Nuggets-Heat Game 5 (Hour 2)

Time for your Daily News Brief.

We get you caught up on the rumors, reports, and reconnaissance from the day in sports. Mike Malone, one win away from hoisting that Larry O'Brien trophy. Nuggets up 3-1.

They'll go for the NBA Championship tonight in Denver. Here's Mike Malone, the coach of the Nuggets on his mindset heading into Game 5. My biggest concern going into any closeout game is human nature and fighting against that. You know, you're up 3-1. Most teams when you're up 3-1, they come up for air, they relax, and they just kind of take it for granted that we're going to win this. Our approach has to be that we're down 3-1. They're desperate, we have to be more desperate.

They're hungry, we have to be hungrier. He's had a lot of answers that we've talked about this postseason, Hickey. I think that's his best one yet, because I think a lot of coaches would sound like robots in that moment, and they would just go, oh, job isn't done yet, and we're not thinking about winning a championship. I like the way that he said that. Our mentality should be as if we're down 3-1 in this series, not 3-1, because the moment you let that foot off the gas pedal, a little momentum starts to shift, and then you never know if you're able to get back all that positive momentum back in the bottle.

I love what Mike Bellone said right there. Absolutely, and look, I think most people will think it ends tonight, but if you think about it, like it's not crazy to say we could be back in here, you know, back here in Denver later this week for a Game 7. You lose tonight in your home court, let's just say you mail it in. All of a sudden you're going back to Miami now with that team believing, especially this Heat team especially.

That's a really tough place to play. I know you just won two in a row down there, to win three in a row is a large or tall task to ask for, and kind of what we saw a little bit in last series, you know, all of a sudden now you're back home for a Game 7. It could be a tough spot for Denver, so I think Mike Bellone absolutely has the right mindset.

End it tonight, don't even crack the door open at all for any sort of hope. And Denver is by far and away the more talented team compared to Miami, but you could just look at the last series, where sure, Boston had more talent on paper than Miami, they were down 0-3 and they found the way to get to a Game 7. Malone could kind of use that as just look at what Miami did in the last round, they were up 3-0 and they had to go on out there and have a great performance in a Game 7 to win, so let's not even get into that conversation, let's just end it tonight. Here's the one thing I'll ask, because you think Denver is going to win, I think Denver is going to win tonight. Maybe the game is going to be a little bit closer than what people expect, but I just think there is such a talent discrepancy between the two teams and the talent difference between these two teams, and also Jimmy Butler is clearly not 100% going back to that ankle injury that he suffered up against the Knicks, but Hickey, whenever everyone, and it seems like everyone is picking one team tonight and that's Denver, doesn't it usually turn out to be that the other team ends up winning?

Um, I mean I guess not at all, I'm trying to think the last time we all were aligned together, Game 1? Game 2, going into Game 2. I didn't say Game 1, I think everyone was picking Denver. And Denver did win, but no, it was more so Game 2, where everyone was like, oh this series is over, and then early on, like in that first quarter, or at halftime, people were like oh, alright, Miami threw their best punch and Denver is up, alright, this could be a blood in the second half, and Miami ended up winning that game. It just always seems whenever everybody is on one side, that the other thing does happen, and once again, I think Denver is winning the game tonight. I'm not going to be shocked if we're in the studio tomorrow and Miami wins, I don't think Miami is coming on back and winning this series, I do think Denver wins tonight, but we've seen this numerous times in sports, football, basketball, hockey, baseball, when everyone says one thing is going to happen, that the other thing ends up happening. Nicole Jokic says the team will be locked in for Game 5.

