ESPN NBA analysts Tim Legler and Richard Jefferson and ESPN Senior Vice President of Sports Production Tim Corrigan previewed the 2025-26 NBA season on an October 16 media conference call.

ESPN tips off its coverage of the 2025-26 season with back-to-back nights of basketball action, beginning Wednesday, October 22 with a blockbuster doubleheader. The Cleveland Cavaliers and Donovan Mitchell visit the New York Knicks, led by reigning Clutch Player of the Year Jalen Brunson. The nightcap features the much-anticipated debut of this year’s first overall pick, Cooper Flagg, as he and the Dallas Mavericks host the San Antonio Spurs and former first overall pick Victor Wembanyama.

On Thursday, October 23, the reigning NBA Champion Oklahoma City Thunder and reigning M.V.P. Shai Gilgeous-Alexander continue their pursuit of a second title with a 2025 NBA Finals rematch against the reigning Eastern Conference Champion Indiana Pacers, led by Pascal Siakam. The night concludes on the West Coast, where former M.V.P.s Stephen Curry and the Golden State Warriors host Nikola Jokić and the Denver Nuggets in another must-watch matchup.

CORRIGAN: Good to see everybody. Yeah, we’re four preseason games in already in the typical fashion of how we do business.

New deal. We couldn’t be any happier. So many great things. Our portfolio just continues to grow and grow and grow, but nothing better than remaining the home of the NBA Finals. That’s obviously a huge deal for us. We’ve been doing it for the last 23 years, and we’ll be doing it for the next 11, which is fabulous.

Within the body of this, a lot of change to bringing Inside The NBA to ESPN and ABC is a huge deal. I think everybody knows where that show stands in the history of sports studio broadcasting. It’s absolutely the get of the summer that happened when we came together to bring the WBD and that whole team of Ernie, Charles, Kenny, and Shaq. We can’t wait to launch that, as Ben mentioned, on the 22nd and 23rd.

Extensions abound with us: Doris Burke, Malika, RJ. Can’t wait to have a great long run with that crew. As Ben mentioned the new lead team with Mike, RJ, and Legs. They’ve already been on the road doing a couple of games, spending some time together. We’re fully committed to them in a run that began preseason all the way through The Finals and beyond.

Adding Michael Malone, who we had on last night, to our Countdown team, really excited about that. And getting back to teaching the game and coaching the game and analyzing the game. The game is the star and always has been in everything we’ve done. That’s how we treat it on the event side, and that’s how we’re going to treat it on the studio side as well.

Just a lot of great things going on as, again, we continue to add more and more and more to what we do. Even though we’re doing less games, we’re going to be presenting the game itself in more different ways. Really excited for the season and happy to be here, happy to be helpful in any way we can.

Q. Good morning. This is for anybody. Thoughts on the Minnesota Timberwolves. People here in Minnesota seem to be very excited, hoping they can get past the Conference Finals after being there two years in a row. What’s your thoughts, if you can share with us please?

LEGLER: Look, there’s no doubt — you know, it’s funny, you look at all these teams that added pieces in the Western Conference. We’ve been spending most of the off-season talking about them, even a majority of the preseason. Minnesota wasn’t really in that category with any major components added, and yet they’re the team that’s been in the Conference Finals two years in a row. That’s just how loaded the top of the West is.

There’s no doubt they’re in the mix, and I think at this point, how we view everybody in the Western Conference, at least I do, is relative to Oklahoma City because to me they’re the gold standard. They deserve to be the gold standard going into the season and who we expect, kind of put them on a separate shelf almost.

So, who are the teams left that could be the last team standing against them? Minnesota definitely is in that mix, even though relatively quiet off-season compared to some of the things that some of these other top teams in the West have done to try to close that gap with the Thunder.

I’m excited for Minnesota as well. A young superstar like Anthony Edwards, there’s just no telling what one year could mean to his game and his growth and maturity.

JEFFERSON: I agree with everything Tim said. There’s certain teams in the Western Conference that just look like they’ve separated themselves, the teams that were already there and the teams that were in a good spot but elevated themselves. You look again the size that was added from Golden State, what they did. Obviously, Dallas has size, and we haven’t even really mentioned them.

Especially the Western Conference to me, when I look at Minnesota, they were ahead of the curve. They got really, really big when they needed to go against Jokic. Every other team followed suit. Now it’s an arms race, especially in the Western Conference.

Q. This is for Legs and RJ. Going into year 3 of Wemby obviously, injury shortened last year. We saw the off-season, going to China, the exciting stuff with him training with Hakeem. What do you make of a the challenge a team faces with Wemby, where to deploy him on the offensive end? There was a lot of chatter about the number of threes. In your mind, what is the challenge of figuring of how to utilize a skill set of a guy who can stretch it to 30 feet but also is 7’5″ and can dominate inside?

