Best of The Herd

Let’s do this—you’ve got The Herd, but no Colin today; it’s me, Danny Parkins in New York, rolling a six‑hour double with First Things First and this show as NBA playoffs and draft buzz hit; bonus twist, Rachel Nichols’ awards ballot is due the minute we sign off, so we’ll hash out her last tough calls live.

I haven’t submitted yet, and I’m glad; we can work through the sticky parts together because I’ve got a couple real coin‑flips left.

I’m starting with SGA and the Thunder; I see a coronation coming for Oklahoma City, and for Shai, who just delivered an all‑time guard season—elite efficiency, massive two‑way value, best player on the best team, and poised to stack another MVP and title on a roster that stays young, deep, and nasty on defense.

It’s a long road; repeating is cool to think about, but we can only control so much, and there’s a lot to handle before any finals talk matters.

If OKC ascends, I see the Knicks at a crossroads: they’re good, fun, and tough, but not quite there; despite the wins, no banner, a pricey roster with Mikal Bridges’ big deal kicking in, and Karl-Anthony Towns as the likely pivot if they fall short, even with Jalen Brunson closing and Josh Hart fitting anywhere.

Ownership set a title‑or‑bust bar after firing the coach who reached Game Six of the conference finals, which cranks up pressure; the Hawks matchup is trickier than people think, and it could actually showcase Towns because Atlanta lacks a natural cover for him.

He’s been sharper defensively and should feast, and I think that series goes the distance, which means extra Garden drama.

On my ballot snapshot: SGA for back‑to‑back MVP, Wemby as a runaway Defensive Player of the Year, Cooper Flagg for Rookie of the Year, and first‑team All‑NBA with SGA, Nikola Jokic, Victor Wembanyama, Luka Doncic, and a slight edge to Cade Cunningham over Jaylen Brown.

Kevin O’Connor is here; with Luka and Cade cleared, how did you split Cade versus Jaylen for that first‑team spot?

I leaned Cade—he drove everything they did on both ends, while Jaylen had a monster year too and lands on my second team; both deserve shine, but Cade was the engine.

You gave Wemby a first‑place MVP; what tipped it over SGA for you?

He’s the most dominant defender since Bill Russell and also warps offenses with gravity—rim runs, two defenders collapsing, corner threes flowing—and the Spurs’ offense with him on the court tracked almost even with SGA’s; add that to historic defense, and I edged him.

My only hang‑up is volume; SGA logged roughly the equivalent of thirteen‑plus more games than Wemby—minutes matter to me.

Fair pushback, but I still weigh Wemby’s two‑way impact over the minutes gap; offense is easier to count than the pressure he creates on both ends.

Rookie of the Year’s gotten loud; where did you land?

Cooper Flagg—Con Canippal was a remarkable shooter and did a lot of little things, but Flagg carried top defensive assignments, drove his team, and led in points, rebounds, assists, and steals; the degree of difficulty was higher.

James Harden’s playoff label is what it is; can this spring change the story?

This Cavs setup gives him the best chance—Mitchell beside him, Allen and Mobley up front, wings everywhere—so he can surge when hot and lean into playmaking when not; that balance can rewrite perceptions.

Thunder or the field?

I’ll take the field because the league is stacked, but I’m still picking OKC over Boston in seven, which says plenty about how real the repeat shot is.

If the Knicks bow out early again, what next?

You explore everything, starting with moving Towns and digging up picks; I wouldn’t default to another coaching change, but you at least examine it if the wheels come off.

Last one—Lamelo’s in the spotlight after the Bam dust‑up; what do you expect?

More daring plays and some rough edges; the growth goal is cleaner late‑game choices without dulling the creativity that makes him special.

Kevin O’Connor, awards voter and host of The Kevin O’Connor Show—thanks, Kevin.

Appreciate it, Danny.