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The Shot Tower pod breaks down all the most interesting trades—including Nets/76ers, Kings/Pacers, Mavs/Wizards, Spurs/Celtics, and Heat/Thunder. Jalen and Michael also discuss the many reunions brought about by those trades—particularly James Harden and Daryl Morey (see "Reunited" by Peaches and Herb).   Yaron Weitzmen article about the Nets/76ers trade: https://www.foxsports.com/stories/nba/james-harden-ben-simmons-trade-inside-story-behind-the-deal

As we reach the trade deadline, the Shot Tower crew breaks down the real-NBA and fantasy-NBA implications of the trades so far—including the LeVert trade between the Pacers and the Cavaliers; why the Cavaliers won the Harden trade last season (and not the Rockets or the Nets); and the trade between the Clippers and the Trailblazers to get the Blazers under the luxury tax. As an afterthought, we discuss why the Lakers and Jazz are doomed and should apologize to their fan bases. 

The Shot Tower crew talks about the joy of Klay Day, Stephen Silas and his love for KPJ, the historic offensive rating of the Jazz, all the trades we want to see, and Lebron's statistical milestone.

The Shot Tower pod chops up the trades that will happen, the trades that should happen, and the trades we would most like (or not) to see—including new homes for Jerami Grant, Denis Schroder, Ben Simmons, Gordon Hayward, and most of the Trailblazers.

The Shot Tower crew discusses all of the nuances of Steph Curry's brilliance while watching him claim the all-time three-pointers made record from Ray Allen. Jalen Eutsey (@jaleneutsey) reads his Steph Curry inspired persona poem, Confessions of a Golden State Warrior, and sheds some light on the events and media referenced in the poem. The development of the NBA's youngest stars, including Cade Cunningham, LaMelo Ball, Ja Morant, and Anthony Edwards are analyzed. 

The Shot Tower crew welcomes Sandra Marchetti (author of Confluence) to discuss her excellent poems about basketball and the Chicago Bulls, writing about baseball and other sports, her Chicago fandom, and bonding with her father over sports. Check out Sandra's poem "Winter Wednesday" at HeadFake Hoops: https://medium.com/head-fake/winter-wednesday-810c140e134b Andrew Forbes book "The Utility of Boredom: Baseball Essays": https://bookshop.org/books/the-utility-of-boredom-baseball-essays/9781926743691  

The Shot Tower crew reconvenes to discuss the Isaiah Stewart and LeBron James dust-up, playoff outlooks for the Warriors, Lakers, Suns, Nets, Bucks, and Heat, and whether or not a Ben Simmons trade can save the Sacramento Kings from themselves. 

The brilliant Seth Partnow visits the Shot Tower pod to discuss his excellent new book, The Midrange Theory: Basketball's Evolution in the Age of Analytics. We discuss how understanding analytics can deepen fandom for and appreciation of this beautiful game, as well as the midrange theory itself, how media influences viewing, how steals can be a predictor of NBA success, 2-for 1s, some of the numbers behind the Bucks signing Brook Lopez, why some good players aren't as good in the playoffs, and the many pitfalls of the draft.

The Shot Tower crew gets into some early season trends, including Seth Partnow's analytic examination of the slow start for NBA offenses, the new Wilson basketball, the physicality of the Miami Heat, the sweet-shooting Warriors, the immaculate 76ers, the youth movements in Detroit and Houston, fantasy surprises and disappointments, and the age-old question—two for the tie or three for the win. 

The Shot Tower crew welcomes special guest John Wilmes of RealGM (@johnwilmeswords on Twitter) and we discuss the fiasco in Philadelphia, the new-look Bulls, the young Pistons, Thibs and minutes, and our hopes for the new season.

The Shot Tower roster previews the wide-open Western Conference with special consideration for the Suns, Lakers, Jazz, Warriors, Clippers, Mavericks, Grizzlies, and Rockets. 

The Shot Tower squad previews the Eastern Conference with special emphasis on the Nets, Bucks, 76ers, Hawks, Heat, Knicks, Hornets, & Pistons.

Terry Horstman's (@terryhorstman) beautiful essay about Dwyane Wade and Prince at Flagrant Magazine, what it's like to be a Minnesota Timberwolves fan for your entire life, follow-up on the Timberwolves coaching hiring and firing, the terrible timing of the Lloyd Pierce firing and Travis Schlenk's culpability, and the all-Prince NBA starting five.

The crew talks about Chris Finch’s surprise hiring in Minnesota, the Brooklyn Nets rounding into form, James Harden playing a more team-friendly style, Jaden McDaniels’ breakout potential, and NBA Top Shot—the blockchain-backed digital trading card system developed by Dapper Labs. Gotta love #thisleague.

Players speak out about the All Star game, Draymond speaks out for better player treatment, the amazing Jae'Sean Tate, and a big trade in Scorekeeper.

The crew is joined by Andrew Kelly (@andlankell) to talk all things Hawks—Trae Young’s ceiling, De’Andre Hunter’s progress, Cam Reddish’s stagnation, Kevin Huerter’s secondary playmaking, and a list of potential trade and free agent targets. They also take a look at some of the leagues exciting young (fantasy) players—LaMelo Ball, Immanuel Quickley, Keldon Johnson, Théo Maledon, and Nickeil Alexandar-Walker.

The usual crew of Michael Kimball (@MichaelKimball), Kyle Stine (@kjstine), and Jalen Eutsey (@jaleneutsey) get together in week 6 of the NBA season to discuss the surging Denver Nuggets, with particular focus on Michael Porter Jr’s impressive performances; the Brooklyn Nets steadying themselves after back-to-back surprising losses to the Cleveland Cavaliers; and Jerami Grant and Bam Adebayo continuing their breakout seasons.

The crew gets together with David Smooke to talk about the “Jarrett Allen trade” and all of the attending real and fantasy-NBA fallout for James Harden, Caris LeVert, Victor Oladipo, Taurean Prince and their respective teams, the Houston Rockets, Brooklyn Nets, Cleveland Cavaliers and Indiana Pacers. We discuss the string of short-sighted cost-cutting decisions from Tilman Fertitta that lead to the recent mass exit out of Houston. The crew also talks about the Cleveland Cavaliers handling of the Kevin Porter Jr situation, the hot start for the New York Knicks and Thibs being Thibs. Finally, an unexpected knock-down drag-out argument over Cole Anthony’s value and potential in both the real and fantasy-NBA.

In a tumultuous week in and around the NBA, we come together to reflect on the role the league and players have played in recent politics and the worsening coronavirus situation that has postponed several games. The Pelicans' playoff situation, the Grizzlies' perseverance, and the never-ending Thunder enter the discussion. And Trae Young and John Collins get a surprise comparison to Kyrie and Dion Waiters.  

The crew is joined by Micah Wimmer to discuss the best current basketball writers, best sports books, the defining traits of today’s NBA superstars, and how the basketball internet has helped develop their fandom. They take a look at Russell Westbrook’s legacy and the war of words between Kyrie Irving and NBA media. The conversation closes with a nostalgic look at the fever dream that was the 2015-16 Steph Curry and Golden State Warriors season and the Philadelphia 76ers quietly strong start to the 2020 season.