Best Player Development Project Podcasts (2024)

1
Listeners Weight In on Jerami Grant Trade Rumors, Criticize Rob Pelinka and Jeanie Buss 33:28

6h ago33:28

33:28

The Lakers have done nothing this offseason. No trades, no signings. Nothing. So when there's one guy who is seemingly available for the type of haul the Lakers can actually satisfy, it's worth a conversation about whether it's a good idea. That's the state of things with Portland forward Jerami Grant. For Tuesday's show, Mike Richman of Locked On …

1
Should the Lakers Trade for Jerami Grant? Would He Improve the Defense? A Scouting Report! 32:50

1d ago32:50

32:50

The Lakers have, just in case you've been sleeping through the summer, done as close to nothing as a team can assuming they actually participate in the Draft. No free agent signings. No trades. Nothing. And aside from Zach LaVine, who Chicago can't seem to get rid of but has very, very little buzz around him (not just with the Lakers, but everywher…

1
LeBron Dominates Vs. Serbia for Team USA, and Tyus Jones to Suns. Did the Lakers Miss Out? 32:04

3d ago32:04

32:04

Sunday, the US Men's National Team scored an impressive win over Serbia to kick off their run at the Paris Olympics. A big reason for that success was LeBron James, who scored 21 points, and added nine rebounds and seven assists and a steal in only 27 minutes. The dude was dominant. And this against high end competition. LeBron was often the best p…

1
Lakers Over/Under 2024-25 Win Totals Projections, and Questions about the Rotation. 34:55

6d ago34:55

34:55

Brian's last day of vacation and in his place is friend of the show Jovan Buha, Lakers beat writer for The Athletic and host of the podcast, Buha's Block. After recounting the vibe in Las Vegas towards Bronny James during Summer League, Jovan digs into the 43.5 win over/under for next seasons' Lakers, set by our friends over at FanDuel. Does Jovan …

1
#387 How Running Changed Everything We Know About Women with Maggie Mertens, Author of Better, Faster, Farther 58:07

28m ago58:07

58:07

Maggie Mertens www.MaggieMertens.com) is a writer, journalist, and editor located in Seattle. Her essays and reporting have appeared in The Atlantic, NPR, Sports Illustrated, ESPNw, Deadspin, VICE, The Cut, Glamour, Pacific Standard, Refinery29, and Creative Nonfiction, among others. Her work has also appeared in The Year’s Best Sports Writing 2021…

1
KCP says the Lakers should have beaten the Nuggets, and LeBron/Davis/Rui's Olympics So Far 33:52

7d ago33:52

33:52

Brian's still on vacation, so today we're joined in his place by Matt Peralta from Lakers Nation, a site and show with as big of a reach among Lakers fans as Locked On Lakers. As such, it felt useful to talk with Matt to get his take on how Lakers fans are feeling about an offseason where LeBron James and Anthony Davis have been provided no new fac…

1
What Moves are the Lakers Willing to Make, and Jeanie Buss' Patience with Rob Pelinka. 35:31

8d ago35:31

35:31

Brian remains on vacation, so L.A. Times Lakers beat writer Dan Woike (@DanWoikeSports) is in the house! We begin by talking about how the Lakers front office feels internally about the roster, as it currently stands. Are LeBron James and Anthony Davis in a position to compete at the highest level and how do they evaluate what assets they're willin…

1
Is the CBA Preventing the Lakers From Making Trades, and How They Define "Player Development?" 35:56

9d ago35:56

35:56

Brian remains on vacation, so today's guest spot is taken by Aaron Larusel (@AaronLarsuel), who's worked with many NBA teams and currently is a consultant with the Lakers. Fans are dying to see new pieces added around LeBron James and Anthony Davis, but thus far, it's been slow goings. Is this a Lakers or a "whole league" thing? Aaron offers insigh…

1
An Assessment of the Lakers' Offseason, and a Reasonable Discussion about Bronny James 33:59

10d ago33:59

33:59

Brian is out of town, so it's a week of awesome guests. We kick things Claire de lune (The Guardian, Tiny Deaths) stops by to talk about the state of the Lakers. Other than drafting Bronny James and Dalton Knecht, the Lakers have made no additions to the roster, which is essentially unchanged. How big of a problem is this... now? Is there a timelin…

1
Knecht, Bronny, Castleton Lead Summer Lakers, Plus a Scouting Report on assistant Lindsey Harding 33:54

13d ago33:54

33:54

The Summer Lakers were a rough watch for five games or so, but over the last two? A lot more fun! Thursday, the SPL crew won its second straight game, beating the Summer Cavs in a nailbiter. They were led by Dalton Knecht, Bronny James and Colin Castleton. Knecht is the only guy in the group expected to play a regular role on the big club, and he c…

1
#386 Tara VanDerveer Returns! The All Time Winningest NCAA Basketball Coach on Retiring from Stanford, Her New Coach Mentorship Role, and How Championships are Won in the Locker Room 1:17:41

5h ago1:17:41

1:17:41

Tara VanDerveer was the head women's basketball coach at Stanford University from 1985 until her retirement in 2024. VanDerveer was a 10 time Pac-12 Coach of the Year and the 1990 National Coach of the year, and led the Stanford Cardinal to three NCAA Women's Division I Basketball Championships: in 1990, 1992 and 2021. She took a leave of absence i…

1
Has the Lakers' Brand Lost Its Mystique? Plus, the SPL Lakers Finally Win!!! 31:35

14d ago31:35

31:35

The disappointment with missing out on Gary Trent Jr. for a minimum contract continued into Wednesday, at least on the show's YouTube page. Beyond all the contextual reasons why Trent might choose the Bucks over the Lakers -- cleaner fit, bigger role, chemistry with Dame, etc. -- there is a feeling that the Lakers simply can't lure players the way …

1
Gary Trent Jr. Signs With Bucks as Lakers Remain in Limbo. Plus, Jaylen Brown and Bronny. 34:09

15d ago34:09

34:09

For much of the offseason, the inability of the Lakers to make anything happen with the roster has been a point of frustration for fans. But then again, there were always extenuating circumstances. Contextually, the Lakers either couldn't offer the right role, the right money, or the right role with the right money. They lack trade pieces teams see…

1
Justin Gary — C.O.R.E. Attributes 31:26

9d ago31:26

31:26

In this episode of "Think Like a Game Designer," I take a different approach by presenting a solo discussion without any guests. Here, I focus on a concept I introduced in a previous episode with Stephan Brissaud: the CORE Attributes. These attributes became very popular among listeners, so much so, that I thought it worth expanding upon in a new e…

1
Anthony Davis Dominates for Team USA vs. Australia, Redick Explains Not Voting AD for All-Defense 32:38

16d ago32:38

32:38

The US Men's National Team typically has some games in their prep for Olympic competition that give people reason to worry. Monday vs. Australia, they had just that, squeaking by the Aussies by six. People didn't like the results, but if you're just focused on the Lakers, it's harder to complain. Anthony Davis once again had an excellent game in re…

1
JJ Redick Talks Lakers Offense, Player Development. Plus, Dalton Knecht and Bronny James. 33:25

17d ago33:25

33:25

As it becomes more likely that the Lakers will head to training camp with the roster as currently constructed, more focus is being put on how new head coach JJ Redick might manage those players. What could the Lakers look like offensively? How will they look to improve their player development? What does that mean, beyond just working with the youn…

1
Anthony Davis Dominates in Team USA v. Canada, and are the Lakers Waiting on... Lauri Markkanen? 33:04

20d ago33:04

33:04

Well, if Anthony Davis and LeBron James are going to play in the Olympics - scaring many Lakers fans in the process - they might as well look good. And man alive, did Davis do just that on Wednesday in Vegas against Team Canada. 10 points, 11 rebounds, two assists, two steals and four blocks in only 19 minutes. That's some serious production. So wh…

1
#385 Urs Koenig, former UN Peacekeeper and Author of Radical Humility on How to be an Exceptional Leader AND a Good Human 1:02:27

2d ago1:02:27

1:02:27

Urs Koenig is a veteran executive coach, professor, ultra-endurance champion, former UN Peacekeeper, author, and keynote speaker. All these seemingly disparate paths led him to one idea: that the best leaders lead from a place of humility. Urs has captured those ideas in his new book, Radical Humility: Be a Badass Leader and a Good Human. His lesso…

1
Should Lakers Fans Be Excited to See LeBron and Anthony Davis Play for Team USA? (Or Prefer Rather They Rest?) 32:41

21d ago32:41

32:41

On the one hand, it's obviously an honor to represent your country in the Olympics. You can't begrudge players for taking advantage of the opportunity to play when its given. And no question, LeBron James and Anthony Davis are both worthy of a spot on the roster. So kudos to them, go bring home a gold medal. On the other... those guys have a lot of…

1
LeBron James Says the Lakers Aren't Far Off From Title Contention. Is He Right? 30:19

22d ago30:19

30:19

There is tremendous frustration among Lakers fans about the inactivity in the offseason to this point. That much is clear. But how much has that frustration colored the view of how good the team actually is? The Lakers were a very, very un-fun squad last year. There was a poor vibe around the team for most of the year, and that sucked a lot of life…

