48 Minutes with ESPN Radio's Kevin Winter

0:00 ... Open animation ... Ross Geiger welcome and introduces co-hosts Bruce Bernstein and Michael "World B" Freer. 0:33 ... Show #164 is dedicated to Phoenix guards Jalen Green and Bradley Beal, both of whom stand 6-4. 0:52 ... Norman Powell is traded to Miami, John Collins is traded to the Clippers, and Kevin Love and Kyle Anderson go to Utah ... we'll discuss the deal from the perspective of all three teams.  Everyone agrees that Miami won this trade. 6:37 ... Kevin Durant is finally in Houston after an historic 7 team trade.  Besides the Rockets and Suns, five other teams get spare parts and second round picks while Houston moves closer to OKC in the west and Phoenix "embraces the rebuild." 9:58 ... The Rockets made another significant trade, sending Cam Whitmore to Washington where he will have a chance to play near his Maryland home.  The Wizards have made some bold moves and Bruce thinks they may be this year's version of the Pistons who could double their win total of 18 from last season. 14:28 ... What is Bradley Beal's future in Phoenix?  Bruce thinks he could be a dynamic 6th man for a good team since whichever team picks him up after his buyout in Phoenix will not be paying him max money since Phoenix will be paying most of his salary. 20:53 ... The Pacers lost Myles Turner, who signed with Milwaukee as a free agent but they acquired Jay Huff from Memphis.  Standing 7-1, he's not a great shot blocker or rebounder but makes 40% of his three point attempts.  It will be his 5th team in 5 seasons. 24:02 ... Paolo Banchero signed a huge rookie max extension on Monday with Orlando for 5 years and almost $240 million.  There will be great expectations with all Orlando's young stars signed to long-term deals. 26:22 ... Jaxson Hayes re-signs with the Lakers after being benched in the 2025 playoffs which is somewhat surprising.  Will he have a good relationship with LA coach JJ Redick?  It should be an interesting storyline moving forward. 29:46 ... The Knicks have officially locked up Mike Brown as their next head coach.  Everyone likes the hire and his style should work well with a mature veteran team that won't mind being challenged. 32:07 ... Summer League action is underway and some of the young guys are impressing everyone right out of the gate.  VJ Edgecombe of Philly scored 28 in his debut and could make an immediate impact for the 76ers.  Ace Bailey of Utah had an uneven debut but showed ability at both ends of the court. 36:33 ... Nikola Topic of OKC finally made his debut on Saturday and had 14 points against Memphis.  Finding minutes as a rookie with the defending champs won't be easy, but Topic has the goods to make it in the NBA. 39:08 .... The Memphis Grizzlies have a loaded Summer League roster with three rotation players participating.  Ross predicts they'll be the Summer League champions. 42:31 ... It's time for the Classic Card Challenge where Bruce pulls random cards of former players and quizzes Ross and World B.   Those dudes show serious knowledge and a great sense of NBA history. 51:05 ... Final Thoughts ..... Bruce on Jonas Valanciunas, who was traded from New Orleans to Denver but is trying to bolt for a Euroleague team in Greece.  Bruce has always admired Valanciunas but this move shows that winning an NBA title just isn't that important to him. 52:26 ... World B on James Wiseman, who signed a one year deal with Indiana after missing last season with an achilles injury.  World B is rooting for him in his comeback. 54:03 ... Ross feels the Las Vegas Summer League will be spectacular this month. 54:56 ... Ross says goodbye TRT 55:10

