Thinking Basketball
By Thinking Basketball
Thinking BasketballSep 27, 2022
#268: No more Luka-ball!? Bizarro Cavs strike
What did the Mavericks do that was so radically different with Luka Doncic from Game 1? Eric Pincus from Bleacher Report and Sports Business Classroom stops by to discuss Game 2 between Oklahoma City and Dallas. Plus, the Cavs find a way to attack the Celtics and take Game 2. Follow @EricPincus. Sign up for Sports Business Classroom with code THINKING BASKETBALLwww.sportsbusinessclassroom.com
#267: Wolves-Nuggets insanity + Mavs-Thunder preview
Why are the Wolves destroying the Nuggets? How good is their defense? Will it keeps up? We break down that series, along with previewing the other Western Conference Semifinal playoff series between the Thunder and the Dallas Mavericks. With @codyhoudek. Support at www.patreon.com/thinkingbasketball Sign up for Sports Business Classroom with code THINKING BASKETBALLwww.sportsbusinessclassroom.com
#266: Best players of Round 1
Who were the best players of the First round of the playoffs? Ben selects his 1st and 2nd team All-NBA teams based on the opening round of the 2024 playoffs, factoring in opponent quality, role and more. Support at www.patreon.com/thinkingbasketball Sign up for Sports Business Classroom with code THINKING BASKETBALL www.sportsbusinessclassroom.com
#265: Wolves-Nuggets, Mavs-Clippers, Knicks on brink
The Wolves are the first team to advanced in the 2024 NBA playoffs, and we break down a potential matchup with the Nuggets, the Mavs size and the Clippers offense without Kawhi Leonard and the physical Knicks-76ers series. With @codyhoudek. Support at www.patreon.com/thinkingbasketball
#264: Size + Defense dominate the start of the playoffs
We break down the thrilling Game 1 between the Philadelphia 76ers and New Yorks Knicks, the stunning Clippers victory over the Mavs and their gameplan for Luka, and discuss the physical and change in officiating during the first weekend of the 2024 NBA playoffs. Plus out top-8 home court atmospheres. With @codyhoudek. Support at www.patreon.com/thinkingbasketball
#263: 2024 Playoff preview
We preview the 2024 NBA Playoffs! Incredibly pivotal play-in games. Are the Celtics and Nuggets inevitable? Can the Los Angeles teams make a run? Who will be healthy? Is there a sleeper in the East? And what is the exact probability the Timberwolves beat the Suns? With @codyhoudek. Support at www.patreon.com/thinkingbasketball
#262: What have we changed our minds about?
We talk about what players and ideas we're changed our minds on in the recent years, the impact of “little things” adding up in the game, judging impact, fit and more. With @codyhoudek. Support at www.patreon.com/thinkingbasketball
#261: 2024 Thinkies! (Defensive Awards)
It's again time for the annual Defensive Awards! We hand out awards for best paint protector, perimeter helper and more, as well as discussing some of the current value-drivers philosophical ideas about defense in the 2024 NBA. What player will show up in the most categories? Will anyone win multiple categories? With @codyhoudek. Support at www.patreon.com/thinkingbasketball
#260: Jalen power rankings & Playoff officiating
The officiating points of emphasis have reigned in scoring and curtailed some penetrators – who will this impact the most in the playoffs? Plus, the Rockets are hot, and who is the best “Jalen” in the NBA? With @codyhoudek. Support at www.patreon.com/thinkingbasketball
#259: 2024 Playoff draft
Who will have the best performance in the 2024 playoffs? We draft a team based on breakout stars, supporting stars, role players and sixth men for the 2024 NBA playoffs. Early bird price at Sportsbusinessclassroom.com with signup code THINKING BASKETBALL. With @codyhoudek. Support at www.patreon.com/thinkingbasketball
#258: Poor fit? The Suns, Cavs and Pelicans
Cleveland, Phoenix and New Orleans have a ton of talent, but have all been inconsistent or mysterious throughout the season. We discuss how the stars fit together, the role player “fit,” the importance of coaching in fit and more. Early bird price at Sportsbusinessclassroom.com with signup code THINKING BASKETBALL. With @codyhoudek. Support at www.patreon.com/thinkingbasketball
#257: Finals players, defense is back & Cinderella Warriors
Are the Golden State Warriors good enough to win a playoff series this year? We discuss their good play of late when Steph Curry is on the floor, but first, there's been a drop in defensive rating and a change in officiating. Also, what are the indicators that a player will translate to the highest level of basketball in the playoffs and NBA Finals? Early bird price at Sportsbusinessclassroom.com with signup code THINKING BASKETBALL. With @codyhoudek. Support at www.patreon.com/thinkingbasketball
#256: What are the Celtics weaknesses?
