Thinking Basketball
Thinking Basketball
Ben Taylor, creator of the popular YouTube channel Thinking Basketball (and author of Thinking Basketball the book) goes deeper on basketball analysis, history, philosophy and theory with co-host Cody Houdek, and a variety of guests ranging from journalists to former players.
Ideal for fans interested in Xs and Os, stats & analytics, coaching and team strategy and adjustments, in-depth breakdowns on player strengths and weaknesses, and who is better and who is best in the NBA. (GOAT debates!)
Ideal for fans interested in Xs and Os, stats & analytics, coaching and team strategy and adjustments, in-depth breakdowns on player strengths and weaknesses, and who is better and who is best in the NBA. (GOAT debates!)
Episodes
Mentioned books
Jul 20, 2023 • 1h 26min
#216: Who will have the best career from the last 3 drafts?
We “superdraft” players from the 2021, 2022 and 2023 NBA draft in a vacuum to guess at their future career value based on what we know so far. Who goes #1? What team has the best potential? And what will this sound like in 5 years? With @codyhoudek. Support at www.patreon.com/thinkingbasketball
Jul 12, 2023 • 1h 13min
#215: How much “luck” is there in basketball?
How much “luck” is involved in an NBA game or playoff series? Is it all about outside shooting? How big of a difference does streaky shooting make, and how should we talk about and think about this relative to “skill” or “quality?” We tackle that with some new data, but first, a few impressions of Summer League, and a white debate about whether the new NBA Cup is a good idea. With @codyhoudek. Support at www.patreon.com/thinkingbasketball
Jul 6, 2023 • 53min
#214: The off-season moves
We break down some of the big trades and free agent signings of the off-season so far, while attempting to remember who plays where and the names of players past and present. With @codyhoudek. Support at www.patreon.com/thinkingbasketball
Jun 28, 2023 • 1h 51min
#213: Top 10 players of 2023
It's time for the annual top-10 players list, this year in podcast form! We make our way through the best players of the 2023 season, and finish by comparing to a list voted on our by our Patreon subscribers. With @codyhoudek. Support at www.patreon.com/thinkingbasketball
Jun 23, 2023 • 1h 20min
#212: 2023 NBA draft with Chip Jones
Our resident draft expert Chip Jones breaks down the 2023 NBA lottery picks, sleepers, and what teams had the best night in a class highlighted by Victor Wembanyama and Scoot Henderson at the top. Follow @ChipJNBA. Support atwww.patreon.com/thinkingbasketball
Jun 21, 2023 • 1h 12min
#211: Victor Wembanyama & the best prospects ever
Victor Wembanyama, the potential best basketball prospect ever, is discussed in this podcast. Topics include the history of great prospects, changes in the draft process, value in later draft selections, and listing the best prospects to enter the league. The discussion also touches on the impact of height in basketball, analyzing top prospects like LeBron James and Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, and sharing a nostalgic high school prospect moment.
Jun 14, 2023 • 46min
#210: NBA Finals Game 5
The Nuggets win the title, the Heatiest heat game, Denver's defense, and Nikola Jokic's 2023 season stacked up historically against the greats. With @codyhoudek. Support at www.patreon.com/thinkingbasketball
Jun 11, 2023 • 38min
#209: NBA Finals Game 4 | Jokic's defense
We discuss Nikola Jokic's defense, the Nuggets role players and more in our Game 4 breakdown. With @codyhoudek. Support at www.patreon.com/thinkingbasketball
Jun 9, 2023 • 40min
#208: NBA Finals Game 3
We break down Nikola Jokic and Jamal Murray's historic night, adjustments in the game, Christian Braun's outburt and what the Heat can do to attack Denver's defense. With @codyhoudek. Support at www.patreon.com/thinkingbasketball
Jun 6, 2023 • 45min
#207: NBA Finals game 2
We break down Miami's Game 1 win over the Nuggets, starting with Erik Spoelstra big adjustment to go big, another ridiculous shooting game from the Heat, and the idea of turning Nikola Jokic into a scorer. With @codyhoudek. Support at www.patreon.com/thinkingbasketball
