Welcome to Basketball Home. We are diving headfirst
into, well, what's already a wild November in
the basketball world. It really is. We're seeing
some huge stories rattling the NBA and the college
ranks, and there's a theme here. The minutes
are getting dangerously high for some guys. The
league is handing out fines. And the injury reports,
I mean, they're already dominating the headlines
for some of the biggest names in the sport. It
genuinely feels like late March intensity right
now, which is... A little unsettling. It is.
So today, our mission is to unpack all of it
for you. We're going to talk about Tyrese Maxey's
incredible, but maybe worrisome, workload in
Philly. And those load management fines. The
league is trying to crack down, but teams are
just paying them. Exactly. We've got crucial
injury updates on Giannis and Lombanyama, and
then we're going to get into the chaos at the
top of the college rankings. Yeah, let's start
with what you called the minutes monster, because...
What Nick Nurse is asking Tyrese Maxey to do
is, well, it's not just leading the league. It's
on another level. OK, let's unpack this, because
Maxey is making a legitimate early MVP case.
But the numbers behind his court time are, frankly,
a little terrifying. They really are. They define
why the Sixers are having success. But they're
also probably their biggest long -term risk.
Maxey's playing at an elite. undeniable star
level. It's a huge leap from last year. A massive
leap. His stat line is just astronomical. He's
averaging, what, 32 and a half points and almost
eight assists a game. And the efficiency is the
key part. That's it. Shooting nearly 46 % to
the field and over 41 % from three. He is, on
many nights, the best and most impactful player
on the floor, period. That's the kind of efficiency
you expect from, you know, a Steph Curry or a
Kevin Durant. But then you look at the actual
minutes he's playing, how much rubber he's putting
on the road, and the conversation shifts from
celebration to concern. Exactly right. Maxie
is clocking in at 40 .4 minutes per game. He's
leading the entire NBA. And it's not close. It's
not. And that's what makes it so concerning.
It's the margin. He is playing a full three minutes
more per game. then the next guy on the list.
And the next guy is his own teammate, his own
teammate, the rookie VJ Edgecombe. So that tells
you it's a systemic thing in Philly right now.
They are relying on two guys to play almost the
entire game. When we talk about coaches pushing
minutes this high, there's one name that always
comes up, the Thibodeauian approach. Can you
explain why that's being applied to Nick Nurse
now? Yeah, absolutely. So Thibodeauian. refers
to Coach Tom Thibodeau, right? His history, especially
with the Bulls and the early Knicks, was defined
by just running his starters into the ground.
40, 45 minutes a night. Even in blowouts. And
yeah, you usually got him strong regular season
records, but the history shows it led to burnout,
soft tissue injuries, and it hampered his teams
in the playoffs. Nurse is basically mirroring
that intensity, maybe even turning it up a notch.
So why is he doing it? I mean, the Sixers roster,
on paper at least, it looks like it has decent
depth. The main reason. and it's not a great
one, is the inconsistent availability of Joel
Embiid. Embiid's been dealing with little minor
setbacks again, and whenever he's not 100%, the
entire burden, offense and defense, just shifts
right onto Maxie's shoulders. So Nurse is in
a tough spot. A really tough spot. He wants to
win games now, build that chemistry, but every
extra minute he plays, Maxie's just, it's loading
risk into the back half of the season. It's that
classic short -term gain for long -term pain
dilemma. We know that playing 40 plus minutes
a night, especially this early, it just rarely
works out well. It's a domino effect. High minutes
lead to fatigue, both physical and mental. And
when you're tired, your defensive rotations get
sloppy or you don't land correctly on a jump
shot. And that's when you see those soft tissue
injuries. Exactly. The hamstring strains, the
calf issues, the groin pulls. Yeah. They always
seem to spike around February, March, right when
you need your stars the most. The Sixers have
other guys who could play. But Nurse just hasn't
shown he trusts those lineups yet. Yeah. They
have to find a way to shave four or five minutes
off his time or Maxie's going to hit a wall just
as the playoffs are starting. And that's the
perfect transition to the league's official stance
here. The NBA clearly sees the risk of burnout
or maybe they just see the risk of fans not getting
to see the stars they paid for. Well, yeah. Because
they are cracking down on teams resting healthy
players. And the Cleveland Cavaliers just became
a very expensive example. They did. And it shows
the league is, at least on paper, taking this
new player participation policy seriously. The
Cavs were fined $100 ,000 for a violation back
on November 12th. And what was the specific violation?
They rested both Donovan Mitchell and Evan Mobley,
two perfectly healthy players, just for rest
purposes, during the first game of a back -to
-back in Miami. And the policy is very specific
about who qualifies as a star player. You can't
rest, right? It's not just any player. That's
the key. The league defines a star as anyone
who's made an all -star or all -NBA team in the
last three seasons. Both Mitchell and Mobley
checked that box. The policy triggers an automatic
investigation if you rest more than one healthy
star in the same game. Especially on the road.
Especially on the road. If Cleveland had just
been a little more strategic, you know, rest
Mitchell in Miami and then Mobley the next night
in Orlando, they probably would have been fine.
No pun intended. So the Cavs basically made a
calculated business decision. They looked at
the policy, looked at the $100 ,000 fine and
said, yep, worth it. That is the only logical
conclusion you can draw. For an NBA franchise,
especially one like Cleveland, that's... all
in on a deep playoff run this year, $100 ,000
is nothing. It's a rounding error. It's less
than a rounding error. They're prioritizing having
their guys healthy in April over avoiding a minor
fine in November. They got hit hard by injuries
last year right around the playoffs. This is
them sending message that health is the number
one priority and the fine is just the cost of
doing business. It brings up a huge question
for the league, doesn't it? If $100 ,000 doesn't
stop a team from doing this, what number would?
That's the tension right there. The league is
trying to enforce a standard for the fans who
buy tickets. But the teams are focused on the
massive payoff of winning a championship. $100
,000 is less than a third of a veteran's minimum
salary. So to really stop it, the fine would
have to be, what, in the millions? I think it
would have to be in the seven -figure range,
or you'd have to start talking about taking away
draft picks, something that actually impacts
their ability to compete long term. As it is
now, this policy is just a minor revenue stream
for the league, not a real deterrent. And as
we're talking about all this tension between
playing time and policy, we get two massive injury
updates this week that really underscore why
teams are so paranoid about this stuff. Starting
with... Giannis Antetokounmpo. Yeah, this is
potentially devastating news for Milwaukee, especially
given how they've kind of stumbled out of the
gate. Giannis had to leave the Bucs lost to the
Cavaliers, the same team we were just talking
about, with a left groin injury. He's scheduled
for an MRI immediately. And the most troubling
part of this was the timeline that Doc Rivers
laid out after the game. Correct. Coach Rivers
said that Giannis was visibly grabbing at his
groin as early as the first quarter. He didn't
actually go to the locker room until late in
the second, but that suggests it's an issue that
started small and got worse fast under game intensity.
And groin injuries are notoriously tricky for
explosive athletes like him. They impact everything,
your lateral movement, your ability to drive
to the basket. The Bucs are already struggling.
They're, what, 8 -7 now? What does this mean
if Giannis misses significant time? It's really
concerning. They've dropped three of their last
four. They're still trying to figure things out
with a new coach. And Giannis is the foundation
of everything they do. I mean, over 32 points,
11 boards, 7 assists. If he's out for even a
couple of weeks, that puts enormous stress on
Damian Lillard and that new -look frontcourt.
