The Sly Hooper Podcast: Recent Episodes
Jordan Christmas
Welcome to the Sly Hooper Pod! It's basketball podcast if you couldn't tell. I'm basically going to be talking anything hoops related....and if the mind wonders, some non-hoops stuff.
We are previewing the Sacramento Kings today so I had to invite Nick Agar-Johnson (Hashtag Basketball, Nets Republic, tortured Kings fan) back on the show to talk about the Kings and their outlook for the 2021-22 season. Here are the timestamps
*TIMESTAMPS*
3:08 - Welcoming Nick Agar-Johnson
4:05 - Reaction To Preseason Win Over Suns
9:34 - Kings Defense Sucked Last Year (understatement)
16:40 Davion Mitchell
24:40 Kings Projected Starters, De'Aaron Fox, and Marvin Bagley
42:20 Could this be Luke Walton's last season?
52:40 Can The Defense Improve even a little?
1:01:54 Haliburton's re-calibrated ceiling as a player
1:11:38 The Steady Harrison Barnes
1:17:20 Do The Kings Make The Play-In?
1:26:33 The One Ben Simmons Question for the episode
1:39:14 Closing segment.
Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
Making his fourth appearance on the show Evan Dammarell (Fear the Sword, Locked On Cavs, Right Down Euclid) joins me to preview the new season for the Cleveland Cavaliers.
But first I have him talk about his new home for Cleveland Sports coverage on Facebook Bulletin and how he got there.
Then we cover all things Cavs, including Colin Sexton, The Lauri Markkanen trade/extension, the Jarrett Allen extension, Evan Mobley, Kevin Love and a potential breakout season this year from Darius Garland who is Stephen Curry's new favorite player. We also talk about the Cavs chances of making the play-in tournament.
note I had a brain cramp at the beginning and sort of blanked on how many years LeBron has been with the Lakers now. Apologies, its been now 12 months since the Bubble playoffs, and we will have witnessed three different seasons (at different points) during this span, so I was bound to mess up and blend it all together at some point lol
*TIMESTAMPS*
2:45 Welcoming Evan + New venture with FB Bulletin
19:00 Colin Sexton + Summer Rumors
42:00 Lauri trade and Kevin Love
1:01:10 Issac Okoro and Evan Mobley expectations
1:16:42 Darius Garland Breakout Season Incoming and how Ricky Rubio can help his development
1:32:18 Can JB Bickerstaff make improvements to his offense?
1:38:31 THIS WILL BE THE ONLY BEN SIMMONS QUESTION FOR THE POD
1:43:33 Can the Cleveland Cavaliers make the Play-in?
1:51:40 Closing
Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
The NBA season is upon us and I wanted to knock the Philadelphia 76ers preview out first because I don't want to talk about the entire Ben Simmons saga for 500 more years until something actually develops. So I had Blue Wire Hustle teammate David Arroyo back on the show to talk about our team's media day, our thoughts on the Doc and Daryl presser, and the entire Ben Simmons saga and what led up to it.
Then we talk about the actual basketball team that is in training camp, what the expectations are for the team without Simmons, Joel Embiid's prime years, where they are in the Eastern Conference hierarchy and Tyrese Maxey taking a bigger role.
Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
With a little break in this damn-near year-round sport, I decided to have a different conversation around hoops. I brought on fellow Blue Wire Hustle teammate Brian Scott (host of the Injured List Podcast) to talk about his vast experience in sports medicine and surgery, and then we get into how the NBA bubble, and the rash of injuries from the quick turnaround to this past season, will still have lingering effects for the 2021-22 NBA season. We get into the history of the achilles injury, and because I'm a Sixer I had to talk about Joel Embiid, his injuries, and the Sixers' history with meniscus injuries. We also talk Kawhi Leonard and the rise of "Load Management". Great and informative podcast. Shoutout Brian.
Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
You see the title.
I give a quick 25 minute reaction to game 6 and Giannis' legendary, and I mean...LEGENDARY WITH A CAPITAL L closing game.
I also talk how the Bucks turned the series around, and Giannis' impressive resume.
Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
Losing a family dog sucks.
But I'm finally in the right headspace to do a pod. I talk about the the NBA Finals, Game 4, Giannis' dominance, CP3 woes and how intriguing the series has been.
I also talk about a show I just finished binging: Jujutsu Kaisen. Would highly HIGHLY recommend.
Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
Really didn't want to come back with an episode like this. So I really don't know what to put here. The team has choked away back to back playoff games against an inferior team in spectacular fashion. I talk about everything wrong with this team. lol.
Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
Look. I get it. MVP Discourse can be annoying. Especially since we talk about it damn near every day. We as humans also don't like being told that something is "not a debate" or "its not close" and we want to push back on that. I LOVE What Chris Paul has done for the Phoenix Suns.
But Nikola Jokic is the MVP.
I go over why. Why the sudden push for CP3 is weird (btw he'd be 5th on my imagery "thank-god-I-don't-have-to-vote" ballot). Why its possible for me to love watching Embiid and Jokic and their quest of bringing the center position back en vogue. I also give my top-5 MVP list, and honestly it should be a no brainier for the top 3.
