The Bonus with Tristan Brown: Recent Episodes
Tristan Brown
Welcome to The Bonus, a brand new basketball podcast. I'm your host Tristan Brown and follow me as I'm joined by a rotating cast of friends, guests, experts, and most important of all fans. Listen to us discuss and debate the latest news and storylines happening in the NBA, whether it's highlights, lowlights, or deep dives into the greatest moments in the league's storied history. And maybe we'll even make a little history of our own, but you'll definitely want to be around to find out.
In the first episode of 2023, Tristan and Maanik give their picks for the 2023 NBA All-Star game in Salt Lake City, discuss which MVP candidate in the East might not be a starter, and tackle the weirdness that is the 4 wild card spots. Plus, some hopefuls and regretful snubs.
On this week's episode of The Bonus, Tristan, Maanik, and Sophia are all about this or that. Who takes the 1 seed in the West, Memphis or New Orleans? Will Atlanta and Minnesota figure out their star duos, or are they already doomed? Is Scottie Barnes vs Franz Wagner an actual conversation? Plus, some award talk and the return of Sophia's Ball Stars! All that and more on The Bonus!
In a special 3 person episode of The Bonus, Tristan, Sophia, and Maanik discuss a few recent developments around the league and ask: are you buying it? Pacers no longer tanking, Bulls are in hell, the Kings are back, and more. Plus, Sophia debuts a new segment talking about some underratedly good seasons around the league: Sophia's Ball Stars!
After a long offseason, Tristan and Maanik are back to survey the NBA landscape after the first ten games, and the surprises are aplenty. How real are Lauri Markkannen and the Jazz? Should be concerned about the slow starts for the Heat, Warriors, and Sixers? Who's taken the biggest leap so far this season? How cooked are the Bulls? All that and more on The Bonus!
In a revisit of the very first episode of The Bonus, Tristan and Maanik revisit their preseason fantasy basketball rankings and go over their biggest draft mistakes, players whose seasons took us by surprise, and the ones we nailed (not so many). Be sure to leave a 5 star rating and review on this episode, and we'll read it on the show!
In a 4th of July edition of The Bonus, Tristan and Maanik ask themselves 5 questions about whatever they feel like. From wondering about the on-court fit between Rudy Gobert and Karl-Anthony Towns in Minnesota, hoping the Suns aren't completely screwed if Kevin Durant goes elsewhere, and questioning the fit between Trae Young and his new backcourt mate Dejounte Murray, we get big picture on Independence Day.
With the NBA Draft over and free agency upon us, Tristan and Maanik are back to look at the 10 youngest teams in the NBA before deciding whose future and situation is the brightest. From Memphis as the slam dunk pick to how we value being competitive versus cap flexibility, and the Charlotte Hornets being in Hell, we hit it all in the longest episode of The Bonus yet.
The Bonus is COVID-free at last, and Maanik and Tristan are here to send off the 2021-2022 NBA season with a reflection on some of this season's wildest storylines. From the Ben Simmons saga to the Lakers and Nets separate collapses, a blowout-filled playoffs, and last but not least an astoundingly baffling end to the Suns' season, we hit it all.
The second round of the NBA playoffs is underway, as Tristan and Maanik tackle the air of dread and boredom surrounding the Heat-Sixers series, Chris Paul and the Suns' blistering offense against Dallas, the unpredictability of Celtics-Bucks, and the Warriors' path on defense without Gary Payton II.
The NBA playoffs are finally here. Tristan and Maanik are back to recap the play-in and why it should stick around, the electric Anthony Edwards and his duel with Ja Morant, how the Golden State Warriors look real scary with the new Death Lineup, and how the script flipped on the Raptors. If you liked this episode of The Bonus, be sure to leave us a rating on Apple Podcasts!
The NBA playoffs are finally upon us. Tristan and Maanik are back to break down the play-in games, and how anything can happen in a one game showdown when you've got the weight of expectations for the Brooklyn Nets, a clash of great offenses between the Clippers and Timberwolves, and the high-octane battle between Trae Young and LaMelo Ball. The conversation then shifts to the first round playoff series and what storylines will emerge. How cooked is Dallas without Luka Doncic? Does Philadelphia or Boston have the hardest path to the Finals of any team in the East? What kind of video game numbers can we expect from Nikola Jokic against the Golden State Warriors, and what version of Steph Curry will we see? All this and more on The Bonus! If you like the show, leave us a rating and review on Apple Podcasts!
With NBA silly season in full swing, Tristan and Maanik are back to completely ignore the end of the regular season and instead check in on the top 6 in each conference with important questions about each team's playoff destiny. Whether it's health in the case of Steph Curry or Ja Morant, an inability to hang with the best like the Utah Jazz and Chicago Bulls, or a reevaluation of ceilings like the Dallas Mavericks and Toronto Raptors, we have a lot of questions about the NBA playoffs, but the answers are going to have to wait.
If you enjoyed this episode of The Bonus, be sure to rate us on Apple Podcasts and follow us on Twitter @krogerbrand and @mchotalla !
With the NBA playoffs 2 weeks from today, Tristan and Maanik discuss the unlikely heroes that might decide some teams' playoff destinies. Between the Miami Heat's reliance on Tyler Herro, the emergence of Jordan Poole for the Warriors, and which Boston Celtics not named Jayson Tatum are going to show up, these playoffs will be one for the ages.
