No Dunks Podcast – “How Many MVPs Will Wemby Win?”

Date: April 2, 2026
Hosts: J.E. Skeets, Tas Melas, Trey Kirby, JD
Main Theme:
This episode dives into Victor Wembanyama’s historic run, his MVP ceiling, wild NBA stat lines, and listener questions about overlooked ascensions, award structures, and weird NBA records. The guys blend deep basketball analysis, quirky NBA tidbits, and plenty of laughs to recap a high-scoring NBA night and tackle burning questions about the game’s evolving storylines.

Episode Overview

• Opening with the latest NBA highlights, including a record-setting wedgie and big games across the league.
• Key discussions: Who’s likelier to pull a first-round playoff upset—the Hawks or the Rockets? And, just how many MVPs will Victor Wembanyama win in his career?
• Recaps on standout player performances, unusual NBA records, the state of defense across the league, and notable news items.
• Listener emails spark debate about the NBA’s Most Improved Player, surprise player breakouts, “broken” awards, and creative solutions for the 65-game awards cutoff.
• The crew closes by sharing personal stories, odd stats, random trivia and a batch of engaging “beach” questions.

Key Discussion Points and Insights

Wedgie Watch & NBA Nightly Rundown (03:26)

• Wedgie 69: Landry Shamet sticks a buzzer-beater wedgie—“Nice.” Every new wedgie now sets the all-time seasonal record.
• Not much defense last night (05:03)—lots of road wins and a generally wild night on the NBA scoreboard.

First Round Upset Potential: Hawks vs. Rockets (05:53)

• Tass: Hawks are more likely to upset (“They want the playoffs to start right now…”) thanks to improved defense and team momentum.
• Trey: Hawks have a better matchup (vs Cavs) than the Rockets, who’d face the Lakers or Nuggets: “The Rockets are getting either the Lakers or Nuggets; these are teams far ahead of the Cavs.”
• Skinny: Both Hawks and Rockets are hot, but Atlanta’s defense and energy stand out.
  • Trey notes the Hawks “force a ton of turnovers” since the trade deadline, key to their surge (09:10).
  • Rockets’ improved ball movement and Reed Sheppard’s shooting also get praise.
• Notable quote:

  “The Hawks just want the playoffs to start right here, right now.” – J.E. Skeets (08:37)

Most Improved Player Debate & Nikhil Alexander-Walker’s Leap (11:24)

• Alexander-Walker’s breakout season highlighted:

  “This guy is 10th in the league in three-pointers made per game. That was shocking to me… He’s just really impressed.” – Skeets (10:14)

• Current betting favorite for MIP, but the crew is skeptical he’ll win over “All-Star-level leap” candidates like Jalen Duren or Jalen Johnson.
• Memorable moment: Comparing highlights of Nikhil and cousin Shai Gilgeous-Alexander for flashiness (13:09).

Victor Wembanyama’s MVP Future (17:14)

• The Big Question: “How many MVPs will Wemby win?”
• Trey, emphatic: “Three plus for sure. I would honestly go four plus. I think he’s going to be an all-time great… All the guys you think of as best players of all time have four or more. Kareem, Russell, MJ, Wilt, LeBron, that’s it.” (18:23)
• They reference Wemby’s monster lines: back-to-back 40+ point, 15+ rebound games—the youngest to ever do it.
  • “He’s guaranteed to be the best defender for the next decade… that gets him pretty high on MVP ballots.” – Trey (18:54)
• They agree three or more MVPs is likely, voter fatigue and injuries aside.
  • “It’s all up to the MVP voters, really what it comes down to.” – Tass (22:47)
• Notable stat: Since Feb 1, Wemby’s lost one game (20:57).
• The crew debates whether Wemby’s career will look more like Shaq’s (huge early expectations, fewer MVPs than you’d expect) or will set a new standard.

Around the League: Notable Performances and Stats (28:09)

• Celtics’ 53-point first quarter vs. Heat:
  “Their biggest scoring first quarter ever… tied for second highest in NBA regular season history.” (28:09)
• Raptors letdown vs. Kings:
  Precious Achiuwa dominates his former team, 28 points, 19 rebounds—“They played with fire and got burned.” – Skeets (30:36)
• The Heat’s defense has cratered post-All-Star break; Celtics are peaking.

