On The NBA Beat

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Jason Gallagher: “Right Now, The Pieces Don’t Fit” for Mavericks

November 29, 2022 / / 0 Comments

Luka Doncic presently stands as one of a few MVP frontrunners, but will his supporting cast be able to provide more help (@DallasMavs/Instagram)?


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On the heels of a 2022 Western Conference finals berth, the 9-10 Dallas Mavericks are mired in mediocrity despite receiving historically brilliant contributions from superstar point guard Luka Doncic. Emmy Award-winning director Jason Gallagher, now head of production at The Old Man and the Three, triumphantly returns to shed light on what exactly isn’t computing.

4:38-5:14: “I believe that the shooting will improve, but I believe that the Kemba [Walker] move is a result of not having a second playmaker. Spencer is just not that. He is about as good as an X-Factor could possibly be, and that’s what you want. That’s where he thrived last year. But as a reliable sort of playmaking second option, I think that we’re coming to find that he’s just not the decision-maker that Jalen Brunson was. He didn’t have the steadying sort of temperament that Jalen Brunson had.”

12:23-14:02: “You kind of come to this conclusion of ‘Why does this feel more frustrating than before? Why does this feel like a weird stretch?’ Tim Cato tweeted that this is as about as down as he’s seen Mavs twitter in a while, and I think the reason is obviously making the Western Conference finals increases your expectations, but I also think that there’s a level of, you have a generational superstar and, as importantly, you have a core that you’ve invested a lot of time and a lot of resources to developing that still feels like a work in progress. … And I think that that is why fans probably feel frustrated. Continue reading

Justin Rowan: Donovan Mitchell Provides “Massive Boost for the Cavs”

November 14, 2022 / / 0 Comments

Present MVP candidate Donovan Mitchell is converting shots at career-best levels in Year 1 in Cleveland (@Cavs/Instagram).

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After an 8-1 start to the season that had some prognosticators pegging them as dark-horse title contenders, the Cleveland Cavaliers have been hit with the On the NBA Beat curse and have lost their last four games. To help us get into the ins-and-outs of this enigmatic team, we’ve brought on Cavaliers expert and longtime friend of the show Justin Rowan, host of The Chase Down Podcast. Justin takes us through what the offseason trade for Donovan Mitchell unlocks for Cleveland, the growth trajectory of young stars Darius Garland and Evan Mobley and how he projects the Cavs to compare to the other members of the Eastern Conference elite this season and beyond.

4:45-5:39: “I think the floor of what you’re hoping for is to avoid the play-in tournament. But I think they have more than enough talent to get home court in the first round, and that should be the goal. If you’re talking about translating that to the postseason, I’m always going to give the benefit of the doubt to the teams that have been there. Experience matters so much … so I’m going to give the edge to teams like Milwaukee and Boston when it comes to the playoffs, but in the regular season I do think they are up in that tier.”

7:11-7:56: “The biggest difference from Donovan Mitchell and what the Cavs probably would have been pre-Mitchell trade is Mitchell kind of combines a lot of what you were looking for from multiple players. Collin Sexton is a good scorer. He’s a very good scorer, and I think his passing maybe was a little underrated, but it’s not at the same level as Mitchell. A lot of the actions that they were probably planning on running for Ochai Agbaji, like pin-downs and all that kind of stuff, you can run for Mitchell, but you also have the added benefit of his playmaking, the volume 3-point shooting, the improvement on defense, which I think was one of the things they were banking on prior to that trade. The fact that he brings all of those elements into one player is a massive boost for the Cavs.”

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Molly Morrison: “It’s a New World for Grizzlies Fans”

November 1, 2022 / / 0 Comments

Ja Morant’s exciting play has been a major reason why the Memphis Grizzlies have solidified their position among the NBA’s upper echelon (@memgrizz/Instagram).

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Last season’s Memphis Grizzlies announced their arrival by earning the second seed in the Western Conference. And with the league’s fifth-youngest roster and proven success building through the draft and player development, there’s no reason to believe their upward trajectory shouldn’t continue into this season. To discuss how this up-and-coming team can continue to bolster its franchise’s history, we’ve brought on special guest Molly Morrison, formerly of MadeInMemphis1, the most followed Grizzlies’ fan account in Memphis. She takes us through the growth that led to Ja Morant winning the Most Improved Player Award and Zach Kleiman winning Executive of the Year and where the team can go from here.

