The Bill Simmons Podcast — December 17, 2025
Episode: A Knicks Title, "Whaddya Do?" NBA Teams, the QB Pyramid, and a CFB Playoff Primer With Zach Lowe and Todd McShay
Episode Overview
Bill Simmons is joined by NBA analyst Zach Lowe and football expert Todd McShay for a jam-packed episode covering:
- The Knicks’ first championship since 1973 (NBA Cup)
- Deep dives on top NBA contenders and "Whaddya do?" teams with big decisions looming
- The quarterback pyramid—ranking the NFL’s signal-callers
- A comprehensive preview of the College Football Playoff and draft prospects
The episode is fast-paced, insightful, and laced with trademark Simmons and Lowe banter—switching seamlessly between NBA legacy debates, trade hypotheticals, rankings, and football analysis.
NBA Cup, Knicks' Title, & Contenders
00:00–19:16
Knicks Win the NBA Cup: Reactions & Takeaways
- Main Point: Knicks win their first title since 1973, taking home the inaugural NBA Cup, and celebrate with playoff-like intensity.
- Bill Simmons: "Hey, the NBA cup was great. Thumbs up, everybody plays hard, everybody gave a shit." (04:13)
- Zach Lowe: "Mitchell Robinson, if he can stay healthy, is just a massive component of everything they do ... Anunoby has been amazing. Hart does what he does ... this is a really good team. This was my pick to make the finals coming out of the East at the beginning of the season. They're ahead of schedule." (04:39)
Who Are the Real NBA Contenders?
- Simmons: West has four real contenders (OKC, Denver, Houston, Spurs as dark horse), Knicks and Pistons in the East.
- Lowe: "The Spurs, they're right there in the next tier ... Maybe with the Rockets. I think I put the Rockets a bit ahead of them. But if you told me they're in the same universe, I'd say yeah, they've earned that." (05:54)
Notable Quotes
- Simmons: “I think the top three in the West are levitating over everybody else.” (19:16)
- Lowe on the East: “It's really the Knicks and the Pistons and kind of everybody else right now.” (05:54)
Unique Young Teams: Spurs and OKC
- Simmons reflects on historic parallels with young, suddenly-great teams (77 Blazers, 95 Magic, 11 Thunder, etc.).
- Simmons: “Every other team in the league would trade places with these two teams [OKC, Spurs].” (08:22)
- Lowe on the rivalry: "I think it's going to be, right now, the defining rivalry of the NBA for the next five years ... started with the Chet/Wemby spice." (09:23)
Spurs Deep Dive
- Lowe: "Harper and Castle are ahead of schedule ... they're in for all the fight and all the guts and toughness you need to win in the playoffs ... Fox is just a perfect veteran stabilizer." (10:13, 12:14)
Knicks: Ceiling, Gaps, and Paths Forward
17:26–19:16
- Lowe: "I would pick the top three teams in the West—Denver, Houston, OKC—over the Knicks for sure ... I think they're going to sniff around for one other bench guy."
- Simmons: "I think this is probably next year. Spurs, Knicks ... Slightly higher ceiling for the Spurs because of who-knows with Wemby and those young guys." (19:16)
THE "WHAT DO YOU DO?" NBA TEAMS
28:16–58:51
Clippers: Stuck in the Mud
- Simmons: "I've never been offered Clipper tickets more than in the last two weeks."
- Debates if there is a trade partner for James Harden; pitches bizarre LaMelo Ball swap with Charlotte.
- Lowe: "The only way [Hornets deal] makes sense is if I hate Lamelo's contract so much that I just want to dump it—and I’m not there yet.” (32:24)
- On Lamelo: “I think he has the most trade value of the ‘Does anybody really want these guys?’ point guards—Trey Young, Ja Morant, and LaMelo Ball. And it’s not close.” (33:31)
Kings: Time for Big Swings?
- Simmons: “Kings, you have to roll the dice with Zion, Trae, LaMelo, or Ja.”
- Lowe: “He’s certainly the most interesting [Zion], with the most flexible contract ... But talk about a guy who never plays.” (42:57)
- Agrees Jalen Johnson is a big riser in NBA player rankings (57:54, 58:12)
Warriors, Nets, and Others
- Golden State: “They should never lose games when [Curry’s] awesome ... They don’t have a lot of outs.” (46:46)
- Cleveland: Simmons is shocked they look so flat and underwhelming despite high expectations. Lowe feels Garland is “just a broken player physically right now with no end in sight.” (50:19–50:40)
- Dallas: Both agree—stand pat and don’t blow it up for marginal gains; Davis-Flag combo is special. (51:14–52:46)
General NBA Trade Musings
- Atlanta, Charlotte, and others come up as pivots or swing teams for blockbuster deals.
