Star Hunting for the Toronto Raptors with Esfandiar Baraheni

Mike Shearer (AKA BasketballPoetry) joins the show this week! Listen in as we discuss why San Antonio and Detroit demand to be taken seriosuly. What Jayson Tatum may look like for the C's. Who should win ROY and which teams we'd most like to see receive some lottery luck. Mike is a brilliant writer and a brilliant podcast guest. Enjoy today's episode and check out the BP Substack down below! Mike's links: Substack: https://www.basketballpoetry.com/ Twitter: https://x.com/bballispoetry My Links: Twitter: https://x.com/TheDropStepNBA YT: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCq_-ACixpHXHuzpgMJaxH7Q Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Max and Drew of The Boris Dirk Podcast join the show as we create 8-man rosters comprised of 2025 draftees. Tune in to see who puts together the best squad, who's snubbed and who wanted to leave about 45 minutes into the show. Follow The Drop Step here: YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@TheDropStep_NBA Twitter: https://x.com/TheDropStepNBA Check out The Boris Dirk Podcast here: Spotify:https://open.spotify.com/show/2ZKXdnk1zhZTjS5hkBSAQw Max: https://x.com/MaxKlotz_ Drew: https://x.com/drewsemler Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

For the second year in a row The Drop Step is playing god; matching the top ten prospects in the 2026 draft to their ideal destinations. Listen in as FinnDraft joins the show to talk through who should join Tyrese Haliburton in Indiana, how the Thunder could take another step towards a dynasty come summer time and who has the misfortune of landing in Sacramento to start their career. Finn was a great guest and is worth a follow and subscribe. Check out his links below: Twitter: https://x.com/FinnDraft The Double Bonus: https://open.spotify.com/show/5R9ToCpWTqRETPYIYlzSYO My Links: https://x.com/TheDropStepNBA Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@TheDropStep_NBA Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Harrison Faigen of SB Nation joins the show to talk all things Lakers as we leave 2025 behind. The Deandre Ayton experience, living with Luka, Austin Reaves future and the plus/minus god that is Marcus Smart are all discussed on a fun episode of The Drop Step. Like, Rate and Share! My Links: Twitter: https://x.com/TheDropStepNBA Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@TheDropStep_NBA Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Celtics analyst and ball knower NikNBA joins the show to talk about the games we just need to see happen this year in the NBA. Between us we discuss five matchups that in our humble opinions will help to answer some of the biggest questions that have emerged since the season has gotten under way. Whether it's top of the conference clashes, alien warfare or true hipster picks this pod has you covered. Check it out, rate and share! My Links: Twitter: https://x.com/TheDropStepNBA Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@TheDropStep_NBA Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Charlie Cummings joined the show today as we made our awards selections for: MVP MIP ROY DPOY 6MOY COY With a catch... For each award we disregarded the top five picks with the sportsbooks to bring you an alternative preview for the upcoming NBA season. Listen in, rate, review and let us know what you thought of our picks! My Links: Twitter: https://x.com/TheDropStepNBA Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@TheDropStep_NBA Charlie's Links: Twitter: https://bsky.app/profile/klaytheist.bsky.social BlueSky: https://bsky.app/profile/klaytheist.bsky.social Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

The Celtics, Kings, Heat, Grizzlies, and Pacers aren’t title contenders, but they’re not tanking either. Stuck in no man’s land, should these teams chase lottery luck or bet on internal growth? Sam Sheehan of YKB joins the show for a mix of real analysis and some well earned Kings bashing. A fun one with one of the best in the game. Like, rate, subscribe, and share! Check out The Drop Step here: https://x.com/TheDropStepNBA Check out YKB on YT here: https://www.youtube.com/@youknowball Check out Sam here: https://x.com/NBABabySecret Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

The big three. Defensive dynamos. Something guards and the bigs. The 2022 re-draft makes for perfect off-season content with one of my favourite NBA Analysts; Lucas Kaplan of NetsDaily joining the show. We weigh in on Paolo vs Chet vs JDub. How to value different archetypes against eachother and to really just wax lyrical about the defensive adonis that is Tari Eason. Listen in to see who jumps, who falls and how much you disagree with two guys that care about this way too much! Check out The Drop Step here: https://x.com/TheDropStepNBA Check out Lucas here: https://x.com/LucasKaplan_ Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Dream Team. Redeem Team. The Avengers. Team USA has put together some iconic rosters over the years, but with the likes of LeBron James, Kevin Durant, and Steph Curry bowing out in golden glory in 2024, the next great Team USA will look very different. Cue Chuck of the Chucking Darts podcast hopping on The Drop Step to help save Steve Kerr & Co. a headache as we pick our own 2028 teams. Will it be the Ant-Man show? Is star power the way to go? Listen in to a packed episode to hear how we'd maintain United States dominance for at least one more Olympic cycle. Don't forget to rate, subscribe and share The Drop Step if you enjoyed this episode. Check out Chuck on Twitter here: https://x.com/ChuckingDarts Check out the Chucking Darts YouTube channel here: https://www.youtube.com/@chuckingdartsnbapodcast2215 Check out The Drop Step here: https://x.com/TheDropStepNBA Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Can Canada go for gold in the 2028 Olympics? With SGA leading the OKC Thunder to a championship this year one has to wonder if the best player in the game could do the unthinkable and help his nation knock off Team USA on their home turf in three years time. With that in mind Raptors Republic's Samson Folk hopped on the podcast to pick a 12 man roster for the maple leafs to go to battle with in Los Angeles. Mathurin or Sharpe? Can Zach Edey be an All-Star? Where are the other big men? All questions asked and almost answered in this episode of The Drop Step. Check it out! Follow Samson on Twitter here: https://x.com/samfolkk Follow me on Twitter here: https://x.com/TheDropStepNBA Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices