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Author: Aaron Fischman (Page 4 of 10)

Melissa Isaacson on STATE: “We’re Gonna Remember This the Rest of Our Lives”

December 14, 2020 / / 0 Comments

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Longtime journalist Melissa Isaacson, who spent years reporting at the Chicago Tribune and ESPN, among other outlets, appears On the NBA Beat for a discussion devoted to her third book, “State: A Team, a Triumph, a Transformation.” It’s an intensely personal tale documenting her and her teammates’ four years as bona fide high school basketball pioneers. Join Missy, who currently serves on the faculty at Northwestern’s Medill School of Journalism, as she details her team’s inspiring journey.

*Due to dynamic advertising, time stamps may vary:

9:14-10:17: “I think that we’ve had our days of incremental progress. I don’t think there’s anything wrong with demanding change. … In the same ways that getting a uniform was a huge step and playing in the boys’ gym was a huge step, and we were patient and we did take each victory as the big thing that it was, I don’t know that patience is something that we should have (today). Not to get all political, but we’ve been waiting for the ERA (Equal Rights Amendment) to pass for some time now, and patience hasn’t done us any good.”

15:42-16:10: “I walked out into this bitterly, bitterly cold, cold, cold night back to the car with my friend Connie, and she said, ‘Miss, you’ve gotta tell our story.’ And it just hit me that I did. And it wasn’t mine to tell. It was our story to tell, but I was gonna be the one to have to tell it. And it was gonna be quite an undertaking, a responsibility, but I knew at that point that I had to tell the story.” Continue reading

Drafting and Dynasties With Pesquera, Ibañez-Baldor

November 17, 2020 / / 0 Comments

Guest Javier Pesquera believes LaMelo Ball is the 2020 draft class’ top prospect and accordingly expects him to go No. 1 to the Timberwolves (Foxlifevisuals/Creative Commons).

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Javier Pesquera, roving NBA draft analyst and occasional consultant for The Stepien, returns to break down the fast-approaching 2020 draft. Then, after the break, Agu Ibañez Baldor stops by to discuss his book, “Dynasty: The Rise and Fall of the Greatest Teams in NBA History.”

*Due to dynamic advertising, time stamps may vary:

Javier Pesquera at 7:28-7:39: “At No. 1, I do have LaMelo Ball in his own tier by himself, and I think LaMelo Ball is gonna go No. 1 unless Minnesota actually finds a trade that they like, which I don’t think is happening at this point.”

12:25-12:42 (JP): “I think there are a lot of doubters as well. I do like him [Obi Toppin]. He has as much potential as anybody in this class, and that’s related to his physical tools. … The comparison to Amar’e Stoudemire pops in your head right away because of the way he leaps off the floor and the way he finishes in transition. He has that type of ability.” Continue reading

“The Knicks of the Nineties” Book Special With Paul Knepper

November 9, 2020 / / 0 Comments

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Author Paul Knepper takes us back to the 1990s, a time when the New York Knicks, led by Patrick Ewing, perennially made the playoffs and once came within a game of winning it all. Boasting a bruising, physical style that’s long since disappeared from the league, these Knicks are remembered fondly by New Yorkers who pine for a respectable basketball team (the Nets obviously don’t count for Knicks fans) again. In “The Knicks of the Nineties: Ewing, Oakley, Starks and the Brawlers That Almost Won It All,” Paul adeptly tells the story of these Knicks, and lucky for us, he’s here to provide the highlights of the narrative.

*Due to dynamic advertising, time stamps may vary:

6:17-6:53: “You get so immersed in this topic. It’s like writing a dissertation. It’s all I thought about for a couple years, and I’m just so heavily involved in [it]. So there’s these little nuggets of information or details that I pick up that I find really fascinating maybe, but I have to question: Is someone who’s not immersed in this topic like I am, are they going to find this stuff interesting, these little details? And these little details, can I make them work within the flow of the book?”

18:17-18:59: “If you give me a choice between talking to Patrick Ewing – especially Patrick Ewing, who’s very guarded – and talking to five to 10 people who knew Patrick Ewing well about Patrick Ewing, I’ll take the five to 10 people any day. I think they offer different perspectives. I think they are probably more honest than Patrick might be. I just think they see him in a different light. … So you start to paint the picture through all those different sources.” Continue reading

WC Finals: Lakers’ “Seamless Partnership” of Stars Vs. the “Never-Quit” Nuggets With Harrison Faigen, Katy Winge

September 22, 2020 / / 0 Comments

Harrison Faigen isn’t sure the Lakers should stick with their latest defensive approach against Nikola Jokic but is otherwise pleased with their defensive dominance this postseason (Keith Allison/Creative Commons).

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The Los Angeles Lakers, a team dismissed by some before the playoffs as not deep enough to win it all, have placed themselves two wins from their first NBA Finals appearance in a decade. They lead the never-say-die Denver Nuggets 2-0 after Anthony Davis’ buzzer-beating 3-pointer secured a thrilling Sunday night victory. To break down the series and its many compelling storylines, OTNB is joined by Harrison Faigen, Editor-in-Chief and writer for SB Nation’s Silver Screen & Roll, and Katy Winge of Altitude TV and Altitude Sports Radio.

*Time stamps may vary due to dynamic advertising:

Faigen (9:05-11:16): “This is one of the most seamless fits I think we’ve ever seen between two superstars…I think that by far the biggest [factor in Davis wanting to play for the Lakers] was getting to create this seamless partnership with LeBron James, where both of them are constantly making each other better. Anthony Davis is probably the best big man that LeBron James has ever played with, arguably his best teammate in terms of being able to make him better and how Davis does things that kinda paper over LeBron’s weakness, and LeBron does things that paper over Davis’. It’s just been complete symbiosis this year, both on and off the court.
Continue reading

Salman Ali on Lakers-Rockets: “This Is Big Ball Vs. Micro Ball”

September 8, 2020 / / 0 Comments

Eric Gordon can make or break the Rockets’ chances of playoff survival according to Salman Ali (Keith Allison/Creative Commons).

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With the Houston Rockets and Los Angeles Lakers tied at one win apiece, Rockets reporter Salman Ali lends his insight and analysis about the intriguing matchup that’s only just begun. A General NBA writer for Clutch Points, Salman also covers the Rockets for the Red Nation Hoops Podcast, ESPN’s Houston-based FM station, and his own new Substack newsletter called “State of the Rockets.” In the series, he argues, two styles are pitted against each other: Big Ball vs. Micro Ball. Which does he believe will prevail? Tune in to find out.

*Time stamps may vary due to dynamic advertising:

8:00-8:59: “I think when the Lakers started trapping the Rockets yesterday, they were startled, and they hadn’t seen that defense in a long time. And I think Russ[ell Westbrook] just forgot how he usually attacks that defense, or at least he was as shell-shocked as the Rockets were…If you give them [the Rockets offense] time with it, they’re always gonna figure it out because they have so many shooters on the floor. That’s the benefit of trading Clint Capela for Robert Covington. You’re always gonna have more shooters on the floor no matter what roster you throw out there.”

12:52-14:04: “Eric Gordon is a huge X factor for the Rockets, not only in this series but in the playoffs because his 3-point shooting and his drives to the basket unlock so much for them. The Rockets aren’t playing this style of basketball unless they have Eric Gordon on the perimeter. Point blank, he makes a lot of this possible for them…The reason I believe this is a bad matchup for the Lakers is because the Rockets and their floor spacing and the way they play just force so many mismatches for the Lakers. And if they’re hitting their shots, there’s not really a defense the Lakers can utilize that will stop them.” Continue reading

Melissa Isaacson: Bulls’ Title Run Was a “Magical, Magical Time”

May 17, 2020 / / 0 Comments

Michael Jordan hanging in the air (Momez/Creative Commons)

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Melissa Isaacson, former sports reporter for the Chicago Tribune, relives covering the historically dominant Bulls teams of the early 1990s, as she breaks down The Last Dance, the popular docuseries in which she appears. She also discusses her latest book, State: A Team, a Triumph, a Transformation.

