2026-27 NBA Western Conference Preview: Sorting the West from Lottery to Elite w/ Paul Garcia

The Western Conference is loaded with contenders, rising powers, and teams facing major questions — but who belongs where? On this episode of The Baseline NBA Podcast, Cal “Game Face” Lee and Warren Shaw welcome special guest Paul Garcia of Small Market Bias to preview the 2026-27 NBA Western Conference and break down the teams poised to rise, fall, or surprise. We sort the West into four tiers: Lottery Bound, Middle of the Pack, Contenders, and Elite. Can the Oklahoma City Thunder maintain t

NBA Media Day is always full of quotes — but what happens when we actually stop and listen to what the players are saying? On this episode of The Baseline NBA Podcast, Warren Shaw was on the ground at Miami Heat Media Day, collecting soundbytes and reactions from players as the league gears up for the new NBA season. We hear from LeBron James, AJ Dybantsa, Tyrese Maxey, Jayson Tatum, Nikola Jokić, Ja Morant and more.Then it’s time for “Let Be Said” — where we take what was said at Media Day an

The Baseline NBA Podcast is back! In Since We’ve Been Gone, we catch up on the biggest NBA stories from our hiatus, including the Clippers’ penalties and fallout, Jonathan Kuminga joining the Timberwolves, Ben Simmons landing in Sacramento, the Cavs’ acquisition of Peyton Watson, and plenty more from around the basketball world. Then it’s time for Who Ya Got? as we build the ultimate NBA What-If Teams, featuring Derrick Rose, Penny Hardaway, Len Bias, Shawn Kemp, Greg Oden, Brandon Roy, DeMarcu

In this episode of The Baseline NBA Podcast, we welcome Uriah Young from the BBall Now and Then Podcast for another edition of They Reminisce Over You. This time, we shine the spotlight on Detroit Pistons legend Isiah Thomas, exploring why “Zeke” remains one of the most underappreciated greats in NBA history. We revisit Thomas’ greatness, legendary moments, competitive fire, and the very trait that helped make him great — while also becoming part of his complicated legacy. It’s a celebration of

This week on the Baseline NBA Podcast, we dive into a wild stretch of league headlines. The NBA has officially paused the Kawhi Leonard trade talks as the investigation heats up, and we break down what that means for the Clippers and the league at large. Plus, the Raptors, Heat, and Clippers are heading north for the 2026 NBA Canada Games, and NBA 2K27 is teasing covers featuring Victor Wembanyama, Caitlin Clark, or Derrick Rose — we debate who deserves the spotlight. Then in our Soapbox Soliloq

The Baseline NBA Podcast breaks down the Thunder–Hawks–Mavs blockbuster trade that sent Lu Dort to Atlanta, Zaccharie Risacher to Dallas, and added even more draft capital to Oklahoma City’s massive offseason haul. We dig into how OKC’s $224M payroll reset reshapes their roster, what Risacher brings to the Mavericks, and how Atlanta pivots with Dort and Ryan Nembhard. We also run through the best NBA free agents still available, including LeBron James, Draymond Green, DeMar DeRozan, Bradley Beal