48 Minutes: All Star Snubs, Cavs & Knicks on Fire, and Trade Talk

0:00 ... Hello and Welcome

0:30 .. Bet On Line Commercial Read

1:20 ... Bruce's opening comment is on Marcus Smart's return to Boston on Sunday and how much love he was shown by Celtics fans.

2:30 ... World B's open is on the Charlotte Hornets and what an embarrassment they are.

4:44 ... Ross's open is on the odd situation that involves new Bucks coach Doc Rivers and his assignment as the Eastern Conference All Star coach.

7:01 ... The first quarter this week deals with the All Star reserve snubs. Bruce feels Joel Embiid should be replaced by Kristaps Porzingis. World B doesn't feel that Embiid and Julius Randle necessarily should be replaced by other bigs.

8:44 ... Ross goes through the reserves and asks if Jalen Brunson should be a starter instead of Damian Lillard.

9:55 ... Bruce felt Trae Young might be considered a snub but he liked the guards who were named as reserves and feels all of them are more deserving that Young. World B disagrees and makes a compelling case for Young and wonders if Trae should be there instead of Jaylen Brown.

13:27 ... Ross feels that Scottie Barnes of Toronto would be a worthy replacement for Randle up front.

14:45 ... Bruce feels that the worst snub out west was Karl-Anthony Towns making it while Domantas Sabonis did not. Ross agrees with Bruce.

16:30 ... World B doesn't feel that "games played" should be a deciding factor in selecting All Stars and feels like De'Aaron Fox is a worse snub that his teammate Sabonis. Bruce felt Fox was a "mini snub," but feels that Steph Curry, Anthony Edwards, and Devin Booker are all more deserving.

20:18 ... World B wants the NBA to make the All Star rosters include 15 players instead of 12.

21:50 ... The second quarter is all about the smoking hot Cleveland Cavaliers (14-1 in their last 15 games) and how they are racing up the standings and could be second in the east by All Star weekend.

23:03 ... Ross gives credit to Donovan Mitchell and Jarrett Allen for keeping the team on a winning run despite injuries to Darius Garland and Evan Mobley.

23:41... World B is really impressed at how the Cavs have made up so much ground in a short time as they continue their rise in the east.

24:58 ... Bruce discusses how Allen and the Cavs defense are dominating and allowing them to grind out wins on the road.

25:58 ... The third quarter is all about the New York Knicks and their 15-3 hot streak since January 1st. World B is impressed but not really surprised but feels the team needs some more offensive players to help out Jalen Brunson.

29:36 ... The addition of OG Anunoby really made a difference and in spite of his recent injury, the team continues to win games.

30:56 ... Ross shares his feelings about how Donte Di Vicenzo has been a real difference maker for the Knicks with his scoring and toughness.

32:40 ... Bruce is impressed with the Knicks rebounding and how they finish defensive possessions by controlling the boards. As is the case with Cleveland, their defense allows them to win on nights where they don't score a lot of points.

34:28 ... The fourth quarter features trade talk and everyone agrees that the Chicago Bulls need to clean house and look to the future.

36:45 ... World B feels Andre Drummond will likely be traded and also feels that Buddy Hield of Indiana could be moving on at the trade deadline. World B feels like the Charlotte Hornets need to also clean house.

38:35 ... Ross thinks Miles Bridges and Nick Richards ought to be moved. He also wonders what is up with the Pistons and Alec Burks? When Burks is on the court, the Pistons are competitive. And while he has trade value, the Pistons young core needs to experience some winning basketball in order to grow and not develop bad habits.

41:52 ... NBA writer Marc Stein floated a Bobby Portis for Grant Williams deal between the Bucks and Mavs but Ross is dead set against the proposal.

43:27 ... Stein also reported that Malcolm Brogdon wants to stay in Portland and his presence could go a long way in helping rookie Scoot Henderson develop.

45:44... Ross's "Best Bets" are back this week with his player prop bets that you should consider.

47:06 ... Bruce's closing thought is on Joel Embiid who is having an MVP caliber season but will be disqualified from winning the award due to his injuries.

49:09 ... World B feels that the explosion of scoring should not cause panic and result in rule changes that will reduce scoring. He feels the game is fine as it is.

51:11 ... Ross has an exciting announcement about the new Playback.TV platform where our 48 Minutes crew will interact with audience members as we watch a live game together on NBA League Pass. It's a great way to share the viewing experience with smart hoop fans and your friends on this podcast. Our first game will be Thursday February 8th at 10:00pm ET as we watch the Nuggets vs. Lakers together with you.

55:05 ... Bye and see you soon

TRT 55:18

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