The Just Basketball Show

The NBA Playoffs are almost here - and Joel Embiid, Jimmy Butler and Luka Doncic are just some of the players that will define them.  On a new episode of the Just Basketball Show, the show opens by announcing two changes to the show. First, Wes Goldberg from Locked on Heat, The Ringer and other outlets joins the show as the official third host. Secondly, the show will now come out three days each...

We zoom in on the New Orleans Pelicans win and Boston Celtics loss on Thursday night before checking in on the NCAA women’s basketball tournament with two women’s hoops legends. Brendon Kleen is joined by Shane Young of Forbes to open the show and recap NBA Thursday night. Then, Phoenix Mercury associate head coach Kristi Toliver joins the show to discuss her coaching career and what makes Elena D...

The NBA stretch run is tricking us while the NCAA women’s basketball tournament heats up. Brendon Kleen is joined by Jack aka Jokicjoestar to pick real vs. fake for key NBA stretch run trends including the arrival of Anthony Edwards, the porous Los Angeles Clippers defense, Tyrese Haliburton and Pascal Siakam figuring it out in New Orleans and more. Then, Jackie Powell of Yahoo Sports and The Next...

Women’s college basketball, arguably, has never had more star power for a tournament. So who are the players that will define March this year? On a new episode of the Just Basketball show, Chris Manning and Brendon Kleen are joined by The Athletic’s Sabreena Merchant to discuss several of the women’s game top stars — Iowa’s Caitlin Clark, USC’s Juju Watkins, Stanford’s Cameron Brink and more — and...

The Oklahoma City Thunder are here right now - but what allowed them to be this good with a team this young?  On a new episode of the Just Basketball show, Chris Manning and Brendon Kleen discuss how the Oklahoma City Thunder moved from one era to another, what their ceiling is this year in the playoffs, how Sam Presti brought in the modern era of NBA trades and more.  Also covered on the show: Kh...

Players solve problems in the NBA - so who are the right players for these problems?  On a new episode of The Just Basketball show, Chris Manning and Brendon Kleen try to find the right player to fix current and future issues in eight different situations - including the Boston Celtics’ offensive process, the right player to get Luka Doncic a deep playoff run, possible trade targets for the Oklaho...

There’s still much to be sorted out this NBA season, but that doesn’t mean we can’t start looking back. Chris Manning and Brendon Kleen start by looking at Suns-Celtics and Suns-Nuggets and what can be learned from those two high-profile matchups. Then, they explain five NBA stories that defined the 2023-24 season, including James Harden sacrificing, the Indiana Pacers coming and going, a potentia...

As the NBA regular season heads into the home stretch, it’s time to think about awards. And it feels like many awards races might already be over. On a new episode of the Just Basketball show, Chris Manning and Brendon Kleen open the show by looking at the Cavs’ current injury issues, the recent Nuggets-Suns game and if it taught us anything about Phoenix and Zion Williamson opening the door to on...

Caitlin Clark has set another record and declared for the WNBA Draft - so what's next for her? And is there anything to accomplish at Iowa? On a new episode of the Just Basketball show, Chris Manning and Brendon Kleen discuss a slew of NBA injuries/injury updates - including Joel Embiid, Jalen Brunson and Scottie Barnes - before looking at Caitlin Clark declaring for the WNBA Draft and breakin...

There’s about a month left in the NBA regular season - so who is a real championship contender and who is not? On a new episode of the Just Basketball show, Chris Manning is joined by Wes Goldberg (Locked on Heat, The Ringer) to look at possible flaws within the top-level contenders in the league before diving into the Warriors, the Mavericks, the Lakers and Heat, the latest Victor Wembanyama high...

Winners of eight straight, the Boston Celtics have a firm grip on the Eastern Conference. So who can reasonably challenge them? On a new episode of the Just Basketball show, Chris Manning is joined by Wes Goldberg (Locked on Heat, The Ringer) to talk about who can actually challenge the Celtics from the following pool of teams: the Heat, the Knicks, the Cavs, the Bucks and the 76ers. Plus: What do...

With All-Star Weekend in the rearview mirror, it’s time to preview the final stretch of the NBA regular season. Chris Manning and Brendon Kleen discuss 10 different things worth watching over the final weeks of the NBA season, including the MVP race, if the 76ers and Joel Embiid can turn their season around, how far Jalen Brunson can take the Knicks and if the Phoenix Suns can actually compete for...

NBA All-Star weekend may have felt like a dud, but it didn’t have to be. Chris Manning and Brendon Kleen discuss the highs (Steph Curry vs Sabrina Ionescu) and lows (the game itself) of the weekend before diving into Jacque Vaughn being fired in Brooklyn, Mike Conley getting an extension in Minnesota, Caitlin Clark breaking the NCAA scoring record, and Klay Thompson being benched by the Warriors....

