Podcast Thinking Basketball

Is Luka Doncic's ball-dominance more similar to peak James Harden or LeBron James? Where is he as an all-time offensive player right now? Before that, we discuss his old teammate Jalen Brunson in New York, and his backcourt mate Quentin Grimes. And first, Big Jelly Naz Reid. With @codyhoudek. Support at www.patreon.com/thinkingbasketball --- Suppor…

Who had the best “old” seasons in league history? We compare LeBron's incredible 37 and 38-year old seasons with the best in history while looking ahead to future seasons for him and Kevin Durant. Also, the insanity of Jaren Jackson's statgate and conspiracies. With @codyhoudek. Support at www.patreon.com/thinkingbasketball --- Support this podcast…

Golden State has hovered around .500 all season while battling a few injuries. Do they have a big run coming? Or has their competitive advantage over the league shrunk this season? We discuss the changing league dynamics, Klay Thompson's role on offense, the Warriors defense this season and where that leaves them among the NBA's best. With @codyhou…

Offenses seem to have a strategic edge of defenses in today's game, so what does this mean for development? Are there differences between International styles of development and the US pipeline? Also, should minutes played be a major determiner when selecting All-Stars? With @codyhoudek. Support at www.patreon.com/thinkingbasketball --- Support thi…

What happens when players are the only stars on the court? In this episode, we attempt to sort out the best “lone stars” or heavy-lifters who can carry offenses by themselves when other capable offensive focal points head to the bench. With @codyhoudek. Support at www.patreon.com/thinkingbasketball --- Support this podcast: https://anchor.fm/thinki…

The Clippers 5-out offense filled with flexible, switching defenders and strong outside shooters took them to the Conference Finals in 2021. But do they still have that competitive advantage in the playoffs? We also discuss Nic Claxton and his case for an All-defensive team, along with the effect of the “Take Foul” on offensive efficiency this seas…

Rookies and sophomores with big scoring numbers create a lot of hype, but sometimes can't even stay in the league! (Brandon Jennings was “the next Iverson!”) We discuss the steep slope of one-dimensional scoring among young prospects, and why role players who contribute in other areas are often much more valuable than these “Fool's Gold” scorers. W…

We discuss the Nets improved defense and the seriousness of the Grizzlies, along with the handful of teams who we think could win the East and the West among an incredible amount of parity. With @codyhoudek. Support at www.patreon.com/thinkingbasketball --- Support this podcast: https://anchor.fm/thinking-basketball/support…

Is Nikola Jokic having the best offensive season in regular season history? And can the Nuggets defense stop teams in the playoffs with Jokic playing heavy minutes? We discuss the duality of Jokic's transcendent offense and his weaknesses on defense in today's NBA. With @codyhoudek. Support at www.patreon.com/thinkingbasketball --- Support this pod…

Who are the best shooters in NBA history? (Or really, of the 3-point era?) We discuss the concept of outside shooting skill and use a model to estimate shooting outside of 15 feet going back to 1980, comparing volume and accuracy relative to league norms to help sort out the greatest outside shooters in league history. With @codyhoudek. Support at …

We discuss some of the reasons why we are seeing record-setting offensive efficiency around the league this season. Why have we seen an increase in movement and screening? And does the right player need to come along to create a paradigm shift? With @codyhoudek. Support at www.patreon.com/thinkingbasketball --- Support this podcast: https://anchor.…

We start with the Pelicans surprising defense and Anthony Davis's resurgence in Los Angeles, and segue into a bigger conversation about how to judge players defensively: What metrics are reliable, and which ones are misleading? With @codyhoudek. Support at www.patreon.com/thinkingbasketball --- Support this podcast: https://anchor.fm/thinking-baske…

We attempt to draft the 25 best players under 25 this year, based on how good they are right now. There are surprises, twists and turns, and utter agony throughout. With @codyhoudek. Support at www.patreon.com/thinkingbasketball --- Support this podcast: https://anchor.fm/thinking-basketball/support

Is it better for young players to play on bad teams with lots of opportunity and experimentation, or good teams with less opportunity where different skills earn paying time? We also react to the Wolves defensive experiment with Karl-Anthony Towns out injured, along with Cody's theory of rim protection. With @codyhoudek. Support at www.patreon.com/…

Should Nikola Jokic shoot more? Is point guard defense more valuable than ever? And are the Kings legit? In this episode we break down Sacramento's start, and whether their 2nd-rank offense is smoke and mirrors, or if De'Aaron Fox, Kevin Huerter and Domantas Sabonis can keep this up for the entire season. With @codyhoudek. Support at www.patreon.co…

Dallas is using Luka Doncic in creative ways, his skills continue to expand, and that expansion creates diversity in the offense (and lineup construction) for the Mavs. By comparison, the Hawks are using a different approach with Trae Young and Dejounte Murray, and some of the growing pains they've had early in the season. Plus, Cody's favorite tha…

We look some teams with .500 records or worse that are actually playing better than record and the most notable team above .500 that really looks like their struggling. (Note: We forgot to mention the 6-7 Bulls who are playing better than their record.) Also, is Tyrese Haliburton the best player from the 2020 draft? And is Father Time finally catch…

Mike Prada from the Athletic discusses his new book “Spaced Out” about the NBA's 3-point revolution. We discuss some major themes of the book that define 2023 (and perhaps future) basketball, including the shift from an individual focus to a collective focus, why we're in a Golden Age of Passing, “positionless basketball,” the tactical arms race of…

We attempt to make sense of the first few weeks of the season by sorting teams into tiers based on what we've learned. This fails miserably, as Ben constantly changes where he places teams and ends up more confused by the league than before the season started. With @codyhoudek. Support at www.patreon.com/thinkingbasketball --- Support this podcast:…

Coach Mike D'Antoni stops by to discuss the origins of Pace and Space, the offensive revolution that has changed NBA strategy in the last decade. We discuss his influences in Italy and the ABA, his time in Phoenix with Steve Nash, the Rockets with James Harden and Chris Paul, and more. Support at www.patreon.com/thinkingbasketball --- Support this …

Rudy Gobert has changed teams, but he's still being blamed for Minnesota's losses 5 days into the new season. Should we be worried about the 0-3 76ers? Plus, we discuss the value of early season experimentation for teams and players. With Cody Houdek @codyhoudek. Support at www.patreon.com/thinkingbasketball --- Support this podcast: https://anchor…

The Athletic's Dave DuFour returns to preview the 2023 NBA season, filled with wild hot takes, movie arguments, and the Victor Wembanyama Power Rankings. We discuss who we think can win the East and the West, the fascinating circumstances in Minnesota and Cleveland, and how Paolo Banchero breaks physics, Grant Williams breaks shoes and Kawhi Leonar…

In the series finale, we discuss the best on-court careers in NBA history from four different eras: Bill Russell, Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, Michael Jordan and LeBron James. We also include the best 8-year primes. With @codyhoudek. Support at www.patreon.com/thinkingbasketball --- Support this podcast: https://anchor.fm/thinking-basketball/support…

Why are big names like Allen Iverson and Carmelo Anthony missing from our top-40 career countdown? How far away were players like Dominique from making the list? Did their style of volume scoring limit their offensive value? And how much do defensive limitations hurt inefficient volume scorers if they aren't great playmakers? With @codyhoudek. Supp…

In Episode 9 of our top-40 careers series we discuss the unique and complex career of Wilt Chamberlain, from his scoring exploits to his late-career success as a passer and defender. How confident can we be evaluating Wilt? And what should we make of the “dips” and statistical oddities in the middle of Duncan's career and Garnett's career? With @co…