Stepback Sisterhood

The Ladies talk about ESPN's 2021-22 preseason rankings, John Wall and his situation with the Rockets, and the idea of a mid-season tourney. 00:30 Eastern Conference projections by ESPN 2:00 Are the Bulls too low? What can Billy Donovan to make the team better? 9:30 What kind of impact will Kemba Walker have in New York?  11:45 How big of a surprise would it be if any of the top 4 teams in the East fell out?  14:30 If for some reason Ben Simmons can't be traded, what would it take for Philadelphia to be successful? 21:15 Western Conference projections  26:00 The regular season is for the younger players and the playoffs are for the vets. Is this how it's going to play out this season?   28:00 Biggest concerns for the Warriors?  32:00 Why is Dallas so high 36:00 What about Portland?  39:00 Sacramento is a mess but . . .  45:00 OUR projections 51:30 John Wall situation in Houston.  59:15 Mid Season Tournament Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

The ladies talk about the latest trade rumors rumbling around Ben Simmons, Rachael Nichols' exit from ESPN and Dame's Wedding Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Britt goes to Vegas for Summer League and she shares with the rest of the ladies her experiences. The Ladies also talk about their rookies during Summer League Play. Plus, Amber has a very special announcement. 4:30 Salary Cap and CBA track 7:45 Nonclassroom summer league highlights 11:15 Who has impressed at Summer League? Rockets 13:00 Thunder 14:15 Warriors 15:30 Blazers 17:00 Summer League is supposed to be about the younger players, what are the Blazers doing?  21:00 Are there any updates that we like or things that we would change? 29:45 Convention atmosphere  31:30 Scary lineup in Toronto: Scottie Barnes and Precious Achiuwa 33:15 2019 Started with an earthquake and went downhill from there.  34:30 COVID Protocols at Summer League 35:30 Giannis sighting 41:30 Amber's new gig! Janelle's new piece coming up  44:15 Will Damian Lillard stay in Portland?  47:15 When Westbrook left the Thunder 52:00 Teams in the west are getting better 54:45 Blazers were turned down by Hassan Whiteside 58:00 Harden cautionary tale Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

The ladies talk about the night that KD crashed Twitter spaces and what's up with the perception of Giannis from his peers? Plus, they talk about the upcoming draft and the latest on the Blazers. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

The Ladies talk about their expectations for the Finals matchup between the Milwaukee Bucks and the Phoenix Suns. Then they delve into the fallout from the NYT article exposing Rachel Nichols and her comments about Maria Taylor, and their thoughts on the hires of Chauncey Billups and Jason Kidd Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

00:45 Which coaching departure surprised us the most? 5:15 What is going on in Dallas? 6:30 The surprise that Budenholzer and Walton still have jobs 10:30 Bucks vs Nets, what did we learn?  16:15 When you give someone an MVP based on potential . . .  20:00 What happened to Ben Simmons?  22:15 What is next for the 76ers? Trades, lineup possibilities and more thoughts 25:45 Did The Process break Ben Simmons? 29:00 How would Ben Simmons fit in with other teams (like the Blazers)? 43:45 The battle between Ty Lue and Monty Williams? 51:30 Did Devon Booker have empty stats?  58:30 Draft lottery jitters for the Stepback Sisters Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

:45 Brit's thoughts about the play-in. Generally successful. The Western Conference games were exciting. Not enough time for teams vying for 8th.  3:45 Rewarded teams that took care of business during the season. Warriors paid for trying to toe the line.  6:45 How are the players especially Steph Curry reacting to the end of the season? 8:15 Did the play-in tournament make the end of the year more interesting in general?  10:00 WNBA Commissioner's Cup coming up this season 11:00 Conspiracy theories! NBA wants more Zion Williamson!15:00 How many games will the season be in the future? 17:00 Teams trying to stay out of the play-in tournament or play into the pay-in tournament was fun.  21:45 Eastern conference blow-outs did not get good ratings 22:30 Jannelle's thoughts on the Warrior's performance in the play in, and what is next? They will have at least one draft pick, possibly two. 28:45 Is the “window” for NBA players longer than it used to be? They play longer at a successful level and it shows on the court.  30:00 Amber's thoughts on the Brooklyn Nets. They took a while to get going. Is that going to give them problems?  33:30 Things are rough for Boston Celtics right now.  37:30 Who can push the Nets in the Eastern Conference. Discussion about Philadelphia, Milwaukie and Miami. 45:45 Small market teams like Milwaukie who built through the draft. It's hard and rare to get that right. 51:15 What did the Blazers do? They have their health and they have a lineup that is working.  55:00 About Melo's role in Portland. Why doesn't Melo get a break when he misses three shots in a row?  1:02:00 How do people react to Russell Westbrook 1:12:00 Gary Trent Jr trade for Norman Powell was a good thing for both teams. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

