Overview of The Hot 76ers and an NBA Chemistry Breakdown With Doc Rivers, Plus the Mailbag and NFL Picks With Joe House
Bill Simmons opens with a wide-ranging basketball conversation with Doc Rivers, who is now out of coaching and enjoying a more flexible lifestyle while joining NBC and spending more time around the league. The two dig into team chemistry, roster construction, player fit, and the early shape of the NBA season, with special attention on the 76ers, Bucks, Lakers, Warriors, Celtics, and several young teams. Later, Joe House joins for the mailbag and this week’s NFL picks, including several contrarian bets, a few teases, and a lot of skepticism about shaky quarterback situations around the league.
Doc Rivers on Chemistry, Fit, and What Makes Teams Work
The importance of “touching” and connection
Doc returns to one of his favorite themes: team chemistry is real and measurable. He points to small interactions on dead balls — eye contact, high-fives, fist bumps, arm-around-the-shoulder moments — as signs of whether a team is truly connected.
- He recalls a Harvard study on touch with his championship Celtics team.
- He argues that veteran presence matters, especially at the end of the bench.
- His view: young players who aren’t playing and veterans who still care about winning create a better balance than a bench full of frustrated young guys.
Why role players and veterans matter
Doc stresses that teams need a mix:
- stars at the top,
- hungry young players,
- and veteran “back stars” who help stabilize the locker room.
He’s skeptical of benches filled with developmental players who are angry about not getting minutes and are bouncing between the NBA and G League.
Early NBA Team Breakdowns
The 76ers are the league’s best team right now
Doc and Bill both love the current Sixers setup.
Why they like them:
- Joel Embiid gives them elite scoring and foul-drawing.
- Tyrese Maxey is described as a “sunny” personality who fits any team.
- LeBron James is thriving in a new role, with Doc saying he looks genuinely happy — possibly the happiest he’s been in years.
- The whole group seems to have embraced the construction of the team.
They view the Sixers as a legit contender because of the combination of star power, athleticism, and fit.
Maxey’s value
Doc repeatedly praises Maxey:
- He can explode for scoring bursts without forcing the issue.
- He’s competitive, positive, and adaptable.
- Doc would put him on Team USA without hesitation.
LeBron’s current role
Doc loves what LeBron is doing now:
- He sees him as a Magic Johnson-type Swiss Army knife.
- LeBron’s passing and vision are still elite and underrated.
- He can fit anywhere on the floor, including at center in certain lineups.
- In Philly, he appears genuinely energized by being on a team that’s structured to win.
The Bucks and Giannis fit issues
Doc gets deep into the challenge of building around Giannis Antetokounmpo.
Main points:
- Giannis is still a force, but the way you use him matters.
- Doc thinks the best version of Giannis is not holding the ball every trip.
- He’s more effective as a roller and as a force in transition than as a constant ball-dominant initiator.
- Giannis’s passing is excellent, but his feel and execution on every possession remain a challenge.
- The Bucks’ spacing and chemistry are still works in progress.
Doc also says that when Giannis is used correctly, he can completely change a team.
Miami’s strange vibe
Watching Miami live, Bill saw a team that felt disconnected early in the season:
- not much talking on dead balls,
- players moving in different directions,
- and very little flow until the offense shifted to Giannis in late-game downhill mode.
Doc agrees the team is still figuring out how to play around Giannis, especially with spacing and off-ball positioning.
The Lakers and Luka
They spend a lot of time on the shocking Luka Doncic trade and what it means for the Lakers.
Doc’s take:
- The trade still feels unbelievable.
- He thinks there’s more to the story than the public knows.
- Luka is a historic scorer, and the Lakers’ offense is rolling because of him.
- He compares Luka and Harden as heliocentric stars, but says Luka is a bit quicker in his actions.
- He believes Luka’s scoring pace is sustainable in the high-30s per game range, but 40 is probably too much.
Michael Jordan, LeBron, and the all-time standard
Doc and Bill compare all-time greats:
- Jordan’s dominance and field goal efficiency remain unmatched.
- Doc says Jordan’s mentality was the most important part of his greatness.
- They revisit Jordan’s iconic shot over Bryon Russell and how he controlled the entire Finals run.
- LeBron’s 2018 Game 7 against the Celtics is the only modern performance Doc puts in the same conversation for sheer endurance and control.
Young Players and Team Building Around the League
Wemby’s dominance
The conversation briefly turns to Victor Wembanyama:
- His stat lines are absurd.
- His rim protection changes how opponents attack.
- Doc says players instinctively avoid him or alter shots around him.
- He draws comparisons to Manute Bol and Mark Eaton, but with a much higher level of offensive skill.
The rookie class
Doc thinks this is one of the strongest rookie groups in a while.
He singles out:
- Caleb Wilson as a special talent with star potential.
- A.J. Johnson / A.J. Dybantsa-type prospects as physically gifted and already impactful in person.
