MID-SEASON MIXTAPE SERIES

A QUICK GUIDE THROUGH THE FIRST 600 GAMES FOR THE UNOFFICIAL CROWD

The 2025-26 NBA season is halfway over. 600+ games have been played. Crazy, isn’t it?

I was talking with a friend, and they mentioned that they love basketball, but the first half of the year is a blur. It’s competing with the holidays and travel, not to mention the closing weeks of the NFL Season. He’d told me how hard it is to jump into the NBA season cold turkey in February and have any idea what games matter, who’s at the top of the conversation — it’s like being dropped in the deep end.

So, like when you were a kid introducing your friends to your favorite music, I’ve decided to start making some of my very own NBA 2025-26 mixtapes to share.

It’s the old-school burned CD concept: a curated set of “tracks” that capture the mood of the season. Some are obvious hits that everybody should know about now — the names you’ll hear come award season. Some are deep cuts you swear will be everyone’s favorite in a few years. And yet still some are the weird experimental stuff. The kind of thing that takes a few listens to before it makes sense.

If you ever made a mixtape for a friend (or I guess a short Spotify playlist these days?), you already understand the idea: this isn’t a complete encyclopedia. It’s a primer. It’s a snapshot. It’s a conversation starter.

What to expect

Volume 1: The Mainstream

This is the “bar top ready” volume.

These are the tracks to know to be a part of the main conversation over a few pints. It’s the MVP race. The league leaders. The generational headliners who are still doing their thing. Nothing too hypothetical or speculative. Generally, nothing very contentious either. Just the current beat of the league to gear you up for the last half of the season.

If you read only one volume, read this one.

Track List

• The Hit Makers
• The Best Ensembles Assembled
• The "End of an Era" tour

Volume 2: The Experimental

This is for those of us who like to get a little weird.

This is where I’ll share my own takes. You’ll hear some “in my opinion” disclaimers and “if I’m being candid” topic starters. This is your hipster volume. Finding your new die-hard favorites before they’re cool. Assuming they ever actually get cool! It’s the rebuilds in flight. The schemes and game management ideas that feel like a new wave may be on the horizon. The experiments that may not even work!

Volume 2 isn’t “what’s now.” It’s “what if?”

Track List

• The Remixes
• You must be this tall to ball
• The Spooky Screen Phenomina
• Offensive Boards are the new Hockey Assist
• By Gawd - Is that a Zone?!

What I hope you get out of it

This started as a primer for my buddy. If you’re a sports fan shifting gears from TDs and Field Goals to… well… also Field Goals, I hope this is your quick primer and your invite to the conversation!

If you’re into the weird like me, I hope it gets your blood going. I hope that, whether you agree or not, it gets you excited about the league for well beyond the next 600 games.

Ultimately, I hope it serves as an invitation for you to jump into the conversations around what I think are some of the most compelling stories around the league.

First track drops Monday!