The Athletic NBA Daily – Jan 23, 2026

Episode Theme:
Is Joel Embiid back? Dave DuFour, Esfandiar "S" Baraheni, and guest Tony Jones dissect Embiid’s impact in the Sixers’ overtime win against the Rockets, talk chess moves for Philadelphia, and take the NBA’s pulse, from surging Clippers to spiraling Warriors.

Episode Highlights

1. Setting the Scene: Rivalry Week and NBA Catch-up

• Hosts: Dave DuFour (B), Esfandiar "S" Baraheni (C)
• [02:11–03:47]
  • NBA Rivalry Week is more marketing than substance this year.
    • "Rivalry week is kind of not that great. Right." (B, 02:17)
    • Clippers-Lakers still draws more Lakers fans to the Clippers’ home.
    • Oklahoma City/Spurs considered a rivalry, but dynamic is off due to differing team trajectories.
  • Division importance and East/West playoff implications are debated.
    • "The Suns, currently the six seed in the West, would be the two seed in the East." (B, 03:09)

2. The Clippers Surge & Lakers Rivalry Recap

• [04:03–07:09]
  • Clippers’ recent form: 8-2 in last 10, surging up standings.
  • Kawhi Leonard’s return:
    • Looked "like Kawhi" on minutes restriction (25 min), team cautious due to injury history.
    • "I kind of want to see how he incorporates himself within this offense... all of January the Clippers have been a top 10 offense." (C, 05:10)
  • Lakers’ comeback: Third/fourth quarter run behind LeBron/Luka.
    • "Crazy moments from LeBron James, the coast to coast dunks, the athleticism." (C, 04:45)
  • Supporting cast rise: Kobe Sanders, John Collins (shooting surge), Zubac/Harden pick-and-roll.
    • "John Collins is playing some really, really good basketball, especially offensively over the last month." (C, 06:08)
  • Deadline moves expected: Expiring contracts (Collins), Bojan Bogdanovic mentioned.
    • "I expect that they’re going to make a move or two at the deadline." (B, 06:25)

3. Warriors’ Troubles Deepen: Loss to Mavericks

• [07:09–12:15]
  • Warriors lose to Mavericks 123–115: Not just the loss, but how they lost.
  • Injuries mounting: Jimmy Butler out for year, Kaminga (recent bright spot) suffers knee scare.
    • "It just feels like... this might be the straw that breaks the camel’s back." (B, 07:58)
  • Draymond Green’s meltdown:
    • 4 fouls and a flagrant in 3 minutes, precipitates 11–0 Mavericks run (from 102–101), essentially ends the game.
    • "Draymond tanked this game for the Warriors last night." (B, 08:34)
    • "Have you ever seen anybody commit four fouls and one flagrant foul in three minutes?" (C, 08:42)
  • Curry’s gallant effort can’t save team. Draymond’s privileged relationship with refs discussed.
    • "It’s insane what Draymond gets away with when it comes to talking to the officials... Luka Doncic is a close second." (C & B, 09:56–10:22)
  • Speculation: Should the Warriors tank? With core issues and injuries mounting, tanking suggested.
    • "What if the Warriors just tank this year?" (C, 11:08)
    • "If the playoffs start today, you’re the 8th seed." (B, 11:12)
  • Wistful for Curry on a better team. "It’d be great to see Steph playing just on a better team." (B, 12:15)

4. Sixers-Rockets Overtime Thriller & Embiid Analysis

Guest: Tony Jones (D)

• [15:31–34:36]

A. Controversial Goaltending Call That Wasn’t

• [15:31–19:03]
  • Missed goaltending leads to overtime instead of a Sixers win in regulation.
    • "It was a clear goaltend. It was really obvious. It's not a call that should have been missed in real time." (D, 16:10)
  • Tony Jones: Officials also botched timeout timing, denying Philly a possible game-winner and giving Houston an unintended edge.
    • "Philly won that impending scramble, and had there not been a whistle, VJ Edgecombe would have had a wide open three." (D, 16:36)
  • NBA’s communication tech (headsets) scrutinized for not preventing the error.

B. Joel Embiid’s Night: Big Triple-Double, Bigger Signs

• [19:03–24:27]
  • Embiid’s line: 46 min, 32 pts, 15 rebs (season high), 10 ast, 2 blk — first triple double of year.
    • "The 15 [rebounds] is the most impactful number because he hasn’t been rebounding this year... so, you know, the fact that he got 15, I believe this is a season high." (D, 19:53)
  • Locker room moment:
    • Embiid jokes about January 22nd being so special (70-pt game in 2024, triple double this year) he might try to time a child’s birth for that date.
      • "He said that he and his wife are probably going to try to time a kid to be born on January 22nd." (D, 21:17)
  • Rebounding is the biggest positive trend—signals improving health.
  • Embiid’s own comments on frustration with review system not being used despite clear mechanisms.

