Overview of NBA Panic Teams, Best QBs Ever, and Sorry Seattle — The Bill Simmons Podcast (The Ringer)
This episode (Bill Simmons Podcast) features three main guest blocks: Rob Mahoney on “what the hell do we do now?” for a bunch of NBA teams at the trade-deadline moment, Chris “Mad Dog” Russo on the all-time quarterback conversation (plus Josh Allen’s playoff legacy), and Ringer writer Danny Kelly (Seahawks superfan) to patch a Bill Simmons on-air mistake and preview Seattle’s playoff matchup. The show also includes standard Bill tangents (Rewatchables, live dates, sponsors) and plenty of trade-deadline/roster scheming.
Key segments & guests
- Rob Mahoney — NBA trade-deadline: deep tour of teams in turmoil or opportunity (Warriors, Knicks, Celtics, Magic, Sixers, Lakers, Bucks, Mavs, OKC, Hawks, Pelicans, Clippers and others).
- Chris Russo — All-time quarterback discussion, how to rank QBs (titles vs. talent), and a focused debate on Josh Allen’s playoff resume.
- Danny Kelly — Seahawks status, apology for Bill’s mistaken Super Bowl claim, matchup vs. the Rams, special-teams/skill-player notes.
- Interstitial: Bill promotion of Ringer Rewatchables, upcoming live events and sponsors.
NBA — “What the hell do we do now?” (Rob Mahoney)
Rob and Bill run through teams, asking whether to be buyers, sellers, or stand-pat. Main conclusions and notable ideas:
Golden State Warriors
- Takeaway: Jimmy Butler injury referenced as season-killer for Golden State (Bill says season “cooked”).
- Options: small, buy-low/long-term moves; evaluate Jonathan Kuminga as internal upside (the “Kuminga era” talk); unlikely to make bold, high-cost deadline gambles.
- Trade talk: Wild theoretical ideas floated (Zion, Trey Murphy, Paul George packages) — all viewed as low-probability or “dark” options.
New York Knicks
- Form: 2–9 in last 11; defensive and fit problems with Jalen Brunson–Karl-Anthony Towns pairing; rotations/bench issues.
- Outlook: Rob and Bill skeptical the current roster/coaching resolves itself; trade/speculation includes big moves (LeBron/AD hypotheticals) but they’re cautious — consensus: dramatic change is on the table if team can’t cohere.
Boston Celtics (Tatum return)
- Tatum’s comeback is delicate: minutes limits and role integration could upset a high-performing, identity-driven unit anchored by Jalen Brown.
- Risk: reintroducing Tatum could change the team chemistry that’s produced a top net rating; coaching and minutes management are crucial.
Orlando Magic
- Takeaway: intriguing young core (Paolo Banchero, Franz Wagner, Jalen Suggs, Anthony Black emergence); be patient, consider modest deadline shoring (backup guard/shooting).
- Advice: Don’t overreact — let healthy core play out; look for bench upgrades.
Philadelphia 76ers
- Embiid and Paul George returning has helped, but clarity on bench creators and wing/depth still needed.
- Trade assets: Grimes’ contract, Kelly Oubre, and picks could be used to shore up postseason needs. Jared McCain’s stock discussed (G League).
Los Angeles Lakers
- Major problem: defense (29th defensive rating in a 20-game sample); lack of athletic perimeter defenders.
- Trade/target ideas: seek athletic perimeter or two-way pieces (Tari Eason, De’Anthony Melton, Keon Ellis). Expiring contracts (Rui, Vincent, Kleber) could be moved to reshape roster.
Milwaukee Bucks
- In crisis: 18–24 with Giannis frequently hurt; few tradable assets (Kuzma, Portis).
- Choices: swing big (trade Giannis) or go all-in on salvage deals — no comfortable middle ground.
Oklahoma City Thunder
- Have assets (many picks) and might overpay for complementary shooters—Trey Murphy repeatedly discussed as an optimal fit; but Sam Presti historically patient — uncertain whether OKC will move.
Dallas / Mavs, Clippers, Pelicans, Hawks and others
- Mavs wary of taking on Anthony Davis’ future contract; probably stall.
- Clippers have “figured it out” — no major moves anticipated.
- Pelicans: Trey Murphy considered a legitimately movable and valuable piece if compensation is extreme.
- Hawks/Bulls: uncertain identities (Trae trade fallout for Hawks), Bulls quietly stabilizing.
General theme: Most teams have hard trade choices (buy, sell, or stand pat). Rob advises conservatism for some (Orlando, OKC possibly), urgency or radical ideas for others (Bucks, Knicks, Warriors).
