Up & Under

What is good everybody, it's ya boy Francis Carlota in the description of the Up and Under podcast! No Grant Hechinger for the description means no Grant for the pod. But in his place, we're joined by legendary Canadian, Kenneth Cotterill of the Competitive Hedge Podcast! Kenneth joins Francis and the man with the best eyebrows in all of NBA podcasting, Conor Byrne, to breakdown each 1st round playoff series starting with Heat-Hawks (2:30) debating whether the Heat are true title contenders; I guess Ben Simmons didn't play (9:34); sorry Chicago Bulls (18:56); James Harden worries (23:46); Pelicans for the upset? (34:15); Let’s go Grizzlies (46:03); Jokic and Friends (59:42); What is wrong with Utah? (1:08:40); NBA Finals predictions (1:20:19).

The Up & Under turns 40! This will now be a podcast exclusively about school districts, sitting down at concerts, and perusing the Home Depot.

What better way to celebrate a birthday than with the Annual All-NBA Draft Extravaganza? Team PR departments have been campaigning us hard for months and we cannot wait to disappoint some of them. This week Conor, Francis, and Grant choose their third (6:10), second (40:06), and first (1:08:47) All-NBA teams before closing with some day trading (1:34:19).

10 games. 10 things. Such a simple, yet beautiful concept. It's a wonder no NBA media member has ever put together a list like this. Hm.

This week Francis, Conor, and Grant break down what they're watching for as the NBA season winds down, a list that includes but is not even remotely limited to (because it's limited to 10 things. Ten.): the interesting storylines surrounding two unusual play-in teams (19:30); playoff matchup hunting (27:30); the favorites but the CP is silent (34:42); and a presumptuous MIP discussion (41:57). Finally, as always, the boys walk through a crowded Wal-Mart unmasked (1:06:35).

Hey gang. Have you missed us? Like Myles Turner is inevitably going to miss Domantas Sabonis? Well that's too damn bad, this is a business and you're about to get allllll the post touches you asked for. Anyways, we know everyone and their stepsister has broken down the trade deadline already. But that's their fault for not having the patience to take a step back, let it breathe, saturate. We're big smart over here at the Up & Under so we waited three weeks, just long enough to keep you titillated. Don't worry, it won't be anticlimactic.

On today's episode the evermore rare triumvirate of Conor, Francis, and Grant draft their favorite trade deadline teams (5:12) before getting suspended from the NFL for the entirety of the 2022 season (1:15:55).

Welcome back to the Up & Under, where the ups are upper and the unders are underer.

This week, Francis and Grant are joined by Off The Ball Network's Edgar Acevedo to discuss his Knicks' big name acquisition (2:17) and rate the seasons disappointing teams on the Panic Meter, featuring the Hawks (11:51), Celtics (25:19), Nets (36:40), and Lakers (47:39). Then, finally alone, Frank and Grant panic in completely the opposite direction for 33 minutes about the NBA's least disappointing team (55:50).

The flames sawed in the wind and the embers paled and deepened and paled and deepened like the bloodbeat of some living thing eviscerate upon the ground before them and they watched the fire which does contain within it something of men themselves inasmuch as they are less without it and are divided from their origins and are exiles. For each fire is all fires, and the first fire and the last ever to be. - Cormac McCarthy, Blood Meridian.

Here at the Up & Under, we always give our listeners what they want. And what our listeners want, whether they know it or not, is eleven minutes of unbridled commentary on an early December Pacers-Knicks game.

This week after Frank reads his book report for the class (3:51), the guys break down the Grizzlies' incredible mini run and what it means for Ja Morant and the team's future (14:58), discuss who in the Eastern Conference could challenge the Nets and Bucks for supremacy (32:29), and Frank take's center stage once again to make a late entry for his best and worst offseason takes (43:52) before they wrap up with some good old fashioned wagering (55:55)

Okay, so now that we finally are through our offseason predictions, let's break down why all of them were wrong instantly. This week, Conor and Grant are reunited and you bet your ass that "midichlorians" is said in the first two minutes. With no Francis to hold them back, the guys gleefully list their worst and best offseason takes 12 games into the season (7:57), discuss the effect of the NBA's rule changes this year and some additional ones to consider next (38:17), and then play just one more hand to get their chips back before signing off (57:22)

Anndddddd we've finally made it through our 2021 Most Interesting Teams series. Luckily, we worked out a deal with the NBA that the first 10 games of the season won't count this year, so this does in fact qualify as a preseason series. Please stop sending letters to our parents' houses telling them we're not punctual. It hurts.

Part 3 is another split episode: in the first segment, Francis and Grant are joined by longtime guest Mac Trammell to discuss the, as Mac once said, "stable, under the radar" Sixers (4:11), and just touch quickly on the boys' hometown Grizzlies (22:55); in segment two, Conor and Francis talk the in-limbo-waiting-for-Brad-Beal-to-come-to-his-senses Wizards (1:17:52), the once-presumed-favorite Nets (1:39:07), and the this-is-without-Klay? Warriors (1:51:24), before wrapping up with the first bets of this new season (2:02:17).