The Bill Simmons Podcast – April 13, 2026

The 30 Most Intriguing NBA Playoff Guys (with Zach Lowe)

Episode Theme:
Bill Simmons and Zach Lowe break down the wild final day of the NBA regular season, playoff matchups, potential upsets, and draft the 30 most intriguing people (players/coaches) entering the 2026 NBA Playoffs. This annual "Intriguing Guys Draft" blends basketball analysis, playoff narratives, and a healthy dose of signature Simmons/Lowe banter.

Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. Playoff Seeding Chaos & First Reactions

• Western Conference Drama:

  • Denver unexpectedly takes the #3 seed (00:55–06:00), upending the bracket and sparking debates on ideal first-round matchups.
  • Minnesota, expecting a “softer” matchup, instead draws the defending champs (Denver)—“I don't like my chances as healthy as Minnesota is. So the most unhappy team was Minnesota.” —Simmons, (08:00)
  • Lakers and Rockets both considered themselves winners based on favorable matchups (09:12).

• Eastern Conference Wildness:

  • The Celtics, playing mostly backups, nearly spoil Orlando’s seeding (16:21–22:00). “If you know anything about this Celtics team or Joe Mazzulla... he's just wired to try really hard.” —Simmons, (18:10)
  • Orlando’s loss leads to embarrassment for Coach Jamahl Mosley and hot-seat talk.
  • Atlanta’s nonchalance about seeding (“I think they were cool with that.” —Lowe, 23:34) backfires, making their path tougher.

2. Play-In Tournament & Matchup Analysis

• Play-In Games:
  • Portland–Phoenix in the West highlighted for sleeper upset potential; line set at Suns -4.5 (12:35, 40:19).
  • Clippers–Warriors called “definition of an awesome play-in game. Steph vs. Kawhi. 2017, we’re back, baby.” —Simmons (43:21)
  • East features unglamorous Orlando–Philly (“least excited... in the history of the play-in” —Lowe, 40:49), and jokes about Charlotte–Miami’s historical irrelevance (41:15).
• Playoff General Thoughts:
  • Depth of West: “No round one team is beating either OKC or San Antonio.” —Simmons (49:58)
  • Teams like Detroit (1-seed) considered legit dark horses: “I think Detroit has that [‘nobody believes in us’] now. They just seem pissed off to me.” —Simmons (34:50)

3. Potential Upsets & X-Factor Teams

• Simmons and Lowe go series by series, guessing “where is upset watch going?”
  • Minnesota over Denver discussed seriously (50:23).
  • Knicks–Hawks called out as a real toss-up (“Hawks are interesting...I will pick the Knicks, but ain’t the Cavs...” —Lowe, 50:45).
  • Toronto seen as unlikely to upset Cleveland despite mediocre regular season against top teams (“Toronto has cases too...but their offense is just pretty limited.” —Lowe, 25:52).

4. Annual Intriguing Playoff Guys Draft

Bill & Zach draft 30+ “most intriguing” playoff figures by pre-set categories. This long-form, high-context segment is a fan-favorite for deep playoff storylines.

Sample Categories (56:32+):

• Apex Superstar
• Beloved Bench Guy
• Crossroads Guy
• Legacy Guy
• Second/Third Banana
• Leap Guy
• Trade Machine Guy
• Weak Link
• Hot Seat Coach/Wildcard
• Bonus: Coda Guy (late addition)

Top Picks & Notable Draft Moments

First Picks:

• Crossroads Guy:

  • Donovan Mitchell (Lowe): “It's a crossroads pick...if something bad happens early, I’m prepared for any outcome with any guy on that roster.” (58:04–62:21)

• Apex Superstar:

  • Wembanyama (Simmons): “Is this his 1975 Jaws moment?...I'm not missing a minute of the Spurs in the playoffs.” (64:45–67:49)

• Legacy Guy:

  • Nikola Jokic (Lowe): “If he does it this season...the conversation about him goes even up another level.” (68:07–73:46)

• Feel Good Star:

  • Jayson Tatum (Simmons): “One of the craziest comebacks I’ve ever seen…and in some ways he’s even better than before he left.” (74:06–75:29)

• Apex Superstar:

  • SGA (Lowe): “I never worry about him having a bad game.” (75:29–78:03)

Other Picks & Playoff Storylines:

• Second Banana:

  • Karl-Anthony Towns (Lowe): “Team fired its coach despite its first conference finals … he seems the subject of a team-wide existential crisis every two weeks.” (85:52)

• Third Banana:

  • Aaron Gordon (Simmons): “He just gets slightly better every year…kind of ages like a fine wine.” (87:23)

• Trade Machine Guy:

