Entertaining And Insightful NBA Analysis
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Coach Nick and Combo kick things off with the Grayson Allen “travel” that broke the internet, including the text exchange where Combo just wanted a simple yes or no and got a dissertation instead. From there, Nick walks through the gather step frame by frame, explains exactly why it is technically a travel, and why expecting refs to see a 1/60th of a second pivot slide in real time is insane.
They dive into why fans are still stuck on seventh grade PE versions of the rules, how the one foot step through has been legal for almost a century, and how interpretation of carries and travels has changed from Elgin to Harden to SGA. Then they zoom out to the bigger question, has the league made scoring too easy with less physicality, freer footwork, and more whistles, or are offensive players just that much better now?
Along the way, Nick pulls out vintage clips from the 30s and 50s, rants about “AI slop” and reading comprehension on Twitter, and lays out his thesis that today’s officiating is actually closer to the rulebook than the old days that everyone romanticizes.
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Coach Nick and Combo dive into the Anthony Edwards free throw controversy, Mark Cuban stepping in on officiating, and why fans think stars like SGA and Luka are gaming the whistle. They break down whether today’s scoring boom is real skill or ref-aided inflation, how defenses are actually more sophisticated than ever, and why people still romanticize 80s and 90s “toughness.” The guys also hit LeBron’s new life as maybe the greatest third option ever, rookie of the year and Most Improved chatter, OKC’s defensive hacks, Miami’s insane pace, possible veteran trade targets, and how NBA coaches really decide substitution patterns.
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Coach Nick and Andrew “Combo” Salop kick off Thanksgiving week with a rant about thumbnails and a love letter to the most slept on guys in the league, from “Cotton Candy Apple” types to Scottie Barnes, Jalen Johnson, and Tyrese Haliburton who win without living on iso scoring. They break down why this Charlotte wing is torching teams without elite burst, using driving lines like Luka, and how that changes the way we think about athleticism and development. Then the show pivots to Klay Thompson defending Cooper after Santi Aldama’s bush league trip, Ja Morant hijacking Cam Spencer’s moment, and why Klay deserves a lot more respect given his rings, defense, and what he battled back from. From OKC’s no middle overload scheme and the value of irritants like Dillon Brooks and Marcus Smart, to AD trade talk, Harden’s rule changing impact, and the real non negotiables for making the NBA, Coach Nick and Combo connect all the dots on how teams get it right, and how franchises like Washington and Sacramento keep getting in their own way.
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Coach Nick and Combo discuss the latest in the NBA.
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Coach Nick and Combo are back on a Monday live show to talk Cade Cunningham’s leap into the MVP conversation and whether the Pistons’ hot start is actually sustainable or just a friendly schedule bump. They dig into Cade’s finishing at the rim, his improved drive numbers, how Duren fits next to him, what happens when Jaden Ivey returns, and whether Detroit is really just one Lauri Markkanen type move away from becoming an Eastern Conference Finals regular.
From there, the guys pivot to the chaos in Dallas, wondering how badly the Mavs butchered their franchise by moving on from Luka, why the roster around Cooper is such a mess, and whether it is already time to tear it down and rebuild. They also break down OKC’s suffocating defense, Mitchell’s under-the-radar impact, Reed Sheppard’s wild shooting start, Rockets intrigue, and what is really going on with Russell Westbrook and Zach LaVine’s value on winning teams.
To close, Coach Nick and Combo debate which legend can get closest to his prime in the playoffs between Steph, KD, and LeBron, then wade into a spicy LeBron theory around his absence and whether the Lakers are actually better without him. Plus, behind-the-scenes stories from Coach Nick’s House of Highlights Fan vs Hater James Harden debate, fan recognition in random lobbies and Chipotle lines, and Combo popping up in national commercials.
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Coach Nick and Combo kick off the week with a fast look at why Chicago opened hot, what the schedule says about how real it is, and which tweaks are driving the pace and screening volume. Then it is a Knicks vibes check featuring Brunson’s usage, KAT’s role confusion, and whether the defense can hold up. We break down Miami’s new motion and double gap concepts with Bam as the hub, and ask what happens when a team almost never calls ball screens. Josh Giddey’s early three point spike, Amen vs Cooper at point guard, and a quick word on why modern officiating finally matches the rulebook all make the rundown. Drop your questions in Super Chat and come hang for the next Playback watch party.
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Coach Nick and Combo go deep on a wild NBA week: the Giannis “travel” discourse and how gather rules really work, whether SGA is a true point guard or a scoring guard, and why LaMelo Ball’s film says more about Charlotte’s stagnant offense than it does about his talent. They hit Austin Reaves’ handle and whistle, Rockets double-bigs and spacing, KD’s workload, the refs’ impossible sprinting angles, Kuminga’s encouraging evolution, and Harden’s lasting impact on skill development.
Drop your questions in the comments or via Super Chat, and follow along on Playback for live breakdowns.