8 Jul 55min

0:00 Intro 0:49 Ross is back & starts the show off by giving Bruce & World B a pop quiz! 2:11 Our Top 4 Teams in the Eastern Conference post draft & after the start of free agency 2:21 Cleveland Cavaliers 5:05 New York Knicks 7:50 Orlando Magic 11:21 Bruce has the Detroit Pistons in his fourth & final spot 12:18 World B likes the Indiana Pacers to round out his top 4 14:09 Ross sides with Bruce with the Detroit Pistons 15:32 Biggest winners and/or losers in the Eastern Conference 15:42 Bruce has the Atlanta Hawks as a big winner this offseason 16:31 Bruce’s big loser is the Indiana Pacers this summer 17:26 World B also has the Atlanta Hawks as big winners this summer 19:04 World B has the Milwaukee Bucks as his big loser of the offseason 22:04 Ross provides a surprising Eastern Conference team for his big winner of the offseason 23:34 Our Top 4 Teams in the Western Conference post draft & after the start of free agency 23:49 The reigning 2025 NBA Champion Oklahoma City Thunder 25:26 Houston Rockets 29:10 Bruce has the Minnesota Timberwolves at #3 on his board 29:45 World B has the Denver Nuggets as his third best team out West 31:15 Ross doubles down on the Denver Nuggets 32:54 Bruce touches on the Nuggets & their recent offseason moves 33:46 World B has a hot take selecting the Los Angeles Lakers! 35:04 Ross discusses why the Minnesota Timberwolves round out his Top 4 out West 36:12 Biggest winners and/or losers in the Eastern Conference 36:19 Bruce considers the Memphis Grizzlies big winners this summer 37:13 The Portland Trail Blazers are Bruce’s big losers 37:52 World B’s winner is the Dallas Mavericks 38:55 The New Orleans Pelicans are tabbed the biggest loser by World B 40:59 Ross’s big winner is the newest San Antonio Spur Luke Kornet! 42:08 Bruce provides his final thoughts on what a difference a year makes for his Boston Celtics 44:35 World B provides positive insights on the direction the Charlotte Hornets are going 46:38 Ross gets his turn to provide some optimism on the Milwaukee Bucks next year

3 Jul 48min

0:00 ... Show open ... Bruce Bernstein introduces co-host Michael "World B" Freer and our special guest Dave Wohl, the former player, coach, and general manager. 0:56 ... Dave reflects on the just concluded NBA Finals series between the OKC Thunder and Indiana Pacers.  Dave felt that these two teams may meet again in the Finals at some point. 2:06 ... World B points out that OKC may not even have shown the best version of what they can still become as a team.  Dave praises OKC GM Sam Presti for the way he built the Thunder into a championship squad. 4:36 ... Bruce points out that NBA players voted Tyrese Haliburton the "most overrated" player in the league and silly they look now.  Dave explains how Haliburton's growth whas been so much fun to watch. 5:59 ... World B asks about whether the league has to address the length of the season given the number of high profile injuries.  Dave explains why that may not be feasible but suggests a lengthy break midway through the season so players can mentally and physically recharge. 8:40 ... Bruce points out the uniform numbers of the three players who suffered the achilles were all "0."  Dave points out how achilles injuries can be so random. 9:53 ... Shai Gilgeous Alexander was originally drafted by the Clippers and traded to OKC in Sam Presti's greatest move.  Dave goes through some of Presti's moves while also defending the trade with LA due to the wishes of owner Steve Ballmer. 12:45 ... Bruce transitions to the Kevin Durant trade where he went from the Suns to the Rockets and asks Dave if this closes the gap between the Rockets and the Thunder.  Dave likes the deal for Houston but thinks they may miss Dillon Brooks and his defense. 14:59 ... Did the Rockets simply give up on Jalen Green?  Dave feels Durant gets them closer to a title more quickly than Green ever could. 17:17 ... How does this deal affect the future of the Phoenix Suns franchise given their bad salary situation? 19:10 ... The New York Knicks' pursuit of the coaches from five other teams has affected their relationships with a lot of teams.  How much damage was done?   The Knicks didn't have a plan and now whomever they sign will be their 6th or 7th choice. 21:50 ... In spite of the Knicks mis-steps, they're still a premier eastern conference team, so is it better for the NBA to have a lot of teams that COULD win as opposed to fewer elite teams like OKC that could be a future dynasty? 24:06 ... Bruce asks Dave about Tom Thibodeau's decision to bring Josh Hart off the bench and whether the fact that Hart suggested the change might have caused Knicks management to question Thibs' leadership. 27:25 ... The Lakers will be sold for $10 billion and as a former member of the Lakers organization, Dave has some thoughts on how the "Mom and Pop" nature of the team might change under a more corporate ownership.  Jeanie Buss will still represent the team as their "Governor," but her input on basketball decisions might be affected. 29:54 ... How will the price tag for the Lakers affect the entry fees for the next NBA expansion teams, which are expected to be Seattle and Las Vegas? 32:08 ... Dave sounds off on what expansion teams are like to work for since he worked for the Miami Heat when they were an expansion team.  He feels that expansion teams start with a clean slate and can build their own unique culture.  Dave hired Erik Spoelstra as video coordinator and explains why Spo' appealed to him as a young potential hire. 34:27 ... The NBA Draft is on Wednesday night and we discuss five "bottom feeder" teams and what their goals should be in the draft.  Danny Ainge and the Utah Jazz are first. 35:51 ... The Washington Wizards are next ... members of their management all worked in OKC and Dave feels they'll follow Sam Presti's model. 37:08 ... Washington is a major market while Oklahoma City is not.  Does that affect the Wizards' ability to use the OKC model, which requires patience. 39:04 ... The Charlotte Hornets are picking at #4 ... and have missed the playoffs the last 9 years ... they have some talent on the roster so they'll probably draft for a position. 40:32 ... New Orleans picks at #7 but Zion Williamson's lack of reliability really hurts this franchise and also negatively affects his trade value. 42:20 ... Philadelphia is a "bottom feeder" in name only as they were devastated by injuries last season.  Can they use the #3 pick wisely and get healthy in time for next season?  Will they have to use the trade market more than the draft in order to improve? 44:02 ... Philly's Joel Embiid was one of several Olympians who were injured this season but Dave feels that their injuries were not the result of their Olympic obligations.  Dave explains how players who work hard all summer can wear their bodies out even though they're not playing in games. 46:41 ... Bruce asks everyone for their overall thoughts on the season that just concluded.  Dave felt it was a "season of change." 47:52 ... World B feels like OKC is built for a run that could result in multiple titles. 49:30 ... Bruce wants to give Pacers coach Rick Carlisle his flowers for a sensational coaching job this season and how he will end up in Springfield one day. 50:22 ... Bruce wraps it up ... thanks everyone ... teases the NBA Draft and next week's show ... TRT 51:23

