On the NBA Beat: Recent Episodes
Aaron Fischman, Loren Lee Chen
A show bringing you nuanced perspectives on the NBA's most important stories, hosted by USC alums Aaron Fischman, Joshua Jonah Fischman and Loren Lee Chen. Find us on our website at OnTheNBABeat.com or our Twitter page (@OnTheNBABeat).
On the heels of the Dallas Mavericks’ 9-3 start, Jason Gallagher returns, and you bet the head of production at The Old Man and the Three (and ThreeFourTwo Productions more broadly) comes ready with analysis of the Mavericks’ scalding start as Luka Doncic has led the way with 30.7 points per game, the second-most converted treys after Stephen Curry, and the lowest usage rate of his career other than his rookie season. Jason touches upon the improved fit between Doncic and Kyrie Irving now that they’ve had adequate time to jell, teen center Dereck Lively II’s instant success, Grant Williams and Derrick Jones Jr. starring in their respective roles, Tim Hardaway Jr.’s sixth-man brilliance, ultimate team expectations and so much more.
5:05-6:08: “The second pleasant surprise and the second I said was that Dereck Lively needs to become the second coming of Tyson Chandler. Again, he’s not Tyson Chandler. However, he looks incredible. He looks so good that you actually see some of the deficiencies of not having more support in the big area. … But when Lively is healthy and when he’s in and when he’s not in foul trouble, they look pretty awesome. And then the third and sort of final one is some of these role players, they look incredible too. Grant Williams has been Steady Eddie for us, and he’s not only a good vibes guy on the bench, which every team needs; he is amazing from the 3-point line. He’s just a little bit more versatile than role players we’ve had in the past and same with Derrick Jones Jr. Derrick Jones Jr., who is an NBA journeyman, I can’t recall him looking this good, really ever.”
8:28-8:47: “If they’re playing a team, say the Wolvesor someone like that, [they have] the ability to be able to speed up but then also grind the game to a halt and make it a half-court contest. I think Dallas has the versatility, offensively, to play both ways.”
12:55-13:25: “In terms of bringing in these huge stars, I’m sorry, the NBA is too good, and you have to have a training camp and you have to learn how to play together. And those are the positive signs we’re seeing from Luka and Kyrie and why I feel really good about this team, evenwith the defensive woes. It’s simply because they look like a team that has an identity, a philosophy, schemes. If you’re a team with that in place, you have a leg up on a bunch of other teams.”
18:12-18:29: “When you watched [Doncic] last season,you literally had the thought, ‘This is not sustainable.’ As great as he is, it is not sustainable to watch this guy control the entirety of every single possession, and it [ultimately] played out exactly how we thought.”
24:33-24:48: “Now, in my head, Luka has to show thathe is clearly better than Jokic to win the MVP, and I don’t know if he’ll do that. But it’s funny that our brains do that, all because Jokic has a ring.”
26:39-28:17: “Being a big next to Luka, you just have a very specific job…and he’s excelling like crazy at that. … If I am, say, playing the Mavericks in the playoffs and I am scouting, the very first thing, the literal No. 1 agenda item is ‘get Dereck Lively in foul trouble.’”
39:19-39:30: “In terms of growth from year over year,it’s been nice seeing them just handle these bad opponents because they didn’t. I can tell you, ‘They did not do that in the past.’”
Alex Kennedy, Chief Content Officer at BasketballNews.com and host of Running Up the Score, a biweekly live sports show airing every Tuesday and Friday night, stops by to wind through the Western Conference just as the league readies for tipoff. The Nuggets are Alex’s leading squad but far from the conference’s only contenders. Oh, and he has firmly taken a seat aboard the Wemby Train. Who’s coming with him?
2:44-4:03: “This is a [Nuggets] team that has been together,this core has been together for years, and they have so much chemistry. And I think that’s one of the most undervalued things in sports. We tend to get excited about these big, blockbuster moves and player movement, but chemistry and continuity really, really help and go a long way when you’re trying to contend for a championship. … There are a handful of contenders: Denver, Phoenix, the Lakers, and then, I think, to a lesser extent you go and look at Sacramento, Memphis, Golden State, Clippers.”
9:52-13:19: “We haven’t seen a player like [Victor Wembanyama], ever. … LeBron James said he’s an alien. He was like, ‘I don’t want to use the word ‘unicorn.’ That gets thrown around too often. He’s an alien.’ Giannis said he could be the best player in the NBA. I mean, these are superstar players that are raving about him and talking about him coming in and just dominating the league. Giannis even said, he was like, ‘I need to start winning some championships now because Victor Wembanyama’s coming.’ … It was interesting; in the first preseason game that Victor Wembanyama played, we saw [Chet] Holmgren and Wembanyama match up against each other, and it almost feels like the future of the NBA a little bit – these huge guys with crazy length that are kind of position-less that can do a little bit of everything and are super-skilled.”
17:49-18:13: “I still think there is a coming-out part to be had for Anthony Edwards, and I’m a huge fan of his game. I saw a ranking today. I think it was in Sports Illustrated. They were ranking the top five shooting guards in the league, and they had him at No. 3. I wouldn’t be surprised if after this season we’re talking about him as No. 2 and up there with Devin Booker, who I think is easily the top shooting guard in the league.”
33:09-34:13: “Everyone’s on the same page now. They really came together, and I think some of the drama that existed there…they’ve all acknowledged their role in what happened, and it seems like they’re ready to move forward. … This team has a ton of talent. They’re one of those teams that you kinda put the question mark, like, ‘OK, well, if they stay healthy, they can be very special. I hope that Zion [Williamson] can be healthy and have a full season. He’s so much fun to watch; we’ve just kinda been robbed of that as of late.”
36:00-36:43: “I think the question is can they take that next step? Can they become a legitimate championship contender? And if not, we could see this be the last year where this core is together. Guys could leave in free agency. The organization could decide to blow it up and make a ton of different changes. So, yeah, I’m very curious. The Clippers have a ton of pressure on them to kinda make it work. … There were reports toward the end of last season that the Mavericks were starting to worry that if they don’t put a contender around Luka [Doncic] that he’s going to want to go elsewhere, and that’s so common in today’s NBA.”
*The Steven Adams injury news broke after the recording, as did the Antetokounmpo extension.
Jake Fischer, Yahoo! Sports senior NBA reporter and the author of Built to Lose, makes his fourth appearance to break down the Eastern Conference's biggest storylines as the season approaches. Tune in to hear why he regards the Celtics as favorites, his thoughts on Evan Mobley's next leap, rookies you should keep an eye on, Jake's dark-horse team out East and so much more.
4:16-6:30: “I am pretty bullish on the Bucks. … but I think that Boston is the favorite. I’m not so certain that Milwaukee got so much better as opposed to how much better Bostongot by adding Jrue Holiday to what they had. … I just think the Celtics’ top six is way better and stronger, and that’s kinda how I like to look at things, from a playoff standpoint. … The fact that Boston has its same core four basically of Jaylen Brown, Jayson Tatum, Derrick White, Al Horford, you throw in Kristaps Porzingis and then Jrue Holiday, that’s a pretty strong, switchable, malleable group.”
10:18-10:58: “The Clippers haven’t put Terance Mann in any deal, and the draft capital that they’ve been able to figure out they could potentially send to Philadelphia in addition tothe original offer of a first-round pick and a pick swap just hasn’t gotten there to close that gap for the Sixers, so I don’t think it will. The last call I had about this, before we were recording, was like 30 minutes ago, and my impression following that call is that [from] the Sixers’ side of things atleast, they don’t seem to think much will change from a negotiation standpoint between now and the start of the regular season. So, if something were to happen, it would definitely be something out of left field.”
12:24-13:01: “Can he be a linchpin on offense? Can he be a legitimate stretch 3-point shooter that makes defenses guard him out to that perimeter and then he’s got opportunities tomake plays off the bounce, attacking closeouts? It’s all about Evan Mobley in terms of what they’re ultimate ceiling is, and I think we’ll know within 10 to 15 games. We knew 10, 15 games into last season that Paolo Banchero was gonna be a force driving to the rim and he was gonna be one of the greatest players in the league at getting to the foul line. We’ll know pretty early if Evan Mobley has taken that step or is in position to take that step.
13:53-14:34: “The Knicks could easily be the third seed and host playoff games and what have you. To me, the question marks are going to be there about Julius [Randle] in thepostseason until they’re not. … I am struggling to see the next leap from them being a good team to a great team. I don’t know what it will be, but I feel like there is some move that has to be made for them to kind of take that next step.”
15:49-16:19: “Tyrese Haliburton was one of the most impressive players I saw in the FIBA World Cup. I’ve really come to appreciate him as a personality and a mind as much as abasketball player from my conversations with him. … I’m a big fan. I think he can lift that team pretty high, especially if all the other complementary pieces can continue to perform.”
22:24-22:54: “There’s an organization pressure, especially when you’ve got…right now, the Eagles are one of, if not the, leading candidates for the Super Bowl…the Phillies are six winsshy of winning a World Series. That city’s pretty used to winning right now, and if the Sixers come out and they fall flat on their face I think it will be heard rather loudly and clearly.”
Our Built to Lose* book special, Jake's previous appearance
Andy Liu of the Light Years podcast is back yet again; for a record ninth time, in fact. His task this time? Helping Aaron preview the Golden State Warriors as they attempt to bounce back from a 44-38 campaign in which just six games separated them from 11th-place Utah and they were eliminated by the Lakers in the second round. Andy and Aaron discuss last season’s challenges, summer acquisition Chris Paul’s fit, Draymond Green’s leadership, Andrew Wiggins’ value and Klay Thompson’s future, amongother timely topics.
7:31-8:39: “They tried to downplay it. They tried to make it seem like they would get through it. But that was the punch that ruined the season. It ruined Draymond Green’s standing as a leader. Nobody respected him or wanted to listen to him after that. … It wasn’t 100% Draymond Green’s fault, but any time something happens that’s likethat, you end up not having the same voice you did if you’re Draymond Green. And I don’t think he’s had the same voice for a while now. … I think it just makes things very, very difficult for him to be that guy for this team. I think it works if you’re Steph and Klay. It doesn’t work if you’re Jordan Poole and Jonathan Kuminga and some of these younger guys who don’t necessarily want to hear it from him.”
17:35-17:47: “Steve’s Kerr biggest job this season is to find a way to get Chris Paul to buy in on coming off the bench. Because if Steve Kerr can’t do that…this team is cooked.”
20:53-21:14: “I think this thing is tenuous. I do. … The first 10 games are gonna tell us a lot about where the Warriors are gonna be the rest of the season.”
23:54-24:14: “That’s part of the game that maybe last season they weren’t good enough getting Steph the ballbecause Jordan Poole wasn’t passing, Kuminga didn’t know how to play, [James] Wiseman didn’t know how to play, JaMychal Green didn’t know how to play Warriors-stylebasketball. It’s hard. And I think Chris Paul is one of those people that’s smart enough in the NBA to just pick up off the bat, easy.”
28:46-29:21: “Look, he’s not gonna be the No. 2, but he’s such a good player as the No. 3. It’s very reminiscent of what Aaron Gordon did in the NBA Finals, where if you’re gonna leave him open, he’s gonna make you pay. And he’s gonna be so good defensively. He does all the glue stuff. Shout-out to the Warriors, 1 for trading for him, taking the risk, and then 2, identifying that he’s gonna be able to do allthose things. And of course Andrew Wiggins has to be the one that wants to do those things, right? I think of Kuminga as someone, and again different phases of their career, but Jonathan Kuminga could be Andrew Wiggins, pretty easily.”
37:17-39:04: “I think, moving forward with Mike Dunleavy [Jr.] and Kirk Lacob, they’re not losing the Xs and Os or the strategic path of where they want to go. I think they’re smart enough to do what [former Warriors president and GM] Bob Myers had done the last decade. What I do think that they’re losing is the relationships, the kind of mending of relationships that Bob Myers could do, how Bob Myers can calm Draymond down and build a bridge between Draymond Green and Steve Kerr, build a bridge between Steph Curry and the young guys and kinda get people bought in, get [owner] Joe Lacob bought in. … Now, one thing I do think that may happen is that if this Chris Paul thing doesn’t work, Bob Myers has never really shown aninclination to make big moves at the trade deadline. I think that changes with Dunleavy and Kirk [Lacob].”
41:34-41:40: “I think Klay will probably, most likely take a little bit less to come back to the Warriors.”
47:22-47:40: “All of these guys are pseudo-contenders, right? There’s just a ton of question marks for all of these guys, and I would hesitate to put the Warriors in a tier below the Lakers or a tier below the Suns or a tier below the Miami Heat. It just doesn’t make sense to me because everybody has the same questions.”
Enjoy Ethan Scheiner discussing his new book, "Freedom to Win."
Here are some highlights: 3:23-6:23: “The thing that is so incredible about this story is that it is an unbelievable marriage of politics and sports. That really is the thing that jumps right out. … This communist country, Czechoslovakia, which had started to become free, suddenly got invaded by the Soviet Union. The Soviet Union said, ‘We’re not gonna allow this country to become free,’ and so all of a sudden the people of this little country were crushed. And they found that there was only one way they could fight back. … So they turned their whole world intosupporting their team to try to fight back against the Soviets on the ice, and I just sat there going, ‘This is actually politics and sports completely overlapping. I think this is the greatest story I’ve ever heard.’”
14:08-15:36: “It took me a little while to realize that I actually had to tell the story from a more personal angle. At first, I just thought the history of hockey in Czechoslovakia was so amazing, that it was this country where hockey was so central to fighting the Soviets. … I thought that was enough. … ‘The great narrative nonfiction books, the things that really draw people in, are really focused on individual human beings at extraordinary times, so you need to focus more on the individual human beings.’ Then all of a sudden, I said, ‘Oh, my gosh. This Holík family has had this extraordinary history that actually also at the same time tells the story of this incredible country, and it’s woven into this unbelievable story of hockey and sports fitting in with everything.’”
32:06-35:27: “At one time, the communists in Czechoslovakia had imprisoned the national hockey team and sent two guys and sentenced them to 15 years in the uranium mines. So people actually thought that the Soviets had forced their hockey to die so that the Soviet team could become good. And so as time went by and Czechoslovakia had a hockey team again, people thought they weren’t allowed to beat the Soviets. So this was all part of this sense in Czechoslovakia, ‘The Soviets are keeping us down, and they’re using the communists to do it.’ … The Soviets won the 1968 Gold medal, but Czechoslovakia was so happy to have beaten the Soviets. And people actually got a sense of ‘You know what? We actually seem to have real freedom now. We even are allowed to beat the Soviets.’ They actually believed that.”
47:20-48:06: “We tend to think of democracies falling apart because a bunch of people in the streets start chanting and come in and run roughshod over those in power, and then suddenly grab the gavel and say, ‘OK, we’re in charge now,’ sort of Doctor Evil style. But more common, what happens is people gain power through free and fair elections, but then use the instruments of power to completely undercut democracy. And so that’s a big fear that people have [that] could be happening in the United States; that’s certainly what happened in Czechoslovakia.”
58:07-59:07: “We’ve heard this chant before when we get to 1989, as now there are hundreds of thousands of people in Wenceslas Square, and they start chanting, ‘Dubček! Dubček! Dubček!’ over and over. And he steps out onto this balcony as 300,000 people are chanting his name. And so he hasn’t been seen for 20 years, and he’s this symbol of hope, and they’re chanting his name. And in this moment, he had planned on reading some remarks, but he’s so touched by the moment he pantomimes embracing the crowd. … It’s a stunning moment.”
On the heels of a 2022 Western Conference finals berth, the 9-10 Dallas Mavericks are mired in mediocrity despite receiving historically brilliant contributions from superstar point guard Luka Doncic. Emmy Award-winning director Jason Gallagher, now head of production at The Old Man and the Three, triumphantly returns to shed light on what exactly isn’t computing.
4:38-5:14: "I believe that the shooting will improve, but I believe that the Kemba [Walker] move is a result of not having a second playmaker. Spencer is just not that. He is about as good as an X-Factor could possibly be, and that's what you want. That's where he thrived last year. But as a reliable sort of playmaking second option, I think that we're coming to find that he's just not the decision-maker that Jalen Brunson was. He didn't have the steadying sort of temperament that Jalen Brunson had."
12:23-14:02: "You kind of come to this conclusion of 'Why does this feel more frustrating than before? Why does this feel like a weird stretch?' Tim Cato tweeted that this is as about as down as he's seen Mavs twitter in a while, and I think the reason is obviously making the Western Conference finals increases your expectations, but I also think that there's a level of, you have a generational superstar and, as importantly, you have a core that you've invested a lot of time and a lot of resources to developing that still feels like a work in progress. … And I think that that is why fans probably feel frustrated. … I do think that a move has to come. I think anyone but Dorian Finney-Smith, honestly, I'm willing to say goodbye."
24:46-25:41: "The reason why you love this sport is that it's a puzzle, and if the pieces don't fit, they don't fit. Right now, they don't fit. … I mean you're seeing him insisting on staying in all of fourth quarters and things like that. You have to keep him away, like he will want to be out there for as long as he possibly can. I just think that, you know, if the shots start falling from those role players, the load gets way lighter on him, and then he starts playing better. That is the puzzle that you want to solve."
48:22-49:24: "What I find to be most fascinating, though, is building around a generational superstar in the modern era, and if the Mavericks have the wherewithal to really understand what that is. … How do you make Dallas an attractive destination? How do you build properly through the draft and then manage a team that wants to play with such a ball-dominant player? There's so many moving parts there. I really think that you kind of go Lebron-Heat/Cavs, and you kind of give them the keys a little bit. I know that sounds crazy, but it is a generational superstar we're talking about. You sell the farm and you get one to two big names and then the rest come dying to play."
Sponsor: Use code TBPN during sign-up at DraftKings.com to claim your free shot at millions of dollars in total prizes. If you or someone you know has a gambling problem, crisis counseling and referral services can be accessed by calling 1-800- GAMBLER (1-800-426-2537) (IL/IN/LA/MI/NJ/TN/PA/WV/WY), 1-800- NEXT STEP (AZ), 1-800-522-4700 (CO/KS/NH), 888-789-7777/visit ccpg.org (CT), 1-800-BETS OFF (IA), 877-8-HOPENY/text HOPENY (467369) (NY), visit OPGR.org (OR), or 1-888-532-3500 (VA). 21+ (18+ NH/WY). Physically present in AZ/CO/CT/IL/IN/IA/KS/LA(select parishes)/MI/NH/NJ/ NY/OR/PA/TN/VA/WV/WY only. $200 in Free bets: New customers only. Min. $5 deposit. Min $5 pregame moneyline bet. $200 issued as eight (8) $25 free bets. Bet must win. Ends 1/8/23 @ 8pm. Risk-Free Stepped Up SGP: 1 Token issued per eligible game. Opt in req. Min $1 bet. Max bet limits apply. Min. 3-leg. Each leg min. -300 odds, total bet +100 odds or longer. Ends at start of final game of the 2022-2023 NBA Season. See eligibility & terms at sportsbook.draftkings.com/basketballterms. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
After an 8-1 start to the season that had some prognosticators pegging them as dark horse title contenders, the Cleveland Cavaliers have been hit with the On the NBA Beat curse and have lost their last four games. To help us get into the ins-and-outs of this enigmatic team, we've brought on Cavaliers expert and long-time friend of the show, Justin Rowan, host of The Chase Down Podcast. Justin takes us through what the off-season trade for Donovan Mitchell unlocks for Cleveland, the growth trajectory of young stars Darius Garland and Evan Mobley, and how he projects the Cavs to compare to the other members of the Eastern Conference elite this season and beyond.
4:45-5:39: “I think the floor of what you're hoping for is to avoid the play-in tournament. But I think they have more than enough talent to get home court in the first round, and that should be the goal. If you're talking about translating that to the postseason, I'm always going to give the benefit of the doubt to the teams that have been there. Experience matters so much … so I'm going to give the edge to teams like Milwaukee and Boston when it comes to the playoffs, but in the regular season I do think they are up in that tier."
7:11-7:56: “The biggest difference from Donovan Mitchell and what the Cavs probably would have been pre-Mitchell trade is Mitchell kind of combines a lot of what you were looking for from multiple players. Collin Sexton is a good scorer. He’s a very good scorer, and I think his passing maybe was a little underrated, but it’s not at the same level as Mitchell. A lot of the actions that they were probably planning on running for Ochai Agbaji… you can run for Mitchell, but you also have the added benefit of his playmaking, the volume 3-point shooting, the improvement on defense, which I think was one of the things they were banking on prior to that trade. The fact that he brings all of those elements into one player is a massive boost for the Cavs.”
23:02-23:14: “[Mobley]’s impact transcends the box score, where it’s just such great feel for the game. Defensively, the instincts are like Draymond Green with a 7-foot player.”
33:07-35:23: “I think J.B. Bickerstaff, this year is the year we’re learning probably the most about him. Because when he was an interim in Houston, they led the league in 3-point rate… Then you go to Memphis, and all of a sudden the narrative around Bickerstaff is ‘He’s allergic to shooting 3s’ and ‘He refuses to play young players.’ … He goes to Cleveland…he plays a ton of young guys, and now that there’s more talent, you’re starting to see more 3-point attempts. … Everything fell apart [last season], but the fact that he was able to adapt the game plan on the fly throughout the regular season and find success with multiple styles, to me, that’s indicative of a head coach who’s willing to adjust, who is willing to try to figure out what’s going to work.”
Sponsor: Use code TBPN during sign-up at DraftKings.com to claim your free shot at millions of dollars in total prizes. If you or someone you know has a gambling problem, crisis counseling and referral services can be accessed by calling 1-800- GAMBLER (1-800-426-2537) (IL/IN/LA/MI/NJ/TN/PA/WV/WY), 1-800- NEXT STEP (AZ), 1-800-522-4700 (CO/KS/NH), 888-789-7777/visit ccpg.org (CT), 1-800-BETS OFF (IA), 877-8-HOPENY/text HOPENY (467369) (NY), visit OPGR.org (OR), or 1-888-532-3500 (VA). 21+ (18+ NH/WY). Physically present in AZ/CO/CT/IL/IN/IA/KS/LA(select parishes)/MI/NH/NJ/ NY/OR/PA/TN/VA/WV/WY only. $200 in Free bets: New customers only. Min. $5 deposit. Min $5 pregame moneyline bet. $200 issued as eight (8) $25 free bets. Bet must win. Ends 1/8/23 @ 8pm. Risk-Free Stepped Up SGP: 1 Token issued per eligible game. Opt in req. Min $1 bet. Max bet limits apply. Min. 3-leg. Each leg min. -300 odds, total bet +100 odds or longer. Ends at start of final game of the 2022-2023 NBA Season. See eligibility & terms at sportsbook.draftkings.com/basketballterms. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Last season's Memphis Grizzlies announced their arrival by earning the 2nd seed in the Western Conference and with the fifth-youngest roster in the NBA and proven success building through the draft and player development, there's no reason to believe their upward trajectory should not continue into this season. To discuss how this up-and-coming team can continue to bolster their franchise's history, we've brought on special guest, Molly Morrison, formerly of MadeInMemphis1, the most followed Grizzlies' fan account in Memphis. She takes us through the growth that led to Ja Morant winning the Most Improved Player Award and Zach Kleiman winning Executive of the Year and where the team can go from here.
4:06-4:55: “Ja Morant obviously is just the pivotal reason as to why you’re sitting here saying, ‘They’re not even an up-and-coming team. They’re kind of already there.’ So much of that does have to do with Ja's ability to attack the basket, along of course with his other skill sets… and just all the areas he's willing and working to improve in. … Just some of the things he does, I truly believe that I am excited to watch every single Grizzlies game in the regular season, which is not something I could always say because there will be some sort of highlight that just doesn't look like something a natural person would do.” 11:24-11:57: “They’ve been shooting better on a higher volume, which is extremely hard to do… and the whole team has done that. That really goes back to what I mentioned earlier with coach Taylor Jenkins realizing, ‘OK, guys. Our defense is going to struggle. … We need to stop shooting as many midrange shots. We need to either attack the basket or shoot from deep.’ And I think you’ve really seen that pay off with the Grizzlies.” 28:05-31:06: “Honestly, I think the best thing [GM Zach] Kleiman has done is not overthink it. … I feel like just his consistency to keep on drafting these guys that end up being able to produce at the NBA level so quickly is just really impressive. … The draft wasn't an exciting time for a very long time. … To shift the narrative into, we don't have to have a top 10 pick to get a really exciting guy. It's normal to be able to find a steal late first round or second round. It's a new world for Grizzlies fans, and I give him a ton of credit.” 36:11-36:53: “Taylor Jenkins has been a huge part of this team's success. I really think you mentioning him and Ja coming in at the same time, it's such an interesting way to look at it because these two guys have immense, immense respect for each other. … Above all else… I think a really underrated thing with coaches is having that relationship between the star piece… and the coach because you've seen that go wrong time and time when that respect isn't there.” Molly's column about how she grew her MadeinMemphis1 anonymous account into the most-followed fan account in Memphis, and why she stepped away. Sponsor: Use code TBPN during sign-up at DraftKings.com to claim your free shot at millions of dollars in total prizes. If you or someone you know has a gambling problem, crisis counseling and referral services can be accessed by calling 1-800- GAMBLER (1-800-426-2537) (IL/IN/LA/MI/NJ/TN/PA/WV/WY), 1-800- NEXT STEP (AZ), 1-800-522-4700 (CO/KS/NH), 888-789-7777/visit ccpg.org (CT), 1-800-BETS OFF (IA), 877-8-HOPENY/text HOPENY (467369) (NY), visit OPGR.org (OR), or 1-888-532-3500 (VA). 21+ (18+ NH/WY). Physically present in AZ/CO/CT/IL/IN/IA/KS/LA(select parishes)/MI/NH/NJ/ NY/OR/PA/TN/VA/WV/WY only. $200 in Free bets: New customers only. Min. $5 deposit. Min $5 pregame moneyline bet. $200 issued as eight (8) $25 free bets. Bet must win. Ends 1/8/23 @ 8pm. Risk-Free Stepped Up SGP: 1 Token issued per eligible game. Opt in req. Min $1 bet. Max bet limits apply. Min. 3-leg. Each leg min. -300 odds, total bet +100 odds or longer. Ends at start of final game of the 2022-2023 NBA Season. See eligibility & terms at sportsbook.draftkings.com/basketballterms. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
After their 2021-22 season ended with a first-round playoff exit at the hands of the Memphis Grizzlies, the Minnesota Timberwolves retooled by trading for three-time NBA Defensive Player of the Year Rudy Gobert in what many called the most surprising and impactful move of the offseason. They also re-emphasized their commitment to franchise cornerstone Karl-Anthony Towns by offering him a super-max contract extension worth $224 million. To help us assess how Minnesota will fare in the crowded Western Conference, we've enlisted the help of Derek James, former Timberwolves beat reporter for various outlets and writer of the By Derek James Substack. He'll take us through those two aforementioned big moves by the front office, the continued growth of Anthony Edwards and Jaden McDaniels, and much more. 6:26-8:11: “It definitely struck me as a lot when the Gobert trade first went down and seeing all those picks (be sent to Utah) and then hearing Tim Connelly talk about how he feels like they probably maxed out their ceiling last year. … How are you getting even better and taking the next step there? I think that is really where this trade has pushed the Timberwolves. You could see them reasonably having home-court (advantage), at least in the first round. … A big, determining factor in where they finish is probably going to be how...other teams operate (with injury management). There’s a range of possibilities. … Other factors in this, too, could just be Anthony Edwards, Jaden McDaniels, some of these younger guys, also improving like we think they should.” 10:43-11:55: “I think with the Tom Thibodeau regime and the veterans that he would bring in…they were probably on the back ends of their primes, to put it generously. … Kyle Anderson can still contribute. Taurean Prince can contribute. I think even with Austin Rivers… you don’t really need much more from your fifth, sixth guard than that, just a veteran who came in and just knows where to be and what to do, but is still young enough to be a useful player. … This is the first time this team has actually developed players.” 12:30-13:45: “That’s the thing with Anthony Edwards: I have no idea what his ceiling could be. … Out of the box, he was fearless in getting to the rim. He knew he was built like a tight end going to the basket. That was never a problem, but I think it was really just getting that shot consistent. And if that gets more and more consistent, I don’t really know what his limits are.” 23:05-23:25: "Russell is going to have a great lob target [in Rudy Gobert], maybe somewhat like Jarrett Allen in Brooklyn, only a little better. So I think he'll make D'Angelo Russell look better, and I think there'll just be this effect on teams in the pick and roll, where they have all these different looks they can throw at defenses now." Sponsor: Use code TBPN during sign-up at DraftKings.com to claim your free shot at millions of dollars in total prizes. If you or someone you know has a gambling problem, crisis counseling and referral services can be accessed by calling 1-800- GAMBLER (1-800-426-2537) (IL/IN/LA/MI/NJ/TN/PA/WV/WY), 1-800- NEXT STEP (AZ), 1-800-522-4700 (CO/KS/NH), 888-789-7777/visit ccpg.org (CT), 1-800-BETS OFF (IA), 877-8-HOPENY/text HOPENY (467369) (NY), visit OPGR.org (OR), or 1-888-532-3500 (VA). 21+ (18+ NH/WY). Physically present in AZ/CO/CT/IL/IN/IA/KS/LA(select parishes)/MI/NH/NJ/ NY/OR/PA/TN/VA/WV/WY only. $200 in Free bets: New customers only. Min. $5 deposit. Min $5 pregame moneyline bet. $200 issued as eight (8) $25 free bets. Bet must win. Ends 1/8/23 @ 8pm. Risk-Free Stepped Up SGP: 1 Token issued per eligible game. Opt in req. Min $1 bet. Max bet limits apply. Min. 3-leg. Each leg min. -300 odds, total bet +100 odds or longer. Ends at start of final game of the 2022-2023 NBA Season. See eligibility & terms at sportsbook.draftkings.com/basketballterms. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
After a grueling, injury-marred 2021-22 season, in which the Los Angeles Clippers clawed their way into the play-in games but failed to advance any further, the Clips have returned for NBA preseason with a clean bill of health and championship expectations. We’ve brought back our friend Law Murray, Clippers beat reporter for The Athletic, to help us delve into the team some are calling the deepest in the NBA. He discusses the highly anticipated comeback of superstar Kawhi Leonard, what to expect from John Wall, the task ahead for coach Tyronn Lue and much more in this in-depth conversation. 5:34-6:11: “We always talk about 'if healthy.' We always talk about that being such a big swing factor for all teams, but the Clippers, everyone's more sensitive because they're just waiting for something bad to happen. Well, this is a pretty injury-proof team. … This team is going to roll out talent every night; there's just too many guys.” 8:40-9:17: A head coach has to be able to be an effective communicator, with the media, with his star players, with his young players, with his veterans, with the role players who have those roles where they could play 30 minutes or 10 minutes in the same week. And That's where Ty [Lue] excels better than any other place. Ty can get his message across and Ty can keep guys together and Ty can get guys to play hard for him. That's where he's at in his tenure with the Clippers. It's a great spot to be in, but that's an earned spot to be in.” 18:05-18:33: “I think Kawhi has an even greater appreciation of where he's at. I think Kawhi has an even greater appreciation of the guys that he's doing it with. He's been much more open and much more engaging. … Kawhi knows that he's a great player with a finite amount of time to be great going forward.” 21:48-23:35: “John [Wall] said it himself…he ain’t gonna be Batman anymore, OK? And I don’t even think he’s gonna be a Robin…When John played for the Rockets, that was his age-30 season. It was the first time that he came off of not one but two procedures on his Achilles, on his heel. … John also had to deal with his heart too: losing his mom, losing his grandmom, losing his career, losing his original NBA city, all that. … Physically he’s going to be different. Emotionally, he’s a different person. Mentally, he said he needed help, and he’s gotten it, and we expect him to be supported over the course of the year. And with that in mind, the Clippers ain’t gonna roll him out there being like, ‘Hey, be the No. 1 pick John Wall, be All-NBA John Wall.’” 38:37-40:32: “Norm[an Powell] is going to be a great teammate. Norm has won a championship; he knows what it takes. Norm has improved parts of his game every year. … I can’t believe the Clippers acquired this dude. … He’s like the cheat code for them.”
John Wall's Players Tribune piece: https://signature.theplayerstribune.com/john-wall-nba-basketball-los-angeles-clippers/p/1
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After two seasons of missing the playoffs, the Golden State Warriors are back on the main stage, making their sixth Western Conference finals appearance in the last eight years. Ahead of Sunday night's Game 3, they find themselves with a commanding 2-0 series lead over the Dallas Mavericks and are poised to make their return to the NBA Finals. Joining us for a record fifth episode is Andy Liu of the Light Years podcast, who never fails to bring both knowledge and passion to the show.
2:37-3:58: “In those comebacks, it was the defense that was great, but the Warriors rained 3s. It would just be left, right, Steph, Klay, repeatedly until they beat the other team into submission, and that’s not what it was last night. It was a lot of defense, of course…but it was just getting to the bucket. A lot of that is Steph, Klay and (Jordan) Poole figuring out, ‘Hey, we’re great shooters, but that’s not our first option anymore.’ That’s different from what we’ve seen with the Warriors. Everybody always wants to see Steph go dribble, dribble, dribble, step-back 3, but I think those are less sustainable in the postseason. It’s pretty cool to see a more experienced championship pedigree Warriors team kind of come back this way. It felt like more classic basketball versus the Warriors basketball that we’ve seen for a long time.”
6:13-6:38: “Luka Doncic is a traffic cone. Luka Doncic is amazing. He was damn near LeBron-like on offense Friday night with the way that he was making 3s and getting to the hole. But he doesn’t hold LeBron’s jock on defense. And he’s absolutely terrible. Andrew Wiggins was going at him, Steph was driving right by him, and this Dallas team is exhausted. They go seven guys, they have like two, three good defenders – none of them great – and the Warriors know that.”
20:48-22:30: “I’ve never seen (Poole) lose confidence yet. … You could say he’s already helped the Warriors win one game this series, and this was Game 2. He got to the hole, he made a few big 3s. That third-quarter run at the end and then the beginning of the fourth quarter, that was Jordan Poole. That was Poole, Wiggins, Otto (Porter), (Kevon) Loon(ey). Those guys brought the Warriors back and helped give that lead to Steph. … And that’s something also that the Warriors have never had. Even when KD was on this team, the minutes that Steph wouldn’t play were always terrible.”
28:22-30:23: [Steph Curry]'s been great at everything except the thing that he's the greatest ever at. Like his shooting has been down, he's shooting 80% from the free-throw line. Just weird. ... Outside of that, I would say physically he's as great as he's ever been. And he's also way smarter. ... I think right now if you're a Warriors fan, you can argue who's the best player in this series and people are gonna say, 'Luka this, Luka that.' Five minutes left, give me Steph Curry every single time."
37:36-38:08: "I don't want to say [Steve Kerr] stole the game with the defensive scheme, but he set the tone. He said, 'You know what, we're just going to run this scheme with 18 different coverages in Game 1,' and that's what set the tone on Luka, and they won that game because of that. They won that first game because of Steve Kerr."
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With the Memphis Grizzlies and Golden State Warriors tied through two games of an intense Western Conference semifinal series, we're joined by Keith Parish, host of Grind City Media‘s Fastbreak Breakfast and Grits and Grinds podcasts, who provides insight from the Grizzlies' perspective. 3:47-4:17: “These Ja Morant highlights, 140 million people saw them, and that’s by far the most of any NBA player. So he’s becoming an absolute superstar. What he did in Game 2 was a little bit different. … The Warriors are probably kicking themselves with the way they covered him. They didn’t seem to understand that he wants to drive left every time. They didn’t seem to understand that the Grizzlies were really, really short-handed and had not their normal closing lineup out there, but they didn’t force the ball out of his hands.” 12:32-14:11: “A healthy [Desmond] Bane I think could do incredibly against Klay Thompson. I’m not that confident in Klay Thompson’s ability to defend, and the Warriors keep playing these lineups where if [Jordan] Poole and Thompson are both out there, those are two things that the Grizzlies can attack if Bane is healthy. ... If he’s healthy and we get the normal Desmond Bane, he’s this unbelievable weapon because when you start helping off of Ja, [Bane]’s just there and he’s such a deadeye shooter. … If he’s hurt like he was in the first two games, where he’s not a threat, he can’t even quickly load his shot like he normally does, [then] you can get away with having Klay Thompson check him. I know Klay Thompson is a historically great defender, but I haven’t seen the athleticism from him yet this season where I feel like this is the old Klay on defense, so I think that’s something the Grizzlies would hope to attack. But it’s the health [of Bane], and we don’t know. “ 17:30-18:03: “I don’t think the Warriors showed incredible poise outside of a Klay Thompson shot in Game 1, and in Game 2 they looked especially frantic. And they’re also prone to turn the ball over, which is one of the matchups in the series that plays into the Grizzlies’ hands. Clearly I have a lot of fear and respect for Klay and for Steph in the clutch, but I don’t know how much overall that experience factor is gonna matter or decide the series. Of course, we could see Games 3 and 4, maybe the young Grizzlies come out shell-shocked in Golden State, but it’s not something I’m expecting.” 29:26-30:31: “We don’t expect the Warriors to shoot that poorly, like they did in Game 2, but some of it is a little bit calculated where Andrew Wiggins is being left alone to shoot; I know he has the ability to make shots, but it has felt like a pick-your-poison type thing, where they’re saying, ‘OK, you can shoot.’ ... Steph is the one you’re obviously terrified of at all times. He missed a ton of very makeable 3s, including one where Ja and Ziaire [Williams] got mixed up at the end of the fourth quarter and left him wide open. As far as Jordan Poole, he’s been a good huge problem and he’s gonna continue to be a problem for the Grizzlies. They just have to try to continue to contest him, not foul him and hopefully he doesn’t make too high of a number.” Sponsor: Use code TBPN during sign-up at DraftKings.com to claim your free shot at millions of dollars in total prizes. If you or someone you know has a gambling problem, crisis counseling and referral services can be accessed by calling 1-800-GAMBLER (1-800-426-2537) (IL/IN/MI/NJ/PA/WV/WY), 1-800-NEXT STEP (AZ), 1-800-522-4700 (CO/NH), 888-789-7777/visit http://ccpg.org/chat (CT), 1-800-BETS OFF (IA), 1-877-770-STOP (7867) (LA), 877-8-HOPENY/text HOPENY (467369) (NY), visit OPGR.org (OR), call/text TN REDLINE 1-800-889-9789 (TN), or 1-888-532-3500 (VA). 21+ (18+ WY). Physically present in AZ/CO/CT/IL/IN/IA/LA/MI/ /NJ/NY/ PA/TN/VA/WV/WY only. Min. $5 deposit required. Eligibility restrictions apply. See http://draftkings.com/sportsbook for details.
With the Boston Celtics (arguably) improbably leading the Brooklyn Nets 3-0 in an opening-round 2-7 matchup, we're joined by John Karalis, host of Locked on Celtics, Celtics beat reporter for The Boston Sports Journal and author of The Boston Celtics All-Time All-Stars 5:07-5:45: Most importantly, defending at an extraordinarily high level; that’s what got them to this place. In this series, they are not letting Kevin Durant close out. They are not letting Durant get going and start to do all the things that Durant does. When the Nets are closing out teams, it’s Durant, just bucket after bucket after bucket, midrange after midrange after midrange. Unstoppable. In this series, they’ve frustrated the hell out of him, they’ve beaten him up, and he’s throwing passes to nobody now.” 13:51-14:54: “The switching has, I think, taken them out of their rhythm. And when Kevin Durant is out of rhythm, then the whole thing starts to fall apart ‘cuz Kyrie [Irving] plays off Kevin Durant, and it’s not the other way around. … I look at Game 3 and I say, ‘Bruce Brown got 19 field-goal attempts, and Kevin Durant got 11 field-goal attempts.’ And to me, that tells the story of the Celtics’ defense more than any of these other stats, the steals, the turnovers, Kyrie’s numbers, KD’s numbers. That one number: Bruce Brown had eight more field-goal attempts than Kevin Durant is everything you need to know.” 27:49-28:57: "Right now with the playoffs, everybody understands ‘Whatever works.’ And so if [Payton] Pritchard is the guy that comes in and can hit some shots, then great. … If the series needs shooting and Pritchard's the guy who's gonna be hitting the shots, then great. I think Derrick White is ready to play 40 minutes or four minutes, and at the end of the game he's gonna be happy if they get the win." 34:39-36:26: "I said Celtics in five because of that defense. … Pick your poison: Kyrie, terrible defender, especially in Game 3 when he has five fouls. Seth Curry, terrible defender. Goran Dragic, terrible. Blake Griffin, terrible. Now you have multiple guys on the floor and Kevin Durant is so worn out that he can't be the defensive presence, the rim protector that he's supposed to be. … I never saw Brooklyn with the ability to stop the Celtics. And I always saw the Celtics being able to kind of get whatever shot they wanted in switches against a heavily switching team like the Brooklyn Nets." Sponsor: Use code TBPN during sign-up at DraftKings.com to claim your free shot at millions of dollars in total prizes. If you or someone you know has a gambling problem, crisis counseling and referral services can be accessed by calling 1-800-GAMBLER (1-800-426-2537) (IL/IN/MI/NJ/PA/WV/WY), 1-800-NEXT STEP (AZ), 1-800-522-4700 (CO/NH), 888-789-7777/visit http://ccpg.org/chat (CT), 1-800-BETS OFF (IA), 1-877-770-STOP (7867) (LA), 877-8-HOPENY/text HOPENY (467369) (NY), visit OPGR.org (OR), call/text TN REDLINE 1-800-889-9789 (TN), or 1-888-532-3500 (VA). 21+ (18+ WY). Physically present in AZ/CO/CT/IL/IN/IA/LA/MI/ /NJ/NY/ PA/TN/VA/WV/WY only. Min. $5 deposit required. Eligibility restrictions apply. See http://draftkings.com/sportsbook for details.
Shamit Dua, host of the In the NO podcast, discusses the promising, young New Orleans Pelicans, whose vastly improved defense and deadline acquisition of guard CJ McCollum has them tentatively in a play-in spot. Shamit discusses McCollum's arrival, including what it's unlocked for star wing Brandon Ingram, before exploring New Orleans' new dual-big man starting lineup, Herb Jones' seismic impact on its defense and the team's prospects for the remainder of the season and beyond. Among other forward-looking topics, Shamit pays special attention to the franchise’s consequential upcoming summer decision regarding Zion Williamson’s future as its centerpiece.
2:10-2:57: "From the get-go, CJ has brought professionalism, leadership and just attention to the franchise in a way that it hasn't had before. ... It's the kind of leadership that the team has really needed. He's been producing at an extremely high rate. I think he's up to like 27 points per game as a Pelican. He's jelling well with the other players on the team, creating open looks and just all in all making the Pelicans offense that much more dynamic and that much more difficult to defend."
7:46-8:45: "I think you as an organization have to do everything you can to sort of sort this whole situation out, and if at the end of the day it doesn’t work, then you can say, ‘We did everything, we accommodated [Williamson] at every corner, and it just didn’t work out.’ So you don’t want to look like the negligent franchise that the media will inevitably try to paint you as if another superstar ends up walking. With regard to his extension, I think that’s gonna be a very fascinating question this summer because you look at how Joel Embiid did not play very much in the first couple years and he got a pretty conditional extension with a lot of injury provisions and whatnot. A lot of people are arguing that Zion should get something similar, and I think the Pelicans would be right to do that. But it's still a tricky issue. Do you risk alienating him further by putting that on the table? Or do you just kinda swallow the pill and offer the full max?
22:12-22:47: “I personally don’t see [the Williamson-Jonas Valanciunas fit] as a challenge. You look at Zion last year: He averaged 27 points a game, shooting 60 percent from the floor, and you had Steven Adams as the center. People said the Steven Adams partnership wouldn’t work. The Pelicans were a pretty decent offensive team, and Zion got whatever he wanted, whenever he wanted. Jonas is a much more talented offensive player than Steven Adams, just as good of an offensive rebounder, he can space the floor, he can draw doubles himself. If the Jonas and Jaxson Hayes lineups aren’t obliterating teams offensively, Zion’s just gonna take them to another level. So I don’t see there being a question of fit.”
33:35-33:54: “They would like to win; that’s why they traded for CJ McCollum. I think they view themselves as an organization that should be trending upwards, so making the play-in would be the right step. But I’m not sure there’s this ‘World is ending. Are we gonna blow the team up?’ or there’s dysfunction behind the scenes if those outcomes aren’t reached.”
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Caitlin Cooper, contributing writer for SB Nation’s Indy Cornrows, has experienced quite a memorable 2021-22 Pacers season so far. Although the team stands at 20-40 at the All-Star break, well below expectations, it boldly traded 25-year-old two-time All-Star Domantas Sabonis, just days before the deadline, in a package that most notably returned super-talented second-year guard Tyrese Haliburton from the Kings. Caitlin discusses Indiana’s team-building process, why Sabonis was ultimately dealt, what Haliburton’s arrival means for Malcolm Brogdon’s Pacers future, why she’s excited about some of the franchise’s lesser-known youngsters, the magic of Lance Stephenson’s return, and that’s not even all. Enjoy some notable excerpts below: 3:33-4:15: "When you go from Sabonis to Halliburton, both of them have really good feel for the game, and they process what's out on the floor very quickly; it's just that you're doing it at two very different positions. Knowing that they were moving on from Domas, they were mainly going to be losing what he does as a hand-off operator, his roll gravity, interior gravity, his ability to generate side-to-side action. They don't really have any other bigs that can do that to the level that he does, but I think the thought process was…I don't think the Pacers have ever in my lifetime had a point guard the caliber, even just after seeing these four games, of what Halliburton can do in terms of no-look passes, pass fakes to shake help defenders and get guys open and get everybody involved." 13:43-14:40: "I think that the skill that has stood out the most to me…is just the way that he [Haliburton] can freeze defenders. I mean you don't notice it right away sometimes even. But then I've watched the games back and been like, 'Oh, the reason Terry Taylor was just so open in the dunker spot is because he used a slight hand fake over to the corner and that defender jumped and then that was open.' Or, he'll look in transition to the opposite slot and then throw it to Isaiah Jackson on the roll. He has a really nice fake little lob pass that he'll throw that can even open up the lob even further. … Part of what’s so exciting about his potential is that I can see areas that he can be better in in each of these games that we’ve watched, and then I’ll look and be like, ‘Oh, that was pretty close to a 20-20 game.’" 31:30-32:08: "It's really tough to explain, and I'm even from Indiana. I live it. I've watched Lance [Stephenson] play since back in the 2013-14 era when they went to the Eastern Conference finals, and it's even hard for me to fully describe what the connection is between Pacers fans and Lance Stephenson and just how every single time, even since he's come back, when he enters a game, you'll start hearing the crowd get excited, and it's because Lance is going in. Even more so than watching Sabonis as a two-time All Star, or even sometimes what the reaction has been with Tyrese Halliburton getting introduced. He’s said it before, it's like he gets superpowers when he plays with the Pacers." 42:49-43:11: “They do need to settle on, going into next season, exactly what type of defensive team they want to be because I don’t think they’ve really ever solved that. When they headed into the season, what Rick Carlisle said that he wanted to do for this team, his top two priorities were togetherness and defense, and before they made these trades, I’m not sure that they really accomplished either one of those two outcomes.” Sponsor: Use code TBPN during sign-up at DraftKings.com to claim your free shot at millions of dollars in total prizes.
