On The Ball with Ric Bucher

Enes Kanter Freedom Found the NBA’s Weak Spot — And Analytics Are Killing Its Game

August 28, 2026·29 min
Episode Description from the Publisher

Ric Bucher examines Enes Kanter Freedom’s WNBA protest and why his real target may be the NBA — a league he believes ended his career to protect its business interests.Then, Chicago Bulls forward Matas Buzelis’ revelation that he’s been discouraged from shooting mid-range jumpers launches a deeper look at how analytics have reshaped — and homogenized — NBA basketball. Plus: Caitlin Clark’s evolution, Stephen A. Smith’s WNBA take, Jalen Brunson’s old-school brilliance and whether load management is actually making players more vulnerable.00:00 – Welcome to On The Ball01:16 – Enes Kanter Freedom, the WNBA and the controversy04:27 – Challenging the WNBA’s eligibility rules07:16 – Is Kanter Freedom really supporting women?10:30 – Ric’s perspective from years around women’s basketball13:44 – Why Kanter Freedom’s real target may be the NBA15:21 – Caitlin Clark’s evolution and Stephen A. Smith’s WNBA take16:35 – Matas Buzelis and the NBA’s war on the mid-range18:23 – How analytics took over NBA basketball21:20 – The math behind eliminating the mid-range22:24 – What analytics fail to measure23:48 – Kenny Atkinson and analytics taken to the extreme25:40 – How distinctive NBA offensive systems disappeared26:48 – Jalen Brunson proves old-school basketball still works27:41 – Load management, injuries and unintended consequences28:14 – Why modern NBA basketball has become too formulaic28:46 – Closing thoughts#NBA #WNBA #EnesKanterFreedom #MatasBuzelis #CaitlinClark #JalenBrunson #ChicagoBulls #OnTheBall #RicBucherSupport this show http://supporter.acast.com/bucher-and-friends. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

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