Shottakes

Oh God, the lawyers are back! Segments on:  Ja Morant and the case of the curiously short suspension James Dolan's MSG surveillance state Ishbia vs. Gilbert: the next great ownership rivalry? the MVP debate and its fraught discourse

It's an episode we never thought we'd produce: an unironic tribute to the Sacramento Kings. The Beam Team is, for the first time in two decades, one of the NBA's most entertaining squads, and we ask resident Kings cult member Eric Lynch what is going on in Sacramento (after a glorious recap of the last 17 years in the doldrums, of course).  **Recorded last Wednesday**

The haters and losers thought ShotTakes was dead—SAD! After a quick half season of load management, we're here to dish on the 2022-23 NBA season: praise, scorn, predictions, and more. We went all around the league in this episode (taped Tuesday night) but stay tuned for a follow up that focuses on one luminescent team that will drop tomorrow....

We're back on the air and pleased to welcome a guest host who actually knows what winning basketball feels like: Spurs insider Elliott Soler. Lots of talk about the state of the Spurs, the Dejounte Murray trade, and of course the other blockbuster deals of the summer. 

The Finals are knotted 1-1 after an intriguing two games in San Francisco. We react to what we've seen so far and meander into broader, more irrelevant conversations as we always do. 

The Finals tip off on Thursday night, so it's time for Scott and Jesse to empty their notebooks on the Warriors-Celtics matchup, the NBA's obvious lack of COVID-19 protocols enforcement, "manifesting" vs. "resolutions," and other important subjects. Tune in for a deep dive on what we hope will be a great Finals.

The FULL four-person ShotTakes lineup is BACK to talk all things 2022 playoffs! It seems like we're hurdling towards a Warriors-Celtics Finals....right? We discuss the Heat's chances to pull out an improbable ECF win and the outlook for the Finals on tonight's full-strength episode of ShotTakes.

Scott and Jesse bring that famous #PlayoffIntensity to talk Suns' collapse, Luka Legend, the playoff genius of Jimmy Butler, replay review (so many replays), and more in a postseason edition of ShotTakes. 

The NBA's megastars are the subjects of many debates: GOAT, MVP, Top-10, First Team All-NBA, etc. etc. But there may be more to unpack in the next tier of players, who we're calling the "sub-superstars." Who's knocking on the door of true superstardom? Which up-and-comers are winning players, and which are stat-stuffers who haven't proven enough quite yet? In this episode, Scott and Jesse examine the ranks of the 11th to 25th best players; next time, they'll rank them and see where their lists diverge. Enjoy!

It's our favorite holiday: the NBA trade deadline. We've got reactions to the Harden-Simmons deal and all the other transactions in this premium episode of ShotTakes.

After a brief discussion about how Andrew Wiggins' All-Star selection threatens NBA (and American) democratic legitimacy, Scott and Eric center the episode on this podcast's founding premise: basketball and the law. Which NBA players would make the best—and worst—prosecutors, litigators, legal partners, judges, and fixers? Tune in for our expert* opinions.   *under Frye but not Daubert

Scott and Eric run the two-man game and get literary in tonight's episode. Inspired by the release of Chris Herring's Blood In The Garden, we cover book-worthy teams, the best sports volumes we've read, debate which modern players would fit Pat Riley's 90s Knicks, and reminisce on the best teams never to win a championship. And if you haven't heard, the Lakers are a disaster—but it's not Frank Vogel's fault. 

Kyrie Irving: the most skilled point guard of all-time? Klay's return: bigger than Christ's resurrection? The Grizzlies: on their way to a string of NBA titles? All possible if you allow your mind to enter the sacred Hyperbolic Chamber—a level of consciousness only brave souls (and true hoopers) have achieved. Those discussions and rank speculation about which NBA figures and organizations should be criminally investigated (looking at your draft pick laundering scheme, Sam Presti) all on tonight's enlightened episode of ShotTakes.

Happy 2022! We start off the new year by manifesting some NBA storylines we'd like to see blossom as the calendar turns. And we resolve to record *slightly* more often for the rest of the season! (low bar but the key to any good resolution is to set reasonable expectations)

Yes, you read this correctly: ShotTakes is BACK, BABY! Notes on the resolution of the 2020-21 season, critiques of the offseason, and observations on the early action since the restart. Enjoy!

Despite LeBron and Mark Cuban's doubts, the play-in tournament rocked. (Shoutout Evan Wasch, who definitely isn't getting fired.) We unpack the dynamics and future of the qualifying round before delving into the opening playoff action—apologies to the Clippers, but hey, don't let us raise your concern level above "no!"

Eric blows our minds with some previously unimaginable personal news, then after readjusting our views of the world in response, we turn to the NBA's home stretch. While there's no doubt the action has been marred by injuries, tanking, and load management in recent weeks, the seeding races in both conferences promise an intriguing finish to this unique season. 

One of the most ridiculous figures in modern American history, Mr. Alexander Emmanuel Rodriguez, is set to be the next owner of the Minnesota Timberwolves/Lynx, and we could not be happier about it. Scott and Eric are here with everything you need to know about A-Rod (you're welcome, Anthony Edwards), from his baseball career, scandals, improbable resurgence, and very recently terminated relationship with pop icon Jennifer Lopez. This is a new day for the NBA and we welcome A-Rod and all his absurdity to our beloved Association. Finally, we reflect on the sudden retirement of LaMarcus Aldridge and look back on his outstanding career. Tune in, and remember: you always want even leads versus odd leads. Why? The solo home run doesn't tie it, and the grand slam does not beat you. Keep it simple.