48 Minutes (Bleav, Michael Freer, Ross Geiger, Bruce Bernstein)

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 Intro

1:25 Initial reactions from the crew on Dallas winning Game 1

4:02 The Mavericks front line impressed tonight

8:28 Anthony Edwards’s performance

11:10 Unusual suspects stepping up for Minnesota

14:19 Does Chris Finch coaching behind the bench play a factor in this series?

16:46 Adjustments Minnesota must make moving forward

17:30 The ball in the cylinder violation, was it the right call?

19:55 Do the Wolves bigs need to stay home on Kyrie & Luka drives moving forward?

22:45 Did our series predictions change after tonight?

0:00 ... Hello and Welcome

1:08 ... Bruce's opening thoughts on Ja Morant's "off the court" issues, which leads to a discussion of what the future holds for the Memphis Grizzlies' star.

5:15 ... Ohm's opening thoughts on the crazy postseason we can expect starting in just five weeks.

7:02 ... World B's opening thoughts on why he feels the defending champion Golden State Warriors are in trouble.

10:35 ... Ross' opening thought revolves around his good friend Giannis Antetokounmpo's ill fated attempt to record a tainted triple double on Sunday.

12:02 ... Our Clippers discussion begins with Ohm explaining head coach Ty Lue's concerns about the team's lack of solid defense.

16:16 ... Russell Westbrook has played well in his first few games as a Clipper, but is still adjusting to a new team and new system.

21:04 ... It's hard to imagine that the Clippers could be a "Play In" team rather than a solid higher seed.

22:25 ... The Clippers traded three point specialist Luke Kennard and acquired veteran Eric Gordon and Ohm explains the move.

24:50... Kevin Durant has transformed the Phoenix Suns after just three games and his presence has unleashed Devin Booker for some offensive fireworks.

25:10... Booker and Luka Doncic of the Mavericks were talking trash on Sunday and smack talk is nothing new for Devin.

29:47 ... Ohm speculates how high the Suns can finish in the western conference and who they might play in the western conference finals.

33:35 ... The Lakers have struggled all season but with LeBron James idled by injury, the team is getting a big lift from Anthony Davis and recently acquired Jarred Vanderbilt.

39:33 ... The New York Knicks are on fire and are getting great play from Josh Hart and Jalen Brunson.  They'll be a tough playoff opponent for certain.

43:31 ... Bruce is concerned with the Boston Celtics' lack of toughness and Ohm thinks that they sometimes play too much like a younger team.

47:10... Back to the Knicks ... Julius Randle and "Sixth Man of the Year" candidate Immanuel Quickley highlight the depth of Tom Thibodeau's team.

50:35... Our Mailbag question for Ohm concerns the Clippers' Terance Mann and what his postseason role might be.

52:19 ... Closing Thoughts: Bruce explains why NBA Commissioner Adam Silver might be a perfect fit to replace Bob Iger as the head of the Walt Disney Company.  World B feels Orlando's Paolo Banchero will still be Rookie of the Year although the race is tightening up.  Ohm shares his memories of the late David Benner, who was the PR boss for nearly three decades with the Indiana Pacers.  Part of Ohm's tribute involves a classic Reggie Miller story from the 1990s.  And Ross discusses the current Pacers team and why we should not write them off just yet.

TRT: 1:03:15

0:00 ... Introduction

0:20 ... Dedication of show #55 to Hall of Famer Dikembe Mutombo, who proudly wore that number.

1:08 ... Mirin describes the past month in the NBA with one word: "Chaos."

3:07 ... Discussion of Denver's Michael Porter Jr who was recently profiled by Mirin.  His health issues have been far more serious that most people realize.

5:21 ... Porter has not been without his detractors but his maturity is clearly on an upward curve.

7:25 ... Some in the sports media disparaged the Nuggets' championship run because of who their opponents were and this did not sit well with Mirin or the 48 Minutes crew.

12:15 ... Derrick White of the Celtics is a unique player and Mirin shares her unique perspective on his career and his role with the Celtics in light of the Marcus Smart trade.  Mirin shared how White referred to himself as the "Gerber Baby" due to his unique appearance.

19:14 ... Mirin recently spent a week with Scoot Henderson, the #3 overall pick in the recent NBA Draft and her insight into what makes him tick is compelling.

20:48 ... Scoot's family ties are incredibly strong and Mirin shares a great example of the devotion of his parents and sisters.

22:28 ... Scoot's new coach in Portland is Chauncey Billups, and we discuss how that relationship is an ideal mentor/mentee relationship.

24:08 ... Scoot and the Thompson Twins (Amen and Ausar) are products of the Overtime Elite program and Mirin shares her perspective on why the program is becoming so successful.

27:36 ... The Thompson Twins have been inseperable their entire lives, but now they'll be on different NBA teams.  How will that work out?

29:30 ... The parents of the Thompsons and Henderson are very similar in many ways ... Mirin explains.

32:35 ... Mirin's next book is on Hall of Famer Hakeem Olajuwon and Mirin tells us why he was such a compelling subject for her second book.

34:37 ... Mirin compares Olajuwon to Antetokounmpo and finds their mindsets to be eerily similar.

38:45 ... Bruce asks Mirin about how Hakeem approached playing basketball during the Muslim holy month of Ramadan when he was required to fast from dawn until dusk.

40:39 ... The crew plays "Word Association" with Mirin and here are the topics: Giannis, Ja Morant, Greg Oden, Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, Nikola Jokic, and Mirin's boss at the Ringer Bill Simmons.

49:31 ... Thanks to Mirin ... follow her on Twitter & Instagram @mirinfader and on her website mirinfader.com ... and bye until next time!

... TRT 50:50

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 ... Welcome to 48 Minutes episode #85 which honors Baron Davis, who wore that number twice.

0:33 ... Bet Online live commercial read

1:05 ... Bruce Bernstein's opening comment takes Chicago Bulls fans to task for booing the late Jerry Krause in front of his widow at last week's Ring of Honor ceremony.

3:18 ... World B. Freer's opening comment concerns how the new rule requiring players to appear in at least 65 games might affect postseason awards.

5:27 ... Ross Geiger's opening comment praises how the NBA has used the sport to help honor the memory of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. on the national holiday each January.

6:38 ... The Utah Jazz are playing great ball and are one of the surprises of the league.

8:50 ... The Jazz traded Donovan Mitchell to Cleveland last season and two of the players who joined Utah (Lauri Markkanen and Colin Sexton) have sparked the team.  Team President Danny Ainge is improving the Jazz just as he improved the Celtics.

16:30 ... Bruce points out that while Utah isn't the greatest free agent destination, it has always been a place that International stars are very comfortable.

17:14 ... The guys discuss the top four teams in the west and compare and contrast the "Big Four."

18:05 ... The case for the Minnesota Timberwolves

21:13 ... The case for the Los Angeles Clippers

28:25 ... The case for the Oklahoma City Thunder

30:47 ... The case for the Denver Nuggets

35:01 ... Everyone predicts which team will win the western conference championship.

37:05 ... Key guy returning to the lineup: Joel Embiid's impact

39:39 ... Key guy returning: LaMelo Ball

41:41 ... Key guy returning: Jimmy Butler

43:56 ... Key guy returning: Draymond Green

46:21 ... Key guy returning: Bradley Beal

48:52 ... Three Man Weave: Dame Time in Milwaukee

50:39 ... Three Man Weave: Pistons deal Marvin Bagley III to Washington.

53:09 ... Three Man Weave: Cleveland getting its act together.

56:26 ... In Bruce's Closing Comment, he calls Russell Westbrook our for his hypocrisy

57:37 ... World B's closing comment asks some thoughtful questions about the criteria for the "Most Improved Player" Award.

59:15 ... Ross concludes with a tribute to rookie GG Jackson of Memphis whose days in ther G-League may soon be over.

1:01:00 ... Ross says goodbye

TRT 1:01:15

0:00 ... Hello and Welcome .... Episode #83 is dedicated to Mikal Bridges and Ross Geiger explains why.

0:37 ... Live commercial read for Bet Online

1:12 ... Bruce's opening comment is on Steve Kerr's complaint that the Warriors lack grit, but Bruce feels the Warriors' biggest issue is the fact that the young guns around the league have caught up to the aging 'Dubs.

2:54 ... World B's opening comment deals with the fact that teams that can't make three-point shots can't win in today's NBA.

5:47 ... Ross' opening comment is on Senator Herbert Kohl, the former Milwaukee owner who saved basketball in Milwaukee by buying the team and then selling it to owners who promised to keep the team in Milwaukee.  Ross' life was personally touched by Senator Kohl.

9:20 ... Bruce tells his own Herbert Kohl story about watching a Bucks/Celtics game with the Bucks owner in 2012 and what that was like.

11:57 ... The Knicks and Raptors made a five player deal that was headlined by OG Anunoby becoming a Knick.  The crew examined Anunoby's expected impact for New York.

14:27 ... Bruce shares his thoughts on OG and how he's in a contract year and it will be up to his teammates to make sure he gets quality scoring opportunities in order to keep him motivated to play the type of defense he is expected to play.

16:39 ... Ross praises Anunoby's defensive skills and reminds us that he was a member of the 2019 NBA Champion Raptors.

17:26 ... World B shares some numbers from OG's first game for the Knicks and points out that his three point shooting is most effective from the corners.

19:00 ... Ross explains why Anunoby's corner 3's are a great fit with Jalen Brunson and Julius Randle who operate mostly in the paint and at the elbows.

19:50 ... Ross and World B discuss why they feel that Precious Achiewa is a significant addition for the Knicks.

22:40 ... Bruce likes Achiewa's versatility but doesn't feel he will be an effective rim protector at the center position.

24:02 ... Bruce thinks Barrett will face less scrutiny in Toronto from the media, but might face more distractions from family and friends in his hometown.

25:25 ... World B admits that he was down on Barrett and called him "a shooting guard who can't shoot."

27:15 .... Ross changes the topic to Immanuel Quickley and everyone expects him to do well in Canada.  Bruce feels that IQ and Coach Thibodeau were never really on the same page, and now that he's in Toronto, he could break out in a way similar to Tyrese Maxey in Philasdelphia.

28:56 ... Ross wonders how badly it hurt World B to see Quickley leave and World explains how he felt.

31:00 ... The second round pick the Raptors received from the Knicks is much more significant because it is really Detroit's pick.  Bruce likes the way Toronto is going about its rebuild.

33:56 ... Ross feels like the Raptors have won this trade.  World B feels that "any team that acquired Barrett" lost the trade.

35:31 ... Everyone is impressed with the Oklahoma City Thunder who defeated the Celtics on Monday night.  Shai Gilgeous Alexander is the leader of this group.  SGA was Ross' preseason MVP choice.

39:23 ... Bruce praises the cohesive nature of the Thunder team and points out all of the areas where they are among the league leaders.

41:02 ... World B doesn't feel that OKC needs to make any moves at this time.  Everyone discusses the great free throw shooting by the Thunder.

43:02 ... Bruce explains why Chet Holmgren has been such a game changer for OKC.

43:36 ...The Pacers and Bucks hate each other's guts .... isn't it great?

45:13 ... World B praises the historically great stretch that Tyrese Haliburton is currently enjoying.

46:26 .... Bruce reminds us about Giannis Antetokounmpo's continued dominance against Indiana.

47:45 ... Ross loves that Bucks' enemy Haliburton is a Wisconsin native.

48:18 ... Ross' Best Bets for Wednesday include a same game parlay.

49:39 ... In his closing comment, Bruce recaps the wild week the Detroit Pistons just endured.

51:33 ... World B praises Tyrese Haliburton for his continued brilliance including back to back 20 point/20 assist games.

53:38 ... Ross's final thought has to do with the Raptors and whether they should keep dealing, including Pascal Siakam.

54:49 ... Ross says goodbye

TRT 55:04

0:00 ... Show open and welcome ... episode #44 honors the great Jerry West who wore that number during his NBA career with the Lakers.

0:39 ... Michael Freer has a story about discovering old movies of Jerry West in the University of West Virginia sports office.

1:55 ... Bruce has a story about a chance encounter with West as a pre-teen at a shopping mall in Brockton, Massachusetts

4:05 ... Bet Online messaging

4:59 ... Bruce's Opening Tip on his frustrating Mother's Day when his car broke down and he had to listen to game 7 of Sixers/Celtics on the radio instead of watching it on TV.

8:37 ... World B's Opening Tip on new Suns owner Mat Ishbia and his confrontations with Nikola Jokic and firing of head coach Monty Williams.

11:11 ... Ross' Opening Tip takes MVP Joel Embiid to task for accepting only limited responsibility for the Sixers collapse against the Celtics in games 6 and 7.

13:11 ... Celtics/Sixers game 7 recap with commentary on how Boston's defense was the key to beating Philly in the final two games.   Joel Embiid was worn down by the "Two Bigs" lineup of Al Horford and Robert Williams III.

14:59 ... Bruce has a surprising fact about Jayson Tatum's scoring in the series.

16:16 ... World B on what game 7 will be remembered for.

18:30 ... The Sixers haven't made it to the conference finals since 2001

22:05 ... Heat/Celtics Eastern Conference Finals Preview and Bam Adebayo's role.

24:49... Can the Heat score enough points to beat Boston?

27:20 ... The Celtics need to be careful with the ball against Miami since they were turnover prone against the Heat this season

32:32 ... Heat/Celtics Predictions ...

33:30 ... Lakers/Nuggets preview

34:38 ... Bruce makes the case (yet again) for LeBron James as the greatest player of all time

36:07 ... Ross mentions the reserves that will have key roles in the Lakers/Nuggets series.

40:11 ... Bruce's number to watch is 5280 ... he will explain

44:22 ... Ja Morant is in trouble again.  Bruce highly recommends Kwame Brown's twitter rant and it's attempt  to talk sense to Ja.

47:05... Monty Williams got hosed in Phoenix by new owner Mat Ishbia

50:57  ... The Julius Randle hatred in New York has reached epidemic proportions and Bruce thinks the people who are down on him are flat wrong.

54:18 ...The crew has thoughts on Tuesday's Draft Lottery and where they'd like to see Victor Wembanyama end up.

55:09 ...  World B only cares about the Draft Lottery if the Mavs slip out of the top 10 and the Knicks get their pick.

56:09 ...Ross wants Wembanyama to go to the Spurs

57:02 ... Ross' "Best Bets"

57:38 ... Bruce's Closing Thought is is on a possible Lakers/Celtics Finals matchup

59:32 ... World B remains impressed with Nikola Jokic and his playoff production

1:00:15 ... Ross hammers Ben Simmons for his social media pettiness about the Sixers playoff loss

TRT: 1:01:52

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

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

The latest episode of "48 Minutes" begins with Bruce Bernstein's analysis of Jaylen Brown's new contract with the Boston Celtics followed by a discussion with Ross Geiger and Michael "World B" Freer on the preseason prognosis for the new look C's. Ross then asks Bruce & World B three questions he's dying to know the answers to. Each panelist will count down their top 5 teams heading into the season, share their 5 favorite all-time players by position, and conclude with a game of "What They Said/What They Meant." We'll even examine the new ESPN/ABC broadcast team of Mike Breen, Doris Burke, and Doc Rivers.

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0:00 ... Hello and Welcome ... Ross dedicates show #59 to Rajon Tucker.

1:05 ... Bet OnLine Live commercial read

1:42 ... Opening Comments: Bruce on Jaylen Brown's new Supermax contract with the Celtics and why the franchise did it.

3:47 ... World B defends Kawhi Leonard who was named to a list that nobody would choose to make.

5:28 ... Ross on Thanasis Antetokounmpo's new contract with the Bucks and why it is money well spent.

7:21 ... With Brown's new riches, the addition of Kristaps Porzingis, and Derrick White's increased role, the guys discuss whether the Celtics will be better or worse than they were last year.

11:30 ... The Milwaukee Bucks had the best regular season record last season, but lost in the first round of the playoffs.  Can they improve under rookie coach Adrian Griffin?

15:14 ... Ross asks Bruce and World B if they feel either LeBron James or Anthony Davis are capable of winning another MVP Award.

16:59 ... Our panelists count down their top 5 power teams heading into the season ... there is plenty of disagreement but lots of good analysis.  And definitely some surprising choices.

30:26 ... Just for fun, everyone shares their all time favorite starting fives by position ... Some of the choices will make you scratch your head while others may make you think.

44:11 ... When World B brought up the name of Jerry West, Bruce told the story of seeing the new movie Oppenheimer over the weekend and noting that the aggressive prosecutor in the movie was played by the same actor that portrayed West in the HBO series "Winning Time" about the Showtime Lakers of the 1980s.

45:04 ... Since many are getting tired of "Political Correctness,"  we play a game called "What They Said/What They Meant" where we cut through the BS and translate some of the PC terms that describe certain players.

47:47 ... World B's final thought is on the Orlando Magic and his hope that the upcoming season will bring increased success for this young and talented crew.

49:21 ... Bruce's final thought is on the new ESPN/ABC #1 Broadcast team of Mike Breen, Doris Burke, and Doc Rivers.  Mark Jackson is the odd man out and while he was a successful coach before joining ESPN, his coaching future is sketchy due to possibly being blackballed and we hope he can find a way to remain a vital member of the basketball family.

51:59 ... Ross' final thought is on Philly coach Nick Nurse and his stated objective of turning Paul Reed into the next Pascal Siakam.

52:45 ... Bye and see you all next week

TRT 53:02

0:00 ... Hello and Welcome to Show #53 in honor of Hall of Famer Artis Gilmore, who famously wore that number.

0:32 ... Ross introduces special guest Kevin Connors of ESPN

1:02 ... Kevin quick story about his Artis Gilmore autographed basketball

1:30 ... Bet OnLine introduction

2:09 ... Bradley Beal traded to Phoenix ... Kevin wonders if the Suns have enough money to surround Beal, Kevin Durant, and Devin Booker with enough talent to win it all.

4:33 ... Bruce agrees with Kevin on the salary issue but thinks Devin Booker won't be happy as a point guard if he is required to play that position with Chris Paul gone.

6:10 ... Ross feels DeAndre Ayton will be traded so that the Suns can acquire Draymond Green as a free agent.

7:07 ... World B thinks the Suns will totally be an Iso team and is concerned about Beal's durability.

10:00 ... The guys discuss the Ja Morant 25 game suspension and Kevin agreed with the NBA's decision to wait until the season was over before announcing Morant's suspension.

13:38 ... Will Zion Williamson be traded?  Kevin thinks he won't and Bruce agrees.  Bruce feels his lack of conditioning and style of play will continue to cause him problems as he moves forward in his career.   Ross disagrees and would trade him if he were running the Pelicans.

19:40 ... Lou Williams announces his retirement ... Kevin admired how he was comfortable in his role ... World B had a great number on Lou's career ... Bruce feels that Lou and Jamal Crawford are two 6th Men who belong in Springfield some day.

23:00 ... Our draft discussion begins with players who could be chosen in the top 5 on Thursday night.  Jarace Walker has really impressed Kevin.

24:41 ... Anthony Black of Arkansas is another player Kevin loves as a complete two way player.  Ross is concerned about his outside shooting but Kevin is really impressed with his intangibles.

27:44 ... Cam Whitmore of Villanova has an NBA body and while Bruce asked if his weight might be a problem, Kevin and Ross told him not to worry!

32:03 ... Victor Wenbanyama is the clear #1 overall pick but do the guys see him playing an center or forward for San Antonio?

35:27 ... More first round discussion ... Jordan Hawkins of Connecticut is a dynamic scorer and a bit older at age 21, but Kevin is cool with that and yes ... he's also a National Champion.

37:05 ... Gradey Dick reminds Kevin of a more athletic Kyle Korver and is the best shooter in the entire draft.

38:09 ... Keyonte George of Baylor has unlimited range and is very mature ... Jett Howard of Michigan is a great shooter but may be lacking in other areas.

38:43 ... GG Jackson is someone both Kevin and Ross are very high on but is a real wild card

39:17 ... World B is mostly concerned about the Charlotte and Houston picks at number 2 and 4.  Scoot Henderson and Brandon Miller are both in play.  Houston is in need of shooting as is every other team picking near the top of the draft.

41:42 ... Brandon Miller was involved in an incident at Alabama that involved a shooting that mostly involved another player and it was a huge story.  Miller's next game was at S. Carolina and despite all the heat he was taking, he destroyed SC that night with 41 points.

44:45 ... Bruce is intrigued by the Thompson Twins and Wembanyama's teammate Bilal Coulibaly as storylines he'll be following in the Draft.

45:49 ... More discussion on GG Jackson ... he originally committed to N. Carolina but ended up going to S. Carolina.  Biggest wildcard in the draft ... only 18 years old ... so young and so talented.  Ross loves him and thinks he has a full offensive package.  Ross added that he'll require patience from his team but he's a top shelf talent.

49:53 ... Bruce's final thought is on the joy he witnessed among the draftees and their families during his 15 year run working on the NBA Draft for ESPN with David Stern and Adam Silver.

50:08 ... World B doesn't care about the NFL Draft but he loves the NBA Draft and is excited about what his Charlotte Hornets will do with the #2 overall pick.

51:37... Kevin thinks it's a good draft but not a great draft ...

52:27... Bruce wants to know what Kevin loves more: the Buffalo Bills or the Foo Fighters ...

52:50 ... Ross' final thought explains why there will only be 58 players drafted this year.  The Bulls and Sixers lost their second round picks due to tampering and Ross shares the details.

53:43 ... Kevin shares his Twitter handle if anyone wants to follow him

54:10 ... Ross says goodbye

TRT 54:27

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

0:44 Bruce introduces our special guest in ESPN Senior Writer/Reporter Marc Spears who is soon headed to the Basketball Hall of Fame

2:00 Marc gives Bruce some love for all the hard work, support, & love he provided Marc throughout their time together at ESPN

2:55 Bruce asks Marc what it felt like to get “The Call” from the Basketball Hall of Fame

10:57 Ross asks Marc to discuss his initial takes on Victor Wembanyama

19:26 Ross asks Marc where he’d rank Nikola Jokic all time after earning a his first ring in Denver

21:41 Does Marc see the Denver Nuggets having a legitimate chance to repeat next season?

24:04 World B asks Marc for his thoughts on the criticism the Nuggets took after the Finals

27:51 Marc makes a great point on how the TV ratings didn’t suffer from a Nuggets/Heat Finals matchup

28:30 Bruce asks Marc for his insight into the situation in Portland with Damian Lillard 

31:40 Marc provides his thoughts & feelings on the Draymond Green situation in Golden State

35:24 Bruce asks Marc to provide more details into Andscape 

38:37 Marc talks at length about how special Scoot Henderson is on off & the court

43:55 The Marcus Smart trade, was Marc surprised Boston traded him?

48:43 Marc on Porzingis joining the Boston Celtics 

49:09 The 48 Minutes crew challenges Marc to one of their favorite games: Word Association!

49:37 Kobe Bryant, an incredible reflection along with memories Marc has with The Mamba

57:16 Marc on LeBron James

57:58 Carmelo Anthony & Should the Nuggets retire both #15’s for Jokic & Carmelo?

0:00 Intro

1:03 Bruce teases who the special guest will be on the show

1:20 Bruce introduces special guest Roland Lazenby

2:12 Roland discusses his new book titled “Magic” The Life of Earvin “Magic” Johnson set to be released next month

3:55 Bruce asks Roland to share a fact about Magic Johnson that even the biggest Magic fans probably don’t know

4:50 Roland elaborates on whether or not Magic Johnson should be considered the ultimate “Citizen Athlete”

8:40 Roland discusses the timeline he documented within his latest book on Magic

12:27 World B asks Roland to compare Michael Jordan to Kobe Bryant

17:12 Bruce shares a personal story on his time with Magic Johnson & Roland elaborates on Magic’s special ability to build relationships with others

19:20 Ross asks Roland his thoughts on HBO’s “Winning Time” & whether he thought Jerry West was portrayed unfairly

28:18 World B shares a quick story on how he first discovered how good of a player Jerry West was before Roland digs deeper into Jerry West

34:24 Bruce asks Roland to discuss the Chicago Bulls & of course gets his thoughts on ESPN’s “The Last Dance”

42:37 What surprised Roland the most about Kobe Bryant while writing his book on “The Mamba”

48:08 How Kobe connected with other people and touched the lives of so many

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

0:00 ... Hello and Welcome

0:26 ... Bet OnLine Live commercial read

1:08 ... Bruce starts out by giving credit to the "48 Minutes" crew for setting in motion several moves that reshaped three NBA franchises: the Bucks, Celtics, and Blazers.

1:46 ... Bruce wanted Holiday on the Celtics from the moment he was traded by the Bucks to Portland.  Holiday teams with Derrick White to give Boston an incredible defensive duo on the perimeter.

2:57 ... Ross asks World B to compare Holiday to the departed Marcus Smart and World B feels Jrue is a significant upgrade for Boston at that position.

4:26 ... Bruce feels the addition of Holiday is a "win now" move for Boston.  He feels that White and Holiday will be among the league leaders in forcing turnovers and that opposing teams will have a lot of trouble getting into the paint against the Celtics.

5:50 ... World B explains that Boston was already a top two defensive team (last season) and now the Celtics and Bucks are clearly the two best teams in the east and possibly the two best teams in the entire league.

7:16 ... Ross asks Bruce about Boston's front court depth and Bruce feels they need one more big on the roster to play behind Kristaps Porzingis and Al Horford.  Among the possibilities Bruce mentions are Andre Drummond of the Bulls and three available free agent bigs.

9:15 ... Bruce cites some other depth issues for the Celtics

9:58 ... World B points out that Porzingis played well last season for the Wizards when paired with fellow big Daniel Gafford and we should not be surprised if Porzingis and Horford play significant minutes together at times.

11:13 ... Moving to Milwaukee's situation, Ross wonders if the Bucks will regret freeing up Holiday to join Boston.  World B feels that the Bucks would not do anything differently in dealing Holiday to get Damian Lillard.

12:59 ... Bruce feels the Lillard acquisition was essential for the Bucks since they often struggled offensively late in games and Dame solves many of those problems.

13:19 ... Bruce points out that Lillard joining Giannis has echoes of Clyde Drexler joining Hakeem Olajuwon in Houston in 1995 and helping "The Dream" win his second NBA title.  Bruce also points out that in a Bucks/Celtics playoff series, Holiday and Lillard will be a fascinating individual matchup as they'd likely guard each other.

14:39 ... Ross points out that the Bucks acquired Cameron Payne on Sunday as their backup point guard and all the guys agreed it was an excellent move.

17:26 ... The guys pay tribute to the Portland Trailblazers general manager Joe Cronin for his off-season moves and how he turned what looked like a situation where Lillard might have to be traded for "pennies on the dollar" into a major haul of talent and future assets.  Bruce feels he is the early favorite for next season's NBA Executive of the Year.

19:49 ... World B gives Cronin a grade of A+ for his Lillard dealings.

21:13 ... Ross feels that Cronin's great achievement might be if Scoot Henderson wins Rookie of the year.

22:11 ... Ross leads a discussion on whether the Blazers might use Deandre Ayton and Robert Williams III in a "Twin Towers" setup and if so, who would play the 4 and who would play the 5.

26:03 ... Ross leads a discussion on the "lost" off-season of the Miami Heat.  Bruce cites the aging players on Miami but predicts that they'll continue to develop undervalued players on their roster with some surprise contributors emerging.  Bruce also thinks Heat GM Andy Elisburg should call Cronin and see if Brogdon is available in a trade because he'd be an upgrade at point over "soon to be 38 year old Kyle Lowry."

28:30 ... Ross asks World B how he feels (as a Knicks fan) about Miami's off-season difficulties.

29:56 ... Ross is curious as to what the Heat will be able to do to upgrade the team as the season rolls on.

30:39 ... Ross bye until next time

TRT 30:57

0:18 ... Episode #52 is dedicated to Hall of Famer Jamaal Wilkes who wore #52 for the great LA Lakers teams of the 1980s.

1:05 ... Ross reads info on our title sponsor BetOnline.

2:02 ... Bruce's opening comment takes issue with the Miami Heat's stunt involving UFC fighter Conor McGregor and his knockout of Heat mascot "Burnie" last weekend.

3:18 ... Ross opens with his feelings about Kyrie Irving's attempt to recruit LeBron James to join him on the Dallas Mavericks.

4:45 ... Bruce and Ross begin their discussion of game five of the NBA Finals and the intense competition, particularly down the stretch in the 4th quarter.

8:12 ... Jimmy Butler was a non factor for most of the game before finally making his presence felt in the final quarter.

8:42 ...Bam Adebayo and Kyle Lowry carried the Heat for most of the game before Butler decided to assert himself in the final minutes.

10:47 ... Everyone was astonished that Butler was awarded three free throws on a play that was reviewed and should have been overturned (but wasn't).

12:15 ... The Nuggets executed beautifully down the stretch, led by Jokic who always controls the pace and plays at his own speed.

15:18 ... Most fans can't help but respect what Denver did as they are a likable team that plays physically but always plays clean.

18:05 ... Bruce and Ross discuss Jokic's place in history and Bruce believes he's the best "Big" since Tim Duncan retired 7 seasons ago.

21:00 ... Ross feels Jokic is flirting with being a top 15 player of all time.

24:45 ... The Raptors have filled their head coaching position and they chose a 44 year old native of Serbia.

29:04 ... Former Bucks assistant Charles Lee has joined the Boston Celtics coaching staff as the "lead assistant coach" along with former Celtics guard Sam Cassell.  But which guy is the "Top" assistant to Joe Mazzulla?

33:33 ... The Nuggets and Thunder made a rare trade that took place during the NBA Finals.  Why is it significant for both teams?

38:36 ... Ross challenges Bruce and himself in the latest episode of the Basketball Card Challenge which tests both of their knowledge on random NBA players.

49:28 ... Bruce's closing comment is on the Miami Heat's organizational culture and why it really is a "thing."

50:23 ... Ross' closing comment concerns a report from NBA reporter Shams Charania that the Pelicans and Hornets are considering a major trade before the June 22nd NBA Draft.

51:23 ... Bye and see you next time

TRT 51:37

0:00 Intro

1:36 Bruce provides his opening tip on Jaylen Brown’s embarrassing moment

2:39 World B pays his respects to longtime NBA coach Brendan Malone

4:24 Ross shares a friendly reminder that the preseason is not just a warm-up for the players

5:41 NBA Stars on new teams

5:56 Jrue Holiday & Kristaps Porzingis make their Celtics debuts

10:16 Brad Beal shines in his Suns debut

15:34 The clock has yet to start on Dame Time in Milwaukee through 2 preseason games

19:51 Preseason Rookie Debuts highlighted by the Wembanyama vs. Holmgren matchup

24:05 Jarace Walker

28:14 Ausar Thompson

32:44 Potential breakout candidates

33:01 Payton Pritchard

34:22 Jonathan Kuminga

36:08 Grayson Allen

39:00-39;41 SHORT SEGMENT

39:49 Which NBA team can come out of nowhere this season

39:58 Charlotte Hornets

42:38 Houston Rockets

44:55 Indiana Pacers

47:03 World B provides his final thought on Barry Melrose

49:27 Bruce on the scheduling of Game 1 of the WNBA Finals

50:51 Ross shares his NBA conspiracy theory to close out the show

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 ... Open animation and welcome ... show #74 is in honor of NBA official Curtis Blair

0:39 ... Bet OnLine Live commercial read

1:18 ... Bruce's opening comment is on his new Granddaughter Sophie Robyn Bernstein

2:22 ... World B eliminated Joel Embiid from the MVP discussion for a very bizarre reason and it wasn't the first time the reigning MVP threw a pass that went awry in a big way

5:00 ... Ross comments on the specialized floors that will be in use for the "In Season" tournament and why they might be awkward ... TV Producer Bruce checks in with his thoughts on the visibility of the players competing on such colorful playing surfaces.

6:35 ... The guys size up the Celtics 3-0 start and what is behind it, but Bruce is concerned that the offense needs to feature more ball movement.

9:56 ... The Pacers are also off to a fast start behind a stud point guard and seven players averaging double figures

13:21 ... The Orlando Magic are off to a hot start behind their huge frontcourt and their outstanding rebounding and defense, but World B says they need more shooting from their guards

19:04 ... The Pelicans have started well behind their Big Two of Zion Williamson and Brandon Ingram along with some solid defense

23:12 ... The Mavericks are 3-0 out of the gate behind Luka Doncic, but their porous defense may eventually catch up with them.   Ross and Bruce aren't impressed but World B is still on their bandwagon.

27:31 ... The Nuggets are off and running behind Nikola Jokic, who continues to look like the MVP.

30:23 ... Then there are the teams who have struggled out of the gate.  The guys size up the Rockets, Blazers, Grizzlies, and the Nets.  There is hope for Houston and Brooklyn, but things in Memphis could get really ugly.

35:54... The guys look forward to the best matchups of the upcoming week: Kings/Warriors, Pacers/Celtics, Pistons/Pelicans, Celtics/Nets, Knicks/Bucks, and Warriors/Thunder

41:20 ... In honor of Bruce's new Granddaughter, the guys play an NBA version of "Red Light/Green Light."  The topics: Jalen Johnson, James Harden and the Clippers, Harden and the 76ers, Zion Williamson and Brandon Ingram, and Nikola Jokic/Chet Holmgren

46:58 ... Ross gives his "Best Bets" on guys that should always be targeted in possible parlays: Norman Powell, Russell Westbrook, Shaeden Sharpe, and Dennis Schroeder

48:38 ... Bruce's closing comment is on Chris Paul's seeming acceptance of the 6th Man role for the Warriors

49:45 ... World B likes Brandon Miller as a dark horse "Rookie of the Year" candidate

51:13 ... Ross has a closing comment on the upcoming schedule for the 48 Minutes podcast and what the crew has planned on a weekly basis this season.

51:41 ...Goodbye and see ya' next time ...

TRT 51:46

0:00 Intro

1:14 Celtics/Cavs Game 4 Postgame Reactions

10:28 Pacers/Knicks Series Overview & Game 5 Predictions

21:25 Timberwolves/Nuggets Series Overview & Game 5 Predictions

27:08 Thunder/Mavericks Series Overview

32:57 Head Coaching Firings, Hirings, & Openings

33:07 Phoenix Suns firing Frank Vogel & hiring Mike Budenholzer

39:38 Charles Lee named the new head coach for the Charlotte Hornets

44:12 The latest on the LA Lakers coaching vacancy & potential candidates for the job

49:28 The Atlanta Hawks win the NBA Draft Lottery

0:00 ... Welcome to the show and opening comments from Ross, Bruce, and World B.

1:15 ... Bruce discusses how the Nets are faring without Kevin Durant after their first two games with  KD on the injured list.

3:10 ... "World B" makes the case for Minnesota's Anthony Edwards to be named an All Star.

5:14 ... Ross wonders when the first domino will drop in the NBA trade market.

7:13 ... Why is Jae Crowder still in Phoenix if the team isn't using him?

8:26 ... Bruce shares some of Hall of Fame writer Marc Stein's hottest trade rumors.

11:14 ... Jayson Tatum drops 51 on Charlotte in the top performance of the MLK Day games.

17:14 ... Toronto tops the Knicks in overtime as the Raptors show signs of life.

20:46 ... Jrue celebrates the "Holiday" with a vintage 35 point performance for the Bucks against the Pacers.

22:27 ... The Hawks beat the Heat and finally reach the .500 mark.

26:24 ... The Memphis Grizzlies are big, tough, and deep as their win streak reaches 10 on Monday vs. the Suns.

28:38 ... Ja Morant's dunk against the Pacers on Saturday is still resonating.

29:50 ... The Denver Nuggets are rolling, but is their defense good enough to win a chip?

31:44 ... "World B" says "Do not sleep on the Pelicans" as they continue to win their share of games even while playing without two of their stars.

33:10 ... Ross praises Denver's Aaron Gordon for expanding his playmaking skills for the Nuggets.

35:27 ... The Sacramento Kings are flourishing under the leadership of head coach Mike Brown, whose team is scoring at a league leading pace.

42:00 ... Harrison Barnes of the Kings is aging like fine wine in his 12th season at the age of just 30.

44:02 ... Bruce leads off a discussion on the importance of depth with his breakdown of the Nuggets' top 7 players.

45:54 ... "World B" has the numbers on the most productive benches in the league.

48:21 ... Ross gives his "Best Bets" and how Josh Giddey, Victor Oladipo, and Trey Lyles will make you some money.

50:22 ... Bruce, World B, and Ross share their thoughts on Civil Rights icon Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. and why he is missed so much in contemporary society.

TRT 55:29

0:00 Intro

0:59 Bruce serves up his opening tip discussing Luka’s recent injury & the opportunity for Kyrie

2:28 World B gives his thoughts on Steven Adams & how that absence has hurt the Grizzlies

4:15 Ross touches on KD’s much anticipated Suns home debut or lack thereof

5:27 The crew dives deeper into Wednesday night’s news of Kevin Durant’s injury

15:37 The Memphis Blues: Grizzles continue to stumble

23:51 The crew discuss the latest conflicts between NBA players & NBA referees 

34:01 We announce the 48 Minutes All-NBA Reserve Starting Lineup!

50:00 Best Bets! Ross shares his Top 5 players for First Basket Bets

52:10 Bruces shares his final thought on Jim Boeheim’s retirement

54:15 World B gives his final thought on the recent news on Lonzo Ball

56:24 Ross uses his final thought to vent about his fantasy team this year

58:46 Bruces shares the exciting news about our next guest on the show

0:00 Intro

3:02 James Harden could learn a thing or two from Josh Dobbs in the NFL

5:32 The New Orleans Pelicans lose their leader CJ McCollum to some unfortunate news

6:44 Ross shares which rookie he’s enjoyed watching the most so far this season

7:47 Victor Wembanyama’s hot start with the San Antonio Spurs

16:10 Phoenix Suns stumbling out of the gates while dealing with key injuries

21:49 The Boston Celtics continue to be a Juggernaut

29:53 Three Man Weave: NBA Storyline Edition!

