The Pure Hoops Quick Hitters

Eric Newman and BJ Armstrong praise Joel Embiid’s season thus far, including his dominance in the post and impact on winning. Does this make the Philadelphia 76ers the East favorite?

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In this week's Buckets, Boards, & Blocks Quick Hitter, Monica McNutt and King McClure discuss the racially insensitive remark Creighton head coach Greg McDermott made in the locker room last weekend. Invoking the term "Stay on the Plantation" to describe how the team needed to stick together, the coach offended members of the team and coaching staff. Monica & King share their feelings about what should happen next.

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On this Quick Hitter version of Catch & Shoot 2.0, legendary NBA writer Jack McCallum and esteemed journalist J.A. Adande weigh in on the recent beef between soccer superstar Zlatan Ibrahimović and LeBron James.

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Bob Ryan was on the Boston Celtics beat for the Boston Globe for 43 years. From 1979-1992 he covered the entire career of Larry Bird. In this Quick Hitter excerpt from the Mike Wise Show, Bob shares some of his many experiences covering "Larry Legend" including an explanation of the depth of Bird and Magic Johnson's friendship.

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Jeff Green is frequently overlooked when the Brooklyn Nets are discussed. On a team with three potential Hall of Famers, the 14 year veteran is frequently overlooked by casual fans, but in the Nets locker room, he is seen as a leader with the credibility to offer feedback, criticism, and advice to even the most high profile team members.

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Jenny Fischer and Cara Kaye make predictions for the Men's and Women's Final Four.

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Ann Meyers Drysdale has done it all in basketball. One of her current jobs is working as an analyst on Phoenix Suns games. In this Quick Hitter, she discusses Devin Booker, the Suns' rising backcourt star.

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Eric Newman and BJ Armstrong discuss how the coverage of the NBA has shifted away from on-court play. And according to BJ, this has resulted in skewed media coverage for Damian Lillard. Even though he’s been one of the league’s best guards for years now, Dame still seems to be underrated. Why is that? Eric and BJ answer that question.

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Draymond Green is very unhappy with the way players and management are portrayed when it comes to conflict between a player and their team. In this Quick Hitter from Buckets, Boards, and Blocks, Dave Wohl joins Monica McNutt and King McClure and this former player, coach, and GM thinks Draymond has a legitimate point.

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Tom Haberstroh visits with Otto Strong, his old colleague at ESPN, about why the Utah Jazz may be the 1-seed in the rugged Western Conference.

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