Zach Weiss, host of the “Across the Cavs” podcast, is back to provide Loren an update, and boy, is it an exciting one! As the Cavaliers ready to host the 2022 NBA All-Star game, they just received word that Darius Garland will be playing in the showcase event for the first time. On the heels of an 11-4 January, Cleveland is still playing excellent basketball, yet not satisfied with its roster. In fact, one-third of the way through this very interview, Zach learned in real time that Caris LeVert was on his way to Cleveland to improve the already talented squad. Among other topics, Zach opines on the acquisition, the Cavaliers’ postseason chances and why their three-7-footer lineup has worked so well.
2:55-3:01 – “Garland’s All-Star selection basically says, ‘Yeah, we’re hosting the game. We’ve got players in the game. We are real!’ 14:39-14:55 – “Justin Rowan of the Chase Down [podcast] – we had him on Thursday of last week; this would be February 3. He was big on Caris LeVert, who proceeded to drop 42 points, including 20 on just one miss in the first quarter in Indy’s last game, so he’s an option as well.” (Not even two and a half minutes later, Zach learns that the Cavaliers did indeed acquire LeVert, so be sure to listen to his excited, real-time reaction from 17:29-17:51.) 21:02-21:17 – “We get a guy who can create, he has playoff experience from Brooklyn, he dropped 50 in the Bubble, he’s got a lot of talent, he’ll have good nights, he’ll have bad nights. But finally [much-needed help has arrived]! We talked about Darius [Garland] carrying too much weight.” 26:17-26:35 – “When you put him [Lauri Markannen] with two rim-protecting, mobile bigs, I think you scare teams. You go at them even if they’re ready for the fight. Not many teams have figured us out. The Cavs are 32-21, and that includes a five-game streak without their bigs, so they’re really 32-16.” 30:37-31:04 – “It’ll be Darius and Caris, which kinda rhymes. LeVertland. Vertland, Vertland! There we go. Vertland. So take the pressure off Darius now. And they’re not gonna have that much tape to follow us ‘cuz Lauri’s not coming back until after the All-Star break, so for now you’ll probably have LeVert and Okoro starting together. And so when you consider everything here, they’re only gonna have 15 games of tape probably to watch.” 39:59-40:34 – “I don’t see a weakness [with the Milwaukee Bucks], and they’re gonna have [Brook] Lopez back in the playoffs, even if he’s only playing 15 [minutes per game]. He was incredible last year when they needed him to be, and when he was out, you put in Bobby [Portis]. This is a scary team. I don’t care they don’t have PJ [Tucker]. I don’t know how we beat them. I could be wrong because I said the Cavs weren’t ‘this,’ and then on October 1, I said we were a 12th seed. In November, end of the month, maybe even early December, I said we’re not even a top-six. So don’t take my word for it, I guess, but the Bucks are the team I’m the most scared of, more than Miami, more than Chicago, more than anyone else in the conference. Anyone!” Sponsor: Use code TBPN during sign-up at DraftKings.com to claim your free shot at millions of dollars in total prizes.
We have officially crossed the halfway point of the NBA's 1230-game regular season and to celebrate the occasion and welcome our show back from its hibernation, Aaron is excited to present a special solo episode of his (subjective) power rankings of the league's 30 teams, organized into five tiers. Along the way, Aaron will also share his thoughts on a select number of teams and offer other interesting nuggets about the season so far. Sponsor: Use code TBPN during sign-up at DraftKings.com to claim your free shot at millions of dollars in total prizes. Subscribe to, rate and review On the NBA Beat on Apple Podcasts. Follow On the NBA Beat and your hosts Aaron Fischman and Loren Lee Chen on Twitter. Discover the rest of The Basketball Podcast Network at thebasketballpodcastnetwork.com.
The Cleveland Cavaliers outperformed everyone's expectations during a blistering start that saw them near the top of the Eastern Conference standings and rookie Evan Mobley as the odds-on favorite to win the Rookie of the Year Award. Recently though, they've fallen on harder times with six of their top eight scorers, including four of their opening day starters and the aforementioned Mobley, missing time with injury. During the recording of this episode, we received even more bad news for the Cavs, that fourth-year guard Collin Sexton would be undergoing season-ending surgery on his torn meniscus. We brought on Zach Weiss, host of the Across the Cavs podcast, for this episode to help us weigh the good and the bad for Cleveland so far this season and provide his insight on where this young team can go from here. 3:35-4:02: “It’s clear they made the right decision to draft Evan Mobley and to pay Jarrett Allen. I think they can very much coexist. … Yes, [Mobley]’s hurt right now. He’ll be back. … When [Lauri] Markkanen, who should be back very, very soon, once they’re all together again, that three-7-footer lineup, I think it’s special. You don’t see other teams even willing to try that.” 5:04-5:24: “It’s important to kinda be realistic and say that there’s no chance the Cavs will be a top-six team by the time the year’s over. And so that being said, I think it’s all about the play-in. It’s about just trying to win as much as you can. There’s no more draft picks they need. You can only have so many young guys.” 8:09-8:55: “It was the Knicks game for me that stood out for Mobley. He had 26, nine and five… But Mobley was smooth, he was hitting clutch 3s, he was getting all the rebounds. He was taking one dribble from the corner, beyond the arc, and getting right to the basket. When you look at his averages of 15, 8, 2.5 assists, a steal, 1.6 blocks, the assist, steal and blocks numbers are kinda like a young Giannis. And he’s not Giannis. He’ll never be Giannis. There’s only one Giannis. But impacting the game as a 20-year-old defensively is not something many players do. That alone is impressive. I think the shot is a lot better than we expected it to be at this point.” 14:16-14:42: “For [Collin Sexton]’s career, I think this is the best thing, but for the Cavs, this is a mega, mega issue because while he’s been out, they’ve really struggled to replace his value. [Ricky] Rubio as a starter has not quite been the same player as Rubio, the backup. They’re gonna have to sign somebody or do something if they really want to compete this year because Denzel Valentine is not that guy.” 24:53-25:15: Coming in last year when we drafted [Isaac Okoro], it was only a year ago. Remember how weird last year was? And he came in with these expectations – lockdown defender who will figure out his shot. Surprisingly, Deni Avdija of the Wizards is pretty much a slightly more developed Okoro, is what it looks like right now.” 31:10-31:31: “Once players get back and everyone can get a defined role again, I think we’ll understand what they have. But it’s gonna be six or seven weeks before we actually know good the Cavs are. Whatever their record is, whatever their rotation looks like, if everyone that’s on the roster now is still there, there’s a lot that we’re gonna learn about them with No. 2 [Sexton] not playing again this year.” 38:32-39:00: “I think [head coach J.B. Bickerstaff] trusts his team, which is a great sign; not all coaches do. That being said, the fact that he can count on the five guys on the court at a given time to fix their own mistakes means that they have a good off-court relationship that they can kinda have that unspoken trust. I think he’s gonna be a great coach. He will be the coach that gets them their next playoff series win. Whenever that is, it’s gonna be J.B. Sponsor: Use code TBPN during sign-up at DraftKings.com to claim your free shot at millions of dollars in total prizes.
In Year 2 of 20-year-old point guard LaMelo Ball’s NBA career, the Charlotte Hornets are playing with one of the league’s fastest paces while managing to score efficiently. Their successful high-octane offense has provided a breath of fresh air, although their defense ranks among the league worst and they’ve been plagued by long scoring droughts as well as other types of inconsistency. As a result, despite notable improvement from Ball and forward Miles Bridges and a healthy start from Gordon Hayward (not to mention his reliable production), the Hornets sit just a game above .500. Nick Denning, former editor at SB Nation’s At the Hive, breaks down what to expect from this enigmatic team that began 4-1 with three road wins, then dropped six of seven and has since won three straight, including a Sunday night victory over the then-11-1 Warriors. What can we make of this team? Nick will guide us through as we aim to determine that. 7:25-8:07: “Their offense, that’s why people watch them. It’s just how good they are offensively, it’s all the weapons they have, it’s the instinctiveness that LaMelo and others play with. He starts it, but everybody feeds off it, and head coach [James] Borrego really allows that instinctiveness. That’s what’s gonna keep them in games, and then those nights when they can play well enough defensively are gonna be the nights where they can pull off some wins and maybe beat some teams that they don’t really have any business beating.” 13:26-14:02: “You’re aware of just how underwhelming the Hornets have been for much of their existence, so to have a player like [Ball], just for what he does alone, it’s worth the price of admission. It’s worth planning your evenings around watching him because you know you’re gonna get a couple plays that just, they make me shake my head, and they make me just think that everything that’s come before this, all the missed draft picks, all the bad free agency decisions, maybe it was worth it if I can get a decade or more of watching this kid play for us and do these special things.’” 21:40-22:17: “The role [Miles Bridges] has this year was actually orchestrated at the end of last season. Basically, Borrego said, ‘Hey, we like what you did this year, but you’ve gotta take the next step, and that step comes with ball-handling. We want you to isolate more, we want you to be able take on defenders more yourself.' … I think [he’s such an integral part of Charlotte’s success] because the coaching staff looked at the roster and said, ‘Look, for us to improve next year or take the next step, Miles has to take the next step himself.’ He obviously bought into that. He attacks the hoop much more effectively than I’ve ever seen him do before.” 32:38-32:48: “It’s not flashy, and that’s probably why [Gordon Hayward] doesn’t get the attention that Bridges and LaMelo get, but he kinda holds things together.” 36:50-37:00: “I’ve come to realize through 14 games that this is who [Kelly Oubre Jr.] is gonna be. You just have to accept it and ride with it. No pun intended, but ride the wave.” 38:51-40:00: “Up until this point and probably for at least another season, [Borrego] is being evaluated on player development, at least primarily on player development. … Maybe not this year but definitely next year, that expectation is gonna shift from player development to winning, to making the playoffs and to competing in the playoffs.” Sponsor: Use code TBPN during sign-up at DraftKings.com to claim your free shot at millions of dollars in total prizes.
The Golden State Warriors have made their triumphant return to the upper echelon of the Western Conference behind an MVP-caliber start of the season from their star, Steph Curry. On this episode, Andy Liu of the Light Years podcast has made a similarly triumphant return to this podcast to discuss his expectations for the team this season. 2:55-4:16: "I think they could make the Western Conference Finals. I think that's their upside, and, you know, when you're in that one series to get into the NBA finals, anything can happen, especially if you have Steph Curry.… I think the worst-case scenario is just Steph Curry being hurt and if that happens, I mean, all right, here comes another lottery pick, right? But other than that, I think this team is bare minimum what that team was last season. They're an eighth-seed, seventh-seed at the very least, and then they have the upside to be a Western Conference Finals team." 5:06-4:30: "The amount of love Steph got when the Warriors went 15 and 5 at the end of last season with no chance of actually winning anything, it was incredible. It felt like everybody loved him and he never got that same love when he was winning titles.… Steph is not a different player than he was in 2018 when they beat the Cavs.… He's the same guy, but because the Warriors in the last few seasons, especially the last one, didn't have a chance to win a championship, I think people are coming out the woodwork and saying, 'All right, it's safe now to love Steph.'" 13:02-13:41: "I think Jordan Poole has proved that he has a lot of talent, especially you saw at the end of last season. He has a lot of talent and he's the only guy on this team, even if Klay comes back, he's the only guy on this team that can get to the hole consistently. It's basically Steph, Jordan Poole, and maybe Andrew Wiggins depending on what he ate for breakfast that day.… If he's bad now, that's okay, you got to let him play through it. It's more about what he looks like in March at the end of the season when they're gearing up for a playoff run." 16:25-17:18: "[Wiseman] was put in a position to fail last season. Just quite honestly he was thrown into the fire and he wasn't given much to actually succeed.… They also had him running Steve Kerr's system where they were doing split cuts and intricate passing designs. When the hell has a 19-year-old ever been able to do that? That made no sense, and so he failed. He failed in those moments and I don't blame the kid. Now what I think was successful near the end of the season, they started to put him in pick-and-roll and have them just run to the rim and dunk the ball. That's it. He was getting more comfortable and then he tore his meniscus." 24:15-24:32: "They picked up guys [Otto Porter, Nemanja Bjelica, and Andre Iguodala] that knew their role, knew how to play basketball and weren't going to make mistakes and I think that's really what makes life a lot easier and what made Warriors basketball so much fun to watch and they're bringing that back this season." 29:05-31:28: "I don't think at any point Steve Kerr should be fired. I think Steve Kerr should be the coach of this team as long as he wants to be the coach of this team because he doesn't do anything that that really derails the team. He's not actively making the team worse, but he hasn't also made the team better these last few years.… This season, they put a very veteran-laden coaching staff around him. Kenny Atkinson was an incredible coach for the Nets, he's on the staff now. Ron Adams is still there. They brought in a couple of player development coaches, [DeJan] Milojević and another one from Toronto, Jama Mahlalela. I think that with those guys, it's made his life a lot easier." Sponsor: Use code TBPN during sign-up at DraftKings.com to claim your free shot at millions of dollars in total prizes.
Enjoy Aaron's one-on-one conversation with Bleacher Report writer Jake Fischer on his debut book, "Built to Lose: How the NBA’s Tanking Era Changed the League Forever."
4:47-5:23: “There was a long Google doc of probably 600 names of people that were this player and his agent and the player’s college coach and every single guy who was ever rostered by that team, guys who were in training camp. And then as you get on the phone with other people, you start to ask also, like, ‘Hey, now that we’ve talked for 20, 30, 40 minutes, and you kind of know who I am a little bit, know the work I’m trying to do, and just the honest conversation I’m trying to have, anybody you think you could put me in touch with that would help me further understand, add another perspective?’ Sometimes I’ll even ask for specific people.” 14:38-15:47: “For me, before I got into this more newsy space at Bleacher Report, at Sports Illustrated, I was working on “Built to Lose” for a long portion of my time there. I kinda developed a niche at SI of being someone who covered left-of-center stories, like I got coffee with Mike D’Antoni ‘cuz he’s obsessed with Starbucks. And my last thing I ever wrote for SI was a profile on Red Panda, so stuff like that. I realized from [those], I don’t really cover basketball that much. I kinda cover the people who work in basketball and things about the business of basketball and the ecosystem of the NBA. So it’s always been difficult, I think at times, to throw like a random question to somebody, but there’s a way to do it in a way that is interesting to them versus, ‘Here’s this total left-field subject.’ If you go at it kind of with humility and laughing at yourself…” 18:24-19:00: “I really do believe that every page has some type of new information that didn’t come out before, whether it was furthering a story that had come out previously or just bringing out a new story altogether. That’s a big goal of mine any time I write. I had a really great journalism adviser in high school named Greg Gagliardi, who I shout out all the time, who’s one of the people the book’s dedicated to. And he taught me back in my junior year of high school, maybe even my freshman year, if you don’t have something new, then you don’t have a story.” 30:11-30:50: “I really wanted to include the Lakers being that they’re the independent variable in all this, where they were the worst team in the league during the five-year stretch in which we cover in the book. And it didn’t matter. LeBron still signed there in free agency in 2018, Anthony Davis came soon after, they won a title. So I think that’s exactly why tanking does exist in these smaller markets. If you’re Utah with Donovan Mitchell, if you’re Orlando when they had Dwight Howard, Milwaukee with Giannis, Portland with Dame [Lillard], you’ve gotta get these guys through the draft and do everything you can to build a contender around them or else you’ve got no shot.” 35:01-35:11: “The worst team in the NBA was creating some of the biggest storylines and the most interest in its product, so I don’t see how it could’ve been viewed as a bad thing.”
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Sarah Todd, Utah Jazz beat reporter for the Deseret News and host of the Unsalvageable podcast, sheds light on last season's best regular-season team. How can the Jazz take their pre-playoff success and parlay it into a deep postseason run? 4:48-6:28: “I think it all has to do with versatility and health. Because if Mike Conley is healthy through the Clippers series, if Donovan Mitchell doesn’t have a bum ankle, then maybe the Clippers’ offense isn’t able to break the point of attack as easily as it was able to, which then causes problems on the switch, which is what caused so many problems for Gobert on the defensive side. It wasn’t that he wasn’t good; it was just that the perimeter gave him too much to deal with because they weren’t holding guys out. … Other teams have been exploiting that flaw of the Jazz’s for years. … As far as versatility goes, that’s what they tried to address in the offseason. They got Rudy Gay and Eric Paschall, both guys that can play small-ball 5 and can switch 1 through 5, are versatile defenders.” 12:50-13:06: “They saw firsthand last season how important health is once you are in the postseason and how much it can change things in a really drastic way. And so, in talking with some of these players over the last couple of weeks, they are more open to the idea of resting.” 14:42-15:10: “These are elite athletes. You’ve got two max players that the Jazz have completely built their roster around in Rudy Gobert and Donovan Mitchell. They want to be the best in their lane, and if there wasn’t any tension between them at all, I think that I would be really surprised. That’s not just for the Jazz; that’s on all 30 NBA rosters. There’s not an NBA roster out there where there aren’t quibbles among teammates, and I think that’s what this is.” 20:25-20:55: “His last season in Cleveland, some of the coaches started working with him on finding more efficient ways to play. They started trying to take and cut out some of his midrange game. And then when he came to the Jazz, they completely expedited that, and they say, ‘OK, let’s almost nearly eliminate the midrange game. You can shoot absolutely as much as you want.’ Jordan Clarkson wants to get buckets, he can get ‘em all he wants as long they’re from the 3-point line or at the rim. And so, they just let him loose.” 28:24-28:51: “When you have a season like they did last year, I think that pressure is eased a little bit because the front office is able to look at the health of the team and say, 'What was Quin [Snyder] supposed to do when he's got injured players?' If something like that were to happen again this year, again I think the pressure will be off, but if the Jazz go into the postseason completely healthy, basically no excuses, I think that raises the pressure a lot because then you start looking at the fact that he's been here eight years and they haven't been able to get past the second round.” 36:33-37:38: “The fact that [Jared Butler] dropped to 40 and they were able to get him, that was like Christmas morning for the Jazz. …His handle and his decision-making with the ball in his hands seem incredibly advanced for a guy coming in to his rookie NBA season. I've been really impressed with that. … He's also just a pure shooter. He has just a beautiful shot, and he has amazing range.” Sponsor: Use code TBPN during sign-up at DraftKings.com to claim your free shot at millions of dollars in total prizes.
Gregg Popovich finds himself in an unfamiliar position after a quarter-century of coaching the San Antonio Spurs. For the first time, he’ll be tasked with leading a youthful group packed with promising but largely unproven players – a group projected by most to miss the playoffs by a landslide. In the offseason, the franchise parted with veteran mainstays DeMar DeRozan, Patty Mills and Rudy Gay, and months earlier, it bought out LaMarcus Aldridge’s contract. As a result, the youth movement is firmly here. And Popovich, 72, appears energized for his new challenge, expecting to lead a fast-paced team where playing time will be spread around generously. Project Spurs’ Paul Garcia, who also hosts the Spurscast and writes for Analyzing the League, spoke with OTNB to help preview the young team’s season and further describe the new dynamic. Discussing the youngsters, with special emphasis on Dejounte Murray, Derrick White, Keldon Johnson, Devin Vassell and Josh Primo, Paul gets us ready for San Antonio’s season to tip off in T-minus three weeks. 3:01-3:29: "This is a new thing for the city here in San Antonio and for the fan base, and it's kind of exciting…that it's a lot of young players and a lot of these players, they're gonna finally get the keys to the car. … Now all of a sudden it's up to Dejounte Murray, Derrick White, Keldon Johnson, Lonnie Walker, all of these young players. It's their opportunity now to basically see how far can they go, what kind of level can they get to." 7:40-8:22: "(Popovich)'s excited because I think that for him it's a new challenge in the sense of he's never been in this situation, (at least) in a very long time where the expectations aren't there to become a playoff team or become a championship (team) like the expectations have always been for San Antonio. But instead it's learning, 'How can I help these young guys develop? Who might turn into a star down the road here?' … He’s also gonna change his approach. He already said because they’re young, because they’re quick, they’re gonna try to play fast.” 15:27-15:34: “Now that DeRozan’s actually gone off this team, they’re gonna have better, more athletic, more energetic type of defenders.” 26:51-27:21: “The date that I’m watching right now – and we’re all watching here in San Antonio – is October 18. Right now, the Spurs have 17 players on guaranteed contracts. So by October 18, they have to get their roster down to 15 players on guaranteed contracts. So they’re gonna have to either waive or trade two players. And when you look at this roster, you see a bunch of young players, and then you see those two veterans. We’re kind of watching in these next few weeks here before the season starts, ‘Is (Thaddeus) Young still on the team? Is (Al-Farouq) Aminu still on the team?’ 32:17-32:53: “What you really saw from (Devin Vassell) was on the defensive end, just how good he is in anticipating passes incoming to an opponent, and he could get those steals, just really good about reading and providing help defense. … Now what was interesting to watch was how the team purposely wanted to see how he runs pick-and-roll in summer league, and so he got his opportunity – he played in like five games – and he did very well.” 36:02-36:26: "Whenever I get asked this question about who's gonna be the successor to Pop, I always say basically, in my opinion, that if Becky (Hammon) is not hired by anybody else, I think that she would take over as the next head coach whenever Pop decides to retire. … I really feel like she is the strongest candidate to get the job here." Sponsor: Use code TBPN during sign-up at DraftKings.com to claim your free shot at millions of dollars in total prizes.
The Memphis Grizzlies, particularly outside of franchise cornerstone Ja Morant, haven’t received much national attention in recent years, but they increasingly should. They’re a fascinating youthful team that’s kept quite busy this offseason. According to Keith Parish, host of Grind City Media's Fastbreak Breakfast and Grits and Grinds podcasts, Memphis’ flurry of moves were designed to enhance the quality of the young core around Morant and power forward Jaren Jackson Jr., who missed all but 11 games with injury last season. But even though the front office’s eyes are trained on the future, Keith doesn’t expect a “big step back” this year. He touches upon the expected impact of the Jonas Valanciunas trade, why so much is riding on Jackson’s upcoming season, the gamble Memphis is making with regard to rookie Ziaire Williams and the team’s pair of promising 23-year-old shooting guards, among other timely Grizzlies topics. 3:50-4:37: “It was perceived that Valanciunas was kind of like a bridge. We traded Marc Gasol for him, and then he was gonna be this bridge into the future where eventually Jaren Jackson Jr. maybe bulked up enough to play the 5. But then last season, Jaren Jackson essentially misses the whole year, and the Grizzlies are competitive and good and he’s putting up these career-high numbers…and everyone’s like, ‘This is one of our building blocks.’ … The front office I don’t think ever thought this is a long-term piece. The ideal form of Jaren and Ja together probably doesn’t include Jonas at the 5. So when they had an opportunity to move him to pick up a future first-round pick and to move up in the draft to get the guy they wanted, they jumped at it.” 12:45-13:06: “I think he [Steven Adams] could fit really well alongside Jaren Jackson Jr. in a frontcourt. And I don’t think the Grizzlies are gonna take a big step back because even if Adams isn't a big part of the plans, just opening more time for Xavier Tillman, who came on really strong last season, and then Brandon Clarke. I think this team is going to be competitive once again.” 16:45-17:29: “Ja was the Grizzlies essentially, and we’ve seen it now both of the last two years, and the postseason and the play-in games last year; this guy scores 30 points per game when it matters. … I guess a question for Grizzlies fans: Is that something he needs to do more? Does he need to be more aggressive? Does he need to take on more of the offensive load? Dillon Brooks still leads the team in shots.” 23:19-24:30: “He [Brooks] is a bizarre, unique player, and he proved this season that he is an unbelievable defender. He’s an actual lockdown defender. … He hit his stride as a defender, which is what everyone was hoping for. … You don’t want him to be your No. 2 scorer. He’s been playing above his head because there’s been no one else. He’s the best guy at creating his shot in the halfcourt, and that’s a problem of roster construction. Ja is not that great in the halfcourt yet. Everyone else, it was like, ‘Alright, do we post up Jonas Valanciunas in the halfcourt or just basically let someone miss the shot and hope Jonas gets the rebound?” 29:17-29:33: “That’s the balancing act this team has been trying to do the last couple seasons. … ‘We want to be competitive but also be building toward a point where we are a contender.’” 34:41-35:28: “As long as you get some answers and some clarity about the young guys on your roster, if you identify which ones you’re gonna use going forward…I think that would be a successful season. You want to gain as much information as you can about the young guys and then based on that have a plan for what Year 4 of Ja is gonna look like and how you’re gonna use your resources and assets to bring in maybe another even better player and then really go for it once Ja heads into his extension.” Sponsor: Use code TBPN during sign-up at DraftKings.com to claim your free shot at millions of dollars in total prizes.
Author Pete Croatto, whose work has appeared in the New York Times, GQ and SportsIllustrated.com, among other places, discusses his debut book, "From Hang Time to Prime Time: Business, Entertainment, and the Birth of the Modern-Day NBA." Check out some of the highlights below: 5:13-5:45: “You know, I’ve been doing this for a long time – I’ve been a professional writer for 23 years; I’ve been a freelance writer for about 15. And one thing I’ve learned is that this is a job, and I don’t really have time to get wrapped up in the theatrics of writing. … I just have to go and just do it. It was almost like being shot out of a cannon, where you’re kind of like, ‘Alright, I’m just doing this.’” 11:33-12:03: “We assume that it’s always been this way. We assume that games have been available with a click of a button. We assume that we can find our favorite teams’ gear or favorite players’ shoes so easily. But that wasn’t [always] the case. It was a long, hard struggle to get to relevance, and as times goes on and the NBA gets bigger and bigger and the players become bigger stars, we’re gonna forget that. And we’re already forgetting that.” 20:28-20:52: “It’s always about the people, and I think that’s the one thing about sports books that I think people who aren’t familiar with them get bogged down. ‘Well, I’m not interested in the ’27 Yankees or the ’73 Lakers’ or whatever. But if you’re interested in people and their problems and their desires, then that book is as useful or as enlightening as any book you’re going to read.” 28:56-29:22: “That is, to me, the beauty of the NBA is that it is never going to stand on its laurels or do the same old, same old, because they’re gonna update it for the audience that has the most disposable income, which is teenagers, folks in their 20s, and that, to me, is the beautiful part of it. So yeah, they’re gonna be flexible with the rules, they’re gonna be flexible with how they organize the seasons and things like that.” 33:52-34:29: “The NBA is all about reinvention. It’s all about trying to make it relevant for the cool kids. But they don’t do that at the expense of the game. … It’s still the best athletes in the world trying to get a basketball into a 10-foot high post. The essence of the game is never going to change. The things around that are gonna change to attract new viewers, to attract new fans.” 48:23-49:02: “The book is the triumph. The sales are gonna be what they are. The factors that affected publication or consumption are what they are, but nothing can dispute the fact that I wrote a book, I published it, it’s out there. … That I was able to write a book when 10 years ago, 15 years ago, I didn’t think I'd even be in writing, that, to me, is the triumph. Anything else after that is immaterial.” Sponsor: Use code TBPN during sign-up at DraftKings.com to claim your free shot at millions of dollars in total prizes.
Blake Murphy of The Athletic joins the show to delve into the performance of the Toronto Raptors during Las Vegas Summer League, especially regarding the newly drafted Scottie Barnes. Additionally, we discuss the Kyle Lowry trade, what he meant to the city and the Raptors franchise, and how they will move forward next season and beyond.
9:10-10:08: "[For Scottie Barnes], the playmaking on the move is real. … Barnes' defense is gonna be his calling card early on. I think he's been pretty good on that end. The processing speed there is really high level and they've had him picking up full court, they've had him guarding across positions. So I think he's going to be a real player from day one defensively as hard as that is as a rookie, but the offensive game is gonna take a little bit of time." 18:48-20:20: "The Raptors haven't had a lot of guys stick around nine years. They haven't had a lot of guys win a lot in Toronto also. So I think the fact that Lowry's […] ascension kind of parallels the franchise's own rise to being a more legitimate franchise in the NBA, and being a pretty consistently good team and eventually a championship contender. The growth of Lowry and the growth of the team as a whole are kind of hand in hand. … Lowry has always really fit kind of what Raptors fans are about. And what I mean by that is, you know, the "We The North" campaign from back in 2013-2014 kind of tried to get at this like: 'Hey, there's an entire country here that's obsessed with hockey, but, hey, pay attention, there's a bunch of us basketball fans too.' And hey, there's 30 markets in the NBA, and 29 of them get what Raptors fans feel like is preferred attention. … They kinda had this level of othering with the fan base where you could kinda get people to buy in more by pointing out that they were...underdogs too. And I think that Lowry really represented that with his career path and his general attitude and the chip on his shoulder." 27:30-28:18: "Even with the COVID and the shoulder injury and the clutch struggles, I thought [Pascal Siakam] improved. I thought he improved as a playmaker, he improved his shooting from every area of the court inside the arc, so that's an important consideration. … Having said all that, he needs to keep going. He got paid, not the full supermax, but the 28 percent kicker on his max deal, and he needs to continue to improve to deliver on that. He's not that level of player yet.” 40:27-41:06: "If you tier out the Eastern Conference, they're probably in the 6-10 or 7-11 range. They're certainly not a team that is for sure going to avoid a play-in game. They're not a team that for sure is gonna make a playoff run necessarily. But I think a lot would have to go wrong for them to be bad. You look at last year, displaced from home, COVID outbreak wipes out half the team and half the coaching staff, including three starters, and even then, after all that, they still had to intentionally bench guys down the stretch to make sure that they didn't make the play-in game and could get a better lottery spot."
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A couple days after the 2021 NBA Draft, independent draft analyst Brian Schroeder brought his insight and expertise as he ran through the most notable storylines surrounding this year's class. Among a slew of other topics, he addressed why Sharife Cooper fell precipitously, what makes the Cavaliers' Evan Mobley so adaptable defensively and why Brian's the "only person on the internet who likes and defends" a particular pick. 7:25-8:18: “[Scottie Barnes is] just cool. He's a really, really likable person. That's not to say that Jalen Suggs is not likable or somehow teams don't like him. I think [the Raptors] just fell in love with Scottie as the ‘guy.’ I understand the rationale. The Raptors, maybe arrogantly, really believe in their ability to develop people. They developed [Pascal] Siakam, they've developed OG Anunoby. … They really think they can teach the kind of player that Scottie is to be more scoring-oriented. … He just does not look to score at this point, He's a defender. He's an excellent passer. But the frame and just the makeup, I think, are what they fell for.” 8:43-9:37: “I would have taken Mobley, but that's more because I think his skill-set at his size and position is just rarer. There are not five 7-footers who move like he does and can play defense like he does. … The way I've been referring to Mobley lately is he's like water – he conforms to the surface of whatever you put him in. Any possible defensive situation you put in, he will figure out how to excel in it. The question for Mobley…is he going to be your lead scorer? And it's like, ‘Well, probably not, at least not for a while.’ And [Jalen] Green, I think, could probably do that immediately and is an elite athlete and hard worker.” 13:06-13:45: “I think it's probably reasonable to think to assume that, let's say they went to Duke, and [coach Mike] Krzyzewski has his system. He's not the most rigid coach in the world, but he's not gonna tear apart his system every year to fit two guys who are gonna be there for six months. I feel like the G league…I think it's fair to say that they catered directly to their skill-sets more, training and play-calling and all that.” 17:51-19:10: “This is the fifth draft I've done full-time stuff on. [Cooper] is the best passer I have seen, pretty significantly. Creating advantages, hammering them open, just like the technique of throwing passes, he's just completely sublime at it. And he was putting up 22 and eight in the SEC, the strongest, most physical conference after missing half the season and not being allowed to practice with his team. … I think teams were just, they didn't really know what to think of him or they had a point guard already or they just were scared off by the shot. … It's more than likely some teams didn't, for some reason, think that a 6-foot-1 point guard can succeed despite the playoff run that Trae Young just had and Chris Paul's entire career. It is true that for that size guy, there's a very high bar, but I think Sharife can clear that bar." 21:42-21:50: “I am not a [Jonathan] Kuminga believer, but he is a pretty great athlete, he’s young, he plays hard, so there’s reason to buy in.” 34:14-36:02: “I seem to be the only person on the internet who likes the pick and defends it: Santi Aldama at 30 to the Grizzlies. … More than any other team, they are very, very good at zeroing in on the guys they want to be their role players. And they cut Jontay Porter recently, which tells me that…they want to bring this guy over and have him be their backup center.”
In honor of the Milwaukee Bucks’ 2020-21 NBA championship, the franchise’s first in 50 years, two longtime Bucks fans share their joyous feelings and thrilling experiences from the past week. First, Frank Madden, host of Locked on Bucks, details his long journey as a fan, including what it meant to witness his very first title alongside the man who introduced him to the Bucks 29 years earlier, his father. Then, Jewell Graham of Gimme a Buck podcast goes through his unforgettable time at the Bucks’ championship parade. Frank Madden at 4:41-5:03: “For me, having a chance to be in the building and watch the Bucks clinch an NBA title with an historic performance by Giannis, it was pretty much the absolute fantasy of what I’ve always dreamed could be possible. I mean, basically if you had had me write up a script, I wouldn’t even have had the guts to be so bold as to write out what happened in this series and in that last game.” 11:11-12:04: “The day before, my mom had actually texted me, ‘Hey, I don’t know if he’s gonna be able to go ‘cuz big crowds, his balance and going up stairs in a stadium may not be ideal.’ But then on Tuesday, I talked to him. I was just like, ‘Hey, whatever we have to do – if you need to take me by the arm to feel comfortable, whatever we need to – let’s do it. We’ve gotta see this game together.’ And he said ‘Alright, let’s do it.’ …I paid more money for worse seats than we’ve ever had at any other game, and we could not have been happier just to be in the building and experiencing that with all the other people there. 16:27-16:49: “I think back to, in particular, the Giannis block on Ayton that sealed Game 4. That play, I’ll never forget. The Jrue steal and alley-oop to Giannis, I’ll never forget. I feel like I’ll always remember the TV call as well. Those two plays I think will always stand out the most.” Jewell Graham at 21:28-22:07: “Our mascot, Bango, comes through first, and the fire truck. You could see just a see of people on both sides. The music is going, and they’ve got confetti that pops out. Bango is throwing T-shirts to the crowd. Everyone’s yelling. It is a great time. And then they had more buses come. … It’s nothing like I’ve ever experienced. Just everybody’s so happy and just living in the moment.” 23:01-23:14: “My favorite from the parade had to be P.J. Tucker. PJ Tucker was the livest guy on the team.” 27:27-28:13: “After the announcer’s like, ‘Yo, wait, wait, wait,’ it’s Ben – he’s our guy that sung the national anthem game for us every home playoff game – singing “We Are the Champions.” It was like picture perfect. And as he’s singing that, we get fireworks coming from up top of the Fiserv Forum.” 34:08-34:28: “Giannis is 26 years old, and he has pretty much every individual accolade. Like, what’s next for…? I just hope he doesn’t lose that hunger. I still need that mean mug, and I need him to want more and more and more.” Sponsor: Use code TBPN during sign-up at DraftKings.com to claim your free shot at millions of dollars in total prizes.
Two-time MVP Giannis Antetokounmpo, the Greek Freak, led his Milwaukee Bucks to the franchise’s first NBA Finals in 47 years. Along the way, he received critical help from talented teammates Khris Middleton, Jrue Holiday and Brook Lopez, among others. But through the first two Finals games, the supporting cast hasn’t done enough. With the Bucks trailing the Phoenix Suns 2-0 and the series shifting to Milwaukee, Frank Madden of Locked on Bucks explores what must change as the team hopes to win four of its next five in pursuit of the 2020-21 title. 7:05-8:03: “You're tied in the Eastern Conference finals, you have the more talented team, you really should be advancing to the Finals, and then to see your superstar, two-time MVP, a guy who's been remarkably durable, just suffer this horrible-looking injury. You know, I kind of half-jokingly referred to it as like from a fan perspective, it was like a near-death experience. Basically, those 24 hours thinking that ‘Geez, I have to be prepared that he's blown out everything in his knee and next year is gone too’ to then, the next day hearing no structural damage and we'll see what happens here over the next couple weeks. … To win those two games the way they did to close out the Hawks series was incredible to know that Giannis still had a chance to come back at some point in the playoffs. It just felt like a new lease on life, I think for Bucks fans, just that we had a chance at that. And then for him to come back and actually play at a high level has just been incredible.” 15:27-16:07: “Now you've got to win four out of five, so they [Middleton and Holiday] can't afford to have three off games out of five. They've gotta pretty much be good to great more or less every game from here on out. Certainly, they can't both be bad, as we saw in Game 2, shooting the ball. It's just really tough. And again, I mean, I think we've seen those guys when they have their game, they're really valuable two-way guys. They can both create for others as well as themselves. But you know, that's the difference between a top 5-10 player and a top 30-35 player. I think those two guys are both in that latter category, and they're just not going to be able to give you 25-30 points every night in the playoffs.” 19:06-19:26: “Part of the issue is just the Suns are really good. You kinda have to pick your poison. Are you gonna give Booker and Paul the looks that they want from midrange or are you going to try to put more pressure on them, try to turn them over more, but at the risk of letting those wings and those role players get open looks for themselves?” 28:16-28:43: “I think they do need to lean in a little more on Lopez, use their size, try to beat them up on the offensive glass. Interestingly, the offensive glass has been sort of their savior throughout the playoffs and kind of in many ways been the antidote to that poor 3-point shooting that I mentioned. And so whether it’s just religiously zone-dropping in or at times switching him, I think he’s kind of underrated in terms of his ability to kinda hang in switches.” 37:27-37:34: “That’s the challenge for the Bucks right now. This is probably their best chance ever to win a championship. There’s really no guarantee that they’re gonna be able to get back.” Sponsor: Use code TBPN during sign-up at DraftKings.com to claim your free shot at millions of dollars in total prizes.
The Phoenix Suns are headed to the 2021 NBA Finals, and there absolutely should be no asterisk attached to their stellar run, according to guest Greg "Espo" Esposito, host of the Solar Panel Podcast. And why should there be? Phoenix bounced back from a 2-1 deficit to dethrone the defending champions before sweeping the MVP Jokic-led Nuggets. Then, the Suns took down a deep and resilient Clippers squad in a gritty series that could have gone either way. Espo breaks down how the Suns just keep on winning and provides a brief glimpse into their forthcoming Finals appearance against either the Bucks or Hawks. 8:27-9:18: “Having grown up a big Charles Barkley fan, I've always taken issue with the ‘If a guy doesn't win a championship, you have to kind of pooh-pooh his career and his legacy.’ … Basketball is a team sport. Individuals can have big games, but what you're seeing with the Suns is proof yet again that nobody wins alone. This team is truly a team, and the thought that Chris Paul's legacy or his career wasn't impressive until Year 16 when he finally made it to the Finals just seems somewhat laughable.” 16:14-17:06: "A win's a win. Doesn't matter if it's pretty, if it's ugly, if it's one point, if it's 90 points. In the playoffs, a win is a win. I think the Suns proved in the series against the Clippers they can win any way possible. They can win when the refs seemingly are against them like they did in Game 2 where they won on what's dubbed as the ‘Valley Oop.’ … They found a way. Defensive slugfest where nobody's scoring the basketball, the Suns found a way. Just explosive offensive night, the Suns had that too. This team can win anyway, anyhow, anywhere." 24:41-25:41: "Boo-freaking-hoo. There's no asterisk. Does Toronto have an asterisk because Golden State was hurt? No, people don't think about that, they just go, ‘Oh, Toronto was the champions that year.’ Last year because it was played in a bubble, do the Lakers have an asterisk? No, they pound their chests just like anybody. …The Suns have beaten everybody that they faced. Hands down, they've done what they've been asked to do. They can't control who's there. And Chris Paul had his shoulder injured against the Lakers and was out with COVID, Devin Booker as a broken nose. Things happen, and things have happened to the Suns. And in the past, the Suns over the last 50 plus years have been one of the most unlucky franchises in NBA history. I could not care less what the path was to get to a title." 31:33-32:27: “My daughter's four, so this has been kind of the first time she's really been into basketball, and they rush right to see the end of [Game 2]. And my daughter was just as excited as I was for it and that [the ‘Valley Oop’] is the kind of thing that makes a fan for life. It's those kind of moments that solidify it, and that's what made it so cool for me was I knew there was a generation, like my daughter and a little older than my daughter, that were like me during the '93 run, that that will be seared in their memory forever. That that may be the moment that they just decided I'm gonna love basketball irrationally well into my 30s and 40s and 50s because I saw something that was unbelievable in the moment. That's why we all watch sports and that's what I loved so much about that play.” 46:15-46:41: “Whether it's Atlanta or Milwaukee, that's going to be the biggest vulnerability for the Suns is can they mentally stay locked in to win four games? I think they can, I think they've proven it, but they have to work hard. And like I said, I mentioned this quote that Monty Williams says: ‘Do not get happy on the farm.’ Because, and I add this part, if you get happy on the farm, that's when you're gonna get slaughtered.” Sponsor: Use code TBPN during sign-up at DraftKings.com to claim your free shot at millions of dollars in total prizes.
Dan Morgan of the Process Potables podcast joins Loren and Aaron to break down the Philadelphia 76ers’ heartbreaking Game 7 defeat at the hands of the Atlanta Hawks. From Ben Simmons’ offensive disappearing act to Joel Embiid playing through injury to Dan’s faith (or lack thereof) in head coach Doc Rivers to President of Basketball Operations Daryl Morey’s offseason task ahead, this episode has everything. Enjoy some excerpts below: 15:02-16:26: “‘Can they [co]exist, Ben Simmons and Joel Embiid?’ Well, that’s been the question for a long time. They did enough to be the No. 1 seed in an improved East this year, so there’s something to be said for that. I still don’t know that you can say, ‘No, it absolutely can’t work.’ But the problem is year after year, the conversation happens, and of all of Ben Simmons’ shortcomings, this was the worst, and I don’t think it’s close at all. This was far and away one of the most atrocious things I’ve ever seen. … The one lesson that I think I’ve already learned and I’m not gonna get fooled again is believing that Ben Simmons is gonna add something offensively this offseason.” 23:53-24:15: “It’s not people overreacting at this point because the argument has been ‘every other part of his [Simmons’] game is there.’ But in this series, in fourth quarters, in second rounds of the postseason, it hasn’t been. … There’s been a lot of other gaping holes, and that is where the concern lies with this franchise.” 26:59-29:21: “Ben Simmons is gonna be the guy that is blamed for this, so Doc Rivers is gonna get a pass because he wanted the chance to make them work. I think you just realize he can’t do it either. And now Ben Simmons will be the scapegoat. Next season, Rivers won’t have the Ben Simmons excuse. … While I don’t believe in Doc Rivers, and I’m pretty sure I don’t believe in Ben Simmons anymore, I do believe in Daryl Morey. … Now it’s time for him to prove why that’s the case.” 32:13-32:30: “If you trade Ben Simmons, you really can’t trade Matisse Thybulle because Matisse Thybulle made second-team All-Defense off the bench. That’s how good he is on the defensive end. … You can’t trade ‘em both.” 36:06-37:04: “The Sixers’ third-most played lineup during the playoffs was George Hill, Shake Milton, Matisse Thybulle, Tobias Harris and Dwight Howard. … One starter and four bench guys, two of which cannot shoot a basketball at all. That lineup finished with a net rating of negative 16 points per 100 possessions, per Clean the Glass. That is an atrocity! … You’ve gotta play your horses.” 42:50-44:21: For all the Embiid turnovers and poor shooting nights, he’s the only guy really on the team that was willing to be the person to go to. … After everything he did, playing on the injury, putting up the numbers he did, as soon as everything was done, he came out, said in his pressers, ‘I have to do better. I can be better. I’m gonna work on things’ etc., etc. He went on social media. He said, ‘Philly, I love you. I’m sorry I let you down. I can do better.’ Sponsor: Use code TBPN during sign-up at DraftKings.com to claim your free shot at millions of dollars in total prizes.
Nikola Jokic earned 2020-21 MVP honors and was presented with his trophy before Denver’s home Game 3 against the Phoenix Suns. But an epic individual performance from the skilled center was not enough for the team to avoid another double-digit loss, its third in as many games of the series. Facing a 3-0 hole, the Nuggets will need a miracle in order to make NBA history and become the first ever team to come back from such a series deficit. Our guest, Mike Singer of the Denver Post, breaks down how the Nuggets got to this point, with specific emphasis on Denver’s ongoing quest to replace the scoring void left by Jamal Murray’s season-ending knee injury and the team’s inadequate defense against Phoenix’s devastating pick-and-roll attack. Finally, Singer looks ahead to the most pressing offseason priorities looming ahead for the franchise.
8:08-8:33: “If Austin Rivers and Facu Campazzo are not giving you anything offensively, that means that you are not making Chris Paul and Devin Booker work on the defensive end. Therefore they’re saving all their energy for the offensive end and just picking you to pieces. So, talent disparity, but more specifically if you zoom in, it’s in the backcourt.” 14:21-15:05: “There is no doubt that he [Aaron Gordon] has not been the offensive piece that they need this series, and I don’t know if that’s fair to ask of him to be the third scoring option in this series. That’s not really his game. He has kind of an inconsistent, unreliable 3-point shot. His midrange is iffy. I even think his touch around the basket is a little bit suspect. However, he is really good in transition, when he’s cutting Nikola Jokic really makes the most of him and finds him, and he’s really good in that dunker’s spot. … But the reason why they got Aaron Gordon was for the defensive end, and I think he’s been reliable.” 19:29-19:42: “So they can hit you from so many angles. They’re a dynamic, three-level scoring team that also plays defense. I think people are starting to recognize the Suns may be legitimate title contenders.” 25:44-26:23: “I think maybe among the coolest things about his legacy is that it will change the perception of what people think about as an NBA superstar. When you think about NBA players, you think of freak athletes. You think Giannis, you think Russell Westbrook, obviously LeBron, those fast-twitch leapers who are just incredible physical players, and then you think about Nikola Jokic. … He has proven that you don’t need to be a fast-twitch, high leaper to dominate the game like he did this year.” 37:42-38:07: “I don’t think that they’ve tuned out [head coach Michael] Malone by any means. He’s a sixth-year coach. I think that there’s a lot of respect that runs up and down the roster for him. He could be quicker in certain adjustments. He could try to change up matchups a little bit. But the reality is the Nuggets are depleted right now, and there aren’t a lot of giant changes to be made schematically or personnel-wise.” 41:38-41:50: “I’m not gonna be shocked if they come out fighting and somehow steal Game 4, but no, I do not expect them to make NBA history. I think this team is exhausted.”
*The Bill Clinton-Mike Singer Youtube video referenced in the intro. Sponsor: Use code TBPN during sign-up at DraftKings.com to claim your free shot at millions of dollars in total prizes.
