The Wild Start To NBA Season + Why The East Is Wide Open | The Hoop Collective
Brian Windhorst is joined by ESPN’s Tim Bontemps and Tim MacMahon to discuss the incredible games we have already seen to start the NBA season including a wild slate of finishes over the weekend. Then, the guys discuss the significance of the Hawks’ success without Trae Young, the Knicks compounding injuries, why the Cavs have not reached their ceiling from last year yet and how wide open the Eastern Conference is. Finally, the crew talks Kevin Durant’s ability to remain an elite scorer, the Pelican’s parting ways with coach Willie Green and if the Thunder could win over 70 games.
0:00 Intro
1:13 Wild NBA games to start season
11:17 Hawks continue to roll without Trae
22:58 Test coming for injured Knicks
27:23 Cavs’ injuries limiting early ceiling
33:48 Rockets outlast Magic in wild game + Durant’s elite scoring
42:19 Cooper Flagg’s impressive performance
50:16 Pelicans fire coach Willie Green
52:08 Thunder a chance to win 70+ games?
☑️ Subscribe to ESPN+: https://plus.espn.com/
📱Get the ESPN App: http://www.espn.com/espn/apps/espn
🏀 Subscribe to NBA on ESPN on YouTube: http://bit.ly/2yxs3Og
☑️Subscribe to ESPN on YouTube: http://es.pn/SUBSCRIBEtoYOUTUBE
☑️Watch ESPN on YouTube TV: http://es.pn/YouTubeTV
34 Comments
KD such a better scorer than LeBron with the .2 points per game average
NBA is fire this year, I tuned off of the Lions/Eagles to catch parts of those 3 late games last night and no regrets. Tuned back over to an awful PI call to effectively end the SNF game.
Brutal upcoming schedule for the Suns. Borderline play in team prob
NBA is more fun than the NFL this year by far. Such a cool mix of young and old superstar play.
Las Vegas Mavericks here we come! 😮😂
Kevin Durant is not a better all-around scorer then Carmelo, Anthony, Kobe Bryant or LeBron James or Steph Curry
His theoretical ease for which he should be getting baskets is a thing, but I hate how just because he’s 7 foot and won a couple of scoring titles how people can overlook people like Kareem and the rest of the people I mentioned as just as great as scores, and I would argue in crunch time, and when it really matters, those players have a trait of taking over the game and dominating an offense, but as long as you win the game, that’s what you want.
Often times KD because he’s so focused on efficiency and a good shot. We’ll have 25 points in a loss that if he had 36 and shot below 50% at the field goal, they might’ve won.
Think about it like this the main reason why Kevin Durant left Oklahoma City was because Westbrook was a ball hog, but I would argue that that’s due to Kevin Durant’s passive nature and he always just wants to fit in. Now, if you’re talking about most efficient score, he’s gonna have to compete with Jokić and eventually Wemby for that but that’s fine.
But to really sit there and say Kevin Durant is a better score than Michael Jordan or Kobe Bryant or Kareem when he’s got so many less incredibly explosive nights is crazy to me
Bontemps such a goon. Talking bad about clarkson as if he hasn’t been hot for two weeks.
Tim's conspiracy: J Kidd purposely started Cooper at PG to sandbag the team knowing the offense would be soo horrible because Coop had 0 experience running an offense. JKidd could hide behind the excuse of getting Coop the burn with playmaking experience with Kai out and Nico didn't really know ball like that and neither did Dumont (ie. the trade.) And this move would force Dumont to fire Nico earlier than expected because the product on the floor would suffer so drastically. Plus, the injuries helped accelerate the process. Lmao it's not that hard to put two and two together Tim. 😂😂😂
Oh look its my favorite unathletic overweight nerdy white guy again
What I find fascinating about America is the double standards when it comes to race. Windy mentioned “one of the big, white guys” in Utah. Nothing wrong with that statement. Quite funny, actually.
If you switch the race and he says “one of the big, black guys” in the exact same context, there would be IMMEDIATE outrage, he’d be fired and probably never work in media again.
If you actually believed in equal treatment for all then you wouldn’t have different standards based on the race. This is obvious to any objective person.
tim, i think magic was pretty impactful in his first playoffs experience
One of the podcasts out there, 2 normal white guys and 1 fat white one
5 star
durag bontemps back
The Hawks has had 1 +.500 Season with Trae Young. The Hawks record since drafting Trae Young is under .500. Trae Young is to small be a Super Star & he is a turnover machine & defensive liability. Also the Hawks are paying Trae Young 46 Million in 2025 & offering him 409 Million which he turned down in 2026. This is a terrible investment & allocation of funds.
Toronto Rapfrogs and Toronto Blue Frogs, The Great White North
What about the two games with Warriors. What about Steph
Thunder Up, my friends! ⛈
Tim has to be the worst reporter/ball knower in the industry. Bro literally just spews rhetoric without knowing what he’s talking about but says it with such conviction. SMH please get this clown off the pod he adds 0
Windy just an automatic fact machine when it comes to early Lebron lol
I gave League Pass and my reaction is just the opposite. Most nights there are only 2 games at most where the results matter in the least
Darius Garland is what is wrong with the Cavs RN.. Mobley's numbers aren't as good because of this too. you gotta have a PG like him to unlock the great offense you are capable of having.
“18 years olds don’t step into the NBA and impact winning”. You all said that he is or was a generational talent, what happened?
Pistons slamming the door on the rest of the East. Cavs and knicks are jokes rn.
I know you guys think your defending Cooper , but your doing him an extreme disservice…. Stop mentioning Kobe and LeBron. Cooper has been extremely underwhelming period doesn’t matter his age , he’s on the court
KD, Melo, Bron, MJ could all be argued as the best scorer in NBA history.
No Raps love. No surprise
KD is not the best scorer in NBA history, neither is Lebron. STOP IT.
Yal right the new amazon multiview is horrible
LMAOOO 54:32 ULTIMATE TROLL STOP IT 😂
How about the Detroit Pistons and Atlanta Hawks making a splash onto the scene
MJ is the best mid range shooter all time look at the percentages and volume. Also MJ has a career average of 30ppg best all time. In order to be the best you got to want to be the best. Durant doesn’t want to be the man.
How old was Magic as a rookie?
I can't remember the last time the start of the nba season felt this exciting and im absolutely loving it! We have a few great teams, a lot of good teams, and even most the bad teams are pretty fun to watch plus with the new TV/streaming schedules it actually feels easy to watch games. If i had one complaint its that the nba cant flex better games into primetime slots of to the weekend.