30:00 CP3’s successful adjustment to joining the Warriors

33:13 The 76ers are now 5-1 without James Harden

38:09 The Grizzlies start the year 1-6 on the season

45:37 Ross provides his Best Bets! 5 players to keep in mind for your parlay & prop bets

47:21 Bruce gives us James Harden’s debut stat line & shares his thoughts on this Clippers group

49:14 World B absolutely roasts Jordan Poole for his final thought

51:17 Ross raises one final question to Bruce & World B to get their thoughts on the new In-Season Tournament courts

0:43 ... Opening thoughts from "World B" on Kemba Walker, who was released by Dallas, and Ross' thoughts on the Tyrese Haliburton/LaMelo Ball point guard matchup from Sunday.

3:40 ... With Kevin Durant likely to miss a month with an MCL injury, Bruce wonders if Kyrie Irving is capable of carrying the Nets until KD returns.

6:26 ... Which Brooklyn players besides Kyrie need to step up in Durant's absence?

12:19 ... The Lakers have been playing well recently behind the incredible leadership of LeBron James, who is playing like vintage LeBron in his 20th NBA season.

18:44 ... The other team in LA, the Clippers have hit the skids, losing 6 straight games.  How did things so wrong for Kawhi Leonard's crew?

23:20 ... How would a team of the best International players fare against a team of the best American players?  The guys examine all the matchups.

36:14 ... Ross attempts to stump Bruce and "World B" in a new game called "Too Cool for School" where our "experts" attempt to answer questions about colleges attended by several NBA players.

40:16 ... Since we're at the exact mid-point of the regular season, the crew gives out their mid-season awards.

50:55 ... The Best Bets gambling segment features over/under prop bets on Donovan Mitchell and Lauri Markkanen as Mitchell returns to Utah on Tuesday.

53:11... Final Thoughts on the multiple OKC Williamses and the search for defense around the league.

TRT 56:14

0:00 Hello and Welcome

0:45 Rui Hachimura to the Lakers ... he'll be a big piece moving forward ... his presence is examined from all angles.  How he should flourish with LeBron James as a teammate.

5:00 Jonathan Isaac returns for Orlando and lights it up in his first game back.

6:40 Anthony Davis and Brandon Ingram will be back ... and not a moment too soon for their teams.

9:22 The Celtics were rolling into Orlando on Monday with a 9 game win streak, but a funny thing happened on the way to 10 straight.

16:56 The Sixers are finding ways to win despite being short handed for much of the season.  Their role players have really stepped up.  PJ Tucker has provided grit even with limited numbers.

22:16 The Nets are heating up as Kyrie Irving raises his game in Kevin Durant's absence.  He's getting help from role players like Nic Claxton, Royce O'Neale, and TJ Warren.

28:29 Halftime Break

28:45 The Thunder are rising in the west behind Shai Gilgeous Alexander and the kid from Down Under Josh Giddey.

34:17 Phoenix hopes to rise from the ashes with Chris Paul back on the court and Devin Booker hopefully returning soon.  DeAndre Ayton needs to get more aggressive blocking shots.

40:29 Mail Bag ... Bruce compares and contrasts Celtics stars Jayson Tatum and Jaylen Brown against Larry Bird and Kevin McHale from the 1980's Celtics.  You may be surprised at what he tells you.

44:03 Mail Bag ... Ross answers a question about O.G. Anunoby's "up side."

46:31 Ross shares his best bets in the world of shot blockers and how they can make you some $$$.

48:55 Bruce praises Shannon Sharpe for owning his poor behavior at the Grizzlies/Lakers game last Friday.

50:08 World B thinks Kawhi Leonard is about to lead the Clippers on a nice run.

52:36 Ross has a great suggestion for the rules committee when it comes to running out the clock and why players are unfairly treated when they're holding the ball as the clock expires.  Bruce has a suggestion for rookies that get bogus turnovers hung on them, but Ross does not think will end well if they ever tried it.

54:13 Bye Bye

TRT 54:35

0:00 Intro

1:57 Which team do we trust more: The Denver Nuggets or Boston Celtics?

9:12 Which team has been better since the All-Star break? The Nuggets or the Bucks?

18:05 NBA Championship Pick: The Boston Celtics or the field?

23:43 LeBron James reached 40K all-time points. Will we see another player reach 40K points again?

30:14 Caitlin Clark becomes the NCAA’s all-time scoring leader

34:02 Is it time to hit the panic button on Tyrese Haliburton & the Indiana Pacers?

38:00 Devin Booker’s injury news & the Suns upcoming schedule without him

44:51 Announcement Time! 48 Minutes Live is back on Playback.TV Wednesday night

0:00 Intro

1:30 World B discusses Pat Riley’s impressive career resume for his opening tip

3:34 Bruce reflects on his Boston Celtics bowing out of the NBA playoffs 

5:25 Ross provides his opening tip on Mike Dunleavy being the odds on favorite to become the Warriors General Manager

7:00 2023 NBA Finals Game 1 Recap & Reactions as the Nuggets were victorious 

20:12 Game 2 Adjustments for the Miami Heat 

28:20 Big news around the association

45:44 Jeff Van Gundy’s ideas on shortening NBA games

55:43 World B gives his final thought on the NBA improving their offseason attention

57:18 Bruce gives his final thought on Nick Nurse’s comments on James Harden earlier on Thursday

59:28 Ross thinks Dame Time should be up in Portland for his final thought

0:00 Intro

0:35: Bruce shows off his brand new 48 Minutes Podcast t-shirt which are now on sale

1:28: Bruce speaks on the Celtics dominance of the Nets for his opening tip take

2:33: World B tells NBA fans to pump the breaks on overreacting to deadline trades

4:51: Ross shares his opinion on Thursday night’s 9 p.m. local start time for Clippers at Bucks

5:47: The crew discusses whether this late game start in Milwaukee benefits the Clippers who are usually on West coast time

7:27: The 2023 All-Star Game Reserves were announced, the crew reacts to selections

21:05: The crew discusses the current state of the Memphis Grizzlies as they’re in a slump

25:46: Is it time to hit the panic button in Dallas with the Mavericks? 

33:29: Is it more important to have a great big man or a great point guard? We share our answers

40:18: MAIL BAG! Listener submitted questions

50:54: Best Bets: Ross shares 2 hot rookies that deserve consideration for your next same game parlay

53:10: Bruce shares his final thought on the Minnesota Timberwolves as they’re on the rise

54:30: World B uses his final thought to discuss the Clippers as they’re picking up some serious momentum

55:54: Ross teases a fun upcoming show idea to continue to keep his co-hosts on their toes

57:25: Outro 

0:00 ... Ross Geiger welcomes everyone to the show

1:04 ... Ross live commercial read for Bet Online

1:38 ... Bruce Bernstein introduces our special guest Marc Kestecher, the Voice of the NBA on ESPN Radio

2:34 ... Marc tells the story of how he first came into contact with Bruce at the 2006 NBA All Star Game in Houston and how their friendship almost ended before it even began.

3:40 ... Marc will celebrate his 25th year at ESPN in 2024 and he explains how he almost gave up on doing "play by play" but ESPN Radio showed confidence in him and the rest is history.

6:02 ... Marc called games from the Orlando Bubble in 2020 and shares some stories of life in the bubble, including bonding with fellow broadcasters when they were allowed to interact outside of the quarantine area.

8:02 ... Marc discusses his experiences working with Doris Burke and how she is a trail blazer, is able to multitask while doing a live game, and talking with the producer in between her comments.

10:27 ... Marc's broadcast partner PJ Carlesimo famously organizes postgame meals on the road, sometimes pulling off what would be impossible for mere mortals but is routine for PJ.

14:54 ... Marc marvels at the incredible energy of ESPN Radio analyst and Hall of Famer Hubie Brown, who is close to 90 years old but still on top of his game.

18:30 ... Marc will be calling college football games before NBA season starts and he is very excited to be calling the top 10 matchup between Florida State and LSU over Labor Day weekend.

20:18 ... The FIBA World Championships are underway in the Phillipines and the crew discusses which players are setting themselves up for breakout seasons after performing well in the tournament.

22:54 ... Team USA head coach Steve Kerr has done a great job managing the frustration of players who wish they could have a bigger role in the tournament.

25:06 ... Anthony Edwards of the Timberwolves and Paolo Banchero are growing really quickly as a result of their FIBA experiences and Marc is really excited about Banchero and also how the Wolves will be impacted by an improved Edwards.

28:17 ... Our Two-a-Days begin with an examination of the Denver Nuggets.  We react to Track & Field star Noah Lyles' weird comment on how the Nuggets should not be called "World Champions" because they're "United States Champions."

30:08 ... The Nuggets have had a very quiet off season, but have they improved the roster enough to repeat?  The team will miss Bruce Brown, but Christian Braun should be ready to expand his role.  And Marc feels that Reggie Jackson will have a bigger role. But the Nuggets don't need to win 65 games to be in position to repeat as champs.

34:21 ... Nikola Jokic is 28 years old and many players are at their best between the ages of 28-32, so is it possible we haven't even seen the best of Jokic?  Joker loves talking about his teammates, so the thought of him actually improving is downright scary.

36:32 ... Our "Two-a-Days" continue with a discussion of the Boston Celtics and whether Kristaps Porzingis will make the team better and how he will fit in with Jayson Tatum and Jaylen Brown.  Marc really likes the new assistant coaches on Joe Mazzulla's staff.

39:39 ... Will Jaylen Brown's huge new contract mean that he faces more pressure than any other NBA player next season?

41:23 ... Ross wonders if Porzingis and Robert Williams III will play significant minutes together next season.

42:27 ... Marc expects the Celtics will miss Marcus Smart a lot, but Malcolm Brogdon and Derrick White are very capable in their roles.

43:46 ... Mailbag Time!  "Who will be traded first: James Harden or Damian Lillard?"  Marc and Ross say Harden and Bruce says Lillard because "we know at least one team is interested in Dame."

45:05 ... The crew responds to a question about the new NBA Midseason Tournament and whether it will be successful.

49:38 ... Bruce joked that Pacman Jones was the MVP of the 2007 NBA All Star Game when it was in Las Vegas because he had a "big" weekend back then.  Marc tells a story about how he took his family to Vegas that year and his wife never wants to go back!

50:10 ... The guys answer a listener's question about which NBA players will take a big leap forward as a result of their involvement in the FIBA Tournament.  Marc and Bruce singled out Paolo Banchero and Austin Reaves while Ross chose Walker Kessler of the Jazz.

53:28 ... Marc shares his social media handles if anyone wants to follow him on X-Twitter.

54:10 ... Ross says goodbye

TRT 54:30

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 Intro

1:57 Bruce shares the vibe working courtside for ESPN at Game 1 of the Suns/Nuggets series 

3:56 World B uses his opening tip to discuss Steph Curry’s historic Game 7 in Sacramento

5:12 Ross questions Mike Brown’s lack of adjustments against the Warriors in Game 7

06:58 Philly upsets Boston in Game 1 & the crew breaks it down

18:33 Kings/Warriors Series Recap & Game 7 Reactions

23:43 Lakers/Warriors Round 2 matchup preview with predictions

32:40 Miami Heat stay red hot in a Game 1 win over the Knicks in the garden 

41:39 Suns/Nuggets Game 1 recap & thoughts moving forward

50:25 Ross shares his Best Bets presented by BetOnline

50:57 Bruce shares his final thought on Bucks Head Coach Mike Budenhozer’s family tragedy

52:43 World B brings well deserved recognition to Warriors Head Coach Steve Kerr

54:22 Ross uses his final thought to bring recognition to the show’s loyal mystery fan in France

0:00 Intro

2:02 Bruce calls out the Celtics reserve that should see some playing time in Game 2 

3:28 World B discusses all the bad luck the Charlotte Hornets have had during the draft lottery

5:22 Ross discusses the San Antonio Spurs winning the Wemby sweepstakes

7:13 Lakers/Nuggets Game 2 Recap & Reactions

17:58 The Jimmy Butler led Heat continue to roll & win yet another Game 1 against the Celtics in Boston

32:15 MID ROLL AD BREAK

32:22 A Coaching Carousal Discussion, Now Doc Rivers out as Head Coach in Philadelphia

46:25 Hot Take Time on James Harden & Daryl Morey 

50:55 Bruce gives his final thought on what separates the good from the great & the overachievers from the underachievers in the NBA Playoffs

52:20 World B discusses the Wizards decision to trade Rui Hachimura to the Lakers

54:22 Ross uses his final thought to give his initial thoughts on the rest of the teams selecting in the Top 5 of this year’s draft

0:00 Intro

1:09 Ross introduces former NBA assistant coach & broadcaster Brendan Brown

2:35 Pascal Siakam debuts for the Pacers & Tyrese Haliburton is back. Are the Pacers now a big threat in the East?

5:43 Will Siakam be a difference maker on the defensive end for Indiana?

7:27 Brendan shares his thoughts on Tyrese Haliburton this season

9:19 Are there long-term concerns signing Siakam to a max extension?

11:30 Do NBA International stars tend to prefer smaller markets?

14:05 Brendan provides his thoughts on the Knicks/Raptors trade

19:10 Immanuel Quickley & RJ Barrett’s big adjustments in Toronto

25:34 World B provides his thoughts & concerns on the Knicks bench moving forward

27:08 Ross shares his perspective on why Evan Fournier’s contract could be huge at the trade deadline

27:52 Brendan shares his formula on the Knicks

30:18 The Knicks playoff chances rely on Julius Randle’s play

31:52 Marquee heavyweight NBA matchups from this past weekend!

32:03 Brendan & the crew breakdown the Denver Nuggets/Boston Celtics matchup

34:26 Has Brendan seen any player even somewhat comparable to Nikola Jokic?

37:50 Any concerns with the Denver Nuggets staying healthy?

40:20 Can the Oklahoma City Thunder or Minnesota Timberwolves challenge the Nuggets out West?

45:53 Brendan shares his perspectives on the Minnesota Timberwolves

48:08 Bruce shares a Hubie Brown memory & asks why Hubie’s former players absolutely love him

51:23 Brendan shares his thoughts on his dad’s time as the head coach of the New York Knicks

56:50 Bruce shares another Hubie Brown memory with Dr. Jack Ramsay before asking Brendan to share his definitive story about his father

1:02:06 Is Brendan surprised his father is calling NBA games for ESPN at age 90 & what still drives him?

0:00 ... Hello and Welcome ... Bruce introduces the co-hosts

0:41 ... Bet OnLine live commercial read

1:45 ... Show #106 honors Celtics great Bill Russell and we segue into a tribute to Bill Walton

2:54 ... World B says Bill was probably the most gifted big man to ever play the game.

4:31 ... Bill was an unbelievably good passer and was one of the four best passing bigs of all time along woth Nikola Jokic, Arvydas Sabonis, and Domantas Sabonis.

6:12 ... Bruce reflects on his friendship with Bill and his memory of having lunch one day with Bill and running into the late Manute Bol in West Hartford, Connecticut.

8:21 ... The Celtics finished off the Pacers on Monday night to complete the four game sweep and advance to the NBA Finals.

9:46 ... Bruce was very happy to see Jaylen Brown win the Larry Bird Award as Eastern Conference Finals MVP.  Brown's all around game was on full display in the series.

11:55 .... World B had kind words for Celtics head coach Joe Mazzulla, but feels Mazzulla is unfairly criticized and has done a great job.

13:29 ... Bruce points out that the Celtics' combined record is 76-20 (64-18 regular season and 12-2 in the playoffs).  And Bruce points out how silly the critics can be when they bash the Celtics for their so called easy path to the Finals.

17:45 ... Bruce points out how our show had a major influence on the trade that Milwaukee made for Damian Lillard and how it freed up Jrue Holiday to join the Celtics.

21:45 ... The guys preview Tuesday's game #4 between Dallas and Minnesota to see who will meet Boston in the Finals.  World B is exasperated at Minnesota's poor defense in the series against the Mavs.  He also takes the Wolves to task saying "it's not so much what Dallas did to take a 3-0 series lead, it's what Minnesota didn't do."

24:36 ... Anthony Edwards has put up decent numbers against the Mavs, but Karl-Anthony  Towns has been abysmal.  Towns has shot just 3-22 from three point range against the Mavericks.

28:00 ... Bruce cites Towns' numbers in previous rounds as evidence of his decline against Dallas.

28:54 ... Bruce leads a discussion of the Dallas backcourt and has praise for Luka Doncic's improved defense.  World B said Luka in the 4th quarter has been cold blooded.

35:16 .... World B feels that Boston's perimeter defense will be a huge factor against Luka and Kyrie Irving

45:55 ... Game #4 Predictions for Minnesota/Dallas

47:24 .... The guys react to the Cavaliers firing head coach JB Bickerstaff who appeared to get a raw deal after winning 99 games over the past two seasons.

50:33 ... Bruce feels that Cavs management made the Bickerstaff move in order to impress Donovan Mitchell.

51:26 ... Bruce jokes that Since ESPN announcer Doc Rivers took the Bucks job and ESPN announcer JJ Redick looks like the favorite to get the Lakers job, maybe ESPN's Doris Burke will be offered the Cavaliers job.

53:53 ... Final Thoughts ...

54:12 ... Bruce wraps it up and says goodbye

TRT 54:33

0:00 Intro

1:11 Bruce introduces our special guest in ESPN’s Dave McMenamin

2:17 Does Dave still hangout with fellow Syracuse alum Carmelo Anthony?

2:58 Dave puts LeBron in some historical perspective

5:54 Austin Reaves removed as a starter, will it stay that way in the Lakers lineup?

8:38 Dave shares a glimpse of what Anthony Davis is like behind the scenes

11:56 Cam Reddish seems to have found a home in LA, who on the team has helped him find his stride?

15:09 Dave on D’Angelo Russell’s preseason comments about looking up to Derrick White

18:45 Dave’s insight on Lakers Head Coach Darvin Ham

23:13 Zach LaVine trade rumors & why his name is tied to the Lakers

27:26 Word Association with Dave!

33:32 Three Man Weave! Starting with the red hot Sacramento Kings

36:22 Thunder continues to roar with Oklahoma City

39:14 Phoenix Suns had a great weekend in Utah, but Brad Beal is out for a while

42:05 A Bucks/Celtics Heavyweight Matchup Game Preview

48:10 Best Bets: The top NBA game picks for this week’s action!

49:33 Bruce shares his final thoughts on LaMelo Ball’s neck tattoo

51:54 Ross provides an update on the NBA’s In-Season Tournament standings

53:36 Ross & Bruce discuss their In-Season Tournament thoughts so far

0:00 Intro

01:54 Bruce gives his opening tip on Damian Lillard

03:53 World B shines some light on the Indiana Pacers offseason moves for his opening tip

05:30 Ross shares his scouting notes on GG Jackson during Summer League

07:32 Summer League Stars & Stand outs during Summer League

30:40 Bruce gets us started on the NBA's biggest offseason news by discussing James Harden’s latest trade demand saga

47:03 Bruce educates us all providing more details into the NBA’s plan to start up a In Season Tournament and the crew discusses the idea

50:57 Bruce shares his final thought on Russell Westbrook

52:37 World B discusses the NBA’s popularity & the uncertainty that’s soon to come

54:21 Ross provides his final thought on a 2nd round pick that all NBA fans should keep an eye on during Summer League & beyond

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 Intro

1:23 Bruce introduces special guest B.J. Armstrong

3:57 The Warriors dynasty is fading in Golden State

7:57 Could the Warriors dynasty have lasted longer with better draft selections?

