The Tough Watch Podcast

Dan and Rikki are back and ready to begin the offseason podcast slate. This begins with the 2022 NBA Draft Preview. This was recorded shortly before the start of the draft and will be followed by a post draft reaction episode later in the week. A few of the topics discussed.. -The top 3 prospects and where they will land -Prospect tiers throughout the lottery -Late draft sleepers   Check back this week for the draft follow up episode. Contact Info: Host: Dan Radtke Host: Rikki Giambruno Email: toughwatchpod@gmail.com

Dan and Rikki open this episode with 20 minutes on the HUGE Wolves win on the road over the Grizzlies, as well as brief updates on all the opening round series. New episodes release every Monday so check back weekly throughout the playoffs. Contact Info: Host: Dan Radtke Host: Rikki Giambruno Email: toughwatchpod@gmail.com

This week Dan and Rikki wrap up the regular season by previewing the Timberwolves Play In game and then rant about the current state of the league. The discussion is wide ranging and covers everything from the disappointment of the final day of the regular season, the imbalanced incentive structure that causes apathy in the regular season, and the poor salesmanship of the league in covering its young stars and most interesting up and coming teams.   Check back next week for an over/under's review podcast! Contact Info: Host: Dan Radtke Host: Rikki Giambruno Email: toughwatchpod@gmail.com

Dan and Rikki discuss a surprisingly entertaining matchup between the Pacers and Rockets from this past Friday. The episode is led discussing the Pacers and finishes with some Rockets talk. Some of the topics covered are.. -Are the Pacers in the midst of a soft or hard rebuild?  -Is Tyrese Haliburton a future star to build around? -How should the Pacers manage their salary cap in the next few years, and what should they avoid? -The Rockets continue to not change a thing -Brief recap and projection of Rockets young core -What should each team be looking for in the upcoming draft? Next weeks Tough Watch is Pelicans Vs Spurs. Check back Monday for the new episode! Contact Info: Host: Dan Radtke Host: Rikki Giambruno Email: toughwatchpod@gmail.com  

In this weeks episode Dan and Rikki discuss the past week of games for the Wolves. They played 5 games in 8 days and played Tough Watch teams exclusively. The Wolves are discussed at length to lead the pod followed by conversations about the Blazers, Thunder, and Magic and what the draft strategy should be for each going into the offseason.   Contact Info: Host: Dan Radtke Host: Rikki Giambruno Email: toughwatchpod@gmail.com

Dan and Rikki recorded this episode on March 6th and watched the game during the recording. A narrow 115-112 win for the Kings on the road in San Antonio. As usual, the conversation for both teams centers around their path forward in the seasons to come and what should be done in the draft/free agency.  A 2nd episode will also be released today that covers the last week of games for the Minnesota Timberwolves. Contact Info: Host: Dan Radtke Host: Rikki Giambruno Email: toughwatchpod@gmail.com

After a one week absence Dan and Rikki are back to discuss the two worst teams in the NBA by record. An in depth discussion was had about both teams leading with the Rockets and followed by the Magic. The 2nd half of the episode is spent redrafting the 2021 draft class. Some surprising players fell and others have climbed the board to take their spots early in 2022. Listen until the end to hear some thoughts on the 2020 class as well!   Next weeks Tough Watch is Spurs Vs Kings. Check back Monday for the new episode! Contact Info: Host: Dan Radtke Host: Rikki Giambruno Email: toughwatchpod@gmail.com

In the first Tough Watch Pod post trade deadline, Dan and Rikki discuss a Blazers win and a 4th quarter Knicks collapse. A lot of ground was covered in this episode on both sides including some brief draft talk and the evolution of the dominate big man in the league today near the end of the episode. Next weeks Tough Watch is Wizards vs Pacers. Check back Monday for the new episode! Contact Info: Host: Dan Radtke Host: Rikki Giambruno Email: toughwatchpod@gmail.com

