Podcasts by Thinking Basketball

Thinking Basketball

Podcast by Ben Taylor experiments

Further podcasts by Ben Taylor experiments

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Thinking Basketball
#102: The Celtics new defense, Gobert for MVP & Jokic's all-time place from 2022-02-21T21:20:22

We discuss the white hot Celtics and Ime Udoka's tactical decision to unleash Rob Williams on defense, Rudy Gobert's consistent absence from MVP discussions, and Nikola Jokic's offensive ranking am...

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Thinking Basketball
#101: The Evolution of Pace and Space | Mika Prada from 2022-02-17T21:32:28

Mike Prada (formerly at SBNation) stop by to discuss the evolution of the “Pace and Space” era, the tactical chess match in the 1998 NBA Finals, playing fast in the 1940s and how we landed on today...

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Thinking Basketball
#100: Harden, Simmons & the East power rankings from 2022-02-11T01:24:25

We react to the Harden-Simmons blockbuster trade, the Celtics moves and what it all means for the upcoming Eastern Conference playoffs. With Cody Houdek @codyhoudek. Support at www.patreon.com/thin...

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Thinking Basketball
#99: 2022 Sub-All Stars from 2022-02-09T00:09:25

It's that time of year to honor the best players who aren't quite All-Stars. I lay out my All-Star caliber players in the league right now, and then the 4th annual sub All-Star team. With Cody Houd...

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Thinking Basketball
#98: Top-10 Point Guards in 2022! from 2022-01-31T18:29:13

We make a feeble attempt to sort out the best point guards in the NBA this season. Somehow, grilled pineapple and chocolate souffle are discussed as well. With Cody Houdek @codyhoudek. Support at w...

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Thinking Basketball
#97: Diversity & Experimentation in today's league with Seerat Sohi from 2022-01-28T21:41:53

The Ringer's Seerat Sohi joins to discuss the exciting season so far, including all of the diversity and experimentation of styles around the league, and what to make of the Phoenix Suns and their ...

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Thinking Basketball
#96: Embiid's scoring & Curry, Klay slumping from 2022-01-23T21:50:27

We discuss the incredible scoring tear Joel Embiid is on, what makes his scoring so special, and where he ranks as a scorer this year. After that we attempt to discuss Steph Curry's value during hi...

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Thinking Basketball
#95: Hot Mavs & Matisse's value from 2022-01-17T20:30:53

We discuss Jalen Brunson and the rising Dallas Mavericks, who have won 7 of 8 games and are surprising with their defense. We also debate the value of perimeter playmakers like Matisse Thybulle, ho...

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Thinking Basketball
#94: The “Healthy” team standings from 2022-01-11T02:32:11

Who are the best teams in the league when “healthy” right now? With everyone missing time, we stack up the best performances of teams when their core pieces are on the floor, and discuss whether Ky...

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Thinking Basketball
#93: Draymond's value & the rise of the Grizzlies from 2022-01-04T17:58:35

Debating Draymond's offensive value and whether limited scoring puts a hard ceiling on offense for players. Also the state of the top contenders, the rise of the Grizzlies and what to make of Ja Mo...

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Thinking Basketball
#92: The best players in the NBA | Nate Duncan from 2021-11-21T16:12:24

Nate Duncan discusses the best players in the NBA right now, culminating with the big question about Nikola Jokic! We also discuss Curry, Giannis, Durant, and whether Anthony Davis still belongs in...

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Thinking Basketball
Podcast #91: How teammates change your stats | WOWY interactions from 2021-11-13T20:35:14

This is a companion episode to the video on stars affecting each other: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=k3iJwi4btAI&t=16s In this episode, we look at some of the most important recent examples of t...

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Thinking Basketball
#90: The 75th anniversary team Part 2 from 2021-10-22T21:54:13

In Part 2 of a mega 2-part episode, reactions to the official NBA at 75 list. Then I attempt the hopeless task of filling out a 75th anniversary ballot with the help of Cody Houdek. It's unclear wh...

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Thinking Basketball
#89: 2022 Season preview with Dave DuFour from 2021-10-17T21:44:38

The Athletic's Dave DuFour joins to preview the 2022 NBA season! We discuss who can win the East and West, teams with wide-ranging outcomes, darkhorse MVPs and more. Of course, there's a post show....

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Thinking Basketball
#88: The 75th anniversary team Part 1 from 2021-09-24T19:59

In Part 1 of a mega 2-part episode, I attempt to predict the upcoming NBA at 75 team with some help from Cody Houdek. Who is a lock to make the list, and what players are candidates for those new 2...

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Thinking Basketball
#87: Draft grades & Black swans with J. Kyle Mann from 2021-07-30T22:19:22

The Ringer's J. Kyle Mann joins me for a wild discussion on player development and grading draft picks. We revisit 2016's top 10 picks, discuss the idea of the Black Swan fallacy in player developm...

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Thinking Basketball
#86: How good was Giannis? Full 2021 Finals analysis from 2021-07-22T22:45:18

Where does Giannis Antetokounmpo's Finals performance rank among recent history? Before answering that question, I recap the key strategies, players, twists and turns that jumped out to me over the...

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Thinking Basketball
#85: Bucks-Suns Shot Quality with Simon Gerszberg from 2021-07-18T21:11:40

Have the Bucks or Suns been lucky this series? Is Chris Paul cold? Devin Booker hot? The founder and CEO of Shot Quality joins to explain his comprehensive model for both teams and players, and wha...

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Thinking Basketball
#84: Seth Partnow | Random Basketball from 2021-07-09T22:00:05

The Athletic's Seth Partnow returns to discuss the randomness in the NBA and these 2021 playoffs, although we detour off topic to discuss the Suns and Bucks, depth, the importance of wing players i...

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Thinking Basketball
#83: David Thorpe | Offense in the playoffs from 2021-06-18T21:14:20

David Thorpe (TrueHoop) stops by to discuss “small ball,” the magic of Trae Young and the Hawks, innovation in the NBA and marketing diverse stars. Support at patreon.com/thinkingbasketball.

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Thinking Basketball
#82: Seerat Sohi | The Nets, Bucks and future of the NBA from 2021-06-11T20:15:16

The Ringer's Seerat Sohi joins to discuss the Nets-Bucks and Clippers-Jazz series in an attempt to make sense of the (possible) shifting of tides in the playoffs and what it means for the league mo...

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Thinking Basketball
#81: Role player problems & LA narratives from 2021-06-05T20:12:03

Reactions to the first round of the NBA playoffs, re-handicapping NBA title odds, and a discussion around a new trend where role players are being played out of the rotation in certain playoff matc...

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Thinking Basketball
# 80: Seth Partnow | Regular season vs playoffs from 2021-05-28T23:33:15

The Athletic's Seth Partnow stops by to discuss the first week of the 2021 playoffs, the growing differences in regular season versus playoff basketball, and where the sport is headed strategically...

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Thinking Basketball
#79: 2021 playoff preview with Dave DuFour from 2021-05-19T21:48:09

The Athletic's Dave DuFour joins for a comprehensive and riveting preview of the 2021 postseason, where we break down every possible playoff matchup without actually breaking down any playoff match...

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Thinking Basketball
#78: 2021 Sub All-Stars from 2021-05-11T15:15:33

#78: 2021 Sub All-Stars by Ben Taylor experiments

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Thinking Basketball
#77: Chris Herring on Jokic, the Nets and 2021 from 2021-04-25T20:27:08

Sports Illustrated's Chris Herring stops by to discuss some of his impressions about the unique 2021 season. We touch on the offense explosion, the potential of the Nets and MVP favorite Nikola Jok...

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Thinking Basketball
#76: Peaks Finale & playoff plus-minus from 2021-04-12T04:28:15

Answering questions and few thoughts on the end of the Greatest Peaks series, including playoff plus-minus and the best offensive players in the series. Populate the shuffle page at getshuffle.app/...

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Thinking Basketball
#75: Evan Wasch, the NBA's EVP of Analytics (IDEA 2021 conference) from 2021-03-13T21:02:22

My fireside chat with Evan Wasch from the 2021 IDEA Analytics conference. We discuss officiating, scheduling, playoff formatting, balancing excitement with fairness and more. Get 12 free meals from...

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Thinking Basketball
#74: Inside LEBRON with BBall Index from 2021-02-08T16:14:04

Cranjis McBasketball (Tim) and Krishna Narsu stop by to dissect their new LEBRON metric. We discuss role types, coaching impact, stabilizing the noise in data and 3 points shooting and a ton more. ...

