Hardwood Knocks

Dan drops his latest 2022-23 NBA MVP ladder and then digs into how and why the New York Knicks are on the fast track to nowhere. TIMESTAMPS BELOW⬇️ 0:42 - INTRO 1:41 - MVP Ladder Criteria 2:59 - Updated MVP Ladder 24:04 - The plight of the New York Knicks 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: @HardwoodKnocks / @hardwood_knocks TIKTOK: @hardwoodknocks TWITTER: @SportsMathNet Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoicesThis show is part of the Spreaker Prime Network, if you are interested in advertising on this podcast, contact us at https://www.spreaker.com/show/2916956/advertisement

Dan hops on to deliver his report card grades for every NBA team's top under-25 player so FAR. You can check out the full article here. Please remember all players are being grade relative to their expectations entering this season. Please also remember that getting a "C" means they're right around expectations, and it should not be taken as some massive slight. You're all the best! TIMESTAMPS⬇️ 0:00 - INTRO 1:15 - Criteria 3:43 - Trae Young, Atlanta Hawks 5:16 - Jayson Tatum, Boston Celtics  6:29 - Nicolas Claxton, Brooklyn Nets 7:55 - P.J. Washington, Charlotte Hornets 9:32 - Ayo Dosunmu, Chicago Bulls 10:44 - Darius Garland, Cleveland Cavaliers 12:28 - Luka Doncic, Dallas Mavericks 14:15 - Michael Porter Jr., Denver Nuggets 17:43 - Cade Cunningham, Detroit Pistons 19:46 - Jordan Poole, Golden State Warriors 21:35 - Jalen Green, Houston Rockets 23:20 - Tyrese Haliburton, Indiana Pacers 24:30 - Brandon Boston Jr., L.A. Clippers 26:16 - Lonnie Walker IV, Los Angeles Lakers 27:46 - Ja Morant, Memphis Grizzlies

Dan runs through some way too early 2023 NBA trade deadline predictions he made a few weeks ago to see how they've aged. "Consequentially reasonable" will be the theme of these crystal-ball gazings. We're sticking to predictions about which you should give a damn but aren't senselessly nuclear. So, to the Hall of Uniformed Prophecies we go! 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: @HardwoodKnocks / @hardwood_knocks TIKTOK: @hardwoodknocks TWITTER: @SportsMathNet Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoicesThis show is part of the Spreaker Prime Network, if you are interested in advertising on this podcast, contact us at https://www.spreaker.com/show/2916956/advertisement

Dan and Grant are back with Part 2 of NBA 'Peace or Panic?!' Be sure to check out Part 1 here. In this round of 'Peace or Panic?!,' we're discussing the workload Luka Doncic shoulders for the Dallas Mavericks, the urgency meter for the Golden State Warriors, the Miami Heat's offense, the Philadelphia 76ers, Dwane Casey and the Detroit Pistons and so much more! TIMESTAMPS⬇️ 1:12 - INTRO 3:23 - Are the Dallas Mavericks running Luka Doncic into the ground? 23:16 - Do the Philadelphia 76ers need to try trading These Maxey for Kevin Durant?  26:01 - Is the Miami Heat bench and overall depth doomed? 31:24 - Are the Milwaukee Bucks NBA title formalities at this point? 35:41 - Do the Detroit Pistons need to get rid of Dwane Casey? 43:48 - Time to worry about the L.A. Clippers? 47:44 - Is James Wiseman a bust? And do the Golden State Warriors need to make a trade? 54:12 - Are the Minnesota Timberwolves screwed?  59:53 - Can either of the Brooklyn Nets or Los Angeles Lakers salvage their season? JOIN OUR DISCORD: bit.

Dan and Grant drop Part 1 of 2022-23 NBA 'Peace or Panic?!' in which they they take a look at the most desperate situations and decide whether it's time to sound the alarm or pump the brakes. Our AWESOME listeners submitted their topics, which cover everything from Zion Williamson on defense and the development of Jalen Suggs to the Denver Nuggets potentially needing to make a trade and the Utah Jazz DOMINATING the Western Conference. TIMESTAMPS BELOW⬇️ 1:12 - INTRO 6:13 - Is Jalen Suggs a bust? 12:35 - Is it too late for the Utah Jazz to tank? 24:20 - Should the Denver Nuggets trade for a veteran floor general? 28:32 - Do the Denver Nuggets need to trade Michael Porter Jr.? 35:05 - Zion Williamson's defense/inconsistency 41:40 - Mo Bamba is not an NBA player 45:30 - Is Chris Paul cooked? 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: @HardwoodKnocks / @hardwood_k

Dan unpacks the fallout of the Cam Johnson injury for the Phoenix Suns. Then, he reacts to the "rumor" that the Los Angeles Lakers might be up trading Anthony Davis. After that, he delves into his early impressions of the Trae Young and Dejounte Murray partnership for the Atlanta Hawks and briefly touches upon the Golden State Warriors' need to make a trade. TIMESTAMPS⬇️ 0:00 - INTRO 2:52 - Should the Los Angeles Lakers trade Anthony Davis? 19:06 - Impact of Cam Johnson injury on the Phoenix Suns 22:04 - Trade targets for the Phoenix Suns in the wake of the Cam Johnson injury 36:44 - The Trae Young and Dejounte Murray fit for the Atlanta Hawks 45:05 - Are the Golden State Warriors wasting Stephen Curry?/Is it time for the Warriors to trade the youngsters? 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: @HardwoodKnocks / @hardwood_knocks TIKTOK: @hardwoodknocks TWIT

Dan reacts to the latest news on Kyrie Irving and the Brooklyn Nets, the allegations against Josh Primo and the San Antonio Spurs and the resolution to felony domestic charges against Miles Bridges. After that, he dives into how the Philadelphia 76ers will navigate the James Harden injury and the opportunity ahead for Tyrese Maxey. Then, he calls for the New York Knicks to fire Tom Thibodeau. And finally, it's time we started talked more about Kristaps Porzingis. TIMESTAMPS⬇️ 0:37 - INTRO 2:14 - Kyrie Irving 18:08 - Josh Primo/San Antonio Spurs 24:20 - Miles Bridges 28:43 - James Harden injury 37:34 - Should the New York Knicks fire Tom Thibodeau? 48:36 - The rise of Kristaps Porzingis 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: @HardwoodKnocks / @hardwood_knocks TIKTOK: @hardwoodknocks TWITTER: @SportsMathNet Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoi

Dan and Grant plunder through a rousing round of NBA 'Too Hot or Not?!" using submissions from our MEGA AWESOME LISTENERS. Are the Cleveland Cavaliers 2022-23 NBA title favorites? Is Cade Cunningham a bust? Is Kawhi Leonard done? Should the Minnesota Timberwolves trade Karl-Anthony Towns? Shit gets REAL. Thick skins on? Let's ride. TIMESTAMPS⬇️ 1:57 - INTRO 3:53 - Cade Cunningham vs. Jaden Ivey 13:15 - Indiana Pacers, Tyrese Haliburton, Domantas Sabonis, Worst trades of the past decade 22:11 - ALL THINGS Cleveland Cavaliers 34:08 - Dyson Daniels, Trey Murphy, Herb Jones vs. Brandon Ingram/CJ McCollum 36:33 - The New Orleans Pelicans will make the Finals??? 38:44 - Karl-Anthony Towns 43:20 - Is De'Andre Hunter a bust? 46:29 - Is Kawhi Leonard done? 49:56 - Jaylen Nowell, Anthony Edwards, Devin Booker 53:02 - Keldon Johnson 57:06 - The Charlotte Hornets need to tank 59:05 - Nick Richards 1:01:02 - Golden State Warriors, James Wiseman, Jonathan Kuminga 1:04:59 - Lauri Markkanen 1:06:43 - Trae Young, Dejounte Mur

Dan and Grant react LIVE to the news that Steve Nash and the Brooklyn Nets have parted ways, and that the organization will move to hire Ime Udoka from the Boston Celtics. They cover everything from the implications of Nash leaving to the future of Kevin Durant, Ben Simmons and Kyrie Irving to Brooklyn's questionable moral compass. TIMESTAMPS⬇️ 1:57 - INTRO 3:57 - Implications of the Brooklyn Nets and Steve Nash parting ways 17:01 - Reacting to the Nets hiring Ime Udoka from the Boston Celtics 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: @HardwoodKnocks / @hardwood_knocks TIKTOK: @hardwoodknocks TWITTER: @SportsMathNet Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoicesThis show is part of the Spreaker Prime Network, if you are interested in advertising on this podcast, contact us at https://www.spreaker.com/show/2916956/advertisement

Dan gives his opinion on some of the latest NBA news, including the Josh Primo situation, Kyrie Irving's latest foray into harmful misinformation and Myles Turner speaking about potentially getting traded to the Los Angeles Lakers. After that, it's time for a much-too-early 2022-23 NBA MVP ladder, featuring Dan's top five, but really top 10, options through the early part of the regular season. TIMESTAMPS⬇️ 1:57 - INTRO 3:35 - Josh Primo 7:05 - Kyrie Irving 20:00 - Myles Turner and the Los Angeles Lakers 29:11 - The Bojan Bogdanovic extension 30:47 - Blake Wesley injury in San Antonio 32:18 - Way-Too-Early NBA MVP Ladder...CRITERIA —Honorable Mentions, 10-6 (35:11) — No. 5 (39:03) — No. 4 (41:17) — No. 3 (42:56) — No. 2 (44:39) — No. 1 (46:27) 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: @HardwoodKnocks / @hardwood_knocks TIKTOK: @hardwoodknocks TWITTER: @Sports

Dan delves into the issues plaguing the Los Angeles Lakers and who's most to blame. Are they taking LeBron James for granted? Is this his fault? Should they trade Russell Westbrook already? After that, it's on to the Brooklyn Nets, who have a Ben Simmons problem. Is it time to panic, or will everything be fine? TIMESTAMPS⬇️ 1:30 - INTRO 2:25 - Los Angeles Lakers/LeBron James 13:32 - Brooklyn Nets/Ben Simmons 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: @HardwoodKnocks / @hardwood_knocks TIKTOK: @hardwoodknocks TWITTER: @SportsMathNet Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoicesThis show is part of the Spreaker Prime Network, if you are interested in advertising on this podcast, contact us at https://www.spreaker.com/show/2916956/advertisement

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 Minnesota Timberwolves defense 13:53 - Imagining Victor Wembanyama on the Orlando Magic? 17:55 - Is there any world in which Scoot Henderson gets drafted over Victor Wembanyama? 20:22 - F*ck, Marry, Kut from the team: Luka Doncic, Ja Morant and Trae Young 21:37 - With Chris Paul reaching 11,000 assists milestone, which player under the age of 25 is most likely to reach that benchmark next? 23:25 - Is Dan a monster for ranking RJ Barrett ahead of Wendell Carter Jr. in his "Top 25 NBA Players Under 25" article for Bleach

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 for the Los Angeles Lakers to NOT Trade Russell Westbrook 33:01 - Will any team trade for Russell Westbrook and ACTUALLY KEEP him? 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: @HardwoodKnocks / @hardwood_knocks TIKTOK: @hardwoodknocks TWITTER: @SportsMathNet Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoicesThis show is part of the Spreaker Prime Networ

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 - No. 20 14:20 - No. 19 16:03 - No. 18 17:14 - No. 17 18:33 - No. 16 19:54 - No. 15 21:07 - No. 14 22:12 - No. 13 23:27 - No. 12 24:48 - No. 11 26:15 - No. 10 27:28 - No. 9 28:49 - No. 8  30:12 - No. 7 31:37 - No. 6 32:41 - No. 5 33:52 - No. 4 35:12 - No. 3 36:25 - No. 2 37:29 - No. 1 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: @HardwoodKnocks / @hardwood_knocks TIKTOK: @h

