Learning Basketball

Ep. 49 Learning Basketball with Roshan Potluri @PickAndRo

Roshan works in Scouting and Analytics with Los Capitanes, the G League team in Mexico City, is the Founder of Pistons Fleet, and covers the NBA Draft for Swish Theory


Today we learn about Closeout Creation, Draft Philosophy, and Draft the Best Wings in the 2025 NBA Draft

Timestamps:

00:00 Introduction & Background

06:24 Experience Working with Mexico City Los Capitanes: Insights from the G League

10:26 Closeout Creation: The Fulcrum of NBA Offenses

25:15 Draft Philosophy: Evaluating NBA Draft Prospects

41:14 The 2025 Wings Only NBA Draft: Top-5 


Cooper Flagg


Asa Newell


Collin Murray-Boyles

Ace Bailey

Noa Essengue


01:06:07 The 2025 Wings Only NBA Draft: 6-8


Miles Byrd


Daily Swain

Liam McNeeley

01:19:47 The 2025 Wings Only NBA Draft: 9-14


Noah Penda

Carter Bryant


Kon Kneuppel


Adou Theiro

JT Toppin

Will Riley

Ep. 48 Learning Basketball with Dan Devine @yourmanDevine

Dan Devine covers the NBA for Yahoo and formerly at The Ringer. Dan cohosts The Big Number pod with Tom Haberstroh

Today we learn about Dan's journey into basketball media, advice to those chasing a similar path, voter fatigue affecting Giannis in MVP races, Jamal Murray finally looking like Jamal Murray of old, Six NBA Teams with a nonzero chance of making the Finals, appreciating styles making fights in basketball and the obvious comp of candy vs vegetables when watching basketball.

Timestamps:

0:00 Introduction & Background

1:13 Dan Devine Journey & Advice on Basketball Media

41:54 Jamal Murray’s BACK

53:50 Giannis chasing MVP ghosts

1:13:15 The Six Teams with a Puncher's Chance to make NBA Finals

Ep. 47 Learning Basketball with Josh Robbins! @JoshuaBRobbins

Josh Robbins covers the Washington Wizards for The Athletic and is co-host of The Athletic's Bullet Points podcast. He covered the Orlando Magic for the Orlando Sentinel across decades.

Today we learn about what it was like covering the Dwight Howard-Stan Van Gundy Orlando Magic teams up close, The Changing Landscape of Sports Media Advice & Traditional Journalism, Good Reporting Process Leads to Writing Better Stories, the 2025 Orlando Magic direction after Jalen Suggs injury, Jeff Weltman’s Patient Decision-Making Process and reports of other teams coveting Anthony Black, and a Washington Wizards Franchise Outlook after Trade Deadline Acquisitions for Veterans Khris Middleton and Marcus Smart

Timeline:
00:00 Introduction & Background
4:00 Sports Media Advice & Real Journalism
17:00 Reporting Process Writing Stories

31:20 Where do The Magic go from here without Jalen Suggs?

37:17 Jeff Weltman’s Patient Decision-Making and teams coveting Anthony Black 

49:48 Josh Robbins’ favorite memories covering the Orlando Magic, Stories on Dwight Howard and Stan Van Gundy 

1:09:30 Washington Wizards Franchise Outlook after Trade Deadline Acquisitions for Veterans Khris Middleton and Marcus Smart

Ep. 46 Learning Basketball with Tristan Pharis @TristanUda

Tristan Pharis does Sports Media and Photo Journalism as an editor for A Sea of Blue and the Founder of Kentucky Insider

Today we learn about the Kentucky Basketball program under first-year head coach Mark Pope, Otega Oweh and other prospects NBA Draft chances, season expectations in a tough SEC

Timeline


00:00 Introduction & Background on Sports Photo Journalism, Sports Media Advice

7:30 Mark Pope building the new culture replacing a legend like John Calipari – who keeps the “always draft a Kentucky guard” saying in the divorce?

16:55 Overcoming Defensive Worries for a Tournament Run

20:00 Otega Oweh’s Career Performance vs Oklahoma - 18 stragiht points, game-winning shot, game-saving block

25:44 Building Out Next Year's Roster with 3 4-star recruits: Acaden Lewis, Malachi Moreno, Jasper Johnson

31:26 Next steps for key rotation players Amari Williams, Jaxon Robinson, Lamont Butler
, Koby Brea

35:18 Getting to know the players, coach, team personalities off the court


38:14 Mark Pope’s high A/TO style of play and recruitment style in the type of person he looks to recruit


40:00 What’s the easier path this year for Kentucky: Winning the SEC Tournament or *Making the Final Four in March Madness?