The other huge injury involves the player that
everyone expects to define the next decade of
the league, Victor Wembanyama. Yeah, Wemby suffered
a left calf strain against the Warriors. The
timeline is two to three weeks, but the key phrase
you're hearing from the Spurs and from analysts
is extra care. And there's a very specific reason
for that caution, right? A calf strain for him
is not like a calf strain for a normal -sized
human. It's basic physics, really. Leverage and
force. When Benyame is 7 '4", maybe taller, and
still has a relatively slight frame. For a player
that tall, those calf muscles have to absorb
and transfer an incredible amount of force every
time he runs or jumps. The longer the limb, the
greater the stress. So a minor strain can easily
become something much, much worse. Exactly. And
analysts are making a very specific... And kind
of chilling comparison to another young star's
injury. Tyrese Halliburton. The Tyrese Halliburton
situation. His catastrophic torn ACL, which cost
him half of last season, reportedly started as
what he thought was just a minor calf issue that
he tried to play through. That's the nightmare
scenario the Spurs are desperate to avoid with
their generational cornerstone. So sidelining
him now for what might be a minor injury, it's
not about this week's standings. It's about asset
management for the next 15 years. Absolutely.
100%. They are prioritizing his entire career
over a few games in November. He'll miss the
Blazers game and probably a handful more after
that. When you have a player with legitimate
GI key potential, you treat every little tweak
with the utmost caution. The tension is just.
It's palpable. The league has effectively put
a price tag on star health, but that price is
just way too low to make a difference. Okay,
let's pivot now from teams that are struggling
with this to some teams that are not just surviving,
but are absolutely thriving. Starting with a
team I don't think we've said that about in a
very long time, the Detroit Pistons. You can
check your calendar. It is indeed 2025. The Detroit
Pistons are rolling. They've stormed out to an
11 -2 record, and they're riding a 10 -game win
streak right now. Wow. And the engine behind
all of this, without a doubt, is Kate Cunningham.
Last year was his breakout, but the big question
was, could he sustain it? Was it a one -hit wonder?
Well, he hasn't just sustained it. He's actually
elevated his game. He's averaging 27 .5 points,
almost 10 assists, and over five rebounds. He
has completely silenced any of that one -hit
wonder talk. And his performance is now being
reflected in his off -court value, which is really
the confirmation of superstar status. That's
right. He just signed a six -year signature shoe
deal with Nike. And this is the part that's truly
fascinating. This deal makes him only the sixth
active player in the entire league. They have
a Nike signature shoe. That is rarefied air.
Who else is in that club? It's Kevin Durant,
Giannis, Devin Booker, LeBron James, and John
Moran. So basically a collection of future Hall
of Famers. That's the list. For Cade to get that
level of commitment from Nike this early in his
career, it just shows what the brand thinks his
long -term potential is. It's a huge deal that
goes way beyond their current win streak. Staying
in the East, the Atlanta Hawks are also playing
incredibly well. And what's surprising is not
that they have the talent, but that they're doing
it without their centerpiece. Yeah, the Hawks
are 9 -5, tied for the third -best record in
the East. They've won eight of their last ten,
five straight wins. And like you said, the most
stunning part is that most of this has happened
without Trae Young. So does this winning run
without him suggest that the depth everyone thought
they had is finally showing up? It suggests a
couple of things. One, yes, their role players
are stepping up. And two, maybe the offense just
runs better when the ball isn't so. Trey dominant,
the ball movement looks cleaner, and guys like
DeJounte Murray are thriving as the main guy.
It does raise some interesting long -term questions
about Trey's fit, for sure. It really does. Okay,
let's go from unexpected success to... potential
chaos in the West. The Dallas Mavericks are really
struggling at 4 -11, and the trade rumors around
their front court are a massive red flag. Dallas
is just facing a perfect storm of bad right now.
They're losing. They've got front office turmoil,
and their front court is just perpetually injured.
And the rumor that just won't go away is that
Daniel Gafford is the center they're most likely
to trade. Which is confusing, to say the least.
Why is treating Gafford right now such a potential
disaster for them? Ironically, he's the most
stable and reliable piece in their completely
broken center rotation. Their three main bigs,
Gafford, Anthony Davis, and Derek Lively II,
have barely played together. Lively just got
back from a knee sprain. Now AD is out with a
calf strain. Gafford has the best injury history
of the three. So if they trade their most reliable
big, they are forcing themselves to depend entirely
on the health of Anthony Davis and a sophomore
who already has knee concerns. Precisely. It's
an incredibly risky bet. It means you're immediately
one injury away from giving major minutes to
two -way guys like Moussa Sissi or Dwight Powell.
