Shows
The RapcastThe Definitive Raptors Season Review w/ Samson & LouisSamson Folk & Louis Zatzman get together for their annual jumbo pod to recap the Raptors season. 0:00 - Introductions0:50 - The Team Culture2:30 - Scottie Barnes the team leader6:44 - Coach Darko30:55 - Scottie Barnes47:55 - Immanuel Quickley58:55 - RJ Barrett1:06:25 - Jakob Poeltl1:18:22 - Gradey Dick1:30:05 - Ja'Kobe Walter1:38:20 - Jonathan Mogbo1:44:03 - Jamal Shead1:51:53 - Ochai Agbaji2025-04-222h 18The RapcastThe Definitive Raptors Season Review w/ Samson & LouisSamson Folk & Louis Zatzman get together for their annual jumbo pod to recap the Raptors season. 0:00 - Introductions0:50 - The Team Culture2:30 - Scottie Barnes the team leader6:44 - Coach Darko30:55 - Scottie Barnes47:55 - Immanuel Quickley58:55 - RJ Barrett1:06:25 - Jakob Poeltl1:18:22 - Gradey Dick1:30:05 - Ja'Kobe Walter1:38:20 - Jonathan Mogbo1:44:03 - Jamal Shead1:51:53 - Ochai Agbaji2025-04-222h 18The RapcastMaking Sense of the Raptors Backcourt w/ Samson & LouisSamson Folk & Louis Zatzman discuss the latest in the Raptors realm. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.2025-03-011h 16The RapcastMaking Sense of the Raptors Backcourt w/ Samson & LouisSamson Folk & Louis Zatzman discuss the latest in the Raptors realm. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.2025-03-011h 16The RapcastAre the Raptors on the right track? - Samson's Mailbag w/ LouisSamson Folk is joined by Louis Zatzman to answer listener questions and check in on how the Raptors season is going so far.Don't forget to like, comment and share the video.Please Support Our Sponsors!Sober Carpenter: https://sobercarpenter.com/0:00 - Introductions1:30 - Are the Raptors on the right track?8:40 - Projecting players onto good teams16:35 - Fandom20:18 - Olynyk/Brown/Boucher trades24:45 - Scottie as a roll man 32:45...2024-12-2154 minThe RapcastAre the Raptors on the right track? - Samson's Mailbag w/ LouisSamson Folk is joined by Louis Zatzman to answer listener questions and check in on how the Raptors season is going so far.Don't forget to like, comment and share the video.Please Support Our Sponsors!Sober Carpenter: https://sobercarpenter.com/0:00 - Introductions1:30 - Are the Raptors on the right track?8:40 - Projecting players onto good teams16:35 - Fandom20:18 - Olynyk/Brown/Boucher trades24:45 - Scottie as a roll man 32:45...2024-12-2154 min
Locked On Raptors - Daily Podcast On The Toronto RaptorsToronto Raptors make their big bet on Scottie Barnes & Immanuel Quickley | Are they really done making roster moves? w/ Louis ZatzmanIn Episode 1673, Sean Woodley is joined by Louis Zatzman (Raptors Republic) to talk about the Toronto Raptors' press conference announcing the new deals for Scottie Barnes and Immanuel Quickley, why it seems like they're done making roster moves for the summer, and just how bad the Raptors want to be in 2024-25. Off the top, Sean and Louis dig into the Raptors declaration that the future starts now, and discuss how much belief they each have in the Raptors getting rewarded for their belief in their leading duo, and their different levels in belief that Quickley can be the...2024-07-0942 minThe RapcastTHE DEFINITIVE SEASON REVIEW w/ Samson & LouisSamson Folk is joined by Louis Zatzman to discuss what went well, and what went poorly during the Raptors season.0:00 - Introduction + season as a whole1:35 - Ranking our fav acts of the szn9:10 - Celebrating & Reviewing Scottie15:05 - Scottie changed how teams defended him19:15 - The key to the IQ + Scottie partnership25:20 - Scottie's jumper mechanics27:10 - Scottie, the elite defensive playmaker34:30 - Immanuel Quickley38:40 - Quickley changing speeds2024-04-222h 36The RapcastTHE DEFINITIVE SEASON REVIEW w/ Samson & LouisSamson Folk is joined by Louis Zatzman to discuss what went well, and what went poorly during the Raptors season.0:00 - Introduction + season as a whole1:35 - Ranking our fav acts of the szn9:10 - Celebrating & Reviewing Scottie15:05 - Scottie changed how teams defended him19:15 - The key to the IQ + Scottie partnership25:20 - Scottie's jumper mechanics27:10 - Scottie, the elite defensive playmaker34:30 - Immanuel Quickley38:40 - Quickley changing speeds2024-04-222h 36
UnderTheRimLouis Zatzman Interview! 70-point explosions! | UnderTheRim Episode 49In this episode of UnderTheRim, Louis Zatzman joins the show to talk Bucks, Raptors, and more! After that, Kyle talks about the 70-point explosions, all-star reserves and if Wilt's 100-point game was real!
2024-01-2932 minThe RapcastHeartbreak at the Buzzer - LIVE Raptors Reaction w/ Samson & LouisSamson Folk and Louis Zatzman detail the Raptors loss to the Hawks. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.2024-01-2947 minThe RapcastLead Guards & New Eras w/ Samson Folk & Louis ZatzmanSamson Folk & Louis Zatzman discuss the Raptors after the big trade, their west coast road trip, and the path forward. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.2024-01-131h 50The RapcastLead Guards & New Eras w/ Samson Folk & Louis ZatzmanSamson Folk & Louis Zatzman discuss the Raptors after the big trade, their west coast road trip, and the path forward. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.2024-01-131h 50
The Drop StepRaptors Republic meets The Drop Step in this episode as Louis Zatzman jumps on the pod to talk about two teams close to his heart.New coaches, same conference, vastly different expectations for the season... The Toronto Raptors and the Milwaukee Bucks are two teams with things in common; one of them being that Louis Zatzman covers both excellently!It was a privilege to have Louis on, chopping up both teams, talking about stars of each roster like Scottie Barnes, Giannis Antetokounmpo, Pascal Siakam and Damian Lillard. We discuss defensive identities, burning questions with both franchises, what are our expectations for both rosters for the rest of the season....It was a fascinating episode to record, and hopefully a fascinating...2023-11-3059 minThe RapcastScottie's Leap, Pascal's role, and an elite defense - Raptors Weekly Podcast w/ Samson & LouisSamson Folk & Louis Zatzman get together to talk about the early part of the Raptors season.Timestamps may be affected by 30 seconds or 1 minute depending on implemented ads.0:00 - Introductions1:00 - New team, new expectations3:25 - Scottie is making the leap12:00 - Pascal's role29:40 - The tremendous defense40:12 - Gradey Dick's big game46:35 - Rotation decisions54:30 - Schroder's performances so far1:01:40 - Goodbyes Learn more...2023-10-301h 03
The Walder SportscastThe Walder Sportscast w/ Louis Zatzman: NBA/Toronto Raptors 2023-24 Season Preview, Running Raptors Republic, Haunted Tour GuideHost Chris Walder (@WalderSports) is joined by Louis Zatzman (@LouisZatzman), the managing editor of Raptors Republic and a freelance writer for the Milwaukee Bucks.