- Giannis Watch: An in-season trade is unlikely, but Atlanta and Portland have assets that keep them in the rumor mill if things go sideways in Milwaukee. (58:51–60:09)
NBA Player Rankings — The Ringer 100
55:09–57:41
- Both reveal sneak peeks at their player rankings:
- Simmons: Alperen Sengun up to 14th, Kon Knipple top 40, Stefan Castle top 50, Kawhi Leonard OUT of top 50 ("I'm not sure when you're gonna play and your team loses every week."). (56:19–56:44)
- Debate over Jalen Johnson—both agree on his all-around impact. (57:54–58:12)
NFL QB PYRAMID & Playoff Picture with Todd McShay
67:20–81:45
Top QBs: Allen, Stafford, May
- Unanimous that Josh Allen is the NFL's #1 QB right now.
- Simmons: “Allen has this problem-solving piece that’s the last level for May; May might be two years away from that.” (69:59)
- Stafford's playoff experience, poise, and pinpoint accuracy set him apart.
- Drake May is recognized for his mobility and promise but still learning the finer points of problem-solving under pressure.
Ranking the Next Tier
- Much debate over where Love, Prescott, Purdy, Herbert, and others fall.
- McShay on Herbert: "I would move Herbert up ... you can't lose both phenomenal tackles, have that little protection and still compete the way he does."
- Brock Purdy is the most polarizing figure of the group.
- Simmons: "This is a pyramid, I can do whatever I want." (76:10)
- Lawrence, Stroud, and others round out a dense, competitive second wave.
Rookie and Breakout QBs
- CJ Stroud praised: "I think he's a real wild card for the playoffs; someone I don’t want to see as a seven-seed." (78:42)
- Bo Nix: McShay applauds Denver for taking the risk: "One of the all time onions moves to draft him where they did." (79:33)
Longshot Playoff Teams
- McShay: Not yet buying Denver as a true Super Bowl threat, despite their run.
- Simmons: “They keep winning the one-score games... but there’s something off with game management.” (79:21)
College Football Playoff, Draft Prospects & Mendoza Mania
81:45–110:42
The 2026 NFL Draft Class
- McShay’s (preliminary) big board:
- Mendoza (QB, Indiana)
- Reese (LB, Ohio State)
- Moore
- Mendoza’s rapid late-season rise: “It’s a romcom ... at first I was wary, but now I’m all in.” (94:36–97:23)
- Simmons’ concern: “Casual fan Bill has one concern—the interviews ... I've just never seen a star NFL QB that goofy in interviews.” (97:23)
- McShay: “He's kind of a nerd ... but that’s who he is.”
College Football Playoff Primer
- Most excited for Alabama–Oklahoma, "Blue Bloods, Friday night." (103:29)
- Miami a strong underdog play to make semifinals at +650.
- Simmons is rooting for Bob Chesney's James Madison team, but McShay is skeptical about their Cinderella chances.
Favorite to Win (Odds)
- McShay: “Honestly, with the odds, I’d take Georgia at 6-1 as the best value.” (106:23)
Playoff Expansion Talk
- Both agree: 16 is the right number for a playoff field in the future.
- McShay: “The Bulls are predictably becoming a farce ... I think 16 will be there to stay.” (109:35, 110:36)
Memorable Quotes & Moments
- Zach Lowe, on Spurs’ rookie Harper: “He’s got footwork that’s like very... in the Shai-Kobe vicinity.” (13:39)
- Bill Simmons, on historical context: “Nobody goes back to the merger like Bill Simmons.” (07:55, Lowe)
- Lowe, mocking NBA draft trades: “Are you going to ban the Bulls and Kings from trading? Forget expansion, forget Seattle, Vegas!” (16:16)
- Simmons, on Harden trades: “What about LaMelo and Harden in a deal together? ... It changes your team.” (30:36)
- Lowe, deadpan: “Could I hang a banner in Inglewood that says ‘second biggest social media following behind LeBron’?” (31:23)
- Simmons, on the Knicks/Spurs ceiling: "Hey, this is awesome. We're way ahead of schedule... Why would we do anything?" (20:40)
- McShay, on Bo Nix pick: “It was one of the all time onions moves to draft him, where they drafted him 12th overall.” (79:33)
- Simmons, on Mendoza’s interviews: "There's something very alien-y about it ... Is he like this in interviews, is he like this in the huddle?" (97:36)
- McShay: "I keep this list in my phone of every player who confronted me or sent their agent after me—and almost all of them were busts." (98:13)
Noteworthy Timestamps
- Knicks win the NBA Cup/Contenders: 03:59–11:40
- Young contenders historical perspective: 07:15–10:13
- Knicks/Spurs Finals discussion: 18:03–19:16
- “What Do You Do?” Teams: 28:16–58:51
- Ringer 100 NBA Player Rankings: 55:09–58:12
- NFL QB Pyramid: 67:20–81:45
- CFB Playoff and Draft talk: 81:45–110:42
Tone & Final Notes
Lively, stats- and history-laden, with the familiar mix of Simmons' hyperbole and nostalgia and Lowe’s measured analytics and snark. Todd McShay delivers straight football analysis (with just enough college tangent and personality) to balance out the NBA discussion.
Episode Utility
Ideal for listeners seeking smart, context-rich NBA/NFL/CBB analysis, full of trade speculation, player rankings, and “big picture” thinking as teams stare down crucial decisions midseason.
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