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

Latest Episodes:

2020 NBA All-Star Weekend Preview Feb 13, 2020

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On today's episode, Ben Golliver and Michael Pina preview the 2020 NBA All-Star Weekend. Will Zion Williamson and Team USA crush Luka Doncic and the World Team in the Rising Stars Challenge? Who will benefit from the rule changes in the Three-Point Contest? With Zion skipping out, will the Dunk Contest still be worth watching? And who will take the crown: Aaron Gordon or Derrick Jones Jr.? Then, on Sunday, won't the All-Star Game be the perfect opportunity for Nick Nurse and the Raptors to recruit Giannis Antetokounmpo? Ben and Michael close by taking questions on the evolving nature of basketball and the Cleveland Cavaliers' dismal future.

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Surging Raptors, Damian Lillard's outrage, All-Star mailbag Feb 11, 2020

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On today's episode, Ben Golliver and Michael Pina recover from the NBA trade deadline by catching their breath before the upcoming craziness of All-Star Weekend. They start with a deep dive into the Toronto Raptors, who have won 14 straight entering Monday. What's driving the Raptors' success and why are they such an intriguing threat to the Bucks? From there, they analyze Damian Lillard's complaints about the officials and the NBA's stunning decision not to pushing Portland for its vociferous complaining. To close, Ben and Michael take questions from the Open Floor Globe. How many All-Star starters throughout history have been worse than Trae Young? Should the All-Star rosters be expanded? Is Gersson Rosas the Messiah in Minnesota? Why does one San Diego chef always think about Kobe Bryant whenever he remembers slicing off his finger in a cooking accident?

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NBA Trade Deadline Winners & Losers Feb 07, 2020

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On today's episode, Ben Golliver and Michael Pina run though the winners and losers of the 2020 NBA Trade Deadline. Did the Warriors gamble wisely on Andrew Wiggins? Did the Timberwolves sacrifice too much in their successful pursuit of D'Angelo Russell? Did the Rockets, Sixers and Heat do enough to change their playoff outlooks? Were the Bucks and Clippers actually the biggest winners? How depressing, exactly, was Andre Drummond's trade to the Cavaliers?

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NBA trade deadline preview, Kobe Bryant's tribute, All-Star angst Feb 04, 2020

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On today's episode, Ben Golliver and Michael Pina preview this week's NBA trade deadline. First, though, they recap the Lakers' Friday night tribute to Kobe Bryant and Damian Lillard's remarkable 48-point performance in LA. How did LeBron James do with his pre-game speech? Are there any hypothetical duos that would be better than LeBron and Dame? Are the Blazers the team everyone should want to claim the West's eighth seed? When it comes to the deadline, Ben and Michael talk through which aspiring contenders are the most desperate to make a move (Rockets, Sixers) and which should consider rolling the dice (Lakers, Clippers, Bucks). They close by talking through the various All-Star snubs -- Bradley Beal, Devin Booker, Zach LaVine -- to determine who actually has a case.

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Los Angeles, the Lakers & the NBA remember Kobe Bryant Jan 30, 2020

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On today's episode, Ben Golliver and Michael Pina discuss the aftermath of Kobe Bryant's tragic death. Ben discusses the scene at the site of the helicopter crash in Calabasas, describes the memorials across Los Angeles and offers first-hand observations from the Lakers' first media session after Bryant's death. From there, Michael offers perspective from New York, and they discuss the implications of Bryant's death on the upcoming trade deadline, All-Star Weekend and NBA playoffs. They close by discussing Bryant's influence -- from his jersey numbers to his sneakers -- and take the New York Knicks to task for their ugly on-court incident and post-game comments while the league was still in mourning.

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Kobe Bryant, remembered Jan 27, 2020

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On today's episode, Ben Golliver and Michael Pina react to the tragic deaths of Los Angeles Lakers legend Kobe Bryant and his 13-year-old daughter Gianna

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Dissecting Zion Williamson's debut & contender check-in Jan 24, 2020

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On today's episode, Ben Golliver and Michael Pina tackle all angles of Zion Williamson's electrifying debut for the New Orleans Pelicans on Wednesday. Ben provides some on-scene highlights, then they grade Williamson's performance and reminisce about his 17-point fourth-quarter explosion. From there, they discuss the Pelicans' strict interpretation of Williamson's minutes limit, the fact that the game was somehow not sold out, and the current state of Williamson's health. To close, Ben and Michael pivot to a contender check-in on the Bucks and Rockets. Is Milwaukee actually misunderstood and underrated? Is Giannis Inc. itself guilty of underrating their 2020 title chances? Can Houston salvage its season? Does Tilman Fertitta need to step up and swing big at the deadline?

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Zion returns, Top 5 under 23, NBA fan conversion strategies Jan 21, 2020

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On today's show, Ben Golliver and Michael Pina preview Zion Williamson's upcoming season debut on Wednesday. What's the baseline for a successful return to the court? What should we expect from the No. 1 overall pick? Can he alter the West's playoff race? From there, they pivot into a discussion of the top five franchise players who are 23 and under. Is it Luka Doncic and everyone else? Zion Williamson or Ja Morant? Donovan Mitchell or Ben Simmons? Brandon Ingram or Jayson Tatum? Ben and Michael close with questions from the Open Floor Globe. Is Al Horford a sleeper agent for the Boston Celtics? Who are the most pretentious fan bases? How can a Sacramento Kings fan convince his girlfriend to follow the NBA?

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2020 NBA All-Star picks, snubs & toughest calls Jan 17, 2020

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On today's episode, Ben Golliver and Michael Pina pick their 2020 NBA All-Star teams. They stick tightly to the official rules, naming their starting lineups, reserves, injury replacements and snubs. Do Trae Young, Devin Booker, Brandon Ingram and Ja Morant deserve spots? How many Celtics, Raptors and Bucks should make the cut? Should the Jazz get both Rudy Gobert and Donovan Mitchell? Should Karl-Anthony Towns be snubbed because of his recent injury? At the end, who are the toughest players to leave off this year's teams? Which players would drive Ben and Michael the craziest if they were to make the real rosters thanks to the coaches' vote?

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Kyrie Irving returns, Kevin Durant's title odds, champions & non-champions in the 2020s Jan 14, 2020

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On today's episode, Ben Golliver and Michael Pina dig into Kyrie Irving's return to the court for the Brooklyn Nets. How did he look and can he pair effectively with Spencer Dinwiddie? Will the Nets salvage the rest of this season and are they potential playoff spoilers? What percentage chance does Kevin Durant have to win a championship in Brooklyn? From there, Ben and Michael take questions from the Open Floor Globe. What factors are driving the perception of Russell Westbrook in Houston? Which players and teams are bound to win titles in the 2020s? Which players and teams never will? The episode closes with a check-up on former Open Floor co-host Andrew Sharp, who has launched a new NBA podcast project with Ben called "Greatest Of All Talk." For more information, visit GreatestOfAllTalk.com.

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