Kirk Goldsberry

Jokic is the most skilled big man we have ever seen

He's the most skilled player in the world. He does everything at a very high level... the best floater in the league, but he is also an incredible jump shooter. And that's not even a strength. So long story short, he's just the most skilled big man we've ever seen.

Luka Doncic is too fat for the NBA and it limits him on defense

He's slow on defense. He's slow to the basketball and then yeah, he looks like he's overweight... it's fair to say it's limiting him, particularly on the defensive end of the court and at the end of games.

Tyrese Halliburton is the most underrated player in the playoffs

That take [him being overrated] is aging very poorly, very poorly. They are five in one in the Playoffs... he might be the most underrated player in these NBA playoffs. I think he deserves some flowers. He deserves some of those media cycles where we're like, he's 25 and he's three wins away from bringing his team to the conference finals two years in a row.

NBA Finals prediction: Celtics vs. Thunder

I'm sticking with the Boston Celtics, Bing bong hanky. I still support the Celtics and you know, I'm sticking with the with the thunder and I'm a little bit nervous today. I think Boston has a much easier path to the finals than OKC.

The current Minnesota Timberwolves are the NBA version of the 2000 Baltimore Ravens

This is the 2000 Ravens through these first six [games]... they're maniacal. They're grinning ear to ear as they're playing defense. Minnesota is emerging as the favorite to win this tournament by being the best defense we've seen in years.

Anthony Edwards is the hero that American basketball needs

He's the hero that American basketball needs. I was saying that you can really chart out with Jokic, Doncic, SGA, Giannis... a path to 2030 where we go a full decade without an [American] MVP. Anthony Edwards these last two weeks has had something to say to that.

Oklahoma City is one of the toughest places to play in the NBA because it feels like a college gym

I'll give the edge to the thunder just 'cause they have home court and that's a really tough place to play... it feels like a college basketball gym. In all seriousness it's like wow this is a really loud environment.

The Nuggets' series win over the Lakers represents a 'handing of the torch' from LeBron James to Nikola Jokic

A lot of people think Nikola Jokic is the best player in the world, something we would describe LeBron James as for a vast majority of the 2010s. But this decade appears to belong to Nikola Jokic and the Nuggets. And I think it's telling, it's sort of a handing of the torch. It's a very painful one, but this is LeBron James's longest losing streak against any single opponent in his entire 21-year career.

The 76ers are the biggest threat to the Celtics in the East if they are healthy

Dude, if they're healthy, it's the Sixers. I mean this, right? They were 31 and 8 when Embiid played this year, they were on pace to win about 65 games. The statistical markers with Embiid on the court scream 'we're a contender.' The clear answer was the Sixers if Embiid was healthy.

The only real threat to the Denver Nuggets winning the title is the injury bug

The number one threat to the Denver Nuggets is the injury bug. Oh yeah. I think they're that good. Yeah, I really do. I think Jokic is just, they deserve that kind of dodgy, cute answer. If I have to answer... I just don't see anybody taking out Jokic in seven games, beating them four times in seven games.

Erik Spoelstra is the best coach in the NBA

I think Eric Spoelstra is the best coach in the NBA I think with all due respect to to to Steve Kerr and Greg Popovich right now what he's doing.

LeBron James has never played a player like Nikola Jokic in the playoffs

I don't think as great as LeBron James' career has been, he's ever had to play a player like Jokic in the playoffs... Jokic is such a unique force... He's averaging a 30 point triple double in these playoffs, which is insane.

Prediction: The Nuggets will win the NBA Championship

Boston, Denver. They're the most winner teams and I would take Denver dude.

The Lakers are the scariest team to ever come out of the play-in tournament

But the Lakers to me are the scariest team to ever come out of the play tournament. Does that mean they're gonna [make] the finals? Of course not, but geez Yeah. LeBron James Anthony Davis. That's a pretty scary seven seed, don't you think?

The 76ers have the most 'legacy at stake' this postseason

Until we see it, you know, it's fair to hang that on [James Harden] a little bit and if there's one player and one team who has sort of a legacy at stake, this postseason... it's the Philadelphia 76ers. And the other one I would say is Doc Rivers is part of that. It's not just James. Doc Rivers hasn't been a great playoff coach in the last five, 10 years either.

The Cleveland Cavaliers will win an NBA title in the 2020s

I also love this Cleveland Cavalier team... I'm really eager to see how they do, I don't think they're at the status of Milwaukee or Boston yet guys, but that team I'm buying stock on them winning a title in the 2020s. And they could, they could surprise this year.