12:54 Are the LA Clippers a contender in the Western Conference

15:26 Are the reigning champion Denver Nuggets still the team to beat in the West?

18:16 Is now the right time for the Oklahoma City Thunder to make a trade?

22:50 B.J. Armstrong on Victor Wembanyama

26:00 B.J. Armstrong on the New York Knicks & recent OG Anunoby trade

29:27 Where does B.J. rank the New York Knicks in the Eastern Conference

32:32 Are the Boston Celtics “The Team” to beat this year?

35:10 Do the Milwaukee Bucks have enough time required to adjust & make an NBA Finals run?

38:16 Life as an NBA Agent with B.J. Armstrong

40:31 As a former player what does B.J. offer his clients that other agents that didn’t play can’t?

43:41 Is there an aspect of the NBA agency side that B.J. wasn’t aware of as a player?

48:56 What was Ron Artest like as a rookie in Chicago?

51:11 The relationship between players/coaches with NBA officials these days

52:52 B.J. on the atmosphere playing for the dominant Chicago Bulls & then moving on to other teams

57:15 B.J. on being an absolute legend in the video game NBA Jam

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 Intro

2:23 World B discuss Carmelo Anthony’s career for his opening tip

4:16 Ross uses his opening tip to discuss Joe Mazzula’s post game comments following the Game 3 loss

6:04 Our Game 4 reactions after King James & the Lakers are swept by the Denver Nuggets

19:30 The Heat destroy the Celtics in Game 3, is Celtics Head Coach Joe Mazzula in trouble?

33:19 A Coaching Carousal Update, our latest reactions to the news

42:39 Mailbag Time! Listener Submitted Questions

53:07 World B tells us why we’re so lucky as basketball fans to enjoy LeBron James for his final thought

54:40 Ross brings up a great question in regards to which Denver Nugget gets their #15 jersey retired for his final thought

Intro: 0:00

0:38: Opening Tip: Ross gives some love to the Big Alp before reminding World B the Kings just keep on rolling with or without Sabonis!

2:17: World B responds to Ross & recaps the Kings big road win against the Lakers on Wednesday night

3:42: Ross & World B discuss their 2023 NBA All-Star Selections & Snubs in the Eastern Conference

10:57: Ross & World B discuss their 2023 NBA All-Star Selections & Snubs in the Western Conference

20:56: Ross poses a million dollar question: Should the Lakers let AD suit up for the All Star Game if healthy?

24:35: World B & Ross discuss the Bulls/Pistons international game in Paris

29:45: 2022 NBA Finals Rematch! World B & Ross discuss the Warriors visiting the Celtics in Boston

33:27: The duo discusses the Nets at Suns matchup with Kyrie back in the Nets lineup

39:00: Mailbag Time! We answer listener submitted questions on the show.

39:37: Lauri Markennan is he worthy of an All-Star nod out West?

41:56: Starting from scratch which top young point guard would you want to lead your team? We rank them!

46:07: Would You Rather…NBA Player Edition

56:18: Best Bets Discussion: Ross shares 4 players that are sneaky assist guys for a same game parlay

58:25: World B & Ross share their final thoughts wrapping up an exciting double overtime edition of the show

0:00 ... Animation and Welcome to the show.

1:08 ... Bet Online live commercial read

1:43 ... Bruce introduces our guest, former Clippers GM Dave Wohl

2:32 ... Dave recalls how the legendary Jerry West called him a pest and he took it as a complement

3:34 ... Dave feels that the Clippers have been hurt by injuries in recent years and adding James Harden has given the team a great new vibe.   Dave also heaps praise on Russell Westbrook for how he has handled his reduced role with Harden joining the team.

6:14 ... Bruce admits he didn't like the Harden acquisition but gives James credit for playing the same style of ball as he did last year in Philadelphia and that is helping the team succeed.

7:01 ... Dave is concerned about the Clippers' upcoming schedule and feels like we'll know if they're for real after 8 or 10 more games.

7:33 ... World B feels Kawhi Leonard is a top 5 MVP candidate at this point in the season.

9:21 ... Ross wonders if PJ Tucker has a future with the Clippers or is a likely buyout or trade candidate later in the season since his minutes have been reduced.  Dave thinks PJ should handle his complaints with head coach Ty Lue and not put them out in front of the public.

11:15 ... Bruce asks Dave if Lue and Russell Westbrook discussed Russ' new role in order to make the transition easier for him coming off the bench.  World B shares info about how Westbrook actually reached out to Lue and offered to come off the bench.

13:47 ... Dave always roots for guys like Russ with that team-first attitude.

14:36 ... Speaking of passionate players, we discuss Draymond Green, who is serving an indefinite suspension.  Dave feels that Draymond is an emotional player and you can't take that away from him and expect him to be the same player.

16:25 ... Dave had Kevin Garnett in Boston, who was really emotional as a player but he learned how to channel it and Draymond could learn something from him.

19:05 ... Dave feels maybe an intervention with some of his teammates might be in order for Draymond.

19:44 ... Bruce will always blame Green for his suspension in the 2016 NBA Finals that cost Golden State the championship and he asks Dave if Draymond is capable of changing his tactics this late in his career.

21:37 ... Ja Morant returns from his suspension this week and there are questions about how he comes out.  Will he try to do too much or will he ease himself back into the first two weeks of action.

23:17 ... The Grizzlies have gotten off to a poor start and making the playoffs (or the play in field) is a long shot even when Morant returns.  Will Ja have continued "off the court" issues?

26:13 ... Dave feels that Ja should no longer have his friends meeting him on the road and that he should be spending time on the road with his teammates.

27:09 ... We discuss teams whose "stock" is up: first we have the Timberwolves

29:33 ... Mike Conley has been a calming veteran presence for the young Wolves team

30:52 ... The Oklahoma City Thunder are another team whose stock is up ... Dave gives a lot of credit to rookie big Chet Holmgren.

32:33 ... Shai Gilgeous Alexander has been incredibly impactful along with other young guys like Josh Giddey and Jalen Williams.  Thunder GM Sam Presti has set this team up for the future with all the assets he has stockpiled.  World B points out how OKC is one of the three most "complete" teams in the league.

37:45 ... We then discuss two teams whose stock is down: first up is the Suns.  Dave feels their struggles go beyond just the injury to Bradley Beal.

39:17 ... Bruce feels the Beal trade was a huge gamble and wonders if the Suns gave up too much to get a guy who has barely played so far.  Dave feels that the jury is out on that question because there's a lot of season left and Beal could still make an impact.

42:06 ... We turn to the Detroit Pistons, losers of 24 straight and Dave relates a story from his first year with the expansion Miami Heat where the team was losing at a clip similar to Detroit.  Dave understands how losing so much takes its toll on a team.  Pistons coach Monty Williams is the right coach for this team since he will stay positive and keep teaching.

44:35... Dave relates a story about when Doc Rivers was struggling as Celtics coach and Danny Ainge publicly backed Rivers and the Celtics won the championship the following year.

46:30 ... The Pistons are a really young team and Bruce asks Dave if the team needs to bring in some older guys.  Dave replies that it depends on the qualities of the guys since you can't just bring in anyone.  They can't just be older guys looking for a paycheck.

50:00 ... The crew discusses the Giannis situation where he and Oscar Tshiebwe battled over the same game ball.  Dave had a couple of good suggestions on how it could have been handled better.

51:30 ... Bruce railed on Oscar because his first NBA basket was a free throw and if he wanted the game ball, he should have made a bucket from the field.

53:45 ... Dave tells a story about his former teammate Calvin Murphy and a legendary on court fight that Murphy had where he knocked out a player who was a foot taller than he was.

56:45 .... Bye until next time

0:00 ... Animation and hello ... James Harden is now a member of the LA Clippers

0:52 ... Ross summarizes who went where and what assets were exchanged between the 76ers and Clippers

1:11 ... Bet OnLine live commercial read

1:48 ... Bruce's initial reaction was to wonder if this trade was more of a Steve Ballmer marketing move than a Lawrence Frank/Ty Lue basketball move.

2:26 ... World B feels that the Clippers took a big swing that will get them closer to a championship

2:55 ... Ross says LA is now "all in."  He feels Ty Lue will find a way to make this deal work.

3:40 ... Bruce feels that Robert Covington has come full circle from his days in Philly as a member of the bottom feeding "trust the process" teams and is now on a Philly team this is far better.  Marcus Morris is a Philly native who also returns to his hometown at age 34

4:35 ... Ross thinks Morris will play some quality minutes for the Sixers

4:58 ... Ross points out that the Clippers have very few homegrown guys on the roster but will be competitive in the loaded Pacific Division.  He adds that Sixers GM Daryl Morey did well in the deal.

6:30 ... World B feels Morey is definitely looking ahead by dumping salary in this deal, but is concerned that Joel Embiid might have another wasted season while in his prime.

7:39 ... Bruce on whether the Sixers are better or worse off without Harden.  He liked some of the role players Philly acquired but realizes that they'll take a step backward in the short term before using the newly acquired draft assets to hopefully get immediate help for Embiid.

9:23 ... World B wonders if Morey is the guy to make the right deals that will help convince Embiid to not demand a trade.

10:57 ... Ross will be interested to see how Morey uses the draft assets and he felt Morey got a good haul for Harden.  Ross thinks maybe the Sixers will try to get some of new coach Nick Nurse's former Toronto guys in a deal.

11:58 ... World B is a huge fan of Pascal Siakam and feels if Philly can get him, they are a major threat in the postseason.

12:36 ... Bruce is not a fan of this deal for LA and questions Harden's commitment to winning, but he  does like PJ Tucker coming to LA.  However, Bruce is wary because it's an aging team with recent injury troubles and Harden is also old and has been injured in recent years.

14:00 ... Can Russell Westbrook and Harden co-exist?  World B feels Russ can adapt to having a "ball dominant" Harden next to him on the court.  Harden can still have a positive impact as he showed last season.

16:31 ... The guys all like PJ Tucker in LA because both LeBron James and Kevin Durant are now in the same division as PJ and both of those stars have nightmares about him guarding them.

17:19 .... Bruce has a couple of quick thoughts on Harden.  He dislikes his style, thinks he has little impact on winning, and is a fantasy league stud because he fills up a box score.   Bruce praised his work last season but wonders if it was a mirage.  James wants to be paid for his past achievements but he forgot that the NBA is also a business and aging stars have a limited market for their services if they want max money.

18:57 ... Ross thinks Harden's presence might take some heat off Kawhi Leonard if the Clippers underachieve moving forward.

19:25 ... World B feels like Harden gives Ty Lue enough flexibility to rest some of his other older players.  But Harden will be judged by his playoff performance in LA.

21:26 ... Bruce sizes up the Clippers and Sixers' playoff prospects but doesn't think LA will finish higher than #5 in the west.  He feels Philly will finish somewhere between 3-6 in the east.

22:24 ... World B feels Philly is still a playoff team, but a badly diminished one.  World B likes the Clippers' prospects for this season.

23:26 ... Ross agrees the Clippers have more talent than the Lakers and feels they'll be stronger moving forward and could be a conference finalist.  Ross feels that Morey needs to make a deal to help convince Embiid to stay in Philly.

24:49 ... Ross says goodbye

0:00 Intro

0:56 Bruce starts the show off with his opening tip discussing Blake Griffin & his recent impact

2:29 World B tips things off by giving props to the NBA for introducing the play-in tournament

4:16 Our guest Ed Cohen shares his take on why right now is the best time of the NBA season with the playoff push

5:58 Ross gives props to the Beam Team as they continue to impressive play now tied for 2nd in the West

7:19 Ed shares what’s different about this year’s New York Knicks

11:50 Ed discusses the impressive play & impact of both Immanuel Quickley/Josh Hart

13:57 Bruce asks Ed to talk a little bit about the Derrick Rose situation 

16:37 Ross asks Ed to discuss what he’s seen from Isaiah Hartenstein joining the Knicks this season

19:40 Ed shares just how special it is to be a current Knicks broadcaster following in the steps of legends

23:15 The crew picks Ed’s brain on the rest of the Eastern Conference & which teams would be a tough matchup for NY

25:47 Bruce asks Ed to share this thoughts on the other team in NY, the Brooklyn Nets

28:35 Ed shares just how excited the city is and the buzz in the Garden these days with this Knicks team playing well

31:10 The crew shift gears to the wild Western Conference to start the 3rd quarter (DEN/GSW/MEM/SAC)

40:06 Ross challenges World B & Bruce to share who they’ve got their eyes on in the play in tournament

44:29 Mailbag Time! Listener Submitted Questions

50:13 Breaking news is announced live on air or should we say heartbreaking news for Bruce

52:12 Ross shares his best bet with his favorite Suns Same Game Parlay

53:20 For his final thought Bruce discusses/explains why the NBA should start tracking “Hidden Assists”

54:42 World B filled out his own March Madness bracket NBA edition!

56:36 Ross talks about CJ McCollum’s recent revenge on Portland

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

1:10 Mitchell's 71 Point Performance & Bruce breaks down the history behind it

5:54 Giannis Career High 55 Points & Ross provides his insight into Giannis's recent scoring trends

11:39 The crew discusses Klay's 54 point night

15:40 8 Title Contenders Discussion & which teams demand the most attention

25:41 Ross challenges Bruce & World B to a game of Buy or Sell with select teams

36:31 Weekend preview of top matchups to be on the lookout for

42:43 Final thoughts discussing Damar Hamlin offering their thoughts & support

0:00 Intro

0:27 Bruce discusses Joe Mazzulla officially becoming the Celtics Head Coach

1:39 World B questions where the Blazers are going long term

4:10 Ross revisits Tuesday night’s Celtics/Bucks game and gives kudos to the Boston reserves

8:40 The crew discusses NBA All-Star Saturday Night and make their official predictions for each event. Starting off with the 3 teams in the Skills Challenge

13:42 Three-Point Shooting Contest. Who’s crowned this year’s 3-point king?

16:01 Slam Dunk Contest. Who will put on the best show?!

21:27 The Knicks are going streaking with Josh Hart

26:11 Bruce shares some insightful team stats on the Knicks success this season

29:24 Overachievers/Underachievers: The crew discusses the players that have stood out on both ends of the spectrum this season. They start with the overachievers.

33:23 Underachieving players around the league.

38:12: Listener Submitted Questions: What event should be added to All-Star Saturday Night?

45:35 Post All-Star Break what team ascends to the next level?

49:34 Best Bets: The current title favorites according to the sportsbooks

51:26 Bruce provides his final thought on MJ’s special birthday present to others

52:08 World B explains why he enjoys the 3-Point contest and per usual backs it up with some great fun facts

53:46 Ross shows some love to “Brooklyn Bridges” on his career night with the Nets

0:00 Intro

01:07 Ross introduces special guest Giannis Antetokounmpo

01:45 Giannis confirms this is the very first podcast he’s ever done

02:39 Ross asks Giannis to discuss what he remembers from an all-time moment they shared driving through a Milwaukee blizzard together

04:59 Giannis on Comparisons to Hakeem Olajuwon

06:37 Giannis shares why he does not workout with other active NBA players in the offseason & details his upcoming trip to go workout with Hakeem before the upcoming season

08:33 Which part of Giannis’s personality is Greek & which part of his personality is Nigerian? 

10:04 Giannis chimes in & provides his stance on Noah Lyles’s recent NBA “World Champion” comments

14:05 Why are all the best NBA Bigs International Players?

16:01 Giannis on Victor Wembanyama 

20:20 How much has last year’s First Round Loss to the Miami Heat motivated Giannis this Summer 

22:42 Giannis on whether he sees himself playing the rest of his career with the Milwaukee Bucks

27:41 Does Giannis dream of owning an NBA franchise in the future?

31:46 Word Association with the Greek Freak

34:31 Ross makes a promise & proposes a long overdue challenge to Giannis: Pool, Pickleball, & Around the World. Who wins?

37:17 Ross throws out a ladder joke. Giannis shares the full story on the ladder incident in Philadelphia

42:03 Show closes with a reminder that next week our special guest is the NBA’s Coach of the Year Mike Brown of the Sacramento Kings

0:00 Intro 

01:14 Bruce talks about his recent trip to U.S. Open Tennis Championship & the really cool NBA connection

03:19 World B shares his thoughts on Noah Lyles comments NBA Champions being considered World Champions

05:15 Ross discusses the significance behind the Kings recent signing of JaVale McGee

06:45 Projected risers for NBA Regular Season Wins according to the Vegas Sportsbook

7:10 Dallas Mavericks

8:59 Detroit Pistons

11:27 Houston Rockets

13:58 Indiana Pacers

16:30 LA Lakers

18:53 OKC Thunder

21:55 Orlando Magic 

24:46 Phoenix Suns 

27:37 San Antonio Spurs

30:32 Projected fallers for NBA Regular Season Wins according to the Vegas Sportsbook

30:45 Boston Celtics 

33:02 Cleveland Cavaliers 

36:00 Memphis Grizzlies 

38:36 Milwaukee Bucks 

41:14 New York Knicks 

44:47 Philadelphia 76ers

47:10 Sacramento Kings 

50:02 Utah Jazz

52:34 Washington Wizards 

55:02 The crew give their final group thoughts on Team USA recent loss in the FIBA Tournament 

0:00 INTRO

0:45: The 48 Minutes crew discuss the current situation with the Brooklyn Nets & get Jared’s thoughts on the team moving forward

4:48: Jared shares an incredible shooting statistic on Ben Simmons this season

6:33: The crew discusses the status of the Golden State Warriors currently facing a rough home loss skid. Is Jared concerned with the Warriors moving forward?

11:11 Bruce poses the great question on whether or not Draymond Green’s preseason altercation has had any effect on the Warriors this season

13:34: Phoenix Suns struggles so far & will they make a trade soon?

15:41: Jared touches on the Monty Williams/DeAndre Ayton friction

19:05: The crew discusses the Milwaukee Bucks with Jared

23:46: Boston Celtics discussion with Jared & does he they will make a move prior to the deadline

27:16: Bruce mentions a backup big rumored to be on the Celtics radar

28:30: The league’s recent explosive scoring. Jared provides reasons on why we might be seeing this happen

33:47: Jared discusses his time in the NBA bubble & shares some incredible stories

37:15: Bruce gives kudos to Jared for his amazing postgame interview with Jamal Murray & Jared takes us through how it all went down in person.

41:28: Ross asks Jared to name his favorite NBA city, arena, and even the NBA media room food

45:00: Ross asks Jared if he’s ever golfed with Charles Barkley. Jared shares more on working with Chuck

47:34 Jared discusses former NBA player Jamal Crawford joining TNT’s Tuesday night studio

49:17: Building the Perfect NBA Player: The crew & Jared breakdown which attributes they’d take from current NBA players to combine into the ultimate superstar

56:30 Final Thoughts: Bruce discusses a Celtics duo, World B challenges the elite teams, Jared invites us all on a mission, Ross gives a shout out to Sabonis & Mikal Bridges

0:00 ... Ross hello, welcome, and introduces Bruce and "World B."

0:48 ... Bet OnLine live commercial read

1:26 ... Ross tees things up and asks Bruce for his reaction.  It was a dog fight and Bruce was super impressed with Indiana's defense.

