No Dunks: East Over/Under Predictions | 2025-26 NBA Season Preview

Date: October 6, 2025
Hosts: Tas Melas, Trey Kirby, J.E. Skeets, JD
Podcast: No Dunks (iHeartPodcasts)

Main Theme & Purpose

The No Dunks crew reconvene in their new studio for an annual NBA tradition: previewing each Eastern Conference team’s upcoming 2025-26 season using Vegas (FanDuel) Over/Under win totals. Each host offers their reasoning, predictions, and plenty of banter for all 15 East teams, focusing on roster changes, injury concerns, team chemistry, and growth projections. The episode is filled with nuanced analysis, Hot Takes, stats nuggets, and personality—perfect for fans wanting a pulse on the new season.

Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. Show & Studio Updates (00:00–02:43)

• The No Dunks team marks nearly 20 years podcasting, with Skeets still in Canada due to "mailing issues."
• Energy is high as they embrace a new set, logo, and format tweaks ("work in progress").
• Lighthearted banter sets the tone—e.g., “We waited until the final weekend to redo the factory” (C, 02:55).

2. TOPIC: Boston Celtics

Line: 41.5 wins (FanDuel)
2024-25 Record: 61–21
Key Losses: Tatum (injury), Porzingis, Horford, Holiday

• Major Roster Questions:
  The Celtics lose three starters; only Jaylen Brown, Derrick White, and Pritchard remain established.
• Joe Mazzulla's Coaching Test:
  “What does a Joe Mazzulla team look like when they're not one of the best teams in the league? I think it's a chip-on-shoulder season.” —Trey (04:30)
• Frontcourt Issues:
  Skeets: “We’re glossed over it—this is a ROUGH front court…” (10:23)
• Missoula’s Odd Energy:
  Josh Minot on Joe Missoula: “He’s inspiring and a little bit of a weirdo...” (07:46)
• Predictions:
  • Trey: Over (“Celtics can challenge for 42 wins.” 11:55)
  • Tas: Over (“Good enough to be literally 500.” 10:09)
  • Skeets: Just Under (“39-41 wins… no shame, but that’s the reality.” 10:23)
• Notable Quote:
  “Josh Minot—Josh, why not? Why can't this team go 42 and 40?” —Tas (11:33)
• Concerns: Health of Jalen Brown; frontcourt depth.

3. TOPIC: Brooklyn Nets

Line: 20.5
2024-25: 26–56
Major Roster Issues:

• Talent gutted; reliance on Michael Porter Jr. and Cam Thomas; five rookies in first round; concerning point guard rotation.

• Intentional Tanking?
  “I think this is the year the Nets really want to be bad.” —Trey (13:16)

• Predictions:

  • Trey & Tas: Under (“Teens for wins” 14:37), citing offensive organization issues.
  • Skeets: Under (“I think they're gonna be one of the worst teams…maybe 17, 18 wins.” 14:48)

• Notable Stat:
  “Fewest assists per game in the shot clock era: 15.6. The Nets could challenge that.” —Trey (18:00)

4. TOPIC: New York Knicks

Line: 53.5
2024-25: 51–31
Key Changes: Adding Karl-Anthony Towns (KAT), bench depth, healthy Mitchell Robinson, new coach Mike Brown.

• Continuity & Depth:
  “I think the Knicks will be good this year. Wouldn’t surprise me if they have the most wins in the East.” —Trey (20:18)
• New Coach Factor:
  “Will Mike Brown…sacrifice Ws to build up the second unit?” —Skeets (20:37)
• Predictions:
  • All hosts: Over (Knicks projected as potential #1 seed)
• Notable Quotes:
  • “Coach aside…Mitchell Robinson is healthy—he can get in there and play good D and allow Karl to go to the 4.” —Tas (21:33)
  • On KAT: “I'm not going three names. It’s just too many names.” —Tas (24:40)
• Potential Weakness: What happens if new bench-veteran rotation doesn’t gel; Mike Brown’s “long game” coaching.

5. TOPIC: Philadelphia 76ers

Line: 43.5
2024-25: 24–58
Big Changes: Embiid & Paul George, but both with major injury concerns; new rookie Edgecombe.

