Hardwood Knocks

Hardwood Knocks drops their officially official primer and preview for Cavaliers-Warriors, Round 4. But before they get to NBA Finals anatomization and predictions, they must first navigate their way through the most 2018 scandal ever. On the heels of a report from The Ringer's Ben Detrick that suggests Philadelphia 76ers president Bryan Colangelo has five secret Twitter accounts dedicated to serving his own agenda, Andy and Dan discuss all the various forms of potential fallout. The accounts in question haven't been confirmed as Colangelo's, but the evidence seems pretty damning. And given how critical these burners were of everyone from Joel Embiid and Markelle Fultz, to Sam Hinkie and Masai Ujiri, it stands to reason all this could ultimately cost Colangelo his job.  Will it also cost the Sixers a shot at signing LeBron James and Paul George? Should we give Colangelo the benefit of the doubt in this instance? Is this the craziest NBA storyline in recent memory? After blitzing through this, Andy and Dan offer their thoughts on the Magic hiring Steve Clifford as their new head coach. And then, from there, it's NBA Finals time. Do the Cavaliers have a chance? What are the implications of every possible Finals outcome? What tactical adjustments will the Warriors and Cavs make as the series goes on? We talk about it all! As always, be sure to subscribe to and rate Hardwood Knocks on iTunes. You can also find us on Stitcher and BlogTalkRadio. And as 50 Cent's biopic suggests: Follow Andy Bailey (@AndrewDBailey), Dan Favale (@danfavale), the show (@HardwoodKnocks) and NBA Math (@NBA_Math) on Twitter or die trying.

Hardwood Knocks is joined by NBA Math's Founder and Editor in Chief Adam Fromal (@fromal09) to discuss the state of the NBA's Conference Finals. Along with Dan, he gets into LeBron James' workload; the Cavaliers' ability to complete the comeback against the Celtics; the Warriors' ability to do the same versus the Rockets; Kevin Durant's slump; Chris Paul's injury; LeBron's best free-agency destinations; and so much more! As always, be sure to subscribe to and rate Hardwood Knocks on iTunes. You can also find us on Stitcher and BlogTalkRadio. And as 50 Cent's biopic suggests: Follow Andy Bailey (@AndrewDBailey), Dan Favale (@danfavale), the show (@HardwoodKnocks) and NBA Math (@NBA_Math) on Twitter or die trying.

The latest Hardwood Knocks mailbag goes all around the NBA and then back again. Twice. Andy and Dan break down the Cavs-Celtics and Rockets-Warriors matchups; dissect DeMarcus Cousins' value in free agency; hypothesize some Kawhi Leonard trades; pick their top-three draft prospects; identify teams primed to facilitate salary dumps (shoutout, Atlanta!); offer up some free-agent and trade targets for the 76ers; discuss Mike Budenholzer joining the Bucks; and then continue to riff on so much more! As always, be sure to subscribe to and rate Hardwood Knocks on iTunes. You can also find us on Stitcher and BlogTalkRadio. And as 50 Cent's biopic suggests: Follow Andy Bailey (@AndrewDBailey), Dan Favale (@danfavale), the show (@HardwoodKnocks) and NBA Math (@NBA_Math) on Twitter or die trying.

With news coming that the Supreme Court ruled in favor of legalizing sports betting, CNBC's Chris Crouse (@CW_Crouse) joins Hardwood Knocks to talk about what it means for the NBA, and whether it could expedite the process of compensating college athletes. Chris and Dan also talk extensively about the Sixers' future in advance of a pivotal offseason. Will they sign LeBron James or Paul George? Could they trade for Kawhi Leonard? Should we still believe in Markelle Fultz? Is Robert Covington overrated? All this and more awaits you in our latest jam, so let's hop to it! As always, be sure to subscribe to and rate Hardwood Knocks on iTunes. You can also find us on Stitcher and BlogTalkRadio. And as 50 Cent's biopic suggests: Follow Andy Bailey (@AndrewDBailey), Dan Favale (@danfavale), the show (@HardwoodKnocks) and NBA Math (@NBA_Math) on Twitter or die trying.

With the NBA's Conference Finals matchups set to tip off, NBA Math's Founder and Editor in Chief Adam Fromal (@fromal09) joins Hardwood Knocks to preview the Cavs-Celtics and Rockets-Warriors series. But first, he and Dan discuss the Raptors' decision to fire longtime head coach Dwane Casey, and what his exit means for their future and the trade values of Kyle Lowry and DeMar DeRozan. As always, be sure to subscribe to and rate Hardwood Knocks on iTunes. You can also find us on Stitcher and BlogTalkRadio. And as 50 Cent's biopic suggests: Follow Andy Bailey (@AndrewDBailey), Dan Favale (@danfavale), the show (@HardwoodKnocks) and NBA Math (@NBA_Math) on Twitter or die trying.

Hardwood Knocks is joined by NBA Math's own Adam Spinella (@Spinella14) to talk about the futures of the Raptors and Thunder, along with potential trades and Paul George's free agency. We also spend time tackling the pivotal Game 5 matchup between the Sixers and Celtics; reacting to the Hornets hiring Spurs assistant James Borrego; and diving into takeaways from David Fizdale's introductory presser with the Knicks. As always, be sure to subscribe to and rate Hardwood Knocks on iTunes. You can also find us on Stitcher and BlogTalkRadio, and anywhere else you consume your podcasts. And as 50 Cent's biopic suggests: Follow Andy Bailey (@AndrewDBailey), Dan Favale (@danfavale), the show (@HardwoodKnocks) and NBA Math (@NBA_Math) on Twitter or die trying.

Andy and Dan start off with their takeaways from Jazz-Rockets, Sixers-Celtics, Pelicans-Warriors and Cavaliers-Raptors. Get ready for LeBron James, Dante Exum, Ben Simmons and Al Horford #takez! From there, it's on to the Pacers' postmortem and Nikola Jokic's contract situation in Denver, to the Knicks hiring David Fizdale and the Suns hiring Igor Kokoskov. As always, be sure to subscribe to and rate Hardwood Knocks on iTunes. You can also find us on Stitcher and BlogTalkRadio. And as 50 Cent's biopic suggests: Follow Andy Bailey (@AndrewDBailey), Dan Favale (@danfavale), the show (@HardwoodKnocks) and NBA Math (@NBA_Math) on Twitter or die trying.

On the heels of a deep dive into the relationshp between Kawhi Leonard and the Spurs from ESPN.com's Ramona Shelburne and Michael C. Wright, Andy and Dan once again talk about the mounting awkwardness in San Antonio. They also break down the NBA's coaching carousel, with a focus on the Knicks and Bucks, while riffing on the Grizzlies' decision to hire J.B. Bickerstaff. Plus, on top of all this, they have belated picks for the second round of the postseason, a discussion that quickly devolves into a tangent on LeBron James' legacy and Al Horford's status as a superstar. You're welcome. And finally, they cannonball into the Bucks' postmortem following their wildly disappointing 2017-18 campaign and subsequently short-lived playoff run. You're welcome again. As always, be sure to subscribe to and rate Hardwood Knocks on iTunes. You can also find us on Stitcher and BlogTalkRadio. And as 50 Cent's biopic suggests: Follow Andy Bailey (@AndrewDBailey), Dan Favale (@danfavale), the show (@HardwoodKnocks) and NBA Math (@NBA_Math) on Twitter or die trying.

Round 2 of the NBA playoffs begins on Saturday with Game 1 of the Pelicans-Warriors series. Ergo, stuff's about to get real. Knowing this, Hardwood Knocks has called in Bleacher Report's Grant Hughes (@gt_hughes) to preview the best-of-seven set. He and Dan also discuss the future of every eliminated playoff team—the Wizards, Spurs, Heat, Timberwolves and Blazers.  Rumor has it there might even be some Bucks talk, including a random Thon Maker stat, as well. (There is.) So let's hop to it. As always, be sure to subscribe to and rate Hardwood Knocks on iTunes. You can also find us on Stitcher and BlogTalkRadio. And as 50 Cent's biopic suggests: Follow Andy Bailey (@AndrewDBailey), Dan Favale (@danfavale), the show (@HardwoodKnocks) and NBA Math (@NBA_Math) on Twitter or die trying.

MAIIIIIL TIME. In Hardwood Knocks' first postseason mailbag, Andy and Dan tackle all things playoffs-related. Their journey takes them into the surprising developments behind the Jazz-Thunder series and down the Russell Westbrook legacy rabbit hole. They also explore DeMarcus Cousins' free agency; Utah's ceiling in a potential matchup with Houston; Portland's next course of action after falling to New Orleans; Philadelphia's ability to make it out of the Eastern Conference; Cleveland's weird effort against Indiana; and the most underrated performers of the postseason so far. And oh! Other things are talked about as well—including, but not only, the best defensive guards of the playoffs to date. So let's get cracking! As always, be sure to subscribe to and rate Hardwood Knocks on iTunes. You can also find us on Stitcher and BlogTalkRadio. And as 50 Cent's biopic suggests: Follow Andy Bailey (@AndrewDBailey), Dan Favale (@danfavale), the show (@HardwoodKnocks) and NBA Math (@NBA_Math) on Twitter or die trying.

