Learning Basketball

Ep. 126 Learning Basketball with Alex Golden @AlexGoldenNBA

Writer for Pacers on SI

Creator & Host of @PacersPodSTP & Fever Focus Podcast

2026 NBA Mock Draft + Pacers Draft Lottery Therapy Session with Alex Golden – Will Clippers take Mara 5th? Wizards Jazz Grizzlies Bulls win Lottery, 30 First Round Draft Targets

Timeline:

00:00 Introduction & Background
01:00 Indiana Pacers' Draft Lottery Heartbreak, Analyzing the Trade in Hindsight

06:00 NBA Drafting Strategy: BPA vs Fit & Opportunity

09:00 1 WAS – AJ Dybantsa
10:00 2 UTA – Cameron Boozer

12:00 3 MEM –  Darryn Peterson

15:00 4 CHI – Caleb Wilson

28:00 5 LAC – Aday Mara + Evaluating Potential Upside vs Good Players, The Importance of dominant Centers in Basketball

37:00 6 BKN – Keaton Wagler

38:00 7 SAC - Darius Acuff

43:00 8 ATL – Kingston Flemings
47:00 9 DAL – Mikel Brown Jr
50:00 10 MIL – Ebuka Okorie

52:00 11 GSW – Yaxel Lendeborg

54:00 12 OKC – Labaron Philon

56:00 13 MIA – Allen Graves

58:00 14 CHA – Christian Anderson
59:00 15 CHI – Brayden Burries

01:00:00 Rapid Fire First Round
16 MEM – Chris Cenac Jr
17 OKC – Nate Ament
18 CHA – Hannes Steinbach
19 TOR – Jayden Quaintance
20 SAN – Dailyn Swain
21 DET – Morez Johnson
22 76ers – Tyler Tanner
23 ATL – Cameron Carr
24 NYK – Meleek Thomas
25 LAL – Karim Lopez
26 DEN – Bruce Thornton
27 BOS – Tarris Reed Jr.
28 MIN – Isaiah Evans
29 CLE – Bennett Stirtz
30 DAL – Flory Bidunga

01:04:00 Final Thoughts on Draft Strategy

@SwishTheory

Ep. 125 Learning Basketball with Shax @ShaxNBA

@SwishTheory

Brunson & Towns New York Knicks Dominate NBA Playoffs in Mike Brown’s Motion Offense with Shax NBA – Film Breakdown, Two-Way Impact of Anunoby and Bridges, Depth of MRob, Deuce, Clarkson + ECF Preview

Timeline:

00:00 Introduction & Background

03:00 New York Knicks Playoff Dominance

06:00 Coaching Strategies: Tom Thibodeau vs. Mike Brown

07:00 Mike Brown’s Motion Offense

10:00 Brunson & Towns: Dynamic Duo

13:00 Towns Unlocking Playmaking in Motion Offense

16:00 Defensive Adjustments

18:00 Offensive Schemes

20:00 Two-Way Impact of Mikal Bridges & OG Anunoby

25:00 Mitchell Robinson, Deuce McBride, Jordan Clarkson Energetic Depth

27:00 Eastern Conference Preview: DET or CLE?

32:00 Morez Johnson, Meleek Thomas – Potential NYK Draft Fits

35:00 Jalen Brunson's Underseen Impact

38:00 Championship or Bust? Route to NBA Finals

Ep. 124 Learning Basketball with Alan Guillou  @Alan_Guillou96 @SwishTheory

Allen Graves, Santa Clara, Wemby & The French Basketball Revolution with Alan Guillou – International Scouting & Analytics, Steve Nash, March Madness, Noah Penda, How France Culture Develops NBA Defenders

Timestamps:
00:00 Introduction & Background

02:00 Alan Guillou’s Journey to Santa Clara's Director of Basketball Operations through International Scouting

04:30 Challenges & Value of International Player Scouting & Recruitment for Modern College Programs

08:00 Differences in Scouting International vs American Basketball

11:00 Steve Nash, The Santa Clara Legend

13:00 Allen Graves as a Person: Character and Development

16:00 Allen Graves’ Rise as a 2026 NBA Draft Prospect

19:00 Value of Rebounding and High-Feel Winning Plays in Basketball

23:00 Allen Graves’ Development Curve, Impact Metrics, All-Time Stats

29:00 Santa Clara – Kentucky March Madness Instant Classic – on the all-time shots from Graves and Oweh

34:00 Comparing Allen Graves and Noah Penda NBA Prospect Profiles – Similarities & Differences

36:00 The French Basketball Revolution

40:00 How does France produce so many good NBA Defenders, highlighted by all-time great ones in Wembanyama and Gobert?

44:00 The Devil Named Curry & The Future of 2028 France Olympic Basketball

Ep. 124 Learning Basketball with Meghan L. Hall @ItsMeghanLHall

Meghan L. Hall is a WNBA Senior Reporter with USA Today based in Atlanta

Atlanta Angel Reese, 30 Years of The W + 2026 WNBA Offseason Storylines with USA Today's Meghan Hall – Azzi Fudd #1 to Dallas, Dream & Sky Rebuild Strategy, 2026 WNBA Contenders, Sports Media Advice

Timeline:

00:00 Introduction & Background: Meghan Hall’s Journey into WNBA Sports Media

06:00 Advice for Aspiring Sports Journalists

12:00 Angel Reese Traded to Atlanta Dream 

29:00 Atlanta Dream vs Chicago Sky Rebuild, Rickea Jackson Traded to Chicago

35:00 Angel Reese's Atlanta Press Conference & Becoming a Face of The W

48:00 Most Underrated WNBA Offseason Storyline - CBA Negotiations

50:00 Who are the real 2026 WNBA Contenders?

53:00 Celebrating 30 Years of the WNBA

Ep. 123 Learning Basketball with David Steele @SteeleMagic

David Steele on Magic - Pistons Playoffs Split, Game 3 Preview, Possible Series Adjustments, NBA Ending Local Playoff Broadcasts, Jamahl Mosley’s Coaching Impact, Desmond Bane’s Success

Timeline:00:00 NBA Ends Local Playoff Broadcasting

10:00 Best Calls of Season & + Desmond Bane's Immediate Impact

14:00 Providing Context to this 2025-26 Orlando Magic regular season

17:00 The Importance of Consistency

20:00 March Madness Highlight Tape to help Survive and Advance vs Hornets

23:00 The Ups and Downs of The Magic Season 

26:00 Analyzing Game 1 & Game 2 of Magic - Pistons 1st round series in Detroit 

29:00 Previewing Game 3 in Orlando 35:00 Predicting Rest of Pistons Playoff Series – How Magic pull off first round upset41:00 Jamahl Mosley’s Development and Impact as Orlando’s Head Coach in Year 5

Ep. 123 Learning Basketball with David Steele @SteeleMagic

David Steele on Magic - Pistons Playoffs Split, Game 3 Preview, Possible Series Adjustments, NBA Ending Local Playoff Broadcasts, Jamahl Mosley’s Coaching Impact, Desmond Bane’s Success

Timeline:
00:00 NBA Ends Local Playoff Broadcasting

10:00 Best Calls of Season & + Desmond Bane's Immediate Impact

14:00 Providing Context to this 2025-26 Orlando Magic regular season

17:00 The Importance of Consistency

20:00 March Madness Highlight Tape to help Survive and Advance vs Hornets

23:00 The Ups and Downs of The Magic Season 

26:00 Analyzing Game 1 & Game 2 of Magic - Pistons 1st round series in Detroit 

29:00 Previewing Game 3 in Orlando

35:00 Predicting Rest of Pistons Playoff Series – How Magic pull off first round upset

41:00 Jamahl Mosley’s Development and Impact as Orlando’s Head Coach in Year 5

Ep. 122 Learning Basketball with Ricky O’Donnell (@SBN_Ricky)

2026 Bigs Only NBA Draft, Michigan NCAA Champs + Final Four with Ricky O'Donnell – Development of Yaxel Lendeborg, Aday Mara, Morez Johnson, Dan Hurley UConn Practices, Chicago Bulls Prospects, Scouting Centers

Timeline:

00:00 Introduction & Background

02:00 The Final Four Media Experience

05:00 Chicago Bulls' Ownership & 2026 NBA Draft Prospects11:00 Michigan Big Men Aday Mara's Rising Draft Stock and Yaxel Lendeborg’s 3&D Versatility Development

28:00 Bigs Only 2026 NBA Draft1 Aday Mara
2 Pat Ngongba
3 Jayden Quaintance
4 Chris Cenac Jr.
5 Morez Johnson
6 Hannes Steinbach
7 Moteijus Krivas
8 Tarris Reed

45:00 UConn HC Dan Hurley’s Practice Tirades

Ep. 122 Learning Basketball with Ricky O’Donnell (@SBN_Ricky)

2026 Bigs Only NBA Draft, Michigan NCAA Champs + Final Four with Ricky O'Donnell – Development of Yaxel Lendeborg, Aday Mara, Morez Johnson, Dan Hurley Practice Tirades, Chicago Bulls, Draft Scouting Centers: Ngongba, Quaintance, Cenac, Steinbach, Krivas, Reed + Michigan Bigs
Timeline:00:00 Introduction & Background

02:00 The Final Four Media Experience

05:00 Chicago Bulls' Ownership & 2026 NBA Draft Prospects11:00 Michigan Big Men Aday Mara's Rising Draft Stock and Yaxel Lendeborg’s 3&D Versatility Development

28:00 Bigs Only 2026 NBA Draft1 Aday Mara2 Pat Ngongba3 Jayden Quaintance4 Chris Cenac Jr.5 Morez Johnson6 Hannes Steinbach7 Moteijus Krivas8 Tarris Reed

45:00 UConn HC Dan Hurley’s Practice Tirades

Ep. 121 Learning Basketball with Brian Geisinger @bgeis_bird

(00:00) Is Cameron Boozer Generational? Boozer’s Unique Skills, Fundamental Feel, & Scoring Versatility (7:00) Boozer’s Case for #1 Pick vs Dybantsa, Peterson, Wilson (19:00) How do Defensive Concerns and Development Areas affect Two-Way Winning Impact? (28:00) How does Boozer rank among recent Duke Elite Prospects – Zion, Paolo, Tatum, Flagg? (42:00) Versatility of Flagg vs. Offensive Engine Boozer (50:00) NBA Draft Scouting Pat Ngongba, Ebuka Okorie, Caleb Wilson

Ep. 120 Learning Basketball with Brian Geisinger

(00:00) Today we learn about The State of the Charlotte Hornets. How LaMelo Ball has always been a star, (04:00) how the Hornets survived their rebuild, (10:00) how Charles Lee built a relocating pick-and-roll 3pt shooting machine in LaMelo Ball, Kon Knueppel, and Brandon Miller alongside Ryan Kalkbrenner and Moussa Diabaté with a Defense just as strong, (22:00) Hornets Playoff Preview through East Play-In, (36:00) and how NBA league rules like the 65-game rule and tying awards to contracts are squeezing front office's hands with harsh limits on team building.

Timeline:

00:00 Introduction & Background

01:00 LaMelo Ball has always been a star

How the Charlotte Hornets Recovered their Rebuild

Charles Lee Quotes & Horness Offensive Strategies, Player Roles, Surprise Defense

Hornets Playoff Scenarios Preview & Franchise Outlook

How League Rules Hurt Successful Team-Building