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Memphis Grizzlies "Wheel" Concept, Jaren Jackson Jr.'s Development, Ja Morant's Return, Impact Rookies, Noah LaRoche, Thomas Lisalo, "Iverson Follow" & "Horns Out Chase" Film Breakdowns with Adam Pike
Timestamps:
0:00 Introduction & Background
2:00 What’s new with the Grizzlies this season? Hand Tracking the Grizzlies offensive possessions by Freelance, Organized, and Freelance P&R
4:10 How do the Grizzlies Rank Top-5 in Offense yet Run the least amount of P&Rs and DHOs in the NBA?
6:30 The Wheel Concept - the entire lineup relocates in unison as the driver bends the defense/ball penetrates the paint 13:40 Jaren Jackson Jr. jumping from DPOY to #1 scoring option with Ja out
14:48 Offensive Style Frequency and Playtype Efficiency Breakdown
16:00 The Return of Ja Morant
17:48 Jaren’s New Role and Development
24:27 Film Breakdown: Iverson Follow Empty + Iverson Follow Step Up brought to Memphis by Thomas Lisalo, Assistant Coach
35:23 Noah LaRoche’s (Grizzlies Player Development Coach) impact on draft philosophy: Versatile 5-out positionless players who can attack closeouts and switch on defense
38:38 Film Breakdown: Horns Out (Stack Out) Chase
46:45 Will Rookies Zach Edey and Jaylen Wells contribute to the Grizzlies’ Playoff Rotation?
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Ep. 19 Learning Basketball with Spencer DaviesHost of Courtside with Cavs on SI PodcastNBA Writer with RG Media, Babcock Hoops, and Hoop IndustryCovers the Cleveland Cavalilers and NBA at large
Timestamps
0:00 Introduction & Background
2:10 Writing Process
11:10 How to build a full time career in freelance basketball media
15:55 What to look for when watching film
24:20 How to think of good interview questions
29:30 Diving into this Cleveland Cavaliers season: What’s different this year?
37:38 Evan Mobley’s Star Ascension & grab-and-go playmaking skills, Donovan Mitchell leading the way, role players Ty Jerome, Caris Levert, Isaac Okoro stepping up as efficient outside shooters
41:17 Darius Garland’s scoring efficiency and Jarrett Allen the steady hand with experience playing for Kenny Atkinson
48:00 Can the Cavs’ hot start help them secure 3 All-Stars? 49:55 How will Max Strus fit into this machine after finally recovering from injury? Kenny Atkinson wants multiple ball handlers running the offense
54:45 Looking back at the Magic - Cavs 2024 NBA Playoffs Round 1 Series
1:04:50 Cavs season goals and thoughts about some other playoff teams - Boston, Milwaukee, Denver, Thunder, Magic
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Joel Rush is an NBA writer with Forbes who covers the Denver Nuggets from Japan!
Hear about his background, process watching film, ideas for writing stories, and dive into this Denver Nuggets season
Timestamps:
0:00 Introduction & Background
2:28 Writing Process
5:00 Michael Porter Jr.’s Playmaking Development
6:50 What’s going on with Jamal Murray?
12:50 How much will Denver miss KCP?
13:45 Is Nikola Jokić having the best single player start to an NBA season, ever?
17:40 Michael Porter Jr. becoming Denver’s 2nd scoring option
18:30 Russell Westbrook 2-man game connection with Jokic + Jokic assist combos
27:17 Denver Nuggets league standings, four factors and team rankings
30:00 Is Aaron Gordon the Nuggets’ best option at backup center? Valuing AG’s defensive versatility going back to Denver’s championship run , Role players stepping up with KCP no longer in Denver
43:30 Appreciating Nikola Jokic’s insane tough shot making and the 2023 Nuggets title
44:55 Aaron Gordon’s development and changing roles from on-ball perimeter potential star in Orlando to off-ball secondary play-finisher in Denver
58:25 Joel makes Ryan pick which family member to choose with a gun to his head: Franz or Paolo
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Evin Gualberto is a Basketball Coach at DeMatha who loves film study, as his YouTube channel will show you: http://youtube.com/evingualberto
Evin is a Freelance basketball writer, a pro video scout.