LEGLER: If we label it a challenge to have a talent like that, give me that challenge if I’m a head coach. Look, he represents a particular package with just his size, skill set. We’ve never seen anything quite like this. I think they’re still trying to figure it out.

I do think there’s an element to his game that, as he learns to be able to get functionally stronger and playing through contact off the dribble to where he’s not necessarily going to take a pull-up or a lean back or an off-balance shot on the way to the rim, I think you’re going to see more of that this year, able to take the extra dribble or just stride out and get to the rim and play through contact, to make sure he’s getting more of the quality shots that he wants.

He can get a shot off wherever he wants from the floor any time he wants. The question is how quality are the shots and how on balance are they? That’s what I’m looking to see out of their offense this year and seeing if Wemby has a little more balance in his game in playing through contact at the rim. I think we are going to see that. To me, they’re one of the more exciting teams I’m looking at going into the season.

JEFFERSON: When I think about Wemby, I think about with Pop, Pop said in his first year — and we were fortunate enough to do his very first game, he said, ‘I just want to see the kid play. Let’s see what he can do. Let’s see his strengths and weaknesses.’ So, it’s not giving him a position. Not just letting him play basketball, you’re going to start to see who Wemby is. What areas he has a super strength in and what areas he needs to continue to improve, strength obviously being one of them.

We’re going to start to see the game narrowed down to understand who he is. I don’t think he did. I don’t think the Spurs did. No one knew who he was or what he was capable of. I think that lens is going to start narrowing.

Q. For Richard and Tim, with the Grizzlies, with this kind of restructured roster that they created with trading Desmond Bane and kind of prioritizing bigger defensive wings to put alongside of Ja, I’m just curious what’s your outlook on where the Grizzlies stand in the Western Conference now with this new-look roster? Because it feels like they’re a mystery, but how do you guys see them sizing up in the West?

LEGLER: Look, to me their whole thing is always going to come down to availability and health of Ja Morant. Because their offense, the way they want to play on changing ends of the floor and the way they want to play based off his pace, you just can’t replace it if he’s not on the floor. Obviously, that’s been a problem for him.

I thought he altered the way he played last year a little bit, didn’t take as many big hits. I think that last injury he had, he sort of didn’t play with the same reckless abandon that he had, and I do think that affected him a little bit because that’s what makes him special, but at the same time it’s risky. So, they’ve got to somehow balance that, keep him on the floor.

It’s amazing, the talent level that they have when you look at their depth. You’re not really talking about them at all because of all of the moves the top five, six teams made in the Western Conference to get better, to add depth. Look, they’re in the mix for a playoff spot in the Western Conference, but until we see an extended version of this and Lisalo getting a chance to coach them for an extended period of time with a full off-season, really difficult to know.

They’re for me one of the bigger and more intriguing teams in the Western Conference. I want to see it for myself. Give me 15, 20 games, and I’ll have a much better idea of where Memphis stacks up in the Western Conference.

JEFFERSON: Memphis is one of those teams that Oklahoma City is where we thought Memphis would be two or three years ago. Obviously for injuries, a lot of different things, but they’re still very young. They still have a Defensive Player of the Year. They still have an All-NBA point guard. It’s really just about health and how well it comes together.

You talk about Ja and his ability to play; he’s still trying to figure out what’s the best way and style for him to play to keep him healthy through the season. For example, LeBron James typically tried to not post up until the postseason, so it would limit the wear and tear on his body, and I think right now Ja Morant is still trying to figure out the best way to lead his team.

Q. I had a quick question about young star power. We talked about Victor. Everybody talks about Cooper Flagg. Curious about one-and-done, the transfer portal, all of that in college does a disservice creating young star power in the league, coming in by not knowing a lot of these guys after the first couple of picks? Like does it hurt the NBA’s young star power at all?

LEGLER: Personally, for me, I don’t think it does. At the end of the day, if these guys can play and are legit, whether the average fan has heard of them or not, they’re going to find out really quickly, and they’re going to be guys that make names for themselves.

I still think the talent level coming into the league is top shelf, it’s as good as it’s been. Just because guys maybe have a different path to get there, or in some cases you’re not as familiar with them on draft night, you will find out pretty quickly what these guys are capable of doing. I think there are more guys with more diverse skill sets coming into the league sprinkled throughout the lottery and even really the whole, entire first round than we’ve had before.

So, I personally don’t think it does. Obviously, guys like us are grinding it studying these guys, so we’re more familiar with them than a lot of people, and we kind of know, wow, this guy was picked 14th, whatever it may be. This guy can really to play because I’ve seen him. Maybe the average fan isn’t but they get acclimated pretty quickly. I don’t think overall, to me, the talent infusion has really been reduced.

