On the NBA Beat

Last Sunday, the Sacramento Kings finally dealt the player who served as both franchise cornerstone and a near-constant thorn in their side for his first six and a half NBA seasons. Comcast Sports Net California Kings Insider James Ham breaks down the complexities of the divorce as only he can. Royal excerpts from James' responses can be found below: 12:35-13:07: Don’t compare Buddy Hield to Stephen Curry, but there is reason to be excited about the young shooting guard: “Just take that and throw that out the window. He’s not Steph Curry. He can average 14 to 16 points per game in the pros. He can also struggle. But from what I saw of him in limited action on Thursday, [he had a] very nice teardrop in the lane, I thought he handled the ball well, he was able to take guys off the dribble, I thought his defensive prowess was better than what people have talked about, and [post-game] he even talked about not being critiqued the whole time.” 19:48-21:41: Hands-on Kings owner Vivek Ranadivé was persuaded to move on from DeMarcus Cousins in a very specific way:  “I know that he’s got his fingers in every pie in the organization. And in this situation, he was convinced to trade DeMarcus by management as it got closer and closer to the deadline. He was pretty adamant about not trading DeMarcus, and he has been [since he took over]…Is he the right owner for the Sacramento Kings going forward? I don’t know the answer to that. But what I do know is he has no problems opening his checkbook and that he was really loyal to DeMarcus Cousins, but he became enamored with Buddy Hield, which might actually tell you how management was able to shift him away from DeMarcus…so when they made the deal with the Pelicans, he was on board.” 23:02-24:01: Listening to or reading this fascinating anecdote about former general manager Geoff Petrie’s pursuit of Giannis Antetokounmpo is not advisable for squeamish Kings fans: “Geoff Petrie was there just for a little while, and just to make Kings fans just cringe, Geoff Petrie had a dossier, a giant binder on Giannis Antetokounmpo. He had scouted him almost exclusively, and that was the selection he was going to take with the McLemore pick, and Pete D’Alessandro came in and just said, ‘Well, thanks. See ya.’ And then two weeks later, drafted Ben McLemore and ignored the dossier that they had produced. He had flown to Greece to scout him himself…When you’re looking at the overall package of what’s happened here in Sacramento over the course of time, there’s a lot of instability. There’s a lot of ups and down…They’ve made a bunch of mistakes.” 26:56-27:32: Kings general manager Vlade Divac has received his fair share of criticism, but only time can truly tell how he’s performed, argues James. He also asserts that Divac has begun to recover from his miserable start in the role: “It’s not like every move he’s made has just been an epic blunder. I think he has shown improvement. I think he’s always going to get graded on one transaction, maybe two – both of which he’ll be graded negatively on – but I think you have to let it play out, right? You have to see if this team becomes better and they move on without DeMarcus. And then you also have to consider the other side, too. What if DeMarcus is DeMarcus in New Orleans and he implodes and he takes down that group with him? Not that I’m saying that’s going to happen, but there’s a potential there.” 35:00-36:39: Our guest raves about DeMarcus Cousins, the man. Although he is certainly flawed on and off the court, Cousins’ huge heart has transformed him into a role model in the Sacramento community: “He’s a big, lovable dude. I’ve had plenty of run-ins with him over seven years, but I’d say the last two years, he and I kind of came to an understanding of each other. We had some conversations, and we ha

Less than 24 hours before the NBA's annual trade deadline, Yahoo! Sports NBA editor Dan Devine (Ball Don't Lie) fits us into his busy schedule. Dan breaks down the league's biggest trades to date (chief among them, this past weekend's DeMarcus Cousins deal), hints at what may be on the horizon and touches upon the Clippers' postseason prospects and two dark-horse contenders in the Rockets and Wizards. He even provides a glimpse into New Orleans cuisine. What a guy! What a show!   7:57 - 9:15: Dan explores how the DeMarcus Cousins acquisition will likely affect the Pelicans' position in the race for the Western Conference's No. 8 seed: “Adding Boogie to the lineup, giving them that core three with Anthony Davis and Jrue Holiday, gives them, from a talent perspective, maybe the best core that you can offer in that group. It's also worth remembering that New Orleans is three games back of Denver in the loss column right now, and they've got to leapfrog both Portland and Sacramento...They've got some work to do…and they're going to have to integrate a gigantic piece with 25 games left in the season. The talent of DeMarcus Cousins is such that it made all the sense in the world for them to take the gamble on him, especially given the very low price they had to pay for him, but making the fit work neatly and fluidly with him alongside Davis in the frontcourt, two of the five or six highest-usage players in the league...getting them acclimated to playing off each other and having times where they're not going to have the ball for long stretches...all those sort of things can be difficult to figure out, and they're going to have to figure them out immediately to make up the ground that they need to make up to get to the eighth seed."  15:19- 16:01: Dan analyzes Magic Johnson's first move as the Lakers' president of basketball operations: "Lou Williams, on a relatively short-term contract, is not going to be a long-term piece of their [the Lakers'] future. The idea being that he's having a career year and is an attractive piece at a nice price was going to be to flip him anyway. You wind up getting a first-round pick and Corey Brewer, who's obviously just there as a salary filler...That seems like a pretty shrewd move as you continue to try to build your young talent base, especially if Lou Williams being gone makes the Lakers a little bit worse now down the stretch. The more losses they stack up, the better their odds of falling in the top three of the lottery, and if they're outside the top three, they lose their pick to Philadelphia." 25:29 - 26:48: Dan remarks on the calculations the Celtics organization must make when determining whether it is going to make a transcendent trade ahead of the deadline: "It's a delicate balance. You come to a point where you've got to make a decision one way or the other. Everyone's been waiting for years for Danny Ainge to swing for the fences with his accumulating all these assets with young players and picks and an amazing haul from the Paul Pierce-Kevin Garnett trade where they're still benefiting from the pick swaps...And advantageous moves bringing in Isaiah Thomas and below-market contracts they've thrown at guys like Avery Bradley and Jae Crowder...There's the concern of, if you blow up something big and you maybe disrupt the chemistry on a team where everybody seems to be pulling in the same direction and it's been good enough to get them within a couple games of the Cavs and the No. 2 seed so far, do you risk blowing that up by swinging for the fences for a big star?...The goal is at some point not just to be pretty good for a long time. It's to put yourself in a position where you have the capacity to add that picture-shifting player, the guy that can change the landscape."  35:44 - 37:08: Before lauding the Wizards as his dark-hors

