The Media Pass (Alex Hoops and Mat Issa)

The 2024 NBA Playoffs are getting into the late rounds now, and the Dallas Mavericks are on the verge of eliminating the Oklahoma City Thunder, the Minnesota Timberwolves are looking to take down the Denver Nuggets in a heated game 7, the Boston Celtics have dominated the Cleveland Cavaliers, and the New York Knicks and Indiana Pacers will face off against each other in a game 7 soon.

But do any of the Eastern conference teams truly have a chance against the West? Follow us on Twitter! Alex: https://twitter.com/AlexHoops_ Mat: https://twitter.com/matissa15 The Media Pass is a podcast hosted by AlexHoops and Mat Issa providing in-depth coverage of the NBA from the perspective of two established analysts currently working in the industry.

The 2024 NBA Playoffs have arrived, so we sat down to cover everything that's happened in the first game of each series so far! Follow us on Twitter! Alex: https://twitter.com/AlexHoops_ Mat: https://twitter.com/matissa15 The Media Pass is a podcast hosted by AlexHoops and Mat Issa providing in-depth coverage of the NBA from the perspective of two established analysts currently working in the industry.

The 2024 NBA Playoffs are well underway at this point, and some teams are starting to pull away in their respective series, like the OKC Thunder taking a 2-0 series lead against the New Orleans Pelicans, the Denver Nuggets taking 3-0 series lead against the Los Angeles Lakers, and the Minnesota Timberwolves taking a 3-0 series lead on the Phoenix Suns.

But some of the other series are starting to get a bit more contentious, with the Milwaukee Bucks fighting tooth and nail to stay afloat with Giannis Antetokounmpo out with injury against the Indiana Pacers, and the Dallas Mavericks and Los Angeles Clippers are looking like they're heading for a long series.

We cover all that and more in this episode of The Media Pass.

Follow us on Twitter! Alex: https://twitter.com/AlexHoops_ Mat: https://twitter.com/matissa15 The Media Pass is a podcast hosted by AlexHoops and Mat Issa providing in-depth coverage of the NBA from the perspective of two established analysts currently working in the industry.

The Los Angeles Clippers struggled for a bit after the James Harden trade, but we've started to see a more fully-realized version of what they envision with Harden, Kawhi Leonard, and Paul George as their big three.

AlexHoops and Mat Issa do a super deep dive into what the Los Angeles Clippers have looked like in the new James Harden era, how they're faring without Kawhi Leonard, and if this trio has the juice to win it all.

Follow us on Twitter! Alex: https://twitter.com/home Mat: https://twitter.com/matissa15 The Media Pass is a podcast hosted by AlexHoops and Mat Issa providing in-depth coverage of the NBA from the perspective of two established analysts currently working in the industry.

With nearly 20 games under our belts, the NBA landscape is starting to take a clearer shape. Obviously teams like the Denver Nuggets and Boston Celtics are frequent flyers in the discussion of contenders, but which teams have false hopes of making a deep playoff run? The NBA In Season Tournament is leading to breakout stories, with Tyrese Haliburton and the Indiana Pacers taking down the Celtics in spectacular fashion, and the Sacramento Kings were unceremoniously knocked out by the Pelicans. Is the IST a glimpse at which teams are true threats to make the NBA Finals? Mat and Alex dive into that and more in this episode of The Media Pass. Follow us on Twitter! Alex: https://twitter.com/home Mat: https://twitter.com/matissa15 The Media Pass is a podcast hosted by AlexHoops and Mat Issa providing in-depth coverage of the NBA from the perspective of two established analysts currently working in the industry.

With the NBA Play-In Tournament tonight, we looked at each matchup and covered who we think has the best chances and who would be the best matchups for the teams that have already secured a playoff spot! Follow us on Twitter! Alex: https://twitter.com/AlexHoops_ Mat: https://twitter.com/matissa15 The Media Pass is a podcast hosted by AlexHoops and Mat Issa providing in-depth coverage of the NBA from the perspective of two established analysts currently working in the industry.

The Western Conference Finals are well underway, and we've seen the Dallas Mavericks take down the Minnesota Timberwolves in game 1, with Rudy Gobert's defense being criticized for the alleged ineffectiveness of drop coverage. We unpack whether or not there's actual truth to that in this episode of The Media Pass.