We're going to approach it as a must-win game, you know, for, I know, I know it's a big opportunity and I think everybody knows, and by the reflection of the practice today, how everybody was locked in, I think we're going to be ready for tomorrow, and you know, that's our day to do their job. Let's go to Jamal Murray, he discusses when he knew the Nuggets were a championship caliber team. Long before we made it here that I thought this was going to happen, you know, it's a belief of being in the playoffs before, having the experience, seeing the team and the chemistry grow, having the same core my whole career, that's when I saw it, that's when I believed it, and to be here just kind of rounds it out and shows that when we're given the right circumstances and everybody healthy, God willing, that we can do it. I started to believe in this team back in 2020, when we saw Murray go off against Donovan Mitchell in that game in the bubble, and I remember I did a Sports Minute where I said Denver's not going to win a championship this year, but they're not going anywhere for the foreseeable future, and they have a look of a champion with how great Nikola Jokic was at the time and he got even better, and then Jamal Murray being that finisher that you need, and then in 2021, they were cruising, they made a bunch of moves, and they were going for it, and then Murray tears his ACL. When Murray got back this year and showed he could get back to being dominant Jamal Murray, that's when you knew that this team was going to be such a tough out in the playoffs, and now look where we are, they're one win away from hoisting the trophy.

So this goes back to game four. Conor McGregor was in the building sitting courtside, and from what I gather just watching the video here Hickey, I don't think McGregor just walked onto the court, they were doing some bit here where they had him fight up against the mascot. He was promoting a business of his own during a timeout on the court. And let's be real, Conor McGregor isn't someone that you could really trust, and what do you think they said to him, like lightly punch the mascot or tackle the mascot?

That's what they probably said you would imagine, Hickey? Yeah, you're a pro, maybe punch him high above his head because the mascot is clearly just not feel like there's some room in there where you can maybe punch and not hit the guy. You're trusting Conor McGregor there. That's the dumbest thing that I've ever heard. And also, how many times do you look at a big guy and he'll go slap you on the back and you're like, oh my God, you don't realize your own strength?

That happens all the time. I'm not saying Conor McGregor doesn't realize his strength, but a light punch for Conor McGregor is a knockout. And that's what transpired here where Eric Spolstra had to then give an update on the mascot because I saw that video there. I first thought it was a bit, but they had to drag the mascot out from the stadium and to drag him off the court because the mascot was knocked out.

Here's Eric Spolstra giving the update on the mascot. That's the Miami Heat toughness that we're talking about. He should have been allowed to take the first swing. We won't reveal who that is, but he's tough.

You can take a punch and get back up and yeah, he's not going to miss any time. Is he actually okay, the mascot? He had to go to the hospital. Yes, but he got some pain medication. I'll have to leave or something stronger.

I think it's all something stronger than a leave over the counter. If there's a game six, he'll be on the sideline, in the mascot uniform, ready to go. With a stack of cash. That's a lawsuit waiting to happen if I ever heard of one. With maybe a black eye too.

Yeah. I saw Dana White talked after the UFC event on Saturday, like what else do you expect? Maybe we should stop having fighters throw punches at mascots.

Remember when Jamal Adams was an idiot at the Pro Bowl and he tackled the Patriot mascot? He was like, how dumb are we here in these situations? What good do you think is going to come from this? Let's go to Jimmy Butler on the Heat's confidence level heading into game five. It is at an all time high just because it always has been all year. It always will be the belief that we have in one another.

It stems from the amount of time that we spend one another and how we actually enjoy being around one another. Hickey, that didn't seem real believable. I know he's been talking about the belief level and they don't care what people say all throughout the postseason.

That sounded choppy there. And I think Jimmy Butler even realized that his team is cooked. He won't ever say that, but that's what that response sounded like. And it's like he's almost trying to will his team to get up for this game five and trying to will them to like, hey, the series is not over. I'm shocked he didn't guarantee a winning game five. He's like guaranteed to win basically every game in the series. I'm sorry, a Jimmy Butler guarantee means nothing anymore. That guy guaranteed every win. Yeah. Oh yeah. When they were down 3-0 with their up 3-0 against Boston and eventually he came through in game seven.

So those guaranteed wins are irrelevant to me. So here's the great Jerry West. He says Kobe Bryant, who extremely close with, wanted to play for the Grizzlies back in 2004. Now, remember at the time Jerry West ended up leaving the Lakers and he was the GM of the Memphis Grizzlies.

Then this courtesy of the podcast P show. He became a free agent and his agent then was Rob Palenka. So I met them in Orange County in a hotel room and he said he wanted to come to Memphis and play. And I looked at him, I said, you kidding me?

