Who's Hot & Who's Not? Both Teams & Players!

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

31 Okt 202325min

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

31 Okt 202351min

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

24 Okt 202348min

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

18 Okt 202347min

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

11 Okt 202352min

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

7 Okt 202354min

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

2 Okt 202330min

0:00 Intro 1:28 Bruce introduces our legendary special guest Marques Johnson 2:27 Bruce shares a quick story 3:55 Marques shares his initial reaction to hearing Damian Lillard was traded to Milwaukee 7:08 Marques on the Dame/Giannis duo & the Bucks championship window 11:09 Marques discusses how this trade changed the landscape of the NBA heading into the season 14:38 Marques addresses the Bucks loss of Jrue Holiday 17:42 How big was it for the Bucks to show they’re “All-In” heading into Media Day on Monday 19:58 Can the Milwaukee Bucks win the NBA Championship next season? 22:01 Jrue Holiday's in Portland but likely on the move & the Bucks keep Dame away from Miami 23:36 Where could Jrue Holiday end up? 25:48 Marques addresses the state of the Miami Heat after losing out on Lillard 28:43 Is Milwaukee an underrated sports town? 31:17 Marques’s thoughts on the Phoenix Suns after being involved in this trade

29 Sep 202334min