KOC is joined by Esfandiar Baraheni to preview and predict some of the best Round 1 matchups of the 2025 NBA Playoffs, starting with the Golden State Warriors vs. the Houston Rockets, who are fresh off the Dubs advancing out of the Play-In against the Memphis Grizzlies. Will Amen Thompson shut down Steph Curry again?? 

Don't miss Kevin's prediction for the Los Angeles Lakers vs. Minnesota Timberwolves -- as the guys preview what to expect when LeBron James and Luka Doncic take on Anthony Edwards and company. Why Nikola Jokic and the Denver Nuggets vs. Kawhi Leonard and the Los Angeles Clippers could be the best matchup of Round 1.

Plus: KOC's got hot takes on Trae Young having "sore loser energy," the Boston Celtics-Orlando Magic Round 1 series, what the Joe Dumars news means for Zion Williamson's future in New Orleans (hint: TRADE time!) and, of course, Kevin goes scorched earth on Nico Harrison's latest boneheaded comments about the Dallas Mavericks.

(0:43) Warriors beat Grizzlies Tuesday night

(8:24) Warriors vs. Rockets preview

(22:32) Magic defeat Hawks on Tuesday

(28:15) Magic vs. Celtics preview

(33:51) Timberwolves vs. Lakers preview

(45:35) Nuggets vs. Clippers preview

(58:16) Nico Harrison says ‘defense wins championships’

(1:05:15) Pelicans hire Joe Dumars

(1:10:43) Damian Lillard out for start of playoffs

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Kevin O'Connor is joined by fellow NBA podcaster Andrew Sharp, host of "The Greatest of All Talk"and "Sharp Tech with Stratechery” to preview the Play-In Tournament, as well as the NBA Playoffs. Are the Golden State Warriors too fatigued to make it out of the Play-In, and what version of Jimmy Butler can Steph Curry expect?

Why is Andrew picking Anthony Edwards and the Minnesota Timberwolves to knock out Luka Doncic and the Los Angeles Lakers. Plus, the biggest question when it comes to each of the contender's chances just before the postseason begins.

And don't miss KOC and Sharp reacting to the breaking news that the Phoenix Suns were firing Mike Budenholzer — what could that mean for the future of Devin Booker and Kevin Durant?

(0:30) Andrew Sharp joins

(1:02) Clippers beat Warriors in OT

(14:22) Is this the best Kawhi-Clippers team?

(19:07) Can the Denver/Clippers winner beat OKC?

(24:46) Lakers vs. Timberwolves preview

(31:54) Eastern Conference Playoffs questions & answers

(31:56) Which play-in team is most likely to make a run?

(33:41) Do the Celtics need Jaylen Brown?

(35:52) What do the Cavs need to win?

(40:31) Is Cade Cunningham the best player in the DET/NYK series?

(44:07) Should Knicks fire Thibs?

(49:08) What do the Bucks need out of Damian Lilliard?

(50:51) Are we sleeping on the Pacers?

(51:43) KOC’s 5 favorite Flagg fits

(1:02:38) Pelicans fire executive VP Griffin

(1:03:00) Suns fire head coach Budenholzer

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On the latest episode of the Kevin O’Connor Show, KOC is joined by Tom Haberstroh to reveal his 2024-25 NBA awards ballot. The pair debate all the biggest honors including Nikola Jokic vs. Shai Gilgeous-Alexander for MVP and Amen Thompson vs. Draymond Green for DPOY. Plus, is Payton Pritchard the undisputed Sixth Man of the Year? And should Cade Cunningham even be ELIGIBLE for Most-Improved Player considering he was a no. 1 overall draft pick??

Later, they recap the Minnesota Timberwolves routing of the Memphis Grizzlies. Anthony Edwards dropped 40+ despite Zach Edey finding his footing for Memphis—could the Wolves find themselves the four seed in the West?

(0:35) Timberwolves beat Grizzlies Thursday night

(3:12) Updated Western Conference playoff picture

(11:11) KOC’s NBA awards ballots

(11:12) SGA vs. Jokic for MVP?

(24:54) Stephon Castle for Rookie of the Year?

(34:39) Amen Thompson vs. Draymond Green for DPOY?

(50:25) Payton Pritchard for 6th Man of the Year?

(54:55) Who should win Coach of the Year?