And he's no. And I said, Kobe, no, no, you belong somewhere out here. And even though he would have never played there, I just wanted to reassure him that don't feel like you have any obligation with me or the Grizzlies to play here. I guess in some sense that might've been tampering.

I didn't look at tampering because he was at our house all the time. He hated my house all the time. I felt more like a father figure with him. I had a wonderful relationship with him.

Forget it as a basketball player. I love what he stood for. His commitment to excellence. He wasn't afraid of failing.

Once you get afraid of failing, you're going to fail. He was not afraid. Now we know how close Jerry West and Kobe Bryant were, and it's still just surreal that we have to refer to Kobe Bryant in the past tense. But you look back at that time, Jerry West was running the Grizzlies.

It's kind of impressive hickey, even though he didn't believe that Kobe would go to the Grizzlies when Kobe's saying, I want to come play in Memphis, that he would say, basically the best interest for you isn't coming here to Memphis. And then you bring up the tampering point. I know they're talking. I know they have a close relationship, but is that really tampering when a guy's saying, I want to come join your team. And you're like, nope, can't have it. Won't have it.

You need to stay in Los Angeles. That's kind of a cr if that's true. And I don't see why Jerry West would be lying there. That's crazy.

Like that's the thing. I don't think Jerry West is lying. I don't think he has any reason to lie, but like if you are the Grizzlies and Kobe says, I want to play for you.

And he's a free agent. So it's not like you have to give up a lot or you're stabbing the Lakers in the back. Like Kobe is free to go to your team.

And he says, I want to play food. And you're going to say, no, you deserve to play out here. Unless he truly is looking out for the what Kobe will look at that relationship.

It speaks that way. If it was me, I'll be honest. I'd be selfish. Say, Kobe, come on down a hundred percent on down. I would do that, but that's why everyone needs to find a friend like Jerry West and not a friend like Ryan hot. Take kick.

I've read the, uh, read you the name. Kobe, Brian Grizzlies, the Memphis Kobe's, whatever, whatever you want, come on down. The team is yours. Yeah. Oh, I actually appreciate that from Jerry West.

I would not have done that myself, but I do appreciate it. Saquon Barkley says a contract extension isn't imminent. This a courtesy of Saquon Barkley hope foundation Nova. So still, we still have time. There's still time on the table to get to last 17th, July 17th. It's not tomorrow. It's not in a week.

We'll set a time. And that's how I look at it. I guess that's the, maybe that's like the naive way to look at it. And I could be completely wrong.

Uh, but for me, that's how I look at it. And I trust my team. Um, and hopefully I trust in the giants that we can get some of them. Now he's not under contract. They're just waiting for him to sign that franchise tag tender. Now they do have up until July 17th to get a long-term deal done. So you have a similar situation sort of with Saquon Barkley and then also Josh Jacobs, but this is Saquon Barkley. When he was asked if he would sit out the 2023 season, if he doesn't get the contract that he wants, that's a conversation you like, like you said, that's the card I could have played.

Um, that comes up in conversation. Uh, if something don't get done by July 17th, um, when that date comes up, then I'll have to sit down with my team, sit down with my family and make decisions. See what we're going to do. Let's go to Nick Taylor. He had the 72 foot Eagle putt to win the Canadian open the first Canadian to win the nation's open in 69 years. Here's Nick Taylor discussing his emotions after winning the Canadian open CBS sports.

Your country has waited 69 years to watch one of its own bring home its national open. Can you put in perspective what it means to be the one to deliver it to them? No, I'm speechless. This is for, this is for all the guys that are here.

Um, this is for my family at home. My wife, Andy and our son, Charlie and Harper. It's uh, I'm very speechless. This is, this is the most incredible feeling ever.

