Barker and Basketball

"Basketball is fun" were the words Tyrese Haliburton said after his team came back from 20 points down in just 2 minutes 35 seconds and then finishes it (sort of) with the famous Reggie Miller choke celebration at MSG.

I reacted in real time (think audio notes while I'm watching the game) to what OKC and the Wolves served up in Game 1 of the Western Conference Finals. It quickly became highly Cason Wallace themed followed by marvelling at SGA's relentless pressure offensively.

Forget talent for a second, what about health? At a glance, the healthiest teams remain and it's a survival of the fittest. Curry goes down, Cavs were hobbled and now Tatum does his achilles? Injuries remain one of the worst parts of sport but they are reason as to why you have to be lucky, and healthy, to win the championship.

The Utah Jazz had equal-best odds to land the number 1 pick in the Draft Lottery and instead landed the fifth overall, so what do the Jazz do with that pick? I discuss potential names and what I like about each.

This was a superb brand of NBA basketball. Denver and OKC had a bit of everything in Game 3 and yes it was close the whole way which helped but I have many reasons why it was so enjoyable.

It comes down to defense a lot of the time for role players and Mikal Bridges was awesome in the clutch today for the Knicks in game 1 vs Boston. Elite level steals to win the game and just another reminder that guys like him, Alex Caruso and Jalen Williams are so key for Playoff teams to win games.

OG Anunoby's series vs Detroit has got me thinking about how good he really is. Could he be the best two way wing in the Playoffs? My heart says Butler, Kawhi and Jaylen Brown but he's up there.

Jalen Green is learning what life as a offensive star in the Playoffs is really like with his struggles, plus the Bucks collapse resulting in Tyrese Haliburton's Dad crossing the line with Giannis.

It's easy to view coming second as a "failure" but Dyson Daniels should be more than happy with doing so in Defensive Player of the Year voting. Yes he fell short of a goal (I'm sure) but doing what he did as a 22 year old in his first season for Atlanta was terrific.

Exaggerating contact, where do you stand? It's a big part of the game and watching Jalen Brunson today had me (and many others) frustrated with it.

The NBA Playoffs began today and my headliner was Cade Cunningham and the Pistons heading to MSG. It was a mixed bag for Cunningham but the Playoffs stage is a perfect test for the up and coming star. Him, Russell Westbrook being Russell Westbrook and Kyle Kuzma's baffling line as a starter for Milwaukee has my attention.

The Play-In Tournament began with Jimmy Butler and Steph putting on a post-season show vs Memphis as the energy is high around the Warriors once again. Shoutout to Quinten Post and Wendell Carter Jr too who's names I did not expect to be talking about today.

The Playoffs are a wonderful time of the year to really get an appreciation of what players bring to their team. Here's my list of favourite's I'd want on my team at this time of year and they include some younger guys like Evan Mobley and then some older, hit and miss guys in Dillon Brooks.

From 6 points a game in his rookie season to the face of the Portland Trail Blazers this season, Deni Avdija's rise has been one of my favourite things to watch. Plus I think the time has come. The MVP may finally get to Shai Gilgeous-Alexander but I am still absolutely torn as Jokic is averaging a 30 point triple double.

March Madness took over my day and this podcast. Firstly Walter Clayton Jr from Florida introduced himself to me and I was instantly a fan. Secondly Cooper Flagg and the rest of the Duke team had me up and about for their Final Four clash with Houston and it resulted in a drama-filled loss.

It's March Madness (In April, obviously) and there's a Dukee other than Cooper Flagg who has my attention. Kon Knueppel or should I say baby Devin Booker? I also want to work out who is REALLY leading the NBA Rookie Of The Year Race.

You don't truly miss something until it's gone right? I missed chatting basketball and the storylines surrounding it so after some months on the sidelines I am back behind the microphone. Here's a reset on this pod, with a better, unedited (that's right) version coming at you. I'm here to simply enjoy the game and enjoy talking about it.

I love it when a Freshmen starts strutting his stuff on the college basketball scene and there's two right now in Dylan Harper and Ace Bailey that I can't get enough of. Their stars are rising, their profiles are rising, but they both seem like really level-headed kids with a big future. Check out Taylor Rooks' interview with them both as well.

Kevin O’Connor’s latest podcast sparked this question in my mind… can you win the MVP while being a one-sided player only? More specifically, is Luka Doncic good enough offensively to make up for his lack of defence? And can he win MVP like this? It’s a great discussion.

Bilal Coulibaly looks like a stud in year two and he’s got some helpers with him. Alex Sarr, Kyshawn George, Bub Carrington - these are the new ‘Wiz Kids’ and that excites me, as it should you.

Just sit back and admire what Chet Holmgren and Paolo Banchero are doing right now. Chet's a walking 20 and 10 with OKC starting off 3-0 and Paolo just had a near 50 point triple double which included 37 points, 7 rebounds and 6 assists at the half. In the words of the Orlando commentator, what in the world is going on.

We are just 2 games into LaMelo Ball’s season but he’s acting different. His flow, talent, confidence - it’s an absolute joy to watch already and I hope it continues. Aggressive Anthony Davis tickles my fancy as does Cade Cunningham’s opening games and Ja Morant looks like Ja Morant once again.

Opening night is here and that is headlined by the biggest, most marketable star there is right now in Anthony Edwards. Before we go full regular-season mode I wanted to talk about Dalton Knecht, Ace Bailey and some puzzling comments Andre Drummond made that I actually respect.

The NBA regular season is almost here so I want to know: Can Ja Morant be better than before? How many years of great LeBron do we have left? Who will be considered the new face of the league once it’s done? 

After watching one game of Houston Rockets preseason basketball I am very into their roster. Amen Thompson hello, Cam Whitmore hello, the progression of Jalen Green and Sengun, Reed Sheppard - there's a lot to like here so, how far can they actually go? Who knows but their lineup is fun.