The NBA is a mess. Not the game itself—the game is beautiful—but the way we consume it has become a chaotic, screeching nightmare of "Who wants it more?" and "Legacy points" debates. If you’re like me, you probably wake up, scroll through a dozen box scores, and realize you have absolutely no idea what actually happened in the league last night. That’s exactly where Good Morning It's Basketball comes in.
It’s not just a newsletter. It’s a survival guide for the modern hoop head.
Tom Ziller, the mind behind this project, has been doing this forever. He was a pillar at SB Nation back when the internet felt like a community rather than a series of algorithmic traps. When he went independent with his Substack, it wasn't just a career move; it was a rescue mission for fans who were tired of the "First Take" style of analysis. Most sports media wants to yell at you. Ziller just wants to talk about the game.
What Good Morning It's Basketball Gets Right
Most people get it wrong. They think a sports newsletter should be a dry recitation of stats or a collection of hot takes designed to go viral on what used to be Twitter. Good Morning It's Basketball rejects that entirely. It’s built on the idea that the NBA is a long, winding soap opera played by the best athletes on earth.
You get the context.
If the Sacramento Kings lose a heartbreaker in January, most outlets ignore it. Ziller won’t. He’ll explain why that specific loss matters for the Western Conference play-in race and how the coaching staff messed up the final rotation. It’s granular. It’s nerdy. It’s deeply human.
The structure is intentionally loose. Some days you get a deep dive into the collective bargaining agreement—which, honestly, is usually boring as hell, but Ziller makes it make sense—and other days you get a passionate defense of a random bench player who had a "vibes-heavy" performance. It’s this mix of high-level strategy and pure fandom that makes it feel like you’re grabbing coffee with a friend who happens to be a basketball genius.
The Problem with "Big Media" Coverage
Look at the landscape. ESPN is basically a LeBron James and Lakers tracking station. If the Lakers are 10th in the West, they still get 40% of the airtime. It’s exhausting. The "national" conversation is focused on about five teams and three superstars.
Good Morning It's Basketball is the antidote.
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I remember when the Indiana Pacers started their high-octane offensive revolution a couple of seasons ago. While the big networks were still arguing about whether Kevin Durant was "happy" in Phoenix, Ziller was already breaking down Tyrese Haliburton’s impact on pace-and-space. He finds the stories before they become "narratives." He treats the Orlando Magic and the Utah Jazz with the same intellectual respect he gives the Boston Celtics.
That’s rare.
It’s also about the writing style. You won’t find the "corporate speak" that has infected so many sports sites. There are no "key takeaways" or "moving forward" clichés. It’s just prose. Sometimes the sentences are short. Punchy. Like a fast break. Other times, he’ll meander through a historical comparison that links a 1990s bench mob to a current defensive scheme. It’s a rhythmic experience.
Why Substack Was the Right Move
The pivot to a subscription model changed everything for sports journalism. When you aren't chasing clicks, you don't have to write "10 Reasons Why the Warriors Are Finished" every time they lose two games in a row. You can be patient.
Ziller’s independence means he can call out the league's nonsense. When the NBA tries to gaslight fans about the officiating or the ridiculousness of the "In-Season Tournament" (now the Emirates NBA Cup), he’s there to provide a cynical, yet loving, reality check. He’s a fan of the game, not a PR arm for the league office.
The Daily Routine of a Hoop Addict
If you’re serious about this, your morning probably looks the same every day.
- 7:00 AM: Alarm goes off.
- 7:01 AM: Check the scores.
- 7:05 AM: Open the Good Morning It's Basketball email.
It provides a framework. It tells you what games you actually need to go back and watch on League Pass condensed replays. It highlights the "Leagues Won/Lost" section, which is a brilliant bit of gamification that tracks the league's hierarchy in real-time. It’s the "Scoreboard" section that usually hits hardest. It’s not just who won, but how they won.
Was it a fluke? Was it a ref show? Or was it a genuine tactical masterpiece?