The two preview the upcoming 2023-24 NBA season for the Toronto Raptors while touching on Scottie Barnes, Dennis Schroder, new head coach Darko Rajakovic, and the team's final win tally and playoff aspirations. They then get into some NBA topics of discussion, including James Harden's future in Philadelphia, the Memphis Grizzlies, Victor Wembanyama, and much more.
Louis also dives into his time operating the Raptors Republic site, as well as an...2023-10-2446 minThe RapcastDarko Deep Dive: Analyzing Rajaković's career and coaching beliefs w/ Samson Folk & Louis ZatzmanSamson Folk & Louis Zatzman talk all about Darko Rajakovic's career and how he'll impact the Raptors.Timestamps will be affected by 30 seconds or 1 minute depending on implemented ads. 0:00 - Introductions2:20 - Darko's coaching history7:45 - Darko's Coaching Ideals15:00 - Darko's effect on Scottie Barnes17:55 - Can the players on the roster, play in Darko's style?22:45 - The importance of cutting26:50 - Different ways to initiate offense36:00 - Quick adaptability39:25...2023-06-131h 05The RapcastDarko Deep Dive: Analyzing Rajaković's career and coaching beliefs w/ Samson Folk & Louis ZatzmanSamson Folk & Louis Zatzman talk all about Darko Rajakovic's career and how he'll impact the Raptors.Timestamps will be affected by 30 seconds or 1 minute depending on implemented ads. 0:00 - Introductions2:20 - Darko's coaching history7:45 - Darko's Coaching Ideals15:00 - Darko's effect on Scottie Barnes17:55 - Can the players on the roster, play in Darko's style?22:45 - The importance of cutting26:50 - Different ways to initiate offense36:00 - Quick adaptability39:25...2023-06-131h 05The RapcastNBA Finals Reactions with Louis Zatzman - Buckets & Tea NBA ShowHost Cathryn Naiker is joined by Louis Zatzman to cover the happenings in a wild NBA Finals. Jamal Murray and Nikola Jokic have been incredible. Does Miami have enough shooting and creative defence to slow them down?And in Raptor-land, Fred VanVleet suitors are starting to emerge. The pair discuss what his future could look like. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.2023-06-0956 minThe RapcastNBA Finals Reactions with Louis Zatzman - Buckets & Tea NBA ShowHost Cathryn Naiker is joined by Louis Zatzman to cover the happenings in a wild NBA Finals. Jamal Murray and Nikola Jokic have been incredible. Does Miami have enough shooting and creative defence to slow them down?And in Raptor-land, Fred VanVleet suitors are starting to emerge. The pair discuss what his future could look like. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.2023-06-0956 minThe RapcastReviewing Every Player & the Season w/ Samson Folk & Louis ZatzmanSamson Folk & Louis Zatzman get together to review the Raptors season. Timestamps may be effected by 30 seconds to 1 minute due to implemented ads. 0:00 - Introductions1:50 - Nick Nurse's firing8:06 - Pascal Siakam21:55 - Fred VanVleet32:33 - Scottie Barnes52:10 - O.G. Anunoby1:03:40 - Jakob Poeltl1:12:40 - Gary Trent Jr.1:23:00 - Precious Achiuwa1:31:40 - Otto Porter Jr.1:31:55 - Chris Boucher1:36:50...2023-04-242h 15The RapcastReviewing Every Player & the Season w/ Samson Folk & Louis ZatzmanSamson Folk & Louis Zatzman get together to review the Raptors season. Timestamps may be effected by 30 seconds to 1 minute due to implemented ads. 0:00 - Introductions1:50 - Nick Nurse's firing8:06 - Pascal Siakam21:55 - Fred VanVleet32:33 - Scottie Barnes52:10 - O.G. Anunoby1:03:40 - Jakob Poeltl1:12:40 - Gary Trent Jr.1:23:00 - Precious Achiuwa1:31:40 - Otto Porter Jr.1:31:55 - Chris Boucher1:36:50...2023-04-242h 15Locked On Raptors - Daily Podcast On The Toronto RaptorsIs this version of the Toronto Raptors better than the 2021-22 team? w/ Louis ZatzmanIn Episode 1373, Sean Woodley and Louis Zatzman take a look at the Toronto Raptors' late season improvement (16-10 since the start of February) and ask whether or not there has been enough improvement to inspire confidence in the team beyond this season. Off the top, they chat about where things have improved since Jakob Poeltl's arrival, where things still need work, and why they've probably proven enough to avoid massive player personnel changes this summer. Next, they ask the simple question: is the current version of the team better than the team that stormed its way to the 5th-seed...2023-04-0438 minThe RapcastNBA Headlines with Louis Zatzman - Buckets & Tea NBA ShowHost Cathryn Naiker has a lot to talk about. Injuries, suspensions, and a self-inflicted hiatus. Luckily expert NBA journalist, Louis Zatzman, joins the show to help make sense of a messy week in the National Basketball Association. And this week's Raptor Hottie Highlight is particularly fiery. "Not-so-steady" Freddy takes a chunk out of the officials with little regard for his wallet. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.2023-03-101h 03The RapcastNBA Headlines with Louis Zatzman - Buckets & Tea NBA ShowHost Cathryn Naiker has a lot to talk about. Injuries, suspensions, and a self-inflicted hiatus. Luckily expert NBA journalist, Louis Zatzman, joins the show to help make sense of a messy week in the National Basketball Association. And this week's Raptor Hottie Highlight is particularly fiery. "Not-so-steady" Freddy takes a chunk out of the officials with little regard for his wallet. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.2023-03-101h 03The RapcastFred's playmaking, Pascal adjusting, and Poeltl destroying w/ Louis Zatzman - Raptors Weekly PodcastHost Samson Folk brings on his pal Louis Zatzman to talk about the Raptors elder statesmen, and how they've been doing so far this season. Timestamps may be affected by 30 seconds or 1 minute depending on implemented ads. 0:00 - Introduction/Setup3:00 - Fred VanVleet, selfish or no?6:55 - Comparisons inform perception8:58 - How do the Raptors succeed on offense?10:25 - Fred or Pascal, who is beating their defender?12:35 - Fred on-ball vs. off-ball18:30 - How has...2023-03-061h 36The RapcastFred's playmaking, Pascal adjusting, and Poeltl destroying w/ Louis Zatzman - Raptors Weekly PodcastHost Samson Folk brings on his pal Louis Zatzman to talk about the Raptors elder statesmen, and how they've been doing so far this season. Timestamps may be affected by 30 seconds or 1 minute depending on implemented ads. 0:00 - Introduction/Setup3:00 - Fred VanVleet, selfish or no?6:55 - Comparisons inform perception8:58 - How do the Raptors succeed on offense?10:25 - Fred or Pascal, who is beating their defender?12:35 - Fred on-ball vs. off-ball18:30 - How has...2023-03-061h 36The RapcastFred VanVleet's Role, Contract, and Trade Talks w/ Louis Zatzman and all the StatsHost Samson Folk brings on Louis Zatzman to