That emotion is awesome. The atmosphere was awesome and Hickey remember at the PGA championship and Brooks Koepka once again won the Wanamaker trophy and you had afterwards Bryson DeChambeau who's been a big rival. If you want to call that a rivalry with one Brooks Koepka and he's like, it's kind of sad just cause he at the time was a live golfer and we didn't know what was going to transpire with live golf and the PGA tour after that, that no one was really there to celebrate with him. Well, Adam Hadwin, he was right there to celebrate also being a Canadian and he got jacked up that old ESPN segment. He was got jacked up by the security guard when he was just trying to spray some champagne on Taylor and his caddy. He got decked and then all of a sudden the caddy was like, no, no, no, he's fine. That's the golfer. That's our buddy. That was crazy.

But let me say also pretty awesome. I think that situation was handled perfectly. If you're a security guard, you like in the moment you just see someone run on the course that you think should not be here. We've never seen for the most part other golfers run and celebrate in the moment just like that. So you see him right by the green area. You're not expecting to think, okay, this is a fan not coming to my house. And then quickly to security guards credit, there wasn't, he wasn't dragged up the course or elongate just Oh, mistaken identity, my bad.

And everyone went about their merry way. I kind of think the security guard may be getting the call from Chris Ballard with the Colts. They can use them. That was a form tackle. That was a plus technique right there. You want to reenact that during the break? Sure. You'd be Adam Hadwin. I'm the security guy.

Well, that had a steam that wouldn't be realistic. I'm just sorry. You're standing there. Oh, absolutely. If I get ahead of you, you may like the video, a 40 hour dash out there. You wouldn't move. I would tackle you. Okay. If you want to try this during a break, be my guest. You need to sign a waiver though, because I think you'd be going through a wall and that would be the end of hot take hickey here at CBS sports radio.

And finally, cause I know we had to get to George Carl. Here is Mark Stein on Fox sports radio saying the rockets could be interested in Kyrie Irving. Yuck. I've been told that the rockets will weigh a run at Kyrie Irving in the event they are not able to convince James Harden to leave Philadelphia. Now again, those are both contingency scenarios. If they don't get hardened and the rockets have to weigh, if they really want to go down that road, but I'm told it is something they will consider. But since they're still in the consideration phase, I really haven't changed my view of this. The only verified confirmed team bidding for Kyrie Irving in free agency, it's still Dallas, you know, Houston will weigh it.

And that's the first other team that I've been able to report since the season ended. It kind of seems like they're hickey that they'll think about it if they don't get hardened, but it didn't seem as if they would actually go ahead and make a serious offer there to Kyrie Irving. That's kind of what I got from the gist of those remarks. I mean, I don't know why you would. I don't know why James Harden and Kyrie Irving reported the top two names on the Rockets wish list this off season. Tillman Fertitta trying to make a splash.

That's what it is. Boy, boy, oh boy. And wouldn't that be funny with how Harden couldn't stand Kyrie when Harden catered to Kyrie in Brooklyn, then goes to Philly. If let's just say Harden goes Rockets thanks, but no thanks. I'm not coming home. I'll stay in Philly. Then they'll go, hey, we'll show you who's boss and we'll end up signing Kyrie Irving to try to get some revenge there.

And we'll give a 13. It is the Zach Gelb show on CBS Sports Radio. George Karl joins us next. You're listening to the Zach Gelb show.

Welcome back in. We continue to Zach Gelb show coast to coast on CBS Sports Radio. We'll see if the Denver Nuggets will hoist the Larry O'Brien trophy later this evening. They're up three games to one up against the Miami Heat. Game five of the NBA finals comes your way at 8 30 PM Eastern and now joining us as a man that coached the Denver Nuggets from 2005 to 2013. He was the 2013 NBA coach of the year.

And that of course is George Karl coach. Appreciate the time as always. How you been? I'm doing great. Excited about tonight and excited about the Nuggets and it's been a good run here out here in Denver.

Yeah. Assuming they get the job done and we'll see if it happens tonight or later on in their series. Only needed one more win to get that Larry O'Brien trophy.

What would this mean to you? A place that you called home for a while to see Denver finally get that championship. Well, you know, I'm an old ABA guy.

