Thinking Basketball
Episodes
#165: Jokic is the offensive GOAT vs. Jokic's defensive problem
31 Dec 2022
Contributed by Lukas
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 ...
#164: The best shooters ever
23 Dec 2022
Contributed by Lukas
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 estimat...
#163: Why are offenses so good right now?!
20 Dec 2022
Contributed by Lukas
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 mo...
#162: What defensive stats actually tell us | Anthony Davis & New Orleans
14 Dec 2022
Contributed by Lukas
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 p...
#161: Top 25 under 25 Draft
05 Dec 2022
Contributed by Lukas
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 ago...
#160: Developing on good vs. bad teams
01 Dec 2022
Contributed by Lukas
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 ...
#159: The Kings are good (!) & Point Guard defense
25 Nov 2022
Contributed by Lukas
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 st...
#158: Luka and Trae | Different versions of heliocentrism
18 Nov 2022
Contributed by Lukas
Dallas is using Luka Doncic in creative ways, his skills continue to expand, and that expansion creates diversity in the offense (and lineup construct...
#157: Whose record can't we trust?
13 Nov 2022
Contributed by Lukas
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...
#156: How the game has changed | Mike Prada on “Spaced Out”
07 Nov 2022
Contributed by Lukas
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...
#155: Who is actually good? Confused Power Rankings
02 Nov 2022
Contributed by Lukas
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 co...
#154: Mike D'Antoni on the evolution of offense
28 Oct 2022
Contributed by Lukas
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 d...
#153: It's Rudy's Fault, the winless 76ers, and early season experimentation
23 Oct 2022
Contributed by Lukas
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...
#152 2023 Season preview with Dave DuFour
18 Oct 2022
Contributed by Lukas
The Athletic's Dave DuFour returns to preview the 2023 NBA season, filled with wild hot takes, movie arguments, and the Victor Wembanyama Power Rankin...
#151: Top 40 careers | The GOAT candidates
14 Oct 2022
Contributed by Lukas
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 ...
#150: Top 40 careers | Allen Iverson, Dominique Wilkins, and the missing names
11 Oct 2022
Contributed by Lukas
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 makin...
#149: Top 40 careers | The complexity of Wilt Chamberlain (and Kevin Garnett & Tim Duncan)
07 Oct 2022
Contributed by Lukas
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 s...
#148: Top 40 careers | Magic Johnson, Larry Bird (and Kobe & Dirk)
04 Oct 2022
Contributed by Lukas
In Episode 8 of our top-40 careers series, we compare the offensive and defensive styles of Magic Johnson and Larry Bird and discuss the unique symmet...
#147: Top 40 careers | The first offensive GOAT (Jerry West and Oscar Robertson)
30 Sep 2022
Contributed by Lukas
Was Jerry West actually the best player of the 1960s? In episode 7 of the top-40 career series, we discuss West's extraordinary scoring achievements, ...
#146: Top 40 careers | Steph Curry and Chris Paul
27 Sep 2022
Contributed by Lukas
In episode 6 of the top-40 career series, we make the case for Chris Paul as one of the most underrated players in NBA history – has he had the wors...
#145: Top 40 careers | Kevin Durant and Julius Erving
23 Sep 2022
Contributed by Lukas
In episode 5 of the top-40 career series, we try to make sense of just how good Julius Erving's peak was, and why he looked so much better in the ABA ...
#144: Top 40 careers | Steve Nash and John Stockton
20 Sep 2022
Contributed by Lukas
In episode 4 of the top-40 career series, we explore the differences and similarities between John Stockton and Steve Nash. What part of Stockton's ca...
#143: Top 40 careers | James Harden and Reggie Miller
16 Sep 2022
Contributed by Lukas
In episode 3 of the top-40 career series, we discuss the different offensive styles of James Harden and Reggie Miller, the (surprising) success of the...
#142: Top-40 careers | Isiah Thomas, Elgin Baylor & overrating the 1960s
13 Sep 2022
Contributed by Lukas
In episode 2 of the top-40 career series, we take a long look at Isiah Thomas. Why is Thomas often viewed as one of the 3 or 4 best point guards in NB...
#141: Top-40 careers | Do Giannis and Kawhi make the list?
09 Sep 2022
Contributed by Lukas
In episode 1 of our top-40 career update, we look at the modern players who may or may not have cracked the top-40 list in the 5 seasons since the ori...
#140: Are officiating changes hurting the game?
02 Sep 2022
Contributed by Lukas
In a follow-up to a recent video on the evolution of NBA rules, we discuss whether changes in officiating can “hurt” the health and popularity of ...
#139 Eastern Conference Finals MVPs since 2000, Part 2
26 Aug 2022
Contributed by Lukas
In the final installment of our series on retro Conference Finals MVPs, we hand out the award in the East from 2011-2021. Again, we asked the Thinking...
