Open Floor: SI's NBA Show

On today's episode, Ben Golliver and Michael Pina react to the tragic deaths of Los Angeles Lakers legend Kobe Bryant and his 13-year-old daughter Gianna Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.com Advertising Inquiries: https://redcircle.com/brands Privacy & Opt-Out: https://redcircle.com/privacy

On today's episode, Ben Golliver and Michael Pina tackle all angles of Zion Williamson's electrifying debut for the New Orleans Pelicans on Wednesday. Ben provides some on-scene highlights, then they grade Williamson's performance and reminisce about his 17-point fourth-quarter explosion. From there, they discuss the Pelicans' strict interpretation of Williamson's minutes limit...

On today's show, Ben Golliver and Michael Pina preview Zion Williamson's upcoming season debut on Wednesday. What's the baseline for a successful return to the court? What should we expect from the No. 1 overall pick? Can he alter the West's playoff race? From there, they pivot into a discussion of the top five franchise players who are 23 and under. Is it Luka Doncic and everyone...

On today's episode, Ben Golliver and Michael Pina pick their 2020 NBA All-Star teams. They stick tightly to the official rules, naming their starting lineups, reserves, injury replacements and snubs. Do Trae Young, Devin Booker, Brandon Ingram and Ja Morant deserve spots? How many Celtics, Raptors and Bucks should make the cut? Should the Jazz get both Rudy Gobert and Donovan Mitchell? Should...

On today's episode, Ben Golliver and Michael Pina dig into Kyrie Irving's return to the court for the Brooklyn Nets. How did he look and can he pair effectively with Spencer Dinwiddie? Will the Nets salvage the rest of this season and are they potential playoff spoilers? What percentage chance does Kevin Durant have to win a championship in Brooklyn? From there, Ben and Michael take questi...

On today's show, Ben Golliver and Michael Pina discuss the John Beilein controversy in Cleveland. Is his "thugs vs. slugs" explanation believable? What do these repeated leaks say about his job security? How should the Cavaliers handle the next month until the trade deadline? From there, Ben and Michael consider RJ Barrett's rough rookie existence and launch into their rankings of...

On today's episode, Ben Golliver opens with exciting news about former Open Floor co-host Andrew Sharp, who has made his triumphant return to the NBA podcast world. From there, Ben and Michael Pina dive deep into Russell Westbrook's upcoming return to Oklahoma City. Would the Rockets undo the Westbrook trade if they could? Was Thunder GM Sam Presti the biggest winner from last summer? Shou...

On today's show, Ben Golliver and Michael Pina open with a remembrance of former NBA Commissioner David Stern, who died this week at age 77. What were some of Stern's most memorable moments and accomplishments? What is Stern's legacy? How should the NBA honor him? From there, Ben and Michael shift gears to make bold predictions for 2020. Will the Houston Rockets win the title or blow u...

On today's show, Ben Golliver and Michael Pina reconvene after a short holiday break to run through 10 takeaways from the NBA on Christmas. Did Kawhi Leonard seal his spot as the greatest player in basketball? Are LeBron James and the Lakers finally showing some cracks? Has anyone actually forgotten about Joel Embiid? How should the Bucks react to their humbling loss? Should Al Horford regret...

On today's episode, Ben Golliver and Michael Pina offer a full preview of the NBA's 2019 Christmas quintuple-header, ranking the games in terms of watchability. What's at stake for LeBron James's Lakers and Kawhi Leonard's Clippers in their rematch? Could a holiday showdown with Philadelphia be one of the most important days in Giannis Inc.'s history? After breaking down th...

On today's show, Ben Golliver and Michael Pina are joined by special guest Captain Accountability, who has many thoughts on Deandre Ayton's return from a 25-game drug suspension. From there, Ben and Michael dig into Kevin Garnett's comments about LeBron James. Did the Celtics break LeBron in 2010? Did KG leave out some important details from the conversation? KG was an all-time NBA hee...

On today's show, Ben Golliver and Michael Pina celebrate the Dec. 15 NBA trade-eligibility deadline by compiling their favorite fake trades. DeMar DeRozan to the Bulls? Kevin Love to the Suns? Kyle Lowry to the Jazz? Aaron Gordon to the Hawks? JJ Redick to the Bucks? Derrick Rose to the Sixers? From there, they propose rule changes that would make the trade deadline more fun. Ben and Michael c...