And you just you can't climb out of a 4 -11 hole
with that kind of instability down low. Meanwhile,
the opposite problem is brewing in Sacramento.
A terrible 3 -11 start for the Kings has other
teams circling one of their star bigs, DeMantis
Sabonis. Yeah, the Kings are getting close to
a breaking point. That trio of Sabonis, DeMar
DeRozan and Zach Levine just isn't working. on
either end of the floor. And insiders believe
a major shakeup is coming. Sabonis is getting
a lot of attention. And the two teams you hear
the most are the Cavaliers and the Hawks. Let's
break down the Cavs scenario. We know they're
contenders, but how does Sabonis, who isn't exactly
a defensive stopper, fit with that small backcourt?
It's a complicated fit. That's the big question
mark. Cleveland already has a small backcourt
with Mitchell and Garland. Sabonis' defensive
liability, especially protecting the rim, would
put a ton of strain on them. But there has to
be an upside for them to even consider it. Oh,
the upside is massive, offensively. The thinking
is that Evan Mobley's elite defensive versatility
could cover for Sabonis' weaknesses. Mobley could
be the rim protector and switch on the perimeter,
letting Sabonis focus on rebounding and scoring.
Offensively, a Mobley -Sabonis frontcourt would
be maybe the best passing big man duo in the
entire league. Okay, and what about Atlanta?
How would they make it work? Atlanta's an interesting
dark horse here. But it all depends on if they're
finally willing to make a decision on Trae Young's
future. The appeal for them is pairing Sabonis
with Kristaps Portizais. Portizais as that stretch
five who can also protect the rim. Exactly. He's
the kind of player who could insulate Sabonis
from some of his defensive issues. But then it
creates another problem. What do you do with
Jalen Johnson when he gets healthy? He's been
fantastic. So, yeah, no deals are close. But
the second Sacramento decides to pull the trigger,
those two teams will be first in line. We also
have to talk about the Knicks, who are 8 -4,
sitting second in the East. But now injuries
are starting to expose some real issues with
their bench depth. The injuries to Jalen Brunson
and O .G. Anunabe are really putting a spotlight
on their reserves. And what you see is a little
concerning. Right now, Miles McBride is the only
regular bench player with a positive net differential.
And for the listener, what does that mean? When
he's on the court, they're winning. It means
when McBride is on the court. the Knicks are
outscoring their opponents. For every other regular
guy coming off the bench, the opposite is true.
When you lose your main creator in Brunson, you
suddenly need guys who can just hold down the
fort, and right now it looks like only one guy
can do that. Which naturally leads them to look
at the trade market. Absolutely. They're probably
going to be actively looking for a reliable backup
guard, someone like Jerome, who becomes trade
eligible in a few weeks. They just need a steady
hand to run that second unit while their stars
get healthy. Okay, let's move west. Where the
schedule makers are really testing one young
team, while the defending champs just had a stunning
loss that exposed some old weaknesses. Let's
start with the Portland Trailblazers. They're
6 -7, just got back from a really brutal 1 -4
road trip, and they've got the Suns tonight.
And analysts are saying this game is mission
critical for them. Why is one game in November
so important for Portland? Because of what comes
next. Their schedule is about to become, well,
treacherous. After tonight, they've got the Bulls,
Warriors, and then a really grueling stretch.
OKC, the Bucks, though maybe without Giannis
the Spurs, also without Wemby, then OKC again,
Raptors, Cavs, Pistons. Wow. Yeah. They absolutely
have to get a win tonight to build some positive
momentum, or they risk getting buried before
January even hits. And for their opponent, the
Suns, their path to getting better seems to come
down to one very specific thing on offense. It's
all about getting to the free throw line. The
Suns are an elite free throw shooting team. They're
hitting almost 82%, which is top 10 in the league.
The problem is they almost never get there. That's
a huge disconnect. It's a massive opportunity
cost. They only take about 22 free throws a game,
which is near the bottom of the league. If they
can just find a way to get a couple more attempts
each night, that's easy points they're leaving
on the table. Devin Booker is doing his part.
He's getting to the line a career -high number
of times, but the rest of the team has to be
more aggressive. Phoenix also showed off a pretty
cool strategic advantage they have for developing
their young guys. Yeah, this is a fascinating
little logistical thing. They're trying to develop
raw prospects like Kamon Moloag and Rashir Fleming.
What they did was they brought back their G League
affiliate and set them up in an arena in Tempe,
which is less than a half hour drive from the
main NBA arena. So the close proximity is the
key. Exactly. It lets these prospects play in
G League games, get real experience without missing
a single NBA practice or team meeting. It's a
really smart way to build their future core by
giving them consistent coaching and game reps
at the same time. All right, shifting to the
reigning champs, the Denver Nuggets, who had
a seven -game win streak, snapped in a pretty
stunning home loss. They did. They lost 131 -27
to the Chicago Bulls at home. And it really exposed
two old... vulnerabilities that have kind of
haunted them in the past. Inconsistent defense
and a disastrous bench unit. The bench numbers
were just shocking. Shocking is an understatement.
Chicago's bench outscored Denver's second unit
66 -9. 66 -9. You can't win a game with that
kind of collapse. And part of that is because
they're missing Christian Braun, who's out with
an ankle injury. How significant is his absence?
He's their starting shooting guard, but he's
not a huge scorer. His absence is enormous because
his value is almost entirely on the defensive
end. Braun is arguably their best perimeter defender.
He's the guy they put on the other team's best
wing. While you can replace his scoring, you
can't really replace that defense. So his injury
just magnified a need they already knew they
had? It confirmed it. The front office was already
known to be actively looking for a backup two
guard who could hit threes and create a little.
The Bulls game just showed them that without
Braun's defense to anchor it, their second unit
is in serious trouble. And before we leave the
NBA, a final update on two legends and their
future with Team USA, LeBron James and Stephen
Curry. Yeah, the final word seems to be that
both LeBron and Steph are highly unlikely to
play in the 2028 Los Angeles Olympics. LeBron
basically summed it up by saying that their run
in Paris in 2024 where they won gold just can't
be topped. He said, how are we going to top those
last two games? They want that to be the storybook
ending. Exactly. And speaking of LeBron. He's
still dealing with a return to health this season.
He hasn't played yet for the Lakers because of
a recurring sciatica issue. Missed opening night
for the first time in his career. But even at
40 years old, he's still expected to give the
Lakers a massive boost when he does come back.
Oh, absolutely. He's hoping to make his debut
soon, maybe even tonight, against the Jazz. He'll
give them a huge offensive lift. He's still confident.
Recently said, I can do everything on the floor.
The team will ease him back in. But they're hoping
he can stay healthy for a title run with Luka
and Austin Reeves. OK, let's pivot hard to the
college game now, where the early season rankings
are just complete and total chaos. It is pure,
glorious chaos. And it really speaks to the parity
and strength of college basketball right now.
You look at the top 25 and the Big 10, the Big
12 and the SEC each have six teams in the rankings.
That's incredible depth. It is. And what's really
eye opening is that the Big 10 and the Big 12
each have three teams in the top 10. That concentration
of elite talent tells you. Those conferences
are setting the pace early on. And a very familiar
program is back at number one after a huge road
win. Purdue is back on top. They beat number
eight, Alabama on the road, 87 -80, in a really
tough environment. It was a classic Matt Painter
performance. Physical, poised, great half -court
execution. Who was the difference maker for them
in that game? The return of Trey Kaufman -Wren
was just huge. He'd been out with an injury.