24 Jun 51min

0:00 .... Hello and Welcome ... Ross introduces the panel ... 0:33 ... Episode #161 is dedicated to Pat Spencer of the Golden State Warriors 1:23 ... The crew discusses their respective Father's Day celebrations 2:33 ... Pacers/Thunder game 5 discussion ... 3:10 ... Bruce felt the seeds of OKC's game 5 victory were planted on Friday night when they came back late in the game to defeat the Pacers on the road.  And OKC's defense dominated game 5 from the jump. 4:49 ... World B felt that Indiana played a sloppy game on Monday and that was their undoing as the turnovers were a huge difference in the game. 6:56 ... Ross cited Tyrese Haliburton's leg injury and the guys discussed whether Indiana can come back if he is not at full strength. 8:52 ... World B feels like TJ McConnell might be able to rise to the occasion in game 6 if Haliburton struggles. 10:21 ... Bruce feels Andrew Nembhard needs to have a big game in game 6 for Indiana. 12:19 ... Bruce asks Ross if game 5 will be known as "The Jalen Williams game?"  Ross agrees and also cites Shai Gilgeous-Alexander for a great effort. 14:27 ... Bruce cites Williams for his work on defense and how he is a real disruptor on defense and everyone agrees that he has answered all the questions about whether he is a premier "Number Two" in the league. 15:15 ... Ross tees up everyone for their game 6 predictions ... all three of the guys like Indiana to force a game 7. 17:05 ... The Memphis Grizzlies have traded Desmond Bane to the Orlando Magic and the guys discuss how he fits into the Magic lineup with his great three point shooting and all around game.  While Orlando gave up a lot to acquire Bane, the situation in the eastern conference might be very favorable for the Magic with Bane. 22:44 ... Cole Anthony goes from Orlando to Memphis and World B feels he got a raw deal with the Magic.  Bruce feels Anthony's chippy style will play well in Memphis.  Kentavious Caldwell Pope hopes to rejuvenate his career with the Grizzlies. 25:52 ... Memphis gets four unprotected first round draft picks plus a pick swap, so Ross feels Memphis will do fine with this deal.  The guys then discuss whether the Grizz might be looking to deal more players, but Jaren Jackson Junior, Ja Morant, and Jaylen Wells all seem to be franchise cornerstones. 30:36 ... Kevin Durant has told the Suns which three teams he'd like to be traded to: Miami, Houston, or San Antonio.  Bruce would love to see KD end up in San Antonio with Victor Wembanyama.  World B doesn't feel like KD is chasing a ring since he seems uninterested in going to Minnesota.  Bruce cited Marc Stein's report that Miami might offer players other than Bam Adebayo or Tyler Herro and doesn't feel like Phoenix would consider Andrew Wiggins or Duncan Robinson.  Ross feels like if Phoenix wants to rebuild, Devin Booker would bring a King's ransom in return. 38:41 ... The Knicks are having problems finding their next coach because they keep trying to hire coaches that are currently employed by other teams and have looked clueless in their pursuit.  World B calls it an embarrassment.  Bruce compares Knicks management to the Keystone Cops.  Bruce thinks NY should hire Mark Jackson, who played for the Knicks and coached the Warriors as they were about to become a dynasty under Steve Kerr. 45:30... Ross wraps it up and says good bye and see you next week. TRT 45:47

17 Jun 45min

0:00 Intro 1:12 Ross introduces special guest Joe Doerrer of StrictlyBball 2:07 The Indiana take a 2-1 lead in the NBA Finals with a big Game 3 home win 3:34 Is Joe surprised with how the Pacers are finding success against the Thunder? 10:05 Is Game 4 a must win game for the Oklahoma City Thunder? 12:42 Ross asks Joe to reflect on the Western Conference Finals given his ties to Chet Holmgren while also being a huge Wolves fan 14:25 Is Anthony Edwards status in the league following the same lines as Jayson Tatum’s pre-championship? 16:13 What’s the future hold for Naz Reid? 17:35 Is Cooper Flag going to be able to live up to all the hype entering the NBA? 19:52 Where are area’s for improvement in Flagg’s game? 21:31 Do Dylan Harper or Ace Bailey have all-star potential? 24:23 Of the Monteverde Acadamy’s historic Class of 2024 group which player other than Flagg will have the most success in the NBA? 27:38 Is Tre Johnson the best perimeter shooter in the draft? 28:46 Joe provides his insights on Kon Knueppel 31:25 Joe on Khaman Maluach 33:48 Carter Bryant’s upside at the next level 36:17 Why isn’t a guy like Johni Broome highly regarded? 39:02 Ross asks for Joe’s thoughts on how NIL deals are effecting the NBA draft 40:27 When did V.J. Edgecombe get on Joe’s radar & what’s his NBA potential look like? 43:10 Who’s the best point guard in this draft class? 44:01 Who’s the top international prospect in this draft class? 45:05 Who are some of Joe’s favorite 2nd round sleepers? 46:28 Does Joe believe this will be one of the wildest off season’s leading up to the draft? 47:20 Joe gives us a sneak preview into next year’s NBA draft class 48:57 Should we expect to see StrictlyBball on stage at the NBA draft again this year?

12 Jun 51min

0:00 Intro 1:25 Bruce gives special guest Antonio Davis a proper introduction 2:46 Antonio Davis shares his own memories of the Pacers/Knicks rivalry 6:12 How unique & equally matched the Pacers/Knicks rivalry was in the 90’s 8:39 Antonio gives his thoughts on the most recent Pacers/Knicks series in the Eastern Conference Finals 10:56 Haliburton’s heroic Game 1 buzzer beater & “choke” gesture brought back some memories 14:01 Antonio shares his love & respect for Rick Carlisle 16:54 How screens have changed throughout the years 19:40 Antonio shares a great story from his college days guarding Tim Hardaway in practice 22:36 What was it like finally playing as a Knick inside Madison Square Garden? 26:16 Antonio reflects on playing alongside Vince Carter in Toronto 28:31 Do the Indiana Pacers have a shot at pulling off a huge NBA Finals upset? 30:50 Antonio on one of the most notorious plays in the history of the Knicks/Pacers rivalry 35:03 What is the mission of the National Basketball Retired Players Association? 43:30 Antonio shares his vision for the future of the NBRPA 47:09 Antonio on how the NBAPA & NBRPA have worked hard together to provide heath insurance to retired players 51:49 What are some of Antonio’s immediate goals coming up this offseason 56:43 Antonio shares 1 quick final story on the Harlem Globetrotters

