Open Floor: SI's NBA Show

Ben Golliver and Michael Pina deliver their first impressions of the first two episodes of "The Last Dance," the 10-part documentary about Michael Jordan's Chicago Bulls. Was Jerry Krause portrayed fairly? Should Scottie Pippen have gone nuclear? Was 1985 Michael Jordan the coolest person in world history? How would young MJ have reacted to The Process? From there, they shift gears to...

Ben Golliver and Michael Pina open with a quick rundown of the excitement around "The Last Dance," the Michael Jordan documentary, but decide to save their full commentary until Friday to avoid early spoilers. From there, they recap NBA Commissioner Adam Silver's recent press conference and pivot to questions from the Open Floor Globe. Why are certain numbers like 32 so popular in bask...

Ben Golliver and Michael Pina offer an extended preview of "The Last Dance," ESPN's 10-part documentary about Michael Jordan and the Chicago Bulls. Ben teases some memorable scenes, lays out Jordan's participation in the project, and describes how the series came together. From there, they shift to a recent SB Nation feature on the most memorable "Title-less" teams in NBA h...

Ben Golliver and Michael Pina dig deep into the strained relationship between Utah Jazz stars Rudy Gobert and Donovan Mitchell. They lay out the importance of both players to the franchise and explore Gobert trade scenarios. Which teams should target Gobert? How should the Jazz rework themselves around Mitchell? Then, Michael lays out his three favorite fake trades. From there, Ben and Michael ans...

In response to a question from the Open Floor Globe, Ben Golliver and Michael Pina sift through nominees for the NBA's most overrated figures. They debate the likes of Mike D'Antoni, Reggie Miller, Chris Paul and the "Big 3" Celtics and discuss what exactly it means for someone to be "overrated" in the NBA context. Then, Ben and Michael make their own lists of current playe...

Ben Golliver and Michael Pina open by diving deep into the NBA's proposal to launch a HORSE tournament during quarantine. Is the NBA desperate? Are we desperate enough to watch? Which players make the dream field and which players would be absolutely horrible? From there, Ben and Michael take questions from the Open Floor Globe. Which cult heroes of the 1990s are worth re-watching on YouTube?...

Ben Golliver and Michael Pina open with Michael's story on a Palo Alto company's ranking of the most memorable games of the 2019-20 season. What does the company's algorithm prioritize? Does it have any blind spots? And what were Ben and Michael's favorite games of the season? From there, they dive into questions from the Open Floor Globe. Will the coronavirus trigger mid-life cris...

Ben Golliver and Michael Pina dive into another batch of questions from the Open Floor Globe, starting with an incredible "What if?" involving the Houston Rockets and a possible 1984 trade that could have landed Clyde Drexler and Michael Jordan alongside Hakeem Olajuwon. Would that Big 3 have worked? How many titles would Jordan and Olajuwon have won as teammates? From there, Ben and Micha...

Ben Golliver and Michael Pina open with a game of "Two Truths and a lie." Did Michael have a 40-inch vertical in high school? Is he really related to Dana Barros? Did Ben once shatter a backboard? Did he watch the 2004 Finals in a disease-fueled state in a foreign country? From there, they take questions from the Open Floor Globe. Should media members act as stand-in fans if NBA games resu...

Ben Golliver and Michael Pina open with a summary of the NBA's looming $1 billion hit due to the coronavirus and possible impacts on next year's salary cap. Should the owners and players agree to "smooth" a possible record cap decline? From there, Michael plays matchmaker between 2020 free agents and teams, pairing Fred VanVleet with the Knicks, Montrezl Harrell with the Pistons an...

Ben Golliver and Michael Pina cope with the coronavirus crisis by running through some of this season's biggest lost narratives. What's next for the Bucks, Nets and Rockets? How will the suspended schedule impact Giannis Antetokounmpo's "supermax" decision? Would Kevin Durant consider a return to the delayed postseason? Is Daryl Morey off the hook for his Hong Kong tweet? From...

Ben Golliver and Michael Pina discuss the coronavirus and its ongoing impacts on the NBA schedule. Players have been sent home and the NBA is on hiatus for at least two months. Can a postseason be salvaged? Should a postseason be salvaged? An Open Floor Globe member from Denmark sounds the alarm about what's coming for the USA, while another from France correctly suggests that this crisis is a...

Ben Golliver and Michael Pina discuss the NBA's decision to indefinitely suspend the 2019-20 season after Utah Jazz center Rudy Gobert and guard Donovan Mitchell tested positive for the coronavirus. Did the NBA make the right decision and should they have made it earlier? Will we see any more games this season? If not, which playoff storylines will we miss the most? How should fans treat Gober...