Evin is a Cohost of multiple podcasts: The Step Through WNBA Podcast with Sabreena Merchant; Bouncing Around with Samson Folk; Ready to Diagram with @bowser2bowser, who he helps define terms for at the Basketball Action Dictionary.
NBA Legend Traits + Film Breakdowns (Veer, Grenade, Skip)
Timestamps:
0:00 Introduction & Background
10:05 What inspires videos on players or moves?
16:00 Victor Oladipo’s Magic Defense
19:50 Don’t Switch against Steph Curry
27:10 Carmelo Anthony’s Post Up Footwork
38:08 Tracy McGrady’s Triple Threat Footwork
46:20 Manu Ginobili P&R Maestro
55:27 Franz Wagner’s Gliding Footwork
1:09:20 Herb Jones Defensive Dynamo
1:15:10 What makes a play/action interesting enough to break down on film?
1:19:20 Breaking down the Action: 77 Spain Veer (77 is also known as Double Drag)
1:28:28 Breaking down the Action: 77 Post Split Stagger (+ Gaggle/Bilbao)
1:39:50 Breaking down the Action: Ram Ghost Skip (Skip Passes/Skip Concepts from JJ Redick, inspired by Dan Hurley)
1:49:50 Breaking down the Action: Delay Zoom Skip (Skip passes with Kenny Atkinson)
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Ep. 16 of Learning Basketball with Prolific Prep Basketball Coach Mo Haroon!
Coaching AJ Dybantsa, Darryn Peterson, Tyran Stokes, Niko Bundalo, Seven Spurlock, Winters Grady, Aiden Sherrell, Obinna Ekezie, Mikey Lewis, Zoom Diallo, Rajan Roberts, Derrion Reed at Prolific Prep with Mo Haroon
Projected Top-3 2026 NBA Draft Pick Darryn Peterson and Prolific Prep are fresh off beating fellow projected Top-3 picks AJ Dybantsa’s Utah Prep and Cameron Boozer’s Columbus
Dybantsa attended Prolific Prep last season, at the same time as projected #1 2027 Overall Pick Tyran Stokes
Timestamps:
0:00 Introduction
2:55 Background
9:40 Coaching and getting to know Obinna Ekezie Jr.
15:00 Getting to know AJ Dybantsa, Tyran Stokes, Mikey Lewis, Derrion Reed, Zoom Diallo, Aiden Sherrell up close as human beings and Prolific Prep’s pro pipeline (Jalen Green, Gary Trent, Josh Jackson)
18:20 Scouting Prolific Prep - Montverde matchups in 2024, the first time ESPN aired a matchup between 3 projected #1 Picks: ft. AJ Dybantsa, Tyran Stokes, Cooper Flagg, Aiden Sherrell, Mikey Lewis, Winters Grady, Zoom Diallo (Swish Theory Written Scouting Report
LINK: https://theswishtheory.com/analysis/amateur-basketball/2024/04/scouting-the-2024-hoophall-classic-title-game-montverde-academy-invitational-tournament/
21:50 Scouting, Coaching, & getting to know Winters Grady at NBPA Top-100 Camp and marquee matchups last two seasons
LINK: https://theswishtheory.com/analysis/amateur-basketball/2024/07/2024-nbpa-top-100-scouting-report-notes-film-quotes-and-data-visualizations-on-70-standout-players/
25:58 Scouting Darryn Peterson’s Claim for the Throne as 2026 #1 Overall Pick Upsetting Cam Boozer’s #1 Ranked High School team Columbus
LINK: https://theswishtheory.com/analysis/amateur-basketball/2024/11/darryn-peterson-makes-his-claim-for-the-throne/
31:15 Scouting & Coaching Seven Spurlock
34:29 Scouting & Coaching Niko Bundalo
38:05 Scouting & Coaching Rajan Roberts
41:09 Getting to know AJ Dybantsa off the court + Scouting AJ & Darryn Peterson in marquee matchup between Prolific Prep vs. Utah Prep
47:55 AJ Dybantsa, Darryn Peterson, Cameron Boozer and the incredibly talented 2026 NBA Draft loaded with start potential throughout the lottery
49:14 Scouting Darryn Peterson, the “Up-and-Thunder” driving jams
54:49 Who will wind up the #1 pick in the 2026 NBA Draft between Darryn, Dybantsa, and Boozer?