With NBA All-Star Weekend upon us and her dad, Craig, slated to be inducted into the Atlanta Sports Hall of Fame Friday, Kacy Sager joins the podcast. In addition to sharing some special anecdotes about her legendary father, a man who adored the annual All-Star festivities, Kacy describes her love for Giannis Antetokounmpo’s game, gives her pick for league MVP and provides insight into the wild Eastern Conference landscape and Atlanta’s handling of Paul Millsap, among other topics. Kacy, who serves as a contributor for Basketball Breakdown and a member of Turner Sports’ stat team, is honest and entertaining as ever. Here’s a select sample of what she has to say: 5:01-6:35: Kacy’s all-time favorite NBA player is a precocious 22-year-old named Giannis Antetokounmpo: “As much as I’ve always known that he was going to end up being a really, really big player, I didn’t even expect it to happen this year. I thought it was going to happen next year. So it’s really cool to see him already taking that big of a leap, and he still has so much potential. He’s doing things out there that shouldn’t physically be possible… Some of it is so mundane at this point, which I feel horrible saying. I feel like we’re going to start taking him for granted at some point. It was fun to watch him during the shootaround before the game though, just shimmying and dancing out there. He always has the hugest grin on his face, and it’s so cool to know that he just so frickin’ excited to be an All-Star. And I’m so excited for him. I cried. I legitimately shed a tear.” 12:50-13:43: Her father, Craig, will be tremendously missed this weekend in New Orleans. He covered every NBA All-Star game between 1988 and 2014, as well as the 2016 festivities. It was “his Christmas,” as she explains: “He just always referred to it as his Christmas. He has in his basement a basketball signed by all of the different winners and the MVP from every year of the All-Star game. I don’t know how he did it. I know it says on your credential pass you’re not supposed to get autographs, but apparently, that doesn’t apply to him. It’s going to be really weird without him there. They flew my step-mother and half-siblings down there again for this year, so they’ll be doing that again. I think Foot Locker’s doing something to honor my dad… I know he wore that ridiculous silver suit, the aluminum foil-looking thing and he walked around the court in it, and around halftime of the game they ended up calling him and telling him he had to change because it was messing with all the cameras because it was so reflective.” 14:27-15:07: Kacy sheds light on the always memorable exchanges between Craig and infamously-terse-with-reporters Spurs head coach Gregg Popovich while offering a glimpse into her dad’s psyche: “A big part of who my dad was, he always liked to be the 'good guy.' I mentioned it in my eulogy. We’d be playing a game of basketball when I was like 5 years old – he never let me win at anything – and he would be dunking on me and he’d be like, ‘Another basket for the Good Guys.’ He was always the “Good Guys.’  And I think that it was really cool for Popovich to feel so comfortable almost playing like the villain to his protagonist… it’s so funny to me that people actually thought that Popovich was being a jackass to him. He’s such a good man.” 18:43-20:10: Our guest opines on why, despite the injury concerns, the Cavaliers are still kings of the East: “I had the Celtics finishing second in the East preseason. To me, they kind of remind me a little bit of where the Hawks were a couple years ago, though. I think they just seemed like a team that was going to win a lot of games just because they’re well coached and [they have] a lot of overachieving guys who play really well together and know their roles, but I don’t know how well that’s going to

As Massachusetts readies for another Super Bowl appearance by its Patriots, the Boston Celtics are playing terrific basketball, guided by two-time All-Star Isaiah Thomas, who turned in one of the most prolific scoring months in franchise history this past January. To help us praise IT and get to the bottom of swirling trade rumors and Boston’s defensive woes, Michael Pina is on the scene. Pina, who covers the Celtics for Bleacher Report, hosts The Big Three podcast and writes about the league elsewhere, delivers a frank, spirited analysis of the team. In addition, this wide-ranging discussion hits on how Al Horford is fitting with this squad, how Brad Stevens’ coaching enhances Marcus Smart’s game, what the Celtics see in 20-year-old Jaylen Brown and why the Cavaliers and Tristan Thompson pose very specific problems for the postseason Celtics, among other topics. Oh yeah…the longtime Patriots fan also provides his Super Bowl prediction. Enjoy some excerpts below:   7:38 - 8:04: While Michael acknowledges Isaiah Thomas' shortcomings on defense, he also highlights the diminutive point guard's many defensive strengths:  "For all the bad things about Isaiah Thomas' defense, I think his effort is always there despite the high offensive usage. He's extremely tough, extremely physical, he does not die on screens, he fights over them, and really makes ball handlers work really hard, and he knows where to be. He gets up into guys, even when teams force switches and he's up against a much larger player." 11:47 - 12:13: If Bostons is able to hold the East’s No. 2 spot through Sunday’s games, Celtics head coach Brad Stevens will be coaching this season's Eastern Conference All-Star squad: "He deserves to coach an All-Star team. I think he's one of the better overall coaches in basketball, let alone someone who's that young, commands respect from everybody on the team. He's fair to the players, and they appreciate that. He's a great communicator. Since he was hired, he's done a fantastic job of putting guys in positions where they can succeed, not asking too much of his players." 16:38 - 17:52: Our skeptical guest explains why now would not be the right time for the Celtics to pull the trigger on a Jimmy Butler trade given the steep asking price: "If you were to acquire Jimmy Butler, you would in all likelihood have to ship out valuable rotation players who have helped you get this far, who have built up continuity, who know their roles in Brad Stevens' system, and there is the potential for disruption with that if you were to bring in someone like Butler. And you don't know for sure...if that trio [Thomas/Horford/Butler] is [good enough] over the next couple years to dethrone LeBron James, Kevin Love and Kyrie Irving. If you do trade both Brooklyn picks for Butler, your avenues for improvement are basically nil. You don't have the cap space...they have trade assets, and if they move those for Butler, then you're locked into that being your core." 25:45 - 27:18: With the No. 3 overall pick in the 2016 NBA Draft, Danny Ainge surprised many by selecting a freshman out of Cal. Michael explains what the Boston front office loves about Jaylen Brown: "Despite the poor shooting in college and the very, very worrisome advanced numbers that came out, I think the reason they took him is that he is a superb athlete, he works extremely hard in every area of his game, he's mature beyond his years, takes the game very seriously, he's in the gym...[and] the weight room constantly...His versatility and his size are something that the Celtics need. When you look around the league at who the best players in basketball are right now., the [Paul] Georges, Kawhi Leonards, Jimmy Butlers, these two-way wings who are extremel

Last Friday's executive order from the Trump administration has drawn criticism from the NBA community, as well as from various corners of the country and world. The panel will discuss the NBA's reaction, why they believe it was justified and what more can be done by the everyday person. That conversation is preceded by Aaron's commemoration of International Holocaust Remembrance Day, also on Friday. His primary takeaway? The Holocaust's strongest, most enduring lesson: Silence in the face of discrimination of any group is unacceptable and must never take place in order to avoid repeating the costly mistakes of the past. But first, in a much lighter discussion, Loren takes us through his thrilling Jeopardy appearance, in which he won two games and took home more than $37,000. Stick to sports? Not this time. The stakes were too high. Music: "Who Likes to Party" by Kevin MacLeod

The Hawks’ season thus far can reasonably be separated into three segments: (1) a hot start, (2) a brutal stretch 11-game stretch, and, finally, (3) the successful period Atlanta is currently enjoying. Kevin “KL” Chouinard, digital writer for the Atlanta Hawks  and host of the new ATL and 29 podcast, graces the show with his presence, discussing how Atlanta bounced back from its miserable late-November, early-December slump, the process of integrating free-agent addition Dwight Howard, Dennis Schröder’s excellent first season as a starting NBA point guard and how Paul Millsap serves as the glue that keeps the team together. Of course, many other opinions are rendered, including why this season’s Hawks actually stand a chance against the defending champion Cavaliers who swept them one postseason ago in the Eastern Conference semifinals (not to mention the sweep in the 2015 Eastern Conference finals). Below, sample some exhilarating episode excerpts: 5:15-6:06: Kevin details the keys to Atlanta's strong recent defense: "What's changed recently, compared to the 1-10 stretch, is they put Thabo Sefolosha in the starting lineup, and he's really one of the best perimeter defenders in the NBA...Millsap (is) playing more minutes with the starters and so that's a much better defensive unit they're using to start games. And it's not perfect, because in opting for more defense, they've got less offense." 9:02-9:31: Last season, Dennis Schröder was arguably the best backup point guard in the NBA. Now, Malcolm Delaney is the team's backup after Jeff Teague was traded to the Pacers in the offseason: "He's a professional point guard. He spent five years in Europe. He won a championship in France, won a championship in Slovenia, won a championship in Germany, and then he played two years for Lokomotiv Kuban (in Russia). In those two years, he brought them up a level and then into the EuroLeague Final Four, so he had a really successful career in Europe. It's not a flashy type of game that he plays. It's really an understated type game." 11:44-12:15: Our guest explains why it is vital for the Hawks to integrate Dwight Howard more into the team offense: "They need to be able to find him more and find him in a comfort zone...They don't really use the post game much, and I can understand why: it's not really part of their offense. They're more of a pick-and-roll type team, but they still need to figure out a way to keep him involved, just so that he keeps that touch. Because when he goes too long between touches, it's hard to stay involved." 13:52-15:05: Paul Millsap has been integral to the Hawks' success this season: "He's everything to the Hawks...When he's not around, they just collapse. He does a little bit of everything for them. He's their secondary creator...If it's not coming from the point guard, it's almost always going to come from him. When they face defenses that switch...it comes down to one-on-one play, and when it does, it's either Schröder or Millsap who is going to make the play in that situation. He's their best natural passer....Just defensively, he's unbelievable and even more so with someone like Howard playing behind him. He can play low...because if he misses it or if doesn't quite get the deflection, he knows that in most cases he's going to have Howard behind him.” 18:18-19:42: Kevin analyzes the Hawks' chances in the playoffs: "I think they want to at least take one chance at it....If there's a Boston-Atlanta series, Boston might have the upper hand. They've looked really good against the Hawks this season. But, at the same time, Boston would have a heck of a time trying to keep up with Cleveland, and I think that the Hawks using a Millsap-Howard-Sefolosha frontcourt, can do some things to slow the Cavaliers. You've made a team specifically with the goal in mind of trying to do som