1
Jonathan Tweet — Pioneering RPG Design, Innovating Dungeons & Dragons, and Crafting Educational Stories (#69) 1:20:02

21d ago1:20:02

1:20:02

About Jonathan Tweet Jonathan Tweet joins us today to share his 25-year journey through the gaming industry. His impressive portfolio includes titles such as Ars Magica, Over the Edge, Everway, and Dungeons & Dragons 3rd Edition. In addition to his work in game design, Jonathan is also a successful children's book author. His book Grandmother Fish …

1
Why It's Harder Than It Looks for Rob Pelinka to Create Space on the Lakers Roster. 31:41

23d ago31:41

31:41

The Lakers would love to improve their standing in the Western Conference, which would likely require figuring out how to drop some of the lesser players on the 15 man roster. Easy enough to dump a guy like Cam Reddish on another team, tossing in a second rounder for their trouble, right? Well, not really. The Lakers don't have a lot of second roun…

1
LeBron Discusses New Contract, Pay Cut, and Quiet Lakers Offseason; Plus, Summer League Disappoints 33:43

24d ago33:43

33:43

LeBron James, officially up and practicing with Team USA in preparation for the Paris Olympics, met with the media over the weekend. He talked about Bronny, and what has been a very, very quiet offseason. James didn't give a full throated defense of the front office, but he didn't fillet them, either. There was a strong, "it is what it is" kind of …

1
EMERGENCY PODCAST: LeBron James Signs New $151.355M Deal, Keeps the Lakers Below the Second Apron. 13:09

25d ago13:09

13:09

As expected, or at least as expected around these parts, LeBron James signed his new deal with the Lakers on Saturday and left just enough money on the table to keep the Lakers under the threshold for the dreaded second apron, where the NBA makes player transactions incredibly hard to execute. The difference in the contracts isn't massive - just un…

1
#384 How to Find Your Identity, Define Your Purpose, and Take Your Team to The Next Level with Owen Eastwood, Author of Belonging (replay) 1:06:57

25d ago1:06:57

1:06:57

This time of year there is a lot of fear in sport, We see it in the Copa America and Euro Soccer championships, Olympic Trials, and even on the youth level as our kids tryout for teams. In this podcast replay from 2021, we are joined by Owen Eastwood (@oweneastwood), one of the world’s most sought after high performance coaches. He has worked with …

1
Learning Blender in public and a great video resource, plus game testing advice 10:00

9d ago10:00

10:00

I talk about my experiences learning Blender in public to create some 3D assets for my games. Then I discuss testing on multiple devices to get a real feel for performance problems with your apps and games. Mentioned in this episode My Godot Endless Runner video course Joey Carlino's excellent Blender modeling video ★ Support this podcast ★…

1
How a New Contract for LeBron James Impacts the Rest of the Offseason for the Lakers 32:56

11d ago32:56

32:56

The inevitable happened on Wednesday, as the Lakers and LeBron James agreed to a two year contract for max (or near max -- getting to that in a moment) money, about $104 million. The second year? A player option. So there's a good chance LeBron and the Lakers are right back here next year. It means, first and foremost, that the window LeBron opened…

1
EMERGENCY SHOW: LeBron James Agrees to New Contract With Lakers (2 Years With Player Option) 12:20

28d ago12:20

12:20

Rob Pelinka's window to shop is apparently closing. As expected, the Lakers and LeBron James have come to an agreement for his next deal, and since the Lakers couldn't make a big move, LeBron will be signing for the max, or really, really close to it. Reportedly, the deal is for two years, with a player option in year two (you've seen this structur…

1
Assessing the Blues’ draft, trades, Buchnevich contract and development camp 32:24

19d ago32:24

32:24

Post-Dispatch Blues beat reporter Matthew DeFranks joined columnist Jeff Gordon to discuss all the Blues news from the last several days.

1
Lakers Remain Silent In Free Agency, Introduce Dalton Knecht and Bronny James 34:36

29d ago34:36

34:36

Another day, another 24 hours of inaction from the Lakers. No trades, no signings, no nothin'. Not even an assistant coach to start populating JJ Redick's staff. None of this is to say the Lakers aren't trying, or are just killin' time before the regular season starts. Surely they're working the phones, and diligently trying to find some assistant …

1
Quiet Start to Free Agency: Lakers Spurned by Klay Thompson, Looking at DeMar DeRozan? 29:30

30d ago29:30

29:30

Was Klay Thompson a good idea? A bad idea? Well, the Lakers were, according to Chris Haynes of Bleacher Report, willing to go as high as three or four years around $20 mil a year for Thompson. And, he has, reportedly, decided to go to the Mavericks instead. But whether the Lakers dodged a bullet or not, the fact remains they haven't done anything y…

1
BONUS MINI-POD: Klay Thompson to Dallas Mavericks. Are the Lakers Running out of Options? 9:52

1M ago9:52

9:52

The Lakers are trying to find ways to upgrade the roster, and in less than 24 hours since free agency opened, the names attached to them have been flying off the board. James Harden. Jonas Valanciunus. And now Klay Thompson, who felt like the guy with the best odds, between having grown up in L.A. rooting for the Lakers, his father Mychal's past/cu…

1
Lakers Free Agency Begins! LeBron James Opts Out, D'Angelo Russell Opts in, Max Christie Re-Signs. 33:37

1M ago33:37

33:37

Free agency kicked off Sunday, and while it's moving slower than previous seasons—thanks, new CBA—it wasn't without any action. But for the Lakers, the big stuff happened before the opening bell. First, LeBron James opted out of his contract, though with the assumption that he's going to come back. There's no risk now of him leaving (whatever risk …

1
Scouting 1st Round Pick Dalton Knecht: Is he an NBA Scorer? Can the Defense Improve? 33:49

1M ago33:49

33:49

The consensus opinion coming out of the first round of the NBA Draft was that the Lakers picked up, if not a steal of the night, a steal in Tennessee guard/forward Dalton Knecht. Well, to learn more about the guy, we went to someone who watched every game the guy played with the Volunteers. Ric Butler covers Tennessee sports for Rocky Top Insider. …

1
BONUS EPISODE: Lakers Draft Bronny James With the 55th Pick. Good Choice or a Waste? 17:46

1M ago17:46

17:46

The Lakers made some history on Thursday, selecting Bronny James with the 55th pick in the Draft. It was a move that surprised... well, nobody, but does set up the Lakers to have the first father/son combo on the floor in NBA history. That's pretty cool! And a testament to LeBron's longevity in the league. But was it a good pick? In some ways, it's…

1
First round of the NHL Draft is difficult to project 35:47

1M ago35:47

35:47

Post-Dispatch Blues beat reporter Matthew DeFranks joined columnist Jeff Gordon to discuss how the first round of this weekend’s NHL Draft could unfold.By pdpodcast@post-dispatch.com

1
Los Angeles Lakers Draft Dalton Knecht in 2024 NBA Draft 8:30

20d ago8:30

8:30

Los Angeles Lakers Draft Dalton Knecht in 2024 NBA Draft The Los Angeles Lakers have selected Dalton Knecht with the seventeenth pick in the 2024 NBA Draft. Follow & Subscribe on all Podcast platforms… 🎧 https://link.chtbl.com/LOLakers?sid=YouTube Locked On NBA League-Wide: Every Team, Fantasy, Draft, WNBA & More 🎧 https://linktr.ee/LockedOnNBA Sub…

1
#383 Dr. Jay Martin: Lessons from the BEST Coach You've Never Heard of 1:01:35

18d ago1:01:35

1:01:35

Dr. Jay Martin is entering his 48th season as the Ohio Wesleyan Men's Soccer Coach in 2024. During his tenure his teams have amassed 750 victories, making Martin the winningest NCAA Men's soccer coach of all time. His teams have also won 2x NCAA Championships and 26 Conference Championships, so he knows a little something about culture and winning …

1
NBA Draft Preview: Who Should the Lakers Select at 17 and 55? With Mike Garcia (@canyondriver) 35:27

1M ago35:27

35:27

The Lakers have already had a busy week, and it gets busier today, with Day 1 of the NBA Draft (that's a new thing). With all the talk of player development coming with the hiring of JJ Redick, as well as Rob Pelinka talking Monday about the challenges of making trades in the new CBA, it does seem like a strong possibility that the Lakers use the p…

1
Lakers Draft Dalton Knecht (Wing, Tennessee) With the 17th Pick... Steal of the Draft? 31:40

1M ago31:40

31:40

Last season, the Lakers had opportunities to draft players in the first round that were projected to help an NBA team right away. They had a chance to draft the "lottery guy who falls." They did neither. This year, the same opportunity presented itself, this time with the same player. As names went off the board, University of Tennessee wing Dalton…

1
JJ Redick's Press Conference: The New Lakers Coach Talks Inexperience, LeBron, Anthony Davis, etc. 33:30

1M ago33:30

33:30

The Lakers introduced JJ Redick to the media Monday. It didn't take long to get a feel for why Redick did so well through the interview process. He came off as someone with a definitive world view about basketball, and how it should be played. He had thoughts about his star players, and how he wants to use them. Redick was candid about his lack of …

1
JJ Redick to be Introduced by Lakers Monday. What to Watch For... Plus, It's NBA Draft Week! 31:59

1M ago31:59

31:59

The Lakers are introducing JJ Redick Monday as their next head coach, throwing a big ol' press conference to celebrate. Given that this is the first time they've spoken to the media since firing Darvin Ham right after the end of the playoffs, there will be much to discuss, not just about Redick himself, but everything that's led up to this moment. …

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