Celtics took the win in New Orleans on Saturday night in one of the most uninspiring games of the year. But there was still PLENTY to talk about with these two teams. -The underwhelming Celts. Can they turn the season around? -What is necessary for Boston prior to the deadline? -Is it time to break up Tatum and Brown? -Jose Alvarado=heart and soul of New Orleans basketball. -A Pelicans history lesson. Dating back to 2019, how and why was this team formed? -Do the Pelicans finally have their coach?! Next weeks Tough Watch is Timberwolves/Pistons. Check back Monday for the new episode! Contact Info: Host: Dan Radtke Host: Rikki Giambruno Email: toughwatchpod@gmail.com

It was a tough road loss for the Wolves in Atlanta but Dan and Rikki came away with nearly two hours of talking points.  -Anthony Edwards first career ejection and KAT continues complaining about the officiating. -Difficulty defending the high powered Hawks offense. -Jaylen Nowell and Jaden Mcdaniels development. -Impactful play of Dlo. -Trae Young goes for 30 2nd half points! -Is it time for Atlanta to make moves before the deadline to solve chemistry issues? -Who is a part of the long term Hawks core? Stay till the end of the podcast to hear a brief discussion about the Rockets and the Russell Westbrook/John Wall trade rumors. Next weeks Tough Watch is Celtics/Pelicans. Check back Monday for the new episode! Contact Info: Host: Dan Radtke Host: Rikki Giambruno Email: toughwatchpod@gmail.com

In this weeks episode Dan and Rikki reset the Tough Watch teams for the 2nd half of the NBA season. Some teams have played their way out and others have played their way in but 14 teams remain. Eastern Conference: Magic, Pistons, Pacers, Hawks, Knicks, Celtics, Wizards Western Conference: Rockets, Thunder, Pelicans, Spurs, Kings, Blazers, Timberwolves Stay until the end of the episode for a full breakdown of the Magic! Next weeks Tough Watch is Timberwolves/Hawks. Check back Monday for the new episode! Contact Info: Host: Dan Radtke Host: Rikki Giambruno Email: toughwatchpod@gmail.com

This week Dan and Rikki had their first opportunity of the season to deep dive the Spurs and the Wolves. It was a wire to wire 115-90 win for the Wolves. Not much drama in this one but plenty to talk with both teams. -Is Dejounte Murray asserting himself as the Spurs primary offensive option? -What are the best lineup options for the Spurs, and who is their best 5 man unit? -Is the White/Murray backcourt a viable option? -The Wolves are BACK! -What has led to the improved defensive performance from the Wolves? -Are the Wolves ready to show they are a playoff team? -The starting 5 that has unlocked the Wolves potential Next weeks Tough Watch is Hornets/Rockets. Check back Monday for the new episode! Contact Info: Host: Dan Radtke Host: Rikki Giambruno Email: toughwatchpod@gmail.com

A Friday night thriller in Toronto! Dan and Rikki are back to cover the Cavs/Raptors game from this past Friday. A few topics discussed in this episode.. -An Evan Mobley rookie update. (Spoiler: this dude is gonna be good!) -How is the Sexland backcourt through 10 games? -What has led to the defensive improvement in Cleveland? -Is this Toronto roster construction viable? -OG taking the leap?! -Scottie Barnes rookie update. (Spoiler: this dude is also gonna be good!) Next weeks Tough Watch is Wizards/Magic. Check back Sunday for the new episode! Contact Info: Host: Dan Radtke Host: Rikki Giambruno Email: toughwatchpod@gmail.com

A special Halloween episode of the Tough Watch! This week Dan and Rikki covered the October 29th matchup between the Kings and Pels. A few of the topics discussed.. -Are the Pelicans already set for another high lottery pick? -With Zion out, what should the goal be for the Pelicans this season? -Is point Ingram the best path to wins? -Which of the Pelicans young players is going to step up and find a meaningful role? -Are the Kings finally a playoff team?! -Is Harrison Barnes just now entering his prime?! -Is the Haliburton/Fox backcourt the best path to wins? Next weeks Tough Watch is Cleveland/Toronto. Check back Sunday for the new episode! Contact Info: Host: Dan Radtke Host: Rikki Giambruno Email: toughwatchpod@gmail.com

It is FINALLY time for the 1st Tough Watch of the 2021/2022 NBA season! To open the year Dan and Rikki breakdown a two game series between the Pistons and the Bulls. A few of the topics covered.. -Killian Hayes Update. Is it time for the G league? -Continued Bey/Stewart development -Is this Pistons defense for real? -Changes to the Bulls defensive scheme -Lonzo Ball off to a hot start! -Interesting Bulls bench unit forming The Tough Watch of the next week is Pelicans/Kings. Check back Sunday for the new episode! Contact Info: Host: Dan Radtke Host: Rikki Giambruno Email: toughwatchpod@gmail.com

As promised here is the 2nd part of the Over/Unders pod. In this episode Dan and Rikki cover the Western Conference in order from least projected win total to most. This is our final preseason podcast but please check back next week for our first Tough Watch of the regular season!   Contact: Host: Dan Radtke Host: Rikki Giambruno Email: toughwatchpod@gmail.com

The NBA season is upon us and to celebrate we are releasing our annual over/unders pod! This was broken into two podcasts and in this episode Dan and Rikki discuss the Eastern Conference in order from lowest projected win total to highest.  Western Conference episode will be dropped soon!   Contact: Host: Dan Radtke Host: Rikki Giambruno Email: toughwatchpod@gmail.com  

This is the 4th and final part of the team overviews series. In this episode Dan and Rikki discuss the 7 Western Conference teams that found their way into the Tough Watch Group. The teams were discussed in the following order. -Memphis Grizzlies -San Antonio Spurs -New Orleans Pelicans -Sacramento Kings -Houston Rockets -Oklahoma City Thunder -Minnesota Timberwolves Keep a look out for the annual Over/Under podcasts that will be released this week in preparation for the start of the NBA regular season.

The release of the last two parts of the team overviews series were delayed but they are definitely worth the wait! This episode covers the East teams that fall in the Tough Watch Category to begin the season. -Washington Wizards -Charlotte Hornets -Chicago Bulls -Toronto Raptors -Cleveland Cavaliers -Orlando Magic -Detroit Pistons Check back for the final episode of this series later today!

This is part 2 of the 4 part team overview series. Last week we discussed the 7 title contending teams and in this weeks episode we cover the 9 teams that are firmly in the playoff mix. The teams are discussed in the following order.. -Atlanta Hawks -New York Knicks -Boston Celtics -Indiana Pacers -Phoenix Suns -LA Clippers -Portland Trail Blazers -Dallas Mavericks -GSW Warriors Check back for next weeks episode where Dan and Rikki will begin discussing the Tough Watch Teams of the 2021/2022 season!

It's time for the Annual Tough Watch Team Overviews. This episode covers the top 7 teams in the league that are separated into 2 tiers. The teams are discussed in the following order.. -Milwaukee Bucks -Brooklyn Nets -LA Lakers -Utah Jazz -Denver Nuggets -Miami Heat -Philadelphia 76ers Next week Dan and Rikki will cover the next 8 teams in descending order. That will leave the final 15 Tough Watch teams for the upcoming season! Check back weekly for new episodes.

This is the 3rd and final episode of the Tough Watch 25 Series. In this weeks episode we cover players 18-25 along with some honorable mentions that didn't quite make the final list. Listen to the full episode to see who took the 'John Collins spot' in this years list! Check back next week for the start of our Tough Watch team overviews.

This is episode 2 in our Tough Watch 25 Series. In this weeks episode we cover players 10-17. Dan and Rikki both go over their separate lists at the start of the pod and discuss a total of 12 players that made the cut. Check back next week for the third and final episode of the series when we cover 18-25!

This is the 3rd Annual Tough Watch 25. Dan and Rikki rank the top 25 players from the 2018/2019/2020 NBA Drafts. This episode covers 1-9, starting with Luka Doncic and ending with Deandre Ayton. Listen to the entire pod to get the full list.  Check back next week for part 2 of this series!

The time has come for the Annual Draft Mega Pod! Dan and Rikki lead the pod with a conversation about general draft strategy and an explanation of how they came up with their own big boards. Then they go through their Top 20 prospects, along with a mock 1st Round at the end of the episode. Keep an eye out for our live pod on Thursday night during the draft. A replay will be released in the days to follow.