3:10 ... World B feels that Indiana has a lot of solid guys off their bench and their adjustments got them back in the game after a slow start.

4:39 ... Ross pointed out that Obi Toppin and TJ McConnell made solid contributions off the bench and Bruce contrasted them with Boston's lack of bench production in game one other than Peyton Pritchard.

6:02 ... Indiana has young legs, a great coach, and had a great game plan in game one.

6:18 ... Ross and Bruce discussed Myles Turner's huge 18 point first half but were mystified that the Pacers stopped giving him the ball in the second half and he finished with just 23.

7:34 ... Ross and World B discuss the huge performance from Jrue Holiday and how he was one of Boston's saviors in game one.

9:07 ... Bruce pays tribute to Jrue Holiday and how he always does the little things that contribute to winning games.

10:39 ... Ross tees up a discussion of Jayson Tatum and how he made some questionable decisions but still came up big when it was needed.

12:31 ... Ross asks World B about the events leading up to Jaylen Brown's tying three pointer from the corner in the final seconds ... everyone felt it was a huge mistake that Pascal Siakam chose not to foul Brown before he got the shot off.  World B cited several other instances where the Pacers were sloppy and made mental mistakes.

15:23 ... Bruce asked the guys about the discrepancy in free throw opportunities (30-10 in Boston's favor) ... Ross had no issue with the whistle and didn't feel there any real issues with the calls.

16:41 ... Indiana had a chance to win the game at the end of regulation and Tyrese Haliburton chose not to take a long three but Bruce pointed out that Haliburton faced relentless defense all night long but still played really well in spite of that decision.

19:30 ... Bruce asks Coach Ross if he feels the Pacers will shake off this loss or will it linger into Thursday.  Ross feels the Pacers will be resilient and play well in game two.

21:08 ... World B feels Indiana has a good game plan and had Boston on its heels defensively and that could be a recipe for future success.

22:50 ... Former Celtic Aaron Nesmith played great for the Pacers and seemed to have a chip on his shoulder.

24:23 ... Game two predictions ...

26:34 ... Ross says goodbye and teases tomorrow night's show.

TRT 27:00

0:05 ... Hello and Welcome to "48 Minutes" presented by Bet Online

1:40 ... Bruce's opening comment concerns Dejounte Murray of the Hawks and his ill advised actions after game 4 against the Celtics that got him suspended for Tuesday's game 5.

3:31 ... World B comments on Ime Udoka and his challenges taking over as head coach for the Houston Rockets

5:17 ... Ross is concerned about Joel Embiid's health and whether he can hold up as the playoffs progress

6:48 ... Monday night, Jimmy Butler of Miami dropped a career high 56 points as the Heat took game 4 against the Milwaukee Bucks and put them on the brink of elimination

10:10 ... Ross expresses his surprise that Jae Crowder didn't play a single minute for the Bucks in game 4

12:18 ... The Heat have totally flipped the script against the Bucks as they've gone from a poor offensive team to the top scoring playoff team against a Milwaukee team known for its defense.  Erik Spoelstra has done a masterful coaching job in Miami getting the Heat to this point.

15:27 ... Ross believes the Bucks will take game 5 in Milwaukee on Wednesday and head back to Miami with a chance to tie the series 3-3 on Friday

17:29 ...The Warriors/Kings series continues to dazzle with great performances from DeAaron Fox and others, but Fox broke a finger in game 4 and his status for game 5 is unknown

22:24 ... Draymond Green and Kevon Looney were great in game 4 with combined totals of 20 points, 24 rebounds, and 13 assists

25:41 ... After a great game one performance, Trey Lyles of Sacramento has disappeared but needs to reappear for the Kings to prevail in the series

27:27... Turning to the Grizzlies/Lakers series, we'll comment on Dillon Brooks and his continuing shenanigans that are not helping his team

30:45 ... Dillon Brooks needs to earn his swagger, it is not given.  If you talk and don't produce, you're just a punk.

32:12 ... Kawhi Leonard will miss his third straight game in the Clippers/Suns series and it has thrown the  load management strategy into question

37:08 ... Phoenix needs to carefully manage the minutes of their starters as the playoffs progress

38:23 ... Chris Paul has been BALLING for the Suns and it has to be extra sweet because he's doing it against his former team.

40:50 ... In the Knicks/Cavaliers series, New York has simply been the better team

43:22 ...The Cavs aren't playing 48 minutes, the Knicks are.  Cleveland needs to fix this

44:10 ... The Knicks bench has outclassed the Cavs bench

48:53 ... In Best Bets presented by Bet Online, Ross discusses a same game parlay involving Rui Hachimura

49:45 ... In our "Final thoughts" segment, the crew discusses which team leading its series 3-1 is more impressive: the Celtics of the Nuggets.

55:38 ... Bye until next time

TRT: 55:56

0:00 Intro

1:35 Instant Bucks/Celtics Post Game Recap & Reactions

10:56 Quick NCAA Championship Predictions!

12:16 Are the Miami Heat lurking around as threats this year?

16:42 The New York Knicks continue to impress & stay hot out West

20:53 Will Joel Embiid return this season? If so, are the 76ers an instant playoff threat?

24:52 The Orlando Magic are streaking

28:20 Bleav or Dis-Bleav? Will the Pacers “Siakaburton” get healthy & peak at the right time?

30:50 Is there anyone out West that can challenge the Denver Nuggets out West?

34:45 Is time running out for LeBron James to win another championship?

38:14 Western Spice courtesy of the Clippers, Pelicans, & Warriors

46:11 One liner endings from the 48 Minutes Crew

0:00 ... Hello and Welcome ... Ross introduces the panel ... teases our content

0:28 ... Bet OnLine live commercial read

1:15 ... Opening discussion on Giannis and how his presence has set off an avalanche of attention for the show ...

1:30 ... Bruce credits Ross for getting Giannis ... Reaction to seeing ourselves on ESPN's NBA Today

2:12 ... Giannis made news on the show, especially about his future in Milwaukee ...

2:48 ... World B's reaction to the passion that Giannis showed in answering our questions ... lots of fans in Milwaukee are feeling a bit nervous

3:43 ... Bruce discusses how much civic pride the city of Milwaukee has for Giannis and how he is recognizable around the world as a "one name" person ... and while he'd like to stay in Milwaukee if the team is competitive, he does have options.  Ross chimes in on the reasons he feels Giannis and Milwaukee are a good fit.

5:53 ... World B sizes up the Bucks situation, singling out Jrue Holiday and the other veterans and understands that their championship window won't stay open indefinitely.

6:50 ... Ross tees up a discussion of Giannis' comments about the NBA champion not being the "World Champion."  This was a very controversial take by Giannis and we examine the pros and cons of his position.

8:50 ... Bruce feels the American fans and the International fans are clearly divided on the topic.  There are other leagues around the world that could lay claim to calling themselves "World Champions," but don't.

10:12 ... Ross points out that Giannis never speaks without thinking first and Ross agrees with him on the issue, even though he was previously on the fence.

10:59 ... World B agrees that part of the issue is the American fans' attitude and he points out that it's now up to the US to send a team to the Olympics to back up the boasting.

11:38 ... Hakeem Olajuwon discussion and why Giannis has always been Bruce's "Hakeem 2.0"  Giannis also broke the news that he'd be working out with Hakeem before the season starts, which resonated "big time" around the hoop world.

13:41 ... World B on the excitement in Milwaukee over the Hakeem/Giannis future workout

14:15 ... Ross on comments from fans ... we love them ... keep them coming

14:48 ... Thoughts on the growth of our listeners from around the globe ...

16:22 ... Ross expresses his feeling that helping hoop fans get to know Giannis through this show has been gratifying for him.

17:10 ... Next week's guest will be Mike Brown, the head coach of the Sacramento Kings and we examine some of his accomplishments and why he is such a winning individual.  Everyone discusses what they hope to learn from Coach Brown.

23:41 ... Ross asks for listeners to send us questions ... Bruce and World B share their social media handles for listeners questions and Ross adds his at the end.

26:30 ... Bye and see y'all next time

TRT 27:00

0:00 ... Hello and Welcome

0:32 ... Ross reads BetOnline copy

1:39 ... Bruce's opening tip on Draymond Green's damaging antics

4:30 ... World B's opening tip on the 37th anniversary of Michael Jordan's 63 point game against the Celtics

5:33 ... Ross opening tip on Jamal Murray's great performance for Denver on Wednesday

6:29 ... Can Jonathan Kuminga help fill the void left by Draymond Green in Golden State?

7:19 ... the Warriors' defense will be tested without Green on the court ...

8:33 ... Ross feels the first 6 minutes of game 3 will tell us a lot about the Warriors chances of winning

10:13 ... Game 3 is "Do or Die" for the Dubs and Steph Curry has had to use a lot of energy against the aggressive Kings defense

15:27 ... In the Suns/Clippers series, LA needs contributions from more than Kawhi Leonard

17:25 ... Devin Booker has actually played well at both ends of the court in the series ... on defense his steals and blocked shots have been big

19:16 ... In the Heat/Bucks series, Jrue Holiday led Milwaukee to a huge game two win with Giannis sidelined due to his back injury

23:00 ... Ross asked Bruce and World B whether Giannis should play if he is only at 80% in game 3

... Bobby Portis filled in admirably starting for Giannis with 15 rebounds and 13 points

27:30 ... Bruce was impressed with Heat coach Erik Spoelstra and his handling of Duncan Robinson and Victor Oladipo while understanding the need to reduce the minutes of Jimmy Butler and Bam Adebayo in game two

29:05 ...In game two against the Lakers, Memphis was aggressive from the start and had much better energy than LA.

30:39 ... The Grizz were the more desperate team and Xavier Tillman and Tyus Jones led the charge

31:27 ... Dillon Brooks is doing his best to be "Draymond 2.0," taunting LeBron James

32:29 ... Ross felt Luke Kennard and David Roddy also made great contributions off the bench for Memphis

33:39 ... LA's Anthony Davis was subpar in game two but he will have a bounce back game back home this weekend

34:50 ... LeBron James has been cold from outside and is getting most of his points at the rim, but if he doesn't start making outside shots, the Grizz will load up to stop his drives to the bucket

35:43 ... Minnesota got way behind against Denver in game two on Wednesday and Bruce feels that they had to work so hard in the 3rd quarter to get back in the game that the altitude eventually got to them in the 4th and the Nuggets pulled away

41:37 ... Ross' "Best Bets" sponsored by BetOnline.ag concerned the same game parlays that he's been cashing in on all week.

43:30 ... Madison Square Garden hosts game 3 of Cavs/Knicks on Friday and there is NOTHING like playoff basketball on Broadway.

47:31 ... Bruce's closing comment is on the three 6-4 guards on the Boston Celtics (Derrick White, Marcus Smart, & Malcolm Brogdon) who remind him of another 6-4 Celtics guard who won two rings in Boston: the late Dennis Johnson.

49:10... World B's closing remarks concern Dillon brooks of the Grizzlies and how he's competing with Draymond Green to be the biggest knucklehead in the playoffs.

50:28 ... Ross' closing comment concerns the drama involving Rappers E-40 and "Fitty-Cent" in Sacramento

51:24 ... Bye until next time

TRT 51:48

0:00 ... Hello and welcome to the show ... Episode #93 is in honor of Metta World Peace ... then Ross introduces the panel

0:59 ... Bet online live commercial read

1:43... Bruce welcomes Jared Greenberg to the show ... who points out another player who wore #93 (PJ Brown)

2:36 ... Jared discusses his new show called "Crunch Time" on the NBA app and shares details on why the show is so valuable to NBA fans.

5:06 ... Can the Warriors hang onto their play-in spot and make the postseason now that Chris Paul is back?

6:43 ... Bruce asks Jared about Chris Paul "T-ing up" official Matt Myers after Myers "T-d" Paul up on Wednesday night.  Jared was impressed with Myers' demeanor in the moment.

8:25 ... World B asks Jared for his opinion on the Sacramento Kings and how high their ceiling is.  Jared points out that it's hard to go from "good to great," and that's where the Kings are right now.  It is harder to do that than to go from from "bad to good."

10:31 ... What about Domantas Sabonis and his spot on the MVP ladder.  Jared feels his numerous triple doubles have not led to enough wins so he isn't a top candidate.

12:14 ... The Phoenix Suns could win the west but their injuries have plagued them all season and there is danger of those woes continuing into the postseason.

13:58 ... The New Orleans Pelicans have quietly been excellent this season and Jared feels they have a huge upside heading into the playoffs and are possibly the most talented team "top to bottom" in the NBA.

16:50 ... Jonas Valenciunas of the Pelicans could be a matchup nightmare in the postseason.

17:56 ... The crew discusses the teams currently seeded 7-10 in the west and which ones could make real noise in the playoffs.  Dallas and the Lakers don't impress him but the Warriors and Suns do.

20:32 ... Jared feels the Lakers will stay in the play-in hunt despite being bad on the road and having 9 of their final 15 games away from home.

21:35 ... Ross initiates a discussion on the Milwaukee Bucks, but Jared feels that despite their talent, they will not be a threat to the Celtics.

24:16 ... Jared feels the Celtics will not need motivation and will be totally focused on the postseason despite their mostly unscathed cruise through the regular season.

25:36 ... Jared is not concerned that Boston doesn't cause opposing teams to foul them and get into foul trouble due to all the three point shots the Celtics jack up.

27:31 ... Jared agrees with Brian Scalabrine that star players should play MORE minutes and not FEWER minutes as they prepare for the playoffs.

31:15 ... The Knicks have a lot of players who play big minutes and Jared expects Mitchell Robinson to return this season before Julius Randle.  He also feels that the Knicks could be more dangerous in the postseason than Cleveland, Milwaukee, and every other eastern conference team not named Boston.

36:36 ... The Orlando Magic have been a nice surprise, but Jared feels that Oklahoma City has been THE top surprise team in the league this season.

37:35 ... Ross and Jared discuss the chances for the Timberwolves to do well in the playoffs with Karl-Anthony Towns injured.  While they're a great defensive team, they won't have enough offense without Towns.

38:59 ... Jared shares his thoughts on the race for MVP this season.  Had Joel Embiid not been injured, it very well might have been him.  There are up to 8 legit candidates but Nikola Jokic is Jared's pick at this point.

40:21 ... Jared and the crew discuss some of his favorite interview subjects and who stands out and we all agree that Michael Malone of the Nuggets is at or near the top of the heap.

42:57 ... Jared shares more details about his whiparound show on the NBA App called "Crunch Time" and why it's a "must watch" for serious NBA fans.

45:16 ... Ross wraps it up and thanks Jared for joining us ... bye bye

TRT 45:47

0:00 ... Opening and welcome

0:22 ... Ross dedicates episode #57 to former NBA official Greg Willard who passed away in 2013 and wore that number on his jersey.

1:40 ... Bet Online live read from Ross

2:20 ... Bruce introduces this week's guest Shaun Powell of NBA TV and NBA.com

4:02 ... World B's opening comment is on basketball in Los Angeles with uncertain futures for both the Lakers and Clippers.

5:40 ... Bruce's opening comment is on LeBron James not retiring as a player, but he is retiring the #6 jersey in honor of Bill Russell.

7:22 ... Shaun's opening comment is on how the FIBA World Championships are this summer and how he believes if there were a game between International stars and American born stars, the International team would win.

12:00 ... Summer League thoughts with Cleveland beating Houston in the championship game

13:00 ... Shaun's feelings about the Houston Rockets and what their prognosis is for the upcoming season

15:35 ... World B feels the Rockets need to improve their shooting, but he is taking a wait and see approach

16:54 ... Ime Udoka will bring a renewed commitment to defense for Houston.

18:57 ... Ross is impressed with how the Rockets performed, including rookie Cam Whitmore.

20:59 ... The Portland Trailblazers have a sticky situation with Damian Lillard and his trade demand and Shaun wonders why the Blazers didn't trade him sooner.

24:35 ... Bruce feels that Lillard and his agent Aaron Goodwin put the Blazers in a box by demanding a trade to one team only: the Miami Heat.

26:38 ... Shaun feels Blazers rookie Scoot Henderson will come into the league and be a mature performer right out of the gate.

28:30 ... Bruce has lots of love for Blazers coach Chauncey Billups and believes he should be in the Basketball Hall of Fame.  Unfortunately for Bruce, none of his colleagues agree with him.   Luckily Bruce has thick skin and his feelings were not hurt.

33:29 ... The guys discuss James Harden and his demand to be traded from Philadelphia.  Shaun is tired of his yearly demands and feels he is team hopping and has "basketball insecurity."

35:43 ... Shaun understands why Joel Embiid wants Harden to stay in Philly.

36:08 ... Bruce feels Harden's performance last season was the best version of his "current self" and World B points out what an efficient duo he was with Embiid.

37:48 ... Phoenix traded Cameron Payne, leaving them without a true point guard.  Shaun feels that with Kevin Durant and Devin Booker, two of their top guns don't really need a point guard because they can create for themselves.

40:12 ... Bruce initiated a discussion on DeAndre Ayton and whether new head coach Frank Vogel can get the best out of him.

41:43 ... World B feels that Vogel, known as a defensive oriented coach will be sorely tested by his new team and their defensive deficiencies.

42:36 ... Jaylen Brown has yet to sign a supermax deal but Shaun feels many teams are getting sticker shock and Brown may not deserve the supermax salary and that could be why he has not yet come to terms with the Celtics on a new deal.

45:06 ... Bruce has praise for Brown because he has leadership qualities and with Marcus Smart gone and Al Horford nearing retirement, he feels Brown will soon be the leader of the team.

47:00 ... The second apron of the new salary cap is something that is a huge factor moving forward when it comes to team building.  Shaun explains the financial stakes for owners and general managers.

48:12 ... Ross is concerned that the OKC Thunder may soon be contending with salary cap issues.

49:44 ... With all of the brothers currently playing in the league, we play Word Association with Shaun.  The Mobleys (Isaiah and Evan), the Holidays (Jrue, Justin, and Aaron), and the Balls (Lonzo and LaMelo) are our subjects

53:03 ... Final Thoughts: Bruce on new Indiana Pacer Bruce Brown, who signed a big free agent deal despite not being a typical "star" player.

54:17 ... World B's closing comment is on the rising OKC Thunder and their bright future.  And now Chet Holmgren is ready to play after missing last year due to injury, so the team looks poised for a playoff appearance.

55:58 ... Shaun's final thought is on NBA Commissioner Adam Silver and all of his great achievements as he begins his 10th season as NBA Commissioner.

59:12 ... Ross lives in Phoenix and the weather has been historically hot with 20 straight days hitting 110 degrees.  Let's just say its effects have been felt!

1:00:20 ... Shaun shares his twitter handle and lets everyone know how to find him.

1:00:56 ... Ross wraps it up and says goodbye

TRT 1:01:13

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 ... Opening animation and Ross welcomes us to show #62 in honor of Scot Pollard, who wore that number as an Indiana Pacer.

0:51 ... Ross' Bet Online live commercial read

1:23 ... Bruce introduces our guest Cassidy Hubbarth and they have a warm exchange about their history working together on NBA Tonight and NBA Coast to Coast, including Cassidy's hip hop nicknames for everyone on the staff

4:40 ... Bruce wants to know if covering the NBA at ESPN is the basketball life Cassidy always dreamed of?

6:09 ... Ross asks Cassidy about the difference between presenting content on linear TV vs. what she does on the digital platform with her hit series "Hoop Streams."

9:49 ... Cassidy waxes poetic on her colleague Doris Burke and why she is the G.O.A.T.  Cassidy praises Doris for her character and how she earned everything she has achieved.

14:06 ... Ross asks if there is a specific story about Doris, and Cassidy goes through a series of things that have drawn them so close together as friends.

16:33 ... Cassidy shares a classic story about her very first sideline reporter gig on Christmas Day 2015 where she was tasked with doing sideline interviews, including having to deal with Spurs coach Gregg Popovich.

21:24 ... Cassidy has a daughter that will turn five years old in December.  What has it been like to balance motherhood and family life with her demanding schedule?

25:20 ... Cassidy discusses her favorite "follows" on social media and discusses how she interacts with social media as a key part of her job.

28:20 ... Ross tees up our "Two-a-Days" and we start with Cassidy's Chicago Bulls ... and Cass struggles with finding something positive to say about Da' Bulls.  She feels like they're in purgatory and stuck in the middle, which is the worst place to be in the NBA.

33:08 ... Bruce commiserates with Cass for being bummed about the Bulls and "World B" tries to raise the spirits of "Bulls Nation" but Cass really isn't having any of it.  Although Cass' Dad feels more optimistic than she does.

38:17 ... Ross continues our "Two-a-Days" with our Golden State Warriors discussion and tees Cassidy up for her thoughts about newly acquired Chris Paul.

43:18 ... Bob Myers left Golden State to take a job at ESPN and the crew discusses whether Myers got out of Golden State before he had to preside over a tear down and rebuild.

45:32 ... "World B" wonders if Chris Paul's style of offense will mesh well with the style the Warriors have played for so many years.  Cass feels his presence will be very helpful to the younger guys on the team like Moses Moody and Jonathan Kuminga and also that he'll be an asset on the second team.

49:09 ... Ross transitions to a discussion of Damian Lillard and James Harden, both of whom are seeking trades.  Cass feels that Portland will eventually deal Lillard but they're trying not to give him away.

52:16 ... Will James Harden ever be happy?  Does he want to win a title?  Does he just want to get paid?  Is it important for him to be "The Man" again?    Cassidy hopes james stays in Philly because she doesn't want to see another year of prime Joel Embiid wasted.

56:32 ... We play "Word Association" and Bruce asks Cassidy about Stuart Scott, who was one one of her greatest mentors.

58:34 ... Word Association continues with "World B" asking Cass about Stephen A. Smith and how he is VERY quiet when you talk to him in person.

59:53 ... More Word Association as Ross asks Cass about fellow Northwestern Wildcat and ESPN colleague Michael Wilbon.

1:01:14 ... The crew thanks Cassidy for being on the show and everyone says goodbye

TRT 1:02:25

0:00 ... Hello and Welcome to episode 95 in honor of Juan Toscano Anderson ... our guest this week is ESPN's Tim Legler.

1:13 ... Ross live Bet Online commercial read

1:51 ... Bruce introduces his long-time friend and colleague Tim Legler of ESPN with a story about the biggest night of his NBA career.

3:37 ... Bruce and Legs discuss whether the Celtics have peaked too soon ... Legs wondered if the big lead has made them complacent but he feels Boston is the most complete team in the NBA.

6:13 ... Ross asks Legs about the Bucks as they gear up for the playoffs ... Legs feels Joe Mazzulla is much more comfortable this season while the Bucks hired Doc Rivers to replace a rookie coach.  The Bucks are playing well defensively due to Doc making them accountable.

9:00 ... Damian Lillard is adjusting to being on a team with a teammate who is better than him.  The Bucks have made him a believer.

9:56 ... The Knicks don't want to finish 4th because they'll get Boston in the second round ... injuries have hurt the team and they might not be at their best until next season, but they can still be a dangerous playoff team.

12:48 ... Bruce asks Legs about how Tom Thibodeau has not overused his guys, and that the injuries to key Knicks players were freakish, not from overuse.

14:59 ... The Cavaliers have really missed Donovan Mitchell and their record without him is dismal ... but players who miss time and comeback healthy for the playoffs usually have more energy due to being idle.  Legs compares Joel Embiid's situation to Mitchell.  The Cavs are in trouble and might lose in the first round ...

17:58 ... Ross asks about Embiid's possible return ... Legs says Embiid's injury (meniscus) is not like a pulled muscle, once he's fixed and feels good -- play him.  But good health and getting into a good rhythm are two different things and his first games will be intense affairs.

20:35 ... If Embiid comes back and is injected into a first round series, it will be the biggest "X-Factor" in first round playoff history.

21:04 ... We discuss the Houston Rockets and their long shot bid to knock the Warriors out of the Play in ... Legs thinks the Rockets/Warriors game on April 4th is a game to circle on your calendars.

23:12 .. Denver looks ready for another deep run and Legs discusses how the Wolves, Mavs, and Thunder could all threaten Denver.  Minnesota's defense is great, but can they close out games?  OKC is a young team that lacks playoff experience.  Dallas could end up being the last team standing against the Nuggets.    Legs trusts Luka in clutch situations.

26:38 ... Bruce asks Legs about the Thunder and whether rebounding will be their downfall in the postseason.  Legs agrees and points out that Chet Holmgren is tall but thin and has trouble maintaining position down low.  Legs also feels OKC's 3 point shooting may be lacking.

30:32 ... Ross asks if Legs was surprised at OKC's lack of pursuit of "bigs" at the trade deadline.  Legs riffs on Daniel Gafford and Dereck Lively and their 82% combined shooting.

32:42 ... The Wizards have won 3 straight, jeopardizing their lottery position and as a former Bullet and Wizard, Legs has been depressed watching his old team all season.  Even Detroit has more hope because they have young studs like Cade Cunningham while the Wiz have Jordan Poole.  Legs tells a funny story about Poole and says he's enjoying "the direct deposit every two weeks."

35:23 ... World B asks Legs about the franchise moving to Virginia.  Legs feels a move will help the franchise shed its "corporate" feel playing in downtown DC.

36:34 ... The New Orleans Pelicans have missed Brandon Ingram and Legs is concerned his absence could cause the team to stumble because he can create good shots when the shot clock is winding down and that is hard to replace.  They may be under the radar but they have three key positions filled with Zion Williamson, CJ McCollum, and Ingram (when healthy).  They'll be a problem in the playoffs.

38:57 ... Legs eviscerates the Suns over their loss to Milwaukee ... Phoenix has really pissed him off ... the Suns lost to San Antonio on Monday without Wemby.  Legs is simply irate and jokes about kicking the Suns out of the league due to their pathetic effort.

42:43 ... World B asks about the return of Russell Westbrook and what impact he'll have down the stretch for the Clippers.  He plays every single minute as hard as he can and is an energizer off the bench.  Legs believes they'll reach a higher gear before the playoffs start.

45:29 ... World B asks why the Clippers are losing so many winnable games.  If Kawhi has another gear, he can take more control over games but has mostly been pacing himself.  As Kawhi goes, so go the Clippers.

48:16 ... If the Warriors play the Lakers in a play in game, Ross asks Legs if he favors LeBron or Curry.  Legs picks the Lakers because LeBron has Anthony Davis and Steph doesn't.

50:02 ... Bruce asks Legs, the former 3 Point champion about Caitlin Clark and if he would like to see her at All Star Weekend shooting threes against an NBA three point specialist as Sabrina Ionescu did with Steph Curry this year.  Legs says Curry should always be the NBA shooter and he also came up with a creative idea for Caitlin, Sabrina, and the Splash Brothers.

52:22 ... Ross asks Legs about the NCAA Tournament and he likes Houston to win it all.  But he also  feels UConn is the most complete team out there.

53:19 ... Ross tees up "Parting Shots" and Bruce hammers  Shai Gilgeous Alexander and Chet Holmgren for their lame ATT commercial.  Legs jumps in and bashes the Jimmy Butler/Jaime Jacquez commercial and wonders if Holmgren ever has any fun playing basketball.

54:58 ... World B says Khris Middleton's return will make them a real threat to win the east.

56:23 ... Ross does a best bet on Milwaukee vs the Lakers on Tuesday night.

57:08 ... Legs says the movie "Arthur The King" with Mark Wahlberg is a "must see" and we should all see it when it comes out.  It's the story of a remarkable dog!

58:50 Ross wraps it up, thanks Legs, and says goodbye

TRT 59:34

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

0:15 ... Opening Takes .... Paolo Banchero should be an All Star ... Houston's "Sons of Ballers" are doing it for their coach who's Dad was also a baller ... Another "Son of a Baller" is Domantas Sabonis and he is giving Sacramento a little bit of everything.

6:05 ... The Celtics continue to stumble ... we'll tell you what's wrong.

7:30 ... Eastern teams are locking down on defense, leading to great success.

9:11 ... Nobody wants a piece of the Cavaliers with their electric backcourt of Spida Mitchell and Darius "Kyrie Irving 2.0" Garland and their two impressive bigs.

11:14 ... Brooklyn has caught fire behind "Kyrie 1.0" and the incredible Kevin Durant.  Not only are they getting buckets, they're playing excellent "D."

13:48 ... In the Wild Wild West, the top 6 teams are separated by just 2 games.  Every game will matter as far as playoff positioning, so coaches will have to ride their guys hard.  Will players be unable to take a night off?  Will "load management" go out the window?

16:54 ... We'll analyze how the Memphis Grizzlies can be such a potent offensive team despite not being a good shooting team?

21:45 ... Watch out for the LA Clippers ... they have been hurt by injuries but they're getting healthy and rising in the west now that Kawhi Leonard is back on the court.

25:10 ... In Phoenix, do Monty Williams and DeAndre Ayton have some unfinished business ot attend to?

27:57 ... In Denver "The Joker" is King, but have we been sleeping on Aaron Gordon and his huge impact?

30:49 ... Atlanta changes leadership in the front office, could a change on the bench be next?  Are Trae Young and Nate McMillan OK with each other?

34:37 ... Has DeJounte Murray's arrival negatively affected Trae?

36:48 ... Is the man who wants to buy the Phoenix Suns (Mat Ishbia) a potential rival with another NBA owner who comes from the same state?  Could the makeup of the Suns ownership group be an issue in closing the deal?

41:31 ... Who are the top "Breakout Players" so far?  Ross, Mike, and Bruce each have their top choice.

45:00 ... How did Drake bet $1 million on a team that won, but still lost his bet?  We'll explain and Ross will drop some knowledge on how you can make some money if you put the right rookies in your parlays.

48:18 ... In our Overtime segment, we'll preview the three best Christmas Day games: 76ers/Knicks, Bucks/Celtics, and Suns/Nuggets.

52:18 ... And finally, we'll tell you what Christmas gift you can get for a friend that they'll love and it won't cost you a penny.  Hint: It's available on line.

0:00 ... Ross welcomes you to episode #6 of "48 Minutes."

0:44 ... In Bruce's opening comment, he expresses concern about the Milwaukee Bucks and the health of their veteran players.

2:00 ... Michael's opening comment is full of praise for Toronto's Pascal Siakam.

3:28 ... Ross opens with a statistical anomaly from the Phoenix Suns' first quarter performance on Monday against the Knicks.

5:18 ... Our first discussion is about the way Denver manhandled the Celtics on New Year's Day and the brilliance of Nikola Jokic and his role player teammates.

11:14 ... In the Power Rankings segment, Michael and Bruce give their top 3 teams while Ross shares his bottom 3.

21:11 ... The Pacers are rising quickly in the east and emerging as a team that should make the playoffs.

23:13 ... The offense is on fire led by Tyrese Haliburton

24:05 ... Myles Turner is having a career year and will be a free agent at the end of the season.

24:48 ... Rick Carlisle is a Hall of Fame caliber coach and is a big reason for the Pacers' success.

26:57 ... Indiana's Bennedict Mathurin is the second best rookie in the league, but nobody knows how to actually pronounce his last name.  Since the rookie is French, Bruce takes a shot at the proper way to say it.  "Mah-tur-ahn."

28:19 ... Ross plays a game of "Word Association" with Michael and Bruce.  Their topics are the OKC Thunder, Luka Doncic, and Latrell Sprewell.

39:23 ... In Ross' "Best Bets" segment,  he tells you which home teams to put money on and which road teams to avoid like the plague.

43:43 ... Bruce's closing take concerns something the top scorers in the NBA have in common.

45:07 ... Michael's is on the overall brilliance of Miami's Bam Adebayo.

46:44 ... Ross' is on the free falling Phoenix Suns and how far they could fall in the next week.

49:50 ... Show ends

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 Intro

1:25 Celtics/Heat Game 4 Recap & Reactions as Boston moves ahead 3-1 in the series

8:26 Timberwolves sweep the Suns

13:19 An early presumptive thought on a Timberwolves/Nuggets Round 2 Matchup

17:01 Jalen Brunson & the Knicks keep on rolling

23:16 Bucks on the brink of elimination & Game 5 preview

29:09 Magic/Cavaliers Game 5 Preview

35:01 Mavericks/Clippers Game 5 Preview

41:30 Lightning Round of Playoff Questions

41:40 Who’s been the most impressive player in the playoffs

44:01 Who’s been the most disappointing player in the playoffs

47:01 Which team has a brighter future the Bucks or Suns?

49:54 Will Kevin Durant make another Finals appearance?

50:51 Will LeBron James make another Finals appearance?

52:34 Will Steph Curry make another Finals appearance?

54:34 The Thunder eliminate the Pelicans

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 ... Hello and Welcome

0:30 .. Bet On Line Commercial Read

1:20 ... Bruce's opening comment is on Marcus Smart's return to Boston on Sunday and how much love he was shown by Celtics fans.

2:30 ... World B's open is on the Charlotte Hornets and what an embarrassment they are.

4:44 ... Ross's open is on the odd situation that involves new Bucks coach Doc Rivers and his assignment as the Eastern Conference All Star coach.

7:01 ... The first quarter this week deals with the All Star reserve snubs.  Bruce feels Joel Embiid should be replaced by Kristaps Porzingis.  World B doesn't feel that Embiid and Julius Randle necessarily should be replaced by other bigs.

8:44 ... Ross goes through the reserves and asks if Jalen Brunson should be a starter instead of Damian Lillard.

9:55 ... Bruce felt Trae Young might be considered a snub but he liked the guards who were named as reserves and feels all of them are more deserving that Young.  World B disagrees and makes a compelling case for Young and wonders if Trae should be there instead of Jaylen Brown.

13:27 ... Ross feels that Scottie Barnes of Toronto would be a worthy replacement for Randle up front.

14:45 ... Bruce feels that the worst snub out west was Karl-Anthony Towns making it while Domantas Sabonis did not.  Ross agrees with Bruce.

16:30 ... World B doesn't feel that "games played" should be a deciding factor in selecting All Stars and feels like De'Aaron Fox is a worse snub that his teammate Sabonis.  Bruce felt Fox was a "mini snub," but feels that Steph Curry, Anthony Edwards, and Devin Booker are all more deserving.

20:18 ... World B wants the NBA to make the All Star rosters include 15 players instead of 12.

21:50 ... The second quarter is all about the smoking hot Cleveland Cavaliers (14-1 in their last 15 games) and how they are racing up the standings and could be second in the east by All Star weekend.

23:03 ... Ross gives credit to Donovan Mitchell and Jarrett Allen for keeping the team on a winning run despite injuries to Darius Garland and Evan Mobley.

23:41... World B is really impressed at how the Cavs have made up so much ground in a short time as they continue their rise in the east.

24:58 ... Bruce discusses how Allen and the Cavs defense are dominating and allowing them to grind out wins on the road.

25:58 ... The third quarter is all about the New York Knicks and their 15-3 hot streak since January 1st.  World B is impressed but not really surprised but feels the team needs some more offensive players to help out Jalen Brunson.

29:36 ... The addition of OG Anunoby really made a difference and in spite of his recent injury, the team continues to win games.

30:56 ... Ross shares his feelings about how Donte Di Vicenzo has been a real difference maker for the Knicks with his scoring and toughness.

32:40 ... Bruce is impressed with the Knicks rebounding and how they finish defensive possessions by controlling the boards.  As is the case with Cleveland, their defense allows them to win on nights where they don't score a lot of points.

34:28 ... The fourth quarter features trade talk and everyone agrees that the Chicago Bulls need to clean house and look to the future.

36:45 ... World B feels Andre Drummond will likely be traded and also feels that Buddy Hield of Indiana could be moving on at the trade deadline.  World B feels like the Charlotte Hornets need to also clean house.

38:35 ... Ross thinks Miles Bridges and Nick Richards ought to be moved.  He also wonders what is up with the Pistons and Alec Burks?  When Burks is on the court, the Pistons are competitive.  And while he has trade value, the Pistons young core needs to experience some winning basketball in order to grow and not develop bad habits.

41:52 ... NBA writer Marc Stein floated a Bobby Portis for Grant Williams deal between the Bucks and Mavs but Ross is dead set against the proposal.

43:27 ... Stein also reported that Malcolm Brogdon wants to stay in Portland and his presence could go a long way in helping rookie Scoot Henderson develop.

45:44... Ross's "Best Bets" are back this week with his player prop bets that you should consider.

47:06 ... Bruce's closing thought is on Joel Embiid who is having an MVP caliber season but will be disqualified from winning the award due to his injuries.

49:09 ... World B feels that the explosion of scoring should not cause panic and result in rule changes that will reduce scoring.  He feels the game is fine as it is.

51:11 ... Ross has an exciting announcement about the new Playback.TV platform where our 48 Minutes crew will interact with audience members as we watch a live game together on NBA League Pass.  It's a great way to share the viewing experience with smart hoop fans and your friends on this podcast.  Our first game will be Thursday February 8th at 10:00pm ET as we watch the Nuggets vs. Lakers together with you.

55:05 ... Bye and see you soon

TRT 55:18

0:00 ... Hello and Welcome

0:36 ... Bruce quickly recaps the three series that should end quickly

1:36 ... World B explains how load management helped Kawhi Leonard get off to a fast start for the Clippers

2:43 ... Ross has words of praise for Rui Hachimura of the Lakers, who saved his best performance as a Laker for a very big moment

4:36 ... Bruce shows his respect for Miami's Jimmy Butler, the former Marquette star who came back to Milwaukee and crushed the Bucks in game one

5:09 ... World B expresses concern about the Bucks' offense as game 2 against the Heat approaches and Ross pipes in on the absence of Giannis Antetokounmpo and it's affect on the Bucks' offense.

