Caleb Wilson Fever, 2020 NBA Redraftables, and the ‘Odyssey’ MVP Rankings With Joe House, J. Kyle Mann, and Jason Concepcion
July 23, 2026
AI Summary
5 min read"Winning isn't everything." That is the big lesson of The Odyssey, according to Bill Simmons. Odysseus's Trojan horse was a brilliant, underhanded gift that won the war, but the movie spends three hours asking whether it was worth the cost. This sets up one of the most ambitious and sprawling episodes of The Bill Simmons Podcast in recent memory, a three-part marathon that moves from Summer League basketball to a full 2020 NBA redraft and finally to a 100-person MVP ballot for Christopher Nolan's epic film.
The Caleb Wilson Summer League Revelation
The episode opens with Joe House and J. Kyle Mann breaking down Summer League, and the conversation is dominated by one player: Caleb Wilson, the fourth overall pick. The hosts are nearly speechless with excitement. House describes his performance as a "complete evacuation" of excitement, comparing it to the colonoscopy prep that Simmons had recently undergone. The key revelation was Wilson's shooting stroke, which looked effortless and beautiful from deep—a skill that was not on display during his brief time at North Carolina. "If I was a Bulls fan, I would have no sperm left in my body," Simmons said, capturing the raw enthusiasm.
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What you'll learn
- 1 (01:05) **Intro and Red Sox Fever** - Bill opens with a Red Sox update and teases upcoming Rewatchables episodes (Hitch, a live Netflix show).
- 2 (05:34) **Summer League Takeaways: Caleb Wilson's Ascension** - The group discusses Summer League standouts, focusing on the top rookies.
- 3 (13:16) **Rookie of the Year Betting & LeBron Speculation** - The crew debates the Rookie of the Year race and the ongoing LeBron James sweepstakes.
- 4 (27:13) **2020 Redraft Begins: The COVID Draft Context** - Bill sets the stage for the redraft, explaining the unprecedented weirdness of the 2020 draft (no March Madness, Zoom interviews, no combine).
- 5 (33:22) **Redraft Picks 1-4: Edwards, Haliburton, Maxey, Avdija** - The top of the redraft is set with debate over the franchise cornerstones.
- 6 (57:49) **Redraft Picks 5-10: Lamelo, McDaniels, Vassell, Okongwu, Bane, Pritchard** - The next tier of players is selected, featuring a mix of stars and elite role players.
- 7 (72:57) **Redraft Picks 11-17: Stewart, Nesmith, Quickley, Toppin, Bey, Joe, Merrill** - The redraft concludes with the remaining rotation players and specialists.
+ Full timestamped outline available in the app
Guests on this episode
Show Notes
The Ringer’s Bill Simmons is joined by J. Kyle Mann and Joe House to recap the NBA summer league before having a 2020 NBA redraft. Then, Jason Concepcion joins the podcast to react to Bill’s MVP rankings for ‘The Odyssey.’
(0:00) Intro
(4:34) NBA summer league
(26:36) 2020 NBA redraft
(01:24:28) The ‘Odyssey’ MVP ballot
Host: Bill Simmons
Guests: J. Kyle Mann, Joe House, and Jason Concepcion
Producers: Chia Hao Tat and Eduardo Ocampo
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