The NBA Playoffs Mega-Preview. Plus, Awards Picks With Rob Mahoney, Chris Ryan, and Brian Windhorst

Apr 18, 2025

Talk Time

Bill Simmons
79.1 min (48.7%)
Brian Windhorst
52.6 min (32.4%)
Rob Mahoney
17.8 min (10.9%)
Chris Ryan
12.8 min (7.9%)

Top Entities

1NBA
61
2LeBron James
26
3NBA Playoffs
25
4Nikola Jokic
23
5Los Angeles Lakers
22
6Luka Dončić
19
7Golden State Warriors
19
8Los Angeles Clippers
15
9Boston Celtics
15
10Oklahoma City Thunder
14
11Stephen Curry
13
12Houston Rockets
13
13Jayson Tatum
12
14New York Knicks
11
15Miami Heat
11
16Denver Nuggets
11
17All-NBA Second Team
11
18Indiana Pacers
10
19NBA Finals
9
20Minnesota Timberwolves
9
21Kawhi Leonard
9
22Gambling
9
23Rob Mahoney
8
24Milwaukee Bucks
8
25Giannis Antetokounmpo
8
26James Harden
7
27Draymond Green
7
28The Ringer
6
29San Antonio Spurs
6
30Rudy Gobert
6
31Kevin Durant
6
32Dallas Mavericks
6
33Most Valuable Player
5
34Jimmy Butler III
5
35Dwyane Wade
5
36Detroit Pistons
5
37Memphis Grizzlies
4
38Jalen Brunson
4
39Ivica Zubac
4
40Evan Mobley
4
41Defensive Player of the Year
4
42Cleveland Cavaliers
4
43All-NBA First Team
4
44The Sports Gal
3
45Steve Kerr
3
46Shai Gilgeous-Alexander
3
47Ricky Rubio
3
48Phoenix Suns
3
49Payton Pritchard
3
50NBA Draft
3
51MLB
3
52Malik Beasley
3
53Luguentz Dort
3
54Kyrie Irving
3
55Julius Randle
3
56Jrue Holiday
3
57Jaylen Brown
3
58Jason Kidd
3
59J.B. Bickerstaff
3
60Hall of Fame
3
61Dyson Daniels
3
62Chris Ryan
3
63Bill Simmons
3
64Anthony Edwards
3
65Anthony Davis
3
66All-Star
3
67Utah Jazz
2
68Russell Westbrook
2
69Rookie of the Year
2
70Philadelphia 76ers
2
71Patty Mills
2
72Pat Riley
2
73NBA Trade Deadline
2
74Mike Budenholzer
2
75Micky Arison
2
76Michael Porter Jr.
2
77Magic Johnson
2
78Larry Bird
2
79Kenny Atkinson
2
80Jonathan Kuminga
2
81Joel Embiid
2
82Joe House
2
83JJ Redick
2
84Jeff Van Gundy
2
85Jeanie Buss
2
86Jaren Jackson Jr.
2
87Jamal Murray
2
88Fred VanVleet
2
89Devin Booker
2
90Derrick Jones Jr.
2
91David Adelman
2
92Dan Hurley
2
93Chris Bosh
2
94Chicago Bulls
2
95Cade Cunningham
2
96Bub Carrington
2
97Bill Russell
2
98Bill Duffy
2
99Andrew Wiggins
2
100Amen Thompson
2
101Alvin Kamara
2
102All-NBA Third Team
2
103Aaron Wiggins
2
104Zaza Pachulia
1
105Xavier Worthy
1
106Victor Wembanyama
1
107Van Lathan
1
108Tyronn Lue
1
109Tyrese Haliburton
1
110Ty Jerome
1
111Trayce Jackson-Davis
1
112Toumani Camara
1
113Tom Cruise
1
114The Rewatchables
1
115The Book of Basketball
1
116Tennessee Titans
1
117Tari Eason
1
118Steven Adams
1
119Steve Nash
1
120Steve Ballmer
1
121Stephon Gilmore
1
122Stephen A Smith
1
123Sixth Man of the Year
1
124Shea Serrano
1
125Shaquille O'Neal
1
126Scott Foster
1
127Sacramento Kings
1
128Ryen Russillo
1
129Ryan Rollins
1
130Rui Hachimura
1
131Roger Clemens
1
132Rich Paul
1
133Rich Kleiman
1
134Ray Allen
1
135Quentin Grimes
1
136Portland Trail Blazers
1
137Pittsburgh Steelers
1
138Paul George
1
139OG Anunoby
1
140Nicolas Batum
1
141Nickeil Alexander-Walker
1
142NHL
1
143NFL
1
144NBA Free Agency
1
145Najee Harris
1
146Minnesota Vikings
1
147Mikhail Prokhorov
1
148Michael Mann
1
149Michael Malone
1
150Marc Gasol
1
151Malik Herring
1
152Mac Jones
1
153Luis Scola
1
154LaMelo Ball
1
155Kyle Kuzma
1
156Kyle Anderson
1
157Kobe Bryant
1
158Klay Thompson
1
159Kevon Looney
1
160Kevin Porter Jr.
1
161Kevin Love
1
162Kentavious Caldwell-Pope
1
163Kenneth Murray, Jr.
1
164Karl-Anthony Towns
1
165Joe Ingles
1
166Jim O'Brien
1
167Jay-Z
1
168James Dolan
1
169Jalen Williams
1
170Jalen Hurts
1
171Jalen Green
1
172Isaiah Stewart
1
173Ime Udoka
1
174Gregg Popovich
1
175Gary Payton II
1
176Frost Bank Center
1
177Finals MVP
1
178Executive of the Year
1
179Ersan Ilyasova
1
180Doc Rivers
1
181Dirk Nowitzki
1
182Derrick White
1
183Derrick Rose
1
184DeAndre Jordan
1
185Danny Green
1
186Damian Lillard
1
187College Football
1
188College Basketball
1
189Cincinnati Reds
1
190Chris Finch
1
191Chet Holmgren
1
192Burt Reynolds
1
193Brooklyn Nets
1
194Brandon Williams
1
195Brandon Aubrey
1
196Bradley Beal
1
197Boston Red Sox
1
198Bobby Portis
1
199Blake Griffin
1
200Ben Simmons
1
201Austin Reaves
1
202Atlanta Hawks
1
203Arizona Cardinals
1
204Andrew Nembhard
1
205Alperen Sengun
1
206Aaron Gordon
1

League Distribution

NBA
319 (92.7%)
NFL
15 (4.4%)
MLB
5 (1.5%)
NCAAB
3 (0.9%)
NHL
1 (0.3%)
CFB
1 (0.3%)

Top Players

1LeBron James
26
2Nikola Jokic
23
3Luka Dončić
19
4Stephen Curry
13
5Jayson Tatum
12
6Kawhi Leonard
9
7Rob Mahoney
8
8Giannis Antetokounmpo
8
9James Harden
7
10Draymond Green
7
11Rudy Gobert
6
12Kevin Durant
6
13Jimmy Butler III
5
14Dwyane Wade
5
15Jalen Brunson
4
16Ivica Zubac
4
17Evan Mobley
4
18The Sports Gal
3
19Steve Kerr
3
20Shai Gilgeous-Alexander
3
21Ricky Rubio
3
22Payton Pritchard
3
23Malik Beasley
3
24Luguentz Dort
3
25Kyrie Irving
3
26Julius Randle
3
27Jrue Holiday
3
28Jaylen Brown
3
29Jason Kidd
3
30J.B. Bickerstaff
3
31Dyson Daniels
3
32Chris Ryan
3
33Bill Simmons
3
34Anthony Edwards
3
35Anthony Davis
3
36Russell Westbrook
2
37Patty Mills
2
38Pat Riley
2
39Mike Budenholzer
2
40Micky Arison
2
41Michael Porter Jr.
2
42Magic Johnson
2
43Larry Bird
2
44Kenny Atkinson
2
45Jonathan Kuminga
2
46Joel Embiid
2
47Joe House
2
48JJ Redick
2
49Jeff Van Gundy
2
50Jeanie Buss
2
51Jaren Jackson Jr.
2
52Jamal Murray
2
53Fred VanVleet
2
54Devin Booker
2
55Derrick Jones Jr.
2
56David Adelman
2
57Dan Hurley
2
58Chris Bosh
2
59Cade Cunningham
2
60Bub Carrington
2
61Bill Russell
2
62Bill Duffy
2
63Andrew Wiggins
2
64Amen Thompson
2
65Alvin Kamara
2
66Aaron Wiggins
2
67Zaza Pachulia
1
68Xavier Worthy
1
69Victor Wembanyama
1
70Van Lathan
1
71Tyronn Lue
1
72Tyrese Haliburton
1
73Ty Jerome
1
74Trayce Jackson-Davis
1
75Toumani Camara
1
76Tom Cruise
1
77Tari Eason
1
78Steven Adams
1
79Steve Nash
1
80Steve Ballmer
1
81Stephon Gilmore
1
82Stephen A Smith
1
83Shea Serrano
1
84Shaquille O'Neal
1
85Scott Foster
1
86Ryen Russillo
1
87Ryan Rollins
1
88Rui Hachimura
1
89Roger Clemens
1
90Rich Paul
1
91Rich Kleiman
1
92Ray Allen
1
93Quentin Grimes
1
94Paul George
1
95OG Anunoby
1
96Nicolas Batum
1
97Nickeil Alexander-Walker
1
98Najee Harris
1
99Mikhail Prokhorov
1
100Michael Mann
1
101Michael Malone
1
102Marc Gasol
1
103Malik Herring
1
104Mac Jones
1
105Luis Scola
1
106LaMelo Ball
1
