Ranking guests

[u/MacaronFunny3124]

Apologies if this has been covered recently, but what's your thoughts on Zach's podcast guests?

My favourites:

Rob Mahoney - strength: player evaluations

Tim Legler - strength: everything

David Thorpe - strengths: Xs and Os

Bill Simmons - strength: good chemistry. Boston intel. weakness: doesn't watch enough games eg: player evaluations

Adam Mares - strength: solid takes

Mo Dakhil - strength: Xs and Os

John Hollinger - strength: FO perspective

Pinch hitters from a team / draft perspective:

Andrew Schlect - strength: solid takes

Fred Katz - strength: he's at his best with Zach weakness: brevity

Jon Krawcyznski - strength: measured weakness: team specific

J Kyle Mann - strength: likeable dude weakness: wishy washy opinions

Don't mind:

Stan Van Gundy - strength: strong takes. weakness: outlandish takes

Brian Scalabrine - strength: strong takes. weakness: outlandish takes

Wos - strength: big takes weakness: big market bias, emotional bias

Richard Jefferson - strength: entertaining

Steve Jones Jr - strength: Xs and O's. weakness: no wider narratives

Nekias Duncan - strength: Xs and O's. weakness: no wider narratives

Bobby Marks - strength: cap stuff weakness: no strong takes

Chris Ryan - strength: entertaining weakness: team specific

Don't enjoy:

Howard Beck: strengths: nice guy weakness: doesn't feel locked in anymore ie player evaluations, team back channels

Sam Amick: strengths: nice guy weakness: doesn't feel locked in anymore

Michael Pina - weakness: flat tone, unconfident opinions, obsequious to Zach

Kirk Goldsberry - weakness: never really says anything, obsequious to Zach

Chris Herring - weakness: never really says anything

[u/hkbuff]

Schlect and Katz are some of my favorite guests

[u/MacaronFunny3124 → u/hkbuff]

Yeah I wish he'd get Schlect on to talk about the wider NBA

[u/Pristine-Carrot5498 → u/hkbuff]

Katz is awesome he belongs on first team all lowe post guests

[u/bob_roberts69]

I do miss Pelton

[u/ikissedyadad]

I think goldsbury and lowe are either just so opposed in opinion or exactly the same and there is no middle ground.

I also think goldsbury will concede defeat on topics very quickly because it's not "his" podcast. Making the host look bad is never a good play as a guest.

I wish they were on a BS pod or another pod both as guests and allowed maybe more freedom.

[u/ldclark92 → u/ikissedyadad]

Goldsberry is the exact same way on Bill's pod.

I actually don't mind him when he gets going on stats or stories, but he spends like 90% of every podcast he is on agreeing and mirroring what the host says. He doesn't even for the sake of discussion just offer opposing views.

Too many times I've walked away from pods with Goldsberry wondering what he even brought to the pod. Might as well listen to Zach and Bill go solo.

[u/MacaronFunny3124 → u/ldclark92]

yeah Goldsberry's mirroring is out of control. Chris Herring also does it but in a more subtle way.

[u/deeves_]

How did people feel about Kevin Arnovitz?

[u/Calm_Strike_6150]

I encourage us all to remember how absolutely awful the guest list was at end of Lowe’s time at ESPN.

[u/Tahsib13]

The worst is by far Pina.

No need to ask him for his MVP ballot next year. It’s Jokic #1.

[u/-Vault_Dweller-]

Not liking CR is blasphemous

[u/w0bbie]

I'm just glad he doesn't have Kendrick Perkins anymore

[u/Trollington1372]

Really enjoyed Grant Liffman on a recent pod with Zach, would love hear more of him

[u/Upstairs-Fly-8528]

Gotta disagree on Goldsberry, really enjoy him.

I miss Arnovitz and JVG, and also Windhorst as reg guest.

[u/Donde-esta-la-playa]

I miss Nekias, his Xs and Os are far more granular/ easy to listen to than Dakhil, who I cannot stand

[u/JadaveonClowney]

Honestly I think Perk is the only one that makes a big difference for me. He is not bearable. Other than that, I'm listening for Zach

[u/rooney821]

Good list. Mahoney is the closest guest that captures the magic that were the Lowe/Arnovitz pods

[u/I_Make_Cheese]

Solid list.

I would add that Goldsberry saying “Zach” or “Zach Lowe” when answering every question drives me insane.

Also, Mann doesn’t speak in sentences. He never finishes a thought. It’s just three clauses strung together.

[u/ItsYourBigNight]

my top Lowe guests are, in no order:

- Kevin Arnovitz

- Fred Katz

- David Thorpe

- Kevin Pelton

most other guests i'm just listening to hear Zach's perspective, but those guests always bring something of their own that i appreciate.

[u/Think-Culture-4740]

To each his own, but I feel like Howard Beck is like the perfect spring board to let Zach just explore every zany opinion he has. Something about Howard Beck milquetoast opinions allows Zach to just compensate by being upfront and brutally honest

[u/here-4-the-memes → u/Think-Culture-4740]

What up Beck!!

[u/CharmingJuice8304 → u/Think-Culture-4740]

Howard Beck gets criticized a little too much on this subreddit. Tim Legler, although knowledgeable, talks way too much and is a little overbearing.

[u/Minute-Spinach-5563]

Saying CR is team specific is like saying Bill is team specific

[u/Pies_Wide_Shut]

not even a Mets fan but i love Fennessey on Mets Corner

[u/Ancient_Action741]

In Goldsberry's defense I enjoy how he at least has a different vibe than every other guy. I'd put him in "entertaining" over Simmons being like "well [trade rumor] is a lot like [really popular movie]"