talk about everything: Fred VanVleet. Timestamps may be affected by 30 seconds to 1 minute from implemented ads.0:00 - Introductions2:18 - Fred's contract situation4:10 - Is Fred exaggerating his change in role?10:30 - Have Fred's injuries affected his C&S jumper?19:04 - Fred's jumper is unbelievably important to the Raptors25:15 - Louis vs. Samson, has Fred been very good?35:22 - Do you trade Fred?54:30 - What does a...2023-01-091h 23The RapcastFred VanVleet's Role, Contract, and Trade Talks w/ Louis Zatzman and all the StatsHost Samson Folk brings on Louis Zatzman to talk about everything: Fred VanVleet. Timestamps may be affected by 30 seconds to 1 minute from implemented ads.0:00 - Introductions2:18 - Fred's contract situation4:10 - Is Fred exaggerating his change in role?10:30 - Have Fred's injuries affected his C&S jumper?19:04 - Fred's jumper is unbelievably important to the Raptors25:15 - Louis vs. Samson, has Fred been very good?35:22 - Do you trade Fred?54:30 - What does a...2023-01-091h 23The RapcastRaptors Chatter with Louis Zatzman - Buckets & Tea NBA ShowThis week host, Cathryn Naiker, is joined by Raptors Republic reporter, Louis Zatzman, to talk about the NBA's latest news. Fred VanVleet's recent struggles and Trae Young's weird beef with Nate McMillan highlight the show.And for our Nick Nurse Hottie Highlight, sweet daddy Nick gets BUCKETS! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.2022-12-0955 minThe RapcastRaptors Chatter with Louis Zatzman - Buckets & Tea NBA ShowThis week host, Cathryn Naiker, is joined by Raptors Republic reporter, Louis Zatzman, to talk about the NBA's latest news. Fred VanVleet's recent struggles and Trae Young's weird beef with Nate McMillan highlight the show.And for our Nick Nurse Hottie Highlight, sweet daddy Nick gets BUCKETS! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.2022-12-0955 minThe RapcastPascal goes inferno, but the Raptors come up short w/ Blake Murphy & Louis Zatzman - Raptors Reaction PodcastHost Samson Folk details the Raptors loss to the Nets w/ Blake Murphy & Louis Zatzman.Reggie Evans Award: "Fred?" "Sure."QR Comment: spanishsupafly Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.2022-10-2229 minThe RapcastPascal goes inferno, but the Raptors come up short w/ Blake Murphy & Louis Zatzman - Raptors Reaction PodcastHost Samson Folk details the Raptors loss to the Nets w/ Blake Murphy & Louis Zatzman.Reggie Evans Award: "Fred?" "Sure."QR Comment: spanishsupafly Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.2022-10-2229 minThe RapcastWrapping up the preseason w/ Louis Zatzman - Raptors Reaction PodcastHost Samson Folk is joined by Louis Zatzman to talk about the Raptors win over the Celtics and the preseason as a whole. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.2022-10-1546 minThe RapcastWrapping up the preseason w/ Louis Zatzman - Raptors Reaction PodcastHost Samson Folk is joined by Louis Zatzman to talk about the Raptors win over the Celtics and the preseason as a whole. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.2022-10-1546 minLocked On Raptors - Daily Podcast On The Toronto RaptorsHow can the Raptors improve their offense in 2022-23 w/ Louis ZatzmanIn Episode 1251, Sean Woodley is joined by Louis Zatzman (Raptors Republic, FiveThirtyEight) to talk about the Toronto Raptors offense and whether there is hope for it to improve this season. Off the top, Sean and Louis examine Nick Nurse's comments about wanting to amp up the Raptors' rim and free throw frequency this season, and discuss whether there are internal options that could bring the Raptors out of the league's basement in both departments. Next, they dig into whether there are any schematic changes to last year's very clunky offensive gameplan that Toronto could make to help grease the...2022-09-3040 minLocked On Raptors - Daily Podcast On The Toronto RaptorsMid-Level Madness, Guards & Wings Edition! Reasons for and against signing Kyle Anderson, Delon Wright & more w/ Louis ZatzmanIn Episode 1185, Sean Woodley is joined once again by Louis Zatzman (Raptors Republic) to play another round of Toronto Raptors Mid-Level Madness, a game in which Sean theatrically pulls various free agent names from a hat, and both Sean and Louis discuss the reasons for an against signing them! Off the top, they discuss why a guard or a wing would be their preferred player type for the Raptors to use their $10.3 million mid-level exception on this summer, before diving into some potential options at those position in the form of pulling names out of a hat. They chat...2022-05-2740 minLocked On Raptors - Daily Podcast On The Toronto RaptorsMid-Level Madness! Arguments for and against the Raptors signing Thomas Bryant, Kevon Looney, Mitchell Robinson & more w/ Louis ZatzmanIn Episode 1184, Sean Woodley is joined by Louis Zatzman (Raptors Republic) to play a game of Sean's creation called Mid-Level Madness, wherein Sean and Louis debate the merits of the Toronto Raptors signing various free agent big men with their $10.3 million MLE this off-season with a little gameified twist. Off the top, Sean and Louis discuss the degree to which the Raptors should actually be pursuing a big man with their best tool for adding to the team this summer, before beginning to pull names from a hat and arguing for an against each guy as a fit with...2022-05-2636 minThe Rapcast#1598 - What off-season options do the Raptors have? w/ Louis Zatzman - Raptors Weekly PodcastHost Samson Folk brings on Louis Zatzman to talk about what options the Raptors have to improve their team in the off-season.You can watch this discussion on YouTube.Make sure to subscribe to our YouTube channel Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.2022-05-1753 minThe Rapcast#1598 - What off-season options do the Raptors have? w/ Louis Zatzman - Raptors Weekly PodcastHost Samson Folk brings on Louis Zatzman to talk about what options the Raptors have to improve their team in the off-season.You can watch this discussion on YouTube.Make sure to subscribe to our YouTube channel Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.2022-05-1753 minThe Rapcast#1592 - The Definitive Season Review w/ Louis ZatzmanSamson Folk talks to Louis Zatzman about everything in the Raptors season. Offensive principles, defensive principles, scheme, and talking about every player 1 by 1. A whole bunch of Raptors stuff. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.2022-05-032h 35The Rapcast#1592 - The Definitive Season Review w/ Louis ZatzmanSamson Folk talks to Louis Zatzman about everything in the Raptors season. Offensive principles, defensive principles, scheme, and talking about every player 1 by 1. A whole bunch of Raptors stuff. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.2022-05-032h 35The Rapcast#1563 - Who gets stopped – Joel Embiid or Pascal Siakam? - Louis Zatzman breaks it downWatch this video on YouTube and subscribe to our YouTube channel.Louis Zatzman and Zarar Siddiqi discuss the strategies at play in trying to stop Pascal Siakam and Joel Embiid.Check out Louis’s masterpiece preview article, Zarar’s article from this morning, and Michael Grange’s Siakam article referenced in the discussion. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.2022-04-1212 minThe Rapcast#1563 - Who gets stopped – Joel Embiid or Pascal Siakam? - Louis Zatzman breaks it downWatch this video on YouTube and subscribe to our YouTube channel.Louis Zatzman and Zarar Siddiqi discuss the strategies at play in trying to stop Pascal Siakam and Joel Embiid.Check out Louis’s masterpiece preview article, Zarar’s article from this morning, and Michael Grange’s Siakam article referenced in the discussion. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.2022-04-1212 min
Minute BasketballMinute Basketball: ReturnFear isn’t the only mind killer. All emotion is. Get too excited, too nervous, too confident: feel much of anything at all, and you can suffer the consequences. The problem for NBA players coming back from injury is that you feel too much of everything. Not just NBA players -- coming back to anything is an emotional affair.Injury is the ultimate interruption, physically and mentally. You might not trust the injured part of your body coming back (Gordon Hayward), might not trust your teammates remember your talents (Pascal Siakam), or might not trust yo...2022-03-3110 minThe Rapcast#1536 - The Big Man Episode w/ Louis Zatzman - Raptors Weekly PodcastHost Samson Folk brings on his dear friend and famed writer, Louis Zatzman to talk about the Raptors big man rotation. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.2022-03-141h 15The Rapcast#1536 - The Big Man Episode w/ Louis Zatzman - Raptors Weekly PodcastHost Samson Folk brings on his dear friend and famed writer, Louis Zatzman to talk about the Raptors big man rotation. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.2022-03-141h 15
Minute BasketballMinute Basketball: TimingCliches are cliches for a reason has become a cliche. And for a good reason! Let me give you an example: timing is everything. Amanda and I were talking about how chill our baby was the other day. At exactly the moment I said this, however, his cries from across our home shattered the still night. Funny guy! Not because of his jokes (he has none) or his banter (still, none) or his words (obviously, of course, none). He’s funny because timing is everything. It’s even a Garrett Hedlund song for crying out loud. (who?) ...2022-03-0310 min
Minute BasketballMinute Basketball: DriveMy baby was born on his due date. They say that’s rare. I wasn’t ready. January 12th, a Wednesday. Amanda went in for a routine checkup, and she called later saying they wanted to induce her, were going to do it later that day. She said, I’ll call you when I have a room. I don’t remember my drive to the hospital. Straight shot. I blinked, and I was there.Going home was crooked. I hadn’t slept, and there was so much to pile in the car, including a baby. I missed t...2022-02-1013 minThe Rapcast#1499 - Telling Basketball Stories w/ Louis Zatzman - Loving BasketballHost Samson Folk brings on his dear friend, Louis Zatzman to discuss his favourite thing about basketball - stories. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.2022-02-0824 minThe Rapcast#1499 - Telling Basketball Stories w/ Louis Zatzman - Loving BasketballHost Samson Folk brings on his dear friend, Louis Zatzman to discuss his favourite thing about basketball - stories. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.2022-02-0824 minLocked On Raptors - Daily Podcast On The Toronto RaptorsPower Ranking pick n' roll duos within the Toronto Raptors starting five w/ Louis ZatzmanIn Episode 1111, Sean Woodley is joined by Louis Zatzman (Raptors Republic) to chat about the Raptors' ever-improving starting lineup, and power rank their favourite pick and roll combinations that are possible within the five man group. Off the top they discuss the small ball lineup experiment, and examine what should happen when Khem Birch returns to the lineup and complicates the rotation situation. Next, they power ranking their five favourite pick-and-roll combinations within the Raptors' five-man starting group. Pascal Siakam and Fred VanVleet are pretty awesome no matter who's screening for whom. But where does Scottie Barnes factor in...2022-02-0339 min
Minute BasketballMinute Basketball: ResolutionsMy mother has kept a book of resolutions for the family since before I was born. It tracks a number of life events of the family, such as partners gained and lost for the siblings, their resolutions included for a year, maybe two, then vanished. For me, though, it tracks the evolution of a life. I wanted to buy my family a new car when I was 8, wanted to work for the CBC when I was 25, wanted to publish my book last year. None of those came true, of course.My wife and I will...2022-01-0108 min
Minute BasketballMinute Basketball: PlaylistWhile I was young, I gave my most treasured belongings to Apple. Over the course of a decade or more, I uploaded my CDs to iTunes, eventually transitioning entirely to digital, adding EPs, pirated albums, entire discographies -- Miles Davis, the Beatles, Elliott Smith. In university I worked at a radio station and added full genres of full years of music, from the Arcade Fire to Hannah Georgas to Yukon Blonde, 2010. At one point, my bloated iTunes would have taken over three years to listen to consecutively. Later, four years, after I discovered the discography of Funkadelic...2021-12-1613 minLocked On Raptors - Daily Podcast On The Toronto RaptorsFred VanVleet drops 26 in second half, Raptors take down Giannis-less Bucks 97-93 w/ Louis ZatzmanIn Episode 1071, Sean Woodley is joined by Louis Zatzman (Raptors Republic) to chat about the Toronto #Raptors 97-93 win over the Giannis-less Milwaukee #Bucks on Thursday night at Scotiabank Arena. Off the top, they talk all about Fred VanVleet, who scored just three first half points before a 26-point second half barrage, but was the most important Raptor from start to finish. Next, they chat about Pascal Siakam's strong playmaking game, as well as Precious Achiuwa's defense, which was good enough to counteract a rough offensive outing. Lastly, it's another round of the Dude of the Game, as Scottie...2021-12-0339 min
