Chucking Darts NBA Podcast - podcast cover

Chucking Darts NBA Podcast

Chucking Dartswww.spreaker.com
A basketball podcast of debatable accuracy. Rigorously, joyfully discussing the NBA. 100% correct until the ball is tipped. Darts are meant to be chucked forward. It's ok to be wrong about sports.
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Episodes

Ep. 228: Full 2025 NBA Draft Reaction: Every team and pick (sprint)

The draft is in the books and the darts have been chucked! I "run" through every team and pick (see time stamps), with some FA thoughts mixed in. My draft write up is available on my substack, linked below. https://chuckingdarts.substack.com/p/2025-nba-draft-final-dart-board-cooper Enjoy! TIME STAMPS 0:00 Intro 3:55 Mavs 15:05 Spurs 24:30 Sixers 32:00 Hornets 43:15 Jazz 51:45 Wizards 1:00:25 Pelicans 1:15:00 Nets 1:22:00 Raptors 1:33:47 Suns 1:50:45 Grizzlies 1:58:10 Bulls 2:06:05 Thunder 2:09:0...

Jul 04, 20252 hr 47 min

Ep. 227: Derik Queen, CMB, Thomas Sorber, Kalkbrenner, and Hansen Yang with Matt Powers

@DraftPow, editor in chief of @SwishTheory, returns to discuss the brainy, knotty bigs of the 2025 class. Enjoy, and thank you for the questions! Addressed at end of episode, TIME STAMPS (0:00) Intro (3:40) Derik Queen (40:38) Thomas Sorber (1:03:00) Ryan Kalkbrenner (1:09:50) Collin Murray-Boyles (1:32:18) Hansen Yang + Mailbag

Jun 03, 20251 hr 54 min

Ep. 226: 2025 NBA Mock Draft Lottery with Keandre Ashley of @HoopIntellect

The lottery order is set, so let's pick it! Keandre, owner and operator of the fantastic Hoop Intellect channel, joins to go 1-14. Plenty of scouting and fit thoughts, as well as a long tail on honorable mentions of a very diverse class. Enjoy! And check Keandre's mock draft here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JYX40Uh5OP0 TIME STAMPS (0:00) Intro (4:35) Mavericks - Cooper Flagg (12:20) Spurs - Dylan Harper (22:00) 76ers - Kon Knueppel (30:30) Hornets - VJ Edgecombe (42:50) Jazz - Tre Johnson (...

May 17, 20252 hr 23 min

Ep. 225: The Thunder's title path, Pacers/Cavs, and Raptors Draft Targets w Esfandiar Baraheni

Esfandiar Baraheni (@justesbaraheni) of The Athletic's Daily NBA Show, Raptors Republic, Forbes, and elsewhere joins to talk Most Improved Players, the Thunder's title chances, a R2 upset pick, and the Raptors rebuild and draft strategy this year. Enjoy! TIME STAMPS (0:00) Intro + Ivica Zubac (5:55) MIP Ty Jerome (12:00) Thunder Improvements and Title Path (28:00) Obi Toppin and Pacers/Cavs (44:05) Matas Buzelis (50:00) Raptors Rebuild + Draft

Apr 26, 20251 hr 14 min

Ep. 224: Kon Knueppel's Star Bet, Cooper Flagg Redux, and a Khaman Maluach debate w Brian Geisinger

Brian Geisinger (Split the Action substack; @bgeisinger.bsky.social) returns to check in on number 1 pick Cooper Flagg, then a deep look at his teammate Kon Knueppel, and whether he can be an unconventional NBA star. Plus, discussion on Jase Richardson and a debate on Khaman Maluach. Enjoy! TIME STAMPS (0:00) Intro (3:00) Cooper Flagg Check In (29:30) Kon Knueppel (1:16:05) Jase Richardson (1:26:40) Khaman Maluach + Wrap

Apr 11, 20251 hr 54 min

Ep. 223: A 2024 NBA Doubles Redraft and March Appreciation with YouKnowBall's @TrillBroDude

Trill returns from his triumphant YouKnowBall Extravaganza in New Orleans to crack off another 2024 redraft: this time, in Doubles format. Trill takes two players, then I take two, and so forth. The Doubles format illustrates how tight this draft is, how many cases there are to make, and how we can differentiate among so many "role" players. Plus, an intro taking a peek at Sixers' 2025 draft strategy. Enjoy! TIME STAMPS (0:00) Intro + Sixers 2025 draft (18:30) Jared McCain + Kel'El Ware (58:40) ...

Mar 29, 20252 hr 38 min

Ep. 221: 2024-2025 NBA Rookie Class Examination + ROY with Ben Pfeifer

Ben Pfiefer (@_bjpf, Sportscasting, Sportskeeda) rejoins to examine the Rookie class and find 10 players whose contributions we have enjoyed, plus we sneak in a Rookie of the Year Pick. Note: There are more than 10 enjoyable rookies! HM to those without enough run (Reed Sheppard, Rob Dillingham, Jared McCain, Ja'Kobe Walter, Justin Edwards, Devin Carter, etc) or who we just missed discussing in more detail (my guy Kyshawn George, Dalton Knecht, Ryan Dunn, Tristan Da Silva, Kyle Filipowski, Jonat...

Mar 07, 20251 hr 30 min

Ep. 220: Trade Deadline Sprint 2025 (Luka, Fox, Butler, etc) + a note on David Lynch

Chucking Darts returns with a solo sprint through the most fascinating confounding trade in recent NBA history, plus the rest of a very eventful trade deadline. Plus, an epilogue on filmmaker David Lynch. He was quite good. Enjoy! TIME STAMPS (0:00) Intro (3:00) Luka Doncic Trade (45:00) De'Andre Hunter to Cavs (49:30) Jimmy Butler to Warriors (57:40) Sacramento Kings (1:03:40) De'Aaron Fox to Spurs (1:08:30) Lakers Rescinded Trade for Mark Williams (1:14:00) Bucks/Wizards (1:24:00) Brandon Ingr...

Feb 10, 20251 hr 40 min

Ep. 219: Kasparas Jakucionis, Dylan Harper, and Ace Bailey with Caleb Mueller of The Center Hub

Caleb Mueller (@CalebMueller23), creator of The Center Hub (@thecenterhub_bb), joins to discuss the current top 2 players on his board for the 2025 draft: Kasparas Jakucionis of Illinois and Dylan Harper of Rutgers. After a deep look into each of their games and projections, we discuss Ace Bailey, Dylan's electric and polarizing teammate, who may get drafted the highest of all 3. Enjoy! And check out the great work at http://the-center-hub.com . TIME STAMPS (0:00) Intro (12:05) Kasparas Jakucion...

Jan 09, 20251 hr 51 min

Ep. 218: Maxime Raynaud, Ian Jackson, and scouting with ACC with Brian Geisinger

ACC expert Brian Geisinger (@bgeisinger.bsky.social; @bgeis_bird) returns to scout the NBA prospects in the bi-coastal ACC. For part 1 where we discuss Cooper Flagg, Kon Knueppel, and Khaman Maluach in depth, see our previous episode. Find Brian's excellent work at briangeisinger.substack.com. Enjoy! TIME STAMPS (0:00) Intro + Brian's Substack (6:30) Maxime Raynaud (28:30) Jaylen Blakes (36:50) Hunter Sallis (50:10) Jamir Watkins (1:06:35) Ian Schieffelin (1:23:45) Zack Austin (1:39:25) Drake Po...

Jan 02, 20252 hr 17 min

Ep. 217: Cooper Flagg + Duke Scouting Report w Brian Geisinger (@bgeis_bird; bgeisinger.bsky.social)

The foremost ACC analyst in the country, Brian Geisinger, returns to go deep into the Duke Blue Devils, and specifically number 1 overall pick Cooper Flagg. We discuss his role with Duke's offense, how it may be impacting his offensive strategy, and how his early play affects our draft projection. Plus, Kon Knueppel and Khaman Maluach. Enjoy! TIME STAMPS (0:00) Intro (7:48) Cooper Flagg on Offense (40:05) Flagg on Defense (52:00) Flagg Pro Projections (1:01:40) Kon Knueppel (1:09:20) Khaman Malu...

Dec 20, 20241 hr 23 min

Ep. 216: The Cleveland Cavaliers, Houston Rockets, and Draft Development with Mike Gribanov (Pt.1)

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 more in depth draft philosophy discussion later this week. Enjoy! TIME STAMPS (0:00) Intro + Mike's Patreon (7:40) Cleveland Cavaliers (23:45) Cavs' De...

Nov 26, 20241 hr 48 min

Ep. 215: Early NBA Conclusions, aka "I've Seen Enough!" with Jack Quantrill of @TheDropStepNBA

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 Cavs (1:04:30) Zach Lavine Redemption (1:14:25) Wizards Rookies

Nov 07, 20241 hr 22 min

Ep. 214: Final NBA Season Preview, aka Chuck and Prez Explain it All with _prezidente of @DraftStrickland

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) East Top 6 Seeds (33:00) KAT Integration (41:30) East Wrap (51:15) Western Conference Seeds (1:35:10) MIP Award/Kuminga (1:41:00) Rookie Extensions (1:50...

Oct 23, 20242 hr 35 min

Ep. 213: NBA Season Preview: Ranking Defenses 1-30 w Mat Issa (@matissa15) of Forbes

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 discussion below is not necessarily a strict 1-30 order. We clear it up as we go. TIME STAMPS (0:00) Intro (7:40) Thunder/Wolves/Magic/Celts (28:30) Griz...

