San Antonio's tough blows, New York's rough weekend, the Jimmy Butler effect, and the "on the bubble" Play-In Race!

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. ======== 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

1 Aug 202353min

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

25 Jul 202356min

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

20 Jul 20231h 1min

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

11 Jul 202355min

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

3 Jul 202350min

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 42:40 World B asks Marc if he was surprised Charlotte didn't draft Scoot Henderson 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?

29 Jun 20231h 3min

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

20 Jun 202354min

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

13 Jun 202351min