The Boston Celtics are on the most dominant 11-game win streak in NBA history! We rank the most important Celtics for their playoff run, attempt to contextualize some of their regular season success, and attempt to list possible playoff weaknesses for Boston heading into the postseason. Early bird price at Sportsbusinessclassroom.com with signup code THINKING BASKETBALL. With @codyhoudek. Support at www.patreon.com/thinkingbasketball
#255: Are the Thunder serious contenders? | Blame Doc!
We discuss whether the incredibly young Oklahoma City Thunder can be the youngest team in NBA history to win a title. Plus, what's really wrong with the Milwaukee Bucks after hiring Doc Rivers, and MVP narratives and a darkhorse Cody prediction. With @codyhoudek. Support at www.patreon.com/thinkingbasketball
#254: The Wild West with No Dunks
The No Dunks team stops by to discuss the stretch run of the season in the Western Conference (with some Eastern Conference discussion). Who will take the top seed? Where are the Oklahoma City Thunder headed? Can anyone knock off the Denver Nuggets? How do the Clippers and Timberwolves matchup with their size? Follow @TasMelas @treykerby @jeskeets Support at www.patreon.com/thinkingbasketball
#253: Jokic, the efficiency king? | Overall scoring & turnovers
What can turnovers tell us about ball-handlers, passers and scorers? Who becomes the most efficient scorers when we account for “scoring” turnovers? In this solo episode, Ben looks at how this impact Nikola Jokic's scoring, Steve Nash and Chris Paul as “aggressive” vs. “conservative” passers, Tyrese Haliburton and Allen Iverson as ball-handlers and more. Support at www.patreon.com/thinkingbasketball Sign up for Sports Business Classroom with code THINKING BASKETBALLwww.sportsbusinessclassroom.com
#252: 2024 Sub All-Stars!
We select the 6th annual Sub All-Stars or “Almost Stars,” the players who are in the next tier after All-Stars. First, we sort out All-Star level players, then discuss players on the fringe and possible Sub All-Stars. Who makes the cut? With @codyhoudek. Support at www.patreon.com/thinkingbasketball
#251: Victor Wembanyama's ceiling
The Ringer's J. Kyle Mann returns to discuss Wemby's incredible potential after exploding in the last month. What are realistic areas of improvement for him? What does he look like with more size? We discuss his offensive potential, defensive feel and IQ and whether he could have the highest peak we've ever seen. Follow @jkylemann. Support at www.patreon.com/thinkingbasketball
#250: The Cavs are on fire & the next hot team
Cleveland has moved into the 2nd seed in the East after a bumpy start. Why are so many teams catching fire in the mid season? How do we make sense of a league with so many poor teams at the bottom of the standings? And is there another team waiting to make a run up the standings? Mo Dakhil and John Schuhmann join. Follow @johnschuhmann @MoDakhil_NBA. Support at www.patreon.com/thinkingbasketball
#249: OG's unstoppable Knicks & modern offensive rebounding
Dave DuFour joins to discuss the surging Knicks since the OG Anunoby trade, what makes him such a good fit in New York, and why the Knicks are so good at offensive rebounding. But first, a big Clippers announcement after the Boston game. Follow @DaveDuFourNBA. Support at www.patreon.com/thinkingbasketball
#248: No. 1 options on really bad offenses
There can be a razor's edge for young players putting up big stats on bad teams. We discuss these polarizing players, whether they're miscast as primary options, the inconvenient truth about shooting efficiency, and why we're lower – for this season, at least – on players like Cade Cunningham and Paolo Banchero because of it. With @codyhoudek. Support at www.patreon.com/thinkingbasketball
#247: The top passers in the NBA
What makes a great passer? What characteristics set the best apart from the rest? We discuss the different types of passers in the NBA, some archetypes of passers that aren't quite as valuable, and attempt to sort out the best passers in the in 2024 right now. With @codyhoudek. Support at www.patreon.com/thinkingbasketball
#246: How are the Utah Jazz suddenly so good?!
Is Will Hardy making a push for Coach of the Year? How are the Jazz suddenly playing so well? Are they going to make the playoffs and bump Golden State or the Lakers out? We discuss Utah's white hot month, coaching adjustments, and the all-time legendary team the Jazz remind us of. With @codyhoudek. Support at www.patreon.com/thinkingbasketball
#245: Is Quickley a diamond in the rough? & Are stars playing longer?