Minute BasketballMinute Basketball LIVE: In defense of Pascal SiakamLouis: Last week we did what we called then our most take-y Minute Basketball takes ever when we discussed the State of the Wing. We are getting much, much take-ier this week. This is Minute Basketball LIVE. And we are talking Pascal Siakam.Samson: That's right. And basically the reasons why we are doing this is because Pascal Siakam lives in an extremely polarized, always-on-trial version of life currently. Or basketball life. And the reason for that is there are multitudes, there's a myriad amount of things that are happening that make Pascal Siakam a...2021-11-2533 min
Minute BasketballMinute Basketball: State of the WingPeople usually lose the tiny sliver of the present in the infinitesimal gulf of the past, the yawning chasm of the future. How could we see a dot, ever obliterated by what it holds up, what it feeds into? For the NBA, that means we are full of misconceptions of the now. People see a league in such a supercharged state of change and so see yesterday as today. If you try to snap a still frame, you can miss and end up grasping at its wake. That’s true in the micro, why it usu...2021-11-1100 minThe Rapcast#1421 - The return of Pascal, helping off the corner, and capturing a ceiling w/ Louis Zatzman - Raptors Weekly PodcastHost Samson brings on his dear friend, Louis Zatzman (of RR and 538 fame) to talk about the latest in Raptorville. Time stamps could be changed by 30 seconds or a minute because of ads. 0:55 - Helping off the corner! 13:45 - The return of Pascal Siakam17:00 - Pascal Siakam is Ip Man18:19 - Dune reference, hell yeah20:34 - Pascal on ball22:54 - Maintaining Advantage24:34 - Creating, extending, finishing advantage28:35 - How it feels when...2021-11-081h 14The Rapcast#1421 - The return of Pascal, helping off the corner, and capturing a ceiling w/ Louis Zatzman - Raptors Weekly PodcastHost Samson brings on his dear friend, Louis Zatzman (of RR and 538 fame) to talk about the latest in Raptorville. Time stamps could be changed by 30 seconds or a minute because of ads. 0:55 - Helping off the corner! 13:45 - The return of Pascal Siakam17:00 - Pascal Siakam is Ip Man18:19 - Dune reference, hell yeah20:34 - Pascal on ball22:54 - Maintaining Advantage24:34 - Creating, extending, finishing advantage28:35 - How it feels when...2021-11-081h 14
Minute BasketballMinute Basketball: TagIt didn’t take Squid Game to teach me that childhood is the core of adulthood. That’s literal, of course, in that we physically and emotionally grow from our childhood selves. But childhood is also locked away from adulthood, separate; we can be and become anything when we’re young, and adulthood is just the process of learning that’s not true. Games are meaningless for children, forgotten moments afterward, but they mean too much to us as adults. Squid Game played on that connection, made childhood games into the most concrete, most intense moments a life cou...2021-10-2811 min
Minute BasketballMinute Basketball: Players as BoatsSport is metaphor. It’s literal, of course, but the joy we take from it is metaphorical. There’s nothing inherent to putting a ball in a rim 10 feet above the ground, or a small compact hunk of rubber flying into mesh, or any other athletic endeavor distilled to its essence. In fact, it’s almost absurd plastering so much significance and money and fame onto sport when taken literally. But the grace, the community, the emotion: it comes from the symbolic meaning of what’s happening on the field of play. That’s nothing new. We convert spo...2021-10-2110 minThe Rapcast#1395 - A Look at Every Player Ahead of Pre-Season w/ Louis ZatzmanSamson Folk brings on his wonderfully talented friend Louis Zatzman, to talk about every player on the Raptors training camp roster. It's a long one, strap in.Fred VanVleet will have to carry the team, and what that meansThe imperfect utilization of Pascal SiakamThe Gruesome Twosome of Siakam & VanVleetKhem Birch and the Center PositionPrecious Achiuwa, a defensive gamechanger?Chris Boucher with another step?Preferred Starting 5'sDragic remains a very good playerThe Partnership of Bobby Webster and Masai UjiriThe Skinny on GTJThe Scottie Barnes ExperienceOG Anunoby and Wonderful PotentialThe Small Window of opportunity for Yuta WatanabeMalachi...2021-09-302h 19The Rapcast#1395 - A Look at Every Player Ahead of Pre-Season w/ Louis ZatzmanSamson Folk brings on his wonderfully talented friend Louis Zatzman, to talk about every player on the Raptors training camp roster. It's a long one, strap in.Fred VanVleet will have to carry the team, and what that meansThe imperfect utilization of Pascal SiakamThe Gruesome Twosome of Siakam & VanVleetKhem Birch and the Center PositionPrecious Achiuwa, a defensive gamechanger?Chris Boucher with another step?Preferred Starting 5'sDragic remains a very good playerThe Partnership of Bobby Webster and Masai UjiriThe Skinny on GTJThe Scottie Barnes ExperienceOG Anunoby and Wonderful PotentialThe Small Window of opportunity for Yuta WatanabeMalachi...2021-09-302h 19
Minute BasketballMinute Basketball: Square Peg in a Round HoleBobby Fischer invented Fischer random chess. He considered the chess world ossified, hardened into its institutional knowledge and fat and happy without new inventions. (Imagine what he would think about what computers have done to the game since the 1990s.) At the time (and even more so today), chess openings were so specific and known that the first dozen or more moves of all master-level games were simply memorization contests. Oh, you made a tiny inaccuracy in your opening? A book told me that this move will punish you. So Fischer added castling and opposite-coloured bishops to...2021-07-1510 min
Minute BasketballMinute Basketball: PrescienceLet me tell you what will happen in the future. Come closer. Lean in. That’s better. Listen closely. Money is going to slink back into sportswriting. It will come in the guise of a friend, recreating jobs that aren’t exclusively at the Athletic. It will reinvigorate a field that has had a titanic leech named Google sucking its blood for decades. Plummeting local ad revenue and table scraps from search engines aren’t enough to sustain an industry. But don’t worry -- gambling money is on its way. That’s not...2021-07-0116 min
Minute BasketballMinute Basketball: Glorious PurposeKyrie Irving. Kawhi Leonard. Chris Paul. Mike Conley. Not to mention, those already vanquished -- Anthony Davis, Jamal Murray, Jaylen Brown. Or some playing through it -- Joel Embiid, Trae Young, Donovan Mitchell, James Harden. All injured or absent for other reasons. It’s easier at this point to count the surviving stars. Devin Booker. Kevin Durant. Giannis Antetokounmpo. Paul George. Antetokounmpo is missing Donte DiVincenzo, but his team is relatively healthy. Durant’s legacy is already set in stone. Booker is young.Which leaves us George. The Los Angeles Clippers are no...2021-06-1711 min
