Seth Partnow, Mo Dakhil, and Dave DuFour convene for an early August listener mailbag episode. What's their favorite catch-all stat? Does roster continuity matter? Can Dave actually fly? Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Historically in elite team sports, there has often been a dynamic between players and their inherent abilities, and the vision of the coach. In many sports, we’ve seen coaching strategies influence the future of how the game is played. As the era of professionalism swept across many elite sports in the 90s, we saw the highest-level sports teams achieve a competitive edge by looking at the data, with sports fans often noticing a difference in the ‘feel’ of the way their team plays. In Basketball specifically, we have recently seen the rise of the 3-pointer, a riskier and much more difficult shot to accurately hit, even for professional players. But what has driven the rise of the 3-pointer? Is it another trend among coaches, or does the answer lie with data-based insights and the analysts producing these insights?Seth Partnow is the Director of North American Sports at StatsBomb, where he previously served as their Director of Basketball Analytics. Prior to joining StatsBomb in 2021, Seth was the Director of Basketball Research for the Milwaukee Bucks basketball team. Seth is also an accomplished Analyst and Author, having worked as an NBA Analyst for The Athletic since 2019 and having published his own book on basketball analytics, The Midrange Theory. Seth’s knowledge and insight bridges the gap between data analytics and elite US sport. In the episode, Seth and Richie look into the intricate dynamics of elite basketball. Seth explores the challenges of attributing individual contributions in a sport where the outcome is significantly influenced by the complex interplay between players.Drawing from his extensive experience in the field, Seth discusses the complexities of analyzing player performance, the nuances of determining why certain players get easier or harder shots, and the difficulty of attributing credit for defensive achievements to individual players.Seth provides a comprehensive overview of the various roles within sports analytics, from data engineers to analysts, and highlights the importance of finding one's niche within these roles, particularly in the context of elite basketball.Seth also shares his personal journey into basketball analytics, offering valuable insights and advice for those interested in pursuing a career in this field, stressing the importance of introspection and understanding the unique lifestyle associated with working for a sports team, while also offering industry-agnostic advice on how to approach analyzing and using data in any context.

Seth Partnow, Mo Dakhil, and Dave DuFour discuss the playoffs, analyzing the Suns' struggles and potential moves for the Lakers like acquiring Brony James. They delve into player performances, coaching decisions, and team strategies in the NBA playoffs, highlighting intense matchups, key plays, and player aggressiveness.

Mo Dakhil, Seth Partnow, and Dave DuFour discuss Thunder dominance over the Mavericks, Celtics playoff offense, Timberwolves surprising win over the Nuggets, and Knicks vs. Pacers pace of play. They analyze player performance, MVP considerations, and strategic game planning in the playoffs.

Seth Partnow, Mo Dakhil, and Dave DuFour discuss the first meeting between Chet Holmgren and Victor Wembanyama, the In-Season Tournament, Minnesota's winning streak, problems with the Clippers, and the fun Pacers.

Seth Partnow discusses his NBA tiers on the podcast. Topics include LeBron's decline, player rankings, the impact of injuries on team performance, and the importance of reliability for championship success.

Seth Partnow, the Manager of Data Science at the NBA for Penn Interactive and author of "The Mid-Range Theory," dives deep into basketball analytics. He discusses the evolution of the three-point shot and its impact on game quality. The conversation also touches on the struggling Philadelphia 76ers and their playoff prospects, as well as the strategic battle between the Boston Celtics and Cleveland Cavaliers. Partnow explores potential rule changes to maintain competitive balance and assesses the promising future dynamics of the NBA.

Seth Partnow, Mo Dakhil, and Dave DuFour discuss the Boston Celtics' NBA championship win, reflect on their success, analyze the strength of the Eastern Conference, emphasize the importance of defense and two-way players, and explore strategies for building championship teams in the NBA.

NBA analysts Seth Partnow, Mo Dakhil, and Dave DuFour discuss Kristaps Porzingis' injury impact on the NBA Finals, defensive challenges in the series, players' performances, and the debate on NBA coaching openings, including Lakers head coaching position.

NBA analysts Seth Partnow and Mo Dakhil, along with writer Dave DuFour, discuss NBA Finals questions including defensive strategies, coaching performances, and X-factors. They debate the best player in the world and predict outcomes for the upcoming series. The podcast also includes lighthearted discussions about non-alcoholic beer and jewelry collections inspired by artistic influences.