JEFFERSON: I look at it as, did we know who Dame Lillard was when he got drafted from Weber State? Did we know who Jokic was when he got drafted in the second round during a Taco Bell commercial?

Yes, there’s always going to be top name stars that people hear but then there’s that next group of guys who will separate themselves, like Giannis was when he got drafted.

I like the Cooper Flaggs and all those big names and star power, but there’s other stars every draft. Tyrese Halliburton was low in the draft, middle of the draft. So, there’s young stars we don’t know about, and that’s what the draft gives us the opportunity to do is see who is the next generation.

Q. I wanted to get your thoughts on the Celtics, their chances without Jayson, and whether Jayson should try to play this season. It’s kind of a lingering issue that’s probably going to follow the team throughout the season. Whether it is a good idea to shoot as many threes without him, Porzingis, Holiday and Horford, or whether they should try to win a different way?

LEGLER: As far as the Jayson Tatum component, a lot is going to come down to timing. How late in the year are we talking about before he potentially could play? At the end of the day, if you’re healthy, you play. If Jayson Tatum has passed every single physical metric they need to see and they say he’s ready to go, he’s going to play.

At some point, if it gets too late in the season, you start to think about, you know what, let’s give him an additional off-season, make him stronger for the following year. So, we’ll just have to wait and see on that.

As far as their style of play, Joe Mazzulla believes in one style and one way. They’re just big believers in it as an organization that this is the best way to play offensively. He’s had so many different challenges with people that ask questions about this, and they’re going to stay the course.

Now, I’ll say this, I don’t think the quality of threes they’re going to get this year will be as good if Jayson Tatum is on the floor, and that could overall affect their efficiency, but I think this is just a stylistic question that their coaching staff believes in. So, I don’t know that you’re going to see a massive change. I just don’t know that you’re going to see as many quality threes taken by the Celtics as you’ve gotten in the past because of the amount of attention Jayson Tatum commands and the way defenses shift toward him, and it leads to something better on the weak side.

You won’t see as many good shots, but I think that’s the way they’re going to play because that’s something they believe in as a staff.

JEFFERSON: I think he shouldn’t try and play because there’s no benefit. There’s no benefit for him to try and play and come back with 20 games and to try and make a playoff run. If this team had stayed together and if he was in a different position to add to what a championship roster is, but that’s not the actual case.

As far as the way they shoot threes and as far as the way they progress their offensive style, the league, you’ve got to have attempts. You have to be top third in the league, in my opinion, if you really want to have an opportunity, or you have to be an elite defensive team.

I think they still have a lot of 3-point shooters and good 3-point shooters. They don’t have the most 3-point shooters at one point in time that they did have. When you look at Pritchard, Jaylen Brown, when they had the shooting around them, that puts them in a much better position to play their style. They still have to be defense first.

Jayson Tatum shouldn’t play. He’s the future of their franchise. I think he’ll be an All-Star caliber player for the next eight or nine years. So, to try to come back to get 20 games, don’t mess with the next generation.

Q. My question is for the two Tims. Right now, it’s gone viral the new segment, the new “Coaches Corner” segment you guys have been doing. LeBron just tweeted about it today. I’m curious what the genesis was for this segment. LeBron also alluded to kind of like the hot take culture. I’m curious if that played any factor in that. Also, really just the plans for that segment and ESPN’s coverage moving forward.

LEGLER: Well, I think the genesis was that I was kind of approached to do it. Obviously, I’ve done a lot of film breakdown and that kind of stuff in the studio for a long time. So, they approached me about sitting down with each NBA head coach at the coaches meeting in Chicago. They wanted it to be a little bit more interactive with the film work than it’s been maybe in some of these segments in the past, when it’s been more about, hey, talk about the upcoming season and then just hand it off to the coach to go over the film. They wanted me to be a little more interactive with the coach while they were doing that, and that’s kind of what we did.

We didn’t get to every coach. We only missed one or two that didn’t come in and do it. We’ve done anywhere from 28 to 30 of those, and they’re going to be released over a period of time. I think it was just something that it feels like there’s a lot of people, there’s a craving for that right now in the Xs and Os breakdown, and people find it just fascinating to sit there and chop it up.

The terminology and what coaches are looking at and what they’re trying to get at with specific sets and why they design plays in a certain way, it’s just fascinating. It takes people into a little bit more of the insight of a coaching staff and how they prepare offensively, defensively, the things that are non-negotiables for them.

So, the conversations just kind of were organic, and we were able to chop it up together, myself and each head coach. It’s something that was a lot of fun for me to do. Those guys were really forthcoming in those conversations. I think the content that came out of that, I think we’re really happy with, and it’s going to be fun to watch it trickle out because, as I said, I did it with every coach.

We’re going to be hitting it with just about every single head coach in the league over time, and I think people really enjoy that, kind of taking you inside of a film room a little bit and finding out what coaches think about, what they’re trying to do.

