The Bill Simmons Podcast
The NBA Playoffs Mega-Preview. Plus, Awards Picks With Rob Mahoney, Chris Ryan, and Brian Windhorst
Fri, 18 Apr 2025
The Ringer’s Bill Simmons is joined by Rob Mahoney and Chris Ryan to talk about the playoff matchups they’re most excited about before they discuss their NBA awards picks (2:45). Then, Brian Windhorst joins to discuss Luka, international basketball, LeBron, and much more (1:22:09). Host: Bill Simmons Guests: Rob Mahoney, Chris Ryan, and Brian Windhorst Producers: Chia Hao Tat, Jessie Lopez, and Steve Ceruti Get anything delivered on Uber Eats. www.ubereats.com The Ringer is committed to responsible gaming. Please visit www.rg-help.com to learn more about the resources and helplines available. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
Chapter 1: What playoff matchups are Bill Simmons, Rob Mahoney, and Chris Ryan most excited about?
I expressed real concern that they didn't totally look like they knew who they were again. And Zach and I talked about that on his pod on Monday. I didn't even know about the Kaminga benching until the next day. I thought he was hurt. And it just seems like they punted on Kaminga. And this is, Rob, a different team than they were when we did that Lakers-Warriors pod where...
I thought Kaminga, I think he brings them something extra athletically, physically, just as a bigger body. They're playing Kawhi Leonard, LeBron James against Houston. who has a bunch of physical wings. It just seemed, and they're going to play a big lineup. It just seems like you need them, but the words are done with them. And now I feel like they seem really small in this series.
This is a classic small ball, big ball kind of matchup. I'm way more worried about them than I was two weeks ago. Is that recency bias or what do you think it is?
I think they've kind of always been that team, and they've shown some of those limitations as far as, you know, how much do you trust Golden State in the half court? The good news is, probably you trust the Rockets less in terms of executing their half court offenses. So this matchup works for them, but I agree with you, they're very small. The Kuminga element is such a
Such a perfect encapsulation of the Warriors, who I think at every turn have prioritized rowing in the same direction, philosophical alignment, as opposed to, oh, what's like the other counter element that we can bring in to give us a different speed, a different punch? Other coaches, other teams, other structures might welcome a Jonathan Kuminga type under those circumstances.
Yeah.
But also, is he really the answer? You know, if you're struggling with a LeBron or you're struggling with a Luka or one of these teams that have big wings at any point in the playoffs, if you're struggling with Tari Eason, for that matter, is Jonathan Kuminga really the solution? I'm still a little skeptical of that, even though I respect the talent.
Or was he the best possible solution out of all the other available options they had? But they, you know, CR, you mentioned the Curry injury possibility. Yeah. Butler, just the fact that it's an older team and you have this young, hungry team of pit bulls going against them that also has home court advantage. I can't figure this series out. What are you looking at?
You can tell me at the end of this series that this was like... a version of like the early great Thunder teams that came out and just ripped the Spurs apart, you know, like where they lost the first two and then they just, it wasn't that they won the next four after losing two to the Spurs.
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Chapter 2: How do the Warriors vs Rockets and Bucks vs Pacers series shape up?
The median show for a couple is an interesting conversation. Like what show ticks three boxes each? I think Friends and Neighbors.
Oh, I think Presumed Innocent is a 10 out of 10 on that scale.
Yeah, Friends and Neighbors right now for my wife and I is a ticking equal boxes.
Just ham, hamming it up. Yeah. He's having a ham old time. Okay. Playing games really quick. I picked Miami against Chicago, and I think they're also going to beat Atlanta, and that line is only minus one. There's no case for the Hawks. Is there, Rob?
I mean, there's a case in that other than what you may have been led to believe by the way that he just shellacked the Bulls, this team can't really score in most games. And so I don't put it past them on any night to have like a 15-point quarter followed by a 13-point quarter.
Who do you think Cleveland would rather play? Probably Atlanta, right?
I don't think they care. I think they probably... I mean, look, yeah. If given the choice, one of them is maybe a little less physically taxing than the other, but I don't think the Cavs are having a problem with either of those teams.
You guys enjoying the play-in experience? I think they could dump the 9-10 pretty easily and we'd be good. I think we could go 7-8 and then loser plays 8-9 or we go 8-9 first.
Yeah.
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