C. Sixers’ Offense: Maxey Partnership, Rookie Usage

• [22:14–24:27]
  • Tyrese Maxey: 36 pts; their two-man game remains unselfish.
  • VJ Edgecombe’s (rookie) limited usage when Embiid & Maxey dominate; still praised for dynamic potential.
    • "I do think that VJ’s so dynamic that I think that they need to figure out a way to keep him busy." (D, 23:33)
  • Kelly Oubre’s energy and willingness compared favorably as a lesson for VJ.

D. Embiid’s Status: How “Back” Is He?

• [24:27–26:20]
  • "I think Joel’s back to an all-star level right now for sure... Those just aren’t pedestrian numbers. Not everybody can just put those up." (D, 24:27)
  • Defense is the real question (mobility/lateral quicks), not scoring.
    • "At his peak, I thought he was the second best defensive center in the league. Behind Rudy Gobert." (D, 25:05)
  • Rockets tried to exploit his mobility by running screens with Jabari Smith instead of Sengun; Nurse’s scheme praised for tactical adjustments.

E. Trade Deadline & Rotation Moves for Philly

• [26:20–30:20]
  • Expect the Sixers to convert two-way contracts (Barlow, Jabari Walker).
    • "Dominic Barlow is their sixth best player." (D, 27:17)
  • Philly’s strengths: Maxey’s leap, Oubre’s scoring, Embiid near-MVP form, Edgecombe’s promise.
  • When asked: "What do you say to that?" — "I would probably say the Sixers have a chance to win the championship is what I would say at the start of the season." (C, 28:51)
  • Both big and small moves possible:
    • Small move: Keon Ellis from Sac for defense & shooting.
      • "I’m calling Sacramento, and I’m offering a couple seconds for Keon Ellis." (D, 29:18)
    • Swing: Ask New Orleans about Trey Murphy.
    • No interest in dealing Paul George or Oubre with current lineup success.

F. Sixers Playoff Outlook: Who Can They Beat?

• [32:00–34:20]
  • Not an "82-game" team, but built for a 16-game postseason run.
    • "I don’t think this is an 82 game roster. I think this is a 16 game roster." (D, 32:00)
  • Bad matchup vs. Detroit & Cleveland; good vs. Knicks, Raptors; Boston a toss-up.
  • Regular season finish crucial: need to finish 4th/5th seed for ideal matchups.
    • "You want to avoid Detroit, you want to avoid Boston in the first round... You do want to play the Raptors." (D & B, 34:08–34:18)
  • "The difference with the Houston game last night is that that was a playoff-play game... a half court game." (D, 33:15)
  • Season could hinge on health management and playoff seeding.

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• Embarrassing missed call:

  • "It was a clear goaltend. It was really obvious... Should not have been missed in real time." – Tony Jones (D), 16:10

• Embiid’s playful locker room:

  • "He said that he and his wife are probably going to try to time a kid to be born on January 22nd." – Tony Jones (D), 21:17

• Defining Embiid’s resurgence:

  • "I think Joel’s back to an all-star level right now for sure... The question for me isn’t offensively for him, it’s defensively." – Tony Jones (D), 24:27

• On Sixers’ real chance:

  • "I would probably say the Sixers have a chance to win the championship is what I would say at the start of the season." – S (C), 28:51

• On Paul George’s fit:

  • "He’s better at being Tobias Harris than Tobias Harris." – Tony Jones (D), 31:28

• On team construction:

  • "I don’t think this is an 82 game roster. I think this is a 16 game roster." – Tony Jones (D), 32:00

Timestamps to Key Segments

| Segment | Start | |-------------------------------------|----------| | Clippers-Lakers rivalry/Clips surge | 04:03 | | Warriors woes/Draymond meltdown | 07:09 | | Sixers-Rockets OT, goaltend drama | 15:31 | | Embiid’s triple-double & health | 19:03 | | Sixers’ deadline/rotation moves | 26:20 | | Sixers playoff matchups/outlook | 32:00 |

Tone & Style

• Analytical, witty, conversational banter between hosts.
• Nuanced, expert NBA breakdown – from tactics to locker-room levity.
• Tony Jones adds both insight and humor, especially on Embiid’s off-court musings and the Sixers’ playoff calculus.

Takeaway

Is Joel Embiid back?
This episode details an emphatic yes—on offense and glass—but with defensive mobility still in question. The Sixers’ identity is forming around Embiid, the Maxey dynamic, and shrewd coaching. With the East wide open, patience, health, and perhaps a subtle roster tweak could vault Philly deep. Elsewhere, the Warriors wobble and the Clippers quietly regroup—making the NBA’s playoff picture as unpredictable as ever.