Off Guard with Austin Rivers

Austin and Pausha are joined by Denver Nuggets forward Michael Porter Jr.! They kick things off by discussing the Olympics and the potential that MPJ will play in 2028 (3:52). Then, they talk about MPJ’s shooting skills and why he’s received nicknames like Michael "The Possession Ends Here" Porter Jr. (8:50). Later, they touch on playing alongside Nikola Jokic (12:52) and the pressures of playing...

Austin and Pausha take one last look at Team USA’s Olympic run, starting with the close call against Serbia (16:10). Then, they hit on the gold medal game against France (22:13) and address the top five takeaways from the games, including Steph’s ridiculous 3s, LeBron adding to his GOAT résumé, the Jayson Tatum controversy, and more (34:54)! Later, they play a game of Whose Career Would You Rather...

Austin and Pausha are back to break down Team USA and what they’ve seen thus far. They discuss the importance of Derrick White’s role (6:30), give Bam Adebayo his well-deserved flowers, and preview what Team USA could look like in 2028 (13:28). Later, they highlight the top three players leading the team, with a special shout-out to the GOAT, LeBron James, before touching on what’s happened to the...

Austin and Pausha evaluate what we’re seeing from the exhibition games played by Team USA so far (3:46), discussing why Kevin Durant could take the fourth spot in the starting lineup, and how they could use Anthony Edwards and Jayson Tatum. Then, Austin reflects on his experience playing in the NBA Summer League against players like Damian Lillard. They wrap up by highlighting which players have s...

Austin and Pausha react to free agency moves, starting with DeMar DeRozan heading to the Kings (3:36), then talk through the Spurs’ additions with Chris Paul and Harrison Barnes (6:45). Later, they discuss why high profile teams are missing out on big name players (22:58), and then share what lineup they want to see for Team USA (58:14). Hosts: Austin Rivers and Pausha Haghighi Producers: Erika Ce...

Austin and Pausha break down the biggest story lines during this free agency period, starting out with Donovan Mitchell’s extension with the Cavs (01:34). Then, they discuss if the Sixers have surpassed the Knicks with the addition of Paul George (12:10) and how Isaiah Hartenstein helps OKC's title chances (26:00). Plus, Austin explains why the Warriors made a mistake not keeping Klay Thompson and...

Austin and Pausha return to ‘Off Guard’ to dive into the 2024 NBA draft. The duo share their insights on the league's current landscape, favorite picks, plus, the most and least surprising moments. Finally, they weigh in on the nepotism debate surrounding Bronny James. Hosts: Austin Rivers and Pausha Haghighi Producer: Devon Renaldo Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoi...

Austin and Pausha are joined by Charlotte Hornets guard (and Austin’s brother-in-law), Seth Curry, to discuss the NBA Finals! They dive into another dominant performance by the Celtics that resulted in a gentleman’s sweep and the Larry O’Brien trophy (3:05). Then, they talk through Jaylen Brown getting named Finals MVP (13:23), Jayson Tatum almost being crowned King of the Summer, and what they wa...

Austin and Pausha recap Game 3 of the Finals with the Celtics now within reach of their 18th franchise championship (0:40), and then they discuss the pride the Mavericks will play with in Game 4 despite facing insurmountable odds. Then, they discuss Jayson Tatum's and Kyrie Irving’s on-court responses to criticism in the media and talk through Luka’s seeming lack of effort on defense (17:30). Late...

Austin and Pausha are back to talk Game 2 of the Finals and start by discussing the controversial block made by Derrick White and Jaylen Brown, which helped seal a huge win for the Celtics (0:45). Later, Austin shares his thoughts on why Game 3 means more for Kyrie Irving specifically (20:02) and then shouts out Jrue Holiday for being an absolutely vital piece of Boston’s roster (26:52). Hosts: Au...

Austin and Pausha fire up the mics following Game 1 of the NBA Finals and kick things off discussing just how different the Boston Celtics look with Kristaps Porzingis officially back in the mix (0:45). They then talk through the adjustments the Mavericks can make in Game 2 to flip the series (19:02) before reacting to the latest reports of the Lakers’ interest in Dan Hurley to be their next head...

Austin and Pausha are back for the official ‘Off Guard’ Finals preview! They run through top story lines that include expectations for the Mavs and the Celtics, discuss who’s the best third player in the series, predict who takes home the win, and more! Hosts: Austin Rivers and Pausha Haghighi Producers: Erika Cervantes and Ben Cruz Social: Keith Fujimoto Learn more about your ad choices. Visit po...

