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Vincent Goodwill and Isis "Ice" Young discuss the turmoil surrounding Joel Embiid and the 76ers, the Celtics beating the Cavaliers and the biggest disappointments (so far) of the NBA season.

(02:05) - Turmoil with Joel Embiid & the 76ers

(18:50) - Revisiting the Haliburton/Sabonis trade

(24:00) - Biggest disappointments: Zion Williamson

(31:00) - Biggest disappointments: Luka Doncic

(36:10) - Celtics end Cavaliers' winning streak

On this episode of the Good Word with Goodwill podcast, Yahoo Sports senior NBA reporter Vincent Goodwill is joined by Isis "Ice" Young to talk about some of the biggest disappointments in the league so far this season.

They start in Philadelphia, where the 76ers blew a huge lead to the Heat before having a team meeting where Tyrese Maxey called out Joel Embiid for a lack of professionalism. Is Embiid upset about something else? Why didn't Nick Nurse or Daryl Morey get involved?

Speaking of disappointments, Tyrese Haliburton has been struggling with the Indiana Pacers this year. Vinnie talks about an injury Haliburton picked up when playing for Team USA in the Olympics before revisiting the trade that sent Haliburton to Indiana in exchange for Domantas Sabonis. Are we sure the Pacers won that trade?

Zion Williamson and Luka Doncic are two players that faced big expectations this season and, so far, neither one is living up to the hype. For Zion, the issue is staying healthy and staying in shape. For Luka, the issue has been a lack of effort and focus during games.

Finally, Vinnie recaps the Celtics' thrilling 120-117 win over the previously undefeated Cleveland Cavaliers and explains why the Cavs should still be excited about how they're playing. Also, maybe we should be making plans to be back in Boston for the Finals this year.

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Kevin O'Connor is joined by Mo Dakhil to give their thoughts and takeaway's from Monday night's NBA action. The duo start off with the Los Angeles Clippers beating the Golden State Warriors, as they discuss the Clippers' playoff aspirations and how much the Warriors should still scare teams in the Western conference. Next up is the Atlanta Hawks' dramatic victory over the Sacramento Kings, as the duo discus De'Aaron Fox and Zachary Risacher, among others. In other news, Franz Wagner looks to be coming into his own just as Kevin predicted, and the Cleveland Cavaliers look to keep their undefeated streak alive against the Boston Celtics. Kevin and Mo also touch on the NBA Cup and a rumored change to the All-Star Game structure.

Later, Spike Eskin joins the show to do a deep dive on the utterly depressing Philadelphia 76ers, who blew a 19-point lead to fall to 2-11 tonight. Spike vents about the apparent lack of effort on the court and why the Joel Embiid return has been such a disaster so far. Kevin isn't ready to give up on the Sixers just yet due to some star talent still performing at a high level and a weak conference, but they're nevertheless off to a nightmarish start. Kevin & Spike finish off the show with their thoughts on Linkin Park's latest album.

(1:20) - Clippers beat Warriors

(13:05) - Hawks beat Kings

(27:00) - Magic beat Suns

(32:45) - Are the Cavs in the same tier as the Celtics?

(41:00) - Thoughts on the NBA Cup & potential All-Star Game changes

(47:40) - Sixers deep dive with Spike Eskin

(1:10:30) - Linkin Park's new album

Vincent Goodwill and ESPN's Chris Herring go through the biggest surprises in the NBA about one month into the season. Can anyone catch Jokic for MVP? Is it time for the Bucks to trade Giannis? Are the Cavaliers really this good?

(02:45) - The 15-0 Cleveland Cavaliers
(13:25) - Can anyone catch Jokic for MVP?
(22:55) - The suddenly competent Detroit Pistons
(30:30) - Is it time for the Bucks to trade Giannis?
(45:00) - The upstart Houston Rockets

On this episode of the Good Word with Goodwill podcast, Yahoo Sports senior NBA reporter Vincent Goodwill is joined by ESPN senior writer Chris Herring to go through their biggest surprises a month into the 2024-25 NBA season.

Chris and Vinnie start in Cleveland, where the Cavaliers are off to a blazing 15-0 start and look the part as one of the Eastern Conference's best teams. Is it sustainable? Is it all the new head coach? How has Donovan Mitchell's role changed?

After wondering if Donovan Mitchell will get MVP votes, the guys dig through the outrageous numbers Nikola Jokic is putting up for the Denver Nuggets and declare Jokic the MVP until further notice. Vinnie goes into the crates to try and figure out if anyone has had a better 5-year stretch than what Jokic is doing right now.

Vinnie talks about the Detroit Pistons, who are significantly better than they were last season with mostly the same roster, and asks Chris to check him if his Detroit bias is out of control.

Later, the guys talk about the Milwaukee Bucks, who look lost and have no real way to improve their franchise outside of trading one of the two superstars on the roster. Is it time for the Bucks to consider trading Giannis? If so, where would he even go?

Vinnie has an idea for a Giannis trade destination, and it's the #3 team in the Western Conference. Look out for the Houston Rockets, who are loaded with talent and playing hard for head coach Ime Udoka.

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Kevin O'Connor and Tom Haberstroh discuss the worrying Mavericks and Timberwolves, Victor Wembanyama's and LeBron James's hot shooting, and their rankings of the top NBA rookies so far this season.

(00:40) - Are the Mavericks in trouble?

(12:20) - Are the Timberwolves worse off than the Mavericks?

(17:45) - Is Donovan Clingan the best rookie in this class?

(22:35) - Victor Wembanyama's red-hot 3-pt shooting

(30:30) - LeBron James continues to amaze

(41:10) - 2024-25 NBA rookie rankings

On this episode of The Kevin O'Connor Show, Kevin is joined by Tom Haberstroh. The guys kick off the episode by talking about the Dallas Mavericks, who have lost four consecutive games and don't look like the defending Western Conference Champions.

Similarly, the Minnesota Timberwolves do not look like a team that would've made it to the Western Conference Finals. Is it Anthony Edwards' fault? Do they miss Karl Anthony-Towns? Should the Timberwolves be concerned about the clunky fit of their current roster?

Portland Trail Blazers' rookie center Donovan Clingan racked up 8 blocks against Minnesota on Wednesday, and he's starting to look like he might be the best big man in this year's draft class.

Victor Wembanyama must've been listening last week when Kevin and Tom told him to stop shooting so many 3s, because he's made 20 of them in his last 3 games and seems to be breaking basketball on both ends of the floor.

LeBron James has posted three consecutive triple-doubles, as he nears his 40th birthday. Tom has an incredible stat that doesn't feel real but sums up just how productive this season has been for James. However, the Lakers still have major issues they need to work out.

Finally, the guys go through a way too early look at the 2024-25 NBA rookie rankings. There's a big surprise at the #1 spot and a few guys that are ready to jump up the list in a hurry.

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On the latest episode of The Big Number, Tom Haberstroh & Dan Devine look at Steph Curry’s incredible offensive impact on the Golden State Warriors. With just as much offensive dominance both on and off the ball, is Steph the greatest offensive player since Michael Jordan? Even more so than LeBron James?

But it’s not just Steph Curry giving the Warriors the boost they need to be title contenders—Golden State is over a dozen players deep with other stars with as Draymond Green and Andrew Wiggins which Dan highlights with four more numbers.

Tom & Dan end the show with some over/under predictions for Golden State throughout the rest of the NBA season.
 

(2:00) The Big Number: 124.2

(15:39) 4 stats that prove Golden State are title contenders

(30:11) Warriors over/unders
 

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Vincent Goodwill is joined by Jason Goff for a fun conversation about Klay Thompson's return to the Chase Center, making NBA regular season games special and Bronny James skipping road games in the G League.

(05:10) - Steph Curry spoils Klay's return to GSW

(25:20) - Emirates NBA Cup night 1 reaction

(32:20) - Can the NBA get fans to care about regular season games?

(43:45) - Bronny James to skip G League road games

(49:55) - Will the Chicago Bulls finally tank?

(56:45) - Which cities would embrace Cooper Flagg?

On this episode of the Good Word with Goodwill, Yahoo Sports senior NBA reporter Vincent Goodwill is joined by Jason Goff from Chicago Sports Network and The Ringer to react to a fun night 1 of the NBA Cup.

The guys start by talking about the Golden State Warriors' classy handling of Klay Thompson's return to the Chase Center before diving into the competitive way that Steph Curry went after his former teammate and stole the show in a Warriors' win.

Then, after discussing the way the Miami Heat botched the end of their game against the Detroit Pistons, Vinnie and Jason wonder how the NBA can get away from the highlight and drama culture surrounding the league to make fans care more about the regular season games.

During the recording, news broke that Bronny James wouldn't be playing road games for the Los Angeles Lakers G League affiliate, raising new questions about his preferential treatment and whether this is as good a situation for him as it is for his father, LeBron James Sr.

Vinnie finds time to ask Jason about the team he covers, the Chicago Bulls, and whether this is finally the year they go all-in on tanking to preserve their top-10 protected 1st round pick. This leads to a conversation about which cities would embrace Cooper Flagg as the face of their NBA team.

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Kevin O'Connor is joined by Adam Mares to break down the biggest storylines from around the NBA, including Nikola Jokic's early bid for another MVP, Luka Doncic's struggles with the Dallas Mavericks, the undefeated Cleveland Cavaliers, whether Oklahoma City should go all-in, some key injury news and much more.

Kevin and Adam start with Nikola Jokic's big night, as the duo break down what's changed about the Joker's game this year that's made him even more dangerous and why Russell Westbrook fits so well in Denver's scheme. On the other side of Sunday night's game, the Dallas Mavericks are now 5-5, and Luka Doncic's lack of development so far this season is starting to catch up with them.

Joel Embiid makes his return Tuesday night, and Kevin and Adam discuss how the Philadelphia 76ers can best utilize him if they want to be a legitimate playoff team. The Sixers aren't the only team affected by injuries so far this season, as the Oklahoma City Thunder are treading water without a few key players. The hosts discuss whether or not OKC needs to break the bank and go all-in this season with a player like Giannis.

Later, Kevin and Adam discuss the Cleveland Cavaliers starting the season 12-0 and how far that could last, plus what's not clicking with the Milwaukee Bucks. The duo finish up by answering a mailbag question on how Jayson Tatum's early successes could raise the ceiling for the Boston Celtics.

(0:50) - Why Nikola Jokic is already playing at an MVP level

(16:15) - Luka Doncic's early struggles

(22:30) - How Sixers can best build around Joel Embiid

(29:30) - NBA injury madness: time for OKC to make a move?

(39:55) - How long can the Cavaliers stay undefeated?

(45:10) - Things just aren't clicking yet in Milwaukee

(47:20) - Does Jayson Tatum's play raise Celtics ceiling?

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The 2024-2025 NBA season is around its 9-game mark as of Thursday night, so Kevin O'Connor is joined by Tom Haberstroh to share 9 observations about the league and its trends at this roughly 10% completion point in the season.

Can the Philadelphia 76ers survive their atrocious start without Tyrese Maxey and with Joel Embiid slated to play his first game of the season this Tuesday against New York? What adjustments need to be made in San Antonio to get Victor Wembanyama and Chris Paul playing complementary basketball that bolsters Wemby's strengths? Will Zion Williamson ever be Zion Williamson again? All that and more on today's Kevin O'Connor Show.

(0:50) - Sixers aren't who we thought they were

(5:10) - Can anything fix the east vs. west conference imbalance?

(7:10) - Cavs are 9-0, can they get to 60 wins?

(10:30) - Should NBA abandon conferences and go to 58 games?

(16:00) - How can CP3 and Wemby get on the same page?

(25:45) - Kings can reach a new level with DeRozan add

(28:40) - Can Zion ever be Zion again?

(34:20) - Jalen Johnson's usage is crazy

(38:22) - Ja Morant is back with a vengeance

🖥️ Watch this full episode on YouTube

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On this week's episode of The Big Number, Tom Haberstroh and Dan Devine dive into the numbers on the Oklahoma City Thunder. OKC has a team of DAWGS on defense that create chaos all over the court and that defensive prowess might just give them the edge to be title favorites.

Dan counters Tom’s bullish attitude toward the Thunder with a few other teams who could best OKC like the Boston Celtics, Golden State Warriors & Phoenix Suns.

The two wrap with some Oklahoma City over/unders worth keeping an eye on.

(1:10) THE BIG NUMBER: 85

(15:13) The Number Crunch

(15:40) The Number Crunch: Boston Celtics

(18:29) The Number Crunch: Golden State Warriors

(21:55) The Number Crunch: Cleveland Cavaliers

(24:46) The Number Crunch: Phoenix Suns

(28:13) OKC over/unders

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Vincent Goodwill and Isis "Ice" Young discuss Joel Embiid's suspension and how the Nuggets can survive without Aaron Gordon before combing through the 2019 NBA Draft class.

(02:00) - NBA suspends Joel Embiid for 3 games
(10:05) - Anthony Davis questionable (heel injury)
(14:00) - Aaron Gordon to miss multiple weeks (calf injury)
(17:30) - Zion Williamson
(23:00) - Ja Morant
(26:30) - RJ Barrett
(29:30) - Darius Garland
(31:30) - The Last Word: Draymond vs. Jordan Poole

On this episode of the Good Word with Goodwill, Yahoo Sports senior NBA reporter Vincent Goodwill is joined by Isis "Ice" Young to discuss everything that's going on in the early part of the 2024-25 NBA season.

Vinnie and Ice start with the NBA suspending Philadelphia 76ers center Joel Embiid for shoving a reporter in the locker room. Ice talks about the lines that were crossed and Vinnie explains why the reporter might've felt comfortable mentioning Embiid's family in his article before pointing out that the star player will make his season debut during the opening game of the NBA Cup.

Anthony Davis is dealing with an injury of his own, but Vinnie explains why he doesn't expect Davis to miss any time while Ice points out that the Lakers have become reliant on their big man and need him to stay healthy.

Speaking of, the Nuggets will be without Aaron Gordon for a few weeks due to a calf injury. Vinnie says why calf injuries in NBA players make him nervous before explaining why he thinks Gordon is the 2nd most important player on the Nuggets.

Vince and Ice then turn their attention to the 2014 NBA Draft class, which seems to be finding its footing in the NBA. Whether it's maturity (Ja Morant), opportunity (RJ Barrett) or simply health luck (Darius Garland), everyone seems to be finding success this season...except for Zion Williamson, whose struggles to stay healthy make Vinnie and Ice wonder how long his NBA career will be.

Finally, Draymond Green shared some funny (and cute) moments on the court against his former teammate Jordan Poole, leading us to wonder if he has finally matured enough to avoid causing the Warriors any issues with his behavior.

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