Amid all the talk of a potential third straight Cavaliers-Warriors Finals matchup and a statistically historic MVP race between Russell Westbrook and James Harden, the San Antonio Spurs have quietly continued their dominance, on pace for 64 wins in the first season of the post-Tim Duncan era.. Jeff Garcia, Spurs Head Writer for News 4 San Antonio and Fox 29 San Antonio, as well as the host of the Locked on Spurs podcast, joins us to explain why the Spurs, as always, are perfectly content to stay below the national radar until the playoffs, and how their quiet, humble star, Kawhi Leonard, embodies that mentality. He also takes us through how, in recent years, the team has been able to transition seamlessly from a slow, grinding offense to the faster-paced, efficient one we're seeing now. Among additional fascinating topics, Jeff tackles impressive backup point guard Patty Mills' impending unrestricted free agency. Particularly, will the Spurs pay to keep Mills in town and/or make him the starter over Tony Parker? Read more for our favorite excerpts from Jeff: 3:31-4:35: Despite their recent success, the Spurs are perennially ignored by the national media. Jeff explains why and if it matters: “They just get the job done, and that can get boring at times. It’s like they say: ‘death, taxes, and Spurs’...They’re sitting at 32-9. They are a defensive animal. They’re an offensive animal. But yet, overlooked…Does it really matter? Because as long as this team is jiving at the right point [and] is heading into the postseason on the right foot, has a good rhythm, they’re going to get their national media attention, and hopefully that’s going to come late June when they’re hoisting up another trophy.” 11:00–12:42: Our guest then stands up for Kawhi Leonard as a legitimate darkhorse MVP candidate:  “Lurking in the shadows is a Kawhi Leonard…Maybe he’s also a product of the Spurs being overlooked. He’s become the new Tim Duncan. You expect these kinds of numbers from Kawhi...He’s very low key, he’s not a screamer. He’s not like Westbrook charging down the court, jamming it with ferocity and then thumping his chest.  He’s not like Harden stirring the pot...or putting the three fingers up in the air and kissing the sky. Kawhi’s not that. He’s quite the opposite. And if he was that type of player, I would not be surprised to see him in the top three as an MVP candidate.” 16:34-17:08: Approaching 68 years old, what does legendary Spurs head coach Gregg Popovich’s future look like? Jeff has the scoop.  “I don’t see him stepping away from the game for quite some time. Let’s not forget that he is the new Team USA Olympic men’s national team coach for 2020. He's also mentioned in the offseason he’s being a little bit more physically fit and trying to stay in more shape now.  He’s seeing himself here for the long haul patrolling the sidelines for the Spurs and obviously Team USA years from now. I don’t see him slowing down. You’re seeing him enjoying the new-look Spurs.” 19:45-21:04: Next, the Spurs expert highlights the position that the team most needs to address: “[Tony] Parker, obviously he’s making me eat my words right now, but his better years are behind him…You have Patty Mills. What are they going to do with him after this season? He’s in a contract year…He’s producing numbers this year [and] he's upped them almost across the board, so he's going to be getting looks in the offseason. I think point guard is a position this team really needs to look at heading forward. I think that’s where Dejounte Murray comes in. I’m not totally sold on him as of now. He’s still a fairly large project to work on. I know the Spurs are high on him…He’s been in and out of the D-Lea

At the midpoint of the Clippers’ regular season, there’s no need to fear. Why not? ESPN.com NBA writer and editor Andrew Han is here. The host of ESPN LA's Clippers Podcast dazzles as he reverses roles and answers all of our Clippers-related inquiries. Chief among those, why has a once-elite defense fallen on such hard times? In this extensive interview, Han sheds light on recent improvements to the Clippers’ front office, impactful free-agent additions Marreese Speights and Raymond Felton and Luc Mbah a Moute’s sizable improvement, among a slew of other timely topics. Of course, he also addresses whether or not either of the team’s superstars could realistically depart upon season’s end. Read on for a handful of exhilarating excerpts:  3:51-5:01: Andrew diagnoses the main cause for the Clippers’ defensive struggles that have occurred since early December: “Because he [Luc Mbah a Moute] is so versatile, the Clippers switched [on] a lot of their coverages early in the season - Blake Griffin, in particular, because even though Blake is not the best defender, he certainly has the athletic ability to stay with most players, whether they’re perimeter players or big men. And so Blake and Luc would switch a lot. And I think one of the issues that occurred is that they started to switch more and more, and there’s that balance between switching because everyone is on a string and you know what your teammates and the people behind you are thinking and switching out of laziness because it’s just easier to do that...In layman’s terms, they were being lazy and not giving enough effort on defense, and I think that contributed to a lot of the defensive decline…and then of course the injuries only made everything worse.” 11:07-12:07: He comments on the likelihood of the Clippers retaining their most prized assets next offseason: “Realistically, I don’t think Chris Paul or Blake Griffin or [J.J.] Redick frankly for that matter will leave, because just looking at the landscape of the NBA, where is the situation that can afford these players the same luxuries that they have in Los Angeles? To be able to have all the amenities of a big market and not be constantly harassed by media and fans and things like that sounds pretty good from my perspective. And then just in terms of roster composition, there’s not a lot of teams in the league that are ready to be contenders that can shed the space or have the right pieces to complement Blake Griffin and/or Chris Paul."  15:45-16:18: Our guest’s favorite player, Luc Mbah a Moute, has shown considerable improvement, thus greatly contributing to the team’s success this season. How has he grown more comfortable offensively? “This season, there’s a lot more cutting that’s involved with Luc, and there’s a lot of action for him that happens around 18 feet. And 18 feet is comfort zone for Luc in terms of shooting. He has a lot more confidence in the ability to take and make those shots. And because of that, I think that not only does Luc have a better understanding for how his teammates operate, [but also] the team in general has a better feel for how they get Luc in the best spots for him to succeed offensively.”     25:24-27:21: The coach’s son is much better than casual NBA fans would have you believe. Andrew shares a critical adjustment Austin Rivers has made in recent years: “I think, at times, he was trying to do things that were too fast for his body to execute…A lot of that inefficiency in motion is trimmed down when he plays now, and even when he’s finishing around the rim you’ll see what happens is he takes these drag steps to kind of slow his momentum down so that he can kiss it off the glass and into the basket…Not to use the clichéd term that the game is slowing down for him or maybe he’s slowing down for the game.” 32:30-33:

Last time Dan Feldman of NBC Sports' Pro Basketball Talk joined the podcast, he detailed the Pistons' inconsistency. Again, a season later, Feldman breaks down the team's streakiness and many other salient issues, including Stan Van Gundy's unique brand of leadership, Reggie Jackson's improving play, and why star center Andre Drummond can, at times, be so frustrating to watch. Here are some excerpts to get your engine revving: 1:50-1:58: During the recent 3-9 skid: “The entire difference almost was defensively. They went from defending like, give or take, the best team in the league to defending like the worst team in the league.” 7:55-8:27: “One thing that is helping [Tobias Harris] is that when you start the game, the Pistons want to get touches for Reggie Jackson. They want to get Marcus Morris involved. They’re running more plays for KCP. They’re running more plays for Andre Drummond. They’ve got to get all these guys involved… When [Tobias Harris] comes off the bench, it’s his turn to get involved. There’s no ambiguity of, ‘Hey is it my turn or is it somebody else’s turn?’ When he comes in, it’s his turn, he can get going and get into a rhythm. He's a talented player and a good scorer and when he's the focal point, that's something that works for him.” 15:44-16:22: Regarding Drummond's defensive lapses: “Some of it's just getting lost, still being young, still learning his way, but some of it’s aggressiveness. You look at his shot blocking numbers, those should be higher. He’s just not always competing on that end… that’s one of the drawbacks with him; there are worse drawbacks. If you have Andre Drummond, you take the good and bad. He's the best player the Pistons have had in a long time, probably since Chauncey Billups. You’re happy to have him, but you have to work through these effort things and get him to compete more, especially on the defensive end more consistently, and to be smarter on that end. It's a work in progress.” 18:50-19:22: "A lot of times… it doesn't really matter whether [Drummond] is in a good spot or not, they just sort of cherry pick, 'This will be a Drummond possession.' So if he's not in good position, he's going to force up the shot. He's not that good of a passer, that's something he needs to work on. [They need to] just make it more part of the offensive flow, rather than 'Sometimes we're going to run our offense, sometimes we're going to force-feed Drummond.' Those things need to find a balance and work better together. It's a work in progress." 19:53-20:25: "I think it's something that's driving Stan Van Gundy nuts, how they haven't crashed the glass as hard as he wants them to, especially the non-Drummond players. They all rebound better when Drummond is out of the game. When Drummond's in, they're often waiting for Drummond to get the rebound, every rebound, and he obviously can't get them all. That said, at least the Pistons are doing something productive out of their offensive rebounding dip; they've been very good in fastbreak defense and not allowing fastbreak points." 23:19-23:57: "The Pistons want to develop [Stanley Johnson], they want to get him minutes, they want him to be part of the rotation, but he’s got to earn it at least a little bit and for so much of the season, he wasn’t. Offensively, he would go through two different phases. He’d either force it and miss a lot of shots and turn the ball over, or he'd be way too passive and completely disappear. He never found the middle ground and didn’t find much coming naturally to him. Defensively, for the most part, the effort was good, but it was just really reckless. He didn't really know where he was going and was running around a lot ineffectively. Not the progress you’d want to see from last year." 28:13

The Charlotte Hornets’ reliable core is back this season and performing admirably despite some early-season streakiness. As usual, with a Steve Clifford-led team, the defense is generally stout and the offense is taking care of the ball. Nick Denning, editor for SB Nation’s At the Hive, rejoins the show to discuss Kemba Walker’s brilliance, Nicolas Batum’s multi-faceted game and more generally why this fundamental, non-flashy team handles its business so well. All that and more on the show, but first some particularly buzz-worthy bites: 3:57-4:15: “100 percent convinced [Hornets head coach Steve Clifford is the right person for the job]. He’s perfect for this team. He’s created an identify for them and one thing that’s becoming pretty clear is that players like to play for him, and we’re not necessarily talking about stars, but a lot of good players like to go play for him just because he knows how to maximize their talent.    5:01-5:30: “His [Kemba Walker’s] emergence has been really in the last couple of seasons. He’s just never really had the pieces around him to be effective because before it was like they had to rely on him; late shot clock, whatever it was, it’s like you gotta get the ball in his hands or else there’s no chance of scoring. Now, a few more pieces, they’re much better at moving the ball and whatnot, he’s able to do more of the things that he’s good at it, but he’s also improved himself a ton. He’s actually a better player than I thought he would be at this point.”   8:43-9:01: “The four-game losing streak they had earlier, they were all on the road, you could tell they weren’t fresh, but I would say the effort defensively wasn’t where Clifford wanted it to be. But aside from those, there’s three games that stand out to me where just playing a little bit better defensively and actually putting a team away would’ve resulted in a win.”      12:01-12:36: “The one advantage that they have over these teams, their core pieces are very much the same, whereas New York brought in Rose and brought in Noah; they’re trying to piece things together. The Hornets are very much the same team that they were last year minus a few pieces. Some of them key, but Walker’s still there, Batum’s still there, Marvin Williams is still there. But I will say this: Historically speaking, if you look at teams under Steve Clifford, they actually never quite hit their peak until around late February, early March.”  19:06-19:31: “He’s [Nic Batum’s] not actually as good an individual defender as he was maybe a few years ago, but he’s a very smart player and he’s a very quiet, sneaky player. When I saw his stat line after the game, I said, ‘That’s the quietest 16 and 13 that I’ve seen ever,’ and then the eight assists to go with it. So he just quietly puts together a really well-rounded performance.” 21:36-22:04: “[Hornets GM Rich] Cho actually tried to sign him [Marco Belinelli] the season before and then he signed with the Kings, so he obviously was still a favorable player in Rich Cho’s eyes. But I think Tom Ziller for SB Nation kind of summed it up very simply. He said, ‘Belinelli’s a good player on a good team and a not so good player on a bad team. The Kings were bad. The Hornets are good. I think he’ll be fine.’ And that’s basically what’s happened.” 30:46-31:04: “He [Frank Kaminsky] says, ‘We’ll be on the court, and he’ll [Marvin Williams will] start calling the play out, he knows where somebody’s going before it even happens.’ That kind of experience and knowledge is something that really helps him on that end.” Music: "Who Likes to Party" by Kevin MacLeod

