48 Minutes

0:00 Intro 0:47 World B reacts to Ross's episode dedication 1:28 The Minnesota Timberwolves with a statement win in Game 1, should the Lakers be concerned? 8:50 Russell Westbrook & the Denver Nuggets secure a huge Game 1 overtime victory over the Clippers 13:41 The Indiana Pacers handled business against the Bucks in their Game 1 home win 17:48 The New York Knicks secured a Game 1 win over the Detroit Pistons 23:19 Any hope for the Miami Heat against Cleveland or is this going to be a quick sweep? 27:11 Can the Orlando Magic win a single game without scoring in triple digits against the Celtics? 33:00 At this point would we be surprised if the Thunder don't sweep the Grizzlies? 37:48 Should we be surprised the Warriors took Game 1 against the Rockets in Houston? 43:40 Instant reaction to the Pistons Game 2 bounce back win against the Knicks 48:04 The NBA Award Finalists were announced on Sunday

0:00 ... Show open and Ross intros the panel and our special guest Jared Greenberg of TNT Sports and NBA TV. 0:47 ... Ross dedicates episode #152 to the Houston Rockets, who won 52 games this season. 1:08 ... Bruce introduces Jared Greenberg ot TNT Sports and NBA TV 1:49 ... Eastern conference "play in tournament" preview ... Orlando and the Bulls get the 7 and 8 spots 3:02 ... Western conference "play in" preview ... Golden State gets #7 and Memphis #8 3:48 ... Will Houston be challenged by a #7 seed like Golden State in the first round?  Jared is impressed by Houston's mental makeup. 6:07 ... The Rockets are one of the hardest playing teams in the league ... Detroit and OKC are the others.  Jared expects ramped up intensity from all 3 of them in the playoffs. 7:06 ... Ross tees up the preview of the Pistons/Knicks series ... lots of pressure on the Knicks while the Pistons are playing with house money. 8:45 ... Will the season be a bust if the Knicks don't make the conference finals?  Jared puts their season into context and suggests changes may be coming if they fall short of expectations. 10:06 ... The Pistons have more playoff experience than many realize and NY really needs Jalen Brunson to play well. 11:11 .... Indiana vs Milwaukee is a repeat of last season's 4 vs 5 matchup in the east ... with Damian Lillard out, can the Bucks possibly win the series?  Since Giannis is the best player on the court, he may be able to carry Milwaukee to a series victory. 12:35 ... Ross asks Jared about the Bucks personnel moves during the season with the addition of Kyle Kuzma and Kevin Porter Junior and the loss of Khris Middleton. 15:26 ... Tyrese Haliburton has been spectacular since the All-Star break ... his numbers across the board have been great.  But Pascal Siakam and Myles Turner have been solid too. 17:17 ... Can any lower seeds challenge Cleveland or Boston in the east?  Is there any chance the Cavs could start their first playoff series on a "down" note in game one?  Which first round opponent would give Cleveland's defense problems? 19:17 ... Jared sizes up a possible eastern conference finals matchup between Boston and Cleveland. 20:40 ... Joe Mazzulla risked losing some games during the season in order to give guys rest and keep them fresh for the playoffs.  Much like the 1995 Rockets, the 2025 Celtics knew they could take their foot off the gas at times in search of a larger prize. 22:57 ... Cade Cunningham and Evan Mobley are two young players who will have huge opportunities in the playoffs.  Jared feels that Mobley's success will be somewhat dependent on Donovan Mitchell, who must continue his "team first" play. 24:49 ... The Wolves/Lakers 3 vs 6 series in the west should be fascinating ... Jared feels like Minnesota really stepped up their defense as the season wore on.   Julius Randle may have some extra motivation as a former Laker.  Will Anthony Edwards help eliminate a Hall of Famer for the second year in a row? 28:02 ... Minnesota has an advantage with better bigs, so JJ Redick may go small and try to limit Rudy Gobert's impact. 29:16 .... Denver vs the LA Clippers in the 4 vs 5 series ... Nikola Jokic gives the Nuggets a presence that no team can match.  Kawhi Leonard's health is always a potential issue.  And Ivica Zubac is someone Jared has his eyes on regarding the matchup with Jokic. 30:36 ... Ross asks if any team in the west can challenge OKC ... um ... No.  But Jared feels any number of teams could make it to the western conference finals, they just can't beat the Thunder. 32:16 ... NBA Championship matchup: Boston vs Oklahoma City ... so who does Jared think will win the Larry O'Brien Trophy?  Can the Thunder find a second consistent scorer along with Gilgeous-Alexander? 34:46 ... Ross asks about Jared's favorite postgame interview and he has a really good Stephen Curry story. 36:02 ... Postseason Awards discussion ... who will win MVP? 37:45 ... Is Shai Gilgeous-Amexander a "mini version" of Jokic due to his playing style? 39:39 ... Rookie of the Year?  Jared runs through the list of worthy candidates but settles on ____! 40:14 ... Defensive Player of the Year?  Victor Wembanyama would have won if not for missing so many games, but he doesn't qualify.  Jared drops a great stat about Wemby and Brook Lopez. 43:29 ... Most Improved Player?  As a former number one overall pick, should Cade Cunningham really be considered? 45:28 ... World B likes Cunningham but also feels Ivica Zubac is worthy. 48:41 ... Coach of the Year?  Jared has four solid candidates but he feels that rewarding the coach of a 6 seed is an problem for him.  So he's going with the coach who took a good team to "great," rather than taking a bad team to "good." 49:25 ... Jared has worked for TNT's NBA coverage for more than a decade and he shares his feelings about the final weeks of TNT's NBA coverage as their 36 year run covering the league ends in early June. 51:06 ... Ross thanks Jared and wraps things up ... TRT 51:34              

0:00 ... Bruce welcomes the audience to 48 Minutes and introduces Mike Isenberg, and five time author and 11 time Emmy Award winning producer whose new collaboration with Celtics legend Cedric Maxwell is their second book project together. 1:03 ... Mike briefly explains the "double track" method that the Celtics used to win the 2024 NBA Championship. 1:57 ... Some felt that Jayson Tatum and Jaylen Brown weren't a championship combo but the Celtics management felt otherwise and showed patience with the duo. 3:02 ... With Tatum and Brown just hitting their prime, the only way they'd be split up now has nothing to do with their performance on the court. 4:07 ... How Tatum's snubs regarding the NBA Finals MVP voting and 2024 Olympics benching drove him to even greater levels of achievement this season. 5:22 ... Tatum has finally achieved a level of "Basketball IQ" that has placed him in rare company. 6:53 ... Tatum leads the Celtics in a way this is somewhat like Nikola Jokic in Denver and he has placed individual accolades well behind his desire to get a ring. 8:10 ... Patience and aggressiveness are not easy to combine in one person's emotional makeup.  But Celtics president Brad Stevens has mastered that balance. 10:09 ... Bruce tells the story of how the 48 Minutes podcast's interview with Giannis Antetokounmpo set the stage for Stevens to acquire Jrue Holiday.  Mike describes how Brad keeps a "wish list" of players he covets and also how Joe Mazzulla told Holiday that they were destined to work together months before the trade was even considered. 13:15 ... It wasn't easy for Stevens to trade Robert Williams III but having already acquired Kristaps Porzingis made it easier to Stevens to part with the "Time Lord." 14:28 ... The health of Porzingis is the key for Boston in the postseason.  Mazzulla risked losing some games along the way in order to manage the workload of key players like KP and veteran Al Horford while giving reserve players like Sam Hauser meaningful minutes. 17:51 ... Boston is not concerned about having home court advantage in the playoffs, so they didn't have to go all out to win every game during the regular season.  Stevens and Mazzulla had a plan for what they're doing and never wavered or listened to the noise from outside. 19:54 ... Mike's co-author Cedric Maxwell played for 6 different NBA coaches with various different styles, so what is his take on Mazzulla? 21:29 ... Mazzulla's no nonsense style has been effective with the players because of his self-awareness and willingness to be his authentic self. 23:32 ... Mazzulla effectively navigated the move from assistant coach to head coach OF THE SAME TEAM, which isn't easy to do when you go from being the players' "friend" to their boss. 25:09 ... Mike explains the relationship between Stevens and Mazzulla.  As a former coach, Stevens could have been heavy handed in his approach to a young coach like Joe, but he avoided doing that. 26:53 ... Stevens' moves were reminiscent of previous moves by legendary Celtics executives like Red Auerbach and Danny Ainge.  Mike points out how many of the team's big moves usually led to instant success and gives three great examples. 30:47 ... Ainge is currently angling to get Cooper Flagg in the 2025 Draft for the Utah Jazz. 31:54 ... Bruce resets the show and asks Mike about the future of the team with new ownership.  Mike explains how some of their recent big money signings could have negative repercussions down the road, especially if the Celtics don't repeat in 2025. 34:15 ... Bruce and Mike discuss whether guys like Holiday, Porzingis, and Horford would be willing to sign "team favorable" deals to keep winning championships. 36:57 ... Mike likes the OKC Thunder to make the NBA Finals from the west and the Celtics to come out of the east. 38:01 ... Bruce compares the OKC defense to a hockey power play with 6 players against 5.  Mike explains how the Thunder just come at you in waves. 39:27 ... The guys discuss how Shai Gilgeous-Alexander is a mini version of Nikola Jokic and how Tatum is also in that category when it comes to the game "slowing down" for him. 40:43 ... Bruce and Mike praise Derrick White for his clutch play when the team needs a bucket. 41:52 ... Mike explains how to find the book "Banner Year" and the "big picture" philosophy that makes the organization tick. 43:59 ... Bruce wraps it up and teases the next episode with TNT's Jared Greenberg and the 48 Minutes playoff preview next week. TRT 44:32          

0:00 Intro 1:12 Ross breaks down the “Realistic Expectations” show concept 1:42 Starting out East with the Detroit Pistons 6:02 Do the Milwaukee Bucks stand a chance in the 1st round of the playoffs? 10:30 Do the Indiana Pacers have another surprising playoff run in them? 16:12 The state of the New York Knicks 22:01 Who would Bruce rather face out of the Play-In Tournament? The Magic or Hawks? 29:08 Is it unfair to say it's Championship or Bust for the Cleveland Cavaliers? 33:41 Ross shares details into the wild playoff battles going on in the Western Conference 34:05 How serious should we take the Golden State Warriors come playoff time? 38:15 The LA Clippers are peaking at the right time 41:57 The Denver Nuggets are we selling their playoff stock? 45:04 Could the LA Lakers become the biggest disappointment in the playoffs this year? 48:40 The Houston Rockets holding on strong to the 2nd spot in the West 52:15 Is it Championship or Bust for the Oklahoma City Thunder?

0:00 ... Ross hello, welcome, and introduces the gang ... 1:14 ... Ross dedicates episode #150 to Zach "Zeebo" Randolph, who wore #50 in his long NBA career. 1:24 ... Ross live commercial read for BetOnLine ... 2:02 ... Bruce introduces tonight's guest, Lakers reporter Ryan Ward 2:40 ... Ryan shares his thoughts on the "Running Point" series on MAX that is based on Lakers owner Jeanie Buss 3:58 ... "World B" points out how streaky the Lakers have been in March and Ryan shares his thoughts on how the team goes on "Benders" at times and remains a puzzle as to how far they're capable of going in the playoffs. 6:11 ... Ross asks what the biggest difference is when LeBron is on the floor vs. when he is not.  Ryan has a great analytical point about how the spacing is affected when LeBron is on the floor. 8:10 ... Ross points out that when Luka Doncic is running the offense, there is better motion in LA's offense and Ryan points out how LeBron causes the motion to stop when he has the ball at the top of the key. 9:50 ... Bruce asks Ryan whether LA has what it takes to win key games down the stretch and secure the #2 seeding in the west.  Ryan feels they do not.  He is concerned that the Lakers could fold quickly in the playoffs. 11:53 ... LA has really struggled on the road this season and Ryan points out that the Lakers had three straight "back to back" road games and sometimes they were guilty of playing down to the level of their opponents. 13:55 ... Bruce points out that Austin Reaves has been an outstanding "third wheel" with LeBron and Luka and Ryan explains how he continues to amaze and will be relied upon heavily in the playoffs.  Ryan sees comparisons between Reaves and Hall of Famer Manu Ginobili. 16:40 ... Ross asks Ryan how much LeBron's endorsement has meant to Reaves' development. 17:46 ... Rookie Dalton Knecht has been impressive after returning to the Lakers after having his trade to Charlotte rescinded.  Ryan doesn't really understand how coach JJ Redick is using him and thinks they may trade him again if they can get a quality big man in return. 19:39 ... The guys discuss JJ Redick's coaching job in his rookie year.  Ryan likes his intensity, passion, and intelligence. 21:09 ... Ross and Ryan discuss Redick's readiness to coach well in the playoffs. 22:52 ... LeBron James has been acting out lately with battles against ESPN's Stephen A. Smith and Brian Windhorst ... Ryan feels there is a "Wrestlemania" element to the whole thing.  Especially when LeBron did it on the Pat McAfee's show. 25:37 ... Bruce feels LeBron acted like a bully in his comments about Windhorst and Ryan feels like Stephen A. came out on top in this situation.  Ryan loves how Mike Wilbon also checked in with his thoughts on the whole thing. 28:11 ... Ross has two quick hitters about LeBron's positive comments on Giannis Antetokounmpo and also asked Ryan if he and LeBron ever locked horns over something Ryan wrote or said. 30:20 ... Bruce offers Ryan some advice on how he can mix it up with LeBron and make worldwide news if there is ever beef between them. 31:18 ... Ryan tells everyone how to find him on social media and shares an update on his "Jello Jigglin" podcast. 32:14 ... Show reset and discussion of the Boston Celtics, who won their 9th straight game on Monday night.  They appear to be peaking at the right time and are ready to flip the switch.  Bruce credits head coach Joe Mazzulla with guiding the team through a long season and giving his reserves lots of minutes so they can contribute in the postseason.  World B cautions that the Celtics starting lineup has not been as dominant as we expected. 38:08 ... Ross expands the discussion on how Boston's bench has stepped up and how it bodes well for the postseason.  Bruce points out the value of veteran Al Horford and what a luxury it is that Boston has him. 38:24 ... The Taylor Jenkins firing is a head scratcher and Bruce is angry that the Grizzlies GM has not really given a good explanation as to why it was done.  Bruce is concerned how the lack of information about the firing casts a cloud over Jenkins since some may suspect him of "shenanigans" when there may not have been any.  World B feels like the Grizzlies team has tailed off badly in the second half of the season. 41:37 ... Ross wants Suns owner Mat Ishbia to hire Jenkins as the lead assistant for Mike Budenholzer and run the offense in Phoenix. 42:43 ... The Milwaukee Bucks are a hot mess with Damian Lillard out indefinitely ... Bruce thinks former head coach Adrian Griffin might be laughing at the situation he left behind since he was fired with a 30-13 record last season and the Bucks have been pretty "meh" since then, winning just 59 of 113 games.  None of the guys feel the Bucks are capable of winning a playoff series at this point. 46:16 ... Breaking news!  PJ Tucker is signing a 2 year deal with the Knicks and will be a steady veteran presence.  Ross has high praise for PJ whom he worked with in Phoenix and called PJ "the new Taj Gibson.". 47:03 ... The guys recap the Sunday night Pistons/Timberwolves brawl and discuss the Pistons and their "Bad Boy" culture.  World B has had enough of the fake "tough guy" act from Isaiah Stewart.  Bruce initially thought there would not be any suspensions as a result of the brawl but Ross disagreed and Bruce was convinced and changed his mind. 53:22 ... The guys make their choices for the college hoop championship ... Ross and World B like Houston and Bruce likes Auburn. 54:15 ... Ross says goodbye ... TRT 54:30                