(1:00:11) Cade Cunningham MIP controversy

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Kevin O'Connor is joined by Danny Parkins of FS1's "Breakfast Ball" to do a little Spring Cleaning ahead of the NBA Playoffs. Today is 4/09, so Danny and KOC decide to address and tidy up the biggest MESS on each title contender. The Cleveland Cavaliers, Boston Celtics, New York Knicks, and Milwaukee Bucks are discussed in the East, while in the West KOC and Danny "clean up" the Oklahoma City Thunder, Houston Rockets, Los Angeles Lakers, Denver Nuggets, and Minnesota Timberwolves. Plus - the guys offer further analysis, fallout and reasoning from the surprise firing of Nuggets HC Michael Malone.

(0:28) Danny Parkins joins the show

(1:10) Nuggets fire Malone & Booth

(12:21) Luka returns to Dallas Wednesday night

(15:38) Title contenders ‘spring cleaning’

(16:04) What Cavs need to clean up

(20:51) What Celtics need to clean up

(26:20) What Thunder need to clean up

(30:43) NBA needs to clean up officiating

(33:04) What Rockets need to clean up


(37:16) What Timberwolves need to clean up

(39:44) What Lakers need to clean up

(43:40) What Warriors need to clean up

(47:49) What Knicks need to clean up

(50:17) What Bucks need to clean up

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Kevin O'Connor and Dan Titus react to the shocking news on Tuesday that the Denver Nuggets have fired both head coach Mike Malone and GM Calvin Booth with just DAYS before the NBA regular season is set to come to a close. What's next for the Nuggets? What does this mean for the NBA playoff picture? What is going on in the NBA with two playoff-bound coaches fired in two weeks!?

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KOC is joined by Jason Timpf on this episode, which recorded right after the Men's National Championship Game between Florida and Houston went final. They discussed the star players whose NBA Draft stock was impacted in the Final Four (Walter Clayton Jr! LJ Cryer!), and they didn't hold back on the state of college refs. Plus Kevin and Jason dive into the wild, absurd Western Conference playoff picture. Are the Houston Rockets a bona fide threat to win the West? Concerning losses by the Oklahoma City Thunder, Denver Nuggets and Golden State Warriors have Kevin wondering which team should ACTUALLY hit the panic button. Did the New York Knicks get better while Jalen Brunson was sidelined? All that and more on this installment of The KOC show!

(1:00) - Florida wins National Championship!

(14:10) - Draft stock of Final Four players: Auburn, Duke & more

(33:00) - Western conference: Houston Rockets, Golden State Warriors, Los Angeles Lakers, Oklahoma City Thunder, Denver Nuggets, Minnesota Timberwolves

(1:05:15) - Eastern conference: Indiana Pacers & New York Knicks

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Kevin O'Connor and Tom Haberstroh went LIVE on Friday morning to discuss 10 storylines with 10 days left in the NBA regular season, and they started with reaction to last night's masterclass performance by Stephen Curry and the Golden State Warriors. Did Steph officially enter the MVP conversation, and is GSW the team best-suited out west to KO the Thunder? Plus the guys hit 9 other massive storylines -- including why Cooper Flagg landing with the San Antonio Spurs and Victor Wembanyama would create "Tim Duncan-David Robinson 2.0" 

(0:43) 10 storylines with 10 days left in the season 

(0:52) Steph is Top 5 MVP 5

(5:55) Can Cavs & Bucks fix their issues? 

(8:58) Grizzlies are all-in on Ja Morant 

(14:23) Can Thunder win 70 games? 

(19:56) SGA nears +1000 

(23:36) Where will Houston's pick end up? 

(26:47) Mailbag/live questions pt. 1 

(39:59) Tanking teams contend for Cooper Flagg 

(42:05) Who will earn the 'Mark Madsen' award? 

(45:13) Can the Timberwolves keep it rolling? 

(51:50) All 30 teams in action on April 13 

(54:25)  Mailbag/live questions pt. 2

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NBA on NBC's play-by-play commentator Noah Eagle joins Kevin O'Connor to discuss all of the fallout from the weekend of hoops, including Kevin Durant's injury and Phoenix getting blown out by Houston. Find out why one of our hosts says Phoenix is "gonna lay down and die... they're done. It's over!" Plus the brawl that took place between the Detroit Pistons and Minnesota Timberwolves got Noah Eagle thinking: what if he got to COMMENTATE a fight? He gives Kevin a hilarious broadcasting "sneak peak" of what that would sound like, and of course it got them both wondering if the "Bad Boys" are officially back. And Atlanta Hawks fans, this is the episode for you! KOC finally admits he was wrong about Zaccharie Risacher who Kevin says, officially, "is NOT a bust." KOC and Noah also hit all of the college hoops fallout from over the weekend, including Elite 8 reactions and a full-blown Final Four preview. It's all on this loaded episode of the KOC Show!