#138: Eastern Conference Finals MVPs since 2000, Part 1
19 Aug 2022
Contributed by Lukas
After finishing the West, we hand out Eastern Conference Finals MVPs awards starting in the Year 2000. Again, we asked the Thinking Basketball discord...
#137: Western Conference Finals MVPs since 2000, Part 2
12 Aug 2022
Contributed by Lukas
In Part 2 of a mega podcast, we go back and select Conference Finals MVPs (Magic Johnson and Larry Bird trophy) before the award was officially handed...
#136: Western Conference Finals MVPs since 2000, Part 1
05 Aug 2022
Contributed by Lukas
In Part 1 of a mega podcast, we go back and select Conference Finals MVPs (Magic Johnson and Larry Bird trophy) before the award was officially handed...
#135 Basketball Athleticism with Eric Leidersdorf & Evan Zaucha
29 Jul 2022
Contributed by Lukas
What is “athleticism” in basketball? Is it merely quickness and a big vertical leap? Eric Leidersdorf, the Director of biomechanics at P3, and neu...
#134: Developing better decision-makers with Daniel Peterson
22 Jul 2022
Contributed by Lukas
What makes someone a good decision-maker? A good playmaker? Why is this so important in basketball (and other sports)? Daniel Peterson, co-author of “...
#133: The Gobert Experiment & other off-season moves
15 Jul 2022
Contributed by Lukas
We discuss the pros and cons of the Rudy Gobert trade to Minnesota – how competitive will the Timberwolves be in a stacked Western Conference? – a...
#132: Modern Coaching & Development with Chris Oliver
09 Jul 2022
Contributed by Lukas
Former University of Windsor Coach Chris Oliver and founder of Basketball Immersion discusses player development, the evolution of tactics from lower ...
#131: Re-doing the Finals MVPs since 2001
01 Jul 2022
Contributed by Lukas
Who was robbed of Finals MVP? Using series-specific data, I go back over the Finals series since 2001 and try to outline the strongest statistical cas...
#130: 2022 NBA Draft with Chip Jones
25 Jun 2022
Contributed by Lukas
Thinking Basketball's draft guru Chip Jones breaks down nearly every first round pick (and a few sleepers in the second round) as we take a broad swee...
#129: Closing the season with a strong series (versus a weak one) | NBA Finals recap
21 Jun 2022
Contributed by Lukas
We recap the key factors and players in the 2022 NBA Finals (Steph Curry, Draymond Green and Jayson Tatum) and compare a great individual series versu...
#128: Boston's Switch-hunting vs. Golden State's flow | NBA Finals Game 5
15 Jun 2022
Contributed by Lukas
We contrast the offensive philosophies so far in the series, with the Celtics focused heavily on mismatch hunting compared to the Warriors flexible re...
#127: Should the Celtics guard Curry differently? | NBA Finals Game 4
12 Jun 2022
Contributed by Lukas
We discuss Steph Curry's great Game 4, how Boston is defending him, and whether they should play Curry differently. Plus the Celtics offensive stagnat...
#126: The Adjustment Equilibrium | NBA Finals Game 3
10 Jun 2022
Contributed by Lukas
Solo episode breaking down Game 3 of the 2022 NBA Finals in detail, focusing on Boston's adjustments on both ends and the counter-attacking dynamics o...
#125: Curry's growth & Boston's offensive struggles | NBA Finals Game 2
07 Jun 2022
Contributed by Lukas
We break down Game 2 of the 2022 NBA Finals in detail, discussing Golden State's success in Steph Curry pick-and-roll these first two games, the retur...
#124: NBA Finals Game 1 deep dive!
05 Jun 2022
Contributed by Lukas
We break down Game 1 of the 2022 NBA Finals in detail, noting some wins and losses on both sides of the ball for each team and asking some key questio...
#123: Steph's legacy & Finals preview w/ J. Kyle Mann & Dave DuFour
31 May 2022
Contributed by Lukas
The Ringer's J. Kyle Mann and the Athletic's Dave DuFour join for a 3-man preview of the 2022 NBA Finals between the Celtics and the Warriors. Plus a ...
#122: Conference Finals MVPs (Evaluating players in a single series)
27 May 2022
Contributed by Lukas
How should we evaluate players in a small sample like the Conference Finals? Should primary creators always be seen as more valuable than finishers. W...
#121: Why are there so many playoff blowouts this year?
22 May 2022
Contributed by Lukas
It seems like there are huge leads and blowouts every night in the 2022 playoffs – what's going on? We discuss the big quarters from the Heat, the W...
#120: Dominant help defense! | Conference Finals Game 1 recap
19 May 2022
Contributed by Lukas
We break down the opening games of the Conference Finals, fawning over the help defense from the Heat and the Warriors in their home victories. Major ...