Then, I go over the four locks I have for All-NBA 1st team (especially now that Embiid/Jokic can be voted as a forward or a center on the ballot) and who should get the last guard spot? Dame? Or Luka? I don't give an answer, boring I know, but I state each of their cases.
Episode time: 37 minutes.
Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
Surprise! You thought I was gonna talk about the incredible Bucks/Nets game yesterday or the all-of-a-sudden-tight race between the Mavericks, Blazers and Lakers to avoid the play-in tournament didn't you? Well I will still talk about that, and other things (Like LeBron all of a sudden complaining about the play-in games LMAO) in a later episode this week, but I wanted to use the 20th episode of my pod to share with you what I was going through leading up to the NFL Draft. For context, I am a big San Francisco 49ers fan (third generation fan) and I was very worried that my Niners were not going to take Justin Fields or Trey Lance with the third pick in the draft (a pick they traded three first-round picks for!!!). I wavered at the end a day or two before the draft and I thought there was a very real chance we were about to make a colossal franchise-level mistake by taking Mac Jones. Well that didn't happen! I go over why the pick was so important to the franchise, for insane fans like myself, and why I'm so elated that Trey Lance is in the Red and Gold.
Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
In today's episode we go over a few things, including the unexpected retirement of LaMarcus Aldridge. We then talk about how much the Jamal Murray injury sucks, and how far it brings the Nuggets down the contender ranks. Then lastly, we examine the "Good Stats, Bad Team" notion/phrase and why it absolutely does not apply to Karl-Anthony Towns. I also explain why KAT is similar to Devin Booker in a lot of ways before the Suns started winning games this year.
FYI I said it was going to be a 35 minute episode but it ended up being almost 50. So sorry about that lol.
Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
We are back! No better time to come back from a break than after the trade deadline. We are doing a little bit of Five on Five today. I picked my five notable trades from the deadline and I spend five minutes each (ok maybe like six minutes and change) on trades I picked to give my initial thoughts. I talk about the Nuggets, The Bulls, The Magic Fire Sale, and did the Sixers or Heat miss out by not upping their offers for Kyle Lowry? Also.....LMAOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO ROCKETS.
Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
What happens when two Sixer fans born on opposite coasts meet up on a pod? Well you get an hour and a half of complete and unfiltered Sixers talk!
Blue Wire Hustle teammate and co-host of the "There is A Lot Going On" podcast, David Arroyo, joined the show to talk about the leading Eastern Conference Philadelphia 76ers. I ask him what it was like seeing The Process in the heart of the city, how it has all led to Joel Embiid's MVP season. We talk Ben Simmons making an all-star type resurgence, playoff concerns, the feast-or-famine bench, and how the Brooklyn Nets and Sixers would match-up in a theoretical series, and much, much more.
Then David hits me with the best answer so far to my "Unpopular Team Opinion" question. It caused an audible reaction.
Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
The East Champs have found themselves in the middle of the play-in tournament seeds at the bottom of the conference this season. I brought on Miami Heat fan and Blue Wire Hustle teammate Jalaal Sandy to talk about his team's up and down season, how the coronavirus impacted the team to start the season, Jimmy Butler, Bam taking another leap, and what trades he would like to see the Heat make. We also get into how he ended up becoming a Miami Heat fan despite being from the Tri-state Area.
Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
The Cleveland Cavaliers have been struggling as of late after starting out the season performing above expectations. To sort out the season Evan Dammarell (Locked On Cavs, Forbes Sports, Fear the Sword) joined the show to talk about the Cavs sudden plunge on defense, Andre Drummond and his awful play since the Jarrett Allen trade, what a Sexton/Garland back-court looks like years down the road, rookie Issac Okoro getting thrown into the fire and Evan reveals one of his unpopular Cavs opinions.
Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
It's a Hashtag Basketball reunion! Hashtag B-ball's Nick Agar-Johnson joins Jordan to talk about his beloved Sacramento Kings, their putrid defense, their beloved rookie Tyrese Haliburton, De'Aaron Fox's progress in year 4, and the future of Marvin Bagley the III. Of course they also go into how much they love Richaun Holmes.
Then after spending 50 mins in Kings Hell, they have some fun and rank their top-3 MVP candidates. Jordan also goes on a rant about the backwards concept of "voter fatigue" and how Giannis was basically disqualified from winning a regular season award before the season ever started.
Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
This was going to be a pod talking about my "Its-too-damn-early-but-I-dont-care" MVP rankings so far this year...... but you can only imagine what I'll be talking about today.
I break down the Harden trade from every angle, including all four teams involved in yesterday's blockbuster deal. I also talk about why the Sixers may have dropped the ball losing out in the Harden sweepstakes.
Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
In today's episode I go over five trends that I've seen in this young NBA Season that I think will last the whole year. Brooklyn concerns? Joel Embiid the early seven game front runner for MVP AND Defensive Player of The Year? Is it time to put LaMelo in the starting lineup already? I go over these and more.
Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
Before going into NBA talk, I talk about how much I have enjoyed Cyberpunk 2077 (on PC), and why everyone should watch Attack on Titan...immediately (Final season started airing two weeks ago!). Then I talk about Giannis signing his extension in Milwaukee, the joy Bucks fans must feel, and why its just as good for the league to have someone stay with one team as player movement. I also go into the intensified James Harden rumors, potential teams that could trade for him and how the Sixers have found themselves in a weird situation which these rumors.
Also, do deep dive reports detailing the special treatments star players get a big deal?
I also give some initial pre-season thoughts and which rookies have impressed so far. Yes I know its pre-season, but its a useful data point, and the highest level of competition the rooks have played to this point! That matters in evaluation.
Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
In this episode I go over five things I'm looking forward to tracking during the 2020-21 NBA season including: - The return of KD and Kyrie - The new Play-In Tournament format and the potential it has to make the latter part of the season fun. - - Worries about Zion's future health. - I already gave you three of the topics in this preview so you'll have to listen to see what the other two are lol.Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
This is officially the Sly Hooper Podcast's first episode as a part of Blue Wire Hustle! I talk about what that means, I also talk about a new fun NBA podcast I'm co-hosting that kinda came together really fast and had no idea I'd be doing just three weeks ago.
Then we get to the crazy stuff that has been happening in the NBA. I talk about Klay's potentially devastating injury. The Bucks thinking they had Bogdan Bogdanović but then....they didn't...or they may still get him? I don't know.
I then talk about the moves Daryl Morey made and how he has seemingly fixed the Sixers most pressing issues in one night. The Kings are moving in the right direction, even if it feels like going backwards since the 2018-19 season. Then I end the pod listing some of my favorite draft hauls teams were able to pull out on Draft Night.
It was completely backwards and out of order, but the Sixers wind up with the best (top 3 at worst) GM/President in the NBA. I'm ecstatic, and I talk about why, and what Daryl Morey brings to the table. I also talk about what it means for the duo of Joel Embiid and Ben Simmons, and why I think Morey won't and should not, trade either one. The Pelicans also took Stan Van Gundy from twitter (sort of) and why the proposed starting date for the NBA season is ridiculous.
The 2019-2020 NBA Season is over after starting around this time last year (weird I know), and LeBron is once again at the top of the basketball world. Evan Dammarell (Forbes Sports/Locked On Cavs) joins me to talk:
- LeBron
- Why didn't we realize LeBron is still the best player on planet earth
- The Lakers
- The Finals
- LeBron
- The Heat
- LeBron
- A pent up Sixers rant from me
- Target dates for next season
and did I mention we talk about LeBron? We also do what no else has EVER DARED TO DO EVER.......
Talk about the LeBron/MJ GOAT debate.
This podcast is powered by Pinecast.
Before I talk about the Clippers historic and borderline indefensible collapse, I give love to the Nuggets who I have always loved. I talk about Jokic and his place among the Tier-1 Franchise players, and why this year he proved to be the best center in basketball (Sorry JoJo). I also talk about how the Clippers carried themselves, what's next, and Kawhi Leonard losing his "hey I'm the best player in the world" card overnight. Don't want to hear him and LeBron in the same sentence again.
Couldn't continue without giving my thoughts on whats been going on over the last few weeks. As a black man I had to express my feelings and thoughts on the BS thats been going on with my people. Black Lives Matter. There is no debate, and I'm not looking for one.
I talk about the latest developments on the NBA possibly resuming and I give my thoughts on the Last Dance, the debate over whether it was good or bad, the predictable backlash to it, and what I would've liked to have seen done differently.
Evan Dammarell (Forbes Sports) joins me to shoot the breeze for an hour and 45 minutes about a wide range of things from video games (0:03:52), what we've been doing to past the time in isolation, (0:08:34), the Simpsons (0:18:26), what he was doing the night the NBA was suspended (0:28:00), The Last Dance doc (1:38:58), NBA Storylines put on hold (0:38:45), and as is tradition when he has been on past pods, we talk anime, but this time we rank our personal five favorite (not best or greatest) anime ever (1:05:33).
There is not a while lot going on, but I did want to talk about Ben Simmons (surprise surprise) but on a more human level after the great Jackie McMacmullan's full ESPN feature on Simmons dropped on Tuesday. For someone who so polarizing and at the same time, holds his cards close to the vest when it comes to media obligations, Ben really opened up in a way we have never really heard him open up. We got to know a little bit about what makes him tick, he confirmed basically everything that's been discussed adnuseam about his unwillingness to shoot jumpshots, and it has a few nuggets in their that I found interesting. I also go into why I fear that Sixers ownership and the front office, even with two top 15 players on their roster, will somehow find a way to screw this up.
Welcome to the first episode of the Sly Hooper podcast! I figured the suspension of the NBA season would be a great time to start up another basketball podcast again. I talk about the NBA season being put on hold, and what I plan to do with the YouTube channel etc. I'm happy I got this going again.