Chris Reichert of FanSided Network's The Step Back visits to tell us everything we need to know about the D-League. The league expert explains the expected impact of the new Collective Bargaining Agreement on the NBA's official minor-league basketball organization, the league's top prospects and how it has served as a laboratory for testing potential NBA rule changes. Also, what is an ambitious basketball coach's best friend? Not a dog, bur rather a coaching stint in the D-League. Reichert is teeming with fascinating material, including how wing Jonathon Simmons went from paying $150 to try out for a D-League team to earning a key role playing for one of the greatest organizations in all of professional sports, the San Antonio Spurs. Check out some of Reichert's rubies below: 1:34-3:28 Reichert on how the new Collective Bargaining Agreement will affect the D-League players: "They're adding two roster spots to every NBA team and those are going to be two-way contracts, probably for fringe [NBA] players...they want to keep their rights but they really want to develop them in the D-League. Those players are going to be paid a little more. They'll get 50,00 to 75,000. It opens up 60 additional roster spots for players, which is another great thing for D-League guys, fringe guys looking to make rosters and get an opportunity...The NBA minimums have come up 45 to 50 percent…which is going to help D-League players, because the 10-day contracts come January are based off the minimum salaries for however many years a player has in the NBA...They helped about a fifth of them, which I guess is a start, but hopefully, eventually we’ll get higher contracts across the board in the D-League." 5:39-6:32 on the D-League as a test lab for the NBA: "I think it's really smart. It's a good way to gauge...what kind of effect these changes are going to have on overall gameplay and fan experience. They have a coach's challenge in the D-League that can be used in the fourth quarter or overtime. That's something the NBA does not have and they've been experimenting with it. This is the second season...They used to also use the FIBA goaltending rule, where you can hit the ball off the rim...Another thing that might actually get implemented in the NBA that they're using this year is on offensive rebounds, the shot clock goes to 14...It keeps the game flow going, forces the offense to maybe make a faster decision on their second possession.” 7:32-7:43: "We're at 22 right now...In four seasons max, every team is going to have its own affiliate." 12:14-13:59: "One guy that people haven't heard of that is really good is Kevin Murphy. He went to Tennessee Tech so you wouldn't have known him from college most likely. He's 26, about 6-5 or 6-6, plays on the wing, and can really light it up...Chris Evans is another one. He went to Kent State. He's a 6-8 forward, he's 25, plays for Canton…Both of them spent a couple years overseas, and now they're getting close to that basketball prime. They're trying to make that push for a chance to make an NBA roster." 14:09–14:21: "Scoring a ton is great, but his [Pierre Jackson’s] efficiency has been just ridiculous. He's shooting over 50 percent from the floor, over 40 percent from 3, and like 85 percent from the free-throw line. He's dangerous right now." 16:41-16:52: “I’m really happy for Sean [Kilpatrick]. He’s a really good guy. I interviewed him a couple years ago when he was in the D-League, and you could just tell he didn’t want to be overseas playing. He wanted to be in the NBA, and he was gonna ride this thing out until he got a chance.” 20:08-20:34: “I really thought the Heat would keep Briante Weber over [Rodney] McGruder, and I was really pleased when they kept McGruder instead. I love Briante Weber, but McGruder’s really playing well, and I think he’s playi

