Backdoor Cut

Roughly 20 games into the 23/24 NBA season Jake, Josh & Batey are back again to help absorb all the trends occurring so far. Discussing what's been most exciting, least exciting, checking in majorly on Wembywatch and taking stock in all the hopeful contenders. Plus, In-season Tournament? Yeah or nah?

Another year, another BDC overs/unders NBA season preview! As is truly tradition by now, Jake, Josh and Batey gather themselves from the postseason abyss once more to each conjure up their final 'over or under' predictions on every NBA team's season projected wins total. Covering both the Western (00:06:30) and Eastern Conferences (01:06:00), strap in for the special feature length introduction to the 2023/24 season.

Jake, Josh & Batey are back for a huge 2023 NBA postseason round-up. Free agency has begun and it's raining rose gold with Joe Ingles, Jack White, Jock Landale and Dante Exum, himself back from a great stint in Europe, all signing deals. Lillard is likely to be traded, Harden is likely to be traded, Marcus Smart and Porzingis have been traded. A few teams have made a bevy of deals with the Rockets, Lakers, Cavs and Suns all under the microscope. And of course, Victor Wembanyama was drafted 1st overall by the San Antonio Spurs.

The Denver Nuggets are your 2023 NBA Champions, getting it done in hugely impressive fashion. Jokic, deserving winner of the Finals MVP is hoisting himself amongst the all time greats, while his supporting squad is every bit perfect to maximise what makes him so great. Jake, Josh & Batey discuss what makes this squad so special, what the Miami Heat could do to go for it again next year, and where Bradley Beal could end up after reports he is open to waiving his no-trade clause.

2-1 advantage Denver mid-way through the 2023 NBA Finals. Jokic is (legitimately) unstoppable, Coach Spoelstra is elite at making in-series adjustments, and Jake, Josh & Batey have a lot to say about it. All this and updates on what might happen with Chris Paul's future, Dame dissing Boston and Zion's… situation.

The 2023 NBA Finals are set. Denver Nuggets awake from their extended rest to face the Miami Heat, only days after winning a wild 7 game slog vs. the Boston Celtics in the ECF. Jake, Josh & Batey discuss what went wrong for the Celtics as well as the huge question marks going into their offseason, where the Heat won the series and predictions for the hugely intriguing Finals matchup.

It's crunch time in the NBA with the Denver Nuggets already advancing to the Finals via sweep of the Los Angeles Lakers and the Miami Heat up 3-1 to the Boston Celtics in the ECF. Jake, Josh & Batey are here with you to trawl through it all, analysing Denver's unbelievable offence, what went wrong in LA, Miami's killer instinct and Boston's apparent lack thereof.

The San Antonio Spurs win the grand jackpot of all lotteries. Golden State and Phoenix both flame out with Nikola Jokic and the Nuggets putting on an absurd showing against Lakers in game 1 of the Western Conference Finals. Philly colossally crumble, the Knicks go out swinging and Boston play Miami in the Eastern Conference Finals. Jake, Josh & Batey are all reeling from the insanity of it all and breaking it down in full detail.

Midway through the 2023 NBA Conference Semifinals, Jake, Josh & Batey are absolutely no closer to working out who will come out on top than they were going into the Playoffs. Nikola Jokic is having his way unlike anything seen before despite the constant onslaught of KD & Booker. Joel EMVPiid & excellent version James Harden are giving Boston fits. AD & Lebron have the Warriors on the ropes, while Jimmy Butler is a win vs. the Knicks away from the next round. It's all happening, it's all insane and the team are ripping through all of it and more.

Holy moly, what a ridiculous first round. Jake, Josh & Batey return to the golden glow of NBA Playoffdom, breaking down all the results (!) of the series so far, generously exploring what went right and wrong. Plus, what we can look to in the Conference Semifinals with both Miami vs. New York and Denver vs. Phoenix locked as respective matchups already.

It is 2023 NBA Playoffs time! Christmas, if you will. Jake, Josh & Batey have been busting at the seams to talk through the early stages of the first round with so many twists and turns already to dive into. Breaking down every matchup so far, Kings astonishment, Giannis' back, Herro's hand, Kawhi's devastation and so much more.

Strap in for a big one because all of Josh, Jake & Batey are duly primed for the Backdoor Cut Awardies & Playoff Preview extravaganza. Presenting the first ever Rose Gold MVP, along with personal picks of the full NBA Awards 2023 suite and a mid-Play-in preview of the NBA Playoffs first round bracket.

NBA Playoff seeding is switching up left and right, with only mere games left in the regular season there's a lot to take in. Jake & Batey (sans Josh due to severe tech difficulties) sit down again, eager to to break it all down and make sense of what there may be to come in the play-in and first round. Warriors are lurking, Lakers are rounding into hot form, Clippers are still there. The West is truly still to be decided and the top of the East is just as tight with the Bucks, Celtics & Sixers all trading blows.