57:00 Early impressions of Mazi Mosley, Magic Johnson’s nephew, after his transfer from Montverde to Prolific
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Jordan Allen is the Founder at Rising Stars Scouting and Creator of the Rising Stars Substack covering under the radar prospects and g-league players
Basketball Insider and Advisor at Basketball Intelligence
Timestamps:
0:00 Introduction & Background, Rising Stars Scouting & Substack
3:28 Jordan's Scouting Process
6:55 Meleek Thomas Commits to Arkansas + NBPA Top-100 Scouting Report
14:11 Kiyan Anthony Commits to Syracuse + NBPA Top-100 Scouting Report
19:10 Chris Cenac Jr. NBPA Top-100 Scouting Report + Recruitment Talks
26:25 Kingston Flemings Commits to Houston + NBPA Top-100 Scouting Report, imagining Flemings + Cenac playing together at Houston
30:16 Deron Rippey Jr. NBPA Top-100 Scouting Report
33:05 Acaden Lewis Commits to Kentucky + NBPA Top-100 Scouting Report
37:50 Dwayne Aristode Commits to Arizona + Shon Abaev Recruitment Talks + NBPA Top-100 Scouting Report
39:55 NBPA Top-100 Scouting Report Standouts + Commitments:
King Grace makes two-way winning plays + commits to Mississippi State,
Malachi Moreno commits to Kentucky,
Nykolas Lewis Commits to Xavier,
Zymicah Wilkins Commits to NC State,
Winters Grady commits to Michigan,
Jaylen Petty impressive two-way feel + commits to New Mexico,
Davis Fogle shows great motor + commits to Gonzaga,
Kaden Magwood walking bucket commits to Auburn,
Tyler Jackson natural point guard impresses (considering Maryland, Syracuse, Auburn),
Marcus Jackson’s popping athleticism but decommits from Maryland, could he end up at Charleston?
Dante Allen two-way impact transferring to Montverde
46:50 Darryn Peterson’s claim for the throne leading to Utah Prep’s upset over Boozer Twins’ #1 Columbus team
51:20 Full NBPA Top-100 Camp Scouting Report on theswishtheory.com , Shoutout to other standouts Tounde Yessoufou, Jamarion Batemon, Jacob Wilkins, Mike Williams, Brayden Burries, Jerry Easter, Tajh Ariza, + Trent MacLean Commits to West Virginia
54:00 Jason Crowe NBPA Top-100 Camp Scouting Report + Recruitment Update (Crowe to USC?)
57:05 Scouting AJ Dybantsa vs Nate Ament Matchup + Recruiting Update (Ament to Duke? Dybantsa to BYU?)
1:09:05 Scouting Alijah Arenas + Recruitment Talks: Is Arenas The Best Player in High School Basketball? (Arenas to Arizona?) (Reclassifies to 2026 NBA Draft)
1:15:10 Scouts need to sign Landyn Colyer (SFA Academy) under the radar Tall Guard 3pt sniper with two-way feel
1:22:15 Jordan's Under The Radar Prospects who need more attention: Gene Roebuck, Isaiah Rogers, Kamden McGilveary, Hunter Caplan & Bradyn Alward
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Ep. 14 of Learning Basketball with Krishna Narsu!Krishna Narsu is the inventor of the LEBRON impact metric with BBall Index, the default stat used in the popular NBA Trade Machine on Fanspo for projecting wins after fake trades. He contributes to Nylon Calculus and has formerly worked as an Analytics Consultant with the Dallas Mavericks.
