Magic Johnson is synonymous with the five-time champion Showtime Lakers — the fast-break master with the no-look pass whose infectious smile belies one of the most competitive players ever to lace them up.

In his incredibly well-researched new biography on Earvin "Magic" Johnson, author Roland Lazenby dives into the complex personality of of Magic, the guy who never forgot his roots and always seemed grounded, but also continues to compete with Michael Jordan on the financial front. Kurt Helin of NBC Sports and Lazenby discuss how Magic and Larry Bird — along with David Stern — turned the NBA into a prime-time, must watch show (setting the stage for Michael Jordan). 

They also delve into Magic's HIV announcement and how that was received domestically and internationally, his family and the influence of his mother and father on the man Magic would be, and how Magic the businessman made his billion dollars by focusing on building for underserved black communities in Los Angeles. 

It's a full discussion of one of the NBA's greats with details not often discussed about the Magic man.

The Western Conference is stacked — 12 teams enter the season thinking they can make the playoffs. That will lead to some very disappointed fans (and front offices/coaches on the hot seat) come April, and veteran NBA journalist Mark Medina joins NBC Sports Kurt Helin to break it all down.

The Denver Nuggets are the team to beat and believe they can start where they left off in championship form, despite the loss of Bruce Brown, because they have Nikola Jokic. Chasing them are the Phoenix Suns, a top-heavy roster but one that's a threat if they can find enough depth and defense by the time the playoffs start. The Lakers and Warriors are threats, but both have aging cores — if the Lakers' LeBron James and Anthony Davis, and the Warriors' Stephen Curry and Draymond Green, can get to the playoffs healthy, they are threats.

What about Memphis, without Ja Morant for the first 25 games of the season? Do we trust the Clippers? Does Minnesota figure it out this season with two bigs and the emergence of Anthony Edwards? The Thunder are set to make a leap. Do we trust Zion Williamson to stay healthy and make the Pelicans a threat?

We break all that down and more.

The Denver Nuggets left no doubt who was the best team in the NBA. Not only did they roll through the West, but also the Miami Heat dragged the game into the mud and played much of the Finals on their terms. It did not matter. The Nuggets beat the Heat at their own game.

Corey Robinson and Kurt Helin from NBC Sports dive into the Nugget's win and then tackle the big questions: Can they repeat and win another? Can they turn this into a dynasty?  That tied directly into Corey's jukebox, which compares early Fleetwood Mac to where the Nuggets are right now.

Finally, the duo dives into trade talk — will Bradley Beal be on the move — and the upcoming NBA Draft, where the four picks after No. 1 are available for the right price. Would the Pelicans be willing to move Zion Williamson to land Scoot Henderson? It's not out of the question.

Giannis Antetokounmpo just played a historically great NBA Finals game.

Then, he played an even better NBA Finals game.

Antetokounmpo is enjoying this experience and Bucks fans should, too. He has even gotten Milwaukee within a game of the Suns.

Dan Feldman and Frank Madden of Locked On Bucks discuss the NBA Finals and Milwaukee's longer-term outlook.

Is Phoenix-Milwaukee the ideal big-market NBA Finals?

No.

Do Dan Feldman and Mike Prada care?

No.

The Suns and Bucks are enjoyable teams that play hard, smart and together. This Finals matchup could be excellent – especially if Giannis Antetokounmpo is healthy.

Feldman and Prada preview the series (with a look back on conference finals MVPs).

The shorthanded Bucks just beat the shorthanded Hawks in Game 5 of the Eastern Conference finals.

Without Giannis Antetokounmpo, could Milwaukee hang with the Suns in the NBA Finals? Even if Trae Young returns, could Atlanta?

Dan Feldman and Kurt Helin discuss the playoffs ahead and behind (who should win Western Conference finals MVP?).

They also cover the Clippers' outlook with (or without?) Kawhi Leonard and Paul George, the Trail Blazers facing complications with Damian Lillard and Chauncey Billups and the Mavericks hiring Jason Kidd.

The Pistons haven't won a playoff game in 13 years.