Plus, we dive into whether or not the Indiana Pacers *actually* gave up in game 2 against the Boston Celtics, plus we gush about how good Andrew Nembhard is. Follow us on Twitter! Alex: https://twitter.com/AlexHoops_ Mat: https://twitter.com/matissa15 The Media Pass is a podcast hosted by AlexHoops and Mat Issa providing in-depth coverage of the NBA from the perspective of two established analysts currently working in the industry.

A new NBA Season is here, so we gave our predictions for six breakout player candidates for the 2024-25 NBA season. Follow us on Twitter! Alex: https://twitter.com/AlexHoops_ Mat: https://twitter.com/matissa15 The Media Pass is a podcast hosted by AlexHoops and Mat Issa providing in-depth coverage of the NBA from the perspective of two established analysts currently working in the industry.

The Dallas Mavericks will face the Boston Celtics in the 2024 NBA Finals, so we're here to break down everything leading up to this point and what the series might look like going forward.

The Dallas Mavericks proved that Kyrie Irving and Luka Doncic might just be the greatest backcourt of all time, dominating the Minnesota Timberwolves in 7 games. Jayson Tatum, Jaylen Brown, and the Boston Celtics are continuing their dominant streak of basketball after an incredible regular season, and now they're facing their biggest test yet against the Mavericks.

Follow us on Twitter!

Alex: https://twitter.com/AlexHoops_

Mat: https://twitter.com/matissa15

The Media Pass is a podcast hosted by AlexHoops and Mat Issa providing in-depth coverage of the NBA from the perspective of two established analysts currently working in the industry.

With the 2024 NBA Trade deadline coming up on Thursday and trade rumors flying around the NBA, Alex and Mat each give three quietly underrated trade targets heading into the NBA trade deadline. Some of these NBA trade targets are based on NBA trade rumors, and some are targets that most people aren't talking about. Plus, we answer your questions about the latest NBA trade news. Follow us on Twitter! Alex: https://twitter.com/home Mat: https://twitter.com/matissa15 The Media Pass is a podcast hosted by AlexHoops and Mat Issa providing in-depth coverage of the NBA from the perspective of two established analysts currently working in the industry.

The NBA All-Star break has arrived, so we're here with our Top 10 Points Guards in the NBA! Check out Caitlyn Cooper's Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/basketballshewrote Follow us on Twitter! Alex: https://twitter.com/home Mat: https://twitter.com/matissa15 The Media Pass is a podcast hosted by AlexHoops and Mat Issa providing in-depth coverage of the NBA from the perspective of two established analysts currently working in the industry.

The combo guard position is one of the most unique and understudied player archetypes in the NBA, and in today's episode, AlexHoops and Mat Issa take a look at a pool of 17 players to decide which combo guards are the best in the NBA.

Reference Mat's article here: https://www.basketballinsiders.com/news/nba-study-who-is-the-best-combo-guard-in-the-nba/ The pool of players includes: Tyler Herro Anfernee Simons Malik Monk Jordan Poole Collin Sexton Tyrese Maxey Austin Reaves Coby White Terry Rozier Jaden Hardy Malcolm Brogdon CJ McCollum Eric Gordon Jordan Clarkson Malaki Branham Follow us on Twitter! Alex: https://twitter.com/home Mat: https://twitter.com/matissa15

The Media Pass is a podcast hosted by AlexHoops and Mat Issa providing in-depth coverage of the NBA from the perspective of two established analysts currently working in the industry.

The 2024 NBA trade deadline was full of smaller moves around the edges for a lot of teams, but there was no shortage of impactful moves being made. We saw the Philadelphia 76ers trade for Buddy Hield, the OKC Thunder pull off the Gordon Hayward trade, and the Dallas Mavericks making the PJ Washington trade and the Daniel Gafford trade. In this episode of The Media Pass, Alex and Mat are joined by critically acclaimed NBA writer, play-by-play announcer, producer, and basketball mind Es Baraheni to break down every single trade for the NBA trade deadline.

