On The Nba Beat

On this episode, James Herbert, NBA Writer at CBSSports.com, joined us to run through the most compelling storylines for the fast approaching 2016-17 NBA season. After an offseason filled with player movement and coaching changes, James helps us navigate the new landscape of the NBA, including which teams he thinks improved their chances and which he has lower expectations for. He also opines on possible breakout players, gives his season award predictions and offers his thoughts on the increasing social activism among NBA players and in professional sports in general. 1:40-4:38 Herbert is very high on the Utah Jazz’s prospects for the season. Here’s a taste: “I just think they’re gonna be a monster this year. I think a lot of people really expected them to be that breakout team last year -- some thought it would even happen the year before, they’d make it to the playoffs -- but I think this is really the year that it’s going to happen. They should have been a playoff team last year. They just barely

In the inaugural episode of Season 2, Aaron and Loren go over last season's podcast highlights while unveiling the names of the first three interview guests of 2016-17.    Music: "Who Likes to Party?" by Kevin MacLeod Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

The knowledgeable and passionate Sam Vecenie of CBS Sports checks in to review the 2016 NBA Draft. He discusses the uniquely unpredictable nature of the picks, No. 1 overall selection Ben Simmons, Buddy Hield's pairing with Anthony Davis in New Orleans, the under-appreciated Malcolm Brogdon and so much more.   9:28-10:59: “(Drafting and stashing) certainly shook up the first round in a lot of ways. The thing with all these international kids is that none of them really wanted to be stashed outside of a few of them. So, basically, the reason you saw (Guerschon) Yabusele go 16 - he’s willing to be stashed in all likelihood…The factor that all of these teams had multiple picks, and the factor that everyone kind of thinks this draft sucks in terms of domestic prospects made teams going into this uncertain free agency period want to say, ‘OK, we want to keep our rosters as clean as possible and have as few of these guys over here now as possible,’ so I think that that’s where you saw quite a few stashes come int

Despite Oklahoma City's Game 6 collapse and squandering of a 3-1 series lead, Welcome to Loud City's Marina Mangiaracina explains why the Thunder stand a legitimate chance of upsetting the mighty Golden State Warriors in a decisive Game 7. Her prescription? Lots of minor adjustments, which include extra shots for Dion Waiters and Serge Ibaka, smarter defensive switching and Andre Roberson logging more court time to help counteract Klay Thompson's explosive scoring. Below are some noteworthy excerpts: 1:59 –2:26: “I think the No. 1 key is getting more shots for Serge Ibaka and Dion Waiters. Waiters had about the same amount of shots (in Game 6) – five or six – that (Andre) Roberson and (Steven) Adams had, and given his offensive abilities, it’s an embarrassment that he’s getting so few opportunities…(Kevin) Durant and (Russell) Westbrook were just taking too many bad shots. When you move the ball around more, it helps out.” 4:06 –4:48: “There was tons of personal adversity for this team in this calendar year

The mighty, 73-win, defending champion Golden State Warriors squandered a 13-point halftime lead, as the Oklahoma City Thunder stole Game 1 at Oracle Arena Monday night. While Golden State of Mind's Andy Liu admits the Thunder are playing their strongest basketball at the most ideal time, he believes the Warriors and Stephen Curry will have enough to get through to the Finals. He does, however, express concern over the MVP's health, Golden State's shot selection and which coach is currently doing the better job. Entertaining, informative segments have been transcribed below: 1:46-3:22: “They (the Warriors) should probably panic - like a controlled panic obviously. We don’t want (head coach) Steve Kerr to suddenly start making wholesale schematic changes. It’s not like they lost by 30… If Steph was 100 percent healthy, I think that he would’ve bailed them out last night, which would’ve been fine, but moving forward I don’t think he’s gonna get to 100 percent for the rest of the playoffs. So it’s a matter of

Although the Hawks put a mighty scare into the Cavaliers after storming all the way back from 18 down, Cleveland ultimately hung on to take the series opener. In a tantalizing rematch of last year's Eastern Conference Finals, our crack guests lead us through this iteration's nuances. Checking in for the Hawks is Atlanta sports expert and NBA.com writer and podcaster Lang Whitaker. And out of Akron, Ohio, we have Jacob Rosen, who's an MBA student at the University of Oregon's Warsaw Sports Marketing Center. Rosen's also a longtime sports analytics writer for Hardwood Paroxysm, Nylon Calculus and Waiting for Next Year. Excerpts below: Lang Whitaker (5:07-5:23): “[Kent] Bazemore’s a little bit more dynamic offensively than DeMarre [Carroll] was last year. There’s that saying ‘The best defense is a good offense.’ I think if you make LeBron work a little bit harder on that end, maybe that helps you in the long run as well.” LW (5:25-5:45): “[Coach Mike] Budenholzer was trying a lot of different things. He had on

With the Toronto Raptors and Indiana Pacers deadlocked at two games apiece, there's ample anxiety around the Raptors and their fan base. And it's only natural for a franchise that has struggled mightily in recent postseason play. Paul George's stifling defense and explosive offense have certainly not made life easy for the No. 2 seed. However, both our guests, The Score's Lead Basketball Editor, Joseph Casciaro, and Ben Gibson, Assistant Editor for Pacers blog 8 Points, 9 Seconds, agree that the Raptors will emerge victorious and go on to explain why. Delectable excerpts can be found below:  2:14-2:37 Joe Casciaro on DeMar DeRozan’s struggles on both sides of the ball: “They’ve gotta to get something from DeMar DeRozan, because right now they’re literally getting nothing. He’s been awful offensively; Paul George has dominated him on that end with his defense. The other thing, too, is DeMar’s been very inattentive on the defensive end. He’s never been a great defender. He’s not the kind of guy that you’re go

Coming off a Game 1 shellacking, the Charlotte Hornets could really use a Game 2 upset against the talented Miami Heat, who are clicking on all cylinders. Nick Denning, writer for SB Nation’s At the Hive and managing editor of The Lottery Mafia, discusses, from the Hornets’ perspective, what needs to be done to make it a competitive series. But first, Josh Baumgard of Slice Miami handles the Heat side of things. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

A flurry of activity surrounded the Philadelphia 76ers front office during the final week of the regular season, beginning with the resignation of GM Sam Hinkie, a figure beloved by some and misunderstood and hated by others. Michael Levin, editor of SB Nation’s Liberty Ballers and co-host of the Sixers podcast “The Rights to Ricky Sanchez,” joins us to discuss the trials and tribulations of covering the Sixers during Hinkie’s tenure and why throughout the unprecedented amount of losing, he still trusted the process and remained optimistic about the future. Now that former chairman Jerry Colangelo has installed his son Bryan Colangelo as the new GM and President of Basketball Operations before stepping down himself, who knows what that future may hold for Philadelphia? Choice excerpts below:Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

As the Houston Rockets battle for a postseason berth, it’s the perfect time to bring on Houston Chronicle sports editor Randy Harvey. Of course, the Rockets have wildly underperformed, just a season after their thrilling Western Conference finals appearance. Much uncertainty surrounds the team, including Dwight Howard’s future in the Space City and a likely vacancy at head coach. Choice highlights can be found below:Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

The Utah Jazz are in the midst of a tight race at the bottom of the Western Conference playoff picture as the regular season comes to a close. Andy Larsen, a beat reporter for KSL.com and managing editor of Salt City Hoops on ESPN’s TrueHoop Network, joins us to explain why making the playoffs this season is especially important for this young, up and coming Jazz team. He delves deeper into whether Gordon Hayward and Derrick Favors still have room to grow, how sophomore Rodney Hood has exploded onto the scene and the next steps for the Jazz in trying to become a championship contender. Finally, he discusses Jerry Sloan’s legacy in Utah and how one of the all-time great coaches in NBA history might even still be underrated. Excerpts below:Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

