Off Guard with Austin Rivers

Austin and Pausha react to Luka Doncic’s incredibly emotional return to Dallas, which culminated in him dropping 45 points against his former team (4:00). Then, they revisit the Phoenix Suns’ disappointing season, as they didn't even make the play-in—despite a stacked roster on paper (17:51). Hosts: Austin Rivers and Pausha Haghighi Producer: Erika Cervantes Additional Production Support: Ben Cruz...

Austin and Pausha react to the shocking news that head coach Michael Malone and general manager Calvin Booth have been fired by the Denver Nuggets. Austin shares his own experience in the locker room with the Nuggets and Coach Malone and discusses why this could have happened, what this means for Nikola Jokic, and the precedent this move sets this late in the season. Hosts: Austin Rivers and Paush...

Austin and Pausha are back following the Final Four tournament and react to the Duke upset resulting in Houston taking on Florida in the championship game (1:05). They highlight top players and shout out Walter Clayton Jr. for Florida (9:35), and then discuss which teams in the NBA Cooper Flagg might fit well with (22:52). Later, they talk through the West and discuss where teams rank and which ma...

Austin and Pausha discuss last night’s brawl between the Pistons-Timberwolves and wonder whether or not teams need a player similar to Isaiah Stewart (2:27). Then, they react to the Grizzlies’ oddly timed decision to fire Taylor Jenkins so close to the playoffs and firmly in the postseason picture (11:58). Later, they revisit the Most Improved Player conversation and share their arguments for Aust...

Austin and Pausha open by recapping his Guard Tiers list and LeBron’s trip to Pat McAfee (3:18). Then, they discuss the impact of NIL and this year’s NCAA tournament (39:44). Hosts: Austin Rivers and Pausha Haghighi Producer: Stefan Anderson Additional Production Support: Ben Cruz Social: Keith Fujimoto Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices Hosted by Simplecast, an A...

Austin and Pausha open by recapping their take on the NBA’s lack of veteran players and their favorite March Madness moments (1:07). Then, they discuss Cade Cunningham’s rise and how he fares among the elite guards in the NBA (30:06). Hosts: Austin Rivers and Pausha Haghighi Producer: Stefan Anderson Additional Production Support: Ben Cruz Social: Keith Fujimoto Learn more about your ad choices. V...

With the reveal of the March Madness brackets, Austin Rivers and Pausha Haghighi discuss some of the major changes college basketball has undergone since Austin’s Duke days, namely the evolution in recruiting, NIL, and the transfer portal (00:00). Then, Austin tells the story of how he selected Duke over Florida before talking through age discrepancies in the current college product. Later, the gu...

Austin and Pausha open by discussing the Cavs' 15-game win streak and how they made the leap this season (2:21). Then, they discuss how the Most Improved Player award is voted on (22:46) before previewing a potential Knicks-Pistons first-round matchup and talking about what goes into hitting a game-winning shot (36:20). Hosts: Austin Rivers and Pausha Haghighi Producer: Stefan Anderson Learn more...

Austin and Pausha revisit the Jokic-SGA MVP conversation and emphasize how tired they are of voter fatigue (4:20). Then, they discuss which teams could have the competitive edge in the playoffs, with teams like the Lakers and Nuggets right behind OKC. Later, they dive into Stephen A.’s comments about Bronny and LeBron, and Austin discusses why things went south (34:00). Then, they talk through Har...

Austin and Pausha react to Malik Beasley’s untimely comments on guarding James Harden after The Beard dropped a 50-piece on the Pistons (1:22). Then, Austin argues where Harden ranks among the likes of Stephen Curry, Damian Lillard, and Russell Westbrook (6:40). Later, they weigh the arguments for Jokic or SGA as MVP (25:05). They then run through a few stand out moments from the week, including L...

Austin and Pausha talk through LeBron’s recent comments about being the “face of the league” and discuss the responsibilities and consequences involved (16:21). Then, they reflect on what it was like to be in the building for Steph’s insane performance in Orlando against the Magic (29:14), before hitting on both the Warriors’ apparent revitalized season with Jimmy and the Lakers’ with Luka. Later,...

Austin and Pausha start off by reacting to two of the most recent box office matchups. First, they talk Lakers-Mavs and dissect the insane performances by Luka, Austin Reaves, and especially Kyrie (3:36). Then, they talk Thunder-Timberwolves and the Wolves’ playoff potential after they picked up an epic win against the best team in the West. They also revisit the consistent concerns surrounding th...

Austin and Pausha run through brackets of teams that fall into the ranks of either legitimate contenders or probable pretenders (5:45)! They also answer whether they’d take Evan Mobley's or Chet Holmgren’s career (26:18), where the Bucks, Warriors, and Lakers land after their big trades (32:05), and what category the Grizzlies and Pacers fall into (44:57). Hosts: Austin Rivers and Pausha Haghighi...

