The Unrestricted Area Presented by Basketball Intelligence

Once again, Ray LeBov and Mike Shearer speak with the godfather of modern NBA analytics, Dean Oliver.

Dean talks about the trade-off between offensive rebounding and transition defense, the existence of momentum, what he'd tell armchair analysts today, and his new book, Basketball Beyond Paper, in which he quantifies some of the ways to train and improve players (among many other things).

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BI’s Mike Shearer and Ray LeBov are joined by Alex Squadron, who recently authored a book called Life in the G: Minor League Basketball and the Relentless Pursuit of the NBA.

We talk about his season embedded with the Birmingham Squadron (no relation to Alex) and what he learned while covering the players, coaches, and staff during a uniquely tumultuous time. He describes the choice every G-Leaguer has to make between earning good money playing overseas or staying closer to their NBA dream, what his writing process was like, and why players should always, always double-check their bags before leaving on a road trip.

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Basketball Intelligence's Mike Shearer (@bbballispoetry) and Ray LeBov (@RayLebov) speak with Bleacher Report's Andy Bailey (who authored a story suggesting these changes) and former Director of Officiating Ronnie Nunn about some potential rule changes the NBA could adopt to improve the game.

The conversation covers the feasibility of live-ball rebounds, the impact of fewer timeouts (and what refs are doing when teams are huddled up), a history of flopping, what should be done about block/charge calls, and the difficulties of getting to a 2-hour game. 

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Basketball Intelligence is joined by NBA analyst Seth Partnow and intellectual property expert Mike Kasdan to discuss the wild Knicks-Raptors lawsuit. It's a fascinating deep dive filled with legal and basketball nuances as they discuss trade secrets, how much of a competitive edge the Raptors could really gain, how common this is within the league, damages, and much more. 

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Ray LeBov and Mike Shearer speak with the godfather of NBA analytics, Dean Oliver. He discusses why we're talking about defense wrong, his new book, how coaching is different than a front office role, Kristaps Porzingis' love of numbers, and how the four factors have changed over time.

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Ray and Mike speak with The Box And One's Adam Spinella, the multitalented coach and scout. We discuss his favorite picks, his issues with quiet personalities being unfairly judged, an awesome Cam Whitmore story,  Anthony Black's shooting mechanic, second-round steals, and more!

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Ray LeBov and Corban Ford talk with Krysten Peek, draft expert from Yahoo Sports. On the eve of the draft, she talks about Brandon Miller vs. Scoot Henderson, some risers and fallers, how she navigates the flood of misinformation at this time of year, what it's like watching these young men grow up over the years, and more! 

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Mike Shearer and Ray LeBov interview Fran Fraschilla, the longtime coach, scout, and analyst, to discuss his new role coaching the USA Men's 3x3 team. They talk about the upcoming Olympics, the thrill of representing the USA, the shadow of the Serbians, how Fran developed his international scouting expertise, and how he shut down Michael Malone in college.

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Basketball Intelligence's Ray LeBov and Mike Shearer host Scott Rochelle, head of the National Basketball Retired Players Association, for a fascinating conversation about players' lives after basketball. They talk about the evolution of the NBRPA, the health, educational, and community work it provides for members and communities, how it presents emerging business opportunities to members, the impressive impact of its WNBA cohort, and so much more. Enjoy!

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Ray LeBov of Basketball Intelligence is joined by No Ceilings' Nathan Grubel to discuss some of the most interesting future NBA players in the NCAA Tournament today.

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Basketball Intelligence's Mike Shearer talks with Stephen Cagan from NBA University about all things Magic. Come for the discussion about Franz Wagner's upside, Paolo Banchero's defense, and Markelle Fultz's surprisingly positive fit on the team, but stay to hear about Wendell Carter's weirdly normal proportions!

Stephen also offers his insights into Jonathan Isaac, Jalen Suggs, the Magic front office, and more!

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Hosts Mike Shearer and Ray LeBov speak with Maxwell Baumbach, from the No Ceilings NBA draft collective, about eight rookies who have exceeded expectations.
They discuss what expectations were coming out of college, how they've been successful in the NBA, and what circumstances have allowed them to succeed in the league.

In order:
Andrew Nembhard
Dyson Daniels
Walker Kessler
Tari Eason
AJ Griffin
David Roddy 
Christian Koloko
Christian Braun

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We get into the the Kings' offseason additions, the impact of coach Mike Brown on the team's defense, De'Aaron Fox's resurgence, the repercussions of the Tyrese Haliburton trade for Domantas Sabonis, and, of course, the victory beam (and just how bright that thing is!).

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Mike Shearer and Ray LeBov talk with Chris Hine from the Star Tribune about the  Minnesota Timberwolves' start to the season. We cover KAT, Gobert, rebounding, meeting expectations,  Anthony Edwards, the popularity of Jordan McLaughlin, D'Angelo Russell, Popeyes, and more!

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Ray and Mike talk with Jason about all things Blazers, including the team's surprising defense, Shaedon Sharpe, Chauncey Billups, Damian Lillard, Joe Cronin, and why Josh Hart might be Jason's favorite Blazer this year

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Ray and Mike talk with analyst nonpareil Caitlin Cooper of Indy Cornrows about the surprisingly fun Indiana Pacers. We dive into the Haliburton/Mathurin backcourt, the Pacers’ unconventional lineups, why Buddy Hield is the best option to guard power forwards, Tyrese’s tricky low gather, and much more!

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Today, Basketball Intelligence’s Ray LeBov and Mike Shearer talk with Utah Jazz reporters Sarah Todd, of Deseret News, and Eric Walden, of The Salt Lake Tribune. We cover the end of the old Jazz, coach Will Hardy, the team’s fast start (and its sustainability), Collin Sexton, Lauri Markkanen, and why Eric’s vacations are a good luck charm for Utah.

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Today on The Unrestricted Area, we interview Adam Finkelstein, the director of scouting at 247Sports and college basketball insider at CBS Sports, who wrote a fascinating piece interviewing front office executives and scouts about the early draft process. He touches upon how teams play the misinformation game, when teams actually start ranking players on their big board, how front offices feel about mock drafts, and what separates good scouts from great ones (hint: it's not the basketball acumen).

It's an awesome peek behind the curtain at a secretive but essential process. Click here for his story at 247Sports.com.

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Hosts Mike Shearer and Ray LeBov talk to former NBA All-Star and current color analyst for the Milwaukee Bucks Marques Johnson for a Central Division Preview. We cover all five teams, touching upon the Bucks' injury situations (and opportunities they open for younger players), Patrick Williams' struggles, Johnson's high-ish hopes for the Pacers, why you should never wear an earring to an interview, and much more as he delivers his trademark brand of insightful commentary and insider anecdotes.

Table of Contents:
Intro: Milwaukee
12': Cleveland
18': Chicago
28': Indiana
33': Detroit 
41': Threats to Milwaukee in East 

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Hosts Ray LeBov and Mike Shearer have a wide-ranging chat with coach and TrueHoop analyst David Thorpe. 

0'-23': Which teams are contenders? What should Golden State do with Draymond?
23': Which teams have the widest variance?
35': Who are the most impactful new additions?
46': Vic Wembanyama and the possibility of a tankathon
56': Why coach Thorpe thinks NBA coaching is at an all-time low

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