So it all started back in the seventies when San Antonio on Denver had a pretty good rivalry going. Um, you know, a lot of friends have coached here. Larry Brown, Doug Mo, uh, myself, and, uh, they've had a lot of great players. Um, I think they've been a very good basketball town, a very good sports town. I know Denver doesn't get a lot of love. It's a sports town, but it's a pretty good time. The Broncos, the Avalanche, the Nuggets, the Rockies haven't had a lot of success, but, uh, fans of Denver love sports.

And I think, uh, I think we're ready for a parade. We've seen what Nicole Jokic has meant to this sport to now to start to see him get that tag, even though he's been the MVP twice as the best player in the sport. But what do you see using your coach and I, when you watch Nicole Jokic play? Um, I think there are two guys in the last 30 years that have had a major impact on how the game has changed. One of them being Steph Curry.

And I think the other one is Jokic. He's showing the basketball world that a big guy can still win a championship. A big guy is still valuable. Uh, but the thing I love about him is he's a, he's totally a team guy, totally a we guy. He tries to make people better every night. Uh, he's a triple double machine and he doesn't have a, he has a great deal of humility, very humble in his life.

And, uh, I just love him. I think he's just a great ambassador for the game and I, I'm happy that he's finally getting some national recognition. I'm honest that he might be the best player in the NBA. You're right about the no ego and how selflessly his coach, it kind of does seem like he'd rather have more assistant than more points in the way that he loves playing that team style of basketball. Oh, the one stat at the beginning of the series that I saw was, I don't know, there was, um, 37 times this year, 38 times he had tennis fist in a game and they won 88% of those games.

Now that is an unbelievable number. And when he didn't have tennis, his winning percentage wasn't that great. I mean, he's really the point guard of this team, even though Murray's playing well at that position right now, but you know, he's a point center and I think he's the best passing center ever to play in the NBA. And I hope he wins tonight and I hope he wins a couple more because I think in my mind, he might be the best center other than Shaq. Uh, those are the two in my career. The two guys I really admired were Shaq.

It was almost impossible to cover. And now Jokic, who I think is the same way. He's not as powerful and big as Shaq is, but his complete game is amazing.

He's a triple double machine and I hope he gets his championship tonight. George Carl, I don't see the way that you could stop him, but if you were still coaching, how would you try to just simply contain, because that's where the point we're at when talking about Nicole Jokic, how did teams try to contain him moving forward? Well, the stat I would take into consideration is to put pressure on his handle. Uh, I don't know how you do that because he's, you know, he's a great pick and roll guy. He's a great handoff guy. He can score outside. He can score inside. He plays in the paint against the zone now very, very well. Uh, but I would probably play different defenses against them. I'd probably try to double him some. Sometimes I'd play him straight up, sometimes zone him, um, but no one's had a lot of success. You know, he's a very high basketball IQ is tremendous, but whatever you throw at him, he'll figure out the answer in time. George Carl here with us on the Zach Gelb show.

What do you say to people? Cause the detractors say, uh, he's boring. Oh, the Denver Nuggets are boring. I'm not saying that, but that's what some people are saying about this team and also, uh, the big man in Nicole Jokic.

I don't know why they think we're boring. I mean, they're both of offensively and they've shown to me at least that when they have to be a good defensive team, they can be, um, the NBA has gone to being very explosive offensively and yoga makes everybody involved. I love the team.

That's one. Yeah, they win. They win a game with Jocas, getting a triple double. They win a game when Murray and Jocas get a double, triple double, but they win a game with Aaron Gordon, giving them a game and they didn't win with the others a little bit more than people think they are.

And, um, because we're not in LA or Chicago or New York or, or a big city doesn't mean that they're not spectacular. I don't think they're boring at all, but everybody said Tim Duncan was still boring. And I thought then I think Tim Duncan is a great player.

No doubt about it. George Karl hood with us, you get to the Jamal Murray storyline. We all got to see what he was able to do in 2020. And I think people forget they were cruising in 2021, right before he tears the ACL up against the warriors to see Murray not only be back, but be dominating after pretty much missing the last two years.

Just what does that mean to you? Cause that's one of my favorite stories of watching the nuggets this season. Well, Jamal Murray, I think, you know, every, you know, because we've been here, everybody had questions. Would he be able to get back? And the truth of the matter is he's gotten back and he's actually better. He's smarter. He's a better ball handler and a better facilitator.

