Open Floor: SI's NBA Show - TopPodcast.com

Latest Episodes:

Handling James Harden's holdout, judging Paul George's extension Dec 11, 2020

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Ben Golliver and Michael Pina open by surveying the latest drama surrounding James Harden and the Houston Rockets. What are the Rockets' options as they enter the season? Can they realistically try to patch things up? Should teams be scared off by Harden's recent antics? What will happen to Harden's trade value if they wait to move him? From there, they shift gears to react to the breaking news that Paul George re-signed a five-year extension with the Los Angeles Clippers. What will this mean for Kawhi Leonard's upcoming free agency? Did the Clippers have a choice? Ben and Michael close by hearing out emailers who were upset by Michael's Luka Doncic takes and addressing a missive from a California weed farm.

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Debating the 2021 NBA Entertainment Value Rankings Dec 07, 2020

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Ben Golliver and Michael Pina preview the upcoming season with an annual staple: Ben's 2021 Entertainment Value Rankings. Which teams will be must-see TV and which ones will be totally unwatchable? Michael lists off his biggest beefs with Ben's list, prompting arguments over the Mavericks, Warriors, Bucks, Pelicans, Hawks, Rockets and more. Is Luka Doncic getting too much hype? Are people sleeping on Zion Williamson? Will the Clippers bounce back or fall flat? Has the ship sailed in Houston? Is Trae Young about to live his best life?

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Russell Westbrook traded for John Wall, LeBron James & Anthony Davis re-sign Dec 03, 2020

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Ben Golliver and Michael Pina explore all angles of the Russell Westbrook for John Wall trade between the Houston Rockets and Washington Wizards. Who won the deal? Do Wall and James Harden fit, or will Harden be traded next? Will Washington make the playoffs? How will Westbrook impact Washington's desire to keep Bradley Beal? From there, the guys shift gears to discussing the Lakers' ability to re-sign LeBron James and Anthony Davis to longer-than-expected contracts. Did the pandemic play a role? Did Davis sacrifice too much flexibility? Ben and Michael close with a recap of the Christmas Day slate, ranking their favorite games and proposing better match-ups.

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Kevin Durant's comeback, East landscape, Atlanta's spending spree Nov 30, 2020

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Ben Golliver and Michael Pina ramp up the hype for Kevin Durant's long-awaited comeback with the Brooklyn Nets. What's KD's best-case scenario this year? How does he stack up against the best players in the East? Do the new-look Nets have the best projected starting lineup and roster depth on paper? Which factors might prevent Brooklyn from becoming a certified title contender? From there, Ben and Michael offer their assessments of Atlanta's big off-season investments in Danilo Gallinari, Bogdan Bogdanovic and Rajon Rondo. How good can the Hawks' offense be and will they make the playoffs? What motivated them to go all-in this year? The guys close with discussion of Boston's record-breaking trade exception, whether Danny Ainge will actually use it, and which players he should target.

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John Wall trade request, shaky Clippers & holiday mailbag Nov 27, 2020

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Ben Golliver and Michael Pina celebrate the holiday weekend by opening the mailbag to the Open Floor Globe. What's up with the Clippers, is Serge Ibaka really the answer, and do they still need a point guard? How should the Wizards respond to John Wall's desire to leave Washington? Will Gordon Hayward emerge as a future trade chip for the Hornets? Could Thunder GM Sam Presti ever bundle all his assets together and trade for a franchise-level superstar? Should the Pelicans be mentioned more often as a possible landing spot for disgruntled stars, and did they re-sign Brandon Ingram to keep him or move him? At the end, should the NBA expand its roster of mascots for the upcoming season?

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NBA free agency winners and losers Nov 23, 2020

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Ben Golliver and Michael Pina sort through the winners and losers from the opening weekend of the NBA free agency period. Did the Lakers tighten their hold on the 2021 title chase? How will Giannis Antetokounmpo respond to the Bucks' missteps? Why did Michael Jordan give $120 million to Gordon Hayward? Has Rich Paul established himself as one of the league's ultimate power-brokers? Can the entire world agree that it's great news Fred VanVleet re-signed with the Raptors? Which players landed in great fits? Which ones settled for horrible fits? Which executives nailed their plans, and which came up empty?

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2020 NBA Draft Winners and Losers Nov 19, 2020

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Ben Golliver and Michael Pina run through the winners and losers of the 2020 NBA Draft. How crushing of a blow is Klay Thompson's Achilles injury to the Warriors? Did LaMelo Ball find a good home in Charlotte? What about Killian Hayes in Detroit? Could the Minnesota Timberwolves have done better? Did Daryl Morey ace his first test in Philadelphia? What was Phoenix doing? Are the new Knicks the same as the old Knicks? Did we all lose because there weren't any lottery trades?

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Chris Paul traded, James Harden rumors, top 5 draft projections Nov 16, 2020

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Ben Golliver and Michael Pina open by breaking down the Suns' splashy move for Chris Paul. Why did Phoenix decide to pull the trigger, and could this move backfire? Why is OKC so aggressively tearing things down after an awesome season? From there, the guys shift gears to discuss the bubbling James Harden trade rumors. How good would the Nets be if they landed Harden? What motivation does Houston have to do a deal now rather than waiting? Ben and Michael close by looking at which players would make the most sense for the Hornets, Bulls and Cavaliers, who all hold top-five picks in Wednesday's draft.

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Matchmaking with LaMelo Ball, Rusell Westbrook, Chris Paul & James Harden Nov 12, 2020

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Ben Golliver and Michael Pina gobble up the latest round of rumors before the upcoming NBA Draft and free agency period and try to find the best landing spots for the biggest names. Is LaMelo Ball worth the No. 1 pick and which team should draft him? Does he fit at all in Minnesota? What type of teams can afford to trade for Russell Westbrook and his massive contract? Does Westbrook need to relocate to the weaker Eastern Conference and save a dead-end franchise? Are Chris Paul and the Suns a natural fit? Can Phoenix afford to think about its long-term planning after so much losing? With so much turmoil in Houston, should James Harden try to pull the plug and form a new superteam with one of his high-profile teammates?

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NBA election reaction; Minnesota, Golden State & major Draft decisions Nov 09, 2020

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Ben Golliver and Michael Pina round up NBA player reaction to the presidential election. Did the players' More Than a Vote campaign make a difference in key battleground states? What lessons should the players take from their voting advocacy experience? Then, Ben and Michael shift to a discussion of the schedule agreement between the owners and players that will launch next season on Dec. 22. Which of the eight non-bubble teams are they most and least excited to watch? The guys close with a look at the Pistons, Spurs, Cavaliers and other teams seeking a new direction before debating how the Timberwolves and Warriors should use their top draft picks next week.

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