On the NBA Beat

This season’s Los Angeles Lakers are being talked about for mostly unfortunate reasons. One of the best players of all time, Kobe Bean Bryant, will retire upon season’s end and is undoubtedly playing the worst individual basketball of his career. The team is just as bad, beginning with a 3-18 record that includes a loss to the now 1-21 76ers in Bryant’s underwhelming homecoming. But while there’s certainly ample room for doom and gloom on the episode, Rey-Rey is Fundamental's Rey Moralde talks about some of the more positive aspects of the current Lakers, such as their exciting young core, led by Jordan Clarkson, Julius Randle and potentially D’Angelo Russell. Rey speaks glowingly about those guys, as well as less glowingly on the disappointing close to Bryant’s career and how poor of a job he believes Byron Scott is doing with this unit. Here are some highlights:    5:20-5:30: "It’s hard to watch, but for Kobe, he’ll just retire firing basically, like he’s just done his entire career."    13:50-14:20: On the framework already in place and projecting the franchise’s future: "As much as there’s doom and gloom with the Lakers, they do have a few players that have potential in Russell, Randle and possibly Clarkson, if he stays, because I don’t know if someone else will scoop him up. But if they have those three, they add another one from the draft and they can Byron…if they get a young coach…and have him grow along with those four potential players, I think they could have something there."    15:05-15:45: How Jordan Clarkson is one of the few bright spots for the Lakers this season: "Clarkson is fearless, and he’s shown that from Day 1 since Summer League, since his rookie year, he’s not afraid to go in there and mix it up with everybody basically. I know he’s supposed to be a point guard, but he’s really playing more of an attacking two. As a scoring two, he’s pretty good for his second year. And you could probably say that he’s the greatest Filipino basketball player of all time."    20:05-20:25: On Lou Williams’ struggles: "Part of me was laughing, because they already have a player like that in Nick Young. They have Kobe. It’s like a chuckers’ heaven basically. I thought it was hilarious when they signed Lou Williams. But with that said, yeah, he’s one of those guys that has to shoot his way out of it."    26:20-27:20: Regarding the prospect of rebuilding through the draft: “People are saying, ‘Oh, wait till they get Ben Simmons!' There’s just no guarantee. And even then, how do you know if he’s gonna be really great? I remember two summers ago, Andrew Wiggins and Jabari Parker were supposed to be transcendent players…I just don’t want to hear all about the hype right now, to just to see where it goes…it represents hope and I get that, but we should also set fair expectations too.” Music: "Who Likes to Party" by Kevin MacLeod

The podcast warriors wax Warrior, as they delve into why Splash Brother Klay Thompson has not been splashing as much, Festus Ezeli's promising development and coach Luke Walton's reluctance to rest his stars. The trio also takes sides on a couple of juicy player battles with the media: Kevin Durant vs. the media on their treatment of Kobe Bryant and Draymond Green and Andrew Bogut's beef with Jazz reporter Ben Dowsett on locker room reporting. Music: "Who Likes to Party?" by Kevin MacLeod

As Stephen Curry and the Golden State Warriors continue to make history, Andy Liu of SB Nation’s Golden State of Mind comes by to drop some knowledge. He opines on the team’s dominant 19-0 start, Stephen Curry’s MVP play, the Warriors’ biggest weakness (huh? they have one?), their underrated front-office selflessness and so much more.   Here are some juicy bites:   6:30-6:55 Curry’s core strength: “He’s bigger now than he was before, but really the way he’s moving his body is allowing him to stay more grounded and less flimsy when he’s running around. And I think that’s really helped in terms of allowing him to drive aggressively without getting hurt, without getting scared of getting hurt.”   14:30–14:50 The Harrison Barnes enigma: I think he’s overrated in terms of the potential he has…but he’s also underrated in that some people on the other side of the spectrum think he’s not very good…and he only makes open shots and he does what he has to do because it’s easy.”   16:30-16:55 Draymond Green’s importance to the dominant, small-ball lineup: “The ‘death lineup’ doesn’t happen without him. And he’s also the most vocal guy on the team, easily. They call him the heartbeat…he’s the guy that brings the fire out.” 20:45-21:10 What separates Golden State: “The main strength that I saw on the bench for the Warriors is the intelligence, the mental IQ when they’re on the court. I think that that’s the biggest difference in terms of what they can do and what other teams can do. In terms of athleticism itself, I don’t think they are incredibly, vastly higher than anyone else, any other team.” 26:30-27:05 A rare Warriors weakness: “They’re smart enough to run those (motion) plays, but if you’re enveloping Steph with one person, their offense does drag, and it shows in the numbers when he’s off the court, which is obvious because he’s the best player in the world…And I think there is only one person in the world that will slow him down. I think that is Kawhi. So everything goes back to the Spurs I guess.” Music: "Who Likes to Party?" by Kevin MacLeod

While the Warriors are grabbing all the headlines, thanks to a perfect 16-0 start, the reliable San Antonio Spurs are quietly succeeding at a high level on both ends of the court. They are led by 24-year-old phenom and reigning Defensive Player of the Year Kawhi Leonard, but as with all Gregg Popovich-led Spurs teams over the years, individual accolades are not what it’s about. Stephen Anderson of Project Spurs graciously came on the show to discuss the Spurs’ scalding start, Leonard’s insane potential, the addition of LaMarcus Aldridge and plenty more.   Additional highlights include:   11:15-11:35 From an offensive standpoint, Stephen believes that integrating Aldridge will be a process. However, he's already very impressed with his understanding of the team's defensive principles: "His defense is a seamless transition for him. We've seen him defend. We've seen him and Tim Duncan in the paint together, which gives me flashbacks of David Robinson. LaMarcus Aldridge is not like David Robinson in that way, but defense-wise he really is proving to be a very good asset." 16:30-16:45 On how Tim Duncan would approach his final season, which may or may not be 2015-16: “I don't see Tim Duncan having a farewell tour. All of us journalists, all of us writers have a running joke that if the Spurs win the championship, in his presser, post-game, he'll say, 'Alright guys, I'm done,' and that's the last time you'll see him.” 22:20-22:30 On Patty Mills’ offensive impact (his defense is discussed a tad later): “His confidence can go from 0 to 100 very quickly. It only takes one shot, and if that first three falls, you know you're in for a very good night.” 25:25-25:40 Stephen believes that the Spurs are a team with the tools to challenge the unbeaten Warriors: “If Andre Iguodala hits a 3 to win the game for Golden State against the Spurs, then so be it, but if you can stop Curry and limit Thompson, then I like their chances against Golden State.”   Music: "Who Likes to Party?" by Kevin MacLeod

Despite Aaron's absence, Joshua and Loren revisit the Hawks conversation that began with Lang Whitaker earlier in the week. We touch upon Atlanta's mounting injuries and how those might impact such a well-balanced Hawks squad even more than a typical star-centric team. Although new acquisition Tiago Splitter might not be garnering too many minutes in the early season, we talk about the types of contributions he can make come playoff time. In the second segment, we reflect on the Warriors' exhilarating comeback Thursday night against the Clippers. The Dubs' small lineup of Steph Curry, Klay Thompson, Andre Iguodala, Harrison Barnes and Draymond Green has been killing teams in their limited minutes together so far. Should that unit be utilized more? And how integral is the team's second MVP, Draymond Green? Finally, despite the embarrassing national TV loss, Joshua details what encouraged him about the Clippers' performance Thursday.   Music: "Who Likes to Party?" by Kevin MacLeod

After Jeff Teague's ankle injury, the Atlanta Hawks have been on a bit of a slide, dropping three straight to the Nets, Jazz and Timberwolves. Fortunately, they began the season winning eight of 10. This week, devout ATLien Lang Whitaker, who writes and podcasts at NBA.com, joins the show to talk about the Hawks, who are seeking an encore performance to their memorable 60-win season from a year ago despite being overlooked coming into the season. Notable sections include: 6:30-8:15: On Millsap's sometimes understated impact on the team: "I thought last year, he was the most important player on the Hawks' team. That shoulder injury he had right at the end of the regular season, he just never looked right to me in the postseason, and I thought that had as much of an effect as anything else did with the Hawks not doing well against Cleveland in the Eastern Conference Finals."  9:25-10:30: Lang waxes poetic about Dennis Schroder's potential and how he's evolving: "He does a lot of stuff that I think he doesn't know he's not supposed to be able to do. He has a confidence that makes him a problem for other teams. Athletically there's nothing he can't do… He's too young to know any better, and that's what makes it fun to watch 'cuz you never know what he's gonna do. He's got a lot of swag. He's only 22. He's going to be really good for a really long time in the NBA." 15:10-15:30: On whether we can expect another historic shooting season for Korver coming off of an injury-riddled summer, Lang is not too confident, but adds, "The biggest advantage they have with Korver is that they have Mike Budenholzer, and he's going to find ways to get Korver shots. Teams have made some adjustments this season. They're all over him when he comes off screens and picks more so than they ever were last year. And I think, Budenholzer now, it's in his hands, to try to figure out a way to shake him free" 16:05-18:00: On the source of Kent Bazemore's marked improvement this season, Lang points to a combination of trust from the coaching staff, his maturation as a player and a lot of hard work and player development behind the scenes. "I know that Bazemore put in a lot of work last year that we probably didn't see. Games where he didn't play, he might shoot after the game. I know one place the Hawks asked Bazemore to focus on was corner-3's, and he's been lights out from the corner, so that speaks to the work he's put in.   24:40-25:20: "What really speaks to the fact that these guys get along and are a real team was after all the ownership stuff that they went through last offseason and the stuff with the general manager and with people writing them off, they put together the best season in franchise history."   Music: "Who Likes to Party?" by Kevin MacLeod

In this action-packed episode, the guys reflect on the state of the Oklahoma City Thunder, particularly given Kevin Durant’s hamstring strain. Later, the trio celebrates the emergence of 24-year-old Kawhi Leonard as a bona fide offensive star and explores what in the hell is going on in Sacramento these days. Should George Karl lose his job this early in the season? Can the damage be undone? The OTNB boys are on the case.    Music: "Who Likes To Party" by Kevin MacLeod

Following Tuesday’s win over the Wizards, we caught up with Chuck Chaney of ThunderObsessed.com to discuss the current state of the Oklahoma City Thunder. Chuck is encouraged by the increased space new coach Billy Donovan’s system has afforded the offense, but he’s wary of the Thunder’s lack of defensive intensity. It’s still “extended training camp,” for this team and coach, Chuck asserts, but they won’t be a championship contender if they can’t find a way to defend. Some notable sections include: 5:30-6:00: Interviewing Scott Brooks “was like talking to a wall, and the paint’s drying,” given that he was fond of using “Thunder speak.” Conversely, Billy Donovan is a “refreshing” personality, at least from a media perspective.       6:30-6:55: “Donovan really emphasizes that extra pass,” allowing Westbrook and company to flourish. “He (Westbrook) is the best player on this team because of Billy Donovan right now.” 7:30-8:30: Exploring the Thunder’s bad habit of late-game offensive stagnation and signs of improvement in that area  13:45-14:30: More on Dion Waiters, who has excelled in the sixth-man role so far 14:50-15:30: “Enes (Kanter), for some reason, is like a ballerina on offense, but on defense, he looks like a newborn giraffe learning to walk.”    21:10-22:25: Chuck is “not sold on them winning the whole thing.” The Thunder have to improve on defense by learning Donovan’s defensive system, more effectively running shooters off the 3-point line and displaying better effort on that end.    22:30-22:55: On Steven Adams’ new hairstyle: “Seeing it at Media Day was pretty impressive. I got to touch it…(it’s) like a horse. It’s like a mane. It was soft.”  Music: "Who Likes To Party" by Kevin MacLeod

On today's episode, the A-A-Ron Block is devoted to continued discussion of the Chicago Bulls. This intriguing-yet-perplexing team has defeated the Cavaliers and Thunder, while also surrendering 130 points to the Hornets. Its starting point guard is an enigma, too, going three straight games with single-digit scoring before erupting for 29 points, 7 assists and 5 rebounds against the Thunder Thursday. Following Derrick Rose’s strong individual performance, the guys debate the validity of the latest trade rumors swirling around him. They also touch on frontcourt rotations, the pros and cons of starting Doug McDermott and more.  Later, LLC Incorporated breaks down the best rookies so far -- Karl-Anthony Towns is the twins’ consensus pick -- and the league’s most pleasant surprises and early disappointments. While the Blazers and Pistons have impressed Aaron so far, Joshua is particularly irked by the Grizzlies’ sluggish start. Finally, who’s currently the worst team in the league? The guys disagree.    Music: "Who Likes To Party" by Kevin MacLeod