0:00 Intro 1:41 Bruce asks Ross to explain why the show wasn't recorded Monday night 3:32 Breaking news out of Milwaukee, Damian Lillard is out indefinitely due to a blood clot 6:08 The Boston Celtics franchise has been sold! 10:34 The crew share their brief thoughts on the NBA's potential expansion team scenarios 11:59 Bruce provides some Boston fan perspective on the Celtics home arena situation 13:10 The Cavs just suffered their roughest stretch of the season 17:23 The LA Clippers are finding their stride, are we sleeping on them? 21:53 Jimmy Butler made his first return to Miami 25:55 Musical Chairs out West! The battle for playoff positioning 26:23 Houston Rockets 30:03 Denver Nuggets 33:48 LA Lakers 36:34 Memphis Grizzlies 40:40 Musical Chairs out East! The battle for playoff positioning 40:56 Indiana Pacers 43:24 Milwaukee Bucks 46:29 Detroit Pistons

0:00 ... Ross hello and welcome ... introduces tonight's panelists 0:44... Episode #148 dedicated to the Houston Rockets, who average 48 rebounds a game 0:56 ... Bet OnLine Live commercial read 1:31 .. Bruce introduces special guest Kevin Winter, the veteran ESPN Radio personality 2:35 ... We start out with a robust discussion of the Cleveland Cavaliers and whether they've "Got It."  Kevin sees the Cavs as a team that has excelled because of the emergence of Evan Mobley.  But Kevin sees the eastern conference as a "two horse" race with the Cavs and Celtics. 5:17 ... World B makes an excellent point about the lack of efficiency by the Celtics' starting lineup.  Kevin feels like the C's learned how to win last year, and may have handled the target on their backs well enough to flip the switch in the postseason. 7:49 ... What about the OKC Thunder ... do they look like a championship team?  Shai Gilgeous-Alexander (SGA) has become someone almost impossible to stop. 9:50 ... Bruce felt OKC's lack of rebounding heading into the season was a problem they have fixed.  Kevin feels like the Thunder's defense swarms opponents extremely effectively and they have learned from last year's premature playoff exit. 12:46 ... World B tees up a discussion on whether SGA is a "foul baiter" and Kevin says he is not.   Everyone agreed that SGA is crafty not phony. 16:39 ... The NBA is investigating the Thunder for resting their starters in a home game against Portland, but does OKC deserve any punishment? 19:32 ... The top three teams: OKC, Boston, and Cleveland appear to be the class of the NBA.  But what are the concerns for each team moving forward?  Health is an issue for all three teams but OKC's youth is also an issue.  Boston has no clue how to stop Donovan Mitchell. 26:43 ... The crew discusses which team was the biggest disappointment this season.  Philly tops the list.  Bruce has a fun fact about how much Paul George made "per game" during his injury plagued season. 29:26 ... Luke Doncic and LeBron James have done a great job developing chemistry, but can the Lakers actually compete for the western conference championship if and when LeBron returns to good health? 34:54 ... JJ Redick has done a great job coaching the Lakers and has made some great strategic moves this season. 35:58 ... Has Jimmy Butler made the Warriors a team that could make the conference finals or even win the west?   Butler is hungry and would love to have a crack at guarding some of the OKC wings. 39:43 ... Ross likes the Memphis Grizzlies and feels that they have successfully overcome a lot of injuries and are a complete team.  Kevin feels that the Grizz could make a run in the west. 42:18 ... Bruce worries that Dallas is rushing Anthony Davis back too soon and are trying to save a season that is already lost.  He's going to the G-League to continue his rehab but shutting him down seems like a much smarter idea. 45:23 ... Who does Kevin feel will meet in the NBA Finals? 47:10 ... Cooper Flagg is the projected overall #1 pick, so which of the struggling teams would be the best fit for him. 50:27 ... We can't do a show after Selection Sunday without briefly discussing March Madness.   Since Kevin, Bruce, and World B don't have teams in the NCAA Tournament, we all discuss which team we'd root for since our favorite college teams aren't involved (except for Ross's Marquette squad). 54:29 ... Ross wraps it up, thanks Kevin and says goodbye until next time. TRT 55:00      

0:00 Intro 1:33 Bruce questions Ross's choice in players for the episode's dedication 1:57 Bruce introduces special guest NBA reporter Christian Clark 2:51 Is the anger over the Luka trade still burning for Mavericks fans in Dallas? 4:34 Has anyone made sense of why Nico Harrison settled for so little in return for Luka Doncic? 6:06 Are Mavericks fans feeling like the Mavericks might be cursed with all the injuries after trading Luka? 9:20 Will Jaden Hardy surprise some people with his big opportunity that lies ahead? 11:11 What's been the vibe in the Dallas locker room since the Luka trade & Kyrie injury? 12:58 Can this Mavericks team be a potential contender with everyone healthy? 15:25 Will the Mavericks organization ever be the same without Mark Cuban running the show? 17:32 If the Mavs somehow land the #1 overall pick to draft Cooper Flagg how far would that go in easing the anger of Mavericks fans? 18:57 How does Nico Harrison survive this trade? 20:17 Which Mavericks player is Christian's favorite interview? 22:20 Having recently been around the Phoenix Suns, what' s the vibe like around the struggling Phoenix Suns? 24:20 Does Christian see anything that might be the OKC Thunder's achilles heel come playoff time? 25:55 Is there a team out West that's been floating under the radar that may have what it takes to go on a roll in the playoffs? 27:19 Which young up & coming team out West has a been chance in the playoffs this year? The Houston Rockets or Memphis Grizzlies? 28:27 Have the OKC Thunder or Cleveland Cavaliers peaked too early? 30:06 Christian shares his MVP choice at the moment 31:08 Are the Minnesota Timberwolves still a dangerous team out West? 32:37 Where do the Milwaukee Bucks stand out East? 33:57 The Thunder versus the Cavaliers in the Finals, who does Christian give the edge too? 35:32 Did Luka's arrival in LA rejuvenate LeBron James this season? 37:26 Where do the New Orleans Pelicans go from here after a disastrous season? 40:02 Christian shares his thoughts on Dyson Daniels having previously covered the New Orleans Pelicans 42:05 Will Dyson Daniels get some Defensive Player of the Year votes this year?

0:00 ... Ross hello and welcome and introduces the crew. 0:35 ... Episode #146 is dedicated to John Konchar, who has worn #46 for his entire career in the NBA. 0:47 ... Ross live commercial read for BetOnLine 1:23 ... The Cleveland Cavaliers have been on a season-long roll and the crew breaks down the reasons for their incredible success.  Donovan Mitchell absolutely torched the Boston Celtics once again last Friday night. 7:50 ... The young Detroit Pistons team has won 9 of its last 10 games, including a huge win over the defending champion Celtics last Wednesday.  Their mix of great young talent plus newly acquired veterans like Malik Beasley have them in a great position to make the playoffs as the #6 seed in the east. 12:37 ... The Los Angeles Lakers are rolling and the chemistry is developing quickly between LeBron James and Luka Doncic.  They truly look like a team that is peaking at a good time and their defense has been incredible.  They may just be the number one threat to the OKC Thunder to represent the western conference in the NBA Finals. 18:29 ... The final two play-in spots out west look like they'll probably go to Sacramento and Dallas, but the young Portland Trailblazers are sitting at #11 and have been playing their best ball in years.  The guys size up Portland's chances of grabbing the #10 spot away from the Kings or Mavericks. 23:52 ... Jalen Suggs of the Magic will undergo surgery on his left knee and will be out indefinitely.  His loss removes a great two way player and considering what a poor shooting team the Magic are, they'll likely continue to disappoint.  In fairness to coach Jamahl Moseley, injuries to Paolo Banchero, Franz Wagner, and Suggs have derailed their season. 30:18 ... Joel Embiid of the 76ers played just 19 games this season and has been shut down for the remainder of the season.  Bruce makes some comparisons between Embiid and the late Bill Walton who was also a super talented big man who battled injuries throughout his Hall of Fame career.  The entire 76ers' season has been one big dumpster fire burning out of control. 38:23 ... Jimmy Butler may have moved on to the Bay Area, but the Butler vs. Miami saga continues as he is being sued by a company in Miami Beach.  We'll offer details. 39:49 ... Bruce's final thought is on a play he attended last Friday called "King James," which is the story of two Cavaliers fans who bonded over their love of LeBron James. 40:54 ... World B's final thought is on Stephon Curry, the greatest shooter in history and someone who will eventually be considered one of the top five players of all time if he can win one more ring. 42:53 ... Ross's final thought is on Meyers Leonard, who recently announced his retirement.  Leonard wrote a country style song about his career and Ross is impressed with the quality of the song. 44:36 ... Bruce tells his fellow Celtics fans not to panic about some recent losses since Jrue Holiday and Kristaps Porzingis missed the game against Cleveland but should be ready for the postseason in good health. 45:26 ... Ross says goodbye   TRT 45:41  

0:00 Intro 1:33 Victor Wembanyama is out for the season due to a blood clot 5:44 More news out of San Antonio as Head Coach Gregg Popovich won't be returning to the court as coach this season 8:01 The New York Knicks tough weekend, any legitimate concerns about the Knicks being contenders out East? 15:06 The Jimmy Butler effect in Golden State. Do the Warriors have new life? 18:36 The Play-In Bubble Race in each conference! 18:58 The Western Conference 10th spot is currently held by the Sacramento Kings 19:14 The San Antonio Spurs chances heading down the stretch of the season 23:36 The Phoenix Suns continue to search for answers to improve their playoff hopes 26:57 Can the Sacramento Kings hold onto the 10th & final play-in spot? 30:09 Is there any hope that the Portland Trail Blazers can sneak into the Western Conference play-in? 31:50 The Eastern Conference 10th spot is currently held by the Chicago Bulls 35:05 Give credit to the Brooklyn Nets this year, will the surprise us all & make the play-in? 39:33 Are the Sixers chances dead with how things continue to go in Philadelphia? 42:42 Bruce provide some NBA television news 44:15 Kevin Garnett is rumored to possibly joining the Minnesota Timberwolves front office under the new ownership