It's officially ok to consider this the hairy end of the NBA regular season. With each team less than 10 games away from 82 game completion, Jake, Josh & Batey work through the mass Western Conference gridlock, touch on the Mavericks failings and get real (& raw in Jake's case) on the East's battle for the top.

Back again after a BDC relocation! Jake is now a proud Tasmanian, joined as always by Josh & Batey to catch up on what's been missed in the world of basketball. It's all happening in the NBL with the Sydney Kings taking on the New Zealand Breakers in a Game 5 Finals decider; Xavier Cooks final game before joining his new NBA teammates at the Washington Wizards. While in the NBA the Sacramento Kings continue to defy expectations along with their Eastern Conference typical-ineptitude twin, the New York Knicks doing very much the same.

LeBron James has officially surpassed Kareem Abdul-Jabbar as the all-time NBA points leader, a feat neither Jake, Josh or Batey ever thought to see achieved. Sitting down just after the game (vs. OKC), the team sit down to rejoice the King's unprecedented continuation in his 20th NBA season, the NBL 2023 Awards, Josh Green's 29 point explosion and of course... Kyrie Irving being traded to the Dallas Mavericks. Busy week.

Together again, for the first time in 2023 Jake, Josh & Batey are back to catch you right back up to the NBA season midpoint. The Thunder are good, the Kings are good, the Warriors and Lakers are stuck in a Western logjam of seismic proportion. The only clear escapee at this point is Nikola Jokic and his now healthy Nuggets.

Backdoor Cut Episode 150! 5+ years, countless unforgettable games, narratives and regrettable takes have led to this. Celebrating in the only way Jake, Josh & Batey thought befitting. Doing the gosh darn show in its usual format with biting commentary to the minute. Awarding Rose Gold contributions, checking in on the leagues contenders and reviewing what might be in the Wembanyama sweepstakes. Grab a party popper.

Roughly a quarter of the way into the NBA season now and the league might just be starting to figure itself out. The hot streaks are cooling, the slow starters are picking up speed, while Australian players keep proving their worth. Jake, Josh & Batey sit down again this week to chat Josh Green, Josh Giddey, Dyson Daniels and the befuddling form of teams not limited to the Dallas Mavericks, Indiana Pacers, Atlanta Hawks, Los Angeles Lakers and New Orleans Pelicans.

Having barely been gone a fortnight, Jake, Josh & Batey return to discuss huge developments in the NBA. Kicking off with a - somehow - first time Rose Gold recipient, Ben freakin' Simmons!? The BDC crew update the outlooks on each of his current and former teams, Brooklyn and Philadelphia respectively, beam light onto the unbelievable run Sacremento find themselves on, before closing on the bizarre trend continuing in the 3rd Backdoor Cut Bowl (Celtics vs. Bulls) of this young season.

Roughly 10 games into the 2022/23 NBA season and some early trends are starting to not look so much like trends, but reality. Jake, Josh & Batey are back this week, diving into the conundrum of the Utah Jazz's supposed tank, the impact of Kawhi's 'no timetable' injury to the Clippers, Russell Westbrook's fun new role, the Cavs' genuine credibility, Kyrie & Brooklyn's disaster unfolding, and (already?) the 2nd Backdoor Cut Bowl of the year.

One week down and already signs of unease at the choices made in the Overs/Unders Extravaganza. A huge week of NBA, Jake, Josh & Batey award the first (very deserving) Rose Gold winner of the season, mulligan/double down on last week's predictions, walk through the Pelicans vs. Mavericks and Celtics vs. Bulls (Backdoor Cut Bowl) matchups of earlier in the day, chat Nets, Sixers, Jazz, and so much more.

Preseason is OVER and Backdoor Cut is back! Jake, Josh & Batey, all locked in for the Annual 2022/23 Over/Unders Extravaganza. Both the Eastern and Western Conferences loaded into one mega-special, PLUS the very first Rose Gold Draft, picking the top Rose Gold stories to look out for this season. This might just be the most content filled episode in this podcast's glorious history. All for YOU to be in the know when stuck thinking, 'jeez, will the Lakers finish over their line of 44.5 total wins this year?'.

We've got Summer League. We've got draftees showing out. We've got mega-blockbuster trades. It's not a couple of weeks into the NBA offseason and it's already going off its rocket. Kicking off with a Rose Gold bonanza celebrating all of the incredible Australian hooping on display right now, Jake, Josh & Batey tear into all the above and more.

