“The Hoop Collective” podcast, hosted by ESPN’s Brian Windhorst, releases episodes every Monday, Wednesday and Friday during the NBA season. Windhorst and his guests break down what’s happening on and off the court, evaluating the trends you need to know and examining the latest news from across the NBA.
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‘The Hoop Collective’ episodes
Brian is joined by ESPN’s Tim Bontemps and Tim MacMahon to react to another huge win for the San Antonio Spurs over the Oklahoma City Thunder. The guys discuss if San Antonio’s 3-0 record against the defending champs shows that the Spurs need to be taken seriously as contenders, and if this highlights any issues for OKC. Plus, they break down how concerned we should be about the Los Angeles Lakers‘ defense, talk about two role players starring for the New York Knicks and a very strange week for the Golden State Warriors.
Topics:
1:16: Spurs have officially arrived — OKC issues vs. SAS?
10:29: Spurs real title contenders?
28:05: Major concerns with the Lakers’ defense?
34:57: Robinson and Kolek lead Knicks Christmas comeback
40:41: Strange week for Warriors & Green
Brian is joined by ESPN’s Tim Bontemps and Tim MacMahon to discuss the recent news that the NBA is brainstorming measures to combat tanking in the league. Then they move on to the Boston Celtics‘ potential this season and weigh Jayson Tatum‘s possible return if the C’s continue to be a threat in the East. In the second half of the podcast, they discuss the Pelicans’ recent upswing, what Christmas Day games they’re most excited about, and the latest Draymond Green and Steve Kerr drama.
Topics:
1:10: Potential new anti-tanking measures
5:11: Explaining the three potential options
15:46: How can the league incentivize winning all season?
23:25: Celtics finding their footing
27:30: Can Boston be dangerous this season? If so, will Tatum return?
38:37: Recent success for the Pelicans
43:34: What Christmas games are we most excited for?
50:56: Green and Kerr saga
MacMahon on potential fixes to tanking in the NBA: “Discussion or rule change is merited because I do think the tanking epidemic, honestly, it’s the NBA’s biggest problem. They’re not allowed in top four consecutive years, to me, is an interesting idea. I would even say, how about teams [are] not allowed to have top-four odds in consecutive years? Like, hey, if you were worst in the league two straight years, the next year you’ve got the fifth-best odds and then it plays out how it plays out.”
MacMahon on Anfernee Simons‘ role in Boston: “How does Anfernee Simons fit in all this? A guy who, when they made the trade, it was financially motivated to get off of Jrue Holiday‘s salary. They get the $28 million expiring salary, [then] explored trading him immediately to further slash salary.
“And he’s not putting up the numbers that he did in Portland. Obviously, that’s not his role. He’s a bench bucket-getter. In Boston, if they can find a deal, they’re just slashing salary with Simons involved. Is that something they do or do they look at this [season] and say, you know what, having that kind of firepower coming off the bench in the playoffs has some value to it? Let’s not do anything that would compromise our chances of making a playoff run.”
Bontemps on the Warriors’ future: “As the Warriors look ahead to either the next six weeks or the next six months and they try to make one final push around Steph Curry, like, let’s say they don’t make any trade soon or [at] the trade deadline and Draymond Green is on a $25 million-ish expiring contract this summer. You could put him and Jonathan Kuminga and some other salaries together to go get a star. Is that not a way for the Warriors to get better? I would argue it is. So I just think we’re getting a lot closer to: Is it time to move on from Draymond Green in some form or fashion?”
Brian is joined by ESPN’s Tim Bontemps and Tim MacMahon to talk about the Cleveland Cavaliers‘ struggles this season and what they can potentially do to turn the season around. Then the trio goes over the recent NBA officiating controversies before closing with Anthony Edwards‘ special performance and the Oklahoma City Thunder‘s most recent loss.
Topics:
0:46: Are the Cavaliers’ struggles becoming more concerning?
7:45: How can the Cavs address them?
24:13: NBA’s Eric Lewis announcement
30:28: NBA refereeing in headlines
42:15: Did Chris Finch motivate Timberwolves with ejection?
51:00: Any concern around Oklahoma City losses?
Windhorst on potential Cleveland moves: “My assessment from talking to folks and just watching it and things, I honestly think they don’t have much of a choice.
