The Unrestricted Area Presented by Basketball Intelligence – Details, episodes & analysis

Aaron Bollwinkel talks with The Athletic's Law Murray about the false notion that all NBA offenses are operating the same, the 40/20 club, and the state of the Clippers.

Law's articles discussed in this interview:

What stands out and what separates NBA teams’ offensive identities? - The Athletic

Luka Dončić is new to Lakers-Clippers rivalry, but he’s far from an unfamiliar face

NBA Power Rankings: Cavaliers claim top spot; Lakers, Warriors are lurking

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Aaron Bollwinkel interviews San Francisco Chronicle Warriors beat writer, Sam Gordon, about the Jimmy Butler trade, the state of several of the Warriors' young players, and what to expect for the team down the stretch of the season following their blockbuster deal.

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Mike Shearer(@bballispoetry) and Ray LeBov (@raylebov) are once again delighted to chat with the legendary analytics pioneer Dean Oliver (@DeanO_Lytics).

We cover some anecdotes and insights from his forthcoming book (Basketball Beyond Paper, now available for preorder on Amazon!), including a story about Shane Battier and the Observer Effect.

We also dive deep into the NBA Finals, with Dean giving us a taste of what he’s excited to watch (can Lively still succeed in the short roll?), some underlying statistical indicators he’ll be tracking (how successful are Dallas post-ups?), how teams use analytics to adjust between playoff games, and much more.

It’s a fast-paced conversation with much to digest. Enjoy!

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Mike Shearer and Ray LeBov speak with Kerry Eggers about Bill Walton. Eggers spoke with more than a dozen of Waltons’ closest associates to paint a complete picture of the player and the man. He wrote a compelling piece that warranted further discussion.

We also spend some time discussing why Wilt Chamberlain should be the GOAT, for some reason.

It’s an insightful conversation that we think you’ll enjoy!

Kerry’s story can be found here: https://www.kerryeggers.com/stories/big-red-is-gone-no-one-did-it-like-he-did-it

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Ray LeBov and Mike Shearer break down some of the 2024 playoffs’ biggest surprises and standouts. They discuss the new wave of superstars, coaching improvements, the officiating, injury resilience, and so much more.

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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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