Minute BasketballMinute Basketball: FranceThe Maginot Line was a marvel of engineering. The French cannibalized their existential sense of selves after losing the Franco-Prussian War, and then a second time after the magnified horror of the First World War. So Joseph Joffre and André Maginot had an idea to prevent such a disaster a third time. They built a line of fortresses between France and Germany so modern, so fierce, that France could never be invaded. The Maginot Line comprised defenses stretching hundreds of kilometres across the borders of France and kilometres into France, as well. On the border, th...2021-06-1011 minLocked On Raptors - Daily Podcast On The Toronto RaptorsSeason From Hell in Review: That Dude, Fred VanVleet w/ Louis ZatzmanIn Episode 954, Sean and Louis Zatzman (Raptors Republic) chat about the season that was for Fred VanVleet. They dig into their biggest takeaways from his fifth season in Toronto off the top, before taking a look at all the areas in which he improved, from his pick-and-roll operation, to his drive and kick game, to his overall impact on winning when on the floor. They also talk about his insanely good defense, because of course. To close, they chat about where Fred slots into next year's version of the team, why he's such an easy piece to fit other...2021-05-2738 min
Minute BasketballMinute Basketball: PocketsPockets! More elusive in womens clothing than in mens. Citation - a woman showing off her dress and excitedly saying: “And look! It has pockets!”. A thing to hold something in. Is it conveyance? Is it protection? Is it the little pocket inside the pocket that’s supposed to house change??? The back left pocket that I’ve never used? The Herculean work of George Costanza’s back pocket - yes, the one that held onto his gargantuan wallet. In Louis’ case with Luka: it’s protection. Maybe Luka is the pocket itself? And his shooting stroke...2021-05-2712 min
Minute BasketballMinute Basketball: LegacyHow many times have you had to prove something that was already proven beyond the shadow of a reasonable doubt? It’s one of the most common reasons good employees hate bad employers, why confident lovers become frustrated with partners who lack the same certainty. Being forced to prove a fact that’s well known is what turned Wild West outlaws into mass murderers, as runaway youths challenged famous Kids like Billy or Sundance to prove their speed with a pistol, again and again.That same force animates our relationship with NBA stars. Oh, you’re the...2021-05-2008 min
Minute BasketballMinute Basketball: Short KingsHomogeneity lends itself to utopia and dystopia both. The idea that humanity would eventually produce enough to fulfill everyone’s needs led to Star Trek and to Francis Fukuyama, to HG Wells and Karl Marx. But the idea that everyone’s needs can be fulfilled comes inherent with the degradation of culture and purpose: think Brave New World, Harrison Bergeron, The Giver. The modern NBA is balancing on the same blade. On April 16, Nick Nurse was discussing positionless basketball and said that he won’t be happy until everyone on the court is 6-foot-10...2021-05-1316 min
Minute BasketballMinute Basketball: Sleepaddition to being a sports writer, I’m also an LSAT tutor. (What a condemnation of the industry that this author of a free Substack newsletter needs a second job!) As a tutor, I teach the difference between sufficient and necessary conditions. To illustrate the difference, occasionally I’ll use sleep.You need sleep to have energy. It is necessary, a requirement, like food or sunshine. But it’s not always enough; it’s not, on its own, sufficient. These dark gray quarantine days mean energy is as easy to find as your own shadow. I wake u...2021-04-2211 min
Minute BasketballMinute Basketball LIVE: FandomLouis: Welcome to Minute Basketball Live! The first Minute Basketball Live! I'm looking at Samson and his gorgeous place. He looks wonderful. I just am happy to see him. It's fun to talk together. How are you doing buddy?Samson: I'm doing alright. Hanging out. I just got a DM from Blake that says “Lourdes!”, so I'm guessing Gurriel hit a home run or something, and we were talking about how much we appreciated him for his vibes. That's something I'm looking forward to catching up on once this is over. Maybe a home run to c...2021-04-1522 min
Minute BasketballMinute Basketball: PivotsIt’s a subtle secret that most of basketball happens from the waist down. Your legs offer power for your jumpshot, of course, but it goes much deeper than that. It seems counter-intuitive to say, but dribbling doesn’t actually take you anywhere. Your hands and the ball are just catalysts to movement; they help you get where you’re going, either by craft or guile, but they aren’t part of the equation. Your feet actually control movement. They’re the pivots on which the lever of basketball rests. Not only during a live dribble, but also before...2021-04-0113 min
Minute BasketballMinute Basketball: The PostThe post-up is the most intimate event on a basketball court. At no other moment are players closer together for a longer period of time. The offensive player has the defender on his back, likely with several points of contact. Arm or shoulder on back, hips, feet: there are more bonds of connection than usually happens in the NBA.And the post-up is not constituted by an explosion of violence, at least not right away. Other intimate moments, like the in-air collision above the rim, or the bone-crunching screen, involve brief contact defined by force a...2021-03-1814 min
Minute BasketballMinute Basketball: The Princess BrideWe love stories. Drink them like we drink water when we wake up hungover. They’re the reason Tyrion volunteered Bran to be king in Game of Thrones. They’re so much fun that stacking them often makes for the best narratives. Don Quixote is maybe the best and first concept of stacking stories: a man who reads so many knight stories that he thinks himself a knight goes on ridiculous hallucinatory quests, then has that story published (in real life and as a plot point in the actual novel) and believes his resulting fame as pr...2021-03-0412 min
Minute BasketballMinute Basketball: Too Big to FailLike most everyone else in the world, I was first introduced to the phrase, ‘too big to fail’ in 2008. When people who play self-important video games and huff cocaine for a living robbed the entire world and got away with it. Were thanked. Took their million-dollar bonuses while millions lost their homes.To say the event radicalized me is true and not. Not, in that I’m not a radical. True, in that I’ve never been an optimist again, not about the big stuff. I retain optimism at the personal level. The Lehmann brothers can’t ro...2021-02-1808 min
