Thinking Basketball

We discuss the complicated, adventurous, talented LaMelo Ball and his play this season. Then we discuss the best on-ball offensive players this year (pick-and-roll and isolation), and the complexity of evaluating top offensive players comparing on-ball dominance versus the lone player an offense is built around. Use code THINKING BASKETBALL at  www.sportsbusinessclassroom.com/all-star .Support at ...

We discuss some dangerous teams and dangerous matchups for the top title contenders, along with “ethical” players right now and the best players in the Eastern Conference after Giannis right now with Cade Cunningham and Jaylen Brown having huge seasons. Who is the Barnes & Noble competitor? Use code THINKING BASKETBALL at  www.sportsbusinessclassroom.com/all-star .Support at  www.patreon.com/t...

We discuss the polarizing Paolo Banchero – why some fans think he's a star, why we aren't sold, what makes his situation unique and more. Before that, Nikola Jokic's knee injury, physicality, landing spaces and the unintended issues with the arbitrary 65-game limit for awards. Support at  www.patreon.com/thinkingbasketball

We discuss the best guard trios of all-time and the implications of the Spurs sweep over the Thunder in the last month. But first, Jaylen Brown and Anthony Edwards look like superstars – so what's holding us back? Use code THINKING BASKETBALL at  www.sportsbusinessclassroom.com/all-star .Support at  www.patreon.com/thinkingbasketball

We dive into the 3-game series between the Rockets and Nuggets, Reed Sheppard's X-Factor role, and the Jokic-Sengun matchup. First, a brief reaction to the latest YouTube video on officiating trending back offensive officiating and 25 under 25 thoughts. Support at  www.patreon.com/thinkingbasketball

Our annual best players (for a playoff tournament right now!) who will be under the age of 25 on February 1, 2026! Will a rookie be picked? Paolo Banchero? How will handle our annual struggles between role players and one-dimensional scorers? Whose team would win in a series? Support at www.patreon.com/thinkingbasketball

How are the Celtics so good on offense right now? We examine Boston's blazing month, Neemias Queta and Jordan Walsh's role, Joe Mazzula and a wide open Coach of the Year, the Bruce Bowen All-Stars and the changing of the guard in this year's NBA. Use code THINKING BASKETBALL at  www.sportsbusinessclassroom.com/all-star .Support at  www.patreon.com/thinkingbasketball

Hoopvision's Jordan Sperber joins to discuss trends in the NBA this season, and in basketball in general in the last few years, from bigger lineups and offensive rebounding to zone and full court pressure. We discuss the Rockets size, Celtics, Suns, Zach Edey's recent success and more. Use code THINKING BASKETBALL at  www.sportsbusinessclassroom.com/all-star .Support at  www.patreon.com/th...

We start with the increase in scoring (again), increase in fouls, and complete undercutting of defenses based on the way the game is being called right now. Then, are the Toronto Raptors, Phoenix Suns or Miami Heat actually good? Support at  www.patreon.com/thinkingbasketball

OKC is a machine and Jokic can't miss! We discuss our first title contenders of the year, the Rockets offense, the strange Eastern Conference contenders, and the large middle class in a weird distribution of teams so far. Plus, addressing the Derrick White efficiency hate! Support at www.patreon.com/thinkingbasketball

We discuss the Rockets unique, league-leading offense this year, Doc Rivers floor-raising coaching around Giannis and the Bucks, and the trend toward optimizing shooters and ball-handlers who aren't stars. Plus Spoelstra's Heat and the challenge of ceiling-raising as a coach. Support at www.patreon.com/thinkingbasketball

We discuss the Lakers resilience and Austin Reave’s place among the 2021 draft class, Cade Cunningham’s passing and Jrue Holiday’s point guard resurgence in Portland. Support at  ⁠www.patreon.com/thinkingbasketball

We discuss the incredible start from Victor Wembanyama, and where he fits into the NBA hierarchy right now. Plus the teams and players that jumped out to us in week 1, including the Warriors, Blazers, 76ers, Magic and Pelicans. Support at  www.patreon.com/thinkingbasketball