7:17 ... Ross wonders why Jae Crowder was such a non-factor for the Bucks in game one

11:08 ... Despite losing at home in game one, Bruce identifies several "silver linings" for the Bucks coming off the loss

14:34 ... The Lakers beat Memphis in game one and their transition offense was a big reason

16:22 ... Role players Rui Hachimura and Austin Reaves overshadowed superstars Anthony Davis and LeBron James in the first game of the Lakers/Grizz series

18:06 ... Ja Morant injured his shooting hand and the crew discusses the chances of Memphis beating LA if he is out of the lineup

20:56 ... Russell Westbrook of the Clippers had one of his most improbable "big game" performances in game one against the Suns

23:29 ... The two headed Clippers Center (Ivica Zubac and Mason Plumlee) gave DeAndre Ayton of the Suns all he could handle in game one

26:24 ... Phoenix stars Kevin Durant and Devin Booker need to be MUCH better in game two

30:18 ... The Warriors/Kings matchup has all the makings of an all time great playoff series

32:59 ... Can Malik Monk of Sacramento continue his torrid shooting as the series moves forward?

35:20 ... The Warriors always win a road game in every playoff series ... will the streak continue?

36:07 ... Kings coach Mike Brown kept calling for screen and rolls against the team he knows well after being a Warriors assistant for 6 seasons

38:43 ... Both Steve Kerr and Brown are using their entire roster rather than tightening up their rotations in the first game of the series

39:11 ... The gritty New York Knicks did what they always seem to do in game one against the Cavaliers

42:02 ... The Cavs have some young players who lacked poise in game one and need to mature quickly

46:47 ... Ross shares his Best Bets on some Clippers parlays that will make you some money

48:03 ... Bruce's closing thought is on "Bloody Sunday" where injuries to key players cast a pall over the first weekend of action

49:37 ... World B takes Russell Westbrook to task for his antics with a fan at halftime of game one

53:22 ... Ross quotes the great Pat Riley who said "A series doesn't start until the home team loses."

54:20  ... Bye for now

TRT: 54:37

0:00 ... Ross hello and welcome, introduces fellow co-hosts Bruce and "World B."

0:38 ... Episode #103 honors Jaden McDaniels of Minnesota, who wears uniform #3.

0:53 ... Live commercial read for Bet Online.

1:26 ... Ross tees up the discussion of the Pacers winning game 7 against the Knicks on Sunday.

3:56 ... Bruce felt that nobody could have anticipated the way the Pacers offense performed.

6:02 ... World B has a stat on Indiana's offense on Sunday that is remarkable.

6:50 ... Ross delivers flowers to TJ McConnell, whose play off the bench was a huge factor for Indiana.

7:31 ... Ross tees up a discussion previewing the Pacers/Celtics series and wonders if a Boston team missing Kristaps Porzingis can handle Indiana's Myles Turner, who has been a huge factor at both ends of the court.

10:05 ... Ross expects a fast paced series and World B feels like bettors should take "the overs."

12:30 ... Bruce feels that "The Wardens" (Jrue Holiday and Derrick White) will be Boston's secret weapons against the young Pacers guards (Andrew Nembhard and Tyrese Haliburton).  He is also excited to watch the individual matchup between Jayson Tatum and Pascal Siakam.

13:50 ... Ross wonders if Boston's ball movement will suffer if they try to hunt mismatches but Bruce feels Jaylen Brown will be unstoppable and will likely be Boston's leading scorer against the Pacers.

15:48 ... World B says there is more pressure on Boston than on any other team and if they are locked up in a tight battle, will they be able to respond successfully?  World B feels they will.

17:04 ... Bruce feels that Jrue Holiday's presence and calming influence will be a difference maker in "late game" situations for the Celtics.  World B feels Jayson Tatum will improve his shooting the rest of the way after shooting just 28% from downtown through the first two rounds.

18:56 ... Predictions ... everyone picks Boston

19:15 ... Ross tees up the game 7 discussion on Timberwolves/Nuggets from Sunday ... Bruce feels that Denver depended too much on Nikola Jokic and Jamal Murray and Minnesota shut everyone else down.

21:20 ... World B takes a bow as he was very high on Minnesota all season long.  The way the Wolves shut down Denver's offense was unbelievable.

23:24 ... As great as Jokic is, he did not "come up big" late in the game and may have been worn down by Minnesota's bigs.  The Wolves dominated at the free throw line because their aggressive play caused them to get more whistles from the refs.

26:02 ... Ross points out how Mike Conley of the Wolves is a huge factor in organizing the team and making huge shots in clutch situations.

27:20 ... Ross initiates the discussion on the Mavs/Wolves series ... Bruce feels Luka Doncic will "do Luka things," but Kyrie Irving needs to be more like the guy who played against the Clippers in round one and less like the Kyrie who played against OKC in round two.

28:37 ... Ross asks World B if the Dallas frontcourt has the physical toughness to rebound effectively against the Wolves.

30:31 ... Bruce feels that the three Minnesota bigs will be too much for the young Dallas Bigs.  PJ Washington has also been a huge factor for the Mavs.

31:52 ... Predictions ... everyone chooses Minnesota

35:09 ... Bruce's one liner is on the extra 48 Minutes shows this week

36:10 ... World B's one liner is on ESPN's coverage of Pacers/Knicks game 7 and how is was tough to watch.

39:28 ... Ross's one liner congratulates Brandin Podziemski and GG Jackson for making the two All-Rookie teams.

40:18 ... Ross says goodbye

TRT 40:32

0:00 Intro

1:18 Steven Adams set to miss the entire NBA season

3:55 Terry Stotts decision to leave the Milwaukee Bucks coaching staff

7:22 Reactions to Giannis Antetokounmpo signing a 3-year extension with the Bucks

9:36 Which Eastern Conference team will be a surprise this season?

13:34 Eastern Conference Finals matchup predictions

16:29 Eastern Conference Champion predictions

18:35 Which Western Conference team will be a surprise this season?

21:46 Western Conference Finals matchup predictions

26:33 Western Conference Champion predictions

28:50 MVP Award predictions

30:43 Defensive Player of the Year Award predictions

32:28 Rookie of the Year Award predictions

33:43 Sixth Man of the Year Award predictions

35:54 Coach of the Year Award predictions

37:40 Most Improved Player Award predictions

39:55 Predictions on which head coach will be the first on the hot seat

41:55 One random thought/prediction to look out for this season

45:10 Final Thoughts: Which team is crowned the 2024 NBA Champion

0:00 ... Opening animation, hello and welcome to episode #98 in honor of Jason Collins.

0:55 ... Bet Online live commercial read

1:23 ... Lakers/Pelicans play in preview

7:17 ... Warriors/Kings play in preview

13:25 ... Heat/76ers play in preview

18:15 ... Hawks/Bulls play in preview

22:01 ... Suns/Timberwolves series preview

29:08 ... Mavericks/Clippers series preview

34:00 ... Pacers/Bucks series preview

43:05 ... Cavaliers/Magic series preview

48:25 ... Bruce's "one liner" on what he hated the most this season

49:24 ... Ross's "one liner" on what he loved AND hated the most this season

50:11 ... World B's "one liner" on all the 60 loss teams this season

50:58 ... Ross goodbye and see you next time ...

TRT 51:15

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 Intro

1:43 Brandin provides his thoughts on UConn winning the National Championship game

3:05 Brandin discusses his mindset on always betting on himself

4:02 What it would mean to Brandin to make the NBA All-Rookie Team in a loaded draft class

5:25 The biggest adjustment Brandin’s had to make from college to the NBA

6:41 Brandin’s initial reaction once selected 19th overall by the Golden State Warriors

8:24 What Brandin has learned from playing with 4 future Hall of Famers

10:22 How Brandin has adjusted to the Warriors unique offensive style of play

11:33 Brandin shares insight into how he’s become one of the best rebounding guards in the NBA

13:17 How is Steve Kerr preparing the Warriors youth for more responsibilities in the future

14:41 How’s Brandin feeling about the team heading into the final week of the season?

16:14 Leading the league in charges taken, how is Brandin gaining his defensive advantages?

18:05 Have any opposing players given Brandin a hard time about how many charges he takes?

18:58 Brandin on his ambitions to play for the Polish National Team & his offseason plans

20:27 Brandin’s “Welcome to the NBA” moments this season

21:42 Brandin on Trayce Jackson-Davis’s development throughout their rookie seasons

22:56 The one thing Brandin misses the most from back home in Wisconsin

23:34 What’s it like being on the court with Steph Curry when he catches fire

25:03 Brandin on having to guard fellow Santa Clara star Jalen Williams in the NBA

26:21 Who’s been the toughest players to guard this season?

0:00 Intro

0:35 Opening Tip: Top Games from Wednesday Night

9:41: Luka Doncic's Historic Performance

14:23: World B and Ross discuss their Top 3 MVP rankings

30:48: World B and Ross discuss 2 teams in each conference that need to step it up

38:38: Ross shares his best bet for rebounds with smaller named players

40:44: World B and Ross share their New Year's Resolutions for NBA teams & possible trades along with the upcoming Jan. 15 trade restriction being lifted

49:45: World B and Ross discuss the altercation in Detroit between Killian Hayes and Moe Wagner

53:44: Outro

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

1:37 Doug shares how his offseason has been going thus far

2:22 Doug reflects on his trip out to Las Vegas Summer League to watch his newest teammate in Victor Wembanyama 

3:15 Bruce asks Doug if the Spurs have any unique processes in place with dealing with the buzz surrounding Victor’s upcoming rookie season

4:19 How can Doug’s own experience coming in as a highly touted draft pick with expectations help him guide Victor next season

6:00 Is there any benefit to having already played with Kristaps Porzingis in New York who has a similar size, frame, & outside shot as Wemby?

7:11 Doug explains what it’s like to be around the well known & well respected Spurs culture 

8:24 Bruce asks Doug to compare & contrast his Dad as a coach to the legendary Gregg Popovich 

9:53 How Gregg Popovich can make a difference in Victor’s development

11:21 Ross asks Doug how he & the rest of the Spurs veterans plan on helping lead this young Spurs roster during a season that will attract a lot of attention

12:58 What’s it like being traded 2 consecutive seasons in a row? How hard is that adjustment?

15:03 Being not just a great shooter but also an effective off the ball cutter, Ross asks Doug how great it was to see how selfless of a passer Victor was in Summer League

16:43 Ross asks Doug to talk a bit about Jeremy Sochan as a teammate & about his future in the NBA

19:12 Having been drafted by the Bulls & being teammates with Jimmy Butler, is Doug surprised with all his success?

20:27 Bruce asks Doug about Rajon Rondo as a teammate & whether he thinks Rondo would be a good coach in the NBA

21:44 World B asks Doug what the biggest moment was for him becoming the consistent sharp shooter he is today in the league

24:13 Is there anyone in particular that Doug mentors on the current Spurs roster?

25:12 Bruce asks Doug to discuss Coach Pop’s love for red wine 

27:56 What’s Doug most looking forward to next season with the Spurs & does he have any goals already set?

30:25 Bruce asks Ross for a Phoenix weather update prior to the start of the 2nd half of the show

33:37 The Crew discusses their Winners & Losers of the NBA Offseason

33:56 Bruce goes first & selects the Houston Rockets

36:22 World B picks the Dallas Mavericks as his winner this offseason

40:57 Ross takes the Phoenix Suns as his winner of the offseason

43:34 Bruce says the Atlanta Hawks are the losers of the offseason

45:33 The Philadelphia 76ers are the losers of the offseason according to World B

47:57 Ross says the Chicago Bulls are the losers of the offseason

49:30 Bruce provides his final thoughts on Kemba Walker signing a contract overseas

51:21 World B discuss Michael Jordan sale of the Charlotte Hornets as his final thought

53:49 Ross provides his final thought on Mike Conley winning the NBA's Sportsmanship Award for his record breaking 4th time

0:12 … The guys tell you who they are and get things rolling
3:22 …  How will the Warriors overcome the loss of Steph Curry?
13:01 …  The NY Knicks are red hot and looking like a dangerous team
19:11 …  Which teams need to make moves for "tradeable" players?
20:10 … The Lakers are broken, but we will help fix them
22:15 …  John Collins' future
22:50 … Will the Pistons deal Bojan Bogdanovich to a contender?
23:59 … What do the Suns need to do to get their mojo back?
26:28 … Has Chris Paul lost something off his fastball?
29:10 … More on how the Lakers let a shooter get away
31:10 … The Clippers are rising in the West behind a healthy Kawhi Leonard
37:50 … The Nets are rising in the east with KD, Kyrie, and solid D
43:45 …  Best Bets: Which teams are money on 3 Point Parlays?
47:21 …  Weekend Preview: Pelicans/Suns, Jazz/Bucks, and Nuggets/Lakers
51:18 …  Buh Bye

Running Time  51:44

0:00 ... Hello and Welcome ...

0:36 ... Opening Comments: Bruce looks forward to Andrew Wiggins' long awaited return to the Golden State Warriors after missing 22 games due to a family issue involving his father's health.

1:55 ... World B has a problem with Kawhi Leonard sitting out the second half against Memphis due to load management.

3:17 ... Ross is relieved that the new collective bargaining agreement between the players and management has been agreed upon.

4:40 ... Bold Predictions: Bruce says the Nets will win their final four games, secure the #6 seed in the eastm and his the postseason with some momentum.

7:05 ... World B says the Lakers will not only make the postseason, they'll secure the #6 seed out west and avoid the Play In games.

8:35 ... Ross predicts that the Suns will not lose another game heading into the playoffs.

11:03 ... High Drama in the East ... Milwaukee, Boston, and Philly are the top three teams but there's a lot of unfinished business.

15:00 ... Ross wants to know who will step up for the Bucks if Giannis Antetokounmpo, Khris Middleton, and Jrue Holiday have off night in the playoffs.

21:03 ... Boston needs Robert Williams III to play to his potential if they expect to come out of the east.

25:45 ... Two of the three MVP Favorites are Giannis and Joel Embiid but their recent head to head matchup didn't decide anything.

29:39 ... Playoff matchups we want to see ... Bruce hopes the Celtics and Heat meet in the first round because they have a rich postseason history and the teams don't really like each other.

32:22 ...World B wants to see the Knicks and the Cavaliers go at it with New York's Julius Randle healthy enough to make an impact.

37:16 ... Ross hopes the Kings and Warriors match up in round one as the franchises are in close proximity and the fans of both teams will be incredibly passionate.

41:26 ... The "48 Minutes Awards" are announced ... The categories are "He Came out of Nowhere" with nominees Austin Reaves, Lauri Markkanen, and Jalen Brunson.

44:29 ... The nominees for the "Mr Indispensable Award" are Tyrese Maxey, Steven Adams, and Nikola Jokic.

47:19 ... The nominees for the "Leadership Award" are Jrue Holiday, Jalen Brunson, and CJ McCollum.

51:14 ... And finally, the "I Got You" Award nominees are Robert Williams III, Marcus Smart, and DeAaron Fox.

54:02 ... Final Thoughts: Bruce doesn't think Angel Reese of LSU owes anyone other than her teammates an apology for her actions at the end of Sunday's NCAA Women's Championship game.

55:53 ... World B has praise for the Oklahoma City Thunder and their gesture honoring the late wife of Phoenix Suns coach Monty Williams on Sunday evening.

57:19 ... Ross is curious about which teams will be "spoilers" in the final week  of the regular season.

58:07 ... Bye until next time ...

TRT: 58:24

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 ... Hello and welcome to episode #27: the Zaza Pachilia episode of 48 Minutes.

0:48 ... Bruce's opening tip concerns the referees and how they continue to cause controversy, especially in the Celtics/Timberwolves game on Wednesday.

2:26 ... World B's opening tip gives credit to young teams that are near the bottom of the standings but continue to play with effort and energy.

3:50 ... Ross' opening tip praises the Bucks for becoming the first team to reach 50 wins and clinch a playoff spot.

5:04 ... The Celtics are trending in the wrong direction and Bruce is concerned that they're squandering leads by taking their foot off the gas when they should be finishing off their opponents.  World B feels the Celts are just a "blah" team right now.

8:02 ... With Robert Williams III always battling health problems, can Boston get it done against quality bigs like Giannis Antetokounmpo, Joel Embiid, and the others in the eastern conference?

10:00 ...Will Boston's rookie head coach Joe Mazzulla be overmatched against more experienced leaders like Mike Budenholzer, Doc Rivers, Tom Thibodeau, and Erik Spoelstra in the postseason?

11:28 ... James Harden and Joel Embiid have the 76ers hot on Boston's tail in the race to finish #2 in the east.

17:18 ... Ross and World B disagree on whether the 76ers will actually pass Boston in the standings.

19:03 ... Denver finally stopped its 4 game losing streak on Thursday against lowly Detroit, but the game was tighter than the final score might indicate.

20:30 ... Questions are starting to emerge about two time MVP Nikola Jokic's ability to carry the Nuggets to a deep playoff run.

22:13 ... The Nuggets have a nice cushion over the Kings and Grizzlies, but they'll have a difficult schedule over the final month.

24:53 ... The Grizzlies are in a tailspin and it goes well beyond Ja Morant's suspension.

27:30 ... Ross is concerned that Morant's issues are negatively affecting the vibe in the locker room.

29:19 ... The Kings continue to roll and while they don't have playoff experience as a group, there are many individual players who have been in the playoffs and their head coach Mike Brown certainly has lots of postseason experience.

33:20 ...In Los Angeles, the Clippers have won 4 straight after a 5 game losing streak and Kawhi Leonard's health has been a key reason.

35:19 ... Clippers coach Ty Lue has done a nice job of successfully integrating a lot of recently acquired players into his system.

38:48 ...The Lakers lost a close game to Houston on Wednesday with Anthony Davis sitting it out.  Bruce was incredulous that coach Darvin Ham allowed it to happen.

40:53 ... Ross and World B feel that the Lakers didn't take the Rockets seriously and paid the price.

44:32 ... The MVP race has come down to the three International bigs: Nikola Jokic, Joel Embiid, and Giannis Antetokounmpo.  The guys each pick their winner.

52:26 ... Best Bets from Ross features his LA Clippers same game parlay choices that will make you some $$.

53:31 ... Bruce's final thought is on the San Antonio Spurs hoping history repeats itself in their quest to land a generational big man in the 2023 NBA Draft.

55:36 ... World B is upset that his West Virginia Mountaineers lost their first game in the NCAA Tournament, but is happy to remind everyone that WVU is well represented in the NBA on the court, on the bench, and in the front office.

57:24 ... And finally, Ross is excited to see the Chicago Bulls wear their green uniforms Friday on St Patrick's Day against the Timberwolves.

TRT 58:30

0:00 ... Welcome and introductions

1:09 ... Opening thoughts on the Kyrie Irving trade from Brooklyn to Dallas

3:20 ... Dave on Kyrie's lack of self awareness regarding how his actions affect teammates and organizations.

6:03 ... Dave on the risks and rewards of adding Kyrie Irving to your team

9:34 ... What Mavs coach Jason Kidd needs to do to make the Kyrie/Luka Doncic backcourt work

14:30 ... How will the addition of Kyrie affect Dallas from a defensive standpoint?

17:26 ... After leaving three teams on bad terms, can Dallas trust him to change his ways?

20:25 ... Did the trade bring the Nets a fair return with Spencer Dinwiddie, Dorian Finney-Smith, and draft picks?

20:52 ... What's next for Kevin Durant now that his running mate Kyrie is gone?

27:00 ... LeBron James is on the verge of catching Kareem Abdul-Jabbar as the all time scoring leader.  Dave explains what it was like to coach Kareem.

29:55 ... Dave shares his thoughts on a very important trait that both LeBron and Kareem share

32:49 ... Dave suggests that there should be two lists of scoring records: one for the modern era and one for the era before three point shots were part of the game.

