Episodes
Eric Smith and Paul Jones are back with another former Raptor! Joining the guys this week is 13 year NBA vet Tony Massenburg. The guys go over his introduction to Toronto, and meeting Paul back in the day before getting into what life is like an an expansion team. Tony then goes over his time playing for the university of Maryland with Len Bias and what could have been with his career. The guys then go over the legacy of Len Bias and how over time it has changed to being a more positive one....
Published 11/15/24
Published 11/15/24
Eric Smith & Paul Jones are back with another episode. They are joined by NBA legend, and former Toronto Raptor Charles Oakley! The guys go over his first reaction's to Toronto and how he felt about the city. The guys then get into his experience playing with Vince Carter, and how close he thinks the team was to being a serious contender. The guys then get into who they think the next jersey to be retired for the Raptors. Eric and Paul wrap up the show with some audio from Vince Carter's...
Published 11/08/24
Eric Smith & Paul Jones are joined by 3 time NBA Champion Phil Handy! They go over his life in basketball from his early days growing up in the Bay Area, to playing his college ball in Hawaii. The guys then go over just how hard it was to make an NBA roster and his career over sea's, and getting into skill development as a coach. How did all of this lead to eventually getting on Mike Brown's staff to work with Kobe Bryant? Finally the guys touch on Phil's time in Toronto, from his...
Published 10/31/24
Eric Smith & Paul Jones are back for another season of Smith and Jones! The guys kick off the season with former Raptors centre and fan favourite, Lucas "Bebe" Nogueira! They chat about what he is up to now following his recent retirement from basketball, how hard the transition has been to his post-NBA life, and what he wishes he could have told his younger self. The guys then get into some of his recent struggles both on and off the court, before wrapping up the conversation with a look...
Published 10/24/24
Eric Smith and Paul Jones are back for one more time this year! In the season finale the guys welcome on former NBA front office executive and current NBA Front Office insider Bobby Marks. He gives them his thoughts on the Raptors draft & off season so far. The guys then go over his thoughts on Paul George moving to the 76ers, what the Nuggets are doing, and how the new CBA is effecting how teams are constructed. Doug Smith of the Toronto Star then joins Eric and Paul and they go over his...
Published 07/04/24
Eric Smith & Paul Jones are back with another jammed packed episode! Guys kick things off previewing the opening of Team Canada training camp, and what this summer will look like for the national team. Paul is then joined by the CEO of Canada Basketball Michael Bartlet and General Manager Rowan Barrett. They go over what this roster looks like and what training camp will entail. Eric and Paul then go over there thoughts on the Raptors off season moves thus far. From acquiring Davion...
Published 06/28/24
Eric Smith and Paul Jones are back and joined by NBA Champion Oshae Brissett! They go over what it was like to win the NBA title with the Boston Celtics. Who was the first person he called? What leadership role did Jayson Tatum and Jaylen Brown play in this series? And who is he celebrating with in Toronto? Boston Globe Celtics reporter Gary Washburn then joins the guys to share his thoughts on the Celtics' championship and what's ahead for this team after the title. Finally, former Cleveland...
Published 06/20/24
Eric Smith & Paul Jones are back with another episode! The guys are joined by the Raptors television play-by-play announcer Matt Devlin! They go over some of his memories from 5 years ago when the Raptors beat the Warriors to win the NBA championship. The guys then get into Matt's experience working beside Jerry West and his impact on both Matt, and the entire league. The guys then welcome on 17-year NBA vet and current Mavs broadcaster Derek Harper!  They get into how this series has...
Published 06/13/24
Eric Smith and Paul Jones are back with another jam-packed episode! The guys are joined by Timberwolves Associate Head Coach Micah Nori to go over his experience in the Western Conference Finals after getting thrust into the head coaching role! They chat about the T-Wolves' season as a whole and the leap the team made this year, before Micah offers his thoughts on the NBA Finals matchup and what it presents for both teams. Later, new CEO of Ontario Basketball, Claude Nembhard stops by to go...
Published 06/06/24
Eric Smith & Paul Jones kick off the show by offering some thoughts on the passing of Bill Walton. About his impact both on and off the court and he meant for the NBA. The guys then welcome on former Knicks GM & current ESPN analyst Scott Perry to hear his thoughts on the conference finals. What stands out for him more then anything else? Would it be a disappointed if the Celtics didn't win the title this year? And what does Scott see in these conference finalists that the Raptors...
Published 05/31/24
Eric Smith and Paul Jones are back with another packed episode! The guys kick things off with their thoughts on the announcement of Toronto getting a WNBA team! What does it mean for the city and the game of basketball in Toronto, as well as for the nation as a whole? Next, the pair dive into the NBA conference finals alongside Dallas Mavericks radio play-by-play voice, Chuck Cooperstein! He breaks down his takeaways from Game 1 including if the Mavs have the defensive chops to win the West,...
Published 05/23/24
Eric Smith and Paul Jones are back with another packed episode! The guys share their thoughts on the news of the Nets retiring Vince Carter's number and what it says about Raptors, before being joined by the voice of the Minnesota Timberwolves, Alan Horton! Alan helps break down everything Nuggets-Timberwolves including what's changed from Game 2 to now and how the T-Wolves can counter-punch. Next up, former NBA player and current Pacers analyst, Eddie Gill weighs in on Indiana's chances of...
Published 05/16/24
Eric Smith & Paul Jones share there thoughts on the MVP award, and why they think the NBA got it wrong. The guys are then joined by longtime NBA executive Ed Stefanski. They get into his thoughts on the MVP award. Then his thoughts on how both the Timberwolves and Nuggets were put together. The guys then get into Ed's thoughts on Zach Edey and if he can fit into the modern NBA. Eric and Paul are the joined by 2014 Big 10 player of the year & former NBA player Nik Stauskas. They get...
Published 05/09/24
Eric Smith and Paul Jones are joined by NBA champion & former NBA head coach Lionel Hollins! The guys go over his memories and role in Portland's 1977 championship. Next, Hollins unpacks what it's like coaching in the playoffs and what goes into game planning. After that, how can the Lakers retool after being eliminated by the Nuggets yet again? The guys then get into what Lionel is seeing from the Mavs, and Knicks and discuss if they are legit title contenders. Eric and Paul then get his...
Published 05/02/24
Eric Smith & Paul Jones are back breaking down all the action from the NBA playoffs! Guys are joined by ESPN's and New York Knick radio announcer Monica McNutt to breakdown everything going on in the big apple. Is she surprised by the Knicks start? How are they doing all this without Julius Randle? And is Joel Embiid leaving anything to be desired? The LA time's Dan Woike then joins the guys to share his thoughts on Lakers-Nuggets. Why does it seem like the Nuggets own them? And is there...
Published 04/25/24
Eric Smith & Paul Jones are back to wrap up the 2023-24 Raptors season. The guys are joined by Sportsnet Raptors analyst Alvin Williams as they look back at the high's and low's from the season. Eric and Paul then listen to Masai Ujiri end of season availability and talk about what they expect in the offseason. They then hear from Scottie Barnes, RJ Barrett, and Immanuel Quickley, before offering there final thoughts for the season (33:42). The views and opinions expressed in this...
Published 04/18/24
Eric Smith and Paul Jones are joined by former NCAA and NBA head coach, and current NBA on ESPN radio analyst, P.J. Carlesimo! He shares some of his memories his time with Seton Hall and their trip to the Final 4. How did he prepare them to play Duke? What did he say at halftime when they were down? The guys then pivot to the 2024 NCAA tournament and what P.J. thinks the future holds for Zach Edey. Later on, they discuss who's leading the NBA MVP race and if anyone can stop a Denver-Boston...
Published 04/11/24
Eric Smith and Paul Jones are back with a special edition of Smith & Jones! With the news of Vince Carter's induction into the Naismith Basketball Hall of Fame, the guys are joined by his former teammate Muggsy Bogues to look back on his time in Toronto. Was he often under appreciated? Did his love of basketball get lost in the shuffle? How impressive was he in practice? Muggsy also offers some thoughts on the current NBA season and how he sees it shaking out. Later on, Sportsnet's...
Published 04/04/24
Eric Smith and Paul Jones are back with a brand new episode! The guys are joined by Front Office Sports Reporter, Alex Schiffer to talk about his reporting on the situation. What happened exactly and how big will the consequences be? Alex has covered the Porter brothers since high school, did he ever see something like this happen? Eric and Paul then get into their own thoughts on it and what the fallout could be for all of sports. Guys shift gears and talk to Canada basketball CEO Michael...
Published 03/28/24
Eric Smith and Paul Jones are back with another loaded edition of Smith & Jones! Canadian men's national team Head Coach Jordi Fernández joins the guys off the hop to recap the Olympic group draw. Jordi also talks about the impact former national team coaches Jay Triano and Nick Nurse have had on the program and discusses how the perception of Canada basketball has changed internationally. Finally, the guys get into what the roster could look like this summer. Next, Eric and Paul are...
Published 03/21/24
Eric Smith & Paul Jones are back with a special episode this week! Leigh Ellis joins the guys from Brazil, the latest stop in Ellis' '20 games in 20 Cities' basketball tour. How has Leigh found travelling the world and trying to play 20 pickup games in 20 different cities? What's he learned not only about himself, but about the game of basketball and how do different players play in different parts of the world? The guys also touch on Leigh's original goal for this journey and ask him...
Published 03/14/24
Eric Smith & Paul Jones are back with a new episode! They are joined by former assistant GM and current player agent Noah Croom! The guys go over how the pipeline to the NBA has changed with Noah. From the development of young players to the influx of Europeans, are we in a worse position now? How has the way referees are calling games impacted the offensive explosion we are currently seeing? The guys also go over some of the memories of the Vancouver Grizzlies, and whether or not...
Published 03/07/24
Eric Smith & Paul Jones are back with another edition of Smith & Jones! 16-year NBA vet and Dallas Mavericks commentator Derek Harper joins the guys to go over his thoughts on the Mavs right now. Can they be legit contenders in the West despite there poor defense and who else does Derek see as a threat out of the West? Then, voice of the Golden State Warriors Tim Roye joins the guys to go over the Warriors season so far this year. Plus, is this the end of the road for Klay and...
Published 03/01/24
Eric Smith and Paul Jones are joined by former professional basketball player and social media influencer, Rex Chapman! They preview his new book 'It's Hard for Me to Live with Me.' How did he deal with addiction and playing basketball at a high level? How aware was he that he was dealing with mental health issues at the time of his playing days? The guys then get into the current NBA and how the game has differed from when he played. Later, they get into how AAU has effected development as...
Published 02/22/24