MAIL TIME, PART 2. Dan plows through the second half of some truly amazing questions from our ever-awesome listeners. This batch of basketball queries takes us through the Minnesota Timberwolves defense following the Rudy Gobert trade, the potential for anti-tanking measures, an RJ Barrett vs. Wendell Carter Jr. debate and MORE! TIMESTAMPS⬇️ 1:15 - INTRO 2:33 - Can the NBA do anything else to prevent tanking? Is relegation a real option? 5:23 - The Lauri Markkanen-Era Dynasty in Utah 6:08 - The ...
Oct 28, 2022•29 min
MAIL TIME, PART 1! In the first mailbag for the 2022-23 NBA season, Dan tackles questions that cover the future of the Phoenix Suns and Devin Booker without Chris Paul, his own personal logo and mascot rankings, player evaluation and, of course, Russell Westbrook trade rumors. TIMESTAMPS BELOW⬇️ 1:15 - INTRO 4:05 - Devin Booker/Future of the Phoenix Suns 15:46 - Best and Worst NBA Logos 18:10 - Best and Worst NBA Mascots 21:36 - How should we evaluate young players on bad teams? 29:48 - The case...
Oct 27, 2022•36 min
Dan goes through his *personal* rankings of the top 25 NBA players under 25 right now. Please notice the emphasis on right now. We're not doing any sort of projection here...at least not on purpose. If you want to go into further detail with this pecking order, you can check out the full article published on Bleacher Report. Everybody ready to get really mad? Awesome. Let's do this. TIMESTAMPS⬇️ 1:15 - INTRO/CRITERIA 4:40 - No. 25 5:41 - No. 24 6:52 - No. 23 8:07 - No. 22 9:36 - No. 21 11:01 - N...
Oct 26, 2022•37 min
Dan and Grant reconvene for an annual tradition unlike any other: NBA 'Truth or Trash?!' Sure, some might call this rebranded 'Fact or Fiction?' But those people suck. 'Truth or Trash?!' is super creative and unique and something no one else has ever thought to do. Anyway...Our cool, hip, trendier 'Fact or Fiction' will focus on some of our earliest observations for the 2022-23 NBA season. Are the Los Angeles Lakers doomed, even if they trade Russell Westbrook? Are the New Orleans Pelicans title...
Oct 25, 2022•1 hr 8 min
Dan bounces around the entire league for some good ol' NBA takeaways. Who cares that pretty much every team is only one game into their schedule? He sure doesn't! This was a fun one, and every batch of takeaways is delivered in roughly 60 seconds or less. TIMESTAMPS⬇️ 0:30 - BLOCKBUSTER TRAILER DROP 1:07 - INTRO 4:22 - Atlanta Hawks 5:05 - Boston Celtics 5:37 - Brooklyn Nets 6:46 - Charlotte Hornets 7:29 - Chicago Bulls 8:14 - Cleveland Cavaliers 8:51 - Dallas Mavericks 9:43 - Denver Nuggets 10:...
Oct 21, 2022•38 min
Dan is joined by Keith Parish from the Fastbreak Breakfast (@fastbreakbreak) and Grits and Grinds (@grizzliespod) podcast for a deep dive into the 2022-23 Memphis Grizzlies. They start out by covering the Grizzlies' decision to lean further into development over the offseason and getting into the impact of Jaren Jackson Jr.'s absence, as well as his offensive development. After that, they discuss the next frontier for Ja Morant, expectations for Desmond Bane and Ziaire Williams, the revelation t...
Oct 19, 2022•1 hr 4 min
Dan hops on for a solo pod to discuss why he's picking the Denver Nuggets to win the 2022-23 NBA title. After that, he makes his predictions—complete with a rankings ladder—for who will win Coach of the Year, Sixth Man of the Year, Most Improved Player, Rookie of the Year, Defensive Player of the Year and MVP. TIMESTAMPS⬇️ 0:30 - INTRO 2:01 - Why I'm picking the Denver Nuggets to win the 2022-23 NBA title 22:10 - Coach of the Year 27:16 - Sixth Man of the Year 31:59 - Most Improved Player 41:07 ...
Oct 18, 2022•1 hr 2 min
Dan is joined by Tony Jones (@Tjonesonthenba) from The Athletic for a deep dive into the 2022-23 Utah Jazz. They discuss the organization's decision to trade Rudy Gobert, Donovan Mitchell, Bojan Bogdanovic and Royce O'Neale over the offseason, and what it means for the future. Then, they get into how the Jazz will play this year, the early rotation, expectations for Walker Kessler and Ochai Agbaji, trade candidates and much more. TIMESTAMPS⬇️ 0:30 - INTRO 2:22 - THE OFFSEASON 5:59 - Was keeping ...