Despite a dominant performance by reigning, two-time MVP Giannis Antetokounmpo and Nets star James Harden going down with a hamstring injury in the first minute of Game 1, the Milwaukee Bucks were not able to take advantage and secure the first victory in this highly anticipated second-round series. Pratik Patel of ESPN Wisconsin helps us digest that first game, the implications of the injury and what adjustments need to be made for the Bucks to advance. Specifically, he delves into how the Bucks can hope to slow down the supremely gifted Brooklyn offense, the leadership new addition Jrue Holiday provides and how Milwaukee's supporting cast must step up to support its stars. Finally, we discuss the possible consequences of another disappointing Bucks postseason, coming on the heels of early playoff exits in the prior two seasons as well. 8:30-8:52: “This is also kinda the loosest the Bucks have been the last couple postseasons. The last two years, they were really pressed. There was a lot looming, a lot of talk about championship window. There was all of the conversation surrounding Giannis’ future and this year just felt different. The entire attitude of the team, the aura around them, the feeling in the locker room, was just different this year.” 15:01-15:37: “I think the Bucks are pretty happy with how they defended the stars, especially once they knew that James Harden was ruled out. … It’s about the other guys and how you defend ‘em and what you’re willing to sacrifice in order to potentially send extra help at the two stars for the Nets.” 31:04-31:22: “Last year or really the last two years, Giannis got really good as a passer, as a playmaker – and he’s still getting better – but it really didn’t matter. They didn’t have the shooting around him that they do this year, especially from guys that you can trust out on the floor.” 35:22-36:04: “The biggest thing that they’ve done to help this offense is acquire Jrue Holiday. He’s just a complete game-changer for this team, on offense and on defense. Offensively, it gives you another ball-handler and someone who can play-make, someone who can get the ball out of Giannis’ hands and get him the ball on the run. It’s a top-tier point guard in this league. I was an Eric Bledsoe guy. I was an apologist for quite some time, but ultimately he didn’t show up in the playoffs, and you just felt the second you got to see Jrue start to jell with this team, ‘Okay, this is different.’” 45:35-46:06: “I think that if, let’s say hypothetically, the Nets eliminate the Bucks and it’s not a close seven-game series or whatever, let’s say it’s five or six, and then the front office decides its time for a coaching change, I don’t know that you see much else in the way of changes. They’re not in a position to blow up the roster by any means. I don’t think that they try to move Khris [Middleton]. They’re certainly not gonna try to move Jrue.”
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As soon as eight-time All-Star James Harden was acquired by the Brooklyn Nets in January, "title" flashed on everyone's minds. The addition paired the talented lefty with fellow superstars Kyrie Irving and Kevin Durant, forming one of the most talented Big 3s in NBA history. Only, the trio were able to log just eight regular-season games since then. How much of a problem will this lack of reps pose for the Nets, or are they just too darn talented for it to matter? Chris Milholen of SB Nation's Nets Daily and the Wingspan Podcast addresses this key question and much more, as Brooklyn leads Boston 3-1 and sees a challenging matchup with the Milwaukee Bucks on the horizon. 1:44-2:16: “Obviously everyone knows the type of offensive presence and the gifted style of offense that the Nets can play with these three players. It’s arguably the most prolific offense the NBA has ever seen. But their defense has also held up pretty well ‘cuz that was one of the major concerns: outside of chemistry, how would their defense look? You just see what they’ve done throughout the Celtics [series] this whole time, especially with this Nets switching defense, they’ve really done a good job of kind of trapping Tatum and restricting the other two options, Fournier and Smart, and same thing with Thompson.” 9:59-10:13: “We know the history between the Celtics and the Nets, especially focused around Kyrie Irving. The Nets don’t want to return back to Boston for a Game 6; Kevin Durant said that yesterday. … You know that closing out the series is on their mind.” 22:25-23:25: "He [Griffin] wasn't brought in to be that star player; he was brought in to be a role player. … When he came in, just throughout this whole entire year, you see what his value really is and that's kinda just having that veteran leadership, but also mixed in with that physical play, and someone that kind of just has that versatility element where he transformed his game from what we all know him as, or used to know him as, as that high flyer, dunker on the Clippers, that highlight machine. Now he can shoot threes, he picks and pops. You see all these little stuff here and there, and that's kind of a perfect ingredient for this Nets offense to kind of absorb." 28:56- 29:10: "One thing about Joe's game that a lot of people kind of overlook is when his shooting isn't falling, especially from behind the arc, that he gets himself involved and makes cutting passes, makes layups, tries to find a rhythm inside the paint. Joe Harris is definitely an X-Factor." 32:38-34:07: "We all know that common experience makes a difference in the postseason. That's what really makes the difference between championship team playoff contenders is that common experience and that chemistry. And throughout the Celtics series, like I mentioned, the Nets have … been using that time to really just jell together as a unit, because in Game 1 of the series, that Big 3 lineup with Harris and Jeff [Green], that was the first time they played together. … With Giannis, it’s gonna be interesting to see how they defend him and how well they defend him, especially in certain moments where the momentum is gonna be on the Bucks’ side in away games and stuff like that. … I would have to go Milwaukee in six, and if it goes seven, I think the Nets get it."
*Chris is also the author of Basketball Beyond Borders: The Globalization of the NBA Sponsor: Use code TBPN during sign-up at DraftKings.com to claim your free shot at millions of dollars in total prizes.
In an opening-round rematch from the 2020 playoffs, the Mavericks have stunned many by stealing the first two games in Los Angeles. As the Clippers scramble for answers as to how to slow down Luka Doncic and company’s electric offense, The Athletic’s Law Murray breaks it all down. Is the series all but over? If not, how can the Clippers give themselves a fighting chance? If the Mavs do eliminate them, what’s the likelihood that franchise cornerstone Kawhi Leonard will leave in the offseason? Murray tackles these and many other timely LAC topics.
14:35-15:08: “The Clippers chose a lot of this. They chose their opponent. They chose a lot of the narratives that went into how they got here. They chose health over whatever could have been gained by playing the last two regular-season games. They chose their path. Now they’re in a situation where things are as hard as they can be. Either the Clippers are gonna overcome it and it’s going to be like, ‘Wooh, well, you got through that.’ Or they’re not gonna be around after next weekend. That’s it! 27:10-27:46: “The Clippers need to play with a lead, and then they won’t have to do the crazy stuff that comes with these unorthodox lineups and unorthodox defenses. They’re doing it because they have to create events to regain some level of control when they’re running out of time. … That’s where the Clippers are in trouble. They’re playing a catch-up game against a team that you don’t wanna be playing catch-up against.” 28:02-28:12: “They’re not getting enough out of Zu. Honestly, that’s been the biggest concern. [Mavericks head coach] Rick Carlisle should get a lot of credit for taking Ivica Zubac out of this series.” 34:19-34:25: “The Clippers have a surplus of options [to defend Doncic]. It’s just that not enough of them are good right now.” 39:06-40:25: “Marcus [Morris] is a vet. Marcus is supposed to be the guy that exudes toughness, that’s supposed to be the third scorer, that’s supposed to be the shooter, that’s supposed to be the versatile defender, that’s supposed to be able to respond when the team needs a response, and Marcus has been really, really bad. … The impact Marcus has had on this series compared to Tim Hardaway Jr. is the difference in this series. … For Marcus to be a no-show right now, the Clippers aren’t winning this series. They’re not getting close with Marcus playing as poorly as he’s played.” 48:41-48:52: “This Dallas team game-planned to take away the things that hurt them last year, and it’s just tough beating a team two years in a row in the playoffs.”
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The 2020-21 NBA regular season has officially come to a close, and one of the most pleasant surprises was the year the Phoenix Suns recorded. Suns fans already had reason for optimism after an 8-0 performance in last year's Orlando bubble, but rarely does a team make the jump so quickly from outside of the playoffs all the way to the No. 2 seed, especially in the crowded Western Conference. We're joined this episode by Greg "Espo" Esposito of The Solar Panel, who attributes this growth to the veteran leadership of new addition Chris Paul, the coaching of Monty Williams, and a cadre of supporting players who all have effectively filled their roles when their names have been called. Espo also takes us through a few potential playoff scenarios, including a possible first-round matchup with the defending champion Lakers. Note: This episode was recorded on Sunday, before the Suns were locked into the No. 2 seed and the full seeding in the play-in games was still yet to be determined.
4:54-5:23: “I had them going like 41-31. I thought a 5 or 6 seed was probably where they’d top out. I did not see this coming. And a big part of it was they’ve been healthier than most teams, but I just did not see them being a top two team in the West, finishing with 51 wins and an over .700 winning percentage. It was not in my wildest dreams.” 9:19-10:38: “His [Chris Paul’s] talent is undeniable, but what he brought to this young group was a mindset, an approach to the game. And they did not take any night for granted this year. … And every night, they came out and they played hard. Rarely did they lose back-to-back games. … That’s Chris Paul’s doing. It was like having a head coach on the floor that went completely along with Monty Williams’ philosophy as the coach off of it. And that’s what Chris Paul did for this team. He helped them grow up." 17:39-18:07: “I was with the team Devin Booker’s rookie year, and I have never met a guy that is built for stardom like I have with Devin Booker. The maturity, the mindset, the way he approached the game, everything he wanted to accomplish from Day 1, he has it. And I hope that the entire NBA gets to see and witness that evolution in the playoffs." 19:30-20:53: If he [DeAndre Ayton] is inconsistent, it’s going to be problematic. If he gets in foul trouble, it’s gonna be problematic. Because the one thing that James Jones didn’t do…the one place he didn’t build depth was at that backup center spot. … If he takes some large step in these playoffs, watch out. That could be the difference between a second-round or a Western Conference finals exit, and a championship. That’s how big you could see a swing if DeAndre Ayton does something special.” 31:07-32:03: “They have a very good chance and maybe even likelihood of beating the Lakers, just because they’re coming off of injuries, the Suns have played very well. Their style of play has been geared toward the way you play in the playoffs, plus the Suns are a deeper team. … But whenever you have two of the top five guys in the game on the court for your team, like the Lakers do, that’s scary. It should be scary for anybody in the first round.” 37:40-38:23: “That is one scrappy group. Steph [Curry] still can put up 50 in a game. I mean it would not shock me if he has a game in the playoffs where he drops 60, and we all just go, ‘Yeah, he is one of the best scorers we’ve ever seen.’ So that factor is always a bit unnerving, but if I had to pick between Portland, the Lakers and Golden State, give me Golden State out of that group. You can just wear them down. Sure, maybe they get two against you, maybe they get lucky and Steph has three unbelievable games, but I think the path to four wins against the Warriors is a lot easier.” *Here's Jared Dubin's 538 article on the Suns' X-factors referenced during the show.
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Seth Rosenthal, video producer for SB Nation’s Secret Base, makes his triumphant return to discuss his beloved Knicks’ superb season in the face of extremely low expectations coming into the year. They’ve done it through seismic shooting improvements from Julius Randle and second-year guard RJ Barrett, Derrick Rose's inspired bench play, new head coach Tom Thibodeau’s seamless fit and much more highlighted in the show. Also included: A discussion of where the franchise is headed and where it stands with the playoffs just around the corner. 6:10-6:55: "As a fan of the team who has been stuck in his apartment for the last year, what a thing it's been to be able to depend on a player and a team like the Knicks to sort of cheer me up at the end of the night. I wasn't counting on that. And it's just the way Randle has turned his performance and his career around during this incredibly difficult year has been really inspiring, and it's meant a lot to me. And it's hard to fully describe. … I was searching around ESPN Trade Machine for ways to dump him for, like, Cory Joseph like four months ago, five months ago today. And now I'm ready to extend the dude. I've never seen anything like it as a Knicks fan, and the timing could not have been better." 7:58-8:10: “This is what we’ve been waiting for. This is why you take a gamble on a player. This is why you sign him to an initial sub-max contract. He’s 26 years old right now. Pay the dude.” 10:37-12:06: There is that sort of cultural fit. I think the characteristics that may have made Thibodeau a bad fit in some other places, some things that one might consider flaws, happen to vibe pretty nicely with the personalities of his best players or I guess the people who have become his best players, who weren't necessarily particularly good players coming into this season. … Thibodeau's rap has been: He overplays guys, he's an incredible hard-ass who will scream at you and will overwork you and just has this sort of military mindset. Turns out that someone of Julius Randle's experience and caliber and in RJ Barrett’s case, someone who came up with Coach K, and have these sort of gym rat reputations, they fit perfectly. They like that.” 18:46-19:09: “Coming into this season, I saw him [RJ Barrett] as someone who maybe should be traded because other teams still believed in him and I really didn’t. But I was pleasantly mistaken about that one, about as wrong as I’ve ever been about a Knicks player. He’s extremely important, and a lot of this remarkable season, this turnaround can be attributed to him improving immensely.” 23:25-23:49: “I think everyone understands that going forward with whatever draft pick the Knicks end up with, with the cap space they’re gonna have and the trade market, there’s a pretty clear path forward for this time to go from surprisingly OK to good to great, and it’s building the backcourt. The Knicks really need a good point guard, a star point guard, and I think there’s a good chance they’re gonna go get one.” 38:07-38:43: “Home-court advantage definitely matters, especially as I believe the state of New York is gonna dial up its capacity allowance for a place like Madison Square Garden right around the time the playoffs start. … MSG’s an important home-court advantage, and unless the players on the Knicks are gonna suddenly put their tails between their legs and shoot poorly with the Garden at 25 [percent] or half capacity, whatever it is, they need that. 38:48-41:33: “Erik Spoelstra has always ruined the Knicks. Linsanity, Spoelstra was the guy who just threw a wrench in that. He just really knows how to design a defense that can wreck the Knicks, and the Heat have destroyed the Knicks this season. … The Hawks are gonna be a tough matchup for the Knicks too, but I think not as much of a problem as the Heat would be.”
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NBA TV producer Kevin Cottrell Jr. joins the show to discuss his debut book, Ball Don’t Lie, a collection of detailed conversations with 10 legends of the game. 9:23-9:42: “I never wanted to be the forefront of the book. I wanted to be the writer, but I wanted to share other people’s stories that I thought were interesting. So I thought the quotes were very, very, very important. I didn’t want to really paraphrase anything. I wanted to you to feel what they feel. I wanted you to understand what they saw and how they thought. 13:06-13:40: “Did you know he [Vince Carter] was injured going into the dunk contest? Naw, yeah. So when I found out things like that, I was like, ‘OK, this a perfect story to tell because people might think one thing and they get another.’ Chris Webber, honestly, I don’t think the game we talked about ultimately, him playing for the Sixers, that’s not a game he wanted to even discuss. And I had to explain to him the reason why I wanted that game was ‘cuz people would forget A, that he got traded to the Sixers, and B, his first game was against the team that traded him. That’s just a crazy story.” 15:13-15:28: “What happened was it almost felt like a therapy session, like guys almost land on a couch, and I took them back to this moment in time and now they were expressing something that they never got to truly express. And then by the end of the interview, they’re like, ‘Man, nobody’s ever asked me such and such.’” 30:38-31:00: “Probably the most challenging aspect was just doing this whole thing independently. A lot of people didn’t trust or believe in my vision of the book because A, they didn’t think I could deliver those names, and B, they didn’t think those people would help promote the book. Being a writer is one thing; being a publisher is a whole ‘nother thing.” 35:11-37:03: “If it wasn’t for Sekou, I would’ve left journalism a long time ago. … I was just getting down. I wasn’t getting the opportunities that I wanted. … I was always like a day late, a step short on those opportunities. And one time, I’ll never forget, we went and met at Panera Bread, right by where we lived, and he just encouraged me to keep writing, keep creating and don’t give up. … He just always was somebody that if I had a question or questioned something about what I was doing, he’d be the first person I’d pick up the phone and call. Him and David Aldridge, the two best journalists I’ve ever had the chance to be around, work with and just pick their brains.”
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Going into the 2020-21 season, the Atlanta Hawks revamped their roster, hoping a few high-profile veteran additions would help their talented young core finally make the playoffs. The plan didn’t exactly work out as intended, as the team incurred a slew of key injuries and fell to 14-20, which triggered the firing of its head coach, Lloyd Pierce. Under Nate McMillan, however, the Hawks have completely turned it around, playing high-quality basketball that’s put them in prime position to achieve a top-five playoff seed. And their veterans are excelling, including Bogdan Bogdanovic, Danilo Gallinari and Clint Capela, who was acquired via trade last year. In the process, they’ve learned how to close games, most recently registering a 41-point fourth quarter to defeat the Greek Freak-led Bucks Sunday night, all without the services of a banged-up Trae Young. Joining Aaron to discuss this spirited group, the Atlanta Journal-Constitution’s Sarah Spencer makes her first appearance on the pod. Near the end, she also touches upon what beloved Atlanta-based journalist Sekou Smith meant to her and her paper.
18:26-20:02: “The biggest factor for them has been [Clint] Capela. He’s been a good fit on both sides of the ball too because he gives Trae Young another rim-running target. … They needed someone to kind of organize and get things moving. I remember having a conversation with Kevin Huerter about this, and he said, ‘We want Trae to do that on offense; we want Clint to do that on defense.’ That’s what you need. You need guys to be vocal. And this was a pretty quiet team last year.”
26:02-26:28: “In the first half of the season, the Hawks were really pretty dreadful in the fourth quarter – that’s how they lost a lot of games. In the second half, in the fourth quarter, it’s pretty much been the exact opposite, which has been crazy how dramatic that turnaround has been. And I think Trae’s been a part of that. He’s had a few games where he’s come alive and been really steady in the fourth quarter, and that’s what you want to see out of a guy like that.”
32:28-33:06: “I think that the biggest thing with Nate [McMillan] has been his experience as a head coach over the years. This was Lloyd [Pierce]’s first head coaching gig, and it was a tough one. You take over a team that’s rebuilding, that’s very young, that’s banged up. But I think Nate’s experience has helped. Especially in the fourth quarter when things get dicey, it just seems like he’s managing things really well, and the Hawks are responding and you can see the results of that.”
38:09-38:59: “Before I could even send the email, he [Sekou Smith] had reached out to me. … And I just remember being blown away that this guy was taking time out of his day to do something like that. He didn’t have to do that. It was kind of on me to reach out, but that’s not how he saw it. He was just someone who was so happy to help and so earnest. My impression of him is that he was just an awesome guy who was always willing to give advice and talk through things.”
*Link to the Twitter thread referenced in the introduction where Aaron pays tribute to the great Sekou Smith.
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Just in time for the start of the season, The Athletic’s Jared Weiss broke down the most striking storylines around the Eastern Conference with an emphasis on the Boston Celtics, whom he covers so closely. Among a slew of timely topics, Jared discusses his favorites to emerge out of the East, Jayson Tatum’s next expected leap, how good the Heat actually are and the new-and-improved Atlanta Hawks who seek to get back into the playoffs after a three-season absence.
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5:14-5:40: “I think it was Ryan Ruocco. I’ll give him credit for putting them as…they’re basically like the Death Star. And the Death Star very famously had a major vulnerability that allowed you to blow it up. And so if somebody can nestle right in there between Kyrie and KD and make the chemistry fall apart, this team can really, really fall apart . But they’ve got a giant frickin’ laser beam basically when it comes to KD and Kyrie.”
21:51-22:20: “The big thing for him (Jayson Tatum) this year is now that he’s the big star, everybody knows it. The amount of attention he’s gonna get, the matchups he’s gonna get, the coverages that he’s gonna get, he’s gonna be getting a lot of traps, a lot of blitzes and double-teams, he’s gotta be able to handle it. He’s gotta be able to handle that defenders, that they know that the spotlight’s on them when they’re covering him, and they’re gonna be showing up with their A-game, and they’re gonna be playing way harder on him than they were playing last year. He’s gotta be ready for that.”
35:52-36:25: “If they’re starting John Collins and they’re starting one of the wings that they signed this offseason, then their defense is in critical condition because obviously Trae (Young) is a turnstile and then who do you put at the 2? … There’s not really a correct answer for their starting lineup. Their starting lineup’s always gonna have some sort of defensive compromise, pretty much.”
Sekou Smith of NBA TV, NBA.com and the Hang Time Podcast returns to the show to survey the ultra-competitive West, a conference replete with fascinating storylines ahead of the season’s start. For instance, should the Lakers be considered heavy favorites, what’s going on in Houston, which teams are best primed to squeeze into the postseason and what can we expect from the Warriors following a lost '19-20 season? Sekou tackles all these Western Conference questions and more, plus he offers a bonus Giannis extension reaction and Aaron delivers a Spurs-themed Sexy Stats segment coming out of the break.
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8:09-8:38: “To me, there’s a built in advantage for (head coach) T(yronn) Lue in familiarity that wouldn’t have been there otherwise. He’s the kind of human being – knowing him as well as I do – and kind of coach who’s going to be extremely beneficial to the Clippers as an organization. You’re talking about a guy who’s had experience with the pressures that come with a win-or-else proposition like he had with LeBron.”
12:16-12:53: “They’ve changed the expectation for themselves in the postseason, which if you’ve built the way that they have – which I think is some of the best front-office work, roster building, player development we’ve seen in the past few years – then you’re right where you want to be. You’re in that conversation among the best teams in the Western Conference. You have young stars who are entering into their primes. You have even younger potential stars, like Michael Porter. Jr. – Bol Bol being an even bigger reach but certainly with an upside that is really incomparable when you think about his size and skill set.”
20:44-21:16: “Houston is such a difficult team to evaluate because we don’t know, is this the team they’re gonna carry throughout the season, is this the team that’s put together now with James (Harden) bought in or is James committed wholeheartedly at all to sticking around? When you strip all that away, if you start moving pieces and changing things up, then, to me, they fall out of the conversation of teams that are trying to make the playoffs.”
32:44-33:17: “I want to see him (Zion Williamson) play 30 minutes a night, just to see if he can sustain what we saw in glimpses during an injury-filled rookie season. He’s a mind-boggling talent when you look at his combination of size, heft and skill. And to me, that is the beauty of NBA seasons and the NBA in general, just watching talent evolve and seeing if it can reach its potential in a given situation.”
Longtime journalist Melissa Isaacson, who spent years reporting at the Chicago Tribune and ESPN, among other outlets, appears On the NBA Beat for a discussion devoted to her third book, “State: A Team, a Triumph, a Transformation.” It’s an intensely personal tale documenting her and her team’s four years as bona fide high school basketball pioneers that culminated in a state title. Join Missy as she details the inspiring journey.
*Due to dynamic advertising, time stamps may vary: 9:14-10:17 - “I think that we’ve had our days of incremental progress. I don’t think there’s anything wrong with demanding change. … In the same ways that getting a uniform was a huge step and playing in the boys’ gym was a huge step, and we were patient and we did take each victory as the big thing that it was, I don’t know that patience is something that we should have (today). Not to get all political, but we’ve been waiting for the ERA (Equal Rights Amendment) to pass for some time now, and patience hasn’t done us any good.”
15:42-16:10 - “I walked out into this bitterly, bitterly cold, cold, cold night back to the car with my friend Connie, and she said, ‘Miss, you’ve gotta tell our story.’ And it just hit me that I did. And it wasn’t mine to tell. It was our story to tell, but I was gonna be the one to have to tell it. And it was gonna be quite an undertaking, a responsibility, but I knew at that point that I had to tell the story.”
28:54-30:26 - “It was her (Arlene Mulder’s) idea to stay away from us senior year because she wanted the new coach to bond with us. And then we won, and she got no credit, no thank you, no nothing, while the new coach got hallways and streets and awards named after him and was in the Hall of Fame and all these things. ...It took the reporting in the book to find out how unselfish she really was and how much a part of our victory she really was. … This is a woman that was really the heroine of the book, without question."
41:13-41:42 - “Books about girls are not generally put in the hands of boys. And so while I don’t in any way think this is a girls’ book – and I don’t – it’s probably not one that a lot of boys would naturally gravitate to unless they’re told to, and then I think they would find a lot of common themes and some inspiring themes to our story. So that’s the greatest thing that I heard.”
45:51-46:51 - “You really do remember the…holding up of the trophy in the middle of Assembly Hall in a court that we could never, ever, ever envision in our lives being allowed to stand on, much less play on. … I remember it vividly, and all just looking at each other, and we didn’t say one word. We just looked at each other and smiled, and it was like, ‘Damn, this is really just unbelievable. Who would have ever thought? We are gonna remember this the rest of our lives.’ You know what? We did! I did! I do!”
Javier Pesquera, roving NBA draft analyst and occasional consultant for The Stepien, returns to break down the fast-approaching 2020 draft. Then, after the break, Agu Ibañez Baldor stops by to discuss his book, “Dynasty: The Rise and Fall of the Greatest Teams in NBA History.”
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Javier Pesquera at 7:28-7:39: “At No. 1, I do have LaMelo Ball in his own tier by himself, and I think LaMelo Ball is gonna go No. 1 unless Minnesota actually finds a trade that they like, which I don’t think is happening at this point.”
12:25-12:42 (JP): “I think there are a lot of doubters as well. I do like him [Obi Toppin]. He has as much potential as anybody in this class, and that’s related to his physical tools. … The comparison to Amar’e Stoudemire pops in your head right away because of the way he leaps off the floor and the way he finishes in transition. He has that type of ability.”
23:49-24:14 (JP): “I guess if Golden State surprises the world and takes somebody else other than [James] Wiseman or [Anthony] Edwards, that would also change things quite a bit. I don’t expect any trades in the top 10. I think the only one that could happen and it’s, more or less, the most possible one is if Charlotte actually trades up with Golden State and they give some sort of minor asset to secure themselves selecting Wiseman No. 2 instead of risking Golden State taking him.”
Agu Ibañez-Baldor at 34:38-34:48: “I just wrote it the way I talk, honestly. I’m a bit sarcastic. I’m a bit opinionated. I’m a bit mean, but in a let’s get along kind of way.”
38:01-38:21 (AIB): “I think my favorite’s Pat Riley though. Pat Riley’s just an assassin. He’s a basketball assassin. He takes teams to the highest level and makes them win every single time. Even with the Knicks, he’s probably had the most competitive and successful rosters and teams since their championship days in the ‘70s.”
48:22-48:36 (AIB): “I put them [the Nuggets] down specifically because both [Nikola] Jokic and [Jamal] Murray recently signed long-term max contracts, so they have their two best players for the next five or six years locked down. And for that I think they have a very good chance, just for that continuity.”
Author Paul Knepper takes us back to the 1990s, a time when the New York Knicks, led by Patrick Ewing, perennially made the playoffs and once came within a game of winning it all. Boasting a bruising, physical style that's long since disappeared from the league, these Knicks are remembered fondly by New Yorkers who pine for a respectable basketball team (the Nets obviously don't count for Knicks fans) again. In "The Knicks of the Nineties: Ewing, Oakley, Starks and the Brawlers That Almost Won It All," Paul adeptly tells the story of these Knicks, and lucky for us, he's here to provide the highlights of the narrative.
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6:17-6:53: “You get so immersed in this topic. It’s like writing a dissertation. It’s all I thought about for a couple years, and I’m just so heavily involved in [it]. So there’s these little nuggets of information or details that I pick up that I find really fascinating maybe, but I have to question: Is someone who’s not immersed in this topic like I am, are they going to find this stuff interesting, these little details? And these little details, can I make them work within the flow of the book?”
18:17-18:59: “If you give me a choice between talking to Patrick Ewing – especially Patrick Ewing, who’s very guarded – and talking to five to 10 people who knew Patrick Ewing well about Patrick Ewing, I’ll take the five to 10 people any day. I think they offer different perspectives. I think they are probably more honest than Patrick might be. I just think they see him in a different light. … So you start to paint the picture through all those different sources.”
22:23-23:21: “There seemed to be greater intensity, and I think the physicality contributed to that. Every time down the floor, every possession felt like a battle, so that’s one. I also think there was more player continuity then. Certainly among stars, but even in general, the contracts are shorter now, so teams aren’t together for quite as long. … Patrick and the Knicks played Jordan and the Bulls in the playoffs five times from the late ‘80s to the mid-‘90s, they played the Heat four years in a row in the playoffs, they played the Pacers six times from ’93 to 2000. And it was the same guys. Reggie Miller was with Indiana the whole time. Patrick was with New York the whole time. Through the whole decade, you had less player movement.”
24:56-26:06: “It’s been brutal, and [Knicks executive James] Dolan gets a lot of the blame for it, and I believe deservedly. I think he’s been a big source of the problem. But I do believe it can turn, and I think it can turn quickly. It happens. Teams that have been really bad for a really long time, you get the right people in place and you get a little bit of luck, and all of a sudden you’re a great team…I would just say that things can turn around relatively quickly even when it feels like it’s been bad forever.”
30:30-31:29: “I think Patrick gets a bad rap. People say he couldn’t get them over the hump, and he couldn’t beat [Michael] Jordan, and he lost to [Hakeem] Olajuwon in the Finals. And all those things are true. But nobody could beat Jordan then, and Olajuwon is, I think, at least top 15, possibly top 10 player ever. He was magnificent. And the other thing is look at his career, look at his teammates. He never played with another Hall of Fame player. … You typically need another great player, a Robin to your Batman to win it all, and Patrick never had that.”
Thanks to Anthony Davis' buzzer-beating 3, the Los Angeles Lakers narrowly escaped with a Game 2 win Sunday night to extend their series lead over the Denver Nuggets to 2-0. Just as the plot begins to thicken, Harrison Faigen of SB Nation's Silver Screen and Roll and Katy Winge of Altitude TV and Altitude Sports Radio join the show to discuss the series' most noteworthy and fascinating storylines. Harrison marvels at how seamlessly Davis and James' games have blended together, opines on the so-called #WashedKing, explains why Alex Caruso is a remora fish, and details the team's many defensive strengths, among other topics. For Katy's part, she illuminates Denver's impressive ability to roar back from large and late deficits again and again. She also breaks down how the Nuggets can realistically make this a series again.
*Due to dynamic advertising, time stamps may vary: Faigen (29:50-30:09): “It’s almost Jordanesque in the way that they look for perceived slights, and I think honestly they’ve gotten a lot of them. They heard all the chatter before the Blazers series. ‘Oh, the Lakers don’t want to play this Blazers team. They’re really dangerous.’ And then they went out and stomped them. And then ‘Oh, the Rockets. I don’t know if the Lakers can keep up with them.’ And then went out and stomped them, too.”
Winge (39:43-40:15): “This team has the mental toughness and the fortitude of no other team I’ve ever been around. And I think each guy just has this chip on his shoulder individually and as a member of the Nuggets team. And even head coach Michael Malone takes on that type of mentality as well, so you can see that kind of bleeding into his players and into the franchise. And it’s something that they’ve leaned into, especially when they’ve been on the stage during the playoffs and have gotten more attention than they’re used to. But they’ve been asking for respect for the last couple years.”
KW (57:45-57:48): “This team just never dies. They never quit.”
With the Houston Rockets and Los Angeles Lakers tied at one win apiece, Rockets reporter Salman Ali lends his insight and analysis about the intriguing matchup that’s only just begun. A General NBA writer for Clutch Points, Salman also covers the Rockets for the Red Nation Hoops Podcast, ESPN’s Houston-based FM station, and his own new Substack newsletter called “State of the Rockets.” In the series, he argues, two styles are pitted against each other: Big Ball vs. Micro Ball. Which does he believe will prevail? Tune in to find out.
Melissa Isaacson, former sports reporter for the Chicago Tribune, relives covering the historically dominant Bulls teams of the early 1990s, as she breaks down The Last Dance, the popular docuseries in which she appears. She also discusses her latest book, State: A Team, a Triumph, A Transformation.
Time stamps may vary due to dynamic advertising:
4:25 - 5:40: "Over the years, he [Michael Jordan] really has been sort of portrayed as this egomaniac, and he's kind of helped along with that narrative. His Hall of Fame speech was taken in a way that I was sort of really shocked by. I actually really liked his Hall of Fame speech. It sounded to a lot of people like he was being selfish. … Hopefully the audience will see through the docuseries, those who maybe had one opinion of him, that the competitive side of him is crazy. No question. It's on a level that...is not even close [to most people] – it’s not a stereotype – but that is exactly what makes him who he is, what makes him as great as he is. So there's gonna be some eccentric qualities, but I would never ever call him an egomaniac, and I wouldn't call him a mean person regardless of some of the scraps we've seen him get into with his teammates.”
9:43 – 10:44: "They [Bulls players] were all just really sensitive to me being pregnant. I have a lot of stories and a lot of memories of...guys interacting with me, Michael patting my stomach before he ran on the court every game when he came back [from his first retirement]. He'd look for me and pat my stomach for luck, I guess. Ordinarily you might be a little put off or uncomfortable, but, again, this is Michael Jordan. … It was just a magical, magical time. I felt blessed. I still feel blessed. A lot of people have asked, 'Were you aware of how great it was?' Oftentimes, it takes many years to look back and fully appreciate things. I fully appreciated it, I did, because it was clear that he was the best player in the world."
25:56 - 26:26: “I think they [the filmmakers] were given this opportunity, and they were given this unbelievable amount of footage and so either you do it or you don't. They had to have the permission of Michael and the NBA. I'm glad it's out there, and you can argue if you want about every journalistic standard – was it adhered to? I feel it's a fair portrayal as someone who was there. I feel like it's been a very authentic and accurate portrayal."
35:04 - 37:09 "As empowered as we were and as inspiring as I think our story was, I like to say, If you would have said to us 40 years ago while we were 17, 18-year-old girls that in 40 years you're gonna have hundreds of thousands of men, women and children fill up soccer stadiums and cheer for a women's team, what would you say? We'd be like, 'Well, yeah, of course. Are you kidding? We're gonna have a woman president, we're gonna have women GMs, we're gonna have women coaches, I'm gonna be the owner of the Bulls’... We would've thought anything was possible because of how far we had come in just that decade. And so then if you would have said to us, 'OK, but those hundreds of thousands of fans will also be chanting for equal pay for those same women athletes,’ we would have been devastated. … We have not 'come a long way, baby'... Overall, it's really a letdown to think of all the…especially women older than us that really paved the way who will die probably without seeing so many of the things they fought for."
Check out Melissa's piece on her most poignant memories on the Bulls beat (http://www.melissaisaacson.com/bulls-blog/), which was referenced early in the interview.
SB Nation's Silver Screen & Roll writer and editor-in-chief Harrison Faigen discusses the present state of the Los Angeles Lakers as uncertainty swirls around a potential NBA return this season.
7:56-9:03: "The only way to change this (mental health stigma) and have people be more comfortable talking about it is to have more people talk about it openly and have it not be that big of a deal. And so I want it to not be a big deal when I talk about being afraid to go outside or being afraid to go back to work. These are things we all feel on some level or another...We're all feeling that, and everyone who's struggling should be able to talk about that. One of the most insidious things, at least with my own mental illness, was it made me feel like I was weird and that there was something wrong with me and that you shouldn't talk about it because other people aren't going to be able to relate. What I've found through talking to other people...and the overwhelming feedback to the piece was that there a lot of other people going through these same things, and that appreciated that I was willing to talk about it.”
14:18-15:38: "Nobody was seriously thinking that LeBron (James) was washed (up), but there were more doubts about him going into this season than there probably ever have been...He's mostly been a really important part of the Lakers defense, he's been basically their sole competent ball handler on offense, and for him to be doing that at 35 with the workload that he needs to take on and not really load-managing...I think it's probably as good of a 35-year-old season as anyone's ever had."
20:49-22:17: "I'll put my hand up and fully admit that I was skeptical when the Lakers brought him back like I think almost everyone was. It was kinda like (Dion) Waiters, where you could look on paper at the fit and be like, ‘Yeah, they do need another big man. They need a guy who can take some center minutes.’ ... At the same time, we've been saying Dwight could be that guy for his last eight seasons in the league basically, and he just has never wanted to do those things or showed prolonged commitment to doing those things...Bottom line: I think he knew this was his last shot. If this didn't work out, you may not have seen a team sign Dwight Howard the next time around."
26:05-26:17: "I just don't get the sense that they would have given up everything that they gave up if they were not getting strong indications from Anthony Davis and Rich Paul and LeBron that AD was going to stay for a while."
32:19-32:28: "For someone who covers the Lakers, it's the best season that I've ever covered. It has also been easily the most exhausting."
33:41-35:22: "The Clippers are...not only are they kind of the little brother team in the Staples Center building. I think sometimes a Lakers fan will (have an) 'Ah, no, I don't acknowledge (the Clippers) vibe, when really that's the Lakers' chief rival right now, whether you want to admit it or not. But there's this dismissiveness of it and this kind of animosity between the fan bases, but it's the most passive-aggressive rivalry I've ever seen. ... It seems like there's genuine dislike between the two teams as much as they've tried to downplay it throughout the year. Both teams know that they were constructed to beat the other one, and it really showed out there on the court. Those felt like playoff games."
42:35-44:00: "The thing that I kept coming back to in the days after he passed was the last time that I saw him in person. … I remember we were walking around Disneyland, and I saw this really tall guy and I was like, "Wait a second. Is that Kobe?" He was just walking around with his kids. … He had the second-youngest on his shoulders, and he was bouncing her around, and he just looked really happy and just wandering around with his kids through Frontierland. It was cool to see him like that, and it was cool just to think...
Tomer Azarly of Clutch Points joins the show to discuss the state of the Clippers just past the season's midway point. Enjoy these clips/Clips:
6:04-6:42: I just think it's a work in progress. It’s a team last year that had an underdog mentality all season and now you add two superstars from two completely different programs in Kawhi and PG, and it just takes time to incorporate these guys. We haven't even talked about the fact that they have one game healthy all year. That was the Laker game on Christmas Day. The following game, Trez missed because of the flu, and then Pat went out with the wrist injury. So they've only really had one game healthy, one practice the day before that healthy. We’ve really yet to see what this team can be. So I don't think it's time to overreact yet, but this team is still a work in progress.
14:47-15:46: Their numbers while [Ivica] Zubac is on the court have been pretty close to phenomenal. They've been a really good defensive team when Zubac on the court because he not only blocks shots, but he changes shots. He’s a really big guy inside. He takes up a lot of space. I’ve been saying this all year: play Zubac more. Get him more minutes. For whatever reason, the Clippers are not getting him more minutes right now. Maybe they're showcasing Trez more. Maybe they feel like they can outscore teams and sort of be OK defensively, with Trez on the court. But I do think a bit of their defense always comes back to Zubac and having him on the court because inside, statistically, like blocked shots, he hasn’t been a crazy force, but he's been a shot-changing force at the rim for the Clippers.
17:50-18:24: I think the series honestly might just come down to health. The Clippers have shown that, they they can play the Lakers very well. They match up pretty well against them. You know, Kawhi is able to really put pressure on LeBron. LeBron does not want to guard Kawhi right now. I don't think he will in the playoffs either. I just look at it and say the Clippers have all the right pieces to slow down the Lakers; it's just a matter of can they be healthy when they play them. Can they have enough repetition under their belt together as a team to beat the Lakers?
21:04-21:25: Home court matters, but they will be content being a 4 seed if they are a hundred percent healthy. If they have PG, Kawhi healthy, Pat's 100% or close to it, they've built some chemistry over time and they go on as a four seed, I can tell you they'll be very confident about their odds and their chances because that's just the kind of team this is. They're not really worried about seeding.
36:50-37:00: I was the one that asked him [Harrell] about the vibe of the locker room. I didn't get a weird vibe before that, but once he started speaking, I wanted to know what the vibe of the locker room was.
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Music: “Who Likes to Party” by Kevin MacLeod.