0:04 ... Ross welcomes everyone to the show and introduces his co-hosts. 0:34 ... Episode #144 is dedicated to the Thunder and Cavs, who lead their respective conferences with 44 wins at the break. 0:47 ... Ross live BetOnLine commercial read 1:20 ... For our YouTube viewers, Bruce is rocking an All-Star hat from the 1996 All Star game in San Antonio where he first crossed paths with future colleague and lifetime pal Tim Legler, who won the Long Distance Shootout that year. 2:09 ... Ross begins his recap of All Star Weekend and Bruce's initial thought is that he wished he had binge watched "The Landman" on Paramount Plus instead of another boring All-Star weekend. 3:13 ... World B was similarly unimpressed with the gimmicks the league tried.  If the players don't care, the event will always disappoint. 4:14 ... Bruce wonders if the trade deadline should move closer to All-Star weekend to help juice up interest, but World B offers a good reason why that may not be viable.  Ross points out that Damian Lillard had some valid points about player fatigue being a factor in why the game lacks intensity. 6:52 ... Ross recaps the Rising Stars competition and feels that one of the good parts of the weekend was seeing younger guys and G-League players get some exposure.  World B agrees and Bruce says a prime example of that was Stephon Castle of the Spurs, who made a major impact in his events. 9:14 ... Ross mentions rookie Reed Shepherd and wonders if we overhyped him.  Bruce thinks he may be a late bloomer and World B points out how young he is.  World B adds that Houston COULD have drafted Castle and must be kicking themselves over that move. 11:28 ... Ross transitions to the Skills Competition which featured controversy involving an attempt by the Spurs duo of Chris Paul and Victor Wembanyama to exploit a loophole in the rules to gain an unfair advantage.  Bruce isn't buying that it was Wemby's idea as he thinks Chris Paul instigated it and made the young dude take the heat for it. 13:58 ... Bruce wonders if these shenanigans chip away at the credibility of the sport. 15:07 ... Tyler Herro beat Buddy Hield in the Long Distance Shootout and the guys discuss how Herro has played through many distractions in Miami and is doing so well. 18:06 ... Mac McClung dominated the Dunk Contest with a variety of cool slams.  Bruce wants to give McClung the "Woody Harrelson White Men CAN Jump Award" as he was reminded of other undersized winners from years past like Spud Webb and Nate Robinson.  World B thinks the dunk over the car was one of the best dunks ever. 21:50 ... Ross recaps the championship game and Bruce highlights Steph Curry's two showstopping shots that won him the MVP Award.  Ross asks World B if the All Star game should have a new gimmick like a 4 of 5 point shot?  World B thinks matchup between Teams from the USA and an International team would help drive interest and players effort. 26:03 ... Preseason prediction recaps ... Bruce starts out with his choice of Stephon Castle as his preseason rookie of the year pick and explains how his big weekend at the All Star game makes him the leader in the clubhouse.  World B whips through some picks he made and says Jalen Williams would win Most Improved Player.  Ross agrees but Bruce likes Cade Cunningham to win the award. 30:37 ... Bruce had Shai Gilgeous Alexander as his MVP pick and he's pretty certain that SGA will win with Nikola Jokic second and Giannis third.  World B thinks SGA is deserving but still makes a great case for Joker. 32:58 ... Ross with a gratuitous cheap shot at World B's Orlando Magic team.  Bruce praises the brutal coldness of the comment.  But Ross's MVP choice of Luka Doncic will not be happening. 34:15 ... The Coach of the Year race?  Ross says Kenny Atkinson will win even though his preseason pick was Jamahl Moseley.  Bruce liked Ime Udoka prior to the season but feels Atkinson will win it.  World B agrees but also gives some flowers to Ty Lue of the Clippers.  Bruce and Ross give a little bit of love to JB Bickerstaff in Detroit who has done a tremendous job with a young team. 39:05 ... Ross tees up the OKC vs Boston finals prediction ... Bruce still likes the Celtics to win it, but they have certainly lacked consistency this season.  Ross shared this prediction but World B liked Minnesota to come out of the west and play Boston. 41:59 ... Ross begins the discussion on second half predictions and Bruce feels like Minnesota could get themselves on a roll as they begin a stretch of 7 out of their next 9 games on the road.  If they can go 6-3, they may be ready to go into the next gear. 43:12 ... World B with some startling facts about Boston's starters and what isn't clicking.  He adds that Cleveland is for real and points out the Cavs have some tough matchups with the Knicks coming up. 46:53 ... Ross predicts the Suns will miss the playoffs entirely, which is shocking considering who is on their team.  But they have a brutal schedule and Bradley Beal is injured and morale around the team seems low. 48:42 ... Bruce chimes in Denver, whom he expects to peak at the right time.  But he does not fully trust Memphis because when Ja Morant plays, they have a much lower winning percentage than they do when he is out of the lineup. 50:22 ... Ross wraps it up and says goodbye. TRT 50:38                        

0:00 Intro 1:37 Bruce welcomes Dave Wohl back onto the show 2:00 With the Mark Williams trade to LA being rescinded where do the Hornets/Lakers go from here? 4:00 Has Dave ever been part of a team that has had a trade rescinded in his career? 5:24 Has Lakers GM Rob Pelinka put himself in a position to potentially win the GM of the Year award? 6:46 The Jimmy Butler situation & downfall in Miami, has Dave ever been around a similar scenario? 11:32 Can Jimmy Butler be a difference maker for the Warriors chances out West? 13:25 The Brad Beal no trade clause. How challenging is it to trade a player with that kind of power? 14:54 Dave shares his insights on the Cavs acquiring Deandre Hunter 16:45 What exactly does “Cash Considerations” mean in a trade? 18:01 Can Ben Simmons provide a positive impact for the Clippers this season? 23:25 Is it strange that the Suns decided to trade an unprotected 2031 1st round pick for 3 1st round picks without another deal lined up? 25:09 Is De'Arron Fox the perfect fit & find by the Spurs to pair with Wemby? 26:39 What in the world is going on in Sacramento? 29:00 Did we learn anything from the Celtics/Knicks matchup this past weekend? 31:29 Dave shares his thoughts on the Houston Rockets this year 33:15 Is there a team outside of the Thunder that can come out of the Western Conference? 34:43 Is there any good reason for the NBA to consider shortening quarters? 39:10 Reflections/Memories on Hubie Brown as he called his final game last Sunday 42:07 Why did the Dallas Mavericks decide to trade Luka Doncic? 47:15 With the Lakers adding Luka, does this accelerate LeBron's retirement or decelerate his retirement thoughts?

0:00 ... Ross Geiger hello and welcome .... introduces co-hosts Bruce Bernstein and Michael "World B" Freer and teases our guest Peter Vecsey.  This week's show (#142) is dedicated to former Mavs player Maxi Kleber, who will now be a Los Angeles Laker. 0:59 ... Ross live commercial read for BetOnline. 1:39 ... Bruce introduces Peter Vecsey and mentions some of his memorable nicknames. 2:45 ... Peter discusses his best nicknames and shares a great story about Joe Barry Carroll, whom he dubbed "Joe Barely Cares."  Peter famously dubbed Larry Bird "Larry Legend." 4:35 ... Ross asks for Peter's reaction to the Luka Doncic/Anthony Davis trade and how none of the newsbreakers who cover the league had any clue it was happening. 10:32 ... Considering the principals in the deal, Peter shares his thoughts on some of the other deals that were historic but he feels than none were ever bigger than this one. 12:54 ... Peter tells why Dallas MAY have traded Luka and tells a story about how former Mavs coach Rick Carlisle left the Mavs because he did not like coaching Luka. 16:13 ... Why did the Mavericks want the often injured Anthony Davis? 17:15 ... The Lakers needed a big man, so naturally they traded their Hall of Fame big man. 20:12 ... Peter reacts to DeAaron Fox going to San Antonio and why he liked Fox prior to this season but has soured on him this year. 24:15 ... Bruce makes a joke about how the players for Archbishop Molloy H.S. in Queens (Peter's alma mater) were big time ballers and he joked how he was ahead of his time as a high school player. 24:53 ... Bruce takes a shot at Zach LaVine, who was traded from the Bulls to the Kings and how Sacramento's GM seems clueless.  Peter goes on to discuss Billy Donovan, his first NBA interview that was done for SportsChannel at Hofstra University where Bruce also worked. 27:26 ... On being inducted into the Hoop Hall of Fame in 2009.  Surprisingly Peter has little regard for the Hoop hall and Jerry Colangelo who is the boss. 31:23 ... Peter is annoyed that K.C. Jones is not in the Hall as a coach when he was voted one of the top 15 coaches of all time.  He relays a great story Larry Bird told him about how K.C. got through to Dennis Johnson when other coaches could not. 36:22 ... Bruce asks about Michael Jordan and John Stockton and their 2009 Hall of Fame speeches.  Peter tells a great story about how he took a big gamble during an interview with Stockton that he did for NBC where Stockton was tight lipped but how Peter eventually got him to open up. 39:21 ... World B initiates a discussion of the top players of all time ... Peter takes exception to the suggestion that MJ and LeBron are the two best ever.  Peter ticks off many others who are up there. 41:42 ... Kobe is also right up there and Peter shares some moments from their discussions over the years.  Their relationship was very close and he tells the story of how Kobe got his unusual first name. 44:44 ... Ross asks about the 65 game rule for postseason awards and Peter is in favor of it.  Peter is NOT in favor of Adam Silver's idea for 10 minute quarters. 46:47 ... Bruce asks about the new All-Star game format and how the event has become unwatchable.  Peter thinks the new tournament format may help make it more appealing.  He is not impressed with the new women's 3 on 3 league but transitions into a story about how K.C. Jones allowed him to work out with the Celtics teams of the 1980s and play full-court 4 on 4. 50:12 ... World B asks Peter who his favorite interview subject was ... and it was Larry Bird.  Of course, there's a couple of good Bird stories there!  And there's a great story about how Bird signed a photo for Peter's son as a birthday gift.  Peter truly misses being around Larry. 53:17 ... Peter shares some Bill Walton stories and how he helped Bill get into TV at NBC.  We exchanged some Walton stories. 55:10 ... Bruce asks about the MVP race and how Nikola Jokic probably won't win it this year due to voter fatigue but that Shai Gilgeous Alexander is deserving.  Peter feels OKC's record this year helps SGA.  Peter goes onto discuss Lu Dort, whom he watched at Arizona State and is a key reason for OKC's success. 58:48 ... Peter predicts OKC will win it all this year ... he praises Isaiah Hartenstein of the Thunder and can't believe how good he has become. 1:00:06 ... Ross thanks peter and says goodbye TRT 1:00:51        

0:00 Intro 1:06 Downright Shocking News: The Dallas Mavericks trade Luka Doncic to the Lakers 1:27 World B provides his initial reactions when he first saw the news 2:25 Ross provides his initial reactions to seeing the big news drop 2:48 Ross provides all the specific details of the 3-team trade 3:24 Why do we think this trade went down? 11:07 Ross provides his thoughts on the mystery team the Mavs called prior to dealing Luka to LA 13:57 The impact of this trade on the Lakers moving forward 22:59 The Dallas Mavericks moving forward with Anthony Davis aboard 30:27 Is this the biggest trade in NBA history? 32:43 NBA Trade Machine gurus are loving life right now 34:25 Who won the trade? Luka for AD?! 35:40 De'Aaron Fox traded to the San Antonio Spurs! 37:11 What's this trade mean for the Spurs? 38:54 Can the Spurs possibly contend as soon as this season with Fox? 41:02 Are we sure Chris Paul will still be on the Spurs after this year's trade deadline? 42:55 What's this trade mean for the Sacramento Kings moving on from De'Aaron Fox? 49:37 What's in store for the Chicago Bulls moving forward?

0:00 Intro 1:30 The Cleveland Cavaliers have now hit a rough patch in their successful season 7:14 The Memphis Grizzlies are on fire entering this week's action 12:01 Stock Up & Stock Down! The 48 Minutes crew starts up with their Stock Up Teams 12:12 Milwaukee Bucks 15:54 Indiana Pacers 19:51 Houston Rockets 24:44 Denver Nuggets 28:51 Phoenix Suns 32:34 Stock Down Teams 32:35 Orlando Magic 35:54 Dallas Mavericks 40:03 Golden State Warriors 43:29 San Antonio Spurs 46:13 Atlanta Hawks 49:45 Bruce provides his final thought on the Philadelphia 76ers 51:03 World B provides his thoughts on the NBA's All-Star selection count 52:46 Ross shares a friendly reminder of next week's exciting guest on the show!

0:00 ... Ross hello and welcome .... intros co-hosts Bruce Bernstein and Michael "World B" Freer 0:41 ... Episode #140 is dedicated to Kurt "Crazy Eyes" Thomas, who wore #40 in his NBA career 0:53 ... Ross teases teases special guest J.A. Adande who will join the show to reflect on a solemn basketball anniversary. 1:30 ... Ross does the Bet Online live commercial read. 2:06 ... Bruce introduces J.A. and shares some of his legendary achievements 3:20 ... J.A. points out that Bruce's son Mitch Bernstein was also a close friend and roommate during his internship in LA a number of years ago. 4:03 ... Bruce asks J.A. about the fires in his native Southern California and how they have affected the psyche of the entire region and J.A. has great perspective on the catastrophe and how it affected many who were close to him. 6:49 ... Ross teases the deep dive on Kobe Bryant but asks J.A. about being honored as the winner of the Curt Gowdy Media Award from the Basketball Hall of Fame and what it was like to be considered an all-time great in basketball journalism. 9:12 ... World B asks J.A. about those who influenced him the most as a writer.  J.A. mentioned Jim Murray, David Aldridge, Mike Wilbon, and many others. 11:17 ... Bruce raises the name of Chris Ramsay from ESPN.com, a mutual friend of J.A. and Bruce's who was a key person in J.A.'s success. 13:00 ... Bruce asks J.A. about all the ESPN people who have won the Gowdy award and if they had anything in common regarding the way they covered the league.  Fellow winner Marc Spears gets a shout out for his wise counsel at Hall of Fame weekend. 16:10 ... World B asks J.A. what it was like to be a prominent panelist on ESPN's Around The Horn and how it had a powerful impact on his life and career. 18:47 ... Ross and Bruce provide some stats about Around The Horn and Ross receives permission from J.A. to mute his co-hosts as Tony Reali has done to ATH panelists for many years. 19:57 ... Ross points out that January 26th is the 5 year anniversary of Kobe Bryant's death and J.A. shares where he was when he heard the news and his immediate reaction upon hearing of Kobe's death. 23:55 ... J.A. puts into perspective why Los Angeles loved Kobe the man as much as they loved him as an athlete.  The way he embraced LA and knew all the different neighborhoods were huge reasons. 27:03 ... Kobe was known to do research on people he would meet for the first time in order to put them at ease.  But while J.A. never witnessed that, he praised Kobe for the way he handled his relationships with members of the local media.  J.A. said that in the age of social media, modern athletes put less emphasis on those relationships. 29:19 ... Kobe and Michael Jordan were similar in many ways and J.A. explains that it was both a conscious effort on Kobe's part and simply a matter of MJ and Kobe being cut from the same cloth.  J.A. feels that eventually Kobe came to regret those comparisons. 32:16 ... Was there one moment from Kobe's career that stood out to J.A.?  Well ... there were a few!  The game 7 comeback vs Portland in 2000 was memorable because of Kobe's giddiness. 35:24 ... Bruce's favorite Kobe/J.A. moment was from an NBA Coast to Coast show in Kobe's final season and J.A. describes what happened that night.  J.A. uses that incident in his current job as a journalism professor at Northwestern as a teachable moment for his students. 38:49 ... Bruce asks about LeBron James and whether he has begun to mentally check out now that he has played an NBA game with his son Bronny.  J.A. thinks it is possible because there is really nothing left to achieve. 40:30 ... J.A. makes his predictions for the rest of the season .. OKC wins the west, Boston wins the east, and Boston wins the championship. 42:19 ... Bruce asks J.A. if he is getting the "1995 Rockets vibe" about the Celtics where a defending champion looks less than dominant in the regular season but ends up repeating due to their "heart of a champion?" 43:43 ... Ross wonders if J.A. has any feeling on who the next "American face" of the league might be ... or even if there will be one? 47:58 ... If J.A. were starting his career over again, which player would he want to cover the most?  LeBron James might be the guy.  Michael Jordan too. 50:33 ... Ross thanks J.A. ... who thanks Bruce for helping him make some money working in TV!  And we'll see you next week!   TRT 51:17              