Oct 18, 2022•1 hr
Dan is joined by Jabari Ali Davis (@JabariDavisNBA) from the Miles and Jack Got Mad Boosties (@MadBoosties) and NBA Finals File podcasts for a deep dive into the 2022-23 Los Angeles Lakers. They discuss Russell Westbrook, his role and the potential for a trade. After that, they dig into the Lakers' new addition, what to watch from Austin Reaves, a potential revenge season from Anthony Davis, the 10-man rotation, potential lineups and MUCH more. TIMESTAMPS⬇️ 0:30 - INTRO 2:51 - The Russell Westbr...
Oct 17, 2022•50 min
Dan is joined by Matt Modderno (@MattModderno) from Bullets Forever and the Bleav in Wizards Podcast (@BleavinWizards) for a deep dive into the 2022-23 Washington Wizards. They discuss the decision to give Bradley Beal EVERYTHING in free agency and whether he can have a bounce back year. From there, they get into Kristaps Porzingis and his fit with Beal, the development of Deni Avdija, Corey Kispert and Rui Hachimura, the ideal role for Kyle Kuzma, the rotation, over/under predictions and MUCH m...
Oct 16, 2022•1 hr 1 min
Dan and Grant are back together again to tackle their 2022-23 NBA Eastern Conference over/under predictions. To answer your question: Yes, we already hate ourselves. As always, we’re trying to factor in every imaginable and the most plausible outcomes for each while hitting these NBA win totals. And as a reminder, none of this should be taken as definitive betting advice, because we absolutely, positively, without question suck at this. Be sure to check out the Western Conference over/under pod,...
Oct 15, 2022•1 hr 3 min
Dan is joined by Imman Adan (@Imman_Adan) from Yahoo Sports Canada and the Dishes & Dimes podcast (@dishesdimespod) for a deep dive into the 2022-23 Toronto Raptors. They discuss the next phase of Scottie Barnes' development, whether Pascal Siakam can enter the MVP discussion, OG Anunoby's offensive potential, Precious Achiuwa going kaboom, the half-court offense, the defense, the rotation, Toronto's long-term future and so much more. TIMESTAMPS⬇️ 0:30 - INTRO 4:16 - Offseason impressions 7:...
Oct 14, 2022•1 hr 8 min
Dan is joined by Nets Daily's Matt Brooks (MattBrooksNBA) for a deep dive into the 2022-23 Brooklyn Nets, a team that could be literally anything at this point. They discuss the offseason from hell, what's next for Kevin Durant and Kyrie Irving, the fit of Ben Simmons, Brooklyn's defensive potential, the rotation, different lineup combinations, substitution patterns and MUCH more. TIMESTAMPS⬇️ 0:30 - INTRO 3:10 - Is the offseason drama behind the Nets? 6:23 - Timeline for return on Seth Curry, J...
Oct 14, 2022•55 min
Dan is joined by Sam Esfandiari (@samesfandiari) from the Light Years podcast (@lightyrspod) for a deep dive into the 2022-23 Golden State Warriors. Will Draymond Green punching Jordan Poole linger over the organization all year? Will Dray, Poole or Andrew Wiggins sign extensions? How much will the Warriors lean on Moses Moody, Jonathan Kuminga and James Wiseman? Is this team good enough to defend its latest title? What's the rotation look like? Dan and Sam tackle all this—and more! TIMESTAMPS⬇️...
Oct 13, 2022•49 min
Dan and Grant are back together again to tackle their 2022-23 NBA Western Conference over/under predictions. To answer your question: Yes, we already hate ourselves. As always, we're trying to factor in every imaginable and the most plausible outcomes for each while hitting these NBA win totals. And as a reminder, none of this should be taken as definitive betting advice, because we absolutely, positively, without question suck at this. Believe it or not, though, we have a few surprises in the t...
Oct 12, 2022•57 min
Dan is joined by Adam Mares (@Adam_Mares) from DNVR and Locked on Nuggets for a deeeep dive into the 2022-23 Denver Nuggets. They discuss Nikola Jokic and the defense, offseason additions, the health of Jamal Murray and Michael Porter Jr., the rise of Bones Hyland, the bench, Michael Malone's rotation, optimizing Aaron Gordon and Bruce Brown, Zeke Nnaji's future, the potential for trades and firings and MUCH more. TIMESTAMPS⬇️ 0:30 - INTRO 1:56 - Offseason impressions 3:23 - The Jamal Murray ret...
Oct 12, 2022•43 min
Dan is joined by Andrew Claudio (@AndrewJClaudio_) from Knicks Film School (@KnickFilmSkool) to dissect everything and anything about the 2022-23 New York Knicks. They discuss the Donovan Mitchell trade that wasn't, the impact of Jalen Brunson, how RJ Barrett can develop into a star, the future of Julius Randle, roles for Obi Toppin, Quentin Grimes and Immanuel Quickley, the future of head coach Tom Thibodeau, lineups, the 10-man rotation and so much more. TIMESTAMPS⬇️ 0:30 - INTRO 1:30 - Is And...
Oct 11, 2022•1 hr 28 min
Dan is joined by Boston Celtics expert Alex Kungu (@Kungu_NBA) to talk about—THAT'S RIGHT—the 2022-23 Boston Celtics. They discuss the impact of Robert Williams III missing probably the rest of 2022, the frontcourt rotation, the next frontier Jaylen Brown and Jayson Tatum, Malcolm Brogdon's fit, possible lineups, Ime Udoka's suspension and much more. TIMESTAMPS⬇️ 0:30 - INTRO 1:46 - Ime Udoka/Joe Mazzulla 4:38 - Did the Celtics need to learn anything from their Finals loss? 6:33 - Impact of Robe...
Oct 11, 2022•48 min
Let's take a break from the 2022-23 NBA team lookahead train to have some (agonizing) fun with record projections. The over/under podcast(s) will go into more detail, but for now, Dan is talking himself through win totals for every squad next season. Buckle up, and enjoy the incoherent ride! JOIN OUR DISCORD: bit.ly/discordhwk SUBSCRIBE TO OUR YOUTUBE CHANNEL: bit.ly/31z7eyI FOLLOW US ON SOCIAL⬇️ TWITTER/IG: @danfavale / @danfavale TWITTER: @gt_hughes TWITTER: @fromal09 TWITTER/IG: @HardwoodKnoc...
Oct 10, 2022•28 min
Draymond Green apologized to Jordan Poole and the Golden State Warriors after punching the former, and he will now be stepping away from the team. Really, though, this is just the beginning...More specifically, it might be the beginning of the end for Draymond with the Warriors. TIMESTAMPS⬇️ 0:30 - INTRO 2:21 - Draymond Green apologizing to Jordan Poole, Will the Golden State Warriors accept Dray back? 17:22 - Will Draymond Green now leave Golden State in 2023 NBA free agency? 25:28 - OUTRO JOIN...
Oct 10, 2022•24 min
Dan is joined by Mike Vigil (@protectedpick) from The Timeline Podcast (@TheTimelinePod) for a deep dive into the 2022-23 Phoenix Suns. They tackle...well, they cover EVERYTHING. Robert Sarver, DeAndre Ayton, Jae Crowder trades, the development of Mikal Bridges and Cameron Johnson, Chris Paul's age, Devin Booker's stardom, the rotation, quirky lineups, Phoenix's place in the NBA title picture—you name it, they go into detail on it. TIMESTAMPS⬇️ 0:30 - INTRO 3:28 - Robert Sarver 9:35 - Should we ...
Oct 09, 2022•1 hr 25 min
Dan is joined by Paul Garcia (@PaulGarciaNBA) from Project Spurs and Spurscast (@TheSpurscast) for a deep dive into the 2022-23 San Antonio Spurs. They talk about the organization's decision to really rebuild, the development of Devin Vassell and Josh Primo, Keldon Johnson's trajectory, rookie-year expectations for Jeremy Sochan, Malaki Branham and Blake Wesley, trades, Victor Wembanyama, the 10-man rotation and MUCH more. TIMESTAMPS⬇️ 0:30 - INTRO 1:48 - The Dejounte Murray trade, Franchise dir...
Oct 08, 2022•43 min
Dan is joined by Kirk Henderson (@KirkSeriousFace) from Mavs Moneyball to discuss the ins and out of the 2022-23 Dallas Mavericks. They get into how much the team will miss Jalen Brunson, the defensive identity, lineups and rotations, whether the offense can play faster, Christian Wood's fit and MUCH more. TIMESTAMPS⬇️ 0:30 - INTRO 2:33 - Jalen Brunson's exit 5:00 - Should they have been more aggressive over the offseason? 6:48 - The Luka Doncic-Spencer Dinwiddie 8:54 - Luka Doncic starting stro...
Oct 07, 2022•49 min
Dan is joined by Shamit Dua (@FearTheBrown) of Boot Krewe Media and the In the N.O. podcast (@InTheNOPod) for a deep dive into the 2022-23 New Orleans Pelicans. They discuss the return of Zion Williamson, how he'll fit with CJ McCollum and Brandon Ingram, the defensive identity of the Pelicans, the development of Trey Murphy III and Dyson Daniels, New Orleans' 10-man rotation, fun lineups and MUCH MORE. TIMESTAMPS⬇️ 0:30 - INTRO 1:53 - The vibes in New Orleans are, in fact, immaculate 6:15 - Zio...
Oct 06, 2022•1 hr 8 min
Dan reacts to the 2022-23 NBA GM survey that was released on Tuesday, October 4. And yes, he has qualms. Like, WHO THE HELL VOTED ANDREW WIGGINS FOR THE BEST DEFENSIVE PLAYER IN THE NBA?!? TIMESTAMPS⬇️ 0:30 - INTRO/HARDWOOD KNOCKS UPDATE 3:32 - The 2022-23 NBA GM Survey 4:09 - 2022-23 NBA Finals prediction, Western and Eastern Conference standings 6:06 - 2022-23 NBA MVP Prediction 7:11 - Who would you start an NBA franchise with? 7:51 - Which player forces opposing coaches to make the most adjus...
Oct 05, 2022•51 min
Dan is joined by Allana Tachauer (@AllanaTachauer) from Five Reasons Sports to cannonball into the 2022-23 Miami Heat. They discuss the Tyler Herro extension and his development, the next step for Bam Adebayo, P.J. Tucker's departure, Victor Oladipo's role, Jimmy Butler, the rotation, trade targets and MUCH more. TIMESTAMPS⬇️ 0:30 - INTRO 4:55 - Tyler Herro extension/His next step 11:48 - Offseason impressions 14:09 - The loss of P.J. Tucker/His replacement 19:12 - Trade targets at 3/4 22:16 - D...
Oct 04, 2022•53 min
Dan is joined by Caitlin Cooper (@C2_Cooper), the resident GOAT at Indy Cornrows, to break down the short- and long-term future of the Indiana Pacers. How can Tyrese Haliburton take the next step? Is Isaiah Jackson a point guard now? Will Bennedict Mathurin play a big role in Year 1? Do we finally get a Myles Turner trade? Can Indiana defend without true wings? They touch on all this, construct a 10-man rotation and MUCH more. TIMESTAMPS⬇️ 0:30 - INTRO 2:40 - Offseason impressions/The Deandre Ay...
Oct 03, 2022•1 hr 6 min
Dan is joined by Tara Bowen-Biggs (@tcbbiggs) from the We Have A Take Podcast (@wehaveatake) for a deeeeeeep dive into the 2022-23 Portland Trail Blazers. They discuss the team's biggest offseason additions in Jerami Grant and Gary Payton II, along with the extension and future for Damian Lillard. After that, they get into Anfernee Simons' development, the importance of Jusuf Nurkic, the rotation, lineup, predictions and MUCH more! TIMESTAMPS⬇️ 0:30 - INTRO 3:39 - Offseason impressions 6:25 - Ch...
Oct 03, 2022•1 hr 10 min
Dan is joined by Konata Edwards (@NataTheScribe) from CBS Sports to break down the ins and outs of the 2022-23 Charlotte Hornets. They discuss the team's offseason, the next step for LaMelo Ball, how Steve Clifford will adapt his defense to Charlotte's offense, the importance of Cody Martin, roles for James Bouknight and Mark Williams, the value of Gordon Hayward and much, MUCH more. TIMESTAMPS⬇️ 0:30 - INTRO 2:47 - Miles Bridges 8:24 - Offseason impressions 10:45 - The coaching search 14:36 - C...
Oct 02, 2022•1 hr 7 min
Dan is joined by Managing Editor of The Kings Herald Greg Wissinger (@gwiss) to talk about—you guessed it—the 2022-23 Sacramento Kings. Is the Domantas Sabonis trade looking better? How's his fit with De'Aaron Fox? Was Keegan Murray the right draft pick? How will this team defend under head coach Mike Brown? What's the wing rotation look like? Is this squad rip for a trade? We get into it ALL...and more! TIMESTAMPS⬇️ 0:30 - INTRO 2:13 - The Mike Brown hire 7:26 - Thoughts on the Domantas Sabonis...
Oct 01, 2022•1 hr 3 min