Tara and Cassidy are back on the WHAT podcast to go over the latest Blazers rumors including which back-up centers could be on their way and will LaMarcus Aldridge ever return to Portland? Then they discuss all the new “Super Duos” in the league: who are the favorites to be effective and where does Damian Lillard and CJ McCollum fit in among the best?
Finally, Tara interviews Alexis Musante of TEAM, Tech Exposure through Access and Mentoring, an Oakland-based non-profit that exposes high school students to tech related sports careers. Musante, a former college athlete, didn’t necessarily know what she wanted to do after her athletic career was over. But she found a calling in helping kids learn more about careers in the industry while working on their science, technology, engineering and math skills.
1:00 Icebreaker: If you could cast any player in a non-Space Jam movie, who would it be?
3:30 Offseason roundup.
4:00 Russell Westbrook and Chris Paul trade: Did this have to be the end of the Westbrook era in OKC? No matter what, James Harden and Russell Westbrook together will be entertaining.
8:00 With the Blazers, it looks like they are going to be adding another big man. Is it risky not to have a backup point guard?
11:00 Anfernee Simons watch
12:00 Center watch: Joakim Noah and Greg Monroe both seem like the kind of guys the Blazers would add.
14:30 Could the back up center become more adept at assists?
15:30 LaMarcus rumors (and Kevin Love) just won’t stop.
18:00 Is Portland progressing at all in terms of being a desirable free agency destination.
20:00 What is going to be the best way to measure the success of the new “Super-duos” in the league? How will we evaluate all these duos and how will we know where Damian Lillard and CJ McCollum rate? How can we measure how players make each other better?
26:00 Get to know Alexis Musante, co-founder of TEAM (Tech Exposure and Access through Mentoring)
30:00 What it was like playing collegiate level at DePaul and San Francisco State.
31:00 What were her career aspirations for life after basketball?
35:00 Things she learned playing basketball that have helped her.
36:00 Her non-profit, TEAM, exposes high school kids to sports careers through the STEM fields. Kids learn how to use sports analytics and video tools and programs, meet professionals in the industry. At Summer League they presented their work to teams.
46:00 Wrap up
Get Social
Follow Blazer’s Edge on Twitter @blazersedge, WHAT Pod @HoopsAndTalks, Tara @tcbbiggs, and Cassidy @CassidyGemmet. Find out more about TEAM.
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Music used in the episode: “Happy Alley” Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com) Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 3.0 License.