0:00 Intro 1:26 The 48 Minutes crew starts the show off discussing something much bigger than basketball 2:48 2 NBA teams are going streaking! 2:56 The Sacramento Kings are surging so far with Doug Christie as head coach 8:06 The Indiana Pacers extended their winning streak to 6 games win their win over the Cavs in Cleveland on Sunday 13:41 What's going on with the Boston Celtics recently? 19:28 Paolo Banchero has returned for Orlando, can the Magic hold onto the 4th spot in the East with a tough week ahead? 24:26 A first half of the season reflection 24:38 How many true contenders are there in the Eastern Conference? 28:33 How many true contenders are there in the Western Conference? 32:21 Other than the Cavs, which team has been most impressive in the Eastern Conference this season? 34:33 Other than the Thunder, which team has been most impressive in the Western Conference this season? 36:32 Which team has been the most disappointing in the Eastern Conference? 39:17 Which team has been the most disappointing in the Western Conference? 42:06 Who is our first half of the season MVP? 44:39 Who is our first half of the season Coach of the Year? 47:12 Quick final thought on NBA pop culture! 48:08 Bruce gives us a sneak preview on next week's guest JA Adande

0:00 ... Ross says hello and welcomes the panel. 0:37 ... Episode #138 is dedicated to 38 year old Jeff Green, who is still ballin' at his advanced age. 0:55 ... Ross live commercial read for Bet OnLine. 1:34 ... Bruce is back after missing the past two shows and explains his absence. 2:10 .... The show begins with a discussion of Sunday's game between the OKC Thunder and the Boston Celtics.  Bruce felt that OKC played the best half of defense that any team played all season in the second half. 4:13 ... World B feels that there are no longer any question marks about the Thunder after their huge wins over the Celtics and the Knicks earlier in the week. 7:55 ... Ross wonders if Bruce is ready to give up on his Boston/OKC finals prediction but Bruce isn't ready to do that.  World B feels that OKC clearly looks like the best team in the league. 11:17 ... The Jimmy Butler drama continues and Bruce said this divorce was totally predictable.  When Pat Riley criticized Butler during last season's playoffs, the handwriting was on the wall for the divorce.  World B feels that very few GMs around the league will be knocking down the door with offers for Butler. 13:47 .. Butler isn't Miami's only problem.  Bam Adebayo has had a tough season and looks worn out after the Olympics and Ross feels part of Bam's struggles are the result of not having a real point guard.   Ross also feels that a third team might need to be involved in order to facilitate a Butler trade. 16:49 ... Kawhi Leonard is back after being out for 253 days.  His return bolsters a Clippers team that has overachieved in his absence.  His defense is a given but World B feels the Clippers really need his offense.  They're a talented but aging team and the question is "do they have one more run left in them?" 21:14 ... The Cleveland Cavaliers are a league-best 31-4 and are currently on a 10 game win streak.  It's their second double digit win streak of the season and we're still a month away from the All Star Break.  World B said the Cavs remind him of the 2019 Raptors when Toronto fired coach Dwane Casey and brought in Nick Nurse.  The Cavs did something similar when they fired JB Bickerstaff and hired Kenny Atkinson over the summer.  Will Cleveland win the NBA Championship like Toronto did? 26:00 ... Nikola Jokic and Victor Wembanyama faced off twice over the weekend with Denver and San Antonio splitting the two games.  The epic matchup featured incredible performances from both big men.  Joker is a three time MVP and Wemby will probably be the Defensive Player of the Year.  The crew was incredibly impressed with both guys. 31:22 ... Anthony Edwards has had a frustrating season and Ross wonders if he is "thinking the game" properly.  World B thinks some of his recent comments were silly and are the result of his frustration.  Bruce thinks that the Karl-Anthony Towns trade has been a major reason for AntMan's frustration. 36:02 ... The Warriors have lost Jonathan Kuminga for at least three weeks with a severe ankle sprain.  World B is concerned that the depth on the team is already shaky and losing Kuminga is a big blow.  And since the defense is not that good, losing Kuminga's offense really hurts. 39:11 ... Ross wonders if Jimmy Butler might be a candidate to join the Warriors since he was always on their radar screen.  Bruce doesn't feel Butler would work salary-wise, but Ross think that Golden State might make the move to help Steph Curry continue to be successful in the twilight of his career. 40:56 ... Final Thoughts ... Bruce's appreciation of Derrick Rose, who was honored in Chicago over the weekend.  Ross has his own memories of Rose from when Ross worked for the Bucks. 43:19 ...Ross's final thought is on Immanuel Quickley of the Raptors who is back healthy after a lengthy injury absence. 44:00 ... Ross says goodbye TRT 44:23                  

0:00 Intro 1:17 Movers & Shakers Around the Association 1:30 The Sacramento Kings cut ties with Head Coach Mike Brown 6:27 Was Doug Christie the right selection to become the Kings interim head coach? 8:15 Did the Kings signing DeMar DeRozan factor into the pressure put on Mike Brown? 11:32 The Lakers trade away D'Angelo Russell for Dorian Finney-Smith 16:32 Nets GM Sean Marks had a very busy month of December making moves & what's next? 20:31 Dorian Finney-Smith's impact & the Lakers moving forward 25:29 Team Talking Points 25:32 The Phoenix Suns continue to struggle. Ross has some long term questions! 30:02 Are the Memphis Grizzlies the Orlando Magic of the Western Conference? 35:23 World B chimes in on whether or not it's time to panic in Phoenix with the Suns 37:59 Will Devin Booker make the All-Star Team this season? 39:53 Can the Detroit Pistons sustain their recent success out East? 42:43 Which Pistons guard steps up in Jaden Ivey's absence? 44:54 No Final Thought, but a Final Question for World B!

0:00 Intro 1:25 The Milwaukee Bucks are NBA Cup Champions! The Championship game recap 3:20 Do the Oklahoma City Thunder need to address their perimeter shooting prior to the trade deadline? 6:34 Giannis put on an absolute show in Vegas winning the NBA Cup MVP, where does he rank for the season MVP? 9:35 Will winning the NBA Cup MVP help Giannis's case with MVP voters? 11:30 Key role players on the Bucks have stepped up big time recently, has the team turned a corner? 14:53 The Bucks are right on the Magic's tail out East in the standings, can they catch Orlando? 18:24 Would the Magic benefit from making a trade to improve their roster prior to the deadline? 21:31 Karl Anthony Towns makes his first return to Minnesota & the Knicks pounded the Wolves 23:24 Mikal Bridges is finding his groove offensively with the Knicks 25:12 Ross provides his insights into the unselfishness of this Knicks group 27:35 Christmas Day Game Previews! 27:54 Wemby & the San Antonio Spurs visit Madison Square Garden to face the Knicks 30:12 “Anta” Claus & the Minnesota Timberwolves head to Dallas to take on the Mavericks 32:49 The Boston Celtics host Joel Embiid & the Philadelphia 76ers 35:57 LeBron James & the Lakers head to the bay to battle Steph & the Warriors 38:32 KD & the Suns cap off Christmas action in Phoenix against Jokic & the Denver Nuggets 41:10 Coach Bud's defense in Phoenix isn't as good as usual, is the roster to blame? 43:28 Final Thoughts: NBA viewership is down, but why?

0:00 ... Ross says hello and introduces co-hosts Bruce Bernstein & Michael "World B" Freer. 0:34 ... Ross recognizes this week's show (episode #135) as it falls on the second anniversary of our very first show.  We've never missed a week since we started, so we consider ourselves "Ironmen" of sorts, not unlike the great AC Green, formerly of the Lakers who played in an NBA record 1192 straight games. 1:51 ... Ross does the live read for Bet Online 2:23 ... Ross tees up the NBA Cup Special and begins with the Atlanta Hawks, who battled Milwaukee in one of Saturday's semifinal games and seem poised to make a nice run during the remainder of the NBA season.  Trae Young has improved his playmaking and players like Dyson Daniels and DeAndre Hunter are really stepping it ip. 9:19 ... Our focus shifts to the Milwaukee Bucks, who rode the stellar play of Giannis Antetokounmpo to a win over the Hawks and a spot in the championship game on Tuesday.  Giannis has gotten a lot of help in recent weeks with the return of Khris Middleton and some more production from Damian Lillard.  Age and health remain concerns for the Bucks. 24:32 ... Ross tees up a discussion of the Houston Rockets, a young team that battled the Thunder but has major offensive struggles.  The Rockets are dynamic on defense but they struggle to score in the halfcourt and that holds them back against great teams like the Thunder. 30:05 ... Our conversation switches to the OKC Thunder, a team with championship aspirations that will battle the Bucks in Tuesday's championship final.  Bruce feels like Shai Gilgeous Alexander plays the game as a guard like Nikola Jokic does at center.  He plays at his own speed, he will not let defenses speed him up, and he gets to spots on the floor at just the right time and has a knack for always being where he should be.  Ross feels that defensive wizard Lu Dort of the Thunder will actually guard Giannis frequently on Tuesday night. 38:23 .... Bruce, "World B," and Ross all make their predictions for the Bucks/Thunder matchup on Tuesday night.  Bruce doesn't feel OKC can stop Giannis, "World B" also likes the Bucks, but Ross is picking the Thunder.  Bruce "accuses" Ross of using reverse psychology since he is our resident Bucks fan but Ross insists he is concerned about Damian Lillard's ability to score on OKC's perimeter defenders. 44:27 ... Bruce's final thought concerns his desire to see Jimmy Butler traded from Miami to Houston. 45:39 ... The final thought from "World B" concerns the suddenly healthy Memphis Grizzlies and how Ja Morant needs to clean up his act and grow up. 46:56 ... Ross's final thought is on the two early trades that took place this week.  Dennis Schroeder to Golden State and Thomas Bryant to Indiana. 47:57 ... Ross says goodbye TRT 48:10          

0:00 Intro 1:27 Ross introduces tonight's special guest Zaza Pachulia 4:07 Drafted in 2003, a lot of international big men at the time were considered soft entering the NBA, but not Zaza! 7:18 Coming into the league at 19 years old, what were the biggest challenges he faced as a rookie? 9:46 Was there any kind of language barrier for Zaza at the start of his career? 12:52 Has Orlando Magic center Goga Bitadze asked for him for advice throughout his young career in the NBA? 16:11 Being from the same NBA Draft class as LeBron James, Zaza provides his thoughts on how LeBron James continues to impress 19:48 Zaza reflects on the 2008 Hawks/Celtics Playoff Series & his battle with Kevin Garnett 26:31 Zaza shares some stories on his former teammate & close friend Al Horford 29:01 Zaza on what he remembers from his 2015-2016 season with the Mavericks when he nearly made the NBA All-Star team 33:01 Was the Golden State Warriors Dynasty Team is the best NBA team ever? 40:21 The unfortunate Kawhi Leonard closeout became known as  “The Zaza Rule” does it bother him that an NBA rule is named after him? 43:07 Being close friends with Klay Thompson, Zaza talks about him joining the Mavericks & his recent return to the Bay for the first time 46:38 Zaza shares some memories out at sea with Captain Klay 48:31 Word Association with Zaza! 48:47 Draymond Green 51:22 Steve Kerr 55:56 Giannis Antetokounmpo 57:49 Dirk Nowitzki 59:48 Stephen Curry 1:03:36 Zaza shares a special message to his fellow Georgians

