Hour 1 - These Knicks Are Different

World Cup Week is here on The Herd, thanks for making us part of your day—and tonight it’s Game Three of the Finals. San Antonio jumped to big leads twice and still lost, and I like New York to take the series because they’re smart, connected, deadly late, and flat‑out great television without the diva act.

They didn’t buy this run; Brunson’s on a team‑friendly deal, the Villanova core brings high IQ and zero drama, and even Cat is outplaying Wemby. Compared with the old Riley and Van Gundy grind, this version moves, shares, hits timely threes, and is tough to root against.

About USA‑Germany in Chicago: the opening mistake was ugly, but after that we kept more of the ball, created more chances and corners, and went at them instead of hiding behind the counter. The keeper looked tentative and the back line needs cleaning up, but I left encouraged and I like us against Paraguay on Friday.

I hated the early goal too, but the response showed real steel. Robinson and Dest popped, and I feel good about Paraguay, with a win or at worst a draw.

Game Three should be tight again, even with San Antonio’s early surges, and Alexi Lalas will jump in later to break down the weekend.

Football gives rookies time while basketball demands instant greatness, and even Magic, Jordan, and LeBron had early stumbles before the polish came. Wemby is already elite defensively and productive on offense, but he’s still light, can be bumped off spots, and will need time to sharpen late‑game answers.

On the Cowboys, the defense got a reset with new coaching and fresh talent, and the schedule gives them a soft runway. Beat the Giants, handle Washington, split the next two, and you’re tracking to around eleven wins.

You can flip one side of the ball in one offseason, and Dallas clearly spent its capital on defense while the offense with Dak will score. The late stretch tightens up, but they’ll be playoff‑viable if they stay healthy.

Drake May’s last season was sparkling, but a tougher slate and a road gauntlet of top quarterbacks screams regression.

Say it out loud: those road quarterbacks and coaches are no joke, so they’ll be underdogs far more often after feasting on backups a year ago.

Miles Garrett is now on the Rams and the Defensive Player of the Year favorite, but I’m not sure they hand him another one even if he sees fewer doubles.

With Turner, Fisk, and friends, it’s hard to send extra help his way, and with the Rams likely playing from ahead he’ll get more late snaps to hunt sacks.

The Bears eyeing Hammond, Indiana is another reminder that change happens and often helps, as owners chase space, transit, and development that dense downtowns can’t offer. Chicago passed on a World Cup deal and won’t write blank checks, and while Hammond isn’t perfect, plenty of fans live closer to it than to Arlington Heights and it will be fine.

Reports say Austin Reaves could command more than forty million a year, but the Lakers shouldn’t pay top of market for a good guard whose playoff impact has been middling under the new CBA squeeze. Look at how fat deals forced Boston to shed depth and pushed Oklahoma City into hard choices, and ask if you’d pay him more than Jalen Brunson when the postseason threes, defense, and plus minus don’t back it up.

Forty to forty‑five million is where the market lands, and he’s better than several guards already making thirty‑plus, so blame the roster construction if the numbers pinch.

The Lakers pay in legacy and platform, not just salary, so unless you’re a true franchise headliner, you take the premium in sunshine and banners, not in overpay.

Back to the U.S., I loved that we kept the ball and finished a high‑level chance like Robinson’s from Pulisic, which we used to balloon into the stands. I expect us to top the group and have a real shot at two knockout wins—the back line needs focus, the keeper is fine, and the Soldier Field scene was electric—tip of the cap, Chicago.