Having regrouped from the Playoffs and immediately thrown into the 2022 NBA Draft, not to mention impending free agency, Jake, Josh & Batey have plenty to discuss and even more to look forward to. First celebrating Dyson Daniels 8th overall selection to New Orleans and Luke Travers 56th overall selection to Cleveland, before diving into the top 5 picks, checking in on how badly the Kings underwhelmed, trying to skim the surface of free agency and guessing what is going on in Kyrie's grandmaster plan.

On the back of potentially the best version of Steph Curry the world's ever seen, Golden State has won the 2022 NBA Championship over Boston 4-2. Jake (hopeful in the face of defeat), Josh & Batey regroup to run through the Finals as a whole, predictions of where each team could land next season, what in the world to do with Kyrie Irving and then something very special. The debut of Backdoor Cut officially ending the suffering of Sacremento Kings fans everywhere by taking over as the brand spanking new front office administration, right in time for the 2022 NBA Draft this Friday (Australian time). Look forward to a new dawn, Kings fans!

Golden State have defended their home court in Game 5 of the Finals after pinching Game 4 in a Boston. With Warriors now up 3-2, Jake, Josh & Batey sit down for what is both a therapy session for Jake and an analysis of what is driving each side going into the potential Championship deciding Game 6. Steph, Tatum, Wiggins, Rob Williams and much more.

We're all even after the first homestand, 1-1 with Boston stealing Game 1 of the NBA Finals from the Golden State Warriors. Fresh off the coming back down to earth of Game 2, Jake, Josh & Batey recap all the stories of what's been seen so far. Including each side's respective quarter blitz, Al Horford, Draymond Green, Ime Udoka and some inexplicable officiating.

Still sizzling off the scorching pan that was Celtics vs. Heat Game 7 of the NBA Eastern Conference Finals, Jake, Josh & Batey (particularly Jake) are very excited to be back. Tearing right into the series that just transpired, previewing the now-confirmed, dream Finals matchup and sending off Miami with warm obituaries.

It's NBA Conference Finals time and it's hot right now. In the West, the Warriors have rediscovered their spark, taking a commanding 3-0 lead on Luka's Mavericks. While in the East, Boston and Miami are in the midst of a slugfest with Miami 2-1 leaders away from home. Despite his crippling Celtics nerves, Jake musters up the strength to join Josh & Batey in dissecting this week's performances and learnings, plus a look toward the potential Finals matchup.

Back after a little bit! Jake's returned from a spiritual journey to the TD Garden where he willed his Celtics on live in person, Josh is absent with flu related misfortune and Batey is golden, drunk from the residue of Luka's stomping of the Suns. There's been much to discuss from what's transpired so far, with plenty to analyse moving forward to the Conference Finals. Join us, back from extended break, and settle right back in to Playoffs-speed BDC.

The NBA regular season is officially at a close, which of course means it's time to strap in for the Backdoor Cut playoff preview, pre-season predictions review, and end of year Awardies!! It's silly season in the world of Jake, Josh & Batey, so get comfy, collate your opinions and tune in for a nice warm cup of perspective.

Nipping at the heels of the playoffs, Jake, Josh & Batey are awash with excitement. First (as if there were any question) announcing yet another Rose Gold Champion, before a deep dive into the nitty gritty of the playoff seedings and aspirations of the championship hopefuls.

Injuries, injuries, injuries. They've been a huge theme throughout this NBA season and with updates coming in a-plenty, Jake, Josh & Batey are back again to ruminate on how the rest of the season will play out as a result. Zion's in the gym dunking, Ben Simmons' herniated disc flared up, Lonzo's not running for the next 10 days, Steph injured his foot, and CP3 could yet return before the Playoffs. So much is still uncertain and yet somehow, the picture may becoming clearer. All this, and a look into the exciting ascent of the Minnesota Timberwolves!

Don't look now, but the Dallas Mavericks are storming up the standings as one of the hottest teams in the league. Fresh off a nail-biting win against the Celtics, Jake, Josh & Batey discuss their ascendance since the Porzingis trade, the Sixers reliance on free throws, and the state of the West. Draymond Green is back healthy, the Grizzlies keep rolling, and Phoenix, despite their injury issues of late are holding strong at the top.

The Celtics have the best defence in the league and Jake could not be happier. Mere hours after they beat a Nets side with Kevin Durant well and truly back, Josh, Batey and the man himself break down the game, and try to work out whether either side has an upper hand in a hypothetical 7 game series. This, as well as a look toward the Bulls, 76ers, Bucks, LeBron's 56 points against the Warriors, and the new look, actually quite good, New Orleans Pelicans.

Josh Green, future Dallas Mavericks X-Factor? Rose-Gold hype aside, Jake, Josh & Batey are back ready to dive into the horror of the previous week's Harden/Embiid takes, the hodgepodge in the East, and debating who will have the chops to close out the MVP this season. There's momentum brewing in Ja Morant.

Rested from a big, entertaining NBA All-Star Weekend, Jake, Josh & Batey are back with a fresh set of lenses on the league's current state of affairs. First up, Jake talks through his weekend hoops run-in with tennis superstar and big Celtics fan, Nick Kyrgios, before the rest of the gang join in to walk through each day of All-Star Weekend, Zion's future in New Orleans and LeBron's future in LA.

Firmly in the fallout of the trade deadline, Jake, Josh & Batey sit after simmering for days on what in the world just transpired. James Harden is a Sixer, Ben Simmons is a Net, Porzingis is a Wizard, Spurs make trades now and the Lakers did bupkiss. Winners, losers, grades and all that good stuff.

It's trade deadline time, unusually early this year! At the time of recording, 12 hours remain until the door slams shut on prospective moves, so Jake, Josh & Batey look back on the trades over the past few days (Haliburton & Sabonis, for one) to assess winners, losers and what may yet be still to come. This, and a dive into the Eastern Conference seeding mess, revealing who can be considered contenders and who are merely pretenders.

Back for the first time in 2022! Jake, Josh & Batey warm up their takes, kicking things off with a very special Rose-Gold roundup, before tearing straight into spice and tomfoolery. A recap of the festive period, plus checking back in on the could be contenders coming into the backend of the season. You can smell it already, it's going to be another great year of Backdoor Cut.

COVID is tearing up the league again in a time when Kyrie Irving might just be back to play. Walking through the chaos of postponements once more, DeRozan's comeback explosion against the Lakers, IT making his way back to the NBA and the vagueness of Atlanta's season so far.

In an age where small ball seemed to be the new revolution, the Cleveland Cavaliers are rolling out 3 7-footers in the same lineup and looking good doing it! Discussing this and the ever growing trade rumble below the Pacers, Trail Blazers & the New York Knicks, who are seemingly right back to being themselves again.

This week on Backdoor Cut, Jake, Josh & Batey argue over what on earth is going on in Lakerland, the potentially-warm vibes coming from Minnesota and whether the Bucks truly have an equal in Eastern contention.

Another week down and a look into some of the more unsettling NBA stories so far. Kicking off with a recap of the day's earlier matchup, Not-so-feeble-Clippies vs. Written-off-way-too-early-Mavs, Jake, Josh & Batey then delve into the sad state of the Denver Nuggets' injury list and the aimless direction of the Sacremento Kings. Though it's not all bad. How about those vibes coming from Cleveland?

It's early days in the NBA season, but somehow Jake, Josh & Batey are here already getting itchy. Recapping the day's earlier matchup of Warriors vs. Nets, before discussing the leagues early stakes to MVP, the Utah Jazz's somewhat slow-start and Phoenix roaring back into form - 9 wins in a row.

Ever so slightly delayed in recording this week, Jake, Josh & Batey dive right into the good vibes (?) 76ers, the Jokic vs. Morris tag team match, Steph's renewed quest for gold and a recap on the (at least) tri-annual Backdoor Cut Bowl - Celtics vs. Bulls.

Better vibes than a Melo 3 pointer in the Staples Center. Kicking off as always with the Rose Gold Moment of the Week, before a thorough perusal through the ROTY candidates, surprise 5-1 /1-5 season starters and a preview of the first tri-seasonal (minimum) Backdoor Cut Bowl: Celtics vs. Bulls.

The 2021/22 NBA Season is underway! Still basking in the innocence of the early season unknown, Jake, Josh & Batey gather their thoughts in an attempt to call what trends are real or fake moving into the foreseeable future. Plus! Debut a brand new segment, the 'Rose Gold Moment of the Week', in which we shine a timely light on basketball excellence from one of our homegrown heroes. Disclaimer too, very unfortunately Part 2 of Backdoor Cut's annual Over/Under's Special was lost to a freak tech accident (in which no party was [physically] harmed). To ensure all the picks are still on record come season's end, expect to hear the Western Conferences O/U's from each of the crew throughout this episode.

The NBA season is back upon us for 2021/22 and with that sounds the call of the hardwood (cheap whistle), drawing each of Jake, Josh & Batey once again around the basketball roundtable. Of course with tip-off around the corner, this means this is the last chance to properly sit down with the form and call bull or not on the line for every team's over/under. Join us for Backdoor Cut's annual tradition and Part 1 of our 2021/22 NBA Over/Under's Special: The Eastern Conference.

The 2021 NBA Summer League has now been and gone, with highlights and flashes aplenty for the drafts most intriguing prospects, plus some returning NBA names. What to make of all this is to be taken with a firm pinching of salt of course, but showing out in any competition is never a bad thing. This all coupled with an offseason free agency period where, unlike maybe some previous years, teams are retaining and resigning their talent at a seemingly increased rate. Jake, Josh & Batey break down what this means and more as we begin to warm up to what will surely be another competitively unpredictable season.