With the NBA playoffs in full swing, Andy and Dan discuss what they've seen so far from the Cavs-Pacers, Jazz-Thunder, Blazers-Pelicans and Bucks-Celtics matchups. They also talk about the latest in Kawhi Leonard dramatics; the Hornets' decision to fire Steve Clifford; and the curious direction of the Knicks' own coaching search. After that, it's on to the conclusion of the future rankings for the NBA's lottery teams. You can find Part I here, and Part II will see them break down each of their top-three finishers. Let's ride! As always, be sure to subscribe to and rate Hardwood Knocks on iTunes. You can also find us on Stitcher and BlogTalkRadio. And as 50 Cent's biopic suggests: Follow Andy Bailey (@AndrewDBailey), Dan Favale (@danfavale), the show (@HardwoodKnocks) and NBA Math (@NBA_Math) on Twitter or die trying.

Take a break from the utter madness that is the NBA playoffs and check out Hardwood Knocks' future power rankings for every lottery squad. In the first of two installments, Andy and Dan anatomize the big-picture outlooks for the first 11 squads, stopping just before the top three, while delivering their final regular-season report card grades for each. Bear in mind that, while performances from the 2017-18 campagin will impact the standing for every squad, this pecking order is being assembled based upon our impressions of long-term trajectories. We take into account incumbent talent, salary-cap projections, draft-pick commitments, developmental track records, coaching situations, injuries and anything else that impacts a team's future. As always, be sure to subscribe to and rate Hardwood Knocks on iTunes. You can also find us on Stitcher and BlogTalkRadio. And as 50 Cent's biopic suggests: Follow Andy Bailey (@AndrewDBailey), Dan Favale (@danfavale), the show (@HardwoodKnocks) and NBA Math (@NBA_Math) on Twitter or die trying.

Andy and Dan break down what will happen in the aftermath of the Knicks firing Jeff Hornacek and the Magic canning Frank Vogel. They then rank which of the current head-coaching vacancies around the league are most appealing (MIL/NYK/PHX/ORL) before deciding whether the Pistons and/or Hornets are also on course for sideline shakeups. From there, Hardwood Knocks officially belly flops into playoff mode. Andy and Dan dissect and predict each of the eight first-round matchups, while simultaneously delivering their end-of-the-year report-card grades for all 16 postseason squads. Grab your crap-happens-proof listening device. It's time to get real, and busy, and then real busy. As always, be sure to subscribe to and rate Hardwood Knocks on iTunes. You can also find us on Stitcher and BlogTalkRadio. And as 50 Cent's biopic suggests: Follow Andy Bailey (@AndrewDBailey), Dan Favale (@danfavale), the show (@HardwoodKnocks) and NBA Math (@NBA_Math) on Twitter or die trying.

ALL-NBA PICKS ARE IN! Andy and Dan wrap up their year-end award series by picking all 15 All-NBA spots. Don't bother throwing hate at us. We already hate our ourselves. Many of these selections were excruciatingly difficult, so please, be kind. We suck, and we know it. Let's do this. As always, be sure to subscribe to and rate Hardwood Knocks on iTunes. You can also find us on Stitcher and BlogTalkRadio. And as 50 Cent's biopic suggests: Follow Andy Bailey (@AndrewDBailey), Dan Favale (@danfavale), the show (@HardwoodKnocks) and NBA Math (@NBA_Math) on Twitter or die trying.

Andy and Dan submit their officially official, irreversibly irreversible picks for all seven of the NBA's year-end awards: Coach of the Year, Executive of the Year, Sixth Man of the Year, Most Improved Player, Rookie of the Year, Defensive Player of the Year and MVP. Did James Harden stave off his most direct competitors to win Hardwood Knocks' affections? Were Sixth Man of the Year and Most Improved Player really no-brainer selections? Who won Rookie of the Year, Donovan Mitchell or Ben Simmons? Who qualified as a candidate for Defensive Player of the Year? How difficult was it to select Coach of the Year? Did anyone other than Daryl Morey receive love for Executive of the Year? Don't worry about this pod being predictable or run-of-the-mill. The Hardwood Knocks boys do, in fact, lean into the consensus, and there will be times when they agree. But they also disagree like gentlemen, butt heads like barbarians and enter picks with both their heads and heart.  As always, be sure to subscribe to and rate Hardwood Knocks on iTunes. You can also find us on Stitcher and BlogTalkRadio. And as 50 Cent's biopic suggests: Follow Andy Bailey (@AndrewDBailey), Dan Favale (@danfavale), the show (@HardwoodKnocks) and NBA Math (@NBA_Math) on Twitter or die trying.