The Full 48

B/R contributor and podcast host for The Athletic, Mo Dakhil, partakes in a game of Meaningful or Mirage that involves the Portland Trailblazers being a play-off team, Carmelo Anthony returning to the NBA, the Phoenix Suns great start and their inexperienced roster, Andrew Wiggins from bust to All-Star, Eastern Conference playoff teams, and the Raptors Pascal Siakam as an MVP candidate. Plus, Mo weighs in on LeBron's return to greatness, the 76ers need for a closer (and why that's not Joel Embiid), and the time the Clippers almost traded DeAndre Jordan for Kevin Garnett. via Knit

Dallas Mavericks Defensive and Player Development coach, God Shammgod, talks New York street basketball and culture, today's NBA style of play, his childhood love of the New York Knicks, the art of dribbling versus ball handling, coaching, and his friendship with Kobe Bryant. He also shares the story behind his name, the bet he made with Ben Wallace while sitting the bench for the Wizards, and how Mark Jackson inspired Shamm's ball handling. via Knit

NBA legends turned "All The Smoke" podcast cohosts, Stephen Jackson and Matt Barnes, talk up their new Showtime pod, the most misunderstood guys in the NBA (Draymond Green, Kevin Durant, Kyrie Irving, and LeBron James), and the best and worst organizations in the league (aka The Knicks). They also weigh in on load management, RJ Barrett, and the negative culture of social media. Plus, they each wear the Commish For A Day hat and offer up the changes they'd make if given the power! via Knit

King of the Corner 3 from the Houston Rockets, P.J. Tucker, discusses the James Harden Russell Westbrook partnership, the Chris Paul trade, the Golden State Warriors, winning Championships, and the importance of the All-Defensive Team. He also speaks to the changing landscape of the NBA, free agency, his two-year reign as Sneaker King, and why fighting just isn't worth it. via Knit

Former Chicago Tribune writer turned NBC Sports Chicago insider, K.C. Johnson, shares his take on the Chicago Bulls season expectations and whether "play-offs" is the best description for their current state. He also weighs in on rookie Coby White, what the Otto Porter Junior off-season signing says about the Bulls free agent future, the leadership struggle in the Bulls locker room during the days of Derrick Rose and Jimmy Butler, and why Joakim Noah was his favorite Bulls player to cover. Plus, KC has a great Michael Jordan story from a training camp in 1985, and definite change he would make if he were "Commissioner For A Day." via Knit

Former Detroit Pistons head coach & President of Basketball Ops turned NBA TV and TNT broadcaster, Stan Van Gundy, discusses game evolution, defensive trends, the 4-point shot, the coach's challenge, Dwight Howard and the Lakers, the Phoenix Suns and Devin Booker, and his dual role with the Detroit Pistons. via Knit

Former Hawks GM turned NBA TV and Radio Analyst (and friend of the pod), Wes Wilcox, shares his picks for the Eastern and Western conference play-offs (Portland is a lock!), explains why the Clippers have the best roster construction in the league, how come Miami got a steal picking Tyler Herro at 13, and who's already feeling the most pressure before the official start of the season (hey Philly's coach Brett Brown, Wes is talking to you!). Plus, Wes weighs in on the Denver Nuggets, the Milwaukee Bucks, and trade predictions. via Knit

Tania Ganguli of the LA Times just got back from the NBA China Games, and shares her thoughts and observations about what she saw and heard on the ground in Shanghai (including a plethora of Lakers 23 jerseys in the Shanghai arena). She weighs in on the LeBron-Daryl Morey situation, the Adam Silver-Yao Ming connection, and the Lakers response (or lack thereof) as an organization. She also discusses LeBron and Anthony Davis' relationship, how Dwight Howard's assimilating to Lakers culture, and what the Lakers starting 5 might look like on opening night. via Knit

True Hoop partner and analyst and Executive Director of The Pro Training Center, David Thorpe, returns to discuss Thorpe's Team of players including JJ Redick, Brandon Ingram, Zion Williamson, Kevon Looney, and Mike Conley. He also breaks down the 3-point shots (or lack thereof) of Lonzo Ball, Markelle Fultz, and Ben Simmons, and weighs in on the hole in Giannis' game, and shares his take on Adam Silver's response to Houston Rockets GM Daryl Morey's comments on the civil rights issue in Hong Kong. via Knit

Vincent Goodwill of Yahoo! Sports has a serious issue with the B/R Top 50 Players list, and he's taking it up with Howard Beck! Isiah Thomas at #47?!? Let the defense begin! Vincent also weighs in on the Dame vs Shaq debate, the Philadelphia 76ers vs Milwaukee Bucks as top team in the East, sleeper picks for the playoffs (Sacramento Kings and Chicago Bulls anyone?), and Karl Malone. There's also a great game of "Where is...?" (Pau Gasol, Jordan Bell, DeMarre Carroll & Trevor Ariza), and predictions for worst record in the league (not picking on the Knicks this time), and best 3-point percentage! via Knit

Husband and wife NBA referees, Jonathan Sterling and Lauren Holtkamp, discuss their new baby daughter and how they plan to navigate parenthood during the coming season, Lauren's ACL injury rehab, their respective rookie years in the league, keeping healthy competition on and off the court, and the changing landscape of females in the NBA. They also share the story of their first date, and what Jonathan did to prepare for the arrival of his baby girl. Plus, a very funny, side-by-side comparison of their ref bios! via Knit

Assistant Coach of Team USA and Golden State Warriors head coach, Steve Kerr speaks to Team USA's abysmal World Cup play, learning from Gregg Popovich, the crushing blow of losing Jayson Tatum to injury, Pop's geography quizzes, and why having the World Cup and the Olympics in back-to-back summers is bad for basketball. Steve also discusses Klay Thompson's injury rehab, MVP Steph Curry, the addition of D'Angelo Russell, developing young players, the Warriors elite defense, and the team's strategy for the coming season. Plus, he weighs in on Kevin Durant's run with the Warriors, and why no one in the organization was surprised by KD's decision to leave the franchise. via Knit

It's a round of burning questions with Zach Lowe from ESPN and The Lowe Post pod. He joins Howard to tackle tampering, the Big 2s (aka LeBron & AD, Paul George & Kawhi, Westbrook & Harden, Steph Curry & Draymond Green), the loneliest player in the NBA (Jimmy Butler), impending Giannis speculation, play-off predictions (Heat? Philly?), whether Ben Simmons will make 3-point shots, the most boring teams in the league this season, and "The Brady Bunch" versus "Saved By The Bell." via Knit

The Sports Illustrated Top 100 Players of the NBA is out, and list curator Rob Mahoney breaks it down! He explains why there's a brand new #1 in Giannis Antetokounmpo, how Giannis unseated 6-year reigning #1 LeBron James, where Kevin Durant factors into things, and why the Charlotte Hornets do not have a single player on this year's list! He also discusses the Kyrie Irving effect, James Harden vs Steph Curry, what Kawhi Leonard lacks that prevents him from being #1, Jimmy Butler's #11 rank, new age bigs, and the hot button issues the list has already created (no Lonzo Ball?? Klay Thompson at #58??) via Knit

Former Knicks and Trail Blazers center Enes Kanter is now a Boston Celtic, and excited about the coming season with his new team! He shares the phone call from Kemba Walker that sealed the deal, his true feelings about the Knicks ownership and the city of New York, the importance of team chemistry and how that's going to be the key to the Celtics' success this season, and why he always strives to be a good locker room guy! Plus, Enes discusses the political issues in Turkey and how that's affecting Enes and his family, and why being outspoken about what's happening in his home country is vital to the security of him and his loved ones. via Knit

Catch up on The Full 48 with the best-of Enes Kanter, Metta World Peace, and Doug Christie! Enes Kanter speaks to political activism in the NBA and how it's personally affecting his career, his path to US citizenship and the unique offers he's received from some of his female fans, and his childhood idol, Hedo Turkoglu. Doug Christie remembers the Lakers dynasty of the 2000s and what that was like for him as a member of the Sacramento Kings. He also sets the record straight on what really went down between him and Rick Fox all those years ago. And Metta World Peace talks "Ron Artest," Malice at the Palace, his relationship with Jermaine O'Neal, and pantsing Paul Pierce. via Knit

It's a special best-of episode featuring 3 of Howard's favorite interviews of the last 12 months including NBA Commissioner Adam Silver who discusses everything from the possible legalization of marijuana use in the league to NBA age limits; Brooklyn Nets guard Joe Harris who shares the best nicknames he's heard since growing his beard to the Nets success to the childhood goals that still grace the walls of his old bedroom in his parents' house; and the great Kareem Abdul-Jabbar who weighs in on the Michael Jordan GOAT debate, LeBron James, and the rebirth of athlete activism. via Knit

Current BIG3 player and cohost of the "Knuckleheads" podcast, Quentin Richardson discusses the BIG3, female coaches in the NBA, Kawhi Leonard and Paul George to the Clippers, "The Battle For LA," Phoenix Suns and Steve Nash, and his redemption with the Miami Heat. He also reveals the team nicknames on Power, and why he holds Nancy Lieberman in such high esteem. via Knit

It's NBA schedule release day, and in what is hopefully becoming an annual tradition, NBA Scheduling Czars, Sr. VP of Game Schedule Management Tom Carelli and Sr. VP of Basketball Strategy & Analytics Evan Wasch, return to shed some light on the blood, sweat, and tears that go into scheduling an NBA season. They discuss the reduction of back-to-back games, exploring earlier start times, focusing on player health and mental well-being, communicating and working with teams and arenas, identifying key match-ups and narratives, prioritizing high-profile and nationally-prominent games, and the factors considered when booking NBA travel. They also answer a few fan questions from twitter. via Knit

ESPN columnist/commentator, Howard Bryant, joins The Full 48 with Howard Beck to debate the hypothetical effect of abolishing free agency, the luxury tax, and the draft in the NBA. They dissect apocalyptical scenarios that might result including league contraction, lack of player spread, and extreme over-spending for A List talent in smaller markets. They also discuss changing fandom, the end of the dynasty/super team era in the NBA, and the soap opera culture (aka free agency) taking over the league. via Knit