No Dunks – "Drafting This Season's Most Underrated Players"

Date: March 5, 2026
Hosted by: Tas Melis, Trey Kirby, JD, Special guest: Tim Bontemps

Episode Overview

This lively episode of No Dunks centers on the annual tradition of drafting the NBA’s most underrated players—a celebration of role players, defense-first standouts, and overlooked contributors across the league. Before launching the draft, the crew breaks down key games from the previous night, dives into the state of several teams (notably the surging Hornets, struggling Bucks, and others), and debates which under-the-radar talents deserve the most love this season. Listeners are encouraged to play along and share their own underrated picks.

Key Segments, Insights, and Notable Quotes

1. Knicks vs. Thunder – Breakdown & Takeaways

[01:37–10:09]

• Game Recap:
  The Oklahoma City Thunder outlasted the Knicks 103–100 at MSG in a game with a potential Finals preview vibe.
• Knicks’ Adjustments:
  • Trey: "They go from 40 points in the first half to 40 points in the third quarter alone... They adjusted perfectly." [02:04]
  • Knicks made key adjustments by moving Jalen Brunson off the ball to counteract the Thunder's defensive schemes.
• Chet Holmgren's Impact:
  • Tas: "Chet kicked his ass in the first half."
  • Tim: "Chet was the difference in this game on both ends of the court..." [04:11]
  • Chet’s rim protection and jump shooting stretched the Knicks defensively.
• SGA & Referee Discussion:
  • Mike Brown’s first technical foul as Knicks head coach after a disputed no-call on SGA.
  • Trey: "[Brown] should have been pissed... That should have been a charge." [07:13]
  • Bontemps: "Brunson's a flopper... He calls himself an under-the-rim rim protector." [08:05]
  • Discussion about SGA and Brunson both being experts at using their bodies to create space and draw fouls.
• Takeaway:
  • Both teams showed playoff-level intensity, and the Knicks (despite the loss) displayed defensive improvement and resilience.

2. Charlotte Hornets Hot Streak & Celtics Blowout

[10:18–19:03]

• Hornets Dominate Celtics:
  • Charlotte wins sixth straight, moving above .500 with a commanding 118–89 victory in Boston.
  • Tim: "Everything worked for them last night... 19 threes last night for the Hornets. Only 10 for Boston. 5 turnovers for the Hornets, 16 for Boston. This was a Celtics-like game for the Hornets." [10:56]
  • Kobe White’s breakout game highlighted as key to team’s newfound 48 minutes of playmaking.
• Offensive Identity:
  • Hornets described as "mirror image" of the Celtics in their ball movement and outside shooting.
  • Tas: "They have three guys that shoot eight threes or more. There's only 14 guys in the league that do that." [13:14]
  • Brandon Miller and rookie Khan Caniple’s shooting splits noted.
• Defensive & Rebounding Strength:
  • Tas: "Number one at defensive rebounding, number three at offensive rebounding."
• Playoff Outlook:
  • Tas: "Just get there. I mean that's the first step here." [18:34]
  • Acknowledgment that while the Hornets might not have the star power for a deep playoff run, they’re among the most fun, well-built teams in the league right now.
  • "They have a real identity... and they have a real identity..."
• Historical Shoutout:
  • Reference to classic Hornets-Celtics playoff series featuring Alonzo Mourning’s legendary shot.

3. State of the Bucks, Hawks' Surge, and League Lowlights

[19:57–28:47]

• Milwaukee Bucks' Collapse:
  • Four straight blowout losses; last to the Hawks, "outscored by 83 total points in the second halves" over the stretch.
  • Tim: "They fall apart defensively, get beat off the dribble.. They were doubling Jock Landale post-ups all night." [22:11]
  • Coaching confusion, roster tinkering, Giannis’s disengagement, and defensive apathy blamed.
  • Tas: "Bucks are definitely 1, 2, 3 Cancun right now." [24:09]
• Hawks' Hot Streak:
  • Five consecutive wins, albeit largely against lower-tier teams; questions about sustainability.
• Tank Watch:
  • Tas relays Tom Haberstroh’s finding: "The bottom 10 teams in the NBA right now are on a collective 44 game losing streak." [25:51]
  • Calls for creative tanking solutions and discussion of upcoming games between bottom-feeders.
• Draft Watch – 2026 Prospects:
  • Panel briefly spotlights draft prospects (Boozer, Peterson, Debancer), with Boozer as consensus no. 1 pick due to complete winner profile.

4. Main Event: Underrated Player Draft

[33:10–55:38]

Format: 3-round, snake draft—no current NBA All-Stars eligible.

