Omar Zahran
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omarzahran.bsky.social
Omar Zahran
@omarzahran.bsky.social
1.3K followers 1.2K following 2.6K posts
Sports writer on Medium Staff writer for KnicksFanTV Host of the Deep Cover Podcast Lover of sports, tech, and amazing food
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Hey everyone.

If you ever want to read my stuff please subscribe to my Substack below. It’s free! And you’ll get a couple rambling sports essays from me every week!

It would mean the world to me if you subscribed!

deepcover.substack.com
Deep Cover | Omar Zahran | Substack
Weekly sports analysis that goes beyond hot takes and highlights. Click to read Deep Cover, by Omar Zahran, a Substack publication. Launched 2 months ago.
deepcover.substack.com
I’m working on an article about Scorigami and boy this is getting real nerdy, REAL QUICK. And I love every second of it 😂
Watching Tyrese Maxey this year, his evolution in the way he can get his points is incredible. Able to create his shot and manipulate space to put defenders at a disadvantage. Just remarkable year over year improvement from what I saw of his last season.
I’m honestly surprised it’s gone on this long. Usually these things are resolved before it can get to the point of missing multiple live events. This entire streaming landscape is a mess
Me as a Knicks fan who happens to subscribe to YouTube TV that can’t watch my favorite basketball team because of the Google and Disney carriage dispute
a black and white cat is peeking out from behind a curtain .
ALT: a black and white cat is peeking out from behind a curtain .
media.tenor.com
I'm so glad that Mamdani won. He executed one of the best political campaigns that I have ever seen. Built up excitement, understood the modern landscape, and spoke to voters in a way that not many have. Just a masterclass in modern political campaigning.
Something to monitor are low post up opportunities for OG Anunoby. He got great positioning tonight but had issues converting and getting the ball poked away. Would love to see him work on that throughout the season because that could add a fascinating dimension to this offense down the stretch.
He identified the mismatch with Sarr and attacked it often throughout the game tonight. 33 points, 13 rebounds, and 5 assists on 50% shooting, he was finishing at the rim and being assertive. Nice win on a back-to-back, and a much-needed morale booster for Towns.
Tonight's Knicks win had so many positive KAT elements. On a night where Brunson's shot wasn't there, they used him as a hub at times and his reads were good and made the right decisions.
Raw numbers in attendance is likely a poor metric since the smallest MLB park (Tropicana) is bigger than almost all NBA arenas.

The original post making a point about the way the that the NBA was covered correlating to interest is a good point I think
New podcast episode!

This week I'm joined by Andy Whittier. Andy is a Skeleton athlete, working towards representing the US in the '26 Winter Olympics. We talk about the sport, his journey from college football, and his passion for sport. Listen below!

open.spotify.com/episode/2gwQ...
#84 - Skeleton, Overcoming the Odds, & a Love of Sport w/ Andy Whittier
open.spotify.com
The latest NBA gambling scandal has caused us to think about the pervasiveness of sports betting in our sports. But has it forever altered the fan experience? Last week Chris Lindsey joined me to discuss this 👇

youtu.be/L-narvKad-A?...
Has the injection of sports betting compromised the fan experience?
YouTube video by Omar Zahran
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Towns still has some communications issues right now on both ends, which is troubling. And the team as a whole has struggled finishing at the rim this year. These feel like correctable things. Nice to get back in the W column!
The shots were falling and it felt like OG in particular was looking for his shot. Second quarter Clarkson minutes were huge, and proof of why they brought him in this summer. He's still very capable of those sort of scoring bursts.
Saw some good things from the Knicks tonight against Chicago. Incredibly evident how important a healthy Mitchell Robinson is to this team. His rebounding and space erasure on defense leads to so much on in transition.
Victor Wembanyama has started this season by showing everyone proof of concept of his capability. His trajectory and ceiling are seemingly limitless. While he ascends he is also battling the precedent of players that preceded him. Check out my latest on below:

open.substack.com/pub/deepcove...
The Exquisite Wembanyama
The Spurs center continues to amaze, doing the impossible while also fighting the war of historical precedent
open.substack.com
One thing I’ve noticed watched the last few LAC games is the way that Kimani Vidal has done in pass protection. Feel like he’s intelligently picked up the rush to give Herbert half an extra second to get the ball out.

One of those things that’s a good way to stay on the field.
Something they need to convert on is when teams blitz Brunson, which seems to be more frequent this year. 40% from three tonight but can’t win when Chicago hits 46% from three.
They’re still adjusting to this new style of play. Tonight it felt like there was some late defensive breakdowns and again some missed shots.
I know that’s three losses in a row for the Knicks. But I just don’t think it’s worth it to freak out about this team too much until we get to game 25 or so.
Colin Cowherd was inducted into the radio HOF. Love that for him. I know a lot of people don't like him, but he's always been an inspiration for me. His analogy-based style heavily influenced my own writing style, and I feel that he deserves to be celebrated, even if you disagree with his takes.
The gap between the Power Four and the Group of Five continues to widen. Wrote about a separate G5 playoff that preserves unlikely runs and rewards teams for success, even if they aren't on the same level as the Big Ten or SEC. Read my latest on Medium below:

omarzahran.medium.com/the-case-for...
The Case for a Group of Five Playoff
As the gap between the Power Four and everyone else widens, a proposal for a second playoff
omarzahran.medium.com
I still have concerns about their outside shooting efficiency but they should be a top four seed in the East imo
Nice to see the Magic bounce back after a tough start
Tha situation is such a mess!
New podcast episode!

Was joined by Chris Lindsey to talk about the NBA's latest gambling scandal. We touched on repercussions, the pervasiveness of prop betting, shifting fan behavior, and more. Really fun conversation, check it out below!

open.spotify.com/episode/2ese...
#83 - The Rough Road of the Latest NBA Gambling Scandal w/ Chris Lindsey
open.spotify.com