Best of The Herd

Here we go on a Monday from Chicago—All‑Star weekend in the books, congrats to Michael Jordan on the NASCAR win, and a stacked show ahead.

The NFL copies schemes; the NBA follows stars. The All‑Star game was lifeless for years because the biggest names did not care, then Wembanyama showed up, blocked shots, and raised the bar, and the room followed—proof it is about the lead dog, not the format.

Brady made the so‑called Patriot Way work because he accepted hard coaching; Duncan, Kobe, and D‑Wade did the same, and that set two‑way culture. In the NBA you need the right star, and as much as Luka is brilliance on offense, he does not define a defensive identity the way LeBron once did; the rising north star is Wemby.

On the Dodgers: they reinvest massive revenue into players, scouting, and infrastructure and are building a premium brand, much like Netflix and Amazon did before profits were the point. They did not poach Mookie from a small market; Boston prioritized margin while L.A. prioritized winning, which is why even rivals tip their cap and why valuations keep climbing—meanwhile some teams chase profit and live off old glow.

Right and wrong roundup: the Lakers are not built for a title in a three‑and‑D league, and Golden State got old and overly Steph‑centric. I’m hearing fresh red flags on Fernando Mendoza’s athletic profile, while Kevin Stefanski remains the kind of coach you should not have shoved out the door.

Seattle smartly looked outside for a coordinator, the Jags are eyeing a rare athlete at corner, and Caleb Williams’ creation and low turnover profile matter more than nitpicking completion rate. With two‑high defenses common, physical backs like Saquon and Kenneth Walker are still getting paid because they punish light boxes.

Jason, pre‑NIL the league steered prospects toward the G League, but I’ve argued college gives better coaching and bigger spotlights; last year’s draft was stacked with college hits. What did the last decade really show about that path?

We had a long run where elite American prospects underdelivered while international stars surged, and that is not random—it is development. Too many guys skipped reps, neglected skill work or their bodies, and chased the first check, while a new wave—Ant, Cade, Wemby—brought back that competitive edge you saw in the All‑Star game.

Tanking keeps hanging over the league; the cap is tighter and the easiest path for bad teams is the lottery. Is there a real fix?

There is no perfect answer; flattening the odds for all non‑playoff teams would at least nudge franchises to build habits instead of bottoming out. The truth is the Spurs and Thunder won on the margins as much as the lottery, and scrapping the draft would just funnel talent to the biggest markets.

You did not have the Knicks in your top tier, and I like a lot of their pieces. What is holding you back?

They are better—more drive‑and‑kick, more clean catch‑and‑shoots, higher defensive ceiling—but the league improved too. Their real obstacle is a mistake‑prone defender in high‑leverage moments, and you cannot scheme around repeated breakdowns when the margins get razor thin.

Back to the Lakers—can they solve this fast?

Yes in about two years, but they have to nail almost every move; the stars have kept them afloat, yet the roster lacks shooting and athleticism and sits near the bottom in catch‑and‑shoot accuracy and defense. Too many misses on the margins mean they need multiple new starters and true two‑way role players, otherwise they’re banking on a short hot streak that rarely lasts four rounds.

The Kuminga blow‑up in Golden State turned ugly. Who owns that?

The front office and ownership chased two timelines, overvalued the kids, and passed on tradable upgrades like Siakam or Anunoby while Steph still warped defenses enough to win now; the window is almost shut. Betting on upside over present‑day help left them stuck between eras.

Jason Timpf—Hoops Tonight—brought it, as always. He laid out why the Lakers need more shooting, more defense, and frankly more outside eyes in the building, while the Dodgers keep showing what a modern, well‑staffed operation looks like; we’ll be talking a lot more hoops with him over the next few months.