Luka’s MVP Run, Curry’s Revival, NBA Roster Regrets, and a Bears Super Bowl Run With Kirk Goldsberry and Tom Pelissero

Episode of The Bill Simmons Podcast · November 3, 2026 · 2 h 9 min

Bill Simmons and Kirk Goldsberry discuss the NBA's youth shift, injuries and early-season takes, then Tom Pelissero joins to break down the Bears and NFL trade-deadline questions.

Summary

Bill Simmons opened with Kirk Goldsberry, whose Ringer piece argued that the NBA has become a young man's game. Goldsberry cited data showing players 30 and older logged 51% of playoff minutes in 1998 versus 23% last season, attributing the shift to a faster, more physical style, record early-season injury counts and the long schedule. Simmons called the 82-game season negligent and greedy given expansion revenue and advocated a roughly 70-game schedule, while opposing shorter 40-minute games; Goldsberry favored a balanced EPL-style schedule.

Simmons then ran through his early-season takes: Luka Dončić's MVP-caliber scoring paired with what Simmons called his most insufferable on-court behavior; a case that Oklahoma City can survive its injuries and win about 55 games; the surprising chemistry of the 76ers; the possible end of Nikola Jokić's apex; an unusually strong crop of ready-made rookies such as Yaxel Lendeborg and Cam Boozer, with Lendeborg revitalizing Stephen Curry and the Warriors; a debate over the league's best guards; and an "absolute disaster for everyone involved so far" ranking of moves by Utah, the Clippers, Miami, Orlando, Dallas and Phoenix.

Tom Pelissero joined for the NFL Pick Six. He said the Bears, after acquiring Jeffery Simmons, looked capable of winning the Super Bowl, discussed Seattle's offensive identity problems, and assessed Lamar Jackson's future, predicting he would likely still be in Baltimore in 2027. He reported the Colts had rejected a second-round offer for Jonathan Taylor and expected Taylor to stay through the deadline. Simmons urged the Vikings to trade for Kirk Cousins amid Kyler Murray's struggles, and Pelissero closed by attributing the Cowboys' fragility to Jerry Jones's public presence and his unwillingness to pay market rates for coaches.

Chapters

0:06
Intro
Simmons previews the episode's segments with Kirk Goldsberry and Tom Pelissero.
2:34
The NBA becomes a young man's game
Goldsberry presents data on declining playoff minutes for players over 30 and the two discuss pace, injuries and roster building.
20:02
Injuries and the 82-game schedule
Simmons and Goldsberry argue the schedule is too long, debate 70-game and balanced formats, and compare the situation to baseball's pitching injuries.
33:58
Luka Dončić's MVP run and behavior
Simmons praises Dončić's historic production while criticizing his constant complaining during games.
44:51
Thunder, Grizzlies and 76ers
Simmons argues OKC can withstand injuries, the pair discuss Ty Jerome's emergence in Memphis, and praise the 76ers' chemistry.
55:48
The end of apex Jokić
Simmons and Goldsberry examine Nikola Jokić's declining shooting and production in light of age and mileage.
58:47
Impact rookies, the Warriors and top guards
They discuss NBA-ready young players, Yaxel Lendeborg's effect on Curry and Golden State, Houston's draft assets and the best-guard debate.
1:15:58
Disaster rankings
Simmons ranks early-season missteps by Utah, the Clippers, Miami, Orlando, Dallas and Phoenix.
1:27:29
Bears and Seahawks with Tom Pelissero
Pelissero evaluates the Bears as a Super Bowl contender after the Jeffery Simmons trade and diagnoses Seattle's offensive struggles.
1:35:04
Lamar Jackson and Jonathan Taylor
Pelissero assesses Lamar Jackson's future with the Ravens and the trade market for Colts running back Jonathan Taylor.
1:46:07
Vikings quarterback options
Simmons pushes for a Kirk Cousins trade as Pelissero weighs Kyler Murray's struggles and other quarterback options.
1:54:31
Cowboys fragility
Pelissero ties Dallas's struggles to Jerry Jones's public presence and refusal to pay market rates for coaches.

Key points

What was said, by whom, with the exact words. Timestamps jump to the moment.

