Basketball by Association

Huw Hopkins joins Joel C. Cordes to break down the Miami Heat's gutty Game 5 victory over the L.A. Lakers while looking forward to all the matchups and adjustments in Game 6. And can we please stop knocking LeBron James for passing to Danny Green on the final shot? They also take time to appreciate what the Seattle Storm just accomplished in winning their second WNBA championship in three years. W...

Bob Bajek of "Bajek & Brown: Hoop's up & Down ( https://anchor.fm/bajek-brown) " rejoins Joel C. Cordes as well as return guest Sid Mohapatra to talk about the NBA Finals. Heading into Game 2, how much trouble are the banged-up Miami Heat in, or would the L.A. Lakers have had an insurmountable upper hand either way? The guys also discuss Doc Rivers' quick ouster from the L.A. Clippers and even qui...

Bob Bajek joins Joel C. Cordes to break down why the Miami Heat have had the Boston Celtics' number, even as the Celts have won the numbers game more often than not. Can the Heat close out Boston in Game 5, and will they be facing off against the Los Angeles Lakers, or do the Denver Nuggets have yet another 3-1 busting miracle in store? Finally, what does Billy Donovan bring as the new coach of th...

Joel and Arky break down the conference semi-finals: the matchups we were expecting including how well the Lakers have fared against the Rockets and the Clippers rounding into shape. But what about the East? Game 7 awaits and then so does the Heat.

NBA.com's Matt Dagostino talks about what he has taken most from the first round in the bubble, plus what is up in the East and the Lakers' attempt to dominate the smaller Rockets. 

Arky talks to Beau Estes of NBA TV about the boycott of the playoffs, what damage could have been done, the similarity Beau felt to March 12, etc. Then the duo gets into the actual playoffs with Luka talk, Raptors love, Miami Heat and more.

Joel C. Cordes joins Arky Shea to break down what we have seen so far with every NBA Playoffs matchup, how the Toronto Raptors are steamrolling, the LA Lakers are getting their groove back, the Indiana Pacers are trying so hard and the Dallas Mavericks are doing the L.A. Clippers dirty. Plus, the NBA Draft Lottery has been assembled: You're welcome, Minnesota Timberwolves. 

Arky Shea sits down with Joel Cordes and speaks some respect to the Phoenix Suns for running the table in the bubble, but what's the point of inviting them if they can't make it by being undefeated? They also get into Damian Lillard wrecking folks, the San Antonio Spurs' playoff streak is done, what the playoff seeding looks like,etc. before asking why there wasn't more movement, is Ben Simmons' i...

Arky Shea is joined by Bob Bajek to talk about surprises in the NBA bubble, including: the Brooklyn Nets scoring so much, Portland Trail Blazers getting it done, Zion Williamson not being enough for the New Orleans Pelicans, the number one seeds clinching, and some respect for the Toronto Raptors.

Arky Shea is joined by Huw Hopkins to discuss the newness of the NBA bubble atmosphere for games. The first two games came down to the wire, but why wasn't Zion a bigger part of New Orleans' 4th quarter? The LA Clippers & Lakers look ready for seven while the WNBA bubble is also open for business. The guys break down how Sabrina Ionescu is naturally transitioning from college to the pros while the...

While we've only seen a few warmup matches so far, professional men's basketball is back and there are a lot of takeaways as we near the real deal in the NBA's Orlando bubble.  NBA.com's Matt D'Agostino ( https://twitter.com/mattdags28?lang=en ) joins host Arky Shea ( https://twitter.com/ArkyShea)  to break down which players and teams look good so far versus those that have a lot of work to do an...

Roster makeup, chemistry, continuity, momentum, health, time, seeding and seemingly every other basketball facet is a nebulous variable in the NBA's Orlando bubble.  NBA TV's Beau Estes ( https://twitter.com/nbabeau?lang=en ) joins hosts Arky Shea ( https://twitter.com/ArkyShea) and Joel C. Cordes to make sense of the truly unpredictable tournament we're about to embark on. He also offers insights...

Now that NBA and WNBA players have begun reporting to training camp in Orlando, it's time to break down the replacement players, opt-outs and biggest storylines.  Bob Bajek ( https://twitter.com/bobbajek) and 5 Reasons Sports Network's Jannelle Moore ( https://twitter.com/Jannelle12) joins host Arky Shea ( https://twitter.com/ArkyShea) discuss the highs and low points of the respective reboots' fi...