0:00 ... Ross hello, welcome, and introduces the panel. 0:37 ... Ross dedicates episode #133 to Toumani Camara of the Portland Trailblazers, who happens to wear jersey #33. 1:04  ... Bet Online Live Commercial Read 1:41 ... The show begins with a recap of the strong week by the up and coming Atlanta Hawks.  Head coach Quin Snyder is in his second full season and really seems to be getting his program established with a young team. 6:29 ... The Cavaliers beat the Celtics on Sunday to remain on top of the eastern conference with a 17-3 record.  It appeared to be a "statement win," but was it really?  Bruce has his doubts. Ross expressed concern over the recent struggles of Jrue Holiday. 12:50 ... Boston may have lost to the Cavs on Sunday but they've been bolstered by the return of Kristaps Porzingis, who missed the first 17 games of the season after having off-season surgery.  The guys discuss what his presence means for the Celtics.  Bruce feels Neemias Queta did a great job while Porzingis was out and his presence should help Al Horford stay fresh for the playoffs.  Ross loves KP as a "first basket" betting option for those who like to wager. 15:46 ... Sunday night's battle between the OKC Thunder and Houston Rockets featured a gritty win by the Rockets, who are playing tremendous defense under coach Ime Udoka.  OKC misses Chet Holmgren and even with the return of Isaiah Hartenstein, the Thunder are struggling to rebound effectively.  World B reminds everyone that Jalen Green of the Rockets needs to shoot a higher percentage from the floor if the Rockets are to make noise in the playoffs. 23:01 ... Our NBA Cup breakdown begins with Group A in the East ... Will the Knicks get past Orlando on Tuesday night and clinch a spot in the knockout round?  The crew is split on who will emerge.  World B concludes with a very bold prediction about the Magic. 28:49 ... Group B in the east comes down to the winner of Detroit vs. Milwaukee on Tuesday night.  Our crew likes the Bucks but the Pistons can clinch the wild card even if they lose ... as long as they don't lose by more than 5 points. 32:48 ... Group C in the east has already been clinched by the Hawks.  The Celtics could emerge from the bracket as the wild card team, but they'll need help from Orlando and a large margin of victory (7 points or more) between the Pistons and Bucks regardless of which team wins. 33:55 ... Group A in the west has already been clinched by the Rockets so the Blazers and Clippers have a shot at the wild card, but both teams will need help from elsewhere in order to advance.  The Clippers have a slightly better chance than Portland. 38:03 ... Group B in the west has the most intrigue on Tuesday.  The Thunder clinch at least a wild card if they beat Utah on Tuesday.  The Spurs clinch the group with a win over Phoenix but if San Antonio loses, there's no path to the wild card and it opens the door for Phoenix to possibly grab the wild card if Dallas lays an egg against Memphis. 40:42 ... Group C in the west has been clinched by Golden State.  Dallas grabs the wild card with a win over Memphis.  If the Grizz beat the Mavs and the Nuggets beat the Warriors, both Memphis and Denver could theoretically advance to the wild card, but there are many scenarios that would have to take place for that to happen. 43:22 ... Final Thoughts: Bruce feels there could be a new "Batman" in Memphis with Jaren Jackson Jr emerging as Ja Morant's virtual equal. 45:08 ... World B's final thought is on the Magic and how they'll become a real threat to do damage in the playoffs if they regain their health.  They may even be Boston's toughest matchup in the playoffs. 46:18 .... In Ross's final thought, he surprisingly sees a good future for the Toronto Raptors if Scottie Barnes and Immanuel Quickley get themselves rolling to go along with RJ Barrett, who has played well. 47:23 ... Ross says goodbye TRT 47:40        

0:00 Intro 1:26 Who's Hot & Who's Not in terms of NBA teams  1:32 Are the Milwaukee Bucks finding their stride? 4:33 Orlando Magic remaining successful without their star 8:30 The LA Clippers continue to exceed preseason expectations 12:09 Victor Wembanyama & the Spurs are trending upward 15:44 Who's Not? (Teams) 16:00 Has the Top 4 teams in the Eastern Conference already been decided? 19:24 The Washington Wizards have been a disaster this season, where do they go from here? 23:31 Without Kevin Durant, the Phoenix Suns can't survive 27:09 This season for the New Orleans Pelicans has been an absolute nightmare 30:40 What in the world is going on with the Minnesota Timberwolves? 34:01 Can the OKC Thunder stay atop the West without Chet Holmgren? 36:32 A World B Hot or Not special on The Joker 38:02 Hot or Not Players! 38:13 Giannis Antetokounmpo 38:57 LaMelo Ball 40:15 Victor Wembanyama 41:30 Karl Anthony-Towns 42:50 The NBA's current Rookie Class 44:44 Ice Cold Players in the NBA at the Moment 44:46 Donte Divincenzo 46:27 Tyrese Haliburton 49:06 Bruce provides his final thought on Scotty Pippen Jr. 50:10 World B gives a shoutout to the Chicago Bulls 51:38 Ross gives a proper Thanksgiving signoff

0:00 ... Ross welcomes everyone to the show and introduces the panel. 0:35 ... Show #131 is dedicated to Celtics legend Cedric Maxwell, who wore #31 which has been retired by the team.  Bruce shares a quick story about "Max," who currently broadcasts Celtics games on radio. 1:28 ... Ross does his live Bet Online commercial read 2:00 ... Buy or Sell: Will the Cleveland Cavaliers be a title contender? 5:31 ... Buy or Sell: Are the Golden State Warriors a title contender? 13:09 ... Buy or Sell: Will the Houston Rockets win 50 games this season? 16:35 ... Buy or Sell: Will the Lakers finish in the top 6 out west and avoid the "Play In" tournament? 20:31 ... Buy or Sell: Are the Bucks a playoff team? 28:08 ... Buy or Sell: Is Anthony Davis an MVP and Defensive Player of the Year candidate? 31:47 ... Buy or Sell: Jared McCain is the leading candidate for Rookie of the Year. 37:21 ... Buy or Sell: Jimmy Butler will still be a member of the Miami Heat at season's end. 40:52 ... Buy or Sell: Dyson Daniels will break the single season record for steals. 43:37 ... Buy or Sell: Nikola Jokic will average a triple double this season. 46:17 ... TNT's legendary studio show "Inside the NBA" will be seen on ESPN next season.  Bruce has mixed feelings about the implications for his friends at ESPN but likes the decision by ESPN and considers it a "win" for NBA fans. 49:43 ... Cleveland suffered its first loss of the season on Tuesday when the Celtics beat them in a very exciting game.  The guys discuss how it happened.   TRT 52:29    

0:00 Intro 1:30 Bruce gives guest Steve Bulpett a proper introduction 3:36 The Cavaliers remain undefeated & the best team in the league, what's changed for them so far this season? 6:06 Is JB Bickerstaff a better coach developing young player rather than winning with an established team? 10:10 Steve Bulpett provides his thoughts on the New York Knicks thus far 14:51 Payton Prichard's impact on the Boston Celtics early season success 21:28 Neemia Queta's development in Boston bringing the Celtics a new dimension off the bench 23:56 Is it possible for the Warriors guard Buddy Hield to come away winning the Most Improved Player Award? 25:45 Do the Warriors have what it takes to make one more run at a championship? 28:43 How can Doc Rivers & the Bucks try to turn this awful start to the season around? 37:02 Are the 76ers as big of a mess as they appear to be right now? 40:20 Lots of NBA stars are currently out injured, are there any fixes the league might consider? 42:20 Can the Suns continue their hot start to the season without Kevin Durant? 46:50 Bruce provides his final thoughts on the latest NBA book to be published called “The Basketball 100” 47:48 World B gives some kudos to the Brooklyn Nets efforts this season 49:31 Steve reminds us all how early we are into the season & what we should be keeping an eye on 50:42 Ross pays tribute to his friend & former colleague Brendan Brown who sadly passed away last week

0:00 ... Ross hello, welcome, and introduces the crew. 0:40 ... Episode 129 is dedicated to injured Magic star Paolo Banchero, who was averaging 29 points per game before his injury. 1:02 ... Bet OnLine live commercial read from Ross 1:37 ... Ross explains the theme of this week's show and jumps right into a discussion of "What's Wrong With the Milwaukee Bucks?" 10:06 ... "What's Wrong With the Denver Nuggets?" 14:24 ... "What's Wrong With the Minnesota Timberwolves?" 21:25 ... "What's Wrong With the Indiana Pacers?" 25:59 ... "What's Wrong With Victor Wembanyama?" 31:22 ... "What's Wrong With Joel Embiid and (Paul George)?" 37:39 ... "What's Wrong With Kentavious Caldwell-Pope?" 42:33 ... "What's Wrong With Grant Williams?" 47:20... Bruce's Final Thought: Buddy Hield 49:02 ... World B's Final Thought: The Undefeated Cleveland Cavaliers 51:00 ... Ross's Final Thought: Vince Carter's retirement ceremony 52:07 ... Ross says goodbye and see ya next time TRT 52:27                

0:00 Intro 2:02 Bruce provides his instant thoughts on Monday night's Bucks/Celtics game before tipping off our Boston discussion! 7:21 Is there cause for concern in Milwaukee? 12:20 Are the Cavs for real? 16:43 A review of the New York Knicks as they continue to gel 21:03 Are the LA Lakers off to the most surprising start this season? 25:57 The Oklahoma City Thunder somehow might be exceeding expectations out of the gates 31:08 Don't sleep on the Orlando Magic! 34:39 James Harden is leading the LA Clippers to success thus far 38:44 Should we pump the brakes the Golden State Warriors good start? 42:38 The Houston Rockets haven't taken lift off just yet 46:52 Is it too early to hit the panic button on the Denver Nuggets? 50:35 The Kings are yet to light the beam this season 54:58 Final Thought on the Dwyane Wade statue 57:29 Bruce ends the show with a very special birthday message

0:00 ... Ross hello and welcome .... and introduces the panel 0:38 ... Episode #127 is dedicated to Devin Booker and Kevin Durant, who both averaged "27" points per game last season. 0:55 ... Bet OnLine live commercial read from Ross 1:36 ... We preview Tuesday night's opening games on TNT. 1:51 ... Bruce starts it off with a preview of Knicks vs Celtics, including some historical facts about their renewed rivalry.  World B reminds Bruce that the Knicks actually won game 7 of that 1973 eastern finals on Boston's home court.  World B also pointed out that the Knicks played more pre-season minutes together than any other starting five in the NBA. 6:14 ... Ross points out that Boston will have a target on its back like all champions. 6:53 ... Ross asks Bruce if he thinks Celtics coach Joe Mazzulla will use more players off the bench and Bruce feels that Luke Kornet and Xavier Tillman will give him good minutes at center in relief of Al Horford until Kristaps Porzingis returns from injury. 8:23 ... World B points out that NY is very thin up front with Precious Achiewa and Mitchell Robinson on the shelf to start the year.  Ross is looking forward to seeing Mikal Bridges' and his new jump shooting form. 10:50 ... In the second game on opening night, the Lakers host the Timberwolves and World B feels Minnesota has a solid collection of players and that Julius Randle and Donte DiVincenzo make the Wolves formidible. 12:24 ... Bruce is looking forward to seeing how TNT handles its coverage in the final year of their contract.  Will Charles Barkley and Shaq stir things up?  As for the Lakers/Wolves matchup, will JJ Redick throw Bronny James out there against an elite team in his first NBA game?  Ross feels that he'll get Bronny out there pretty quickly just to put it to bed. 14:46 ... Ross asks World B if he'd be shocked to see LA win the opener against a great Minnesota team.  World B says Anthony Davis will shoot a lot more threes this season. 17:25 ... The Thunder vs Nuggets game on Thursday provides OKC with a chance to make a statement against the 2023 champs on Thursday night.  Ross feels OKC is young and talented but World B thinks Christian Braun really needs to step up for Denver this season. 21:49 ... The Pacers vs Knicks on Friday will be another key first week matchup as they meet right away after having played each other in a 7 game playoff series last season.  Bennedict Mathurin's return gives Indiana a huge boost. 24:21 ... Ross is excited for the Suns/Clippers matchup at the new Intuit Dome in LA.  He also thinks James Harden may try to revert to his Houston days and become a volume scorer again.  Coach Mike Budenholzer is expected to really help Phoenix become a solid defensive team to complement their great offensive players. 26:51 ... Ross tees up our segment on postseason awards predictions.  We begin with the MVP race.  Shai Gilgeous-Alexander and Luka Doncic are getting love from our crew. 29:57  ... All three guys have different choices for Rookie of the Year.  Bruce likes Stephon Castle of the Spurs.  World B likes Zach Edey of Memphis.  Ross has the biggest eye opening choice in Tidjane Salaun of Charlotte. 33:50 ... Bruce considered Victor Wembanyama for two awards: Defensive Player of the year and Most Improved Player but he settled on Wemby as the top defensive player.  All three panelists agreed. 36:18 ... The Coach of the year discussion centers on Ime Udoka of Houston and Jamahl Moseley of Orlando. 39:10 ... The Most Improved Player Award is a three-way race between Cade Cunningham, Wembanyama, and Jalen Williams.  World B feels that this award has settled into a very predictable pattern with a good player who becomes a first-time All Star almost always winning the award in recent years. 42:29 .... Bruce predicts a Celtics/Thunder NBA Finals matchup with Boston winning and Jayson Tatum winning Finals MVP.  World B feels the Timberwolves will win the west but that Boston will be the eventual champion while Ross is on the OKC bandwagon and believes they'll use draft capital to bolster their team and ultimately win it all. 49:38 ... Ross says goodbye and see you next week! TRT 50:06                      

0:00 Intro 1:43 Bruce gives a quick shoutout & then explains the concept of tonight's show 3:01 Atlanta Hawks 4:50 Boston Celtics 7:15 Brooklyn Nets 8:59 Charlotte Hornets 11:05 Chicago Bulls 12:45 Cleveland Cavaliers 14:59 Detroit Pistons 17:07 Indiana Pacers 19:45 Miami Heat 21:45 Milwaukee Bucks 24:33 New York Knicks 27:46 Orlando Magic 30:38 Philadelphia 76ers 34:11 Toronto Raptors 36:03 Washington Wizards 38:25 Dallas Mavericks 40:23 Denver Nuggets 42:57 Golden State Warriors 44:58 Houston Rockets 47:27 LA Clippers 49:22 LA Lakers 52:16 Memphis Grizzlies 55:10 Minnesota Timberwolves 58:16 New Orleans Pelicans 1:00:58 OKC Thunder 1:03:31 Phoenix Suns 1:06:22 Portland Trail Blazers 1:09:45 Sacramento Kings 1:12:01 San Antonio Spurs 1:15:16 Utah Jazz

0:00 ... Ross welcome and introduces the panelists 0:46 ... Episode #125 honors Doc Rivers, who wore #25 during his entire NBA career 0:55 ... Bet OnLine live read 1:42 ... Bruce introduces PJ Carlesimo and points out his many attributes, including his ability to convince Italian restaurants all over the country to keep their kitchens open late when he is in town doing a game. 3:03 ... PJ on the "new look" New York Knicks and how Tom Thibodeau will deploy his new guys like Karl-Anthony Towns and Mikal Bridges. 5:43 ... PJ says that with Julius Randle and Donte DiVincenzo headed to Minnesota and Towns coming to New York, this trade will be great for both teams. 7:30 ... As for the Boston Celtics, both Jaylen Brown and Jayson Tatum have chips on their shoulders heading into the season. Bruce asks PJ if Joe Mazzulla will be able to channel some of that beef into positive energy that will fuel a long playoff run and possible repeat championship. PJ feels Mazzulla is up to the challenge. 14:42 ... The 76ers are also loaded now that Paul George has joined Joel Embiid and Tyrese Maxey for a new "Big Three" in Philly. Ross wonders if Nick Nurse should ignore the 65 game minimum for his oft-injured stars (PG and Joel) and make sure they're well rested for the playoffs. PJ says he thinks Nurse should play them more than 65 games, which he feels is important in order for them to be ready to perform at a higher level in the postseason. 19:17 ... Milwaukee Bucks head coach Doc Rivers hired Rajon Rondo as an assistant coach and Michael asks if PJ thinks he has what it takes to be a head coach in the league. PJ has a lot to say about the Bucks and how Giannis needs to step up and do a better job on the court. PJ said there was a lot of finger pointing in Milwaukee, which did not help the team last season. Health is a key for the Bucks with Giannis and Khris Middleton needing to stay on the court. PJ appreciates Rondo's hoop IQ and say he has a chance to be a great coach but there's more to being a head coach than what many people think. 25:40 ... PJ sees a dark horse team in the east and feels Indiana has been undervalued and explains that if they stay healthy, they're a dangerous team. The east is deeper than it has been in years and nobody is going to waltz through the conference this season. 28:09 ... It's now "Wemby's World" although he's still too young to drink red wine with head coach Gregg Popovich. PJ discusses the Spurs culture that Pop and RC Buford have built. Pop is great with "X's and O's," but his real strength is the relationships he builds with his players. 31:10 ... While the Spurs were lucky to get him, PJ feels that Victor Wembanyama is also lucky to be playing in San Antonio where there is less of a spotlight on his every move. PJ says he always watches Victor because you will eventually see him do something that you just can't believe. PJ shares a story about a game he did with Marc Kestecher on ESPN Radio last season where Wemby made a move that he couldn't even describe. 37:21 ... Michael asks for PJ's take on the relatively young Oklahoma City Thunder and whether they are seasoned enough to come out of the west this season. Chet Holmgren will be bolstered by Isaiah Hartenstein's presence and their rebounding will be much improved. But PJ describes the western conference as a "bloodbath" with so many strong teams competing on a nightly basis. 41:48 ... Ross asks about PJ's dark horse teams out west. Golden State isn't quite there yet but Phoenix will benefit from their new coach (Mike Budenholzer) and upgraded point guards. Kevin Durant is still the best closer in the league and never misses free throws. Devin Booker and Bradley Beal will be guys he has his eyes on. 44:52 ... Bruce wonders if Bronny James will flourish alongside LeBron. PJ feels kind of bad for Bronny because of the shadow cast by LeBron. PJ hopes he can be evaluated as a player and not as LeBron's son. 46:45 ... JJ Redick is now coaching the Lakers and the pressure in LA is always "win a title or the season is a failure." With Anthony Davis and LeBron, the rest of the guys need to really step up and that is JJ's mission. 49:04 ... PJ on Duke freshman Cooper Flagg and whether he is a "can't miss" player. PJ says he is the real thing and is totally convinced that he will live up to the hype. PJ got some Luka Doncic vibes watching him play. 52:53 ... PJ says Flagg doesn't really remind him of any other previous players. But he competed against MEN and more than held his own. The Olympics players will all say "he IS that good." 54:42 ... Ross thanks PJ for joining the show and says goodbye ... TRT 55:32      

0:00 Intro 1:35 Bruce pays tribute to Dikembe Mutombo who lost his battle with brain cancer 4:06 Karl Anthony-Towns traded to the New York Knicks 6:07 Is KAT the correct big swing for New York? 8:14 Does KAT's style of play mesh with Tom Thibodeau's style? 9:47 Knicks offensive spacing might look very similar to the Celtics 11:07 Can KAT handle all the pressure that comes with playing in New York with the Knicks? 12:45 Does KAT have the killer instinct? 15:24 Julius Randle's fit with the Minnesota Timberwolves 17:28 Any ball sharing or ball movement concerns in Minnesota? 20:46 Derrick Rose announces his retirement 25:40 Kawhi Leonard will not be starting Clippers Training Camp 100% 29:18 Zach Lowe out at ESPN 37:45 The top storylines we're looking forward to heading into the new season! 37:57 How the 76ers & Knicks try to compete with the Boston Celtics 40:30 Can the Boston Celtics repeat as NBA champions 42:46 Vince Carter set to have his jersey retired with both the Brooklyn Nets & Toronto Raptors

0:04 ... Opening Animation and Welcome to the show.  Ross introduces the 48 Minutes crew of Bruce Bernstein and Michael "World B" Freer. 0:40 ... Show #123 is dedicated to Lou Williams 1:10 ... Ross Live commercial read for BetOnline 1:48 ... Joel Embiid signs a three year contract extension for $192.9 million and everyone feels he has earned it and is deserving of the pay day. 5:48 ... Mitchell Robinson of the Knicks will miss the first few months of the season and coach Tom Thibodeau will need to use all of his creativity in order to fill the void he leaves. 10:17 ... With Boston's Kristaps Porzingis also missing the first three months, Embiid and the Sixers could bust out of thre gate and build a nice cushion in the Atlantic Division. 13:25 ... Western Conference Over/Under Win Predictions ... Phoenix Suns 15:42 ... Sacramento Kings 18:24 ... Golden State Warriors 20:36 ... Los Angeles Lakers 24:04 ... LA Clippers 26:46 ... Oklahoma City Thunder 30:13 ...Minnesota Timberwolves 33:29 ... Denver Nuggets 35:30 ... Utah Jazz 38:03 ... Portland Trailblazers 41:49 ... Dallas Mavericks 44:26 ... Memphis Grizzlies 47:53 ... New Orleans Pelicans 50:48 ... Houston Rockets 53:06 ... San Antonio Spurs 55:50 ... Ross pays tribute to Phoenix Suns play-by-play announcer Al McCoy who passed away this week at the age of 91. 56:36 ... Bruce follows up with some thoughts on how long-time play-by-play announcers bond with the fans in a much different way than the players.  Legendary announcers like Chick Hearn, Marv Albert, McCoy, and others like Mike Gorman become part of the lives of the fans of the teams. 58:04 ... Ross says goodbye   TRT 58:19

0:00 Intro 2:02 Burning Questions leading up to the NBA Preseason 2:12 Which playoff teams from last season are most likely to have a drop off this season? 18:09 Which team out East outside of the playoff field last season is most likely to be in the playoffs this season? 23:22 Which players should fans be on alert to take the leap into stardom next season? 34:19 Which team out West outside of the playoff field last season is most likely to be in the playoffs this season? 40:08 Ross's Best Bets: A look into some early preseason prop bets! 40:24 James Harden to average 20 ppg next season 41:15 Paul George to average 23 ppg next season 42:44 Brandon Miller to average 23 ppg next season 44:17 Tyus Jones to average 6 apg next season 45:19 Immanuel Quickley to average 20 ppg next season 46:35 Final Thoughts

0:00 Intro 1:42 Bruce asks Ross to provide a recap of Giannis Antetokounmpo's wedding in Greece 05:02 An Eastern Conference Focus on team Over/Under Win Projections 05:20 Boston Celtics 08:49 New York Knicks 11:23 Philadelphia 76ers 14:23 Toronto Raptors 17:40 Brooklyn Nets 20:55 Milwaukee Bucks 24:19 Cleveland Cavaliers 27:25 Indiana Pacers 30:39 Chicago Bulls 33:46 Detroit Pistons 37:23 Orlando Magic 40:18 Miami Heat 42:41 Atlanta Hawks 45:33 Charlotte Hornets 48:23 Washington Wizards

0:00 ... Hello and Welcome to the show. 0:51 ... Bruce live Bet Online Commercial Read. 1:29 ... Bruce introduces Ryan Ward, the host of the Jello Jigglin podcast and reporter for LakersNation.com. 2:07 ... Ryan explains "Jello Jigglin," the name of his podcast which honors Chick Hearn, the legendary Lakers announcer. 3:06 ... Everything begins and ends with LeBron James when it comes to the Lakers ... Bruce thinks he's the GOAT but Ryan has an alternate opinion .... Ryan explains why it's still Michael Jordan for him. 6:12 ... LeBron's son Bronny is a Laker and defense appears to be his strength .... Ryan shares his thoughts on Bronny and how he can use his defense to succeed in the NBA.  JJ Redick said Lu Dort could be a model for Bronny's upward trajectory. 8:56 ... Ryan feels Bronny can eventually become a solid shooter and he used Jason Kidd as an example. 11:03 ... JJ Redick is a rookie coach and he's LeBron's guy (for now), but the fans are not expecting much from him.  But he'll still take heat if the team flounders out of the gate.  Ryan ridicules those who compare Redick to a young Pat Riley. 14:13 ... Bronny has gotten all the attention but top draft choice Dalton Knecht is a three point shooter and could be a major factor right out of the box. 15:21 ... Ryan sizes up the Lakers backcourt situation with newly re-signed Max Christie joining Austin Reaves, D'Angelo Russell, and Gabe Vincent. 16:38 ... Christie signed a nice contract (4 yrs/$32m) but is that deal something the Lakers should have committed to? 18:43 ... This is the last gasp of the LeBron era and Ryan feels the rebuilding process is upon us soon.  He even makes a bold prediction about LeBron's future. 20:42 ... Anthony Davis is still at the top of his game and this could be the "last best chance" for AD and LBJ to get one more ring. 22:07 ... Ryan questioned why JJ Redick dissed AD's defense last season and suggested it might have been personal. 24:28 ... World B asks Ryan about AD's shot selection and what he needs to do to be dominant on offense.  While three point shooting has never been his thing, Redick loves the three and may ask AD to shoot them more frequently. 25:47 ... Bruce asks Ryan if the supporting cast is good enough for a long playoff run without a mid-season trade? 27:04 ... Has Rob Pelinka had a successful tenure as general manager after winning it all in 2020?  Ryan had a major problem with the Russell Westbrook trade and agrees with Dwight Howard about how breaking up the 2020 champions was a mistake. 30:40 ... The Clippers would like to consider themselves rivals of the Lakers and now they have their own new arena.  But much like the Nets vs the Knicks in New York, the Clips will never be the equal of the Lakers.  Ryan had fun describing how the Lakers built a new scoreboard in response to the Clippers massive new video board but he couldn't tell the difference between the new one and previous one. 35:04 ... Steve Ballmer could have moved the Clippers to Seattle but he chose money over team success. 35:39 ... This is the first time that the fans see Jeanie Buss as "public enemy #1" even though she is a great person.   Bruce shares his thoughts on how Jeanie hasn't had it easy with family conflicts affecting the operation of the team.  And the relatively small number of people in the inner circle has sometimes given LeBron more opportunities to exert his influence. 37:55 ... Ryan says Lakers Nation is convinced that LeBron is running the entire franchise and the fans are very negative towards the Lakers heading into the season. 40:06 ... The Lakers have usually found success trading for stars and even though they've drafted well, they always trade promising young guys for "one guy." 41:34 ... World B tees up a discussion on whether the team has a "Post LeBron Exit Strategy."  Ryan feels the future is really uncertain and their pattern of trading young players for stars probably won't continue. 45:27 .... The Knicks would like to emulate the Lakers in the way they attract stars, but now they're taking a different approach and the Knicks are hitting their stride. 46:50 ... Magic Johnson and Anthony Edwards recently feuded over Ant's statement about old school guys not being as good as the new school guys.  We all ridiculed Edwards for his bizarre take. 51:20 ... World B asks Ryan about Kobe vs LeBron and Ryan feels Kobe's mentality set him apart from LeBron.  He was a killer on the court, the way his mind worked, and the way he carried himself were all amazing.  Ryan said LeBron can do everything on the court but off the court he was not as great as Kobe.  Kobe was an inspiration in many non-basketball situations. 54:24 ... Bruce feels Kobe is an eternal life force who remains a presence in the hearts and minds of basketball fans everywhere. 55:46 ... Bruce feels that the Celtics and Lakers complete each other and measure themselves against each other.  There is a lot of respect there.  But Ryan feels Cedric Maxwell is one player that Lakers fans really hate. 57:54 ... Bruce thanks Ryan for joining the show and says goodbye . TRT 58:41          