Time stamps may vary due to dynamic advertising:

4:25 – 5:40: “Over the years, he [Michael Jordan] really has been sort of portrayed as this egomaniac, and he’s kind of helped along with that narrative. His Hall of Fame speech was taken in a way that I was sort of really shocked by. I actually really liked his Hall of Fame speech. It sounded to a lot of people like he was being selfish. … Hopefully the audience will see through the docuseries, those who maybe had one opinion of him, that the competitive side of him is crazy. No question. It’s on a level that…is not even close [to most people] – it’s not a stereotype – but that is exactly what makes him who he is, what makes him as great as he is. So there’s gonna be some eccentric qualities, but I would never ever call him an egomaniac, and I wouldn’t call him a mean person regardless of some of the scraps we’ve seen him get into with his teammates.”

9:43 – 10:44: “They [Bulls players] were all just really sensitive to me being pregnant. I have a lot of stories and a lot of memories of…guys interacting with me, Michael patting my stomach before he ran on the court every game when he came back [from his first retirement]. He’d look for me and pat my stomach for luck, I guess. Ordinarily you might be a little put off or uncomfortable, but, again, this is Michael Jordan. … It was just a magical, magical time. I felt blessed. I still feel blessed. A lot of people have asked, ‘Were you aware of how great it was?’ Oftentimes, it takes many years to look back and fully appreciate things. I fully appreciated it, I did, because it was clear that he was the best player in the world.” Continue reading

Harrison Faigen: “There’s Genuine Dislike Between (Lakers and Clippers)”

May 11, 2020 / / 0 Comments

Faigen (in light blue), with other reporters, interviews Kobe Bryant during the Laker’s final season.

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SB Nation’s Silver Screen & Roll writer and editor-in-chief Harrison Faigen discusses the present state of the Los Angeles Lakers as uncertainty swirls around a potential NBA return this season.

Time stamps may vary due to dynamic advertising:

7:56-9:03: “The only way to change this [mental health stigma] and have people be more comfortable talking about it is to have more people talk about it openly and have it not be that big of a deal. And so I want it to not be a big deal when I talk about being afraid to go outside or being afraid to go back to work. These are things we all feel on some level or another…We’re all feeling that, and everyone who’s struggling should be able to talk about that. One of the most insidious things, at least with my own mental illness, was it made me feel like I was weird and that there was something wrong with me and that you shouldn’t talk about it because other people aren’t going to be able to relate. What I’ve found through talking to other people…and the overwhelming feedback to the piece was that there a lot of other people going through these same things, and that appreciated that I was willing to talk about it.”

14:18-15:38: “Nobody was seriously thinking that LeBron [James] was washed [up], but there were more doubts about him going into this season than there probably ever have been…He’s mostly been a really important part of the Lakers defense, he’s been basically their sole competent ball handler on offense, and for him to be doing that at 35 with the workload that he needs to take on and not really load-managing…I think it’s probably as good of a 35-year-old season as anyone’s ever had.” Continue reading

Tomer Azarly: Clippers “Still a Work in Progress”

January 27, 2020 / / 0 Comments

 

Patrick Beverley’s health, along with Leonard’s and George’s, will be critical to the Clippers’ postseason success, says Azarly (FrenchieInPortland/Creative Commons).

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Tomer Azarly of Clutch Points joins the show to discuss the state of the Clippers just past the season’s midway point. Enjoy these clips/Clips:

Time stamps may vary due to dynamic advertising:

7:04-7:42: “I just think it’s a work in progress. It’s a team last year that had an underdog mentality all season and now you add two superstars from two completely different programs in Kawhi and PG, and it just takes time to incorporate these guys. We haven’t even talked about the fact that they have one game healthy all year. That was the Laker game on Christmas Day. The following game, Trez missed because of the flu, and then Pat went out with the wrist injury. So they’ve only really had one game healthy, one practice the day before that healthy. We’ve really yet to see what this team can be. So I don’t think it’s time to overreact yet, but this team is still a work in progress.”