All That Amar, Managing Editor of SB Nation’s SLC Dunk, stops by to discuss the Utah Jazz, whom he declares are finally in win-now mode. The young Jazz haven’t won a playoff game since 2010 and have finished with between 38 and 43 wins three of the past four seasons, but things appear to be changing for the better. Amar explains how the coach, general manager and players have all come together to generate a much-improved product on the court. Here are some of the highlights of our discussion: 4:18-5:07: Our guest explains how added depth has allowed the Utah Jazz to weather an early storm of injuries: “The main reason is that they’ve had a few seasons with injury before, so they kind of figured out that they need to prepare for that. And what Dennis Lindsey, the GM of the Jazz, did was he went out and… they wanted to get depth, and I think that they accomplished that this season… adding George Hill, Joe Johnson and Boris Diaw. These guys, they haven’t been healthy for every game of the season, but they have made sure that when Utah is missing 1.5 starters per game, about three rotation guys every single game… they still have enough guys to stay in the game. If this was last year’s roster, the record would probably be maybe eight wins instead of 15.” 6:05-6:44: Amar sees the work Gordon Hayward has put in to develop both his skills and his body: “[Hayward has] made it so the things that he’s good at and the things that he’s worked on work together, so that he’s even better than he originally was. He’s streamlined himself into being a better offensive player… I think working on your body is something that all NBA players have to do. If you’re going to be a star, you have to at least be average or above-average physically. That skinny kid out of Butler didn’t have the body to be a star. This Captain America hunk right now, maybe he does.” 9:12-9:44: He goes on to explain how Rudy Gobert has used criticism as motivation to fuel his offensive awakening this season: “[Gobert] is kind of motivated by the haters. On Twitter and other social media, if anyone is critical of him, he will favorite that message to give him motivation. The offense has improved with the rest of his game. I think it’s an opportunity for him to show people that he’s better than what they thought he was, almost [dropping to] the second round of the NBA draft, or being overlooked or traded by the team that drafted him, which was Denver. He wants to prove people wrong.” 10:40-11:23: But it’s not just Gobert who has improved his scoring. Quin Snyder’s offensive system is finally on display: “The thing is that he’s working hand-in-hand with what the front office wants… What they wanted Quin to do was rebuild Utah’s defense. The first two, if not the first three, training camps were all focused on that so obviously the offense was lagging behind. But the bill of goods we were sold was that Quin Snyder, who worked under Coach K [Mike Krzyzewski] and [Gregg] Popovich and Larry Brown and Ettore Messina and [Mike] Budenholzer and all these other guys, he’s supposed to be an offensive genius… It seems like they finally have some players who can run his offense, and we’re finally seeing it catch up to the defense.” 17:32-17:56: Amar assesses where Utah’s team-building process stands early in 2016-17: “Utah hasn’t really done that type of drastic move yet [trading away potential for veterans]. They’re trying to do two different things at the same time and the results remain to be seen. To be win-now, that means you’re giving up a lottery pick. That’s exactly what Utah did this offseason; they gave up the 12th pick to get George Hill. That’s a clear indication that they think they definitely need to win now.” 19:10–19:55: Consider our guest a huge fan of newly acquired George Hill’s fit with the Jazz: “He’s a hand-in-glove fit with what both the G

With a new defensive-minded head coach, the Sacramento Kings are hoping to halt their 10-year playoff drought, but they continue to struggle, especially on the defensive end. However, our guest, Morgan Ragan, host of The Deuce and Mo Podcast, SacramentoKings.com contributor and local Sacramento reporter, explains why coach Dave Joerger should be afforded job security unlike many of his Kings predecessors. Other topics covered in the episode include how to guard DeMarcus Cousins, Rudy Gay's future in Sacramento, the front office's perpetual draft blunders and what the team needs from the point guard position. Enjoy some selected excerpts from the interview below:  6:55 - 7:23: Ragan starts by asserting that the Kings' center is better suited for a situation in which he’s no longer the franchise cornerstone: "He gets away with a lot of stuff...because he's DeMarcus Cousins. He's the best player on the team. He's the one producing the most points, the most rebounds. So if he wasn't that guy and didn't have that power, he would be even better somewhere else." 8:19 - 9:01: Next, Ragan laments this season’s regression in Willie Cauley-Stein's game, an all-too-common occurrence for Sacramento’s first-round picks: "With Willie Cauley-Stein, you look at him in George Karl's system, when he was actually playing, when there wasn't that drama, there was something about that scrappy, fast-paced offense that really worked for him...Now this year, seeing him get the ball 10 feet out and have to do a little post move, he doesn't have that in him offensively. And his confidence level too...He doesn't look to attack. He's not much of a threat." 17:20 - 18:20: However, on the bright side, there has been first-year Kings head coach Dave Joerger: "How many times have we had to bash Dave Joerger this season? Not as much as we have in the past with George Karl and even Mike Malone...With Dave Joerger, there are not a lot of bad things to say about him right now. We're not hearing about any fights between him and DeMarcus, which is sad [that people use that as a barometer]. And we're not mad at him because he doesn't have the right pieces on defense. And he has that defensive mind that we like. I do see Dave Joerger coaching out his (four-year) contract. That's one of the more positive things out here in Sacramento."  22:11 - 22:26: Ragan tells us that Rudy Gay should opt out of his contract this offseason, but that the Kings should not give him the opportunity: "This season, I do not see this team going to the playoffs. That is ultimately fair to say from what we've seen. That's why if you can get pieces for Rudy Gay before he walks, that's what the Kings should do." 25:00 - 25:17: Finally, our guest details how opposing teams should defensively game plan for DeMarcus Cousins: "Sadly the answer to that is to get in his head. Screw with him, because guess what? That's gonna throw off his 3-pointer, that's gonna throw off his inside game...if you can get him taken out of the game mentally, which we've seen so many teams do, do that." Music: "Who Likes to Party" by Kevin MacLeod  