But their fortunes are changing.

Detroit won the 2021 NBA Draft lottery, getting the inside track to Cade Cunningham (or Jalen Green???). The other big winner: the Raptors, who moved up from the No. 7 lottery seed to the No. 4 pick. Tanking pays, apparently.

On the latest ProBasketballTalk Podcast, Dan Feldman discusses how the Pistons will handle their windfall with James Edwards III of The Athletic and whether Toronto's lottery luck will change the team's trajectory with Eric Koreen of The Athletic.

Wednesday was so insane around the NBA we barely talked about Kevin Durant having a game for the ages the night before. Chris Paul and COVID, Kawhi Leonard and his ACL, Stan Van Gundy out in New Orleans, then Scott Brooks out in Washington, Donnie Nelson out as GM in Dallas, and LaMelo Ball being named Rookie of the Year. It's almost too much to process, but Kurt Helin and Dan Feldman of NBC Sports give it a shot — and they take a couple of listener questions.

The Trail Blazers have reached a crossroads.

After making the playoffs eight straight years, Portland ousted coach Terry Stotts. C.J. McCollum could get traded. Damian Lillard almost certainly won't, but building around him is a major challenge.

And Neil Olshey said A LOT at his end-of-season press conference (embedded above).

Where will and should the Trail Blazers go from here?

Dan Feldman and Danny Marang of NBC Sports Northwest and the Blazers Edge Podcast discuss.

The Celtics just went through a shocking shakeup, Danny Ainge stepping down as team president (though not necessarily retiring) and Brad Stevens getting promoted from coaching to running the front office.

What's happening in Boston?

Dan Feldman and Jared Weiss of The Athletic discuss the Celtics' new structure, whether they'll trade Kemba Walker or Marcus Smart, how they should build around Jayson Tatum and Jaylen Brown, comments Ainge made or may not have made on the way out the door and how prepared the Nets' defense – after stifling Boston – is for the Bucks:

The NBA playoffs began with three-to-four Western Conference teams – Lakers, Clippers, Jazz and arguably Suns – looking like championship contenders.

All four have have taken dents to their cases:

• The Clippers might be imploding as they've fallen behind 2-0 to the Mavericks.
• Lakers star LeBron James has looked only relatively healthy (at best) with his ankle issue.
• Suns star Chris Paul is injured.
• The Jazz had a rough showing in Game 1 then a key defenseless stretch in Game 2.

On the latest ProBasketballTalk Podcast, Dan Feldman and Andy Larsen of The Salt Lake Tribune give progress reports for the West contenders and assess whether Dallas belongs in the conversation.

They also got into a Philadelphia fan dumping popcorn on Russell Westbrook, a Knicks fan maybe spitting on Trae Young, Kyrie Irving's comments about racism in Boston, fallout from Utah sitting Donovan Mitchell in Game 1, whether Jazz teammates Jordan Clarkson or Joe Ingles should have won Sixth Man of the Year and why Bojan Bogdanovic got a Most Improved Player vote.

The Los Angeles Lakers struggled at points but went to Anthony Davis at center lineup when it mattered and evened their series with the Suns. The other Los Angeles team, the Clippers, look to be in serious trouble down 0-2 to Luka Doncic and the Mavericks, with the Clippers' defense falling apart. Another year without a battle for Los Angeles? No Hallway Series? Mark Medina of the USA Today joins Kurt Helin of NBC Sports to discuss the two Los Angeles teams and their playoff series, plus some talk of how aggressive the Warriors need to be this offseason to build a team around Stephen Curry.

Dan Feldman and Kurt Helin discussed their 2021 NBA award picks, including:

• MVP
• Defensive Player of the Year
• Rookie of the Year
• Sixth Man of the Year
• Coach of the Year
• Executive of the Year
• All-NBA
• All-Defense

Dan and Kurt also reveal their yet-to-be-published choices for Most Improved Player and All-Rookie, going especially deep on their indefensible, ridiculous, unwarranted, disrespectful, unfair, preposterous, ludicrous, revolting, unacceptable snub of Anthony Edwards for Rookie of the Year.

After three games of the NBA Finals, there are still so many questions.  Can the Heat stop the Jamal  Murray/Nikola Jokić pick-and-roll? Will Miami find 3-point shot again and will that be enough? Is Denver the team that does not wilt under the pressure Miami puts on them? Is there a better player on the planet than Nikola Jokić.

Corey Robinson and Kurt Helin from NBC Sports get into all of that, then talk coaching hires. Is Frank Vogel a good hire in Phoenix? speaking of coach talk, Corey's Jukebox talks Monty Williams and how a classic Aretha Franklin song sums him up.

Finally, the conversation turns to Team USA and the roster headed to the Philippines for the World Cup this summer — a lot of young, athletic talent, but will any of the American NBA elites join them? Also, who is your favorite NBA mascot? 

The first-ever play-in tournament at the end of a regular season (as much as you can call this season regular) starts off with a showstopper: Warriors at Lakers. We delve into why the Lakers are no lock in that game, plus look at the other play-in games: Spurs at Grizzlies, and in the East Washington at Boston and Charlotte at Indiana. From there, Dan Feldman and Kurt Helin of NBC Sports look at all the matchups in the first round, including why the Bucks facing the Heat is the most intriguing first-round series.

David Thorpe of TrueHoop is NBA media's foremost expert on player of development.

So, he was the perfect person for discussing Dan Feldman's new concoction – Utmost Improved Player.

Utmost Improved Player honors the player who has improved the most since his rookie season. The only ground rule: He must be having a career year.

On the latest PBT Podcast, Thorpe and Feldman discuss their top five UIP candidates (Feldman wrote about his top 10 here).

Wizards coach Scott Brooks said Russell Westbrook would go down as the second-best point guard of all-time (behind Magic Johnson).

That seemed extreme.

But Westbrook is posting historic numbers, building his resume and helping Washington surge into the postseason.

Dan Feldman and Chase Hughes of NBC Sports Washington discussed Westbrook's legacy and the NBA's hotly contested play-in tournaments on the latest ProBasketballTalk Podcast:.

There has never been and will never be anything again like the 2019-20 NBA season. From Kobe Bryant's death through the pandemic shutting down the league to the season being resurrected in "the bubble" on the Walt Disney campus in Orlando, it was unique. Ben Golliver of the Washington Post was on the inside and wrote about his bubble experiences in a new book, "Bubbleball," which covers basketball, mental health, social justice, and Kawhi Leonard in a golf cart. Ben joins Kurt Helin of NBC Sports to talk about the book, his experiences, and what we can take away from the bubble into the coming playoffs (will the Clippers fold again, or are they different?).

The Nets, Lakers and Clippers are deservedly championship favorites.

But this isn't just a three-horse race.

The Jazz and Suns – who've been the NBA's best teams so far this season – absolutely have title chances. Even if they fall short of that ultimate prize in the playoffs, Utah and Phoenix deserve even more commendation for their overall success this year.

Dan Feldman talked with Jazz beat writer Tony Jones of The Athletic and Suns beat writer Duane Rankin of The Arizona Republic about these high-quality teams.

Teams have about 10 games left and the Eastern Conference playoff chase is still both wide open and confusing. Can anyone explain Boston's ups and downs? How has defense fueled the Wizards' recent run? Did the Bulls miss on Daniel Gafford? Of the Bucks, Nets, and 76ers, which one comes out of the East? The Knicks turnaround has been brilliant, but are they are playoff threat this year? Chase Hughes of NBC Sports Washington and Keith Smith of Yahoo Sports and Celtics Blog join Kurt Helin of NBC Sports to break down the East playoff chase over the final 10 games of this condensed season.

The NBA regular season is about 80% complete. Some teams have established themselves as much as possible in the regular season and are just biding their time until an opportunity to prove themselves in the playoffs. Other teams are tanking strategically emphasizing resting good veterans and developing bad young players.

But the regular season isn't over.

There are still at least a few things to learn the rest of the regular season.

Dan Feldman and J. Michael of The Indianapolis Star discuss with an emphasis on the Celtics, Mavericks, Raptors, Bulls and Warriors and MVP and Sixth Man of the Year races.

Stephen Curry is on the kind of roll that is getting the attention of fans, MVP voters, and opponents alike. What does that mean for the Warriors' playoff chances, and what does it mean for the franchise going forward as it looks ahead to next season and beyond? Drew Shiller, the Warriors outsider from NBC Sports Bay Area, joins Kurt Helin and Dan Feldman of NBC Sports. The trio also discusses the wide-open playoff chase in the West, not sleeping on Utah or Phoenix, and does the entire conference come down to the health of Anthony Davis and LeBron James.

Who came out on top in a hectic NBA Trade Deadline day where we saw 16 deals in a span of hours? Did Denver make itself a legit title contender by adding Aaron Gordon to the mix with Nikola Jokic and Jamal Murray? What about Chicago, picking up All-Star center Nikola Vucevic? Miami landed Victor Oladipo, but both it and Philadelphia struck out with Kyle Lowry, who stayed in Toronto. How much will Rajon Rondo help the Clippers? Kurt Helin and Dan Feldman of NBC Sports break down all the big trades plus get into a discussion about the upcoming buyout market.

Who is likely to be on the move at the NBA trade deadline? LaMarcus Aldridge? Kyle Lowry? Aaron Gordon? Will Atlanta decide to move on from promising young player John Collins? Where will players such as P.J. Tucker or George Hill land? Kurt Helin from NBC Sports and Mark Medina of the USA Today talk about all of that, whether this is going to be an active trade deadline at all, which players are more likely to be bought out, and who will be buyers at the deadline.

The NBA Finals are here and it's not the matchup anybody predicted: The Denver Nuggets vs. the Miami Heat. In this latest PBT Extra podcast, Kurt Helin and Corey Robinson break down that Finals matchup and if the Heat have any chance of slowing down Nikola Jokić. First the pair talk the Heat's Game 7 win over the Boston Celtics and what this says for the future of the Jayson Tatum and Jaylen Brown era in Boston. 

After the Finals, in Corey's Jukebox, Corey compares the Bucks and the recent hiring of Adrian Griffin as the team's head coach to the famed Mozart opera Don Giovanni — and that's not a complement to Milwaukee.

Then the duo get into the news around the NBA: What does Bob Myers leaving mean for the Warriors? Is Nick Nurse a good hire in Philadelphia? And what the heck is Eric Lewis thinking?

Who was the MVP for the first half of the NBA season: Joel Embiid? LeBron James? Nikola Jokic? Is LaMelo Ball running away with Rookie of the Year? What about Coach of the Year, should it be Quin Snyder with the Jazz? Tom Thibodeau with the Knicks? Don't sleep on the job that Gregg Popovich is doing with the Spurs. Kurt Helin and Dan Feldman of NBC Sports dive into both of those and the rest of the major NBA awards at the mid-point of the season.

The 2021 NBA All-Star Game is happening March 7 in Atlanta, whether the players want it or not. But which players will get selected? Who should get picked, both by the fans (and media/players) as starters, and as reserves? Kurt Helin and Dan Feldman of NBC Sports lay out their picks and debate both the starters and the fringes of the team, where arguments for a number of players likely to just miss the cut can be made.

We are a quarter of the way into this NBA season, and there have been surprises — Memphis, Cleveland — and there have been disappointments, such as Dallas and Miami. Kurt Helin and Dan Feldman from NBC Sports discuss those four teams and more, and delve into what got them there and if they can sustain it/turn things around.

The Brooklyn Nets pushed all their chips into the middle of the table in a trade for James Harden, forming a super trio with Kevin Durant and Kyrie Irving (when he returns). Is that enough? Can these three stars get along on offense, and the bigger question, will they have enough defense to win at the highest levels? Kurt Helin and Dan Feldman from NBC Sports break down the trade, what it means for Brooklyn, where Houston goes from here, and why Indiana and Cleveland did well. The duo also talks about the coronavirus and its impact on the league and season.

Is Giannis Antetokounmpo going to repeat as MVP, or can a first-timer such as Luka Doncic pick up the award this year? Is No. 1 pick Anthony Edwards going to be Rookie of the Year? And is there any team in the West — or the East for that matter — that can rise up and knock LeBron James and the Lakers off the mountain top? Kurt Helin and Dan Feldman of NBC Sports dive into all of this, make their predictions (and yes, both of them have the Lakers going back-to-back — but it's not going to be easy).

The Washington Wizards' clear goal is to make the playoffs this season, and they are banking on Russell Westbrook to help lift Bradley Beal and the rest of the squad up to that level. Chase Hughes of NBC Sports Washington joins Kurt Helin of NBC to talk about what Beal wants if he is going to stay in Washington, and if a team with Thomas Bryant, Davis Bertans, and Rui Hachimura can become a solid playoff team in the East. The pair also then discuss all of the Eastern conference, from Milwaukee and Miami at the top through an interesting to watch but not very good Charlotte team.

Giannis Antetokounmpo has chosen to stay in Milwaulkee, which is fantastic for the Bucks, maybe good for the league, but bad for the free agent market next summer. The Bucks are title contenders this season but will they keep spending to stay at that level? Were does Antetokounmpo's decision leave Miami, Dallas, and other teams interested in him. Kurt Helin and Dan Feldman from NBC Sports get into all of that, then jump into previewing the Western Conference and discuss if any team can knock the Lakers off the mountain top.

It's a draft with far more questions than answers: LaMelo Ball, James Wiseman, or Anthony Edwards for the top pick? Does someone trade up to snag Wiseman? What do the Bulls do at No. 4? The Hawks at 6? Does a potentially strong player like Isaac Okoro or Onyeka Okongwu slide down the board and make some team very happy. There's a lot of solid talent in the draft, not a lot of star talent and Kurt Helin and Dan Feldman break it all down. They also digest the latest James Harden rumors.

There is something captivating about the three-peat Lakers of Shaquille O'Neal and Kobe Bryant — the way they feuded, the way they won, and ultimately the way they came apart. One of the best sportswriters alive today, Jeff Pearlman, joins the NBC ProBasketballTalk Podcast to talk about that team and his new book, "Three-Ring Circus: Kobe, Shaq, Phil, and the Crazy Years of the Lakers Dynasty" (now available wherever books are sold). We delve into the team and discuss how Kobe's and Shaq's attitudes about how to approach life impacted their rocky relationship, the rough early years they were together, Phil Jackson's role, and ultimately how it all came apart. Pearlman provides fantastic insights and fascinating stories about these legendary players and their iconic team that is now part of Lakers' lore.

It may be October heading into November, but the NBA offseason is here and there are a lot of questions: Will Giannis Antetokounmpo lock in with the Bucks? Will Victor Oladipo get traded? What about Chris Paul? Will the Timberwolves or Golden State trade out of one of the top couple picks in the NBA draft? Which teams made a smart hire with their new coach. Kurt Helin and Dan Feldman of NBC Sports are joined by friend of the podcast Keith Smith of Yahoo Sports/Real GM/Celtics blog to go over all of that and more — there is even Jakob Poeltl talk. Listen and you will be better prepped for the coming NBA offseason.

LeBron James and his retirement stole the headlines, but the Denver Nuggets and their play deserve to be front and center, and that's the first topic in this week's podcast. Corey Robinson and Kurt Helin get into what works for Denver, then dive into if LeBron is really thinking about retirement (he's not) and what the Lakers need to do. From there there is a conversation about the Heat and if the Celtics can come back on them. Then, for Corey's Jukebox, it's time to sing the blues with Johnny Lee Hooker and talk Lakers a little more. The conversation then shifts to Carmelo Anthony and his Hall of Fame career, before talking about the coaching searches around the NBA and how Nick Nurse is a hot name. Also, would you fire Joe Mazzulla? Finally, a quick conversation about the Game of Life. 

It's moved from June to October, and rather than cross-country flights everyone will be in a bubble in Orlando, but the NBA Finals are finally here: The Los Angeles Lakers vs. the Miami Heat. The Lakers are the heavy favorites but Miami posses some matchup challenges, starting with Bam Adebayo on Anthony Davis. Add in Jimmy Butler checking LeBron James for stretches, and the Heat shooters such as Tyler Herro and Duncan Robinson, and this is not going to be a cakewalk for Los Angeles. Mark Medina of the USA today joins Kurt Helin and Dan Feldman of NBC Sports to break down the Finals, talk about what it would take for Miami to pull off the upset, and discuss how this matchup could influence how other teams build out their rosters in the future.

In the wake of Tyler Herro looking like the best offensive player Miami has seen since some guy decided to go back home to Cleveland, the question becomes what players have helped themselves the most in the bubble, and in the playoffs in particular? Not coincidentally, Miami and Denver have a lot of those players. Kurt Helin and Dan Feldman of NBC Sports get into that, talk some Boston/Miami series, and also talk about the recent coaching carousel including Billy Donovan to Chicago and the fact no team has hired a Black coach this offseason.

What happened to a Clippers team that played like it was entitled to a trip to the Finals? Does the gritty, surprising Denver team that came back on Utah and the Clippers have a chance against LeBron James and the Lakers? Seriously, what happened to the Clippers? Kurt Helin and Dan Feldman of NBC Sports discuss all of that, plus get into the start of the Boston and Miami series in the East, what Mike D'Antoni and the Rockets might do, and also, what the heck happened to the Clippers?

The ping-pong balls bounced the Minnesota Timberwolves way, they now have the No. 1 pick in the 2020 NBA Draft. Now what? Do they take Anthony Edwards or LaMelo Ball, seemingly the consensus top two picks? Do either of them fit next to D'Angelo Russell at the point, and with Karl-Anthony Towns at center? Just how bad would Minnesota's defense be with Towns, Russell, and either Ball or Edwards on the court together? Kurt Helin and Dan Feldman of NBC Sports discuss all that, plus how badly the Warriors may want to trade out of the No. 2 pick, and what happens with Charlotte at No. 3 and down through the lottery, all the way to Boston at No. 14 (and the end of the Celtics run of using other team's picks).

What is life like inside the NBA's restart campus at the Walt Disney World Resort in Orlando, is it all just basketball and Mickey-shaped ice cream bars? Mark Medina of the USA Today is one of the reporters in the bubble and he spoke with Kurt Helin in this latest PBT Podcast about life and food in the bubble. They also discussed the scrimmage games, the opening of the NBA season, players kneeling and taking more than just symbolic steps for Black Lives Matter, who is going to win it all, and much more.

Which team is going to win it all? Which is the biggest threat Milwaukee and Giannis Antetokounmpo in the East? Which team will be the biggest surprise? Can anyone catch Memphis for the eighth seed? The NBA is back and Kurt Helin and Dan Feldman from NBC Sports make their restart predictions on all of that and more in this podcast, plus they talk about the likely sale of the Timberwolves.

The NBA is back! Or will be in July, at least, when 22 teams report to Orlando to play in a format that will see eight "seeding" games followed by potential play-in games for the eighth seed. After that it's a regular playoffs — no 1-16 seed but still East and West — with seven-game series each round. Kurt Helin, Dan Feldman, and Keith Smith break down the format and whether this is a format that provides enough safety to the players and staffs in Orlando.

For the third straight season, Rob Dauster of College Basketball Talk collaborated with Kurt Helin of Pro Basketball Talk for a full mock draft. Rob knows the prospects better than anyone. Kurt knows the teams and their needs better than anyone. The result is a unique listening experience breaking down who will be picked where based on fit.

The first ten picks are on this podcast. Picks 11-30 can be found over on the College Basketball Talk feed.

