Off Guard with Austin Rivers

Austin and Pausha recap all the Christmas Day action, starting with the Mavs and Suns and the rivalry between Luka Doncic and Devin Booker (1:34), and then weigh in on Jalen Brunson’s impressive performance vs. the Bucks, which has him ranked among the best guards (21:33). Later, they discuss Warriors-Nuggets and Steve Kerr’s postgame free throw comments as well as Celtics-Lakers and why it may be time for Austin Reaves to be starting again (35:42). Then they send a shout-out to Miami and its unmatched culture (53:12).Hosts: Austin Rivers and Pausha HaghighiProducers: Erika Cervantes and Ben Cruz Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Austin and Pausha kick off the show by talking through Austin’s latest workout for NBA brass on his journey back to the league (0:00). The guys also get into Ja Morant’s much-anticipated return to the court and what that means for the Grizzlies moving forward (9:40), before discussing the red-hot Clippers sending a message to the NBA and the haters with their recent nine-game winning streak (16:00). They close things out with a flurry of topics, including giving Karl Anthony-Towns his flowers this season (34:40), whether or not the Knicks need a change to really be a contender (43:12), and Nikola Jokic leaving Nike to become the face of the Chinese brand 361 Degrees (54:00).Hosts: Austin Rivers and Pausha HaghighiProducer: Devon RenaldoAdditional Production Support: Ben Cruz Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Austin and Pausha start the show by talking through Shai Gilgeous-Alexander’s growing case to win MVP (8:30), as well as the Joel Embiid greatness fatigue that’s seemingly developing in NBA discourse. Next, they discuss the massive scoring nights from Jalen Brunson and Keegan Murray and Austin describes what it’s like to be the guy guarding players who go off like that (14:00). The guys wrap things up by examining Lauri Markkanen showing back up in trade rumors, the toll the Pistons’ losing streak is taking on the players, and how much longer Stephen Curry can maintain his current level of greatness.Hosts: Austin Rivers and Pausha HaghighiProducer: Devon RenaldoAdditional Production Supervision: Ben Cruz  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Austin and Pausha recap all the drama happening around the league, starting with Draymond’s indefinite suspension (2:25), before unpacking the wild events that took place between the Pacers and Bucks over the ownership of a game ball (16:46). Finally, they reveal and break down the first-ever Off Guard Top 10 Power Rankings (40:04).Hosts: Austin Rivers and Pausha HaghighiProducers: Erika Cervantes and Ben Cruz Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Austin and Pausha kick the week off comparing Shohei Ohtani’s $700 million deal to NBA contracts (1:38). Then, they talk through why the Lakers winning the In-Season Tournament upped the “cool” value, and why it overall was a huge win for the Association (19:40). Jumping off the Lakers’ IST win, they discuss the duos that rank higher than LeBron and AD, and why King James may be the greatest athlete to ever play sports (43:16). Then, they wrap things up with arguments for a 70-game regular season, and why the Warriors and Jordan Poole shouldn’t have parted ways (50:55).Hosts: Austin Rivers and Pausha HaghighiProducers: Erika Cervantes and Ben Cruz Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Austin and Pausha talk the in-season tournament semifinals, highlight the impressive play between Tyrese Haliburton and Dame (3:18), and give credit to LeBron for his dominating performance (12:40). Later, they touch on whether the Pacers are a legitimate contender out East and which type of coach is worth investing in, using Rick Carlisle as a jumping-off point (39:12), discuss how the winners of the in-season tourney should celebrate, and then give their predictions for who will win the tournament (46:16).Hosts: Austin Rivers and Pausha HaghighiProducers: Erika Cervantes and Ben Cruz Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Austin and Pausha start things off by touching on the wild tweet from Adidas in defense of Anthony Edwards after saying he’d like Kevin Durant to rock his shoes (8:06). Then, they argue why Jokic’s absurdly good season should already have his third MVP locked up (25:30). Later, they touch on the on-court incident between LeBron and Ime Udoka and discuss the dynamic between a coach and a player (36:36). Finally, they offer their in-season tournament predictions (52:48).Hosts: Austin Rivers and Pausha HaghighiProducers: Erika Cervantes and Ben Cruz Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Austin and Pausha revisit the current state of the Washington Wizards, including whether Kyle Kuzma would be better off as a player on a winning team and what’s behind Jordan Poole’s struggles (1:00). They also try to dissect what exactly is wrong with the Warriors and whether it’s realistic for them to uphold the franchise’s high standards (5:00). Then, the guys give praise to Alperen Sengun out in Houston and see where he stands in comparison to standout rookies like Chet Holmgren and Wemby (13:45). Later, they entertain the idea of a Mark Cuban presidential run after news dropped that he has sold his majority stake in the Dallas Mavericks (25:22). Austin and Pausha finish off the show by sharing their Spotify Wrapped results (49:51).Hosts: Austin Rivers and Pausha Haghighi Producers: Erika Cervantes and Ben Cruz Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Austin and Pausha open the show by giving their thoughts on the current hot streak of Pausha’s beloved Orlando Magic, and whether their success is sustainable throughout the rest of the season. Then, the guys discuss Devin Booker cementing himself as one of the most elite closers in the NBA before talking through Norris Cole’s latest comments about the “lack of basketball IQ” in the league today.They close things out with their admiration of Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, and Austin providing more context on the Chris Paul-Scott Foster beef.Hosts: Austin Rivers and Pausha HaghighiProducers: Brian H. Waters and Ben Cruz Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Austin and Pausha begin by talking about some of the teams at the top of the East—specifically who the fourth-best team in the East is (6:58). They also discuss why the Cavs are off to a slow start. Then, Austin rants about some of the Klay Thompson disrespect (29:27) before they discuss how good the Kings have been and debate if De’Aaron Fox is a top-10 player (36:53).Hosts: Austin Rivers and Pausha HaghighiProducer: Isaiah BlakelyAdditional Production Supervision: Ben Cruz Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.