Lakers Are Actually Contenders & Is Expansion Really Needed? (w/ Rachel Nichols)

Open Floor: SI's NBA Show

SI NBA

Sports News, Sports, News, Basketball

4.5 • 2.4K Ratings

🗓️ 20 March 2026

⏱️ 48 minutes

🔗️ Recording | iTunes | RSS

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Summary

Chris Mannix and Rachel Nichols break down the Lakers sweeping the Rockets in a two-game series behind improved play from Deandre Ayton and a new role for LeBron James, why the NBA's 65-game minimum rule is hurting the competitive MVP race, and whether the league really needs to expand to 32 teams

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Transcript

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0:00.0	Now playing.
0:01.5	Open Floor.
0:03.1	This is Open Floor.
0:05.3	Sports Illustrated's Chris Mannix back at it.
0:07.7	An NBA podcast with Sports Illustrated senior writer.
0:11.5	I think it's time that the world get to know.
0:14.1	My guy, Chris Manix.
0:15.4	I think your opinion is shared by everyone.
0:17.1	And now it begins.
0:18.3	Now it begins.
0:19.5	Bang!
0:22.9	All right. Open now it begins. Now it begins. Bang! All right.
0:24.4	Open Floor, NBA podcast.
0:26.9	We talk about the league and all the big stories that are going on in it.
0:31.5	Joining me, as she does, every week from Los Angeles, from Fox Sports One, All the Smoke,
0:37.1	monumental sports network. And right here on the show every week. Rachel Angeles, from Fox Sports One, All the Smoke, monumental sports network,
0:38.3	and right here on the show every week.
0:40.8	Rachel Nichols, Rachel, I am 3,000-ish miles from you.
0:44.8	Yes.
0:45.0	In not so sunny Orlando, Florida.
0:48.2	Kind of chilling.
0:49.4	Come home.
	...

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