Austin and Pausha are back to recap the Timberwolves’ disheartening Game 5 loss, which also sent the Dallas Mavericks to the NBA Finals (1:02). Then, they highlight the top story lines between Dallas and Boston, with an early Finals preview (14:10). Later, they talk through the Western and Eastern Conferences and how they could potentially stack up next season (24:17). Hosts: Austin Rivers and Pau...

Austin and Pausha break down Game 4 in the Western Conference finals, with the Timberwolves taking their first win of the series (0:45). They discuss the adjustments Anthony Edwards and Karl-Anthony Towns made, and talk through the chances that Minnesota can push the series to Game 7. Later, they touch on how to identify solid players in not-so-great situations, and tip their hat to the Mavs for t...

Austin and Pausha are back to discuss the devastating loss for the Pacers in Game 2 against the Celtics, and emphasize the dominant Tatum-Brown duo (11:05). Then, they hit on Kyrie and Luka’s epic performance in Game 1 of the Western Conference Finals, before addressing adjustments the T-Wolves have to make for the rest of the series (44:40). Plus, the guys take a quick look back at LeBron’s best...

Austin and Pausha are back to break down the Timberwolves’ huge Game 7 win over the Nuggets (1:12). Then, they share a trend they’ve observed that emphasizes the importance of having depth on your roster versus star power (17:31). Later, they make predictions for the Wolves-Mavs Western Conference finals, and give a shout-out to Tyrese Haliburton and the Pacers for moving on to the Eastern Confere...

Austin and Pausha kick things off discussing what the Timberwolves did differently in Game 6 that led to their 45-point statement win over Denver (1:58). Then, they talk through predictions for Game 7 of Timberwolves-Nuggets and Game 6 of the Mavs-Thunder series, before betting on which team they think the Mavericks would much rather run into if they move on (15:50). Later, they hit on the pressur...

Austin and Pausha recap the Mavericks meltdown that resulted in them giving up their lead and OKC evening up the series (1:13), and then talk through the competitive Cavs-Celtics game (12:05) before discussing the Celtics’ possible route to the finals. Then, they touch on Bronny’s clips from the combine, the Hawks' strategy for the draft, and the upcoming Wolves-Nuggets matchup (33:48). Hosts: Aus...

Austin and Pausha kick things off with a discussion on why some NBA players could make the transition to the NFL (1:05). Then, they hit on their top three point guards with Luka taking the cake and the Mavs tying up the series against OKC (17:35), and offer apologies to the Cavs after taking a win against the Celtics in Boston (33:10). Later, they talk through potential roster changes for Denver i...

Austin and Pausha kick things off by talking through the Timberwolves’ dominant win over the Nuggets, as highlighted by their dominant defensive play (2:13). Then, they preview the Mavs-OKC matchup and the upcoming guard showdown we should prepare to see between Kyrie, Luka, and SGA. Later, they give Jalen Brunson and the Knicks their flowers … again, and break down the Magic’s season and what adj...

Austin and Pausha are back to discuss more playoff basketball. They start by talking about Paolo Banchero and the Magic’s big win in their series with Cleveland (1:19). Then, they get into Joel Embiid’s 50-point game against the Knicks (22:05). Later, they break down the Suns-Timberwolves series (41:08) and talk about why the Lakers fell to 0-3 against the Nuggets (53:35). Hosts: Austin Rivers and...

Austin and Pausha are back after the first group of playoff games, and jump in with a discussion about the heavy home-court advantage so far (1:24). Then, they break down two games that could see a bounce back, and discuss matchups in which we need to see things change (36:24). Later, they highlight Anthony Edwards’s continued rise to stardom after his epic starting performance in the Wolves-Suns...

Immediately after the end of Friday night’s play-in games, Austin and Pausha went live on Ringer NBA’s YouTube channel ! In this special reaction podcast, the guys get into Miami’s win over Chicago and how Erik Spoelstra’s scrappy Heat squad will stack up against the Celtics. Plus, with the Warriors dynasty seemingly coming to an end, the guys rank the top dynasties in NBA history. And to finish o...

Austin and Pausha kick off the week talking about play-in teams they trust to compete most if they advance (1:26). Plus, they discuss two playoff matchups to watch: Mavs-Clippers and Suns-Wolves (33:15). Then, they predict just how successful OKC can be walking in as the top seed in the Western Conference, and share their thoughts on the Team USA squad that’s likely headed to Paris for the Olympic...

Austin and Pausha are back to hand out season awards for Rookie of the Year, Best Defender, Favorite Play of the Season, and more! Later, they talk through potential play-in matchups and discuss their biggest takeaways from the season. Hosts: Austin Rivers and Pausha Haghighi Producers: Erika Cervantes and Ben Cruz Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices Hosted by Simp...