CORRIGAN: Thanks for the question and thanks for recognizing what we’re doing. It really is, it’s a focus on what we’re doing. We’re teaching the game and coaching the game and analyzing the game. Nobody better than Legs to be the one breaking it down. He’s been doing it for 25 years, right? That’s the sweet spot for him.

You get to see some of the personality and some of the intricacies of the coaches in those moments, and I think as you’re building into a season starting, having a package like that that we can roll out daily and get around the entire leg, as Tim mentioned, we got just about every coach.

It’s going to be a neat way for us to make it about basketball and get people excited about what’s coming. You get to hear it in the coach’s words. So, there’s nothing better than that.

I think Legs, through his relationships with these guys, made it comfortable, and they were immediately able to just kind of dive into whatever it is, whatever messaging, whatever plays, whatever breakdowns they wanted to give. So, we’re really excited about this.

Q. This is for Richard and Legs. A couple questions about Cooper Flagg. First off, just what have you seen from him since the draft that has stood out or that needs improvement about his game? He’s in a rare position going as the Number 1 pick going to a team that’s expected to contend, that has All-Star, veteran talent. How could that affect how he’s utilized in his rookie year, and what effect do you think that will have on his development?

JEFFERSON: I don’t know why you keep messing with the rhythm here because Legs has been crushing it, but I’ll start.

I think Cooper Flagg is in a very beneficial position. Jason Kidd is also the first person to put the ball in Giannis’ hands. I think, when you look at him playing point guard early on, now if they put a small guy on him and try to pressure him, he can relieve the pressure going to the post. They put a big guy on him; he can handle the ball and do all the things.

When you look at the lineup that Cooper Flagg has with him at the point, Klay at the 2, P.J. Washington at the 3, Lively and Anthony Davis, let me just say this, I’m not worried about Cooper Flagg’s development. I’m not worried about that. He’s going to learn. I think if he averages between 15 and 17 points, Dallas is going to be a very good team. If his numbers go up above that, then I think they’re just okay because that would imply they’re not utilizing all the talent, they’re giving it to him, and he’s doing whatever they want, and their team is not very good.

Dallas has a lot of potential, but they’ve got to bring it all together.

LEGLER: To echo a lot of what Richard said, I think for me, if you’re just looking at what I’ve seen from him to this point that has really stood out are two things. I really saw this first in Vegas. I was able to call those first two Summer League games before he shut it down. First, when he struggled with his shooting, second one he was fantastic. The thing that stood out immediately was he can handle the ball comfortably against smaller defenders who are actually even quicker that can beat him from spot to spot. He’s not affected by that.

Like handling the ball in tight windows against guys that are 6’4″, 6’5″, that are elite laterally and he’s not affected by it, that was really impressive, and told me that this guy is going to be able to dance the ball and his escapability with the ball against very active defenders is like there now. That is one of the reasons I think the coaching staff and Jason Kidd are looking at this guy and saying, hey, man, put the ball in his hands. He’s got a size advantage in the half-court because he’s not going to be affected up the floor with this ball pressure.

The second thing is just his anticipation defensively. He’s so smart, so aware, and so committed defensively. He’s got a lot of want-to on that end. His anticipation for the next rotation for the closeouts, for the weak side helps and things like that, he’s just miles ahead of most young players coming into the league that have a lot to learn defensively. He’s already there in terms of what he’s seeing. That’s why he’s going to have a major impact defensively from the beginning.

Even if his scoring numbers take a while to come around in the first 10, 15, 20 games, he’s going to impact that team’s ability to win because of his defensive prowess and because just how mature he is as a defensive player.

He’s the whole package, man. The versatility is what stands out about Cooper Flagg, and he’s going to have a great year.

Q. I have one for Tim Corrigan and then one for Tim Legler, if that’s okay. Tim Corrigan, from the ESPN management perspective, how involved will you be, if at all, as far as the content of Inside the NBA, how long the show might run on a given night, or is it strictly everything emanates out of the Atlanta group and you’re watching just like the rest of us?

CORRIGAN: I’ll tell you this, Richard, Inside the NBA, whether it’s the tip-off show, the tip-off show is going to be an hour before each of the ESPN windows, when they’re on ESPN, and then Saturday nights it will be a half hour leading into ABC. Post-game on ESPN, Inside the NBA will be at least an hour, and on ABC on Saturday nights will be a half hour at least on the ABC network, and then they’ll go to the ESPN app after that.

In Atlanta, same studio, same set, same cast, same graphics, same music, same animation, same producer, and we’ve had a ton of conversations. Tim Kiely, who produces it, is an old friend of ours from years ago.

We’re excited for them to do their show. We’ll be in Atlanta, of course, because we’re building a relationship with a new group of people, some we know, some that we’re just meeting and getting to know.

Our job is not to go there and go through Tim Kiely’s rundown and say, ‘Hey, can you guys swap out this for that?’ We want them to do their show. It’s not going to be time constraints at the end of the show. Like at the end of the night when we throw to Inside, if they go 48 minutes, they go 48 minutes. If they go an hour and 11 minutes, they go an hour and 11 minutes, which would be really consistent with what they’ve done on Turner.

We had it pegged for an hour show, and again, it’s an all-time great product. We want them to be able to do it and produce their show. We’re there to support and let them know priorities and things like that for us, but we’re not there to go through the format and say, ‘Hey, make these changes.’

They know what they’re doing. It’s been great, and we want it to be great on our end.

Q. Just one for Tim Legler. Obviously congrats on getting The Finals assignment. You look around sports broadcasting, and often when it comes to the A chair, particularly for a championship or finals, that’s very often a Hall of Fame player or a former player or coach who is very, very famous or prominent while they played. You were obviously a successful NBA player, but you’re not someone who would have been a household name when you retired, et cetera, and now today you’re calling NBA Finals. I wonder if you feel that your career or maybe specifically like the role that you now have is unique within that broader context of who usually is calling championships in American broadcasting?

LEGLER: I think there are probably other examples of a probably similar path. Look, you’re right, I think that I was lucky in that, when I first came to ESPN, actually I kind of cracked the mold in that way a little bit. Even then, even to get a studio gig or whatever, you had to fall into that realm. Was this guy an All-Star, perennial All-Star, Hall of Famer, whatever it may be, instead of being a role player, which is what I was as an NBA player.

So even getting the opportunity originally was something that ESPN took a chance on me because at the end of the day, what they were concerning themselves with was what I was saying, less about who’s saying it, what is being said and how much are you able to teach and the insight that you’re able to give and some of the things that hopefully are not only entertaining, but they’re just making you smarter as a fan.

I just think that became what mattered most to ESPN when it came to me, and I’m grateful for that because they were just able to just look at me in a different lens. That stuff didn’t matter because at the end of the day, I just want — when you’re listening to me, hopefully you just feel like you’re smarter. The next time you watch an NBA game, you pick up on something that I said, it makes it more fun for you the next time you watch it.

I don’t think I’m totally like this one of one when it comes to that. I think there are other people who have ascended to spots where they’re prominently calling games that probably had a similar career trajectory. I’m just grateful for the opportunity.

I’m grateful that ESPN was able to view me the way that they have all these years and that this opportunity arose. I’m grateful, I’m honored, and I’m going to do everything I can to be part of a great team and make my contribution and hopefully make this thing something that people really love.

Q. Quick question for Tim Corrigan. Tell me a little bit about anything that might be new this year on the production front, different, especially with obviously the new deal starting up this year. Did that allow you guys to add any more production resources, technology, that type of thing? Then if you have a minute, just a quick follow-up, how different does this year feel not being at the front bench and being in a new role?

CORRIGAN: Production-wise, we did this insight cast last year during the Western Conference Finals, and a couple things came out of that. Beyond sports is this group that did Dunk the Halls, and their ability to kind of map the court and build avatars that — we took Legs last year, and he played such a key role in this and we were able to make an avatar of Legs and put him on the court and break it down a little bit.

We’re looking to advance that into our L.A. studios and make it inclusive to some of the things we’re doing on our Countdown shows, where we’re going to be able to do that with Mike Malone, and again, get more into breaking down the game and putting you on the court with things that are happening.

As that technology continues to advance — what they do with things like Dunk the Halls is just amazing. So, our group that’s working together to kind of reimagine how we can present some studio programming.

We launched these virtual shot charts we did as well during the Conference Finals and Finals, and we’re going to bring those back and make those part of our every game execution. Again, we’re using avatars and moving into a new direction of presentation, which is much more robust and exciting and visual and entertaining because the other part of teaching and analyzing and breaking down all that is you want it to be fun and you want it to be entertaining as well.

I think that’s a big part of what we need to do with that. There’s more and more analytics available. We’re still figuring out how we’re going to incorporate that and build that into our coverage. I know we’re working with a couple groups on trying to figure out the next iteration of the telestrator and how we can utilize that.

What Legs has so successfully done on so much of our studio content over the years is more long form, but how do we get better and smarter and slicker in game with some things Legs can do and Richard can do, where you don’t have the longer form but you can still be really effecting in helping accentuating your points.

Those are some things we’re looking at. We’ve refreshed and redone graphics on our package and some animation and updated our music. Just the things you want to do as you freshen for any season. A lot of good things going on behind the scenes there.

For me personally, listen, being able to produce 18 NBA Finals will always be one of the great things in my professional career to have that opportunity and work with all the people that I did because just an amazing cast in front of and behind the camera that brought that all together.