(0:36) Noah Eagle joins the show

(1:35) Is it over for the Suns?

(12:05) Pistons-Timberwolves brawl

(24:11) Grizzlies fire Taylor Jenkins

(33:05) Risacher shines for Atlanta Hawks

(38:55) Walter Clayton Jr. leads Florida to Final Four

(43:31) Khaman Maluach & Duke dominate Alabama

(47:03) Would you rather: Derik Queen or Khaman Maluach

(48:32) Daniel Wolf NBA prospects

(55:21) All no. 1 seeds in men's Final Four

(57:09) Broome boosts Auburn in victory

(59:11) Non-tourney players to watch in NBA Draft

(1:07:19) SGA = Michael Jordan?

(1:10:08) Will Syracuse MBB ever be elite again? 

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KOC is joined by Tom Haberstroh as the guys react to the absolutely unbelievable game-winning buzzer beater from Josh Giddey. LeBron James and the Los Angeles Lakers lose in devastating fashion (mostly because of LeBron's careless late turnover), and now it has the guys wondering if the Chicago Bulls are BACK?? Plus the Indiana Pacers scored HOW MANY points last night vs the hapless Wizards? And Kev and Tom weigh in on how fun an Indiana-Detroit Pistons First Round matchup would be. Plus Adam Silver's press conference on Thursday covered everything from NBA Expansion in Europe, (and Seattle/Las Vegas), how All-Star Weekend needs to change (again!), and how Tanking can be addressed. And don't miss the guys' thoughts on Cooper Flagg's masterpiece performance vs Arizona that sent them to the Elite 8, along with Coach John Calipari's Arkansas squad blowing a massive lead to Texas Tech, and Alabama's historic night from 3-point land.

Then, Thinking Basketball's Ben Taylor joins Kevin O'Connor to discuss the cutting-edge strategies being implemented by the "futuristic" Oklahoma City Thunder. Are the Boston Celtics on that level, too? Plus, Ben is blown away by what he's seeing from LeBron James and the Los Angeles Lakers, he just wonders if they'll be able to keep it up over the course of the Playoffs. And Ben weighs on why so many fans complain about the volume of 3-pointers being shot in today's "modern" NBA, and how the league may need to address it. 

(1:05) Lakers lose on Bulls buzzer-beater

(6:28) Pacers put up 162 pts on Wizards

(9:34) Current Eastern Conference playoff matchups

(12:01) Adam Silver comments on NBA expansion

(18:34) Silver admits All-Star game missed the mark

(23:46) Could NIL in college hoops end NBA tanking?

(35:32) Cooper Flagg shines in Duke win vs. Arizona

(39:31) Texas Tech rallies back to beat Arkansas

(44:55) Alabama shoots record 3’s vs. BYU

(48:18) Ben Taylor of Thinking Basketball joins

(48:59) Are Celtics title favorites?

(56:28) Draymond Green deserving DPOY favorite?

(1:02:25) Is Camara a modern-day Pippen?

(1:08:40) 2024 NBA re-draft

(1:12:01) A Thinking Basketball video on Bronny?

(1:13:28) Assessment of Lakers recent skid

(1:22:55) Banchero bounces back

(1:23:01) Modern vs. ‘old school’ NBA

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Kevin O'Connor reunites with Chris Vernon on the latest episode of The Kevin O'Connor Show, delivering 10 semi-bold predictions for the NBA season's remainder and the NBA Draft. KOC and Verno kick off sharing discontent with the Memphis Grizzlies' performance and speculate that both the top-seeded Oklahoma City Thunder and Cleveland Cavaliers might miss the NBA Finals.

The guys also suggest that a healthy Kawhi Leonard may make a dangerous run in the NBA Playoffs, that Chicago's Josh Giddey could be in line for a huge payday this offseason and Verno goes off on the league, predicting that massive competitive balance changes will come this offseason to address tanking and star players resting.

Finally, the pair close out with two NBA draft-themed predictions coming out of the ongoing NCAA tournament.

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(2:30) - Memphis will miss the playoffs

(11:05) - CLE & OKC will miss NBA Finals

(17:05) - OKC sweeps their first-round series

(21:35) - LAC wins at least 3 playoff games

(26:15) - Josh Giddey becomes $100 million man

(30:25) - Dame/Giannis duo will fail & Milwaukee cleans house

(38:45) - NBA enacts sweeping competitive balance changes to appease TV partners

(52:20) - Nique Clifford is a lottery pick this June

(56:50) - Boogie Fland is drafted as a first rounder

🖥️ Watch this full episode on YouTube

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Subscribe to The Kevin O’Connor Show on the your favorite podcast app:

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