If you liked this episode of The Bonus, leave us a review and 5-star rating on Apple Podcasts!
In a special episode of The Bonus, Tristan is joined by none other than the amazing Sophia Keller. They discuss the top 5 in the West and East, and decide who has what it takes to contend for a championship, or even just make it to the NBA Finals. Does Steph Curry's injury take the Warriors out of the mix? What version of the Miami Heat will we see come playoff time? Are the Dallas Mavericks the most confusing team in the league? Can anyone beat the Phoenix Suns in a series? Is Kelly Olynyk the DPOY? All that and more on The Bonus. Don't forget to rate us Apple Podcasts and follow me on Twitter @@krogerbrand!
With only 15 games left in the regular season, Tristan and Maanik are back to talk about potential playoff matchups. Will we get Ja Morant versus Anthony Edwards? Are the Bulls destined for an early exit? Can Nikola Jokic beat the Warriors by himself? Are the Heat in for a tough road regardless of who comes out of the play-in? If you liked this episode of The Bonus, leave us a 5-star review on Apple Podcasts!
In the last pre-All Star break episode of The Bonus, Tristan and Maanik reflect on what they've learned so far this season from the Lakers' continued disappointment, Portland's confounding front office, Dallas' surprisingly good defense, and more before making projections about the second half of the season. Is Brooklyn going to the play-in? Are the Raptors and Cavs winning a playoff series? Is any player more valuable to their team than Nikola Jokic? Follow us on Twitter @TheBonusNBA and leave us a review on Apple Podcasts!
With the NBA All-Star Game a little less than a month away, Tristan and Maanik pick their All-Stars for the East and West as well as discuss the pitfalls of position-based voting in the case of DeMar DeRozan, the abundance of guard depth in both conferences with players like Ja Morant, Darius Garland and LaMelo Ball, as well as potential snubs and players who don't deserve the buzz (sorry Andrew Wiggins).
The Bonus is back after the holidays! I recap what stood out the most during the month of December, from DeMar DeRozan's MVP level play to the depth of the 2021 NBA draft class through the play of Franz Wagner, and how the Suns will tackle an unforeseen development in their frontcourt. I then chat with longtime Grizzlies fan Jordan the Grizzthusiast about Ja Morant's leap, Memphis' depth, and what their postseason destiny could look like. Be sure to follow us on Twitter @TheBonusNBA and leave us a review on Apple Podcasts!
The NBA has winners and it has losers, and in this episode of The Bonus, Tristan and Maanik look at who's who. They discuss the Pacers' move to rebuild, Minnesota's struggles, Zion's injury setback and the horrid state of the New Orleans Pelicans, thoughts on the Rockets' 7-game win streak, our endlessly rising Cleveland Cavaliers stock, how the Memphis Grizzlies are winning without Ja Morant before closing with COVID-19's impact on the Bulls and Hornets.
We're a quarter way into this NBA season, and on this edition of The Bonus, Maanik and I are back to talk about players who are struggling. Whether it's stars like Anthony Davis and Jayson Tatum or role players like Davis Bertans or Kemba Walker, not everyone is living up to our preseason expectations. To this we ask, "what the hell is going on?"
In this Knicks edition of The Bonus, host of The Great Love Debate and native New Yorker Brian Howie joins the show to talk about the tortured existence of one of the NBA's most loyal fanbases. We go back and forth about the Knicks historical greatness before swinging back to the present and discussing why the Knicks' bench is outplaying the starters, if Julius Randle is really a franchise centerpiece, and why the middle of the road is the worst place to be.
My great friend Al Keller joins The Bonus as we hit all things Suns, from the best moments of their 11-game win streak, how Chris Paul and Devin Booker are killing teams in the clutch, the great play of the bench, and ultimately where they stand in the race for an NBA title.
Maanik Chotalla and our good friend Kshitiz Singh join The Bonus to play a game of "Love It or Hate It," where we discuss a team or individual player's stats, record, defense, and more and decide whether we love it or hate it. We talk about Paul George's MVP case, the unexpectedly good Wizards, Evan Mobley and Scottie Barnes' race for Rookie of the Year, the surging Warriors, the Hawks and Grizzlies' dismal defense, and much, much more.
Div Bhansali (@statcenter) joins The Bonus to talk all things Charlotte, from LaMelo Ball's shot selection to Miles Bridges' improvement and the perplexingly great play of Ish Smith before discussing Evan Mobley's immediate impact on the Cavaliers' defense, what makes the Miami Heat so dangerous, and more.
Maanik Chotalla returns to The Bonus as we predict the MVP, Rookie of the Year, Defensive Player of the Year, Most Improved, teams that may surprise us, and more for the 2021-2022 NBA season.
YouTube's Clayton Crowley joins The Bonus to discuss his "Making The Case" series, the underrated Moses Malone, how the Shaq and Kobe Lakers and the cocaine '80s would have fared in the Twitter era, the changing face of sports journalism, the greatest playoff series of all time, and much, much more.
In Part 2, Tristan and Maanik are back right where they left off in their fantasy basketball rankings. With the top 25 out of the way, we move on to ranking the rest of the top 50, as well as some breakout candidates that could make or break your fantasy season.
In the very first episode of The Bonus, friend of the show Maanik Chotalla joins me as we break down the best 25 players in fantasy basketball...and things you need to look out for if you want to win your league.