- Boozer as a winning, additive player who does everything the right way even if he lacks flash.
- Peterson as a player he still likes, even if others are cooling on him.
- Tyler Herro / Tybo-type defenders and wings as examples of players whose elite one-way skill gives them staying power.
Mobley, Allen, and fit
Doc believes the Cavaliers are another team whose fit deserves scrutiny:
- Evan Mobley is not a traditional scorer, and trying to force him into that role may be a mistake.
- Doc compares Mobley favorably to Scottie Pippen in the sense that he does many things well.
- Jarrett Allen is valuable, but expensive for a non-elite center.
- He’s less convinced by the fit than the raw talent.
Warriors and Steph’s timeline
Doc says the Warriors are better than expected with their current additions, especially their new young energy piece.
But his bigger concern is Steph Curry’s age and timeline:
- He doesn’t think the Warriors can wait too long.
- If they want to maximize Steph, they should push their chips in now.
- He’d rather they trade for the right veteran than preserve flexibility for a future that may come after Steph is gone.
Big Picture on NBA Team Construction
The league is younger, but not necessarily better in structure
Doc argues the NBA has gotten younger partly because:
- two-way contracts are easier financially,
- teams are constantly churning rosters,
- and there’s less practice time than ever.
He believes this hurts:
- execution,
- chemistry,
- and overall basketball quality.
His fix for the NBA schedule
Doc makes a strong case for:
- more actual practice time,
- less reliance on “load management” logic,
- and possibly rethinking the schedule structure.
He suggests the league could even use more back-to-backs if it created more room for in-season practice and game prep.
Joe House Mailbag and NFL Picks
Mailbag highlights
House and Bill answer listener emails about:
- Gardner Minshew as the McRib of quarterbacks — a fun, limited-time, overhyped, but oddly beloved presence.
- Edited podcast versions for kids — prompted by the show’s frequent profanity.
- Aikman and Buck’s awkward broadcast chemistry — which both hosts actually enjoy watching because of the tension.
- Peanut Tillman — Bill corrects himself and acknowledges just how great Tillman actually was.
- Herbert’s “beer in the headlights” look — a listener suggests a better pun after Justin Herbert’s struggles.
- Jizz Room All-Stars — the recurring joke segment gets a formal restart next week.
- Jets trading for Herbert — both think the idea is absurd given Herbert’s current play and contract.
College football and rankings
House goes off on the absurdity of the College Football Playoff ranking system:
- He thinks the weekly rankings are arbitrary and dumb.
- He wants a simpler “top 12 club” format with alphabetical listing, not fake precision.
- He also takes a swing at college football’s long history of exploitation and instability.
NFL culture and fun grievances
The segment also includes:
- a defense of weird NFL broadcast drama,
- praise for NFL social-media highlights,
- and House’s belief that the NHL’s fighting has become too technical and practiced.
Ringer 107 NFL Picks
Bills’ and House’s shared pick
Both land on the Giants minus 3 over the Eagles as a value play.
- Philly looks like a team that may be checked out.
- Joe Milton starting at quarterback makes the Eagles even harder to trust.
- The Giants’ effort and structure seem better than their record suggests.
- House thinks the line will move even more in New York’s favor.
House’s other picks
-
49ers -9.5 vs. Raiders
He likes the travel spot, the matchup, and San Francisco’s ability to beat bad teams by margin. -
Seahawks -8.5 vs. Cardinals
He trusts Seattle at home with a full week to prepare and believes the market overreacted to Drew Lock replacing Sam Darnold. -
Seahawks/Bears teaser
Seahawks down to under 3, Bears down to a short number against Tampa Bay. -
Lions teased down to -1 vs. Dolphins
He likes Detroit to win, but not enough to lay the full number on the road. -
Panthers teased up to +8.5 vs. Broncos
He prefers Carolina as a home dog in a game where Denver has not been trustworthy away from home. -
Saints -3 vs. Browns
He sees a classic bad Browns road spot and thinks New Orleans is the right side, especially if their offensive line is healthier.
Bill’s picks
-
Jets +9.5 at Chiefs
He thinks the spread is too high for a Chiefs team that hasn’t looked dominant and a Jets team with enough talent to keep it close. -
Saints -3 vs. Browns
He and House agree on this one. -
Seahawks teaser under 3
He pairs this with the Bears teaser. -
Bears teaser under 3 vs. Bucs
He likes Chicago’s current form and doesn’t trust Baker Mayfield in a cold, primetime spot.
Key Takeaways
- Doc Rivers is more interested than ever in chemistry, fit, and team-building logic now that he’s not coaching.
- He believes the Sixers are the league’s best team because their stars and roles fit so cleanly.
- He’s bullish on several young players, especially those who bring winning habits and adaptability.
- Bill and Doc both think the NBA could improve with more practice time and a better developmental structure.
- Joe House’s NFL picks lean on line value, bad quarterback situations, and overreaction spots — especially with the Giants, Jets, Seahawks, and Saints.