0:00 .... Bruce hello and welcome 0:48 .... Live Bet OnLine read 1:29 ... Bruce introduces special guest Bill Pidto of MSG Network 2:27 .. How important is it to the NBA when the Knicks are relevant? 3:39 ... What has made Knicks president Leon Rose so successful in rebuilding the Knicks? 5:50 ... OG Anunoby joined the team during the season last year but he'll be in training camp this season ... what will the impact be when he is around from the start of the season this time around? 7:03 ... Julius Randle can be a polarizing figure, but Bill explains why he is so important to the team. 8:50 ... Bill and World B discuss how close the Knicks are to the Celtics in the eastern conference pecking order. 9:52 ... Head coach Tom Thibideau has a very deep team but still faces many challenges and Bill sizes them up. 12:02 ... The atmosphere in New York is electric when the Knicks are making a playoff run and the excitement level will be at a fever pitch this season. 13:27 ... With the departure of Isaiah Hartenstein, Jericho Sims may be asked to step up along with Precious Achiewa to fill that void behind Mitchell Robinson.  As the season goes on, the team's cap space could improve and then a move could be possible to shore up that position. 15:05 ... The Knicks would have liked to keep Hartenstein but the numbers didn't allow it. 16:43 ... Mikal Bridges and OG Anunoby are lockdown wing defenders which may help overcome the lack of a rim protector if Mitchell Robinson is out of the lineup.  Bill feels there are very few centers in the east that will test the Knicks rim protection. 18:38 ... Will the four Villanova guys (Brunson, Hart, Bridges, DiVincenzo) see time on the floor together?  Bill feels it could be a viable "small" lineup with Randle at center. 19:55 ... Although the team did give up a lot of future assets to acquire Bridges, there is one player (Randle) that could potentially be moved if the Knicks feel they need to replenish their future draft assets.  But Bill feels that is very unlikely. 21:20 ... What was the significance of Jalen Brunson taking less money in his new deal in order to give the team more cap flexibility?  Bill feels he put the team first while Bruce wonders if there could be any unintended consequences for his act of unselfishness. 24:16 ... World B's Knicks loyalty goes back many years but he understands the hype and he asks Bill  what the team's actual ceiling is. 26:23 ... Bruce, our resident Celtics fan is just itching for a Celtics/Knicks eastern conference finals which everyone feels will be an epic series. 27:48 ... The Knicks have done a good job of keeping their retired legends involved with the team and that adds to the excitement of the fans. 29:30 ... Bruce thanks Bill and teases next week's show with fellow BLEAV podcaster Ryan Ward of the "Jello Jiggin" Lakers-centric podcast. TRT 30:14

0:00 Intro 1:30 The crew breaks down the NBA matchups they've got circled on next season's calendar 1:56 Knicks @ 76ers matchup 2:58 Spurs @ Thunder matchup 5:01 Knicks @ Celtics on Opening Night 6:04 Knicks @ Pacers 7:25 Bucks @ Grizzlies 9:13 Suns @ Clippers 10:53 Nuggets @ Lakers 12:47 Suns @ Timberwolves 13:45 Warriors @ Celtics 15:08 Lakers @ Warriors on Christmas Day 16:02 Bucks @ Blazers 17:00 Bruce shares a quick rafting story 17:39 Mavericks @ Warriors 18:31 76ers @ Clippers 19:30 Sixers signing Guerschon Yabusele after his success this summer with France 20:29 Kings @ Rockets 21:31 Best Offseason Move Around the League 21:41 The OKC Thunder adding Isaiah Hartenstein & Alex Caruso 22:54 The New York Knicks adding Mikal Bridges 26:25 The Phoenix Suns signing Tyus Jones 27:31 Bruce gives a shoutout to a Spurs super fan 28:27 Chris Paul & Harrison Barnes joining the Spurs 29:44 Paul George joining forces with Joel Embiid in Philadelphia 31:57 The Bucks significantly improving their wings by adding Gary Trent Jr & Taurean Prince 32:58 The Magic signing Kentavious Caldwell-Pope 34:09 Klay Thompson making the move to Dallas to play with the Mavericks 37:03 The Kings adding DeMar DeRozan while also retaining Malik Monk 38:32 Caitlin Clark & the Indiana Fever are making noise in the WNBA 45:44 NBA Wedding Bells were ringing! Bruce shares the news

0:00 Intro 1:27 Initial Reactions to Team USA winning the Gold Medal Game 3:19 Steph Curry's epic finish down the stretch 9:57 Devin Booker's standout play & development this summer 13:12 Jayson Tatum's interesting summer 17:00 Joel Embiid becoming a worldwide villain 18:52 LeBron James continues to impress us all 21:22 Victor Wembanyama did not disappoint! 26:38 Team USA Women's team continue to dominate Olympic competition 29:44 Nikola Jokic's historic Olympic performance 33:17 Reactions to LeBron James winning MVP of the Olympics 34:43 All-Olympic Team Selections & Reactions 37:27 What could Team USA look like in 2028?

0:00 ... Hello and Welcome ... Ross introduces the panel and dedicates episode #116 to james Johnson, who wears #16 and begins his 16th NBA season in October. 1:00 ... Ross live read for Bet Online 1:47 ... The crew reflects on last week's show with Luke Kornet of the Celtics and what a unique guest he was. 3:33 ... Tyus Jones joins the Phoenix Suns and will be the steady point guard the Suns need. 6:45 ... The Suns rotation will change drastically and they were a poor 4th quarter team last season but Jones will solve many of their late game woes. 10:08 ... The Knicks re-upped Precious Achiewa as a backup big but their center situation is still tenuous with often injured Mitchell Robinson still on the team but reliable backup Isaiah Hartenstein  has moved on to Oklahoma City. 15:17 ... Reed Sheppard of Houston is favored by many to win the Rookie of the Year Award but Ross and Bruce feel Stephon Castle of the Spurs will win it while World B likes Zach Edey of Memphis. 19:34 ... Charles Barkley is talking about retirement but nobody takes it seriously since he has 7 years left on a 10 year $210 million dollar contract.  If he leaves Turner, ESPN could be a possibility but his deal would need to be different than most talent at ESPN because he probably would balk at the type of workload that ESPN analysts typically have to handle. 23:59 ... Inside The NBA could be a vastly different show next season as the sad reality of losing the contract with the league wears on the guys and some bitterness may show up on the air.  Ross appreciates how Charles always would stick up for the people behind the scenes whose jobs will be in jeopardy. 26:47 ... World B shares a personal story about being told he was being let go by the Golf Channel but that he had to work his final two months before his time expired.  It was a trying time and the Turner crew will probably experience something similar. 28:19 ... Turner operates NBA TV but if they retain control over the network, they could move Inside the NBA to NBA TV and make that low rated network much more prominent in the marketplace. 30:32 ... The Quarterfinals at the Olympics are set to begin on Tuesday with four games.  Team USA will play Brazil and should have few problems as long as they keep Brazil off the offensive glass. 33:17 ... Germany will play Greece and Giannis will be a force, but Germany is a more balanced team with Dennis Schroeder, the Wagner Brothers, and Daniel Theis and the Germans should advance. 35:43 ... Serbia plays Australia but nobody ever has an answer for Nikola Jokic.  The Ozzies have lots of NBA talent on their team but the crew likes Serbia. 37:37 ... France plays Canada and while France has Victor Wembanyama and Rudy Gobert, they never really seemed to mesh on the court and Canada looks like the team that should advance. 39:58 ... Team USA's 3-on-3 team was eliminated on Sunday, so we each selected our "Dream 3-on-3 Teams" from among American born NBA players.  Ross took Donovan Mitchell, Myles Turner, and Damian Lillard.  Bruce chose Karl-Anthony Towns, Jaylen Brown, and Mike Conley.  World B chose Kyrie Irving, Draymond Green, and James Harden. 45:25 ... Ross says goodbye   TRT 45:43    

0:00 Intro 1:50 Ross introduces 2024 NBA Champion Luke Kornet 3:15 What makes playing for the Boston Celtics different from any other NBA team? 5:49 Did the outside noise & championship doubt ever reach the Celtics locker room? 8:47 Having previously played with Kristaps Porzingis in New York, how has Porzingis's game matured? 11:41 Luke shares his favorite memory for the Celtics championship duck boat parade 13:40 Where did Luke get his sense of humor? 15:45 How much of the team success this year falls on Joe Mazzula? 19:57 Luke shares his thoughts on the new head coach of the Charlotte Hornets Charles Lee 22:38 How competitive was the very impressive Kornet household growing up? 26:50 Could Luke see himself becoming an NBA media personality in the future? 29:53 Who is Luke's funniest teammate on the Celtics? 31:26 Word Association with Luke 31:48 Derrick White 32:45 Jaylen Brown 33:42 Cedric Maxwell 34:17 Al Horford 35:05 Jrue Holiday 36:24 Eclipse Shot Contest 40:42 Is Luke getting used to these shorter offseasons?

0:00 ... Ross hello and welcome ... introduces Bruce, Michael, and guest Kevin Winter ... this is episode #114 in honor of Scotty Pippen Jr. 1:20 ... Ross's Bet Online live commercial read 2:15 ... Bruce complains that with two Celtics fans on the show, show #114 is NOT in honor of Boston legend Bob Cousy.  Ross expertly shuts Bruce down with a zinger that left a mark! 2:46 ... Bruce introduces our guest Kevin Winter, the long-time studio host of the NBA on ESPN Radio. 3:53 ... Ross tees the crew up for a discussion of Team USA as they finished their tune-up games on Monday against Germany.  Kevin feels the teams around the world not only can compete with team USA, but want to kick some American butt. 5:40 ... Bruce points out how LeBron James has been the dominant player for Team USA in their "friendly" matches. 7:04 ... Stephen Curry will be a huge factor and Kevin discusses some lineups he'd like to see Steve Kerr try. 8:13 ... Jaylen Brown was passed over for Team USA in favor of teammate Derrick White and Kevin said that Grant Hill always wanted White on the team, although he feels Jalen Brunson would have also been a solid choice. 10:02 ... Bruce asks if White's time in the San Antonio Spurs system prepared him to become the winning player he's turned out to be.  Kevin feels that former Spur players become excellent fits on the teams they end up playing for. 11:50 ... Ross wonders if Chris Paul will be a great fit in San Antonio and be successful.  Kevin is not so sure. 13:17 ... Bruce asks Kevin what it was like to be in the middle of hosting the NBA Finals live on the radio while riding the emotional roller coaster as a fan of the Celtics. 16:20 ... World B wants to know if Kevin feels the Celtics can repeat as champs next year?  Kevin has his eye on the Bucks with Giannis and Damian Lillard but is less high on the Sixers. 18:56 ... Bruce asks Kevin about his fellow ESPN Radio analyst PJ Carlesimo and some of their adventures in dining and how the coach makes sure food for the team is a priority and everyone on the radio team is properly fed. 22:32 ... Bruce tells a quick story about another "old school" coach, the late Paul Silas who worked with Bruce at ESPN and was like PJ in that he always picked up the tab for dinner for the crew because coaches knew that armies travel on their stomachs. 23:03 ... Ross asks Kevin about the mysterious Twitter/X fan "Yanos," and gets a hilarious response. 24:14 .... The LA Clippers have made some very strange moves as they get ready to move into their new building next season and Kevin is not optimistic about their chances for the upcoming season. 27:17 ... What do we make of the crosstown Lakers?  Can LeBron continues playing at such a high level as he approaches his 40th birthday?  Kevin says his days of winning championships are gone. 29:15 ... World B feels the Lakers have been good, but the conference is really tough and Anthony Davis & LeBron may not be physically up to the task of winning big in the postseason. 31:45 ... What about the Denver Nuggets?  Nikola Jokic and Jamal Murray, as always, are the indispensable guys.  Russell Westbrook and his aggressive style will work well off the bench for Denver next season. 35:18 ... Bruce tees Kevin up for a nice rant on Evan Mobley's max contract. 36:52 ... Jalen Brunson left money on the table on his recent contract and while it was a great gesture on Brunson's part, there could be unintended consequences. 38:44 ... Brunson's move puts the pressure on the Knicks front office to use the money to bring in more talent. 39:39 ... Kevin thinks Brunson may have gotten some grief from the Players Association over his act of generosity. 41:34 ... Bruce wants to know how Klay Thompson will fit in with the Mavs ... Kevin thinks Klay will help Luka Doncic learn how to win and he also likes the potential of Dereck Lively. 45:45 ... The guys discuss NBA executive Pat Williams and what he meant to the NBA and also to the Orlando Magic, the franchise he co-founded.  Williams passed away this past week at the age of 84. 48:27 ... Ross thanks Kevin for joining us and says goodbye TRT 49:29            

0:00 Intro 1:37 Jalen Brunson's decision to leave $113M on the table for the New York Knicks 11:01 Bruce shares a quick fun fact on Tom Thibodeau you've never heard before! 15:22 Underrated free agent signings across the league 21:16 NBA Las Vegas Summer League Notes! 21:23 Stephon Castle is officially shut down due to injury 23:24 More bad injury news for the Denver Nuggets with their top pick 26:31 Bronny James offensive struggles 30:27 Reed Sheppard is dazzling with the Houston Rockets 33:16 Bruce provides a summer league fun fact! 34:10 The Charlotte Hornets remain undefeated this summer 35:27 Brandin Podziemski continues his successful summer in Las Vegas 36:40 The NBA released the groups for next year's NBA Cup 37:05 Bruce explains how group play works in the NBA Cup 38:02 The crew dive into their initial reactions into the groups & which team they like winning each one 48:13 The crew reacts to the breaking news on Russell Westbrook's future with the Clippers

0:00 ... Hello, welcome, and introduction of panelists 0:43 ... This show is dedicated to Leaky Black 1:16 ... Bet Online live commercial read 1:56 ... NBA Summer league news, including Bronny James' impressive defensive skills 6:48 ... Zach Edey is off to a great start and could have an immediate impact in Memphis. 10:02 ... San Antonio's Stephon Castle is Victor Wembanyama's new wingman and Bruce predicts he'll be the NBA's Rookie of the Year.  World B thinks he could eventually be the starting point guard for the Spurs. 13:33 ... Ross wonders why Scoot Henderson is not on the Portland Summer league roster when he could really use the reps, especially when it comes to building chemistry with rookie big Donovan Clingan. 17:39 ... Cooper Flagg has been crushing it for the Select team in games against the Olympic team.  The 17 year old incoming Duke freshman appears to be "NBA Ready." 20:24 ... Anthony Edwards wants to be the "Number One Option" for Team USA ... stay tuned! 23:10 ... Kawhi Leonard was replaced on Team USA by Derrick White, but the crew is scratching their collective heads as to why White was chosen over his teammate Jaylen Brown when it made sense for Leonard to be replaced by another forward rather than a guard like White.  Brown did not appear to be happy based on a cryptic social media post. 26:48 ... Ross liked how Brandin Podziemski and Devin Booker seemed to have some beef with each other after one of the Team USA vs the Select Team games. 27:30 ... We switch to the WNBA and the battle for Rookie of the Year between Caitlin Clark and Angel Reese.  Bruce is getting a WNBA version of the "Larry vs Magic" vibe from four decades ago with Angel and Caitlin. 31:23 ... The crew discusses the curious exit of Caleb Martin from Miami after he left millions of dollars on the table in Miami to sign with the 76ers. 35:44 ... Future Hall of Famer DeMar DeRozan signs with Sacramento and it leads to a discussion about which of the four California-based teams is the best in the mythical "California Division." 39:47 ... Final Thoughts ... World B on how the potential of Cooper Flagg as the likely #1 overall pick in the 2025 NBA Draft could lead to a frenzy of tanking this season by teams eager to draft him. 41:31 ... Bruce will be hosting the "Hoop Hall Hangout" later in the day on July 11th with University of North Carolina All American guard RJ Davis at the Basketball Hall of Fame in Springfield, MA. 43:28 ... Ross sizes up his top Summer League performers including GG Jackson of memphis. 45:24 ... Goodbye and we're back next week! TRT 45:39    

0:00 Intro 2:00 The 76ers big start to the offseason 7:52 LeBron James & the LA Lakers 12:02 The LA Clippers offseason moves thus far 17:02 Chris Paul signs with the San Antonio Spurs 20:35 Is Klay Thompson the missing piece in Dallas? 24:22 The New York Knicks big trade acquisition of Mikal Bridges 30:26 KCP joining forces with the Orlando Magic 33:03 Should Nuggets fans be concerned that the team has let 2 valuable players walk for the 2nd straight offseason? 34:54 Reactions to the big moves by the OKC Thunder this summer 39:17 Boston Celtics big signings & a sale of the team on the horizon? 44:30 Final Thoughts: Our Winners & Losers of the offseason so far

0:00 Intro 1:47 Ross introduces guest Joe Doerrer of StrictlyBball 3:15 Joe being a diehard Timberwolves fan recaps their successful season & reflects on his time being around the team during Media Day 5:23 Joe shares what Anthony Edwards is like behind the scenes 7:48 What does Joe think the Wolves should do with their 27th overall pick in the 1st round of the draft? 10:12 How many prospects in this year's draft class has Joe covered live in person? 12:04 Joes provides his overview on this year's NBA draft & what fans can expect 13:43 Joe on the NBA's decision to split the draft into 2 nights for the first time in history 16:05 Joe on what he's been hearing around the league on potential draft night moves 18:30 Ross shares his “GG Jackson” deep sleeper prospect in this year's draft class 19:22 The 48 Minutes crew challenges Joe to a game of “Prospect Association” 19:48 “Superstar Potential” 20:34 “Best Athlete” 21:03 “Biggest Competitor” 21:43 “Best French Prospect” 22:58 “Basketball Junkie” 25:13 “2nd Round Sleeper” 26:06 “Best UCONN Husky” 26:44 World B asks Joe about Nikola Topic's game & how much his injury might effect his draft stock 30:43 Joe on Zach Edey's game transitioning to the NBA 33:53 Having covered many of Bronny James's high school games, Joe shares his outlook on his future in the NBA 36:58 Would Joe be surprised if Bronny gets selected before the Lakers pick at #55? 38:54 If Bronny is taken by a team other than the Lakers will he get some extra rookie hazing? 41:17 Tonight's final thought is a potentially strategic move by the Celtics on draft night!

0:00 ... Bruce hello and welcome 0:33 ... Bet Online live commercial read 1:13 ... Bruce Introduces his guests: Arsalan Iftikhar, Eric Newman, & Brad from @celticspost 2:40 ... Bruce asks each guy when they became Celtics fans and who their favorite player is. 9:50 ... Why was this year's Celtics team the one to finally break through and win it all?  Lots of love for Jrue Holiday. 17:58 ... Arsalan explains how Jaylen Brown emulated a character in the old He-Man cartoons 19:42 ... Holiday was the "Third J," and the 48 Minutes podcast played a major role in setting the stage for Holiday to join the Celtics when Giannis Antetokounmpo challenged the Bucks to make a big move. 21:50 ... Many said that Jayson Tatum and Jaylen Brown would never be a great fit as teammates, but they have cracked the code and created an incredible partnership as virtual co-equals. 30:32 ... Bruce dubbed Holiday and Derrick White "The Wardens" because they "lock up" opposing players.  Are they reminiscent of former Celtic legend Dennis Johnson?  Our crew has great appreciation for both of The Wardens for so many reasons. 38:47 ... Every dentist in Boston should offer to fix Derrick White's teeth for free over the summer 39:23 ... Al Horford in 2024 and Kevin Garnett in 2008 were both glue guys on championship teams in Boston.  Our crew compares and contrasts their respective roles but everyone understands what Big Al meant to the 2024 Celtics.  He always was able to keep the team together when the pressure was on. 45:26 ... Arsalan said Peyton Pritchard only makes halfcourt shots. 45:58 ... Joe Mazzulla won everyone over after being much maligned in his first season as head coach.  Team president Brad Stevens showed great faith in Mazzulla when others wanted him fired.  Everyone agrees that he will only get better as a coach. 50:40 ... Bruce thanks his guests and says goodbye and flashes the Larry O'Brien Trophy on the way out. TRT 51:23  

0:00 ... Hello and Welcome ... Ross introduces the panelists. 0:38 ... Episode #109 honors Derrick White, who wears number 9 for the Celtics and is now an NBA champion. 1:10 ... Bet OnLine live commercial read from Ross 1:47 ... Ross tees up our resident Celtics fan Bruce who describes how the 48 Minutes podcast from last summer set the stage for the Celtics to acquire Jrue Holiday after Giannis Antetokounmpo told the Bucks they needed to make a big move, which they did in trading for Damian Lillard. 4:37 ... Bruce felt the Celtics had "that look" all season and they were such a fun team to follow. 5:13 ... Bruce feels that this year's team is one of the five best single season Celtics teams ever. 5:45 ... World B felt the Celtics were one of the best teams we've seen in years.  They dominated the regular season and kept responding every time they were tested. 8:10 ... Ross shares what he felt were the three top storylines for the Celtics. 8:59 ... Ross cites the work of Celtics head coach Joe Mazzulla who erased all the doubts that people had about his coaching skills.  Ross also heaps praise on Jaylen Brown for his response to those who doubted him and the massive improvement in his game. 10:26 .... Bruce praises Brown's leadership skills both on and off the court. 12:30 ... World B reacts to Peyton Pritchard's 50 footer just before halftime and how the Mavericks never seemed able to recover from it and make a run. 14:20 ... Bruce points out how matchups are everything and Boston's perimeter defense was a matchup that was too much for Kyrie Irving and Luka Doncic to overcome. 16:17 Dallas needed a third wheel and nobody stepped up to help the Dallas Guards. 16:52 ... Ross and Bruce discuss whether it was sweeter as a Celtics fan to see the team win the championship on their home court instead of in Dallas. 18:49 ... World B shared some thoughts on adjustments Jason Kidd could have made against the Celtics, but Boston had way too much talent for Dallas to deal with.  But he still felt it was a successful season for the Mavs. 20:36 ... Bruce pointed out how Dallas completely outworked Boston in game 4 and it was reflected in the rebounding numbers.  But in game 5, the Celtics turned the tables, totally outworking the Mavs and crushing  them on the boards. 22:12 ... Bruce expresses his longstanding admiration for Al Horford and how he became a mini version of Kevin Garnett for this Celtics team. 24:09 ... Ross and Bruce discuss the impact Kristaps Porzingis had with his return to the lineup despite being injured during the series. 26:17 ... Ross and Bruce discuss what's next for the Celtics .... you couldn't be in a better position than they are moving forward.  Bruce feels head coach Joe Mazzulla is in a great position moving forward and is looking like "Erik Spoelstra 2.0." 28:32 ... Derrick White could be an injury replacement for Kawhi Leonard on the USA Olympic Team.  Bruce praises White as "Dennis Johnson 2.0." 30:19 ... World B is not concerned about White possibly being overworked due to his possible addition to the Olympic roster. 31:46 ... Bruce sizes up the Mavericks team moving forward and sees most of their key guys are signed for next season. 34:45 ... World B thinks the core group in Dallas will be kept together.  PJ Washington was a huge addition and has a great future. 38:38 ... Bruce feels Dallas needs better perimeter defense if they're going to contend next year.  World B feels the same. 40:31 ... Dereck Lively receives tons of credit from Ross for his rookie year performance. 41:37 ... Bruce praised Nico Harrison for the Lively trade last summer. 43:29 ... Bruce asks Ross and World B if they'd consider trading Kyrie Irving if they were running the Mavs. 46:36 ... Ross wraps things up ... congratulates Bruce and says goodbye. TRT 47:31      

0:00 Intro 1:30 Was it a surprise to see Kristaps Porzingis sit out Game 3? 3:40 Initial reactions to Dallas fast start in the 1st quarter 5:31 Thoughts on Jayson Tatum's aggressive game 7:17 The 3-point shooting differences in Game 3 10:51 A look at the final tally at the charity stripe in Game 3 11:59 Boston's defensive block party 13:41 Dallas's unbalanced offense 14:38 Is Luka Doncic wearing down in this series? 15:54 Was Bruce nervous when Dallas went on their 22-2 run in the 2nd half? 17:14 World B provides his take on the offensive foul call on PJ Washington in the backcourt 18:40 World B on Boston's 4th quarter pace issues on display again tonight 20:33 The Jayson Tatum/Jaylen Brown dynamic in Game 3 21:53 Is Jaylen Brown the favorite to win Finals MVP? 23:27 Will the Celtics close out the series in Game 4? 24:04 Bruce on where this Celtics team might end up in the Celtics history books 27:31 Some love for Xavier Tillman & Sam Hauser 29:58 The passing of NBA Legend Jerry West & memories 36:34 A special interview of Jerry West is up on Bruce's YouTube page: @PureHoopsBruce

0:00 ... Hello and Welcome 0:40 ... Episode #108 honors Kristaps Porzingis 0:57 ... Live Bet Online Read from Ross 1:33 ... Initial reactions to game 2, including Bruce's reaction to being in the arena on Sunday night ... the crew all believes Boston will eventually win but they differ on what they expect when the series moves to Dallas for game 3. 4:06 ... Bruce feels that Luka Doncic will continue getting his numbers but Kyrie Irving needs to bring it in game 3 or the series won't last long.  World B also feels Kyrie needs to find his shot and if he doesn't, Dallas is in trouble. 6:40 ... Boston's starting guards (Jrue Holiday and Derrick White) have turned Irving into the invisible man.  World B has a great stat on Holiday's defensive prowess against Kyrie. 8:51 ... Bruce feels Luka has been heroic but has had to work VERY hard to get his numbers but until Dallas starts making some corner threes they're in big trouble.  World B backs that up with some good numbers. 11:54 ... Boston's perimeter defenders have been the key to their success all season and they've disrupted Dallas' offense in both games.  World B pointed out how the Mavs are not a team that passes the ball a lot but against the Celtics defense their numbers are down even further. 14:00 ... Ross points out that other than Luka and Kyrie everyone else is a "one trick pony" who are not able to create shots on their own.  Boston, on the other hand has shot creators everywhere.  Bruce wonders if Tim Hardaway Jr will ever get a chance to play and attempt some threes. 16:37 ... Ross asks Bruce if Jrue Holiday is the series MVP after two games and is it reminiscent of Andre Iguodala's MVP run in the 2015 NBA Finals.  The crew is super impressed with his big game performances. 19:19 ... Jason Kidd has tried mind games but theycame off as desperation moves and Joe Mazzulla has out-coached Kidd so far.  Bruce cited a couple of panic moves by Kidd, including blowing his challenge in the first five minutes of game two. 24:20 ... Kristaps Porzingis has been great in his limited minutes after missing 38 days with a calf injury.  The guys feel Dallas may have not been ready for him to be as good as he has been. 28:48 ... Jayson Tatum has not shot the ball well but is affecting the game in many other ways. 32:48 ... Bruce feels Tatum and Jaylen Brown are a "Fire and Ice" combo whose on court styles are different.  Brown's stature has risen considerably this season. 35:29 ... The guys discuss the Caitlin Clark Olympics snub from USA Basketball.  World B feels her presence could be a factor in growing the women's game.  Bruce feels she has conducted herself properly in the wake of the "controversy."  Ross feels her lack of presence on the team will be a good factor in building tram chemistry. 40:45 ... UConn head coach Dan Hurley rejected the offer from the Lakers and is staying in college.  The Lakers must be smarting from this snub. 47:32 ... Bruce's final thought is on the Hulu series "Clipped," which is about Donald Sterling and is quite entertaining 48:05 .... Ross says goodbye   TRT 48:23                    

0:00 Intro 0:51 Bruce shares a quick fun fact on recycled Celtics uniform numbers 2:05 Opening thoughts on the 2024 NBA Finals matchup before diving deeper into things 5:18 Breaking down the backcourt battle in the series 11:00 Does Jaylen Brown open up the game guarding Luka? 14:40 A deeper look into the frontcourts of each team 19:17 Derrick Jones Jr's potential impact on the series defensively 26:56 Bruce raises a question in regards to the Mavericks shot blocking big's impact in this series 30:41 Reviewing the benches of both teams. Which team has the better bench? 35:25 Ross on Jaden Hardy's impressive play & stock rising during the Mavs playoff run 36:31 A look into the upcoming coaching battle in the finals 41:24 Bruce points out the similarities between Joe Mazzula & Erik Spoelstra in their early coaching days 44:42 Ross shares his Best Bets heading into the NBA Finals 45:57 The crew shares their NBA Finals predictions, who will be crowned NBA Champs?