On the heels of Minnesota’s exhilarating, nationally televised upset of the mighty Warriors, Steve McPherson (Rolling Stone, Hardwood Paroxysm and A Wolf Among Wolves, among other outlets) drops by to talk about the young Timberwolves and why their future is so bright. The conversation spans from Karl-Anthony Towns’ many talents to Flip Saunders’ grand legacy and virtually everywhere in between. Some of the show’s highlights can be found below:Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

The Brooklyn Nets and new GM Sean Marks certainly have a difficult road ahead trying to turn around a struggling team without having control of any of their own first or second round draft picks for the next 3 years. Devin Kharpertian, managing editor and founding partner of The Brooklyn Game on the YES Network, joins us to explain exactly how the Nets got themselves into this situation, the current state of the team and why there might be glimmers of optimism after an overhaul of the front office this season. Exciting excerpts below:Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Although the Milwaukee Bucks fell well short of expectations this season, Frank Madden, founder and managing editor of SB Nation’s Brew Hoop, explains why the team essentially got what it was looking for with the development of young bucks/Bucks Jabari Parker and Giannis Antetokounmpo. Frank provides more insight into the Greek Freak’s “weird athleticism,” Parker’s post-All-Star-break emergence and Greg Monroe’s tenuous fit on the roster. Head coach Jason Kidd’s second season at the helm is also discussed, among other topics. Highlights can be found below:Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Following OTNB’s two most recent team interviews, Aaron and Loren riff on the state of the Pacers and Mavericks. Each team features a key player returning from serious injury and is fighting to earn a spot in this year’s playoffs. Such postseason pursuit is discussed, as well as the philosophy of tanking. The conversation also expands to the future of the Chandler Parsons-Wesley Matthews pairing in Dallas.Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

After dropping seven of their last 10 games, the Dallas Mavericks are in jeopardy of missing the playoffs. Tim Cato of SB Nation and Mavs Moneyball joins us to dissect the team’s recent struggles, the impact of Chandler Parsons’ injury and legend Dirk Nowitzki’s future. He also examines head coach Rick Carlisle’s unorthodox coaching strategies, finds hope in Wesley Matthews’ long road to recovery and explains why the team did not opt to rebuild after whiffing on DeAndre Jordan and other prized free agents in the offseason. Juicy excerpts below:Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

As we enter the stretch run, the Eastern Conference playoff picture is wide open, with ample room for jockeying. Jared Wade of Fansided’s 8 Points 9 Seconds stops by to illuminate the Indiana Pacers’ postseason prospects. The team boasts a healthy Paul George, as well as brand new contributors Monta Ellis and Myles Turner and a “defensive genius” in Frank Vogel. If you ask Wade, the rest of the East, outside of Cleveland and Toronto, better watch out! Choice cuts below:  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

The wait is over. Jonathan Abrams’ highly anticipated book ”Boys Among Men: How the Prep-to-Pro Generation Redefined the NBA and Sparked a Basketball Revolution,” is finally out! In it, he expertly chronicles the impact of the players who came to the NBA directly from high school before the rule was changed after the 2005 draft. Aaron spoke with the author in detail about the book and some of its most fascinating takeaways. To get you in the mood, here are some sexy clips transcribed:Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

After three straight team interviews, all of which you can find at On the NBA Beat’s Team Interview Central, your hosts are back with some banter as they delve more deeply into specific topics surrounding each of those teams. For the Pistons, they check in on the early returns from the Tobias Harris acquisition and also try to make sense of the situation surrounding the voided Donatas Motiejunas trade. On the Knicks, the discussion is centered around Carmelo Anthony and his increasing frustration with the Knicks’ losing ways. Finally, the Blazers talk focuses on Damian Lillard’s emergent superstardom and how the team might be able to find postseason success.Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Hovering just around .500, the Detroit Pistons are probably the streakiest team in the NBA this season, amassing long winning and losing streaks alike. However, for all the team’s inconsistency, Detroit remains in the thick of the playoff race. Dan Feldman of NBC Sports’ Pro Basketball Talk joins the show to dissect Andre Drummond’s historic dominance, Detroit’s team-building strategy under Stan Van Gundy, Reggie Jackson’s continual growth and so much more. Choice excerpts are below:Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices