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
Apr 8, 2022 • 56min
#110: The one true MVP! (Awards fallacies & existentialism)
Who is the MVP in 2022? Are we prioritizing the right players? Can we even answer this question without defining it clearly? We discuss the concept of awards ballots, the idea of ambiguous definitions, the purpose of awards and the difference between philosophical variety, fallacious arguments and non-contextual data points (Stats Police!) With Cody Houdek @codyhoudek. Support at www.patreon.com/thinkingbasketball
Apr 4, 2022 • 1h 3min
#109: 2022 Defensive Awards!
It's time for the second ever defensive awards, where we discuss the best defenders in a variety of categories ranging from the best paint protector to the best point of attack defender to “who is the most switchable defender in the league?” With Cody Houdek @codyhoudek. Support at www.patreon.com/thinkingbasketball
Mar 28, 2022 • 1h 2min
#108: Top-10 offensive players of 2022
We tackle the exciting, difficult, painful task of sorting out the best offensive players in the league this season, including the incredible big men in the league right now and their different approaches, the value of playmaking, spacing and non-scoring effects, and the handful of players with really wide, uncertain ranges of impact heading into the 2022 playoffs. With Cody Houdek @codyhoudek. Support at www.patreon.com/thinkingbasketball
Mar 22, 2022 • 45min
#107: How good is the Bucks offense?
We discuss Jrue Holiday's great offensive season, the synergy between Giannis, Khris Middelton and Holiday, and the success of the Bucks Big 3 on offense this season. Also, why does it feel like there's no defense played in today's NBA? Would Giannis fail in a prior era? And who is the ideal teammate for LeBron James? With Cody Houdek @codyhoudek. Support at www.patreon.com/thinkingbasketball
Mar 18, 2022 • 1h 2min
#106: J. Kyle Mann on new player archetypes
The Ringer's J. Kyle Mann (the Dime Drop) joins to discuss how prospects can blow through their projected ceilings by playing in a unique, different way, and what that means for players like Darius Garland, Cade Cunningham, Chet Holmgren and more. Follow Kyle @jkylemann. Support at www.patreon.com/thinkingbasketball
Mar 14, 2022 • 53min
#105: Making sense of the league by Bamming on the contenders
We attempt to stack up the title favorites, but first, an old LeBron tweet reminds us how quickly narratives flip on elite players.Then we try to make sense of the parity, injuries and incredible offensive explosion (and state of foul drawing), along with some Bam Bam moments. With Cody Houdek @codyhoudek. Supportat www.patreon.com/thinkingbasketball
Mar 6, 2022 • 51min
#104: Mega penetrators & Helio brain (Mitchell vs. Morant)
Is Donovan Mitchell one of the best offensive players in the game today? How does he compare to someone like Ja Morant? We discuss some of the game's best penetrators (2011 Derrick Rose) and the potential issue with the “heliocentric” boxes so many guards are put into today. With Cody Houdek @codyhoudek. Supportat www.patreon.com/thinkingbasketball
Feb 28, 2022 • 1h 5min
#103: The most valuable 3-point shooters in the league
It seems like an obvious question, but how do we define great shooters? How do we measure them? And who are the best shooters in the NBA right now? We look at two different ways to view shooting and a bunch of data on the best 3-point shooters in the league today. With Cody Houdek @codyhoudek. There is a full list of the top shooters (by tier) and the data for this episode for subscribers at www.patreon.com/thinkingbasketball
Feb 21, 2022 • 55min
#102: The Celtics new defense, Gobert for MVP & Jokic's all-time place
We discuss the white hot Celtics and Ime Udoka's tactical decision to unleash Rob Williams on defense, Rudy Gobert's consistent absence from MVP discussions, and Nikola Jokic's offensive ranking among the all-time greats. Also some trade deadline housekeeping with the Porzingis and Haliburton deals and the Bucks depth. www.patreon.com/thinkingbasketball
Feb 17, 2022 • 59min
#101: The Evolution of Pace and Space | Mika Prada
Mike Prada (formerly at SBNation) stop by to discuss the evolution of the “Pace and Space” era, the tactical chess match in the 1998 NBA Finals, playing fast in the 1940s and how we landed on today's switchable, helping schemes to combat the pick-and-roll. Follow Mike at @MikePradaNBA. Support at www.patreon.com/thinkingbasketball