The Knicks will lose their first-round series against the Cavaliers

I'm not picking [the Knicks] to win their first round series because they're playing just a stacked Cavs team and that's a tough four seed. I think you gotta look forward as the Knicks are going from bad to good... I wouldn't be shocked if they win, but I think the Cavs are the right choice there.

If the Heat lose their play-in game to the Bulls, the organization needs to end the current roster era and blow it up

If they lose to this Chicago team, I think it's time to change some things in Miami. And I think whatever era we just watched, which is undeniably successful... might have to end and they might have to make some big changes. So heat culture I think can survive regime changes... but yeah, it seems like we're at the end of a personnel run here if they lose.

The Suns will come out of the Western Conference

The west is drunk. Nobody has any idea what to happen... look, I use regular season numbers to try to predict, but the suns weren't, the suns... until very late in the season. They're two of the betting favorites now to come outta the west... I will predict that the suns are gonna come outta the west. It hinges on Kevin Durant's Health.

The Bucks will beat the Suns in the NBA Finals

First finals prediction is a 2021 rematch bucks suns... I think if either of those guys has to miss games, which is reasonable to expect, unfortunately that suns prediction would fall apart pretty fast... So my first son's, my first is sun's bucks and I take the bucks and that matchup.

It would be a 'powerful disappointment' if the Nuggets don't reach the Western Conference Finals

If this team doesn't get to the Western conference finals big cat, it's a disappointment and it's particularly powerful disappointment for a team that's failed to get over the hump with an MVP for the last few years... if they can't make a big deep run towards the finals, it's unfortunate what's at stake for them this year.

Since the trade deadline, the Lakers have been the best defense in the Western Conference

If you look at the Lakers since the trade deadline, they've been the best defense in the Western conference... 19 and 9 since the trade deadline, that's 68% winning percentage... but what a lot of people forget is they did that without LeBron most of the games.

The 76ers will beat the Nuggets in the NBA Finals

And without a doubt, I think this year's finals is gonna be a battle of these MVP Big Men. It's gonna be the 76ers against the nuggets. Wow. Embiid, Jokic, centers are back... and I'm taking Joel Embiid and the Sixers to win their first title since 1983. So Wow. Ending a 40 year drought. You can just book it.

Kevin Durant is having the greatest mid-range season in 25 years

Kevin Durant is... arguably having the greatest mid-range season in the history since we've been tracking this for 25 years and he's breathing life into it and it's beautiful to watch... Kevin's almost 60% right now. It's incredible.

The Phoenix Suns could win the NBA title primarily using the mid-range game

Devin Booker on his team and Chris Paul on his team, the Phoenix Suns this year have a chance not only win the championship but doing it in the mid-range.

Nikola Jokic is giving up more points on layups than any player in the tracking era

He's giving up more points per game on layups as the closest defender of any player in the player tracking era, which is now 10 years. And so I brought that up because it's in the heat of this... chance for the Nuggets to finally get out of the Western Conference for Jokic to be a three time MVP.

No team has won a title with a defense ranked 11th or worse in decades

No NBA team has won the championship with a defense that's ranked 11th or worse in the regular season in a very long time... The Denver Nuggets are not checking that box. So... you get exposed if you play Giannis in a seven game series.

The Milwaukee Bucks are the favorites coming out of the Eastern Conference

They deserve to be the favorites. They have the best record without Chris [Middleton] a lot of the year. I think they, they deserve to be the favorites coming out of the East.

The NBA should bring back the 'one-and-one' free throw rule

When you make millions of dollars to shoot free throws, we, we don't need you to take one-on-one. Yeah. Like bring the one-on-one to the NBA. I think that's one thing we could do to actually increase the risk for some of these these guys.

Jayson Tatum is the safer bet for Finals MVP

I'm going Jayson Tatum folks... I think Jayson Tatum is going to win the MVP because the Celtics are only, I don't want a series of Jayson Tatum has a few more good games and his passing in particular guys has been great... He's just slightly more complete and slightly more important to the Celtic success.

Despite key injuries to Devin Booker and Khris Middleton, both the Suns and Bucks will still advance past the first round of the playoffs.

I got to say yes for the Suns... with Devin Booker on the shelf, obviously they're not healthy and New Orleans is frisky... but I think they'll be okay in round one. I would not say that in round two. And as for Chris Middleton... I think they have enough to get by Chicago, but that's not guaranteed.

Donovan Mitchell is currently an inefficient jump shooter

Donovan Mitchell reminds me a little bit of DeRozan. His shot selection is tough and his shot-making isn't as good as DeRozan's... overall, I would say he's inefficient as a jump shooter.

