Loading summary
Ad
This message is brought to you by Apple Card.
Dave DeFore
If you're like us on the show, you're always on Triple Double Watch. That's why we were impressed when we learned that Apple Card was posting numbers of their own.
S
That's right, with Apple Card, you can earn 3% daily cash back at Apple and 2% back on everything you buy.
Dave DeFore
Using Apple Pay, not to mention 1% back on everything else. That's a stat line that any fan can appreciate.
S
Apply for Apple Card in the Wallet app on your iPhone today and start using it right away with Apple Pay.
Ad
Subject to credit approval. Apple Card issued by Goldman Sachs Bank USA Salt Lake City Branch terms and more at applecard.com as we head into.
Esperahenny
The playoffs, it's safe to assume there will be a few calls made by the refs that will be hard to accept. But you know what isn't hard to accept? Discover. Believe it or not, Discover is accepted at 99% of places that take credit cards nationwide. You heard that right, 99%. So make a good call for your wallet and get discovered.
James Edwards
Based on the February 2024 Nielsen report. Learn more at discover.com credit card As.
Ad
A salesperson the Search for the Right Buyer Buying groups can feel like you're endlessly sifting through leads and hoping they're ready to buy. I've been there before as a salesperson, going door to door just just crossing your fingers, just hoping that something will come about. But thankfully, LinkedIn Sales Navigator is more than just a tool, it's your strategic sales partner. LinkedIn Sales Navigator is the sales intelligence platform that helps professionals effectively prospect and engage high value customers, drive higher revenue and increase sales performance. Sales Navigator helps you target the right buyers, surface key signals such as job changes or which accounts you should prioritize, and shows you hidden allies so that you can find those buyers that are most likely to convert. Whether you're looking for new clients or strengthening relationships of current accounts, LinkedIn Sales Navigator has new AI features designed to help sellers find the right people and get right to the right conversations. All at scale. Fueled by LinkedIn's 1 billion-member platform, Sales Navigator gives you the most up to date first party data enabling you to unlock conversations with the people that matter. Ready to get right to the right conversations? Try LinkedIn Sales Navigator now with a 60 day free trial at LinkedIn.com mbashow23 that's LinkedIn.com nbashow23 for a 60 day free trial. Terms and conditions apply.
Dave DeFore
Good morning and welcome to the NBA Daily. Coming up, the Thunder win again. A bunch of teams had some weird losses and James Edwards is here to tell us why the Knicks can't beat the best teams. Good morning everybody. Good morning. S. Morning.
S
Morning.
Dave DeFore
Another night for the NBA. Not the greatest night of basketball, but the best team in the sport did play last night. The Thunder handled the Pistons. Pistons shorthanded of course. Kate Cunningham still out. Bunch of guys serving suspensions from the big melee the other night. But OKC once again just takes care of business. They get their 64th win. They're 64 and 12. I don't know, we're, we're, we cover the seam every single day almost. On this show there's something to talk about with them. Shay Gilda's Alexander of course just continues to rack up the accolades. How many games now has he scored? 30 points.
S
69 games tying Michael Jordan. Yes, very nice.
Dave DeFore
Having a nice season. And I mean when you look at what, what they've done, I mean this is again, this is a dominant basketball team. They continue to dominate. Last night was their 50th win by double digits this season, tied for the most in NBA history. The track record of teams that have done that s Pretty good.
S
Yeah, pretty good. Championships all around. It seems like they're in line for that. I mean there's, there's tons of expectations there for them to do. So you think about the 1972 Los Angeles Lakers did that. They tied with them. That's the team that they, they tied with when they got that 50th double digit win, won a championship. 2017 warriors won a championship. You know, 1971 Milwaukee Bucks won a championship. The 6 96, 97 Bulls, the 08 Celtics. 2015 Warriors. That's the type of team we're talking about when it comes to this Oklahoma City Thunder team. That's just how good they've been all year, you know. Yeah.
Dave DeFore
And I, I'm looking at their remaining schedule. They've got Houston, they've got two games against the Lakers, they've got Phoenix, they've got Utah, they've got New Orleans. So I think they're going to set the record for most double digit wins.
S
Yeah, right.
Dave DeFore
It just feels like it's going to happen. I mean everybody beats Utah by 30 points.
S
So might, might count for two wins at that point.