Find his work at @KNarsu3 and @The_BBall_Index on Twitter
Timeline: 0:00 Introduction & Background 1:00 What goes into Developing an Impact Metric like Krishna's LEBRON stat? 16:00 How do Film and Analytics go hand in hand when evaluating basketball? 22:10 Karl-Anthony Towns Percentiles & Grades with clean fit with New York Knicks 24:30 Franz vs. Paolo - The Magic Fan Dilemma - Why do so many impact stats rate Franz Wagner higher than Paolo Banchero?43:21 How long will the Warriors continue to play such a deep 12-man rotation? -
0.5 Decision-Making Advantage Creation with Flagler Basketball Coach Brandon Benson on his experience from Prep to D1, studying NBA Head Coach Concepts, and Coaching Moustapha Thiam and Savo Drezgic
Timestamps:
0:00 Introduction & Background, how Brandon got into coaching
13:50 Getting to work with different coaches with different experiences
21:50 Valuing hustle stats, winning plays, and fundamental skills that apply to every level - controlling what you control, accountability
32:35 “0.5 Decision Making” Mentality, dribble pass and shoot ideals, Princeton sets, off-ball movement, setting up advantage basketball more than scripted sets
47:25 Learning from NBA Coaching Concepts:
25 teams probably run similar sets like 5-out, Wide pindowns/screen aways, Spain P&R, staggers, traditional Horns
Coaches covered:
Quin Snyder Hawks - Blender system, Kenny Atkinson Cavs - Advantage Basketball, 2 on the ball, force long closeouts Joe Mazulla Celtics & Charles Lee (Hornets/Celtics) - true selfless 5-out, Delay/Wide/swing to trailer, Stagger/Pindown flow, moving 5 to the wing/taking rim-protector off the ball
JJ Redick Lakers - showing off modern sets, Decoys/False actions movement, advantage, might have taken Dan Hurley play on first play as head coach, move bigs to weak side corner force big in help, immediately handoff
Steve Kerr Warriors - Split actions, steph+klay pin downs, Looney throwing post feed
Taylor Jenkins Grizzlies - hired development gurus Noah LaRoche, Joe Boylan, to help build modern offense
Mark Daigneault Thunder - drive at you all game long, Hartenstein with DHOs, ZOOM actions involving any combination of down screen into dribble hand off — okc is doing like a Triple Zoom between big men with multiple down screens and handoffs
Charles Lee Hornets (formerly Boston/Milwaukee) bringing that experience to try to implement culture with a winning pedigree
Ime Udoka Rockets - Horns 1-4 High, Iverson Curl
1:10:10 The value of having a veteran presence in an NBA locker room 1:12:35 Getting to know Projected NBA Draft Picks Moustapha Thiam and Savo Drezgic as people and players
1:27:38 Breaking down the Horns 1-4 High play that Ime Udoka and Coach Benson like to run to start games, one guy curls over top, one guy loops underneath, as soon as cutter cuts pass the face
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Ahmed Jama (@SlipTheScreen) covers NBA Draft and Grassroots Basketball , does NBA Scouting work with Next Up Basketball Consulting and Swish Theory, and is the Co-Host of The Draft Council Podcast with Dan Olinger.
Best NBA Draft Prospect Alive?
Scouting 2025 & 2026 NBA Draft: Cooper Flagg, Cam Boozer, AJ Dybantsa, Darryn Peterson, Chris Cenac, Meleek Thomas, Acaden Lewis, Jamarion Batemon, King Grace, Shon Abaev, Nolan Traore, Braylon Mullins, Liam McNeely
His Swish Theory Piece "The Draft Shooting Heuristic" evaluating shooters from Shot Speed-Volume-Versatility to Room-Rhythm-Range
Timestamps:
0:00 Introduction & Background1:37 2024 NBA Draft Shooting Heuristic piece with Swish Theory - Developing a scouting evaluation process from Shot Speed-Volume-Versatility to Room-Rhythm-Range
8:32 Scouting Jamarion Batemon
9:01 Scoring Versatility to threaten defenses & two-way impact for long-term careers in the NBA
14:43 Scouting King Grace
16:04 Scouting Chris Cenac Jr.