FOLLOW ES ON TWITTER: https://twitter.com/JustEsBaraheni

Link to Es's work: https://linktr.ee/justesbaraheni Follow us on Twitter! Alex: https://twitter.com/home Mat: https://twitter.com/matissa15 The Media Pass is a podcast hosted by AlexHoops and Mat Issa providing in-depth coverage of the NBA from the perspective of two established analysts currently working in the industry.

In this episode, we tackled one of the debate of who's better between Donovan Mitchell and Devin Booker. These are two high caliber scoring guards that have been frequently compared to one another throughout their careers, and that play relatively similar roles. The Cleveland Cavaliers and Phoenix Suns are both heavy hitting teams this year, so we get to the bottom of what we like and don't like about both Devin Booker and Donovan Mitchell. Follow us on Twitter! Alex: https://twitter.com/home Mat: https://twitter.com/matissa15 The Media Pass is a podcast hosted by AlexHoops and Mat Issa providing in-depth coverage of the NBA from the perspective of two established analysts currently working in the industry.

We're over a week into the 2024-25 NBA Season, so we're here with our overreactions!

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Alex: https://twitter.com/AlexHoops_

Mat: https://twitter.com/matissa15

The Media Pass is a podcast hosted by AlexHoops and Mat Issa providing in-depth coverage of the NBA from the perspective of two established analysts currently working in the industry.

Chapters:

00:00 Intro

1:55 Is Tom Brady a good commentator?

7:00 Answering Your Question(s)

13:06 Overreactions/Underreactions

15:00 Pump the Brakes on Cam Thomas

22:00 The Phoenix Suns Are... Good?

31:10 The Cleveland Cavaliers Aren't Quite There

40:00 Thank you to our sponsor!

41:31 The Timberwolves Are Going to Be Fine

51:35 Is Tyrese Haliburton Cooked?

59:20 LaMelo Ball Top 20 Player?

1:04:15 Jordan Poole Check-In

1:07:45 Outro/Thank You!

We put together our NBA power rankings as we head into the final stretch of the 2023-24 NBA season. The Boston Celtics look like they're the team to beat, but teams like the Minnesota Timberwolves and OKC Thunder are trying to prove themselves as legitimate contenders. Meanwhile, the defending champion Denver Nuggets are trying to bounce back after a rough month or two, and the Los Angeles Clippers continue to roll. So who's gonna be left on the outside looking in heading into the postseason? Follow us on Twitter! Alex: https://twitter.com/home Mat: https://twitter.com/matissa15Check out Joe Hulbert's work: https://twitter.com/JoeHulbertNBA The Media Pass is a podcast hosted by AlexHoops and Mat Issa providing in-depth coverage of the NBA from the perspective of two established analysts currently working in the industry.

Zach LaVine and the Chicago Bulls are finally going their separate ways, and with that, the Bulls set themselves up to be one of the NBA's biggest sellers at the trade deadline. Mat and Alex go through their four main pieces to see who fits best where, and the implications this situation has for the rest of the NBA. Follow us on Twitter! Alex: https://twitter.com/home Mat: https://twitter.com/matissa15 The Media Pass is a podcast hosted by AlexHoops and Mat Issa providing in-depth coverage of the NBA from the perspective of two established analysts currently working in the industry.

The Boston Celtics won game 1 of the 2024 NBA Finals, with dominant performances from Kristaps Porzingis and Jaylen Brown. So we dove into how they did it, and whether or not the Dallas Mavericks have what it takes to make this a series.

Follow us on Twitter!

Alex: https://twitter.com/AlexHoops_

Mat: https://twitter.com/matissa15

The Media Pass is a podcast hosted by AlexHoops and Mat Issa providing in-depth coverage of the NBA from the perspective of two established analysts currently working in the industry.

#NBAFinals #BostonCeltics #KristapsPorzingis

With the NBA season coming to a close, it's time to pick our 2024 All-Rookie Teams! There's the obvious choices of guys like Victor Wembanyama, Chet Holmgren, and Brandon Miller, but who else is a given? Where do guys like Ausar Thompson, Brandin Podziemski, and Jordan Hawkins factor in? We cover all that and more in this episode of The Media Pass! Follow us on Twitter! Alex: https://twitter.com/AlexHoops_ Mat: https://twitter.com/matissa15 Subscribe to Alex on YouTube! https://youtube.com/@alexhoops The Media Pass is a basketball podcast hosted by AlexHoops and Mat Issa providing in-depth coverage of the NBA from the perspective of two established analysts currently working in the industry. The two break down basketball x's and o's, basketball analysis, and much more.