3 Jun 58min

0:00 .... Ross hello and welcome, introduces the panel, and dedicates show #158 to Jack McVeigh of the Houston Rockets who is the only NBA player to wear uniform #58. 1:33 ... Instant reaction to Tuesday night's game #4 of the Knicks/Pacers Eastern Conference Finals playoff series. 2:45 ... Bruce highlights the performances of Tyrese Haliburton, Bennedict Mathurin, and Pascal Siakam who were the biggest reasons Indiana took game #4 and grabbed a 3-1 series lead. 3:53 ... Ross pointed out how it was a game of runs but Indiana never allowed New York to really get close enough to threaten the Pacers. 4:55 ... World B was disgusted with the sloppy play of the Knicks and feels they need to reduce turnovers in game 5 if they hope to extend the series.  He is also concerned about the health of Karl-Anthony Towns who hurt his knee in the 4th quarter on Tuesday night. 7:23 ... The crew previews game 5 in New York and discusses if Tom Thibodeau will dial back his rotation as he did in the first two games. 10:17 ... Ross is concerned about how Towns will be perceived by the NY fans if he doesn't play in game 5 due to his knee.  Bruce needs Mikal Bridges to show up big in game #5, but World B points out how hard Bridges has to work on defense against Haliburton. 14:38 ... Ross tees up a brief discussion on how Thibodeau expanded his rotation and how Josh Hart nudged him into doing it by offering to come off the bench and allow Mitchell Robinson to start games 3 and 4. 16:00 ... Western Conference Finals discussion as Oklahoma City won Monday's game #4 to put a stranglehold on their series against Minnesota.  Bruce felt the tone was set in the first quarter.  World B says the series is over now that OKC has a 3-1 series lead and it was impressive how they bounced back from a 42 point loss on Saturday.  Ross agrees and praises Jalen Williams of the Thunder for his great performances.  Everyone feels the series is over except for the final result.  OKC's defense is the decisive factor. 23:25 ... Anthony Edwards needs a great performance in game 5 after scoring just 13 points in game 4.  World B feels he is not holding himself accountable. 24:18 ... Ross wants to praise Minnesota's Nickiell Alexander-Walker whose great postseason performances will help him find a team willing to pay him big bucks as a free agent this off-season. 24:50 .... Shai Gilgeous-Alexander beat Nikola Jokic for the MVP Award ... the guys discuss the large margin of victory in the voting and how both players were most deserving of the award. 28:13 ... All-NBA Team discussions ... On the first team the only quibble was Donovan Mitchell making it over Anthony Edwards, Jalen Brunson, and Stephen Curry. 30:33 .... On the second team, the guys discussed LeBron James making it in spite of ESPN's Brian Windhorst not voting him on any of the three All-NBA teams. 33:36 ... On the third team, Bruce bemoaned the fact that Jaylen Brown fell two games short of the 65 game minimum to qualify for All-NBA.  Bruce felt he would have made the third team, but sacrificed an individual award in order to be healthier for the playoffs and Bruce is really annoyed at some Celtics fans who are blaming Brown for the team's earlier than expected postseason exit.  World B felt Tyler Herro should have made third team over James Harden.  Ross pointed out that if not for injury, Victor Wembanyama would also have probably made 2nd or 3rd team All-NBA and probably also won Defensive Player of the Year. 37:08 ... Smokin' Hot Take from World B ... Cade Cunningham will be first team All-NBA next season.  This bodes well for the Pistons ascending into the top 4 in the eastern conference next season. 40:10 ... Final Thoughts ... Bruce on how OKC's comeback from a 42 point loss to Minnesota last weekend reminds him of two former NBA Championship teams that had similar experiences 40 seasons ago: the 1984 Celtics and the 1985 Lakers. 41:30 .... World B on how the Knicks loss to Indiana in game one was not the biggest choke in the Knicks history.  It was 30 years ago when Reggie Miller made the Knicks the worst chokers in franchise history.  Tyrese Haliburton will clearly haunt World B's dreams for many years to come. 46:16  ... Ross on how all the off-season transactions will be very exciting this year.  And from that he says goodbye and "see you next week." TRT 46:57

28 Mai 46min

0:00 Intro 1:39 The crew share their thoughts on Sunday’s OKC/DEN Game 7 matchup 4:42 Bruce on why the Thunder have a short turnaround time between Game 7 & WCF Game 1 5:31 How do the Timberwolves stack up against the Thunder in the series 12:26 The crew give their Western Conference Finals series predictions 14:13 Eastern Conference Finals Preview 26:03 The crew give their Eastern Conference Finals series predictions 28:21 What’s next for the Denver Nuggets? 35:15 What’s next for the Boston Celtics? 41:41 What’s next for the Cleveland Cavaliers? 45:03 The WNBA season is underway! Caitlin Clark vs. Angel Reese recap 47:13 1st overall pick Paige Bueckers made her debut with the Dallas Wings 48:57 Bruce makes a Game 5 confession! 50:42 World B responds to Trae Young’s recent comments 52:57 Ross shares the latest NBA term recently noted by GG Jackson

20 Mai 54min