We break down the Knicks-Raptors trade involving Immanuel Quickley, R.J. Barrett and O.G. Anunoby, and discuss trading a known commodity versus a potential breakout star in a bench role. Plus, with LeBron James and others excelling in their late 30s, are stars playing longer today than ever before? With @codyhoudek. Support at www.patreon.com/thinkingbasketball
#244: A new title contender? | Power rankings
The Clippers are hot and the Thunder are fighting for the top seed – are either inner circle contenders for the 2024 NBA championship? Can Shai Gilgeous-Alexander and OKC's creative offense be schemed for? Plus, Cody makes a bold proclamation about Nick Nurse and the 76ers, and there's a violent disagreement (or agreement) about the Bucks. With @codyhoudek. Support at www.patreon.com/thinkingbasketball
#243: Top 25 under 25 draft (2024)
Who are the best young players in the league right now? We draft the top players who are in their age 24 (or younger) season according to basketball-reference, if the playoffs were to start today. What happens when Ben forgets to follow his board and forces Cody to do a re-draft? What do we make of players struggling to start the season? Where should the microwave scorers go? With @codyhoudek. Support at www.patreon.com/thinkingbasketball
#242: Will the offensive explosion ever stop?
Offensive rating around the league is up AGAIN! Multiple teams would be “the best offense in NBA history” by efficiency right now – why? What's changed? What's driving this? Will it stop? We discuss three major factors driving the offensive explosion, whether it “should” be changed, and how defenses can be helped going forward. With @codyhoudek. Support at www.patreon.com/thinkingbasketball
#241: Who has the best defense in the league?
Boston and Minnesota have the best records in the league, but who has a better playoff defense? We discuss the sustainability of the Timberwolves impressive defensive, along with the makeup of the other top defenses team in the league. Plus, Derrick White, Kirstaps Porzingis, and the incredible way the Celtics assembled their starting 5. With @codyhoudek. Support at www.patreon.com/thinkingbasketball
#240: Embiid vs. Giannis in 2024 | Great Debates
Who is better right now, Joel Embiid or Giannis Antetokounmpo? We discuss the offensive and defensive strengths of these former MVPs, the new context of their seasons (and coaches), Embiid's passing improvement, their defensive versatility and more in this resurrection of the Great Debates series. With @codyhoudek. Support at www.patreon.com/thinkingbasketball
#239: Anthony Davis's weird “peak” & the end of Small Ball?
Can you have an all-time peak without a big regular season? How important is a “single series” playoff peak? After Anthony Davis's dominant NBA Cup Final (In-season Tournament) for the Lakers over the Pacers, we discuss bully ball, defensive versatility, twin towers and the importance of size in today's NBA. With @codyhoudek. Support at www.patreon.com/thinkingbasketball
#238: MVP predictions
We make our MVP predictions for the 2024 season, filling out our predicted top-5 ballots by balancing narrative, player performance and team trajectories after the first 20 games of the year. But first, more NBA Cup predictions. With @codyhoudek. Support at www.patreon.com/thinkingbasketball
#237: “Overrating” Luka + Cup predictions
We break down the quarterfinal matchups in the first ever NBA Cup while handicapping the games – will there be adjustments? Added intensity? A massive home-court edge? But before that, we dive into the recent “Luka is overrated” thread and try to make sense of his massive box score stats and underwhelming scoreboard signal. With @codyhoudek. Support at www.patreon.com/thinkingbasketball
#236: Top-10 duos in the NBA
We attempt to rank the best pairings of current teammates in the NBA, taking into account the fit of each player and building around them. What great duos are in bad situations? Which ones look better because of their team success? Are there any duos that Cody actually likes? With @codyhoudek. Support at www.patreon.com/thinkingbasketball
#235: Do you believe in Magic? (And Thunder? And Pace?)
We discuss the importance of pace and the shot clock – both offensively and defensively – but first! We break down the top-rated defense in the NBA, what makes them successful, and whether they can sustain this. Along with “do you believe” in great starts like the Timberwolves and Chet Holmgren's outside shooting. With @codyhoudek. Support at www.patreon.com/thinkingbasketball
#234: J. Kyle Mann | 2024 Rookies
In a crazy episode, The Ringer's J. Kyle Mann discusses his new Rookie rankings, the floater 3-pointer, Chet vs. Wemby, Scoot Henderson's bumpy start and more. With @codyhoudek and @jkylemann. Support at www.patreon.com/thinkingbasketball
#233: Most Improved Player predictions
Who is taking a leap? Which players look like the most improved? We discuss our candidates for the Most Improved Player award, and debate whether the Rockets can make the playoffs based on their strong start. With @codyhoudek. Support at www.patreon.com/thinkingbasketball
#232: Power rankings | Are the Mavs legit?
