Chris Mannix and Rachel Nichols break down the Lakers sweeping the Rockets in a two-game series behind improved play from Deandre Ayton and a new role for LeBron James, why the NBA's 65-game minimum rule is hurting the competitive MVP race, and whether the league really needs to expand to 32 teams

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Chris Mannix is joined by 18-year NBA vet Derek Fisher to break down how Victor Wembanyama should be in the MVP discussion if the Spurs can overtake the Thunder, the Clippers miraculous turnaround following a 6-20 start to the year, and why both L.A. teams could pull an upset in the playoffs

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Chris Mannix and Evan Turner break down how LeBron James is elevating his play towards the end of the season to propel the Lakers, how Jayson Tatum is looking after three games back, Jaylen Brown's questionable ejection on national TV, how much players should defend a teammate after they're disrespected on the court, and how the Orlando Magic are playing to their potential after underwhelming this far

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Chris Mannix & Rachel Nichols break down how Jayson Tatum looked in his first three games back, why the Lakers keep showing that they're better without LeBron James in the lineup, if Shai Gilgeous-Alexander's game winner against Denver locked in his second straight MVP award, and if the Pistons four game losing streak means they aren't the favorites in the east

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Chris Mannix & Evan Turner break down Jayson Tatum being expected to make his season debut 10 months after tearing his achilles, how far the red hot Charlotte Hornets could go this season and beyond, and the recent sideline tiff between Luka Doncic and JJ Redick

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Chris Mannix and Rachel Nichols break down how much Giannis Antetokounmpo & Trae Young will play after returning from injury, Lu Dort's cheap shot on Nikola Jokic, if the Knicks will show up in the playoffs after an up and down season, why Joe Mazzulla is the front runner for coach of the year, and if Cooper Flagg or Kon Knueppel is more deserving of rookie of the year

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Chris Mannix and Evan Turner break down the Lakers recent losing streak and why their big names not meshing together signals a first round loss for the franchise. We also get into why the Pelicans need to trade a finally healthy Zion Williamson this offseason and why the Bulls are desperate for some lottery luck to pull them out of obscurity

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Chris Mannix and Rachel Nichols break down how Victor Wembanyama and the Spurs could be ready to compete for a title this year despite their rosters limited playoff experience, Joe Mazzulla remaining tight lipped on if Jayson Tatum will return soon, Adam Silver addressing the reps for every team on how the league is unhappy with tanking, and where LeBron will spend his (possible) final season

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Chris Mannix and Evan Turner share there thoughts on why college basketball coaches go after the media so often before discussing the good and bad of all star weekend, if Jayson Tatum can help the Celtics in a smaller role this season, and if James Harden's presence can lure LeBron James to Cleveland for his final season

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Chris Mannix is joined by NBA on NBC’s and former Atlanta Hawks executive Grant Liffmann to break down a loaded NBA conversation coming out of All-Star Weekend.

The guys recap the biggest takeaways from NBA All-Star Weekend 2026, including why this year’s All-Star Game felt more competitive than in recent seasons and how young stars like Victor Wembanyama are beginning to take control of the spotlight. They also debate whether the NBA needs to overhaul All-Star Saturday Night, including a serious discussion on replacing the Dunk Contest with a 1-on-1 tournament.

Plus, Adam Silver’s latest comments on tanking spark a deeper conversation about competitive integrity, draft pick protections, and whether the current system is creating unintended consequences around the league.

And looking ahead to the playoff race: If Jayson Tatum returns, do the Boston Celtics become the team to beat in the Eastern Conference? Mannix and Liffmann analyze what Tatum’s potential return could mean for the Celtics, the balance of power in the East, and which dark horse contenders could make noise in the second half of the season.

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