Learning Basketball

Ryan Kaminski @BeyondTheRK
  • 5.0 (6)
  • Basketball
  • Updated Semiweekly

Learn about NBA basketball and NBA Draft prospects from experts, scouts, analysts, writers, reporters, coaches, players, front office execs, and fans! Every episode of Learning Basketball has the goal of teaching listeners something new about hoops as Host Ryan Kaminski @BeyondTheRK takes listeners behind the scenes to study teambuilding strategy, concepts on the floor, scouting draft prospects on the rise, covering teams around the NBA, and evaluating player development in the gym. A podcast from Swish Theory. Follow @BeyondTheRK on YouTube + Twitter & Subscribe for FREE Substack Newsletter

  1. 2d ago

    Bandwagon to Ballhalla: Valkyries' Gabby Williams, Veronica Burton, Natalie Nakase Path to 2026 WNBA Finals with Kevin Danna – Best Crowd Pop in Sports? Golden State’s Expansion Success, Dream Keys

    Ep. 158 𝐋𝐞𝐚𝐫𝐧𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐁𝐚𝐬𝐤𝐞𝐭𝐛𝐚𝐥𝐥 w/ Kevin Danna! @KevinDannaPxP@SwishTheory @BeyondTheRK Bandwagon to Ballhalla: Valkyries' Gabby Williams, Veronica Burton, Natalie Nakase Path to 2026 WNBA Finals with Kevin Danna – Best Crowd Pop in Sports? Golden State’s Expansion Success, Deterring Bueckers, Defeating A’ja, Dream Keys Timeline: 0:00 – Best Crowd Pop in Sports? 1:30 — Introduction and Valkyries-Dream Finals Preview 6:00 — Kevin Danna’s path into play-by-play 8:00 — Ballhalla crowd and fan culture 11:00 — Golden State Valkyries Expansion Success Story 15:00 — Building the Valkyries Expansion Team roster 19:00 — Team Identity: defense, effort, intensity 22:00 — Natalie Nakase’s coaching influence 24:00 — Deterring Paige Bueckers in Round 1 28:00 — Pivotal comeback sparked by Veronica Burton & Gabby Williams’ clutch play 32:00 — Gabby Williams’ defensive, offensive, and overall impact 38:00 — How did the Valkyries Sweep A’ja Wilson’s Aces? 41:00 — Veronica Burton’s all-around value 46:00 — 6th Player of the Year Janelle Salaün and underrated players 50:00 — Dream-Valkyries 2026 WNBA Finals Preview, Biggest Swing Factors, Key Matchups

  2. Oct 10

    Franz Wagner’s Impact, Sean Sweeney’s Organization, Blueprints to Orlando Magic Contender with Josh Cohen – Anthony Black's Contract Extension Year, Breakout Magic Role Players, 2026-27 Season Outlook

    Ep. 157 𝐋𝐞𝐚𝐫𝐧𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐁𝐚𝐬𝐤𝐞𝐭𝐛𝐚𝐥𝐥 w/ Josh Cohen! @Josh_Cohen_NBA@SwishTheory @BeyondTheRK Franz Wagner’s Impact, Sean Sweeney’s Organization, Blueprints to Orlando Magic Contender with Josh Cohen – Anthony Black's Contract Extension Year, Breakout Magic Role Players, 2026-27 Season Outlook Timeline:00:00 — Franz Wagner’s endurance, late-game impact, and two-way workload 01:45 — Early impressions of Orlando’s preseason opener 02:25 — Sean Sweeney’s impact 14:00 — Rebuilding Orlando’s offensive identity 15:00 — Spain P&R Film Breakdown: One play that best utilizes Franz, Paolo, Bane, and shooters together 27:00 — Tristan da Silva’s role and shooting upside 32:00 — Nikola Vucevic’s fit as a floor-spacing backup big 41:00 — Franz Wagner’s next level: playmaking, scoring, conditioning, and defense 55:00 — The Playtype Orlando could sneakily dominate next year 60:00 — Anthony Black’s development, role, and defensive upside in contract extension year 72:00 — Re-establishing Orlando’s defensive identity: pressure, turnovers, and transition opportunities 75:00 — Jase Richardson’s point guard skills, shooting, and rotation case vs Jevon Carter 85:00 — Noah Penda’s defensive versatility and the importance of his three-point shot in frontcourt battle with da Silva 96:00 — Eastern Conference outlook, contender matchups, and Orlando’s playoff goals 119:00 — Closing thoughts on the Magic’s potential season outlook

  3. Oct 7

    How Many "LeBrons" Should One Team Have? Twin Theory of NBA Roster Building + NBA Draft Scouting Tips with Nile Hoops – How to Evaluate Prospects, How Teams Build Lineups, Orlando Magic, Eric Bledsoe

    Ep. 156 𝐋𝐞𝐚𝐫𝐧𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐁𝐚𝐬𝐤𝐞𝐭𝐛𝐚𝐥𝐥 w/ Nile! @NileHoops @SwishTheory @BeyondTheRK How Many "LeBrons" Should One Team Have? Twin Theory of NBA Roster Building + NBA Draft Scouting Tips with Nile Hoops – How to Evaluate Prospects, How Teams Build Lineups, Orlando Magic, Eric Bledsoe Timeline:00:00 Twin Theory and player synergy 05:27 Team identity, archetypes, and roster fit 11:29 When overlapping skills work and when they don’t 17:22 Building lineups around complementary player types 23:23 The Orlando Magic’s team-building philosophy 32:27 What made Eric Bledsoe such a special talent? 38:00 Fedor Žugić and Santa Clara’s roster outlook 41:57 Draft scouting: recognizing winning player profiles 54:23 Favorite rookie fits and Toronto’s defensive potential

  4. Oct 3

    Appreciating Breanna Stewart's Greatness, How 8-Seed Liberty Upset 1-seed Lynx, Nets Media Day with Lucas Kaplan – Keys to NYL/ATL Series, Mikel Brown Jr. Upside, Mo Wagner Energy, Julius Randle Nets

    Ep. 155 Learning Basketball with Lucas Kaplan @LucasKaplan_ @SwishTheory Appreciating Breanna Stewart's Greatness, How 8-Seed Liberty Upset 1-seed Lynx, Nets Media Day with Lucas Kaplan – Keys to NYL/ATL Series, Mikel Brown Jr. Upside, Mo Wagner Energy, Julius Randle Nets Timestamps:00:00 — What makes Breanna Stewart such a uniquely effective player 02:24 — Introduction and WNBA playoff context 03:31 — How the Liberty’s culture and defense fuel their playoff run 05:07 — Why Stewart’s impact can be overlooked 08:13 — Stewart’s all-around statistical profile and NBA comparisons 11:52 — The value of Stewart’s motor and versatility 15:12 — Jonquel Jones’s two-way impact and evolution as a scorer 20:40 — How the Liberty’s system and rotation are working in the playoffs 23:05 — Creating mismatches for Jonquel Jones 24:51 — Liberty–Dream series preview, including the Angel Reese matchup 27:43 — Sabrina Ionescu's role in protecting the ball against Atlanta 29:50 — Brooklyn Nets media-day speed round 30:25 — Mikel Brown Jr.’s upside and fit with the Nets 33:14 — Egor’s rookie season and development outlook 37:36 — Danny Wolf’s role, scoring growth, and defense 40:53 — Mo Wagner and Julius Randle’s veteran presence 44:30 — The Nets’ developing core and long-term direction 48:58 — Closing thoughts and where to follow Lucas Kaplan

  5. Sep 24

    How Caitlin Clark, Kelsey Mitchell, Aliyah Boston Spark Explosive Indiana Fever + Pacers Reloading as Haliburton Healthy with Tony East – Awards, Playoffs, Expectations, Zubac's fit, Pacers Rookies

    Ep. 154 Learning Basketball with Tony East @TonyREast @SwishTheory How Caitlin Clark, Kelsey Mitchell, Aliyah Boston Spark Explosive Indiana Fever + Pacers Reloading as Haliburton Healthy with Tony East – Awards, Playoffs, Expectations, Zubac's fit, Pacers Rookies Timestamps:00:00 What makes Caitlin Clark and Kelsey Mitchell such a lethal tandem? 03:16 Introduction and guest welcome 03:47 Indiana Fever playoff outlook and seeding 08:05 Why Clark and Mitchell are such a difficult offensive pairing 11:23 Aliyah Boston’s two-way impact and award case 19:17 Caitlin Clark’s development and the impact of FIBA play 22:05 Fever playoff variables, role players, and the wider WNBA field 25:22 Indiana Pacers expectations with Tyrese Haliburton returning 29:13 Roster fit, depth, and the Zubac addition 32:30 Pacers rookies and developmental prospects 36:26 Why Indiana’s style is more than just finding another Haliburton-type guard 40:10 Under-the-radar Pacers and Fever players to watch 42:51 Closing thoughts on Indiana basketball

  6. Sep 17

    Kawhi Trade Official, Raptors Dynamic Defense with Es Baraheni – Kawhi’s Fit in Toronto, Darko’s Rajakovic’s Belief in Scottie Barnes’ Star Trajectory, Collin Murray-Boyles & Allen Graves Bench Depth