In this episode Dan and Rikki discuss a couple of fake trades for Ben Simmons and Collin Sexton, which leads to a broader discussion about the misguided direction of the Cavs Organization.  In the back half we discuss the upcoming NBA Draft prospects. This is an appetizer before the main course which will come shortly before the draft. Keep your eyes out for the NBA Draft MEGA POD!!

The Tough Watch is back for a late season matchup between the Wolves and Jazz. We start with the Jazz and discuss their title chances, followed by a deep dive on the Wolves and their performance since the hiring of Chris Finch along with the potential for Anthony Edwards to alter the course of the Wolves future. We finish with our thoughts on the title contenders and the current state of the play in tournament teams.  

This is a return for both of these teams to the Tough Watch Pod and two teams headed in vastly different directions. This episode leads with a discussion about the Knicks. Julius Randle continuing to surge, is RJ Barrett the answer going forward? And what to do with Mitchell Robinson!? The 2nd half is centered around the Pistons. Did Jerami Grant know what he was getting into? Are the Pistons already screwed when it comes to Killian Hayes? And what player should the Pistons target in the upcoming draft? Check back next Sunday when we cover the Friday night game between the Pacers and the Magic.

This is the first appearance of the year for both of these teams on the Tough Watch Podcast, but certainly will not be the last. In an uneventful blowout the Kings took care of business at home against the newly rebuilding Rockets. Dan and Rikki discuss the upcoming trade deadline and how it could shape these two rosters and then dig in to the developmental stage of each team and what needs to be done moving forward. Check back next Sunday when we cover the Saturday night game between the Warriors and Grizzlies.

Following a slightly different format, Dan and Rikki go back in time and review the decisions and transactions made since both of these organizations changed over their front office. The first half of the pod covers the Hornets since April 2018 when Mitch Kupchak was hired as GM and the 2nd half goes over the Wolves since the May 2019 hire of Gersson Rosas. Check back next Sunday when we cover the Thursday night game between the Rockets and Kings.

There was an offensive EXPLOSION in Dallas on Friday night and Dan and Rikki break it all down in this weeks episode. We discuss the current stage of development for both teams, the current roster construction and how it contributes to winning, and the career outlook for the stars of both teams. Near the end of the pod there is also a discussion of the 18/19/20 drafts.

In this episode Dan and Rikki check in on the Tough Watch teams and update the team list for the upcoming episodes. The bottom 16 teams in the standings are covered in rapid fire fashion. Spoiler: Stick around till the end for 5+ minutes on the Timberwolves. Certainly not to be missed!Check back next Sunday when we cover Friday nights game between the Mavs and the Pelicans.

Dan and Rikki breakdown a two game series between the Hornets and Raptors. Topics include the player development machine in Toronto, the contagious play style of the Hornets, the upcoming recovery of the Raps, and is Lamelo Ball clearly the best player from the 2020 Draft? Stick around till the end to hear about the Harden trade and the developing pattern of star trades.Check back next Sunday when we cover the two game series between the Grizzlies and Blazers.

With the Thunder and Knicks off to surprisingly hot starts, it seemed like a good time to check in and make their matchup the Tough Watch of the week. From the Knicks side we discuss the emergence of Julius Randle, the impact of Thibs, and discuss the pending Mitch Robinson contract situation. From the Thunder side we go over the purpose of this season, the short term vs long term rebuild strategy, and get our first SGA check in. We will be back next Sunday to discuss the two game series between the Hornets/Raptors.

Is this Cavs 4-2 start a mirage? Does Atlanta have the best offense in the league? Is Cam Reddish the next Paul George?! All these questions and more are answered in this weeks episode of the Tough Watch podcast.Dan and Rikki discuss the key takeaways from the January 2nd matchup between the Cavs and Hawks. Check back next Sunday for Thunder/Knicks!

The Tough Watch of the week is BACK! Dan and Rikki watched the opening game between the Pistons and Timberwolves and discussed the young players and key takeaways from each team. Check back next Sunday for Cavs/Hawks!

The final pod before the season starts, Dan and Rikki cover the over/under projections for all 30 teams. 4 minutes was allotted for each team. They start in the West and move to East. The case for both the over and the under are made for each team along with the projections of where each team will finish the season. Check back next week for the 1st Tough Watch pod of the regular season!

In part 2 of the Tough Watch 25 Dan and Rikki cover numbers 1-13 on their annual list. Number 1 on the list may be obvious but there are some definite surprises thrown in. Next week will be our final pod before the NBA regular season tips off. It will be our annual Over/Under win totals pod. We will cover all 30 teams and give our thoughts before games begin.Full length episodes can now be found on Youtube at the link below. Video clips and more to follow over the course of the season.https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC30gsW6fFf_LzMT3O5E6pKw

This is the 2nd Annual Tough Watch 25. Dan and Rikki rank the top 25 players from the 2017/2018/2019 NBA Drafts. This series has two episodes and this week we cover number 25-14. The list begins with John Collins and ends with Marvin Bagley. Listen to the full episode to get the remaining names on the list!Check back next week for episode 2 covering 1-13.

The NBA season is just around the corner so it's time for Dan and Rikki to announce their Tough Watch Teams of 2020/2021! A few teams fell out and a few others fell in. The list consists of 14 teams and each teams offseason is discussed in this episode in preparation for the start of the season in late December.

This episode was recorded live during the 2020 NBA Draft on Wednesday. The conversation is free flowing and happens in real time as the picks came in. Very little editing was done to give you a feel of how things played out on draft night. Half way through Dan and Rikki found out about the trade that brought Ricky Rubio back to the Wolves. This was an exciting night for the league and Wolves fans specifically. It definitely came through in the podcast!

Dan and Rikki discuss the NBA draft lottery and come up with the 1st Annual Tough Watch Podcast Big Board. They alternate picks through the lottery to come up with their top 14 and finish the podcast talking about some interesting prospects outside of the lottery. This will not look like any other big board you have seen!

No intro for this weeks episode, we're getting straight down to business! In the final episode of the Trade Targets Series Dan and Rick discuss players with albatross contracts.  8 players made this distinguished list and the fake trades are really flying in this one!Check back next week for our draft prep mega pod.

In the 3rd episode of the Offseason Trade Targets series Dan and Rikki discuss potential 2nd draft candidates available via trade. They each act as a front office executive and draft the players they would be interested in pursuing. 10 players were drafted and there are definitely some surprise selections! Keep an eye out next week for the final installment of this series.

This is the 2nd episode of the offseason trade targets series. Dan and Rikki discuss 14 young players coming up on the end of their first contracts. Where is the player at in his career? Does this player fit into the teams long term plans? Is there a potential trade on the horizon? If so, what could the team get in return? All will be covered in this episode!

This week Dan and Rikki begin their series on offseason trade targets. In this episode they cover flawed stars that may be available via trade and what trades may be offered. 

INSTANT CLASSIC!! Dan and Rikki recorded a live pod during the 2nd half of Game 5 of the NBA Finals. This game had EVERYTHING and the series has been extended to a Game 6.Look for another live episode to be released after Game 6.

DOWN GO THE CLIPPERS! Dan and Rikki recorded this episode live during Game 7 of the Clippers/Nuggets Semi Finals Series. They discuss the game in depth as well as touch on Game 1 of the East Finals and the upcoming West Finals with the Lakers/Nuggets.

Dan and Rikki go through each semi finals match-up and predict the outcome, as well as a little on the Steve Nash hire at the end of the pod.A possible Giannis jinx was placed at the end of the pod. Apologies to Giannis..

Dan and Rikki recorded this episode live during a thrilling Game 7 between the Rockets and Thunder. Most of the conversation surrounded the game but Milwaukee/Miami Game 2 was also discussed at half time.

This episode was recorded during the Lakers/Blazers game 4. Dan and Rikki discuss the game (until it got out of hand) and then go across the league covering the other 1st round match-ups.