“I think they just have to kind of weather the storm. And I think that’s their best option. It is an unsatisfactory option to a lot of fans who are tweeting at me. And texting me trade stuff from the trade machine. I don’t think that’s a feasible pathway for them. They are a second apron team. I think their pathway is to get healthier and to have their players round into form. But I understand that that is getting a harder sell because they’ve now played 30 games.”
Bontemps on the Cavaliers’ potential for a trade: “They’re not only a second apron team, not only the most expensive team in the league this year, they’re $22 million over the second apron, so for them to put two players together and go get some star to remake their roster, they would have to shed $25 million to do that.
“It’s just not a realistic path for them to take in the middle of the season. They can’t do that. For better or worse, they have made their bed with this team. They came into the season betting this team would be a championship-level team, which is why they’re in the second apron. You only go into the second apron if you believe you’re a championship-caliber team.”
MacMahon on the Timberwolves’ win over the Thunder: “They’re 18-10, sixth in the West, but just 3-8 against teams that are .500 or better. There was a lot of frustration. There was a lot of failure to close games. And that’s the kind of win that, man, that can be a galvanizing type of win.
“I mean, they still got issues, primarily at point guard, which Ant is basically their point guard now, but big, big, big win for them. And I think they’re now undefeated since they announced that Kevin Garnett is an ambassador.”
Brian is joined by ESPN’s Tim Bontemps and Tim MacMahon to reveal Bontemps’ first MVP straw poll of the season, including if we’re in for another tight race between Nikola Jokic and Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, some surprising names on the list and others players who might actually have a chance to take home the trophy this season.
Topics (by player):
1:33: First Bontemps MVP straw poll this season
3:54: Bottom portion of the poll
7:03: Donovan Mitchell (No. 10)
7:50: Jaylen Brown (No. 9)
9:58: Victor Wembanyama (No. 8)
14:06: Tyrese Maxey (No. 7)
16:05: Giannis Antetokounmpo (No. 6)
17:50: Jalen Brunson (No. 5)
20:34: No Knicks banner for NBA Cup?
23:44: Cade Cunningham (No. 4)
26:16: Luka Doncic (No. 3)
31:29: The close race between Gilgeous-Alexander and Jokic
Bontemps on who missed the cut in the first straw poll: “Fourteen guys got at least one vote. Three players got a single fifth-place vote. Atlanta Hawks forward Jalen Johnson [got] one fifth-place vote — he’s had a very good season. ‘Cavs Corner’ gets represented. Donovan Mitchell had one fifth-place vote [but] it’s a tough sell.
“And it’s a tough sell for the guy who also got one fifth-place vote, despite also being awesome, Stephen Curry, Golden State Warriors star. He also got one fifth-place vote. Obviously Steph and Donovan have had great individual seasons. Their teams have been, far less than that, especially lately. Sort of similar for Jalen Johnson. He’s really broken through, had a great year. But those three guys all tied.”
Windhorst on Wembanyama’s MVP potential: “But if [the Spurs are] a top four team in the West, it will be because he’s had a great season. And if they’re a top four team in the West, he should. He’ll have a great chance to get on the top five. And frankly, if you considering that level of talent, if you can get on the top five in this current environment, when some of the other guys who are MVP candidates are already MVP winners and are still in their prime, I think it will have been amazing. That would be an incredible accomplishment for him.”
Bontemps on the tight MVP race between Gilgeous-Alexander and Jokic: “I think this is a pretty good result for Nikola Jokic because … I think the Thunder have a very good chance to set the wins record and win over 70 games. I think if the Thunder win over 70 games, I see really no way that Shai Gilgeous-Alexander doesn’t win MVP because the tie is going to go to the guy with the all-time great team.
“If the Thunder drop off at all and win 68 games, which is still awesome, but it’s not 70 games, I would say this opening ballot shows that with the race this close — the tiebreaker probably is going to be how good are the Thunder. And so if the Thunder are over 70, they’re one of the three teams to ever do that. I’d guess Shai went to second straight MVP. If they went 68 again, it would not surprise me at all if Jokic wins MVP, at least as of today.”
Brian is joined by ESPN’s Tim Bontemps and Tim MacMahon to discuss the New York Knicks winning the NBA Cup over the San Antonio Spurs on Tuesday night. They also break down what the Spurs showed the rest of the league during their run to the Cup final before moving on to big updates from NBA commissioner Adam Silver on NBA expansion, the potential future of the NBA Cup and the Terry Rozier investigation. They close on the recent impressive play of Cooper Flagg.
