Vincent Goodwill and Fred Katz get together to discuss the Lakers' ceiling, the Knicks' offense, the Timberwolves' defense and the proposed changes to the NBA All-Star Game and NBA Playoffs format.(02:05) - Can the Lakers fix their defense?(12:10) - Reported changes to NBA All-Star Game(26:00) - KAT's fit with the Knicks(38:25) - What's wrong with the Timberwolves?(46:50) - Why aren't more teams tanking for Cooper Flagg?(54:35) - Rumored NBA Playoffs reformOn this episode of the Good Word with Goodwill, Yahoo Sports senior NBA reporter Vincent Goodwill is joined by The Athletic's senior NBA writer Fred Katz to discuss the fallout of the Karl Anthony-Towns trade and much more.The guys start in Los Angeles, where Vince is worried that Lakers head coach JJ Redick is headed toward burnout and Fred is wondering what's wrong with their defense, before discussing the reported changes to the NBA All-Star Game.The New York Knicks and Minnesota Timberwolves made a blockbuster trade on the eve of the NBA season, but both teams have been struggling to find their identity and their defense ever since. How can Tom Thibodeau turn the Knicks' defense around? And can the Timberwolves survive without 37-year-old Mike Conley?Finally, the rumored race to the bottom for Cooper Flagg isn't quite what it was hyped up to be. Most of the teams at the bottom of the standings are there by accident, not on purpose, and Vinnie wonders if it's a side effect of the CBA and the parity that's now built into the league. Also, should the league give up conferences for the sake of better teams in the NBA Playoffs? Check out the rest of the Yahoo Sports podcast family at https://apple.co/3zEuTQj or at Yahoo Sports Podcasts

A month after the start of the NBA season, Kevin O'Connor and Tom Haberstroh reveal what their award ballots would look like if the season ended today.(01:05) - Magic 119, Lakers 118(06:30) - KOC visits the Intuit Dome(12:10) - Hornets 123, Pistons 121 (OT)(15:30) - How worried should the Timberwolves be?(17:45) - Should the NBA change playoff seeding?(24:50) - NBA one-month awardsOn this episode of The Kevin O'Connor Show, KOC and Tom Haberstroh dive into the news before revealing what their award ballots would look like if the NBA season ended today.The guys use the Magic's thrilling victory over the Lakers last night to highlight Franz Wagner, who has found his jump shot and once again looks like one of the 20 best players in the NBA. Anthony Davis, an MVP favorite, is already starting to look a bit tired.KOC talks about his visit to the Intuit Dome, home of the Los Angeles Clippers, where he witnessed many bathrooms and The Wall, which may or may not be filled with paid actors.The Hornets topped the Pistons in overtime and seem like they're built for the future with young stars like LaMelo Ball and Brandon Miller. Tom and Kevin also discuss the Timberwolves, who have fallen to 8-7 and appear to be out of sorts with a difficult part of the schedule ahead of them.Before diving into their NBA one-month award ballots, the guys discuss the idea of the NBA changing its playoff seeding to a 1-16 system that does not rely on conferences. Is it in the best interest of the league? Is it even possible?Finally, find out who would be their picks for MVP, Rookie of the Month, Defensive Player of the Month, Most Improved Player, Coach of the Month, Sixth Man of the Month and even on the All-NBA or All-Rookie teams if the season ended today. Check out the rest of the Yahoo Sports podcast family at https://apple.co/3zEuTQj or at Yahoo Sports Podcasts

Tom Haberstroh and Dan Devine get together, along with five of their favorite stats, to see if this is the most impressive season in LeBron James' awe-inspiring career. Also, would making dunks worth 3 points fix the NBA? (2:05) The Big Number: 826(17:34) The Little Numbers: 47.3(19:54) The Little Numbers: 49.2%(22:37) The Little Numbers: 1.19(27:32) The Little Numbers: +15.5(32:49) Over/unders scoreboard update(33:37) Should the NBA make dunks worth 3 points? On this episode of The Big Number, Tom Haberstroh and Dan Devine dive deep into the numbers to try to figure out how 39-year-old LeBron James is having such a great season for the Los Angeles Lakers.The guys start with the big number, which is 826 this week. That's the number of 3-point shots LeBron James has made since joining the Lakers. If you don't think that's a lot, tune in to hear which Hall of Fame players never made that many 3-point shots in their entire career.But it's the efficiency of LeBron's season that has really caught the eye of both Tom and Dan. He is currently posting career highs in points created per 36, points scored on plays where LeBron is in the pick-and-roll and percentage of his baskets that are assisted.The success of the 10-4 Lakers, as well as the success of rookie forward Dalton Knecht, can be directly attributed to the increased efficiency and proficiency of LeBron James, who turns 40 in about six weeks.  That's crazy. Is there a case to be made that he's having his most impressive season?Finally, Tom wrote a piece for Yahoo Sports wondering if making dunks worth three points would shift the NBA back to offensive diversity and away from every team trying to copy the Boston Celtics. He talks it out with Dan to see if it would be viable and, if not, what other plans might make sense. 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 discuss the turmoil surrounding Joel Embiid and the 76ers, the Celtics beating the Cavaliers and the biggest disappointments (so far) of the NBA season. (02:05) - Turmoil with Joel Embiid & the 76ers(18:50) - Revisiting the Haliburton/Sabonis trade(24:00) - Biggest disappointments: Zion Williamson(31:00) - Biggest disappointments: Luka Doncic(36:10) - Celtics end Cavaliers' winning streak On this episode of the Good Word with Goodwill podcast, Yahoo Sports senior NBA reporter Vincent Goodwill is joined by Isis "Ice" Young to talk about some of the biggest disappointments in the league so far this season.They start in Philadelphia, where the 76ers blew a huge lead to the Heat before having a team meeting where Tyrese Maxey called out Joel Embiid for a lack of professionalism. Is Embiid upset about something else? Why didn't Nick Nurse or Daryl Morey get involved?Speaking of disappointments, Tyrese Haliburton has been struggling with the Indiana Pacers this year. Vinnie talks about an injury Haliburton picked up when playing for Team USA in the Olympics before revisiting the trade that sent Haliburton to Indiana in exchange for Domantas Sabonis. Are we sure the Pacers won that trade?Zion Williamson and Luka Doncic are two players that faced big expectations this season and, so far, neither one is living up to the hype. For Zion, the issue is staying healthy and staying in shape. For Luka, the issue has been a lack of effort and focus during games.Finally, Vinnie recaps the Celtics' thrilling 120-117 win over the previously undefeated Cleveland Cavaliers and explains why the Cavs should still be excited about how they're playing. Also, maybe we should be making plans to be back in Boston for the Finals this year. Check out the rest of the Yahoo Sports podcast family at https://apple.co/3zEuTQj or at Yahoo Sports Podcasts

Kevin O'Connor is joined by Mo Dakhil to give their thoughts and takeaway's from Monday night's NBA action. The duo start off with the Los Angeles Clippers beating the Golden State Warriors, as they discuss the Clippers' playoff aspirations and how much the Warriors should still scare teams in the Western conference. Next up is the Atlanta Hawks' dramatic victory over the Sacramento Kings, as the duo discus De'Aaron Fox and Zachary Risacher, among others. In other news, Franz Wagner looks to be coming into his own just as Kevin predicted, and the Cleveland Cavaliers look to keep their undefeated streak alive against the Boston Celtics. Kevin and Mo also touch on the NBA Cup and a rumored change to the All-Star Game structure.Later, Spike Eskin joins the show to do a deep dive on the utterly depressing Philadelphia 76ers, who blew a 19-point lead to fall to 2-11 tonight. Spike vents about the apparent lack of effort on the court and why the Joel Embiid return has been such a disaster so far. Kevin isn't ready to give up on the Sixers just yet due to some star talent still performing at a high level and a weak conference, but they're nevertheless off to a nightmarish start. Kevin & Spike finish off the show with their thoughts on Linkin Park's latest album.(1:20) - Clippers beat Warriors(13:05) - Hawks beat Kings(27:00) - Magic beat Suns(32:45) - Are the Cavs in the same tier as the Celtics?(41:00) - Thoughts on the NBA Cup & potential All-Star Game changes(47:40) - Sixers deep dive with Spike Eskin(1:10:30) - Linkin Park's new album

Vincent Goodwill and ESPN's Chris Herring go through the biggest surprises in the NBA about one month into the season. Can anyone catch Jokic for MVP? Is it time for the Bucks to trade Giannis? Are the Cavaliers really this good?(02:45) - The 15-0 Cleveland Cavaliers(13:25) - Can anyone catch Jokic for MVP?(22:55) - The suddenly competent Detroit Pistons(30:30) - Is it time for the Bucks to trade Giannis?(45:00) - The upstart Houston RocketsOn this episode of the Good Word with Goodwill podcast, Yahoo Sports senior NBA reporter Vincent Goodwill is joined by ESPN senior writer Chris Herring to go through their biggest surprises a month into the 2024-25 NBA season.Chris and Vinnie start in Cleveland, where the Cavaliers are off to a blazing 15-0 start and look the part as one of the Eastern Conference's best teams. Is it sustainable? Is it all the new head coach? How has Donovan Mitchell's role changed?After wondering if Donovan Mitchell will get MVP votes, the guys dig through the outrageous numbers Nikola Jokic is putting up for the Denver Nuggets and declare Jokic the MVP until further notice. Vinnie goes into the crates to try and figure out if anyone has had a better 5-year stretch than what Jokic is doing right now.Vinnie talks about the Detroit Pistons, who are significantly better than they were last season with mostly the same roster, and asks Chris to check him if his Detroit bias is out of control.Later, the guys talk about the Milwaukee Bucks, who look lost and have no real way to improve their franchise outside of trading one of the two superstars on the roster. Is it time for the Bucks to consider trading Giannis? If so, where would he even go?Vinnie has an idea for a Giannis trade destination, and it's the #3 team in the Western Conference. Look out for the Houston Rockets, who are loaded with talent and playing hard for head coach Ime Udoka. Check out the rest of the Yahoo Sports podcast family at https://apple.co/3zEuTQj or at Yahoo Sports Podcasts

Kevin O'Connor and Tom Haberstroh discuss the worrying Mavericks and Timberwolves, Victor Wembanyama's and LeBron James's hot shooting, and their rankings of the top NBA rookies so far this season. (00:40) - Are the Mavericks in trouble?(12:20) - Are the Timberwolves worse off than the Mavericks?(17:45) - Is Donovan Clingan the best rookie in this class?(22:35) - Victor Wembanyama's red-hot 3-pt shooting(30:30) - LeBron James continues to amaze(41:10) - 2024-25 NBA rookie rankings On this episode of The Kevin O'Connor Show, Kevin is joined by Tom Haberstroh. The guys kick off the episode by talking about the Dallas Mavericks, who have lost four consecutive games and don't look like the defending Western Conference Champions.Similarly, the Minnesota Timberwolves do not look like a team that would've made it to the Western Conference Finals. Is it Anthony Edwards' fault? Do they miss Karl Anthony-Towns? Should the Timberwolves be concerned about the clunky fit of their current roster?Portland Trail Blazers' rookie center Donovan Clingan racked up 8 blocks against Minnesota on Wednesday, and he's starting to look like he might be the best big man in this year's draft class.Victor Wembanyama must've been listening last week when Kevin and Tom told him to stop shooting so many 3s, because he's made 20 of them in his last 3 games and seems to be breaking basketball on both ends of the floor.LeBron James has posted three consecutive triple-doubles, as he nears his 40th birthday. Tom has an incredible stat that doesn't feel real but sums up just how productive this season has been for James. However, the Lakers still have major issues they need to work out.Finally, the guys go through a way too early look at the 2024-25 NBA rookie rankings. There's a big surprise at the #1 spot and a few guys that are ready to jump up the list in a hurry. Check out the rest of the Yahoo Sports podcast family at https://apple.co/3zEuTQj or at Yahoo Sports Podcasts

