NBA Draft Junkies Podcast

James Barlowe, Rafael Barlowe
  • 5.0 (6)
  • Basketball
  • Updated Weekly

Hosted by brothers Rafael and James Barlowe, the NBA Draft Junkies Podcast delivers sharp, unfiltered insight into the world of NBA Draft prospects and beyond. With years of scouting experience and a deep passion for player development, the Barlowe brothers break down film, evaluate future stars, and offer unique perspectives you won’t find anywhere else. From high school standouts to international risers, this is your go-to source for all things NBA Draft

  1. 9h ago

    Rookie Report Vol. 4: Aday Mara & Bennett Stirtz Shine, AJ Dybantsa Impresses

    It's time for NBA Draft Junkies Rookie Report Vol. 4, as Rafael and James continue breaking down the early performances of the 2026 NBA rookie class. The Oklahoma City Thunder rookies are making plenty of noise this preseason. Aday Mara delivered another impressive all-around performance against Atlanta, finishing with 17 points, 10 rebounds, six assists and four blocks. Meanwhile, Bennett Stirtz led Oklahoma City with 26 points, four rebounds and five assists.  Rafael and James discuss whether the Thunder may have found two more valuable pieces for their already talented roster. On the other side, Kingston Flemings helped lead the Atlanta Hawks to victory, contributing seven points and seven assists. The conversation then shifts to No. 1 overall pick AJ Dybantsa, who recorded 14 points, four rebounds, three assists, one steal and one block in 25 minutes against Brooklyn. They'll also revisit Caleb Wilson's strong Sunday performance, when he finished with 17 points, five assists, four rebounds and a block. Finally, Rafael and James close with a bonus discussion about Rob Dillingham, following Rafael's recent article that sparked plenty of debate on social media. They'll examine the reactions, the questions surrounding Dillingham's NBA future and what his situation says about evaluating young players. #NBADraftJunkies #RookieReport #2026NBADraft #NBARookies #AdayMara #BennettStirtz #OKCThunder #KingstonFlemings #AJDybantsa #CalebWilson #RobDillingham #AtlantaHawks #NBAPreseason #NBADraft #NBAScouting

  2. 1d ago

    Sunday Rundown: Boozer vs. Wilson, Darius Acuff Shines & Duke's New Star

    The Barlowe brothers are back! After hotel connection issues in Atlanta forced Rafael and James to postpone their usual Friday Rundown, NBA Draft Junkies Live returns for a special Sunday edition. The brothers start with one of the most anticipated rookie matchups of the preseason, as former teammates Cameron Boozer and Caleb Wilson, the third and fourth picks in the 2026 NBA Draft, squared off in Chicago. Rafael and James share their scouting takeaways from the matchup before discussing Darius Acuff's big performance and the steady, consistent play of Dallas Mavericks rookie Sergio De Larrea. The conversation then shifts to grassroots basketball and the introduction of the Atlas High School International League, a new competition bringing together teams from Europe and the United States. Finally, Rafael and James dive into the college basketball preseason, including Joaquim Boumtje Boumtje's Duke debut as a projected top prospect in the 2028 NBA Draft, and the North Carolina-USC secret scrimmage featuring Alijah Arenas and Neoklis Avdalas. From NBA rookies to international prospects and college basketball, the Barlowe brothers have plenty to catch up on in this special Sunday Rundown! #NBADraftJunkies #NBADraft #2026NBADraft #2028NBADraft #CameronBoozer #CalebWilson #DariusAcuff #DallasMavericks #DukeBasketball #UNCbasketball #USCBasketball #AlijahArenas #NeoklisAvdalas #CollegeBasketball #NBARookies #NBAScouting #BasketballProspects

  3. 4d ago

    Rookie Report Vol. 3: Dybantsa's First Look, Wilson's Flashes & Flemings Impresses

    It's time for NBA Draft Junkies Rookie Report Vol. 3, as Rafael and James continue evaluating the 2026 NBA Draft class during the preseason. The biggest headline is the debut of No. 1 overall pick AJ Dybantsa, who finished with 11 points, two rebounds, two assists and four steals in 23 minutes. They'll also take a deeper look at Caleb Wilson's 15 point performance on Wednesday night and Brayden Burries' impressive 16 point, five assist outing, including why James believes the Bucks should make Burries a featured part of their offense. The discussion then shifts to Thursday night's games, where Chris Cenac Jr. recorded seven points, eight rebounds and four blocks but struggled with his efficiency on 13 shot attempts.  Meleek Thomas scored 11 points in his debut, while Kingston Flemings impressed with 15 points and five assists on 6-of-8 shooting in his hometown of San Antonio. Which rookies are already showing signs that their games will translate to the NBA, and what should we take away from these early performances? #NBADraftJunkies #RookieReport #2026NBADraft #AJDybantsa #BraydenBurries #CalebWilson #KingstonFlemings #ChrisCenacJr #MeleekThomas #MilwaukeeBucks #FearTheDeer #NBARookies #NBAPreseason #NBA #NBADraft #NBAProspects #NBAScouting

  4. 5d ago

    Rookie Report Vol. 2: Darryn Peterson Bounces Back! Did the Rich Just Get Richer in OKC?

    It's another edition of the NBA Draft Junkies Rookie Report, as Rafael and James break down the latest preseason performances from the 2026 NBA Draft class. Darryn Peterson responded to a disappointing debut with 23 points, three rebounds and three assists, while Golden State's Yaxel Lendeborg led the Warriors with 17 points and nine rebounds in his second outing. But the biggest storyline might be in Oklahoma City, where Aday Mara  and Bennett Stirtz have made impressive early contributions. Mara  has opened the preseason with consecutive perfect shooting performances, including 22 points on 10-10 shooting tonight vs the Bucks, while Stirtz has delivered backto back 15 point games. The episode also covers Cameron Boozer's latest performance for Memphis, where he finished with 16 points, six rebounds and two assists against Orlando. #NBADraftJunkies #RookieReport #2026NBADraft #NBARookies #DarrynPeterson #YaxelLendeborg #CameronBoozer #BennettStirtz #OKCThunder #ThunderUp #GoldenStateWarriors #DubNation #MemphisGrizzlies #NBA #NBAPreseason #NBADraft #NBAScouting #NBAProspects

  5. 6d ago

    2026 NBA Rookies Make Their Preseason Debuts: Our First Impressions

    The 2026 NBA Draft class is getting its first taste of NBA preseason basketball, and it's time for some early reactions. Rafael and James break down Darius Acuff's 19-point performance against the Lakers, Cameron Carr's 19 points in 22 minutes off the bench, Darryn Peterson's six point debut, Keaton Wagler's 15 points on 15 shots, Yaxel Lendeborg's 1-6 shooting night and Kingston Flemings' first game as a starting point guard. They'll also discuss the instant offense provided by Ebuka Okorie and check in on Bucks rookies Brayden Burries and Nate Ament.  #NBARookies #2026NBADraft #DariusAcuff #CameronCarr #DarrynPeterson #KeatonWagler #YaxelLendeborg #KingstonFlemings #EbukaOkorie #BraydenBurries #NateAment #NBA #NBAPreseason #NBADraft #NBADraftJunkies #NBAProspects #RookieWatch #NBAScouting #Basketball #NBADraftAnalysis

  6. Oct 6

    LOST FILES: Duren Gets PAID, Knecht in Trouble, Hawkins Cut & Luke Paul to Duke

    It's time for another NBA Draft Junkies Friday Rundown, as Rafael and James recap some of the biggest stories from across the basketball world. Jalen Duren's long contract standoff with Detroit is finally over after the Pistons agreed to a five-year, $200 million deal just before the deadline.   Meanwhile, Dalton Knecht's future with the Lakers has become uncertain amid reports that he could be the odd man out as Los Angeles gets down to its final opening night roster, raising questions about how quickly things changed for a player who appeared to land in an ideal situation on draft night. Then there's Jordan Hawkins, the No. 14 pick in the 2023 NBA Draft, who was waived by Memphis after recently being acquired from New Orleans.  Rafael and James discuss what the situations with Knecht and Hawkins tell us about opportunity, development and how little patience NBA teams can have with young players ,and whether Knecht's situation should change how we think about the perceived safety of drafting older prospects. The show then shifts to the next generation, with the Border League in Las Vegas providing an early look at some of the country's top high school prospects before finishing with Australian point guard Luke Paul, who has committed to Duke after his current season with Cairns in the NBL Next Stars program. #NBADraftJunkies #FridayRundown #JalenDuren #DetroitPistons #Pistons #DaltonKnecht #Lakers #LakeShow #JordanHawkins #MemphisGrizzlies #Grizzlies #NBA #NBADraft #LukePaul #DukeBasketball #DukeMBB #GoDuke #NBL #NBLNextStars #BorderLeague #BorderLeague2026 #HighSchoolBasketball #GrassrootsBasketball #BasketballRecruiting #NBAProspects #BasketballNews

  7. Oct 6

    2026 Border League Recap: Who Stood Out in Las Vegas?

    The Border League gives scouts and basketball fans one of their first opportunities each fall to see some of the country's top high school prospects competing with their teams after an offseason of development. In this episode, Rafael and James recap the 2026 Border League in Las Vegas, discussing the players who impressed them, prospects who may have raised their stock and some of the biggest takeaways from the weekend. They share their thoughts on Beckham Black, Yann Kamagate, Benji Berreout, DeMarcus Henry, Josiah Rose and more, while looking at what has changed in their games and which performances could be signs of a breakout season. #BorderLeague #BorderLeague2026 #BeckhamBlack #YannKamagate #BenjiBerreout #DeMarcusHenry #JosiahRose #HighSchoolBasketball #HighSchoolHoops #GrassrootsBasketball #BasketballRecruiting #NBAProspects #NBADraftProspects #NBADraftJunkies #BasketballScouting #LasVegas #PrepBasketball

  8. Oct 2

    Is Matt Able This Year’s NBA Draft Breakout Prospect?

    Matt Able showed enough as a freshman at NC State to put himself on the NBA radar, and a strong pre draft process only added to the intrigue before he ultimately returned to college. Now the sophomore transfers across the state to North Carolina, where he'll play for former NBA championship coach Mike Malone and have an opportunity to turn last year's flashes into consistent production. Rafael and James break down Able's strengths, concerns and NBA projection, while James explains why he's particularly high on the UNC sophomore and believes the consensus may be significantly underrating him entering the season.  Could Matt Able become one of the biggest breakout prospects in the 2027 NBA Draft? #MattAble #UNC #UNCBasketball #TarHeels #GoHeels #CarolinaBasketball #2027NBADraft #NBADraft #NBADraft2027 #NBADraftJunkies #NBAProspects #NBADraftProspects #NBAScouting #MikeMalone #NCState #CollegeBasketball #CollegeHoops #ACCBasketball #BasketballScouting #NBADraftAnalysis #DraftProspects

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Ratings & Reviews

5
out of 5
6 Ratings

About

Hosted by brothers Rafael and James Barlowe, the NBA Draft Junkies Podcast delivers sharp, unfiltered insight into the world of NBA Draft prospects and beyond. With years of scouting experience and a deep passion for player development, the Barlowe brothers break down film, evaluate future stars, and offer unique perspectives you won’t find anywhere else. From high school standouts to international risers, this is your go-to source for all things NBA Draft

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