David Kohan, along with his friend Max, created the long-running hit comedy series Will & Grace. But the Emmy Award winner is also one of the biggest Clippers fans we know, and boy was he excited to preview the upcoming season in Clipperland, one which he believes will be “the year.” Boasting the likes of Kawhi Leonard, Paul George and a deep supporting cast, the Clippers are primed for a breakthrough season. Coincidentally, Will & Grace just made a big announcement of its own: the show will be ending after one final season. Following the Clippers discussion, David touches upon that as well as his sister’s stellar TV series, Orange Is the New Black. Some special clips (Clips?) have been excerpted below: 4:15-4:26: “I thought for a second when Chris Paul was joining the team, ‘Well, this is about as good as it’s gonna get as a Clipper fan.’ But I was wrong. This is about as good as it gets.” 7:36-7:43: “Suddenly, it felt like we were frontrunners, and I’ve never felt that way as a Clipper fan before.” 11:40-12:07: “More than anything, If Jerry West is there, I feel like he’s a magician. There’s no greater architect of a team. There’s no one whose imprimatur means more than Jerry West. … His instincts are always right. It’s uncanny to me. So, it’s like, ‘In Jerry we trust,’ right?” 12:55-17:09: “Last year, as a fan, was my favorite year. It was my favorite year, I think, ever, in all the years of being a Clipper season-ticket holder. What Doc [Rivers] did with that group and just the character of that group, I loved that team. I really did. It was such a satisfying season to me. … You really got the sense, unlike years before, they all played for each other, that they genuinely cared about each other, that they enjoyed playing together, and that they were locked in defensively most of the time. … They really did seem to be giving their best effort, not caring who carried the scoring load, everybody had their roles which were clearly defined. There was energy and passion and intensity. … The Lob City teams, there always seemed to be more talent than cohesiveness.” 26:14-28:14: “People talk about the Clippers’ health and the health of their two superstars with Kawhi’s quad and Paul George’s shoulder, but the Lakers, I think, are in a much more perilous situation. … That team doesn’t quite make sense to me as currently composed. They don’t seem balanced.” 30:46-31:46: “Looking back [on Will & Grace’s run], I guess more than anything, [what stands out is] how special it is to work with those four actors, because I actually think they’re the best at what they do. … There’s a whole confluence of things that has to come together in order for something to work. But one of the things that I really appreciated during that gap between the first run and the second run was just how good I had it working with those four actors. I really feel like whatever you write, they elevate it. They make it better than you thought.” Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Last Friday night, Los Angeles residents, among people in others places such as Las Vegas, felt a 7.1-magnitude earthquake. Within nearly two and a half hours, the Clippers had pulled off an earth-shattering pair of moves that would bring both Kawhi Leonard and Paul George to Los Angeles, not too far from where either superstar was born and raised. For the occasion, The Athletic’s Jovan Buha appears On the NBA Beat to discuss how the long-suffering franchise positioned itself for such a major offseason coup, how dominant these Clippers can truly be after the earth-Kawhiuake, the question marks surrounding Paul George’s shoulders and much, much more. 8:23-10:52: “I think for the Clippers to be able to get Doc [Rivers] to basically take a demotion and not have to fire him, not have him quit, I think that was huge, because Doc still has a lot of cachet around the league, he’s still regarded as a players’ coach, he’s still someone that people want to play for. … [They] completely revamped this front office, and that really changed things for the Clippers, because every single move they’ve made over these last two years has been so calculated and has really put them in this position to do what they just did.” 13:04-14:22: “The Clippers have just continued to flip players for more assets and more players, and then they just cashed in on this Paul George-Kawhi Leonard situation. It was a historic price, what they paid for Paul George…but I think the context you’ve gotta look at it in is it’s not like they traded for Paul George only; they traded for Paul George and Kawhi Leonard. Had they not gotten Paul George, they would not have gotten Kawhi Leonard. … Yes, there is risk into the mid-2020s, but if the Clippers win a championship or make the Finals over the next two, three years, I think that’s clearly worth it.” 14:47-16:26: “I think they can be the best perimeter pairing we’ve seen since Scottie Pippen and Michael Jordan, and that might sound like hyperbole, but I don’t think it’s that ridiculous. … Perimeter defense has arguably become the most important thing in the league outside of shooting.” 21:16-21:36: “I think Landry [Shamet]’s shooting is gonna unlock so much stuff with Kawhi and Paul George that to bench him is really gonna be a potential difference-maker offensively, just in terms of their spacing, their gravity, their ability to do things offensively. To me, Landry is a huge key.” 23:45-25:00: “Especially with the shoulder injury, that directly affects your shooting. I don’t know. That’s kind of the wild card. I think it [the Paul George injury] could swing the Clippers’ season from like a 47, 48-win to a 58-win team. … That’s kind of the one semi-dark cloud hanging over this whole thing.” 30:44-31:12: “The Clippers have never been the favorites. They’ve always been third, fourth, fifth, whatever, during the whole Lob City era. They were never No. 1, so I think there’s the pressure of that. But with this new development with the Kawhi Leonard contract, it does put pressure on them to really cater to what he wants over the next two years, to meet his expectations of what he thinks of the roster and what he thinks of the team and their potential.” 42:36-43:55: “The Blake Griffin trade and the Tobias Harris trade. … This guy, he just looks at things in such an objective, business-like, borderline ruthless approach. … And he deemed, and the front office deemed as an organization, that Blake wasn’t [and] the same thing with Tobias. Both of those moves scream Jerry West.” Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Jake Fischer joins the show on the doorstep of the official beginning to the 2019 NBA free agency period. The Sports Illustrated reporter takes us through the likeliest scenarios involving superstars Kawhi Leonard, Kevin Durant and Kyrie Irving. He also explores the Los Angeles Clippers’ chances of finally landing a max free agent after years of coming away empty-handed and how their arena-mates plan to build around Anthony Davis and LeBron James. Jake’s thoughts on the 76ers’ approach to the offseason and the Rockets’ rumored interest in Jimmy Butler are featured as well, among other salient NBA storylines. Some highlights of an action-packed episode: 4:28-5:13: “While Durant might make his decision where he wants to go before Leonard, there might be teams that say, ‘We have to wait to hear what Kawhi says first.’ If I had to guess right now, I would still expect Kyrie and Kevin Durant to go to Brooklyn together. I’m not saying that’s gonna happen; that’s my guess at the moment. I just think with those two guys’ interests in playing together, the Nets’ aggressive moves to create two max cap spots, and their ability to afford patience with [Durant’s] recovery…they both end up in Brooklyn.” 9:24-10:15: “From Day 1, once that relationship in San Antonio soured, everyone that I’ve spoken to around Kawhi has specifically talked about his love of Southern California, how he is a man of simple tastes – all he wants to do is be with the people close to him, work hard, and compete – and the best place for him to do that is most likely Southern California, where he’s from, where he played college basketball. If he does leave Toronto, I would be very surprised if it’s anywhere but for the Clippers. I don’t buy that the Lakers are a viable option for him. I don’t think that Kawhi Leonard wants to play second or third fiddle to LeBron [James] and Anthony Davis.” 16:50-18:01: “Don’t get it twisted: the Lakers created max-salary space to go chase a max free agent. The public speculation about them instead using that money for role players is to put out the backup plan. That is not the plan. The plan is to go get a third star. I don’t agree with it. Look what happened with Golden State this season in the Finals. When you make a top-heavy roster like that, when you can have greater talent on the floor when healthy, it dramatically swings the odds of the game in your favor, but it also leaves you very susceptible; one injury can really derail an entire rotation. … I would personally take that salary and go after shooters and defenders, but the Lakers are a hundred percent going for a big-name guy, whether it be Kemba Walker, Kyrie Irving, D’Angelo Russell, Kawhi Leonard, you name it. They’re going after every single guy.” 25:37-26:29: “A lot of the word to come out has been about Houston’s interest and Houston’s efforts. We haven’t heard if it’s reciprocated on [Jimmy Butler’s] end. While he is friends with James Harden, and Harden has made a lot of recruiting efforts on the Rockets’ behalf, Jimmy Butler was an alpha dog in Philadelphia during the playoffs. In the fourth quarter, with the game and the season on the line, the ball was in his hands. That’s not gonna be the case in Houston. Jimmy Butler wants to be that guy, and I just don’t see him wanting to sacrifice that role for Houston. …As comprised following that trade, without Clint Capela, without Eric Gordon, without P.J. Tucker, I don’t know if they are the favorite in the Western Conference as they currently stand, if they swap those integral contributing pieces out for Jimmy Butler.”Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
On the heels of a disappointing Eastern Conference finals exit at the hands of the Raptors, The Athletic’s Eric Nehm is here to talk all things Milwaukee Bucks, including Giannis Antetokounmpo’s MVP campaign, the Bucks’ spectacular season, Mike Budenholzer’s inaugural year at the helm, and the significant offseason looming ahead.Some noteworthy clips (Particular time stamps may vary due to dynamic advertising.): 9:02-9:15: “I guess a less mature 24-year-old would just be angry and not really thinking about exactly how he gets better, but here’s Giannis, two days later, saying, ‘You know, I gotta find a way to be more comfortable in the midrange.’” 14:58-17:04: “I think Khris [Middleton] just really understands Giannis, and Giannis really appreciates guys that play hard, show up every night and can go out and actually take care of business … Giannis can help out with some of the rim protection, Khris can switch a bunch of different things; he also can defend other team’s No. 1s. And because he can defend the league’s best wings, guys like Kevin Durant, Kawhi Leonard, Giannis can stay on the back side and just be the free safety and attempt to just wreak havoc essentially. So it all just kind of works, and then on top of it, there’s just no frills. Khris doesn’t really have an ego. He doesn’t really go out there and demand more shots or anything like that.” 25:07-25:54: “If Giannis is Giannis in that series, they win. If Fred VanVleet doesn’t turn into Steph Curry for the final [three] games of that series, the Bucks win. I know when you don’t make it to the Finals, there’s always the desire to be like, ‘Oh, man. You gotta figure out what was wrong and you gotta fix it.’ And it’s just like, ‘Well, is there anything that really needs fixing or could it just go a little bit better?’ So the reason they didn’t win this year is Giannis wasn’t Giannis in the Eastern Conference finals. If you give me the chance to bet on Giannis being Giannis or Giannis being even better next year, I will take that bet 10 out of 10 times.” 35:42-37:33: “He [coach Mike Budenholzer] entered this season with a very clear vision of how this team would play. On defense, they were going to take away the rim, they were not gonna foul, and they were gonna force teams to shoot above-the-break 3s. On offense, they were gonna spread the floor, they were gonna play five out, and they were gonna let Giannis try to get to the rim. And if you decide to take that away, they were gonna kick it out and shoot 3s, and he installed it successfully. That’s exactly what they did. That’s exactly how they won 60 games. … The question about him has always been: Can Bud make the adjustments he needs to make in the postseason or is he just gonna stay in the kind of style that he’s played throughout the regular season? ... I thought he answered that question, and it’s very clear that he is willing to adjust. Now, do the adjustments work? That is a fair question.” Eric's Giannis feature referenced throughout the interview: https://theathletic.com/1001604/2019/05/30/giannis-antetokounmpo-unplugged-bucks-star-sounds-off-about-his-playoff-performance-and-teams-tough-finish/. Eric can also be heard co-hosting Locked On Bucks. Additionally, you can find his book on the Bucks right here. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
The Boston Celtics stole Game 1 in Milwaukee before the mighty Bucks answered Tuesday with a comfortable victory of their own. With the series all squared up and storylines aplenty, Tom Westerholm of MassLive delves into this fun matchup, which pits Milwaukee and Boston against each other for the second straight postseason. Only, this time, Milwaukee is coming off a 60-win season and the Celtics are able to suit up Kyrie Irving and Gordon Hayward. The Celtics severely limited MVP candidate Giannis Antetokounmpo in Game 1, but he responded with a strong performance in Game 2. How can Boston hope to corral the Greek Freak, and so many more questions answered inside. Some noteworthy clips (Particular time stamps may vary due to dynamic advertising): 3:54-4:57: “This is a strategy that they’ve employed against Giannis, basically all through last year’s playoffs – let Al Horford guard him one-on-one and then everybody else can get out to shooters. It really hammers home how good Horford is at defending that he was able to do that and that he is able to do that, because every once in a while in this series you see Jayson Tatum or Jaylen Brown, guys who are not small necessarily, get switched onto Giannis and he just blows by them and gets a dunk. It’s replicable just because the Celtics have a guy like Horford, who is as good at defending as he is and who is strong and able to meet his feet and able to stay in front…Giannis is going to have a difficult series. He’s gonna have to work for every bucket, every free throw he gets. As much as the Celtics can hope for a win in this series, that’s gonna be what it rests on.” 11:43-12:26: “One of the things to keep in mind with this Celtics team is they do sort of have these stretches, and then sometimes during the regular season that would lead toward finger-pointing, that would lead to guys kind of getting upset with one another, and then that would really snowball and then you’re talking about a few losses in a row and things can go badly at that point for them. I will say, though, in the locker room everybody was pretty accountable. There wasn’t a lot of, ‘Oh, the young guys needed to do this,’…It was more like Marcus Morris said they need to be setting better screens for Kyrie, and Kyrie said, ‘I need to be better at X, Y and Z.’” 14:12-14:53: “I think that he [Gordon Hayward] has really shown himself improving. He’s a lot better now than he was at the start of the season, a lot more consistent. At the start of the season, when Gordon Hayward would have a good game, it was because he started off making some 3s and then maybe some other stuff would open up. But basically, if he got hot from 3, the Celtics were gonna be OK, and he was gonna be OK. Now, he’s getting to the rim, he’s aggressive, he’s attacking mismatches, he’s operating out of the pick and roll, he’s defending well, he’s doing a lot of the things that made him good in Utah. He’s not there yet. He’s obviously not an All-Star yet, but you can definitely start to see him putting the pieces together.” 28:48-29:25: “Watching their development has been really fun. They’re both smart basketball players, they’re both definitely guys that the organization loves. They love their growth mentality, a thing Brad Stevens likes to talk about. I think both have really, really bright futures. Both of them will probably hear their names in trade rumors this summer, and we’ll see how that goes when we get to it, but for right now, for the Celtics, having two young guys like that who can really pitch in and who are starting to learn how to play alongside other stars is just really, really valuable.” Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Tomer Azarly of Clutch Points goes in depth and breadth on the special 2018-19 Clippers team that has exceeded expectations despite significant player turnover. The Clippers are back in the playoffs, but whom should they hope to avoid in the first round? Tomer also touches upon what's made the Clippers so effective, including super-subs Lou Williams and Montrezl Harrell, "unstat-able" Pat Beverley, Landry Shamet's outside shot, reinvigorated coaching from Doc Rivers, clutch play and more. Obviously, the discussion closes with some Kawhi Leonard talk. Enjoy some noteworthy clips/Clips (*Due to dynamic advertising, excerpt time stamps may vary per listener): 10:30-11:15: “That [loss to the Lakers] complicates things a bit more, because they could certainly fall to the 8 seed and see the Warriors in the first round. I think right now Portland is probably the matchup they want to see…The Rockets, I think, are a matchup they really, really do not want to see…James Harden is in the midst of the greatest scoring season I’ve ever seen…The Denver Nuggets pose an interesting threat, but I think their lack of experience, and we’ve seen over the last couple weeks where they’ve struggled to sort of have consistency on both ends of the floor. We’ve seen Nikola Jokic’s lack of patience with the officials. Teams are really going at him and Jamal Murray in the pick and roll, which I think is a very exploitable scenario for the Clippers.” 22:08-22:50: “A lot has been made about his coaching being impressive more than years past, but when you lack that superstar, I think the team aspect of the game and the X’s and O’s show up just a little bit more. When you have a Chris Paul, when you have a Blake Griffin, you can throw them the ball and say, ‘Hey, get me a basket. Make something happen,’ and a lot of it is those guys wanting to do that as well. Whereas now, other than Lou and Gallinari, you really have to have a set offense and run plays and try to make things happen in the pick and roll. And that’s not even talking defensively, where the Clippers have really improved since the trade deadline.” 29:19-30:32: “Doc Rivers likes to call him [Patrick Beverley] ‘unstat-able,’ because there is no stat to define how important he is to your team. He holds guys accountable, he holds himself accountable, and he’s also very open to listening as well. Just his impact defensively…No offense to the Lakers, but if Patrick Beverley plays last night, I don’t think the Clippers lose that game because he’s just so locked in for all 48 minutes, and he holds guys accountable essentially every play…Doc Rivers earlier in the year touched on how he didn’t like sometimes that Beverley sort of gambled a little too often...but that’s just part of who he is. That’s who he is, and that’s what makes him special and ‘unstat-able,’ which is what the Clippers love.” 41:58-42:45: “I don’t think you can just pencil a guy like Kawhi Leonard in despite what Clippers fans have been doing. I do think that these playoffs will tell us a lot. For example, if the Raptors suffer some kind of surprising first-round exit, that could weigh heavily on what Kawhi wants to do. If they win a championship, that could weigh heavily on what Kawhi wants to do. I think all signs are pointing to it, just because, as we’ve seen, he doesn’t want to be the face of the biggest franchise, like the Lakers. So he’d be fine being the face of the Clippers, sort of the secondary team in LA, but one that really has a direction and is building some respectability. It’d be close to home.” Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
The Athletic's James Edwards III informs on all things Detroit Pistons at this critical juncture for the franchise. *Due to dynamic advertising, excerpt time stamps may vary per listener:According to James, the Pistons are all in on Griffin, but that sentiment could change in a hurry (10:23-11:07):“They love him. The city loves him. I really, truly believe that he likes playing in Detroit. He likes this challenge of building an organization up and trying to get it to a height it wasn’t at before his arrival. But with that said, I would not be surprised if this team misses the playoffs…with those three guys [Andre Drummond, Reggie Jackson and Griffin] being relatively healthy, I think that says a lot. And I would not be surprised if they capitalize on how good Blake has been, and they finally begin a rebuild and they try to trade him.” On how Blake Griffin’s stellar season has largely gone overlooked (13:45-14:22):“People just generally don’t tend to like the Pistons. I mean, it doesn’t help, too, that they haven’t been relevant in 10 years. And Blake Griffin is one of those superstars that because of his injury history was kind of…maybe passed up by some of the young guys that have come into the league in terms of national talking points and when you put together lists. So it’s kind of a perfect storm when you get a guy who’s reinvigorated his career, who’s stayed healthy, who’s showing how good of a player he can be and has been when he’s healthy, and now he’s on a team that not many people care about.” On Stan Van Gundy’s most glaring problem with Detroit (15:16-15:40):“Stan’s issue in Detroit was that he was the team president. And I’ve written a couple times about that dilemma of having a guy who’s the head man on the sideline and the head man up top, and just kind of the balance of power that comes with that, whether it be looking down the bench and you want to win as a coach and then you go sign a guy to a lucrative deal that you think helps you win now but hurts you for the future.” Twenty-two-year-old Luke Kennard’s potential is explored (25:30-26:30):“The one thing that hinders and kind of covers up… the love around [Luke Kennard] is that Donovan Mitchell went before him. That’s really the only beef you hear about Luke Kennard, and I think it’s unfair. Luke Kennard is a guy that potentially could shoot over 40 percent from 3 in his first two years as a pro. Donovan Mitchell’s a great player. He's a go-to scorer. Would he have been the same in Detroit…It's all about fit. I understand in hindsight what people can say and will say, but Luke Kennard to me has proven he could be a really good player in this league for a good amount of time. He's not just a shooter. Everyone wants to compare him to J. J. Redick and Kyle Korver because it's the easy thing to do, but I see a little bit more Goran Dragic in his game. He's a guy that can work the pick and roll.”On Ish Smith’s fit with Detroit, his first real NBA home (31:02-31:29):"His style is much different than Reggie Jackson. To be corny and cliché, it’s almost like thunder and lightning. Reggie Jackson, the knock on him is he dribbles the ball too much. He holds on to the ball too much… He's more of a meticulous player. Ish Smith is go, go, go, and I think it's exciting for the Pistons fans. On top of that, he’s one of the nicest guys you’ll ever meet, always has a smile, win or loss." Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Two years ago, the NBA moved the All-Star game away from Charlotte due to the passage of North Carolina's discriminatory House Bill 2. Within months, HB2 was repealed, and although many in the LGBTQ community are presently unsatisfied with the status quo, the league opted to allow Charlotte to host this season's festivities. Joshua Fischman interviewed Reggie Bullock, Stefanie Dolson, Jason Collins and others about that. He also got the chance to question Nets shooting guard Joe Harris, one day before the big event where he stunned the oddsmakers by taking down the Curry brothers, Devin Booker and the rest of the field. Right here, Josh shares the most interesting takeaways from his Charlotte experience.Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Bleacher Report's Howard Beck has been covering the NBA full-time for the past couple decades, and he detects an unmistakable change in the way the league's superstars are increasingly dictating where they play. He discusses this phenomenon with regard to Anthony Davis' recent trade demand, Milwaukee's ongoing efforts to retain franchise cornerstone Giannis Antetokounmpo for the long term and how the trend impacted this season's awfully busy and entertaining trade deadline. Plus, the All-Star weekend is nearly upon us, providing an opportunity to touch on those festivities in Charlotte. *You can also find Howard hosting The Full 48 or appearing on NBA TV and NBA Radio as a wise and charismatic contributor. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
From David Stern's visits to China in the '80s to every NBA Finals game being broadcast there live in 1994 to Yao Ming's thrilling rookie season with the Rockets in 2002 to LinSanity 10 years later to the explosion of social media and the league's recent rights deals (worth hundreds of millions of dollars) with Chinese tech giants, the NBA's influence in China has skyrocketed. The one and only Coral Lu of ESPN China brings her unique perspective to help break it all down for us. Here are some highlights (*Due to dynamic advertising, time stamps may vary per listener):13:39-14:12: “I would say 90 percent or at least 85 percent of NBA fans from China are aged from 16 to 35 or late 30s, so that’s a really specific demographic. A lot of older Chinese people, they might like soccer, but they did not watch basketball [growing up]. But all the younger generation or the people around my age, we all kind of grew up with basketball, so it becomes part of our daily life.” 19:11-19:50: “I think it [Jeremy Lin’s massive popularity in China] is more about his story. So, Jeremy, we all know he is an underdog. We all know that he got cut by the Warriors, got waived by other teams, then you know he finally landed with the Knicks; he was about to get cut again. But he was coming from nowhere. An Asian kid, really, nobody knew him, and he was able to play at Madison Square [Garden], playing super-well, so that’s kind of leading to another hero type. The Chinese people, Chinese fans, they like underdogs. So, if you took a look right now, Steph Curry, he was an underdog too. 31:10-31:31: “All those [NBA] superstars, they all have Chinese Weibo. Steph Curry is very active on his social media. Sometimes he will even interact with some Chinese celebrity who follows him. Also, LeBron James, Chris Paul, James Harden, Damian Lillard, all of them, they all have Chinese social media.” 35:43-37:28:“We actually have a lot of talented basketball players, but they haven't been discovered yet. Because it's not like in the United States…So if you are really killing [it] or becoming a baller in middle school, then people start to recognize you [and] then they will keep following you in high school. Then, you go to an NCAA Division I school [and] you play for like Duke, Kentucky, Kansas, those great universities [and] then eventually you get drafted…Although a lot of people say, ‘Oh, there’s a lot of problems with NCAA athletes too,’ if you take a look, I think it’s already really nice, because each kid, each talented basketball player, they got that opportunity to show their talent in public. But in China, it’s not [like that]… You’re basically picking a bunch of kids who got permission from their parents, that are allowed to play basketball – that’s probably only five or six percent of those people. Then, you’re picking the talented players from that small pool, which is really difficult.” 38:19- 39:36: Stephon Marbury is a phenomenon in China. You’re not going to see [players like] him all the time. I think it’s going to be really rare. Not because there aren’t a lot of good basketball players playing in China; yes, there are… The rare thing for Stephon Marbury was that he was able to bring a championship to a team that everybody didn’t think was good. And he did not only bring one, he brought three. He brought a championship to the capital city of China [when] everybody thought, ‘That team sucks’ …It’s also kind of like the underdog story…That’s why all the capital people, they love him so much. That’s why they built a statue. Yao Ming did not get a statue, but he got one.Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
The Denver Nuggets are on the upswing with a talented young core and six straight months of winning basketball. They also hold the Western Conference’s No. 1 spot, one and a half games ahead of the Thunder and Warriors, and are led by MVP candidate Nikola Jokic. Adam Mares of Denver Stiffs and Locked On Nuggets breaks down what makes Denver tick. Here are some particularly golden nuggets (*Due to dynamic advertising, time stamps may vary per listener): 7:13-7:30: “You look at the 2015 Warriors. If I said, ‘Oh, take Steph Curry off that team,’ the offense all of a sudden doesn’t look good, and everybody would understand that. They’d say, ‘OK, well, yeah, of course you miss Steph Curry.’ We don’t think about this defensively. Paul Millsap is Denver’s Steph Curry on the defensive end. He has that type of impact.” 11:12-13:14: “Isaiah Thomas [is] allegedly looming somewhere on the horizon, and he’s the one guy who has never played on this roster and whose role on this roster, I think, is not very clear. So he’s one guy that, I don’t know if it’s just a matter of a week or two of it being rocky. It just might not be a good fit. Who knows?...There is, in theory, a role that he could play and play at a high level. The problem is the guy he’s replacing, Monte Morris, in his second season, has just been so good that it’s hard to imagine – and that second unit as a whole – that it’s hard to imagine it being better.” 16:10-16:20: “I tell people this all the time, and I don’t care how crazy it sounds: They are probably the second, third or fourth most talented team in the NBA just when you talk about their top 10 guys.” 18:13-18:27: “To me, I look at this time and I think, ‘If anything, all the indicators are that they have a much higher gear in them. Not only do they get guys back and healthy, but some of their best 3-point shooters have been in a season-long slump and they’ve still managed to win.’” 25:33-25:56: “For whatever reason, we think that an MVP has to look like James Harden, where the ball’s in their hand for the entire possession and they hit a step-back 3 at the buzzer, and that’s an MVP. What Jokic does, and, again, I don’t think he’s the MVP, but I think that he provides us an opportunity to talk about what’s actually valuable in basketball and what’s actually valuable in basketball in 2019.” 34:59-35:16: “Playing with Jokic just generates the best types of shots within the flow of the offense, especially from the 3-point line. They’re set shots, spot-up shots in rhythm, in the flow of the game. And I just don’t think it’s a coincidence that so many players have come here and had great years.” Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
The Sacramento Kings are off to a strong beginning after most expected them to finish at or near the conference's cellar. And second-year point guard De'Aaron Fox's seismic leap is a huge reason why. James Ham of NBC Sports Bay Area and NBC Sports California stops by to break down the Kings' sizzling start, the organization's coach-executive drama and where the Kings go from here as they aim to get back into the playoffs for the first time in 13 years. Here are some particularly regal clips (*Due to dynamic advertising, time stamps may vary per listener): 11:39-12:14: “He [De’Aaron Fox] is incredibly talented. The way that he’s able to change speed and change direction in traffic while people are all around him, his handles, everything else is just next level. The Kings saw it the second he stepped foot on the practice floor before training camp. He lost one game of pickup in like two or three weeks leading up to training camp. He was just dominant. And they were like, ‘Holy cow. This is a different player, a completely different player.’” 20:41-24:53: “They don’t have a 2019 draft pick, so they have no reason to lose…[Head coach Dave] Joerger has to balance winning with developing young players…Look, there’s a lot of drama, and it’s not healthy. It’s never healthy. But I think if this team can get out of its own way, they do have a shot to have a really fun and good season. And I hope that these issues go away, because they’re not fun to write about, not fun to talk about.” 32:37-33:00: “Long term, he [Bagley] is gonna be a beast! He’s gonna be sort of a transcendent player at the position, because I think he can do a lot at the 4, and we’re only gonna see him get better. We’re only gonna see him get more confident with his ball-handling, with his shooting from the perimeter, but he has all of the tools, and I expect him to be an All-Star-level player.” 38:40-39:55: “De’Aaron Fox has the same amount of blocked shots as him [Willie Cauley-Stein], Buddy Hield has one less, Nemanja Bjelica has one more; that’s not gonna work out. He [WCS] needs to be a defensive force…I think the Kings will allow him to set his value on the open market, and then they’ll make a decision on whether they retain him long term or not.” 44:11-46:05: “The idea that they would be a salary dump spot, where they might get a first-round pick and just eat up this cap space that they have, I think that that idea is starting to go out the window. I do know that they’re interested in a guy like Otto Porter…What they really need is a starting-level small forward – that’s not any disrespect to Iman Shumpert who I think has been actually really good and a really big surprise for the Kings this year, but he’s 6-foot-5; he’s really a shooting guard who’s being forced to play the small forward position.” Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Aaron reviews the first quarter of the 2018-19 season, focusing on overall offensive production compared to last year and the Milwaukee Bucks' considerable improvement. While scoring is way up, offensive efficiency remains about the same as last season. Aaron explains how. He explores Denver's defensive progression under Mike Malone, as well as the unexpected offensive declines of the Utah Jazz and Boston Celtics. There's much more included, but we won't give it all away. Oh, and next week, we'll be back with a brand new interview. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Brad Botkin, senior NBA writer for CBS Sports and co-author of Olympic gold medalist Dan O' Brien's memoir, "Clearing Hurdles," has strong opinions about this season's Western Conference and he's unafraid to share them. Timing will vary due to dynamic advertising, but here are the approximate time stamps of some of our favorite clips (so many good ones to choose from):7:06-7:28: "I've heard a lot of people say, 'Well that's how Kobe led. That's how Jordan led. He forced the best out of his guys.' Listen, come talk to me when Jimmy Butler is Kobe or Jordan. Jimmy Butler is not the kind of guy that singlehandedly transforms your team. He certainly makes the Timberwolves better. They're in no way a championship contender with him, nor do I think any team is a championship contender with him as a best player."14:42-15:15: "All these big-picture numbers about the Rockets, they're going to look great on paper. Look, [in] playoff games, certainly against the Warriors, if they match up, or the Jazz, if they're in a Game 6 and there's three minutes left in the game, I don't care what you did all year long. The Warriors are going to isolate Carmelo Anthony every single possession, and he can't guard his lunch. And they're going to force the ball into his hands and take it out of Harden and Paul's hands on the other end, and he's not going to make enough shots to beat you in those situations. So, I do not think he's in any way the answer."23:08-23:35: "Everybody's just going to err on the side of 'Well, they're the Spurs. They always make it [the playoffs].' Well some year, they're not going to make it, and if you just wait until it happens before you say it, then you're not saying anything. I don't think they're going to make it. I'm ready to say that...I know it. I don't need any more time to know if the Spurs are going to the playoffs. They're not. They're not good enough. They don't have good enough players, period."31:19-31:37: "In terms of two-way players, it's hard to argue that Jrue Holiday and Anthony Davis aren't the best two-way combo in the league. They're both elite on both sides of the floor. And by and large, that's what will determine what the Pelicans become this year: how far can their two best players take them."Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
In the wake of LeBron James' departure, Kelly Dwyer discusses his Eastern favorites and why the conference is overall so bad. The online basketball writing pioneer who wrote for Yahoo!'s Ball Don't Lie blog for nearly a decade, among multiple notable gigs, is currently shining for The Second Arrangement, a project to which you can subscribe for as low as $5 per month. Timing will vary due to dynamic advertising, but here are the approximate time stamps of some of our favorite clips (so many good ones to choose from):7:29-7:39 on the Boston Celtics' immense depth: “There’s so many arms on this monster that this could be something that lasts for a while, that really eases Kyrie [Irving] into his drop-off years.”9:49-10:08: “I think Leonard has to be more of a…he can’t be a let-the-game-come-to-him, 'look-at-me-how-sensible-and-savvy-I-am' guy. There’s got to be a whole bunch of ‘Kawhi Leonard’s looking to score this year’ stories happening. He’s gotta be the guy that turns them over.”17:18-17:26: “It’s a terrible conference. No one’s gonna surprise this year. We just want Joel Embiid to be on ice and Boston not to annoy us too much.”32:30-33:00 on Hawks rookie Trae Young: "He's fun and he's gonna bank in shots this year where he's not supposed to, and he's gonna be so tired that he can't get back on defense sometimes, and he's gonna have 10 times the responsibility of Collin Sexton. Young is gonna be an experiment; it's kind of like the lockout year...Young is sort of this ticket that you can buy on a lot of nights that gonna keep you entertained."Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Mick Minas, author of "The Curse: The Colorful & Chaotic History of the LA Clippers," is here to discuss his comprehensive book that chronicles the wild history of the Clippers. Plagued by penny-pinching ownership, questionable management, terrible luck, and a well earned abysmal reputation, the franchise experiences so many low lows, but optimism is somehow rarely too far away. Even with a new era of Clippers basketball beginning, there is reason for hope. For those interested, Mick's book can be purchased on Amazon. For more information, visit the book's website or follow Mick on Twitter. Enjoy some clips (The time stamps are approximate, given the presence of dynamic advertising):7:51-8:20: “So when the players are in that type of environment, it’s easy to see how the effort level would drop off, and I don’t think it takes a lot in a super-competitive environment like the NBA. If you’ve got players operating at 85, 80 percent effort level, that’s obviously gonna lead to terrible results and then the terrible results lead to a further drop in morale, and I think it’s just that sort of downward spiral.” 35:57-36:33: “In terms of the writing, the putting together the story, one of the things that made it hard was that there was this sort of perpetual failure. But I guess the thing that made that work was that every time around it would be something different that caused the wheels to fall off, so you could always have some fun with building suspense around what was gonna happen and then all of a sudden it would be something that was completely different from the previous five calamities…and that sort of, I think, kept it fresh and exciting.” 45:34-46:00: “I don’t think anybody was super-keen to take him on and force him out, especially whilst he was kind of in the background, which is what he was for most of the time. Until Blake Griffin arrived, no one really cared about the Clippers besides Clippers fans, so Donald Sterling was kind of an embarrassing sideshow in the background rather than being front and center. So the damage he did to the NBA brand was somewhat limited.” Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Following a five-year playoff drought, come July, the Los Angeles Lakers and their fan base could exhale. That’s when they landed LeBron James, the most dominant and versatile player in today’s NBA. To discuss these Lakers, Aaron and Loren are joined by Harrison Faigen of SB Nation’s Silver Screen & Roll and Eric Pincus, Lakers reporter for Bleacher Report, cohost of the Hollywood Hoops Podcast and Capologist for Basketball Insiders and NBATV. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
A soon-to-be college graduate and his dad, a recently retired professor, set out on an 80-day journey around the NBA, stopping by all 29 arenas over a nearly three-month period. That's the backdrop for "Around the League in 80 Days," a 2015 memoir penned by William and Gabriel Allen. The father-son duo was gracious enough to join Aaron for a detailed, behind-the-scenes discussion on the book and their underlying adventure. If interested, the book can be purchased here. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
We’ve brought back Randy Harvey, former sports editor of the Houston Chronicle, to discuss the Houston Rockets’ Western Conference finals run. Since retiring on March 1st, Randy and his wife moved to Pasadena where he’s continued to follow the Rockets from afar. With the series tied at one, the Rockets stand three wins away from their first NBA Finals berth in 23 years. Standing in their way, the mighty Warriors who have won two of the past three titles. This season’s Rockets won a league-best 65 games after adding superstar point guard Chris Paul, who had never appeared in a conference final, along with 3-and-D wings P.J. Tucker and Luc Mbah a Moute. Of course, the team is centered around James Harden, whose MVP-caliber season has vaulted his team into this position. As the Western Conference finals has effectively turned into a best-of-five series, without further ado, let’s check in with Mr. Harvey for more on this heavyweight matchup. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Lang Whitaker is back for another exhilarating appearance, this time informing us on the brand new NBA 2K League and his role as general manager of Grizz Gaming, the Memphis Grizzlies’ representative team. Whitaker, who also serves as a contributor to Grind City Media and GQ Magazine, cannot wait for the 2K League’s inaugural season, and he’s here to tell us why. There’s no chance you’ll need to grit or grind through these interview highlights below: 6:40-8:33: “I cohosted the Hang Time Podcast for NBA.com the last few years, and one of my cohosts was Rick Fox. And I was just sitting next to Rick the last few years as he was putting together what became Echo Fox, which is now one of the big teams in eSports. So I watched him as he kind of learned about it and figured out what he wanted Echo Fox to become and so that was sort of my introduction to this thing. But look, eSports probably had around 400 million viewers in 2017. They’re projecting revenues of $1.5 billion by 2020, so this is a huge thing. I think there’s probably a little bit of an educational curve here on this depending on your age; younger people are way more into this, it seems like, than a lot of the older people are…The fact that there’s a league and you’re competing against people, but it’s in a video game…that can be confusing to some people. I think really the best way to understand it is to watch it…There’s a winner and there’s a loser, and it’s like real sports.” 10:18-10:37: “To me, that was sort of an eye-opening experience, to see this guy, sitting there, talking into the air and realizing, ‘Oh, he’s talking to tens of thousands of people. So, it was interesting for me to come at it from that standpoint and to see really what the future holds for this thing.” 12:19-12:56: “Specifically to this league, I also think basketball IQ is going to be really important…Maybe you’ve got the best stick skills in the world, but you don’t understand basketball that well. To me, at least when I’m going to be looking at these players, I’m going to value basketball IQ very highly.” 18:58-19:26: “I don’t know 1,000 percent what kind of team we’re going to put together. I don’t know what kind of players are going to be available to me. And, look, it’s also going to depend on what draft position we end up and who gets picked ahead of me and who gets picked after me and all that stuff. So I kind of look at this a little bit like as a journalist when you’re interviewing somebody: the worst thing you can do, to me, is to go into it with an agenda.” 24:36-25:10: “Actually, on that last road trip [Hang Time Podcast] show we did, we went to the 2K offices outside of San Francisco, and we played it [the game]. I’m good enough to beat Rick [Fox] and people like that who don’t play all the time. I feel like the things I’m really good at are like knowing where to run on a fast break and how to throw the pass and not hold the ball and not get points deducted from my grade from that kind of stuff. My basketball IQ is really good. I’m not the best stick skill person in the world, but I don’t have to be. I’m going to draft the people who have the best stick skills.” Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
A little more than six months after our latest Timberwolves-themed episode, things are looking pretty good for the team currently fourth in the West. Aaron checked in with Billy Bohl, writer for ESPN True Hoop’s A Wolf Among Wolves to discuss a slew of topics, including but not limited to coach Tom Thibodeau’s minutes allocation, 22-year-old phenoms Karl-Anthony Towns and Andrew Wiggins, and Jimmy Butler’s multifaceted impact on the organization’s success. Feel free to wolf down some highlighted sections below: 10:00-10:51: “I think it [the third seed] is preferable [to the fourth seed]. But again, you don't want to look too far ahead…I wouldn’t want to face Russell Westbrook in a playoff series. Right now if they were the third seed, the Thunder would be the sixth seed. No disrespect to them obviously [but] I would much rather face Portland in the first round. It’s hard to decipher just which route you’d want to take. To be perfectly frank, I don't think they’d have a chance against Houston either. I think they’d be in big trouble in the second round no matter which of those two teams [Houston or Golden State] they faced.” 15:05-15:56: “The Wolves aren’t terribly deep, especially on the wing, and they need Karl-Anthony Towns to be on court when Jimmy Butler is sitting. So they have to stagger those minutes, and that ends up driving up Karl’s minutes a bunch. I don’t worry about it too much as far as Wiggins or Towns is concerned. The part that troubles me a little: I try to be as optimistic as I can, but Jimmy Butler has already had a couple little tweaks to his knee this season. Maybe it’ll be fine this year and next year, but if they’re going to give Butler a huge contract extension, this is something that I worry about when he's 32, 33, 34 years old, because he's really taking a heavy, heavy toll.” 19:15-20:10: “It’s hard to overstate it [Jimmy Butler’s impact]. Everything just makes more sense when he’s on the court…There's a certain fire that Jimmy brings the table, that Andrew Wiggins is much more of a quiet, passive guy, and I think it does affect how he approaches a Tuesday night game against Charlotte or whatever. Jimmy wants to win those games all the time, no matter what. He wants to kick everybody’s butt all the time. And I think that’s infectious.” 35:40-36:20: “Offensively, [Karl-Anthony Towns] is shooting 55 percent from the floor, 43 percent from 3, 85 percent from the line, and he’s 7 feet tall. He has been the best shooter on the team from the day he arrived here. That’s remarkable. That’s amazing. He is a dynamic offensive player. He can beat you in the post, he can beat you getting offensive rebounds, he can step out, he can hit midrange shots, he can beat you so many ways offensively. He’s really not something to be taken for granted by Timberwolves fans. He’s a really, really special offensive player.”Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
After a disappointing second-round exit in the 2017 playoffs, the Rockets were busy during the offseason, trading for star point guard Chris Paul and adding defensive specialists Luc Richard Mbah a Moute and P.J. Tucker. Those moves have been bearing fruit thus far, as last week they became only the third team since 2015 to win the season series over the Golden State Warriors. To help us assess how much of a threat these Rockets pose to the defending champions, we brought back Salman Ali, managing editor of Red Nation Hoops, for his second appearance on the show. He takes us through how Rockets GM Daryl Morey was able to engineer this roster in the offseason, the new dynamic of the Chris Paul-James Harden pairing and the rumors that Houston might be at the top of LeBron James’ free agency list in the coming off-season. Blast off with these clutch excerpts below:4:22-4:42: “The Rockets are probably more health-dependent than any other team outside of maybe Cleveland. They’re so dependent on health. If any of their main guys gets hurt, there’s a significant drop-off. Even when Luc Mbah a Moute went down, their defense went down the toilet for a good stretch there.”10:14-10:58: “He [Chris Paul] is so different at running an offense than James Harden…Chris Paul is like that kid who studies all week, gets the 92 on a test, and James Harden is that dude who just walks in and gets a 98 after not studying. The offense clearly runs a lot smoother with James Harden, and it feels a lot more effortless…With Chris Paul, it’s different. It’s effective; it’s damn effective. But it’s just more calculated, and I guess maniacal in the way that Chris Paul targets defenses’ weaknesses. James Harden thinks the game, obviously, but he thinks the game at a different level. He plays the game more fluidly.”17:52-18:33: “To me, if they’re gonna answer the Death Lineup for the Warriors, they’re gonna have to play P.J. Tucker at the 5, because he’s the only one who can defend Draymond [Green], defend Durant and defend Curry on switches. The Warriors are gonna try to get their best matchup no matter what, and that involves playing the Steph-Draymond pick ‘n roll over and over and over again until the Rockets fade. And in my opinion, P.J. Tucker is kind of like Walmart Draymond. And their P.J. Tucker-at-the-5 lineup is kind of my favorite. It’s P.J. Tucker, Trevor Ariza at the 4, Luc Richard Mbah a Moute at the 3, Chris Paul at the 1, James Harden as a 2. That’s my favorite lineup.”28:16-29:59: “The Rockets are absolutely gonna pursue it [acquiring LeBron James]. If we’ve learned anything from Daryl Morey it’s that he’s aggressive and he’s gonna try anything to get what he wants. His general thing is you need three guys, right? And he’s talked about it ever since he came to the Rockets: You need three All-Star-quality players to truly compete with the best of the best for championships…but the question is will they have a chance of landing him? That’s always been the central question. That’s gonna be the central question in LeBron’s free agency this summer. Can the Rockets clear enough cap space to get LeBron straight up in free agency? Or will they try to facilitate some sort of opt-in trade like they did with Chris Paul? I think that [a trade for James in which he opts into the final year of his contract] is the most interesting scenario.”Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
The Chicago Bulls ended the year last season by surprisingly stealing two games in Boston in their first-round playoff series against the Celtics and then subsequently losing the next four games. Since then, they let go of veterans Dwyane Wade and Rajon Rondo, traded away franchise superstar Jimmy Butler, and brought back a new young core of Zach LaVine, Kris Dunn and rookie Lauri Markkanen. In our first episode of 2018, we’ve brought on Jordan Maly, host of the Locked on Bulls podcast, to help decipher this enigmatic Chicago team. He takes us through a mid-season assessment of that Jimmy Butler trade, the slew of developing young talent the Bulls have fostered and the awkwardness of covering the team after the fight between Nikola Mirotic and Bobby Portis. Charge forward into the show with these excerpts:4:30 - 7:44: “When Butler was dealt, the immediate overwhelming reaction was that the Bulls got screwed, that the Bulls didn’t get enough back for him, that the Timberwolves basically snaked Jimmy Butler and that number 16 pick in the draft… For a lot of Bulls fans, we didn’t have trust in the front office, didn’t have trust in what they were saying or what they were trying to build. But now slowly, over this season, Lauri Markkanen has turned into a viable piece and somebody that looks like one of the best rookies out of this class… Kris Dunn, I think, has been the most phenomenal part of this three-piece trade. He’s gotten his confidence back from when he played at Providence… and is turning into something that could be a budding superstar. And then you add the most important piece that everybody thought would be the number one piece of this deal in Zach LaVine… I think he can be a definite impact player and he can be a definite impact person for a Chicago Bulls team that’s looking their sort of superstar.”11:35 - 12:58: “When [Lauri Markkanen’s] asked about his player comps, about players that he watched to develop his game, he always says he doesn’t want to be the next Dirk, there will never be the next Dirk. because Dirk is far and above anybody else out there. He said he wants to create his own path. He wants to be his own player. He wants to make his mark as Lauri Markkanen… Everybody said that Lauri Markannen’s not going to be able to play defense, especially down low, and he’s proven people wrong so far this season. The way he moves his feet, which are so quick for a big man of his size and his length, and his ability to not give up against guys… His confidence is oozing right now.”16:23 - 19:25: “The team as a whole had such a good offseason and were having such a good training camp. It’s funny because John Paxson had even said in his press conference at media day that Fred Hoiberg had built up an amazing culture… Then you get 48 hours before tipoff of opening night and this situation [the fight between Nikola Mirotic and Bobby Portis] arises… I think the most bizarre part of this whole story was the fact that they don’t speak off the court to each other at all, yet they come back and play as the best tandem… the Bulls have right now. When those two are on the floor, the Bulls are so much better, infinitely better.” 26:55 - 29:40: “For me especially, I think Markkanen, Dunn and LaVine are your obvious core… But I think slowly as the season has progressed, I’ve even thrown in the mix guys like Portis… I think he can be a legitimate rotation player. I think the front office is very high on not only Portis, but also [Denzel] Valentine. And to throw a third guy in there… David Nwaba… I think the Bulls should whatever they need to do to keep him on board… I would say your core right now—LaVine, Markannen, Dunn— is a good place to start. It’s definitely a better place to start than some of these other teams that are trying to tank.”Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
The Indiana Pacers have bounced back from a subpar start to stand 18-14. In an Eastern Conference crowded with many solid, second-tier teams looking to separate themselves from the pack, Indiana is more than holding its own thanks to an elite offense led by Victor Oladipo. Ian Levy, NBA editor and columnist for FanSided and Editor-in-Chief of The Step Back, helps us break down the team he knows best. We’ll cover Indiana’s captivating comeback ability, the sudden emergence of Oladipo and so much more. Who's your (Hoosier?) favorite podcast for interview excerpts? 6:42-7:28: “If he [Victor Oladipo] can sustain what he’s doing shooting the basketball, especially on those pull-ups, that sort of locks him into this tier where he’s, I’d say, a clear-cut All-Star [and] one of the best shooting guards in the league. So I think that’s probably the hope for the Pacers rather than him somehow getting better than he is now. He’s given them everything they could ask for. And that aggression and passion is such a different aesthetic than the Pacers have had the past couple years. Even when they were good, back in the Hibbert-David West-George Hill-Paul George-Lance Stephenson [days], back in those days, they didn’t have the same sort of kinetic explosiveness.” 17:51-18:17: “It’s funny thinking about him having played with [Russell] Westbrook, because I feel like, this year, he looks a lot more like Westbrook in that kind of like twitch athleticism sort of burst and explosiveness. But he’s joyful in a way that Westbrook is definitely not. Westbrook is sort of like grim and angry, and Oladipo just seems joyful.” 26:27-26:54: “I think the Pacers have to at least try it [playing Myles Turner and Domantas Sabonis together] and see if it can work, because both of these guys are talented and ideally you’d love to be able to hold onto both of these guys for the future. My guess is the best-case scenario is that Turner keeps improving, that’s he’s sort of a fringe All-Star kind of guy, and that he’s your starter and that Sabonis is a nice change-of-pace guy off the bench. Whether Sabonis is happy staying in that role remains to be seen.” 36:40-36:52: “This year, he [Darren Collison] is free to play in a way that I don’t think he was necessarily free to play in the first time he was in Indiana, to be much more aggressive, to attack much more, to push the ball much more.”41:47-43:16: “I think he [Lance Stephenson] is like 100 percent instinctual. I think everything that he does on the basketball court is straight from the gut, just emotion and instinct. I don’t think there’s a lot of planning or forethought. He’s just going with it, doing whatever he thinks is right at the moment…He’s definitely still terrible to terrific moment to moment. He’ll make an incredible play and then he’ll make a horrible decision, but it’s sort of been balancing out and it’s been constrained enough that it doesn’t seem like the team is swinging wildly with his wild swings.” Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
