Vincent Goodwill and The Athletic’s James Edwards react to Karl-Anthony Towns’ fast start in New York and whether or not the Knicks can translate this into playoff success.

Vince and James then break down Detroit Pistons F Cade Cunningham’s spectacular season so far and if he deserves his first NBA All-Star selection.

Later, Vince and James chat possible trade destinations for The Last Word, including potential suitors for Zach Lavine and why Golden State could be the perfect fit for Jimmy Butler.

(1:52) - Karl-Anthony Towns continues fast start in New York

(14:55) - Mikal Bridges breaks through slump with strong December

(22:22) - Is Cade Cunningham an All-Star?

(35:35) - Potential suitors for Zach LaVine

(40:50) - Can Jimmy Butler make a team a contender?

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Vincent Goodwill and Dan Titus break down the Bucks’ win over the Magic in Tuesday night’s NBA Cup quarterfinals and preview Trae’s return to MSG as the Atlanta Hawks take on the New York Knicks in a tournament continuation of the rivalry.

Vince and Dan then chat trade rumors and discuss potential landing spots for Jimmy Butler, who could be on the move from the Miami Heat. They also discuss whether LeBron James should look to leave LA before the trade deadline.

Later, Vince brings on Ice Young for The Last Word, where they discuss the OKC Thunder, Caitlin Clark’s selection as TIME’s athlete of the year & the WNBA’s rising power as a brand.

(1:15) - Bucks def. Magic in NBA Cup

(11:24) - Trae Young, Hawks return to MSG

(20:32) - Jimmy Butler on the trade block?

(29:52) - Should LeBron consider leaving Lakers?

(34:00) - Thunder def. Mavericks in NBA Cup

(43:15) - Golden State Valkyries skip pick in expansion draft

(50:00) - Caitlin Clark named TIME Athlete of the Year

(58:00) - WNBA named fastest growing brand

On today's episode of Good Word with Goodwill, Vincent Goodwill is joined by former NBA video coordinator, turned contributor for The Athletic and Bleacher Report Mo Dakhil.

Dakhil joins to discuss the continued run of dominance by the reigning champion Boston Celtics and unpack what is making them so hard to keep up with. They also dive deep into the roster woes for the Los Angeles Lakers and how LeBron is clearly slowing down. They close out the show by discussing why the Denver Nuggets need to find more playmakers to work alongside Nikola Jokić.

(2:35) Year two of the NBA Cup

(6:11) Houston Rockets hot start

(9:12) No one is stopping the Celtics

(22:02) Lakers' roster troubles

(38:40) Is anyone coming to help Jokic?

Vincent Goodwill is joined by Dan Titus and Isis "Ice" Young to recap last night's NBA Cup action, talk about LeBron's shooting slump and preview the Golden State Valkyries WNBA expansion draft on Friday.

(00:00) - NBA Cup group stage concludes

(16:10) - What's wrong with LeBron James?

(30:40) - How did the Knicks blow out the Magic?

(34:10) - Trae Young's passing improves / shooting declines

(39:50) - Connecticut Sun name Rachid Meziane as the new head coach

(44:50) - How will the Valkyries expansion draft change the WNBA?

On this episode of the Good Word with Goodwill, Yahoo Sports senior NBA reporter Vincent Goodwill is first joined by Yahoo Sports fantasy basketball analyst Dan Titus to discuss last night's NBA Cup games.

The guys talk about the Mavericks' impressive comeback win over the Grizzlies, the Oklahoma City Thunder looking like the best team in the NBA and the Golden State Warriors, who probably need to trade for another scorer to put next to Steph Curry.

Later, the guys try to figure out why LeBron James has had maybe his worst stretch of games over the last couple of weeks. They wonder if the veterans who got sent to Paris for the Olympics will be able to recover before the end of the season.

Isis "Ice" Young then joins the show to talk about the New York Knicks soundly beating the Orlando Magic last night, and Reggie Miller using a particular phrase that set Ice off during the game.

Ice is also excited about Trae Young's improved passing this season and wondering if it's a sign of maturity or a side effect of his cold shooting to start the season.

Finally, after talking about the Connecticut Sun hiring a new head coach, Vince and Ice dig into the Golden State Valkyries expansion draft on Friday and how it will reshape the entire WNBA.

Check out the rest of the Yahoo Sports podcast family at https://apple.co/3zEuTQj or at Yahoo Sports Podcasts

Vincent Goodwill and Tim Cato discuss the Mavericks and Bucks, who have gone 8-1 in their last 9 games, and what's leading to a youth revolution in the Western Conference.

(00:30) - How have the Mavericks righted the ship?

(21:20) - Youth leading the Western Conference

(36:45) - The Last Word: The Bucks are back?

On this episode of the Good Word with Goodwill, Yahoo Sports senior NBA writer Vincent Goodwill is joined by Tim Cato, who covers the Dallas Mavericks for DLLS & the ALLCITY Network.

The guys start with the reigning Western Conference champions, the Dallas Mavericks, who have won 8 of their last 9 games and welcomed Luka Doncic back from injury last night against the Trail Blazers. What is leading to their hot streak? How are they different from last year's team? And should their success without Luka lead them to explore trade options?

Before leaving the Western Conference, Vinnie and Tim talk about what's leading to the Thunder, Rockets and Grizzlies at the top of the standings while teams like the Lakers, Suns and Warriors trail behind. Tim thinks that this is the new reality of the NBA, caused by the new CBA, and believes that it will lead to less max contracts and more teams hunting for rotation players on rookie scale deals.

Finally, Vince and Tim talk about the Milwaukee Bucks, who are also 8-1 in their last 9 games. They discuss why the Damian Lillard-Giannis Antetokounmpo inverted pick-and-roll is working so well and why shooters like A.J. Green are finding success playing off of Giannis.

Check out the rest of the Yahoo Sports podcast family at https://apple.co/3zEuTQj or at Yahoo Sports Podcasts

Vincent Goodwill and Fred Katz get together to discuss the Lakers' ceiling, the Knicks' offense, the Timberwolves' defense and the proposed changes to the NBA All-Star Game and NBA Playoffs format.

(02:05) - Can the Lakers fix their defense?
(12:10) - Reported changes to NBA All-Star Game
(26:00) - KAT's fit with the Knicks
(38:25) - What's wrong with the Timberwolves?
(46:50) - Why aren't more teams tanking for Cooper Flagg?
(54:35) - Rumored NBA Playoffs reform

On this episode of the Good Word with Goodwill, Yahoo Sports senior NBA reporter Vincent Goodwill is joined by The Athletic's senior NBA writer Fred Katz to discuss the fallout of the Karl Anthony-Towns trade and much more.

The guys start in Los Angeles, where Vince is worried that Lakers head coach JJ Redick is headed toward burnout and Fred is wondering what's wrong with their defense, before discussing the reported changes to the NBA All-Star Game.

The New York Knicks and Minnesota Timberwolves made a blockbuster trade on the eve of the NBA season, but both teams have been struggling to find their identity and their defense ever since. How can Tom Thibodeau turn the Knicks' defense around? And can the Timberwolves survive without 37-year-old Mike Conley?

Finally, the rumored race to the bottom for Cooper Flagg isn't quite what it was hyped up to be. Most of the teams at the bottom of the standings are there by accident, not on purpose, and Vinnie wonders if it's a side effect of the CBA and the parity that's now built into the league. Also, should the league give up conferences for the sake of better teams in the NBA Playoffs?

Check out the rest of the Yahoo Sports podcast family at https://apple.co/3zEuTQj or at Yahoo Sports Podcasts

Vincent Goodwill and Isis "Ice" Young discuss the turmoil surrounding Joel Embiid and the 76ers, the Celtics beating the Cavaliers and the biggest disappointments (so far) of the NBA season.

(02:05) - Turmoil with Joel Embiid & the 76ers

(18:50) - Revisiting the Haliburton/Sabonis trade

(24:00) - Biggest disappointments: Zion Williamson

(31:00) - Biggest disappointments: Luka Doncic

(36:10) - Celtics end Cavaliers' winning streak

On this episode of the Good Word with Goodwill podcast, Yahoo Sports senior NBA reporter Vincent Goodwill is joined by Isis "Ice" Young to talk about some of the biggest disappointments in the league so far this season.

They start in Philadelphia, where the 76ers blew a huge lead to the Heat before having a team meeting where Tyrese Maxey called out Joel Embiid for a lack of professionalism. Is Embiid upset about something else? Why didn't Nick Nurse or Daryl Morey get involved?

Speaking of disappointments, Tyrese Haliburton has been struggling with the Indiana Pacers this year. Vinnie talks about an injury Haliburton picked up when playing for Team USA in the Olympics before revisiting the trade that sent Haliburton to Indiana in exchange for Domantas Sabonis. Are we sure the Pacers won that trade?

Zion Williamson and Luka Doncic are two players that faced big expectations this season and, so far, neither one is living up to the hype. For Zion, the issue is staying healthy and staying in shape. For Luka, the issue has been a lack of effort and focus during games.

Finally, Vinnie recaps the Celtics' thrilling 120-117 win over the previously undefeated Cleveland Cavaliers and explains why the Cavs should still be excited about how they're playing. Also, maybe we should be making plans to be back in Boston for the Finals this year.

Check out the rest of the Yahoo Sports podcast family at https://apple.co/3zEuTQj or at Yahoo Sports Podcasts