48 Minutes with TNT's Jared Greenberg "Playoff and Awards" Edition

0:00 ... Show open and Ross intros the panel and our special guest Jared Greenberg of TNT Sports and NBA TV.

0:47 ... Ross dedicates episode #152 to the Houston Rockets, who won 52 games this season.

1:08 ... Bruce introduces Jared Greenberg ot TNT Sports and NBA TV

1:49 ... Eastern conference "play in tournament" preview ... Orlando and the Bulls get the 7 and 8 spots

3:02 ... Western conference "play in" preview ... Golden State gets #7 and Memphis #8

3:48 ... Will Houston be challenged by a #7 seed like Golden State in the first round?  Jared is impressed by Houston's mental makeup.

6:07 ... The Rockets are one of the hardest playing teams in the league ... Detroit and OKC are the others.  Jared expects ramped up intensity from all 3 of them in the playoffs.

7:06 ... Ross tees up the preview of the Pistons/Knicks series ... lots of pressure on the Knicks while the Pistons are playing with house money.

8:45 ... Will the season be a bust if the Knicks don't make the conference finals?  Jared puts their season into context and suggests changes may be coming if they fall short of expectations.

10:06 ... The Pistons have more playoff experience than many realize and NY really needs Jalen Brunson to play well.

11:11 .... Indiana vs Milwaukee is a repeat of last season's 4 vs 5 matchup in the east ... with Damian Lillard out, can the Bucks possibly win the series?  Since Giannis is the best player on the court, he may be able to carry Milwaukee to a series victory.

12:35 ... Ross asks Jared about the Bucks personnel moves during the season with the addition of Kyle Kuzma and Kevin Porter Junior and the loss of Khris Middleton.

15:26 ... Tyrese Haliburton has been spectacular since the All-Star break ... his numbers across the board have been great.  But Pascal Siakam and Myles Turner have been solid too.

17:17 ... Can any lower seeds challenge Cleveland or Boston in the east?  Is there any chance the Cavs could start their first playoff series on a "down" note in game one?  Which first round opponent would give Cleveland's defense problems?

19:17 ... Jared sizes up a possible eastern conference finals matchup between Boston and Cleveland.

20:40 ... Joe Mazzulla risked losing some games during the season in order to give guys rest and keep them fresh for the playoffs.  Much like the 1995 Rockets, the 2025 Celtics knew they could take their foot off the gas at times in search of a larger prize.

22:57 ... Cade Cunningham and Evan Mobley are two young players who will have huge opportunities in the playoffs.  Jared feels that Mobley's success will be somewhat dependent on Donovan Mitchell, who must continue his "team first" play.

24:49 ... The Wolves/Lakers 3 vs 6 series in the west should be fascinating ... Jared feels like Minnesota really stepped up their defense as the season wore on.   Julius Randle may have some extra motivation as a former Laker.  Will Anthony Edwards help eliminate a Hall of Famer for the second year in a row?

28:02 ... Minnesota has an advantage with better bigs, so JJ Redick may go small and try to limit Rudy Gobert's impact.

29:16 .... Denver vs the LA Clippers in the 4 vs 5 series ... Nikola Jokic gives the Nuggets a presence that no team can match.  Kawhi Leonard's health is always a potential issue.  And Ivica Zubac is someone Jared has his eyes on regarding the matchup with Jokic.

30:36 ... Ross asks if any team in the west can challenge OKC ... um ... No.  But Jared feels any number of teams could make it to the western conference finals, they just can't beat the Thunder.

32:16 ... NBA Championship matchup: Boston vs Oklahoma City ... so who does Jared think will win the Larry O'Brien Trophy?  Can the Thunder find a second consistent scorer along with Gilgeous-Alexander?

34:46 ... Ro