Chapters
0:00 Intro and late-night Twitter fallout
4:10 Giannis steps, gather timing, why it looked worse than it was
12:40 Is SGA a point guard or a scoring guard
18:30 LaMelo tease, assist quality vs box-score assists
24:20 Rockets’ double-big experiment and KD spacing
31:10 Austin Reaves’ handle and foul drawing
38:15 Kuminga’s decision-making leap
44:00 Harden’s legacy on step-backs and skill work
50:00 The Jordan push-off debate revisited
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Coach Nick and Combo jump on for an emergency live show after a gambling scandal detonates across the league. We break down what the FBI says is a years-long illegal betting and rigged high-stakes poker operation involving current and former NBA players and coaches — including Chauncey Billups, Terry Rozier, and Damon Jones — plus alleged ties to multiple organized crime families and millions skimmed with tech like marked cards, x-ray poker tables, and tampered shufflers. AP News
We go through how the feds say it worked: insider injury info, prop bet manipulation (like leaving a game early to cash the “unders”), and why even role players and assistants can move lines in today’s gambling economy. The FBI’s indictments span 30+ people in 11 states, and the NBA has already put Billups and Rozier on leave while calling it “deeply disturbing” and an integrity crisis.
From there we zoom out:
Is legal sports betting and nonstop prop action creating the perfect environment for this kind of corruption, or was this always happening and we’re just finally seeing it? opb
How bad could this get for the league if it reaches into locker rooms, training staffs, even rotations?
Could fans start treating the NBA more like “sports entertainment” than pure competition?
Then we pivot to hoop: Victor Wembanyama just cooked Anthony Davis and Derek Lively, hitting pull-ups, going coast to coast, erasing shots, and turning defenders into “French Toast” and “French Fried.” We talk about how soon teams are going to have to junk their normal coverages and start throwing gimmick defenses at him, whether San Antonio is way ahead of schedule, and if Wemby is already creeping into real MVP talk.
We close with Lonzo Ball’s lasting influence on pace, outlet passing, and early offense, plus where Spurs guard/wing talent like Castle, Harper, and Vassell fits around Wemby going forward.
It’s chaos, it’s basketball, it’s the integrity of the league on one side and the rise of a potential GOAT on the other — and yes, we’re watching the Lakers too, because if the FBI is naming specific teams in the indictments, this may just be the start.
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Steph Curry’s suddenly getting to the line—what changed? Combo and Coach Nick debate the “new whistle,” break down Cooper Flagg comps (KG vibes? Bird feel?), celebrate Lonzo Ball’s preseason dime factory, kick around Wemby’s scary two-way leap (early GOAT chatter?), and react to Russell Westbrook to the Kings—fit, role, and why Denver never made sense. Plus: Warriors–Lakers foul chatter, SGA’s foul drawing vs. foul baiting, ref points of emphasis, and live show kinks on the new platform.
Chapters (add actual timestamps after upload):
PrizePicks read & tonight’s card
Steph’s FT surge
Cooper Flagg comp debate
Lonzo’s vision back on display
Russ to Kings: fit & risk
Warriors–Lakers whistles, SGA discourse
Wemby dominance & GOAT ceiling
Q&A + Super Chats
BBALLBREAKDOWN— It's Not A Channel, It's A Conversation.
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Coach Nick and Andrew “Combo” Salas break down preseason takeaways that actually matter. They dive into New York’s new handoff-heavy offense, why parking Jalen Brunson in the corner only works if the actions hit closer to the nail, and who should really be the high-post hub (hello, KAT). Then it’s Warriors talk with Al Horford’s pick-and-pop balance next to Draymond, Kuminga’s best usage in transition, and whether the vibes can stay clean. They hit the Lakers frontcourt with Ayton’s rim protection and lob finishing, what Austin Reaves brings as a secondary handler, and a sober look at Bronny’s development curve under extra pressure. Plus: practice vs. drills, Bobby Knight’s “freedom” paradox, and a quick nod to the upcoming Netflix “Starting Five” doc. Drop your questions on the YouTube side via Super Chat to get on the show next tim
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Coach Nick and Andrew “Combo” Salop kick off the 25–26 season live: the Jonathan Kuminga contract standoff, why his non-rim paint and rim finishing numbers clash with a bigger role, and whether a sign-and-trade (Suns/Kings?) makes sense. Then we dig into Mike Brown’s Knicks—Princeton touches, two-guard fronts, handoff chains, and how a real Brunson–KAT two-man game changes their ceiling. We react to ESPN’s Top 10 (Steph over LeBron, Wemby at 5), plus Michael Jordan to NBC and what he’ll actually bring on air. The Cade Cunningham debate returns: can you be Top 10 if you’re below-average at the rim? We also hit defensive “peel-to-corner” rotations, Horford’s fit, and why watch-party season is back.
Chapters
0:00 Welcome + New Season
0:55 Kuminga: offers, role, S&T leverage
12:00 Skill dev vs. shot selection
18:30 Knicks under Mike Brown: actions to watch
23:40 Brunson–KAT usage we need
26:50 ESPN Top 10 reactions
29:50 MJ to NBC
31:50 Cade finishing debate
45:30 Defensive rotations trend
52:30 Superchats + watch parties
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