the 2020-21 nba season is over and the offseason is here, which means it’s been pretty much a full year since i started medium lights.
so far, i’ve been writing for an audience of one: me. i rarely check how many views and likes each post gets, or how many email subscribers i have. i definitely haven’t been involving you, the readers, in my process at all.
but perhaps that should change. because i just looked and there are ~700 of you now, which seems like a large number.
maybe there’s a specific play/set/moment that you want me to break down. you might have a favorite player(s) that you want me to write about. or there’s some narrative/question that you’d like my opinion on. for example:
“should quin snyder have subbed rudy gobert out in game 6 against the clippers?”
“who was a better passer, john stockton or steve nash?”
“how good is ben simmons, really?”
“if you could re-do one injury ‘what-if’, like ‘what if [player] never got injured’, which player’s career would you re-do?”
whatever it is, ask your question(s) by leaving a comment and i’ll turn the best ones into posts!
hi in your rookies adjusting to the nba post, u mentioned that off-ball defense for big men is the hardest transition from college to the nba- even comparing to playing a different sport.
could u elaborate on y that is? r college defenses that much simpler than the nba?
Very glad to have run into your newsletter. I just watched your most recent Youtube video "the most popular play in the nba". Where do you get all those clips from? I am specifically interested to know if you know of a way to access recordings of games from the past. Thanks!
I know there's aspects of the game that are amazing, a great OOB play or full court ball movement but I find it's getting a little boring/predictable seeing so many teams being so reliant on shooting the 3. Have you found this basketball a little more unenjoyable or any advice on more interesting things to look for during a normal regular season game?
Great newsletter brother, it's clear you are a real fan of the game and its rich history, and watch a lot of film as well. Similar to your Jrue Holiday article, you could make a list of players (past or current) who you think need more appreciation, and create an All-Medium-Lights team as a sort of alternative/supplement to the NBA end of season awards.
1. D'Angelo Russell is an excellent passer. But can he still develop into an elite playmaker?
2. Would you consider making YouTube video essays on basketball? Like Thinking Basketball or one of those simpler channels that break down plays here and there. I'd be super excited to watch that!
3. Is Matisse Thybulle already a top 10 defender in the league? Does his on-ball defense make him overrated, such that his team defense needs work for him to reach top 10 status?
Just wanted to pre-face by saying I really love reading your newsletter!
My question would be - would trading for Ben Simmons definitively make the Warriors (or any other team for that matter) better? Taking into account who they would have to give up (and the subsequent rotations the coach would have to come up with) as well as the salary they would have to take on (so it would be hard justifying benching Simmons).
Thanks for the fantastic newsletter! Two questions:
1) The box-and-one defense. What is it, and how can teams use it effectively?
2) Teams like Phoenix thrived last year using base sets like the Spain pick and roll. If you were to highlight a similar medium lights-esque strategy to watch for as possibly emergent in the coming NBA season, what would it be?
Also, the box-and-one. What is it, and when can it be effective?
Was Anthony Edwards rookie season during a pandemic and a coaching change vastly underrated? One could state his competition towards a ROY against a tall pg with a year of overseas lower level professional experience with a greatly improved team would speak to this but considering his age and the year.....jeez is he not talked about enough?
Is Ben Simmon shooting with the wrong hand and does he have the work ethic to ever build a shot?
My personal belief based on the information I’ve gathered is yes, he’s shooting with the wrong hand based on what appears to be his dominant hand from floaters and layups, and no, he’s shown he does not have the work ethic based on comments from his teammates and his remarks to reporters “I’m already an all-star”.
This isn’t really down your medium-lights alley, but you’re fantastic at noticing subtle on-court nuances and piecing collectives of information together into a narrative, so I wanted to throw this your way.
hi in your rookies adjusting to the nba post, u mentioned that off-ball defense for big men is the hardest transition from college to the nba- even comparing to playing a different sport.
could u elaborate on y that is? r college defenses that much simpler than the nba?
Do you play fantasy basketball? If so, what format is your favorite and how have you fared?
Very glad to have run into your newsletter. I just watched your most recent Youtube video "the most popular play in the nba". Where do you get all those clips from? I am specifically interested to know if you know of a way to access recordings of games from the past. Thanks!
Will Westbrook bring a championship to La and is he a good fit?
Who is the most out-of-nowhere team that you believe has a chance to make the Finals in the next 3 years?
I know there's aspects of the game that are amazing, a great OOB play or full court ball movement but I find it's getting a little boring/predictable seeing so many teams being so reliant on shooting the 3. Have you found this basketball a little more unenjoyable or any advice on more interesting things to look for during a normal regular season game?
Great newsletter brother, it's clear you are a real fan of the game and its rich history, and watch a lot of film as well. Similar to your Jrue Holiday article, you could make a list of players (past or current) who you think need more appreciation, and create an All-Medium-Lights team as a sort of alternative/supplement to the NBA end of season awards.
Thanks so much for a great newsletter! I've
a few questions:
1. D'Angelo Russell is an excellent passer. But can he still develop into an elite playmaker?
2. Would you consider making YouTube video essays on basketball? Like Thinking Basketball or one of those simpler channels that break down plays here and there. I'd be super excited to watch that!
3. Is Matisse Thybulle already a top 10 defender in the league? Does his on-ball defense make him overrated, such that his team defense needs work for him to reach top 10 status?
Just wanted to pre-face by saying I really love reading your newsletter!
My question would be - would trading for Ben Simmons definitively make the Warriors (or any other team for that matter) better? Taking into account who they would have to give up (and the subsequent rotations the coach would have to come up with) as well as the salary they would have to take on (so it would be hard justifying benching Simmons).
Thanks for the fantastic newsletter! Two questions:
1) The box-and-one defense. What is it, and how can teams use it effectively?
2) Teams like Phoenix thrived last year using base sets like the Spain pick and roll. If you were to highlight a similar medium lights-esque strategy to watch for as possibly emergent in the coming NBA season, what would it be?
Also, the box-and-one. What is it, and when can it be effective?
Was Anthony Edwards rookie season during a pandemic and a coaching change vastly underrated? One could state his competition towards a ROY against a tall pg with a year of overseas lower level professional experience with a greatly improved team would speak to this but considering his age and the year.....jeez is he not talked about enough?
Is Ben Simmon shooting with the wrong hand and does he have the work ethic to ever build a shot?
My personal belief based on the information I’ve gathered is yes, he’s shooting with the wrong hand based on what appears to be his dominant hand from floaters and layups, and no, he’s shown he does not have the work ethic based on comments from his teammates and his remarks to reporters “I’m already an all-star”.
This isn’t really down your medium-lights alley, but you’re fantastic at noticing subtle on-court nuances and piecing collectives of information together into a narrative, so I wanted to throw this your way.
Do you think a playstyle where 1 player has 35%+ usage rate is a decent winning strategy even for players like Luka and Harden?
Obviously you'd prefer to have 3 superstars on a team, but I mean from the perspective of lets say Dallas right now.