First Round

• Tas (#1): Derek White (Boston Celtics)
  • "Probably the best shot-blocking guard in NBA history... but when you talk about Boston, other names are mentioned first." [36:02]
• Trey (#2): Moussa Diabate (Charlotte Hornets)
  • "He has more offensive rebounds in his career than made shots last year... he defends, sets screens, and throws down big dunks." [38:13]
• Tim (#3): Josh Hart (New York Knicks)
  • "That guy impacts winning in every way imaginable. He's the best NBA rebounder inch for inch..." [40:39]

Second Round

• Tas: Ryan Kalkbrenner (Charlotte Hornets)
  • "He was the Big East defensive player of the year four years consecutively... he’s just so good at not biting and just being giant." [42:38]
• Trey: Julian Champagnie (San Antonio Spurs)
  • "38% from three. He's also a solid rebounder... the perfect guy to have around Wemby." [44:53]
• Tim: Nikhil Alexander-Walker (Atlanta Hawks)
  • "He’s basically a 20 point per game scorer in this league... and he gives it on the defensive end too." [45:54]

Third Round

• Tas: Toumani Camara (Portland Trail Blazers)
  • "Classic three-and-D guy... starts and contributes for Portland... making 37% of his catch-and-shoot threes." [51:46]
• Trey: Cason Wallace (OKC Thunder)
  • "This guy is the next Derek White... leading the NBA in steals." [52:14]
• Tim: Devin Vassell (San Antonio Spurs)
  • "Spurs are 36–12 when Devin Vassell just plays... one of the best role players in the league." [53:41]

Other Notables & Left-out Players

• Ty Jerome, Naji Marshall, Pele Larsson, Sandro Mamukelashvili, Hartenstein, Keita, Daron Sharpe, Oso Ighodaro, Mitchell Robinson, Sam Merrill, Isaiah Joe, Dante DiVincenzo, Asar Thompson, Dean Wade, Quentin Grimes, Grayson Allen, Dennis Jenkins, Colin Gillespie, among others.

Quotes & Draft Reflections

• Trey: "We could go all day baby" – on the endless list of underrated guys. [57:59]
• Tas: "Who did we miss? Let us know in the Stream Team, let us know in the YouTube comments..." [58:58]
• Debate over what truly qualifies as 'underrated' – some picks (like Derek White, Josh Hart) might be fan favorites, but their value goes beyond box scores and headlines.

5. Brief Hits & Fun Sidebar Moments

• Tribute Video Whiplash:
  • Fastest ever? Clippers’ tribute to Zubac barely a month after trade.
• MAC-tion
  • Chat about Miami (OH) Redhawks’ undefeated season and deep dives into obscure NCAA trivia.
  • Tim: "Gary Trent Jr., Shaq of the MAC." [30:23]
• Music Plug:
  • “Missed Dunks at Summer League,” indie rock band, gets an album shout-out, causing confusion and laughs about music naming conventions. [59:38]

Timestamps – Must-Listen Moments

• Knicks-Thunder Breakdown: [01:37–10:09]
• Hornets' Hot Streak/Celtics Blowout: [10:18–19:03]
• Bucks' Meltdown & Tankathon: [19:57–28:47]
• Draft Talking Prospects & Cheese: [27:01–28:47]
• !"Underrated Player Draft" Game Show: [33:10–55:38]
  • 1st round picks: [36:02]
  • 2nd round picks: [42:08]
  • 3rd round picks: [50:13]
• Rapid-Fire Honorable Mentions: [55:38–58:52]
• "Missed Dunks at Summer League" Banter: [59:38]

Tone & Style

• Playful, irreverent, deeply knowledgeable NBA fandom.
• Frequent inside jokes and observational humor.
• Engaged debate about league trends, with a focus on highlighting "sicko" basketball knowledge and unsung heroes.

Summary of Draft Picks

| Host | Team | |--------|--------------------------------------| | Tas | Derek White, Ryan Kalkbrenner, Toumani Camara | | Trey | Moussa Diabate, Julian Champagnie, Cason Wallace | | Tim | Josh Hart, Nikhil Alexander-Walker, Devin Vassell |

Final Thoughts

The No Dunks crew brings their signature mix of deep analysis and good-natured debate, elevating NBA role players and arguing over what really counts as "underrated." This episode is a treasure for superfans as well as casuals who want to learn which league contributors fly below the radar yet shape winning basketball.

Notable Quotes for Sharing

• Tas: “He is probably the best shot-blocking guard in the NBA of all time... when you talk about Boston, other names are mentioned first.” [36:02]
• Tim: "That guy impacts winning in every way imaginable. He's the best NBA rebounder... inch for inch." [40:39]
• Trey: "We could go all day, baby." [57:59]

Missed any picks? Have your own nominations? Jump into the YouTube comments or tweet @NoDunksInc!