Pound The Rock

With less than a month remaining in the regular season, we check in on the biggest moves from last month's trade deadline to see how they're impacting the players and teams involved.

Ja Morant needs to be held accountable in order to get past this, Zion Williamson's latest setback is only one of a long list of Western Conference injuries, and the Knicks are ... cool?! Plus will the Warriors actually miss the playoffs, and who should Sixers fans be hoping for in the second round?

After a hiatus, we catch up on a wild week of post-All-Star happenings, including Kevin Durant's debut in Phoenix, the Quin Snyder fit in Atlanta, LeBron James' foot injury and the fanciful prospect of the full-strength Lakers, the Bucks' 16-game winning streak, the Blazers' disappointing season in spite of Damian Lillard's offensive heroics, the race for the four All-Defensive forward spots, and the fraudulence of the Clippers

The Athletic's Jeff Schultz joins the show to discuss the Hawks' firing of Nate McMillan, what went wrong, and what comes next in Atlanta. Should Hawks fans be concerned about Trae Young's future?

With the dust settled after a wild trade deadline week, we take stock of the landscape of the league, wonder what pitfalls the all-in Suns might encounter, scratch our heads at the Raptors buying instead of selling, applaud the Lakers' upgrades and medium-term balancing act, and rank the rest of the contenders in the West.

Making sense of the Kyrie Irving blockbuster from both Dallas' and Brooklyn's perspective. In addition, what do the Warriors' postseason hopes look like in light of Steph Curry's latest injury?

We break down the implications of Myles Turner's renegotiation and extension with the Pacers, and why we think it's more of a home-run deal for Indiana than for Turner himself. Then, we wonder whether Kawhi Leonard's resurgence is enough to propel the Clippers back into title contention, or whether they still need to make a big move at the trade deadline. Finally, assorted thoughts on the injured and scuffling Pelicans and Grizzlies, and a make-or-miss segment on balanced All-NBA teams, the Suns' flickering hopes, and the Jokic-Embiid MVP-ballot duopoly.

The You Know Ball podcast's Trill joins the show to help us break down the Sixers' hot streak. Then we discuss what the Raptors should do at the trade deadline, and make sense of the Rui Hachimura trade from the perspectives of both Los Angeles and Washington.

We make our annual Eastern and Western Conference All-Star selections, parsing the insanely stacked guard crop in the West, the equally crowded frontcourt field in the East, Shai vs. Steph, Giannis vs. Embiid, Jaylen vs. Haliburton, Brunson vs. Randle, Trae's absence, and much more.

Digging into the Thunder, Trail Blazers, Timberwolves, Clippers, Warriors, Suns, and Jazz, who are just seven of the nine West teams currently separated by only three games between fifth place and 13th. In addition, will OG Anunoby be traded, and is James Harden at risk of missing out on an All-Star spot?

Parity abounds in the NBA. We discuss what's behind it, and what that could mean for this year's playoffs. Then we break down the implications of Kevin Durant's injury, before delving into two contenders with opposite profiles moving in opposite directions. The Bucks are being carried by their defense, while the Nuggets are riding a white-hot offense. Who do we believe in more?

Digging into how the Pelicans might try to survive life without Zion Williamson(again), and what's behind Brooklyn's two-way turnaround.

With rival executives reportedly preparing for a Trae Young trade request, we delve into why things haven't clicked for the still-confusing Hawks this season, and how or if their situation can improve. Then, on the heels of their 8-game win streak, we discuss whether the Knicks have warranted newfound optimism, or whether they're destined to fall back into the play-in mix.

Will Lou joins the show to dive into what's ailing the slumping Raptors and where Toronto should go from here. Plus both New York teams are streaking, the Suns are teetering again, and is Franz Wagner the best of the 2021 draft class so far? Is Nikola Jokic the MVP again? All that and more in today's episode.

We break down the implications of Steph Curry's shoulder injury and minimum-two-week absence, and the shin surgery that will prematurely end Cade Cunningham's sophomore season, before discussing the enigmatic Clippers and where they currently fit in the Western Conference hierarchy.

With the unofficial start of trade season nearly upon us, we dig into which teams should be first in line to make a significant move. Included in today's episode: the Lakers, Suns, Bulls, Warriors, Heat, Mavs, Knicks, and Timberwolves, among others. Plus can the Kings defend? Are the Pelicans in line for some hardware? And are the Celtics overrated?

We discuss what we've seen so far this season from the Suns, Nuggets, Grizzlies, Pelicans, and Warriors, making the case for each as the best team in the wide-open Western Conference before poking some holes in those cases.

The already reeling Timberwolves lose Karl-Anthony Towns for 4-6 weeks. What's behind uneven starts for the Mavericks and Heat? Can the Sixers keep their improved defense up when healthy? Is Kristaps Porzingis quietly headed towards being a 2023 free-agent prize? Are the Suns now the team to beat out West?

We take stock of all the high-profile injuries currently afflicting the league, before diving into surprisingly plucky, surprisingly fun Pacers.

Kevin Durant and a ragtag supporting cast under Jacque Vaughn have the Nets playing more inspired basketball; can it continue when Kyrie Irving returns? The reasons to believe in - or doubt - Sacramento's encouraging start. Plus an Anthony Davis trade idea, Boston's league-best offense, and a rookie Sixth Man of the Year?!