Learning Basketball

Ep. 39 with Cameron Salerno @cameronsalerno1

Cameron Salerno covers College Basketball and Football with CBS Sports, formerly of 247 Sports, Sacramento Bee, and the Associated Press covering the Sacramento Kings.

Timestamps:
0:00 Introduction 

02:34 This High Impact Class of College Freshman

34:11 Sacramento Kings trade Fox for Lavine - Where do they go from here?

Ep. 38 with Tobias Bass@Tobias_Bass on TwitterScouting 2025 NBA Draft Sleepers, Standout Grassroots Prospects, Recruitment & Player Evaluation, Breaking into Sports Media, and The State of Texas High School Hoops with Tobias Bass of The AthleticTobias Bass is a basketball scout, analyst, and live news editor with The Athletic, covering the basketball pipeline and recruitment from grassroots to the NBA Draft.Timeline
0:00 Introduction & Background
03:00 Scouting Process and Player Evaluation, The Importance of Fit in Player Development, Identifying Potential NBA Draft Picks12:00 2025 NBA Draft Sleepers like Miles Byrd, Yaxel Landenborg, JoJo Tugler, Rasheer Fleming, Collin Murray Boyles, Asa Newell, Danny Wolf, Johni Broome, Tahaad Pettiford
, Jalaand Lowe37:00 Highlighting the offensive potential and defensive questions of Jeremiah Fears, Liam McNeeley, Kon Knueppel46:00 The State of Grassroots Basketball in Houston and Texas, with Sebastian Williams-Adams headed to Auburn and Kingston Flemings to Houston, and breaking down this loaded Duncanville team between Beckham Black, Kayden Edwards, Chris Hunt, and Cameron Smith
57:13 Shoutout to players who have impressed Tobias in Grassroots - Jordan Sigmund, Hudson Greer, Howard Williams1:00:20 Advice to anyone trying to break into the Basketball Industry and detailing the process of collecting intel for recruitment

Ep. 37 with Tyler Wilson

(@ProspectingNBA)

Tyler Wilson covers the San Antonio Spurs and NBA Draft at his Prospecting Leads newsletter on Substack and as a writer and host of the Finishing Touch podcast with Swish Theory

Today we learn about the hidden value in the De'Aaron Fox Trade to San Antonio to play with Victor Wembanyama and Chris Paul as the Spurs hold on to all the young prospects, take a quick guide into the grassroots scene of amateur high school basketball to outline some major events of where to catch the best young talent rising throughout the game and highlight potential 2025 NBA Draft fits.

Timestamps:
0:00 Introduction & Background

0:58 San Antonio Trades for De’Aaron Fox, Spurs building around Victor Wembanyama on a rookie Deal, the mentorship of Chris Paul and how Wemby’s shooting gravity could reinvigorate Fox’s drive-and-kick force

30:57 A Beginner’s Guide to Amateur Basketball on Swish Theory – where to find grassroots stages, film, stats on rising high school talent

37:53 2025 NBA Draft Fits - San Antonio Spurs

LINK to Swish Theory guide

Ep. 36 with Sasha Stefanovic @StefanovicSasha

Today we learn basketball with Sasha Stefanovic. Sasha played college basketball at Purdue, has pro experience overseas and is now back at Purdue on the sideline as the Director of Player Personnel.Purdue's Sasha Stefanovic on March Madness stories, playing with Zach Edey, Jaden Ivey, Carsen Edwards, film/scouting process shifting roles alongside Coach Matt Painter, Braden Smith's pro potential

Timeline:
0:00 Introduction & Background
1:05 Growing up in the state of Indiana Basketball
2:26 Early Days at Purdue & Playing with Carsen Edwards
4:47 The Roller Coaster of College Hoops and March Madness
8:10 Differences in Process Watching Film and Scouting Opponents as a Player vs Coach/Scout
10:50 Lessons playing with and coaching with Purdue Head Coach, Matt Painter
14:10 Playing with Jaden Ivey & Zach Edey, who they were like as people off the court and players on the court
20:27 Seeing Zach Edey’s incredible motor, mindset, and development up close from when Sasha started playing with him to later coaching him and addressing his draft prospect concerns about mobility and shooting
28:21 Sasha’s experience playing professional basketball from Greece to Serbia to Summer League with San Antonio Spurs

30:37 Scouting Braden Smith as an NBA Draft Prospect and this dominant season in the Big-10, with notes from Purdue’s big win over Michigan

Ep. 35 with Charlie Cummings (@klaytheist11)

Charlie Cummings covers the Golden State Warriors, the Denver Nuggets, and NBA player development for@SwishTheory and@WarriorsInvite and is a pro/college consultant for@NextUp_BBall.

