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 7, 2020 • 1h 10min
#57: The most influential teams of All Time with Mike Prada
SBNation alum Mike Prada stops by to discuss the most influential NBA team of the last 75 years. How have the Curry Warriors, Jordan Bulls, Bad Boys Pistons and more influenced the game over the years? Mike and I bounce through a number of candidates, exploring the key concepts that have held (and evolved) over the decades...And while we agree on the most influential team ever, we also end up disagreeing over them. Follow Mike @MikePradaNBA and support at www.patreon.com/thinkingbasketball
Jun 9, 2020 • 1h 9min
#56: The defensive awards show with Mo Dakhil
Former NBA video coordinator Mo Dakhil joins to discuss the first ever Thinking Basketball Defensive Awards. We look at the best defenders in a number of key categories and discuss defensive superlatives in a more granular, qualitative approach than the typical All-Defensive team ballot. He also forces me to design trophies for each award. Follow Mo at @MoDakhil_NBA and support at www.patreon.com/thinkingbasketball
May 19, 2020 • 1h 25min
#55: Hakeem vs. Robinson vs. Russell | Andre Snellings, Great Debates
In the 5th episode of the Great Debates series, ESPN's Andre Snellings helps me size up three of the greatest defenders in NBA history, all with distinctly different offensive games. How successful were these players on both ends? Was Robinson better off playing more like Russell? And how would each of them look today? Follow Andre at @ProfessorDrz and support at www.patreon.com/thinkingbasketball
May 8, 2020 • 1h 2min
#54: J. Kyle Mann | The innovation of iconic moves & Soviet Sabonis
The Ringer's J. Kyle Mann returns to discuss creativity and basketball innovation in the midst of his “Ball the Right Moves” video series. We discuss crossovers, Kenny Sailors and the jump shot, Michael Jordan's bendy package and why Kyle's wrists are so sore. We also discuss the mystique of pre-NBA Arvydas Sabonis. Follow him at @jkylemann and support at www.patreon.com/thinkingbasketball
Apr 29, 2020 • 1h 9min
#53: The Best 6th-men in NBA History
Who had the best season off the bench in NBA history? Do all the great 6th-man seasons belong to instant-offense scorers? Why are good defenders rarely acknowledged in Sixth Man of the Year voting? Can I ask anymore questions? In this episode, I rank the top 10 sixth man season of all-time. Support at www.patreon.com/thinkingbasketball
Apr 20, 2020 • 53min
#52: The best off-ball players of the 3-point era
I reboot the inaugural episode with new data and a deeper look at the all-time best scorers in NBA history. What makes someone a great scorer? What misconceptions are common about volume vs. efficiency, on-ball vs. off-ball scoring and finishing vs. dependency. Support at www.patreon.com/thinkingbasketball
Apr 8, 2020 • 1h 11min
#51: Klay vs. Miller vs. Allen | Great Debates
In this episode of the Great Debates series, I compare all-time shooters and off-ball ballerinas Klay Thompson, Reggie Miller and Ray Allen. How were these players different? What changed when their roles and teammates changed? What are the important numbers and trends to know about each player, and, of course, who was better at his best? Support at www.patreon.com/thinkingbasketball
Mar 24, 2020 • 1h 28min
#50: Top scorers in NBA history revisited
I reboot the inaugural episode with new data and a deeper look at the all-time best scorers in NBA history. What makes someone a great scorer? What misconceptions are common about volume vs. efficiency, on-ball vs. off-ball scoring and finishing vs. dependency. Support at www.patreon.com/thinkingbasketball
Mar 16, 2020 • 1h 12min
#49 Dave DuFour on MVPs & Dr. Maia Majumder on COVID-19 numbers
The Athletic's Dave DuFour on things and the NBA MVP. We compare 2020 LeBron James to another historical MVP winner. Dr. Maia Majumder also stops by (52:00) to provide insight into modeling COVID-19 and why we should exercise caution when it comes to public numbers or models...and avoid social gatherings. Follow them at @DaveDuFourNBA and @MaiaMajumder. Support at patreon.com/thinkingbasketball and access the post show pie cast with Dave.
Mar 1, 2020 • 53min
#48: Tatum vs. Giannis & BPM 2.0! Inside Basketball-Reference's new metric
I take a first look at the new Box Plus-Minus on Basketball-Reference that goes back to 1974, including an all-time top-10 list based on playoff BPM. What kind of player does the model love? What are the improvements from the old 1.0 on the site? And can the emerging Jayson Tatum unseat Giannis Antetokoumnpo in his quest to do something no one has ever done? Support at www.patreon.com/thinkingbasketball