Kirk Goldsberry
Goldsberry reports that players aged 30 and older logged 51% of playoff minutes in 1998 compared with 23% last season.
“players 30 and older logged 51% of playoff minutes in 1998”
Listen from 3:30 · Aging and youth in the NBA
Kirk Goldsberry
Goldsberry argues that paying players in their 30s has become risky and that 30 is effectively the new 35.
“Spending high money on somebody in their 30s is a really risky deal. And I think 30 is the new 35”
Listen from 7:31 · Aging and youth in the NBA
Kirk Goldsberry
Goldsberry says the league recorded 60 injuries in the season's first 14 days, the most in his 15-year database.
“We had 60 injuries. That's the biggest in our 15-year database. Only narrowly passing last year, which was 58”
Listen from 21:48 · NBA schedule length and player injuries
Bill Simmons
Simmons argues the NBA should play a 70-game season and that virtually all players want a shorter season.
“And this should be a 70 game season. And if you talk to literally everybody who plays basketball, all of them would say the season needs to be shorter”
Listen from 22:27 · NBA schedule length and player injuries
Bill Simmons
Simmons opposes shortening games to 40 minutes, arguing the problem is the number of games rather than their length.
“To me, it's not a length of the game. It's the amount of games”
Listen from 25:48 · NBA schedule length and player injuries
Kirk Goldsberry
Goldsberry favors a balanced schedule modeled on the English Premier League.
“I prefer a balanced schedule. The EPL has it perfectly. Everybody plays everybody home and away”
Listen from 27:43 · NBA schedule length and player injuries
Kirk Goldsberry Prediction · due Apr 2027
Goldsberry predicts Luka Dončić will average about 35 points per game this season if healthy.
“So, no, I think this is a 35-point-per-game scorer”
Listen from 36:18 · NBA Most Valuable Player Award
Bill Simmons
Simmons says Luka Dončić's on-court complaining this season is the worst it has ever been.
“I think this is the most insufferable he's ever been. I can't believe how he behaves for two and a half hours at these games”
Listen from 36:36 · NBA Most Valuable Player Award
Bill Simmons Prediction · due Apr 2027
Simmons predicts the injury-hit Thunder will still win 55 games.
“Now FanDuel is basically saying 55 wins is plus 100. I think they're going to get 55 wins”
Listen from 45:50 · Oklahoma City Thunder
Kirk Goldsberry Prediction · due Apr 2027
Goldsberry predicts the Thunder will be roughly a 51-win team and a dangerous lower playoff seed.
“I think there'll be a 51 team and God willing, they'll, they'll be healthy for the NBA playoffs”
Listen from 48:31 · Oklahoma City Thunder
Bill Simmons
Simmons argues Nikola Jokić's peak version may be over given his shooting decline since injury.
“apex Joker, best offensive player, you know, potentially in the history of the league, the way he was doing it, that guy might be gone”
Listen from 56:56 · Denver Nuggets
Kirk Goldsberry
Goldsberry credits statistical draft models for identifying Lendeborg and Boozer as top prospects.
“Yeah, big win for the draft model community, the people who use stats to find the best prospects”
Listen from 1:02:44 · Aging and youth in the NBA
Bill Simmons
Simmons says Yaxel Lendeborg's emergence revived his belief that Stephen Curry could have another playoff moment.
“I'd given up on Steph Curry ever having another moment in the playoffs again. The Yaxl thing has changed the game on this”
Listen from 1:04:37 · Golden State Warriors
Kirk Goldsberry
Goldsberry believes Utah's choice of Darryn Peterson over Cam Boozer will not age well.
“I don't think the Peterson over Boozer pick is going to age well”
Listen from 1:17:47 · Utah Jazz
Bill Simmons
Simmons calls Cooper Flagg the best teenager he has seen in the NBA, rating him a better two-way player than young LeBron James.
“It's him or LeBron, and I just think he's a better two-way player than LeBron was out of all the young guys I've seen come in”
Listen from 1:23:51 · Aging and youth in the NBA
Tom Pelissero
Pelissero says the Bears look capable of winning the Super Bowl but may not even be the best team in the NFC North.
“I watched that game and thought, this is a team that can win the Super Bowl”
Listen from 1:28:24 · Chicago Bears
Tom Pelissero Prediction · due Dec 2027
Pelissero expects Lamar Jackson to keep playing in 2027, most likely with Baltimore.
“I anticipate he'll be playing somewhere in 2027, probably Baltimore”
Listen from 1:38:35 · Lamar Jackson contract and trade speculation
Tom Pelissero
Pelissero reports the Colts rejected an offer of a 2027 second-round pick plus another pick for Jonathan Taylor.
“they've already been offered a 2027 second round pick and another pick and immediately said no”
Listen from 1:40:41 · Jonathan Taylor trade speculation
Tom Pelissero Prediction · due Nov 2026
Pelissero predicts Jonathan Taylor will still be with the Colts the day after the trade deadline.
“if you're asking me right now where I think Jonathan Taylor is most likely to be November 11th, the day after the deadline, I'd say still with the Colts”
Listen from 1:41:19 · Jonathan Taylor trade speculation
Bill Simmons
Simmons urges the Vikings to trade for Kirk Cousins to replace the struggling Kyler Murray.
“We all know this is going to be the trade. Just fucking do it”
Listen from 1:48:25 · Minnesota Vikings quarterback situation
Tom Pelissero Prediction · due Nov 2026
Pelissero predicts Carson Wentz will start the Vikings' Monday night game against Buffalo because of Kyler Murray's hamstring.
“If I'm guessing here, six days out, I'd say Carson Wentz is starting that game”
Listen from 1:51:41 · Minnesota Vikings quarterback situation
Linked moment · 1:54:31Skip to 1:54:31 using a listen link in the info box.
Tom Pelissero
Pelissero argues the Cowboys suffer from organizational fragility rooted in Jerry Jones's constant public commentary.
“There is just this fragility to the entire organization and you feel it within the games. I think that it stems from Jerry being so public”
Listen from 1:54:42 · Dallas Cowboys
Tom Pelissero
Pelissero contends Jerry Jones overpays capped players while refusing to pay market rates for uncapped coaches.
“So he overpays for players where there is a salary cap and he doesn't pay market value for coaches where there is no salary cap”
Listen from 2:00:30 · Dallas Cowboys