On today's show, Ben Golliver and Michael Pina discuss Kawhi Leonard's return to Toronto for ring night. Did Leonard and the Clippers make a statement? Are they engaged in a "tortoise and the hare" race with the Lakers? Is sizing a championship ring to fit the middle finger cool or lame? From there, they dig into Michael's feature on Bam Adebayo, Miami's breakout star. How...

On today's episode, Ben Golliver and Michael Pina ask the questions no one else is asking about the New York Knicks' coaching change. Who, really, is to blame for the players' lack of effort? If Masai Ujiri were to actually consider becoming Knicks president, what type of ludicrous negotiation demands should he make? Can we safely assure an Australian listener that the Knicks won't...

On today's episode, Ben Golliver and Michael Pina dig deep into Bronny James and the Sierra Canyon Trailblazers. After Ben's visit to the elite high school in California, they discuss the different environments faced by LeBron James and his son, the hype that has built around the Southern California powerhouse, how the ambitious school positioned itself to land Bronny and whether a LeBron/...

On today's episode, Ben Golliver and Michael Pina reconvene after the long holiday weekend to hand out first-quarter NBA awards. LeBron James, Giannis Antetokounmpo or James Harden for MVP? Is Luka Doncic both an MVP candidate and the MIP favorite? Who are Michael's off-the-radar picks for Most Improved and Sixth Man? From there, they shift gears to discuss the evolving ethics of stat-hunt...

On today's show, Ben Golliver and Michael Pina vote up or down on the NBA's three major schedule proposals: reseeding the conference finals, adding a midseason tournament, and incorporating play-in games for the playoffs. From there, they dive into a wide-ranging debate about cheating in sports. Should honor be a bigger deal? What can be done to curb flopping and other acts that violate th...

On today's show, Ben Golliver and Michael Pina run through the top five basketball stories of the 2019-20 season so far, highlighted by LeBron James's resurgence and Luka Doncic's emergence as an MVP candidate. From there, they take questions from the Open Floor Globe. How did Kawhi Leonard and Paul George look in their first game together? If the Warriors had the "Death Lineup,&#3...

On today's episode, Ben Golliver welcomes his new co-host: Michael Pina, NBA writer for SB Nation. With Open Floor's bi-coastal balance restored, Ben and Michael dig into two teams at the top of the Eastern Conference: the Boston Celtics and Philadelphia 76ers. Are the Celtics as good as their record indicates? Does their hot start, coupled with Brooklyn's challenges, shine a new light...

On today's podcast, Ben Golliver and Rob Mahoney discuss the dilapidated state of the Knicks. Is there any coach, or person, alive who could replace David Fizdale and find success? Why did the front office shift its expectations between July and November? Which of New York's young building blocks are keepers? From there, Ben and Rob debate James Harden's place in the NBA hierarchy and...

On today's show, Ben Golliver and Rob Mahoney open with extended comments on Pascal Siakam and the Toronto Raptors. Where does Siakam rank right now? Is he actually Giannis-like? Does Toronto's player development program get enough credit? From there, Ben and Rob shift gears to discuss Damian Lillard's MVP start, the Blazers' roster problems, Ja Morant's Rookie of the Year chan...

On today's show, Ben Golliver and Rob Mahoney go deep on the Milwaukee Bucks after their recent win over the Los Angeles Clippers. They engage in comical Giannis Antetokounmpo hyperbole on the following topis: his revenge mission, MVP defense, pre-game grunting, winning plays and leadership intangibles. From there, they tackle pressing questions from the Open Floor Globe on everything from NYC...

On today's episode, Ben Golliver and Rob Mahoney discuss the mounting hype around Luka Doncic following his weekend duel with LeBron James and his multiple triple-doubles. Should Dallas be viewed as a legit playoff threat? What's Luka's long-term ceiling? Would you undo/redo the Trae Young trade from either side? From there, Ben and Rob discuss NBPA executive director Michele Roberts&#...

On today's episode, Ben Golliver and Rob Mahoney discuss the grisly repercussions of Stephen Curry's broken hand for the Golden State Warriors. Should Golden State tank? Does this increase the urgency to trade D'Angelo Russell or Draymond Green? From there, they take questions on Kawhi Leonard's newfound passing ability, the Minnesota Timberwolves' impressive start and the long...

On today's show, Ben Golliver and Rob Mahoney consider the Golden State Warriors' slow start. Do their early struggles require a reputation revision for Stephen Curry, Draymond Green and Steve Kerr? Is there any hope for their putrid defense? Should they consider trading D'Angelo Russell or Draymond Green? Should they tank? Then, Ben and Rob shift gears to answer questions from the Ope...