Dave DeFore
So you know, you're, you're thinking about this. I'm thinking about the schedule and I'm saying, okay, this team, they've got six games left. There's six games from 70 now. It's not the easiest schedule, right. It's Houston, two games against the Lakers. I, we think Phoenix is probably done. Utah has been done since, I don't know, last June. New Orleans, you know, obviously they shut down CJ and Zion. Yeah, there's a path to 70 wins here. They've already kind of. They've set franchise records, I believe. S. What was it, 64 wins?
S
64. They tied the Sonics. You know, Sean Kemp, Gary Payton, those guys tied them with this one. So.
Dave DeFore
So they've kind of, they've kind of done everything that you can do as a franchise. They're going to break that record.
Esperahenny
Even though.
S
I'll ask you this. Wait, this is, this is interesting now. Do you think there's value in getting to 70, like being a team that won 70? Does that matter at any point in time other than the fact that you got to 70?
Unknown
Yeah.
Dave DeFore
No, I don't think so. I think what matters, I mean, they've checked all these other boxes. I think the thing that matters for them is, you know, keep doing what they're doing and not upset the apple cart. I, I don't, I don't want to see this team necessarily take like a bunch of games off. Right, right. I think that would be bad. The worst thing would be like losing to the Jazz and the Pelicans going into the playoffs. Even if you're playing your bench guys. I just think it's kind of a bad vibes thing. I don't like to see good teams going into playoffs losing, especially not historically great ones.
S
Also, like, this team has dealt with so many injuries throughout the year.
Dave DeFore
Right.
S
It's actually pretty good for them to get some run with their team full. Healthy. Jalen Williams, Chat Holmgren, Isaiah Hartenstein. Just figure out the fine tune, the rotation and lineups for them as they head into the postseason. That's super important.
Dave DeFore
They're young and they're going to have that a little bit of a break because of the play in. I mean, I'm not saying they should be pedal to the metal, but it.
Esperahenny
Would be cool if they did it.
Unknown
All right. All right.
Dave DeFore
Bold prediction. Time. Six games. It's not an easy schedule. Give me the number. Where do they stop?
S
I'm going to say 69. I think they'll get to 69 because they. They play the Lakers twice.
Dave DeFore
Right.
S
And I think one of those, yeah, it's hard to beat a team twice. So I'm going to say they get a split there, especially because it's in. In, you know, okc. I think there's a chance. You know, I'm going to say 69. How about you?
Dave DeFore
I. I like it. I. Look, I want to say that they're going to win all six because if this was. If this was two months ago, they would win all six. That's the sort of team that we're dealing with. I'm going to say 68. I just think that they're going to rest guys and I think it's going to. They're going to be extremely strategic as they go into the.
S
Even if they rest guys, they could win games, though.
Dave DeFore
They really can. I mean, Isaiah Joe might just drop like 60 or something. Okay. Bunch of teams had some weird losses. So. In honor of Davion Mitchell, who him and his Heat beat the Celtics. Somehow we're gonna call this little segment off night. There's a little question mark. It's like, you know, if there was a graphic for this, it would be so good.
S
We can't patent it, but we can't.
Dave DeFore
Yeah. It's a sick nickname.
S
So. Yeah.
Dave DeFore
Okay. So the Celtics, they. They lost to the Heat, and we've been kind of pumping up the Celtics. We, you know, we talked about how great they were in March. You know, this is an aberration. They just really didn't shoot the ball well. They turned the ball over 13 times and the heat only turned the ball over four times. So, you know, if you shoot 46% from three and you check the ball, you're going to win a lot of games.
S
Yeah. The Celtics shot 27% from three. They were also missing Al Horford, Drew Holiday, and Christoph Sporzingis. This is very clearly to me an April type basketball game. Also, the Heat have been playing better. You know, we should talk about the fact that the Heat of playing. Playing better basketball recently, Davion Mitchell is actually a big part of that. I think he pairs well with Tyler Hero in the backcourt. You have a guy who can guard at the point of attack. Very, very interesting player to pair alongside. Also shooting the lights out. It's like 40% from 3 since he's been with the Miami Heat. But yeah, Celtics, just bad shooting night for them. Gotta chalk it up to that.
Dave DeFore
I do. I love that. If you play for the Raptors, every Raptors fan is gonna follow you for the rest of your career. It's just a degree that you could not believe. I love it so much. Okay. So hot on the heels of an awful loss.