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Honestly, the NBA is too big for one person to follow alone. There are too many games, too many injuries, and too many trades. You need a filter. But you don't want a filter that’s biased by TV ratings or sneaker deals. You want a filter that cares about the sport.
Debunking the "Stat-Only" Approach
There is a massive divide in basketball right now. You have the "eye test" people who think analytics are ruining the game, and you have the "spreadsheet" people who think you don't even need to watch the games if you have enough data.
Good Morning It's Basketball sits right in the middle, which is the only sane place to be.
Ziller uses the numbers to prove a point, not to replace the story. If a player has a PER (Player Efficiency Rating) that’s through the roof, he’ll look at the film to see if that player is just hunting easy buckets or if they’re actually impacting winning. He understands that a 20-point game in a 30-point blowout is fundamentally different from 20 points in a gritty defensive battle.
He also touches on the lifestyle and culture of the game. Basketball isn't played in a vacuum. It’s connected to fashion, politics, and urban culture. While it stays focused on the court, the newsletter doesn't ignore the world around it. It feels lived-in.
What You Might Have Missed
People often ask if it’s worth paying for sports content when so much is free. My argument is that free content is usually "cheap" content. It’s rewritten press releases. It’s aggregated tweets.
When you read a piece on the evolution of the "drop coverage" defense in a Good Morning It's Basketball edition, you’re getting original thought. You’re getting a perspective that isn't beholden to a league partner. That’s worth the price of a cup of coffee a month.
I’ve seen plenty of newsletters come and go. Most burn out because writing 1,500 words five days a week is brutal. It breaks people. But Ziller’s longevity is a testament to his genuine obsession with the league. He doesn't seem to get tired of it. Even in the dog days of August when there’s no news, he finds a way to make a random 1980s highlight reel relevant to today’s game.
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How to Get the Most Out of the NBA This Season
Stop trying to watch everything. You can't. It’s a recipe for burnout.
Instead, use a tiered approach to your fandom. Watch your favorite team. Follow a few rivalries. And let Good Morning It's Basketball fill in the gaps for the other 28 teams. It’s the only way to stay informed without losing your mind.
The league is moving toward a more parity-driven era. The days of "Superteams" being guaranteed a Finals spot are mostly over. Look at the parity in the West. Look at the young talent in the East. It’s harder than ever to predict what will happen next week, let alone next June.
You need a guide who isn't afraid to be wrong, too. One of the best things about the newsletter is that Ziller will own his bad takes. If he said a team was dead and they go on a 10-game winning streak, he’ll lead with that. That humility is what builds trust with a reader. It’s not about being an all-knowing oracle; it’s about being a student of the game alongside the audience.
Actionable Ways to Level Up Your Basketball IQ
If you want to move beyond being a casual fan, you have to change how you consume information. Here is the move:
- Audit your feed. Unfollow the "shouty" accounts that prioritize engagement over accuracy. Your mental health will thank you.
- Read the CBA summaries. You don't need to be a lawyer, but understanding how the "Second Apron" affects trade flexibility will make you realize why your team isn't making that big move you want.
- Watch the off-ball action. Next time you’re watching a game, don't look at the guy with the ball. Look at the screens being set. Look at the defensive rotations. Good Morning It's Basketball often points out these "invisible" plays.
- Support independent creators. Whether it’s Ziller, Ben Golliver, or the crew at No Dunks, the best basketball content is happening outside the major corporate structures.
The NBA is the best reality show on television. It’s fast, it’s dramatic, and the talent level is higher than it has ever been in the history of the sport. Don't let the "discourse" ruin it for you. Find a source that actually likes the game.
Start your day with a clear head and a better understanding of the pick-and-roll. It makes the wins sweeter and the losses—well, the losses still suck—but at least you’ll know why they happened.
Next Steps for Serious Fans
- Sign up for the newsletter to get the daily morning briefing.
- Use the "Archive" feature to search for specific team deep-dives before they play your favorite squad.
- Follow the "Leagues Won/Lost" standings throughout the season to see which teams are actually overperforming their talent level.