Ben Golliver and Michael Pina look back at LeBron James's big weekend, as the Los Angeles Lakers enjoyed signature victories over the Milwaukee Bucks and Los Angeles Clippers. Did LeBron vault into the MVP conversation? Are the Lakers now the title favorites? Will Giannis Antetokounmpo's injury damage his MVP chances, and should it alter Milwaukee's approach to the rest of the season?...

Ben Golliver and Michael Pina welcome Stephen Curry back to the court with an extended discussion about the Golden State Warriors guard's legacy and next chapter. Will Curry win another title and/or MVP? Where will the Warriors finish in the West standings next year? How much elite basketball does he have left in the tank, and which factors are working for and against him? From there, Ben and...

Ben Golliver and Michael Pina open by dissecting the escalating tension between James Harden and Giannis Antetokounmpo. Does Harden have a point? Is he guilty of hypocrisy? What constitutes "skill" in basketball? Then, they pivot to a quick discussion about Kevin Durant's possible interest in representing Team USA at the 2020 Tokyo Olympics. From there, they break down the Rockets'...

Ben Golliver and Michael Pina open with an extended discussion of LeBron James' first game against Zion Williamson. Was LeBron trying to prove a point? How did Zion hold up? Was there some chilliness to their post-game comments, and is a rivalry budding? From there, Ben and Michael dig deep into Milwaukee's historic season. Will Mike Budenholzer screw this up or does he take unfair critici...

On today's episode, Ben Golliver and Michael Pina offer a line-by-line breakdown of Michael Jordan's incredibly moving tribute for Kobe Bryant. Why did MJ's speech resonate with so many people? Why should it be viewed as the ultimate validation for Kobe's career? From there, Ben and Michael take questions from the Open Floor Globe. Should there be a more exclusive "Hall of Lege...

On today's episode, Ben Golliver and Michael Pina discuss the fallout surrounding Kyrie Irving's season-ending shoulder surgery. What's next for the Brooklyn Nets? Does the concept of a "Gap year" really exist? Would the Nets undo their 2019 summer if they could? From there, Ben and Michael pivot to suggestions from the Open Floor Globe on how to fix All-Star Weekend. Should th...

On today's episode, Ben Golliver and Michael Pina convene for a late-night All-Star Weekend recap. Ben and Michael run through the winners and losers of the midseason showcase in Chicago, praising the NBA's new All-Star Game format and the many standouts from Sunday's game (Kawhi Leonard, LeBron James, Chris Paul, Rudy Gobert). They chide Joel Embiid and Kemba Walker for their late-gam...

On today's episode, Ben Golliver and Michael Pina preview the 2020 NBA All-Star Weekend. Will Zion Williamson and Team USA crush Luka Doncic and the World Team in the Rising Stars Challenge? Who will benefit from the rule changes in the Three-Point Contest? With Zion skipping out, will the Dunk Contest still be worth watching? And who will take the crown: Aaron Gordon or Derrick Jones Jr.? The...

On today's episode, Ben Golliver and Michael Pina recover from the NBA trade deadline by catching their breath before the upcoming craziness of All-Star Weekend. They start with a deep dive into the Toronto Raptors, who have won 14 straight entering Monday. What's driving the Raptors' success and why are they such an intriguing threat to the Bucks? From there, they analyze Damian Lilla...

On today's episode, Ben Golliver and Michael Pina run though the winners and losers of the 2020 NBA Trade Deadline. Did the Warriors gamble wisely on Andrew Wiggins? Did the Timberwolves sacrifice too much in their successful pursuit of D'Angelo Russell? Did the Rockets, Sixers and Heat do enough to change their playoff outlooks? Were the Bucks and Clippers actually the biggest winners? Ho...

On today's episode, Ben Golliver and Michael Pina preview this week's NBA trade deadline. First, though, they recap the Lakers' Friday night tribute to Kobe Bryant and Damian Lillard's remarkable 48-point performance in LA. How did LeBron James do with his pre-game speech? Are there any hypothetical duos that would be better than LeBron and Dame? Are the Blazers the team everyone s...

On today's episode, Ben Golliver and Michael Pina discuss the aftermath of Kobe Bryant's tragic death. Ben discusses the scene at the site of the helicopter crash in Calabasas, describes the memorials across Los Angeles and offers first-hand observations from the Lakers' first media session after Bryant's death. From there, Michael offers perspective from New York, and they discuss...