A Rare NBA Sea-Change Season, the Haliburton What-Ifs, and a 2020 Redraft With Ryen Russillo

May 25, 2025

Talk Time

Bill Simmons
62.4 min (54.7%)
Ryen Russillo
51.6 min (45.3%)

Top Entities

1NBA
30
2Oklahoma City Thunder
21
3Indiana Pacers
18
4NBA Playoffs
15
5New York Knicks
12
6NBA Draft
12
7LeBron James
12
8Boston Celtics
12
9Minnesota Timberwolves
11
10Tyrese Haliburton
9
11San Antonio Spurs
8
12Gambling
7
13Luka Dončić
6
14Los Angeles Lakers
6
15Denver Nuggets
6
16Utah Jazz
5
17Pascal Siakam
5
18NBA Finals
5
19Marcus Smart
5
20Los Angeles Clippers
5
21Alex Caruso
5
22Tyrese Maxey
4
23Stephen Curry
4
24Shai Gilgeous-Alexander
4
25Rudy Gobert
4
26Rich Paul
4
27NFL
4
28LaMelo Ball
4
29Charlotte Hornets
4
30Bryce Harper
4
31Anthony Edwards
4
32Sacramento Kings
3
33Phoenix Suns
3
34Payton Pritchard
3
35Mitchell Robinson
3
36Kevin Durant
3
37Julius Randle
3
38Jaylen Brown
3
39Jaden McDaniels
3
40Houston Rockets
3
41Golden State Warriors
3
42Detroit Pistons
3
43Derrick White
3
44Chris Finch
3
45Chet Holmgren
3
46Brooklyn Nets
3
47Bill Simmons
3
48Ace Bailey
3
49Van Lathan
2
50The Rewatchables
2
51Super Bowl
2
52Ryen Russillo
2
53Philadelphia 76ers
2
54Orlando Magic
2
55Nikola Jokic
2
56Most Valuable Player
2
57MLB
2
58Killian Hayes
2
59Karl-Anthony Towns
2
60Jrue Holiday
2
61Joel Embiid
2
62Jason Kidd
2
63Jalen Brunson
2
64Evan Mobley
2
65Domantas Sabonis
2
66Devin Vassell
2
67Devin Booker
2
68De'Aaron Fox
2
69Cousin Sal
2
70Cleveland Cavaliers
2
71Chicago Bulls
2
72Ben Simmons
2
73Angel Reese
2
74Jayson Tatum
2
75Washington Wizards
1
76VJ Edgecombe
1
77Victor Wembanyama
1
78Trey Murphy III
1
79Tony Bradley
1
80Tim Duncan
1
81Thomas Bryant
1
82The Sports Gal
1
83The Ringer
1
84The Godfather (film)
1
85T.J. McConnell
1
86Steve Kerr
1
87Robert Williams III
1
88Rob Mahoney
1
89Rick Carlisle
1
90Ray Liotta
1
91Portland Trail Blazers
1
92Paul Pierce
1
93Paul George
1
94Patrick Williams
1
95Paolo Banchero
1
96Onyeka Okongwu
1
97Obi Toppin
1
98Nickeil Alexander-Walker
1
99NFL Draft
1
100New England Patriots
1
101Nathan Shepherd
1
102Milwaukee Bucks
1
103Mikal Bridges
1
104Memphis Grizzlies
1
105Markelle Fultz
1
106March Madness
1
107Malcolm Brogdon
1
108Luguentz Dort
1
109Lonzo Ball
1
110Kyrie Irving
1
111Kristaps Porziņģis
1
112Kirk Cousins
1
113Joe House
1
114Jaren Jackson Jr.
1
115James Wiseman
1
116James Posey
1
117Jalen Suggs
1
118Ja Morant
1
119Isaac Okoro
1
120Grant Hill
1
121Franz Wagner
1
122Final Four
1
123Eric Bledsoe
1
124Draymond Green
1
125Deni Avdija
1
126Darius Garland
1
127Cooper Kupp
1
128Cooper Flagg
1
129College Football
1
130Chris Ryan
1
131Caitlin Clark
1
132Buffalo Bills
1
133Buddy Hield
1
134Brook Lopez
1
135Atlanta Hawks
1
136Anthony Davis
1
137All-NBA Third Team
1
138All-NBA Second Team
1

League Distribution

NBA
138 (84.1%)
NFL
9 (5.5%)
NCAAB
7 (4.3%)
MLB
6 (3.7%)
WNBA
3 (1.8%)
CFB
1 (0.6%)

Top Players

1LeBron James
12
2Tyrese Haliburton
9
3Luka Dončić
6
4Pascal Siakam
5
5Marcus Smart
5
6Alex Caruso
5
7Tyrese Maxey
4
8Stephen Curry
4
9Shai Gilgeous-Alexander
4
10Rudy Gobert
4
11Rich Paul
4
12LaMelo Ball
4
13Bryce Harper
4
14Anthony Edwards
4
15Payton Pritchard
3
16Mitchell Robinson
3
17Kevin Durant
3
18Julius Randle
3
19Jaylen Brown
3
20Jaden McDaniels
3
21Derrick White
3
22Chris Finch
3
23Chet Holmgren
3
24Bill Simmons
3
25Ace Bailey
3
26Van Lathan
2
27Ryen Russillo
2
28Nikola Jokic
2
29Killian Hayes
2
30Karl-Anthony Towns
2
31Jrue Holiday
2
32Joel Embiid
2
33Jason Kidd
2
34Jalen Brunson
2
35Evan Mobley
2
36Domantas Sabonis
2
37Devin Vassell
2
38Devin Booker
2
39De'Aaron Fox
2
40Cousin Sal
2
41Ben Simmons
2
42Angel Reese
2
43Jayson Tatum
2
44VJ Edgecombe
1
45Victor Wembanyama
1
46Trey Murphy III
1
47Tony Bradley
1
48Tim Duncan
1
49Thomas Bryant
1
50The Sports Gal
1
51T.J. McConnell
1
52Steve Kerr
1
53Robert Williams III
1
54Rob Mahoney
1
55Rick Carlisle
1
56Ray Liotta
1
57Paul Pierce
1
58Paul George
1
59Patrick Williams
1
60Paolo Banchero
1
61Onyeka Okongwu
1
62Obi Toppin
1
63Nickeil Alexander-Walker
1
64Nathan Shepherd
1
65Mikal Bridges
1
66Markelle Fultz
1
67Malcolm Brogdon
1
68Luguentz Dort
1
69Lonzo Ball
1
70Kyrie Irving
1
71Kristaps Porziņģis
1
72Kirk Cousins
1
73Joe House
1
74Jaren Jackson Jr.
1
75James Wiseman
1
76James Posey
1
77Jalen Suggs
1
78Ja Morant
1
79Isaac Okoro
1
80Grant Hill
1
81Franz Wagner
1
82Eric Bledsoe
1
83Draymond Green
1
84Deni Avdija
1
85Darius Garland
1
86Cooper Kupp
1
87Cooper Flagg
1
88Chris Ryan
1
89Caitlin Clark
1
90Buddy Hield
1
91Brook Lopez
1
92Anthony Davis
1

Who Talked About What

Bill Simmons

1NBA
14
2Oklahoma City Thunder
13
3New York Knicks
9
4NBA Playoffs
9
5Indiana Pacers
9
6LeBron James
8
7San Antonio Spurs
6
8NBA Draft
6
9Minnesota Timberwolves
6
10Boston Celtics
6
11Tyrese Haliburton
5
12Luka Dončić
5
13Los Angeles Lakers
4
14Los Angeles Clippers
4
15Tyrese Maxey
3

Ryen Russillo

1NBA
16
2Indiana Pacers
9
3Oklahoma City Thunder
8
4NBA Playoffs
6
5NBA Draft
6
6Boston Celtics
6
7Minnesota Timberwolves
5
8Gambling
5
9Tyrese Haliburton
4
10LeBron James
4
11Utah Jazz
3
12Shai Gilgeous-Alexander
3
13Rich Paul
3
14Pascal Siakam
3
15New York Knicks
3
189 episodes · Jan 2, 2025 – Apr 10, 2026The Bill Simmons Podcast