Reddit AMA: Yahoo Sports NBA Senior Analyst Kevin O'Connor - Insights into the World of Basketball

Yahoo Sports NBA Senior Analyst Kevin O'Connor engaged in a Reddit AMA (Ask Me Anything) session on Wednesday, where he addressed a variety of fan questions. The topics discussed included his predictions for Cleveland and Oklahoma City, his outlook on the remainder of the 2024-25 season, and insights into the upcoming playoffs.

Question: Kevin, who do you have more faith in come playoff time: the Thunder or Cavs?

Kevin O’Connor: The Thunder because they have the best player on the floor, and the MVP, in Shai Gilgeous-Alexander. And the best defense, especially once Chet Holmgren is back. There is also no opponent on the level of what the Celtics can be in the West, so the Cavs have to worry about getting through them.

The Cavs have talked so much about their vibes as a team and you can see how good the Thunder’s team chemistry is with all their postgame interviews. What role do you see their team chemistry playing in their incredible success?

A significant amount. How often do miserable teams really reach great heights in any sport? How often do miserable people successfully lead successful groups in any field? Not often at all. Usually, miserableness comes after success (“the disease of more,” as Pat Riley said). And maybe someday that’ll come for the Cavs and Thunder. But not now. And not any time soon. These two teams seem totally bought into each other and the collective mission they’re all fighting for together. It’s beautiful to watch.

What types of sports stories/angles do you think resonate with the NBA community the most? 

Everyone’s different. Some people like nostalgic pieces with quotes telling a story from the past. Others don’t care, just want to know what’s coming next. Some like deep dive player profiles describing a person’s background, others just view that as puff piece filler. It’s all a matter of taste and the good thing about NBA media is I think there’s something for everyone.

What would it take for JB Bickerstaff to win Coach of the Year over Kenny Atkinson and Mark Daigneault?

Probably nothing besides the Pistons going on a crazy run to close the season and ending up a top-four seed. JB Bickerstaff definitely deserves his props, but I contribute Detroit’s improvement more to Cade Cunningham’s development and the roster changes. Whereas, say, Ty Lue and Jahmal Mosley have dealt with a ton of injuries to key players and yet their teams keep winning. Alongside Atkinson and Daigneault, I’d probably favor one of Lue or Mosley over Bickerstaff. 

How is it Sam Presti has never won NBA executive of the year after building multiple iterations of contending teams over his 15+ years in OKC?

This has got to be the year after acquiring Hartenstein and Caruso, right? And taking a swing on Topic in the draft. But executives vote on this award, for what it’s worth. So relationships matter here too. Could Leon Rose get favored for landing KAT? Or maybe a team like the Grizzlies makes a big deadline move that puts Zach Kleiman in the lead to win the award a second time? Presti has to be the favorite though. 

What guys right now are role players/rotation players that could be stars if they got more opportunity or had more minutes? Similar to Harden, Brunson and even Lauri once he got to Utah?

Some initial thoughts: What would happen if the Bulls let Coby White shoot 20 times per game? Does Bennedict Mathurin have untapped upside as a feature guy? And to a lesser degree: What if Payton Pritchard were cast as a high usage starter instead of a Sixth Man? I’d be curious to know who you guys have in mind that fit this general criteria.

Who is your dream point guard pairing for Wemby? I dream of Cade and Wemby .. in basketball contexts of course, any chance Detroit accepts all of the Spurs picks for him?

Stephen Curry for the next 3-5 years. Until the Warriors actually make a move for a star, their inaction suggests the franchise isn’t ready to commit to winning now. So I can’t help but wonder if that leads to Steph, who’s been unafraid to make public comments about the state of the team, demanding a trade this summer to go chase another championship or two or three, just like Tom Brady did going to Tampa Bay. And what better fit than with Victor Wembanyama? They’d have an unstoppable pick-and-roll and DHO duo. And they’re both so selfless. Man, it’d just be pure magic watching Steph in the twilight of his career as Victor continues to ascend, contending together.