With redshirt rookie Ben Simmons garnering heavy praise around the league and Joel Embiid looking healthy and better than ever, the long-tanking 76ers are finally winning games, beginning to reap the benefits of their ambitious Process, which Sam Hinkie launched nearly four and a half years ago. As Simmons comfortably leads the Rookie of the Year chase, filling virtually every corner of the stat sheet, he’s surrounded by improved shooter Robert Covington, veteran free-agent acquisition J.J. Redick and, more broadly, a considerably bolstered roster compared to a season ago. Philadelphia’s Defensive Efficiency has cracked the league’s top 10, and Brett Brown’s squad is playing with confidence and even some semblance of consistency. Max Rappaport, co-host of the 76ers-themed Stepover Podcast and contributor to Complex Sports and Bleacher Report, helps us delve deeply into this up-and-coming Eastern Conference team. To close the show, Joe Borelli of the SuperFlight Podcast makes a special appearance to rave about Simmons, whom he affectionately refers to as an “anomaly” and a “physical freak.” The (numerical) time stamps below are only approximate, but the quotes contained inside are the real deal: 6:42-7:25: “I think the hardcore Process fans, maybe their enthusiasm level hasn’t really changed or it’s been shifted in a different way. They’re no longer cult followers of lovable losers. Now they care about wins and losses too, and that makes it, in some ways, more fun, because the team’s better and Embiid’s playing and Simmons has been awesome. But at the same time, it was kind of a win-win before…Now, it’s like half the time you’re kind of pissed after a game.” 14:54-15:27: “He [Embiid] has a super-high usage rate, even now, but it doesn’t feel as…It felt really forced last year, and he was great and they didn’t have Ben Simmons and they really needed to lean on him, but it felt like when he was on the floor, he was going to put up every shot and he was going to go for every block and dive out of the bounds and basically put his body on the line. And I feel like this year, he’s a huge part of the offense and probably the piece in the offense other than Ben Simmons, but it feels more in the flow of things and I feel like that’s been the biggest difference. It just feels more in control.” 19:29-19:55: “When he [Simmons] was first coming into the league, a lot of people talked about a ‘6-10 Rondo,’ which sounded kind of right to me and also sounded awesome…I’m like, ‘That sounds great. That’s an incredible player if he’s that.’ But I think he’s been more than that in the sense that he can score way more efficiently than I thought he could and is just more aggressive getting to the rim and pretty successful doing it. I think that’s really opened up his ability to pass out of the paint.” 28:11-28:24: “The biggest difference I’ve noticed is that he just seems to trust the players a lot more. Brett Brown for a long time was someone who I thought was maybe the most timeout-happy coach in the league.” Joe Borelli at 46:22-46:58: “His [Ben Simmons’] speed, it lulls you to sleep sort of. You see him coming, and then he just goes into another gear and just kind of blows by his guy. And he’s so big and strong that people can’t really guard him down in the paint. Let’s also not forget he’s really good at rebounding the ball, which is another skill of his that was highly touted coming out of college, remember? He’s just the total package. I think about Ben Simmons, honestly, the way I used to think about LeBron years ago. The guy is just so big, and he’s so strong. He’s just an anomaly. He’s just a physical freak.” Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
The Detroit Pistons have bounced back from an incredibly disappointing 2016-17 campaign to begin this season 14-8. In the process, Detroit is securing come-from-behind victories with great frequency – half of its wins have occurred in games it trailed by double-digits – the second unit is dominating opposing benches and Andre Drummond is showcasing a vastly expanded offensive repertoire. Duncan Smith, contributor to The Athletic Detroit and Bball Breakdown, operates as our tour guide on this exhilarating exploration of the Motor City’s NBA club. We’ll discover how good the Pistons are and where they can still improve. Duncan’s game was clicking on all cylinders. Some highlights are excerpted below: 6:09-7:03: “I think it’s concerning when your starting lineup can’t get you out to good starts, and you need your bench reserves, led by Ish Smith – everybody loves Ish Smith but he is one of the worst shooters in NBA history. When that’s what you’re relying on for stability, it’s a bit problematic, at the very least…When together, they just aren’t effective…I think that’s it’s going to have to be understood and dealt with before long.”13:32-14:11: “It’s a complete and total shift. Basically everything that we thought we knew about Andre Drummond has kind of gone out the window. And I think that it really calls into question everything we thought about his ceiling. We don’t really know how good he can be anymore, and that’s really exciting too, because I think we kind of had an idea that maybe he would just be one of the best rebounders ever who also isn’t a huge drag on offense. I think that was kind of like our best-case scenario for him coming into the season. And now we see that he’s a pretty big plus offensively, while still being one of the best rebounders ever perhaps, and definitely, I would say, the best rebounder in the NBA today.” 17:32-18:02: “I think a big thing is he [Tobias Harris] is a lot quicker this season. That has had this synergistic effect with his 3-pointer, and it makes it so opposing 4s who are kind of trapped on an island with him on the perimeter, they really have to pick their poison. If they play up close on him, he can get around them with ease. If they give him a step, he’s really, really quick on that 3-point shot. His release has definitely quickened over the course of the last year.” 22:08-23:36: “He [Reggie Jackson] has just been better everywhere basically. The improvements on both ends, I think, have largely just come from getting his athleticism back…He is very much the old Reggie. And he’s able to play third or fourth fiddle on a team that I think league-wide a lot of people thought he had some character issues that would not allow him to be anything but the man. I think that he’s probably happier than he’s ever been on a team where he has to play third or fourth fiddle behind Andre Drummond, Tobias Harris and Avery Bradley.” 26:31-26:53: “I think part of the Pistons’ success in spite of slow starts and the starting lineup not being great has simply been the bench comes in and then they just mow the other bench to the ground. It’s often like an onslaught. Most nights, it looks like teams of two different tiers on the floor when the Pistons bench takes on another bench.” 37:28-38:49: “The Pistons hard-capped themselves at noon on July 1 for Langston Galloway, who provides you virtually nothing but shooting. Things like that are definitely problematic, but at the same time, you’ve got a guy [in Stan Van Gundy] who turns the shell of Brandon Jennings and Ersan Ilyasova into Tobias Harris…Van Gundy doesn’t lose trades, but he makes bad decisions on July 1…I think that he’s demonstrated some knack for the job in not selling low on Reggie Jackson or Andre Drummond, for example. These are things that definitely could’ve happened if Van Gundy wasn’t patient and taking a long view.” Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Since the Milwaukee Bucks took Giannis Antetokounmpo with the 15th pick of the 2013 NBA Draft, he’s shown tremendous growth as a basketball player, both literally and figuratively. This season, he has planted his name firmly within the MVP conversation, even if casual fans still have trouble pronouncing it. To guide us through this episode wholly devoted to the Grecian phenom, we’ve brought on Eric Nehm, Bucks beat writer for ESPN Milwaukee and cohost of the Locked on Bucks podcast. Eric explains how Giannis’ humble upbringing, laser-like focus and basketball obsession have all contributed to his nearly unprecedented development from a lanky, unknown draftee into the all but unstoppable force that he is today. Get a sneak peek of us geeking out about the Greek Freak this week with these excerpts (time stamps approximate because of tailored advertisements):10:10-11:20: “There was a part of me that kind of didn’t love it [Giannis' nickname] at the start, just because I think ‘freak,’ the connotation of freak, there’s something wrong with you, there’s something to be ashamed about. Because I guess at some point I thought he was going to fit into a prototypical kind of archetype of an NBA player. That hasn’t happened. He is a total anomaly, so calling him something not normal? Yeah, that works out…There’s not anyone else really out there like him, so I think ‘Greek Freak’ works and it fits, and it’s ended up being kind of perfect.”12:00-14:10: “This year, he has 19.6 points per game in the paint. In the paint…No one’s reached that high of a number, that 20-plus mark, since prime Shaq…And you look at the second-place guy this year: it’s LeBron at 15.9. So just kind of think about how imposing it is when you play LeBron and how you feel like he’s such a freak of nature, and then add another four points per game in the paint. It just doesn’t add up, and what makes it so special is that he doesn’t need to get a screen to get him into the post, he doesn’t need someone to pass him the ball…One thing I always hear opposing coaches talk about is angles. He’s able to create angles with you, and I think when you give him that big runway to start, the angles just become larger. He can use those angles even more to his advantage. So the only thing you can do right now is send multiple bodies at him.”19:20-20:00: “Just from year to year, his progression…I wrote something last year, and some of the Giannis 'stans' disagree with me on this, but I said: In his first year, once a week he would make a play that would make you say ‘wow.’ In [his] second year, it would be once a game you would say ‘wow.’ And then [the] third year, it was once a quarter you’d say ‘wow.’ And last year, it was once a possession. And now you’re at a spot where you just watch him play and you can’t really comprehend just how good this guy has become.”26:00-27:55: “I’ve told people now for the last couple years that he’s a Kobe-level lunatic, and what I mean by that is he’s just totally obsessed with the game of basketball. He can’t think about anything else…With Kobe, it’s always just that insane focus, that insane will to get better that no matter what he’s always working on something. And I just think it’s huge for any great player in the NBA to be that focused and to be able not have their attention diverted…Whatever [off-the-court distraction] it may be, those things don’t really interest him [Giannis].”38:30-38:40: “To me, Giannis doesn’t make sense unless you know his story. It’s difficult to imagine someone being wired in the way that Giannis Antetokounmpo is wired unless you have that backstory.”Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
The Oklahoma City Thunder turned heads around the NBA this offseason when they added stars Paul George and Carmelo Anthony. So far, though, integrating them into the team hasn't been a smooth process. Before back-to-back wins against the Los Angeles Clippers and Dallas Mavericks, they had been riding a four-game losing streak and were winless against the Western Conference. Andrew Schlecht, host of the Down to Dunk and OKC Dream Team podcasts and contributor to Daily Thunder, joined us to try to diagnose what exactly has gone wrong and whether or not the Thunder should be worried. See what we're rumbling about in these electric excerpts below (all time stamps approximate):5:00-5:40: “Overall, there doesn’t seem to be any worry or panic within the team at all. They’re still pretty casual about everything. And then as a fan and somebody who’s watching them, you just have to wait. Even a team with some continuity will evolve over a season. So, there’s not a lot of worry. The team has a ton of talent, they’ve got talent on both sides of the ball, so you’d think they’re going to put it together. Luckily, really besides the Warriors and Rockets, there’s nobody that’s so far ahead of them in the Western Conference that the four or three seed are out of reach. So, they have that on their side.”9:00-9:40: “They’ve relied heavily on isolation in all of their losses. I think that they can look at all those and say, ‘Wow, that did not work.’ The ball did not move. Basically, if you could not create your own shot, or if your name wasn’t Steven Adams, you weren’t going to touch the ball for any meaningful time...I think a part of the problem is whenever a guy like Carmelo or Paul George or even Russell Westbrook get the ball on the wing and they’re single-covered, they think: ‘Let’s cook.’ Those three guys haven’t had a situation like that in a long time where they just have one guy to beat. In their minds, and they’ll even say this, they feel like they’re getting good shots.”16:20-17:20: “Russ is really trying to adjust his game for these two… He’s really trying to figure things out within the offense. I guess the good thing is that he is trying to do it in a way where he’s including others. I just don’t think that he has gotten to the right process yet where he’s really leveraging his talent to help make others better.”23:10-23:30: “If you’re taking mid-range jump shots and taking 3s and that’s really all you’re doing, you’re not going to get to the free-throw line. That’s really been the biggest problem with the ‘Big Three’ as far as getting to the line, that there hasn’t been that aggressiveness to get to the rim really for any of them.”32:15-33:40: “To have a guy like Ray Felton, who’s a veteran, who’s a feisty defender, who’s a leader in the locker room and just an overall cool guy, that’s been really helpful for the Thunder. And then Steven Adams has been spectacular on both ends. There have been points in this season where I’ve said, ‘Steven Adams is the best player on the floor,’ just because of the way he impacts the defensive end. His offensive game is also starting to evolve a little bit where he can score in a few different ways… Do they need to go get another guy this season to make a good playoff run? Yeah, they do. They have an open roster spot, so they’ll be a buyout candidate team. [Thunder GM] Sam Presti almost always makes a trade at some point during the season; I don’t expect that that will be any different this season.”Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
The 5-5 Denver Nuggets are currently about as good as their record would suggest, according to this week’s guest Adam Mares, host of the Locked on Nuggets podcast and site manager for SB Nation’s Denver Stiffs. He argues that despite the team’s considerable continuity, many players are still adjusting to new roles this season. In addition, the Nuggets are still incorporating Paul Millsap into their game plan, particularly on the offensive end. Adam discusses this process, Denver’s many young guards and much more in this action-packed episode. He strikes gold throughout, but here are some particular examples: 7:28-8:23: “Jokic really quarterbacked the offense last year from the center position – he was a point-center. And that wasn’t just a cliché. He really was the facilitator on offense…Steve Kerr was in town yesterday with the Warriors, and he said that the Nuggets’ offense last season was like a pinwheel where Jokic was the center of that and everybody’s kind of operating and cutting and spacing around him. Well, this season, they haven’t really gotten to that yet – I think they’re moving in that direction. They’re playing through Paul Millsap a lot as I think you would expect – he’s a four-time All-Star – and guys are just kind of figuring out new roles around Millsap, Millsap’s learning how to play off of Jokic and Jokic off of Millsap. And so, right now, in particular, their half-court offense has been pretty bad. Not just a little bit of a step back, but I think a huge step back.” 16:09-16:40: “Last season, one of the more remarkable things about the run that he [Jokic] had was that in a four and a half month period where he was the starting center and the focal point of the offense, he had maybe one or two bad games in that entire stretch. He was incredibly consistent, both with his shooting percentages and his assist numbers; all of those things were remarkably steady. This season, he started the season in a very weird place. And I think actually kind of, maybe not sulking but letting some of the frustrations of seeding so much of the offense to Millsap, I think it got to him.” 23:43-24:18: “He [Will Barton] is huge [for the team], and he’s in a contract year. He was a guy that was buried on Portland’s bench for several years, I think two and a half years, and then Denver picked him up, he got a chance and he’s really shined. He’s one of the most important players on the team…You’ve got a lot of guys that play within the system and pass and cut and execute, but you don’t have a lot of guys that just one-on-one can get around their man and make something happen. Will Barton’s great at that. He’s a one-on-one player, and he’s not a selfish one-on-one player.” 31:06-31:33: “I think part of signing Mike Miller for the last couple years and now signing Richard Jefferson is those are guys that are connected to a lot of people around the league, including a lot of your top talent. I think he’s mainly here to be a mentor, but part of the idea is kind of to show Richard Jefferson, ‘Hey, this is an organization that’s trying to throw their hat in the ring as one of the up-and-coming organizations around the league,’ and, ‘go and tell your friends. Let them know.’” Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
The Brooklyn Nets’ 2017-18 season, much like Boston’s, was shaken from the very start when starting point guard Jeremy Lin went down with a scary-looking knee injury. Shortly after, it was announced the veteran guard would be sidelined for the rest of the season with a ruptured patella tendon. To discuss the implications of the devastating injury and much more, Sandy Mui, host of the Brooklyn Revolution Podcast, not to mention Brook-Lin.com assignment editor and writer at The Brooklyn Game, graciously joins Loren and Aaron. Particularly, she also pays close attention to the team’s youngsters, D’Angelo Russell, Caris LeVert and Rondae Hollis-Jefferson, among others, and some of the veterans exceeding expectations, like DeMarre Carroll. These selections below hit nothing but net:5:00-5:15: “I think he [D’Angelo Russell] has looked great so far, aside from the fact that he’s struggled a bit with his passing and playmaking in these last couple of games, but we’ve already seen how high his ceiling can potentially be. In the first three games he played, he averaged 21 points, 4.3 points, 7 assists and 1.7 steals.”9:25-10:50: “I was really heartbroken for Jeremy Lin too. You could see the look on his face after he fell down. He knew that this one was going to be bad…This is terrible news for a guy who only played 36 games last season. And now, he played less than 48 minutes for the entire season…As for the impact on the team, I’d expect, of course, more playing time for the young guys. We’ve already touched on D’Angelo Russell who’s starting at point guard and Lin’s backup, Spencer Dinwiddie, the only player on the roster who plays solely at point guard; he, of course, has to step up. I think Dinwiddie has been pretty impressive so far. As I mentioned, in the Cavs game, he pretty much saved the Nets with that 3 in the final 43 seconds and also the two free throws to seal the deal. Lin, for the season, he’ll have to lead from the sidelines once again.”13:30-14:00: “Last season, with [head coach Kenny] Atkinson in his first year, [general manager] Sean Marks and him talked a lot about player development and focusing on that as the quote unquote ‘progress’ of the team. Well, I think this season, ‘progress’ is slightly different in that this team expects to finish with more than 20 wins and [is] actually capable of doing so, even without Jeremy Lin.” 19:25-20:40: “Everyone covering the Nets has used the phrase “more than a salary dump” at some point by now to describe Carroll. He really is, yeah. A lot of people questioned how much he’d bring to the Nets at the age of 31, on the older side for the Nets for sure, and he is coming off some disappointing years since his Atlanta days, but he’s really delivered…One moment I wanted to point out was on Friday night against the Knicks, Carroll went down for a few minutes after Michael Beasley hit him in the face – he was grabbing his face for a while – and it was ruled just a common foul, but I was worried about him. And a few minutes later, he still dove into the first row to try to grab a loose ball. That’s exactly the kind of grit the Nets are after, and for a veteran, even things like that are great for the young guys to see.”28:25-29:00: “I’ve been very impressed with Rondae [Hollis Jefferson]’s shot, and it’s really clear that he worked on it a lot over the offseason. No hitch anymore, of course, and he’s already scoring a lot more, taking a couple more attempts per game than last season. Really if it’s any player so far I say we can get a little ahead of ourselves for this season, it’s Rondae Hollis-Jefferson. He’s still showing defensive capabilities on top of his scoring, with his 1.2 steals and 1.2 blocks per game. Unbelievable. And has anyone talked about his free-throw shooting?”Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
David Kohan, best known for co-creating the pioneering hit comedy series “Will & Grace” is actually a huge Los Angeles Clippers fan, attending games at the LA Sports Arena beginning in the late ‘80s. In this episode, Aaron had the opportunity to talk with David about both the return of Will & Grace after 11 years off the air and his beloved Clippers. Some clips, pun intended, are excerpted below: 4:31-4:50: “There was something about last season that felt joyless. In fact, that should have been what it said on the T-shirts: joyless. This year so far, in the two-game sample size, they seem looser and freer. It seems more fun.” 10:30-11:54: “The thing that I will miss about Chris Paul is he was the guy that, in any crunch-time situation, he was the one you trusted the most. I trusted Chris Paul as a scorer, as a defender, as a team leader, as the guy who was going to make the right decision more than anybody else on the team by far. So it was scary initially when he was traded. And the downside of Chris Paul was you would see him constantly chirping at players. I think Blake [Griffin] and DJ [DeAndre Jordan] did a pretty good job for the most part masking their annoyance and their frustration…I don’t think he was a great personality manager, which is a really important part of being a leader. Know who your teammates are, know who the people are around you and make adjustments. Don’t expect people to adjust to your personality.” 14:24-14:37: “In the last two minutes of a close game with a lot on the line, who is the Clipper that I would most want to see take that shot? Is it Blake right now? It might be Lou Williams. I’m not sure.” 22:33-23:22 on bringing Will & Grace back on the air: “I was reluctant at first. I thought, ‘Well, it’s sort of run its course.’ But I think there was a sense that there was a need for something comforting and familiar to be out there in the public broadcasting sphere that, in really, really bad troubled times like these, would serve a function, would serve to be a comfort to people, if only for a half an hour on Thursday nights. To that end, I thought, ‘OK, well this is now a worthwhile endeavor,’ and, ‘I think I can make it so that we can get all the work done before tipoff on home games.’ And that is my goal. That actually is my goal for the year.” 24:13-24:49: “It’s easy to obsess, to obsess about the work and obsess about the things you should’ve done and obsess about the problems that could arise. And that can be never-ending if you don’t find something to throw yourself into, to really, really get into. I’m lucky that way. I have my family, I have things I love to do, and I have basketball. I have the Clippers, and it completely transports me from what I’m doing on the job. I mean I’m grateful.” 26:25-26:46: “There are so many monumentally horrible and stupid things that are coming at you constantly that seem ripe for parody or satirization, but you can’t… once you do it and if it’s aired four weeks later, we’re like, ‘Oh my god, yeah. When did that happen? Years ago, right?’ There’s a time warp happening.” 31:11-32:14: “If the appeal of the show initially was the novelty of two gay leads, the appeal of the return, the reboot of it, is the familiarity of it. It’s the comfort of it. So our goal wasn’t to reinvent this thing. Our goal was to do what it was, but to just give it a little facelift…It still needs to be what it was. Our goal was not to do anything radical or to reinvent it all. It’s the same characters, the same circumstances, visually and acoustically the same show; it’s just 2017 now.” Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
A number of stars, including Paul George, Jimmy Butler and Paul Millsap, no longer play in the East, potentially leaving the conference with ample playoff spots available for the taking. In addition, the reigning Eastern Conference finalists swapped star point guards adding a special flavor to their already existing rivalry. Meanwhile, teams like the Raptors, Bucks and Wizards hope their various brands of continuity can vault them to an elite class. To help us sort through it all, Sekou Smith, NBA.com writer and host of the Hang Time podcast, appears for a can’t-miss episode: 4:59-5:35: "[Dwyane Wade]'s been a starter basically his entire career. I think in his career, he's maybe come off the bench 10, 11 times. To ask him to come in and play a role as a bench guy right now, [considering] the fact that he's not a great 3-point shooter, that would have been asking a lot for him to come in cold and be effective and make an impact on that team. I think, as a starter, you give him a chance to not only do what he's always done as a scorer… but you give him an opportunity to get in a rhythm… and to play off of LeBron at a high level, which you know he can do." 10:00-10:14: "The team that I like, that's kind of my wild-card team in the East, is Milwaukee. I think they do have a depth of talent that could put them in a position to challenge for one of those top two or three spots if a bunch of things go right for them." 12:48-14:18: "The biggest challenge for any young guy who's trying to knock on the door and play at that next level is being consistent. I talked with Tracy McGrady about that this summer before he went into the Hall of Fame…I asked him, 'How hard is it to perform at that level night after night?' because I think people assume a guy just becomes a 20-point scorer and it kind of comes easily. He said that was the most difficult thing he had to do in his career, to try to find a way to be the alpha on the floor, no matter the circumstance…Giannis has to be that if he wants to be in the conversation of being MVP. You can't have two or three off-nights. You’ve got to be a guy who's accountable for superstar-type production every single night." 18:38-19:40: "As far as Philadelphia, I don't think they're going to be capable of being evaluated reasonably. I just don't. Given the hype surrounding Joel Embiid, Ben Simmons, [Markelle] Fultz and all those young guys that they have, it's going to be impossible for anybody to give them a real baseline, reasonable expectation for what they can do as a group…I've seen young teams that are piled up with lottery picks and people expect them to get there overnight. It's just not realistic. There's so much learning that has to go on, so much starting and stopping, failures and successes that you have to weather as a group to become a playoff team." 34:21-35:29: "If the ship has sailed for Dwight [Howard], if he's no longer going to be the impact player he believes he can be, then it's going to be a sad finish to his career in this league in terms of him never really getting back to anything close to that level of stardom he achieved in Orlando. I would just like to see if Dwight can even get back to All-Star caliber play in Charlotte. I think he's got an opportunity sitting in front of him to really reestablish himself and change some opinions about who he is, but it has to happen immediately…It has to happen from opening night and be something he does on a regular basis in order to change those perceptions about who he is as a player."Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Colin Ward-Henninger of CBSSports.com helps preview the talent-loaded Western Conference after an action-packed offseason replete with key player movement.8:54-9:52: “Paul George actually had a higher usage rate and more touches than Melo last year, and we all know what Russ [Westbrook] does on the court. And he had a hard enough time playing with Durant, and then when Durant left, we saw the madness that happened last year with just the NBA record usage rate of like 40 percent or something like that, which is insane, and it’s hard to just turn that off. I think it’s going to take a while…I think it’s going to be very difficult. I think that Paul George is going to have the hardest time adjusting, because I think he’s going to be the one who’s expected to take fewer shots. Melo, we hope at this stage in his career understands that he’s not the No. 1 guy or even the No. 2 guy in this case, but you never know. And these are two guys that can opt out of their contracts, Paul George and Carmelo Anthony. So if they get 20 games into the season and they don’t like playing with Russ, there’s some Operation Shutdown potential there.” 14:02-16:16: “A lot of people are saying that they’re going to be a Top-5 seed or maybe even crack that Top 4, but I just don’t see it. They’ve got a lot of work to do, but I do think bringing in Jimmy Butler is going to create some accountability for these young guys. Towns and Wiggins are going to have to start playing some defense or else they’re going to hear it from not only Thibodeau but also Jimmy Butler…It’s mostly the defense [that’s concerning], but it’s also how these guys are going to fit together. Towns is a guy who needs the ball, wants the ball. He sees himself as the alpha dog. That was clear during his rookie season; he snatched that from Wiggins right away. Wiggins is another guy who needs the ball to be effective.” 25:01-25:38: “It’s funny; we haven’t even mentioned the Pelicans in this entire podcast, which kind of tells you about their state of affairs down there. Coming from Sacramento, I’m not a huge DeMarcus Cousins fan. You watch that guy day in and day out, and you see what kind of effect he has on his teammates, his attitude. Obviously incredibly talented; you always have to put that in when you talk about DeMarcus Cousins, but it’s hard to see him in a winning situation down there. And over the summer, the Pelicans ownership didn’t exactly give [coach Alvin] Gentry a nod of confidence when they basically said, ‘We’re going to keep him around until we see find something better,’ so I think Gentry’s the first coach out.” Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
In these unprecedented political and social times, Dave Zirin of The Nation and the Edge of Sports podcast joins the show for an important conversation. Below, you can find some highlights from the interview:6:31-7:18: “There is no stay in your lane at this point. All the rules are gone, and I think the very existence of Donald Trump should remove this idea, even as a debate. But the reason you’ve heard it step up in recent years is precisely because we have this Donald Trump[-led] racist backlash taking place in this country. And part of this racist backlash involves squelching voices of dissent. I would argue there’s been no cultural sphere quite like the world of sports in terms of being a center of anti-racist activism. It has been the voice, the clarion call, the moral conscience about racism in the United States over the last five years, dating back to, I would argue, the killing of Trayvon Martin by George Zimmerman.”12:49-13:18: “This has always been part of his [LeBron James’] DNA. This has always been a part of the kind of legacy he wanted to leave. So while LeBron James, I would argue, has been strongly affected by the Black Lives Matter movement, by social media, he’s also somebody who came into the league with this idea of thinking to himself, ‘I want to be a global icon like [Muhammad] Ali. I don’t want to be defined just by my bank account but [by] the kind of political contribution that I can leave behind.’”20:36-21:18: “He [NFL commissioner Roger Goodell] has no power. He has no sway. He’s a meat puppet. Adam Silver is very different. He is the NBA commissioner. Players do respect him. Even if they know he’s on the other side and works for the owners, they think he has the best interests of the league and the best interests of them as players at heart. That’s a huge difference. That trust factor is so huge. And part of what that trust factor means is that Adam Silver can issue a joint statement with [executive director of the NBA Players Association] Michele Roberts about them working together to help players find a way to do social justice work, and what’s so interesting, and this was not a coincidence, is that they put that letter out to coincide with the opening week of the NFL season.”22:32-23:30: “There’s another part of it that I think it is really important, and that’s that the NBA has spent several generations, I mean dating back to David Stern in the late ‘70s and early ‘80s…what the NBA has done is they’ve marketed the player, not the team. The players are the stars, not the teams. The NFL has done the opposite…Because they’ve done that, that also means that these NBA players have a tremendous amount of cultural capital, and people know them and want to hear from them.”27:13-29:13: “Gregg Popovich has so much respect throughout the league, among both players and executives, that it’s afforded him just a tremendous amount of leeway in terms of what he can say. And also, he’s past the point where he needs the NBA. The NBA, in so many respects, needs Gregg Popovich more than he needs the NBA. And Steve Kerr has just presided over the three best seasons, I would argue, of any team in the modern NBA…And so, when they’re outspoken and when LeBron’s outspoken, one of the things it does is that it provides this amazing pretext for other players to speak out confidently, because when the people at the top of the profession speak out, it provides cover for everybody else.”32:28-32:55: “First, there was an effort by the National Football League to hijack the message of these protests; now there’s an effort to just squelch it. And I think that people in the media have a role to play to explain these protests in a way that speaks to the names, like Philando Castile and Alton Sterling and Charleena Lyles. If you’re not saying those names, you’re not being honest about why people are protesting in the first place.”Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Led by tournament MVP Goran Dragic and impressive 18-year-old Luka Doncic, Slovenia upset the perennial favorite, Spain, on its way to a EuroBasket Gold, the first medal of any kind in the tournament for the small country of only about 2 million people. Trevor Magnotti, who covers all things EuroLeague at The Step Back, joins Aaron to break down the most important takeaways from EuroBasket, including the draft implications of Doncic's performance and the possibility of new young powerhouses in Latvia, Slovenia and Finland replacing the longtime European mainstays of Spain and France. Of course, Aaron also gets Trevor's viewpoint on how some of this season's European rookies, such as the Clippers' Milos Teodosic and the Cavaliers' Cedi Osman, may fare in their transition into the NBA. Tour through the episode with these excerpts below:6:51-7:35: “[Lauri] Markkanen came in on this [Finnish] team, and he immediately took charge of the situation. He was a massive part of their success, basically single-handedly beat[ing] France in the group stage in that big overtime upset that was by far the game of the tournament to me…He both kind of helped his team to a lot of success and also helped himself a little bit. I think that he’s a guy that I’m now much more excited to see at the NBA level, whereas I wasn’t really before, because he didn’t look as solid as we had hoped in his one year of college.”13:23-15:11: “The fact that he [Luka Doncic] is 18 and he’s playing this big of a role on a team in this tournament, which is basically like the second tier below the Olympics in terms of international basketball, that’s never really happened before. Really the only player that I can think of who has played this big of a role on a EuroBasket team at his age is Pau Gasol, and that’s no small comparison. Pau is by far the most productive young player that we’ve ever seen in Europe, and Doncic is at that level…The one single skill particularly that I’m most impressed with – and this is the reason that he’s in the conversation to be a No. 1 pick – is just he’s a better passer than anything we’ve seen probably since Chris Paul came out of college…Even though he’s not the most athletic guy, I think that he’s got a future as an NBA point guard, because he’s 6-7, he has this brilliant passing ability and he has enough smarts and enough other skills to kind of build off of that.”23:54-24:23: “He [Goran Dragic] is still really good. He’s still probably one of the top 15 point guards in the league, and I think that he showed that here. Just his ability to change directions attacking off the dribble, his defensive capabilities were really on display here, I think that he did a really good job passing and leading this [Slovenian] offense. He’s a good guy who’s been here a ton of times before and finally had the talent around him to be able to have this success.”34:32-35:20: "He [Bogdan Bogdanovic] is a really good off-the-dribble creator, really good shooter, competes well defensively. I like to say he’s probably better than Buddy Hield at all the things that Buddy Hield is good at, and if Hield is kind of the guy for Sacramento going into the season in terms of their young development, Bogdanovic has potential to be maybe one of their best players. So I think he’s going to have maybe some Rookie of the Year chances. [Milos] Teodosic, I think he’s going to help kind of create some continuity in LA, [where] they’re breaking in a lot of new players and just his play style compared to Chris Paul on offense. He plays in a similar way where he’s so hyperfocused on orchestrating things and setting the table for his teammates. Defensively, he’s going to be a train wreck.”Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
The creative Matt Hill, Super Hoopers cofounder and cohost, graces us with his presence, as we discuss a wide selection of topics, ranging from his viral animated comedy web series “Spurs Special Forces” to Lonzo Ball, bandwagon fans and so much more. A trio of excerpts can be found below:6:50-7:06: Matt discusses longtime friend Randall Park [actor-comedian]’s unique contributions to "Spurs Special Forces." “He’s just an old friend. So I was doing the Spurs [Special Forces video], and I thought it’d be funny to have him even though he knows nothing about basketball. He has no idea who Manu Ginobili is. Basically his impression of Manu Ginobili is almost like half-Scarface. It’s like a high-pitched Scarface.23:28-24:01: Why is Matt growing really excited about the Lakers once again? It all points back to one particular rookie. “Right now, I am all in on the Lakers because of Lonzo Ball. I just love everything I’m seeing with him in terms of his personality, his leadership, all the stories you hear about him when he was a kid, him taking teammates under his wing. I love “Ball in the Family,” the Facebook show. I love his raps. I’m uncomfortable with how invested I am in Lonzo Ball. And also watching him in summer league…he’s electrifying. It’s edge of your seat, and those are summer league games.”29:24-29:42: The topic of "bandwagon" fandom comes up with our guest arguing from a unique perspective. He closes with an example from his family. “I just spoke highly of my grandpa. My grandpa was like the biggest bandwagon fan out there. When the Clippers were good, I went home, and the guy had Clipper socks on, a Clipper sweater and a Clipper hat on. I was like, ‘What happened, grandpa?’ He’s like, ‘Man, I’m 85, all right? I don’t got too much time left. I’m rooting for the team that’s good.’”---You can find all of Matt's Youtube videos here.You can subscribe to, rate and review On the NBA Beat on Apple Podcasts.Music: “Who Likes to Party” by Kevin MacLeodLearn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
For this special episode, your hosts will break precedent and not write too much below the audio player. Most importantly, we sincerely appreciate the myriad contributions to our project and made this episode to help spell those out. It’s a long episode, but one which we hope you’ll find well worth your while.Interview Time Stamps:13:30-23:40: Lang Whitaker44:24-51:50: Andy Liu52:40-57:35: Justin Faudree58:40-1:06:10: Josh Baumgard1:06:40-1:13:30: Dan Feldman1:14:35-1:22:10: Nick Denning1:24:20-1:29:15: Adena Jones (formerly Andrews)1:30:40-1:41:05: Michael Pina1:42:20-1:51:20: Chris AxmannA few other notable features:24:15-27:00: Fun Fact Montage27:16-44:20: Andy Liu Montage---You can subscribe to, rate and review On the NBA Beat on iTunes.Music: “Who Likes to Party” by Kevin MacLeodLearn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Oliver Maroney, basketball writer for Dime on Uproxx and host of The Big3 Show, calls in to discuss the Big3 tour just as it concludes its regular season and prepares for Sunday’s semifinal round in Seattle. Maroney gets into the business and marketing side of things, while also, of course, delving into the basketball issues at play. For instance, we’ll find out which team is most likely to challenge the undefeated Trilogy squad and whom he favors to take home the inaugural MVP trophy. Just a one-year novelty experiment? Oliver thinks not. He argues that this league has staying power. Listen to find out why that is.3:24-3:41: “Obviously there’s nostalgia involved, but I think people are just overlooking the fact that this is a competitive basketball league and not just something where retired players go to play. This is something a little bit more than that. They’ve got camaraderie, all the players enjoy each other, and it’s just very different from your normal NBA atmosphere.”12:10-13:57: “The players love it because that’s the 1990s way. [In] 1980s, 1990s NBA basketball, hand-checking wasn’t allowed and there was more physical play allowed, and now you get to this day and age where players are paid $200 million-plus over five or six years, and teams want to keep their guys healthy, so the only way to kind of eliminate injuries is by just making it a non-contact sport, which it’s almost essentially become…This league, it’s completely the opposite…They’ve tried to take it back a little bit. They’ve tried to make it more physical, and I think you can tell on the floor. When you’re standing there or at the game, you can tell. It’s just so much more physical. It’s a cross between kind of like a boxing match and an NBA game from the 1990s, just because players are really going at it, they’re yelling at each other, the arguing’s there. The competitive nature of these players is still all intact, and they don’t hold back.”17:06-18:02: “The team game or the team aspect of this is much more vocal than it is movement-based I think. A lot of this is communication, because these players need to know that if they are going to go 1-on-1, how are they going to set their teammates up for the best offensive possession. You need to set picks at the right moment. It’s very precise. You watch Mahmoud Abdul-Rauf, and you see kind of like how he plays the game. It is very precise. He’s watching everybody on the court at one time essentially…I was talking with Marcus Banks about this, who was playing against him this weekend. He just said, ‘That guy has basketball IQ that’s unlike any other.’ And I think you can definitely tell that on the floor and players know that much more when you’re playing 3-on-3 versus 5-on-5 because they’re held accountable defensively and offensively.”20:30-21:29: “Obviously, some of them, they came off not playing basketball for a season or two, so do they have to get their bodies back to where it was? Sure. But when you look at a guy like Ricky Davis, he’s been working out ever since he got out of the NBA and hasn’t stopped. They still continue to grind. I don’t think people understand [this]: When you’re in the NBA or when you’re in any professional sport for that matter, you love the game, and you have a passion for it more than just about anybody else that you know, and if you don’t do that anymore, it feels weird. Most of these players, they talk about it. Being retired is strange. What do you do with your time? How do you deal with yourself? So they go back to what they know, which is working out, playing basketball. Most of these guys play pick-up basketball. Most guys work out multiple times a day.Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Ahead of Friday night’s matchup between the top two teams in the WNBA, the Minnesota Lynx and Los Angeles Sparks, Sue Favor joins the podcast to talk about the league. Sue, a devoted women’s hoops writer at Women’s Hoops World and her “They’re Playing Basketball” blog, handicaps the MVP race, details the Sparks’ winning formula and more broadly discusses the league’s most important storylines, on and off the court. Wonderful WNBA wisdom can be sampled below:Sue argues Candace Parker is not declining. Far from it:5:22-6:04: “It seems like the minute a player turns 30 everybody’s asking her when she’s gonna retire, whatever. Even Candace, herself, got that question a few weeks ago, and she was saying, ‘Whoa, whoa, whoa. Why are you asking me this right now?’ She’s still one of the best players in the world. She can take over a game, and she’s actually done that several times in the last month especially. She’s at the top of the league in statistics right now, and I don’t see her slowing down at all really. So I guess that’s why I wouldn’t even say that she’s trying to pass the baton to anybody right now. She and Nneka are friends off the court, and they work really well together on the court. They’re interchangeable. If one of them is having a slightly off game, the other one steps up. They both work together in tandem really well.”Our guest opines on the favorites to take home the championship trophy this season:10:32-10:44: “I see it as a three-team race right now between the Lynx, the Sparks and the Connecticut Sun, who are absolutely on fire this season and have risen to levels that no one ever anticipated, probably not even the players themselves.”Despite Minnesota's dominance thus far at 21-3, a key injury to its starting point guard could signal trouble:12:22-13:08: “Lindsay Whalen is out for an undetermined period of time with that finger breakage. So without her, they’re a completely different team as we saw on Sunday when the Indiana Fever upset them. The Sparks are healthy right now, but that could change in a minute, because the WNBA roster is only 12 players per team, so when you lose one person it has a huge ripple effect…The Sun also have an injury to contend with: starter Jasmine Thomas is out as well. Right now, of the three top teams in the league, the Sparks are definitely the most healthy, so I guess Sparks fans can just pray that they stay healthy, because injuries really play a major part, especially right now when every single game counts like 10 times over.”Sue shares her MVP contender list:16:28-16:43: “Sylvia Fowles, Tina Charles has been having a really stellar season, Breanna Stewart, with her tying the record with 20-plus-point games. Those three probably I would say are the top three conversation pieces, with Candace Parker kind of sneaking up in there.”The league, according to Sue, is seeing a renaissance in terms of player openness and transparency, and she couldn't be more pleased: 22:27-22:59: “I’ve definitely been pleasantly surprised this year at the number of…It’s not that closet doors are opening; basically, it seems like the closets are burning down. And it’s just stars. Elena Delle-Donne I believe was the first [star in a while], and then we had Penny Taylor and Diana Taurasi, Sue Bird. Layshia [Clarendon] was last year, but it just seems that people are not afraid to be and show who they are right now, and that’s pretty cool. People shouldn’t have to hide who they are in any kind of way.”Finally,Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
The Minnesota Timberwolves have missed the playoffs in each of the past 13 seasons, while finishing with more losses than wins over the last 12. However, the tide is about to turn, according to our guest, Tim Faklis, who contributes to A Wolf Among Wolves, Wolves Wired and FanSided’s The Step Back. He argues that the team’s active offseason, highlighted by the blockbuster trade with Chicago that landed Jimmy Butler, has placed it firmly in win-now mode. Tim touches upon a wide assortment of topics, including the Timberwolves’ expected improvement and whether or not they should try to trade for the Cavaliers’ Kyrie Irving. Let’s see if these excerpts leave you howling at the moon:3:20-4:02: “He [Butler] is not a dynamite perimeter shooter, but pretty much every other aspect of his game is something that they’ve missed, especially defensively. They were the worst defensive team in the NBA by a lot of measures last year. And Butler brings in that defensive toughness that [coach Tom] Thibodeau’s been looking for since he joined the team really… I think part of Thibodeau’s plan is to have Butler teach the both of them [Karl-Anthony Towns and Andrew Wiggins], especially Wiggins, how to work on that end.”12:02-12:39: “Jeff Teague has been up and down from season to season in terms of his 3-point shooting. The hope is that he’ll be up in Minnesota with guys like Butler, guys like Wiggins, guys like Towns there to initiate most of the offense and him just to kind of bring the ball up and then play. Defensively, he’s a step down from Rubio. Passing-wise, he’s a good passer, he’s a good point guard; he’s not Ricky Rubio in that sense. But I think he fits in Thibs’ system more in that he has played in a successful system where he isn’t necessarily the guy with the ball in his hands all the time. I think that’s the big key.”13:57-16:05: “[Wiggins] is a potential All-Star, high-level scoring player, and it’s really hard to trade a guy that young, that good, for a guy with two years left on his deal. That’s the other thing. If you trade Wiggins, he’s [potentially] got six years left with the Wolves, but if you trade him that’s gone… It’s really hard for me to envision that the Wolves, from their perspective, would be able to make that deal. I think there’s too much risk with Wiggins’ potential ascension to make that move with how little Irving is willing reportedly to commit.”23:10-25:02: “I just did a podcast with a bunch of Wolves writers…and we kind of have them tentatively slated somewhere around fifth or sixth in the West next year. Some people—I think this might be their optimism—have them over the Thunder; I don’t have them over the Thunder. Paul George and Russell Westbrook, I think, fit together better than some people think…It’s almost a tie between Denver and Minnesota for me. I love the Paul Millsap signing for Denver. [Nikola] Jokic and Millsap inside together, I think, would be devastating…Ultimately, just looking up and down the West, I think fifth or sixth seems realistic for the Wolves for next year in the playoffs.”32:45-34:31: “[Towns] is so good at every aspect of basketball offensively. He can handle the ball. He can pass the ball. He can shoot from deep… But in terms of both post defense and help defense, he just has not figured it out yet. A lot of people compared him early on to Anthony Davis, but I think the one big advantage Davis had was that he was just a defensive master almost immediately when he came into the NBA.Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
The NBA world has taken over Las Vegas for the last two weeks, and while the main attraction has obviously been Las Vegas Summer League, where teams test out and try to develop their new talent, with so much of the top brass in one city, there are bound to be auxiliary events as well. One such event is TPG Sport Group's Pro Scout School, which our guest, Joe Morgan, was able to attend this week. He lets us in on everything he learned there, from experts like Fran Franchilla, Bobby Marks, Tony Ronzone, Drew Hanlen and more. Of course, Joe is also the co-host of The Kings Court and covers the Kings for SacKingsNation.com, so we'd be remiss if we didn't also get his views on Sacramento's eventful offseason so far. Scout out these royal excerpts below:7:15-8:11 Joe speaks on being able to gain an insider’s perspective with front office personnel and other experts: “They talk to you more openly than they would during the season when they’re busy. They give you that insider’s view of ‘Why did this move happen?’ …I could not figure out why Oladipo went to Indiana, and somebody made the point in the class that he’s a Hoosier alumnus. So do you think that helps them sell tickets for the team that was 22nd in attendance last year?… Basketball teams only convene to do two things: win games and make money. As a fan and even on the commentating side of it, generally, you only look at the game-winning side of it, we forget to add in that this is a business.”11:26-12:20 On how modern teams are able to use both advanced analytics and traditional scouting in conjunction for player evaluation: “In the class, one of my favorite sentences that came out of the whole thing was. ‘Analytics is just evidence-based decision making.’ A guy has to pass the eye-test; you can’t watch a guy and think he’s horrible and then want him on your team. But analytics gives you something that helps you watch for specific patterns… It gives you another way to fine tune what you’re looking for. A lot of these guys, you only get to watch once or twice… so if you have an analytics team give you some notes beforehand, it really helps you out as a scout.”15:50-16:17 On the particular way scouts watch games for player evaluation: “If a scout goes into a building to watch Bob Smith from wherever, he sits down and only watches him for the entire game. I don’t care if he’s on the bench, I don’t care if he’s warming up, you watch specifically that person. You watch his facial expressions, whether he’s taking instructions from the coach well, whether when he’s sitting on the bench, is he engaged in the game or is he off in his own world. You’re only watching that one person for the entire game.”29:06-29-28 On the Kings’ decision to sign George Hill in free agency: “What people didn’t seem to get was, you can’t give the keys to a young man like [De’Aaron] Fox right off the bat. You gotta work him in slowly. I think it was a perfect signing, to where [George Hill] can play… but if De’Aaron Fox comes out in the first year and is just amazing, the contract is friendly enough that you can move George Hill. If De’Aaron doesn’t come out as a superstar, well, then you keep [Hill] for those three years and let him develop slowly. It gives them the flexibility to go either way.”34:41-35:01 Joe has the utmost confidence in Coach Dave Joerger’s ability to lead this team, as long as he sticks around: “Coach Joerger’s amazing. I wouldn’t trade him for anyone else in the league right now. I think he’s the absolute perfect guy to bring this roster along.Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
