Colin Cowherd Podcast - Giants DEAL Dexter Lawrence, Lakers Steal Game 1 Without Luka, Celtics A GREAT Organization, Nuggets Can Win It All

We’ve got about 45 minutes with Jason and we’ll hit the NBA playoffs, but I’m opening with the New York Giants: love the culture reset, love moving on from Dexter Lawrence after a down year, and with picks five and ten you build for now and later.

At five, grab a plug‑and‑play defender like a clean, fast inside backer, then slide down a few spots from ten and take a high‑ceiling tackle to protect your quarterback; receivers can be found later, elite tackles rarely can.

Quick programming note before hoops: putting early round games on Amazon is smart—Prime reaches way more homes than a single cable channel—so you can always catch the next one in a seven‑game set.

On the Lakers, every rotation guy popped and the plan was tight: sharper defense, smart LeBron usage, on‑ball heat, and urgency from the tip; am I seeing that right?

You are. A year ago they opened flat; this time JJ had them prepped, they embraced the underdog energy, and even with a turnover and offensive glass problem, they kept their shape, competed on the perimeter, and stayed connected.

LeBron and Marcus Smart quarterbacked the defense, LeBron with a movement shooter was a natural fit, and the offense hunted matchups, moved the ball, and avoided junk shots.

Playoffs often come down to stars winning stale matchups, and LeBron still delivers; they generated good looks all night and it felt like high‑IQ basketball more than hero ball.

LeBron’s reliability at his age is wild, and they ran nearly perfect offense by forcing switches and trusting the pass; the caveat is Houston’s pressure and offensive rebounding won’t go away, and if Durant returns, the margin tightens.

The Lakers still hold a brainpower edge with LeBron and Smart, and I like JJ’s tactics early in the series; getting up in the count buys time for an injured co‑star to re‑enter if the door stays open.

Marcus Smart’s glass‑kiss was the dagger, the veterans handled clutch time, and LeBron immediately felt Luke Kennard’s rhythm and fed him; even some up‑and‑down talents played locked‑in, which told you the buy‑in was real.

Durant’s pregame workout didn’t look encouraging, and he’s the rare star who always tries to go; on another note, flipping Gabe Vincent for Kennard has been a steal, and it showed with that scoring burst.

LeBron has always supercharged shooters—he senses confidence and keeps feeding it—and JJ challenged Kennard to be aggressive, which lit the fuse for that underdog vibe.

Switching to Boston, that’s a grown‑up organization: smart front office, a coach who’s leveled up, Tatum steady even at less than full go, and they didn’t miss a beat despite turning over the rotation.

They smoked Philly and are winning on the margins with savvy scouting and development, turning overlooked pieces into real rotation guys, including a drop big who anchors their coverage.

They combine the possession game with polished half‑court play, which is why I had them versus OKC as my Finals pick; Boston actually matches OKC well with perimeter strength, rim protection, and a more forceful Jalen Brown.

Denver’s on a heater, and even with Jokic off a bit, Murray and Gordon fit perfectly with him; with that chemistry and a deeper bench, I think they can absolutely win the whole thing.

They’re in the top tier, though OKC’s been a tough matchup lately; still, this version of Denver is deeper, role guys are slotted, and against Minnesota they won the effort plays despite the Wolves’ size and Anthony Edwards’ pressure.

I expect Denver to get through, likely past San Antonio too, and meet OKC; I’d favor the Thunder, but Denver’s live if the threes fall and the core stays healthy.

On the Knicks, I like several pieces but the roster’s flawed—loose three‑point defense and a thin bench—and while ownership drama cooled after the Sphere, a bold trade for a two‑way force would solve a lot; are they actually better with the coaching change?

Marginally, yes: the bench matters now, Brunson worked more off the ball to dodge the stopper, and they won the turnover game against Atlanta.

They’re still a tier‑two group and Boston is tougher than last spring, with Brown playing like one‑A and true rim protection; that matchup likely ends the run.

Quick recommendation: the Jerry West doc is moving and revealing, with ahead‑of‑its‑time Lakers tape and a portrait of a brilliant, tormented competitor who’d cook in any era; younger fans should see it.

I’ll watch it, and I’ll give the Clippers years some injury context; can I hit the Windhorst convo—distribution is getting the NBA into more homes, but the product only converts if the stars actually play.

Agreed: multi‑platform was the right call and the money proves it, but shoes and star appeal are complicated with more international bigs who aren’t natural pitchmen.

Tanking is mostly draft‑driven and the new CBA makes trading harder, so teams default to the lottery; the real thorn is load management, and I’m not sure there’s a clean fix.

You can’t legislate desire—national TV had too many star absences, and that’s a real crisis; load management doesn’t reliably prevent soft‑tissue issues, so culture has to shift, with more Durant‑like commitment to play for the league’s long game.

Appreciate you, Jason; urgency sells, the play‑in proved it, and while I’d shorten early rounds, the league’s healthy and will always invite debate—baked into the brand.