#119: Kidd out-coaches Monty & the Playoff MVP
17 May 2022
Contributed by Lukas
We look ahead to the Conference Finals, but first looking back to the Mavs and Celtics victories, Phoenix's inability to adjust to Dallas's counters, ...
#118: Big men are under attack!
12 May 2022
Contributed by Lukas
Larry Coon of Sports Business Classroom stops by, but first, we discuss Giannis Antetokounmpo's floor-raising, Jrue Holiday's amazing game-saving play...
#117: A rock and a hard place | Offensive vs. defensive weaknesses
08 May 2022
Contributed by Lukas
We go deep on the chaotic and controversial Game 3 between the Celtics and Bucks, compare the defensive battles of the Eastern Conference with the off...
#116: Howard Beck on Award voting and the Playoffs
04 May 2022
Contributed by Lukas
Sports Illustrated's Howard Beck joins to discuss Gary Payton II, the original Gary Payton, Marcus Smart's DPOY, asymmetries in offensive/defensive aw...
#115: What can we learn from Round One?
01 May 2022
Contributed by Lukas
How much stock should we put in one good or bad series from the first round? Should we ignore the regular season or fall back on it? We reflect on som...
#114: What changes in the playoffs? | Gibson Pyper (Half Court Hoops)
28 Apr 2022
Contributed by Lukas
More changes from the regular season to the playoffs than ever before. Coach Gibson Pyper of Half Court Hoops joins to discuss what makes postseason b...
#113: Negative narratives & Hater's Bingo
24 Apr 2022
Contributed by Lukas
After only 1 week of the playoffs, many stars are under fire and many narratives have momentum. We discuss how no one is safe, and whether all the cri...
#112: The best opening game ever! | Playoff talk
18 Apr 2022
Contributed by Lukas
We go deep on the epic Celtics-Nets opener in the East: Tatum's great game, what caused Durant's struggles and more. Plus other thoughts on officiatin...
#111: 2022 Playoff Preview
12 Apr 2022
Contributed by Lukas
The Athletic's Dave DuFour stops by for our annual preview show, where we size up the contenders in the East and the West, including a stunning first ...
#110: The one true MVP! (Awards fallacies & existentialism)
08 Apr 2022
Contributed by Lukas
Who is the MVP in 2022? Are we prioritizing the right players? Can we even answer this question without defining it clearly? We discuss the concept of...
#109: 2022 Defensive Awards!
04 Apr 2022
Contributed by Lukas
It's time for the second ever defensive awards, where we discuss the best defenders in a variety of categories ranging from the best paint protector t...
#108: Top-10 offensive players of 2022
28 Mar 2022
Contributed by Lukas
We tackle the exciting, difficult, painful task of sorting out the best offensive players in the league this season, including the incredible big men ...
#107: How good is the Bucks offense?
22 Mar 2022
Contributed by Lukas
We discuss Jrue Holiday's great offensive season, the synergy between Giannis, Khris Middelton and Holiday, and the success of the Bucks Big 3 on offe...
#106: J. Kyle Mann on new player archetypes
18 Mar 2022
Contributed by Lukas
The Ringer's J. Kyle Mann (the Dime Drop) joins to discuss how prospects can blow through their projected ceilings by playing in a unique, different w...
#105: Making sense of the league by Bamming on the contenders
14 Mar 2022
Contributed by Lukas
We attempt to stack up the title favorites, but first, an old LeBron tweet reminds us how quickly narratives flip on elite players.Then we try to make...
#104: Mega penetrators & Helio brain (Mitchell vs. Morant)
06 Mar 2022
Contributed by Lukas
Is Donovan Mitchell one of the best offensive players in the game today? How does he compare to someone like Ja Morant? We discuss some of the game's ...
#103: The most valuable 3-point shooters in the league
28 Feb 2022
Contributed by Lukas
It seems like an obvious question, but how do we define great shooters? How do we measure them? And who are the best shooters in the NBA right now? We...
#102: The Celtics new defense, Gobert for MVP & Jokic's all-time place
21 Feb 2022
Contributed by Lukas
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 discu...
#101: The Evolution of Pace and Space | Mika Prada
17 Feb 2022
Contributed by Lukas
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, p...
#100: Harden, Simmons & the East power rankings
11 Feb 2022
Contributed by Lukas
We react to the Harden-Simmons blockbuster trade, the Celtics moves and what it all means for the upcoming Eastern Conference playoffs. With Cody Houd...
#99: 2022 Sub-All Stars
09 Feb 2022
Contributed by Lukas
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 t...
#98: Top-10 Point Guards in 2022!
31 Jan 2022
Contributed by Lukas
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 w...
