Hardwood Knocks

Another NBA regular season is grinding to a close, which means it's time to start addressing end-of-the-year honors. First up for Hardwood Knocks: All-Rookie First and Second Team picks. After that, it's on to All-Defense First and Second Team selections. Before Andy and Dan cannonball into anything, though, they spend ample time breaking down how far the Celtics can go in the playoffs without Kyrie Irving. Are they first-round fodder? Can they win a series? Will they surprise some people and, perhaps, scrap their way into the Eastern Conference Finals? And finally: Should they be concerned about Irving's left knee injury long term? From there, it's All-Rookie and All-Defense everything. So get ready for some officially official picks. 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.

MAIL TIME! In the latest listener-driven episode, Andy and Dan get equally topical, hot takey, analytical, historical, obscure and, most critically, all kinds of impassioned. They tackle questions that take you down all kinds of rabbit holes—tangents that collectively include: Kawhi Leonard trade destinations and predictions; Jabari Parker's free agency; Stephen Curry's absurd efficiency; vulnerabilities for Houston and Golden State in the playoffs; All-Rookie First Team picks; Victor Oladipo's place in the pantheon of Pacers greats; and so much gosh darn 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.

Dan and Andy deliver Part 2 of their top-25 lineup series with Nos. 10 through 1. Did your favorite team's favorite lineup make the cut?  But first: The Sixers announced Joel Embiid will be out indefinitely after entering the NBA's concussion protocol and also suffering an oribital fracture that will require surgery. Sources told ESPN.com's Zach Lowe that The Process could feasibly be at risk of missing the first round of the playoffs.  Can the Sixers survive without him, not just for the rest of their regular-season schedule, but when the stakes soar in the postseason? Might they still be able to steal the Eastern Conference's No. 3 seed from the Cavaliers? Finally, if you were looking for some John Wall trade ideas, you've come to the right place. Dan and Andy have one of those, too. 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.  

Ever wonder which NBA teams are deploying the best lineups this season? Think you know which five-man units are the cream of the Association's crop? Are you just interested in the data that goes in to determining this year's best arrangements? Whatever your interest, the answer to these questions might surprise you. With the help of invaluable possession data from Cleaning The Glass, Andy and Dan deliver the top 25 lineups for the 2017-18 season. They'll run through the first 15 on this episode, then wrap it up with the top 10 later on. They also discuss the impact of the latest updates on Stephen Curry's and Kyrie Irving's injuries.  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.

MAIIIIIIIL TIME! You asked. Andy and Dan answered. This week's mailbag covers LeBron James' greatness at Age 33; Kyrie Irving's potentially season-ending knee injury; persisting awkwardness between Kawhi Leonard and the Spurs; De'Aaron Fox's under-the-radar crunch-time performance; Giannis Antetokounmpo's injury and its impact on the Bucks; a totally real Stephen Curry vs. Magic Johnson debate; the Cavaliers' rising stock; the Raptors' chances of making the NBA Finals; Andrew Wiggins' trade value; 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.

Andy Bailey and Dan Favale go around the NBA to riff on the latest hot-button issues, both real and of their own design and preference. In addition to talking about the imminent returns of Jimmy Butler and Stephen Curry, they dig deep on Andrew Wiggins' trade value; the Nuggets' free fall; the Spurs' mushrooming playoff chances; the Clippers crashing back down to earth; Joakim Noah's future with the Knicks; the Pistons' potential front-office shake-up; the Bucks' head-coaching search; and the prospect of the Warriors approaching a "Klay Thompson or Draymond Green?" crossroads. 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.

MAIL(BAG) TIME! Should the Warriors be concerned about their recent spate of injuries, including extensive absences from Klay Thompson and Stephen Curry? Aside from Victor Oladipo, what makes the Pacers so damn awesome? Are the Bucks dead where they stand? Can the Raptors really make it out of the East?  Should Quin Snyder get some Coach of the Year love? What about Terry Stotts? Has Rudy Gobert played enough to enter the Defensive Player of the Year race? Which NBA franchises have the brighest five-year outlooks? Are the 2017-18 Lakers the greatest non-playoff team in league history? You asked. Andy Bailey and Dan Favale answered. 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.

Kawhi Leonard is expected to rejoin the Spurs this Thursday when they play the Pelicans. Is it too little too late for their slumping playoff chances? Plus, hosts Dan Favale and Andrew Bailey hand out updated report card grades for each of the Western Conference's teams at the three-quarters mark of the season. Be sure to check out their takes on Eastern Conference in the previous podcast as well. 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.

Derrick Rose is now a member of the Timberwolves, because, well, Tom Thibodeau likes collecting former Bulls. (Shoutout, Aaron Brooks.) Dan and Andy break down D-Rose's fit in Minnesota—spoiler: It's not great—and discuss what his arrival might mean for his career and Tyus Jones' own role.  After that, it's time to roll out the quarterly Eastern Conference report cards! Andy and Dan deliver their grades for all 15 teams while also trying to make sense of a jumbled middle class that includes the 76ers, Bucks, Heat, Pacers, Wizards and, for now, the Cavaliers. 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.