I think this job now is — it’s different, but it’s broader, and I get to touch more people and be around more things and hopefully help people get everything they need to be successful because that’s the key. We’re excited about Amazon and NBC coming on because they’re going to push forward, and that’s what we all need to do.

We need to be challenging each other to make this product as good as it can possibly be. We’re excited for them to be involved. We’re excited for the challenge of what that means for us and competing in that way. Just a lot of good things in front of all of us.

Q. I’m just wondering for Legs and for Richard, what are the one or two things that have to go really well for the Knicks this year for them to get to where they want to go?

LEGLER: Well, a couple things. I think first of all they need to be healthy at the right time of the year. It’s affected them the last two postseasons. The way I’m going to describe them this year, it will start with our opening night game we have on next Wednesday when they host the Cavs. I think the Cavs are in the same boat.

The path is open. This pathway has been cleared out. You had the last two teams in the East that represented The Finals are dealing with devastating injuries — Jayson Tatum, Tyrese Halliburton, the two best players on those teams. Whether you see Tatum or not, it will be very late in the year, if at all. Halliburton, you won’t see at all this year. The path is there. So those are the two teams, the Knicks and the Cavs, that jump to the forefront. It’s a golden opportunity.

New York’s health at the end of the year is going to be critical. They also need to be much better defensively than they’ve been in defending ball screen. That was a major problem for them a year ago. They can get physical with Anunoby and Bridges on the wings and their ability to guard one-on-one. Their ability to guard ball screen is going to be challenged every night. They’ve got to figure out a way to be more creative in how they defend that, because they were taken advantage a year ago with that, and everybody knew that, and they attacked it.

The talent is there. The opportunity is there. The Knicks, they should be thinking get to the Finals. Anything short of that this year should be a disappointment for the New York Knicks. That’s the way they should view it because of what’s in front of them at the top of the Eastern Conference. Defense has to be better.

And I want to see how they adjust to Mike Brown’s offensive system. He’s got a few different thoughts on how he wants to coach offense from what they’ve done in the past. So, let’s see how that takes with this team too. That could take a little more time.

The defensive turnaround should start immediately. I think the mentality has to be a little bit different. If it is, the Knicks have a real chance to get all the way to the NBA Finals, and that should be their goal.

JEFFERSON: I think really, assuming health for most of their roster when you look at Mitchell Robinson, how healthy is he going to be? What is their big debt? Especially when you look at what’s coming out of the West. Most likely what’s going to come out of the West with the team at least two or possibly three very good bigs and Karl-Anthony Towns, he is a problem. Great in my opinion last year, despite some of the criticism.

I think their talent can be a little more balanced and I’m talking a fraction, a little bit. I like the ball in Jalen Brunson’s hands. He’s the type of player that can do all the things. But just a little bit more balance can take the pressure off of him, and that’s what I think will allow him a little more burst. You don’t want him working as hard, especially if you’re planning to play until June. That’s a different monster.

Playing all season takes a special player. Playing a couple of rounds in the playoffs as the main guy is another level. Playing all the way to the Finals, if you’re having to do that, that’s very, very difficult. So, either relieving some of that pressure, which I think will help because I think their minutes will be down throughout the regular season because of the coaching change, but ultimately, they’re going to need defensive juice.

Mitchell Robinson has to be healthy. If he’s not healthy and Karl-Anthony Towns is your primary big and you’re going to go through all — and you’re going to try and win a championship against all of those bigs that are floating around, if he’s not healthy during the season, they’re going to have trouble during the season, in my opinion, with Karl-Anthony Towns being the primary big.

Q. I’ve got a question for Tim Legler and a question for Tim Corrigan. I’ll start with Tim Legler. Obviously, you’ve been with ESPN for 25 years. You started at ESPN before they had NBA rights with Fred Carter. I was curious, getting this opportunity now, how do you feel that your experience, all the roles you’ve held over the years, how do you feel that prepares you for being a lead analyst in a way that maybe someone like — just use another sports example, a Tom Brady, a Tony Romo, goes straight from retirement to the lead team. How does your experience help you prepare for that role?

LEGLER: I think the key word is experience. I think the number of different platforms I’ve covered during the course of my career, from calling games on the radio, which is a totally different challenge, to calling games on TV, to all of the different studio hits you have to do, some of which are long form studio debate shows, others of which are breakdown a game in 2 1/2 minutes and give me all the meat and do a touchscreen while you’re at it. So, it’s more like the pressure of getting it done in a very short period of time on live TV.

All those years of doing that, you add it all up, you just kind of feel like you’ve been through every situation. You’ve just handled everything that’s been thrown your way all these years and certainly gotten better and better. I wasn’t anywhere near what I am now today as an analyst when I first got to ESPN.

You hit the word, it’s experience. Just doing a number of different things they’ve asked me to do over the years has put me in a position where now I’m just very comfortable sitting down. I think for me the biggest challenge you can have as an analyst is to be able to teach in real time.

Studio analysis is totally different. You’re either doing pregame, you’ve had a lot of time to think about it, give everybody your thoughts, let’s do a cool tape and talk about what I think what might happen. Post-game, same thing. I watched the game for 2 1/2 hours, I’m taking notes. Now I’ve talked to producers, here’s what I want to talk about, now let’s create a cool tape and go on the air and teach.

Doing a game is doing those things but in real time, and doing it, developing chemistry with Richard, which so far I’ve been really happy first couple games we’ve had, I know we’re going to hit our stride and find it because we’ve got similar personality types. The way we see the game similarly. Doing the game in real time is the ultimate challenge, and all of the things I’ve done prior to this year have prepared me for this moment. I’m just really, really excited and confident of what the three of us can make of this. Can’t wait to get going.

Q. To Tim Corrigan, just a couple of Inside the NBA questions. One, obviously they’re using their music, their graphics. Would there be anything to try to make the Inside show and the ESPN game telecast kind of consistent or will it just be TNT will be standalone and you’ll go to a completely different look and feel for the ESPN broadcasts? Secondly, for those shows when you’re on the road, will there be any ESPN involvement at all on the production side, or will even those shows at the Conference Finals and Finals be just Turner personnel?

CORRIGAN: You know what, the integration — there’s so many relationship that’s are already in place. Like RJ and Legs being a great example. They have friendships with everybody on that set, as do a number of our people across. So, there’s going to be whatever relationships and integrations that happened over time. From a presentation standpoint, Inside will be doing the same thing as they’re doing on the Turner broadcast in terms of how they would integrate and sometimes have cross-talk between the two of them leading into the game or at halftime so and so said this and they’re giving Charles a hard time, whatever that might be and look like.

The graphics package and the maintaining of what we want to do with Inside was to just make sure that — let them just come on and be themselves. Let the show be itself, and there’s no better way than if you start changing music and graphics and all those things, then you’re changing the show. That was really super intentional by us to make sure we didn’t do that.

The ESPN/ABC games will continue to look, again, as I mentioned, we’re upgrading and updating some things, but they’re going to be somewhat consistent with the presentation of what it’s been, and Inside will remain what it’s been from that standpoint.

Then when we’re on the road, you have to integrate collectively because, when we build out these shows technically for the Conference Finals and finals, it’s a huge undertaking that our guy Eddie Okuno on the tech side leads for us, and Chris Brown on the WBD side is a friend, again, like a lot of people there, who we’ve just known for decades now. We will integrate together to figure out because we have to tie trucks together and things like that.

Where relationships are going to be from next Wednesday, Thursday, to the beginning of June, I would think would be in a different place. Again, not in any way we’re going to tape everything over. Everyone is going to be more comfortable with each other.

Inevitably you have to work together to figure these things out. That’s what we’re going to do. But from a production standpoint, ESPN is going to remain the way they look and Inside is going to remain the way they look.

Q. One quick follow-up. Inside will be completely in control of all personnel. That includes, if you’ve ever watched Inside, they go to their reporters. Will it be TNT/WBD reporters reporting from game side, or will it be ESPN reporters doing that?

CORRIGAN: ESPN. They could be throwing to Katie George or Lisa Salters, or Malika is going to do some games reporting now as well again. When you’re going to the game site to do that, they’re utilizing our talent. They might want Mike Breen or Mike Jones, wherever our booth is at that site, when we’re in those game windows, that’s what we’re doing.

Q. Just for Legs and RJ, I would like to ask what you make of this Warriors team after the Kuminga drama and adding Al Horford, doubling down on their aging core. After this season, we had one of the youngest teams to win the championship.

LEGLER: I love them. I love what I’ve seen out of them in the preseason. I love the addition of Al Horford. He’s the type of player that even on nights when maybe he doesn’t get shots or hurt you with his 3-point shooting, whatever it may be, is going to have a major impact with his ability to facilitate offense from the top of the key, the way Draymond does, with his ability to be a back line anchor defensively. He’s just so smart, so savvy, so much playoff experience.

A full season now with Jimmy Butler coming into the year. They just to me are going to be one of the best stories, I think, over the first couple months of the season.

Have they rejuvenated themselves enough to give this team another shot in the Steph Curry era to really contend? Again, for me, contending in the West is relative to the Oklahoma City Thunder. It really means can you be that team to be there at the end to try to challenge them and take them on?

I think Golden State is in that mix. I think they have a freshness and bounce about them coming into the season and a confidence level, and the addition of Al Horford is a big part of that.

So, I really like what I’ve seen early in the year, and I can’t wait to see what it looks like when the season starts.