The 2024 NBA All-Star Game is right around the corner, so on this episode of The Media Pass, Mat Issa and AlexHoops go through and choose their picks for who they think deserve to make the NBA All-Star game. There are the obvious picks like Nikola Jokic, Joel Embiid, Giannis Antetokounmpo, Luka Doncic, and players of that caliber that we know are going to be easy picks to make it. But will players like Anthony Edwards and Tyrese Maxey make our ballots? Will Jalen Brunson receive his first selection? Will Trae Young be snubbed yet again? Follow us on Twitter! Alex: https://twitter.com/home Mat: https://twitter.com/matissa15 The Media Pass is a podcast hosted by AlexHoops and Mat Issa providing in-depth coverage of the NBA from the perspective of two established analysts currently working in the industry.

The new NBA season is here, so we covered the latest Victor Wembanyama breakout, the James Harden trade, and three takes each on the first week of the season so far!

Follow us on Twitter!

Alex: https://twitter.com/home

Mat: https://twitter.com/matissa15

The Media Pass is a podcast hosted by AlexHoops and Mat Issa providing in-depth coverage of the NBA from the perspective of two established analysts currently working in the industry.

We put together our preseason NBA Power Rankings for the 2024-25 NBA Season!

Follow us on Twitter!

Alex: https://twitter.com/AlexHoops_

Mat: https://twitter.com/matissa15

The Media Pass is a podcast hosted by AlexHoops and Mat Issa providing in-depth coverage of the NBA from the perspective of two established analysts currently working in the industry.

The 2020 NBA Draft was quietly one of the better drafts in recent NBA history, so in this episode of The Media Pass, Mat Issa and AlexHoops give their takes on what a 2020 redraft would look like based on everything that we know now. Would Anthony Edwards still have been drafted #1 overall by the Minnesota Timberwolves? Would Tyrese Haliburton have fallen all the way to the Sacramento Kings? Do the Charlotte Hornets still take LaMelo Ball at #3 or do the Warriors snatch him up first? 2020 NBA Draft Order for reference: 1. Minnesota Timberwolves draft Anthony Edwards 2. Warriors draft James Wiseman 3. Charlotte Hornets draft LaMelo Ball 4. Bulls draft Patrick Williams 5. Cavaliers draft Isaac Okoro 6. Hawks draft Onyeka Okongwu 7. Pistons draft Killian Hayes 8. Knicks draft Obi Toppin 9. Wizards draft Deni Avdija 10. Suns draft Jalen Smith 11. Spurs draft Devin Vassell 12. Kings draft Tyrese Haliburton 13. Pelicans draft Kira Lewis Jr. 14. Celtics draft Aaron Nesmith 15. Magic draft Cole Anthony 16. Trail Blazers draft Isaiah Stewart 17. Timberwolves draft Aleksej Pokusevski 18. Mavericks draft Josh Green 19. Nets draft Saddiq Bey 20. Heat draft Precious Achiuwa 21. 76ers draft Tyrese Maxey 22. Nuggets draft Zeke Nnaji 23. Knicks draft Leandro Bolmaro 24. Bucks draft RJ Hampton 25. Thunder draft Immanuel Quickley 26. Celtics draft Payton Pritchard 27. Jazz draft Udoka Azubuike 28. Lakers draft Jaden McDaniels 29. Raptors draft Malachi Flynn 30. Celtics draft Desmond Bane Follow us on Twitter! Alex: https://twitter.com/home Mat: https://twitter.com/matissa15 The Media Pass is a podcast hosted by AlexHoops and Mat Issa providing in-depth coverage of the NBA from the perspective of two established analysts currently working in the industry.

With the 2024 NBA Playoffs right around the corner, we each gave 3 wildcards that we think will either disappoint or surprise a lot of people in the postseason this year. Follow us on Twitter! Alex: https://twitter.com/AlexHoops_ Mat: https://twitter.com/matissa15 The Media Pass is a podcast hosted by AlexHoops and Mat Issa providing in-depth coverage of the NBA from the perspective of two established analysts currently working in the industry.