 How will the NBA's rebooted season shake out the standings during its final eight regular-season games, and which first-round matchups should we be especially excited for once the NBA Playoffs begin?  TBW staff writer Bob Bajek ( https://twitter.com/bobbajek) joins hosts Arky Shea ( https://twitter.com/ArkyShea) and Joel C. Cordes to break down each of the most fun scenarios for the opening round...

At what point does the league decide that Florida is the worst possible place to attempt its season reboot? Will it consider rescheduling or re-locating to avoid the current epicenter of COVID-19? TBW staff writer Bob Bajek joins hosts Arky Shea and Joel C. Cordes for a wide-ranging discussion, including the latest Coronavirus-related NBA news as well as how the league's players have stepped up as...

What matters in an NBA Playoff series when momentum and homecourt advantage no longer hold as much weight? Which teams in the Eastern Conference want to avoid matching up against one another? Which Western Conference squads have a chance of forcing a play-in series between the No. 8 and 9 seeds, and who could be the biggest spoiler in later rounds? Is there a team in either conference that's ripe...

As anticipation and excitement build for the NBA's 22-team, late-July return in Orlando, Florida, we're still left with more questions than answers. And we're not the only ones: Both the league and the NBA Players' Association have not even finalized terms yet and continue to debate the details. So what are the long-term ramifications and "butterfly effects" of the new format, of quarantining such...

Many players struggle just to carve out an NBA career during their first season or two. However, once establishing themselves, they unlock new pathways and opportunities depending on their talent and production. Whether it's earning a max contract, a greater role or even just proving to be a "winning" player, life comes fast before earning veteran status. In this 14th episode of TBW ( https://bbal...

Did ESPN and The Last Dance producers make a critical error in the way they packaged and framed the landmark documentary? Are we on the verge of being disappointed by something that started off so strong? Is Michael Jordan's pathological approach to winning something to be emulated or avoided? Why can't any of the Bulls seem to give credit to anyone but themselves? How does the NBA safely return i...

Did the New York Knicks and New York / New Jersey / Brooklyn Nets actually have real opportunities to build a rivalry throughout the years? Digging into the massive disparity in historic clout is one thing, but weighing the two teams' closer-than-expected basketball products—(their all-time winning ratios are only apart by five percent, for example)—proves that fandom runs deep. In this 12th episo...

In this 11th episode of TBW ( https://bballwriters.com/) ’s Basketball by Association podcast, Arky Shea ( https://twitter.com/ArkyShea) and Joel C. Cordes ( https://twitter.com/TBWjoel) are joined by Brandon Jefferson ( https://twitter.com/Jefferson_Hoops) to break down what they still want from ESPN's landmark documentary 'The Last Dance'.  Fueled by Brandon's “'The Last Dance' Roundtable: Episo...

In this 10th episode of TBW ( https://bballwriters.com/) ’s Basketball by Association podcast, Arky Shea and Joel C. Cordes are joined by Bob Bajek to reminisce about their favorite paint patrollers of the 1990s. Inspired by Bob’s “The NBA I Grew Up Watching: When Centers Ruled the League ( https://bballwriters.com/hoops/history/the-nba-i-grew-up-watching-when-centers-ruled-the-league/) ”, they lo...

In this ninth episode of TBW's Basketball by Association podcast, Arky Shea and Joel C. Cordes are joined by bballwriter.com's Adam Spinella to examine how much bias plays a part in scouting players prior to the 2020 NBA Draft. Centered around Adam's “2020 NBA Draft: On Bias, Tyrese Maxey & Evaluating Shooting ( https://bballwriters.com/nba-draft/2020-nba-draft-on-bias-tyrese-maxey-evaluating-shoo...

In this eighth episode of the Basketball by Association podcast, Arky Shea and Joel C. Cordes are joined by TBW’s Sid Mohapatra to re-assess Stephon Marbury's career through a less negative light than it's typically been viewed in. Centered around Sid's fantastic “The NBA I Grew Up Watching: Stephon Marbury, the Mercurial Superstar ( https://bballwriters.com/hoops/history/the-nba-i-grew-up-watchin...

In this seventh episode of the Basketball by Association podcast, Arky Shea and Joel C. Cordes are joined by TBW’s Brandon Jefferson to discuss how the 'Seven Seconds or Less' Phoenix Suns of the early 2000s changed basketball forever. Centered around Brandon's must-read “The NBA I Grew Up Watching: 'Seven Seconds or Less' Phoenix Suns ( https://bballwriters.com/opinion/the-nba-i-grew-up-watching-...