Minute BasketballMinute Basketball: RegretsIf you don’t have any regrets, then you haven’t actually lived. I don’t know where I heard that first, but I do know that I hear it pretty regularly coming from inside my own head. It’s good to be positive! It’s the same in the NBA. You’re supposed to have a short memory, in that if you make a mistake on one end, miss a shot or a blockout, you can’t let it affect your behavior on the other end. There’s no time in a basketball game to...2021-02-1110 min
Raptor Queens PodcastRaptors First Quarter Report Card: with *** SPECIAL GUEST- LOUIS ZATZMAN***We are delighted to reveal our special guest, LOUIS ZATZMAN. Louis is a multi-talented writer for the #RaptorsRepublic --be sure give him a follow if you haven't already. The Queens hear the latest on the Raptors post game scrum With Nick Nurse... some interesting reporting here. Louis provides a report card on the first quarter of the season bright lights, dim bulbs and his thoughts on possible trade. Next up? All things OG Anunoby and some wildly fun speculation. Ever wondered why you can't pick out double-how screens at game speed? Louis explains why. And of course , the KING O...2021-02-0457 min
Minute BasketballMinute Basketball: OutletThe sky was bluer yesterday in Toronto than I remembered it could be. That’s the thing about the winter; you forget things like the sharpness of the sky and the air. This winter, especially. It’s not just the month of February, with crusted black snow in every direction, and daylight only starting to creep back out of its hole. It’s also the pandemic, of course. That makes you forget, too. The pandemic gets into everything like the first frost gets into last summer’s garden. Everyone I know right now is feeling the same way: a u...2021-02-0408 min
Minute BasketballMinute Basketball: FloatingFloating is different from flying. It’s more descriptive. Flying doesn’t connote grace. It’s absolute. That’s why so many people choose flight when describing a superpower they’d most want. Floating exists in the borderlands, in the space in between. You might be on the verge of flying. One more inch, one more fraction of a second, and you’ll take flight. If you describe the difference in the aesthetics of action, flying is Goku hurtling through the air to save the world from Piccolo. Floating is Li Mu Bai bending treetops as he glides...2021-01-2108 min
Minute BasketballMinute Basketball: Path DependenceI spent last week in the woods, hiking through the tramped snowbanks of scattered sections of the Bruce Trail. It could not have been more distinct from Samson’s surroundings, with an iguana living in the waving palm tree outside of his apartment. It’s fresh in the woods, clear. You can sneak up on your thoughts, ones that wouldn’t be home otherwise, from directions you wouldn’t otherwise consider. All the time walking in past footsteps that have beaten the snow into something slick and intentional.My dog, Millie, trod the trails with my wife...2021-01-1410 min
Minute BasketballMinute Basketball: InertiaInertia could be the most powerful force in human society. We take the path of least resistance for as long as it can lift our loping bodies. It’s not criticism. It’s the way we are. It’s true in sports, politics, romance, you name it. Humans can get used to practically anything. And when we’re used to something, we do nothing to change the way it is. Sometimes even fight to keep it the same. We see it in every level of the NBA. We see NBA teams like the New York Knicks tr...2021-01-0708 min
Minute BasketballMinute Basketball: Delayed ReactionsWe don’t usually realize truths until long after they become true. That’s a fact, even if you never realized it (see what I did there?). It’s broad, generalizable; the frog in a soon-to-be-boiling pot of water. It’s specific to your own life, too. You can sit beside the same person in class every day for a month before asking their name. When you’re too hungry, you don’t taste the first bite of food. And then you don’t feel full until 20 minutes after your stomach should take no more. That sense of d...2020-12-3106 min
Minute BasketballMinute Basketball: HolidaysAre holidays a reprieve from other on goings in life? Perhaps not, as a lot of people work through them. A chance to see family? Under normal circumstances, probably, but I’m not sure how viable that is this year. Holidays are both universal, and not. Most everyone in the world has gone through some form of holiday, but it often looks different. For me? Family, and NBA basketball. For you? Who knows, it might not even come at this time of year. They’re a vessel important things are packaged into, or not. This newsletter is a ve...2020-12-2407 min
Minute BasketballMinute Basketball: BeginningsHere in Toronto, daylight is about to return to our lives. Dusk now comes at five o’clock, give or take. But in a few weeks, days will lengthen. We will start to feel less dreary, less achy. More focused. It’s only fitting that against this backdrop, NBA basketball is returning. We’ve become accustomed to summer offseasons, but winter makes more inherent sense. And as the holidays come to a close, and the New Year rolls around, the season will begin again.Beginnings are times of promise. Not in the sense of the season...2020-12-1709 min
Minute BasketballMinute Basketball: EndingsBefore the British Expeditionary Force fought its initial battle in World War One at Mons, Belgium, the soldiers thought they’d be home within a matter of months. Half a year, at most. Instead, those few who survived the initial contact at Mons ended up living, on and off, for the next four years in almost total isolation from the rest of the world. On a small scale, that’s sort of what this NBA season was like. The NBA season began an eternity ago, as the Toronto Raptors beat the New Orleans Pelicans in overti...2020-10-0809 min
Minute BasketballMinute Basketball: The Unsung HeroesUnsung Heroes instill in us the belief that ordinary people can be agents of change. They provide us with reference points and road maps to accomplishments that are larger in scope than we might have imagined. We're all spectacular in that way. The heroes of our own story, and unsung in the stories of others. This week in Minute Basketball, we're showing love to the Finals participants who didn't get enough love on the way up.ZatzmanThe rest of the LakersWhat’s a song to th...2020-10-0111 min