We sort out our “inner circle” contenders, fringe contenders and other possible “really good team” candidates after the first 10 games or so of the so, and discuss the new-look Mavericks and Luka Doncic. Is their 8-2 start for real? With @codyhoudek. Support at www.patreon.com/thinkingbasketball
#231: Defensive Player of the Year predictions
We discuss the best defenders of the early season who are candidates for Defensive Player of the Year. How good is this Timberwolves defense? Will there be another non-big in the race at the end of the year? Will a former winner repeat? Who will win our made up competition? With @codyhoudek. Support at www.patreon.com/thinkingbasketball
#230: OKC, modern basketball & an UNREAL perimeter defender
We discuss the Thunder's positionless basketball and their young core, the versatility of big men like Joel Embiid and the new look 76ers, and an incredible perimeter defender who is emerging in the midwest. With @codyhoudek. Support atwww.patreon.com/thinkingbasketball
#229: A ROY race (!), the new Warriors & LA's offense
We discuss the exciting start of Chet Holmgren and Victor Wembanyama, the Bucks early start with Damian Lillard, the Lakers bumpy offense, the Magic defense, and Chris Paul's Golden State Warriors. Plus, a look ahead at the first ever NBA cup. With @codyhoudek. Support at www.patreon.com/thinkingbasketball
#228: 2024 NBA season preview
We preview the upcoming NBA season, mapping out the contenders in each Conference, possible surprise teams, arguments over health and availability, the best leg pressers and more. With @codyhoudek. Support at www.patreon.com/thinkingbasketball
#227: Best rim finishers of the 3-pt era
We attempt to discuss who the best rim “finishers” (scorers?) of the last 40-something years. How should we balance finishing near the rim as a big man versus driving into the paint? What about roll men versus post up players? How many small players should be considered great rim finishers? With @codyhoudek. Support at www.patreon.com/thinkingbasketball
#226: The "other" skills | What do stats miss?
What are the blindspots in analyzing basketball players? What do stats fail to capture, and what concepts are rarely (or never!) discussed that make an impact on the court? We look to some of the Offensive Legends for insights on areas that are overshadowed by Episode 3's “the Tyranny of the Quantifiable.” With @codyhoudek. Support at www.patreon.com/thinkingbasketball
#225: Jrue Holiday vs. Damian Lillard in Milwaukee
We breakdown the blockbuster trade for Milwaukee, but first we help Cody through the loss of one his all-time favorite Bucks, Jrue Holiday. Also, the first ever “Guess That Number.” With @codyhoudek. Support at www.patreon.com/thinkingbasketball
#224: Who *could* be the GOAT? (Part 3)
In the finale, we list possible GOAT peaks, talk about intricacies in turnovers, decision-making, and on-ball primacy while going deep on Larry Bird, David Robinson, Hakeem Olajuwon and more. We also discuss issues with head-to-head matchups or specific playoff series as dispositive measures of ranking players. With @codyhoudek. Support at www.patreon.com/thinkingbasketball
#223: Who *could* be the GOAT? (Part 2)
In part 2, we discuss the strengths of weaknesses of some specific players, the nature of interactions between teammates, using players optimally, and the value (and confusion) of the scoreboard family of stats. With @codyhoudek. Support at www.patreon.com/thinkingbasketball
#222: Who *could* be the GOAT? (Part I)
Who REALLY had the best peak in NBA history? In discussing players with “GOAT” cases, we hit on the uncertainty of player rankings, methods of determining player impact, and the evidence that we're heavily influenced by teammate quality when splitting hairs among the best players. With @codyhoudek. Support at www.patreon.com/thinkingbasketball
#221: Potential breakout players in 2024
We discuss players on our radar for taking a big leap this season – and some of the teams that might impact – although so much hilarity ensues that we forgot to mention Keegan Murray's possible on-ball expansion. With @codyhoudek. Support at www.patreon.com/thinkingbasketball
#220: The best defenders of the last 15 years | Guards
In part 3 of our series, we look at the best guard defenders since 2008. What makes a small player a good defender? How valuable are they? How do they stack up with bigger defenders, and what's changed in the last 15 years? With @codyhoudek. Support at www.patreon.com/thinkingbasketball
#219: The best defenders of the last 15 years | Wings
In part 2 of our series, we look at the best wing defenders since 2008. Who was the best at his peak since 2008? How has defensive value changed over that time period? And how do these players compare with the best big men? With @codyhoudek. Support at www.patreon.com/thinkingbasketball