News & Headlines (34:57)

• Portland Trail Blazers fined $100K for illegal pre-draft contact—a bizarre, self-reported violation.
  “Their team just sold for $5 billion. It’s a tiny, tiny amount.” – Trey (36:27)
• Brandon Clarke arrest: Surprising, more involved than just a speeding/weed bust. Afternoon arrest, long detention detailed by Tass (38:07).
• Other notes: Jokic clinches a consecutive triple-double season, Jamal Murray's highlight-reel alley-oop, Paul George's Sixers scoring explosion, and Steph Curry’s hopeful playoff return.

Mailbag / “Beach” Segment Highlights

Player Breakout “Ascension” Candidates (49:13)

• Mark Williams and Nikhil Alexander-Walker (Hawks) as recent “blink and you miss it” breakouts.
• Trey brings up Celtics as a breakout pipeline—Luke Kornet, Payton Pritchard, Neemias Queta, “Baylor Baggins” (51:00).
• Tass: Peyton Watson poised for a big payday after sudden rise; “Nikhil Alexander-Walker…I didn’t see that coming.” (53:59)

65-Game Award Cutoff Debate (55:18)

• Smart listener suggestion: For award eligibility, count missed games as zero stats in season averages, rather than a hard cutoff.
• “It gives you a good read on who’s being very valuable to their team for an 82-game season. I think this is pretty smart, actually.” – Trey (56:17)
• The group muses about raising the bar to 70/82 games and gripes about the current system’s messaging.

Coach of the Year: “Broken Award”? (59:03)

• Joe Mazzulla calls it a “stupid award,” citing how legendary coaches have so few.
• “It is the most surprising team award, which is why all of these Coach of the Year winners eventually get fired.” – Trey (60:55)
• The gang discusses splitting the award into two: “Most Outstanding Coach” and “Coach Story of the Year.”

Crazy NBA Records & Random Trivia (67:34)

• Dwight Powell: Most points (9) in a game without a field goal attempt.
• Most consecutive made three-pointers: Shared by Shake Milton, Brent Price, Terry Mills (13 in a row) (68:06).
• Cal Bowdler’s infamous 7-foul game, and Dennis Rodman’s 7 (!) games with zero points and 20+ rebounds highlighted (“only three players have ever done that”).
• Fun closing trivia: Kobe Bryant addressing a 2016 Oregon team with future NBAers (Peyton Pritchard, Dylan Brooks, Tyler Dorsey).

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• On Wemby’s MVP future:
  “This is the first guy that I’ve showed my 11-year-old and 9-year-old his highlights and been like, you’re probably going to think he’s the best player of all time when you’re my age.” – Trey (18:23)
• On Hawks’ surge:
  “They want the playoffs to start right here, right now… They just want it. Don’t care who they’re playing.” – Skeets (08:37)
• On Celtics’ league-wide magic:
  “Anything the Celtics get their little fingers on turns into a great, great player.” – Trey (51:15)

Timestamps for Major Segments

• Intro & Wedgie Recap: 02:44–04:18
• Hawks vs. Rockets Upset Potential: 05:53–11:41
• Most Improved Player Debate: 11:24–14:47
• Victor Wembanyama MVP Prediction: 17:14–23:04
• NBA Nightly Recap (Celtics, Raptors, News): 28:09–41:31
• Mailbag—Player Breakout Discussion: 49:13–55:17
• Award Structure/65-Game Debate: 55:17–59:03
• Coach of the Year Rebranding: 59:03–64:14
• Crazy NBA Records Trivia: 67:34–75:00
• Final Mailbag & Fun Stories: 76:09–81:08

Tone & Language

Friendly, irreverent, and rapid-fire mix of basketball insight, stats, running jokes, and interactive trivia. The hosts riff off each other with a mix of deep-cut NBA knowledge and relatable fandom. They mix real debate and analysis with humor—"nice" for wedgie 69, friendly gripes about trophy design, and nerd-out over obscure NBA records.

For Listeners Who Missed It…

You’ll leave knowing:

• Victor Wembanyama looks destined for at least 3 MVPs—if not more.
• The Atlanta Hawks are red hot; the Celtics are peaking before the playoffs; and the NBA remains a land of weird, delightful stats.
• The No Dunks crew are ready to rethink how NBA awards are structured, from Most Improved Player to Coach of the Year.
• And you’ll have a load of fun trivia (who knew Shake Milton shares a three-point record with Brent Price?) and movie recs for times when, hey, you know the ending, but you still want to watch.

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