24:00 Boozer Twins Commit to Duke - Scouting Cameron & Cayden Boozer
28:25 AJ Dybantsa & Darryn Peterson in the talks for #1 Pick in the 2026 NBA Draft
33:53 2026 NBA Draft may be deepest in years - Meleek Thomas (Arkansas / Overtime Elite) , Acaden Lewis (Kentucky), Davis Fogle (Gonzaga), Shon Abaev (Overtime Elite)
38:55 Who’s the Best Prospect alive not in the NBA right now? Spoiler Alert: still Cooper Flagg
45:08 Is Nolan Traore the Top 2025 NBA Draft Prospect after Flagg?
55:00 Most Underrated Draft Prospect in 2026? Braylon Mullins (UConn)
58:00 Scouting Liam McNeely (UConn / Montverde)
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Learning Basketball with Maurya Kumpatla
Covers the Oklahoma City Thunder and NBA Draft
Writer for Swish Theory and an NBA Draft Writer on SI.com for Draft Digest
Studying Data Science at University of Tennessee Knoxville
Find him on Twitter at @TheFlareScreen
Timestamps:
00:00 Introduction and Background
7:50 Amen Thompson’s impressive athleticism, instincts, and surprise skill acquisition as a rebounder
11:34 Nolan Traore’s rare ability to get low, attack gaps, comfortability shooting, tracking if his ability to drive and finish left improves
13:39 What surprise skill does Amen Thompson share with Angel Reese?
14:09 Isaiah Hartenstein’s offensive fit with OKC Thunder, full article on Swish Theory
22:55 Team Goals for Thunder signing Hartenstein: Win the non-Chet minutes, stagger 1 defensive anchor at all times, twin tower mismatch lineup versatility, more traditional big man matchup option, and improving an already elite defense, and more on his offensive fit as a dho passing hub, decision-maker, off-ball mover in paint, sweet floater touch
25:38 3 Concepts: Delay/Open series, 4.5 Out, 5 Slot - how Hartenstein will fit smoothly into OKC’s playsets and how it relates to Draymond’s Warriors halfcourt playmaking
37:03 2025 Thunder Season Predictions
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Brian Geisinger covers College Hoops, NBA Draft, and Charlotte Hornets with 247 Sports and Sports Channel 8 . He’s the cohost of the Buzz Beat pod and a color commentator for High Point University . He’s worked as a scout with SIS_Hoops, a writer for ACCSports.com, and credentialed media for Duke Basketball
Timestamps:
0:00 Introduction and Background
0:57 Calling Games as Color Commentator for High Point University
13:15 Seeing Cooper Flagg and Duke Stars like Zion and Paolo live in Person over the years
19:12 Scouting Cooper Flagg at Montverde and Duke
24:14 Duke-Kentucky, Scouting Potential 2025 NBA Lottery Picks Kon Kneuppel & Khaman Maluach + Comparing Big Wing to Movement Scorers Chemistry between Cooper Flagg and Kon Kneuppel at Duke to Flagg and Liam McNeeley at Montverde to Scottie Barnes and Gradey Dick on the Raptors
37:45 Duke-Kentucky - Scouting Sion James, Tyrese Proctor, Malik Brown, Caleb Foster
45:30 Film Breakdown: Duke’s 5-Out Beilein Sets
1:00:25 LaMelo Ball’s Resurgence as Charlotte Hornets Star & recapping Orlando Magic - Charlotte Hornets matchup, Hornets Season Expectations with Brandon Miller’s and Tre Mann’s Breakout
1:24:21 Film Breakdown: Hornets’ 5-Slot, 77 Double Drag, Ghost Double Exit ATO, Delay Pindown Elbow Zoom and the strategy of building out multiple plays from the same formation
1:53:30 Scouting Alabama’s LaBaron Philon
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Learning Basketball – Ben Pfeifer – Oklahoma City Thunder NBA Draft Retrospective & Season Outlook + NBA Rapidfire - San Antonio Spurs, Orlando Magic, New York Knicks, Detroit Pistons, Brooklyn Nets
Timestamps:
0:00 Background & Introduction
1:29 Oklahoma City Thunder Draft Retrospective, Analyzing Sam Presti’s past draft selections to project future Thunder draft picks
17:40 NBA Rapidfire - OKC Season Expectations: Can Oklahoma City Thunder’s busy offseason propel them to championship heights?