On the latest episode of The Big Number, Tom Haberstroh & Dan Devine look at Steph Curry’s incredible offensive impact on the Golden State Warriors. With just as much offensive dominance both on and off the ball, is Steph the greatest offensive player since Michael Jordan? Even more so than LeBron James?But it’s not just Steph Curry giving the Warriors the boost they need to be title contenders—Golden State is over a dozen players deep with other stars with as Draymond Green and Andrew Wiggins which Dan highlights with four more numbers.Tom & Dan end the show with some over/under predictions for Golden State throughout the rest of the NBA season. (2:00) The Big Number: 124.2(15:39) 4 stats that prove Golden State are title contenders(30:11) Warriors over/unders 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 Jason Goff for a fun conversation about Klay Thompson's return to the Chase Center, making NBA regular season games special and Bronny James skipping road games in the G League. (05:10) - Steph Curry spoils Klay's return to GSW(25:20) - Emirates NBA Cup night 1 reaction(32:20) - Can the NBA get fans to care about regular season games?(43:45) - Bronny James to skip G League road games(49:55) - Will the Chicago Bulls finally tank?(56:45) - Which cities would embrace Cooper Flagg? On this episode of the Good Word with Goodwill, Yahoo Sports senior NBA reporter Vincent Goodwill is joined by Jason Goff from Chicago Sports Network and The Ringer to react to a fun night 1 of the NBA Cup.The guys start by talking about the Golden State Warriors' classy handling of Klay Thompson's return to the Chase Center before diving into the competitive way that Steph Curry went after his former teammate and stole the show in a Warriors' win.Then, after discussing the way the Miami Heat botched the end of their game against the Detroit Pistons, Vinnie and Jason wonder how the NBA can get away from the highlight and drama culture surrounding the league to make fans care more about the regular season games.During the recording, news broke that Bronny James wouldn't be playing road games for the Los Angeles Lakers G League affiliate, raising new questions about his preferential treatment and whether this is as good a situation for him as it is for his father, LeBron James Sr.Vinnie finds time to ask Jason about the team he covers, the Chicago Bulls, and whether this is finally the year they go all-in on tanking to preserve their top-10 protected 1st round pick. This leads to a conversation about which cities would embrace Cooper Flagg as the face of their NBA team. Check out the rest of the Yahoo Sports podcast family at https://apple.co/3zEuTQj or at Yahoo Sports Podcasts

Kevin O'Connor is joined by Adam Mares to break down the biggest storylines from around the NBA, including Nikola Jokic's early bid for another MVP, Luka Doncic's struggles with the Dallas Mavericks, the undefeated Cleveland Cavaliers, whether Oklahoma City should go all-in, some key injury news and much more.Kevin and Adam start with Nikola Jokic's big night, as the duo break down what's changed about the Joker's game this year that's made him even more dangerous and why Russell Westbrook fits so well in Denver's scheme. On the other side of Sunday night's game, the Dallas Mavericks are now 5-5, and Luka Doncic's lack of development so far this season is starting to catch up with them.Joel Embiid makes his return Tuesday night, and Kevin and Adam discuss how the Philadelphia 76ers can best utilize him if they want to be a legitimate playoff team. The Sixers aren't the only team affected by injuries so far this season, as the Oklahoma City Thunder are treading water without a few key players. The hosts discuss whether or not OKC needs to break the bank and go all-in this season with a player like Giannis.Later, Kevin and Adam discuss the Cleveland Cavaliers starting the season 12-0 and how far that could last, plus what's not clicking with the Milwaukee Bucks. The duo finish up by answering a mailbag question on how Jayson Tatum's early successes could raise the ceiling for the Boston Celtics.(0:50) - Why Nikola Jokic is already playing at an MVP level(16:15) - Luka Doncic's early struggles(22:30) - How Sixers can best build around Joel Embiid(29:30) - NBA injury madness: time for OKC to make a move?(39:55) - How long can the Cavaliers stay undefeated?(45:10) - Things just aren't clicking yet in Milwaukee(47:20) - Does Jayson Tatum's play raise Celtics ceiling?Check out the rest of the Yahoo Sports podcast family at https://apple.co/3zEuTQj or at Yahoo Sports Podcasts