Topics:
1:02: Knicks win the NBA Cup
11:10: Wemby struggles down the stretch of the NBA Cup
16:34: Spurs poised for big step forward
24:03: Big changes to the NBA Cup?
30:57: Huge update on NBA expansion
37:50: Update on Heat situation with Rozier
41:56: Flagg’s performance with 42
50:08: Ime Udoka’s passionate reaction
Windhorst on Tyler Kolek‘s recent form: “I’m pretty sure the Knicks were looking for a way to trade Tyler Kolek, and I’m pretty sure there was not that much interest in him. And in the three knockout games, there’s the quarterfinals that they played against the Raptors, semifinals against the Magic, and then this game against the Spurs. Tyler Kolek is the backup point guard, getting minutes because Deuce McBride is out.”
Bontemps on Silver’s comments about the future of the NBA Cup: “Adam said, ‘We’re talking with Amazon Prime about whether it makes sense to maybe go to some unique locations for the final game. They’ve suggested, for example, some storied college arenas. So we’re looking at other ways we can do this.’
“They already have announced a move in the semifinals back to the home sites for next season. And Adam Silver went to Duke. Cameron Indoor Stadium is a storied arena. I’m not saying that this game will be played in Durham, North Carolina, next year, but I would say by Adam saying that, though, that you immediately have to put it on the short list of places where this game will be held next year.”
Bontemps on Silver’s expansion comments: “Quote, ‘I’d say in terms of domestic expansion, that is something we’re continuing to look at.’ He then went on to talk about Vegas and Seattle and how great Vegas and Seattle are. He then said this, ‘I think now we’re in the process of working with our teams and gauging the level of interest and having a better understanding of what the economics would be on the ground for those particular teams and what a pro forma would look like for them. And then sometime in 2026, we will make a determination.’
“This is easily the most definitive, and the first time there’s ever been any kind of timeline put on expansion.”
Brian was joined by ESPN’s Tim Bontemps and Tim MacMahon to discuss the NBA Cup semifinals following the New York Knicks‘ win over the Orlando Magic and the San Antonio Spurs‘ victory over the Oklahoma City Thunder. The trio talk about the Spurs’ impressive performance against the Thunder and debate whether it is proof they’ll end up in the top four in the Western Conference. The three then discuss the Knicks as elite contenders in the East as well as the struggling Cleveland Cavaliers before Brian details his travels last week.
Topics:
4:25: NBA Cup semifinals reaction
6:43: Can Spurs-Thunder be an NBA rivalry?
29:08: Brunson leading the way for Knicks
28:25: Cavaliers’ struggles continue to grow
35:06: Concerned with Porzingis’ health in Atlanta
39:32: Update from Brian’s international travel
MacMahon on the potential of a Thunder-Spurs rivalry: “And how about Spurs-Thunder for the next decade? And that’s what we’ve got a chance to have here is a rivalry. And look, the Thunder are going to be a dominant team for a long time. [But] for the health of the league, you need some real challengers, some real rivals. And this has got that kind of potential.
[Saturday] was new for the Thunder. Look nobody over there is sweating being 24-2. Yeah, they didn’t want to lose the game, but they’ll study the tape and learn from it blah blah blah. For the Spurs though this was a real chance to kind of make a statement of ‘Hey, we’re here, you better take it seriously.’ And they’ve got a chance to be a force for a long, long time to come.”
Windhorst on the the Knicks’ current form: “[Jalen] Brunson goes for 40 in another brilliant performance in leading the Knicks to a win over the Magic. I think they won by 12. And, the Knicks … we know that there were times where we weren’t sure how they looked early in the season.
[But] when they’ve got their full team, which they have at the moment — because [OG] Anunoby is back and Josh Hart’s playing well and, and [Karl-Anthony] Towns had, he’s not going to shoot this well every game, but Towns had a good shooting game, you got Brunson doing Jalen Brunson — they’re an extremely formidable team.”
Windhorst on the Cavaliers’ trade potential: “I see this is a common thing for fans, when a guy goes out, they say, ‘Well, we’ll do this, sign this player, trade this guy.’
“It’s not that there is a 0% chance that they’re going to make a trade that’s going to fix everything. But all these folks who I know who are Cavs fans are like, well, ‘What about this? What about this?’ And I just keep saying, ‘I’m sorry to be the spoilsport.’ I sound like the [Bontemps, but] ‘Second apron, second apron, second apron, second apron.'”
