48 Minutes: Episode #3 (12/23/22)

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.