Off Guard with Austin Rivers

Austin and Pausha hit on both NCAA championships: They highlight Caitlin Clark’s dominant season (despite coming up short), give props to men’s UConn coach Dan Hurley, and discuss how to replicate this level of success in college hoops (1:20). Then, with the NBA regular season coming to an end, the guys discuss which teams surprised them with exceptional play and which teams disappointed (45:04)....

Austin and Pausha are back to discuss a few teams on the struggle bus at this point in the season (10:55), then address which players are showing out with impressive 50-point games (20:31). Later, they hit on Joel Embiid’s return from injury and Wemby’s ranking among the top 30 players, then give Vince Carter his flowers and praise for being the best dunker of all time (36:16). Hosts: Austin River...

Austin and Pausha kick things off by talking through Caitlin Clark’s legendary performance that sent Iowa to the Final Four (1:33). Then, they dive into a discussion on which players past and present they’d trust to take the final shot in a game (14:56). Next, they break down current playoff matchups and debate Austin Reaves vs. Tyler Herro (49:30). Hosts: Austin Rivers and Pausha Haghighi Produce...

Austin and Pausha are back to discuss Draymond Green’s latest ejection, Steph’s subsequent frustration, and more Warriors questions (7:49). Then, they answer which players on playoff-bound teams like the T-Wolves, Cavs, and Clippers are the second-most-important players to their teams’ success (25:22). Later, they wrap things up with some March Madness talk, including the big upset with Alabama be...

Austin and Pausha are back to discuss the Houston Rockets being the hottest team in the league, thanks in large part to Jalen Green’s incredible play (5:45). Then, they talk through the identity-less Clippers and suggest who could lead the team heading into the playoffs (30:00). Later, they speculate on rumors regarding Paul George possibly going to the Sixers, and why the Suns’ loss to the Wemby-...

Austin and Pausha discuss their feelings on JJ Redick and LeBron entering the podcast space together, then offer their take on the impact of Allen Iverson and Steph Curry on the game of basketball (3:00). They then talk in-depth about two plays that absolutely blew their minds: Kyrie Irving’s absurd game-winner and Anthony Edwards’s filthy dunk on Jason Collins (19:18). Later, they give their flow...

Austin and Pausha close out the week with a discussion about the Anthony Davis-Domantas Sabonis “feud” following the Lakers’ latest loss to the Kings (10:05). Then, they talk through Isiah Thomas’s comments about KD saving the legacies of Stephen Curry and the Warriors (27:32), and compare his dominance to that of LeBron James vs. Michael Jordan (44:04). Later, they touch on the double-edged sword...

Austin and Pausha are back to discuss recent injuries, including the Rockets’ Alperen Sengun and the Timberwolves’ Karl-Anthony Towns, then break down where this leaves both teams (8:00). Then, they talk through the Mavericks’ unimpressive record—despite MVP candidate Luka Doncic lighting the league on fire—and suggest what another playoff miss could mean for the team (30:50). Later, they run thro...

Austin and Pausha are back and start things off by discussing why no one seems to be talking about the Bucks, despite being on a six-game winning streak (1:20). Then, they sort through the teams that could give the Bucks and Nuggets the most trouble throughout the rest of the season (16:00), and wrap things up with a shout-out to Caitlin Clark for becoming the all-time leading scorer in college ba...

Austin and Pausha are back with a Rapid Fire Edition of ‘Off Guard’! They answer a slew of “X Player" vs. "Y Player” scenarios and discuss historical NBA choices, then share how they would rebuild a few of the teams in the league. Later, Pausha opens up and discusses the time Damian Lillard absolutely roasted him and made him a huge internet meme! Hosts: Austin Rivers and Pausha Haghighi Producers...

Austin and Pausha kick things off with a talk about some on-court incidents, including Kevin Durant’s viral fan interaction during Suns-Mavericks, as well as the event in which Wake Forest fans stormed the court and injured Duke’s Kyle Filipowski (1:02). Then, Austin reveals why his early pro-player comparison for Cooper Flagg is Andrei Kirilenko (18:35) and discusses why Victor Webanyama needs to...

Austin and Pausha are back from break and share some ideas that could revitalize the All-Star Game and All-Star Weekend as a whole (1:20). Then, Austin responds to his latest stint in NBA headlines thanks to JJ Redick’s comments (26:44), before getting into a two-part discussion about Jayson Tatum becoming the face of the league and being excluded from the MVP conversation (35:14). Later, they tou...