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 contenders already? Is Doc Rivers on his way out of Philadelphia? We tackle all this...and more! TIMESTAMPS⬇️ 1:15 - INTRO 4:37 - Los Angeles Lakers/Russell Westbrook 19:05 - Cleveland Cavaliers 26:06 - Doc Rivers/Philadelphia 76ers 31:02 - Back to Russ for a sec 33:14 - New Orleans Pelicans 41:45 - Julius Randle 47:02 - Devin Booker 53:09 - Bennedict Mathurin, Paolo Banchero 55:59 - Charlotte Hornets, Portland Trail Blazers, Washington Wizards 58:03 - Lauri Markkanen/Utah Jazz 1:02:13 - Tyrese Haliburton 1:07:05 - Da

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 10:25 - Detroit Pistons 13:41 - Golden State Warriors 14:20 - Houston Rockets 15:19 - Indiana Pacers 16:27 - LA Clippers 17:27 - Los Angeles Lakers 19:37 - Memphis Grizzlies 20:24 - Miami Heat 21:17 - Milwaukee Bucks 21:59 - Minnesota Timberwolves 23:07 - New Orleans Pelicans 24:19 - New York Knicks 25:41 - Oklahoma City Thunder 25:45 - Orlando Magic 27:37 - Philadelphia 76ers 28:58 - Phoenix Suns 30:30 - Portland Trail Blazers 31:27 - Sacramento Kings 32:42 - San Antonio Spurs 34:22 - Toronto Raptors 35:48 - Utah Jazz 38

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 that is Santi Aldama, the rotation, trade possibilities and MUCH more. TIMESTAMPS⬇️ 0:30 - INTRO 2:46 - The offseason direction 9:49 - The next frontier for Ja Morant 16:19 - Timeline return for Jaren Jackson Jr./Defensive impact of his absence 21:30 - Jaren Jackson Jr.'s offense 24:41 - Year 3 expectations for Desmond Bane/Half-court initiation 29:57 - The development of Ziaire Williams  33:45 - Buy or sell Santi Aldama as an impact player 37:00 - Roles for Jake LaRavia and David Roddy 39:04 - Will Kenny Lofton Jr. get

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 - Rookie of the Year 46:32 - Defensive Player of the Year 52:51 - MVP 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: @HardwoodKnocks / @hardwood_knocks TIKTOK: @hardwoodknocks TWITTER: @SportsMathNet Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoicesThis show is part of the Spreaker Prime Network, if you are interested in advertising on this podcast, conta

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 Donovan Mitchell ever on the table? 7:35 - Play style under Will Hardy 9:05 - Will the Jazz tank? 15:59 - Collin Sexton's long-term value 20:08 - How to measure progress for the Jazz? 24:41 - Early impressions of Walker Kessler 27:56 - The value of Jarred Vanderbilt/Can he play with Walker Kessler? 29:12 - Will Ochai Agbaji be in the rotation? 31:10 - Nickeil Alexander-Walker vs. Talen Horton-Tucker 37:16 - Underrated strengths 40:34 - The future of Jordan Clarkson 41:41 - The 10-man rotation 42:37 - Go-to crunch-time

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 Westbrook situation 9:27 - Russ to the bench? 12:19 - Best/worst offseason additions, The fit of Lonnie Walker IV, Importance of Juan Toscano-Anderson 20:15 - Impact of Kendrick Nunn 21:45 - Who gets squeezed out of the guard rotation? 26:48 - Anthony Davis revenge season incoming? 29:23 - Anthony Davis-at-the-5, Roles for Damian Jones and Thomas Bryant 34:42 - Year 2 expectations for Austin Reaves 36:50 - Underrated strengths 39:20 - The 10-man rotation 42:31- Go-to crunch-time lineup 43:54 - Weirdo lineups we want to see 4