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Thinking Basketball
#73: Feel & “Basketball IQ” with Evan Zaucha from 2021-01-24T00:59:41

What exactly is “feel” in basketball? What do we mean when we talk about “basketball IQ?” Evan Zaucha from Premium Hoops draws on his neuroscience background to dig deeper into feel on the basketba...

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Thinking Basketball
#72: Great defenses without great defenders from 2021-01-11T01:18:16

What are the characteristics of great defensive teams historically? Are they all built around rim protectors and interior defenders? How great can a defense be without a great defender? How do coac...

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Thinking Basketball
#71 J Kyle Mann | Magic, Larry, Innovation and Comparison from 2021-01-01T19:34:56

The Ringer's J. Kyle Mann returns to continue our meta discussions about innovation and creativity in basketball, this time through the lens of Magic Johnson and Larry Bird...as well the historical...

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Thinking Basketball
#70: Dave DuFour season preview 2021 from 2020-12-22T01:25:38

The Athletic's Dave DuFour returns for our semi-annual preview episode. It's impossible to top last year's extravaganza, but we take a measured approach at guessing what the heck is going to happen...

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Thinking Basketball
#69: What we don't see, we don't measure | What to look for when watching? from 2020-12-10T21:38:38

What should we look for when we watch games? How does our basketball concepts influence what stats we produce and what we're interested in measuring? This is a natural follow up to the Tyranny of Q...

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Thinking Basketball
#68: Klay & Golden State, Trade Assessments from 2020-11-21T00:13:43

I discuss Golden State's future outlook with Klay Thompson's injury and Steph Curry's return, along with the new Bucks roster after trading for Jrue Holiday. Additional trades in this episode: Chri...

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Thinking Basketball
#67: The Top 10 passers in the NBA from 2020-10-28T15:34:51

Who are the best passers in the NBA? In this episode I dive in to discuss the game's best passers and the difficulty in balanced a variety of strengths and weaknesses that make this tricky to unpac...

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Thinking Basketball
#66: The End of the First Option from 2020-10-19T17:45:12

I try to take down the idea of the “first option” and replace it with a new framework for thinking about player hierarchies. Also thoughts on the Lakers wrapping up the 2020 title and Daryl Morey's...

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Thinking Basketball
#65: Seth Partnow | Value vs. goodness, defensive versatility & 2-way players from 2020-10-09T22:32:02

Former Bucks Director of Analytics and Athletic writer Seth Partnow joins to discuss his upcoming book, The Finals MVP, defensive versatility in the playoffs and more (including Rudy Gobert and Ant...

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Thinking Basketball
#64: Building modern offenses around big men | 5 Archetypes from 2020-10-03T21:06:39

Has the big man really gone away on offense? Or have they just moved beyond the post up? In this episode, I lay out ways to build strong offenses around five different archetypes of modern big men,...

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Thinking Basketball
#63: The Big Bubble lesson? Evaluating small samples... from 2020-09-25T20:51:10

There are lots of takeaways from the bubble, but is the biggest lesson how much we struggle with evaluating players/teams in small sample seasons? With a unique experiment on our hands, how much ha...

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Thinking Basketball
#62: Nuggets Duo, Heat Zone & history's least scalable player from 2020-09-18T22:16:50

I talk Nuggets and how they match up with the Lakers, get into the Heat-Celtics clash, but before that look at the All-NBA teams and whether this year's version of Russell Westbrook is history's le...

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Thinking Basketball
#61 Backwards Basketball | Giannis, Siakam and our playoff narratives from 2020-09-12T23:34:30

In a meandering free association exercise, I explore some of the new playoff narratives developing in the social media age – how big are “capital-M” Moments? What should we make of the Bucks and Gi...

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Thinking Basketball
#60: 1st round analysis, 2nd round preview with Gibson Pyper from 2020-09-01T22:03:14

Coach Gibson Pyper from Half Court Hoops joins to deep dive into the matchups of the 2020 NBA playoffs. We discuss Giannis guarding Jimmy Butler, the Bucks approach to Miami, the success of the Cel...

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Thinking Basketball
#59: The bubble playoffs with Dave DuFour from 2020-08-14T19:55:28

The Athletic's Dave DuFour stops by to preview the bubble playoffs. We discuss what to make of the Lakers, challengers to the Bucks, whether Dave is still out on the Clippers and the new look Denve...

