On Episode 16, Christian is joined by Rob and Trey to preview the 2022 NBA Finals between the Boston Celtics and the Golden State Warriors! The fellas break down the highly anticipated matchup from a strategy and analytics perspective, dive into various defensive schemes the Celtics may deploy to slow down the Warriors’ aerial assault, and touch on some key offensive adjustments the Warriors may need to rely on more than they have so far throughout the playoffs.

The key to this series is going to be Boston’s bigs (looking at you Al Horford and Robert Williams) and more specifically whether they’ll be able to move their feet on the perimeter and stifle the Warriors’ small ball pick-and-roll enough to stay on the floor. However, Ime Udoka and Co. have showcased an extraordinary ability to adjust on the fly and to a variety of offensive schemes so far in this year’s playoffs, and the guys key in on one particular seldom-used lineup that Boston could unleash in this series to keep up with Golden State’s guard-heavy attack.

But the most shocking development of all?! Christian, Rob, and Trey all agreed on their predicted winner! We’re rolling with ******* in 6! Oh wait, was that blurred out? Guess you’ll have to tune in to find out ;)

All this and much more on Episode 16 of Around The Association!

On Episode 15, Christian and Trey are back for Part 2 of our two-part series with current NBA player Kelan Martin! In this episode, we chat with Kelan about navigating free agency as a player, what it’s like carving out a role for yourself in the league, as well as, how analytics are really utilized in the NBA and how they are viewed by the players.

We also go rapid fire and ask Kelan a bunch of fun, quick-hitting questions - like who’s the hardest player he’s had to guard, what’re the best and worst NBA cities to visit, who’s his favorite teammate, and much more!

Plus, we save time at the end to get Kelan's expert takes and predictions on the Conference Finals, what it was like playing for this 2022 Celtics team, as well as, why he's rooting HARD for Boston to win the title!

All this plus many, many more incredible behind-the-scenes stories about life in the NBA with Kelan Martin on Episode 15 of Around The Association!

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Get to know Kelan…
Wikipedia: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kelan_Martin
NBA Stats: https://www.basketball-reference.com/players/m/martike03.html
College Stats: https://www.basketball-reference.com/players/m/martike03.html
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/kelanmartinn/?hl=en

On Episode 14, Christian and Trey are joined by three-year NBA veteran Kelan Martin! The former Butler Bulldog and Big East All-American stops by to discuss life in the NBA and take us behind-the-scenes of his career with the Minnesota Timberwolves, Indiana Pacers, and Boston Celtics.

Originally recruited by Brad Stevens, Kelan recounts his journey from 3-star recruit to 3-year starter at Butler University, where he led the Bulldogs to four consecutive NCAA Tournament appearances and graduated as the school’s 2nd all-time leading scorer.

After going through the NBA Draft process and working out for over a dozen teams, Kelan explains the decision-making process that led him to sign with one of the top European teams over NBA training camp invites, and how it was ultimately one of the best career moves he ever made.

Eventually making his way back to the States after one year abroad, Kelan relives the national coming out party he experienced at 2019 Las Vegas Summer League that landed him his first NBA contract with the Minnesota Timberwolves.

In what was no doubt one of the most memorable (and nerve wracking) weeks of his life, Kelan describes those fateful first two nights of the 2019 season during which he made his NBA debut against the Charlotte Hornets after nearly being called upon to shut down Kyrie Irving’s 50-point outburst on opening night.

We wrap up Part 1 of this two-part series by picking Kelan’s brain about the hectic lifestyle of a two-way player, the toughest players he’s had to play against in the NBA, as well as, what it’s like to guard superstars like Bradley Beal, Trae Young, and even LeBron James!

All this plus many, many more incredible stories about life in the NBA with Kelan Martin on Episode 14 of Around The Association!

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Get to know Kelan...

Wikipedia: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kelan_Martin
NBA Stats: https://www.basketball-reference.com/players/m/martike03.html
College Stats: https://www.basketball-reference.com/players/m/martike03.html
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/kelanmartinn/?hl=en
Twitter: https://twitter.com/kelan30_?lang=en

On Episode 13, Bayesian Baller is joined by White Chocolate to catch up on what was a surprisingly competitive weekend of NBA basketball (looking at you Philly and Dallas)! The fellas kick things off by filing a missing person’s report for Jayson Tatum, praising 1st quarter Jaylen Brown, and discussing Big Al Horford’s incredible resurgence. They even get into some late-game coaching strategy regarding Marcus Smart’s near perfectly missed free throw to end Game 3.

They then dive into Golden State’s dominant victory over a now Ja-less Grizzlies team, express their bewilderment towards JJJ’s offensive decision-making, and debate what kind of contract extension Jordan Poole will command next summer. The guys also get sidetracked ranking the league’s top guards under age 22 (god you’re impressive, Tyrese Maxey).

They wrap things up by contextualizing Harden’s sudden unwillingness to shoot the basketball and by quantifying Luka’s iso-centric style of play (which *spoiler alert* Bayesian Baller doesn’t believe can win you an NBA championship). They also sprinkle in some smoldering hot takes regarding trades and free agent signings you should be looking forward to this summer.

Plus, some major news and milestone achievements for Krause House and Around The Association! All this and much, much more on Episode 13!

On Episode 12, Bayesian Baller is joined once again by White Chocolate and Ice Trey - two of Krause House’s sharpest basketball minds - to preview the NBA’s Conference Semifinals and analyze how each team won their opening round series.

They take a data-driven approach towards breaking down the Celtics’ shocking sweep of Brooklyn, debate whether Draymond Green is actually more important to the Warriors’ championship potential than Steph Curry, and discuss why the 64-win Suns have suddenly become somewhat a sleeping giant.

Plus, the fellas put on their GM hats and debate who should be traded: Donovan Mitchell or Rudy Gobert? They also highlight several recent playoff phenomena that hadn't occurred since 2018 and 2011, respectively. They wrap things up by examining the (controversial) results of the Defensive Player of the Year voting.

All this and much, much more on Episode 12 of Around The Association!

On Episode 11, Christian is joined in the studio by Rob (aka White Chocolate) and Trey (aka Ice Trey) from Krause House for an absolutely loaded edition of Around The Association!

The fellas kick things off by analyzing the NBA’s 1st round playoff matchups, discussing their most likely upset picks (looking at you Toronto), and previewing which series they’re looking forward to the most. They follow that up by going around the horn and selecting their All-NBA teams. And then wrap things up by predicting their MVP, ROY, DPOY, MIP, COTY, and 6MOY award winners.

All this and much more on Episode 11 of Around The Association!

On Episode 10, Christian and Rhett are coming to you live from New Orleans where they're covering this weekend's Final Four!

They break down everything you need to know about Duke-UNC and Kansas-Villanova in what's gearing up to be a legendary Final Four. The fellas predict who will be cutting down the nets at the Superdome and **spoiler alert** they have completely different picks for who will make the National Championship game! They then wrap up by picking their March moments and discussing the top NBA Draft prospects still remaining.

All this and much more on Episode 10 of Around The Association!

On Episode 9, Christian and Rhett preview every Sweet 16 matchup and give their predictions on who’s going to advance to the Elite 8 and beyond!

The dynamic duo outline why Arizona should be on upset alert against an under-seeded Houston Cougars team, why the public shouldn’t be sleeping on Michigan to keep this magical run alive, as well as, why Gonzaga has (by far) the toughest path to the Final Four. The Cinderella run of the mighty Peacocks also got us thinking about who’s the “worst” NBA player you could drop on Saint Peter’s team that could lead them to the National Championship? Some of the fellas’ answers may surprise you.

All this and much more on Episode 9 of Around The Association!

The greatest month in sports is officially here! On this very special March Madness edition of Around The Association, Christian is joined in the studio by Rhett Johnson (aka 'The Accountant') to bring you all the latest picks and insights leading up to the 2022 NCAA Tournament.

The fellas go round-by-round, pick-by-pick predicting all the Cinderellas to watch and upsets to choose from in your bracket! They dive deep into the analytics and even provide score predictions from some of the top college basketball models around the country. They also talk betting and which teams have the most favorable odds to pull off those unlikely upsets.

We think you'll be surprised about who we have locked into our Final Fours, so be sure to stream Episode 8 of Around The Association if you want the edge in your bracket pool!

On Episode 7, we are back with Part 2 of our two-part series with former Phoenix Suns coach and 20-year NBA vet Phil Weber. In this episode, we get into a lot more basketball strategy and talk x’s and o’s and analytics. Phil really pulls back the curtain and gives us a glimpse of what it was like being on the inside of those mid-2000’s Suns teams.

We also talk about Phil’s post-Phoenix years with Coach D’Antoni and the New York Knicks. Spoiler: Christian unapologetically takes this opportunity to ask about his favorite childhood player, David Lee, and Phil doesn’t disappoint...

We wrap up by discussing Phil’s new book titled “How Do You Make Them Thirsty?”, which is out now and available at Amazon, Barnes & Noble, or wherever you get your books. Enjoy!

https://www.amazon.com/How-You-Make-Them-Thirsty/dp/1642251984