But he came back and dropped 19 points and 15
rebounds. That interior muscle was exactly what
they needed to get that win. Another Big Ten
team making a big move is Illinois. Yeah, the
fighting Eleni jumped up six spots to No. 8 after
a massive win over No. 11 Texas Tech. They just
look sharper and tougher this year. A big part
of that has been the play of Andres Dojkovic
off the bench. He gave him a huge lift. A huge
lift is an understatement. He scored 23 points
as a sixth man against the Red Raiders. That's
a major luxury. But their schedule is about to
get brutal. They've got Alabama, UConn, and Tennessee
coming up. We'll find out pretty quickly if they're
a real top 10 team. Switching to the women's
game, UCLA is looking like a legitimate title
contender. They look incredibly impressive. They
just went through two top 15 opponents like it
was nothing. Beat up number six, Oklahoma, and
number 11, North Carolina by double digits. They
have experience. They have depth. They look phenomenal.
Who stood out for them? Gianna Nipkins. A fifth
year transfer was huge in the Oklahoma win. She
dropped 20 points. And for her to integrate that
seamlessly into their offense already just shows
how deep their talent pool is. And Louisville
made a huge jump up the rankings, too. A massive
jump from 12 all the way up to six. They had
a ton of national respect for beating their in
-state rival, Kentucky. That was a big confidence
booster for them. Tonight, we have one of the
biggest early season matchups. The Champions
Classic with No. 12 Kentucky against No. 17 Michigan
State at Madison Square Garden. This is a fantastic
game, 6 .30 p .m. Eastern, and it's a huge moment
for a couple of the Kentucky players. It's a
real homecoming for Mama Diobet, who grew up
in Queens. What's it like for a college kid,
even one from New York, to play at MSG? It's
the mecca. Dato Bates said he's never actually
played there as a college player. Called it every
kid's dream. The history of that building, it's
just a different kind of energy. It's a proving
ground. He's an interesting case, though. Grew
up in Queens, but isn't a Knicks fan. That's
right. He's a diehard Lakers fan because he grew
up idolizing Kobe Bryant. Now, for Michigan State,
they're led by a really powerful front court
that could give Kentucky trouble. Absolutely.
The Spartans are 3 -0 and their strength is down
low. Jackson Kohler is averaging a ridiculous
14 points and 13 rebounds. He's one of the best
glass cleaners in the country. They're going
to be a tough physical challenge for Kentucky.
And in the other Champions Classic game, Kansas
faces Duke, but the Jayhawks are going to be
shorthanded. Yeah, Kansas will be without their
highly touted freshman Darren Peterson. He's
got a hamstring injury. He's a key playmaker
for them, so his absence is a big deal against
a talented Duke team. Let's zoom in on a few
regional teams now, starting with Minnesota,
who's got Chicago State tonight. The Gophers
are 3 -1, but they've had some really ugly stretches.
Their big issue, their key to winning tonight,
is one thing. Free throw shooting. They have
this weird problem where they get to the line
all the time, but they just can't make them.
It's an analytical paradox. They are top 15 in
the country in getting to the free throw line.
They're aggressive. They draw contact. but they're
ranked 294th nationally in free throw percentage.
It's just dismal. That's got to be a mental thing
more than anything. You'd think so. It's probably
a lack of focus or fatigue. But if they could
just fix that, their entire offensive profile
changes overnight. The other key for them is
to just keep dominating the glass. Rebounding
has to be their identity. And for Wisconsin,
they're 4 -0, and they seem to have a habit of
just shutting teams down in the second half.
The Badgers win games with these devastating
second -half runs. In their last win, they went
on a 16 -0 run that just ended the game. It shows
they have superior conditioning and coaching.
And who's leading that charge offensively? Their
guards, John Blackwell and Nick Boyd. have been
lights out from three. They hit a combined nine
threes in that last game. When their guards are
shooting like that, They're almost impossible
to beat. How about Ohio State? It seems like
Coach Dabler has already found the guy he trusts
in the clutch. Yeah, he has unwavering faith
in John Mobley Jr. to be his late game guy. And
what's fascinating is that it comes even though
Mobley is shooting just 32 percent from the field
so far. So it's not about his shooting. It's
about his decision making. Exactly. Dabler trusts
him to make the right read when to attack, when
to pass, when to manage the clock. He showed
it in their tight win against Notre Dame. He
just controlled the final possessions, even though
his shot wasn't falling. Finally, a weird win
for Mizzou that got really sloppy. They beat
Prairie View A &M easily. But after they built
a 35 -point lead, they just fell apart for about
10 minutes. They had eight turnovers in that
stretch, which is an insane turnover rate. That's
pure complacency. Total psychological lapse.