This special Harrison Barnes-themed episode draws upon the perspectives of Dallas Mavericks fan Jason Gallagher, who currently serves as a multimedia editor at The Ringer, as well as Andy Liu of Warriors World, to try to determine Barnes' ultimate potential in the NBA. After four years with the Golden State Warriors, including the final two that resulted in NBA Finals appearances, the 24-year-old forward signed a four-year max contract with the Dallas Mavericks. While Kevin Durant has taken his starting spot on the league's most dominant team, Barnes has been tasked with carrying the injury-riddled Mavericks on his shoulders. So far, the results have been mixed. Without further ado, enjoy the show, and check out some excerpts from the episode if you'd like:    Jason Gallagher at 3:57-4:12: They’re kind of playing in a nothing-to-lose sort of mentality at this point, and so I think that him learning to develop these skills of leading a team without the pressure of having to win games is good for a young player. 6:17-6:44: “I really like Harrison on defense…and specifically Harrison when he plays the 4 he’s found a lot of success as well, especially on defense, in exploiting bigger players. He’s showing himself to be a versatile guy, and you really have to start thinking that way with Dirk [Nowitzki] on his last legs.” 12:15-13:01: “Let’s be clear. Kevin Durant specifically said he wanted to go to the Warriors. He’s going to be getting open shots now. That’s just a fact. And that is a fact that Harrison Barnes benefited from when he was with the Warriors. And now he’s with a team with far less talent. His companion 3-point shooter, the guy that he is supposed to be leaning on the most is a trash shooter right now, and that is Wesley Matthews…So Barnes is at many, many times in the game, the only scorer on that team, the only person who can create his own shot.” 17:38-18:13: “The defense has been really good. He’s been able to, like I said, switch, defend larger guys, defend smaller guys. Since Shawn Marion left, they’ve really missed that sort of guy who can defend all of those positions, and that is something that Barnes brings to Dallas that is a huge positive that people do not give him nearly enough credit for. In most cases, it’s either he or Wesley Matthews that is defending the No. 1 guy. And so when LeBron comes to town, it is going to be Harrison Barnes who is tasked to defend him, and he’s not bad.” Andy Liu at 30:17-30:57: The thing with Barnes is he’s a huge rhythm guy…He has to get his touches in order to get the good feel for that particular game, and that’s why he looks better. That’s why in 38 minutes he plays better. Because he’s just getting the ball so much, not that they have a choice. He’s one of those guys where he looks better when he gets more touches, but you’re not a good team. And then if you want to be a good team, he’s not going to get as much touches, then he doesn’t have the same type of feel or comfort or confidence with the game itself. 37:14-38:11: “I think his lowest floor is always gonna be a really, really, really good role player no matter where he is. I think probably Vince Carter right now as a Memphis Grizzlie…He’s gonna be someone that no mater what he’s not really gonna make mistakes out there. He’s gonna make open shots…his worst-case scenario is probably that guy that can get to the rim here and then, make the defense semi-honest, can make open shots, open 3s, solid defender, kind of makes all the right plays, doesn’t really screw anything up. Basically like a sixth, seventh man that you can trust that will finish games if he’s hot, be a solid NBA player.” 39:48-40:32: “He was there for four years and these guys just kind of said, ‘Hey, we don’t need this guy anymore.’

Following dramatic offseason changes, the Chicago Bulls have jumped out to a 10-6 start. At 34, future Hall of Famer Dwyane Wade has returned to his hometown. Chicago also brought in former NBA champion Rajon Rondo, among others. Our guest, Ashish Mathur of the Outside Pitch Sports Network, details how Wade and Rondo have added a sense of accountability, what’s behind Jimmy Butler’s routine offensive outbursts and how the Bulls’ lack of depth could ultimately derail their high hopes. Plus, much more is discussed with Mathur, who is cautiously optimistic about 2016-17 given how early it is in the season and the team’s new-look quality. At times, he’s even bullish, but let’s get to the excerpts before any more questionable puns are employed: 1:48-3:04: Mathur begins by pointing out the necessity for the Bulls to trot out a completely different team this season and detailing what key additions Dwyane Wade and Rajon Rondo have brought: "The roster turnover was needed in every facet. Derrick [Rose] and Joakim [Noah] did a lot for this organization and city, but with Jimmy [Butler] establishing himself as the new alpha on the team, it was time for those two to go. Gar Forman and John Paxson did a pretty good job. Getting Rondo and Wade here was huge, just for the locker room. It was toxic and full of turmoil last year…not able to handle any adversity…it was time for a change. The biggest thing Wade and Rondo add to the team is accountability…First day of training camp, Rondo and Wade were stopping practices telling guys to knock it off and to stop the chit-chat, [because they're] here to practice." 3:57-4:58: Next, Mathur gushes about Butler's transformation from defensive specialist to bona fide all-around superstar: "This guy came into the league as a defensive stopper, averaged 2 points per game his first year. He's got to be one of the hardest working players, especially in the offseason…He got up at 4 in the morning every day and trained. He's having fun this year. Last year, there was so much dysfunction…Last year was the first [time] Jimmy dealt with adversity in the NBA…He looks so much different. He's smiling, loves having Wade on the team, and is putting up MVP-type numbers." 9:52-10:12: Certainly some of Butler's success this season can be attributed to mentor and fellow Marquette alumnus Dwyane Wade: "First day in [Wade's] opening press conference, he said that this is Jimmy Butler's team and that was huge for everybody…last thing we need is Butler and Wade not being able to play with each other. It's great for Wade to be the mentor to Jimmy." 11:02-12:56: Starting point guard Rajon Rondo is also a key part of the Bulls’ offense, but he has needed time to adjust to his new surroundings and has been hampered by a hardly discussed injury: "Rondo's always been a putrid shooter…he's not here to score…his leadership and being vocal on the floor have been his biggest attributes for the team. Hoiberg's a nonchalant coach, sits down the whole game, and he's pretty quiet. Rondo is vey loud, he's the coach on the floor, and that's been huge...the floor spacing though is not at its best when he's out there…we're supposed to get Rondo here for his defense and being a pest on that end of the floor. The Bulls' defense has been middle of the pack, but they've been awful when he's been on the floor…His defense will pick up. He's quietly dealing with an ankle injury that he's not talking about. That might be contributing. Just look at his track record. He's a pretty good defender at his position." 21:28-22:47: Perhaps the Bulls' x-factor is the wildly inconsistent Nikola Mirotic, whose potential is sky high, according to Mathur: "Mirotic is one of the biggest teases in the NBA. His rookie year, he led the NBA in fourth-quarter scoring in March at around 20 points per game. When he gets into a rhythm, he's one