ESPN.com’s Jovan Buha joins the podcast to analyze the Los Angeles Clippers’ tumultuous 2017 offseason, highlighted by the departure of Chris Paul and the re-signing of Blake Griffin. Developments from the last couple weeks have raised so many questions. Fortunately, Jovan can reliably provide compelling answers.Enjoy these clips (pun intended; puns are always intended here):4:14-5:03: “He [Paul] obviously wants to win a championship, wants to make the conference finals, get that monkey off his back, and I think for him, surveying the scene, I think Houston and San Antonio both had more upside. The Clippers, with their cap situation, were most likely going to lose J.J. Redick no matter what and still might end up losing Luc Mbah a Moute, who actually ended up being a bargain signing for them with the bi-annual exception. So I think just looking at it from that perspective, the Clippers were basically going to return the same team as last year minus their two starting wings. And if I’m Chris Paul and we just won 51 games and lost in the first round, that’s not very attractive to me.”28:57-30:20: “I thought they added depth, they added versatility, they added some youth, and they added assets. At the worst, Lou Williams and Patrick Beverley can both be flipped easily if you want to flip those guys…In the macro sense, the Clippers lost the trade because they lost a top-10 player and they went from a fringe contender to a playoff hopeful.”34:30-36:08: “I think keeping Blake made sense just because if the Clippers lost Blake and Chris, they were going to go back to irrelevance. They were not set up for a rebuild. This was not a Utah Jazz or Boston Celtics situation where those teams were able to…the Jazz dumped Deron Williams and rebuilt within three years. The Celtics dumped their Big Three and rebuilt within a couple years. The Clippers, if they lost Blake and Chris and then had to trade D.J. [DeAndre Jordan], this was going to be like a four- or five-year process at a minimum. They do not have any young assets, they don’t have a couple of their picks over the next few years…This was going to be an ugly process of just gutting the team, hoping to find some cheap, young talent and really hoping to draft well, which they have not done over the last few years…There’s more things about it than just the on-court product. The Clippers have now sold out – I forgot the exact number – 240-something games. They’ve sold out every game since before Chris even got there – I think since Blake’s rookie season they’ve sold out every home game. They just signed a new TV deal last year, they’re always on national TV, 20-plus times a year. This team has gone from complete irrelevance to being probably a top-10 team in terms of just relevance and being talked about on TV and just sort of a team that’s on everyone’s mind.”50:13-51:34: “If everything goes right, if Blake and [Danilo] Gallinari can both play 70-plus games, I think this team has the talent and the versatility to be a 5 or 6 seed in the West, but it is a big risk…He [Gallinari] is not elite, but he’s good to very good, and I think it solves what the Clippers have needed from the 3 spot for the last six years. With that said, I think there’s injury concerns, I think there’s defensive concerns - I think Gallinari ideally is used as a stretch-4 and not as much of a 3.”52:42-53:10: “If you’re going to be playing Pat Beverley and Austin Rivers – if that’s your starting backcourt – neither one of those guys is a great ball handler or playmaker or passer, so having a guy like Gallinari with Blake is really interesting to me because you’re going to be running a lot of your offense through your forwards and not your guards,Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Though the free agency period does not officially begin until July 1, the landscape of the NBA has already been shifted dramatically after the draft, a few franchise-altering trades and a couple executive team shake-ups. To help us sort through all the madness of the last week and predict the remaining changes to come, we've brought on Keith Smith, who covers the NBA for Real GM and Fan Rag Sports, and has been presenting detailed analyses of each team's offseason plans for his show, NBA Front Office. With Keith, we break down the ramifications of the blockbuster trades that sent Chris Paul to Houston and Jimmy Butler to Minnesota, discuss the fallout of the Knicks and the Cavaliers severing ties with executives Phil Jackson and David Griffin respectively and, of course, try to forecast the eventual landing spots for Paul George, Gordon Hayward, Blake Griffin, George Hill, Paul Millsap and all of the other high-profile free agents and likely movers this offseason.7:03-7:30: “One of the things that’s really funny about the Blake Griffin question is you can see it going one of two ways. You can see Blake Griffin saying, ‘Forget it. We can’t replace CP3. I’m not gonna be able to win here now. I want to move on. I want to get out of here and go somewhere else.’ Or you could see Blake Griffin saying, ‘Finally, it’s my team. I have it to myself. I don’t have to deal with this guy yapping at me all the time, and we didn’t necessarily get along great.’ So that’s where it becomes really tricky.”20:02-21:10: “It’s popular for people to say, ‘Ah, who cares? LeBron is the GM. He makes all the decisions.’ And it’s simply not true. Now, he probably has more input than any other player in the entire NBA, but it’s more along the lines of David Griffin says, ‘Hey, I can go get Kyle Korver. What do you think?’ And then LeBron’s like, ‘Yeah, go get Kyle Korver.’ David Griffin’s still the one who has to put all those pieces together…Losing David Griffin is a massive loss for the Cavaliers, and losing them when they did just didn’t make sense. And especially the way [Cavaliers owner] Dan Gilbert went about it. He didn’t allow Griffin to interview with Orlando or Milwaukee or Atlanta, who all had interest in having a conversation with him. And then as soon as all those opening were filled, he dismissed him and said, ‘We’re done.’”24:07-24:39: “I think your next piece that you’re looking at is who else do the Wolves go out and add, because they still are gonna have some cap space, they’re gonna be able to do some things. And if they go out and add another big-time defender – all accounts are that’s where they’re looking to go now; they’ve got the offensive side covered…if they go out and add another big-time defender, that’s gonna be what starts to improve it [the defense] so it’s incremental growth, plus whatever they add this summer.”32:34-33:05: “Paul George has made it clear that he’s leaving, so once you do that, that limits your [team’s] leverage. But where the Pacers have gained back some leverage is that they now are in a position where multiple teams are interested, so that re-ups their leverage because now instead of just being one team that they’re dealing with, they can ask for a little bit more…They have to trade him. They can’t let him walk away for nothing. So now they can pit the teams that are trying to trade for him against each other.”You can subscribe to, rate and review On the NBA Beat on
With the draft fast approaching – it’s scheduled for Thursday, June 22, – we’re joined by a pair of men who closely and passionately follow the NBA draft and its potential prospects year-round. Ode to Oden’s Sean Derenthal and Javier Pesquera of What’s on Draft lend their time and expertise to the show, discussing a wide range of issues, including but not limited to Markelle Fultz’s top billing, the Lonzo Ball phenomenon, the strengths and weaknesses of Josh Jackson’s and Dennis Smith Jr.’s games and the nature of this year’s international class. You won’t want to miss this one, especially if, like your hosts, you’ve been fixated on the NBA all season.Sean Derenthal: 9:28-9:43:“Lonzo Ball is super-, super-interesting. If you told me like five years from now that he was the best player out of this draft, I wouldn’t be surprised. If you told me that he was basically unplayable, I also wouldn’t be too surprised honestly.”SD: 16:48-18:16:“The problem with Josh Jackson, while he does bring all of that [defensive versatility], the reason that you wouldn’t take him is, well, one, there’s some off-court issues…Offensively, his shot is the big issue. So in the Finals, I think we saw that one-way players, it’s difficult to play these guys, and that if you are passable in team defense…but you’re good on offense, you can provide some spacing for your stars, well then that guy might be more valuable than a really, really good defender who can’t shoot at all…There’s a good chance that he won’t ever be much better than a slightly below-average starter just because his shot is a huge question…he brings it down really far, he’s got a really wonky kind of hitch in his shot.”SD: 22:07-23:14: “By realistic expectations, I think this draft is good. It’s definitely above average. It came in, and people were talking about ‘potentially seven All-Stars, blah-blah-blah, one of the best drafts in recent memory,’ all that stuff...It’s not going to be what everybody says that it is, but that’s probably just because we all have overblown expectations anyway.”Javier Pesquera: 31:48-32:06:“We see it as him [Markelle Fultz] being at the same level as Ben Simmons more or less…You can always be a bit let down by a guy, but I think he’s both the guy with the highest floor and the highest ceiling, and that’s normally a good combination, especially when we are talking about a guy that is also that young.”JP: 39:22-39:43:“I would say that Fultz is clearly No. 1 for me, and after that, I probably have Ball and Dennis Smith Jr. in a tier by themselves after Fultz, but then it gets murkier. After those guys, between fourth and 11th or between fourth and 10th most likely, I think those six, seven guys are all more or less in the same level.”JP: 50:32-50:56:“[In terms of International players], I probably will say Frank [Ntilikina], [Anzejs] Pasecniks as a big that can have some ability and maybe you are able to stash a couple years and get him down the road. And other than that, it gets pretty dicey. I’m not really a fan of any of the other guys that are still in this class. The ones I like the most withdrew, so it’s just a bit difficult to find European prospects in this class honestly.”You can subscribe to,Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
With just over three minutes left in a thrilling Game 3, the Cleveland Cavaliers held a three-point lead and looked to be on their way to handing the Golden State Warriors their first loss since April 10. Not to be deterred, the Warriors finished the game with 11 straight points, sealing the victory and continuing their quest for an undefeated 16-0 playoff run.Aaron and Loren team up to discuss that heartbreaking Cavaliers loss, what’s gone right and wrong for each team in the series and what the Warriors’ dominance means for the future of the NBA.You can subscribe to, rate and review On the NBA Beat on iTunesMusic: “Who Likes to Party” by Kevin MacLeod Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
The 2017 NBA Finals are finally here. And no surprise…the Golden State Warriors and Cleveland Cavaliers are set to face off an NBA-record third straight time. These behemoths come in a combined 24-1 this postseason. The Warriors have won at least 67 games each of the last three regular seasons, whereas the defending champion Cavaliers boast a league-leading 120.7 Offensive Rating these playoffs. As if that weren’t enough, the second LeBron James-Kevin Durant Finals meeting will also be a key component, among a slew of fascinating storylines. To help us preview this highly anticipated rubber series, New York Times bestselling author Brendan Bowers and Warriors World’s Andy Liu team up to provide elite insight on these historic teams.Brendan Bowers 5:57-7:14: “I think LeBron’s in his prime right now. And I’m not saying that prime’s gonna last X number of years. I don’t know how long it’s gonna last…If I was to guess one thing [as to] why is it the prime now: I think part of [it is] getting that championship for Cleveland, breaking the six-decade streak of no championships, doing it for his hometown, completing the redemption story. I think now that that whole thing is off his back, he’s just playing basketball, and he is, I think, playing it better than he ever has despite the athleticism that he had at 22, at 23, at 24. He’s just totally dominating the game…If you go to this many NBA Finals, I would say that he knows how to manage his body from preseason to regular season to All-Star break to the playoffs. Obviously, there’s luck in there with health, but I think he’s learned something about how to manage his body for the NBA grind. He might have helped Kyrie Irving, Kevin Love with that this year too.”BB 9:51-10:03: "They’ve got to defend to the best of their ability every game this series to have a chance. Hopefully they’re prepared enough to give that effort, but I guess we’ll see."BB 16:12-16:27: "The way I look at this series is the team with two of the three best players in [each] game is gonna win. So it’s gotta be LeBron or Kyrie or Kevin Love that’s in that conversation, and really I guess everyone else has to play their role."BB 22:57-23:30: "The Mike Brown one [storyline] is interesting. You also look at it from Mike Brown’s perspective. Mike Brown is coaching against the franchise that fired him twice. The Cavs fired him, hired him and fired him again, so that’s almost like a Disney movie…Steph-Kyrie is gonna be unbelievable, but just LeBron vs. Durant at this stage of their career[s] is probably my favorite storyline."Andy Liu 32:35-32:47: “The Warriors, they’ve been extremely rested unlike last year, so they’re going in a different team, obviously outside of Durant. Draymond, Steph and Klay, those guys are going in as fresh as can be.”AL 38:18-38:33: “Steph, like LeBron, understands all the criticism and reads what everyone is saying and he absolutely understands that people think Kyrie is on the same footing as him. And I think it’s something he’s gonna go out there and prove throughout this series, that really he’s on another level.”AL 39:44-40:25: “If you got into a fight and you knew you were better, you aren’t gonna necessarily kind of stoop down or do anything you wouldn’t want to do…you know if you swing, you’re gonna connect, you’re gonna win. But the guy that’s smaller than you is willing to drag your legs or bite you or scratch you or claw, whatever it is that they need to do. The Cavs are that guy. They’re that smaller guy that will do anything to win. They’ll run pick ‘n rolls until it doesn’t work.Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
In advance of the NBA Finals, Aaron catches up with former Sheridan Hoops writer Jim Park about the Golden State Warriors’ dominance, Steve Kerr’s health-related absence and what, if anything, can slow down these rolling Warriors.A season after winning an NBA-record 73 games and falling one win shy of their second straight championship, the Golden State Warriors are back to the Finals with a vengeance. There, they’ll be meeting a familiar foe in the form of the Cleveland Cavaliers, setting the stage for the third consecutive NBA Finals matchup between the teams. Storylines abound, including Kevin Durant’s long-awaited rematch with LeBron James on the biggest stage imaginable, but these teams’ recent dominance makes it all even more intriguing. Carrying over from the regular season, the Dubs have won 27 of their last 28 games, including a perfect 12 for 12 this postseason. For their part, the Cavaliers are enjoying a league-best 120.7 Offensive Rating these playoffs and, of course, have only been defeated once, a three-point loss to the Celtics in Game 4 of the Eastern Conference finals. Each team’s 2017 playoff Net Rating tops +16 points per 100 possessions.Golden excerpts can be found below:Jim Park 3:55-4:03: “Curry really found himself [basketball-wise] while KD was gone, and he really hasn’t looked back even when KD did come back.”12:20-13:04: “They don’t let teams come back. It’s set up in such a way where other teams have trouble coming back, because, to start the fourth quarter, they have Curry sitting and they’ll have KD starting the game in the fourth quarter, and usually he’s eating. The second-unit guys can’t stop KD, let alone first guys usually, so that’s a tall order for most teams to try to overcome, especially when they’re down. So you really have to play perfectly and try to get out ahead of the Warriors in order to have any kind of chance. Because if you get down, forget it. No chance.”22:36-23:07: “I thought it was like a perfect balance where there was no sacrificing for the most part. Everybody played their parts to the max to be the team that they were last year, and that kind of went away when KD joined the team. Now, somebody has to sacrifice. And somebody, every game, is usually going to have some kind of low output. That’s just the way it goes.”30:23-30:28: “When Draymond plays freely like that, I think the Warriors are virtually unstoppable.”37:36-37:45: “As long as Draymond and Curry stay healthy, I don’t see how the Cavaliers can beat the Warriors. I just don’t see it.”You can subscribe to, rate and review On the NBA Beat on iTunesMusic: “Who Likes to Party” by Kevin MacLeodLearn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
In this two-part episode, The Starters’ Tas Melas joins us to discuss the league’s biggest storylines, such as the highly anticipated third straight Warriors-Cavaliers Finals matchup, the Celtics’ rapid and robust rebuild and Paul George and Gordon Hayward not qualifying for max extensions. But first, Paul Garcia of Project Spurs and Analyzing the League stops by to detail the incredible impact Kawhi Leonard’s injury has had and will continue to have on San Antonio’s prospects of upsetting the mighty Warriors. If you need to get in the mood, peep a handful of excerpted quotes below:Paul Garcia: 8:45-9:28: “If there’s one lineup I think that can work, it’s [Dewayne] Dedmon at the 5. The only problem with that, which is why Pop hasn’t really been playing him, is that he slows down the ship on offense. He can’t shoot from the outside, he’s obviously just a rim runner, but defenses are good enough in the playoffs are good enough to take that away… They can try to go small… but they don’t have a team built to play small. They have a team built to play big, so that’s something they have trouble with. And the Warriors haven’t even thrown out their best stuff yet.”PG: 13:31-13:47: “Based on their track record, they’re going to respond. Whether they win or lose, they’re definitely going to put up a fight in Game 3; that’s with or without Kawhi. I think you’re going to see a different San Antonio team…It could become a blowout, but at least initially, it won’t be like ‘This game was over in the first quarter.’”PG: 16:19-16:35: “Another thing that nobody’s talking about is that you see the absence of Tony Parker as well. There’s really three ball handlers who can kind of penetrate the defense off the pick and roll and get into the paint for San Antonio, and that’s Kawhi, Tony Parker and Jonathon Simmons. The Spurs are without two of those guys, and Simmons has only become that in these last two series.”Tas Melas: 41:18-42:08: “I think LeBron is at his peak powers right now. Those three [2016 NBA Finals] games, Games 5, 6 and 7, elevated him to another level where he’s just running over teams now. He didn’t used to do this. He’s had incredible playoff performances, but he didn’t really steamroll, he didn’t really come out of the locker room and just dominate in every aspect of the game. I think he’s the best version of himself, the most comfortable he’s ever been with himself…That’s why this series [the likely Cavaliers-Warriors Finals matchup] is so promising. This is, again, peak LeBron versus pretty close to peak Curry and peak Durant.”TM: 55:31-56:15: “A smaller-market team has far more power, because they can offer more money to the guys that they currently have on the roster using the Larry Bird rights. Love that. But the fact that it [maximum contract size] is tied to things on the résumé [All-NBA designations], it doesn’t really make much sense. So the fact that he [Paul George] didn’t make an All-NBA team, either of those guys [George or Gordon Hayward], it leads you to believe that there’s more of a chance that the Lakers can obtain Paul George because the money isn’t all that different…It doesn’t make sense to me. I think it’s time they disconnect those two factors.”You can subscribe to, rate and review On the NBA Beat on iTunesLearn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Chase Hughes of Comcast SportsNet Mid-Atlantic and Vice Sports’ Michael Pina deliver back-to-back interviews in which they delve deeply into the captivating Eastern Conference semifinal series between the Washington Wizards and Boston Celtics. While the Celtics lead 3-2, the home team has won every single game of the series. No love between the teams has been lost either.Wednesday was a crazy day for D.C. sports fans as the Washington Capitals hosted a Game 7 in which they fell to the Penguins, sending the Caps home early for yet another summer. Also in the nation’s capital, the talented Nationals roared back from four runs down to defeat the Beltway rival Orioles on a walk-off single. That same night, the Wizards lost a one-sided road Game 5 to the Celtics. As the series shifts back to D.C., the Wizards hope to keep their home magic alive just long enough to get one more crack at that elusive road victory in a decisive Game 7. Our guests expertly detail what to look for the remainder of the series, beginning with Chase Hughes who is followed by Michael Pina in the final segment. Below, you'll find a couple excerpts from each section:Chase Hughes (5:02-6:05) on the tense recent history between the Wizards and Celtics:"I knew that there would be some bad blood between these teams, because it dates back really to last season when Jae Crowder got into an argument with their [Washington's] former coach Randy Wittman and accused him of using some obscenities. And then Bradley Beal had his nose broken against the Celtics and got a concussion and has always held that against them. Then all the bad blood this season, the confrontation between Wall and Crowder after that game in Boston, the funeral game that the Wizards had, and John Wall was ejected from a game for a hard foul on Marcus Smart...After that Wall and Crowder incident, the police had to intervene behind the scenes in Boston to make sure that they didn't go after each other. We knew it was there, but the extent it boiled over in Game 3, I don't think any of us could have predicted…There were eight technicals, three ejections, and of course, Kelly Oubre's shove of Kelly Olynyk earned him a suspension, and that kind of highlighted it all. There was also Brandon Jennings and Terry Rozier, and they also have a history dating back to earlier this season."CH (9:37-10:44) on how the Wizards have adjusted to guarding superstar Isaiah Thomas and what the Celtics did in Game 5 to counteract those Wizards adjustments:"They've made a few adjustments, most notably throwing two or three guys at him trying to double, triple-team him, especially when he gets into the lane, and defending without fouling, with their hands up in the air. They did obviously a really good job in Game 4. I think they've also done better, at least in Games 3 and 4, at making him work more on the defensive end and not letting him save his energy by backing him down with Otto Porter, Bojan Bogdanovic, and with Bradley Beal in Game 4 in particular, who got into a rhythm early because of it. But I think in Game 5 what Isaiah Thomas did a good job of doing as an adjustment was, first of all, he shot seven free-throw attempts, which is much more in line with what he averaged during the regular season, but also he got a little better at finding open guys once the defense collapsed on him. I think he had nine assists in the game and I think he did a very good job of finding open 3-point shoo...Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Did they just “flip the switch?” Following Cleveland’s middling post-All-Star break stretch, Loren and Aaron begin by discussing the Cavaliers’ dominant first two games against the Raptors. Also on tap: Diminutive Celtics star Isaiah Thomas’ historic Game 2 performance in what figures to be a long, competitive series with the Wizards and what to look for the remainder of the intriguing, intrastate battle between the Spurs and Rockets.Subscribe to, rate and review On the NBA Beat on iTunesFollow @OntheNBABeat and your hosts (@byAaronFisch, @jjfisch, @LorenLChen) on TwitterDiscover the rest of the Almighty Baller Podcast Network at AlmightyBaller.com and on iTunesMusic: “Who Likes to Party” by Kevin MacLeodLearn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Before this season, the Utah Jazz had made their last postseason appearance in 2012 and hadn't won a playoff game since 2010. Since then, they bottomed out at 25 wins in 2013-14, then steadily built themselves back up by developing players, finding diamonds in the rough, and, this season, adding some key veterans to their squad. Now, up 3-2 on the Los Angeles Clippers and heading home to Utah for Friday's Game 6, they're on the brink of advancing to the next round to face the Golden State Warriors. Zach Harper, an NBA columnist for Fan Rag Sports, twice-a-week participant on ESPN's TrueHoop Podcast and co-host of the Salt City Hoops Show, takes us through that journey. He breaks down what we can expect for the rest of the Jazz's postseason, explains how they're so dangerous on both sides of the court, looks at some big decisions looming ahead in the offseason and tells excellent stories and more. Not to toot our own horn, but you can sample some mellifluous excerpts below:7:19-8:07: “You’ve allowed the Jazz to kind of dictate so much of the tempo to be a slow, grind-it-out game, and that’s what they want. They want to play at that slow pace. They want to force you to defend for 24 seconds. They want to force you to attack late in the shot clock against them and have to panic into shots and everything. So that’s the tough thing for the Clippers, and maybe why Game 5 was a little bit of a must-win. Just because you can’t be back against the wall while also not being able to play the brand of basketball you want to play in a series. With that said, the Jazz are looking at Game 6 as a must-win, because they don’t want to go back to LA. I kind of think that’s a mistake. It puts an unnecessary amount of pressure on the home team, especially one with such a young core.”11:58-12:41: “A lot of people locally will say it [the team MVP] has been Rudy Gobert because [of] the defensive impact. Gordon [Hayward]’s a really good defender. He plays really well defensively within that system, and he’s so vital to them offensively that, to me, it’s just enough to edge out what Gobert’s been able to do, who might be the Defensive Player of the Year and was the second-best pick ‘n roll big man this year in the NBA, but Gordon, his patience…you see so many star wings go into this hero mode and this iso[lation] mode and maybe rush shots and rush possessions, because you have to make sure you get a shot off, right? But Gordon just always plays within the flow of the offense and doesn’t really force anything, doesn’t take bad shots.”18:09-18:42: “There’s a shot of it [Joe Johnson’s game-winning shot in Game 1 of the series] where it’s zoomed on him [Johnson] as he gets the ball on the left wing and he’s squared up against Jamal Crawford, and you see the Jazz bench. You see Trey Lyles, you see Alec Burks, you see these guys on the Jazz bench. And there’s no, ‘Oh my God, I hope he hits this. This is such a moment.’ This is like an AND1 Mixtape Tour. They’re like, ‘Go get him. Go get him.’ They’re yelling, ‘Expose him.’ It’s everything. I’m sure someone’s yelling ‘Worldstar’ in the background. They know something bad’s gonna happen.”29:36-30:15: “The one thing about the Clippers, though, is they were very successful against him [Gobert] in the regular season, and granted, that’s the regular season…but they’ve talked about how they don’t really change the way they play just because he’s in the game. They’re gonna run the same stuff, they’re gonna attack the same way, and I believe that. It’s up to Gobert to win that battle.Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
The Portland Trail Blazers’ prospects of advancing look grim, but the future is fairly bright, according to NBC Sports Pro Basketball Talk’s Dane Carbaugh, who also runs the popular YouTube channel, Dane Not Dan, where he breaks down the NBA in video form. Compared to the previous season, the relative strength of the 2016-17 Western Conference relegated the Blazers to the No. 8 seed where they had the misfortune of drawing the otherworldly Warriors in an all-but-impossible first-round series. With Golden State up 2-0 and prized trade acquisition Jusuf Nurkic nursing a leg injury, much of the conversation’s focus turns to how the Blazers can best solidify their roster and improve defensive performance. Importantly, Dane also explores the strengths and challenges that come with the Damian Lillard-C.J. McCollum backcourt pairing. Blazing hot excerpts can be found below:3:26-4:14 While the typical Blazers fan would love to see Jusuf Nurkic grace the court against the Warriors, Dane advocates for a more cautious approach:“The Nurkic trade, I think, really re-solidified his [GM Neil Olshey’s] position; the same thing for [head coach] Terry Stotts. So nobody’s going into this playoff series thinking, ‘We need to win a series or win a game, even, to save someone’s job.’ No one’s going to get fired because of that. And on the flip side, you have the guy that they believe is going to be the third guy for this team for years to come, and so I don’t see a reason to risk him [worsening his injury] in any way, shape or form. He’s got a non-displaced fracture in his leg, and he’s a 7-foot tall, 280-pound man, and it’s the Portland Trail Blazers; maybe just let him rest. So it’s possible he comes back for Game 3. If he comes back at all, that is the game he’s going to do it in. If they’re down 3-0, there’s no reason for him to play in Game 4, so it would have to be Game 3. I don’t think he should come back at all.”8:35-9:17 Our guest details Golden State’s Game 2 defensive adjustments that so effectively combatted Portland’s explosive guards:“I think what they really did was they figured out what points on the floor Damian and C.J. were attacking to and where on their drives. I saw a lot more drives that were ineffective as opposed to the first game in which both Damian and C.J. had the ability to hit floaters or runners from certain points on the floor where they were very clearly trying to avoid some of the shot-blocking that, say, Javale McGee or Draymond Green brings to the floor for the Warriors. And I think they really adjusted to that and saw, ‘Look, this is where a lot of their shots came from on the floor when they had those drives. This is where we’re going to try to concentrate. This is where we’re going to try to make them take an extra dribble or take a dribble away from those drives so they can’t get to that specific spot and make them uncomfortable.’ I think combined with locking down on 3-point land, that’s really what happened to them.”18:51-21:22 Despite the defensive shortcomings of Lillard and McCollum, it’s premature to break up the talented duo, according to Dane:“If the Blazers need to do something else, that trade is not coming until summer of 2018. They have to go through an entire season together with a fully built roster that they think is ready to compete with a starting center that works for them, and that would be Jusuf Nurkic, [Al-Farouq] Aminu at the 4, Mo Harkless at the 3. They have to go through a whole season with an actually complete roster with honestly guys defensively who can back them up. Remember this is a team that played with… Nic Batum,Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
On this playoff edition, ESPN's Jovan Buha joins us to help preview the Los Angeles Clippers-Utah Jazz matchup, an opening-round series that pits the league's No. 4 offense against the No. 3 defense. The series comes at a pivotal time for the Clippers, who year after year have failed to meet high postseason expectations and will likely see three of their stars enter unrestricted free agency in the offseason. Do the Clippers have a fatal flaw, or have they merely not yet gotten over the hump? Jovan ponders that very question and much, much more. Sample some clip(per)s below:9:25 - 10:10: Jovan discusses the legitimacy of the Clippers-as-chokers narrative and whether it affects the team: "It's much easier to say a team choked than provide the context of it. With that said, there really is no other way to frame the Thunder series or the Rockets series. Both series, the Clippers should have won, or the Thunder series at least should have gone to seven. I do think the Clippers choked in both instances, but I don't think that necessarily is their identity, and I don't think necessarily they should be judged that way...I do think that the media narrative has gotten to them a little bit, and I do know that a lot of these guys pay attention to the media more than they let on, and it does seem to bother them more than they admit."19:20 - 20:29: Our guest dissects the importance of home-court advantage to the Clippers' chances in their first-round playoff matchup with the Utah Jazz:"I think home-court [advantage] is important generally in the playoffs. We can look at the statistics and percentages, it's like 79 percent of the time the home team wins Game 7, so I definitely think it's a factor. What's funny is the Clippers might be one of the few teams where it's not really a factor, because this team...doesn't really have the best home-court advantage...you go to a Clippers game and it's not the loudest crowd. It's not the most active or engaged crowd. This isn't Oracle. This isn't Oklahoma City. This isn't Utah. This isn't Portland...With that said, it's always nice to play at home...I definitely think it's important for them. With that said, they have proven that they can win big games on the road. They did win that Game 7 in Memphis. They won two road games in San Antonio in the Spurs series. "27:06 - 28:11: Jovan analyzes the tantalizing big man matchup of Rudy Gobert versus DeAndre Jordan down low:"I think that's gonna be a huge matchup. Literally. It's a matchup that DeAndre has tended to do well in, but I think that this season you saw, with the rise of Gobert, we would probably all agree that they're about equal or Rudy's probably a little better, and I think that DJ knows of that perception shift...Rudy is just so big. I think he's probably the second most important player for them, obviously behind Gordon Hayward. That matchup is gonna be really important. I know part of the Clippers' game plan has been to get [Gobert] in foul trouble, and they've been successful with it, but...if Rudy Gobert can get away with certain stuff on the floor, that's a massive advantage for the Jazz."39:56 - 41:14: Finally, why does Jovan believe that the Clippers might have trouble against the Warriors in a potential Western Conference semifinals clash?"The issue with the Warriors is they're so big on the perimeter and they have so many wing guys that I really think that bothers the Clippers. It's funny: Chris Paul guarded Kevin Durant in the OKC series for like a quarter and shut him down, but you can't ask Chris Paul to do that for a seven-game series. You just look at all the matchups. Klay Thompson's three inches bigger than J.J. Redick.Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
The Rockets embody one of the best storylines of the 2016-17 season. After badly underwhelming a year ago, the front office adeptly moved around pieces, Mike D’Antoni was brought in to lead the team and James Harden has taken his game to unparalleled heights. As a result, Houston enjoys the league’s third best record. Salman Ali, Managing Editor for Red Nation Hoops and host of the podcast with the same name, visits to discuss all those topics and more including how various role players are thriving and what Houston’s chances are against the rest of the Western Conference’s elite teams. Before the episode blasts off and we journey through the cosmos, you may prepare by scanning some of the highlights below:0:50-1:26: From Salman’s perspective, just in time for the postseason, Harden is looking more like himself as he recovers from his wrist injury:“I think the Rockets did a good job at sandwiching that rest day to where he’d get a full five days of rest. And let’s be real, that was a rest day. It was listed as a flu, but we kind of know it was because he didn’t want to sit and the Rockets had to say it was a flu day, so I think they did a good job of finding ways to sit him. His shooting stroke looks good. He’s getting to the rim, and he’s not tentative when he gets there, which is a problem that he had last week. And he’s not grimacing after shots, which was a big issue. Through the TV, you could just see that that wrist was bothering him, and now it looks a lot better.”7:08-8:17: Even before the season, our guest began to notice that Harden was training his focus on the Houston Rockets to an extent he never had before. The adjustment has benefitted the team immensely:“He seems really invested. Obviously, the bigger, high profile thing that Harden did this year is he signed that big extension to stay with the Rockets. To me, that showed a huge commitment to the franchise that may not have been there last season. Let’s be frank. He did not try as hard as he could have last year, and I think that reflected in how poor the Rockets played…he’s treating basketball as his job as opposed to something he’s doing on the side. That’s a really, really important distinction to make. Calvin Watkins of ESPN sat down with Travis Scott. He’s actually a local Houston rapper. He was talking about his opinion of James Harden, and he basically says, ‘James Harden doesn’t even want to go out with me anymore. All he does is he wants to stay inside and play basketball.’"11:30-13:14: James Harden, Mike D’Antoni and much of the organization have worked together to translate an innovative vision into success, according to Salman:“The hire in Houston of Mike D’Antoni was actually approached with a lot of skepticism at first, which I thought was warranted, right? You have a coach coming off of two miserable stints with the Knicks and the Lakers, and one common cause there is you have a superstar that isn’t willing to adapt to your system whether it be Carmelo Anthony or Kobe Bryant. And I think that’s been the greatest success here in Houston. James Harden is willing to buy into the system. If you remember at the beginning of the system, that shift to point guard was so widely discussed, and it’s worked out really well for the Rockets…I wouldn’t say he has a perfect comparison to Steve Nash, but I think he’s kind of that right blend of a modern-day superstar in terms of scoring and the facilitating of a Steve Nash. And he’s been able to generate like 58 points per game for the Rockets, which is pretty insane…That’s pretty much been the biggest difference. You have a superstar that’s willing to buy in to your system, the role players are willing to buy in,Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Our favorite Golden State Warriors guest, Andy Liu of Warriors World, is back for a record fourth episode to discuss his team with us. After a brief stumble during which they lost five of seven games when Kevin Durant went down with injury, the Warriors look like they’ve righted the ship. They're currently on a nine-game win streak, including four convincing wins against teams that will make the playoffs in the Western Conference: the Thunder, Grizzlies, Rockets and Spurs. Andy explains how a team that has by far the best Net Rating in the NBA, the best Offensive Rating and the second-best Defensive Rating, could possibly even be underrated heading into the playoffs. Check out these golden excerpts from the episode:7:22-8:09: Andy explains why he never bought into overreaction that the Warriors were collapsing during the team's recent slump:"Kevin Durant had just gone down, and these guys were really shook up about it, and they had to adjust. In that adjustment period, Steph couldn't hit a shot, the worst slump of his entire career. Klay was going through a slump as well. Draymond Green hadn't shot the ball well all year and still isn't. So they had a lot of issues on that end. They ended up going 2-5, and they played eight games in 13 nights. Since then, they've been great. They've also played a ton of trash teams. And the scheduling is going to get better from here. They've got six of seven at home to end the season…If there was a Finals game today, [Durant] would be playing, but he'll be back in a week and a half or two weeks, so the team is fine again. That's why I was never too worried about it."13:40-14:23: Next, our guest explores how the Warriors feel about resting their players and whether commissioner Adam Silver's memo on rest has any impact on Kerr's coaching decisions:"Him and Popovich are the greatest at [managing minutes]. If you look at the minutes, Steph, Klay and Dray, those guys average about 33, 34 minutes a game only, and this has been going on for the last two and a half years. He really plays 10, 11 guys no matter what, and he doesn't like to overexert his players...Here's the other thing. They also don't like to rest. Kerr, if he had a choice, would love to, but the players would not allow that, and some of the coaching staff also would like these players to remain in rhythm as well."21:10-22:45: From the Warriors perspective, Andy is only really concerned about one potential opponent this postseason. He also highlights which Western Conference upstart the Warriors should probably fear within the next couple seasons."LeBron James, that's about it. Concern. Even though the Cavs aren't playing well right now…Honestly, it would be kind of disappointing to see if it wasn't LeBron [in the Finals]…In terms of matching up with the West teams, that's fun because I think the Jazz are going to be there next year or the year after. I think they're going to be the one that challenges the Warriors, because they replicate the Grizzlies' style the most while adding a little more firepower. The Grizzlies had a 2-1 lead over [the Warriors] a couple years ago. They're able to bang, they're able to hurt the Warriors…You've got the Rockets who want to shoot 3s with the Warriors, which is not happening, so that's an easy win. That's the type of team the Warriors love playing. And then you've got the Clippers, who the Warriors have owned the last couple of years. And then you've got the Spurs, which is obviously the big Bogeyman for the Warriors, who still haven't beaten [the Warriors] in a playoff series."27:00 - 28:47: Finally, our insider asserts that, despite reaching the NBA Finals in consecutive seasons and breaking the single-season wins mark last season,Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Eric Bledsoe, Brandon Knight and Tyson Chandler have already been shut down for the remainder of the Phoenix Suns’ season, but Fox Sports Senior NBA Writer Andrew Lynch isn’t convinced full-on tanking is in the team’s best interest. Andrew’s appearance comes fresh off 20-year-old Devin Booker’s history-making 70-point output in a loss to the Celtics Friday night. He contextualizes Booker’s rare night and breaks down many other integral Suns issues, such as Eric Bledsoe’s projected NBA future, the disappointing Alex Len, rookie Marquese Chriss’ potential and Phoenix’s approach to this June's draft.2:31-2:57: “In this season, Suns fans needed something like that, I think. And it’s just perfectly fitting – I tweeted this last night – that it came in a loss. All of my favorite Suns memories are in losses. I know people want to maybe belittle the achievement a little because he was taking so many shots, because they were fouling, because they were calling timeouts…70 points is 70 points in an NBA game. Period.”4:54-5:45: “Last year, Devin Booker looked like this savior-level phenom, the kind of player that Phoenix has needed since Steve Nash’s departure… This year, he’s taken a huge step backward, and I think that’s because there’s a lack of structure around him. Earl Watson is a great guy to get the players playing as hard as possible for him, guys love him, he’s a great locker room guy. And I love all that [but] it doesn’t seem like there’s necessarily a design for how this team improves moving forward as a unit and as individuals. And I hate to say this because it’s one of the worst things you can say about an NBA coach, but it’s borderline just rolling the ball out there and letting them play basketball. “6:46-7:00: “[The 76ers’ tanking] very rarely has succeeded, but at least the scaffolding is there to build something larger. With the Suns, you just have a bunch of people running around with hammers and masonry tools going, ‘Hey, this is fun. Bob the Builder. This is fun.’”10:00-10:41: “[The injury history] is concerning in so much as he’s going to take a step back for sure. He’s not going to be an All-Star-caliber point guard when he’s healthy within the next year or even two maybe, but he uses angles so well. Part of his athleticism is his ability to rub his guy off of a screen at the exact right angle to create the maximum amount of space or to come off of a screen and maybe have his big flip it at the last minute. So he uses that geometry of the game so well, I’m not as concerned about a slip in athleticism with him as I might be with someone like Russell Westbrook…Bledsoe’s a little sharper than that.”15:38 - 16:32: "When you have those kinds of young players, it comes down to defining roles for guys. Someone like Tyler Ulis has maybe had the best development arc on the Suns this year...Because his role has been defined, because the expectations have been set, he knows what he's supposed to do. He's flourished."22:25-24:09: "Guys, he is so good…I almost shouted, "my man!" I love Tyler so much...Tyler brings that same leadership dynamic [as P.J. Tucker] even as a young dude. He comes in and he is immediately the guy that everyone in the locker room is looking at...Obviously there’s a ceiling on his capability because of his height…With that said, he is so smart, he is such a fundamental player, he is so good on defense. He doesn't just know where opposing ball handlers want to go with the ball. He knows how they want to get there...His hands aren't in passing lanes; they're in dribbling lanes. I haven’t seen anything like it honestly since going back to Stacey Augmon or Gary Payton...I am not going to put a cap on what I expect out of ...Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Resting healthy starters is not exactly a new phenomenon, as LeBron James recently pointed out; heck, Spurs coach Gregg Popovich has been doing it for more than a decade. However, there hasn't been a time in NBA history where the practice has stirred up such a high level of controversy and discontent. The panel aims to explore the issue from the perspectives of the commissioner, NBA coaches, current and former players and, of course, the fans. Be sure to get your rest in advance of the stretch run (we won't blame you for taking care of yourself), but don't sleep on this episode. Just don't do it.Music: "Who Likes to Party" by Kevin MacLeodLearn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
O Canada! Our home and native land! Blake Murphy, who writes about the Raptors for ESPN TrueHoop's Raptors Republic and The Athletic among other sites, joins the podcast to share his knowledge on Raptors topics such as how trade deadline acquisitions Serge Ibaka and P.J. Tucker enhance lineup flexibility and the irony of Jonas Valanciunas' situation in that the better he plays seemingly the less chance he has of sticking around next season. Among other salient team-centric subjects, Murphy addresses how Kyle Lowry could have better handled his controversial wrist injury. Unfortunately, this episode does not come with universal healthcare, but here are some soothing excerpts to help alleviate those pains of yours. Plus, preexisting conditions do not preclude you from enjoying:4:21-5:09 on Serge Ibaka's fit with the Raptors:"He's had a nice positive impact. The 3-point shooting, he's knocking down 40 percent of his shots on 4.5 looks per game. The best thing for the Raptors is that most of them have been above the break. Normally the Raptors get a lot of corner shooting, especially from their power forward position, but as Ibaka has played some center, he's given them a nice pop threat, which is a different wrinkle for guys like DeRozan, and when he's back, Lowry to use. The Raptors defense has been much much better since the trade deadline. They're seventh in the NBA in Defensive Rating over the last 10 games. That's not all owing to Ibaka, but he's been a nice rim-protecting presence…Ibaka's seeing a lot of time at center and in close games they're closing with Ibaka [there]."9:16-10:09 on the injured Kyle Lowry's importance to the team:"Lowry is the engine of the team. Dwane Casey referred to him as the 'queen bee'...you look at the things they do offensively, and even though his usage is 10 percentage points lower than DeRozan's, Kyle Lowry is their best 3-point shooter, so when DeRozan is operating, Lowry is the best floor spacer they have to help DeRozan's game. Look at their 3-point shooting since he's gone out. It's almost all catch-and-shoot. They don't have any pull-up 3-point threats, and Lowry is one of the best, alongside Stephen Curry, Damian Lillard and Kyrie Irving at pulling up, even from 30 feet, and that's an element, especially in the transition game, that opponents have to pay attention to…The Raptors are obviously notorious for not moving the ball particularly well. Well, Lowry's their best playmaker."27:16-28:36 on the Raptors' chances against the Cavaliers in the playoffs:"It's tough. What we saw last year was that, when Toronto is at its best, they can hang with Cleveland. The two games that the Raptors won in that series and the two they won in the regular season, they played a good game. They ground things down a little bit, they made the game physical, and they matched up with Cleveland well that way. But what we also saw that time was, in the four games Cleveland won, they ran Toronto off the floor. And in the regular season meetings this year, Cleveland didn't have a ton of trouble with them. That talent gap is obvious there. The fact that Cleveland can spread the floor across all five positions, and the way they've killed the Raptors this year is posting LeBron up, forcing the Raptors to send help and zone up behind LeBron, and then LeBron pings passes to shooters all over the floor. You add Kyle Korver to that mix, who wasn't there when the Raptors last played them, and that's pretty deadly…The one thing the Raptors are better able to do now is they're a little more flexible lineup-wise…When the Cavs downsize…The Raptors have that option in Serge Ibaka, where last year they tried Bismack Biyombo in that spot.Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Most listeners are aware that LeBron James has consistently guided his teams to NBA Finals appearances (six straight, to be exact), yet this season’s Cavaliers continue to be tested by a number of key injuries that threaten to derail their hopes of repeating as champions. Issues stemming from these injuries have resulted in the team’s recent mediocre play, as Eastern counterparts like the Wizards and Celtics angle for the No. 1 seed currently occupied by Cleveland. Justin Rowan of SB Nation’s Fear the Sword is here to break down those struggles and also illuminate how the Cavaliers can reasonably overcome them. In addition to LeBron James’ MVP case and the importance of the Kyle Korver acquisition, Justin speaks about Larry Sanders rumors, Tristan Thompson’s underrated contributions, J.R. Smith’s outsized role and more.5:17-5:56: "[Larry Sanders is] definitely going to bring a lot of personality to the team, which can be a good thing. I think they have the right type of culture for that. They also have a history of dealing with players who have suffered with mental illness issues. Delonte West had some public issues with the Cavaliers and has talked recently about how LeBron is still a big part of his life and supporting him and helping him work through that. So having LeBron, who is familiar with having a teammate with those issues and what's involved there, it could be a supportive situation for him."8:46-10:09: "It's tough because…the extensive pregame routine that [LeBron James] goes through, which is hours of physical preparation, if he doesn't play at least 34 minutes, he views it as if he shouldn't even have played at all. He views it as a waste for the all the preparation he goes through. His minutes per game are up, but when you look at total minutes played, he's about 13th in the league. Getting him those off nights, making sure that he doesn't play a lot of back-to-backs—almost all of his rest situations have come in back-to-backs—I think they're allowing for his body to recover. He does sit out practices as well, so those are minutes taken off his body that don't necessarily show up in minutes per game. Basically, he spends more money and pays more attention to his body than anyone else. With him feeling confident that he is getting enough rest and not being concerned with it, as well as the medical staff assigned to him, I'm not too concerned. It would be nice if the minutes were lower, and theoretically, if they were healthy, the depth of this Cavs team would almost force him to rest.The addition of Deron Williams is a big part of trying to get him rest."13:50-14:31: "They really like what [Kyle Korver] can bring to the floor: the spacing that he provides, the offense he can generate. He obviously doesn't have the same quickness and defensive ability that he's had in the past, but he's still a smart team defender and he has quick hands. And he's a willing passer, which works well in the Cavs system. I still do expect him to get around 20 minutes a game, even in the Finals. He's such a matchup problem and he creates so much spacing for LeBron, as well as Kyrie Irving, that the more minutes you can have him on the floor—as long as he's not getting abused on the defensive end—you try to keep him out there as long as humanly possible."17:38-18:26: “The playmaker thing, that became a bigger issue after J.R. got hurt, because then LeBron with the second unit without Shumpert was just getting absolutely torched. It was one of the Cavs’ worst lineups. Channing Frye was in there, but teams were really doubling LeBron, trying to get the ball out of his hands and daring anybody else to kind of do anything. So without a secondary playmaker, without someone that could dribble and create looks, that lineup really lost a lot of its effectiveness.Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
The Los Angeles Lakers have a new president of basketball operations and general manager, as first-year head coach Luke Walton leads a youthful squad headlined by lottery picks from the past three drafts, Brandon Ingram, D'Angelo Russell and Julius Randle. At this critical juncture for the team, Forum Blue & Gold Editor-in-Chief Darius Soriano stops by to break down the biggest storylines for LA's present and future.2:44-3:43: Sadly, the biggest Lakers-related news this season happened off the court with last week’s management shakeup:“The writing was sort of on the wall once Magic [Johnson] was hired as an adviser to Jeanie Buss…The timing of it, though, was awkward and just the way it was handled, I thought, was rough for everyone involved…I’m sort of intrigued by the [Rob] Pelinka aspect, and I think the Magic Johnson thing – I don’t want to say ‘cautiously optimistic.’ I’m more along the lines of ‘I’m just sort of hanging back and waiting to see how things go.’ Magic’s very well respected in the business world, and obviously he was an amazing player. We’ll see how all of that translates that to a final decision-maker on the basketball side [for the Lakers].” 13:26-15:14: First-year Lakers head coach Luke Walton’s professional approach to dealing with players could not be more different than that of previous coach Byron Scott, according to Darius:“It’s basically night and day. I think it was after the Lakers lost to the Spurs very recently…and he [Luke Walton] was kind of like, ‘That’s basically between us, and the way that I coach I’m not going to really get on my guys in public. That’s not really the way that I do things.’ That’s night and day to the way that Byron Scott coached this team…When he was hired, I think that he knew what he was getting himself into, whereas I think when Byron Scott got hired he had this impression that he had Kobe Bryant and that everything was going to be OK, and maybe that influenced the way that he handled things…But I do think that Walton very early on built up some equity with the young guys and sort of got in their ears early about how much he supported them and believed in them, and he said that very publicly to a lot of people.”22:26-23:24: Our guest contends that while D’Angelo Russell continues to improve his passing, his current difficulties driving to the basket are slowing down his progression when it comes to facilitation: “Since Russell’s not necessarily a penetrating guard at this stage of his career, the types of passes that he’s creating are mostly those skip passes [or pocket passes] that come out of the pick and roll…I don’t want to oversell his passing ability, but I think that he’s actually a really good passer who just hasn’t opened up the rest of his passing game based off of the limitations that come from his dribble penetration or lack thereof. One of the things I like about Russell is that he can make the next-level read when it comes to passing…The guy who sort of makes that pass best in the league is James Harden. And I’m not comparing Russell to Harden, but he has sort of similar vision and instincts within that play.” 30:57-32:27: You won’t hear (or read) Darius complaining about the Lakers’ decision not to deal teenage forward Brandon Ingram. He thinks the kid will be a star some day. “One of the things I’d like to see from him for the rest of the season is just sort of continue to remain aggressive. Earlier, I spoke to how he’s this natural ball mover, and I really like that aspect about him, but I also want to see him continue to look for his own shot and not always just so quickly move the ball on to an open teammate just because that guy is open. I’ve mostly liked his defense.Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Last Sunday, the Sacramento Kings finally dealt the player who served as both franchise cornerstone and a near-constant thorn in their side for his first six and a half NBA seasons. Comcast Sports Net California Kings Insider James Ham breaks down the complexities of the divorce as only he can. Royal excerpts from James' responses can be found below:12:35-13:07: Don’t compare Buddy Hield to Stephen Curry, but there is reason to be excited about the young shooting guard:“Just take that and throw that out the window. He’s not Steph Curry. He can average 14 to 16 points per game in the pros. He can also struggle. But from what I saw of him in limited action on Thursday, [he had a] very nice teardrop in the lane, I thought he handled the ball well, he was able to take guys off the dribble, I thought his defensive prowess was better than what people have talked about, and [post-game] he even talked about not being critiqued the whole time.”19:48-21:41: Hands-on Kings owner Vivek Ranadivé was persuaded to move on from DeMarcus Cousins in a very specific way: “I know that he’s got his fingers in every pie in the organization. And in this situation, he was convinced to trade DeMarcus by management as it got closer and closer to the deadline. He was pretty adamant about not trading DeMarcus, and he has been [since he took over]…Is he the right owner for the Sacramento Kings going forward? I don’t know the answer to that. But what I do know is he has no problems opening his checkbook and that he was really loyal to DeMarcus Cousins, but he became enamored with Buddy Hield, which might actually tell you how management was able to shift him away from DeMarcus…so when they made the deal with the Pelicans, he was on board.”23:02-24:01: Listening to or reading this fascinating anecdote about former general manager Geoff Petrie’s pursuit of Giannis Antetokounmpo is not advisable for squeamish Kings fans: “Geoff Petrie was there just for a little while, and just to make Kings fans just cringe, Geoff Petrie had a dossier, a giant binder on Giannis Antetokounmpo. He had scouted him almost exclusively, and that was the selection he was going to take with the McLemore pick, and Pete D’Alessandro came in and just said, ‘Well, thanks. See ya.’ And then two weeks later, drafted Ben McLemore and ignored the dossier that they had produced. He had flown to Greece to scout him himself…When you’re looking at the overall package of what’s happened here in Sacramento over the course of time, there’s a lot of instability. There’s a lot of ups and down…They’ve made a bunch of mistakes.”26:56-27:32: Kings general manager Vlade Divac has received his fair share of criticism, but only time can truly tell how he’s performed, argues James. He also asserts that Divac has begun to recover from his miserable start in the role:“It’s not like every move he’s made has just been an epic blunder. I think he has shown improvement. I think he’s always going to get graded on one transaction, maybe two – both of which he’ll be graded negatively on – but I think you have to let it play out, right? You have to see if this team becomes better and they move on without DeMarcus. And then you also have to consider the other side, too. What if DeMarcus is DeMarcus in New Orleans and he implodes and he takes down that group with him? Not that I’m saying that’s going to happen, but there’s a potential there.”35:00-36:39: Our guest raves about DeMarcus Cousins, the man. Although he is certainly flawed on and off the court, Cousins’ huge heart has transformed him into a role model in the Sacramento community: “He’s a big, lovable dude.Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Less than 24 hours before the NBA's annual trade deadline, Yahoo! Sports NBA editor Dan Devine (Ball Don't Lie) fits us into his busy schedule. Dan breaks down the league's biggest trades to date (chief among them, this past weekend's DeMarcus Cousins deal), hints at what may be on the horizon and touches upon the Clippers' postseason prospects and two dark-horse contenders in the Rockets and Wizards. He even provides a glimpse into New Orleans cuisine. What a guy! What a show! 7:57 - 9:15: Dan explores how the DeMarcus Cousins acquisition will likely affect the Pelicans' position in the race for the Western Conference's No. 8 seed:“Adding Boogie to the lineup, giving them that core three with Anthony Davis and Jrue Holiday, gives them, from a talent perspective, maybe the best core that you can offer in that group. It's also worth remembering that New Orleans is three games back of Denver in the loss column right now, and they've got to leapfrog both Portland and Sacramento...They've got some work to do…and they're going to have to integrate a gigantic piece with 25 games left in the season. The talent of DeMarcus Cousins is such that it made all the sense in the world for them to take the gamble on him, especially given the very low price they had to pay for him, but making the fit work neatly and fluidly with him alongside Davis in the frontcourt, two of the five or six highest-usage players in the league...getting them acclimated to playing off each other and having times where they're not going to have the ball for long stretches...all those sort of things can be difficult to figure out, and they're going to have to figure them out immediately to make up the ground that they need to make up to get to the eighth seed." 15:19- 16:01: Dan analyzes Magic Johnson's first move as the Lakers' president of basketball operations:"Lou Williams, on a relatively short-term contract, is not going to be a long-term piece of their [the Lakers'] future. The idea being that he's having a career year and is an attractive piece at a nice price was going to be to flip him anyway. You wind up getting a first-round pick and Corey Brewer, who's obviously just there as a salary filler...That seems like a pretty shrewd move as you continue to try to build your young talent base, especially if Lou Williams being gone makes the Lakers a little bit worse now down the stretch. The more losses they stack up, the better their odds of falling in the top three of the lottery, and if they're outside the top three, they lose their pick to Philadelphia."25:29 - 26:48: Dan remarks on the calculations the Celtics organization must make when determining whether it is going to make a transcendent trade ahead of the deadline:"It's a delicate balance. You come to a point where you've got to make a decision one way or the other. Everyone's been waiting for years for Danny Ainge to swing for the fences with his accumulating all these assets with young players and picks and an amazing haul from the Paul Pierce-Kevin Garnett trade where they're still benefiting from the pick swaps...And advantageous moves bringing in Isaiah Thomas and below-market contracts they've thrown at guys like Avery Bradley and Jae Crowder...There's the concern of, if you blow up something big and you maybe disrupt the chemistry on a team where everybody seems to be pulling in the same direction and it's been good enough to get them within a couple games of the Cavs and the No. 2 seed so far, do you risk blowing that up by swinging for the fences for a big star?...The goal is at some point not just to be pretty good for a long time. It's to put yourself in a position where you have the capacity to add that picture-shifting player,Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