#97: Diversity & Experimentation in today's league with Seerat Sohi
28 Jan 2022
Contributed by Lukas
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, ...
#96: Embiid's scoring & Curry, Klay slumping
23 Jan 2022
Contributed by Lukas
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 a...
#95: Hot Mavs & Matisse's value
17 Jan 2022
Contributed by Lukas
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...
#94: The “Healthy” team standings
11 Jan 2022
Contributed by Lukas
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 c...
#93: Draymond's value & the rise of the Grizzlies
04 Jan 2022
Contributed by Lukas
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 ...
#92: The best players in the NBA | Nate Duncan
21 Nov 2021
Contributed by Lukas
Nate Duncan discusses the best players in the NBA right now, culminating with the big question about Nikola Jokic! We also discuss Curry, Giannis, Dur...
Podcast #91: How teammates change your stats | WOWY interactions
13 Nov 2021
Contributed by Lukas
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 ...
#90: The 75th anniversary team Part 2
22 Oct 2021
Contributed by Lukas
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 ballo...
#89: 2022 Season preview with Dave DuFour
17 Oct 2021
Contributed by Lukas
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...
#88: The 75th anniversary team Part 1
24 Sep 2021
Contributed by Lukas
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, ...
#87: Draft grades & Black swans with J. Kyle Mann
30 Jul 2021
Contributed by Lukas
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 id...
#86: How good was Giannis? Full 2021 Finals analysis
22 Jul 2021
Contributed by Lukas
Where does Giannis Antetokounmpo's Finals performance rank among recent history? Before answering that question, I recap the key strategies, players, ...
#85: Bucks-Suns Shot Quality with Simon Gerszberg
18 Jul 2021
Contributed by Lukas
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 comprehe...
#84: Seth Partnow | Random Basketball
09 Jul 2021
Contributed by Lukas
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...
#83: David Thorpe | Offense in the playoffs
18 Jun 2021
Contributed by Lukas
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...
#82: Seerat Sohi | The Nets, Bucks and future of the NBA
11 Jun 2021
Contributed by Lukas
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 t...
#81: Role player problems & LA narratives
05 Jun 2021
Contributed by Lukas
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 pla...
# 80: Seth Partnow | Regular season vs playoffs
28 May 2021
Contributed by Lukas
The Athletic's Seth Partnow stops by to discuss the first week of the 2021 playoffs, the growing differences in regular season versus playoff basketba...
#79: 2021 playoff preview with Dave DuFour
19 May 2021
Contributed by Lukas
The Athletic's Dave DuFour joins for a comprehensive and riveting preview of the 2021 postseason, where we break down every possible playoff matchup w...
#78: 2021 Sub All-Stars
11 May 2021
Contributed by Lukas
#78: 2021 Sub All-Stars by Ben Taylor experiments
#77: Chris Herring on Jokic, the Nets and 2021
25 Apr 2021
Contributed by Lukas
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 po...
#76: Peaks Finale & playoff plus-minus
12 Apr 2021
Contributed by Lukas
Answering questions and few thoughts on the end of the Greatest Peaks series, including playoff plus-minus and the best offensive players in the serie...
#75: Evan Wasch, the NBA's EVP of Analytics (IDEA 2021 conference)
13 Mar 2021
Contributed by Lukas
My fireside chat with Evan Wasch from the 2021 IDEA Analytics conference. We discuss officiating, scheduling, playoff formatting, balancing excitement...
#74: Inside LEBRON with BBall Index
08 Feb 2021
Contributed by Lukas
Cranjis McBasketball (Tim) and Krishna Narsu stop by to dissect their new LEBRON metric. We discuss role types, coaching impact, stabilizing the noise...
#73: Feel & “Basketball IQ” with Evan Zaucha
24 Jan 2021
Contributed by Lukas
What exactly is “feel” in basketball? What do we mean when we talk about “basketball IQ?” Evan Zaucha from Premium Hoops draws on his neurosci...
#72: Great defenses without great defenders
11 Jan 2021
Contributed by Lukas
What are the characteristics of great defensive teams historically? Are they all built around rim protectors and interior defenders? How great can a d...
#71 J Kyle Mann | Magic, Larry, Innovation and Comparison
01 Jan 2021
Contributed by Lukas
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 ...
#70: Dave DuFour season preview 2021
22 Dec 2020
Contributed by Lukas
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 approa...
#69: What we don't see, we don't measure | What to look for when watching?
10 Dec 2020
Contributed by Lukas
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? ...
#68: Klay & Golden State, Trade Assessments
21 Nov 2020
Contributed by Lukas
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 H...
#67: The Top 10 passers in the NBA
28 Oct 2020
Contributed by Lukas
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 strength...
#66: The End of the First Option
19 Oct 2020
Contributed by Lukas
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 ...