33:57 ... Can LeBron possibly eclipse Michael Jordan as the "GOAT?" (greatest of all time)

37:32 ... Dave explains what a general manager goes through in the final 2-3 days before the trade deadline

40:40 ... Dave explains why trading LeBron James could be a shrewd move for the Lakers franchise

48:38 ... Dave shares insight on some of the mind games general managers play with each other when discussing trades

51:21... There were two recent brawls in the NBA and the crew discusses the relatively light penalty given to Dillon Brooks of Memphis vs the harsher penalties meted out to Austin Rivers of Minnesota and Mo Bamba or Orlando

56:41... Dave has known Austin his entire life and he said it was very much out of character for him to be involved in an incident like the one with Bamba

58:03 ... When Jalen Suggs of Orlando grabbed Rivers by the throat, did he cross a line that should never be crossed?

1:00:50 ... Dave played in the NBA during the 1970s and shares memories of some fights that took place during his career.  One funny story involved legendary player and coach Don Nelson.

1:08:12 ... Final Thoughts ... Bruce on Ja Morant, Michael on Ben Simmons, Dave on Nikola Jokic, and Ross on his friend Giannis Antetokounpo.

TRT: 1:15:38

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

1:29 Sixers/Knicks Series & Game 2 Post Game Reactions

9:42 Magic/Cavaliers Series & Game 2 Post Game Reactions

15:56 Pacers/Bucks Series Game 1 Recap & Reactions to Playoff Dame

22:32 Pelicans/Thunder Game 1 Recap & Reactions

27:03 Heat/Celtics Game 1 Recap & Reactions

33:41 Mavericks/Clippers Game 1 Recap & Reactions

39:01 Suns/Timberwolves Game 1 Recap & Reactions

45:07 Lakes/Nuggets Game 1 Recap & Reactions with a live Game 2 Halftime Review

48:45 Bruce pays homage to his ESPN friend & colleague Howie Schwab

50:01 World B discusses his big takeaway from seeing the NBA Season Award finalists

51:27 Ross touches on Malik Monk’s likely departure from Sacramento

0:00 Intro

1:12 Bruce introduces special guest Amin Elhassan

2:14 Amin’s love for Star Wars explained!

5:00 The New York Knicks won the NBA Trade Deadline, are they now a top team out East?

9:03 Amin shares the 3 issues he’s noticed with the Milwaukee Bucks this season

12:50 The 2 benefits to the Phoenix Suns trade for Royce O’Neale

14:33 Amin shares his perspective on Gordon Hayward joining the Thunder

18:33 The significance of Xavier Tillman joining the Boston Celtics

22:44 Amin sounds off on the Chicago Bulls standing pat at the trade deadline

27:48 Spencer Dinwiddie joins the Lakers, will he make a big impact?

30:47 Which teams does Amin have his eye on for the stretch run of the season?

33:25 Reflections on Bill Russell with Amin

40:56 The crew discuss their favorite Super Bowl commercials with Amin

43:41 Has the term dynasty been devalued?

48:01 Ross ends the show getting Amin’s pulse on Scoot Henderson

Bruce Bernstein (@PureHoopsBruce) and Ross Geiger (@RossGeiger) are your hosts for "48 Minutes."

0:46 ... Bruce and Ross discuss the dismal performance by the Celtics against the Orlando Magic last weekend and heap praise on Magic rookie Paolo Banchero.

5:49 ... The Magic are loaded with talented bigs like Banchero, Mo and Franz Wagner, Bol Bol, Mo Bamba, Wendell Carter Jr, and Jonathan Isaac.

8:32 ... The Milwaukee Bucks are back in the top spot of the Eastern Conference and their alternate blue uniforms are very sharp.  Their upcoming schedule is tough, but they'll have a chance to show the league that they are the top dogs if they handle their business the rest of the week.

11:36 ... The Cavaliers continue to roll behind Donovan Mitchell and Darius Garland, whom Bruce has dubbed "Kyrie Irving 2.0."

13:36 ... The Brooklyn Nets have won 9 of their last 10 games behind Kevin Durant and "Kyrie Irving 1.0."

16:19 ... The Philadelphia 76ers are riding top scorer Joel Embiid and James Harden to 5 wins in their last 6 games.  Embiid (33.0 pts/game) is getting the buckets and Harden is dropping the dimes (67 in his last 6 games).

17:48 ... Will the MVP come out of the East this season?  Ross and Bruce size up the candidates.

19:20 ... The New York Knicks are rolling behind their left handed "Big 3" of Jalen Brunson, RJ Barrett, and Julius Randle.  Do all those lefties cause unique problems for opposing defenses?

24:47 ... Devin Booker scored 58 points against New Orleans over the weekend and his 3 point attempt at the buzzer fueled a budding rivalry between the Suns and Pelicans.

27:15 ... Bruce was worried that Chris Paul might be losing something off his fastball but CP-3 calmed his fears with his most recent performance.

31:13 ... Anthony Davis is out for a month with his yearly injury and the Lakers are in deep doo-doo without him.  How will they stay afloat?

35:38 ... The remarkable LeBron James is keeping LA relevant as he marches towards the all time record for points held by Kareem Abdul-Jabbar.  How many games will it take LBJ to catch Kareem?

36:55 ... Ross has gambling advice in his latest edition of "Best Bets."

41:53 ... In honor of the Knicks' Lefty Big 3, Bruce and Ross share their favorite NBA left handed players of all time and some of the names will surprise you.

45:02 ... Final Thoughts ... Nikola Jokic's sick triple double against Charlotte, Kemba Walker's 32 point explosion for Dallas, and Damian Lillard passes a Hall of Famer.

If you'd like to see a full video version of the show, here's a link: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=n1zUsNWHAW0&t=1902s

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?

0:00 ... Welcome to episode #101 and intro panelists

0:51 ... Episode #101 in honor of Tracy McGrady

1:16 ... Live Bet Online Read

1:44 ... Bruce introduces special guest Steve Bulpett of HEAVY.com ... Bruce designated Steve as the second greatest Massachusetts native of Greek heritage, trailing only the "Golden Greek" Harry Agannis.

3:42 ... Discussion of game one of Pacers/Knicks, won by the Knicks in a very close game

14:05 ... Cavaliers/Celtics game one preview which begins on Tuesday night

28:01 ... Mavericks/Thunder game one preview which begins on Tuesday night

36:19 ... Timberwolves/Nuggets game two reaction and series discussion

45:40 ... Discussion on the LA Lakers & Clippers and what their respective futures look like.  Included is a discussion on the firing of Lakers head coach Darvin Ham.  Some have blamed LeBron James for Ham's dismissal.

52:11 ... Bruce isn't buying Lakers stock and also feels like Jimmy Butler is done in Miami and could well sign with the Clippers as their latest aging injured veteran.

54:00 ... We end with a brief discussion of Greek cuisine as we say goodbye

TRT 56:14

0:00 Intro

0:40 Bruce is back & gives his opening tip on the Kyrie/Luka pairing & how it’s off to a rocky start 

1:50 World B addresses the injury to LaMelo Ball

3:31 Ross shares his thoughts on Kevin Durant’s Debut in a Phoenix Suns uniform

5:47 The crew get things started by discussing the Bucks extending their win streak to 16

16:34 Knicks are now 9-1 in their last 10 & can’t lose with Josh Hart the crew discuss NY’s success

26:40 Cavs/Celtics recap from Wednesday night’s battle in Boston

34:17 The crew plays a fun game of “In or Out” looking at the Western Conference playoff picture

34:50 Bruce selects the Lakers & provides his insight on why he thinks they’re in

37:15 World B picks the Thunder & shares why he thinks they’re out

43:44 Ross decides to take the Blazers & shares while they may be out, they just might be a close call

46:38 Mail Bag Time! Listener Submitted Questions!

52:53 Bruce provides his final thought on the passing of the Pacers long time PR Director David Benner

54:47 World B provides a friendly reminder that the “Wemby Bowl” takes place this weekend

57:54 Ross uses his final thought to ask Bruce to share the news on the show’s upcoming special guest

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 Intro

1:20 Brooklyn Nets clean house of stars

10:18 Bruce explains why he feels the Nets still make the playoffs

17:10 The crew shift their sights to Phoenix with KD joining the Suns

29:26: LA Lakers moved around some chess piece during the deadline week. The crew discusses the moves and the impact or lack thereof 

42:27 Mike Conley’s potential impact on the Anthony Edwards, Rudy Gobert, and the rest of the Timberwolves

46:30 The crew touch on some of the other trades that caught their attention around the association 

47:30 Bruce discusses why the Jae Crowder trade was huge for the Bucks

48:42 World B touches on the significance of the Grizzlies acquiring Luke Kennard

51:20: Ross explains the James Wiseman trade and how it was big cost saving move for the Warriors

53:33 World B brings up the Clippers trade deadline decisions

56:51 Ross raises the Final Thought for the show: Is John Collins the new Eric Gordon?

58:20 The crew briefly touch on World B’s Knicks getting Josh Hart 

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 ... Ross welcomes everyone to the show and explains that Episode #50 honors Arizona State great Eddie House who wore that number at ASU and in the NBA.  Bruce wonders why it wasn't "The Admiral" David Robinson.

2:47 ... Bruce's opening comment delivers flowers to Jeff Green of the Denver Nuggets, still going strong as he approaches his 37th birthday.

5:35 ... Ross opens with some praise for new Suns owner Mat Ishbia who is beefing up the basketball staff and putting his money to good use with his coaching hires.

7:05 ... World B is very disappointed with Heat coach Erik Spoelstra for his rude response to ESPN's Ramona Shelburne in his game 2 postgame press conference.

9:06 ... Bruce cites all of the reasons that Miami was able to win game 2 on Sunday night and praised the team for doing all of the "little" things.

13:01 ... World B had predicted a game 2 win for the Heat and cited their three point shooting as a primary reason.

15:34 ... The guys discussed how Miami's 4th quarter offensive efficiency was historically good.

17:10 ... When Nuggets coach Michael Malone ripped his team for its lackluster effort in game 2, the guys felt he was talking about Michael Porter Jr and Kentavious Caldwell Pope, even though he did not call them out by name.

18:25... Although Denver' Nikola Jokic scored 41 points in game 2, it wasn't good for him or the team.

22:56 ... The discussion of game 3 adjustments begins with Miami's need to keep shooting a high percentage from downtown.

24:18 ... Bruce believes Denver will have to play "desperate" for the first time this postseason in game three.

26:50 ... Ross believes Caleb Martin will have a "bounce back" effort in game 3 on Wednesday

28:16 ... If Denver is to retake the series lead in game 3, Michael Porter Jr will have to do much more than he did in game 2.

29:31 ... Hall of Fame coach Rick Adelman was honored with the Chuck Daly Lifetime Achievement Award and Bruce shares his thoughts.

33:00 ... Sam Cassell will return to the Celtics as an assistant coach to Joe Mazzulla and Bruce explains why it's a popular move in Boston.

34:30 ... Kevin Ollie joins the Brooklyn staff as an assistant coach and the guys are very impressed with his hiring.

37:18 ... Terry Stotts joins the Milwaukee Bucks as an assistant to new head coach Adrian Griffin and it's widely praised as an excellent addition to the staff.

39:33 ... James Borrego returns to New Orleans as an assistant coach, which is a homecoming of sorts.

41:38 ... Stephen Silas joins the Pistons staff as an assistant to new head coach Monty Williams.

44:06 ... Bruce busts out some basketball cards and quizzes Ross and World B in the "Classic Card Challenge" that tests their historical knowledge.

56:39 ... Closing Thoughts: Bruce on the Miami Heat culture and at 59:12 ... Ross on some draft prospects he has his eyes on.

1:01:19 ... Predictions for game 3 of the Nuggets/Heat series.

1:02:14 ... Bye until next time

TRT 1:02:32

0:00 Intro

0:38 Bruce shares his first hand insight/observations while working courtside at the Bulls/Raptors play in game

3:21 Zion Williamson’s decision to warm up pregame but not play in the biggest game of the season, World B has some thoughts and the crew discusses the Zion situation in New Orleans

11:58 Ross explains why Kyle Anderson was the player of the game in Wolves/Lakers play in game despite the result

13:24 Chicago Bulls/Miami Heat Play-In Matchup Preview

19:04 OKC Thunder/Minnesota Timberwolves Play-In Matchup Preview

25:19 Atlanta Hawks/Boston Celtics Series Preview

30:48 Brooklyn Nets/Philadelphia 76ers Series Preview

34:56 New York Knicks/Cleveland Cavaliers Series Preview

38:44 Golden State Warriors/Sacramento Kings Series Preview

46:12 LA Lakers/Memphis Grizzlies Series Preview

54:01 LA Clippers/Phoenix Suns Series Matchup

59:43 Bruce gives his final thoughts on Nick Nurse & the Toronto Raptors

1:01:51 World B discusses Kevin Durant for his final thought

1:03:25 Ross gives loves to the 10 players that played in every game this season & why there is an added level of excitement with the playoffs this season

0:00 ... Hello and Welcome as Ross dedicates show #72 to Jason Kapono who wore #72 in Philadelphia

0:59 ... Bet Online live commercial read

1:41 ... "World B" discusses James Harden in his opening remarks and how Philly needs to make a move before the start of the season

3:22 ... Bruce's opening remarks are on Jeff Van Gundy joining the Boston Celtics and how it reminded him of another former coach that joined the Celtics front office in 2012.

5:00 ... Ross discusses the trade that sent Kevin Porter Jr to the OKC Thunder along with more draft assets.  Ross then explains the unbelievable package of future picks that the Thunder have been accumulating.

6:30 ... Damian Lillard and Giannis Antetokounmpo finally took the court together over the weekend and the crew discusses how they looked and what we can expect moving forward.

7:43 ... Bruce loves how Giannis and Dame provide a combination that will almost never be completely stopped, but they may want to fine tune a few things before the opener next week.

9:19 ... World B is not worried about Lillard adjusting to his new teammates with the Bucks and how he will do his thing as he always does.

11:27 ... Ross asks Bruce about Khris Middleton's readiness to accept his new role as the third option on offense.

12:50 ... Ross suggests that the Bucks should watch what Phoenix is doing in getting their new "Big 3" in sync for the season.

13:12 ... World B comments on how offense has taken over the NBA and that Middleton will make a huge contribution as the "third guy," just as Chris Bosh did in Miami and Kevin Love did in Cleveland on championship teams.

16:45 ... Ross introduces the discussion on the yearly NBA General Manager's survey and Bruce found the Luka Doncic rankings (#2 point guard and #3 small forward) mark him as a "position-less superstar."

18:11 ... World B found it interesting that Anthony Edwards was chosen as the #1 candidate for top "Breakout Player" while Bruce wondered if the GM's noticed that Edwards actually "broke out" last season.

21:17 ... Ross took issue with some of the GM's ranking of the teams that made the best off-season moves.  The Dallas Mavericks were rated highly and the crew questioned whether they deserved it.  And Ross was surprised that the Phoenix Suns didn't rate highly in this category.

26:15 ... What can we expect from LeBron James in his 21st NBA season that begins next week?  Bruce puts his 19th and 20th season performances into perspective along side others who played 20 seasons like the late Kobe Bryant and Kareem Abdul-Jabbar.

28:53 ... World B believe the Lakers are a 50 win team and a legit title contender, but they may be on thin ice over health concerns for LeBron and Anthony Davis.  World B describes him as a "freak of nature."

31:41 ... Ross has been impressed with D'Angelo Russell's pre-season performance as of now.

34:10 ... Ross and Bruce had a chuckle over Russell's admiration for Derrick White of the Celtics.

34:45 .... The guys debate which first year player will win the Rookie of the Year Award.  The candidates are Victor Wenbanyama, Chet Holmgren, and Scoot Henderson.

36:24 .... World B thinks Wembanyama is the choice for top rookie

38:15 ... Bruce talks about the "Scoot Henderson Rookie of the Year" bandwagon and how Wemby and Chet are both worthy .... but Scoot will win it.

40:14 ... World B makes a pitch for Brandon Miller as the top rookie.

41:47 ... Bruce's final thought is on how the Israeli team Ra'Anana Maccabi, which played three NBA teams this week is providing hope and inspiration for their fellow Israelis as they go to war against the terrorist group Hamas.

43:03 ... World B's final thought is on the GM Survey on the best coach in the league.  And he is surprised that Tyrann Lue didn't finish higher.

45:37 ... Ross concludes with some thoughts on Payton Watson in Denver and how Nuggets GM Calvin Booth thinks Watson will make people forget the departed Bruce Brown

TRT 47:49

0:00 Intro

0:53 Ross surprises Bruce & World B with a quick trivia question

2:07 An examination of the Top 3 teams out West

2:26 Oklahoma City Thunder

6:40 Minnesota Timberwolves

10:45 Denver Nuggets

15:31 The ongoing battle in the East for very key playoff slots

16:10 Cleveland Cavaliers

19:57 New York Knicks

23:11 Ross jabs Bruce with the Celtics recent losses to the Hawks

23:49 Joel Embiid set to return this week for the 76ers?

28:39 A look at the rest of the West’s playoff picture

28:50 Who’s the better team: Dallas Mavericks or New Orleans Pelicans?

33:18 Are the LA Clippers lurking having won 4 straight games?

36:35 An ugly battle for the 7th seed between the Phoenix Suns & Sacramento Kings

40:26 The Golden State Warriors now have 4 straight road wins

43:55 Did the Houston Rockets blew their playoff chances with Sunday’s loss?

46:44 Is this UCONN Men’s team the sickest squad we’ve seen in awhile?

49:36 Final 1 liners to close out the show!

0:00 Intro

1:30 Anthony Davis’s contract extension with the LA Lakers

3:28 The FIBA World Cup’s possible effects on load management in the NBA next season

5:13 Diana Taurasi becomes the 1st player in WNBA history to reach the 10K points milestone

6:45 Hall of Fame Inductions to the Basketball Hall of Fame on Saturday 

7:06 Bruce gives us more details some of the lesser known names headed to the Hall of Fame

10:02 The crew discusses the 5 legendary NBA names in this year’s class starting off with Dwyane Wade

14:04 Tony Parker group discussion

18:46 Pau Gasol’s career reflection

25:45 Dirk Nowitzki group chat

30:12 Gregg Popovich discussion

38:11 Mailbag Time! Listener Submitted Questions

49:00 A fun NBA Nickname Discussion: Which all-time great nicknames are our favorites?

0:00 Intro

1:36 World B uses his opening tip to discuss Doc Rivers being amongst the favorites to land the Phoenix Suns head coaching job

4:26 Ross discusses the current coaching vacancies & provides a hot take prediction for his opening tip

5:50 Heat/Celtics Game 5 Recap & Reactions, Miami starting to feel the pressure!

21:51 A Denver Nuggets Discussion. Should Nuggets fans be worried this is too long of break?

29:45 LeBron James…Is he seriously considering retirement?

39:16 NBA Trading Card Pack Break. World B & Ross discuss each player pulled!

58:04 World B provides his final thought on NBA Trade Machine & fans proposing trades all offseason

59:16 Ross gives the listeners an update on his 2023 NBA Draft prep update for a final thought