Part 1: An NBA Midseason Power Poll, Plus OSU vs. Notre Dame with Joel Anderson and Van Lathan

Jan 16, 2025

Talk Time

Bill Simmons
88.2 min (71.3%)
Joel Anderson
22.6 min (18.2%)
Van Lathan
12.9 min (10.4%)

Top Entities

1College Football
17
2NFL
14
3Nick Saban
13
4NBA
13
5NBA Playoffs
8
6Van Lathan
7
7New Orleans Pelicans
7
8National Championship
6
9Miami Heat
6
10Jimmy Butler III
6
11Houston Rockets
6
12Boston Celtics
6
13The Ringer
5
14Super Bowl
5
15Victor Wembanyama
4
16Scottie Pippen
4
17NBA Finals
4
18NBA Draft
4
19LeBron James
4
20Bradley Beal
4
21Bill Simmons
4
22San Antonio Spurs
3
23Paul George
3
24Oklahoma City Thunder
3
25New York Knicks
3
26New England Patriots
3
27Kevin Durant
3
28Heisman Trophy
3
29Devin Booker
3
30Stephen Curry
2
31Shaquille O'Neal
2
32Shai Gilgeous-Alexander
2
33Ryan Day
2
34Russell Westbrook
2
35Portland Trail Blazers
2
36Phoenix Suns
2
37MLB
2
38Minnesota Timberwolves
2
39Memphis Grizzlies
2
40Los Angeles Lakers
2
41Los Angeles Clippers
2
42Las Vegas Raiders
2
43Karl-Anthony Towns
2
44Jayden Daniels
2
45Jake LaRavia
2
46Jabari Smith Jr.
2
47Golden State Warriors
2
48Gambling
2
49Dwight Howard
2
50Derrick Rose
2
51CJ McCollum
2
52Cam Johnson
2
53Arizona Cardinals
2
54Will Johnson
1
55Will Howard
1
56Will Campbell
1
57Utah Jazz
1
58Tyler Herro
1
59Tyler Allgeier
1
60Tua Tagovailoa
1
61Trey Murphy III
1
62Trey Lyles
1
63Travis Hunter
1
64Toronto Raptors
1
65Tom Brady
1
66Tobias Harris
1
67Tim Hardaway Jr.
1
68Tim Duncan
1
69The Town (film)
1
70The Rewatchables
1
71Terry Rozier
1
72Steve Nash
1
73Shea Serrano
1
74Scottie Barnes
1
75Sacramento Kings
1
76Ryen Russillo
1
77Rudy Gobert
1
78Rookie of the Year
1
79Riley Leonard
1
80Ricky Rubio
1
81Pittsburgh Pirates
1
82Philadelphia 76ers
1
83Paul Pierce
1
84Patrick Mahomes
1
85Pat Riley
1
86Pascal Siakam
1
87Paolo Banchero
1
88Orlando Magic
1
89Nikola Vučević
1
90Nikola Jokic
1
91Nick Nurse
1
92Most Valuable Player
1
93Moses Moody
1
94Milwaukee Bucks
1
95Mike Woodson
1
96Mike Conley
1
97Mike Brown
1
98Michael Porter Jr.
1
99Michael Jordan
1
100Max Christie
1
101Mat Ishbia
1
102Marcus Smart
1
103Luka Dončić
1
104Lonzo Ball
1
105Kyrie Irving
1
106Kyle Anderson
1
107Kevon Looney
1
108Kenneth Murray, Jr.
1
109Keegan Murray
1
110Kawhi Leonard
1
111Julius Randle
1
112Jrue Holiday
1
113Josh Hart
1
114Joel Embiid
1
115Jerry Reinsdorf
1
116Jeff Green
1
117Jaylin Williams
1
118Jaylen Brown
1
119Jarred Vanderbilt
1
120Jaren Jackson Jr.
1
121James Wiseman
1
122James Harden
1
123Jalen Johnson
1
124Jalen Green
1
125Jalen Brunson
1
126Jaden Ivey
1
127Jabari Parker
1
128Ja'Marr Chase
1
129Ja Morant
1
130Isaiah Thomas
1
131Isaiah Joe
1
132Ime Udoka
1
133Grayson Allen
1
134Grant Williams
1
135Glen Taylor
1
136Giannis Antetokounmpo
1
137Freddie Freeman
1
138Fred VanVleet
1
139Franz Wagner
1
140Evan Mobley
1
141Elton Brand
1
142Doug Christie
1
143Donte DiVincenzo
1
144Donovan Mitchell
1
145Doc Rivers
1
146Dirk Nowitzki
1
147Detroit Pistons
1
148Derrick Williams
1
149Denver Nuggets
1
150Defensive Player of the Year
1
151Deandre Ayton
1
152De'Aaron Fox
1
153Cousin Sal
1
154Cooper Flagg
1
155Cole Anthony
1
156Cleveland Cavaliers
1
157Cincinnati Bengals
1
158Chris Paul
1
159Chicago Bulls
1
160Chet Holmgren
1
161Charlotte Hornets
1
162Charles Woods
1
163Carmelo Anthony
1
164Brooklyn Nets
1
165Brock Bowers
1
166Brent Urban
1
167Brandon Ingram
1
168Brandon Bass
1
169Boston Red Sox
1
170Blake Griffin
1
171Blake Fisher
1
172Ben Simmons
1
173Bam Adebayo
1
174Atlanta Hawks
1
175Anthony Davis
1
176Anthony Black
1
177Andrew Wiggins
1
178All-Star
1
179All-NBA Third Team
1
180All-NBA Second Team
1
181Alex Rodriguez
1
182Aaron Gordon
1
183Jayson Tatum
1

