No Dunks Podcast Summary

Episode: Drafting The Most Interesting Teams For Stretch Run & Spurs Talk Live In Austin, TX

Date: February 19, 2026

Hosts: Je Skeets, Tas Melas, Trey Kirby, JD

Special Guest: Jacob Toby (Spurs Play-by-Play Announcer)

Episode Overview

In this lively episode, the No Dunks crew records live from Casa de Spurs in Austin, TX, as part of Spurs Week festivities. The show is structured around drafting the most "interesting" NBA teams to watch for the remainder of the 2025-26 regular season, with in-depth conversation about the stretch run, key storylines, and an in-person visit from Spurs play-by-play announcer Jacob Toby, who shares behind-the-scenes perspectives and memorable anecdotes from his work. The tone is fun, conversational, and energized by their live audience.

Key Segments & Discussion Points

1. Setting the Stage (Live from Austin)

[04:01-07:05]

• No Dunks broadcasts from Austin during Spurs Week, with the Spurs vs. Suns and Spurs vs. Kings games upcoming.
• Early banter: crowd interactions, inside jokes (birthdays, Spurs jerseys), and Spurs mascot debates (Coyote's eyes).
• Shoutouts to sponsors and crowd; gratitude for being in Austin and preview of live guest.

2. Draft: NBA’s Most Interesting Teams for the Stretch Run

[07:05-36:44]
Each host drafts teams they find most compelling for the season’s final third. Below are key picks and debates, with select quotes.

A. Boston Celtics (Trey, 1st pick)

• Jason Tatum's imminent return from injury and fit with Jaylen Brown.
• Statistical insights: Celtics' clutch record, impact of Tatum's absence on supporting cast.
• “Will he be able to be the one A type of guy because Jaylen Brown has been carrying it?” (Tas, 09:00)
• “I think they could win the east for sure.” (Trey, 10:14)

B. Oklahoma City Thunder (Tas, 2nd pick)

• Injury concerns (Shai Gilgeous-Alexander’s abdominal strain, Jalen Williams’ lack of rhythm).
• OKC’s uncertain chemistry; comparisons to last year's Celtics' playoff flameout.
• “They’ve only played their starting five, only five games together.” (Tas, 11:08)

C. San Antonio Spurs (Skeets, 3rd pick)

• Enter the night with the NBA’s longest active win streak (6 games), 2 games behind Thunder.
• “Title contender checklist”: 40-win/20-loss rule, SRS 4+ rule, top-3 seeding benchmarks.
• “They do hit all these sort of benchmarks here, so feel like their chances to go all the way.” (Skeets, 15:08)
• “They hit my number one check mark: Do they have Wemby? Yeah, they do.” (Trey, 15:17)

D. Cleveland Cavaliers (Trey, 4th pick - Round 2)

• James Harden’s trade impact (“worked perfectly”), Mobley’s impending return.
• Chemistry fit: balancing Harden, Allen, Mobley, shooters.
• “They basically got two All Star duos going together” (Trey, 17:10)
• Skepticism re: Harden in big playoff moments: “When has Harden ever let down the Cavs?” (Trey, 18:14, mocking)

E. Detroit Pistons (Tas, 5th pick)

• Defensive-minded, “just good against good teams.”
• Statement wins over Knicks, Celtics; forced turnovers.
• “If I’m picking between Cavs, Celtics, Pistons or the Knicks, I’m taking the Pistons to make the NBA Finals.” (Tas, 20:49)

F. Houston Rockets (Skeets, 6th pick)

• The “Burnergate” scandal: alleged Kevin Durant burner accounts attacking former and current teammates.
• Rockets’ quirky offensive rebounding focus, three-point math problem, and impact of losing Steven Adams.
• “Can this weird ass offense work?” (Skeets, 25:56)
• “Is Fred Van Vliet coming back? No.” (Skeets, 26:49)
• On KD: “I think it’s 80% real, 20% not.” (Trey, 28:30)

G. Denver Nuggets (Trey, 7th pick – Round 3)

• Struggles due to defensive injuries; can they regain 2023 form?
• Havoc schedule: “11 of their next 12 games will come against teams above .500.” (Tas, 30:45)
• Jokic–Murray pick-and-roll as postseason trump card.

H. Minnesota Timberwolves (Tas, 8th pick)

• Highly streaky results; Anthony Edwards’ importance.
• Three-point leaps from role players (Jaden McDaniels, Ayo Dosunmu).
• “It’s those guys around Anthony Edwards if they’re going to elevate.” (Tas, 33:31)

I. Los Angeles Lakers (Skeets, 9th pick)

• Will this be LeBron’s L.A. or NBA farewell?
• Outlier stat: Best record ever for a team with negative season point differential.
• “They have this incredible record in the clutch, but they haven’t played a whole bunch of them.” (Skeets, 35:32)
• “This is not LeBron’s last season…and next year he will be a Cleveland Cavalier.” (Trey, 36:06 – bold prediction)

3. In-Depth: Spurs Talk with Jacob Toby (Spurs Play-by-Play Announcer)

[38:11-71:43]

A. Getting to Know Jacob Toby

• “There’s no least favorite part…The best part about the job is that I get the best seat in the house…and get to talk about Spurs basketball in the NBA.” (Jacob, 38:54)
• On being a young broadcaster and sitting courtside with Sean Elliott, spurred by a “lifelong dream.”