Austin and Pausha prepare for All-Star Weekend by talking through why they’re most excited for the Sabrina Ionescu–Stephen Curry 3-point showdown on All-Star Saturday night (6:28). Then, they discuss the reported attempt by the Warriors to trade for LeBron James at the trade deadline (24:36), why Austin thinks the Clippers are primed for a Finals run (44:32), and Jamal Murray’s comments on not mak...

Austin and Pausha kick off the show with their reactions to the Super Bowl, Patrick Mahomes’s greatness, and Usher’s halftime show (00:00). Then, they discuss whether this is the best Celtics team in the Jayson Tatum era (16:33), the importance of role players and good locker-room guys (34:52), and reminisce on their favorite dunkers like Vince Carter, Aaron Gordon, and Zion Williamson (49:00). Ho...

Austin and Pausha go through some of the biggest deals made at this year’s trade deadline. They start off by looking at teams that didn’t make any moves, such as the Bulls, Warriors, and Lakers (01:12). Then, they discuss why the Knicks hands-down won the trade deadline and cemented their status as East contenders with their acquisition of Bojan Bogdanovic and Alec Burks (17:15). Later, they look...

Austin and Pausha kick off the pod by expanding on Austin’s semi-viral Bronny James–LeBron James take (05:19), and discuss if LeBron’s Knicks towel moment was a not-so-subtle pressure sign to the Lakers (19:08). They also delve into the Bucks needing to find their identity with Doc Rivers now as coach, the irony of Kawhi Leonard potentially winning MVP the year load management rules were institute...

Austin and Pausha highlight last night’s Lakers dominance with Austin Reaves and D’Angelo Russell leading the way (and without LeBron James and Anthony Davis) (1:12), then jump into the debate circulating around the 65-game rule that has stars like Joel Embiid pushing themselves to play through injury (16:12). Later, they run through the All-Star reserves and hit on which players were snubbed and...

Austin and Pausha kick things off talking about everything surrounding Taylor Swift and the Super Bowl and why they’ve come around on her and Travis Kelce’s relationship (1:12). Then, they dive right into some hoops, starting with a Miami Heat conversation in which they unpack whether or not the regular season will determine their playoff success (13:17) and why Bradley Beal needs to follow the Ra...

Austin and Pausha are back to hit on the news throughout the league, starting with the 70-piece Joel Embiid dropped on Wemby and the Spurs’ heads, as well as KAT getting his career-high 65 points against the Hornets (1:17). Then, they hit on the hiring of Doc Rivers to replace Adrian Griffin as new head coach of the Milwaukee Bucks and break down why Doc makes the most sense (21:46). Later, they d...

Austin and Pausha revisit the elite guard conversation and whether Shai Gilgeous-Alexander should be crowned as the league’s best (1:00), then, they touch base on the Pascal Siakam trade to Indiana (7:47), and talk through D’Angelo Russell’s impressive performance amid trade rumors (18:36). Later, they highlight the 40-point game KD had against the Pacers and respond to his claim that he should be...

Austin and Pausha talk through which lineup is best for the Lakers as they look to turn their season around (2:35). They then talk through whether bringing back Dejounte Murray to pair with Wemby would make sense for the Spurs (13:10). Then, the guys get into another Warriors conversation where they discuss why they need to hit the eject button and blow up the roster entirely (28:25). Finally, Aus...

Austin and Pausha celebrate their one year anniversary of ‘Off Guard’ by breaking down a week full of games, starting with the Timberwolves’ dominant win in Orlando before their unfortunate loss to the Celtics (4:14), and the Thunder’s 62-point demolition of the Trail Blazers (9:38). Then, they take a closer look at the Lakers’ post-IST struggles before offering up suggestions for potential trades...

Austin and Pausha are joined by three-time Defensive Player of the Year Rudy Gobert to discuss this season’s impressive start and his role playing alongside All-Star teammates Anthony Edwards and Karl Anthony-Towns (3:46). They talk about his career with Cholet Basket in France and his transition to the NBA playing with the Utah Jazz (14:16). Later, they dive into his goals on and off the court an...

Austin and Pausha begin by talking about the development of Victor Wembanyama and why the Spurs are in pressure mode to build around him (01:54). Then they discuss OKC’s win over Boston and whether SGA is currently the best guard in the league (14:38). After, they discuss recent reports of a “growing disconnect” between Darvin Ham and Lakers players (21:45). They end with a conversation revolving...

Austin and Pausha kick off the new year by giving their thoughts on the Knicks trading away Immanuel Quickley and RJ Barrett to Toronto in exchange for OG Anunoby (05:05). They discuss why Anunoby is a good fit for Tom Thibodeau’s play style, what this means for Pascal Siakam’s future, and more. Then, they look into whether it’s time for the Warriors to reset the roster around Stephen Curry (30:08...