4:06-4:55: “Ja Morant obviously is just the pivotal reason as to why you’re sitting here saying, ‘They’re not even an up-and-coming team. They’re kind of already there.’ So much of that does have to do with Ja’s ability to attack the basket, along of course with his other skill-sets: the block I posted, his incredible court vision, the way he is able to create for his teammates, and just all the areas he’s willing and working to improve in. … Just some of the things he does, I truly believe that I am excited to watch every single Grizzlies game in the regular season, which is not something I could always say because there will be some sort of highlight that just doesn’t look like something a natural person would do.”

8:48-9:08: “Desmond Bane is only going to keep getting scarier, be as scary as he’s been. His impact on the offense is as good as anyone. He and Ja are becoming one of my favorite backcourts in the league, just seeing them play together and their impact on the offense.”

11:24-11:57: “They’ve been shooting better on a higher volume, which is extremely hard to do, to shoot more 3s and shoot a higher percentage on 3s, and the whole team has done that. That really goes back to what I mentioned earlier with coach Taylor Jenkins realizing, ‘OK, guys. Our defense is going to struggle. We don’t have Jaren Jackson Jr. now. We traded away two great defensive players in [De’Anthony] Melton and [Kyle] Anderson. We need to stop shooting as many midrange shots. We need to either attack the basket or shoot from deep.’ And I think you’ve really seen that pay off with the Grizzlies.”

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Derek James: “No Idea What [Anthony Edwards’] Ceiling Is”

October 18, 2022 / / 0 Comments

D’Angelo Russell, Karl-Anthony Towns and Anthony Edwards mingle with Rudy Gobert, who was famously added to the fold this July (@Timberwolves/Instagram).

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After their 2021-22 season ended with a first-round playoff exit at the hands of the Memphis Grizzlies, the Minnesota Timberwolves retooled by trading for three-time NBA Defensive Player of Year Rudy Gobert, in what many called the most surprising and impactful move of the offseason. They also re-emphasized their commitment to franchise cornerstone Karl-Anthony Towns by offering him a super-max contract extension worth $224 million. To help us assess how Minnesota will fare in the crowded Western Conference, we’ve enlisted the help of Derek James, former Timberwolves beat reporter for various outlets and writer of the By Derek James Substack. He’ll take us through those two aforementioned seismic front-office moves, the continued growth of Anthony Edwards and Jaden McDaniels, and much, much more.

6:26-8:11: “It definitely struck me as a lot when the Gobert trade first went down and seeing all those picks [be sent to Utah] and then hearing Tim Connelly talk about how he feels like they probably maxed out their ceiling last year. … How are you getting even better and taking the next step there? I think that is really where this trade has pushed the Timberwolves. You could see them reasonably having home-court [advantage], at least in the first round. Continue reading

Law Murray: The Clippers Are “Pretty Injury-Proof”

October 3, 2022 / / 0 Comments

Nearly 14 months after his last meaningful NBA game, Kawhi Leonard has entered training camp with a noticeably more muscular frame. (@LAClippers on Instagram)

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After a grueling, injury-marred 2021-22 season, in which the Los Angeles Clippers clawed their way into the play-in games but failed to advance any further, the Clips have returned for NBA preseason with a clean bill of health and championship expectations. We’ve brought back our friend Law Murray, Clippers beat reporter for The Athletic, to help us delve into the team some are calling the deepest in the NBA. He discusses the highly anticipated comeback of superstar Kawhi Leonard, what to expect from John Wall, the task ahead for coach Tyronn Lue and much more in this in-depth conversation.