• Health Gambles:
  “This reminds me of the Clippers line before last season. Who is going to be playing?” —Trey (25:22)
• Predictions:
  • All hosts: Under
  • “Paul George said it can’t be as bad as last year…but it could be the same.” —Trey (26:18)
• Trade Possibility:
  “Wouldn’t be shocked if one of those guys (Embiid, PG) has maybe moved during the season if it goes south again.” —Skeets (29:37)

6. TOPIC: Toronto Raptors

Line: 39.5
2024-25: 30–52
Key Additions: Brandon Ingram, RJ Barrett, Emmanuel Quickley

• Optimism, Finally:
  “I actually do believe somewhere in this squad is around a 500 team.” —Skeets (31:14)
• Dog Mentions:
  “There’s a lot of dogs, defensive-minded guys…and articles will be written about this second unit…” —Skeets (33:00)
• Fit Concerns:
  • “Have never played together—tough to overlook when the big question is, how are all these guys going to fit?” —Trey (33:24)
  • “This is such a prove-it year for the coach and a lot of these players.” —Skeets (36:12)
• Predictions:
  • Tas & Skeets: Over (Just above 39, "500 squad")
  • Trey: Slight Under
• RJ Barrett Trade Talks: Possibly needed to enhance floor spacing.

7. TOPIC: Chicago Bulls

Line: 32.5
2024-25: 39–43
Roster: +Isaac Okoro, -Lonzo Ball, otherwise stable core

• Low Expectations:
  “The number is just so low… I’m going barely over.” —Trey (41:27)
• Winning 10th Seed:
  “That seems like a given right there, the Bulls will finish 10th in the Eastern Conference after back-to-back years at 9th.” —Trey (44:49)
• Bouzelis’ Year?
  “Can Matas Bouzelis be a fourth team all-defense player this year? I hope so.” —Trey (46:42)

8. TOPIC: Cleveland Cavaliers

Line: 56.5
2024-25: 64–18
Roster: Still top-heavy; Garland injury to start; Lonzo Ball added

• Long-Term Focus Over Chasing Wins:
  “I don’t think chasing wins is as much in the cards…still sticking with the over, but under 60 wins.” —Trey (47:23)
  • Skeets: Just Under (55-56 wins likely; team due for regression)
• Mobley Needs More Usage: Analytics on clutch-time rates (Mobley only 11.9%) suggest a shift is needed to grow.

9. TOPIC: Detroit Pistons

Line: 46.5
2024-25: 44–38
Story: Young roster development year; adding LaVert, Duncan Robinson; Jaden Ivey returns

• Hosts’ Consensus: Slight Under
  • All see promise, but most expect minor regression/plateau after previous year’s huge jump (+30 wins last year).
• Improvement Still OK:
  “Even if we say the under, I don’t think that’s bad by any means…they're building something.” —Skeets (60:18)

10. TOPIC: Indiana Pacers

Line: 37.5
2024-25: 50–32, lost Halliburton & Turner

• Key Cautions:
  • Loss of Halliburton (offense) and Turner (defense) expected to shift team identity.
  • But deep, balanced roster & Rick Carlisle's solid record give hope.
• Predictions:
  • Trey & Skeets: Over (“Playing team, well coached, not a lower-tier East team.” —Skeets, 64:07)
  • Tas: Under (Halliburton loss could be bigger than expected)
• Notable Moment: Head shaving banter for Jay Huff (65:52, light comic relief)

11. TOPIC: Milwaukee Bucks

Line: 42.5
2024-25: 48–34
Key Additions: Miles Turner; major perimeter Qs (Cole Anthony, Gary Harris, KPJ, minimal creators)

• Giannis-Dependent:
  “This is a team that’s going to be Point Giannis…he’s too good for a .500 team.” —Skeets (68:29, 72:51)
• Depth Worries:
  • If Giannis misses any time, “the Bucks could go 0-15. They have basically a tanking roster outside of Giannis.” —Trey (69:19)
• Locks:
  • Tas & Skeets: Over (“Lock” for Skeets, 68:29)
  • Trey: Under (Too thin without Giannis)

12. TOPIC: Atlanta Hawks

Line: 47.5
2024-25: 40–42
Key Moves: Porzingis, Nikhil Alexander-Walker, Dyson Daniels, improved D

• Hype vs. Reality:
  “For every good move, there is a question mark.” —Tas (75:17)
• Porzingis/Jalen Johnson Health Key
  • All hosts: Just Under
  • Target: Playoff return, avoid Play-In tournament (78:51)
• Fun Quote:
  “This on paper is as about as well as you could do, I think, to put a team around Trae Young to fit his style…” —Skeets (78:51)

13. TOPIC: Charlotte Hornets

Line: 26.5
2024-25: 19–63
Core: LaMelo Ball (health?), Brandon Miller, young bigs, “vet” additions Sexton & Dinwiddie

• Longest Active Playoff Drought
  • Skeets & Tas: Under
  • Trey: Over (“Saw Lamelo do an 18 foot stepback on Instagram, now I want to go over…” 83:08)
• Roster Shaky:
  “Those vets suck…rotation players for the Hornets” —Trey (83:28)

14. TOPIC: Miami Heat

Line: 37.5
2024-25: 37–45
Lost: Jimmy Butler; Hero injured; Norm Powell, Wiggins added

• Regression to the Mean?
  “They lost so many games they should have won in the clutch. I think that flips back a little bit.” —Skeets (89:25)
• General View:
  • Slight Over (All hosts)
  • Miami leans on its defense, banking on better clutch performance.

15. TOPIC: Orlando Magic

Line: 50.5
2024-25: 41–41
Key Addition: Desmond Bane

• Defensive Juggernaut, Now With Shooting:
  • All hosts: Over
  • Health of Banchero/Franz/Suggs key; Tyus Jones & Jace Richardson bolster depth.
• Trivia: Only 3 healthy duos w/24+ PPG returning: Banchero/Franz, Luka/LeBron, KAT/Brunson (96:13)
• Quote:
  “They just feel like a regular season machine again, health bearing.” —Skeets (96:20)

16. TOPIC: Washington Wizards

Line: 21.5
2024-25: 18–64
Situation: Youth movement, many first-rounders, few proven vets

• Are They Worse than the Nets?
  • Skeets: Over (“I like them to win four more games than last year…not the worst of the worst.” 99:16)
  • Trey & Tas: Slight Under (“Name their best player—that’s the problem.” 100:19)
• Main Drama: Who finishes as the true East cellar dweller?

Final Segment: Locks Recap (102:54–105:33)

Trey’s Locks

• Knicks — Over 53.5 (“should have the best record in the East”)
• Magic — Over 50.5 (“top three”)
• 76ers — Under 43.5

Skeets’ Locks

• Magic — Over 50.5
• Bucks — Over 42.5
• Heat — Over 37.5

Tas’s Locks

• Knicks — Over 53.5
• Bulls — Over 32.5
• Hornets — Under 26.5

Notable Quotes & Moments

• On Celtics’ Coach:
  Trey: “Joe Mazzulla seems the kind of coach who will succeed without talent… Doc Rivers Orlando Magic vibes, Coach of the Year type!” (08:46)
• On Nets’ Passing:
  Trey: “I think the Nets could challenge the [record-low] 15.6 assists per game.” (18:00)
• On KAT Nickname:
  Tas: “I'm not going three names. It's just too many names.” (24:40)
• On Bulls Play-In:
  Trey: “We love the 10th seed.” (44:49)
• On Pacers’ Resilience:
  “Rick Carlisle, 23 seasons, only 7 times under 37 wins.” —Trey (61:37)
• On Atlanta's Offseason Hype:
  Tas: “For every good move, there is a question mark.” (75:17)
• On Wizards’ Future:
  Trey: “They've got the worst best player in the league.” (100:15)

Timestamps for Key Teams/Segments

• 04:02 — Boston Celtics over/under debate
• 12:57 — Brooklyn Nets: tank mode
• 18:31 — New York Knicks: top of the East?
• 25:22 — Philadelphia 76ers: injury roulette
• 31:01 — Toronto Raptors: finally optimistic?
• 41:19 — Chicago Bulls: stuck in 10th seed limbo
• 47:04 — Cleveland Cavaliers: maintaining contender status
• 54:24 — Detroit Pistons: progression or plateau?
• 61:37 — Indiana Pacers: post-Halliburton expectations
• 67:13 — Milwaukee Bucks: Point Giannis era
• 73:29 — Atlanta Hawks: the best team around Trae Young?
• 81:43 — Charlotte Hornets: another tank year?
• 88:04 — Miami Heat: clutch regression, new faces
• 92:04 — Orlando Magic: defense + Bain = real leap?
• 99:10 — Washington Wizards: not the worst?
• 102:54 — Locks for the Eastern Conference

Final Remarks & Tone

• Lighthearted, stat-savvy, debate-driven show.
• Deep dives with plenty of good-natured jabs and barroom energy.
• Essential listen (or read) for fans looking for context, predictions, and how experts view the wide range of outcomes in the new-look Eastern Conference.
• Next up (teased): Western Conference over/under predictions.