Ep. 45 with Ahmed Jama @SlipTheScreen

Ahmed covers the NBA Draft and Grassroots Basketball Scouting with Swish Theory and Next Up BBall

Today we learn about the impact of March Madness on how we talk about the NBA Draft and we talk about prospects who stand to see the biggest rise to their draft stock from a deep postseason run.

Timeline

00:00 Introduction & Background

01:15 March Madness Legends

03:13 Impact of March Madness on NBA Draft Stock

09:54 Can any projected top picks secure the #3 overall consensus slot away from Ace Bailey? (who won’t play)

16:40 How Duke's Draft Prospects Khaman Maluach, Kon Knueppel, Sion James, Tyrese Proctor may help or hurt their draft stock if Cooper Flagg is limited

23:20 Tahaad Pettiford, Will Riley, Otega Oweh - Could an impressive March Madness Run from prospects deciding between testing the draft waters this year and staying one more season in college lead to them declaring for the 2025 NBA Draft?

30:25 Miles Byrd, Bennett Stirtz - Could a deep March Madness run from Mid-Major Prospects move projections from 2nd round/undrafted all the way up to a late first rounder?

36:52 Boogie Fland’s return to Arkansas just in time for March Madness - he went from lottery pick talks to out of the first round on some boards all in this up and down season. Could an impressive showing put Boogie back in projected mid/late first round talks?

42:00 Braden Smith, Predicting the March Madness Small Guard Who Gets Hot For A Few Games is harder than it looks

42:47 Nique Clifford - Could a deep March Madness run from Mid-Major Prospects move projections from 2nd round/undrafted all the way up to a late first rounder?

45:55 Jojo Tugler, Danny Wolf, Ryan Kalkbrenner, Alex Condon, Could any big men pop out in a March Madness run to improve their draft stock?
53:00 PJ Haggerty,  Predicting the March Madness Small Guard Who Gets Hot For A Few Games is harder than it looks

54:18 LaBaron Philon, Jeremiah Fears, Liam McNeeley, Jase Richardson, VJ Edgecombe, Carter Bryant, Kam Jones, Jacob Toppin, Chaz Lanier - Predicting the March Madness Small Guard Who Gets Hot For A Few Games is harder than it looks
1:01:29 - Derik Queen & Bennett Stirtz - We each predict the 1 prospect who sees the biggest rise in projected draft stock on the public media mock board side after an impressive March Madness run

Ft. scouting thoughts on

Bennett Stirtz

Derik Queen

Miles Byrd

Nique Clifford

Khaman Maluach

Kon Knueppel

Boogie Fland

Tahaad Pettiford

Will Riley

Johni Broome

Danny Wolf

Ryan Kalkbrenner

Jojo Tugler

PJ Haggerty

Jeremiah Fears

LaBaron Philon

Ace Bailey

Braden Smith

Alex Condon

Liam McNeeley

Jase Richardson

VJ Edgecombe

Ep. 44 Learning Basketball with Tony East. @TonyReast

Tony East is the Host of @lockedonpacers and covers Indiana’s pro basketball teams - the Pacers and the Fever - for The Next Hoops, Forbes, WTHR

Today we learn about Indiana basketball, Caitlin Clark's impact on everything, Pacers team rising back to the playoffs with a fast-paced style of play, Tyler Haliburton's resurgence to stardom, Pascal Siakam's All-NBA case off reliable play, the Myles Turner elite 3&D stat of the day, Andrew Nembhard's steady hand as the other high impact guard in the backcourt, and the rotation players who impact winning the most.

Timeline:


0:00 Introduction & Background in Indiana Basketball

06:18 The Caitlin Clark Effect

12:27 Tyrese Haliburton return to his normal stardom - what was fixed?

20:13 Pacers’ Fast-Paced Transition Style of Player

23:25 Siakam's Consistency and Star Impact

25:07 Defensive Improvements and Team Identity

28:19 Myles Turner's 3&D Role, Trade Rumors, how Indiana’s style affects the defense

34:00 Which rotation players most impact winning? What are this team’s goals?

Ep. 43 Learning Basketball with Matt Babcock @MattBabcock11

Matt Babcock is an NBA Draft Analyst and founder of Babcock Hoops

College Hoops NIL Wild Wild West – Will Colleges Hire GMs? Matt Babcock on Scouting Process + 2025 NBA Draft: VJ Edgecombe, Egor Demin, Joan Berenger, Noa Essengue, Jeremiah Fears, Boogie Fland

Timeline

00:00 Introduction & Background

09:01 The NIL Landscape of College Basketball

20:20 Scouting Process using Eye Test, Film, Data tools

28:50 Advice for Aspiring Basketball Podcasters

36:00 2025 NBA Draft Scouting

38:00 Scouting VJ Edgecombe in person

44:00 Scouting Egor Demin in person

49:04 Scouting Joan Berenger & Noa Essengue

54:30 Scouting Jeremiah Fears and Boogie Fland

01:02:00 NBA Draft Strategy: Balancing Potential, Opportunity, Fit

Ep. 42 Learning Basketball with Ku Khahil @KukhahilKu

Khalil is a Pistons Media Member and Host of Locked on Pistons Podcast.

Today we learn about this Detroit Pistons team: what's the difference with this year’s playoff team compared to the lottery teams of seasons prior? On Cade’s rising stardom, Ivey’s jump when healthy, Ausar Thompson flying around as a defensive anchor and Jalen Duren’s development into a playmaker and rim-roller

Timeline:

0:00 Introduction

0:48 Pistons Win Streak & Hot Last Month due to Cade, Duren & Ausar

5:12 Pistons Success adding veteran floor spacing scorers like Malik Beasley, Tobias Harris, Tim Hardaway Jr. next to Cade, Ivey, and young core + Biggest Differences from last season

10:32 Cade Cunningham’s leap, touch shots opening up game, potential All-NBA level season

18:44 Pistons vs. Hawks shootout & Pistons historic jump this year

20:50 Jaden Ivey’s development before injury

23:08 Detroit Pistons Season Goals

26:50 Adding Dennis Schroder at Trade Deadline

32:34 Evaluating Rookie Ron Holland

37:20 Ausar Thompson anchoring the defense

39:45 Marcus Sasser and Isaiah Stewart longterm roles

44:35 Jalen Duren’s playmaking development

Ep. 41 Learning Basketball with Jameelah Johnson @JameelahJNBA

Jameelah covers the Atlanta Hawks and Atlanta Dream at atlhawksfans.com

Today we learn about Pro Basketball in Atlanta, a WNBA icon like Brittney Griner choosing to play in Atlanta, Trae Young’s confusing status around the league as an NBA superstar scoring engine, the home run Dyson Daniels trade, Hawks players personalities off the court like Onyeka Okongwu and the franchise outlook on the court building for the future.

Timestamps:

00:00 Journey into Basketball Journalism & Advice for Aspiring Sports Journalists

06:11 Growing Up around Basketball Family

09:22 Navigating Interviews with Coaches and Players

12:15 Brittney Griner's Impact on the Atlanta Dream

14:45 Trae Young: The Overlooked Superstar

24:30 Dyson Daniels: A Defensive Game Changer

30:27 Player Personalities Off The Court

34:40 Onyeka Okongwu: Hawks Center of the Future

40:52 Atlanta Hawks' Season Outlook: Building for the Future

Ep. 40 Learning Basketball with Esfandiar Baraheni @JustEsBaraheni

Es is a Toronto native covering the Toronto Raptors at Raptors Republic with NBA coverage at Bleacher Report, ProHoopsWriters, Sportscasting and Raptors905. Es does Sideline reporting at the CEBL, and is Cohost of NBA Daily with The Athletic

Today we learn about the challenges of voting for NBA DPOY with the new 65-game minimum rule, who deserves consideration for the award now that Wembanyama has been ruled out for the season and is no longer available, and we redraft the 2021 NBA Draft Lottery, one of the deepest, most talented, most defense-heavy draft classes of all time.

Timestamps:

00:00 Introduction & Background Basketball Insights

02:11 Defensive Player of the Year Race After Wemby Injury, Ranking what would be our Top-5 DPOY Votes between Amen Thompson, Dyson Daniels, Ivica Zubac, and how to decide between Thunder starters Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, Jalen Williams, and Lu Dort

32:19 The Real Defensive Player of the Year Race: Jaren Jackson Jr. vs. Evan Mobley

44:37 2021 NBA Redraft: Top-5

Evan Mobley

Cade Cunningham

Franz Wagner

Scottie Barnes

Alperen Sengun

1:10:29 2021 NBA Redraft: The Lottery

Trey Murphy

Jalen Suggs

Jalen Johnson

Herb Jones

Jalen Green

Austin Reaves

Jonathan Kuminga

Cam Thomas

Aaron Wiggins