5:34-6:11: “We always talk about “if healthy.” We always talk about that being such a big swing factor for all teams, but the Clippers, everyone’s more sensitive because they’re just waiting for something bad to happen. Well, this is a pretty injury-proof team. Obviously you don’t want critical injuries that cost guys months or injuries that guys can’t return from within the season, but you got a minor injury or you have recurring repeated injuries, yeah, that’s disruptive. But this team is going to roll out talent every night; there’s just too many guys.” Continue reading

Andy Liu: “More Mature” Warriors “Come at You Without Shooting 3s”

May 22, 2022 / / 0 Comments

Now the veteran leaders on the team, Steph Curry and Klay Thompson have led Golden State back to the Western Conference finals with a different approach than years past (@Warriors/Instagram).

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After two seasons of missing the playoffs, the Golden State Warriors are back on the main stage, making their sixth Western Conference finals appearance in the last eight years. Ahead of Sunday night’s Game 3, they find themselves with a commanding 2-0 series lead over the Dallas Mavericks and are poised to make their return to the NBA Finals. Joining us for a record fifth episode is Andy Liu of the Light Years podcast, who never fails to bring both knowledge and passion when talking about the Warriors.

2:37-3:58: “In those comebacks, it was the defense that was great, but the Warriors rained 3s. It would just be left, right, Steph, Klay, Steph, Klay. And they would just do it repeatedly until they beat the other team into submission, and that’s not what it was last night. It really wasn’t. It was a lot of defense, of course…but it was just getting to the bucket. And I think a lot of that is Steph, Klay and (Jordan) Poole figuring out, like, ‘Hey, we’re great shooters, but that’s not our first option anymore.’ That’s different from what we’ve seen with the Warriors. Is it better? Maybe. It’s not as fun. The comeback is great, but everybody always wants to see Steph go dribble, dribble, dribble, step-back 3, but I think those are less sustainable in the postseason. It’s pretty cool to see a more experienced championship pedigree Warriors team kind of come back this way. It felt like more classic basketball versus the Warriors basketball that we’ve seen for a long time.”

6:13-6:38: “Luka Doncic is a traffic cone. Luka Doncic is amazing. He was damn near LeBron-like on offense Friday night with the way that he was making 3s and getting to the hole. But he doesn’t hold LeBron’s jock on defense. And he’s absolutely terrible. Andrew Wiggins was going at him, Steph was driving right by him, and this Dallas team is exhausted. They go seven guys, they have like two, three good defenders – none of them great – and the Warriors know that.” Continue reading

Parish: Desmond Bane Is “Absolutely Key for the Grizzlies”

May 7, 2022 / / 0 Comments

Ja Morant, just 22, has been incredible through the series’ first two games, but will he get more help on the offensive end (@JaMorant/Instagram)?

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With the Memphis Grizzlies and Golden State Warriors tied through two games of an intense Western Conference semifinal series, we’re joined by Keith Parish, host of Grind City Media‘s Fastbreak Breakfast and Grits and Grinds podcasts, who provides insight from the Grizzlies’ perspective.

3:47-4:17: “These Ja Morant highlights, 140 million people saw them, and that’s by far the most of any NBA player. So he’s becoming an absolute superstar. What he did in Game 2 was a little bit different. … The Warriors are probably kicking themselves with the way they covered him. They didn’t seem to understand that he wants to drive left every time. They didn’t seem to understand that the Grizzlies were really, really short-handed and had not their normal closing lineup out there, but they didn’t force the ball out of his hands.”

12:32-14:11: “A healthy [Desmond] Bane I think could do incredibly against Klay Thompson. I’m not that confident in Klay Thompson’s ability to defend, and the Warriors keep playing these lineups where if [Jordan] Poole and Thompson are both out there, those are two things that the Grizzlies can attack if Bane is healthy. Continue reading

John Karalis: Celtics “Cutting Durant’s Legs Off”

April 25, 2022 / / 0 Comments

Jayson Tatum celebrates with teammates after another dominant showing in Game 3 (@Celtics/Instagram).

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With the Boston Celtics (arguably) improbably leading the Brooklyn Nets 3-0 in an opening-round 2-7 matchup, we’re joined by John Karalis, host of Locked on Celtics, Celtics beat reporter for The Boston Sports Journal and author of The Boston Celtics All-Time All-Stars

5:07-5:45: Most importantly, defending at an extraordinarily high level; that’s what got them to this place. In this series, they are not letting Kevin Durant close out. They are not letting Durant get going and start to do all the things that Durant does. When the Nets are closing out teams, it’s Durant, just bucket after bucket after bucket, midrange after midrange after midrange. Unstoppable. In this series, they’ve frustrated the hell out of him, they’ve beaten him up, and he’s throwing passes to nobody now.”

6:47-6:52: “When he’s got it going, [Tatum] could be as deadly as anybody in the league.”

13:51-14:54: “The switching has, I think, taken them out of their rhythm. And when Kevin Durant is out of rhythm, then the whole thing starts to fall apart ‘cuz Kyrie [Irving] plays off Kevin Durant, and it’s not the other way around. Continue reading

Shamit Dua: “If You Had to Offer [Zion] the Max, You’d Do It”

March 12, 2022 / / 0 Comments

Buoyed by the CJ McCollum acquisition, Brandon Ingram had taken his game to a superstar level, but the wiry wing has recently been sidelined with a right hamstring strain (@Pelicansnba/Instagram).

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Shamit Dua, host of the In the NO podcast, discusses the promising, young New Orleans Pelicans, whose vastly improved defense and deadline acquisition of guard CJ McCollum has them jockeying for a play-in spot. Shamit discusses McCollum’s arrival, including what it’s unlocked for star wing Brandon Ingram, before exploring New Orleans’ new dual-big man starting lineup, Herb Jones’ seismic contributions to its defensive leap and the team’s prospects for the remainder of the season and beyond. Among other forward-looking topics, Shamit pays special attention to the franchise’s consequential upcoming summer decision regarding Zion Williamson’s future as its centerpiece. Enjoy some delectable excerpts below:

2:10-2:57: “From the get-go, CJ has brought professionalism, leadership and just attention to the franchise in a way that it hasn’t had before. You can tell that this is the player that all of his peers voted as the president of the [National Basketball] Players Association. He knows what he’s doing, both on and off the court, and it’s the kind of leadership that the team has really needed. Obviously on the court, he’s been producing at an extremely high rate. I think he’s up to like 27 points per game as a Pelican. He’s jelling well with the other players on the team, creating open looks and just all in all making the Pelicans offense that much more dynamic and that much more difficult to defend.” Continue reading

Caitlin Cooper: “The Way [Haliburton] Can Freeze Defenders” Boosts Pacers

February 22, 2022 / / 0 Comments

Indiana’s promising young backcourt, Tyrese Haliburton (left), 21, and new teammate Chris Duarte, 24, pose together before the 2022 Rising Stars Challenge in Cleveland (Instagram/@Pacers).

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Caitlin Cooper, contributing writer for SB Nation’s Indy Cornrows, has experienced quite a memorable 2021-22 Pacers season so far. Although the team stands at 20-40 at the All-Star break, well below expectations, it boldly traded 25-year-old two-time All-Star Domantas Sabonis, just days before the deadline, in a package that most notably returned super-talented second-year guard Tyrese Haliburton from the Kings. Caitlin discusses Indiana’s team-building process, why Sabonis was ultimately dealt, what Haliburton’s arrival means for Malcolm Brogdon’s Pacers future, why she’s excited about some of the franchise’s lesser-known youngsters, the magic of Lance Stephenson’s return, and that’s not even all. Enjoy some notable excerpts below:

3:33-4:15: “When you go from Sabonis to Halliburton, both of them have really good feel for the game, and they process what’s out on the floor very quickly; it’s just that you’re doing it at two very different positions. Knowing that they were moving on from Domas, they were mainly going to be losing what he does as a hand-off operator, his roll gravity, interior gravity, his ability to generate side-to-side action. They don’t really have any other bigs that can do that to the level that he does, but I think the thought process was…I don’t think the Pacers have ever in my lifetime had a point guard the caliber, even just after seeing these four games, of what Halliburton can do in terms of no-look passes, pass fakes to shake help defenders and get guys open and get everybody involved.”

13:43-14:40: “I think that the skill that has stood out the most to me…is just the way that he [Haliburton] can freeze defenders. I mean you don’t notice it right away sometimes even. Continue reading

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