Here are the time-stamps for each team:

11. San Antonio Spurs: (Open)

12. Sacramento Kings: (5:52)

13. New Orleans Pelicans: (8:58)

14. Portland Trail Blazers: (13:50)

15. Orlando Magic: (19:01)

16. Minnesota Timberwolves (via Brooklyn Nets): (21:32)

17. Boston Celtics (via Memphis Grizzlies): (25:53)

18. Dallas Mavericks: (28:10)

19. Milwaukee Bucks (via Indiana Pacers): (30:30)

20. Brooklyn Nets (via Philadelphia 76ers): (36:54)

21. Denver Nuggets (via Houston Rockets): (40:34)

22. Philadelphia 76ers (via Oklahoma City Thunder): (44:27)

23. Miami Heat: (46:10)

24. Utah Jazz: (49:07)

25. Oklahoma City Thunder (via Denver Nuggets): (51:20)

26. Boston Celtics: (53:02)

27. New York Knicks (via Los Angeles Clippers): (56:34)

28. Toronto Raptors: (58:24)

29. Los Angeles Lakers: (1:00:12)

30. Boston Celtics (via Milwaukee Bucks): (1:03:46)

To get inside the Jordan-era Bulls and the documentary The Last Dance, we went to the guy who wrote the book on Jordan. Literally. Author Roland Lazenby wrote "Blood on the Horns" about these very 1997-98 Bulls, plus he wrote "Michael Jordan: The Life" and he joined Kurt Helin of NBC Sports this week. They talk about the tension on that team with GM Jerry Krause, how Michael Jordan's upbringing made him competitive, and his time in baseball — all with inside details you're not going to hear anywhere else.

LeBron James or Giannis Antetokounmpo for MVP? Zion Williamson or Ja Morant for Rookie of the Year? Can Rudy Gobert three-peat as Defensive Player of the Year? The entire team at NBC Sports' NBA page — Kurt Helin, Dan Feldman, and Keith Smith — talk about their picks for end-of-season awards, and the controversy isn't always where fans might expect it.

It's a Fiesta in San Antonio. Literally. And not just because the Spurs won the NBA Draft Lottery, and with it the rights to draft Victor Wembanyama, although Corey Robinson says that has added to the party along the River Walk — with some Afro-Cuban All-Stars music.

In this latest episode of the PBT Extra Podcast, Robinson and Kurt Helin from NBC Sports talk about why landing in San Antonio is a win for Wembanyama as well as the Spurs, how starting his career under the tutelage of Gregg Popovich is a good thing, and how the Spurs should be patient with their build-out around a franchise cornerstone. Then the pair discuss how the lottery was a win for the Hornets and Trail Blazers, but not so much for the Pistons.

From there they discuss Game 1 of the Western Conference Finals and what to take away from the Nuggets' dominant start and the Lakers' comeback. Then they get into the Eastern Conference Finals, where they agree the Heat will bring it and question how much they should trust the Celtics. 

All that plus discussing heroes and villains.

Should Anthony Edwards be the No. 1 pick? Or James Wiseman? How would Obi Toppin fit with the Warriors? More importantly, how is anyone preparing for a draft when nobody knows when it will take place? Rob Dauster of NBC Sports joins Kurt Helin to discuss what they know and don't know about the 2020 NBA Draft, starting with nobody knowing when it will take place. They discuss players from the big schools and a sleeper to watch.

What if the NBA added two new teams this summer, an expansion rebirth of the Seattle Supersonics plus the Flint Tropics? What would that expansion draft look like? What players would teams protect, and could players like Blake Griffin, Gordon Hayward, and Kevin Love be on the move? Kurt Helin, Dan Feldman, and Keith Smith of NBC Sports perform just that mock draft and lay the foundations for their future teams.

The NBA has hit pause on its season after Utah's Rudy Gobert — and later, teammate Donovan Mitchell — tested positive for coronavirus. Now what happens? Is the season shortened, do they just resume where they are, and what could this mean for the draft, Summer League, and the Olympics? What will the reduction in income to the league mean to the salary cap? Kurt Helin and Keith Smith from NBC Sports talk about what they know, and a lot about how nobody really knows what happens in this uncharted territory. They also answer a couple of listener questions, including on what Giannis Antetokounmpo might do this summer and what it means for every other team.