107Kyle Kuzma
1
108Kyle Anderson
1
109Kobe Bryant
1
110Klay Thompson
1
111Kevon Looney
1
112Kevin Porter Jr.
1
113Kevin Love
1
114Kentavious Caldwell-Pope
1
115Kenneth Murray, Jr.
1
116Karl-Anthony Towns
1
117Joe Ingles
1
118Jim O'Brien
1
119Jay-Z
1
120James Dolan
1
121Jalen Williams
1
122Jalen Hurts
1
123Jalen Green
1
124Isaiah Stewart
1
125Ime Udoka
1
126Gregg Popovich
1
127Gary Payton II
1
128Ersan Ilyasova
1
129Doc Rivers
1
130Dirk Nowitzki
1
131Derrick White
1
132Derrick Rose
1
133DeAndre Jordan
1
134Danny Green
1
135Damian Lillard
1
136Chris Finch
1
137Chet Holmgren
1
138Burt Reynolds
1
139Brandon Williams
1
140Brandon Aubrey
1
141Bradley Beal
1
142Bobby Portis
1
143Blake Griffin
1
144Ben Simmons
1
145Austin Reaves
1
146Andrew Nembhard
1
147Alperen Sengun
1
148Aaron Gordon
1

Who Talked About What

Bill Simmons

1NBA
33
2LeBron James
13
3Nikola Jokic
12
4NBA Playoffs
12
5Luka Dončić
9
6Los Angeles Clippers
9
7Gambling
9
8Los Angeles Lakers
8
9Golden State Warriors
8
10Boston Celtics
8
11Stephen Curry
7
12Rob Mahoney
7
13Minnesota Timberwolves
7
14Miami Heat
7
15Kawhi Leonard
7

Chris Ryan

1NBA
8
2Nikola Jokic
5
3NBA Playoffs
5
4Oklahoma City Thunder
4
5Golden State Warriors
4
6Houston Rockets
3
7New York Knicks
2
8Milwaukee Bucks
2
9Luka Dončić
2
10Draymond Green
2
11Tyronn Lue
1
12The Sports Gal
1
13Tennessee Titans
1
14Steve Ballmer
1
15Stephen Curry
1

Rob Mahoney

1NBA
7
2Oklahoma City Thunder
5
3NBA Playoffs
5
4Stephen Curry
4
5Nikola Jokic
4
6LeBron James
4
7Golden State Warriors
4
8Rudy Gobert
3
9Los Angeles Lakers
3
10Los Angeles Clippers
3
11Indiana Pacers
3
12Houston Rockets
3
13Denver Nuggets
3
14Anthony Edwards
3
15All-NBA Second Team
3

Brian Windhorst

1NBA
13
2Los Angeles Lakers
10
3LeBron James
9
4Boston Celtics
7
5Luka Dončić
6
6NBA Finals
5
7Jayson Tatum
5
8New York Knicks
4
9Miami Heat
4
10Dwyane Wade
4
11Dallas Mavericks
4
12Steve Kerr
3
13San Antonio Spurs
3
14Ricky Rubio
3
15NBA Playoffs
3
189 episodes · Jan 2, 2025 – Apr 10, 2026The Bill Simmons Podcast