Shot Tower

The Shot Tower pod breaks down all the most interesting trades—including Nets/76ers, Kings/Pacers, Mavs/Wizards, Spurs/Celtics, and Heat/Thunder. Jalen and Michael also discuss the many reunions brought about by those trades—particularly James Harden and Daryl Morey (see "Reunited" by Peaches and Herb).

Yaron Weitzmen article about the Nets/76ers trade:

https://www.foxsports.com/stories/nba/james-harden-ben-simmons-trade-inside-story-behind-the-deal

As we reach the trade deadline, the Shot Tower crew breaks down the real-NBA and fantasy-NBA implications of the trades so far—including the LeVert trade between the Pacers and the Cavaliers; why the Cavaliers won the Harden trade last season (and not the Rockets or the Nets); and the trade between the Clippers and the Trailblazers to get the Blazers under the luxury tax. As an afterthought, we discuss why the Lakers and Jazz are doomed and should apologize to their fan bases. 

The Shot Tower crew talks about the joy of Klay Day, Stephen Silas and his love for KPJ, the historic offensive rating of the Jazz, all the trades we want to see, and Lebron's statistical milestone.

The Shot Tower pod chops up the trades that will happen, the trades that should happen, and the trades we would most like (or not) to see—including new homes for Jerami Grant, Denis Schroder, Ben Simmons, Gordon Hayward, and most of the Trailblazers.

The Shot Tower crew discusses all of the nuances of Steph Curry's brilliance while watching him claim the all-time three-pointers made record from Ray Allen. Jalen Eutsey (@jaleneutsey) reads his Steph Curry inspired persona poem, Confessions of a Golden State Warrior, and sheds some light on the events and media referenced in the poem. The development of the NBA's youngest stars, including Cade Cunningham, LaMelo Ball, Ja Morant, and Anthony Edwards are analyzed. 

The Shot Tower crew welcomes Sandra Marchetti (author of Confluence) to discuss her excellent poems about basketball and the Chicago Bulls, writing about baseball and other sports, her Chicago fandom, and bonding with her father over sports.

Check out Sandra's poem "Winter Wednesday" at HeadFake Hoops: https://medium.com/head-fake/winter-wednesday-810c140e134b

Andrew Forbes book "The Utility of Boredom: Baseball Essays": https://bookshop.org/books/the-utility-of-boredom-baseball-essays/9781926743691

The Shot Tower crew reconvenes to discuss the Isaiah Stewart and LeBron James dust-up, playoff outlooks for the Warriors, Lakers, Suns, Nets, Bucks, and Heat, and whether or not a Ben Simmons trade can save the Sacramento Kings from themselves. 

The brilliant Seth Partnow visits the Shot Tower pod to discuss his excellent new book, The Midrange Theory: Basketball's Evolution in the Age of Analytics. We discuss how understanding analytics can deepen fandom for and appreciation of this beautiful game, as well as the midrange theory itself, how media influences viewing, how steals can be a predictor of NBA success, 2-for 1s, some of the numbers behind the Bucks signing Brook Lopez, why some good players aren't as good in the playoffs, and the many pitfalls of the draft.

The Shot Tower crew gets into some early season trends, including Seth Partnow's analytic examination of the slow start for NBA offenses, the new Wilson basketball, the physicality of the Miami Heat, the sweet-shooting Warriors, the immaculate 76ers, the youth movements in Detroit and Houston, fantasy surprises and disappointments, and the age-old question—two for the tie or three for the win. 

The Shot Tower crew welcomes special guest John Wilmes of RealGM (@johnwilmeswords on Twitter) and we discuss the fiasco in Philadelphia, the new-look Bulls, the young Pistons, Thibs and minutes, and our hopes for the new season.