B. Life on the Road: Behind the Scenes

• Story about unintentionally going viral for using smelling salts pregame on-air (41:17).
• Fan favorite “eating segments” with Sean Elliott.
• “Once we started doing those segments, it's like the number one thing people stop me on the street about: 'I love that segment, you guys eating.'” (Jacob, 42:01)

C. The Wembanyama Experience

• On broadcasting Wemby’s rookie-to-superstar rise:
  “You have to always be ready because you never know what he’s going to do on the court. I have to have the most amazing call ever because that’s going to live on forever.” (Jacob, 43:00)
• Behind-the-scenes: Wemby’s humility, off-court kindness, and always carrying a book.
• “He’s such a nice guy. He’ll come up to me before a game and say hi…and that’s the best part. Because he’s a real human.” (Jacob, 43:50)
• Book club jokes (44:12); Wemby’s intentional, thoughtful nature in interviews.

D. Spurs-Austin Relationship & Spurs Week

• “To grow it [the fan base] in another city that’s only an hour away—big city as well—it’s awesome. It's actually a no brainer.” (Jacob, 46:26)
• Brief history of “rodeo road trip,” less grueling this year.

E. Underrated Spurs & Team Dynamic

• De’Aaron Fox framed as under-discussed “unheralded star.”
  • “He is shepherding in this young cast of characters—people should definitely talk about De’Aaron Fox more.” (Jacob, 49:29)
• The Wemby effect on teammates: “He’s just allowed everybody to be themselves and be calm, and that’s sort of bled in.” (Jacob, 55:23)
• On Wemby's book habit: “Always has a book. Jokic obviously made fun of him last year at the All-Star Game. Had a book this year at the All-Star Game.” (Jacob, 55:04)

F. Spurs' Playoff Prospects

• “They just believe that this team can do it, and they want to see what their young squad can do…There is a good shot that this team finds magic. With the right matchups, it’s all about matchups.” (Jacob, 64:15)
• West’s increased difficulty repeatedly cited; desire for Spurs–Thunder WCF matchup.

G. Key to Victory & Spurs Suns Preview

• Without Dylan Brooks (suspended), feed Victor early, limit opponent threes.
  • “Feed the big guy early, let everyone else eat after that...limit the threes, give the ball to the big man, win the game.” (Jacob, 67:45)

H. Approaching the Big Moment

• On potential buzzer-beater calls:
  • “It needs to be organic. It needs to be in the moment. If I have a catchphrase and it doesn’t fit, that lives on forever and I’ll be like, ‘That wasn’t that good.’” (Jacob, 69:10)
  • Inspiration from Kevin Harlan and Mike Gorman.

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• "[Jason Tatum] is going to be joining a Boston Celtics team that's at the top of the Eastern Conference, right there behind the Detroit Pistons. But he's joining a team where Jaylen Brown is the stud now…It'll be weird to see how Tatum fits in with Jaylen Brown now that Jalen's the number one guy." – Trey Kirby [07:52]
• "Do they have Wemby? Yeah, they do. They got a chance in any game, any series." – Trey Kirby [15:08]
• “If I'm picking between those four right now, I think I'm taking the Pistons to make the NBA Finals.” – Tas Melas [20:49]
• "Can this weird ass [Rockets] offense work because they just grab a million offensive rebounds…But no Steven Adams now, so maybe hurts that a little bit." – Je Skeets [25:56]
• "He wants the rocking chairs and portraits…if he just slips out like Tim Duncan, it doesn't feel like LeBron." – Je Skeets [36:44]
• "The best part about the job is that I get the best seat in the house...and talk about Spurs basketball in the NBA." – Jacob Toby [38:54]
• "[With Wemby,] you never know what he's going to do on the court…I have to have the most amazing call ever because that's going to live on forever." – Jacob Toby [43:00]
• "Always has a book…Always stops for a moment and then thinks about what he's going to say…one of the most selfless guys in the league." – Jacob Toby [43:50]
• “To grow [the fanbase] in Austin, it's a no brainer. To come here twice a year is awesome.” – Jacob Toby [46:26]
• “If they could do the West, I’m picking the Spurs.” – Jacob Toby [66:19]
• “Feed the big guy early, let everyone else eat after that.” – Jacob Toby [67:45]
• "It needs to be organic. It needs to be in the moment…If I have a catchphrase and it doesn’t fit, that lives on forever and I’ll be like ‘That wasn’t that good.’” – Jacob Toby [69:10]

Important Timestamps

• 04:01 – Live intro, Austin set, Spurs Week context
• 07:05 – Drafting interesting NBA teams begins
• 13:56 – Spurs title contender credentials breakdown
• 25:46 – Rockets “Burnergate” and offensive weirdness
• 38:11 – Jacob Toby joins live, Spurs play-by-play insights
• 43:00 – Wemby stories, pressure, and off-court personality
• 49:28 – De’Aaron Fox as underrated leader
• 55:23 – Wemby’s effect on culture and teammate growth
• 64:15 – How far can the young Spurs really go?
• 67:45 – Spurs' game plan: keys to victory against Suns
• 69:10 – The art of the organic play-by-play call

Overall Tone and Takeaways

The episode is packed with playful banter, deep NBA analysis, and rich local color from their time in Austin. The draft format fosters spirited debate about which franchises are truly fascinating, while the Spurs segments—with Jacob Toby—provide both insider stories and broader NBA context. The hosts balance data-driven arguments with personality and humor, making it a must-listen for both diehard fans and those eager to keep up with the NBA's late-season drama.