JEFFERSON: I was breaking up. I couldn’t hear the question.

It feels like every time we talk about an NBA season; it talks about health. If this team is healthy, there’s no drama. As players, as a former player — and Legs can attest to this — we never look at somebody else’s money. We never look at, oh, Kawhi, he got this. Good for Kawhi. Kuminga is in a little bit of contract drama, he and the team will figure it out. Players don’t do when it comes to contract negotiations because nothing was said throughout the organization other than navigating the contract.

That being said, that team is deep. That team has a lot of talent. Al Horford, we’ve seen him plug and play with so many teams. When we did their game, it felt like when they had David West, when they had Andrew Bogut. They had a defensive big next to Draymond that made their game so much easier.

If they’re healthy, this Warriors team, they have a chance to be one of the top teams in the West. That being said, the West is loaded. They can be healthy, play well, and lose in the second round to OKC in six. That’s still a very good season. They could go to the Conference Finals. Are they a championship team? That would take a tremendous amount of health for a team that’s a little bit older. That would take a lot. But I do believe they are one of those teams that are in the mix in the West.

Q. One of the issues sports fans are vocal about is the idea of fragmentation and TV and streaming, and ESPN has been a longtime partner of NBA, but it’s getting Inside the NBA and introducing an enhanced app. There’s been a lot of movement even in ESPN’s world. What’s ESPN doing to avoid that fan confusion? Given the growing number of streaming touch points from ESPN and beyond the league’s shifting parts in this media plan.

CORRIGAN: I think across the league this year, and Ben has the one sheet to share, really, it’s a picture that says the days of the week and the network attached to where you can find the games. I think that’s going to be a real priority for all of us is just making sure that people know where to go. You’re going to have — there’s 40 percent more national games than last year, but people have to know where to get them. That’s going to be a big responsibility on all three of the partners, as well as the league to beat that drum and make sure people know people know where to go to get this because the additional over the air on ABC and NBC is a big deal, and is going to be more available and some of the streaming are going to be things that really need to be — we need to drive folks and let them know where to go.

I hear you and totally agree.

Q. This question goes for Legs and RJ. I want to take it out West to the Clippers. What type of production do you guys Kawhi Leonard and what’s needed within the Clippers organization for them to be able to compete for an NBA championship?

LEGLER: Well, I think first of all– I’ll do the second part first. I think they are in that mix this year just based on a few things. The new guys and adding depth to that team, I know that they added some older guy, but they’re going to have very compartmentalized roles and there are specific things that this team needs. Let’s just talk about Kawhi first. The best thing to come out of last year, by far, is that Kawhi Leonard ended the year healthy. When was the last time Kawhi Leonard went into the summer feeling good? I mean it’s been a long time and what that means, and they asked him about this the other night – he had a great first half in a game that we called – and third quarter, they asked him a question, he had shut it down for the night, and he basically said it makes all the difference in the world because, over the summer, he wasn’t worried about going and rehabbing some injury and spending time doing that. All he was focused on was his body and his game and getting himself, you know, ready to start the year as a player rather than a patient and that, to me, is an enormous difference.

Now, look, I don’t know how many games he’s going to play in the regular season. I don’t know how they’re going to handle him going forward, but the fact that he feels and looks this good at the start of the year in addition to the new pieces that they brought in, and you saw right away the dividends Brook Lopez is going to pay for this team and a different look that he’s going to give them. I’m really excited about what the Clippers look like, what they could be. We didn’t even see Bradley Beal the other night, so who knows what that will look like when they get him on the court and replacing what they lost in Norman Powell leaving, but I’m really excited about the Clippers. I think a short list of teams that can be in like that top four if things break right. A lot of it will depend on Kawhi Leonard remaining upright all year but the fact that he went into the season healthy is amazing because he hasn’t done that in a number of years.

JEFFERSON: We just did the game, and we just talked about so much of all of those things, about how a healthy Kawhi is able to strengthen his body versus rehabbing his body, I think, is a big thing. They have all of the talent. When you’ve got Zubac and you look at how he continues to grow, you look at the talent, the defenders that they have, they added defenders to this roster. I think James Harden, while he’s older, he’s perfect point guard with his size and ability, so this team, they’re in the mix.

I think, of the top eight teams, six of them are in the Western Conference including, in my opinion, the top two. If Denver were in the East, they’d be the top team. If Houston was in the East, I think they’d be one of those teams. I think if Golden State were in the Eastern Conference, I think they would be a top three team like definitively. But all of those teams are in the West and that’s where the Clippers are. So, they need to navigate through a gauntlet to really even accomplish something, so what would it take for them to be in that championship window? Health, playing well. They’ve got all the talent. There are five or six teams that have enough talent to compete for an NBA championship in the Western Conference.

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