    Ep. 153 Learning Basketball with Es Baraheni @JustEsBaraheni @SwishTheory Kawhi Trade Official, Raptors Dynamic Defense with Es Baraheni – Kawhi’s Fit in Toronto, Darko’s Rajakovic’s Belief in Scottie Barnes’ Star Trajectory, Collin Murray-Boyles & Allen Graves Bench Depth Timeline:00:00 — Raptors’ defensive identity and Kawhi’s fit 02:16 — Show introduction and guest welcome 02:47 — Kawhi’s return to Toronto and the fan reaction 12:14 — Trade details, roster construction, and Kawhi’s on-court fit 25:04 — Scottie Barnes’ development and Darko Rajaković’s belief in him 32:32 — Allen Graves’ role, shooting, and defensive upside 38:56 — Guard rotation: Immanuel Quickley and Jamal Shead 42:52 — Remaining roster needs: center, creation, and the Sabonis discussion 48:24 — League-wide trends in size, skill, rebounding, and how teams counter Wembanyama 62:56 — Closing thoughts

  7. Sep 14

    NBA Bans Ballmer + How Kawhi Fiasco Hurts Clippers Fans Most with Grant Mona – LAC’s Franchise Outlook after Trading for Darius Garland & Brandon Ingram, Why Frank & Redden Drafted Keaton Wagler

    Ep. 152 Learning Basketball with Grant Mona @GMona48 @SwishTheory NBA Bans Ballmer + How Kawhi Fiasco Hurts Clippers Fans Most with Grant Mona – LAC’s Franchise Outlook after Trading for Darius Garland & Brandon Ingram, Why Frank & Redden Drafted Keaton Wagler Timeline: 00:00 Introduction & Background 02:00 Breaking down Los Angeles Clippers’ punishment from NBA 08:00 Is this enough penalty to deter future violations? 14:00 The Clippers’ new roster direction with Garland & Wagler 22:00 Why the Clippers drafted Keaton Wagler #5 overall 26:00 Why Ballmer’s Clippers did this to land Kawhi 33:00 Wildest details from Kawhi/Balmer/NBA investigation 38:00 What comes next for Kawhi, Clippers, Fans

  8. Sep 10

    How Giannis + Spoelstra = Miami Heat’s Cheat Code with Brady Hawk – Fit & Chemistry between Antetokounmpo and Bam Adebayo, projecting Klay Thompson’s role, Heat’s Biggest X-Factors

    Ep. 151 Learning Basketball with Brady Hawk @BradyHawk305 How Giannis + Spoelstra is Miami Heat’s Cheat Code with Brady Hawk – Fit & Chemistry between Antetokounmpo and Bam Adebayo, projecting Klay Thompson’s role, Heat’s Biggest X-Factors Timestamps: 0:00 — Introduction & Background 3:00 — Instant Reaction to Giannis Antetokounmpo joining the Miami Heat 6:00 —  Giannis and Bam Adebayo Chemistry 9:00 — Offensive Strategies – X’s & O’s 12:00 — Player Roles and Expectations 15:00 — Depth Concerns and Injury Implications 18:00 — Expectations for upcoming 2026-27 Season 30:00 — Analyzing Miami Heat’s Playoff Potential 33:00 — How Giannis and Bam Define Heat’s Next Era 36:00 — New-look Offense – Inverted Screening ?  39:00 — Nikola Jovic, X-Factor for Miami 43:00 — Andrew Wiggins’s much-needed value for team 49:00 — Predictions for Heat’s 2026-27 NBA Season @SwishTheory

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Ratings & Reviews

5
out of 5
6 Ratings

About

Learn about NBA basketball and NBA Draft prospects from experts, scouts, analysts, writers, reporters, coaches, players, front office execs, and fans! Every episode of Learning Basketball has the goal of teaching listeners something new about hoops as Host Ryan Kaminski @BeyondTheRK takes listeners behind the scenes to study teambuilding strategy, concepts on the floor, scouting draft prospects on the rise, covering teams around the NBA, and evaluating player development in the gym. A podcast from Swish Theory. Follow @BeyondTheRK on YouTube + Twitter & Subscribe for FREE Substack Newsletter

Information

  • Creator
    Ryan Kaminski @BeyondTheRK
  • Years Active
    2024 - 2026
  • Episodes
    159
  • Rating
    Explicit
  • Copyright
    © Ryan Kaminski @BeyondTheRK
  • Show Website
    Learning Basketball

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