Best of The Herd

Welcome to The Herd on a sun-soaked Thursday in Los Angeles. I’m in for Colin, rolling with Rachel Nichols, and we’re starting hot: the Lakers’ surge, a takeover night in Houston that had the building buzzing, and my favorite reminder that Don Luka is flat-out must-see. Three big takeaways right now: the Lakers look like real title threats, LeBron has leaned into the role JJ mapped out, and I’d rather draw OKC than those terrifying Spurs with Wemby.

We’re seeing buy-in across the room. Guys are embracing roles, adjusting on the fly to different coverages, and executing at a much higher level. You can feel how connected this group is.

It’s not just LeBron; the role players are carrying their weight even when someone dips. OKC is deep and relentless, but benches shrink in May, and that’s where I like the matchup; Wembanyama, though, breaks every scheme you throw at him.

On Giannis and Milwaukee, the word is the team wants him down for the season while he wants to play, and that standoff screams optics. I’m pro-tanking in this draft, the lottery math gets a lot friendlier if they lose, and it feels like a soft launch for a trade push—rip the bandage and own it.

Time for the No Bull Zone on Lamar and the Ravens. There’s real noise about missed time overlapping with contract friction, a roster that’s losing key pieces, a first-time head coach stepping into headwinds, and a power dynamic that could turn messy if the demands harden.

Look at the pattern: the seasons with contract issues line up with the seasons he missed games. That complicates everything, especially with his play style and the question of how fully the team is willing to ride with it.

Add the kicker that went sideways, staff turnover, and the Crosby whiplash, and it’s a fragile mix. If the leverage game ramps up, this can get uglier fast.

Back to LeBron, who was outrageously efficient with a dunk reel that didn’t look like someone in year 21. JJ’s note on his patience stands out; he’s picking his spots and still dictating games.

He trusted the flow. Transition chances, set calls, off-ball threes—he let it come to him and struck with great timing.

Big picture, stop doubting the greats—Miami, Cleveland, the bubble—he’s delivered in every chapter. Same lesson we learned with Jokic and legends in Denver: elite is elite.

In Denver, the panic flipped once the Broncos landed a true field-tilter. A weapon who can play all three receiver spots, pull the top off coverage, and turn an eight-yard catch into an eighty-yard problem is exactly what Bo Nix needed.

If you’re circling a soft spot on that roster, where is it?

Tight end versatility is the tell; they need a dual-threat there so defenses can’t call it pre-snap. Then it’s about backfield health—Dobbins is dynamite but must stay on the field, and the third-down ace can’t shoulder every down.

Any real friction between Bo and Sean, or just competitive edges showing?

Sean coaches hard, so there’s always tension, but they added Davis Webb to buffer and broaden the view. In hindsight, he probably wishes he’d kicked in that title game rather than chasing a fourth-and-short—being the CEO instead of the play-caller can change outcomes.

When the Ravens backed out on Crosby, did that shock you?

It’s a rough look, but teams use physicals as levers. I’ve failed them and passed them with the same knee; if your fallback option is alive, you take the out, and if not, guys miraculously clear.

Kyler in Minnesota over a rookie—make sense?

He can start right now, but the fix is mental: fall in love with the boring, not just the sizzle. The league is mostly on-script; your default has to be neck-up football, not hero ball.

Malik Willis in Miami just saw his receiver room reshuffled—does that worry you?

Miami’s a vibe, which is why it’s hard; you need pros who are obsessed with ball, not the beach. Get the right personalities, or the late-season grind gets soft.

Quick one on Rodgers—should Pittsburgh keep dancing or move on?

The juice doesn’t feel worth the squeeze anymore. Cousins gives you steady grown-up football, and I’ll add this: I watched a Friday run-through with backups everywhere in Atlanta—there’s a line between rest and readiness, and winning lives on the right side of it.

That’s a wrap with Mark Schlereth—good stuff, man. We’ll see you soon.