Eight NBA teams are vying for the Western Conference's final six playoff seeds, and things are starting to get weird. Everyone is worthy, and no one is safe. Can the Spurs survive the NBA's toughest remaining schedule without Kawhi Leonard? Could the Thunder really, actually, possibly miss the playoffs? Is the Blazers' recent streak for real? Should the Nuggets be concerned about their Paul Millsap-Nikola Jokic dynamic? Can Anthony Davis carry the Pelicans to home-court advantage? Do either of the Jazz or Clippers have the juice to escape lottery territory? Should the Timberwolves be considered done without Jimmy Butler? NBA Math's founder Adam Fromal joined Andy and Dan to try making sense of the Western Conference's hectic playoff race, while also taking an in-depth look at the league's swathe of tank jobs. 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.

NBA Math's Arjun Baradwaj (@arjunebug21) and Chris Crouse (CW_Crouse) join Hardwood Knocks to talk about everything they learned, saw and heard while attending the MIT Sloan Sports Analytics Conference. From NBA playoff realignment and tanking, to potential league expansion and team relocation, to legalized sportsbetting and Barack Obama's super-secret, yet-somehow-totally-public panel, Arjun and Chris come bearing big-time goodies. Other topics include: potential tweaks to NBA free agency; future tools that could be at the disposal of head coaches; NBA G-Leauge expansion; compensation ideas for NCAA athletes; the need for more accessible analytics in women's sports; the plight of small-market teams; and so much freaking 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.

MAIL TIME! But first, some breaking-news items. Will Dwyane Wade retire after this season? Is Gregg Popovich subtly recruiting LeBron James on behalf of the Spurs? How much does Ersan Ilyasova help the 76ers? Andy and Dan douse the NBA's latest talking points with some scorching-hot takez of their own. After that, it's all about you, our awesome listeners. The Hardwood Knocks dudes work through their way through an extensive mailbag that tackles Donovan Mitchell's ceiling, Anthony Davis' MVP case, Dwane Casey's Coach of the Year case, the Pistons' recent nosedive, Trey Burke's reinvention with the Knicks, Ben Simmons' hold on the Rookie of the Year debate 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 NBA All-Star break provided no respite from the league's 24/7/365 news cycle.  Kawhi Leonard might be done for the season in San Antonio. The Hornets are undergoing front-office changes that could result in them trading Kemba Walker over the summer. Jimmy Butler is tired. Joel Embiid is recruiting Giannis Antetokounmpo to play for the Sixers.  So, yeah: Basketball is back, Jack! And there's a lot to talk about. Andy and Dan blitz through it all, while going deep on the Eastern Conference's playoff picture, seed by seed. Will the Raptors hold onto first place? Do the Cavaliers have time to leap-frog the Celtics? Which team is more likely to secure home-court advantage through the first round: Washington, Milwaukee or Philadelphia? And which squad will be left out in the lottery cold: Detroit or Miami?  Be sure to check out our in-depth Western Conference predictions as well, which can be found here. 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 preview and predict the winner for every major All-Star Weekend event: Skills Challenge, Three-Point Contest, Slam Dunk Competition, Rising Stars Challenge and Sunday night's main attraction itself. After that, the dynamic duo takes a stab at forecasting how the Western Conference's playoff picture will unfurl, offering predictions for the No. 1 seed all the way through to the No. 10 seed and the two teams that will fall just outside the postseason bubble. The top playoff-related debates include: Can the Rockets hold off the Warriors for first place in the West? Are the Dubs more vulnerable than ever or just in cruise control? Can the Spurs fend off the Timberwolves for third place? Do the Thunder have a chance at usurping the Timberwolves? And, finally, which two teams among the Blazers, Nuggets, Pelicans, Jazz and Clippers will be left out in the cold? 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.

It's mail time again at Hardwood Knocks! Co-founder of The Stepien Cole Zwicker (@colezwicker) joins Dan to go around the league and answer your questions. They cover everything from the Western Conference's playoff race and the Raptors' rise through the Eastern Conference, to the Cavaliers' apparent rebirth and the Celtics' slump, to the NBA draft and Derrick Rose's future in the NBA. Do the Raptors have a shot at beating the Cavs in a seven-game playoff series? What about the Celtics? Is Donovan Mitchell now the favorite to win Rookie of the Year over Ben Simmons? What are the best NBA fits for this year's top-eight draft prospects? Should the Timberwolves be starting Tyus Jones over Jeff Teague?  All this, and much, much more awaits you in the latest, greatest, most bestest Hardwood Knocks mailbag! 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.