NFL & All-time QBs — Chris Russo (high-level takeaways)
- Ranking criteria matter: Russo emphasizes era differences, championships, postseason performance, and whether you start the “modern” QB conversation with Unitas (or later).
- Top-of-list consensus: Brady and Montana are untouchable for Russo’s top slots. Mahomes: Russo’s pick as the best QB he’s ever seen and would take him over anyone (tremendous talent + mobility + clutch). Unitas included in top era group as well.
- Russo’s stance on other all-timers: Peyton Manning, Elway, Marino, Staubach, Bradshaw, and Rodgers are in the next tier; Favre and Steve Young are borderline for top-10 according to Russo mainly because of turnovers or insufficient peak/postseason body of work.
- Josh Allen:
- Bill’s critique: recent playoff collapses (game-by-game critiques) hurt Allen’s legacy; Allen’s playoff shortcomings make it hard to place him in top-10 without a title.
- Russo’s counter: Allen is unquestionably a Hall of Fame-level talent and will be a perennial playoff team QB thanks to his physical profile — but a ring is needed to cement elite historical placement.
- Larger point: championships matter in QB legacy but context (supporting cast, era, injuries) also influences evaluation — debates are subjective and era-dependent.
Notable Russo quote: “For my money, Mahomes is the best quarterback I’ve ever seen.”
Seahawks check-in & Bill’s apology — Danny Kelly
- Bill’s mistake: he erroneously said the Seahawks never won a Super Bowl; he apologized on-air and to Seahawks fans (Danny Kelly responds with good humor).
- Seahawks status:
- Strengths: elite defense (flexible nickel/diamond schemes, high pressure without heavy blitz rates), strong matchups vs. most offenses. Key defenders: Nick Edomwari, Devon Witherspoon.
- Offense concerns: Sam Darnold turnover proclivity (led NFL in turnovers this season), Kenneth Walker pass-pro limitations, injury to Zach Charbonnet (torn ACL) removes a short-yardage/high-leverage piece.
- Special teams/weapon: returner/personalities like Shaheed have been big-play sparks.
- Playoff matchup preview: Rams (Stafford/McVay/Puka) are dangerous — high scorer, dangerous passing offense. Seahawks’ plan: pressure, disrupt timing, make it physical; matchup is winnable but Stafford/Stafford-led offense is the main worry.
Other notable topics & tangents
- Rewatchables / Ringer events: Bill plugs Rewatchables episodes moving to Netflix and a live Bill Simmons/Rewatchables event at The Wiltern (Feb 11).
- Promos: FanDuel, Spectrum Business, LinkedIn Jobs, State Farm, TaxAct, Scout Motors.
- Pop culture: Bill and guests briefly praise TV shows (“Industry,” “The Pit”), and riff extensively on sports-history anecdotes (Bart Starr, Elway, Wilt, Clemens, Kershaw).
Notable quotes & soundbites
- “This season is pretty much cooked” — Bill on Warriors (post-injury outlook).
- “Nine attempts to sell Kuminga into being a fit — 9.0” — Rob joking about Kuminga’s repeated ‘try’ moments.
- Chris Russo: “Mahomes is the best quarterback I’ve ever seen.”
- Bill on Knicks decision-making: strong critique of Dolan firing Thibodeau and resultant instability.
Action items / what to watch next
- NBA trade deadline: watch Warriors injury updates and whether they make any buy-low or offload moves; check Pelicans’ stance on Trey Murphy market; track Bucks’ willingness to swing or trade Giannis.
- Celtics: monitor Tatum’s minutes plan and how his return affects Jalen Brown and bench rotations.
- Knicks: check for any major roster moves for Towns/Brunson fit; watch Towns’ form/consistency.
- Josh Allen: preseason narratives vs. real playoff performance — his next playoff opportunities will reshape legacy debate.
- Seahawks vs. Rams: monitor Darnold’s turnover tendencies and Seattle’s special-teams/pressure success.
- Draft/coach news: Bill and guests flagged McDaniel, McVay, and other coaching hires — and Mendoza as a likely No. 1 QB pick.
Bottom line
This episode is a long, freewheeling mix of trade-deadline NBA triage (Rob Mahoney’s team-by-team triage), a lively, old-school QB legacy debate (Chris Russo arguing Mahomes-as-best-ever), and a fan-forward Seahawks playoff primer plus an on-air apology (Danny Kelly). If you want quick, opinionated takes on who should buy/sell at the NBA deadline, the ranking philosophy for QBs, and a practical preview of Seahawks matchups, this episode delivers.