Best of the Herd

It’s Friday, we’re live in Chicago, and it’s a loud sports week, so let’s start with Kyler Murray to Kevin O’Connell on a one-year deal and what that says about J.J. McCarthy; I’ve said it for months—be careful drafting the college “winner” or pure game manager who never had to carry a loaded roster.

Kyler has real flash—top-tier elusiveness and a big deep ball—and even if he’s not taking Minnesota to a title, he’ll win the job and produce, while McCarthy is a reminder that traits beat the “he just wins” label at the next level.

Luka dropped 51 and the Lakers beat the Bulls, but the story is LeBron learning to live off the ball not just with Luka’s gravity but with Austin Reaves blossoming; that’s a massive adjustment for a legend who has always set the terms of the offense.

His usage is way down, their record is better when he shoots less, and JJ Redick even asked him to screen more; that’s unglamorous work, but I’ll give LeBron full credit—most all-timers wouldn’t sign up for it.

Quick NFL reset before the draft: I like Detroit to jump with a cleaner coordinator setup, New England gets dinged by a tougher slate, Philly stabilizes if the OC click is real, Houston still looks like the safe divisional bet, the Chargers rebound with healthier tackles, Denver’s line and coaching keep them in it, Buffalo adds smart B-level pieces, Seattle feels the repeat tax, the Bears quietly ran it well and will fortify defense, and the Rams patched a real secondary hole.

On Bam Adebayo’s 83: spare me the outrage—it’s within the rules to chase a number, no different than hack-a-big or four corners back in the day; if a pro’s at 70 with plenty of time, of course you hunt history.

Channing, this year asks LeBron to sit third behind Luka and Austin; how effective can he be living off the ball this much?

He can be deadly as the third option because the best and second-best defenders are busy elsewhere, and he’ll punish whoever’s left; he’s conserving in the regular season, but in a series he’ll ramp up, Iguodala-style, by controlling everything that wins games.

People nitpick SGA as a free-throw chaser; I see a smooth, efficient scorer who lives at the line about what you’d expect for his load—what do you see?

Great players create contact and advantages—Giannis, Embiid, Luka, Kobe, Jordan all did—and SGA’s pull-up is elite; drawing fouls is part of greatness, not a gimmick, so play better defense.

Back to Bam: he had 31 in the first, 62 through three, then hit 70 with nine minutes left; of course you keep feeding him.

If a guy’s cooking like that, you clear out and keep serving him; the Wizards let it happen, nobody’s breaking a code, and a veteran team would’ve at least delivered a hard, legal foul to change the rhythm.

On the Knicks, Brunson feels perfectly New York, but do you float a monster offer—OG, Bridges, picks—to chase Giannis, and do you loop Brunson in or just pull the trigger?

You’re upfront with Brunson, but you go get Giannis if he’s truly in play; the Knicks look like they’re pacing for May and June, and the East is a minefield with Boston, Cleveland, Orlando, and Miami all dangerous.

One more: does LeBron regret the career mobility, bouncing for better situations at the cost of that one-city forever feel?

Zero regrets—he took ownership of his timeline, won big in Miami, timed the Cleveland return, then pivoted to L.A. when it made sense; stars should be strategic, not stuck, especially with today’s cap realities.

Channing’s always insightful—we’ll have him back for the playoff push; there’s a tradeoff to chasing the best gigs, you don’t get that one-town forever bond, but winning still travels.

News time: Mike Tomlin’s out and quiet for now, but his track record is absurd and he’d be the top coaching target the next time the carousel spins; the league’s better with him on a sideline.

Tomlin’s an elite underdog motivator who kept Pittsburgh relevant every year, and with NIL money locking most blue-blood college coaches in place, teams will chase top coordinators or swing for a Tomlin type.

On Kyler to Minnesota, O’Connell’s had pocket guys, Kyler’s a mover with lower-body wear, and the price was tiny; would they still want him if the tag were steeper?

It’s fair to ask, but Arizona’s chaos masked a lot—put him in structure and you’ll see a calmer pocket and better leadership because he won’t feel like he’s running for his life every snap.

Cowboys loaded up the front, the offense is humming, and if the defense is simply steady they can win double digits and push for the division.

Between the cap-heavy stars and that reinforced line, I expect Dallas to hunt secondary help early in the draft and be a competent, dangerous group; Philly still wins plenty, the Giants jump, and Washington’s the wild card.