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Thinking Basketball
#58 The Restart with Steve Jones Jr. from 2020-07-30T21:29:34

Former Nets assistant coach Steve Jones returns to the show for the NBA return in the Orlando bubble. We discuss how the environment helps and hurts certain players and teams, and what possible sur...

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Thinking Basketball
#57: The most influential teams of All Time with Mike Prada from 2020-07-07T20:04:43

SBNation alum Mike Prada stops by to discuss the most influential NBA team of the last 75 years. How have the Curry Warriors, Jordan Bulls, Bad Boys Pistons and more influenced the game over the ye...

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Thinking Basketball
#56: The defensive awards show with Mo Dakhil from 2020-06-09T21:46:19

Former NBA video coordinator Mo Dakhil joins to discuss the first ever Thinking Basketball Defensive Awards. We look at the best defenders in a number of key categories and discuss defensive superl...

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Thinking Basketball
#55: Hakeem vs. Robinson vs. Russell | Andre Snellings, Great Debates from 2020-05-19T15:06:52

In the 5th episode of the Great Debates series, ESPN's Andre Snellings helps me size up three of the greatest defenders in NBA history, all with distinctly different offensive games. How successful...

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Thinking Basketball
#54: J. Kyle Mann | The innovation of iconic moves & Soviet Sabonis from 2020-05-08T19:55:01

The Ringer's J. Kyle Mann returns to discuss creativity and basketball innovation in the midst of his “Ball the Right Moves” video series. We discuss crossovers, Kenny Sailors and the jump shot, Mi...

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Thinking Basketball
#53: The Best 6th-men in NBA History from 2020-04-29T16:48:47

Who had the best season off the bench in NBA history? Do all the great 6th-man seasons belong to instant-offense scorers? Why are good defenders rarely acknowledged in Sixth Man of the Year voting?...

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Thinking Basketball
#52: The best off-ball players of the 3-point era from 2020-04-20T21:37:58

I reboot the inaugural episode with new data and a deeper look at the all-time best scorers in NBA history. What makes someone a great scorer? What misconceptions are common about volume vs. effici...

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Thinking Basketball
#51: Klay vs. Miller vs. Allen | Great Debates from 2020-04-08T23:50:47

In this episode of the Great Debates series, I compare all-time shooters and off-ball ballerinas Klay Thompson, Reggie Miller and Ray Allen. How were these players different? What changed when thei...

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Thinking Basketball
#50: Top scorers in NBA history revisited from 2020-03-24T21:17:02

I reboot the inaugural episode with new data and a deeper look at the all-time best scorers in NBA history. What makes someone a great scorer? What misconceptions are common about volume vs. effici...

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Thinking Basketball
#49 Dave DuFour on MVPs & Dr. Maia Majumder on COVID-19 numbers from 2020-03-16T22:55:37

The Athletic's Dave DuFour on things and the NBA MVP. We compare 2020 LeBron James to another historical MVP winner. Dr. Maia Majumder also stops by (52:00) to provide insight into modeling COVID-1...

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Thinking Basketball
#48: Tatum vs. Giannis & BPM 2.0! Inside Basketball-Reference's new metric from 2020-03-01T01:17:50

I take a first look at the new Box Plus-Minus on Basketball-Reference that goes back to 1974, including an all-time top-10 list based on playoff BPM. What kind of player does the model love? What a...

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Thinking Basketball
#47: A scandal! & Lessons from other sports | Danny Leroux from 2020-02-23T02:48

The undiscussed scandal of the dunk contest! A lesson in comparing statistical profiles. Plus, The Athletic's Danny Leroux discusses lessons from others sports and what it was like to find basketba...

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Thinking Basketball
#46: Types of athleticism | Zion vs. Luka vs. Jokic with Eric Leidersdorf of P3 from 2020-02-14T19:36:55

Eric Leidersdorf, director of biomechanics of P3 Sports Science, helps expand on our idea of “athleticism” and discusses his experience measuring and testing over 600 NBA players. What happened whe...

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Thinking Basketball
#45: Jackson Frank on Zion, Lillard & Jayson Tatum from 2020-02-09T21:58:10

Jackson Frank of the Athletic stops by to discuss the beginning of Zion Williamson's career, the white shot scoring of Damian Lillard and the nuances of first-time All-Star Jayson Tatum. Follow Jac...

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Thinking Basketball
#44: 2020 Sub All-Stars from 2020-02-03T21:12:40

Who are the best players after the All-Stars? It's the 2nd annual sub All-Star team, where I agonizingly select the next group of players who are still valuable, but not quite All-Stars. Apologies ...

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Thinking Basketball
#43: Most Improved Players in 2020 from 2020-01-25T21:01:52

How much should defense factor into the MIP discussion? Is the award too scoring centric? I stack up the Most Improved players this year by diving into overall changes in impact and looking at wher...

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Thinking Basketball
#42: How players use data | Shane Battier from 2020-01-17T16:52:49

Heat VP Shane Battier joins to discuss how players use data as part of their game preparation and how it can create an advantage. How has the scouting process changed in the last 20 years? Are play...

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Thinking Basketball
#41: Duncan vs. Garnett | Andre Snellings, Great Debates from 2020-01-10T21:40:50

ESPN's Andre Snellings and I go deep on a classic player comparison between Tim Duncan and Kevin Garnett. We stack up their playoff comparisons, historical impact metrics, team circumstances and ho...

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Thinking Basketball
#40: Should the Board Man get paid!? | Rebounding 101 from 2020-01-05T01:30:55

How important is rebounding? And how much do rebounding stats really tell us about players today? This episode takes a deep dive into the value of rebounding, the context behind rebounding numbers ...

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Thinking Basketball
#39: The post up is dying & the stunning physics of out of bounds calls from 2019-12-28T22:22:25

An actual physicist joins to explain the stunning reality of out of bounds calls like the LeBron James one on Christmas. Also, diving into modern post ups and Rick Carlise's controversial comments ...

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Thinking Basketball
#38: Analyzing trades | Who fits where and what do teams need? from 2019-12-22T20:20:03

Breaking down a number of proposed trades involving marquee players like Chris Paul, Ben Simmons, Jrue Holiday and more, with an emphasis on how these players fit on contending teams and what those...

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Thinking Basketball
#37: Dirk vs. Barkley vs. Malone | Nate Duncan, Great Debates from 2019-12-13T16:13:11

In the 2nd episode of the Great Debates series, Nate and I size up Dirk Nowitzki, Charles Barkley, Karl Malone and the best portage systems in Eastern Canada. Who was better at his best? What are t...

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Thinking Basketball
#36: Steve Jones Jr. | The best offenses in the NBA from 2019-12-05T16:26:33

Former Nets assistant coach Steve Jones discusses the principles of the best offensive teams in the NBA in 2020, including the incredible Raptors, Kemba replacing Kyrie and the LeBron-Anthony Davis...

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Thinking Basketball
#35: Designing a more perfect NBA based on fan behavior from 2019-11-30T23:42:29

I went out to talk to real fans, both casual and hardcore, to research the things NBA consumers love and hate about the current state of the league. Is it load management? Tanking? In a special epi...

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Thinking Basketball
#34: Harden vs. Kobe vs. Wade | Great Debates from 2019-11-22T01:00:25

In the first episode of the Great Debates series, I size up James Harden, Kobe Bryant, Dwayne Wade and deep sea aquatic creatures. Who was better at his best? What are the important numbers and tre...

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Thinking Basketball
#33: J. Kyle Mann | Luka, Legacies & LeBron Jr. from 2019-11-16T00:32:04

The Ringer's J. Kyle Mann joins to discuss Luka Doncic, legacies, along with Kevin Garnett and Shaq in the modern NBA. Also, how does having a legendary parent impact young players? And what does t...

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Thinking Basketball
#32: The Science and data of Load Management from 2019-11-09T00:22:33

Why are do superstars really play fewer minutes today? Does load management work? In this episode I take a deep dive into this hot button issue by looking at available data and unpacking some of th...

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Thinking Basketball
#31: Ben Falk | The one-number debate, film in analytics & measuring defense from 2019-10-30T14:26:23

#31: Ben Falk | The one-number debate, film in analytics & measuring defense by Ben Taylor experiments

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Thinking Basketball
#30: 2020 season preview with Dave DuFour from 2019-10-22T22:05:17

The Athletic's Dave DuFour joins the podcast for a mega season preview of the upcoming 2020 season! We size up the playoff teams in each conference, the Terminator makes an appearance, and there's ...

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Thinking Basketball
#29: Nate Silver on RAPTOR from 2019-10-18T23:25:30

Nate Silver stops by to take a deep dive into 538's new in-house metric RAPTOR. We talk about the research behind the model and its strengths and weaknesses going forward. Apologies for some audio ...

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Thinking Basketball
#28: 2020 Regression candidates with Danny Leroux from 2019-10-10T18:42:12

In part III of our look at the aging curve, Danny Leroux, returns for a (less fun) foray into players we think are candidates to give way a bit to Father Time this year, or just take a meaningful s...

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Thinking Basketball
#27: 2020 Breakout candidates Part II with Danny Leroux from 2019-10-01T14:52:07

In part 2, Danny Leroux returns to round out our most likely breakout player candidates of 2020. Follow him on twitter @DannyLeroux. Support at www.patreon.com/thinkingbasketball

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Thinking Basketball
#26: 2020 Breakout candidates with Danny Leroux from 2019-09-27T23:01:07

In part I, Danny Leroux, Athletic columnist, host of realgm radio and co-host of the Dunc'd On podcast joins me for a deep dive into the breakout player candidates of 2020. We focused mainly on und...

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Thinking Basketball
#25: The 2010s All-Decade Team from 2019-08-24T16:02:49

By popular demand, I took a crack at the All-Decade team for the 2010s by sizing up which players had the most championship equity over the last 10 years. I also discuss NBA.com's controversial cho...

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Thinking Basketball
#24: Devin Booker, skill curves & young scorers on bad teams from 2019-08-13T15:30:05

An exploration of young volume scorers on really bad teams. What happens historically when these players are surrounded by better talent? How often are their numbers “empty?” And how does that infl...

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Thinking Basketball
#23: Top playmakers in NBA history from 2019-08-02T20:33

A look at the greatest playmakers in NBA history using an updated model that balances shot creation, passing ability, turnovers and teammates/team performance to figure out who made life the easies...

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Thinking Basketball
#22 Cole Zwicker on the 2019 NBA draft from 2019-06-21T21:25:43

Draft expert Cole Zwicker joins to discuss draft concepts, draft philosophy, and provide an in-depth breakdown of how this year's rookies fit on their new teams. Following him @colezwicker on twitt...

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Thinking Basketball
#21: Incredible stories from Game 6 of the Finals, AD trade from 2019-06-17T02:24:47

I dive into the final minutes of the NBA Finals and the incredible on-court stories that history might completely forget. Also some reflections on the series as a whole and thoughts on the value of...

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Thinking Basketball
#20: How the Raptors klawed away at the Warriors from 2019-06-08T21:38:55

After Game 4, an in-depth breakdown of key players like Steph Curry, how Toronto succeeded on offense against a depleted Warriors defense, the emerging brilliance of Nick Nurse, and Fred Van Vleet'...

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Thinking Basketball
#19: Steve Jones Jr. on Game 1 of the NBA Finals from 2019-05-31T21:58:49

Former Brooklyn Nets assistant coach Steve Jones Jr. stops by for hardcore Xs & Os on the Warriors-Raptors, his theory about Golden State’s “data collection,” adjustments for the rest of the series...

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Thinking Basketball
#18: Nerds can't tell you how to play | skill vs. strategy from 2019-05-18T20:04:53

Are the Rockets doomed with their analytics-driven style? Should midrange jumpers make a comeback? In this episode I address the controversy around “letting nerds tell you how to play” and the idea...

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Thinking Basketball
#17: Dave DuFour on GoT, NBA Playoffs & the greatness of Steph Curry from 2019-05-10T23:21:17

The Athletic's Dave DuFour stops by to discuss the greatness of Steph Curry, similarities between Kawhi Leonard and Michael Jordan and why some Toronto players won't shoot. Follow him @DaveDuFourNB...

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Thinking Basketball
#16: Neil Paine on the Battle for Basketball's Soul from 2019-05-04T17:11:38

Neil Paine of 538 stops by to discuss James Harden's controversial play style, the 3-point revolution, the emergence of the 76ers & some insight into just how influential analytics have become behi...

