Are the Warriors for real? Plus Haliburton’s struggles, NBA Soap Opera teams & is Gradey Dick making a leap?

On today's episode of The Kevin O'Connor Show, Kevin is joined by True Hoops' David Thorpe to discuss the biggest headlines from the start of the NBA season. They break down the reason for the Golden State Warriors' hot start this year and what has held back Indiana Pacers star Tyrese Haliburton.Also on today's show, they discuss the emergence of Gradey Dick for the Toronto Raptors and what will happen to the San Antonio Spurs without Gregg Popovich. They wrap up the episode with mailbag questions from listeners, ranging from how the Pistons can become competitive and which team will turn into a soap opera. (0:44) The Warriors hot start(8:18) Gradey Dick's big second year(16:35) Gregg Popovich's health issue(19:11) What is wrong with Tyrese Haliburton?(28:09) Pacers trade targets(34:46) Fixing the Pistons(37:46) Soap Opera teams(46:16) Bright future teams

Vincent Goodwill is joined by Amin Elhassan for a conversation about Joel Embiid shoving a reporter, where the Spurs go after Gregg Popovich and what has gotten into the red got Cavaliers. (01:10) - Joel Embiid shoves reporter, NBA investigating(19:55) - Spurs' Gregg Popovich out indefinitely following health scare(28:00) - Are the Cavaliers party-crashers in the East?(34:30) - Are the Giannis trade rumors for real?(38:30) - Grant Williams ejected after tackling Jayson Tatum(43:00) - How long will Embiid be suspended?(47:45) - The Last Word: The crumbling relationship between players and media On this episode of The Good Word with Goodwill, former NBA front office member Amin Elhassan joins Yahoo Sports senior NBA reporter Vincent Goodwill to discuss Joel Embiid shoving a reporter in the 76ers locker room and the possible fallout of that situation.This morning, it was announced that Gregg Popovich is out indefinitely following a health incident. At 75 years old, it's hard to imagine him as the Spurs' head coach for much longer. Has San Antonio missed the window to set up succession after Pop?Vinnie and Amin address if the Giannis trade rumors are real or if rival GMs are dirtying the waters in Milwaukee before talking about Grant Williams picking up a flagrant 2 against former teammate Jayson Tatum.Finally, after talking about what the Joel Embiid suspension might be (and wondering if Joe Mazzulla deserves one, as well), the guys spend a long time talking about a changing media landscape and the effect it is having on the relationship between players and the media. Check out the rest of the Yahoo Sports podcast family at https://apple.co/3zEuTQj or at Yahoo Sports Podcasts

Kevin O'Connor, along with Tom Haberstroh, wonders if it's time for the Bucks to trade away Giannis and Damian Lillard, how many 5x5 games Wembanyama will have and why aren't rookies playing more?(00:00) - Time for the Bucks to panic?(08:05) - Should Milwaukee trade Giannis and Damian Lillard?(18:00) - Can the Grizzlies survive more injuries?(24:00) - Victor Wembanyama gets another 5x5(33:00) - Paolo Banchero is one of several stars facing injury(37:00) - Why aren't the NBA's rookies playing more?(44:20) - Ryan Dunn for Rookie of the Year?(52:00) - Is Anthony Edwards shooting too many 3s?On this episode of The Kevin O'Connor Show, Tom Haberstroh joins Kevin and the show starts with a conversation about the 1-4 Milwaukee Bucks and whether it's time for them to panic and start looking for trade destinations for Giannis, Damian Lillard and Brook Lopez.The Memphis Grizzlies, coming off of a definitive win over the Bucks, seem to be the picture of stability but their injury issues from last year might be crashing the party yet again.Spurs' center Victor Wembanyama became the 3rd player in NBA history to net more than a single 5x5 game. How many will he have in his career? And why isn't the Spurs offense better when he's on the floor?The guys use the news of Paolo Banchero's oblique injury to talk about the six players that were all-stars last season and are currently dealing with injuries at the start of the NBA season.Things are trending upward, but Tom points out that rookies are playing fewer minutes than ever to start the season. How can we get the Rockets to free Reed Sheppard? And is Ryan Dunn the favorite to win Rookie of the Year right now?Finally, the guys talk about why they're worried about Anthony Edwards shooting more 3-pointers and discuss why nobody is noticing the uptick in dunks as well as long-range shots. Check out the rest of the Yahoo Sports podcast family at https://apple.co/3zEuTQj or at Yahoo Sports Podcasts

The Big Number this week is about Russell Westbrook, but it says much more about the Denver Nuggets' offense and championship window. Join Tom Haberstroh and Dan Devine as they go through all the stats and make bold predictions. (03:50) - THE BIG NUMBER: 87.5(05:45) - Will the Nuggets make the playoffs?(09:30) - Denver's lack of depth(14:50) - Russell Westbrook's age(20:10) - Nuggets need more from Murray & MPJ(27:10) - Has Russ lost his burst?(30:55) - Has the Nuggets championship window closed?(36:15) - Over/unders On this week's episode of The Big Number, Tom Haberstroh and Dan Devine dig into the stats and make bold predictions about the Denver Nuggets.To start, Tom is very concerned with how bad the Denver offense has been with Russell Westbrook on the floor. He's starting to worry about their ability to make the playoffs this year.Tom compares Westbrook at 35 to other similar guards to show how unique he is to still be playing in the NBA at this age, while Dan points out that the Nuggets have bigger problems in their starting lineup.Dan came with a stat of his own, showing that Westbrook might finally be losing enough of his trademark burst and athleticism for it to be a problem. Meanwhile, Tom worries if the Nuggets have any way to get back into contention if their highest paid players don't start playing better.Finally, as they did last week, the guys finish the show by picking sides on some fun over/unders. Check out the rest of the Yahoo Sports podcast family at https://apple.co/3zEuTQj or at Yahoo Sports Podcasts

Vincent Goodwill and Isis "Ice" Young list off the best NBA players under 28 years old and then address why fights in the NBA are not as frequent, or as violent, as they used to be. (01:50) - Chet Holmgren vs. Victor Wembanyama(08:35) - Luka Doncic vs. Anthony Edwards(18:15) - Shai Gilgeous-Alexander(21:20) - Jayson Tatum(25:40) - Paolo Banchero(29:30) - Tyrese Haliburton & Tyrese Maxey(38:10) - Who is the best player under 28 years old?(38:45) - The Last Word: Mazzulla wants to fight On this episode of The Good Word with Goodwill, Yahoo Sports senior NBA reporter Vincent Goodwill is joined by Isis "Ice" Young to talk about the best players in the NBA under 28 years old.They start off with tonight's matchup between the Spurs and Thunder, headlined by Victor Wembanyama and Chet Holmgren. How has Chet grown his game? Is Wemby already the favorite for DPOY?Vinnie and Ice then recap last night's Mavericks win over the Timberwolves, highlighted by big performances from Luka Doncic and Anthony Edwards.They go through five more names of under-28 stars around the league before talking about fights in the NBA, which Boston Celtics head coach Joe Mazzulla would like to see more of. Check out the rest of the Yahoo Sports podcast family at https://apple.co/3zEuTQj or at Yahoo Sports Podcasts

On today's episode of The Kevin O'Connor Show, Kevin kicks things off with help from Daman Rangoola as the duo give their instant takeaways from Monday night's games, including the Los Angeles Lakers looking promising even in defeat, the Denver Nuggets looking concerning even in victory, Paolo Banchero dropping 50, hype for the Boston Celtics and some early concern over the Milwaukee Bucks and Daman's favorite nicknames for Victor Wembanyama.Later, Kevin is joined by Minnesota Timberwolves podcaster Dane Moore to discuss the drastic changes to the Timberwolves roster and lineup. They dissect the increased three-point volume for young star Anthony Edwards, and explain what fans should expect from his new play style. They also project the best options for the Timberwolves lineup with new faces like Rob Dillingham and Julius Randle in the mix.To wrap the show, Kevin answers questions from listeners on this week's mailbag. He covers the difference between the perception for Jayson Tatum and Anthony Edwards, if the Boston Celtics and Oklahoma City Thunder could win 70 games and artists similar to Father John Misty.(00:45) Phoenix Suns beat Los Angeles Lakers(12:00) Denver Nuggets beat Toronto Raptors(23:10) Orlando Magic beat Detroit Pistons(26:05) Boston Celtics beat Milwaukee Bucks(38:30) Anthony Edwards' shot selection(53:35) The Timberwolves best lineup(1:05:50) Mailbag(1:06:10) Jayson Tatum vs Anthony Edwards(1:07:30) Can a team win 70 games?(1:08:10) Father John Misty