We preview the 2025-26 NBA season. We discuss Victor Wembanyama and the Spurs, the enormous Denver Nugget off season, teams that could win the west, the Clippers/Warriors age conundrum, Franz Wagner's lack of shooting, the Rockets and Knicks new offenses and more. Support at  www.patreon.com/thinkingbasketball

What were the big themes and takeaways we had from this series? What specifically players changed in our minds and why? We reflect on the series, rankings in general, p layer synergies and more before discussing our best offensive players and overall players from the series. Support at  www.patreon.com/thinkingbasketball Bubble : Jimmy Butler, Paul Pierce, Ray Allen, Paul George '03 Jason Kidd...

For our final two players, we quantify the unique and devastating forms of “gravity” in basketball. In particular, off-ball gravity that is essentially missing from the box score and traditional NBA stats or measurements, the strongest interior force of the century and what happens to a team with a mega gravitational force running around the entire court. Support at  www.patreon.com/thinkingbasket...

We look at, perhaps, the 3 best peaks of the 21st century, all from slightly different time periods, environments and circumstances. How does an “ideal” or non ideal environment influence how we evaluate a mega peak? How do we account for era changes that influence spacing and the proliferation of shooters? Can anyone solve the 3 LeBrody problem? Support at  www.patreon.com/thinkingbasketball Prev...

How do we make sense of small samples and outlier signals in the playoffs? How much should specifically good or bad matchups influence playoff “performance?” We discuss some titanic big men, their coaches, environments, teammate synergies and how much we should care about their individual scoring numbers in the postseason. Support at  www.patreon.com/thinkingbasketball Previously discussed players...

We discuss two of the most dominant downhill penetrators in league history, and the critical ways in which they're different. First, the strengths and weaknesses of Giannis's battering ram approach and how that influences his playoff impact. Then, Dwyane Wade's unique balance between slicing through traffic and passing through traffic. Support at  www.patreon.com/thinkingbasketball Pre...

Kobe Bryant and Kevin Durant were both voluminous score on and off-ball. We discuss Durant's playoff scoring, the impact of his gravity, his floor-raising in Oklahoma City and his more mobile Thunder defense. Then, we upend Kobe Bryant's “inefficiency” narrative, contextualize his problem-solving and huge scoring numbers without dominating the ball. Support at www.patreon.com/thinkingbaske...

We tackle Chris Paul's “floor general” approach to offense and the pros and cons of how he pressured defenses (and his turnover suppression). Also, how did he change defensively from 2008 in New Orleans to his Clippers tenure? Where does he rank among small defenders? Then we make sense of Kawhi Leonard's historic scoring numbers and shooting, and the surprising heights of his team's o...

Steve Nash was an early “heliocentric” star. Dirk Nowitzki was a big man who played on the perimeter and off the ball. We discuss team building around them, how big of a concern their defense is, exactly how and why they imparted so much value on an offense and whether they were beneficiaries of a fortunate system. Support at  www.patreon.com/thinkingbasketball

Shai Gilgeous-Alexander and Joel Embiid are all-time level scorers with a ton of midrange shots. We discuss their unique (and concerning?) geometric footprints on the entire team, the concept of influencing stats for the entire team, and then the conundrum of evaluating Anthony Davis. Support at  www.patreon.com/thinkingbasketball

Would Shaq's Lakers have won 3 titles with T-Mac instead of Kobe Bryant? We tackle this question and more discussing Tracy McGrady's magical but brief peak in 2003. Then we discuss Luka Doncic's improvements in the playoffs, how hard he is to scheme for, and he polarizing defense. Support at  www.patreon.com/thinkingbasketball

Harden and Ginobili had nearly opposite roles and box score stats. We discuss Manu's underrated defense, his role filling in the gaps in San Antonio, what to make of his more pedestrian numbers, and then dissect James Harden's offensive environment with Mike D'Antoni and what changes with him from the regular season to the playoffs and the tradeoffs of extreme heliocenstrism. Support a...