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Thinking Basketball
#15: Adjustments the Bucks can make in Game 2 & Round 2 thoughts from 2019-04-28T20:52:46

Reactions to Game 1 between the Bucks and Celtics along with adjustments Milwaukee can make moving forward, overachieving in the playoffs, and brief thoughts on the other 3 second rounds series. Su...

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Thinking Basketball
#14: Projecting the best shooters of the 3-pt era from 2019-04-04T15:36:30

Which 2019 rookies will become great shooters? Can we predict who will be a great shooter based on the beginning of their career and the years before they entered the NBA? What are the statistical ...

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Thinking Basketball
#13: Unexpected superstars breaking their ceiling from 2019-03-10T23:20:31

How many players became superstars by blowing through their ceiling? How often are we surprised by guys becoming better than we could have ever expected? In this episode, I discuss ~20 superstars w...

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Thinking Basketball
#12: Mo Dakhil & scouting the East contenders from 2019-02-23T20:52:52

Former Spurs & Clippers video coordinator Mo Dakhil (@MoDakhil_NBA) stops by to size up Xs and Os among the Celtics, Bucks, 76ers and Raptors. We discuss how to watch a game, Toronto’s 2 different ...

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Thinking Basketball
#11: The 2019 Sub-All Stars, Trade thoughts from 2019-02-09T21:44:56

After biting off more than I can chew, I try to list the next best group of players -- the "Sub All-Star Team" -- after the top 25 or so players in the league. I also weigh in on Philadelphia and T...

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Thinking Basketball
#10: Big man defense in 2019 & James Harden's portability from 2019-01-11T00:21:01

With new trends toward spacing and faster pace, how valuable are the best defenders in the league in 2019? Also, is James Harden's scoring binge during his hot streak conducive to championship-leve...

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Thinking Basketball
#9: Bad signs for Ben Simmons and Donovan Mitchell from 2018-12-23T18:53:24

The reasons Ben Simmons is already close to his peak and why Donovan's Mitchell's sophomore slump is a bad omen for his future value as a prospect. Plus, the problem with Bill Simmons Trade Value p...

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Thinking Basketball
#8: Luka, Jaren and the top rookie seasons ever from 2018-12-10T00:20:43

Sizing up Luka Doncic and his main ROY competitor Jaren Jackson, where these two exciting rookies rank among the all-time best first-year players in NBA history, and a controversial take on Michael...

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Thinking Basketball
#7: The Bucks historic start & interpreting modern numbers from 2018-11-13T00:28:57

The Bucks are off to an incredible start after a month – where does history say they will finish? How have other teams fared who started similarly? And what should we make of the huge numbers being...

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Thinking Basketball
#6: Nate Duncan, Part II - LeBron vs. Jordan from 2018-10-18T19:28

In Part II of our conversation, Nate and I (finally) talk Jordan vs. LeBron, comparing levels of competition, conference disparities, outside shooting, defensive consistency, longevity and the prob...

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Thinking Basketball
#5: Nate Duncan, Part I - 2019 League trends & the GOATness of Steph Curry from 2018-10-15T22:42:53

In Part I, Nate Duncan stops by the show to discuss parity, isoball trends and the liabilities of weak offense and defense. We also discuss Steph Curry’s place among the all-time great seasons and ...

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Thinking Basketball
#4: The Lakers Math Problem & the Promise of Passing from 2018-10-04T20:36:51

In this episode, I discuss the Lakers overload of on-ball players and how the pieces will fit together with LeBron James and the returning talent. Support at www.patreon.com/thinkingbasketball

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Thinking Basketball
#3: The Problem with Analytics from 2018-09-12T14:21:47

I discuss the good and the bad of analytics while pondering the single most important philosophical question of our time: Can the Eye Test and Stats ever co-exist? I also reminisce about a controve...

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Thinking Basketball
#2: Best Scorers in NBA History Part II from 2018-08-25T22:56:54

In part 2, I discuss the value of lower efficiency scorers like Russell Westbrook and Allen Iverson, sort out who improved and declined the most in the playoffs and stack up the best overall scorer...

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Thinking Basketball
#1: Best Scorers in NBA History Part I from 2018-08-16T05:12:35

How valuable were Wilt's 50 points per game? Kobe's 35? A new way to measure scoring seasons based on historical impact data reveals just how much big scoring can move the needle compared to other ...

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