00:00:15 Intro 00:00:48 How are our favorite teams doing? 00:10:17 Are there things that worked/not worked this regular season? 00:17:03 The NBA Officiating Situation 00:34:24 NBA Play In Tourney thoughts 00:52:01 Does this season deserve an “asterisk” more than the 2019-20 season? 00:56:52 Consequences of the “COVID Seasons” and injury risks related to play-in games. 01:00:26 The Olympics impact to the NBA season. 01:02:39 Should Black/African American players play in the Olympics? 01:08:19 Wrapping up Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

00:30 Why aren't people watching the NBA as much any more? Not just one thing. 6:15 There are not really any villains that everyone wants to tune in and watch get beat.  09:00 Many people only watch highlights 13:00 TV only shows certain teams 16:30 Can kids sit through a whole basketball game any more? They are long!  17:30 TV time - why can't they be more flexible? 20:30 Could they address some of these lingering issues when they rebuild programming after COVID? 25:00 We're tired of watching the Pelicans and the Mavericks! We want to watch the up and coming players too. 30:00 It makes sense that some players would be showcased but there is room to highlight more. 31:30 Use the local broadcast teams more (like NBATV does). There are some really fun and exciting regional broadcast teams that are more fun than the national crews.  35:45 Things that might make the game more interesting to watch - changing the length of the game, changing the rules to make it more fun to watch. 40:45 When starts and analysts say that the regular season isn't important, and act like it is not important, you are sending a message.  47:00 The NFL makes things feel important in the moment.  48:00 Can the playoffs be reformatted? Eliminate conferences, seeding games, etc.  53:00 Rockets update 54:45 OKC update 57:00 Golden State update 1:00 Blazers update 1:03 Kyrie Irving update Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

1:00 Golden State from All Star Break to Trade Deadline. There is a vibe that they are turning out the coach. Wiseman hasn't been developed.  2:30 Tradeline expectations vs what really happened. Its not all going to be fixed when Klay gets back.  3:30 Now they will add the two way players to the roster. They are not in a rush to get Steph back.  7:00 Is there any silver lining? They still have a chance so they should try to win. They should at least try to get to the play-in tournament.  11:00 They are bankin a lot on Klay Thompson setting everything right. 12:00 Rockets update: 20 game losing streak. But they have won 2 of the last 3. 16:00 Trade deadline activities - did this help explain the direction the team is headed? They don't want to get caught up in the rebuild cycle where you have so many young players that there isn't anyone around to teach them how to be accountable.  20:15 How has Stephen Silas been navigating the season?  25:15 Blazers recap. They held on long enough until CJ McCollum and Jusuf Nurkic came back. But, oof, their defense is not good! 28:15 Trent Jr. and Norman Powell trade. Powell's championship experience should be helpful.  30:00 How will Powell fit in defensively?  34:30 Damian Lillard's clutch performances.  36:00 What is it like to have a player on your team win MVP? For Steph, it was exciting to watch the attention.  38:15 When Harden won the MVP, it was hard because when his team didn't win the championship that was held against him. MVP is an individual achievement, a Championship is a team achievement.  40:00 Ring culture - how important are regular season games?  48:00 When media and fans fame the fires of Superteams.  53:00 When did ring culture start to take over the narrative?  56:00 Kevin Durant: “NBA Fans Don't like anything about the NBA and it's weird.” 58:45 NFL doesn't really trash their players for not winning.     Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

00:16:00 Intro 00:38:40 Jannelle's experience in the All Star Weekend scrum 00:07:21 Nat (@nourishedbynat), Golden State Warriors fan, introduction 00:08:06 what got Nat into basketball 00:10:11 why Nat enjoys #NBATwitter 00:12:00 How is Dubs Nation feeling about Coach Kerr? 00:18:34 What Nat thinks about the Golden State Warriors local coverage of the team. 00:21:03 GSW and Kerr's actions towards fans and critics of the team 00:21:26 Kerr's discussions about Curry 00:23:12 Will people forgive Kerr if the Warriors get a good seed? 00:27:47 Coaching conversations and coach/superstar relationships 00:30:16 Kerr taking Curry for granted 00:32:31 Steph Curry is not signing up for “this” again and potentially leaving GSW? 00:33:26 Curry legacy and Kerr's philosophies from Popovich 00:34:34 which team will miss the playoffs that will surprise people? 00:34:35 Nat's Western Conference pick 00:37:02 Nat's Eastern Conference pick00:39:12 if Golden State had a disappointing second part of the season why would that happen? 00:40:59 Steph legacy, continued. 00:42:28 Golden State's realistic standing at end of the season 00:44:59 should you trust the Suns more than the Jazz in the playoffs? 00:48:08 don't hop into our DMs Jazz Fans… 00:49:39 an attempt to defend the Jazz was made. 00:53:30 what makes Utah and Phoenix different this season 00:54:15 Jazz and Suns best players head to head  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

1:00 How did you get into Top Shot?4:00 Why buy a moment when you can watch highlights on YouTube? 6:00 How are NBA players involved? 12:45 What could be driving the recent success? 17:15 Are there Top Shot bots? 20:00 The thrill of opening a new pack 22:15 What are big moments we'd go after? 31:30 Is this Basketball Related Income (BRI)? 36:00 What are some things we might want to be cautious about--its still in Beta? 41:00 How do you store moments? 44:00 What is the best strategy to get in on a pack when it drops? 50:00 Are we going to give it a try?  55:00 What are some other ways pop culture could pick up on this? Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

00:00:15 Intro 00:00:35 Winter Storms in OKC and nationwide 00:01:24 How are team networks covering our favorite teams 00:01:30 Portland Trailblazers 00:02:20 Oklahoma City 00:06:31 Portland Trailblazers change in announcer 00:07:25 Jannelle's background with Carolina Blitz 00:07:40 Golden State Warriors 00:10:02 Charlotte Hornets and Jannelle's interview with Hornets announcer Eric Collins 00:12:52 Where are team announcing crews calling games in GSW/CHA/OKC? 00:13:44 Houston Rockets 00:18:37 How are the arenas like for different teams? 00:21:24 All Star Game returns 00:30:44 Why is the All-Star Game being played in the first place? 00:40:55 Remote All-Star Saturday Night Idea 00:41:51 NBA Commissioner and NBPA President should listen to the players 00:44:58 The National Anthem debate and Adam Silver's enforcement. 00:58:50 What are we looking forward to from our teams this week. 00:59:11 Portland hearing more about the status of CJ 00:59:27 More than a 2 game winning streak for the Warriors 01:00:02 OKC getting through the “gantlet” of difficult upcoming games 01:01:27 The Rockets winning at least 1 game during the next week 01:02:40 Outro and plugs (follow us @stepbacksisters Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

2:00 Kobe Bryant bringing attention to the WNBA and women's basketball in general. 5:00 What is Mamba mentality and how do women in basketball reflect the Mamba mentality? 10:15 What would it take for WNBA to become more popular?14:00 How does sexism play into people not watching the WNBA?15:30 Is it a copout to say you don't watch because women don't dunk? 16:30 Addition of WNBA players to 2K19:30 Marketing strategies the league could use 26:00 Social Justice is the essence of the WNBA32:00 You came from a woman!41:00 Ways that the WNBA supports Black women. 46:00 Things that are fun to watch in the WNBA49:00 Parity in women's game Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