The non-shooting wing/forward is one of the most difficult player archetypes to make work in the modern NBA. But with players like Aaron Gordon thriving for the Denver Nuggets, the blueprint is there assuming you have the talent around to make them work.But with players like Jarred Vanderbilt, what do they need to do in order to be successful? Can guys like Ausar Thompson find a place in the league despite lacking a jump shot in today's era that's so heavily focused on spacing? Follow us on Twitter! Alex: https://twitter.com/home Mat: https://twitter.com/matissa15 The Media Pass is a podcast hosted by AlexHoops and Mat Issa providing in-depth coverage of the NBA from the perspective of two established analysts currently working in the industry.

Our picks for the most underrated players in the NBA this season! Mat Issa and Alex Hoops sit down to go over guys that may not put up the biggest statlines or even play more than 15 minutes a night, but have no shortage of impact on helping their team win games. We went over how Donte DiVincenzo has been helping the New York Knicks string together wins despite the absence of Julius Randle for an extended stretch this season, as well as how Kentavious Caldwell-Pope continues to be an integral part of the Denver Nuggets trying to go back-to-back for another championship. With how good the Los Angeles Clippers have been, it's hard to ignore how Ivica Zubac contributes on a nightly basis alongside James Harden in their pick-and-roll heavy offense. The OKC Thunder wouldn't be where they are currently if it wasn't for the help of Aaron Wiggins, and he's only been playing 15 minutes per game and occasionally won't even play! The Cleveland Cavaliers are surging as well, and you can see how Max Strus helps elevate them to new heights despite questionable three point numbers. And lastly, the Boston Celtics have been pound for pound the best team in the NBA, yet somehow, Kristaps Porzingis wasn't an All-Star despite having All-Star caliber numbers and All-Star caliber impact. Follow us on Twitter! Alex: https://twitter.com/home Mat: https://twitter.com/matissa15 The Media Pass is a podcast hosted by AlexHoops and Mat Issa providing in-depth coverage of the NBA from the perspective of two established analysts currently working in the industry.

With the 2023-24 NBA Season wrapping up, and the All-Defensive Teams right around the corner, we took a look at who we consider to be the top 3 guard, wing, and big defenders in the NBA right now! Follow us on Twitter! Alex: https://twitter.com/AlexHoops_ Mat: https://twitter.com/matissa15 The Media Pass is a podcast hosted by AlexHoops and Mat Issa providing in-depth coverage of the NBA from the perspective of two established analysts currently working in the industry.

In this episode of The Media Pass, Alex and Mat cover the biggest overperforming and underperforming NBA teams to start the season. Follow us on Twitter! Alex: https://twitter.com/home Mat: https://twitter.com/matissa15 The Media Pass is a podcast hosted by AlexHoops and Mat Issa providing in-depth coverage of the NBA from the perspective of two established analysts currently working in the industry.

The Conference Finals have arrived in the 2024 NBA Playoffs! Join us in The Media Pass as we cover the Minnesota Timberwolves and Anthony Edwards facing off against the Dallas Mavericks and Luka Doncic in the Western Conference Finals matchup. In the Eastern Conference Finals, Jayson Tatum and the Boston Celtics look to take down Tyrese Haliburton and the Indiana Pacers after the Celtics were bested by the Pacers in the In-Season Tournament. Follow us on Twitter! Alex: https://twitter.com/AlexHoops_ Mat: https://twitter.com/matissa15 The Media Pass is a podcast hosted by Alex Hoops and Mat Issa providing in-depth coverage of the NBA from the perspective of two established analysts currently working in the industry.

There are always players every year that can make or break an NBA teams chances of contending for a title. So Alex and Mat looked at three players each that we think have the ability to swing the title odds in a teams favor. Follow us on Twitter! Alex: https://twitter.com/home Mat: https://twitter.com/matissa15 The Media Pass is a podcast hosted by AlexHoops and Mat Issa providing in-depth coverage of the NBA from the perspective of two established analysts currently working in the industry.