Today we learn about how long Jimmy Butler can extend the championship window for Steph & Draymond, and break down the Cavaliers win-now move for De'Andre Hunter + the Heat loading up with Wiggins and Depth for another NBA Playoff run– with Charlie Cummings

Timestamps:

0:00 Introduction & Background
0:52 NBA Trade Deadline Drama 

2:18 Jimmy, Steph and Draymond
34:00 Miami Heat trading for Wiggins, Davion, Slomo
41:27 Detroit Pistons adding players and picks fo free, Raptors acquiring talent and an expensive cap sheet
1:11:21 Cleveland Cavaliers make win now move for De’Andre Hunter

Ep. 34 Learning Basketball with Tim "Cranjis McBasketball" (@Tim_NBA)

Tim is the Founder of BBall Index, a co-host of Lakers Exceptionalism podcast, and an NBA Team & Agent Consultant

Today, we learning about different ways JJ Redick can maximize this new look Lakers offense with Luka and LeBron, from theory to breaking down the X's and O's, and outlines expectations for the rest of this season. Tim shares advice on hosting a podcast, his journey to starting basketball analytics website, working with teams and agents behind the scenes, creating public work for media and fans to use, and the value of using film + analytics.

Timeline:

0:00 Introduction & Background

4:30 Advice to Hosting a Basketball Podcast like Tim’s Lakers Exceptionalism Podcast with Tom Zayas

8:50 Journey to starting BBall Index, a website with basketball analytic tools for teams, players, agents, media, fans

18:42 Lakers Land Luka! How could JJ Redick’s new offense look with Luka in mind? Breaking down Ram/Spain set with an Exit screen, an example play that could maximize the strengths of Luka and Lebron, then weighing Championship Expectations for the Lakers the rest of This Season

34:40 Process Using Film & Analytics as tools for Scouting & Understanding Basketball

40:58 Logging NBA Games & Scouting Players/Prospects: What are you looking for on the film? What are you keeping track of?

Ep. 33 with Nathan King

Nathan King is an Auburn beat reporter with 247 Sports and Hosts the Auburn Undercover Podcast.

Today we learn about Auburn’s NBA Draft prospects Johni Broome, Tahaad Pettiford, Chad Baker-Mazara, Miles Kelly, hear about what it was like in the arena for College Gameday’s marquee matchup of the weekend between #1 Auburn vs. #6 Tennessee, and outline what Johni Broome might have to accomplish to overtake Cooper Flagg in the 2025 NCAAB National Player of the Year race. We also address what’s going on with the Orlando Magic’s recent slide despite their stars returning.

Timestamps:

49:45 Orlando Magic slide - What will it take to right the ship? The importance of the energy of Goga Bitadze and Jalen Suggs

Ep. 32 with Nick Andre

Nick Andre hosts Podcasts from "For The Love of The Game" to "Best W Show" to "Bleave in FSU" and works with ChopChat.com and Fansided covering NBA, WNBA, Men's and Women's NCAA basketball, with a focus on FSU Hoops

Today we learn about Taniya Latson leading the country in scoring, dominating the game at the levels of Paige Bueckers and Juju Watkins, and we dive into which NBA teams can challenge Boston as real contenders for an NBA championship

Timestamps:

Ep. 31 with Corban Ford

Corban Ford covers the Los Angeles Lakers, the NBA, and the NBA Draft with Swish Theory, The Pro16 League, The Lead, and Basketball Intelligence. Corban is the Podcast Host of Roundball Ramble and Roster Reconstruction.

Today we learn about the most shocking trade in NBA history: Luka Doncic for Anthony Davis, reacting and rationalizing how a trade like this could happen and the ripple effects for the Los Angeles Lakers and the Dallas Mavericks. Then we dive into scouting thoughts on Ace Bailey and Boogie Fland in the 2025 NBA Draft.

Timestamps:

0:00 Luka to the Lakers?! AD to the Mavs?! WHY?!

Ep. 30 Learning Basketball with Mirin Fader 



Mirin Fader is a New York Times Best-Selling author of "Giannis: The Improbable Rise of an NBA Champion" and just published her new book "Dream: The Life and Legacy of Hakeem Olajuwon”



Mirin is a sports writer with The Ringer, formerly of Bleacher Report and the Orange County Register.



Today, we learn about Mirin's writing process with the challenges in a good lead that hooks the reader before diving into her NYT Best-Selling book "Giannis", focusing on the motivations that led Giannis to development, legendary work ethic, and greatness.

Timestamps




0:00 Introduction & Background


2:20 Book Author Lifestyle & Challenge of Writing Opening Hook Leads


4:48 Feeling and Process of adding the storybook ending of Giannis winning the championship as an Epilogue to a book already on its way to New York Times Best-Seller

6:57 The 2015 Inaugural NBA Africa game where Hakeem & Mutumbo play with rising international players like Giannis & How Hakeem paved the way for the world as Basketball’s first international superstar


9:27 Giannis’ inspirations of Kobe Bryant, Kevin Durant, Carmelo Anthony to facing them as peers


14:00 What Family means to Giannis as a motivational factor in his life and work ethic


17:45 Development in Greece and Important People who helped the Antetokoumnpo family along the way, from Coach Spiros Velliniatis finding and convincing Giannis and brothers to try basketball with the Filathlitikos team, teammate Rahman Rana being like a brother, to Tzikas the owner of the Kivotos Cafe making a small yet giant gesture of providing an apple or fruit smoothie to the brothers every time they walked to practice


20:18 Other motivational factors for the Rise of Giannis - how nourishment could have made him a higher draft pick to scout, the fear of loss coming from nothing, playing emotionless, what defined his drive and work ethic