League Distribution

NBA
50 (40.3%)
CFB
36 (29%)
NFL
33 (26.6%)
MLB
4 (3.2%)
NCAAB
1 (0.8%)

Top Players

1Nick Saban
13
2Van Lathan
7
3Jimmy Butler III
6
4Victor Wembanyama
4
5Scottie Pippen
4
6LeBron James
4
7Bradley Beal
4
8Bill Simmons
4
9Paul George
3
10Kevin Durant
3
11Devin Booker
3
12Stephen Curry
2
13Shaquille O'Neal
2
14Shai Gilgeous-Alexander
2
15Ryan Day
2
16Russell Westbrook
2
17Karl-Anthony Towns
2
18Jayden Daniels
2
19Jake LaRavia
2
20Jabari Smith Jr.
2
21Dwight Howard
2
22Derrick Rose
2
23CJ McCollum
2
24Cam Johnson
2
25Will Johnson
1
26Will Howard
1
27Will Campbell
1
28Tyler Herro
1
29Tyler Allgeier
1
30Tua Tagovailoa
1
31Trey Murphy III
1
32Trey Lyles
1
33Travis Hunter
1
34Tom Brady
1
35Tobias Harris
1
36Tim Hardaway Jr.
1
37Tim Duncan
1
38Terry Rozier
1
39Steve Nash
1
40Shea Serrano
1
41Scottie Barnes
1
42Ryen Russillo
1
43Rudy Gobert
1
44Riley Leonard
1
45Ricky Rubio
1
46Paul Pierce
1
47Patrick Mahomes
1
48Pat Riley
1
49Pascal Siakam
1
50Paolo Banchero
1
51Nikola Vučević
1
52Nikola Jokic
1
53Nick Nurse
1
54Moses Moody
1
55Mike Woodson
1
56Mike Conley
1
57Mike Brown
1
58Michael Porter Jr.
1
59Michael Jordan
1
60Max Christie
1
61Mat Ishbia
1
62Marcus Smart
1
63Luka Dončić
1
64Lonzo Ball
1
65Kyrie Irving
1
66Kyle Anderson
1
67Kevon Looney
1
68Kenneth Murray, Jr.
1
69Keegan Murray
1
70Kawhi Leonard
1
71Julius Randle
1
72Jrue Holiday
1
73Josh Hart
1
74Joel Embiid
1
75Jerry Reinsdorf
1
76Jeff Green
1
77Jaylin Williams
1
78Jaylen Brown
1
79Jarred Vanderbilt
1
80Jaren Jackson Jr.
1
81James Wiseman
1
82James Harden
1
83Jalen Johnson
1
84Jalen Green
1
85Jalen Brunson
1
86Jaden Ivey
1
87Jabari Parker
1
88Ja'Marr Chase
1
89Ja Morant
1
90Isaiah Thomas
1
91Isaiah Joe
1
92Ime Udoka
1
93Grayson Allen
1
94Grant Williams
1
95Glen Taylor
1
96Giannis Antetokounmpo
1
97Freddie Freeman
1
98Fred VanVleet
1
99Franz Wagner
1
100Evan Mobley
1
101Elton Brand
1
102Doug Christie
1
103Donte DiVincenzo
1
104Donovan Mitchell
1
105Doc Rivers
1
106Dirk Nowitzki
1
107Derrick Williams
1
108Deandre Ayton
1
109De'Aaron Fox
1
110Cousin Sal
1
111Cooper Flagg
1
112Cole Anthony
1
113Chris Paul
1
114Chet Holmgren
1
115Charles Woods
1
116Carmelo Anthony
1
117Brock Bowers
1
118Brent Urban
1
119Brandon Ingram
1
120Brandon Bass
1
121Blake Griffin
1
122Blake Fisher
1
123Ben Simmons
1
124Bam Adebayo
1
125Anthony Davis
1
126Anthony Black
1
127Andrew Wiggins
1
128Alex Rodriguez
1
129Aaron Gordon
1
130Jayson Tatum
1

Who Talked About What

Bill Simmons

1NBA
9
2College Football
6
3Boston Celtics
6
4Van Lathan
5
5NBA Playoffs
5
6Jimmy Butler III
5
7Nick Saban
4
8NBA Finals
4
9Miami Heat
4
10LeBron James
4
11Bradley Beal
4
12The Ringer
3
13Paul George
3
14Oklahoma City Thunder
3
15New York Knicks
3

Van Lathan

1College Football
8
2NFL
6
3Nick Saban
5
4National Championship
5
5Heisman Trophy
2
6Will Campbell
1
7Tua Tagovailoa
1
8Super Bowl
1
9Ryen Russillo
1
10Ryan Day
1
11Riley Leonard
1
12New Orleans Pelicans
1
13New England Patriots
1
14NBA Playoffs
1
15NBA
1

Joel Anderson

1NFL
6
2Nick Saban
4
3Victor Wembanyama
3
4New Orleans Pelicans
3
5NBA
3
6Houston Rockets
3
7College Football
3
8Van Lathan
2
9The Ringer
2
10Super Bowl
2
11Scottie Pippen
2
12NBA Playoffs
2
13Arizona Cardinals
2
14Will Johnson
1
15Will Howard
1
189 episodes · Jan 2, 2025 – Apr 10, 2026The Bill Simmons Podcast