Mike Gribanov (@mikegrib8 on all platforms, including his excellent Patreon) returns to discuss the 17-1 Cleveland Cavaliers, their hitherto dominant offense, and a developmental check in on Evan Mobley. Then, we discuss the gnarly Houston ROckets' defense and where their team goes from here with so many darts and so little time. Stay tuned for a m…

Jack Quantrill, of the excellent Drop Step NBA Podcast, joins to offer some early season NBA conclusions that we feel are permanent and will hold through the rest of the season. Standings, win totals, rookie awards, and more. Enjoy! Time Stamps (0:00) Intro (4:30) OKC, Dallas, Minnesota (25:35) JAYLEN WELLS (38:30) All-NBA Lamelo (55:30) OKC and Ca…

Draft Strickland's Prez (_prezidente) rejoins for an omnibus preview of the 2024-2025 NBA regular season. Playoff seedings, awards, All-Rookie, title picks, the works. Plus, plenty of Knicks, some team building talk, and Rookie Extension analysis. Enjoy! TIME STAMPS (0:00) Intro (3:25) Mikal Bridges Shot Doctor (12:00) Knicks Projection (16:25) Eas…

Mat Issa (@matissa15), basketball writer for Forbes, Basketball Insider, Opta Analyst, and Fansided, returns to rank NBA Defenses 1-30 heading into the 2024-2025 season. As with every year, rankings are based on projected defensive efficiency (points per 100 possessions). Enjoy! We had different rankings and jumped around a bit, so the order of dis…

Charlie Cummings (@klaytheist11), the great contributor to Swish Theory and author of the Know Your Role series, returns to rank NBA Offenses 1-30 heading into the 2024-2025 season. As with every year, rankings are based on projected offensive efficiency (points per 100 possessions). Enjoy! We had different rankings and jumped around a bit, so the …

Welcome to the Season Premiere of Chucking Darts! Today, Forbes contributor and freelance journalist Esfandiar Baraheni returns to discuss the player improvements that will define the 2024-2025 season. Enjoy! Time Stamps (0:00) Intro (7:00) Victor Wembanyama (16:20) Cade Cunningham (24:20) Chet and Evan Mobley (40:00) Houston Rockets (57:15) Immanu…

Keandre Ashley (@HoopIntellect) the foremost NBA draft analyst on Youtube, discusses 2024 NBA Summer League's top rookie performers. Subscribe to his excellent channel and enjoy our discussion projecting Matas Buzelis, Ron Holland, Kel'El Ware, Jaylon Tyson, and more! Timestamps: (00:00) Intro (07:15) Matas Buzelis (30:30) Ron Holland (47:00) Bobi …

You Know Ball's Bartleboys join to address the 2024 NBA offseason, looking specifically at 9 teams who changed their franchise direction most drastically. We ruminate on short and long term consequences, ruminate on future trades, crown the unimpeachable truths of summer league, and dissect the slop tides that have subtly turned. The conversation w…

A mammoth episode I did not get to release pre-draft, please enjoy the great international scout Ignacio Rissotto of No Ceilings (and writer for Fiba, formerly the Stepien) give deep background and insight on the French prospects that may well come to define the 2024 draft in years to come. 0:00 Intro 5:00 Alexandre Sarr 1:01:20 Zaccharie Risacher …

The 2024 Draft is in the books. I sprint through every team in order, starting with the Hawks at pick no.1, and discuss every move they made. Along the way, I talk about my write up (linked below) and where and why I ranked the players. Steals, risks, blunders we can debate. But they're all darts, and that's what matters. My full write up: https://…

Ersin Demir, contributor to Shot Quality ( @shotquality5054 and author of a fantastic scouting substack, joins to go through his predictive mock draft and which teams he (and we) deviate from. Enjoy! 3:10 Atlanta Hawks 9:05 Washington Wizards 15:05 Houston Rockets 24:05 San Antonio Spurs 37:05 Detroit Pistons 39:50 Charlotte Hornets 44:45 Portland …

Draft Strickland's Prez (_prezidente) comes back for another odyssey into his favorite scouting type: slippery creators, or as he calls them, "prezbait." Deep looks into 5 prospects that no one quite knows what to do with, and full throated cases for aggressive placements on Ajay (Prez) and Carrington (me). 0:00 Intro + T10 creators 10:00 Ajay Mitc…

Ben Pfeifer (@bjpf) returns to discuss 3 prospects with extreme talents and physical traits that have confounded me this cycle: Nikola Topic (post ACL news), Kel'el Ware, and Dillon Jones. Ben Sells me on high outcomes for all 3, we examine their historical draft context, and we marvel at Dillon Jones' savant abilities. Enjoy! Nikola Topic 5:00 Kel…

Who will win and why? Enjoy!Af Chucking Darts

Premier draft analyst Brian Schroeder (patreon.com/BrianJNBA) stops by to discuss the deep well of power wing prospects in the 2024 draft. The playoffs have reinforced the perpetual truth that role wings with power-based athleticism have a valuable role on advancing teams (PJ Washington, Aaron Gordon, Josh Hart, Jaden McDaniels, Kyle Anderson, Aaro…

Nate Grubel (@DraftDeeper, 2024 Draft Consultant and Analyst) returns to kick off a mini-series exploring the optimism within the 2024 Draft. Here, we each select 7 players who we think could thrive in a valuable NBA role, and how several have a unique productivity or athleticism that may hint at something more. Great conversation and episode for t…

The Draft Lottery has come and gone, the Hawks have the number 1 pick, and the Great Prez from Draft Strickland stopped by to do a full lottery mock (no trades). This is what we would do, not predicting what the teams will do. So, we debut a lot of our deep scouting feelings in a very uncertain year. Enjoy! 8:40 Atlanta Hawks 24:15 Washington Wizar…

Esfandiar Baraheni (@Forbes, @RaptorsRepublic, @ProHoopsWriters, @CEBLeague) returns to discuss permanent lessons we've learned thus far in this year's playoffs. Plus, a discussion on how the rosters of the Wolves, Thunder, and Knicks inform us on what "role players" will be most desirable in the NBA moving forward, including some 2024 draft talk. …

For Chucking Darts' special 200th episode, Swish Theory editor-in-chief Matt Powers states his case on Zach Edey as the best player in the 2024 draft. In-depth scouting, philosophy, and projection talk on Edey, Uconn's Donovan Clingan, and one of the draft's most underrated players, San Francisco's Jonathan Mogbo. 3:30 Zach Edey's as Draft Outlier …

The country's finest ACC analyst, 247 contributor, and NC State Wolfpack alum Brian Geisinger returns to provide in depth scouting reports on NC State-Purdue and UConn-Alabama. Can State pull the upset? (I think they can.) How the aesthetic difference between DJ Burns and Zach Edey may give them a puncher's chance. Plus, some draft thoughts regardi…

Acclaimed and accomplished ACC expert Brian Geisinger returns to analyze, in more depth than you will find anywhere, the 4 Sweet 16 matchups featuring ACC teams - Duke-Houston, UNC-Alabama, Clemson-Arizona, and NC State Marquette. Plus, draft talk on the darts therein. Enjoy! 6:00 Duke-Houston 47:00 UNC-Alabama 1:09:00 NC State-Marquette 1:30:00 Cl…

Merry Marchness! I do a quick sprint through my bracket after giving an update on the three NBA-relevant Colorado Buffs at the start of the ep (Cody Williams, KJ SImpson, Tristan Da Silva). Enjoy!Af Chucking Darts

Esfandiar Baraheni returns to discuss his article in Forbes calling for the NBA to debut five man teams for the Most Improved Player award. Then, he runs down his MIP winner, honorable mentions, and three five man units for 2024. We dive into the philosophy and importance of improvement, how the draft can predict it, which improvements matter the m…

Maxwell Baumbach, host of the Draft Sickos podcast and prolific writer for No Ceilings (Prospect Overview, No Stone Unturned) stops by to discuss SEC player of the year and likely lottery pick Dalton Knecht. Dalton is a clear NBA wing, but how will his game scale to winning? Which sorts of NBA wings and contexts are instructive to his skillset? Wha…