00:15 Intros 00:45 Oklahoma City Thunder w/ Amber 18:37 Portland Trailblazers w/ Tara 29:42 Golden State Warriors w/ Jannelle 43:08 Houston Rockets w/ Brit 56:37 Wrap up and end of show Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Subscribe to Stepback Sisterhood Apple: https://apple.co/3lAsHSQ Spotify: https://spoti.fi/35zcKH1 Follow us on Twitter: @stepbacksisterhood @simplyme_av @jannelle12 @britrobotista @tcbbiggs 1:00 checking in with Brit on the James Harden trade.  2:15 Generally satisfied with the return on the trade, with plenty of picks. 4:00 Knew that it was going to be a complicated trade when dealing with such a big super star.  5:15 Looking forward to seeing how Harden, Kevin Durant and Kyrie Irving are going to fit together.  6:15 Rockets basically got back what they lost when they traded Russ. The Rockets now have leverage in the form of those picks.  7:45 Now we can see Stephen Silas coach. The undrafted players have been playing well for them.  9:30 Whose team is it in Houston now? It will probably be by committee for now.  11:30 Remains to be seen how things will work out with Oladipo--if he says, resigns or gets traded.  12:30 Tilman Fertitta has not shown that he is a good owner/governor.  13:30 Harden in Brooklyn, how does it he do it?  14:30 On paper it looks good. The biggest question is how it works between Kyrie and Harden. Kevin Durant can fit in however he needs to.  16:00 Brooklyn gave up a lot of depth. 18:00 The three superstars have experience. And they can score. All they have to do is be mediocre on defense.  20:00 What could stop them? The only thing that can stop them is if they stop themselves.  22:30 Harden will likely be able to work it out with Kyrie because he hasn't had a critical mass of really good players around him, and he won't have to carry so much of the load.  26:45 Harden is dedicated to his craft and loves the game.  28:00 What kind of respect has Harden got? 30:00 Rings culture: When did it become a thing?  30:45 WHen LeBron went to Miami it was really magnified.  31:40 Players who lost championships vs Michael Jordan were great players 32:00 When LeBron went to Miami it magnified ring culture because it set expectations that you just had to have 3 superstars in order to win. Took away from teams who were building towards a championship who might just not have won.  36:00 Not winning a ring should not negate the accomplishments of someone who doesn't win one. It also could overhype people who didn't do as much but were on teams that won.  38:15 Media, Inside the NBA in particular, doesn't give enough context to fans about this. 40:45 Can we just leave JaVale McGee alone?  44:00 Listening to NBA players on podcasts gives a better insight into who they are. They can talk more freely. 48:15 Media has more options than ever, mainstream is trying to adopt what independent channels are doing. 51:00 Ripple effects of the Harden trade: more options for Western Conference All Stars. 53:00 Caris LeVert - hoping he gets the medical attention he needs and we can see him in Indiana.  57:15 Mental toll of injuries - don't assume you know what is going on with everyone. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

00:35  COVID and what's the NBA going to do with their procedures? 00:47 Jannelle's thoughts about the NBA's process 01:50 Tara's thoughts about NBA's communication about the COVID protocols 02:47 Tim Cato (@tim_cato) from the Athletic reporting: https://twitter.com/tim_cato/status/1348323465619775495?s=20 03:15 Brit's thoughts about the current application of the NBA protocol rules 05:13 Gary Washburn (@gwashburnGlobe) from the Boston Globe reporting about it being “unknown how Jayson Tatum contracted COVID”: https://twitter.com/GwashburnGlobe/status/1348007465015779333?s=20 05:39 Jannelle “that still doesn't make sense” about how the NBA is interpreting the CDC rules 05:52 Brittany “The league is trying to force games to be played… even where there is a risk of a player being exposed” 07:25 Brittany: Teams making up/exaggerating injuries when they only have 8-9 players available 07:50 Tara: Concerns with players who are not sick getting physically injured 08:21 Amber: “I'm just confused” about the COVID protocol process and how can Adam Silver keep everyone happy while keeping the player's safety first 10:42 Brittany's explanation of the 10-day contract changes reported by Bobby Marks (@BobbyMarks42): https://twitter.com/BobbyMarks42/status/1347956504721285120 11:35 Suggestions for the NBA to improve the COVID protocol process 11:36 Brittany's suggestions to the league based on the updated hardship exception: https://twitter.com/britrobotista/status/1347965339036839937?s=20 11:37 Brittany suggestion 1: emergency activated roster spots 11:51 Brittany suggestion 2: list of players who are available to play (and not currently on a NBA roster) who are actively tested in case of emergency call up. 12:08 Brittany suggestion 3: provide more COVID exceptions through hardship rule 12:55 Brittany suggestion 4: single day contracts (using NHL model of the “emergency player”) 14:09 Amber's feedback on Brittany's suggestions/recommendations for the NBA 14:33 Expansion of rosters to 15 players 14:40 Brittany: NBA “needs to expand the roster further 15:29 Would the Player's Association (NBPA) need to approve these changes? 16:33 Brittany proposed plan “can't be implemented immediately” 16:58 Bobby Marks suggestion on having only 2-way contract eligible players available as “emergency players”: https://twitter.com/BobbyMarks42/status/1347956504721285120?s=20 17:55 How quick can they put this plan? 18:55 Brittany's annoyance of folks making fun of the “barbershop crew” in Houston 20:07 Assumption about postponements of future games 20:21 Disbelief about Seth Curry situation in PHI 21:00 KD being in isolation and his previous positive COVID diagnosis 21:38 Tara: NBA's communication of COVID protocol vs Shams/Woj notifications 23:45 Jannelle: “the most aggravating part” of the lack of communication by the NBA about protocols 24:21 NBA needs better communication plan about COVID 25:43 Initial season thoughts 25:59 OKC Thunder 27:37 Portland Trailblazers 29:27 Golden State Warriors 31:22 Steph Curry's 62 point career high vs the Blazers and player's winning or losing with a player's career high 32:48 Houston Rockets 34:55 Harden trade situation 36:56 Harden traded after the season? 39:28 Rest of league positive surprises 39:53 Hawks, Hornets, Knicks 41:23 John Collins/Trae Young friction 42:39 Rondo's leadership impact 46:23 Amber: Enjoying the “young, fun teams play” 46:39 Phoenix Suns 48:05 Disappointing Denver Nuggets 49:00 Is Phoenix's success sustainable? 51:12 Knicks early success 52:44 the 2020-21 Not Mediocre Rookie Class 55:30 Amber's analysis of the NBA rookie class 58:00 Success because of “lack of tape” and great scouting 59:47 Clippers up and down 1:01:38 Development of players in the league 1:02:35 Bismack Biyamo/LaMelo Ball interaction and other historic rookie interactions with “unspoken rules” 1:04:37 lack of tanking (so far) 1:06:29 amount of blowouts Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

1:00 Tia was in Jordans as a little kid5:00 Remembering first pairs 9:00 What makes a shoe appealing, and how can they pay off?14:00 Different generations of sneakerheads20:00 What shoes are good to play in? 23:30 How things have changed since you could walk into a store and buy a new pair of shoes.27:30 Basketball and shoes are so intertwined33:00 Brand representatives and signature shoes38:00 Other brands besides Nike40:00 WNBA players45:00 Unboxing Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

00:30 First pass on Golden State Warriors 03:15 First pass on Houston Rockets 05:45 First pass on Oklahoma City Thunder 08:30 First pass on Portland Trail Blazers 11:00 GSW Q&A: Motion offense, first thoughts about James Wiseman, Kelly Oubre and Andrew Wiggins, coaching shortcomings, what is the path forward 25:15 Houston Rockets Q&A: The adventures of James Harden, Silas uses more of his rotation than D'Antoni did, what will happen to Christian Wood's minutes when DeMarcus Cousins and John Wall come back? Are Harden's actions going to impact his trade value (if he still wants to be traded)? The team around Harden 44:15 OKC Q&A: As of Sunday, the Thunder can still go 72-0, OKC is not tanking, Shai Gilgeous-Alexander grasping the leadership role, George Hill is the veteran OKC needs right now, Al Horford is a better fit with the Thunder than he was with Philadelphia. Good things happening, not tanking. Miss the closing lineup. 58:00 Portland Q&A: New defense, new defensive woes. James Harden rumors, Carmelo Anthony off the bench, do the Blazers have an identity problem? 01:13:00 League-wide observations: players returning from Achilles injuries, Christmas day games (need more of the younger generation in these games), Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

The Ladies sit down with Zeke, a sneaker connoisseur from New York by the way of Houston and talk about the sneaker game. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

In Part 2 of the NBA Season Preview, the Ladies talk Eastern Conference Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

The Ladies talk about their expectations for the 2020=21 NBA Season. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

The Ladies sit down and chop it up with David Brandon of Daily Thunder about Oklahoma City's endless amount of Draft Picks, The emergence of Shai Gilgeous-Alexander as a leader, and outlook of the team. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

The ladies get real and talk about the NBA's covid protocols and how they plan to navigate a season in the midst of a pandemic without the bubble. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Taped during the Bubble/Restart, The ladies and Guest Leslie Olayele discuss the NBA and their social justice initiatives in the bubble  and where do they go from here. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

The ladies talk Blazers Basketball with Insider Casey Holdahi Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

The ladies sit down and talk Warriors with NBC-Sports Bay Area's Kerith Burke, and talk about the injury to Klay Thompson, extra pressure on Stephen Curry , and the expectations for this new version of the Warriors Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Houston Rockets Beat Reporter Kelly Iko sits down and talk to the ladies about the chaos in Houston as rumors swirl around James Harden and Russell Westbrook Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

In the second part of the show's launch, Co-Hosts Tara Biggs and Brit Wilbur introduce themselves and share what made them become fans of the NBA and their respective teams Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

In part one of the pilot episode, Jannelle and Amber talk about  what made them become fans of the game.  They talk about when they played, why they became fans of the Warriors and Thunder Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices