Long time, no see, hear or read. Along with everyone else, I took a little time to decompress from the NBA finals, as well as throw myself into the World Cup. But good news, WOH is back with a brand new invention. Or really, just a new podcast with Rob, where we spend 90 minutes, first talking about the rumored Kevin Love deals with Golden State, (I get my Klay Thompson hate ON), break down the Spurs victory in the finals, before finishing up with some World Cup talk. We recorded pre-draft and pre USA NUMBER 1's winning-by-losing effort against Germany, so that's why it might sound dated.

A day late in getting this out, but Rob and I recorded our 2nd round preview Sunday night (as should be clear when I say foolish things about the Clippers potentially no-showing Game 1. Oops.) This podcast is literally earth-shaking as we unintentionally recap the first round before moving on to the games still to come. Obviously, we recorded before today's news that Mark Jackson is out in Golden State. Audio & download after the jump.

Better late than never, Rob and I recorded a podcast before the start of any Game 3's on Thursday. We look far less silly, as we suggested neither Houston-Portland or Chicago-Washington were close to over. In particular, a possible Nene suspension could be a HUGE swing in that series. Indiana though...at a certain point I'm going to have to accept that Pre-ASB Pacers are dead and gone and not coming back.  Audio and download after the jump:

After giving Rob a week off to talk Jazz with Ben Dowsett, we're back at it for the end of the beginning. By which I mean we hand out our versions of the NBA awards. Well, I hand out versions of them and Rob cheats to fit his favored guys into the mix. He also wrote (!) about some of his picks at PPP. I take some final shots at this seasons' Timberwolves, but it's not my fault, I was goaded into it by what Rob had to say (after the jump) about Kevin Love!

This week on the pod, Rob and I spend some time on the Pacers (note: this was recorded earlier on Thursday, so before the weekend and especially before Sunday's debacle. I'm losing some faith, but still am far more bullish on them then the general populace who seem worried about a series with either Charlotte or New York. Surprised if it went 6 against either.)

Agreeing wholeheartedly with two seemingly contradictory opinions or theories is always a difficult quandry in which to find one's self. On the one hand, it's hard to dispute Krishna's demonstration that the midrange shot is the least desirable look, especially early in the shot clock. Many of the teams with structural offensive problems (i.e. not just they have bad offensive players but are employing the players they have in silly ways) fall victim to the trap of the early midranger. Cleveland and Golden State are prime examples.

Right now is sort of the silly season in the NBA.  All the discussion of who was and wasn't snubbed for the all-star game is dying down (now that Anthony Davis has been added, Al Jefferson, Kyle Lowry, Mike Conley and DeMarcus Cousins, thanks for asking), trade talks are still just talks with the deadline weeks away, and players not participating in All-Star weekend are starting to show the focus one might expect of a bunch of bros in the 10 days before they had to Cabo for spring break. That said, the internet trade rumor mill is in full swing, and Rob and I can throw stuff against the trade machine wall as well as the next guy, so why not?

I've probably written more about Portland on this blog than any other team aside from perhaps the Timberwolves, and I've definitely watched more Blazers games than any other team this season.  They not only have for my money the prettiest offense in the league, but also my favorite player (Nic Batum, don't think there isn't a 5,000 word opus on him coming sometime this season). And there games are almost always entertaining. But that entertainment value contains the kernel of their own downfall; Blazer games are fun because no on e can stop them, but they can't stop anyone either.