On Tuesday morning, Chris Broussard appeared on Dan Dakich’s show, Don’t At Me, to discuss Team USA’s disappointing performance in the NBA and World Cup.
Broussard, who co-hosts the popular show “First Things First,” shared his thoughts on Jaylen Brown’s worth, LeBron James’ future, and the current situation of the U.S. men’s national soccer team.
Dakich raised the question of whether the Celtics were growing tired of Brown and the ongoing discussion about him.
“No, I think it comes down to this,” Broussard responded. “Analytically, he’s strong. He was on my All-NBA second team and finished fifth in the MVP voting. But, you know, the numbers actually don’t back him up very well.”
Broussard highlighted that out of 23 active players with five or more All-Star appearances, Brown was ranked 22nd in career plus-minus. Notably, he’s among the few players with a negative career plus-minus. “Last year against Philadelphia, he was -24 on the court but +6 off it.”
Broussard pointed out that public perception often doesn’t match the evaluations of NBA front offices. “For me, that was a significant point,” he added. “The Celtics, like many teams nowadays, rely heavily on analytics. They probably don’t view Jalen as highly as the media suggests, and this move likely stems from the numbers indicating they might perform better without him.”
Broussard then shared his thoughts on LeBron James, suggesting it seems likely he will finish his career back in Cleveland. While Denver and Minnesota could make sense from a basketball standpoint, Broussard believes James will prefer a return to the Eastern Conference.
“I think Cleveland is where he wants to go home,” Broussard predicted. “He has a close friend, Brandon Weems, who works in the Cavs’ front office, and he sees Cleveland as a place with a real shot at winning. We’ve seen they can compete in the East, and if they get there, there’s potential.” He mentioned that it would be a fitting conclusion to a storied career. “It’s the ideal place for him to end, especially after his extensive journey through the league.”
Shifting gears, Broussard also commented on the U.S. men’s national team’s loss to Belgium. Despite the boost in optimism from Mauricio Pochettino’s arrival, he argued that the team’s recent victories against weaker opponents gave a misleading sense of progress.
“We’ve been caught up in a spirit of sports patriotism,” Broussard reflected. “I began to think, ‘Hey, we’re definitely going to reach the quarterfinals, and who knows, maybe something magical could happen?’ But then we faced a far superior team.”
He pointed out that previously beaten teams like Paraguay, Australia, and Turkey were significantly lower-ranked. “When it came to Belgium, ranked 9th in the world, we were up against the big boys.” For Broussard, the defeat served as a reality check, underscoring the distinction between the U.S. and the elite in soccer.
“At the end of the day,” he concluded, “this is why we typically don’t progress past the round of 16. I wasn’t angry; it’s clear we just aren’t at that level yet.”