Austin and Pausha react to the unfortunate news that Victor Wembanyama will miss the rest of the season (1:12). Then, they jump into Bobby Portis Jr.'s 25-game suspension and discuss the opportunity it poses for Kyle Kuzma (5:25). Finally, they recap a disappointing All-Star Weekend and break down the less-is-more solution to the weekend (23:50)! Hosts: Austin Rivers and Pausha Haghighi Producer:...

Austin and Pausha are back ahead of All-Star Weekend to break down their thoughts on how to fix the game. But first, they revisit the end of the Warriors’ honeymoon phase and the Lakers’ play with Luka (7:36). Then, they briefly discuss Brunson and KAT’s dynamic and share who they believe are the best “Robins” to their teams' “Batmans” (16:18). Then, they jump right into All-Star Game talk and dis...

Austin and Pausha quickly share their takeaways from the Super Bowl and discuss how it compares to the Luka-AD trade (1:05). Then, they hit on Austin Reaves’s career-high 45-point game and discuss where he ranks among other guards in the league and his importance to the Lakers (16:04). Later, they react to Jimmy Butler and Steph Curry’s honeymoon-like period during Butler’s debut with the Warriors...

Austin and Pausha are back with reactions to the wildest trade deadline ever! They kick things off by discussing Cam Johnson staying put in Brooklyn, hit on why the Warriors won the Jimmy Butler trade in a landslide, and talk through the Suns-KD catastrophe that leaves them in an incredibly awkward position. Then, they break down which teams won the trade deadline, from the Bucks to the Lakers and...

Austin and Pausha are in emergency pod mode! First, they react to the absolute monster of a trade that lands Luka Doncic in L.A. and Anthony Davis in Dallas. They unpack the deal from all sides and explain why the trade makes no sense across the board. Then, they offer their immediate thoughts on the second blockbuster trade of the weekend, which sent De’Aaron Fox to the San Antonio Spurs and Zach...

Austin and Pausha are back to run through the 2025 All-Star reserves list. They share the biggest snubs, the coaches' approach to choosing the roster, and which players are most deserving. Plus, they touch on the trade rumors about De'Aaron Fox to the San Antonio Spurs and then shout out Isaiah Thomas for his G League play. Hosts: Austin Rivers and Pausha Haghighi Producer: Erika Cervantes Additio...

Austin and Pausha hit on some football talk and share which rivalries in the NBA compare to Bills-Chiefs (1:02). Then, they dive into the announced All-Star starters and discuss LaMelo not making the list, plus which players could be named reserves (8:24). Later, they discuss the games in Paris and highlight the almost-crowned Defensive Player of the Year, Victor Wembanyama (18:24), before Austin...

Austin and Pausha kick things off by sharing their favorite go-to song after hearing Jokic loves listening to "Many Men" by 50 Cent (0:15). Then they hit on DLo’s comments regarding “free basketball” (4:39) and dissect both sides of the coin while also referencing Anthony Edwards’s recent play and potential adjustments (22:48). Later, they do some “fit checks,” weighing how Jimmy Butler would fit...

Austin and Pausha start the week by breaking down "ring culture" (10:51) and discussing how to work through performance anxiety (19:47). Then, they discuss which lower-seeded teams, among the Warriors, Lakers, Suns, and Timberwolves, would be the most competitive come playoff time (31:54). Later, they hit on the awkward moment between Jayson Tatum and Steve Kerr (36:26), and then Austin shares the...

Austin and Pausha kick things off with talk about Wemby’s jersey swap and the news that it was posted for auction soon after (1:00). Then, Austin shares which player’s leg sleeve (!) he had (4:15) and what sneakers he used to rock back in the day (7:21). Later, they briefly hit on Cooper Flagg’s potential fit with the Raptors (18:40) before discussing potential trade deadline moves with Cam Johnso...

Austin and Pausha recap their weekend attending Magic games in Orlando and discuss their takeaways, from differences in playing time for Anthony Black vs. Cole Anthony, to Paolo Banchero returning from injury, to watching Giannis play in person (2:00). Then, they hit on the Pacers’ uphill trajectory (18:24), before breaking down how Cooper Flagg could potentially look if he were to be drafted by t...

Austin and Pausha break down last night’s games and start with addressing what Wemby needs to improve on to become unguardable (2:58). Then, they transition to talking about the highly anticipated Thunder-Cavs game, as they reevaluate Chet’s impact for OKC (24:26) and discuss the Cavs’ impressive play (27:14). Later, they hit on their Dunk of the Year candidate with LeBron punching it on Dereck Li...