15:47-16:46: “Their numbers while [Ivica] Zubac is on the court have been pretty close to phenomenal. They’ve been a really good defensive team when Zubac on the court because he not only blocks shots, but he changes shots. He’s a really big guy inside. He takes up a lot of space. I’ve been saying this all year: play Zubac more. Get him more minutes. For whatever reason, the Clippers are not getting him more minutes right now. Maybe they’re showcasing Trez more. Maybe they feel like they can outscore teams and sort of be OK defensively, with Trez on the court. But I do think a bit of their defense always comes back to Zubac and having him on the court because inside, statistically, like blocked shots, he hasn’t been a crazy force, but he’s been a shot-changing force at the rim for the Clippers.” Continue reading

Will & Grace Co-Creator David Kohan: “This Is the (Clippers’) Year”

July 31, 2019 / / 0 Comments

David Kohan could not believe when he awoke to a record number of text messages congratulating him on the Clippers’ acquisitions of George and Leonard (13th Vision/Twitter).

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David Kohan, along with his friend Max, created the long-running hit comedy series Will & Grace. But the Emmy Award winner is also one of the biggest Clippers fans we know, and boy was he excited to preview the upcoming season in Clipperland, one which he believes will be “the year.” Boasting the likes of Kawhi Leonard, Paul George and a deep supporting cast, the Clippers are primed for a breakthrough season. Coincidentally, Will & Grace just made a big announcement of its own: the show will be ending after one final season. Following the Clippers discussion, David touches upon that as well as his sister’s stellar TV series, Orange Is the New Black. Some special clips (Clips?) have been excerpted below:

4:15-4:26: “I thought for a second when Chris Paul was joining the team, ‘Well, this is about as good as it’s gonna get as a Clipper fan.’ But I was wrong. This is about as good as it gets.”

7:36-7:43: “Suddenly, it felt like we were frontrunners, and I’ve never felt that way as a Clipper fan before.”

11:40-12:07: “More than anything, If Jerry West is there, I feel like he’s a magician. There’s no greater architect of a team. There’s no one whose imprimatur means more than Jerry West. … His instincts are always right. It’s uncanny to me. So, it’s like, ‘In Jerry we trust,’ right?” Continue reading

Jovan Buha: Leonard, George “Can Be Best Perimeter Pairing Since Pippen, M.J.”

July 11, 2019 / / 0 Comments

Kawhi Leonard brings his stifling defense to Los Angeles, where skilled perimeter wing Paul George will also be playing in 2019-20 (Chensiyuan/Creative Commons).

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Last Friday night, Los Angeles residents, among people in others places such as Las Vegas, felt a 7.1-magnitude earthquake. Within nearly two and a half hours, the Clippers had pulled off an earth-shattering pair of moves that would bring both Kawhi Leonard and Paul George to Los Angeles, not too far from where either superstar was born and raised. For the occasion, The Athletic’s Jovan Buha appears On the NBA Beat to discuss how the long-suffering franchise positioned itself for such a major offseason coup, how dominant these Clippers can truly be after the earth-Kawhiuake, the question marks surrounding Paul George’s shoulders and much, much more.

8:23-10:52: “I think for the Clippers to be able to get Doc [Rivers] to basically take a demotion and not have to fire him, not have him quit, I think that was huge, because Doc still has a lot of cachet around the league, he’s still regarded as a players’ coach, he’s still someone that people want to play for. … [They] completely revamped this front office, and that really changed things for the Clippers, because every single move they’ve made over these last two years has been so calculated and has really put them in this position to do what they just did.”

13:04-14:22: “The Clippers have just continued to flip players for more assets and more players, and then they just cashed in on this Paul George-Kawhi Leonard situation. It was a historic price, what they paid for Paul George…but I think the context you’ve gotta look at it in is it’s not like they traded for Paul George only; they traded for Paul George and Kawhi Leonard. Had they not gotten Paul George, they would not have gotten Kawhi Leonard. … Yes, there is risk into the mid-2020s, but if the Clippers win a championship or make the Finals over the next two, three years, I think that’s clearly worth it.” Continue reading

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