With NBA All-Star Weekend upon us and her dad, Craig, slated to be inducted into the Atlanta Sports Hall of Fame Friday, Kacy Sager joins the podcast. In addition to sharing some special anecdotes about her legendary father, a man who adored the annual All-Star festivities, Kacy describes her love for Giannis Antetokounmpo’s game, gives her pick for league MVP and provides insight into the wild Eastern Conference landscape and Atlanta’s handling of Paul Millsap, among other topics. Kacy, who serves as a contributor for Basketball Breakdown and a member of Turner Sports’ stat team, is honest and entertaining as ever. Here’s a select sample of what she has to say:5:01-6:35: Kacy’s all-time favorite NBA player is a precocious 22-year-old named Giannis Antetokounmpo:“As much as I’ve always known that he was going to end up being a really, really big player, I didn’t even expect it to happen this year. I thought it was going to happen next year. So it’s really cool to see him already taking that big of a leap, and he still has so much potential. He’s doing things out there that shouldn’t physically be possible… Some of it is so mundane at this point, which I feel horrible saying. I feel like we’re going to start taking him for granted at some point. It was fun to watch him during the shootaround before the game though, just shimmying and dancing out there. He always has the hugest grin on his face, and it’s so cool to know that he just so frickin’ excited to be an All-Star. And I’m so excited for him. I cried. I legitimately shed a tear.”12:50-13:43: Her father, Craig, will be tremendously missed this weekend in New Orleans. He covered every NBA All-Star game between 1988 and 2014, as well as the 2016 festivities. It was “his Christmas,” as she explains:“He just always referred to it as his Christmas. He has in his basement a basketball signed by all of the different winners and the MVP from every year of the All-Star game. I don’t know how he did it. I know it says on your credential pass you’re not supposed to get autographs, but apparently, that doesn’t apply to him. It’s going to be really weird without him there. They flew my step-mother and half-siblings down there again for this year, so they’ll be doing that again. I think Foot Locker’s doing something to honor my dad… I know he wore that ridiculous silver suit, the aluminum foil-looking thing and he walked around the court in it, and around halftime of the game they ended up calling him and telling him he had to change because it was messing with all the cameras because it was so reflective.”14:27-15:07: Kacy sheds light on the always memorable exchanges between Craig and infamously-terse-with-reporters Spurs head coach Gregg Popovich while offering a glimpse into her dad’s psyche:“A big part of who my dad was, he always liked to be the 'good guy.' I mentioned it in my eulogy. We’d be playing a game of basketball when I was like 5 years old – he never let me win at anything – and he would be dunking on me and he’d be like, ‘Another basket for the Good Guys.’ He was always the “Good Guys.’ And I think that it was really cool for Popovich to feel so comfortable almost playing like the villain to his protagonist… it’s so funny to me that people actually thought that Popovich was being a jackass to him. He’s such a good man.”18:43-20:10: Our guest opines on why, despite the injury concerns, the Cavaliers are still kings of the East:“I had the Celtics finishing second in the East preseason. To me, they kind of remind me a little bit of where the Hawks were a couple years ago, though. I think they just seemed like a team that was going to win a lot of games just because they’re well coached and [they have] a lot of ov...Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
As Massachusetts readies for another Super Bowl appearance by its Patriots, the Boston Celtics are playing terrific basketball, guided by two-time All-Star Isaiah Thomas, who turned in one of the most prolific scoring months in franchise history this past January. To help us praise IT and get to the bottom of swirling trade rumors and Boston’s defensive woes, Michael Pina is on the scene. Pina, who covers the Celtics for Bleacher Report, hosts The Big Three podcast and writes about the league elsewhere, delivers a frank, spirited analysis of the team. In addition, this wide-ranging discussion hits on how Al Horford is fitting with this squad, how Brad Stevens’ coaching enhances Marcus Smart’s game, what the Celtics see in 20-year-old Jaylen Brown and why the Cavaliers and Tristan Thompson pose very specific problems for the postseason Celtics, among other topics. Oh yeah…the longtime Patriots fan also provides his Super Bowl prediction. Enjoy some excerpts below: 7:38 - 8:04: While Michael acknowledges Isaiah Thomas' shortcomings on defense, he also highlights the diminutive point guard's many defensive strengths: "For all the bad things about Isaiah Thomas' defense, I think his effort is always there despite the high offensive usage. He's extremely tough, extremely physical, he does not die on screens, he fights over them, and really makes ball handlers work really hard, and he knows where to be. He gets up into guys, even when teams force switches and he's up against a much larger player."11:47 - 12:13: If Bostons is able to hold the East’s No. 2 spot through Sunday’s games, Celtics head coach Brad Stevens will be coaching this season's Eastern Conference All-Star squad:"He deserves to coach an All-Star team. I think he's one of the better overall coaches in basketball, let alone someone who's that young, commands respect from everybody on the team. He's fair to the players, and they appreciate that. He's a great communicator. Since he was hired, he's done a fantastic job of putting guys in positions where they can succeed, not asking too much of his players."16:38 - 17:52: Our skeptical guest explains why now would not be the right time for the Celtics to pull the trigger on a Jimmy Butler trade given the steep asking price:"If you were to acquire Jimmy Butler, you would in all likelihood have to ship out valuable rotation players who have helped you get this far, who have built up continuity, who know their roles in Brad Stevens' system, and there is the potential for disruption with that if you were to bring in someone like Butler. And you don't know for sure...if that trio [Thomas/Horford/Butler] is [good enough] over the next couple years to dethrone LeBron James, Kevin Love and Kyrie Irving. If you do trade both Brooklyn picks for Butler, your avenues for improvement are basically nil. You don't have the cap space...they have trade assets, and if they move those for Butler, then you're locked into that being your core."25:45 - 27:18: With the No. 3 overall pick in the 2016 NBA Draft, Danny Ainge surprised many by selecting a freshman out of Cal. Michael explains what the Boston front office loves about Jaylen Brown:"Despite the poor shooting in college and the very, very worrisome advanced numbers that came out, I think the reason they took him is that he is a superb athlete, he works extremely hard in every area of his game, he's mature beyond his years, takes the game very seriously, he's in the gym...[and] the weight room constantly...His versatility and his size are something that the Celtics need. When you look around the league at who the best pl...Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Last Friday's executive order from the Trump administration has drawn criticism from the NBA community, as well as from various corners of the country and world. The panel will discuss the NBA's reaction, why they believe it was justified and what more can be done by the everyday person. That conversation is preceded by Aaron's commemoration of International Holocaust Remembrance Day, also on Friday. His primary takeaway? The Holocaust's strongest, most enduring lesson: Silence in the face of discrimination of any group is unacceptable and must never take place in order to avoid repeating the costly mistakes of the past. But first, in a much lighter discussion, Loren takes us through his thrilling Jeopardy appearance, in which he won two games and took home more than $37,000. Stick to sports? Not this time. The stakes were too high.Music: "Who Likes to Party" by Kevin MacLeodLearn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
The Hawks’ season thus far can reasonably be separated into three segments: (1) a hot start, (2) a brutal stretch 11-game stretch, and, finally, (3) the successful period Atlanta is currently enjoying. Kevin “KL” Chouinard, digital writer for the Atlanta Hawks and host of the new ATL and 29 podcast, graces the show with his presence, discussing how Atlanta bounced back from its miserable late-November, early-December slump, the process of integrating free-agent addition Dwight Howard, Dennis Schröder’s excellent first season as a starting NBA point guard and how Paul Millsap serves as the glue that keeps the team together. Of course, many other opinions are rendered, including why this season’s Hawks actually stand a chance against the defending champion Cavaliers who swept them one postseason ago in the Eastern Conference semifinals (not to mention the sweep in the 2015 Eastern Conference finals). Below, sample some exhilarating episode excerpts:5:15-6:06: Kevin details the keys to Atlanta's strong recent defense:"What's changed recently, compared to the 1-10 stretch, is they put Thabo Sefolosha in the starting lineup, and he's really one of the best perimeter defenders in the NBA...Millsap (is) playing more minutes with the starters and so that's a much better defensive unit they're using to start games. And it's not perfect, because in opting for more defense, they've got less offense."9:02-9:31: Last season, Dennis Schröder was arguably the best backup point guard in the NBA. Now, Malcolm Delaney is the team's backup after Jeff Teague was traded to the Pacers in the offseason:"He's a professional point guard. He spent five years in Europe. He won a championship in France, won a championship in Slovenia, won a championship in Germany, and then he played two years for Lokomotiv Kuban (in Russia). In those two years, he brought them up a level and then into the EuroLeague Final Four, so he had a really successful career in Europe. It's not a flashy type of game that he plays. It's really an understated type game."11:44-12:15: Our guest explains why it is vital for the Hawks to integrate Dwight Howard more into the team offense:"They need to be able to find him more and find him in a comfort zone...They don't really use the post game much, and I can understand why: it's not really part of their offense. They're more of a pick-and-roll type team, but they still need to figure out a way to keep him involved, just so that he keeps that touch. Because when he goes too long between touches, it's hard to stay involved."13:52-15:05: Paul Millsap has been integral to the Hawks' success this season:"He's everything to the Hawks...When he's not around, they just collapse. He does a little bit of everything for them. He's their secondary creator...If it's not coming from the point guard, it's almost always going to come from him. When they face defenses that switch...it comes down to one-on-one play, and when it does, it's either Schröder or Millsap who is going to make the play in that situation. He's their best natural passer....Just defensively, he's unbelievable and even more so with someone like Howard playing behind him. He can play low...because if he misses it or if doesn't quite get the deflection, he knows that in most cases he's going to have Howard behind him.”18:18-19:42: Kevin analyzes the Hawks' chances in the playoffs:"I think they want to at least take one chance at it....If there's a Boston-Atlanta series, Boston might have the upper hand. They've looked really good against the Hawks this season. But, at the same time, Boston would have a heck of a time trying to keep up with Cleveland, and I think that the Hawks using a Millsap-Howard-Se...Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Amid all the talk of a potential third straight Cavaliers-Warriors Finals matchup and a statistically historic MVP race between Russell Westbrook and James Harden, the San Antonio Spurs have quietly continued their dominance, on pace for 64 wins in the first season of the post-Tim Duncan era.. Jeff Garcia, Spurs Head Writer for News 4 San Antonio and Fox 29 San Antonio, as well as the host of the Locked on Spurs podcast, joins us to explain why the Spurs, as always, are perfectly content to stay below the national radar until the playoffs, and how their quiet, humble star, Kawhi Leonard, embodies that mentality. He also takes us through how, in recent years, the team has been able to transition seamlessly from a slow, grinding offense to the faster-paced, efficient one we're seeing now. Among additional fascinating topics, Jeff tackles impressive backup point guard Patty Mills' impending unrestricted free agency. Particularly, will the Spurs pay to keep Mills in town and/or make him the starter over Tony Parker? Read more for our favorite excerpts from Jeff:3:31-4:35: Despite their recent success, the Spurs are perennially ignored by the national media. Jeff explains why and if it matters:“They just get the job done, and that can get boring at times. It’s like they say: ‘death, taxes, and Spurs’...They’re sitting at 32-9. They are a defensive animal. They’re an offensive animal. But yet, overlooked…Does it really matter? Because as long as this team is jiving at the right point [and] is heading into the postseason on the right foot, has a good rhythm, they’re going to get their national media attention, and hopefully that’s going to come late June when they’re hoisting up another trophy.”11:00–12:42: Our guest then stands up for Kawhi Leonard as a legitimate darkhorse MVP candidate: “Lurking in the shadows is a Kawhi Leonard…Maybe he’s also a product of the Spurs being overlooked. He’s become the new Tim Duncan. You expect these kinds of numbers from Kawhi...He’s very low key, he’s not a screamer. He’s not like Westbrook charging down the court, jamming it with ferocity and then thumping his chest. He’s not like Harden stirring the pot...or putting the three fingers up in the air and kissing the sky. Kawhi’s not that. He’s quite the opposite. And if he was that type of player, I would not be surprised to see him in the top three as an MVP candidate.”16:34-17:08: Approaching 68 years old, what does legendary Spurs head coach Gregg Popovich’s future look like? Jeff has the scoop. “I don’t see him stepping away from the game for quite some time. Let’s not forget that he is the new Team USA Olympic men’s national team coach for 2020. He's also mentioned in the offseason he’s being a little bit more physically fit and trying to stay in more shape now. He’s seeing himself here for the long haul patrolling the sidelines for the Spurs and obviously Team USA years from now. I don’t see him slowing down. You’re seeing him enjoying the new-look Spurs.”19:45-21:04: Next, the Spurs expert highlights the position that the team most needs to address:“[Tony] Parker, obviously he’s making me eat my words right now, but his better years are behind him…You have Patty Mills. What are they going to do with him after this season? He’s in a contract year…He’s producing numbers this year [and] he's upped them almost across the board, so he's going to be getting looks in the offseason. I think point guard is a position this team really needs to look at heading forward. I think that’s where Dejounte Murray comes in. I’m not totally sold on him as of now.Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
At the midpoint of the Clippers’ regular season, there’s no need to fear. Why not? ESPN.com NBA writer and editor Andrew Han is here. The host of ESPN LA's Clippers Podcast dazzles as he reverses roles and answers all of our Clippers-related inquiries. Chief among those, why has a once-elite defense fallen on such hard times? In this extensive interview, Han sheds light on recent improvements to the Clippers’ front office, impactful free-agent additions Marreese Speights and Raymond Felton and Luc Mbah a Moute’s sizable improvement, among a slew of other timely topics. Of course, he also addresses whether or not either of the team’s superstars could realistically depart upon season’s end. Read on for a handful of exhilarating excerpts: 3:51-5:01: Andrew diagnoses the main cause for the Clippers’ defensive struggles that have occurred since early December: “Because he [Luc Mbah a Moute] is so versatile, the Clippers switched [on] a lot of their coverages early in the season - Blake Griffin, in particular, because even though Blake is not the best defender, he certainly has the athletic ability to stay with most players, whether they’re perimeter players or big men. And so Blake and Luc would switch a lot. And I think one of the issues that occurred is that they started to switch more and more, and there’s that balance between switching because everyone is on a string and you know what your teammates and the people behind you are thinking and switching out of laziness because it’s just easier to do that...In layman’s terms, they were being lazy and not giving enough effort on defense, and I think that contributed to a lot of the defensive decline…and then of course the injuries only made everything worse.”11:07-12:07: He comments on the likelihood of the Clippers retaining their most prized assets next offseason: “Realistically, I don’t think Chris Paul or Blake Griffin or [J.J.] Redick frankly for that matter will leave, because just looking at the landscape of the NBA, where is the situation that can afford these players the same luxuries that they have in Los Angeles? To be able to have all the amenities of a big market and not be constantly harassed by media and fans and things like that sounds pretty good from my perspective. And then just in terms of roster composition, there’s not a lot of teams in the league that are ready to be contenders that can shed the space or have the right pieces to complement Blake Griffin and/or Chris Paul." 15:45-16:18: Our guest’s favorite player, Luc Mbah a Moute, has shown considerable improvement, thus greatly contributing to the team’s success this season. How has he grown more comfortable offensively? “This season, there’s a lot more cutting that’s involved with Luc, and there’s a lot of action for him that happens around 18 feet. And 18 feet is comfort zone for Luc in terms of shooting. He has a lot more confidence in the ability to take and make those shots. And because of that, I think that not only does Luc have a better understanding for how his teammates operate, [but also] the team in general has a better feel for how they get Luc in the best spots for him to succeed offensively.” 25:24-27:21: The coach’s son is much better than casual NBA fans would have you believe. Andrew shares a critical adjustment Austin Rivers has made in recent years: “I think, at times, he was trying to do things that were too fast for his body to execute…A lot of that inefficiency in motion is trimmed down when he plays now, and even when he’s finishing around the rim you’ll see what happens is he takes these drag steps to kind of slow his momentum down so that he can kiss it off the glass and into the basket…Not to use the clichéd term that the game is slowing down fo...Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Last time Dan Feldman of NBC Sports' Pro Basketball Talk joined the podcast, he detailed the Pistons' inconsistency. Again, a season later, Feldman breaks down the team's streakiness and many other salient issues, including Stan Van Gundy's unique brand of leadership, Reggie Jackson's improving play, and why star center Andre Drummond can, at times, be so frustrating to watch. Here are some excerpts to get your engine revving:1:50-1:58: During the recent 3-9 skid: “The entire difference almost was defensively. They went from defending like, give or take, the best team in the league to defending like the worst team in the league.”7:55-8:27: “One thing that is helping [Tobias Harris] is that when you start the game, the Pistons want to get touches for Reggie Jackson. They want to get Marcus Morris involved. They’re running more plays for KCP. They’re running more plays for Andre Drummond. They’ve got to get all these guys involved… When [Tobias Harris] comes off the bench, it’s his turn to get involved. There’s no ambiguity of, ‘Hey is it my turn or is it somebody else’s turn?’ When he comes in, it’s his turn, he can get going and get into a rhythm. He's a talented player and a good scorer and when he's the focal point, that's something that works for him.”15:44-16:22: Regarding Drummond's defensive lapses: “Some of it's just getting lost, still being young, still learning his way, but some of it’s aggressiveness. You look at his shot blocking numbers, those should be higher. He’s just not always competing on that end… that’s one of the drawbacks with him; there are worse drawbacks. If you have Andre Drummond, you take the good and bad. He's the best player the Pistons have had in a long time, probably since Chauncey Billups. You’re happy to have him, but you have to work through these effort things and get him to compete more, especially on the defensive end more consistently, and to be smarter on that end. It's a work in progress.”18:50-19:22: "A lot of times… it doesn't really matter whether [Drummond] is in a good spot or not, they just sort of cherry pick, 'This will be a Drummond possession.' So if he's not in good position, he's going to force up the shot. He's not that good of a passer, that's something he needs to work on. [They need to] just make it more part of the offensive flow, rather than 'Sometimes we're going to run our offense, sometimes we're going to force-feed Drummond.' Those things need to find a balance and work better together. It's a work in progress."19:53-20:25: "I think it's something that's driving Stan Van Gundy nuts, how they haven't crashed the glass as hard as he wants them to, especially the non-Drummond players. They all rebound better when Drummond is out of the game. When Drummond's in, they're often waiting for Drummond to get the rebound, every rebound, and he obviously can't get them all. That said, at least the Pistons are doing something productive out of their offensive rebounding dip; they've been very good in fastbreak defense and not allowing fastbreak points."23:19-23:57: "The Pistons want to develop [Stanley Johnson], they want to get him minutes, they want him to be part of the rotation, but he’s got to earn it at least a little bit and for so much of the season, he wasn’t. Offensively, he would go through two different phases. He’d either force it and miss a lot of shots and turn the ball over, or he'd be way too passive and completely disappear. He never found the middle ground and didn’t find much coming naturally to him. Defensively, for the most part, the effort was good, but it was just really reckless. He didn't really know where he was going and was running arou...Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
The Charlotte Hornets’ reliable core is back this season and performing admirably despite some early-season streakiness. As usual, with a Steve Clifford-led team, the defense is generally stout and the offense is taking care of the ball. Nick Denning, editor for SB Nation’s At the Hive, rejoins the show to discuss Kemba Walker’s brilliance, Nicolas Batum’s multi-faceted game and more generally why this fundamental, non-flashy team handles its business so well. All that and more on the show, but first some particularly buzz-worthy bites:3:57-4:15: “100 percent convinced [Hornets head coach Steve Clifford is the right person for the job]. He’s perfect for this team. He’s created an identify for them and one thing that’s becoming pretty clear is that players like to play for him, and we’re not necessarily talking about stars, but a lot of good players like to go play for him just because he knows how to maximize their talent. 5:01-5:30: “His [Kemba Walker’s] emergence has been really in the last couple of seasons. He’s just never really had the pieces around him to be effective because before it was like they had to rely on him; late shot clock, whatever it was, it’s like you gotta get the ball in his hands or else there’s no chance of scoring. Now, a few more pieces, they’re much better at moving the ball and whatnot, he’s able to do more of the things that he’s good at it, but he’s also improved himself a ton. He’s actually a better player than I thought he would be at this point.” 8:43-9:01: “The four-game losing streak they had earlier, they were all on the road, you could tell they weren’t fresh, but I would say the effort defensively wasn’t where Clifford wanted it to be. But aside from those, there’s three games that stand out to me where just playing a little bit better defensively and actually putting a team away would’ve resulted in a win.” 12:01-12:36: “The one advantage that they have over these teams, their core pieces are very much the same, whereas New York brought in Rose and brought in Noah; they’re trying to piece things together. The Hornets are very much the same team that they were last year minus a few pieces. Some of them key, but Walker’s still there, Batum’s still there, Marvin Williams is still there. But I will say this: Historically speaking, if you look at teams under Steve Clifford, they actually never quite hit their peak until around late February, early March.” 19:06-19:31: “He’s [Nic Batum’s] not actually as good an individual defender as he was maybe a few years ago, but he’s a very smart player and he’s a very quiet, sneaky player. When I saw his stat line after the game, I said, ‘That’s the quietest 16 and 13 that I’ve seen ever,’ and then the eight assists to go with it. So he just quietly puts together a really well-rounded performance.”21:36-22:04: “[Hornets GM Rich] Cho actually tried to sign him [Marco Belinelli] the season before and then he signed with the Kings, so he obviously was still a favorable player in Rich Cho’s eyes. But I think Tom Ziller for SB Nation kind of summed it up very simply. He said, ‘Belinelli’s a good player on a good team and a not so good player on a bad team. The Kings were bad. The Hornets are good. I think he’ll be fine.’ And that’s basically what’s happened.”30:46-31:04: “He [Frank Kaminsky] says, ‘We’ll be on the court, and he’ll [Marvin Williams will] start calling the play out, he knows where somebody’s going before it even happens.’ That kind of experience and knowledge is something that really helps him on that end.”Music: "Who Likes to Party" by Kevin MacLeodLearn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Chris Reichert of FanSided Network's The Step Back visits to tell us everything we need to know about the D-League. The league expert explains the expected impact of the new Collective Bargaining Agreement on the NBA's official minor-league basketball organization, the league's top prospects and how it has served as a laboratory for testing potential NBA rule changes. Also, what is an ambitious basketball coach's best friend? Not a dog, bur rather a coaching stint in the D-League. Reichert is teeming with fascinating material, including how wing Jonathon Simmons went from paying $150 to try out for a D-League team to earning a key role playing for one of the greatest organizations in all of professional sports, the San Antonio Spurs. Check out some of Reichert's rubies below:1:34-3:28 Reichert on how the new Collective Bargaining Agreement will affect the D-League players: "They're adding two roster spots to every NBA team and those are going to be two-way contracts, probably for fringe [NBA] players...they want to keep their rights but they really want to develop them in the D-League. Those players are going to be paid a little more. They'll get 50,00 to 75,000. It opens up 60 additional roster spots for players, which is another great thing for D-League guys, fringe guys looking to make rosters and get an opportunity...The NBA minimums have come up 45 to 50 percent…which is going to help D-League players, because the 10-day contracts come January are based off the minimum salaries for however many years a player has in the NBA...They helped about a fifth of them, which I guess is a start, but hopefully, eventually we’ll get higher contracts across the board in the D-League."5:39-6:32 on the D-League as a test lab for the NBA: "I think it's really smart. It's a good way to gauge...what kind of effect these changes are going to have on overall gameplay and fan experience. They have a coach's challenge in the D-League that can be used in the fourth quarter or overtime. That's something the NBA does not have and they've been experimenting with it. This is the second season...They used to also use the FIBA goaltending rule, where you can hit the ball off the rim...Another thing that might actually get implemented in the NBA that they're using this year is on offensive rebounds, the shot clock goes to 14...It keeps the game flow going, forces the offense to maybe make a faster decision on their second possession.”7:32-7:43: "We're at 22 right now...In four seasons max, every team is going to have its own affiliate."12:14-13:59: "One guy that people haven't heard of that is really good is Kevin Murphy. He went to Tennessee Tech so you wouldn't have known him from college most likely. He's 26, about 6-5 or 6-6, plays on the wing, and can really light it up...Chris Evans is another one. He went to Kent State. He's a 6-8 forward, he's 25, plays for Canton…Both of them spent a couple years overseas, and now they're getting close to that basketball prime. They're trying to make that push for a chance to make an NBA roster."14:09–14:21: "Scoring a ton is great, but his [Pierre Jackson’s] efficiency has been just ridiculous. He's shooting over 50 percent from the floor, over 40 percent from 3, and like 85 percent from the free-throw line. He's dangerous right now."16:41-16:52: “I’m really happy for Sean [Kilpatrick]. He’s a really good guy. I interviewed him a couple years ago when he was in the D-League, and you could just tell he didn’t want to be overseas playing. He wanted to be in the NBA, and he was gonna ride this thing out until he got a chance.”20:08-20:34: “I really thought the Heat would keep Briante Weber over [Rodney] McGruder,Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
All That Amar, Managing Editor of SB Nation’s SLC Dunk, stops by to discuss the Utah Jazz, whom he declares are finally in win-now mode. The young Jazz haven’t won a playoff game since 2010 and have finished with between 38 and 43 wins three of the past four seasons, but things appear to be changing for the better. Amar explains how the coach, general manager and players have all come together to generate a much-improved product on the court. Here are some of the highlights of our discussion:4:18-5:07: Our guest explains how added depth has allowed the Utah Jazz to weather an early storm of injuries: “The main reason is that they’ve had a few seasons with injury before, so they kind of figured out that they need to prepare for that. And what Dennis Lindsey, the GM of the Jazz, did was he went out and… they wanted to get depth, and I think that they accomplished that this season… adding George Hill, Joe Johnson and Boris Diaw. These guys, they haven’t been healthy for every game of the season, but they have made sure that when Utah is missing 1.5 starters per game, about three rotation guys every single game… they still have enough guys to stay in the game. If this was last year’s roster, the record would probably be maybe eight wins instead of 15.”6:05-6:44: Amar sees the work Gordon Hayward has put in to develop both his skills and his body: “[Hayward has] made it so the things that he’s good at and the things that he’s worked on work together, so that he’s even better than he originally was. He’s streamlined himself into being a better offensive player… I think working on your body is something that all NBA players have to do. If you’re going to be a star, you have to at least be average or above-average physically. That skinny kid out of Butler didn’t have the body to be a star. This Captain America hunk right now, maybe he does.”9:12-9:44: He goes on to explain how Rudy Gobert has used criticism as motivation to fuel his offensive awakening this season: “[Gobert] is kind of motivated by the haters. On Twitter and other social media, if anyone is critical of him, he will favorite that message to give him motivation. The offense has improved with the rest of his game. I think it’s an opportunity for him to show people that he’s better than what they thought he was, almost [dropping to] the second round of the NBA draft, or being overlooked or traded by the team that drafted him, which was Denver. He wants to prove people wrong.”10:40-11:23: But it’s not just Gobert who has improved his scoring. Quin Snyder’s offensive system is finally on display: “The thing is that he’s working hand-in-hand with what the front office wants… What they wanted Quin to do was rebuild Utah’s defense. The first two, if not the first three, training camps were all focused on that so obviously the offense was lagging behind. But the bill of goods we were sold was that Quin Snyder, who worked under Coach K [Mike Krzyzewski] and [Gregg] Popovich and Larry Brown and Ettore Messina and [Mike] Budenholzer and all these other guys, he’s supposed to be an offensive genius… It seems like they finally have some players who can run his offense, and we’re finally seeing it catch up to the defense.”17:32-17:56: Amar assesses where Utah’s team-building process stands early in 2016-17: “Utah hasn’t really done that type of drastic move yet [trading away potential for veterans]. They’re trying to do two different things at the same time and the results remain to be seen. To be win-now, that means you’re giving up a lottery pick. That’s exactly what Utah did this offseason; they gave up the 12th pick to get George Hill. That’s a clear indication that they think they definitely need to win now.”19:10–19:55: Consider our guest a huge fan of newly a...Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
With a new defensive-minded head coach, the Sacramento Kings are hoping to halt their 10-year playoff drought, but they continue to struggle, especially on the defensive end. However, our guest, Morgan Ragan, host of The Deuce and Mo Podcast, SacramentoKings.com contributor and local Sacramento reporter, explains why coach Dave Joerger should be afforded job security unlike many of his Kings predecessors. Other topics covered in the episode include how to guard DeMarcus Cousins, Rudy Gay's future in Sacramento, the front office's perpetual draft blunders and what the team needs from the point guard position. Enjoy some selected excerpts from the interview below: 6:55 - 7:23: Ragan starts by asserting that the Kings' center is better suited for a situation in which he’s no longer the franchise cornerstone: "He gets away with a lot of stuff...because he's DeMarcus Cousins. He's the best player on the team. He's the one producing the most points, the most rebounds. So if he wasn't that guy and didn't have that power, he would be even better somewhere else."8:19 - 9:01: Next, Ragan laments this season’s regression in Willie Cauley-Stein's game, an all-too-common occurrence for Sacramento’s first-round picks: "With Willie Cauley-Stein, you look at him in George Karl's system, when he was actually playing, when there wasn't that drama, there was something about that scrappy, fast-paced offense that really worked for him...Now this year, seeing him get the ball 10 feet out and have to do a little post move, he doesn't have that in him offensively. And his confidence level too...He doesn't look to attack. He's not much of a threat."17:20 - 18:20: However, on the bright side, there has been first-year Kings head coach Dave Joerger: "How many times have we had to bash Dave Joerger this season? Not as much as we have in the past with George Karl and even Mike Malone...With Dave Joerger, there are not a lot of bad things to say about him right now. We're not hearing about any fights between him and DeMarcus, which is sad [that people use that as a barometer]. And we're not mad at him because he doesn't have the right pieces on defense. And he has that defensive mind that we like. I do see Dave Joerger coaching out his (four-year) contract. That's one of the more positive things out here in Sacramento." 22:11 - 22:26: Ragan tells us that Rudy Gay should opt out of his contract this offseason, but that the Kings should not give him the opportunity: "This season, I do not see this team going to the playoffs. That is ultimately fair to say from what we've seen. That's why if you can get pieces for Rudy Gay before he walks, that's what the Kings should do."25:00 - 25:17: Finally, our guest details how opposing teams should defensively game plan for DeMarcus Cousins: "Sadly the answer to that is to get in his head. Screw with him, because guess what? That's gonna throw off his 3-pointer, that's gonna throw off his inside game...if you can get him taken out of the game mentally, which we've seen so many teams do, do that."Music: "Who Likes to Party" by Kevin MacLeod Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
This special Harrison Barnes-themed episode draws upon the perspectives of Dallas Mavericks fan Jason Gallagher, who currently serves as a multimedia editor at The Ringer, as well as Andy Liu of Warriors World, to try to determine Barnes' ultimate potential in the NBA. After four years with the Golden State Warriors, including the final two that resulted in NBA Finals appearances, the 24-year-old forward signed a four-year max contract with the Dallas Mavericks. While Kevin Durant has taken his starting spot on the league's most dominant team, Barnes has been tasked with carrying the injury-riddled Mavericks on his shoulders. So far, the results have been mixed. Without further ado, enjoy the show, and check out some excerpts from the episode if you'd like: Jason Gallagher at 3:57-4:12: They’re kind of playing in a nothing-to-lose sort of mentality at this point, and so I think that him learning to develop these skills of leading a team without the pressure of having to win games is good for a young player.6:17-6:44: “I really like Harrison on defense…and specifically Harrison when he plays the 4 he’s found a lot of success as well, especially on defense, in exploiting bigger players. He’s showing himself to be a versatile guy, and you really have to start thinking that way with Dirk [Nowitzki] on his last legs.”12:15-13:01: “Let’s be clear. Kevin Durant specifically said he wanted to go to the Warriors. He’s going to be getting open shots now. That’s just a fact. And that is a fact that Harrison Barnes benefited from when he was with the Warriors. And now he’s with a team with far less talent. His companion 3-point shooter, the guy that he is supposed to be leaning on the most is a trash shooter right now, and that is Wesley Matthews…So Barnes is at many, many times in the game, the only scorer on that team, the only person who can create his own shot.”17:38-18:13: “The defense has been really good. He’s been able to, like I said, switch, defend larger guys, defend smaller guys. Since Shawn Marion left, they’ve really missed that sort of guy who can defend all of those positions, and that is something that Barnes brings to Dallas that is a huge positive that people do not give him nearly enough credit for. In most cases, it’s either he or Wesley Matthews that is defending the No. 1 guy. And so when LeBron comes to town, it is going to be Harrison Barnes who is tasked to defend him, and he’s not bad.”Andy Liu at 30:17-30:57: The thing with Barnes is he’s a huge rhythm guy…He has to get his touches in order to get the good feel for that particular game, and that’s why he looks better. That’s why in 38 minutes he plays better. Because he’s just getting the ball so much, not that they have a choice. He’s one of those guys where he looks better when he gets more touches, but you’re not a good team. And then if you want to be a good team, he’s not going to get as much touches, then he doesn’t have the same type of feel or comfort or confidence with the game itself.37:14-38:11: “I think his lowest floor is always gonna be a really, really, really good role player no matter where he is. I think probably Vince Carter right now as a Memphis Grizzlie…He’s gonna be someone that no mater what he’s not really gonna make mistakes out there. He’s gonna make open shots…his worst-case scenario is probably that guy that can get to the rim here and then, make the defense semi-honest, can make open shots, open 3s, solid defender, kind of makes all the right plays, doesn’t really screw anything up. Basically like a sixth, seventh man that you can trust that will finish games if he’s hot, be a solid NBA player.”Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Following dramatic offseason changes, the Chicago Bulls have jumped out to a 10-6 start. At 34, future Hall of Famer Dwyane Wade has returned to his hometown. Chicago also brought in former NBA champion Rajon Rondo, among others. Our guest, Ashish Mathur of the Outside Pitch Sports Network, details how Wade and Rondo have added a sense of accountability, what’s behind Jimmy Butler’s routine offensive outbursts and how the Bulls’ lack of depth could ultimately derail their high hopes. Plus, much more is discussed with Mathur, who is cautiously optimistic about 2016-17 given how early it is in the season and the team’s new-look quality. At times, he’s even bullish, but let’s get to the excerpts before any more questionable puns are employed:1:48-3:04: Mathur begins by pointing out the necessity for the Bulls to trot out a completely different team this season and detailing what key additions Dwyane Wade and Rajon Rondo have brought: "The roster turnover was needed in every facet. Derrick [Rose] and Joakim [Noah] did a lot for this organization and city, but with Jimmy [Butler] establishing himself as the new alpha on the team, it was time for those two to go. Gar Forman and John Paxson did a pretty good job. Getting Rondo and Wade here was huge, just for the locker room. It was toxic and full of turmoil last year…not able to handle any adversity…it was time for a change. The biggest thing Wade and Rondo add to the team is accountability…First day of training camp, Rondo and Wade were stopping practices telling guys to knock it off and to stop the chit-chat, [because they're] here to practice."3:57-4:58: Next, Mathur gushes about Butler's transformation from defensive specialist to bona fide all-around superstar: "This guy came into the league as a defensive stopper, averaged 2 points per game his first year. He's got to be one of the hardest working players, especially in the offseason…He got up at 4 in the morning every day and trained. He's having fun this year. Last year, there was so much dysfunction…Last year was the first [time] Jimmy dealt with adversity in the NBA…He looks so much different. He's smiling, loves having Wade on the team, and is putting up MVP-type numbers."9:52-10:12: Certainly some of Butler's success this season can be attributed to mentor and fellow Marquette alumnus Dwyane Wade: "First day in [Wade's] opening press conference, he said that this is Jimmy Butler's team and that was huge for everybody…last thing we need is Butler and Wade not being able to play with each other. It's great for Wade to be the mentor to Jimmy."11:02-12:56: Starting point guard Rajon Rondo is also a key part of the Bulls’ offense, but he has needed time to adjust to his new surroundings and has been hampered by a hardly discussed injury: "Rondo's always been a putrid shooter…he's not here to score…his leadership and being vocal on the floor have been his biggest attributes for the team. Hoiberg's a nonchalant coach, sits down the whole game, and he's pretty quiet. Rondo is vey loud, he's the coach on the floor, and that's been huge...the floor spacing though is not at its best when he's out there…we're supposed to get Rondo here for his defense and being a pest on that end of the floor. The Bulls' defense has been middle of the pack, but they've been awful when he's been on the floor…His defense will pick up. He's quietly dealing with an ankle injury that he's not talking about. That might be contributing. Just look at his track record. He's a pretty good defender at his position."21:28-22:47: Perhaps the Bulls' x-factor is the wildly inconsistent Nikola Mirotic, whose potential is sky high, according to Mathur: "Mirotic is one of the biggest teases in the NBA. His rookie year,Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Freshly returned from Cuba, fellow Trojan Adena Andrews, who has written for ESPNW, NBA.com and CBS Sports, talks about her New York Knicks and her life-changing trip. Despite falling to the bottom-feeding Wizards (our interview was recorded before the game), the new-look Knicks have been showing signs of improvement. During the Knicks discussion, Adena addresses the team's integration process given so many offseason changes, Kristaps Porzingis' burgeoning New Yorkness and what the Zen Master brings to the organization, occasional controversy and all. Later, her enlightening journey to Cuba provides extraordinary insight into historical events and how they've impacted today's Cuba. Adena also explains her newfound closeness with the foreign land and many of its people. Enjoy some excerpts below:Knicks1:56-2:25: “I think I’m kind of like every other Knicks fan. We start the season and we’re like, ‘Oh yeah! We’re gonna win the chip! It’s gonna be ours!’ I think that’s what New Yorkers do best: we overreact. Especially because the Knicks are really good at getting great names and getting us excited. That’s where I’m at. I’m at the ‘Bring on the second round of the playoffs because we haven’t seen it in so long’ place.” 2:42-2:56: “It seems like every year we have a new unit, and that’s our excuse. It’s like ‘We’re in a building year. We’re in a building year.’ We’ve built enough buildings here to populate downtown Manhattan.”7:03-7:36 “[Porzingis] is a foreigner, and I really, really feel like he’s getting his official New York license right now. The other day on the court, he mouthed the words ‘F- outta here,’ and I was like, ‘That’s what New Yorkers say all the time’… I know at home, Porzingis is wearing Timbs and a Yankee fitted at all times. He is coming of age in his New York self and I’m loving it.”Cuba 24:49-25:14: “I felt like I was a part of history because I get to come back and be on a podcast or come back and tell all my friends and my coworkers just what a wonderful of a country Cuba is, how wonderful the people are. I’ll hopefully write my legislator and keep the conversation open between the countries and show that our ‘enemy’ (quote-unquote), what we used to think they were, they’re not so bad at all.”25:56-26:52: “The culture experience that I really enjoyed the most, being an African American here, was learning about the African diaspora and how it exists in Cuba. In the triangle trade of slavery, Cuba and the Caribbean was just one stop and the U.S. South was another stop. And how much I actually had in common with the Cubans. For example, I saw some Cubans who were doing stepping, and I’m part of a historically black sorority and one of our traditions is we step. It’s called body percussion. They were doing the same exact steps that I learned at USC in college. It just makes you feel more connected, it makes you feel not so lost in this world and not so without culture. So it was humbling, and it was enlightening to see that kind of stuff." 27:52-28:02: “At the end of the day, we’re just all so similar, it’s not even funny. Everyone, black, white. If we saw that in each other, the world would be a better place honestly.”32:13-33:20: “As an African American, unless you read up on your history, all you’re gonna get is Martin Luther King, and not even Harriet Tubman in school… And then you feel just disconnected. You wonder, ‘Who am I and what am I made up of?’ So when you go to these places, you actually get a better sense of self, and know that there’s something larger than you, that you can withstand the harshest atrocities that are put up against you. You feel grounded and you feel connected to something definitely. I was in Jamaica once and this guy told me: ‘I and I is o...Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
The 2-5 Minnesota Timberwolves may be on the cusp of something very promising, but they’re awfully young. Under new head coach and president Tom Thibodeau, that inexperience has likely already contributed to three losses by a combined 10 points. Close losses notwithstanding, the offense, led by Andrew Wiggins, Zach LaVine and Karl-Anthony Towns, all 21 years old or younger, has been electric, as has the 3-point shooting in particular. Timberwolves expert Patrick Fenelon was gracious enough to join the show to discuss these three phenoms, the prospect of Minnesota improving its team defense, rookie point guard Kris Dunn’s strengths and weaknesses, and a whole lot more. Get teased with some excerpts below: 2:53 - 3:21: Fenelon begins by explaining what has been causing the Timberwolves to blow leads in the third quarter of games: "You wonder if it's just a weird quirk of youth thinking that they can just sit back and play prevent defense. It's just a layup line really is what happens in that third quarter. If you look at shot charts, you'll see that one guy is coming in there and getting layups over and over again. They just stop playing defense. And then turnovers happen." 5:46 - 6:22: Kris Dunn has captured Fenelon's attention as a defensive force, but our guest acknowledges where the rookie must improve: "I've been really impressed with [Dunn] defensively. He's held his own right away. He just doesn't know exactly what to do on the offensive end...It's a really steep learning curve for point guards. When Dunn is on the court, their offense is [heavily] based on trying to be scrappy on defense, get a turnover and run the other way. Their pace is a lot faster with Dunn out there." 9:08 - 9:28: Fenelon also gushes over Zach LaVine, comparing him to arguably the best shooter in the league and placing him firmly in contention for NBA's Most Improved Player award: "He just needs to be not a huge liability on defense, because he's just such a flamethrower on offense. He's not going to shoot 50 percent from 3 for the year, but it'll be Klay Thompson-level. He's that good of a shooter. He was hitting them at about that clip for the whole second half of last year." 11:30 - 12:29: Lest we forget Karl-Anthony Towns and Andrew Wiggins, our guest clarifies who is now and will always be the leader of the Timberwolves: "In terms of his mentality and charisma on a roster and in a locker room and being outspoken, he's always going to be secondary to Towns. Towns might be President of the United States for god's sake...Wiggins is by nature very shy... Wiggins is not a playmaker at this point. He's really, at this point, just a scorer and a solid individual defender. And he's getting better as a team defender." 18:31 - 19:23: But with all these freak athletes, why aren't the Timberwolves better on defense? And how is new coach Tom Thibodeau ensuring progress in this crucial area? Tell us, Patrick: "They have the talent to actually be a good defensive team. They're just young and inexperienced and weren't coached within a decent structure...What you can tell with Thibodeau is that he's got a long leash and there's definitely a system in place. He's supposedly such a good teacher and will stop a practice if you're out of position and break down where you have to be." 21:22 - 21:49: Fenelon cautions that reaching the playoffs this season is not necessarily the most important goal: "You can get frustrated when you have expectations. This team hasn't made the playoffs for 12 years, so I really want wins. And I have to calm myself down and (remember) that this ...Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Four games into the season, the Philadelphia 76ers are again winless, and the franchise hasn’t won a pre-December regular-season game since the 2013-14 season. This time, however, Sixers fans are enjoying the process marveling at Joel "The Process" Embiid rather than commiserating about tanking. Jake Fischer of SB Nation's Liberty Ballers and SI.com joins the show and raves about Embiid's impressive debut and transformative potential. Along with 2016 No. 1 overall pick Ben Simmons, whose highly anticipated debut will have to wait, last season's NBA All-Rookie First Team member Jahlil Okafor and rookie Dario Saric, Embiid's emergence brings optimism back to Philadelphia basketball. Fischer also examines the Sixers' glut of similar bigs and identifies the likely odd man out. Not since Iverson and Iguodala respectively crossed over opponents and soared through the sky has there been so much unbridled joy and passion around this fan base. Peep the excerpts below:1:59-2:23 Fischer starts out describing the aforementioned new aura of positivity around the 76ers faithful: “It’s a complete 180 from the last couple years. There’s still the good-hearted humor of ‘Oh, I wonder which new way we’ll find out this team can lose a game tonight,’ but at the same time there’s an optimism now I think that fans truly have thought, at least in these first four games, that the team has a shot at winning every night just because Embiid’s out on the floor.” 5:52-6:31 “One of the biggest criticisms of Sam Hinkie’s rebuild was that he was just plugging away with assets and roster turnover and hiding behind a calculator and it was not basketball-related and it was just faux analytics. But the fact that this team now has a personable face who can stand in front of reporters or fans at the Beach Bash in August and actually be a walking, talking, breathing product of this scheme, and you compound that with the fact that he’s absurdly talented. It’s the pillar this team needed to pivot toward true contention, let alone respectability.”7:30-8:37: But apparently all is not is well in the City of Brotherly Love according to our guest, who does not envision Nerlens Noel remaining a 76er for long: “I honestly don’t expect him to ever play a game for the Sixers again…I don’t know what flipped the switch, but some time in August him and his agents decided that he needed to get out of there. I think that’s gonna be the ultimate conclusion as much as I think that he’s a more valuable piece next to Joel Embiid, and just he’s a better basketball player than Jahlil Okafor in general.” 18:23-18:47: Fischer points to the evident shift toward finally accruing some wins this season compared to the previous brand of old-fashioned tanking: “They literally entered that year [2015-16] without a point guard, so that was by design. Brett Brown and his players, like you said, were always going to try to win, but Sam Hinkie strategically built the roster in a way that it was virtually impossible to win every single night. That’s not the case anymore. And that’s not an indictment of Hinkie at all. I personally think it was an ingenious strategy.”23:00-23:27: Given this enhanced on-court product, he sees a prime opportunity for coach Brett Brown to showcase his ability to game plan in more competitive situations: “I think he has the tools to grow into possibly one of the best coaches in the league. He certainly is a leader of men. You see it in the way he talks and his charisma and the way players play for him defensively. He’s got that quality about him, but so did Scott Brooks and Mark Jackson and other guys, and they just didn’t have the acumen to get it done. So when it comes to those late-game situations…I really am paying attention t...Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
As expected, three games into the 2016-17 season, Anthony Davis is putting up monster averages of 37.7 points, 12.3 rebounds, 3.0 blocks and 2.7 steals per game, including an almost unfathomable performance in the season opener where he racked up 50 points, 17 rebounds, 5 assists, 4 blocks, and 5 steals against the Denver Nuggets. Unfortunately, for all his effort, the Pelicans still have no wins to show for it. Mason Ginsberg of ESPN Truehoop's Bourbon Street Shots takes us through what the Pelicans need to do over the course of this season to turn that around. Additionally, he expounds on the disappointment of last year's injury-filled season, the many roster moves made in the offseason and need for a sense of urgency around the team.5:12-5:26 on how Quincy Pondexter's injury last season affected the team and his uncertain timetable to return this season:"Quincy [Pondexter] was their only plus defender who could really stretch the floor and [needed to be] defended from the 3-point line and missing him was just huge. Again, it’d be really helpful to get him back, but no real certainty on when that’s going to happen."10:13-11:05 On his feelings about Anthony Davis's still developing game and the myriad of injuries he has suffered over his career:"He's only 23 years old still. He’s developing into more of a stronger figure. That’s going to help him play more minutes at the 5, which he vocally did not want to do at the start of his career… I think now he’s realizing where the NBA game is going; he’s been playing more and more 5 every year. I’m optimistic about AD from an injury perspective. There’s been nothing that really sticks out as a major red flag… All things considered, I’d rather have him have a bunch of random injuries than keep injuring the same thing over and over again"15:23-15:46 Setting expectations for Buddy Hield's rookie season:"Watching him play, from what I’ve seen so far, it’s almost ironic because it seems as much a confidence issue than anything. He’s timid, he’s not playing with the same kind of confidence that you saw at Oklahoma or even sometimes in the preseason. I think he’s going to be fine, again, small sample size, but he’s also a rookie. He’s going to struggle on defense. He’s going to turn the ball over. He’s going to help space the floor for the Pelicans, but he’s also going to hurt them too."18:00-18:42 On the many offseason acquisitions for the Pelicans:"The additions they’ve had this offseason are to really shore up that defense and give Darren Ermon, who they brought in basically as their defensive coordinator, some tools to work with. The number of times last season I saw him just throw his hands up in the air in disgust on the sideline was too many to count. It was rough. Now they have guys who can defend multiple positions, who can switch on screens a little more."22:25-22:58 On the future role for Tyreke Evans:"It just really seems like all of the Pelicans moves this offseason were made with the thought of Tyreke not really being a fac...Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
In the first team-focused interview of the season, Slice Miami’s Josh Baumgard makes On the NBA Beat history by becoming the first guest to appear three times, and the third time was certainly a charm (as were the first two). In this Miami Heat-themed episode, he gushes about the monstrous numbers Hassan Whiteside has the potential to post as the focal point of Miami’s offense. Baumgard also waxes nostalgic and practical about the ramifications of Dwyane Wade’s departure after 13 seasons as the franchise cornerstone. Plus, along with a range of other timely topics, he explains how Miami’s already stout defense can be even stronger this upcoming season. Scan some scorching excerpts below: 2:58-3:10 As the episode title suggests, second-year wing Justise Winslow will make or break Miami’s season, according to Baumgard: “I think he’s the key to the whole season. I think he’s the difference between whether they’re gonna be a 35-win team or a 45-win team. You’ve got to see some offensive improvement out of him, and I think with the increased role he’s ready for it.”5:50-6:22 “That’s gonna be huge, because if he can develop a consistent jump shot, the defense is gonna play closer to him; that’s gonna open up driving lanes. And as we saw in the preseason, he’s a pretty good ball handler and he’s a very underrated passer. I think he can find guys in the corner for those open 3s, so, again, I think it goes back to Winslow. If he’s able to create some offense behind Goran Dragic, it’s gonna ease the burden on them scoring, because they’re likely not gonna be a great offensive team, but if they’re at least better than average, I think that bodes really well for their playoff chances.” 10:26-10:55 While our guest is quite enthusiastic about Hassan Whiteside’s individual projections, he expresses concern over the team’s lack of front-court depth: “Outside of that [Hassan Whiteside and backup center Willie Reed], it’s really, really thin. Josh McRoberts, he can’t be depended on to go home and take a shower and come back healthy the next day…you have Udonis Haslem who’s approaching like 50 years old, so they’re really thin at the 5 spot. So if anything happens to Whiteside or Reed, we’re gonna see Justise Winslow playing some 1 through 5 just like he did in the playoffs.” 17:08-17:58 Dwyane Wade’s impact on the Heat over the past 13 years was tremendous, admits Baumgard, but he also contends that Wade’s output no longer equated to what he would have been financially owed going forward: “Wade had a great playoff run, and he had a sensational series against Charlotte; if he didn’t have that series, they lose. But when you’re looking overall at what he brings at this stage of his career, I’m not sure he would have been the best fit for the Heat. I think you’re better off paying Dion Waiters $3 million than paying Wade 20+. If you look at last year’s numbers, Miami’s defense allowed eight points per 100 possessions more with Wade on the court, and then you consider the fact that he’s gonna hog the ball, put in a high usage and take it away from Dragic and Whiteside and some of these more consistent, efficient players, and a case could be made that they’re going to be better over the long haul without Wade. Now that might just be the homer in me, it might be the bitter fan coming out, saying he left us. But the numbers don’t lie when you look at it, and Dwyane Wade is not the player he was five, 10 years ago.”20:37-21:03 He sees free-agent acquisition Dion Waiters as something of a wild card who can be highly effective if he comes in with a balanced mental approach: “Waiters, in certain spots of the preseason, when he’s not trying to do too much, when he’s not trying to be a scorer first and he’s actually try...Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
On this episode, James Herbert, NBA Writer at CBSSports.com, joined us to run through the most compelling storylines for the fast approaching 2016-17 NBA season. After an offseason filled with player movement and coaching changes, James helps us navigate the new landscape of the NBA, including which teams he thinks improved their chances and which he has lower expectations for. He also opines on possible breakout players, gives his season award predictions and offers his thoughts on the increasing social activism among NBA players and in professional sports in general.1:40-4:38 Herbert is very high on the Utah Jazz’s prospects for the season. Here’s a taste:“I just think they’re gonna be a monster this year. I think a lot of people really expected them to be that breakout team last year -- some thought it would even happen the year before, they’d make it to the playoffs -- but I think this is really the year that it’s going to happen. They should have been a playoff team last year. They just barely missed out, and that was when they didn’t really have a point guard for the whole season...so I’m a bit more bullish on them than I think even most NBA hipsters are…I think they’re seen as this big team, this enormous team that plays power basketball because of [Derrick] Favors and [Rudy] Gobert, but they can put Trey Lyles and Boris Diaw there as their frontcourt with their bench unit, and they can match up with small teams too. I think it’s really about versatility in the modern NBA, not just going small, and the Jazz have the pieces to play pretty much any way.”11:03-11:50 Like many analysts, Herbert sees a significant drop-off after the Cleveland Cavaliers and Golden State Warriors. Here’s what he had to say concerning the near-inevitability of another Cavs-Warriors Finals:“I know that’s kind of a bummer. I know most people going into a season would like to think that there’s some sort of chance that we don’t already know who’s going to meet in the Finals. But to me, I’m just like, ‘Alright, the Finals are gonna be awesome.’ I want to see these two super-teams go at it again for the third straight time when now the Warriors have what looks like the best roster I’ve ever seen constructed in my whole life.”13:30-13:40 Good news, Houston. Our guest believes the Rockets will show considerable improvement this 2016-17 campaign“Watching them in the preseason, the way that they’re spreading the floor, the way that they’re pushing the pace, the way that they’re empowering James Harden. I think he’s become a popular MVP pick going into the season for a reason. He’s just got the perfect setup for him to have a huge year. And I think just based on the talent they have on the roster there’s no way they should have been as bad as they were last year, so I think they were naturally going to rebound anyway. And now you put Harden in a [coach Mike] D’Antoni offense and you add Ryan Anderson there to stretch the floor. Yeah, this might still be a bad defensive team, but I think they’ll for sure be one of the best offensive teams in the NBA.”18:45-19:38: Regarding the Atlanta Hawks, Herbert can envision many scenarios in the wide-open Eastern Conference:Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
In the inaugural episode of Season 2, Aaron and Loren go over last season's podcast highlights while unveiling the names of the first three interview guests of 2016-17. Music: "Who Likes to Party?" by Kevin MacLeodLearn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
The knowledgeable and passionate Sam Vecenie of CBS Sports checks in to review the 2016 NBA Draft. He discusses the uniquely unpredictable nature of the picks, No. 1 overall selection Ben Simmons, Buddy Hield's pairing with Anthony Davis in New Orleans, the under-appreciated Malcolm Brogdon and so much more. 9:28-10:59: “(Drafting and stashing) certainly shook up the first round in a lot of ways. The thing with all these international kids is that none of them really wanted to be stashed outside of a few of them. So, basically, the reason you saw (Guerschon) Yabusele go 16 - he’s willing to be stashed in all likelihood…The factor that all of these teams had multiple picks, and the factor that everyone kind of thinks this draft sucks in terms of domestic prospects made teams going into this uncertain free agency period want to say, ‘OK, we want to keep our rosters as clean as possible and have as few of these guys over here now as possible,’ so I think that that’s where you saw quite a few stashes come into play.” 11:18-12:56: “I would say that Skal (Labissiere) and (Dejounte) Murray particularly both had pretty volatile draft stocks…Skal was a weird one, where the teams that I think did the most homework on him ended kind of going in different directions…so I think that a lot of the teams in that 10,11, 12, 13 range ended up moving their picks and deciding to go different directions. It’s kind of the way that trades shake up the draft process, because you can only predict so much going into it, and then once you predict it, it might just go off the rails really quickly. 13:31-13:57 (on the impact of Thon Maker’s age, which is currently in question): “If he’s 23, it throws off his development cycle pretty substantially and throws his performance to this state pretty heavily in question. So, last year, Skal Labissiere and he were at Hoops Summit, and Skal just destroyed him day after day in practice and really just kind of dominated him in a way that would be very concerning if Thon was 22 at that stage.”16:22-17:42 (on Ben Simmons): “I’m a pretty big fan of his game. He’s No. 1 in a weak draft; I think that that’s fair to say. He’s a really solid, really athletic prospect, who can get to the rim whenever he wants. Obviously, he’s a terrific passer, really good rebounder. One thing I will note is he does have a propensity to pick up some garbage-time stats from time to time, almost like Rondo-ian in terms of chasing stats and doing that, which is a little bit worrisome. It kind of reflects on his defensive game, which is quite substandard at this stage despite him having a ton of potential in the modern NBA, and it kind of reflects on the fact that he hasn’t really improved his game all that much while he was at LSU. I think if you put him on the floor, he’s gonna play hard. He really does want to be great as an NBA player.” 21:29-21:58 (on the Celtics’ disappointing draft): “I would have just taken Kris Dunn at No. 3 and continued to be able to negotiate with Chicago and with Philadelphia, who clearly both wanted Kris Dunn. I think that you call their bluff, and, if worse comes to worse, you end up with a guy, in Kris Dunn, that is really good at basketball and who I had at No. 3 on my board. Obviously, the Celtics felt differently. And I think that the second critical mistake is taking Guerschon Yabusele at 16, and then, third, they end up moving 31 and 35 with good players still on the board.”23:03-23:31: “No. 17 is Memphis. You look at what they do: They get Wade Baldwin, who is a really tremendous fit for what they want. They have questions still with what Mike Conley is going to do in free agency. Baldwin fits really well, because Baldwin could be Mike Conley’s replacement if Conley leaves,Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Despite Oklahoma City's Game 6 collapse and squandering of a 3-1 series lead, Welcome to Loud City's Marina Mangiaracina explains why the Thunder stand a legitimate chance of upsetting the mighty Golden State Warriors in a decisive Game 7. Her prescription? Lots of minor adjustments, which include extra shots for Dion Waiters and Serge Ibaka, smarter defensive switching and Andre Roberson logging more court time to help counteract Klay Thompson's explosive scoring. Below are some noteworthy excerpts:1:59 –2:26: “I think the No. 1 key is getting more shots for Serge Ibaka and Dion Waiters. Waiters had about the same amount of shots (in Game 6) – five or six – that (Andre) Roberson and (Steven) Adams had, and given his offensive abilities, it’s an embarrassment that he’s getting so few opportunities…(Kevin) Durant and (Russell) Westbrook were just taking too many bad shots. When you move the ball around more, it helps out.”4:06 –4:48: “There was tons of personal adversity for this team in this calendar year of 2016. Mo Cheeks had to go away from the bench due to hip surgery, the wife of Monty Williams was killed in a car accident and Monty Williams had to leave the team, the young brother of Dion Waiters was killed in a violent shooting in Philadelphia, Aubrey McClendon, the 20 percent owner of the team, died in a single-car crash…You could kind of see how they all rallied together and galvanized each other.”7:47 –9:04: “Billy Donovan just came into this coaching job with the right mindset…He really came in with an open mind and realized that he needed to learn a whole new profession from entirely different people. And his work ethic was amazing – he watched two seasons of Thunder basketball before he even came into the job, literally every single game. He toned down his demeanor – he’s not as intense as he was in college - he’s constantly revealing new plays, and he toned down the complexity of his offense once the players weren’t getting it…As far as using the regular season as a lab, literally every single player that could have possibly contributed got minutes. He toned down the minutes for Westbrook and Durant during the regular season, keeping them fresh for the playoffs. He tried wacky lineups with multiple point guards, centers…He just really has been one of the best success stories of the season as a head coach.”11:03-11:21: “I think that (foul trouble) is the only reason that (Anthony) Morrow got extended minutes is because Roberson was out of the game. And we really need to keep Roberson out of foul trouble. We really need to keep him in the game as long as we can just to get that defense on Klay (Thompson) because he’s the only defender that has the length and energy to do that.”13:00-13:35: “He (Waiters) kind of came into his own during the playoffs, because he’s focused primarily on defense, and that really works against the Warriors. He’s a great defender in one-on-one situations, because he’s so low to the ground, he’s so stout, he doesn’t give room and can really get into players physically…I also think that he has a lot of confidence when he shoots. Beyond Durant and Westbrook, I think he’s the best end-of-game shot maker. He has a really high percentage in clutch situations when he’s given space.”16:49-17:15: “He’s (Draymond Green's) not at his highest level against the Thunder, because KD’s just so long, and whenever Green has to match up against KD, it’s a problem. But Green isn’t matched up against KD a lot, and I think there’s definitely opportunities for him to get open 3-pointers, and if his shot’s on, then that opens up things for him driving to the basket because he’s skilled that way. Adams is a good rim protector,Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
The mighty, 73-win, defending champion Golden State Warriors squandered a 13-point halftime lead, as the Oklahoma City Thunder stole Game 1 at Oracle Arena Monday night. While Golden State of Mind's Andy Liu admits the Thunder are playing their strongest basketball at the most ideal time, he believes the Warriors and Stephen Curry will have enough to get through to the Finals. He does, however, express concern over the MVP's health, Golden State's shot selection and which coach is currently doing the better job. Entertaining, informative segments have been transcribed below:1:46-3:22: “They (the Warriors) should probably panic - like a controlled panic obviously. We don’t want (head coach) Steve Kerr to suddenly start making wholesale schematic changes. It’s not like they lost by 30… If Steph was 100 percent healthy, I think that he would’ve bailed them out last night, which would’ve been fine, but moving forward I don’t think he’s gonna get to 100 percent for the rest of the playoffs. So it’s a matter of ‘Can he play at 80, 85 percent and still carry this offense when it counts throughout the rest of the series?’” 4:30-4:49: "It’s just a matter of ‘How are they going to do it (start strong) again in Game 2, and then when OKC comes back and hits them, are they gonna lose composure again?’ You would believe that a championship team like this wouldn’t lose composure like that again, but, hey, OKC’s already done this to the Spurs three straight games; that was super-impressive."7:46-8:22: “I’ve covered the team for about 3.5 years now, and that crowd in Game 1 of the Western Conference Finals was by far the worst that I’ve heard. That one was bad. That one was regular-season level – like a random November regular-season game against the Orlando Magic. It was that bad. It didn’t get loud until the fourth quarter when the Warriors were making a run, IN the (first) game of a Western Conference Finals.” 10:45-11:42: “I think the Warriors need to go small more. I think whenever the Warriors struggle, whenever they go down in a series, the best cure that they have is just to put Draymond Green at center; speed everything up. Draymond Green is one of those rare, or maybe only, guys that can play 3, 4 and 5 and rebound as well…A lot of that second half was played in the half court, and in the half court OKC out-rebounded them, got to the line with free throws and then were able to lock down Steph Curry off the ball…just because the other team’s going big, doesn’t necessarily mean you have to.” 16:52-17:45: “(Russell Westbrook was) very good with the quick double on the pick and roll. And Steph has a tendency to - he still does after all these years – just throw careless passes out of pick and rolls. When he gets doubled, for some reason, either he just gets flustered or he throws it thinking it’ll work. He tries to throw it through four arms, or he tries to throw it through three people, and he did it like five, six, seven, eight times last night…This isn’t to say that OKC wasn’t playing good defense; they were. They were playing really good defense. But I’ve seen Steph do this a lot. And him cleaning up just means 'be smarter.' That’s basically it. It’s not some magical thing that he has to figure out.” 21:28-21:43: “I do expect a better shooting game from KD (Kevin Durant), do expect a better overall performance, maybe, from Westbrook. But then on the flip side of that, you do expect less turnovers from the Warriors, more focused defense in crunch time and a lot better shooting from Steph Curry.”Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Although the Hawks put a mighty scare into the Cavaliers after storming all the way back from 18 down, Cleveland ultimately hung on to take the series opener. In a tantalizing rematch of last year's Eastern Conference Finals, our crack guests lead us through this iteration's nuances. Checking in for the Hawks is Atlanta sports expert and NBA.com writer and podcaster Lang Whitaker. And out of Akron, Ohio, we have Jacob Rosen, who's an MBA student at the University of Oregon's Warsaw Sports Marketing Center. Rosen's also a longtime sports analytics writer for Hardwood Paroxysm, Nylon Calculus and Waiting for Next Year. Excerpts below:Lang Whitaker (5:07-5:23): “[Kent] Bazemore’s a little bit more dynamic offensively than DeMarre [Carroll] was last year. There’s that saying ‘The best defense is a good offense.’ I think if you make LeBron work a little bit harder on that end, maybe that helps you in the long run as well.”LW (5:25-5:45): “[Coach Mike] Budenholzer was trying a lot of different things. He had one lineup where Paul Millsap was playing center, where he went really small. I think he has a little more versatility with [Thabo] Sefolosha being healthy. He can go to these lineups where there’s two or three small forwards in there at the same time.”LW (7:22-8:07): “Mike Budenholzer said after they beat Boston in Round 1 that in Round 2 there was going to be a role for Kris Humphries with the Hawks, and then he didn’t play in Game 1. To me, it seems like that might be a spot where you put in Humphries and ask him to just go after rebounds, just crash the boards time after time and get a body on Tristan Thompson. Humphries averaged double-figure rebounds a couple years ago. That’s something maybe where you say, ‘Look, we need you. This is what you’re here for. Come out and contribute to the team in this way.’ They’ve got to find some answer, other than just letting Cleveland out-rebound them by 10 or 15 rebounds a game.”LW (11:06-11:34): “[Dennis Schroder’s] aggressive. That’s something he pretty much has every night. With [Jeff] Teague, sometimes that’s what he doesn’t have…When Teague doesn’t play that aggressively, that’s when you bring in Schroder, and the other way around. That’s also why you don’t trade one of those guys during the season. It’s kind of a unique combination, but they really complement each other very well.”LW (14:24:15:01): “The thing that makes LeBron [James] so good is his passing. Last night, there were five or 10 different plays where they got the ball out of his hands, but LeBron made passes that most players in the NBA can’t make… When you play great defense and you leave this tiny little thing (opening) and that happens, you’ve just got to tip your hat to the guy.”Jacob Rosen (20:29-20:41): “The encouraging thing for the Cavs is that they can lollygag for a few minutes here and there. They obviously can’t do that against the Western Conference teams, but in the East, it still seems that they have the ability to pull away when they really need to.”JR (24:55-26:32): “With [Dennis Schroder and Kent Bazemore] they have the athleticism on the wing that the Cavs can sometimes struggle against, and they were getting open looks. Schroder was just picking them apart with the dribble-drive and Kyrie [Irving] and—other players, it wasn’t just Kyrie— the Cavs were not prepared for it. ..So when they go back to the drawing board, the Cavs just have to strategize a solution where they’re not sagging off those guys, where they’re not letting the Hawks run around them on the offensive end…So w...Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
With the Toronto Raptors and Indiana Pacers deadlocked at two games apiece, there's ample anxiety around the Raptors and their fan base. And it's only natural for a franchise that has struggled mightily in recent postseason play. Paul George's stifling defense and explosive offense have certainly not made life easy for the No. 2 seed. However, both our guests, The Score's Lead Basketball Editor, Joseph Casciaro, and Ben Gibson, Assistant Editor for Pacers blog 8 Points, 9 Seconds, agree that the Raptors will emerge victorious and go on to explain why. Delectable excerpts can be found below: 2:14-2:37 Joe Casciaro on DeMar DeRozan’s struggles on both sides of the ball:“They’ve gotta to get something from DeMar DeRozan, because right now they’re literally getting nothing. He’s been awful offensively; Paul George has dominated him on that end with his defense. The other thing, too, is DeMar’s been very inattentive on the defensive end. He’s never been a great defender. He’s not the kind of guy that you’re gonna put on the opposing team’s best player, but he’s also not usually this bad, and he’s just been atrocious on both ends of the floor.”2:54-3:29 on overcoming DeRozan's poor play by moving theball:“I think, even outside of DeMar, this team can win with DeMar not playing well if they’re generating good looks for everyone else, if they’re moving the ball…As much as the ghosts of playoffs past haunt this team, I just think they’re such a better team than the Pacers that at some point in this series it has to show, and I think it will over the next couple games.” 5:39-6:10 JC on George's stifling of DeRozan: “The only other player I really remember doing this to DeMar consistently is Jimmy Butler whenever the Bulls play the Raptors. Paul George has just completely shut him down. He’s in his face. DeMar doesn’t have a lot of space...I don’t know if it’s the screens not being set right or what it is, but George is having no problem getting through them and just sticking with DeMar. They cannot get DeMar away from Paul George no matter what they try." 10:17-11:43 JC on Toronto's history of playoff woes:“The last couple years, the Raptors have embraced that with the whole “We, the North” thing and using the outsider mentality as a source of strength, but at the back of everyone’s mind is still this angst about the playoff ghosts and the demons and ‘Are they truly relevant, can they be relevant unless they make a deep run?’ and ‘Are they even good enough to make a deep run?’ Despite the regular-season success – and they have been one of the more consistent teams over the last three years – if you can't get out of the first round after all this, something with the fabric of your team is obviously wrong.”15:18-15:49 JC on Jonas Valanciunas' quest to limit foul trouble:“You’ll notice, a lot of times with Jonas, it seems to be kind of brain farts, I guess you’d call them. Don’t get me wrong… there’s been a lot of bad calls against him this series. But there’s also been a lot of times where the hands will be up and he’ll be practicing the art of verticality, and then at the last second he kind of slaps down to try to swipe the ball and those are when they call them. So for him, I guess he has to just be more disciplined, stick to the principles…and also hope that the refs give you the benefit of the doubt.” 17:47-19:36 on the Pacers needing more offensive h...Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Coming off a Game 1 shellacking, the Charlotte Hornets could really use a Game 2 upset against the talented Miami Heat, who are clicking on all cylinders. Nick Denning, writer for SB Nation’s At the Hive and managing editor of The Lottery Mafia, discusses, from the Hornets’ perspective, what needs to be done to make it a competitive series. But first, Josh Baumgard of Slice Miami handles the Heat side of things. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
A flurry of activity surrounded the Philadelphia 76ers front office during the final week of the regular season, beginning with the resignation of GM Sam Hinkie, a figure beloved by some and misunderstood and hated by others. Michael Levin, editor of SB Nation’s Liberty Ballers and co-host of the Sixers podcast “The Rights to Ricky Sanchez,” joins us to discuss the trials and tribulations of covering the Sixers during Hinkie’s tenure and why throughout the unprecedented amount of losing, he still trusted the process and remained optimistic about the future. Now that former chairman Jerry Colangelo has installed his son Bryan Colangelo as the new GM and President of Basketball Operations before stepping down himself, who knows what that future may hold for Philadelphia? Choice excerpts below:Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
As the Houston Rockets battle for a postseason berth, it’s the perfect time to bring on Houston Chronicle sports editor Randy Harvey. Of course, the Rockets have wildly underperformed, just a season after their thrilling Western Conference finals appearance. Much uncertainty surrounds the team, including Dwight Howard’s future in the Space City and a likely vacancy at head coach. Choice highlights can be found below:Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
The Utah Jazz are in the midst of a tight race at the bottom of the Western Conference playoff picture as the regular season comes to a close. Andy Larsen, a beat reporter for KSL.com and managing editor of Salt City Hoops on ESPN’s TrueHoop Network, joins us to explain why making the playoffs this season is especially important for this young, up and coming Jazz team. He delves deeper into whether Gordon Hayward and Derrick Favors still have room to grow, how sophomore Rodney Hood has exploded onto the scene and the next steps for the Jazz in trying to become a championship contender. Finally, he discusses Jerry Sloan’s legacy in Utah and how one of the all-time great coaches in NBA history might even still be underrated. Excerpts below:Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
On the heels of Minnesota’s exhilarating, nationally televised upset of the mighty Warriors, Steve McPherson (Rolling Stone, Hardwood Paroxysm and A Wolf Among Wolves, among other outlets) drops by to talk about the young Timberwolves and why their future is so bright. The conversation spans from Karl-Anthony Towns’ many talents to Flip Saunders’ grand legacy and virtually everywhere in between. Some of the show’s highlights can be found below:Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
The Brooklyn Nets and new GM Sean Marks certainly have a difficult road ahead trying to turn around a struggling team without having control of any of their own first or second round draft picks for the next 3 years. Devin Kharpertian, managing editor and founding partner of The Brooklyn Game on the YES Network, joins us to explain exactly how the Nets got themselves into this situation, the current state of the team and why there might be glimmers of optimism after an overhaul of the front office this season. Exciting excerpts below:Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Although the Milwaukee Bucks fell well short of expectations this season, Frank Madden, founder and managing editor of SB Nation’s Brew Hoop, explains why the team essentially got what it was looking for with the development of young bucks/Bucks Jabari Parker and Giannis Antetokounmpo. Frank provides more insight into the Greek Freak’s “weird athleticism,” Parker’s post-All-Star-break emergence and Greg Monroe’s tenuous fit on the roster. Head coach Jason Kidd’s second season at the helm is also discussed, among other topics. Highlights can be found below:Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Following OTNB’s two most recent team interviews, Aaron and Loren riff on the state of the Pacers and Mavericks. Each team features a key player returning from serious injury and is fighting to earn a spot in this year’s playoffs. Such postseason pursuit is discussed, as well as the philosophy of tanking. The conversation also expands to the future of the Chandler Parsons-Wesley Matthews pairing in Dallas.Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
After dropping seven of their last 10 games, the Dallas Mavericks are in jeopardy of missing the playoffs. Tim Cato of SB Nation and Mavs Moneyball joins us to dissect the team’s recent struggles, the impact of Chandler Parsons’ injury and legend Dirk Nowitzki’s future. He also examines head coach Rick Carlisle’s unorthodox coaching strategies, finds hope in Wesley Matthews’ long road to recovery and explains why the team did not opt to rebuild after whiffing on DeAndre Jordan and other prized free agents in the offseason. Juicy excerpts below:Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
As we enter the stretch run, the Eastern Conference playoff picture is wide open, with ample room for jockeying. Jared Wade of Fansided’s 8 Points 9 Seconds stops by to illuminate the Indiana Pacers’ postseason prospects. The team boasts a healthy Paul George, as well as brand new contributors Monta Ellis and Myles Turner and a “defensive genius” in Frank Vogel. If you ask Wade, the rest of the East, outside of Cleveland and Toronto, better watch out! Choice cuts below: Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
The wait is over. Jonathan Abrams’ highly anticipated book ”Boys Among Men: How the Prep-to-Pro Generation Redefined the NBA and Sparked a Basketball Revolution,” is finally out! In it, he expertly chronicles the impact of the players who came to the NBA directly from high school before the rule was changed after the 2005 draft. Aaron spoke with the author in detail about the book and some of its most fascinating takeaways. To get you in the mood, here are some sexy clips transcribed:Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
After three straight team interviews, all of which you can find at On the NBA Beat’s Team Interview Central, your hosts are back with some banter as they delve more deeply into specific topics surrounding each of those teams. For the Pistons, they check in on the early returns from the Tobias Harris acquisition and also try to make sense of the situation surrounding the voided Donatas Motiejunas trade. On the Knicks, the discussion is centered around Carmelo Anthony and his increasing frustration with the Knicks’ losing ways. Finally, the Blazers talk focuses on Damian Lillard’s emergent superstardom and how the team might be able to find postseason success.Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Hovering just around .500, the Detroit Pistons are probably the streakiest team in the NBA this season, amassing long winning and losing streaks alike. However, for all the team’s inconsistency, Detroit remains in the thick of the playoff race. Dan Feldman of NBC Sports’ Pro Basketball Talk joins the show to dissect Andre Drummond’s historic dominance, Detroit’s team-building strategy under Stan Van Gundy, Reggie Jackson’s continual growth and so much more. Choice excerpts are below:Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Following a brutal season the New York Knicks would much rather you forgot, the team jumped out to a solid 22-22 start this campaign. Unfortunately, the team subsequently experienced a bitter downturn in which it fired its second-year head coach Derek Fisher. And the struggles continue. On both sides of the ball, however, No. 4 overall pick Kristaps Porzingis has shown early signs of brilliance at a mere 20 years old. Plus, there are other promising developments, such as the continued improvement of Lance Thomas. To discuss these complex Knicks, Seth Rosenthal, SB Nation editor as well as the editor for SBN’s Knicks site Posting and Toasting, stopped by. Seth didn’t sugarcoat things, providing the good, the bad and the ugly. The highlights can be found below:Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
After a summer of roster upheaval, highlighted by the departure of LaMarcus Aldridge, the Portland Trail Blazers have been finding their way on the fly. Since falling to the Warriors by 20 on Jan. 8, they’ve caught fire, winning 15 of 18 games, including a blowout of those same Warriors. The knowledgeable Dane Carbaugh hangs with the guys to explain Portland’s scorching play, C.J. McCollum’s emergence, Damian Lillard’s excellence and so much more. Located in the City of Roses, Carbaugh has worked for SB Nation and Sporting News, among other outlets. He’s a skilled NBA video analyst for Vox, Blazer’s Edge, Hardwood Paroxysm and FloHoops. The Renaissance man, whose videos appear here also has his own podcast with Yu Miyagawa called “Between Me and Yu,” which can be found on iTunes.Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Following the interview with Doug Branson earlier in the week, Aaron and Loren continue the discussion about the surging Charlotte Hornets who have outperformed expectations and won nine of their last 12 games. They further discuss how the team has shown such a drastic increase in both 3-point attempts and percentage, but also look into the factors that have led to them having the largest disparity between home and road winning percentages among projected playoff teams.In the second segment, the co-hosts look into some of the biggest deals that went down before last week’s trade deadline. All of the big names stayed put, but smaller moves like Channing Frye to Cleveland and Jeff Green to the Clippers could have an impact on how the rest of the season and the playoffs play out for those teams. (Editor’s note: we discuss a trade sending Donatas Motiejunas to the Detroit Pistons. Since recording, that trade has been voided because of the Motiejunas’ back issues mentioned in the episode.)Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
The crew interviews Doug Branson, host of Hive Talk Live, on the state of the upstart Charlotte Hornets. He expounds on the various factors that have led the team to overachieve this campaign after self-destructing near the end of last season. Chief among these are the play of Charlotte’s most valuable players, Kemba Walker and Nicolas Batum, the invaluable contributions of glue guy Marvin Williams, remarkable bench play and the team’s 3-point shooting makeover. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Spend some of your All-Star break with your favorite fellas as they discuss the Miami Heat and All-Star Saturday night. The co-hosts revisit interviewee Josh Baumgard’s thoughts on Hassan Whiteside’s impact and future with the Heat, the team’s handling of Dwyane Wade’s usage, and the degree to which Chris Bosh’s injury matters.Next, Joshua and Loren guide you through the most exciting NBA All-Star Saturday night in recent memory. On a busy basketball weekend that featured Timberwolves domination, a retooled Skills Competition featuring big men and thrilling three-point and dunk contests, On the NBA Beat has you covered.Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
While Josh Baumgard of Slice Miami doesn’t believe the Heat are the contenders theyexpected to be, he does shed light on their many strengths and what’scurrently holding them back. Also on the docket, the impending freeagency of enigmatic big man Hassan Whiteside, as well as JustiseWinslow’s rookie campaign, Chris Bosh’s value and many other fascinatingHeat topics.Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Nearly two weeks ago, the best team in the Eastern Conference fired its head coach. Conrad Kaczmarek, former editor of SB Nation’s Fear the Sword, makes an appearance to discuss the state of those Cleveland Cavaliers. Although they still boast the conference’s best record and are showcasing electric offense under newly named lead man Tyronn Lue, minor weaknesses are discussed. Also, Conrad explores the instrumental play of Matthew Dellavedova and Tristan Thompson as well as LeBron James’ impact on personnel decisions. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
On this week’s banter episode, Aaron and Loren revisit the discussion of the Orlando Magic’s tale of two seasons and what this rough stretch might mean in context of the development of their young core. Aaron also shares his strong opinion about Blake Griffin’s broken hand, and finally, following the announcement of the All-Star reserves, the duo opines about who they think are the best players left off of the team.Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
After a promising 19-13 start under new head coach Scott Skiles, the Orlando Magic have fallen on very hard times this calendar year, dropping 11 of 12 contests. A stagnant offense has especially plagued this incredibly young team. Amid such horrible January struggles, Zach Oliver of SB Nation’s Orlando Pinstriped Post drops by to help explain the Magic’s current woes as well as to provide insight on the team’s wealth of young talent.Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Listen in as Loren and Joshua play a little two-man game. First on the docket is the team that interview guest Holly MacKenzie so eloquently covers, the Toronto Raptors. The fellas discuss the All-Star merits of Kyle Lowry and DeMar DeRozan, Toronto’s status as a contender and the North’s suddenly stout defense. Next, the duo share their thoughts on the shocking ousting of Cavaliers head coach David Blatt. Finally, Joshua, a Clippers fan, and Loren, a Rockets enthusiast, expound on the teams’ most recent swap of the talented yet enigmatic Josh Smith.Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Toronto will be hosting the NBA’s All-Star Weekend this season, and the timing could not be better. Just a tad more than 20 years since NBA basketball came to Toronto, the Raptors find themselves in second place in a competitive Eastern Conference. DeMar DeRozan is playing the most efficient basketball of his career, while his BFF, Kyle Lowry, is similarly turning in an All-Star-caliber season. We have the pleasure of being joined by the talented Holly MacKenzie, who expertly explains why life is so good in Toronto these days. Holly writes for Raptors.com, among many other outlets. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Midway through the NBA season, Loren and Aaron take theopportunity to handicap the league’s various awards, including Best Hair ofcourse. In the opening segment, they reflect on the state of the Suns andNuggets – the most recent team interviews – as well as what’s on the horizonfor those two. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
The Denver Nuggets have had their fair share of struggles so far this season, with a new head coach, a bottom-tier defense and numerous injuries to key players. We were joined this episode by Justin Faudree, a lifelong Denver Nuggets fan and periodic contributor to ESPN TrueHoop’s Roundball Mining. He takes us through all the reasons why this team has gotten off to such a poor start this season, with only one win so far against a winning team. Despite that, he is still optimistic for the future and believes that with a young core of Mudiay, Jokic and Nurkic, there are good times ahead.Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
A season that began with so much promise appears headed downhill and fast for the Phoenix Suns. In a span of nine days, starting in late December, the Suns fell to the 76ers, lost Eric Bledsoe for the season, fired their top two assistants, surrendered 142 points to the Kings and scored just 77 points in a loss to the Lakers. With Bledsoe out for the season, Markieff Morris clearly wanting out of town and Tyson Chandler not fitting in, things are likely to get worse before they get better. Andrew Lynch, NBA coordinator at Fox Sports, helps us sort it all out. Some of the highlights of our talk can be found below:Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Following Loren’s interview with Red’s Army’s John Karalis earlier in the week, the boys are back together serving up Beantown basketball banter. Among the appetizing topics on the menu are Jared Sullinger’s beastly rebounding, Marcus Smart’s return from injury, and the Celtics’ chances of representing the Eastern Conference in the NBA Finals. Speaking of the East, what is this parity madness? Are Eastern teams really as good as the Western Conference squads all of a sudden? In the final segment of the episode, our co-hosts make sense of this surprising dynamic and discuss its importance to the league. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Danny Ainge and the youthful Boston Celtics are a fascinating study in team-building. On this week’s exhilarating interview episode, Loren is solo with Red’s Army’s John Karalis for a discussion of the Leprechauns’ current and future. Are they contenders or pretenders in the East? Among a number of topics, John explores in great detail the emergence of Jae Crowder, Isaiah Thomas’ adjustment to his starting role, team synergy and Brad Stevens’ superb coaching. Delectable sound bites can be found below:Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Although the Memphis Grizzlies find themselves better than .500, they’ve struggled to beat the league’s upper-echelon teams. Grizzlies radio play-by-play announcer Eric Hasseltine joins the show to discuss Memphis’ early struggles, caused primarily by uncharacteristically poor defense and a lack of perimeter shooting. With Zach Randolph really showing his age and Mike Conley Jr. starting slow, Eric believes Marc Gasol needs to consistently be aggressive for this team to succeed. Many other fascinating topics are discussed, including Mario Chalmers’ impact, many other topics and these juicy bites below:Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Last week, longtime NBA referee Bill Kennedy publicly announced that he was gay three days after Rajon Rondo was suspended for twice directing a homophobic slur at Kennedy. Before closing out with some Wizards discussion, this episode primarily focuses on how the Kings point guard badly mishandled the Kennedy incident. The hosts contend that, although the incident was ugly and regrettable, once Rondo used the derogatory term, he had a chance to make things right but instead took on a series of disappointing missteps: 1.) On at least a few occasions, the 29-year-old veteran denied to investigators that he even used the term, which was later confirmed by independent audiologists hired by the NBA. 2.) One day before releasing an apology statement on Dec. 16, Rondo fired off two ill-conceived tweets that were effectively non-apologies (3) According to reports, as of press time, Rondo has yet to personally apologize to Kennedy outside of the statement he released. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Despite the offseason departure of Paul Pierce, the Washington Wizards and their young core were widely expected to turn in another quality season. Well, things haven’t quite gone that way. SB Nation NBA editor Mike Prada was gracious enough to stop by to discuss what’s holding this young team back, such as a porous defense and an onslaught of key injuries. Here are some of the highlights: Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
On the heels of the Lakers-focused interview with ReyMoralde, the guys delve further into how Los Angeles can best develop itshighly touted young players and how important it will be for the Lakers to re-signJordan Clarkson. In the final segment, the A-A-Ron Block, the MinnesotaTimberwolves are used as a prime example of a team that has fairly seamlesslyintegrated young talent, an area where Byron Scott has struggled thus far. Agingveterans, such as Kevin Garnett and Tayshaun Prince, have taken on a diminishedbut important role both on the off the court, whereas Kobe Bryant’s shot-happyways appear to be stunting the growth of promising players like D’AngeloRussell and Julius Randle. In recent games, Scott has started to give Russellmore freedom to make mistakes and grow…and your hosts certainly hope thatcontinues. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
This season’s Los Angeles Lakers are being talked about for mostly unfortunate reasons. One of the best players of all time, Kobe Bean Bryant, will retire upon season’s end and is undoubtedly playing the worst individual basketball of his career. The team is just as bad, beginning with a 3-18 record that includes a loss to the now 1-21 76ers in Bryant’s underwhelming homecoming. But while there’s certainly ample room for doom and gloom on the episode, Rey-Rey is Fundamental’s Rey Moralde talks about some of the more positive aspects of the current Lakers, such as their exciting young core, led by Jordan Clarkson, Julius Randle and potentially D’Angelo Russell. Rey speaks glowingly about those guys, as well as less glowingly on the disappointing close to Bryant’s career and how poor of a job he believes Byron Scott is doing with this unit. Here are some highlights: Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
The podcast warriors wax Warrior, as they delve into why Splash Brother Klay Thompson has not been splashing as much, Festus Ezeli’s promising development and coach Luke Walton’s reluctance to rest his stars. The trio also takes sides on a couple of juicy player battles with the media: Kevin Durant vs. the media on their treatment of Kobe Bryant and Draymond Green and Andrew Bogut’s beef with Jazz reporter Ben Dowsett on locker room reporting.Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
As Stephen Curry and the Golden State Warriors continue to make history, Andy Liu of SB Nation’s Golden State of Mind comes by to drop some knowledge. He opines on the team’s dominant 19-0 start, Stephen Curry’s MVP play, the Warriors’ biggest weakness (huh? they have one?), their underrated front-office selflessness and so much more. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
While the Warriors are grabbing all the headlines, thanks to a perfect 16-0 start, the reliable San Antonio Spurs are quietly succeeding at a high level on both ends of the court. They are led by 24-year-old phenom and reigning Defensive Player of the Year Kawhi Leonard, but as with all Gregg Popovich-led Spurs teams over the years, individual accolades are not what it’s about. Stephen Anderson of Project Spurs graciously came on the show to discuss the Spurs’ scalding start, Leonard’s insane potential, the addition of LaMarcus Aldridge and plenty more. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Despite Aaron’s absence, Joshua and Loren revisit the Hawks conversation that began with Lang Whitaker earlier in the week. We touch upon Atlanta’s mounting injuries and how those might impact such a well-balanced Hawks squad even more than a typical star-centric team. Although new acquisition Tiago Splitter might not be garnering too many minutes in the early season, we talk about the types of contributions he can make come playoff time.In the second segment, we reflect on the Warriors’ exhilarating comeback Thursday night against the Clippers. The Dubs’ small lineup of Steph Curry, Klay Thompson, Andre Iguodala, Harrison Barnes and Draymond Green has been killing teams in their limited minutes together so far. Should that unit be utilized more? And how integral is the team’s second MVP, Draymond Green? Finally, despite the embarrassing national TV loss, Joshua details what encouraged him about the Clippers’ performance Thursday. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
After Jeff Teague’s ankle injury, the Atlanta Hawks have been on a bit of a slide, dropping three straight to the Nets, Jazz and Timberwolves. Fortunately, they began the season winning eight of 10. This week, devout ATLien Lang Whitaker, who writes and podcasts at NBA.com, joins the show to talk about the Hawks, who are seeking an encore performance to their memorable 60-win season from a year ago despite being overlooked coming into the season.Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
In this action-packed episode, the guys reflect on the state of the Oklahoma City Thunder, particularly given Kevin Durant’s hamstring strain. Later, the trio celebrates the emergence of 24-year-old Kawhi Leonard as a bona fide offensive star and explores what in the hell is going on in Sacramento these days. Should George Karl lose his job this early in the season? Can the damage be undone? The OTNB boys are on the case. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Following Tuesday’swin over the Wizards, we caught up with Chuck Chaney of ThunderObsessed.com todiscuss the current state of the Oklahoma City Thunder. Chuck is encouraged bythe increased space new coach Billy Donovan’s system has afforded theoffense, but he’s wary of the Thunder’s lack of defensive intensity. It’s still“extended training camp,” for this team and coach, Chuck asserts, but theywon’t be a championship contender if they can’t find a way to defend.Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
On today’s episode, the A-A-Ron Block is devoted to continued discussion of the Chicago Bulls. This intriguing-yet-perplexing team has defeated the Cavaliers and Thunder, while also surrendering 130 points to the Hornets. Its starting point guard is an enigma, too, going three straight games with single-digit scoring before erupting for 29 points, 7 assists and 5 rebounds against the Thunder Thursday. Following Derrick Rose’s strong individual performance, the guys debate the validity of the latest trade rumors swirling around him. They also touch on frontcourt rotations, the pros and cons of starting Doug McDermott and more. Later, LLC Incorporated breaks down the best rookies so far — Karl-Anthony Towns is the twins’ consensus pick — and the league’s most pleasant surprises and early disappointments. While the Blazers and Pistons have impressed Aaron so far, Joshua is particularly irked by the Grizzlies’ sluggish start. Finally, who’s currently the worst team in the league? The guys disagree. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
This week, Sean Highkin of Bleacher Report, NBC Sports and Sports on Earth gives us a detailed glimpse into the Chicago Bulls, a talented team that returns much of its roster but is playing under a first-year NBA coach in Fred Hoiberg. Sean highlights the many differences between Hoiberg and his predecessor, Tom Thibodeau, including Hoiberg’s considerably more easy-going nature. He also provides us the latest on Derrick Rose and explains why Chicago’s dynamic offense could make up for most of what the team figures to lose on the defensive end. Among other topics, Sean breaks down the Bulls’ impressive depth in the frontcourt, touching upon why Pau Gasol and Joakim Noah have rarely taken the court together. Despite the Bulls’ 130-105 drubbing in Charlotte, which occurred shortly before the interview took place, Sean looks forward to another strong season in the Windy City.Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
On today’s episode of the podcast, LLC Incorporated continues the week’s discussion of the Los Angeles Clippers. The co-hosts touch on the Clippers’ bad-boy reputation, Lance Stephenson’s comfort level and whether this is the best team in franchise history.Finally, on the J-Spot, the boys play around with small sample size overreaction, exploring what has surprised them most so far in the newborn NBA season. Shocking upsets, impressive player performances and more!Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
WithDeAndre Jordan returning and the bench deficiencies seemingly fixed,expectations for the Los Angeles Clippers are sky high this season. Fox Sports Radio’sIsaac Lowenkron stops by to convince us why we should believe the hype. Ourguest envisions the team’s newfound depth as a vital factor in its championshiphopes, claiming that such depth essentially allows Doc Rivers to be a“basketball mad scientist,” experimenting with various potential rotations. Healso explains why the team is likely to transform from a mediocre defense intoan elite unit. And could eight-time NBA All-Star Chris Paul truly be theClippers’ most underrated player? With all these topics covered, among others,you’re now officially ready for the Clippers’ season to tip off Wednesday night. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
In the J Spot, the panel continues the Kings discussion from earlier in the week, touching upon the Kings’ playoff hopes, Ben McLemore’s changing role given the improved guard depth, Rudy Gay’s seemingly newfound efficiency and how much it matters to have winning veterans on an up-and-coming team. Next, on the A-A-Ron Block, the league’s seven new head coaches are analyzed. What can we expect from their respective squads, and who has the most pressure in their new role? Which coaches are taking over the best and worst teams? Finally, with the NBA GM survey being released earlier this week, LLC Incorporated poses three original questions that should have been included on the actual survey. Well, maybe not, but they sure are fun ones.Which NBA player or personality would YOU want to be your personal stylist? Let us know on Twitter: @OnTheNBABeat.Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
The Sacramento Kings are mired in a nine-year playoff drought. But James Ham, Kings Insider for Comcast SportsNet, brings preseason cheer in the form of his optimistic outlook. He believes there is a bigger-than-expected opening for a team like the Kings to sneak into one of the West’s final three playoff spots. He acknowledges the potential for combustibility, while praising the team’s myriad offseason acquisitions around DeMarcus Cousins and Rudy Gay. Particularly, James shares his enthusiasm for rookie big man Willie Cauley-Stein and what he can do to improve a previously miserable defensive squad. Also, the Rondo enigma is further explored. *From this point forward, each interview episode will be titled the week number followed by “a,” whereas each banter episode will be considered the “b” show for the week. Thus, this second interview show will be 2a. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
On the debut of OTNB’s three banter segments (the A-A-RonBlock, LLC Incorporated and the J-Spot), the co-hosts react to theWarriors-Clippers media beef and opine on Jamal Crawford’s fit with theClippers’ retooled roster. Later, the panel praises Elfrid Payton’s dynamic young game, as it includes Orlando as a potential surprise team this season. TheStifle Tower, Rudy Gobert, gets some serious love on the show, and the merits of Sam Hinkie’s radical approach to team-building are debated. Finally, ifyou were going to cheat on your favorite NBA team, with which squad would itbe? Loren and Aaron provide interesting answers. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
On the very first episode, Aaron, Joshua and Loren are joined by Alex Kennedy of Basketball Insiders to talk about the many contenders out West, young players poised for breakout seasons and what in the world is going on with Jeremy Lin’s hair, among other general NBA topics. Spoiler alert: Alex likes the spikes. “The spikes are great.” Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices