Ben Taylor

Top 40 extra: Clyde Drexler

A brief overtime discussion from the top-40 podcast series on Clyde Drexler. 

Video Early Access: Mike D'Antoni podcast

Coach D'Antoni discusses the history and evolution of his coaching style and Pace and Space. (Episode will be released publicly in the future)

Mike D'Antoni on the evolution of Pace and Space

Early access to the Mike D'Antoni podcast where he discusses the evolution of his coaching style. 

Live Q&A Audio September 10, 2022

In this episode:

• Measuring soft and mental athleticism
• Where is Jokic's offensive peak after 2022?
• Ben Wallace's place in the hierarchy of all-time defenders
• Comparing Reggie Miller to George Gervin (how much player valuations can deviate when stats are similar)
• What happens if we remove max contracts?
• What do coaching "aging curves" look like?
• Fawning over Manu Ginobili
• Betting on Evan Mobley or Victor Wembanyama
...
2022-09-14 14:25:36 +0000 UTC View Post

Live Q&A Audio August 6, 2022

Topics from this outing:

• Bobby Jones is transported to the future
• The 2023 Nuggets and Jokic as a 3-peat MVP 
• What do the Grizzlies & Cavs need?
• The Olympics and portability 
• How will Giannis age?
• The best wing defenders in the league right now
• The interplay of 2nd and 3rd options 
• Are small hands a limiting factor for wings?
• Are certain team style more prone to injury?
• Changing the...
  2022-08-09 14:50:32 +0000 UTC View Post

Live Q&A this Saturday (August 6) 6pm EST / 3pm PST

The next Live Q&A for Deluxe ($7) subscribers in the Discord will take place this Saturday on August 6. (Saturday at 6pm EST / 3pm PST.)

If you can't make it, send me a question via Patreon messages (or send one to @RobbieBeats inside the Discord) and we'll answer it during the recording or next time. Looking forward to talking to you all there and hopefully meeting new members!

Steps to join the Discord are below.

Below are the steps to join the server:

1. Go to y...

Series by series stats

For Deluxe subscribers ($7) I've added a page for series-level data since 2001 under the metrics section of the website: https://backpicks.com/series-stats-since-2001/

Live Q&A Audio June 25, 2022

Topics from this outing: 

• Improving handle 
• Roster flexibility (contracts)
• Medical staffs as a competitive advantage
• Are perimeter defenders more important now than ever?
• The hypothetical defensive inverses of offensive legends 
• Curry's 2022 compared to prior years 
• Point of attack defense today vs. rim protection
• Latent value of different player types
• Victor Wembanyama 

Steve Kerr ATO from Game 5 2022 NBA Finals

This is the play to begin the second half discussed on the Game 5 podcast. 

2022 Finals Backpicks Box

As mentioned on the podcast today, here's the Backpicks Box score for the 2022 NBA Finals: (AuPM values are only available for players with at least 100 minutes played in the series)

https://backpicks.com/2022-nba-finals/

Pod early access: Re-doing the Finals MVPs (since 2001)

I recorded this a while ago and won't be able to run it until the season ends. The website will also include the series-by-series data mentioned in this episode once the season ends (I'll make an announcement). 

Post show video J. Kyle Mann & Dave DuFour

Here's Dave's pizza dough recipe:

• 200G water
• 5g honey
• 5g yeast
• 200g 00 flour 
• 15 minutes no lid
• 1 hour covered 
• overnight in fridge
• THEN...
• 300g bread flour
• 300g water
• 20g salt
• 200g 00 flour

Rob Williams impact on the Eastern Conference Finals

One thing our video coordinator Mike De La Rosa and I have discussed this week is Rob Williams impact on the Heat-Celtics series. In this quick, we discuss where he makes a big difference in this particular matchup for what Boston wants to do on offense and defense. 

One play: Why the Warriors "came back" versus the Mavs "blowing it" | 2022 Western Finals Game 2

I've heard a number of people say the Mavs "blew it" last night in Game 2 versus the Warriors. I actually thought that, given their schematic approach* to the game, they played "well" in the second half, it's just that the Warriors were able to find advantages. To me, this one play epitomizes why. 

*Dallas doesn't have perfect personnel to chase through screens and defend in a more traditional or straight-up manner like this, whereas more switching (or zone concepts) provide a diff...

Live Q&A Audio May 14, 2022

Amazing turnout and great set of questions and topics this weekend, including:

• Mavericks adjustments against the Suns
• Steph Curry's shooting level in 2022 (and defending him with bigs)
• Building an optimal defense in today's game if you don't know the opponent
• Disincentivizing tanking  

Thanks to everyone who participated!

Live Q&A Tomorrow (May 14) at 6 est/3pst

The next Live Q&A for Deluxe ($7) subscribers in the Discord will take place tomorrow on May 14. (Saturday at 6pm EST / 3pm PST.)

If you can't make it, send me a question via Patreon messages (or send one to @RobbieBeats inside the Discord) and we'll answer it during the recording or next time. Looking forward to talking to you all there and hopefully meeting new members!

Steps to join the Discord are below.

Below are the steps to join the server:

1. Go to your pro...

Bucks-Celtics Game 1 Breakdown

Main observations from Game 1 of the ECSF regarding Boston's defensive approach to Giannis, his passing, Jaylen Brown, Brook Lopez and possible changes/keys moving forward. 

Live Q&A April 16, 2022

Forgot to post this last weekend!

J Kyle Mann post show

Additional thoughts from today's pod...

Nets-76ers 1st quarter breakdown

For a fun game, count how many times I call Seth Curry "Steph." Some themes that emerged throughout this game:

• Transition offense for Brooklyn
• Embiid's drop vs. Brooklyn's trio of elite shooters
• Harden's passing vs. Nets sagging defense
• Doubling Embiid / Drummond's defense

Guess that player!

The audio version of the latest article. Article version (with spoilers) can be found here:

https://backpicks.com/2022/03/11/guess-that-player-wowy-stats/

Bulls-Spurs 2011 watch along clip

First time trying something like this -- I'm definitely interested to know if you like the "watch along" style content in general. 

Since I rarely watch games this way (without stopping the tape), I think I'd try actually pause/rewind if we did something like this again. 

Live Q&A Audio Mar. 5, 2022

Topics for this month:

• Hakeem vs. Akeem
• The limitations of RAPM-style metrics (and the state of hybrid one-number metrics today)
• Individualist vs. team approaches to basketball
• The most statistically unlikely event for a team
• The Lakers roster and LeBron's impact this year
• Should we always default to the "wisdom" of crowdsourced lists
• My 5 favorite players to watch this season

NBA75 draft watch along audio

Some of you have requested the audio-only version of our recent watch along of the NBA75 all-time draft. 

Live Q&A Tomorrow Mar. 5 3pm pst

The next Live Q&A for Deluxe ($7) subscribers in the Discord will take place tomorrow on March 3. (Saturday at 6pm EST / 3pm PST.)

If you can't make it, send me a question via Patreon messages (or send one to @RobbieBeats inside the Discord) and we'll answer it during the recording or next time. Looking forward to talking to you all there and hopefully meeting new members!

Steps to join the Discord are below.

Below are the steps to join the server:

1. Go to your pr...

NBA75 All-time draft reaction video

Cody convinced me to record ourselves watching the TNT all-time draft video from All-Star weekend, so for better or worse, we have first-hand reactions of this incredible, once in a lifetime event. (No promises on whether this is a viable form of entertainment - there is a post-draft "analysis" section included after the draft where I may or may not troll Shaq quite a bit.) 

Is a point worth a point?

New post up on Backpicks about what changes in shooting percentages mean for impact: https://backpicks.com/2022/02/02/is-a-point-worth-a-point/

Live Q&A Audio Jan.29, 2022

Topics for this month:

• Where does Jokic's current level of play rank all time
• The problem with assuming players can flip a switch on defense
• Gravity, volume shooting and defensive attention
• Are technical fouls good?
• Should the Nets have traded for James Harden?
• And many more

Live Q&A Tomorrow Jan. 29 3pm pst

The next Live Q&A for Deluxe ($7) subscribers in the Discord will take place tomorrow on January 29. (Saturday at 6pm EST / 3pm PST.)

If you can't make it, send me a question via Patreon messages (or send one to @RobbieBeats inside the Discord) and we'll answer it during the recording or next time. Looking forward to talking to you all there and hopefully meeting new members!

Steps to join the Discord are below.

Below are the steps to join the server:

1. Go to your...

Jaren Jackson Jr. Extra: 1/19 vs. Bucks

A look at one of Jaren's better games of the year, and part of this really strong run he's been on lately, with a ton of plays against Giannis.