Are the Phoenix Suns, New York Knicks and Milwaukee Bucks real NBA contenders in the conversation with the Denver Nuggets and Boston Celtics? Chris Manning and Brendon Kleen are joined by Zayan Huda to draft and debate top NBA contenders heading into the stretch run. But first, a closer look at trade rumors swirling around Trae Young and the Atlanta Hawks. 0:00 Intro Cold open feat CHO 5:08 Trae r...

The NBA trade deadline is complete, with the New York Knicks and Dallas Mavericks making big moves to improve their championship prospects. Chris Manning and Brendon Kleen break down the five teams that defined the deadline, including the Philadelphia 76ers, Toronto Raptors and OKC Thunder in addition to the Knicks and Mavs. _________________________________________________________________________...

The NBA trade deadline is just over 48 hours away and the championship race is wide open, but which players will actually change teams? Chris Manning and Brendon Kleen give their final predictions and give out awards for teams that need and don’t need a trade, players who should and shouldn’t be dealt, the biggest unknown and the team that could become a contender with a move. 0:00 Intro Cold Open...

NBA All-Stars come out Thursday so it’s time to debate whether LeBron James, Devin Booker, Damian Lillard and others should make the cut. Chris Manning and Brendon Kleen give out their full starters and reserves for each conference with some surprises. But first, are the Houston Rockets skipping steps pursuing win-now veterans for Ime Udoka? And after Joel Embiid and Tyrese Haliburton pushed retur...

The Los Angeles Lakers are pursuing Dejounte Murray while the future of LeBron James looms once again. Meanwhile the hierarchy of the NBA is taking shape heading toward the trade deadline. Chris Manning and Brendon Kleen discuss whether the Murray deal is a dead-end for the Lakers because of D’Angelo Russell, and who is really a top contender in the NBA in 2024. 0:00 Intro Cold Open feat Steph vs...

In just one day, the NBA saw incredible scoring totals, a contender’s head coach fired, and the East team from last year’s NBA Finals make an upgrade. Brendon Kleen and Chris Manning break down Joel Embiid, Karl-Anthony Towns and Kevin Durant setting their gyms on fire, the Bucks moving on from Adrian Griffin for likely Doc Rivers, and the heat trading Kyle Lowry for Terry Rozier. 0:00 Intro Cold...

The Denver Nuggets capped off a great week of NBA basketball beating the Celtics in Boston, while WNBA free agency kicks off on Sunday. Chris Manning and Brendon Kleen break down the Nuggets looking unstoppable once again and answer five burning questions for WNBA free agency. Also, a look at Caitlin Clark losing to Ohio State, the future of Bronny James in the NBA, and Waving the Flag focusing on...

It was a busy 24 hours in the NBA as Pascal Siakam was traded to the Indiana Pacers and Joel Embiid and the Philadelphia 76ers beat Nikola Jokic and the Denver Nuggets in a battle of MVPs. Chris Manning and Brendon Kleen break down Siakam’s interesting fit in Indiana and the Pacers pushing their chips in. Then, a look at how Embiid dismantled the Denver defense and why the Nuggets looked off. To c...

Teams around the NBA like the Brooklyn Nets, Utah Jazz and Charlotte Hornets may not see themselves as sellers at the NBA trade deadline… but they should. Brendon Kleen and Chris Manning make the case for all the potential sellers ahead of the deadline and then play matchmaker for players like Nicolas Claxton, Collin Sexton, Terry Rozier and Malcolm Brogdon. 0:00 Intro Cold Open feat Caitlin Clark...

The Milwaukee Bucks destroyed the Boston Celtics on national TV to even the score at the top of the East. Chris Manning and Brendon Kleen dig into what we can learn from the lopsided game before discussing Victor Wembanyama’s triple-double, Kawhi Leonard extending with the Los Angeles Clippers and Elena Delle Done potentially being on the move in the WNBA. Then, it’s time for Waving the Flag and a...

It’s NBA trade deadline season with very few clear-cut contenders. So how can Joel Embiid, Luka Doncic, Steph Curry and Jimmy Butler get closer to championship contention? Chris Manning and Brendon Kleen debate which teams are one trade away and who they should target. Then, a First Time All-Star Draft featuring Tyrese Maxey, Jalen Brunson, Alperen Sengun and more. But first, a look at the Ja Mora...

From Donovan Mitchell to Draymond Green, this NBA trade deadline figures to be another big one in a wide open championship race. Chris Manning and Brendon Kleen rank each player who could plausibly be on the move at the deadline, which also includes difference makers like Lauri Markkanen, Jerami Grant, Dejounte Murray and more. Plus, what is the best fit for each player? 0:00 Intro 4:52 Salute to...