Open Floor: SI's NBA Show

Ben Golliver and Michael Pina open with an extended discussion of the Milwaukee Bucks' trade with the Houston Rockets for P.J. Tucker. How does Tucker fit with Milwaukee on offense and defense? Was the price fair? Does Milwaukee have a shot at the No. 1 seed? From there, the guys check in on the Rockets' rebuilding plans and the Miami Heat's trade for Trevor Ariza. Do the Rockets have...

Ben Golliver is joined by special guest Jack McCallum, a former NBA writer at Sports Illustrated, to discuss season two of his podcast series: "The Dream Team Tapes: Kobe, LeBron and The Redeem Team." What were Jack's first impressions of covering a young Kobe Bryant and a young LeBron James? How did Jack track down Phil Jackson for an interview about Bryant? Who emerged as the alpha d...

With little buzz building before the March 25 trade deadline, Ben Golliver and Michael Pina try to decide which bigger names should actually be moved. Ben makes the case for 10 players to be traded and Judge Pina renders his verdicts. Why are the Wizards clinging so desperately to Bradley Beal? Have the Raptors officially reached the point where they need to pull the plug on Kyle Lowry? Should Bro...

Ben Golliver and Michael Pina are back from the All-Star Break and ready to look ahead to the March 25 trade deadline. But first: they reflect on the one-year anniversary of the NBA's March 11, 2020, shutdown due to the pandemic. From there, they dig into Brooklyn's addition of Blake Griffin and ask whether LaMarcus Aldridge and Andre Drummond should become Nets too. What will Griffin brin...

Ben Golliver and Michael Pina recap the 2021 NBA All-Star Weekend by answering 20 burning questions. Does the Skills Challenge need to be fixed or dumped? Was Stephen Curry's Three-Point Contest title the highlight of the night? What grade did the Slam Dunk Contest deserve? Did Anfernee Simons deserve to win? Was the Dunk Contest's new final round format a success? How big of a disaster wa...

Ben Golliver and Michael Pina dig into the Utah Jazz's extended criticism of the officiating during their loss to the Philadelphia 76ers on Wednesday. Are the refs out to get the Jazz? Do their complaints about the officiating reflect frustration over the skepticism they face over their playoff chances? Do these comments deserve substantial fines and will they come back to haunt Utah? From the...

Ben Golliver and Michael Pina pick up sides for Sunday's NBA All-Star Game. Ben serves as Kevin Durant and Michael serves as LeBron James, and they go through selecting their starting lineups and all-star reserves. Should LeBron and KD draft the best overall players or the most entertaining players? Does it make sense to load up a team with two-way talent or creative ball-handlers? Is there en...

Ben Golliver and Michael Pina open with a rundown of their biggest beefs with the 2021 NBA All-Star selections. Was Khris Middleton robbed? Was Devin Booker a worthy injury replacement for Anthony Davis? What about Bam Adebayo? Did the coaches "Do it for the Gram" with this year's selections? From there, they shift to a discussion of the Utah Jazz's blowout win over the Los Angeles...

Ben Golliver welcomes special guest Haley O'Shaughnessy of Blue Wire Podcasts for a bonus episode. Ben and Haley open with a discussion of her new podcast, "Spinsters," and then break down the biggest All-Star snubs. How would they handle being snubbed publicly? Which players got the short end of the stick this year? What does Khris Middleton have to do to get some respect? From there,...

Ben Golliver and Michael Pina check in with the Brooklyn Nets, who are on a six-game winning streak and have started to win over some skeptics, including one Open Floor Globe member. After wins over the Lakers and Clippers, is Michael still sure that Brooklyn's defense will be a fatal flaw? Is it possible for James Harden to get appropriate credit for his recent work given his ugly exit from H...

Ben Golliver and Michael Pina open with the news that the NBA has officially announced its All-Star Game for Atlanta on March 7. From there, they break down the biggest roster debates for both the Eastern and Western Conferences. Should James Harden start over Bradley Beal? Julius Randle or Domantas Sabonis? Zach LaVine or Ben Simmons? Is there room for Trae Young? Should Jerami Grant, Nikola Vuce...

Ben Golliver and Michael Pina open with an extended discussion of Anthony Davis's Achilles' strain and why it represents the first major test of the Los Angeles Lakers' title defense? Should the Lakers take it extra slow with Davis's return? Should they ramp down LeBron James's workload? How do they make up for Davis's absence in the short term? Is it too soon for the defen...

