Contested Layups

Contested Layups is back and in a BIG way. It's been a long time, we shouldn't have left you, without a dope beat to step to. The Nuggets! The Heat! BILLY DONOVAN TO THE BULLS. We're just get started. LETS GO!

In this episode, we talk Zion Williamson and his explosive play in the NBA thus far! Is it safe to say he's destined to be the new face of the NBA? Or is he too much of a genetic freak for his own good? How has his spectacular play contributed to the Pelicans blitz for the 8th seed! Also, John compares Raul to Anthony Davis. YES, thats right. Anthony Davis! And, the Brooklyn Nets "mutually agreed" to part ways with coach Kenny Atkinson. Does this make them our "Idiots of the Week?" **We do not own the rights to any images or music used in this episode**

In this episode we take a look at the Milwaukee Bucks as they make (debatable) history! Can they get to 70 wins? Is the Greek Freak a one man army? Where does Khris Middleton rank among the best 2's in the East?? Speaking of best 2's in the East, Jimmy Butler is BALLIN! Does he have what it takes to bring the Heat to the next level?? Is he a top 10 player? Is he worth all the trouble?? What are you doing with your life?! Subscribe, Download, do whatever you need to do! Contested Layups is HOT!! We do not own the rights to any images or music used in this episode.

What a weekend! The All-Star game and Dunk Contest were the best we had in years, and it all happened in our Hometown of Chicago! They say there's no such thing as bad press, but the Bulls organization definitely received some this past weekend leading them to actively look for some Front Office changes! We recap everything and more on Contested Layups!!

We're back with another great episode! We discuss the biggest trades that happened, as well as the Winners and Losers of it all. Lastly, we remember the late, GREAT, Kobe Bryant. **We do not own the rights to any music or images being used"

Tonight's episode is very special because we are celebrating our 2 year Anniversary! We want to thank you from the bottom of our hearts, we are extremely grateful to our loyal fans, and will strive to continue to bring you quality content! Tonight we broke down Kevin Love's situation in Cleveland, and which teams would be best suited for him to land. Also, we break down the Andre Drummond trade rumors, and lastly we talk two of the hottest young players in today's game, in Trae Young and Luka Doncic! You won't want to miss this one! LETS GO!

Wattup yall?! In this episode of Contested Layups, Eddie and Raul discuss the makings of an MVP and what it takes to be in the race. Why are some favored, while some get no love?? Also, Raul and Eddie get into some heated debates! Eddie's an idiot, on CONTESTED LAYUPS!!!

In this episode of Contested Layups, we take a look at the New York Knicks, who currently stand at the bottom of the Eastern Conference. David Fizdale has just been fired, but was he to blame for their troubling season?? Are RJ Barrett and Mitchell Robinson solid building blocks for their franchise?? Also, we discuss the red hot James Harden as he solidifies himself as one of the best offensive scorers ever in the NBA. Can he keep it up, and if he can, will that be enough to get them to the championship?? All this and more on a new episode of Contested Layups!

YO! It's Contested Layups, inviting you to "Dance With Me", "Anywhere", because "Cupid" doesn't lie! That's right, its episode 112 and you don't want to miss it! Lebron and AD, Kawhi and Paul George. Who's team reigns supreme in LA?? Also, Giannis is really good! Do the Milwaukee Bucks have the right pieces in place to win the championship this year?? Thanks for listening!!

Whats up everyone?!? We got another HOT episode of Contested Layups and we do mean HOT! First, Carmelo Anthony FINALLY got signed, what does this mean for the struggling Portland Trailblazers team, and does Carmelo still have more left in the tank?? Next we keep it cooking with Miami Heat talk, and Dion Waiters' scary, strange, and kind of funny experience with a "special gummie". Lastly, DON'T @ ME!! LETS GOOOOOOO!!!ONE BLOOD!!!

On this episode we discuss hot starts and "load" management! The Suns, Toronto, and Boston Celtics are clicking on all cylinders right now, can they keep it up?? Also, The Clippers got fined 50k for resting Kawhi Leonard, is load management ruining the league?? Lastly, the Bulls are garbage! Is there a light at the end of the tunnel for our hometown team?? All this and more on a brand new episode of Contested Layups!

The NBA season officially kicked off this past Tuesday, and we are BACK to bring you a brand new episode of Contested Layups! Week 1 was nothing short of spectacular, and we break down everything from the new look Houston Rockets, to the same ol' Chicago Bulls! Also, we break down how some of this week's injuries and a "shitty" suspension as it relates to Fantasy Basketball! LETS GET IT!

After a brief hiatus, Contested Layups is back and in a big way, previewing the Western Conference! Are the Houston Rockets good enough to be a 1 seed? Where do the new look Mavericks land? Will the Warriors make the playoffs? All this and more, on a BRAND SPANKING NEW, CONTESTED LAYUPS!!!

Contested Layups is here and ready to entertain you for your listening pleasure! The Demarcus Cousins injury is a terrible shame for him, and we wish him the best in his recovery. Meanwhile, the Lakers have a lot to figure out for next year. Will AD have to make a sacrifice and play center for the squad, despite saying that he did not want to? The FIBA tournament is on tap for the world, as it starts August 31st. The USA roster is almost set, but what can the basketball fans across the country expect from the USA? Why did Deaaron Fox drop out from the tournament?

The Contested Layups crew is back, and although the NBA offseason is slower with news, we still bring you the finest content throughout all podcasts! Tonight we start the show with a new segment, called "Don't @ me", where a podcaster says a statement and the fellow podcasters decide if that statement is worth a response! Will Anthony Davis win the MVP this year? Will Lebron James play less than 60 games? Next, we do a blind comparison of two NBA legends, and decide which career would our podcasters have as an NBA player. Would they rather be a NBA legend in one city, or would they be a great player on a championship team in multiple cities? Find out on this episode!

The Contested Layups crew is back in action with some accents to start your August off right! David Griffin said that the championship that he won with Cleveland was not fun! Was this a ploy to get attention to his team? Is this setting up a WWE style match between Griff and Lebron at halftime of the first Pelicans/Lakers game this year? Jeremy Lin was crying in a press conference, describing the likely end of his NBA career. Was he acting like a child or did he have a right to get emotional? CJ Mccollum and Bradley Beal were offered 3 year max extensions on their current deals. CJ signed his with Portland, but Brad has not signed his yet with Washington. What does Portland look like with CJ in tow for the next several years, and will Brad regret not signing this extension?

Contested Layups is back for Raul's birthday weekend! The Thunder are Raul's favorite team, and we kick off with Raul explaining why the Thunder will make the playoffs next year! Did CP3 ruin his reputation, or will he be humbled by his trade from Houston? The Philadelphia 76ers signed Ben Simmons to a 5 year, $170 million extension. Is he worth that money right now? Will he be over the course of that extension? Did the 76ers make a huge mistake? The Lakers and Clippers made some massive moves this offseason, but will the continuity of teams from last season prove to be too much for this upcoming year? Or will the dynamic duos be too much for teams that have decided to build from within?

Contested Layups is back to bring you the best NBA podcast talk! We start with the news of the day with the Russell Westbrook/CP3 trade, and break it down to its barest bones. Did the Rockets get better, or will Westbrook find it too tough to adjust his game? Did OKC get enough back for Russ? The Clippers also got much better, at least on paper! Will they be able to overcome a season where Kawhi and Paul George miss a lot of games? Did the Lakers get better, or are they going to be the 2017-18 Pelicans with Lebron? Find out on this episode!

Contested Layups is LIVE during the free agency frenzy of 2019! The KD signing of Brooklyn, the trade of D'Angelo Russell to the Warriors, the Jimmy Butler trade, ALL of it is covered on this episode of Contested Layups! We are in disbelief of how crazy the first few hours of Free Agency have been, and what is to come! Where does Kawhi go? Are the Jazz a dark horse to win the Western Conference? Can the Sixers be the top seed in the East?

After the 2019 NBA Finals, the NBA continues to go crazy! The 2019 NBA draft was trade crazy, and a bunch of players could be changing the fortune of multiple franchises! What will be Zion Williamson's ceiling? Can Ja Morant save the Grizzlies? What in the world are the Suns doing with their franchise? Anthony Davis was traded to the Los Angeles Lakers for Lonzo Ball, Brandon Ingram, Josh Hart, and multiple draft picks! Did the Pelicans get the better end of the deal? Or will Anthony Davis take the Lakers to the championship this year? Did the Lakers screw themselves in the long run? Mike Conley was traded to the Utah Jazz this week for Jae Crowder, Grayson Allen, and Kyle Korver and a 1st round pick. Did the Jazz become Finals contenders for this season? Or will the depth of the West prove to be too much?

WOW! 100 episodes! Thank you to all of our loyal listeners! We are so happy to be presenting you our 100th episode with the culmination of the 2019 NBA season with the Toronto Raptors being crowned as NBA champions! We discuss the final shot for Golden State, how the Raptors stepped up their play during the Philadelphia series, and where the trade for Kawhi Leonard ranks all-time! Where do the Warriors go from here? Kevin Durant and Klay Thompson face lengthy rehabs, and will they both get max salary deals? Or will they be willing to take less money to keep the team together? The Chicago Bulls have been rumored to be involved in a three team deal that would send Lonzo Ball to the Bulls, along with the 4th pick in this years draft. The Bulls would have to trade their top scorer, Zach Lavine, in order to facilitate this trade. Is it worth it?

Our 99th episode is in the books, and Contested Layups brings you the best breakdown of the 2019 NBA Finals! Game 3 was a show for the ages, as the Raptors dominated while Steph Curry put on a clinic! Can the Warriors respond? Will the Raptors carry over this momentum into Game 4? Who can step up for the Warriors in lieu of Klay Thompson and Kevin Durant missing games? The New Orleans Pelicans are exploring trade options for Anthony Davis! What is the best available option for New Orleans, and where could AD land? Should New Orleans also trade Jrue Holiday? We dive deep into the NBA discussion, right now!

The Contested Layups crew is the best podcast to listen to about the NBA Finals! The Raptors defended their home court in Game 1, and the Warriors looked a bit slow! What do the Warriors do to counter the Raptors? Can the Raptors keep improving as the series goes on? The Milwaukee Bucks had a great season, their most successful in 19 years. What went wrong against the Raptors? What becomes of Khris Middleton? How can the Bucks improve this offseason? The Houston Rockets announced, through their General Manager Daryl Morey, that every player is available for trade! What will the Rockets do to continue competing against the Warriors? Can they make the moves necesssary?

The Contested Layups podcast is hyped to bring you the Conference Finals breakdown! The Raptors and Bucks played an excellent game 5, which we break down for you right now! We also discuss the entire series and how the Raptors have adjusted to the Bucks and Giannis. Can the Bucks re-adjust and save themselves from the offseason? The Portland Trail Blazers season is over, but we break down what they need to do going forward. Is Myers Leonard the player they need to build around? Or does Raul hate him? The Golden State Warriors made history by being the first time since the Celtics in the 60's to make five consecutive Finals! Where does this rank historically? Also, we discuss the greatness of Steph Curry, and why the culture of the Warriors has resulted in their dynasty.

What an incredible weekend of basketball! Contested Layups breaks down the futures of the Sixers, Nuggets, and Rockets while discussing the present for the Raptors, Blazers, and Warriors. The Raptors beat the Sixers on one of the greatest shots ever! Will the Sixers be able to replicate their success of this year, or will Embiid and Simmons step their games up? Did the Blazers take the next step in their development? CJ Mccollum sure did! The Nuggets lost, but what does their future hold? Golden State had an incredible win in game 6 over Houston! Steph Curry is one of the greatest leaders in the game of basketball. Where does Houston go from here?

MAN! The Contested Layups crew is busy bringing you the best NBA playoff breakdown! Kevin Durant is injured with a mild calf sprain and will miss game 6 and 7 in this second round against the Rockets! Is the pressure on the Warriors or the Rockets? Is the playing field evened out now? The Raptors and Sixers traded blowouts in games 5 and 6. Who will win Game 7? Did Joel Embiid make a career defining change in his game during game 6? The Bucks completely dominated the Celtics in the 2nd round. Can the Bucks win the championship this year? What is wrong with the Celtics? Also, we present our new segment, titled "Interesting Question". On this episode's segment, we question if Kyrie Irving is worth a max contract this summer?

The NBA playoffs are finally getting good! The Warriors and Rockets are having a rematch from last year. Are the Rockets too depleted? Are the Warriors too good? Did the refs really cost the Rockets game 1, or did they change the complexion of the entire playoffs? The Spurs and the Blazers are tied up at 1-1! Did the Blazers figure out how to stop Nikola Jokic? Will the Blazers be able to keep their timely shooting up? The Raptors and Sixers played the first game 3 of the second round. Did the Sixers take the reins for this series? Do the Raptors still stand a chance? The Bucks and Celtics also are knotted up at 1-1! Will the Celtics be able to hold serve at home? Or did the Bucks prove to be too much in game 2?

We have our boy O-Block here on this episode of Contested Layups! We start our episode by helping our fellow podcaster Raul grieve over the loss of his OKC Thunder from this postseason! What will the ramifications of this loss be for the Thunder? Was Damian Lillard's shot the best ever?!?! The Nuggets and Spurs are going to face off in a game 7 on Saturday! We break down the series and how it's been, and who we got advancing! The Clippers and Warriors are trading blow for blow, in the series that won't end! What will happen in game 6 on Friday? The Eastern Conference 2nd round will be crazy! The Bucks and Celtics will face off in a rematch, with completely different teams! Can the Bucks get by the Celtics this season, or will the Celtics continue their dominance? The Sixers and Raptors series will have huge ramifications on the way that the Eastern Conference looks for the coming seasons! Who matches up better, and who's going to take it down?

The Thunder and the Blazers are intense as can be! Are the Thunder not playing up to their potential, or are the Blazers playing out of their minds? Can the Thunder come back in this crazily intense series? Is the Damian Lillard/Russell Westbrook rivalry good or great for the NBA? The Spurs and the Nuggets have come down to execution versus athleticism. The Spurs haven't executed for stretches, and it cost them a game or two! Can the Spurs execute and beat the Nuggets, or will the Nuggets prove to be too much with Nikola Jokic!? David Griffin, the former GM of the Cleveland Cavaliers, was just signed as the President of Basketball Operations for the New Orleans Pelicans. Will he be able to mend the relationship between Anthony Davis and the Pelicans? Or is he doomed?

This episode of Contested Layups is so FIRE!!! Dirk Nowitzki and Dwyane Wade have retired, and we reflect on how they impacted the NBA today. They most certainly left the league better than they inherited it! The NBA playoffs are starting this Saturday, and we give our predictions! Spoiler alert: there are some surprising upsets brewing! The Lakers are in disarray after Magic Johnson quit on the franchise this week. How did they get to this point?!

This fantastical episode of Contested Layups is brought to you by sound checks! We love discussing the NBA, and the Clippers, who are currently the 6th seed in the Western Conference, may be the most ideal destination this summer for free agents! They remind us of a certain team that Doc Rivers coached before. Can they re-create the Magic of the early 2000's? The Rookie of the Year race was all but over in January, with Luka Doncic leading the way. However, Trae Young has made a serious comeback! Can Trae actually overtake Luka's award? In our final thoughts, we discuss how Kevin Durant's legacy might be tarnished due to his time in Golden State. Is he this generation's Hakeem Olajuwon?

Contested Layups brings you a mid-week episode tonight! We start off with discussing the aftermath of the horrible Jusuf Nurkic injury in Portland, and how that injury derails the Blazers playoff chances, yet again. It's the same story every year in Portland, it seems! Then, we dive right into the race for the final playoff spot in the Eastern Conference. Who will make it out of the Orlando Magic, Miami Heat, or Charlotte Hornets? Lastly, which franchise is in the worst position going forward? Can Minnesota get out of mediocrity with their seemingly mediocre cornerstones? Will Phoenix ever be able to win with Devin Booker on the roster? Can Washington build a competitive team while John Wall rehabs from his Achilles tear?

Contested Layups is proud to present a Lebron James-less NBA playoffs this year! We cover what NBA fans need to know now that you won't be seeing Lebron James on your tv for the next several months! Both the Eastern and Western Conferences are full of storylines for the playoffs! Giannis, Jokic, and Embiid are all at the top of their respective Conferences, and are All-NBA talents. Yet, two All-NBA talents, Towns and Anthony Davis, are not in the playoffs this year. What is the difference between those two talents, and the three aforementioned? The Lakers have a huge offseason in 2020. What will they do, and what can we expect for the NBA to look like at the beginning of the 2019-20 season?

Contested Layups is always bringing you the best content in NBA discussion! Tonight we finally cover the defending NBA champion Golden State Warriors and how they have been fantastic without Kevin Durant this week. Also, is Golden State's contingency plan if Durant leaves in the offseason actually Demarcus Cousins? Next, we look at the ridiculousness of load management and how it is ruining the fan experience at NBA games! Is the NBA fan in the right to be upset if their favorite player sits out a game that they attended? Or is the player in the right for protecting their body?!

The Houston Rockets and the Detroit Pistons are the two hottest teams in the NBA right now, with the Rockets on an 8 game win streak and the Pistons winning 12 out of their last 14. What is the Rockets ceiling? Is this team actually better than last years 65 win team? The Pistons have came from a team looking like it was underachieving to a potential playoff upset team. Dwayne Casey has gotten Blake Griffin to play the best basketball of his career, and multiple players have stepped their games up! Can the Pistons be a dark horse in the playoffs? Kenny Smith and Charles Barkley said at halftime during the Portland and Oklahoma City game that Portland would make the NBA Finals this season. Jeff Van Gundy said that the LA Lakers should consider trading Lebron James this offseason. WHAT?! Who is the bigger Idiot this week?

Today we take a look at the Nuggets and how they have bucked the trends of pace and threes to get to the second best record in the West. Defense, rebounds, and JOKIC! The Pacers have held on to their spot in the East after the Victor Oladipo injury, despite our prediction that they would slide! The teams dedication to the defensive end, to go along with playing for each other has translated into some great ball in Indiana! The Los Angeles Lakers have been sliding since the trade deadline failure to acquire Anthony Davis. It's not a shock considering that the drama overlooking the franchise. Can the Lakers rebound and claim a playoff spot?!

In honor of the Oscars, the Contested Layups podcast is proud to bring you our midseason NBA awards! Who is our MVP this year? Will James Harden run away with it, or will Paul George or Giannis Antetokounmpo make a run at it??? Who is our Most Improved Player, Coach of the Year, and Defensive Player of the Year? We debate it, all on our latest episode!

Contested Layups is here at all-star weekend to bring you the best NBA content! We breakdown the Dell Demps firing and what it means for the future of the NBA. Is the Anthony Davis trade request a changing of the guard for players taking ownership totally of their careers? Will Rich Paul become the most powerful man in sports? The OKC Thunder have been rolling, and just signed Markieff Morris. Paul George is an MVP candidate, and Russell Westbrook is the living triple double. What is this team's ceiling???

Contested Layups breaks down the NBA trade deadline for you on our latest episode! The Raptors, Mavs, Knicks, and Pelicans all won the trade deadline! Meanwhile, by making poor decisions and not trading, several teams lost the trade deadline, including the Sixers fans/hopes for a true dynasty, the Thunder, and the Hornets! Also, we discuss our beloved Bulls and their lack of understanding what's really going on around the perception of their organization!

Eddie, Raul, John and Garnik discuss Derrick Rose potentially retiring at an early age. Tweet and Follow us on twitter @contestedlayup1!