Minute BasketballMinute Basketball: Jamal MurrayHave you seen Stars Wars Episode Four? Remember the part where all the heroes are trapped in a trash compactor, with the walls closing in, and some strange creature lurking in the depths? That’s supposed to be what the NBA playoffs feel like.The playoffs are supposed to be a crucible wherein the fraudulent are burned away and only the hardened emerge. Only obvious superstars like LeBron James (2020), Kawhi Leonard (2019) or Kevin Durant (2018) are supposed to dominate with ease. Yet there’s another archetype of player who quietly thrives in the playoffs. There are stars...2020-09-2410 min
Minute BasketballMinute Basketball: Jimmy ButlerHave you seen Stars Wars episode four? Remember the part where all the heroes are trapped in a trash compactor, with the walls closing in, and some strange creature lurking in the depths? That’s supposed to be what the NBA playoffs feel like.The playoffs are supposed to be a crucible wherein the fraudulent are burned away and only the hardened emerge. Only obvious superstars like LeBron James (2020), Kawhi Leonard (2019) or Kevin Durant (2018) are supposed to dominate with ease. Yet there’s another archetype of player who quietly thrives in the playoffs. There are stars...2020-09-2411 min
Minute BasketballMinute Basketball: The State of the BigReports of the death of the NBA big man have been greatly exaggerated. Look, for example, at the current NBA playoffs. Four teams remain, and four centers will see the bulk of the important minutes. But each of those players is vastly different from the next. That’s rare in basketball context; many NBA champions have followed a similar blueprint. But as Detroit Pistons Head Coach Dwane Casey is fond of saying, there’s more than one way to skin a cat. Change ‘cat’ to ‘NBA big men’ and ‘skin’ to ‘build an NBA team around’ and he’s got...2020-09-1716 min
Minute BasketballMinute Basketball: The Houston RocketsInnovation often breeds contempt. For Galileo Galilei’s claim that the Earth revolved around the sun (correctly, as it turned out), the Catholic Church wanted to burn him at the stake. instead he was imprisoned indefinitely. For just generally being annoying and asking lots of questions, Socrates was forced to drink hemlock, which was his death. Partly for his belief in natural virtue, and partly because Roman emperor Nero was a crazy person, politician and philosopher Seneca the Younger was forced to take his own life.Now, Galileo, Socrates, and Seneca the Younger are all phi...2020-09-1014 min
Minute BasketballMinute Basketball: ConversionThere are lots of different kinds of magic, but alchemy has to be right at the top of the least comprehensible forms of wizardry. It’s magic to be able to convert one thing into another. A substance into another, a feeling, a memory. It’s always been magic. To turn thought into action. Last week showed how incredible this collective group of NBA players is. On the heels of the murder of George Floyd, the players came to Orlando, aceded to the bubble on the premise that it would help inspire change, help c...2020-09-0312 min
Minute BasketballMinute Basketball: HipsAs people, we lie a lot. Multiple times per day. Slip lies into conversation for small social gains, sometimes for no reason. The difference between a truth and a lie is thin. Often fictitious. Think George Costanza: “It’s not a lie if you believe it.” Or the fact that human beings are extremely poor at telling when another is lying, even professionals whose job it is to recognize a lie. We come up with strategies to tell when someone is lying. Eyes darting, furtive. Sweating. Looking through their phone. Or if you’re Shakira, reading the truth in...2020-08-2012 min
Minute BasketballMinute Basketball: AstronomyPhysics is incomprehensible in big spaces. Nothing, really, makes sense when you zoom out far enough. But that’s especially true in outer space. There are forces like gravity that push and pull with more horsepower than there are horses on Earth. There are all sorts of bizarre objects: asteroids, and comets, which are really just icy asteroids, but so cold that you’d freeze just to touch one, if you didn’t burn up from the force of impact. There is space weather, like solar flares, which are so hot that you’d melt just to see one...2020-08-1312 min
Minute BasketballMinute Basketball: Your own worst enemyThere’s depth to the idea that we are our own worst enemies. It’s inherently appealing, in the sense that we are in control of our own destinies, the protagonists of our own realities. Nothing can stop us but us, context be damned. It’s akin to the Protestant ethic, of course, that tangible manifestations of our success reflect our internal compasses. But it goes deeper in the religious context; the Devil’s greatest weapon is deception. In other words, the Devil doesn’t wreck you unless you fail to check you. Perhaps a tad too deep in th...2020-08-0611 min
Minute BasketballMinute Basketball: Changing your stripes and weathering the stormIf I’ve learned anything since March 13, it’s that life is unpredictable. We all know that theoretically, of course. But the last 139 days of, mostly, unceasing and unfamiliar sameness, have hammered that lesson into my brain. Unpredictability is tangible, now. We create routine as an adaptation, a response. So basketball is back now, and with it again comes an old routine. I will try to remember that chaos runs deeper. Some backstory. Samson Folk and I ran the Black Box Report together, but it was a little too plane crash-y, in more ways than one. We liked...2020-07-3010 min
Minute BasketballChanging your stripes and weathering the stormThe audio version of the world famous Minute Basketball Newsletter, from Louis Zatzman and Samson Folk. Discussing Dennis Schroder, the Denver Nuggets, LeBron James, and Kyle Lowry in this episode. This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit minutebasketball.substack.com2020-07-2810 min
The FaedawayS2 E17 - Louis Zatzman joins the show!Tune in as the guys are joined by Raptors Republic's Louis Zatzman. On today's episode, the guys talk about the colossal officiating mistake that took place this weekend against Damian Lillard and the Portland Trailblazers. They take a deep look into the Raptors' winning streak and their keys to success, the buy-out market with its potential gems, and many more! Tune in on Spotify or Apple Podcasts. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices2020-02-1159 min
Writer's WriteWriter's Write Ep. 23 - Louis ZatzmanOn this episode of Writer's Write, Joshua is joined by fellow Raptors Republic writer Louis Zatzman to talk about his article on Serge Ibaka's resurgence, incorporating video into pieces, and how to find and maintain a balanced tone.2018-11-2355 min