Oct 19, 20241 hr 46 min

Ep. 212: NBA Season Preview: Ranking Offenses 1-30 w Charlie Cummings @klaytheist11 of Swish Theory

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 order of discussion below is not necessarily a strict 1-30 order. We clear it up as we go. TIME STAMPS (0:00) Intro (4:30) Thunder/Celts/Knicks/Pacers...

Oct 13, 20242 hr 8 min

Ep. 211: The NBA's Most Improved Players in '24-'25 with Esfandiar Baraheni

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) Immanuel Quickley (1:02:45) Jaime Jaquez + Nikola Jovic (1:13:00) Brandon Miller (1:18:20) Dyson Daniels (1:28:00) Role Player Rapid Fire (1:33:05) Trey Mur...

Oct 02, 20242 hr 5 min

Ep. 210: NBA Summer League Standouts with Keandre Ashley ( @HoopIntelllect )

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 Klintman (1:00:00) Kel'El Ware (1:16:00) Donovan Clingan (1:22:10) Jaylon Tyson (1:30:20) Tristan Da Silva (1:34:30) Reed Sheppard/Bub Carrington/Isai...

Aug 02, 20241 hr 51 min

Ep. 209: NBA Offseason Recap, aka Second Apron Summer with TrillBroDude and SamSheehanNBA of YKB

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 winds around basically the entire league, so sit back, relax, and know some ball with us. Subscribe to the You Know Ball Patreon. Enjoy! 6:00 Nets 29:0...

Jul 19, 20242 hr 51 min

Ep. 208 (Bonus): 2024 Draft's French Wings (Sarr, Risacher, Salaun, Dadiet) + Juan Nunez with Ignacio Rissotto (@eyreball)

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 1:37:30 Tidjane Salaun 2:19:30 Pacome Dadiet 2:47:45 Juan Nunez + Wrap Enjoy!

Jul 10, 20242 hr 58 min

Episode 207: 2024 NBA Draft Recap/Big Board Reveal: Every Team, Every Pick (Sprint)

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://chuckingdarts.substack.com/p/2024-nba-draft-dart-board-understanding Enjoy! 5:30 Hawks 16:45 Wizards 24:05 Rockets 26:35 Spurs 32:10 Pistons 33:30 Hor...

Jul 03, 20242 hr 4 min

Ep. 205: Top Ten Mock Draft and Philosophy with Ersin Demir (@edemirnba)

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 Trail Blazers 48:30 Memphis Grizzlies 50:25 Utah Jazz https://edemirnba.substack.com/p/2024-nba-mock-draft https://edemirnba.substack.com/p/2024-nba-d...

Jun 24, 202452 min

Ep. 205: Dart Creation: Ajay Mitchell, Lotto Bub Carrington, Jaylon Tyson, NIkola Djurisic, and Jared McCain with @_prezidente

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 Mitchell 46:05 Bub Carrington 1:24:00 Jaylon Tyson 1:51:30 Nikola Djurisic 2:03:30 Jared McCain + Wrap Enjoy!

Jun 12, 20242 hr 27 min

Ep. 204: Latent Star Paths: (Nikola Topic, Kel'el Ware, Dillon Jones) w Ben Pfeifer

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'el Ware 47:35 Dillon Jones 1:09:35 + wrap

Jun 10, 20241 hr 35 min

Ep. 203: The 2024 Draft Does Not Suck, Pt. 2: Power Wings with Brian Schroeder (@BrianJNBA)

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, Aaron Nesmith, etc). The 2024 draft has several darts who can aspire to similarly crucial roles. 2:15 Isaiah Crawford 23:45 Tyon Grant-Foster 43:35 Jamir ...

May 24, 20241 hr 27 min

Ep. 202: The 2024 Draft Does Not Suck, Pt. 1: 14 "Role Stars" with Nate Grubel

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 those with draft curiosity. Enjoy! Stephon Castle 7:15 Devin Carter 40:30 Reed Sheppard 53:00 Hunter Sallis 1:04:00 Dalton Knecht 1:15:00 Johnny Furphy...

May 22, 20242 hr 23 min

Ep. 202: 2024 NBA Mock Draft (Post-Draft Lottery) with Prez from Draft Strickland (_prezidente)

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 Wizards 45:00 Houston Rockets 56:15 San Antonio Spurs 1:08:35 Detroit Pistons 1:21:20 Charlotte Hornets 1:30:30 Portland Trailblazers 1:42:00 San Antonio S...

May 15, 20242 hr 26 min

Ep. 201: NBA Playoff Lessons and the Shifting Role Player Landscape with Esfandiar Baraheni

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. Enjoy!

May 09, 202457 min
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