Double Take: Recent Episodes
Alex Sayfie
We’ve been arguing about sports our whole lives, so we figured why not do it in front of some microphones. Join us as we discuss and debate the most relevant storylines in the basketball world.
On the eve of the 2022-23 NBA Season, Alex breaks down the competitive layout in each conference, discusses who will take home each of the NBA awards, and makes his early 2023 NBA Finals predictions.
John and Alex are joined by NBA draft expert Eli Mallouhi to break down the biggest 2022 draft storylines. Who will the Magic select with the first overall pick? Which player has the highest upside? How good can Chet Holmgren be? Then, they go through a mock draft for the first 14 picks.
Eli Mallouhi joins John & Alex to recap the NBA Finals. They then get into a heated discussion about Steph Curry's legacy and his 2015 Finals MVP case, and wrap up by making early 2023 NBA Finals picks.
Alex shares his thoughts on the NBA Finals: how did Golden State win their fourth title in eight years? What went wrong for Boston? Then, he gets into legacy talk, breaking down where Steph ranks all-time after his greatest finals performance yet, and comparing this Warriors dynasty to the other NBA dynasties. Finally, Alex gives his way-too-early predictions for who will be crowned 2023 NBA champions.
Ahead of Game 1 on Thursday night, John and Alex dive into the 2022 NBA Finals storylines, x-factors, predictions, and the legacy of Steph Curry.
John and Alex mourn Miami’s ECF Game 7 home loss to the Boston Celtics, the toughest Heat loss they can remember. They discuss what went wrong for the Heat, the greatness of Jimmy Butler, and consider what moves Pat Riley should make in the off-season to improve.
Additionally, they give Jayson Tatum and the Celtics some credit for FINALLY punching their ticket to the finals while simultaneously throwing shade and discrediting them as frauds (just kidding (not really)).
John and Alex talk about Jimmy Butler’s herculean Game 6 effort in Boston—47 points, 9 rebounds, and 8 assists—to force a Game 7 back home in Miami (1:02), before unpacking their thoughts, emotions, x-factors and predictions for game 7 (9:40).
John and Alex open the show by discussing Luka’s historic game 7 demolition of the one-seeded Phoenix Suns (2:00). They then break down and make predictions for the WCF matchup between the Mavericks and the Warriors (17:20) before diving deep into a full Heat vs Celtics ECF preview (27:35) and making their picks for the series (46:48).
John and Alex return to the pod for the first round of the playoffs. They breakdown the Heat’s gentlemen sweep of the Atlanta Hawks, discuss what went wrong with Brooklyn this year and if anyone won the Harden-Simmons trade, and then dive into the biggest surprises and best series of the first round.
John & Alex recap the NBA All-Star game, including a 50-point and 16 three-pointer performance from Steph Curry and LeBron’s game-winning shot. Then they argue whether or not Anthony Davis is a top 75 NBA player of all time, and dive into the weekend of LeBron James narratives, with speculation about him returning to Cleveland for a second time, joining forces with his son Bronny in the future, and the Lakers’ bleak title hopes. They wrap up the show with end of the season predictions for awards and finals picks.
John and Alex discuss the craziness of the 2022 NBA trade deadline. They give their takes on the James Harden for Ben Simmons blockbuster deal, and whether Philly or Brooklyn won the trade. Then the talk about the state of the player empowerment era and whether players jumping team to team constantly is good for the league. Finally, they talk about the depth of the eastern conference and list their winners and losers of the trade deadline.
John and Alex recap the Super Bowl LVI matchup between the Los Angeles Rams and the Cincinnati Bengals. They talk the differing paths each team took to the big game, the final outcome, biggest plays, and Aaron Donald's case for the Super Bowl MVP. Then, they discuss the depth of the AFC over the coming seasons and give early predictions for who will meet in Super Bowl LVII in 2023.
John & Alex discuss the Brian Flores lawsuit against the NFL and the league's racially skewed hiring practices.
Alex is joined by Eli to discuss the Chief's shocking choke job in the AFC championship game vs. the Bengals, Tom Brady's premature retirement announcement, their five biggest takeaways at the midway point of the NBA season, and finally they select the 2022 NBA All-Star teams.