S
Yeah.
Dave DeFore
Previous night, the spurs beat the Nuggets.
Unknown
So.
Dave DeFore
So the Nuggets lose again. And look, there's no Jokic, there's no Murray. I mean, we could go down. They were.
S
They were basically missing their entire starting lineup here. Yeah.
Dave DeFore
Yeah. Okay.
Unknown
And.
Dave DeFore
But still, it's the spurs, right? Bismack, Biombo, start. Started at center.
S
Yeah.
Dave DeFore
For the spurs last night. You. You know, it's not like it's a must win for them because at this point, you know, they're. They're in that 3, 4, 5 mix.
S
Yeah.
Dave DeFore
It just has bad vibes written all over it. You know, they. They lost to the spurs on a Devonte Graham game winner at the end of the 2024 season, and I thought it killed their playoff momentum. They had been playing pretty good basketball for a while. A little bit up and down. I'm. I'm a little bit nervous that the Minnesota loss and we need to see. Look, there's time.
S
Yeah.
Dave DeFore
But I'm. I'm nervous when you lose a game like that, that you really probably wanted to win. I mean, there's a lot of bad blood there. I don't know.
S
Yeah, there's. It's also funny because it was. It was a great game for Russell Westbrook tonight. You know, 30 points, 11 rebounds, six assists. Like, he did his thing. He was the only real rotation player other than Jalen Pickett who played in this game. And so knowing what happened in Minnesota, the terrible ending to that and what Russ had to do in that moment and having a good game when nobody else is playing, it's kind of a funny way for this season to end if. If this is the way this is going to go for Denver. But to be honest with you, I'm not concerned. I think this is just typical. They played a double overtime game, and we were exhausted after that.
Dave DeFore
And then they played nobody. Right. Yeah.
S
This is a.
Dave DeFore
Look, it's a schedule loss.
Unknown
Right.
Dave DeFore
You can blame it on the schedule. I just wish they would have won it. That's it.
S
Yeah.
Dave DeFore
Hey, you know what I mean?
S
They. They're now third, you know, Sorry. They're actually fourth now. Lakers jump into third, which is actually a very important part of this whole thing. We'll see what happens. Because this. This is all fluid. It keeps moving around. You look at the Rocket schedule. They play both of these teams, so there's a chance that either the Lakers or the Nuggets can climb up to 2. And that changes things because you're on the other side of the board versus okc. You don't have to face them in the second round. Now if you're Denver and You're in that four or five. You're facing OKC in round two, which is tough. That's tough.
James Edwards
Yeah.
Dave DeFore
Yeah. Nobody should want that. Also, it feels as if nobody really wants to be the 10 seed out West. Either that or the Sacramento Kings. Just, they all really want to go to Dallas because they just will not win. They lost to the Wizards last night, and I think, look, if you lose to the wizards, who have 17 wins, that's one of your worst losses of the season. But you couple it with the fact that they need to win to stay in the play in. They fired their coach not that long ago. Like, this team, this isn't a team that should be thinking, oh, well, it's fine. We. We. We don't need to make the play in this year. It's not like the Suns, who are going to blow it up this summer. The Kings, theoretically, like, this is kind of going to be their team next year.
S
I'll be devil's advocate here. They have a top 13 protected pick, and right now it' Exactly. And I'm just. I don't think it's a tank because they're playing their guys. Like Demar Rosen ended up playing 40 minutes tonight, and they still lost. They've also lost seven of their last eight games. So I don't think it's a tank. I think it's just a recipe that this King's team is not good enough, truthfully. So, yeah, it's tough. I don't think this was an off night for the Kings. I think this was a regular night for the Sacs.
Dave DeFore
I like that quite a bit. Before we. Before we go to James, we got to talk about Anthony Davis, because Anthony Davis has been back. He had probably his. I think it's his best game since he returned, and he finished the game somehow with, like, one eye. Yeah, he hits a game winner. He. He caught an elbow at some point in the game and, and had to leave. And I. I don't know how he. How he was able to see with. With an eye patch, but Anthony Davis hits a game winner, has a really ridiculous line, and him and Derek Lively out there.
S
I see, look.
Dave DeFore
I see the vision.
S
It's been awesome. Yeah, I see.
Dave DeFore
I understand it completely.
S
Yeah. And look, they have all of their bigs back, so Daniel Gafford is back in there. They're running the double big lineups consistently. I thought him and Lively. Ad and Lively had a. A lot of great moments. There was a moment where, okay, Lively caught in the short roll, and you see Anthony Davis go up for the alley oop. There was a moment where okay, now Anthony Davis is in the short roll and you're finding situation. So like vertical spacing wise they are creating offense just because of their double big lineups, which is an interesting thing because you see the trend around the NBA of teams going with these double big versatile lineups. You think of the Rockets with Stephen Adams and Alpern Shangu and the Thunder who do it with Chet Holmgren and Isaiah Hartenstein. Even the Celtics have it with Porzingis and Horford or Luke Cornett and any of those two guys. It's very, very good to be able to go to two versatile guys who are seven feet tall who can do everything and AD obviously completes that. It's funny because it was one of those bigs that gave him the eye patch. It was Daniel Gafford's elbow that got him in the eye and he bled. But some some sort of typical AD kind of game where he comes back in the game and and absolutely dominates. It was a good game there.
Dave DeFore
Yeah, it's I mean again the Kyrie injury continues to bum me out because I actually think Dallas would have been a pretty fun team come find time and the big to big passing would have unlocked a lot for them. But anyway guys, stick around after the break. James Edwards here to break down why the Knicks fall apart once the defense starts to switch.
Ad
This message is brought to you by Apple Card.
Dave DeFore
If you're like us on the show, you're always on triple double watch. That's why we were impressed when we learned that Apple Card was posting numbers of their own.
S
That's right, with Apple Card, you can earn 3% daily cash back at Apple and 2% back on everything you buy.
Dave DeFore
Using Apple Pay, not to mention 1% back on everything else. That's a stat line that any fan can appreciate.
S
Apply for Apple Card in the Wallet app on your iPhone today and start using it right away with Apple Pay.
Ad
Subject to credit approval. Apple Card issued by Goldman Sachs Bank USA, Salt Lake City branch terms and.
Esperahenny
More@Applecard.Com as we head into the playoffs, it's safe to assume there will be a few calls made by the refs that will be hard to accept. But you know what isn't hard to accept? Discover. Believe it or not, Discover is accepted at 99% of places that take credit cards nationwide. You heard that right, 99%. So make a good call for your wallet and get Discover.
James Edwards
Based on the February 2024 Nielsen report. Learn more at discover.com creditcard as you've.
Unknown
Probably heard by now, we've teamed up with BetMGM this season. We'll be using BetMGM lines to make all of our picks and we'll have special offers for our listeners each week. If you haven't signed up for BetMGM yet, use bonus code TheAthletic and you'll get a one year subscription to the Athletic plus up to a fifteen hundred dollar first bet offer on your first wager with BetMGM. Here's how it works. Download the BetMGM app and sign up using bonus code TheAthletic. Make your first deposit of at least ten dollars. Place your first bet on any game and claim your voucher for a one year subscription to the Athletic.
James Edwards
See betmgm.com for terms. U.S. promotional offers not available in D.C. mississippi, New York, Nevada, Ontario or Puerto Rico. Gambling problem call 1-800- gambler available in the U.S. call 877-8-HOPENY or text hopeny467-369 In New York, call 1-800- NEXT STEP in Arizona, 1-800-327-5050 In Massachusetts, 1, 800, bets off in Iowa, 1-800-270-7117 for confidential help in Michigan, 1, 800-981-0023 in Puerto Rico. First bet offer for new customers only in partnership with Kansas Crossing Casino and Hotel.
Unknown
Don't forget, if you haven't signed up for BetMGM yet, use bonus code TheAthletic and you'll get a one year subscription to the Athletic plus up to a fifteen hundred dollar first bet offer on your first wager.
Dave DeFore
Last night, Knicks played another game against a top team and another loss for the New York Knicks. They just can't seem to beat these teams at the top of the east or the Oklahoma City Thunder. Here to talk about it, James Edwards. He covers the Knicks for the Athletic and one of our favorite guys to talk to. James, how's it going? Man, these Knicks, they they can't seem to get over the hump against the real contenders.
Unknown
Yeah, it's been a weird season I think, obviously and Tom Thibodeau likes to talk about this a lot. I think what gets missed in the discourse is kind of the circumstances surrounding games. So in their defense, two of the three games against Cleveland have been on the second night of a back to back. This one tonight without Jalen, without Miles McBride, without campaign starting Delon Wright who's been solid, and rookie Tyler Kolik. So they know Mitchell Robinson who's not playing back to back yet so of all the games, this isn't really the right one for a barometer kind of test, but I mean listen, Everybody in the NBA plays back to backs. When they lost by 36 or whatever it was a few weeks ago, a little over a month ago, like yes, they were on the second half of it back to back. But good teams don't get blasted like that. That like it's. It's pretty rare. So yeah, it's a team that I think is a really good team. But there is a clear kind of tiering system right now in the NBA and the top of that tier is the, the Thunder, Celtics and Cavs and those. It's pretty much those three against everybody else. And the Knicks have some good moments. They look really, really good in spurts throughout games and then they look kind of.
S
They.
Unknown
They look like they could lose to anybody at points in games and yeah, just very.
Dave DeFore
A momentum shift for them in, in the game last night. You know, S and I, we were, we were talking about it. The offense came out so hot and, and we were thinking oh, it's a great time to plug this big piece that, that James just wrote about OG Anunoby. He's having a great start. Oh, we're going to. But then the Cav started switching. Now. S. We. We've done this all year with them. S. What's the issue that you've seen so far? S. With. With the Knicks and the switch, I.
S
I think they don't utilize slipping as much like if you're. If the. One of the best ways to beat a switch is to slip, right. And Josh Hart is a great guy at slipping pick and roll situations, getting in the short roll, make plays, four on three.
Unknown
Right.
S
Like you can kind of feel your offense through switches. I haven't seen that a lot and, and maybe that's just me looking at it from an outsider's perspective and not seeing them on a day to day. But I, I think they're leaving a little bit on the bone offensively when it comes to facing switches. James, I guess my question to you is like why do you think this team struggles so much when teams just outright switch their actions offensively?
Unknown
I think there's a few things and yeah there's, there's slipping here and there. Like Mikel has slipped at times and that kind of. He's the most that comes to mind. And then the way that they guard teams have been guarding the Knicks, they put a five on Josh, a wing on. On Cat and I think they've kind of Leaned into maybe Josh facilitating a little bit more, getting guys off actions and having them set up. And there was, it was some success the other day. I can't remember in which game, but in the first quarter it looked really good. So it just seems like there's just inconsistencies from the group as a whole or even guys not doing necessarily, I think what the staff is hoping to do. But I think to your point, I think one thing that they, they. They're. They're such a slow playing team in the half court. Hey, they don't get up a ton of threes. They don't have a guy with Jalen out right now that really well. Oh, geez. Now getting to the rim. But yeah, a guy who's getting to the rim and creating threes really like the lawn Wright has done a good job, but obviously it's to a, To a lesser degree. There is a team that's a little bit. That can sometimes get ISO heavy. When things aren't going. Going well, they. They at times hesitate to let shots fly. Like sometimes in the NBA, a good shot is when a guy's running at you as opposed to trying to get a better shot and the shot clock goes like. It just seems sometimes they. They've hesitated at times.
Dave DeFore
And I think being the enemy of good, it seems like it. It has shot them in the foot, you know, especially without Jalen Brunson out there to kind of stir the drink. I want to get to an update on him in a minute, but you know, we talked about the big piece that you just wrote about OG you know, he had another nice game. I mean, it was incredible actually last night. He has shown a scoring spark that we haven't really quite seen out of him. And it's in the absence of Jalen Brunson. Yeah, I told S I promised him airtime here. I was like, look, I'm gonna let you. Because he loves OG So much. I was like, I had to let you tell James how much you love the piece. I thought it was fantastic listeners. I will link that in the show description. So it's an easy click.
S
Yeah. Look, James, anytime you write about OG it's an. It's an automatic read for me. I'm tapping in. But generally from watching this man develop over the last, I don't know, however many six years in Toronto, yes, there were moments, there were spurts where he was able to get shots off the bounce. His balance was there in terms of shot creation, getting to the basket, the driving game, the. The way he's using his strength, etc. Etc. All of that was there and I think we're seeing that right now. But I guess my thing in the back of my mind is how real is it like can this be something? Is this an actual point of growth for him moving forward or is this just a moment in time where he's thriving at what he's good at right now?
Unknown
I certainly think it's a moment. Not a moment in time, but a point of growth. But the is it a moment in time in which we see the point of growth, if that makes any sense. So I think Josh Hart. Josh Hart said it best like OG is remember that he's a 6 foot 8, 245 pound demon. And the way I think a lot of people's knock on OG if you always wondered like why can't he get to this level as a score? I think most people would point to the handle and, and, and just not necessarily always being direct with his movements in the half court. I think that's what's been very promising from this. Like he is getting to the rim. It's very direct, it's very forceful, it's very poignant. There's like you said, there's been great balance from him s and then he's even added like the Euro swipe gather through. Yeah. Has been. It's like he's added that to his bag of tricks and it's really helped. He's gotten to the line more. I think over the last 11 games he's averaging about throws a game. This is a guy that averages 2.2 for most of his career. I think so. Or 2.8 or something like that. So pulling off a couple moves, finding a move that's comfortable with him and then again just remembering how strong he is. But I also think one thing that's been well, he's also letting the three ball fly. He's not hesitating. He has been one of those guys that has been reluctant to let it go when he has a sliver of space and he's let it fly this year he's shooting at about 38% clip. But even further than that, the way with Brunson out, they've had to kind of change how they play defensively or they've had to change how they play and kind of rely on their defense. Right. Like Miles McBride is a good point of attack defender. Mitchell Robinson is back so they're able to have a little bit more ball pressure which allows OG and there's, there's Back line help that they trust. They're able to kind of to. To stick to their man, jump passing lanes, gamble. And I think you see OG out in the. On the fast break a lot too. So that's been a positive. And then the last thing, what I'm curious to see what happens when Jalen gets back is obviously Jalen's gonna have the ball more. And that's just. I think everybody would agree, like Jalen Brunson is. He's the guy. He's the one that, as you said, Dave stirs a drink. But when he. While he's been out, OG is kind of. And me and Fred talked about this. I think he's going to write something on Friday in his. In his notebook around the league. But the geometry of where OG is now without Brunson has changed. Like, he's not always in the corner. He's on the wing. He's getting. He's at the top of the key. That might not be the case, or they have to figure out how to maybe work that in more when Brunson comes back. So I'm curious to see how they utilize him. Maybe they change the change around the rotation so OG has opportunities where he can be in those spots on the floor, even while Brunson.
S
Yeah, like leading bench lineups type of thing, right?
Unknown
Yeah, exactly. So I'm curious to see how they. How they do that. But I. I do agree that I think he has taken steps. But the question is, is it. Is it sustainable because of how Brunson utilizes the floor and just the importance of having him back?
Dave DeFore
He had that sequence, you know, where he. Where he hit the little Euro drive out of the corner and then he has the sidestep three, like back to back. And I think that that kind of stuff is exactly where he can plug himself in when Brunson comes back. Especially around the Brunson cat pick and roll. I mean, but this is kind of what he was supp. The entire time. So maybe that's. That's been unlocked a little bit. But, you know, before we get you out of here, can you give us an update on Jalen Brunson? Like, I know that the. The idea is they want to get him a few games before the playoffs, I'm assuming get him a few games and then that little bit of rest for the play in.
S
Four games, for all NBA.
Unknown
Four games.
Dave DeFore
Is he gonna make it back?
Unknown
So he has cleared for basketball activities, and the Knicks have Thursday off. Then they're going to likely practice Friday in Atlanta and Then they play in Atlanta at 3. And he is on this trip. So it is about a five day trip, two games in there. Most guys that are injured usually travel with the team in that type of long break because every. The whole organization is there. It reads to me like there's a really good chance Brunson could be back Saturday against Atlanta. And I would say Sunday gets Phoenix back in New York at the latest. But my, my hunch is there's a good chance he's back Saturday. But it seems like he will be back in enough time to get to 65 games they have after this weekend. They'll have a week left. Seven game. Seven days. I think they'll have how many games? I think they have six games left, if I'm not mistaken. I should know that. That's probably my job. But they all just kind of.
S
I should also know that too.
Dave DeFore
We'll run it together at this point.
Unknown
But I think Six games.
Dave DeFore
Six games. Six.
Unknown
Six games. Okay, There you go. He technically could miss the two games this weekend and still be fine. But I think he comes back and plays in one of the games this weekend.
S
Cool.
Unknown
Yeah.
S
Because they, they. They don't have a back to back. Actually, they do have a back to back. So you might end up missing one of those games as part of the. Yeah, Detroit.
Unknown
That was my thought too. Like maybe they sit him in Phoenix or Phoenix against. Or maybe they. That's the thing because it's the Sunday game against Phoenix is in New York. Do you want his return to be in New York for your fans, Right. Or do you want it on the road? I could see both ways. Do you want his first matchup back to be Dyson Daniels? Do you like that's gonna make you work in your first game? It's a good test.
Dave DeFore
You gotta think about it like boxing. You got to think about it like boxing. Right. You want to get a soup can out there. The Phoenix Suns, they're already thinking about vacation. I mean, I don't know if you watch.
Unknown
1, 2, 3. Cancun.
Dave DeFore
The Bucks were 27 of 28 at the rim last night and the Suns had zero block shots. So they're out and we're out. That's it for today's show.
Unknown
Thank you, Richards.
S
Yeah. Nick Richards saved the day, man.
Dave DeFore
Thank you to James Edwards for hanging out with us. To Esperahenny, as always, I'm Dave DeFore. This has been the NBA Daily. Thanks for waking up with us.
The Athletic NBA Daily – Episode: Can OKC Get to 70 Wins? + Anthony Davis’ Big Night
Release Date: April 3, 2025
Hosts: Dave DeFore, Zena Keita, and Esfandiar Baraheni
Guest: James Edwards
In this episode of The Athletic NBA Daily, hosts Dave DeFore, Zena Keita, and Esfandiar Baraheni delve deep into the Oklahoma City Thunder's remarkable season, exploring their potential to reach an unprecedented 70 wins. Additionally, the episode spotlights Anthony Davis' stellar performance and provides insightful analysis on the New York Knicks' struggles against top-tier teams. Featuring expert commentary from James Edwards, this episode offers a comprehensive overview of crucial NBA narratives as the season approaches its climax.
Dave DeFore opens the discussion by highlighting the Thunder's dominance, emphasizing their impressive 64-12 record and the potential to reach 70 wins.
“OKC once again just takes care of business. They get their 64th win. They're 64 and 12... Shay Gilda's Alexander of course just continues to rack up the accolades.” [03:41]
Zena Keita praises Kevin Alexander's consistency, noting his 30-point games and drawing parallels to Michael Jordan's 69-game 30-point streak.
“69 games tying Michael Jordan. Yes, very nice.” [03:41]
The hosts discuss the Thunder's historical significance, pointing out that their 50 double-digit wins tie them with some of the greatest NBA teams in history.
“Last night was their 50th win by double digits this season, tied for the most in NBA history.” [04:05]
Dave DeFore examines the Thunder's remaining schedule, expressing confidence in their ability to surpass the double-digit win milestone.
“So I think they're going to set the record for most double digit wins.” [04:55]
Zena Keita reinforces the feasibility of reaching 70 wins, citing the Thunder's favorable matchups against teams like Houston, the Lakers, Phoenix, Utah, and New Orleans.
“They have tons of expectations there for them to do... that’s like how good they’ve been all year.” [04:43]
Dave DeFore makes a bold prediction regarding the Thunder's final record, factoring in strategic player rest and tough matchups.
“I’m going to say 68. I just think that they’re going to rest guys and I think it’s going to... they're going to be extremely strategic as they go into the playoffs.” [07:00]
The conversation shifts to recent performances by other NBA teams:
Celtics vs. Heat: Discussing the Celtics' surprising loss to the Heat, the hosts attribute it to poor shooting and key player absences.
“The Celtics shot 27% from three. They were also missing Al Horford, Drew Holiday, and Christoph Sporzingis.” [08:20]
Spurs vs. Nuggets: Addressing the Spurs' victory over the Nuggets despite Denver missing key players like Jokic and Murray.
“It was a great game for Russell Westbrook tonight. You know, 30 points, 11 rebounds, six assists.” [10:34]
A significant portion of the episode is dedicated to Anthony Davis' impactful return to the court after his injury.
Dave DeFore celebrates Davis' impressive performance despite playing with an eye injury.
“Anthony Davis hits a game winner, has a really ridiculous line, and him and Derek Lively out there.” [13:17]
Zena Keita applauds the synergistic performances of Davis and Lively, highlighting their effective double big lineups.
“They have all of their bigs back, so Daniel Gafford is back in there. They’re running the double big lineups consistently.” [14:00]
Dave DeFore underscores Davis' resilience and versatility, noting his ability to dominate the game while injured.
“Some sort of typical AD kind of game where he comes back in the game and absolutely dominates.” [14:20]
Zena Keita analyzes Davis' evolving role and his improved shooting efficiency, emphasizing his growth and adaptability.
“He’s gotten to the line more. This is a guy that averages 2.2 for most of his career. So pulling off a couple moves, finding a move that’s comfortable with him...” [23:44]
Dave DeFore speculates on the integration of Davis post-injury, especially in relation to Jalen Brunson's anticipated return.
“He had that sequence, you know, where he hit the little Euro drive out of the corner and then he has the sidestep three, like back to back.” [26:43]
James Edwards, covering the Knicks, shares his insights on why the team struggles against elite opponents.
Fatigue and Injuries: Edwards points out that two of the Knicks' three games against Cleveland occurred on the second night of back-to-backs, with key players like Jalen Brunson and Miles McBride sidelined.
“They lost by 36 or whatever it was a few weeks ago... but good teams don’t get blasted like that.” [18:25]
Defensive Inconsistencies: The Knicks exhibit strong defensive moments but falter when defending switches, lacking effective strategies like slipping pick-and-rolls.
“I think they don’t utilize slipping as much... Josh Hart is a great guy at slipping pick and roll situations.” [20:11]
Offensive Hesitation: The team tends to hesitate in offensive plays, opting for ISO-heavy strategies that limit shot efficiency and flow.
“They've hesitated at times... trying to get a better shot and the shot clock goes like.” [20:49]
Dave DeFore summarizes the Knicks' challenges, emphasizing their slow-paced half-court play and reliance on hesitant shot selections.
“I think they're leaving a little bit on the bone offensively when it comes to facing switches.” [20:49]
A crucial segment is dedicated to updating listeners on Jalen Brunson's injury status and potential return timeline.
James Edwards provides the latest on Brunson, indicating a high likelihood of his return within the upcoming weekend’s games.
“It is about a five day trip, two games in there... there’s a really good chance Brunson could be back Saturday against Atlanta.” [27:20]
Zena Keita contemplates the strategic implications of Brunson’s return, particularly how it will affect OG Anunoby’s role and overall team dynamics.
“He is getting to the rim. It is very direct, it's very forceful, it's very poignant... Maybe they change around the rotation so OG has opportunities.” [25:05]
Dave DeFore anticipates how Brunson’s comeback will reinvigorate the Knicks, especially in executing complex plays and enhancing offensive versatility.
“But what he's doing is exactly where he can plug himself in when Brunson comes back.” [26:43]
In closing, Dave DeFore wraps up the episode by reiterating the Thunder's formidable season and the excitement surrounding Anthony Davis' return. The hosts express optimism about the Thunder potentially setting new records and reflect on the Knicks' ongoing struggles, looking forward to Brunson's return as a pivotal moment for the team. The episode concludes with thanks to guest James Edwards and the hosts, leaving listeners informed and engaged with the latest NBA developments.
“That's it for today's show. Thank you to James Edwards for hanging out with us. This has been the NBA Daily. Thanks for waking up with us.” [29:15]
Notable Quotes:
Dave DeFore [03:41]: “OKC once again just takes care of business. They get their 64th win. They're 64 and 12... Shay Gilda's Alexander of course just continues to rack up the accolades.”
Zena Keita [03:41]: “69 games tying Michael Jordan. Yes, very nice.”
Dave DeFore [07:00]: “I’m going to say 68. I just think that they’re going to rest guys and I think it’s going to... they're going to be extremely strategic as they go into the playoffs.”
Zena Keita [08:20]: “They have tons of expectations there for them to do... that’s like how good they’ve been all year.”
James Edwards [18:25]: “They lost by 36 or whatever it was a few weeks ago... but good teams don’t get blasted like that.”
Zena Keita [20:11]: “I think they don’t utilize slipping as much... Josh Hart is a great guy at slipping pick and roll situations.”
James Edwards [27:20]: “It is about a five day trip, two games in there... there’s a really good chance Brunson could be back Saturday against Atlanta.”
This detailed summary encapsulates the key discussions and insights from The Athletic NBA Daily episode, providing listeners with a comprehensive understanding of the Thunder's exceptional season, Anthony Davis' impactful return, and the Knicks' challenges against top competition.