The Golden State Warriors are officially 'back' and look like a championship team again.

The early returns in round one, it screams, yes, this is looking like not only a very, very dangerous offensive team, but once again, with Draymond [Green] they're a very good defensive team... it seems like they're back guys... And what I keep telling people is if the Warriors get out of the West, that's six trips to the finals in eight years.

Bam Adebayo was the most versatile and influential defender in the NBA this season

I'd say Bam Adebayo was the most versatile and most influential defender... The center position, the big man position... is the quarterback of the defense. They are by far the most important defenders. And I don't think Marcus Smart is even the most impactful defender on his own team.

The Miami Heat are the toughest team in the NBA and nobody wants to see them in a playoff series.

This team is mean... that stuff's not going to work against this vibe. This is the toughest team in the NBA, in my opinion... nobody wants to see that in the bracket, a seven gamer against this team.

The Timberwolves will win Game 3 at home against the Grizzlies

I will go out on a limb and say Minnesota holds court in Game 3. This team has a big chip on its shoulder. They've had a big personality transplant...

The Lakers are a sketchy organization right now that is coasting on its past

This is a franchise that is sort of really based on its own illustrious past... The organization itself, there's a reputation around the league that man, this is kind of a sketchy place... whatever coach comes in there is going to have their hands full.

The Golden State Warriors have the best 'vibes' in the NBA playoffs, followed by the Heat and the Celtics.

Golden State number one. Cause they have the party, the parties back... then I'm going Miami. I think they're an ultimate chip on the shoulder team... and Boston is third because they still have a dangerous situation in front of them this weekend in Brooklyn.

The Nets are a legit super team and are asserting dominance even without James Harden

I think the Nets are a legit super team. These guys are missing James Harden... and they are still crushing it with Kevin Durant, who has snapped back into pre-injury form. When Joe Harris, the best catch-and-shoot guy in the league, is your fourth option, man, you're a super team.

Don't bet against Kawhi Leonard in the playoffs

The last thing I'll say is don't bet against Kawhi Leonard in the playoffs. This dude came down from 2-0 in that first round series with one of the all time performances... he's really doing stuff that nobody else is doing.

Centers are relevant in the NBA again thanks to Jokic, Embiid, and Gobert

Centers are relevant again thanks to I would say three guys really: Jokic, Joel Embiid who are both leading the top teams in their conferences... [and] Rudy Gobert, the top team in the West. ...Centers are back.

The Brooklyn Nets are the best team in the NBA right now

They look like they're going to certainly come out of the East... they've coalesced at the exact right time and are playing, to my view, the best basketball in the league right now.

The 2017 Warriors were better than the 2021 Nets because of defense

I don't think so. Those Warriors teams... were defensive juggernauts and offensive juggernauts. I'll take pre-injury KD over post-injury KD... and I'll take Steph over Harden by a narrow margin.

The NBA essentially made defense illegal in 2004 by outlawing hand-checking

In 2004, after the Pistons beat Kobe and the Lakers, what does the NBA do? They make defense illegal, essentially, by outlawing hand-checking and defense of three seconds.

Teams should be allowed to draw their own custom three-point lines on their home courts

Imagine if the Heat could draw their own line or the Warriors are playing at home, and they have one line. Then they go to Houston, and there's a different line... it gives a home field advantage. It's fun for the fans. So I think that would be interesting because right now, dudes, the shot is too easy for too many guys.

James Harden is the most analytically correct basketball player in history

[James Harden] deserves a lot of credit for being the most analytically correct player our league has ever seen... The shots he takes are the right ones. The shots he doesn't take are the wrong ones.

The NBA should allow defensive goaltending on three-pointers to decrease shooting efficiency

Allowing goaltending on threes is probably the biggest stoner ideas I have. Let's make it fun, dudes. Let's make it a little harder for these guys.

Ben Simmons will eventually become an average three-point shooter

[Ben Simmons] could use his clutch roommate LeBron as a model because LeBron was a terrible jump shooter his rookie year... Simmons could really pattern some of his pathway to efficiency after LeBron.

The Warriors will win the 2019 NBA Finals

But the Warriors are going to win. I hate to say it. I'm rooting against them just for the narrative, as they say. But they are so good, you guys. The...

LeBron James is still salvageable if the Lakers surround him with shooters

LeBron [James] is definitely salvageable. They need shooters, man... You surround him the same way that Cleveland and Miami did. You don't have to reinvent the wheel here.