Part 2 of 2: Alex is joined by Eli to preview the 2021-22 NBA Season. They pick the top eight teams and two play-in teams in the tight western conference playoff, then they discuss conference finalists, NBA Finals picks, and NBA award predictions.
Part 1 of 2: Alex is joined by Eli to preview the 2021-22 NBA Season. They discuss the Kyrie-Nets-vaccination drama, the Simmons Sixers situation, and pick the top eight teams and two play-in teams in the tight eastern conference playoff.
1:38 Bucks Extinguish the Heat
16:16 Will the Lakers Bounce Back?
23:22 Dame vs. Joker
30:50 Can Luka Upset the Clippers?
37:14 Knicks-Hawks & Why Eli Hates the Knicks
48:35 Grit & Grind Grizzlies Return
1:32 Play-In: Success or Failure?
5:32 LeBron vs. Steph & LeBron’s Shot
10:34 Best East Matchups & Series Picks
21:36 Who’s Winning the East?
28:50 Best West Matchups & Series Picks
40:53 Who’s Winning the West?
44:07 Finals Picks & LeBron’s Path to Finals
50:10 Our 2021 Awards
2:06 How Have Star Player Injuries Impacted this Season
8:22 Will Nets Health Problems Affect Chemistry?
16:35 Victor Oladipo Injury Conundrum
20:15 East Playoff Race
23:44 Luka’s Comments on the Play-In
29:47 Phoenix Title Chances
1:22 LaMarcus Aldridge signs with Brooklyn
16:16 Lakers pick up Drummond
19:12 Bucks add Austin Rivers
21:22 NBA vs. NCAA Officiating
25:00 How are our March Madness brackets doing?
32:21 Dolphins blockbuster trades
1:05 Who won the trade deadline
5:23 Oladipo to Miami & Best Heat lineups
9:25 Raptors keep Lowry… WTF
12:28 Lakers lose big on Lowry
17:51 How the Orlando trades affect the Eastern Conference Playoffs
23:34 What will Aaron Gordon’s impact be in Denver?
25:38 Underrated trade: Portland gets Norman Powell
27:00 West playoff race and seeding
29:50 Takeaways from the trade deadline
0:30 Takeaways from All-Star Sunday Night
16:25 Blake Buyout
24:05 Regular Season Surprises
28:11 Heat Wave
30:10 Are We Changing our Finals Picks
39:33 MVP Ladder
John and Alex recap the NBA weekend and run through updates on teams trending up and down.
0:30 The surprise most fun team to watch
3:45 Milwaukee Bucks Rollercoaster season and win over Clippers
8:34 John goes Stephen A. on Alex
10:45 Clippers ready for title?
16:30 Heat Wave
24:30 The playoff-series hosting New York Knicks
31:30 The Lakers struggles and the sneaky most valuable Laker (hint: not Lebron/AD)
37:17 Jazz keep jelling
On Super Bowl Monday, John and Alex recap Tampa Bay’s shocking victory over Kansas City (1:45), discuss Brady’s impact on the Buccaneers (11:43), consider whether or not Mahomes still has a chance to be the GOAT (16:23), evaluate Mahomes’s performance versus the Bucs (22:51), then jump to NBA talk to discuss Brooklyn’s defensive shortcomings (25:07), early MVP candidates (28:05), which teams should hit the panic button (36:11), and the Miami Heat’s disappointing start to the season (44:55).
John and Alex discuss the blockbuster four-team NBA deal that sent former MVP James Harden to the Brooklyn Nets. They also discuss where they were right and wrong in their preseason predictions after three weeks of the NBA season and finish with NFL playoff talk.
John and Alex are joined by Eli Mallouhi to unpack the NBA offseason and give a full preview of the NBA season. 2:04 Should the Heat trade for Harden 21:46 Who Won the Offseason 30:20 Who are the Sleeper Teams 44:00 Which Teams will Underperform 53:15 Finals Picks 71:50 MVP Picks 84:00 Fantasy Football Corner
On Double Take’s NBA Draft Special, John and Alex are joined by college basketball analyst and NBA Draft expert Eli Mallouhi to discuss the top prospects and their player comparisons, give a top 10 mock draft, and debate what the Milwaukee trades and Chris Paul trade mean for the NBA.
2:35 Did Milwaukee give up too much for Holiday? Are these trades enough to make Giannis stay?
11:14 Quick thoughts on potential Wall for Westbrook swap
12:36 How much better is Phoenix with Chris Paul?
16:40 How does Harden fit with Brooklyn?
22:17 Who should Minnesota take with the number 1 pick?
34:43 Why Wiseman is a perfect fit in Golden State
41:00 Charlotte Hornets Pick #3
44:03 Chicago Bulls Pick #4
46:14 Cleveland Cavaliers #5
50:45 Picks 6-10
57:06 Eli’s Top 10 Mock & Player Comparisons
59:02 Miami Heat Offseason Wishlist
74:49 Fantasy Football Corner
John & Alex return to discuss everything concerning the NBA Offseason: instant reactions to the Woj Bomb announcing Philadelphia’s hiring of Daryl Morey (0:33), the potential regular season start dates (14:37) the NBA Draft (23:08), potential stars that could be traded (31:34), and the five most interesting teams to keep an eye on this offseason (38:23).
0:33 Our Instant Reaction to Sixers Daryl Morey Hiring
10:25 Boston College Campus Update
12:04 NFL COVID Situation
14:37 NBA Potential Start Dates
23:08 NBA Draft Talk & What Will Warriors Do with #2?
31:34 Which Star is Most Likely to Get Traded?
38:23 Five Most Interesting Offseason Teams
- Will the Rockets Run it Back?
- How Can Sixers Get Better?
- What Can the Bucks Do to Convince Giannis to Stay? Potential CP3 Trade
- Do the Warriors Have Cap Room to Solidify Their Bench?
- How Can Brooklyn Maximize KD & Kyrie Title Potential?
58:35 Breaking Down the Depth in the West
63:39 Fantasy Football Corner
John & Alex wrap up the longest NBA season of all time by commending Commissioner Silver and the successful NBA Restart, discussing LeBron’s 4th championship, recapping a Miami Heat season for the books, returning to the GOAT debate, and previewing 2021 season.
2:12 Well Done Adam Silver, the Bubble Was a Success
4:33 LeBron Delivers a Championship to LA
11:00 Giving LeBron His Damn Respect
14:21 Reflecting on the Incredible Miami Heat Playoff Run
22:37 Top 5 Moments of the Heat Season
34:05 How Does this Win Affect the GOAT Debate?
46:13 Looking Ahead to Next Season
54:00 Our 2021 NBA Finals Picks
John & Alex discuss Jimmy Butler’s performance for the ages in Game 3 of the NBA Finals, breakdown how the Heat were able to upset the Lakers, and where the series will go from here.
1:43 Jimmy Butler’s All-Time NBA Finals Performance
19:40 How did the Heat pull off this win?
30:46 Let’s Slow Down on the Anthony Davis Hype
32:40 Can the Heat make things interesting?
John & Alex talk everything about the NBA Finals: storylines, matchups, keys to win for each team, potential surprises, ranking the players in the series, five fun facts about this year’s finals, and predictions on who will win the finals.
3:05 Pat Riley After 2014 Finals Loss
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LeBron vs. Riley
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LeBron vs. His Old Team, Miami
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Riley vs. His Old Team, LA
7:15 Best Player vs. Best Team
10:35 Best Matchups of the Series
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Bam vs. Davis
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Crowder vs. Davis
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LeBron vs. Butler
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LeBron vs. Iguodala
17:50 Keys to Win the Series for the Heat
25:30 Keys to Win the Series for the Lakers
30:45 Potential Surprises During the Finals
37:17 Ranking the Top 10 Players in the Series
45:00 Five Fun Facts about the 2020 NBA Finals
49:00 John’s Finals pick
53:00 ALEX’s Finals pick
0:40 Miami Beats Boston in 6 & Advances to the NBA Finals
10:32 Exposing Old Takes & National Media Coverage of the Heat
17:13 Bam is a Superstar
18:40 How D-Wade is Still Contributing to the Heat
23:45 How the Heat Rebuilt a Contender from Basketball Purgatory
29:00 LeBron Makes His 9th Finals Appearance in 10 Years
1:25 Anthony Davis Game-winner & Is Denver Done?
14:00 Should Heat Fans Be Worried?
Game 3 Takeaways
Game 4 Keys
31:38 Why Are These Injuries Happening in the NFL?
34:40 Fantasy Corner
39:55 Sayf Bets of the Week
John & Alex break down the Game 1 overtime thriller of the Eastern Conference Finals, the Clippers Game 7 choke job against the Nuggets, and the Western Conference Finals matchup between the Lakers and the Nuggets.
John & Alex discuss the Denver Nuggets’ shocking comeback against the Clippers in Game 6 to force their second straight Game 7 after being down 3-1 this postseason (1:50), then they each give a gameplan and keys to winning the series for their respective Eastern Conference Finals picks (7:30), and wrap up the episode with their thoughts on Coach Mike D’Antoni opting not to re-sign with the Rockets (24:15), and Fantasy Football Corner (28:22).
John & Alex rave about the Miami Heat making their seventh Eastern Conference Finals in 15 years after beating the number-one-seeded Milwaukee Bucks. Then they talk about where the Bucks went wrong, the Lakers’ Game 3 victory over the Rockets, if the Nuggets can bounce back after their loss to the Clippers, the Sayf Bets of the Week, and more.
John & Alex talk the two bizarre Game 7s in the Western Conference First Round and also break down the couple of surprising 2-0 leads in the Eastern Conference Semi-finals.
John & Alex discuss the horrific police shooting of Jacob Blake and the NBA players’ strike in the Orlando bubble. They cover the Wednesday night meeting of the players, coaches, and executives of the remaining 13 playoff teams, and consider where the players, coaches, and owners will go from here in order to make an impact on the racial injustice and police brutality in America.
John & Alex talk LeBron’s return to peak playoff form (3:58), Luka’s legendary shot against the LA Clippers (10:08), Chris Paul leading the Thunder back to tie their series against the Rockets (23:00), where Donovan Mitchell ranks in the NBA after his historical series versus the Nuggets (31:24), preview the Raptors-Celtics and Bucks-Heat eastern conference semifinal matchups (39:24), and give their “Sayf” Bets of the Week (57:58).
After four days jam-packed with intense bubble playoff basketball, John & Alex recap by discussing their biggest overreactions to the first two games of each series, considering Dallas’s chances against the Clippers, creating an offseason gameplan to fix the Sixers, raving about the Heat’s 2-0 lead of the Pacers, and offering their “Sayf” Bets of the Week.
1:25 Masai Ujiri Security Guard Cam Footage
5:06 Biggest Overreactions to the First 2 Playoff Games
16:00 Will the Mavericks Beat the Clippers?
23:12 What Moves Should the Sixers Make this Offseason?
36:26 Miami Goes Up 2-0 vs. Indiana
45:40 Sayf Bets of the Week
48:18 Game 3 Predictions for Every Series
John & Alex give discuss and debate the 10 most interesting teams heading into the playoffs and then each give their full brackets and predictions.
John & Alex conclude the bizarre 2019-20 NBA regular season by awarding the Most Valuable Player (2:20), the All-NBA Teams (20:20), the Defensive Player of the Year (35:36), the Coach of the Year (38:40), the Rookie of the Year (44:40), the Most Improved Player (50:19), and the 6th Man of the Year (57:32).
2:40 Luka Ceiling & Player Comparison
12:55 Why have the Suns been so Successful in the Bubble?
21:55 Damian-Clippers Beef
28:12 Our Take on a Hot Take: Skip Bayless “Not Buying” Dame Time
31:27 Should the Sixers Split up Embiid & Simmons?
42:57 Miami Heat Bubble Assessment
46:36 “Sayf” Bets of the Week
49:00 The Waiters Island Heat Check of the Week
Alex and John express their excitement with the NBA restart as they discuss and debate the first two days of games in the Orlando Bubble.
0:00 Initial Feelings about the Return
5:26 Miami Blowout vs. Denver
8:04 Lakers vs. Clippers Part 4
17:11 Did Giannis get Bailed Out? Do the Celtics have an Answer for him?
23:26 Dallas vs. Houston Shootout. Can Mavs Make a Deep Playoff Run?
30:46 Should the Pelicans Give Zion More Minutes?
37:37 Blazers vs. Grizzlies Overtime Thriller
43:20 Performance of the Week
45:56 The “Sayf” Bets of the Week
On the eve of the NBA Restart in the Orlando Bubble, John and Alex discuss who they think will win the title, which teams will emerge as dark horse contenders, if the 2020 championship will have an asterisk on it, and which player’s legacy will benefit the most from an NBA title.
2:13 Good Cop, Bad Cop: Lou Williams
8:23 Who will Win the 2020 NBA Title?
20:00 Dark Horse Contenders
35:23 Will There Be an Asterisk on this Year’s Championship?
40:20 Whose Legacy Would Benefit the Most from a Ring?
46:38 The Western Conference Race for the 8-Seed
John and Alex discuss the news, developments, and drama in the Orlando NBA Bubble, and then give their list of the 10 greatest teams of all time.
1:30 NBA Bubble Talk
13:42 The 10 Greatest Teams of All-Time
After watching ESPN’s “Backstory: The Decision,” Alex & John revisit LeBron’s 2010 free agency, its impact on the NBA, and how it has aged after a decade. They also discuss the release of the NBA’s restart schedule and how teams’ strength of schedule will affect playoff seeding and awards. 2:10 Revisiting “The Decision” & the Player Empowerment Era 22:30 Comparing “The Decision” to 2014 “I’m Coming Home” 26:50 Comparing “The Decision” to 2016 KD move to Warriors 32:52 NBA Releases 8-Game Regular Season Schedule 33:20 Will Miami’s Tough Schedule affect Playoff Seeding? 36:50 Grizzlies v. Pelicans & Ja v. Zion
John and Alex talk about Kyrie Irving's pushback to the league's return proposal and if the NBA comeback will diminish or benefit its players' ability to bring about social justice.
3:22 Max's Take on Tom Brady's Departure
9:42 The NBA's 22-Team Return Proposal
22:17 Which teams does this new format benefit?
26:43 Which teams does the format hurt?
28:38 Have our championship picks changed?
33:05 MVP Race: Can LeBron catch Giannis in 8 games?
Alex and John discuss ESPN’s 10-part documentary about Michael Jordan and the Chicago Bulls, The Last Dance. They reveal their six biggest takeaways from The Last Dance, argue whether or not the ‘99 Bulls could have pulled off a 4-peat if MJ & co. returned, consider the documentary’s best moments, revisit the Jordan/LeBron GOAT conversation, & pick the next docuseries they’d like to see from ESPN.
2:49 Six Biggest Takeaways from The Last Dance
28:00 Would Chicago have 4-peated with MJ in 1999?
38:18 The Last Dance best moments, quotes, etc.
43:04 Jordan-LeBron GOAT Talk
50:57 What documentary should ESPN make next?
2:20 Has LeBron taken the MVP trophy from Giannis?
17:01 Who would you pick first to lead your team in the playoffs?
22:15 NBA Title Race
John and Alex Sayfie analyze the careers of Michael Jordan and LeBron James as they tackle the age-old Greatest of All-Time (G.O.A.T.) Debate.
1:27 Capela Trade & Houston Small-Ball
13:47 All-Star Snubs
19:50 Team Alex vs. Team John All-Star Draft
37:50 Live Reactions to Iguodala/Winslow Trade
41:41 Finishing the All-Star Draft
47:20 Final Thoughts on Iguodala/Winslow Trade
1:38 NFL Power Rankings
7:25 10 NBA Takeaways after 20 games
52:46 Early MVP Race
58:20 Our “Sayf” Bets of the Week
2:40 Fantasy Corner
10:40 How much can Melo help the Blazers?
18:58 Why did Kristaps get Boo’d?
22:29 Garrett vs Rudolph on TNF
26:40 Fizdale on the Hotseat
29:52 PG’s “New Shoulders”
34:27 NBA Pretender or Contender
52:54 Early NBA MVP Watch
56:54 Our “Sayf” Bets of the Week
0:50 Boston College basketball 2-0 start
4:15 Where we were wrong… Lakers dominance #WashedKing
15:18 Our Take on a Hot Take: Should Steph sit out this season?
25:05 Kawhi “Load Management” Drama
34:02 What’s up with Dion Waiters?
42:46 Our “Sayf” Bets
49:58 Performance of the Week
52:16 NBA Power Rankings
John and Alex discuss the beginning of the 2019-2020 NBA season including the Battle of LA, Golden State chances to make the playoffs, the Miami Heat’s surprise start, and more.