This week, Sean Highkin of Bleacher Report, NBC Sports and Sports on Earth gives us a detailed glimpse into the Chicago Bulls, a talented team that returns much of its roster but is playing under a first-year NBA coach in Fred Hoiberg. Sean highlights the many differences between Hoiberg and his predecessor, Tom Thibodeau, including Hoiberg’s considerably more easy-going nature. He also provides us the latest on Derrick Rose and explains why Chicago’s dynamic offense could make up for most of what the team figures to lose on the defensive end. Among other topics, Sean breaks down the Bulls’ impressive depth in the frontcourt, touching upon why Pau Gasol and Joakim Noah have rarely taken the court together. Despite the Bulls’ 130-105 drubbing in Charlotte, which occurred shortly before the interview took place, Sean looks forward to another strong season in the Windy City. Music: "Who Likes To Party" by Kevin MacLeod

On today's episode of the podcast, LLC Incorporated continues the week's discussion of the Los Angeles Clippers. The co-hosts touch on the Clippers' bad-boy reputation, Lance Stephenson's comfort level and whether this is the best team in franchise history. Finally, on the J-Spot, the boys play around with small sample size overreaction, exploring what has surprised them most so far in the newborn NBA season. Shocking upsets, impressive player performances and more! Music: "Who Likes to Party" by Kevin MacLeod

With DeAndre Jordan returning and the bench deficiencies seemingly fixed, expectations for the Los Angeles Clippers are sky high this season. Fox Sports Radio's Isaac Lowenkron stops by to convince us why we should believe the hype. Our guest envisions the team's newfound depth as a vital factor in its championship hopes, claiming that such depth essentially allows Doc Rivers to be a “basketball mad scientist,” experimenting with various potential rotations. He also explains why the team is likely to transform from a mediocre defense into an elite unit. And could eight-time NBA All-Star Chris Paul truly be the Clippers' most underrated player? With all these topics covered, among others, you’re now officially ready for the Clippers’ season to tip off Wednesday night.  Music: "Who Likes to Party" by Kevin MacLeod

In the J Spot, the panel continues the Kings discussion from earlier in the week, touching upon the Kings' playoff hopes, Ben McLemore's changing role given the improved guard depth, Rudy Gay's seemingly newfound efficiency and how much it matters to have winning veterans on an up-and-coming team.  Next, on the A-A-Ron Block, the league's seven new head coaches are analyzed. What can we expect from their respective squads, and who has the most pressure in their new role? Which coaches are taking over the best and worst teams?  Finally, with the NBA GM survey being released earlier this week, LLC Incorporated poses three original questions that should have been included on the actual survey. Well, maybe not, but they sure are fun ones. Which NBA player or personality would YOU want to be your personal stylist? Let us know on Twitter: @OnTheNBABeat. Music: "Who Likes to Party" by Kevin MacLeod

The Sacramento Kings are mired in a nine-year playoff drought. But James Ham, Kings Insider for Comcast SportsNet, brings preseason cheer in the form of his optimistic outlook. He believes there is a bigger-than-expected opening for a team like the Kings to sneak into one of the West's final three playoff spots. He acknowledges the potential for combustibility, while praising the team's myriad offseason acquisitions around DeMarcus Cousins and Rudy Gay. Particularly, James shares his enthusiasm for rookie big man Willie Cauley-Stein and what he can do to improve a previously miserable defensive squad. Also, the Rondo enigma is further explored.  *From this point forward, each interview episode will be titled the week number followed by "a," whereas each banter episode will be considered the "b" show for the week. Thus, this second interview show will be 2a.  Music: "Who Likes to Party" by Kevin MacLeod

On the debut of OTNB’s three banter segments (the A-A-Ron Block, LLC Incorporated and the J-Spot), the co-hosts react to the Warriors-Clippers media beef and opine on Jamal Crawford’s fit with the Clippers’ retooled roster. Later, the panel praises Elfrid Payton's dynamic young game, as it includes Orlando as a potential surprise team this season. The Stifle Tower, Rudy Gobert, gets some serious love on the show, and the merits of Sam Hinkie's radical approach to team-building are debated. Finally, if you were going to cheat on your favorite NBA team, with which squad would it be? Loren and Aaron provide interesting answers.     Music: "Who Likes to Party" by Kevin MacLeod.  Introduction by Jonathan Santiago