldn't play DeAndre who's
Kyrie's guy? Kyrie said, you got to get up out
of here.
Speaker 1 (15:04):
So you know, let's just be honest. Outside of ty Loo,
there are questions about Bootenholzer strategy.
Speaker 2 (15:09):
We don't know if Tyler's available let's be real.
Speaker 1 (15:11):
I don't think Steve Ballmer's highly competitive.
Speaker 2 (15:15):
Lebron likes him, but money talks, right, you think Tyler's
leaving five mili on the table? Come on and listen.
You know I was banging on darvingham most of the
season and the rotations and something, and you would laugh
at me, and it's weird. Now I almost feel bad
for the guy. They were so good in that Denver series, Colin.
They were right there too.
Speaker 1 (15:34):
Yeah, but he substitution in the second quarter.
Speaker 2 (15:38):
Well, it's most of the early fourth quarter, some of
those lineups losing the lead.
Speaker 6 (15:44):
I don't know.
Speaker 2 (15:44):
I feel a little bit bad for him, and my
Laker fans who are listening now are gonna kill me
because I crush him on text chains. I'm like Darvin
Hamm is clueless. I don't I feel bad for the
guy a little bit, Colin.
Speaker 1 (15:53):
I feel bad for anybody who gets fired. I feel well,
I feel less bad if you get nine million dollars
to walk out the door, But I don't want he's
married kids. I feel bad for anybody. Hey, we probably.
Speaker 2 (16:04):
Relocated his family out here from from Milwaukee, and like
you know, two years later, he's dusted. This JJ Reddick
thing is gonna be Listen. You know I'm pro Lebron.
I'll defend him. It is really risky to be like,
hey be my podcast partner, Now come coach the Lakers,
and if they flame out in the first or second round,
who are you gonna blame? Here's only one guy to blame,
(16:24):
Lebron James. Don't blame Breddick.
Speaker 6 (16:26):
You can't.
Speaker 2 (16:27):
He's absolved to blame. This is like a chess match
that Lebron's playing right now. Lebron dangerous.
Speaker 1 (16:32):
Lebron what he does in these situations, he rises above it.
I don't know what happened. It's not my call. I mean,
this is Lebron's game plan, his playbook. But this was
the Lakers leaking a week ago. Darvin Ham's not going
to he's fired. Yeah, okay, and Lebron has options now
doesn't have to re sign. So it's pretty obvious. And
(16:54):
now Lebron will get his people, his agent. Hey, Lebron
doesn't make the call here that you can't go from
this to that in a week without a call being made.
It's not like Genie Bus was like he is coming
back and then after two conversations. She's like, my bad,
he's terrible. Like you don't go from that to that.
Speaker 2 (17:16):
So you made a great point about Kobe and Polenka.
Polenka was his former agent. I'm gonna during the commercial,
I'm gonna look up the timeline of how that happened.
Did gd Buss let Kobe Eyer's agent to be the
GM No.
Speaker 1 (17:28):
I think they'd work with Polenka so long that Genie
considered him almost family by association. And Genie likes that
and said, let's just bring him in house. I trust
him because she'd had so many negotiations on so many
things with Kobe that Rob had built this really nice
relationship with Geenie, and she's like, you know what, I
like him more than the other candidates, and I know him.
Speaker 2 (17:50):
Or was there a Kobe Kobe likes him? Maybe I'm
gonna go elsewhere because you're right, Lebron. Gd Bus probably
called Lebron in the days after the season. Maybe Lebron
was ghosting her.
Speaker 1 (17:58):
I don't even think that happened. I think Lebron's people
made a call. Again. It'd be one thing if Genie
Buss said a week ago, we're going to we're gonna
sit down and discuss Darvin Ham and he's fired. You
don't go from Darvin Ham is coming back to let's
get him out of here one of the first guys fired.
That's a phone call.
Speaker 2 (18:18):
And it's not like something happened right. There was no
incident that anybody's been aware of.
Speaker 1 (18:23):
They got in a parking ticket about six a week
of those times.
Speaker 2 (18:25):
So this makes the Olympic recruiting more interesting. Forget about
bringing Lebron to your team, Golden State or whoever. Now
it's who's Lebron looking at on that Olympic team and saying,
come out to La.
Speaker 1 (18:38):
I'm running the show.
Speaker 2 (18:39):
Now, it's my show. I got Darvin Ham out of here.
Speaker 1 (18:41):
I don't think. I don't think other stars. If you're
a young star, you don't want Lebron's brand to overshadow yours,
and Edwards doesn't.
Speaker 2 (18:49):
Wan no, no, no, no, I'm talking about Kevin Durant specifically.
Speaker 1 (18:51):
I don't think. Tell Plady no, that doesn't feel right.
Paul George, how about Lebron says this, Paul, you love La.
You don't have to move. I played seventy one games.
Kawhi couldn't show up for the playoffs. You think I'm
crazy on that? What do the Lakers need wing defenders?
Speaker 2 (19:10):
It just feels very I.
Speaker 1 (19:11):
Mean, I'm Lebron James. Hey, how's that hardened thing working out?
How is Kawi available tonight? You come over here. I'm
playing seventy one games. We got a rim defender.
Speaker 2 (19:25):
What if Lebron flips it on Curry and says, hey,
Curry's not you guys wanted me. Sorry, not happening, Curry.
It's a sinking ship there in Golden State. Why don't
you try to get the zero chance no shot?
Speaker 1 (19:37):
He is of their DNA. Now, Paul George is the
interesting one because Paul loves La and you just go
over to him and say, Bro, I know you have
a cute new arena. Crypto's on the way back, coin
is on fire. Just stan La come here.
Speaker 2 (19:55):
Lebron feels like he's this shoot his shot guy. You
know you see this vague fan. He's just like, I'm
going in it, doesn't I gotta.
Speaker 1 (20:02):
Make the way. What does Lebron work well with shooters?
Lebron's always been great with guys who can score on
the wing. Kyrie could do it.
Speaker 5 (20:10):
J R.
Speaker 1 (20:10):
Smith could do it. Battier could do it, Love could
do it.
Speaker 2 (20:13):
By the way, you think Lebron told Genie bus this week, Hey,
look at Kyrie dominating with the Mavericks. We sure could
have used him. And I was against that move. And
I think you when.
Speaker 1 (20:23):
Lebron James I go to Paul George, you tried to
go to a franchise to save him. Over here, we
win him. You tried to build something that's never happened.
We're trying to add to something another title that happens
all the time here. That's a pretty convincing sales job.
That's the difference between you're a football coach at Michigan
(20:44):
and you say, hey, you want to come to Michigan.
We win Natty's here, we win the Big Ten, or
you're at Purdue. Tell you what be the start of
something great here?
Speaker 2 (20:55):
I would want to start something great, as I know
you would too.
Speaker 1 (20:58):
No, I wouldn't. I'm lazy. Give me a big freebie,
get me a bunch of great players. I can just
mail it in. I'm telling you, it's a pretty easy
sales job. How's that Clipper rebuild going.
Speaker 2 (21:10):
We got a new arena, Lebron, It's going to be fired.
Speaker 1 (21:13):
Wait, why don't you come over here. I'll give you
a new Bentley. If you're gonna have a Bentley, be
sure to catch live editions of The Herd Weekdays and
Noone Easter not a im Pacific.
Speaker 3 (21:24):
What do you get when you combine a three time
manager of the Year at a three time National Sports
writer of the Year.
Speaker 6 (21:31):
It's the Book of Joe Podcast.
Speaker 3 (21:33):
Hey, this is Tom Ferducci from Fox Sports, MLB Network
and Sports Illustrated.
Speaker 1 (21:37):
And I'm Joe Madden. Are we're going to be around
to talk a little bit about managerial decisions, playoff games,
and what may have occurred to the dugout maybe in
the nineteen eighties.
Speaker 3 (21:45):
I can't wait for this, Joe. We're gonna dive into
what goes on in the dugout and behind the scenes
in Major League.
Speaker 1 (21:50):
Baseball, cars, wind whatever else we want to talk about.
Speaker 3 (21:53):
Listen to the Book of Joe Podcast on the iHeartRadio app,
on Apple Podcasts or wherever you get your podcasts.
Speaker 1 (22:00):
Darvin Ham has been fired. Let's bring in Rick Buker again.
Buker sitting there. I want to get lunch. I want
to stretch out.
Speaker 6 (22:07):
We're like, no now, yeah, I have all kinds of plans,
so much for that.
Speaker 1 (22:11):
So what's the what's the line? This is the eighth
coach in fourteen years, and I was.
Speaker 6 (22:15):
Trying to figure out how many coaches has uh Lebron had?
Speaker 1 (22:19):
Now it was seven or eight?
Speaker 6 (22:23):
Yeah, because there was I feel like I'm missing one
in Cleveland, there was Paul Silas, there was David Blatt,
there was Tylo then spoke, there's Luke Walton in LA.
I think you could get to ten before he's done
the way we're going.
Speaker 1 (22:40):
Well you are no. J Mack had mentioned this earlier.
I don't see you as this, but apparently Laker fans
see you as tough on Lebron.
Speaker 6 (22:48):
Yes. Yeah, I have high expectations for him based on
where we where we place him in the in this
in the hierarchy of of NBA players, and what he's accomplished.
I so he's hard to coach, hard to coach, Yeah,
uh yeah, I think it's a challenge. It's without question.
Speaker 1 (23:08):
Because he wants to sub himself in and out.
Speaker 6 (23:10):
And well it's not just subbing himself in and out,
but but you to take advantage of Lebron and what
he does, you have to make your team Lebron centric.
Speaker 1 (23:22):
Yeah, he very much. You said this yesterday. Lebron teams
are He's the ecosystem. Yes, Kevin Durant will come and
get pockets.
Speaker 4 (23:29):
Yes.
Speaker 6 (23:30):
And and when when he was winning you championships that
was worth it, then you without question, what do I
need to do? What do you need Lebron? I'm I'm
I'm good with all that. Now. The problem that I
have is when it doesn't work, like when it when
they don't win a champ or he doesn't win a championship.
Now it's everybody else's fault. It's like, no, no, no,
we're catering to you. It's a little bit like Yannis
(23:50):
and Milwaukee, like we're catering to you if it doesn't
If it doesn't work, I'm not going to blame other people.
We we did what you asked us to do. We
got you who you wanted to get like so, And
there's nothing wrong with failing. It's just abdicating the responsibility
of that. And so this is another case where I
(24:11):
just look at their roster and I look where Lebron
is in his career and Darvin ham by no means
was perfect in the job.
Speaker 1 (24:19):
That he did.
Speaker 6 (24:20):
But you're not going to find somebody who's going to.
Speaker 1 (24:24):
Fix this this roster, this.
Speaker 6 (24:26):
Group with a thirty nine year old Lebron James as
your closer still and win a championship. That's just not realistic.
Speaker 1 (24:35):
So Jmax said, is it a good job? And I said, well,
if you're looking at it from thirty thousand feet, Lebron's
not playing seventy one games again, and Anthony Davis has
had a year and a half stretch where he hasn't
been hurt. Yeah, the odds are telling you that's going
to deteriorate Hunter.
Speaker 6 (24:51):
Yes, Yeah, it's not going to get better and they're
going to be left holding the bag.
Speaker 1 (24:57):
So and also they're going to get a third star.
It could be a player that coaches struggle with Trey Young.
Speaker 6 (25:05):
Yeah, And I don't again, I don't see how that
you're going to have. You can't just acquire him. You're
going to have to trade pieces out to get him.
And I don't know that Tray changes the equation. I
don't know that he moves the needle for you in
terms of where you need to go. Defensively, they had issues.
(25:25):
They had issues, particularly defensively on the perimeter. Trey Young
certainly doesn't help you in that regard. So I do
not see a coach coming in and solving this. Darvin
Ham wasn't the reason. I could make as strong a
case that Darvin Ham was the reason that they actually
(25:46):
got to the playoffs. If you look, if you look
at the teams, the similar teams, Golden State didn't get there, right, Yeah,
the Lakers did. Those two rosters, to me, are pretty
comparable in the challenges.
Speaker 1 (26:00):
That they had, age and injury.
Speaker 6 (26:03):
Yes, so they they made their run, they got there,
and then they came up against the defending champs, who
have your number and have the matter.
Speaker 1 (26:10):
See, I would argue Golden State has more overall talent.
Speaker 6 (26:14):
But they had issues this year that were difficult to overcome, and.
Speaker 1 (26:18):
So Draymond's staff.
Speaker 6 (26:20):
Okay, but that's but that's even more reason to say
that what I'm saying, the Lakers made it and the
Warriors did.
Speaker 1 (26:25):
What I'm saying, My takeaway is, I like, if you
gave me both rosters, I take the Warriors, right.
Speaker 6 (26:30):
So I'm just look, Obviously there's been talk about Tyleru.
I heard you guys discussing that the one element that
you didn't mention is the fact that they low balled
TYLERU the last time they went after him.
Speaker 1 (26:42):
Who did the Lakers did?
Speaker 6 (26:45):
Oh, I didn't know that they low balled him. And
they I mean, they made an offer and he was like,
that's not good enough, and then they said, well, we're
not going to do better than that.
Speaker 1 (26:55):
Balmer came in double.
Speaker 6 (26:56):
And Balmer paid him, and Phoenix would do the same
if they if they ultimately make a change.
Speaker 1 (27:02):
They would go Tyler.
Speaker 6 (27:04):
They would, got I would, I would. I could see
them going tylu he's got My understanding is is that
he would. He's on their list if they make a change.
Speaker 1 (27:11):
Well, Tyler's very good with dysfunction.
Speaker 6 (27:15):
Uh, he's good with coaching stars too.
Speaker 1 (27:17):
Okay, Yeah, I mean, do you call the Lakers dysfunctional?
Clippers are dysfunctional?
Speaker 6 (27:23):
Sons felt No, I would not call them dysfunctional. I
just think they're impaired. I just I don't. I just
don't think they're a great team. And the expectations are
always in Laker Lakerville that that they're supposed to be great,
and with Lebron, you're supposed to play for a title.
And AD's healthy, so you're supposed to play for a title.
(27:46):
And as we know when we look at teams first
of all, the West just being stacked young and coming. Uh,
it's just it's not realistic. It's not it's not a
realistic expectation. And I don't want to be a coach
walking in to a situation that I don't have full
control over and that has unrealistic.
Speaker 1 (28:07):
Okay, so I'm gonna get let's take Tylo out of it.
I'm gonna give you these names, Okay, Kenny Atkinson, JJ Reddick, Yep,
what was the other one? J mack uh, Mike Budenholzer.
Which one would you take?
Speaker 6 (28:22):
I well, for entertainment purposes me personally, I'm taking JJ Reddick.
Speaker 1 (28:28):
I will give me JJ redd Probably go Atkinson Brooklyn.
Speaker 6 (28:35):
He's very much an analytics guy. Budenholzer and and and
Atkinson are very different in their approach, I would say
because of Bud's experiment experience working with Joannis, but i'd
lean that direction.
Speaker 1 (28:55):
Yeah.
Speaker 6 (28:55):
Well, look, you're you're finding a coach for the next
year or two with Lebron that's embarrassing, and then you're
and then you're moving on anywhere.
Speaker 1 (29:04):
So that's what I The argument I've made is that
I even think guys like Kenny Atkinson would go, you're
not gonna give me three million dollars because remember, Jeanie
bus is one of the poorest owners. She's not paying
seven for a coach and Darvin Hand's last two years.
Speaker 6 (29:21):
Yeah, And if I'm Kenny Atkinson, I like better, I
need to come and I need that next job to
be better, like put me in a better situation.
Speaker 1 (29:28):
It's like, it's almost like the Yankee job with Aaron Boone.
You think to yourself, oh, it's the Yankee job. But
when you had John Carlos Stanton and Aaron Judd, before
you had Garrett Cole, You're like, it's not a World
Series roster Houston is, Atlanta is. But you think it's
a great job. When when when Brian Kelly took over
Notre Dame, Oh it's Notre Dame. I very many good players. Now,
(29:51):
Notre Dame was a good job because Kelly recruited him.
So the Lakers job, the brand makes you believe what
a not necessarily a great Your bet two best play players.
One is historically brittle and one's in your twenty two.
Speaker 6 (30:03):
Yeah, and you're you need the authority when you walk
into that locker room not having a ring behind you,
because there are guys who do have a ring in
that locker room. If you're Kenny Atkinson, you don't walk
in with that. Bud does walk in with that.
Speaker 1 (30:17):
JJ Reddick lived here. Listen, he's got it. He's got
some LA fields. I think he moved to Austin, Texas
or something at one point. But he's a isn't he.
He's done some LA stuff. He take the game in fact,
I think he.
Speaker 6 (30:27):
I mean, if he's doing if he's doing based in
New York now.
Speaker 1 (30:30):
But if he's doing a pod with Lebron, he's got
to be in LA sometimes.
Speaker 6 (30:33):
Yes, yeah, well I'm yeah, please give it, Please please
give me that.
Speaker 1 (30:39):
Is there any chance yeah, that Lebron would leave if
they don't hire who he wants. Hm.
Speaker 6 (30:46):
No, No, he's not leaving, but they're not hiring somebody
he doesn't want, so that means it JJ Reddick or well,
I mean his he would want ty Lou. Yeah, but
he's not gonna just don't think he's gonna he can
get to her.
Speaker 1 (30:58):
Not going to be embarrassed. Went into his new arena.
Speaker 6 (31:01):
Well and he's not going to give up Tylo to
the Lakers. He's not gonna give the Lakers what they want.
It's that's that's not happening. And again I would go
back to and I don't know how Tive feels about this,
but do you, for all things considered, the Lakers job
you I don't know that the Lakers job is something
that anybody really likes what he wants at this time.
Speaker 1 (31:23):
That's what I'm saying. I think Kenny Atkinson, I'm maybe
I'm I don't know, Kenny, but I could look at
it and think you're twenty two for Lebron. They've they're
on their eighth coach. Yeah.
Speaker 6 (31:33):
I mean, look, I'm drawing a blank in terms of
who they went after. But I don't I don't recall
that Darvin was necessarily their first.
Speaker 1 (31:40):
Well he was, Charlotte wanted him, and the Lakers hired him.
There wasn't a big list for him. Yeah, and then
and the knock was he's a rookie head coach with Lebron. Yeah,
and I think he's been fine. I think there's some
substitution patterns that are wacky, but.
Speaker 6 (31:53):
But this is I mean, you think it's gonna the
idea that because JJ Reddick sounds intelligent on a pot
a cast, that he's going to make like in game
decisions that are going to be perfect. Look, Kevin Durant
wanted Steve Nash, wanted Steve Nash, who Steve Nash is
one of the most cerebral who wanted him Kevin Durant, Oh, Now,
and that didn't work at all in Brooklyn.
Speaker 1 (32:13):
Well, it didn't work. Initially he got better, but it
didn't work.
Speaker 6 (32:18):
It ultimately did not work. And so again that's why
I it's not because I don't want to see.
Speaker 1 (32:23):
It not you know. You know what's funny about that.
I think I can tell this story now. Steve Nash
took that job, and let's just say, sources tell me
that he couldn't. He wanted to be fired at the end,
and I believe it was. It was he was like,
according to sources, this is no fun. Yeah, let me
(32:45):
get go back to Manhattan Beach and surf.
Speaker 6 (32:47):
You know who you know who else feels that way.
Darvin Hamn some of the things that he said in
the last few weeks indicates to me he's over it.
He's like, if you're I'm Okay, I'd like to continue
to coach, but if i'm not, uh, this is I'm in.
Speaker 1 (33:07):
I'm always a little jealous of people who get fired
and get that parachute, and it's like which which he had?
When's the last time you took a month off?
Speaker 6 (33:19):
A month? I think he's got like at least a
year or two at five million per.
Speaker 1 (33:23):
Like, we'll sign me, sign me up for that little jelly.
All right, Rick Buker, good stuff, good seeing you. Thanks again,
same
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