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

Latest Episodes:

The New King of LA, Charles Barkley’s take summit, Opening week instant reactions Oct 25, 2019

Show notes

On today's episode, Ben Golliver and Rob Mahoney discuss TNT commentator Charles Barkley's latest take summit. Ben lays out Barkley's thoughts on why Kawhi Leonard has surpassed LeBron James after the Clippers' opening win over the Lakers. They also dissect two other Barkley ideas: that Anthony Davis needs to be the Lakers' best player if they're going to win the title, and that Paul George will face significant pressure in the 2020 playoffs. From there, Ben and Rob take questions from the Open Floor Globe on why no one cares about Andre Drummond, Kyrie Irving's 50-point Brooklyn debut, and whether it was acceptable for a listener to cut short a trip to San Diego so that he could return to Ohio and watch basketball by himself.

Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.com
Advertising Inquiries: https://redcircle.com/brands
Privacy & Opt-Out: https://redcircle.com/privacy

The NBA season is here! Finals predictions, Zion heartbreak & Jamal Murray's swag Oct 22, 2019

Show notes

On today's show, Ben Golliver and Rob Mahoney gear up for the start of the 2019-20 NBA season by making their predictions. Which teams will make the conference finals? Who will win the title? What's the dream West match-up? Are there any spoilers looming in the East? Which teams will disappoint, which will surprise, and which will be downright awful? Then, Ben and Rob shift gears to reflect on the implications of Zion Williamson's knee surgery. How bad is this for the NBA as a whole? Will he need to change his body type? Are Blake Griffin and Greg Oden reason comparison points? They close by digging into Rob's Sports Illustrated story on Jamal Murray, which features a fateful coaching decision and a brash prediction of better days to come.

Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.com
Advertising Inquiries: https://redcircle.com/brands
Privacy & Opt-Out: https://redcircle.com/privacy

LeBron takes on Morey over China, NBA award predictions, Buddy's threat and Beal's deal Oct 18, 2019

Show notes

On Today's show, Ben Golliver and Rob Mahoney pick up their jaws after LeBron James's pointed criticism of Daryl Morey on the Hong Kong/China issue. Did LeBron have a point about Morey's bad timing? Should activism be convenient? What did this episode reveal about LeBron? Did the controversy prove that Kawhi Leonard made the right decision to join the Clippers rather than the Lakers? Then, Ben and Rob shift gears to make their picks for MVP, ROY, DPOY, COY, SMOY and MIP. The usual suspects (Giannis and Zion) make appearances, but so do some other big names (Embiid, AD, Luka). Finally, they close with why context matters in Buddy Hield's negotiation standoff with the Kings, and the different levels of winning baked into the Wizards' new contract extension for Bradley Beal.

Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.com
Advertising Inquiries: https://redcircle.com/brands
Privacy & Opt-Out: https://redcircle.com/privacy

Harden and Westbrook deep dive, California vs. the World, the West's future powers Oct 15, 2019

Show notes

On today's show, Ben Golliver and Rob Mahoney dive deep into Rob's Sports Illustrated NBA preview story on the Houston Rockets. How will James Harden and Russell Westbrook actually work together? Are the Rockets as unstable as they appear from the outside? Are they title contenders? Then, Ben and Rob take questions from the Open Floor Globe, assessing Tilman Fertitta's competence, fielding rosters for a "California vs. the rest of the world" showdown, and welcoming the coming galactic battle between Zion Williamson and Giannis Antetokounmpo. They close by discussing the West's best rising powers and taking on a brutal critique of Portland, Oregon, from an Irish tourist.

Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.com
Advertising Inquiries: https://redcircle.com/brands
Privacy & Opt-Out: https://redcircle.com/privacy

The NBA game goes on in China, Zion hype heats up, the next Jrue contract Oct 11, 2019

Show notes

On today's show, Ben Golliver and Rob Mahoney detail the latest developments from the NBA's China crisis. What should James Harden make of Daryl Morey? Did Adam Silver let down the media by allowing the Lakers and Nets to play without conducting press conferences? Do Steve Kerr and Gregg Popovich deserve heat for sidestepping the controversy? Then, Ben and Rob field questions from the Open Floor Globe on Zion Williamson's debut week, which players have the chance to surprisingly live up to their massive contracts a la Jrue Holiday, and whether the NBA intelligentsia has it all wrong on the depressing Hornets.

Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.com
Advertising Inquiries: https://redcircle.com/brands
Privacy & Opt-Out: https://redcircle.com/privacy

Daryl Morey's China crisis, AD's stellar debut, 2020 NBA style of play Oct 08, 2019

Show notes

On today's show, Ben Golliver offers an Open Floor "State of the Union" address in light of Sports Illustrated's recent staffing changes. Ben is then joined by his new co-host, Rob Mahoney of Sports Illustrated, to discuss Houston Rockets GM Daryl Morey's tweet about Hong Kong and the ensuing fallout in China. Should Morey have been fired? Could the NBA have handled its response differently? Are US politicians correct when they accuse the NBA of hypocrisy? From there, Ben and Rob discuss: Anthony Davis's stellar debut, how Davis compares with Giannis Antetokounmpo, and whether the NBA will see major changes in its style of play now that Kevin Durant hast left the Warriors. They close by analyzing Deandre Ayton's summer priorities and Michael Porter Jr.'s Rookie of the Year chances.

Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.com
Advertising Inquiries: https://redcircle.com/brands
Privacy & Opt-Out: https://redcircle.com/privacy