People

In the conversation

Bill SimmonsSportswriter and founder of The Ringer, host of The Bill Simmons Podcast
Kirk GoldsberryBasketball analytics writer and visual analyst, contributor to The Ringer
Tom PelisseroNFL reporter and analyst who writes The Sweep newsletter and appears on The Ringer NFL Show

Discussed

Luka DončićNBA guard on a high-scoring stretch
Nikola JokićNBA center for the Denver Nuggets known for triple-doubles
Cooper FlaggNBA rookie and former Duke player
Stephen CurryGolden State Warriors guard
LeBron JamesLos Angeles Lakers forward cited as a longevity outlier
Adam SilverCommissioner of the NBA
Shai Gilgeous-AlexanderOklahoma City Thunder guard and reigning MVP
Cade CunninghamDetroit Pistons guard sidelined by injury
Ty JeromeMemphis Grizzlies guard
Cameron BoozerDuke forward
Lamar JacksonBaltimore Ravens quarterback injured in Week 8
Jonathan TaylorIndianapolis Colts running back
Kirk CousinsLas Vegas Raiders quarterback
Kyler MurrayNFL quarterback with the Minnesota Vikings
Jerry JonesDallas Cowboys owner
Mike McCarthyNFL head coach under whom Moore worked in Dallas
Jeffery SimmonsDefensive lineman traded from Tennessee to Chicago

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From the publisher

The Ringer’s Bill Simmons is joined by Kirk Goldsberry to discuss how the NBA is becoming a young man's game and the problem with injuries. Then, they dive into Bill’s early NBA season takes. Finally, Tom Pelissero comes on with his Pick Six for Week 9 of the NFL season. (0:00) Intro (2:16) The NBA is getting younger with Kirk Goldsberry (33:54) Early NBA season takes (01:27:38) NFL Pick Six Week 9 with Tom Pelissero Host: Bill Simmons Guests: Kirk Goldsberry and Tom Pelissero Producers: Chia Hao Tat and Eduardo Ocampo This episode is brought to you by State Farm. Create a Personalized Price Plan® today. https://www.statefarm.com/lp/football/ Download Uber Eats and order now. http://ubereats.com The Ringer is committed to responsible gaming. Please visit https://fanduel.com/playwithaplan to learn more about the resources and helplines. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Summary, chapters and key points were generated from the episode transcript on November 6, 2026. Quotes are checked word for word against the transcript.

Categories: Basketball·Football·Sports News