Ben Golliver and Michael Pina open by wading into the culture wars prompted by the Dallas Mavericks' decision not to play the national anthem before games. Should the anthem be played before sporting events? Why did the NBA step in to mandate that all teams play the anthem? Has the NBA reversed course on social issues since the bubble? From there, the guys dig into the growing LaMelo Ball hype...

Ben Golliver and Michael Pina open by cataloguing the hurt feelings from superstars over the NBA's All-Star Game plans. LeBron James, Kawhi Leonard, Giannis Antetokounpo, James Harden and Kevin Durant have all expressed their frustrations with the NBA's All-Star plans or health protocols since Thursday. How should NBA Commissioner Adam Silver respond to this outpouring of angst and what ar...

Ben Golliver and Michael Pina open by discussing the 2021 NBA All-Star Game plans, which are quickly taking shape. Should the NBA even bother with the All-Star Game? What, exactly, are the added risks, and how can the NBA manage them? If they hold an All-Star Game, should they aim for a Slam Dunk Contest and Three-Point Contest too? What would those look like in a best-case scenario? From there, B...

Ben Golliver and Michael Pina look back on the first quarter of the NBA season to investigate which teams are having the biggest regrets after six weeks of basketball. Would the Boston Celtics have found a way to keep Gordon Hayward? Would any team trade for Russell Westbrook? How should the Washington Wizards wiggle out of their current predicament with Bradley Beal? Did the Brooklyn Nets make th...

Ben Golliver and Michael Pina open with a remembrance of NBA TV's Sekou Smith, a pioneer in the NBA podcasting world and a charismatic, beloved member of the basketball community. Then, the guys discuss Philadelphia's signature win over the Los Angeles Lakers. Does this mean the Sixers are for real? Where does Joel Embiid rank in the MVP conversation? Who are the other top candidates? Will...

Ben Golliver and Michael Pina open with a look back at Shaquille O'Neal's controversial post-game interview of Donovan Mitchell on TNT. What did Shaq get right and what did he get wrong in his dismissal of Mitchell? What's the real story about Mitchell and the surging Jazz? Should "Inside The NBA" alter its approach or should other media avenues step up in the analysis departme...

Ben Golliver and Michael Pina open with a discussion of the Portland Trail Blazers' injury woes. What was driving CJ McCollum's early season success and how will his injury impact Portland's playoff outlook? From there, the guys shift to a look at the struggling New Orleans Pelicans and Zion Williamson's second season. Williamson has been dominant in the paint, but does he need to...

Ben Golliver and Michael Pina dig in deep on James Harden's first two games with the new-look Brooklyn Nets. Why is Harden on his best behavior and will it last? Do Kevin Durant and Harden share a telekinetic combination, and how does their partnership stack up to past duos involving Durant and Harden? Can Harden actually repair his reputation with casual fans or is that a lost cause? Which ro...

Ben Golliver and Michael Pina dig into all aspects of the Brooklyn Nets' blockbuster trade for Houston Rockets superstar James Harden. How happy is Ben after his November vision for Brooklyn's Big 3 came true? Are NBA fans winners because the Rockets saga is over? Are the Nets now the clear-cut favorites in the East? Did they overpay? Will Kyrie Irving be okay with playing third fiddle? Wa...

Ben Golliver and Michael Pina discuss the NBA's rise in positive tests, contact tracing absences, and postponed games. How close is the NBA to pushing pause on the season? How might the league respond to tighten up its protocols to ensure games can continue? Do the absences devalue the product? From there, Ben and Michael break down both sides of an entertaining game between the Warriors and C...

Ben Golliver and Michael Pina open with an extended discussion of the various protests that swept the NBA on Wednesday night in response to a lack of charges in the Jacob Blake shooting and the storming of the Capitol Building in Washington. Was it surprising that all games went on as planned? What are the next steps for NBA protests after the bubble shutdown? What role did the NBA's successfu...

Ben Golliver and Michael Pina open by basking in the glow of Stephen Curry's 62-point explosion. Did Curry actually have something to prove? Were any of the recent criticisms warranted? Where does Golden State go from here? Is Curry bound to live out a "Super-Dirk" existence as he progresses through his 30s? From there, Ben and Michael discuss Jayson Tatum's game-winner, Blake Grif...

Ben Golliver and Michael Pina say goodbye to 2020 and hello to 2021 by offering 10 New Year's Resolutions to NBA players, teams, and commentators. Should Steve Nash exert himself more late in games? Should the Sixers trade Ben Simmons and three first-round picks for James Harden? Should Luka Doncic build a world-class gym at his home? Should the Grizzlies tank? Should Scott Brooks have a word...