Vincent Goodwill is joined by one of the newest members of the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame, J.A. Adande, to overreact to the first week of the NBA regular season.(00:00) - J.A. Adande's Hall of Fame induction(11:40) - Who is on the Lakers' Mount Rushmore?(17:35) - Did JJ Redick fix the Lakers?(24:35) - Have the Clippers finally escaped the Lakers' shadow?(31:00) - Can any team stop the Celtics?(33:20) - Can any team in the West stop the Thunder?(39:15) - Are the Warriors contenders again?(43:40) - Is 3-pt shooting ruining basketball?On this episode of The Good Word with Goodwill, legendary basketball journalist and columnist J.A. Adande joins the show and tells us about his weekend, where he was honored with the Curt Gowdy Print Media Award and inducted into the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame.After that, Vinnie hits J.A. with some overreactions to the first week of the NBA regular season to find out which ones are real and which ones are foolish. First up, the guys talk about J.A.'s Lakers team. They discuss LeBron James' place in Lakers history before deciding if JJ Redick has fixed all of the team's issues from last season.The guys stay in L.A., talking about "The Wall" at the Los Angeles Clippers' new arena and wondering if moving to Inglewood might finally get the Clippers out of the Lakers' shadow.Vinnie wonders if any team can beat the Boston Celtics besides themselves while J.A. Adande gets so excited about the Oklahoma City Thunder that he reveals his NBA Finals prediction.After talking about the Warriors' chances of contention this season, the guys talk about the evolution of the NBA and how prevalent 3-point shooting is becoming.  Check out the rest of the Yahoo Sports podcast family at https://apple.co/3zEuTQj or at Yahoo Sports Podcasts

The first few days of the 2024-2025 NBA season are in the books and there is much to discuss. For the first third of the podcast, Kevin O'Connor is joined by Gibson Pyper (aka @HalfCourtHoops) to discuss Thursday evenings games in which Oklahoma City Thunder pummeled the Denver Nuggets, the Minnesota Timberwolves narrowly snuck one by the Sacramento Kings and the Dallas Mavericks had all the answers for the San Antonio SpursLater, Tom Haberstroh joins KOC to react to the first few nights of regular season NBA action. The guys start in New Orleans, where an injury to Dejounte Murray's hand could mean the return of "Point Zion" for the Pelicans.The NBA has said that they are investigating the 76ers after Joel Embiid missed opening night and said that he is done playing in back-to-back games. The bigger question is whether the Sixers can win enough games with Embiid and Paul George sitting so often?LaMelo Ball lived up to the hype in his return from an ankle injury and led the comeback charge against the Rockets for a road win. Is there any player more fun to watch when they catch fire?Finally, the guys play a game of "Fact, Fiction or Fantasy" to answer questions about Scoot Henderson's future, the Magic's claim as Florida's best team, the new wall of Clippers fans at the Intuit Dome and a lot more.(0:40) - Oklahoma City Thunder rolls, time to panic in Denver?(10:30) - Anthony Edwards and Timberwolves outlast Kings(19:55) - Klay's debut in Dallas' win over San Antonio(30:46) - Pelicans' Dejounte Murray fractures hand(35:30) - NBA investigating 76ers over Joel Embiid's player participation(40:10) - The Bucks defense looks great(42:45) - LaMelo shines in comeback win over Rockets(50:40) - Where have all the rookies been?(54:40) - FACT, FICTION or FANTASY: Storylines from the first few days of the season🖥️ Watch this full episode on YouTube📢 Yahoo Sports podcast network: https://apple.co/3zEuTQj

On the very first episode of The Big Number, Tom Haberstroh digs into the numbers with Dan Devine to find out if centers shooting 3s in the preseason will translate into the regular season and beyond.(01:30) - The Big Number: 79%(04:00) - Which centers have improved their 3pt attempt rate?(08:10) - Why Bam Adebayo's 3pt shooting might be real(15:50) - Why Anthony Davis' 3pt shooting might be real(18:45) - Will Isaiah Hartenstein shoot more 3s with OKC?(27:30) - Why DeAndre Ayton's 3pt shooting might be real(31:00) - PREDICTIONS: Which centers will shoot more from distance?On the very first episode of The Big Number, Yahoo Sports contributor Tom Haberstroh digs into the numbers with Yahoo Sports senior NBA writer Dan Devine to find out if centers shooting 3s in the preseason will translate into the regular season and beyond.According to Tom's big number, only about 20% of the centers that greatly increase their three-point attempts in the preseason carry that over to the regular season and beyond. But will the success of the Boston Celtics change that this year?Tom and Dan discuss four players (Bam Adebayo, Anthony Davis, Isaiah Hartenstein & DeAndre Ayton) who have seen increased volume from long range this preseason and pour over the numbers to see if there is any sign that those guys will shoot more once the games really matter.The guys finish the show by setting over-unders for the guys discussed and planting their flag on whether they think each guy will increase their three-point attempt rate dramatically this season. Check out the rest of the Yahoo Sports podcast family at https://apple.co/3zEuTQj or at Yahoo Sports Podcasts

Vincent Goodwill is joined by best-selling author Mirin Fader, who recently published a biography of Hakeem Olajuwon, to talk about Hakeem's legacy and some of the most intriguing NBA storylines heading into the season. (01:30) - Dream: The Life and Legacy of Hakeem Olajuwon(20:30) - Revisiting the 1984 NBA Draft(30:50) - Jalen Brunson & the New York Knicks(33:30) - Is Anthony Edwards ready to be the face of the NBA?(36:00) - Did the championship window close on the Denver Nuggets?(38:00) - How did Hakeem end up in Houston? On this episode of the Good Word with Goodwill, Yahoo Sports senior NBA reporter Vincent Goodwill is joined by best-selling author Mirin Fader to talk about her latest book, Dream: The Life and Legacy of Hakeem Olajuwon.Vinnie and Mirin talk about Hakeem blazing a trail that has since led guys like Joel Embiid and Giannis Antetokounmpo to find their way into the top tier of NBA players. They also discuss the blatant racism that Olajuwon faced when he first got to Houston and wonder if things have gotten any better for young players coming to America from Africa.Vince points out that Hakeem is a connector to NBA history. He played against Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, Shaquille O'Neal, David Robinson and Tim Duncan. Outside of Wild Chamberlain and Bill Russell, Olajuwon played against almost every great center that has ever played in the NBA.Mirin revisits the 1984 NBA Draft, where Hakeem was picked #1 by the Houston Rockets before the Chicago Bulls selected Michael Jordan with the 3rd overall pick, to talk about all of the potential trades that were up in the air that night and all of the league-altering outcomes that were narrowly avoided.Later, Vincent and Mirin talk about the stories they find most intriguing in the NBA heading into the 2024-25 regular season. For Mirin, she is fascinated by New York Knicks guard Jalen Brunson and can't wait to watch him take another leap this year. For Vinnie, he's worried that Anthony Edwards is facing the same challenges that failed Ja Morant three years ago.The two of them finish the podcast on the Denver Nuggets, who are locked into a core of Nikola Jokic, Jamal Murray, Aaron Gordon and Michael Porter Jr. for the foreseeable future. A little over a year removed from winning the championship, has their window already closed? And has any team been hurt more by the new CBA? Check out the rest of the Yahoo Sports podcast family at https://apple.co/3zEuTQj or at Yahoo Sports Podcasts