20:57 NBA Rapidfire - Will the added shooting catapult the Orlando Magic up the standings this year?
25:39 NBA Rapidfire - Are the San Antonio Spurs just a league pass darling this year or will they make push for the West play-in? Thinking about VJ Edgecombe going downhill off a Wembanaya screen + Handoff
30:10 NBA Rapidfire - Will the New York Knicks’ moves push them past the Celtics?
33:40 NBA Rapidfire - How much will the Detroit Pistons learn about their key core pieces?
38:23 NBA Rapidfire - Season Outlook for Brooklyn Nets: Who’s going to be on this team after this year?
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Ep. 8 Learning Basketball with Charlie Cummings
Player Development Writer for Swish Theory, Covers the Golden State Warriors for Warriors Invite, Pro and College Consulting for Next Up BBall
Timestamps:
2:45 Appreciating Player Development
7:25 Finding a Role with Swish Theory
11:35 Tre Mann’s Breakout with Charlotte Hornets
21:35 Draft Scouting Process, Valuing Role Context in Player Evaluations
43:03 What Klay Thompson Means to Golden State
58:20 A Pet Snake Named Zaza Pachulia
1:02:48 Buddy Hield’s Hot Start to the Season
1:14:05 Steph Curry’s 2024-25 Golden State Warriors Dominating
1:31:28 Breaking down an ATO BLOB for Buddy Hield to run baseline P&R
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Learning Basketball Ep. 7Mark Schindler – Paolo’s 50 Burger, The Rise of The WNBA, Defining Good Basketball Scouting Process & Effective Team Building Strategy, Appreciating Similarities between NBA & WNBA Hoops
Mark Schindler has been covering basketball for years, from general NBA thoughts with Premium Hoops to NBA Draft Scouting with Tag The Roll, now focused on the WNBA as the Creator of They’ve Got Now, a media outlet covering all things women’s basketball, WNBA draft, player development and scouting in the forms of a podcast, newsletter, and YouTube channel
Timeline:
3:00 Tips for people growing a basketball scouting analyst media brand online
9:50 What do you look for as an analyst with front office scouting in mind to write a story, break down a game, ask interview questions, scouting potential pros
34:42 Mark Schindler’s path from covering the NBA Draft to fully diving into the WNBA and appreciating similarities and differences between both basketball leagues
43:30 The WNBA’s rise and rapid growth in popularity, the development of Pick-and-Roll execution and defenses, effective team building strategy and parting thoughts on this most recent season in the W
54:47 Paolo Banchero’s unconscious 50pt BANGER, 37pt First Half ties T Mac for most points in a half, and how the Magic can survive without him for a few weeks
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Antonio Dias, newly announced Scouting Associate with the Mexico City Capitanes of the G League and international scout with EHoopsScouting and IDprospects joins today to break down the playstyle and potential of four exciting NBA prospects: Nolan Traore, Dwayne Aristode, Igor Milicic, Hugo Gonzalez
Timestamps:
0:00 Introduction of Newly Hired Scouting Associate with Mexico City Capitanes
4:45 Background and Scouting Philosophy as an International Basketball Scout
8:40 Scouting Report on Dwayne Aristode Committing to Arizona
14:50 Scouting Report on Nolan Traore, Potential Top-5 2025 NBA Draft Pick
23:33 Scouting Report on Hugo Gonzalez, Potential 2025 1st Round NBA Draft Pick
33:00 Scouting Report on Igor Milicic potentially developing from standstill to movement shooter at Tennessee
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Learning Basketball with Mat Isa, NBA Writer with Forbes, OptaAnalyst, Fansided, Sportscasting and Podcast co-host of The Media Pass with @AlexHoops
Timestamps:
2:00 What goes into an NBA team’s Media Day?
3:28 Mat Isa’s career path and advice to people trying to break into basketball sports media
12:52 What inspires ideas for stories and questions for interviews with players and coaches around the basketball?
16:10 What goes into your scouting process as an analyst and NBA writer?
18:40 Going viral on Magic Twitter - is Paolo’s tough midrange shotmaking a sustainable scoring method in the playoffs?
27:40 NBA Rapidfire Denver Nuggets - Are the young players good enough to contribute to a contender?
32:49 NBA Rapidfire Portland Trailblazers - Who is vital to the young core? Which prospects are they building around?
39:24 NBA Rapidfire Golden State Warriors - Do the Warriors still have their fast ball?
43:34 NBA Rapidfire Miami Heat - How good is this team? Low playoff seeds with Deep playoff runs
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Timestamps
0:18 Es Baraheni Introduction & Background
3:16 Happy Vinsanity Day from Learning Basketball! Celebrating Vince Carter's Hall of Fame Legacy and Impact on Basketball in Toronto
10:52 The Purple Raptors Jerseys are back! No more Orange Juice Magic jerseys, Nike
13:30 Scottie Barnes star ceiling as a downhill force point-forward, Success with Double Drag/77 Shadow Actions, Could Post-Ups be Barnes' next development focus?
19:09 Gradey Dick - more than a standstill shooter, a relocating motion shooter with gravity
22:37 Jakob Poeltl trade candidate or longterm playmaking hub piece in Toronto?
27:58 Toronto Raptors Season Expectations - Lottery Bound or Sneaking into the Play-in?
30:03 2025 NBA Draft Pick Targets who could fit well in Toronto
32:12 Most Important Role Player - Davion Mitchell? Ochai Agbaji? Chris Boucher? Bruce Brown? Jonathan Mogbo rookie expectations
35:10 Flex/Flow actions and other plays Darko likes to run
37:35 NBA Rapidfire - Washington Wizards, Most exciting prospect?
40:08 NBA Rapidfire - Charlotte Hornets, How dynamic can LaMelo and Miller be?
43:04 NBA Rapidfire - Utah Jazz, 2nd best player on the team?
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0:17 Introduction and background of Mirin Fader, NYT best-selling author, one of the Best American Sports Writer, work with The Ringer and formerly Bleacher Report
2:30 - Humility & Versatility, how do you pick which athletes to write about?
4:15 Transitioning from playing experience in college hoops at Lewis & Clark college as a 5'0" PG to writing and reporting on basketball
5:00 Telling complete stories by reporting over 200+ interviews for two books (486 in total!)
6:58 Personal story of how Mirin's Giannis book saved my sanity in a highly stressful moment
9:45 How the Giannis book idea originated from an interview with his brother Alex
12:20 Giannis book summary: themes of family, hope, perseverance to fun stories like Stealing Westbrook's Scowls, "Yo Mama" jokes, and ice cubes
15:05 Hakeem Olajuwon's unique two-way impact and accomplishments on the court: A turnover forcing tough-shot hitting machine; only player ever to win MVP, DPOY, and the NBA Championship in the same season; still 1st All-Time Blocks and Top-10 Steals as a Center; A QUADRUPLE DOUBLE
17:05 The Artist on the court, What should Hakeem's legacy as a basketball player be?
18:45 Yommy "Basket" Sangodeyi, Nigerian Basketball Star and the original inspiration for The Dream Shake
20:10 How did the Range of experience between almost going pro in Handball and playing a multitude of other sports like Soccer as a kid develop Hakeem Olajuwon as an athlete and eventually a basketball player?
22:00 On the importance of Mentoring, Rapid Skill Acquisition and Coachability
23:55 Coach OBJ's impact building basketball community in Nigeria and coaching both Hakeem Olajuwon and Masai Ujiri
25:36 The impact of Islam on Hakeem's life, Founding The Islamic Da’Wag Center, and how returning to his religion of Islam helped anchor his life path in a time of feeling lost
27:37 Hakeem Dominating NBA games while Fasting during Ramadan and normalizing the religious practice in a time when many Americans didn't know much about it
30:50 Hakeem's Impact in Houston - Full Circle Moment from 3 straight Final Fours with Phi Slama Jama and playing with Clyde Drexler at University of Houston to winning an NBA Championship with Clyde Drexler a decade later
32:50 Always Learning, attending university in Jordan to learn Arabic after retiring from the NBA
33:30 What was Rudy Tomjanovich's impact on Hakeem as an innovator of the 4-out/1-in offense with modern concepts of 3pt spacing?
36:17 Remembering the All-Time talent of Hakeem Olajuwon, a 2x NBA Champ sweeping Shaq, beating Ewing, dominating Admiral, showing up Kareem; Olajuwon almost had no peers in the era of Centers
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Learning Basketball with Steph Noh of Sporting NewsLonzo Ball’s BACK
Chicago Bulls Season Preview
Scouting Process Watching Film
NBA Players Love Anime like Dragon Ball Z
Detailing Billy Donovan Sets: 5-out, Pistol, Chin, Elbow Splits
Timestamps:
2:00 NBA Players Love Anime like Dragon Ball Z
5:45 Process as an Analyst Scouting Film, Deciding Story Topics (Shoutout to Swish Theory’s depth)
7:35 Lonzo Ball’s Feel Never Fades even after 2 years of not playing, injury recovery, and his impact going forward
15:20 Can Chicago get stops? Bulls Uptempo Playstyle this upcoming season and evaluating defensive depth
20:55 Billy Donovan’s Sets like 5-Out, Pistol, Chin/Princeton, Elbow Splits
25:00 Gauging Coby White’s next steps and expected role after 2nd-place Most Improved Player season, improving as Pick-and-Roll creator
27:20 Zach Lavine’s underrated unique floating tough-shotmaking skills
28:14 Should Patrick Williams be prioritized in the Bulls’ rebuild? 31:50 Matas Buzelis Rookie Expectations and Potential and which young core prospects should Chicago be rebuilding around?
36:35 Remembering some guys: Chicago Bulls edition
Follow Steph Noh (@StephNoh) and his work at Sporting News
Follow the Host @BeyondTheRK on Twitter/Substack/YouTube and read Swish Theory at TheSwishTheory.com -
Timestamps
2:40 - How to decide what topics to write about as a Scout/Analyst
7:40 - Advice for those trying to break into Basketball Sports Media and NBA Draft Scouting
19:35 Reflecting on the Player Development of Jalen Suggs and Chet Holmgren since Gonzaga. What else does Suggs have to do for the Magic to extend his contract? How soon can Chet become the Thunder’s 2nd best player? Which player would you rather build around?
55:00 Atlanta Hawks Season Preview – New team identity flanking Trae Young with lengthy defensive versatility; Drafting #1 Overall Pick Zacharrie Risacher; Trading Dejounte Murray for Dyson Daniels + two 1st round picks
1:11:00 Philadelphia 76ers Season Preview – Winning the Paul George Sweepstakes; Are Maxey and George the best costar talents that Joel Embiid’s ever had as teammates? Are the Sixers the favorites in the East? Who is the most important non-star player in Philadelphia this year?
1:32:00 Who won the Towns-Randle Trade? New York Knicks & Minnesota Timberwolves Season Preview – Will the Timberwolves be just as good swapping out Towns’ shooting for Randle’s creation? Does the Knicks’ star-studded two-way balanced lineup around Jalen Brunson give them as good of a shot as any team to win it all?
1:46:10 Milwaukee Bucks Season Preview – First full offseason with Damian Lillard & Giannis Antetokoumnpo. What version of Lillard will Milwaukee have this year? Do the Bucks have enough rotation player depth to win a title?
1:58:30 Phoenix Suns Season Preview – Starting the year with all three of Beal-Booker-Durant healthy. Drafting rookie wing defenders Ryan Dunn and Oso Ighodaro. Hiring Head Coach Mike Budenholzer. The Suns can trade buckets with any team, but is Phoenix built to get stops when it matters most?
Check out Jackson Frank's NBA coverage with Sportscasting and follow him on Twitter! @jackfrank_jjf
Follow the Host @BeyondTheRK on Twitter/Substack/YouTube and read Swish Theory at TheSwishTheory.com