They just took their foot off the gas. The good
news for them is that they expect a key player.
Enter Boateng. back soon, which should help stabilize
things. We have to wrap up with a few really
important off -court stories, starting with some
very serious legal allegations against a former
NBA player. Yeah, this is significant and very
troubling news involving Patrick Beverly. He's
been charged with assault on a family member
by impeding breath or circulation in Texas. The
allegations are that he choked and hit his minor
teenage sister. What are the details from the
police report? According to the documents, the
incident happened after his sister, a minor,
left the house without permission. When she came
back, he confronted her and allegedly grabbed
her by the neck, lifting her off the ground.
The victim claimed she was losing oxygen for
about 20 or 30 seconds. And the police found
evidence of this. They reported finding marks
on her neck and blood spots under the skin around
her eye, which led to his arrest. He posted a
$40 ,000 bond. Has his legal team responded?
Yes. Beverly posted a statement from his attorney
that disputes the description of events. It says
he was understandably concerned to find his minor
sister with an 18 -year -old male late at night,
but that the events that followed didn't happen
the way the police report describes. And it's
also worth noting he still has an unserved NBA
suspension looming. That's correct. He has a
four -game suspension left from throwing a ball
at a fan last season. So that complicates any
potential return to the league on top of these
very serious charges. Switching to media news,
a big shakeup over at ESPN on their main NBA
show. Stephen A. Smith is stepping back from
his regular mandatory appearances on NBA Countdown.
This is part of his new $100 million contract,
which gives him more flexibility to scale back
on some duties. So who's filling those states?
What's the new lineup look like? Malika Andrews
is still hosting. The new crew will have Kendrick
Perkins, former coach Michael Malone, Brian Winhorst,
and the insider Shams Charania. It's a fresh
look, a lot more focused on coaching and expert
reporting now. We also had a kind of interesting
fan interaction story involving Draymond Green.
Yeah, this was during the Warriors' win over
the Pelicans. Draymond confronted a fan courtside
who was taunting him by chanting Angel Reese.
Why that specific name? It was a very specific
taunt. The fan was referencing the Chicago Sky
forward Angel Reese, who is known for getting
her own rebounds. Draymond had missed a few shots
and rebounded his own miss, so the fan started
chanting her name. Implying he was playing like
a woman. That's how Draymond took it. He said
the fan just kept calling me a woman, which crossed
a line for him, so he walked right up to the
fan during a stoppage. The NBA reviewed it and
just gave him a warning, no fine. And finally,
just a fun, weird historical fact about one of
college basketball's greatest programs. It is
a genuine jaw -dropper. Even though the UNC basketball
program is one of the top three winningest programs
of all time, the U .S. Navy holds the largest
margin of victory ever recorded over them. Wow.
You would never guess that. Never. Great piece
of trivia. What a week. When you really put all
these stories together, from the NBA policing
health to the chaos in the college ranks, this
feels like the season is already being defined
by relentless pressure. Relentless is the perfect
word. I mean, we started this talking about Tyrese
Maxey's workload and the Cavs getting a slap
on the wrist fine for trying to protect their
guys. Then we see generational talents like Giannis
and Wemby facing these serious injury scares.
So as we wrap up, what's the one big question
that all of this points to for the NBA right
now? The challenge facing the league is this.
As they keep fining teams for what is, really,
essential load management, and as superstars
keep facing burnout or serious injury, how long
can the league afford to prioritize regular season
viewership over the actual health and longevity
of its generational talents? That tension isn't
going away. It's not. And the current fine structure
clearly isn't enough to change how teams behave.
That high stakes conversation about sustainability
is going to define the rest of this season and
probably the next big labor negotiation. That
is a critical question for everyone involved
in the sport to be thinking about. Thanks for
joining us here on Basketball Home. It was a
pleasure. We'll catch you next time for more
of the biggest stories shaking the world of basketball.