And he's, and I think for the last, I, I, now you got to go all the way back to the bubble. So, so four years, Yokos and Murray in the fourth quarter are somewhat unbeatable. And we know we don't talk about their fourth quarter of prowess, but I'm going to tell you, they went a lot of close games. They, even when they're behind in the fourth quarter, they never quit and they've had great comebacks and a lot of it's because of Murray, Murray's growth. And I think Murray's moving up the ladder of great players in the league.

No question about that. And assuming they get one more victory, you know, Mike Malone is going to get a lot of praise as well. You being a former coach in this league, you coach in Denver before, you know, winning a coach of the year award, but what do you like so much about a Mike Malone coach basketball team? Well, I think the management did a great job of, of kind of changing the mentality and the Bruce Brown and Paul Royal Pope pickups over the summer were big time. Christian Brown has turned out to be a hell of a draft pick. And I think Mike Malone has, has done a great job of, of messing the old with the new and building around Jokic and Murray. I think he believed in Jokic and Murray before anybody else.

And I think I, I sit my hat, tell me that. And I mean, he's managed the team in the playoffs magnificently. I think they've lost three games and they've never had any desperate games yet. But closing out a series, closing out the finals to win a championship will be some desperation tonight. They're going to have to play there again.

George, Carl, get into the other side of things. We've now seen Jimmy Butler do a remarkable job in Miami, take this team to the finals twice. And I know you still have to lose one more game, but it looks like he's going to lose another NBA finals.

I like them out of bio as a player. I just think he's more of a three as on a championship team and they still need another star. You have all these rumors about Damien Lillard. Do you think of Miami ever wants to win a championship with Butler? They're going to have to add a player like a Damien Lillard. I think Damien Lillard is really good for Miami. I definitely think Miami has a lower level of skills than even the teams that they beat in the East. Boston has more talent, more size, more skills than Miami. And I just think they know how to win. They play with an attitude that very few teams play with all the time. And I think if they would add another player, they would probably become probably one of the Milwaukee Boston and them would be the leaders of the East.

Coach George, Carl, before we let you run, just want to get your thoughts. I'm sure obviously you know the news that Carmelo Anthony retired a few weeks ago. You and Carmelo will be linked for a while with what you guys did in Denver. Just had you react and how do you kind of look back on the career of Carmelo Anthony? Carmelo is the best offensive player I've coached in the league. I've never coached a player that could do what he did in games. Night in and night out, he was almost unstoppable in many ways one-on-one.

We came close to getting to the top of the mountain, but we never did. And I can live with my career and I think Carmelo's got a Hall of Fame career. I think in the near future, he'll get a lot of great accolades. And I hope his surgery somehow someway gets hung up here in Denver.

And I never know what exactly happens. We know it was an ugly end, but I kind of wish Melo would be in the building tonight. I don't know if Denver's reached out or not, but that would be pretty cool if Denver wins a championship tonight and they could find a way to get Carmelo Anthony in the building for what he meant to that organization. Well, I don't know if he is going to be.

I have not heard that if he would be. But I think in the end, I think the Nuggets, I think they're going to open up that window and I think they will in the very near future. Well Coach George Caro, good health to you and your family. Appreciate the time as always. Thanks so much. All right guys, have fun watching the game.

You can think of O'Reilly Auto Parts for all your car care needs, get guaranteed low prices and excellent customer service from the professional parts people at O'Reilly Auto Parts. So Daniel Hunter last season for the Minnesota Vikings on a bad defense was one of the few bright spots as he did have 10 and a half sacks. And now he's looking for a new contract or he at least wants more money for this season as he's entering the final year of his deal. And unlike Saquon Barkley or Josh Jacobs, he's already signed to a contract. Josh Jacobs and Saquon Barkley have to sign their franchise tag tender and have now until July 17th to get a long term deal done. So that, I don't want to say loopholeed in the CBA because there's physically not a contract signed yet for Saquon or for Josh Jacobs. But on this new CBA that happened, it made it almost impossible for players to hold out because you get largely fined if you do hold out and you're under contract, obviously, both of them have to go together. And those fines, not as if they get wiped away, the player eventually has to pay those fines. So if you got fined, let's just say you cured $300,000 in fines and you accrue that in fines and then eventually you sign up and you show up and you get a deal, you just show up and say, okay, I'm going to play.

You have to pay all that money. It's not as if the team could just say, okay, we're going to wipe it away. So for this Danielle Hunder situation, we'll see how long he goes through with this, but the fact that he's going to be holding out at a mandatory mini camp, Hickey, it's number one, a big deal. But once again, it kind of shows you that the Vikings are stuck in between a rock and a hard place because they last year with the new regime coming in and Kevin O'Connell and Kwasi Adolfo Mensa, you probably thought that they would be improved because that current group clearly was out of touch with the old head coach in Mike Zimmer, who I like Mike Zimmer, very demanding. I wouldn't consider him a player's coach. Let's just say like your prototypical players coach, which I don't always think is the best thing in the world to have a prototypical players coach, but his message got old and it reached the apex in Minnesota. So bringing in a guy that's more players friendly and positive and upbeat and Kevin O'Connell, I do think that played a big impact. And also I hate to just chalk it up to luck, but the Vikings had a lot go their way in the regular season where everyone scored game, they would find a way to win.

And that just usually does not happen in this league when games get that close. So the Vikings are probably going to regress, but the question is how far are you going to allow this regression to go? And I look at Minnesota, they just got rid of Dalvin Cook. They let him walk for nothing. They even got like a fifth round pick for this guy.

They let him walk for nothing. And now Danielle Hunter is in the final year of his contract in a defense, which I understand that defense was horrible last year and Patrick Peterson's Darrius Smith started to show their age at the end. Eric Kendricks is now with the Los Angeles Chargers, but what are the Vikings trying to do this year?

Because it almost seems as if they're telling you, oh, we expect to be good this year. We got Justin Jefferson. We got KJ Osbourne. We drafted Addison out of USC. We got Kirk Cousins still here. Alexander Madison's going to be good for us. But you look at them getting rid of Dalvin Cook, that doesn't add up to a team, regardless of what you want to say about the state of the running back position in this league, that's going for it. And then defensively, Danielle Hunter was really good for you last year. And now he's not happy.

He's only 28 too. So it's like, you're not trying to bring that guy back for the long term. So I really don't get what the Vikings are trying to accomplish this year. Because you look at that team in a wide open NFC outside of Philadelphia and the Niners, it's not great teams in the NFC. It shouldn't be where a lot of people are like, oh yep, the Lions are definitely going to win that division. Minnesota's right there to go win that division.

Minnesota won 13 games last year. Detroit still has to take that next step. They took a big step last year, but they still got to take that next step. And I just wonder how much of the messages that they're sending with their moves, not getting a deal done so far with Danielle Hunter, him being agitated, getting rid of Dalvin Cook, who was popular in that locker room outright and getting nothing back to him. I wonder if players at all in that locker room start to doubt, well, are we really going for it this year? Because it appears like the moves that they're making is if they're just waiting to see what happens with Kirk Cousins this year who enters the final year of his deal. And then if you're bringing in a new quarterback, how long does it take that quarterback to get up to speed? If I'm a Vikings fan, my biggest fear, and that's why I said it last week and I'll say it again, I'll double, triple down, quadruple down, whatever you want to say, they got to get this Justin Jefferson deal done ASAP, because who knows how Justin Jefferson will look at this, who is a ideal superstar, says all the right things, conducts himself the right way, is a great personality for the game, is a mega star in the game. The last thing you want is to get that guy thinking, Hmm, I don't know what we have a quarterback or Hmm, I don't know what direction the organization is going in. And all it takes is for Justin Jefferson to say, I want out.

And really the appeal of Minnesota goes right down the drain. So I think this is a big year hickey for the Vikings. And I'm just confused on what they're trying to accomplish this year when you have a regime that's a year in, a regime that probably overachieved last year, but then you're in an NFC that is not that strong, they should be going for it. And right now I can't tell you that it feels like they're going for a championship this year. I think the word overachieve here is key because I do think winning 13 games changes expectations for the fans and the media. Whereas if you are questy, Dofa Mensa and Kevin O'Connell, I'm sure you went into last year thinking maybe we'll contend for a plow spot.

We have enough talent there, but this is not going to be a situation you come in immediately. And then all of a sudden success is going to be there and okay, let's go from here. I think they thought we're going to have some work to do. It's going to be, I would probably guess a three year plan in terms of turning things around and getting to where they wanted to go. And it's like in a weird way, winning 13 games last year almost kind of hurts you because now expectations have changed.

Now it's well, you won 13 games last year, let's go for the Super Bowl this year. Although the moves they're telling you are kind of again, more long-term looking when you cut Daven Cook knowing he's not going to be a part of this team in the future. So they're already starting to make moves kind of to get in the eye of getting the team where they want it to be, let's say in 2024 and 2025.

But that's a tricky part. You go 13 and 4 that you're probably when they took over last year, probably thinking, okay, 2023 will compete, but it's not going to really, you know, really be when we're at our best, it's going to be probably 2024 and beyond. And that's in a weird way, overachieving almost kind of hurts their plan because now expectations for fans and media have changed and it's hurting what they want to do. Would you agree that of all the teams in the NFC, you look at teams that overachieved last year, that there's questions about entering this year, those three teams would be the Giants and just the NFC, Minnesota and Seattle. I'm really curious what those three teams do this year. And I'll tell you, out of those three teams, I'll trust Seattle the most, even though I think it's fair to wonder how much regression will occur with Geno Smith and there's questions about that defense, but you look at the weapons on offense, they return DK, Lockett and also Kenneth Walker.

And they just added Jackson Smith and Jigba and Zach Charbonnet. So I trust that offense and I trust Pete Carroll. The Giants, I love what I saw out of Brian Dabel in year one, but there are talent problems with the Giants and good coaching could only carry you so far.

Eventually you need more talented players. And for Minnesota, I think if you tell me they're in the playoffs, they win the NFC North, I wouldn't be surprised if you tell me they go like nine and eight and just missed the postseason, that wouldn't shock me either. Out of those three teams, I'll trust Seattle the most. But the reason why I just don't really trust Minnesota and I've been someone say they can absolutely win this NFC North and I just said it even last week is because I don't like the way that this front office and kind of the vibes that they're giving and just getting rid of Dalvin Cook for nothing, they should've just kept him if you were to get nothing for him. And then it's like, okay, the Neil Hunter probably gonna play next year, but where's his motivation level gonna be if you don't get him a new deal?

And the guy just had a really good season for that. So that's how I kind of look at it with those three teams. I'll go Seattle one, Minnesota two and I'd actually put the Giants three just because out of those three teams, at least talented team. Yeah, probably good that order.

It's tough. And you doubt Seattle heading into this year? Yeah, I don't think they're gonna make the playoffs, but if you're asking like all of those three teams, who do you trust to sustain success? Yeah, I would still go with Seattle because Pete Carroll is showing you he is a proven coach.

They got a lot of talent. So you think the Giants, the Vikings and the Seahawks all will make the playoffs this year? Is that what you're saying? Yes. Yeah.

Gotcha. That wasn't all that convincing, but you say you trust Seattle the most and then you go, they're going to miss the playoffs. I mean, I don't feel great about it on NC, any three of those teams right now, but man, who are you? One probably has to make the playoffs.

You know what? Do this later on the hour. I want you to give me right now, your seven NFC playoff teams. Cause I wonder who you're going to swap in.

If you're swapping those three teams out Zach Gelb show CBS sports radio on site off site. Next. Do you hear that? That is the sound of BMW performance without a single piston or cylinder, a generation of all electric vehicles designed and built like no other. The BMW IX, I seven and I four revolutionize every drive into a thrilling opportunity to feel the pure rush of BMW 100% electric. But isn't that what you'd expect from the ultimate electric driving machine. Take advantage of exceptional lease and finance offers today.