Trill returns for a marathon on NBA contenders in the wake of the trade deadline. Who improved their chances, who did right and wrong by standing pat, and what teams can overcome their perceived "fatal flaw" come playoff time. 4:20 Mavericks as a true contender 11:15 Clippers Playoff Qs 18:00 West Favorite? 28:20 Warriors Trade Silence 36:00 Lakers…

A quick solo recap of four most consequential trades of a Trade Deadline that contained plenty of insight. Knicks Sixers/Celtics Thunder Mavs Enjoy!Af Chucking Darts

Swish Theory contributor Charlie Cummings (Klaytheist11) discusses the explosion of Jonathan Kuminga in the Warriors' offense, how his herky jerky development path led here, and the team's new imperative now that he has arrived. Then, we contrast Kuminga with Aaron Nesmith, a wing who has solidified his role and returned lottery value in a much dif…

Credentialed New Orleans Pelicans reporter and author of the In the No Substack (see below), Shamit Dua returns to revisit the maturing New Orleans Pelicans, the NBA's most dominant team over the last several weeks. 2:00 Pelicans' new and elegant offense 15:30 Zion embracing a "0.5" star theory 26:00 Rotation Experimentation During Streak 30:30 Tra…

The Ringer's Kyle Mann joins to talk about his beloved Kentucky Wildcats, and the two guard prospects polarizing opinions in this year's draft: Rob Dillingham and Reed Sheppard. In depth scouting report on each player, how each subtly defies a given "archetype," how each stacks up in recent Kentucky lore, and what recent draft history and theory te…

Richard Stayman of Mavsdraft.com and Locked on NBA Big Board stops by to scout the "superconference," the Big XII. 28:30 Kevin McCullar and how to spot an "old" lotto pick 46:35 Ja'Kobe Walter and the narrow path for true shooting guards 53:40 Yves Missi 57:45 Emanuel Miller and the best of the restAf Chucking Darts

SDPN's Esfandiar Baraheni (twitter @JustEsBaraheni) stops by to unpack the Raptors-Knicks holiday blockbuster trade. 0:00 Opening Thoughts 9:50 OG Anunoby recent play on the Raptors 21:00 The "star value" question with OG 25:20 OG's fit in New York 39:30 IQ and RJ on the Raptors 50:40 The Pascal Siakam moves yet to come 57:20 Dreaming on IQ + Concl…

A quick(-ish) rumination on the framework I am using to evaluate this year's prospects, and five in the NCAA that are severely underrated and why. Summer Article and Tier Framework 0:00 Devin Carter 11:30 PJ Hall 19:30 Hunter Sallis 26:00 Matthew Cleveland 32:15 Otega Oweh 35:20 For my article showing "average draft" tiers, click here https://chuck…

The voice of the Austin Spurs, Karl Schoening (@KSMedia13) joins to talk life in the G League, why the league is becoming a much more relevant developmental environment, and how the Austin Spurs are helping Dom Barlow and Sidy Cissoko get ready for showtime in San Antonio. Enjoy!Af Chucking Darts

Pro Scout Zach Milner (@ZachMilner13, formerly The Stepien, Tag the Roll) joins to talk about the conference laden with 2024 first round bets, the Pac 12. Isaiah Collier and the challenge of "star guard" prospects Kobe Johnson and connectors scaling up Tristan Da Silva and the High-Feel Vet profile Cody Williams and in-season development Kylan Bosw…

Steph Noh (@StephNoh) of the Sporting News drops by to look at the fascinating ROY race and rookie seasons of Chet Holmgren and Victor Wembanyama. We also celebrate the rest of the rookie class while Steph manages an existential crisis regarding the Chicago Bulls. Enjoy!Af Chucking Darts

Brian makes his return to after our triumphant March Madness troika this past year to preview the ACC and its darts. Kyle Filipowski, Jared McCain, and Tyrese Proctor. Woog Poplar, Matthew Cleveland, and Norchad Omier. Bub Carrington and Zack Austin. Carey Booth. Ryan Dunn. And of course, Brian's muse Reece Beekman. Plus plenty more. Enjoy!…

I go through a mailbag of early season NBA questions, plus give my impressions on Victor Wembanyama, Tyrese Haliburton, the Houston Rockets, Los Angeles Lakers, Orlando Magic, and more. Enjoy!Af Chucking Darts

Matt Brooks, writer and digital content provider for the Denver Nuggets, joins to talk about basketball nirvana, the "fun" repeat adventure the Nuggets are about to undertake, and how development looks for their crucial younger darts, including Christian Braun, Peyton Watson, Julian Strawther, Hunter Tyson, Zeke Nnaji, and more. Enjoy!…

Trill from the You Know Ball podcast and patreon rejoins to contrast his NBA over/under locks with my own! Plenty debated here, including the regular season ceiling of the Los Angeles Lakers, Minnesota Timberwolves, the "boring" Chicago Bulls (not to me!), the darty Houston Rockets, Trill's own Sixers (we are both optimistic), and more! Plus, MVP, …

Forbes and Opta Analyst contributor Mat Issa (@matissa15) joins for part 2 of the Chucking Darts regular season preview: Defensive Team Rankings. We go through our 1-30 list, disagree on the Sixers and teams in Texas, and acknowledge a looming giant in California. Enjoy!Af Chucking Darts

Sam Ferris (@DraftDummies) rejoins for our annual offensive season preview, predicting the final regular season ranking of all 30 NBA offenses. But first, we give our predicted All Rookie First and Second Teams. Enjoy!Af Chucking Darts

Esfandiar Baraheni (@JustEsBaraheni) of SDPN, Raptors Republic, and The Objective Basketball Podcast, stops by to ruminate on the star turn the NBA is skeptical of, the Scottie Barnes takeover in Toronto. He details how to weaponize Scottie at big usage alongside Siakam, OG and Poeltl and where the Raptors stack up in the East. Plus, we chuck darts…

Derek Parker (@DParkOK), co-founder of Draft Digest, comes to analyze and attempt to figure out everyone's preseason darling, the OKC Thunder. Chet integration, Jalen Williams and Giddey usage tension, rotation questions, and how the hell does this team do what it does? The darts chucked us on this one. Enjoy!…

Salman Ali, creator of Red Nation Hoops, stops by to discuss the multiverse of the Houston Rockets' future. How does the organization navigate the growth and various star paths of Jalen Green, Alperen Sengun, Jabari Smith Jr., Tari Eason, Cam Whitmore, and Amen Thompson, while having time left over to "win now" like they want? Enjoy!…

Sam rejoins to continue drafting the 2021-2023 classes, this time for picks 15-30. From Sharpe to Sochan and all points in between, join us in projecting the loaded young talent in today's league. Enjoy!Af Chucking Darts

Sam Ferris (@DraftDummies) returns for our annual Dart rank, where we draft 1-30 from the last 3 draft classes. Part 1 here, 1-14. Enjoy!Af Chucking Darts

Aram Cannuscio (@AC_Hoops) is the country's leading NBA Summer league scholar. He joins the show to go through as many players, improvements, and emotions as we can in a 120 minute SL apprecation. Enjoy!Af Chucking Darts

@TrillBroDude returns to recap the and Damian Lillard trade request wild weekend in NBA free agency. Enjoy!Af Chucking Darts

Derek Murray (@DMurrayHoops), Head of Basketball at Cerebro Sports, recaps the 2023 NBA Draft! He discusses the high picks that made sense based on his years of scouting the players on grassroots circuits, identifies draft strategies that stuck out, and makes his case for some second round steals. Afterward (1:00:00) I recap my board and written pi…

Mike Gribanov (@mikegrib8), good buddy and foremost authority on age-based NBA prospect evaluation, comes by to contrast his lottery board with mine and ruminate on the fate of the 2023 class in ruthlessly efficient NBA. Enjoy!Af Chucking Darts