  • Julius Randle (Lowe): “World knows they were going through machinations to try to get involved in Giannis.” (112:53)
  • Jalen Williams / “J-Dub” (Simmons): “Sometimes I wonder, if it doesn’t work out this year, how does that play out?” (84:03)

• Leap Guy:

  • Steph Castle (Lowe): “That dude is not afraid of anything…He wants all of it.” (95:19)
  • Tyrese Maxey (Simmons): “If you’re just looking at the playoffs and asking who could completely change his narrative in a month and a half...” (117:15)

• Hot Seat Coach / Wildcard:

  • Ime Udoka (Simmons): “I’ve not been impressed by the coaching...the chemistry doesn’t seem great…” (91:51–93:57)
  • Jamahl Mosley (Lowe): “Obvious pick, someone has to do it.” (111:04)

• Bonus/Coda Guys:

  • Kevin Durant (Lowe): “I almost took Durant for legacy just because...what a playoff run would mean. But I just don’t think this team has a long playoff run.”
  • Steph Curry (Simmons): “Man on fire. I’m just going to take on an entire drug cartel and see if I can survive. And I’m going to die, but you’re going to have a good time watching.”

• Defensive Studs:

  • OG Anunoby (Simmons): “If you wanted five defenders and your life depended on the game, he might be one of the five.” (124:59)
  • Derrick White (Lowe): “Unrelenting, makes every decision correctly.” (100:45)

Memorable Quotes & Classic Banter

• Simmons:

  • “Something about this [Boston] win—it's my favorite wit of the year.” (18:50)
  • "If this doesn't happen for Mitchell this year, I wouldn't be surprised if he's on another team." (61:02)

• Lowe:

  • “I'm tempted to say Minnesota. I just don't have enough confidence...I guess Knicks-Hawks, because I think the Hawks are interesting.” – On best chance for an upset (50:23)
  • “Just because he's a Knickerbocker, all the legacy talk feels like doubly important and noisy.” – On Jalen Brunson (104:57)

• On the playoffs in general:

  • “The number one seed should get a bigger reward. If you play the whole 82, and you come out number one, you should get a bigger reward than you get.” – Lowe (37:17)
  • “Depth of the West is so strong—nobody’s beating OKC or San Antonio in round one.” – Simmons (49:58)

Notable Timestamps for Segments

• 00:55: Opening, context for playoff seeding drama
• 16:21: Boston-Orlando, wild game 82
• 22:27: Orlando/Atlanta seeding fallout
• 28:40: Play-In Games breakdown
• 40:19: Betting lines & play-in excitement
• 49:58: Upset Watch / playoff series-by-series
• 56:32–130:00: “Most Intriguing Playoff Guys” draft (deep dive)
• 130:42: “Special achievement” category for LeBron James

Structure & Podcast Tone

• Casual, competitive, stat-heavy banter: The conversation is sharp, detailed, with massive recall of NBA history and numerous aside jokes, e.g., “Drunk Kings” for Sacramento, or the recurring “nobody believes in us” motif.
• Personality-driven: Simmons is endlessly hyped on the Celtics and playoff narratives; Lowe is Sober, analytics-friendly yet highly engaged.
• Draft format: Keeps the discussion lively as each host “steals” picks, with running jokes about Celtics “spite picks” and bonus categories.

Summary for Non-Listeners

This episode is a “must” for NBA playoff junkies: Bill Simmons and Zach Lowe break down:

• All the late-season seeding drama and how it changed playoff narratives.
• The ripple effects on matchups and which teams “won” or “lost” Sunday.
• Who could get upset in round one and why.
• The annual, playful yet highly insightful “Most Intriguing Guys” draft—a rapid-fire blend of narrative, analytics, and NBA history.
• Notable players (Mitchell, Jokic, Wemby, SGA, etc.) and coaches in the playoff spotlight.
• The perennial subplot of legacies, flame-outs, and which stars could controversially change teams in the off-season.

If you haven’t been following the NBA season closely, this episode covers the teams, players, and coaches that will define the upcoming playoffs—along with plenty of context, side stories, and future-looking speculation.

Sample Timestamp Guide:

• Playoff Seeding Analysis – 00:55–16:20
• Celtics-Orlando & Coaching Critiques – 16:21–22:27
• Play-in Games Preview & Wildcards – 28:40–44:45
• Upset Picks & Playoff Sleepers – 49:58–55:00
• “Intriguing Guys Draft” – 56:32–130:42
• Notable snubs & late categories (LeBron, Curry) – 130:15–132:17

Essential Quote:
“It’s not like there are rules for this – let's add a category…We share LeBron!” – Bill Simmons (130:21)